Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-44907704-20200204214600/@comment-44907704-20200205022809

Tam's been teasing me unmercilessly all week, so I guess there isn't much of a risk writing about this in here now anyway. I'd like to say I think that was what he wanted, for me to have a safe space to rant about what's been happening and how I feel, but there's an edge of sadness and disproval in his tone whenever he makes fun of me because... I don't know. Maybe it's because he thinks I don't find him as comforting as I used to or as trustworthy, but that's really not it. What is really it — I'm not sure. At least he won't peek in my journal anymore if he knows that I have a safe haven to be in, and he won't have to belong here to take care of me.

Straight-up confrontation has never been my forte. Everyone's been super busy this week and I haven't gotten the chance to hang out with Biana in a while, which is probably for the better because, well, I don't like makeovers. I've started observing Foxfire the way Tam observes our close-knit group of friends, and it's cooler than I thought it'd be. There's a girl in Level Four, Shayda Adel, who still loves pranking despite making the mistake of trying to trip Ro. (Ro is Keefe's ogre bodyguard.) Being the daughter of two Emissaries seems to have worn her out quite a bit that's obviously visible but not really describable. In the same way I wish all three of them could be friends (who knows what shenanigans they could cause), I wish Tam could become better friends with Wylie and Keefe. (The Flashadepaths would be my top pick for their trio name, hehe.)

Oh, and there's the girl Stina who's constantly mentioned in conversation. I have to add "the girl" before her name because I don't know her that well out of all of us in the group — Tam, too, to say the least. That's another thing about me: I don't call people by their first names unless I know them to some degree. It's always stuck with me, even though people do the exact opposite for me; everyone calls me and Tam Water Girl and Shade Boy, Floodykinetic, The Floodster, The Girl of Many Floods and, if they're feeling nice, just "Linh."

I think you can guess which one I prefer. Even though Linh's the name that my parents chose and it still feels like it belongs to someone else, I can't find any others that suit me better than Linh out of all the names I've experimented with. It's felt that way since I've been banished and hasn't changed a bit.

The Neverseen have kept a fairly low profile for the past few weeks, which honestly does nothing but spread paranoia like wildfire and stir conversation about what's going to happen next. The Council sees it as they have everything under control — at least, they try to pass it off that way so the few people who have unwavering loyalty to them and feel as if their safety has been breached can be reassured. I'm not enlisted in the effort, though, and they haven't removed any of the goblin patrols. They seem to freak everyone out at one point or another, but I'm so used to them being symbols of protection now — they're doing a great service to us and deserve more gratitude. Where would we be without them?

And the dreams. They're worse every night, and I see everyone dead in a different scenario. Tam being bitten by a possessed Silveny. Wylie being blasted with one of Umber's shadow-arrows (Biana filled me in on those). Biana choking under a gallon of sopordine. And... well, the others are more gorey. Violent.

I'm prepared in case Mr. Forkle forces the journal upon all of us.

Until next time!