Now and Always is a Manaverse canon that takes place in the Alter Timeline, beginning approximately eight years after the events of Cult of Ustream, in what is known as the "Interlude" between it and Gen 2. Starring Jason Shaver-- a traumatized, neurotic Shapeshifter part feral child and part abused animal-- and Judas Numidius-- a centuries-old vampire whose gentle disposition has to contend with his savage instincts-- the canon follows the powerful bond between the two of them, the recovery both must undergo, and the aftermath of the events that put them where they are today. There is heartbreak and tragedy, there is hope and happiness. The relationship these two share has never been simple, and they are equal parts brothers, best friends, father and son, master and familiar.

This story is written initially as a 1x1 roleplay on a semi-private Discord server, then logged on an equally semi-private forum for posterity. The log is what is transferred to Toyhouse. This means that chapters may split at odd places due to the inherent character limit of the forum, and there may be occasional punctuation and accented letter corruption due to a glitch on the forum software. There will be typos, since we aren't perfect, which we have done our best to correct in post. Keileon writes in American English; NebulonRanger writes in a Canadian version of British English. There will be occasional guest writers which also have their own writing styles.

Though the story can grow incredibly dark at times, with subject matter that may be considered to be mature, sensitive, or even outright offensive, it is an emotional and long-term ride with just as many ups as there are downs. If you decide to read, do so from the beginning, and stick with it. We're in for the long haul, and you will be, too.