#KEEF THE THIEF

[ruthimages]

[masturbatress]

Neil Druckmann's view on generative AI _is_ very much in line with Naughty Dog's style of games, relying on production luster and unoriginal stitchjob writing.

[crymeariveronceagain]

Keefe, texting Alvar: I’m a theif. Alvar: Thief. Keefe: Theif. Alvar: I before E except after C. Keefe: Thceif. Alvar: NO.

[when-wax-wings-melt]

Sokeefe Week 2024 Prompts!

Sokeefe Week begins on January 1st and ends on January 7th, but creations will still be accepted and compiled for months after the date!

Prompts:

Day One: Royalty

This is a good day for soldier/poet/king in any combination, if you are so inclined. Thief, rebellion, bodyguard/knight, servant, arranged marriage/alliance, ball/cotillion/coronation, whatever you please!

Day Two: Escape/Return

Maybe Keefe is running away, or maybe you’re exploring a swap where Sophie does instead. Maybe it’s literal, or maybe they’re finding an escape in each other, or something else. Secret hideouts, Unlocked/Stellarlune fix-it, prison break, breakup/second chance, anything you want! Escape can be about running away, cowardice, terror, or acceptance. It’s about leaving, but can also be about coming back.

Day Three: Meet-Cute

First date (blind date?) or coffeeshop au, maybe their friends introduce them in college or school or work, same class first day of school, or even a rewrite of the canon first meeting?

Day Four: Enemies

Rivals in school or work, competing cafes or stores or businesses, opposites attract, born and altered and raised to hate, Neverseen vs Black Swan... you could probably slip some soulmate action in here too.

Day Five: Lies/Truth

Think about foundations. This is a good day to explore childhood, confessions, and secrets— all of which Keefe and Sophie have in multitude. Tearful or sweet or angry, this day can be about broken promises and kept ones. Growth and stagnation: two things that very clearly define our lovely ship.

Day Six: Fix-It

Is there a scene in canon that doesn’t fit? The characters don’t feel right, the scene is slightly off, the situation isn’t realistic? This could apply to any time Sophie and Keefe have a scene together or any time they didn’t: what can you change to explore new possibilities?

Day Seven: Free Day

Whatever you didn’t do before, do now! The possibilities are endless: soulmates, tattoo artist/flowershop, artist/musician, nightmares/dreams, cowboys, mermaids/pirates, mythology au, historical au, crossover fic, injuries, healing, dragons/shapeshifting, switched bodies or abilities, human au, college roommates, and anything else that comes to mind!

Guidelines:

Tag your host when you create writing, art, animatics, poetry, gifs, aesthetics, moodboards, songs, playlists, or anything that happens to inspire you! Tag the post with #sokeefe week 2024

Take the time you need to complete the prompts, no matter what the “dates” are!

Reminder: The prompts and ideas are suggestions, not constraints. Go wild!

[the-way-astray]

a ballad of keefe and stria

cuz I don’t have the energy to write an entire fic rn

There once was an elf named keefe

Of many a heart he was a thief

But could never find one that gave him life

til he realised ‘twas the one that gave him strife

Sit back and relax as you read the tale of striefe

They met at school, foxfire

and in his heart she did start a fire

not just a fire but arson

in his thoughts, distortion

but all he felt from her was ire

to be continued…

this is actually good. unfortunately, it’s about strieefe, so . . . 6/10

[p-paradoxa]

Andor Appreciation Week

Day Three: Favorite Arc/Episodes - Narkina 5

Melshi observes. For @andorappreciation. Some Melshi x Cassian; warning for brief injury description.

Unit 5-2-D, Table 5. Twelfth—no, thirteenth shift since the new guy arrived. I don’t really keep count, but Keef’s as good a reference point as any.

The room’s not falling behind any longer, Kino says, but it feels like we’re rushing more than we used to. Building up our productivity little by little, pushing our limits further. I think Kino knows it, too, but he’d be damned before he admits it.

There’s some tension on the floor today. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. You get numb to it eventually. But the way that guy at Table Four—Jergen, I think his name is—seized up when they got fried yesterday seemed to rattle the newer blood. It was grim, I admit; the way he went down and his limbs all locked up.

Not all guys take these kinds of things the same way. Most of us just look away. We can't do anything about it. Others—newer guys, like I said—stare and gawk, especially if they haven’t been fried past level one yet.

But I was standing there at the table, across from Keef, and I couldn’t forget his face as Kino called the med tech.

Keef didn’t look rattled. Just angry. A shake of the head, that clenching of the jaw he does, restraining something. It was subtle, but I saw it. 

I think he gets it. Gets that this isn’t punishment. 

If I were Jergen, I would’ve worked harder for the sake of the table, and to save my own hide. But it’s not as if he did anything wrong. Well, I suppose we’ve all done something wrong. But our captors don’t really care about that. A petty thief gets fried just the same as a murderer. A man with one shift left isn’t spared more mercy than a man with a hundred.

It’s not punishment. It’s cruelty. A slow and calculated torture. They could build machines to do this work, but they won’t. The Empire was born using loads of cheap, disposable lives. It isn't going to stop now just because we don't all look alike. We can’t just drill or weld or build our way out of this.

Jergen’s back to work now. Saw him on program this morning. I can’t see how he’s doing, and I don’t care. All I care about is being able to stand on my own two feet without feeling like I’m walking on cinders.

And I don’t want to see that happen to these guys, either. Especially not Ulaf. I don’t think the old man could take another volt.

It goes well. We’ve hit our goal, and if we get another down, we’ll surpass it. Might even get some flavor for dinner tonight.

We’re screwing on the outer shell, finishing up the device we're working on, when Xaul shouts “Kriff!” all of a sudden.

He drops the drill onto the table and pulls his hand back.

We glance up at him. “You good?” I ask. He looks fine to me; no blood drawn. But I have to be sure.

“Yeah. Just fucking pinched it.” He’s rubbing his right index finger. Must’ve caught it between the rivets. It happens. It’ll heal. We have to move on, though. We're almost there.

Keef decides not to let it go.

“I’ll cover you,” he mutters. He moves in and finishes the rivet Xaul was drilling.

“Like hell you will,” Xaul chides lightly. “Kino’ll have your ass. I’m fine.”

“We just gotta build one more, right? He won’t notice in time.”

We’re ahead of schedule. If we weren’t, I’d say that losing a man would slow us down too much. But Xaul’s taking his sweet time nursing that finger. He’d slow us down, anyway. So I don’t complain. Neither does anyone else.

“Alright,” Xaul relents. “Let's be subtle about it, okay?”

Keef nods. Xaul hovers over him while the last rivets are drilled in. His finger looks a little swollen.

The rest of us have finished our part. I watch Keef finish the job, his eyes trained on the little metal bits. He’s still fresh, still getting used to the motions, but his hands know when to release the switch. He’s good with them. Must’ve been a technician or scrapper of some sort.

I don’t realize I’m still watching until Jemboc motions for us to lift the thing up. It’s already done.

“Melshi, let’s go!”

I push down some lump in my throat and I nod. We lift up the device and get moving. One more to go. 

Dinner tonight is syrupy sweet, like chocolate. More of a dessert than dinner, I guess. It tastes painfully artificial, only an approximation of what I remember dessert being like. But it’s a nice change of pace. We haven’t been the lead table for some time.

Kino praises us. He means it genuinely. He likes to see good performance; thinks it reflects well on him, too. Today, I don’t have the heart to tell him that it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care about performance. I just want to live and eat and sleep. That’s as much as any of us can hope for.

But as I finish up and prepare to collapse into sleep, I realize I’m feeling better than usual. It was probably the food. Being in first place didn't hurt, either.

The lights dim. The floor goes hot. I turn to get into a sleeping position. I see Keef down there, reclined against his cell wall, looking up ponderingly, and my breath catches a bit.

Wrong on both accounts. It’s him.

It’s true. The new guy’s been interesting. He’s skilled and observant. Plus, most other guys ignore my advice. They go on about how much they’re looking forward to getting out, and it just leads to mistakes. The ones who count down the days inevitably slip up, and suddenly their number’s higher. I’ve seen it happen too many times. I wish it wouldn’t.

Keef hasn't been like that. He listens, quietly, and I can tell there’s something boiling beneath. I could see that yesterday.

Then today, I learned a bit more. He’s concerned about himself, sure, but I learned he’s nice. That might put him in a tough spot one day, if it hasn’t already. But I don’t think that would stop him.

I briefly wonder who he is. What he’s done. I never care about that, but I want to know just for the sake of knowing him.

I ignore that. It’s dark, but the soft red light catches in his eyes and I know he sees I’m watching.

I let this feeling hang in the air for a bit, whatever it is. I look away first. I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. There’s only the buzzing of the floor and the chorus of familiar breathing. Some guy down the row starts to talk, and another one tells him to pipe down. It goes quiet. It keeps going quiet.

Nothing I could say would change anything about my circumstances. Not here.

I just lie down. Have to stay on schedule. I think I hear a “Goodnight” from the man across the floor, but it could’ve been my imagination.

I take longer to go to sleep, but eventually, I do. 

Then it’s the same routine again. And again. I can't know when it ends.

I still don’t look at the number. I never do. But I find myself looking forward to the new day a little more.

[shinigami-striker]

40th Anniversary: Naughty Dog | Friday, 09.27.24

Happy 40th anniversary to Naughty Dog!

Games developed (excluding compilations and remasters):

Math Jam (1986)

Ski Crazed (1987)

Dream Zone (1988)

Keef the Thief (1989)

Rings of Power (1992)

Way of the Warrior (1994)

Crash Bandicoot (1996)

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997)

Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998)

CTR: Crash Team Racing (1999)

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001)

Jak 2 (2003)

Jak 3 (2004)

Jak X: Combat Racing (2005)

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009)

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011)

The Last of Us (2013)

The Last of Us: Left Behind (2013)

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016)

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017)

The Last of Us Part 2 (2020)

So, what's your favorite video game developed by Naughty Dog? Comment down below and follow for more!

[swans-chirping-in-the-distance]

KotLC and PJO- A Masterpost

Last Updated: August 2nd, 2024

Help from: @moonrose18 @labaguetteisdabest @awful-amatuer @queenpiranhadon @ad-woof @beautifulenemychild @yourtwistedlies @softmoonlightmelody @sabrine-bree-the-bravery @in-every-reality

PJO -> KotLC

Percy- Hydrokinetic because of his water abilities.

Annabeth- Talentless because she usually relies on her smarts and has expressed wishing she had abilities like the others.

Jason- Guster because of his wind control and Charger because of his electricity control.

Leo- Pyrokinetic because of his fire powers and Technopath because of his tech/ electronic control.

Piper- Beguiler because she can use her Charmspeak to make someone listen to her.

Hazel- Conjurer because of her summoning of jewels and Mesmer because of her use of the Mist and how she can affect what people see. Mesmers affect people's actions, and how Hazel can say "look at the wall" and suddenly there's a wall seems more Mesmer than Beguiler.

Frank- Phaser because they can change their form and Polyglot because they can speak ANYTHING.

Nico- Shade because he can control shadows.

Thalia- Charger because she can control electricity.

Reyna- Enhancer because she can enhance others' abilities.

Will- Flasher because he can light up (I think?? Not finished with the series.) He could do something like Elwin and use his Flasher abilities to be a doctor.

Grover- I have three options for him. A Gnome because of how much Satyrs love nature, a Telepath like Fitz since he found Percy like Fitz found Sophie, or a Hydrokinetic so he has the same ability as Percy when he finds him, which is what happened with Fitz and Sophie.

Rachel- Human aware of the elves' existence.

Tyson- Ogre because of Ogres (like Cyclops) being seen as monsters, and while some are, not all are.

Calypso- Descryer because of Ogygia's magic. Heroes (who, of course, have potential if they're heroes) wash up on shore.

Clarisse- Inflictor because of her abilities being able to cause pain on others (I think).

Juniper- Gnome because she's like a Wood Nymph or something so part tree or something like that like gnome are, or if she was to be an elf, then a Guster because it's the closest to an earthy ability.

Hylla- Telepath because of being a leader and Beguiler because of leading the Amazons (think of how they have their men).

Connor- Conjurer! You know, thief, conjurer.

Travis- Same as Connor.

Bianca- Shade because of being a daughter of Hades and Empath because it fits her vibe, and I just feel like she would be.

Ella- Dwarf because she gives Dwarf vibes.

Zoë- Psiniopath because of leading and protecting the Hunters.

Silena- Beguiler because of her possible Charmspeak and love magic.

Beckendorf- Technopath because of his tech and electronic abilities.

Festus- Two options: Technopath because he's literally a piece of tech and Pyrokinetic because he could breathe fire, or a Spectral Mirror like Vertina because he's not alive but he almost feels like it.

Drew- Beguiler because she Charmspeaks.

Meg- Four options: Conjurer because of her plant control, Teleporter because of her plant teleportation, Mesmer because of controlling Apollo, or Flasher because yes.

Chris- Conjurer. For fun. And also Hermes.

Luke- Conjurer!!

Katie- Guster is the closest to an Earthy ability.

Estelle- Human little sister of Percy's, like Amy is with Sophie.

KotLC -> PJO

Sophie- Two options: Ares because she starts out looking weak but turns out very strong and has many abilities that would make her terrifying to fight or Zeus because she's a natural leader and her Inflicting looks a lot like lightning.

Fitz- Three options: Aphrodite child because of how the Vackers are perceived, descendant of Venus because of how his whole family is beautiful and charming, or a satyr since he found Sophie like Grover found Percy.

Biana- Same as Fitz, or maybe Iris because of her vanishing.

Keefe- Four options: Hermes because he gives off the vibes, Ares because he's good with weapons, Apollo because he's artsy and bold, or Athena because he's an Empath and can read people.

Dex- Hephaestus kid because of his tech.

Tam- Pluto at Camp Jupiter because their strictness reminds me of Exilium and he's a shade.

Linh- Poseidon (sometimes you can have twins with different parents, albeit rare).

Marella- Hephaestus kid because she would be a Firestarter.

Wylie- Apollo kid (Flasher).

Maruca- The same as Wylie because Psiniopath's make light force fields.

Stina- Hermes vibes, but also Athena because she reads and is an Empath like Keefe.

Amy- Oracle because she isn't an elf, so she wouldn't be a demigod.

Jensi- Unclaimed because he's Talentless.

Rayni- Two options: Apollo like Wylie or Hecate. She joins the Neverseen (A.K.A. the bad guys) and in this universe, the bad guys are people like Luke. It makes more sense for her to be a child of a minor god than someone as important as Apollo. She also gives off Hecate vibes.

Jolie- Either Pluto like Hazel because she conjures things, Aphrodite because she's flirtatious and pretty, or Iris because it fits her vibe.

Rex- The same as the Song twins with the twin-god thing. He's the oldest triplet and Unclaimed because he's Talentless.

Lex- Either Poseidon because he has frost powers (and Khione doesn't have kids) or Hermes because he feels like a Hermes child. He's the youngest triplet.

Bex- Ares middle daughter triplet because I said so, and also, she's a Phaser like Frank.

Alvar- Actually Biana and Fitz's half-sibling. He's a kid of Hermes and a forgotten child. Think of how he has to try to look good.

Fernan- Hermes because yes, Mars because he's a Phaser, or Apollo because Jensi could feel in his brother's shadow.

Brant- Hephaestus because Pyrokinetic.

Vertina- Either a Harpy because it feels right, or if she were a demigod, Aphrodite because her whole thing is makeup.

Ruy- Phoebus (Roman Apollo) because he's a Psiniopath and uses light.

Gethen- Athena because he's a Telepath.

Trix- Jupiter because of his wind abilities.

Umber- Pluto because of her shadows.

Ro- Bellona because ogres are all about war.

Sandor- Mars because goblins are raised for war.

Grizel- Bellona (not Mars; she's dating Sandor).

Lovise- Mars.

Woltzer- Mars underdog who gets bossed around by Sandor.

Bo- Mars (married to Ro).

Flori- Descendant of Ceres (Roman Demeter) because she's a gnome. Calla and Yuri and the others are her family.

Nubiti- Trivia (Roman Hecate). Feels about right.

Brielle- Bellona, trained for war.

Cadoc- Mars I guess.

Tarina- Mars because Minerva doesn't have kids.

Eleanor- Mortal with sight vibes.

Cad- Mars??

[occasionally-good-authoring]

The Library’s Keepers

@indigothemuse behold what happens when my one-braincell ass takes the librarians and smashes kotlc into that universe.

Fitz Vacker is the Librarian, sole protector of the world from magic. Wylie Endal is his Guardian, who would like it if Fitz would stop calling himself the sole protector of the world from magic. Dex is a hacker with a ticking time bomb in his head and a list of people who don’t deserve what they got. Xe’s a Librarian. Keefe is a man made of lies, a grifter and a thief with a past he’d rather not talk about, not until that past drags him into a world of magic. He’s a Librarian. Sophie Foster is a genius, math, science, literaure, you name it, he’s probably got it under her belt. She’s stuck in Oklahoma to no one’s fault but his own. She’s a Librarian.

It was the usual job. Catch a murderer that the cops didn’t feel like investigating, much better than the cheating cases Wylie usually got hired to do. The pay wasn’t too good for this one, but twenty dollars an hour would add up. Eventually.

Especially since he’s on hour seventy three. It would pay half the rent, so all he would need was another job. 

Alice Cartoff was a Class A asshole who was keen on carrying around this stupid pendant. It looked like a gold coin, probably antique. Wylie might be able to pawn it for a nice amount if it wasn’t important to the case, which it didn’t look like it was. It was supposed to be a casual thing, get her to confess to him while being recorded and hand her over. What he didn’t account for was a floral-clad housewife to have a handgun.

And know how to use it. She hadn’t fired it yet—thank god, he knew who the cops would arrest—but had it pressed against his back. If he could turn around fast enough, he could knock it out of her hand. Or maybe a kick to her knee would work. He could throw an elbow back into her shoulder, that might even get her to drop the gun. 

“It was flawless. There was no way anyone could figure it out, the only witness was Arthur!” 

“Dead men tell tales if you listen long enough, sweetheart.” The gun digs deeper into Wylie’s back, not a good thing to say, apparently. 

“And you’ve got a good ear, right? How’d you find out, Wylie. How’d you find out.” That’s a good enough confession for Wylie. 

She’s expecting trouble from him and is looking for an excuse to shoot him. One bruise of her and she’s getting off scot free for another murder. He’ll have to talk his way out of this one. God he should’ve taken more lessons from that grifter in Boston, they could’ve gotten out of this in a snap.

“It was simple. Everyone had motive to kill Arthur, but no one skilled enough to leave no trace would kill him if they had a visible motive. According to everyone, you and Arthur got along swimmingly,” Wylie says. “You committed the perfect crime a bit too perfectly.”

She laughs. A door opens beside them. Wylie looks over to see something he definitely didn’t expect out of this. A young man in a green sweater vest, yellowing white button up, and black dress pants. 

“What on earth are you doing here? Who are you,” Alice yells. Wylie almost flinches away from the sound, but figures any movement will end with him getting shot, and manages to stay still.

“I’m the Librarian,” he says with a crooked smile and a British accent. Something clouds over Alice’s face and Wylie takes his chance. He throws his elbow into her shoulder. The gun falls to the floor; Wylie kicks it away from her.

“Damn it!” 

Wylie turns around quickly, ready to knock her out and be done with it. He’s greeting with a fist to his face—for a housewife, she’s got a good left. 

“That looked like it hurt,” the Librarians winces.

“Because it did,” Wylie grumbles. He tries to throw another punch to Alice’s jaw, which she blocks. She is unnaturally good at this for someone who looks like she’d cry if she got tapped too hard. She kicks Wylie’s gut. He gets thrown back into a table—ow. 

The Librarian winces again. His eyes catch something and light up. Wylie tries to sweep Alice’s feet out. She jumps over them and knees Wylie’s chin. A flash of white goes over his vision—not good. Wylie scrambles back before Alice can land another kick. 

“Please keep her busy for me, restrained if you can!” The Librarian shouts. 

“What do you think I’m trying to do, kid!” 

“Keep it up then!” Wylie swings a fist towards her neck, a punch he’s thrown many times before. It lands, Alice stumbles back, gasping for breath.

“You dick,” Alice breathes. Wylie grabs a vase from the table he was thrown into and lunges for Alice. She tries to get away but he manages to hit her over the head with it. Alice crumbles to the floor. He reaches into his pocket at pulls out the tape recorder and turns it off.

“Well that would do it.”

Wylie had forgotten he was there, if he’s being honest. The Librarian finally leaves the doorframe he was standing in. He walks like one of the show choir kids Wylie went to school with, all bouncy like he’s got music playing in his head. Jolie was always like that. He plucks the gold coin from her neck.

“Thank you for your help��Wylie, isn’t it?” 

“Hey, give me that coin, I have rent to play, kid.” The Librarian jumps back before Wylie can reach out for the coin. That thing must be worth at least a thousand, no need for another case. 

“Afraid I can’t do that, Wylie. This thing is too powerful for anyone to have, let alone be pawned off to pay rent.”

“It’s a gold coin, kid.”

“I’m twenty-one, stop calling me kid. Gold is a good conductor, and gold this old? It’s a miracle there’s only one murder.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Wylie grabs his phone from his pocket. He texts Technopath—the hacker from Portland—to send people to come get Alice. “If you don’t want me calling you kid, what’s your name?”

“Call me the Librarian. Though, seeing as I have to go, you won’t be addressing me after now.” The Librarian shoves the coin in his pocket. Wylie could still grab it, the thief from Georgia taught him well enough to pickpocket the kid. “I best be going now, see you never!”

“Hey wait—”

He waves goodbye before running out the door. Wylie sighs. He’d better leave before whoever Technopath called comes—its lead to a few too many awkward conversations when he hasn’t left in time. 

He ties Alice up with a blanket before heading to his car.

…

“Getting weak, Cal!” Fitz calls to Excalibur. Excalibur responds by knocking the sword out of his hand with a move Fitz really should’ve seen coming. “Okay, don’t mock the magic sword, lesson learned.”

Excalibur shakes in a way Fitz has learned that’s laughter. 

“Fitz, good to see you practicing,” Livvy says. “We have a guest.”

“What? A guest? You let someone in? That’s—oh it’s you.” Fitz sets his sword against the bookshelves. The PI from Caligula’s Coin is standing awkwardly next to Livvy. “What are you doing here? Livvy, what’s he doing here?”

“Mr Endal here is your Guardian, Fitz.”

Fitz laughs before realizing ce’s serious. “I don’t need a Guardian, send him home. I have something to work on and I don’t need a distraction, most certainly not a fool who almost got himself mixed in with magic! He tried to pawn Caligula’s Coin, Livvy! How is he invited to the Library? Impossible. Send him home.”

Fitz turns and heads for the Annex. Mrs Chebota’s murder won’t solve itself and Fitz cannot for the life of him figure out what that painting means. Or why she had it in the first place. Or how she got stabbed. Or why her ghost can’t communicate. 

“Magic isn’t real!” Wylie calls. “And that coin had to cost thousands of dollars.”

“How is that what you’re focusing on? Go home, Wylie. You’re of no use to me, and as the Librarian, you’re of no use to the Library.”

“We both know that’s not how it works, Fitz,” Elwin says. Wylie—who seemed not to have noticed the fact there was a man in the mirror—pulls out a pocket knife. He almost drops it when he sees Elwin. 

“Excuse me but what the fuck.”

“Hello, Guardian. I’m Elwin.” They smile warmly, Wylie walks up to the mirror and flips it to the back. “I do know this is a bit surprising, but please keep me upright. I get dizzy.” Wylie puts the mirror back.

“Sorry?” He stands there for a second, Fitz decides to ignore Wylie until he goes away and pulls the white board out from between bookshelves. “So magic is real? Like, you’re not pulling my leg here?”

Fitz sighs. “Yes, magic is real. Now will you go home?” 

“I know Ms Sonden told me my job, but what is it again? This barely makes any sense to me. And what’s your name? If you have one.”

“My name is Elwin. As a Guardian, you will accompany the Librarian and keep him safe. No matter how much Fitz here thinks he doesn’t need help.”

Wylie turns around, a comeback on his tongue when he sees the whiteboard. Something makes him stop. He walks up to the whiteboard and takes Maruca’s photo off of it.

“Don’t touch that!”

“How did you get this photo? Have you been following me? What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything. Someone killed her on our front steps. Why?”

“She’s—she’s my cousin. I don’t—how? How did she die? Was it fast?” Fitz softens. 

“She was stabbed, she died quickly. But her ghost is here, she’s not completely gone.”

“I need to see her.”

“She can’t communicate with you.”

“Like hell she can’t. Take me to her.”

…

When she sees Wylie, Maruca panics. What is he doing here? This place is dangerous, he can’t be here. For gods sake, this place got her killed. Even if Wylie’s older, it’s not by enough. Immortals from the beginning of time aren't old enough to be safe in this place.

She tries to tell him that, but her mouth won’t move. Whatever that man did to her before she died, it was enough to keep her silent.

“Why can’t she talk, is that a ghost thing? We both know ASL, why can’t she use that?”

She notices Fitz in the room now. God, if she wasn’t friends with Biana, she’d strangle him for bringing Wylie here.

It was a spell. Fitan. Arthur’s Crown.  

But neither of them know any of that.

…

“I don’t know how she knew about this place.” Fitz says. “She shouldn’t have, and she most definitely shouldn’t have known my name. There’s a spell that’s keeping her from communicating, but I can’t figure out which one it is and until I do, I can’t undo it.”

Wylie rifles through his pockets and pulls out a letter with gold script. One he thought was familiar, and for a good reason as it turns out.

“She got a letter. Three years ago, she got a letter just like this one. She told me how weird it was and that she wasn’t going to go all the way to New York for a letter. Maruca was going to work here.”

That’s when a strings finally connect. At least, theoretical strings for a very plausible theory. Fitz rushes up the stairs of the Annex, Wylie following behind him. Fitz rifles through bookshelf after bookshelf, only realizing once he grabs the Record Book he could’ve used the card catalog.

He flips until he sees his name.

“Search these names. Kenric Fathdon.”

“Died in a fire.”

“Calla, no recorded last name but a biologist.”

“Dead.”

“Ethan Benedict Wright II.”

“Dead.”

“Leto Kerlof.”

“Dead. What’s this about?”

“Someone’s killing Librarian candidates. Three years ago, the Library sent out hundreds of letters. It looks like only the top ten candidates.”

Wylie types in the last few names on the list. 

“Three of them are still alive, at least to my knowledge. We have to go and get them. We’ll bring them back, they’ll be protected here, won’t they?”

“They will. I’ll take Sophie Foster, you get Dex Dizznee. We’ll get Keefe Sencen together. I’ve been needing to talk to him for a long while anyway.”

“Okay. It looks like Sophie lives at Havenfield Sanctuary. Can you handle finding Dex? I can find xem if you can’t.”

“Of course I can, I’m the Librarian. Now go, if I’m right, they don’t have long.”

…

Dex wasn’t a good thief. Xe had no idea why Biana thought xe was, or why ae had xem try and pickpocket the mark, but ae did. And now xe’s testing out xyr—horrible—grifting abilities. That was always Keefe’s job. 

“I’m sorry sir, I thought you were a friend.” Xe really wished the mark would let go of xyr wrist.

“Do you pickpocket your friends?”

“Yes. It’s an inside joke.” Xe had no idea why Keefe wasn’t helping over comms. He was the only real grifter they had, and without a hitter, if xe couldn’t talk xemself out of this, a jail cell was likely. Dex hated jail cells. They were always so cold.

“An odd joke, boy. Care to explain it to me?” Shit. Dex was never the best liar, much to Biana and Keefe’s dismay. They could never teach xem how to cover xyr tells.

“Well—”

“Dex! There you are!” yells a person Dex has never met in xyr life. “Oh god, did you mistake someone for Carter again? I’m sorry sir, I keep trying to tell xem not to do it unless xe’s sure, but xe never listens.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m the Librarian.” 

For some reason, that makes the mark falter long enough for Dex to get xyr wrist back. Xe tries to rub away the grubby feeling that man’s fingers left. Xe knows it’s going to bruise. Something xe’s not excited for.

“It’s best we go now, Dizznee. A bluff that bad won’t last long.”

“How the hell do you know my name?” Dex works hard to keep xyr name a mystery. Keefe and Biana only know his first name, everyone else just gets Technopath. An awfully bad name, but the triplets begged him to use it.

“For the same reason someone’s after you. Come with me or you’re going to die, Dizznee.”

“Tell them to get in line, they’re not special. I have a job to do.” The stranger is probably right though, xe should really leave before the mark thinks too hard about xyr lie. To xyr dismay, the stranger follows him into the street. God, xe’s going to have to shake him. Xe’s not exactly good at shaking a tail, not when xe’s failed every athletics check Biana’s given xem.

The stranger grabs Dex’s wrist. He lets Dex pull it back but his eyes tell Dex he won’t let xem the next time he has to chase after Dex.

“My name is Fitz Vacker. If you do not come with me, you are going to die. I can only protect you if you let me, so let me.”

Xe knows that name. But it can’t be. The chances are so low that they couldn’t even be calculated. Though, he does look a bit like Biana. Same blue eyes and same warm brown skin. It’s impossible, but xe knows that name.

Dex takes xyr comm out. “What is this about?”

“Three years ago you got a letter to join the Library. Someone is after you because of that letter, let me help you.”

“Gold lettering. It was slipped under my door, I thought it was a trap.”

“Will you come with me?”

“How good are the people coming after me?”

“Good enough to have killed seven other people. Skilled people. They can get you wherever you go unless you come with me.”

Dex crushes the comm under xyr feet. It can be tracked if someone tried hard enough and if these people are as good as Fitz says, they’ll try. Xe can come back for Keefe and Biana later, when xe has enough information to keep them safe along with xem. 

“Only until they’re gone. Then I’m leaving.” 

Fitz nods. “Is there any way anyone can track you with anything you have now.”

“Only by my comm—” xe motions to the crushed earpiece on the ground— “but I dealt with that. Let’s go. How are we getting out of here?”

Fitz pauses. “I’ll figure that out as we go.”

Dex pulls out his phone. “Where do we need to go?”

“New York.”

“Great, we have a plane to catch.”

…

“Come on Verdi, take it easy. I can’t feed ya until you calm down,” Sophie says. Edaline’s in town buying groceries and Grady’s at the school, so Sophie’s stuck trying to give Verdi her medicine. It’s like giving a cat medicine but worse. “Darlin’ please, this’ll clear you right up.”

Verdi neighs and backs up. Sophie takes that as permission to enter Verdi’s stall. The medicine was poured in the sugar cubes in Sophie’s hand. It’ll be easy to trick the horse into eating them, so long as Verdi doesn’t smell them before eating. 

He holds out his hand to Verdi. For what has to be the first time, Verdi sniffs something before she eats it. And refuse to eat the sugar cubes.

“Fine, have a cold.”

“Let me try, Soph.” Sophie turns around quickly. Edaline and Grady shouldn’t be home anytime soon, and they aren’t. Instead, Wylie’s standing in the open barn door with a soft smile. Sophie would run to hug him if Verdi wouldn’t do the same. Never good to surprise a horse if she’s learned anything over the years. 

“Wylie! When did you get in?”

“About an hour ago. Kind of last minute and I’ll have to leave again soon.” He takes the sugar cubes from Sophie and holds them out for Verdi. The traitor of a horse eats them. Sophie waves Wylie out of the stall and closes it behind them both. She leans against it, hands in her jeans front pockets.

“Why? What’s up?”

“Well, I have two plane tickets out of here and one hour until I gotta be at the airport. Two, you need to come with me.” Sophie pushes off the stall with his foot and walks out the barn door, Wylie following him out and closing the door behind him.

“I can’t leave here, Wylie, and I don’t know what you’d want me to leave for. If you need my help on a case, you shoulda just called.” Sophie pulls off her riding gloves. She’d planned to take Silveny out after Verdi, but if Wylie’s here, she’ll wait until he’s gone.

“Sophie, it's important. It’s—three years ago you got a letter.”

“You think I remember what was goin’ on three years ago?”

“Shut up and listen, Sophie. It had gold writing and it was slipped on your door. It was from the New York Public Library inviting you to work with them.” Sophie stops walking. 

“How do you know about that?”

“I got the same letter. Now. Someone’s coming after you because of that letter. You’re not safe here, Sophie. You gotta come with me, now.”

“That’s ridiculous, Wylie. There ain't anything about me that anyone’d want me for. I can’t even get Verdi to take her medicine.” 

“You’ve got to trust me here, Sophie. They already—” 

A car pulling up the gravel driveway cuts Wylie off. Sophie sees him stiffen, trying to wave Sophie behind him. It’s ridiculous. Sophie can wrangle a bull with one pair of gloves and a rope, she can handle someone who’s probably just lost. Sophie starts to walk to the car. It looks pretty new. 

Wylie grabs his wrist. 

“Stop being stupid, Wylie.” She grabs her wrist back and walks to the drivers side of the car. He knocks on the window, the driver rolls it down. It’s a young man, black baseball cap with an eye on it pulled to cover most of his face. Wylie shifts, ready to move forward. Sophie throws him a look, telling him he better stay put.

“Are you Sophie Foster?”

“Sophie, step away—”

The young man smiles, Wylie’s panic saying very clearly, that this is Sophie Foster. The car door slams into Sophie’s gut. The young man springs out of the car and towards Sophie. Wylie tackles him to the ground. 

“Sophie go! Get to the airport, I’ll meet you there.” Baseball Cap knees Wylie’s gut, pushing him off. 

“Like hell I’m leaving you.” 

She grabs a rope and ties a loop at the end. Wylie gets on his feet, Baseball Cap following him after. Wylie throws a kick that Baseball Cap dodges. Baseball Cap throws a kick that throws Wylie into the open front seat of the car. Baseball Cap drags him out by his feet, Wylie’s head hitting the car. 

Sophie finishes the knot and twirls the rope over her head. He throws it forward, the loop wrapping around Baseball Caps waist. She yanks on it as hard as she can, sending Baseball Cap to the ground. Wylie’s up on his feet—swaying a bit—when Sophie gets over. He pulls the rope tight around Baseball Cap. 

He kicks his legs around trying to get free from the rope. Wylie kicks his head hard enough to knock Baseball Cap out.

“How’d you do that?” Wylie pants. Sophie wraps Wylie’s arm over her shoulder, he puts his weight on her. He’ll be a bit wonky from that knock to the head for a while now. She leads Wylie to the other side of the car.

“Horses are ‘bout nine hundred pounds give or take. He was a walk in the park, Wyles.” She opens the door and deposits him in the passengers seat. 

“Why am I in his car? Are you stealing his car?”

“Think of it as karma.”

Baseball Cap left his keys in the ignition. Apparently, even a skilled fighter can be stupid enough to make it so easy.

She peels out of the driveway as fast as the gravel will allow. 

“So. You weren’t lyin’ when you said people would be after me, were ya, Wyles.” Sophie says. The panic started to set in. There are people after Sophie. People who were willing to come to the middle of bum-fuck Oklahoma to get her.

“I wasn’t. We need to get to the airport in town. It’s the small one. If you think you’re in the wrong place, you’re at the right place. I got a guy there.”

“You have a guy everywhere.”

“Part of the gig.”

“I’ll never understand your job.”

…

By the time the plane lands in New York, Wylie’s head has stopped swimming. He knows it’s going to take more to deal with a concussion, but that’s not something he has to worry about right now. 

“So, where are we going?” Sophie asks. “I have to get back as soon as this is over, Grady and Edaline will be worried. I texted to tell them I was goin’ to be out of town for a while but still. I don’t want them worryin’.”

“The Library.”

“Do you know how little that narrows it down? I don’t know much about New York but I’ll bet it’s got more than one library.”

“The letter was inviting you to the New York Public Library, yeah?”

“What’s that got to do with this? And who was that? What the hell is going on and how did you get involved? How did I get involved? Photographic memory ain’t worth that much.”

“Because of what’s under that library. There’s another library under it, that’s the Library. It’s a place that holds magical artifacts.”

“That’s bullshit, Wylie, you knocked your head a bit too hard.”

“You’ll believe me when you see it.”

“Sure I will, Wyles.”

They’re silent until the plane lands, Sophie helping Wylie up and Wylie saying he doesn’t need her help. They’ve just gotten the door down the Fitz and someone Wylie assumes is Dex are running towards the plane. 

“Move over! We have to go. Now!” He yells and he runs. 

“Get the plane started again,” Wylie yells to the pilot. The engines start up, Sophie and Wylie getting back into their seats. Fitz and Dex make it onto the plane in just enough time, as it starts moving as soon as the plane starts up.

Something smacks the side of the plane. Hard. Everyone jumps except for Fitz. 

“Well. Go to see you’ve got Sophie,” Fitz says, panting as his slips into his seat. He nods his head to Dex at his side. “I’ve got Dex.” 

“I can see. Could you stop yelling?”

“Oh dear, you’ve gotten into another fight, haven’t you? You’ve got to stop doing that, Endal.”

“Pretty sure it’s my job, Librarian. Seriously, stop yelling, I’ve already got a headache.”

Fitz pulls something from his pocket. A glass vial of some green liquid. “You’re not a Guardian, Endal, it’s a mistake. Didn’t think the Library could make those, but here we are.” He hands Wylie the vial. “Drink that.”

Wylie raises his eyebrow. “…what is it? If that coin was bad too and magic, this can’t be much better.”

“Bathsheba’s Healing Oil. Only affects you if you drink too much, and that’s only if you call immortality a downside. I would, so do restrain yourself, Endal.” He turns to Sophie and holds out a hand. “Fitz Vacker, the Librarian. Nice to meet you, I’ll be keeping you alive for the next however long. Probably a few days. Maybe more. Always a bit iffy with this sort of thing though I don’t have much expirence with this sort of thing.”

Wylie downs the vial, his headache going away instantly along with the other bruises and aches he’s had since Alice Cartoff. He’ll have to keep this stuff on hand.

“That’s real reassuring, darlin’,” Sophie says, not at all reassured. 

“I second that,” Dex chimes in. Xe turns to Wylie, who xe’s apparently deemed more reliable. “Does he have any actual way of protecting us, or did I come here on a bluff. Because if so, I’d very much like to head back to Portland. I was kind of doing something.”

“Oh, I do have to tell the pilot we’re headed to Portland. Be right back.”

“Then why’d we even come here!”

“The spell I used to track Mr Sencen only just worked once we got to New York.” 

“Wait, say that again for me.”

But Fitz has already bounced to the pilots cabin to tell him. Wylie sighs. He can tell this is going to be a pattern with him. 

“You know, he says that name like he knows it. Do ya think he knows this Sencen, Wyles?” Sophie shifts in his seat. 

“Yeah, I do. I also think he isn’t the only one. Dex?”

Dex looks uncomfortable. Xe looks like xe’s going over how to answer this, a look Wylie’s seen a fair amount of times. Like xe’s weighing how bad a lie would end up for xem. Wylie almost thinks to tell xem he’d rather not deal with a lie right now. 

“He’s an associate. We’ve, er, worked together before.” If possible, Dex looks even more uncomfortable. Wylie decides to try and ease that, if only for a little bit. 

“So, what do you do for a living, Dex?”

Xe gains a wary look. “I work in technology. What about the both of you? I mean, I could find out but small talk, you know? Figured it’s better to ask and I should stop talking.”

“I work at an animal sanctuary, especially with the horses. Wylie here is a private eye.”

“Oh thank fuck,” Dex breathes. Xe visibly deflates into a more comfortable posture. “It was either that or a cop.”

“Why would you be worried about that?”

“Yeah, so, the technology I deal in is of the ‘defraud the rich and please god don’t tell the cops’ variant. I mean, I can get out of a jail cell but I am not good at it. I’m no thief. Well, I’m a thief but not that type of thief. Not my job.” 

“The day I turn in an honest thief is the day I turn in one of my best helping hands.” Wylie laughs. “Technopath is the one keeping my business afloat. Was. I guess. Do I still work as a PI if I’m with the Library?”

“Yes, because you don’t work with the Library, Endal,” Fitz says, sitting next to Wylie. “Could I have the Oil, please?” Wylie hands it over. “Thank you.”

“Fitz, when we get Keefe, let me take the lead,” Dex says. “Even if he won’t follow you—which honestly, he probably will—he’ll listen to me.”

“And why is that, Dizznee? Sencen is my problem to deal with, not yours.”

“And Keefe’s my friend.” Dex falters before the word friend. 

“I’m the Librarian, Dizznee, it’d be best to listen to me. I don’t need to protect you. I’ve done this by choice, and it’s a choice I can take back.”

“I’m fucking Technopath, Wonderboy, I don’t need your protection. I can get someone else just fine. I’d even bet Wylie here would rather go with me than you, seeing as I’m the one keeping his damn business afloat. Show some respect. I got the letter, same as you, you’re just lucky I didn’t show up, Librarian.”

Wylie can see Fitz’s temper—which must be short as all hell—start to flare.

“Dex is right, Fitz. If they work together, xe’s probably our best bet at getting Keefe to safety. And yes, we do have to protect these three, because as much as you hate it, I’m your Guardian. You don’t have a choice. If you have a problem with that, I really don’t care.”

“It’s not my job—”

“Like hell it isn’t! Your job is to protect people from artifacts or people using them, these people need protection. If you don’t do your job, I’ll do it for you.”

Fitz doesn’t calm down, but restrains himself.

“Fine. Dex, you take the lead with Sencen. I’m going to sit with the pilot.”

Wylie nods. Once Fitz is gone, Wylie turns to Dex with a smile.

“So, you’re Technopath?” Dex laughs nervously and scratches xyr neck. Sophie leans forward.

“What the hell are y’all talkin’ about?”

…

The last thing Fitz expected when Dex got Keefe on the plane, was for Keefe to throw Fitz a smile like nothing was wrong. Like they were just the stupid seventeen year olds drunk on summer nights and playing truth or dare. Fitz remembers that night like it was a thousand years ago, the next morning like it was yesterday.

Biana had been gone. Keefe didn’t pick up his phone when Fitz called. He spent a year panicking, waiting for them to come home. The next, his letter had come. Gold script that wrote itself as he read, inviting him to New York Public Library. To, as Elwin put it, a life of danger and glory. A life of happiness and heartbreak and protecting the world. 

Fitz hasn’t been sure on spending his life for others, but he hadn’t wanted to go home. 

“What’s going on here anyway. I get we’re in danger, but from what? People to scared to tell me they’re after me. The chase is no fun if you don’t know you’re running, yeah, Dex?” Keefe laughs, tossing an arm around xyr shoulders. Xe rolls xyr eyes but doesn’t pull away. Fitz pointedly ignores it. Keefe still sounds the same, narcissistic air to his voice, though Fitz knows half the time it’s faked. Same Australian accent he’s had since he moved in second grade. 

He never wanted to learn an American one, neither did Fitz. Biana would always laugh about how stupid they both sounded.

“You and I have very different ideas of fun, Keefe.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t like the thrill of the chase. The danger of getting caught is what makes it fun. If it’s easy, it’s boring.”

“Not when they might actually getcha,” Sophie chimes in. 

“They’re called the Neverseen,” Fitz says. He ignores Wylie’s scoff. “They want to use the magic of the Library for themselves.”

“Magic? I think you’ve lost your mind, Fitzy,” Keefe laughs. Fitz doesn’t have time for his jokes. He pulls the penknife from his jacket pocket and slices open the palm of his hand. Everyone yells some form of “oh my god, what the fuck”. Fitz doesn’t bother listening to their outrage, he just uncorks the vial of Bathsheba’s Healing Oil and swig. His hand heals instantly, holding it up for everyone on the plane to see. 

Wylie’s face reads of “oh yeah, he has that” and “oh thank god, he has that”.

Everyone else is going rapidly through the five stages of grief, never really landing on acceptance. Fitz sighs.

“I know I sound bonkers, I thought this all was crazy when I first got my letter. But a script that color of gold doesn’t write itself, trust me, I checked. Magic is real, and I’m not crazy.”

“At least not in that respect, right?” Keefe says. Fitz pushes down the anger bubbling up. It’s going to be fine, they’ll all be gone as soon as he’s dealt with the Neverseen. 

“Trust me. Follow me to the Library and I can show you a world full of misery and joy. Magic and reality intersecting in the weirdest, most beautiful ways. I can’t promise you a long time. I’m offering protection until what you need protecting from is gone and dealt with. Believe me or don’t, trust me, or don’t. But follow me, and learn to.”

They’re all quiet for a while then. 

“Sounds like one hell of a deal,” Sophie says. 

“Oh, believe me, Foster, it’s the best deal you’ll ever get.”

[indigothemuse]

okay, so fitz is the librarian and he has been alone for three years. he’s an angry person, and has learned if he works alone, the anger is easier to deal with. problems come along when it turns it out he wasn’t dealing with it, it was just easier to ignore if he was alone.

wylie is a PI with a hacker on his side called Technopath. he runs into fitz on a job, while he’s being beat up by a suburban housewife with the muscles of a pipe cleaner. just a while after, he gets a letter to join the library as fitz’s Guardian. fitz, would rather not have him there. fitz also doesn’t get a choice.

dex is a hacker with a ticking time bomb in xyr head. xe hasn’t gone home in two years since xe ran away to join keefe and biana. xe’s a leverage-style modern robin hood hacker, and xe’s going to do as much as xe can with the time xe has left, to hell with the tumor.

sophie is a math and sciene genius who trapped himself in the middle of bum-fuck oklahoma working with the horses (this might have been an excuse to give sophie Muscles and a southern accent). she doesn’t want to leave because he’s scared grady and edaline won’t be there when she gets back, through death or a feeling of betrayal. sophie already lost one family, he won’t lose another.

keefe is a man of a million faces. he’s a grifter, a thief, a Librarian, a world renowned art historian. he’s got a team in biana and keefe, a lost friend in fitz. keefe is lost, injecting himself into a world that has never wanted him with a face that’s not his. (also, i gave him an australian accent, he’s the ezekiel parallel you cannot stop me).

ooooh

[dominiquethomas]

Late pass 2022

Bandmanrill - Heartbroken

NovaGang - B²TB (feat. Stef)

Lil Maru - Change Up

Grindhard E - WOW! (feat. Rio da Yung OG)

ZillaKami - frailty

The Jacka - Heavy Rain

emotegi - junji ito

Babyxsosa - DELUSIONAL

Bekah CC - Take Me To The Roof

Andy Shauf - Alexander All Alone

TDJ - All I Want For Christmas Is An Acoustic Guitar

leroy - copyright strike my fucking nuts

Dumar1k - Fairly Odd Parents

Booba - Avant de partir (Screwed)

SSG Kobe - FUK EM (feat. Lil Yachty)

Cash Kidd - Chances

KiltKarter - Macy Gray (feat. Valee)

Big Thief - Little Things

Mssingno - Xe2

M.M. Kellybo - Qualified (feat. Smerkish Jay)

dltzk - misplace

Trifln’ - Rager Anthem (feat. Lulbearrubberband & Clyde Carson)

Homixide Gang - 5unna (feat. R5 Homixide)

Lil Supe - Pop 1

Kuttem Reese - All 10 (feat. Chief Keef)

Youtube playlist

DL : link (alt)

[night-zaveri]

Golden Inferno

Home was a thing that the golden child never understood. He never knew right from wrong, boy from girl, happy from sad, bravery from arrogance. So how did she get this name, the golden child? He gained it on the worst day of her life. Slow, was her brothers death, and how he watched in desperation as her kin was slowly deprived of function. Never had them lived in a house. Never had them known the love of a parent. And so because of this, Death took its pity and gave the brother home in the afterlife. One one side, he was glad; no longer would his brother have to starve. Yet on the other, she was afraid. No one had taken them in, who would dare waste their time on a scavenger? The golden child found the answer on the same day. Bandits are ruthless people. Harsh. Cold. Merciless. But it would appear one missed the memo. As the town the golden child had suffered in for so long finally razed in an inferno, a stranger found the child, desperately scouring for food within the rubble. And the poor child, having finally been liberated by a golden flame, pleaded to the stranger, begging for him to take her life. And oh how the thief denied denied him. Instead the thief decided to take the golden child, and unto give her a name. He would be called Free, the Golden Child.

What’s this? Original Writing? More likely than you think.

[cowboypossume]

no ok hi i’m back on my bullshit:

keefe: coffee

sophie: hot chocolate

fitz: tea

olive theory this, soulmate au that,

where is my rep for hot chocolate fan x tea fan x coffee fan and they physically hate each other’s drink.

hmm? 

[yamirosenkreuz]

Sheith Positivity Week ♡

Thursday, July 27: Popsicles / Fireworks

[syxrion-blog]

Chief Thief

A Heist.

It was the sort of thing Rion would read about in the detective novels of his childhood. Tales of mystery. Thrill. Excitement.

...criminal activity.

Rion never thought he would ever travel with the kind of crew he was with now, [the thieves were always the bad guys in his books weren’t they?] nor could he imagine being much help. The most ‘criminal’ act he’d done in the past was sneaking out food in his pockets for his sister, and he wasn’t much of a charmer. So Rion watched quietly as crew members changed and glittered under the chandelier lights. 

The crew of Serenity had a heist, and Rion had no part in it.

Not that he wanted to be in it or anything! But... it would be a lie to deny the flash of longing- the slight desire for something other than the usual empty chatter and the rim of his champagne glass. So... when he heard a man boast of his art collection, puffing out like a pigeon to declare that he had recovered ‘a lost Monet’, a rather devious idea popped into his head. If the man was telling the truth...if the painting was the one he thought it was, then- 

Rion needed to see that painting. 

Why not do it all... sneaky like? And who better to ask than the resident thief himself- uh- ... Ka... Kaf...??? ?? Kaf- something. 

[Rion was always terrible with names.]

Mr.Thief would would certainly be able to help right? No doubt the painting would be locked away in the man’s private quarters, or in one of the vaults scattered around the ship and Rion had no idea where to even start this sort of thing. So he took a swig of champagne for liquid courage and poked Kafka’s arm. 

“Ah...” He had his attention now and for a split second Rion falters, tempted to quit his quest for the night- but it was quickly overwhelmed by the sudden thrill, like a child doing something naughty.  “Can you help me?” His eyes were the widest, practically sparkling as he leaned in to whisper “I want to see a painting on this ship, and I’d bet it’d be an easy thing for you Mr. Thief.”

@syxkafka

[ninja-muse]

2022 Release TBR

Where the Drowned Girls Go - Seanan McGuire (contemporary fantasy) - January 4

Heartstopper, Volume Four - Alice Oseman (YA romance) - January 4 🏳️‍🌈

Battle of the Linguist Mages -  Scotto Moore (contemporary fantasy) - January 11 friend says it’s probably not my thing

Anatomy - Dana Schwartz (YA historical fantasy) - January 18

The Servant Mage - Kate Elliott (fantasy) - January 18 🏳️‍🌈

Love and Other Disasters - Anita Kelly (romance) - January 18 🏳️‍🌈

Some by Virtue Fall - Alexandra Rowland (fantasy) - January 25 🏳️‍🌈

Hot and Sour Suspects - Vivien Chien (cozy mystery) - January 25 BIPOC

The Christie Affair - Nina de Gramont (historical fiction) - February 1

Bluebird - Ciel Pierlot (science fiction) - February 8 🏳️‍🌈

Dead Silence - S.A. Barnes (science fiction/horror) - February 8

Age of Ash - Daniel Abraham (fantasy) - February 15

Carolina Built - Kianna Alexander (historical fiction) - February 22 BIPOC

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (YA fantasy) - March 1

The River of Silver - S.A. Chakraborty (historical fantasy) - March 1 BIPOC

Spelunking Through Hell - Seanan McGuire (contemporary fantasy) - March 1

Umboi Island - J.J. Dupuis (mystery) - March 8 🇨🇦

Memory's Legion - James S.A. Corey (science fiction) - March 15 I’m three books behind on the series, no way am I getting to this this year

When We Were Birds - Ayanna Llord Banwo (fabulism) - March 15 BIPOC

The Cartographers - Peng Shepherd (mystery) - March 15

How to Take Over the World - Ryan North (science/humour) March 15 🇨🇦

Comeuppance Served Cold - Marion Deeds (historical fantasy) - March 22

The Diamond Eye - Kate Quinn (historical fiction) - March 29

The Wolf Den - Elodie Harper (historical fiction) - March 29

Conversations with People Who Hate Me - Dylan Marron (memoir) - March 29

Portrait of a Thief - Grace C. Li (thriller) - April 5 BIPOC

Shadows of Berlin - David R. Gillham (historical fiction) - April 5

Amongst Our Weapons - Ben Aaronovitch (urban fantasy) - April 12 BIPOC

Persians - Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (history) - April 12

Rosebud - Paul Cornell (science fiction) - April 26

Not Good for Maidens - Tori Bovalino (YA fantasy) - May 3

Seasonal Fears - Seanan McGuire (contemporary fantasy) - May 3

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston (YA romance) - May 3 🏳️‍🌈

Trailed - Kathryn Miles (true crime) - May 3 🏳️‍🌈

The Fairy Tellers - Nicholas Jubber (history/travel) - May 3

Siren Queen - Nghi Vo (historical fantasy) - May 10 BIPOC 🏳️‍🌈

The Hacienda - Isabel Cañas (gothic) - May 10 BIPOC

Bloomsbury Girls - Natalie Jenner (historical fiction) - May 17

The Stardust Thief - Chelsea Abdullah (fantasy) - May 17 BIPOC

Uncommon Charm - Kat Weaver and Emily Bergslien (historical fantasy) - May 17

A Cruel and Fated Light  - Ashley Shuttleworth (YA contemporary fantasy) - May 24 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦

A Lady for a Duke - Alexis Hall (historical romance) - May 24 🏳️‍🌈

Bad Gays - Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller (biography) - May 31 🏳️‍🌈 The more I think about it, the less I’m interested

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals - Steve Brusatte (science) - June 7

Minique - Anna Maxymiw (historical fiction) - June 7

The Grief of Stones - Katherine Addison (fantasy) - June 14 🏳️‍🌈

Hot Moon - Alan Smale (alternate history) - June 14

A Mirror Mended - Alix Harrow (fantasy) - June 14 🏳️‍🌈

A Taste of Gold and Iron - Alexandra Rowland (fantasy) - June 21 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

Epically Earnest - Molly Horan (YA romance) - June 21 🏳️‍🌈

The Ballad of Perilous Graves - Alex Jennings (contemporary fantasy) - June 21 BIPOC

Rogues - Patrick Radden Keefe (true crime) - June 28

Katzenjammer - Francesca Zappia (YA horror) - June 28

Death By Bubble Tea - Jennifer J. Chow (cozy mystery) - July 5 BIPOC

What Moves the Dead - T. Kingfisher (horror) - July 12

Let’s Do It - Bob Stanley (music history) - July 12

The Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Sophie Irwin (romance) - July 12 - decided against it

The Half Life of Valery K - Natasha Pulley (historical fantasy) - July 26 🏳️‍🌈

Mint Chocolate Murder - Meri Allen (cozy mystery) - July 26

A Half-Built Garden - Ruthanna Emrys (science fiction) - July 26

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance - Foz Meadows (fantasy) - July 26 🏳️‍🌈

Don't Fear the Reaper - Stephen Graham Jones (horror) - August 2 BIPOC

High Times in the Low Parliament - Kelly Robson (historical fantasy) - August 9 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦

The Monsters We Defy - Leslye Penelope (historical fantasy) - August 9 BIPOC

The Oleander Sword - Tasha Suri (fantasy) - August 16 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

Love in the Time of Serial Killers - Alicia Thompson (romance) - August 16

Babel - R.F. Kuang (historical fantasy) - August 23 BIPOC

Be the Serpent - Seanan McGuire (urban fantasy) - September 6

The House With the Golden Door - Elodie Harper (historical fiction) - September 6

The Marriage Portrait - Maggie O’Farrell (historical fiction) - September 6

Aces Wild - Amanda DeWitt (young adult) - September 6 🏳️‍🌈

Notorious Sorcerer - Davinia Evans (fantasy) - September 13

Terry Pratchett - Rob Wilkins (biography) - September 29

Warrior of the Wind - Suyi Davies Okungbowa (fantasy) - October 4 BIPOC

Into the Windwracked Wilds - A. Deborah Baker (fantasy) - October 25

A Restless Truth -  Freya Marske (historical fantasy) - November 1 🏳️‍🌈

The World We Make - J.K. Jemisin (contemporary fantasy) - November 1 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

Tread of Angels - Rebecca Roanhorse (historical fantasy) - November 15 BIPOC

Remainders of the Day - Shaun Bythell (memoir) - November 29

The Water Outlaws - S.L. Huang (fantasy) - date unknown 🏳️‍🌈 BIPOC

This is fine.