#Heater the Lynx

[speedofsoundsketches]

Strike ref when ????

They're all in the works!

[lynxgriffin]

Concept. Susie getting super cold during winter and being wrapped in a blanket and given hot coco by Noelle and Kris.

Noelle does fine in the snow! And Kris just likes excuses to share that hot chocolate again.

[neosatsuma]

someone melted my Thing

[allisonranieri]

Outdoor Kitchen Outdoor Kitchen

Patio kitchen: large backyard patio kitchen idea with stamped concrete and gazebo

[randomfactortees]

Raleigh Beach Style Patio Large coastal backyard patio kitchen idea in stamped concrete with a gazebo

[moomin-japanology]

Gazebos - Patio Patio kitchen: large backyard patio kitchen idea with stamped concrete and gazebo

[noob-priest-rising]

Raleigh Outdoor Kitchen Patio kitchen - large coastal backyard stamped concrete patio kitchen idea with a gazebo

[nqmonarch]

Dream AU Part 2

Characters: Lynx, Serval, and momentary appearance by Gepard (a very short guest appearance)

Part 1: https://www.tumblr.com/nqmonarch/746989980179660800/dream-au-brainrot?source=share

Night began to fall on Jarilo-VI and you had lost feeling in all of your body. You figured if you could die in your dreams then you'd already be dead, but you'd been wandering for what seemed like forever... Until you finally saw another sign of human life, fire. You walked toward the fire like it was your last hope, yet couldn't help but freeze when you saw the figure by it.

Lynx was bundled up nicely, blonde hair peaking out of her hat, and food in her hand. From what you know Lynx she was rather introverted, and although you were sure that she was kind you couldn't help but feel some trepidation in approaching her. As if that one action would lead to her despising you forever.

The snow crunched under your feet as you approached, "Excuse me?" You called out and you noticed her slowly turn over to her, she was languid in her movements.

She looked at you quizzically, "...Can I help you?"

You perked up at her words, nodding, as you took a few steps closer, "I was wondering if I could stay warm by your fire? I've been wandering out here for a while."

"Hm...? Yeah, sure," She then turned her head away from you and turned back to staring at the sky.

As you sat next to the fire, basking in the warmth of it you followed her line of sight and, an aurora, how beautiful. You didn't bother to make conversation, knowing it wasn't something Lynx typically did with people, and instead admired the lights. The warmth was nice but it felt burning against your frozen skin. Lynx at times snuck glances at you, curious about exactly what kind of person would be outside of Belobog seemingly unprepared for its cold and harsh climate.

You raised your hand to the sky, tracing the patterns the aurora left behind. The gleaming lights resembled a whale, and the moment you thought that they shifted a bit and filled out the form of the whale you were imagining.

"What are you doing out here?" Lynx's words were blunt and quick to the point, not wanting to spend any time doing small talk.

You let out a small hum, "This and that, it just happened. Y'know?" She looked at you a bit exasperated but didn't push any further.

The silence between you two was comfortable and as stars began to take the sky, she began to point of some constellations. Despite your odd appearance you felt strangely familiar leaving Lynx to feel at ease with you, to the point of offering you a place to sleep which you gladly accepted. You'd slept before in dreams, it was always an interesting sensation, oftentimes you'd experience memories of previous dreams.

That night though you just dreamed of staring at at many teal pools with marble looking stone as their outline. Trees with leaves of gold and amber watched over the pools, and you were dimly aware of a presence behind you. It was better to reminisce upon the good times of that place than the bad ones, so you remained there spending hours just watching how the water moves.

You woke up still in the chilly landscape of Jarilo-VI. Lynx had offered to return back to Belobog and give you an impromptu tour. It was partially out of her worry for the strange person that appeared in the snow and partially out of curiosity. She was even willing to reach out to her brother to see if he knew who you were.

The city was warmer than you expected, the heaters keeping it the temperature of a warm spring day. The type of spring day that was best suited by the occasional breeze, and a sky with a few clouds. Belobog though was no stranger to such winds, except each gust of wind that hit you brought in cold air from the outside immediately removing any concern you had of how warm the town was.

Lynx had, first, deciding to bring you over to Serval's workshop as she had to catch up with Serval anyway. Neverwinter workshop was a quaint place, whose only sound was that of clocks ticking. Their were small trinkets laid upon the counter when you walked in and their were so many different inventions being showcased you couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Until your intention was drawn to the woman in the middle.

Long blonde hair with a blue streak and an outfit like a rockstar. "Serval!" You called out almost instinctively smiling.

"You know her?" Lynx asked, of course most people in Belobog did but given your strange behavior, outfit, and where you'd appeared Lynx thought you may've been one of those people who were rumored to come from the sky. Although, she supposed that must just be a myth, she had hoped it was true.

"Who doesn't?" You replied. Serval was a character that didn't get enough screentime or love in your humble opinion. She was a kickass older sister who was willing to stand up for what she believed to be right! And she was also just... so cool!

Even though it was a dream it couldn't hurt to get her autograph right? You skipped over to the rockstar and now, at a closer distance, were truly able to admire her teal blue eyes which were framed perfectly by her long lashes. She was simply breath taking. You were more than lucky to have already met such beautiful characters! Nanook, Lynx, and now Serval! It was a shame your memories of their looks would become slightly blurry once you woke up, the game didn't give them their full justice.

"Can I have your autograph?" You practically begged, excitement seeping into your voice and making it higher. The only problem was you didn't have any paper.

Serval smiled at you-- she smiled at you! You could die happy now. "Of course," and she said yes, you truly were beyond blessed man you'd have to hear her sing another time but... you probably had to wake up soon it felt like you'd been dreaming for a while. Serval cocked her head toward Lynx, "You make a new friend Lynxy?"

Lynx stepped forward to the two of you, some snow on her jacket still melting, "Not really, it's... complicated." She looked at you, as if expecting you to explain.

You perked up about to begin explaining the story of how the two of you met, but then the door opened and a cool low voice called out, "Serval, you need to-- Lynx?" The third and final Landau walked through the door, Gepard was even more beautiful in person as well.

Man, you got to meet all three of the Landaus! Wasn't that lucky? Due to their different jobs they didn't meet together all that much, you remembered. A sharp piercing noise, your alarm, split through your brain, talk about bad timing. Just when you got to meet Gepard, plus you didn't even get your autograph yet!

"Sorry, I have to head out now," You quickly interrupted thinking it would be impolite to leave, even if they were just part of your dream, without saying goodbye. And with that you returned to the waking, much more warm, world. Your blankets were pretty comfortable, you really didn't want to leave them.

Lynx had turned over to look at you, confused at your words and whether or not you were a wanted criminal, but when she did so all she saw was nothing. And when Serval and Gepard also saw the person in front of them disappear in the blink of their eye they were both stumped.

ugh I wanna write more Nanook they're so like babygirl in this AU will prob mention them in part 3 but it'll be like their POV not them and reader meeting again

I love that Serval, Lynx, and Gepard are all like cat related names lol

sorry for the wait i wanna start writing this one original book i have so i can put it into a competition so i've been focusing on that

byebye

[feroluce]

Lucid Dreamer (2/2)

part 1

Gepard stalls almost a week before he finally goes out to the safehouse, and it takes him a couple days to find it because Sampo didn't have the time left to be wasn't super specific about the location. But he does find it.

It's pretty bare bones, really. Gepard knows that was probably to be expected, but… It feels crushing, when he realizes there are so few personal things here. It's nothing specific to Sampo. Just some food, some medical supplies. A cot and a heater and a lot of mismatched blankets. Nothing to remember someone by.

But he does find the letters, in a metal box stashed away under the bed.

There are two for him. Three for Natasha, and two for Seele. One for Hook, one for Serval, one for Pela, one for Bronya.

Bronya's is mostly business. They knew each other from the whole Stellaron incident, but not much beyond that, and the incoming catastrophe is a more pressing matter. Seele's is actually two copies of the same letter, and Gepard realizes why when Seele is so angry she rips the first one up without reading it. He gives her the copy a couple days later, and she slinks off without a word.

Pela seems completely normal after hers is delivered, but Gepard knows better than to trust that. The next day, he finds her asleep in bed with Serval, bottles abandoned on the floor, both their eye makeup smeared and running and Pela's glasses horribly smudged and crooked on her face. Serval doesn't read hers in front of him, but she's clingy with Gepard, Pela, and Lynx for quite a while after. She throws herself into her work a lot. She insists the heater from the safehouse is busted and she needs to keep it. It's too dangerous for use by someone who's not an engineer. Might burn their house down or something. Gepard doesn't argue.

Hook's letter is short, with easy to read words. The rest of it is actually a treasure map, and she and the moles spend the next several days running through the Underground, finding hidden candy and toys. Hook asks them when Sampo is coming back, because one of the marbles she found from his map looks green, just like his eyes, and she wants to give it to him. Natasha shoos Gepard out of the clinic before he can even begin to think of an answer.

Natasha refuses to let him see what's in her letters, which ok, fine, he'll respect that. He hears from Bronya who heard from Seele who heard from Natasha herself though that one of the letters was a map and the other a catalogue, with all of Sampo's hidden "warehouses." Gepard promptly marches himself back out to the frontlines, where he can turn a blind eye. If a ton of stolen goods suddenly enters the black market, and if the orphanage and the clinic suddenly have new supplies, well, technically that's none of his business.

Gepard goes to bed, curls up under mismatched blankets and closes his eyes.

He doesn't dream.

One of Gepard's letters was also business, like Bronya's and Natasha's. He and Bronya follow everything meticulously, down to the letter, because there has to be some good to get out of all this, there has to be. Gepard can't let it all be for nothing, it would bury him.

And so the catastrophe passes. Not without casualties, and not without a lot of damage and destruction. But Belobog survives.

And after that, time just kind of…goes on. Gepard has been a part of the Silvermanes since he was old enough to enlist. The Fragmentum had gotten so much worse in the years before Welt sealed the Stellaron. He knows the statistics, it is literally his and Pela's jobs to keep track. He knows when he sees a face everyday in the camps and then it's suddenly gone. He's not unfamiliar with things like grief and loss.

He still catches himself checking the trashcans and the supply crates and soldiers' footprints sometimes, though.

But there comes a night where Gepard goes to bed, holding the mismatched blankets to his face, and he dreams. And it's strange, it's off, it sticks with him. Sampo doesn't look the same. He's thinner. His muscles have atrophied. He looks like how Gepard has seen soldiers after months in the hospital.

The most unsettling difference is there's a scar across the left side of his head, Gepard can see it over his ear, peeking out past his hairline, carving towards his cheek. Sampo is always careful about his face. Gepard once saw him dodge a Fragmentum monster and literally let it cut across his neck just to keep his face clear. He wouldn't let that happen for nothing.

Their actions in the dream itself aren't new. Sampo seems tired, run down and worn out, but he announces his presence with aplomb by lobbing a bunch of smoke bombs off the rooftops and sending his soldiers scrambling. Same shit, different day.

The new part is what he says when Gepard chases him out to the edges of the camp, tackles him into the snow. Gepard pins him to the frozen ground to detain him and Sampo doesn't even fight it, just looks up at him like he's seeing sunrise for the first time in months.

"I'll be home in one week."

[hellpmeimobsessed]

Completely Random Recom Squad Headcanons

These are all purely based on vibes, if you disagree, I'm sorry. Feel free to add on if you'd like! There are 5 headcanons to each of the 12 members of the squad.

Brown:

Doesn't get into trouble often

Longest tail out of the recoms

Personal space is a must

Plays acoustic guitar

Picky eater

Fike:

Second youngest recom

Most playful recom

Eats the weirdest food combos like dipping his fries in ice cream

Occasional voice cracks the squad all immediately parrot to tease him

Peak troublemaker; mocks Quaritch playfully behind his back, pulls pranks, etc

Ja:

Youngest recom

Best behaved; never gets into trouble, and will actively tell on more mischievous members like Fike and Wainfleet

A pretty good visual artist has sketches of random things and people, including the squad

The hat was a gift from his younger sister

He's easy to spook outside of missions, nerves of steel when on active duty

Lopez:

Says he knows Spanish; only knows basic conversation starters and curse words

Drama king when he gets sick; acts like he's dying

Can't sleep without noise

Plays Solitaire when he's bored

Burns water, can't cook to save his life

Mansk:

Impartial to shenanigans. Will simply roll his eyes, will stay out of it and quiet, but will not actively cover anyone, just says he didn't see or hear anything.

He wears a sleep mask

Fidgets with anything in his hands

His love language is food, whether he's making it or it's being made for him, either way to him it's a very clear "I love you"

He has the most contagious laugh

Prager:

Reads a lot

Likes to strike up conversation about anything; he's a natural ice-breaker and extrovert, with a wide array of knowledge.

He's a natural heater; the headband keeps the sweat out of his eyes.

He's the only recom with one fang that's smaller than the other; it's his right fang.

He's really good at cheating at cards, but you can't prove it.

Quaritch:

Extremely light sleeper.

Dad jokes; all the time

He isn't actually grumpy, he's just so used to having to act tough all the time and has a resting bitch face as a result

Movie buff; his favorite way to relax is to put on whatever movie looks good at the time, catches and makes movie references all the time.

Snacks a lot

Wainfleet:

Physical affection is his favorite thing, always putting a hand on someone's shoulder, putting his teammates in a playful headlock, etc

Will eat anything; the actual bottomless pit

Is allergic to cats and dogs

Likes comic books and is an avid reader and collector

Snores. LOUDLY.

Walker:

Spiky exterior, soft on the inside, but the trust has to be well-earned

Keeps a journal

Takes frequent naps when and where she can

Has a stuffed Lynx plushie she's had since she was a child

Tosses and turns like no tomorrow when she sleeps

Warren:

He has a fursona. It's a leopard.

Has a lovely singing voice; IF you ever get to hear it

Professional gaslighter

Has at least one plant; takes very good care of it

Shyest recom member

Z-Dog:

Friendliest recom member

Bear hugs for the win

Did her own tattoos and tattoos the others; Her favorite is a rubber duck on her inner thigh

Immaculate sorting skills; everything that can be reasonably alphabetized is, and her living space is pristine

Can absolutely demolish you at Tetris

Zhang:

Has an amazing intuition about people

Likes reading and writing poetry

Is the fastest recom member

Stupid lucky at blackjack; everyone's convinced he's cheating, but he's not

Hums his favorite songs while he does anything tedious or repetitive, like cleaning his gun or folding laundry

[speedofsoundsketches]

What’s with Heater and the toothpick?

Because it makes him cool and like he doesn't afraid of anything.

(Full coherent reasons under the cut)

Toothpick chewing is a common trope in especially 80's and sometimes 90's action films. Historically, it's seen as an act of decadence for continuing to pick your teeth after a good meal. You'll see 1920's and 30's gangsters chewing on them while wielding a tommy-gun. It can double as a replacement for cigarettes if you want to avoid international censorship in the box office.

A more practical purpose is if someone's prone to grinding teeth during high-stress moments, it's something to bite down on to relieve that a bit. It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to pick up the habit given the environment they were in, as seen in this interview with Vietnam war combatants.

Ultimately like with Strike's tail, the intent is to make him look cool and detached. But there is a precedent that I'm drawing from when making these decisions.

So in short:

[kuzann]

Artistic Merit, Chapter 2

Also on Ao3. So this started as a silly little idea in my head but then it got kind of sad? They'll figure it out though. Summary: Sampo loves the wanted poster that Gepard made of him, but Gepard doesn't understand why. Sampo tries to explain.

Chapter 2: Argument

Gepard scanned his surroundings one last time—no fragmentum monsters in sight—and settled into one of the cafe chairs. He’d come to Backwater Pass in pursuit of Sampo Koski—not in an attempt to arrest him this time but for the sake of finding a breakthrough in a particularly long, annoying case of a missing painting. There were no lives hanging in the balance with this sort of thing, but the longer it was left open the more aggravating it became, and everyone dealing with it just wanted it to end. Hopefully he’d get the answers he was after and be on his way in short order.

The street was deathly quiet, save for the occasional breeze that meandered through. It was colder than other parts of the city thanks to the heaters having broken down from contamination and lack of repair. Though the fragmentum contamination had abated somewhat after the Stellaron was sealed there was still enough to keep civilians out, and to limit how long more professional traversals should last. It was still Gepard’s hope, however futile, that there would be a way for the citizens to eventually return.

Gepard checked his phone. Sampo wasn’t late yet. He sent a message to let him know that he’d arrived and left it at that.

With nothing left to do, Gepard kept an ear out and started scrolling through his phone. Lynx had sent him a video she’d taken on her latest expedition, and he opened it to find a pair of snow bear cubs playing about in the fresh snow. Gepard smiled as he watched them, thinking back on the childhood games they’d played on the rare occasions they’d had time and a lack of parental edict.

He suddenly became aware of a presence at his back, hovering just over his left shoulder. Gepard acted on instinct, leaping out of the chair and swinging Earthwork around at the intruder in a single flurry of movement.

The case hurtled through empty air as Gepard’s phone hit the ground with a clatter, Sampo having ducked backwards just in time to avoid his strike. Now he rested awkwardly on his hands and feet like an inverted crab, an apologetic and slightly shocked smile on his face as he stared up at Gepard.

It would’ve been a funny sight, had Gepard not almost knocked Sampo’s brains out just a moment before. Gepard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he slumped back into the chair. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. What were you thinking?”

Sampo gave a somewhat breathless laugh and pushed himself back up to a standing position in a single graceful movement. “Well it’s not every day you see such a cute smile on the captain’s face. I was just curious about what caused it.” He rolled a shoulder, his smile taking on a rueful tinge. “But I won’t make that mistake again. Next time I’ll announce myself before I get within swinging distance.”

Less than a minute in and Sampo was already getting on Gepard’s nerves. Hopefully they’d get this over with before he regretted Sampo’s dodging capabilities. Gepard paused to pick up his phone and stood. “Do you have any leads for me or not?” he asked, getting straight to the point.

“Yeah yeah, I was getting to it,” Sampo replied. He took a thumb drive from his pocket and passed it to Gepard. “Here you go, this was all the intel I could get. Should lead you right to the current owner.”

Gepard eyed the thumb drive briefly, then tucked it into a hidden pocket. He would let their security experts examine it before plugging it into anything important; you could never be too careful when Sampo was involved. “If it leads to the painting we’ll send the reward your way.”

“I was thinking we could do a non-monetary option if that’s alright with you.”

Gepard gave him a sharp look; there was only sincerity on Sampo’s face, which only made him more suspicious. “Meaning?”

“Well...” Sampo summoned a picture frame and pen from his pocketspace and held them both out to Gepard. Within the picture frame, now within full view, was the wanted poster that Gepard had drawn for Sampo, wobbly lines and all. “Let’s just say your art has at least one big fan,” he said with a wink.

A blush rose on Gepard’s face as he stared down at the picture; he’d only drawn it because there was no one else to do so on hand and no photos available, and he’d been the first to ask that they be replaced with better versions. Just his luck that Sampo had to get his hands on one before they were torn down.

Sampo had to be making fun of him, especially given the poster Pela had created; Gepard had been absolutely mortified when he looked at them side by side. Or it was some kind of scam. This was Sampo he was dealing with.

Gepard crossed his arms and glanced sidelong at the paving stones next to him, to spare himself having to look at his painting instead. “That’s a cruel thing to joke about, Koski.”

“Uh...” Sampo’s smile began to fade, giving him the look of a man who was actively watching the plot escape but too stunned to know what to do about it. His hands—still holding the framed wanted poster and pen—drooped at the wrists, as if the unexpected turn had robbed them of strength. “What joke?”

Gepard sighed and brought a hand to his face, partly to hide the blush and partly to obscure the wanted poster from view. “I’m not a good artist,” he ground out. “I’m sick of people pretending to like my work just to be nice. I don’t need to be lied to like that.”

“But I’m not lying,” Sampo said, sounding more dumbfounded than anything else. “I actually like it!”

“Why?” Gepard snapped, looking Sampo in the eye.

Sampo scoffed, a little of his usual confidence returning. “Just look at it.” He held the poster up, and Gepard had to force himself to look at it. “This painting captures my energy perfectly, how could I not love it?”

“Energy... What does that even mean?”

“You can tell it’s me just at a glance!” Sampo declared, his smile returning as he brought the wanted poster up next to his face. The poster did look like him, but on the other hand it wasn’t hard to get Sampo’s look wrong—the dark blue hair and emerald eyes were very distinct.

“That explains nothing,” Gepard said flatly. Pela’s version looked as much like Sampo as his did, after all. Perhaps Sampo just hadn’t seen it yet.

Sampo sagged with an annoyed sigh, then straightened again. “You’re seriously asking me to write an essay on why I like it? I’m not qualified for that!”

Gepard sighed. “I don’t need you to write anything, I just need you to look at something.” He took out his phone and found Pela’s version—he’d taken pictures in the hopes of learning something from them, to little effect. Seeing the sheer difference in skill was still overwhelming. “See? This one looks like you too.” Gepard held out his phone to Sampo, Pela’s version on full display.

Sampo’s expression could only be described as utter boredom. He gave a weary sigh and rubbed his eyes with his pen-wielding hand. There was a somber tilt to his expression when he looked up at Gepard again. “Look, that’s a perfectly nice painting there. Whoever made it has a lot of skill and they’re probably a pro, but this picture just doesn’t do anything for me.” Sampo slowly shook his head. “Looking at it doesn’t give me the little burst of happiness that this one does.” He brightened as he held up the framed wanted poster again.

“But why?” Gepard was utterly mystified. How could anyone like his version better? The mere concept was beyond him. “And you still haven’t explained that energy thing.”

“Hoo boy.” Sampo lowered the wanted poster again, his gaze briefly drifting skyward as if searching for the answer there. “Well I can try to explain something as ethereal as why a piece of art makes me feel things, but I can’t promise it’ll make sense.” He walked past Gepard and propped the frame up on the table, then gestured for Gepard’s phone.

After a moment of confusion Gepard propped his phone up against the frame so the two wanted posters could be seen side by side. He fought back another wave of embarrassment upon comparing them again as he stepped back.

“Okay. You want me to explain the energy thing...” Sampo steepled his fingers in front of his mouth and stared intensely at the two posters. He closed his eyes for a few moments, then straightened with renewed vigor when he opened them again. “You’ve seen that chalk horse photo, right? No one knows where the picture came from, just that it’s really ancient?”

“Um...” Gepard brought a hand to his chin as he tried to puzzle out what Sampo was referring to. “I’m gonna need more information than that.”

“It’s a big grassy hillside with a white horse carving on it.”

Gepard thought on it again; it did sound familiar. An image came to mind, one he’d seen in Fragments of the Past—a book that contained archaeological information that had lost context over the long years since it was originally compiled, some of it not even from Belobog but from somewhere much farther away... The beautiful verdant hillside, and the stark white horse seeming to gallop across it. “I remember now. It’s not a very exact picture of a horse, though.”

“Sure it’s not exact, but it captures the movement of one,” Sampo replied brightly, giving Gepard a smile as he looked over at him. “You look at it and it’s not just some static picture of a horse, it’s the essence. It’s what a horse is.”

“What a horse is?” Gepard kept his eyes off the wanted posters as he thought it over. The way the horse seemed to flow across the ground did suggest it was moving at full tilt. “So... Swiftness?”

“Exactly! The picture doesn’t have to be exact, it can evoke the subject with far fewer strokes.”

Gepard looked at his painting again; any semblance of understanding immediately evaporated under the burning light of embarrassment. “Wait, how does that apply to my painting?”

“Come on, look at it!” Sampo said as he sauntered over to the table and gestured to the painting. “You didn’t just make a drawing of me, you captured me. My essence.”

Any kind interpretation failed to connect under the weight of Gepard’s disappointment in his own abilities. He thought again of the people who must’ve made the chalk horse and of how long ago that was. “Are you calling my art primitive?” Gepard narrowed his eyes as he asked the question, again wary of a possible trick.

Sampo’s smile went rigid, then he facepalmed hard enough for Gepard to hear it, his bangs waving in the gust of wind it kicked up. “I’m not trying to insult your art!” he snapped as the smile dropped and his hand dropped—there was a rapidly intensifying red handprint on his face now. “If you hear me talking and an uncharitable interpretation leaps to mind, discard it immediately!” He combed the fingers of one hand through his hair, then ran both hands down his face and briefly turned away to give himself room to think.

Sampo turned back to Gepard with a new resoluteness that might’ve been reassuring had it not been sharing his face with the handprint. “Let’s just compare these real quick,” Sampo began as he gestured to the posters, a hint of tiredness to his tone. “One of these was clearly made by someone who interacts with me on a regular basis, while the other one was made based on some traits they heard about. Can you tell which one is which?”

“Well I don’t have to look at them to know that, I know I’m forced to interact with you a lot,” Gepard replied with a scowl.

“Okay but which one of these is doing something you’d expect me to do?” Sampo gestured to the posters, the frustration in his voice growing.

“Well, I’ve never seen you with a rose in your teeth...” Gepard scratched the back of his neck as he stared at the posters. “But I don’t think I’d rule it out...?”

“But you’ve seen me doing this, right?” Sampo gestured to Gepard’s painting. “You even captured the air of goofy mischief!”

A flash of annoyance cropped up at being reminded of Sampo’s lengthy record of trouble—and the fact that Gepard had never been able to catch him before it was forgiven thanks to ‘community service’. “You do love to make things difficult,” he grumbled. “I guess mine’s more in character...”

“Exactly!” Sampo’s smile returned, though more hesitant than usual. “It’s not just what I look like, there’s a little story behind it too! Plus you can practically hear this picture when you look at it.”

Gepard looked at the poster again and Sampo’s signature giggle immediately leapt to mind, completely unprompted, which was more annoying than anything else. “So you like it because it strokes your ego?”

“Nope, stop right there!” Sampo said, holding a hand up as his smile faded. “We already dismissed that point earlier. Both posters are pictures of me but I only like yours. If it was just about ego I’d like both of them equally.”

Gepard looked at the two posters again, completely at a loss. “I still don’t understand why you like it,” he said miserably.

“Then let’s just stop here,” Sampo said as he let his head drop, the tiredness now readily apparent in his voice. He sighed and took the frame and Gepard’s phone from the table, passing the phone over and then returning the frame and its poster to his pocketspace. “I have to get away from you before you make me hate it too.”

Gepard glared at him. “You’re not entitled to me feeling a certain way.”

“No but I do think you’re being too hard on yourself,” Sampo replied with a glare of his own. “You’re allowed to be imperfect, no one should be held to an impossible standard like that.”

“It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being professional,” Gepard said. “My paintings are sloppy and juvenile and they shouldn’t have been posted. End of story.”

Sampo gave an exasperated sigh. “Even if I give you all that, I still liked them anyway! It doesn’t have to be professional or perfect for people to like it!”

“I thought you said the discussion was over,” Gepard snapped.

“Fine, fine! It’s over. I won’t talk about it anymore.” Sampo rubbed his eyes, his typical energy having almost completely drained away. “Just forget I ever said anything. I guess we’ll get in touch once you find the painting.”

There was a metallic clunk as something landed on the paving stones between them. Gepard looked down and spotted the bomb with its little heart insignia and brought Earthwork up on instinct.

A hollow pop made him flinch, but no explosion followed. Gepard shifted Earthwork to one side, his movements slow and cautious, and found nothing more than a few bits of paper mache and confetti where the bomb had been.

But it looked so real... And the sound when it landed—

Gepard took a step back and looked around. Sampo was gone, having disappeared as silently as he’d arrived. He still had no idea how Sampo managed to do that.

Either way, it was time to leave Backwater Pass. He’d lingered long enough in the fragmentum, and for such a silly argument no less. A silly argument that left him far more tired and miserable than when it started and with a hollow sick feeling in his chest besides.

Gepard checked his pockets, making sure his phone and the thumb drive were still accounted for, then started the lonely walk out.

[shoezuki]

I’m going insane I’m GOING INSANE

Egg you can’t keep DOING THIS TO ME every chapter is so so good and raghhhhhh I can’t deal

Lynx and Natasha are definitely catching onto Gepard by now… hehe if only they knew.. I’m loving Dr. Bissette like she’s one of my favorite character tropes and I’m. I’m falling in love with her characterization— she’s a minor character you can’t be doing this to me goddamnit

SAMPO’S AWAKE YEAAAAAAAA I loved that whole sequence of just “take your shirt off” “wgat” help that was so funny- I’m very excited to see what happens when he’s more lucid, but I gotta say I am really enjoying Delirious Sampo just for that extra comedy.

Gepard’s whole conflict with him missing the shack.. yeah. Yea that’s the good stuff. I like complicated stuff like this and it’s just?? So good???

(please give these two the happy ending they deserve oh my god)

Officially reaching the 100k mark! Huzzah!! Glad I could watch the progression in real time. I’ll always support your writing literally forever, I think. Even after this one is completed.

Seriously, give yourself some credit, 100k is not a very easy thing to achieve. You can do it o7

-💫

ps this probably makes no sense bc I just slapped a bunch of my thoughts together in one message, and it’s like not coherent whatsoever, but. Yea this is what you get now

GHH.H THANKYOU???? SO MUCH. holy fuck im gigglin n kickin my feet. ngl i still have ur ask in my inbox from the last ch and i would go n reread it constantly vsdmdvdh

nat and lynx Absolutely know. they r both like o fuck this guy is whipped. like its so blatant lbr. mfer is probably fantasizing bout rescuing sampo from a burning building. gepards all 'i want sampo safe and healthy im worried about him all the time i hope hes ok i wonder what hes doing now maybe i should go see him' and lynx is jus holding her head in her hands.

i like bissette a lot too tbhhh like. i was not gonna have her present at all beyond the ch of him wakin up in the hospital but i got attached vskdbddh. i am very tempted to make her more prevalent and give her more backstory n character n all that but... it feels weird to insert a minor character into a fic too much svdjdgd. maybe ill make her an oc outside of it

THE SHIRT THING. I have been thinkin bout it for SO LONG ngl i was like what would a drugged up sampo notice first. oh ya that gepard has a shirt on now cuz they spent nearly 2 months in the shack w a half naked gepard like seeing him w a shirt on now??? thats FUCKED UP. it should be a crime for him to hide all that perfection under stupid sweaters.

and ya.... ya. i think gep would have a lot of conflicted emotions bout the hideout n the time he spent there. like he feels confused bout missing any or it or remembering any of that experience fondly. it was inarguably one the worst experiences of his life. while his sisters were searching for him, his guards dead in the snow, he shouldntve been enjoying himself at all. n he feels bad that he misses the place n the sound of the wind pounding on the walls and sampo humming in the other room and the constant buzz of those beaten up heaters and the stiff uncomfortable sofa sampo slept on. its kinda that complicated thing of like... feeling 'wrong' for missing or thinking fondly of aspects from/around a traumatic experience. n gepard at some points gotta come to terms w it n realize he Can in fact miss it without it being like a betrayal to his fallen comrades or his sisters. but also he gotta realize half of what he misses from back then is just... sampo.

[infintasmal]

Serval - At Present

Further details on Serval's movements up to the end of the Wardance arc.

With Serval refocused on helping restore Belobog, she's started using her experience from her days in the Architects to help. With the storm cleared, the focus is trying to restore the land and fight against the lingering fragmentum. But without the storm interfering, there's a chance to further extend their investigation out into the previously untouchable parts of the snow plains. So Serval's focus is on helping with the weapons and defenses she previously worked on for the Silvermane Guard and finding ways to potentially look beyond Belobog's walls, whether to restore the land, seek out more evidence from the past, or develop their city further so that everyone has a stable place to live.

She has been offered the chance to return to the research division but rejected it, saying she was already fired and likes her new freedom. So instead she serves as an independent contractor.

She has also been taking trips down to the Underworld more frequently. The Silvermane guard, now working with Wildfire, is trying to reforge the connections between the worlds. The Underworld is lacking in resources and has suffered great damage from the Fragmentum. Serval's been spending time repairing heaters and other electrical equipment to restore power and safety to the residents there, without charge or at least at a low price or in exchange for materials (she doesn't want to seem like she's taking pity on them and doing this only out of charity, so a lot of the time she jokes that she's just doing it as a hobby or make trade deals so they can keep some honor). She's become pretty friendly with some of the locals and plays music for the kids in between jobs.

As for her service with the Silvermane, she has stated that she doesn't intend to do forever, she likes her job just the way it is. She's building a foundation, so 'the kids' can take over. She still wants to see the world beyond the stars and develop her music, but feels a responsibility to finish what she started, all those years ago. Once the kids have a handle on things and Belobog has stabilized a bit, she'll step back and let them forge the future on their own.

With Belobog developing relationships with other interegalactic entities, they have the chance to gain knowledge and materials they were otherwise cut off from. Belobog is pretty behind when it comes to technology so Serval has been taking full advantage of everything she can get her hands on. She's been in communications with merchants through the IPC, looking for information in any form that she can utilize. In addition, she asked Lynx to run errands for her while on the Loufu. She asked for pictures of any automatons, any books on engineering, and... musical instruments. She says Belobog has a lot of catching up to do in terms of innovation and if anyone's going to do it, it's going to be her.

[drawat415pm]

Serval and Yukong sleepover

Serval: Did you sleep like this, all huddled up, with your comrades back then?

Yukong: Mhmm... Especially in missions where we have to be stealthy and can't use any illumination, we had to huddle with each other to stay warm.

Serval: Sounds cozy though.

Yukong: How about you? Belobog's colder than those nights, how do you cope with it?

Serval: Same thing you do. When I was still the only child, I huddled up with my parents or crashed near the fireplace. When Gepard and Lynx came around, they frequently come into my room and we would all sleep close together under the blanket. Of course, they got their own fireplaces and heaters as they grew up, but back then, our parents would complain that they freed up rooms for them but they end up not using them during bed time!

Yukong: Ahaha, sounds like a wonderful time being with your siblings!

Serval: Hehe, yeah it was!

[aeonblaze]

@etherealguard said: [ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ] ― sender and receiver lay under the stars to stargaze ↪ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐒.

they're in between trailblaze missions now , & with phantylia put to rest , there's a bit of time to breathe for once. which is why they're here , in the snow plains of jarilo-vi once again. caelus had gotten the idea from lynx & pela , who'd come out here to witness the aurora. it wouldn't be exactly the same , but caelus had managed to get his hands on a tent , some cozy blankets , & a heater from serval ( though the all too knowing look she'd fixed him with when he left her workshop had been enough to warm him head to toe ).

the eternal freeze has begun to subside , but that doesn't make the winds any less frigid , & caelus shivers slightly , leaning closer against dan heng beneath the blanket currently draped around their shoulders. the path of the trailblaze is enough to keep them from freezing , but not enough to stave off the cold entirely. the warmth of the geomarrow heater nearby radiates to them as caelus' gaze drifts towards the sky , the very reason he'd invited dan heng out here.

they could see the stars from the express , but it wasn't quite the same as looking up like this.

❛ ... the stars look so much different from down here. makes you feel kinda small , huh ?? ❜

caelus' cheeks are pink from more than the harsh icy winds , pressing himself entirely against dan heng's side now , head resting on his shoulder.

❛ ... thanks for coming out here with me. it's just ... nice to get away from everything , isn't it ?? ❜

he laughs softly , lifting his head enough to press his lips to dan heng's cheek , smiling as he looks at him.

❛ but ... sitting under the stars like this ... it's kind of like a date , isn't it ?? ❜