DarkTechnomancer

My Own Best Friend 51 - What Are You?

After Talla’s lecture—or maybe during, I’m not sure—Violet recedes to let me take the front again. Maggie’s magical strain is concerning, but it’s not like we can afford not understanding the rangers right now. It’s interesting that Violet and I aren’t feeling the secondary effect...

My Own Best Friend 50 - Just a Clever Application

I’m so confused. Is this some kind of test? Did I make a mistake by saving this body I’m trapped in? Why did the guardian allow it? Why did the goddess? A convergence point. Did the ones who killed me take me there? Or was my soul set adrift and captured in a convergence by random chance?

My Own Best Friend 49 - Put Me In, Coach

It’s not surprising that Talla wants to know about the candles. Actually, in a way it’s a bit of a relief that the locals are as confused by them as I am. I couldn’t possibly answer what they are even if I had the words, but her second question has a very easy answer.

“Where?” I r...

My Own Best Friend 48 - Juicy Magical Secrets

The Fa’aun—or rather, the rangers, since I feel a little uncomfortable referring to them by species—huddle up for a private meeting following Talla’s interrogation. I get the feeling I’m not meant to be privy to it, but they aren’t willing to let me out of their sight and sound carrie...

My Own Best Friend 47 - Each Other's Languages

There’s not a whole lot for me to do while my captors set up camp. They don’t tie me up or anything, but it’s pretty clear that I’m being held prisoner. I can’t go anywhere, they took away most of my stuff apart from the cloak—especially the weapons—and there’s always someone keep...

My Own Best Friend 46 - Sorry

“Alright, stay calm,” Allison says, sounding the most panicked of any of us. “Don’t make any sudden movements. We don’t want to startle them.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” I mutter.

My words draw the attention of what I assume is the leader of the gro...

My Own Best Friend 45 - Just Okay

The hike back isn’t quite as grueling downhill, but it’s still annoyingly long.

“I wonder if it would be better for us to set ourselves up outside,” I suggest. “It’s warmer out there.”

“I think our current camp is more defensible,” Violet argues. “Not to mention cl...

My Own Best Friend Interlude - The Ones Left Behind

A young woman gazes at the sky. She’s always loved the night sky—from the lingering twilight hues of the solstices to the shimmering lights briefly visible during the equinox. Ever since she was a child, Talla could pass hours at a time just watching the rings of the great wheel turn, imperce...

My Own Best Friend 44 - At Least It's Pretty

Violet lets me take the front, since my class is better suited for exploration. I think Maggie jumped the gun a little on our slightly damp clothing, especially when there’s mold around, but admittedly it’s better than being naked. Before setting off down the lit path, I do a quick double-che...

My Own Best Friend 43 - Just a Kid

Maggie ends up going to sleep after she finishes cleaning, leaving me alone for what might be the first time since she appeared. It certainly feels like it. I was expecting Allie to come back when Maggie left, but she’s still out for now. Normally I’d relish a bit of time to myself, but right...

My Own Best Friend 42 - Our Whole Purpose

I’m a murderer. We just killed people. I keep telling myself it was in self defense over and over like a mantra, but that does nothing to stop the tears running down my face like twin rivers. I can’t even look at the bodies without breaking into uncontrolled sobbing, and I’ve thrown up twic...

My Own Best Friend 41 - Playing With Fire

(Content Warnings: https://pastebin.com/706tzmUy patreon doesn't have spoiler tags, so this is the best I could come up with.)

It’s kinda weird being naked. Not that I’m a never-nude or anything...

My Own Best Friend 40 - You've Earned a Break

Nothing can contain my enthusiasm. Not the cold, not the lingering soreness, not the fact that we still don’t know what kind of creatures are lurking in the dark up here, nothing! I’m finally, finally going to be able to clean myself.

I’ve been trying—rea...

My Own Best Friend 39 - Don't Get Distracted

Now that we’ve upgraded our classes and aren’t running for our life or bleeding to death, I can properly explore my surroundings. Maybe it’s the lighting, but I feel like the stone here is different.

“Vi, am I crazy, or have the rocks changed?” I ask.

“It’s not just you,...

Bonus - The World of What-If

(This chapter is dubiously canon and entirely skippable.)

Those girls. After all that talk about not being too hasty, they sure made their decisions quickly, didn’t they? Now they’ll never know what they might have missed, but here in the world of what ifs, you and I ca...

My Own Best Friend 38 - It's Called Minmaxing

Despite feeling like I haven’t eaten in a week, Violet still insists that I carefully ration our remaining food, so I have to tide myself over by nibbling on a bit of raw lizard meat and washing it down with some water. Not exactly the feast I was hoping for, and I practically feel more hungry ...

My Own Best Friend 37 - The Dream

The dream never ends. Always the same. They take me, they bind me, they spout their delusions, fear, pain, the dagger falls, and I die. Then I awake once more into the same dream. Again and again. This is all that is. Perhaps all that will ever be. Sometimes it feels like it’s all that ever...