#idk yet though I'll just cross that bridge when I get there

[k1ttysh1ft4r]

Scripting struggles

I'm changing my magical girl outfit and I have 5 I like and I cant pick one... they don't even match the magic I gave myself anyways idk why I'm like this...

Anyways I'm just taking them all 🤷🏾‍♀️ when I wear them in my DR I'll decide which ones I want to keep.

On that note I need to pick a wand/weapon too. The struggle starts again.

[mishapocalyse]

hii!!¡ ✨so i hav an idea for a request!!¡ and it just came 2 me but yegh I wud love if u cud do a lil sumthin wiv female reader wher ur at the fairground? mayb tryin rlly hard 2 win a game so u can get a huuge teddy n who else shud come along but soldier boy himself n he wins it 4 u n ofc ur starstruck!!🤩🧸✨ idk mayb he's ther 4 publicity prob but do whatever i luv ur writing so hav fun n run wiv it lol💕🍭 tysm bby!!✨υ´♡⁠ ﻌ ♡⁠`⑅υ

Three in a Row and You Can Get The Girl

Description: You wanted that giant teddy bear and you were not going to leave the fairground until it was yours. It really helped when America's masked crusader comes to your aid.

Pairings: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: Soldier Boy is his own warning, language. Sweet, toothache cuteness

Note: This request is another fave and I love it so much. My heart yearns for sweet Soldier Boy. Also to add--some do not understand the idea of fan fiction and how you can ultimately change a bit of the character's personality to your liking. That is the entire idea of fan fiction. Yes I know Soldier Boy is as a whole-a butt, and is overall written as a terrible person. However, I like to think that in the presence of women- from what I have seen from small parts of the show, he had some potential to be super sweet to women.

Also...I can do what I want.

"Ah, I'm sorry pretty lady, but you need about five more wins if you're wanting the 62" teddy." The service worker at the ring toss stand politely told you, as you deflated, a bit disappointed.

You stepped to the side not wanting to get in the way of others, but you were seriously eyeing that teddy for yourself.

You had come to the fairgrounds alone since your date had stood you up for the third time this week.

You didn't care though. You only knew the guy a few months.

Besides, you were at the fair, having fun. Riding rides, eating the amazing food from some of the vendors, and playing the games with such confidence that probably by the end of the night you will win that huge teddy.

Hopefully.

"Wanna try again? " The service work from the ring toss said.

You thought about it for a second before nodding and putting away the container of food you had gotten earlier. Stepping up to the plate, you readied yourself for yet another round of ring toss.

-------

Soldier Boy huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We are so sorry that this happened. We had no idea that Homelander would be here. He didn't even book a venue-" The super soldier held up a hand to his PR committee.

"Shut up-just shut the fuck up. Christ on a cross, I need a fucking minute." With that, he stumbled out of the tent and out towards the rest of the fair.

It was supposed to be his publicity "Welcome Back" stunt, but the caped dickhole had to come and ruin it. Soldier Boy grumbled as he walked around, trying his best to collect his thoughts before he did something stupid. Rounding a corner, he stumbled into the rows of games.

"Ah, you almost got it honey! I'll let you try one more time for free okay?" Soldier boy heard loud and clear.

Then his eyes landed on you.

You were leaning forward trying to throw the rings on the bottles in front of you. You would get a couple and lose on the last throw. It was always the last throw with those things.

"Sorry sweetheart. You played a good game! Maybe next time you'll win the big guy. I mean, you could get it in a different way- if you know what I mean" You smiled sweetly in return until he had said that last part and you immediately frowned.

Soldier Boy didn't know what he was doing, but before he know it he had walked right up to the stand and wrapped his arm around you instinctively.

"Howdy there darlin'. Been looking everywhere for you. Which one are you trying to get?" They way you stared at him made him feel a different type of way. The service worker stumbled over his words while Soldier Boy placed a twenty dollar bill onto the counter.

"I got you, Princess." he says as you continued to rack your brain around what had occurred.

---

"Uh, good game...sir." Soldier Boy plucked the giant bear off of the hook and held it towards you. You grinned as you hugged it.

"I'm taking both of these--show some goddamn respect to the ladies. Get fucked." Soldier Boy said as he plucked another bear off of another hook to carry and to give to you later.

You had thanked him profusely and stumbled over your words. You told him he did not have to do any of that.

"I wanted to. Saw the way you looked when you tried your hardest to win that stuffed animal."

"It was pathetic." You finished his statement with a laugh.

He chuckled along with you.

"Not exactly. Thought it was mighty cute if I'm being honest." He reached over to pat your head.

"Hey! Soldier Boy! We need you for photo-op! Where the hell have you been?" The two of you looked at each other, before Soldier shook his head.

"I have to get going. Mind taking my place with the other big guy?" He asked holding out the similarly fashioned teddy bear.

You nodded quickly as you reached out to grab the bear from his hands.

"What was your name again?" He questioned, not yet letting go of the bear in his hand.

"Oh, I never told you my name, It's Y/N. Y/N L/N. You?" A spark in eyes appears as he lets go.

"The hero name is Soldier Boy, you probably already knew that. But you can call me Ben, Princess." Smiling a goofy smile you shake your head and wave your goodbyes. Turning, you could hear him call after you.

"Meet me at the concession stands near the Funhouse later! Wanna' win some more things for ya'." You gave him a thumbs up, as you finally decided that maybe, just maybe, getting stood up was not such a bad thing to happen as you had thought.

[arendaes]

Word Search Game

I was tagged for this game by @dragonologist-phd. Thank you for the tag!

The words I was given are: LIGHT, MIND, and COLD

LIGHT: This is from an untitled My Time at Sandrock fic, if I ever get around to finishing it. The excerpt actually has two different uses of this word; idk if I'll change it up, because one is in direct reference to the religion in the game.

A week in jail might have seemed like a light sentence, but it proved to be almost as difficult to get through as those first few weeks of banditry, when his father's death was still raw and the indignity of having to resort to desperate measures just to survive made his soul ache like an open wound. Being left with nothing to do but sit there with his thoughts was enough to drive him to madness - not just under the knowledge of all he had done, but also with the weight of an unknown future. There was one bright spot, though, one that glowed so warmly it was as if she were made of the Light itself.

MIND: From the next chapter of All the Things Yet to Come

“You could say that. You’ve certainly gotten a fair number of feathers here ruffled, even before everything went to shit. Now, are you lot coming with me or not?” Ariadne nodded swiftly, for once not bothering with her fiancés input. She had a feeling neither would mind, though Daeran might be miserable for a few days if the teleportation was too rough. That was a bridge they would cross if they came to it - it was far more preferable to the alternative.

COLD: And this last one is from a BG3 piece that I'm still not sure will see the light of day - I completely forgot I had written this, but it was seriously the only WIP with this word in it.

But it was almost certainly the unseasonably cold air that caused their restlessness. They weren't of a mind to complain; if it hadn't been so crisp, Astarion might have just gotten away with making a midnight snack of them.

No-pressure tagging: @serenbach86, @the-raging-tempest, @spyridonya, @undyingembers, @captastra, @dujour13, @dmagedgoods, @valiantvillain, @outeremissary, @poetikat, @mxanigel, and @blighted-elf! Your words are MOMENT, STAR, and BLUE.

[andromedadoesntwrite]

Twenty Questions: Fic Author Edition

Thank you @bodyelectric77 for tagging me! I always love participating in these fun things. I am quite new to fanfic though (two months more or less) so I'll do my best to answer as much as I can <3

1-How many works do you have on ao3?

2

2-What's your total AO3 word count?

23,538 words

3-What fandoms do you write for?

The Hunger Games. But I'm not closed to maybe writing for others.

4-What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Cold Coffee

Fated From The Start

I've only published two atm :)

5-Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yesyesyesyes

I absolutely love comments. No matter how long they are I appreciate them so much. To know that people read my stuff AND that they like it AND wanna let me know, it completely makes my day. So I try to answer all of them, even if its just to say thank you. I especially love when the commenter references a specific part of the fic that they liked or made them laugh. It hits a spot.

6-What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

uhhhh.

at the moment I don't have any out. None of my fics have ended lmao. But something may or may not be in the works. Idk, not sure yet.

7-What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

once again, none of my fics have ended but I think Fated From The Start's will be the happiest.

8-Do you get hate on fics?

No at the moment, no. But if I keep writing its possible I will. But we'll cross that bridge when it comes to it.

9-Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Nope. Not really my strong suit or focus when writing. I've written a few suggestive scenes but nothing too intense or graphic. It's very difficult to write good smut so kudos to all writers who do.

10-Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

No

11-Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No and hoping it stays that way lmao

12-Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13-Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No

14-What's your all-time favorite ship?

Honestly Everlark. I really like both characters individually and think they're ship is pretty fitting. But if you had asked 12 year old me, she would've said Marshal lee from Adventure Time and me.

15-What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

There's a piece about Katniss not liking Peeta back till they were much older and both married sitting in my drafts buuuut I don't think I'll ever get to finishing it.

16-What are your writing strengths?

I actually don't know lmao. At least I'm not sure when it comes to fics. But I've been told I'm good at evoking emotion when it comes to sadness in other pieces I've written. I guess I still have to develop them.

17-What are your writing weaknesses?

I can get impatient quickly, leading me to sometimes not expand on something at first and just quickly writing it out. It sucks. And in the end slows me down even more. Since I have to come back and write things over. So a lot of times my descriptions fall short. It cringes me out when I read something back that I wrote in a hurry.

18-Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I would love to. I'm actually trilingual but Spanish is my first language so I'd love to write a fic in it. I think some things are just better written in Spanish, at least for me. Maybe one day I'll include it in one of the fics.

19-First fandom you wrote for?

The Hunger Games

20-Favorite fic you've ever written?

Fated From The Start! It's the one I spend more time in.

This was super fun and I'm tagging @thelettersfromnoone should they choose to do it, and anyone else who sees this since the rest of my mutuals have been tagged <3

[lacependragon]

Dog Update

(Positive)

Do you believe in miracles?

No. Seriously.

When we got home on the tenth Twiz wouldn't eat. He was sick. We took him to the vet and the vet told us he was dying.

And he is. He's dying. But... it's not as fast as it was.

The biggest problem was he wouldn't eat. We couldn't medicate him to help with the rest because he was going to starve to death before we could.

Two and a half weeks. Of no sleep. Of constant watch. Of trying every god damn food on the planet.

I've got him consistently eating.

Which means we can get him his medication.

Which means he went from a month to like, six plus.

I'm so tired. I'm so emotional. Everything in my brain is constantly breaking and screaming and crying.

But mother fucker I will save this dog. I'm not done with him yet.

This isn't a miracle. He's not better. The medication won't cure him and it's only tackling one thing, not even the terminal things, just the things keeping him from eating.

But if he can eat, then he can survive as long as he's not in pain. And now that he's eating we know he's not in pain, because he can communicate again.

It's not a miracle. It's a lot of hard fucking work. And monitoring. And asking my mom very nicely to cook livers because holy fuck does the smell make me vomit. It's hours every day that take a lot of emotional labour. But. It's working.

Thank you to everyone who helped. It is literally because of you that we can afford the medication that will keep him going a little longer. I don't know what else to say other than I genuinely did not think this would happen. I thought he was done. I thought he was leaving. But I am so, so glad he isn't. And I am so grateful to all of you for helping me out. Financially, verbally, and just generally. Knowing I had a lot of people at my back has kept me going.

IDK what we'll do when he actually is ready to go. I'll burn that bridge when I have to cross it. But I just. I'm glad he isn't.

It's amazing what sheer grit, determination, and old-fashioned begging to anything that might be listening can get you.

God, am I so fucking tired though.

[vynsvision]

Reviewing Vyn SSR cards bc I'm bored and I LOVE his cards a lot.

I couldn't say I prefer all of his cards to someone else's, because each of the boys have their ups and downs. What I will say is he's my favorite of the NXX boys and whenever I think he may lose my bias, I remember a few cards and I remember why he's my favorite.

Average rating: 3.8/5 stars :)

Gonna go chronological or at least the order that I read the cards.

Starting off strong with-

Medieval Suspense - 5/5 stars

This was the first SSR I ever got, and the first one I ever read. The lil guy got in my head and stayed there. Cheers.

Story summary: Vyn and MC go to this sort of LARP thing in Stellis. MC has never done this sort of thing before, but they're glad Vyn is there because he has. (Of course he has.)

Everyone gets costumes according to their roles, and they all meet again in a dining room in character to start the murder mystery. MC's character conveniently has amnesia so they're extra in the dark.

The story itself (the LARP one that the characters are playing) is super dramatic which is delicious. Its later revealed that Vyn's character and MC's character had been a couple, which I think everyone knew Except MC.

Ultimately, Vyn's character was the one responsible for the murder, but im pretty sure the rest of the characters agree to let it slide, lol.

Art is fucking fantastic, even if its a little simple. I'll always be a sucker for this card, as its the first one I ever got. Story is immaculate. Therefore, 5/5 stars, easy.

Near and Far - 1/5 stars.

Listen. The art of the third evolution is kinda sweet. But like. This and two other cards focus on Vyn's job as a psychiatrist (psychologist????) and I do not like how this card was done at all.

First off, it is about MC visiting Vyn at the Giannovyn mental center and they meet a patient with DID. On the one hand, cool that HYV knew about DID before Moon Knight. (Low bar i know.) On the other hand... I, a person who is not a system but was aware of DID before previous stated low bar, dont think it was handled that well. The patient in the card has 2 alters- one is chill and she's assumed to be a sort of host or fronting alter i think, the other has it out for literally everyone. Its kinda interesting later when its revealed how the alter was formed, but... idk. It just feels a little. Weird to me? Again though I'm not a system so my view may be irrelevant.

Another thing in a couple of Vyn's cards is that MC or Vyn are physically harmed. In this card, he gets a cut from the sister alter. I dont super love this because it doesn't seem like anyone else has this trend in their cards.

Art is nice but its just less interesting for the context and story of the card. 1/5 bc art is still well done but its just meh in general.

Heartfelt Suspense - 2.5/5 stars

This is the Lost Gold event card! Set after the end of the event, Vyn and MC are a part of a team to look for contestants that got lost during the event. They find and rescue a woman who had fallen down a rockside. Her ankle is pretty banged up- i think its sprained? She pretty quickly falls for Vyn and flirts pretty shamelessly, causing MC to feel jealous. They have bad reception for the radios to contact the staff, so Vyn goes to look for reception and supplies, leaving MC with the woman. Then MC gets fed up with the woman's pride and need for attention so she leaves. (Wtf MC) They find Vyn as they attempt to cross a rope bridge. They go back to the woman and they're all picked up by staff.

Vyn explains at some point that the woman fell head over heels for Vyn because of a sort of like savior complex due to the adrenaline. MC feels silly for being jealous.

Overall its not a bad card per se, but its not one of my favorites, either. I also. Really like MC's little outfit in this card. So cute. And Vyn's dialog with them on the bridge. Good moment.

2 stars for the chemistry of Vyn and MC even tho they're not together yet, half a star for MC's little outfit :)

A Star In the Night - 5/5 stars

First of all. CAN WE GET SOME COMMOTION FOR THE DRESS???? The third evolution for this card is fucking spectacular while the first two are so plain. The art. Incredible. The dress. Showstopping. VYN DIPPING MC????? FANTASTIC!!!

This is Vyn's birthday event card. God bless.

For whatever reason or other they're both at an event and the entertainment to cap off the evening is this fancy dance to be performed, but oops the professional dancers had to cancel! Luckily, Vyn knows the dance and teaches it to MC. They do the dance successfully. Yay.

Ok but seriously. One if the first SR cards I read was A Gentleman's Game, which was my first indication of omg Vyn isnt from Stellis? So like. I knew that hes this lil royal dickhead that knows all kinds of court stuff. And dances. And etiquette. Et cetera. But the absolute BANGERS of lines in this card. Vyn being sly about how he knows stuff, knowing it's his birthday but he makes it all about MC, his little jerk moves where he's like "I have so much authority and knowledge you couldn't even imagine. But its ok, I choose you regardless." Like !!!!!! SIR!!!!! Honestly, while I haven't read Artem or Luke's bday cards, those seem to still keep the boys as the focus of the card, confirmed in Marius's. But in Vyn's he makes sure MC is the center of attention. Its fucking spectacular. Marvelous. Incredible. Its literally amazing.

Apparently I forgot how much I loved this card.

Anyway, bunch'a stars to the art, bunch'a stars to the story, bunch'a stars to the chemistry. Thank u.

Between Good and Evil - 2.5/5 stars

Symphony of the Night event card.

Sorely disappointing card I gotta say. The art has a lot going for it so thats nice but the whole story is gaslighting a grandma about MC being possessed by her daughter while trying to find information about scammers. Ultimately, the grandma confesses she knows they're just pretending.

The story on this one is funky (/neg) and Vyn just,,, seems kinda out of character in it, especially the beginning part when he does the electric static ball thing. Like yo wtf. Creepy weird. Ick.

2 stars for the art, half a star for benefit of the doubt in case I forgot a good moment. Idk. The rating system is made up mostly. But I'm right.

Blazing Colors - 5/5 stars

Love Poem to Skadi event card.

YO WHEN I TELL YOU THIS CARD FUCKING SLAPS, (a positive phrase, btw) IT FUCKING SLAPS.

Story summary before I ramble- Vyn and MC are still on Skadi after the event so they go to this island off the coast where this volcano is. Vyn is there to visit a friend and so MC comes with. For the culture, of course. Anyway, they meet the friend who's a glass artist. Some dialog happens, I think a day or two passes, they explore some historical war ruins, they visit friend in her shop, and then boom, volcano on the island is gonna erupt. Women and children are assigned to be ferried off the island while men are directed to stay behind to be picked up by helicopters. Somewhere during this, as MC and friend get on the ferries, they both realize that the helicopters won't be able to land because of the ash and smoke in the air, so MC points out canoes and other small boats the men can row out. MC leaves the friend in charge of telling the authorities about that plan, and MC races to where the men were going to be. Meanwhile, Vyn was also realizing the helicopters weren't going to be able to land, so he convinces the authorities to go to the ruins, which are flat and big enough and high enough to be a good spot for pick up. After Vyn leads everyone to the ruins, MC arrives to the airfield to find it empty. They then realize the same thing Vyn did, and follows them to the ruins. Reunion happens and they get off the island safely before things get serious.

(Wrote this before summary and I'm unmotivated to adjust it) I'm kinda a sucker for glass art first of all. So the npc that we meet being a glass artist??? Hello. ALSO THE CHIBI ART IN THIS ONE IS SO CUTE I HAVENT MENTIONED THE LIKE IDK MEMORY THINGS YET BUT THEY BOTH TRY THE FISH AND THEYRE BOTH ICKED OUT ITS SO CUTE THEY TRY TO SAVE FACE AAAAAH

Aaaanyway, yeah, lots of cute stuff happens in this card. And the art is incredible. I dont super love the first two evolutions but I do appreciate them a lot and the FUXKING THIRD EVOLUTION AAAAAND ITS CONTEXT IM GONNA SCREEEAAAAM.

This card is perfect incredible showstopping amazing wonderful stupendous. Its probably my favorite Vyn card.

Art, story, chemistry, everything. Amazing.

Food for Thought - 4/5 stars.

Romantic Rail Getaway event card.

Listen. Slut!Vyn is always good. Idk what to say.

Vyn and MC go back to uh fake France to visit Vyn's wine making friend. Coincidentally, this wine-making friend is a hugely impactful and rich and influential person in the global wine industry. He hosts Vyn and MC but mostly lets Vyn do whatever he wants. Fab.

They harvest some grapes and they also plant a vine together. (The hoops MC leaps through for everything to be "as friends!" is silly goofy in EVERY card but I digress.) Later, Vyn gets aaaaaa little drunk but he keeps his head on his shoulders and knows better than to do or say anything to make MC uncomfortable.

MC also at some point eavesdrops on a conversation with Vyn and his wine making pal about Vyn's parents. We get a lot of Vyn and Svart lore/info in this card.

Art was fantastic, story was cute, drunk!vyn was good, yeah. Chill times :)

Neon Melody - 4/5 stars

Once again Vyn gets jealous as he misinterprets MC's attention on anyone else but him. Dumbass. (/affectionate)

MC goes to a club or something I dont remember why but they see Vyn there in a comPLETELy different outfit and atmosphere than normal. Finds out that Vyn has been in the club music scene for a bit. MC meets a "friend" of his (he's actually a patient/client? of Vyn) and this friend explains what Vyn is doing in this scene.

MC inspires Vyn to write some music about a specific subject and he dedicates the performance to MC while everyone else is gushing and vying for his attention.

Art is great, Vyn naps with his head on MC's lap, VYN RICHTER IN IDK CLUB PERFORMER OUTFIT!!!!!!, vyn being upset about not having MC's attention (chill version) and just. Yeah. Good stuff. :)

Last but certainly not least-

Flickering Moonlight - 5/5 stars.

When I tell you I was excited for this card to be completely embracing au, im telling you I was fucking ecstatic.

The art of this card is so perfect and before it came out I was confused as to how this would make sense to be dressed up like this in Stellis or Khamit. And then. Its. An au. Without any explanation or "hey is this a dream?" or anything. EVEN THE FACETIME CALL ISNT A FACETIME CALL ITS YOU GO AND HANG W VYN AT A WATER FOUNTAIN??????

The immersion. Fuck, man.

AND THE COVERING OF MC's MOUTH SO THEY DONT REVEAL THEIR AND VYN'S HIDING SPOT TO THE PHAROAH AND VISCOUNT OR WHATEVER? "gOOD GIRL"?????????? THE BINDFOLD???? THE EMBRACING AND THE "I'm do glad I found you to be the one like me- questioning the pharaoh and the gods because this truly seems a little sus" like. Bruh. I am. Gone. This card. Fantastic. Probably my second favorite.

Yeah.

Anyway, yes I have all the Vyn cards, yes I know its wild, no im not going to talk about the amount of money I've spent on this game.

Vyn Richter love of my life. How else do I end this?

[halchron]

SHIPPING INFO. answer the following for your muses so people know how shipping works on your blog.

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER(S)?

i have many that i don't ship with people ( yet ? ) but of the ships that i do, it's miyumei with my friend @/destinywoven no doubt. miyumei has been one of my otps for miyuki for years and shipping it with her has only made me love it more. same with reguri <3

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?

i don't have otps from canon where the age gap is more than like a year or two for most but i guess the biggest age gap i'd be comfortable with would be like 5 years when they're both adults. for my immortal muses aka youta, i just guess no one younger than 21

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFW?

idk when people start sucking each other off ? lmfao, but seriously as soon as they start whipping out their private parts is when i'd consider it nsfw

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

kinda ? idk i don't think i'm super selective but i'm not gonna ship willy nilly either. so long as we talk a fair bit oocly i will probably ship whatever you throw at me. however, friends don't have to ask just lmk what you wanna ship

WHO ARE OTHER CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?

made a little list about that here, though it's not like definitive

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?

.... obviously ? idk why you would just automatically assume otherwise lmao. but yeah please ask

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?

i love talking about my fave ships to whoever asks and i especially love indulging in my ships i write with my friends but i wouldn't say i'm obsessed or anything

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?

yeah, though i'm only single ship for my green ! i might end up single ship one day for reno / lea / hope one day though because i only ship them with like one other person in canon or i don't really ship them with anyone at all but i'll cross that bridge when i get there

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?

been obsessed with miyumei, kuramiyu, and promptis lately but when is that new lol

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?

um just talk to me i guess ? and then we can go from there lol but it's not particularly hard or anything

tag: saw @/vancreux rb his post so i decided to do it lol

[qingxintea]

heartbreak avenue (3) || albedo x reader

heartbreak avenue (1) heartbreak avenue (2) -- tell me how, do you do this thing called living? when theres nothing more to gain. gn reader -- ignore the link below idk how tf to hyperlink on mobile but that’s ur part 4 ig

damn. imagine missing mond so much that you visit just for the vibes and accidentally become a one time vigilante for dominating over a couple abyss mages

how oddly specific!

you moment.

TO BE FAIR, you didn't mean to and also ur just strong with that 245% crit damage ugh yeah yeah get it ig

it was night time, like, idk 1am and you were in this cloak because idk look swaggy and comfortable

abyss mage went ŏ̸̡̡̹̘͉̫̬̬̭̘̙̝͐͒̆̈́̒̿̄́͠͝ǒ̸̧̺͕̣̬̝̱͈̭̭̻̮̈̏̔͆̑̀̍ǫ̵̡̜̲̭̠̤̰̹͍̣͎̤̈́̓̍͠ḩ̴̡͍̣̹̯̭̩̮̣̩̭́̔̀̍͊̂͒́̆͘͜͝͝ȃ̷̧̡̢̡̨̛̪͓̤̜͕̳̦̼͊̏̃͆̓̈́̈́̽̈́͌͐̋̚ͅh̸̡̩͍̟͕̥͚̰̰̟̮̖̪̉̈́͛͂̍̾a̸̧̢͕̙̞̳̩͈̲͉͕̒̆̎̐̎̍̀͊͘̚͝h̸̡̼͓̝͕̫̤̰̱̬̣̗͚̙̀͜ and you were like "lmao shut up"

and like it did! because you made it shut up and also mans diluc was watching in his dark knight hero thingy

of course you noticed his presence from the beginning, you just wanted to piss him off and act like he wasn't there at all

you walked. straight past him like he was actually on the bridge in the middle and you just w al ked .

i mean ofc he gonna say something. and he did. dude said "who r u"

stared at him directly in the eye and said "the embryo made of chewed bubblegum."

he stared. sh o ck ed . what were you even saying

"jk im a resident of mondstadt, visiting from my liyue trip."

"and how do i know you arent lying?"

you sighed and grabbed your dendro vision, letting him look at the frame. "its incased in a mondstadt styled frame." after a few seconds, you put it back. "if that is all, i'll be going."

"k"

"literally fuck off" you responded and walked inside.

sometimes you forget how rude mondstadt people are lmao loser.

ok so like this donna girl really went up to you like "JFKLSJFLKSDJFL NUMBER ??? HELLO ?? UMM THE WAY YOU SAVED MONDSTADT RLKDFFC" and you resisted every urge to flip her off on the spot.

you just stayed and let her talk, smiling through all of it. your hood was still on but it was quite windy s ooo

its been ten minutes. girl please let us go. you were literally begging for anyone to cut in because ur too nice (or unbothered) to tell her to shut up even though you totally went off on diluc aadahahhshdf

and someone did! not the one you expected though.

"good evening donna, and... oh? who would you be?"

ALBEDO LMAO GET STICKBUGGED? ? ? ?? AH a hjfkahfjah . im so funny .

guys i meant that ironically please

anyway

you got even more uncomfortable lmao and you just looked at him and smiled. what do you respond? "no one of importance."

he heard your voice, saw your eyes and it registered. it was you...

or was that what he wanted to believe?

cause this whole time hes been waiting for you, only using experiments as a thing to pass time. it got... a little more lonelier, because nothing could replace you.

he decided to not believe it. because 1) you knew well they welcomed you with open arms, so there would be no need to hide yourself

(which is also proof of how much the whole situation fucked up your thinking)

a second of silence before he continues on the conversation with normal evening meeting stuff things idk

then ur like "ahhshaaajk i must be taking my leave now for matters i will not disclose ahaha skidoosh"

skidoosh

so you go to the big venti statue next to the cathedral and just stand. stare. yikes

no ones out right now and theres nothing to do. but you remember this place because its where the both of yall would eat together whenever he had free time (which wasnt that often, but he still made the effort)

you look up to the sky, counting all the stars like you used to.

no ones gonna know that you're here, you decided on that. you only visited because you simply missed it, but after this, you were going back to liyue.

no ones gonna know. because no one needs to know. no one needs to know that you were here. that would only cause more trouble to the situation you tried to avoid

albedo ends up catching up to you later, still having some spark of hope left that it really was you

i mean lowkey there isnt really anything saying it wasnt. he wanted to believe that he was just overthinking when he thought it really wasnt you

like you look the same. sound the same. its just the reasoning of you coming here, but he can push that aside

"(y/n)."

you flinch but didnt react with anything else. he doesnt need to know that its you.

"(y/n)?"

you turn around to meet his eyes as he was approaching you. slightly distancing yourself another inch away as you were not used to the proximity, you responded, "i'm afraid i'm not the one you're looking for."

albedo stops for a moment, and was about to apologize,, but then

yknow that wind i mentioned earlier? like right after donna started bothering you

yeah that same wind blew ur hood off! lmao L

okay time to get serious !

you stay composed and sighed, your breath visible in the cold air.

so your features are exposed, and its so obviously you, like theres literally no way it cannot be you

"it really is you..." he doesnt understand why youre not admitting to it. "(y/n), please.."

you shake your head and walk away but mans grabs your wrist gently

"(y/n), whats wr-" he starts, but youre quick to respond

"im not (y/n)." you flat out said it and looked right into his eyes. and you swear there were small tears even if he was deemed nonchalant.

he doesnt understand, its your physical features, and your same energy, there is no other person that completely matches it.

he pulls you closer to examine this black smudge on your hand, a small yelp of surprise coming from you.

"this is... ink," he studied the properties of the substance. "you responded to my letter a day ago. (y/n)... i know by now. there's no reason to hide it."

you step away, freeing your hand from his grasp. your voice broke, tears forming in the corners of your eyes. "i'm not... i'm not (y/n). i never will be. i'll never be so vulnerable again, i'll never be so naive again, i'll never be so lonely again, i will never ever be anything like they were again."

your vision blurred, but you werent oblivious to the tears streaming down his face as well. reaching to brush them away, you paused and let it drop to his shoulder instead.

"albedo. i... the (y/n) you knew... they're gone now. and if i could revert back to them any time, i would, i swear, but... i'm al-... they..." you buried your head in your hands. "i'm broken. to the point that i refuse to identify as the (y/n) you know me by."

doesnt know what to say, so he almost pulls you into a hug before you move out of the way. something you never did.

"don't... please. it never works out in the end." you shake your head, facing the other way. "for me at least."

"..we could work together, no?" he tried, still oblivious about your feelings towards him.

"only if you're willing to cross your moral boundaries," you looked back and tilted your head. taking a deep breath, you continued, "but you know that neither of us are willing to do that."

he couldn't say anything, because as much as he hated to admit something for once, you were right about that. at this point, he would've thought that literally any extent would've been fine to reach to bring you back.

yet in multiple situations where he's doubted himself before, theres always a line he will never cross.

"...i wish you the best. treat her well because i worked hard." you walked away without him stopping you this time. i worked hard. not we worked hard.

even if you had honestly felt that way, there was no chance the old you wouldve actually voiced that.

and so he watched you slip from his grasp again, only this time, he stopped himself from holding you back from his own will.

yet he swears- the next time he meets you again, he will bring you back.

[babineni]

The Path Not Traveled (part 2 of 2)

Sooo... ages ago I started writing my own take on Edér’s personal quest in Deadfire and I finally managed to kick my own butt to finish it. Here’s roughly 3800 words of... whatever this is.

Part 1 here:

Gaura took a deep breath as she left the Temple of Gaun, trying to clear the oppressive smell of mold and incense filling the sanctum. Just as she was about to take another, her nostrils were struck by a sweet and earthy scent she knew well.  Edér exhaled a puff of smoke when he felt her gaze on him and winked at her, trying convey some semblence of confidence. But Gaura still saw that he bit on the stem of his pipe slightly harder than he usually did.

'So... To the Gullet, then?' The Watcher let out a tired sigh. 'Wonderful.'

'At least this time we won't have to scour the place for decades old clues,' Edér tried to cheer themselves up. 'Though, at this point... wouldn't even be surprised, if we did.'

'This does feel a bit familiar,' Gaura added. If she had to be honest with herself, this was an understatement. The longer the search went on the stronger she felt it: that Edér once again gambled his peace and happiness on something that he would ultimately fail to reach. 'I just hope... Can you promise me something, Edér?'

'What?'

'If this reunion doesn't go the way you'd like... Can you promise me that you'd still come away with some measure of peace?' The Watcher gave the farmer an apoligetic look for her request.

He let smoke escape his mouth slowly, frowning, carefully processing his friend's words.

'Dunno. I'd just prefer if we left with what we came here for.'

'And what would that be?' Gaura crossed her arms.

'I told you...'

'I know what you told me. But you've gotta be more specific than that.'

Edér glared at the Watcher for a moment. Then he emptied his half-smoked pipe, cursing under his breath, and put it away.

'Y'know how I been rebuilding Dyrford for these few years? Was trying to make it a normal village. I wanted it to be the kinda place that really felt like the home we had before the war. In a way, I was... turning it into something like Gilded Vale used to be,' he rubbed a sore spot on the back of his neck. 'But it didn't feel the same.'

'I can think of a few reasons why you might've felt that way.'

'Yeah,' Edér chuckled somewhat bitterly, 'I do make it sound like I was turning Dyrford into something it wasn't but... that's not what really happened. And that's not what kept gnawing at me,' he averted his gaze from the Watcher almost as if he was ashamed. She waited for him to continue but the words did not come.

'It was you,' she guessed. 'You realized that... even if you managed to bring your old life back somehow,' Gaura cossed her arms and sighed sympathetically, 'you no longer would've had a place in it.'

'Dunno 'bout that,' he replied, 'haven't really felt I had a place anywhere for 15 years or so. I got used to it.' The veteran stayed quiet for a few moments. Gaura couldn't tell if he was pondering her words to find some new revelation about himself or if he was wondering if she spoke out of experience. 'But... I dunno maybe you're right.'

'And how does Elafa come into the picture?'

'She's...' Edér stopped himself to choose the words that followed cautiosly. 'She's pretty much the only person from Gilded Vale who knew me before the war and didn't see me anything other than who I was when I came back. If... If I'm gonna have a family one day... If I'm to give them a life free from the hate and violence that drove her away in the first place... Then I need her,' he let his head hang for a moment before he looked Gaura in the eye, his eyes full of clarity and sincerity. 'Because I can barely remember what that life was like.'

The Watcher's heart sunk and yet those words still left her with discomfort. 'So you want to move forward by going backwards and you just hope Elafa would remember your past for you?!'

'It's hardly fair, I know...'

'And it's really unhealthy.'

'I know, but I can't help it,' he stepped closer to her as he pleaded, 'and I'll try my hardest to make her happy in turn, I swe-'

Gaura raised a hand to silence him. 'It's not me you need to convince. I promised I would help.'

Edér let out a sigh of relief.

'But you gotta fill me in on what exactly went down between the two of you.'

'Yeah... Sure,' the farmer nodded somewhat awkwardly. Gaura gestured towards the stairway running beside the Temple of Gaun and leading to the bridge to the Gullet.

When the Defiant arrived at Neketaka, Edér asked the Watcher to go with him alone. Elafa was a suspicious sort, he said, and as strange as it felt to travel without her companions, Gaura was now grateful to be left alone to process Edér's recollections. He told her of all the times he asked Elafa to be more than just friends sharing a bed on occasion, and of all the times she said no. He told her of the day his parents left the Dyrwood and how he found himself back with his old Eothasian flock - or better to say what was left of it. He told her of the days leading up to the Purges in Gilded Vale. He told her of the Reaping, his reunion with Elafa, her Hollowborn son. He told her of the offer he made once again, and how Elafa said no. He told her of Elafa's escape. He told her of the offer he made for the last time and how, for the last time, she said no.

'I'm really sorry, Edér, for both of you,' Gaura knew how great an effort it was for her friend to open up to her like this, and she knew such a flimsy show of sympathy was probably an inadequate response.

Edér didn't seem to think the same. 'Don't be,' he said with a rueful smile. 'Should've told you about this a long time ago, I reckon. I just... Never been good at this sorta thing.'

'It's fine, I get it,' the Watcher swallowed thinking of all things she kept from Edér. All the fears she couldn't afford to show, the wear and tear she had to hide, the uncertainty that once defined her every waking moment but for the first time she wasn't sure how to adapt to it. She didn't know how long she stayed quiet as they walked beside one another, crossing the bridge that seemed endless.

'Promise me something, Edér,' Gaura broke the silence eventually. 'Promise me... that you stop looking to others to grant you peace. There are... things to which the world doesn't have an answer, but you still might find it within you. Promise me you'll start looking for those answers within.'

The Watcher looked to her friend, whose poorly concealed and uncharacteristic anxiety was now replaced with open worry.

'You don't think you can convince her, do you?'

'Even if I can, do you think things with her will turn out the way you want them to? That you can go back to the days before the war?'

Edér didn't respond. He looked at the bridge ahead and Gaura glimpsed a look on his face that she only ever saw once: five years before on the fields of ClÎaban Rilag, when she failed to give him the answers he desperately needed.

'I'm really sorry,' she apologized once more. She wasn't sure if she did it for the past or the present.

'Yeah, so am I,' he took out his pipe but this time his movements reflected resignation rather than just nerves. 'I know you mean well, and twenty years ago I would've been real grateful for the advice... Hel, I'm kinda grateful for it now... It's just that...'

'I know. It hurts like Hel. But with Eothas out there, doing who knows what... It's probably not the best idea to make anyone an anchor,' the Watcher scratched her chest right above her chimes.

Edér chuckled. 'Yeah, I definitely needed to hear that twenty years ago.'

'Ugh, twenty years ago... I didn't even have my horns yet,' the Watcher remembered. 'I was just a squishy ball of flame.'

'You still are.'

Gaura elbowed him in the side, prompting him to laugh. She couldn't help but laugh with him. None of them said anything for a moment but they both knew they needed that laugh. Then the moment passed.

'Can't promise anything,' Edér said. 'I was told I shouldn't make anchors.'

'Wow. I guess, I should be glad you listened.'

The sun was already setting by the time they reached the Gullet. Gaura wasn't surprised to see all the Dawnstars walking around aimlessly. The Rauataians either stayed at Hasongo or left for the Brass Citadel. The Children of the Dawnstars, however, only had the Temple of Gaun to themselves, and when that filled up, there was only one option left.

'Let's start with The Hole,' the Watcher suggested, 'if she isn't there, we'll check the Sanctuary. If she isn't there, we'll start asking around.'

Edér, however, wasn't listening. His gaze was fixed on a lanky boy with brown hair and freckles so prominent that Gaura could see them even from a distance. The farmer swallowed hard, then approached him. The Watcher had to skip to keep up with his long and determined strides.

'Hey, kid,' he called out. When the boy met Edér's gaze, he stopped in his tracks and whatever confidence he had disappeared in a second.

'Fine day to you,' the boy spoke cautiously. He took a double take at the flames framing Gaura's head then forced his gaze back to Edér. ' Is... there something I can help you with?'

'I'm looking for someone. Uh... She's my age, about this tall, always wears her hair in braids, she's got freckles just like yours...' Edér's words replaced the look of caution with a look suspicion on the boy's face, but he didn't seem to notice. 'Her name is Elafa. Elafa Maesy.'

'What do you want with her?'

'Nothing bad, I'm an old friend of hers,' Edér slightly lifted his empty palms.

'I know all of mother's friends and you don't look like any of them,' the boy crossed his arms.

'Oh...' the veteran froze for a fraction of a moment. 'You really are her son... Just as I thought,' the boy raised an eyebrow at Edér, prompting him to continue. 'I've known her before you were born. Has she never mentioned me? Edér? Teylegc? From Gilded Vale?'

The boy's eyes widened slightly and stepped forward, interested. 'She mentioned Gilded Vale before, but only like it was a slip of the tongue. I could never get her to talk about it.'

'Yeah... she didn't exactly leave under pleasant circumstances.'

The boy frowned. 'And how do I know she wasn't running from you?'

'Well, you don't,' Edér scratched the back of his head. 'Huh, you've got her spirit.'

The boy's frown deepened.

'You just need to trust us,' Gaura said. 'And we're a trustworthy bunch, just ask anyone here.'

The boy cocked his head at the Watcher and watched her silently for a short while. Then he gasped as if a realization dawned on him.

'You're the Captain of that Dyrwoodan ship! The Defiant, was it? Everyone is talking about you here.'

'We might've helped out a bit,' Gaura gave him a knowing smile.

'I... suppose... you're not here to start trouble then, the boy turned back to Edér. 'We're renting a room in The Hole. Mother is probably there, she doesn't like being out in such a crowd.'

'But the Gullet is always crowded,' the Watcher added.

'Exactly,' the boy smiled at her, satisfied with his display of wit.

'Just one more thing: what's your name, kid?' Edér asked.

'Bearn.'

'How old are you, Bearn?'

'I'm turning 17 soon, why?'

Edér's expression darkened as he made his calculations.

'Then... you're too young... Never mind, thanks for your help,' he rushed past the boy, leaving him dumbfounded.

'Uh, I gotta catch up to him,' Gaura gestured towards her companion. 'We'll be docked at Queen's Berth for the next couple of days, if you wanna chat. Bye.' She quickly said her goodbyes and gently pushed her way through the crowd slowly forming around her.

Edér was already talking to the innkeeper by the time the Watcher reached him. He took a deep breath and reached for his pipe, but just as he was about to light it, he stopped. He stared at nothing in particular, then he put away the pipe and looked at Gaura.

'You might get yelled at, so... Sorry about that in advance.'

'I'm used to it, but thanks,' the Watcher replied with a reassuring smile. Edér made his best effort at returning it then he stood up to guide her to Elafa's room. 'Ready?' Gaura asked as they stood facing the plain wooden door.

'Not really,' he said as he knocked.

There was no reply.

'Elafa?' Edér called out. 'It's me, Edér. Remember me?'

Still, there was no reply, but Gaura glimpsed a shadow moving under the door. She turned to Edér who gave her a nod - he noticed it too.

'I know, it's been a while but uh... Got some business here in the Deadfire and I thought I'd come and see you. Been to Hasongo too. I uh... I'm really sorry for what happened there.'

The door still didn't open but Elafa was standing right behind it, Gaura was sure of it.

'Maybe she can see us, too,' she whispered to Edér.

'Oh, right,' he aswered before he turned his attention back to the door. 'I'm here with a friend. Best one I made in years. No need to worry about her, she can be trusted.'

For a moment there was silence and then...

'You still believe in friendship? After everything that's happened?'

Edér was left speechless for a moment. The Watcher saw about a dozen different emotions flashing across his face, finally setting on a mixture of relief and tenderness.

'I missed your voice.'

Elafa hesitated with her answer.

'You didn't answer my question.'

'Sorry, I got a bit... Yeah, I learned to believe in it again.'

The door finally opened. However as soon as Elafa's gaze fell on the Watcher's face, she pulled out a pistol and pointed it right at her head.

'Charmed, I’m sure,' Gaura let out an exasperated sigh.

'Elafa, there's no need-'

'You're "making friends" with Magranites now?!' Elafa's voice rang with fury and old heartbreak.

'I'm not a-'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Edér asked before Gaura could protest.

'You know godsdamned well! But I never thought you would bed someone who would hunt us,' Elafa's gun wavered in front of Gaura's face. She shot a confused look at Edér who replied with an equally confused shrug.

'I think you got the wrong idea about us,' the Watcher said. 'And especially about me.'

'Is that so?' Elafa laughed bitterly. 'Then just who are you supposed to be?'

'Gaura, Captain of the Defiant, the Watcher of Caed Nua, the Herald of Berath and a friend of Edér's.'

Elafa's expression slowly softened. She turned to Edér for a moment who nodded in agreement with the Watcher. She lowered the pistol as she turned her gaze back to Gaura.

'Then... You're the one who ended the Legacy.'

'That's me. Edér helped too. A lot.'

'I was target practice for her enemies,' he joked. But Elafa didn't laugh.

'If you'd done it sooner, I'd have two sons now instead of one.'

Gaura looked away for a moment, trying to hide her guilt. This was not the first time she had to face the sorrow of a mother whose child has been taken by the Legacy, only to see their neighbors' restored. It hasn't gotten easier.

'I'm sorry I couldn't help your child. But I can help you and your other son now.'

'We're hunting Eothas now,' Edér explained. 'Whatever he's up to, we'll make sure he doesn't get to hurt you or Bearn. You have my word.'

'As well as mine.'

Elafa looked to Edér and scoffed. 'Again you're fighting our god. You really haven't changed.'

'You got tougher, though. Looks good on you,' the comment has earned him a faint smile.

'And you still make clumsy moves, I see.'

Gaura watched silently as the tension between her friend and his old flame started to relieve. She was just about to offer to leave them alone when Elafa invited them both into her room. There was barely enough space in there for two beds and a table with some stools.

'So what brings you to the sunniest spot in Neketaka?' Elafa made a poor effort at humor as they got seated.

'You, pretty much,' the Watcher answered.

Elafa blinked at her in disbelief. 'You really came down here, just to meet up? How did you even know I was here?'

'That's... a long story,' Edér added. 'But it's true. Just wanted to catch up, is all.'

Elafa stared at the farmer's hand for a few moments. Edér rubbed an old scar there when he felt her gaze on the back of his hand.

'I remember the last time we just had some catching up to do,' she said.

'Yeah, me too.'

'Didn't even matter, in the end. The babe died on the way to New Heomar. He was... too frail to handle the journey.'

Edér shifted his weight uncomfortably, and Gaura caught a glimpse of sorrow in his eyes.

'Really sorry to hear that,' he said.

Silence spread in the room, and grew more and more suffocating with each second passed. The relief the Watcher sensed earlier was gone and she again found herself wanting to leave.

'Did you ever regret it?' Edér eventually asked the question that hung heavily in the air. 'That you didn't let me come along?'

Elafa just watched him for a while, trying to figure out how to respond.

'There was one night. When the mobs took my husband. I thought back how you fought those guards to help me and my son escape. I thought... maybe you could've saved him too.'

Edér quietly acknowledged the answer and reached for his pipe. 'You mind?' he asked. Elafa shook her head. The veteran lit the pipe and took a long draw from it. The way he exhaled the smoke almost seemed like a sigh.

'So you got married.'

'Had a son, was widowed, sailed out to start over,' Elafa chuckled ruefully. 'I'm getting real good at that last bit.'

Edér kept nodding to himself. Gaura elbowed him in the side and gave him a pointed look. When he didn't seem to catch her meaning she spoke up.

'We could help you with that actually. Well... Edér could. I currently live on a sloop.'

Elafa raised an eyebrow at the Watcher. 'How so?'

'I left Gilded Vale too,' Edér finally found his voice. 'Settled down in Dyrford instead and became the mayor. We... still got a few empty plots of land. Free for anyone willing to take care of them.'

'And you think I'd want to take on that offer, huh?' Elafa said bitterly. 'Y'know when we left New Heomar, we could've gone anywhere in the world. We could've stayed in the Dyrwood, we could've stayed in the Eastern Reach. But we came here instead.'

'Guess, that's a no.'

'That, it is.'

Gaura sighed and leaned forward on her stool. 'Elafa, you left before Eothas came to Hasongo, so you probably don't know the state the outpost is in. It's... not good. Even if it was possible to rebuild everything as it was, would it not be wiser to consider your options?'

'I have considered them: I get to choose between uncertainty in a safe community or comfort surrounded by people ready to backstab me at any moment...'

'I would never let that happen, Elafa,' Edér's tone was tense but sincere.

'I know,' she smiled at him, 'but I can neither ignore nor forget what happened in the last twenty years. I'd rather face hardship here than what I've left behind.'

'So you're just gonna run?'

'And you're just gonna hold on to something that is long gone. Why do you think I refused to let you come along?' Elafa looked Edér in the eye and sighed, bracing herself. 'Edér, no matter how sweet you were... Nothing could've worked between us. Not after the war. I was willing to adapt but you... you tried so hard not to let the war change you. It was endearing but... That was it. I couldn't be like you and I couldn't take this away from you.'

'Why, that is good to know,' Edér said with gritted teeth after a few moments that felt like an eternity. 'And it would've been good to know twenty years ago too,' he stood up. 'Y'know there was a lot I was willing to do for you... There still is... '

'I can tell,' Elafa seemed strangely heartbroken as she spoke, 'which is why I think you should go.'

'Agreed.'

'But I...' Gaura wanted to protest but neither Edér nor Elafa seemed interested in what she had to say. She sighed as she stood up as well. 'You see, Caed Nua may be gone, but know that you have a place by my hearth wherever that may be. Edér's friends are my friends.'

'I can see why he likes you,' Elafa glanced at Edér leaving the room. 'Take care of him, will you.'

'Yeah and you take care too,' the Watcher flashed a quick and apologetic smile at her before she left as well.

Gaura hurried after the farmer down the hallway. She caught up to him at the base level of The Hole. He didn't seem particularly angry or sad. Just tired. 'Sorry about how things went down back there,' she approached him. 'I should've done more...'

'Hey, cut it out,' he gave her a faint half-smile. 'You've done more than enough. Guess, you were right about... Well... Everything.'

Gaura wasn't sure what else she could've said. So she embraced him without another word. Edér hugged her back, hesitantly at first, then so tightly it nearly hurt.

'Edér, you're squeezing the soul outta me.'

'Sorry about that. Lemme buy you a pint as a proper apology,' he inclined his head towards the bar.

'A pint of the swill from here? You're trying to kill me?'

The veteran managed to laugh at that. It was a half-hearted laugh at best, but it was something. Gaura could work with that. Whatever small measure of peace she could help him achieve was worth the effort.

[punkscowardschampions]

Carly & Ali

Carly: 😢💔 Carly: treats not tricks Ali: Baby Ali: You can't say seeing Drew shit himself was anything but a 🍬 Carly: ha Carly: hide & seek? Carly: goldie's gonna b too sad to play unless ur sister steps up her comforting tho Ali: fun Ali: or manhunt Ali: and not a fate I'd wish on anyone, that Ali: he can be on our team, stop him pouting too hard Carly: let him hunt u & he couldn't be happier Carly: even if i offered to take off clothes each time i got found Carly: but you want his boy bestie to find you yea Ali: so telling Ali: Lene would have a field-day Ali: ain't no one's prey, baby Carly: nah hes urs Carly: sweet enough to eat Ali: nah Ali: no one's sweeter than you 🍓🍯 Carly: aw Carly: 🐅💙 Ali: I mean it Ali: you be captain, you pick Carly: cos u havent tasted him yet Carly: u pick & then tell me whos sweetest after Ali: do you want me to or don't you Carly: u wanna Carly: he does Ali: I'm asking what you want, though Carly: i want you to have fun Ali: I am Ali: with you Ali: you don't need to worry Carly: its k & so am i Ali: promise? Carly: ur cute & u dont need to worry Carly: hes just a lad Ali: I know he is Ali: like I knew he'd be a good fit for this trip, that's all Carly: idc if u wanna fuck him on this trip or when we get back is what i mean Carly: u can like him if you don't like him as much as me Ali: I don't like anyone as much as I like you, Carls Carly: is that a truth or a dare? Ali: it's the truth Ali: I don't need to be dared into nothing Ali: I want you Carly: u wanna make me cry i reckon Carly: being 👼 Ali: not even Ali: like you said, if either of us wanted to go there with anyone else, it's a bridge we'd cross as and when Ali: I'm not gonna do anything behind your back, trust me Carly: u don't have to Carly: u can do anything u want Carly: not ur ex Carly: cute as she is its v intense Carly: im letting ur wings stay open Ali: you don't have to be the anti-her, you know Ali: just be you Ali: I care about you, what you want and what you think, just tell me that always Carly: ha what would the anti her b? Carly: ur sister mayb Carly: or drews Ali: either way Ali: not what I'm after Ali: 😬 Carly: idk drews sister is cute Carly: & hed b so mad about it Ali: world's most confusing boner, you mean Carly: 😂 Ali: not looking to blow either of their minds Ali: again, in his case, of course Carly: he's the cutest when he don't know what's happening Carly: like a baby 🐕 Ali: if I was being a bitch I'd say that was always Ali: but I've already wounded his ego too much today Ali: bless him Carly: ha Carly: never heard a boy scream w out being touched Carly: learning things this trip Ali: 😂 Ali: stick with me, babe Carly: 🏫 Ali: not 'til Monday Ali: 👎 Carly: im not gonna go Carly: say it was 👽 Carly: snatched for being this sexy soz Ali: good thinkin' Ali: if they're too squeamish to ask about sickness and diarrhoea, they ain't gonna deepdive into probing, like Carly: or 👻have taken over my body Carly: brb after the exorcism 😈 Ali: shame we ain't kicking it catholic Ali: they'd do it for the fun of, beats a normal day of Carly: @ my gma Carly: shes 😢💔 i dont want jesus inside me Carly: he's too nice like Carly: not my type Ali: could always go for Judas Ali: #hotfriend Carly: o true Ali: plus Iscariot is an amazing last name so Carly: baby we gotta get divorced rn Ali: 💔 Carly: dont b sad Carly: ill b back w a great name u can take Ali: hold you to that, girl 💍⛓ Carly: u can Carly: i love u more than any biblical figures Ali: even Mary Magdalene? 😍😍😍 Carly: dont tell her Ali: keep it between you and me Carly: 💙👼 Ali: you're so cute Carly: you're cuter Ali: nope Ali: I 👑 you the cutest Carly: aw Carly: if it goes to a vote youll win tho Ali: nah Carly: yea Carly: ur sister & ex dont like me Carly: the boys like u more Ali: they ain't got the good taste I do Carly: thats putting yourself down! Carly: they all love u Ali: but I love you Carly: i love u Ali: let's go be alone Carly: yea Carly: shoo the 👻s away for us baby Ali: 🔫🔫🔫 Carly: my hero Ali: you know it Ali: not to be my ex about it either Carly: she did rescue me too first night ever Carly: & shes not that bad Ali: 😒 why don't you marry her Ali: 😉 Carly: too straight Ali: 😂 Ali: we'll show her how straight you are Carly: she invited now? k then Ali: maybe not SEE then Ali: hear Carly: if she hears they all will Carly: sure u want that? Ali: let's deliberate Carly: what does that mean? Ali: that we're gonna start and then I'll see how I'm feeling Carly: o Carly: thats a dare isnt it Ali: if you're up to it, baby Carly: u kno i am Carly: & i can make u be louder than me Carly: if u wanna double dare it Ali: you know I do Carly: yea Carly: i can 👀 Carly: ur eyes r really blue & ur cute face is really pink Ali: it's the 🔥 Carly: nah its me Carly: hotter Ali: not gonna disagree Carly: not what i want u to say Ali: go on then, you 👀 Ali: what do you wanna 👂 Carly: more fun to make it happen Carly: if i tell u course youll say it to be sweet to me Ali: okay, let's play then Carly: where? Ali: don't think we'll be able to stop Marlene coming through if we desecrate her car so Carly: so cute Carly: take our chances w the dead then Ali: you aren't scared anymore, are you? Carly: ive got u to protect me y would i b Ali: and I swear, all treats Ali: or you know, the fun kind of tricks only Carly: ive missed u so much Carly: ur here i kno but scooby gang r too Carly: & yea drews the 🐕 Ali: 😂 omg too real 'cos Caleb is clearly Shaggy Ali: you can be Daphne, babe, I'll allow it Ali: but we can be alone all day Monday, yeah, I promise Carly: which 1 is the hot nerd cuz if its ur sister thats awks boo Carly: soz she loves me if she's the scarf wearing fashionista still tho Carly: ur ex coulda got away w it if it weren't for us pesky kids 😠 Ali: we'll let Meena and her duke it out who wants to be who Ali: I'll have to be Scrappy and I'm not even mad tbh Carly: aw ur that cute Ali: 🥊 Carly: thats y id go anywhere w you even ur exs car Carly: so safe w my baby Ali: always boo Ali: I've got you Carly: hold my hand not cuz im scared Carly: dont let go til u have to Ali: that's a challenge isn't it Carly: if it feels like 1 ill have to b that bitch & throw ur 💍 @ u Ali: 😂 Ali: you know how holdable you are Carly: dont leave me yet k Carly: its so loud in my 🧠 & 💙 how much i dont want u too Ali: I'm not leaving you ever Carly: im not saying u gotta promise me so hard Ali: but I am Ali: 'cos I'm not Ali: I love you now, no matter what Ali: I'm gonna be here for you Carly: i kno u mean it Carly: ur 👼 energy is always around me now Carly: but he's a nice lad who likes u thats not coming around much so don't forget Ali: I'll try not to take that personally, babe 😜 Ali: but I know what you mean Carly: do u cuz being w u is like its still summer @ a party where pretty girls keep telling u ur pretty & the lads who r rides wanna get u drinks & u kno every song thats playing Carly: like being high but w out chasing it or any of the shit u have to do to get 💊 Carly: & it lasts the comedown dont get u Carly: idk its hard to explain cept ive never met anyone like u cuz there isnt Carly: but theres girls & lads same as me everywhere Ali: baby Ali: that isn't true and you've given the proof right there Ali: you've got a poet's soul Ali: you're so special and you don't even know it Ali: that makes you more Carly: ur really magic Carly: im sorry Carly: dont b mad at me Carly: or sad Ali: I'm not Ali: why would I be Ali: like ever Ali: but especially right now Carly: idk Carly: i wasn't ur go to girl for pranking every1 Ali: not because you did something wrong Ali: not because of anything Ali: if I thought about it at all I was just trying to involve everyone, you know Ali: make sure everyone's having a good time Carly: jk 👼 baby i kno ur intentions r pure 💙 Carly: y ur 👑 leader Ali: okay you got me back then Ali: 💚 Carly: ha im full of tricks & treats Ali: 😏 come show me Carly: k