#the dark artifacts header

[weasleyedits]

mark blackthorn headers

please like or reblog if you like it

credits to @ginnyweasrley

[hdsudsfest]

HD Sudsfest Art: The Next Morning, Somewhere in Paris

The Next Morning, Somewhere in Paris by @gryffindorhearts/ gryffindorhearts

Rating: Teen and Up Art medium (if applicable): Digital art Warnings/Tags:  Bathing/Washing, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Bubble Bath, Domestic, Digital Art, Kissing Prompt #: Self prompt

Their first year as fully-fledged Aurors hasn't been easy, to say the least. Being partners with Draco (in more ways than one) has been full of surprises, both wonderful and infuriating. Not to mention hunting down dark wizards, uncovering dangerous artifacts, and the endless stream of Ministry paperwork. Their latest mission took them racing through the alleyways of Paris for four days straight. Finally, they found reprieve amongst the golden tiles and cool porcelain of an ensuite with a view of the Seine. Harry doesn't know what street they're on, nor could he even recall the name of the hotel. But one thing is for certain: taking a chance on Draco was the best idea either of them has ever had.

Give The Next Morning, Somewhere in Paris some love on AO3!

header art also by @gryffindorhearts! do not repost

[yostresswritinggirl]

Request: hiii!! you’re writing is so amazing! i can really feel the emotion in every one of your pieces and i really admire you! i remembered seeing an artist from the obey me fandom drawing like a parellel universe where the player is a part of the original game and the characters are the ones enamored and spending all their money on trying to get them. i thought it would be cool to see that for genshin and i think your writing would suit it! you can write about any character you would like, but if it isn’t too much to ask, would you throw in some albedo and xiao crumbs? i hope you have a nice day/night!! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)ﻭ

This will be the new format seeing as freakin tumblr won't show my posts in the tags if it's an ask :'))

I just want to say this is such a cute idea and I was tempted to isekai the fuck outta this, but that would be overkill ahahahha! This was so fun to write and I got instantly inspired, my goodness - here's my take! With new headers to get in the mood, credits in the tags!

Universe Reversal

Genshin Impact Character Reader and Modern Players Albedo / Xiao (how they simp for you) (event masterlist) (Part 2 / Part 3)

Albedo the Fanartist

Albedo is a hardcore gamer that knows almost everything about the game, from lore to theories, to the best set up and farming routes.

This man found out about your character for a long while even before your release because of the leaked data content he'd been following for a while, your intricate design was the first thing that caught his attention, seeing as your skills and stories had yet to be published.

How he pulled you: Pity. He perfectly mastered the pity system to get you the moment your banner was open, and my goodness, was he checking for it every minute after the old banner was gone.

The first thing he does is take pictures, walk around, admire your voicelines and your animations. He's WHIPPED. He wants every bit of content related to you.

To the point that he himself ended up pioneering the fanart community dedicated to your character. His digital arts were always god-tier and had made a lot of players simp/pull for you when they weren't planning to do so.

Albedo was known by the community as the biggest (Y/N) simp and he carries that title proudly.

He already had notes about your lore, story and your connections to the main storyline and other characters. Most of the facts he already remembers by heart.

Would definitely buy official merchandise of you, especially and most definitely figurines!

He mains you in traveling to the point that your character feels more like the main character in the many times he had used you by default. He's just really in love with your design!

Had made many different kinds of fanarts regarding you, like modern, cross-dressing, royalty, 18+, and commissions.

Maxed out your constellation and unlocked all the stories and voicelines. You don the best artifact in the game and NEVER leaves his main team, unless it's absolutely necessary.

Had been caught daydreaming about you multiple times, truly a fanboy, has definitely flexed you more than enough times to his friends.

"Their design is unique and flexible, easy on the eyes yet intricate enough to make you look. If it were an option, I'd change the main character to them."

Favorite Voiceline: Good Morning...

Xiao the Lucky Puller

Xiao doesn't really care much about characters as he's a normal free to play gamer who works with what he has, and isn't obsessive with trying to get featured characters to the point of whaling.

How he pulled you: Insane luck. He wanted to take a shot in the dark to either get a nice new weapon or the other characters in the banner since he knew he won't have enough primogems to actually get you. Then lo and behold, you appear at his first ten pulls?!

You're probably, most definitely, his first five star and he is silently livid at the idea. He's also probably the only one to have it in his friend group so he would show his pull to their discord server immediately.

He has ZERO clue on how you operate tho, so he's gonna take his sweet time trying to figure out your builds and your gameplay/skills.

When he gets the feel of you, he begins using you more and more, still prideful of his first five star and lucky pull. His friends can't argue since you won't come home to them~

He indulges himself with reading your story and listening to your voicelines the most, to the point that he can tell apart your voicelines from the other characters. If there was a voiceline where you sing, GOOD SHIT-

He has you as his icon, and his signature is vaguely dedicated to your character.

You are part of his main team and built more for either support or sub dps. His most favorite part about you is your voicelines really, and your uh idle animation.

He's infatuated but does not outright accept nor deny that you are his game waifu. Secretly tho, he has read fanfiction for you before and may or may not have wrote one too

He really likes the isekai ones uhu

Had tried to cook the real life recipe of your signature dish, and it turned out really great!

"Their company and camaraderie and their voicelines and story is really nice and heartwarming. I wish I have someone like that."

Favorite Voiceline: About Us, Birthday Voiceline

This is such a cute headcanon to write uhu even tho it's so short huhu

@moaa @zelos-simp @legionqueensav @dandelion-dreams @snackgod @rxsalinee @albaedhoe

[bittykimmy13]

Cat’s Out of the Bag (GT)

In which Ben and Lee discover one of Delilah's more unexpected abilities.

Characters belong to me and the lovely @marydublin5​ / @little-miss-maggie​ (who created the header image) <3

Warning: Blood

“Hey, slow down—you don’t look so good.” Lee tried to get a closer look at the slash on Delilah’s shoulder, but she twisted away and gave him a coy smile.

“Aw, you’re worried about me? Blood warlocks tend to lash out when you rob them. It comes with the territory.” She stepped back on the dark sidewalk, admiring the gold amulet she had snatched. “I appreciate the help. Give me a call when you need me to return the favor.” Her playfully businesslike tone was strained.

Lee caught up and blocked her path. “As hot as this whole tough-girl thing is, at least stop by the hotel. Ben can heal that.”

“You and I both know that Ben doesn’t want anything to do with me. It’s no big deal, Lee. Why stress him out?” She peeked down at her wound, and her breath caught. Her sea-blue eyes flashed at Lee in warning. “Just go. I’ll take care of it.”

“Whatever you say.” Lee raised his hands in surrender and let her walk off.

He didn’t know what her plan was. She had to be miles away from wherever she was staying, and this quiet slice of suburbia didn’t have any taxis crawling around. If anything, someone was more likely to call the cops if they saw her staggering through the neighborhood at three in the morning, covered in blood.

He couldn’t help himself—he looked back. And she was nowhere to be seen.

“Delilah?”

Maybe she had done some kind of magic to spirit herself away. He didn’t know the extent of her powers, after all.

Two houses down in the direction she had fled, a flicker of movement caught his eye near the edge of a lawn. The streetlight barely illuminated it—a fluffy white cat.

Lee almost wrote it off and turned back around, but then he saw the cat was staggering with a peculiar, defeated gait. He stared for a moment, frozen as a ridiculous thought took hold of him. But considering Delilah was a witch, maybe it wasn’t that ridiculous.

“Hey,” he called out to the cat. “... Delilah?”

The cat paused and looked over its shoulder. Its eyes narrowed in a distinctly human-like way, and it took off at a foster trot away from him.

“Hang on!” He jogged to catch up.

As he closed in, the cat turned around and hissed. It took slow steps back, scowling. Under the streetlight, those sea-blue eyes were unmistakable.

Pushing a hand through his hair, Lee tried to get his bearings as he processed what he was seeing. “Okay, I… I’ve seen Ben make ghosts out of thin air. I can handle this, just give me a second. You’re… a cat?”

Delilah the cat rolled her eyes as if to say “Duh” and started to turn away. The way she limped brought his thoughts back into focus.

“Wait! You’re not gonna trot your way downtown. Come with me. This is weird as fuck, but… you’re hurt. Come on.” Despite her injury, she still managed to flick her tail imperiously as she walked away, ignoring him. “What if I told you I have a can of tuna in the car? Catnip?”

She paused to glare at him, then took off at a quicker pace. It didn’t last long. She staggered severely and came to a stop at the end of the sidewalk, hanging her head. Lee approached with slow steps and dropped to a crouch behind her.

He reached a hesitant hand to brush his fingertips on her back. “Del—”

She whirled and bit him. Shouting, he snatched his hand back. Delilah’s fur stood on end. Her wide stance warned that she was ready to strike again. As she growled, Lee spotted a patch of red staining the white fur on her front. Even in a different form, her wound had transferred.

The longer he observed her eyes, the less it seemed like anger and more like… “You don’t have to be scared of me.” He took a chance and smiled—the kind of smile that usually got him his way. “Have I ever mentioned I love cats? Come on, I just want to help.”

Delilah stayed coiled with tension for a few more moments. Gradually, she seemed too weak to stay on guard. She took a seat on the sidewalk, her tail wrapping around her legs. She dropped her gaze to the pavement and gave something of a sigh. She nodded with visible reluctance.

“Great,” he sighed.

He reached out with both hands, feeling awkward as he closed the distance. The number of times he had picked up Ben only prepared him marginally for this moment. As Lee’s hands approached, Delilah bumped her nose against the spot she had bitten him. She gave him a meaningful look.

Sorry.

“Don’t sweat it. Obviously, you like me too much to actually break skin.”

Carefully, he scooped her into his arms. She squirmed around as he stood, trying to find a comfortable position. When she settled, he became aware of the warm spot of blood in her fur. Her breathing was uneven.

“Let’s get you outta here.”

It was a few blocks down to his car, but it felt much longer than that. He adjusted Delilah to one arm as he searched for his keys.

“You know, I can deal with cat blood and fur on my suit, but if you get a single claw in my seats, I’m dropping you off at the shelter.”

He thought he might get another bite for that, but she meowed innocently instead. The sound made him pause. It was adorable, but he didn’t let her know that. He would get clawed up instead of the seats.

He ducked to sit behind the steering wheel, and Delilah wasted no time in hopping out of his arms. She claimed the passenger seat, laying down with a huff and curling into herself.

Lee dug out his phone and dialed the burner number he had left in the hotel room. Ben must have been waiting right beside it, because it only rang once.

“Are you okay?” Ben blurted in greeting. “It’s been—”

“I know, I know. Got held up, but I’m fine. Mostly. Cat bit me.”

“Cat?”

Lee glanced at the passenger seat, where Delilah waited as primly as her injury would allow. “On a completely unrelated note,” Lee went on. “Can you heal cats?”

Luckily, the hotel’s front desk clerk was too occupied with an unhappy guest to notice Lee sneaking a cat through the lobby. He kept Delilah tucked under his arm, hiding as much as he could while walking with casual confidence. It was a good thing her petiteness as a human translated into cat form.

When the elevator doors safely closed them away from prying eyes, he cradled her in both arms again and looked down at her.

“How are you holding up?” he asked, resisting the urge to stroke her.

She cocked her gaze up at him and twitched her shoulders up in what he assumed was a shrug. She dropped her head against his upper arm, feeling limper than she had earlier.

He took a chance and ran his hand down her back encouragingly. “Just hang on—we’re almost there.”

The elevator came to a stop, and she hurried for his and Ben’s room, locking the door behind him. As he strode inside, he spotted Ben hovering in the common area.

“Come on, I’ll put her here.” Lee gingerly set Delilah on the couch. She promptly laid down. When he turned around, however, Ben was still hovering in the same spot and looking rather pale. Lee frowned and beckoned impatiently. “What are you waiting for, Benny?”

“I’m just… are you sure that’s Delilah and not some random cat you pick up off the street?”

Lee scoffed in disbelief. “Yes, this is Delilah. Unless I’ve gone crazy—”

“Which is always a possibility.”

Delilah gave a snort that was likely meant to be a laugh. As Lee and Ben turned to her, she crossed her front paws and held her head higher, distinct intelligence shining in her eyes. All very Delilah-like.

“You see?” Lee insisted. “Have you ever seen a cat look so smug?”

“I make it a point not to look at cats for too long.” Nonetheless, Ben tentatively flew a bit lower before shooting Lee another uncertain look. “You said she bit you…”

“Even more proof that it’s her, if you ask me.”

Delilah mewled in agreement. Then her demure posture wavered. She laid down on her side and looked up at Ben pleadingly, exposing her wound in full view. Sighing, Ben finally caved and flew down. It was clear he was stuffing down a world of anxiety to even get close. But despite his misgivings about Delilah, Lee couldn’t see him turning away to let her suffer.

Lee knelt by the couch as Ben landed a short distance from Delilah. She laid perfectly still, the only movement coming from her eyes as she watched Ben approach. His steps slowed the closer he got, and she began to make a low noise. For a second, Lee thought she was growling again. But no. She was purring.

Horrible injury aside, Lee had to bite his lip to stifle an endeared smile as Ben finally closed the distance to reach out and heal her. She watched with a calm expression even as it took Ben a few times to stammer out the healing incantation correctly. Light bloomed from his palm and transferred onto the wound. As the magic did its work, Delilah closed her eyes serenely and sighed.

When the spell was complete, Delilah raised her head and lightly licked Ben’s hand before he could pull it away. He flinched and took an abrupt step back, but he stayed put long enough to mutter, “You’re welcome.”

After Ben flitted back into the air, Delilah tried to stand, but she promptly fell back onto her side. She huffed and wouldn’t quite look at Lee as he knelt over her with concern.

“Stay the night,” he told her. “And I don’t give me that look—I know what it feels like to have an intense healing like that. You need to rest.”

She didn’t try to get up again, but she did sulk at him with heavy eyelids.

“What happened out there?” Ben asked Lee as he stood. “Is this some kind of curse?”

“I don’t think so. She seems… used to this. Like this is normal for her.” He looked to Delilah for confirmation, and she nodded sleepily, putting her head down after. “She got hurt while stealing back an artifact that some wizard guys took from her. She got a nasty cut while she was at it, and suddenly she was a cat.”

“Some witches can shapeshift,” Ben admitted, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. “I’ll tell you what, I’m drawing the line if you ever try to bring me some owl-shifted witch for me to heal.”

Lee grinned. “Aw, as if you could ever say no to me, Benny.”

Ben gave him a flat look and flew off to the kitchen. Feeling they both deserved a strong drink, Lee planned to join him. But when he looked back at the couch, he gave a start. The cat was gone. Delilah, in human form, was curled up on her side, eyes shut. The amulet she’d taken was still clutched loosely in her hand.

Lee stepped into the bedroom to grab the comforter and pillow from his bed. He approached her with quiet steps, guilty at the thought of disturbing her when she looked so peaceful. He gently lifted her head and slid the pillow underneath. She drew in a deep breath and rubbed the side of her face into the plush surface.

With as much care as he could manage, he draped the comforter over her. She didn’t budge. He had never seen her look so vulnerable. Normally, she was all smirks and cool determination. But he supposed he must have earned a little bit more of her trust that night.

[xazz]

Moth Wings 1

Pairing: AltMal, Altair+Desmond Rating: Explicit Tags: vampires, romance, servant AU, music AU, Insect wings (but no bugs of any sort), fluff, angst, flangst Status: WIP

Extra warning for this chapter: there’s like a weird egg hatching scene. It isn’t graphic but if that freaks you out you’ve been warned.

Ayyye Vampire AU. Because who doesn’t like a vampire AU? This is “technically” the first part of chapter 1 but I’m cutting it up and posting it in shorter parts. If you want to read the full like... 10k long chapter 1 it’s available on my patreon (see blog page for details).

———

It had been a long year.

Altair was at his usual spot lately. He’d been spending more and more hours every day for the past few weeks. The chrysalis had been getting more and more opaque as the weeks had gone on and the master demanded someone be there to watch it. And it certainly wouldn’t be one of the coven. So it fell to Altair.

He was supposed to stay up all day and night with it now. Someone at least came and gave him food and drink. Half the time he just tried to not fall asleep, entertaining himself with his sketchbook, his one reprieve in this dark world he’d found himself in.

But finally.

Finally.

The chrysalis was hatching.

It was the middle of the day and the masters were asleep. But it didn’t matter to the one in the chrysalis. The fragile skin surrounding it splintered and a clear fluid leaked out and dribbled on the stone floor. Altair only left to get a mop and water. He knew he’d have to clean it anyway so he might as well prepare. There were already blankets and towels at the ready in tall stacks surrounding the altar the chrysalis was on.

Altair just sat and waited. He’d been instructed not to touch the chrysalis. Either it emerged on its own and was strong enough to join the coven, or it died in birth. Altair thought that was a pretty mean way to welcome a child into the world. But what did he know? This wasn’t his world. This was the world of the night. A world of darkness. A sleepless world for Altair.

An hour ticked by. Another. Slowly the cracks formed fractures and then rips in the fragile membrane of the chrysalis. He saw something moving in there, backlit by the chandelier overhead.

Then finally, well past noon, the chrysalis split. Embiotic juices splashed across the altar and floor and a figure tumbled out, onto the altar.

It was the size of a small child and looking at it Altair could hardly believe it was a vampire. It looked so thin and fragile. It’s black eyes were huge, its teeth comically too big for its mouth, its skull shape wrong to fit all those teeth. Its wings were damp and delicate, stuck to its back like paper. 

Unlike a human newborn it didn’t cry when it came into the world. It was too large. This was a vampire infant but it was nothing like a human infant. It was already as big as a toddler. It just looked at Altair with its big black eyes, breathing through its mouth, his nose clogged with mucus.

He started when it squeaked. Almost like a cat. “Oh, right,” he muttered and grabbed some towels and gathered the infant up. He wiped it down and it made more soft little squeaking noises at him. So unlike human babies. It was more like the noise baby animals made when they were hungry.

He swallowed realizing he might be the meal the masters intended for the newborn.

But that made no sense. He was much too big. Also they wouldn’t just throw him away like that. Or he hoped not.

He unwrapped the child and swaddled it again in some blankets. “Yes yes, let’s get you some food,” and he left the hatching room. He hadn’t left this room in days. What a relief it was. And it was still light out.

He went to the kitchens and there were fowl livestock for the lower members of the coven here. And he knew in the cellar were the... human livestock. He refused to think about it. Instead he put the child on the floor and went to get a syringe. He’d drawn blood from the animal livestock enough for the lower members of the coven to know how to do it without really hurting the animal. He stabbed a duck and drew a measure of blood. The duck was very unhappy about that but couldn’t easily protest locked in its little cage.

Altair sat at the kitchen table with the babe in his lap and let it lap up blood from the syringe. The masters would probably be furious knowing their spawn’s first meal had been game but Altair wasn’t allowed in the cellar. Even if he was he wouldn’t draw blood from humans. He couldn’t. It wasn’t like they were awake to take care of it. Altair had a feeling that’d be his job now.

“Better?” he asked the little spawn after it had licked up all the blood out of the big syringe. It just yawned at him and closed its eyes. “Oh good,” he yawned and slumped in the chair. He was so tired. Now that the child was hatched maybe he could finally get some sleep again. He felt his eyelids grow heavy and despite himself he fell asleep.

--

He was woken by a commotion in the kitchen and loud voices. He sat up. The child was still in his lap, starting to fuss from the noise. Altair patted its back, rousing himself. He couldn’t have slept more than a few hours. Not nearly enough to make up for the sleepless weeks he’d had leading up to yesterday.

“Where’d he go?” he heard one of the adults call and Altair knew he was being spoken of.

“Well… time to meet the family,” he sighed to the child, who was still fussing. He got up, holding the child to his chest, and left the kitchen. He climbed the stairs up to the dining room where several members of the coven were, talking loudly, annoyedly.

As soon as he entered the room they all looked towards him, drawn by his smell as much as the noise, and the smell of the newborn he was sure. “Where have you been?” the Matron shrieked.

“Down in the kitchen, mistress,” he kept his eyes down so he couldn’t even see her. She flew over to him and his hands went limp as she snatched the child from his grasp. “They were hungry.”

“Hmph,” and she stormed back down into the kitchen with the child. Probably to go to the cellar.

“Go clean up the mess, Altair,” said one of the children.

“Yes, young master,” he said and shuffled away. As he did he felt them watching him. He hoped it wasn’t in hunger.

He went back to the hatching chamber to his mop and bucket. He put the now empty chrysalis in another basin. The master would want it. For what he didn’t know. Altair knew better than to ask. He then slopped the now cold soapy water across the altar and floor and set about mopping up. He ended up half falling asleep standing up, using the mop to keep him upright. Only when he almost took a header into the altar did he try and wake himself more and stay more alert to finish the chore.

Once he was done he made sure the rest of the hatching chamber was in order, he put away all the cleaning supplies and made sure the chamber was neat and tidy for if the Matron came by to inspect his work. Then he took the basin with the chrysalis and went to the master’s study.

The master was there already, smoking out of a long silver pipe, reading an old book. The master’s study was his collection of books and artifacts from the world over. He’d been alive centuries and knew all sorts of things. Sometimes when he was in a good mood he’d take the time he’d tell Altair some of the things he knew. “Master,” he said at the open door. “I brought the chrysalis as you asked.”

“Yes yes, bring it in, Altair,” he beckoned. Altair entered and set the basin down on the desk. “That is all, Altair.”

“Master,” Altair didn’t leave quite yet. “May I sleep now?”

The old vampire chuckled. “Yes. I supposed you’ve been a good little human. You may sleep the night. But tomorrow night.”

“Yes, master,” he bowed a little, still not lifting his eyes even enough to see what he looked like.

Altair retreated and went back to his little room and used one of the wall lamps to light a worn candle to provide light in the room. It was a broom closet they’d allowed him to have so he wasn’t sleeping on the floor. They might not have been human but his masters refused to be ‘animals’ they said. He also knew he should be grateful for a bed, a stool, candles, and a piss pot. They reminded him often that the humans down in the cellar slept on straw like proper livestock and they all just used a corner for their business.

There was an old jug of water in the room. He wet a cloth and wiped himself off as he was sticky from cleaning the hatching chamber and the child. Then he removed all his clothing and crawled into his little cot with the thin blanket. There was no pillow but it hardly mattered. He laid on his stomach and was asleep in only a few heart beats.

[capricornus-rex]

Two Sides of the Coin (11)

Chapter 11: Innocence, Lost and Found | Jidné Sheedra x Cal Kestis

Summary: Hell-bent on exacting revenge and retrieving the Holocron, the dreaded Darth Vader is now on the hunt for the young Jedi Knight, Cal Kestis. Under the assumption that he still possessed the artifact, while fueled by the intrigue of the boy’s strength and skill with the Force, the dark lord hires the bounty hunter, Jidné Sheedra, to track him down and have him delivered alive. However, the task becomes a trial for young Jidné, as she faces a conflict that tests her beliefs of a scarred past she had hidden for so long.

A/N: The header was supposed to be a Spotify link but it looked so inconsistent with how I usually lay out my fics here that my OCD kicked in and jumped ship lmao anyway, the mood song I had in mind for this chapter was “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” from Hercules UwU Also, sorry that this chapter went a bit beyond my usual word count, I got carried away with the fluff ;;A;;

Also tagging: @berenilion @stellar-trinity @silver-is-in-too-many-fandoms @peterwandaparker @cal-jestis @justtinfoley @fallenjedii @queen-destenie @calgasm @sweeetteaa​ @calsponchoemporium​ @superwarsofthrones​ @ayamenimthiriel​

Also in AO3

Tags: Fem OC, Jidné Sheedra, Force-Sensitive! Fem OC, Bounty Hunter! Fem OC, Jedi! Fem OC

Chapters: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 | Previous: Part 10 | Next: Part 12 | Masterlist

11 of ?

Whether or not Jidné knew, Cal heard her squeals’ echoes in the distance as she sprinted away. He smiled to himself, even after her sound had died down. He could’ve sworn he felt his heart slow down and then make the biggest thump that he thought it’d burst right through his ribs. He clutched his chest where Jidné’s hand lay just mere minutes ago.

Cal let out a sigh and threw himself backwards to the soil, a bed of grass cushioned his fall and now he’s facing up at the first stars of the evening sky. He used his hands as a pillow for his head while BD-1 snuggles to his side.

“Beee, trill?”

“Yeah, BD-1… I feel great!” Cal laughed.

He stared up at the stars and counted them silently; however, the longer he stared, the more he remembered Jidné and everything the two of them did together. The faintness of her shy giggles lingered behind his ears, parts of his skin where Jidné had touched burned and tingled; he intentionally kept his eyes closed after blinking to reimagine those dark, soulful irises staring back at him accompanied by the coy smile that curled along her lips.

His free hand cupped his mouth as he remained lying on the grass, fantasizing of the kiss that almost was; more stars and fleeting comets riddled the deep blue sky, silver plumes of clouds loomed in front of the platinum moon. He exhaled nasally and closed his eyes again, his mind replayed the moments of their interactions these past few days. His mind repeated the last thing Jidné said before she said good night and left.

“You always seem to have a way of finding me,”

That sentence circled his mind the whole night and reminisced the moments where they found each other in the uncanny of timings—it all began when he followed the sound of her voice, ever since then, he always stumbles his way to her and he’ll be greeted with the same warmth from the same, kind smile. Over and over, his head replayed the image of her—in every angle, in every silhouette, and in every light; his fingers slowly curled inward upon the fantasy of feeling her tiny hands nestled between his roughened hands and the way she held his hand to use her Force Shroud on both of them when escaping the bounty hunters who chased him in Diitana.

Cal wondered if the Force had willed the two of them to meet. He wished that the Force would speak in words to tell him straight in the face—or at least send a sign, even if technically that’s not how the Force works.

His hand wandered to his chest again, feeling for his racing heartbeat and clutching the fabric of his jacket to calm down the swirling storm within his ribcage. He coaxed himself to stand up and return to the Mantis, when he did come back, he was greeted with teasing glares from the crew.

“Well, you seem to be in high spirits at such an untimely hour,”

“Is that bad?”

Cere shook her head while smiling, she mouthed “No.”

The redheaded Jedi slept through the night with butterflies in his stomach and a smile he couldn’t completely wipe off of his face even if he wanted to.

Jidné had returned to the confinement of the Scarab. ID-3 hopped out of her shoulder and hovered about, meanwhile she pressed her back against the cold metal door as she caught her breath—parched and wheezing from the panting and the in-between giggles to herself.

She patted the body of her jacket and remembered the shard she picked up back in the Mantis. She fished it out of her pocket and held the shard between her fingers.

“ID-3, can you analyze, please?”

The droid obliged, a small tray slid open from its body where Jidné gingerly dropped the shard in, ID-3 hovered to the computer along the walls of the lounge and plugged in his port connector. An image of the shard larger than its actual size appeared as a projection, inscriptions and panels of information flashed on the screen—attempting to decipher what this shard had when it was still whole was a bit of a stretch, but Jidné’s resourcefulness as a bounty hunter came into play.

“Beeep, chirp?”

“This shard could be only the shell part; but it’s sizable, it could be part of the core—then the contents would still be intact… some of them though,” Jidné thought out loud, nipping the tip of her thumb as she pondered. “But what if I could…?”

The words trailed off, but the idea remained. She debated against herself regarding the reality of her idea.

“Trill, beee?” ID-3 inquired, noticing the apparent silence from his owner.

“Would meditating even work…?”

Nonetheless, she gave it a try. ID-3 relinquished the shard out of his compartment and handed it over to Jidné. For the rest of the night, in the solace of her bedroom, she meditated deeply on that little emerald shard not bigger than Cal’s second kyber crystal. Behind her eyes, she could see a map of sorts, she recognizes the planets on them but got confused when she found two planets of two different systems near each other, tiny inscriptions grew in size until they were readable—the Aurebesh danced and flickered in her eyes until they stayed put to make the words.

The words turned into names of planets and of people, she caught a glimpse of a child using the Force—she could feel the child’s fascination with their newfound ability, despite not fully grasping their capability yet. Jidné questioned the Force in her mind why did it show her a child using the Force to play.

Her eyes shot up, unable to make of what she saw in her visions.

“What does it have to do with a kid? Unless…” Jidné pondered briefly, and then dismissed the thought. “That doesn’t help in clearing things up. I should go to bed.”

ID-3 trilled in agreement, sprinkling in some teases—pointing out how Jidné blushed fiercely when she was together with Cal.

“Can you not, you little saucer?!” Jidné screeched quite defensively.

The disc-shaped droid laughed—a robotic croaking of a single note, nonetheless a cheery one. Jidné snatched her droid into her arms and hugged him as their laughing mingled. She and ID retired to the captain’s quarters; Jidné shed off the cowl and jacket, leaving out the tank top that she wears underneath it, and pulled away the boots from her feet before bringing them up to the bed.

Jidné spaced out staring at the ceiling, absentmindedly she rubbed her hands together, feeling for Cal’s touch. She sighed and closed her eyes, remembering the sensation simply through touch.

“His hands… are so gentle,” she muttered, lightly clenching her fingers and rubbing the back of her hand until she drifted off to sleep.

Cal woke up hopeful the next morning. He was like a child again—incapable of hiding his excitement and eagerness while moving with such haste. When he joined everyone for breakfast, they watched how chipper the boy is as he scarfed down his breakfast in ten bites or less.

“Kid, kid, don’t you want a glass of water first after gobbling up your food all at once?” Greez beckoned, handing over Cal’s glass to him before the young redhead could get any farther from the table.

“Can’t have you choking on your words and breakfast at the same time when you face Jidné,” Merrin blurted, sipping on her cup of tea.

“No, I won’t choke!” Cal rebuked.

“Uh-huh,”

Regardless, Cal did take a gulp of water from the glass that Greez had offered him. He stood from his seat at the table and beckoned BD-1 to come along, the little droid hopped on over on his shoulder as he went down the stairs until he disappeared from the Mantis.

East of Diitana is a forest, a few miles away from where he and Jidné first met. He brushed his way through the shrubs. He used his climbing claws to scale the great trees to get a better view of the lay of the land, he pushed away curtains of vines that blocked his way to the next branch until he got the topmost of the tree he climbed up on.

The next thing he saw took his breath away—the expanse of Ombari from what ought to be the highest vantage point he’s ever been on. Green and orange clashed, evergreen treelines touched with the red mountain ridges of the badlands: a dramatic contrast of colors of terrain.

“Wow, would you look at that!” Cal gasped.

“Triiiiiiilll!!!”

He scanned the red plateaus, mountain ranges, and mesas that walled the continent from the next land mass beyond. On the other side continued the lushness of Ombari’s land—a meadow that stretched wide with rich green grass for the herbivores to graze on, a great lake and waterfall could be seen at the farthest end.

The wind blew in his freckled face, the cool breeze ruffled his soft locks and swayed them as if they danced along with the current. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up, savoring the fresh air while being on top of the world. His heart couldn’t take the excitement, it stormed within his chest as he panned his head from west to east of the entire planet.

“Come on, BD, let’s go around some more!”

“Beep!”

Climbing up the great tree was a challenge, but the hardest was finding his way back down. Perched upon on the thick, sturdy branches, Cal strategized how he’ll get back on the ground that’s about twenty feet below him. He spotted coiled vines dangling from the treetops.

“I sure hope this works,” Cal uttered to no one in particular.

The boy thought he could make the jump and grab a vine to slip his way down, he instantly regretted it the moment he was suspended in the air—he desperately clawed the air in the hopes of catching at least a single vine. It was too late for him to catch one using Force pull, in turn, it’s the vines and lianas that caught him! During his fall, some of the snapped from the impact, others wrapped around him in different portions of his body; they tangled and coiled around his legs as he fell.

While he was saved from an apparent fatal head and neck injury, poor Cal dangled with his head just three feet above the forest floor. The flap of his poncho flopped upside down, obscuring his entire upper body. He grumbled, flailing around helplessly as he tried to reach for the vines that snaked around his legs, unfortunately, his poncho didn’t budge.

“Well, this is just spectacular!” sighed the upside-down Jedi in great vexation.

On the other hand, BD-1 wasn’t the one who’s got their legs stuck around tree vines. He hopped down from Cal in the first few minutes he got himself suspended with his head pointed down.

“BD-1? BD, who’s coming? Who’s there?”

He craned his head and saw a pair of boots peeking under. Two hands hiked up the hem of Cal’s poncho to reveal his face.

“Hey,” Jidné greeted casually. “How’s it hangin’?”

“Hah! Ha…” Cal half-heartedly chuckled. He playfully crossed his arms. “Oh, you know, not falling far from the tree.”

They concluded the exchange of tree and hanging puns with laughs. It pained them that giggling it away felt like the best resolution for both of them.

“Alright, I’m gonna cut off the vines for you,”

Jidné lets go of the poncho while Cal repeatedly barked “No!” and “Wait!” in the same sentence. His hands blindly pawed the air in search of Jidné, but she had already stepped away to a safe distance. She lobbed her weapon at the vines, the blade fanned through the air until it severed the vines a few inches above Cal’s legs—the boy’s body anticipated a fall, instead he felt like he’s floating. He finally pushed away the poncho that obscured his face and found Jidné’s free hand directed at him, she’d caught him using the Force and gently laid him down while her sword hand caught the returning lightsaber after she threw it.

“Thanks,”

“No problem,” Jidné shrugged her shoulders and gave him her hand to bring him up to his feet.

Cal dusted off the leaves and specks of dirt that clumped on his clothes; he got flustered all of a sudden when he saw Jidné bringing her hand close to his face and was proved otherwise when she picked out a leaf that got caught in his hair.

“You okay?”

Cal nodded and then the bounty hunter tilted her head back, emphasizing on the height of the tree in which the Jedi fell from.

“What were you doing up there, anyway?”

“Oh you know, trying to get a better look of Ombari—in a certain point of view,”

“Did you find anything interesting?”

“Glad you asked!”

Instead of answering her directly, he takes her by the hand again and led her to where the meadow ought to be. Cal could feel Jidné’s grip tighten around his and even if she may not feel it—he squeezed it back; together, they followed an invisible path that perhaps only the two of them could see. Bushes and shrubs snapped and rustled when the Jedi and bounty hunter shouldered their way through, dried and withered leaves crunched and got whisked into the air by their heels, and the dewy mist cooled their pores as they dashed.

At the end of their run, their finish line was the seemingly endless vastness of the meadow. They scanned the sights as they caught their breaths. Long-stalked flowers, as well as the grass, danced pliantly in the direction of the wind. The faint crash of the waterfall in the lake echoed and mingled with the bellowing of the grazing herbivores.

“Oh my…” Jidné gasped. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Over here, Jidné!”

Jidné was startled to find that Cal had run off a few meters away from her already, she raced and caught up to him. Both of them frolicked gaily, drawing attention from the grazing animals that they passed by, their droids hovered and fluttered about like mechanical butterflies while following their owners. BD-1 and ID-3 scanned the grazers for their databanks.

“What is it, BD?”

“Trill, bee!”

In translation, BD-1 told Cal about these grazing animals—the Q’aval, a docile animal that can easily be domesticated for labor such as pulling carts or serving as mounts, though in the wild, they can be quite a handful to tame and they pack a mean kick especially with their hind legs.

Cal decided it was a good idea to approach one of them amongst the herd. At first it whinnied and slightly reared when the animal saw the human boy approach it. He cooed “It’s okay” in soft whispers repeatedly while cautiously stepping towards the Q’aval, the gentle pat of Cal’s hand calmed down the majestic, hooved beast and nickered softly.

“There we go,”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jidné warned.

“It’ll be okay,” Cal reassured her while petting the Q’aval’s long, downward muzzle.

He noticed that Jidné stood there frigidly while examining the animal, he noticed the nervousness conflicting with the fascination in her face.

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t bite,”

As much as Jidné wanted to pet the Q’aval too, her hands trembled profusely as she hoisted them to the level of the animal’s muzzle. Cal carefully took her hand and guided it towards the muzzle, his free hand then found the small of her back to comfort her. Her slender fingers came into contact with the curve of the animal’s jaw and by impulse, she petted it in a smooth pace.

The Q’aval quickly warmed up to Cal and Jidné, nudging its head closer to them to demand more pats and they gladly obliged. In the right timing, Cal quickly mounted the steed, it reared for a few moments as it was startled by the sudden weight that bore on its back; Jidné kept her distance from the Q’aval that bucked and kicked even though Cal was continuously petting its broad neck.

“Wanna hitch a ride?” Cal blurted.

Jidné scoffed a chuckle, resorting to petting the animal’s neck, “Is it safe?”

“Sure, do you trust me?”

The girl’s head jerked to Cal. There’s the child-like yet tender gaze looking back at her, the gleaming emerald eyes that always had a natural allure that she couldn’t take her own eyes off of them, and then the coy and inviting smile to top it all off.

“I do,”

She approached him, he extended his hand to which she gladly takes. With a sudden might, he hoisted her to the back of the Q’aval with him; out of instinct, she snaked her arms around his waist to keep herself balanced upon the mount. BD-1 gently perched upon the animal’s mane while ID-3 returned to Jidné’s shoulders. Cal licked his lips and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“Don’t ever let go,”

Jidné intertwined her fingers much tighter together and buckled closer to Cal.

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

A gentle yet abrupt kick spurred the Q’aval to gallop across the meadow. The animal’s speed was breathtaking yet empowering; their hairs danced in the wind as they ran towards the never-ending horizon. Neither of the two Jedi have ever felt anything like this—it was simply astonishing!

The Q’aval made for the hills, as if in an attempt to show them the greater breadth of the planet. To their surprise, they’ve been revealed the coastline of Ombari’s main continent—black rocks framed the deep blue ocean with ivory seafoam that striped its waters, a shore of golden sand lined the beaches from one rock formation to the other. Cal felt Jidné rest her chin upon the edge of his shoulder.

“Oh wow…” she gasped, the sight of the coastline had stolen all of the air in her lungs in wonderment. She swooned. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”

Cal could feel her smile at the same time their fingers intertwine.

They returned to the meadow and dismounted the Q’aval which they thanked with a lot of pats before it returned to its herd.

They refreshed their parched throats with the sweet, cool water from the lake and rested by its banks. They settled atop the peak of another small hill where they can see the whole view of the animals and the waterfall. Jidné stretched out her legs on the earth and propped herself leisurely on her elbows while Cal drew his knees close to his chest where he can rest his arms.

“I never saw myself being in a situation like this,” Jidné initiated.

“What do you mean?”

“Back then, I barely had the time to explore in the same way as this. I understood that Master Anesh just wanted to keep me within a safe distance, but I felt like I kinda missed out on how worlds really looked like.”

“Well, we managed to see how Ombari really looks like,” Cal chirped.

Jidné turned to Cal and shot him a smile, “You’re right about that.”

“Actually, it’s really nice to lay low for once,”

“Oh? You hiding from someone?”

“Well yes… but actually no,”

The uncertain n tone in Cal’s voice made him sound like he’s questioning even himself. Jidné tilted her head and shot him a look to go on and say what he meant.

“These past few days, Inquisitors and Imperials have been chasing us back and forth for a Holocron,”

“The Inquisitors, I’ve heard about them,” Jidné trailed. “What do they want with a Holocron?”

“Well, it contains the list of all the Force-sensitive children,” Cal looked at Jidné in the eye. “The next generation of Jedi.”

Jidné’s heart raced. She put two and two together. Everything that Cal just said gave light to what she discovered last night.

That explains the child I saw! In her mind, she exclaimed.

She figured the Holocron was the second thing Vader needed—she remembers their negotiation back in Modala, the calm yet demanding tone of the dark lord thundered in her mind and rumbled her heart. She zoned out, staring back at the flawless green plains, letting the two facts sink into her.

“Are you searching for the children now?” inquired a curious Jidné, there was an ulterior motive between her words that Cal may or may not have hinted.

“No,” the boy simply shook his head. “Even if we did find them, the Empire will come after them. The same way they’re after us, I think.”

Her heart sank further in, Cal’s last sentence hit her close to home. The same goes for them back when they were younger—when they were still Padawan learners—it’s unimaginable to think that these children, who have no idea what they’re capable of in the first place, be suddenly robbed of their homes and families simply because they were Force-sensitive, all for the sake of the Empire’s exploits.

“So, the only way the crew and I thought would keep them safe is…” Cal trailed off. The fact that he destroyed a Holocron felt like a sin for once, even though he seemed confident about it when he had done the deed. “Is destroying the Holocron.”

The cogs in the bounty hunter’s mind turned so relentlessly that sparks sputtered in the tiny gaps in between. She masked her surprise with a straight face and pensive eyes, on the inside, she’s already drafting her progress report should Darth Vader come in contact with her.

Cal took notice of her silence, he examined the girl’s stoic expression: eyes lost to the endless meadow, lips slightly parted with the words dripping at the edge, and the gentle rising and falling of her breast as she breathed.

“You did the right thing,”

“For a second there, you looked like you just heard me confess a crime,”

“Well, I was never told that there was a law that destroying Holocrons was a criminal offense!”

The two traded glances and ended up in giggles, returning their gazes at the meadow and counting the Q’avals that grazed the tall grass. The day was whiled away with their banters of their childhood. They may have been worlds apart, but the stories that were so alike with another had linked them.

“You know, it’s funny,” Cal began.

“What is?”

“We’ve probably never even met along the halls in the Jedi Temple, yet somehow I find it easy to talk to you about these sorts of things. It’s like I’ve known you all my life,”

Jidné reciprocated the sentiment. Her thoughtful eyes smiled back at him, she plopped her back flat against the soft earth to hide her cheeks in their blushing glory. Cal started plucking the tiny flowers that dotted the plains and surrounded them, he adorned her dark hair splayed on the grass with white and pink buds while his free hand dared to caress her cheek—the back of his fingers stroking and tracing the suppleness of her face down to her jaw.

His touch was received with the upward curl at the corner of her lip, in return, Jidné plucked out a blade of grass and drew invisible lines over his scars—tickling his neck, cheek, and the bridge of his nose, counting his freckles with the pointed end of the stalk, her thumb softly brushing against his lip to find the tiny nick on his lower lip. Her slender fingers combed away the stray locks that draped over his forehead, revealing another slit that cut through his eyebrow.

She could only imagine what kind of stories these marks have to tell her.

Evening fell upon the two youngsters, Cal promptly stood up.

“Let me take you to your ship. Is it still in the badlands?”

“Sharp memory,” she blurted.

Cal offered Jidné a ride on a Q’aval before it got any darker. By default, she wrapped her arms around him again and he welcomed her embrace, Cal spurred the animal and in obeisance to its rider, the Q’aval reared and galloped through the plains, they passed by Diitana and crossed its bridge until they’ve arrived in the badlands.

Jidné did some backseat driving, directing Cal where to go until they found the trenches and he caught a glimpse of the Scarab’s hull. Both of them dismounted the animal, Cal got a closer look of her freighter—he recalls scrapping a similar model back in Bracca.

“You could have stayed the night at the Mantis, you know,” the Jedi initiated.

Jidné pursed her lips, “It looks like a full house in there.”

“Nah, you fit right in,”

“It’s fine, Cal,” she insisted politely.

“Well, if it’s not too much to ask—let’s do this again some time?”

Even in the night, the girl could always spot the twinkle in Cal’s clear jade eyes; he didn’t need any more words, his fond puppy-eyed gaze was enough to get her heart going—though, she wondered if he was aware that he made her feel that way.

“Don’t look at me like that,”

“Why not?” he cooed back.

“Because I don’t know if I’ll have the strength to say no,”

Cal chuckled nasally. He took out a flower that he had tucked underneath the straps of his armor and wore it on Jidné’s hair, wearing it into the braid that crowned the side of her head.

“Then I can wait for that yes,”

He leaned in and planted his lips against her cheek. He found her standing there, apparently taken aback by the gesture, when he looked over his shoulder.

“Good night, Jidné.”

“Good night, Cal.”

The animal reared once more and Jidné watched the boy ride into the distance, leaving plumes of dust in his wake. Her heartbeat synchronized with the hooves of the Q’aval as he departed. Absentmindedly, her fingers fondled the petals of the flower pinned into her hair while looking into the now-empty desert.

An epiphany threw its way into her—it felt like something invisible had tackled her into submission and punched her in the gut so violently that she arched inward for a bit.

“Shit…”

“Cheep?”

“This never happened before… No… It can’t...” she turned to ID-3 for some sort of affirmation. “Can it?”

[jochemjong-blog]

On the shoulders of giants

(the following story was not written by me. It is from the game “Stellaris” but it reminded me of the whole space ork thing so I thought I would share it. I have changed a few minor elements, mainly removing the gamey parts from it and added a few headers to make it work a bit better. None of the actual story elements have been changed)

Ours is a history of oddities and inconsistencies. We have found ancient city ruins older than some archaeological excavations of primitive villages. We have unearthed saws, axes and even rifles which far pre-date stone-tipped spears and bows.

A peculiar history did not, however, prevent us from stepping readily into a futuristic era of spaceflight. We have now managed to truly escape the gravity of our home planet, aiming for other planets and bodies in our solar system, and beyond.

However, we had scarcely left the atmosphere before the oddities emerged anew; strange signals of alien origin coming from within our own solar system…

 Extra Terrestrial Research Department: Report on investigation of anomalous signals on Luna.

Lead scientist: Veldanura.

A string of strange anomalous readings is emanating from the surface of Luna, our very own moon. We have decided to launch a surface excursion to find out more.

 Log 1: The first, small step

A base of operations has been set up on the surface of the moon, and several teams are now en route to the various anomaly sites that our scanners picked up.

The significance of this mystery is simply unparalleled, and the scientific community is absolutely buzzing with theories and anticipation over what we might uncover.

 Log 2: Tracking the signal

Most excursion teams have reached their destinations and reported back.

Artifacts buried in the ground have been uncovered. Lead Scientist Veldanura describes them as “highly accurate, galactic laser pointers” – ancient machines that are emitting a strong, tight ultraviolet beam out into space for purposes unknown.

It is a bittersweet discovery; the profound, exhilarating importance of alien artifacts countered by their seemingly arbitrary purpose.

 Log 3: It’s a dud

Despite our best efforts, the excavation and analysis of the alien indicators on the surface of Luna have failed to deliver any relevant result.

The archaeological teams have calculated and followed the paths of the alien signal beams, but nothing is being pointed at other than empty space.

Lead Scientist Veldanura has requested more time; convinced that something has been missed.

 Log 4: Wind back and Proceed

Breakthrough!

Study of the surface has revealed that Luna was hit eons ago by a small asteroid. The impact of this asteroid was not enough to obliterate the moon, but did nudge it a fraction out of its original orbit. By analyzing the impact the scientists have managed to calculate the moon’s initial position and rotation, and used that data to ‘rewind’ the alien indicators to their original position.

And there it was: the alien indicator beams suddenly converging on another planet in our system: Triton, the largest natural satellite of Neptune.

  Extra Terrestrial Research Department: Report on investigation of target of Luna’s alien indicators.

Lead scientist: Veldanura.

The previously discovered alien indicators are pointing at Triton, and we should go down on the surface and investigate further.

 Log 1: Let’s see what we got

Our archaeological teams have started their work down on Triton. Seismographic readings quickly isolated a hollow area underground on the rough location indicated by the alien indicates previously discovered.

The underground expanse is vast, and despite its mysterious nature one thing is beyond doubt of any of our experts: it’s not natural. Someone built it with a specific purpose in mind.

 Log 2: Proving grounds

The excavation crew finally reached what turned out to be a massive underground structure. Vast, angular halls and tunnels were explored. A complete lack of adornment made it difficult to establish the purpose of the structure.

When Lead Scientist Veldanura entered what appeared to be the main chamber, a deep sound suddenly reverberated. Initially just thundering noise, the sound slowly contorted until an incorporeal voice spoke a single sentence in our language:

“Are you ready?”

The booming voice was followed by deep rumble as one of the giant walls slowly slid away to reveal a dark corridor. Our archaeologists eagerly went inside.

 Log 3: Trials

The dark corridor led to an empty, round chamber. Stepping inside, the disembodied voice spoke yet again, stating that “only the deserving may continue”.

Short corridors connected the round camber to three other, small rooms -each containing some kind of physics-oriented problem.

Lead Scientist Veldanura believes that these are scientific riddles that – once solved – may provoke some reaction in the structure, but it is all speculation.

 Log 4: Full of Wonders

All three science puzzles have been completed in the mysterious chambers deep underground the surface of Triton.

Just as Lead Scientist Veldanura suspected, the structure responded to the correct solutions for the alien trials. As the last riddle was solved, a cloudy holographic projection exploded to life in the main chamber. It was an incredibly high-resolution depiction of our solar system, with one position indicated by a bright point of light: Venus.

Extra Terrestrial Research Department: Report on investigation of Venus following the discoveries made on Triton.

Lead scientist: Veldanura.

Following the discoveries on Triton, our scanners have picked up something deep beneath the surface of Venus.

 Log 1: Sealed bunker

After a long, arduous period of digging deep into the crust of Venus the excavation team reached another underground structure.

Despite readings indicating that this structure is hollow, no entry point can be found. It appears hermetically sealed, and the protective walls are made of an unknown material with extreme structural integrity. Conventional digging equipment has so far ben unable to even scratch it.

It will require some serious effort to get through, but the project is already underway.

 Log 2: Bunker debunked

After months of hard work, using a powerful beam which combines intense fusion heat with high-frequency vibration, the excavation team has finally managed to crack the underground structure.

As soon as the vault was cracked, the disembodied voice-recording spoke again. It declared that our determination had been proven, that another trial had been completed, and that we were to be rewarded accordingly.

And so, we were. The bunker contained all sorts of valuables, hitherto unknown technologies which can be investigated further, and a new set of coordinates.

Extra Terrestrial Research Department: Report on investigation of Io following the discoveries made on Venus.

Lead scientist: Veldanura.

Following the discoveries on Venus, our scanners have picked up something deep beneath the surface of Io.

 Log 1: Very complex

Extensive seismographic readings have been compiled into a highly accurate visual model of the underground structure on Io.

It appears to be a vast network of angular corridors, each several kilometers long. The entire structure is mostly corridors, with the exception of one open space at the bottom of the building.

More than that cannot be interpreted until we reach and investigate the site properly.

 Log 2: Endless memorial

The excavation team finally breached the underground complex, and entered the empty corridors.

The long tunnels were completely empty. On closer inspection the walls appeared to be covered in small, strange inscriptions. Translation of the alien language was a highly confusing process, until it was discovered that the writing consisted of nothing but alien names, numbering in the millions.

Archaeologists are now pressing onwards to the bottom chamber, but their effort is hindered by caved in corridors which need to be cleared.

 Log 3: Admitting defeat

Our archaeological team has reached the bottom chamber of the memorial structure. There they found an ancient, and partially intact, recorded message; translation suggests this is some kind of personal debriefing:

“We failed. The Relentless cut through our entire navy without even slowing down. All is lost now. We will die here, in these walls of tribute to fallen brethren.

We fear for the lives of our wards, The Relentless will find them, and then they…”

There is no sign of a struggle. No bodies. Only empty halls and the silence of the ones who perished.

 Log 4: Addendum

Lead Scientist Veldanura wanted to comb through every nook and cranny of the memorial site. It paid off: a small device was discovered in one of the corridors. A small fragment of information could be salvaged from it:

“…ould work! With their mental faculties shut off – their very intellect removed – they would pose no threat.

It must be enough. It’s the only thing left that we can do.”

The device also included some new coordinates. Veldanura would like to investigate these as soon as possible.

Extra Terrestrial Research Department: Report on investigation of Europa following the discoveries made on Io.

Lead scientist: Veldanura.

Scanner readings from orbit indicate that there is a structure down on the planet. Unlike the previous ones, this one is not buried underground.

 Log 1: Last bastion

There was no need for shovels or drilling lasers this time around. Lead Scientist Veldanura and the archaeology team simply walked into the alien ruin.

The site is very old - more than a thousand years, but fairly well kept. It appears to be some kind of staging area, built for a specific purpose. There are several laboratories and large storage hangers.

The team has also found a digital archive server. It’s offline, but appears fairly intact. Hopefully it will fill in the blanks regarding our lost Benefactors.

 Log 2: Desperate measures.

The science team managed to get the digital archives up and running. They exclusively contained arbitrary logs, which required some liberal interpretation.

The phrase ‘Mind-Wipe Initiative’ occurs frequently throughout these logs, and it appears to have been the specific focus of research at this location. Apparently the Benefactors developed the technology by which they could manipulate the effectiveness of mental faculties, but how or for what purpose remains unknown.

 Log 3: Crescendo!

The archaeological team has found another ancient digital archive. This too consisted mostly of logs, but there was one journal entry of particular interest:

“The ship has taken off. We know they’ll succeed, but there was no sense of hope or high spirits as they left. We know that the mission and the work we’ve done here are wrong… Despicable.

But the alternative… The alternative is worse.”

This is also one of the last entries found at the ancient facility. Not much of a closure, but at least plenty of technological discoveries were made.

Log 4: Aftermath

While clearing out the storage areas, one of the workers found a small device of unknown origin. It was brought to Lead Scientist Veldanura and turned out to be a recording device. It was badly damaged, but a small snippet of dialog was saved:

“…houldn’t be forgotten – someone has to come clean and speak up for them. History may endure, but my conscience cannot”

Further investigation led to the discovery of an encrypted set of coordinates.

Extra Terrestrial Research Department: Report on investigation of Mercury following the discoveries made on Europa.

Lead scientist: Veldanura.

The coordinates point to a seemingly arbitrary spot on the surface of Mercury. Closer scans indicate nothing out of the ordinary.

 Log 1: Hidden cave

The team we sent down to the surface of Mercury encountered far more obstacles than anticipated.

The coordinates we discovered on Europa pointed to an especially craggy part of Mercury, where the landscape was filled with vertical stone surfaces and deep fissures.

The team pressed on, and eventually reached the indicated location: a natural cave formation. A base of operations has been set up and further investigation will begin shortly.

 Log 2: Cold, hard cache

The archaeological team that began investigating the natural cave a few months ago has reported back. They found a tremendous, abandoned stockpile of valuable resources. There were no doors, no locks and no traps – just a cave full of industrial valuables.

Lead Scientist Veldanura requests permission to investigate further still. Plentiful as it may be, the obviousness of the treasure has evoked a theory that this cache is merely a ruse – that another type of treasure is yet to be found.

 Log 3: Dirty past

The resource cache was indeed just a distraction. The real treasure lay behind a hidden door: a final message, recorded by one of the Benefactor aliens.

Eons ago they were at war with a merciless alien race known as “The Relentless”. Entire civilizations had already perished in the Relentless’ wake, and the Benefactors were next. The desperate Benefactors sought their last resort, before all would be lost. They succeeded with a device that ravaged the Relentless’ neurological physique, instantaneously primitivizing an entire race.

Robbed of their bloodthirsty intellect, The Relentless became docile and harmless. The Benefactors rounded them up and exiled them to a planet we know as Earth.

The Relentless are our ancestors.

 Log 4: Next step

Finally, the inconsistencies in our history have been explained, using these lost chapters from our true heritage. We had once believed that the advancement of our civilization came of our own accord – solitary and independent. Now we know that all this time, we had been standing on the shoulders of giants.

We cannot change the past. We reconcile and we move on – accepting our past not as a dark burden, but as a stepping stone on our path forward into the future.

It is our time to become giants.

[sidhewrites]

Hi! Someone told me last night the best way to get started in the Writeblr community is to make an intro post and I’m definitely gonna procrastinate on what i’m supposed to be doing right now, and make this post instead. I really want to start being somewhat active in the community, so if you’re a writeblr, please like or reblog this post so I can follow you?

About Me:

My pen name is REE. I’m 21+, use she/her pronouns, and live in the PST Timezone. I’ve been writing for well over half my life now, with varying degrees of success, and I just want to finish a rough draft for once, dammit. I’m also really bad at being concise, so expect lots and lots of rambling any time I open my mouth.

I like zombies and guts and fairies and things. If it’s either either really cute, or really gross, or a mixture of both extremes, then it’s for me. Most of my writing is High Fantasy, but I like experimenting as well. Eldritch beings and monsters are a personal favorite, including the old folk tales surrounding western Eurpoean fae folk and supernatural beings.

I also make graphics and do art occasionally. I technically majored in art direction, but doing productive things? No thanks, I’d rather spend three hours making the header on this post.

My Main Projects:

Coriander of Cresce. Main Project. I hate the title, wow. Please send. Coriander Tippit is a forgettable young girl in a forgettable small village, afraid of most anything that crosses her path. She’s swept up by Jasper, a charismatic mage, into an adventure to steal an ancient artifact from their queen and return it to the elves where it belongs.

Approximate Age Rating: K+? Maybe?

Major Content Warnings: Minor Emotional Abuse. Graphic depictions of gays being adorable.

This is by far my softest story, and one that’s incredibly fun to write. Most of the characters are kind and wholesome, and it’s just refreshing to go from my usual themes to a fantasy world where the songs are true.

A Crown of Hoarfrost: When the Goblin King chooses Bette’s twelve-year-old sister as is bride, she sacrifices herself to protect her family and is crowned queen of the Goblin Underground. Unable to tell who to trust and who to fear, she must learn to survive her monstrous husband long enough to dethrone him – and to make sure she does not become a monster herself.

Approx. Age Ratings: T-YA+

Major Content Warnings: Fantasy violence. Sexual and emotional Abuse. Self-Indulgent Fantasy World Building.

Writing as a coping mechanism? More likely than you think.

Lady of Ashes: Prim and proper Winnifred Ashley leads a very quiet and safe life, wanting nothing more than to sit quietly and make hats with her family. Just shy of twenty, she’s killed by demons, only to be resurrected a few hours later as one of them herself. She reluctantly travels north with the supposedly evil bog witch Rhoan, to a place where mages are rumored to have found a way to reverse this change. Along the way, however, they meet up with an unexpected face from her past, who seems to have no choice but to bring about the end of the world. So, Naturally, Winnie seems to have no choice but to stop it.

Approx Age Ratings: T-YA+

Major Content Warnings: Major fantasy violence, death, torture, graphic depictions of wounds and blood.

Fantasy zombies? Fantasy zombies. This story got too big really quickly to be a standalone so there’s a lot more world building that needs doing before I can dig into it, but I’m working on it.

Some Favorite Media:

Howl’s Moving Castle (Book and Movie Both)

All Ghibli now that u mention it

Deathless by Catherynne M Valente.

The Oh Hellos, a folk music group.

Eleanor Tomlinson’s covers on Spotify

The Girl with All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey.

Kill the Farm Boy, by Delilah S. Dawson.

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo (and everything L. Bardugo, tbh.)

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

Spinning Silver by Nomi Novik.

Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak from Guillermo Del Toro.

Not Your Sidekick from C.B. Lee (highly recommend for some gay and NB superheroes).

The Lord of the Rings musical. It’s real and it’s glorious.

Jam, and Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamat.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell,

One Very Important Fact:

The dark fur on a Corgi’s back is called a fairy saddle. Welsh legend says that faeries would ride corgis into battle or use them as steeds to pull their carts.

[profoundnet]

Profound Member Post - February 2019

Header by @cryptomoon​ and is available on merch from her redbubble store. You can use all those fancy emojis (and more!) on our Discord Server!

The Masterpost is open for all creations by ProfoundBond members which are posted in entirely during that month.

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 2019!

Masterpost below the cut.

MaggieMaybe160 - @maggiemaybe160​ - MaggieMaybe160 (Pillowfort)

Listen To Me

Summary: Amara was given the thing she needed most so she gives Dean what he needs. What if John Winchester came back instead of Mary?

Tags: Major Character Death, Graphic Violence, Heavy Angst

SFW

Wandering Angel

Summary:  From a prompt: When Sam and Dean died, Cas was still exiled.

Tags: Major Character Death mentioned, Heavy Angst, Song Fic

SFW

Come Into My Office

Summary: Castiel goes to work for Sandover when Zachariah kidnaps and brainwashes Sam and Dean. An office romance blooms when Dean has to call Castiel into his office.

Tags: Episode: It's a Terrible Life, Explicit Sex, Top Cas/Bottom Dean, Fluff/Smut/Light Angst

NSFW

The Valentine’s Date

Summary: Cas sets up the perfect date to tell Dean how he feels on Valentine's Day.

Tags: Season 14 Spoilers, Love Confessions, Angst

SFW

Reprogrammed

Summary: Castiel can't tell what's real and what's the brainwashing from Naomi.

Tags: Major Character Death, Graphic Violence, Episode: Goodbye Stranger, Heavy Angst

SFW

The Secrets That You Keep

Summary: Dean Winchester is allergic to shellfish.

Tags: Major Character Death, Allergies, Heavy Angst

SFW

I Am The Nightmare

Summary: Dean has been having night terrors and Cas is trying to help him as they become more dangerous.

Tags: Graphic Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Real Events

SFW

Defeat the Night||BAMF!Destiel 

Summary: Supernatural Fan Video Tags: Demon Dean, BAMF SFW

casbean - @casbeanwrites​ - casbean

‘Til Dreams Do Us Part

Summary: Dean’s woken up in a hospital before. He doesn’t like it, but it’s part of the job. It happens. And he doesn’t mind it as much when the first thing he sees is his husband’s face. Castiel looks terribly grim, until he notices that Dean is awake. “Heya, sunshine,” Dean grins. His vision is still a little blurry and he flexes his fingers -- they still move. So do his toes. Good news. “Dean!” Sam enters his field of vision, the weary expression on his face morphing into relief. “Thank God, we didn’t know if--” “Hey, I’m fine.” Dean manages to stretch out his hand and pat Cas’ arm. “What happened?” “You don’t remember?” “Remember what?” “The Djinn got you. He kept you for five days, and your dream made him so strong he almost killed us both.”

Tags: Alternate Universe - Genie/Djinn, Djinn fic, Hurt/Comfort, Married Castiel/Dean Winchester, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending

NSFW

sharing

Summary: “This isn’t how I imagined we’d first share a bed,” Dean lets out without thinking about it.

Tags: Case Fic, Sharing a Bed, Mutual PiningHurt/Comfort, Human Castiel (Supernatural), Canon Compliant

SFW

spunk

Summary:  “The spell calls for… angelic… um. Spunk.” “Spunk?” “Yeah, y’know.” “I don’t,” Cas frowns. “Sperm, Cas. We need your jizz for the spell.”

Tags: Fuck Or Die, Mutual Pining, First Time, First Kiss, Blow Jobs, Case Fic, Canon Compliant

NSFW

unlucky swap

Summary: “Dude, what the fuck did I say?” Sam huffs. And rolls his eyes. And despite the fact that it’s been over two weeks, Dean’s heart still squeezes at how Cas that gesture is. Because, well, it is Cas. Just stuck in the sasquatch body of Dean’s humongous brother.

Tags: Body Swap, Established Relationship, Married Castiel/Dean Winchester, Case Fic

SFW

Duck and Berries

Summary: A story about a meet cute, a duck confit, and a small matter of mistaken identity.

Tags: First Meetings, Falling In Love, team switch, Castiel and Jimmy Novak are Twins, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending

NSFW

MalMuses - @malmuses​ - MalMuses (Pillowfort)

The Greatest International Love Story the World Has Ever Seen

Summary: Dean wasn’t the type of person who did this kind of thing. He just wasn’t. GISH?? Ugh. The whole thing was just further proof that Dean would do anything his brother wanted him to do. Why else would he be in a Stormtrooper costume, calling up his ex-girlfriend for a private yoga class? Had he been stuck in a rut that long? Given that he’d been pining for the same freakin’ guy, his professor and coworker no less, for three long years… maybe. Cas was definitely the type of person who did this kind of thing, not that many people knew that. He was one of the most well-respected professors at KSU. His students and coworkers didn’t need to know that he was captain of a GISH team, or that he knitted kinky accessories and made art with his online friends. His TA certainly didn’t need to know either. Just professionalism, of course. Nothing at all to do with the failed attempt at a relationship, three years of pining, and frequent inappropriate daydreams. A two-person love triangle with online friendships, costumes, and a lot of glitter.

Tags: AU - Modern Setting, Two person love triangle, Comedy of Errors, GISH, Mutual Pining, Dean Cas Pinkest 2019

NSFW

With accompanying art by blueeyesandpie (@blueeyesandpie​) 

drawlight - @drawlight - drawlight  (Pillowfort)

The Crane In White 

Summary: Once upon a time, there was a little crane who fell in love with a human. He prayed every night to be made human to be with his love. Once upon a time, Dean Winchester finds a white crane.

Tags: Fairytale, Falling In Love, Romance, Creature Castiel, Pining

NSFW 

EllenOfOz - @ellen-of-oz​ - EllenOfOz

Dark Blue, Dark Blue

Summary: Written for Dean/Cas Pinefest 2019. In late 2006, Castiel and Dean are in the same guild and raid team in the online game, Moondoor. They only know each other by their character names: Niteryder and Thorsangel, but they hang out and chat whenever they’re not raiding. Dean is baffled though—no matter how much time they spend talking online, Angel never reveals anything about himself. That’s because Castiel is in hiding. At school he hides behind his emo image and stays as invisible as he can, but online he’s got to be extra-vigilant. He can’t reveal anything about himself to Ryder, as much as he might like to—doing so would risk bringing trouble down on himself and his mom. There’s something about Ryder that makes him easy to talk to, though. But outside of the game, ghosts from Castiel’s family’s past are out for revenge, and going back to Lawrence, KS to visit his friend Meg could put him in danger.

Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, MMORPGs, Gamer Castiel, Emo Castiel, Mutual Pining, Bi-Curious Dean Winchester, Long-Distance Friendship, Friends to Lovers

SFW

deaniewithalittleweanie - @deaniewithalittleweanie - deaniewithalittleweanie

Valentine’s Day 2019

Summary: Dean and Sam find a strange case in Chicago about a couple who confessed their long concealed crushes on one another and both had heart attacks during the throes of passion. Castiel tags along to investigate.

Tags: First Kiss, First time, Love Confessions, Case Fic

NSFW

Building Up

Summary: As Dean and Castiel's relationship progresses, Castiel realizes that Dean hasn't exactly had safe practices in the BDSM world, and now it's Castiel's job to show him the ropes...pun intended.

Tags: Dom Castiel, Sub Dean, BDSM, Punishment Scene, Aftercare

NSFW

NadiaHart - @hartlessfiction​ - NadiaHart (Pillowfort)

Thunder in The Library

Summary: Castiel’s work as the Head Librarian of The Grand Library of Magic and Lost Artifacts has him away on a last minute trip for far longer than he anticipated. By the time he returns, there’s a certain book who’s less than pleased with his inability to keep his word.

Tags: Magical Castiel, magic is known, Curses, Cursed Dean Winchester, Magical Dean Winchester, Fluff, Tooth Rotting Fluff, Librarian Castiel (Supernatural)

SFW

robotsnchicks - @robotsnchicks​ - robotsnchicks

Gimme The News 

Summary: Dr. Novak crosses his arms and glares at Dean from across the room. “If you think there’s a foreign object lodged in your rectum then I suggest you go to the emergency room so they can take an x-ray and properly address the situation.” Dean sucks his lower lip in and then releases it into a pout. “Aw c'mon doc. I've got a ten dollar copay here. If I go to the hospital I'm looking at a couple hundred minimum.” He spends some time admiring the strong length of the doctor's hands. “Besides I'd much rather have my favorite doctor’s fingers in me than some stranger at the ER.”

Tags: Doctor!Cas, Patient!Dean, Medical Kink, Humor and Smut

NSFW

Aceriee - @missaceriee​

Grand Gestures

Summary: Valentine’s Day art

SFW

EmiliaOagi - EmiliaOagi

Presenting Dean Winchester

Summary:  Dean finally start presenting his secondary gender, and Castiel has an unexpected reaction to Dean's new scent. A somewhat different take on a/b/o, set in a canon-divergent universe somewhere around season 8/9

Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha Castiel

NSFW

elanor-n-evermind - @elanor-n-evermind​ - elanor-n-evermind

Pride Flags of the Oddly Shaped Empty A/B/O Universe

Summary: Secondary pride flags inspired by Jemariel's fic Oddly Shaped Empty

Tags: A/B/O dynamics, genderqueer, beta Dean, alpha Castiel

SFW 

iCeDreams - iCeDreams

Dean's Top 13 Zepp Traxx

Summary: Dean's love language is told not in words, but in songs. In the notes of his favorite rock band and the rhythm of their melodies. His longest unfinished work is composed of Led Zeppelin songs, chosen for the feelings they evoke. It's Dean's life, reflected into one mix and shared carefully in hopes that he would be heard and understood.

Tags: Canon Compliant, Dean's Top 13 Zepp Traxx Mixtape, Inspired by Music, John Winchester's A+ Parenting

SFW

Darmys - Darmys

Long Road Home: Unto the Breach 

Summary: Sam and Dean set out on a journey of danger and discovery. Joining forces with a band of outcasts and rebels, they plan to strike a blow for freedom against the vast and powerful empire which stole Bobby from them. This is the second part of a massive space opera trilogy. Based on the original work of Alis A. Rasmussen.

Tags: Alternate Universe - The Highroad Trilogy, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Past Benny Lafitte/Dean Winchester, Past Dean Winchester/Nick Munroe, Robot!Baby, Canon-Typical Deaths, Canon-Typical Violence, Referenced Past Rape/Non-con, Period-Typical Racism, Revolution

SFW

Salt-And-Silver - Salt-And-Silver

The Thief

Summary: The Empty’s threats echoed through his mind. Every rare happy moment, clouded with the reminder that he couldn’t let himself feel too much.

Tags: Major Character Death, One Shot, Heavy Angst, Angst & Tragedy, Love Confessions 

SFW

supernatural9917 - @supernatural9917fic​ - supernatural9917

Into This

Summary: Dean is finally going to confess his love to his best friend. He gets quite a bit more than he bargained for. Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo 2018. Square fill: 'I didn't know you were into this.'

Tags: AU, Friends to Lovers, Cas is a professional dom, mention of past Castiel/Meg, mention of Castiel/others in a professional D/s context, These two idiots have been pining for years, Light Dom/sub

NSFW

De-stressing Mr Smith 

Summary: Dean Smith's stoner hippie neighbour Castiel thinks Dean is wound up way too tight, and offers him a couple of different methods to de-stress. Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo 2018. Square fill: Endverse!Cas/Dean Smith Tags: Endverse Cas/Dean Smith, Castiel Acts Like Endverse Castiel, Dean Smith, Episode: s04e17 It's a Terrible Life Sort Of, Castiel and Dean Winchester are Neighbors

NSFW

For Science

Summary: Dean signs up to take part in a science experiment studying brain activity during arousal and orgasm. Jerking off to porn for money? Sounds like his dream job! Things get a little more complicated when the person running the study turns out to be his secret crush, Cas. Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo 2018. Square filled: For science.

Tags: for science, Exhibitionist Dean Winchester, Science, Scientist Castiel, Accidental Voyeurism that's a little bit on purpose

NSFW

Double Deaned 

Summary: Tomorrow, they're gonna kill the devil. Tonight... well, they've got other plans. Written for the Destiel Smut Bingo 2018. Square filled: Endverse Sandwich (2014!Dean/2014!Cas/2009!Dean)

Tags: Endverse sandwich, Threesome - M/M/M, Angst, Endverse Dean is a dick, implied breath play

NSFW

And the Academy Award Goes To....

Summary:  It's Oscar season! Will the Academy give Whisper Its Name the recognition it deserves? A Red Carpet Chronicles timestamp.

Tags: Red Carpet Chronicles, Timestamp, Alternate Universe - Actors, Oscars, Chick-Flick Moments, Fluff, Mountains and mountains of fluff, Cas is so proud

SFW 

Accompanying art by delicious-irony

dean-cas-in-the-impala - @dean-cas-in-the-impala​ - dean-bangs-cas-in-the-impala

Fortunato

Summary: Cas finds a kitten. Dean is not happy. But for how long?

Tags: Fluff, Fluff and Romance, Domestic Destiel, Destiel in the bunker, kitten fic

SFW

Will You Bee Mine?

Summary: Whatever Castiel bakes just tastes heavenly.

Tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Romance, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff

SFW

insominia - @a-insominia​ - insominia

Roadside Assistance

Summary: Dean Winchester is probably the most decent human being Castiel has ever met, not to mention gorgeous. But, Castiel has more baggage than an airport terminal and Dean's only being kind because Castiel broke down in a snowstorm and nothing is going to happen. Probably nothing.

Tags: AU - Modern Universe, Attempted Kidnapping, Strangers to Lovers, Love at First Sight, Fluff and Smut

NSFW

My Brother, Dean

Summary: Sam Winchester doesn't know much about Dean's secret other-half. He only has half a name to go on 'Cas'. Whoever she is, she's probably a gorgeous brunette who loves beer and pie and Sam doesn't care that Dean wants to keep her a secret, he's just glad his brother is happy. It was going to happen eventually and Dean invites Sam out, probably with an eye to introducing them at last. Nothing goes to plan and it turns out Sam knows nothing.

Tags: AU - Modern Setting, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Coming Out, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Implied Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Family Fluff

SFW

Chick-Flick Moment

Summary: Dean wants to do something nice for Cas, but what do you get an angel of the lord to show your appreciation? Enter: Sam, with the great idea of 'how about you ask him if there's anything he wants?' Which is fine until Cas says, 'I want a chick-flick moment.' But Dean said he'd do anything and he intends to deliver.

Tags: Date Night, Romance, Fluff

SFW 

I'm Just Not Myself (When You're Away)

Summary: It's been three years now and Dean hasn't said a word. He left so much unsaid so now he says nothing.

Tags: Angst, Post-Canon, Forgetful Dean Winchester, Growing Old, SFW 

The Hunter’s Church

Summary: The gates of heaven are closed to Castiel and not even his voice can penetrate it. After the Winchesters have passed Castiel still hunts and the new hunters sometimes pray to the legendary guardian angel of hunters. He always comes when they call and all he ever asks in return is that when they pray they pass on a message - I'm safe and I love you.

Tags: Future Fic, Post-Canon, Family Feels, Angst and Feels

SFW

All in a Name

Summary: It's 5 am and Castiel wants a coffee. It's surely not an unreasonable request.

Tags: AU - Coffee Shop, Meet-Cute, First meetings, fluff

SFW

Fifty Shades of Cas

Summary: Castiel asked Dean to show him what 'Fifty Shades of Grey' meant. Dean has only the vaguest idea what those excuse-for-soft-porn-in-chick-flicks are actually about but he's not one to back down from a challenge. Unfortunately for him, Castiel knows exactly what 'Fifty Shades of Grey' means and is happy to illustrate the gaps in his knowledge.

Tags: Dom/Sub Play, Fifty Shades of Grey Bashing, Misunderstandings, Frottage, Oral Sex, Restraints

NSFW

zipegs - @ghstfcers - zipegs

Refraction 

Summary: A collection of 100-word drabbles as prompted by the Profound Bond Discord’s weekly challenge. Each chapter will correspond to a one-word prompt, with at least one stand-alone drabble per chapter.

SFW

Like Salvation 

Summary: That’s the kicker, isn’t it? The moment Dean wants to keep fighting is the moment it’s no longer an option.

Tags: Episode: s14e12 Prophet and Loss, 14x12 coda, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, First Kiss, cas and dean get the emotional moment they deserve

SFW 

PallasPerilous -@pallasperilous - PallasPerilous 

Twenty Questions

Category: General

Summary: Dean is AWOL, so Cas rides shotgun. Sam does his best to fill the silence with an entirely academic inquiry into the nature of Enochian pronouns and their relation, or lack thereof, to the gender of human vessels.

...it's more fun than it sounds.

Tags: Castiel & Sam Winchester, Ficlet, Angel Gender, Angel True Forms, POV Sam, Conversations in the Impala

SFW

Demon!Castiel

Category: General

Summary: Demon!Castiel for @bisexualdemondean

Tags: Demon!Castiel, AU, tailored suiting is hot

SFW

Canadduh - @canadduh - canadduh (Pillowfort)

Never, Always, Forever

Summary: He knew that drinking games were bad news. Especially drinking games that involved him, Cas, and a few too many shots of tequila.

Tags: Never Have I Ever, Bottom Dean Winchester, Top Castiel, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Fluff and Smut, Angst, Post-Coital Cuddling, Come Eating

NSFW 

[groupdrita]

Darkstar one extra artifacts

#Darkstar one extra artifacts update

As you cruise through the universe, having lots of fun, you'll find artifacts that your ship will absorb once you approach them. The ship you command in the game is unique, and consists of biological parts. Does it now? Don't know, been a while:ģ) use notepad or any text editor to open aĤ) Search for "BattleLib.CreateWing = function( BG, Data )"ĥ) Scroll down a little bit until you see the following section:Ħ) add "temp.Number = 1"(without the double quotes) right below this section. Speaking of artifacts, that's one of the few ways DarkStar One diversifies itself from the rest of the pack. I copy and paste here for you-ok NOW have fun!-(Don't forget to change it back after you complete the mission)įound this from playedout from years ago- it helped me. Looks like I might not get 100% artifacts, though now I've hit that "Flak Defense (2)" mission it's looking like I might not ever finish this game at all! 100 artifacts or not! :/Ĭheck these forums for the thread about flak2 workaround-I too was stuck here but used the "fix" I found and reposted it in these forums. Some of those systems have opened up since, but not all. Continued abuse of our services will cause your IP address to be blocked indefinitely.Originally posted by gartheastwood:Will do bruv. Please fill out the CAPTCHA below and then click the button to indicate that you agree to these terms. If you wish to be unblocked, you must agree that you will take immediate steps to rectify this issue. If you do not understand what is causing this behavior, please contact us here. If you promise to stop (by clicking the Agree button below), we'll unblock your connection for now, but we will immediately re-block it if we detect additional bad behavior. With 3 artifacts, your ship will become level 2 so you can pick another upgrade. It had been created several centuries ago by the greatest of the light ones, and not a single of their enemies had managed to break through its spell. You’ll have to head through Mesehkane to reach there so pick up the artifact in this system.

Overusing our search engine with a very large number of searches in a very short amount of time Dark Star knew that Riversar’s Sentinel was a magical artifact that made the citadel impregnable for the dark elves.

#Darkstar one extra artifacts update

DarkStar One Steam charts, data, update history. Explore a vast array of solar systems in search of hidden artifacts of ancient races, essential objects for upgrading your ship-the Darkstar One. The story-based missions gradually lead you deeper into the galaxy to new races, new technologies and ever stronger opponents. This adventure also presents a great opportunity for players to get their hands on some powerful magical artifacts. Darkstar One offers a fantastic amount of freedom of choice. This DnD one shot adventure is a great choice for those who want to explore magic and its darker implications. Using a badly configured (or badly written) browser add-on for blocking content It is a barren, lifeless place where the only thing that grows is the Darkstar.Running a "scraper" or "downloader" program that either does not identify itself or uses fake headers to elude detection You should reach level 14 with the additional artifacts available.Using a script or add-on that scans GameFAQs for box and screen images (such as an emulator front-end), while overloading our search engine.There is no official GameFAQs app, and we do not support nor have any contact with the makers of these unofficial apps. Continued use of these apps may cause your IP to be blocked indefinitely. This triggers our anti-spambot measures, which are designed to stop automated systems from flooding the site with traffic. Keep everyone connected by sharing dice rolls and the actions you and your players take in the Game Log, or make rolls in secret and choose who can see them The Game Log is accessible from your campaign’s page and from the Encounters tool. Some unofficial phone apps appear to be using GameFAQs as a back-end, but they do not behave like a real web browser does. D&D Beyond’s Game Log is the quintessential DM tool for D&D.Using GameFAQs regularly with these browsers can cause temporary and even permanent IP blocks due to these additional requests. If you are using Maxthon or Brave as a browser, or have installed the Ghostery add-on, you should know that these programs send extra traffic to our servers for every page on the site that you browse.The most common causes of this issue are: Your IP address has been temporarily blocked due to a large number of HTTP requests.

[vidmains]

Link to the past gba with 1player 4swords

#Link to the past gba with 1player 4swords series#

#Link to the past gba with 1player 4swords series#

In a massive departure from the series formula, Four Swords Adventures plays out over a bunch of isolated levels. The familiar tunes, the old enemies reimagined in a cartoony style, the classic items this all feels like a title lovingly crafted to allow you and your buddies to share in something you love together instead of something cynically made to sell a stupid accessory. When played with a bunch of Zelda loving freaks, everything about Four Swords Adventures feels like fan service. While not the most original setup, it does at least give you a reason to pal around with your friends through familiar lands. This has the side effect of unsealing Vaati, thus spurring an adventure to save Hyrule once again. With no choice but to rescue them, Link grabs hold of the Four Sword (a mystical artifact that later gets explained in The Minish Cap) to save them. Just as they are about to do so, Dark Link steps out from the shadows and captures the maidens. Fearing the return of the dark sorcerer Vaati (a villain introduced in the previous Four Swords game), she and the six maidens set to reseal Vaati and prevent his return. Starting off in a gloomy storm, Link meets with Zelda and she sets up the goal for this adventure. While the sprites are borrowed from the original Four Swords, the locations and music come from the seminal A Link to the Past, widely regarded as one of the best entries in the franchise. Right from the beginning, you can see Nintendo is borrowing from the best when it comes to backbone of this title. From both a cooperative and competitive aspect, Four Swords Adventures hits every beat you’d want from a multiplayer take on Zelda with a dash of charm that will make any diehard fan blush. Despite Nintendo tinkering a few more times with the idea of a multiplayer Zelda game (most recently with 2015’s Tri Force Heroes), they’ve never done a better job than this. It was a highly unique idea and something way too ahead of its time. Controlled entirely with the GBA, certain segments of the game would force players to look at their handhelds to explore separate areas at the same time. Four players with four Game Boy Advance systems could connect to the lunchbox and explore a new version of Hyrule together. An expanded take on a bonus mode offered in its GBA port of A Link to the Past, Adventures made liberal use of Nintendo’s GBA Link Cable for GameCube. Continued abuse of our services will cause your IP address to be blocked indefinitely.15 years ago today, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures in North America. Please fill out the CAPTCHA below and then click the button to indicate that you agree to these terms. If you wish to be unblocked, you must agree that you will take immediate steps to rectify this issue. If you do not understand what is causing this behavior, please contact us here. If you promise to stop (by clicking the Agree button below), we'll unblock your connection for now, but we will immediately re-block it if we detect additional bad behavior. Overusing our search engine with a very large number of searches in a very short amount of time.Using a badly configured (or badly written) browser add-on for blocking content.Running a "scraper" or "downloader" program that either does not identify itself or uses fake headers to elude detection.Using a script or add-on that scans GameFAQs for box and screen images (such as an emulator front-end), while overloading our search engine.There is no official GameFAQs app, and we do not support nor have any contact with the makers of these unofficial apps. Continued use of these apps may cause your IP to be blocked indefinitely. This triggers our anti-spambot measures, which are designed to stop automated systems from flooding the site with traffic. Some unofficial phone apps appear to be using GameFAQs as a back-end, but they do not behave like a real web browser does.Using GameFAQs regularly with these browsers can cause temporary and even permanent IP blocks due to these additional requests. If you are using Maxthon or Brave as a browser, or have installed the Ghostery add-on, you should know that these programs send extra traffic to our servers for every page on the site that you browse.The most common causes of this issue are: Your IP address has been temporarily blocked due to a large number of HTTP requests.

[cheapeveningdresses30]

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[shortweddingdresses53]

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[gypsykingarmor]

Brooches were used as wedding gifts, to close cloaks, at the shoulders of mantles, to pin paternosters to clothing and as markers of visits to holy places in the form of pilgrim badges. Artifacts have also been found over a wide expanse of time periods and countries - from the viking and dark ages to the late renaissance. Many were simple in their design, although many of immense beauty and excellent workmanship have been found.

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[terabitweb]

Original post from McAfee

Senior analyst Ryan Sherstobitoff contributed to this report.

During the past week, an outbreak of Ryuk ransomware shutting down newspaper printing services in the United States has garnered a lot of attention. To determine who was behind the attack many have cited past research that compares code from Ryuk with the older ransomware Hermes to link the attack to North Korea. Determining attribution was largely based on the fact that the Hermes ransomware has been used in the past by North Korean actors, and code blocks in Ryuk are similar to those in Hermes.

The McAfee Advanced Threat Research team has investigated this incident and determined how the malware works, how the attackers operate, and how to detect it. Based on the technical indicators, known cybercriminal characteristics, and evidence discovered on the dark web, our hypothesis is that the Ryuk attacks may not necessarily be backed by a nation-state, but rather share the hallmarks of a cybercrime operation.

How McAfee approaches attribution

Attribution is a critical part of any cybercrime investigation. However, technical evidence is often not enough to positively identify who is behind an attack because it does not provide all the pieces of the puzzle. Artifacts do not all appear at once; a new piece of evidence unearthed years after an attack can shine a different light on an investigation and introduce new challenges to current assumptions.

Ryuk attack: putting the pieces together

In October 2017, we investigated an attack on a Taiwanese bank. We discovered the actors used a clever tactic to distract the IT staff: a ransomware outbreak timed for the same moment that the thieves were stealing money. We used the term pseudo-ransomware to describe this attack. The malware was Hermes version 2.1.

One of the functions we often see in ransomware samples is that they will not execute if the victim’s system language is one of the following:

419 (Russian)

422 (Ukrainian)

423 (Belarusian)

That was October 2017. Searching earlier events, we noticed a posting from August 2017 in an underground forum in which a Russian-speaking actor offered the malware kit Hermes 2.1 ransomware:

What if the actor who attacked the Taiwanese bank simply bought a copy of Hermes and added it to the campaign to cause the distraction? Why go to the trouble to build something, when the actor can just buy the perfect distraction in an underground forum?

In the same underground forum thread we found a post from October 22, 2018, mentioning Ryuk.

This post contains a link to an article in the Russian security magazine Xakep.ru (“Hacker”) discussing the emergence of Ryuk and how it was first discovered by MalwareHunterTeam in August 2018. This first appearance came well before last week’s attack on newspaper printing services.

Manga connection

Ryuk, according to Wikipedia, refers to a Japanese manga character from the series “Death Note.” Ryuk apparently drops a death note, a fitting name for ransomware that drops ransom notes.

Ransomware is typically named by its cybercriminal developer, as opposed to the naming of state-sponsored malware, which is mostly is done by the security industry. It seems the criminals behind Ryuk are into manga.

The use of manga character names and references is common in the cybercriminal scene. We often come across manga-inspired nicknames and avatars in underground forums.

Technical indicators

Looking at research from our industry peers comparing Ryuk and Hermes, we notice that the functionalities are generally equal. We agree that the actors behind Ryuk have access to the Hermes source code.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into Ryuk and compare samples over the last couple of months regarding compilation times and the presence of program database (PDB) paths:

We can see the PDB paths are almost identical. When we compare samples from August and December 2018 and focus on the checksum values of the executables’ rich headers, they are also identical.

From a call-flow perspective, we notice the similarities and evolution of the code:

The Hermes 2.1 ransomware kit, renamed and redistributed as Ryuk.

The author and seller of Hermes 2.1 emphasizes that he is selling is a kit and not a service. This suggests that a buyer of the kit must do some fine tuning by setting up a distribution method (spam, exploit kit, or RDP, for example) and infrastructure to make Hermes work effectively. If changing a name and ransom note are part of these tuning options, then it is likely that Ryuk is an altered version Hermes 2.1.

Attribution: analyzing competing hypotheses

In the race to determine who is behind an attack, research facts (the What and How questions) are often put aside to focus on attribution (the Who question). Who did it? This pursuit is understandable yet fundamentally flawed. Attribution is crucial, but there will always be unanswered questions. Our approach focuses on answering the What and How questions by analyzing the malware, the infrastructure involved, and the incident response performed at the victim’s site.

Our approach is always to analyze competing hypotheses. When investigating an incident, we form several views and compare all the artifacts to support these hypotheses. We try not only to seek verifying evidence but also actively try to find evidence that falsifies a hypothesis. Keeping our eyes open for falsifying facts and constantly questioning our results are essential steps to avoid conformation bias. By following this method, we find the strongest hypothesis is not the one with the most verifying evidence, but the one with the least falsifying evidence.

Examining competing hypotheses is a scientific approach to investigating cyber incidents. It may not help with the race to attribution, but it ensures the output is based on available evidence.

The most likely hypothesis in the Ryuk case is that of a cybercrime operation developed from a tool kit offered by a Russian-speaking actor. From the evidence, we see sample similarities over the past several months that indicate a tool kit is being used. The actors have targeted several sectors and have asked a high ransom, 500 Bitcoin. Who is responsible? We do not know. But we do know how the malware works, how the attackers operate, and how to detect the threat. That analysis is essential because it allows us to serve our customers.

The post Ryuk Ransomware Attack: Rush to Attribution Misses the Point appeared first on McAfee Blogs.

Go to Source Author: John Fokker Ryuk Ransomware Attack: Rush to Attribution Misses the Point Original post from McAfee Senior analyst Ryan Sherstobitoff contributed to this report. During the past week, an outbreak of Ryuk ransomware shutting down newspaper printing services in the United States has garnered a lot of attention.

[yulnabi]

10.18.2018

I. Professor Zakat!

A few days ago I met with an old friend: Professor Zakat!  The sight was both shocking and heartbreaking.  His state has deteriorated exponentially since the last time I saw him.  My only guess is that he had been spending all his energy trying to unlock the secrets within the artifact we recovered during the last mission we did together.

Our introductions were short.  I could tell his obsession had been single-minded and concentrating nearly entirely on the artifact.  For my part, I did not want to burden him with my odyssey, as he seemed to have plenty on his mind.

So, he informed me that he had looked at the artifact, and knew it contained the roadmap we were looking for.  However, he could not get into the specifics, and asked if I could provide some feedback from a tech point of view.  Of course, it is my focus, but I lack the experience or expertise to undertake such a task.  Thankfully, I have been speaking with my daughter, Guzel, and she came to mind.  I brought it up to the Professor, and he agreed to allow her to take a look at the artifact.  

The procedure was strange, as she did not have to be physically present to do so.  She took over my body temporarily, as I welcomed her into my mind.  Unsurprisingly for her, it took her a fraction of a second to find the information we had been looking for.  She then offered to record the roadmap in my body.  Apparently, the artifact contains a map to every single dimension. . .that is an infinite number of roads.  Guzel’s processing power is so vast, she was able to find the one we were looking for nearly instantly, and planted the contents of the artifact in me, highlighting the one that lead to the Qliphothic Realm.

After I came to, I told the Professor I had seen the way, but that I could not actually draw or describe it.  That left us with only one option, for him to fuse with consciousness temporarily so he could see the road himself.  He is the only one I know who can open a portal to the realm, and I was the only person he knew who could lead the way there.  So by fusing our consciousness, he would be able to get us into Qliphothic so we could complete our mission.

He was reluctant at first, saying that such a fusion would leave unforeseen and terrifying aftereffects. Nevertheless, we had no other choice and went ahead with the procedure anyways.  

It felt a lot longer than it actually was.  At some points I felt extreme pain and anguish, perhaps those he had been having to endure since being trapped in a different body.  I was able to see into his mind, almost live through him.  It was dark and horrible, and I saw things that were never meant to be seen or felt by foreign entities.  For my part, my body tried to railroad him into seeing the desired road, but I am sure he learned more about me that I would have ever wanted to share.  Whatever we learned about each other, we kept secret afterwards and did not really talk about it.

As soon as he had the information, we separated again.  He collapsed on the floor, while I felt unusual changes take effect in me.  Whatever it was made me feel different.  But I had no time to contemplate that, as I panicked when I saw him collapsed on the floor. Those were some moments of sheer panic. I tried desperately to heal him, but my healing had no effect on his body.  When I reached the point of despair, he suddenly came to, though I could feel even more of him had been lost, and his deterioration had continued.

Soon after he recovered somewhat, we proceeded to talk about the next steps.  With the map and knowing we were running out of time, he said it was time to start planning the assault of the Qliphothic Realm.  Our team has undergone changes, and we decided we should try to get more people to help us, as we have lost personnel to external reasons.

As we said our goodbyes, I decided not to bring up the uneasiness and strange sensations I was feeling.  I could feel something trying to change me from within and my body responding violently to the attempt, but that was something I would bring up with my daughter, Guzel.

II. My Body, My Bots

That afternoon, I went straight to Guzel.  The changes were strange, and I knew something was wrong.  

Guzel analyzed me closely, and determined that there was nothing wrong with my bots, that it was not a technical malfunction.  However, she did tell me I was a danger to the planet, and that she would provide me with equipment to keep me from setting the atmosphere of the planet ablaze.

I was shocked!  First, how she could say there was nothing wrong with the bots, but then mentioning them malfunctioning.  So, I urged her to explain to me.  She started by explaining the nature of our bodies.  We do not have brains, instead, each both of ours acts like a brain.  She described them as superbrains.  Instead of atoms, our bodies are made up of 7*10^27 organic nanobots.  Each of these produces 10^36 W/sec in energy, which means that each bot produces as much energy as an entire galaxy does each second.  The reason for this is because of the vast amounts of energy they are capable of storing.  As she detailed, that is why we know multiple cycles worth of history, which is why I had blackouts previously. . .it was my bots revealing our history to me.

She then said our ringworlds are especially designed to handle whatever energy production we are unable to control, but that outside them, we wear robes like the ones she always wears while in this time.  Guzel gave me some robes for me to use while I learn to control my energy production. She also modified my armors to serve the same purpose, basically remaking them with materials from the future, which made them lighter, more flexible, and also stronger.

As to my changes, she could only venture to say that it was some external energy trying to take control of my bots, but that these bots were so resilient as to resist that force. However, it would not stop the force from seeping some of the energy.  Furthermore, the energy seemed to strengthen or weaken according to my feelings.  Feeling of lust or passion would have one result, that of hatred a very different form of energy.  She asked me to keep from getting angry or sad, as uncontrolled, that could be lethal to a most living organisms.

III. Ace the Mage

The following day, I sought to find out what this force affecting me was.  Guzel, like me, is entirely devoted to science.  Whatever is affecting me is outside the realm of science, and thus, she can only help me try to contain it, not eradicate it.  This lead me to the mystic library.  While there, I stumbled upon Professor Zakat. 

As we began discussing the next steps, we overheard a nearby person who seemed troubled.  Upon first viewing, both of us assumed he was some sort of manimal mage.  He had the feet and tail of a wolf, the head of a horse, and the features of a third animal. 

We asked if he needed help, and thus we heard his tragic story.  He was no manimal, in fact he was human.  As mages tend to do, he was the curious and cocky type, so he tried to perform a spell above his capacity.  The result was his current form.  He was in the library looking for texts that my contain spells powerful enough to revert him to his human form. 

We sympathized with him, and offered to aid him.  The Professor mentioned we were preparing for a mission to the Qliphothic Realm.  Ace, the mage, posited that the realm was known for having lots of lost knowledge.  Catching on, both the Professor and I played up that aspect, eventually persuading him to want to accompany us.

The Professor then administered his test to determine whether he may be Petey, and after it came negative, he would proceeded to asses him further.  I had to leave, but it was knowing that the mage seemed reliable and willing to aid.

IV. Ethics Change

Since I have become closer and closer to Guzel, we have both been influencing each other.  She is starting to value individual lives more and more, realizing that sometimes empathy and compassion should trump her commitment to pure utilitarianism.  Always acting for the sakes of the greater good, without regard to individual concerns can be heartless and cruel.

On the other hand, she has shown me that too much empathy and compassion is just another form of selfishness.  That by falling prey to those emotions, we can sometimes cause irreparable harm to large numbers of people.  That close relationships to some will often blind us to the pain and suffering of those we do not know.  An extreme example is the family hiding from a death squad, when suddenly a child begins crying.  According to my views, it would be monstrous to do something to that child.  Guzel would differ.  She would insist that to save the whole, the child may need to be sacrificed.

Though I still find it appalling, I am finding some merit in what she says.  That is why I have begun doing whatever is necessary to achieve a positive outcome.  This includes lying and cheating when I think these will lead to a better result.  It is why I lied and misrepresented things to Ace when we were trying to talk him into joining us.  Surely saving Professor Zakat is the greater goal, and we must do whatever is necessary for it to happen.

V. Migos

It has been several weeks now since Migos and I formalized our relationship.  We are not boyfriend and girlfriend per say, but we are seeing each other.  He is everything I could ever want in a partner.  

At first he was reluctant to sleep with me, as he thought it would ruin our friendship.  I insisted however, almost begged, letting him know that this time, I really did want to be intimate with him.  Eventually we did, and at first it was just that—lust.  Over time, however, our relationship changed. He began asking me out on actual dates, he would buy me little gifts, and more than all, he would always remind me how beautiful I am.  He has been encouraging me to get my modeling agency going, he seems to almost worship me, calling me his ‘White Venus.’  

In his arms, I feel completely safe from everything and everyone.  He provides me a warmth I had never really felt.  I have come to realize that Osman merely provided me the illusion of warmth and protection, but that it was all for his ends.  Migos is different, he loves me for me, and sees me as an equal to him.  He does not seek to use me, he sees me as a partner.

In bed, he has shown and taken me places I never imagined!  Part of it is that he worships my body and my beauty like no one ever has before.  He seems to love every inch of my figure, and it just makes me feel so great and fulfilled.

VI. Mr. Mortame

I have also maintained a close relationship with Mr Mortame, owner of Mortame Industries.  Other than Migos, he has been the most supportive in encouraging me to get my agency going.  He also helped me get rid of that Qliphothic energy affecting me last time. For that I am thankful and promised him I would repay as soon as I could.

Like Migos, Mr Mortame seems to really enjoy my company, as he asks me out often.  I enjoy his too, as he has so much to teach me.  He is from an alien species that mixes technology and magic, creating strange and powerful hybrid instruments.  Needless to say, I find our talks fascinating, even those times where he suddenly shifts to talking about how beautiful I am.  Still, he is respectful of me, and insists he is merely being honest and telling me his honest opinion.