#How do I become a local courier?

[ghostsandmermaids]

Podcasts To Listen To If You Like OFMD

Today is the anniversary of the finale of Our Flag Means Death season 2. One whole year without our favorite pirates :( But if you miss OFMD as much as I do, I have some podcast recommendations I think you'd enjoy!

If you want more queer pirates:

Trice Forgotten

Trice Forgotten is a found-family, pirating adventure. Alestes puts her head down working as a merchant, couriering deliveries and carrying travelers to destinations across the seas. Only, her travelers gradually become permanent crewmates, until she realises her ship has become a floating museum, laboratory, vault of repatriated ‘treasures’ and chef’s kitchen. After spending most of her life with the understanding that nothing changes, no matter how hard you fight, Alestes is faced with a choice: Will she use her new network of allies to build safe harbour and potentially a future for her new community, or will she once again put her head down and drown in her sea of excuses…

Queer neurodivergent pirates of color! Found family! Homoerotic sword fights! What else do you want? (And they even talk about OFMD in one of the Below Decks episodes!)

The Ballad of Anne & Mary

It's 1721, and London is abuzz with news of notorious pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, currently languishing in Newgate Prison. It’s the perfect time for debt-ridden journalist Nathaniel Mist to exploit the public appetite and ghost-write a sensational (and hopefully best-selling) history of pirates. But as the balladeers and gossips on the streets of London build myths around the blood-thirsty, perverse lady pirates, Mist is forced to reckon with the real Bonny & Read… Featuring musical sensation Christina Bianco, actress and comedian Sooz Kempner, Hamilton star Karl Queensborough, drag legend Le Gateau Chocolat, and more.

If you can't get enough of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, listen to this podcast musical about them!

If you want more queer comedies:

Welcome To Night Vale

Welcome To Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff's Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events. Turn on your radio and hide.

Okay, it's a horror comedy and can be creepy at times, but it's also one of the few shows that have made me laugh as much as OFMD.

Starship Q Star

When a space agency sends the “first all woman and non-binary crew” on a blatant PR mission to Mars, they inadvertently end up the last six humans in the universe. Lead by Co-Captains (and exes) Aurelia and Sim, Starship Q Star follows this madcap crew on their quest across the galaxy in search of a new home… which is basically one hilarious mishap after the other.

I suppose if you found the absolutely two perfect ex-girlfriends and sent them to Mars, then they could potentially… co-captain?

If you want more queer historical comedies:

Fawx & Stallion

London, 1889. When the residents of 221B Baker Street leave town for the weekend to solve one of their most famous cases, no one is left to clear a poor housekeeper’s name of a crime she didn’t commit. Well, no one except for their neighbors at 224B…

Tonally, this is probably the closest to OFMD. I started this podcast yesterday and fell in love with it immediately. If you like OFMD and Sherlock Holmes, please check out Fawx & Stallion!

The Kingmaker Histories

On the 19th of February, 1911, in the Valorian Socialist Republic, an assistant tailor named Colette Geise experienced a migraine that ruined her life. This is a historical account of what happened next. THE KINGMAKER HISTORIES is a steampunk weird fiction podcast about being gay and doing crime, brought to you by the freaks who brought you Less Is Morgue.

Alternate history + magic + comedy + queerness. Do I need to say more?

If you want more (queer) rom-coms:

Me and AU

When Kate “ACunningPlan” Cunningham sparks up an online friendship with a fellow fanfiction writer it seems like the perfect distraction from a summer stuck in her hometown of Kamloops, B.C., not to mention the coming terrors of her final year of university and the Real Adult Future beyond. (Seriously, please don’t mention them.) After all, Hella--Enchanted is funny, smart and writes canon-divergent werewolf fic like no one else. She’s everything a fandom could ask for. But… what if she’s everything Kate could ask for, too?

Me and AU is not only an adorable sapphic rom-com, but also a love letter to fandom! Go listen to this, it's so cute!

Life With LEO(h)

A sci-fi(ish) romantic comedy podcast starring a repressed lawyer, a criminal client, a pesky sister and her fiance, an infuriatingly sexy coworker, and an android in the mood for love. Jeanine Bell​ is a robotics intelligence lawyer whose laser focus on her career has come at the expense of her romantic and social lives. After successfully keeping AI genius Penelope Lane out of prison, Jeanine receives the gift of LEO(h),​ an android with Synthetic Sentience. LEO(h) is Loving, Empathetic, Optimistic, and (only sorta) helpful. He's programmed to love Jeanine. He’s also very, very illegal.

I'm only two episodes in and already so invested in this story! Jeanine and LEO(h) are absolutely adorable.

(Note: as far as I know, the main romance isn't queer, but there are other queer characters in the show.)

If you want more queer found families:

Hello From The Hallowoods

Darker than your dreams, and farther North than you remember, there is a forest where life and death meet… Come walk between the black pines! In this award-winning queer fiction podcast, a cosmic narrator follows the increasingly connected residents of the forest at the end of the world. It's a bittersweet story that explores queer identity, horror genre tropes, and finding hope in humanity's last moments.

Did I only add HFTH to the list because it's my all-time favorite podcast and I want more people to listen to it? Maybe. But I also genuinely think that if you like OFMD, you are going to love some of these characters. Check out my fandom manifesto if you want to learn more!

Starfall

Starfall is a fantasy audio drama about the adventures of the Carouvel Traveling Acting Troupe - a theatre troupe that uses magical items to create illusions for their shows as they move around the Falstenian Empire. The story begins as the troupe is joined by Leona, a young warrior with a mysterious past and even more mysterious powers. With their new guardian in tow, the troupe traverses the continent, encountering the dangers of humans, fae, and greater forces alike, all while still trying to put on a good show.

Remember Stede's fuckery play in S1E6? Now you can listen to a fantasy theatre troupe put on magical plays! How cool is that?

If you want more of the cast:

Kisses in the Dark

Against the bright lights of Blackpool, a supernatural killer is at work and a dark and dangerous love affair begins… A sinister, disturbingly romantic seven part podcast drama written by Marty Ross (BBC’s Catch My Breath & Ghost Zone and Audible’s The Darkwater Bride) and starring Con O’Neill (Chernobyl, The Batman) and Rhiannon Clements. A contemporary Gothic horror tale set against a background of life on the narrow edge between Pleasure Beach and wild cold sea, between secret desire and a deadly evil. Also starring, Kyle Rowe, Pamela Mayoss, Steven Gidwaney, Patrick Price & Ryan Clayton.

Con O'Neill plays one of the main characters!

What Will Be Here?

In What Will Be Here?, five friends send a rocket to space with a collection of recordings on it that document the world’s decline, the stories they want to tell, and their efforts in building this rocket to get their message to the stars. They wonder what their world will have become by the time their message is listened to. At its core, this show is about living and creating when things feel pointless. It's a story that came out of the pandemic, and the landscape in which this story was written and produced greatly influenced how it turned out. What Will Be Here? is set on earth 200 years in the future, where large-scale crises are fully normalized. But despite the bleak backdrop, this story is one of hope - of overcoming challenges, of making things that might be temporary, but also things that might be launched into space and continue on forever.

Vico Ortiz plays one of the main characters!

Dungeon Masters

Dungeon Masters takes a behind-the-curtain look into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, told through the lenses of the creator of the game, Gary Gygax, played by Wil Wheaton and of private investigator, William Dear, played by Jon Hamm, a swashbuckling tough guy in 1979. Gygax guides the audience through this incredible true story as our Dungeon Master, as we follow Dear on his quest to find Dallas Egbert, a Michigan State student, who supposedly disappeared in the steam tunnels under his university while enacting a real-life version of D&D. What Dear encounters on this journey and ultimately discovers, defies all expectations, and changes the culture as we know it.

Kristian Nairn plays one of the main characters!

The Diaries of Netovicius the Vampire

Neto is an artist first, an immortal vampire second, but for now he's being kicked out of his Beacon Hill apartment in Boston Mass. That's where we begin, but more than a year into this audio-series I can't believe the journey Neto, and me, the creator have been on. But that's a longer story than I can get into here. For now, I hope there is something in this audio-series for you. It's about vampires, but ultimately it's about recovery, from trauma, from alcoholism, even from cults. It asks: Does time really heal all wounds? Featuring VAs known for Valorant, Diablo IV & Overwatch

Written and performed by Hugo Pierre Martin!

The Cryptid Factor

Three best buddies - Rhys Darby, Dan Schreiber, and Leon 'Buttons' Kirkbeck bring you The Cryptid Factor - a podcast dedicated to all things weird that are yet to be defined by science. Since 2008 they have passionately (and often awkwardly) been discussing 'cryptids' and monsters like Yeti, Chupacabra, Bigfoot and Nessie - as well as weird news of the world, UFO's, Time travellers, robots and space stuff. Though they take these pseudosciences as seriously as they can, they struggle to take themselves seriously at all. Hosted by comedian and actor Rhys Darby, star of top rating podcast 'No Such Thing as a Fish' Dan Schreiber - and Pulling it all together is their best friend, 'Buttons'. If anything goes wrong, it is probably his fault.

Rhys Darby is one of the hosts!

Date My Abuelita, First!

From Executive Producer Wilmer Valderrama comes a dating show that proves abuelita knows best! Host Vico Ortiz alongside our resident abuelita, Liliana are ready to meet their match! Three single contestants will compete for a date with one lucky guest. Through speed-dating rounds, hilarious games, wildly silly and genuinely heartfelt introspections, and grandmotherly love, one contestant will either be a step closer to love or be sent back to the apps. Abuelita holds all the cupid power, so let the chispas fly!

Vico Ortiz is one of the hosts!

[marlynnofmany]

Double Dog Dare

“Are you warm enough?” I asked Paint as we walked. My fingers were chilly against the box I carried, but it was small enough that I could reach to rub them together.

“Yes,” Paint said firmly. She pulled her heat shawl close, nuzzling her scaly orange face into its yellow warmth. “This is fully charged, and much better than my old one.”

“Well, no falling in the water for you today.”

“No falling in the water for me ever!” she said. “Unless the water is warm. Then it would be nice.”

I looked around at the industrial ruins that we walked through, all damp concrete and convoluted passageways. Even the sunlight on this planet felt thin. “I don’t think anything around here is warm.”

“Not yet,” Paint said with a lift of her snout. “I’m sure they’ll get things back in working order soon. That box probably holds a key heating circuit or something, and the area will become more hospitable in no time.”

I smiled at her priorities. As a coldblooded Heatseeker, she could hardly be blamed for expecting warmth to be high on the to-do list. I would have focused more on landing pad repair personally, so visiting couriers didn’t have to walk through this maze of alien architecture to reach the inhabited area, but that’s just me.

At any rate, our delivery timeline was short but so was the best route, at least according to the map on my phone. If we kept up a brisk pace, we’d get there well before the client started to grumble. And in this chill there was no reason to dawdle.

Sudden voices echoed off the walls: laughter from a few people at once. Distinctly human laughter. The locals were Frillians, so who were these?

Paint craned her neck to pinpoint the source of the voices, looking just as curious as I was. Then we walked around a corner and met a cluster of humans in blue jackets with a logo that I recognized immediately.

“Hey, it’s the crew of the good ship Hold My Beer!” I said in greeting. “How’s the droid jousting business?”

“Hello again!” said Captain Parker, flashing that bright smile set off by his dark skin. “We’re here for an outdoor tournament. Just on the way to check in now. You guys making another delivery?” The handful of other humans nodded at us.

Paint said, “Yes! It’s probably important! But we don’t know for sure. They wanted it in a hurry.”

Captain Parker pulled out a holo map of his own, and pointed down a concrete corridor. “This is definitely the fastest route that we can see. Pretty bonkers city design.” He started walking with a glance at the gray sky.

I hitched the box up and fell in step with the group. “I don’t think it was a city originally. No idea what, but these don’t look like stores or houses.”

Paint took short-legged strides beside me, offering suggestions for what these reclaimed ruins could have been, and the walk passed quickly. We’d moved on to discuss the jousting crew’s latest wins and new uniforms — those Stabby the Roomba emblems were very stylish — when we passed through an open doorway and discovered a problem.

The passage ahead of us was a deep chasm between concrete walls, open to the sky and devoid of branching passages, with a doorway at the bottom of several concrete steps. The door was closed. And the steps were filled with water.

I stopped. “Hm.”

“Aw man,” Captain Parker exclaimed, getting out his map again.

“What do we do?” asked Paint, clicking her scaly knuckles together. “This was the fast route! Our client is on a timeline!”

I thumped my chin against the box. “I knew we should have used the hoverbike.”

“You would have crashed into a wall! These walkways are far too narrow.”

“No I wouldn’t.”

A sturdy woman from the jousting crew shone a pocket flashlight into the murky water. It was all in shadow, thanks to an awning up top that seemed ironically meant to protect from the rain. Like everything else around here, it was janky and broken, but made of metal that hadn’t rusted through yet. Canvas would have been long gone.

I eyed the many cracks in the walls, with pipes and alien rebar sticking out. “I don’t suppose anyone feels like climbing over?”

��The box doesn’t have a carry strap,” Paint pointed out. “And I am not one of you climbing experts.”

A heavyset man with gray hair chuckled at that. “You’re not the only one.”

This turned into a side conversation about how Paint was under the impression that all humans were talented climbers by her standards, until Captain Parker interrupted.

“While this would be the most direct route, I see three other possibilities that shouldn’t take us in too many circles. It really is a shame, though. This one’s a nice straight shot if we could get the door open. Can you see the catch, Ruby?”

“Barely,” the woman reported. “This light is garbage. But it looks just like those other doors. Too bad we don’t have a long pole or something to work the catch with.”

I looked up. “That awning looks like it has a couple poles! I wonder if they come off.”

Paint yelped, “The water is rising!” She pointed, clutching her shawl. “It was below that step before!”

“Dang, you’re right.” Ruby stepped back. The other crewmates gestured to cracks that reached above water, which could easily be causing leaks below.

“We should go,” decided Captain Parker. “Get a head start on one of the long routes.”

“But our client!” Paint exclaimed. “They need the package in a hurry, and will tell everyone we’re unreliable!”

While everyone voiced an opinion, ranging from “Route B” to “Route C” to “rock-paper-scissors for who gets dunked in the hypothermia water,” I shoved the box at Paint. “Hold this,” I said. Then I got a running start and leapt up for a good grip on a crack in the wall.

There were plenty of footholds. Some of the metal bits sticking out were loose, but not enough to fall out. I focused on making sure each step was secure as quickly as possible, and reached the top in no time.

Thankfully it was wide enough to balance on without too much worry. That water wasn’t deep enough to land in safely, never mind the temperature.

Speaking of water, I thought with dawning horror, This is about to be bad.

Several rows away in this maze was a broken pipe the size of my torso, spewing water into a reservoir that was near to overflowing. Some of the water was leaking out through cracks in the sides already, leading to a puddle that was dripping through to make the one on our side.

The route back is in the danger zone too! Maybe if we’re fast enough, we can get to that open area over there. Or get everybody else up here. But I don’t trust this wall to stay intact if that dam fails all at once.

My phone buzzed, making me jump. It was Paint. I realized she’d probably been yelling for my attention, and I didn’t hear. There were sounds of pouring water up here, not to mention the blood rushing in my ears. I answered the phone.

“What are you staring at?” she demanded. “Get the pole!”

“Right,” I said, hurrying along the wall. “We may not have enough time, even if I can get it free. There’s more water that could flood the area at any moment. I think somebody has to swim for the catch.”

“What! How much water?”

“Lots. Hang on.” I stuck the phone in my pocket to free both hands for the awning. Up close, it looked much rustier and ancient than below. The pole at the side was welded on. I braced my feet and gave it a good yank. That produced a metal screech and a rain of rust particles, but not much else. Pushing and pulling to work it loose let me fold the awning back so watery sunshine illuminated the door catch far below. The jousting crew shouted about it indistinctly.

I leaned against the awning, holding it back while I got my phone out. “It’s not coming loose,” I told Paint. “Tell him there’s a dam about to break, and one of his people needs to open the door.”

There was lots of indistinct shouting at that. I couldn’t make out all of the words, especially since the water sounds were increasing, thanks to a new crack the water levels had just reached. Captain Parker was shaking his head at Paint, who’d set down the box so she could hold the phone and gesture wildly. He waved at me to come down, and pointed back at the way we’d come. I shook my head and pointed at the reservoir, but he was already looking away.

“Paint!” I called into the phone. “Tell him he’s got to!”

“He wants to turn back!” Paint cried.

“Wait!” This was a dumb idea, but I’d had worse. “Paint, tell him you double dog dare him to do it.”

“What?”

“Human thing. If he doesn’t, he’s a coward. Use those exact words: you double dog dare him.”

Paint didn’t answer me, lowering the phone and jabbing a finger at Captain Parker. I could just make out her words over the water.

“I double dog dare you to do it! If you don’t, you’re a coward!”

He gaped at her for a moment while his crew burst into laughter. Ruby clapped him on the shoulder. A smaller man waggled his fingers like he was offering to hold the captain’s jacket. Captain Parker looked up at me, arms spread in a clear WTF.

I held the awning back and pointed emphatically downward.

Water rushed faster out of that new crack. People were laughing below. Paint repeated the phrase like an incantation.

And Captain Parker took off his jacket, handing it to the other man.

“Yes!” I breathed in relief, leaning harder against the metal. It really wanted to fold back down. But the captain would need light to see.

In moments he’d left his jacket, shoes, and pocket valuables with the crew, and was striding forward, shaking his head. Ruby aimed her flashlight at the door, though it was pretty visible now. I pocketed my phone and crossed my fingers. With a worried glance, I sent strengthening thoughts toward the dam.

Captain Parker stuck a foot in, swore loudly, then cannonballed directly into the deep end to the approving whoops of his crew. He surfaced, gasping at the cold, then took a few good breaths and submerged, going straight for the door.

The catch didn’t turn easily. Of course it didn’t. Why would any of this be easy? I watched him struggle with it, flicking my eyes back toward the straining reservoir. Water was starting to spill over the side. The big crack was spreading.

Then something clunked below me, and the door grated aside, gushing water and a very cold human into the corridor beyond.

I yelled my own wahoo along with the crew, and left the awning to jolt back into place with another rain of rust while I hurried back down. One of the pipes almost jerked out of the wall while I was holding it. I jumped the rest of the way.

“Take the box!” Paint told me. Humans were rushing down the wet stairs. I took it just as a thunderous crack filled the air, and the ground shuddered.

“Run!” I said. We dashed down the stairs to the sound of rushing water. The wall I’d just been standing on sprouted dozens of leaks, creaking ominously.

There was still a bit of a puddle at the bottom, but Paint bravely dashed through it with her heat shawl held tight. I was right behind her with the box. The other humans were already climbing dry stairs on the other side.

We made it through the door just as the wall collapsed, sending water and debris slamming into the place we’d been standing moments before.

I don’t think I’ve ever climbed stairs faster. Two of the nearest humans hoisted Paint up, her small legs kicking in the air. Water splashed behind us, wetting one of my pant legs in a terrifying moment that made me think we’d all be washed away after all, but then we were out of range and still standing.

Everybody stood in an open courtyard, breathing hard and staring. The water rushed in every direction below us, filling more passageways than I’d thought it could. We’d reached an area of high ground with the reconstruction offices in view, all freshly painted and gold in the sunlight.

But only just.

“We’ll need another way back to the ship,” said Ruby.

“Good thing we left all our stuff behind.”

“Hey Captain, you can use my shirt to dry off with.”

“Mine too.”

Captain Parker looked a little paler than his skin tone was really meant for as he rubbed his hands together for warmth. “Thanks,” he managed, sounding like he was keeping his teeth from chattering by force of will.

Paint approached him and made an elaborate bow, which I’m pretty sure she got from some media about old Earth customs since that’s not the kind of thing her people do. “Well done, Captain Parker,” she declared. “Your honor is unquestionable; you are not a dog this day.”

He smiled while the crew laughed again. “Thank you. Your challenge was well-timed.” He stripped off his wet shirt and toweled dry with someone else’s, then rolled up his pant legs instead of taking them off.

“Do you need to borrow my heat shawl?” Paint asked tentatively.

Captain Parker frowned, shivering violently. “You’re coldblooded. Don’t you need it?”

“I’ll be okay,” Paint assured him. “You need it more right now. The air isn’t as bad as that water.”

“You’re not wrong.” He accepted it when she handed it to him, settling it over his shoulders with a deep sigh of relief.

When Paint met my eyes, I gave her a smile of approval, and she beamed. Crew members were busy making calls: to their ship, to their local contact, and who knew where else. It occurred to me that we should do the same.

Paint told me, “Everyone’s going to want to hear about this. And you’ll have to explain the details of the double dog thing; I’d never heard of that before.”

I shrugged one shoulder, still holding the box. “It’s not a big deal. More of a kid thing, honestly. I’m sure there are lots of cultures with similar stuff.”

“Not mine,” she said thoughtfully. “Blip and Blop would probably appreciate it. And Trrili would probably appreciate it too much.”

“Oh man, Trrili would be an unholy menace.” I thought of our most frightening crewmate’s love of scaring people. “Let’s not tell her about double dares.”

When the captain had his shoes back on and his jacket thrown over the heat shawl, we all moved on toward the reconstruction office, leaving a trail of water droplets and honor in our wake.

~~~

Captain Parker and co made their other appearance in this story.

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

They're shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include some characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).

[seat-safety-switch]

Many, many years ago, the Catholic church had a problem: fake Popes. In the time before the internet, any group of rich assholes could get together, grab a random dude off the street, and declare him to be the Pope. Back then, you couldn’t even call (not even landline!) the Vatican to check this maybe-Pope’s credentials, and unless he acted extremely suspiciously, it was hard not to justify giving him whatever he (and his backers) asked for. He’s the Pope! If you don’t do what he says, God will force your daughter to eat your ribs or something like that.

Sure, a lot of these anti-Popes eventually did get busted. Lots of them took advantage of the massive power that was presented to them through fraud, and eventually the patience of the locals plumb ran out. It’s a pretty big deal to have the Pope visit your shitty town, even now, and so eventually the church would find out and send a small army to kill you and your friends. Sometimes they didn’t get there in time, because local warlords decided that the Pope (you) was probably trying to invade their country and decided to grease them first, only to end up doing the real Pope a solid.

Although I’m too lazy to check Wikipedia or even call the local diocese, I’m pretty sure that a decent number of these guys did get away with it, though. Real smooth operators would have known how to deal with certain sticky situations, like meeting people who had met the Pope already and knew he wasn’t 6′3″ and constantly drunk. As long as you didn’t make too much noise, and especially if you were somewhere that didn’t receive a lot of news or couriers, you could comfortably pretend to be a low-key pontiff for as long as you wanted. Your rich buddies would become richer buddies, and you’d get to wear a big hat. Good trade, the kind of relationship that doesn’t exist with employers today.

Why am I bringing this up now, you ask? Well, you might have noticed that I’ve been working at this O’Reilly Auto Parts with you for quite some time. And I have been asking you to log into the register for me, because I keep forgetting my password. I agree that that is suspicious. However, I think if you step in the back, you can meet some folks who will definitely assure you that I am in fact the head manager of this store, and you can help them load this unmarked, plateless van with all the Holley carbs we can sneak past that security camera.

No, no, no. Not the billet valve covers, that’s too flashy. Have you not listened to a word I’ve been saying?

[duckprintspress]

My June Reads

Storygraph introduced auto-generated graphics for sharing our reads by the month, which makes it much easier to do a review, and here I am! Sorry it's kinda pixelly, the settings on Storygraph aren't perfect yet but they're planning to add functionality.

I've been posting on the Duck Prints Press Book Lover's Server for a while, so everyone knows there that the answer to "how do you read so much?" is the library, but just to be clear, if it's a graphic novel, I got it from one of three libraries - either my local system, @queerliblib, or the Japan Foundation Library. The last two are both free-throughout-the-US Libby libraries and they've both been awesome.

Prose books, I usually own.

Anyway. Onward! My June reads:

How to Love: A Guide to Feelings and Relationships for Everyone by Alex Norris (graphic novel, short self-help stories about how to be in relationships, how to be alone, etc., all very inclusive.

Blue Flag Vol. 1 - 2 by Kaito (manga series about modern high school and a young man and his best friend - who has a crush on him - and a young woman and her best friend - who has a crush on her. poly vibes.)

The Tea Dragon Festival and The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O'Neill (graphic novels, very fluffy fantasy slice-of-life with various queer rep)

Squad by Maggie Toluda-Hall and Lisa Sterle (graphic novel, modern with magic, wlw high school student discovers that fitting in with the cool kids means becoming a murderous werewolf)

Clementine vol. 1 and 2 by Tille Walden (graphic novel, post-apocalyptic set in the same 'verse as The Walking Dead about a wlw amputee surviving against the zombies.

A Thousand Hopes, A Thousand Risks by Kelas Lloyd (short story, fantasy, pre-mlm between a young merchant and a god)

Ride On, Shooting Star by J. D. Harlock (short story, science fiction, a space courier wants to retire)

Deadendia vol. 1 by Hamish Steele (graphic novel, modern with magic/horror elements, about a trans male teenager who runs away from home and moves into a haunted house at an amusement park)

Giant Days vol. 2 by John Allison and Whitney Cogar (graphic novel, modern college setting, about the somewhat silly lives of the main characters)

Yona of the Dawn vol. 1 by Mizuho Kusanagi (manga, fantasy, about a young princess whose kingdom gets taken over by someone she thought a friend)

In the Dark vol. 3 by Jin Shisi Chai (danmei novel, mlm, last of three volumes - I read the other two in May - about an undercover drug cop who returns home after six years undercover)

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation manhua vol. 6 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (manhua version of the MDZS novel, mlm, historical cultivation about a fraught political situation)

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha (graphic novel playing on story of the fox maiden Gumiho in Korean mythology, with a side of wlw)

My Hero Academia vol. 9 - 12 by Kohei Horikoshi (manga series about teenagers at a high school for superheroes)

Frontera by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo (graphic novel about a young man crossing the border between the US and Mexico illegally, and about the mlm ghost who helps him)

My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi (autobiographical manga about a young lesbian in Japan trying to figure out her identity and find companionship)

Solo Leveling vol. 1 - 2 by Chugong (a manwha series set in modern fantasy Korea, about a young man is terrible at "hunting"...until he isn't)

Haikyu!! vol. 5 - 6 by Haruichi Furudate (manga series about young men who play high school volleyball)

Little Birds by Anaïs Nin (a collection of short erotic stories with lots of trigger warnings applicable and a few dashes of wlw, originally written in the 1930s and 1940s)

To Strip the Flesh by Oto Toda (manga collection of short stories, with the longest/most involved being about a young man's journey coming out as a trans man)

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed (graphic novel exploring three stories of Egyptians getting first-grade wishes in a modern-with-magic world, includes NB rep)

Limerence by Jiang Zi Bei (danmei novel, mlm, about a young college student who breaks up with his boyfriend and ends up falling for his ex's roommate.)

Our Colors by Gengoroh Tagame (manga about a young Japanese gay man coming our of the closet and making friends/finding a mentor in an older gay man)

Silent Hearts vol. 1 by Jing Shui Bian (danmei novel, mlm, modern high school setting, lots of disability rep though not for either member of the main couple)

Rainbow! vol. 1 by Sunny (modern, maybe with magic, about a young woman with a tough life and the people around her; wlw implied in the future?)

Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman (real-life-inspired graphic novel about a young gay man navigating high school)

Escape From St. Hell: My Trans Life Levels Up by Lewis Hancox (autobiographical graphic novel about a young trans man with severe anxiety)

This was the most pages I've read in a month all year, and the second most individual books. There's actually one more book not pictured, as it wasn't on Storygraph and I opted not to add it.

Happy reading, y'all.

[candyheartedchy]

Some info about my Fallout sona if anyone was curious.

So for my sona, I like the idea that she’s naive to everything. That when she was hired to deliver the Platinum Chip, she was easily ambush by Benny and his men because of her gullible nature, which resulted in her getting shot in the head and left for dead. After being found and nursed back to health by the town’s doctor, she was hesitant about retrieving the stolen package and finishing the delivery job, avoiding going outside for a few days because of the incident. Eventually after some persuaded survival training and talking with a few of the locals, she heads out to find Benny, determined to get the chip back, curious to why the package was so important to begin with.

She quickly finds herself constantly sidetracked, either barely escaping the dangers of the wasteland at every turn or helping folks that crossed her path. After a while she gets more cautious, almost paranoid, about her surroundings, but still fumbles with her weapons, missing a few times here and there out of panic.

Eventually when she meets Yes Man, she’s taken aback by his cheerful nature and smile, finding comfort in him right away through the whole experience. Yes Man reveals that he was the one who set her up for Benny, not realizing she was the Courier who got shot until she tells him, making him not only deeply sorry by it, but also intrigued by not only the fact that my sona survived the gunshot to the head, but also her by innocence, wondering how she made it this far.

Almost immediately, Yes Man decides to help her, that unlike Benny, my sona treats him like a person and not a pawn, respecting him and his opinions on things. Of course a few time he gets annoyed with my sona’s lack of confidence and common sense, but finds it cute that she only seems alerted when he’s explaining something to her. The two would soon look forward to seeing each other after their missions, resting and talking about what they did while away from each other. Yes Man would always look her over and patch her up whenever she got hurt, embarrassing my sona each time he got close to her. A few times my sona would try to help him be more assertive, until later on after the battle on the dam, Yes Man later upgrades himself to do so. Eventually my sona takes control of New Vegas with Yes Man by her side, finding herself balancing her new power, but also her crush on the AI. After a while, with his new upgrades, Yes Man becomes not only more assertive, but also bolder and more flirty, finding ways to fluster my sona at every chance, knowing deep down that the feeling was mutual.

[phantomrose96]

I love space and how extreme and fucked up it always in when viewed by the human level, and I thought many times about making a story like 938 Seconds Per Second, but I would always stop myself finding holes like "would the transported items even be valuable after so many years?" or "wouldn't the technology become obsolete at the exact moment it worked and years passed?" or "what about the ways language would have changed?" and you didn't allow details such as these to stop you. You didn't even gave them a spot in the story because it thematically ruins it, and now I am thinking "why am I not allowing myself to indulge the whole point of fiction?" and I feel something slowly unloxking within me. Also as a fan of fucked up physics and morals in sci-fi, loved the work!!!!

(938 Seconds Per Second)

See, here's the thing for me! Questions like that DO occur to me. It's part of thinking through the world-building. But for questions like that, unless they have a spot in the story it's MORE important, in my opinion, to instead answer: Does it detract from the story at all if I simply don't explore those? Is there anything about those questions that fundamentally breaks the story? Is it actually impossible for those to have answers?

"Would the items still be valuable?" If you mean in terms of the money amount that trades hands, I figure Entente money is pinned to an inflation-free peg. It can trade into local currency when it exchanges hands, but the Entente value is specifically inflation free, and specifically for workers dealing in time dilation. If you mean will the buyer still WANT the items after being shipped for so many years, sure there's speculation buying something you won't get for 100+ years. But I figure for intergalactic trade that spans light years, all their trade exists on these massive timescales. To have created this trade culture means there are cultures willing to wait out the time. The very foundation of their trade expects this exact thing.

"Wouldn't the technology become obsolete?" Keeping in mind the speed of light is still the fastest anything can move, you would NEED something like the ship to even get technology across the universe. So even if advancement is fast somewhere, spread is slow. These ships are probably couriers OF technology spread. And sure, probably a bunch of independent places independently advance their own technology, but the ship still docks down with some frequency between missions. Maintenance and upgrades can be done during any of those dock-down periods.

"Changing language?" Sure I bet language changes all the time. But for an intergalactic trade relation culture which has built itself upon immense time-gaps, they could easily have standardized to a specific, and non-changing, language standard. All legal documents are written in the common language, and as new items and concepts come into being they're given standard names. And then among regular people--translator masks. I gave the doctor one. The technology for that practically exists already today with google translate and text to speech, so it's very believable technology.

OKAY SO, ...were any of those answers actually super important to 938sps? Was 938sps harmed by not digging in to those...? I don't think so. Because none of this actually mattered to the core of the 938sps story. As long as none of these things presented glaring, unfixable plot-holes to the story, then I'm good. My answers to these questions might still be full of holes and what-ifs. Hell I probably could have answered any of these with "eh I dunno" and that still doesn't impact 938sps.

I think all of that leaves just a lot of runway and play-space to expand on the world presented in 938sps. But having any of those stop me from even putting down the first word? No, they don't matter.

[425599167]

The decisions in Fallout: New Vegas contain a lot of nuance, but I'm always able to find a resolution I can be happy with, except when it comes to the Brotherhood of Steel. They have me at a bit of an impasse. This is one situation where my default solution of "sneak attack critical headshots" won't help. The Brotherhood's individual members are among the least hateable of the factions, but they are collectively horrible and I don't know how to avoid fighting them.

Veronica is my favorite companion and the Brotherhood becomes a constant threat to her, she is rightfully terrified they are monitoring her to preserve their secrecy, but she wouldn't want me to destroy them. Also, I'm against mass murder as a general rule. That rule is negotiable if the entire faction is trying to kill me, (e.g. Legion, Fiends, Ghost People) which the Brotherhood isn't... yet. Only a few of them tried to kill me. They destroyed a Followers of the Apocalypse outpost, of which I am a respected member. Since I go the Wild Card route with an army of robots, plus all the advanced tech I brought from the DLC locations, the Brotherhood is going to attack New Vegas at some point. House and Yes Man both predict this, and they're proven correct in endings where the Brotherhood basically become high-tech raiders. Yes Man says they'll want to blow him up, and I will not let that happen, Yes Man is my favorite right below Veronica.

I repaired Helios One and deactivated its weapon system (after fighting through robotic defenses left behind by the Brotherhood, thanks for that), gave ED-E's data to the Followers instead of the Brotherhood, and took control of Hoover Dam. If you don't have Veronica in tow, your first interaction with the Brotherhood will be them strapping a bomb collar to your neck, and for all their talk about how crazy Elijah was, that's his standard approach. The Brotherhood aren't as relentlessly cruel as the Legion, but every interaction builds them up as dangerous to everyone, and an inevitable threat to a Wild Card Courier specifically. Their main protection is that I don't want to make my bestie sad. Not only do I like Veronica, I share her goals and her success is an indicator of the Mojave's future. If Veronica is sad, that means I am failing.

Even if I don't involve myself, the Brotherhood will only grow more desperate and dangerous. I didn't complete the mission to replace McNamara with Hardin because that would be stupid of me, but if the situation continued, Hardin would probably attempt a coup anyway, then more Brotherhood members will die from infighting. Then Hardin would pick fights with local factions, probably beginning with the Van Graffs. It won't accomplish anything since the Van Graffs in Freeside are only one outpost and their company doesn't just salvage energy weapons, they understand the technology and can manufacture their own. Now the Brotherhood has yet another enemy, one that can match their weapons. Sure would be unfortunate if someone sold the Van Graffs a prototype pulse gun Veronica feared could destroy the Brotherhood. Actually, that's probably a bad idea unless I can make the securitrons EMP-proof.

Eventually, the bunker's air filtration systems will break down on their own. Parts can be found in the vaults, the Brotherhood can handle Vault 11, but Vaults 3 & 22 would definitely cost them a few people. I could also get the parts, then never return them to the Brotherhood, making it even harder for them to locate replacements. Eventually the bunker would become uninhabitable and they'd evacuate. That's better than killing them all, but not by very much. Yeah, I won't kill them, I'll just make their home unlivable, force them to leave, then repair the bunker later and claim it for myself. I don't feel like the good guy.

My knack for underhanded strategies really shined when I retrieved the holotapes of dead paladins to demoralize McNamara, then took the mission to deliver the scouts' reports, killed the scouts (one died in a crossfire with Legion assassins), then never continued the quest so the lockdown remains. I feel kinda bad about that, but who's gonna tell McNamara? Obviously not those scouts.

One option I thought about was using pulse weaponry to wreck so much of their power armor and energy weapons that they can no longer maintain their armed forces. That might be wishful thinking, and I don't have any plan for what to do afterwards. I don't want their destruction or surrender, I want them to leave New Vegas alone. A written apology to Veronica, signed by every member of the Mojave chapter, would also be appreciated. I'd fix their air filters in exchange for that.

In theory, I could try and befriend the Brotherhood, but the whole point of Veronica's quest is they will not course-correct under any circumstances short of imminent destruction by the regional superpowers. Even the truce with the NCR is conditional on returning salvaged power armor. It doesn't matter how nice I am or what I do to help, they will not let me share advanced tech with the wasteland, and that's been my ultimate goal through all this. I'm not giving up on that to appease these guys.

This is one of the plot threads where post-ending theories can get interesting and gutwrenching, because the best option is "hope their society collapses on its own before I'm forced to kill or be killed".

[maddymoreau]

I LOVE that we ended up having the same favorite companion, Raul is the best!!

YESSSSSSS 🤝!!!!! RAUL REALLY IS THE BEST!!!!!! I LOVE HIM AND HIS STORY SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

His line before the Second Battle of Hoover Dam made me AN EMOTIONAL MESS ( ᵒ̴̶̷̥́ _ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀ )!!!!!!

I’M HIJACKING THIS ASK TO RAMBLE ABOUT MY HEADCANONS INVOLVING RAUL!!!

• He’s AroAce

• When upgrading the Presidential Suite in the Lucky 38, Madison (Courier Six) gets the Sunset Sarsaparilla Vending Machine just for Raul. While it comes out of her pay Mr. House restocks it regularly.

• Raul and her both LOVE and bond over sweets. In the beginning Raul would play the 😔 “At my age this might be my last chance to enjoy something sweet” card. It worked every-time on her.

• When Raul gets bubble gum he gives her the temporary tattoo it comes with. Madison hands them out to kids she encounters on her travels (Freeside, The Boomers ETC.)

• She indulges Raul’s sweet tooth to the point he has to go see Dr. Usanagi to get a bad cavity fixed and a few teeth implants.

• Raul teaches her about basic weapon repair. However not enough that she doesn’t need him.

• Together they collect the Star Sunset Sarsaparilla Caps. While not surprised they're both disappointed by the reward. Raul keeps the Pew Pew gun while Madison gives the toy deputy badges to kids.

Afterwards they continue to collect the Star Sunset Sarsaparilla Caps. Inside the Lucky 38 there’s a jar filled with them.

• Out of all the human companions, Raul is the one Madison trusts the most. She will privately discuss Mr. House's plans and what he wants her to do. Madison loves all her companions but knows not everyone would support the actions Mr. House deems necessary. Madison believes once they see the results, they’ll understand. Which obviously isn't the case.

Other companions are uncertain, but Raul is completely aware how loyal Madison is to Mr. House.

Arcade is the best example saying, “I have to say I don't understand where you're going with Mr. House. The man's been manipulating the locals for as long as anyone can remember. If you help him kick the NCR and Legion out, he's going to keep right on doing it. The people in Freeside will be just as bad off as they ever were. If you can find a way to push Mr. House out of the picture as well, I think everyone will be better off."

• Before Raul leaves for his own journey post game, Madison gives him a custom medal. She designed it but commissioned Michael Angelo to make it. It’s something Raul always wears.

• Although Raul becomes the Ghost-Vaquero who hunts down those who prey on the weak. Raul still makes it a point to visit her from time to time. He knows she’d miss his beautiful face.

• While unintentional when Raul visits they ALWAYS end up taking a nap together. They’ll be sitting on one of the couches talking then BOOM knocked out. Old habits die hard.

• Since Madison’s medicine skill is really high she’ll massage Raul and try to help him with his pain.

• Speaking of which after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam Madison’s first luxury purchase is renting out the ENTIRE Ultra-Luxe Casino’s bathhouse.

I imagine they don't typically allow Ghouls in there so she uses this chance to try and help Raul.

Since soaking in salt water has a lot of benefits for your health like easing muscle cramps, relieving stiffness in joints, back pain ETC. She wants to show Raul her appreciation for everything he’s done for her. Also they’re both extremely sore after that huge battle.

I’m not sure if the saltwater used in the Ultra-Luxe Casino is sterile but if it is it’d also be good for any open wounds Raul might have as a Ghoul.

• Madison offers to cover the entire cost for Raul to be put in a chamber similar to Mr. House’s. However he rejects her offer. When Raul eventually dies she broadcasts a recording of a mariachi band through every radio. She doesn't announce his death wanting the legend of the Ghost-Vaquero to live on forever.

This exchange perfectly describes their bond:

Madison: "Come, Raul, adventure awaits!"

Raul: "Sorry boss, but as much as I'd like to risk getting killed by your side, you seem to already have some help." or "Words cannot contain my excitement at the chance to throw myself headlong into danger with you again, boss."

[satoshi-mochida]

Visual novel Stella of The End coming to Switch in 2024 - Gematsu

PROTOYPE will release Key-developed visual novel Stella of The End for Switch in 2024, the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu reveals.

Stella of The End first launched for PC on October 28 in Japan, followed by iOS and Android on April 21, 2023, and an English-localized PC release via Steam on September 26, 2023.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

■ Story

The world no longer belongs to humanity. Giant machines now roam the earth, pushing mankind to the brink of extinction. Jude Gray, a wandering Courier, receives a request to deliver some very special cargo. This cargo turns out to be Philia, an android girl who is unaffected by the enigmatic Singularity Machines. Jude is left with no choice but to escort Philia to her destination, doing his best to protect her from harm and teach her how to survive in this harsh world. Together, they must traverse the hostile wilderness, avoiding threats both mechanical and human. The whole time, Philia insists she’s going to become human someday. What awaits Jude and Philia at the end of the road? Can humanity really be saved, or is it already too late…?

■ Characters

Philia

An Android Who Dreams of Being Human “If I become human… I can save everyone. I think.” An android girl discovered inside an ancient replicator capsule. Ever since she opened her eyes, she’s been fixated on finding a way to become human. Philia has a bright, innocent personality and zero real life experience. It’s up to Jude to teach her how the world works. She’s curious about everything around her and occasionally charges in without thinking about the consequences. She also has a natural affinity with AI, being able to understand them on an almost instinctual level.

Jude Gray

A Wandering Courier Just Trying to Get By “I have to protect you somehow, and shooting down threats is the only way I know how.” A man who makes his living as a traveling jack of all trades. His knowledge of technology and engineering means he gravitates toward more specialized jobs, for better or worse. Jude’s mind is always on survival first and foremost. He doesn’t allow himself to be influenced by emotions or any abstract sense of duty. An avid gun enthusiast, he often gets so wrapped up preparing his gear that he loses track of time.

Willem Grosvenor

A Nobleman Working to Revive Humanity “I have a dream. One I’ve harbored all my life.” This mysterious old man claims to be working on a project to take the world back from the Machines. He has access to highly advanced technology that has kept him alive for over 100 years. After contacting Jude via a drone delivery, Willem offers him a king’s ransom to retrieve and deliver Philia. He’s only ever seen on video calls, making his actual whereabouts a mystery.

Delilah

An Android Seeking Her Father “He’s the one who taught me everything I know.” An android rescued from a gang of bandits, who appears to be the same model as Philia. She’s been treated badly, and now has a cracked-open head, a missing leg, and a multitude of other injuries. She was separated from the man she calls her father, and is desperate to find him again.

[mushroom-crew]

Reunions Pt 2

@offederationsfuture

Tilly groggily looks up from where she'd fallen to the floor, her hand coming up to her head on instinct. Sparks are flying everywhere. Groans and quick shuffling from other crew members resound as everyone tries to get back to their stations after that last wave out of the wormhole. Tilly barely manages to stand, finding her way to her own station and looking at the readings. "Feels like my head is in a vice"

"Tidal forces from the wormhole. Like G-force, but nastier." Reno pops up from where she'd managed to get up herself. "Must've knocked us all out, including my damn back." She groans, right as the ship hits something like an asteroid field, sending everyone spinning again.

Tilly barely holds on for dear life. Shields are down. They don't have navigation or warp. They barely have a way to land themselves down on the planet. Detmer manages to get them lodged in a patch of ice, successfully stopping them from exploding on impact with the surface, but still sending everyone flying again in the process.

It becomes abundantly clear once they land that they don't have communications, or truly any of the ship's functions online, outside of life support. Tilly's heart aches in her chest. "Michael's alone."

The words hang in the air for a moment. Saru takes a breath and begins to address the crew. "We are completely disconnected at present, yes. But. We are also together, and alive. If Commander Burnham landed elsewhere, I trust she is aware that we will find her as soon as we are able."

They go about repairs, quickly and efficiently. Tilly throws herself into her work. There's nothing else she can do right now. If she stops for even a moment, she knows she'll break down. Michael, somewhere out there, all alone. Their daughter, left behind in the past with no way of reaching them. She knows that if she lets herself think about it, the weight of it all will crush her.

She still can't tell them exactly where they are, but she finally gets the scans back of the nearby surroundings. What she finds is enough to give her a weary smile. In a flash, she's rushing off to find Saru and explain her findings. Pockets of air on the surface meant for sustaining life. Pockets that must have been made. She finds him checking on repairs in a hallway, and she quickly falls into step with him as she talks.

He looks down at her with a sad look. "Then we are not on Terralysium."

"No, sir." She shakes her head, tears springing back into her eyes for a moment, before she continues. "But there is evidence of an active settlement in one of these pockets, so there... There's life."

"There is... Life." Saru takes a moment to take that in. It worked. Their plan worked. Control did not destroy this future. No matter what, they have to hold onto that fact. Their mission was not a failure.

Their joy is short lived, however, when they discover that one of their communication transtators is need of a complete rebuild. Without the parts they need on the ship, Saru and Tilly brave the outside world, hoping to find help from the local settlement. Philippa demands to go with them, but Saru refuses. He cannot let her interfere with their first contact to the outside world.

The walk to the settlement is long and Tilly talks the whole way there. She's terrified of not knowing where they are, of what it means now that they're here. So many things could go wrong. So many things already have. Saru lets her talk, his own mind still reeling with all of the things that have happened. All he can do is trust in his crew, and trust that they'll find a way out of this mess. The way they always do.

When they reach the settlement, they're almost immediately held at gun point by the locals, who seem just as confused by them being Starfleet as they do by how they're reacting. It's a standoff until they come to a deal. Some of Discovery's dilithium for help with repairs and information.

Things are going well, until Zareh, the courier who's been exploiting the colonists, shows up and causes trouble. He demands that they take him to the Discovery, and kills one of the colonists when Saru refuses to do so. It's enough to make him decide to bargain, offering to give the courier some of their dilithium in exchange for their freedom and the safety of the colonists.

Once a deal is struck, Zareh turns to Tilly, slowly beginning to walk towards her. "Now you. I genuinely like you. I believe you'll come back with my property. So you're gonna go get me that dilithium. How about we wait here, where it's cozy. But be quick, Ensign. Come nightfall, the ice... well it does what parasites do. It infests everything. I've seen it get down someone's throat. But you look like you can handle yourself. Maybe you can outrun it. Explosives help. You forge yourself a path back to us once it's dark. Okay, sweetheart?"

Before she can answer, one of his men finds Philippa around the perimeter, dragging her into the bar with a surprising amount of ease. She stumbles in, still as cocky and assured as ever. "Did I interrupt a critical moment of diplomacy?"

Zareh lets out a dry chuckle and moves to sit down at the bar. "A one-woman tactical response. V'Draysh has officially reached its nadir."

Philippa just smirks and rolls her eyes. "A fancy vocabulary doesn't mean you're scary. It means you have a thesaurus."

"Shoot her," He growls out.

"No, shoot him! He's gonna get you killed." Philippa looks at the one holding her at gunpoint expectantly. "This is when you ask why."

He lets out a small sigh and raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

Philippa grins widely, like the cat that got the canary. "Glad you asked. You think you're the only ones that saw a big ship fall from the sky? He knows your competitors probably detected the ship, and they're already on their way. But he hasn't told you, you're too weak to take them out, and you don't have the firepower."

"Enough!" Zareh rises from his seat, and pulls his own weapon, aiming it at her.

"I'm gonna enjoy this new world. If this idiot can run a settlement, then imagine what I could do in my sleep."

He shoots her as she turns to face him, the laser beam hitting her in the shoulder. It's not enough to kill her, but it's enough to send her reeling. "You've got a mouth, but I've got a gun."

He shoots her several times like that, having a sadistic sort of enjoyment in torturing her. She looks to Saru from where she's fallen to the ground, and he nods in understanding.

She gives it another moment before she rises to her feet, that self-assured smirk coming back to her face. Zareh raises an eyebrow and aims his weapon again. She kicks a barrel into his legs before he can shoot, sending him sprawling. Philippa and Saru manage to subdue, or in her case, kill their assailants, until there is only their leader sitting on his knees on the floor.

Philippa wants to kill him, but Saru refuses, instead letting the colonists decide his fate. They decide to send him out on his own come nightfall, let him fight his way through parasitic ice to find safety if he can.

Night comes sooner than the crew would hope, and it's almost completely dark by the time they're able to leave. One of the colonists gives them a personal transporter to make it to their ship without braving the ice, but it's still much to late to get Discovery off the ground.

They try to take off, to push themselves out of the ice with their thrusters, but it's too strong, they can't get through it alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another ship appears on scanners, and they all fear it's one of the many competitors looking to use their ship and their dilithium. The ship gets ahold of them with it's tractor beam, giving them that last little push they need to be free of the ice. Once they're free, the other ship hails them.

With communications finally back online, Saru decides to answer it. Whoever it may be, they need to try and communicate before more drastic measures are taken. "Open a channel, Mr. Bryce. We will face whatever or whomever has come for us together."

"Channel open."

Saru stands from the captain's chair and takes a few steps forward. "On viewscreen, please."

It takes several moments to get the viewscreen up running, the whole bridge crew waiting on baited breath for whoever will be on the other line. After what feels like an eternity, the screen finally comes on, revealing a smiling Commander Burnham on the other end. The crew lets out breaths of relief and small cheers at seeing her alive and well.

"Saru!" Her smile brightens as she says his name, her eyes watering slightly.

"Michael?" He looks at her in awe and complete disbelief. Her hair, her demeanor. If he didn't know her so well, he wouldn't believe it was her for a moment.

She nods and chuckles. "Yeah, it's me. We found you. We've been looking for so long."

Tilly puts her hands up to her mouth and sighs a breath of relief. At least Michael is home. Her heart breaks again in the same instant when she realizes she'll have to tell her that Jackie never made it back on board. A small quiet sob wracks through her and she turns away for a moment to compose herself.

Saru stutters and tries to find the words to say. "You... You're... You look--"

Michael shakes her head, her smile softening for a moment. "Saru... I landed here a year ago. I've been waiting for all of you, all this time."

Saru finds his voice after a moment, clinging onto the one thing he knows to be true right now. "So you know. Our mission was a success."

Michael lets out a small sigh, and nods. "Yeah, Saru, I do. But there's more to discuss once I come on board. It'll be two to beam down. I have a bit of a surprise."

Saru cocks his head slightly at the mention of a surprise, but he nods all the same. "Of course. We will be here for you when you arrive."

Michael clicks off the channel with another small nod, and turns to Jackie with a large grin. They finally found them. They're finally home. She holds out her hand to her daughter, happy tears welling in her eyes that she has to blink back. "You ready?"

[somethingclevermahogony]

Happy WBW! How do people communicate in your setting? Is there any sort of postal service?

(Don't feel bad if you don't get to this till later, I know you're busy out there in the wilds of academia :))

Hello!

I'm finally getting to this, sorry about the delay!

Communication in Kishetal

Something roughly equivalent to a postal system does exist within Kishetal, it is called Ti badilub akatuni which translates to "the road of words." It is a system of checkpoints from which messages can be carried by royal couriers either on foot, on horseback, by chariot, or by boat in certain parts. It is used only by palaces and armies, ordinary individuals do not access its services. It is a remnant from the unified Kishite Empire, one of the few things from that era which has survived to some extent. There exists an agreement among the rulers of the Kishite cities, the system is never to be intentionally disrupted for reasons of war or anything else. Purposefully destroying a part of the system or limiting its function in some way like killing another city's courier is grounds for war. The roads utilized are typically separate from those used for normal travel.

Couriers are typically assigned by the local ruler and palaces provide upkeep for the stopover points and roads which exist in the lands they control, and in these regions the system is relatively well kept, however many of the roads fall outside of the radius of the city-states. In those places the roads are dangerous. It is considered a great crime to rob or harm a courier in any way, and any one who is accused of doing so will in almost all cases, be executed, often quite gruesomely. Despite this, out in the wilds of Kishetal bandits and various monsters are a constant threat, so much so that in certain areas couriers have taken to traveling with armed escorts.

A courier is given a message, typically either on a clay tablet, a wooden board, or paper and is given a destination. The courier will then travel to the next stopover point in the system and will give the message to another courier, who will then do the same, and so on until the message reaches the city of its destination. In theory each of these stopovers should be no more than a day's journey from each other, however many have fallen into disrepair, so a single courier's journey may actually be 2 or even 3 days long. Hypothetically if the system was working properly and nothing else was interfering with the process, a message could get from one side of Kishetal to the other (Chibal to Labisa or Bur) in 5 days time, a journey which would typically take two or three weeks by foot. Though in reality the system is rarely this efficient, and a message sent from Chibal to Labisa will typically take 7 to 9 days.

There is no public postal service in any of the city-states of Kishetal, however this does not mean that people are unable to send messages and information to other parts of Kishetal and beyond.

Merchants, traveling poets, even slaves are given messages to deliver as they travel. Pigeons are still a relatively new mode of communication, though one which is becoming increasingly popular in Northern Kishetal.

It is technically possible for sages to communicate with each other via sagecraft, a spirit can be tasked with delivering a message from one person to another, though this method is somewhat problematic. Firstly, a spirit must know how to communicate the message in question, it must know where it is taking the message, and perhaps most importantly it must actually care about delivering the message. It is not unusual of a sage to waste their magical energies to summon and satisfy a spirit with the intention of the spirit to deliver a message only for the spirit to never actually complete the task at hand.

[ashes-writing-corner]

So I'm actually in the process of writing my dragon rider AU, and I wanted to go ahead and include Farah in my little headcanons/fun facts series. As always, dragon art credit goes to Kenny Kwan arts on Instagram. Check it out his art is amazing ^^

Also yes I'm aware I added an extra r in her name in the pic, but as I made this months ago I really don't wanna go back and correct it. I'm so sorry guys :(

Farah and Zaircai

Farah

1. Farah is a dragon rider from another country, Keshye, which is across the sea from Athana.

2. Unlike Edren and Athana, the people of Keshye view dragons as creatures worthy of great reverence. While it's an honor to become a rider, becoming one for Keshyan dragon is harder.

3. Farah was ten when she first approached Zaircai, a dragon who had been feeding off of local livestock for ages and was becoming a tad problematic. Three years of training, bonding, and hard work on both sides earned a strong partnership.

4. Farah is an expert with a longbow, both in the air and on the ground.

5. She rides Zaircai mostly bareback, as saddles and reins are considered taboo when claiming a dragon in Keshye.

6. It takes a lot of balance and a LOT of trust, but she can even stand on Zaircai when in the air, knowing her Winged Shadow will not let her fall.

7. She wants to see the whole world from the back of her dragon, and make records and maps from her findings.

8. Doesn't agree with how Athanians "lock away" their dragons in Dragon's Keep. It's only after talking with Simon and Nova that Farah gets why Dragon's Keep was truly built.

9. Her people also view Wildfyre, the first dragon, as a sort of god-like figure. For Edren and Athana, Wildfyre was a tyrant to be feared and deposed. But to the Keshyen people he was a symbol of freedom and the wild that made up their homeland.

10. She and her brother once served as egg couriers as they sought out new riders. When it was revealed he was stealing and selling the eggs to those who wanted to use the hatchlings inside for other, more nefarious purposes, Farah and Zaircai had no choice but to stop him by any means necessary...

Zaircai

1. A rather young dragon, maybe in his 70s at this point. He doesn't really keep track of his age.

2. Farah calls him her Winged Shadow because he's always there even when she's not on his back.

3. Zaircai tends to overheat easily due to the black of his scales. Because of this, he's often found swimming in any nearby body of water to keep cool.

4. He claimed Farah just as much as she claimed him. They chose each other if anyone asks them.

5. Farah is his first rider, and he's not sure if he'll want another once she's gone.

6. Breathes flames of black with veins of silver.

7. His head and neck are lined with sharp spikes, similar to another dragon I might write about later. It's believed the two may be related but its never entirely addressed, as it's one he REALLY doesn't want to be associated with.

8. At first, Zaircai only lets Farah touch him, until they meet Alex the Wanderer and his dragon, Visha.

9. Is a bit spoiled admittedly, a trait that all Keshyen dragons share.

10. Farah was not the first to try and claim him, just the only successful one to. Many tried only to be burned for their efforts.

And that's Farah and Zaircai! I feel like they're gonna be a fun pair to write, and even more so when Alex is thrown into the mix. Not sure who I'll do next, maybe Graves and his dragon, Vera. Anyway, let me know what you guys think! As I said I'm actually working on turning this into a full fledged fic. So keep an eye out for that! Don't forget to be awesome ^^

[panparzi]

The Trixer's guide. (warning. While real life events are mentioned- this is mostly a fictional story. I am not a professional nor should be considered one. Read at your own discretion.) CW: Lots of swearing and death. (===================𝒞𝐻𝒜𝒫𝒯𝐸𝑅 [𝟢]==================)

It's 1973. Czechoslovakia had just signed a treaty deal called "Treaty Prague". A nice treaty to go buddy buddy with the neighbouring country: Germany- a couple of decades after a devastating world war in the 40's. It was a huge wake up call for the whole country, but most sincerely, for the Machovek family too.

It was a dawn of a new realisation- a push to seek more throughout the world as German imports fuelled a roaring economy- inspiring hope in Pavel, the father of Mia- to search for grander opportunities across the seas. Across… America.

And by 1984 (when Mia was 11) they travelled all the way to California, and then finally resting in Bellwood.

And- well, that was it, really.

The Machovek family sought out a life where their dreams could be fulfilled, and mainly, to have a fruitful life. The "American dream". Unfortunately for them, their dreams laid in an open coffin, dug by uncle Sam himself.

And that's what it would be for Mia- serving countless hours in schooling and training- up to the point that she donned her blue hat and vest, and started working at a local warehouse as a courier. Serving her glorious country with honour and pain medication for her bad back...

This didn't really bother her though. Not many things did. Growing up in the isolation that she had- she mainly focused on what she wanted out of things, often introverting herself in most situations- but when she wanted to do something, she would do her best to do it.

She was smart for her age group- mostly focusing on things that filled her curiosity- such as the wonders of machines and learning- as well as being able to understand how logical functions worked in real life. Something that- would guide her into becoming versed in mechanics- taking apart old remotes and toys in order to make her own circuit boards. She was truly brilliant.

However, that didn't really apply to her grades…

Due to her hyper fixations- it landed her in major trouble with superiors who often glossed over her gifts- putting her in developmental training in order to focus her attention towards the "finer things in life". Which of course was- the neurotypical way of saying "put that down, do the boring stuff."

Landing her in the position where she is now.

An objection to authority, but one that can tolerate it when needed. And a burnt out mentality from being declined her curiosity- doomed to sink into the capitalistic ringer that will perpetuate her dread.

Though… This… Would not last forever. It's 1993 and the sun looms into a sunset- Mia, now 20 years old, would be just finishing up her shift, maybe some overtime if she wanted to store some money for the piggy bank. However- her boss had different ideas. Instead of the usual overtime work she was meant to deal with- she was given a request to run an errand. She was tasked at investigating what was going on in a barren warehouse that hadn't been used for a couple of months. It was much cheaper to ask Mia to briefly take a look than it was to hire a crew to see what was going on- especially since there's some type of lock that's preventing the doors from being open…

However, Mia being overtly cunning- she manages to find a way inside via the use of a broken window- sheepishly covered by a burnt and discarded metal plate.

-Good lord... There's... So many wires and tech. Who the hell squats here? This seems so shady...-

Wires hung from the ceilings, drapes tapered the walls of the warehouse. This scene somehow makes a regular warehouse look clean and liveable. Though, that wouldn't be the only thing on Mia's mind… As she explored deeper through the hung wires and discarded litter- She bumped her noggin directly on what appears to be… a container? Something so large- yet couldn't be identified through the mountains worth of cables and machinery that were hung from the ceiling- and circling the base of the room.

"This place was made by a fucking lunatic…"

"God, who could live like this?"

"how… Could someone make this? Without anyone noticing?"

These burning questions would circle through Mia's mind- enchanting her with a spell to uncover more, and that- she did. 

Mia did circles around the perimeter of the room- managing to counting on how many containers there were. "three... And they're all boxing something in." Mia put her hand against the container. "Something... warm."

That was until she went around again- clocking something that caught her eye. It… Looked like a regular home computer, but it was definitely stripped of most of its parts… Just bordering on the metal mesh wireframe that kept it all together- all hidden under a plethora of wires.

Making way through the abundance of cables- furthering herself into the deeper parts of the techno jungle- she found the terminal. It was dusty, obscenely old- even for how long this warehouse was abandoned- so much so that by Mia simply scraping the wires off of the top of the box- it puffed a fresh dusty cloud into the air, inviting Mia to cough over the machinery.

The computer would already be on. Dimly lit by ulterior backlighting, requiring Mia to shine her torch on it:

[][][][][][][][][][][]

𝔻𝕆 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ 𝕋𝕆 ℝ𝔼𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝔼 𝕆ℝ𝔻𝔼ℝ?

ℝ𝕌ℕ, ℝ𝕌ℕ, ℝ𝕌ℕ- 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕊ℍ𝔸𝕃𝕃.

𝕎𝔸𝕃𝕂, 𝕎𝔸𝕃𝕂, 𝕎𝔸𝕃𝕂- 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕎𝕀𝕃𝕃.

𝔽𝔸𝕃𝕃, 𝔽𝔸𝕃𝕃, 𝔽𝔸𝕃𝕃- 𝕐𝕆𝕌 ℍ𝔸𝕍𝔼.

𝕎𝕀𝕃𝕃 𝕀𝕋 𝕃𝕆𝕆𝕂 𝔻𝔼𝔼ℙ 𝔽ℝ𝕆𝕄 𝕋ℍ𝔼ℝ𝔼?

𝕎𝕀𝕃𝕃 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝔹𝔼 𝔽𝔸ℝ 𝔸𝕎𝔸𝕐?

[][][][][][][][][][][]

(𝕐/ℕ) (0/1) 

_/

How crude.

Such an esoteric ramble. Like a poet that carved their ramblings onto potatoes after facing a lobotomy. Something so- utterly absurd for this to exist the way that it does. 

Mia would face this adversity with curiosity- beginning to try and see if there were any secrets around the terminal that could lead her in a better direction. Under the terminal was an array of cardboard boxes, all stacked up and barely keeping itself together. It's simply a miracle that nothing has caught on fire yet. However, this search yielded no results… Not until Mia peeked at the back of the terminal, spotting something dulled and aged clipped into the side of the computer.

Picking it up, it revealed itself to be a note. Yet unlike the thing it was stuck inside- it was relatively clean and new. Maybe even just printed?

What relayed on it was just this:

"40.64058388203853, -73.98397614822532"

"Be quick, be fast, but most importantly, move."

"For I yield in my dark tunnel, to crumble from time- I hold one key to my survival…" 

"I continued."

End of note.

"Guh- this is so insane!" Mia would say, as if she wasn't entirely enthralled by what she has uncovered.

What was a hoodlum or squatter checkup- turned into one of Mia's favourite things: A mechanical puzzle, dreamt up by a mad man (or to be presumed.)

Now, with new insight- Mia gandered her options, looking down at the keyboard that laid on top of the improvised desk- scowling at it… Like she was interrogating the computer with her eyeballs.

Grabbing a box, she sat down, looking down to the paper, and to the terminal, only to be scared to death by her walkie talkie, requesting for status of the errand.

"Hey there… What is the -KKRRRTH- (sta)tus on the warehouse?"

Mia would fumble the walkie talkie out of her pockets, hoisting it in her hands and clenching down the button. But as she does, she stops herself.

She looked towards the terminal, and the surrounding jungle of wires that tapered around her- humming to herself as she layed her options.

"Ms Machovek?"

“Y-yeah, sorry. Uh…” She briefly looked at the contraptions before her, looking down back to her radio. “Yeah there’s- something up here. I dunno. It’s all so hard to explain- I think we have a squatter?”

"What do you mean -KRRTTH- (th)ink? Oh- whatever. I’ll send some cops over- we don’t want a repeat of that knife guy ages a-KRRTH- (o). Get moving back to the main warehouse. I need you to lock up. It’s not that far away.”

“Yeah…”

And with that, her radio fell silent. What was left was the backlight of her radio screen, and the reflection before it- Mia's wavering thousand yard stare.

“Far away…”

“!”

Then the answer hit her, looking back to the computer- revising over the lines. 

"run, run, run…" she began to mumble the text before her. "hmm…"

"the questions… They have to be what I'm answering to."

"Will it look deep…"

"Will it look far away…" 

"Of course!" She bapped the cardboard desk- doing a cringey fist pump in the air and looked at the note. "Be quick, be fast… But most importantly… move." 

"it has to be this." And with a click of the N and enter key… Summoned aching piston-dry… An ache of metal ripples through the warehouse walls- clanking and writhing through every part of the structure, ending near a cut into the container- unfolding an improvised door that leads inside the metal box.

“Oh god… This looks so sketchy…” Mia says in full confidence, taking strides inside.

And what laid before her was almost indescribable. Every surface… Covered in tech galore… The heat slapped her in the face as she pushed onwards into this terminal haven.

Tracing her eyes across the space, she summed up most of the equipment to be relay points, where all of the wires from before were beginning to connect to. All connecting to a suspended apparatus, trailing it’s own set of cables around itself and onto the floor… Heavily overcrowded with improvised plug sockets, tacky copper wires with ripped endings.

“This is… So out of my pay grade.” Mia said, deceiving herself- for she would pay to explore this personification out of her cold, hard-earned cash. Barely containing herself- Mia ogled at the machine before her and every dis-organized mess of papers that laid on the floor- intrigued at the crazy theorems and manifesto writings- darted all across the crazed floors.

As Mia was engulfing herself into madness… The sounds of machines and turning cogs didn’t seem to stop. Kunk, Krr…. Krank-dunk… And then fell silence, the apparatus in the middle of the room tingeing a blue hue.

Then… began the hum…

“-Hummmm….-Tik-Tik-Tik- Hummmm……KURTH-DUNK-” The machine said, as if to engage in conversation.

“-KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK-” Whispered a terminal.

“-bap-” A folder loudly exclaimed, as it fell to the ground.

And soon enough… Communication was made. Over… And over… It was as if the room itself came alive.

“This is…Wow…” Mia spoke breathlessly, looking deeper towards all of the instruments before her- staring every so often at the apparatus in the middle… Watching it begin to move it’s own parts, building itself.

It started off as a flat hemisphere… Crudely built with rectangles, indented plating and crude wiring… Then, blossoming into a higher form- resembling much of a pill form… The plates opening up to reveal a space inside- a… Landing pad of sorts.

The machine tilted, gyroscoping itself towards the roof. It hummed… hummed… hum… humm…..hm…..

A light.. A brief- brief light- appears in the centre… Sparking, leaving residue where it presented- beginning to bolden and generate itself into a basking glow- blinding Mia to the point of having to turn around, starting to light the concrete below her till a sudden- BANG- screamed through the entire nearby area, pushing Mia into a couple of old VCR’s and and bundles of wires.

When Mia lifts her weary head- her eyes lie on the explosion before her… The machine that was supported to the thick roof ahead of them- was now cracked, and offset from it was a hole- one that was burnt and degrading with time… Pouring a warm light that cascaded across the dungeon.

Thankfully, Mia was fine. Whatever that type of explosion was- it must’ve been a result of an accident, one that wasn’t intended to kill.

She stands, looking towards the fallen machinery, dragging herself through the mist of smoke that was beginning to pool from different sides of the room as a side effect of the impact- but one thing started to show itself more and more… A faint glow that peered through the rubble of metal and wires… A faint sound of metal crinkling can be heard- like robotic ants sawing their way through a metal house. It continued… More and more as Mia approaches the rubble- moving it aside as she peers inside, now beginning to ignore the sounds of her radio that screamed for attention… But it was now mute under Mia’s new found curiosity.

She pulled the last bunch of wires off, now seeing the source of the illumination and noise, and what laid before her was something out of a straight sci-fi… as it looked like what any ordinary human would call a bracelet- but it changed it’s form effortlessly, trying to assume three different shapes, all either long, short and with a variety of textures and patterns. But as if it was like it could see it being viewed- it twisted and contorted- and leaped onto Mia’s arm- ever startling her and having her fall on her ass.

A terrible singe started to burn into Mia’s skin- her long sleeved shirt being replaced by this crude and cruel piece of technology- eagerly burning through her skin. But before Mia could even begin to scream- the pain stopped, forcing her to take a breath and… briefly panic.

“A-GAH-! GET THE FUCK OFF ME-” She screamed- as she began to whip and thrash her arm against a variety of services- even using her legs at one point to apply heel force to get it off, all leading to nigh results.

Once Mia had toned herself down- still in a state of panic and fidget with the new device on her wrist… She glances towards the top of it, looking towards an emblem that sprouts and forms out of it, before digging into itself again… An hour glass symbol forms, and everything suddenly stops. The whole device resuming it’s new form- which was tacky, bulky and to be described as looking: tacky.

But before Mia could conjure any hypotheticals from her observations- the emblem turns and boldens. A ring replaces the emblem, and a dot appears like an electron on an atom… Blinking ominously.

“MIA MACHOVEK” Screamed from her hip- startling her.

“Y-yes?” Mia says, skittishly picking up the radio and clamming the sender button. “S-sorry. I don’t know what happened. I think- I think I need some help-” she continued.

“We’re already outside! We’ve been trying to get your attention to let us in- Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I think I need some help- somethin-” But before Mia could complete her sentence- her hand threw away the radio, smashing against the wall and screaming amongst the myriad of wires.

“What the hell-?” Mia tries to get up, only to look like she had been pushed back down. “What is going on-” Her arm rose, looking towards her wrist- the dot now glowing more and more urgently. Before she could even rationalise what was happening- it was like her legs were taken over as they began to walk for her out of the area. “w-wOAH- STOP-”

Her legs were controlled like an amateur puppet- doll walking through her past steps towards the entrance she walked through- tripping over and falling on her face into a pile of garbage that laid a few feet from the tacky entrance.

“Ugh… Please… Please stop-” She begged, but the device did not hear- for it forced her to get up and walk. But before she could walk another couple of steps- she spots her colleagues standing out front of the warehouse, both still trying to get in- but also seeming to be waiting. Mia pulls herself together- taking a deep breath to shout but was silenced by her own hand…

And that’s when she suddenly stopped- being forced to hunch but watch the warehouse.

She pulls aside her hand with her other- breathing heavily. “What the hell?- what- do you want to go, or not?!” She gritted her teeth towards her watch, but continued to watch.

A man steps out of the warehouse, joining the rest of the group. They talk. It’s obvious that they’re concerned about the where-abouts of Mia, and also explaining what they had found inside of the warehouse. A black limo appears, kicking up dust through the massive lot of buildings that occupy the land. 

Two men step out, one stays by the car while the other goes to talk with the men- visibly well put together, and intimidating despite Mia’s distance from them.

“ugh..., I wish I knew what they were talking about. If only I could tell them- W-wait… They- they… don’t look like cops?…”

The man conversing with the rest of the group seems content with his answers- as he no longer puffs his chest. If anything… He looked… sad.

An omen, really. 

He walked to the driver side of the car, getting in but his companion did not. Instead, he stuck his hand into his inner suit pocket, and drew a gun- shooting all three of the workers on the spot with maximum precision, all of them falling to the ground in a heartbeat. Mia uncontrollably screamed- bewildered by what she had just witnessed- only to feel the whiplash of the companion’s eyes meet hers- freezing her into a cold shock.

She breathed and breathed- her sudden collapse of reality hitting her like a ton of bricks- and there’s no reasonable way to cope with such a reality break. But now was the time to act- and if anyone in this situation knew that, it was the device on her hand. Because even though Mia didn’t know how to move, it did.

Parking lots, flat grass, trees and then eventually the city- Mia would run- now taking control of her own body- dodging and weaving people as she sprinted across town- not daring to shout and reveal herself to anyone more than she already was- all leading to her stopping at a coffee shop, completely and utterly exhausted.

“Hi! How can I get ya? You seem to need it, haha.” A voice interrupts her panic- lifting her head to see the barista of the shop look at her… And… She looked dazzling- but Mia couldn’t say anything.

“Are- are you okay?” She said, concerningly- only to jump at Mia clambering to the bar.

“S-sorry, uhm- I’m currently in a bit of trouble- right now. I -” Mia glances in a reflective picture frame- reflecting outside onto the side-walk, briefly catching a glance at the man that laid waste to her colleagues. “I- I am being followed- I-” She gets out of her lips, only to cry a bit inside as she watches the man pull out a badge. A… cop badge.

“A-actually- uhm-” Mia coughed- visibly sweating very hard- she looked at the name tag of the Barista, Zizi. What a beautiful name…

“S-so- sorry. I have tourettes- I say uh, some wacky stuff sometimes- I forgot my meds.” She said, knowing she is just making an egregious comparison- all at the cost of covering her ass.

“I have a cousin with tourettes.” The barista replied, seemingly unimpressed. “A-ah, well- you know, uh…” Yeah, there was no coming back from that one. “Do you know where the toilets are?” Zizi points towards the end of the restaurant, giving a very stern expression. “Please, knock yourself out.” She said, seemingly charged with harsh intent- Mia reflecting back with a sheepish smile.

-click-

“Oh… What the FUCK have I gotten myself into?” Mia said, staring into her reflection, feeling her face. She prances around the bathroom stall. “What am I going to do? Did- he really get shot? What the hell is going on?” Mia tried to rationalise the situation, clearly putting herself into a deep panic.

“Fuck… They’re going to recognize me. They’re going to recognize me! I- I need to do something, like- change my hair or appearance-” she spoke fast- taking off her jacket and wrapping it around her waist, taking off her employee pin and throwing it in the sink. “I…”

Just then, the watch on her wrist began to blink. It started slowly but sped up quickly to a point that it began a hum. Mia looked towards it, confused and startled- before she felt a tingling sensation go across her body and her head. “What- what is-” Mia managed to shiver out- as she looked towards the mirror and dropped her jaw to the floor.

Her hair had begun growing more and more… Thicker and longer than it was. Before, it was at her shoulders- but now it’s steadily creeping towards her lower back. But that wasn’t the only change either- as her hair also started to change colours. “No-no-no-no” Mia began to pull at her hair, pulling the individual strands and looking deeply at them. “This has to be a dream, this isn’t possible!”

-knock knock knock-

The sound instantly silenced Mia, holding her mouth as she darted her eyes towards the door.

“Hey, miss?” the sound of the prior cash manager’s voice emanated from outside the door, scratching and seeping through the door. “You good in there? You’re doing a lot of shouting.”

“Oh… I am so boned…” Mia whispered to herself, looking back at the mirror to see the transformations begin to slow down and stop. Mia can only star gaze at her new appearance. Her face was without pimples or grease, her skin felt incredible- and her hair… It looked practically impossible; now featuring a long long length all the way down to Mia’s ass, and boasting thick and unbrushed sections that stick out like a cow licked it.

“Ma’am?” The cashier asked again- bringing all of Mia’s attention back and instantly replying:

“Y-yes! I’m good! Just- uhm- I’m on my period and I uh, I forgot to take some pain medications-” She made a half assed excuse, praying to whatever god would accept her plea- wincing and cringing at her own pathetic attempt to divert attention away from her, only to end in something shattering.

“Look, ma’am. Sorry to break it to you, but we have police officers outside. You match the description. We’re going to need you to leave the premises.”

-knock knock-

“Hello?”

-knock knock knock-

A loud sound emanated from the inside of the toiletries- sounding like a sci-fi door opening at two times speed- and a purple light illuminated from within. “Oh fuck, I think they’re doing something!”.

Zizi backs up and gets pushed aside by the federal agents, who position themselves with their gun unholstered- one of the two going up towards the door to attempt an entry, but before they could do that-

-BWAMP- Went the door-  Instantly hitting the face of the prior agent- smacking him a couple of feet ahead, and just like clockwork- the other agent quickly pointed his gun around the corner, only to have his hand be grabbed and his person be instantly flown into the air by a dashing blue blur- resulting in the man falling from the ceiling and down to the ground.

What stood before Zizi was something she will never be able to unsee. Because- before her stood something she deemed impossible, a work of fiction- something she had dreamed all of her life: An alien. They stood there, tongued feet wrapped around shiny black spheres- lanky velociraptor looking legs and admittedly a pretty chubby build. Either way, truly- a sight to behold. The alien spoke:

“I’m- I’m sorry- I’m sorry I’m sorry-” They began to apologise, ushering their hands in a frantic motion as they looked morally conflicted on what to do. But before they could try and damage control the situation, their legs appeared to gain control- turning them around and turning them into the same blue blur as before. And just like that, it was over.

Zizi’s eyes were fixated on where they left off, her eyes unwavering- as if her reality had just been shattered, and then built back up again.

(=================𝐸𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 [0]===============)

[traditional-with-a-twist]

lxv. Beauty and Her Beast

<<Previous || first arc || second arc || third arc || fourth arc || AO3 || Next>>

“Reckless! Lunatic!”

Hands clenching and unclenching into fists, the Crab stared Umihebi down with his chin jutting forward. 

They faced each other across the breakfast table, choice fruits and sweetmeats arranged in delicate pyramids between them.

Ubmidebi’s plate was littered with the rind of a pomegranate, which she picked apart, bit by bit, while he stormed. 

...

“You have no sense of self-control — no idea when enough is enough! You speak to me of princes and kings from seasons ago, before the wars — and then you bring here a servant of the Crown! Here, to my house – a Royal Messenger of Clarines! You hold him a prisoner, here, against his will!”

He paused to grip his hair with both hands, as if trying to force the reality of the situation in through his brain.

...

Umihebi watched expressionlessly. His impotent rages bored her, even more than his blustering, now as they had long ago.

It was as pointless as listening to the wind rattle the windows.

...

“No,” said the Crab, looking up. “No more of this. I want you out – out! Now!”

Umihebi shifted her gaze to the blazing noonday sun. Shouts and calls from the busy streets drifted in through the window.

“Now?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

He reddened. It did him no better to send her packing in broad daylight than to be discovered with her inside. “Then choose your hour,” he muttered resentfully, “but I warn you — tarry too long, and I will have you out by force!”

He punctuated this threat with a slam of his fist on the tabletop.

...

Umihebi spat out the seeds of the pomegranate and stood up. 

She was tired of listening, she realized, even as he tired of turning a blind eye.

Both felt the balance had shifted with the arrival of her second prisoner. She had taken a decisive step towards transforming the Crab’s estates once more into her base of operations; thus had come his moment to concede or resist.

Her old partner had made his choice.

She knew not whether he would carry through his threat of involving the local authorities, but it did not matter.

She did not intend to give him the chance.

...

Once Umihebi had reached a decision, she acted swiftly. 

Summoning a pair of her landlocked pirates at a gesture, she descended once more to the cellar where she held her prisoners – a poor substitute for a ship’s brig, but it would do.

The light dazzled – she could see them blinking – and in the moments afforded by the surprise, she strode to them and seized the supposed courier by the back of his collar.

...

Even the strongest man will fold without air. She waited for the struggle, nostrils flaring in suppressed anticipation — but he only dangled, head hanging, laboring to breathe.

Likewise her first prisoner made no move. He just watched, his eyes narrowed. Tears seeped from them, but rather from the pain of the sudden light, she thought. 

“My, my, how strange,” she said. “You’ve had plenty of time to become reacquainted… Have you no word of pity, no plea for your friend?”

...

As she spoke, she slid a knife from her belt and held its point below Mitsuhide’s chin. “Don’t play coy with me…. how much is his neck worth to you?”

She saw Obi’s gaze travel from her to his cellmate, and her smile widened. 

“Or shall we say… his ear?” The dagger point traced up along Mitsuhide’s jawline, trailing blood in its wake.

...

Obi’s dry lips cracked in a smile. “You’re asking me, O captain queen? The man can speak for himself.”

Her teeth gritted at the mockery. Above all, Umihebi lived for power, and she burned with the want of it now.

She would crack him yet. Beneath that unconcern, behind the nonchalance, lay the soft tender places that every man holds in his heart, and she would get her claws into him.

...

Thrusting the knight away from her, Umihebi stepped back and stood with her arms akimbo. “So. You would see him die without lifting a finger.”

Obi cocked an eyebrow and waggled his hands as if to remind her that his wrists were bound.

She ignored him. Joke as he might, she sensed some unsteadiness in him, some change since her last visit.

...

Truth be told, Obi was in a sorry state – half-dead when he arrived and flagging now under the none-too-tender ministrations of his captors.

Battered, bruised, inside and out, he was no better for Mitsuhide’s appearance. When Kiki had come to Shirayuki in the belly of the pirate ship, they had known each other as allies; her coming had meant hope, sure deliverance. 

No such rapport existed here.

Mitsuhide had delivered Zen’s message only moments before Umihebi arrived. His words had laid Obi’s defences bare, and he was yet scrambling to right himself.

...

It was in this state of disarray that Umihebi put him to a final test. 

Perhaps at another moment, Obi might have slipped the snare — he was wise to the ways of the cunning brute, all those who through violence and manipulation bend others to their will.

Then again, Umihebi’s special genius lay in timing. She scented the moment to strike as surely as her namesnake, coiled with fangs bared, tastes the ripeness in the wind when its victim's death is at hand. 

...

She felt Obi’s uncertainty, his weakness, without understanding it was Mitsuhide’s words that had crumbled all his presuppositions and stripped away his armor.

She didn’t need to know; she had only to guess.

“So, then. The woman.” 

The air thickened, and Umihebi spoke into it, stirring the pot. “For yourself, nothing. You didn’t come here for a washed up knight — and not for the ghost of your prince, either.” 

Obi flinched.

Umihebi’s wide mouth gloated her satisfaction: she had the prey in her teeth now. He felt himself pinned, as surely as Mitsuhide’s message had frozen him in the midst of his headlong descent into oblivion.

“For her, though… for that woman… you fought your way into hell and back.

"It’s all for her, isn’t it —” she paused to watch the effect of her speech, “ — that apple-haired girl.”

...

“Stay away from her.” The words ripped from Obi’s chest. He sounded more animal than man; the chain clattered as he strained against his bonds.

Umihebi threw back her head and laughed. “And you?” She turned her taunting gaze on the other captive, not failing to note that he had also tensed. Perhaps there was a little life in him yet.

A new alertness wound taut the muscles once so placid at her threats, and she delighted to feel herself a violinist, playing on his strings.

“I seem to remember another woman — that little slip of a thing. The bonus prize who wasn’t.” Exultant, she minded not remembering her missteps. “Who would have thought that she was a knight…and you her partner.”

...

Mitsuhide’s head snapped up. For a moment he glared at her as fiercely as Obi, eyes blazing a warning — but then something snuffed the fire out.

His head drooped again. “I’m not.” His voice was barely audible. “I’m not her partner anymore.”

Umihebi shrugged. “Suit yourself. It makes no difference – partner or no partner, this time you won’t be there.”

...

Mitsuhide made no movement in reply, but Obi was on his feet now, transfigured with an inhuman energy.

Umihebi wondered how long the ropes would hold.

She turned away, laughing, and the cellar door slammed shut behind her.

...

At the outer wall of the Crab's property, her men waited in a tight band, dressed for stealth and armed to the teeth. One held a torch.

Umihebi regarded the exquisite gardens, their delicately trailing vines and lacey lattices.

Beyond, the many windows fluttered with silken curtains and gauzy drapes. Her teeth shone in the starlight, bared in a savage grin.

Then she nodded to the torchbearer. “Light it.”

[broomballkraken]

Title: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Fandom: Octopath Traveler, Octopath Traveler 2

Pairing: Osvald/Partitio, Cyrus/H'aanit

Word count: 5244

Warnings: None

Fic Summary: Osvald is invited to an academic conference in the far off land of Orsterra. He brings Partitio along and they decide to make the trip into a much needed vacation.

When they arrive in Atlasdam, they become acquainted with a few locals, Cyrus and H’aanit, and when the two couples get to know more about each other, they realize quite quickly that they’re two sides of the same coin…

“Hoo-ey! Just look at this place!”

Osvald chuckled when Partitio spun around, taking in the many sights and sounds of the city of Atlasdam. When Osvald had received an invitation to attend an academic conference in the far-off land of Orsterra, he had been a bit hesitant to embark on such a long journey. However, the opportunity to collaborate with scholars from an entirely different continent was much too inciting to pass up, and since it was so far away, he decided to invite Partitio to come along with him to make it a vacation of sorts.

“It is indeed impressive,” Osvald said, adjusting his glasses as he took a look around himself. “It reminds me a bit of Montwise, being a hub for scholars and other seekers of knowledge.”

Partitio flicked up the brim of his hat and shifted the weight of the travel bag on his back. “I reckon yer gonna have the time of yer life at this conference, darlin’, surrounded by so many like-minded folks.”

“I agree, but first I should find a courier to send this letter to Elena-”

Partitio groaned and blew a raspberry. “C’mon, Osvald, you’ve already sent her, like, ten of ‘em, and we haven’t been gone that long! I’m shocked that ya haven’t run out of things to say.”

“Nonsense.” Osvald snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “We are in an entirely new continent, my dear. I must document every single new discovery, and Elena will benefit from learning all that she can-”

“Okay, okay! I get it.” Partitio snickered as he slipped his arm behind Osvald’s back and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. “Yer so cute when ya go into papa bear mode, sweetheart.”

Osvald huffed and turned his head away, but the way that his cheeks flushed a bright pink as he took Partitio’s hand told the latter that he liked the teasing.

“Anywho, we should probably ask around and see how to get to that Royal Academy, and find an inn…” Partitio started, but he trailed off when a giant cat suddenly appeared before him, letting out a meow before sitting back on its haunches.

“Uh, what in tarnation…?” Partitio’s jaw hung open, and Osvald raised an eyebrow as he rubbed at his chin. “I reckon I’ve never seen a cat this big before!”

Osvald hummed and tugged on his beard. “That’s…some manner of snowcat, I believe. I am not sure what it’s doing in the middle of the city, though, and one that is lacking in snow at that.”

A huge grin slowly crossed Partitio’s face; whatever it was called, it was pretty dang cute! He laughed as the huge cat suddenly leapt up and placed its paws on his shoulders before giving his cheek a good lick. “Hey there, big kitty! Ya sure are a pretty one. We’ve got a big ol’ doggie back home that would love to play with ya!”

“Absolutely not,” was Osvald’s response to the puppy dog eyes that Partitio shot his way. “It probably belongs to someone. A hunter’s partner, perhaps, like Mahina with Ochette.”

“But why would a hunter be hangin’ ‘round in the city-” Partitio started, but he was interrupted when the cat purred loudly and dropped back to the ground when someone came running up to them.

“Linde!”

Partitio and Osvald looked up to find a tall, muscular woman dressed in furs rushing towards them, and she stopped in front of the cat, Linde, and shook her head.

“How many times do I hath to tell thee to not runneth off on me?” she said, letting out an exasperated sigh. Partitio eyed the bow on her back and the axe strapped to her side. Well, Osvald must have been right about who the cat belonged to, because she sure did look like a hunter of some sort.

Linde let out a deep growl and trotted to the woman, purring as she brushed against her legs. The woman rolled her eyes and pet the large cat’s head.

“Silly leopard…” she mumbled, before standing up straight and looking between Osvald and Partitio. “I apologize foren her behavior. I hath no idea why she likes to bother strangers so much…”

“Heh, no harm done!” Partitio said with a wink. “We’ve got a big ol’ doggie back home, so I’m used to bein’ jumped on by cute, fluffy critters.”

“You’re lucky you came by when you did,” Osvald said, glancing at Partitio out of the corner of his narrowed eyes, “because he was about to try and take her home with us.”

“Shhh, sweetheart,” Partitio whispered as he jabbed his elbow into his side, “Don’t tell her that! She looks like she could give me a good wallop.” Osvald chuckled at that, and the woman tilted her head at them with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oh, H’aanit, my love! You’ve returned!”

Suddenly, a tall, slender man dressed in scholarly robes pushed by Osvald and Partitio before gathering the startled hunter into his embrace. A soft smile crossed her face as she chuckled and embraced him in return.

“Aye, ‘tis good to see you, Cyrus.”

Cyrus pulled away and cupped H’aanit’s cheek. “Oh, my dear, I swear that you get more and more radiant every time you return to me. It makes it so much harder to let you out of my sight for even a moment.”

“Cyrus…” H’aanit’s face flushed a bright red, and she sighed as she pressed her forehead against Cyrus’. “I missed you too, love. T’wasn’t a second while I was away wheren I did not think of thee.”

“H’aanit…”

As the two shared a tender kiss, Partitio let out a dreamy sigh and turned to Osvald. “Daw! Ain’t they just the cutest, Osvald?”

“Er, I suppose.” Osvald cleared his throat, and he entwined his fingers with Partitio’s and tugged at his arm. “But, I feel like we are intruding, so perhaps we should go find the inn?”

“Ah, I guess you’re right.”

“Oh, wait a moment!”

As the two men turned to leave, they were stopped when Cyrus called out to them. Partitio shared a glance with Osvald, who gave him a slight nod and they both turned back. Cyrus was giving them a once-over as he rubbed his chin, while H’aanit threw the large sack that was sitting on the ground next to her over her shoulder.

“If my observation is correct, you two must be travelers,” Cyrus said with a smile, “What brings you to Atlasdam, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Osvald nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling a slightly crumpled envelope out of his coat that contained his invitation. “My name is Osvald Vanstein-Yellowil, and I am here to attend the academic conference at the Royal Academy.”

Cyrus let out a gasp and his entire face seemed to light up. “Oh, how fortuitous! Where do you hail from?”

“Clockbank, in the Eastern continent of Solistia.”

“Ah! I was hoping that a Solistian scholar would make the trip!” Cyrus laughed as he slapped a friendly hand to Osvald’s arm, “Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Cyrus Albright, and I am the acting headmaster of the Royal Academy.”

Partitio laughed and slapped his knee as Cyrus gave Osvald’s hand an enthusiastic shake. “Well shucks, ‘tis mighty lucky that we ran right into ya! My name’s Partitio, humble merchant and hubby of this smart cookie!” Partitio gushed as he hugged Osvald’s arm, causing the latter to blush and fiddle with his glasses.

“And I am H’aanit,” H’aanit said, and she turned to Cyrus as she rolled her eyes. “Thou should drop the ‘acting’ part already. You’ve been headmaster for five years now. I do not think anyone ‘tis going to apply for thee position.”

Cyrus let out a long sigh and placed the back of his hand over his forehead. “Oh, but I do wish that someone would! I cannot wholly devote myself to my studies and teaching when I have to run the entire academy…”

Partitio shared a glance with Osvald as Cyrus sulked, and the former snickered while the latter chuckled. Boy, they sure ran into quite the interesting pair of locals, and he couldn’t help but wonder how these two very different people ended up together…

Clearing his throat, Cyrus looked between the two visitors with a sparkle in his eye. “Oh, I have the most wonderful idea! If you two haven’t gotten a room at the inn yet, I must invite you to stay with H’aanit and I!”

Partitio blinked at them and quickly shook his head. “Now, hold on. We don’t wanna impose on ya or nothin’. We just met, after all.”

“Indeed, but…” H’aanit glanced around at the crowd around them. “Whenever a conference is held here, the inns fill up quickly. Theren might not be any rooms left by now.”

“Hmm, that’s a fair point,” Osvald said.

“Excellent! Do follow me!” Cyrus started walking further into Atlasdam, hand-in-hand with H’aanit, while Linde trotted alongside them.

“Well…I guess that’ll save us some coin,” Partitio said with a shrug as they made to follow, “I’m surprised you agreed to it so quickly though, darlin’.”

“Hmm…” was Osvald’s response, and as Partitio followed his gaze to Cyrus, an understanding smile crossed his face.

“Ah, I see. Yer just eager to talk shop with a fellow scholar, right?”

“...Perhaps.”

Partitio laughed and took Osvald’s hand. “Yer so predictable, darlin’. C’mon, let’s catch up to ‘em!” As Osvald entwined their fingers together, they hurried to do just that. After they had dropped off their bags at Cyrus and H’aanit’s house on the outskirts of town, they made their way to the tavern. On the way there, Cyrus lectured to them about the history of Atlasdam, the royal family, and the Royal Academy. Partitio was impressed with his charismatic ability to keep his interest, while Osvald was taking vigorous notes, and they found themselves seated in the tavern with a round of ales in what seemed like no time at all.

“So, my fellow scholar,” Cyrus said after they had settled in, and slapped a friendly hand to Osvald’s shoulder. “Please, you must enlighten me as to what your primary subject of research is!”

Osvald nodded and adjusted his glasses. “I’ve been studying up on the seventh source of magic that transcends the power of the known elemental magics, which I’ve dubbed the One True Magic.”

“A seventh source…” Cyrus mumbled as he rubbed at his chin, “To think that there is another besides the six elements. how intriguing…”

“Now, you tell me what you’re researching,” Osvald said, and Cyrus’ face lit up as he stood and started pacing, his arms waving dramatically as he spoke.

“Well, while on a journey to find and return a lost tome that was stolen from our library, I stumbled upon ruins filled with countless others thought to be lost to the world, along with an ancient mural depicting some sort of destructive force. I’ve dedicated most of my free time from teaching to studying them further, with hopes of spreading the knowledge for the betterment of mankind.”

“...Fascinating.” An intense look appeared in Osvald’s eyes as he folded his hands together on the table in front of him. “Please, tell me more.”

Cyrus was quick to take the open seat across from him. “Yes, of course! And in return, I am most eager to hear the details of this ‘One True Magic’ of yours.”

“Very well.”

“Oh no…”

Partitio and H’aanit spoke at the same time while they watched the two scholars lose themselves in their passionate discussion, and they shared a knowing glance.

“Heh, does yer man also never shut up once he gets that big ol’ brain of his goin’?” Partitio asked, flicking up the brim of his hat and shooting H’aanit a wink.

H’aanit sighed and shook her head, but a fond smile crossed her face as she watched Cyrus start to get rather animated with his lecturing. “Aye, ‘tis hard to get him to speaketh of anything else foren ages.”

“Shucks, we might be here a while then, H’aanit. What say we get ourselves a few more drinks and make ourselves comfortable, eh?”

She nodded and let out a chuckle in response, and Partitio downed his first drink before throwing an arm over his new friend’s shoulders and steering her towards the bar.

“So, H’aanit,” Partitio said, pausing to take a generous swig of his new drink; they had moved to an empty table to give their scholarly spouses their own space. “If ya don’t mind me askin’, how’d a hunter and a scholar end up together?”

H’aanit chuckled as she took a sip of her drink. “‘Tis fine. You are not the first to ask such a thing. I knoweth that we do seem a bit mismatched at first glance.

Partitio listened with great interest as H’aanit recounted the tale, about how she left her home in the Woodlands to hunt down a terrible monster and save her petrified master. She had met seven other travelers along the way, all with their own quests, and Cyrus was one of them. As she continued, Partitio couldn’t help but think this all seemed familiar somehow…

“...and after Cyrus was almost killed by the former headmaster, I could not holden my feelings for him back any longer.” H’aanit let out a light giggle as Partitio pushed a full mug towards her and gave the tavernkeep their combined four empty ones. “He apparently felt the same, and we confessed ouren feelings at the same time.”

“Aw, that’s so cute! Yer gonna make me cry!” Partitio sniffed as he rubbed his arm over his eyes. He gulped down more ale and let out a satisfied sigh as H’aanit continued her tale, one of defeating a petrifying monster and a corrupted scholar.

“Even though the danger was great, Cyrus stayed by my side through it all,” H’aanit said, “He is compassionate, selfless, passionate about his teaching…and also very handsome.”

“Y’all are too sweet, thanks fer sharin’ yer story with me!” Partitio said, red-faced and beaming as he clacked his mug against H’aanit’s and downed the rest of his drink, and she followed suit. She let out a hiccup and Partitio waved the tavernkeep over again, who raised an eyebrow at them as he set four more mugs of ale on the table.

“‘Tis your turn now, Partitio,” H’aanit said, her eyes half-lidded as she ran her finger around the rim of her mug. “How did thee and Osvald meet and fall in love?”

“Oh, I’d be happy to tell ya!” Partitio said, his voice a little too loud, and he took his turn in telling H’aanit all about his adventures with his seven friends. He talked about Osvald’s quest for revenge that turned into a rescue mission, and his own quest to buy the steam engine rights and put an end to poverty in Solistia.

“Osvald…He lost so much,” Partitio said, sniffing as a few tears fell down his face. Linde meowed from her spot on the floor and got up, placing her front paws on Partitio’s leg so that she could lean up and lick the tears from his face.

Partitio laughed and scratched the snow leopard behind the ears. “Aw, shucks! Thankee kindly, Linde!”

When Linde returned to her place curled up on the floor, Partitio leaned back in his chair as a comforting warmth spread throughout his chest. “I was kinda scared to tell Osvald how I felt at first. I didn’t want my feelin’s for him to dredge up the terrible pain from losin’ his wife. So, color me surprised when he told me he loved me that night, and we kissed for the first time under the pretty star-filled sky.”

“That is…very beautiful, Partitio,” H’aanit said, pausing to wipe away her silent tears. “Even though we just met, ‘tis plain to see howen much ye loven him, and he you.”

“That’s kind of ya to say, H’aanit.” Partitio beamed as he leaned back in his chair. “I gotta admit, these past five years have been the best of my life. Hells, I got to marry the love of my life, and make my dreams of buildin’ a steam train a reality too!”

“This steam train soundeth…interesting.” H’aanit said as she tilted her head curiously, “If what you sayeth is true about it making traveling great distances much faster, I wisheth that we had the same thing here. T’would maketh visiting friends easier.”

“Heh, well, I’d be happy to share what I know with y’all Orsterrans! Maybe Cyrus could figure out how to hook me up with an engineer or two.”

“He does hath many connections.”

Partitio snickered and let out a hiccup, and he waved over the tavernkeep for another round. “C’mon, H’aanit! Let’s -hic- toast again to…the future continental railroad of Orsterra!”

H’aanit giggled and toasted, their drinks spilling a bit due to their clumsiness before they each took a drink. “Heh, that soundeth fine to me. And we should -hic- also toast to the cutest snow leopard too.” Linde meowed as she rubbed up against H’aanit’s legs before doing the same to Partitio.

“Yeah! She deserves a few toasts!” Partitio yelled. H’aanit agreed wholeheartedly, and the two new friends continued making toast after toast after toast…

Hours later, Cyrus and Osvald finally emerged from their intense scholarly discussion, both having learned much from the other. Glancing at the window, Cyrus blinked and his eyes went wide.

“Oh my, look how late it is!” he said, laughing sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his neck, “Time flies when discussing advanced magical systems, apparently.”

“Indeed.” Osvald glanced at the tavernkeep as he announced that it was closing time. “It was worth it, though. I learned much from you, and I cannot wait to apply your theories to my own studies.”

“And I yours!” Cyrus laughed as he stood up and looked around the tavern. “Now then, where have our partners gotten to-Oh dear…” Osvald followed Cyrus’ gaze, and he groaned at the sight and felt a headache coming on.

Partitio and H’aanit were sitting on the floor next to a sprawled-out Linde, who seemed to be greatly enjoying the attention that she was getting from the two incredibly drunk humans. Osvald looked at their table and the countless empty mugs strewn across the surface; unfortunately, this was not an uncommon sight.

“S-Shucks, she’s just so…cute and fluffy!” Partitio blubbered, sniffing as he hugged Linde’s side and rubbed his damp face against her soft fur.

“Aye…and s-she ‘tis the most loyal and -hic- s-special friend,” H’aanit said, and she choked out a sob as she hugged Linde’s head to her chest, “I loveth her s-so much.” Cyrus’ jaw hung open with shock as Linde mewed and licked the tears from H’aanit’s face.

“What in Alephan’s name…?” Osvald groaned as he rubbed at his temples, and Cyrus quickly rushed to the sobbing H’aanit’s side.

“H’aanit, my love, are you alright?” Cyrus placed a hand on her shoulder, and H’aanit pouted and buried her face against Linde, who purred and swished her tail back and forth.

“N-No, Cyrus, you cannot taketh her from me…”

“Oh, my heart, I would never dream of it, but we must go home now.”

As Cyrus tried to console his very drunk wife, Osvald turned to his very drunk husband and managed to peel him off of the large snowcat with his superior strength.

“Aw, sweetheart! I was havin’ fun…” Partitio whined, and Osvald rolled his eyes when a dramatic pout crossed his face and he reached out towards Linde with both hands.

“Partitio, did you really have to drink so much?” Osvald scolded, and a goofy grin crossed Partitio’s flushed face as he hugged one of Osvald’s arms tight to his chest.

“Heh, well, if you two smarty-pants scholars hadn’t -hic- been busy bein’ big ol’ nerds for such a long time, we wouldn’t have had to -hic- drink so much while waitin’ for ya!” he said, giggling as he leaned up to place a sloppy kiss on Osvald’s lips.

“Gods help me…” Osvald shook his head and brushed the back of his fingers over Partitio’s flushed cheek. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Partitio.” Partitio dissolved into giggles at that, and even in his annoyed state, Osvald couldn’t help but crack a smile. He was used to Partitio’s drunken antics by now, but he really wished that he wouldn’t drag others into it…

Osvald let out a tired sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, and Cyrus was still trying his best to pry the still crying H’aanit off of Linde, but to no avail. Glancing at the tavernkeep out of the corner of his eye, Osvald noted that he seemed very irritated, so he quickly grabbed Partitio and threw him over his shoulder, before scooping H’aanit up and tossing her over the other.

“Oh my…” Cyrus stood up and cleared his throat as he gave Osvald a once-over, “You are rather strong for a scholar, Osvald. You might even give my friend Olberic a run for his money in a contest of strength.”

“Yes, I have found that keeping a strong body is key in keeping a strong mind as well,” Osvald said as he and Cyrus split the massive tab that their spouses had racked up and quickly made their leave.

“Hmm, an intriguing concept…” Cyrus hummed as he tapped his chin, “I might have to try bulking up a bit.”

Osvald chuckled as he tightened his grip on Partitio and H’aanit’s legs, as the two were squirming around trying to pet Linde as she trotted along behind him. “It certainly has helped me on occasion, such as when I have to carry my drunkard husband home from the tavern.”

“Aw, c’mon darlin’!” Partitio whined, “I’m -hic- just a social drunkard!”

“...You are always social, Partitio.”

“Hehe, ya got me there!”

Osvald sighed and rolled his eyes as Partitio and H’aanit dissolved into a fit of giggles, and when H’aanit recovered, she reached out towards Cyrus with a pout on her face.

“Cyrus, I -hic- want you to carryen me…”

Cyrus flushed a bright red as Osvald stopped walking and glanced at him, and he nodded, letting Osvald lower H’aanit slowly into his arms. “I guess I can get started on that bulking up now…”

H’aanit glowered at him as he cradled her against his chest. “I am not that heavy.”

Cyrus paled and swallowed thickly. “Er, t-that’s not what I meant at all, my dear-” He started to defend himself, but it was unnecessary, as H’aanit had abruptly fallen asleep and was snoring softly.

Osvald noticed that Partitio had gone oddly silent, and he glanced back to find that he had also fallen asleep. Letting out a soft chuckle, he carefully moved Partitio so that he was cradling him in his arms.

“My apologies, Cyrus,” Osvald said when they started walking again, “Partitio loves his ale, a bit too much if you ask me…”

Cyrus chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, no need to apologize! I must admit, I don’t think that I’ve ever seen H’aanit quite this drunk before, but I guess this makes us even now after a certain incident a few years ago.”

“Oh?” Osvald raised a curious eyebrow, and Cyrus laughed before telling Osvald the tale of his first meeting with H’aanit’s master and adoptive father that ended with him being the drunken mess.

After they had made it to Cyrus and H’aanit’s house, the two sober scholars put their drunk spouses to bed and sat together at the kitchen table.

“Goodness! This had been quite an eventful evening!” Cyrus said after he had gotten them both glasses of water.

Osvald thanked him and let out a low chuckle. “Indeed. Partitio’s drinking habit can get out of hand at times, but I still love him all the same.”

“I can tell. You two must have quite the love story.”

“It…wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.” Osvald’s grip on his glass tightened, and Cyrus’ face fell.

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to assume-”

Osvald shook his head and held up a hand. “It’s fine. I…was married before him.”

“Ah…”

Cyrus listened patiently as Osvald told him about Rita and Elena, Harvey’s betrayal that resulted in their supposed deaths and his own imprisonment, and his quest for revenge and eventual rescue of Elena. He left nothing out, and he wasn’t sure why he told Cyrus this. They were still practically strangers, but the Orsterran scholar was easy to talk to. Perhaps it was because they had spent so much time discussing their research, but Osvald felt like he could trust Cyrus wholeheartedly.

“Oh, Osvald, you certainly have been through hell and back,” Cyrus said, a sad smile crossing his face as he placed a gentle hand on Osvald’s arm. “But I am so very glad that you were able to save your daughter, and to find love again.”

Osvald smiled and placed a hand over his heart. “I was so certain that I forgot what love was, and yet, that pure-hearted merchant came into my life and taught me how again. I…don’t believe I could have succeeded in my quest without his unwavering support.”

“Love truly is a thing of beauty,” Cyrus mused, a fond smile crossing his face as he turned his face towards his bedroom door, “I must admit, I was completely oblivious about matters of the heart, so I was utterly blindsided when H’aanit managed to captivate me, heart and soul.”

Letting out a dreamy sigh, Cyrus continued: “H’aanit intrigued me from the moment we met, being a hunter from the secluded village of S’warkii, and I always learned a lot from our interactions. However, I also came to admire the strength of her character and body, her drive to help others even if it meant putting herself in danger, and her ethereal beauty, and I was already head-over-heels for her when I realized what I felt was love.”

Cyrus let out a chuckle and a light blush rose upon his cheeks. “It sounds a bit silly now, but I first realized I loved her after she had delivered the killing blow to a dragon of all things.”

“That is rather…unconventional,” Osvald commented, and Cyrus nodded in agreement.

“I am well aware. H’aanit still teases me about it from time to time…”

“That said, it is obvious that you two love each other dearly, and even though we just met, I am happy that you found happiness together.”

Cyrus laughed and lifted his glass of water into the air. “I feel very much the same, my good fellow. To love?”

Osvald smiled as he mirrored Cyrus’ movement. “To love.”

They clacked their glasses together and downed the contents before bidding each other farewell and heading to bed. When morning came, the two scholars were feeling content and chipper, and their spouses…not so much.

“Ugh, my head…” H’aanit grumbled, her forehead pressed against the table as she rubbed at her temples.

“Everythin’ ‘urts…” Partitio gulped, nausea bubbling within his gut as he turned his pale face towards the hunter. “I’m never drinkin’ again…”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Osvald said, snorting as he continued helping Cyrus make coffee. Cyrus chuckled as he added a generous amount of milk to two of the cups, causing Osvald’s face to scrunch up.

“Ugh, abysmal! You’re just as bad as Partitio…” he grumbled, feeling very betrayed by his fellow scholar at the moment. Cyrus laughed and waved him off as he placed one of the cups in front of Partitio, who took a big drink that immediately regretted, and he stuck out his tongue while sucking in a few quick breaths.

“Hot, hot!” Partitio winced and let his head drop to the table with a groan. Osvald rolled his eyes and set a cup of black coffee in front of H’aanit before joining them at the table.

“You should know better, love,” Osvald scolded as he handed him a glass of water and rubbed his back before turning to H’aanit, “At least someone here knows how to properly enjoy a cup of coffee.”

“Aye…” H’aanit offered Osvald a weak smile as she slowly lifted her head off the table, “‘Tis how my master used to make it foren me. Anything else ‘tis too sweet.” Hmm, Osvald was starting to think that H’aanit was his Orsterran kindred spirit instead of Cyrus…

“Heh, well how ‘bout that, us preparing our coffee’s the same two ways.” Partitio seemed to recover slightly as he beamed and held up his slightly cooled off cup. “It’s like we’re two sides of the same coin! To new friends!”

“To new friends!” the other three echoed, and they enjoyed a nice breakfast to help the hungover parties to recover from their night of revelry.

The academic conference lasted a week, and was a rousing success. Osvald and Partitio decided to stay another week, as Osvald had wanted to peruse the library and sit in on a few of Cyrus’ lectures. Meanwhile, Partitio helped H’aanit get some sweet deals on her hunting supplies and she taught him how to make some basic hunting traps in return.

When it was time for them to depart, the four friends embraced each other at the road leading out of Atlasdam, and the two Solistians gave Linde a generous amount of pets and head scratches. Partitio knew that it was time to hit the trail and find a new adventure, but he really was going to miss their new friends.

“Safe travels, you two!” Cyrus said, giving Osvald and Partitio’s hands a good shake, “If you ever find yourselves in Orsterra again, you are always welcome in our home!”

H’aanit nodded and held out a small sack. “Indeed, and taketh this. ‘Tis filled with dried meat from my most recent hunting trip.”

“Aw, thanks H’aanit! If it’s as good as what you’ve been cookin’ us for dinner, then I’m sure it’s mighty tasty!” Partitio gushed as he took the sack, and H’aanit laughed.

“And if you two ever come to Solistia, you can find us in Clockbank in the Brightlands,” Osvald said, nodding as he adjusted his glasses, “There is a massive library in Montwise that I would love to show you, Cyrus.”

“Oh, I am most looking forward to it!”

With a final round of hugs, Osvald and Partitio set off into the Flatlands, with Cyrus and H’aanit waving until they were out of sight.

“Shoot, darlin’! That was tons of fun!” Partitio said, beaming as he gave Osvald’s hand a squeeze and swung their arms with his giddiness. “I’m glad we met Cyrus and H’aanit, they were a hoot! Oh, and Linde too!”

“I wholeheartedly agree.” Osvald hummed as he pulled out a hefty stack of paper. “And I have written down every single new piece of knowledge that I’ve obtained for Elena. Do you think that the courier will take this many pages at once?”

“Osvald, sweetheart…”

Partitio burst out laughing as Osvald pouted at him, but his laughter soon joined in, and with hearts full of love for their new friends and the fond memories that they had made together, they continued their journey through Orsterra, excited to see what else awaited them.

[ayliamc]

Italia

Day 5 - The Smell of the Ocean

Steps walked: 16,283

Flights climbed: 13

Vehicles ridden: 3 (two by land, one by water)

Points of interest visited: 3

Leonardos spotted: only bastardizations in tourist swag

We took our time having breakfast and checking out of the hotel, opting for comfort and taking a taxi to the train station rather than the metro. We got to marvel at the skill and audacity of Italian drivers as he cut through solid walls of traffic to get us to the station with plenty of time to spare. We strolled directly onto the train for the nearly three hour ride to Venezia. ‘Twas a relatively uneventful train ride, mostly pleasant, aside from the little boy who sat next to me for 30% of the ride who watched stuff on his phone with the volume on.

We arrived in Venezia, a sinking city, hungry. We tried two cafes at the train station who reportedly sometimes had vegan croissants but no such luck. Dan was noticeably worried because as my hunger grows, my moods become more mercurial. I insisted I’d be ok and that we could head to our hotel and maybe we’ll find something on the way. I was determined not to be the problem, as I usually am.

It was a half hour walk through Venezia to our hotel and along the way we passed a Chinese restaurant listed on Happy Cow (our vegan restaurant finder app, a necessity for every traveling vegan). I was not about to resist another break from Italian food so we had a very satisfying lunch there and I have no regrets about our first stop in Venezia being to a Chinese restaurant.

The rest of our walk to the hotel was uneventful, providing us a nice walking tour of the city, encumbered only by our luggage.

Some observations/thoughts about Venezia:

* For all intents and purposes, there are no roads. No cars. No vehicles. We walked exclusively through alleys, for lack of a better word. Ranging from wide to impossibly narrow, weaving with no apparent rhyme or reason thru the multi-story ancient buildings housing apartments, hotels, restaurants, and shops. Modern kitsch sold from crumbling brick store fronts and tourist traps next to local markets.

* How could anyone live here? It’s just fine to visit. Kind of surreal to experience. But people live their lives in this city where Amazon deliveries are brought by rolly cart and courier and emergency services take a boat to the nearest canal. Their day-to-day is spent navigating through a sea of tourists who seemingly outnumber them.

* It feels less like a real place where people live as it does a run down amusement park where there’s only one ride: a 30 minute gondola ride that costs €80. It’s all in need of a good scrubbing to get rid of that algae/fish/sea salt smell.

* You pay for water at restaurants here. They don’t do tap water.

Our hotel was directly next to a canal and gondola “start point”, of which there are many. The gentleman who ran the hotel greeted us at the door and was outrageously friendly and nice and Italian. “Buongiorno! Ciao! Welcome! You have-a my favorite room-a!”

‘Twas indeed a very nice room with windows that overlooked a canal. We unloaded our bags and went for a walk to the Piazza San Marco and the Doge’s Palace and meandered around, taking in the sights and sounds. Without having much interest in actually paying for admission to any of the museums or historic landmarks, there wasn’t a whole lot for us to do.

And here we are sighing at the bridge of sighs.

We eventually found ourselves in a gondola not far from our hotel (but not the one right next to the hotel entrance). I’d noticed that all the gondoliers were male and I did a bit of googling to confirm that in Venezia’s history, only one “female” gondolier has ever existed, and even then not really. Alex Hai became the “first female gondolier” a few years before he came out as trans. As far as I can tell, he still works as an occasional gondolier but by appointment only. He also works as a filmmaker. So we couldn’t support any women or trans-men, and were left with a traditional gondolier. He was still great and pointed out a few things on our half hour tour. My initial thought that 30 minutes was too short a ride was replaced after about 20 minutes when I decided “yeah, 30 minutes is plenty.”

Many of the gondoliers chat with each other as they pass, their long oars on the right of the boat while they use their left leg to kick off the building walls on either end of the narrow canals. It seems like an exhausting job. I don’t know how they do it. But it’s fun to watch.

We had some time to kill before our reservations. (Too late we discovered there’s exactly one vegan restaurant in all of Venezia and it was far and required reservations which we had not made. An email revealed to us that they were fully booked for the night. Our next best option was a very expensive restaurant that had a vegan menu.) We wandered aimlessly through our little corner of the city while I marveled at some of my aforementioned observations and went to our reservations a half hour early. They seated us immediately on their patio* and we immediately became aware that we were much too poor for this restaurant. We ordered two dishes each, aware that one dish would not be enough food despite the cost. Anyway it was all good. Not as good as the best meal I’ve had, and not good enough to justify the cost. But quite tasty. We had a nice leisurely dinner, hampered only by the French woman sitting next to us who lit up a cigarette right after we had our appetizers. Europeans, amiright?

I’ve also been starting to respond to every dog sighting with an ever increasing yearning for our babies back home. The best part of a vacation is knowing you’ll be ready to finish it at the end. We’re about halfway there, and that feels right.

Our hotel had given us a complimentary bottle of wine which was a sweet, mild Chardonnay which we happily enjoyed before bed, falling asleep to the sounds of splashing water and boats passing by in the canal below our window.

*the alley behind the restaurant