#Wasteland Coven

[themetalwanderlust]

Show Coverage: Oceans of Slumber - Sanctuary Detroit, August 7, 2022

Show Coverage: Oceans of Slumber – Sanctuary Detroit, August 7, 2022

Sometimes the most memorable shows are the hardest to write about. If enough time passes between the performance and a writer’s ability to properly articulate the experience there is a temptation to leave the words behind. It remains a lone-dwelling memory, distorted by unintentional distance and set out to tempt the all to human desire for exaggerated storytelling. This mass gaslighting effect…

[basiliskonline]

My Released TTRPGs

I’m gonna create this post so that it can be linked through my sidebar (once i get a theme set up xD) It will be edited as I release more!

IMMUNE is a fast-paced, high-action zombie-splatter role playing game inspired by video games like Left 4 Dead and board games like Zombicide.

You can pick up and be playing Immune in just a few minutes as either player or GM with no forknowledge.

DIESEL AND DINOSAURS is a powered by charge RPG combining dinosaurs and post apocalypse settings and inspired by the cartoon Cadillacs and Dinosaurs and the comic Xenozoic Tales.

Humanity emerged from their shelters centuries after surviving an apocalypse to find the world once again reclaimed by Dinosaurs.

ARCOLOGY WORLD is a PBTA solarpunk game of community and science and learning to help your community thrive and adapt in an ever-changing and often dangerous environment.

THE WASTELAND COVENANT is the first Told By Travelers game, it is a diceless game thats mechanics are driven by questions and answer. The players take on the roles of trade envoys and settlements forging the connections needed to survive and rebuild society in a post apocalyptic world.

LEGACY OF THE LOST is a Belonging Outside Belonging (No Dice, No Masters) game about a diverse and eclectic group of survivors that have come together to live on an old ship in a post apocalyptic galaxy.

Navigate the complexities of society and the social dramas within your community while exploring and preserving the knowledge of civilizations lost to the cataclysm.

GOBLINAUTS is my first game and one that desperately needs some expansion and upgrades and I’m hoping I find the time. That being said it is totally playable and a fun lil pbta game about a community of goblins that built ships and escaped the oppressive regime of Humans (and Elves and Dwarves) on Earth. 

For Centuries things have been peaceful for the hardworking but thriving Goblin communities, but now the Imperium has colonized mars and is looking to the asteroid belt...

LUMEN ENDGAME is a design tool and GM guide for adding in a variety of new options to your Lumen ttrpgs or sessions. It includes Power Up drops, Boss encounters and Finale scenes.

[media-illiterate]

Fallout 4 Alternate Timeline

Because @datura-tea asked about my tags on this post, and I already have it sitting in my wips folder, I thought I'd post my alternate timeline of events for Fallout 4! It always bothered me that the Commonwealth is still so underdeveloped while the West Coast has trains and a working electical grid. So I tried to come up with a coherent narrative of how it could have backslid into its current state.

Timeline under the readmore because it is, not short.

2077: The Great War occurs. The surviving students and faculty of CIT take refuge in the institute’s underground particle-physics labs, locking the rest of the wasteland out. They live in fear of being discovered by other survivors and raided for their tech, making them paranoid and isolationist.

2097: Building on prewar research, CIT survivors complete development of their Mass Relay teleportation device. Dubbing themselves simply as The Institute, they fully wall themselves off from the surface world and embark on an ambitious plan of underground expansion, scavenging what they need from the surface.

2131: The Institute develops gen-1 synths to act as surface operatives, mostly removing the need for Institute personnel to go to the surface. Now mostly insulated from violence, the Institute much more callous and combative towards surface dwellers.

2163: The Institute isolates samples of FEV from the air, and begins a program of carefully controlled mutation. The resulting supermutants are found lacking, and the program is put on hold.

2176: The Commonwealth People's Government is formed from several prominent settlements. The new nation takes steps to protect its people from the Institute’s aggressive scavenging methods, earning its ire. Though the institute takes steps to try and destabilize the CPG, their new gen-2 synths prove insufficient for the task.

2177: Reactivating their FEV program, the Institute begin producing supermutants from kidnapped wastelanders and releasing them into the commonwealth with the intent to destabilize the CPG. Through careful false-flag attacks using disguised synths, they manage to spark a state of war between the mutants and surface humans that will last for more than a century.

2180: The newly formed Commonwealth Minutemen, a volunteer citizen’s militia created by the CPG, help drive off the initial wave of supermutants from central Boston.

2180-2224: Tensions between the Institute and CPG continue to escalate. Though the efforts of the Institute’s FEV project hampers the young nation’s expansion, the supermutants are too disorganized and scattered to topple the government. Faced with an increasingly cohesive and rapidly developing CPG, the Institute begins work on its Gen-3 synth infiltrator project.

2225: The Institute discovers information on Vault 111. Preparations are made for an expedition to recover a pristine pre-war genetic code from one of the pre-war vault dwellers in cryostasis.

2227: The part where they murder your spouse and steal your kid happens.

2229: An early model synth infiltrator "malfunctions" in downtown Diamond city, exposing the existence of Gen-3 synths to the world. The cause of the malfunction is never found, though escaped synths often claim that it was an intentional suicide-by-cop.

2230: Realizing the security threat posed by the new Gen-3 synths, mid-ranking members of the CPG's nascent spy corps founds the town of Covenant over top of an abandoned tunnel network. Posing as a new settlement, almost no one outside the project know its true purpose: the town is actually a front for researching a method to discern humans from Gen-3 synths.

2233: The Institute begins its infiltration of the CPG using upgraded Gen-3 synths, killing & replacing key individuals at all levels of power. Though paranoia about synths continues to build, most fail to anticipate just how far the tech has advanced.

2235: The Institute finalizes development of an advanced model of Gen-4 synth, dubbed Coursers. Incorporating FEV and cybernetic enhancements, Coursers form an elite corps of assassins that eliminate anyone who learns about the Institute’s plans.

(Side note: I think coursers should have been so much weirder)

2237: Having completed their infiltration of the CPG, the Institute kicks off their plan to topple the CPG.

August 4: The Executive Chair of the CPG council, Robert Gray, is assassinated by his secretary in broad daylight. During the assassination and subsequent arrest, the secretary loudly declares that the Chair has been replaced by an Institute Synth.

August 12: Scandal breaks out as evidence of massive financial corruption is leaked to the public. Protests occur across the commonwealth as the full scope becomes clear.

August 26: A special election is held, and voters elect minister of transportation Patricia Weiss as Chair. She delivers a hawkish election speech warning the Institute to back down.

September 10: A portion of the CPG stages a coup, using claims of mass election fraud as justification amid mass public unrest. They capture most of the CPG council members, and declare them traitors to the people of the commonwealth. Weiss escapes and sets up a government-in-exile out of Quincy with the remaining CPG military. She issues a two week ultimatum to the coup’s leaders, demanding that they release the counselors and surrender.

September 20: Before the date of the ultimatum passes, the CPG council is executed via mass firing squad in the CPG council chambers. Public dissent boils over into active civil war. The Minutemen quickly declare neutrality, but their attempts to protect outlying settlements are hampered by the widespread violence and lack of volunteers.

October 30: Under the guise of a ceasefire negotiation, the coup regime arrests Weiss. She is put through a kangaroo court and hanged as a synth infiltrator, to the shock of the public.

November: Multiple settlements withdraw from the CPG as the violence escalates, Bunker Hill and Goodneighbor first among them. The CPG civil war begins to peter out as both sides lose support, and numerous CPG military units defect to become raiders in search of pay.

December: Loyalist forces gain the upper hand, begin a reign of terror style purge of the remaining CPG officials, and declare the coup defeated. Weakened by the withdrawal of numerous settlements in reaction to the violence of the purge, the Loyalist government promptly collapses. Remnants of the rebel CPG forces attempt to declare a new government out of University Point, but fail to attract any major settlements.

2238: The CPG totally collapses. The remnants of its military forces, both loyalist and rebel, defect to the gunners en masse; many, disillusioned with military life, become raiders. Only the Minutemen command staff, operating out of Fort Independence, remain cohesive.

The collapse of the CPG ushers in an era of violence lasting decades as raider warlords exploit the chaos to carve the Commonwealth up into bandit fiefdoms.

Rumors begin to circulate that several of the key players of the CPG’s collapse were secretly synths. In truth, the entire chain of events was planned to a T, and leaders on all sides had been replaced. Only the Minutemen were overlooked, being seen by the Institute as just ragtag volunteers.

Several synth infiltrators defect from the Institute, seeking a way to free themselves and their peers. The organization they found will eventually grow into the Railroad.

Covenant, its secrecy miraculously intact, becomes radicalized by the fall of the CPG. Their methods become more desperate and more barbaric as time goes on.

2240's: The Minutemen begin rebuilding support for the CPG among the populace, striking back against the raider warlords and defending settlements from their depredations.

2250: Supermutant attacks increase sharply as the Institute releases more and more mutants onto the surface in an attempt to stop the Minutemen from reforming the CPG.

2274: After weathering two decades of freaquent supermutant attacks, Fort Independence finally falls at the hand of a mirelurk queen; unknown to anyone on the surface, this was the work of the Institute, who used their advanced signals technology to drive the creature into a frenzy.

2282: General Becker dies, leaving the Minutemen leaderless. The militia quickly declines, becoming disorganized and factional; raiders quickly exploit the chaos.

2285: Disgusted by his role in the Institute’s FEV program, Doctor Brian Virgil sabotages the program, mutates himself, and escapes into the glowing sea with the accumulated research. Distraught by the sudden lack of new reinforcements, the commonwealth mutants face an extinction crisis. Many begin to question their way of life, among them a mutant named Strong.

2288: The Sole Survivor wakes up.

[kittycatboyhalo]

Okay so vampire AU!

The world had a war that resulted in vampires being subjected to a lot of shitty stuff. They have the basic negative stereotypes and the one place that vampires actually rule is a lawless wasteland where all humans die. Most places kill or do not allow vampires to reside there, but Quesadilla Island does, albeit for shady reasons. 

Vampires are allowed to live in Quesadilla Island relatively peacefully, however they must stay at one of three group homes. I imagine BBH, Philza, and Foolish each running one. BBH runs one in the far north where it’s cold and rainy most the year, Foolish in the south of the archipelago where it’s warm and daywalking is more common, and Philza somewhere in the middle, maybe he’s the only one who owns a group home in the city. 

Foolish, BBH, and Philza are all 2nd generation vampires which means they were sired by the “original vampires”. No original vampire still survives which makes the few remaining 2nd generation ones the strongest around making them ideal to run group homes. BBH, Foolish, and Philza are all reasonable and kindhearted in their own ways, which make them ideal to run group homes. Their power also makes them ideal to have under control. 

I haven’t quite divided up who would live under which group home but I think vaguely it would follow purgatory grouping, though I imagine tina with foolish and bagi with bbh so maybe not. Tubbo is a human who got forced to live at BBH’s home for reasons I haven’t fully fleshed out. Bad and the vampires are surprised. Tubbo is scared at first but they all adapt.

That’s basically the bones of my AU. It’s so far completely been in my head so the details are jumbled.

Some plot lines I’ve had are that BBH and Foolish were sired by the same vampire so they were both under his control at the same time. This led to them somewhat trauma bonding. Philza is somewhat of a mentor to bbh and foolish being older than them by a few hundred years. BBh is older than foolish by about 50 and holds it over his head all the time. 

BBH takes in a lot of children who got turned and abandoned, Dapper being one of them. Cellbit was sired by BBH and went on to later sire his husband Roier himself. They both used to stay in Philza’s coven but were forcibly removed and sent to bbh and foolish separately after an incident. They’re both depressed. 

Tina and Bagi are also separated, but they didn’t do anything so there’s conspiracy that the federation wont tolerate vampire couples or something. 

Pac is a newly turned vampire. He lives in a anti vampire city with Mike who is his sole source of food. Pac begins to hunt after Mike gets more and more anemic. Fit is a handsome vampire hunter that visits the 24/7 diner that pac works the night shift at. Fit was in an awful accident where he and his family ended up in the vampire lands. Fit was the sole survivor and really buys into anti vampire propaganda. One night he gets a call reporting a vampire and finds the cute waiter that’s been working the night shift at his favorite diner. He freezes and lets Pac escape. This leads to him questioning all of his beliefs and when he finds Ramon, a child vampire a week later that he can’t kill, he knows there’s only one person he can turn to for help.

[murfpersonalblog]

Carol Cutshall better get an Emmy this year, I ain't playin!

"Cutshall and her team had to embrace a new reality, one initially devoid of the first season’s material pleasures..... Free of their maker, an austere Louis and Claudia flee New Orleans for Europe in search of a coven of vampires to call their own. There they find themselves in the ravaged wasteland of World War II, where sorrow pollutes even the blood they drink."

"It was such a drastic change going into season two. We went from the height of glamour, which we last saw during a Mardi Gras party, to the polar opposite in the premiere. When you look at Louis and Claudia in their shearling coats in Romania and the amount of mud and blood on them, those looks are built for surviving and searching and starting over."

This what I meant when I talked about AMC intensifying the horror for show!Claudia vs book!Claudia. They're starting over, runaway slaves free at last from Massa Lestat's domestic terrorism; following the Drinking Gourd north to the promised land of milk & honey--but their exodus isn't some glorious adventure--it's Hell on Earth!

I adore the juxtaposition Carol makes between the obscene opulence of Mardi Gras NOLA vs the Grimm realities of war-torn Europe. Book!Lou&Claud traveled across Europe in a lavish carriage Claudia picked out, and had the luxury of taking their fancy coffins with them in it.

NGL I was hoping Carol would talk about these outfits in particular:

AMC's Lou & Claud look like they've been sleeping underground/in a battlefield, dressed in animal skins/furs--not the fancy furs PETA jumps folks for, but nasty Caveman Couture rags. And I can't help but think about the furs they wore in the film, looking rich AF, even as Lou complained about how sad he was. 🙄😒

So I am SO IN LOVE with AMC sending Louis & Claudia to WWII Europe. They're in Ploiești/Romania in 1941--in the book they're in 1800s Varna/Germany. Romania was a major ally for the Nazis in WWII, and the LAST place Claud should be--let alone Louis (a gay Black African American man)--let alone because Romania was bombed TF up in the early 1940s.

They're running slow AF like regular humans--no super vamp speed at their disposal to flee from the bombs--cuz they've been STARVING. They're eating the dead like a bunch of ghoulish necrophages (come through, Witcher 3 folklore!).

Like, in the film the big idea was that drinking dead blood could kill a vampire. But in TVL & Blood Communion we know that's not the case when Lestat drinks the corpses Armand gave him, and when Lestat gives the Vampire Court Rhoshamandes' corpse--it's not deadly, but it's not great, either. Drinking blood should be PEAK sensory pleasure; but this just shows what they've been reduced to.

So to see Louis & Claudia tearing into pieces of the dead to suck up what's left is like cannibalism at its rawest, basest & most primitive--straight out of a dystopian zombie apocalypse. There's no transcendent power in the dead like what Maharet & Lestat described. Lou & Claud are scavengers in a battlefield, fighting for scraps just to survive and endure, but not really live.

And I feel so much worse for Claudia, cuz she LITERALLY didn't ask for this mess! Unlike Louis--and unlike book/film!Claudia--she was Born into Darkness w/out her awareness or consent. AMC puts this poor girl through HELL. The things she's seen & experienced made her "built for survival;" but she's also "built like a bird," and just as ignorant about vampires & the Old World as Louis--though they're both bookish intellectuals who THINK they're ready for Europe.

So they have no effing idea, cuz Lestat never told them WHY Europe was such bad news. They're blind and completely in the dark!

And then they FINALLY arrive in Paris--a breath of fresh air after the war.

But glamour returns to their lives as the pair forge ahead in Paris.... Seduced by their habit of living loudly and proudly — at least at night — Louis relaxes into his post-Lestat life, taking up photography and exploring his sexuality in subtle ways. “The look I landed on for him was that of artists and café society, and French workwear with a little bit of a blue-collar look,” Cutshall says. “It’s not the finery that we are used to for Louis, but his fastidiousness in how he wears it — tucked and belted — is still there.” There is a visual hierarchy among these old-world vampires. Louis wears the costume of the common man, placing him below the coven’s creative director, Armand, the so-called love of his life"

The "visual hierarchy" of Louis being "placed BELOW" the Old World vampires had me vibrating in my seat, especially wrt Armand, the biggest baddest boogeyman vs fledgling vampires in the books.

"We want to break away from the disguise he had in season one, because he is the mega predator,” Cutshall says. “He's not threatened by anyone. So, in everything he does and wears, he can be like an animal who is not afraid to lie on their back and bare their belly."

Which is precisely what I said about Lestat in his Mardi Gras dress & his Matador pajamas. Cuz Lou & Claud are constantly put on the exact same level--at the BOTTOM of the food chain & the gendered/social hierarchies of vampire covens in both NOLA & Europe.

But what's interesting's that AMC diversified the Theatre--there's Black & Asian vampires, not the all-white coven from the books.

The Theatre has truly become a microcosm of the entire world, highlighting just how sheltered Lou & Claud were in the New World. The history of America is very black and white--or rather: white versus black. After the Native Americans were wiped out, American racism molded & shaped centuries of slavery & oppression specifically designed to keep Black people at the bottom of barrel, even when they were "freed/emancipated." But in the Old World, power & conquest was continental--Africa & Asia & Europe were ALL major superpowers at one time or another, kicking each other's arses. Race & racism still plays a huge part in European imperialism, OF COURSE, but WWII showed how white folk are just as prone to killing & oppressing each other, let alone anyone else. 😂 Louis & Claudia's problems w/ Lestat are radically different from their problems w/ Armand (now a brown Asian, as Russia & Ukraine are also globalized; dispelling the myth about Russians only ever being white people).

But Santiago's an altogether different beast--but eerily familiar.

"Her thirst for attention is surpassed only by Santiago, the extravagant emcee of the theater troupe. For Santiago’s big onstage entrance in episode two, Cutshall took inspiration from performers like Peter O’Toole and Laurence Olivier. “I started with Fred Astaire, but with a bit of a bondage twist for Santiago’s curtain look,” she says. “Who were the top dogs of the time that he would want to emulate? You can feel him striving for that."

What is fundamentally wrong with Santiago (and Lestat) is that he's a HUGE showboat, desperate for attention & validity, specifically from LOUIS, a vampire older than Santiago, attractive & new & interesting, who's approval he actually wanted & expected. But Louis's too mature/smart for Santiago, and immediately clocked him as a clown and a BUFFOON.

AMC dyed Santiago's hair blonde on purpose, ISTG, cuz the parallels w/ Lestat are hilarious. Armand's the coven master & creative director, but Santiago's the emcee & "show pony," just like Lelio!Lestat was back in the day. Les' pony on meth meme is SO apt!

And just like Lestat pulled the rug under Armand at Les Innocents, taking on a leadership role for the Children of Satan and ushering in their new era as vampires who'd join society via the Theatre, Santiago usurps Armand's position as the ringleader against Claudia & Louis. Even though Armand wanted all that to happen, he's more passive than Les & Santiago, far more active & dominant despite being significantly weaker & younger in the Blood than Armand. Wolf Killer Lestat and "top dog" Santiago are cut from the same cloth, down to the pinstripes--which Carol already said were supposed to symbolize cage/jail bars--"back in your cage, sweetheart."

CAROL! I desire you CARNALLY! ❤️

[fragileheartbeats]

idea: What do you think about a prophecy like Aegon's prophecy for your own house?

Rhaevar I was on his deathbed staring at the ceiling with tear filled eyes. He stretched out his trembling hands towards the mirror and whispered with his eyes wide open, shining like starlight:

Listen, for the winds whisper secrets of impending doom, a tale of one hundred and ten thousand and then ten thousand more, seeds of wrath sown by the hands of malice.

Behold, those vile progeny, borne of darkness and scorn, shall descend upon my realm, bearing flags of oppression and robes blackened by the sun's cruel gaze. Their lineage obscured, their origins shrouded in the mists of deceit, they shall come with sorcery and false promises, intent on sundering the lands I, Rhaevar, have nurtured.

They defile and pollute, leaving homes and fields in ruins, transforming once vibrant lands into desolate wastelands. Joy and reverence dissipate, faith and covenant shattered, as the wicked lineage rises to power, tearing asunder the fabric of righteousness that I have woven into existence.

Cities shall crumble, wells run dry, scholars fall to ash, and the flames of knowledge shall be extinguished by their unholy touch. They shall defile the sanctity of home and hearth, turning verdant fields to desolate wastes, and my sacred flame shall be snuffed out, leaving naught but ashes in its wake.

In their wake, a wasteland shall bloom, where once grand villages stood, now naught but bones and dust remain. Joy shall flee from the hearts of children, and reverence for the elderly shall wither like leaves in autumn's chill. Their words shall ring hollow, their deeds black as the night, for they are faithless, betrayers of the Creator's covenant.

When this world approaches its end and the time of their birth is near, the days, months, and years will grow shorter, and the day and night will alternate and the sun will become more straight and hidden, they will invite the dead, and spread the dead.

In the darkest hour, they shall rise to power, pitting kin against kin in a ceaseless cycle of strife. They shall spurn righteousness and embrace wickedness, honoring their own lineage while casting mine as lowly. Birds shall be revered more than my kin, and the faithful shall be branded as heretics in their twisted creed.

And they will commit many sins, such as slavery and intimacy with unfaithful women, and they will make it common, and they will engage in idolatry and commit many vile acts.

When storms and violent winds come at their time, the rain will not fall as it should, except that it will bring pollution to the land and bring evil creatures with it. the rivers and streams will dry up, and it will not bring an increase, except that it will bring destruction with it. and the cattle, sheep, and goats will bear less and what they bear will be smaller and less skilled, and they will carry less weight and have less fur and tighter skin, and they will not yield milk, and their fat will decrease.

and the celebrations and customs of the past will change and the customs they follow will be weak and without belief.

when the time comes and their destruction is at hand, the mouth of Himelios will open and release all that they have hidden in their hearts of iron, silver, gold, copper, and jewels, the rule of this land will fall into the hands of evil and even the righteous rulers will follow the ways of those with evil deeds, and the kingship shall pass from them into the hands of bandits and rebels, and, the kingship of these evil ones shall spread, and if they kill a righteous in their stead, it will be as if killing a fly in their eyes.

And when the time comes for their destruction, these evil ones will be destroyed like a tree shedding its leaves on a cold winter night, and their destruction will be complete.

for in the hour of reckoning, the heavens shall weep tears of fire, and the earth shall open to swallow the wicked whole. The rule of kings shall crumble, and even dragons will fly away. Yet from the ashes, a child shall rise, born of my blood, destined to bring hope to a world shrouded in darkness.

his father will be of the fire lineage, and he will seek the help of winter in north, this child will come into the world when he reaches nine and will have a conversation with me. in that night, a sign will appear in the world. the stars will rain down and a new star will appear in the sky, visible to all.

And in that night, his father will die, and he will be raised by noble women.

many young people from my land will return to the ways of their ancestors and many will be killed and lost for this crime.

When Mars reaches its zenith and Venus falls, armies shall gather to claim the promised one's birthright. this promised savior shall emerge, heralding the final battle where the Shivering Sea shall run red with the blood of the righteous and the wicked alike.

And then a tear fell from his eye and he closed his eyes to the world forever.

House Celestyr tag list: @emily2003alzaga @nash-dara @altaircc @heavenly1927 @omgsuperstarg @asoiafhyperfixation

[citylighten]

My Pietro and Sal gameplay have both been interesting and led to me having so many different headcanons. I’ve always struggled playing Fallout 4 because my main gripe is that I can’t recreate ANY oc want due to them having a set backstory and dialogue that reinforces certain plot things, but Pietro has a pretty good Sole Survivor AU. He's canon divergent though. More undercut!

-Pietro Impellizzeri was an notorious and powerful gangster Pre-War. He’s similar to Vito Corleone of The Godfather in the sense that he immigrated to America as a child and rose to the top of his community’s underworld.

-He had crossed paths with the human Nick Valentine on numerous occasions over ‘missing people’ as well as a ‘dirty money trail,’ but Pietro always knew how to throw the detective off. They were neither enemies nor friends, just merely people who kept a tense eye on one another.

-As a Boss, in terms of his conduct, Pietro was a composed, fair man but he was also known to be ruthless when the situation called for it. Outside of public events, he was seldom seen. If his men saw him it meant something bad was going to happen. Despite having such affluence and respect, Pietro's over-indulgence in the finest things (liquor, media, women) kept him blind to the things going wrong in his personal life.

-Pietro was married to Jasmine, who was a pinup model before marrying him. Their marriage was based on sex, possession and material interests. Ultimately, Pietro was a largely inattentive husband due to the demanding nature of keeping things afloat in his criminal empire.

-As a nuclear war approached, Jasmine began a series of affairs with men. Some powerful, some were Pietro’s enemies. Her wrongdoings ranged from supplying large sums of money to her lovers, to telling inside secrets. There came a moment, days before the bomb dropped, when Pietro (at his limit) considered murdering his wife. However, this did not come to be as the bombs fell over America.

-Needless to say, when Kellogg shoots Jasmine, Pietro feels guilt. Yes, he was plotting to murder her, but he knew that line of thinking wasn’t right. He doesn’t come into the Wasteland in the pursuit of being a better, kinder man, instead his decent actions come largely from the need to survive and understand the world he’s in.

Whereas Sal comes out Vault 111 ready to murder and massacre anyone in Eve’s name, Pietro’s mentality is: “I need to understand what civilization is like now. I need to know who is in charge of things.” Especially because since Pietro has been at the top for so long, it’s been years since he was doing dirty work for himself, let alone personally killing others on a continuous basis.

-When Pietro meets Nick Valentine there’s tension. But, they recognize they need each other to find Shaun, however there isn’t full trust between the men. Gradually, as the two spend more time together, Nick believes that Pietro can become a good man in this new world and often pushes the idea that Pietro is kind. Pietro does not believe himself to be kind, because he’s not burying the man he used to be before the bombs fell.

-There are times when Nick and Pietro split and his companions become MacCready, who reminds him of a lackey he would’ve used Pre-War, and Preston, who is yet another character who believes there’s an inner goodness in him. As a result of Preston and Nick - plus an envy for the mayor of Diamond City, Pietro decides to invest time in building the Minutemen and building settlements to lead. Despite possessing aspirations to lead, Pietro is shifting morally. Often, Nick helps him on Minutemen quests which strengthens their relationship.

-While helping settlements, Pietro meets Rosaria at Covenant. The woman is a secretary for Jacob Orden, the town’s mayor. Even when Pietro seems like he could be trouble for the settlement, she helps him learn more about the Amelia Stockton case with her insider information. After that, she leaves Covenant to affiliate herself with the Minutemen, which allows Pietro to see her more often. Time with Rosaria [who enjoys farming] has Pietro nostalgic about Sicily and as a consequence, he grows to enjoy things about nature as well as treasure the present he gets to spend with her.

-And that’s all for now because I haven’t completed his run yet 😘

[slocumjoe]

Would you be interested in writing companions react to the random event where a ufo crashes nearby and the subsequent alien discovery? Thank you for all the fun headcanons

Companions and the Literal Alien Thats Just Chilling Down The Road From Oberland Station Like Its Waiting For Its DoorDasher

Cait; This, like...takes a nuke to her very soul. It wipes everything she is, knows, thinks, away, and Cait becomes clay in that moment, a wealth of possibilities. She might turn to religion, she might become a cannibal. This is a lot to process...Cait's usual method of processing Significant Shit is chems. Can't do that anymore...cult it is.

Codsworth; So long as the alien doesn't die...will politely ignore its existence, feign ignorance. If it dies/is killed, Earth is doomed and the Martians are coming for us all to avenge their kin.

Curie; GET THAT GREEN BITCH IN A LAB IMMEDIATELY. Curie, sweet little Curie, throws all compassion to the ground and grinds it beneath her heel, before lunging at any opportunity to study this thing. She'd put it in a potato sack and drag it if she had to. "But she's a soft uwu baby!" Curie likes Covenant, motherfucker, E.T over here is done for.

Danse; It's big, it's green. He thinks it's a Super Mutant and shoots on sight. Just as he sees what he's shooting at, sees that no, this is nothing from Earth, nothing from the Wasteland, and realizes this thing needs to be communicated with, studied, understood...his laser rifle turns the alien to ash, effectively destroying any evidence of its existence. Crumples to the ground and screams.

DEACON; GET THAT GREEN BITCH AWAY FROM TINKER TOM IMMEDIATELY. Tom would never function right, again. Deacon isn't even freaking out about the alien, he's thinking of Tom, poor Tom, who they all spent years teasing for being a tinfoil wearing nutcase. But he was right, he's always been right, what else is he right about? What would he do, knowing that, yeah, there just might be a ghost haunting his one good sock? Tom can't know.

Gage; Turns around, never reacts, never speaks of it, will try to gaslight any other witnesses and he'll fucking succeed. You could have had that thing suck your dick, Gage will gaslight you until you think you just got real intimate with Oberland Station's melon patch. Doesn't want to fuck with that in any capacity. Didn't happen, doesn't exist. Gets a fear of shooting stars.

Hancock; Freezes. If he's alone, will likely unmoving until the alien has moved on or died of its injuries. If with someone else, looks back and forth between them and the honest to God fucking...that thing. What...what does he do here? Walk away? Walk away sounds great. He'd like to, but unfortunately, his knees have locked up like a Whole Foods when there's a gluten containment breach. Later, it hits and...kinda slides off. Oh. Aliens. I'm going to...not think about that.

MacCready; Kid on Christmas. He remembers what he saw and heard of in the Capital Wasteland, and now there's a smoking gun right in front of him. Will gauge if it looks friendly, tries to approach, gets shot at, has to kill it. If MacCready finds this thing, he's parading the corpse around the wasteland like a circus freak show. Fuck secrecy, what are the wastelanders gonna do, build a rocket and colonize Mars? The rich people probably already did that just before the bombs, anyway.

Nick; Ping-pongs between "get the fuck out of here" and "...seems hurt, don't he?" Like MacCready, would want to try and make peace, if only to give it a stimpak, but...it has some kind of gun. It's probably not friendly. Okay. We're gonna leave, and not talk about this, but we'll check back to see what happens. The alien isn't there. Nick now has to hunt this thing down before it starts freaking people out, because people can't be trusted to behave around something out of the ordinary. As for the realization that aliens are real? Eh...space is so big, they had to be, right?

Piper; Torn between her reporter instincts and her desire to not be the one to deal with this. Aliens are real. Do I have a duty to tell people? They wouldn't believe me, it'd be a waste of time. Do I have a duty to bring this thing back, at any cost, just to prove that it exists? That's not fair to the alien. Does that matter? By the time she's made her decision, the alien has already ran off.

Preston; Chalks it up to sleep deprivation. If there isn't another person with him who sees it, straight up thinks he's seeing things and goes back to doing whatever he was doing. The power of denial cannot be underestimated. If he is with another witness...goes the route of trying to offer it a stimpak, gets shot at, and...much like Danse...his laser musket makes it all go poof. Turns around, claps the other witness on the shoulder. Declares that they're both seeing things. It's clearly not a suggestion.

X6-88; Tackles it and hauls it back to the Institute, no matter the cost. Doesn't even blink. If there's no Institute...curses whatever else might be Up There that the one organization that could have gotten answers got pancaked. No, the Brotherhood isn't a viable solution, they'd just kill it for being an abomination and throw it in a ditch somewhere. As for aliens being real...okay? There are immortals (ghouls) and immortals who can bring other immortals back from the dead (glowing ghouls). That's weirder to him.

[ozzgin]

This isn't a request, but I wanted to tell you I recently watched both Prometheus and Alien Covenant for the first time a few days ago and got really obsessed with David-8. I read your fic with him, Walter, and the nenomoph. I enjoyed it a lot, and it was like seeing water in the middle of an abandoned wasteland with how few fics of David there are, lol.

That was quite literally the reason I wrote the fic in the first place, haha. I had just finished watching Covenant and found myself smitten with Walter One. I have a soft spot for cold yet amicable androids. Sadly there's hardly any content involving either David or Walter, so I had to come up with something myself.

I've gotten messages about continuing that piece, but to this day I'm not quite sure how to bring everything together. It's not exactly realistic to have them all hold hands in joyful companionship, yet I can't decide on who would have to go. Maybe one day I'll just write headcanons about David and Walter as romantic partners, then I won't have to worry about figuring out a plot.

I'm very glad the story was to your liking, and that it brought us fellow robot enjoyers together. :)

[wishbonewitch]

Wishbone’s Witchy Herbs: Henbit Dead Nettle

Henbit is a member of the mint family, but it lacks the distinct menthol scent of peppermint or spearmint. it does have that characteristic widespread nature. in some areas where it grows wild, you can find it right at your doorstep. it is considered a weed by some but it has plenty of magical properties that may lead you to believe in its usefulness!

Henbit gets its name from the fact chickens ADORE it! it is an annual winter-spring broadleaf commonly found in North America. it is native to the Mediterranean but it can grow in any ideal climate! its also regarded as a harmless invader. while not native to America, it doesn't threaten local ecosystems at all!! its low to the ground and doesn't suffocate fellow plants! what an admirable little plant! it is quite attractive to hummingbirds and bees. it self-pollinates as well! one single plant can produce up to 2,000 seeds!! not to mention, its edible! the leave and flowers make a great addition to salads and baked goods!! it has a flavor similar to spinach and can be eaten raw or cooked! it grows best in wasteland and cleared areas that have been scorched. its been used medicinally as a fever-reducer!  photo below pictures the North American locations for henbit deadnettle!

Henbit Deadnettle is often confused for Purple Deadnettle. they look very similar, however the purple deadnettle’s leaves at the top of the stems are purple-tinged and fade to green as they mature. the henbit deadnettle also has pink to purple slender flowers and half-circle leaves compared to the purple deadnettle’s purple flowers and heart-shaped leaves! (see the picture)

now that we know a bit about the plant, lets delve into its magical properties!

beauty

harmony

attraction

spirit world

motivation

ambition

integration

peace

hope

rising up from the ashes

inner healing

fertility

prosperity

money

abundance

cool tempers

soften blows

strength

apologies

social anxiety

fun ways to use them!

make a bouquet with spring roses, wild violets, clover flowers, dandelions etc. for Beltane or Ostara.

put into spell jars or poppets for the wanted effects.

simmer into a syrup or add to lemonade!

add to money bowls to attract abundance.

bake them into cookies and other baked goods!

add them to salads for a sabbat feast.

use in an offering to deities.

carry on your person when entering a new friend group, coven, job or social situation for a smooth transition.

carry on your person when going into a surgery or procedure for a smooth and easy transition!

dry them and add them to candles, potions, even make incense with them!

braid them into your hair.

make a flower crown!

make a hair oil or tonic with them inside!

[evolutionsvoid]

Okay, I know I should have stopped at the last one, but I can't help myself. Once I got reading up on the Helkkja and their magics, I was just drawn more into their legends and stories. I don't know why regular old magic doesn't excite me that much, while this stuff really gets my brain churning. Maybe its that it ties to a region that I could never explore, and its bizarre way of using life as a medium to their art. Whichever the case is, I just keep finding more books and scrolls to devour on the subject, and even take some enjoyment from the various tales of horror and the macabre. Yes, I can chalk some of this stuff up to hyperbole, but with this supposed abyssal magic at play...well, safe to say that almost anything could be on the table at that point. So this isn't so much an entry, just me rambling about this bizarre magic I read about and one of the abominations that can arise from its use. If it writes out well, maybe I can sneak it in somewhere. Don't tell Eucella!

I have written before on the abyssal sleepers, Helkkja that undergo a transformation into a shark-like creature which then lives for years in the darkest depths of the ocean. There they are exposed to a force unlike anywhere else, absorbing some kind of energy or presence into their very flesh. The abyss boils with this strange magic, if one can even call it that, and the sleepers is how the Helkkja collect it. Once their time below is up, the sleepers rise back to their frigid surface home and are taken back to land by their sisters. There the flesh and fins are carved off their bodies, and they revert back to a human form. This fresh meat is now steeped in abyssal energy and curses, which then needs to go through a rigorous process to filter and break it down into a form mere mortals can handle. What is born from this process is access to glimpses and fragments of abyssal magic, some twisted art brought up from the very bowels of the ocean. There is much talk and wonder around what they use this alien energy for, but there is a certain kind that is quite infamous to those outside these arctic lands. Most who have heard of it think it no more than a terrible tale to scare people around the campfire, but certain accounts and strange disappearances suggest it more real than people would like...

It is known that the Helkkja keep to themselves on their frozen wasteland of an island, but that does not mean they do not venture into other lands and waters. It also does not mean they are excluded from the actions of the outside world. Their colony was established due to fighting between witches and mages, and this conflict still remains fresh in many minds. It is no secret that many magical academies and mage circles utterly despise the Helkkja and spread word of their horrid ways. They are a coven of witches that refuses to be exterminated or driven out, and their mere existence makes these famed masters look weak. If witches are so corrupt and evil, then why hasn't the pure mighty magic of the greatest mages purged these monsters from the world? Why do they seemingly do nothing to these arctic monsters, while they weave their abyssal magic and abduct poor souls? All this bad blood has led to many attempts to invade this island, which have all failed horribly. It also drives the pursuit of magic, law and establishments that could work to thwart the Helkkja and their strange abilities. If you ever see a team of mages studying icy magic or working with arctic ingredients, know that they are trying to find a flaw to these witches. Even outside of the Helkkja themselves, witches around the world get in a whole lot of trouble from both the mages and the public. Many trials, many laws and a whole lot of purging. This gives the Helkkja a reason to be interested in the outside world, not just for their sake, but for others like them. There have been rare instances where a Helkkja has been spotted outside their island, walking amongst the rest of us mortals. Their appearance is more like that of a ghost, here and gone within moments, leaving only a chilling aura behind. You can certainly tell one is near if you feel a bitter cold, as the Helkkja require icy temperatures to stay alive. Their short visits might just be that they despise the heat or any kind of warmth. Why they are here, we can't really say. Some believe they arrive to depart wisdom or blessings to other witch covens, helping those in dire need. A lot, however, say that they are here for nefarious purposes. The enemies of the Helkkja are many, and it seems like they have a way of targeting those who threaten them the most...

Though there is many theories and thoughts on the hows and whys, there is no denying the existence of the tooth. That single sharpened blade that remains at the scene of these horrible tales. I saw a supposed tooth in a museum once, sealed behind a whole lot of glass and protective runes. As the stories go, the tooth is supposed to be rendered drained of magic and inert after inflicting its single "bite," but I get the feeling many folk aren't willing to trust that theory. The look of it isn't all that special, it is pretty much a large shark tooth. They come in different sizes and shapes, varying by the species of shark they are pulled from, but they are all black in color and still wicked sharp. Their look and consistency suggests that they are ancient, dug up from a time long gone. The only thing making them different from other fossilized shark teeth is the etchings in their surface, which are said to glow a faint blue when active. It is said that the tooth is a weapon used by the Helkkja to punish those who wrong them or threaten their existence. They collect these stony blades and imbue them with abyssal magic, pouring the horrid curses into the etchings and symbols upon them. When they carry the hexes of the darkened sea, they are then taken by Helkkja who are sent out to the lands beyond. They will leave their island and plunge into the world of man, seeking their targets from the chilling shadows. While it may sound cooler that these witches attack their targets and drive the tooth into them with their own hands, the reality sounds more insidious and paranoia inducing. From the stories, it is suggested that the tooth marked for the victim is left in places where they least expect, positioned so that its biting edge may cut into the unwary. Slipped into a bed, hidden within a drawer, or even placed in a shoe, the tooth is set up as a stealthy trap. Though ancient, the blade is still sharp and easily tastes blood when touched. The victim will discover the tooth upon their first cut, but it is already too late once it bites them. At first, the small cut will be just like any minor wound, but soon a chill shall start to spread through the victim's body. No blanket or fire will keep them warm, despite the fact that they begin to sweat profusely as the curse takes hold. Their skin will turn pale and clammy, the constant sweat making them slick and damp. Respiratory problems kick in, with harsh breathing and wet coughs. As it progresses, their senses will go wild. The tongue will taste nothing but damp, the nose filled with the smell of salt and fish, while the ears hear the constant sloshing and pulsing of endless waves. Amongst it all, their eyes will become painfully sensitive to light, causing them to scream at the faintest lantern or fire. Attempts to cure this have all failed, and eventually the victim retreats to a darkened room or closet. They bury themselves in blankets and layers, shroud themselves in darkness, but find no relief. This is when the transformation occurs, and it is a horrid one at the sounds of it. The skin begins to soften and melt, the muscles and fat swelling and slithering beneath it all. The legs stick to each other like glue, soon fusing into one awkward limb. The lips meld together, turning their screams to muffled whimpers. The sweat turns to slime, as their hair falls out from every inch of their body. The eyes swell up and their skulls deform. Fleshy fins erupt from the back, as their arms are shriveled and reduced. When friends and family finally tear open the door after hearing the commotion and gurgling screams, what they find turns their blood cold. The stories speak of pale, writhing creatures, of men who have turned to fish. The twisted abomination may slither and crawl towards their loved ones, silently begging for help, but they usually find no mercy. Their appearance disgusts them and horrifies them, usually leading them to flee from the very sight or sometimes kill them right there. If they are left alive and alone, they will seemingly vanish despite their awkward bodies. The tales speak of shattered windows and broken doors, each coated in a sickly slime. The trail of goop leads to the nearest source of water, and then it is gone. The transformed victim disappears into the sea, leaving only that darkened tooth behind as evidence of what has occurred. What becomes of these creatures, no one can say. It is commonly thought that they swim back to the Helkkja, who now rule their thoughts and actions. When they make it back to the island, many claim they are forced to serve as amphibious slaves for their cruel masters. Folks with more twisted minds say that the Helkkja eat them, serving up their fishy bodies for a feast. Regardless, the targets of the Helkkja someday vanish, and a single tooth is a symbol of their demise. With its target cursed and fled, it remains dark and empty, erasing all traces of the magic it held. To this day, the mages have not been able to crack whatever hex is contained in these terrible blades, and remain ever vigilant of their surroundings in fear that one may be slipped into their homes. As it is said to those who are invited to the bedroom of a mage, be wary if they are insistent that you be the first to crawl into the sheets. I will say it does make me curious of what would happen to us dryads if we ever got bit by one. Would we turn into a fish? A fish with meat, or a plant one? Maybe we become kelp dryads! Not sure, but the more I think of it the more it kind of scares me. Yeah, never mind. Entry over.   Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian

Editor's Note: Chlora, how do you exactly plan to sneak this by me? I am your editor, I kind of see everything you write and submit. Maybe if you were actually subtle about these things you could get one by me, but since your notes are a mess I don't think even you know what you send to me! Your last stack of papers had a grocery list in it! Please organize your papers and thoughts, and also stop trying to submit these mystical myths and such. If we were writing a book on scary legends and horror stories, this would fit right in! BUT WE AREN'T!

Also be sure that you are getting orange peppers, not the red ones. Vera likes the orange ones better, she says the colors are more fun. And also you're buying your bug broths?! What happened to your garden pots!? This is stuff you should be able to easily brew at home! I am coming over to your house as soon as possible to get a look at your garden. I don't know what mess you got growing out there, but I am not about to let Vera eat store bought broths when a home cooked one is so easy to make!  - Eucella -   --------------------------------------------------------------

“Abyssal Thrall”

Collected fossilized shark teeth once and wondered about were-sharks and what primordial curses lie within these ancient things.

[darkpoisonouslove]

Hearts to Ashes

Summary: The final battle between the Company of Light and the Coven ended differently. Domino's population wasn't trapped in Obsidian and the planet did not turn into an arctic desert. Instead, it's burning up, unfit for life. Griffin is determined to fix her mistakes and save it and the friends she still has left. AU.

AO3 | FFN

CW: mentions of blood and death

I've decided to try my hand at doing a full Femslash February but with, like, zero pressure on actually completing it (or well, as little pressure as I can manage). I am using these prompts but in whatever order I feel like.

Day 1 - Apocalypse

Marion's like "I will Sauron the shit out of this". Everyone suffers, including her. Enjoy!

The air already burned in her throat, her lungs. Making it to the entrance of the library a few steps ahead was an inhuman feat. Every time her feet met the earth smoke and ash erupted around them, climbing her legs and torso to swallow her whole, choke and blind her despite the enchanted scarf covering her mouth and nose and the slits her eyes had become even behind the glass of the protective goggles.

The tear-stains on her cheeks were indistinguishable from the sweat pouring down her forehead and sides. She’d only just left the palace and used her magic to appear on the back of the Roc. Climbing it was out of the question – the stone that wasn’t charred to cinders crumbled upon the lightest of touches. Somehow now that the bird was grounded for good, it was even more impossible to track – blending into the rest of the Dominian landscape that had long turned from a wasteland to a heaving pile of ash under the blazing hot sphere of fire in the sky.

It turned like an eye, like a cat’s ear in the direction of the detected motion. At least it had back when anything could survive out on the surface and the only rain hadn’t been sparks of magic setting the soot on the ground on fire. Now it only stared beyond the blood red and black horizon, through light years of space to scour any remaining corner of the universe it hadn’t reached into.

Bile scorched Griffin’s throat this time, more acidic than the plumes of smoke making up the air. Her muscles spasmed, fighting the urge to vomit.

It was irrational. Anything entering the atmosphere of Domino would burn up into nothingness long before it reached the black ground. Still, that didn’t help against the image in her head of what had once been Solaria.

The kingdom of the two suns had thrived before another ball of flames had turned their skies into a wildfire. The whole planet had burned and burned like a torch lighting up the worlds surrounding it and threatening to swallow them as well. She’d been there to help prevent that. She’d watched Solaria shrivel and die, only an empty crust left that had disintegrated in a matter of hours into fine dust spreading through the rest of the universe like an omen.

Griffin smothered the image before it could do the same to her. Domino’s cinders sticking to her skin already burned, made her want to claw it off.

The heavy doors of the library were sealed with a sigil, the letter M etched into them. She had to suppress the shiver running down her spine. It was too hot to waste energy on the familiarity of it, the similarity it bore to Valtor’s mark. All that mattered was that she not fail a second time to rid the world–this world–of disaster.

The spell Faragonda had procured for her was freezing in her hands, singed the tips of her fingers through her gloves. She didn’t flinch. The sigil took most of the damage – eaten through as if she’d poured acid on it.

The magic holding it together snapped clean in half. The doors wailed as the full force of the inferno raging outside them hit them. Then again as they opened with a motion of her hand.

Soot and ash and heat washed over the still air of the library leaving black traces over the floor and windows only to be repelled by the protective spells on the shelves. The image of the tomes on them rippled and shimmered like a distant mirage in the desert.

Griffin trailed in more dirt. Her footprints were the only sign of a presence in the otherwise untouched library. No books were scattered over the tables in the entryway and through the charcoal residue covering every glass surface she could still see the scrolls and parchments resting undisturbed in their cases. If not for the heart in her throat, everything was in its place just like they’d left it that day before the final battle with the Coven. As if they hadn’t returned since then, hadn’t spent days–weeks–on end poring over every letter, every symbol on the paper only for their leftover hope to thin out and tear first.

She forced herself to walk further inside, seek shelter from the only element that now ruled over Domino. Merciless light still streamed in through the matted windows and it was her own mind crafting illusions out of it this time.

She could see Oritel bark orders at Bartelby and the other scribes maintaining the library’s contents. They weren’t fighters so it’d fallen on her and the rest of the Company to secure the magical knowledge gathered here from all around the universe and make it impossible for the Coven to retrieve. Even if all of them died, they’d rigged every volume, every piece of paper, to self-destruct upon being opened without a designer counter spell–known only to the six of them–cast first.

She’d hardly call it a happy address on memory lane but that choking panic, the rushing adrenaline of such desperate measures, couldn’t hold a candle to the terror gnawing at her chest and the sweltering daylight outside. She could never have imagined she’d forget the cool breeze caressing her on hot summer nights like a breath of fresh air and the dead of winter crawling inside her flesh, inside the marrow of her bones. Her blistering skin and cracked lips, her parched throat and teary eyes pleaded for the cover of darkness, prayed for it. She never would have imagined one day she’d don armor to fight against the very light–fire–that had created the universe again.

They’d all done their part in the war, played their roles to perfection. They’d headed into one final battle and had set in motion a contingency plan. And the only death she’d had to prepare for had been her own – in a sacrifice of her life for her friends’.

This now... She was committing a murder. And for the first time ever she had no clue how to do it, no clue what would be left of her after.

The doors slammed closed behind her back with a deafening bang. She startled but paid them no mind, her attention already pinned on the blur of green, pink and fiery orange that Marion was.

She zoomed in the entryway from behind a corner, the aura of power surrounding her becoming a pull on the air, warping the heat haze around so that she was in sharp focus while everything else blended into an indistinguishable mass in the background.

Griffin gritted her teeth to resist the urge to screw her eyes shut.

In the same garments she’d worn during the last day she’d sat on Domino’s throne, Marion was a ghost, a phantom of the past come to haunt a present where it did not belong. Just looking at her was a grip on Griffin’s throat choking her the same as the sphere in the sky drained the life from all within its reach. Heat from it–torrents fueled by the flames in Domino’s core–poured over every planet in the dimension, beat down on the earth and pierced through flesh, glass and stone alike. Not a single corner of the universe would be spared until it revealed every secret it was hiding... or after. It was too much fire – a beacon that had outgrown hope, outgrown love, and was running on desperation instead, trying to fill a void that only burned wider.

A lethal blast thundered in Marion’s palm, rocked her whole body as it gained in strength to carve a place for her here no matter what. The floor rumbled under their feet, all the windows rattling.

The vibration drilled into Griffin’s head, overpowering her thoughts. All she could do was keep her gaze on Marion and hold her breath, hope that her friend wouldn’t come apart and crumble into pieces right in front of her eyes. If Marion’s teeth were chattering–her own were where she stood several paces away from the epicenter of the spell–she was grateful that noise was at least drowned out by the charge in Marion’s hand as it reached its peak.

She hurled it – as if in slow motion. Her arm obeyed with inhuman effort, tremors running through its full length. It took that much just to direct the blast, and a concerning crack from Marion’s shoulder broke through the clamor.

Griffin’s time to react was as short as how much life she’d have left if she got hit. Her magic fired through the room in thick, cloying waves to slow down the approaching death and give her time for the precise spellwork that would block a blast of that magnitude.

Marion’s eyes only now widened with recognition. Balling her fist, she crushed her own spell out of existence, then halted dead in her tracks, hand still raised in the air as if she was unsure where to put it.

Griffin needed more time to dismiss her shield, her own limbs made of lead. It was hard to breathe too. She ripped the scarf off her face in a panic, the goggles phasing into her pocket dimension.

Memories ran through her mind in a series of flashes – Valtor smothering his own incantation when she’d not been ready to meet it as they sparred, Valtor redirecting his spell last second after noticing her standing next to the other Company members, Valtor not bothering to shield himself from her attacks and focusing on deflecting Marion and Oritel’s instead. He hadn’t learned to fear her either, even after she’d betrayed him.

He was dead.

She’d seen the way Marion’s body trembled from the waste of precious magic. It’d taken far too much effort to summon it and the sigil on the door had been too fragile.

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to come with?” Marion’s cold voice snapped her out of it. “We could have avoided this.”

The twitch of her hand drew Griffin’s gaze to the book she was holding. The pages were smoking, some of them starting to curl and shrivel, engulfed in the sparks leaking from Marion’s palm. With all the damage she’d already done, it was only her words indicating that Griffin had started this by letting the apocalypse outside in the library.

She looked her friend in the eyes. “I’m not here to help.”

She had tried. They all had. They had given sleep and sanity, and countless victims to their search and all of that she could overlook.

She had overlooked.

Until it’d cost them Saladin, his health spiraling faster than they could find a cure when everything was dying or already dead. His life had drained from him in the inferno they called home only to become more fuel for it, driving them all further into madness.

She was here to put an end to it.

“Oh?” Marion raised an eyebrow, no trace of the warmth and kindness she’d once had about her. She didn’t even bother with etiquette these days. The three people she ever talked to had never required it anyway. “If there’s some crisis to handle with my subjects, I’ve already authorized Faragonda and Hagen-”

“What subjects, Marion?” Griffin had to swallow, ready herself for the accusation to bounce right off Marion and strike her instead. That was if Marion didn’t fling it back herself. “Everyone emigrated to Magix and the rest of the dimension–alongside the Solarians–when you tried to stick them in bunkers underground. You have no subjects, no people.”

Marion crumpled the charred pages of the book in her fist, flames swallowing her hand. “I thought you understood.”

Tears glistened in her eyes with the magic framing her as if her hair had turned to liquid fire. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

Griffin’s own power pooled in her hands. She had to act fast. The exertion was taking its toll on Marion. There was only one thing left to do and it fell on her.

It made sense that she’d be the one to do it. She’d already sacrificed Valtor for her own peace of mind. Oritel. Why should it be different with Marion?

“This is all your fault,” Marion choked back a sob, eyes screwed shut.

Griffin’s fingers went limp. Her magic fell through and disappeared into the void in her stomach, eaten through by guilt.

“I know. And I’m here to fix it.”

Marion’s eyes snapped open – wide like full moons with hope they both knew was unwarranted.

It hit Griffin square in the chest but she forced herself to bridge the distance between them. The anticipation on Marion’s face was like teeth in her heart. It dug deeper with every step to tear it all to shreds when she opened her mouth to do the same to Marion’s own and whatever delusions she was grasping at.

Marion raised her chin to maintain eye contact once Griffin was too close and towering over her.

“I know I did this to you and I’m sorry. But I can’t let you continue on this path.”

Marion’s lower lip trembled. An openness she never would have allowed before. Maybe not even in front of her husband.

Then her face twisted in a snarl. “What do you know? You are no mother.”

She turned around, ready to abandon Griffin in here and return to her search for a spell they’d neglected, a clue that she’d missed to help her find her daughters.

“No,” Griffin startled at the urgency of her own voice, “but you’re the one that asked me to take care of your girls.”

Marion’s soles screeched against the floor, her whole body shaking violently as if it were trying to spit out her brain or her heart; maybe both at the same time.

She slowly turned to face Griffin again, her expression blood-curdling. It could choke the words, the life, out of Griffin all by itself if she were unaware of what Marion looked like with sorrow pouring from her eyes and throat.

“Look around. Everything your power has touched is dying. Everything is burning.” Griffin blinked back the tears flooding her eyes when Marion startled and jolted back as if she’d been slapped. “What happens if you reach them now?”

She reached out and took Marion’s hand. As gently as possible she opened her fist and let the cinders from the book fall freely along with the drops of blood Marion had drawn with her death grip.

“If we were to find them right now, safe and sound, what home are you going to bring them to?”

She didn’t bother with a healing spell. She just opened her arms to catch Marion’s collapsing body. The heat radiating off her was feverish – worse even than the hell outside. All of that fire had to come from somewhere.

Griffin only hugged her tighter, didn’t allow a single shred of space to come between them as she lowered them to the floor to keep Marion’s body from breaking under its own weight.

She sobbed in earnest now, face buried in the crook of Griffin’s neck. She was wracked with shivers and all the sounds that couldn’t spill out fast enough. Her breathing was erratic as she fought to draw in the air to speak.

“What hav-ve... I done?” Marion’s voice was bottomless, all the terror of watching Solaria and Domino die flooding into her heart now that she didn’t hold the image of her girls as a shield before it. “They deserve better than m-me. It should have been me, not... not him.”

Griffin’s heart squeezed agonizingly in her chest – an ache she’d only felt once. She’d held Marion back then, too, after she’d watched Valtor die by her hand. She had held her, arms like a vise around her, to stop her from diving after Oritel to wherever the Ancestral Witches had taken him. She had held her, had refused to lose her... and it hadn’t been enough.

Griffin brushed the hair away from Marion’s face with trembling fingers and lifted her chin to connect their lips. The cracks in her own scraped against Marion’s tender flesh as if they’d cut it bloody but it was Marion who dived deeper into the kiss.

Her tongue searched Griffin’s mouth as if the answers they both needed could be there. Her fingers were digging bruises in Griffin’s shoulders that had tears flowing down her face – relief that Marion was so hellbent on holding on to her, too, that she wasn’t going anywhere, that Griffin hadn’t left her dead inside with her words and actions that she could never apologize for.

Marion only broke away when she noticed the heaving of Griffin’s chest.

She nuzzled her head against Griffin’s neck, her tears falling on Griffin’s skin to mingle with her own. “I didn’t mean to be this selfish.”

Griffin cupped her cheek and tilted her head so she could look at her. “If you want to talk selfish, I’m right here.”

She leaned in and kissed Marion again, heart only relaxing in her rib cage once they were engulfed in darkness as the Dragon Fire in the sky died out, allowing for night to finally swallow all the ugliness they’d made of Domino together.

Marion’s fists closed into her hair like Griffin was her lifeline. She was still drowning and with so much grief in her lungs she was in no state to distinguish between clinging to driftwood and helplessly sinking into another body. And if Griffin was a selfless person, she’d do it for her. But all that mattered to her was that she didn’t even have to reach out to make sure Marion was still with her; Marion was burrowing herself under her skin as if she’d never let go.

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Judgment Against Wicked Kings

1 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: 2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

6 For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:

“Though you are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, I will surely make you like a wasteland, like towns not inhabited. 7 I will send destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut up your fine cedar beams and throw them into the fire.

8 “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ 9 And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”

10 Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss; rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled, because he will never return nor see his native land again.

11 For this is what the Lord says about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. 12 He will die in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”

13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. 14 He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.

15 “Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. 16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord. 17 “But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion.”

18 Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

“They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’ 19 He will have the burial of a donkey— dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.”

20 “Go up to Lebanon and cry out, let your voice be heard in Bashan, cry out from Abarim, for all your allies are crushed. 21 I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me. 22 The wind will drive all your shepherds away, and your allies will go into exile. Then you will be ashamed and disgraced because of all your wickedness. 23 You who live in ‘Lebanon,’ who are nestled in cedar buildings, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!

24 “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. 25 I will deliver you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. 27 You will never come back to the land you long to return to.”

28 Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot, an object no one wants? Why will he and his children be hurled out, cast into a land they do not know? 29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord! 30 This is what the Lord says: “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.” — Jeremiah 22 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Cross References: Genesis 37:25; Numbers 27:12; Deuteronomy 4:26; Deuteronomy 29:24; 2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Kings 9:8; 1 Kings 13:30; 1 Kings 21:23-24; 2 Kings 23:25; 2 Kings 23:30; 2 Kings 23:34; 2 Kings 24:6; 2 Kings 24:8; 2 Kings 24:15-16; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 21:20; 2 Chronicles 35:25; Psalm 129:1; Isaiah 10:3; Isaiah 65:13; Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 17:25; Jeremiah 21:14; Jeremiah 22:26; Matthew 1:12; Matthew 23:23; Matthew 23:38; Luke 1:32; Luke 12:15; James 5:4

[avatarmerida]

Second Chances

This is my first time not writing fluff but I had this idea and I didn’t know how to make it not sad so sorry if its bad or cringe or whatever but here ya go. Also loosely based on this by @ellimation because it made me emotional. 

---

The group had divided to search the land for any survivors or recognizable debris that could prove ushering. The Isles was in utter disaster, a barren wasteland where life once flourished. A heartbreaking sight. Hunter has been unusually quiet as he and Willow ventured farther than they intended to. Willow noticed he had been quiet for a while and turned to see he had stopped and was staring at something on the ground.

“What is it?” Willow asked, running over to his side.

“A time pool.” Hunter said softly, his eyes wide as though he was hypnotized.

“A time pool?” She repeated, carefully looking closer. “Aren’t those-.”

“Rare.” he said thoughtfully. “They’re really rare. And they never appeared in the same place twice. They’re unpredictable.”

“Well be careful,” she said with a nervous chuckle, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want you to fall in.”

Hunter did not return her chuckle and did not move away from the pool. His arms were locked to his side, and his hands balled into fists. She could see the thoughts dancing in his mind.

“They’re really rare,” he continued, still entranced. “The odds of finding one without looking… without a power source are… unthinkable.”

“Hunter?”

“I... look the most like him.”

“What?”

“This pool... I can tell when it’s from. It’s a little before they got here. I’d...be about his age when they did...”

“Hunter I don’t like-.”

“I can take Caleb’s place,” he said as though he was still realizing it, not looking at her. “I can go back in time and stop Philip from staying here. I know where the portals are, I-I can make him go back to the human realm and keep him there, keep him away.”

“What?”

“I can take his place” he said. “Caleb can still come here and marry Evelyn and be happy and the Clawthornes will be fine but this way... he’ll never know. We can stop Belos before he can do any harm.”

“No, no,” said Willow, shaking her head. “What are you saying? Hunter, that's crazy. If you do that then you’ll be stuck with him, you’ll be stuck there... you... you won’t exist.”

“But neither will the coven system,” said Hunter, turning to face her, and taking her hands in his. “Neither will any of terror and injustice he created. All the people he hurt, all the families, all those palisman will be safe. You’ll all be safe. I’m a small price to pay for that.”

“No!” she said, grabbing his arm to pull him away, worried he really had been hypnotized. “No, we’ll figure out another way! We have to! We can’t-.”

“Willow, what are the odds that I not only stumble upon a time pool but one that can… it’s got to be a sign,” he insisted. “This is a once in a lifetime chance.  I’ll keep him away from the Isles. Everything can be the way it’s supposed to be and everyone can be happy.”

“Everyone but you,” she said quietly, and he did not deny it. “What about you?” She squeezed his hands and traced his scars lightly with the tip of her fingers, knowing that if she looked at his face she would be inconsistent. She needed to stay calm, make him hear her. She knew he was scared. She knew this wasn’t fair. This was too soon, too fast. Things were supposed to be getting better, that was supposed to mean for everyone.

“I’m not supposed to exist,” he said, not with his usual pity but as though for once it was finally a positive thing. “It took me a long time to come to terms with that and be fine with existing anyway. But how could I live with myself knowing I could’ve saved so many people?”

“But what if it doesn’t work? What if he hurts you? What if h-he figures it out and he-.”

“Then at least I’ll know I did everything I could,” he said eerily calm as he tried to keep his voice steady. “I think I can handle him in his human form and the demon realm would be better without him, that’s all I know for sure. This is the only way things can truly be fixed and I’m the only one who can do it.”

“But I... but...”

“I don’t have much time,” he said, running his thumb over her knuckle.  “I can tell the pool is closing. I won’t get to say a proper goodbye, but tell the others... hm... well I guess it doesn’t matter does it? They won’t remember me anyway.”

She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and buried her face in his chest. “I will.”

“Willow, that’s really sweet of you to say but it’s impossible.” He whispered, resting his chin on her head and returning her warm embrace, holding her like it was the only thing he knew how to do. What a fool he was to not have done this more often.

“I don’t care. I’m stubborn. I’ll remember you.” She insisted as the floods broke free and her grip on him tightened, unable to fathom how she would ever let go. “And you’ll remember me. You’ll remember all of us, okay? Captain’s orders.”

“I could never forget you.” He said, as his own tears began to stream down his face. 

“What if I-?”

“You can’t go with me,” he said, reading her mind, hating that it was the truth. “I can’t ask that of you.”

“You don’t have to ask me,” she said quickly. “I want to. Time travel is weird so I’ll be okay later on or whatever. If it’ll all get fixed anyway like you said then at least we can-.”

“I don’t know everything that'll happen, but I know I could never deny the world of Willow Park.” he said, taking her face in his hands as she struggled to look at him through foggy glasses.

“But you’ll be all alone,” she said, her voice breaking. He had been alone for too much of his life. How was this fair?

“But you’ll be safe,” he said simply, wiping a tear from her eye. She could tell by the look in his eyes that there was no talking him out of it. There was pain and fear but most of all there was love. Her heart sank, knowing this was the way he always looked at her, knowing she could do nothing to prolong it. Knowing he’d never look at her this way again.

“Oh my Titan, I don’t want you to remember me like this,” she said, taking a deep breath and brushing her tears away with the palm of her hand. “My hair is a mess and my eyes are all puffy, and I can’t-.”

“You’re beautiful,” he assured, softly placing a kiss on her forehead. “You’ve always been beautiful, and you’ll always be beautiful.”

“Stop it,” she said sniffling, her voice hoarse and weak. “Stop being so wonderful. I wanna be mad at you so I’ll miss you less.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

“Let me give you something,” she said, trying to catch her breath, feeling like she wanted to throw up and pass out and punch something all at once. “Hold on... where is it? Oh, I should’ve brought my photo album, I should’ve.. I wish I…here.”

With shaking hands, she handed him a single photo she had been keeping safe in her pocket. She placed it in his hands and covered them in hers like she was sealing a prayer. They were supposed to have filled albums and albums with photos together; silly, blurry, bright photos and they had only gotten one summer.

“It’s my only copy so you better take good care of it, okay?”

She was talking about so much more than just a photo.

“I promise.” He tried to smile but his eyes betrayed him. She took one hand and placed it to his cheek and he covered it with his own, his hands cold against her warmth. Her mind raced with a million reasons he should stay, but she knew he was as smart as he was determined. He had a gift for starting over, he was resourceful. 

“Are you sure you can’t wait for-?”

Knowing he had few answers and even less time, he did the only thing he was certain about and pulled her to him and brought her into a clumsy, desperate kiss. The timing, the setting, the circumstance were nothing like he envisioned but when had time ever been on his side? He heard her inhale sharply, as she steadied herself to return the kiss, angling her face to bring him closer. She had too much to say to him and words simply weren’t enough. He lifted her feet off the ground, and his heart or whatever beat inside his chest for her spun as she cupped his jaw and let out a bittersweet, elated gasp. If by some miracle, some trick of fate she did end up remembering him, he didn’t want to leave her with any uncertainty about how much he felt for her.  

When he pulled away, the world was dull again. She pressed her forehead to his and knew by the sadness in his hazel eyes that he did not have it in him to utter the words ‘goodbye.’ She would not make him. She would not truly say goodbye to this kind, weird, wonderful boy who deserved the best of every realm. Instead, she clung to his scarred and blistered hands, and memorized the way their fingers intertwined so perfectly together. When he finally let go for the last time she wondered if her hands would feel empty forever. 

He kept her in his sights until the very last moment as she tried with all her might to hold back her tears, lest her watery eyes construct her last view of him. The seconds felt like hours, the world around them so silent Willow could feel her heart beating in her ears. She waited to wake up, she needed to wake up.

“Take care of him, Flapjack.” she whispered. 

Then, the whole world went black.

---

“Wow, you really did it huh?” a familiar voice marveled. Hunter didn’t need to question where it was, he knew the Collector existed on a plain and level all his own. Time was an illusion, a mere game to him. Surely, he had seen things more surprising than Hunter’s sacrifice. Yet he seemed genuinely unable to comprehend it all.

“Yeah, I guess I did.” Hunter sighed, looking at his reflection in the water. How ironic would be fulfilling Belos’ wishes after all, becoming Caleb and allowing his betrayal to go unnoticed. 

“You’re really staying?” the star child continued, his voice echoing off the clouds overhead. “Even though you’re never gonna see them again? Never ever! You know that right?”

“I know.”

“Even the plant girl!” he said, becoming more and more flabbergasted. “And you liked her a lot.”

“I did.”  said Hunter as he began to walk, knowing he had much to do to make sure it wasn’t all for naught. “I still do.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I guess... because she have me a second chance,” he said, taking the photograph Willow had given him carefully from his sleeve. He remembered the day well:

Willow had become obsessed with roller-skating, instantly great at it and she had found him a pair of his won at the thrift store and offered to teach him He was less gifted, but still determined to impress her. She had taken his hands in hers, guiding him down the hill by the house, taking delight in any amount of progress he made. The mere fact he didn’t fall filled her face with pride and made Hunter a blushing mess. 

He had gone a whole five feet without holding Willow’s had for support and she was bursting with excitement called for Luz to bring out her camera to capture the moment. At the mention of more spectators, he lost his focus and his balance followed suit as he struggled to stay upright. Willow rushed to his rescue, reaching out to catch him but he took her down with him. Of course, this was the moment Luz snapped the photo: Hunter, utterly terrified, clung to Willow as they hurdled  toward the pavement. He had knocked off her glasses in the process, preserved floating over her head. In the moment, Hunter had been mortified as she had ended taking a majority of the blow hitting the ground first to protect him. But despite knowing what was about to happen, she looked elated, her head thrown back as she laughed wildly.

Hunter remembered begging them to throw away the photo, but Willow adored it. She promised it would stay out of the album, but she would keep it with her always. “As blackmail,” she had decreed, scrunching her nose. How could he have ever wanted such a treasure destroyed? He lovingly tucked in into his sleeve, the same place Willow had kept it, careful not to bend it.

”And... I wanted to give her one.”

[splashink-games]

Reviews Master List

All of my reviews are linked below under the cut!

Game Lists:

Games I Played in 2021

A Year of Gaming, 2022

A Year of Gaming, 2023

3 Lines on 7 Games

(Florence, Bright Memory, Framed Collection, When the Past was Around, Tametsi, Turnip Boy, AER)

(Another) 3 Games in 3 Lines

(while true: learn(), Pikuniku, Alicemare)

3 More Games in 3 Lines

(Sword of the Necromancer, Nowhere Prophet, Dicey Dungeons)

3 Additional Games in 3 Lines

(Luna's Fishing Garden, SHENZEN I/O, Mini Healer)

5 Games I Haven't Finished

(Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Disco Elysium, Spiritfarer, Rain World, Railroad Corporation)

3 Cute DU&I Puzzle Games

(Cats Organized Neatly, Dogs Organized Neatly, Feed All Monsters)

3 Unique Rhythm Games

(Soundfall, No Straight Roads, Rhythm Sprout)

5 Strategy Games I Think You Should Play

(Battletech, Wasteland 3, The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos, Fae Tactics, Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga)

Game Reviews:

A Little to the Left

As Far As The Eye

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Bread & Fred

Carto

Cassette Beasts

Cat Cafe Manager

Death end re;Quest

Dorfromantik

Edge of Eternity

ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights

Evan's Remains

Hexcells

Hollow Knight

Ikenfell

Islanders

Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk

Last Call BBS

Littlewood

Love is Dead

Mary Skelter: Nightmares

Melatonin

Metal Unit

Neon White

Potionomics

SANABI

Tales of Zestiria

UNBEATABLE [white label]

Unsighted

A Note On...:

A Dance of Fire and Ice

A Short Hike

Ageless

Alt-Frequencies

ANNO: Mutationem

Assemble with Care

BALAN WONDERWORLD

Bear and Breakfast

Deep Rock Galactic

Dodgeball Academia

Dragonball Z: Kakarot

Dungeon Drafters

En Garde!

Epistory: Typing Chronicles

Every Letter

Filament

Frog Corral

Garden Story

Haven

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Here Comes Niko!

Hue

Jack Move

Lil Gator Game

Little Hope

Luck Be A Landlord

Minami Lane

Minit

Monster Sanctuary

Murder by Numbers

Muse Dash

Peglin

Rhythm Doctor

Risk of Rain 2

Severed Steel

shapez

Shellshock Live

Smushi Come Home

Sticky Business

Storyteller

Sunblaze

The Looker

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

Timelie

TROUBLERSHOOTER: Abandoned Children

[yoonia]

Blood Moon Rising | 29

‘As beings from ancient times, the Vampire Clan has undergone numerous changes to thrive in the Modern Age after surviving the Ancient Blood War. As a part of the traveller family in his clan, Jimin has parted ways from the coven until the day his Lords warned him of the lurking danger from inside the clan. And all so suddenly, he was pulled out of his solitary, only to have given the responsibility he had never wished to have, along with the threats that come as a part of the deal.

Born as youngest yet having lost so much, you have given your family your loyalty, your protection, and had been given their love and support that had become the only thing that keeps you going. But what happens when the only people you have put your trust in only repay you with betrayal?’

➥ Character | Jimin x reader

➥ Genre | Supernatural!au, Vampire! Jimin, Werewolf!reader, Angst

➥ Ratings & Warning | PG-13; mentions of assault, depiction of a battle, violence scene (fighting, attacks, usage of poison, minor characters death)

➥ Word count | 11,5k words

➥ Part of The Shifters Series | World Map & Glossary | Characters Guide | ⤎ Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ⇢

➥ Masterlist

➥ Author’s Note | Forgive me for the long wait, but this chapter was a struggle to work on. I should also note that as we progress with the story with more possible crossovers between stories happening in the future chapters, I will start referring to the other female characters with their OC names each time they make any appearance in the scenes. Feel free to follow and get to know more about these characters through the Characters Guide page linked above. Enjoy!

MOMENTS AGO…

 The Resting Forest territory has always been known to be somewhat silent and peaceful.

Spread all the way from the foot of the Resting Mountains to the borders surrounding the shifters’ land and human towns, the thick foliage provides protection from the atrocities and threats coming from the No Man’s Land and the dreadful wastelands in the South, while at the same time, it becomes the veil that conceals them from the Hunters lurking from their secret colonies in the West.

For a long time, the forest has also served as an open route for travellers and merchants passing through. The forest represents peace, as it has held no danger nor threats towards its guests and settlers for many years. Not since the last of the Rogue War.

But that situation has changed today, as the loud sound of the battle between the Vampires happening at the borders near No Man’s Land could be heard all the way to the other end of the forest, disrupting the peace and solitude ever since the first blast reverberated through the woods. Just as yet another explosion erupted, making the ground rumble and shake beneath all the tension, the young Vampire messenger rushed through the thicket in haste. Instead of running away from the explosion to avoid chaos, he went further to approach its source, knowing that it would be the only possible place where he might find who and what he had been searching for.

Through his journey, he was quick to feel the heat from the intense battle that has kept on rising and how much it was beginning to affect the rest of the woodlands. The clashing forces from the battle had sent the local animals into hiding, and it was starting to push him back, making it hard for him to keep going forward. Yet the urgency and the dire need to carry on with his search gave him the strength to continue on his way. With the knowledge that he had no more time left to waste, he simply pushed forward, even when the thick, hot air around him was suffocating him and burning his skin upon contact, letting him know that he was getting closer to the battlefield.

“Can’t stop now. Must find him fast,” the Vampire, Yeosang, kept on telling himself as he raced faster, as he feared that he might have been too late, that he wouldn’t be able to reach the Lord Vampires’ entourage—the one that Junhoe was guiding—on time.

With each blast from the battle reaching from a close distance, he accelerated, rushing on despite knowing what was waiting for him on the other side.

Granted, the messenger had never once been trained properly to join any battle. All his life, the only thing that he had been tasked with was to send messages and news from one point to another, jumping from one hideout to the other while he acted as the private messenger between the Lords’ children and their secret allies. Being this close to a battle seemed like a terrible idea, but his instincts drew him closer, taking him towards where Junhoe might be.

At first, he had begun the search for Junhoe and his entourage out of his personal concern, hoping that he would be able to warn the Vampire of the danger that was waiting for them, before getting them all back to his hiding place where he could help reunite the Orphans—the disbanded brothers of the Travellers clan that Junhoe had somehow become apart of—with the Lords’ children that had been travelling with him.

But now, sensing that the danger has already found them, his main agenda is to make sure that Junhoe and the Orphans that he was travelling with would be able to come out of the chaos alive.

But how am I supposed to do such a thing? He questioned himself as he thought of this, cursing the fact that he had never once gotten engaged in this kind of situation before.

It doesn’t matter, because finding Lord Jimin is the main priority. As long as he is safe. He reminded himself this, just as he was reminded of the last conversation that he had with Lord Seungwon’s daughter at the gathering night back at the home castle many weeks ago. She was the oldest of the children, the leader of the heirs, and the only one who had always been keeping in touch with the homeland after the previous Lords’ ascending to the Eternal Sleep.

Yeosang had remained by her side that night. Together with her brothers, they were perfectly hidden among the crowds who had never once met the Lords’ children and were unable to identify her. They had all witnessed Jimin’s initiation as the future Lord together, keeping the powers of the Lords safe with him and out of the rebels’ reach. They had stayed a bit longer to give the youngest brother a chance to use his powers to identify the traitors that were lurking between the Elders, though his effort couldn’t provide much information when the siblings were forced to leave before anyone would notice their presence.

As his thought wandered back into that very night, Yeosang’s spirit was quick to rise as he was reminded of the message that was given to him that night.

“I’ll try to find and gather my cousins. But before then, I shall have a word with the new ‘Lord’,” Lord Seungwon’s daughter had told him then before she disappeared into the night. “Let Jimin know that I will be waiting for him at the place where the Orphans used to hide in to escape from my father’s lectures.” She chuckled lovingly. “I’ll be waiting until the break of dawn. I’ll listen to what he has planned. If he has any.”

Yeosang had already failed his duty once when he lost track of Lord Jimin and the Orphans after the gathering night, when the brothers had been so quick to depart before they all disappeared into their secret meeting point in the human town. Since then, he has vowed to never again fail on the task that was given to him and to bring Lord Jimin and his brothers to meet the heirs.

He was still considered lucky, however, when even after his failure, he had somehow been able to make contact with Junhoe, the Turned Vampire who had joined the Travellers clan and had become close acquaintances with the Orphans. Despite never joining the Blood Oath which the Orphans did with each other when they reached adulthood, Junhoe remained to be a part of their circle, so he had known then that whatever information that Lord Seungwon’s daughter wanted to give to Lord Jimin would still reach him as long as Junhoe was willing to trust them and hold on to the message.

It had taken some coaxing and convincing, seeing that Junhoe didn’t trust him enough to follow him while the Turned Vampire was already anxious about catching up with his brothers and clan mates who had already left the home castle, but Yeosang succeeded in the end in persuading Junhoe to follow him, taking him to the meeting point where he could meet Lord Seungwon’s children before they slipped away to return into their hidden sanctuary.

To this day, Yeosang would repeatedly think about that night, to recall the conversation that was shared then and the information that he had gathered while he was there to witness it all. He has been using everything that he had learned as his reasons to continue to perform his duties as the messenger between the heirs and the Orphans, and to the home castle, while remaining focused on his mission of bringing Lord Jimin home and helping reunite them all together.

Because he and his brothers are the only ones who would be able to change their minds, to convince the rightful heirs of the throne to take their place, he repeated these words inside his head, just as he had done for the past few moons which he spent tracking down the Lords and following their orders. They will surely listen to Lord Jimin, especially now that he is holding the power of the Lords within him.

Yeosang continued to repeat these words as he pushed forward, using them to motivate him to continue racing through the forest, no matter how intimidating the situation around him was becoming, not letting his own fear get into his head until he could get to where he needed to be.

Another blast came from the battle, startling him. It was right at that moment when a swift movement from beyond the trees caught his attention, making him stumble just as something came into his path. It took him a moment to find his balance, his own speed became the reason he was thrown off. As he managed to straighten himself and look up, he found a Warrior Vampire standing in his way with a sneer on his face.

“I’m afraid this is the end of your journey,” the Vampire said to him with a taunting voice, drawing a threatening snarl from the messenger.

“Step out of my way. This has nothing to do with you,” Yeosang snapped at them. He did the best he could to keep his voice steady and his chin high, keeping his composure even when a few more Vampires appeared from the trees.

His body shuddered in dismay as he recognised them all. They were all members of the Warriors clan, the Vampires that had been trained specifically to protect the Vampire clan and their homeland. Except that it didn’t seem like they were here to protect him, nor were they here to stop the battle from escalating further. They were instead standing in his way, stopping him from going to the battle, which only revealed that they were nothing more but a small part of the rebellions that had been plotting to betray the entire clan.

As he was seething in anger due to this fact, another Warrior came closer, taking his friend’s side as he sneered, “If you’re going to interrupt our plans, then this has everything to do with us.”

Clenching his hands beside him, Yeosang snarls at them, “You are the ones standing in my path.”

Laughing bitterly, the first Vampire tilted his head at him. “This one has some guts on him,” he said, turning to his friends. Then he looked at Yeosang once more, his fangs appearing as he sneered at the messenger while his claws lengthen, as if they were ready to start a fight against the messenger. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much time to play games. Get him.”

Under his command, the other Warriors moved, leaping towards Yeosang to grab him while one Vampire swiped his claws, aiming at Yeosang’s chest. The messenger was only lucky to escape the attack from moving fast, panting as he leapt backwards to avoid the attack. His energy has depleted quite a bit after his run in search of Junhoe, though it didn’t stop him from being swift in dodging the attacks that kept on coming toward him.

But the Warriors had always been faster than most. They had always been stronger, that one failed attack was quick to be followed by another, then another, each time missing barely an inch when Yeosang made a move to slip away from their reach. Just when he was finally reaching his limit, his movement started to become disorganised and slightly clumsy, he failed to escape it when a hand captured his throat, pressing down hard to cut off his airway while sharp claws began to sink into his skin, drawing some blood.

Yeosang opened his eyes to look at his assailant as the grip on his throat tightened, and he watched in horror when the Warrior raised his other hand, ready to strike his final blow. “No hard feelings,” the Vampire said with a low growl. “But we can’t let anyone interfere when we’re already getting so close.”

Yeosang refused to close his eyes. Grabbing onto the hand that was clutching his throat in a tight, unmerciful grip, he kept his eyes open as he anticipated the blow. Except the painful hit never came, when a strong grip caught the Warrior Vampire by the wrist before he ever had the chance to swing his claws, and relief overcame the messenger when he saw a familiar face—not one, but two—standing on either side of the Warrior Vampire that had caught him. They had moved so fast that neither he nor the Vampires who had come close to putting an end to his life ever noticed them coming. Yet his relief was nearly short-lived when he realised who they were, and what they were capable of.

Lord Seunghyun’s twin sons.

The most vicious ones out of the Lords’ missing children. The ones who he had last seen resting in the depth of the wastelands just beyond the No Man’s Land, completely out of sight from the other fellow Vampires from the Travellers clan that was said to have been sent out to find them while staying far out of reach from their own cousins. The same brothers that Yeosang had been trying to lead Junhoe to find.

“Now, now…let’s not be too hasty, shall we? Are you seriously going to attack an innocent being without asking questions first?” said the twin that had a grip around the Vampire that was holding the messenger hostage, while said Vampire turned to look at his left, and then his right, finding two identical sneers facing him before asking,

“W-who are you?”

The question caught Yeosang completely off guard, surprised to find that the Warrior didn’t recognise who they were. Looking around him, it didn’t look like either of the Vampires present here to intercept his task knew who he truly was or who these twins were. Though he soon realised that neither of these Vampires was at fault. While he was merely a messenger who constantly lived in the shadows, loyal only to the Lords and their successors, the twins had been constantly on the move ever since they reached adulthood, hiding away from the rest of the clan while exploring the realm for the past century.

Long enough to be away while their father was building the clan and his army of Turned Vampires in their absence.

The fact that they had no idea who the twins were only meant that it hadn’t been that long since these Warriors were turned. A fact that sounded ironic, knowing who would have been likely to have turned them in the first place as they had all been a part of the Warrior clan.

“My…you really have no idea who we are, don’t you?” one of the twins sneered at the Warrior Vampires, his eyes wide with amusement and pure mirth, drawing shivers down Yeosang’s spine, knowing where this was going. Even though he was way younger compared to these twins, he had been following their tracks long enough to know what kind of menace they were capable of bringing into the world and to other beings around them.

The revelation drew Yeosang’s body completely stiff, wishing that he wasn’t being restrained. Fear clutched tightly in his chest as he wished that he could take a step backwards, to find a way to not become the receiving end of whatever recklessness that may come from the twins. Meanwhile, Yongguk, the Vampire who had the grip on his assailant, tilted his head curiously. “Pity. Perhaps we’ve been gone for too long. Don’t you think so too, brother?”

Stuck in the middle with nowhere else to go, the confused Warrior turned to look at one twin before turning to the other, expecting an answer. And he immediately got what he had wanted when Yongnam, the other twin, chuckled deeply and responded to his brother with, “I have to agree. Time simply escaped us while we were both out there seeing the world.”

“Stop playing games!” the Vampire between them finally snapped. “Who the fuck are you people?”

While his question motivated the rest of his gang—the other Warriors who had been standing silent around them without knowing what to do—to finally change their stance and prepare themselves to join the fight, it only drew the smile on the twins’ faces to grow even wider.

“Good question. Why don’t we introduce ourselves?” Yongguk said with feigned excitement, before both his smile and his intimidating gaze became grim, and he growled softly at the Vampire in his hold. “But first, why don’t you let go of our little friend?” he asked, before he slowly started tightening the grip he had on the Warrior’s wrist until the first snap of bone was heard, all while he continued to whisper tauntingly, “Pretty…” Another snap, then, “…please?” Then the sound of an entire bone snapping in different places echoed in the air around them, followed by a painful cry coming from the poor Warrior.

The moment Yongguk released him, the grip around Yeosang’s throat loosened, and the messenger was freed. Yeosang fell to the ground with a groan, then watched as Yongnam slipped right in front of him, blocking him from their opponents as the twin ordered, “You might want to stand aside, little messenger. Things are going to get a bit wild over here.”

Right beside him, Yongguk’s smirk grew just as his eyes glazed over, as if he was using his senses to track down a familiar presence. “Oh, it seems like Junhoe is nearby too,” he said, before he looked up to see the sky, watching it growing red just as the sound of trees burning coming from the battle was heard, followed by a few more blasts that should be enough to warn them to run away just as a thick blanket of flame began to build up.

Instead of sharing a look of fear, wicked smiles appeared on the twins’ faces as the flame from the battle continued to rise up to the sky, red flames dancing gracefully from beyond the trees, as if inviting them to play along. “And whatever it is that he seems to be involved in sounds like a lot of fun,” he added, and Yeosang could almost feel the excitement bursting out of the twin’s body.

The other twin chuckled as he continued to face the Vampires that were starting to rise, ready to come at them. There was an excited grin growing on his face as he offered, “Shall we finish this quickly and go together to find our adopted brother to see what he’s been up to?”

“Let’s,” his brother responded, before the twin launched to welcome the fight.

Knowing that he shouldn’t take their warnings lightly, Yeosang immediately slipped away, finding protection behind a boulder just as the twins took over the situation. Watching them fight, while feeling the presence of the Vampires from the Travellers clan still fighting nearby, he began to feel hope, and he started to see that maybe things wouldn’t turn out so bleak after all.

PRESENT…

 Junhoe realises too late just how hard it is to stay focused on fighting when his attention is divided into various places. As he fights, his thoughts scatter between worrying about Lord Jimin and his other companions that he has left behind to fend for themselves, to wondering about the distress that he felt coming from the messenger not too long ago, and to pay attention to the fight that he is currently dealing with.

It is not making things easier for him either when he is facing a strong opponent whose fighting style is way too similar to his, all due to their history of being trained together under their master, Lord Seunghyun, during their transition period as adult Vampires. Though he has to admit that his level of combat skills may not be as advanced as his opponent, with his lack of experience in open battles such as this one.

He had already noticed his inadequacy back during the battle against the werewolves which happened not too long ago, when he had to fight side by side with Jimin and the Lycan hybrid, Taehyung, and was only able to do so much to assist. Now, the disparity seems even clearer as he is facing his former ally, whose combat skills have obviously gotten more advanced compared to his has ever had, something that shouldn’t be too surprising for him to find.

Being turned decades after he was, Mino had always been one of their master’s strongest disciples. Even back when Junhoe was still a part of the Warriors clan, far before he made the choice to join Jimin and the Travellers clan, he had witnessed how Mino had advanced quickly ever since the day he was turned to the long days when he joined the other Warriors clan members in war training.

A long time has passed since then, and Junhoe can easily tell the difference between their strength and skills. Fighting Mino feels like facing a stone wall, when he could barely land a fatal attack on his opponent while the few hits that he receives have been able to send him a few steps backwards.

It doesn’t help the fact that Mino has the upper hand by having other Warriors backing him up in the fight while Junhoe is fighting alone. Had he—even for a moment—expected to meet these rebels the moment he separates himself from his group, Junhoe would have been more prepared to face this fight. His problem isn’t just about defeating Mino, but there is also the matter of going against his followers who aren’t there just to witness the fight, but to accommodate their leader in putting Junhoe down.

With each attack that he lands on Mino, they would make a move to retaliate, using the short period of time while Junhoe is distracted to attack, disrupting his focus and balance while giving enough time for Mino to recover before re-entering the fight once again. The pattern continues, and he can already feel his energy draining rapidly, his movements keep getting slower as the fight carries on. Even though he still manages to take down two of the younger Turned Vampires who are still no match to him, he knows for sure that this isn’t the kind of fight that he would win easily on.

And he still has the messenger to worry about.

“I can see that you can still fight quite well,” Mino comments between his attack, one that Junhoe easily evades once he is starting to be able to read his opponent’s movements. This fight has brought back a memory from the past, to the days and nights he spent sparring with Mino and his former clan mates. It had also brought him back to the day he came face to face with his former clan members to inform them that he would no longer be staying with the Warriors clan.

For the first decade ever since that day, he was haunted by guilt. The memory of the talk that he had with his fellow clan members back then had followed him for a long time, when he would recall the words that they had given him right before his departure, giving him nothing but doubt.

“You are ungrateful and greedy. You know that we’re the strongest clan among the others. You will regret this.”

Those had been the exact words that Mino and his other fellow clan mates said to him then. With the passing time, everything that happened then had become a complete blur in his mind—all the faces, the words, the actual events of that night before he finally departed under Lord Seunghyun’s well wishes—until now, when he looks straight into Mino’s eyes and feels the pain of betrayal boiling in his chest.

It wasn’t an easy feat either to leave the clan that he was brought into when he was turned. He had spent decades adjusting to his new life as a Vampire under Lord Seunghyun’s guidance, and in return, he would be given the tasks of guarding the Lord’s twin boys when they were out on their adventure, venturing outside the homeland, even if he hadn’t known by then the true identity of those twins as the Lord’s biological children. Not until recently, when he finally found out the true nature of Pure Bloods and how they were able to maintain their bloodline.

It was during that time on the road with the twins when he was exposed to the world and what life truly was outside of their homeland, and that was also the first time he began making acquaintances with Jimin and the rest of the Orphans, the Pure Blood children from the Travellers clan. It was then when he started to crave something different. He wanted to have the same chance to venture further out of their homeland, to be able to travel and see the world, to experience and visit the places that he would have never gotten the chance to live as a mere human, and to be able to learn more about the Vampires as he knew only so little of them at the time. He had wanted everything that the Travellers clan had to offer, all the things that the Warriors would never have the chance to as they were supposed to stay to protect their home and the Lords.

Today, however, none of those bad memories come back to haunt him. Not when it is finally revealed that he is not the one betraying the clan, after all. And as the fight continues, it is clear that while his power and skills may not be comparable to what Mino has today, he can still use everything that he had learned during the long years of his journey to have a better comprehension of the fight—from the various fighting forms that he had encountered while he ventured into shifters territories to the artful ways of defending himself which he had learned while staying in human towns. The knowledge helps him to evade Mino’s attacks and to use all the techniques that he had incidentally learned from the different places he had been to as he fights back.

“Being on the road had never stopped me from exercising my skills,” Junhoe responded between the counterattack he threw against his rival. Catching Mino’s hand just in time before he could bury his claws into his shoulder, Junhoe leans in and adds, “I would also think that I had probably advanced more than you think, since I’ve learned a lot of new things while I was gone.”

A raging hiss escapes Mino as he fights to escape his grip, only to move far too late as Junhoe uses his other hand to send out a fatal blow right onto the Warrior’s chest, sending him flying back until his back hits the massive tree across the opening. Just then, another Warrior takes the chance to attack from the side, using the moment of distraction to steal an attack. But Junhoe has expected this to happen, and the Vampire is soon sent out flying to join his buddy as he falls away. Only that his fate isn’t quite the same, as he lands right at the small opening where the thick foliage around them doesn’t reach, allowing the sunlight slipping past the thick branches to burn him to crisp.

Exhausted from the continuous attacks, Junhoe isn’t quite ready when danger rises, as Mino quickly recovers and orders the remaining Vampires to attack him all at once. Three shadows jump in right at that moment, countering all the attacks while Junhoe falls in his exhaustion. He nearly laughs in disbelief as he sees the very same people he had been worrying about—the messenger that he was trying to rescue and Lord Seunghyun’s twin sons, the same Vampires that he had watched over and cared for a long period of time ago.

Relief washes over Junhoe as he watches his master’s sons pushing back his assailants so easily while the messenger remains close to act as their shadow before helping him get up from the ground.

“Looks like you have some interesting company. I hope you don’t mind if we invite ourselves to your little party?” Yongguk greets Junhoe with a voice that sounds almost too cheery, just like a little boy who had just found a new toy to play with.

Junhoe grunts as he stands back up on his feet and joins his adopted brothers. “By all means,” he says, still feeling the laughter bubbling in his chest as a wave of emotions overcomes him. “You might even enjoy it knowing who they are.”

The twins raise their eyebrows curiously as they both turn to look at him at the same time. “And who might these bastards be?”

Junhoe smiles, though he keeps his eyes on Mino when he answers, “They are Lord Seunghyun’s disciples. At least, they were. Your father was the one who turned them.”

The answer seems to intrigue them for reasons that Junhoe cannot seem to understand. That is, until Yongnam turns to the Vampires that they are facing, looking at every single one of them before saying, “That’s funny. We just met your brothers back there. Let’s just say that they will no longer be joining the party now.”

Mino, whose eyes have grown wide ever since the moment Junhoe mentions their master as the twins’ father, is quick to look uneasy. “The actual sons of the Lords. I thought you were merely nothing but a myth,” he suddenly says with disbelief, drawing a low chuckle from the twins.

“Oh, sorry to disappoint you. But—” Yongguk taunts him with a shrug, before he suddenly vanishes, and in a blink of an eye, is suddenly standing merely an inch away from Mino, giving the rebel a taunting grin as he playfully starts poking on his chest. “—as you can see, we are pretty real.”

As if he wants to prove a point, Yongguk doesn’t waste any time and throws the first punch, launching the entire fight to continue. This time, however, with the sons of the former leader of the Warriors clan fighting by his side, the fight escalates to a new level. Junhoe can soon feel the imbalance of power between both sides, especially when whatever it was that the three of them had encountered before reaching here had somehow managed to turn the twins to become completely unhinged. It seems like the more they fight, the more excited they become, and they seem to be enjoying it as their powers are unleashed and the more they become unrestrained in their attacks.

From the side, as he joins them in the fight, he watches in awe from the corner of his eyes as the brothers move so fluidly and efficiently, taking down their opponent one threat at a time. They move as if they are a single entity, as if they share the same mind, as one would send an enemy to the other and each time they work together to bring a Vampire down.

Junhoe feels a shiver in his spine when he witnesses one of the twins throwing one Vampire into the air, coincidentally timing it together with the blast resounding from the nearby part of the forest that it almost seems as if he is moving in the same rhythm as the battle going on nearby. Then fear laces through his heart when he watches as they continue to unmercifully put an end to the final two Vampires guarding Mino from their attacks. One twin takes one opponent in his hand, breaking the Warrior’s neck with nothing more but a flick of his wrist. Then the other twin makes his move, taunting his victim for a brief moment before he reaches out, and his hand disappears inside the Vampire’s chest, which simply dissipates into dust merely a blink of an eye later.

Have they always been this ruthless? He silently wonders as he slowly steps back, not completely sure if he should feel wary or hopeful to have such force joining his side.

Has their time away from home factored in the change that he is now seeing from them?

Does this have anything to do with their reluctance in claiming their rights as the heirs of the Lords?

Before Junhoe can even figure out the answer to his questions, Yongguk suddenly snaps ahead. One minute he is standing merely a few feet away, then a moment later, he has his claws buried in Mino’s collars while he lifts the rebel far above the ground with his legs kicking and his fangs extending, hisses of threats coming out of his mouth in his refusal to surrender.

“Our father would be disappointed to see what have become you,” Yongguk says to him with a snarl while looking straight into the rebel’s eyes. “Since he isn’t here to give his punishment for your impudence, I suppose it is our job to do it on his behalf.”

Junhoe quickly snaps out of it and steps closer to stop him. “Lord Jimin might want the information that he may have,” Junhoe warns the twin, remembering that they are on a mission where they would need to gather as much information and evidence as possible before planning their next move against the rebellions.

To this, Yongguk merely tilts his head while giving him the kind of smile that doesn’t necessarily put anyone at ease. “Don’t worry, brother. Even if he seems to be preoccupied right now, I’ll make sure that Jimin can see everything,” he responds with a grin, right before his eyes glow in silver light and his fangs begin to lengthen in a threatening manner. With a loud growl coming out of his mouth, he snaps forward and latches his mouth onto the Vampire’s neck. The rebel cries out in pain as the young Lord’s fangs sink into his skin and he continues to drink his blood, and Mino continues screaming until his voice slowly fades, completely helpless as Death unmercifully takes away his soul in the hands of his former master’s son.

On the other side of the forest, Mino’s final cry is drowned under the rumbling sounds of the battle. Neither of the brothers has caught on to what is happening on Junhoe’s side while they have their own plight to deal with.

Jimin stands right at the center of the battle with Jinhwan and Hyun standing ready by his side, while most of the Vampires that had been launching attacks after attacks against them have also stopped progressing. Many of them remain in their position, though there seems to be nothing that they could do but stand frozen the way Jimin does as they all watch the scene unfolding right in front of their eyes with wonder and a deep feeling of dread. At the same time, everything else around them is in motion, pulsing and flowing and breathing, and it takes a while for everything to sink in and for him to realise that the entire forest is the one moving.

“What the actual hell is happening right now?

Jinhwan’s question barely registers to Jimin when he is too stunned, unable to react or respond, though his brother’s overflowing emotions manage to penetrate into his mind, allowing him to feel the shock and fear that his brother shares with him. Disbelief runs through him just as intensely as they both witness the sight before them that looks awfully similar to a fever dream.

The forest had come alive.

Jimin keeps repeating these words as he tries to understand the situation, all while convincing himself that he isn’t dreaming. With his own eyes, he watches in awe as the trees are swaying as if they are marching into a war dance. Their aged, yet undeniably strong roots come rising from the ground in which they have been buried deeply for many decades, breaking the earth apart and knocking the few Vampires that had been standing far too close.

He marvels at the magnificent sight of thick branches and long vines reaching out far ahead of them, moving so fluidly as if they are mere massive-sized human limbs trying to touch their surroundings, so captivating and yet so intimidating at the same time. It seems even more surreal when the vines begin to stretch out towards the rebels spreading before them, knocking them off one rebel at a time and wrapping themselves around the ones that are trying to fight back. The vines appear like delicate fingers as they easily lift the rebels off the ground before tossing them away until they all disappear into the darkest side of the forest.

That is the moment Jiho and his followers finally snap out of their shock. Jimin can sense the intense ripples of the battle rising once again the moment Jiho turns around and their gazes meet each other. With a threatening snarl coming out of his mouth, Jiho begins roaring out commands after commands to set his loyal followers into action. The obedient ones soon part into two groups—with the first group turning back to face Jimin and his companions to carry on with the fight that had been put to halt, while the second group turns to face the moving trees, ready to defend themselves against the vines that are still reaching out to clear them out of the way and stopping them from coming any closer.

Meanwhile, those who are on the outer line of offence seem to be indecisive, caught between following their duty to fight back and listening to the urge of finding their escape, seeing now that the forest no longer remains silent under the chaos that they all had brought onto this peaceful place. Though it doesn’t really seem like the forest is making it their main priority to chase away the intruders stomping down their territory as they continue to move towards the line of Vampires, as the foliage seems to also be moving and swaying around methodically towards where the fire has been building up, doing everything they could to thwart the burning flames. It somehow gives a sense of relief for Jimin, as he has felt so powerless with his inability to do anything to stop it when the blaze was first ignited, but it only makes him feel more intrigued, for this is something that he had never once—even during those long years of travelling past this forest in the past—ever heard or seen happening in this territory.

“I’ve never heard a thing about the Resting forest holding any kind of magic that would make this possible. Have I been wrong this whole time?” Jimin finds himself questioning this as Jinhwan and Hyun slink closer to his side, forming a small, protective circle as they brace themselves against the incoming threats rising around them and fighting off the Vampires that have continued their assaults.

As they continue their fight against Jiho and his underlings, they quickly notice that they have nothing to worry about in regards to protecting themselves from the raging forest. Because for each time a wild vine comes reaching out close enough to their group, instead of laying an attack on them, the vine would find purchase on the rebels, almost as if their attacks are emphasized at making sure to keep the rebels away from Jimin and his companions.

“I sense no magic, but I do sense something similar to—” Mage Hyun begins to respond after fending off an attack, though he is unable to finish his words when the rumbling happening beneath his feet suddenly intensifies, as if the ground is breaking further apart.

At first, the three of them start looking around, wondering if the trees are the ones making this happen to knock everyone down, destroying even those who are not standing in their paths. But then they begin to realise that the trembling on the ground is no longer coming from deep inside the earth nor it is coming from the moving trees. They seem to be coming from somewhere else. Somewhere beyond the foliage. And they are coming towards them at a speed that could only be made by a certain group of animals.

A whole pack of them.

“We’re getting some company,” Jimin says to his companions who are looking around in alert, still trying to figure out what is causing this sensation and searching for danger, as they too have noticed that the vibration under their feet doesn’t seem to coincide with the madness rising around them.

“Good company or more bad ones?” Jinhwan asks him in return, still unable to look away from the trees around them, though he seems to have realised where their new company seems to be coming from as he is looking far into the darkest depth of the forest in his search.

Jinhwan tries his best to stay calm, yet as the rumbling seems to gain closer while the vile and desperate Vampires around them are growing more reckless in their assaults, fear grips his chest from within and his voice trembles a little when he softly pleads, “Please tell me they’re the good ones.”

Just then, before either Jimin or Hyun get a chance to answer him, flashes of beasts come jumping out of the shades, striking down the rebels on the outer offence line, both those who are still attacking the trees and those trying to escape.

Everything happens so fast that neither Jimin nor Jinhwan can have a clear view of what is actually happening. The smoke coming from the fire isn’t helping the case either when it is still far too thick for Jimin to see what happens beyond. But then the sounds of deep growls and snarls grow louder against the roaring blaze of the flame still dancing fiercely around them. As a part of the walls of flame slowly subsides on one side of the woods, the beasts emerge from the darkness, with their leader howling into the sky, announcing the start of a new battle.

Werewolves.

Jimin releases a growl as he sees them coming. The last battle that he had to face against werewolves is still fresh in his memory, just as fresh as the mating mark now pulsing on his shoulder. With his fangs shown through his warning hiss and his claws extended by his side, Jimin braces himself to face the fight that is coming to him. As Jinhwan and Hyun both take their positions on either side of him, Jimin comes to a harsh realisation that neither of his companions had been in the same battle before, making him doubt if he would be able to come out of this alive without the help of those who have fought against werewolves before.

Jimin prepares to take a hit as he watches a pair of werewolves jumping out of the trees and going straight at him in full speed. But the attack never comes. As if the gods above are on his side tonight, both werewolves break apart from their line of attack and leap into the air, landing straight on top of the Vampires who were attempting to attack Jimin from behind.

“What are they doing? Are they on our side?” Jimin hears Jinhwan questioning him. He starts to look around, and then all so suddenly, he is taken back to the day he spent with you before leaving, and he can hear your voice speaking to him, reminding him of what you said to him then—

“I shall have a talk with Alpha Namjoon and request for his aid. Perhaps I can convince him to fight alongside us now that we all know the true nature of Haerin’s wolf. He is one of the biggest allies that my father trusted the most. Seeing that he has my parents under his pack’s care at the moment, he might be our last hope in going against the Rogue King.”

With your words echoing through his head and seeing the werewolves forming a line of offence against the rebels, Jimin immediately becomes more alert and tries his best to identify the wolves.

The week that he spent travelling with you and Taehyung had allowed him to become familiar with your pack imprints. Both yours and Taehyung’s. Using his memories and the newly formed mating bond that he shares with you, Jimin steps aside from the fight and does a quick survey to find either you or Taehyung among the werewolves now spilling the battleground.

But after scanning the area a few times and taking a whiff of the air around him, Jimin is soon met with disappointment, realising that their new company had not come from either your pack or Taehyung’s. The new scent surrounding him throws him off for a moment, before he begins to recognise what he is sensing from them—the familiar scent that he had stumbled across in the past during his travels becomes the biggest giveaway to help him identify them, while the sight of the flashing silver fur lining up their sides, chest, and hind legs, a signature colour that is mostly known to be the physical imprint owned by one specific pack of shifters.

“I don’t suppose that these wolves were sent here by your mate,” Hyun calmly says as he shakes off an attack launched against them as a couple of Vampires still manage to escape the clutches of the forest and the incoming wolves, determined to finish what they had started and take Jimin and his group down.

“No, they were not. But I do know who they are. They are the pack that resides at the foot of the Resting mountains, the Blue Moon Pack. They are the ones who have been protecting this forest and its surrounding territory. It would only make sense that our extraneous fight has called for their interference,” Jimin answers briefly as relief slowly comes to him the moment he manages to identify them more properly once he gets the chance to look at them up close.

“Are they friends?”

“If I am right about who they are, then they would be—no, they were known to be allies to my mate’s pack,” Jimin says, remembering everything that you had told him about them.

“You can identify the Blue Moon Pack based on their imprints. As a part of the alliance who are still closely acquainted with both the shifters community and the Vampires clan, they carry a sweet scent which differentiates them from others, one that doesn’t resemble any threat in order for them to easily blend with any company they might come in contact with,” Jimin recalls your words, reminding himself about the connection that you have had with them. “They had always been our pack’s strongest and most loyal ally, and their loyalty has always been for our founding Alphas. That’s why even after I had lost my Fated, the Alpha’s second son, and after our mating which marked the alliance ended with his passing, they still kept their pledge of alliance to our pack, because they had made their pledge specifically to my father.”

Hoping that the situation has yet to change with your pack’s takeover, Jimin continues to do a thorough scan between the werewolves that are now fully engaged in the brawl against the Vampire rebels on the other side of the battleground. Doing his best not to lose his focus on fighting off Jiho and his underlings, Jimin struggles to find one specific wolf between the fighters from the Blue Moon Pack who would be the one closely bonded to you.

The one wolf whose presence and role would matter the most.

“Junmyeon, the current Alpha and my former brother in mating is a large grey wolf with a pair of white streaks on the side of his face and silver fur all over his chest, and he carries the scent of burnt vanilla which comes from his pack’s imprint, though you might be able to sense his Alpha blood the moment you are near. Blue Moon Pack wolves are never shy in showing off their ranks, even towards outsiders,” your words return to him just as Jimin finally sees him, the Alpha, the grey wolf which appears much larger than the rest, his striking appearance makes him stand out as he leads the pack, running in front of his fighters as they march towards the Vampires that are slightly stronger and can move faster than their massive paws. Watching him move, Jimin quickly recognises him as the same wolf that had released his warning howl to announce their arrival earlier in the battle.

The grey wolf turns to look at him just then, his golden eyes glow brighter as his gaze meets Jimin’s, as if the Alpha wolf is trying to identify the Vampire the same way Jimin is doing the same to him. Leaving behind the brawl between his pack members and the rebels, the Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack makes his way towards Jimin and his companions with a couple of wolves planking either side of his. Judging from their size and postures, Jimin can only assume that they are either the Alpha’s second-in-command or his enforcers, staying close to assist the Alpha in battle while providing protection as he leads them into the battle.

Jimin watches as a few Vampires come into his path, yet Alpha Junmyeon takes them all down easily, tearing them apart with his canines and massive claws as he marches through them. Within moments, the Alpha and his defenders are standing by Jimin’s side, and the newly formed group work together to fend off the multiple attacks coming at them from Jiho and his loyal followers that still remain.

Jimin has been so caught up with the fight and the chaos that he only notices belatedly that the flames around them have been diminished. Only the scent of burning ashes remains, accompanied by the scent of blood which is coming from the battle, as the wounded have increased with the werewolves taking part in it.

The sound of a loud snap catches Jimin’s attention, and he turns just in time to watch as one of Jiho’s underlings slashes a young werewolf fighter with his sharp claws, throwing the beast out of his path. A thick branch extends from the massive oak tree that is right at the center of the battle, capturing the fallen werewolf with its vine before the Vampire manages to snatch him right back in to give him the final blow to end him. Another vine snaps out, catching the Vampire in its clutch before it begins to squeeze tightly, drawing a loud, painful roar from the helpless bloodsucker.

The giant oak tree doesn’t stop there, as its branches continue to reach out between protecting the werewolves and slapping the rebels away. Looking up from where he is standing, Jimin continues to analyze the tree’s movement as it seems to be moving and swaying towards them. Though the tree doesn’t seem to be straying too far from its original position across the opening, but far enough for its strong branches to reach out to where they are all standing, confirming their suspicions about the forest taking their side and protecting them from danger.

Jimin feels his brother stopping right next to him as they watch the scene together, finally realising now that the forest has been moving systematically and in tune with the werewolves’ attacks, as if everything has been planned out and they are working together in defeating the intruders.

“Do you think the werewolves have anything to do with what the forest has become? Do they have a mage with them?” Jimin hears Jinhwan speaks softly to him once he has caught on to what is happening and is asking the same questions that are plaguing Jimin’s mind as he watches the scene curiously.

The answer comes instantly from Hyun, the moment the Siren mage returns to his position beside Jimin. “No, they don’t. That’s what I was trying to tell you both. I sensed no magic from around us, but I do sense a Vampiric presence, a dark power that is much similar to yours, Lord Jimin.”

“You’re right, this isn’t the work of a magician, nor it is from the werewolves, though I’m quite sure that they are in this together,” Jimin says, as he keeps his gaze on the moving vines that still have the screaming rebel in their clutches, playing him like a paper doll as they continue to swing the bloodsucker back and forth—as if he is nothing but a puppet to play with. A smile immediately grows on Jimin’s face when he realises this, and he slowly begins to understand what has truly been happening and who is behind all of this.

“No,” he says, as his grin slowly grows wider. “This is the work of the Puppet Master.”

Hearing Jimin’s words, Jinhwan’s head snaps in shock. “Well, shit—I was not expecting that at all,” Jinhwan muses with a surprised chuckle.

His eyes scan the top of the trees more closely before they grow wide when a figure appears at the top of the massive oak tree. Up there, perching comfortably between the thick branches while remaining partly hidden under the layer of shaking leaves, Kim Hanbin appears in sight, their dear brother who had been missing ever since the night the brothers were ambushed by the rebels at Ambrose’s tavern.

“Hello there, brothers! Have you all missed me?” Hanbin greets them with a wide grin while leaning forward, allowing them to see his face more clearly. He keeps his arms raised at his sides, his fingers continue moving and dancing as if there are invisible threads attached between each tip of his fingers and the moving branches and vines around them.

Jimin laughs at himself, unable to believe that he had in fact forgotten his brother’s powers and skills. It is a special ability that has been passed on from generation to generation within General Kim’s family bloodline, perfected by General Kim—Hanbin’s father—himself during the time he was in power. It had become the secret weapon which had been beneficial during the Blood War, one that had played a part in bringing the Vampires their victory in the war against the Royal Vampires and their followers.

Back when he was a child, Jimin had witnessed Hanbin utilising this power more than once, when young Hanbin used to play around with his powers during the time the Orphans and the Lords’ children were playing in the woods surrounding their home castle. Hanbin’s ability to control everything that he touches with his bare hands, whether they are living beings or inanimate objects, had given him the nickname that the Orphans had used to call him with growing up.

The puppet master.

Many decades had passed since the last time Jimin witnessed his brother playing around with his powers, controlling the small things that he had found during the times they were preparing to start their journey as young Travellers—from wooden furnitures, shrubbery, handmade puppets, his own pets, to his own friends and brothers who became willing victims to help Hanbin practice his skills. Seeing Hanbin in action now, Jimin believes that his brother has found a way to expand his powers further, becoming much stronger and bolder with his powers. As if he knows that Jimin is marvelling at his special skill, Hanbin gives him a smug smile while lifting his chin up, not showing any signs of knowing how worried his brothers had been about his disappearance.

The battle is slowly coming to its end, with the rebels being completely defeated and the wounded ones retreating. But the reunion with their missing brother wouldn’t be the only family affair that is about to happen when Junhoe suddenly returns, appearing from beyond the line of trees with merely a few bruises that are already healing while looking worse for wear, but still standing strong and alive, much to Jimin’s relief. And he is not alone. Following right behind him are the identical twins, Yongguk and Yongnam, the sons of Lord Seunghyun. Jimin has no idea whether to feel relieved or intrigued that they are arriving just in time to catch up with the last of the battle. He can only feel sorry for the rebels who are trying to escape only to be caught by the twins. Knowing what the twins are capable of, he can already tell that their fate wouldn’t end well in their hands.

With the flames having been successfully extinguished, the forest rumbles with its one last move, and the massive trees that had become a part of the fight are slowly retreating into their designated positions, settling down right where they belong. All but only one of them remains—the old oak tree that Hanbin is currently riding on, still looming above the battleground as he stays to watch over the end of the fight.

“Shall we finish up here as well?” Mage Hyun asks him, referring to their remaining opponents who are now at the mercy of the werewolves assisting them. Most of the pack members have retreated as well, leaving behind the Alpha and his enforcers who seem to be handling the situation perfectly well.

Jimin knows that he still has some unfinished business with the rebels, as he had identified at least a few who had been there on the night he was poisoned. But Jimin is out for blood only for one particular Vampire, the one who is responsible for setting things in motion—the rebellion, the poisoning of the Lords, the ambush against his brothers, and most likely, the distribution of poison all the way to the East side of the continent, where the werewolves packs reside.

From the corner of his eyes, Jimin catches the sight of Jiho slipping away, taking the chance of the final pause of the battle to find his escape. Jimin knows that he wouldn’t be fast enough to stop him from running, yet he still tries his best, using the last will of power that he has to follow Jiho before he could get too far.

Seeing this, Hanbin, who still holds control of the old giant oak tree that he is perched on, raises his arm to reach out towards the Vampire’s path. Under his will, one of the trees in his escape path sways, and then its long vines snap out and wrap themselves around Jiho to stop him from escaping into the dark woods. The Vampire can only release a loud roar in rage when he is lifted off the ground, completely powerless when he has both of his arms pinned to his side.

“Is this one giving you trouble, brother?” Hanbin calls out tauntingly while he swings Jiho back and forth right above Jimin’s head.

“He’s the one behind everything,” Jimin responds to him while trying his best to stay calm, while his answer triggers Hanbin’s rage, knowing exactly what he meant. As he clenches his grip, the vines wrapping Jiho’s body tighten around him, causing the Vampire to cry out in pain. The sound of his bones snapping under pressure echoes through the woods, and Jimin quickly turns to stop his brother from going any further.

‘Hanbin, keep Jiho alive. He has all the information that we may need,’ Jimin sends out his command into his brother’s mind who simply nods at him, though his angry frown slowly turns into a wicked smile when Jimin begins sending images into his head, letting him know what he has planned for the traitor.

Standing right under his former comrade, Jimin looks down to see the leather pouch dangling from Jiho’s waist and growls, knowing what the trickster merchant has in his possession.

‘And it seems like he has a lot of things to answer to us,’ Jimin adds while staring straight into Jiho’s eyes, threatening him silently, and feeling pleased when he can see a glint of fear flashing under the traitor’s challenging gaze when he looks back at him in defeat.

While Jiho and his captured underlings are being taken away by the members of the Blue Moon Pack to a safe place where they would be confined for a premeditated time, Jimin returns to join his group, leaving Hanbin to watch over the transfer of the prisoners until he can join him later. Junhoe had found Jinhwan and Hyun while he was away. The twins and another Vampire who seems to be a messenger are also present with them.

“Junhoe was supposed to bring us to you,” Jimin says to the twins as he comes to them, skipping all the formal greetings and the pleasantries altogether.

Yongguk shrugs at this and glances at Junhoe before finally answering. “So he said. But we heard that something was boiling in this peaceful forest, so we figured it would be interesting to take a look and see what was happening. We were getting bored sitting back in the wastelands without anything fun or exciting to do anyway,” he explains calmly, while Jimin and the others immediately perk up at what he had just said.

“The wastelands,” Jimin muses, surprised to know that the twins had set foot in the deserted area of the continent that no one had dared to venture into. No wonder that he and his brothers had so much trouble tracking them down. Out of all the places that the Travellers clan had ventured into, the wastelands is the last place that would come to anyone’s mind.

Because nobody had ever gone to the wastelands. Not since the Ancient War.

“How many of you were there? What were you doing there, exactly?”

Hearing his question, Yongguk only grins widely. “Now that, is quite a story to tell. But we should probably have our cousin explain it to you since he knows how to word things better,” he says while tapping his chin as his twin brother chuckles deeply beside him.

Jimin raises his brows as he exchanges gaze briefly with Jinhwan. “Your cousin?”

Yongnam opens his mouth to answer, but then stops himself when he catches someone approaching them. “The werewolves will show you where to go,” he says, looking over Jimin’s shoulder to let him know that someone is there to speak with him.

Turning around, Jimin is surprised to find that the Alpha is standing right behind him. Now appearing in his human form, while wearing a simple attire of all black to properly present himself in front of the Vampires, Alpha Junmyeon lowers his head to politely greet him.

“Forgive us for the interruption. My name is Kim Junmyeon, the current reigning Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack. I would like to invite you and your entourage to visit our pack to rest and recover after the battle,” he says to Jimin. His eyes glow with faint golden light when he looks straight into Jimin’s eyes, smiling warmly as he adds, “There are also a few guests that we are currently hosting in our pack who might be pleased to be reunited with your company. I’m sure you would be interested to see them as well.”

➥ Author’s Note | the brothers are (mostly) reunited! Celebrate Kim Hanbin's return and stream BTBT by B.I (Hanbin)! Thank you for reading!

➥ Special Appearance: B.I (Hanbin)

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