#was kinda more excited to get smth from u than anything like

[yunogf]

https://twitter.com/_cutiepiejae/status/1575146538292355073?s=46&t=EA1eHC4jgSrDpoO3eF7aVA unfortunately, he is very cute 🙄🙄😒😒 (hi liz! hope ur having a lovely day!! sending u positive vibes, mwah <3)

unfortunately he is Terribly cute 😒😑😖😫😫☹️🥺💓💓

[octoberautumnbox]

Hello fellow Yuri enthusiast I would like to throw another thought in your head. Siblings Jooe and Yuri being he slut sisters you use and abuse ;) all the spitting choking and fucking these two polar opposite sisters.

Idk I saw those bikini pictures of jooe and she kinda looked like a thick yuri and now I want them both heh.

(idk which jooe pics anon send some in thru dm or imgur or smth pls and I'll edit this to add when u do!)

~~~

Her chains clack against the bedposts; you somehow keep forgetting that these handcuffs aren't the flimsy ones she can easily break free from. Fortunately, it seems she keeps forgetting too, and it only turns her on more as bruises develop on her wrists. Tears stream down her face and her incoherent babbling as you piston deep into her fuckhole only earn her more of her rough fucking.

"Guh, fuck, please, hurts, hu- AAHHHHHH!!" A well-timed slap of her tits brings her ever so close to the edge. You watch them bounce for you as you pound her into the bed harder and harder, and Jooe's consciousness steadily starts fading away once more.

"Please, shit, I'm-" she struggles to blurt out, each thrust seemingly hitting a reset button in her head. You knew what she was trying to say, but if she was gonna be a weak-willed slut like this she didn't deserve to get what she wants.

Just then, the door creaks open and Yuri strolls in with her towel. She's halfway through drying herself off, her own swimsuit still dripping with the poolwater onto your shared room's tiled floor.

"Oppa," she sing sweetly, "can I have a go after Unnie?" She kisses you delicately on the cheek, then on the lips with just the slightest bit of teasing tongue for you. It always turned them on to watch each other take your cock, and it looks like this was no exception.

"Of course, baby. Anything you like," you reply, almost faltering. Jooe reminds you of the job you're in the middle of, as her walls squeeze deliciously around your shaft and makes her pleasures known by the growing wet spot on the bed right under her sore and abused cunt.

"Oppa, please, I wanna cum, I'm so cl-- oh fuck, oh fuck, OH FUCK!! AAAAAHHHH" She delays her orgasm and resultant scream as long as she can, luckily just enough time for Yuri to shut the door and make the room soundproof again. Once she hears the door shut, she lets everything out, and her squirt escapes her poor hole. It splashes all over her crotch, glistening on her puffy pussy lips and coating your rock-hard cock to fuck her even better. You have to give her a moment of respite, else she might actually lose her mind and her ability to hold herself back when with other people.

Pulling out, the last few drops of her girlcum land on the sheets underneath her and she watches as your cock exits. Jooe also watches, her chains clacking again, as Yuri sweetly takes over with licks and pecks on your cock, determined to clean up every single trace of her elder sister before taking you on herself.

"Mm, yummy," she muses gleefully. "Ehehe, how does Oppa want me?"

"Hands on the headboard baby," guiding her to face away from you, right over her sister still cuffed to the bed. She follows immediately, her excitement showing as the crotch of her swimsuit gets wetter than the rest. In position, she looks back at you with love, nothing but a thin piece of fabric that left nearly nothing to the imagination the only thing between you and her perfect pussy.

You pull it aside and she moans cutely at the sensation of being exposed. Rubbing a finger against her puffy lips elicits more lewd sounds, followed by two, and three, before finally teasing her with your cock.

"My good girl, do you want it hard like your Unnie?" you ask gently. Yuri isn't one for rough fucking by default, and you've learned to make sure before taking her.

"Mmm, let's start slow, Oppa," she says as she guides your hand to her boobs, showing her Unnie how well you pleasure her little sister, "we have a show to put on, after all."

~~~

a/n: just a little warmup before I work on actual fics :DDDD

[stillfrownyclownlol]

Hiding in the bathroom from a man rn lmao

Aidlyn headcanons because...please? Please? They make me sick /positive

These aren't all fluffy or whatever because they traumatized af and relationships like that are...difficult... but not impossible.

-he's 8-ish months older than her and like, 20ish cms taller (sorry I don't know how American feet work lol 😭)

-He hyperfixated on the relationship lmao.

-Clingy...they BOTH are. In different ways I mean but. They are both clingy. They're scared the other is gonna die when they aren't around lol 🙃 Aiden is ofc very touchy and grabby, he just has to FEEL that she's with him. Also type of guy to call at 2am "hey bby u good?". Ash gets antsy if she hasn't seen or heard from him in a while (a while means like 2 hours) especially since he like spam texts her every 5 seconds. But he also hyperfixates or disassociates for a while and will forget 🤡 like she will yell at him about why he didn't call her for 17 hours and he'll just be like "um sorry. I was. Staring at a wall."

-he has a lot of weird/cringy ass pet names for her that makes her want to slap him; probably calls her Bae or whatever. Ash nicknames for Aiden: Idiot, stupid, dumbass, public safety hazard...called him "dear" like once just to try it and hated it. "Mr. Durable" if she wants to annoy him.

-worlds worst pick up lines. Ash NEVER understands them.

-he loves surprises! Surprise him! He wants to surprise Ash too! She kinda hates this. They decided to "compromise": he will tell her beforehand that there is a "surprise" and gives her little clues/puzzles so she can figure out whatever it is. He has like 0 patience tho so he always helps her figure them out 🤡 Ash likes watching him get excited about the puzzles and doing them together more than the surprise half of the time.

-Him infodumping is like white noise so she can sleep lol.

-they try to do things the other likes since Ash thinks this is important for a "healthy relationship". Almost died when they went to an indoor rock climbing place 💀 but she got to see Aiden in a leotard when they did ballet together so it was a fair trade (blackmail)

-he is her hypeman at ballet recitals, will probably cheer when she comes on stage and has a sign and everything, the rest of the gang (and Ash) is just like "...we don't know this guy"

-she wishes he took care of himself more. Sends him stuff like "did you drink any water today", "Ben told me you're gonna skateboard down the hill please dont", or "IF YOU SET YOUR BOOKS ON FIRE IM GONNA CALL THE POLICE" <3

-sometimes if she's sad she just kinda. Falls on his back. Like a koala or smth. She has that "I literally cannot do anything" sort of depression (which to be fair Aiden also has sometimes). Aiden carries her around.

-when nobody's looking she kisses his cheek, cuz she knows his face is usually sore from smiling so much.

-pretty low key on her part, but Aiden is so obvious everybody knows 💀 She doesn't like PDA (more so the fact that people stare) but Aiden will usually put his arm around her shoulders or waist/give her a smooch (not on the mouth) <3 it's honestly not that different from how he was when they were just friends ngl 🤡

-he says "I love you" easily, because it genuinely is the easiest thing in the world for him. He has 0 doubts about how he feels for her. Ash doesn't say it a lot cuz she feels weird saying it, so she does her best to show it in other ways.

-he gets jealous easily *siiiiigh* It's cuz he's insecure!!! Help him! 😭 He doesn't get annoyed with her because like. Ash pays about as much attention to other guys (I mean besides Tyler, Ben and Logan) as she does to dust. But he will death glare at any guy they don't know that's staring at her 💀

-kinda codependent... *looks at the floor* they are working on it. Sometimes Aiden feels like he's only alive for her. (I- Look at episode 61- IVE BEEN IN HIS POSITION. AIDEN BABY THIS AINT HEALTHY)

-absolute dork. Draws "A.C. + A.B." in a little heart in his note margins because he's goofy like that.

-he fell first she fell harder NO I will not be taking any criticism for this.

Anyways it's raining outside so I'll just post this now

[chocotonez]

skz: you get them a christmas gift they wanted

a/n: took so long to get this out because I was wrapping Christmas gifts </3 enjoy and stay warm!!

genre/warnings: fluff w angst maybe?? if you squint really hard?? christmas mentions but no religious connotations, tell me if there’s anything else that should be tagged

chan

-he'll never outright ask for something from you

-but he's very obvious about wanting smth even if he tries to hide it its kinda cute honestly

-so when you get him a new keypad he's been eyeing he is OVERJOYED

-kinda dumb and is like "wait how did u know" even tho earlier he was crying while looking at a photo of it

-over the moon,,,he just loves u so much and it's not even the gift its just the fact you listen to him and pay attention to his wants that make him so happy :>

-gets a little insecure over his gift tho but you reassure him u love it (you better)

-gives u a big kiss, the best gift he could've asked for was really just being with you

lee know

-tries to play it off, idk i feel like he’s the type to feel awkward when people show appreciation/gratitude towards him

-or like when people sing happy birthday he has a slight mental breakdown

-anyways anyways, he’s just bad at outwardly expressing how thankful he is, so he just squeezes your hand n gives you a really big smile

-”thank you, i love you”

-honestly if you didn’t know him that well you might confuse his reaction with being v neutral but that’s just him shutting down because he’s literally running laps for you in his head

-tries to outdo you though w gifts tho LMAO, but this ain’t about u rn this about him

-he wishes he could better voice how he grateful he is not only for the gift, but for you as well. In the meantime, he’ll stick to showing it :>

changbin

-screams or smth like that probably

-i think binnie’s generosity is very underappreciated, so even a sweet note that explains how grateful u are for him makes his heart burst w love

-he puts a lot of care and thought into christmas gifts, and knowing you either acknowledged that or reciprocated that means the world to him

-peppers kisses all over ur face while repeating how thankful he is and how important you are to him, he just thinks ur so precious!!

-sigh. If only he knew how cute he was.

-honestly i think he’ll get really excited no matter the gift, because you going out of your way to show you care for him makes him bawl his eyes out tbh

hyunjin

-probably gets u the gift you’ve been eyeing first teehee

-very emotionally intelligent, so he immediately noticed the way your eyes lit up when you saw something you liked at the store

-but he didn’t really expect you to reciprocate it in a way?? like obviously he knew you were gonna get him a gift but to get him something so special,,,

-even without material possessions he loves u more than anything but just knowing that you know him so intimately that you can recognize what gift he wants!! he goes insane

-gets kinda shy tbh like he genuinely didn’t expect this from you,,,it’s not that he doesn’t appreciate it but it’s just he feels so overwhelmed to know that the effort he puts into caring and looking out for you is the same amount of effort you put in as well (did that make sense??)

han

-cries probably

-I know I tend to exaggerate his emotions but he cries when he unwraps the gift

-he loves so playfully, but he gets nervous that you interpret this as him not taking your relationship seriously

-so seeing you put effort into getting him new producing equipment reassures him that you really do care!

-gets a little insecure over his gift but makes up for it by being really cute </3

-kisses u all over and is just jumping with joy!!

-like lee know he doesn’t really know how to express his gratitude, but for him it’s just because he doesn’t do so traditionally

-rather than the usual thank you cards, han goes the extra mile to show how much he appreciated it, whether it be producing you a whole album or buying you the latest *insert thing you wanted*

felix

-very taken aback

-rather than just one gift you made him a little gift box of things he likes!! and to him, seeing how you managed to gather all of his interests just means you really do listen and notice what he likes

-he really loves feeling cared for like that :,) there’s something so special in feeling heard in relationships, and you are always listening to him!!

-once over the initial shock he’s all cuddly and squeezing you and giggly

-“eeeee thank you!! you’re so cute!! are you blushing?? cute!!!”

-he is also blushing and giggling you guys r just two little cuties </3 cute

seungmin

-teases you and says “you’re obsessed with me”

-he’s madly obsessed with you too dw dw

-like lee know and han he doesn’t traditionally express his gratitude, but that’s just because the dynamic of your relationship is like that :> he feels comfortable enough to be himself and express himself in the way he wants to

-he’s admiring the gift and you’re snickering because u know he likes it and he’s just like “shut up I’m wondering if this is recycling or trash”

-he proudly displays it in his room or keeps it in mint condition LMAO, what a tease

-honestly he’s more grateful for how you manage to love him relentlessly, even if he can be a little bit mean teehee

-of course he loves the gift! but knowing that you can reciprocate his gratitude in your guys’ weird lil way makes him even more blushy

jeongin

-probably makes it a competition or smth lmao

-gets upset because how can he out-do you now!! but then he stops being a baby and he’s like omg wait you got this for me

-has to process the fact you got him something that’s been on his amazon wishlist for a solid three months

-“wait, really? for me?”

-he knows obviously you guys were getting gifts for each other, but it’s just the fact you evidently put so much love and you knew him well enough to get him this gift…That’s what’s so touching

-probably gives u a gummy smile and calls you a dumb dumb for spending that much money on some independent designer’s clothes that he’s been following

-weird sentence sorry sorry

-but!! his heart is so warm n fuzzy when he thinks about the fact that you really did something like that for him :> feels so appreciated

[slytherinshua]

IM SO EXCITED YOU DONT EVEN KNOW!!! AGAIN, CONGRATS!! ITS ALL WELL DESERVED AND IM HAPPY I CAN BE HERE AND WAYXH U GROW BC!!! IR TALENT SHOULD BE APPRECIATED!!

now to the req…. hehehe….. let me tell u how excited i was when i saw you’re taking k-dramas KMG!!!! so obv…

YUL FROM AOS!!! yul my beloved he’s such a cutie patootie– anyways… fluff: 39, 53 and other: 30!! idk i just feel like it suits him!!

MASTER YUL

genre. fluff. master x pupil trope. warnings. kissing. spoilers for aos ig? its not rly set in any particular episode but park jin is still the leader of songrim so i'd say loosely around ep 10-12. pairing. seo yul x fem!reader. wc. 2.1k. a/n. ahhhh axe tysm for requesting smth for yul 😭 our baby 🫶 i kinda got carried away with this and then didn't proof read it so idk how good it is lol but i had fun writing it!!

“Give me one chance. I can hold my own in a fight. I will do anything it takes.” You pleaded, practically begging at the steps of the training centre in Jeongjingak. 

People from low class families, and especially women were never accepted into Songrim Jeongjingak. Everyone in Daeho knew that, and you’d have to be a fool or stupidly brave to try to say otherwise. You were probably both given that you were standing by the doors of the training centre at the moment, your slightly scuffed up clothing and long hair giving you no favours. 

You wanted to blame your father for your current situation, but since he was currently cold in his grave and you respected him too much, you didn’t let your thoughts wander in that direction. 

He had always insisted that you needed to know how to defend yourself, starting at a young age. After years of burdensome training, you started to finally feel the rush and satisfaction of a fight. After years of complaining about the lessons your father taught you, you finally wanted to learn spells. You wanted to use the energy inside your body. You desperately wanted to feel like you were useful, powerful, capable. 

You excelled in all the ladylike areas, from sewing and needlework, to gardening, to singing and dancing thanks to your mother. But they were all just so boring. Your habit of spending your entire day in the public library reading all the books on spells started when you were 14. It only grew over the next few years until your father knew you wanted more than he could offer you.

He wasn’t a highly skilled mage, and in his lifetime had not needed to progress beyond Jipsu, the ability to gather the energy of water. You had mastered that years ago and had progressed to tackling the skill of Ryusu. You tried hard to master it on your own once your father taught you all his lessons, but it was a near impossible task.

You needed a master, but none would accept you as their pupil. After almost every master in the country turned you down for various reasons, you turned to your last option - Songrim.

Face to face with Lord Park, one of the most renowned mages in the capital, and the current leader of Songrim, you held your head high as he refused your pleas.

One look at you had him and the other mages glaring you down and shaking their heads with disapproval. They wouldn’t even give you a chance. Dozens of remarks were thrown at you. You let them pass through one ear and out the other, not letting these men get the chance to see you turn away defeated. You were already risking your pride begging them, but you wouldn’t leave without being able to showcase your skills first. 

“You really think our masters would waste their time and energy on a girl like you with no potential?” One rude young mage sneered, and you bowed your head further, finally feeling your blood boil with rage. You gripped your sword tight enough that your knuckles turned white, resisting the urge to unsheathe it and hold it to his neck. 

I have more potential in my left pinky finger than you or any of your ancestors have had for the past 300 years, you whispered under your breath in spite, making sure it wasn’t loud enough for him to hear it.

You were unaware of a party of mages returning to the training centre at the moment, and the one leading the way seemed to have picked up on what you were mumbling. He stood next to you, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he glanced at you.

“Cha Beom is an asshole, but I wouldn’t waste your words on him.”

You glanced to the side, surprised that someone was taking your side. As you looked him over, you were sure you had seen him somewhere before. His face was fair and handsome and his clothes were neat. He looked pristine and well-mannered, but more than anything, he looked like he stuck to the rules. He was probably the last person you pictured sticking up for someone like you. You also thought that the word ‘asshole’ didn’t fit coming from his mouth.

“I’ll spar with her. If she can beat me, let her train here. If she can’t, then I’ll train her myself.” The mage said confidently. Your eyebrows furrowed at his brazenness. Wouldn’t he get reprimanded for speaking such an outlandish thing?

But he didn’t.

You watched as Lord Park sighed and waved the young mage off. An older man, Master Heo, started to protest, but upon Lord Park’s clear disinterest in continuing the situation, he was silenced.

“Do what you wish with her, Yul. Train her yourself.”

The mage smiled at Lord Park and bowed before turning to you, “So, Y/n. Let’s see those skills, hm?”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know a lot of things.” He remarked.

“Do you really have what it takes to train me? Aren’t you just another mage at Jeongjingak?” You questioned with uncertainty, earning a scoff from the young mage. 

“You don’t know who I am, do you?” He asked in disbelief. 

“Should I?”

He nodded, “Let me explain it. I have always been the top student at Jeongjingak; I mastered all the books, reached Chisu in a short amount of time, and people always come to me when they need help. That is me, Seo Yul.”

“Ah… I see. You’re smarter than you look, then.” You concluded, walking forward.

Yul paused, eyes blinking and head turned to the side in thought, “Is that a compliment for my intelligence or an insult for my looks?” He called out to you, making you turn around again.

“It was meant to be neither, though I suppose you are… decent.”

“Decent?”

“Mm… Your looks aren’t exactly my style, but even I can’t deny that you’re not too bad.” You continued, smile widening every time his face further scrunched in confusion. Teasing him was more fun than you thought.

“Is this how you’re going to treat your new master?” 

“Why? You don’t like it?”

“You’re just very… blunt.”

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it, Master Yul.” 

Yul’s eyes widened slightly, the formality of the new name was far from the regular “Young Master Seo” he was used to hearing. Hearing it from you brought him some strange satisfaction and warmth. It was strange.

//

Yul was a hard master to please. More often than not, you felt like he was disappointed with you because he always kept a straight face. He always forced himself to hide his affection for you for fear that it would distract from your training, which frustrated you. You clinged onto the moments where he let his true emotions shine through just a bit. The lingering stares and little smiles— from those small moments you were sure that he was actually a warm person, and not the cold, strict master like he appeared on the outside. You just needed to find a way for him to break the facade. 

Because he was so skilled himself, impressing him only happened once in a blue moon. You tried your best, and improved quickly under his guidance. He would train you rigorously every weekday after his own training at Jeongjingak. Usually you would be by the river, using the rough and difficult terrain to your advantage. It definitely helped with your dexterity and swiftness. After just a few months, you had mastered Ryusu.

The bright smile on Yul’s face when you were finally able to gain energy from the water was one you would never forget. He even laughed a bit, and you swore you were happier about making him happy than progressing in your training.

Your love for teasing Yul never went away. His expressions were just too adorable to make you want to stop, and you felt that they gave him a small break from the pressure he was under as the eldest son of the Seo family. 

You were thinking about all your little habits you had picked up around Yul, when it hit you. How you felt that warm fluttering feeling in your stomach when you saw him smile, and the heat crept onto your cheeks whenever he had to touch your hand to show you a proper placement for a spell. That wasn’t a normal master-pupil thing. You liked him. 

As you packed up your supplies one late night by the river, his perfect face kept flashing in your mind. His cute smile curving on his lips like when you mastered another spell, the subtle curve of his nose, the plush berry colour of his lips, the softness in his eyes. He was truly one of the most pure humans you had ever come into contact with, and your adoration for him only grew everyday. 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.” You scolded yourself under your breath. Now that you were aware that you were in love with him, how much harder would it be to go to training with him? You were sure you were going to be flustered and tripping your own two feet the next time you tried to work on your spells with him.

“Who are you calling stupid?”

You flinched and turned around, seeing Yul sitting in one of the trees by the bank, watching you pack up intently. 

“Myself. Why’re you still here?” You asked, cheeks heating up when he jumped down from the tree smoothly and crouched down next to you to help you pack the rest of your things.

“Because my pupil is still here even though the sun has already set long ago.” He said, a smile playing on his lips but he suppressed it like always. His hand moved to pick up the bottle of medicinal herbs you had to put in your bag and his fingers brushed against yours, your cheeks heating up even more at the action. In a panic, you realised the moon shining down on you was just enough light for Yul to pick up on the colour of your cheeks. You silently cursed him for noticing every little detail about you.

“Wait… Are you blushing?” He asked with uncertainty. You backed away slightly, whispering a hushed “no” and hoping he would drop the subject. You weren’t used to this side of him, and your nerves grew every time his face inched closer to yours. How was he always so calm and collected while able to make you so flustered?

“Let me check your breathing technique, Y/n.” Yul said quietly, hand gently resting on your stomach. You looked up at him with wide eyes, breathing in short fast puffs. You saw his lips stretch into what looked like a smirk. “Your breathing is completely off. What did I tell you about practising it even when you’re not training?”

“I… I’m sorry. I must’ve… forgotten.” You mumbled, mind spinning as you wondered why his hand was still touching you.

“Do I need to remind you more often?” He asked, head tilting as he looked at you fondly. You stayed silent, wide eyes staring into his like he had put you in a trance— as if you were incapable of looking away.

Your eyes moved faster than your brain as they flickered down to his lips for a split second. If your brain was able to make a sound, it would be screaming at you right now. Why the heck would you do that? There was no way Yul wouldn’t catch on to it. You’re screwed.

You couldn’t think or even breathe when you saw him leaning in, eyes blinking closed until his soft lips finally met yours. Your cheeks burned as you kissed him back. You couldn’t think about anything but him - the feeling of having him so close, your hearts racing in sync, him pulling you closer by the waist. Your hands moved on their own, gently carding through the soft hairs at the back of his head until he eventually pulled out, still holding you close.

You caught your breath and calmed your racing heart, whispering a soft, “...Did you just kiss me?”

“Yep.” He smiled. You wondered when he got the power to steal all your confidence.

“Can you… do it again?” 

“I didn’t know you liked it that much.” He smiled, eyes glimmering, moonshine reflecting off his face, "I guess my looks are a bit more than just decent?" He teased as he leaned in once more, pressing another soft kiss to your lips.

[givekennyabreak]

Be Still My Heart (Kenny Liu x fem!reader)

Summary: Kenny is relieved to see you safe after the awful night he spent at the station with Sara.

Word count: 920

Request: Hey theeeeeere! Thank you for replying to me and good luck with uni! Soooo ofc do it whenever u can and pls take your time! But I would reaaaally love smth fluff with Kenny x fem reader anything you want! Also 3rd person it's perfectly fine I love it don't worr about anything love💗💗💗

Rating: T

Warnings: spoilers for s2e9 and 10 of From, swearing, reader wears glasses, hugs, use of (Y/N), one (1) kith.

“This sucks.” (Y/N) mumbled.

Hidden in Victor’s old hideout, the one he so kindly showed her a few days before – ‘In case you wander too much’, he said -, she tried not to make any noises. There was no talisman inside, which meant the monsters outside could get in if they managed to unlock the tailgate.

It has been many, many hours since she got here alone, after going out to empty her head; people were dying, one after the other, more than ever before, and now they couldn’t sleep.

“Keep your eyes open, shitstain.” The woman whispered to herself, rubbing her eyes, back leaning against the metal wall. Her sight was trained on the tailgate, wondering why in the fuck she would wander off near nighttime – never again.

And then, a sliver of light passed by a tiny opening on the metal.

Too bright to be a flashlight.

(Y/N) scrambled up, face dangerously close to the cold metal, and peeked out.

“Sun, my beloved!” She shouted, and turned around. With ever raising excitement, she opened the latch and slid up the tailgate; the warm rays of sunshine hit her face with full force, and she leaped down onto the dewy grass.

The woman ran down the familiar path towards the town; by the diner, she waved at Mrs. Liu, Victor and Ethan, smiling as she saw the familiar faces.

“Morning, Jade!” (Y/N) shouted, slowing down as the curly-haired man left the bar with a frazzled look, some book in his hands.

“Where the hell have you been?!” He shouted back, brows furrowed.

“I was taking a walk, dude.” She replied, staring at him. “Where the fuck are you going, looking like my conspiracy theory uncle?”

“Oh, fuck off.”

“Don’t die!”

Jade grumbled something under his breath and left as (Y/N) headed, now walking at a decent pace, towards the Liu’s house.

The familiar sight of closed windows and an open door greeted the woman as she neared the place. She saw Sara leave the house with Boyd; nodded at them, and did her best to ignore the way her heart ached as her eyes focused on the man right behind the duo.

“Kenny.”

The ex-deputy looked up as (Y/N) whispered his name, brown eyes widening as he took in her messy appearance. Her hair was sticking up in weird angles, dark circles adorned her eyes (nothing new there, to be honest), and her glasses were kinda askew on her face.

A few seconds was all it took for the freckled man to run up to his friend and pull her into a tight hug. His arms circled her shoulders, and she sighed; he was warm. He smelled good. He was soft, comfortable-

She was sleep deprived.

“You’re alive.” Kenny said softly, nose nestled in the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

“Last I checked, yes.”

“I was worried, you dumbass.” He leaned back, staring into her eyes.

The tension between them was palpable as they locked eyes, the weight of their emotions hanging in the air. Kenny's words had hit her hard, stirring a whirlwind of worry within her. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her.

Her hands trembled slightly as she reached up to cup his cheeks, her touch gentle and filled with a mixture of affection and regret. Her thumbs traced tender circles against his skin, feeling the warmth gradually spread beneath her touch, a sign of their shared vulnerability.

With every passing moment, their faces drew closer, their breaths mingling. Their noses almost brushed against each other, creating a delicate connection that mirrored the fragile state of their hearts. It was a moment suspended in time, charged with longing and the unspoken desire for solace.

She mustered the courage to ask, her voice filled with a blend of uncertainty and hope, "I'm sorry... Can I kiss you?"

Kenny's response was barely a whisper, yet it carried the weight of his longing, "Please."

In that instant, their lips met, a gentle collision of souls seeking solace and reassurance. It was a tender, tentative kiss, born out of a shared understanding of their vulnerabilities. Their worries and fears melted away, replaced by a rush of affection and the undeniable connection between them.

Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in the softness of the moment. The world around them faded away, leaving only the sensation of their lips moving in sync, a dance of tenderness and forgiveness. It was a kiss that spoke volumes, expressing their unspoken apologies, their longing, and the depth of their feelings for one another.

In that single, stolen moment, they found solace and healing, their hearts intertwining in a profound embrace. And as they pulled away, breathless yet content, they knew that their bond had grown stronger, fortified by the power of their shared vulnerability and the healing a simple kiss could offer.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Boyd’s voice rang out, and the couple finally remembered there was an audience near them. “But we need Kenny right now, (Y/N).”

The woman felt her own face warm up now, and slowly let go of her friend’s face, arms hanging limply by her side.

“I’ll see you soon.” Kenny whispered, a small smile on his handsome face. “Really soon.”

“Be careful, okay?” (Y/N) whispered back, gaining a nod and a grin in response.

“Always.”

Right then and there, as she watched the trio walk off towards the forest, the woman sighed, with a lovestruck smile on her face.

“Be still, my fucking heart.”

Permanent taglist: @tiredwritersworld

I forgot the taglist, sorry guys :')

[fairyhaos]

-🌱

hiya!!! so basically jihan + hoshi because youre very adorable and cute but when it gets down to it you have no issue defending your self and standing up for others as well (ofc idk you personally this is just based off of your tumblr acc and just my uh perspective(?) i guess you could say) and as far as i remember hannie and hoshi were said to be the two scariest members when they got angry so idk just the vibes i feel and also shua cuz hes just so :(( and really adorable. i feel a few of his personality traits are present in yours but theyre like such a huge part of you that its kinda hard to pick them out individually and point them out so- i hope you can understand smth from my ramblings 😭😭 (also im really not trying to uh (idk the right word perceive(?) act like i know you (?) ) idk but basically i just wanted to say that im not trying to assume (thats the word!!) anything its just the vibes you give off!! also youre doing great!! ily and appreciate you sm!! remember your health both physical, mental and emotional are far more important than anythjng else!!!

(also yes dw i do run a writing blog!!)

(you were like one of the first people i found when i joined tumblr so im really proud of you!!)

thank you for inspiring me so many times!! i owe you!! and also thank you for making my days a little bit brighter thanks to your creations that you decided to share with the world. <<33!!!!

🌱(is it just me or does this emoji remind you of hansol?)

STOP SPROUT ANON THAT'S S9 SWEET OF U :((( im glad i give soft excitable vibes + scary vibes at the same time bc that is literally what i aspire to be like ☝also idk if im really actually all that much like shua bc that man is just wayyyy more wonderful n perfect than ill ever be but it makes me vv happy when people say they see him in me 🥹🥹

and dwdw i get ur ramblings and literally i love seeing how other people perceive me!! im someone who's (unfortunately) very influenced by other people's opinions on me jshfhd so it makes me so interested to know how other people think ab me ^^

also aww omg you're so sweet :(( im honoured to be an inspiration for u hehe and i hope your week is going well too <3

[n4t4nya]

how did u get confident to show your art to the world? i’m kinda scared to post even a video

i started sharing it by accident T_T i only knew how to bounce the songs onto soundcloud, but not how to bounce them to my files. aside from that i think i love it so much that shame doesn’t drive the experience

i just get excited to show ppl what i’ve done like a kid showing their parent a drawing at school, i have to stop myself from sharing 2much more than anything!! but nvr let shame rule the way u interact with the world - if smth u do makes u smile, it’s a gift 2 the world outside ( *∵* )

[v-anrouge]

heheheheh don’t mind me just joining in on the matchups, dearest cupidaster~

okay hmmmmm my love language is quality time and acts of service because i like spending time with the people i care about, whether we’re doing something extremelyyy exciting or just lazing around all day at home. i’m typically down for anything (within reason lol) as long as it’s something my partner wants and loves to do. it can be hard for me to vocalize my own emotions too, so to show people i love them, i like to help them out in any way i can—even if it’s the smallest things 

for love languages to look for in someone, i’d say it would be words of affirmation and physical touch. there’ll be times where i get too sucked into my own head that my thoughts will get the best of me, so having someone that could bring me back to reality with some comforting words would be nice <3 and while i do tend to stray away from physical touch, i weirdly crave it too (i’m actually just awkward when people hug me or smth lmao like it looks like i don’t enjoy it, but i really do- just don’t know how to show it properly)

most of my hobbies revolve around music lolol like i play the violin, sing, and i’d like to pick up the guitar soon. chronically listening to things on spotify and i also love a bunch of musicals. random karaoke sessions, too. lately i’ve been writing a bunch, but i also like wasting time reading novels, webcomics, manga, watching anime, etc. and i don’t really mind my partner’s hobbies; whatever they enjoy and like to do is perfect

for me, i think my partner should be a little more out-going compared to me, open-minded, and respectful for those times when my social battery is running low. i know certain people are uncomfortable when it’s too quiet, but i really like relaxing with people in a comfortable silence. puts less pressure on me to keep up a conversation lmao and if my partner likes it too, then yay we’re both happy. i also like it when someone is observant to the people around them

sorry it’s kinda long 💀 thank you in advance tho and don’t worry about answering right away! just take all the time that you need whenever you want <333

i assign u to me let's date /j

your first match IIIISSSS

ROOK oh he absolutely loves spending time with you, you're both usually a bit busy but as soon as you two have time he'll immediately break into come over to your house to spend as much time as possible with you, rook would love to be able to watch a movie or a musical with you, rook would enjoy talking about it as it plays but in case that annoys you he'll keep to himself until it ends and then he can talk about it, if you don't like talking about movies/musicals then he'll just if you enjoyed it and then ask if he can put another one

rook cannot get enough of you, if you allow him to he'll always be holding your hand and kissing it as he tells you how much he loves you, you're always on his mind he goes through his day while daydreaming about you the whole time waiting excitedly until he can meet you again and hug you tightly laughing as he tells you how much he missed you, his heart beats so fast whenever you offer to help him a soft blush appearing on his cheeks and he smiles fondly at you and goes on and on about how you're such an amazing lover and how lucky he is to have you on his life dramatically putting a hand on his forehead

there is little rook enjoys more than praising you and talking about how awesome you are and if you think he does it a lot to you then you haven't seen how much he talks about you to literally anyone else, everyone on that school has at least once been told about how much of an amazing lover you are some of them think it's cute some thinks it's funny and some are so done they just want you both to graduate and get married already so they'll have peace

as soon as rook learns you play instruments he'll beg that you allow him to watch you playing, if you say you're too shy to show him tho he'll respect it and apparently leave the topic behind but little do u know that rook's plan is leveling up his praise even more so that you'll feel secure in your skill and ask rook if he would like to listen, if you allow him tho he'll sit down with a bright smile and his eyes shining expectantly he can barely contain his excitement you haven't even done anything yet but rook looks like he already wants to start praising you

after you play to rook he'll beg for a duet, it would mean so much to him to be able to sing by your side, especially if the song was a special song to you both, he'll treasure that memory for the rest of his life.

rook loves to take you out on dates and since you both love musicals a lot of the dates have to do with them, after the musical ends rook plans to make an amazing dinner for the both of you and talk about the musical

rook loves writing so when he discovers it's something you enjoy too he'll be over the moon, he'll ask if he can see your works and if you let him he'll be so so happy, in exchange he'll show you his poems, but not the ones like he writers for vil no, he shows you the his personal poems, poems that talk about his private life and he looks really flustered while you read them but he smiles softly the whole time, trust is something really important for rook and he wants to show you that he truly does care and trust you and hopes that you feel the same towards him

rook understands that he can be a lot some times so whenever he senses you're getting overwhelmed he'll immediately stop or remove the situation and take you to a quiet place so that you can recover, he'd ask you if you want him to leave or stay and depending on your answer he'd either kiss your forehead and leave with a smile or stay by your side holding your hand and quietly enjoying your company

you mean a lot to rook and he doesn't want to mess up this relationship in any ways so rook is always very careful of your boundaries and always make sure to look for any signs you might feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed, rook feels completely accepted and love for the first time in years and he would never forgive himself if he ever hurt you, you're so precious to him, he finally has a safe place, he finally feels like he can be himself and not be afraid of the vulnerability because knows you'd never hurt him, because he knows you truly love him and he couldn't ask for anything better

other possibilities: lilia, riddle, malleus & vil

[sanchoyo]

arc v ep 88-100 thoughts... cannot believe I hit ep 100 already. hell yeah

also my cat sat on my laptop and typed this while I was watching and its important I leave in HER thoughts too. she says: "4r4 rrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr4ggggj,"

ok now onto My Thoughts (which are considerably less Important than hers)

-ok shun leaping onto his monster to save a small child then everyone being like 'omg i cant believe he'd do that..wow…hes not so bad…' LIKE? YOU THOUGHT HE WAS HEARTLESS??? dude cares SO much hes been consistently trying to stop a war and find his sister and stuff??? jkdashkj (also it was just very dramatic and Cool and made me laugh bc he was SO serious and straight faced during the whole thing. nerves of STEEL)

-'i wonder if kurosaki is a lot like crow'….theyre both bird boys. theyre uniting to be bird FRIENDS and FIST BUMPED OVER IT WHY AM I TEARING UP. SHUN LOST WITH A SMILE TOO….im glad theyre friends and birds and birdfriends. even jack smiled over crow winning AAAUGH. STOPPP. too cute. didnt expect this ep to be so WHOLESOME

-the subs said smth like 'youre one of us' when they were through speaking (which is lovely bc they have a solidarity in that they both have causes theyre fighting for) but the more literal translation of what was said was closer to 'you're one of my/our friends now' from crow. Augh. AUGGH. ;_;

my god the sora meeting up with yuzu then their monsters working together (in an ADORABLE dance sequence) was THEE best thing ever like 2 eps in a row have been BANGERS and making me unlock new emotions. I love both of their decks SO much too????

screenshots that made me bawl my eyes out tbh. like I literally, actually cried a little JKADSHKFJ sora has FRIENDS for the first time and he LOVES THEM and they TRUST HIM he found the best friends ever and its SO tender. this is why I watch ygo btw. sobbing in the club rn.

-yuzu declares shes gotta save yuya bc he is, once again, locked up. girl boss protag! …of course tsukikage interrupted and tbh he and sora had Points abt it being better if sora goes and gets yuya since hes…yeah, trained for this kinda stuff but they all trust each other and the whole teacher and student thing with yuzu and sora…god theyre all so CUTE this is EXACtly what I wanted ;__; exactly what i NEEDED.

-yugo v serena started exactly how I expected jdshjk I LOVE how constantly Pissed serena is. shes SO blunt and I love her for it. (but also wARRANTED he got way too clingy fast and im sure thats Weird for her. gotta assume her and yuri werent…like, even acquaintances or anything by way she acts around the yu boys) she did make sure to let yugo know she expected a lot from him from his last duel which was Something. but my god yugo is SO in love with rin isnt he kjdsahkj hes got like that wholesome childhood friends puppy love, the way he imagines her, and its REALLY cute. cannot wait to actually meet rin…

-roget is so damn annoying that everytime he speaks i just hear the adults from the peanuts cartoons so i cant recall, but hes saying smth abt wanting serena to be a symbol for the commons and the tops and im like. he wants her and yuzu so academia cant have them and has his own plans for them, but. does he know WHY academia wants them? im gonna need him to share with the class. I still need to know too

-also its rly annoying that roget is cheesing the duel in serena's favor. but also I'm always rooting for the girls so like. i get it, but if shes gonna win I want it to be on her own merits yk… (rin seems so cute from the flashbacks also, she always WON IN THEIR DUELS?? GIRL IS STRONG IM EVEN MORE EXCITED TO MEET HER)

-yuyas thng where he can astral project (??) himself into his alt selves bodies is creepy and i KNOW its prob not supposed to be but it IS and I Dont Like it. Pls dont Dissolve yugo too like u did with yuto. maybe it only happens to them when theyre not in their dimension. maybe yugo will absorb yuya instead. I DOUBT it since yuya is protag protected but still

-….yugo being like 'no, i LIKE it that when youre in trouble the course changes and u get an action card!! its cool and a good thing!!!" OK FEMINIST KING JHDSKJF. hes great and I love him. (also yeah its not her FAULT roget is trying to give her advantages but id argue having yuya backseating on the duel is also kinda cheesing it for yugo so. theyre EVEN on the unintentional cheating)

-much as I hate to see her lose her attitude makes PERFECT sense given how she was raised in academia. duels are not Games to her, theyre tools, and she hates relying on whats basically handouts from roget to win or dumb luck. perfectly understandable and I appreciate her stubbornness and sense of honor abt it. but gotta agree with yugo that nah girl take the W if u can jkdhsjk. she ofc changes her tune later in the duel but Still

-oh my god yuri is HERE im going to PUKE just seeing his silhouette made me get so hyped up. i dont even KNOW him hes barely had ANY screentime but the way the other characters and even fucking roget hyped him make me like. dude u better be a hammy villain i have HIGH hopes for u. if hes good at being squirrely he WILL be my fav yuya counterpart EASY bc looks wise hes already my fav. pink and purple is unbeatable. but hes just STANDING THERE. MENACINGLY. with his lil bunny hair...tbh kinda cute.

-AWWW serena being like 'why am i getting kind of excited…' girl has had so little Hype in her life and this is def her first time hearing ppl cheer for her im gonna cry. id hype u up bestie ur SO cool and good at dueling….AND SHE GOT TO SAY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THIS TIME. and SHE IS ENJOYING HERSELF GOOD FOR HER. I did kinda figure she woulnt win or go all the way (and I assume the same goes for yugo...) but. still very proud of her. and her and yugo had funnnn together ;w; yugo is lowkey befriending ALL the yuzu counterparts isnt he. king shit! love him!

-I know this shot of yuri standing is supposed to be menacing and threatening but he looks like a little. i dont know. like a littol kitty or perhaps a pug dog. he said :I look at him:

-btw why was he on top of the stadium howd he get up there. WHY IS HE STANDING ON TOP OF A MOVING TRUCK??? then he leaps OFF it and-- all the yuboys are so…acrobatic…I mean it makes sense if him and sora were both academia-trained but still...not Normal.

-oh…layra coming to save serena while reiji creates an opening for them and trusts his sibling to go do that…look at layras character development bc of jacks inspiration…layra got so vocal and seemed so confident IM SO PROUD OF ALL MY KIDS RN. SNIPED 3 COPS TOO. SO QUICKLY. it was barely a duel god damn. they are reijis sibling huh

-the way reiji keeps WINNING (also I love how his scarf defies gravity. very cool) roget is SOO mad and I love to see it. he said hes going to KILL REIJI AND THE COUNCIL? NOT DUEL THEM? KILL THEM OUTRIGHT? oh ok roget. sure you will when we have checks episode count at least …2-3 seasons left. sure you'll kill the sort of rival but not exactly character, who leads the lancers. I totallllly believe u ;)

-eeeeugh roget is so creepy 'normally i wouldve wanted to rework his (yuya) brain first but-' blah blah blah do you realize youre talking abt modifying a living person against their will. i mean hes already done it to every cop and sergey. but still. urgh creepy and bad.

-obv I know yuya will win the friendship cup stuff and duel jack. bc protag. but them pitting yuya v crow seems like swinging a bat at the hornets nest (the fandom) by definitively saying one is a better duelist and would win against the other…sjdhfkjn its the reason we dont get protag v protag duels in stuff like bbt n no conclusive winner to the judai v yugi duel i guess hahah. tbf this duel was p much all Thee Demon and not yuya, and fixed at the start so crow didnt do his 100% best on the first turn, and its not as if yuya planned to go thru with it at ALL bc hes got priorities, but ofc I figured thatd get dashed...despite their scheming...ugh. still a bit bummed. hope they have an earnest on screen duel fr before the end...

-I do love yuya and crow PLOTTING TOGETHER. thats great….schemers! also glad the whole 'crow thinks yuya might be working w the tops' shit was short-lived bc I knew crow wouldnt buy that

-sora…jumped onto a helicopter's wheel..and is just hanging on…his upper core and arm strength has to be INSANE what the HELL dude if u fall u will DIE dont DO THAT

-the silly music that plays when yuya brings out his hippos is such a bop. loveeee this ost

-….YUYA WAS GOING TO JUMP AND ABANDON THE DUEL TO GO TRY AND FIX SHIT. my god he was so close to breaking the unspoken ygo rule (protags always win tournaments) to ABANDON THE TOURNAMENT FOR THE SAKE OF THE PLOT!!! i cant believe it…roget stopped him with a BRAIN SHOCK??? he put some shit in his helmet :( at least its not IN HIS BRAIN I guess?? oh my god it increases aggression too. roget you are so so stupid man hes got a DEMON in his necklace or some shit you CANNOT be doing this its gonna come out and EAT you. or worse, eat crow who I actually like. i wouldnt MIND if it ate roget

-we then get a really cool shot of a red eye looking over a disintegrating city line. and all the yu-dudes have a Moment. uhhh safe to say this demon thats attached to all of them wiped out a fucking huge city or dimension/world? great. very cool. roget you dumb fuck youre going to cause the apocalypse or something

-the demon said fuck ya friends im winning the duel lmaooo of course its a demon with priorities to duel. classic ygo moment. the other yuboys are completely controlled and copying yuyas movements and their eyes are doing the Thing….ok, so the demons goal is 100% absorb all of them into one like what happened with yuto.. like to get the power of all the dimensions/their dragons all together? ? still like, doesnt explain why they all look the same or how the yuzugirls/bracelets are involved really, but im pretty sure thats the Idea right…starting to think we cant Friendship our way out of this and the demon might end up being. a real problem and not a Potential Bud. Sad

-'if he dies he dies' ok roget. youre horrible. VERY effective villain tho

-oh christ academia is here too rn? WORST timing. but im like. on the edge of my seat this is season finale worthy tension.

-btw this is a VERY funny screenshot. sora jumped from a helicopter WAY up in the air perfectly onto crows bike SOMEHOW without shattering all of his leg bones. what they dont tell you abt academia is that they replace all of your bones with a sturdy rubber so u can do unlimited parkour without hurting urself

-jack finally got up out of that damn chair he was so pissed crow lost jkdshjk. real. me and jack ALWAYS on same wavelength. twinsies <3

-yuya said FUCK the friendship cup im leaving for real this time. good for him. dip out and save ur friends. but you WILL be back to finish the tournament or so help me god. thats ygo LAW.

-genuinely didnt expect yugo and yuri to be SO funny when they interacted but my god i kept having to pause and laugh. but also…uhh…yugo really thought yuzu was DEAD?? he did keep sayin yuzu from heaven or smth along those lines BUT I THOUGHT HE WAS BEING CUTE AND CALLING HER AN ANGEL OR SMTH LIKE. AS A PET NAME. HE REALLY. THOUGHT SHE WAS DEAD? 'then I suppose rin lives on in your heart too' BRUTAL. but I laughed. sjdfkjn

btw this?

sounded like a genuine laugh jkhdsfjk and was super cute. im...hesitant to say i SHIP any of the yuboys bc im terrified its gonna be smth like theyre bros. literally interdimensional brothers or smth insane like that. but. if that DOESNT end up being the case. cmon. look at them.

-the council being like 'hmmm hmm yes maybe we shall use sergey and make peace with roget afterall to get him on our side :)' and reiji looking PISSED. my god I would be too, hes done so much for you FUCKS. down with the council and roget and academia and the tops/police force in synchro. they ALL gotta go.

-….god tsukikage is the best isnt he. as far as he knows, the carding of his bro is like. equal to death (I know it cant be, no way we're losing that many minor characters FOREVER. just like im 100% sure yuto will Be Back or smth) and still, hes like no we dont hold grudges thats not the way of my clan. thanks for your help. to sora. very tender and sweet moment im so glad…..

-YUYA LITERALLY BUSTING IN ON A MOTORCYCLE. ICONIC ENTRANCE AND THANK GOD. poor layra had to fight waaay too long :<

-…shun is WAY too extra I LOVE him lmaooo he straight up started bodying ppl underground with his fists AGAIN the second he heard academia was here. gonna need a shun fight compilation or gifset immediately if such a thing exists. and if not I will MAKE it. bird of Incredible Violence

-the REVOLUTION IS STARTINGGGGG OK SHINJI LETS GOOOOOO this is awesome

-…my god the stuff with layra and serena turned into a clusterfuck SO fast. sora showed up to try and help. yuya showed up to try and help. then YURI SHOWED UP. AND YUGO. and yuzu, FINALLY. everything happens So Much. (and then fucking sergey too) everyone is kinda in One Spot huh…Bad Feeling abt This

-speaking of bad feelings. when all the yu's dragons came out! and they started talking about becoming one and saying shit like 'i'll be revived!' ok. so. yuya's demon is trying to resurrect itself and needs all the yu's to do it. bad! kinda suspecting yuri and yugo are gonna go to Spirit Town with yuto kjsdnkjn oh no. so its like. safe to assume this is some zorc type shit? the demon put pieces of itself into each of them? the dragons are like, the key to Waking it Up (which…yuya did get his mysteriously from pendulum stuff right. his DAD gave him the pendulum necklace didnt he. im SO sus abt his fuckin dad rn I dont trust him I KNOW how ygo dads Are. this is his fault somehow. he gave his son a cursed Amulet type shit)

-…and the yuzugirls all have bracelets that can detect and lead to the demon when its active? …does reiji's dad know this? and wants them all together and to find the demon? and assumedly put it back together/fuse the yuboys for world/dimensional domination? maybe thats why hes trying to fuse the dimensions together, so he can rule them All with Demon Power (tm)? cliche but thats my best guess… but like. if thst WAS the case he'd just need one of the girls bc yuzu could find yuya on her own? or maybe leo is actually…trying to STOP the demon thing and is going abt it in the worst fuckedest up way possible. thats also a possibility. but he seems like. he doesnt give a FUCK abt the yuboys at all and just wants the girls so??? do they also have a demon. doesnt seem like it but that would be sick af I think the girls deserve to go a bit feral too. as a treat

-if…fusing the yuboys is the demons ultimate goal its already halfway there LOL got yuto! doesnt explain why it would split itself across dimensions to be in them in the first place or anything or why itd pick yuya and his counterparts unless it chose them from birth or smth (which explains why they might look the same kinda?) (I am going to assume when we keep seeing that cityline being destroyed in yuya's vision, that it at one time was some big bad. so assumedly it got destroyed and maybe scattering itself was a last ditch effort in hopes of being revived?? or someone else did it??) also still doesnt explain how the yuzugirls factor in. im trying so hard rn to figure it Out. the whole 'we will be ONE AGAIN' thing did confirm a lot of my suspicions tho and if I was yugo and yuri id get the HELL OUT OF DODGE tbh

-also. the bracelets have teleportation powers. (yuboys specifically targetted during it…) what does THAT imply? that the dragons pull them together…and the bracelets are tools to keep them apart? from fusing? hm. so what im understanding is yuzu protag real

-earthbounds are SO cute I loved them in 5ds how is it fair that SERGEY has them. bullshit

-btw I appreciate how cute yuzu's prison jumpsuit is. shes just runnin around in a lil onesie doing all of this. I mean motorcycle suits are also onesies. this is the onesie arc

-why has the nerve gas on serena lasted so long. i feel like it shouldve long since worn off

-the entire duel between barett and yuya was 'tell me where yuzu is.' 'no' 'tell me' 'i..said i wasnt going to?' 'tell me' 'no' tell me' 'NO' 'oh shes here :)' 'FUCK' like for 20 mins I swear to god jasdfk

-they took serena nooooooo. sad :( I hope we can see a lil of academia and keep following her while shes there (and that shes not just thrown in a cell) oh!! i hope her and rin and ruri can meet up there!!! I want to see them

-SERGEY HAS DISGUSTING LEG…ENGINES??? HE FUCKING LAUNCHED OFF WITH YUZU. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. diGUSTING this man is nightmare duel what the hell. not my best girl :<

-layra deciding sora is a Safe Person and clinging to him…VERY cute ;_; sora once again being the one to go and try to save yuzu too…BESTIES.

-…the fact the duel arena is..empty bc the fucking revolution is happening outside LMAO even gon is like 'hey why the hell are they even continuing the tournament rn this is ridiculous' same dude!!

-holy shit jack is finally doing smth. jack is going to beat sergeys ass im so ready do it king. his cool as a cucumber disposition and pretty face are like. the only buffer I have to protect me from sergey

-choziro appealing to shingos EGO to get him to protect layra is SO funny. hes got NO braincells and hes the best for it

-ohhh the rain during the sergey v jack match. jack In The Rain while sergey DESTROYS THE ROAD. its so DRAMATIC and cool and I love this for him yesss show this guy how jack duels!!! #1 king of all time. hes calling him shit like 'fool' and 'buffoon' too such a jack moment. and 'if theres perfection, its ME' oh my GOD I love you SO much jack. pls.

-I need u all to understand ygo is My Sports Game I'm hysterical rn over jack slipping past sergey and then RIDING BACKWARDS TO FACE HIM. love when jack does that

-by the way, roget bringing yuzu up to have someone to monologue at? v funny

-jack caused sergey to have some kind of fucking…duelgasm which caused an Error. which is Disturbing I hate this dude TF. this is the effect jack has on everyone tho I guess

-ROGETS LITTLE 'SERGEEEEY!!!' SCREAM WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY I NEED A CLIP OF THAT HIS VOICE. LIKE. JKDFHKJ. hes LOSING his shit I cant stop laughing

-I Never Doubted Jack for One Second

-You Ever Have a Duel So Good You Kill Yourself After. ok. goodbye sergey. cannot say I will miss you infact I am very Relieved actually

-…by the way. does jack know anything abt whats currently happening with the plot? im sure he at least knows abt the revolution but does he know abt the lancers/academia stuff? hes been on his Chair most of the time so I assume Not which is very funny. this random dude just dueled him, turned into a bike, then killed himself after and jack is like. well ok. JKDSHFKJ

-some rando street dudes killed sergey actually. but he was def falling on purpose. either way. watching roget LOSE it is so funny his plan has sucked ass from the start

-shun scooping layra up was really cute. Scooped

-HOLY SHIT YUZU. SLAMMED INTO ROGET AND HE HIT HIS HEAD ON THE EDGE OF HIS CHESS TABLE. i LOVE how shes consistently been a Get Shit Done girl even when shes cuffed rn. she said ya im gonna go steal his broadcast and get MY message out

-jack said for sam to tell yuya: Yuya Im Fucking Disappointed in You. Stop dueling like a Damn Animal. and this is enough to make yuya actually remember his goals. and run to the palace to duel jack again. to stop the riots and shit with a Duel. Good

-reijis smile when layra ran and hugged him PLS. cute

-the council finally gets fucking Told by Reiji. 'those who sit on the sidelines have no right to speak about the future' hey reiji youre the best (and his whole speech was REALLY good)

-shun and his Flock of Birds comes to Help. why is that so funny and kinda sweet. hes gotta STAND on his too while it flies like a drama queen

-the tournament was basically canceled bc we didnt get the semifinal duels BUT we are getting jack v yuya anyway of course as the finale…is it bad I still want jack to win? I want yuya to be fine with winning so long as it makes ppl smile bc THATS his main goal and jack is a symbol of hope for the ppl in this city…so I want jack to Win…again…but this is a duel for yuya to redeem himself after losing to jack the first time isnt it. aah

-'i declared martial law!' 'no you dont' thats basically what the council guy did kjshk

-lancers beating cops up together in the stadium :) on live tv….fun lil friend group activity aw…

-JACK SMILED WHEN HE SAW LAYRA DUEL IM ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING CUTE AGGRESSION BC OF JACK

-by the way can roget even duel. he hasnt, hes just had other ppl do it for him and been hellbent on KILLING ppl when it comes down ot it. which is. weird and funny for a ygo villain ur not even gonna duel for urself dude? do u even have any cards

-radish horse is such a cute card btw. all of yuyas cards are p Cute.

-im SO glad jack said 'dude STOP with your fathers words and speak with YOUR OWN WORDS' tbh real and true.

-…the subs this ep abruptly changed rogets name to roger….lol roger. (and the font changed between episodes which is like. Why did you do that. I cant focus on anything else now that its Weird)

-the sound gons shoes make is like asmr to me. clank clank clank :)

-I like how jack basically teaches yuya his own will can be learned from others but duels are conversations and u gotta use ur own 'words/will' to convey what youve gotten from everyone youve dueled before. its like. abt appreciating and carrying ppl before u with u. and gratitude for everyone whos taught u smth put towards achieving ur own goals. dueling for others sakes. very cute message and true bc yuya wouldnt be able to do half the stuff he can w/ pendulum if it wasnt for his buds yk

-omg jack laughed and was smiley :) yayy

-the clown guy from 5ds made a cameo! still dont remember shit abt him besides the fact he has a Clown Wife and is on arc v money…?? Ok

-ok the end of the duel was pretty cute im not even that mad abt jack losing. bc jack was happy…it makes sense too. when ur the king it can be BORING if no one challenges u or whatever

-not a huge fan of the cops magically bein buds now but fine, I get it was mind control making them suck ass and this is a more idealistic world

-the..council disbanded? cool. the upper class will dissolve and the lower class will be able to live better…very optimistic happy ending…and it all happened very fast, compared to the pacing of this arc so far tbh??? like. ok guess nothing is bad and everything is Fine Immediately! (this is a thing every ygo series does tho so. not a total awful thing I cant look past, but it did give me kinda mood whiplash)

-yuzu and reiji calling roget out!!! reiji must be so damn tired of adults not taking responsibility!!! his whole thing is just running around cleaning up after grown ass men!!!

-im tired too, reiji. tired of yuzu being a Damsel to Roget. let her DO more next arc or so Help Me God

-next episode(s) are supposed to be watched together in a HOUR LONG SPECIAL ohh. inchresting

-love how even tho they were also going w yuya to where reiji and yuzu are, heaven FORBID crow and jack ride in the copter with yuya. no, they HAD to ride their d-wheels here.

-holy shit. so. tsukikage and sora DID win the duel against roget! and so did reiji! hes just! a fucking cheating bastard! like 'neverending duel that wont end ever until u quit' ok…that does fit rogets character LMAO hes a WORM. of course I trust reiji to be the one to be able to Beat The Bullshit

-roget is such a fuckin slime trying to turn the lancers against reiji and reiji countered his logic with ONE sentence lmao. also reijis lil smile when yuya said he trusts reiji :( sweet…

-ohhh…yuya and yuzu hugging and crying bc they FINALLY got each other back…tender…

-roget says he'll drop everything into the void between dimensions. So there IS a void. did I not say in one of these posts I think the yuya demon crawled out of a void in between dimensions. now we have confirmed such a space EXISTS… will I Be Right? :3c

-….roget got sucked in and the portal closed. lmao. is he DEAD? goodbye forever (hopeful)

-…fuck. the wormhole also took yuzu, yuya, gon, shun, and shingo…. to xyz dimension!! yeahhh heartland!!!! LOVE IT. KAITO TIME??? prayin its kaito time.

-'the capital of despair, heartland' is the ep title. oof. heartland looking rough :(

I will say its funny (in a horrible way) they took the Cheeriest Setting (heartland) and did this to it. and that gx setting which is also pretty chill (a school setting...) and made them fucking interdimensional warmongers. and 5s, the canonically most gritty setting was Not Involved like until the lancers showed they were the neutral ones hahah

-arc area project!!! we havent gotten a name for leo's lil 'unify the dimensions' scheme yet until now! so…arc is in the name. back to my og theory the name arc v means more than fifth series in the ygos. and like. theres (5) dimensions for Sure right. (or, the unity of the four would be the fifth?) hm. Thinking

-shingo asking the real q of why the hell turning ppl into cards/waging war on xyz would help fuse dimensions. i also still want to know. (we keep seeing the shot of leo feeding the cards into a machine, so..hes using…soul/ppl power? to power it to fuse the dimensions?? dude what good is ruling dimensions if NO ONE is left in them???)

-…a lot of this two parter was flashbacks/recapping stuff. I…kinda appriciate the earlier flashbacks but god it could've went faster.

-KAITOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! OF COURSE YOU WOULD SHOW UP ON EPISODE 100!!! SOOO HAPPY TO SEE U :D zexal is the series I KNOW the most like its engraved in my brain, unlike 5ds where I barely remembered enough to be able to tell all the ways its an au, so im gonna be fucking ON IT trying to figure out stuff Now. also, is kaito the only zexal character? why? dont two gx charas show up? and we had jack and crow in the synchro world?? zexal shouldve gotten 2. I vote akari bc 1. she didnt get enough screentime and we always need More Girls 2. she can ride a bike so if they go back to synchro shes set already 3. she kicks ass and is a reporter so she could be trying to report on the war/document it. 4. her and melissa could be reporter gfs. im RIGHT hear me out.

-oh at the end of the ep there was a promo for dsod? this came out around then?? wow thats wild. I saw that movie in THEATERS when it released in the us. very fun. the nearest theater that was showing it was 2 hours away lol. we should have another ygo movie. pls. (maybe not another dm one tho…)

[m1ckeyb3rry]

I’m way too invested in the oaeu now never would I imagine myself being interested in anything aiku but here we are!!! This is actually so funny the irony of Niko giving the advice is like getting splashed with cold water and aikus finally like “no fucking way….I DO like her…” also ADOPTED UNCLE SNUFFY >>> actually my fav y/n knowing Lorenzo beforehand because of it too ugh (imagine she at some point talks about it all with Lorenzo too and he also says something that makes her realize she’s falling for aiku too LMAO) ok but also facts?? Chris prince with chigiri >>> I stand by the fact that if Isagi also got a chance to learn from him he’d be able to develop a lot too since his biggest weakness seemed to be his lacking physical ability!! If he’d also been able to continue developing Nagi and Reo separately too…..

Atp the next filler ep/chapter should just show bllkers in hs too I wanna see them in their original habitats…also wait i didn’t realize they didn’t include the valentines question for Barou??? I noticed that some characters are asked things while other characters aren’t (like only Reo and yuki get asked about their fav brand iirc) which lowk irked me like PLEASEEE keep it consistent i wanna know this about another character too….hmm im conflicted…on one hand i feel like Barou would get some on like the same basis as Kunigami like yeah they’re jacked and kinda intimidating but the girls see how they’re gentlemen and go “oooh that’s bf material” but also from the ln we know Barou is a lot scarier than Kunigami LMAOO but I can’t tell if he’s only that way around the soccer club members/dudes or if it’s just to everyone else too….

The way that so many nagi duos solo nagireo…the other dynamics are just so interesting…I agree we need a reunion between Nagi and Isagi soon omg I almost cried seeing nagi and Barou’s like two second interaction post nel match too

Dw im sure they’ll appreciate miraverse kiyora!! It’s not like there’s much canon content floating around for him either soooo but I think anyone whos read your other works knows to trust the process because everything on your masterlist slaps

No wait because it was so gagamaru…like especially knowing his personality and how he’s kinda unrefined in a way (for lack of a better term) when I read u really thought “wait he would do actually do this”

Wait speaking of kiyora I think some content for him actually just came out for him via the game on the jp server?? If you want I can go dig around and see what’s there

ME TOO LMAOO okay if kiyora y/n isn’t at the same level of hollyhock I think you definitely should be fine LOL considering it’s kiyora I think the reader would need to be “abnormal” enough to keep up with him

- Karasu anon

LITERALLYYYY omg my silly post abt wanting to write aiku as a bestie has devolved into the oaeu it’s so exciting hehe i actually cannot wait to write it!! working hard at the kiyora req rn though hoping to have it out soon 😏 i’m enjoying myself tbh i love having the freedom to write whatever story i feel like writing (even though i’m scared they won’t like it but wtvr)…also LMAOOO no literally aiku’s like holy shit even the fifteen year old thinks i like her maybe i DO 😭 omg reader + lorenzo having like a cousin relationship too?? where they always make fun of each other but when it counts they’re there for one another…maybe aiku having a vote of confidence from lorenzo AND snuffy is enough for her to be like “okay wait he’s not that bad maybe i do kinda like being w him”

okay honestly i see a lot posts/people that HATE chris prince because he groped the manshine boys (reo nagi chigiri) tbh i never really took it like that though?? maybe i’m just dumb and someone will come to correct me (hopefully not because i’m not in the mood to defend my opinion or be called an “SA apologist” or smth considering i’ve…yk…been SA’d irl) but to me it was more giving the vibe of like when the doctor is doing your checkup 🤔 at least when i was reading it didn’t seem like chigiri or reo were overly traumatized or VISCERALLY uncomfortable w it he just took them by surprise?? and ofc nagi was just like 😐 the whole time because he’s an idgaf warrior LMAOO but i feel like it was kinda meant to be more of a lighthearted/humorous thing…plus his whole thing is improving physicals he kinda DOES need a read on their physical condition 😰 he probably could’ve asked first but again i think that was written to take the audience by surprise too and be more of a silly little gag 😔 idk though i see so many people hating on him and doing these deep analyses abt how he sucks and is a creep and truly i don’t feel like he is but it makes me so scared to say i lowkey love him 😭 i’m sorry but he’s actually so funny as a concept and he’s mega hot (even though he’s british 😠) i think he’d be my celeb crush in the bllkverse no joke 😩 and yeahhh honestly isagi if he had snuffy or chris prince as a coach would’ve SLAYED honestly it kinda would’ve been cool to see reo teaming up w isagi on manshine city and have him kinda take hiori’s role as isagi’s main passer because that could’ve expanded on his copying ability which is rlly cool but never taken full advantage of?? and then having nagi and hiori team up/become friends because of their relatable backgrounds…i think a nagi and hiori team up (as long as hiori is still able to awaken how he did w isagi ofc) would’ve been cool because an awakened hiori wouldn’t be as lenient w nagi as reo is so he’d still have to be creative but he’d also have the safety net of a rlly creative passer to help him continue to grow 🙏🏻 also i think nagi and kaiser interactions would be sooo funny because nagi would not at all care abt kaiser’s weird games and whatnot he’d just be like “ok 👍” and do what he wants 😭 or he’d say some absolutely vile brutal horrible insult that makes kaiser question things for WEEKS 🙂‍↕️ ALSO NAGI AND NOEL NOA WOULD BE INSANE because it’s like idgaf warrior x do whatever you want chemical reaction

NO LITERALLY like i wish it was all the same because i want to know those things about allll of the characters not just some of them!! imo barou probably got a couple for being cool muscular soccer man but he def is the kind of guy who seems like he’s super closed off and intimidating and scary around girls because he doesn’t know how to talk to them so he just avoids them because he’s kinda shy so idt he got a TON ykwim (this is where wingman aiku comes in to save the day 🤩 my goat fr)

so trueeee nagi and rin’s parallels will never not be so cool to me too!! like obviously there’s the visuals of black hair vs white hair, bright eyes vs muted eyes, similar builds, but then they’re also so opposite narratively too?? like nagi’s the prodigy who doesn’t care abt soccer but is naturally good whereas rin is almost obsessive about it and works mega hard (ofc he’s talented too no doubt but for the sake of the comparison he takes it much more seriously than nagi), nagi has no family and no one who cares about him/who HE cares about until he meets reo, rin is super attached to sae and does everything because he loves him and wants sae to approve of him…they also have a lot of similarities too though!! like nagi being the “god of the field” vs rin being the “puppet master of the field”, the death and destroyer auras, how rin is only playing soccer to defeat sae and nagi was only taking it seriously to defeat isagi + only even got into it because of his friendship with reo…honestly my deuteragonist goats this is why rin would make such a good second lead to nagi (or vice versa but yk i’d never pick rin over NAGI HAHAHA) they play off of each other really well if written correctly despite not really interacting much!!! also i think they kinda have similar senses of humor in terms of roasting other players like if rin wasn’t such an emo hater he’d honestly probably get along w nagi (and hiori) quite well

MIRAVERSE KIYORA IS SUCH A MENACE i’m taking such wild liberties with him because he has max three lines of dialogue so i can make him say whatever i want 😭 i think a lot of people make him very cutesy in the very very little fan content of him that exists but miraverse kiyora is in fact a problematic king that beats people up for funsies and is NOT ❌ bestie approved 😓 wait omg yeah if you have any kiyora info that would be helpful i’m already pretty far into the oneshot so idt i’ll change much atp but maybe it’ll help me make sure i end it properly and whatnot 🤩 honestly kiyora fic y/n is mostly chill she’s just kinda down bad even though kiyora gives heavy red flag at first (not permanently though) she’s real for that icl kiyora is soooo pretty i wish we weren’t the same height (he would be too powerful if he was tall that’s why kaneshiro made him 5’4)

also sorry it took me a MINUTEEE to respond to this but i ended up going on 50 tangents so like at least you have a lot to read to make up for that 😰

[eurydicees]

Sorry I need to kick down your door to scream “PLATONIC SOULMATES MIYA TWINS!!!” Yes hello I AM HERE!!!

(Your soulmate AU ideas are absolutely fab and…. I am keeeeeen for more!)

oh anon PLEASE kick down my door !!!!! platonic soulmates miya twins fr FR fr !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a concept i am suddenly and completely VERY passionate abt. just like.....miya twins canon "atsumu's biggest blessing is osamu" "we'll be next to each other on our deathbed" you mean those miya twins???? yeah. yeah. YEAH . they're literally soulmates !!!!!!! people who balance each other out and who make each other stronger and no matter how hard they work one will always catch up to the other.........im biting and kicking and chewing paper rn

i think i am going to commit to this idea for the nano soulmate au because aaaaaaa. miya twins <333333333

anyways hehe so glad u like these au ideas !!!!!! i am so excited abt this. do you want an excerpt from what i wrote today. idk maybe not but youre getting one below the cut anyways.

for context, the likeliness of dreamsharing w/ a soulmate is smth that can be predicted via brain scans and sciencey stuff (i have so many tabs on studies abt dreams open). and then there are dreams vs nightmares, which basically determine if you'll have a positive or negative relationship w ur soulmate. kuroo's parents shared nightmares but tried to have a relationship anyway and that kinda fucked him up </3

this snippet comes right after kuroo confesses that he dreams of kenma! it's the same conversation in which the above soulmate science is explained.

“I’m not stressed about it,” Kuroo says. He finally meets Kenma’s eyes, and somehow he smiles. Kenma doesn’t know how he’s doing it. He reaches out, brushes Kenma’s hair behind his ear. “It’s really fine. I’ve made my peace with my fucked up hippocampus.”  Kenma stares at him, and still words fail to come to him.  “I was seventeen,” Kuroo confesses, still smiling the stupid, wide, fond smile. “It was a few months before you turned sixteen. For a while I waited, I guess, kind of figuring you would complete the connection once your birthday hit. Then I read all these studies on the brain and soulmate connections and nightmares and stuff and I…gave up.”  “Kuro,” Kenma says again, and still doesn’t know how to finish the sentence. Just knows that he has to say something. His hands go to Kuroo’s arms, clenching his sweatshirt tight in his fists, trying to hold onto him in any way that he can.  Kuroo puts his hands over Kenma’s hands, just the lightest touch. “Kenma. Really. It’s okay. I’m not upset about it. You didn’t do anything wrong.”  “Neither did you,” Kenma says, and his voice is hoarser than he thought it would be.  “No,” Kuroo agrees. “I didn’t. Which is why there’s not really a point in being mad about it. I’m happy that we get to be friends. That’s all that matters to me. Soulmates aren’t the only thing that matters in the world. They’re not the only relationship you can have.”

[dndfuckhouse]

session 57 & 58 - Blessed Be. Let Us Take Down This Monstrosity!

SESSION 57 - 14/1 + WATCH PSEUDO RP'S

> 🎵  Imps / Rule of Rose OST

We come back to the party settling down for the night. The group all somewhat alert as they ponder the sound and sights they heard coming further north in the distance. Eventually it comes time for sleep, and with it, turns to take watch for the evening. Before sleep Cimmorro makes sure to set up an alarm spell around the caravan.

As the others settle into sleep, Keva and Han sit up to keep an eye out first. Keva stays alert but doesn't pick up much noteworthy from the night, she finds herself somewhat distracted. Han halfway through hears the croaking of a frog that is quite pleasing to the ears, but nothing much else of note pings on her radar.

Han: han usually wouldnt pick first watch, her normal post was in the early mornings, but that hangover is beating her ass and she wants a whole uninterrupted 6 hours of sleep. and sitting with keva isnt the worst……. obviously han wouldnt want to talk enough to distract them, but surely they could make some light conversation……. surely………….. calling out "frog" after 30 minutes of silence and being met with silence though, its kinda crushing hans spirits. "do you… like……. like anything……………………" says han, realizing almost immediately that she shouldve kept her mouth shut Keva: keva's whittling mindlessly away at a stick she found while keeping her eyes on the trees in the distance. she has to do smth with her nervous energy, and if she chews her thumb any more than she has then it may start to bleed. so she's sharpening a stick instead. the scraping pauses when she hears han speak, and she turns to squint at her with a silent 'what' and an audible "why?" Han: han tried to make eye contact but very quickly loses that battle, not even against keva but against herself, and stares at the fire, "so we can… have something to talk about……" progressively getting quieter as the sentence goes on

Han: u know the type of woman thats grown around men and then is thrown into the real world and is weird about it Keva: LMAOOOOOOOOOOO han's like "i thought women be shopping….." Han: WHY ARENT WE SHOPPING KEVA.. Keva: keva why won't you go on a makeover montage with me

Keva: her first instinct is to say 'we don't need to talk,' but… she thinks she could use the distraction. keva also thinks she's made han suffer enough, and for some reason, she still keeps trying. why not throw her a bone. there is a moment of silence before han hears the whittling continue. then keva says, "the stars, i guess." she momentarily searches for the spring constellation with her favorite story, but it's only started to rise and is mostly hidden by the treeline. "and heights." Han: staring into the fire and awaiting a response, feeling like 'ah, well, ggez han, you've had worse conversations, whatevs', han looks away into the forest depths to search for what they're actually here for. her head swivels back as keva replies, surprised for a split second and then interested. she jerks her head in question "whats the tallest place you go" Keva: "most of my hometown is built into mountains, so the top of those, probably" she feels a small pang as she explains. can you miss a place you felt trapped in? perhaps it's the familiarity she misses. she hasn't felt like she's understood a single thing since leaving. Han: getting more excited at being given new information, han changes from a whisper to a softly spoken lower register "oh, really? like, they make holes for wooden houses? into mountain? that sounds cool…" she rambles on quickly "i spent lot of time up in mountains too, i wonder who has been on taller mountain… did you get snow often?" Keva: "no, i'd be dead by now if we did." she's started to carve notches into the stick, still making sure to look up now and then so she's doing her job. "wouldn't know what to do in snow." Han: han looks at keva when she talks, but usually keeps staring into the darkness "woah, really… why dead? was it really hot instead?" then mostly to herself as she considers this "that would probably kill me too" then back again at keva "i dont think i ever been high up the mountain and it not be snowing… have you never seen snow then?" Keva: keva takes a slow inhale thru her mouth and a deep exhale thru her nose before she answers, "didn't really have a lot to keep warm. the weather changes a lot depending on the season, and i worked with what i had." she peers again toward the treeline to look for any changes. "haven't seen snow though. just heard people talk about it."

Han: han stays quiet, studies keva while she whittles, thinking to herself 'doesnt sound like you liked it very much', and wondering if thats something she should keep to herself. what was cimm saying before… something about treating with care….. ugh…. han likes the snow enough, but she probably wouldnt being asked about her Home either… it sounds like keva doesnt either "well, if we ever come across snow, i will show you all the fun stuff you can do with it." she keeps quiet after that, wondering what else she can ask thats in "caring" territory, and if the stuff thats really stuck on her mind is in that category. she fiddles with a shoelace Keva: keva simply says "mm" in acknowledgement Han: han stretches and sits more upright, throwing out all of the caring stuff she was worried about just to ask "what are you doing with the.." she mimes the wittling "the stick?" Keva: she opens her mouth to answer but then just blows out a breath that fills her cheeks before deflating, and shrugs. "nothing really. just trying not to think too hard about that dragon." she looks over her very haphazard work "have you ever seen one?" Han: han hmms "seen… not Actually… i've seen tracks and damage from it." she thinks how to describe it "it felt like any other hungry animal that has giant teeth, desperate for meal. just uh…. about five times bigger" han leans in lower to look closer at kevas face "why, you scared?" Keva: keva does not feel any better after han's attempt at making their situation seem not so bad. "i'm not stupid so yes, i am scared. i generally like to be alive." Han: han nods seriously at this and sits back up "thats good. scared is better than stupid. and pay attention is better than both of those." han smiles at keva, like she said something smart and comforting. "we know kind of where it is, we know where we are, we can leave fast if we get caught at night… what else is there" she shrugs Keva: "how are you so sure we can outrun a dragon? clearly the people who died on this road couldn't. besides, we're actually going after it. we need a plan." Han: han looks stumped "well… i dont know…. i guess because we know its coming?" she thinks some more on the need a plan part "well… my ideal condition would be stake out for two weeks but, you know… our time limit….. we have that book, with all that dragon information, that was very good find" she holds out her palm like shes holding the book right there "we will walk very carefully and slowly, check for tracks…. and if we fail we die a glorious death, i guess" Keva: keva follows along with what han's saying until the last bit, at which she sneers. "what 'glory' is there in dying?" Han: han stares and blinks at keva for a moment, like shes not getting whats happening, until she has a lightbulb moment "oh, sorry, that was joke. there isnt any, its humilation" Keva: she looks relieved hearing han doesn't have any wild ideas of rushing into battle thinking she'll get anything out of dying. there's a pause before she adds, "don't think that's right either. dying is just…dying."

Han: han takes one of the fire sticks and pokes it around the kindling, hoping to get a little more warmth, looking mildly confused at this conversation "doesnt dying keep you from … like…. living? again?" Keva: "i guess that depends on if you believe in reincarnation or not." she tosses in her poorly whittled stick into the fire and stares into it. "i just mean i don't think dying should come with things like glory or humiliation. it's going to happen to all of us, and in the end, you're done. it's the people left behind that have to deal with that comes after." she brings her knees in close and rests her chin in them. "and the person i'd leave behind would be really sad if i died early, especially if it's because i tried to fight a dragon without being prepared." Han: han takes a breath to respond after the reincarnation bit, but holds it after keva keeps on talking. as keva get deeper into her thoughts on death, a sort of .. not turmoil, but a quiet regard comes over han. a feeling akin to when she entered her first proper town washes over her, of a very obvious otherness. like she is being given a sphere to place into a box, and inside that box is nothing but sharp edges. she, dimly, remembers aster's comment about keeping to herself. and, even dimmer, thinks about the last time she has had to deal with exactly what comes after. han lets keva's monologue sit in the air for a bit, mind heavy. she watches the sittled stick keva threw in burn. when the silence begins to edge towards an awkward one, han goes "i do not die. so i will make sure the rest live through this too." a beat "we will prepare better with everyone rested"

Keva: WTF han are you immortal….. Han: IVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE PERFECT IMAGE TO RESPOD WTIH AND FAILING (LIKE THIS v)

Keva: for the first time during this convo, keva’s head turns towards han and looks at her with surprise and… well, she isn’t sure if han is being serious or being cocky. “what? what do you mean you ‘don’t die’?” Han: han looks back, almost bored "i wont. if i die, they will…" whatever the admission is, it sends a chill down her spine, and she rubs at her face "i dont know. they cant have me, so i cant risk dying. so i wont die. thats all" Keva: the surprise turns into smth not quite like disdain but borders on it, like ‘you can’t actually believe that, can you?’ “‘they’? what, the gods?” Han: han rubs her forehead, getting more uncomfortable by the second. she breathes a quiet but heavy sigh "look, remember when you got very very mad at me for asking about orin, before you knew his deal? and i said, if its ever relevant, i will do explain my history?" she looks back up at keva, her face withering and pleading "its not relevant" Keva: for a moment, keva’s expression, eyes squinted and mouth slightly agape, doesn’t budge other than to blink, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on. what has han gotten herself into? and does she really think she can escape death if she just tries hard enough? but when the moment passes, she just closes her mouth and turns back away silently, deciding to not continue to conversation. her pinched brow line suggests she’s probably still thinking about it though.

Han: han looks away from keva, shifting nervously, recognizing when shes being judged, not really knowing how to save this conversation, or keva's perception of her. she doesnt wanna talk about this further, she has reason not to, but man, is this awkward. maybe they should just be silent……….. its just so awkward……… and theres other things she actually did want to ask and not this…………. "if i explain more, could i ask you about something else?" Keva: keva, having gone back to watching the trees, only sighs before replying, “i’m not going to make you tell me anything bc it’s clearly not my business. say whatever you want.” Han: han grimaces a little and mutters "not when you think im insane…." Keva: "i already thought you were insane before. what's a little more going to do, kill you?"<- dry joke Han: han pouts at her sadly Keva: keva tsks, a little exasperated by the kicked puppy look han is giving her. "stop looking at me like that, explain if you want or don't, i don't care!" Han: "then i wont! fuck you!" she sticks her tongue childishly Keva: “okay!” she says with her hands turned out. (jesus christ equivalent here). she tucks her arms back over her knees and rests her head on them. everyone is so fucking difficult!

Han: han just huffs and puts an elbow on her knee and face in hand, looking out at the forest again with newfound interest, wondering why shes so agitated about this. its not like she hasnt been in this exact awkward situation before, stuck on nigthwatch with someone she cant find a language with. she cant even tell if she can still ask keva anything after all that cringe.after they cool off for a couple minutes, han prods again with a hey and a "what do you think happens when you die?" Keva: she shrugs limply and doesn’t seem like she’s going to say more before piping up, “people growing up said your soul went to your god, and the godless go to wee jas.” she doesn’t lift her head, so her chin pushes against her arms as she talks. Han: han nods in assent and perks up a bit at the mention of a god she has actually heard of before "that one cimm follows? i didnt think she is so popular…" i guess she is the god of death or something… then she turns back to keva "ye, but what do you think" Keva: “the same, i guess? cimmorro didn’t leave me dead long enough to find out.” she stares at the fire. “an afterlife would be nice” is all she says after. she’d like to see everyone again, at least before they go off and forget each other to start anew. if the reincarnation thing is real, anyway. she doesn't bother to return the question since han apparently doesn't plan on dying. she turns her head a bit, to the opposite side of han with her cheek pressed against her knees now. the fatigue setting in makes her voice creak a bit. "having to try so hard to survive gets exhausting. i'd like to just be for a while before… i don't know, i disappear forever or do it all over again." Han: han gulps, concern colouring her face as she turns to look at keva, trying to remember when cimm had to revive her like that….. she might be unsure of her own capability to die, but seeing others drop like puppets with cut strings… the gut drop and numbness never goes away. seeing that keva isnt looking at her, han decides to keep watching and just… study her for a moment longer. shes does seem so…. haggard. and small. not just her body but the way she holds herself. han twindles her thumbs, suddenly feeling guilty at keeping her attention, even if they are on watch. she nods at keva words before remembering keva's not looking, and meekly goes "yeah..", not knowing how to add on 'i suppose i hope the same for you too' without sounding like she wants kevas death or something. Keva: han gets a small muffled "thanks, i guess" back. keva reaches for the dragon book, which she has kept near her, and opens it up to study the diagram of the cobalt dragon again as if she might glean something new. "not that i'm ready to find out just yet."

After a time the two head back inside the caravan to wake the next three up for watch, Mars, Cimmoro and Vinny.

Mars: Mars isn't exactly a heavy sleeper so the moment Han and Keva head back to the camp for their turn to sleep, he's already in the process of waking up. And by the time Han rouses them he's giving himself a quick stretch before getting up to where Cimmorro and Vinny are to check if they also got woken up by that, or to wake them up if they haven't. He heads over to Vinny first and gives him a tap on his shoulder. "Hey its our turn now c'mon." He says. Vinny: though he knows he's meant to wake up soon after laying down earlier for watch, vinny is a relentlessly heavy sleeper no matter the situation. when he feels someone poke his shoulder he stirs and mumbles a little under his breath before rolling over in their direction. he thinks to reply but finds he's already starting to doze off again... so many sounds in the room right now... zzz..... Mars: "..." He can't say he's surprised, so he decides to amp it up a notch and this time grabs Vinny's shoulder. "Vil, mate, wake up." Vinny: as hes wobbled about he opens his eyes open blearily, head still on the pillow. he takes a few seconds to register his surroundings before blinking quickly. "hmm.. oh, right right..!" he pats one of his hands over mars on his shoulder briefly to assure him he's actually waking up this time, almost aiming off and patting his arm instead. he moves to sit up with a yawn, rubbing his eyes while feeling around for his glasses and grabbing a jacket Mars: Satisfied that Vinny's woken up, he gets up and turns to wake Cimmorro up in the same manner, a quick shoulder poke. Cimmorro: despite being a light sleeper himself, cimmorro truthfully found himself spoilt by the weeks of restful nights in the airship (apart from one) and even before that in the shorewater. he makes a face in his sleep and groans, turning to his side with his back facing mars. "five more minutes, ma" he protests. it is jasper who wakes with her head poking out of cimm's shoulder where he's holding her. Mars: His stride taking abilities aren't even close to being tested but he does squint and leans over closer with a very slight frown. "Do I look like your ma, Cimm, wake up." He shakes a little harder this time around. He turns to Jasper with a look that says 'Do you see this shit Jasper.' Cimmorro: with the help of  jasper's sand paper licks on his face, the persistent voice that he now realizes does not belong to his mother eventually rouses him awake. he rubs at his eyes and squints to get a good look at his waker, then his head falls back onto the pillow and sighs when he realizes that it's mars. "if you grew your hair out, you could resemble her a bit," he jokes with a yawn. Mars: "Been a long time since I had long hair so I doubt that'll happen anytime soon." He settles on, pushing himself up and waiting nearby Cimmorro and turning back to check in on Vinny.

Vinny: mumbling a little to himself still groggy vinny shuffles around the bed after sliding through the sleeves of his jacket. as if getting an idea he reaches over towards his suitcase, searching inside briefly before puling out a small book and placing it inside one of his jacket pockets, yawning silently again he finally stands. Mars: Mars just shuffles out the way to make things easier (WHY DID I THINK THEY WERE OUTSIDE I FORGOT ABOUT THE CAR) Han: the minivan...)

Cimmorro: cimm tries to envision how that looks in his head while he tightens his robes around him again. "hm, I'd like to see it one day," he comments. not hearing vinny at all since he woke, he decides to peek at him below from the top bunk greeting with a "wakey wakey--" only to be interrupted with an almost violent collision on his forehead from vinny standing at the same time earning a surprised and pained yelp from him as he brings both of his hands to the now sore spot. Vinny: taken by surprise he yelps in unison with cimmorro as he falls backwards onto his bunk again, scrambling with his arm as he brings another up to rub his forehead. he hisses as he scrunches his eyes shut his glasses now askew, making a face like hes just licked a lemon as he tries to hold back any louder noises, he stage whispers upwards to cimmorro "s-sorry...ow....." Cimmorro: "augghhh, i thought you were still asleep..." he replies in a hush as he works his way down the bunk bed, landing with a small hop in front of vinny before turning to him again. "that woke both of us up at least," he snorts with a slight wince as he still rubs on his own head. "didn't break anything, did you?" Vinny: he makes a face as he tries to shake the residual pain off, blinking at cimmorro hopping down to the floor "n-no..." he adjusts his glasses again after "luckily these are in tact, hopefully we don't start seeing bruises grow on our foreheads..." he dusts himself off a little as he wobbles upright again looking to mars and then slightly away as if somewhat embarrassed Mars: "You two survive waking up?" He asks quietly as he fails to be respectful, he's trying very hard not to find this a little bit amusing. Cimmorro: "nothing I can't fix. just say the word I'll kiss it all better 😗" he starts walking out the caravan, passing by mars with a "yes, yes. thanks for all your help" with a light pat on the other's cheek as he steps ahead and stretches, observing how the campsite looks after the girls have finished their shift. seems uneventful, and he deems this a good thing. hopefully the rest of their night stays like so. Mars: He just scratches the cheek where Cimm held with a skeptical look before wordlessly following him outside Vinny: he blinks and shakes his head with a stunted sigh as cimm walks out, its too early (late) for him to process a reply. he heads out after mars and takes a seat somewhere outside close to a light source idly as he shakes the rest of his grogginess off Han: han watching this bc shes not going to sleep until she sees them up and awake: 😕

The three begin their watch as they head outside. Mars keeps an eye and ear out but finds hes still adjusting to only having one of the former in the dark, nothing of note pops out to him. Feeling a little more alert than before, Cimmorro scans around. Though he doesn't pick up much until a small time into it, something rustles in the bushes nearby, with a squint he notes it just looks like a few wild rodents however, nearly startling him. Off in the sky Silva surveys the area for Mars, off in the distance he thinks she catches sight of the same large silhouette skulking amongst the treeline, much more quiet this time, before it disappears.

Cimmorro: cimm takes a brief moment to check on the horses before settling down on a spot near the campfire, yawning as he sits. he blinks at the other two. "Soooooooooooooooo...." Mars: "So...... What.... exactly?" Vinny: vinny glances over from his spot by the fire and tilts his head Cimmorro: do they just plan to sit here in silence for 2 hours? he shrugs in front of them. "anyone wanna share an embarrassing story before i doze off like this?" Vinny: his face pinches like hes holding back a laugh "thats the first topic that came to mind, is it?" he shuffles around in his jacket again now that hes settled "well i brought a book..." Mars: "Don't be silly, if you doze off I'll just wake you up again." Mars says as he takes a seat and sends Silva off to go look around. Cimmorro: he pouts at vinny. "i thought we were supposed to be keeping watch and not diving into pages..." he gives mars a slight stink eye though and huffs. "I'm using my precious beauty sleep for this, the least you could do is entertain me a little!" Vinny: he laughs a little "well i hadn't intended on reading it all that much, if you get drowsy later ill start reciting it loudly to the two of you" he thinks to himself amused as he looks out at the landscape Cimmorro: it earns a smirk from him. "sounds interesting, maybe if you perform well the drake might even join for story time. save us the trouble of looking for it."

Mars: "Alright, alright you raise a point....... must it be embarrassing though? Vil could just recite whatever he's reading." What exactly is vinny reading actually. Cimmorro: "not really, but it would be funny- fine, hmph, I'm open to suggestions" he playfully presents poise akin to a king on his throne. Mars: He starts floundering. "Uh- I- Well, I got- Well actually I got nothing." He grimaces. Cimmorro:

Vinny: he makes a face as if now reconsidering the idea "w-well lets hope we dont call it over actually..." he only just now registers the nickname from mars and smiles at his floundering "we should have brought cards..." Cimmorro: "keva has some but she looked cranky enough as it is... so let's not..." he smiles wryly. "what book did you get anyway? did you get it from shopping earlier?" Vinny: vinny thinks as he brings a hand to his chin "it was, i was mostly trawling for er... romance fluff to pass the time, but i found a relatively cheap tome i hadn't read before, though what i saw made it sound..." he tries to look as if hes not being judgy but he is "well, e-entertaining at least?" Mars: "Entertaining....? You don't sound that certain." Mars picks up rather easily. Cimmorro: "for someone who runs a business you sure are bad at selling this to us. read a paragraph for us then" Vinny: "well... i don't like to pass judgement before finishing something" he glances at cimmorro and snorts "i'm not sure id try to sell it, the prose is a little too meandering and flowery... and the character motivations seem to change from chapter to chapter right now... its a little sloppy, especially the main characters inner voice" his voice gets clearer as he critiques the work semi-seriously going to pull the book out of his jacket Cimmorro: cimm is just like, i guess it's book club time now ! Mars: FAILING to sneak in a peek of the book's title he just opts to ask Vinny instead. "What's it called?" Vinny: he glances down as he pulls it out "ah.. the miscreant next door" Cimmorro: "hm... sounds scandalous... oh my... 🫢 "

Mars: his mrm commenter is coming out Cimmorro: stop i wa sliterlaly going to joke abt this Vinny: fudanshi and proud #pride

Vinny: he waves a hand from side to side as if taking the statement seriously "not really, i think its er... a pure hearted story but its quite contrived... the romance is hardly compelling at this point" Mars: "I'll be level with you, the title makes it sound like a mystery novel." Vinny: he strokes his chin as he considers that "d-does it..? Hmm.." Mars: "Well it certainly doesn't evoke romance. Sounds like a crime report about a miscreant next door." Cimmorro: "i can see that. though if the reason you picked it up isn't even compelling, why keep reading...?" Vinny: he finds himself amused by the interpretation "well.. i cant say i dont see the logic there" before turning to cimm, he slowly sets the book down in his lap "w-well, i've already read all the other tomes ive brought along with me..." he pauses serious again as he stares into the middle distance "and it was cheap......"

Vinny:

Cimmorro: HWLSMWLWMWPWLDLWPKCV I GAGGED

Cimmorro: the delay in Vinny's reaction makes him laugh. "do you wanna read one of the tomes i got? it's not romance, but magic textiles." Vinny: he looks over again a curious glint in his eyes "oh? now that sounds interesting" Cimmorro: "doesn't it? 😏" he feels a pang of accomplishment getting vinny's interest. "maybe you could add enchanted robes to your shelves one day!" Vinny: he smiles "i'd been considering something along those lines for the future, actually! learning something more long term and permanent, to have alongside my temporary enchantment services..." he tilts his head "so many teachers to chose from in that regard though, and i got a little sidetracked attempting more permanent ones on armours with cole.." he briefly reminisces on the explosions at the store in the back of his mind Mars: Mars kinda comes back from his wall staring. "? You sold armors? (> theres no walls here king.. metaphorical walls) Vinny: "i do not... but we were experimenting with adding some in the future" he tilts his head "the room you stayed sometimes, the big set of armour in the corner was almost purely for that" he laughs a little dryly Cimmorro: "I'll be your first customer 😌☝️ but on a more serious note, i don't think i ever asked, but what kind of enchantments do you provide anyway?" Mars: "Oh, really?? Must've missed it." He scratches the back of his head. Vinny: "well, we didn't experiment with it much when you were there, that might have been a safety hazard.." he scratches the back awkwardly before turning to Cimmorro "i'm not sure if my sewing can live up to what you usually wear but we'll certainly try, and ahh,... its nothing too complex, making things a little sturdier in regards to armour or weapons a little easier to swing" (this means +1 to ac or attack rolls lol) Cimmorro: cimm seeing the stat blocks:

Mars: "That sounds convenient..." He seems a little interested. Cimmorro: as Vinny explains his services, he nods like 'aaa.. naruhodo, ne....' and continues to watch the exchange between the two. "actually that makes for a good topic. why don't you tell me what's the history between you two? :3" Vinny: "i can only hold one at a time so its limited, but i have had glowing reviews..." he tilts his head at the question from cimm "oh hmm, nothing too historic really, we'd only met about a month ago. he was pleasant company when he was around though" Mars: "Its really nothing sordid, Ezra found me and took me back to Vil's shop every now and then after they let me out of the clinic." He adds simply. Vinny: he points a finger in the air to follow up "and we had tea!" Cimmorro: "oh it was that recent? you almost sounded like live-in partners until--- wait," he pauses to process the timeline in his mind "a MONTH ago? that was.... you were staying there this whole time?!" he emphasizes on his surprise as he turns wide eyed to Mars: He was about to tilt his head at the live-in partners bit until Cimm brought up the time frame. "Well not the whole time, and I wasn't exactly lucid for all of it." He pats around his pockets to look for his notebook but starts recounting before he even finds it. "Half the time I was just out of town, I just got my travel plans delayed by the lockdown and the eye. Thing." Vinny: he blinks wide eyed at the first comment "y-you.. l-live in partners...?" he stares at mars after as if to gauge if they really do seem that familiar with one another a little dumbfounded Mars: He looks back at Vinny like he also doesn't know what he's on about.

Cimmorro: "he does call you a nickname I've not heard from anyone else either so 🧐?" the turns to mars again. "man, here i considered on calling you over as a +1 for the ball but thought you'd already found your way out of shorewater!" Mars: He laughs a little at that. "Its fine, Ezra and I found our own things to do that evening. I doubt I would have been good company at the time anyway." Vinny: he rubs his chin thoughtfully, growing embarrassed "w-well... i think that's just a quirk of our friend here... and i already g-go by a nickname really" at the comment about ezra he glances back at mars to derail the track his minds on right now "i think i recall hearing he made you drink" Mars: The fact that he's been calling him something different doesn't even register to him, it was just that natural. "... I could call you Vinny if you preferred, Vil. I mean- Vinny." He clears his throat. "And yes." He leaves it at that. "... I was losing pretty badly." He mumbles the last part out. Vinny: he waves a hand through the air as if to dismiss the notion flustered "n-no no, dont worry, feel free! i-i didnt really mind it" though watching him admit the second part makes him crack a smile "i've never beaten him at cards myself truthfully, so im not too surprised he swept you. he's got a funny prideful streak about that... not that i think he'd admit it" he thinks to himself that their contrast is amusing Mars: Speaking of not admitting things he doesn't try to show too much how much of a relief it is that he can just keep calling Vinny Vil, but his face soon turns sour. "He kept beating me all the way to Shar Yun, I'm sure his pride's impervious at this point." Vinny: he puts a fist to his mouth to hold back a laugh he nearly let out before responding "he's not as good at dice games if that makes you feel any better? Mars: He seems like he's seriously considering it, arms crossed and with one raised to tap on his shoulder in thought. ".... I'll pick up some in Antessa." He begrudgingly resolves himself to. Vinny: vinny gives him a cheery smile as he finds himself amused by how affected he actually was by losing at cards "maybe we can windowshop and find you a lucky pair" Mars: "Not that I know how to play dice either... whatever that entails."

Cimmorro: "perhaps have a cleric of norebo bless them for good measure as well," he suggests. "we could use more games to have on the road, honestly... antessa's still a long way." he wilts a little remembering the trek. Mars: "We're headed to Coralwash aren't we? Could pick some stuff up along the way, have you show us around town.' Cimmorro: "yeah, i definitely will..." his gaze kinda trails off to the trees along with his thoughts before he blinks back. "i need to stock up some food for jasper anyways... this is hoping we make it there in one piece after all." anime sweat drop Vinny: he glances in the same direction as cimmorro and tries to fight the oncoming dread that runs down his back "well, l-lets hope our preparations will be enough to handle all that... after how eventful our road trip has been so far im sure it'll work out... in some way!" Cimmorro: he seems to huff out a small laugh. "this party may be a mess but... you're right, we manage to see things through." he waves a hand as if to dismiss the tense air. "we're going to have to get rid of that thing one way or another! how else are you gonna get home with it in the way!" 😤 Vinny: he smiles at the upbeat response and pumps his fist little, at the last comment he blinks "oh, thats quite true i hadn't actually thought about that..." <- guy who teleportation circles too much Mars: "Well if you're headed back to Shorewater to Antessa you could go the other way and bypass the dragon all together." Long ass world round journey though. Cimmorro: "through vargonia? he's a wizard with quite a knack for attracting danger..." to cimm, that's worrying, to say the least. and he would easily feel responsible if something happened to this man after plucking him out of his store Vinny: he makes a face like he wants to voice a little disagreement but finds no basis for himself in his mind right now

Mars: "Yes well, he's not going alone there right??? He's coming with?" Us??? on this trip ??? Cimmorro: "oh. no, well, vinny isn't joining us for antessa... unless he does want to ride the ship in vargonia instead?" he looks at him like blinking cat Vinny: he thinks to himself as he considers the additional weeks of time that would add "that seems like quite the detour..." Cimmorro: "it is... it ensures you not getting swept up by dragon like a hawk to a mouse though" Mars: "Oh- Wait, he isn't?" <- Clueless Cimmorro: "yeah, I didn't get to explain but he's only to join us in coralwash before he heads back" Vinny: he furrows his brow "i will consider it... in the event we do not deal with it on the way..." he turns to mars and adds on "if all goes to plan i'll be saying goodbye to you shortly in fact" Cimmorro: "time flutters too fast!" he fakes a little wail. Vinny: he gives cimm a rueful smile "i have to agree with you there" Mars: He looks between Vinny and Cimmorro a little bit shocked. "Ah- Well, I suppose I would have found out when we got there." He remarks  Seems he needs to be more proactive about finding out this group's agenda.

Cimmorro: cimm laughs apologetically. "sorry, things just kinda happen quickly. vinny came here on my request. he'll be making his last stop at my temple," he shares as he lights his pipe. "he possibly has something to help ulle. that and he could really use a break. i miss you (Vinny) already! sob sob sob!" he whines before taking a drag and puffs. "though i did want to ask, can i send you letters? since I'll be going around, i thought it'd be fun to send you spells i find that you don't have yet!" Vinny: "yes its been quite a hectic series of events the past month.." at cimm's whining though he gives him a genuine and warm smile and pats him on the back "well, if it makes you feel better i feel quite the same. i imagine the trek back will be quite lonely after this" he leans away with his head on one his hand before blinking surprised and grinning at the prospect of mail "of course! it sounds like a fun way to enrich your studies too. i appreciate any bright spots in the coming days of whatever berryls' got planned for me" Mars: "Ahhh Coralwash does sound pleasant." Mars glances over to his side to look at Vinny and likens the trip to a doctor's visit. "Will you be staying there for a while then?" To, yknow, maybe study it and shit. Vinny: he turns back to Mars after "well, i'd like to stay a few days at the very least... the rest of you will have to go soon enough but spending a week there does sound nice..." hes daydreaming to himself a little about it now Cimmorro: cimm grins brightly at vinny letting him pipe bomb his mail. "I'll be sure to pester you in letter form then, lest you pine for me too much." idly swaying side to side as the conversation goes. "if you're staying for that long, you could stay in the temple if you want. I'll let my sisters know. gives you less to worry about"

Vinny: he makes another surprised face "o-oh, if that's all right with them... i wouldn't want to impose on a church" Cimmorro: "you're my guest, and a scholar at that. I'm sure they'd appreciate having you around for a while" he says care-freely Vinny: he bows his head a little in cimmorro's direction thankfully "w-well... i'll be sure to be on my best behaviour while im there! my thanks to your family in advance" he fusses a little with his clothes Mars: "A vacation's always nice." Mars muses idly. That being said he can't really imagine what anyone does in one tho and leaves it at that. Vinny: he turns back to mars with a furrowed smile "that they are, i haven't had one in years.. and suspect this will be the last i have in a while" Mars: "Aha... hm..." Can't say he can't relate tho. His last vacation was him getting hospitalized. Shit Vinny's still talking to him. "That's rough, you got a hard job lined up after Coralwash?" He adds. Vinny: he glances at mars again with a somewhat pained face "well... more so that i think my ah... employer is going to tighten their chain on me once i return..." he tries to not look too downcast about it as he goes on "what i get for being so involved in things i suppose" Mars: "Huh, no wiggling out of it then? Like, an employment contract term to break kinda thing?" Vinny we need to get you a union lawyer dude. Vinny: he rubs a thumb between his brows as he makes a noncommittal noise "n-no... well nothing so above board anyway" Mars: "Agh.. hm... Well... there's always the hard way." Mars says somewhat gravely. Cimmorro: cimm going like this

Vinny: his face goes a little pale at the immediate suggestion before he laughs dryly "i dont quite know if i feel like taking on a such powerful organisation myself at the moment, but i'll think about it… Cimmorro: "i know a thing or two about erm... disposing bodies. so.... i'm just saying..." his tone clearly a jest but he also isn't lying! he smiles innocently all the same Mars: "Well you wouldn't be alone at least. At least one Jasidan priest and one merc are willing to help, so two more than what you started with." SILVER LININGS, FIND THEM. NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Vinny: he's somewhat heartened by the two pledging their immediate support, even if he's struggling to jump to the murder solution as easily as they have. even if he expected it from cimmorro he appreciates hearing it, and from mars he's more surprised than anything how quickly he backs him up, he scratches the back of his head somewhat embarrassed "w-well, thank you... i'll keep that in mind. let's not try and engage in any political destabilisation if we don't have to though, perhaps an er- more discrete method for the future..." Mars: "Oop-" Mars clears his throat as he settled down and leans back. "Right- Yeah, well, maybe they'd let you file a complaint first." He's only half serious. Cimmorro: cimm only makes a 'mmm' sound as the topic of berryl hits a wall once more. "from the sounds of it you'd would have to raise the case to the grimoire. is there be anyone else above berryl's position in power?" he holds a thoughtful gaze towards nothing in particular before his joking tone rises the next second and adds, "a wife perhaps?" Mars: Mars just coughs as he's going for a quick drink.

Vinny: https://vxtwitter.com/PkRhythm12/status/1661516681053876225 whos vinny cimm mars, the last ones the dragon Han: KLADGOIT;LR32QEADRWA;KK4W3;KL;LKJAWR3EFDS Mars: MY WATER YOU FUCKIGNEOIGUHEJGKMO;ELWG Han: chip i hope the dragons human form is that, also mars cimm vinny dragon Vinny: tysm for the vital imput

Vinny: he laughs a little at his realisation under his breath before looking at cimmorro thinking to himself "the accord is its own free functioning group, even as a part of the grimoire. unless the other members had reason to do something they aren't too useful, and this is a personal matter its not even like he's breaking magical law..." he coughs a little as if to imply something before moving on "-and it would also be my word against his..." he sighs to himself "even the local monarchy in his area often struggles with him over things..." he shakes his head as he eyes cimmorro again deadpan "you're quite fond of that wife joke, arent you?" Cimmorro: his expression just wilts more and more as vinny explains. he expected this would be the probable outcome but it's still frustrating. "well if you don't want us to sock the guy... what can he hold against you if you decide to just run away and disappear off map though?" Mars: None of this registered right within Mars and he's now left wondering if Vinny's married or not and starts scanning him for signs of any sort of lifelong partnerships and bonds that he knows. Vinny: he laughs dryly again as he stares off into the distance "that's an idea i often like to fantasize about... though i'd have to go somewhere i couldn't be scryed..." he continues mumbling under his breath as if he's strangly thought the idea through before finishing with "but... i'd have already done it if didnt feel like i was leaving my family to the dogs..." he looks like he might say something else but feels a little exposed revealing much more in front of mars Mars: "Well there's - I've heard of an artifact once, stops you from being divined." He adds to the first bit. He was waiting patiently for Vinny to continue with where he trailed off, but backs off a bit when Vinny hesitates a little, unsure if he's going to continue or not. But He gets the idea there's something about his family that's being threatened by the accords.

Cimmorro: "yeah i was wondering if you could set or find anything like that, or another thing that could cancel out the effect... do you have a marking for scrying? cause i have one as our lady's karuth... but i suppose wizards are just freaks who just scry whoever they want to without a branding." he defeatedly sighs a puff of smoke. "your family travels a lot though, no? what leads would he have?" Mars: "Yeah I know a guy who's hard to scry, couldn't find her when you need her, just shows up whenever the hell she pleases, something like that maybe." Vinny: he glances over taking in mars' suggestion with a glint in his eye before looking back at Cimmorro "no, nothing special like that, though..." he gestures with an arm through the air "usually you wouldn't be able to notice someone scrying on you, but all accord members can tell when another one is scrying on them immediately. that's the only real benefit i have there" regarding his family he makes a conflicted face "they travel but its all around the same general area... they wouldn't be hard to track down if you knew what you were looking for..." Mars: He just tilts his head a little. "That sounds a little... Odd?" It feels wrong but he can't exactly nail why. Cimmorro: cimm frowns at the conundrum with his family but at the scrying he hmms and goes "now that you mention it... what's up with that actually? and is it only for in-house scrying or do people outside of the accord also get detected if they scryed on members?" Vinny: he scratches his chin "it's not very typical no..." he looks over at Cimmorro "if any member scrys on another member, it doesn't activate if you scry on outsiders. i assume its to keep members from getting any ideas about spying on each other." he thinks again "i think its a part of the initial contract we sign, i assumed it was enchanted in some manner, though its not really a stipulation i have much of an issue with myself" Cimmorro: he looks at him with a hint of disdain "you think...? as in, you didn't know what you signed?" hmm sounds familiar !

Vinny: he shakes his head quickly feeling like hes being called a bit of an idiot again "n-no! i knew the clause was there, i just couldn't tell at the time if the contract was the thing that gave me the ability..." Mars: "I can see the privacy merit." He can't deny spying is exactly his first thought when it comes to scrying. He rests one hand on his chin but begins tapping on the log (THAT I ASSUME THEY'RE SITTING ON) with the other, inability to shut up eventually winning out. "It does come across as... What's a nicer word.... overbearing?" He settles on. Cimmorro: "fair enough. unclear contracts are not foreign to me anyhow... still, i have to agree with mars. funny how they set this up to prevent spying yet here you are worrying about being spied on if you decide to hop over the wall" Vinny: he puts his forehead in his hand as he considers this, scrunching his eyes a little "yes... w-well i see now that it probably also serves as an intimidation tactic for him... augh..." Cimmorro: cimm smiles woefully, unable to hide his pity. "does scrying tell you of one's whereabouts though? it only shows you a glimpse of the persons surroundings not coordinates right?" Vinny: he continues to hold his head in his hand scrunching his eyes shut "t-that's true...." Cimmorro: "that solves the scrying problem at least, just flip him off then enter a dark room until it's over 👍" he jokes lightly. "the issue about your family's safety still stands though... what does he want from you to pull of such a heinous act, i wonder." Mars: "Maintaining that barrier sure, labour from someone that's got something to threaten is a surefire way to make them do it cheap, and for things not above board but-" Mars pfts as he shrugs and shakes his head. "All that hassle for one- No offense Vil- wizard seems overkill." He does look at Vinny with some scrutiny, unless there's something specifically about Vinny..... But he's just a silly guy who explodes armours and lets a one eyed guy crash on his couch. as far as he's aware. Cimmorro: cimm nods in agreement

Vinny: he laughs a little again as he's hunched over at that before sitting up again smiling sadly at mars "the effort is beyond me, though who knows if I'm not just one of many he's conned like this. Even if i tried and there were no consequences and it was all just threats... i just... couldn't risk it.." he folds his hands in his lap and looks down Cimmorro: "it truly is puzzling. i don't understand why he needs to go such lengths if he just wanted people under his wing." he taps the mouthpiece of his pipe on his own chin in thought. "his organization is quite big and popular as people make it sound like. surely a lot of mages are dying to be a part of it..." Mars: "Exactly that, unless every mage on his 'payroll' is under the same coercion scheme." as Vinny suggested, he might not be the only one. Vinny: he nods his head "they are, i sure know i was, but they're prestigious because they dont accept everyone, just the ones they deem er... 'promising'" he makes a dreary face at mars as you say so Mars: "I'd like to see all of Beryl's prestigious talent pool go on vacation all at once see what happens to the damn thing...." He mumbles quietly. The more they talk about the accords the more mars thinks this whole thing's starting to smell a lil like bull. Cimmorro: another long sigh comes out of him. "maybe he's just having a power trip and we're overthinking all this. which then we go back to resolving it with um. socking the guy." Mars: "Hah, maybe." He's never been very good at putting himself in the shoes of anyone like Beryl.

Vinny: his smile perks up again at the digs mars keeps giving the man before he smirks quietly to himself indulging in the beautiful fantasy cimmorro put in his mind "well, if you ever hatch a master plan for taking him down feel free to involve me..." he rests his chin in his hands again as he looks out at the trees nearby Cimmorro: "you'd be the star of the stage, after all. you have to be there when it happens." talking about this always leaves cimm in a bit of a downtrodden mood, but somehow motivated all the same. what the fuck is going on at the accord... he can't help but be curious, vinny's safety aside. Vinny: he smiles as he pats cimm across the shoulder with his other hand "you're crafting a lovely image right now i have to say" before he sits up again trying to cast the gloominess off himself Cimmorro: cimm rolls his eyes at the shoulder pat vinny seems to have grown a habit on doing to him more often. he doesn't hate it though. "i have to say, the possibility of a dragon is scarier than a egotripping wizard. so if we deal with this, i'm sure we can figure that guy out." # believe it. in further attempt to lighten up the mood he goes, "so let's keep our wits about with us, hm? hm?" he presses vinny's cheeks with a hand, forcing his lips into a duck beak. Vinny: he finds himself about to reply until his face is manhandled, he startles and scrunches his eyes before attempting to whack cimmorro's hand away "-ack, s-stop!" as they settle again he huffs a weary sigh to himself rubbing his mouth.

The three idle away the rest of their watch time listening to him Vinny read excerpts of the 'not great' book to lighten the mood from previous topics and the looming dragon. Vinny gets particularly amused at a passage that completely contradicts a previous plot point in the chapter 'the miscreant shouldn't even know where the key to the boudoir is...hehe haha...'

After a time the night settles in on him again however and he begins dozing off next to the other two, his head drooping. After a few minutes it lands softly on Cimmorro's shoulder as he falls asleep in earnest sitting up, the fire keeping him quite cosy with his glasses askew once more.

Cimmorro: cimm had already noticed him growing quieter and dozing off on his own and had already told him to just to go bed if he needs to. he and mars can keep watch mighty fine but vinny was stubborn enough to stay. and now they find themselves here, in this situation. a familiar one to the one not to long ago. "of course," is all that leaves him as he lets out a pouty exhale. he adjuts the way he sits so it doesn't strain the both of them at least (how this works, don't ask me) and pulls vinny's glasses off so he doesn't break it somehow while sleeping. he glances to where Mars is and softly snorts. "think you can princess carry him back into the caravan?" Mars: He takes a moment to assess the situation, glancing around blatantly between Vinny and Cimm and tries his best to not seen amused by the whole thing. "I dunno he looks rather comfortable there already to me?" He states. He's not exactly the best at schooling his expression so the signs of amusement easily slip out of him in the form of barely contained laughter. He does at least begin moving to get Vinny back in the caravan. Cimmorro: cimm raises a brow at mars, amused at the other's own amusement of the situation. "well, no need to rush, he's quite good at keeping me warm right now," he smiles innocently. "besides, he just dozed off, he'll probably melt from his own embarrassment if he woke up with you hoisting him. and then he'll never get any sleep again. what will we do if our wizard is restless for a drake hunt.... oh no..."

Mars: He finally lets out one quick laugh, still quiet, but still one. "Hah, true, though it won't do him any good to have a crick in his neck." While he's already up though, Mars decides dig through for his pack to see if he has something he can while away the last few bits of watch they have on. He's being kept abreast of the situation already, so long as someone keeps an eye on that he's at least not not confident about their ability to scram at a moment's notice. While rummaging around though he manages to find something that he's managed to keep with him. He always keeps most of his documents with him, mostly out of messiness but he's somewhat grateful now that he has the time to sort them out. He quickly leafs though a bunch of papers, job postings, expenses, notes, but chances upon a set of letters he didn't expect to find. "Huh-" He notes somewhat interested, a letter he was supposed to send to Cimm. "Oh hey I found-" He immediately pauses as he takes the letter out and realises its unsealed and exactly why its unsealed. "Uh." He just freezes up and hopes Cimm did not hear any of that. Cimmorro: "a sore neck i can cure, no problem. but a sleepless and spell-battery-drained wizard? well, there's only so much i can do, as perfect as i am," he grins humorously and continues to watch the trees ahead of them. the short and quiet pause was somehow pleasant, despite the circumstances. the shuffling noise from mars' rummaging makes up for asmr. unfortunately for mars, cimm has a perception of +8 so he does happen to hear him speak up amidst the musing. he tilts his head to where the other is, as best as he can while he has a tenant on his shoulder and goes "hm? what is it?" Mars: "Well its- I don't know if I should-." He knows by now the more he speaks the more Cimm can dig around, so the less is spoken the better. With both cimm's +8 perception and the fact that he isn't actually all that far away, Cimm sees him stuffing an envelope into a pack. "Actually I'm shutting up-"

Cimmorro: "what?" he blinks confused. "are you a divine sinner?" genuinely, what was he bumbling about that got him looking nervous? it was then he notices the letter but that doesn't leave him any less confused. "mars," he says, direct and accompanied with a pointed stare. at this point mars is familiar that this is his way of telling him to stop beating around the bush. Mars: Weighing the pros and cons very quickly he notices very few pros aside from him coming off a little rude but otherwise harmless. And all the cons of having an awkward tense thing going on with the one guy that he knows a bit more well than the others on this trip. Not that he isn't used to being quiet and alone in a group traveling scenario, he just happens to actually consider Cimm to be at least something akin to a friend, a totally not at all roundabout way of admitting Cimm is a friend. "Alright, alright quit glowering. Just- Bah, its just messy."

He walks over with his own two feet and hands the envelope over to cimmorro and addressed to the Jasidan temple in Coralwash. Aside from the fact that its unsealed, it looks like a normal envelope.

Cimmorro: he eyes him as he extends his arm to hand the envelope over, eventually plucking it out of his hands. he only scans the outside before he grins. "awww for me? you were just shy..." he coos. "but why is it open?" Mars: "It wasn't... Well I didn't know if I should send it." He scratches the back of his head. "I had the passing thought I ought to give it to you before we reached Coralwash, but then I realised I haven't even finished it." He thinks a little bit more "You're free to read it, there's no use hiding that now. Unfinished as it is, it was meant for you." Cimmorro: "wh... why shouldn't you? i told you to write to me! come on..." he tries his best to keep his voice hush, but there's still a sting of betrayal in his tone. "well, it got to me. that's what matters." he tries to shrug but it made a strained feeling due to the weight on his shoulders. so he carefully moves vinny down to lay on his lap instead before unfolding the letter from the envelope. "anyways, don't mind if i do....~"

By all accounts its a normal looking letter though the further the letter gets read the more clear it is why Mars hesitated showing it in the first place, that being said its his own fault for bringing it up.

Cimmorro, You spoke at length about Coralwash, and it never occurred to me how closeby it was to feasible the trip was. Regretably I don't know when if It would be nice to, perhaps, visit your town and have you take in the sights, surprisingly I don't see the ocean all that often despite the proximity. It would be nice to see Jasper considering  how avidly you adored her. Unfortunately I don't HHHHH Scheduling troubles By the time you get this letter, I have no earthly clue where the hells you'd be I may have already returned home and decided to pass by Coralwash. I'll write to you again of how the visit was, if I met any of your sisters or drowned NO, ate anything you recommended, or The letter remains unfinished, though there seems to be some kind of checklist at the bottom. p.s: stationary. envelope. Graphite. Rewrite.

Cimmorro: while he idly combs vinny's hair with his fingers (something he's grown a habit of doing while reading because of jasper,) a smile on cimm's face slowly grows wider as he reads on, having a laugh here and there especially near the end. once he's done, he puts the letter down and studies mars where he stands. he takes a moment to think of what to say. instinctively, he wants to tease him for it. but the fact that it is a 'mess' made it so heartwarming for him. it's sincere and he appreciates it that way. tonight, he decides to go easy on him. "don't you know how to swim?" an honest question, but there's still some playfulness behind it as he still finds the line funny. Mars: At a glance Mars seems to be doing his best to keep his emabrassment in but under the microscope his mouth is too tense, his posture too stiff and gaze too avoidant. He was fully expecting some form of disappointment from Cimm about how he actually didn't intend to visit at all, but either that wasn't conveyed or something else caught his eye, the swimming question of all thing caught him off guard and released some kind of tension he didn't know he had. "What? Yes. No. Maybe?" He turns back to Cimm, pausing to consider at each word. He scratches his head. "I don't know, never really done it, I'd probably do alright in a pinch, but I wouldn't immediately think its 'fun'." Cimmorro: the response makes cimm bark a laugh. "'never really done it' means no, you don't know how to." Mars: He slowly eases up a bit more, though does take a glance at Vinny after that. Still passed out (Insyallah). "Then no, I don't know how to." He figures he'd probably figure it out though. If he has to.

Cimmorro: "it's too bad we're not staying long, i'd have given you swimming lessons! it's quite important, especially for you. you like to get on boats every now and then... geez" he shakes his head in disbelief. "but i can show you around for sure. and i'll be keeping this, thank you~" he chimes as he slips the letter into his sleeve. Mars: "Ackh-" He's getting flashbacks of that time the guild receptionist in Bakaldor took his unfinished work application. Much like that time, its too late now. "So be it, just treat me to a meal for it." He jokes about. He was about to sit down until he looks at how comfy Vinny is and decides to sit on the ground near the two instead, back leaning on the log. Cimmorro: he nods and watches mars lean more comfortably with a snort. "don't go sleeping on me too now" Mars: "Or what? You'll pet my hair too?" He laughs as he leans his head back, at ease. "I'll be fine. Just tell me more about stuff to do in Coralwash." Cimmorro: "hmmmm, i might. so best keep one eye open if you don't want me to." he was about to put some serious thought in answering the following request but decides against it and smiles instead. "you'll see for yourself when we get there." Mars: He rolls his one good eye. "Alright then, leave some mystery around." He says as he keeps watch in comfy silence for the rest of their time together.

After a while Mars starts to note its starting to be the end of their turn on watch and it'd probably be good to inform the next pair of the figure in the distance. (Aqua note: I DIDNT FORGET ABOUT THE DRAGON) He looks over to Cimmorro and Vinny.

Mars: "So... How are we gonna turn in with Vil like this...?" He asks not yet realising he's supposed to carry him Cimmorro: "you could try shaking him awake but? well, i've been shifting him around and he doesn't seem to budge so...." says the guy who's starting to lose blood on his legs where vinny lays. Mars: Mars makes a concentrated effort this time. Cimmorro: cimm stops his hand. "just carry him 😩 " Mars: "What-" He thinks a little bit more. Some internal decision must've been reached and Mars just resolves himself to do so. "Alright, alright."

Mars crouches down and picks up Vinny princess tyle, despite his height and weight a man has never felt so light to Mars, its like picking up a bird. He flicks his head at Cimmorro to gesture to the caravan as the two walk in, intent on waking Psalm and Finn for their next watch, unbeknownst to them however the two have already awoken.

Psalm: Psalm rouses from a shorter than usual, but not wholly inefficient rest. He lucked out with a middlish watch he supposes, although it's hard to get sleep knowing there's a likelihood of being attacked by a fucking dragon of all things at any moment. In any case, he should probably go see if Finn is up so they can go relieve the others of their watch duty. Slightly groggy, he stumbles his way around the caravan in search of Finn's coffin. He doesn't really know for sure if the other man rests within, for all Psalm knows he could be out doing god knows what in the forest, but he knocks gently on it all the same. Finn: finn hasnt really been able to nap, but its nothing out of the ordinary considering his strange sleep schedule. honestly, he was prepared to keep watch the whole night alone, so to see everyone volunteering was……strange. finn thinks it must be because they would feel bad toward his uncle if they made him do it alone. to pass the time, hes been entertaining himself in his head by planning ahead for the time he'll be spending with psalm. hes more excited for it than he'd like to admit. having been on bad terms with psalm for so long had really been a downer. finn was so excited to talk about his engagement! and love in general!… and just talking to psalm at all. it was embarassing, really. but finn didnt have the time to contemplate his desperation, finally having heard those knocks on his coffin. he forces his eyes shut and doesnt respond…… psalm will find the coffin unlocked and he can raise the lid if he so wishes. Psalm: The coffin doesn't stir even a little… which must mean that Finn is outside somewhere? Maybe he's talking with Mars and Cimmoro, although the likilhood of that… is actually quite high despite the latter's distaste for the vampire. Although he'd rather not get involved, to keep the other two waiting on him would be selfish. He raps gently on the coffin with his fingers lost in thought for a bit about where Finn might be, before getting up, stretching, and heading outside.

Finn: finn is all giddy inside his coffin, so much so that he cant stop smiling from ear to ear. any moment now, psalm will lift it and find before him a sleeping beauty! he will gently wake finn, leaning over him illuminated by the moonlight and finn will slowly flutter his lashes and act surprised but have all the time in the world to take the sight of psalm like that in to savor…except it… doesnt happen? its all taking way too long. not that finn minds fleshing this fantasy out but… when he clearly hears psalm leaving, finn rushes to lift his lid with great urgency and in a whiny voice he says loud enough for psalm to hear "w-where are you going psalm!!" usually finn wouldnt bother 'running' after someone like this, but waiting for psalm to go outside and come back would take too long…even worse if he got caught up in a conversation with those two wretched baseborn curs. the thought of them stealing psalm away from him made finns cold dead blood boil. not even his beloved vinny would be allowed to do that tonight… psalm belonged to finn right now. Psalm: Psalm, right at the exit to the caravan, startles a bit when Finn calls out to him. He turns around. Maybe he hadn't knocked loud enough? "Oh, I didn't realise you were in there Finn. I tried knocking but I supposeyour coffin is more sturdy than I expected." He walks back over to the coffin, "What do you mean where am I going anyhow, it's our turn for the watch isn't it?" Finn: finn frowns for a second before his expression takes on more that of a kicked puppy. he doesnt make an effort to get up quite yet, sitting in his coffin for the moment "why didnt you try looking inside at least?.. you were just going to leave me here!" finn then holds his hand out to psalm, clearly expecting to be pulled up. this part at least should go according to plan…….he hopes. Psalm: "That seems like an unwarranted breach of privacy." Psalm raises an eyebrow, discerning. "Did you want me to look inside?" Psalm uses all of his 9 str to take Finn by the hand and help him out of the coffin, although why Finn expects him to do this… are all nobles like this?

Finn: finn merely nods and uncaring about psalms 9 str lets himself be pulled up. he steps out of his coffin and waits for psalm to let go of his hand first before he does "i suppose that kind of consideration speaks for your favourable disposition" he plays with a strand of hair and says the next part very casually "but you can look, i dont mind" as if finn didnt just drop that he then begins to make way for outside Psalm: "I would think anyone with a hint of decency would think twice about it, but who's to say really." Psalm follows after Finn, not really sure what to respond. He's starting to just realise Finn likes messing with him, so it's water off a ducks back really. "I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow's watch, provided we're not all roommates in a dragon's belly." Finn: "well" finn huffs "we are traveling with the worlds most uncivilized, unpleasant, indecent, disrespectful hooligans - in case you forgot! the bar is quite low!" at psalms latter comment finn realizes theyd get to keep watch together again? something he didnt think of, somehow. he assumed theyd re-elect the order each night, in case people got bored of each other…or didnt like each other. if finn got anyone other than psalm, he wouldve pushed for such a thing for sure. but he doesnt want to let psalm know hes this behind.

As the two make to walk out the other three walk inside, Vinny continues to drool away in Mars hold as they exchange brief greetings, the other two eyeing the man in Mars' arms. Mars warns the two of them in the meantime of the figure in the distance he saw.

Psalm: psalm has no comment beyond "if vinny were awake he'd probably be red like a tomato" Finn: finn cringes at the sight. no one should be allowed to handle vinny like that except for himself!… and perhaps cimmorro, as much as finn doesnt like the idea he cant deny that those two have a somewhat intimate relationship and itd be wrong to refuse vinny his own chosen friends. finn hates that mars has the audacity to touch vinny like that, to hold him, when he hasnt earned it. that aside, normally finn would insist on taking over from mars but since hes with psalm right now he cant. the man he dedicates his night to shalt have his priority. finn will remember this as another reason to resent mars for.

After speaking they pass one another and the three head back towards the room with the beds, though after a few moments Vinny begins to stir in Mars' hold.

Vinny: lifting his head from mars' shoulder he blinks awake blearily, awoken by mars walking or talking he cant quite tell. after he glances up the man groggily he stares for a few moments blankly before recognition dawns on him, though only of who he's staring at. not fully awake he asks, confused about his proximity "...mars?" Mars: Oops, not that any of his pros and cons weighing mattered, vinny woke up anyway. "Go back to sleep." He just says as he (unintentionally) glares down. Vinny: he furrows his brows a little scared of mars' ominous expression in the dark, almost ignoring his words as he starts looking around worried before realising where exactly he is. after a few more seconds he blinks as his face grows red and he starts tapping the arms holding him up somewhat frantically and whispers "why are you...!? er- t-that's quite alright..! you can put me down!" Mars: He just lets him down easily LMAO, hands raised and spread upwards like 'See not touching anymore.' Cimmorro: cimm's just laughing from behind them. "we didn't wanna disturb you. you were sleeping like a baby." Vinny: he shuffles to the ground as attempts to not trip over his feet accidentally, trying to not make any further direct eye contact with the man, as cimm speaks up his face gets even redder "w-well... t-thank you?" he says the last part almost like a question, barely sure of his own words. he thinks idly to himself that well at least it was only these two that saw him like that before turning around to ready for sleep again, moving a little more quickly than normal as he tries to ignore them

Mars: Mars just tilts his head in confusion as he waits for Vinny to climb in so he can head to the nearest open bed.  "Well, night you two." He says with a tired wave. Cimmorro: cimm gets on the top bunk and says "maybe we should get an earlier time for you next time." Vinny: he mumbles back a 'goodnight' to mars before glancing upwards, though he cant see cimm "the airship might have spoiled me a little as well..." CImmorro: he snickers lightheartedly. "nighty night you two" Mars: Mars just mumbles a quick night, exhaustion he didn't know he had seeping as he waves the two off and turns around. Vinny: vinny does his best to dispell his lingering embarrassment as he focuses very intently on falling asleep again "goodnight..."

As the three head to sleep, Finn and Psalm settle themselves outside for an evening on watch.

Finn: when finn and psalm finally have the space to themselves, finn plops down and kicks his legs a little, looking to psalm to see if he will sit with finn or not Psalm: Psalm rolls his eyes, "There's worse out there." But that's all he says, not really wanting to get into it. He goes and checks up on the horses as they get outside (after exchanging whatever necessary greetings with the other three), and then does in fact sit with Finn, as there is literally no reason not to. Hes still a bit sleep, honestly, not usually quick to become alert after waking up, but he does his best to not appear so. Finn: "soooooo," finn starts and tries and fails to hide his smile "while we wait for this dragon to come and eat us, lets talk about love!" he practically beams "there were quite a few things youve said that left me wondering about you, you know" finn gestures vaguely like an anime character "i mean i know you said youre not interested in romance right now and i assume its mostly because of…" finn gestures at his head "…but have you ever actually been in love? any past scars that prevent you from opening your heart again?" finn dramatically hugs himself and feigns hurt, then squints at psalm through his lashes to suss out anything he may leave unspoken Psalm: Psalm narrows his eyes, immediately suspicious of Finn's intentions. Still, he does enjoy this topic of conversation… "I can't think of a better thing to discuss while we wait around for our impending doom." Psalm shrugs. "It's not just Ghester anyways, I have a lot going on." He gestures vaguely, "even right now I'm in another content sorting out cults and hunting dragons. I don't see how I could possibly have the time for romance." Psalm wonders briefly if it's worth bringing up at all, but he supposes Finn did tell him about his weird fiance situation even if it was against his will kind of. "I've been in love before, just once." That's all he says.

Finn: finn nods and keeps his eyes trained on psalm as he talks, even if he finds his answers to be incredibly boring and largely uninteresting. it is that part of psalm thats unwilling to rebel against the circumstances that finn finds so appalling… finn is traveling and also rather busy but he'd make it work if he was in love…….well. orins not here right now but still. if he were here- finns train of thought is interrupted when psalm finally says something that truly gets his attention. subconciously finn leans foward with big eyes "just once? how long ago was it? with who? do you still talk to them?" Psalm: he leans back. "Yes, just once. Not that long ago honestly…? A few years ago we just decided being friends was better." Psalm ponders the date for a while, he remembers the exact moment, of course, but decides Finn doesnt need to know that. "We still talk, I sent him a letter a while back actually while we were still in Shorewater but as of right now I still haven't gotten a response." Which is concerning to say the least, especially with the information he'd been granted by his patron. But he tries not to let his concern show on his face. "He's probably just busy." Psalm shrugs in a way he hopes comes off as nonchalantly. Maybe he shouldn't talk about this after all. Finn: finn doesnt let it show but as soon as psalm mentions a 'he', disgust wells up in him…..sure, psalm and this mystery guy have decided to be friends but thats still a man thats potential competition. well, even if psalm had been in love with a woman or otherwise before finn wouldntve been happy about it, but at least he wouldnt have to fight to be the better man. he tries not to ponder it as hard right now. "if you had sent me a letter, i wouldve responded even if i were busy" finn rolls his eyes and gestures with one hand "actually…" finn looks at psalm and fails to elaborate. he wants to ask more about psalms past but that would require moving away from romance as a topic…its a difficult pick. "i dont think i know why youre here. at all. why are you even a vengaboy" finn blinks, almost as if he wasnt sure he just said what he said

Psalm: Psalm blinks at Finn once and then starts laughing. "Thanks? But dont worry about it, he's not the type to ignore me so I imagine he's indisposed, given his line of work it isn't unusual." There's a genuine smile on his face as Psalm thinks about his friend. He can't help it. At Finn's question Psalm crosses his arms. How can he put this. Business as usual he supooses. "Due to…" he pauses. "…circumstances I had to leave my home town for a while. I ended up in Shorewater by chance, took Vinny's posting to find his cats since I needed money, and then ended up getting stuck with everyone else here. Truly a testament to my luck that a job finding a cat leads to chasing cult activity half way across the globe I suppose." Finn: finn just squints at psalm the whole time….he was a bit dense, but psalms incredibly obvious evasiveness wasnt lost on him. maybe he could use this to his advantage though… "what line of work does your friend happen to be in? i just cannot think of anything so arduous it would prevent one from writing a meager little letter" he gestures dismissively with his wrist "also pray tell, what is your friend called? it is a little tiring to simply call him 'he'… and a bit rude too" finn doesnt even bother trying to unpack psalms 'circumstances' rn because he knows that will be a much tougher shell to crack Psalm: "Youre right. My apologies.He's a swordsman by the name of Basil. He mostly does bodyguard work last I checked. A bit more official than what I'm up to right now keeping an eye on you for your Uncle though." Psalm jokes. "But he has to travel around the continent fairly often, and I figure it can get pretty dangerous considering the types he has to guard so… I'd be happy to hear from him even if it is meager." Finn: finns eye briefly twitches. great. its a man and a swordsman. his engagement to orin had to work out. regardless finn brings himself to smile a little bit "mm.. thats what i think too. anyone would be glad to hear even meager news from someone with this profession. i understand now why hes not responding to you" he rolls 'the types he has to guard' around in his mind "sounds like hes escorting noblemen or some such?" an inquisitive glance

Psalm: Psalm wonders if Finn's eye just now was a trick of the light, but decides to leave it alone. "I'm sure he's fine though. He's pretty capable, for what it's worth when we were children it was always him bailing the two of us out of trouble…" Psalm crosses his arms. "Probably? When we, er- worked together in the same group, we usually opted for different jobs. Different talents you see. And he liked to keep his jobs a secret from me because he's a bit of an asshole like that honestly. I didn't see very much of him during that time either honestly." Psalm considers that bit of information for a bit before mumbling to himself, "Maybe the distance is why it didn't work out…" he sounds like he's having a revelation… Finn: finn thinks hard about this for a moment…different talents…but all hes seen psalm do is fight and bail him out of terrible social situations. so he's not sure what psalms other talents are "distance is the adversary to all love…" finn whispers dramatically and clutches at his chest "but to be frank with you psalm, i dont know what your non-combat talents are aside from getting your foot stuck in your mouth" he winces a bit at the memories coming back to him "and while i wouldnt consider you a great fighter, maybe youll earn just enough experience from traveling with the vengaboys to close that distance between your professions" finn looks away after saying that, unsure if its okay for him to be helping the enemy "if you wanted to, that is" he adds after a moment Psalm: "I suppose it is," is all he says to that. But he sniffs, fake offended. "I can be a capable talker when I need to be. Basil is far too excitable and honest, so it was up to me to lie when we needed to lie. But I suppose in casual conversation that is quite a different story…" Psalm crosses his arms, "I don't think I'm all that great either, but we should spar one of these days and measure our distance. Although I think I'd probably have a rough time of it." He smiles though. "I can't say I want that, I do enjoy having him act out being my knight in shining armor," he snorts. This is mostly a joke.

Finn: finn is not entirely sure whether psalm is joking or not, but the man just openly talked about being a liar for a living (<- finns understanding of it) which wasnt surprising, but still "and is all that lying what led to your leaving home due to… circumstances?" finn tries to mimick psalms tone and a bit of the pauses he used earlier to weasel his way out of an answer Psalm: "No, funnily enough. Quite the opposite really. I just figured it was time to be honest with myself and switch careers rather than stay somewhere that was honestly pretty shitty." He sighs. "If only Basil would do the same, but maybe he's better off this way." He waves his hand vaguely. Psalm recognises that Finn is mimicking him by the way, and just makes up his face. Finn: something about psalm saying all that threatens finns mood to drop. he'd rather psalm was a liar who got swindled and cheated and beaten and bruised all the way to shorewater but no, the man is simply starting with a clean slate. something finn wishes so desperately he could do but he doesnt see himself ever getting there. ruminating on this makes finn take a good long moment before he responds. hes not sure if he wants a third emotionally charged conversation today though so he thinks of a way to bring them back on track. "better off or not, lets cut to the chase psalm… theres something important you left out all this time and its really distracting me from what should be your riveting tale of self discovery" finn folds his hands in front of his face (around his mouth and nose like sasuke) and then he gives psalm a sharp glance "is basil handsome?" he did need to know. he's surprised its not the first thing hes asked actually… hes off his game!

Psalm: Psalm waits patiently for whatever Finn is thinking about for so long to wrap up in his head, although he's a bit curious. Ultimately he decides that their measly night time watch is probably not the best time to question it, so he accepts the following question easily. He can't say he wasn't expecting it… but this type of thing doesn't make him embarassed in the least. "Yes, in a boyish rogue kind of way, if I had to describe it… He's a bit shorter than me if that helps you picture him." Finn: finn crosses his arms and taps at his arm with a finger impatiently while psalm briefly describes basil. when hes done, finn frowns at him and gets a bit snappy (in a playful oujo-sama way) "not at all! youve barely told me anything! not what kind of hair he has, what his face is like, if he has" he uncrosses his arms to gesture at his biceps "if hes well built, what kind of fashion he adorns himself with! you didnt tell me what you like best about him, what stands out most about him! you could also tell me if hes a tiefling like you or not…tsk" he raises his nose and looks down on psalm expectantly Psalm: "Alright, fair." Psalm frowns a bit, hesitant to give more details though. He's not sure he'd like it if Basil was out there in the world talking about him to strangers, but he supposes he needs to get over his need for secrecy when it comes to some things at least. Describing him to Finn won't put him in harms way if they were to ever meet…probably? He does a poor job from hiding his hesitancy though. Not that Basil would care much, but it was Psalm's job to care about this between the two. "I don't see why this is necessary, but he has curly midlength hair, a round face. I don't think I've ever seen him not smiling also, so my complete opposite in every regard." Psalm gestures at his straight, dark hair that just kind of sticks out everywhere at his neck. "I don't think he cares too much about his appearance or fashion if I'm honest, but he's of a fairly average build. Really I'm not sure where he gets his strength from. And he's blue. A blue tiefling." Psalm ponders this next line of questioning… "As for what I like about him… I don't know how to express that in words so I won't bother. I guess he's a good friend..?" Psalm says, although even that he has to wonder about a bit. It is lacking in its simplicity, but it feels awkward sitting here describing him

Finn: finn wonders if psalm is taking so long because finn is forcing him to talk about his former lover in great detail like that…. finn can be lenient in this case and he patiently waits, since its his fault its a bit awkward. although he wants to tell psalm to be proud of his attraction and cast aside his hesitation even if it happens to be to someone average or even ugly. as psalm elaborates on basils appearance finn nods along and thinks, trying to fit all the information together like puzzle pieces "now, was that so hard? i have a much better idea of your friend now" finn chooses to not comment on what psalm likes best about basil, thats for him to treasure and for no one to question "but" finn says and smirks, leaning forward ever so slightly "he doesnt sound nearly as handsome as you, even though he should be. id love to make a fair comparison some time though" finn leaves psalms personal space and sighs, greatly enjoying their conversation again. he then peers at psalm "you know, you haven't really asked me anything all night. as much as i appreciate and enjoy having a free pass to interrogate and pester you, i have to wonder if youre content just sitting on your own curiosity…" he very clearly wants to be asked anything at all Psalm: "Well if he were to ever show up I'd probably have to wonder just a little bit what he's doing this side of the world, but he did travel quite a bit. Although there's no need to compare us, I think he's far more attractive than me. Maybe my own bias." Psalm shrugs. Compliments from Finn about his own appearance are now becoming something hes getting used to, is this a bad sign?"And true… I wasn't quite expecting to be put in the hot seat all of a sudden. Although, I'm not sure what it is I could even ask you. You clearly have your whole.. engagement (he says this word quietly) sorted out. I suppose that in itself answers the questions you first asked me. Orin knows about your vampirism, right?"

Finn: "oh but there is a great need to compare you! one must always assess their position…" finn trails off. it was also very important for his own entertainment and enjoyment. if basil was hotter than psalm, he'd have to change plans and go for him also! at psalms rather blunt disinterest finn plummets a little, pouting. "of course orin knows! he accepts me wholly…" finn closes his eyes and digs up from the recesses of his mind when orin found out.. how warm that felt although it was something so detestable to show to him. "but i cant believe youre not letting me gush about him! hes my fiance to be and you dont even care what i like about him…" he very obviously feigns crocodile tears, mimicking that junko enoshima mushroom sprite. hes getting used to psalm not living up to his expectations, not taking as much offense to it as he used to "but go ahead… ask me about vampirism…." the first time he appeared before the group was with orin, and he had been a bat then… psalm mustve been so transfixed on finns beauty that he forgot it even happened, finn thinks. so he can count it as a good thing. Psalm: "Position…right." Suspicious… "You're free to do so if you wish, by all means I'd love to hear more about Orin." Psalm means this too, admittedly he's been curious about the man ever since his brief conversation with Keva about him. "It would be wrong to say I don't care actually, considering the more I learn about you the more I'm surprised." Finn: finn blinks up at psalm with sparkly eyes at the final comment "reaaally?" he leans in a bit again, batting his eyelashes "how come? tell me more, you must!" the prospect of gushing about orin is as good as forgotten at the possibility of being showered in praise and compliments.

Psalm: The switch up gives Psalm whiplash, but he squashes the urge to protest. Sorry Keva, he thinks. He'll have to try thinking of a way to bring this conversation back around to Orin somehow. Psalm had honestly not meant anything too extraordinary by what he'd said either, but he gets the feeling Finn will be disappointed if he says as much. Although now is as good a time as any to work on his honesty. "I mean you're pretty eccentric? Although who in this group isn't…" Well, not him. Probably. But still. "I feel Ive made it seem worse than it sounds. I just feel like you care about things I wouldn't expect you to. Like romance. And there's nothing I intend to ask you about your vampirism at the moment. You don't seem particularly enthused about the topic so there's no need." Finn: finns eyebrows shoot up in shock and he grasps at his chest again "how come you wouldntve expect me to care about romance? romance is the most important thing in anyones life! it is the very height to strive for and to experience, to indulge and partake in! to be ravaged and destroyed by!" he raises a hand up to the sky like an actor in a play, caught up in his musings about the topic "to not care about romance is to give up on life- no, happiness itself!" he then looks at psalm again with a smile on his face "it is a strange assumption to make about me.. do be assured about my vested interest in the topic once more" he then blinks as if he seems to realize "ah, i wont apologize for professing my passion, but i did get us off track im afraid… not that there was much of a track… but if my personal affairs are so clear cut and unmysterious to you, we can always talk about stories of love instead v__v" a few weeks ago, he actually wouldve blown up at psalm for his lack of enthusiastic interest… strange how conventional attractiveness can change your feelings over time!

Psalm: Psalm blinks once at Finn's speech before speaking. "Yeah actually maybe the dramatics make sense. I was thinking it was too down to earth for the likes of you, but I realise I was going about it the wrong way. I forget you do things your own way.. arguably the best way to do them even. I respect the intensity. Agree even, although I'm not sure I'll ever experience a love as earth-shattering as you've described." Psalm then, realising his error, tries to backtrack a bit. "I think I've given you the wrong idea. It's quite the opposite really. Nothing about you is clear cut, and I find your condition anything but unmysterious. I simply didn't want to be too nosy. However," recalling Finn giving him permission to open up his coffin,"it seems that you want me to be more interested so I'll bite. I've no more stories to tell anyways, unless you want to share some before I begin my interview." Finn: finn did expect psalm to be moved at least a little bit by his speech, if he is a true lover of romance, but this was more than he bargained for and it makes him feel giddy all over, blushing a little. the words 'I forget you do things your own way.. arguably the best way to do them even.' especially wash warmly over finn. a smalll smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. he visibly relaxes and regards psalm with a kind look in his eyes "i cannot fully fault you for your caution, given that im quite peculiar with who wishes to involve themself with me… but i favour boldness over caution and i believe ive made it more than clear that i quite favour you.. even now, when you offend, i cannot help but be more lenient with you" he smiles more now despite being a bit annoyed at said leniency he bestows upon psalm so often now "so by all means, be bold and go ahead" Psalm: Psalm like have I done anything offensive…? But that will probably get him in trouble so he keeps his mouth shut on the matter. The reaction to his statement isn't what he expected either, but the day he predicts how Finn will react to something is the day hell freezes over. He decides to just take the extended olive branch instead, rather than fuck up somehow by saying something silly like asking why Finn even seems to like him so much to begin with. "Alright, then any love stories before Orin you feel like sharing?" He'll get to the vampirism in a moment.

Finn: finns face contorts a bit, a bit like the face they make in soul eater when excalibur is mentioned. he opens his mouth and closes it a bit, he seems to be struggling to come up with an answer "n-not really…" he avoids looking at psalm "ive never been in love before, you see…" he closes his eyes and collects himself, composure quickly regained "so this is an exciting development for me… my precious first love is unfolding as we speak!…" he hugs himself dramatically again and hopes thats enough Psalm: Curious reaction, although the reason becomes clear in a moment. Psalm takes a moment to register this in his mind. He'd kind of expected it. He wonders what the hell is going to happen when they see Orin again. Should he stop this, if not for Finn's sake but Orin's? But to be honest, why should he care? For all he knows Orin is just as crazy, although he didn't really get that impression. Oh well. "I see." Is all he says. Psalm pats his shoulder, genuinely at a loss, although that doesn't show on his face. "I look forward to seeing how it unfolds." He does not think about this any further than that, for the moment. "I'll just dive right in and ask, and forgive me for my idiotic question, but have you ever bitten anyone? I assume that was what you were up to that time with the cultist back in Theyord's lair."

Finn: finn briefly wonders if he should bring his real first love, sasuke, up…but he doesnt know if psalm would understand manga well enough to be initiated into its workings… although, he supposes, its not much different from pining after a character in a normal book. but still… their bond is just not at a level where he can share this yet. at the comforting pat on the shoulder hes able to relax again… although something about the pat seems off in a way he cant put a finger on. oh well, physical contact with psalm is physical contact with psalm! he mumbles out a "me too" at the unfolding love statement. finn blinks at the question about biting people, especially the cultist. he did order psalm to be bold and he is at a level with the man where he does not take offense to the question. olsts average tasting blood comes to mind again and finn thoughtfully assumes a thinking pose "it was indeed so… an unexpected turn of events for me, i should add" he studies psalm "tell me what you think though psalm… have i bitten more people before?" hes keen to figure out which answer will put psalm at ease here Psalm: Unfortunately for Finn, he doesn't know that Psalm is a well versed patron of all kinds of literature… including Naruto (Ino is his fave.) Psalm wonders if it was really unexpected or if Finn was inexplicably trying to seduce the cultist but doesn't say all of that. It's the kind of thing he's starting to realise Finn would do, but it's neither here nor there at the end of the day. Psalm himself assumes a thoughtful pose, tapping once or twice on his thigh with his fingers as he thinks of a "right" answer. "I can't imagine Theyord's basement would be the ideal opportunity to test something like that out for the first time, so I assume it's something you're at least a little practiced with."

Finn: finns smile now carries a tinge of bitterness but it isnt directed at psalm specifically. "correct" he confirms and unassumes his thinking pose "of course ive bitten people before, ive been a vampire for a long time after all" not once does he take his eyes off psalm as he says this, studying his expression constantly "but it is something i reserve for survival" and an intensity seeps into his gaze "or for love" expecting psalm to understand without trouble as usual. if hes a romantic he should get it, finn thinks. he wonders to himself if he should elaborate more, he kind of would like to, but he thinks he must look pretty cool right now and that he ended his explanation on a cool note so he opts not to for now. Psalm: (Psalm has the same enthusiasm about this topic as Laius did when asking Marcille what it felt like to be attacked by the man eating plant in dungeon meshi chapter 2) "I see…!" Psalm nods thoughtfully. "How long exactly? Feel free to ignore that if you don't want me finding out you're secretly an old man." Psalm doesn't really mind Finn staring holes into him, because he's arguably doing the same, enthused although displaying the same nonchalance he usually does. "Survival I can understand, romance also. I feel that's the kind of thing that would be intimate if reserved for a partner." He gets it Finn: finn feigns bashfulness, hugging himself dramatically and looking away from psalm, his voice raised in pitch as he speaks "oh how dare you! trying to get me to admit my age! i assure you im no fossil…" he returns to looking psalm in the eyes but briefly ponders how much he truly wants to share with him about this. his speaking voice returns to normal too as he scoots closer to psalm and in an act of rash stupidity, he rests his head on psalms shoulder "do you mind?" he still tries to look from this perspective even if its entirely useless. usually finn wouldnt bother asking for permission like this, especially not after psalm went out of his way to touch finns shoulder which clearly meant something, and one could argue he shouldve asked before breaching psalms personal space if he was going to ask anyway, but considering how skittish psalm can become when it comes to intimacy he figures he might try to treat him a little more with care. lest he scares him off.

Psalm: "Damn, you found me out," Psalm says, monotone. At Finn's actions Psalm just raises an eyebrow. "No? But I mean if you're still tired or something you can go sneak a nap in your coffin. Not like our watch is much longer." Finn: "not at all" finn says and gets more comfortable at that, scooting a little closer so their shoulders bump together "you seem rather excitable about my condition, so i wont bore you with any distractions" he angles his head a little so that he can look at psalms throat as he speaks. hes tempted to make some kind of joke about letting a vampire this close (although itd really annoy him if anyone else did it) but he supposes psalm just trusts him that much. or doesnt care. or maybe he would want to experience being bitten? not that he'd do it unprompted but psalm is someone he would most likely drink from. but he halts his thoughts, its subtle but finn would like to hear that enthusiasm return to psalms voice. "make no mistake, my reason for my restraint is not as noble as you might be assuming right now. it is one of my only un-noble traits, really. there is a grave difference in taste between the scraps i starve myself on and the blood of a person" finn snakes his arms around psalms shoulders "were you aware of that?"

Plum: i havent been reading so i have no idea how they got to this point to be honest Vinny: like always with finn at the drop of a dime. psalm got laid last night he cant forget about ike sorry finn Finn: JWHDOZNSHELXMSHWODNSHWKDNX he didnt tell me that! Keva: i'm seeing other poeple Psalm: i think finn would kill him. honestly i think the only way psalm would get out of that situation unshanked is if he said the sex was bad Finn: WHEEZE

Psalm: "Well I mean it's not often you meet a real life vampire." And you seem kind of offended when I don't take interest Psalm thinks to himself. He's watching Finn carefully though, squinting. " Honestly, that seems like it makes sense to me. I can't imagine rat blood being more appetising than a human's. But, restraint with what exactly…?" Finn: "theoretically it should be though, right? blood is blood after all. at least thats what i expected all the way back then" he smiles bitterly to himself. it was a lie to say he expected it, he had deluded himself into hoping for it. but thats a detail that can be safely omitted. he tightens his hold subconsciously a little. "silly psalm… my restraint for why i dont drink from people of course!" he laughs quietly "there is nothing stopping me from finding an unfortunate, willing soul whenever i please - with the exception of these backwaters here maybe - and enjoy the finer taste im entitled to. but i told you i reserve that for special circumstances. i dont need you to wager a guess as to why that is, feel free to think on it however you'd like, except i simply cannot have you think me kind and noble and pure and good for not doing it. you must not consider me kind for my restraint." he hides his face away, nuzzling it into the fabric of psalms shirt, trying to feel his warmth through it. finns answer must be a bit incoherent but he doesnt mind as long as psalm accepts the cruelty of his heart.

Vinny: im crazy im not normal jsyk psalm [cuddles with you] Finn: good summary Keva: at this point every response from jude feels like a casey frey video where like, i have to experience it in chunks bc i get so mortified i have to look away for a bit

Psalm: "Well not that fantasy novels are any indication of reality, but there must be some reason they always seem to imply people taste the best." Psalm wonders if Finn is feeling alright. Surely he doesn't get cold ? "Not that I really understand your logic but sure, if that's what you want it's neither here nor there to me." He takes Finn by the shoulders and pushes him back a bit (as much as he can maneuver), eyes wide in a kind of concerned alarm and goes "Are you feeling cold by the way? I know I'm warmer than the average person but we can sit closer to the fire if you want." Finn: finn is startled when psalm pushes him back, stomach dropping at the immediate fear of being unwanted and unwelcome. its kind of refreshing to see some emotion on his face though since it turns out to be out of concern for him, which finn always enjoys. finn wonders if he must be blushing right now. "i just like being close to you…" the words tumble right out of his mouth and he keeps his gaze trained on psalm. acutely ware of the hands softly gripping his shoulders and with psalms scent still fresh on his mind, finn feels the urge to have his own hands join psalms. he does mumble a small addition while one of his hands rises to meet psalms but stops along the way, too focused on the undivided attention psalm is staring him down with right now "although its nice to not be as cold…" vinny was concerned for him being cold too, that time… he remembers the warmth vinnys jacket brought him that night… what a dilemma to have two such different guys doting on him. Psalm: Psalm, like always, is deeply confused by Finn's motivations towards him. This is the same man who was a moment ago talking about how he wanted his first love that he plans to propose to to go well. He wonders if playing dumb here, or being upfront would be better, although the latter tends to get him in trouble whereas the former only serves to make Finn kind of mad at him. Which is worse…

Ghester: you hear a familiar voice pipe up into both your heads "he really is quite handsy, isn't he?" Finn: finn merely smiles like =^__^= a little bashful but not embarassed Psalm: he goes "Me? Surely not." Ghester: ghester laughs "no no, you're about as physically affectionate as a door my dear" he pauses then goes on "i wonder how committed you are to that fiancé, finnian? though maybe he's the open sort" Psalm: he just frowns at this Finn: finn smiles at psalm since he has no other way of 'looking' at ghester "hey now, we were roommates for a while and you still call me finnian?" (<- playful tone) "i love orin! with my whole heart!" finn places a hand on his chest, where his heart is for emphasis "but i dont know if he will reciprocate this love, so… as long as im not officially engaged…" he trails off and then seems to realize something "actually- why are you asking? dont tell me youre interested ghester?" <-clueless Ghester: "only psalm gets special treatment from me, I'm afraid" he responds playfully back but then pauses after and huffs amused "true enough, though i imagine if he hears of you dallying not a few weeks before declaring undying love for him… well some may find such an act to ring a little hollow, or even be hurt… a gentleman's word of advice to you there" he pauses again before following up "i'm more amused than interested, your actions are often… perplexing" he chuckles again Psalm: "Thank the gods for that, I'd get jealous otherwise," Psalm says, monotone in his usual way. "But I have to agree with Ghester on that front. Although I suppose he'd just have to keep the dallying a secret." <-- guy that isn't helping his case

Finn: "aww" finn sighs in exaggerated fashion "theres just no winning you over is there?" he then kicks his legs a little and bats his eyelashes and leans in slightly "and if i were to become psalms lover? would i receive special treatment then?" he then leans back and seems to think for a moment "you both are assuming orin would find out about it, is the thing. thats definitely not part of my equation" finn raises an eyebrow "im not so inexperienced to expect orin to be happy about me behaving like a common whore, but" he frowns and looks aways "if i save myself for orin only to be rejected… ill have wasted all this time i couldve spent happy in the arms of other men" he snorts "it also helps endure this lousy lot i have to call my companions… you two and vinny excluded of course" Ghester: he does a little mock gasp in regards to the lover ask "but…how could you take a position i already possess, finnian" he laughs uproariously after "i simply state that commitment goes a long way in the eyes of a potential lover… and lying before can lead to developing hmm… unsavoury habits later" after a pause he goes on "you must practice for a future you desire after all, and maybe then you'll be as thick as thieves as the two of us?" Psalm: "That's a heavy 'if' right now I'd imagine… I don't think I could handle you intending to marry someone else." Psalm says, slightly exasperated at the turn this conversation has taken. He is also joking, so hopefully that lands. He's surprised to hear Finn expressing that sentiment though, he honestly just thought the man was crazy. "I wouldn't consider that a waste though… but what do I know, truly." Psalm just snorts at Ghester, "I don't recall us becoming lovers along this journey of ours…" Ghester: "seeing the things ive seen you do recently, i dont think anyone could call us anything else in polite company…" he says it in a jesting tone Psalm: Psalm draws his mouth into a small, pensive, pout before he goes, "You know you have a point." Ghester: he laughs uproariously again

Finn: finn also fakes a mock gasp at the 'revelation' of the two being lovers. he cant really see it but they could also very well… maybe psalm is also the open sort, as ghester had put it. at this, finn clings to psalms arm and cuddles up a little "but ghester, you dont have a body do you? can you please psalm like i can? careful, or i might steal him away from you like this…" he squeezes psalms arm a little "or i wonder, if you feel as psalm does if you see through him?" he tilts his head, this part of the conversation being infinitely more entertaining than his woes with orin "depending on the answer i might just give my fiancé-to-be up" he jokes "maybe ill get you falling for me too…" Psalm: "What." What? Ghester: he says the next part almost like a secret "one can be very creative without any extremities, though i'd never kiss and tell" he laughs again at the offer, as if finding it very funny "unfortunately we do not share sense, or mind, and you must forgive me, but you aren't my type and im happily coupled you see. i wouldn't be so quick to snip away your prospects, orin's heart is breaking im sure?" Finn: finn is very amused by all this, visibly enjoying himself chatting away with ghester, although hes still clinging to psalms arm "ahh ghester, cant you see that the more you push the more i wanna pull?" he sighs dreamily and then finally lets go of psalms arm "i dont know about orins heart breaking" he genuinely seems kinda miffed for a moment "i mean, no matter how many times i tell him, he still calls me 'master finn', even" he then clicks his tongue and just looks to the fire

Psalm: Psalm crosses his arms immediately as a measure of protection, to avoid whatever that was happening again. "This after you've told him your feelings seems rather cold on his part." Finn: finn grumbles a bit and ends up pulling his knees up to hug "i mean, i suppose he just respects our family name that much… he is my uncles servant after all… but i thought we spent enough time together to be friends" he looks at psalm as if searching for an answer "i really let my guard down around him, we fool around, we laugh, we work together, he lets me be close too… i dont know how i can overcome this barrier he keeps between us" finn almost glares at psalm now "come to think of it, hes almost like you, isnt he? you have the same reason for refusing me it would seem" Psalm: Psalm is staring off into the forest as he hears this, absentmindely thinking about Orin. "We seem to have more in common than I realised… I'm starting to regret not paying more attention to him in the brief time that we met." He'd barely talked to the guy, not really interested in him what with everything else that was going on. That aside, Finn seems to be getting mad at him despite the fact that he's barely done anything this time around. He supposes it was inevitable given the whirlwind conversation they'd just had. "I think it's a pretty valid reason…" Psalm says, which is not at all what Finn wants to hear, so he quickly changes gears. "But all of what you just described of your relationship seems pretty positive to me. Maybe you should just be honest about your insecurities…? I think if you just talk to hi-wait a second. There's that sound again." It's then that he notices something amongst the trees.

As Psalm keeps watch he hears in the distance the faint rumbling of another earthquake as he hears the sound of things crashing to the ground far away, though not as strong as the one they’d felt before. Peering in its direction he catchesa very faint glimpse of something blue, a light pulsing in the air among the treeline near the mountainy area, before it's immediately gone.

Plum: THIS DRAGON IS CREEPING ME OUT JUST PULL UP ALREADY IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED

Chip: off in the horizon around a thousand feet away (300 metres for all the gamers)

Finn: finn looks at psalm kinda puzzled, not appreciating the dragon deciding to fuck with them during this riveting conversation they were having! "that seems to be rather close to us, not at all off in the horizon like someone who would recount our history might say. i- uh… should we actually wake the others up? or shall we investigate on our own?" his tone would suggest finn is more keen on investigating alone with psalm because he is insane Psalm: "Weird thing to point out but in any case, usually I'm not sure I'd say investigating on our own is the best idea but I'd rather not leave the horses unattended." He wonders about what to do for a moment. "Still, maybe we should leave it alone if its just doing the same stomping around its been doing all day instead of seeking out trouble." Finn: finn pouts and kicks his legs idly, looking disappointed "but arent you a liiiiiittle curious? we'll have to deal with it sooner or later anyway!"

Vinny: finn to psalm

Psalm: Literally

Psalm: "Curious, no. But that is true… but would now be the best time to do so? When everyone's asleep?" Finn: "mmm…" finn rolls his eyes and thinks for a moment "oh i know!" he claps his hands together "why dont i stealthily scout ahead as a wee little bat and check out what its actually up to?" he then winks at psalm "i wont get us into any trouble! just a little intelligence gathering!" Psalm: "Good idea. Want me to help? I can make you invisible for about an hour or so if you'd like." Finn: finns eyes become sparkly at the approval/praise "oho! that might help… i wouldve suggested going as a wolf from the get go but i was afraid the dragon might get some ideas about gobbling me up if it saw me like that… if you were to make me invisible however……" finn leans forward a bit "what do you think psalm? wolf or bat?" <- excited Psalm: Psalm immediately answers "Bat, feel like it'd be easier to get around if you're smaller and can fly, especially if you don't know the forest. There's a chance you could get lost." He waves his hand a little "Just let me know when you're ready." Finn: finn nods and jumps up from wherever they were sitting "im always ready!" he proclaims both enthusiastically and proudly. he gives psalm one last look over "im sure ill be back in time… if not, dont come looking for me. ill definitely return either way" finn then proceeds to transform into his bat form, waiting for psalm to make him invisible Psalm: "I'll let the next pair know to keep an eye out for you if I'm done with my watch before you come back," Psalm says. He just reaches over and pats Finn lightly (and quickly) on the head also, boom invisible. He crosses his arms, having waited for Finn to turn into a bat so he couldn't argue back. "And don't fight anything on your own." Finn: finn squeaks a bit, seemingly annoyed at that last comment and bumps lightly against psalms shoulder squeaking again, this time it seems to communicate something like 'im off!'. he then flies off for real………..

Finn begins to fly off towards the area Psalm pointed out the light in the distance. He hears the sounds of crickets and frogs pass him by as he flies over the wetlands until he reaches the loose treeline. He doesn't see much from his vantage point so he begins to delve in further.

After a time of listening to the sound of sloshing water filling his ears he thinks it might be a dead end, until he hears a very faint twinkling from somewhere north, about 60 feet away. Following that is a loud prolonged huff sound, as if air were being blown out someone's nose.

He continues on after the sound, carefully flying closer to the source as silently as he can. Perched somewhere nearby, the sounds of something walking slowly fill his ears, he gets a feeling the creature must be giant, but it barely makes a rustle as it steps through the mud below. It almost makes it hard for him to track as it slowly moves through the trees, though he soon feels something in the air shift for a moment as a strange sensation washes over him before it disappears again.

He decides to fly to the ground and transform back into his regular form again silently, low and crouched to ground near the base of a tree he sits still invisible. He takes a moment to get his bearings as he looks for the source of the sounds nearby.

About 30 feet to his right he sees a gargantuan creature towering above him in the darkness, stalking between the tall trees, that of a cobalt dragon. It's dark blue scales shimmer slightly under the moonlight as its visual presence dwarfs him completely, stunning him for a moment. It's eyes shine like gems in the dark, light blue with no pupils as the sound of its breathing fills the air, stalking the wet grass and mud.

Cimmorro: this dragon rn

Finn's unearned confidence seems to fade when the dragons oppressive atmosphere washes over him. He studies the beast for a good long moment, contemplating if he should really go ahead and talk to it like he had planned. Sure, Finn is the one always boasting about that even if he dies, he cant be truly killed but getting mangled by a dragon suddenly put some fear in him.

That, and its smart… so if Finn died here, it might get the idea to track him in his mist form. Finn could take getting himself in trouble, and he actually hates the Vengaboys enough to get them killed, but right now is just not appropriate, since Vinny and Psalm are also in that caravan.

He glances around the area again, not spotting anything immediately that strikes him as a trap, though as he glances at the dragon he notices it dig around in the mud silently as if preparing something, what it is he doesn't quite understand. It stops after a few moments before huffing again and glancing around the area

Working up some sort of courage, Finn moves to enact a brief plan, lying in wait patiently until he sees the dragon go to a lake to take a drink and then pouring one of his Love Philtre's into the water.

Unforunately he simply continues to watch the dragon stalk around the area, following as silently as he can as it moves around digging and sniffing through the wetlands. Finally the time before his invisibility drops begins to approach, about 5 minutes left. Deciding on a long shot, he moves to pour the potion into a nearby pond anyway.

In his haste though he fumbles a little and drips some of the liquid onto his hands, as he does the noise of the liquid hitting the water causes the dragon to crane its head in his direction.

Spooked, Finn immediately transforms into a bat again with his last two minutes of invisibility left and flys off as fast as possible, the dragon keeps staring in his direction as he leaves but it doesnt seem to follow him, only its gaze, as he leaves the treeline.

Psalm: Psalm had been sitting there idly chatting with Ghester but he gets to his feet when he sees Finn, alarmed. Finn: i bump into psalm full speed, squeaking, then untransform and relay the events that have transpired sans my love potion fiasco "i-i think its aware of- not aware- i think we could very well be what its after and its circling us nice and slow so there is not much we can do but rest for tonight"

The two share worried expressiosn with another before finally moving back inside to swap watch duties over to the last duo, Plum and Rokka. The newly harried Finn shares their current situation with the two before heading to sleep.

As Plum moves to infuse a few things during their time, Rokka sits nearby slighty freaked out by the information shared with them.

Plum: "rokka lemme see your shoes, you don't have to take them off " Rokka: he looks at his boots and back at plum "uh….ok 😳"

Plum moves their hands and infuses his boots with a pseudo-teleportation ability with a glimmer, they also explain he'll have to attune to them for it to work.

Rokka: rokka just groans "awww mANN I GOTTA STARE AT MY BOOTS NOW?" but then oohs and ahhs at plum explainings Plum: "yeah you gotta stare at them, maybe not the best time since we have to be looking out for this dragon now but hey. maybe they'll help you not get hurt" Rokka: "so, don't stare now. got it" he nods and kind of looks out to wherever the dragon is Plum: "no no, i mean that you should now otherwise they won't be useful later 😭 i just meant sorry that it's not the best time" Rokka: "OK STARE NOW!"

Plum continues to keep an eye out for the rest of their watch as the sun begins to rise again, they don't pick up much for the rest of the night thankfully, but an eerie sensation seems to drape itself over the two of them regardless. The rest of the party slowly begin to wake from their sleepy, greeting the dawn with foggy apprehension.

> 🎵 Secret of the Forest / Chrono Trigger OST (Orchestral Remix by Malcolm Robinson )

As people trundle outside, Rokka faintly picks up the sounds of something snapping in the distance, like wood, but nothing seems to follow in their direction afterwards.

Cimmorro: after taking a scan of how everything and everyone's doing cimm goes to do his usual morning routines, i go feed horseys and brush them and jasper while listening to everyone else Chip: the horses seem a little tense as you feed them but settle somewhat as you brush them and tend to them

Rokka: rokkas head snaps into the direction he hears the snapping sounds and frantically taps plums shoulders "plum plum i hear something over there" he points as he tells everyone else Keva: keva suddenly stops rubbing her eyes "is it closer than before?" Rokka: "i-i think so?" Keva: keva gets right to finding a place to feed and safely tuck amos away in the caravan before getting some food in her body Han: han starts going about her routine quietly "maybe we should prepare to fight?" Plum: "i think so. does anyone have a spare, un-enchanted ring?" Han: "i have one i got as present for saffine… what do you want it for?" Plum: "if it's for a present never mind, i was going to turn it into a kind of magical item"

Cimmorro: cimm takes a ring off his finger and offers it to plum "will this do?" Plum: "yeah, this will be fine, thanks. you don't mind if i enchant this do you?" Cimmorro: he tilts his head "well that depends. what exactly are you enchanting it with?" (i forgot to describe it but its a skull ring made of a black gem) Plum: "i want to try a spell on the dragon, but if i mess up i want to try again, so i need a ring to infuse that gives me another chance." they turn the ring carefully around like this looks expensive… Cimmorro: that immediately earns a more enthusiastic reaction from him. "oh? yeah, go for it! sounds like fun 😇 " he's already excited to observe plum's enchanting process Plum: [relieved] "okay, thanks! i'll be careful with it of course. and honestly it shouldn't take too long," they pinch the ring and with that it's been infused yippee. "i just have to attune to it now…" they zone out a bit Cimmorro: cimm's taken aback by how quick it was, expecting it to be a whole step by step process. it almost makes him laugh but is nonetheless impressed. it was a testament to plum's expertise, he thinks. he leaves them to focus so he can make his own preparations.

Psalm: "And it was digging traps right? Or appeared to be? Would it be safer to fight it out here… What are the odds it'll come to us <__>" Finn: "i didnt see any actual traps… it was digging in the mud and sniffing around…" he cringes a bit as he recalls the dragon towering over him "i did feel a strange sensation wash over me in its presence though… and i dont mean fear or anything like that, it was… just a strange sensation" Han: "would have to draw it out" Keva: (munching on whatever food was int hose rations) "how would we do that tho? the book said they don't like to fight head on" Mars: "Somewhere where it hadn't already trapped too. Could spring one of its traps." Han: "ye, on purpose" Mars: "It'll be bound to check it eventually." Plum: "i think that's a good idea, we could use cimmorro's wand of secrets" Han: "if its still in the area.. its not that far, no ones heard anything, it will most likely attack us on the road if we go… bait sounds like best idea" Keva: "would it come after us in the daytime? reports said it was happening only at night" Plum: "well fighting it in the day time would be much better for us, but we could at least fuck around with the traps it's set"

Han: "my two thinkings are… one, it knows we are here, and is waiting on us, two its sleeping, which would be insane lucky… finn, do you remember the area where it was?" Finn: "i think i remember… although id be a liar if i didnt say these woods all look the same more or less" Han: "we just need to understand where It's traps are… what if it wasn't digging for traps but that is where it rests? in the mud? direction is good enough for me" Psalm: "I think it's best we assume it's targeting us." Han: "agree" Finn: finn points in the direction he went last night "it didnt take much time to find it and i stayed with it for roughly an hour… its so large in size, id be surpirsed if you didnt find any tracks of it, considering that digging was practically all it d- oh. i should mention it moves incredibly quiet for a beast so huge… its breath gave it away more than anything else" Han: han just takes this all in and goes "noted" Mars: He initially thinks the dragon's just digging traps but thinking of its reported actions, he brings up a question. "Did you see what it was digging?" surely finn won't be so mean during a strategy meeting Finn: finn merely shakes his head Mars: Mars just hums at that going back to stew on his hunches a bit more

While everyone continues to eat and prepare themselves, Han moves to hide the caravan and horses in nearby foliage as to not attract any inquiry.

Keva: keva looks from the direction han went with the caravan to amos lounging her lap, chewing on a her thumb anxiously while she considers her options. "now what do i do with you…" she mutters Psalm: "I suppose you're not bringing him with us into battle." (deadpan) Keva: keva only looks him like that should be obvious and replies back in the same way "no i'm not, i don't want to just leave him though in case something happens…" Psalm: "I could keep an eye on him for you." Keva: "how are you going to do that if you're coming with us?" Psalm: Psalm thinks to himself for a second about how he's going to explain this. "Time is of the essence here so I'll explain the details later, but I have a familiar that can keep tabs on his whereabouts and relay that information to me…? It's not as suspicious as it sounds." Cimmorro: everyone else overhearing this 👂 Keva:

Keva: ^ is the face she makes but she figures this is probably her best option. she gently picks up amos just under his forelegs and holds him up "how does that sound to you?" Amos: amos flicks his head around as he watches on curiously, seemingly open to whatever Psalm: Psalm just raises his hand in a placating gesture like, "Nothing bad…!" (Probably, he thinks to himself as he has never done this before.) Keva: keva squints her eyes in doubt one more time before bringing amos to psalm and placing him down between them Psalm: Psalm just summons his currently unnamed shadow dog and prompts it to possess Amos' shadow

With a flourish of the hand part of Psalm's shadow detaches and reattaches to Amos as he sees the dog appear behind him. Amos looks around alert, a little more tense then before but otherwise… simply has a look of stoat determination.

Psalm: keva gives him a once over and once she's satified he's okay (?) she scoops him up, takes him to the hidden caravan, and gives him a little smooch ont he head before tucking him away and heading back

The party all head off north after hiding the caravan away and arranging themselve. They walk on into the wetlands and pierce the treeline as they stick close to one another. Keeping alert they keep a keen eye on the surroundings around them as you walk on. Staring at the ground they note areas where mud seems to have been dug up but for the moment nothing else sticks out immediately as strange.

Psalm: this is what i think whenever i read the cobalt dragon's description about dominating https://vxtwitter.com/PkRhythm12/status/1661516681053876225?s=20 Mars: STOP Vinny: i qwill actually killg you Mars: WILL YOU SURVIVE

Han, Keva and Rokka take point at the front of the group to scan for traps, though Han doesn't notice anything that sticks out immediately as trap-like, the place certainly smells like wet mud though. The other two quickly spy something ahead of the group, a long tripwire strung between two trees close to the mud.

Rokka: loud whisper "NOBODY MOVE" and hes stretches his arms out. a bit dramatic Keva: keva speaks quietly to Han and Rokka "we wanted to trip one of these right? would it make a difference which one?" Han: "… if its sleeping, maybe its smarter to not wake it?"

As the group consider their options, Han casts wild cunning to search for dragon tracks, they ping all around her but the freshest seem to head further north past the trap. The group quickly decide on disarming them instead, Keva applying a deft hand and removing the wire with ease.

Cimmorro: howd a dragon set up wires tf is wrong with this guy fr Vinny: guys got hobbies Psalm: now that you mention why can it do that like Han: YALL ARE ALL ABOUT SUPPORTING THE MENTALLY ILL BUT WHEN ITS A DRAGON MAKING TRAPS THEN - Cimmorro: bnsefnhfwsernm, l.w'/;rnm;'r,wen',;rwnSFmn&lt; Mars: >turn humanoid >opposable thumbs >thread wire >ez Psalm: oh wait youre so right aqua, thats creepy asf tho

The group continue down walking deeper into the wetlands keeping an eye out, Han fails to see anything, fortunately the other two spy a part of the ground that appears slightly discoloured from the surrounding dirt. Something about it seems off so they inform the others, as its pointed out to her Han notes the tracks continue past it as with the one before.

Deciding its pretty avoidable as a trap the group decide to walk around it, though Keva moves to examine it further. As she stares at the dirt she sees what look like small splinters of wood nearby, presumably its a pitfall with something built at the bottom of it.

Han: "tracks continue still more ahead" Rokka: "watch ur step everyone 🌸✨ " Mars: falls directly into the pit making eye contact w/ rokka Rokka: as if he doesnt have enough trauma already

The group continue onwards, walking forward nothing catches Rokka or Keva's eye, though glancing around Han notice another tripwire. It sits suspended between trees low to the ground, as she glances up she notices a large heavy log carefully hidden in the foliage of the nearby tree, as if set to swing down.

Han: han starts sputtering n stopping everyone and pointing keva to the wire

Keva quickly moves to disarm the trap easily enough once its pointed out, she takes a few steps back as they all watch the log swing down in front of them with a great force, before it slows down and dangles in the air pointlessly after a minute or so.

Keva: "this dragon doesn't have much to do huh" Han: han keeps her mouth pointedly shut about how most of her tribe life was spent doing this Keva: KN,RGHM,ENHJKHLLJK moving on!!!!

Han notes the tracks continue on clearly, though the dragon isnt loud it doesnt seem to care about leaving its footprints behind. The group continue on after them. As before, Keva and Rokka fail to notice any traps, but Han spies an unusual indentation in the gound ahead of the group, a strange muddy mound, she's suspicious approaching anywhere near it.

After Han points it out to the group, Plum investigates it from afar with Mars' help. They get a sense some sort of pressure plate is hidden under the mound, triggering something nearby most likely when stepped, the mechanism looks to be hidden under the ground and the mud as the tracks continue past it.

Psalm: WHAT KIND OF LOONEY TUNES ASS TRAPS. WHAT THE FUCK Rokka: NO FR its actually funny Cimmorro: how did no one report the traps in the quest info Psalm: too busy being dead Plum: this dragon needs to enjoy the short beauty of life in other ways than stringing up logs but maybe it's my fault for not understanding it Mars: yeah look within first gab its just playin Psalm: no dont let it win Rokka: im just imagining we show up in front of the dragon after all the traps and the dragons like NYUGH! HOW COULD THIS BE!? Psalm: MY TRAPS?! Mars: WILL YOU SURVIVE Vinny: WILL YOU SURVIVE Psalm: WILL YOU SURVIVE Han: WILL YOU SURVIVE Mars: THIS VIDEO HAS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED THIS CALL

The group continue on, though this time the three scouters dont notice anything off about the scenery, they are immediately distrusting of this.

Han: "i dont see anything…. i dont trust that at all.." Rokka: "not when i hAVE THIS!"* whips out my magic wand * Han: quietly cheers Keva: "a stick?" Rokka: "a magic stick! i think" Cimmorro: "it sniffs out traps, or perhaps rokka's going to play fetch with the dragon" 🤭 Vinny: polite chuckle from vinny in the peanut gallery Rokka: "if they're nice yeah :)" Keva: a thought bubble appears over keva's head showing all of the traps they've just avoided Han: han stares at rokka "do you know how to use that" Rokka: "uhh…." rokkas gonna point in front of him and wiggle it around hoping it does something, then looks at cimm or whoever owned this wand sos Cimmorro: cimm owns it LOL) he just laughs at the sign of confusion then mimics a gesture with his hands or sumn for rokka to copy

Rokka copies Cimmorro's instructions and feels the wand pulse in his hands. It moves taking yourhis hand with it, pointing at a small pond in front of the group, seems a trap lies inside or under the water.

Rokka: turning to look at everyone like I FOUND IT written on his face Cimmorro: "yer a wizard, rokstar…" Rokka: he is elated to hear this Keva: keva gives him a thumbs up

Han walks up and stares hard at the water through to the bottom, there she sees what looks like an unusual spreading of mud and dirt… the pond looks recently filled too, not alot of fauna or grassland surrounding it like the others.

She guesses if you stepped through it, the bottom would collapse out from under it and you'd fall down some sort of tunnel alongside the water.

Han: han stares at it for a bit, honestly impressed "maybe… we should recruit this dragon guy instead…… this is really impressive stuff…." Plum: "this is….yeah i just don't really know what to say…" Psalm: "I can't even laugh." Psalm is impressed but mostly just disturbed at having to deal with any of this. Rokka: "are u guys sure this is a dragon we're really dealing with" Keva: "is it worth seeing where the tunnel goes?" Han: "the tracks continue still" O_o Keva: "guess we keep following after it then?" tho keva's eyes linger on the pond for a bit Han: "yes… we can check if the pond has anything after, i think"

> 🎵 Moth to a Flame / Below OST

Keeping their guard up the group continue onwards. After a few more minutes of walking they notice ahead of them what looks like a muddy road, as if recently dug, coming from the right heading left. From what they remember of their surroundings, they assume it splintered off the main road somehow, strangely heading deeper into the wetlands.

As they glance down they notice skid tracks in the mud curving off of the road, leading up and down hill they cant see over. They also notice the remains of a few smashed trees from the nearby treeline as they trek carefully down it, noting the dragon tracks follow the crude mud road. The cruder road doesn't look too easy to drive down with a caravan but they can't imagine what else the existing skid marks are from if not from ones that have travelled down it.

They begin to follow the mud road tracks through the wetlands, approaching a somewhat denser treeline, transforming the nearby environment into one more swamp like. They stare at small bodies of water dotting the ground between the trees and grass as they step between to keep on dry land.

Han, Cimmorro and Rokka begin to hear sounds from the distance ahead of them, faint sounds of wood cracking and dirt moving. In front of them appears to be the end of the treeline and the appearance of a small clearing down a hill, they cant see past it quite yet though without moving further ahead.

Deciding to scout ahead Han moves forward, glancing down the hill she sees the area below, parts of it appear as if they were smashed or destroyed. Various trees with their trunks smashed into pieces or ripped from the dirt, and on closer glance she sees a few caravans that were flung off the crude dirt road, cracked against the mud, as old wood litters the ground ahead. She feels like she can still hear sounds coming from one of the caravans, like creaking wood. She waves the others forward to join her quietly as they also begin to hear the sound.

Keva decides to scout ahead to check out the caravan, while Han notes the freshest nearby tracks seem to dissapear near the edge of a nearby pond. Before she goes she shares a hand signal for danger with the group that she used to use with her friends as a youth.

As Keva creeps her way over to the caravan she keeps as quiet as possible. Finally reaching it, it towers over her even knocked over. She circle around it, eventually glancing inside one of the smashed outer walls. There she spots what's causing the sound, a piece of broken board creaking under the wind every now and again. Inside the caravan she also notes the faintest traces of blood in the sunlight.

Just as she's about to step through the cracked wall to investigate further she notices along the bottom, another tripwire barely visible. Nearly tripping it as she's about to step through.

Keva: teh fact this dragon rigged this caravan so this piece of wood will move int he wind Han: jobless behaviour fr Cimmorro: IM SAYINGGG

She disarms it easily enough, with a quick and deft hand she rids the caravan of the tripwire. Looking around however she notices nothing else of interest inside, seems it was used simply to draw attention. Glancing at the blood stains she notes they dont look as fresh as to be from today or yesterday, but it was defintely recent. Sometime from the past week or so judging by how dry they are.

> 🎵 Imps / Rule of Rose OST

Keva heads back to the group as Rokka and Cimmorro begin to pick up a faint rumbling begin the ground start to shake you slightly, from what you can tell its coming from the direction of the pond. Mars mmediately get the sense that something is barrelling through the ground and its going to come right out of it, very very soon.

Mars: "Everyone back off from the pond now." he YELLS whispers somewhat loudly Han: "well, so much for sleeping i guess" :(

The party quickly step back and hide among the foliage and trees. Crouching down carefully, they soon see the gargantuan dragon burst out from the lake, displacing dirt mud and water all around it in a flurry of movement, as if it had been burrowing below the earth.

They watch it shake itself clean as it stands huffing from its nose, glancing around the area with its steely white eyes. From what they can tell, it hasn't seemed to notice the group's presence yet...

SESSION 58 - 20/1

Coming back into the scene, the party sit crouched in the bushes and mud, staring on as the newly revealed dragon shakes itself off from the waters of the lake. It stares around the landscape with its steely white eyes, not noticing them hidden nearby for the moment as it seemingly thinks on its next action…

Mars: link the flowchart again im fucking choking Han:

Finn: im joKING ON CALL RN Mars: this isnt a joke Cimmorro: i really hope that thing doesnt go underground i had enough of kyzer antics

The party spread out within Han's Pass Without A Trace spell as they ready attacks to be set off after Plum's spell.

Mars:

Psalm: Puppy Cimmorro: it just got out of a gamer girl bath water moment Han: are they selling it? 😳

As Plum shoots off a reduce spell, they see it spark off the body of the dragon as it flicks its gaze in their direction, the spell doesn't seem to take. Quickly after vinny casts silvery barbs, but it seems this also has no effect. It rears up intimidatingly in the lake as its gaze takes the group in.

> 🎵 Vellumental Battle / Paper Mario The Origami King OST

The party immediately let off their held actions in response, Han and Keva shooting off a volley of arrows, one of them to blind it, as Mars runs ahead to slice at it with his sword. As they rip into it the dragon lets out a loud roar of pain, whipping its head back as it rears away from its attackers.

It splashes around in the lake as its white steely eyes twitch and settle, glaring and growling aggresively it pushes back on its haunches.

Cimmorro:

Starting proper initiative, at the top of the round Keva shoots off a few more arrows, one of them blinding the dragon again as she moves and hides amongst the bushes soon after.

Vinny: all these crits are killing me Plum: were so scared of this dragon, its making them super competent. maybe this shit is like octopath, this is just a fucking cyrus set up right now

Rokka follows after, entering a rage and rushing the dragon down with his scimatars as he jumps into the water, slashing at the beast. The dragon moves soon after however, It continues to growl as its buffeted by attacks, glancing at the strange ghosts that circle it from Rokka.

It rears back its head again, letting out a loud roar. The group suddenly see a bright blue pulse of light encircle it as the air around them begins to change. Cimmorro, Plum, Mars, Rokka and Finn all suddenly feel the metal items, weapons and armour on their persons begin to be pulled in, like a magnetic field towards the dragon.

The five of them feel themselves dragged 15 feet towards the dragon by their metal accutremant. Mars and Rokka's swords attach themselves to the metallic hide of the dragon, so long as they continue holding them they're considered restrained.

Cimmorro and Plum in contrast are dragged forward, barelling directly into the pond in front of them. Cimmorro manages to right himself in the depths before smacking himself into anything, splashing above the water onto the surface again. Plum however tumbles about hitting their head on the side of the bank and parts of stray wood underwater, before briefly surfacing on the water.

Psalm: oh oop when did i have this

Han: extremely funny to bring this up now Psalm: not that it matters since cimm had the fucking dragon encyclopedia Keva: kjfkljLKJGKLJKGLJEKLJGRLKJGR Cimmorro: I BOUGHT THAT FOR SO MUCH GOLD GODDAMN Psalm: this is why cimm hates him Plum: just start spewing a lot of facts about the dragon off the cuff, shit thats not in the book, within cimms ear shot Cimmorro: HDFHJIKMDFLHOMDFH Plum: just start being like cobalt dragons favourite type of tea is chamomille Psalm: like how can i get cimm to know he wasted money… Plum: all the facts about dragons coming back to him

Keva: BRO PLUM CAN'T SWIM SOMEONE GET HTEM OUT Psalm: dw guys i got them

Plum: youre so annoying Psalm: WTF I JUTDSFJASDJF I JUST SAID I GOT YOU Plum: psalm just recalling all their past eperiences in this fight Mars: THIS FIGHT GOT SARITA DESPERATE SHES ON PAGE 2 OF HER FEATS LIST

As they cope with the sudden magnetic field the dragon lets out another loud bellow that hits the group to the core. Finn, Han and Plum feel a deep primal fear grip them at the sound, becoming afflicted with fear, Rokka manages to shrug off the feeling in his rage.

The dragon then turns to strike at him near its feet, swiping down with its heat to bite and claw at him as it begins slicing the lupin to ribbons. It then stretches out and jumps out of the water, gaining its footing on dry ground. Mars and Rokka release their holds on their weapons to not be dragged along with it.

Mars: chip if you make this dragonn go OWWW KYA WHY ARE YOU HITTING ME >_< i may actually maul you irl Celebrity Guest Aki: Chip can u make it do that

Following up are Han and Keva, both are also dragged in by the magnetic field of the dragon, Finn's rapier flings itself out and attaches itself to the dragons hide as he shakes beneath it.

Han: han grits her teeth and shakes in her booties, but that hasnt been reason enough to not kill something before, so she sends of her 2 shots, doubling both

Finn: finn feels that same dread from last night intensified tenfold. hes so shellshocked he doesnt think to let go of his rapier, it might as well be his lifeline. shakily he looks up at the gargantuan creature. why was he here again? he thought dragon slaying wouldve been much easier "i-i saw you last night, yknow and i-……i was wondering if uh…" maybe if the dragon talked to him, itd……be more graspable. maybe he could be less scared of it, if he knew it a bit better. but he couldnt think of a damn thing to say! "d-do you have a name?" he stammers out quickly and feels like the biggest idiot in the world Keva: keva resists reacting to finn if only to save her stealth lol Cobalt Dragon: the dragon whips its head in your direction and eyes you, blood dripping from a wound on its head into its eye as you see the corners of its mouth rise and you hear an unervving bassy laugh come from its chest, you feel like prey about to be pounced Finn: finn immediately turns into mist

Han fires off more arrows as Finn immediately dissapears, the entire group sans Plum hearing his poor diplomacy attempt, though him and Han both shrug off their fear conditons at the very least.

Mars follows up, also dragged towards the dragon again by the field, also getting flung into the pond. Luckily he quickly manoeuvres himself with ease, despite having not much experience in the water, resurfacing easily.

He hops out of the water again in the dragon direction again as he takes another slash with his longsword, recalling it beforehand. Immediately it sticks to the dragons hide, though he cuts a gash into it as he does.

Keva: i only have 3 left (blidness arrows) Han: i have a shitton more, 18 Keva: unless han can hand off her supplies to me Mars: han handing over her blindness arrows to keva

Cimmorro: IM GOING TO FUCKING THROW UP Han: LKDSAGLKH3;HWOIETLKAWFE Vinny: UIM GHOHI9NY TO PIKE Psalm: bruh help wtf

Following after Mars, Vinny is dragged forward 15 feet as he rolls into the bushes with a shout, he stands back up again quickly, flicking a hand out to cast fireball at the dragons head. It errupts with a loud bang in the air as he waves his hand after, sweating as if he'd been singed as he looks at everyone in the water a little worried.

Plum in the pond fails to right themselves in the water and begins the process of drowning. They're also dragged further forward in the water, making choking sounds as they barrel ahead.

Cimmorro also in the water finds himself dragged forward and out of the, his hands slip past Plum rolling around in the water as he fails to grab them on his way.

Getting close to the dragon he immediately feels the metallic parts of his robes and jewellery clang you against the body of the dragon, almost pinning him to it. All his daggers zip out of his pockets and attach themselves to the dragon, including any he was holding.

Thinking fast he casts a command spell, telling the dragon to 'DROP' its magnetic field on its turn, it doesnt seem to go through but a silvery barbs from Vinny afterwards allows the effect to go through successfully.

Vinny: this is his counterspell banishment save all over again Cimmorro: IT REALLY IS THATS WHY IM SUCKING HIM OFF LATER Plum: VINNY CAN YOU KILL THE FUCKING DRAGON PLEASE PLESE PLASE PLEASE Keva: THANK YOU VINNY

Psalm soon after finds himself dragged in the direction of the dragon as his hooves leave tracks in the mud behind him. Appreciative of the help closing the distance, he then runs over to Plum jumping into the water and with ease, scooping them into his arms.

Psalm: "That really could not have gone any worse could it." Plum: [cough][cough][cough][spit][spit][cough] Psalm: patting them on the back

Psalm: the dragon fr is going YOU COME NOW actually with the magnetism if you really think about it Mars: im going to maul you Psalm:

Plum: ITS A BLUE DRAGON Psalm: thats the dragon Han: thats the dragons fursona Mars: boy this is that dragon's human form Plum: oh my god now i really want to get out of here

Swimming back towards the shore Psalm deposits Plum safely on dry land again. Though soon after the dragon lets off a legendary action, beating its wings and taking off into the air, flying about 20 feet away. The two men are knocked back about 5 feet and knocked prone from the gale, Psalm ends up getting knocked onto dry land once more.

Back at Keva, now in range of the magnetism field she's dragged up into the air towards the dragon as the metal of her clothes and weapons pull her skyward. Currently floating about 5 feet away from the dragon she pulls out her bow and attempts to hits it with another arrow, spearing its hide.

Chip: (speaking about cimm) guys who are stuck

Cimmorro: like gum Han: how i wish to be pressed against tits Cimmorro: . Mars: okay.

Rokka finds himself also dragged towards the dragon up into the air, levitating about ten feet off the ground by the metal in his clothes. Rokka freaks out after being pulled up into the air, unable to do much he just flails around trying to grasp at nothing for a bit. Seeing as Cimmorro is glued to the dragon he's determined to try to save his friend. Rokka bites down on his arm to keep focus on his rage, taking piercing damage. He spits his own blood out after biting it, staring the dragon in the eye.

> 🎵 The Dual-Bladed Duelist / Paper Mario The Origami King OST

Soon after the dragon finally drops the magnetic field, dropping Cimmorro, Keva and Rokka back to the ground dealing bludgeoning damage all around. All the stolen weapons attached to its hide also clang to the ground beneath it.

Still in mist form, Finn simply moves about ten feet or so closer, biding his time. Following after him Han drops Pass Without A Trace to cast Hunter's Mark instead and lets off another volley of arrows. She grimaces as she looks up at the dragon still in the sky.

Using another legendary action the dragon flaps its wings again, knocking Keva and Cimmorro another 5 feet back and prone as it flies south in Vinny's direction.

Mars follows after, dashing ahead in the direction of the dragon and grabbing his newly dropped sword off the ground. Vinny runs northwards after, managing to just dodge out of the way of a rouge tail attack the dragon swishes his way before flipping around glancing towards Keva and Cimmorro. After a moment he raises a hand, casting a spell as a wisp of light zooms in Cimmorro's direction healing him, afterwards Vinny makes a pained face as he clutches his head, before shaking it off.

Plum follows after, shooting off an acid arrow spell at the dragon running off in the other direction. Standing on beautiful firm ground again they manage to shake off the feelings of fear staring at the dragon again, its probably not scarier than nearly drowning.

Cimmorro follows up with another spell, attempting to command it again but it fails to take effect, even with Vinny's follow up assitance with silvery barbs.

Cimmorro: i was gonna say i awnted cimm to shout to vinny "if we were anywhere else i would've kissed you by now" when he got up but i was like what if that paralyzes him and he doesnt silvery barbs it goddammit

Struggling back to his feet Psalm shoots off an eldritch blast at the dragon in the air, before racking his brain on the nature of its magnetism. Though he doesn't recall having been taught any super secret dragon murder technique, he does recall that most dragons abilities that are innate are sourced in their biology either from its lower neck or the centre of its body (inside).

Psalm: Psalms gonna yell as loudly as possible "AIM FOR THE NECK OR STOMACH" Cimmorro:

With that the dragon remains in the air, flapping its wings, bleeding as its white eyes gaze out amongst the party before them...

--

Notes

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦👨‍👨‍👧‍👦The Party is fighting a Fukin Dragon 🐉🐉🐉❗❗❗

[campgender]

Yes! Just! Like oh good lord, jesus, yes! Ik u havent even had time 2 respond 2 the rest of my ask (understandable, I am Also nothin if not long winded), & here Im already adding more 2 the pile, but! Ok I didnt wanna like, b 2 presumptuous abt exactly Y it felt like we’re parallel (waves! Hi!) but I also totally was thinkin abt stuff like ‘Im subby af & I think its 4 sure A Factor cuz idk abt Mac but I get the feeling ze is decidedly Less So’ & then u said high femmedom & it was like yes! 1/4

Hello! (Sidenote, ace/stone/sub/bottom combo means I took a Comically long time 2 figure out that those 1st 2 traits werent just extensions of the 2nd 2 lol) Stone resonance, I love that, omigosh. & I think thats exactly where the parallel gets so interesting, w/ the allergy friendly cake (ur talking 2 a fellow ‘I cant eat anything’ celiac here), cuz that ‘Asking 2 much’,

4 me its like, I feel like Im still v much reeling & relishing in the freedom/fear mix of like, submissive acts ofservice r still Acts Of Service & u can b uncomfy w/ them, or even just U Can B Uncomfy W/ Shit, Period, like w/o the need 2 ‘Make up 4 it’, so the idea of sum1 getting off on those boundaries is like, not Bad, but it feels like it kinda undercuts these still v new & healing ideas 4 me, ykno? Like I need it 2 b ok even when no 1 is conveniently in2 it.

& ofc this is me talking on a personal level, like I absolutely Get wanting ppl 2 b in2 it & I love that 4 u, omg. <3 Also that last paragraph, holy shit, I want that, like, on a shirt or embroidered on smth, omg. If this is a disease I sure hope its sexually transmitted, I mean goddamn! Hopefully Im not monopolizing ur inbox lol, but u continue 2 b a poet & a delight. <3 -Baby

omg thank youuu this was, as always, lovely to receive & truly so so validating. that’s the first time anyone has said i have dom vibes & it genuinely makes me tear up 🥺💓💓 also omg stone celiac solidarity!!! <33 that’s so exciting & truly makes me feel like someone out there Gets It

i absolutely feel & affirm smashing the perceived need to “make up for” something to smithereens, that makes a ton of sense & definitely resonates with feelings / needs from a given sexual interaction that i kinda fluctuate in & out of these days. i’m proud of you for doing your best to honor yourself & your boundaries & wish you so much love on this journey!!

& tyyy omg, you’re a delight & i appreciate hearing your thoughts & experiences so much!! also thrilled you appreciated my high femmedom verbiage lol, a fun mac fact is my favorite porn genre in my early 20s was vids that involved a woman getting a guy off without touching him, particularly cbt & getting off on her shoe. & now i’m looking back at that like babe u were sooo oblivious oh my god

like so much of my sexual journey rn is looking at my past self & zyr desires & being like “guess what, you can just do that.” it’s a process that’s baffling + frustrating + deeply pleasurable, & i’m interested to see what other connections remain for me to make. i’ve been keeping a journal of sorts to try to trace these themes with the hope of doing more of what i enjoy in my life

a different thought i’ve been turning over lately & wanted to share with you is how my particular experience of stone + domming + disability troubles the concept of what it means to top someone. like, guys have told me how to fuck myself & i’ve told people how to fuck themselves, & the former were tops or vers who considered that an act of topping me whereas i’m high femme, & the only difference is they wanted it to be their cock rather than my toy whereas i wouldn’t want anything different if i was with someone in person.

so it’s like, is the fantasy what constructs this act differently? the omnipresence of my boundaries? i don’t think there’s a single answer, it’s just fascinating. obv some people don’t consider virtual sex acts to be fucking at all, which i love how my disability + stone + denial challenges bc again, i can fuck someone without touching them in person, too lol

as always thank you for so much food for thought + sense of community!! hope ur doing well, all the best to you 💓💓

[unironicduncanstan]

inch resting how i make scene duncan edit and then fresh says theyre making more seasons of total drama 🤔

[ewwgene-fitzherbert]

anyways shards ended so like. what now