#sand-blight

[aleroin]

I actually didn’t intend for my hcs on Merrill’s father to line up so well with her storyline, but boy do they.

#OOC / HOLLY. #MOBILE. #love it when this happens #for those of you playing at home he’s from that group of non-Dalish elves in the Silent Plains I talked about on Cassandra #the strong magic + high sensitivity to the Beyond + close relationship with spirits + high blight resistance + magical glassworks #all slot for her too. and that they go to great lengths to preserve what they can in the Silent Plains #y’know of historically sites etc that would otherwise be buried under the sand #historical* #and then it just meshes with her upbringing in the Alerion and Sabrae clans #what I think would be really interesting is if she finds the perfect material for making eluvians #is sand from the Silent Plains that she cleanses

[tenth-sentence]

It was two decades before Sands' hypothesis started to gain traction.

"Soil: The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy" - Matthew Evans

#book quote #soil #matthew evans #nonfiction #passage of time #david sands #theory #hypothesis #gaining traction #pathogen #plant pathogen #pseudomonas syringae #leaf blight #bacterial leaf blight #bacterial infection

[autistickaitovocaloid]

I love putting video game men in silly little outfits.

#art talks about stuff #i know why it's not there but i miss being able to put link in silly little outfits now that i'm playing skyward sword #i might play some botw today anyway because i never finished my rinsing the blights run that i started a few months ago #and i am heavily procrastinating naydra's silent realm. fuck that place i hate sand #oh also this post goes tenfold for kaito vocaloid project diva. of course

[sleepingelvhen]

Sleeping Spider Lily Pt. 2

Blade/Reader NSFW Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- [🌹Part 4🌹] Minors DO NOT interact MASTERLIST Your world was turned upside down when you discovered the love of your life was alive and a completely different person. Now, you need answers, even if it was risky.

Nighttime on the Luofu was the most peaceful. For you, at least. Not many enjoyed strolling the less patrolled streets as you did, the mara-struck a blight upon the planet-ship that kept most everyone away. It made things easier for you; the further you strayed from civilization, the fewer guards there were, and the less likely you were to get reported to Jing Yuan for completely going against his request.

Maybe your logic was slightly skewed from the complete lack of sleep that muddled your logical thinking. Possibly also combined with the questions that consumed your mind. Questions only Blade would be able to answer if he was willing. If this reckless plan went wrong however…well, it’s been a while since you’ve sparred with someone.

Slipping through the shadows, you avoided another group of guards within Stargazer Navalia. Hood up to cloak your face, a deep breath to calm your nerves, and a moment to take control of a docked starskiff, soon you were flying through the Luofu, guiding your way to the only place you believed Blade would hide out. 

The one place you haven’t been to in a few hundred years now.

Complicated machinery was quickly replaced by sand and the ripples of waves. A reminder of where the races of the Luofu came from before their home developed to soaring through space. 

It was a familiar sensation when your feet sunk into the thin beach sand, a wave of nostalgia in your heart making you feel so lightweight it felt for a moment you were floating.

He was here, he had to be. It was like a second sense, something you once believed was a supernatural connection you had had with him. A bond that connected the two of you so that you would always know he was near. Part of you wanted to believe it to be true, but if you had gone this long not knowing he was even alive…well love makes you delusional.

Scalegorge Waterscape was beautiful enough to cause your eyes to water a bit as you approached the main entrance. Memories of friends…family…a love you had lost…they all appeared as ghosts in your mind now drowned by the now risen sea levels. Only a part of it still really existed, a platform with a statue depicting the Imbibitor Lunae, another friend you had lost all those years ago.

Eyes fixated on the statue, it took you a moment to really notice that you weren’t alone. You felt his presence, knew he was there. But a part of you didn’t want to look, scared to really face the reality of the situation.

“He must face his betrayal,” his darkened voice pulled you from your mind. A bit of a reminiscent tone within words that he attempted to make sound completely careless. “No one can run from a price to be paid.”

You finally turned to look at him. Surprisingly, he looked quite peaceful here, eyes staring up into the statue of Dan Feng. You thought you saw a flash of sadness in his eyes, maybe a bit of hope that he could return to the past. Or maybe that was just a bit of your own hope peaking through.

“Why have you come here?” Red eyes met your own then, you hadn’t even noticed he had turned to acknowledge your presence. Just like before, eyes filled with disdain and a desire to kill. But it was just what he was, it seemed. There was no desire in him to attack you, there was no intent to kill you. He was simply filled with bloodlust and it caused a shiver to climb up your spine.

“I…” your voice caught in your mouth. “I need answers.”

“Don’t we all?” He looked away from you again, eyes fixated upon the stretching ocean. You followed his gaze there, reminded of how this place used to look. Once filled with life, now beneath languid waves. Just a reminder of what you both had lost.

“Do you…remember me?” It was the only thing you could really think to ask. While it sounded so simple coming from you, it was just…the only thing that left the fog of your chaos-filled brain.

Blade huffed, almost a laugh. Aeons have you missed that. Blade never had a loud laugh like many, it was always cocky and short. One thing you had loved about him. Something that made your heart pang when you heard it again.

“I remember you…” His voice softened, eyes closed, refusing to turn to face you. “You seem to have changed.”

You gritted your teeth then and clenched your fists. With a deep breath, you walked forward, joining him where he stood. The silence was louder than the waves, louder than the crunching sand beneath your feet.

“We both have.”

Blade dipped his head in agreement, no reaction to you moving next to him. He didn’t move away, didn’t step closer, just stood there, staring out at the sea. You closed your eyes, trying to enjoy this for a moment, pretending it was like old times. The man beside you was Yingxing, and you were his lover. Standing upon Scalegorge Waterscape, simply reveling in the silence and one another’s company. 

Back then, you would gently take his hand in yours and he would squeeze it to tell you he was there and would always be there. Back then, he would tell you about his day and about the ways he was improving in his craft. Or maybe he would show you a sword he was proud of. You thought fondly of the day he showed you Shard Sword, proud upon its flawless creation. The smile upon his face was one you had tucked away into your memories, so vivid you could look at it whenever you pleased.

“You came here seeking answers,” the growl in his voice pulled you away from your thoughts, your eyes opening, your head turning to see him staring down at you intensely. “Ask your questions.”

He had blue eyes once, you remembered. But the red, it was entrancing and almost suited him better than the blue. Despite all the changes he still looked like himself, still looked so gorgeous. It was always so easy to get lost in his eyes, so easy to search for the feelings he kept hidden. You saw it there, a subtle flash of vulnerability. Eyes awash with affection.

“How are you alive?” You watched as his mood fell a bit, his brows lowering, a sharp intake of breath hinting at something painful inside. 

“The mara,” he simply said, unsheathing his sword, Shard Sword, and gliding his fingers against the golden marbling of its perfection. He hummed in consideration, nicking the pads of his index and middle finger, blood dripping down onto the blade, then onto the ground beneath him. Then, you watched wide-eyed as the deep cuts glowed and healed in simply a few seconds. Blade closed his eyes and sighed. “I pay my price in blood…and endless life.”

“Yingxing—Blade…” You stumbled over your words, correcting the name when you saw him turn his head away from you upon hearing his old name. He sheathed his sword, clenching the fist that he had previously cut.

“I left as I was cursed. Determined to die. Instead I became this. Immortal. Mara-struck. A blade to be used." His explanation made you understand truly what had happened. His allegiance with Dan Feng, his betrayal of the Luofu. Yes, they had found immortality in their search to revive their friend, but he was living proof of what that did to a short-life species. 

“You have your answers.”

But you didn’t leave, you just stared at him, tears in your eyes. You were exhausted, heart-broken, and…still absolutely in love with this man despite who he had become. A criminal, betrayer of the Luofu, ally to the Stellaron Hunters, and the love of your life. 

He took a sharp breath when he saw you staring, eyes darkening as he looked down at you. He cocked his head to the side, watching you carefully. 

“Your general would not be pleased if he discovered you here,” his voice was low and breathy, as if he was whispering.

“Jing Yuan would understand,” you simply said, unable to take your eyes away from him.

“Hm,” Blade turned his head, gaze still fixated upon your face. The noise he made sounded like a growl, or a huff of irritation. He used to do that when Jing Yuan would get too close to you, too friendly. A dusting of pink colored your cheeks as you looked down at your feet.

“I missed you…you know. Every day.”

Blade didn’t answer you. Instead, two fingers lifted your chin, forcing you to look into his eyes, flickering with something that looked all too familiar. Intrigue, affection, and hesitance. 

“Every day?” He asked, his voice husky.

“Every day,” you answered, your own voice growing warm and soft.

You swore you saw a ghost of a smirk grace his face, a glimmer of his arrogance. 

“Hm…you are tired,” Blade pulled his fingers away slowly, the feeling of his touch lingering on your jaw. A soft gasp left your lips when he leaned in close, his lips against the shell of your ear, his whisper breathing a warm breath against your skin. “Go sleep, little dove. You will see me soon.”

He took your hand in his, his fingers slipping a piece of paper into your now weakened grip. As soon as he had been so close to you, he was walking away, hands behind his back as he regarded his environment. 

You wanted to stay, taking a step forward to reach for Blade before you stopped and bit your lip. He was right, you were on the verge of falling asleep right here right now. And nighttime was almost over. You fought the urge to stay, and left the Waterscape, gliding back home on the stolen starskiff. 

Once back in your room, you slipped into your sleeping clothes, sitting on the edge of your bed with the paper in hand. It was soft against your fingers, making your mind reel as you wondered what was within. Hesitance didn’t stop you as you opened the small slip of paper, revealing the message Blade had given you.

An address and a meeting time. He was hiding within a small building. Right here in the Divination Commission.

#blade x reader #blade hsr #blade smut #reader insert #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail #honkai star rail smut #yingxing #yingxing x reader

[maximoffwitch]

I love johanna mason, could you do something like reader was In the hunger games before her and they met when Johanna won, and they got close like close and then the 75th hunger games come and both of them get pick to go in. You can choose which districts she from, but maybe just her and johanna In the arena together. (Sorry, it's a lot)

The Calm in the Storm

pairing: johanna mason x reader

warnings: blood, canon typical violence, slight mention of ptsd

word count: 1.6k

summary: You have an effect on Johanna that no one else does. In other words, Katniss should thank you for saving her life from the rage of your girlfriend.

a/n: thanks anon for sending this request in!! this is my first time writing for johanna and the hunger games so it might be a little ooc or rough lol, but i hope u all enjoy this lil story :))

“Someone’s here,” Katniss alerted, immediately drawing an arrow from her quiver.

You stayed behind the younger girl, barely peeking over her shoulder as Finnick looked on through the leaves.

When Finnick had first approached you about the alliance with the District 12 tributes, you were hesitant. But as he further explained Plutarch’s plan, the more willing you became.

Despite being the same age as you, Finnick was your mentor when you won your games, so you trusted his gut. After all, he was a big reason you were still alive.

“Johanna,” you barely heard him mutter. Before you could even register the three distant figures, Finnick took over running. “Johanna!”

“Finnick!” Johanna’s voice echoed across the beach, piercing through your foggy thoughts.

“Johanna?” you whispered to yourself before you pushed past Katniss and took off running behind Finnick, leaving a bewildered pair of victors behind you.

As you got closer, you noticed she was covered in blood and you felt your chest tighten. “Johanna,” you swallowed the knot in your throat, fearing the possibility she had been severely injured.

“It’s not mine,” she reassured, and you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. You saw her guard soften for a brief second before shooting right back up as Peeta and Katniss approached.

“Well, I got them out,” Johanna turned back towards Finnick. “We were all the way deep into the jungle, where I thought it was gonna be safe.

“That’s when the rain started. I thought it was water. Turned out to be blood,” she explained as Wiress continued to repeat “tick tock” over and over again.

“Hot, thick blood,” Johanna moved the older woman out of her way, clearly not wanting to be touched. “It was coming down. It was choking us. We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind.”

You took a few steps towards her with the hopes of trying to calm her down. Wiress continued to mutter the same two words, starting to irk even you.

“That’s when Blight hit the force field,” Johanna took a deep breath, and you tentatively put your hand on the small of her back. She visibly calmed for a moment, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. “He wasn’t much, but he was from home.”

“Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock,” Wiress put a hand on Johanna’s shoulder, and you could see the annoyance written across Johanna’s face; her patience was wearing thin.

“What’s wrong with her?” Katniss furrowed her brows.

“She’s in shock,” Beetee explained from the water. “Dehydration isn’t helping. Do you have fresh water?”

“We can get some,” Katniss answered.

Wiress braced both hands on Johanna’s shoulders, desperately pleading, “Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.”

Backing up from the pair, you watched as Johanna threw the older woman to the sand.

“Hey! Get off her!” Katniss yelled, moving quickly to push Johanna. Your eyes widened. You knew this could end dangerously for both women if the situation wasn’t deescalated. Quickly, you shot Finnick a glance, urging him to do something, to which he gave you a small nod.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Johanna protested, as she tried to defend herself.

Before more shoves could be thrown, or before weapons could be drawn, Finnick stepped in separating the two, “Hey, hey, hey,” he pulled away a screaming Johanna, moving her towards you.

“I got them out for you!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Finnick murmured, his arms still wrapped around her.

“Let me go, Finnick!” she yelled, trying to shrug him off.

This time, it was his turn to shoot you a glance over her head, telling you it was your turn to take over.

“Let me go,” Johanna ordered, and you raised your eyebrows at Finnick, who relented, releasing her, “I’m fine.”

“Jo,” you held out your hand with the smallest of smiles, “come on.”

As she looked down at your hand, you saw a wave of tension leave Johanna’s body. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed your hand and let you pull her towards the water.

“Let’s get you washed off,” you suggested, the two of you already waist deep in the water. “Lie back.”

Johanna rolled her eyes childishly and grumbled, “I’m not a child, (Y/N).”

“I know, Johanna,” you agreed with a hum, running your thumb across the back of her hand you still held. “Just let me take care of you.”

Johanna visibly softened, squeezing your hand as an apology. You were the only person who put her as their first priority. Even Finnick, though he had a huge heart of gold, had Annie. But you, you always looked out for her.

The two of you met the year after Johanna won her games when you were both mentors. Though many were put off by her abrasiveness and sarcasm, you knew that it was all just a facade. You, too, had spent the years after your games and during your mentoring creating a persona for the capitol.

You were drawn to Johanna’s intelligence and strength, not to mention her beauty of course, so you made the effort to get to know her, the real Johanna.

While she was wary of you at the first, cautious of your charm and outgoing nature, Johanna realized that that was your own coping mechanism for dealing with your trauma.

As both of you let your walls down for each other, you became closer and closer, realizing what you had was beyond friendship. You loved her, and she loved you.

You were the one to comfort her after she woke up screaming from nightmares, or to train with her in the late hours when she couldn’t sleep. And you always listened and validated her feelings, even when they were being yelled and cursed aloud.

And Johanna, she was the one to protect you from anything and everything, even Finnick, when he pinned you during sparring. She was the one who held you when you cried, soothingly whispering calming words. And Johanna, no matter what, always said ‘I love you’ before the day ended.

In a world that didn’t care, the two of you found solace in each other.

Johanna followed your order and lied back in the water so she was floating, your hand offering support on the small of her back.

“Close,” you hummed as Johanna shut her eyes. Carefully, you splashed water over her face and cleaned off the blood that coated her skin. “Open.”

Opening her eyes, Johanna was met with the sight of you and she swore she could cry.

Despite cuts and dirt littering your face and sweat clinging to your hair, she swore you looked more beautiful than ever. You wore an endearing smile as you looked down at her, gently guiding her head back so her hair was soaked in the water.

As you ran your hand through her hair, watching the blood dye the blue water, Johanna hummed.

“Penny for your thoughts?” you lightly scratched her scalp.

“My thoughts are worth a lot more than that, (Y/N/N),” Johanna smirked, causing you to chuckle and roll your eyes.

“Do you think it’ll be worth it?” Her voice became more solemn and her lips pursed together.

“What?”

“Saving Katniss,” she let out a dry laugh as she moved to stand up right in the water. “This whole Mockingjay rebellion.”

You stayed quiet for a moment, her question raising all the doubts you had when Finnick originally proposed this plan to you.

“I hope so,” you whispered, pulling her closer by her waist so you were nearly hugging. “I’m done being a piece in their games, aren’t you?”

Johanna nodded but didn’t say anything. Furrowing your brows, you used the pad of your thumb to wipe a streak of blood that was still on her cheek.

“Love?” you prodded.

“Do you ever wonder why one of us wasn’t the Mockingjay?”

“Johanna,” you sighed, trailing off.

“I mean I get why not me,” she continued. “Nobody likes me. But you…?”

“Hey!” you protested, wrapping your arms around her neck. “I like you.”

Johanna bit back a genuine smile. “Thank god for that,” she cupped your cheek and connected your lips. Despite the saltiness from the water and the faint metallic taste lingering from the blood rain, you could still taste the pine from the District 7 Johanna carried everywhere – one more thing from home.

“Hey, lovebirds,” Finnick shouted from the beach, causing the two of you to break apart, and you rested your forehead against hers. “Katniss has something!”

Johanna sighed before pecking your lips quickly, wanting to savor the moment.

“Come on,” you took her hand as the two of you waded towards the shore. “It sounds important.”

As you reached the dry sand, Johanna pulled you back before you could reach the others. “Hey.”

“Yeah?” you turned back around, concern laced in your voice.

“I love you,” she stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

You grinned, wrapping her in a tight hug. “I love you too,” you whispered into the crook of her neck.

“Let’s go see what the girl on fire wants,” Johanna teased as you separated.

You could only roll your eyes as she smirked, the two of you rejoining the group.

As Katniss explained that the arena was some sort of clock, you remained close by Johanna’s side, basking in the warmth she radiated. Listening to the explanation, you felt everything to click into place, only causing your anxiety to heighten. Johanna, being able to read you like a book, discretely interlaced your fingers with hers and gave your hand a quick squeeze, helping ease your nerves slightly.

Amidst the chaos and brutality of the games, you were grateful to have her to ground you; and for Johanna, you were the calm in the storm.

#my writing #johanna mason x reader #johanna mason imagine #johanna mason #johanna mason x you

[cabotwife]

i saw that u r taking johanna mason request :3 how abt a fluff where reader is finnicks younger sister u can make ur own plot i dont mind!! have great day/night<33

Enchanted

-> thank you for your request !! i hope you enjoy it 💗

warnings: ooc Johanna(?), poorly written fluff, almost kiss?, not proofread

word count: ~1,012

a/n: sorry if this isn't very good, i wrote it while in school😓

“Johanna.” you breathe as you see the three silhouettes emerge from the forest in the distance of the beach.

“Johanna!” you yell, sprinting towards the girl. you can see her head shoot up at the sound of your voice, you can't hear it but you can see her mouth move as she says your name.

the wind blows your hair back as you run, as you get closer you notice she's drenched in blood. immediately your heart drops.

you stumble into her as you reach her finally, your hands cup her cheeks.

your face is full of worry as your eyes jump all around her face.

“it's not mine.” Johanna says simply, you could audibly tell she was relieved to see you.

you finally meet her eyes, the others walk behind the two of you, going to Wiress and Beetee, but you don't really notice them, your focus fully on the bloodied girl in front of you.

“it's not mine.” Johanna repeats, her hand cupping your waist to soothe you.

suddenly, Johanna spins away from you, now addressing your brother. “well, i got them out.” she says flatly. her eyes moving to Katniss, who is standing behind Finnick, “we were all the way deep into the jungle, where i thought it was gonna be safe..”

you all listen to Johanna, you more than the others evidently.

“that's when the rain started.” she takes a step towards Finnick, glancing at Katniss before returning her gaze towards him.

you can see his face contort into confusion, right as he opens his mouth Johanna continues, “i thought it was water.” she chuckles as she speaks, as if it was humorous what's happening, but you know better than to believe that.

“tick tock.” it's a faint whisper coming from the older woman sitting it the water behind Johanna. you spare glance in Wiress's direction before pulling your eyes back towards Johanna.

“it turned out to be blood. hot. thick. blood.” Johanna grits, turning on her feet as she reaches where Finnick is standing.

“Tick Tock, tick tock,” Wiress continues to repeat, now out of the water and standing beside Johanna, gripping onto her bicep.

Johanna lets out a chuckle, “it was choking us. we were stumbling around, gagging on it blind.” your hand rests on Johanna's shoulder, unlike Wiress's touch, she didn't push you away.

“that's when Blight hit the force field.” she says, her tone saddened. “he wasn't much, but he was from home.” she looks towards the sky, blood still running down her cheeks to her neck.

Johanna glares at Katniss as Wiress grips her bloodied shoulder, but she doesn't fight off the touch this time.

“tick tock, tick tock.”

as the brunette attempts to walk to towards the water, most likely to rinse herself off, the deranged woman follows, tugging at the former's arm.

eventually Johanna loses her cool, turning around to face Wiress, “listen-” Johanna begins, her arms on the older woman's shoulders as she pulls her away from herself. Wiress though grips the back of Johanna's neck, causing the latter to struggle in the grip, “stop it!” she growls as she finally shoves the woman off of her and onto the sand.

her words never stop, not even when she falls, “tick tock, tick tock” it's starting to frustrate you as well.

“hey! leave her alone!” you hear Katniss yell as she steps towards Johanna, about to lunge at the brunette.

“hey- you two!” you shout as Finnick pulls them apart, your words fall upon deaf ears though as they continue.

“i only even got them out for you! be fucking greatful!” Johanna growls as she rips herself away from your brother and the other woman.

you watch as Johanna storms towards the water, you and Katniss's eyes meet in confusion. you offer her a shrug before chasing after Johanna.

the brunette heavily seats herself, the waves brushing against her as she begins to scrub the blood off of herself.

you seat yourself next to her, no words leave either of you as you begin to wash her hair gently, making sure to get all the blood out.

when you're finished and she's finally void of any blood, you slick her wet hair back to keep it from her face.

when you look down she's already looking up at you with an undescribable look on her face. “thank you.” she says, uncharacteristically soft.

i chuckle as i nod, “course, how're you feeling?”

“better,” she hums, never breaking eye contact with you.

you can feel yourself leaning in slowly, sparing a glance to her lips. she parts them in response, her tongue darting out to wet them.

her breath fans against your lips, you're so close you can practically already feel her lips on yours. just as the gap is about to be closed, your brother calls you.

you sigh as you pull away, looking over to where Finnick and the others are seated on the beach.

Johanna groans at the loss of contact, throwing her head back in frustration before she turns her head to look at the tall bronze-haired boy, her eyes squinted in a glare.

“Katniss has something!” he shouts, ignoring Johanna as he waves you two over.

you watch as Johanna pulls herself up, she pushes her hand out towards you, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.

you chuckle as you roll my eyes, grabbing her hand and allowing he to pull you up

“lets go see what the girl on fire wants..” Johanna says in a sarcastic tone you can't help but smile at.

you both make your way to the others rather quickly. by the time you get there, though Katniss was already deep in her explanation.

as she speaks, it suddenly clicks for you. the arena is a clock. “oh my god.” you whisper as you spin around to look at the cornucopia.

Johanna turns to look at you, then looks in the direction you're looking, and before you know it, you're all making your way towards where you were once looking.

#johanna mason #johanna mason x reader #the hunger games #catching fire #send requests #requests open

[ariariari-freehounreal]

For the sake of humanity, die of your blight. We’re blessed you’re barren as Mojave sands.

Get his ass Caroline GET HIS ASS‼️‼️‼️‼️

I hate Cave Johnson he is a certified piece of shit

This is not ship art at all in any way

#portal #portal 2 #cave johnson #caroline portal #glados

[danisbrainrot]

reader calming down johanna during quarter quell and the others are like wtf

johanna mason x reader

the thick hot blood had you blind, choking and running around like headless chickens. johanna screamed, her hand reaching out for yours; your hands were already full, unfortunately. between your large knife and wiress' hand, you couldn't console johanna as she grew more panicked.

she grabbed the back of beetee's neck, dragging him through the forest, while you held tightly onto wiress and ran. the blood wasn't slowing down, instead pouring even harder.

suddenly, you heard the screams of johanna's district partner and turned around. you and johanna began calling for him—you even turned around and tried to follow the direction the sound had come from; after a minute of silence, everyone heard the sound of a cannon and jumped out of their skin. he was gone forever.

the group of four finally made it to the beach, you snapped your head to the sound of someone running up to you and calling out your name. still running on adrenaline, you held out your sword—ready to swing—before realising that it was finnick as he shouts, "johanna!"

"finnick!" she cried, you both lowered your weapons before she ran up to greet him. sheathing your sword, you swiftly made your way to johanna's side, hugging finnick tightly; you were glad to see another person you could consider your ally.

you spot katniss and peeta hiding in the trees; noticing the absence of mags, your heart sinks as you realise that one of the cannons you'd heard from before must have been hers.

the moment of relief passes when finnick was joined by the two figures who were hiding in the foliage, "rain started. thought it was water at first. turned out to be blood. thick and hot. we were choking, staggering around blind," johanna answers, talking quickly, "that's when blight hit the force field," she shakes her head, trying to hold the tears back. "he wasn't much, but he was from home."

you reach out for her hand, and she looks down at it at first, before sighing softly and taking it—she offers you a weak nod.

"what's wrong with her?" katniss asked, nodding at wiress. you shrug, looking over your shoulder to see the woman mumbling something to herself.

"she's in shock. dehydration isn't helping," betee replies, taking his glasses off to clean them.

johanna looks behind her, yelling at wiress, frustration evident on her face, when katniss shoves her to get her to stop. "hey!" johanna cried, shoving her back, "I got her out for you!" your eyes widen as you realise what johanna was saying.

you grab her by the arm, softly dragging her to the water. she grumbles, wanting to swing at katniss, but you sigh and shake your head. "you know what she means. you can't just hit her because she's annoying," you explain, wincing at the cool feeling of the water.

you only went to your waist, before dunking your head underwater and scrubbing the blood off your body. johanna does the same, mirroring your movements. as she washes out her hair, you pull her into a soft embrace, nuzzling your face into her neck and sighing. "this is so unfair," you mumble.

she hums in agreement, tentatively placing an arm around your waist and pulling you in closer. she hated being affectionate in public—she felt weak and vulnerable knowing that snow would target you next if he knew. she supposed it didn't matter much anymore; you either both died in the arena or you ended up in district 13—and johanna was going to make sure that you made it out of the arena alive.

katniss nods to where the two of you were standing, "what's going on with them?" she asks finnick.

he sighs and shakes his head. "you and peeta aren't the only star crossed lovers forced to compete against each other," he replies, digging his trident in the sand.

"but they're from different districts," katniss states, hoping for further clarification. peeta also looks up, squinting at finnick as he waits for finnick's answer.

finnick snorts, betee and wiress also smirk knowingly at each other. "doesn't matter to them, they make it work," his hand shields his eyes from the blaring sun, as he watches the two of you kiss passionately in the water.

it was such an intimate moment, that they all turn away and talk about something else, hoping to give the couple privacy—well, as much privacy as you can for someone being constantly filmed for the capitol's entertainment.

#johanna mason #johanna x reader #blurb #fluff #thg series #fanfic #thg #the hunger games #wlw #quarter quell #angst with comfort #angst #danisasks #dani's fics <3

[antiquatedplumbobs]

Spring 1916

It wasn't often that Will and his old school chums got together these days. Ever since they'd left the small Brindleton schoolhouse, moments in which all four were free had become infrequent. Clive's schooling in Britechester hadn't helped the matter, but the Brindleton based boys had also struggled to see each other with any regularity. Tonight was one of those glorious times that their schedules had matched up, and just in time, for Clive had returned home and they were all celebrating his graduation at The Wet Dog.

"To Doctor Guillen!" John was shouting as he toasted Clive, sloshing much of his ale at the same time. The other men followed suit and yet more ale joined John's on the floor.

The evening had perhaps started along a more proper path, with congratulations all around for Clive's recent graduation and upcoming nuptials to a Britechester girl; these congratulations had of course been accompanied by a round of drinks. Al had then shared the surprising news that he and his wife, Posie, were expecting. Another round had of course been necessary to celebrate the news. Each round had had a good reason to be drunk, Will thought, a bit fuzzily, but for the life of him he couldn't quite remember all of them just now.

Despite the activity of the evening, Will was distracted; Joe's offer stubbornly at the forefront of his thoughts. He had not shared news of it with anyone, holding it close, so it came as somewhat of a surprise when he found himself blurting the news out.

Initial confusion could be attributed to the less than sober nature of the party, but after Will's explanation, excitement overtook. 

“I’ll say, that sounds splendid!” Clive exclaimed. “My father’s been thinking about getting a motorcar, it would make house calls *that* much easier. He’s an awful hand with anything mechanical, though — human bodies, sure, but really anything else, and the man’s completely lost,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sure he’d be real happy to have that here in Brindleton. Plus, automobiles are spreading like wildfire; Carissa says you can’t cross the street in San Myshuno without having one honk at you.”

The others were quick to chime in with their excitement over the offer, and Will felt their support wash over him like a balm; suddenly the idea didn't seem so harebrained.

"What did you father say?" John questioned animatedly, "he's always had such a head for all that modern stuff, he'll talk Pa's ear off about new farm equipment any time he's down at the store." John had quickly hit on Will's biggest concern over this enterprise: Hamish's reaction.

"I haven't told him," Will said honestly. "He really relies on my help and I don't want to leave him in a lurch or anything. We've both built the dairy up into what it is now, and I don't know how he'd feel about me leaving; I think we both always assumed I'd take it over for him one day." It was true, Will had spent the last decade pouring his blood and sweat into their expanding business; they were now one of the largest suppliers of milk to the local cheese factory.

Will was realizing that he wanted to take this job with Joe more than he’d ever wanted anything before. In ‘06, when the blight had decimated their orchard, and, with it, any chance for Will to pursue a further education, he had been relatively unbothered; school had held little interest to him. But this was different; he wanted it so deeply it hurt. He had spent so many years with his head down, not allowing any thoughts for a future outside the farm, and — now that he had — the feelings beat upon him as powerfully as the waves upon the shore during a storm. He felt as powerless to resist their pull as a grain of sand to a wave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

next / previous / first

#ts4 #sims 4 legacy #the sims 4 #ts4 legacy #sims 4 #ts4 decades challenge #sims 4 decades challenge #decades challenge #ts4 storytelling #sims 4 storytelling #sims 4 historical #ts4 historical #sewell legacy #sewell legacy 1910s #william sewell #sewell 1910s

[fiendpact]

John Corcoran (@mrjohncorcoran) As promised, a non-exhaustive list of Shadowheart hooks/hints/prompts in two parts in the thread. From throughout the game, so spoilers naturally

General audience:

Nibbles the mouse

Shadowheart defending Nocturne while they were initiates. Hint that Viconia is proud of her, though never admits it

Nocturne doing Shadowheart's hair

Buddog, a childhood rival/bully of Shadowheart, who was also part of the mission to steal the Astral Prism

Training and indoctrination against Githyanki

The actual heist to take the Astral Prism from Vlaakith's vaults. Shadowheart being the sole survivor of a five-member team

Hints at an earlier infiltration mission at a ball in Baldur's Gate

Viconia giving Shadowheart elocution lessons to help her blend into high society

Shadowheart's enjoyment of disguises and roleplay as part of her Sharran training

Shadowheart and Nocturne's hideaway full of night orchids

'Four dogs, eight cats, nine chickens, six pigeons, four sheep, a milk cow named Daphne, a squirrel who's far too clever for her own good, and a wolf cub I found orphaned in some woods'

The owlbear joining Shadowheart's menagerie

Shadowheart's failed attempts to preserve some of her memories

Allister Marnley (Shadowheart's deceased tutor)

The graffiti

Remembering childhood games from the blighted village

Flashes of memories upon being punished by Shar's curse (while playing as Shadowheart only - not companion).

Learning about Dark Justiciars as a young initiate, and dreaming of becoming one

Nocturne helping Shadowheart remember herself whenever she had her memories taken away

'I'd like to see the islands maybe, or head south to Amn. I heard there's an enclave of werecats that hunt the followers of dark gods by moonlight. I'd love to see if there's any truth to that'

Shadowheart's Special Scrumpy

Dragon-riding with Lae'zel

Bonding with her mother, and remembering the taste of her cooking from childhood

Learning jokes from her father

Visiting the House of the Moon, and evading Sharran assassins

Somewhat spicy audience:

What unfolded under the cover of darkness in Sharess' Caress.

Shared love of smutty literature with Wyll

Hint of discreet romances and encounters amongst Sharran trainees at the Cloister

Ever notice how the Sharrans all seem to sleep together in a big dorm?

Untying knots with her tongue

'Try not to dream of tying me up'

Mistaking Durge's nighttime bloodlust for something more amorous, and being perfectly willing to go along with it stealthily while the rest of the camp sleeps

'She looks like she could throw me over her shoulder and carry me to safety... should the need arise'

And it's lesser-seen epilogue follow-up: 'between you and me, I've pretended to have a sprained ankle now and again, for a ride on those muscles'

'Don't wear them out entirely, priest. I might have use for them yet'

Further building of sand castles

Climbing Mount Halsin

*Gestures broadly at Shadowheart and Lae'zel's love-hate tension*

A standing invitation for a private audience with Mother Superior Shadowheart, should you ever be in the vicinity of the Cloister

'Kiss me like you hate me'

Tav: 'If in doubt, I can always lie. We've been slaying dragons and making love atop piles of gold'. Shadowheart: 'That sounds fun - why haven't we been doing that? Perhaps I'll shoo the cats out of our room and scatter copper pieces over the bed some evening, and we can play make-believe'

Bite-kissing

A dash of sacrilegious bloodplay

#he tweeted it as pictures so i changed it to text. chris fleming voice could you excuse me? [SCREAMS] #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #shadowheart #jess.txt

[mentally-joyful-demobot]

A greenhouse? All the way out here?

This place never runs out of things to surprise me with. They wouldn't mind if I took a peak, would they?

V twists the throttle on her motorcycle and speeds up before veering off of the road and stopping in front of the greenhouse, kicking up the desert sand into a cloud behind her.

She steps off and towards the building, hands inside of her pockets and a smile on her face.

What would someone grow here? Flowers? Maybe some nice vegetables.

-@emotionally-helpful-illusionist

[ The weather was warming, so Esmé's routine was back to working on the garden for the better part of the day. And that day, she was conducting general maintenance: watering plants, checking for blight, the works. ]

[ She was used to visitors by now, but normally, they didn't show up in loud, revving vehicles. As such, she got up from where she was sitting to see who was approaching. Looks like. . . A human? That's new. She made her way closer to the garden's entrance. ]

OH! GOOD DAY!

I DO NOT BE BELIEVE WE HAVE MET?

#mentally xyz mercs #emotionally xyz mercs #mentally joyful demobot #emotionally helpful illusionist #rp blog #tf2 rp #input() #walking.gif

[fruityfroggy]

I don’t know what I’m doing but FUCK IT *chucks oc x canon fanfic into the distance*

Warmth Amidst the Rain

- A hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on in these dark moments of mine. I didn’t know I needed you more than ever.

Pairing: Lilya x Verdigris

Word Count: 795 (apparently)

A/N: This is my first fanfic, so it’s not the best. Read this as self insert if you want. I’m also bad at dialogue writing (and decided to write most of this at 2am), so bear with me if you can, okay? Anyways, I think this counts as light angst, since the actual angst supposedly happened in the scene before the stuff that takes place here. Sort of a more vulnerable side of their dynamic, y’know?

Rain. It just doesn’t quite sound right when it’s gradually starting to ascend from the damp ground in droplets. It was growing eerily quieter with each passing minute, with small, plopping sounds echoing wherever she went.

That was what worried Lilya, as she rushed down the rippling sidewalk. She had to find Verdigris soon, the sand of time is growing uncomfortably shallow now.

After a few moments of searching, the muttering of a familiar voice in the distance snapped her out of her thoughts, just in time for her to notice a figure by the edge of the forest nearby.

“Mantén esto a salvo por mí... por favor, Berillus…”

Lilya instantly dashed in the figure’s direction, a slight breath of relief escaping her as she skidded to a halt behind the woman she was looking for. But concern clouded her mind the second she got a closer look at her. She sensed that something was wrong. Very wrong.

Verdigris’ hair and clothes were drenched with rain water, clinging tightly to her skin as she looked down at something in her hands. Flinching momentarily with uneven breaths, it was as if she was a blighted flower in the wind. It was clear that she was indeed, out here this entire time.

Lilya wanted so badly to kick herself in that moment for not noticing her disappearance sooner, but it wasn’t the time for that. Instead, she carefully placed a hand on the brunette’s shoulder. She felt freezing cold to the touch at that point.

“Verdigris…” There was a beat of silence between the two, the sound rain filling the air around them. She didn’t know what else to say. Lilya’s never really comforted anyone that often, but she wanted to comfort her. Effectively.

“Victor…” Verdigris finally spoke up, but her words came out hoarsely. “He’s gone…they’re all gone now…leaving only pieces of them behind…inanimate pieces…” She didn’t look up from her hands, but Lilya could feel a sense of loneliness and melancholy without even seeing her face. “I’m sorry…he was a good man…” she replied gently. No, no, but that wasn’t good enough of a response, was it?

Suddenly, she remembered the rain-soaked sleeve against her fingertips. A bit hurriedly, Lilya took off her jacket and wrapped it around the arcanist in front of her, giving her shoulders a light squeeze before reluctantly letting go.

Verdigris immediately turned to look back at her, her usual “concerned expression” tainted with something more…sorrowful that she’s trying to bite back. “Lilya, don’t be like this. I’m going to get your clothes wet. You really don’t need to-“

“Shhhh…” the pilot shut down her worries for a moment. She took off her gloves and stuffed them in her pocket, before carefully shifting the hair from Verdigris’ face and wiping away her tears. “I’ll be fine, Verdie. You need this more than me. Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold, alright?”

Her hands were warm on Verdigris’ face like a beam of sunlight cutting through the dark clouds. She instinctively held onto them with her own hands in hopes of holding that warmth even closer to her. “Am I not cold against your skin? Aren’t you uncomfortable holding me like this?” Verdigris asked softly. “No,” Lilya replied like it was a very obvious thing. “I’m comfortable as long as you’re alright. I…we can’t lose you, okay? It can’t be you��”

Something about those words had struck Verdigris harder than expected, and tears started to well up in her eyes again. She let go of Lilya’s hands and pulled her into a tight embrace, receiving a small surprised gasp in return.

“Вы слишком добры ко мне... как мне заслужить..... все это?”

It was too hard to hold it in anymore, it’s unclear how long it’s been there all these years. But Verdigris couldn’t help but break down in tears against the pilot’s chest in that moment. She’s said those words before, but she’s never been on the receiving end of it, and that felt very different.

Her trembling body felt so delicate in Lilya’s arms, scarily delicate. In that moment, it felt as if one wrong move could shatter the brunette completely. So she held her gently, wanting to hold her tighter, but deciding against it. She lightly caressed her the back of her head comfortingly. “Не волнуйся, я здесь... я всегда буду рядом, когда тебе это понадобится... все будет хорошо, дорогая…” she cooed.

Amidst her blurred vision, Verdigris felt herself being lifted, a firm but warm grip on the side of her knee and shoulder. Was she a child again? Being held and carried home by her father…like old times? It was hard to tell in that moment, but all she heard was “Hold onto me. We’ll be safe soon, солнышко”.

#Lilygris nonsense✌️yuh #dividers are by cafekitune #maybe went a little wild with the dividers cuz they’re pretty #I don’t read enough fanfiction to write this sort of thing #and did I read more to take inspo? #no #we’re winging it as usual #I definitely didn’t project my lack of comforting skills but still having the desire to comfort the people I love trait onto Lilya a little #it was also definitely not a tactic to avoid having to write much dialogue either #oc x canon #verdigris r1999 #I’m not tagging her cuz I’m scared #Lilygris nonsense

[astreetcarnamedwynn]

fic: a difference in being

Astarion ponders the differences between wizards and sorcerers. Baldur's Gate 3, Astarion/Tav & Gale/Tav. Tav is a male Drow & a wild magic sorcerer.

+

Prior to his current circumstances, Astarion never gave much thought to the differences between wizards and sorcerers. They both used magic and, because of it, Cazador had forbidden Astarion from targeting either of them. They were too risky, untold power at the ready with just a flick of their wrist, power that they could use to fight back, so they were best left avoided.

Now, though, Astarion ponders the differences as he watches Tav and Gale in camp. 

They’ve bunked down for the night at the edge of the Blighted Village. Astarion had anticipated a fight to get through, yet the goblins guarding the entrance had immediately granted access to Tav simply because he was a Drow. Astarion would have preened under such visible deference, but Tav had just stared for a moment at the goblin addressing him before he strode past. Another set of goblins had been similarly deferential, ceding the remains of what seemed to be a house at the southern edge of the village, and there the group had set up for the night.

It hadn’t taken long for Gale to ensare Tav in a discussion about magic, and now the two are by the fire, demonstrating to the other their spellcasting techniques. Even to a casual observer the differences between them would be obvious, yet Astarion has spent a significant portion of the past two centuries studying people, searching for the perfect victims, for the perfect way to lure them into Cazador’s trap.

To him, the differences between Tav and Gale are monumental.  

Gale stands mostly upright, his feet planted shoulder width apart. His motions are powerful and precise and clearly practiced for there’s little variation as he repeats certain incantations at Tav’s request.

Tav is different.

If Gale is solid rock, Tav is shifting sand. His feet are apart as well, but his knees are bent and he moves with the motions, as though he were sculpting the magic out of the air. 

It’s fluid and flexible, a rushing river to Gale’s still pond.

The differences grow even clearer when they retrieve their respective weapons. Both of them use a quarterstaff, but Gale grips his securely in both hands and brandishes the staff in front of him, making quick, powerful blows that would efficiently stun or trip an enemy.

Tav’s staff swirls around him in swift, graceful arcs. It reminds Astarion of the coin tricks he’s learned over the years, how he can make a copper dance across his knuckles as though it were alive.

Astarion isn’t sure if Tav is the hand or the coin, if he wields the magic or is an expression of it.

At the thought, Tav glances his way.

There’s no time for Astarion to avert his gaze or even to school his features into something arch or wry. Tav has caught him staring, so Astarion holds the stare. And another difference becomes clear. Tav doesn’t question him, doesn’t demand an explanation for the staring or offer one about the lesson. Gale would. Gale would elucidate and pontificate and prattle on and on until Astarion shoved his daggers into his ears to get a moment of peace and quiet. 

Tav simply stares. 

He stares and then, after a couple of seconds, one corner of his mouth curls into a smile.

Before Astarion can parse the flavor of it, whether it’s pleased or mocking or sly, Tav turns away, back to Gale and their conversation. 

Astarion’s hands tighten around his book. For a moment, he contemplates chucking it at the back of Tav’s head. What sort of reaction would he provoke if he did? A lecture, no doubt, from Gale. Disdain from Shadowheart. A cool inquiring gaze from Lae’zel, at least until she realized that a fight was unlikely to ensue and lost interest. 

But Tav? Astarion isn’t sure.

So far, he’s persuaded when Astarion thought he would fight. Then he’s deceived when Astarion thought he would persuade. He stood down Kagha when she threatened to kill that tiefling brat for stealing, yet he had Astarion slink around the Emerald Grove to find something, anything, that could be used to unseat her, sending them on this current mission to the southern swamps to find her conspirator.

Flexible, fluid tactics, and all the more dangerous for it.

Hunger flares within Astarion. His gaze drops to the back of Tav’s neck, placed on display for all to see with that ridiculous hairstyle. Only a Drow raised in the Underdark would think that an undercut is the height of style. Though if Gale’s hair were any indication, perhaps the lack of style has less to do with Tav’s race and more to do with his magic. The wizard could manipulate the Weave at his will, but he lacked the ability to effectively use a comb. Tav does at least, his long white hair gathered into a neat, if utilitarian, bun at the back of his head.

Perhaps Astarion could aim for the bun and knock it loose. The strands would tumble free and whip about in the wind.

Perhaps Astarion could grab a fistful of them and yank, pulling Tav’s head back and exposing the graceful line of his neck and-

Astarion shuts his book with a snap. At the sound, Tav looks back at him. Gale does, too, a few seconds later, his gaze following Tav’s. The frown that forms on his face as he spots Astarion is almost enough to satisfy Astarion’s hunger. Twice now Astarion has drawn Tav’s attention away from him, and all without saying a word.

Slowly, gracefully, Astarion rises to his feet. Tav watches him as he does, yet from this distance Astarion can’t discern how, whether it’s with lust or apprehension or simple curiosity. 

“Do carry on, darling. I was quite enjoying the show.”

At that, the small smile returns to Tav’s face. 

Interesting. 

Very interesting.

Astarion flashes him a grin before he turns and saunters away. He had seen boar tracks on the way into the village. That would do for now.

Later, he would have bigger prey to hunt.

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion ancunin #astarion #astarion x tav #bg3 fic #fic by wynn

[koutawoo]

civilization is born of knowledge, but so, too, can knowledge be its demise.

a disaster caught us unaware: it was knowledge that did not belong to this world. king deshret (scarlet king) brought this forbidden knowledge into our world and it quickly spread like a plague. people's minds were filled with crazed whispers; dark gray scales spread across their bodies; even the land was stripped of its vigor. only a desperate, deathly silence remained.

were it not for greater lord rukkhadevata from the forests, the damage would have been irreversible. she summoned the priests to build temples, and infused into them the divine power of life. the disaster was miraculously tempered and the embers of our civilization were preserved in aaru village.

alas, the miracle could not last. as long as forbidden knowledge continued to exist. it would forever blight this world. in the end, the proud king of the desert... my eternal lord... chose to sacrifice himself.

i have spent my whole life since guarding one of these many temples. but now, my duty is coming to an end. as i close my eyes for the final time, the sight of that noble deity will appear in my vision once more.... in helping king deshret (scarlet king) to eradicate forbidden knowledge, she exhausted her strength and her form became that of a small child.

how strange... now that i think of her, i no longer have any fear of death... for i sense that... the spirit of life will abide with me during my eternal sleep. children of the desert, cling no longer to past grievances; but hold tight to the memory of this act of benevolence.

story teaser ☆ lost legacies in the sand

#nahida #kusanali #genshin impact #genshinimpactedit #gifs: genshin impact #mygifs #*mine

[caba-111]

could you tell us more about memory pools ? :D

I sure can!

The memory pools are a series of lakes in the Shell's Southeast. Located in the middle of the ceramic blight, they would have been buried long ago if not for the Sisyphean efforts of an army of custodians working to push the sand back. These custodians are ragged looking and unusually tolerant of free lizards.

The Federal Family first settled the pools as a research outpost, but it has evolved into a kind of resort. Lizards travel from all over (though most commonly from Duhr) to bathe in the pools, for fun or for a spiritual experience. They pay for the privilege, forming an important source of foreign currency for the Feds.

More details in the infographic!

#art #worldbuilding #cabatext #the shell #lizards

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Space Vampires

(A continuation from Humans are weird: Space Werewolf) ( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)    

The drop ship slowly crested its way down through the cloud banks and shook as it hit yet another pocket of turbulence.

“Would you like me to pilot?” Markus joked as he tightened his crash harness again. “I might not be as experienced as you, but I think I can avoid at least one batch of bad weather during our trip.”

Flint chuckled beside himself before quickly stifling it as Hooper grunted from the cockpit.

The craft was an older class V model of shuttle. Enough room for the cockpit and a small storage area in the back where Markus and Flint sat in modified seats. Much of the craft had been modified beyond what the original designers had envisioned, but in their line of work it was a hunter’s job to adapt to any situation with whatever they had on hand.

“You? Pilot?” Hooper laughed as he flipped a series of switches in rapid succession. “You’d be more likely to crash us into a bloody mountain and call it a detour.”

The shuttle shook again suddenly and it felt like it dropped ten feet before stabilizing out. Markus was opening his mouth to make another remark of Hooper’s piloting skills when the now unamused Hooper held up a finger for silence.

Several more shudders pierced swarmed the craft before finally the shuttle cleared the cloud banks and saw the world below. A desolate world of stone and sand with a sky constantly drowned in the depths of clouds so dense that barely any light at all ever reached the surface of the blighted world.

A perfect world indeed for their contact to meet them on.

“Are we sure we should be doing this?”

Hooper took pause from scanning the horizon for their landing to tilt his head back and see Flint looking between the pair. The signs of doubt already beginning to creep over his features as his right foot slowly tapped a rhythm to some new age song. It was a trick Hooper had taught the young hunter to calm his mind when the darkness began to creep ever closer.

“We’ve not got a choice I’m afraid.” Markus spoke before Hooper could. “We’re in uncharted waters and they’ve more a grasp than any of us.”

“But what if they double cross us?” Flint pressed. “When have we ever known them to honor a parlay of truce, let alone not lie to our faces?”

“I understand your reluctance,” Hooper began as he flicked on autopilot and turned the pilot’s chair around to face Flint, “and if times were different I’d be the first one in line to kill these bastard.”

“But Markus is right,” Hooper admitted with a heavy heart, “right now we need to put aside our old grudges and work together.”

“If it makes you feel better, at the first sign of a double cross we can kill them all!” Markus announced boldly and slapped his knee. Flint said nothing at this but smiled; though he could not help still tapping his feet a little softer. Hooper watched this quietly and kept his own council confined within the depths of his thoughts.

He had been hesitant to bring Flint along for this task. Normally a novice hunter would not be exposed to these sorts of dealings until they had become folly ordained within the order; but Markus had lobbied hard for the lad and their previous dealings with the werewolf pack on Sectus II had shown he could hold his own. Markus was also right that there was little time to follow traditional procedures and they needed every hunter in the field they had.

“Is that it?” Flint asked sheepishly as Hooper was dragged from the council of his mind and turned back to look out the cockpit window.

Just nestled in the valley between two long and tall mountain ranges was a red light glowing so bright it was even registering on the shuttles scanners.

“Strap in you two,” Hooper said as he flipped off autopilot and began the descent, “we’re about to find out.”

With that said the shuttle began a rapid descent towards the surface of the planet until coming to a stop just beside the strange red glow. The area around the light was completely deserted save for a lone figure. Their features were hidden beneath their cloak but they seemed untroubled by the storm of dust and flying stones as the shuttle came down next to the flame.

“Gear up.” Hooper said as soon as the shuttle finally came to a rest and the engines started spinning down. He watched the figure for a moment to see if they would move to greet them at the boarding ramp, but they just stood stoic by the light.

“I thought you said we should trust them?” Flint spoke as he untangled himself from the webbing. Hooper shook his head as he unbuckled himself from the flight chair and picked up his plasma caster that was nestled beside him. He popped in a fresh power pack and the weapon began to hum to life as the lethal energies coursed through its elegant frame.

“I said we need them, not that we should trust them.”

The trip of hunters loaded themselves with the weapons and tools of their trade before Markus hammered the boarding ramp switch and the back of the shuttle popped open with a grinding screech. It took a minute to fully open before the hunters set foot on the desolate world and walked around the shuttle to meet with the figure.

None of them spoke as they approached the stranger as they finally moved; walking towards the flame and casually extinguishing it with a casual kick of dirt. Hooper switched between keeping his eyes on the figure and scanning the horizon, but for the most part the figure was the only one out in the open for miles around.

“I thought we had agreed to meet alone.” The figure spoke as the trio of hunters stopped several paces between the two parties.

Hooper smirked. “That we did,” he said as he swept his plasma caster around the surrounding area, “so would you care to tell your friends to leave and I’ll do the same.”

The figure cocked his head in confusion, but Hooper just pointed his weapon at the ground he now stood over.

“You think we didn’t see your friend buried in the stones?” Hooper asked mockingly. “Tell them to get out here now or this one below me is about to find out what a face full of holy plasma feels like; and trust me when I say it makes holy water feel like a pin prick.”

Standing silent, the figure made no move to acknowledge Hooper’s claim. It wasn’t until the whine of the plasma caster finally reached its highest pitch indicating that it was ready to fire that they finally gave up and made a gesture with their right hand.

All around them more figures suddenly began bursting from the ground in showers of rock and stone, causing Flint to reach for his weapon before a calming hand from Markus forestalled him. These new figures wore elaborate sets of armor, now decorated with a thin layer of dust from their hiding places. Each held a sharpened blade in their hands while burning red eyes tracked the hunters every movements. The one beneath Hooper’s feet making an awkward assention as he crawled up from the stone beneath his legs.

“It is good to see your order has not lost its touch.” The figure said as they removed their hood to show a youthful looking face. “Existence can become so dull without a good sparring partner.”

“Morgan.” Hooper said with a tilt of his head. He powered down his plasma caster as the other figures shuffled over and stood behind their master.

Morgan, voice of the conclave of vampires, nodded in return and looked passed Hooper to Markus and Flint.

“And you’re friends are?” Morgan asked, but Hooper shook his head.

“Cut the formalities and let’s get this done.” He said.

The right eyebrow of Morgan twitched for the briefest of moments in anger but otherwise he retained his composure. The vampiric assassins jittered around him as if sensing their master’s anger but knew well enough to remain silent.

Holding out his hand towards one of the assassins, the vampire stepped forward to Hooper and presented him with a datapad before returning to his position behind his master. Hooper powered on the pad and began reading the information as it scrolled by.

“The names and last known whereabouts of the vampires responsible for the most recent…..” the voice paused for a moment to consider his words, “breaches; as you requested.”

“Breaches!?”

Morgan looked towards the speaker to find that it was young Flint who now spoke brazenly; his outrage at the dismissiveness of the vampire beyond constraint.

“Your kind slaughtered three colony worlds and left a damn near hundred young bloods to ravage the rest of the planet it a blood fueled ram-

“FLINT!!!”

Flint stopped himself as Hooper shouted at him and fixed him with the hardest stare he had.

“Shut. Up. Now.” he spoke through gritted teeth.

Not expecting this from his mentor, Flint looked confused and upset before relenting and resuming his silence. Hooper turned back to Morgan who had remained silent during the outburst.

“My…..apologies, for my protégés outburst;” Hooper said much to the surprise of Markus and Flint, “he still needs to learn how these matters are conducted.”

Morgan grinned, an expression that made Flint’s hand twitch towards his own gun, and waved away Hooper’s apology.

“Think nothing of it.” He replied to Hooper, before tilting and looking directly at Flint. “And I would go so far as to state that I agree with their assessment entirely.”

Whatever the trio had been expecting the vampire to say during these dealings, a formal apology was not amongst them. It was rare for a vampire to admit they were wrong, let alone agree with a mere mortal.

“Since the discovery of space travel the vampire conclave has found it increasingly difficult to keep its members in line.” Morgan began as he paced around the meeting area. He would stop every now and then to look at the ground before bending down to pick up a stone of unremarkable appearance before casually tossing it aside.

“On Earth such acts of carnage were contained and swiftly dealt with to maintain the balance, but now; as the universe opens up around us some of our kind see worlds as their own private feasting grounds.”

“Can’t keep your house in order?” Hooper mocked.

In a blink of an eye Morgan vanished from his position opposite Hooper and appeared with his hand inches from the hunter’s throat. The hunter could smell the sulfur radiating off the vampire and knew he had struck a nerve. He could see the crimson color of Morgan’s eyes and felt the vampire was using every ounce of his strength to resist feeding on Hooper.

Markus, Flint, and the vampire assassins all readied themselves as if battle would ensue but Hooper held up a hand to stall his companions.

“You would be wise to remember your place.” Morgan spoke through gritted teeth. His sharpened fangs protruding from his mouth with each syllable ready to dig deep into Hooper’s neck and drink of his blood. A notion Hooper was well aware of and had his right hand firmly priming a garlic grenade in his pocket to dissuade the vampire should he press further.

“The vampire conclave is handling the dealings of our kind on a hundred worlds across a dozen star systems. Your continued existence is merely a byproduct of our generosity for allowing you to live long enough to spread humans to more worlds to feast on.”

“There’s plenty of alien’s out there too,” Hooper said calmly, “why the special interest in us “lowly” humans?”

“They are..” Morgan spoke as he slowly pulled away from Hooper and the hunter eased off the garlic grenade, “incompatible.”

“That didn’t seem to bother the werewolves.” Hooper pointed out. “Nor zombies for that matter; those buggers will eat just about anything.”

Morgan sighed deeply and run his hands over his face as if he was about to speak slowly to a small child.

“I do not have the time nor patience to explain why human blood is the desired choice for my kind; just know that it is the will of the conclave to see your species continued existence to serve us in the coming millennia.”

He tapped the datapad Hooper still held in his other hand with a long finger ending with a sharpened fingernail that looked like it could cut steel as if it was cardboard.

“A decree that some of my kind are now putting at risk by their rampant blood feasts. If we do not pool our resources now they will exterminate the entirety of the human population leaving us without a crucial food source.”

“And here I thought you just enjoyed our company.” Hooper said begrudgingly. “So your only wish to keep using humans is for vampire food?”

Morgan paused to collect his thoughts, debating internally if he should share the new information with his hunter adversaries.

“There is another reason,” Morgan spoke slowly having made up his mind, “and it is with regards to alien blood.”

This peeked Hooper’s interest and he motioned for the vampire to continue.

“During your encounter with the werewolves from your previous…adventures, did you not see aliens infected by their mark?”

“We did.” Hooper replied, unsure were Morgan was going with this.

“We have discovered similarly, that when the blood curse is applied to nonhuman species the results can be……detrimental.”

“Meaning?” Hooper asked impatiently.

“The curse changes aliens in ways we have not seen before, and at times these new abominations have abilities far beyond even our elder’s capabilities to contain.”

This was grave news that Hooper could hardly believe. A vampire elder, or leader of the conclave, was easily thousands of years old and possessed enough strength and skill that centuries ago it had taken the entire order of hunters to destroy just one of their number. To hear that these beings of unimaginable destruction were being hard pressed by newly turned alien vampires was something that filled Hooper with a sense of dread he had not known in decades.

“You see our problem now.” Morgan spoke, seeing that the hunter finally realized what is at stake. “If we do not correct these divergences now, we may see a galactic scale level of devastation.”

“And to show you we are not joking,” Morgan continued as one by one the vampire assassins began vanishing into smoke leaving the area until only Morgan remained, “we brought you one to see firsthand.”

A loud roar thundered through the valley and the trio of hunters all reached for their weapons. In the distance they could see an ever growing mound of flesh thrashing towards them. Rows of teeth catching the light as it stampeded towards the gathering and Hooper caught sight of a pair of bright crimson eyes that he had seen just now in Morgan’s visage.

“Au revoir, Mr. Hooper.”

Hooper turned back to see Morgan vanishing into smoke, laughing as the tyrant alien vampire continued thundering towards the hunters.

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