#milla... she's difficult

[elysiantrait]

Enoch's side of the family has moved to Windenburg so that the twins, Karina and Kiara, can have better opportunities in their schooling. They live just about a mile's walk from the Willoughby home, so Niah and Daedallys have been enjoying spending time with their cousins! Dae especially loves having more family around she can connect with, as she finds it difficult to make friends with her classmates.

Try to not make any friends of your own age. ✔

Befriend any dog you meet. ✔

Previous ~ Next

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La familia de Enoch se ha mudado a Windenburg para que las gemelas, Karina y Kiara, puedan tener mejores oportunidades en su educación. Viven a aproximadamente una milla a pie de la casa de Willoughby, por lo que Niah y Daedallys han disfrutado pasar tiempo con sus primas. A Dae le encanta especialmente tener más familia a su alrededor con los que pueda conectarse, ya que le resulta difícil hacerse amiga de sus compañeros de clase. • Intenta no hacer amigos de tu edad. ✔ • Hazte amigo de cualquier perro que conozcas. ✔

#ts4 #ts4 legacy #ts4 gameplay #the sims 4 #los sims 4 #simblr #time of your life lc #toyl gen 2 #manifoldsave #elysiantrait #*niah estella #*karina ochoa kyleson #*daedallys tien #*kiara ochoa kyleson #*doki #I've also seen karie-on do transparent moodlets #so shoutout to them ;P

[doodle17]

Everyone shut up its Clem and Crystal appreciation hours

RANTING about them in the au because heheheheheouhohoh

Clem and Crystal's relationship has definitely gotten stronger as the years have progressed. Through thick and thin they've been with eachother, and they're practically inseparable at this point.

Crystal spends most of her time specializing in levitation! When she first showed up she interned with Milla. As she went through her internship, it was kind of obvious how much her mental health was affecting her psychic abilities. Her levitation suffered the most, since we know that in order to levitate, you need help from your positive thoughts! But, we all know Crystal's thoughts tend to be... Not-so-positive. Of course, Milla was concerned when she caught notice of how her intern literally could not summon a levitation bubble some days, let alone stay in the air for long enough.

Milla decided it'd be best if Crystal was held back for a little bit, and that was when Crystal decided to try and take better care of herself and expand her Psychic abilities. She was able to develop her levitation ability to whole new level! She's able to glide around on little levitation bubbles below her feet, similar to roller blading. It's made her able to reach unimaginable speeds and jump incredibly high. In terms of mental health, she's made a great improvement! She still has small issues with anxiety, which makes gliding a little more difficult, so she wears some special earrings Franke made with psi-tanium beads to help keep her mind focused.

When Clem first showed up things were a little more rough. He ended up with Hollis as a mentor, and he suddenly seemed to develop some sort of strive to empress. He was always willing to help others, lending a hand in homework, picking up people's assignments when they couldn't, always there to cheer people on! Unfortunately while he did all of this he never really got the chance to take care of himself. And despite his happy go lucky personality on the outside, this kid had a lot of pent up rage and other unsavory emotions held inside.

In fact, he became quite the impressive marksman as he got older! He has a bunch psi-blast variants that he's developed.

He's still a little bit of people pleaser much to his dismay, smiling through gritted teeth and clenching his fists so hard the knuckles pop. Just be glad you aren't a squirrel passing by when he decides to practice his new marksmanship methods.

Crystal and Clem are incredibly close. Even through their toughest days, they know how to make the other smile. Clem knows how to make Crystal smile when she cries, and she knows how to make him laugh when he wants to blow something up.

They are still loud and obnoxious at times, although they seem to be somewhat aware of it now. So? They do it on purpose :) they're goober like that!

#doodles rants #psychonauts #psychonauts 2 #psychonauts au #psychonauts future #clem foote #crystal flowers snagrash

[tokimaeki]

Making a post about Sasha and Milla's respective traumas and how they handle them, bc I'm obsessed with the way they foil one another. Read below for my takes:

SO. In Sasha's Shooting Gallery, Sasha's mindscape is a big, mechanical cube. It's sleek. It's clean. It's perfectly controlled, just like Sasha himself.

Then Raz starts messing with the lever, and things start going wrong very quickly. It only takes one mistake for Sasha's childhood traumas to come bursting out of the cube in a way that is far less organized than his mindscape would like to have you think. What's more, these childhood traumas aren't exactly well-organized. Each side is haphazardly cluttered, as if the memories were just shoved inside the cube with no thought given how well they'd fit.

It's sort of like how, when cleaning my room as a kid, I'd just shove all my stuff into the closet and shut the door before it could all tumble out. Sure, the room looks great now-- but once I mess up and accidentally open that door, it's going to take a lot of work to get things back to normal.

And the same thing happens in Sasha's mind. Once one repressed trauma bursts out, it doesn't take long for another to follow suit. And another. And another. Raz can't stop them from coming out, and by the time he's managed to deal with one side of the cube, another one has already popped open. And of course, this all culminates in a giant Censor coming out to promptly beat the tar out of Sasha. It takes a lot of time, effort, and pain to get Sasha's mind back in order.

Meanwhile, Milla's mind is, for the entirety of her stage, perfectly stable-- despite her tragic backstory of her orphanage burning down in a fire, the psychic screams of the children in her care echoing in her mind. Why is that? Well, it's because Milla's traumatic memories and other painful emotions are safely sequestered off the beaten path, in that little locked room of fire and brimstone.

At first, I thought this was another case of a character dealing with their trauma in an unhealthy way. I mean, she's literally locking away her negative thoughts! That can't possibly be healthy, right?

But then it hit me. While Milla has put her thoughts in a part of her mind that's difficult to access, they're not really 'locked away.' in fact, you can access them pretty easily, as long as you know what you're doing and what steps you have to take. And once you do get there, the nightmares can't hurt you. They're scary to confront, sure. It's heartbreaking and distressing to hear the children's screams for help. But nothing in that room physically harms you.

And that's the beauty of Milla's mind. Similarly to Sasha, she successfully copes with her trauma by compartmentalizing it, putting it in a spot where it can't hurt herself or others. But unlike Sasha, Milla's pain is accessible. It's easily reachable, but near impossible to stumble into accidentally. And most importantly, it isn't going to come bursting out and causing mayhem if you make a mistake somewhere.

I love the way these two's minds foil one another. It's such a good example of unhealthy repression VS healthy compartmentalization.

#psychonauts #psychonauts spoilers #sasha nein #milla vodello

[2hoothoots]

imagine: psychic abilities being crossed together [e.g. pyro + lev = meteor]

i actually headcanon it's extremely difficult to use two psychic abilities at once! i think the only exception we see is Milla, who can levitate and psi-blast at the same time; but she's an extremely proficient levitator (according to Sasha, one of the best in the world), so if anything, i think that kinda proves my point, haha.

i imagine that's one of the big reasons agents usually work in pairs, so they can cover each other in a fight. one defends or creates an opportunity while the other presses the offensive. two psychics are much more dangerous and versatile than one, and for partners who are especially in-sync they work together so fluidly they're practically one person.

anyway what i'm saying is, if i may propose an alternative: tag-team combo moves

#psychonauts #if there are other exceptions to this let me know because i might be forgetting some #this mostly comes from the in-game restriction that you can't use two powers at once. firing a psi-blast will burst your lev-ball etc #i imagine it's just really tricky! like adding three numbers while singing the national anthem #and the rare exceptions are people for whom one power is such a second nature to them they can combine it with another #future superstar agents au #eta: duskgryphon mentioned Morris! yeah i guess he's levitating basically all the time #but yeah again i think that falls under the same umbrella as something that's absolutely second nature to him #talented guy!!

[neopuff]

ALWAYS ON MY MIND

chapter five: a lot on my mind ships: sasha/milla characters: milla, sasha, agent 33 word count: 4135 ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53435410/chapters/137321758

[chap 1] [2] [3] [4]

-

At least a dozen nightmare creatures surrounded them, not including the three or four dozen further back, held in rocking cages. The room they were in was circular, but it seemed to never end as the rows and rows of cells went back. The nightmares that were closest to them stood eerily still, the fire in their bodies pulsing and glowing, but they remained where they were and didn’t attack. Even more notable than that, though, was the most important element in the room, the pivotal piece to the puzzle that was Lucius Rehm’s mind…

…Lucius himself, levitating above a throne of pink, glowing crystals.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he snarled and glared at them.

Milla felt the hairs on the back of her neck stick up and returned the glare, one hand on Sasha’s back to keep him steady. “What’s the point of all of this, Lucius? What did Ferndale ever do to you?”

“Absolutely nothing!” he sneered. “They were simply in the wrong place at the right time.”

Sasha looked around them, taking note of the unmoving creatures. “How are you still functioning with all these nightmares?” He almost sounded impressed, if not for the circumstances.

“You haven’t figured it out?” Rehm titled his head and smirked. “I thought you Psychonauts were supposed to be smart! These aren’t my nightmares - they’re the nightmares of all the idiots in this one-horse town!” As he said that, Rehm motioned towards a nightmare creature and it slid across the floor, closer to him. He floated towards it and reached one hand down, latching onto the creature’s mouth - its fangs digging into the skin of his hands - and in just a few seconds, Rehm absorbed the essence of the nightmare, leaving a dry husk in its place.

Milla and Sasha stared at one another. She’d never seen or heard of anything like this, and judging by Sasha’s reaction, he hadn’t either.

Rehm laughed and swiped his hand upwards - immediately, Milla felt the ground underneath her and Sasha open up. Before the demonic tendrils could come out to attack, she grabbed him by his arms and levitated them way up into the air, just barely avoiding the strikes. Sasha immediately started PSI-blasting, and Milla dropped him back to the ground so she could join him in their attack.

She wanted to talk more, to try and understand why Lucius was doing the things he’d done, but Milla found it difficult to talk and PSI-blast at the same time. Especially not when Rehm was still shielded and had begun to absorb another nightmare right before their eyes.

Sasha turned his attack towards the nightmare that Rehm was working on, and both Psychonauts were satisfied when the attack didn’t just end Rehm’s absorption, but also seemed to hurt him. He screeched and turned to glare at the two of them, murderous rage in his eyes.

Milla and Sasha looked at one another and smiled, then changed their tactic to fire at the unmoving nightmare creatures around them instead. After significantly injuring six more and listening to Rehm’s agonized screams as they did, they were suddenly squeezed and lifted by a pair of giant, red, telekinetic hands.

Rehm pulled both agents closer to himself, squeezing them so tightly that they could barely breathe, let alone concentrate on attacks.

He was breathing heavily and sweating, looking much worse than he did a minute earlier. “I can always replenish them. You two are wasting your time!” His gaze moved to Milla and lingered on her for a moment, then he smiled. “I can feel an endless supply just waiting to be plucked.”

Milla kicked wildly at him, trying her best to do something while he was squeezing the life out of her. “What…what is your goal here, Lucius?”

“With all this power…” Sasha paused, catching his breath. “...where will it lead?”

In a burst of angry psychic waves, Rehm pulled the both of them even closer. “The power is the goal! With this…with all of these creatures by my side…”

He looked right at Milla, pulled her even closer and smirked evilly at the fear that crossed her face. “...I will never be powerless again.”

Using his telekinetic hand, Rehm tossed Sasha to the side and placed his left hand on Milla’s face. His shield continued to protect him from Sasha’s PSI-blast assault, and Milla’s screams of confusion and pain did nothing to deter him as he pressed his fingers harder against her head.

Sasha didn’t even have time to shout “Get away from her!” before Rehm’s psychic presence was immersed into Milla - and the two of them promptly disappeared from Rehm’s mind. Sasha stared at the space they’d previously occupied and, as the seven remaining nightmares surrounding him started to move, he grabbed the smelling salts from his pocket and narrowly avoided getting attacked again.

X 

“I've never gotten to properly try that. Never had anyone in my head before, so when would I have had the chance?”

Milla slowly opened her eyes, surprised to find herself in the familiar space of her own mind. The music was quiet and the atmosphere was dreary, a little bit dark, but it was still home. She was sitting on one of the benches she kept on all of her platforms, but none of her fellow dancers were around. It was eerie to be in her space with no one else there.

No one but her and Lucius.

“Is this how you see yourself? Seems kind of dowdy considering the bright colors you had on before.”

She closed her eyes and scrunched her eyebrows, feeling a headache coming on. She felt loopy - the experience of being forced back into her own mind by a potentially murderous villain was unpleasant, to say the least. It was hard to focus on anything, let alone his words. But she did finally open her eyes again and looked down at herself. It was an outfit she hadn’t worn in a very long time - white button-up shirt, dark blue dress over top. When she gave it a bit of thought, she could feel her hair was tied back and there was a cap on her head.

“...cala a boca,” she muttered, trying to find her voice again.

Lucius tilted his head and leaned down into her personal space. “Good, she can speak.”

Milla glared at him, his face finally coming into focus.

“I could take a few minutes, destroy your little dance party here, and then find your nightmares. Or you could just tell me where they are and save us both the trouble.” He spoke with so much confidence, like he truly believed there were no other options. The arrogance oozed out of every word.

“...não estão aqui,” she answered slowly.

“Hmm…” Rehm rubbed his chin. “Except that I can feel them nearby. I know they’re here, and I know they’re powerful.” He stepped to the edge of the platform and looked around, spotting a darkened platform against one side of the wall. “Huh. Maybe this’ll be easier than I thought.”

He jumped and Milla turned her head, the light coming back to her eyes just as he took a step into the hellish room that she couldn’t get rid of even if she wanted to. She quickly followed him and managed to arrive in time to see him jump inside the toy chest - too late and still too out-of-sorts to stop him from seeing the chamber inside.

She didn’t want to follow him further, but Milla had a duty as a Psychonaut - and a duty to herself - to prevent him from using her traumas to make himself more powerful. She wouldn’t forgive herself if he used her nightmares to hurt people. 

So she jumped in after him.

Rehm reached into the bars, smiling wildly and ignoring the sound of Milla’s footsteps landing behind him. He grasped the head of one of her nightmares, just as he did to the ones in his own head, and began to absorb.

“Para!” Milla shouted, running towards him and grabbing onto his arm. “Stop! Let go!”

He ignored her still, and once the nightmare was fully absorbed - a weight of pain suddenly fell onto Milla’s shoulders and she was properly knocked to the ground. The nightmare he’d absorbed disintegrated into a pile of ash and then was quickly replaced by a new, identical nightmare.

Milla’s headache got worse.

Rehm’s smile got even wilder and he turned to Milla, leaning down and grabbing her chin with his hand to pull her face closer to his. “This is spectacular! Your nightmares aren’t just whims of fear…they’re endless howls of anguish! You know…I’d love to keep you as a pet - enjoy the unlimited supply you could offer me,” he said with a smirk. “But after the way you Psychonauts have been stalking and harassing me, I’d much rather release these creatures back into your head. Let them have their fun.”

He tossed her to the side and moved to the door of the nightmare cage, grabbed the lock, and just as he was about to shatter it to pieces - a telekinetic hand grabbed him and pulled him so quickly away and out of the room that he was stunned silent as his back hit the wall of the dark nursery.

Milla floated up to join him, a fiery rage giving her back the focus she needed to take control of her mind once again.

“Perhaps I was too hasty!” Rehm said after collecting himself. “We could work together, Milla.”

He said her name just the way the orphans had - the same inflection, the same tone, it was clear he’d gained knowledge about her history from the nightmare he’d absorbed. Which made her even angrier.

Rehm stood up and walked closer to her, trying to look compassionate. “You’ve known the same powerlessness that I have. You know how much it tears a person apart. We don’t need to be powerless. Your nightmares can make you powerful.”

She took a long, deep breath - then used a telekinetic fist to punch Rehm so hard that he flew out of the nursery and back out to one of the many platforms that were floating aimlessly nearby. He landed with a loud thud! and Milla quickly followed him out.

“I don’t need your kind of power,” she shouted, grabbing him with her telekinetic hand and slamming his body back onto the platform repeatedly. “It doesn’t heal! It doesn’t help anyone! Not you, and especially not me!”

Milla levitated closer and stood above Rehm, who was struggling under her telekinesis, unable to move. He was trying to concentrate on his breathing, just like she and Sasha had earlier. 

Imitating him again, she leaned down into his personal space. “Coming into my mind was a mistake, Lucius. You can’t take control here.”

He glared at her, still trying to break free, and chose not to say anything in response.

She was about to say something else when she felt a new presence enter her mind. Milla took a deep breath, kept a tight hold of Rehm, and turned around to find Sasha Nein levitating nearby - staring at them cautiously. The vision of herself quickly transformed back into the livelier, brighter outfit she was sporting in the real world, and she flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled at her guest. “Hello, Sasha!”

“...Milla,” he said softly, landing next to her. “It looks like I wasn’t needed here.”

“Nonsense, darling,” she responded happily, not caring that it wasn’t really appropriate to call her coworker darling. She was too excited to see him to stop herself. “I’m always happy to see a friendly face!”

Sasha gave her a small smile at that, but it was pretty obvious that he’d been worried sick. She had no idea what exactly Rehm did to her - forcing the two of them from his mind to hers in one quick attack - but it probably looked terrifying from Sasha’s perspective. He would’ve had no clue what was going on. 

“It’d probably be even nicer to get rid of an unfriendly face,” he muttered, grabbing his smelling salts and kneeling down by Rehm.

“Get away from me, Psychonaut trash!” Lucius snarled, shaking around under Milla’s telekinetic hand. “You won’t-!”

He was cut off by Sasha’s smelling salts opening right under his nose, and in only a moment - he was gone. Sasha sighed and turned around, frowning at how exhausted Milla looked. “Are you alright?”

Milla fell to her knees and hung her head, taking a long deep breath before responding. “Not really. I think I need a minute. My mind feels…violated.”

After a moment of hesitation, Sasha came over and sat next to her. He didn’t say anything, but he hoped that being there would offer some level of comfort.

They sat together silently for a minute and Milla appreciated every second of it. Then her music started to play, and her dancers re-appeared, and everything started to feel normal again. The break was nice, having Sasha around was nice, but nothing was nicer than her home being her home again. She took a deep breath and tugged some hair behind her ears. “That’s better!”

Sasha nodded at her and stood up. “I apologize for coming in here without your permission. I just…wasn’t sure what else to do.”

Milla levitated so her head was right in front of his, but she looked a few inches taller. “It’s fine, darling! I know you were just worried. But I’m sorry the party in here isn’t as fun as usual. Lucius did a number on the place.”

He looked around the room and shoved his hands into his pockets. “It’s different from what I expected. But it’s nice. Very…you.”

She laughed at that and levitated back down so her feet were on the ground. “Such a flirt!” she joked, lightly hitting his chest.

At that, Sasha’s face turned bright red and he got all sweaty and nervous - a complete 180 in less than a second. “I-I’m sorry, no, that…that was not my intention at all. I was just, um. Trying to say, uh-”

“Sasha, Sasha, honey,” Milla cut him off and laid her hand on his chest, leaving it there for a moment while she spoke. “I was kidding. You haven’t done anything wrong.” She couldn’t pretend she didn’t find it charming how nervous he got - she had a feeling he didn’t have a lot of experience with women, and outgoing women even less so. It might’ve been a little mean of her to joke about flirting, but she couldn’t help it. He was just…so cute.

“Ah. Right. Of course.” Sasha adjusted his sunglasses and cleared his throat, the redness fading from his cheeks. “I hope that means you’re feeling better.”

She smiled at him and combed her long fingers through her hair. “I think I’m ready to go back now. Is 33 waiting for us?”

He nodded. “We moved you and Rehm to the jet before I entered your mind. 33’s got him in a trance so he won’t cause any more trouble. If everything went according to plan, we’ll likely be back at the Motherlobe soon.”

“Oh, that’s so good to hear. I could go for a coffee right about now.”

Sasha grabbed his smelling salts and held them in front of him. “I’ll get out of here. Then all you need to do is…wake up,” he said softly, then opened up the salts and exited her mind.

Milla took another deep breath, staring at the space he’d just occupied. She decided to take a moment for herself before waking up and floated over to the nursery that she wished wasn’t always taking up space in the corner. But she needed it. She needed to remember the children, and how important they were to her, and how she’d never completely forgive herself for what happened. She had to move on with her life, but she never wanted to forget them. Every face, every name, every voice - would stay with her forever.

She closed the toy chest, drowning out the sounds of pain that came from inside. Then floated up to her favorite dance platform and tried to concentrate on waking up.

X

Milla opened her eyes to find Sasha and 33 discussing some of the things they’d seen Lucius do while inside his and her own mind. She distinctly heard the words study and experiment, but couldn’t focus on the entire sentence just yet. She sat up straight and groaned, cradling her head.

“You’re awake,” Sasha said quietly, stepping closer. “How do you feel?”

“Like I was hit by a bus,” Milla answered, opening one eye to see that Sasha was leaning down and looking positively chivalrous. “But it’ll pass.”

“We were worried about you, Vodello,” 33 added. “Nein said Rehm forced you from his mind into yours…that’s some scary shit.”

Milla nodded, not sure how else to respond. It was scary. It was something she’d never heard of before, and she certainly didn’t like that a man so new to his psychic powers could develop such a skill. The prolonged exposure to psitanium seemed to make him powerful, but also seemed to warp his mind. Though he had a lot of dark, troubled times in his life, there was no criminal history to speak of or any interest in groups seeking power. Everything came so suddenly. She wondered if he’d be able to help himself after they separated him from the psitanium.

“You were very impressive, Milla,” Sasha said, taking a seat next to her. “Allow me to buy you that coffee when we get back to base.”

She smiled at him and blushed a tiny bit, feeling a wave of appreciation radiating off of him. Milla wasn’t sure if she’d ever known a man that felt so honest and genuine - when he said a kind thing to her, she really, really, believed it. “That sounds lovely.”

“You guys can head to the Noodle Bowl,” 33 said, standing up. “I’ll take Rehm to lockup.”

“We’re already back?” Milla stood up, looking out the front window. Not surprisingly, the Motherlobe was right there waiting for them. She’d definitely thought Sasha was exaggerating when he said they’d be there soon.

“Thank you, Agent 33. I’ll try to do some work on him later today,” he said with a nod, levitating out of the top of the plane.

Milla followed him, though she still felt a little unlike herself. She couldn’t tell how much time had passed - no idea how long they’d been in Rehm’s mind or in her own, and she still didn’t fully understand what had happened to her. Everything in her mind seemed just fine, the mental barriers preventing her nightmares from escaping were in place just as always. But there was that sense of violation, the feeling that someone unwelcome was scurrying around inside her head - it left her with an icky sensation. 

She stayed quiet while they made their way into the Motherlobe, even while Sasha was grabbing the coffees. All she could think about at that moment was how much she wanted to redecorate.

“Camilla?” he asked softly, handing her the cup. “If you need to rest, you can come to my office. I won’t mind.”

“That would be great, actually,” she answered, enjoying how warm the cup was against her palms as she took it from him. “Agent Forsythe is supposed to be in meetings all day, anyway, so it’s not like I can update her.”

“Agent 33 is already on her way to the Grand Head’s office. They’ll discuss what to do with Rehm from there, though I’d really like to see him in my lab first.” Sasha sipped at his own coffee and paused for a moment in front of the hallway fish tank. “I think Agent Mentallis and I could gain some valuable insights from him.”

They entered his office and Milla immediately moved to take a seat on his long, orange couch. She smiled and sipped her coffee - she didn’t respond to his previous statement, but she didn’t think he had any expectation for her to do so. She wasn’t a scientist like him or Agent Mentallis, she was much more interested in helping Rehm heal. The remnants of doubts they’d seen in his mind gave her hope that the golf-loving Lucius Rehm was still in there somewhere.

There were a few moments of silence before Milla felt a presence join her on the couch - she opened her eyes and saw that Sasha had taken a seat next to her. Not too close, of course, but not too far, either. Which was a little surprising, but not unwelcome. “Your office is really nice, Sasha. Very calming.”

He nodded and reached a hand to his inner coat pocket, looking like he was about to grab a cigarette, but then he stopped and clasped his hands together in front of him instead. “Milla…I want to ask you something. If you don’t want to answer, I won’t be offended, but I’d like to know why Rehm was so interested in your mind.”

“Ah.” She had a feeling the question would come up sooner or later. Well, Milla felt like she and Sasha had a good friendship and she knew he wouldn’t judge her for what happened. It was still difficult to talk about, but after everything she’d been through that day - there was no reason not to explain. “I…have nightmares. A lot of them.”

“Currently?” He looked at her, a little confused. “I was under the impression that you used to have nightmares and overcame them.”

She tugged at her hair awkwardly. “I did. Technically. Truman helped me build a…prison for them. Almost like the one in Lucius’ mind. But the nightmares are still there. They’re just…hidden away. They can’t get out and hurt me or anyone else, but they can’t be destroyed, either.”

Sasha frowned and stared at her. “Is it alright if I ask why? Psychonauts destroying a person’s nightmares isn’t unheard of.”

“They’re not just nightmares, though. They’re…they’re my memories.” Milla had never had to explain her situation to someone, though she’d tried to prepare herself for the day she would. It was a difficult thing to get someone to understand when they didn’t have the same experience. “I used to work at an orphanage, a few years ago. There was a fire one day while I was out and all the children died.”

He squeezed his hands tighter and took a deep breath. Something told him she wasn’t quite done.

“That was the day I learned I was psychic,” she continued quietly. “I could hear them, feel them - their screams, their agony, everything. Even from down the street. The nightmares are just…that. Over and over and over again.” Milla ran a hand all the way through her hair, messing up her part. “So I can’t get rid of the nightmares. Not really. I just had to learn to…compartmentalize. That’s all.”

Unexpectedly, Sasha reached out a hand and placed it gently on top of hers. “Camilla…I’m sorry you went through that. No one should ever have to experience something like that. But…the fact that you’re here today, and after such a short amount of time…that shows tremendous strength and focus. You’ve overcome more in the past few years than most people do in their entire lives.” He squeezed her hand for a second, then pulled back in a haste that felt like he realized he was in her personal bubble. “Sorry. I just, um. I’m…proud. Proud to work alongside you.”

Milla felt her heart racing faster and faster inside her chest, and she hoped that didn’t become a problem some day. It wasn’t her fault that Sasha Nein was incredibly, impossibly charming and comforting. “That’s really nice of you to say. I…I still feel like I have a long way to go. But I’m happy with where I am.”

“I can’t say this is true for everyone, but it’s likely you’ll always feel that you have a long way to go,” he added, tapping his fingers on his leg. “It’s been twenty-six years and I’ve still not gotten over my mother’s death.” 

There was a jokey lilt to his statement that caught Milla off-guard, and she chuckled despite the situation. Deciding to take a little risk, she scooted closer to him on the couch and leaned her head onto his shoulder, taking a long, deep breath. “I really enjoyed working with you today, Sasha.”

He went ramrod straight for a moment, two moments, three moments…then relaxed. “I enjoyed…working with you, too. Milla.”

Both of them felt a serenity fall over the room and had to admit - after everything they’d just dealt with - it was a nice way to wrap up the day.

#psychonauts #sasha nein #milla vodello #agent 33 #sashamilla #science party #lunchtime yoga #carrofics

[ynverse]

milla as your gf!

MILLA x gn! reader | headcanons

a/n: first request ! i love that it’s for psychonauts too <3

❥ milla is so in tune to her emotions, she will know as soon as her feelings start developing. like it’s kinda sudden and shocks everyone in her psyche cause the music will change into love songs

❥ she is naturally a flirt and a lot more extroverted than most other agents, making it so difficult for you to know if she is into you or not

❥ definitely talks to sasha about why you won’t get the hint

“i’m flirting with them, no?”

“milla, you flirt with everyone. even a skilled agent such as agent y/n would be unable to tell unless you make it more known.”

“oh.”

❥ would throw a party for you and then confess after inviting you to the dance floor (the party would turn into her coping mechanism if things went south)

❥ she would so want you to enter her subconcious so you can see how happy she is from you accepting her love

❥ love language (outgoing) is words of affirmation. she loves seeing the look on your face when you get flustered by her compliments. she also loves the idea of using her telepathy to soothe others, especially because of the incident. knowing you both can communicate without actually speaking soothes her so much. expect a random “pretty girl/pretty boy/my pretty” entering your mind at some point during the day

❥ she loves physical touch (receiving love language) so much. you don’t even have to take the lead with it ! let her take the lead and she will still be just as happy. she just needs to feel grounded and being physically connected to you helps with that. behind her bubbly persona is someone who is traumatized by the idea of being unable to help others. just let her feel held/hold you close so she knows you are there with her please. also! expect her to hold your hand and levitate with you over the beach. she absolutely loves walking towards the sunset with you two hand in hand.

❥ homegirl is the type to see a small trinket and get reminded of you :( <3 she doesn’t want to force her love onto you through, so she will ask you telepathically if you would want it 

❥ all parties have off-limit areas, and for her? it a room only skilled levitators can even notice. inside the room are all the photos from dates you guys went on, as well as her favorite memories with you. she will not let anyone in there, not even you, because she gets embarrassed knowing she used her skills as a psychonaut to organize her mind in a way where you get your own spot (SHE IS SUCH A LUVRGIRL)

❥ she gets so protective of you during missions :( <3 she is still super professional ! but she will 100% make sure you are safe. you are perfectly capable and sasha will tell her this too (you three are the best trio ever) but she is so traumatized by not saving the orphanage that she has to make sure you are okay

❥ she is so cute and sweet to you <3 gf of the year

#lena’s requests #milla vodello #psychonauts x reader #psychonauts fanfiction #psychonauts fanfic #psychonaughts 2 #milla vodello x reader #xreader #headcanons #x reader

[charles-and-camilla-fanfictions]

All the Time in the World - Chapter 4

1970, Sussex

He kisses both of my cheeks in greeting and the contact makes me smile. Then we launch into a tirade of a conversation as we amble through the countryside. His hand is so close to mine, I allow mine to brush against his and our fingers catch and don’t let go. My skin is tingling from the sensation and for a while, I quieten and listen to him talking. He’s so clever. I don’t know many people who have been to university that returned quite so keen to continue learning, in all its facets. But he’s also wonderfully innocent, which is making this courtship so different. It’s been two months and he’s still not trying to sleep with me. He’s desperately trying to get to know me and it makes every touch that bit sweeter. The green fields around us, filled with new born lambs, seem to have been painted from a folk story and we wander through without a care. The bright yellow petals of the daffodils shine out, reflecting the afternoon sun, and cast a gentle warmth upon us. He helps me down from a style, pulls me to him and kisses me without any warning, making me gasp in surprise. I register the smirk in his eyes before I kiss him back, running my fingers over his face and savouring the feeling in my stomach. We could kiss away an entire afternoon without stopping for air, it feels so nice, but he’s too reserved to press me for more. The rest of the afternoon passes in a daze between trying to walk where his fingers stroke mine and send a rush through me, to the pauses where we rush to kiss each other and the fire between us is immediate. 

Back at his car, we pull apart and he insists on taking me back to my parents’ house rather than letting me walk. I sit in the front seat, next to him, a flush on my cheeks and a smile shining out from my face. He parks just out of view from the house and reaches for me again, kisses no longer soft and sweet but passionate and I want him to touch me. I can feel his hands pressing against my coat and then one hand pushes up my thigh, making me squirm, and I wonder if he’s quite as innocent as I first thought. But then he pulls away, he is a gentleman after all, and I see how dark his eyes are as they look at me with so much desire, it makes me bite my bottom lip and giggle slightly. I don’t quite dare take this any further.

“I’ve got to go. The Parentals will be expecting me back for dinner.”

That makes him laugh, “Would I be in trouble for bringing you back late?”

“Definite black mark against your name, President Fred.”

“Well I don’t want to be deaded.” He gets out of the car and I sit, waiting for him to walk around to open the door for me, grinning up at him as he offers his hand to help me up.

“Do you want to come inside?” I register a flicker of panic on his face and grin, adding, “I’ll introduce you as my friend…”

“No.”

I nod, a little disappointed but not surprised.

“I don’t want to be your friend. Don’t say that.”

That makes me smile. “Okay. What would you like me to say?”

“Introduce me as your boyfriend.”

“Are you?”

“Am I not?”

“Have you asked me?”

“I sort of assumed it was evident?”

“Don’t assume.”

“Goodness me, Milla. You don’t half make it difficult. Introduce me as the man who would desperately like to be your boyfriend.”

“Desperately?”

“Yes. Desperately.”

He reaches for my chin and tilts it up to kiss me. I could spend forever kissing him. Then we walk down the drive to my parents’ house, get to the front door and reach up to hammer the great knocker.

“Hold on.”

“What?”

He kisses my nose, making me laugh. “You’ve not given me an answer.”

“You’ve not asked a question.”

“Milla, will you be my girlfriend?”

We both giggle, me amused at how serious he’s being about this. “Course.” Then he smiles a giant, dopey smile at me and I realise, with a bit of a start, that he really wants to be with me and for him, this is serious.

I haven’t told my mother who I’m currently dating. She knows he’s called Charles and that he’s so sweet and that I like him rather a lot, but that’s it. They’re not going to approve. I know that as nice and welcoming and jolly as they will be with him, they will be shocked and unhappy with this relationship, however innocent it may be. Although I doubt it’s going to remain innocent for very much longer. It’s getting really difficult to be around him and not touch him. Every kiss shoots through me with a life of its own.

“Darling!”

My mother kisses me enthusiastically and makes to do the same with The Prince, until she recognises him and corrects herself. My whole family are there, my sister eyeing him up, my brother looking as though he’s above all these matters. He gets welcomed into the entire noisy fold and I watch him relax. Relax in a way I’ve never seen before. And although we’re still correct with addresses, he slips into the ease of our familiarity and I watch it cushion him. He’s drawn to my mother from the oft. That doesn’t surprise me. She’s warm and friendly and listens to him in a way that makes him follow her about like a lap dog. He craves my father’s approval more than I would have expected and he’s so respectful towards him. Then, to my siblings, he’s funny. He mimics people from the television as we wait for dinner with a shocking precision and delights my brother by teaching him to swear in Welsh. 

“I’ll make you up a room, Sir. It’s far too late to be driving back to London tonight.”

My mother, ever the hostess, chivvies him into accepting our hospitality without a thought. Out of everyone, she has taken to Charles the most and I can see the feeling is mutual. He basks in her maternal care and she can’t seem to help herself, almost force feeding him extra roast potatoes and fetching a blanket when he shivers slightly in the cool of the evening air. I curl up with him in the blanket and I realise I have never felt him relax before. His body becomes soft and he holds onto me so gently as we sit and listen to my father reading out from The Scarlet Pimpernel, my siblings and I as engrossed with his every word as we were as children. 

Later, I slip into his room, smiling as he starts at the noise of the door and smirking at finding him half dressed. He puts his shirt on but doesn’t fasten it as he walks over to kiss me.

“Get out! Your father will murder me.”

I just shut the door behind me and pull his head down to kiss me before slipping my hands into his shirt, pressing my fingers into the warm skin on his back, feeling his entire body tense before he reaches for me. I’m not expecting the rush which floods through me as his hand pulls up the material of my gown and his fingers trace up the back of my thigh. I didn’t anticipate this relationship, nor that it would be mutual. I can barely breathe as he kisses down my neck and his fingertips trace my skin so softly. He was meant to be a way to make Andrew jealous. He wasn’t meant to feel like this.

“Go before your father shoots me.”

“My father would do nothing of the sort. You’re not the only man I’ve brought back here.” That is an awful thing to say, I realise this, but the words slip from my mouth before I can silence them. He instantly lets go of me.

“Great. I feel really special now.”

“Well don’t. If you treat me badly, I will just replace you.” I want a cigarette. I think I might have just ruined everything.

“I will never treat you badly, Camilla Shand.”

His eyes bore into me earnestly and I want to believe him.

“God, you look so beautiful.”

I chose my outfit carefully. It’s a blue silk nightgown which seems to flow to the floor. I didn’t buy it for him, but his is the better reaction. There’s a knock at the door and I slip behind it with a jolt. I watch him button up his shirt and his eyebrows raise at me in alarm as he leans forwards to answer it. I’m silently gesturing to him not to betray me.

“Goodnight, Sir. I’m just checking that you have everything you need?” I hear my mother’s dulcet tones and roll my eyes. She’s actually checking up on me.

“Goodnight Mrs. Shand. Thank you again for your hospitality.”

“Are you quite set for the night?”

“I am, thank you.”

There’s a pause and it’s slightly awkward and I know she’s wanting to check whether I’m in the room. She knows me too well. “Has Camilla come to say goodnight?”

“Yes, she has…” He lets the sentence drop, not wanting to lie but I know that she’s about to pry for more information.

“I went to say goodnight and she wasn’t in her room. I was wondering if you’ve happened to see her?”

He doesn’t lie easily. I don’t know him very well but I know that. The tips of his ears are turning pink. “I think she was going out for a cigarette…”

“Oh… She usually just opens her bedroom window, as if I didn’t know. She’s being unusually coy tonight…”

He doesn’t know what to say. The pink has spread from his ears all down his neck and he’s looking so uncomfortable as he glances at me so quickly before looking away. My mother has the instincts of Miss Marple. None of this will pass her by.

“Will you tell her, when she comes back in, that I want to have a word with her.”

She knows full well that I’m here; I can tell by the sarcastic tone of her voice. I can feel her eyes boring through the door. It’s only politeness that is stopping her from barging right inside and dragging me out by the ears.

“I will.” He’s practically muttering now, so embarrassed at lying for me. She bids him goodnight with a much softer tone and he closes the door quietly, his face bright red as he shakes his head. “That was a close one. I thought she had twigged.”

His innocence makes me smile. “Darling, she knew I was here. She was just being polite.”

“Please come here. Let me hold you.”

I walk to him slowly and sink into his arms, my head fitting into his neck like we were made to fit together. I feel his fingers against my shoulders and then his hand trails down my back. I reach up to kiss him and feel him moan into my mouth as his hand traces the tail of my spine and then grasps onto me. That one sensation makes me squeak and immediately he’s pulling away, encasing me into his arms again.

“How dare you check up on me! I’m not a child. Neither is he!”

“You’re the one skulking around, hiding from me. Acting like a child. Why didn’t you just answer the door instead of making the poor boy stutter and lie for you?”

“Because I knew you’d be like this!”

“You don’t do that when Andrew comes. Then, you’re pretending to act like a grownup.”

“This has got nothing to do with Andrew.”

“It’s got everything to do with Andrew.”

“Why? You don’t even like him!”

“I like him. I don’t think he treats you very well, but I like him.”

“Oh, now you like him… Now I bring someone else home, now you decide that you’re going to like him!”

“He’s not ‘someone else’ though, is he, Camilla? He’s The Prince of Wales! What are you playing at?”

“Mother, I’m twenty three years old. I can sleep with whoever the hell I like.”

“Not under my roof, you can’t… Oh please tell me you’re not sleeping with him?”

I want to scream in her face that I am, just to spite her, but I’m not that good at lying. “No.” It’s a sullen ‘no’, laced with spite but her face looks even more worried.

“Camilla, what are you doing?”

“Nothing! For once, I’m doing nothing…”

“Are you trying to get him to marry you?”

“No!”

“Are you trying to make Andrew jealous?”

“Yes.” I stare at her with the same sulky expression I’ve used with her since I was a teenager and it makes me feel even more infantile. 

“You will never get anywhere with Andrew by competing with him. You either have to accept him as he is or move on.”

“What would you know?”

“Are you sure this is about Andrew?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“Well what is it to you if it isn’t?”

“Darling… Very, very seriously… Be careful.”

“He’s lovely. It’s not him I have to be careful with.”

“Perhaps, but I don’t think you understand what you’re doing.”

“It’s just a bit of fun. Why are you stressing?”

“He’s going to marry a young girl from the right family… who has no history… You’re a subject. You don’t have a title. You have more ex-boyfriends than your great-grandmama...”

“Who says anything about marrying him? Perhaps I just want to be his mistress!”

“Darling, you need to be married for that. You’re making it extremely difficult to be considered a suitable wife. Even for someone like Andrew.”

“Well perhaps I don’t want to be married.”

“Camilla, you haven’t fallen in love with him, have you?”

“No.”

“I thought you had your heart set on Andrew?”

I shrug and am surprised when my mother wraps her arms around me. “I’m sorry. My poor little girl.”

“Why are you sorry?”

She kisses my hair and then my ear, making me squeal. “You deserve better. That’s all… No… Don’t tense up and pull away. Let me give you a big hug. My poor, little, grown-up girl…”

“Have you finished moaning at me?”

“Moans are over, Darling…. No…Don’t pull away yet… He’ll wait for you… Let me hold you for just a little while longer and stroke your hair…”

“I’m not sleeping in a separate room from him.”

“No, I know…”

“I’m not!”

“I know…”

I sigh. “Fine… I won’t have sex with him. Happy?”

“No… But thank you for the consideration.”

Unfulfillment is a curious sort of pain. As sweet as falling asleep in his arms felt, I didn’t take into consideration the temptation in the dim light of the morning. When all I can hear is his breathing and my skin is alight from the feeling of him against me. When we wake up and we’re already kissing, because, half conscious, we reach for each other and then I can’t seem to stop, my hands covetous against the bare skin of his back. The kiss is fire. I feel him grasping onto my nightdress, trying to pull me closer and I find his hand and guide it into my dress, up my thigh, hearing him groan and then he sits up abruptly and turns away from me slightly. “Not here, Milla.”

I feel him shaking and realise that he’s scared and I stop. 

“I want you more than anything, but not here.”

I allow him to pull me to his chest, my body encased by him and I listen to his heart beating frantically and his heavy breathing until he relaxes again and it steadies, soothing me, lulling me, but he’s not asleep. I look up at him, gazing at me with an impossible softness and stay, transfixed as the light gradually introduces more nuances of colour into those beautiful eyes.

1970, Buckingham Palace

“Shush! We’re not meant to be down here!”

“It’s your house, why ever not?” I giggle as he clamps his hand over my mouth and then pulls me against him.

“These are the staff quarters.”

“Am I only fit to be seen in the staff quarters?”

“You’re such an idiot. Shush!”

I comply, letting him drag me down another cramped staircase, our feet clattering on the stone steps. “It’s a rubbish palace, this.”

“Shush!” He pushes me against the wall and kisses me, stopping my complaints, making me laugh into his mouth. “You’ve got to be absolutely silent along this corridor. I don’t want to disturb anyone.”

“Who’s still here at this time?”

“Plenty of people. Please be quiet.”

“Okay, okay, I promise.”

He lets me go with one extra strong kiss and takes my hand to pull me down the corridor. He’s acting like such a fugitive, I’m desperate to laugh but I keep it in and sculk down another passageway, through a heavy wooden door and down another staircase. Finally, we reach the room he was looking for and he pushes me inside and switches on one dim light. It’s a box room, filled with what looks like canisters of film and plenty of odd machines.

“Don’t touch anything.”

I pull a packet of cigarettes from my bag and proceed to make a meal of lighting one. I see his nose flicker upwards, almost imperceptibly showing distaste and then he retains control of it again.

There’s a loud boom and the sound of a motor before the crackling of film tells me this is a projector room. I watch him fiddle about with the controls before he opens up a hatch in the floor and scales down a ladder. “Come on Gladys.”

“I’m wearing a skirt.”

“I make no promises not to look.”

That makes me smile. I take one last drag of my cigarette and then scale down the ladder, tripping up on my skirt and sliding down like it’s a fireman’s pole. He catches me but his face is contorted with amusement and I laugh, watching him splutter at me. When he recovers, he grasps my hand again and pulls me to the centre of the room, in front of the benches, where there’s a small blanket and several cushions strewn on the floor.

“I think you’ll like this film. It’s my all time favourite. So funny.”

“No pressure. Do you usually hang out in the dirt on the floor?” I watch his face fall in the glare from the start of the film and smile at him to let him know I’m joking.

“It’s not really for the family. More for the staff but nobody was using it tonight so I thought I’d utilise the facilities.”

“What’s the film?”

“His Girl Friday.”

“That’s your favourite film?”

“Well…”

“No, have strength in your convictions. If it’s your favourite film, state the case. Don’t waver, waiting for my opinion. I’ve not seen it. What do I know?”

“I think you’ll find it funny.”

I sit myself down on the floor, making myself comfortable and throw a cushion at him as he hovers over me. “Aren’t you going to join me?”

“It’s not really the done thing to frolic on the floor.”

“Shut up. Sit down here. If the film’s any good, I might let you slip your hand into my shirt!”

He sits down so suddenly, I hear the clunk, and his soft yelp which makes me laugh. “Now you’re being reticent. You weren’t like that last night.”

“Last night you needed encouragement.”

“I just need more practise. We could practise now?”

“No. I want to watch your favourite film. We can practise afterwards.”

“I’m not so sure I can keep my hands off you for so long.”

“I never said you had to keep your hands off me.”

“So can I slip my hands in your shirt right away?”

“Shush, I need to read the screen… Oh it’s already started… I missed it!”

“It’s something to do with the press doing anything short of murder to get a story.”

“Oh, sounds about right.” I listen to the clicking of the typewriters on the screen and feel him pawing me, trying to get my attention.

“Even ten minutes is a long time to be away from ya.”

I look at him confused at the American accent until I hear the line repeated on the screen and I smile, kissing him before wriggling to make myself more comfortable, propped up against what appears to be a large box, sat on a cushion, my legs entwined with his, my hand helping his to reach into my shirt and then I rest my head on his shoulder. “Hildy is beautiful.”

“She’s smart and beautiful. Dangerous combination. Like you.”

“I’m not smart. Walter is quite attractive.”

“He’s a bastard.”

“Yes… I can see. Strangely attracted to that.”

“You should like Bruce.”

“The ‘even ten minutes is a long time to be away from ya’ guy?”

“Yes, him.”

“I’ll decide later. Let me swoon over Walter for now.” 

The film is hilarious, I’ll give him that and so modern it’s like it could have been written today. I’m also enjoying those puppy dog eyes which check over me, anxious to see if I’m enjoying the movie.

“You really do remind me of Hildy.”

“Hmmm…I’m not so sure.”

“She’s skatty. And talks all the time. And at a hundred miles per hour. She’s so dramatic and she has every man around her desperate for her good opinion, wrapped around her little finger. Except one.”

“One we don’t talk about.”

“I still don’t understand how you let Andrew treat you so badly.”

“He didn’t treat me badly.” I don’t know why I’m arguing with him. I know I deserve better than Andrew, but there’s something about him I can’t shake off. He’s still there in my skin, tormenting me. Perhaps it irks me not to get my own way. Perhaps that’s what I like about him; I can’t control him.

“Didn’t he, sorry, doesn’t he sleep with everyone you know?”

“Well… Yes…” Reality is such a cold place to return to. Every woman I know, plenty I do not. Practically all of my friends…

“And then comes crawling back to you?”

“No. Never crawling…”

“Darling, that’s worse. Perhaps you’re not Hildy, at least she knew Walter’s flaws.”

“There’s no need to be cruel.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right.” He kisses my neck in apology. “You can be my Girl Friday, anyway. Only, I abhor the press, don’t become a journalist.”

“Promise.”

He kisses me again and it’s surprisingly easy to melt against him. Listening to the staccato delivery of the lines of the film, he makes me want to forget about everyone other than him.

#duchess of cornwall #camilla #camilla duchess of cornwall #camilla fanfiction #charles and camilla #duchess camilla #love story #prince charles and camilla #charles and camilla fanfiction #charles and camilla fanfic #king charles lll #king charles and queen camilla #king and queen #marriage #divorce #dysfunctional family #soul mates #old friends #trauma #love conquers all #new relationship #romance #meet the parents #family time #girl friday

[andrigyn]

what’s immilla’s favorite color? her favorite season? you said she’s an Intellectual, right? whats her favorite subject? what scents make her feel safe?

REAL IMMILLA POSTING HOURS!

Immilla (or Milla if you're a close friend of hers) LOVES purple, mostly because the dye is expensive and difficult to get.

Her favorite season is summer! She lives in a very cold climate so their summers are mild anyways.

She is a big math girl, and her goal is to study engineering and then... probably go on and design weapons and things of that sort. At the beginning of her story, she's very content being a cog in the war machine... but she will go on to do bigger and better things than that ; ) .

She was born in Morranella, which is essentially a prison colony that was set up along the border of an active warzone. Her grandfather was a pretty notorious criminal (was what he did justified? more on that later...), but you can get sent to a prison colony for really petty reasons. Once you are sent there, your descendants have to stay there as well and immigration is tightly controlled. Milla's only shot at getting out is to gain acceptance into university, the other option at financial security is to join the garrison. Joining the garrison is a double edged sword though, because even though you get plenty of food, shelter, and the pay is good, you can get called away to fight at a moment's notice and be used as cannon fodder.

Milla and her best friend Paccia (who is an absolute badass, like 6'+ tall and STRONG. She was one of the few women who passed the physical test to join the garrison) have a weekly tradition of going to one of the city's dance halls. The place reeks of liquor and sweat, but that is one of the places where she feels at ease. Poor girl is working like a dog all week and going to drink and dance is like the only thing she has at this point.

Here's a general idea of what she looks like btw!

#andy's asks #andy's ocs #immilla zavaglia

[talesofourworlds]

No one asked, but some loose thoughts for when I inevitably make a Pokemon verse happen for my muses.

Jude is very much not into Pokemon battles. He's training to become a doctor for both humans and Pokemon, and his Pokemon help out. He'd much rather heal the injured than partake in battles himself. This all changes when he meets Milla, something something about her mission. His team is largely made up of fighting type Pokemon, including but not limited to a Riolu, but he also has a Buneary. Both eventually go on to evolve, but his Lopunny will be the one he primarily would use for mega evolution. He inevitably gets teased for having a Buneary (eventually Lopunny) but they prove how much of a threat they are in battle when the time comes.

Rinwell of course has a Rowlet named Hootle who not only is her starter Pokemon, but also is her closest friend. Not too sure how I can incorporate her mageness into Pokemon stuff but I feel like she would use a lot of special attackers. I could see her with an Alolan Vulpix (maybe eventually Alolan Ninetales), a Pikachu, maybe a Fennekin... things like that. I also could see her being into Pokemon lore, mythology, etc.

Eizen definitely would have a Hydreigon and a Garchomp that can mega evolve for that pirate aesthetic. I also could see him with an Absol, maybe a Dusknoir, a Honchkrow... a nice mix of reaper aesthetics and pirate aesthetics. His Hydreigon would be very difficult to manage, though, and the key reason behind why he doesn't stay with Edna anymore since I could imagine them being the one responsible for hurting Edna one day. His journey primarily would be about learning to manage Hydreigon and of course trying to do so to protect Edna.

Edna was gifted a Torchic by Eizen that she named Phoenix. He refuses to evolve, has the hidden ability Speed Boost, is surprisingly strong, and is Edna's ace of sorts as a result. She also has a Sandslash, Trapinch, and Cubone. Maybe a grass Pokemon, too, to tie in the thing of her being named after a flower.

Raven I could see going through a pretty rough near death experience while on his journey. The circumstances I haven't worked out yet, but he jokes that he's something of a dead man walking because of it. He definitely has a Decidueye, and maybe a Ceruledge to tie back into the Schwann thing. Maybe also an Aegislash.

Velvet has a particularly vengeful Mimikyu that just matches her vibe. That's about all I've worked out for her. I haven't worked out her backstory but something something she hates Artorius even in this verse.

Jade was once scientist who worked on Project Mewtwo. He didn't question the ethics or moralities of the project because Professor Nebilim was killed trying to get a sample of Mew's DNA, and of course he and Dist want to finish the work she was a part of, but eventually through Peony he realizes the moral implications of trying to create life like this. So he backs out and leaves Dist alone on the project. Has a bunch of powerful Pokemon. I could see him having a Greninja at the very least. Do not let this trainer's eyes meet yours, Jade's Pokemon will wipe the floor with you.

Asch has a Mew. This is purely for the reason of said Mew being kidnapped, having a perfect clone made of them thanks to Dist, and that clone ending up becoming Luke's. Asch also was once part of a noble family but after the whole Mew incident he ran away and travels on his own with his Mew. He also has a fair few physical attackers, but idk what Pokemon specifically.

Tear has either a Jigglypuff or a Wigglytuff. I also could see her having a lot of fairy type Pokemon in general.

Elize either has a Mimikyu or a Banette named Teepo.

Ivar definitely would have more 'ancient' sorts of Pokemon. I primarily see him using Hisuian forms of Pokemon, so like a Scyther that eventually becomes a Kleavor, one of the starters that eventually becomes their Hisui evolutions, etc. I also could kind of see him with a Kubfu or at least being a Kubfu's caretaker but idk, that one's a pretty loose idea.

Kisara specializes in bulky Pokemon. Big tanky Pokemon that have defense for days.

More to come later probably.

#ooc #mun rambles #I need to just make a Pokemon verse at some point don't I.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Do you have any paranormal or fantasy romance recs? Thank you :)

Yes, absolutely.

Paranormal:

My favorite paranormal romance series (possibly my favorite romance series in general), which has been very difficult for anyone to top, is Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole. Very hot, very funny, very high stakes, and very paranormal. A few of my all time books are in here. Definitely has an edge to it, so check your triggers (or feel free to ask me about individual books). It's so divinely insane.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood is a lighter paranormal, obviously, that I actually liked a lot. For people who've only read contemporary and aren't sure if they'd like PNR, this is a good taste test imo. It is a true paranormal romance, but Ali's style still comes through.

Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series is good; I've only read the first two so far, but I definitely enjoyed them. It's like... Vulcans meet shapeshifters? Great for people who enjoy an uptight meets wild moment (like me).

Thea Harrison's Dragonbound is SO good. It's a dragon shifter paranormal romance--I wasn't in love with the next two books in the series, but they are very interesting and I'm going to read more in the series. Dragonbound though... excellent.

Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series is historical paranormal, and another all time favorite series of mine. The one-two punch of Moonglow and Winterblaze just blew my mind. And Evernight? Please. Picture a Victorian romance, but there's an underground of paranormal creatures and societies. Great concept.

Bec McMasters has a series of steampunk-ish paranormal historicals. Her London Steampunk books--they include vampires and werewolves and such, and are really fun. I wasn't as hot on book 3 so I haven't read past that, but I plan on it. And a part of me wonders if my mood just wasn't right for book 3? Happens sometimes.

Sarah Hawley writes some really fun, lighthearted paranormal romances--A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon and A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch.

My favorite C.M. Nascosta by far is Run, Run Rabbit, which is a book about WEREWOLF LAWYERS! It's so hot. I love it.

If you want something on the dark gothic spooky side, Sierra Simone's Thornchapel is one of my all-time favorite series--and it's legit pretty creepy.

Fantasy:

Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked -> Princes of Envy. Legitimately my favorite fantasy series at the moment. Typical disclaimer: you'll see Kingdom of the Wicked marketed as YA. It is not. Dark fantasy, super romantic, super entertaining, love it.

C.L. Wilson's Weathermages of Mystral is great--more traditional high fantasy romance.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen is a recent release I love--think viking fantasy romance. And the heroine is initially married to her hero's dad. GASP!

Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha. First in an ongoing series about a princess forced to marry a dragon shifter god she's secretly planning to kill... And her handmaiden, who's also an assassin/her lover. FFM.

Ruby Dixon's Aspects and Anchors series. Pulpy, fun, and adventurous fantasy romance series in which women from our world are hurtled into a fantasy world in this inter-dimensional situation. Super enjoyable and campy.

Milla Vane's A Gathering of Dragons. High stakes high fantasy romance, think battles, royal politics, TRUE enemies to lovers shenanigans.

India's Holton's Dangerous Damsels is like... historical fantasy romance, very whimsical and fun and light, set in an alternate Victorian era with witches and sky pirates and the such. GREAT.

#romance novel blogging #book recs #romance novels

[psitaniumpsichosis]

Thoughts on dragon biology for the au and how some characters differ from each other physically speaking?

Glad to elaborate!

So, dragons in all of my aus are extremely diverse-- fur, feathers, scales, fins, manes, tusks, etc-- nothing is really off the table when it comes to their genetics.

(more below the cut because this is getting really long)

(Rhombus of Ruin spoilers down toward the bottom)

(also cw: traumatic events and mild body horror mention at the bottom)

Dragons, as mentioned in my initial post about this au, can shapeshift -- primarily human and dragon forms, but some (like Ford) can change into a wide variety of creatures. But most forms will keep parts of the dragon form-- such as fins, horns, spikes, that stuff.

Genetics of course vary between families and individuals. For instance, the Aquato dragons are very aquatic with many fins and streamlined bodies. They have larger wings with membranes that extend down the hind legs to aid in swimming, their tails having large fans to propel and steer underwater and in the air.

Meanwhile dragons like, say, Milla-- those are more mammalian with fur that ranges from thick coats to thin coverings like Sasha. Milla herself has hooves that resemble a deer or goat, and she has whiskers that can help navigate in a tight spot.

The Zanottos are more avian in appearance, with snouts that end in beaks-- feathered wings, spikes down their backs, and actual manes of hair. Lili took a few more aspects from her mother-- having whiskers, fins down her tail, and hooves on her back legs. Truman and Bob are both very avian.

Then there are wyverns like Coach Oleander. No forelegs, and stronger back legs. They're typically smaller than average, and don't usually have the fins or fur that most other dragons have. Extra horns are very common with them as an extra defense due to their small size and weak attack strength.

When it comes to human forms, there are two variations-- indistinguishably human, and hybrid. Dragons can look as human as you or me to fit in, with no hint toward their heritage unless they willingly show you. Then there's the hybrid forms, where extra things like horns, back fins, claws, fangs, and eyes match that of their dragon form. Most also keep their wings and tails in this form.

They're fascinating really, something I like brainstorming about and planning.

Speaking of brains, let's take a stab at our favorite Dr. Loboto...

We all know how he got how he is -- a detrimental lobotomy at a very young age. But how does that translate into dragons?

Believe me when I say I've put a lot of thought into this. After a lot of debate, I've settled on a painful but very fitting appearance for our deranged dentist.

At first the lobotomy didn't seem to do anything but take his magic away, but as he aged up he started to change-- morphing into a very painful gruesome mid-way point between his dragon and human form. The pain was enough to drive him even more mad.

He can shift into his full dragon form or full human form, but only under extreme stress or extreme calm-- both of which are kind of difficult to achieve with how his brain works. Dragon means stress, human means calm and comfortable. Unfortunately, he's always halfway between those.

#psychonauts #psychonauts 2 #razputin aquato #psychonauts au #psychonauts razputin #lili zanotto #sasha nein #psychonauts dragons au #psychonauts dragons #dr loboto #dr caligosto loboto #caligosto loboto #psychonauts dr loboto #dragons au ramble #the biology is so fun #I'll actually do a biological diagram for some of this #and to show off their furnace #they're just so nifty

[camillafanfiction]

Love changes everything - Chapter 2

When Charles arrived at Bolehyde Manor one and a half hours later, he found Camilla in a state he had never seen her before. Her usually sunshiny face was pale and grey, the sparkle in her eyes that Charles so loved was gone - her face was flooded with tears instead. 

She hadn’t opened the door, so Charles had used the spare key that lay under the big terracotta pot right next to the front door and went searching for her in the house. When he finally found her on the cold kitchen floor she sat there stock-still with a cigarette in her hands, only tears pouring down her face. According to the ashtray and the empty cigarette packet she must have smoked at least ten cigarettes within the last two hours. Charles wasn’t quite sure if her body still consisted of anything else than nicotine and smoke. He tried to suppress coughing to not scare her, but failed miserably. However, she still didn’t take any notice of him.  

“Camilla?”, he tried for the second time, but she didn’t respond. “Darling?” Charles sat down on the floor, right next to her. “You need to get up. You will catch your death of cold on that floor.” Only secondarily he noticed that this probably wasn’t a very tactful way to put it in this very situation. “Ducky? Please say something.” Charles felt helpless. What should he do if Camilla was now suffering some sort of trauma?  What if she would remain that apathetic for the rest of her life now?

Finally, Camilla opened her mouth, but no words seemed to escape it. She moved her head slightly, looking at Charles. “He is dead.”, she sobbed. “I’m all on my own now.” Her heart raced and her mind was filled with the wildest thoughts while there was a suffocating emptiness inside of her, too. 

“You are not alone. I am here and I am not going to ever leave you again. You’ve got Tom who needs you and you’ve got your whole family supporting you. We’re all here for you.”, Charles replied with his calming voice, stroking gently over Camilla’s arm. He would have loved to kiss her, to take her pain away, but this was not the right moment. Instead he tried to hover her up from the ground. She would really get pneumonia if she sat here for any time longer. “But, darling, please get up.”

Camilla just shook her head. She was unable to move or to speak. She would just spend the rest of her life here on the kitchen floor. Her life was over. Her husband was dead. She was a 28 year-old widow with a 10 months-old baby. Nobody would ever want her again. She would spend the rest of her life all by herself. She had not planned on that. She had planned on a long and happy marriage, three or four children and a happy, quiet life in the countryside with some roaring parties every now and then. Of course, her marriage had not been as happy as she had hoped it to be - Andrew did not love her, at least not the way a husband should love his wife. There had been moments when she had loved to throw Andrew out of the house for sleeping with every one of her friends, for being unfaithful to her right from the start. The rows they’d had had been back-breaking, but she had decided on him. She had stuck to her marriage vow, though Charles had made it more than difficult for her.

How should she afford the house, the dogs, the horses…? A million thoughts chased through her mind, but she wasn’t able to catch a clear one. Her brain seemed unable to work and she didn’t manage to tell Charles off for calling her ‘darling’, like she usually did.  

“Milla, my darling,” Charles carefully put her arms around his shoulder, “I know you’re unable to move or speak, but I will carry you, okay? Trust me.” He hoisted her up and, with all the power he had, he carried her to the sofa in the living room on his shoulder. Carefully he put her down and fetched a blanket from the shelf next to the fireplace. She was so cold, Charles thought worried as he placed the blanket around her. In the dim light, however, he could see her lips forming a “Thank you!”.

“Tom…”, she murmured then. “Can you look after Tom?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Of course.” Charles placed a small kiss on her forehead before he disappeared, but she was too wretched to protest. 

Camilla didn’t know how long Charles had been gone. She was lost in her blurry thoughts up to a stage where she wondered if she herself still existed. Only at Charles’s second try she realised that he had been telling her that Tom was fast asleep and well. One and a half hours before she had thrown the three men who had told her about Andrew’s tragic, yet heroic death out of the house and then hummed Tom to sleep. She hadn’t been able to bear company, she’d felt numb and empty and she hadn’t been sure if this was ever going to go away. But then Charles had appeared like a vision and for a moment she hadn’t been sure if this was a dream or reality. She still felt numb, unable to do anything despite just sitting there, but she didn’t feel as alone anymore. “Please stay.”, she brought out, her blue eyes half-shut, and Charles nestled against her, trying to find some space beside her.

For a moment he felt like flying. “I’m never going to leave you ever again.”, he promised again and felt his fingertips over her cheek, hardly able to resist the urge to kiss her. “I need to be in London tomorrow noon, but Trevor will inform your parents and siblings and they will come and care for you before I leave and I will be back tomorrow night.” Camilla was too tired to protest, too exhausted to reply anything. Charles wrapped his arms around her and she just let it happen. Enjoying the warmth, the closeness and the well-known smell she fell into a light, dreamless slumber…   

The next thing Camilla heard was a rumbling in the kitchen. She had no idea what time it was and why her back hurt so much. Still half asleep she opened her eyes and was blinded by warm, golden sunlight. For a moment she felt peaceful and at ease, but then her mind was flooded by the memories of last night. The moment she saw Charles coming into the room with a cup of tea in his hands she knew it hadn’t been a nightmare, but a cruel reality.

“Good morning.”, Charles said quietly and kneeled down next to the sofa. “How are you feeling, darling?” He knew it was a stupid question the minute he looked into Camilla’s puffed, sad eyes. If only there was something he could do to make her feel better. He would do anything in his powers, anything she wished for. “Tom is fed and has a new nappy on.”, he declared proudly, a cheering smile on his face. Had it not been that very situation, Camilla would have laughed by the mere thought of it. Yet she knew he had done brilliantly. 

“Thank you.”, she said simply and took a deep breath. “Is he really…?” She couldn’t bring the word ‘dead’ out of her mouth. It was all too much.

Charles nodded and he could see a single tear falling down Camilla’s face. She was so brave, he thought. She did not deserve this, nothing of this. She deserved to be happy and loved, she deserved a picture perfect life. With him her life would not be picture perfect, but at least he would love her like no one else in the world. Camilla was, always had been and always would be his one true love. Since the day he had first met her he had known that he would never be able to love someone but her. Nothing would ever change that. No matter what Uncle Dicke tried to tell him, no matter the royal ladies his grandmother wanted him to marry. It had always been Camilla or no one for him. He could get lost in her blue eyes, no matter how sad and puffy they were. He would always want her, no matter the circumstances. He would always love her no matter what state of mind she was in.

It was an irrational act but he didn’t notice as he grabbed her hand tightly and said “Darling, I just want to be with you always. Marry me!”

There was a moment of silence as Camilla tried to comprehend the words Charles had just spoken. Her eyes turned wide, then shocked and a second later she cuffed his ears with a loud smack.

#King Charles III #king charles iii fic #camilla fanfic #queen camilla fic #queen camilla #duchess of cornwall fic #au #royal fanfiction #royal fic #king charles fic #prince charles fic

[72ww]

fandom-blog-less lurker happy to bring sashamilla platonic thoughts to your inbox.

stripping back the worldbuilding, i got interested in the original prompt that spurred the games, of 'what colour is the sky in your world', and i went hey. what if their brain worlds were instead dioramas they made in an icebreaker exercise?

sasha's got his cube with all these machinations, that have puzzles built in. and when he shows it off he's like 'this contraption holds a novel's worth of writing but i mostly want to showcase how difficult and time-consuming it would be to get through to it. it's for me and myself alone, which may defeat the purpose of the exercise but it's what i'm comfortable with.'

then milla's like 'i put a lot of effort into finding joy in things! and i like dancing so i made a dance party :)'

and the comments come around, he admires her purity of purpose and she admires his strong sense of self, and it's ironic to me because i think they both have both

but also... they were working on these next to each other, and they agreed to hide a piece of the other's style in their own worlds >:)

miraculously, the icebreaker exercise breaks the ice!

This is so interesting, and smartly written! I mean that it summarizes them perfectly, as I suppose that is the point. I wonder, if you mean it is an exercise for them as partnered agents? Or something else? Like how when you start working with someone, you are often made to introduce yourself in a more personal way?

I agree, they do have both! I said in a post a while ago that Sasha & Milla are way more similar than most of their coworkers realize, or they initially realized themselves. Maybe it would take them a while to fully understand their common ground, but I bet they could pick up on it subconsciously right away. Just the way most of us do when we want to be someone's friend. Both of them are different types of reserved, in my opinion they may dip into unhealthy types of isolation.

Sasha, obviously, with locking himself up in a lab, could prefer physical isolation to regain stability. Milla seems more like she would like to "hide" what is bothering her and engage in something she finds enjoyable, like going to a party. As long as these don't get in the way of resolving the original feelings, they may be healthy ways to cope. What I really love about these characters is how they set a great example for what is/isn't healthy in a way that you can understand readily. They still have their limitations (as we all do), they have just learned ways to deal with them that aren't contributing to negative patterns. It is awesome!!! A big reason they are my favorite to be honest!!

Smth else I think about is the two of them dragging each other out of their personal slumps, as they know the other well enough. Milla knows when it's time for Sasha to get out and enjoy life a little. Sasha knows when Milla needs time to reflect rather than deflect. They go together very well in that regard!

Anywho, I just love the idea!! How you worded it especially, with Sasha's design revolving around how unapproachable it is to anyone but him, that makes so much sense.. I was so happy to see this in my inbox I am overjoyed there are other people who don't see them in strictly a romantic light (((^,,,:

#Anonymous #sashamilla posting

[sezja]

bc I forgot yesterday; gimme Nerise on Haurchefant, Nidhogg, Aymeric, and Esti. and a wild card you choose <3

Ask game: send an in game characters name to see how someones WoL/OC feels about them

Haurchefant: By necessity, Nerise largely avoids most of the ARR Coerthas arc - Eyrisunn handles most of it, otherwise it'd be hard to avoid accusations of heresy - so she doesn't properly meet Haurchefant until they're preparing to take shelter in Ishgard. Fortunately, because Nerise's story is an Everyone Lives AU, she gets the chance to get to know him better as time goes on; she likes him a great deal. She admires his optimism and enthusiasm in the face of grave odds, and appreciates that he's more open-minded than most Ishgardians. He is one of the first people to learn that she travels with a wyvern (even if it's a while before he meets the wyvern in question).

Nidhogg: Even in her own time, Nidhogg mistrusted and disliked mankind, preferring to keep to himself and the company of his fellow dragons. She seldom saw him, and only ever at a distance; it was well-known that men (and those dragons who chose to bond with them) troubled Nidhogg at their own peril. Still, it's painful to Nerise to see what he's become in this age; a creature so consumed with rage and vengeance that it corrupts everything around him. He doesn't remember her, and maybe that's for the best.

Aymeric: They have something of a rocky start, as you might imagine. Nerise is not politics-savvy, and the first few meetings with Aymeric are intensely political - Nerise walks out on a meeting or two, leaving Alphinaud and Eyrisunn to deal with it. By the time they're rescuing Aymeric from his ill-fated venture at the Vault, however, she's at least begun to warm to him; she sees the difficult path he's walked, and she can respect him for it. Particularly because he doesn't outright accuse her of heresy when a wyvern is part of the rescue party.

Estinien: Speaking of rocky starts. Nerise is a DRG, and the DRG questline is largely canon for her - so she and Estinien start off very much at odds, and he does know her for a 'heretic,' as Sohl Amh aids her. She insists that the term dragoon initially referred to warriors who fought on dragonback, which goes over about as well as you'd imagine. Eventually she manages to persuade Estinien that Sohl Amh is actually a dragon from well outside of Coerthas, and not at all of Nidhogg's brood, nor are they interested in joining in Nidhogg's war (she discloses the truth later). It's Estinien's word, in part, that sways Aymeric's opinion in her favor. Eventually Nerise and Estinien settle into being bickering siblings. There are few people Nerise trusts more.

Sanson and Guydelot: Because of course. Nerise thinks Sanson's a fussy little prig, and Guydelot's an arrogant idiot, at first. It's an impression that sticks with her for most of their travels through Coerthas and Dravania - she's reluctant to keep dealing with the two of them, especially as she begins to notice something happening between them. It reminds her uncomfortably of her own inability to express how she felt about Milla. Little by little, though (around the Churning Mists, ironically, when her own feelings are a mess), she warms to them, and begins checking in on the two of them more and more often. They're among her closest friends outside of the Scions - though she maintains a friendly rivalry with Guydelot.

#nerise the dragonrider #you may notice #a common theme with nerise. #is 'i hated this person at first but now i'd kill or die for them' #that is INCREDIBLY COMMON FOR HER #she doesn't like most people right away; it takes time #that said. she does CARE about people right away and can't help getting involved in their problems. #thank you love <3

[babycharmander]

How about That Scene for both Psychonauts Ruin Everything and No Secrets in Wartime?

Already answered for Psychics Ruin Everything, so I'll go for the second one!

With No Secrets in Wartime there wasn't a specific scene, exactly, so much as the entire concept of the fic. I really wanted to see what Oleander's evaluation pre-epilogue could have been like, with Sasha and Milla and Ford all entering his mind to make sure he really was safe and not in danger of Taking Over the World again.

As I wrote, though, one particular scene I was really itching to write was Milla confronting Oleander about hurting the kids. While Milla is a very kind and sensitive person, I think it's important to remember that she is very concerned with the safety of children for a lot of reasons, and I don't think she would take what Oleander did lightly. I tried to balance that with my fic--she sympathized with his pain, but she wouldn't let that pain excuse the fact that he kidnapped and debrained a bunch of children.

(I was admittedly inspired by the 2019 miniseries adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which, while EXTREMELY dark (oh gosh please look up warnings beforehand if you ever watch it), is probably one of the best-written redemption arcs I've EVER seen. At one point the Ghost of Christmas Past calls out Scrooge for having sympathy for animals, but not for the humans he's hurt, which in particular was a big influence on the scene I wrote between Milla and Oleander.)

Also just writing Oleander and Ford interacting in general. In particular the scene where Ford gets Oleander to admit that he'd killed someone (or tried to--at that point, neither of them knew Loboto had survived). Though it didn't occur to me until I was writing the scene that everything that happened there would be a trigger to Ford. %); So that was fun.

I'd say parts of the climax of that fic, too, but gosh that climax was heck to write--it took me a while to figure out what the "boss" would be (other than some representation of Oleander's pain and feelings of inadequacy), and with a lot of it I was figuring it out when I wrote it. But part of it was definitely the bit at the very end where the rubble tank, in Oleander's voice, starts pouring out his heart about feeling like Ford, his mentor, had abandoned him, and how he felt like he'd never be taken seriously, and if he didn't do something to prove himself, he would be nothing at all. His feelings are messy, too, because he also knows Ford isn't at fault for his mind being shattered (except he is, but Oleander doesn't know that), so he feels ashamed for even feeling betrayed and abandoned, but he still feels that betrayal.

I think that about covers it--this was overall a really fun fic to write, even if it got difficult in places.

#morceau oleander #ford cruller #milla vodello #psychonauts #psychonauts 2 spoilers #bc answers nonsense #jaywings #writing

[neopuff]

ALWAYS ON MY MIND

chapter nine: a load off my mind ships: sasha/milla characters: milla, sasha, ford, oleander word count: 5867 ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53435410/chapters/137330296

[chap 1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

-

Whispering Rock was a very interesting place.

The valley was certainly remote - Sasha hadn’t expected to drive through the woods for almost two hours - but he couldn’t deny that it looked lovely. Oleander had done a great job, though he probably wouldn’t say as much to the man. He’d been getting enough praise for the camp already.

Sasha and Milla decided to arrive at the camp three days early in the hopes to familiarize themselves with the area and get used to the great outdoors. It’d been a long time since either of them roughed it, so to speak, and they needed to portray a good example for the children.

She was already there when Sasha arrived - her signature car sitting in the parking lot in all its shiny, red glory. His car was boxy and green and felt very quiet next to hers. He wondered if it would’ve made more sense for them to carpool. Perhaps he would suggest it if they decided to come back.

But before any of that, he needed to find her. Sasha reached out to her mentally and she sent back a relaxed aura and images of water. It wasn’t hard to figure out that she was by the lake. He grabbed the crudely-drawn map that Oleander provided them and started making his way towards Lake Oblongata. The path wasn’t too difficult to follow, which boded well for the campers.

A large building caught his eye as he made his way towards the water, and a quick look at the map told Sasha it was the main lodge. Agent Cruller apparently spent a decent amount of time there, and it would be where they ate all of their meals. It looked well-constructed, at least.

As the lake finally came into view, Sasha spotted his partner sitting along the edge of the beach - boots on the ground next to her so she could dip her feet in the water. He couldn’t say he was surprised by that.

Sasha levitated over and stood just a few feet behind her. “Having fun?”

Milla leaned her head back so she was staring at him upside-down. “The water’s very nice. Maybe we can go swimming before the kids get here!”

He smirked at that, then stared out at the water. It was quite nice. Oleander had really outdone himself. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

She gasped dramatically. “You didn’t plan to swim at all?”

“Not particularly.” Sasha took a few steps forward, but not close enough for the water to touch his shoes. “I’m not much of a swimmer. But I’d be happy to sit here and watch while you enjoy.”

Milla chuckled and Sasha’s face immediately burned at the realization of what he’d said. He didn’t even bother correcting himself, simply sent a mental wave of you-know-what-I-meant towards her.

“I haven’t seen Agent Cruller yet,” Milla said, changing the subject. “Aaronson said that he’s even stranger here than back at the Motherlobe.”

“Is that so?” Sasha pulled out a cigarette, deciding he was getting a little too much fresh air. “It’s hard to believe Agent Mentallis’ theory was wrong.”

She shrugged and levitated into the air, shaking the sand and water off her feet before putting her boots back on.

“Did you look at anything else or just come straight to the lake?” Sasha asked, trying not to watch her every movement. She was hypnotizing to him sometimes, he couldn’t help it.

“Nope!” Milla smiled and plopped her feet back onto the ground. “I know there’s a fire pit on the other side of the lodge and the cabins are off in that direction,” she said, pointing to the north, “and I believe Morceau said there’s an off-limits area over that way.”

Sasha tilted his head. “Off-limits? For what purpose?”

“I’m not sure.” She started to walk back towards the main lodge and Sasha followed her. “He probably just meant it’s off-limits for the campers. Maybe something they haven’t finished building yet?”

“Hmm. I think we should check that out, then.”

A few minutes later and they found themselves staring at a very unexpected structure deep in the woods of Whispering Rock. Neither knew quite what to say about it, except that they never could’ve anticipated seeing something of that nature in a camp made for children.

Milla frowned, staring from the entrance. “These are psychoisolation chambers, aren’t they?”

“Looks like it.” Sasha levitated above the structure to get a better look. “I’m sure Morceau isn’t planning on throwing the children in here. That’d be…” He paused, then floated down on top of the highest part of the chambers. “Immoral. Probably.”

“Probably,” Milla repeated, doing nothing to hide her annoyance. “We’ll have to ask him about this when he gets here, won’t we?”

Sasha came back down and they made their way around the rest of the camp. Oleander had a large treehouse office that was, thankfully, very well-constructed, and also very close to the camper’s cabins. There were just three cabins - one for girls, one for boys, and one for the counselors.

“Ah.” Sasha stared at the counselor cabin, realizing something he should’ve realized earlier. “So. It’ll be you and me and…Morry. In this little space. Every night?”

Milla laughed and elbowed him in the arm. “You seem surprised, Sasha! What did you expect? Private rooms?” She floated inside and moved to the bed furthest in the back, wiping off the blanket. “I think I’ll take this one.”

Sasha followed her inside. He hadn’t thought about sleeping arrangements at all. He and Milla had shared hotel rooms in the past, but they usually had more space between them. He found himself both relieved and annoyed that Oleander would be in the room, too. And what about Agent Cruller? It didn’t look like Cruller had been staying there. Perhaps he had his own cabin somewhere else on the campgrounds. Or maybe a tent.

“Darling, you should take the bed across from mine!” Milla said, floating over to that bed and sitting on it. “I’m sure Morceau will want to be closest to the door, anyway.”

“Of course.” Sasha shrugged. He didn’t imagine he’d be sleeping much in such an uncomfortable space. But he needed to prove to Oleander that he was capable of doing this, and he wanted to support Milla by sticking around. There was no room for complaining about little things like sleeping arrangements. “Whichever you think is best.”

After that, they headed to the parking lot to grab their suitcases and bring them back to the cabins. If not for telekinesis, Sasha would’ve been annoyed that they were on complete opposite ends of the camp. He couldn’t imagine being forced to actually carry his luggage the entire way across.

Along the journey back to the cabins, they finally spotted Agent Cruller.

He was using a broom to sweep grass and dirt not far from the main lodge, mumbling under his breath. Sasha and Milla looked at each other, and psychically decided to wait until they were unpacked before they talked to him. They both had a feeling that he’d want to chat for a long time, as older people tended to do.

Agent Cruller was gone by the time they made their way back.

“Maybe he’s in the lodge,” Milla suggested, pointing towards it. “Morceau said he cooks all the camp meals, and it’s almost dinnertime.”

Sasha nodded and they made their way inside, unsurprised to find Agent Cruller standing there behind the counter. He was mumbling about burgers and fries and had on a chef’s hat and apron, which weren’t present when they saw him earlier.

“Agent Cruller,” Sasha said, walking towards him. “It’s good to see you.”

The older man tilted his head at the two of them. “Huh…you look different than before! What’s with the green? Huh?”

Sasha frowned and glanced at Milla, who simply smiled and came closer. “Hello! Do you remember me, Agent Cruller? My name is Milla. Milla Vodello!”

Cruller stared at her, his eyes slowly squinting until there was no way he could see anything at all. He then opened his eyes wide, made a noise of surprise, then looked over at Sasha, and then back to Milla again. “I know you two! You’re psychics! Hungry psychics, I’ll bet! You want some burgers?”

Milla’s smile softened and she tugged some hair behind her ears. “Um, yes, sure! That sounds lovely. Thank you, Agent Cruller.”

“Call me Ford, why don’t you?” the older man said loudly. “You two are much too tall to be talking to me like that!”

Sasha ran a hand through his hair, feeling a frustrated knot forming in his shoulder. That always happened when he talked to Agent Cruller for too long - the man’s mental state reminded him too much of exactly the type of damage a Psychonaut was constantly in danger of. “Of course, Ford. Whatever you’d like.”

Cruller gave them a toothy smile and disappeared to make the food.

“I, um. I don’t think Agent Mentallis had the right idea about the psitanium,” Milla said, clasping her hands in front of her. “But maybe the fresh air is good for him, at least?”

“Hopefully,” Sasha answered.

X

Milla woke the next morning feeling oddly achy. Her head hurt - not in a way she was used to. It was like a specific part of her brain was irritated. Almost like she’d spent all night listening to loud music, but somehow…different. It was difficult to explain.

When Sasha came out of their shared bathroom and expressed a similar type of headache, she knew she wasn’t crazy, at least.

“I just assumed it’s because I’ve been cooped up indoors for so long,” Sasha joked, though he also meant it genuinely. “But a headache after less than a day outdoors did seem a bit fast.”

She got up and rushed to the bathroom, desperately needing to brush her teeth and do something about her hair. Sometimes Milla remembered the first time she and Sasha shared a bedroom - she’d been so nervous about how she looked that she’d made sure to wake up before him so she could beautify herself. It took barely two days of that before she gave up and let him see her ridiculous bedhead. He never commented either way. “Could it be the psitanium?”

There was a pause before she heard Sasha’s muffled response from the other side of the bathroom door. “That seems likely. I've certainly not been around this much psitanium before.”

Milla stared at her reflection in the mirror, happy she didn't look as bad as her head felt. “Me neither,” she added before starting to brush her teeth.

She could hear Sasha moving around in the other room and reached out with her mind - somehow they’d gotten to the point where even thirty seconds of not knowing what was going on in his head made her curious. If they were in a different kind of relationship, they’d probably be described as clingy or codependent. But as Psychonaut partners, it was totally normal and fine.

“Maybe we can ask Agent Cruller about it,” Sasha said. Then, after a moment, he corrected himself. “Er, Ford. We can ask Ford.”

Milla smiled. He was never very good at being casual, especially not with senior Psychonauts. She sent him a mental agreement, then quickly finished getting ready and dressed and headed out the door. “Ready to go?”

Sasha nodded at her and telekinetically opened the cabin door, allowing her to leave first. Such a gentleman.

They wandered around for a bit, wondering if they’d find Ford outside somewhere. His persona in the main lodge - the one wearing the chef hat - wasn’t the most helpful. There was always a possibility that one of his other personas around the campgrounds would have better information. But they didn’t see the sweeping persona on their walk towards the lodge, so they decided it was time for breakfast.

“Good morning!” Ford shouted as they entered the lodge. He had a bright smile on his face and was chewing on a large piece of bacon. “We got the good stuff today!”

Milla and Sasha glanced at one another before walking closer to him. She smiled gently. “Good morning, Ford! How are you today?”

“Great!” He pulled the bacon out of his mouth and took a big whiff of it, then took another big bite. “I love this bacon! It’s delicious!”

Sasha sighed and stepped forward, much more impatient than Milla. “You’ve been here for a few weeks now, Agent-er, Ford. Did the psitanium have an adverse effect on you when you first arrived? Headaches? Anything like that?”

Ford stared at Sasha and blinked slowly. Once. Twice. Three times. Then he shook his head. “I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about. But I’ve got some fine egg ‘n bacon sandwiches for the two of you when you want ‘em!”

Sasha sighed again, and barely reacted as Milla put a hand on his arm. “That sounds great, Ford, thank you.”

The older man disappeared for a few seconds, then reappeared with the sandwiches. “All wrapped up, just like a fancy restaurant!”

Milla took them and gave one to Sasha, who seemed generally uninterested in the food. He was clearly disappointed in Agent Cruller’s response, but Milla figured it was what they were going to get. Cruller was…exactly who he was. There was no changing that. “Thank you,” she said quietly, smiling at Ford again.

He stood there silently for a few moments, then slammed his hands on the counter and stared at the two of them, completely bug-eyed. “Y’know where all the psitanium is? It’s underground!” Ford said, tilting his head too far to the side to keep his balance for much longer. “You’d be surprised what’s underground in a place like this!”

The two younger Psychonauts glanced at each other again, then gave a polite goodbye to Agent Cruller before taking their leave. It was a unique reaction from him, especially considering the lack of appropriate response they usually got. It seemed that he at least understood their question, though it was hard to say whether or not his answer held any useful information. Were they the ramblings of a madman? Or was he offering them some semblance of insight from the small parts of his brain that were still functioning?

“Underground, huh?” Milla muttered, finishing up her sandwich. It was very good. Seemed like the campers would be eating just fine during their week of training.

“I suppose it’ll be worth it to keep an eye out.” Sasha only ate half of his and folded the wrapper around the rest. “Maybe there’s some sort of…cave by the water.”

She smiled and grabbed his wrapped sandwich half, unwrapping it and shoving it towards him. He never ate enough, in her opinion. She’d swear that if she didn’t remind him to eat, he could go well over a day without anything but coffee and cigarettes. That wouldn’t happen while they were alone together, that was for sure. “Maybe! You should finish this, darling. In case we find a secret underground psitanium cave and need our strength to get out.”

Sasha exhaled through his nose, but relented and continued eating. “So we’re exploring again today?” he mumbled between bites.

“That’s what I’d like to do, at least. I mean…I’ve got all my lessons planned,” she answered happily. It was always nice when he listened to her in regards to his health. Now if only she could get him to stop smoking! “Reorganized my mind so the kids can practice levitation safely. So there’s nothing else to prepare.”

“Ah.” 

He nodded and then pouted, an expression that Milla didn’t expect to see. “What’s wrong?”

“I may need to take some time and…move some things around.” He took the last bite of his sandwich and crumpled up the wrapper in his gloved hands. “Maybe we’ll head back to the cabins early.” He paused, then corrected himself. “Er, I’ll head back early. You don’t have to. Also. You can do what you want, of course.”

She smiled brightly at him. He was so cute when he stumbled over his words. “Maybe I’ll go swimming, then.”

Sasha returned her smile with a small one of his own and they got up from the picnic table outside the lodge. It was a beautiful day out and there was plenty of campground for them to check out before he needed to start on his lesson plan.

X

Their third day on the campgrounds, aka the last day before the campers arrived and the actual camp started, did not get off on the right foot.

Milla and Sasha were loudly woken up by a loud - loud, loud, loud - trumpet playing a slightly off-tune Reveille. It didn’t take a genius to know what that meant: Oleander had arrived.

Of course, he chose to arrive at six-thirty in the morning. And he had to announce his presence as loudly as possible.

Sasha wasn’t ashamed to admit that he didn’t like Morceau. He didn’t get along with the argumentative man, who was always trying to pick a fight with him over everything. He made inappropriate jokes and comments, gave him insulting nicknames for absolutely no reason, and felt the need to heckle Sasha about his personal life and personality on a regular basis. He was genuinely surprised that anyone got along with the short man, though he supposed Milla got along with everyone.

The two of them got up and took turns getting ready for the day, despite Oleander’s attempts to get them up faster. Sasha just knew that the day was not going to improve with such a loud, little man having access to the camp speaker system.

On the plus side, he didn’t have a headache anymore and his lesson plan for the campers was all ready. It also seemed that Milla didn’t have a headache anymore either, since she hadn’t mentioned it.

While eating breakfast with Milla and Morry, it hit Sasha that he was already really missing the alone time with her. Sure, it wasn’t the romantic nonsense that Morceau had joked about, but it was still very nice. He really enjoyed spending time with her where they didn’t have to worry about danger potentially lurking around every corner.

“Did you get a headache on your first night here?” Milla asked Morceau over their egg sandwiches.

“Huh?” Oleander tilted his head. “Aaronson and Whittaker complained about that, too. The four of you just need to get used to the outdoors, is all!”

Sasha disassociated while Morceau continued to talk about how much stronger and more outdoorsy he was than everyone else, and stared down at his egg sandwich. Though Ford’s cooking wasn’t bad, he was beginning to realize that the food options were quite limited. He wasn’t a man who needed a lot of variety in his life, but he couldn’t imagine eating it over and over again for an entire week. Maybe he’d have to grab some fruit before the campers arrived the next day.

“What do you think, Nein?”

Sasha was pulled back into the conversation to find both of them staring at him. He had no idea what they were just talking about and shook his head. “I didn’t catch the question.”

Oleander rolled his eyes. “See what I mean? If any of this week’s kids give us a bad review, I’m blaming it all on you!” he said, pointing a finger in Sasha’s face. “If you’re gonna screw anything up, just try to keep it small, alright?”

“...alright,” Sasha responded, standing up. He wasn’t interested in listening to insults any longer, so he decided it was a good time to look around the camp. By himself. “I’m going for a walk.”

Milla gave him an apologetic smile, almost like she somehow knew he was leaving because he didn’t want to spend too much time with Morceau. She’d heard him complain about the man enough times to come to that conclusion. “Catch up with you later?”

“Of course.” Sasha nodded at her and levitated away, decidedly towards the geodesic psychoisolation chambers in the woods. He’d meant to ask Morry about them, but didn’t have the patience for it. Maybe Milla would remember.

As he came to the structure, he noticed a strange-looking squirrel out of the corner of his eye. Sasha turned to look directly at it, but the squirrel immediately ran off - though, notably, it fell into a large tree stump. After a moment the squirrel climbed back out, looking slightly worse for wear, then it ran off in another direction.

Bored and curious, Sasha walked closer to the tree stump. He’d noticed a few of them around the camp, though they didn’t really catch his attention considering they were in the middle of the woods. When he looked inside the stump, however, it was clear that it wasn’t a normal stump. It was hollow and the hole inside was very deep. One could even say that it led to something…underground.

Sasha raised a single eyebrow at his discovery. He looked up - turned left, then right, then looked back down into the hole. It was certainly big enough for him to fit into. Though now he was wishing he’d used clairvoyance on that squirrel before it got away.

With a shrug, he decided it was worth a shot to look, so Sasha levitated himself down into the stump to see what was inside.

He didn’t expect to land on an awkwardly small rail car. Even more than that, he didn’t expect it to talk to him.

"Welcome to the Whispering Rocket Underground Rapid Transit System. Would you like to go back to your private sanctuary now, Agent Cruller? Or...somewhere else?"

Sasha stared at the device in front of his face. What the hell was he looking at, exactly? Whose voice was that? And…it specifically mentioned Agent Cruller. Did that mean this was something Ford had managed to put together in the short time he’d been living at the camp? It looked like an entire underground tunnel system.

Unsure of what else to say, Sasha cleared his throat. “Uh…to the sanctuary. Please.”

“Yes, noble Psychomaster.”

He glared, unhappy with that nickname, and held the car tight as he was suddenly pulled in a random direction. The rail car seemed to be functioning well, though Sasha was understandably nervous about the construction quality. Did Agent Cruller build this secretly or did Oleander know about it? He had so many questions.

Questions that would be followed up by even more questions, Sasha realized as the car came to a stop. He levitated out through another hollowed-out tree stump and found himself in some sort of underground laboratory - or, sanctuary, he supposed, was the word the rail car had used. The space was still very clearly under construction, but there were floating screens all around, several comfortable-looking chairs, and a pile full of psychic devices that Sasha recognized from Agent Mentallis’ lab.

It was a strange sight to behold.

“...Agent Cruller?” Sasha said, unsure of what was going on.

No one responded. He supposed it was silly to think Ford would just be waiting around when he saw him in the main lodge less than an hour earlier. The man was probably working around the campgrounds somewhere, or maybe he was-

“Sasha!”

He turned around to find Ford Cruller floating up from somewhere below, a large piece of scrap metal in his hands. “Ford. What’s going on?”

“I didn’t expect you down here so soon,” the older man answered, plopping down on the same platform as Sasha. “You get into a fight with Oleander?”

Sasha pouted slightly. “Not a fight. Just annoyed with him.” He paused for a moment, then shook his head. “Wait, no, where are we? Why are you wearing your Psychonauts uniform? Are you-?”

“Oop! I’ll be right back!” Ford interrupted, then quickly dove into the tree stump that Sasha had come out of earlier.

“I…what?” Sasha felt positively bewildered. He needed to find Milla and bring her there immediately, maybe she’d be able to shed some light on the situation. Or at the very least, offer a comforting presence while they absorbed the insanity together. He reached out to her mentally to let her know that he wanted to speak to her alone, then jumped back into the tree stump from earlier. Somehow, the rail car was still there, despite the fact that Ford seemingly exited the same way. Sasha was very, very confused.

X

It didn’t take much effort to get Morry to walk away from her. Milla let him know that she had some womanly things to take care of, and he immediately bounced away without a single question. He was truly a man’s man, she supposed.

She was very curious about whatever Sasha had found. Milla could feel that he was surprised and confused by something and she hoped it was something exciting, because the past hour of talking to Morceau about his Basic Braining mental boot camp was exhausting. She could not have been less interested in the militarized jungle gym he’d set up for the kids inside his head. It was…certainly different from what she’d planned.

She agreed to meet Sasha near the woods where they’d found the psychoisolation chambers - which she’d almost forgotten to ask Morceau about, but thankfully she had the answer. Agent Mentallis had suggested them as a fun exercise for the kids, then after they were already built, Second Head Forsythe and Grand Head Zanotto rejected the idea completely. But they were already built, and no one wanted to see all that money wasted, so Agent Mentallis promised to come and relocate the chambers whenever he had enough time and found a good space to put them back near the Motherlobe.

It wasn’t a great solution, but the campers would probably be too terrified of the chambers to mess around. Milla knew she could scare them off if she told them exactly what they were used for, but she wouldn’t do that. She never wanted to scare children.

Sasha was waiting for her near the entrance, standing next to one of the large tree stumps she’d noticed around the campgrounds.

“Morry didn’t follow you, did he?”

Milla gave him an incredulous stare. “Of course not, darling. Why would he? Did you find something bad?”

“Not bad, just…secretive. I think.” Sasha tugged at the turtleneck of his sweater. “Follow me,” he said, and then levitated down into the stump.

She leaned over to see that Sasha had completely disappeared into the darkness. That was unexpected. “Um…Sasha?”

“It’s safe,” his voice spoke, echoing slightly. “Just come down.”

Well. She trusted Sasha more than anyone, so there was no reason not to do what he said. Milla floated down slowly and after a few seconds she felt herself land in Sasha’s arms. Another unexpected development. She looked around and saw that he was sitting in a small rail car and they were in a little tunnel.

“What is this?”

Sasha grunted as he tried to adjust the way she was seated - moving her legs around to make sure they weren’t sticking out too far, if she had to guess. “Sorry, just. Give me a second.”

She could’ve helped him, but it was kind of fun to just let him move her around. It wasn’t often that Sasha initiated physical contact with her, after all.

He seemed satisfied with her positioning - she was sitting on his lap and her legs were crossed over one another, laying on top of his left leg. Her shoulder was resting against his chest and she had her hands poised politely in her lap. Sasha glanced at her, a nervous blush on his cheeks, then reached out one hand towards her hair.

After a moment of hesitation, he pulled his hand back. “You, um. You should pull your hair in front of you. Just in case.”

Milla was entertained enough by the situation to do what he said without question.

Once that was done, Sasha cleared his throat and tapped the little screen in front of them. “To the sanctuary, please.”

“Yes, noble Psychomaster.”

Not expecting such a sultry voice - or any voice at all, really - Milla let out a nervous laugh. “Darling, what in the world is going on? Where are we?”

“You’ll see in a few moments,” he said quietly, and then the rail car started to move.

Instinctively, Milla pulled her knees up towards her chest and tucked herself into the tightest ball she could. The car moved faster than she expected and she wasn’t exactly seated very securely. Thankfully, Sasha caught the hint and wrapped one hand around her legs and the other around her back, keeping hold of her.

It was very nice. She’d have to thank whoever built the tunnel system for that little moment she got to have with her partner.

Less than a minute later and it stopped. Sasha didn’t wait even a second before wrapping his hands underneath her and levitating them both out of there. They exited through a similar hollow tree stump, but found themselves in a very high-tech-looking lab. It looked almost nicer than some of the things they had at the Motherlobe.

She levitated out of Sasha’s arms and floated over to the middle of the room. “I have never been more confused.”

“There you are! And good, you brought Agent Vodello.”

The two of them turned to find Ford Cruller walking towards them from a platform on the opposite side of the room. He looked more sober and focused than either had ever seen from him before, and his presence asked just as many questions as it answered.

“Ford…” Milla said gently, floating towards him. “What’s going on?”

“My question exactly,” Sasha added.

The older man shook his head. “Sorry for rushing out on you earlier, Sasha, but I could hear Oleander thinking about getting his hands on a boat, so I felt that inescapable urge to get out there and help him. You understand, I’m sure.”

Milla stared at the man, unblinking. She did not understand at all. “You remember our names?”

“I do,” he answered, taking a deep breath. “Just down here. Surrounded by all this psitanium…it’s enough psychic energy to keep my mind together. For now, at least.”

“I thought this much psitanium exposure was dangerous for psychics.” Sasha walked along the platform, coming to a stop next to Ford. “We’ve seen that in the past, at least.”

“Yes, of course, I remember the whole situation with that Rehm fellow a few years ago,” Cruller responded absentmindedly. “But he was an untrained psychic mind, someone who didn’t even know he was psychic until he was exposed. My mind is…well, it’s not what it used to be. But it’s used to psitanium and it’s used to psychic enhancements.”

Milla wasn’t surprised to hear Lucius’ name brought up - Whispering Rock was, after all, very close to the place where he’d first been exposed to the psitanium that made him lose his mind. His accidental discovery was helpful when Oleander was looking for the right place to build the camp. “But above ground you’re still…not quite yourself.”

“That’s true. I…can’t leave this sanctuary.” Ford sighed and sat in one of the chairs. “My every free moment has been spent working on this underground chamber, trying to make it liveable and giving myself access to all the classified information I can get my hands on.”

Milla noticed Sasha staring at a pile of gadgets sitting across the way. Those probably belonged to Agent Mentallis - she wondered if Ford had stolen them, or somehow convinced his old friend to give them to him.

“This is great news, Agent Cruller,” Sasha said. “Why haven’t you told anyone yet?”

“Hmmmm,” Ford hummed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. “To be honest…I don’t think most of them will believe me. I’m just happy you two do!”

“It’s hard not to believe when you’re so much more, um…” Milla started.

“...coherent. Than usual,” Sasha added, finishing her sentence.

“Ha! That’s true.” Agent Cruller stood up and stretched, cracking his back loudly. “Oleander doesn’t know about this, alright? And I don’t want him to. He can’t keep a secret worth his life.” He scratched the top of his head. “I don’t know if the psitanium will keep me sane forever, but…so long as it does, would you two help me out with some projects?”

Milla and Sasha glanced at one another, not even needing telepathy to understand that the answer was of course.

“Excellent,” Ford responded, despite the fact that they hadn’t actually answered out loud. “And since you asked, Sasha - we’re just due north of the main lodge. Directly underneath.”

Sasha hadn’t asked anything like that, which made Milla wonder if Agent Cruller was able to read their minds so effortlessly while in his sanctuary that he didn’t even realize the telepathy was happening. It was a strange concept, though she’d certainly had moments where she couldn’t tell if Sasha was talking to her or thinking at her.

“I know you two have a lot to do, getting ready for the campers to arrive tomorrow,” Ford continued, “but I’d appreciate it if you could visit me down here sometime soon. I have some important things I’d like to discuss.”

“Of course, sir,” Sasha answered.

Milla wondered if he felt as intimidated by Ford’s commanding presence as she did. It was so strange to be talking to the Ford Cruller of legend rather than the Ford Cruller they’d gotten to know in the Motherlobe. All the stories they’d been told about him suddenly made sense, just from such a brief interaction.

“Is there anything we can do for you now?” Milla asked.

Ford shook his head. “No, I…oh. I need to go.” He suddenly rushed towards the hollow tree stump and jumped in, leaving the two active Psychonauts alone.

Milla frowned. “Maybe Morceau needed help with that boat again.”

“Perhaps,” Sasha answered, but he was already back to staring at the pile of gadgets in the corner. “These are definitely from Agent Mentallis’ lab. He was complaining to me about missing equipment just last week.”

“Ah. Well…too bad we can’t tell him where it is.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “This is a strange situation, right? This isn’t something you’ve experienced before?”

“Not at all.” Sasha stood up straight and walked closer to her. “I think I can say with absolute certainty that this is not something any Psychonaut has dealt with before.”

Milla nodded her head and took a deep breath, wondering if the extra psitanium exposure would have an immediate effect or if they’d have to wait longer to feel a difference. She felt a little lighter, maybe a bit stronger, but she also wasn’t sure if she was just imagining it. “Agent Mentallis would probably be very happy to know he was right.”

Sasha sighed and stuck his hands into his pockets. “Yes, yes he would.”

#psychonauts #sasha nein #milla vodello #sashamilla #morceau oleander #ford cruller #lunchtime yoga #science party #carrofics