Chapter 3.18 W.W.F.N.L.D.

 

 

Operation Fake Niceness was going exactly according to plan. But it wasn’t easy. Playing nice with these intolerable townies was exhausting. I had to keep reminding myself that it would all be worth it once I trick Mira into finding a cure for my curse.  As much as I wanted to tell everyone what I really thought about them, I had to remind myself to play nice. Whenever I was struggling with that, I would ask myself W.W.F.N.L.D. What Would Fake Nice Linc Do?

And, believe it or not, I was really good at it. Better than I had thought that I would be. Fake Nice Linc had everyone fooled. Mira has been going out of her way to be extra over-the-top cheery to me.

Mira likes to come over, and sit and talk…and talk… and talk. She does most of the talking. About what, I couldn’t tell you. I never pay too much attention to her. I usually tune her out, and instead I focus on what my life will be like once I am back to my awesome self.

It is only a matter of time before I am restored to my full mind-blowingly awe-inspiring self.  Then I will be far away from this god forsaken hell pit. And far away from witches, and evil magic, and blood sucking vampires. The only thing I will have to worry about is where to put all of my awards when my albums go quadruple platinum.

And that time can’t come soon enough!

 

Renatta had once made the feeble attempt at a joke when she commented that Moonlight Falls has two seasons: fall and winter. Well, right now we are in the middle of one of the coldest winters in Moonlight Falls’ history. Our trips to Cauldrons & Cappuccinos Cafe have become more of a frequent tradition. But it is getting harder and harder to keep up this fake nice charade.  Especially while being surrounded by all of this over-the-top obnoxious Snowflake Day decor.

For the season, the cafe has been transformed into an extremely excessive Winter Wonderland.  It is so horrendous that even my mom (who is obsessed with Snowflake Day) would be sick.  From the new stupid wall paper, the stupid table clothes, to the stupid trees in every corner.  It makes an annoying situation even more aggravating and unbearable!  I would rather have to sit through more of Bert’s stupid stories than sit in this stupid cafe.  But I have to keep reminding myself W.W.F.N.L.D.?

So, Renatta, Mira, Flint, and I always sit in the same corner table, order the same silly concoctions, and talk about the same silly bullshit. Again, with me mostly tuning them out.

One thing I can’t tune out is that piano in the corner.

It calls for me every time I am in the cafe. And that damn siren’s song is getting hard and harder to ignore. My fingers ache to play the piano once again. It has been too long since I played any musical instrument (not including air guitar jam sessions with Bert).

“Do you think you might want to play this time?” Renatta asks me every time she sees me fixated on the piano for too long.

And every time my answer is the same, “no.”

“Oh come on,” Flint pressured. “You stare at it constantly. At this point you can either play the damn thing, or buy it a drink.”

“Yes, please play the piano,” Mira usually keeps out of this part of the conversation, but today she made her opinion heard. “You have been so down in the dumps lately. Playing the piano might make you feel better.”

I locked onto Mira’s rainbow colored eyes as they bore holes into my soul. I really didn’t want to draw attention to myself. But once again I thought W.W.F.N.L.D.?

 

With a defeated sigh I got up out of my corner chair and walked over to the old wooden upright. As I made my way through the crowded cafe I could hear Mira whisper to the others, “no matter how good or bad he sounds, at the end of the song we need to stand up and cheer for him.”

It annoyed me that Mira was going to applaud no matter what I sounded like. Well, I don’t need her charity, and never in my life have I ever needed a pity clap. I sat at the old wooden bench already knowing exactly what song I was going to play. I remembered a classical piece, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, that both Miss Melanie and Grandpa Ryan said was their favorite.

I started to play the song and as soon as I hit the first note of the piano keys that I knew would bring the house down!

 

As I played I closed my eyes and thought back to when I was a young kid. It seems like it was so long ago when I was just a little child sharing the bench with Miss Melanie. My heart fluttered when she would pat me on the back and say how astonished she was at my gift. Or how I beamed with pride when Grandpa Ryan and Grandma Cindy cheered after I played this song for them. It made me feel a warm sense of joy to know how proud they were of me. Not the same empty praise that I got from the kids at school. This was genuine.

It was love.

 

When the song was done I opened my eyes to a booming round of applause. Not just Mira and her dopey gang, but the entire cafe was clapping for me. They were acting as if Beethoven himself had just come back from the dead to play for them.

The old me would have loved all of this attention. I would have taken a bow, then performed an encore, just so I could hear the applause all over again. But this time I put my head down, and walked back to my seat as quickly as I could. My itch for playing was scratched, but another part of me was not liking all of this attention.

“Linc, that was incredible.” Mira gushed “Why didn’t you tell us you could play like that?”

“Who knew you had it in ya” was Flint’s response as he patted my shoulder.

And for the first time since I met her, Renatta was silent.

“It’s nothing, really,” I tried to get them to drop it and talk about something else, “I learned that song when I was 7. No big deal.”

 

I wanted everyone at the table to stop talking about me, but when Mira said, “I have always wanted to learn how to play the piano,” I knew that we were not going to drop it anytime soon.

“It was easy for me,” I replied. The old me was slowly starting to come out and I was not hating this attention, even if it was just Mira and her dopey friends. “My mom made me take lessons when I was a kid.”

“We have a piano at home,” Mira continued. “But I don’t know how to play it.”

“I wanted to just play the drums, but Mom insisted that I learn piano as well.”

“If only there was someone who could teach me to play the piano.”

“I liked playing the drums and when I got older I enjoyed the guitar the most, but learning the piano wasn’t hard for me either.”

“Dude, do I have to spell things out for you?” Flint waved his hands in my face, “Mira is asking you to give her piano lessons!”

 

I didn’t know if I wanted to be a piano teacher for Mira, but once again I thought: W.W.F.N.L.D.? Plus, it will give me an excuse to be at her house more often, and I will be able to talk to her one-on-one. I don’t have to deal with Renatta’s insufferable questioning, or Flint’s sarcastic comments. I can casually mention that I am looking for a way to reverse a certain spell. Then bam: it will be hello to my awesome self, and goodbye to this stupid town and all of the stupid townies in it.

So the very next day I went over to her house to start the lesson.

“I don’t have any sheet music,” I confessed as Mira lead me to the living room. “I was always able to memorize the music, so I never needed any.”

“That’s alright,” Mira responded with her signature cheery smile, which is still as annoying as ever, “I managed to find a few sheets of music when I was clearing off the piano.”

I looked at the music trying to find one that wouldn’t be too difficult to start out with. ​Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is a pretty basic piece of music that even Willow could have played on her toy keyboard. As we sat down I noticed that Mira was a bit too close for comfort. Half of me was hanging off the bench, but Fake Nice Linc just smiled as I pointed to the different keys and what notes they made.

 

There is a saying that people who can’t dance have two left feet. Well if that is the case, then Mira has two left hands!

Plumbob, she was bad. Mira pressed too hard on the keys, and instead of beautiful notes she produced a loud racket. She was out of rhythm and only 1 out of every 6 keys were in the correct note. I tried to be patient, I tried to show her the correct keys to lightly play. But before long my patience had run out.

“What is wrong with you?” I growled. “Did you not pay any attention to my instruction? How hard it is to play a simple G?”

“Wait, which one is G again?” Mira smiled her dopey smile thinking that she was being funny. Well, I am not laughing.

“You are so bad at this, I can’t even properly put it into words. This song is not that hard. My sister could have played this song on her toddler play piano” I growled. “What made you possibly think that you could play the piano? What is wrong with you? My horse’s farts sound better than you, and are more on key!”

 

“Listen here, you self centered, condescending jerk face!  You want to know what is wrong with me.  Well I want to know who the hell do you think you are!?!?” Mira was no longer cheery. She was down right pissed off. “Not everyone is as naturally talented as you are. That does not give you the right to be so critical.”

I didn’t know what to say. I have never seen this side of Mira before. Even while dealing with Alcander.

“Do you think that your precious Beethoven composed any of his symphonies on his first try? No. No, he didn’t!”

Mira wasn’t done with me yet.  She concluded her verbal assault by saying, “I have been nothing but nice, and friendly, and kind to you.  And THIS is how you repay me!  Further more, I have put up with a lot from you.  I have gone over to your house, and introduced you to my friends, in hopes that you might feel less of an outsider in your new town. But you couldn’t care less! You can’t be bothered to engage with us! Don’t think I don’t see you zone me out when I talk.  Friendship is supposed to be a two way street, but I get NOTHING from you!  I know for a fact that you don’t listen to even half of what I say.  But for the sake of our  so-called friendship I smile and try to be nice.  Well, no more!!  Until you can learn some patience I think that you should leave!”

 

I guess that there is nothing left for me to do now but go. I tucked my tail between my legs (literally) and sulked out of Mira’s home. I regretted my actions the instant that I got outside.

That is not what Fake Nice Linc would have done.

 

SIDE NOTE: This might be my last chapter for a while.  I had all of my notes, the entire generation outline, and tons of chapters written on my tablet.  Then I spilled soda all over said tablet, and now all of that hard work is gone.

I still have my desktop computer that has the game saved on it.  And I have every intention of continueing this legacy (Lincoln’s story is far from over).  It will just be at a slower process than before, because I have to rewrite everything from scratch.  Hopefully you can stick with me, but if not then I completely understand.  If anything this will give me an excuse to work on a few other side projects and help me catch up on all of your stories I am so far behind in.

 

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Chapter 3.17 Something’s Gotta Change

Side Note:  Just a small warning that there are more than a few swear words in this chapter.  But after all that Lincoln has been through, can you really blame him?  Also, in the first picture, please ignore the beer bottle that Linc is drinking and imagine that it is a cough syrup bottle.

I was so irritated; I couldn’t think straight. My paws were shaking, and my ears were droopy. I needed something to calm me down, but after tearing apart the kitchen all I could find was some children’s cough syrup that had long expired. It smelled foul, and the cherry flavor was replaced with a bitter flavor. No matter, it would have to do the trick. After a shot or two (or six) I started to feel less flustered, but I was still mad as hell.

“Fuck, shit, monkey, damn,” all I wanted to do was curse, and when I ran out of curse words I started shouting random words. “Hell, bitch, spoon, fart balls.”

 

“What is wrong with this town?” I asked myself once I began to stop shaking. I paced back and forth in frustration as I tried to make sense of the events that had just unfolded on my front lawn. “Has everyone lost their ever fucking loving minds?”

These were, of course, rhetorical questions. Yet Bert still felt the need to chime in with his two cents.

“I don’t ​want to say I told you so… but I did. I very much told you so. And I fear that this is not over yet. Not by a long shot.”

“Why do these things always happen to me?” I pretended to ignore Bert, and kept up my self pity rant. “Why do bad things happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? I know what went wrong; it’s me. I always do this; I get too involved. I care too much! I am too nice to people.”

 

“I need to stop being too damn nice to people.” I resolved. “I am done with being everyone’s friend. I don’t need any of these stupid townies. Ryker, Camilla, Flint, Euclid: they can all go to hell. They can all fuck themselves for all I care. All I care about is trying to break this stupid curse that I’ve been put under.”

“Well, how do you plan on doing that?” Bert always has a reply for everything. “And while being all on your own? I don’t see any spell books laying around here. Do you?”

Damn it, Bert had a point. I didn’t have a clue on how to break this spell, or where to even start. I tried the library; it was a bust. Not to mention, me going to the library is how this whole cluster fuck thing started. Then it dawned on me…

Mira.

 

“Mira is a witch.” I realized. “I can use her to find a spell to break this curse! She has probably over a million books in that stupid house of hers. One of them must be of use to me. Of course, why didn’t I think of that before?”

“I don’t know if ​using her is the right thing to do.” Bert once again had voice his opinion that no one asked for. “She seems like a nice girl. Did you ever think that maybe she would help you if you just asked nicely? No strings attached.”

“I know that you have been stuck in that mirror for plumbob knows how long. But I have a newsflash for you; no one does anything for anyone else without strings attached. People don’t do things just for the sake of being nice. No, I will only use Mira for her magic. Nothing more. But in order to do that I will have to go on like nothing is the matter. I have to be her best friend. I will lay on the Charming Charm so thick that she will be eating out of my hand, I mean paw, before long.”

“What about Ryker and the pack? At times like these, you can never have too many allies.”

“Ugh, I guess I will have to keep being a part of that stupid pack. I will put up with them too, I guess. Plumbob, this also means that I will have to put up with those insufferable friends of Mira’s; Renatta and Flint too. And her loony toons of a father. But it will all be for the sake of finding me a cure.”

“I still don’t think this is such a good idea. Deception is never the answer.”

“And when the curse is gone, and I am back to my former awesome self, it will be good bye Moonlight Falls forever!!”

 

So that is exactly what I did. I texted Mira right away and asked her to come over. When she showed up I played the part of scared, helpless werewolf so well that I even started to convince myself.

“Thank you so much for stepping in when you did.” I whimpered. “I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn’t helped me… and Ryker.”

Mira had two cups of coffee from her stupid coffee shop that she loves so much. She placed my cup in front of me, but I moved it to the side. After all of that expired cough syrup my stomach was doing somersaults.

“Are you still hurt?” Mira extended her hand across the table to reach mine. As a reflex I pulled my paw away. At first I thought that Mira was going to be offended, but if she was she didn’t let it show.

“I can put some warding up around your house.” she politely offered with a smile. Her rainbow colored eyes regaining that sparkle. “It won’t keep Alcander out, but at least it will keep the vampires at bay.”

I flashed my best sad puppy dog look and timidly said, “that sounds very nice of you.”

All the while I was proud of my charade. And the Academy Award for Best Actor goes to… ME!!

OUaL Special: Elsewhere in Moonlight Falls

I am enjoying writing for Lincoln using the first person narrative (it really fits his narcissistic personality; don’t you think?). But because we only get to see Lincoln’s point of view we miss a lot of other details that go on in Moonlight Falls. Plus he is so consumed in his own life that he misses important cues that are imperative to the narrative.

I came up with a solution to this problem by including this special chapter to show what else is going on in Moonlight Falls. I will touch on different chapters in chronological order and fill you in on points that Lincoln glossed over, or a different character’s point of view.

On top of that, this post is extra special because it is my 100th post.  I will try not to get overly sentimental or emotional.  I just want to say that I would not have gotten this far if it had not been for all of the constant support from you amazing readers.  Thank you! 🙂

But wait, there’s more!  Today is my Birthday!  

 

The Unofficial Welcome Committee

Lincoln’s first interaction with his neighbors was not a pleasant one. Mira, Renatta, & Flint show up at his door announcing that they are the Moonlight Falls Welcome Committee. Any simmer knows that as soon as you start a new game, random townies show up at your door. So why did Mira take in upon herself to start a welcome committee?

As an Immundus Mira knows first hand what it is like to be ostracized in the town that you love. Since Grendel’s rise to power she has seen more than her fair share of families being broken up, and too many lives that were lost. She knows what has happened to other Immundus families, and the horrible things that happened to the family that lived in that house before Lincoln (more on that later).

Mira, along with her two very best friends, has made it her personal mission to ensure that every new household that moves into Moonlight Falls has a warm, overly cheery, welcome. To overcompensate for the horrible things that are also going on in the town.

 

 

 

A Sim Once Known as Bertwalten

In the beginning of chapter 3.11 Lincoln told Bert about his past, and why he came to Moonlight Falls. But when he asked Bert about the family that lived in the house before him Bert quickly changes the subject. Lincoln has never been good at asking other people questions to get to know them better. That is usually because he only cares about the part of their lives that revolve around him. Since the family before Lincoln is gone, Lincoln didn’t bother asking Bert any other follow-up questions.

I wrote a whole background story on Bert detailing his past, how he gets trapped in the mirror, and who the family was before Lincoln showed up. However, real life commitments haven’t given me the time to properly share this side story. Basically, here are the bullet points on Bert:

• He was the only son of a poor, but happy, sheep farmer. Bert never had any desire to become a farmer, he dreamed of riches. Because with those riches he could marry the woman of his dreams.
• This woman is the most beautiful sim in all of the free world. She also happens to be a nobleman’s daughter. And as you can imagine the price of her hand in marriage is steep. But Bertwalten didn’t let that stop him.
• Bert is a very perceptive sim, which comes in handy when you are trying to hustle people at the poker table. Overall Bert is successful, but the money is never enough for him. He always wants more. Soon his greedy obsession becomes less about marrying the love of his life and all about winning as much money as he can.
• Bert travels from town to town trying to win as much money as possible. It isn’t until he comes to Moonlight Falls that he hustles the wrong person. The gypsy in the story didn’t appreciate being taken advantage of (even though she too was cheating). She threatens Bert with cursing his family’s farm, but Bert pleads with her to reconsider. As a tradeoff, Bert becomes locked inside the mirror.
• Time passes, things happen, and Bert ends up in the house with a very happy and loving family. They have one son, and the family reminds Bert of his own. For the first time in a long time Bert is happy again.
• But this family is Immundus. The mother is a fairy, the father is a human, and the son is too young to know. It isn’t long before Alcander and his goons come to the home to chase the family out of Moonlight Falls. The family tried to put up a fight but in the end they are all killed. And all Bert can do is watch helplessly.

 

 

 

Camilla’s Favor

Lincoln finally agrees to meet Mira’s friends. They visit Cauldrons and Cappuccinos Café where he meets Camilla. She reluctantly agrees to introduce Linc to Ryker on the basis that she owes Mira a favor. Did you wonder what that favor was? Well, here are the details:

Werewolves have a 6th sense known as imprinting. It is something that, when it happens, the werewolf has no real way of controlling it. Which can make for some very awkward relationships. One such awkward relationship happened when Camilla imprinted on Ryker. Imprinting on your Alpha can be bad enough, but what made it worse is that Ryker is married with children (2 boys and a girl on the way). As much as she tried to fight it, Camilla couldn’t shake her feelings. So, she turned to magic.

The Crumplebottoms are legendary wizards and witches, and Mira’s kindness is well known in town. Camilla pleaded with Mira to help her to try to remove the imprint. Mira agreed to help, but as you know, magic always comes with a price. The spell meant that Camilla might never imprint again, and would most likely never find a mate. Without hesitation Camilla agreed that the risk was worth it.

The spell worked, Camilla no longer felt the imprint, and could once again be the Beta Alpha. Although the imprint is removed, Camilla still knows what it was like to long for Ryker, and those feelings might never go away. Also, Ryker doesn’t know any of this, although he did have his suspicions.

 

 

 

Linc’s First Full Moon

Lincoln’s first full moon with the pack was eventful, to say the least. Not many people mess with Osiris & Reina and live to tell about it. What you didn’t see was what happened after Ryker stood up to the two vampires.

As promised, Grendel heard all about the interaction. Despite what Lincoln thinks of them, Ryker and his pack are on the Supreme Commander’s radar (which for them is not a good thing). Ryker’s father, Alpha of the pack before him, lead the revolt against the Saavedra-Petrov alliance. He was killed in the unsuccessful assault, and Ryker has been on Grendel’s shit list ever since.

Osiris & Reina demand that Grendel take care of “the problem” once and for all, but Grendel is hesitant (he doesn’t want to start another war with the werewolves). Of course this does not sit well with the vampires. Outraged they threaten Grendel. For he might be in charge because of his title, but everyone knows who ​really has all of the power. To calm the situation, Alcander offers to go to Linc’s home and shake things up a bit. And we all know what happens when he gets there.

 

 

 

Things as They Currently Stand

The situation right now can be best described as an active volcano. At any moment, at the slightest disturbance, the entire thing will blow up.

The vampires are angry with Grendel for not doing anything about Ryker and his pack. To them Grendel is seen as a coward, and this leads Osiris & Reina to reconsider their current alliance.

Grendel doesn’t appreciate being taken as a weakling. He is currently stuck between a rock and a hard place. First, you have the vampires. Grendel knows that he needs the vampires if he wants to stay in power. On the other hand, if he goes to war with the werewolves there is a good chance that he will lose. Ryker is a stronger Alpha than his father was, and the werewolves could easily get the fairies on their side. Either way, there would be no possible outcome that has Grendel keeping his power.

Alcander is hungry for power, and sees his father’s weakness as an opportunity to try to take power by getting the vampires on his side. And if he were to marry Mira then he would have not only the backing of the powerful vampires, but marrying a Crumplebottom would garner the support of any remaining witch families that were not on Grendel’s side. Having Mira as his wife, would give Alcander everything. Too bad for him she doesn’t see it that way.

Ryker will always choose to defend any member of his pack, and any werewolf for that matter, against Alcander. But he is in no hurry to start another war. Losing his life fighting is one thing, but he will not be responsible for anyone losing theirs.

Each side is waiting for the other to make the first move; draw first blood. And each side is prepared to unleash hell when they do.

 

 

 

So, now you are all caught up with everything else that has been going on in Moonlight Falls. If there is anything that you are unclear about or what to know more about; feel free to let me know. I am always open to constructive criticism (I am a big girl, and you won’t hurt my feelings).

And as always, have a great day or night depending on when you are reading this.

 

GETTING TO KNOW: Alcander

I love these fun tagging games, especially the ones where I get to go into the mind of so many fascinating characters. This time I was tagged by the very talented Kymber. I       was also tagged by the very lovely Louise. Thank you both for the nod.

These tags occurred some time ago, so please don’t think that I had forgotten about the tags. I really wanted to do this character questioning with Alcander, but it wouldn’t have made sense until he had his official OUaL debut.  So here we are, getting to know about Alcander!

Warning: there are more than a few swear words.

► Name? ➔ Alcander Saavedra the First, Moonlight Falls’ Chief Tenet Enforcer.

► Are you single? ➔ Much to my dismay yes.  But not for every much longer. I have a plan that will finally get her to agree to marry me.  Then, I will be unstoppable!

► Are you happy? ➔ I guess.

► Are you angry? ➔ Yes, that too. I guess.  I don’t spend my time fixating on such frivolous emotions.  

► Are your parents still married? ➔  Yes, Mother knows better than to leave Father.

NINE FACTS

► Birth Place? ➔ Moonlight Falls

► Hair Color? ➔ All of the most powerful warlocks in my family have white hair with blue streaks.  Anything less is unacceptable.

► Eye Color? ➔ Grey, just like my ancestors before me.  

► Birthday? ➔ June 28

► Mood? ➔ I don’t care to waste my time on such silly things as caring about what mood I am in.  And I don’t care to answer anymore asinine questions on the topic either.

► Gender? ➔ I am all man!

► Summer or winter? ➔ Moonlight Falls has mainly two seasons; fall and winter.  

► Morning or afternoon? ➔ It is best to hunt at night.  That is when the real predators are out.

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

► Are you in love? ➔ Love is a meaningless feeling that was made up to prey on the idiots who buy in to all of that stupid shit like romance movies and Valentine’s Day.

► Do you believe in love at first sight? ➔ What is with all of the these stupid ass questions about love and feelings?  Wouldn’t you rather know how much I can bench press? I’ll give you a hint: it’s over 300 pounds.

► Who ended your last relationship? ➔ I am in control.  Always.

► Have you ever broken someone’s heart? ➔ I have crushed many hearts using only my bare hands.  

► Are you afraid of commitments? ➔ I am not afraid of anything.  And fuck you for inferring any different.

► Have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ Who the fuck do you think I am?!?!  

► Have you ever had a secret admirer? ➔ I have many admirers.  That is no secret.

► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ Why the fuck would I want to break my own heart?  

SIX CHOICES

► Love or lust? ➔ Were you not listening when I told you how I feel about that shit?

► Lemonade or iced tea? ➔ Beer.

► Cats or Dogs? ➔ Neither.  Some lesser witches and warlocks need cats as familulars.  But I am more powerful than that. And I don’t need a dog either.  One would only slow me down. Besides, they remind me too much of wolves.

► A few best friends or many regular friends? ➔ I don’t need that shit either.  I have many people who jump every time I tell them too. But I wouldn’t call them friends.  

► Wild night out or romantic night in? ➔ Every night with me is wild.

► Day or night? ➔ I feel that I am repeating myself with a lot of these dumbass questions.  Nighttime is when the true predators come out and hunt. I include myself among them.

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

► Been caught sneaking out? ➔ No one has ever been able to catch me.  Ever!

► Fallen down/up the stairs? ➔ I don’t fall.  Ever!

► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ Nothing hurts me.  Ever!

► Wanted to disappear? ➔ I have never wanted to disappear.  Ever!

FOUR PREFERENCES

► Smile or eyes? ➔ Fuck

► Shorter or Taller? ➔ Your

► Intelligence or Attraction? ➔ Stupid

► Hook-up or Relationship? ➔ Questions

FAMILY

► Do you and your family get along? ➔ When they know their place.  Father has grown weak, and is too afraid to start another war with the werewolves.  But do not fear.  I already have a plan brewing to take over.  Soon, everything will be set.  Then nothing and no one will be able stop my rise to power!!

► Would you say you have a “messed up life”? ➔ Nothing about me is messed up.  I am the peak physical specimen of a man. I am the most powerful warlock in the world, not just in Moonlight Falls.  And once I finally have my bride, my plan to take over as Chief Commander will be complete.

► Have you ever run away from home? ➔ Run away?!  What kind of pussy do you take me for?!

► Have you ever gotten kicked out? ➔ No one would ever dare and try and kick me out of anything.  

FRIENDS

► Do you consider all of your friends good friends? ➔ Friends are just as useless as feelings and love and happiness.

► Do you secretly hate one of your friends? ➔ I hate many people, and that is no secret.  I hate anyone who tries to get in my way. And right now that list keeps growing. And this interview better end soon, before you end up on that list!

 

Author’s Note:

I better end this interview now, before Alcander gets mad.  Or, should I say, before he gets madder than he already is.  I feel like this tag has been out for so long, that I am not going to nominate anyone.   However, if this inspires you to do a Character Tag, then more power to you.

And as always, have a great day or night depending on when you are reading this!

 

Chapter 3.16 Rule #1

 

“It was so fucking awesome!! I was so strong. I took on two vampires. I don’t know what you were talking about earlier. Vampires are not ​that scary. Ryker was there too, but I was all like ​Who’s the fur coat now, bitch?!”

I was overly animated as I reenacted my night’s events for Bert. The sun was starting to rise over the mountains, and I had been up for almost 18 hours straight. I should have been tired as hell, but I couldn’t fall asleep now, even if I had wanted to. The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins. I was super pumped about what had just happened, and I was still feeling the effects of the full moon. I still had so much energy that I could have run a marathon. However, Bert was not amused.

“You shouldn’t mess with the vampires,” Bert reprimanded me now for the 100th time. “You humiliated them, and vampires don’t take that lightly. They will surely be seeking vengeance. That troubles me verily.”

Before I could think of something reassuring to say, I was interrupted by a very loud banging on my front door.

 

It was daylight outside, so I assumed that it wasn’t the vampires seeking revenge. However, a small large part of me was nervous to see who was at the door.

“Vampires can’t come in unless they are invited, right?” I asked Bert, making sure I had my vampire lore correct.

“Nope, that is just a myth.” Bert said in his​ I told you so tone. “And they don’t give a shit about garlic either.”

“What about a stake through the heart?”

“Umm duh, a stake through the heart will kill pretty much anything. You wouldn’t happen to have any just lying around the house, would you?”

 

Bert doesn’t breathe, but if he did he would be holding his breath right now.

Quietly as I could, I walked over to the front door to see who was there. Relief immediately swept over me when I saw who was at the door.

“It’s just Ryker,” I called to Bert to reassure him everything is alright. “He’s probably here to congratulate me on my awesomeness last night. Maybe even to tell me that I am the new Alpha. That wouldn’t surprise me.”

I cracked open the door, ready share in my awe-inspiring performance of my first full moon. But as soon as Ryker could get his hand through, he swung the door open and pushed me up against the kitchen counter. All in one quick motion.

“You arrogant little shit,” Ryker shouted at me, his face inches from mine. “What is your major malfunction?”

I tried to talk. I tried to move. I tried to catch my breath. But I couldn’t do any of that. Ryker was too strong. I was using all of my strength to try to fight him, but it was no competition. He had me up pinned against the counter, and it looked like he wasn’t even trying.

“Do you have any idea what you have done?” Ryker demanded.

 

“What are you talking about?” I was truly flabbergasted at Ryker’s actions. “I was awesome last night. If anything it is ​you who should be apologizing to ​me for leaving me after everyone shifted.”

That comment did not sit well with the Alpha. For a second I thought that he was going to hit me. He almost did. But instead he flung me from against the counter and on to one of my dining chairs. I was free to get up, but I dare not move a muscle. Ryker was tossing me around the room like I was an old rag doll. And he wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

“You are an obnoxious, arrogant son of a bitch. You know that?! No one left you. Camilla had eyes on you the entire time. Rule #1 is: never leave a member of your pack behind. But you wouldn’t know anything about that would you; caring about something other than yourself? Duty is a 4-letter word to you isn’t it?”

I didn’t know how to respond. So, I just sat in silence. Too terrified to even blink.

“Camilla was watching you as you acted like a complete jackass. I ordered you to stay south of the river, but you couldn’t be bothered to listen. I don’t owe you any sort of explanation, but since you have your head so far up your ass I will have to spell things out for you. The vampires have all of the power! You are a guppy in a giant shark tank, and if you don’t wise up you are going to be eaten alive my friend. And of course you couldn’t piss off just any vampire. No, you had to get into it with the MOST POWERFUL vampires in all of Moonlight Falls!”

 

There was more that Ryker wanted to say to me. He was just getting started in on my verbal onslaught, but he was interrupted. Once again there was a loud knock on my door.

Who the fuck is it this time?

“Open this door,” demanded a deep, gruff voice. “Open up in the name of your Supreme Town Commander, Grendel Saavedra and his son Alcander; The Chief Tenet Enforcer.”

Ryker swore to himself, but loud enough for me to hear him say, fuck me.

“Open the door this instance.” the gruff voice grew louder and more impatient. “I will not ask again!”

Ryker went to open the door, while I followed close behind him. Before he opened it Ryker whispered, “Don’t say a word. Let me do all of the talking. And don’t make any sudden movements either. Alcander is faster than a rattlesnake, and his magic is ten times more deadly.”

 

“Nice to see you today, Alcander. What brings you by on this lovely morning?” Ryker’s fake greeting was overflowing with sarcasm. It took all of my willpower not to laugh.

“What are ​you doing here?” Alcander demanded. He was visibly enraged by the fact that Ryker was at my door. And Ryker’s disrespect only made Alcander more furious.

What I really want to know is what any of you are doing here? This is my fucking house after all. Or did everyone suddenly forget that?!?!

“Not that it is any of your business, but if you must know: I am here visiting a member of my pack.” As Ryker spoke he made his way past where Alcander was standing and down to the middle of my front yard.  At the same time, I made sure that I had him as a buffer between myself and Alcander.

I couldn’t help but notice that Ryker was talking louder than normal. Loud enough for more than just myself and Alcander to hear. Whatever was about to go down, Ryker wanted to ensure that the entire neighborhood was outside to witness it.

“That fleabag of yours violated the law last night,” Alcander pointed his finger in my direction. “Therefore, he must suffer the consequences!”

 

I thought that I was done for. I assumed that Ryker would have given me up to Alcander without hesitation. After all, he had just spent the better part of the morning yelling at me and telling me what a worthless piece of shit I am. Yet, Ryker put his arm in front of me to block me from going anywhere.

“That land belonged to the Beaumont Pack. It had been that way for generations,” Ryker stated. “Your father had no right to hand that land over to ​anyone, especially not to Osiris.”

To my surprise Alcander didn’t get mad. No, instead he actually smiled at us.

And then everything went black.

 

Ryker wasn’t kidding when he said that Alcander was faster than a rattlesnake. With one flick of his wrist Alcander had Ryker on the ground clutching his heart. With the same motion Alcander also had me gasping for air as if my lungs were being crushed by a 20 ton weight.

I thought that the worst pain I would ever experience was when Becca cursed me. But that pain was only a slight tickle compared to how helpless I felt under Alcander’s magic. And the pain only became more and more intense with every breath I tried to take. My muscles burned as they craved for oxygen. Blood was rushing from my head, I was seeing stars, and all I could hear was my rapid heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Then as quickly as it started, the pain suddenly stopped.

 

It took me a few moments to regain my proper sense of sight as well as my hearing. My legs were too weak to be able to stand on my own, so I had to lean on Ryker for support. Who, by the way, looked like he had made a full recovery. Almost as if Alcander’s magic didn’t even phase him. As much as I hate to admit it, the Alpha had me impressed.

When I came to I noticed that a small crowd had gathered across the street. If Ryker wanted the town’s attention, then he succeeded (but notice how none of them actually stopped to help us). I saw Renatta looking terrified, while Flint tried to comfort her. Camilla was with another female werewolf. Two other members of our pack were holding that other female, while Camilla was trying to care for two hysterically crying children. There were several others that I didn’t recognize, and didn’t bother to care about. Then there was Mira running over to us with a pleading look in her rainbow-colored eyes.

 

“I must say, you are looking positively exquisite Mira,” Alcander tried to hold her hand, but she quickly pulled it away. “I see that last night’s full moon did wonders for your beauty.”

Whatever Alcander was selling Mira wasn’t buying. That didn’t stop him from trying to charm her with empty flattery though. As he talked Alcander flexed his steroid induced biceps. He was laying it on thick; as thick as molasses in the middle of winter.

“What is going on here?” Mira asked as she glanced over at Ryker and I.

“I was just dealing with some disrespectful hooligans. I am the Chief Tenet Enforcer after all,” Alcander flexed his biceps while still trying to work his charm, and still with no success, “there is nothing here to worry your pretty little empty head about. Why don’t you run home and bake me some of those famous Crumplebottom blueberry tarts.”

 

Whatever Alcander said seemed to hit a nerve for Mira. She was mad, madder than I had ever seen her. Madder than I thought someone who is always so cheery could be. Through clenched teeth she said, “You’ve made your point, and now I think that it is time for you to leave.”

“I’ll go,” Alcander conceded, but not before trying to kiss Mira’s hand one more time. “Just keep that mangy mutt away from me. And remember what I said before Mira. My offer is still open– for now.”

 

“Linc, are you okay?” Mira asked me once Alcander had left.

By that time I was able to stand on my own. And I was cursing myself for ever getting mixed up in this whole stupid shitty mess. I cursed Alcander for his witchcraft. I cursed Ryker for making me a part of his stupid pack. I cursed Camilla for introducing me to Ryker in the first place. And I cursed the day I said yes to Mira and her stupid friendship. I don’t need these assholes in my life. I am done with them. All of them!!

“I want everyone off of my lawn.” I growled. “Now!”

Mira didn’t say another word. She just smiled her stupid meek smile at me and walked home. I could see that Ryker wanted to say something to me, but for whatever reason he declined to comment. However, before everyone goes there is still one thing that I need to know.

“Why did you stand up for me?” I asked Ryker’s back as he was walking away. “Why didn’t you just give me up when Alcander demanded it?”

Ryker turned around and said, “I told you, you never abandon your pack.”

 

Side Note:  You may have noticed that Alcander looks a bit different from the way he did when I first did my character introduction special. There is a reason for that.  During my massive CC Hunt I somehow downloaded a corrupt file.  Unfortunately, since I had downloaded so much all at once there was no way for me to see which one of was bad one.

I basically started from scratch, putting in a few CC items at a time.  At the same time, I continued to look for new CC, just to use as backup.  The look I was going for can be described as a  “Toxic Masculine Douche Bag”.  And I really think that I achieved that here.   And don’t worry, we will get to learn more about Alcander in my next post.

And before I go I have to once again say a huge THANK YOU to Jowita, who created the kissing bicep pose for me.  You can find the pose here, along with the other poses she was so nice to create for me.

Chapter 3.15 Bark at the Moon

I held my breath in anticipation for the full moon to completely set; signaling the opportune time for the werewolves to shift. I still wasn’t sure where that was going to leave me, though. I am not a werewolf, and I had no idea what was about to happen (if anything). What’s more, I didn’t know what Ryker and the rest of the pack would do once they found out that I was in fact not one of them.

I shut my eyes as tightly as I could when I heard the other members of the pack shape shift into wolves.

Then something weird happened.

 

 

I could feel myself start to change as well. I didn’t shape shift into a wolf or anything like that, but I was still affected by the full moon nonetheless. My jaw grew stronger and more defined. My nose narrowed and my heightened senses were taken up to a whole other level of strength and power that I had never felt before. I never knew how dull my teeth were until tonight. Because they are now stronger, sharper, and are too big to fit in my mouth. Yet, it wasn’t just my physical that had changed with the full moon. I felt different on the inside.

It is hard to describe, but I will try my best. Have you ever jumped into a freezing cold pool? You sort of shock your body, but it is refreshing at the same time. That is how I felt.

In other words: I felt ​alive!

I wanted to run. I wanted to hunt. I wanted to howl at the moon. So I did.

 

The rest of the pack joined in a chorus of howls. I also heard howls from other wolves deeper into the woods. I was filled with relief knowing that I was not about to become puppy chow.

I felt strange looking around at the pack of wolves all around me. I wished I had paid attention when Camilla was introducing everyone to me, because now that they are all in wolf form I can’t tell them apart. Except for Ryker, who was about three times larger than the rest of them.

So that is the reason he is Alpha.

They all stopped howling and drew their attention to Ryker. Camilla (or at least I assume it was Camilla) stood next to him as he “spoke” with the pack. He was doing the same thing that he did with Camilla the day I met him; communicating without speaking. I could tell that he was communicating with the rest of the wolves because they moved their ears and perked their heads up every once in a while. It was the same thing that our dogs did every time Willow said the word “treat” or “walk”. Then all of a sudden, without warning, the pack all took off running.

 

I ran behind them, sprinting as fast as I could, which is faster than I have ever moved in my entire life. Usain Bolt has got nothing on me! It was awesome. For the first time since being cursed I was happy. Truly happy. I felt physically stronger than I had ever felt in my entire life. I felt like I could do anything. I climbed up a giant oak tree like it was nothing. I jumped over fallen logs like they were nothing. I leapt from place to place, like I had springs in my hind paws. I crossed over the small brook splashing and making as much noise as I could. I didn’t care. I felt invincible.

Then, like a bolt of lightning, it dawned on me: I am totally lost.

 

Ryker and the rest of the pack were no where in sight, and I was all alone in the middle of nowhere. I have never had the best sense of direction, and I had no idea how to get back to town. I could be lost in these woods until the end of time if I didn’t find my way home soon.

What did Ryker tell us about the river? Something about staying south? Or was it north? Plumbob, I really should have been paying attention.

 

“Well, well, well,” I chilling foreign voice came from behind me. “What do we have here?”

I turned to see two vampires standing on the other side of the river. They looked fresh from a kill. Blood still dripped from their mouths, displayed like little badges of honor.

They moved faster than lightening, and ran across the water like it was nothing at all. How did they move so fast? Before I could figure out what had happened they were surrounding me. There was only the two of them, but yet I still felt trapped. I didn’t know what to do. I can’t fight off one vampire, let alone two. And what if there were more of them around here?

 

“We don’t normally see a…whatever you are.” the male vampire spoke with a thick Eastern European accent. His sinister voice sent chills down my spine. “What shall we do with him?”

“Winter is not far off,” the female showed off her razor sharp fangs as she spoke, also with the same accent. “I could always use a new fur coat.”

“You deserve a million fur coats Moje Laska, but not with ​that. He smells vile. Like an old, moldy, washrag.”

“You are right, as always Vecny. But still, I could use a new bath mat.”

I grew more and more terrified with every word that the vampires said. I couldn’t decide which one of these vampires is scarier, the male or the female. I stood paralyzed with fear, not knowing what to do. Bert had warned me that vampires are not to be messed with. He said that they are ‘fast, cunning, and blood thirsty’. I know that they are not his most favorite type of supernatural (for reasons he won’t talk about). And standing in between these two creatures brought that message home.

I was trapped between two very terrifying vampires, with no escape in sight. They knew that they had me, and were closing in. They moved slowly, savoring the fact that they knew perfectly well that I grew more and more terrified with each passing second. One more moment longer, and I would be a bathmat right now.

 

Until a chorus of wolves snarling behind me stopped the sinister vampires in their tracks. There were more wolves than I had seen in my lifetime. It couldn’t just be Ryker’s pack that currently surrounded us. Wolves from other packs were here as well.

Wolf Ryker stepped in front of me, separating me from the two vamps. His growl was louder and deeper than anything I have ever heard before. Even though I knew he was on my side, Ryker still intimidated me. He exposed all of his sharp teeth, way sharper and scarier than the pathetic vamps.

They knew that they were defeated but before they ran off deep into the woods the male vampire said, “This isn’t over.  Grendel will hear about this.”

 

That was AWESOME!!! We took on two stupid vampires, and we won!!!

Yeah you better run. Who’s the bathmat now, bitch? I got your fur coat right here!!

I fucking love the Full Moon!!!

 

Side Note: There really isn’t much of a note from me this time for once. I know, please don’t faint from the shock of it.  Just in case you didn’t recognize them, those vampires are Osiris and Reina Petrov and they were speaking with a Chez accent.  In fact, Osiris calls his wife My Love, which in Chez is Moje Laska.  Reina refers to Osiris as Vecny, or Eternal One (referring to the fact that vampires life forever).

I also want to let you know that I added a few unedited pictures of Lincoln’s first full moon.  If you thought that Moonlight Falls looked cool at night, then you certainly need to check these pictures out here.

Lastly, I want to leave you with an unedited photo of Full Moon Lincoln. I think that like this version of Lincoln even better than before. And those glowing eyes are just so cool.

And as always have a great day or night, depending on when you are reading this.

 

 

Chapter 3.14 Not Awesome When You are Not Alpha

 

The very next day I met Ryker. Camilla showed me the way to his “office”, but before she let me in she had a few instructions for me, “stand up straight, only speak when spoken to, and don’t lie, because Ryker can smell it if you do!”

Ryker was big and tall, almost as tall as Camilla. But just as hairy. His eyes were a glowing orange.

He didn’t look so tough. Nothing special about him. Certainly not alpha material. I wonder how tough it would be for me to take over as alpha? It wouldn’t take very long before I am running this pack. I was the Alpha of Twinbrook after all.

“Stand at attention so I can get a good look at you.” Ryker ordered.

Being the son of a soldier, I knew what he meant. Camilla was standing in the corner giving me death stares that made sure I listened to Ryker’s every order. I did as I was instructed, while Ryker walked around me looking me up and down.

I have to say this about him; he is the first person I have met that did not freak out at the sight of me. And I do appreciate that.

 

“When exactly were you bitten?” Ryker asked me, allowing me to stand at ease.

I gave him a confused look. What was he talking about? I didn’t understand the question.

“We need to know who bit you?” Ryker rephrased his question. “There is no use in protecting them. The guilty party will be found. And they will be punished for performing and then abandoning an unsuccessful transformation like you.”

What? Wait…. Do these guys think that I am a werewolf?

I thought back to how long it had been since Becca cursed me. “Less than a month ago?” I sounded more like I was asking a question than giving an answer.

“So, you have not gone through a full moon shape shift?”

I shook my head no. Ryker and Camilla exchanged several looks between them. I could tell that they were having an entire conversation without either one of them saying a single word. After their wordless conversation Ryker directed his attention back to me.

“It will be a full moon two nights from now.” Ryker leaned against his desk, while I still stood at ease. “Camilla will tell you all that you need to know.”

 

“They thought that you are a werewolf?” Bert asked me after I came home and told him everything. “What did they say when you told them the truth?”

“I didn’t say anything,” I replied. “If they want to think that I am a werewolf then good. I don’t want anyone knowing why I am here or how I became this beast.”

“But what is going to happen on the night of the full moon?”

I hadn’t thought that far ahead. What will happen when Ryker and the pack turn into wolves, and I am stuck like this? Will they rip me to shreds? But if I don’t show up to their “full moon party” in the forest they will rip me to shreds anyway. Guess it is too late to turn back now.

I faked confidence as I said, “I will cross that bridge when I get there. But I can tell you one thing for sure: if anyone tries to sniff my butt, I will punch them in the face!”

 

There was still plenty of light outside when Camilla lead me to a random spot deep into the woods far from the outskirts of town. Camilla thought it would be a good idea for the two of us to meet before the rest of the pack shows up. “I am not going to sugar coat this. I don’t know how it will go for you. I have never met a werewolf that was not fully transformed before. So, I don’t know how successful your shift will be.”

“I don’t even know how to shift.” I played along. I have to say that I was proud at how well I played the part of pitiful, helpless, werewolf pup.

“Don’t worry about that, it will come naturally.” Camilla tried reassuring me.

She seriously thought that I was worried. What a moron.

 

Quick introductions were made to allow me to meet the rest of the pack. Mira had said that this was one of the best werewolf packs in Moonlight Falls, but I just didn’t see it. They looked like a pack of straggly, mangy, mutts. And that is me describing them while still in their human form.

Ryker called us all to attention to go over some of the full moon ground rules. “Grendel has restricted our hunting ground even further this month. No pack is to go beyond the north creek where the waterfall meets the Villeneuve River. More land has been given to the vampires.”

That last comment was met with groans and huffs of anger from the pack. “What about the pack that was there before?” one of the guys in the back asked.

“That pack is no more.” Ryker said in a tone that meant that he didn’t want to discuss the matter further.

 

“The moon is almost set,” Camilla spoke up, “ladies follow me.”

Camilla took the women and teenage girls around the corner to shape shift in privacy.

I looked up to the sky and held my breath. The moon was almost right above us, signaling the time for the shape shift. Here’s the moment of truth. Ryker and his pack could rip me apart in a matter of seconds, and I would be helpless against them. In the last moment I thought of Mira, of all people.

She had been so nice to me, even though I was an ass to her when we first met. She was the one who introduced me to Camilla, because she thought that belonging to the pack would help me. I wondered what would they tell Mira once I was gone? Would they lie and tell her it was an accident? Would Mira feel responsible for my death? At the final second before the moon fully set my last thought was: I hope Mira doesn’t feel guilty over this.

3…..2…..1….. Here goes nothing!

 

Side Note:  Now that the craziness of the holiday season is over, I can try to get back to posting on a more regular schedule.  And I know that I am so far behind on so many of your stories.  I will try to catch up as fast as I can.

Other than that, I am wishing everyone of you a very happy and healthy 2019.  I don’t know how last year was for all of you, but for me it was not the greatest.  I think for the world, and for me personally, I hope there can be some big changes in the new year.  Changes for the better.

And as always, have a great day or night depending on when you are reading this.  🙂

 

Chapter 3.13 Forced Friendships

 

“I am so happy that you finally decided to come out with us,” Mira greeted me with her signature obnoxiously cheery smile. “The others are meeting us there. I just have to grab my jacket, and then we can head out. Sit down and make yourself at home.”

I took a look around her small living room trying to find a place to sit. There was an old sofa that looked like it might fall apart if I sat on it. Everywhere else there were stacks of books, elixir bottles (some empty some half full), and on one of those stacks of books slept a fat grey cat. Not far from the sleeping cat was an odd looking alchemy station. So I guess that alchemy station means that Mira is a witch.

Great, just what I need in my life: another witch!!

 

“So what made you change your mind?” Mira asked me from inside of the other room.

The annoying magical talking mirror that lives in my house wouldn’t stop pestering me until I agreed to call you.

“No reason,” I called out.

I was about to ask Mira where exactly she was dragging me to, but I was stopped by an earth shaking boom coming from below us. A few of the books fell over, and an elixir bottle fell off a shelf and broke, but the cat continued to sleep un-phased. Mira bolted out of her room, charged past me, and ran outside. I followed her to see what the hell caused that mini earthquake.

“Papa.” Mira called down to the basement that was filling with thick black smoke. “Is everything alright?”

Against my better judgment I followed Mira into the basement.

 

It was hard to see, and even harder to understand what was going on. The smoke burned my eyes, and I just know that this dust will be impossible to get out of my fur. I need to get some fresh air as soon as possible. I made my way back up the wooden ladder with Mira behind me, guiding her father.

“What happened, Papa?” Mira asked her father once we were all above ground again. She was cleaning the black smoke and dust off of him.

The poor old man spoke very fast and incoherently, but I think he said, “I dunno. The what-cha-call-it interacted with the whos-its. Or the thing-a-majig didn’t connect with the do-hickey.”

I could tell right away that this man is not playing with a full deck of cards. He is not the sharpest tool in the shed. The lights are on, but no one is home. He is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. In other words: he is crazy!

Mira’s father was absentmindedly looking around the yard (does this old man seriously not know where he is right now??). However, once he got a good look at me, total fear took control of his body.

 

“You… you’re a…a…a…” he stammered while he turned white as a ghost.

I’m a what? A monster? A freak? A beast?

Yes, I know that I am all of the above, but I did not reluctantly agree to come out with Mira just to be insulted. Especially by this senile old loon. I let a low growl escape my throat in response to this disrespect.

“Papa,” Mira smiled at the dimwitted old fruitcake to try to defuse the situation, “this is Linc, our new neighbor I told you about.”

“Oh, I see” Father Time quickly recovered and his fear was replaced with friendliness. “It is nice to meet you Linc. You may call me Euclid.”

Just like Mira had done before, Euclid held his hand out to shake mine, and just like with Mira I crossed my arms in front of me.

If this is a sign of what’s to come of this night, I may as well go home now. Sitting at home talking with Bert is way better than this.

 

“My father means well,” Mira explained as we walked to where ever she was taking me.

It seems that because of Mira’s Immundus status, she can’t get a taxi to pick her up. So, we walk to where we are going. At least she isn’t making me ride on any flying broomstick.

“He just hasn’t been the same since Mama died,” Mira was talking this whole time, but for the life of me I can’t remember what she was babbling on about. Probably her crackpot father. “He spends all day and night down in the basement at his work bench.”

“So,” I was in desperate need to talk about anything else, “where exactly are we going? And who are we meeting?”

The change of subject was just what Mira needed to resort back to her annoyingly perky self. “Well, you have already met two of them. Flint and Renatta were with me when we showed up at your door. Flint in the fairy, and Renatta is the doll. And we are going to one of my all time favorite places in Moonlight Falls: The Cauldrons and Cappuccinos Café.”

 

Mira was right, Flint and Renatta were at the coffee shop when we showed up. As with the library, people were staring, but no one said anything to me about how I looked. It’s a good thing too. I was already on edge from my rude encounter with Old Man River Euclid.

I took a seat in the corner chair brooding over why I even bothered to leave my house. Getting out was harder than I thought it would be. A big part of me wanted to say the hell with the lot of them, and storm out of this poor excuse for a cafe.  But on the other hand, if I went home now Bert would annoy the living shit out of me until I agreed to hang out with Mira again.  I can’t tell which option is worse; either way I lose.

Sitting here with Mira and her sickeningly bubbly friends was not making things easier, though. Renatta kept asking me questions that I didn’t know how to answer. I didn’t want anyone knowing my real name, where I came from, or why I moved to Moonlight Falls.

It is ironic really. The old me used to love being the center of attention. I craved it. I could talk for hours about how jaw-dropingly awesome I am was, and I would never get bored. That was the old me. The pre-beast me.

 

Instead of answering Renatta’s irritating inquisition I looking around the coffee shop. It was small; half the size of the Simbucks in Twinbrook. There was a small case of pastries to choose from, and a coffee maker behind the counter that looked so old it could have been in the Smithsonian. Behind the counter was an equally old fairy couple (again, not a reference to their sexual orientation but an ​actual fairy couple). The thing that really caught my eye though was an old upright piano.

That was the second piano I saw today. Mira had one in her house (although hers was used as a bookcase and not as a musical instrument). It couldn’t be a coincidence. Seeing the un-played pianos made me homesick. I missed playing for my family. I missed showing off for Miss Melanie. I thought about how she beamed with pride as I played Joplin’s The Entertainer for her for the first time. I was still a kid back then, wearing the uncomfortable dress shirt Mom made me wear. And still crushing on Miss Melanie big time.

“Do you play?” Renatta’s tiresome questioning brought me out of my daydream. She motioned to the piano that I was fixated on.

“No,” I quickly shifted my focus away from the piano and on to the coffee that was sitting in front of me that had gone cold. “Not in a long time.”

 

As I refocused my energy back onto reality, and back onto this small coffee shop in the middle of Moonlight Falls, I noticed something was different.

“Where did Mira go?” I wondered out loud. Don’t tell me that she ditched me with her stupid irksome companions.

Instead of answering my question Flint spoke to Renatta, “I told you he wasn’t paying attention to us.”

Choosing to ignore Flint’s rude, but accurate, observation Renatta smiled at me and pointed to where Mira was standing on the other end of the coffee shop talking with someone else.

Mira was in deep conversation with someone she had not yet introduced me to. This new person was a female. She was tall, strong (she looked like she could bench press a truck), and hairy. She wore cut off shorts and a camo tank top, showing her overly hairy arms and legs. Her glowing yellow eyes were a dead giveaway that she was a werewolf. I focused my keenly sensitive hearing to see if I could discern what Mira and the werewolf were saying.

 

I have come to learn that there are a few perks to being a beast. One of which is my newly heightened senses. Since my transformation I feel physically stronger, I can see further, and I can hear better. I was able to hear Mira’s conversation with little effort on my part.

“So what do you think?” Mira asked the stranger.

The stranger did not seem keen to whatever Mira had just asked. Hesitantly she replied, “I will have to talk to Ryker. He is Alpha after all, and I don’t know how trusting he will be to a newbie.”

“I understand,” Mira nodded her head, “he just seems so lost, you know. We all are feeling that way these days. I just thought that maybe you and your pack could help guide him.”

The stranger stole a quick glance in my direction and then said, “I will see what I can do.”

“Hey Linc,” Mira called to me from across the room. She was completely oblivious to the fact that I had been listening in on her conversation. “There is someone I want you to meet.”

 

I really didn’t want to meet anymore people. I am not Mira’s Show and Tell to pass around to all of Moonlight Falls. On the other hand, anything has to be better than sitting with Renatta & Flint. So, I got up from the table and headed to where Mira was standing.

Mira made the introductions. “Linc, I would like you to meet Camilla Maynard. She is Beta Alpha to the best werewolf pack here in Moonlight Falls.”

“Beta Alpha?” I didn’t understand the term.

“I am the #2,” Camilla explained, “The Alpha to the pack is Ryker Silas.”

“Well,” Mira seemed very pleased with her match making. “I will leave the two of you to talk”

 

“Don’t get the wrong idea here.” I spoke before Camilla had a chance to say anything to me. “I don’t know what Mira told you about me, but I am not a charity case. I will not be paraded around to all of her friends like a supernatural play date. And I certainly don’t need her trying to set me up with you or any other woman.”

Camilla’s response was not what I had expected. She laughed at me, and by that I mean she loudly roared with laughter. She laughed so hard she hunched forward complaining about stomach pains. Everyone in the cafe stopped what they were doing and looked over to see what the commotion was all about.  Her hysterics were so deafening that she could have been heard from outer space.

No one has ever laughed at me before. I don’t like it. I don’t appreciate being made fun of by anyone. But especially not by this woman who had obviously had never heard of a razor before. Who is she, or anyone, to laugh at me?! I am Lincoln fucking Charming! I will not stand for this! I should tell this hacked up hair ball what I think of her and her obnoxious cackling!!

Then again, that was the old me. The pre-beast me. Beast Linc just stood there silently until Camilla was done. When she finally regained some compose she said, “You have a lot to learn, young one.”

 

“Now, let me tell you something,” Camilla wiped a tear from her eyes, and with all seriousness said, “Mira is the kindest, most selfless, most noble person in Moonlight Falls. And the way she is treated by others is deplorable. I could smell the arrogance on you from the moment you walked in, you little brat. And the only reason I am doing this is because I owe Mira a favor.”

I stood there is silence. Again, no one has ever talked to me that way before. This was becoming a day of firsts, and not in a good way. I didn’t like it one bit. But I said nothing out of fear that Camilla could easily kick my ass.

“Like I said to Mira, this is Ryker’s decision to make,” Camilla continued, “and he will be less tolerant of your disrespect than I am. Shape up, and you might just survive running with our pack.”

 

Side Note: Hello All.  Not many notes this time around.  But I have to give a very big THANK YOU to Jowita who made some poses for me.  Without her help this chapter would not have been possible.  If you are interested, Jowita put the poses on her website for download.  You can find them HERE.  And again, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Now I am off to catch up on some of my reading.  Have a great day, or night depending on when you are reading this.

 

Chapter 3.12 A Not Very Awesome History Lesson

 

“Crazy, but that’s how it goes. Millions of people living as foes” I sang as I jammed on my air guitar.

It reminded me of when I was a kid I would play air guitar in my room for hours. This time I am jamming in my new living room, wearing my boxers, with my new best friend the magic mirror.

“Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love, and forget how to hate.”

 

Confused about what is going on? Well, let me catch you up on all that has happened since last time. I quickly learned that Moonlight Falls is not like any other place in the world. And things that I once thought didn’t exist ​actually do exist; like witches, vampires, and talking magical mirrors. Once I accepted these truths, life became easier.

I understood that there were supernatural elements outside my door, and although these newly found truths didn’t scare me, I didn’t have any desire to leave my house. I was glad to have the magical mirror after all, even though he can be a sarcastic jerk some most of the time.

I found it creepy to have that face in the bedroom watching me while I sleep at night, so I moved him into the living room. That magical mirror became someone to talk to; the only someone to talk to. But, I couldn’t keep calling him My Magical Mirror.

 

“Why don’t I call you…. Marvin?” I asked him one morning, “Marvin My Magical Mirror.”

“You have some nerve, you know that?!” Mirror reacted in offense to my question. “You can’t just name me. I’m not your pet!”

I didn’t mean to upset Mirror. It wasn’t my intention to be rude. He is just being overly sensitive. On the other hand, I was in no position to offend my only source of communication. If I didn’t have the mirror to talk to I would go insane. I needed to make things right, for my own sanity.

“I am sorry if I offended you,” I turned on the Charming Charm as I faked my way through the apology, “I didn’t mean to make you mad when I decided to give you a name. I don’t want to call you just Mirror.”

“Whatever,” Mirror saw right through my fake apology, but accepted it anyway. “You need to know that I am more than just a face in the mirror. I had, I mean have, a name. A long time ago I was referred to by the name of Bertwalten.”

“Alright then, I’ll call you Bertwalten.”

“No, I’ve always hated that name. Just call me Bert instead.”

 

That is how my friendship with the talking mirror Bert all started. I figured that it would be safe to tell Bert about my past so I told him all about the events that brought me to Moonlight Falls. He is a man who got trapped in a mirror by a gypsy’s curse, so who is Bert to judge me? Still, when I asked him about whoever owned this house before me Bert quickly changed the subject.

And that leads me here, dancing around with my air guitar while Bert sings backup.

“Mental wounds not healing. Life’s a bitter shame” I sang as I danced. “I’m going off the rails on a crazy train.”

“And now it is time for my badass drum solo,” Bert made drumming sounds that sounded almost like the real thing, “bam ba da da ba da.”

 

Bert finished his drum solo, and said, “I gotta tell ya, this is the most fun I have had in a very long time, but… don’t you want to go outside the house and meet people?”

I swear, Bert can be such a buzz kill at times.

“Oh come on, my singing isn’t that bad, and don’t complain about the boxers. So what if I happen to like comics,” I joked hoping to avoid the subject, “We can play ​Thunderstruck next. I know how much you like that song.”

“​Thunderstruck does show off my amazing drumming skills, but the point remains that you need to get out of the house. It has been what, three weeks since you got here? Not once have you opened that front door.”

“That is not true, I open that door every time the pizza delivery guy leaves. And I opened the door to pick up my packages that I ordered on Simazon.”

“That is not what I meant and you know it. Opening the door after the pizza guy leaves the pizza on the front step, does ​not​ count.”

I accept the fact that Moonlight Falls is the home to all different kinds of supernatural creatures that I never knew existed until now. But I am not one of them. I am a beastly looking freak who was cursed by a jealous psycho witch. I just recently made Moonlight Falls my home, and I really don’t want to be driven out of town by a torch wielding angry mob.

 

Bert was somber and serious when he spoke, “I get that you are nervous, things are scary out there. Osiris and his thugs own the night, but you need to think of Moonlight Falls as the supernatural Island of Misfit Toys. No one in this town is perfect, and they might be not as freaked out about how you look as you might think that they will be.”

I know that Bert means well, but he doesn’t know what he is talking about. I don’t wantto leave this house, and thanks to the internet I don’t have to. Everything that I need I can order off of Simazon and have it delivered to my home. From food, to XXL clothing, and even giant, thick, dark green curtains to cover all of the windows. I am perfectly happy right here.

“I’m not saying that you should visit the Seasonal Festival or anything like that,” Bert could tell that I was still anxious, and he was trying his best to be supportive, “start out small. Why not go to the library? You wanted to find out more about the spell that you are under, right? Well, the old library is the best place to start. Besides, no one ever goes there.”

Bert got me there. Any hope of breaking this spell lays outside of these walls. I conceded with a sigh, and tried to mentally prepare myself for going outside the safety of my house. Bert displayed a map of Moonlight Falls that showed me the quickest way to the library. No more stalling. It was time to man up (or should I say beast up), and venture outside.

 

Bert was right, no one ever goes to the library. Aside from the librarian working the front desk, who gave me a strange look but didn’t say anything, I was all by myself. I walked up and down the aisles of books searching for something that might give me any insight into the curse Becca used on me. I wasn’t too optimistic about finding a book, but soon I realized that my search was going to be less like finding a needle in a haystack and more like finding a needle in a hay silo.

Most of the books were in an ancient foreign language that I didn’t recognize. They looked older than dirt, and I feared that they might disintegrate when I touched them. I was quickly getting frustrated, and fought to keep my composure. The last thing I wanted to do was make a scene, even if there was only one other person here with me.

I berated myself for letting Bert talk me into coming to this stupid library. What did I expect to find; a book titled Reversing Spells 101 or Spells to Cast on an Ex-Boyfriend, and How to Break Them?

 

I was on my way out when I was stopped in my tracks by a familiar sounding voice. It belonged to my annoyingly cheerful neighbor. I peeked my head around the corner to watch her interaction with the librarian.

“I would like to check these books out please,” my neighbor said in her signature upbeat tone.

“You checked these same books out two week ago,” the librarian sneered. At least I am not the only one who finds my neighbor insufferable.

“I understand that,” my neighbor was relentlessly optimistic, “but I have read everything in this place.   Now, I am going back and rereading my favorites.”

I looked around the library. It wasn’t as large as the one in Twinbrook, but there must be about a million books in this dusty old place. And my neighbor has read them all. What a nerd!

 

“Why don’t you just keep the stupid books then?” the librarian spat. His attitude went from slightly annoyed to downright nasty in a matter of seconds. “That way I don’t have to have your Immundus infecting my library.”

I admit that the overly cheerfulness can be obnoxious for sure, but there was no need for such a hateful attitude change. My neighbor tried very hard not to let those comments get to her, but I could have sworn that I saw a tear escape her eye. She ran out of the library, leaving the books on the desk, before we could see any more tears fall.

What made the librarian become so hostile like that?  I really felt bad for the poor girl.  Crap, now I feel bad for when I yelled at her a few weeks ago. And for calling her a nerd. I could hear both Bert, as well as Grandpa Ryan, telling me to run after this girl and apologize. Without saying anything to the librarian I grabbed the books off his desk and ran out the door to catch up to my no longer upbeat neighbor.

 

“Hey, wait up, you forgot these,” I called out when I caught up to her a few blocks from the library. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” my neighbor smiled, but I could tell that she had been crying.

Her nose was red and her face was puffy. Despite her sad looking appearance I couldn’t help but notice her captivating rainbow colored eyes. I have never seen rainbow colored eyes before. Those were the kind of eyes you could get lost in.

If you were into that sort of thing, which for the record I would like to say that I am not.

“Do I know you?” she asked when she felt I had been gazing at her eyes for too long.

“Kind of,” I said sheepishly. I have never been good at apologizing, even on the rare occasion when I have meant it. “You and your friends came to my door a few weeks ago. I have to say sorry about the way I yelled at you. I was just having a really bad day that day.”

“Apology accepted,” she smiled at me as she took the books from my hands, her cheerfulness starting to return.

 

“Well, now we can properly introduce ourselves. My name is Mira. Mira Crumplebottom.” Mira held out her hand for me to shake, but I was nervous about her touching my furry paw. Instead I shoved my hands in my pockets.

“My name is Linc…Ryan. I am Linc Ryan.” I didn’t want Mira to know my real name, because I didn’t want her, or anyone else, to know who I really am. Besides, what if she knows Becca and her family?

“So, how do you like Moonlight Falls so far, Linc?” Mira tried making conversation. If she was put off by my standoffishness she didn’t let it show.

“It’s fine, I guess. To be honest I really haven’t been out much.”

“Really? Well then, why don’t you come out tonight with me and meet some of my friends?”

 

Meet her friends?!?! I couldn’t do that. I look like a beast. I should avoid crowds at all cost.

“There are a few people you should meet.” Mira smiled at me. Her rainbow eyes were pleading with me to say yes. “Just say that you will think about it.”

“I don’t think that is a good idea.” I said as I tried to think about what would happen if I met Mira’s friends.  All I could picture was an angry mob.

“Well, the invitation is always there,” Mira didn’t let my rejection of her tarnish her smile. “Here is my number just in case you change your mind. And you know where I live. Stop by anytime.”

I watched her walk up to her house, but before she entered she turned back around to me and smiled. Those rainbow eyes shining in the sun.

 

“You got her number?” was Bert’s reaction when I told him all that had happened, “Way to go stud!!”

“Be serious,” I was in no mood for Bert’s sarcastic jokes, “still, there is one thing that I don’t understand.”

“What is it?”

“Bert,” I asked with all seriousness. “What does Immundus mean?”

“Sit down,” Bert’s demeanor changed from jovial to stern once I said that word ​Immundus. “There are some things that I gotta tell ya.”

 

Side Note: ​Just in case you weren’t sure, or if you haven’t read it already, I posted a special chapter explaining the history of Moonlight Falls, and some of the residence of the town. Bert tells Lincoln all about the history, and the current conflict between Grendel & Osiris against the Immundus. Basically, the same thing that I have already outlined for all of you.

I am excited that we get to meet more characters in the next few chapters. I didn’t want to overwhelm the chapter by introducing too many people all at once. I wanted to show Bert as Lincoln’s confidant and advisor. While Mira is a way for me to introduce some of the other characters. If any of this is hard to understand, let me know. It all makes sense in my head, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes sense on paper.

And did you recognize the librarian? Well, if you are a fan of Neverdoitagain, then you may have recognized my favorite Rosenthal, Dellie, playing the part of the librarian. I cannot say enough nice things about Jowita and her amazingly awesome story. Thank you for allowing me use Dellie for my story. 🙂

And as always, have a great day or night depending on when you are reading this.

 

 

 

Tiny Update

It has been over a month since I posted a new chapter, and I want to reassure everyone that no I did not fall off the face of the earth.  As many of you know about me (and most of you are this way as well) I am a perfectionist.  I spend way too much time making sure that even the smallest detail of these chapters are prefect.  And Generation 3 has been no exception.  Mainly the new photo filters for Moonlight Falls.

I have been stressing out so much about these filters that each and every picture gets edited about at least a dozen times.  I want to make sure that every picture to not too dark, or too light, and I try very very hard to make sure that they are consistent across the board.  That is why it has taken me over a month to post a new chapter.

Things have gotten so bad that I have been ignoring WordPress in general, and for that I am truly sorry.  It is not like me to not keep up with stories, but I have fallen so far behind on my reading as well.

However, not all is lost.  I think that I have found a happy place with my photos.  Plus, I am feverishly catching up on missed chapters.  I will try to be all caught up by the end of the weekend, but don’t hold me to that.

In fact, I am going to leave you with a picture from the next chapter.  Again, if it is too dark please let me know.  And as always, have a great day or night depending on when you are reading this.  🙂