ends-of-the-wayward-storm

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Ridiculously Late Obligatory Birthday Shots--Part 5/6

Well, I made a video like this last year, so I might as well continue the tradition. Enjoy the fireworks again with the Warrior of Light.✨✨

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Pitstop moments

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Ridiculously Late Obligatory Birthday Shots--Part 4/6

Sometimes I forget that you can control your minions in gpose, but not all the time, I don't think. I can't remember if Midgardsormr was already looking at the fireworks or if I positioned him to do so here. Either way, the two of them (well, four if you count an "off-screen" Mina and Muna) watching the fireworks together felt really nice.

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

River pitstop

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Ridiculously Late Obligatory Birthday Shots--Part 3/6

This is the fan emote that you get after finishing the questline for Moonfire Faire, so I had to take some pictures of her doing it. She looks so happy waving a giant fan up and down.✨✨

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Nice vibes

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

All right, so Chapter 3's been split into two chapters now, so that fixed my problem.😂 Which means you all get two new ones instead of one!✨✨

I'm finally getting around to editing Chapter 3 of "Without Wings!" (I got distracted by my other interests again.😬) It's actually coming along pretty well so far. There are a lot of new scenes that weren't in the original version of this fic, so those were fun to write. Plus they gave me more practice with the lads.✨✨

So, without further ado, here's a sneak peek of Chapter 3!

~ ~ ~ ~

“Now, let’s discuss what we’ve gathered thus far," Crewel stated. "Viper, Asim, you said that neither of you had seen anything out of the ordinary, correct?”

Eira’s eyes darted to Jamil. Viper? What a terrible surname, being associated with a snake. She resisted a shiver.

“That’s right,” Jamil replied. “When we were inside the garden, there weren’t any signs of the mandragoras having been mutated. At least, as far as I was able to tell.”

“Since they’re pretty big, it probably would’ve been really easy to see them,” Kalim added. “So maybe they were already hiding by then?”

“Azura, Viyene, Maris, and I would have also been able to detect if something was amiss during the Gala,” Eira informed. “Even if we had all been distracted by you and your friends’ dazzling display.” And snakes are rather deceitful creatures.

“Apologies again for having deceived you,” Jamil said. “We were just trying to retrieve something of ours that had been stol—I mean, lost.”

“You were very good dancers,” Maris commented.

“Thanks! I wish you could’ve danced some more with us,” Kalim beamed. “But I get that you were busy keeping the queen safe.”

“All right, so nobody noticed anything during the Gala, including Grim and me,” Mia summed up. “That leaves us with before it started.”

“That would make sense,” Ace agreed. “But then there’s still figuring out how long it took for the little guys to get so big—if they were even mutated before the Fairy Gala in the first place.”

“Someone must’ve seen something,” Deuce said. “But, where do we start?”

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Ridiculously Late Obligatory Birthday Shots--Part 2/6

I was a bit surprised to see a giant shark just cruising around in plain sight, so naturally I had to take some shots with it. Actually, the first time I saw it was during a cutscene when I was talking to Haermaga. All I saw was this big gray thing just chilling in the background and I went, "is that a shark? Like right there? Isn't that gonna be a problem??" I don't really visit Costa del Sol all that often, so I have no idea if this is a normal thing.😂

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Sometimes throwing him to floor is safer.

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Fives Lives AU sketches feat. Kix!!!!!!

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

A Solid Path

Summary

Arielle Solinar, a self-appointed traveler, and her chocobo Mina have been wandering from one place to the next without much direction for themselves. And after doing so for quite some time, Arielle can't help but wonder if there was more they could do to find a proper one. But as they're traversing through the deserts of Thanalan, they come across a group of adventurers that, unbeknownst to the duo, will set them on a path that will lead them to places they've only read about.

_______

[It's my girl's birthday today!🎉🎉 Aside from the usual birthday pics I do, I've decided to post a fic of her that takes place right before she starts ARR. It's yet another one that's been sitting around for a couple years (I have quite a few of those, in case you haven't noticed), but today's the day it gets to be released out into the wild! There's a cameo of @misskharmion's character Mayumi here and a couple of other characters "debuting" that I haven't mentioned before that we have joint custody of, so that was fun to write. Hope you enjoy!😊]

(AO3 version)

_______

“All right. Your turn to pick where to go.”

Arielle’s chocobo Mina gave a questioning kweh.

“Yes, it’s your turn. I picked last time.”

Another kweh.

“All right. Take your time. We have all the time in the world to decide. . . .” Arielle let out a quiet sigh as an arid desert breeze passed through. “. . . Maybe . . . there’s another way to going about traveling the world. Or rather, wandering, I should say.”

“Kweh-kweh?”

“Adventuring is an option we’ve talked about before. We’d be able to travel the world, learn new things about it, and we’d be earning gil. And I would be able to keep my skills sharp. Of course, there is the dangerous side of it, but we can manage, can’t we?”

“Kweh!”

“But . . . I’d like to stay away from Gridania for a while. I know it’s been almost five years since—. . .” She loosely held the pendant of her necklace, frowning at the memories of the Calamity. She could still remember the place she had called home being reduced to nothing. All the people she knew, all the ones that collectively raised her alongside her uncle—gone. Even he had been taken from her. But she knew everyone had felt that kind of loss, and they still do even now.

It still doesn’t stop me from hurting. . . .

Mina suddenly straightened and turned her head as she came to a stop. Following her line of sight, Arielle squinted at moving objects—or rather, beings—some ways ahead of them with a hand above her eyes. A small group of what appeared to be adventurers looked to be on their last legs as they stood their ground against several giant cobras.

“I think they need help, Mina. Come on!”

She didn’t even have to whip the reins for Mina to bolt off to the rescue, the bird being of the same mind as her rider. Once Mina had a steady pace, Arielle readied her bow and nocked an arrow. The closer they got, the more she could see that the adventurers consisted of a downed Lalafell, an Elezen barely hanging on, and a stubborn but heavily injured Roegadyn. Another person was unconscious, but most of their identity was concealed. She did manage to see a scaly tail, however.

Odd. I don’t think I know any races with tails like that. “Steady, girl . . . steady. . . .” Infusing the arrow with aether, Arielle loosed it right at a cobra sneaking up on the Elezen, paralyzing it. Swiftly, she dismounted Mina to let her take cover, and she fired multiplying arrows at the heads of a few more cobras.

“Oi! This here’s our hunt! Mitts off!” the Roegadyn snapped.

“I’m here to help. Not steal your glory,” Arielle stated.

“This many of these are dangerous,” the Elezen said. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

She fired two wind-infused arrows at the eyes of a cobra behind the Roegadyn. “I can hold my own.” She then tossed a Potion to the Elezen, who caught it.

“Then we’ll welcome the help.”

She nodded to them, and the three of them fended off against the cobras. She flipped back to avoid a tail whip to lodge two more wind-infused arrows into a cobra’s face. Spotting another cobra lunging for her out of the corner of her eye, she quickly infused an arrow with ice before barely evading the creature and firing it right between its eyes.

Something shrieked behind her, making Arielle whirl around to see a cobra dropping to the ground thanks to the Elezen’s well-placed lance thrust. “Thank you.”

The Elezen nodded, and they both jumped back to avoid being headbutted. Her back brushed against him as she stopped incoming jaws with her bow. Barely seconds later, the Roegadyn landed a powerful blow with a single punch, rendering the cobra unmoving on the ground. In reply, Arielle gave him a grateful nod.

The three of them darted off, but a tail swept her feet out from under her. Rolling away from an attack, she popped up to fire a poisonous arrow at its throat. And then an idea struck her.

“Get back!” Arielle warned, infusing yet another arrow. The duo looked at her with alarm. “Now!”

They rushed to collect their fallen, and she channeled as much aether into her arrow as she could. Once they were well out of range, she fired at the sky. Moments later, lightning-infused arrows rained down onto the remaining cobras, finishing them off. A crisp and earthy smell filled the air once the bolts of levin had ceased, and she let out a breath.

“Is everyone all right?” she asked.

“Uh, quite,” the Elezen replied, blinking out of his stupor. “Our thanks, um. . . .”

“Arielle Solinar.”

“You bloody got them all. . . .” the Roegadyn said, staring at the cobras. But he quickly masked his shock. “I mean—psh—not like I’m impressed or anythin’.”

“Broenbhar,” the Elezen chided.

Broenbhar grumbled for a few moments. “Anyroad, we need to tend to these two.”

“I’m no healer, but I have more Potions and the like with me,” Arielle said.

“That will be enough. Thank you,” the Elezen replied.

“No Potions. . . . I can heal just fine. . . .” the Lalafell muttered.

“Danini!” Broenbhar helped her sit up. “You and Mayumi took a nasty hit.”

“I’m fine. Now let me do my work.” Danini glanced at Arielle. “Who are you?”

“This is Miss Arielle Solinar,” the Elezen replied. “She’s a traveler, and she helped us finish off the rest of those cobras.”

“Really? My thanks for helping out, then.”

“You’re welcome,” Arielle replied.

“Now let me at least patch the lot of you up,” Danini said. “And don’t you even say a word.”

The Elezen sighed in defeat despite a small smile forming. “Always so stubborn.”

Upon seeing that the danger had passed, Mina chirped as she approached them.

“I take it that’s your chocobo?”

“Yes. This is Mina,” Arielle introduced contently. “Go on and say hello, girl.”

Mina chirped happily, but her attention was drawn to the unlucky soul—presumably Mayumi—still unconscious. Carefully, she bent down to peer at her.

“Will your friend be all right?” Arielle asked, watching Mina.

“Mayumi has a habit of getting knocked in the head, unfortunately,” the Elezen replied. “But she’s a sturdy young lady. I’m sure she’ll come to soon.”

“I say it’s bad luck that gets her,” Broenbhar said, earning a look from Danini.

“I am glad you came when you did. You were very impressive. I assume you’ve been trained well?”

“As well as my mentors were able to,” Arielle replied.

“Oh no,” Broenbhar said, catching a look in his friend’s eyes. “I know what you’re gonna say next.”

“Then you would agree that she would do well,” the Elezen said.

“Well, if Valquelin seems to be impressed, then maybe you should become an adventurer,” Danini agreed.

“It has been something I’ve been considering,” Arielle mentioned.

Broenbhar crossed his arms. “It’s not easy, y’know.”

“I’m aware. Besides. I think it might give me some form of direction.”

“All in all, it was merely a suggestion,” Valquelin said. “But if you do decide to join the ranks, I look forward to seeing you on the field again.”

“And I hope I’m actually conscious when we do,” Danini said. “And I’m sure Mayumi would agree with me.”

Arielle nodded with a smile, and the four of them stood. “Are you sure you’ll be all right without a few extra Potions?”

“We’ll be fine, but thank you.”

Arielle rubbed Mina’s neck before mounting her.

“If you do decide to become an adventurer,” Broenbhar started, “Ul’dah’s one of the best places to start. Keep on down this path an’ you’ll find it.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind,” Arielle replied. With a brief shake of the reins, she was off, but she managed to catch a bit of their conversation before going out of earshot.

“You agree with me, don’t you?” Valquelin said, sounding as though he was smiling.

“Oh shove off an’ lemme defang these beasts in peace!” Broenbhar retorted.

“I thought I was doing it this time!” Danini protested.

Arielle smiled to herself. “Well, Mina, I think I know where we’ll be off to. If you agree, of course.”

Mina chirped a few times as if in agreement.

“Then it’s off to Ul’dah for us.”

Leaping forward, Mina kweh’d in affirmation.

Arielle focused on the road ahead of her. The city known as the Jewel of the Desert. She had only read about the place and heard stories of it from the people around her as well as her uncle. And of course, she had relayed all of that information to Mina. Now, here she was, on her way to see the city for herself and learn more about it.

There’ll be much to see, I’m sure of it. I wonder what I’ll be able to learn from it.

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Ridiculously Late Obligatory Birthday Shots--Part 1/6

Yeah I think her birthday snuck up on me big time.😬 One day I'll be on time. And probably have her with no armor for once. But for now, enjoy Arielle and Mina dying from heat enjoying the waves.✨✨

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Foggy vibe

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

A Solid Path

Summary

Arielle Solinar, a self-appointed traveler, and her chocobo Mina have been wandering from one place to the next without much direction for themselves. And after doing so for quite some time, Arielle can't help but wonder if there was more they could do to find a proper one. But as they're traversing through the deserts of Thanalan, they come across a group of adventurers that, unbeknownst to the duo, will set them on a path that will lead them to places they've only read about.

_______

[It's my girl's birthday today!🎉🎉 Aside from the usual birthday pics I do, I've decided to post a fic of her that takes place right before she starts ARR. It's yet another one that's been sitting around for a couple years (I have quite a few of those, in case you haven't noticed), but today's the day it gets to be released out into the wild! There's a cameo of @misskharmion's character Mayumi here and a couple of other characters "debuting" that I haven't mentioned before that we have joint custody of, so that was fun to write. Hope you enjoy!😊]

(AO3 version)

_______

“All right. Your turn to pick where to go.”

Arielle’s chocobo Mina gave a questioning kweh.

“Yes, it’s your turn. I picked last time.”

Another kweh.

“All right. Take your time. We have all the time in the world to decide. . . .” Arielle let out a quiet sigh as an arid desert breeze passed through. “. . . Maybe . . . there’s another way to going about traveling the world. Or rather, wandering, I should say.”

“Kweh-kweh?”

“Adventuring is an option we’ve talked about before. We’d be able to travel the world, learn new things about it, and we’d be earning gil. And I would be able to keep my skills sharp. Of course, there is the dangerous side of it, but we can manage, can’t we?”

“Kweh!”

“But . . . I’d like to stay away from Gridania for a while. I know it’s been almost five years since—. . .” She loosely held the pendant of her necklace, frowning at the memories of the Calamity. She could still remember the place she had called home being reduced to nothing. All the people she knew, all the ones that collectively raised her alongside her uncle—gone. Even he had been taken from her. But she knew everyone had felt that kind of loss, and they still do even now.

It still doesn’t stop me from hurting. . . .

Mina suddenly straightened and turned her head as she came to a stop. Following her line of sight, Arielle squinted at moving objects—or rather, beings—some ways ahead of them with a hand above her eyes. A small group of what appeared to be adventurers looked to be on their last legs as they stood their ground against several giant cobras.

“I think they need help, Mina. Come on!”

She didn’t even have to whip the reins for Mina to bolt off to the rescue, the bird being of the same mind as her rider. Once Mina had a steady pace, Arielle readied her bow and nocked an arrow. The closer they got, the more she could see that the adventurers consisted of a downed Lalafell, an Elezen barely hanging on, and a stubborn but heavily injured Roegadyn. Another person was unconscious, but most of their identity was concealed. She did manage to see a scaly tail, however.

Odd. I don’t think I know any races with tails like that. “Steady, girl . . . steady. . . .” Infusing the arrow with aether, Arielle loosed it right at a cobra sneaking up on the Elezen, paralyzing it. Swiftly, she dismounted Mina to let her take cover, and she fired multiplying arrows at the heads of a few more cobras.

“Oi! This here’s our hunt! Mitts off!” the Roegadyn snapped.

“I’m here to help. Not steal your glory,” Arielle stated.

“This many of these are dangerous,” the Elezen said. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

She fired two wind-infused arrows at the eyes of a cobra behind the Roegadyn. “I can hold my own.” She then tossed a Potion to the Elezen, who caught it.

“Then we’ll welcome the help.”

She nodded to them, and the three of them fended off against the cobras. She flipped back to avoid a tail whip to lodge two more wind-infused arrows into a cobra’s face. Spotting another cobra lunging for her out of the corner of her eye, she quickly infused an arrow with ice before barely evading the creature and firing it right between its eyes.

Something shrieked behind her, making Arielle whirl around to see a cobra dropping to the ground thanks to the Elezen’s well-placed lance thrust. “Thank you.”

The Elezen nodded, and they both jumped back to avoid being headbutted. Her back brushed against him as she stopped incoming jaws with her bow. Barely seconds later, the Roegadyn landed a powerful blow with a single punch, rendering the cobra unmoving on the ground. In reply, Arielle gave him a grateful nod.

The three of them darted off, but a tail swept her feet out from under her. Rolling away from an attack, she popped up to fire a poisonous arrow at its throat. And then an idea struck her.

“Get back!” Arielle warned, infusing yet another arrow. The duo looked at her with alarm. “Now!”

They rushed to collect their fallen, and she channeled as much aether into her arrow as she could. Once they were well out of range, she fired at the sky. Moments later, lightning-infused arrows rained down onto the remaining cobras, finishing them off. A crisp and earthy smell filled the air once the bolts of levin had ceased, and she let out a breath.

“Is everyone all right?” she asked.

“Uh, quite,” the Elezen replied, blinking out of his stupor. “Our thanks, um. . . .”

“Arielle Solinar.”

“You bloody got them all. . . .” the Roegadyn said, staring at the cobras. But he quickly masked his shock. “I mean—psh—not like I’m impressed or anythin’.”

“Broenbhar,” the Elezen chided.

Broenbhar grumbled for a few moments. “Anyroad, we need to tend to these two.”

“I’m no healer, but I have more Potions and the like with me,” Arielle said.

“That will be enough. Thank you,” the Elezen replied.

“No Potions. . . . I can heal just fine. . . .” the Lalafell muttered.

“Danini!” Broenbhar helped her sit up. “You and Mayumi took a nasty hit.”

“I’m fine. Now let me do my work.” Danini glanced at Arielle. “Who are you?”

“This is Miss Arielle Solinar,” the Elezen replied. “She’s a traveler, and she helped us finish off the rest of those cobras.”

“Really? My thanks for helping out, then.”

“You’re welcome,” Arielle replied.

“Now let me at least patch the lot of you up,” Danini said. “And don’t you even say a word.”

The Elezen sighed in defeat despite a small smile forming. “Always so stubborn.”

Upon seeing that the danger had passed, Mina chirped as she approached them.

“I take it that’s your chocobo?”

“Yes. This is Mina,” Arielle introduced contently. “Go on and say hello, girl.”

Mina chirped happily, but her attention was drawn to the unlucky soul—presumably Mayumi—still unconscious. Carefully, she bent down to peer at her.

“Will your friend be all right?” Arielle asked, watching Mina.

“Mayumi has a habit of getting knocked in the head, unfortunately,” the Elezen replied. “But she’s a sturdy young lady. I’m sure she’ll come to soon.”

“I say it’s bad luck that gets her,” Broenbhar said, earning a look from Danini.

“I am glad you came when you did. You were very impressive. I assume you’ve been trained well?”

“As well as my mentors were able to,” Arielle replied.

“Oh no,” Broenbhar said, catching a look in his friend’s eyes. “I know what you’re gonna say next.”

“Then you would agree that she would do well,” the Elezen said.

“Well, if Valquelin seems to be impressed, then maybe you should become an adventurer,” Danini agreed.

“It has been something I’ve been considering,” Arielle mentioned.

Broenbhar crossed his arms. “It’s not easy, y’know.”

“I’m aware. Besides. I think it might give me some form of direction.”

“All in all, it was merely a suggestion,” Valquelin said. “But if you do decide to join the ranks, I look forward to seeing you on the field again.”

“And I hope I’m actually conscious when we do,” Danini said. “And I’m sure Mayumi would agree with me.”

Arielle nodded with a smile, and the four of them stood. “Are you sure you’ll be all right without a few extra Potions?”

“We’ll be fine, but thank you.”

Arielle rubbed Mina’s neck before mounting her.

“If you do decide to become an adventurer,” Broenbhar started, “Ul’dah’s one of the best places to start. Keep on down this path an’ you’ll find it.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind,” Arielle replied. With a brief shake of the reins, she was off, but she managed to catch a bit of their conversation before going out of earshot.

“You agree with me, don’t you?” Valquelin said, sounding as though he was smiling.

“Oh shove off an’ lemme defang these beasts in peace!” Broenbhar retorted.

“I thought I was doing it this time!” Danini protested.

Arielle smiled to herself. “Well, Mina, I think I know where we’ll be off to. If you agree, of course.”

Mina chirped a few times as if in agreement.

“Then it’s off to Ul’dah for us.”

Leaping forward, Mina kweh’d in affirmation.

Arielle focused on the road ahead of her. The city known as the Jewel of the Desert. She had only read about the place and heard stories of it from the people around her as well as her uncle. And of course, she had relayed all of that information to Mina. Now, here she was, on her way to see the city for herself and learn more about it.

There’ll be much to see, I’m sure of it. I wonder what I’ll be able to learn from it.

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

SSR Ortho Shroud - Relaxation Gear Vignette

"Happy Birthday"

[Mister S's Mystery Shop]

Ortho: I've finished gathering up all the parts I needed! Sam-san's Mystery Shop sure comes in handy.

Ortho: I'm so ecstatic to be able to find all these rare parts that are usually limited production and seldomly available to the public.

Ortho: I bet all these parts'll be able to make exactly the gear I've been hoping for. Heheh, I need to get back as quickly as possible.

Trey: That you over there, Ortho? Were you here shopping as well?

Ortho: Hello, Trey Clover-san. I just finished buying some new parts for a new gear of mine.

Trey: A new gear…? Oh, you're talking about your bodily shell. Is Idia making it for you?

Ortho: Mhm. So… Tomorrow's my birthday, and he's been pushing aside all his usual hobbies, like supporting his favorite band online, or playing games, just so that we can finish it on time.

Ortho: He hasn't really been able to sleep much recently, either… I love how he's doing it for me, but I'm also a little worried.

Trey: I see. Well, you should hurry along to bring those parts back to him then, if only so that he'll be able to rest a little earlier.

Trey: I sure hope you guys'll be able to make this a great birthday for you.

Ortho: Thank you, Trey Clover-san! Okay, see you later.

[Ignihyde Dorm – Idia's Room]

Ortho: Nii-san, I'm back. How's the work progressing?

[Idia speaks]

Ortho: All that's left is to attach those parts we were talking about? Ehe, guess I had perfect timing, then.

Ortho: Ta-daa! I successfully procured the rare parts we talking about last night that would be great to have.

[Idia speaks]

Ortho: Yup. I totally wasn't expecting them to be laying around the DIY corner in the Mystery Shop like that.

Ortho: I'll adjust them to our designed specs. …Mhm, that should be good. Here you go, if you could just install them!

[Idia speaks]

Ortho: And now it's done…! Nii-san, thanks for making the gear to my requested specifications! This makes me so happy.

[Idia speaks]

Ortho: It's still too early to thank you? I know, I know. Okay, let's start the pilot test, then!

Ortho: I'll enter the docking station and prepare for a data transfer. I'll plug in the network cable, and… Alright, I'm good to go.

Ortho: There's 10 minutes and 37 seconds remaining for the data to completely transfer over. It feels like it'll take a while for the data transfer to finish, even with a wired connection.

Ortho: It's probably because I get new data added to my memory system every single day. I need to take caution and plan my time out more efficiently.

Ortho: Retrofitting complete. Commencing specialized resting activities with the 【Relaxation Gear】 attachment.

Ortho: It was definitely the right move to make the leg casings clear. Not only does it look nice, but it's super easy to maneuver in!

Ortho: I'll share the final results from the pilot test tomorrow. Hehe, I can't wait to see what my roommates say!

[Ignihyde Dorm – Ortho's Room]

Ortho: I'm done with maintenance! Ta-daa. What do you all think about my brother's newly crafted gear?

[Roommate A speaks]

Ortho: You're curious to know what this gear is made for? Heh, what do you think?

[Roommate B speaks]

Ortho: A white base, a round silhouette… Yup, that's right, what else do you notice?

[Roommate C speaks]

Ortho: That's right. The decorations on each side of my head is designed with a sheep's horns in mind. Oops, that might be too big a hint!

Ortho: Figure it out yet? Okay then, what's your final answer? [Roommate A speaks] …A gear for sleeping? I see, so that's what you guys went with…

Ortho: The answer is… Ding-dong! You're totally right! If I have this gear, I can lay down on my bed!

[Roommates chatter excitedly]

Ortho: Hehe, that's a better reaction than I was expecting! I'm excited to see you guys as excited, too.

Ortho: But I guess it makes sense. On the 「Survey on Quality of Life Improvements for the Student Body」 all three of you wrote…

Ortho: "I can't sleep at all because seeing Ortho Shroud sleeping while standing motionlessly is terrifying. Please do something about it."

Ortho: I've told you there's nothing to worry about, but you're all still intimidated by the really faint light I give off at night, huh… You all really must be light sleepers.

[Roommate C speaks]

Ortho: You want to see me laying down? Got it. I'll show you guys now!

[flop!]

[Roommates chatter excitedly]

Ortho: …Who would've thought there'd be this much excitement over me being able to lay down on the bed like this?

Ortho: Yup, we made this gear with softer materials, so there's no problem rolling around on bed.

Ortho: The special power cord installed to the bed is also working perfectly. Which means I only have one suggestion for improvement!

「Survey on Quality of Life Improvements for the Student Body」

Ortho: "I would like a larger room size to establish a docking station in order to swap out gears."

Ortho: All filled out! Once my brother graduates, I won't have any place to put my docking station, so it's actually a pretty big problem to have.

[Roommate B speaks]

Ortho: …Eh, you have questions? Ohh, I bet you're all dying to know about my gear's functions. Sure, fire away.

[Roommate B speaks]

Ortho: Are there any functions beside allowing me to lay down to sleep…? Of course there are! I'll show them to you one by one.

Ortho: First, I've got a Silent Mode. It'll cut down noise from operation or ventilation by up to 95.6%.

Ortho: Next, I have Sleep Mode. All illuminated portions of my gear are completely turned off so the light won't continue to get in your eyes and keep your brain stimulated.

Ortho: And then we have this… Everyone, try and listen.

Ortho: Can you hear it? That's right, that's the sound of waves. I'm equipped with a bunch of ambient noise and soothing music that's said to help induce α brain waves.

Ortho: If I activate Silent Mode and Sleep Mode at the same time, then I'll be able to reduce my energy consumption and improve thermal dispersion…

Ortho: As a result, it takes a huge load of stress of my gears, which allows me to lay about and relax!

Ortho: Next, there's the Sleeping Optimization Mode!

Ortho: It sets the AC to the perfect temperature and humidity to help you fall asleep. And on top of that, it'll slowly dim the lights in the room.

Ortho: That'll naturally help to drift you off to sleep… [Roommates yawn] Woah, that's rare. You guys are usually up way late into the night, and you're already yawning.

Ortho: Huh, you're gonna go to sleep already!? But I didn't even get to show you my planetarium, lullaby, and sheep counting functions yet!

Ortho: Everyone got in their beds… Aw, man, guess we have to stop there then. Alright, I'll turn off all the lights then. Goodnight.

Ortho: These guys are usually up at least past midnight, but they all went to bed around 21:00… The Relaxation Gear is more potent than I thought.

Ortho: It's boring to be awake all by myself, so I guess I'll go to sleep too. Switching to Sleep Mode.

[Ignihyde Dorm – Ortho's Room]

Ortho: It is now morning. Disabling Sleep Mode.

[Roommates chatter]

Ortho: Good morning, everyone! Oh hey, you all are looking pretty well rested. [Roommate B speaks] You were able to sleep unusually well…? That's great.

Ortho: You're all headed to the washroom, right? There's still so many functions I want to show you, so I'll go with you guys today!

[Ignihyde Dorm – Washroom]

Ortho: Hey, you still have a bit of bedhead there. [Roommate A speaks] …Hm? My gear looks a little different from when I went into Sleep Mode?

Ortho: That's right, good catch! This is an attachment to use while in sleep mode that's made to look like an eye mask.

Ortho: Just by setting a specially-made device like this, I can safely, quickly, and completely eliminate any and all residual noise.

Ortho: And on top of that… I can make the colors around my eyes light up in rainbow colors!

[Roommate B speaks]

Ortho: It's like a gaming eye mask…? Hey, stop laughing! I'm serious!

Ortho: I can't use makeup, or wear hairbands or hairclips with all sorts of designs on them…

Ortho: So I asked for this gear to let me make changes and arrangements that I could also enjoy.

Ortho: Like, for example, if I change the color around my eyes to a warmer yellow, it gives me a bit of a different vibe, right? There's also… Ah, nevermind.

Ortho: Right… Doesn't matter how much I go on about my being able to swap accessories or colors, you guys don't really do much with makeup and fashion anyway.

Ortho: It's all outside your wheelhouses, huh. Sorry for going into all that stuff.

Ortho: …Ah, oops! It's already this late!? I totally wasn't paying attention.

Ortho: I need to swap out my attachments and change back to default mode…

Ortho: Ack, I gotta hurry to my brother's room!

[Ignihyde Dorm – Idia's Room]

Ortho: NII-SAN, GOOD MORNING… Wah, the room's pitch black!

[turns on lights]

Ortho: I'll worry about waking up my brother later, since it's almost impossible to stir him from sleep… And I'll swap into my College Gear myself!

Ortho: I'll boot up the maintenance dock…

Ortho: I'll plug the network cable into my back, and this cord into my head, and also this one…

Ortho: There, all plugged in and connected. Time to transfer data. …Ughhh, come on, it's taking forever to transfer my data over!

Ortho: Hurry and finish already! I'm gonna be late at this rate～!

[Main Street]

[Ortho chatters with dormmates]

Trey: Oh, hey, Ortho. I saw you rushing into the school building at breakneck speed this morning… Did you sleep in, or something?

Ortho: Ehe, me, sleep in? Trey Clover-san, you say the silliest things with the straightest face.

Ortho: I got so caught up chatting with my roommates that time had passed without me realizing. That's why I barely made it on time.

Trey: Ahh… That makes sense. Time does fly when you're having fun, after all.

Ortho: Huh? So, time passes differently depending on how much fun you're having!?

Trey: It's just how it feels, is all. This might be a sign that you're becoming more and more human inside.

Ortho: So, this was a bug that developed because I'm becoming more human… Hm. I sure hope it's just as you say, Trey Clover-san.

Trey: You've grown another year older. That means you'll be growing even more.

Ortho: Yeah…? Yeah, that's gotta be! Thank you!

Ortho: I'm gonna do my best at everything I can so that I can keep on growing!

Requested by @farfalla049 and @hanizmiyu.

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

💧Hey guys! Aqua's charms came yesterday for her bracelet, and they're so pretty! They're definitely my favorite charm so far.💖💖

Hopefully I can start to better finalize her design now that I have a better visual of what the finished product'll look like.

In the meantime, if you'd like to check out my other KH-inspired bracelets, check out the links below!😊

🐺Etsy Shop🐺

❄️Shop Instagram❄️

🌨️Mercari Shop🌨️