Games with timers that run out and go kaput and throw you back at spawn or whatever are unequivocally my least favorite kinds of games because they fill me with anxiety so I am pretty surprised I ended up liking outer wilds This much

Shark Baited Ooh La La! Pt. 2

Yandere Goblin Shark Merman x Purple Firefish Merman Reader (CW: Kidnapping, blood, pain, peril, sharkman yandere, mermen, merfolk, anglerfish merfolk that try to kill the reader, minor character death, their living privileges are revoked most thoroughly, thalassophobia, a horrible title with a very forced pun for which I refuse to apologize) Word count: 1k (Sorry this took 11 months for me to start. No smut here, but I think if you read both parts together they fit nicely. Happy mermay!!) First part can be found here: Shark Baited Ooh La La! Pt. 1 

It was easy to make the decision that you should try to make a break for it, there was nothing he could do to you if you were caught that he hadn’t already done and even a small possibility of making it home was worth it. You held your breath as you carefully extricated yourself from Damian’s sleep-loosened grasp, you had enough wits about you to grab a sharp looking dagger Damian had hanging on the wall, and then quickly made your exit out of the sea cave that he called his home.

Wasting no time you swam with all the urgency that your exhausted and aching body could muster. You remembered the general direction and swam and swam and swam.

But once the sea cave was behind you you were left in the cold embrace of open ocean. Your whole life was spent inside the city and reef you had called home, over time the natural homing instincts of your kind had been almost completely lost and you were no exception.

While you were indeed heading in the correct general direction that wasn’t enough as just being a bit off would end with you not being able to find your way home. Inevitably you veered just a bit and found yourself completely lost, though you didn’t realize it yet.

Only when you felt that you had swam for hours did you finally realize that you should have already arrived back to the safety of your home.

Now you were panicking, this was not a place for you. This was not a good place for anyone except the mightiest predators of the ocean. And you were vulnerable. You were tired from your previous struggles trying to escape Damian after he tied you up, you were battered, bruised, and sore from the rough fucking he had imposed on you, you were tired from your hours long swim in search of home, and to top it all off you were weighed down by being full of Damian’s eggs.

You could practically hear your heartbeat, sure that at any moment something or someone would emerge from the endless blue surrounding you and make a meal of you. Your hand shook as you gripped the dagger you stole tightly. 

In your fear you desperately searched aimlessly for any sign of your beloved reef. But it was simply no use. You were on the verge of tears, but then things got even worse…

Suddenly you were swept up in a powerful current! Had you been at full strength you almost certainly could have been able to power through it and remove yourself, but in your current state there was just nothing for it. You were swept deeper and even farther away from your goal. You were unable to even maintain a grip on your weapon as it drifted uselessly below. 

You were only swept up in the current for several minutes but it felt like hours, when you were finally released you found yourself a decent distance above a large and sinister looking trench. The cold caused you to shiver, you were not used to the cold water that occurred at this depth.

Out of the trench you saw three orbs of light shortly followed by the dimly illuminated forms of three thin merfolk of some kind, too far away to really make them out. You immediately dashed away as best you could but your own bioluminescence gave you away and made for an easy hunt.

It didn’t help that the current had beaten most of your remaining energy out of you.

They easily began catching up to you and you could soon see that these were anglerfish merfolk, if the sickly green glow of their lures didn’t give them away then the wide empty eyes and the wide gaping maws and lolling tongues certainly did.

"Please! Please leave me alone!" You sobbed desperately.

As they steadily pursued you and came ever closer they finally entered striking distance. They lunged. 

You spun around sharply, smacking one away with your tail with strength you didn't know you had while dodging another. But a few lucky strikes couldn't save you from a small pack of skilled predators. 

The third one managed to catch your arm and bit down on your hand causing you to shriek in pain. Red flowed from your arm behind you as you managed to shake your assailant loose. You swam as fast as you could but you didn't make it far before you were pulled back by the sharp clawed hands of these angler folk. 

"NO NO NO NOOO!" You screamed, hurting your throat, as you felt teeth sink into your tail.

Suddenly the pressure of the bite stopped as the anglers that had their hands on you were pulled swiftly backwards. Confused, you looked up to see your hero, Damian, as he crushed the throat of one of the anglers and viciously bit into another until it stopped moving.

The final one came at him and grabbed it and easily snapped its neck.

Now that all three had been deaded most thoroughly Damian swam over to you where you were struggling to keep yourself in place in the water.

"Fucking dumbass! What were you thinking!? That you could just run off? Think I couldn’t follow your scent?"

Despite his harsh words he gently picked you up and held you close. 

"When I woke up without you in my arms I was so fucking pissed! But... looks like you learned your lesson so... I won't be hard on you..." He kissed your head and started swimming back to his nest. He wanted your wounds dressed as soon as possible and then he wanted to hold and kiss you as you slept in his arms.

"Your wounds don't look life threatening but I still need to treat em'. Okay babe?" 

You responded only with a soft sniffling whimper and by burying your head in his neck. You were bruised, bleeding, and fatigued. You just wanted to be home, and you supposed that meant Damian's den because you surely weren't ever going to attempt to escape again. 

I never planned on changing your mind (Attuma x platonic!reader)

Masterlist

Pairing: Namor x F!reader, Attuma x platonic!reader

Word count: 670 words

Summary: You always considered yourself to be the “fun” parent, but there are SO MANY THINGS that you would not allow your twins to do.

Warning: Your twins are being bad influenced with Attuma.

A/N: ANGLERFISH ARE TERRYFING OKEY?

Coments, Reblogs and Asks are happily received! I love to read your lovely coments :)

You didn’t know how many times you had sighed this day. Firstly was when your twins begged you to let them go to the corals, you obviously said no, but when they gave you those huge teary eyes, you kept saying no, but then they went to ask their dad and well, he said yes but with the condition that someone from his most trusted people would keep an eye at them. You did sighed at that moment, knowing completely that one, your husband is a sucked for your children and two, that they already had asked Attuma for help.

The second time you sighed was when Attuma came to your home with a huge smile, you stared at him from the side, watching him as he began tossing the twins in the air, you knew at that moment that they would do something you ended up hating in the end.

Namor simple laughed at the sour look on your face, kissing you softly as his hands caressed the bump that was already forming on your stomach. “Do not worry, in yakunaj.” He had said. “Attuma will keep them safe.”

“It is not Attuma who I am worried about.” You let him wrapped his arms around you and kept you in closer. “Is the possibility that the twins and Attuma will do something mischievous.”

“That is a new word.” He caressed your hips, his thumb rubbing circles on your skin. “Where did you learn it?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” You whispered against his lips.

And you where correct, because the moment the three of them had returned from the corals and entered your home, you couldn’t help but stare at their hands. Your eyes closed automatically and a tired sighed already escaped you from your form. “No.” You simply said.

“But mom, look how adorable he is! Attuma took us to the deepest shadows to get them!” Abira, your daughter exclaimed. “He said they only eat flesh from the surface-dwellers or the ones that live in Wakanda!” Her face broke into a huge smile. “Atumma, tell her!” She huffed as she turned to look at her nanny.

Attuma just simple crossed his arms behind his back, adverting his eyes because, let’s face it, he was terrified of you more than he was terrified of Namor. Yep, he screwed up.

“Yes and we have two of them, so we do not need to share or fight!” Now it was the turn of Argo, your son to explained. “Dad will love them, they have a huge light on their heads and their teeth are horrible and they are smelly and...and...sticky.”

“No.” You crossed your arms, staring at the ugly angler fish on their hands. “No.”

“But mooom.” They objected.

“No.” You stood up, your eyes looking at Namor who was getting out of the waters. Your stare made him nervous. “Come.” You ordered.

Namor made his way inside, kissing both of the heads of his twins and going to greet you with a kiss. You put your hand in his chest, pushing him away. “Fix. This.” You grunted.

“Fix?” Namor questioned you confused. You simply pointed at the fish on your twins hands. They smiled nervously at their father.

“You said to trust Attuma, I did because of your words. But he not only took Abira and Argo to the deepest shadows, he went and got them Angler fishes! Fix. This.” You turned around and went to the waters, not before glaring at Attuma who simply looked at the floor.

Spirit Animals: The Return (Reread pt. 11)

DISCLAIMER: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR BOOKS ONE THROUGH SEVEN IN FIRST SERIES AND BOOKS ONE THROUGH THREE.

Masterpost

Chapter 1

“The few warriors that still pledged allegiance to the Reptile King wanted nothing to do with Zerif . . . ” (1). Did Zerif know about the Redcloaks?

“He was glad that he hadn’t bothered to name it” (2). What did he call his jackal then? Just jackal? Even Shane named Grahv . . . 

“They no longer belonged to him” (4). This is so eerie.

Did the Wyrm choose Zerif specifically to be its first victim because it knew he was easy to manipulate? Or was it an accident?

Chapter 2

“ . . . Meilin and Conor hollowed out a large purple gourd” (5). Didn’t it mention that the Sulfur Sea was so dark it was impossible to see anything at all???

“‘Sorry, but no meat, I’m afraid’” (8). How is Briggan surviving without any meat and without the passive state?

“‘He talks too much.’ ‘Or perhaps you don’t talk enough’” (15). Conor-Meilin foils!

Takoda and Kovo’s bond should’ve been explored further, considering Kovo was responsible for Takoda’s parents’ deaths and then helped him get over it.

“‘You’re . . . sorry?’ . . . ‘I didn’t think you even liked Xanthe’” (17). Maybe he’s not apologizing for Xanthe, but for the deaths of Takoda’s parents?

Chapter 3

“‘Don’t be jealous just because Uraza and I are closer than you and Essix’” (19). Foreshadowing?

“‘Just slang from back home,’ Tasha said” (23). Kind of wondering how that works. Because slang goes hand-in-hand with language, right? Which means that Tasha’s slang works better in her language, but they’re clearly speaking Common now, so does that mean Tasha learned Common? 

“‘If you’re really Dante, you would be wearing your cloak’” (24). But he’s a former Greencloak???

“‘But whether I have Aputin by my side or not, I will always be a Greencloak’” (26). Didn’t he retire??? Also, don’t the Greencloaks only accept Marked people?

“‘I call it Dante’s Stir-Fried Cabbage Surprise’” (31). That’s a horrible name. It doesn’t rhyme, or alliterate, or anything. 

Chapter 4

“This was a thief’s paradise” (36). LOL.

“Dante yelped as the snake’s fangs pierced his sleeve” (42). There’s already been a lot of mentions of similarities between Dante and Tarik, but this kind of parallels the way Tarik was bitten by a snake in Hunted.

Yeah, this is just like Tarik in Hunted. Dante’s going to have to be left behind because of the wound.

Chapter 5

“Meilin wished she could turn back time and change how she had treated Xanthe” (50). This kind of reminds me of that thing Finn said in Hunted about leaving in anger and returning in regret.

“ . . . cutting into her with his clear blue eyes” (53). This is the second time we’ve gotten canon Conor eye color . . . and it’s different from the first . . . 

“‘I felt evil’” (56). I think “evil” is just . . . such a stereotypical term? Almost? Like, why didn’t they just say “I felt something old” or “I felt something inhuman” instead?

Meilin fell asleep without even realizing it???

Cannot believe that Kovo ripped the orb off of an anglerfish’s antennae. 

Chapter 6

“‘Greencloak, Conqueror, merchant - I don’t care what colors or emblems you wear, as long as you carry gold’” (64). Oh I remember her, mostly because she’s a dirty capitalist.

“‘He never picks the street kids, instead getting children from “respectable” families . . . ’” (65). Why would a respectable family give up their children to become servants???

I hoped we would get more insight into Tasha’s bond with Ninani and her life before this in her chapter, but we . . . didn’t???

Chapter 7

“ . . . she was probably wealthier than Abeke and Rollan” (70). Well, they’re part of the Greencloaks, so they get funding, right?

“ . . . quietly slipping her a coin. He grinned as he returned to Abeke and Tasha” (73). Wouldn’t someone find out there’s been a change?

“‘He’s already maimed two servants . . . ’” (74). Why are well-off parents okay with letting their kids serve here???

“Kirat stood as well. ‘Cabaro! Be still!’” (78). Kind of want to see this from Cabaro’s perspective.

Chapter 8

I’m surprised they didn’t make Tasha some kind of heir to the throne or something.

“‘Back home, you couldn’t really trust anyone, not even other orphans . . . ’” (84). But Rollan stole medicine for another orphan at the beginning of the story . . . 

Chapter 9

“‘But Lord Faisel isn’t afraid to cut those out of kids as well’” (87). What about full-grown servants? This guy’s a complete asshole. 

“He reminded her of the Reptile King’s crocodile. She had seen it once, from afar, during the war” (93). She called him the Reptile King . . . were Stetriolans brainwashed into calling him that? Also, interesting, considering Tasha meets Shane at the end of this book.

“It was as if he was searching her face for something” (91). Rollan realizes she’s Tarik’s sister in such little time??? Wow.

Wow, Faisel is more than just some rich asshole, he’s an actual piece of shit.

Chapter 10

“The current seemed to be slowly pulling them in the direction of the Wyrm” (95). Could it be controlling the currents somehow? Or maybe the currents are attracted to the Evertree?

“‘And now, we wait’” (99). Ironic that Meilin said this, given her feelings toward waiting.

Chapter 11

Conor’s eyes are once again described as blue. I’m going to take that as canon for now.

“The monks, while direct, often found a way to soften their displeasure with their tone and choice of words” (102). So they were sugarcoaters. And sugarcoating is a way of being indirect. This sentence is a big contradiction.

How are they speaking the same language? Is Common . . . well, common underground, too?

“These pirates were nothing like the stories he had heard at the monastery” (109). Takoda learning that some stereotypes aren’t true is so funny.

I’m surprised that Kovo defended Conor . . . or maybe it’s because he was just released. Can spirit animals in passive state still be aware of the outside world?

I don’t remember them locking themselves in the room???

Chapter 12

“It had been easy to pilfer the food from one of the discarded plates that Kirat had barely touched” (116). Was she not punished for taking food?

“‘I don’t want a spoiled rich kid’s hand-me-downs’” (118). Why not? If it’s better food than what the servants are given . . . 

“‘Do you think she has a spirit animal?’ Abeke asked. After Tasha and Rollan shook their heads . . . ” (118). Why not? It’s not like LaReimaja would tell them within the first meeting.

I only remember Abeke speaking to Kirat because it felt like she was trying to rush it? Like understandable, given the circumstances, but still . . . did she think it was going to work???

“Clearly there was no love lost between these two” (125). *mentally chanting* FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

“‘As pigheaded as you are . . . ’” (127). I think that Abeke should insult Kirat more. Also, would people with a pig for a spirit animal find this offensive?

Honestly, Abeke probably should’ve kept to the rooftops until she reached her room, instead of coming back inside the fortress. 

Chapter 13

“‘Stale bread, stale bread. Eat it hard or go unfed . . . ’ . . . it was catchy. And familiar” (129). Do all of the convince-yourself-to-eat-bad-food songs have the same tune or something? That’s what I always assumed. 

How does the Wyrm sense Great Beasts? Is it because it’s linked to the Evertree like them? In that case, shouldn’t they also be able to sense it?

“‘Time to put all our cards on the table’” (132). I physically cringed at this line. It sounds like a cheesy line from a kid’s cartoon.

“‘They’re the ones with the Niloan girl!’” (133). How did the guards figure that out so quickly???

“‘If you’re lucky, Lord Faisel will kill you quickly . . . ’” (135). He’s allowed to kill kids with no consequences???

It’s so dumb that Faisel can abuse his servants, even if they did do something wrong.

Chapter 14

Third time Conor’s eyes are referred to as blue. That’s really interesting, given the authors didn’t appear to really care about eye color at all until now. I don’t even think Rollan has a canon eye color. 

“Had his years of carrying a crook as a shepherd hardened his fingertips, or was it the ax that he had carried into all of their battles together?” (139). It was the crook from his shepherding years, actually. Canonically, Rollan notices them during Hunted.

Kovo called Conor brave??? Character development???

It’s so funny how they shackled Conor, Takoda, and Meilin and then almost immediately unshackled them. 

Not a fan of how the eels were brought up just a few paragraphs before they actually appeared in the story. 

“‘Better to die a hero than live a coward’” (147). I feel like I vaguely remember Devin saying the exact opposite. 

The transition from Atalanta to Teutar as captain is done so quickly you hardly have time to process.

“And there - high above the city and nestled in the Evertree’s roots - was a black, oozing polyp” (151). Why is the Wyrm above a ruined city??? Why was there even a city underneath the Evertree?

Chapter 15

“‘There’s no way we could climb that high,’ . . . ‘But perhaps, once Rollan wakes up, he and I can boost you up there’” (154). If it’s low enough for two people to boost a third, then it’s low enough for Abeke to use Uraza’s powers and jump, right? And also, why would the guards stupidly put three people in the same cell like that when one could escape?

“Abeke looked up and smiled as a familiar face appeared. Essix” (156). Aww, Essix knew Rollan was in trouble even with the bond-breaking!

The set up to Reima being Tarik’s sister is done so well. Best part of this entire arc, in my opinion. 

“Of course. Tarik’s cloak” (160). Kind of wondering if Tarik’s cloak has any blood or something on it . . . 

“‘The only person I love more than my brothers is my son . . . ’” (164). LOL, she doesn’t like Faisel, and I honestly can’t blame her.

“‘How many of the fortress guards have spirit animals?’ . . . ‘ . . . not enough to stop an army of Greencloaks’” (165). Not enough to stop an army of Greencloaks with spirit animals but enough to stop an army of Conquerors with spirit animals? Plot hole?

“It’s exactly what Tarik would have suggested” (169). Did the voice just switch to present tense???

“‘Why should I put my animal in danger? We wouldn’t be in this mess if she had shot him like I demanded’” (172). I think somebody deserves to punch this guy in the face.

“Kirat may have been even better than Meilin with a sword . . . ” (174). I doubt it. He doesn’t have much experience in real combat.

“Cabaro growled and pawed the ground before eventually following Kirat” (177). Do spirit animals instinctively follow their companion or something?

“If not for the lion, Uraza would have ripped her apart” (180). Cabaro redemption arc? Or just him hating Uraza?

Chapter 16

“‘None of this would have happened if you hadn’t shown up!’” (183). Kirat just. Annoys me so much. Like I know he’s supposed to be like that, but this borders on illogical. 

“The pendant had been handed down from generation to generation in her family . . . ” (184). For some reason, I remember them saying it used to be Tarik’s???

“ . . . he was only looking at Abeke” (185). Kind of wondering what Shane’s thinking in this moment.

“‘We are forever in your debt’” (185). In your debt for about half a page, maybe.

The first time I read this, I thought it was so rushed how Shane’s identity was revealed, but now I kind of think it was done on purpose???

Shane: Trust me! But for real this time, I swear!

Final thoughts and rating:

I found Dante to be an interesting character, because while he’s an adult, and the heroes often considered adult Greencloaks to be wise and calm, he was always ready to go into battle and thoroughly enjoyed winning. I thought that he was a good foil to Tarik and I wish he’d been around for the length of the entire Wyrm arc. I absolutely loved the way LaReimaja was connected to the story Tarik told before he died. It answers a lot of questions, and I appreciate the authors putting in the effort to finish up that plotline. The writing and execution of that entire plotline and all the clues that were right in front of us were impeccable. In my opinion, it couldn't have been done better. 

I didn’t particularly enjoy the way Tasha was executed in this book. She had a chapter from her perspective, but instead of talking about her parents, or her life during or before the war, or her bond with Ninani, they instead focus on more plot-related things (which is good, obviously, but that was their one opportunity and they didn’t take it). I didn’t enjoy how the eels weren’t foreshadowed, or talked about until right before they physically appeared. That felt very lazy to me, and I wish it would’ve been talked about earlier. The underground plotline really started to grate on me in this book. While the character relationships are done well and I felt I enjoyed them, the plot itself of the underground plotline was really lackluster in this book. I think instead, the authors should’ve sent Conor and Meilin on a different mission aboveground, so they could’ve faced dangers all the same with an actual goal and hurdles instead of endless waiting and walking. 

Rating: 9/10

Umbrella Pantheon

So i adore and love the god au for re8 by @booaghost and the art is DOPE. and my adhd/hyperfixation has decided this is the only thing now and have written my own headcannon for it. I especially like the minor/obscre characters like the sword maiden, Urias, the guy who made the dagger, and the guy who made the labrynths. (Leagăn refers to the expanded kingdom that was the Village) But right now here’s what i got for the Four Lords, Miranda, The Dark God, and the 3 Sisters: The Black God / It that Remembers / Necros / The Grimm Egg

A primordial god, not a conscious being but one of a strange and eldritch nature that rests below Leagăn the cradle of the creature. It wishes to be linked and to be known by every living thing, it cares not what is done with the power siphoned from it, only that it is gifted or taken at all. Curses dead flesh to rise again, and curses already living bodies to undergo horrible change. All under its sway that die turns into calcified crystal that in turn wields properties that could harm beings of Necros even further.

Mother Miranda / The Winged Mother / The Hag 

Gifts divinity to those she finds worthy, they in turn gift divinity in their image, but she maintains absolute order in the hierarchy of the divine. She was the first among those in Leagăn to inherit divinity and when not attending to her divine duties she roams the countryside seeking those who would be worthy of divinity. But as of late she has been getting impatient, none of the other gods have been able to match her power and she is getting tired of their, in her eyes, wasted efforts.

Donna Beneviento (Berengario) / Goddess of Day and Night - Joy and Sorrow - Comedy and TragedyA silent goddess who only speaks on rare occasions. Her domain is the Theater and her throne and workshop at Mount Teatru’s peak. Due to her agoraphobia and aversion to humanity she solely works with non-living materials which gain their own life. Some of these mannequins and other living creations break off in their own passion causing joy and/or sorrow wherever they tread. Only a few humans are allowed near the theater and those who come too close to the peak are lost.

Salvatore Moreau (Nichola) / God of the Sea and Healing / The Vile PhysicianThe most meek of the gods who is self conscious of his divinity. He didn’t think he was worthy of it in the first place and dislikes the separation from humanity. People pray to him for safe passage on the ocean as well as healing illnesses. His fins are rumored to be a cure-all, but it takes canny or a great amount of trust in order to get one from him. He responds to any prayers he can but doesn't like making a show of it. When he does take on his human form he will attend a variety of plays and productions as well as attending different shows Donna has been concocting and is easily delighted by all of them. Frequently takes on the form of a mer-man or an anglerfish-like sea monster, as staying him his human form takes much energy to focus on.

Karl Heisenberg (Guglielmo) / God of Creation and Defiance / The Dark Prometheus

A spiteful god and one that encourages all humanity to rebel against higher powers and to break chains. Similar to the Duke, Karl will provide upstart adventurers and mundane folk with the tools to defeat obstacles placed by gods and even minor deities, but if they fail they are to be bound to him. He will allow them to succeed up to a certain point, so far as what he truly wanted accomplished is done so. The whole quest is a trick. All of those who fail fall back into his arms in defeat and shame and agree to join him. He holds no true love for his “siblings” but finds traits about them admirable. If they would join his side that would allow a chance for a bond to truly be forged between them, but he knows they are too enamored with their divinity and their mother to turn against her. He takes on the form of a clockwork horse or a centaur. 

Alcina Dimitrescu (Cesare)/ Goddess of Harvest and Debauchery / Dragon of the Mountain

The most Prideful of the gods who was proud even before she was raised by divinity. Before she was a god she originally had three daughters that were killed by an assassin from the village below her castle. She then beat the man with a candlestick and choked him to death. But when she was gifted godhood she decided to make the lives of the village below her a living hell. For decades she would take villagers as a tithe to hunt and feast upon, until she came upon three infants who she took in and gave divinity and raised as her own. Miranda was impressed by the savagery and motherly instinct of Alcina and offered her own power in giving the girls power. She holds some bitterness towards her siblings, especially Heisenberg, seeing them as not quite regal or as fitting to the position of a god as her or her children. But despite this she holds them in warm regard, reluctantly, especially Donna in her creativity and Sal in his skill and knowledge in medicine.Takes on the form of a giant bat when going on hunts or a mighty furred dragon to wrestle and fight with Heisenberg.

The Aphid Daughters / The Witch Sisters / The Hateful Swarm

Bela- God of Blood and Guts (Mosquito) She seeks to hunt individuals who exhibit more bravery than most, some of them have even come close to inflicting a mortal wound on her. But she makes sure that it never goes too far and kills them before they inflict real harm.

Cassandra- God of Famine and Hunt (Locust) She torments by devastating crops and chasing villagers. She likes to provoke and prod at her uncles. She feels the need to be in constant company with her sisters or anyone she imprints on, constantly asking to hunt with someone else (even some of the werewolves if no one wants to).

Daniela- God of Love and Song (Cicada) She adores visits with Donna as she can join in her productions as a lead role. She tries to woo different maidens that are enlisted to join the castle staff to varying success and failure. Most likely to people please anyone despite her station.

FIC: Welcome to Backwater ch.16 (spicyhoney)

Summary: Where was the one place that Red told Stretch not to go? Right.

~~*~~

Read ‘Into the Woods’ on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

Thin branches caught at Stretch as he slowly stumbled his way through the darkened woods. Twigs catching at his sleeves and scraping at his bare ankles as if trying to hold him back. He ignored it, ignored the annoyance and the scratches they left behind. One snagged and held until his t-shirt tore under the strain and still, he walked, following that faint, sweet song.

In front him of sparks seemed to form from nothingness, flickering lights dancing right before his eye sockets. Beneath the gauzy layers muffling his consciousness were vague thoughts of old legends from Waterfall about ghost lights that led travelers down wrong paths to their deaths, drowning them in still hidden pools where even their bones would never be found.

He remembered telling those stories to Blue at bedtime, whispering those haunted tales and then pouncing on his brother when he’d least expect it. Drawing out shrieks and laughter, his delight worth ending up with a little bro sleeping next to him in his bed that night after a nightmare.

He remembered it all and still he did not, could not, stop walking. It all seemed dreamy and distant, felt like his feet didn't belong to him, only vehicles carrying him deeper into the shadows beneath the heavy boughs rustling above. The lights seem bigger now, the sparks collecting together and forming into a larger shape. He couldn’t quite tell what it was, it was fluid, changing even as he looked right at it.

For the first few steps, thin moonlight glinted through the branches. No longer, every stride carried him deeper where even the moon couldn't penetrate. The only light was the face in front of him and when had it become a face? Stretch wasn’t sure, but he followed it, fascinated by her parted lips where that song formed and was cast out between them, drowning in it as surely as those who lost their way in Waterfall.

Her face was as white as the moon’s, surrounded by a cloud of long, pale hair, nothing more than a face that hovered out of his dreamy reach. He kept walking, following along with the double enchantment of that voice and face, even though that vision began to blur, melting like candlewax into something else entirely. Beneath the veneer of loveliness something was hidden, awfulness lurking under the surface, rotten with sharp teeth. The head hung in the air in front of him and slowly he was beginning to see what was dangling under it. Glinting wetly was no body at all but horrific, dripping entrails that heaved with every croon of song.

He could see it, yet even as something deep within his soul was howling in terror and beating against the bars of his mind, he only felt a sense of numb lethargy. That song ended and he only stood there, blinking dumbly and yearning for its return. She reached out to touch him, her spindly fingers tipped with long, curling claws, and he didn’t flinch as they brushed his cheekbone, caught him under the chin to yank his head painfully up.

“Too old.” Even those few words were sonorous, as lilting as a lute. That beautiful voice warmed him, so lovely, the most gorgeous thing he’d ever heard and the disappointment it held made him want to weep. He might have cast himself at her feet to plead forgiveness if not for her ruthless grip on his chin. She let out a disgruntled hiss, low and sibilant, “Much too old…a Monster? No blood, no flesh, no bite—ah, but wait.” She leaned in, sniffing delicately and something about that was familiar, something— “but you have magic, plenty of sweet, delicious magic.” She smiled and he stared dreamily at the rows of razor-sharp teeth, her long tongue lolling out and leaving a sheen of dark saliva on her lips. “You’ll do.”

It was only when she came closer and he could smell the fetid stink of her breath that a worm of panic finally wriggled its way through his calm. Gone was the angelic aura, her appearance twisting instead into that of a haggard ghoul, an anglerfish dangling her lure. He could smell blood and decay, and something worse, rotting meat and vinegar.

Her jaw seemed to unhinge, showing a gaping maw wide enough to swallow him whole, her gullet a deep, moldering gray that exhaled a fresh stink of vinegar, and he still couldn’t move, his silent shrieks only in his own mind as she drew him closer.

As she reeled him in, a loud, cracking sound filled the clearing, a splintered branch falling heavily to the ground. It broke whatever spell that held him and with a violent wrench, Stretch tore away from her, turning and running in a blind panic. He couldn’t see, crashing painfully through the trees in front of him but he could hear and behind him was something else tearing through the branches and tree trunks.

Stretch didn’t dare look back, he only ran, all the panic he couldn't feel earlier boiling up in him. He wasn’t even sure if he was going the right way, lost in a panicked flight away from whatever was following him. Reaching for his magic was pure instinct, for an attack, a shortcut, anything at all. He nearly gagged at the agonizing burn as it rejected him yet again, a splintering throb of pain jabbing into his temples.

He stumbled over his own feet and nearly fell, skittering in damp leaves and barely caught his balance enough to keep running, tearing through the whipping bushes, thin branches snapping around him. There was no time, nothing he could but let loose the screams denied to him earlier as something heavy caught him right between the shoulder blades and sent him sprawling to the ground, knocking the breath out of him.

“no!” Stretch panted out, clawing at the dirt, fallen leaves scattering as he tried to crawl free, grasping at weeds that pulled up uselessly from the soft ground. “no, no, no.” His voice rose into a panicked scream that only cut off when he was abruptly rolled onto his back. He cringed, expecting to feel needle sharp teeth sinking into his skull, crunching him down in a single gulp, and his skittering regrets were only for his brother, his dear, sweet little brother worrying over him back in Ebott and who would never know what happened to him.

Seconds ticked by and nothing happened, nothing but deep, heavy breathing coupled with the weight holding him down.

Stretch braced himself, taking a trembling grip on his sanity as he finally opened his sockets and found himself looking up into a pair of deep red eyes set in a large white skull. Bony paws were on his ribcage, pinning him down into the leaves and dirt. The creature was skeletal, like him, but like no skeleton he’d ever seen. The frontal bone of its skull was ridged with bony outcropping like horns or antlers, its sockets large and slanted, and its wide mouth was set with the teeth of a canine predator. But this was no dog or wolf, nothing that belonged in the current animal index. It was something prehistoric, dragging its bones from the murky depths of time to stand above him and stare with burning crimson eyes.

Thick, damp breath whuffed into his face with blistering heat and Stretch could smell its breath. Not fetid meat, but something oddly spicy, something---

It looked him over, crimson eyes flicking down and up, and then through that mouth of sharp teeth said perfectly clearly. "Did it bite you?"

The only sound that escaped Stretch was a near wheeze, "nnnnnnn...?"

The creature snarled louder and Stretch flinched, cringing away from those jagged teeth as it demanded, louder, "Did it? Did it bite you!"

"n-no," he shook his head frantically. "no, no, it didn't."

“You’re sure?” Another growl, more breath scented with that strange spice and when Stretch didn’t reply, another loud, feral snarl, “Are you sure??”

“yes!!” Stretch screamed back, coughing on a near sob.

The creature sagged, some of its ferocity draining into peculiar relief. Its claws dug in briefly as it moved, large paws settling on the forest floor as it released Stretch and padded away. “Don’t move,” it ordered.

He very nearly disobeyed it immediately, don’t move, what the fuck, who did Not Wolfy think he was fooling? Stretch was three seconds from fucking gone when a loud, ghastly shriek came from far too close, that same unearthly voice from before.

The beast snarled again, but not at Stretch, it turned and directly that roar in the direction of a faint, moony glow that wasn’t the moon, not at all. Stretch closed his sockets and didn’t move, shivering as the cold ground beneath him seeped into his clothes.

There was another round of incomprehensible growls and shrieks, all too close, and exhaustion was spreading through Stretch with the cold, it all seemed like so much, too much, and all he could do was croak out a miserable, “please,”

“Be quiet!” From much closer than he’d expected, and that voice held nothing of the sibilant appeal that led him into these woods. It was deep and rough, dark as the night sky and the words bitten off on jagged edges. “Stay quiet and don’t move. Don't run, it'll only make her chase you. Give me a moment to calm her down."

More growls and shrieks filled the cold night air that seemed to count as a sort of language, and Stretch could only lie there in the surreality of two creatures of woods arguing over him. He didn’t want to look, still couldn’t help opening his sockets a bare slit to see that horrible head hovering in the air in front of the creature that was like a reverse Night Fury, all sharp teeth that snapped and clenched, their voices squabbling loudly.

Mini-Smaug didn’t look at him, but it spoke again, low and steady. "She's angry that I am attempting to steal her rightful prey and the only reason she's not fighting for it is she hadn't bitten you yet. I told her you're mine.”

It…She? Whatever she was, she didn’t seem too happy to be giving up her midnight snack to the local dragon contingency. She huffed angrily, baring needle-sharp teeth then turned in her hovering way to vanish into the woods with a last angry shriek.

Falkor’s evil twin watched her go, waiting until that pale unearthly glow faded entirely before turning back to Stretch and the only light in the clearing was the crimson of its eyes.

Laying there so far from home, for the very first time Stretch wished that he’d never gotten on that bus. He didn't even have his phone to tell his brother goodbye, could taste his bitter regret from not answering any of those worried texts. He couldn't teleport, couldn’t fight. He was useless, always had been, and so too would be his death.

He could hear footsteps moving across the clearing, soft in spite of the creature’s size. Stretch squeezed his sockets tightly shut and managed a single, desperate plea. "make it quick."

There was a significant pause, a moment of utter silence, then, "What?"

"please, make it quick," he begged. "don't drag it out. eat my soul first, get it over with." The rest of him would dissolve to dust pretty quick after but he didn't see a need to mention that. He let his soul form in his ribcage and a new silvery glow filled the small clearing, the light seeping through his thin t-shirt. Hopefully this creature wouldn’t take too close a look at it before starting its meal or else the deal might be off, and Stretch wasn’t sure he wanted to consider what might be worse.

Silence, then the creature made a sound that Stretch slowly recognized as laughter. A strange clattering sound rose up and he opened his sockets again to see the creature rolling around in the leaves, still chuffing out great guffaws. Okay, getting eaten was bad enough, he didn’t need to be seasoned with any extra humiliation. He glared at the creature and huffed out, “what the hell is so funny?”

It rolled to its feet, clawed toes gouging into the leafy soil and returned that glare with sour amusement, "I'm not going to eat you, fool," it growled out scornfully, "The taste of idiot would spoil any meal. I told her you were mine, not mine to eat."

How that sort of face could raise its brow bones suggestively, Stretch didn’t know, but it took a minute for those words to combine with that expression. When it did, his shock and fear didn’t lesson, only took on another flavor.

"oh. oh, yours…you…uh." Stretch sat there dumbly, staring at the creature with wide sockets, ‘cause holy shit, it was fucking huge. He wondered if he wasn’t better off getting eaten.

The beast let out an irritated huff, its long tail lashing agitatedly. “Don’t look at me like that, I told her that to get her to leave, not because I was after a mate.”

“oh. right.” At least some part of him had already been consumed tonight, because someone had obviously already eaten whatever sense he still had rattling around.

“She won’t bother you again, but she’s hardly the only one out here looking for an easy meal. Can you walk?” The beast sat down, tail curling around its feet, and Stretch took that moment to scramble to his.

He gave himself a once-over, wriggling his ankles and bending his knees. Everything hurt, sure, he was gonna be one huge bruise tomorrow, but nothing was broken, thank the stars. “yeah, i’m okay.”

"Good,” The beast yawned, a weirdly benign way to show off those rows of menacingly sharp teeth. “Now get out."

Get out. Right. Getting out sounded like a top-notch plan. Stretch looked around at the woods, at the trees towering over them. There was no path, just a bunch of damn trees that all looked the same in the dark. "pal, i would love to, wanna tell me how?"

The creature let out an annoyed grumble and stood, pushed past him in a rough scrape of bone, "Follow me, outsider."

Follow me. Welp, he was at least seventy percent sure this one wasn’t gonna eat him and if they bumped into anything else that might, those claws and teeth would probably dissuade them better than Stretch’s current brand of useless. Cautiously, he trailed behind the creature, two steps behind that long tail that moved with sinuous ease. He still wasn’t sure quite what this guy was, but asking seemed kinda rude, all things considered, what with the saving his life and all. Seemed like getting saved was starting to become a trend here in Backwater and it was not one Stretch liked much. Someone else needed to take a turn at playing Lois Lane because he was done with his turn

But that didn’t mean that all questions were off the table. “what was that? that…lady thing?”

The creature didn’t turn around. “She was a penanggalan.”

“well, that sure cleared things up,” Stretch muttered. He followed the creature over a fallen tree, wincing as he scraped his ankle on the bark. “how did you even pronounce that? it sounds like you gargled with broken glass and chased it down with a bottle of motor oil.”

The creature didn’t seem to care much about linguistic issues, it didn’t even look back at Stretch to make sure he was keeping up, only kept forging the trail. “Be that as it may, it is what she is.”

“evil penguin, got it.” Then warily, not sure he wanted the answer. “so what would have happened if she’d bit me. you would’ve handed me over with a bone apple tea and a napkin?”

“If she’d bitten you, I would have had to kill you.” It was said so matter-of-factly that at first it didn’t even register.

Once it did, the new murder threat did not sit well. Stretch stopped, clapping a hand over his mouth against a sudden rush of nausea and took a stumbling step back as he stared at the creature in horror. “you…what??”

The creature paused then and this time it looked back at him, crimson eyes cutting through the blackness. “I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.”

“oh, like that’s reassuring!”

“It would have been necessary,” the creature said heavily. Their tail lashed agitatedly. “Their bite is infectious. You’d soon be covered with running sores and an insatiable urge to spread that bite to others until you died in slow agony. There is no cure, it’s generally an exceedingly rare disease. They usually eat their prey entirely.”

“oh, well, nice to see they have their own version of pandemic control!”

The creature turned away and started walking again. “Better that than the alternative.”

“so why didn’t you kill it, then?” The evil penguin was still out there looking for a snack and whoever it ran into next time probably wouldn’t be so lucky.

The creature stopped again so suddenly that Stretch ran into it, wincing as that agitated tail lashed against him like a whip.

“And are you one who dictates what should live and what should die?” the creature demanded. “Do others get to be predator or prey by your leave? She was hunting in the manner of her kind and you think you can demand her life as penance for that?”

“uh.” His first instinct was to say fuck, yes, but a harder look at it all made him think this guy had a point. As much as he didn’t want to be anyone’s lunch special, could he really fault another creature for simply doing what they did? It was an uncomfortable thought and maybe one he’d revisit later, but for now he only said, softly, “no. i don’t. you’re right, sorry.”

The creature stared at him with those burning eyes then swung back around and walked on, Stretch at his heels, and there didn’t seem to be anything else to say.

The walk back took longer than he expected; it was slow going, it felt like the trees were closed in around him and he kept stumbling into them, the rough bark scraping his bones and catching at his clothes. It was getting colder as well, his thin t-shirt and shorts offering little protection against the chill. Stretch started to shiver, wrapping his arms around himself to hold in whatever meagre warmth he could, but he could still hear the dull rattle of his own bones as he shook.

The creature paused and made a weird, rough sound deep in its throat.

"what? what it is?" Stretch looked around a little wildly, half expecting to see something else crawling out of the shrubbery, ghouls, vampires, the knights of Ni, who the fuck knew.

What he wasn’t expecting was for the creature to say abruptly, "Get on my back."

"uhhhh.” There was probably a good reply for that, but Stretch felt like his mind short-circuited, leaving him with only a mess of vowels and constants to string together into incoherency.

"Get on my back," the creature repeated impatiently, “I'll carry you."

Well. If this guy was gonna eat him, he'd already be chow. When in the woods, do as the creatures did, he guessed.

The creature crouched down and Stretch managed to clumsily clamber up, using the bristling bones as handholds until he could settle on its spine. It was more comfortable than he would have guessed and almost before he finished the thought, they were off. He scrambled to grab hold, clinging desperately as it ran unerringly through the woods. Its large paws were silent as they fell on the underbrush, never missing a step or falling for a trick of shadows, weaving easily between the tree trunks and bushes so that they didn’t even brush against Stretch’s legs. He huddled down against the spine behind that large, ridged skull, and into the warm bone beneath him, and let the world fade around him.

It seemed like hardly any time at all passed before the creature slowed again, then stopped. Stretch slowly loosened his hold, half-expecting to find something blocking their path. But in front of them was the tree line and he could see a single yellowed light in the distance, the one from Red’s porch.

Stretch slid off the creatures back and took a couple of stumbling steps towards it, choking on relief and wonder.

“how did you know to bring me here…” Stretch trailed off and looked back. Those crimson eyes cut through the darkness and memory clicked like a key turning in a lock, a half-forgotten dream of crimson eyes through window glass, staring in at him. “it’s you! you’ve been watching me!”

The creature only gazed back at him, unperturbed. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“the fuck you don’t, you liar!” Stretch sputtered. “I saw you outside my window, you…you creeper!”

Maybe not wise to shout names at the dragon creature who’d saved his life, but it’d been a long night. Didn’t seem to matter much, the creature only rolled their shoulders in an approximation of a shrug. “You’re a stranger on my territory. That bears watching.”

“oh, are there bears out there now?” Stretch snapped. “are they spying on me, too? ‘cause i have the right to bear arms of my own, you know!” Or, you know, he bet Miss Maggie sold civil war muskets alongside the bicycles and probably wouldn’t bat an eye to sell him one.

An irritated exhale puffed smoke out through the creature’s nasal cavity. “All you have to do is stay out of the woods, fool. Even you should be able to manage that.”

“i didn’t mean to go into them the first time, my dog—my dog!” All his anger slid away and Stretch fell to his knees on the ground, his skull in his hands, “oh, fuck, the dog, red is gonna be so upset.” Tears were burning in his sockets, he’d fucked up big this time, Red was so kind to him and all Stretch gave him in return was bullshit and pain.

“Outsider, look up.” Gruffly said, but not unkind, and he did, still blinking hard. To see the dog sitting on the porch, wagging his tail happily and brimming with delight from their adventure.

“you little bastard,” Stretch said, relieved. Seriously, he was glad Mutt was okay and not only because it’d give him a chance to murder the brat himself.

A nudge at his back made him startled and he turned to see the creature next to him, “Go on, outsider. Count your luck this once and don’t come back to the woods.”

Like he was about to hop on Trip Advisor to plan another tour? “trust me, you wouldn’t catch me in there on a bet.”

“Keep your bets and stay away.” The creature turned and started walking towards the woods, only to hesitate, glancing back with those deep red eyes staring at him unblinking. “Outsider,” it said, softly, “I would have hated to kill you.”

“yeah, well, i would’ve hated to die, so, thanks, dread pirate roberts, i’m off.” Stretch didn’t wait for a reply, only scrambled to his feet and headed towards the house, but he could have sworn he heard a soft sound behind him, almost like a laugh.

He trudged up to the porch, squinting in the glaring yellow light and the dog let out a happy bark, tail wagging furiously.

“shhhh!” Stretch scolded. He snagged his bag from the chair on the back porch, he’d had more than enough of the night air, probably enough for ten years or so. “i’m mad enough at you right now, if you wake up red, i’m selling you to the kids tomorrow along with the candy.”

The dog only kept thumping his tail unrepentantly, following Stretch into the house all the way up the stairs to his room. He hopped up on the bed next to Stretch as he sprawled out on the thin mattress, settling in with a sigh by his hip.

Probably Stretch should take a hot shower and wash away any lingering stench from…everything. At the very least he could curl up on the bed in a ball of incoherent, gibbering terror, probably nobody would fault him for that. Probably.

Instead, he dug out his phone from his bag. It felt heavy in his hand, the weight of it more than mere electronics and he only held it for a long moment. Then he opened the messaging app and started scrolling through his brother’s old texts.

They were hard to read. The first few only curious, barely tinged with worry as they wondered where he’d gotten off to so early and with every lack of reply, the texts were worse, moving through panic to angry scolding, then outright fear before finally into resignation. His little brother was so very worried and had no idea where he was, if he was truly safe, and Stretch couldn’t even promise he was.

hey bro, i have a place to stay, he wrote, made some friends. i’m doing okay.

It was the truth. Mostly.

He started to set his phone aside, but before he could, it buzzed with a reply despite the late hour. Stretch took a long, slow breath, let it out, then checked the message.

That’s good. I love you, Pappy.

Tears stung in his sockets again, trailing down his face in twin warm streams. He wiped them away impatiently, then had to fend off the dog when he tried to lick them away with a whine. Once he was no longer in danger of smothering from a wet tongue, he texted back a hasty, love you, too, bro.

Stretch closed his sockets and let his head fall back against the thin pillow. One hand settled into the dog’s thick fur, the sturdy warmth of its body cuddled close to him and in the other, he held his phone tightly against his sternum, right over his damaged, aching soul.

~~*~~

tbc

Sea Song

(The song used in this fic is Ocean Lullaby from Tales of Subliming by Zulya and the Children of the Underground.)

“Where did that crybaby go?” One child called out.

“He’s so fat, he can’t hide anywhere without his pot,” Another said.

“He couldn’t have gotten far. He’s so slow!”

The children laughed as they continued to hunt down the object of their harmful words. Azul listened to the sounds of their voices from the dark corners of the alcove he was hiding in. He couldn’t see them, but he heard their mocking laughter grow dimmer and dimmer until he couldn’t hear them at all.

Now certain that his tormentors wouldn’t find him, Azul broke into pitiful, shameful tears. Why couldn’t they just leave him alone? He was just minding his own business, but he always seemed to lure them to him, like tiny fish being lured to an anglerfish. Except, the tiny fish knew just what to say to make the anglerfish feel like algae. It was like they could see every insecurity he had and knew exactly how to throw it back in his face. Azul was certain that they clawed their way out of the darkest sea abyss just to drive him to misery and despair.

Normally, he could shield himself from their cruelty with his pot. He was allowed to have it with him at school after his parents had pleaded with the headmaster. It gave him security, a barrier between himself and the outside world. Nothing could hurt him there.

Except…

Those horrible, horrible little sea urchins took his pot away and hid it away when his back had been turned. They mocked and teased him, wondering what he would do now that he didn’t have his pot to protect him.

Look! His eyes are tearing up already!

He’s such a crybaby.

He’s so big, like a whale shark.

His tentacles are so gross looking.

Azul had fled and managed to hide away before they could find him. They were probably long gone by now, but Azul didn’t dare to leave his new sanctuary. What if they came back? What if they found him? He was just going to stay there until he worked up the courage to swim home.

A butterfish swam into the alcove and in front of Azul’s face. Sniffling angrily, he swatted at it, “Go away.”

The fish swam away frantically.

Azul furiously wiped at his eyes, trying in vain to stop his unwanted tears. He hated this, he hated them. He hated every single person who ever belittled him and made him feel disgusting. He hated how much their words affected him. He hated that he made it obvious how much their words affected him. He didn’t want them to look at him and know exactly what he was feeling. He didn’t want them to hold any power over him. For once, he wanted to be the one in control. He wanted to be the one with the power, that way no one could ever hurt him again. He wanted to make them regret the day they decided the chubby little octopus was an easy target.

Shaking from the seer amount of conflicting emotions he was feeling, Azul reached for the shell necklace around his neck. He ran his fingers across its delicate surface. It was a gift from his Mama, one that he had gotten recently. Both of his parents were distraught over the fact that he was being bullied. They met with the headmaster, the teachers, the other kids’ parents, all in an attempt to bring their son some peace. He remembered how his Papa yelled at them for three hours straight about their incompetence. In the end, their efforts bore little results. Azul knew it broke their hearts when he came home with eyes filled with ink tainted tears.

His Mama took it especially hard. While his Papa fumed with righteous anger, his Mama would burst into tears at the sight of him, hugging him close to her which only made him cry harder.

Azul and his Mama were often compared. His uncle loved to tell him that he was like a miniature version of her, which didn’t bother him in the past. But now it did. Now, all of the flaws he associated with himself, he also associated with his Mama. Gross black tentacles, leaning towards the chubby side, and quick to tears. Everything he despised about himself was a trait his Mama seemed to have no problem within herself. He couldn’t understand that about her.  

Don’t get him wrong, Azul loved his mother. Every night she sang him ancient mermaid lullabies to soothe his woes. His Mama had the loveliest singing voice. It was a common misconception that all mermaids were naturally good singers, but his Mama was truly talented. She even performed regularly during the evening dining hours at the restaurant. But, she always insisted that there was nothing wrong with the way either of them looked or acted. If there was nothing wrong, then he wouldn’t be treated like this.

Azul loved his Mama. He just didn’t want to be like her anymore.

Azul whispered a short, simple enchantment to the shell. It was a rudimentary spell, pretty much anyone with the tiniest hint of magical talent could perform it. The shell grew bright in the darkness, illuminating the alcove with golden light. From the shell, the voice of his Mama sang:

“Have you seen the emerald greens and deep dark turquoise

Shimmering weeds swaying in the flow?

Elegant driftwood bones embrace you,

Glimmering fish hook eyes below.”

Azul remembered what his Mama told him when she gave him this shell. If you ever feel scared and lonely, or if the world seems too dark, then whisper this spell. Then you’ll remember that I love you, and nothing can steal that from you.

The particles of golden light almost seemed to take a shape of their own. They formed a golden phantom, one that reached for Azul with shielding arms and embraced him dearly. It was a golden image of his Mama, the final touch to the spell. Azul closed his eyes and allowed the melodic sound to calm the waves of his heart.

“I promise you I won’t ever let you go,

Although the waters rise and the cold winds blow.

Silver shapes that swim circles round your bed

Whisper liquid dream to your sleepy head.”

Top five kinds of fish?

I’m gonna not go too much into details w species n just go for Overall Kinds, I hope thats ok!

1. SHORK

(source)

Idk exactly what it is about sharks, but they are Just So Goddamn CUTE. LOOK AT THEIR FACES. I love them … It’s about time we start treating them with as much love as lions and tigers and other big predators, if not More. The conservationist in my soul appreciates them a ton for what they do to our ecosystem and I defend them fiercely also to combat stigma, but they are genuinely also just so adorable to me.

Faves: all long Pointys. Great white. Goblin shark. Whale shark.

2. Catfish

(source)

Ok so first off: I get that many of these are invasive, grow to humongous sizes, would probably eat me if they could, taste like dirt, and are all in all just horrible creatures. That… that’s why I love them. I’m sorry. They’re eldritch abominations who look like they constantly have the Mii theme playing in their head and I just … can’t … help … but love them.

Faves: idk what the one in the picture is species-wise and nobody will tell me, but he lives in an aquarium in Denmark and I have seen him, and back then, I thought he looked like a Giant Freshwater Uncle-Fish, and i stand by this. he looks like an uncle.

3. Eels

(source)

Ever since I had a dream about a character who was loosely based on an eel, I have had a thing for eels. There’s so many different kinds and they do all sorts of weird shit. Double jaws. Start out as transparent. Leave the water to just, make their way across land. I once caught an eel on a fishing trip and uhhh. we didn’t know they were under conservation. So. we. ate it. Sorry. :(

Faves: European eel, moray eel, special shoutout to the gulper eel which is not classified as a True Eel™, but he’s closely related so I will include him.

4. The Majestic Sunfish

(source)

She is here! The Most Useless Fish, and she’s ROcking it!! She’s lovely, no doubt about it. I love her weaponized uselessness. We should all strive to be like this fish. I know I will.

Faves: Ocean sunfish, oblong sunfish

5. Anglerfish

(source)

These freaky darlings own my entire heart and that’s just the tea. Their teeth. The mystery. All their glowy wigglebits. The wild sexual dimorphism that evolution has decided was a good idea. The males just, fuse, to the female?? and lives there?? I mean tbh it’s probably for the best he is very small and the deep sea is very big, imagine all the frantic lady anglerfish swimming around like “I LOST MY TINY BOYFRIEND HAS ANYONE SEEN MY TINY BOYFRIEND I CANT FIND HIM” if he wasn’t attached. Also some of them can get like three feet long and That’s scary. Love ‘em. Also please watch the video in the source, it is mesmerizing. 

Faves: fanfin sea devil, basically any of the very very deepsea fuckers, humpback anglerfish. Special shoutout to HANDFISH, I prefer my anglerfish more eldritch abomination but god. u r so cute n weird. good on u.

so i just finished relistening to s1-3 of the magnus archives and some things i was struck by:

tma diverges from the literary horror canon in a number of ways, but one of the most noticeable is the diversity of its narrators. the kinds of stories tma is telling, in the tradition of james, lovecraft, blackwood, et. al., tend to have mostly white, male, mostly upper-class and educated narrators. tma bucks that uniformity— its narrators run the economic, social, racial, and gender gamut, and ultimately that drives home the central premise of the show: cosmic horror of this sort is universal and inescapable, infinite and all-consuming. even before the reveal that the powers are based on human fear and therefore ubiquitous, the vast range of people who fall prey to them makes the same point.

sort of in the same vein, the format of the statements as a first-person narrative given (usually) after the relevant encounter sets up a sort of expectation, i suppose, that the narrator’s survived this horror, escaped the bad thing, and that they’re now safe— or safe as anyone can be in this universe. but a lot of the time, that’s not the case; when we hear jon’s post-statement commentary, the narrators are so often dead or vanished, prey to the horrible fate they only managed to evade for a little bit. you feel relief when they make it out at the end of the statment, and the reveal that they didn’t actually just makes it so much more horrifying. it’s a brilliant way around the problem of first-person horror: namely, that your narrator has to escape the horror for the story to really conclude, which can diminish it severely if you’re not careful.

i’m so deeply endeared by gertrude. i mean, i loved her before, but now she’s just my favorite. i think i’ve talked before about how much i love older, capable women in sci-fi and horror; gertrude is...not quite in the velitt boe mold of weary pragmatism, but she has that same practicality and uncompromising survival instinct, just taken to the logical extreme her position demands of her. “it’s ten years yet before i can afford a conscience” is quite possibly my favorite line in the entire show.

it’s brought up in-canon that the beholding and the stranger have basically opposite goals: the beholding knows and watches, the stranger masks and hides, often in plain sight. for me, though, the beholding and the spiral always seemed more diametrically opposed: truth and lies, reality (of a sort) and illusion— which is a large part of why jon/michael is such a fascinating dynamic for me.

i’m just floored by the continuity of the series so far. like, the anglerfish was the very first episode, and the reveal of what it does with its victims comes in the penultimate instalment of season 3! the coffin was i think episode 2, and it’s a major plot point over 100 episodes later! good on you, jonny sims; it makes the show feel tied together, continuous in a way that must be difficult considering its anthological nature.

not really an analytical thing, but god all the entities have such cool names and titles associated with them. the i do not know you, the ceaseless watcher, the lightless flame— all of those just sound awesome. and the rituals! the unknowing, the watcher’s crown, and the sunken sky are the three we’ve heard of so far, and i cannot wait to see if the other 11 names measure up.

Maurice

Maurice was a celluloid stasis cable, but please take a moment to appreciate the only character who mattered.

Welcome to the 'highglossfinish' room. thenightetc: Hello! thenightetc: ...Oh dear Knock Out: Oh yes. Knock Out: And hello! thenightetc: Creeping things. Knock Out: Is this how sex education usually works on your planet? thenightetc: Er Knock Out: Are the captions bothering anyone? thenightetc: Not at all Knock Out: Just checking! thenightetc: I like captions; very helpful when I can't make out someone's accent or zone out for a second thenightetc: Ha! Knock Out: Layers and layers of unremitting stuffiness thinly stretched over a torrent of sexual tension...I miss Vos. thenightetc: This is one wild party. Knock Out: They're breaking out the apples and everything. thenightetc: Not to mention the tea! Knock Out: They're attracted to each other by virtue of being the only two humans with personalities. thebes: Hello! My, such stilted reading Knock Out: Hello, Thebes human! Knock Out: You're just in time for apple eating and sitting quietly. thenightetc: You know... tax evasion. Knock Out: That punting was getting a little too wild. Time to take it down a notch with church. thenightetc: Ouch. thenightetc: Ouch again. Knock Out: Very ouch. thenightetc: "Be even later to your class!  I demand it!" Knock Out: They're going to stir up a bull snake. Knock Out: Ouch. thenightetc: Wooooow. thenightetc: I despise people like that. thenightetc: The dean or whoever thenightetc: Throw the wine on him! Knock Out: Breakdown's confused as to why I'm cackling. Knock Out: Best character. thenightetc: Sure, just entrust your letters to random strangers Knock Out: What could possibly go wrong? thebes: This is just going to go 100% according to plan Knock Out: Your planet is awful. Just a reminder. thenightetc: Ohhhh dear Knock Out: Why is the light haired one aging and the other one isn't? thenightetc: Maybe they couldn't make it work for him. Knock Out: Ow. Again. thenightetc: Yeah. thenightetc: Wow. Knock Out: Mmmhmm. Knock Out: Just prod at it. thenightetc: *sigh* thebes: aaaaaaaangst thenightetc: dogs! thebes: good dogs~ Knock Out: New best characters. Knock Out: You know, I picked this movie because no one dies, it might be more interesting if someone did. thenightetc: Eh, that's alright. thenightetc: I mean, the pickings are pretty thin on the ground Knock Out: Entertaining and tragic or this. thebes: period pieces set in this era are practically 80% wheel-spinning anyway thebes: it's part of the genre at this point Knock Out: Are the moustaches that mysteriously come and go also part of the genre? Knock Out: Ew. thenightetc: What...? thenightetc: This sure seems legit Knock Out: This human makes *me* want to go home to my mother. Knock Out: And my "mother" is a hole in the core. Knock Out: Oh please, stop showing us this human's face. thenightetc: This can only end well Knock Out: Oh Unicron, the ominous music! thenightetc: Riveting. Knock Out: Thrilling. thenightetc: Ominous music again thebes: Just absolutely enthralling thenightetc: Eh? Knock Out: If anyone has a more interesting suggestion, feel free to throw it out there. thenightetc: I do want to see how it ends! Knock Out: Likewise, I admit. thenightetc: I just think they didn't need a cricket match. Knock Out: It's an interesting movie when it's not as dull as wet nickel. thebes: And, as movies go, it has only a sub-par amount of nothing happening vs. things happening. I have seen movies where that ratio is through the floor. thenightetc: I know, right thenightetc: He said, like a liar Knock Out: Hah! thenightetc: Well, that got ugl...ier Knock Out: It's a series of increasingly ugly events. Knock Out: Pouncing and Angsting: The Movie. Knock Out: And that would be a human spike. thenightetc: How awkward thenightetc: Ohhhhhh *** off Starscreamapillar: What is all this then? thenightetc: Oh, you missed all kinds of excitement Starscreamapillar: Pity. thenightetc: Even a cricket match Starscreamapillar: The sport, or the insects? thenightetc: The sport. Starscreamapillar: One can never be sure without asking, given the sorts of movies Knock Out has played previously. thenightetc: In all seriousness, it's been all about people's relationships Knock Out: Relationships, angst, and speaking in an even tone. Starscreamapillar: Three terrible things. thebes: Most of this film is empty space they attempt to fill up with banter Knock Out: There's a fascinating story here and a fascinating way to tell it, and we got a cricket match. thenightetc: And a leaky roof thebes: and people we want to smack thenightetc: With exciting piano-moving action Starscreamapillar: I might care more about these people if I had been here the whole time, but your descriptions make me think otherwise. Starscreamapillar: I am waiting for someone to get stabbed, with this score. thenightetc: Wait, that's it? Starscreamapillar: Apparently. Knock Out: Well, that was a whole mess of nothing! thenightetc: Well, we tried Starscreamapillar: I cannot say I am sorry I missed most of it. Knock Out: If anyone's got any interesting videos they'd like to watch for the sake of going out on a lively note, I'm open to them. Starscreamapillar: I can think of nothing offhand... thenightetc: Short notice, buuuuut... here!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVNO6I47G3g thebes: All I've got are horrible nature videos thenightetc: It's, you know, amusing thenightetc: And short...ish thebes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y4DbZivHCY and I have this thebes: whoa, wait, nvm, that one might be too horrible a nature video Knock Out: Sea pig it is! thenightetc: "oooooooh" Starscreamapillar: Earth is home to so many awful creatures. thebes: Yeah, no kidding thenightetc: *leans back* thebes: Yeah, I impulsively picked the worst anmal possible. thebes: That may have been a mistake Knock Out: Well, this has been an enlightening night all around. Starscreamapillar: That is a word for it. thenightetc: That was educational. Knock Out: Thank you for showing us that awful thing. thebes: To be fair pretty much anything in the ocean is going to be awful Knock Out: True. True. Starscreamapillar: True. Megatron was shedding weird organisms for months after his stint as a reef. thebes: and that's just the weird stuff, not the aggressively awful stuff thebes: the deep sea hatchetfish has the face of nightmares thenightetc: Ha! thenightetc: A face made for radio. thebes: oh yeah, size is a factor sometimes too. Like, all the videos about how awful the anglerfish is gloss over that it's eight feet long thenightetc: I may regret this but https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-skKMQiBDA thenightetc: Isn't nature amazing? thebes: clipping wolves are one of nature's glories thenightetc: Majestic. Knock Out: I think that's a decent place to wrap things up for the night. Starscreamapillar: That was weird, as always. Thank you for hosting. Until next time. thenightetc: It probably is. thenightetc: Thanks!  It was a good time, despite the best efforts of the director. thebes: indeed it was Knock Out: Always glad to hear it! Knock Out: Good night, everybody! thenightetc: Goodnight thebes: good night!

Red Suns: Let's Make A Dungeon - The Slithering Shade

I started designing the Red Suns setting as a world to play in, and so far, I haven't. Well, actually, if you are reading this on the day it came out, then I have played it once. I'm running a game for NotACon 2018 (see Red Suns III for deets) set in Red Suns, and so I want to prep my first session for it on here. You'll see some parallels between the Scarlett Citadel Conan story, and that is because it was the inspiration for the adventure. At the bottom of the page you'll find a link to the live play of this session, so you can watch how my prep played out in the end (if I remember, if not, look in the top corner, press the three lines and you should see a YouTube link)!

Initial Thoughts and Goals

This is a fairly new part of my preparation process that I have begun to find exceedingly helpful in staying on-task with both prep and running the game. I take 3-5 ideas, goals or cool things that I want to be in the game, and I note them down at the start. It gives me a very quick and easy reference during the session, as well as making sure that the session runs how I want it to.

A twisting labyrinth filled with unspeakable horrors - I want to have the players explore a weird dungeon that could very well threaten to swallow them.

An evil shade, determined to end the world - I want the player to fight the Shade. I want them to have to deal with the fact that this person has no qualms about doing unimaginably awful things to themselves and others to achieve their aims. I want the player to go "Oh shit... This guy will kill us all and himself."

Weird, lasting effects on the characters - I want the players to feel as though any moment could be their last. I want them to be scared to go around corners and nervous about touching ANYTHING.

Gonzo, crazy NPC - I want them to meet someone who will drill home the fact that, if they get lost, they are doomed to end up like this guy.

I think that'll do it. I can always add to this if I want to, but this will keep me in check for how I want the game to go.

The Dungeon I - Why and Wherefore

When I prep a session based around a dungeon, I do so in a completely different way than I would for a dungeon-less session. Normally, I'll prep some scenes, a combat or two and have a narrative structure in place. Very light, very LITTLE prep. However, for dungeons, that simply will not do. Instead, I think about the dungeon itself. The first part of which, is why?

Why is this dungeon here? A dungeon for dungeon's sake, does not for a good session make. As such, the first thing I want to think about, is the purpose behind it. Who built it and why? For this dungeon, that's easy.

Ocotl is the bad guy for this session. He's a nasty boy who wants to... Well, what does he want?

World domination is dumb, and boring.

Scorned and seeking revenge is better, but I don't feel like that fits my vision of Ocotl.

Got it. Ocotl was always the little guy. A worthless worm who cowered in the shadows of his betters, mocked and ridiculed (so I guess there is a bit of revenge, but hey, that's good). Anyway, he got some sorcerous power, then found that he wasn't so little anymore. Thus, his crusade to gain  A B S O L U T E    P O W E R  began.

He started messing around with the darker stuff, and eventually turned into a Shade. He was now powerful enough to do horrid things to those who wronged him, but it wasn't enough (never is!) and so he decided to try and attempt the Ritual of Red Tears (see Red Suns I, or below) in order to become a demon of immense power.

To do this however, he needed a space to experiment. A hidden space where he could practice in peace, while also having access to lots of people and bodies to play with. Hence, he needed somewhere in a city, hidden and safe, but in a prime piece of real estate. Also, Ocotl always had a love of meddling with the physiology of creatures, creating monstrous hybrids and the like, so it needs to be big.

That is why he built his dungeon. In the interest post, I said that it was below Ashkul's hall. This means that the dungeon is in Basharoud, and that is have a reson for existing. Now all we need is to build the darn thing! That and design some encounters, as well as our big ole' bad guy.

The Dungeon II - Structure, Feel and Execution

Firstly, the entrance to the dungeon is going to be a trapdoor, hidden in the floor of Ashkul's Hall. As a result, I think the dungeon should have a sewer-type feel. Not to do with the muck that flows through it, but more the actual building materials and such. For example, I think it should be built from huge bricks of dark stone that have been smoothed with age. I think there should be random grates and tiny tunnels from which scuttling, squeaking noises can be heard.

As for theme, well, it's a magical menagerie for malicious and maltreated monstrosities, who live trapped in the cells and cages that litter the place. I also want a clear progression towards the goal, though it should still feel like a maze. I want it to be cold, dark and smelly, with the players understanding the truly terrible place that this is.

Execution. This refers to how we want the actual session to go. Best to start thinking about this as early as possible, that way we can be sure that all the cool stuff we come up with later fits properly. We want the session to last about 3.5 hrs. I'll allocate about 20 mins for them to get into the dungeon, and about 10 mins for a quick epilogue. So, we've got 3 hrs in here, and a half hour of that should be the final fight. If we assume that Ocotl is in room 6, then our aim is to get the players there within 2.5 hrs. I don't want to do all the rooms, and many of them will be just quick descriptions, so this should fit nicely into our time frame.

The Dungeon III - Rooms and Encounters

Here we're just going to go through and have each room listed out with some ideas for encounters and the like. I'm not worried about killing players and making them go weird, because it's a one shot, so we can go a bit insane with this. In other words... Welcome to the fun part. In each room, I'm going to try and describe three things, and that's it. That way, everything doesn't take ages, but there is still enough description to go around.

Room I - The Entrance

Description

Cold air, dank and thick. Hard to breathe due to horrible smells.

The rotting corpse of an enormous anglerfish.

Strange sounds coming from rooms beyond.

Encounters

None.

Room II - The Serpent

Description

A smell of rotting wood pervades this room, and a sickly sweet odour hangs at the back of your throat.

An enormous pile of wood and rags sits in the corner, it is about six feet high and ten feet across.

Cupboard in the South wall (contains an old, gold chain. When worn as a belt, grants ADV. to CON tests. It used to be some kind of leash).

Encounters

Giant Snake: Hiding in the pile in the corner. Will attack when disturbed or when the party try to leave the room. (HD3, 2d4D, CON test or +2d6)

Room III - The Old Library

Description

Old, ruined books litter this room, as well as smashed and broken shelves.

Pools of stagnant water sit on the floor.

An old, amulet of +1 INT lies on a bookshelf in a smashed, glass case. Was used for research. when touched, it reveals a curse. When the wearer touches it, they immediately put it on and are forced to constantly read, otherwise they take 1d4 damage per round. Can be pulled off, though the reader will fight back.

Encounters

West corridor contains a Giant Ant Warrior (HD2, Poison Bite (1d6 + CON test or + 2d6)

Room IV - The Prison

Description

Decrepit, rusted cages stand everywhere.

A table with rotten food sits in the middle.

A beautiful, black dagger sits on the table. When touched, it rots the hand of whoever touched it after a CON test with DIS. They now have DIS on all attacks.

Encounters

Farruk. He is an old man, dressed in rags, who has lived here for years. He is stuck in one of the cages, and has gone insane. He keeps calling the members of the party either 'Jasaline', 'Asha', 'Denad', or 'Abbar'. He just wants to be free, and seems earnest. A successful WIS test will reveal him to be quite mad. If he is freed with the keys that sit on a hook in the corner, he will immediately attack (Human Berserker, HD1, DIS on defence tests against him).

Room V - The Pits

Description

Three large dirt pits in the floor, smelling like dung and with vague, dark shapes inside. The pits are each 10ft wide and 20ft deep, and are very dark.

Rattling sounds can be heard from below, and bones can be seen moving in the darkness.

The door closes behind them, and is locked with a magical seal. Dispel magic to break the seal or take 1d6 damage. When broken, the doors are still locked (unlock, or break down (STR test DIS).

Encounters

3d4 skeletons in the pits. (HD1, 1d4HP, 1d4D, shoot with bows)

Room VI - Ocotl's Chamber

Description

Large, round room. An altar stands in the centre.

Ruined, black tapestries cover all the walls.

They see 1d6 skeletons around them, waiting. As well as a figure on the far side of the room, sitting, chanting and coated in black blood. He has one hand, and the severed limb sits on the floor next to him. Suddenly, he begins to chant something different. He begins to cry tears of blood. He then chants even more words, before erupting in red flames. Black, obsidian skin, bat-like wings. Red eyes and curled horns. He screams and stands, now a demon of 9ft tall (Hezrou Demon, HD9, 2d10D, (2 Claws (1d3) + 1 Bite (2d8), Cause Fear (as per Banish) or Darkness (spell) - each once per fight)).

Encounters

Hezrou and 1d6 skeletons.

Room VII - The Mirror Room

Description

The walls are dark mirrors, and a shining orb of white light hangs in the centre as your reflection dances around the room.

Bones lie all over the floor here, and they crunch as you walk across them.

Black smoke burns from a censer hanging from the ceiling.

Encounters

Censer: CON test or paralyzed for 1d4 rounds

Mirror Reaper: Hands come out of the mirror, as well as a head shrouded in black rags that hang down below it. They try to grab a character (Mirror Reaper, HD4, 1d10D, Whenever it attacks, STR test or dragged into the mirror).

If they get pulled into the mirror, they must roll WIS tests each round to escape. Otherwise they stay trapped.

Corridors

There are many labyrinthine corridors that can be found throughout the temple. In each of these, we'll be rolling random encounters every time they turn a corner.

1-3. Nothing

4. 1d4 Manes Demons (HD1, 1d4D, 2 Claws (1d2) + 1 Bite (1d4), Half damage from nonmagical weapons)

5. 1d2 Ghouls (HD2 (1 armour), 1d6D, 2 claws (1d3) + 1 bite (1d4) + CON test or Paralysed)

6. Basilisk (HD6 (5 armour, +5 to tests against it, 1d8+1d6D, CON test on eye contact or be petrified)

Ending

We will probably assume that the players will run away or die. There is no way they can beat this monster. Not a chance. As a result, if any players escape, we will leave it to the players to decide what their characters do, though they will have to make a DEX or STR test to escape Ocotl back through the dungeon.

Starting the Adventure

We don't want to waste too much time on getting the characters to the dungeon, so we are going to be handwaving a lot of the earlier stuff in order to make the session feel tighter and sharper, without lots of wasted time at the beginning and the end. So, we will have the party be introduced by saying that they have been hired by the stewards of Ashkul's Hall to go down and investigate the strange noises that have been coming from the basement.

They will enter the basement, then give a brief description of their characters and introduce them, before finding the entrance to the dungeon. The basement itself is full of things like wine and food, supplies for conducting ceremonies and the like. However, with a successful WIS test, they notice a strange trap-door under a rug in the corner. Thus, the dungeon starts.

That's it, that is all you need. This is only a one shot, so it doesn't need to be a huge introduction. Just needs to get the party where they need to be for the adventure to start!

Running the Adventure

Now obviously, this is A LOT of prep for a game, and I don't like to have this much stuff to look at when I'm running. So I've taken my own notes from this, and put them into a style that I'd actually use, all shrunk down onto a side of A4. Enjoy!

Watch the Live Play on YouTube

OC Meme, if you please: Tallulah, A/N/U. Amintore, E/K/Q. Caleb, R/V/AE.

Tallulah: (answering for both human and sea witch aka anglerfish succubus incarnations)

A/1: Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?- is the youngest out of three siblings, who are ten and five years older than her, respectively. So it’s a gray area, and she’s not particularly close to them.- middle child out of many, and one of the few to make it to adulthood. So again, she’s not really attached to any, but she did help look out for the younger ones.N/14: Does your character remember names or faces easier?-Both versions remember faces easily before namesU/21: If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?-both versions would be quick to blame others, but they would also believe that they may have had an hand in it, so it’s neutral ground. It’s how to react to that event is the question

Amintore:

E/5:On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?Pencils, paper scraps, coins, bus tokens, mints, toothpicks.K/11:In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?In his original story, Amintore was one of the many children born and raised in a horrible place, something akin to Immorten Joe’s place from Mad Max: Fury Road (fact: I created his backstory long before I saw the movie, like, years ago). In that place, it was fighting for food and for favour from Father, the Iron Werewolf.Amintore’s first most afraid moment was when he set fire to the place and fled as a young boy. His second most afraid moment is realizing he actually cares about Caleb, and the adoption processes.Q/17: What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?He never had one. Only toys that were permitted were live mice, rats, and other small animals to practice killing methods, torture, and a taste for blood and meat. In his other incarnations, his usual favourite toy is a ball, a blanket, or a teddy bear.

Caleb:

R/18: Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?A bit of both! He’s still young enough to listen to elders, but old enough (or wise enough) to have his own questions to ask about others’ wisdom or ambitionV/22:What does your character like in other people?Their stories! He likes to listen, and to talk and ask questions. If they’re patient and also listen, that’s a bonus.AE/31: Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.In a library, reading a book aloud, being close to Amintore. He pretty much is happy with a book and having his dad be nearby.