#■

[mundanemiseries]

New Muse: Elio

Name: Elio Age: 24 (at time of death) Gender: Male (he/him, transmasc) Species: vampire

Born to a family of supernatural hunters, thoughout his life Elio had long grown to see the supernatural world contrary to the family he was born into. For were they not as much a part of our world and reality as anything else? As time passed he grew more and more interested in learning more of the indiviuals that existed outside humanity, entirely planning to go out on his own to become a researcher of the supernatural worlds. Still, his family had managed to rope him into helping out with one final hunt, digging for information on a series of deaths and missing person cases that seemed to point to vampire activity. In hindsight, maybe he shouldn't have caved to his family's request. Maybe it was in retaliation for his digging into vampire buisness, for looking too far and learning too much. But they had found him first, cornered and the next Elio knew, he was alone in an alley by his apartment, skin cold, faintly aware his being human was long gone. He never met the one who turned him, his sire having left before he even reawoke. And he could never return to his family, knowing their principles would leave him dead. Untrusted by most of vampire society due to his connections to hunters in his human life. So he's spent his unlife mainly alone, adjusting and learning to live as what he now was.

[survivor-tierradelfuego]

Ep. 3: “Quite honestly it was a train wreck” - John

Zack M

really disappointed in my tribe right now. 

we are about to some telephone challenge and we needed 3 people to do this. literally excuse after excuse after excuse from everyone on the tribe as to why they couldn't do it .... and we wonder why we are losing. ugh. anyways, i'm going to do this shit with my crappy wifi because i rather act like i'm helping than bow out out of fear. and honestly i want to show that i'm committed to the tribe. it would be fucking beast mode to pull out the first win of the season for us. literally let me be the first to do everything for this tribe.

also my game feels strong so if we lose again lol whatever. 

oh yeah, amy went home. *as we go on, we remember....*

James Hayden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v17lq3Nh054

Aimee

https://imgflip.com/memetemplate/165556484/Screaming-woman-in-car

Zack M

storytelephone confession time: i killed it. at least with the information that made it's way to me. i only missed one question that ben told me. the main reason we got 9.9/10 is because leanne forgot 6 of the 8 animals when telling ben and then we had the 10% disadvantage. i know leanne is to blame for 5% of that. curious about who got the other 5%. but like here's the thing, i love leanne. i feel confident in her loyalty so i'll smile and let that one go. i got her back. ben told me at the end of the challenge that aimee shared with him that i'm "social". so like i guess i have to stop being nice to her. i don't really want her to be the next one eliminated but strike one was how upset she seemed to be with me after telling her the only reason we didn't tell her was because neil threw her name out as someone he was talking to. i really wish she would have listened to me and not messaged everyone. i feel like that put a target on her back. strike two is mentioning my name once. right now she isn't my target but she is on the edge. i don't know who my target is right now tbh. really there's only aimee and najwah that i would consider. i hope we don't get a tribe swap because at this rate, making the merge isn't even a question for me and i'd like to keep it that way. also, ben and i are starting to call each other a power duo. i really would like to make it to the final two with him even though i've promised cody a final two. cody is hilarious but he gives me anxiety. he seems to be losing his cool and going into messy territory. he has too many conversations going which gets him worked up. i need him to focus on what's important. i want someone who i can work with. i'm not trying to babysit. but no plans of cutting that tie until the merge happens and then i will revisit the thought. cool calm and collected. you get like one freak out "what if" moment a day with me and then i'm done. what ifs ... it's what kills people's games. if my 5 alliance would just let me vibe and feel people out we would be perfect. i haven't been wrong yet. *knocks on wood*

Pedro A

i feel like those two tribals were completly different...Neil was voted out for talking too much.....and Amy was voted out for being quiet...and coming late

Ryan

These stupid idols... I feel like im so close every time! Who knows, maybe im way off? I seriously just want, no NEED that extra layer of security, even though I'm feeling alright right now

John B

Another Challenge, another time when our tribe can't seem to make a decision. I totally get why nobody ever wants to step up when it comes to taking charge in a challenge, but honestly I have no clue how we keep winning when the other tribe seems to have no issue making group decisions. There must totally be a Head Honcho over there running things behind the scenes. I have some new juicy details about the tribe now thanks to Pedro. Pedro, Amy-Louisa, and Ryan have started their "outsiders" alliance and this is stressing me out. Pedro says I'm his number one and then goes and makes an alliance without me. I think I'm getting too hung up on Pedro and I being a pair I need to worry about myself and nobody else. Obviously I'm not going to break things off, but I don't really feel like he needs to know everything I'm doing now. At least I think we are in a pretty good position. I am pretty tight with Kalle, Grae, and hopefully Maddison, and He's really tight with Ryan and Amy-Louisa and we both had a good relationship with Alan and Olivia. Between the two of us we are in an ok spot for the time being. If Tyler goes first if we lose, which still feels like the case for now, I am not sure what we are going to do after that, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. I'm going to keep working on my relationships with everyone for now and hopefully I can keep my paranoia in check. WISH ME LUCK YALL!

Alan B

Tyler put a huuuge target on his back by calling the other tribe trash when they've been doing so well, like not only they probably want to get him out asap but now everyone on our team also wants him out? and also he fluked his first challenge? How on earth did he think that comment would do anything but lower his chances at winning and make him look like a jerk to everyone playing? It's honestly kinda hilarious how bad a move that was

Leanne

So, tribal was nice and easy and went as planned, which was a very good thing, albeit with a couple of downsides. The most obvious of these is, we’ve had our easy vote... now what? I seriously do not even have the first inkling of how things are going to go next time we have to have a vote. Either I don’t realize the wind is blowing in a certain direction, which is scary, or there simply aren’t any real targets right now... and I’ll expand on that possibility later. For now let’s talk about another downside. Yesterday afternoon I got a message from Najwah asking if I’d heard the whispers about someone possibly having an idol. I said no, I didn’t know anything, and asked her where she heard it from. She said, one of the guys. Well, which one? That’s when she asked me to video chat. Finally she told me it was Cody who said to her, *we* think someone has the idol. We. I haven’t heard about this from anyone else, and I know Cody and Zach are tight. I hesitate to ask Zach about it. Who would I say I heard it from? I had to drag Cody’s name out of Najwah, and I don’t want to give her up as my source. I don’t think she made it up. Either Zach or Cody or both are stirring something up. I want them separated. I want Cody out but I don’t think I could get enough people together to make it happen, not to mention the fallout if I tried and succeeded, or failed for that matter. The thing is, I don’t know which of the two is instigating this stuff. First it was the weird vote out of the blue, now this. I’m not going to do anything with it for now except sit on it, but I see they are both schemers who came to play. I’d rather have Cody gone because I haven’t spoken to him individually, but he talks to plenty of other people and I don’t like what he’s up to. Zach, at least, has the appearance of being loyal to me. He hasn’t said word one to me about this potential idol. We check in fairly often with each other, how are you feeling, what are you thinking, we still on?, we got this. Like I said I don’t know what to make of this and don’t want to act rashly. The good news is that Najwah and I had a really nice talk, about all sorts of things. I’ve been trying to get personal with her, telling her things about my life, telling her about things like my ex and our relationship then and now. She seems to respond well to things like that, and I’m grateful for the chat because it’s a good way to make a stronger connection. So we talked about the personal life stuff, and also some game talk. She says she isn’t as close to Sarah as I thought she was. Plus we discussed how much to trust Zach and Cody, which is still an open question. And we compared notes on the idol search. We both made the same error and got the disadvantage in the same place. I asked her if the perfume was an advantage and she said yes. So now we know, and we each told people about the perfume so maybe we can increase our odds of winning something, and hopefully we don’t have to spend our own coins to do so. Really the best thing I got out of the conversation was that I feel even stronger about my relationship with Najwah. I think she is trustworthy and we’ve exchanged info completely upfront, at least I think so anyway. Right now she’s my most important ally. Last night, just after tribal, I reached out to James for the first time one on one. His answer caught my eye. I told him I appreciated that he’s willing to fight for us, and then we got to talking. It was mostly a conversation about what it would be like to be on the real show, but we talked about our shared ineptitude when it comes to anything physical, and debated whether or not we wanted to be on for real. Him, Hell yes. Me, 39 days with no food and no sleep, no thank you. But it was a start. A really good start. No game talk yet but at least we’ve got a foundation. The thing I noticed about James from that conversation was that he’s very hard-core about this. I made some comment like, this game is intense, to which he responded, when I got that buff I was in it to win it. He means business. His love for the show is so strong and shines through everything he says. He’s taking this seriously in the extreme. That’s something to watch out for. A quick sidenote about his answer regarding the potential for a swap. The question said there had been talk of it. Talk? What kind of talk? None that I knew about. Something else to consider. Finally, the challenge. I was having such a hard time deciding whether to step up for it or not. For one thing I was just plain terrified about freezing up under the pressure and letting the team down. But I’d like to think I have a decent memory. Najwah even commented about my memory a couple of times prior. And she was urging me to do it for a few minutes before I told the tribe I would. My thinking was, if there’s something down the line that we don’t all have to be in, maybe something with pictures or something that I really suck at, well, I will have already taken my turn and it’s someone else’s. At least if I try this I might have *some* success. Besides, I owe this tribe after I got us part of that disadvantage. But oh wow was it hard and scary! I take reassurance from Jay saying that was one of the better scores she’s seen in this challenge. Still there was so, so so much that I missed. And now that it’s over I fear I may have miscalculated. Remember how earlier I said there doesn’t seem to be any real public targets right now? Yeah... that. If we lose it’s going to be because I dropped the ball. So either we win and I am the big hero, which doesn’t hold much weight as we saw with Neil, or I lose and there is one clear culprit for the loss. Nice going Leanne.

Zack M

welp. it's happened. someone has sent a message to the wrong group. my literal nightmare. 

leanne: That’s what I’m thinking. I’m just deciding whether I want to use up all my coins that way, especially when I don’t know how to get more. najwah: ya sure 

LOLOLOLOL what? look i know leanne and najwah are close so this isn't a surprise. also, leanne is the reason for our disadvantage so she is obviously out hunting for the idol. just something to keep in mind when it comes to voting out leanne or najwah. definitely going to have to split the votes in the chance one of them has an idol. nothing exciting is really happening today. this is low key why i like losing. it keeps people on their toes and active. when they are active they don't have time to think. less thinking = more time for zack on this island. 

Zack M

this is a post to just to shout out najwah. it's so fucking nice when someone is like i'm available to talk to you about real life stuff and not just game. i love having open honest conversations about feelings. i do feel a little bad saying how much i want to work with her and leanne. it's not a lie but like i have a majority 5 alliance going with 3 choices to vote out and i think those 3 are talking. who am i supposed to say? i refuse to be the first one caught throwing an alliance members name out.

Kalle N

WE FINALLY LOST AND I'M SO HAPPY!! I'm excited for people to start throwing out names, although Tyler seems to be on everyone's chopping block from what I've heard so far. This should be exciting

Amy A

We lost the challenge and I KNOW it was my fault. I didn’t remember half of the stuff Jay told me. Urgh I feel so terrible for my tribe. Fingers crossed I don’t leave the game first.

Cody A.

Hey all!!! I am happier than a white girl at Starbucks in UGGS. I’m so pumped we FINALLY won immunity!!! 🤩🤩🤩 That being said... I’m kinda sad we won’t get to vote Leanne’s ass off tonight. LMAO. But if we’re being honest.. I think she might have the idol anyways, and Aimee would have taken the hit 😭 which is sad. I like aimee. I REALLY like Amy, but we saw how that worked out. Anyways.. I’m thankful we’re not losing another number, with a tribe swap looming, that could have been bad! BTW, I do like Leanne, quite a lot actually, but the girl literally has not had a single conversation with me. Amy missed half the game and still found time to talk to me about her badass hair and struggles with relocating! I guess I should try and end this confession now, TTYL. 

Pedro A

we LOST...and i kinda feel like me and jonh are kinda running this tribe....i hope a swap doesn't screw us over

Pedro A

Tyler is the name that everyone came up with ..hes rubbing people the wrong way 

Olivia A

I was disappointed about losing our first challenge but I feel better because everyone seems settled on voting for Tyler. The message he sent after the other tribe lost for the 2nd time seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. I think it’ll be an easy vote. 

John B

That challenge was rough, honestly I was crying laughing the entire time. Quite honestly it was a train wreck. Im not going to say it was Amy but like.. It wasn't not Amy. I'm not going to throw her under the bus though. Luckily I have my new core four alliance. My dream alliance of me, Pedro, Grae, and Maddison. I am super close with Kalle and Pedro has the outsiders and we both have Olivia. I am cautiously optimistic that this can be an easy vote for Tyler. We will see what happens though.

Zack M

we won! huge shout out to leanne + ben. #teamwork look at god. i'm so glad i was a part of the first win for our team. 11 to 4.5 lol whatt?!? (i don't count the disadvantage because i am not responsible for that) it's been too silent today and i feel like my alliance members are starting to get annoyed with me because i'm may be spiraling a little bit but honestly i've proven myself to be a threat. this isn't for no reason. in this game + real life .... give me validation and i'll shut up. it doesn't have to be the truth.

James Hayden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpw07_jlqxQ&feature=youtu.be

Aimee

https://elysiankardia.tumblr.com/post/623755743585255424 This is what I will be doing tonight after that INSANE WIN! Love these legends getting it done 👑 👑 👑 It was great getting to video chat with Ben and Cody! It finally felt like we had camp life in the game instead of just challenges and tribal. Right now with the bonds I have formed at this point in the game... I am working closest with Najwah and Ben. They are my ride or dies! 💞💖 I trust them to the moon🌙 and back. We really needed this win and I’m so happy Leanne, Ben and Zack were able to pull this through! We all needed a night off. https://64.media.tumblr.com/908f7a445a41c1e3b6c3c0fd4820ebfe/a53f344a539857da-cb/s540x810/80e7cf8f5ad8a99a80784a359c7f03d683aa3efe.gifv

Pedro A

tonight is our first tribal council....Tyler will probably go home...i hope this is the last time we go to tribal....cause after this vote...idk who will be eliminated from our tribe

Sarah

The plan is to vote out Neil tonight and cause a blindside. Everyone is on the same page tonight about not trusting him so I am confident that the plan will go through but also scared as heck. 

Kalle N

So far everything has been relatively quiet and simple which terrifies me. Either this will be a 9-1 vote against Tyler, or there are things happening that I'm not involved in... I just have to trust the people I'm talking to and hope it's not me going home I guess. I'm like 75% sure it'll be Tyler that leaves tonight though. 

Zack M

i really don't like days off. low key wish someone else would have done the challenge so we could have lost. i get paranoid everyone isn't actually taking today off. cody also shared that najwah and aimee are close so i hope najwah doesn't share that i mentioned aimee because that's bad news for me. should we have kept amy t? ugh. 

Maddison

Inevitably our tribe is attending tribal tonight. This seems to be a comprehensive easy vote, but there is never an easy vote in Survivor. Hopefully an idol doesn’t come into play and shock us all. Alliances have definitely been formed and the game is well underway. I have to remember that everyone is playing, regardless of their outward threat level. 

John B

Well, we are quickly approaching the first tribal council and I think things are pretty set in stone at this point. Unless I am being completely bamboozled which will make me cry. This vote is going to be too easy which is going to mean trouble for the rest of the votes after this, everybody is getting along too well so if we go to tribal again after this, lines are going to have to be drawn in the sand. I am getting worried about Pedro, I think he may start to become a bit of a liability. He is too nervous for literally everything which is making it impossible to make plans for down the line. He was saying he was wanting to vote out Maddison and I'm like would it be so hard to just vote out someone we aren't in an alliance with?... like... hello?? Alan may be a good next vote because we know they have the idol, on the other hand, them having the idol could come in handy down the line. I think if we lose again before a swap or something Olivia or Alan may be a good plan. I still do not trust Ryan at all, I really don't think he likes me and I am putting in the effort here. If we can bring the "outsider alliance" in with the core four, we would have a solid six that I think would take us far in the game, I am just worried that Pedro is going to start something I don't want to do. Hopefully we can get through this first vote and get back on a winning streak 

Ben Kessler

Baba booey! I helped win the challenge for our tribe, so you can just call me Joe Anglim. On a serious note, Zack is very paranoid about people throwing his name out, which I like because it makes him feel like we are close. I would like to vote Leanne out because it looks like she has connections I do not have. Leanne definitely worries me that she has an idol. Just need to keep tabs on everyone and make sure my name isn't thrown out. SarahI found the hidden immunity idol! Yesterday was the first time that I went hunting. I had been told information about the idol hunt through Cody and when he told me what was in the clothes and antique store I had this gut feeling that the idol was in the jewelry box. I had gotten 10 coins yesterday from searching the boat and then I got 5 from Cody and 5 from James, my closest allies, so I was able to buy the jewelry box today. I have spoken with Zack about wanting to share coins in order to get it. I plan on telling Cody because he is my number one and ride or die. I haven’t decided if I am going to tell anyone else or make it known to my alliance. I do feel better knowing that no one else has the idol, and I do not plan on using it anytime soon. This is such a crazy game aishshfbrhe

Najwah

I'm so happy we finally won a damn challenge! So basically Leanne and I had a long video call and we were discussing our advantages and disadvantages etc. In finding the immunity idol. She then accidentally sent a message in the main group lmao. Luckily only Cody and Zack so it so we used that to our advantage and told them where to go when they land in town. Thing is, they gave us no info back? So now we are idol hunting on the places they've been to chacke whether we can actually trust them coz we'd like to work with them. I love Zack as a person but I think he's dangerous as a player. I haven't connected with him as I have with Cody. Trying to connect with Aimee but she seems to keep us all at a distance. We have to go through a crazy winning streak now bc I am not in the mood for my trials. Fes great to have the evening off. Two evenings off actually. Its shark week so that's perfect. I

Najwah

I need to reconnect with Sarah. We haven't spoken much since Day 1. I know Cody talks to her. The only problem I have is that Leanne would like Cody out of the game solely because he's close with me and close with Zack. I'll do everything in my power to protect Cody though. I do feel as though he has loose lips and tells Zack everything which is a liability. Zack has the ability to win this game. He's smart and he has a ruthlessness about him. I'm definitely weary about him. I'll be watching him. He says we can trust him but idk. We will see. Pedro AIf tyler plays an idol...i have no ideia who he will write down Pedro A3 hours till tribal ...and im scared if tyler has an idol

Grae G

I formed a tight alliance w John Pedro and Maddison. I’m still working w the girls and actually like them more but it’s clear John and Pedro are very much in control and I’d love for them to continue believing it. Tyler is gonna be the first to go, just because he didn’t quite fit with the group vibe. Which sucks but you know it happens! No hard feelings if you’re reading this Tyler. Hey it could be me tonight you never know. Its still early yet in this and I’m trying to play a low key game and if it bites me later than so be it lol I honestly don’t have much time between work and life to put more time into it then I am. I think it’ll be basically everyone voting against Tyler maybe a few stragglers but I’m really expecting full majority. If anyone has an idol as of now I’m absolutely shocked and don’t think Tyler has one but who knows  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Amy A.

So everyone keeps saying Tyler is being evicted today but the game is scary so you really never know. First tribal for Maola so I’m excited and scared. Fingers crossed it’s NOT me. I hope it’s an easy tribal and tomorrow morning I’m still in this game. 

James Hayden

Today's Day 7. I found 10 coins this morning during my idol hunt. As promised, I gave five to Sarah so she could use them to find the idol. She said she trusts me and is with me 100% and wants to go far in this game together. Clearly, I trust her 100% - or as much as one can in a game like this - and like our odds together. We are also talking about adding a third person from our five. Ben is my pick and she seems on board. From the outside, I don't think we are an obvious trio. I just this move won't bite me in the ass later down the line. God, I hope she's not playing me. If she's, then good on her and she's good at this game. 

Tyler H

Not much happened for me for the past few days during this round, but I still think I’m better then everyone 

Alan B

My confession is that I procrastinated way too long on my confession XD

Ryan

I believe the plan is simple tonight... well, let's find out

[elainescookingforthesoul]

TRANSCRIPT for Episode 1.01 “Sam’s Chia Pudding” (PART 1/2)

ACT I

[INTRO MUSIC] 

ELAINE: Good evening listeners, thank you for tuning in...It's been a slow week here at the dental clinic. In fact, things have come to an uneasy halt all across LA. And yet, there are certain small things that seem to persist with uncanny regularity even after great or terrible events. The trumpet-shaped flowers of the morning glory still turn to open towards the cloud-muted sun. A coffee maker observes its daily timer for the faithful drinker-- whether or not that drinker has survived the night...It occurs to me from time to time that perhaps my voice will reverberate upon bored and unsympathetic ears long after this unraveling society of mine has been wiped from this earth by either the after-effects of this nuclear disaster or by the force of yet unknown adversaries. If someone should stumble upon this recording years from now when the irradiated bones of our civilization has all but returned to the poisoned earth- -hello! I hope you're hungry! This is Elaine's Cooking Podcast for the Soul. I'm your host, Elaine Martínez.  

[MUSICAL RIFF]

ELAINE (CONT’D): And I hope you'll join me in welcoming our guest and co-host taking lead on this recipe, Sam Gately!

[APPLAUSE] 

SAM: Elaine, what a fine day to be alive! 

ELAINE: I could not agree more, my friend-- Now, Sam. 

SAM: Yes, dear heart. 

ELAINE: In the interest of full-disclosure. 

SAM: Go on. 

ELAINE: Would you care to tell our dear listeners how we know each other? 

SAM: Now that is a wonderful story. Elaine Martínez and I have known each other for eight years. She was the person who showed me around this very dental clinic when I arrived on my first day of work, and I'll never forget the first thing she ever said to me. 

ELAINE: Oh no. 

SAM: She said, "Sir, this is an x-ray booth, not a puppet theater, will you please put those socks back on your feet, you are making our other patients very uncomfortable."

ELAINE: Imagine my surprise when I discovered he was my, in fact, my new dental assistant. 

SAM: And imagine my surprise when I discovered what a dear dear friend that screaming she-beast would become. 

ELAINE: But Sam, we didn't come here to talk about your truly stunning puppetry skills or our long and fruitful friendship. 

SAM: No, Dr. Martínez, that should be devoted to an entirely separate podcast. We came here so that I could share one of my favorite recipes these days. It checks three boxes for me. 

ELAINE: What are those boxes, Sam? 

SAM: It is easy. 

ELAINE: One. 

SAM: The ingredients are shelf-stable. 

ELAINE: Two. 

SAM: And it's perfect for sharing! 

ELAINE: Sam, you big-hearted goon. When so many are just trying to scrap up enough sustenance for their own corporeal form, you are rejoicing in the concept of sharing. 

SAM: Hey, nobody survives alone. Even if they did, what would be the point? 

ELAINE: Well, you better tell us what exactly this dish is and what goes into it before you melt my heart all over again. 

SAM: You can't melt gold, Elaine. 

ELAINE: Well...you can. But that's very sweet. 

SAM: Oh shoot, you can! See, this is why I'd never make it alone, Elaine. I sure missed you during last week's 24-hour curfew. 

ELAINE: Oh, me too! Sam and I usually get to hang out all day here at the LA Dental Clinic--pretty much right where we're sitting now, on either side of a reclined R-1 Dental Chair. Usually there's a patient lying down between us, but today it is just a nice spread of a few simple ingredients. 

SAM: Yep! And I hope you don't mind, Elaine, but I've been practicing my carnival-barker voice for this next bit. You ready? 

ELAINE: Oh, am I ever. 

SAM: Ladies and gentlemen! Nonbinary, trans, and pans! Aces, aros, hes, shes, theys, and all! To my left we have the the main ingredients: whole chia seed! To the right of that a carton of unopened coconut milk sitting on top of a can of coconut milk. If you're asking yourself: oh boy, do I get the coconut milk I like to add to my cereal, or do I get the kind I make pies or certain Thai dishes with? The answer is simple. Get one of each! 

ELAINE: Well said, Sam. What fun we're having. So we've got the chia, and not one but two kinds of coconut milk so far. What's this over here? 

SAM: Elaine. I'm so glad you asked. It is our main event, the star of the show, our feature ingredient... some medium-quality unsweetened cocoa powder! 

ELAINE: Oh, how wonderful! 

SAM: It is wonderful, Elaine. I got very lucky in finding such a thing from someone willing to consider a trade. You ready to get started? 

ELAINE: I sure am! Why don't we put this chair in fully reclined position so we have an even larger working space.

[MECHANICAL WHIR]

ELAINE (CONT’D) There! 

SAM: Great. I see you've grabbed a set of measuring cups and a whisk already laid out on this tiny sidetable here. Exactly where I put your dental probes and mirrors. 

ELAINE: Today, I am your assistant, Sam. 

SAM: Wow. Such power. I'm so glad this feeling never went to your head, Elaine. 

ELAINE: Well, I had someone very close to me keeping my ego in check. 

SAM: The office administrator, Jen? She was always a b-- 

ELAINE: Bit particular, yes. 

SAM: I was gonna say Jen's a straight up b-word. 

ELAINE: I was actually talking about you, Sam. 

SAM: I'm a b-word? You know that means bitch, right? 

ELAINE: No, I was saying that you keep my ego in check--You know what? let's go ahead and just move on. Tell me more about this chia pudding, Sam. 

SAM: Now, Elaine, we're making nearly two quarts of this stuff. That may seem like a lot at first, but remember. This is a shareable delicacy. I wanted it to feed four to six people. 

ELAINE: Got it. Good thing I have this massive stainless steel mixing bowl usually reserved for mixing plaster. 

[STEEL BOWL CLANGS] 

SAM: That's perfect. Now we just start with a cup of this chia seed. 

[CHIA RAINS INTO BOWL]

SAM (CONT’D): I'll add in a quarter cup of this unsweetened cocoa powder now as well as a quarter cup of agave nectar.

[COCOA POWDER HISSES INTO BOWL]

SAM (CONT’D): And now the fun part! A full carton of coconut milk. 

[COCONUT MILK GLUGS INTO BOWL]

SAM (CONT’D): And Elaine, if you could open that can of coconut milk, it'd make a world of difference to me. 

ELAINE: Of course, Doctor. 

[CAN OPENER WORKS]

SAM: Oh! You just gave me chills! Doctor Sam. Sounds good, huh? 

ELAINE: It sure does. Here you are. 

SAM: Great! We add in this entire can as well. And now, we whisk vigorously! 

[VIGOROUS WHISKING]

ELAINE: Ooh, the cocoa powder is doing that silly thing where it creates little mud islands, and when you really knock into one there is a dry center that kind of explodes a little. 

SAM: I call those choco-lates, because they're kind of late to the party. But they join and mingle eventually. If you--ah!--force them.

[WHISKING STOPS]

ELAINE: Everything appears very cocoa-y and incorporated. What next, Sam? 

SAM: Nothing! 

ELAINE: Oh my, that was so easy! Let me go get a couple mugs from the tech lab. 

SAM: Take your time, Elaine! We're done, but the pudding still needs about ten or twenty minutes to set before it's really ready to eat. Didn't you mention that there would be a break? 

ELAINE: I sure did, the end of the recipe kind of sneaked up on me, I'll admit! But while our chia pudding sets, now is a perfect time for a short break and a word from our overlord--advertisers, sorry folks. Stay tuned, stay very still. We'll be right back. 

[MUSICAL TRILL] 

END OF ACT I

INTERLUDE/AD BREAK

ELAINE: This week's episode is brought to you by The News. Want to know what's going on? Curious about who exactly is in charge in the absence and presumable death of every elected official? When the grid fails and there is no more potable water, who can you turn to? The answer is, The News. The News is the coolest, freshest non- government and non-nonprofit alliance out there. Unlike so many others, The News has no objection to using radical violence--oh my...uh..radical v-violence in order to secure safety for those who are enlisted among their ranks...The News cannot be taken down, and issues no apologies--only truths. The News controls the information, ergo it controls the knowledge, ergo it controls the power. The News is power. The News can be seen looting and pillaging your local streets every evening at 7pm, and again for a full hour at 9pm. You'll know it's on when you hear trumpet-heavy musical tones echoing through the otherwise dead- silent night. Prospective members of The News should arrive early, bring bartering materials, and wear a snappy tie. Keep an ear out for The News. The News! The Olds are dead.

[awriterstransition]

Contracts and Demands Part 4

        If you find any of the sections of stories I write interesting, I’ve tagged every story with “Isen” so if you search for Isen’s name you get every part I wrote.  If you have any questions about my stories, or want to tell me anything, go ahead and send me a message.

        Contracts and Demands Part 4

        The Royal archives was a massive library that took over an entire section of a tree, inside the palace grounds which was by five trees connected by walls. The Archives were only accessed through the courtyard, which was walled off from the rest of the city, protected by thick metal gates, and hundreds of guards armed to the teeth. The courtyard was covered in vines, and these vines connected the five trees together, creating walk ways, bridges and zip lines. I was watched intently by every guard I passed, but none talked to me and the guards were dead quiet, only the trees spoke in soft silence when the wind shifted the leaves.          The front doors of the archives were warded with enough wards to impress Lynn. The magic protecting the archives was immense, if I wasn’t let in by key and tried to break in. I’m sure I would have just exploded right where I stood. I wasn’t even let in by a guard, the doors only opened outwards and were locked from the inside. I was greeted by the head librarian an ancient tortoise, slow and careful in his movements as he leaned on a walker fashioned from wood, in the basket of the walker was a stack of ancient books. On his eyes were round rim glasses that gave him a rather comedic large eye effect. But I didn’t laugh, it would have been beyond rude. Elders as old as this tortoise were utterly respected. Mincridarins respected elders, treating them nearly like royals. When Mincridarins hit a certain point in age it was a huge deal, and you were respected even by royalty, at least in some regard. So to laugh or snicker at the large eyed glasses would have gotten me beaten by any Mincridarn nearby.          I waited for the tortoise to come closer, and he shifted closer I looked at his heavy and warm looking clothes, furred cloaks over his back from many kinds of beasts, and thick a scarf that was draped over his neck. A young female Avian followed behind him, with a simple clip board in hand, a megaphone on hip. The sparrow female wore subtle black silk robes much like a mages, and wore glasses upon her beak that were kept in place with small patch of paste, binding them to her beak. The glasses weren’t as large at the tortoises’ and were cut in half, simple gold framed reading glasses.          She looked up at me and brought the clipboard to side, the tortoise looked up at me and craned his head forward to look at me, craned his head back and adjusted his glassed before looking at me again. “The Queen told me about you, it’s good to see cub like you so interested in the Raven past, what a dark past, full of pain and misery.” The Head Librarian said softly pulling his head back after a moment. “It’s a pleasure to meet you sir.” I said giving a simple bow of respect, the old male looked at me confused and then the sparrow took out a large horn and brought it to her beak. “HE SAID IT WAS PLEASURE TO MEET YOU!” The female yelled loudly into the tortoise’s ear, and he nodded. “Pleasure to meet you as well cub, come we have plenty to review.”          I followed behind the reptile closely, it was annoying, because I was one stepping behind the old male, but one stepping allowed me to look around the library taking in the mass of knowledge that was kept inside the ten tall sectioned library, filled to the brim with books. Books new and old were visible, and the entire place was lit with five bright crystal chandeliers, spread around the room hanging at different levels. And on the tall bookshelves were crystal scones, bringing light to the room even more. The ten sections were connected by stairs at the back of the library, forming a V that went left and right and around the circular walls. Avian Mincridarins flew around the room taking care of papers, dodging the chandeliers with precision similar to dog fighting jet maneuvers.          The bottom floor where I walked were book shelves arranged in a circle with tables covered in papers and books in between; in the center of the main floor was a circular sitting area just as heavily covered by books and paper. We stepped closer to shelves which were branded with the Raven Royal Seal. The twin books shelves were as twice as tall as I was, and separated by five shelves. Along the book shelves were sliding ladders.           “All of this is related to the Raven history, their business transactions, a history of everyone they owned  and what they owned, summaries of the family members and lineage, Even a few personal books written by members of the family, and journals from the deceased. All of this history now belongs to you Master Dale, treat it with care. If you need any help with how to look for books please just ask. Also you are not to wander in the library, the queen has only given permission to open these books, all else are sealed. If you are to look into any books that don’t belong to the Raven family, you will be banned from ever entering again.” The tortoise warned as he looked up at me and I felt my head groaning. “I’m going to need help, this’ll take me years to go through.”          “Yes I’m sure it will, but this is the first time in all my years that I’ve met someone who wanted to review the entire family history. Sounds very fun.” The tortoise said with a happy little cough before starting to walk away. “I might as well start on the easy thing and start creating Excel spread sheets.” I groaned and shifted to the table and laid out my lap top bag and started up my computer and went to work.          The first thing I started with were giant books that contained the history of the families’ taxes and disclosed purchases and so on. If I was going to own the Raven name I needed to understand the burdens it came with, how much I truly owned and how much I was losing because of debts or something of that kind. So I just started to listening to music and working on what was in front of me. Each page in the ledgers were as long as my arm and written in a beautiful script that took some effort to get used to reading. I worked the full day typing and reviewing the first ledge, only leaving the Archives for bathroom breaks and to get food. A few slaves from the Brothel came with me when I returned, the only two that could read, and they followed me happily since I told them I’d end their contract if they helped me finish my review of the family title. When they saw the task I asked them to join me in they weren’t all that happy, but it was better than doing chores, and being around the abusive Raven.          It took me three days and I was only half-way through the first ledger, that amount of work showed me how often I’d need to be at the Archives, so I made it a point to come to the Archives after combat training and work with the two slaves. My life revolved in this circle, I was always busy, teaching, training and typing. Days turned to weeks, and then into months, and towards the end of the year a letter was hand delivered to me one weekend by a Regal gray feline dressed in purple. The court messenger, he stood by me as I flipped open the letter with my claw.          I read the short and prompt letter, it was an invitation to the ball being held in honor of the New Year, a day of celebration and prayer. The ball would be a week from now, on the finale day of the year. I didn’t want to attend, but I knew Raven and Ria would have my ass if I said that. I was a member of the royal court I had to attend, it was my duty. So I waved off the messenger and he left, and I tucked the letter into my bag. Before continuing my work on the ledgers.          When I told Ria and Raven about the ball they were ecstatic, and quickly bolted into action, they stopped me from going to library in order to train me to be more regal. For the next week, I wore a brace on my back that forced me to stand straight, I was trained how to dance and speak… None of it was pleasant. Though the one thing that was good, was that I wasn’t scared of spiders anymore, all the forced exposure forced me to accept the spider’s presence and get over it. I didn’t still like being around them, but I never pissed myself in fear. In order to make sure I wasn’t scared of fruit spiders any more they brought the spider outside and they had me chase it off. I did it with a bit of resistance but the spider left, and with that fear taken care of we could start working my other fears.          Then the ball came around, and I was dressed in bright yellow, since my Royal Brand was Yellow, on my chest across my heart was my mark of nobility stitched in place with red thread. A shield bearing a vertical venn diagram, the two circles represented Earth and Ecorein. The mark symbolized my duty as a transition aid, though above this shield circling the tip was a halo, a call back to my time as the Angel of The New York Sanctuary. Against my gray and black fur, the yellow truly stood out, my legs were covered yellow silk pants. On my hip was a single edged blade; in a sheath sewn into my yellow elbow length gloves was a wand. There was sure to be combat and it was possible I could be challenged by another noble, but the thing Raven warned me to do is not to challenge someone, only accept challenges so I could determine how the battle was fought.          Raven and Ria weren’t allowed to attend, and so I was left without any guards or aid during the ball. The Palace gates were open and I shifted inside past the guards and blended in with the vibrant colors, which made of the nobility of Matra, and some foreign dignitaries from Adestria, Leggala, and Cadara. These nobles, crowded the court yard and filled it with conversation and greetings, a few fights had already broken out between some nobles and swords were clashing in the back ground. Though most everyone was in the courtyard, the main party was inside the palace. I never liked going to events like this, I always felt out of place, a wall flower. Even in high school I never attend prom or any of the school dances. They just seemed boring and pointless, because those kind of events I was always ended up going alone and I didn’t have many friends to interact with so I just fell to the way side. I had the choice of brining a plus one, but Slaves weren’t allowed to attend, so I couldn’t bring Raven. I couldn’t bring Ria because she wasn’t a noble. Only nobles and wealthy individuals capable of buying a ticket could attend this ball.          But what I hated the most about these kind of things was the stories, and back stabbing involved in the back ground. These were the places that nobles went to undermine one another, to ruin each other publicly and shun others. It was about controlling politics and managing power, authority. A well-dressed slave wearing a tan trimmed silk vest and only a silk vest offered me a drink, which I plainly refused and he left; I didn’t drink alcohol and that’s all he offered.          As I walked around the courtyard heading for the palace I’d get looks from other nobles and they’d scoff at my presence and say back handed comments about who I was and mocked how I dressed. I nearly had half a mind to avoid all of this and shifting into the royal archives and read one of the many books that I had yet to touch. I did my best to keep a straight face and walk with a proper stance, carrying myself just as other males would. Though that was when I was confronted, by a female, a slim vixen, with smooth red fur, and soft yellow eyes, her body was covered with a smooth green silk dress, slit along one side. Her arms were revealed, but she wore plenty of gems around her neck and wrists, even a gold diamond anklet.          Her dress had no noble mark, so she was a noble or a plus one, probably not nobility, but from a wealthy family which were just equally allowed if able to gain an invitation. In her hand was a crystal glass filled with wine.          “What happened to your tray? Here take my drink away I’m done with it, this wine is terrible.” She simply stated holding out her glass to me. I approached her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you miss, my Name is Isen Dale, owner of the Raven name. I understand your confusion but I’m not a slave.” I simply and passive aggressively mocked, as I took the glass from her hand, though I gave her a warm smile and handed it to a slave passing by. The Vixen raised an eyebrow and looked at me watching me for a moment before speaking again.           “I’ve never seen that family Emblem. Where do you come from Isen Dale?”           “I’ve a new noble family, created under an agreement with the royal court…”           “I’ve never heard of this, and I hear many things?”           “Then your connections may not be as good as you think because I’ve been here for quite some time? I’ve made a quite a few public quarrels, I’m sure the public have spoken of the strange cat who wears the collar bearing the Royal Raven Mark.” I countered and my words were attracting ears, and gazes, the vixen turned to me and looked at me closely.           “I thought those were mere jokes, so I never paid much mind to them.”           “Well they are very much true, but as much as I would I like to stay and talk I have something to discuss with the Queen.”          “No one speaks with the queen today.” The vixen said very sure of herself.           “You could say I have an appointment.” I simply stated and the female came closer to me. “Well how does a noble that just came out of nowhere like you know the queen so personally?” The vixen asked coming closer to me and holding my arm close to her chest.           “Miss, you are here with someone else, I don’t wish to intrude. Please enjoy your evening.” I simply countered and shifted out of her grasp. The vixen looked at me with a small smile. “I’m with no one, I was able to obtain an invitation personally; you don’t need to worry about anyone else. So let’s talk.” I looked at the other nobles around me, they eyes judged me extensively, but to refuse a simple interaction would look bad so I just agreed, and held out my hand. “If you are truly alone, I would have no problem speaking with you.” I simply stated, and the female took my hand and moved closer to me, and we continued to walk towards the palace. I answered the Vixen’s questions, though I at points questioned her, from those questions I already knew I wouldn’t enjoy her personally. She was a rich snob, came and grew up in a wealthy family, was trained by of course the finest of teachers, and would eventually take over the family trading business, which had ties in many markets, jewels, provisions, and cloth. She also was of course single and looking for a mate, at this point I knew what she was trying to do. So when we entered the main hall of the Royal palace I gave her a simple goodbye and thanked her for her time. I left her before she could say anything else to me. It seemed snobbish but I wasn’t looking for a mate. Not now, and I knew she was latching on to the weakest noble she could find, me someone no one knew hardly anything about, and apparently had plenty of pull.          Though with my freedom restored and being no longer distracted I looked around the beautifully detailed palace, every wall was like a forest of woven vines, the details on the leaves were beautiful. The structure of the vines were elegant and smooth. I had been told the palace was something to behold, but I hadn’t thought this is what it meant. When I looked upon all the wood work, I didn’t see wood work, I saw a life, I could feel the presence of the art, the soul of the first queen who carved and manipulated every inch of this palace. The main hall was just as tall and just as wide, hallways went to the left and right of the main entrance, and were walled off by guards standing at attention, dressed in full plate armor. Stairs led up to the throne room where the main ball was. Nobles and wealthy individuals shifted around the hall, but most avoided me except the slaves who offered me a drink, and refused. The top of the steps went into hallways once again walled off by guards, I came to a giant set of foot thick doors decorated with vines and the royal seal, open to only those who paid.          A large elk wearing nothing but a tan vest and collar came to me carrying a small brass gong and mallet in one hand. Raven told me to give a slip of paper to the caller at the front doors of the throne room, so I dug into a vest pocket and showed the caller what was inside the slip of paper and he leaned down to read it and nodded. He came in front of me, and with the single beat of the gong he introduced me to the entire throne room. Which seemed like a bit much, but Raven said I should. It was probably the best thing I could do for myself, because hardly anyone would know who I was, and would judge me based upon the collar I wore. So an introduction might bring some positivity to my figure.           “Introducing, Master Dale, Hero of the Market Circle, Owner of the Raven name, Bearer of Master Gageth’s Brand!” The Elk bellowed into the room and the room looked upon me, with looks of surprise, confusion, and annoyance, I felt the varying moods as I entered the Throne Room. Nobles watched me closely not sure of what to make of me, and as I walked past them heading for the queen I gave simple introductions as I passed a few nobles and wealthy onlookers, just to try and ease the tension. The throne room was a large hall, just as tall as the main hall, but nearly twice as wide, along the edges of the room were tables of food that I could smell from where I stood. Meats and fruits, they smelled wonderful. Music played throughout the hall, strings and wind instruments, soft and light but the music carried around the hall.  I countered drinks when they came my way, and I moved myself to the front of the room to where the queen sat, guards confronted me before I moved too close, but the queen stood from her throne and approached me, and I took a knee in front of her. The guards moved away upon her command.           “I half expected you not to come Master Dale.”           “I didn’t want to be rude to the queen who has shown me such kindness. I’m part of your royal court my queen I couldn’t refuse your invitation.”           “Thank you for attending, I do hope you enjoy the ball.”           “My queen before we part our ways may we speak in private? I’ve come up with my answer.”           “Very well, come with me, we can’t be too long.” The queen said and I stood up and with guards on either side of me, I was led through a door behind the throne that opened up into a large office, decorated with book shelves, and drapery, and soft yellow lights. The queen stood in front of a spotless desk, the two guards stepped back and remained by the door.          A knock on the door soon came and a guard checked who it was before letting in the Ambassador. “My queen, I’m sure I should be here to hear Master Dale’s response.”           “I understand sister.” The queen stated, and with a simple wave of her hand she silenced her sister, before looking at me.           “So what is your answer Master Dale?”           “I will continue my work as a transition aid my Queen.” I simply stated and the seemed disappointed, though the Ambassador was very giddy shifting around happily, her tail shifting about behind her, making it hard for her to hide her happiness.           “May I ask why Master Dale?”           “Being a guard, requires one to be familiar with those he’s around, to be a guard is to earn the trust and loyalty of those around you. Throughout my training, I realized I didn’t create such trust and loyalty. I worked and trained with the guards but that’s it. I’m always busy, I could never truly earn their trust and loyalty, because I never once had the time to simply interact with them and become part of the squad.” The queen nodded in understanding and looked at her sister.           “Isen Dale has made his mind, I will give you full control over Master Dale to use as needed, to aid in the transition of our people.”           “Thank you your majesty.” The Ambassador bowed before looking at me with a happy smile.           “But before you leave, will you still take up my offer and attend the Royal Magical Academy?”  The queen asked looking back at me.           “It’s possible your majesty but I may have to take it in increments, I will be busy teaching students and learning the history of the Raven family.” I explained and the queen nodded.           “How is that going for you Master Dale, my guards tell me you frequent the archives everyday.”           “I’m on the fourth, to the last ledger, I’ll be finished understanding the wealth of the family in a few weeks, but I then have to start understanding the lineage, and rummage through the books and journals to see if there is anything hidden between the lines.”           “Hidden between the lines?” The Queen asked curiously.           “Things that aren’t public, like illegal trades or back room dealings, I might be able to learn if the Raven Family purchased or was given items or wealth from such things. I have noticed a couple lapses in the ledger where things don’t seem to add up properly, money simply went missing and for no reason as well. So maybe I’ll learn why by going through the rest of the books.”           “I see, well I hope you find the answers you seek.” I nodded, in agreement.           “Thank you for the words of encouragement, and giving me access to the Archives.”           “Your Welcome Master Dale, but we must get back to the Party, I’m sure the Ambassador has plenty to discuss with you.” The Queen said looking at her sister who was still very much ecstatic, but hiding it poorly, and I stepped to the side, watching the Queen leave and left with the guards who keeping a close eye on me, as the Ambassador followed my tail closely.          The Ambassador took me to the left side of the room towards the tables of food, and quickly poured some drinks for the two of us, she handed me a glass. A bright smile remained on the Ambassador’s muzzle, and I looked at her dress, it bore the family emblem of the leaf, the soft green emblem shifting into the dark green dress with ease. Her neck wore a simple green jade necklace and in her ears were small green gem stones.          I looked at the wine distastefully but kept my focus on the Ambassador. “You seem excited.”           “You have no idea what this means Isen, it’s always about buffing up and becoming stronger, very few Mincridarins solely rely on intelligence. I was truly thinking you were going to become a guard and be like the rest. I can’t wait to work with you formally now. With your help we can improve the lives for all of Matra’s people.” The Ambassador said taking a swig of the wine staining her lips a soft red, which is another reason why I didn’t want to drink the wine, or the alcohol, it’d stain my fur.           “But I’m just a transition aid how am I going to help the people of Matra?”           “I was thinking you could give some lessons to some of our scholars, just to show them Earth Technology and Science. I already have a few waiting to talk to you. You won’t be training them from scratch, so your lessons should be easier and mainly it’s just teaching them about Earth technology. Maybe you can give your lessons to them, and then they can come up with ideas... Then things will just go from there.” The Ambassador explained and it strange to see her so happy, she normally was very calm and relaxed.           “Well-.”           “Hush Isen we can discuss what you’ll need later, come with me. I want you to introduce you to some of them. There over here.” The Ambassador said quickly putting a finger to my lip, before taking my hand and leading me away, at this point I put down the cup and followed her quickly.         The Ambassador lead me too a few other yellow dressed individuals, then it dawned on me that the attire was color coded, but what the colors meant I still had no idea. The five scholars saw us approach and the happily greeted the Ambassador and I, a few of them giving earth style handshakes in greeting.  Three of them bore emblems from noble families and two were just wealthy enough to buy an invitation.          The conversation with the vixen before was dreary and dull, but these five scholars were relaxed and more than happy to talk to me and learn more about Earth through my eyes. Each of them worked in respective fields of science, math, and biology. They had bought human text books on the subjects through the ambassador, and they just wanted me to explain some of the concepts to them. It was difficult to talk them about the true definitions of things, like physics, psychology, but I did my best and that seemed enough to keep them interested.          At one point we had sat down at one of the tables nearby and just continued the conversation in depth as we ate from the table, but sometimes we’d tell jokes and stories about our personal lives. At some points in the night two of the scholars had hit on me and were flirting with me quite vividly, telling me how they’d take me in bed… Though they were mainly drunk, so it was easy to shift their attention. But most of the time it was fun to just talk to them, it reminded me of high school, talking to friends at the lunch table about class, we weren’t at a party or a ball, we were just talking and having a good time. Though as the night grew greener, a few others had joined the table, a couple of merchants, and one architect. Their appearance changed conversations dramatically, and I talked about the economy on earth and the industries that made our products, about how buildings were built, furniture and concepts of design.            My writing had lead me all over the place, and I knew a bit but not as much as I wanted to know, because I couldn’t answer everything and that just didn’t feel right. I was the walking guide to Earth and its culture I had to know as much as I could.          BY the time the end of the day and the New Year was starting, a General and Master Mage had come join in the conversation, because it seemed the most interesting thing to be a part of. So with appearance of the Royal Mage and the General, we started talking about weapons and history of wars. Two of the other scholars were passed out drunk, but the others were just as interested in the technology spawned by war, which made sense they were Mincridarins, their lives revolved around combat.          Though as it was coming closer to early morning I knew I had to go home, much to everyone’s protest, but I had to leave. I needed to get some sleep, and the conversation had been dying anyways. When I got home, the Brothel was loud and boisterous. Raven had shut down the brothel and all the slaves were allowed to have their own fun night, it was the one day of the year that Raven’s one rule was no fighting or leaving the brothel… So I’m sure they had plenty of sex, and were drinking the entire stock room of wine dry. I walked upstairs and into my room, and slumped down on my bed, flicked my hand and closed the door with a gust of air, and quickly passed out from exhaustion.