#elias answers are subject to change

[spellsparkler]

appearance 4, objects 8, and weather 13 for both Row and Elias? :o

👕4: Does your character have a favorite material they like to wear? row isn't picky; they prefer fabrics that are smooth to the touch, but other than that, they're flexible, generally a lot more concerned with the cut and colours than the makeup elias, meanwhile, was a talented seamstress pre-tadpole and is Picky about her textures and the quality of her materials. I think she would have been a big fan of shot silk and certain types of lace. post-tadpole she does have to downgrade her expectations a bit

📦8: What would it take for your character to give up an item they really like? laughed at this because i do have on hand examples of both of them giving up items they really like (row would be insulted at the comparison, which is probably justifiable) so row is... not enormously attached to material possessions. they'll like things, sure, but they change things up for fun or to alter how they're perceived; they don't tend to keep things much, at least not in a way people can see. their only item of real sentimental value is their citole, hand-made towards the end of their apprenticeship and painstakingly cared for in the years afterwards. row drags it determinedly through all the in-game shenanigans with no case and a hasty-carved new pick, and right before the final fight, it is broken beyond real repair and they leave it in the brine cave system underground (yes this has insane implications on how the fight goes; no I haven't puzzled all of that out yet; but it fits really really well with what is probably the climax of their narrative arc and also in the cutscene everyone falls into the river and after all their instrument has been through you can't just waterlog that thing without consequences). it isn't until it is destroyed that they leave it behind and accept making something new. this is probably a metaphor elias. meanwhile. has a number of normal-style quirks I've made up in my head, one of which being an instinctual tendency to collect sharp things. this includes fallen enemies' weaponry, kitchen implements, a variety of tools and other miscellanea (dammon's pritchell, sewing needles, particularly pointy tweezers, broken glass). she does this in a similar way to a cat chasing a laser point or a beaver building a dam. after The Incident (you know the one) (in which all her collection is made use of) everything but the weapon she is actively using is confiscated, because everyone is very uncomfortable with this hobby all of a sudden. she doesn't complain because she's blindsided by their reactions and increasingly aware of how being viewed by them as a threat could be a threat to her, in turn. better to make it easy. she'll hide everything she collects from hereon out

🌤️13: What element best represents your character? if we're talking classical elements, row is fire (bright, mutable, transformative; needs fuel) and elias is air (subtle, clever, and associated with blood in humourism, so. you know.)

[kathlare]

guilty as sin?

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Amelie receives unexpected news that shakes her sense of control, pushing her into a night of glittering distraction and emotional chaos.

Wordcount: 2.0 k

Warnings: none

full masterlist // request over here!

April 6th, 20202 - Merida, Mexico

Amelie sat cross-legged on the kitchen counter, a chipped blue mug of tea balanced beside her laptop, checking emails between mouthfuls of toast she wasn’t even sure she wanted. The scent of pancakes and something buttery filled the air—Victoria humming softly at the stove, spatula in one hand, and Elias seated at the breakfast table with his reading glasses on, flipping through the paper like he didn’t already know everything in it. The morning sun poured through the wide windows, too golden, too calm.

And then it changed.

The email loaded slowly, like it knew it was about to fuck everything up. Subject line: WHITE LOTUS SEASON ONE — PRODUCTION START DATE CONFIRMATION. Amelie’s heart sank the second she saw the logo. She clicked it open, her stomach twisting tighter with every word.

"Congratulations again, Amelie. Production will begin on April 19th in Maui, Hawaii. Attached is your preliminary schedule, lodging information, and NDA renewal."

She blinked at the screen. Once. Twice. Everything felt like it shifted a few inches sideways.

Shit.

She didn’t say anything. Just stared, pretending to read something else, her spine straightening ever so slightly. But Victoria paused at the stove, and Elias lowered the paper mid-page.

—Amelie,— her mom said softly, like she already knew. —What’s wrong?—

Amelie didn’t answer at first. She just turned the laptop around on the counter, her fingers trembling a bit as she angled it for them both to read.

Victoria wiped her hands on a dishtowel and leaned in, squinting at the screen. Elias got up, slowly, like something heavy had settled in the room.

They read it. No words. Just that look.

They didn’t say no. They didn’t yell. But it was worse—they exchanged a look between them. One of those parental, quiet, loaded looks. And in that look, Amelie saw it all: the worry, the doubt, the silent we really don’t want her to go.

It hit her square in the chest.

She forced a smile, too tight. She slid off the counter like it didn’t sting. Like it didn’t crawl under her skin.

—I think I’m gonna head upstairs,— she said, casually. —Not really hungry anymore.—

Victoria frowned. —Amelie, sweetheart, you barely ate—

—I’m fine.— A little sharper than she meant. She bent to grab her laptop, shoving it into her bag too hard. Her voice was breezy now, way too breezy. —Just gonna go check something with Alex. I’ll eat later. Promise.—

She didn’t look at them again. She couldn’t. Not with that look still lingering between them.

Fuck.

Upstairs, behind the safety of her bedroom door, she let her bag slide to the floor. The email was still open. The words blazed like fire. Hawaii. April 24th. She was leaving. Again. A whole new world, new cast, new pressure. But what hurt wasn’t the project.

It was the fact they didn’t want her to go.

They didn’t trust she’d be okay.

And part of her wasn’t sure she would be either.

She closed her laptop. Laid back on the bed. Stared at the ceiling.

And for the first time in weeks… she didn’t feel hungry at all.

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

madisonbeer replied to your story

madisonbeer: where tf are you going looking like that 😭 ameliedayman: to sin <3 madisonbeer: save some souls for the rest of us PLEASE

jadenhossler replied to your story

jadenhossler: respectfully what the hell ameliedayman: what jadenhossler: u KNOW what ameliedayman: ok and be honest is it giving “I’m about to ruin a man’s week” or “I already did”

charles_leclerc replied to your story

charles_leclerc: i’m calling the police ameliedayman: why😭 charles_leclerc: because this is a public safety hazard

joshrichards replied to your story

joshrichards: WHO are u going out with ameliedayman: wouldn’t u like to know joshrichards: that dress is NOT giving friend group energy

landonorris liked your story

landonorris: you’re wearing that??? ameliedayman: yeah why landonorris: i just feel like maybe you should stay home actually ameliedayman: oh? landonorris: idk. just a vibe.

sydneysweeney replied to your story

sydneysweeney: are u going out or going to ruin someone’s life ameliedayman: can’t i do both sydneysweeney: u better

lilymhe replied to your story

lilymhe: and WHO gave u the right ameliedayman: god and the zipper on this dress lilymhe: jail. immediately.

tchalamet replied to your story

tchalamet: oh we’re doing legs tonight ameliedayman: we’re doing legs and damage tchalamet: i fear for every man within a 10-mile radius

billieeilish replied to your story

billieeilish: 😐 ameliedayman: use ur words bestie billieeilish: U LOOK SO HOT I WANNA SLAP U

barbieferreira replied to your story

barbieferreira: bitch. ameliedayman: 🖤 barbieferreira: i know a “don’t wait up” dress when i see one

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

The door slammed open like it belonged to him.

—You better not be dead in here,— Hayes Grier shouted as he thundered through the Dayman house, his sneakers squeaking obnoxiously on the wood floors as he took the stairs two at a time.

Amelie didn’t respond.

Hayes didn’t knock. He never did. He just shoved the door open, ready to give her shit, ready to drag her out of bed, probably throw a hoodie at her and demand she go to Chick-fil-A with him or something equally unhinged. But the moment the door cracked open and his eyes landed on her—he stopped cold.

Amelie stood in front of her mirror, barefoot, her back to him, wearing a black silk dress that clung to her like it was made for sin. Her hair fell in soft waves down her back, one strap slipping slightly off her shoulder like even it couldn’t commit to staying put.

Hayes blinked.

—Jesus Christ, Trouble,— he muttered, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. —What funeral are you seducing tonight?—

Amelie glanced at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were dark, ringed in smoky eyeliner. Her lips were red. Blood red.

—You’re dramatic,— she muttered, but her smile was thin. Crooked.

Hayes knew that look. That smile that said I need to escape.

He didn’t ask questions. Not yet. He just grabbed her hand.

—Let’s go.—

—Where?— she asked, tugging slightly.

—Distraction City. Population: us.—

Her lips quirked up.

—There’s a party. Clandestine, obviously. Sketchy as hell.—

—You're a terrible influence,— Amelie said, slipping into her boots anyway.

—That’s why I’m your best friend.—

By the time they got to the house the music was already vibrating through the pavement. Bodies moved in the dim glow of string lights and LED strips, sweat and perfume clinging to the air. Hayes disappeared the second they crossed the threshold, shouting something about “scouting the enemy” and “finding tequila that won’t kill us.”

Amelie didn't care. She was already halfway through a Solo cup of something neon and spiked, her head spinning just enough to loosen the knot in her chest. The music pulsed in her veins. Her dress clung to her thighs as she moved through the haze of people, her laughter too loud, her thoughts too quiet.

She didn’t know how she ended up on the sofa. She just did.

One moment she was in the kitchen, and the next—she was planted on a beat-up leather couch that smelled like a frat house and regret. Her cup was half-empty. Or half-full. Who cared. Her head tipped back against the cushion as she let the bass vibrate through her bones.

And then...

—You look like you could use a better drink,— a voice said beside her.

Amelie turned.

Joshua Bassett.

She blinked, her brain short-circuiting for a second as she tried to register if this was real or just a weird alcohol-induced mirage. Nope. There he was. Tousled hair, crooked smile, denim jacket that looked way too intentional.

—You look like you could use better timing,— she replied, lips curving into a smirk.

He laughed. That boyish laugh that had once made Olivia post cryptic captions.

—Mind if I sit?—

She shrugged. He was already sitting.

They talked. Or, at least, she thought they did. Something about music, or the world being a black hole, or how tequila tastes better when you pretend it’s emotional medicine.

She didn’t remember the exact moment it shifted.

Just that suddenly they weren’t on the couch anymore.

They were behind it.

Hands everywhere.

His mouth on hers.

Fingers tangled in her hair, her dress riding high on her thighs, his breath hot against her jaw as he murmured something that was probably supposed to be sexy but came out slurred. It didn’t matter. She didn’t care.

She just wanted to forget.

Just for a while.

Forget the emails, the way her mom looked at her like she was about to break again. Forget the pressure, the flights, the expectations wrapped in scripts and contracts and fake smiles. Forget how badly she didn’t want to leave and how much it scared her to admit it out loud.

Joshua kissed like someone with something to prove—fingers pressing too hard at her waist, lips hungry, careless, too fast. But she let him. Hell, she pulled him closer, nails dragging down his back like maybe pain would anchor her. Like maybe if she burned bright enough for one reckless night, it’d sear through the numbness.

She tilted her head, deepening the kiss, letting the thrum of bass and liquor and grief drown everything else out.

It was a terrible idea. The worst.

And she was already in too deep.

But then...

His hand slid up, fingers grazing over her chest, too familiar, too fast, squeezing once like he had any right. And in that single, dizzy second, everything cracked.

Her eyes flew open.

Joshua Bassett. Olivia’s ex. Olivia, who had stood beside her in rooms where people whispered Amelie’s name like a brand and a warning. Olivia, whose pain had been dissected in lyrics and late-night tweets and TikTok soundbites. Olivia, who might’ve hated her already—but this?

This would destroy her.

Her breath caught in her throat. Not because of him. Because of the sudden, blinding awareness of what the hell she was doing.

She shoved him. Not hard, but enough.

He blinked, drunk and confused. —Wait, what...?—

—I can’t,— Amelie muttered, breathless. Her lipstick smeared, the sharp taste of vodka and guilt on her tongue.

She scrambled up from the floor behind the couch, adjusting her dress with shaking hands. The room spun sideways. Sweat stuck to her skin. She couldn’t breathe.

—I have to go,— she said, more to herself than him.

And then she ran.

Through the packed living room, past a girl she vaguely recognized from an HBO pilot, through the kitchen that reeked of weed and microwave burritos. Someone called her name—might’ve been Hayes, might’ve been her own voice in her head screaming What the fuck are you doing?—but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t.

Her boots pounded against the porch as she burst outside, gulping in the cold night air like it might fix her. It didn’t. The sky spun. Her stomach churned. Her hands were shaking.

She staggered to the curb and leaned against a mailbox, pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes. She could still feel his mouth on her neck. His hands on her body. Her own guilt like blood under her nails.

Olivia is going to kill me.

But more than that—she hated herself for it. For letting it get that far. For needing to forget so badly she let someone else’s pain become collateral damage. For trying to bury what was wrong in someone else’s mouth.

She fumbled for her phone, her fingers trembling as she hit Call.

—Pick up, Hayes, please. Please pick up.—

One ring. Two.

—Yo,— he answered, breathless, music still pounding in the background. —Where the hell are you?—

—I did something really fucking stupid,— she whispered.

There was a pause. And then, softer...

—You outside?—

She nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. —Yeah.—

—Okay. Stay there. I’m coming.—

She hung up and wrapped her arms around herself, the night air biting at her skin, at her shame.

God. What the fuck was she doing?

She wasn’t sure who she was more scared of facing—Olivia, Hayes, or herself.

[lil-binuu]

If he hits you once

TRIGGER WARNING: manipulation, possessiveness, domestic violence.

I'm a little late to the yandere party (sorry @peppymintdreams i couldn't help it)

This is fiction, not canonically accurate, and not romantic. (I do NOT condone any romanticisation of any kind of abuse.)

If you're underage, be weary as this is quite heavy and not like my usual content.

It is a bit weird to write this stuff, but I wanted to explore the idea of what barista would do in a situation where they realise that their life is not, in fact, a wattpad story and sometimes you can mistake someone who is actually really dangerous and a horrible person, as someone who you love.  And while ofc, this is not Elias canonically, i still wanted to write what he could be like as a more realistic person - especially because the abuse from his father would have affected him regardless, whether it turned into his own aggression or not.

830 words

packing your things to move to another safe house has brought up the topic of your freedom.

“Elias-“

“I’m doing this to keep you safe.”

He already knew what you were trying to talk about. 

“I- I know, but- I want to have freedom. I need to have freedom.”

“You already do.” He replied, blunt and rude. 

“No, I don’t. I can’t speak to my friends, or family, I can't even go outside.”

“You can’t when it’s this dangerous. Do you have any idea how easily you could die if I’m not there to protect you?” 

You hesitated. “I-I know, but I-”

“You don’t stand a chance out there, not without me.” 

You swallowed. You knew Elias was protecting you in a way you couldn’t yourself, but he didn’t have to say it like that. 

Elias stepped towards you, taking your hand. “You know I just want to protect you.” 

You nodded, eyes dropping to the floor. “I know.” 

“So let’s not fight about this.” He wrapped his arms around you in a hug. “You know I’m right anyway. You’re weak, Y/n. You can’t look after yourself, you need me.” 

You frowned. Maybe it was true and you just couldn’t accept it. Elias was there to protect you, why would you try to argue otherwise? He only wants what’s best for you. 

Elias pulled back, facing you with his eyebrows raised, expecting. 

“I’m sorry.” You answered, fulfilling his request. 

But why should you be sorry? It was a legitimate worry, your freedom. Didn’t Elias want you to have freedom too?  

“Come on, we need to keep packing.”

Elias turned away from you, back to the bag he was packing full of clothes. You couldn’t  allow him to change the subject, not when your freedom was at stake.

“Elias,” you sighed, “I wasn’t done talking-“

“Well I am.” His raised voice thundering over your own.

You don’t think Elias had ever spoken to you like this before. Like he didn’t even care about you.

“You can’t make me live like this!”

“I can and I will.” His words cut into you like a knife. This was a side of Elias you had never seen. 

He had never spoken to you like this before. He had never argued with you, never disregarded your feelings, but all of a sudden your concerns were dismissed. Your voice was dismissed.

You could only stand there and stare at him. 

“It doesn’t have to be like-“

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Elias shouted, shutting you down completely.

“You seriously think you would still be alive if it weren’t for me?” 

Your frustration got the better of you.

“I don’t need you to protect me!” You yelled. 

A hand came down quickly onto your face. 

You froze. 

The side of your face almost numb from the impact. You could hardly register what just happened. 

You slowly looked back to Elias, swallowing as tears began to flood your eyes. 

His chest rising and falling quickly, you could see how angry he was. But did he just hit you? 

After protecting you for so long, promising to keep you safe, you never thought Elias would be the one to hurt you. 

Maybe you shouldn’t have protested against him so much. You didn’t need to anger him, if only you just listened to what he said without complaining. 

But his anger was now imprinted on your skin. 

Elias took a step towards you, reaching out his arm. Instantly you brought up your hands in front of your face. 

“Baby, why’d you flinch?”

You looked at him through the barrier of your arms, bringing your defence down as you realised he hadn’t hit you a second time. 

“I- I..” You choked on your excuse, tears rolling down your face.

“Baby?” He exclaimed, his bittersweet concern almost mocking.  

“You know I would never hurt you, right?” 

You blinked up at him, confused and scared.

He wouldn’t hurt you? He wouldn’t? But your face was red and stinging.

“B-but.. You..” Your hand raised to the side of your face, gently touching the injury. 

“Ah, but I didn’t mean to. I just got so angry, babe. You know I can’t help it.” 

“W- what?” you whispered, searching his eyes. 

He leaned down to your face. 

“Don’t argue with me and you won’t get hurt.” 

You finally realised what you had gotten yourself into. Elias wasn’t some protector, no, he was just another man who made empty promises to keep you around. His words were just lies, sweet lips and a sweet voice in the hopes that you would believe his sweet facade. 

Now you just felt stupid. Why on earth would you think that putting your heart and soul into someone like him would work out? It doesn’t matter how much you like him, under all the leather and chains, he’s just another man with issues.  

And you knew you needed to leave. There was nothing else for you to do.

Silently, you continued to pack. But you weren’t going to a safe house or staying with Elias any longer. You were getting out.

yualll this is kinda shit but whatev

Remember; If they hit you once, they'll hit you again.

And to all of my beautiful people out there, if someone treats you badly in any way it's never ever because of you and you are not alone. Call me up i'll beat their ass. Stay safe <3

[kopykunoichi]

Elias, Chise, and Ruth (Part 2)

Part 1 Here

In chapter thirteen, we discover that while Chise and Ruth have been further bonding and Ruth is settling in, Elias went straight to his room and hasn’t emerged for three entire days. He’s not eating or interacting with anyone. Ruth believes it might have something to do with Elias changing forms, because it draws a lot of energy…but as a newly awakened fae, he doesn’t have much knowledge of the subject. He encourages her to just go into Elias’ room and ask him, but she can’t go through with it. 

Chise’s worry over Elias is beginning to eat at her so much that Silver Lady gives her an allowance and kicks her out of the house with Ruth. They run into Angie, who is visiting from London to check on Chise. They have a good conversation where Chise learns some valuable information (such as the actual definition of magic). Later, they talk about Elias, and Chise admits that she doesn’t want to do things to upset him for fear of him kicking her out. Angie points out that it sounds like there’s some codependency going on there, and that even though Elias bought her, Chise doesn’t need to be tethered to him all her life. Chise slams her fist on the brick wall next to them, and then apologizes for her overreaction. Angie apologizes too, and says she was probably out of line. 

Internally, Chise reflects that she’s not being fair. She thinks to herself, “I’m relying on someone who doesn’t much care for me one way or another…telling myself I don’t care if he abandons me…while being terrified that someday he will.”

Elias is hiding out in his bedroom, literally unable to hold himself together because his feelings for her are so strong, and she’s over here thinking he doesn’t really care about her.

After parting ways with Angie, Chise gathers her courage and goes to Elias’ room. When he doesn’t answer her, she opens the door and walks in. Ruth is right next to her about to follow her, when Elias shoots across the room and slams the door in Ruth’s face, knocking Chise down. Elias, who was so keen on Chise getting a familiar, now wants nothing more than to get her away from her familiar. 

While Ruth is outside the door scratching to get in, Elias hovers over her and apologizes. He tells her he’s having trouble keeping his form stable. Even though he knows he must be frightening to her like that, he asks her to stay with him in his room. She makes him promise to explain everything to her in the morning. She goes and sits with him on his bed, his body wrapped around her. She observes how everything about him looks monstrous, as she touches his face. He pulls her against his chest, holding her tightly. She believes she’s not afraid because she was cursed by her mother right before she died. 

Chapter fourteen begins with Chise asleep in Elias’ bed, his massive hand covering her chest and throat, though he’s not squeezing. His jaws are wide open over her entire head, and drool is dripping from between his teeth. The fae soul inside him very much wants to eat Chise. Hours later, Chise has a dream about her mother choking her and wakes up alone in his bed. He left a note on the nightstand saying he’d be back in the evening. 

She and Ruth immediately go out looking for him. As they search, Ruth, in his human form, casually remarks that Chise loves Elias, which shocks Chise. She admits she likes him, but Ruth points out that she’s anxious when he’s gone and she worries about him. He reassures her that it’s a good thing to love someone other than yourself and to have someone to protect and protect you in turn. He loved Isabel (as a sister), as he loves Chise now. Chise wishes aloud that it was that easy, to which Ruth gives her a frustrated look and notes her stubborn streak.

A short time later, they come across an elderly man named Joel tending his garden, along with a leannan sidhe who is strangely not feeding off him. Ruth goes on to look for Elias, telling Chise to stay behind because she hasn’t slept well in days and it’s showing. She has tea with Joel, who asks where her friend went. She clarifies that he’s her brother, reinforcing the understanding of the reader that there is nothing romantic about her love for Ruth. 

Chise agrees to read the short story that Joel wrote, observing that it’s sweet, but not at all influenced by the leannan sidhe’s magic. The fae tells her how she met Joel right after eating her last lover. Even though he wasn’t her type, she was drawn to him and their eyes met once, just for a moment. She doesn’t give him her inspiration, nor does she feed off him. She simply wants to be with him forever until he dies. She asks Chise what she thinks that means. 

Later, as she’s leaving, Chise says to her, “Those strange feelings you have? I think it’s probably–” The fae silences her with a kiss, telling her, “That’s not the answer I want to hear. For my kind, to “love” a human means eating them. So no, I do not love him.” For the leannan sidhe, and fae in general, to love means to want to consume. This is why we later see Chise “paying” fae by allowing them to drink her blood in exchange for information. Even Elias makes a point to lick her wounds; I suspect not only to help heal them, but because the fae soul in him wants to eat her. 

The fae soul within Elias loves Chise, expressing that love as ravenous hunger, possessiveness, and jealousy…as fae do. But the human soul in him is fighting those dark urges and wrestles down that instinct, which is why he retreated to the woods when he felt compelled to devour her the previous night. When Elias is having trouble maintaining his form, it is literally an outside picture of the war being waged between his fae soul and his human soul. When Chise bound herself to another fae, the fae soul within him reacted strongly to that, and started to take over. But contrary to what Alice believes, Elias’ human side is stronger than his monster side, and he has been beating it down into submission for hundreds - if not thousands - of years. 

When Chise leaves Joel’s house, she reflects on her own feelings, telling herself, “Seeing as I only know how to think about myself, I guess I don’t really have any right to talk about love.”

Cue Ruth telepathically letting her know where Elias is and she immediately goes running after this guy who she supposes she just likes. When she finds him, she breaks down, asking him questions about himself and lamenting the fact that he won’t answer them. She admits that she’s selfish, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to stay ignorant forever. 

Elias is very surprised to see her emoting this way. He’s never seen her so worked up before - except when she got angry at Josef for wanting to use Ruth as an experiment. He explains to her that the balance of his form gave way, claiming that when he transformed at the church so suddenly, it knocked a few things out of whack. He says it’s because he hadn’t taken that form in so long, he’d forgotten how to maintain it. Chise realizes that some of what he’s saying is true and some of it isn’t. She senses that he’s telling her a half-truth, as Renfred accused him of the first time she met him. 

And he is. The reason he had trouble maintaining his form is because his fae side was so overcome with jealousy over her bond with Ruth that it overpowered his human side for four days straight. But there’s no way he’s going to tell her that. His human soul can accept Ruth’s presence and their bond, even if he doesn’t like it. He’s horrible at recognizing emotions and relationship dynamics, but perhaps his human side was able to reason that the pros of Ruth outweighed the cons. And besides, there’s nothing he can do about it anyway, the deed is done. If he’s still going to make Chise his bride, Ruth is going to be a package deal.

Elias asks Chise for a little more time to organize his thoughts before he tells her about himself. She reluctantly agrees, though she’s a little pouty afterward. With the human soul in the driver’s seat again, Elias asks if she’s angry with him. She denies it, but he keeps questioning her about yet another odd expression on her face. This is their first “fight” as a couple, and it’s actually a really good thing, because we see Chise beginning to push back against him and not let him dictate all the boundaries of the relationship. She wants to know more about him, but he’s afraid to let her see the whole of him. He only wants her to experience his humanity, not his fae traits. But the layers are starting to be peeled back, one at a time. 

This isn’t his last struggle with his fae side’s jealous streak that nearly costs Chise her life, but the pattern is very clear. When the inhuman soul within him feels that his relationship with Chise is being threatened, he gets much more aggressive and overpowers the human soul. His morals go out the window. His possessiveness and urge to eat her is very strong at these times, but we are supposed to understand from Chise’s encounter with the leannan sidhe, that even that is the result of him loving her. The fae can’t seem to love in healthy ways like humans are capable of. I can’t think of a single healthy romantic relationship between a fae and anyone else in this story. Still, we see that both sides of him love her after their own fashion.

But the implication of this is clear: only Elias’ human side is capable of loving Chise in a way that is good for her in the long run. Fae are inherently selfish. So, if they are ever to be together, the human side of him has to be the one that wins out over the “monster” side. Luckily, the human soul is also accompanied by the animal souls that went into his creation. As we see with Ruth, animal souls are more than capable of forming strong, healthy, loving bonds. 

We see that Elias is at war with himself all throughout the story, trying desperately to keep the darkness in himself under wraps. We’re reminded over and over again that fae, while certainly not always antagonists, can never fully be trusted. Elias understands this better than anyone, which is why he’s yearning for and working toward his humanity. He can’t change the darkness inside himself, and he can’t always suppress it, either. But if he can accept and love himself as he is, he should be able to maintain balance and keep it in check. 

As his relationship with Chise grows deeper and they do commit themselves to each other, we see him getting better at this. The next chapter of their lives at the college shows how his heart is beginning to grow, and his capacity to love others is also growing. Even though there is less time spent focusing on his relationship with Chise, they are both putting in the work to love others selflessly. These are skills that must be achieved in order to have a healthy relationship with each other. We also see how much Elias comes to love Ruth, and vice versa. They aren’t just two males tied together by their mutual love for one young woman (one romantic and one brotherly)...but they develop a respect and affection for each other as individuals. 

One of my favorite panels is this one picture of Ruth, completely relaxed in a very vulnerable position belly up, snuggled in between Chise and Elias in his bed. It’s such a nostalgic image for me. My own good boy used to love to jump up on the bed and squeeze himself in between mommy and daddy, exactly like that. Not a care in the world - he just wanted to be touching his favorite people…to love and be loved, to protect and be protected. Ruth may have provoked the fae side of Elias to jealousy, but he’s instrumental in helping to heal and grow Elias’ human soul. After all, unconditional love is what dogs do best.

[lesmurples]

(Spoilers for TMA and TMAGP below.)

Just remembered that Jonah’s desiccated original corpse was in the tunnels in TMA and had a flurry of TMAGP theories sprout in my brain. (I haven’t been in the fandom much recently, so apologies if any of this has already been said elsewhere.)

Maybe the thing coming out of the trap door in ep 10 is Jonah’s og zombie corpse? The body holding Jonah’s eyes and consciousness may have died, but in TMA it was indicated that this body needed to be killed in order to kill Jonah, or at least to kick him out of the Panopticon’s seat of power to make way for Martin. If it has any trace of life or Jonah (or just The Eye) left in it, maybe it could have slowly dragged itself up to that trap door over the years.

On that matter, maybe Elias became the new Jonah in this universe too, and that’s why Gwen is trying to learn more about this supernatural world. She either knew he had been changed, or she wants to know what happened that led to his death/disappearance after the fire - assuming that’s what happened to Elias in this world. (That or maybe Elias was also in the “gifted program” and something went terribly wrong.) something something we thought Alice was the new Tim but alas it was Gwen the whole time etc.

If Jonah was pulled from the TMA universe and isekai’ed into an ancient computer along with jmart, maybe he’s able to reach out to this parallel version of this body, possessing it to interact with the world or just puppeteering it.

On the subject of the fearsome threesome stuck in a computer, there is also the question of what “Chester”s game is, seemingly leading Sam on to fish around in the Magnus Institute ruins. Maybe his last message was a warning not to do this, but Sam seemed pretty resigned to not getting answers before that statement from artifact storage. Maybe “Chester” wanted to free a version of Jon himself from the tunnels, or maybe there’s a disconnect between the actions of “Jon” trying to lead Sam to answers and “Chester” sharing a forum thread in the first ep seemingly warning Sam to stay away from the Magnus Institute. Then again, maybe this too was trying to send Sam to the institute, since Sam seemed to have not thought about his experiences there for a long time. So maybe this whole thing really is Jon leading Sam to uncover these things, not wanting to be “another goddamn mystery,” and maybe the the thing crawling out of the basement is related to Jon. OR maybe there’s nothing stopping a trapped Jonah from using Jon’s voice for his own ends. After all, that email to Sam may have been from “Jon,” but consider that the first three letters of Jonah’s name are indeed J O N OH HO HO I SEE WHAT YOU’RE DOING JONNY, THEY CALLED ME MAD BUT I SAW THROUGH YOU THIS WHOLE TIME-

Anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[akaikali]

TMAGP EP 22 REACTION (SPOILERS)

"So you just ran away" Lena sweetie my live what else was she meant to do (to be fair, Gwen didn't have to provoke ink5oul)

"Watching figure" yeah OK definitely some Eye creature of sorts I'm rly thinking it's like...The Beholding as a creature or an old archivist

THIS IS SO FUCKING FUNNY "presumably you didn't get any contact details from them?" "I guess it's slipped my mind as I was fleeing the SUPERNATURAL PSYCHOPATHS!" also Lena I don't think that you were gonna get any contact details regardless that bitch don't seem like they got a phone

Lena genuinely cares about her employees but also she hates paperwork (polar opposite of Elias)

Okay here's the thing right. I kind of get Gwen. She wasn't briefed on how to handle a situation like that, like what was she MEANT to do??? I would be pissed off if shit like that happened and no one gave me any warning (again, though, Gwen also has a tendency to naturally be a bit bitchy so that probably made it worse)

WAIT. HOLD ON MRS. KELLEY?? AM I READING INTO THINGS TOO MUCH OR. GUYS IS LENA MARRIED????

YO GUYS GRANDPA IS BACK

Oh shit okay so they are kind of recreating or continuing Newton's original experiments, seeing as they mentioned an experiment on Canis (which I believe means "dog"). It seems to have been expanded to apes (Hominidae), bunnies (Leoporidae), and old world monkeys (Cercopithecidae). And it seems this researcher is having strange side effects when it comes to his subjects.

"Herr Schmidt" I'm assuming this is German?

Hm, being told to use silver which again is like. Seeming to be a theme. I'm not sure but in the Newton episode, was there silver as well?

Okay for clarification, it seems like "Zeitgeist" is an invisible agent, force, or daemon dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history. Einthoven was a Dutch medical doctor and physiologist and he created the first ECG.

Woahhh hold on. So they're talking about severing a bundle of nerves to make it seem like two animals in one body because it messes with sense of self? This kind of makes me think a little of ink5ouls, the way they seemed scared sometimes of what they were becoming and then like. You know. Scary monster let's chase down Gwen and tattoo her against her will.

Hmm okay so this telegraph seems to be directly responding to the researcher's question, not the patient himself. Like it seems like it's Telegraph -> Herr Schmidt's reaction and not Herr Schmidt's thoughts -> Telegraph reaction.

OH. OK. HERR SCHMIDT IS DEAD NOW.

Damn Ursula is awesome she could immediately understand what was happening.

Oh boy. Oh this gonna be bad. Sam is going to find out that Alice was messing with his computer and Sam does NOT seem like the type to be chill with that.

Hm okay so the severing of the nerves might have worked? And perhaps it was like there were 2 people in Herr Schmidt's body? And from what I can tell, they want so badly to get out that they basically BURST out if his head in the deformity from the back of his head? It still doesn't answer WHAT or WHO these two voices are.

Also it makes sense that Augustus is giving something like this because like...pretty sure he's stuck in the computer, probably with jonmartin and they all want out.

Aw man :(((

OH BOY. "You're trying to control me. Again." I wonder if this is referencing their relationship and why they broke up. I can see it, I do think that Alice has a tendency to be controlling out of need to keep everyone around her safe which is pretty different, but I'm on Sam's side here. Taking away his ability to choose just...isn't great.

Yeahhhh Alice seems to have definitely been hoping to rekindle what they might have had but I think the issue seems that she hoped SAM had changed from before while the reason they broke up was because Sam couldn't be with Alice anymore since he felt like she was too controlling. And now that Sam seems to be having a genuine connection with Celia where he feels comfortable and happy, Alice seems jealous.

SHUT THE FUCK UP. OH MY GOD WHAT WHAT WHAT HOLY FUCK HIH WHAT AKDVAKDHWJT E

JONATHAN SIMS AND MARTIN BLACKWOOD????

HEY GUYS WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK HWIAHAOWVEBE RHAJDVAIBDKWBR E

I JUST SCREAMED "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD" WHAT YOU WHAT HUH WHAT

AND THE FACT THAT CELIA MENTIONED THEM BOTH SPECIFICALLY TOGETHER LIKE HELLO???? GUYS IM. WHAT.

I'm sorry shut up this is all I'm gonna be talking about for the next month what the HELL

[captainjacklyn]

Making my first DOL post today..random game I got into, it's so easy to get invested.

So here is my PC, don't be fooled- that's a boy he just likes his hair long cause an someone told him it looked nice.

Kinda felt like giving him a small description, how he views most of the LIs and other characters, maybe him as a person idk this really feels like a shitpost. I only recommend the game if you aren't a minor and have a strong ass stomach cause I almost vomited the first time.

!!TW!! mentions of SA, blood, gore, violence, human experiments, death, abuse (both mentally and physically), psychopathic behavior, murder, mutation, stalking, if I missed any other triggers please inform me immediately so that I may fix my mistakes. If any of these topics make you uncomfortable, I advise you to please ignore this post and find something else more suitable. !!TW!!

Degrees of Lewdity :

APPEARANCE :

The slender young man slowly stares back at you and returns your greeting. "Oh..it's you." his name is Elias, he's a resident at the local orphanage, he won't talk back if you try anything. Just avoid taking off his gloves unless he allows it.

PROFILE/MAIN INFORMATION :

Species - human, any hybrid Occupation - student Affiliation - orphanage, oxford street school Age - 18 years old Height - 178 cm Birthday - 04th of April Gender - male (can morph his system into changing sexe so female too) Marital Status - Dating Sydney, Avery's side hoe Zodiac Sign - Aries Best Subject - English, History Interests - Cross dressing, sunbathing, napping, gardening, makeup

PERSONALITY :

Elias is an unfazed and blunt yet somewhat gentle young adult who quietly cares for others from afar. At first glance, many would think that he only speaks up when others wish to converse with him, even then his answers are short with little depth. Though it is stated that his confidence becomes much more evident once he gets comfortable, Elias can tease his peers and act playful. Furthermore, he will occasionally invite friends to spend some time with him. Whether it be taking a nap together, walking along the beach shore or reading in the library. He can crave company and has no shame in asking for someone's attention.

Not only so, but angering/provoking Elias is a feat itself, he usually avoids confrontation by walking away and even when things get out of hand, the young man will still struggle for the sake of running off. Though reaching a certain state of insanity, he looses all control of reason and will attack the offender without limit. This livid persona gives him an animalistic instinct to kill, relentlessly harming the individual(s) who previously caused his senses to go a-wire. The way he does this can get more gruesome depending on the previously inflicted physical or mental wounds on Elias, from forcing himself on them to tearing their skin open and eventually creating a gash deadly enough to give them a slow painful end. He stops at nothing until he's satisfied with how much suffering his abuser lives through.

InGameAU/Canon

Note - The statements above is largely different to how he canonically behaves. I have a knack for 'book accurate' vs 'show representation' and wanted a similar concept for my character.

In the game itself, Elias is much less of a victim and instead finds himself to be in constant control (I've been wary of any nonconsensual interactions, making a save before every choice that could lead to gr*pe or getting..y'know v*red). He is manipulative, defiant and easily angered. Belittling any passerby who leaves him a crude remark, regarding his more manipulative tendencies, this does result in him being a bit of a player.

One ↦ Robin can only have a specific percentage of confidence, preferably leaning towards a hundred but never fully. There is the excessive guilt-trip technique, Elias takes care of him from time to time and the moment Robin says something that could waver the white haired boy's sense of control he half scolds him by reminding Robin of everything he does just for him.

Two ↦ Sydney's purity = max level at all times. He doesn't want to deal with the possibility of having a bratty little *sshole follow him around everywhere for s*x. Especially not if the church proceeds to act up along with his corrupted state. The two of them are dating in game, Elias mainly uses him for protection at school, status wise at least. Due to Elias' line of work and desperate need to pay off Bailey, my PC cheats on Sydney practically everyday, having intercourse with multiple NPCs who offer a good price in exchange for his body as well as acting as Avery's sugar baby.

Despite this, he does care, I promise that he does. But his way of thinking would be similar to Alicent Hightower from House of The Dragon. He isn't narcissistic and has never once acted that way, however Elias is heavily twisted by loneliness abandonment issues go brr, anxiety and peer pressure (e.g robin getting punished for not paying his rent, Bailey possibly selling him off to the farm, etc..). This causes him to appear collected and normal at one moment and then unexpectedly go nuts.

BACKGROUND :

Elias' past follows most of the in-game's PC backstory, he was raised in the orphanage by Bailey and supposedly lived within that town his whole childhood. Another NPC who is only present in Elias' story is Monika, an older sister-like figure who was also raised in the orphanage but soon adopted and taken away. She is said to have learned to read rather quickly and many youngsters would come to her for stories, including Robin. Monika was especially close to Elias, treating him like he was a blood relative than just another inhabitant, their bond grew strong as years passed and her depart created a rather detrimental impact on Elias. Who closed in on himself and ceased to socialize, a partial root to his present conduct.

However, there is a darker side to his story. This would also explain the truth behind his gloved hands which he hates uncovering at all cost, as well as his existence alone. Elias wasn't conceived naturally, instead he was created inside an artificial womb manufactured by a non-governmental laboratory which was currently exploring the nature of hybrids (e.g beings such as the Black Wolf or Great Hawk). A group of scientist took a step further, planning a project which was yet to be approved by their employer, and decided to combine several varieties of animal DNA along with human ones. Their goal was to revolutionize the science of genetic research. Unfortunately, the team was found out and reported to their boss, who visioned Elias' birth as a horrific mistake exhibiting complete disrespect to the laws of nature. The people who had fabricated the unnatural child were instantly discarded from further company work.

Up until that point, the infant mainly looked human and acted as such. So the executive ordered for the toddler to be dropped off at an orphanage and forgotten.

TRIVIA/BONUS FACTS :

Elias is rather fashionable, he sometimes goes into the supermarket to try on a set of clothes before leaving without purchasing a single item. (the art is in the savings)

It is stated by several NPCs that he has a bad habit of staring, this is actually due to him daydreaming/spacing out whilst looking ahead unconsciously.

His favorite drink is lemonade and favorite dessert is lemon tart, anything that has to do with lemons is usually enjoyed by Elias.

When adapting to an environment, his hands are the first to metamorphose. They also connect to his emotions/primal instincts, circumstances like these are what drove Elias to hide them.

His screams sound like a mix of Caraxes and Syrax, his sounds are more guttural than actual cries.

CREDITS FOR PICREW :

#1; #2; #3; #4; #5; #6; #7; #8; #9

[esther-dot]

We should talk more about the fandom's love of violence as a response to the injustice.

Bcs i think they're (english isn't mother lenguaje 😅) being played by Grrm? He knows we like to escape to fantasy worlds and seeing the evil be defeated, but also he knows of our taste for blood, vengeance and retaliation.

I know what he said about he not being a strict pacifist believer. But is still contradicts his beliefs to burn alive someone for example, crucify a bunch of people, torture of innocent girls, or torture, simple torture.

One of the mayor problems of Grrm is the ethics and morals of his readers(and his).

Oh, I certainly agree that our acceptance of casual violence as a culture (I say this as an American, perhaps it is different elsewhere), has made a lot of fans miss how critical he is of violence in all forms. There’s a disconnect between what we believe the solution is (killing) and how he shows that to be ineffective. As in, Aerys starts killing people in an unjustified way which leads to a justified rebellion, but in that rebellion, innocents die (Elia, her children) and characters like Ned and Robert, who are victors, have their relationships changed, change as people, never recover what they lost--themselves or their loved ones. It's not a happy ending, not merely because both of those men die by the end of the first book, but because we also know that Aerys’ daughter is coming for revenge and will unleash devastation on Westeros in her effort to reclaim it.

Or we can look at Joffrey killing Ned (unjust), the North going to war (totally understandable), but we’re shown how the smallfolk suffer, that it doesn’t save the Starks from further suffering, and Robb and Cat die. Even when wars seem justified or necessary, Martin refuses to glamorize them the way the fandom wants and might expect. I’ve said before, depicting something isn’t condoning it, and we all land in very different places on certain subjects, “is this for a purpose or is this revealing a disturbing thing about the author”? But justice, mercy, war, peace…that all seems to have been of great interest to him from the get go which means we as readers should try to listen very carefully for that authorial guidance when determining what he is saying about it. Ned chose to save Jon (commit treason), he was ready to defy Robert over Dany, he warned Cersei in an attempt to save her children, and I think fro all his mistakes elsewhere, in these moments, we were meant to see that his was the moral choice:

What strange fit of madness led you to tell the queen that you had learned the truth of Joffrey's birth?" "The madness of mercy," Ned admitted. (AGOT, Eddard XV)

I understand how we get swept up in that feeling of power when a hero can easily kill the bad guy and guarantee a happy ending, but that isn't Martin's world, and in fact, he used Ned to show us how much he valued mercy instead. I recently watched The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die and Uhtred told someone that if you kill a man it only means three sons will rise up to kill you. It made me think of Ned's death, his children who want to kill Lannisters, of the North's loyalty to him, the reality of Dany returning, there is a cost to violence in Martin's story. Obviously, the good guys kill, you're right, he doesn't create a way to be a complete pacifist, and yet, I do think there may be a misalignment between his generation of hippies and our own which is also anti war but otherwise...shall I say, a little more open to violent means.

If we look at Ned's answer to a potential problem (whether that was Jon being a Targ who might grow to hate "the usurpers" for what they took from him a la Dany, or Jon being a bastard who might resent his trueborn "siblings"), he thought love would save them. That Jon growing up loving and being loved by his children would be the solution to a potential future problem. I've said before, I believe Jon will help in retaking Winterfell, will protect Ned's children when he failed to, because Ned, even if he is naive and people suffered for it, had the right ideals.

I believe this is why Sansa is so important because she has that ability to care and show mercy for enemies of her house and people who wrong her specifically, so it seems to me, that she would be someone who might strike compromises for peace rather than resort to further violence. War, death, that doesn’t seem to be Martin's preferred solution, and certainly, cruel deaths, torture, slavery, none of that is acceptable to him which feels like a silly thing to point out, but it is of course, an unpopular stance in the fandom, nonetheless true, and one we should keep discussing! I quite frequently see people act like those of us who write “anti Daenerys” (a tag we use out of consideration for her fans, a consideration that anti Sansa people have never given us) content are engaging in a ship war, but if one wants to understand what the author is saying, I don’t think you can avoid it? Is it really more reasonable to conclude Martin wants us to be fine with burning a slave alive than that we’re meant to be horrified? Tbh, if he didn’t want us to condemn it, doesn’t that demand we condemn his moral framework? It’s a different kind of fandom engagement, perhaps, but trying to understand what the author is saying is the basic form of engagement with a novel, shouldn’t be as offensive as people pretend.

I say this a lot but I always want to reiterate, I love that people who speak English as a second language still engage with the fandom. I know that English speakers are spoiled with content and ease of engagement, and that it can be intimidating to reach out for anyone, more so if there's anxiety about the language barrier, but I'm very happy you did it anyway, and hope you know how much I admire you for it!

[whump-me]

Obscure: Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Obscure, novel-length interrogation whump about a rebel leader who can erase memories with a thought, an interrogator who can see inside his subjects’ minds… and the connection they share that neither of them suspects.

Masterpost | the Mind Games universe | Read the completed novel on Patreon

---

Kirill

Kirill didn’t have a guard escort him to Elias’s cell this time. That had just been for show. He was perfectly capable of getting in on his own.

Inside, the lights were dimmed almost to full darkness. A hint of yellow light remained, like a harvest moon. He had always found something sinister in the baleful glow of the harvest moon. Elias had told him it was nothing to be afraid of. Just an effect of the moon sitting lower in the sky. Now, as he stepped into the cell and eased the door most of the way shut, leaving it open just enough that it wouldn’t lock behind him, Kirill wondered if he had been right all along.

This was only the second time he had set foot in one of these cells. The first time was when he had tried to fool Elias into thinking he was his new cellmate. He had been playing his old self that day. He just hadn’t known it. No wonder it had come so easily.

When Kirill had come here, headquarters had assigned him a private room in the dormitories. In some places, private rooms might have been a privilege. Not so in headquarters. Here, they had to prove they were trustworthy enough for roommates.

His room had been half the size of this, with no toilet or sink. For the first few months, the door was locked all the time. He’d had to call a guard whenever he needed to use the bathroom.

But this room felt like a cell the way that one never had. Maybe it was because he’d had a drawer under his bed where he could keep any personal belongings—not that he’d had anything to put there. Maybe it was that PERI had called it a dormitory, like he was away at some fancy boarding school. He had been young enough then to be swayed by a difference in words.

Or maybe it was as simple as this: he had chosen it. No one who ended up in one of these cells had chosen to be where they were.

Elias muttered incoherently and rubbed his eyes, the sound of the closing door bringing him awake. Kirill didn’t say anything yet, and he didn’t walk closer. He looked down at the man in the bed, Elias’s figure indistinct in the dim harvest-moon light. He saw his best friend, but impossibly old. He saw his prisoner, his adversary, but impossibly familiar. The two couldn’t coexist. But they were both there in the same man.

Elias sat up. He showed no outward surprise when he saw Kirill. But his fear leaked through in his memories.

“Is this your next tactic?” Elias asked. “Catching me half-asleep, while my defenses are down? Not letting me have a moment of peace?”

“I don’t need a new tactic,” Kirill reminded him. “I already have one that works.”

He instantly regretted his words as a look of raw disgust came over Elias’s face. Maybe he should have been disgusted with himself for threatening Elias’s son. Maybe he would have been, if he hadn’t spent so long hollowed out inside.

How had he never realized there was nothing in his heart but the obscuring fog?

He still didn’t know the answer to Elias’s question. He didn’t know who had been before the obscuring, before he had come here. He had changed in the decades since Elias had obscured him. The nooks and crannies where his old memories used to live were gone or reshaped, as unrecognizable as his current face would have been to anyone who had known his teenage self. His mind was a muddle now, the once-sterile space transformed to a chaotic jumble like the remnants of a house in the aftermath of a tornado.

“Then why are you here?” Elias’s eyes were flat. Like Kirill’s own eyes in the mirror. Only the trickle of memory betrayed that Elias was feeling anything at all. And it was a small trickle. Mostly anger.

“I thought we could talk somewhere that wasn’t an interrogation room,” said Kirill. “Somewhere we can have a real conversation.”

“I’m sure this room has cameras, too.”

“They’re off.”

“You don’t think anyone will find that suspicious?”

“I need to talk to you.” The sound of his own desperation in his voice surprised even him. Not because he had been trying to hide it. But because, until he had spoken, he hadn’t realized what he was feeling. He wasn’t used to feeling anything that was his own. Anything that wasn’t what the person he was talking to wanted him to feel.

Elias didn’t want him desperate. Elias wanted him gone.

“The room isn’t the problem,” said Elias. “The problem is that you’re assigned to destroy what I built, and the cost of that destruction is measured in lives. The lives of the people you’ll abduct if I give you what you want. The lives of the people we won’t be able to save in the future.” Elias looked down at the metal bracelet. The cuffs were gone, but the bracelet remained. “And you still threatened my child.”

The memories spilling out from Elias weren’t pure anger anymore. They were a confusing, chaotic darkness. Half-remembered nightmares. One second, a rage-inducing image—an intricate model smashed to pieces, all its delicate parts twisted beyond repair. Elias yelling out through the small house, demanding to know who was responsible. The next second, he saw his own younger face—not blurry anymore, but still the face of a stranger—disappearing under opaque green water. He felt the panic in Elias’s body as if it were his own.

He couldn’t tell what Elias was feeling toward him anymore. He probably didn’t want to know.

“I can’t give you what from me,” said Elias. His memories were a tangle of emotion, but his voice was perfectly even.

Kirill still didn’t know what he wanted, only that Elias was the only person who could give it to him. “Just… talk to me about the past,” he said. “It’s hard to make sense of the memories after all this time. They barely feel like mine.”

He sat on the edge of Elias’s bed. Elias recoiled. He swung his legs over the side and stood, careful not to let any part of his body touch any part of Kirill’s.

“I thought you said you didn’t want to remember,” said Elias.

“I don’t want to see it through your eyes,” said Kirill. “I want to see it through my own. I lost so much. I never understood how much I was missing.” Was this how everyone else went about their lives, with the memories of their childhoods clear in their minds? Not a crayon sketch, but a series of full-color recollections, with all the emotions as strong as the day the memories had been formed? How did anyone live with this much past in their heads?

Elias stared at a point past Kirill’s left ear. “I thought it would be kinder that way. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I should have left some of the guilt. I never imagined what you might become without it.”

An icy wave of shame washed over Kirill. Not at who he was—he was doing his job, he was being what PERI needed him to be, and wasn’t that the only right thing? Wasn’t that what he was for? Was this jumble of memories, memories that barely felt like his own, supposed to change all that? So far, all it had done was make it harder for him to do that job. It had filled him up until there was no room for what he needed to be. The memories had made him useless.

The shame was about the look in Elias’s eyes. He had never wanted to let Elias down. He remembered that much. It was why he had climbed that tree in the first place, even though he had known it was too high.

Maybe Elias was wrong about his lack of guilt changing him. Maybe Kirill was wrong about how Elias had hollowed him out. Maybe this was who he had been all along, but with Elias in place of PERI, Elias showing him what he needed to do and who he needed to be.

Maybe all Elias had done was make him better at being who he was.

He wished he could hold out the jumble of memories in his head and ask Elias to take them back.

He probably could have asked. Elias had the power to do that. But he didn’t ask.

“There’s too much in my head,” said Kirill, looking up at Elias like a supplicant. “Help me sort through it. Tell me about… I don’t know. Tell me about the marsh.”

“You still haven’t told me why I should.”

“Or tell me about my parents. I remember them, but the faces all blend together. I can’t remember which parts are Mama Kelly and which parts are Mama Charisse, and which parts are Papa Graham, and…” His vision blurred. It had been simpler when his family had been a crayon drawing, when he hadn’t cared about the nuances between one stick figure and the next. “Which ones were mine?”

“All of them,” said Elias. “That’s how it worked there.”

“You won’t even give me this?” Kirill asked.

“Will you give me my son?” Elias countered. “Will you guarantee his safety?” The flow of memory surged. It grew darker, the memories tinged with grief. The boy’s memorial service. Elias and the red-haired woman screaming at each other—the woman saying she knew there was something going on that Elias wasn’t saying, Elias telling her she had to accept Sammy’s death.

If he were still who he had been in those memories, he would have promised to keep Sammy safe. It was what Elias needed. But memories couldn’t erase the decades that had passed. His two selves lived together in his head, uneasily sharing space, and his past self was the one that felt alien. When he looked at Elias, he saw an interrogation subject. He saw what PERI needed from him.

But what he saw lacked the sharp clarity he was used to. And he couldn’t begin to understand how to get it back. He remembered his plan. But his confidence was gone. In its place, he had the memories. He was too full of contradictory things. He was his own interrogation subject. He was full of memories that weren’t his, staring out through the eyes of someone he had never been. But Max stared back, wondering in confusion and a small bit of horror who this person was that he had become. And for a second, he saw through Max’s eyes.

Was that shame he felt?

No. Only anger. Elias had broken him. Once when he had taken his memories. Again when he had inadvertently given them back.

What did PERI need with a broken tool?

Who was he, if not what PERI needed?

“You asked me who I was before PERI,” Kirill said. “Maybe you can tell me.”

Another brief burst of memories from Elias, before Elias shut them down. “You already know now.”

“I was what you needed me to be.” Kirill’s eyes searched Elias’s. “Is that really all I was?”

Elias’s eyes widened, like Kirill’s words had surprised him. “Of course not. It’s only PERI that has you thinking like that.”

“Then tell me.” He heard himself begging, like it was an act he was putting on to get what he needed. But it wasn’t. He didn’t know what would make Elias gave him the answers he craved—except setting him and his son free, which was impossible.

And if he didn’t know how to get answers, he was broken, because that was what an interrogator did, and an interrogator was what they had made into.

You were made for this, Ramachandra had told him, once he had finished the battery of evaluations that would tell PERI exactly what he was good for. What she didn’t say was that PERI had made him for this, as surely as if he had come out of one of their labs.

“Do you think I want to revisit those memories?” A hint of roughness broke into Elias’s voice. “I’ve spent thirty years trying not to think about Max. You may think you’re him, but you’re not. Not unless you choose to be. Until then, it’s best for both of us to leave him buried.”

“How can I choose to be him if I don’t know who he was?” Then, as the tone of Elias’s memories turned to fear, he asked, “Are you afraid of talking about Max? Are you afraid of feeling something, in case I use it against you?”

“You’ve done it before.”

“I won’t this time. Not about this.”

“I don’t trust you.”

Now Kirill saw how hard Elias was working not to look directly at him, and how unnaturally even Elias’s breaths were. The only reason Elias felt so little right now was because he was doing everything in his power to hold the emotion at bay.

“You used to trust me more than anyone else in the world,” Kirill reminded him.

“That was Max,” said Elias, and left it at that, as if the subject was closed.

Maybe Elias was right. Maybe the solution was to leave Max dead and buried. He was Kirill now. He had been Kirill for longer than he had been Max. He couldn’t be both of them at once, the dutiful interrogator and this alien teenage boy. Maybe the way to remember how to be Kirill again was to send Max back to the grave he had crawled out of.

And if Max was dead, Elias had been the one to kill him. He didn’t owe Elias anything. Especially not if Elias wouldn’t help him figure out how to be Max again.

Elias wanted Max gone. Kirill would give him what he wanted.

He stood without a word and left.

It was time to get back to his job. It was time to follow through on his threat.

---

Tagged: @cakeinthevoid @suspicious-whumping-egg

Ask to be added or removed from taglist.

[calisources]

GAME OF THRONES: HISTORIES AND LORE - ROBERT'S REBELLION. all sentences are taken from a mini-web series of hbo's game of thrones with different characters narrating different aspects of the world. this specific sentence memes is made from various videos of perspectives of robert's rebellion. change pronouns, names and locations as seen fit. this is a long post.

By Robert Baratheon.

The crimes of House Targaryen were too heinous to go unanswered.

The noble houses of Baratheon, Stark and Arryn united to oppose and overthrow the line of the cursed Dragon Kings.

We tried to take Ashford Castle in the Reach but the Tyrell’s beat us back.

The Targaryen searched from house to house for Robert Baratheon.

The combined forces of Ned Stark and the Tully's swept into the city guards. What a day that was. It's now known as the Battle of the Bells.

 It was his heir, Rhaegar who started the whole damn thing

Finally emerged from hiding in the south and assembled his own army to face us.

The battle that would decide the fate of the Seven Kingdoms occurred at the crossing of the Green Fork of the Trident River.

Rhaegar commanded the royal host which was some 40,000 strong.

Their  forces were outnumbered by nearly  5000 men but that didn't matter, they were fresh that we were battle-hardened and had justice on our side.

The Stag and The Dragon right there in the fort of the river.

Ned Stark goes to the capital to face the Mad King and make him pay for his crimes.

By Viserys Targaryen.

The Targaryens, Blood of the Dragon and the last of old Valyria were loved by their subjects and admired far and wide as the greatest dynasty in the history of the Western world.

Three centuries of Targaryen rule was shattered by the usurper Robert Baratheon and his band of traitors.

House Baratheon owed its very existence to the Targaryen.

Was it not Aegon the dragon himself who elevated the bastard Orys Baratheon in the war of conquest?

There are some who dare to claim Robert and his allies had reason to rebel.

They say the crown prince stole the usurper's lady love. They say my father King Aerys murdered Rickard Stark and his son without just cause.

Whether these charges are true or not? It doesn’t matter if the dragon answers to no one.

Aerys' good name has been besmirched in the years since the Rebellion. He’s been called a dangerous madman, a monster, a tyrant that brought  his tragic end upon himself.

My father was a victim of weaklings in his Council, lackwits who failed him in his hour of need and let the rebellion spin out of control.

At the Battle of the Trident, it was there the valiant Rhaegar met Robert in single combat but the gods betrayed him, and he perished by the usurper’s hand.

The Battle of the Trident seemed to herald the end of the Dragon kings.

I was the surviving heir to the throne. 

He sent me to the island fortress of Dragonstone along with my mother Queen Rhaella who was great with child.

King Aerys Targaryen prepared to defend his throne to the bitter end.

By Oberyn Martell.

 House Martell could have waged war until the end of days.

His royal parents had not produced a sister for him to wait, so he had to look elsewhere for a princess and there was only one in Westeros. Elia of house Martell.

She was not the most beautiful woman in the world or even in Dorne but rare for a woman from our land.

Her flower came with no thorns. She was kind and clever with a gentle heart.

I loved her, I feared for her for years I fended off lesser men from her but when Rhaegar came even I failed.

He was beautiful and the crown prince of the Seven Kingdoms and our mother had worked so hard to secure the match.

They were wed and he took her from her home from those who loved her and would die for her and locked her in his red keep.

She bore him a daughter and a son though, each almost cost her her life.

Elia loved Rhaegar, she obeyed him and he chose to steal away Lyanna Stark.

A pale northern girl whose veins ran with ice like all her people.

 instead of disciplining his faithless son, King Aerys executed the Starks when they came seeking justice.

Even in his madness he knew that no true Dornishmen would ever take up arms against our beloved princess and that we would fight to the death.

Prince Rhaegar, who was too slow or too arrogant for Robert's Warhammer.

Lord Tywin's Army sacked his friend's city while Lord Tywin's son  murdered the king he'd sworn to protect.

War is terrible and men must become terrible to wage it.

Lord Tywin's dog Ser Gregor Clegane the mountain, made Elia watch as he murdered her daughter and dashed her infant son's head against a wall.

With her baby's blood still on his hands he raped my sister and murdered her.

By Catelyn Tully/Stark.

Brandon Stark of Winterfell sought and won my hand.

Brandon was heir to the north and a suitable match for a daughter of house Tully.

Brandon was wild and terrifying, never far from laughter or trouble.

I loved him with all the fire of her first passion.

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen abducted Brandon's sister Lyanna. Hot-blooded as always, Brandon immediately rode for King's Landing to demand justice.

Brandon's younger brother, a man whom I had never met though of whom none spoke ill or spoke anything at all.

I spent the war by the windows waiting for a raven to hear if my son would grow up fatherless or at all. We knew the price of defeat.

When he came home to me he could not meet my eyes. I saw the reason by his side.

Many  men have bastards, I know, and under the strain of war any man no matter how honorable may forsake his vows for a night of warmth that he may never know again.

Ned Stark was not built like other men. His northern honor would not let him sequester his shame in some distant holdfast.

These bitter memories are sweet now they are all I have left of my Ned.

The Starks are of the North and like the snows of winter when they come south they melt away.

By Ser Jaime Lannister.

Kingslayer. A word every man and woman in Westeros spits at me, though many can't even name the king I slayed.

 I understand to them,  I'm a symbol of everything they'll never have and a warning that'll

never apply.

When a  dog goes mad we put it down. Why not a King?

I was never supposed to be on the Kingsguard. 

Oh as a boy I dreamed of the white cloak like all boys.

If Tywin Lannister forbade the tides, the waves would cease.

She could arrange for the king to raise me to the Kingsguard so I could stay in the city with her.

Is it a rock you want or me? Come morning she had my consent.

 I would join the Kingsguard for her. I would force my lands and title for her. I would forsake our family for her.

Everything started to fall apart at Harrenhal.

King Aerys made a great show of my investiture.

I admit despite my father's anger I was happy and foolish.

He commanded me to return to the Red Keep to guard the Queen and little Prince Viserys. 

The Mad King had chosen me to spite my father and steal his heir. I wanted to rip off the white cloak but it was too late.

I kept the King's secrets when his Pyromancer said caches of wildfire beneath King's Landing.

It fell to me to hold the red keep.

Royal Command,  bring me your father's head if you were no traitor.

Burn them, burn them all he kept muttering.

As I approached the throne, sanity flashed behind the King's eyes for a moment just long enough to read the look in mine.

He turned and ran, a single thrust was all it took to end the greatest dynasty the world had ever seen.

The last dragon king squealed like a pig and shat himself so easily. I thought a king should die harder than this.

I knew at once when I saw the way they looked at me I would be blamed.

I commanded them to announce that the Mad King was dead and to spare all those who yielded 

They asked me if they should proclaim a new king as well. I knew what they meant. Would it be my father or Robert Baratheon? or maybe the charred verse

Proclaim who you bloody well like

I climbed the steps of the Iron Throne and sat on it with my sword.

[echoes-lighthouse]

I feel like I don't know which of your F/Os are CGs so let's start with 🐤please!

🐤 - talk about (one of) your cg f/o(s)

I will slightly disregard the prompt and take it as a chance to make a little list!!!

My caregivers when I'm regressed are limited to Elias (Magnus Archives), Michael (Magnus Archives), and Sans (Underfell).

However I like to write about a bunch of my F/Os as caregivers when I'm not actively regressed!!! This is the full list of F/Os that interact with me when I'm regressed: not all of them are caregivers in a proper sense so I've bolded the proper caregivers. The others are playmates, in one sense or another. -Toshinori -Toga -Alex -Vampire Polycule -Zero Rick -Delirium

Subject to change in future but those are the ones that I definitely have dynamics with!! I would love to answer more questions about them from this ask game!!! Thank you for the initial question <3 <3 if anyone sends me another 🐤 I will talk more about one of them in detail.

[yatescountyhistorycenter]

Do you know Penn Yan?: Penn Yan Oddity, No. 1 through No. 30

By Jonathan Monfiletto

Anyone who has conducted research either through Yates County’s digitized newspapers or the Yates County History Center’s subject files has likely come across items titled either “Penn Yan Oddity” or “Yates County Oddity.” These items – snippets might be a good word – provide information about various aspects of local history, seeming to answer some sort of question or mystery.

Seeing so many of these snippets – and finding the answers but seeming not to find the question – I decided to scour our digitized newspaper database to see if I could find all of them, the questions with the answers. It turns out the oddities – 90 Penn Yan Oddity items, 52 Yates County Oddity items – were part of an advertising campaign in the 1940s for Baldwin’s Bank, then located at 127 Main St. in Penn Yan, the present-day home of the Arts Center of Yates County.

The Penn Yan Oddities ran in The Chronicle-Express in consecutive weeks from February 20, 1947 to November 11, 1948, and then the Yates County Oddities picked up right away in the newspaper from November 18, 1948 to November 24, 1949. So, for more than 2 and a half years, readers of The Chronicle-Express could learn something about local history each week in the newspaper.

Each item started out as an advertisement for Baldwin’s Bank with the phrase “Do You Know Penn Yan?” at the top of the graphic followed by the question for the week. In the middle, the bulk of the ad, would appear information about the bank’s various services and offerings. The bottom would direct the reader to look for the answer elsewhere on the same page and then look for another Oddity the following week.

In this article, I present Penn Yan Oddity No. 1 through No. 30. Each question and answer has been transcribed exactly as it appeared in the newspaper, which changes made only for typographical errors and not for grammatical style. The only time words have been removed from the items is in the case of references to photographs or other information that appeared elsewhere in the newspaper.

1) Where do autos now park on what was once the site of the village school?

The Maiden Lane Parking station was once the site of the Maiden Lane school where many of Penn Yan’s citizens received their education when they were children during the span from 1842 to ’93. Younger adults will recall when the school house was converted to a hitch barn by the late Owen Hoban, father of Leo and Owen Hoban; later sold and known as McConnell’s hitching barn for many years, finally being razed to make way for parking.

2) Where is there an octagon barn?

At the rear of the residence of John Andrews, 312 Clinton street, purchased from Mrs. Charlotte Becker, is an eight-sided barn, built in 1855 by Myron T. Hamlin. The builder sold the place to Darius Adams Ogden, first U.S. Consul to Honolulu and grandfather of Philip Ogden of Clinton street. Mr. Ogden built the house which Mr. Andrews now owns and gave it to his son, Darius Adams Ogden, jr., as a wedding present. The octagon barn may easily be seen on the north side of Clinton street as one drives along.

3) Where is there one of the old gas street lamp posts in original position?

In front of the Elias Wallace residence, 118 East Main street, Penn Yan, standing in its original position and now serving as trellis for a trumpet vine, is one of the old gas street lamp posts – the kind they have been singing about over the radio.

Can anyone tell us when they were installed, who was the last person employed to light them, when were they abandoned for the old style carbon electric arc lamps?

4) Where did Lake Keuka boats dock at Penn Yan in days before the dam and canal?

Before the dam made the outlet of Lake Keuka navigable for large boats and when horses forded the stream at Indian Pines, the boat dock for the north end of the East Branch was located near what is now Red Jacket park. In fact, the narrow drive which marks the north boundary of the park is a public highway leading from Lake street to Lake Keuka and the old dock. Horse drawn vehicles after fording the outlet would use this right-of-way to gain the Bath road, rather than driving into Penn Yan and crossing where the Main Street bridge is now located.

5) Where in Penn Yan is there still standing an iron hitching post?

In front of the Arthur Putney residence, 121 North avenue, is a metal hitching post – a pair of horses’ heads holding the two rings convenient for hitching. For years this was in Penn Yan’s business section and Park’s carriage works until some 35 years ago occupied the site of Dr. Glenn Hatch’s present residence, immediately next door to the Putney home.

There must be other hitching posts – metal or stone – still standing between the sidewalk and curb in Penn Yan. Where are they? If there is one in your neighborhood phone the Chronicle-Express – phone 123 – and for the fun of it, we’ll see how many still remain in Penn Yan.

6) How many other places are named Penn Yan?

There is only one Penn Yan in all this shrinking world – and that is in little Yates county, New York. Michigan once had a Penn Yan, but that Penn Yan shrank, too, until finally the post office name was withdrawn. In fact, the name has disappeared entirely in that section today. Nearest to “Penn Yan” is Pingyang, Korea, or Penang, an island, just west of the Malaysian peninsula, which the Japanese took in their early hop-skip-and-jump invasion south along that Asiatic protrusion.

7) What street is in the shape of a circle?

Wagener court, which opens onto and lies directly east of Benham street, is circular in shape. Four houses, erected by H. Allen Wagener, are on the street, built in 1918.

8) Where is there a residence in Penn Yan with 11 outside doors on the ground floor?

The residence at 155 North avenue, formerly owned and operated by the Turner sisters, has 11 doors opening from various parts of the house to the outside and all on the ground level. Two of the outside doors open towards the street on the front porch.

Recently this big old house was purchased by Fred Russell. Mrs. Elsie Reed Haney, who is in charge of the school cafeteria, rents the home.

9) Where in Penn Yan is there a tree with two limbs grown together forming a bridge?

A maple tree in front of the Methodist parsonage, 219 Main street, has two limbs which have grown together forming a perfect bridge and loop of wood.

10) Where is there a tree tied in knot?

A horse chestnut tree in front of 112 Benham street is thriving even though its main branches grow in a hard knot, some seven feet above the ground. About 50 years ago the late Richard Danes tied the twigs in a knot as a prank, never expecting the tree to live.

11) Which Penn Yan church occupies the site once used by a furniture factory?

The Curtis Chair factory once stood at the corner of Main and Clinton streets, the site now being used by the St. Mark’s Episcopal church and the late Seward McDonald residence. Samuel F. Curtis, grandfather of late Mrs. John Howard Perkins of Clinton Street, made furniture and coffins there until July 3, 1867 or 68, when the factory burned, along with the several houses between it and Jacob’s creek. The fire also destroyed the chain bridge across the brook. Approach to the second story of the houses back of the factory was direct from the elevated walk. After the fire the Johnson wagon repair shop occupied the location. Later the Episcopal Church moved from Main street, opposite Penn Yan Academy, to its present location.

12) Where are there old canal locks in Penn Yan through which railroad trains pass?

The trains of the New York Central railroad pass through locks of the old Crooked Lake canal near Cherry street, as well as at numerous other places during its eight-mile serpentine route, following the outlet from Penn Yan to Dresden. First used in October of 1833, the canal continued to carry boat traffic between Keuka and Seneca lakes until about 1877. Over two dozen locks were required to lift and lower the boats the difference of 265 feet between the lakes. The mason work of several of these locks is still in good condition and easily seen.

13) What Penn Yan church was once a public school?

The Free Methodist church on North avenue, just east of Main street, was a public school erected about 1843 or a dozen years after the first brick school house on the Liberty street site. After use as a school for a number of years it was transferred to the Free Methodists.

14) Under what buildings would excavators find the remains of an old canal tug boat?

If excavators were to work under the rear of the Armstrong restaurant, formerly Heath’s, and also under the Corcoran hardware they would very likely find the remains of a tug boat, which was sunk there in a spur of the old Crooked Lake canal before the latter was abandoned about 70 years ago. This spur, running a short distance north of the main canal, was handy for loading and unloading cargoes consigned to and from Penn Yan. Local industries along the canal or outlet banks had their private wharves. The waterway carried much traffic from the entire Lake Keuka community into Seneca lake and the Erie canal system to the Hudson and New York City.

15) What Penn Yan residence was once a thriving hostelry?

The Ottaway house at 210 North avenue was once one of the best-built hotels in Penn Yan. Operated by Mr. Pierce, it served guests when the corner of Main and Head (North avenue) streets, was the center of Yates county and Penn Yan commerce. Early in the 19th century there were three inns doing a brisk business there. This was before Vernon township, which then included Milo and Jerusalem townships as well, was named Benton. In 1818 the meeting at which Milo township was organized was held in one of those inns. Until recently a horseblock covered a liberal flowing spring which once supplied a watering trough in front of the building.

For many years the edifice has served as an apartment house.

16) Where did the original outlet leave Lake Keuka?

Before the present channel was dug, the mouth of the Lake Keuka outlet was about 50 feet further west, toward the West Lake road, than now. A little swale in back of the beach shows where the original outlet bed was. The stream then meandered in a wide curve through the present march, which at that time was a wooded area. The delta across the outlet at the mouth of Kimball creek now directs the Keuka water flow into the marsh where it follows somewhat the original stream bed.

17) What Penn Yan apartment house was built for and used as a church?

The dwelling at 300 Main street, now occupied by five tenants and owned by Mayor Mervin J. Rapalee, was originally a Wesleyan church and is shown as such on the Penn Yan map printed in 1854. Another map in 1896 indicates that it was then the residence of C.B. Struble.

Rev. Benjamin Bradford served as pastor of the church at one time. His grandson, Rev. Arthur Bradford, is now pastor of the strong Congregational church in Providence, R.I., and his wife is a sister of Mrs. Walter A. Hendricks of Penn Yan.

18) What house has a front door opening directly on one street and back (or opposite) door opening directly onto another street?

Two or three houses near Five Points have front doors facing on Seneca street and rear doors, at the opposite end of the house, facing on East Elm street. The last village directory lists the Seneca street entrances as the front doors with Seneca street numbers.

19) In what nearby city is a rose garden named for a former Penn Yan man?

Sunday the Syracuse Rose society presented its annual rose show and the crowning of a Rose queen in Mills Memorial gardens of Thornden park, located near the Syracuse university campus.

These rose gardens were originated and managed by Dr. Edmund M. Mills, who served as pastor of the First Methodist church in Penn Yan from 1881 to ’84, leaving the local pulpit to become district superintendent. Rose culture was his hobby and as a plaque in the park indicates, he was a recognized authority on roses. Dr. Mills died in Santa Ana, Calif., March 15, 1933.

20) Were are numbers from 1 up cut in the stones of the sidewalk? And why?

The walk on the west side of Elm Street running along the Lake View cemetery is comprised of stones into which on the inside edge has been cut, about every 100 feet, numbers running from one up. Can anyone tell us when the numbers were put there and for what purpose?

21) Where is Penn Yan’s old steam powered fire engine pumper and the old hand pumper?

The old Silsby steamer, made in Seneca Falls, went into salvage during the last war. It was purchased in the fall of 1872, the year of the Big Penn Yan conflagration.

Stored in a shed on the north edge of Lake View cemetery is an old brake engine, Excelsior No. 2. The Excelsior company was formed in 1854, the year the downtown engine house was erected, and the break engine, the third purchased by this company, was then acquired.

22) Where is the oldest house in Penn Yan?

The dwelling at 105 Cherry street, owned by Miss Ida Caviston and now occupied the past nine years by Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Burley, is supposed to be the oldest residence in Penn Yan. It was built by Samuel Lawrence about 1810 for his bride.

23) Where is the official marker showing Penn Yan’s altitude?

The only official bench marker in the series, running from Dresden to Bath, that is located in Penn Yan is a bronze plate embedded in the limestone water table of Penn Yan Academy. Under the windows of Principal Donald Grants office. The reading on the marker indicates that it is exactly 767 feet above sea level but Owen Hoban, civil engineer and contractor, says recent maps correct the reading for that particular marker to 768.497 feet above sea level.

24) Where is the public drinking fountain that stood at the four corners years ago?

On the side of the Deckerman residence, 127½ East Main street, next door to the office of the New York State police, is a small fountain – rebuilt from the public drinking fountain erected at the corner of Main and Jacob (East Elm) streets just 50 years ago as a community service by the Loyal Temperance legion. The fountain was an ornate affair intended to serve both man and canine. Difficulty with the valve led to discard of the fountain from its conspicuous place at the four corners and eventually it turned up, greatly changed in appearance, as now, in the lawn of the Deckerman brothers.

25) Where was there a movie studio?

The E.R. Ramsey property at 414 North Main street, just acquired by the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial hospital for its expansion program, provided the studios for the Penn Yan Film corporation. Buildings of the pliaduct factory, started in January of 1910 … provided studios for the local branch of the infant movie industry five years later. The feature-length film, “Wheat and Tares,” shown at the Elmwood last fall, was one of the products of the local studio. Several others were scheduled for production when Mr. Ramsey’s death in an auto accident June 13, 1916, halted all plans for future filming.

Students and friends of the old Keuka college and institute as well as the public will have an opportunity to view the 32-year old film showing many Keuka college and Penn Yan scenes as background and numerous present residents as actors and extras. This courtesy screening of the film will be at the Elmwood theatre at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.

26) Where is Penn Yan’s subway?

Penn Yan’s subway extends under the sidewalk from the corner of Main and Water streets to the Main Street bridge and dam. It is used only by workmen, but has ample room since Main street from Water to the bridge is many feet higher than when it first spanned the old Crooked Lake canal and outlet and there were no buildings where the Chronicle-Express office and neighboring blocks are now situated. The “subway” is some 60 years old.

27) Where and when was Penn Yan’s first grade crossing elimination?

Before 1883 Hamilton street entered Jacob street, now called East Elm, just east of what is now the Pennsylvania apartments and Market Basket store run by Harold Seager. The crossing over the railroad, built in 1851, was eliminated after some 22 years of use by swinging Hamilton street a bit east, starting at the junction of Chestnut street and making the intersection with Jacob just east of the tracks, as at present. The remaining small section of Hamilton street on the west side of the tracks and station is therefore known as Hamilton place.

28) What was the first street to be paved and when?

Jacob street, now East Elm, was the first street paved with brick in Penn Yan, the work being done in 1906.

The old picture of Jacob street … was taken shortly after the paving was completed. A circus announcement on the Central house porch dates the showing as June 13. Merrill Beach transformed the Central house into the present Universal building about 1920. That forced Henry Ross to give up the open-air peanut, fruit, and candy stand which he had been operating for some 30 years. Frank Wheeler’s tire shop is at present using as an approach the location of this stand, which Mr. Ross took over years earlier from James Lord.

Immediately beyond the fruit stand was Abe Masten’s book store, now the American Legion building and the location being taken over by Deckerman brothers. Careful study of the picture shows that Dr. Frank Sampson had not yet erected the Sampson theatre, now Jewett’s garage, and that the Masonic temple, built in 1914, was still a dream only.

Conspicuous, of course, is the “Toonerville.” Tracks for the Penn Yan, Keuka Park and Branchport Electric Railway were laid on Jacob street in the spring of 1897 and torn up in the fall on 1936.

29) What early Penn Yan school was once located in the business section?

In the Chronicle-Express window is a seat, owned by Henry Carey and used in the Maiden Lane school. The old school is now but a memory. Once, however, it was the mecca of young Penn Yan at this time of year. The seat was found in the cupola when the building, long used as a hitching barn, was razed to make room for the present parking station.

When Thomas H. Lock, a bookbinder, came from New York city to live in Penn Yan, he named the short thoroughfare connected Main and Liberty streets, after the famous Maiden lane of New York. In 1842 the school was erected on the south side, serving to educate many of the early residents during the next half century. In 1893 it was abandoned as the present Liberty Street school was erected.

The late Owen Hoban converted it into a hitching stable, which in later years was run by Ed McConnell. … E.G. Hopkins then bought the barn and razed it to make the Maiden Lane Parking station. The big elm recently cut down was the last of the trees that furnished shade on the school playground.

30) What variety of apple was started and named in Penn Yan?

“Believe it or not” the Wagener apple was developed in an orchard planted by Abraham Wagener, “founder of Penn Yan.” When he built his “palatial” residence, known as the “Mansion House,” at the foot of Main street – the orchard spread from the rear of the home, now the Knapp Hotel, to Elm street. Erected in 1816 as a home, the “Mansion House” later became an inn and was rebuilt into the present structure in 1897 by Oliver C. Knapp.

The State Department of Agriculture in its report, “The Apples of New York,” says concerning the Wagener apple: “in the spring of 1791 George Wheeler brought with him from Dover, Dutchess county, N.Y., to Penn Yan, Yates county, a quantity of apple seeds which he sowed that spring in the nursery upon his farm which he was then reclaiming from the wilderness.

“In 1796, Abraham Wagener, from whom the name of the apple is derived, brought this seedling nursery and planted trees from it upon his place in what is now the Village of Penn Yan. In 1848 it was remarked that the old tree was producing an annual and abundant yield of beautiful and delicious fruit. It continued to bear full crops till about the year 1865. After it was brought to the notice of the State Agricultural society, the Wagener soon began to be propagated quite extensively, and it was since become widely disseminated throughout the country.

“In 1892 Wagener was being offered quite generally by nurserymen throughout the country except in the Northern Mississippi valley, the Rocky Mountain region and the plains from Nebraska to Texas. It is generally known throughout New York but is not planted extensively in any section of the state.”

[artm-is87]

hi!

i want a sequel. and im suffering. ergo, this.

hope u enjoy! feedback very welcome

warnings: hurt no comfort, spoilers for the game

gen

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

this is precisely what wasn’t supposed to happen.

they got complacent. success got into their head, and they let themselves relax. if they were better, if he was better, none of this would’ve happened. if only he–

“i can hear you thinking.” keegan interrupted his downride spiral. he knew there wasn’t anything he could do, logically. dad was gone. nothing could change that. it didn’t really help the guilt, tho. 

logan was asleep next to him, jostling around nervously. he passed out almost as soon as they got on the helicopter. the gunshot wound he was sporting has been dressed. it wasn’t perfect, but it would do.

he couldn't stop thinking about the way he fought back against rorke. the only one who tried to do anything to stop what was happening, and yet, he also knew his brother wouldn’t be able to forgive himself, or forget the way their father was laying next to him and dying, still trying to fucking reassure his youngest and make sure he knew he was proud of him. proud of them. 

he knew none of them would ever be able to sleep peacefully knowing that their leader, their protector died by the hands of a person he once considered his best friend. the person they trusted. at least keegan and merrick did. 

speaking of merrick, the man was clearly trying to power through the pain of his broken ribs, completely aware of the fact that now the ghosts were without a leader. and someone had to step in. someone had to fill elias’s shoes and navigate them, while also making sure they wouldn’t fall apart. that they wouldn’t let their anger guide them onto a path rorke was forced to take. 

hesh always had a temper, tho. and he didn’t think he would be able to stop himself from doing whatever was necessary to make sure rorke didn’t get to continue breathing and living through another day. he looked at logan again. his younger brother, his brave, kind and good brother, who already suffered so much, and wouldn’t ever be able to rest again the same. he can’t let that happen. he can’t let anything happen to logan, he can’t lose the only family he had left. 

he’ll do whatever it takes. even if it means dying in the process. 

—-------

logan was gone. 

yet again, they let their victory overshadow reality. god, he thought they did it, he thought they finally managed to get rid of the fucking parasite that has been infesting them since the beginning. 

he felt like bashing his head against a wall. how could he let this happen? how could he let him take everything he had left? 

the federation had logan. rorke had logan. he knew what they were doing to him. rorke capture provided them with answers he wished he didn���t. because knowing how much suffering his brother was going through, how much pain he was subjected to, because he couldn’t get his fucking legs to work and fight rorke, save logan, instead having to watch as he was dragged away, by the man he thought he killed, and being unable to do a single fucking thing about it was probably haunt him for the rest of his life. 

“we have to find him. we can’t let rorke, the federation get to him. if they kill him, if they manage to turn him-” hesh couldn’t tell if he was still screaming or not. he felt like he was drowning. his voice wasn’t carrying as much force as it usually did. it  broke, and it almost sounded like a sob. 

“we’re doing everything we can for now, hesh. we physically can’t go after them - we have nothing. the federation is in disarray, but we suffered too many losses to be able to do anything. we have no leads, you’re still healing for fucks sake. there isn’t anything we can do for now. you know the second we can, we’re going after him, after them. we’ll find him.” merrick sounded far away for hesh - trying to keep his composure, but clearly feeling the effects of what he perceived as a failure. 

there was a reason he was chosen as the leader, tho. despite everything, he still managed to sound more reasonable than anyone else was feeling right now. hesh’s distant thought was that he sounded like dad, but he didn’t have the mental capacity to actually acknowledge it. he almost wished he could just go find logan himself, but he knew merrick was right. there was nothing they could do for now. he felt like banging his head against a wall. 

he needed sleep. they all needed sleep and rest, so they could get the fuck up and find logan. also to hunt rorke and rip him limb to limb. they weren’t going to let him get away with this. he’s going to take his time and tear him apart for what he put them through. hesh is going to make him fucking suffer, and he’s going to get his little brother home, safe. 

he had to. 

[kadavernagh]

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Frank's Frogurt PARTIES: Elias and Regan SUMMARY: After Elias and Regan discussed froyo online, Regan begrudgingly agreed they could get some. She could only find frogurt which is probably close enough. They're not welcome back. CONTENT WARNING: None

Could it still be called froyo if the store said it was frogurt? Regan stared up at the Frank’s Frogurt sign and frowned at it. Something about the portmanteau seemed sinister and wrong. She had told Elias she would find somewhere for them to get frozen yogurt, and it already felt as though she’d failed. As soon as he shuffled up, she was ready to roll in with an apology and explanation. “Elias. Hello. You probably see this is a frogurt store. I was looking for froyo, but I thought I caught a whiff of putrescine and ended up following it, and now we’re here instead, and I don’t know if – I mean, it’s probably the same thing, right?” She looked at him, and judged him the expert on the subject matter. Her expertise was limited to regular yogurt. 

“Also, are you sure about this? Isn’t it strange to eat in each other’s presence for no particular reason? I usually eat alone. And – and I don’t usually see other people eat, only what they ate after they ate it and if they’re dead.” Okay, so she might have been a tiny bit nervous – she hadn’t done anything like this in years. But that didn’t matter. She forced her nerves to come to a screeching halt, sealing them with a couple of deep breaths. Right, Elias could go in now. She didn’t have to, right? “Okay. I will wait for your return.” She looked to Elias and then the door, as if it were obvious she wasn’t going in.

After receiving the time and a place to meet Regan at for ‘froyo,’ Elias had been happy to oblige. Even though he had seen the doctor claim that she did not have a need for friends, she seemed kind enough to not turn him down. Maybe it was the pull of yogurt? Who knew. He hadn’t gone to a frozen yogurt place in a while, so the idea of meeting up with someone who he considered a friend (even if she didn’t) was quite nice. As soon as he came up to her, she had begun talking. Putriscine, what she smelled death? Well, that was certainly a good sign. And most importantly, very Regan. “That’s just their way of shortening frozen yogurt, just like froyo.” He explained with an amused smile spread across his face. “It is the same thing, we’ll be just fine.” 

“I’m sure! People hang out all the time, there’s nothing weird about going to grab a tasty treat together.” He frowned, realizing that the woman had very little social habits at all. Surely it wasn’t her fault, could it be? He wasn’t sure. But he did know that there was something about it that he found endearing. “Well then consider this a lesson in socializing with others.” He spoke, phrasing it in a way he hoped she’d find palettable. “What, you’re not coming with me?” He asked, turning to the door, then back to her. “Oh no. If you’re getting something good out of this from your assistant, you’ve got to go in with me. I’ll talk and pay so you don’t have to interact with the person behind the counter.” He insisted, gesturing to the door with a tilt of his head. 

Elias was so chipper all the time, and Regan couldn’t fathom how he managed to stay that way in a town like this. Maybe it was the only thing keeping his sanity from dribbling out his ears. He pressed so hard for answers sometimes and didn’t realize he was melting his own wax in the process, and risked being reduced to nothing. “I think it’s weird to watch other people chew.” She remarked, unconvinced. “And what makes you think I need a lesson? You and Marcy both. Why is your way more correct than mine?” But Elias practically glowed, and something about it was… foreboding. Like the way the air felt charged right before a thunderstorm. Why? She wasn’t sure. There was no scream swelling inside of her. But change was on its way, and she knew it. She needed to make sure it was in her favor – and preferably Elias’s, too.

Regan met his lightheartedness with a grave expression. However, she considered his proposal. He did make it sound as though it might be okay. That was a skill of his, and one she was slowly coming to appreciate. Regan nodded. “I accept your terms.” 

She looked left and right as she walked through the door, eyes narrowed in suspicion. But there was nothing suspect. Just a mustachioed man behind the counter and a display full of a rainbow of froyo colors and consistencies. Regan stared cautiously at the flavors. As if she didn’t already know what she was going to get. There was something else tugging at her though, a tickling across her skin, and her attention was diverted away from Elias and the froyo and the flies flitting in and out of her vision. “I’ll have the vanilla.” Regan said rotely, almost bored, and directed neither at Elias nor the mustache man in particular. She had her eyes on something else. Sure, she couldn’t see it yet, but it was there, she could feel it, its stiff little fingers wrapped around her heart.

Upon entering the small shop, Elias began to look around at the different flavors, and honed in on the cookies and cream immediately. Picking up one of the cups, he gestured to Regan to pick one up and fill it herself, then he walked over to the tower and pulled the lever, the frozen yogurt pouring into his cup. Then, he made his way over to the toppings to start putting on different ingredients. 

He didn’t pay Regan any mind as she seemed to look around the place, like a hound sniffing out its target. He was too content with putting together his ice cream the way he wanted, some brownie pieces, cookie dough, and oreo crumbles. He knew it didn’t really match his age, but he found that he didn’t particularly care either.

After he finished his froyo masterpiece, he turned to Regan to see how she was doing with hers, only to find her looking around. “Uh. Everything alright?” He asked her, brow raised as he tried to figure out what she was searching for. She looked bored, which he wasn’t surprised to see, but she also looked as if she were seeking something out. “Regan?” He then spoke, trying to figure out what she was up to.

Regan was somewhat aware that Elias was moving around in the store, collecting toppings on his yogurt like flies on a fresh cadaver, but she couldn’t pull herself away from that feeling in the air and charge against her skin. “Yeah, yeah, just a moment…” Her interest in frozen yogurt had evaporated. She was getting closer, and she wasn’t leaving here until she achieved victory. Cliodhna had much to be ashamed of when Regan was concerned, but her persistence was the one thing that she openly praised. She paced around the perimeter, scanning the floor where it met the wall. There may not have been anything dead in her sight yet, but she could tell that whatever she was picking up had skittered around the store just prior to dying. The mustache man was saying something, asking her to stop, but that barely entered her consciousness. 

Closer… she was getting closer. Regan stopped next to one of the soft-serve machines and stared at it for a moment. “Ma’am, please just get some frogurt like everyone else. Here, it’s free.” He gestured emphatically to the cups, then to the machine. Regan practically looked through him, then Elias, and went right back to examining it instead of using it. She knelt down, and knew she had it. “It’s here. It’s–” She reached blindly behind the machine. It was a narrow crevice, but there was enough room for her to grasp for the prize. “Aha!” She said gleefully. She reeled out a fetid, limp rat tail-first, and displayed it for Elias. “Found it!” 

Regan popped up and admired the rat. It was supremely fresh, had probably only died a few hours ago. She felt a little bad to be robbing Frank’s Frogurt of the smorgasbord of stenches it would let off a day or two from now, but finders keepers. “Did you get your yogurt?” She looked at Elias and confirmed he had a mountain of dessert, drowning in oreos and sprinkles and more. “Great. I’m good now. We can leave.”

Eyes widening as Regan all but sniffed around the store, Elias stood stock still as she did whatever it was she was doing. He had placed the yogurt down on the counter and watched with mild horror at the show she was putting on, kind of glad that there was no one else in the shop to watch what was happening. The mustache man started yelling at her, and he felt as if he wanted to melt into the floor and disappear. The last thing he needed was to be nearly kicked out of some place because of her. She was strange, yes. But he’d never seen her act this strange.

Elias opened his mouth to speak as she reached down behind the yogurt machine, tilting his body to watch as she did so. When she picked up the dead rat, he nearly let out a shriek. He didn’t, as he was able to calm himself enough to not let out that scream. The mustache man looked as horrified as he felt, quickly taking a wide step away from the ice cream he no longer had any desire to eat. 

“You… you want to leave now.” He spoke, watching as she handled the dead rat with no gloves. Shooting the mustache man a sidelong glance, he decided it was best to leave before something else nefarious showed up, like cockroaches in the toppings. “Eh, sorry…” he muttered to the worker before making a beeline for the door. “I’m glad you’re happy,” Elias muttered to Regan on their way out the door. 

The man grumbled as the two of them swung out the door. The searing way his eyes burned into them communicated one thing: do not tell anyone about this. It was difficult to decide what to do. On one hand, others should know about Frank’s Frogurt and, with a little luck, what might be found there. On the other hand, Regan wanted to be able to return for round two without any competition. She would ponder it. For now, she looked down at Elias’s empty hands. Oh… “You didn’t bring your frogurt. Which is understandable, considering the circumstances. But… we could go somewhere else. If you wanted. I mean, I am a satisfied customer, but you clearly are not.”

Happy? No. She wasn’t happy, because that was not allowed. So the airy feeling flitting around her stomach must not have been happiness. “I’m not happy. I’m pleased. There’s a difference.” In the sunlight, she could appreciate the way the rat’s greasy gray hair shined. Its paws festered, one of them gone entirely, and she could clearly see the outline of most of its ribs. This was probably starvation. Which was a shame. There was plenty of frogurt it could have eaten.

Regan beamed up at the Frank’s Frogurt sign as the two of them walked away from the shop. “This place is excellent.”

[sn4qdragon]

Everybody saying martin and yes. Yes. Of course I agree. Duh. It's also kind of the curse of being a VERY complex, VERY famous fictional character who also goes through a lot of change during the story and whose character arc includes him being misread and misunderstood by others.

But it's still frustrating because it's so obvious. Tma does a great job at depicting how people's perception of Martin is VERY wrong. People SAY things about him and afterwards, Martin SHOWS you that assumption was completely off - sometimes immediately after! Jon assumes Martin is incapable? Mere episodes later Martin has worked so hard that he got locked in his house for 13 days and still, the first thing he does as he's freed is make a statement. Jon starts recognizing his ability to be "almost cunning" soon after -- he's seeing the real Martin.

In s2-3 Tim is convinced all Martin wants is an idyllic reality where everyone is happy and nothing bad ever happens. Tim assumes Martin wants an escape, when the ENTIRETY of s3 is Martin being nearly the only one to actually face what is happening -- HE's making the statements and researching them on his own, not Tim, as bad as it makes him feel. And when Elias tells him his devotion is to a person who treats him quite badly his answer is "yeah, I know". Because he DOES. People keep assuming Martin doesn't stand up for himself, but it's the opposite -- Martin knows EXACTLY when someone is mistreating him and manipulating him, and he usually uses that. Why else would he have been so strongly considered for the Web? Elias's first idea was to destroy Martin's image of Jon -- but he can't, because Martin ALREADY knows. That's when he hits way closer, to his parents and his mother, the one topic that's actually still a sore subject for him. And yet, after all that, he immediately gets up and gets back to business, his plan having succeeded. He gets back to work. Martin's ability to manipulate a situation to his advantage is CONSISTENTLY shown and NOBODY SEEMS TO SEE IT both in the show and outside of it.

And s4 oh s4. To me it's peak Martin season because everything he's been trying to push against becomes too strong for him -- and still he perseveres and proves everyone wrong. Here, the concept of him knowing he's being manipulated and using it to his benefit is central to his arc and consistent until the end -- everytime you think Peter might have finally gotten him, Martin reminds you he knows EXACTLY who he's working with, and beats him, even when the Lonely has nearly completely got him (then there's Jon pulling him out, and him finally, finally getting back all that love he's given, all that caring. But that's another story. I love jmart)

And s5 has a lot of him, and I could go on and on, but I'll just say this. You probably don't realize just how much Martin manipulates the situations he's in so that what he wants can happen, and it's not obvious in s5, but he's actually doing it with his relationship with Jon -- not in a bad, actually manipulative way, mostly, but in the way you would if you saw your partner go through what Jon went through, become what Jon has become. Martin pushes Jon to get out of his guilty mindset. Martin convinces Jon to get out and try to make it better. If you still don't see it: do you realize that in the finale, despite Jon betraying everything they'd organized, what happens is STILL what Martin wanted?

It might be unfair to call it manipulation: it's not. Martin, at his core, loves immensely, and that's something any fan sees. What many people don't truly understand is HOW Martin loves: he doesn't love carelessly and selflessly (except in the very beginning, maybe). Martin loves very, very carefully. He adores and loves and takes CARE of it. He's stubborn, hard, and resolute in the face of it. He will not sit and take it. He will love actively and he will fight for it.

Worst pain

[jadeyarts]

summary of what i’ve been doing with these guys (details subject to change)

SO BASICALLY: in the first episode of sonic underground you can see a statue of king acorn before it is demolished by robotnik’s rule, which means that king acorn still exists in sonic underground at least until somewhat recently, and would have been a major ruling force in mobotropolis prior to robotnik’s takeover. now, since aleena isn’t even originally from mobotropolis that means her ruling power would have been through king acorn in some fashion. either she overthrew him, or she married into his kingdom.

since aleena would still be of noble blood separate from any connection to king acorn as we know she is a descendant of a pharaoh, we can assume that the two having an arranged marriage is entirely plausible given how monarchies operated to secure alliances and keep bloodlines noble. now of course there’s TWO king acorns: max, pre-sgw, and nigel, post-sgw. and both of them have wives - mothers to sally acorn - that are seen, and do not resemble aleena at all. so safe to say that if one actually explored aleena co-existing with the acorns, she probably didn’t actually marry either of them.

how or why she would overthrow him without immediately reforming the entire system given what we know of her origins and her values don’t really make sense imho so i’ll just say that in the context of underground canon, i do think she did probably marry king acorn and gained rule through the relationship. i don’t think he’s the father of her children, but uh... i’m not going to get into that right now. anyways, in the context of a more satam or archie based setting... well, the clear answer is that she may have been engaged to him, but she’s not married to him, so clearly things fell through.

as a noble it would be considered her duty to go through with the marriage - but as sonic’s mother, i strongly feel that just like her son, she would strongly believe in freedom and making your own choices - and she doesn’t love max. so instead she runs off with someone she does love, a commoner - so my aleena isn’t actually a queen, though still of a noble bloodline - mostly because while i think aleena having a royal background and being sonic’s mother is cool, i don’t care much for sonic himself as a royal? so she gives up her noble title, has the triplets, becomes a freedom fighter, ect.

now, what a lady in waiting is actually depends on the specific kingdom and its system - they can be a personal assistant, OR a monarchy-assigned best friend to a noblewoman who is also noble, and depending on the specific kingdom’s system, a monarch who is married to a noblewoman may be entitled to marry her lady in waiting as well. since the acorns rule over a fantastical fictional kingdom that is AT BEST taking place on a post-apocalyptic earth i figure the functions of a fictional lady in waiting doesn’t need to be exactly accurate to a specific real life kingdom - SO! with aleena and max engaged but aleena bouncing to hook up with a commoner, and alicia being max’s canon wife, i’m going to go ahead and say that in these circumstances it would make sense for alicia to be aleena’s lady in waiting who took over her duty to marry the monarch she was engaged to as she was also a noblewoman.

but because of aleena and max’s former engagement, she managed to have a weird and complicated friendship with max and locke.

anyways, i actually like both king max and king nigel, albeit in two very different ways. max is... complicated, controversial, and sometimes not great - but i find that his flaws make him a fascinating character, and i like to watch him struggle making the right choices as a parent and as a leader because of the circumstances he was born into and dealt with! and nigel is a genuinely loving and positive influence in sally’s life that i feel she deserves, elias could benefit from as well, and contrasts well with max’s everything. so i kind of want them both to exist. so my solution is to make them brothers - max was the ruling monarch until, you know. nigel is his younger brother, who eventually takes over the kingdom. which means elias gets to stay in the woods with meg and alexis, lol. 

also nigel’s dead wife doesnt have a name which is sucks but i havent come up with my own for her yet >:( anyways since i’m making max fully a chipmunk and alicia a hamster (instead of both being chipmunk/squirrel hybrids) then nigel and his unnamed wife are swapping species - nigel now a chipmunk to match max, his unnamed wife now a squirrel.

meanwhile locke and max’s affair need no real explanation. i think they were fucking around on that island even if sally and knuckles didn’t know it, argue with the wall.