#for always

because Sundays are for polar bears and they are VERY territorial about their special day

I absolutely do not need to be awake this early (6:47am currently, been up since 4:40) on my day off, buuuuut here I am xD

With 5.5 votes 4x02 Some conscience lost passes the turn and goes to semifinals!

Only two full rounds before the 3 semifinals, time to vote for round 6! You have time until Thursday November 3rd to cast your vote, let the games begin!

The "final chapter" of Reader/Maliketh For Always is taking me longer than expected to wrap up, as I added several interactions with Alexander and a host of Farum Azula nonsense (bordering on tea-time with dragons lol) and I STILL don't know for sure how to end it (hoping to finish it if not today, then tomorrow). So anyway, have a snippet in the meantime, for like, the 3 people who follow me for my Elden Ring content.

The Tarnished brought the last deathroot to Gurranq and the reader surprises them outside the Sanctum.

~~

'I have seen you bring deathroot tirelessly,' you say, 'and wanted to thank you myself. It can't have been easy.'

'What ails him?' the Tarnished asks, changing tack.

'An old grief,' you answer, the half-lie coming easily. 'Turned to madness.'

The Tarnished cocks their head sideways, a little like a curious wolf. 'I couldn't help but notice that the deathroot seemed to help? Like he's regaining memories… What affinity does Gurranq have with death?'

'You're a curious one, Tarnished.'

They look down and kick a pebble, swaying on the balls of their feet, now more like a child than a wolf.

'It's rare…' they say. 'For anyone to talk to me, or talk intelligibly. I miss it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry.'

'That's alright,' you say with a smile. 'No harm done, and I understand you. I miss many things. I think if I saw a honey roll right now, I might cry.'

'Do you want me… to get you some?' the Tarnished asks, uncertain.

You laugh hard enough to nearly fall off your perch.

Daydream Shimmer and Josh Groban are singing “For Always” in a duet! “For Always” is from the movie, “Artificial Intelligence!”☀️❤️