#Machinus

[gahmah-raan]

Sketch for Machinus’s second redesign (the original version in the Valkoran-as-a-Sith-cult concept was a cyborg whose only organic component was his head instead of a droid).

Codename: Machinus Real Name: Cid Geero Homeworld: Glee Anselm Species: Formerly Nautolan, until he transferred his consciousness to a droid to save his own life Gender: Male Age: 3500+ years Affiliation: Old Jedi Order; Valkoran Empire Equipment: Lightsaber with hilt-guard, wrist blasters, electro-absorbers for countering EMPs and Ion weapons in his prehensile cranial tentacles, multi-jointed legs with clawed feet, dash and hover jets jets; repulsor fields Other facts: Lead tech director in the Valkoran Empire; Formerly an engineer with the Jedi Order. Due to no longer having an organic body, he's practically lost his connection to the Force. However, he's made many modifications to his body to compensate for his loss, and is just as effective a combatant as he was when he was a living being. Adopted Neur as a surrogate daughter after saving her from an abusive upbringing with the Nightsisters and created her cybernetic lekku replacements.

[verysleepyfrog]

penus machinus

[recordstellar-official]

Bootstraps and Philogenesis

Scene 2: A second intermission before the quarter rest

9th of Thermidore Y227 2nd Unity

There was nothing going on. And it was a good time to figure out what some of these nicknames were. Dulni twisted the prism in her hand, letting the light reflect off of the silver at its core. "Sandwich?" Dulni asked.

"...oh that. It's nothing. Really," Lialka replied.

"Besides, didn't he say calling the etching was only for emergencies?"

"I think your dad would agree that intense boredom is itself an emergency," Dulni quipped back.

"Oh no, you're right. You're right and worse, you sound like my brother."

"By the way, how is he? Are you ever stopping by Dragon Spire?"

"He's doing well. Just got him out of retirement, so he's not too happy about that," Lialkareplied. "We've got all of Feygard as a priority anyway. By the way, is that all you have going on? A relic hunt thrown on you by my dad?"

"Yeah. It's probably going to be a quick round trip though. I doubt we have enough equipment or supplies to camp overseas for long."

"Oh we don't need either," Kip replied.

"What?" Dulni asked.

"What we have stowed away below decks is worth the extra charges spent to have it delivered in transit."

"Oh that thing you had us waiting for before we left early," Kellarin quipped.

"Yeah, before the mist kicked in earlier than I had planned," Kip replied.

Dulni shrugged.

"Ok, so what's getting us in and out fast?"

"I'll explain when you're done with your friend. I don't need the State listening in on my plans."

"She's a friend. She can be trusted."

"Not as long as she or any of her own wear a badge, they can't. At least not by me. And by extension you when you're working for me or with me. Got it?"

A click sounded on Lialka's end as she heard Dulni hang up. Typical Dulni. Always fighting. Too bad she didn't have a chance to warn them of the reef just off the continent. She chuckled. She may be working for a coercive construct built on collective agreement, but L.A.D.D.E.R was the closest thing to a legitimate anarchy she'd ever seen. There was no central authority, just rank awarded through competency and merit. Administrators were masters at skills related to their contracted specialty or department. The only authorities they could even be considered beholden to were the plane of Augur-machinus and the union of Valsien/LirinThael Koirrym, the latter of which funded the expeditions and special assignments that allowed for the free travel and loose diplomacy extended to their agents. It was better than having to found your own guild. Lialka mused on thoughts related as she walked to a cupboard in the galley to grab herself a drink. Juhn voice echoed up through the staircase leading to the bunks.

"Sister, do you have any of those dream catchers you put away?"

Juhn. He was in the hallway. Outside the room he had led Raina to.

"Do you need help getting the couches installed?"

Juhn watched as Lialka's shadow extended toward the chime-ladder.

"Yes, actually that would be appreciated."

[maximuswolf]

What is the best grinder for dark beans and espresso? (only)

What is the best grinder for dark beans and espresso? (only) I need a grinder that can handle making consistent, fine espresso grounds from dark/french roasted beans without clogging (or a number of other issues). I have had problems with using grinders to make fine grounds from darker beans. They don't handle the oil and particle size well at all. I am frustrated with bad designs and low quality mechanisms.I do not need dosing, timing, weighing, or anything fancy. I don't even care if it can make french press or drip grounds. I want fine grounds and NO complications from the machine. I am willing to pay if the grinder has higher quality parts. Is there a grinder that does this well? Submitted January 14, 2023 at 10:36PM by machinus https://ift.tt/5TMFJjl via /r/Coffee

[suwnakajuhrenschmuck]

https://suwnakaj.de

[qserasera]

out of curiosity just checked out the rankings of some asian novels on a novel translation site, and some really bland and conflict-free stories are ranked on the first page, whereas some of mxtx’s realllly good works aren’t even ranked until past #300 or #400 for most popular novel or whatever

anyways popularity might mean some things but it doesn’t always indicate quality as much as one thinks it does  idk idk  

(and urgghhhh the conflict-free wish fulfillment one really irks me because of they don’t use any showing and telling to indicate anything about the mc at all like its just all

a servant character encounters the MC: oh what a kind and beautiful lady she is i can tell by her voice and appearance

vs. a different, slightly more realistic story that gives an MC motivations for how she interacts with others that i’m really enjoying

a servant character encounters the MC: she looks a lot better since she switched to colorful clothing and also she is kind because she gave me a good amount of money for a dowry and offered to give me some days off to check on the sick parent of a love interest of mine )

[normal-horoscopes]

Collected notes on hypnoflora:

Nyctomorph: Literally meaning “night-form“ this term has come to mean the broader classification of the more general “shadow figure“ or “shadow people“. Mature specimens often manifest white faces or glowing red eyes.

Phobophage: Class phobophaga generally refers to any hypnofauna that both intentionally induces and feeds off fear. Many occultists consider the label to be over-applied.

Psychopomp: Rare for hypnoflora, as their hypozoological niche is often filled by explicit religious entities. Proper identification in the wild can be difficult due to their rarity.

Magestary: Class magestara contains hypnofauna that engage in a sort of spiritual mutualism with soul-baring creatures, exchanging knowledge for some form of hypnobiological benefit.

Simulacrum: A theoretical class posed by several research organizations who believe that entities engaging in mimicry are their own species, while others argue the forms of hypnofauna to be inherently fluid.

Machinus: Observed in the wild as early as 1880 but specimens have only been captured live for study recently. Creatures of essential entropy that inhabit machines, feed on mechanical order and excrete chaos.

Aediad: From the greek for wire. A divergence of the nymph line, evolved to exploit emerging niches in abandoned human structures. Emergence is rare, and few protected sites are recognized globally.

Paraxata: The Paraxata is a fairly common manifestation of pseudo-magestary. Always manifest as feline, though with ample visual diversity. Offers guidance of dubious use, the nature of their advice has so far confounded researchers.

Quaestiona: Creatures of order Quaestiona tend to manifest as stationary, taking forms akin to statues or large plants, but are defined by their chief food source being riddles.

Canis Noctis (Black Dog): There is debate as to whether the Canis Noctis is a true magestary. Their canid manifestation seems to parallel their role as guides or benevolent omens of danger.

Tooth Fish: The Piscis Dentis or “tooth fish“ is one of the most common hypnopredators encountered, inhabiting the estuary between the deep self and the collective unconscious. Often a sign one has strayed too far from their own mind.

[art-blogge]

mach and izi and thursday.txt

Izi slowly roused himself to the sound of a stalling motorcycle. It wasn't until he realized the bike was in his garage that he picked his head off the counter, and searched for the source of the sound. He hasn't had any bikes in the shop recently, and he'd have heard the bell ring if a customer had arrived.

Not too far away from him, a rather intimidating man was manually pulling his bike further into the garage. He noticed Izi staring, and stopped to lean on his bike and wipe his brow. "Y'gonna stare at me, dude, or are you gonna help?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Izi was quick to nod and slide off his seat, going straight to his assistance. He'd learned better than to annoy the intimidating guys- They were the loud ones.

Once the bike was safely fastened to the proper machinery, Izi immediately got to work on repairing it. He didn't need to ask what was wrong- It was an engine problem, no doubt. He'd fixed bike engines plenty of times- This one would be no different.

What turned out to be different was the owners's willingness to help him. Most customers would just sit back and watch, or even leave while Izi worked. This one gladly fetched tools for him- Something Izi greatly appreciated. With the owner's help, the bike was repaired in record time. Before Izi could even say he was done, a wad of cash was shoved into his face.

"Take it, dude," the owner beamed, "You really did me a solid!" Izi bowed his head as he accepted the payment, then looked back at the owner. He was going to ask a question to him, when the sound of screeching tires penetrated the heavy summer air. Izi flinched, then backed away from his customer. "Y-you mm-mmay want to leave," Izi stammered, giving the door a fearful glance, "This guy's rrreal rude.."

The door was broken down for the seventh time that month, and Izi instinctively recoiled away from the offensive shade of red that entered shop. "You know what I want, dogmeat! It's Thursday on Thursday, give it up!" They cracked their knuckles, then frowned as Izi tried to hide his payment in his pockets.

"Ohh, no you don't! You pay up, dogmeat, or you'll be euthanized faster than a rabid coon!" Thursday approached Izi, and Izi backed away, shaking his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but no matter how hard he tried, no sound would come out. He was rather suddenly slammed against the wall, and the world began to do spins and twirls. Over Thursday's gloating, Izi could hear someone else. They seemed so far away... But maybe, just maybe, this time he could call for help.

He opened his mouth to yell for help, but his genius plan was brought to a grinding halt when Thursday put a hand over his mouth. "Try all you want, dogmeat," Thursday sneered, "I'm getting it no matter how close I come to killing your worthless ass! Hand it over!" Another slam, and silence.

The next thing Izi was aware of was the scent of blood. He sat up in a hurry, feeling his own head and wincing in pain. There didn't seem to be anything in his hair.. But there certainly was blood on the ground... And so was Thursday.

"What the hell are you?!" Thursday yelled, scooting away from the rider, "A vampire?!" The inquiry was met with laughter from the rider, who folded his arms. "I already told you, kid. I'm Mach. Nothing else."

Thursday dragged himself to his feet, looking like a bloody deer in headlights. "Werewolf? Revenant? Elf-?"

"None of those, you red-headed violator! I don't drink blood, I don't shift, I'm not dead, and I definitely don't stand on the sidelines! Now get out of here!!" Mach snarled, assuming a boxing stance. Thursday stared for a few more seconds, before deciding that retreating was the only option and quickly fleeing from the scene.

Mach stood firm, staring at the door Thursday had left through. Only when a car started and drove away did he drop his guard, turning a quick 180 degrees to look at Izi. Izi flinched on sight- Mach had a bloody gash across his face, and bloodstains all over his clothes. Mach seemed to be unaware of his wound, hurrying over to and kneeling next to Izi.

"I'm fine, I think," Izi mumbled, trying to keep eye contact with Mach. His gaze kept drifting to the wound, though, and Izi couldn't help but make a face. It must have been one of disgust, because Mach noticed. "Is there something on my..." He trailed off, finally noticing the gash. He gave Izi a lopsided, sheepish grin before offering him a hand. Izi accepted, and was easily pulled to his feet.

Once Izi regained his balance, Mach began to look around. "You got somewhere I can clean this, or-"

"Yes, sorry! So sorry!" Izi interrupted, lowering his head, "There's the bathroom right over here!" He lead Mach to it, and waited for Mach to shut the door before dropping back to the floor. He was so dizzy, walking those few steps had been a chore.

His head hurt so much. His head pounded with every little sound. Izi just wanted to lay down on the floor and close his eyes. Knowing the risks of such an action, he did it anyway, wishing for an escape from the pain.

When he opened them again, he was in his own bed. Sitting up with some urgency, he ran his hands over his head. No pain. Had it all been a dream? Frowning, he adjusted his jacket as he wondered if he should get up.

... His jacket.

He was still wearing his jacket. As well, everything he'd been wearing previously. With a shout and a stumble, Izi tore out from the covers and rushed out of his room. He was in the middle of the stairs when he was finally able to see the lower floor- and Mach, speaking with his father.

"-And you kept my son safe from harm," his father was saying, his arms crossed as per usual, "I've got no reason to deny your request." His shoulders rose, then dropped- a sigh. "All I'd like from you is to assist Izikiel in the garage. Is that fair?" Mach nodded, giving a thumbs-up with one hand and an okay with the other. "That's totally okay with me, sir!"

"Please, just Warden," came his father's response, waving a hand, "I've got no need for formalities. What I do need..." he trailed off, and looked up at the stairs. Looked up at Izi. "Is for you to come down here, Izikiel."

Before Izi could even touch the last step, Warden began to speak again. "You've already become aquainted with Mach, but I'd like you to get along with him. He's going to be helping out and staying here."

Mach gave Izi a full smile and a small bow while Izi collected what remained of his jaw off the floor. This was certainly going to be a month.

[agardenintheshire]

the peanus weanus needs the machinus to live!!!!!! #girl #technicalboy #letsmakeazine

[mcnotok]

You.... you call him PEENIE??!?!$?!?!

OANCIRBAJCBSBSJFEB PEMIS-

-demon momma, dying from laughter

Penus machinus

[gahmah-raan]

2008 concept art of Machinus. This is my first design of him as a pure droid (the original vision was a cyborg). Obviously, he would get redesigned again to look less Sith-like and visually stand out from the other Valkoran leaders.

[801s-suggestions]

Machinus eunt domus!

Machini ite domum!

[djnazonaleste]

Aula na parte externa sim!!! 🔉🎧🔉Academia Machinus Dj zona norte, dj festa zona norte #academias #zonanorte #djzonanorte #machinus #machinusacademia (em Machinus Academia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoINFbQnuha/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1csl73dp48t7v

[ktl57]

#WatchOfTheDay!!! #Machinus #DieselWatches... #Bracelet By @braceletsby_ladyo #WatchLife #ILoveWatches #WatchPorn (at Florissant, Missouri)

[thelorax]

rage against the penis machinus

[veryangryhedgehog]

“The Chariot”, an Ede Valley story by Hedgehog.

Memories of Remus came to Tommy at the most random times. He’d be doing just fine, maybe restocking the bar or polishing glasses, and then he’d remember the glass lake of Glocolas and how Remus had pointed out all the raw diamonds at the bottom. Or he’d cut his finger and remember how Remus had saved him from nearly getting the same finger sawed off in the infinite factory of Machinus. And then he’d have to take a deep breath and get his bearings again.

Sometimes, the memories expanded beyond Remus, of course, to all the adventures they’d had. More than anything, he thought of H’thalee. Whenever they had just endured something particularly difficult or scarring, Mathilda would take them back to the forest, and they were always welcomed by the people there.

They weren’t very technologically advanced, but to say that they lived in “tribes” would not be correct. The people of H’thalee didn’t make that distinction. Villages were maybe more accurate. Their herbal medicine was some of the best in the realities, due to all the nearly magic herbs and plants that grew in the forest. But this was also a double-edged sword, due to the moist, tropical climate encouraging the propagation of a variety of plagues and illnesses. This meant that sometimes their break was less of a break then an even more stressful adventure. That was exactly how Remus had died.

But there were a lot of happy memories there. There were some very bad ones, as well, but he preferred not to think about those. It was a place to go back to, nearly as much of a home as Mathilda. Tommy learned a lot from their doctors, and everyone else really. This was the one place where he made friends around his own age. H’thalee was also where he’d received his tattoos.

The people of H’thalee nearly all had tattoos of some sort. And they all meant something. You might get a tattoo for a significant birthday, or for surviving an illness, or for having a child. None of this was sanctioned by any method, people got tattoos for nearly everything.

The only catch was that in their culture, you had to undergo extensive training in order to be considered worthy of inking tattoos. Very few people gained the title of Inkulo. Usually they weren’t permanent residents of a village, but travelled between them, trading their skills for food and rest.

That might have been why he and Kei became such good friends. They had met when Tommy was thirteen, at least by his reckoning. It was a little difficult to tell the exact passing of time when you were constantly bouncing between realities.

Mathilda had brought Remus and Tommy back to H’thalee after an especially trying adventure in the carnivorous library of Asbeatus. Usually, Mathilda placed herself a short distance from the nearest village, and it wasn’t until after a few minutes of walking that they approached the main square and saw that the whole town was in a tizzy.

“Ah, Remus,” the village leader, a beaming, muscular man named Tios, caught sight of them from across the square. “And Tommy too. Welcome. We are always pleased to see you.”

Tommy glanced around at the villagers gathering in the square, and periodically turning towards the meeting house, a large, wooden building which maintained a central position in the village. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Today is a special day,” Tios beamed. “An Inkulo has come to town.”

Remus had explained all about the tattoos the first time they’d come to H’thalee, so Tommy nodded.

“Come, let me introduce you.” Tios beckoned them towards the meeting house, through the crowd. But before he could enter the humid interior, a rustling bush drew Tommy’s eye. He blinked, and peered into it, only to be greeted by another set of eyes winking back at him. They were an incredibly bright shade of blue, just a hint darker than the sky.

The bush rustled again, and the eyes were gone.

“Wait,” Tommy called, pushing past a few people and into the bush himself. Remus might wonder where he’d gone, but he’d be back in a few minutes.

He followed the sounds of snapping branches, and emerged in the forest, the tree trunks, each thicker than a house, peering down at him with curiosity. But there was no sign of the person those eyes belonged to. He took a couple steps forward, glancing this way and that, but the woods were oddly silent.

“Hello?” he asked, his words made small by the density of the trees.

For a second, he made to turn around, until: “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that,” came a voice from above him.

Tommy looked skyward, and there on a branch of a tree sat a girl about his age. Her long, nearly blue hair was wrestled into a messy braid on the top of her head, and her smirk was so pointy she cut have cut him with it.

“Why did you follow me?”

“I don’t know,” Tommy admitted. “I was wondering why you were hiding in a bush.”

Instead of answering his question, her grin became even wider. “I’ve never seen you before. Who are you?”

Frowning, Tommy strained from craning his neck. “I’m a traveler,” he said. “I could say the same about you.”

The girl giggled, standing on the branch. “I’m a warrior princess from the moon,” she then grabbed onto the branch and swung down to the ground. Her eyes sparkled. “Okay, that might have been a lie,” she admitted. “I’m actually—”

“Kei!” called a voice from the direction of the village, and the two turned to see an old man with a gristled grey beard frowning at her. “Running away again? How will you ever learn the craft if you never practice?”

“But I’ve been practicing all morning!” she complained. “Look, see! My hands are covered in ink!”

“You did one design and then dipped your hand in the pot.”

The girl, Kei, sighed. “Guess you caught me.”

“And who’s this boy with you?”

Right on cue, Tios and Remus emerged from the trees. “Ah, that would be my son, Tommy.”

He had taken up the habit of introducing Tommy as his son a little more than a year ago, mostly because it was easier that trying to explain the full story. But Tommy still beamed a little every time he said it. He was proud to be his son.

The older man, whom Tommy surmised must be the Inkulo, led Kei away, back to the meeting house, while Tios also pulled Remus and Tommy aside.

“Truth be told,” he sighed. “I’m glad you’ve come back.”

Remus frowned. “It’s not another plague, is it?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Tios shook his head, but they could tell that he was worried about something. “It’s just—” he continued as they stared at him. “There have been rumors... of a rift.”

Tommy’s eyes widened as Remus nodded gravely. Rifts were extremely dangerous. They were rips in reality, places where the space between began to slip through. If left alone for long enough, it could destroy a whole reality. Tommy had only seen one once. He still had nightmares about the man who had been sucked in and devoured by pure entropy.

“A better fate,” Remus had told him. “He could have become a daemon instead.”

“I’ve only heard of rifts in tales,” Tios seemed agitated. “Can you help?”

Nodding, Remus thought. “Perhaps. It depends on how big it is. Either way, we’ll need to find it quickly.”

“Of course,” Tios agreed. “I’ll gather my best trackers and we’ll begin our search immediately.”

The two men began to head back to the village, and Tommy made to follow them. But then he heard a soft “psst” from the bushes again.

“Did you sneak out again?” Tommy asked the bush. “I think your master’s gonna be pissed.”

Kei emerged from the bush, twigs and leaves stuck in her hair. “He doesn’t even know I’m gone. I used my moon jujitsu powers to clone myself. I’m still in there working right now.”

“But I thought you said that was a lie.”

“Did I?” she grinned. “Mmm, I don’t remember that. Nope, I’m definitely a princess from the moon.”

Her words seemed convincing, and for a second he almost believed her. But then he noticed how her gaze kept darting around the trees, landing almost anywhere but on him for more than a second. A tell. Remus had been teaching him about those.

“You’re lying,” he said.

“Are you sure about that?”

“You won’t look at me, and your left eyebrow keeps twitching. So yes, I’m sure.”

She froze mid-grin, then turned to him. “You noticed all that? Wow, I’m impressed.”

He looked down at his feet, blushing a little.

“If you want the truth, I told him I had a headache and needed to lie down. But that doesn’t matter.” Her eyes lit up. “Your dad and the village leader, they were talking about a rift!”

“Yeah, they’re really dangerous,” Tommy warned, already knowing what was probably coming.

But Kei ignored it completely.

“I’ve heard they can grant wishes. Let’s go find it before the adults do!”

“Why would you want to?” Tommy struggled as she grabbed his hand, her eyes momentarily falling to the round bumps on his arm. “You could die, or worse.”

“Because it’s my destiny to close all the rifts. I am secretly, the ‘Rift-Puncher!’” Then she cringed. “Okay, that was really bad, even for me. What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Wait!” he protested, but his words fell on deaf ears as he was dragged away through the forest.

They walked for several minutes in silence, and before long, Tommy found himself entirely reliant on Kei knowing where she was.

“How do you know where you’re going?” he asked.

“I don’t.”

Well, there went that idea right out the window. “I really hope you’re lying this time.”

“I learn quickly. You shouldn’t have told me how you could tell, because now you’ll never know!”

Shaking his head, Tommy sighed. “You are a strange one.”

She simply laughed. “Me? I’m not the one who said ‘I’m a traveler’ and then changed the subject. I’m not the one with the crazy scars.”

Tommy looked down at the ground, suddenly silent.

It took Kei a solid minute to realize what she’d said. “Oh I’m... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean.”

“It’s alright,” he muttered. Even though it wasn’t.

He was sure he knew how Kei was going to respond. She’d either abruptly change the subject, or mutter another apology. But not Kei, never Kei. You couldn’t predict Kei. Maybe it was because she had almost no concept of social norms, or that she just didn’t care for them. “How did you get them? If you don’t mind me asking.”

He paused. He’d never told anyone in four years. But something about Kei seemed familiar to him, friendly. “Remus... isn’t really my father,” he began. “He helped me get away from my father after he gave me these.” Tommy meant to stop there, to start walking again and drop the subject, but instead his mouth just sort of... kept going. “Cigarettes,” he held out his right arm, “Belt,” his neck.

“And I hate it. I hate these scars. I hate when people look at them and they just... they get this look in their eye, they pity me. But they never ask. They just look away and avoid the question. And every time, it makes me remember it.”

“Is that what you’re going to use for your wish?” Kei asked.

“What?”

“When we find the rift.”

“Oh...” Tommy paused. “I don’t know.”

He had never thought about that before. He’d never been given an opportunity like this before. Honestly, it probably wasn’t even real. He’d never heard of rifts granting wishes. But he didn’t tell Kei that. If there was one thing he’d learned over the last four years, it was that nothing was impossible.

They searched for hours, scrambling over roots and vines, and before long Tommy was covered in dirt and numerous cuts. Gradually, it began to grow dark, the shadows of the forest lengthening around them.

“We should head back,” Tommy whispered. “They’re probably worried about us. And it’s getting dark.”

“No,” Kei was in front of him, her face turned away. She almost sounded angry. “We need to find it before they do, or we won’t get our wish.”

He stopped walking. “What are you going to wish for, Kei?”

Looking back at him, Kei grinned. “For all the bagels in the world.”

Tommy opened his mouth, about to call her out on the lie, but then Kei froze, her eyes widening. She pointed over Tommy’s shoulder. “Tommy, look!”

As soon as he began to turn his head, Tommy saw it: the glow of the rift. It was an odd, purplish-greenish color, shining through the trees. Kei grabbed his arm and pushed through the last layer of branches...

And there it was, in the middle of a small clearing. The rift was a jagged shape in reality, cutting a line through the world. Beyond was chaos. It scared Tommy, goosebumps sprouted all up and down his arms. But Kei seemed fascinated by it. She drew closer, reaching out a hand.

“Kei, no! Don’t touch it!” Tommy warned, surprisingly forceful, which made her pause.

“Why not?” she asked. “How else am I supposed to get my wish?”

He took a step towards her, but stayed wary of the rift. “I don’t know, but not like that. Bad things happen when you touch rifts.” The man’s scream had shaken Tommy’s bones as the lower half of his body was unmade.

“Why are you trying to stop me?”

“I’m not!”

“You don’t want me to have my wish?”

“I do, but—”

“Then don’t stand in my way!” She tried to push past him, but Tommy grabbed her arm, pulling with all his might. He didn’t want to hear her scream like that.

“Let me go!” she yelled.

“No! Don’t do this,” Tommy had to use all his weight to hold her back. “What do you want so badly, anyway?”

“Let go!” she repeated.

“Tell me!”

“I want a friend!” she screamed, and for a moment, the woods fell silent. “I just want a friend. Someone I can talk to, and play with. I don’t... I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

He thought that this might be the first time she’d told the truth since he’d met her. Despite himself, Tommy started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” she spat. “I’ll kill you with my moon magic!”

“I thought it was jujitsu.”

Kei was fuming. “Whatever,” she sulked. “You think my wish is stupid.”

Tommy shook his head. “Not at all,” he said. “It’s just that you don’t need a wish for that. I’ll be your friend.”

There was a pause as Kei looked at him. “You will?”

“Sure. I’d love to.”

The breath was almost knocked out of him by the force of her hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

“Over here!” shouted a voice from the trees, and several men that they recognized from the village emerged into the clearing, followed by Tios and Remus.

“Well, well,” Remus chuckled, “Looks like we’ve found both of our queries. Are either of you hurt?”

They shook their heads. “Neither of us touched it,” Tommy added.

“Good. I wish you wouldn’t run off like that, Tommy. But alls well that ends well. Who’s your friend? Is that the Inkulo’s apprentice?”

Tios nodded and answered for them. “Yes, he is very worried about her. Takē!” he called, and one of the trackers stepped forward. “Take these two back to the village.” The tracker nodded, then gestured to the children to follow him. Both of them were too tired to argue, and followed meekly behind.

Remus must have noticed them holding hands, or he winked at Tommy and whispered as he passed: “Remind me that we need to have a talk later.”

Blushing, Tommy passed him by without saying a word. He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.

Remus didn’t return to the wagon until very late that night, but found that Tommy was still awake. He’d been thinking about wishes. He’d wanted his scars gone for so long. But wishing for something to happen wasn’t going to change anything, he realized this now.

“Remus,” he began as the aforementioned lit a lamp.

He paused, looking to the boy. “What is it, Tommy?”

“I want to get a tattoo.”

“A tattoo?” He asked, laughing. “What brought this on?”

“On my arm,” Tommy continued. “...And my neck.”

A second later, Remus understood. “Ahh,” he said. “You know, my boy, tattoos are rather painful. I wouldn’t do it all at once. But if you’re really serious about this, I’ll allow it.”

“Thank you,” Tommy beamed. “I think I’ll ask Kei to do it...”