#The story is called Heart of Concordia.

[loupy-mongoose]

I may have settled on a new fixation, finally.

I started thinking about an older story of mine, once more an original setting. For the past few days I’ve been doodling some of the main characters, but I also went to dig into my old laptop for the original arts and notes I have on there. And the old art is somethin’ let me tell ya. XD

The main premise of the story is this;

Amycus is a young prince, heir to the throne. But one day while his family is on a ship, they���re attacked by pirates. Amycus and his baby brother manage to escape with their lives, and wash ashore near a hidden, mild-natured town called Concordia.

The boys are taken in by a family living on the outskirts, and Amycus grows up preparing himself to one day return to the throne. But as they grow, the displaced prince finds it harder to figure out where his heart and duties lie…

While that's the main "spine" of the story, there are a LOT of characters and other little plots that branch off of it. In some ways it feels a bit like a self-indulgent stewing pot of a bunch of "This idea seems fun, lets throw that in there too". But it's still something that I hold dear, and a lot of the old designs still hold up, though some touchups are in order. (I've noticed quite a few writing elements that I've reused since. I guess old habits die hard. XD)

Also the people of this world are anthro beings, each capable of transforming into a single animal form.

These were all drawn before I did any digging on my old laptop, just to dip my toes back into that world. I may share some of the older arts later, but I may not. We'll see how I feel about it later. X3 I did notice that in the older stuff, Amycus is a year older than Celine, as opposed to the younger stated here. That was a slip up with my memory, but there's room for me to change it if I feel like. There's a lot of timeline stuff that needs a LOT of ironing out. X3

Anyway, I think it would be cool to at least start putting this old gem out there. I'd wanted to back in the day, but never got to the point of confidence I needed to begin. ^^

[sainteclectic]

What is Whole, Exactly?

Part 1 - Calamity

Disclaimer: This series of posts are meant to be my own personal interpretation of the album! I'm just one person, and the beauty of this album is that there's so many interpretations. I don't want to come off like I'm stating facts about the story here- it's all my personal thoughts, you're free to have your own!

that said, let's get into it!

Time Machine Reprise

(Soul)

Oh, live the dream in a time machine I've been waiting forever But I can't seem to find my footing back on one What's the time? Where's it gone? When's beat one?

This is the very first mention of Whole, or at least the concept of Whole. Here, “one” refers both to Whole and the first beat of the song. This sets up the idea that Whole is the end goal of this loop (whether it be a literal or metaphorical loop), and that the splitting of Whole is what causes this loop to continue. Soul has been waiting forever for the harmony to last, but he can't find his footing (i.e. ending the cycle). This segues into the next song nicely.

Dream

(Soul)

There’s still another sunset to be found inside this tangent, so I will try again. And perhaps when we become whole, it’ll hold.

Soul’s determination here defines this song. The first half of this song is chaotic and frantic, the middle half bitter and mournful. Here though, he finds his resolve. He knows that being Whole isn’t permanent, implying Soul knows something about the loop. This is further supported by the fact he says he “can’t go another round of cacophony.” It puts a lot more weight into his words: He knows that this is pointless. He knows that it won’t hold. Whole is an unattainable goal that Soul knows won’t last. But he still tries. This devotion in the face of futility is what defines his character.

Perhaps we’ll meet at Tycho, or somewhere more solar, yet colder. This world’s hard to shoulder. But when Harmonia shines, Atlas beholds her, so bathed in serenity; beauty, in synchronicity; blissfully entwined. Divine. So I will try one more time...

This is the reference most people think of when they think of Whole. Obviously, Atlas refers to Soul in this metaphor. People think of Atlas as holding up the earth, but he actually holds up the sky. He keeps the sky from crushing the world below. Now, what characters are represented as the sun and moon, the two main things you see when you look at the sky? This metaphor is even evoked in this very segment: Tycho is a crater on the moon, and the “solar, yet colder” is a clear reference to Mind, who’s directly referred to as cold despite being the sun. Soul holds up Heart and Mind, keeping them from crushing Whole—his world, the thing that he’s shouldering this burden for despite knowing it’s fruitless.

Now, Harmonia. Harmonia is the goddess of concord and harmony. In fact, she's also called Concordia—which could be the inspiration for Concord as a name. It's unclear here whether Harmonia represents Whole in this line, or she's the abstract concept of being Whole. Either way, Atlas seeing Harmonia is Soul clinging to the image of Whole as a beautiful, serene, divine thing. The perfection of Harmonia is what keeps him going. Becoming Whole is also referred to as “harmonizing” several times in the album, furthering the connection that being Whole is seen as a harmonious and beautiful thing.

{I had an entire paragraph interpreting the mythos around Harmonia before realizing it's probably not that deep, but I digress.}

My point is, our first descriptions of Whole come entirely through Soul and his determination to make it through Cacophony again. It's not until Cacophony that we hear Heart and Mind's thoughts on what Whole means. Next time... we hear those! I was originally going to make this all one big post, but I'm already at 2k words and I haven't even finished my analysis of Cacophony yet. So... no, we aren't doing that.

...I have no idea how to end this post. Ok bye

[the-blind-assassin-12]

WIPS ON WIPS ON WIPS

So... over the last week or three, I've been tagged *checks notes* NINE (9) times in various wip posts, and I responded to *checks notes unnecessarily* NONE (0) of them. 🤦🏻‍♀️I am so sorry to everyone who tagged me for not responding sooner, I very much appreciate the tags and the interest/support. My brain has been down the drain for a while, so I've not really had anything worth sharing. BUT! I'm fixing that right here, right now, because better one to three weeks late than never, right?

Last Line Tags:

1- @something-tofightfor tagged me after sharing an upcoming part of Fool's Gold (which I have been LUCKY enough to read a few parts ahead on, and let me tell you guys, we're all in for a TREAT with this story), specifically looking for Jack or Marcus snippets. So let's go with the cowboy, shall we?

“I read you, Jack.” You waited a beat, heart slamming at your ribcage as you stared at the back of his seat in front of you. “Everything alright?” Well that’s a dumb question that I already know the answer to.  He let out a small humorless laugh that sounded far too flat to come from the man you knew. “Oh, just peachy.” You winced, closing your eyes and focusing on his voice. “Listen, I know Champ and Ginger want you to stick with me on this one. But I…” He swore under his breath. “I need you to stay with the Pony when we land. Can you promise me that?”  What? Your eyes flew open, brow creased with confusion. “That’s not…” You shook your head even though you knew he couldn’t see you. “Jack, that would be a violation of a direct order. I can’t-”  

2- @djarins-cyare tagged me in a sneak peek of a Din story she's working on, so I figured I'd reciprocate with some tin can man of my own.

You gasped as you stepped out from the cavern, mouth dropping open and eyes going wide as you took in the sight of the open sky, illuminated by Concordia’s silvery green glow, for the first time in your life. It’s real. You took another step, chin tilted upwards as you spun in a slow circle. A tear rolled down your cheek and slipped over your lip, your tongue flicking out to lick it away. It’s… “Beautiful,” you whispered. 

3- @oonajaeadira tagged me when she shared a snippet of Leave Off Your Wandering, which I cannot wait to catch up with because I adore that story so so much. The next thing I have cooking in my own Joel story is actually an Ellie interlude, so let's see what that girl is up to.

The faces that graced the pages of her notebook were all familiar ones, all people that mattered, all people that she loved. Working cameras were scarce in Jackson, and finding film for them wasn’t exactly easy either. But even if she could indiscriminately snap photos of everyone she cared about, she’d still opt to sketch them instead. To her it was a labor of love, capturing their features as she saw them through her eyes, using her own hand to create each likeness.  Joel on the porch steps with his guitar. Dina smirking with her arms crossed. Jesse with his teasing grin. There was a sketch of her and Kat from when they were together that still made Ellie smile even though they’d decided to go back to being friends. She’d even drawn scenes and images of things she’d seen around town or out on patrols. There was a whole page in one of her earlier books dedicated to her birthday trip to the Wyoming Museum of Science and History, including a side by side comparison of Tommy and the thick-skulled dinosaur that Joel swore was the spitting image of his brother. 

4- @burntheedges spoiled us by sharing TWO snippets - one of Girl Dad Frankie and one of Ballet AU Din (which I am very interested in, btw) and since I already shared some Din, let's see what I have for Francisco. (this is from a very nebulous wip for a Dog Rescue AU)

Standing from his desk and crossing his arms loosely over his chest, Frankie shifted his weight to one leg and called over his shoulder. “Hey, Ben?”  “Yeah?” The other man’s footsteps grew closer until he was standing in the doorway, one hand leaning on the frame. “You need somethin’? What’s- oh.” Frankie moved aside so Benny could see what - and who - he was looking at. “Well I’ll be goddamned.” The grin he wore was audible, causing Frankie to roll his eyes. Cocky little shit. “Guess I was right. She came back.”  “Yeah,” he said, letting out a small huff that was just as much astonishment as it was amusement. She sure did. He watched as you finished parking in the same spot you’d pulled into two days earlier, directly next to his truck, and then pulled a box out of the back seat. 

5- @stealyourblorbos tagged me in some wip drawings of Miguel O'Hara - a character who I only know through and because of her stunning artwork of him - and what I know I like very much. Gonna be *vague* here and post a couple bullet points from notes of something foolish I'm working on:

You’re co-starring in an action movie with Dieter. It’s your first time working together, but you get along really well and have instant chemistry. 

You’ve already filmed ⅓ of the movie - including a pretty hot sex scene - and now you’re working on scenes involving stunts and SFX.

Out Of Context Line Tags:

6- @littlemisspascal tagged me and shared a mystery snippet, so here I come with a mystery of my own. (this is fun. it's like tossing a confusion grenade and running away laughing.)

Normally, this was where he would veer away from the truth or else avoid it by changing the topic. It was a defense mechanism, putting up fences so tall he couldn’t be seen. In his mind, there was no point in delving into such deep character analysis. Not when the expiration date was already stamped on whatever skeletal relationship he was in with the mere asking of such a personal question

7- @burntheedges tagged me again but this time with no context. So I trade you one secret for another, Kate!

Despite the fact that you hadn’t fallen asleep until well after two in the morning, you were wide awake before sunrise the following day. For a moment, when you first blinked your eyes open, you thought - hoped - that it had all been a very vivid dream.

8- @keldabe-kriff came in hot with something that I truly have no context for, so in that vein, here you go.

“I can’t fucking believe it, Joel.” She plopped down on the seat beside him, drawing one leg up and resting it over his thigh. Hands coming up to the sides of her face, she blew out a breath that broke into a laugh. “Two offers? I-”  She laughed again, stopping only when he reached over to encircle one of her wrists with his fingers, pulling it down and away from her face. “I can.”

9- @rulexofxnines tagged me and shared a moodboard for an upcoming fic, and while I don't have a moodboard, here's the main inspo picture for the @dieterbravobrainrotclub May server challenge that I've been fiddling with:

THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO TAGGED ME!!! I promise I am digging myself out of this deep funk and things are going to start moving again!!

[thunderblessedhero-old]

hey new N, can you tell us a bit about your life from your timeline?

Hm? Oh, sure! First though I'd like to sincerely apologize about the N you know disappearing. I really don't know how or why something like this would happen... I hope it'll all be sorted out soon. Blake assures me it will in a day or so, so I trust them.

Anyways, I'm guessing you're asking cause you're curious of how different my life is from the N of this world, so I guess while I wait to get sent back home I can indulge you!

Let me see... well, originally I grew up in a forest with a family of wild Pokemon that raised me and my brother Nox. Not sure whatever happened to my biological parents or why they left me there, but I was pretty happy nonetheless. Then one day, Alder found me and took me in as his own. I trained under him for most of my life, and he taught me a lot about the relationship unity between people and Pokemon. But he also always told me about there being hardships, too. People who used Pokemon as tools, them getting into fights because they couldn't understand each other... but he told me it didn't shine a candle to the incredible things the two could accomplish when they worked together.

I've always had the rare ability to hear the voices of Pokemon. Not just hear what they're saying, but sense what they're feeling in their hearts, too. I thought that with that ability, I could be a sort of "bridge" between us. Help there be less suffering in the world for both. I started out pretty small, just by helping people who were having difficulties training their Pokemon reach a common ground and give them tips on how they could improve and work together more. But then... this group called Team Plasma sprouted up, claiming they wanted to "liberate" Pokemon from people. They were lead by a man named "Ghetsis", and basically he was trying to awaken the two legendary dragons to achieve that.

Hearing about this, I decided to set out on a journey of my own to try and stop him. I took on the gyms along the way, made a lot of new friends, and upon reaching Castelia City I found out Team Plasma had invaded a small island called Liberty Garden. I sailed there, and that's where I found them trying to steal a Pokemon called Victini. Long story short... Victini ended up joining my party! Throughout my journey I had to keep it secret, though, with it being a Mythical and whatnot...

At one point I discovered Plasma had darker intents. Ghetsis was plotting to use the two Legedary Dragons in order to take control of Unova and force humans and Pokemon to separate. I believe he found the stones and made his two daughters become their chosens... what were they called? I'm not good with names... I think they were Conco-

...oh. Concordia and Anthea.

...Ah- anyways, Victini and I managed to defeat them. I guess in reality Ghetsis was only using them for power and didn't actually care about "saving" Pokemon, so once they realized that they left with their respective dragons. I haven't heard from either of them since... I hope they're both doing alright. I'm not sure if they stayed together or went their own separate ways.

Following that I challenged my dad at the Pokemon League and managed to win the champion title. These days I mostly just fulfill my duties, and continue to help mend the rifts between people and Pokemon where I can. My dream's to see a world where we no longer have to worry about people like Ghetsis anymore. Where everyone is collectively striving for a better future, together. I don't know if I'll see something like that in my lifetime, but at the very least? I want to leave the world in a better state than I found it.

So... yeah! I think that about catches you up. To be honest I'm struggling to grasp what Blake's been telling me about the me from this timeline. I was Ghetsis' son and the chosen of Zekrom?

-N

[kysukioshi]

Concordia

Neteyam x fem!Na’vi OC

summary: a tale of love, redemption and betrayal; Neteyam and Tsuk'ami, two Na'vi from rival clans share a past forged in the innocence of a childhood friendship. Tensions between their clans rise as they strive to rewrite a destiny that fate has woven for them.

warnings: this story may contain violence, smut and swearing, so if you're not comfortable with those topics, please don't interact.

Story Masterlist

……………………………………………

Part two - Dream encounters

“Neteyam!” Tsuk’ami’s voice echoed trough the grassy forest clearing. She ran joyfully, a radiant smile gracing her lips.

She watched as his small frame awaited for her embrace with open arms, his gaze innocent and curious, like a child.

It was mere seconds, before she wrapped her arms around him, and they playfully laughed and swayed— their laughter ringing and echoing like a melody.

It was sweet, innocent. It was happiness. That’s not right, Tsuk’ami thought. Everything was too colourful, to quiet. Where was her fear? Her overthinking?

“Wanna go to that cave I told you about?” Neteyam looked over at her, a twinkle radiant in his eyes. Seeing she was not responding, and just staring ahead, he stretched out his arm, prompting her to take it.

The moment left her in a bittersweet, nostalgic longing. Everything was so perfect, but she couldn’t brush off the unease. Neteyam called out for her a couple of more times, before he gave up on tugging her hand.

There was a shift in the atmosphere. The vibrant, bioluminescent forest morphed into an eerie haze. Tsuk’ami’s widened eyes searched frantically for the peace that was once around. She returned her gaze to Neteyam, as if to seek closure, but it made her only fill with more unease.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and it felt like it had gotten all the way to her ears. The mix of fear and confusion at the sudden shift made her breath quicken and her throat dry.

He was older now. His gaze was no longer filled with warmth, but rather with haunting emptiness; The one she saw at the forest. He folded his arms, a familiar stance to her. His braids fell to the front of his shoulders as he lowered his head, piercing her with a menacing glare.

“You don’t like that memory do you,” his voice was annoyed, frustrated. Tsuk’ami didn’t answer, she knew she didn’t have to. “Nothing nice can be done for you, can it? You don’t appreciate anything.” His voice rang like an unsettling sinister lullaby; Soft yet piercing and powerful.

“You don’t belong here, you don’t deserve it.” He spat, his ears pinning to his head.

“But, Neteyam—“ Tsuk’ami’s voice quivered, feeling as if she was running out of time to speak, having much to say. The sense of her panic grew as everything around her began to fade. Through her blurry vision, she could see him approaching, his knife in his hand. As he swung, she bolted upright, now sitting up in her hammock as her dream shattered from her mind.

Her heart raced, thumping hard as she felt it in every vein. The dream clung to her, leaving a sense of wonder— could it mean anything at all?

No, that’s silly. It’s a dream.

She rubbed her eyes, sighing as if it was the easiest thing to forget about.

…

Neteyam was always determined and dedicated to excel in everything he did, but that was hard when his days seemed to all be the same.

Suddenly.. time collapsed. All of his days of never ending patrol hours seemed to turn into an eternal loop that loomed over his head all the time, reminding him of how miserable his life was.

Each day felt like an echo of the one before.

His lack of sleep made him slouchy, and he hated having something that was getting in the way of his work, and that he couldn’t control or fix.

Still, he understood his duties.

And still, the pressure to prove himself capable bore down on him, even though his position as heir was already decided.

It was not the leadership he wanted. It was approval.

This was the reason he never let himself get caught up in something he loved doing. Of course, as any other being he had needs and wants, but his resolve was strong. Too strong, perhaps.

This particular, also dull morning, he walked trough the village, passing by other Na’vi who carried baskets of fruits and cloths, waving and greeting anyone who did the same to him.

He walked to the communal hut, where his father spent his mornings gathering information from the night patrol, and discussing plans for the day. Neteyam walked past all the elderly councilmen, greeting them quietly. Making his way to his father’s side he noticed the absence of his younger brother.

The communal hut made him sick. He hated spending time there. He didn’t quite care for the usually irrelevant and pointless opinions the elders had to share. Especially when it was about him.

Ever since he started attending the meetings with Jake, they pressured him about a lot of things. He either worked to much, or didn’t work enough. Sometimes he wasn’t as serious as they wanted him to be, but sometimes they scolded him for missing out on his teenage years. Comparing his brother to him was the worst, but trying to find him a mate was the last straw.

His parents fully supported that he would be the one to choose his own mate. That was the last bit of his life he could control. But if the council voted against that, and chose to find him a woman instead, he would become a puppet to the clan.

“Father” Neteyam lowered his head, motioning for Jake to stand up and talk semi privately. “Where’s Lo’ak?”

“I need you on the outskirts today. North.” Jake lowered his voice as he pulled Neteyam more to the side “Lo’ak is staying overtime on the southern borders.”

“That bad?” Neteyam looked up trough his lashes, resting his hands on his hips “Reports and sightings on the scans. Could be a bug, but I’m not testin’ it.” Jake looked around as he spoke, his voice low and raspy “look, just check it out. I’m puttin’ the two of you, because I trust you best with this,” Jake’s gaze bore into Neteyam “everything clear?”

“Yes sir” Neteyam gave his father a nod, before he shifted back.

He strode purposefully towards the outer part of the village. As he began approaching a big tree, whose treetops were filled with echoes of ikrans, he called out to Wamey.

Wamey soared above the trees, before he landed on the nearest clearing, lowering his neck and allowing Neteyam to mount and secure himself upon his back. He reached for his queue, swiftly making the bond before they took to the skies.

Every rhythmic beat of Wamey’s wings synchronised with Neteyam’s heart beats. Every thought of Neteyam’s seemed to manifest itself onto Wamey’s doings. Their connection transcended into physical.

But what Neteyam had realised as his life had gotten worse, was that his trusted ikran did not only mirror his want to an increase of speed, or a certain way of movement. Every feeling Neteyam had felt or even harboured, Wamey could also feel.

Every time Neteyam’s thoughts would shift negatively, even as he was in the one place he felt like no one could reach him, Wemey would screech and cry out.

He knew when Neteyam longed for freedom. He knew when he needed it the most. That’s when he allowed his movements to deviate from what his rider expected and wanted. His motions would become more fluid, more free, their flying taking a dance-like pattern. Each turn and manoeuvre would become bondless, momentarily shedding the weight of worries off Neteyam’s shoulders.

As the two of them soared through the skies, venturing to the north of his clan, Neteyam watched the landscape gradually grow greener as the forests got denser. He looked around, seeing the hallelujah mountains in the distance, orienting himself by them.

He reached for his neck, pressing on the thin black choker “patrol unit to central,” he spoke “this is night falcon. Arriving at the northern borders on scheduled patrol. Commencing surveillance immediately. Over”

The response crackled through the ear piece “Acknowledged, night falcon. All systems operational. Maintain watch and report back.”

“Copy.” Neteyam spoke, returning his hand on the handle of his ikran’s back, and leaning forward, signalling Wamey to begin their descent. With a graceful sweep of his wings, Wamye landed on a secluded clearing, lowering himself to allow Neteyam to dismount.

The northern borders always held a sense of irony; It was a border Omatikaya shared with Soluna, their biggest enemy. Yet the beautiful views of the horizon, and the big clearings filled with colourful flora, only spoke of peace.

Neteyam walked to the nearby forest, approaching the scan systems his father had instructed him to check on. Each step was deliberate as he came closer to the border, all of his senses alert.

…

In the shadows of a towering tree, that marked the intersection of the two clans, Suki sat, leaning on the weathered roots.

She hummed s soft tune, almost as if seeking refuge from the nightmares that had haunted ever since she woke up that morning. As a distraction, she was fumbling wooden carved beads, lining them on a thin thread, and making a pattern for a bracelet.

Tsuk’ami loved coming there. It was peaceful. The big tree above her provided just the right amount of shade on the big grassy clearing. The cliff just ahead of her held a beautiful sight of the lands. The stream flowing close to the tree, spread across the lands like a bigger river, giving her a picture of where their clans divided.

The details were the ones she appreciated the most. The flora around her was colourful, the rocks beside the running waters mossy. The water sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight. That whole area around her was like a symphony, a choir of Pandora’s birds chirping, leaves ruffling, stream murmuing and the occasional distant calls of the forest animals. It was a harmony she sought to immerse herself in.

On the other side of the forest, however, Neteyam was perched atop thick branches of the tall trees, surrounded by complete silence— except the occasional beeping of the devices in front of him. He was checking each scanner he oversaw, while still keeping his eye on the ground bellow, vigilant for any signs of disturbances.

It was almost how they were. Tsuk’ami was like a forest song; A beautiful poem of Eywa. No matter the usual feelings and thoughts that clouded her, she brought peace wherever she went. It was the way of the na’vi. Every bad thing had a solution, a lesson within itself.. a reason to be better, to be kind and thankful.

Neteyam’s peace, on the other hand, was one of a more.. sinister path. He was a halfbreed, as the people called him. A mess— a border between calmness and faith, and war and hate. He was a cold, quiet soul, always surrounded by beeping sounds of the human devices. He was the epitome of a warrior who was broken and pulled apart by two different cultures, races and beliefs.

When he was a kid, he was always quiet. He always stood tall, straight, looked clean, well mannered; All to please his father. Many leaders of other clans respected him and knew of him, which was big for his age.

But as he grew, as much as he kept his demeanour professional, he grew sick of it. He occasionally let himself shut everyone away, as trying to impress the elders stopped working. He was older, it was expected of him to be perfect at everything, no mistakes, no questions.

But who had noticed? Maybe his mother, or sister sometimes, but no one asked. They let him do his thing. The times they were in were dark. Everyone had their struggles, and everyone longed for a way out; So why would Neteyam seek help? It was probably the reality everyone faced. He stayed quiet.

Approaching one of the scanners and using it’s control panel, he checked for the operational status. Reading the status on the screen, he placed his fingers on his neck “this is night falcon, report to cental,” he spoke softly, his voice raspy “safeguarded the perimeter. Scans show one unauthorised trespass.” He scanned his surroundings. “I will check it out” he ended his sentence with a sigh after not getting any responses on the other side.

The task he had demanded his full attention and concentration, yet a part of his mind couldn’t help but drift to the possibility of encountering Tsuk’ami. As if he called it, a faint tension knotted within him as he spotted her.

Neteyam observed her from a distance. A part of him wanted to walk up to her, warn her about how dangerously close she was to his land, and make her move to a different place.

But he couldn’t move. She sat so comfortably against the tree bark. Her hands moved with precision as she was engrossed in her craft; One he could not recognise from afar. Her braids swayed in the breeze, and the way they opened her face so perfectly for the sunlight to paint it, made his eyes widen, ever so slightly.

He physically shook his head, his determination brining him down the tree and onto the clearing. His footsteps were unintentionally quiet, but as he approached the tree, standing beside her, he realised why she hadn’t heard him in the first place.

She was singing. It was beautiful. As much as he wanted to just stand there for hours without her knowing, and listen to her voice, he couldn’t.

“Suki” he called her by that nickname. But even when so obvious, her quiet world shattered too quickly and suddenly for her comfort, so she tensed. It had startled her to a reaction, and she surged into a defensive stance, her senses primed for action.

Her dagger came dangerously close to his chest, but he didn’t move a muscle. His expression was relaxed, yet he had regret for having startling her so abruptly.

Recognition flickered across her features, as she quickly pulled back, gripping the skin on her chest, as if gripping her heart to stop beating so fast. “S-sorry!” She sighed shakily.

Neteyam’s voice was softer, as if to soothe the unintentional fear he had caused her. His arms fell to his sides, tail swaying behind his back. “You almost impaled my heart” slightest trace of sarcasm in his voice. “Well, you gave me a fright!” Suki was frantic, putting her dagger back in its socket.

“So you are aware you should not be here” his voice took to a stern egde. They were words of a simple, cautious warring, but he always sounded stricter than he meant to be.

“I am standing on my side,” Tsuk’ami narrowed her eyes “right here.” she took a cautious step back, just to be sure she wasn’t making the same mistake she had made the day before.

He sighed, placing his hands on his hips. He looked behind himself, to the trees he had just got off of, remembering the scanners. “How long have you been here?” He looked back at her, sternness coloured his words.

She had every right to be there, and he was aware of that. But the mere fact that he was assigned to that side of the forest, that day.. was luck. On her side. If another warrior, or even Lo’ak, had come instead— things wouldn’t have been so nice for her. No one would’ve calmly asked her to go away. They would have approached her, with their weapon raised to her head, yelling at her to get out of their sight before they kill her on the spot.

She looked up at him, pouting like a child and crossing her arms. “What does it concern you?” her attitude didn’t last long, as he narrowed his eyes, his gaze demanding of an answer. “Earlier this morning” she shifted uncomfortably.

His hand went up to his temple, rubbing it in frustration, before it slid down to his neck. “night falcon to central” he grunted, his head falling low. Before he could even word it, he felt a conflict brewing within him—his loyalty was never this questionable. The thought of sending back fake information made him feel sick. He mentally slapped himself, as if a part of him was trying to regain that warrior resolve he once was sure he concurred.

But how could he do that to her? His head tilted as he stared at her, thinking just that. But wait.. what? To her? Who was she to him? No one! Why would he care..

Why do I care?

“Scanners picked up minor disturbances. There’s no sight of Na’vi or Avatars. Or humans” his head lolled with every word.

Tsuk’ami stared at him, eyes wide open. She studied his expression, following his gaze around. “Who..” she trailed off, focused on his eyes “who are you talking to?” She turned around a couple of times

He removed his hand from his neck, holding them between him and Tsuk’ami “look, the scanners we have over there,” he pointed to the trees behind him “sent us a warning this morning about unauthorised trespassing.” He spoke, his every word confusing her just a little more than the one before “it was you, most likely.” He looked down at her, explaining everything like to a child “you need to leave. I know it’s your part of the territory and all, but my people won’t take it as an innocent visit to the forest.” He spoke sternly

“Scan-uhr?…” Suki’s head tilted. Before he could explain “look whatever” she waved her hand around, turning and walking to the cliff right next to them. She sat down, and with a somber sigh, she turned just a little so he could see her face as she spoke “I’m not going back there just yet” she murmured softly, yet like a little child.

Neteyam just stared at her, stuck between the annoyance of her being stubborn, and empathy as he had an idea what she was talking about. He understood, because he shared those same frustrations. That understanding brought him closer to her, as he settled beside her, leaning on his hands— his head tilted, eyes not looking away from hers.

After some moments in silence, he decided to speak up first “what’s back there?” not taking his eyes off of her.

She sighed, contemplating whether to speak. She felt too vulnerable. She never talked to anyone like this— she didn’t want to open up just yet. Suddenly, she turned her head fully to look back at him “you have a very strong will. And with your job. It is not easy to manage such a thing.” She spoke “you are gifted with immense patience.. and determination.” her gaze fell down, but quickly regained itself “But your rank, I am sure it gives you privilege to excel. You may manage other as you wish” she added, not wanting to build his ego too high

“I do not see that as a gift.” A curse, he wanted to say. “I have a duty to uphold, as an eldest son.” He looked away from her “My title did not build me an easy way up. I do have a responsibility— that is carrying the future of my clan.” He shrugged “I understand the weight of this role I am assigned to. But I am merely doing it for duty. It has nothing to do with privilege.” He shifted his gaze back to her, but she just stared down at the waters below, lost in thought.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again “where is this coming from?”

She shifted, as if shook from that focused state. “Much is expected of me. Yet I always get carried away.” She mumbled “scolded,” She spat “at 18!”

A chuckle escaped his lips, recognising a glimpse of his younger brother in her. He wanted to give her advice, or voice his opinion, but he knew Lo’ak would be better for that job. “I just can’t seem to do anything right,” she continued “so why should I even try?” her gaze shifted to him.

He understood— knew it all too well. It was not easy carrying all that burden of expectations and judgement. They both felt like there was no room for them to be themselves. They didn’t even know who they truly were. They knew the person they were when on duty, or with friends or parents. But who were they truly? Who were they when there was no one around? Did that person exist?

Without his response, Tsuk’ami felt like she overshared everything; probably annoyed him at that. “I’ll just go.” She stood up, regretting that she had to leave, but her embarrassment of the conversation with Neteyam was stronger than her hate for the looming responsibilities that awaited her back at the village.

He kept staring ahead “Take care, Suki” he spoke, and soon he felt a palpable void as he heard her leave.

…

Upon his return to his home, Neteyam was greeted by his father and sister. They sat at the centre of the hut, next to a campfire, both looking to be minding their own business.

“You stayed late.” Jake shot him a comforting smile, his voice carrying a blend of parental concern and curiosity. “You good?” His head tilted as he saw Neteyam’s face scrunched into an uncomfortable expression.

Neteyam took off his garments, sighing as he sat down in front of them “just tired.” he replied. His firm voice didn’t seem to convince her sister, who stood up and walked up behind him, moving his braids out of the way so she can check for scratches or bruises to treat.

“I’m okay, Kiri” he raised his hand to reassure her, but she humphed. She ran her fingers over his shoulders, beginning to massage them, receiving a hiss from Neteyam.

“See?” She put her hands over her hips. “I noticed you’ve been sore as of late. I’m getting something for it.” she stomped out of the hut.

“Any issues during your rounds?” Jake spoke, focused on sharpening his knife in his lap.

Neteyam thought for a moment. He knew what he was going to say, but it seemed that the whole running into Tsuk’ami left him a bit puzzled. She was different than how she was before, obviously, yet she acted more like a kid now. It was all a bit confusing to him. He felt the tension between them, and he wasn’t letting his guard down any time soon. He understood that the times of their friendship were over, whether he liked it or not. He was willing to let go of what he once knew, and focus on what’s important.

He realised he zoned out for a good minute, as he saw his father’s stunned gaze.

“Oh- uh- no issues.” Neteyam mumbled, omitting the Tsuk’ami situation. At the end, it was spontaneous. He told himself he would tell his father the first thing that came to mind, and deal with the consequences later, but it looked like Eywa herself got the lie out of him.

Jake decided to look past his son’s unusual behaviour “your transmissions were forwarded to me, since no one got to you in time.” Jake spoke as he went back to his craft.

Before Neteyam could respond, Kiri appeared behind him with a bowl of a smelly paste. “Ugh, Kiri,” Neteyam frowned “that’ll be hard to take off.” Neteyam’s nose scrunched as it burned from the strong smell.

She didn’t reply, tying his braids up in a bun and beginning to put the paste on his shoulders and neck.

“Yeah, minor disturbance” Neteyam finally replied

“Took care of it?”

“Yeah.” He replied “It had an authorised tress-pass warning, but no signs of anyone. Maybe an animal activated it” Neteyam shrugged, making Kiri put him back in his place so he doesn’t move.

“Alright. Can I count on you to go there tomorrow again? I shouldn’t waste time explaining everything all over again to someone else.” Jake spoke firmly, his voice carrying a sense of authority and leadership, a role he took more seriously as he got older and older.

“Yes, of course-“ Neteyam gritted through his teeth “Kiri,” He hissed “easy.” His eyes shut tightly

“Hey, toughen up, warrior.” Kiri scolded him firmly.

Jake stood up, stretching “alright, Neteyam, just go to the lab tomorrow before you leave. Norm will give you something to install into the scanner.” he yawned “don’t know what it is, but just don’t forget?” Jake spoke, already on his way through the small hallway.

“Got it” Neteyam sat still

As his father left, silence filled the hut—and ironically— Neteyam’s head got louder. That undying voice, reminding him to check on everyone before he leaves to bed, made him shiver with anxiety. “Where’s Lo’ak?” Neteyam spoke softly to his sister, workng behind him.

“He came back a couple of hours ago.” Kiri filled her hands with more paste, turning to Neteyam again. “Sleeping I think?”

“Mom? Tuk?”

“Sleeping.” Kiri replied “why? Need something?”

“No, no.” His shoulders slumped down. “Just checking.”

—————————————

Sorry, this is a shorter one!

I definitely have more inspo for how this will go on, but I am working as much as I can on it while still trying to spend some time with family and friends for the holidays! Oh yeah, happy holidays :))

[silverjirachi]

silverjirachi’s Works and WIPs Master Post - 2023

I have a lot in the works and a lot to be completed so I figured I’d put an updated list all in one cohesive place. This will also be available on a page on my blog directly, in case you want to check in.

---

Pokemon Fandom

The Dead Sea Trilogy, @the-dead-sea-trilogy

Pokemon RSE / ORAS

Pairing: Archie & Maxie

Book 1: The Devil and the Dead Sea (complete) - 76,000 words

“So, where would you be, Mr. Sunshine, if the blistering sun dried up the raging sea?"

The first book in my hardenshipping trilogy, The Devil and the Dead Sea, focuses on Maxie's desperation to reach the Seafloor Cavern. After his own plans fall through, he must enlist the help of his enemy in order to reach his goals, and joins hands with Team Aqua in order to reach the cavern.

But along the way, a hidden romance is discovered between the two teams, and Maxie must bring his team - and his own sanity - back under control, lest he lose everything he's ever worked for in the process.

A traditional Enemies-to-Lovers - featuring many parties Maxie does not want to be at. Gossip, nonsense, sad feelings, and sea shanties ensue.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Maxie, Archie, Courtney, Tabitha, Shelly, Matt, Groudon & Kyogre, original Team Magma/Team Aqua crew, Maxie and Archie fighting and falling in love on a ship.

Link to AO3

Book 2: Icarus and the Blistering Sun (being updated actively!) ~ 100,000 words

Thanks for instilling dreams in me, Max. I’m off to pursue mine. See you when I awaken the great and mighty KYOGRE!!

The preqel to The Devil and the Dead Sea, Icarus and the Blistering Sun tells the story of the beginnings of Archie and Maxie's relationship-turned-rivalry, and how there once was a close partnership and even a friendship therein - and how it all went so bitterly, catastrophically wrong.

Follow a young, aspiring, college-age Maxie as he strives to find his calling. He and Archie--along with one other peculiar blue-haired scientist--travel the region to chart and discover the legendary Pokemon--inadvertently feeding this information directly into the hands of Team Rocket.

Featuring Even More Parties that Maxie Does Not Want to Be At, and Colress, who is only there to break rules. There is some light Maxie/Colress content, a peculiar and disastrous ship I am referring to as FeralScienceShipping

Featured Characters/Concepts: Maxie, Archie, Colress (B2W2), Petrel (HGSS), Domino (Team Rocket, Mewtwo Returns), Archie's encounter with Jirachi, Maxie's backstory, and the inception of Team Magma

Link to AO3

Book 3: Mother Earth and Her Infinite Sky (wip) ~ 100,000 words (probably)

“Thwarted by two twelve year old kids." Maxie paused again.  “Hm.  I don’t like that this is a recurring pattern for some reason.” “It’s like every region’s just linin’ up waitin’ for their next apocalypse,” Archie laughed.  “Who’s next?  Kalos?  Alola?  Sinnoh?” “Please don’t talk like that.” “What?  Why?” “Sinnoh is home to creatures far more powerful than Kyogre and Groudon.”

The third book in the Dead Sea Trilogy, in which Archie and Maxie (and their third wheel, Colress) are working together to build something new from the ashes of their two retired teams. They join forces with their mutual parole officer (Looker) to keep themselves out of jail, and to a stop to an emerging threat in the Sinnoh region.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Maxie, Archie, Colress, Looker, Matt, Shelly, Courtney, Tabitha, Team Galactic, Archie and Maxie's fledgling romantic relationship, Courtney's weird computer thing, and the Creation Trio.

Spinoff: Ophelia and the King’s Madness (wip) ~ 140,000 words

"N's heart is pure and innocent. But there is nothing more beautiful and terrifying than innocence."

This is one of only three quotes uttered by Concordia in the entire game. Ophelia tells the story of Ghetsis' lesser-known children, Anthea and Concordia, and how Concordia came to the conclusion she did. It explores Team Plasma as a cult, Ghetsis as its leader, and the two sisters as sheltered prisoners in their own "heavenly" home.

The story centers greatly on Concordia and the secret, romantic relationship she develops with Colress, who hides a great portion of who he is while continuing to experiment with Team Plasma and Project Genesect behind her back.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Anthea, Concordia, Colress, N, Ghetsis, Project Genesect, the logistics of Team Plasma as a cult, Ghetsis' manipulation of Anthea & Concordia in order to "correctly raise" raise N.

LINK TO PREVIEW: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881342/chapters/70850358

Currently Unnamed: Dead Sea Trilogy one shots collection (brainstormed)

This will be a collection of related stories and one-shots featuring the cast of characters from the Dead Sea Trilogy, similar in vibe and feeling to Stories from Exile.

---

The Legend of Zelda

Exile//Vilify (complete) ~ 150,000 words

The boy was special, and he intended to find out why.

An origin story for Astor from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Exile//Vilify tells the story of those that are chosen, and those who are not.

Astor has trained since childhood to become the next Royal Seer, but he is plagued with a dark secret: a prophecy that states that he will one day be expelled from the castle, sent into exile, and devote his life to Calamity Ganon.

General fiction, no extensive ship content. Featuring Astor as the royal seer, Astor having a deep, meaningful relationship with Zelda's mother, and a Fate-worshipping cult that calls themselves the Royal Order of the Seers.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Astor, Zelda's mother, King Rhoam, Master Kohga & Sooga, original Hylian characters, a deconstruction of the concept of fate & predestination, and an exploration of Astor's cult/eventual worship of Calamity Ganon.

Link to AO3

Stories from Exile ~ 50,000 words (ongoing)

In which Kohga and Sooga are really just friends.

Stories from Exile is a collection of one-shots, short stories, and other just general snippets, some much more serious than others, that are related to the world of Exile//Vilify. Majority focuses on "evil" Astor - aka, his time spent in exile - and his misadventures with the Yiga Clan, although there are a handful of stories of Royal Seer Astor in Hyrule Castle, including a few heartwarming ones with the baby Princess Zelda.

The Totally-Platonic relationship of Kohga and Sooga really takes the cake here though, and a great handful of stories also focus on Yiga-Clan shenanigans. There is a table of contents at the beginning so you are able to sort through and find what you'd like.

Updated sporadically as new ideas strike me, all canon or semi-canon to Exile//Vilify.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Master Kohga, Sooga, Astor, Lady Urbosa, Princess Zelda, the rest of the HWAOC crew. Antics.

Link to AO3

Trouble Will Find Me (wip)

"If I stay here, trouble will find me // If I stay here, I'll never leave." -The National, "Sea of Love"

Trouble Will Find Me stands as a prequel to Exile//Vilify. It is a story that focuses on Astor's mentor, Thelem, and what brought him to the Royal Order of the Seers, and to the events that take place right before his first meeting with Astor.

This is Thelem's origin story, featuring the formative years he spends on Satori Mountain, finding himself, his meeting and relationship with Azelphir, and a more in-depth look at the culture and religion of the Order of the Seers.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Thelem, Azelphir, deeper lore of the Order of the Seers, Thelem's origin story, Thelem and Azelphir's underlying feelings for one another. Blupees, Koroks, Hyrule's other supernatural phenoma, and the Lord of the Mountain.

PREVIEW - AO3

Rewoven into the Stars (complete) ~ 8,000 words

And this new king before him, he wasn’t like the old one.  He was stubborn and sweet.

Rewoven into the Stars was a gift/commission for a friend, which falls in the Stories from Exile universe. A portal opens through space-time and sends a rather strange (and kind) Ganondorf through. He and the formerly-royal seer spend the following weeks growing closer, even falling in love.

Featured Characters: Astor & Ganondorf from the Born Evil universe by @sherlocktheravencat

Link to AO3

Prophet to a Gerudo King (wip)

“Are you willing to vow your undying loyalty to me?  From not just now unto death, but into all your future lives to come?"

A one-shot that muses on the pact between Astor and King Ganondorf, with Astor acting as Ganon's royal seer. Semi-canon prequel to Exile//Vilify, depending on how you look at it.

Featured Characters: Astor, pre-Calamity King Ganondorf

The Rhoam Cucking Chronicles (complete?) ~ 4,600 words

"He fucked my wife." -King Rhoam, in the games (real)

A shitpost about Astor fucking Zelda's mom, the Queen of Hyrule. Based in the world of Exile//Vilify / Stories from Exile. I (might?) add more silly portions to it someday, although it is unlikely. I can be bribed to do it, however, as I can be bribed to do many things...

Featured Characters/Concepts: Astor, Zelda's mom, King Rhoam, Astor fucking Zelda's mom (obviously)

Link to AO3

Hyrule is Doomed! (ongoing)

Hyrule may be in a lot of trouble, yes. But under Link's professional, expert, and yes, even reckless care -- it certainly will not be doomed.

Hyrule is Doomed! is a SILLY collection of one-shot stories that detail my chaotic, shirtless himbo playthrough of BOTW/TOTK. Featuring tales such as Link scaling the castle naked and with six hearts (and beating Windblight Ganon), going west instead of east off of the Great Plateau, and the ever-beloved Guardian Tipping.

Updated as ideas and the memories come to me, or when I do something stupid in BOTW/TOTK again.

Featured Characters/Concepts: Link being silly

"Link" to AO3

[intothemurkwood]

MIGHT OF MAND'ALOR

AO3 Chapter Link: MIGHT OF MAND’ALOR - Chapter 2

Story Summary: Guided by your late father's teachings, you've learned that your powers transcend the conventional divide, showing that things aren't as clear-cut as the Sith and Jedi doctrines suggest. When Moff Gideon seeks your capture and Bo'Katan Kryze defies him, the Great Purge of Mandalore unfolds, setting the stage for a clash between light and darkness, with you trapped in between.

Chapter Summary: The Death Watch Enclave on Concordia is over run.

Word Count: 4K+

Might of Mand'alor Series on AO3

Warning: Graphic descriptions of violence, PTSD, ideations of death, self sacrifice, violence toward children, war, genoicide. Arranged Marriage.

Author Note: Terrible things happen in this chapter, but I promise it gets much worse before it gets better.

Tag List: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

==EXPLICIT CONTENT: 18+ ONLY==

CHAPTER 2

Concordia - Death Watch Enclave

“Vizsla,” Theghti calls, drawing you from your thoughts just in time to catch the yai’yai (field ration) before it beams off your helmet. “Good, thought you were sleeping.”

“Pining, that one.” Vurr’s modulator cracks with a laugh as he unwraps his yai’yai. You wait until he has it unwrapped before quick-drawing your blaster. The low powered round hits the knuckle plate of his shun’bur, knocking the yai’yai from his hand to the floor. The four verda (warriors) all turn to look at you as you holster your blaster.

“Osi’kyr—Vizsla! (Fuck—Vizsla!)” Vurr feigns a scoff, as if he wouldn’t lick the floor clean if no one was around.

“Have the children eaten?” You ask, tilting your head at them. Vurr snatches up his yai’yai and hastily crams it up under his helmet before you can fire off another shot. He says something unintelligible as he waves his gloved hand at you. You watch him head into the great hall to attend to the children. Nearly two hundred children huddled inside the base.

“That man could eat a bantha and not gain a single pound.” Theghti mutters, watching Vurr toss a small child into the air.

“Any word from Paz?” Skajert asks.

“No.” You slip the yai’yai into your pouch and lean back on the crate, propping your boots up on the handle of your Z-6 rotary blaster cannon. Now you contemplate sleep. You’re not sure when the next opportunity might arise. 

When Darth Maul defeated your father, claiming the title of Mand'alor with a decapitation that was both brutal and necessary, the universe shifted. Bo’Katan Kryze's refusal to serve Maul led to the splintering of the Kyr'tsad (Death Watch), but you saw the truth. You and Paz chose the old ways, the Way of the Dark, and rallied thousands.

Your heart was steadfast as civil war broke out on Mandalore. Destruction was not chaos; it was the universe's will. Houses, clans, and truces were torn down, and in their place rose something purer. Your father's death was not a loss but a transformation. Paz arranged your marriage to Baaran Lok at seventeen, a union not of love but necessity. Lok wasn't cruel, but distant. The arrangement serves a greater purpose, a testament to the One Truth: "Only power is real, and the only real power is the power to destroy. Existence is fleeting. Destruction is eternal." The arrangement was the very sacrifice of love, and it served you well.

All you can think about is the purpose behind every act, every decision. It is an unavoidable truth… how the Way of the Dark can guide even the most tender moments. You had meant to wish your riduur jate’kara (husband good fortune) before he departed, but his attachment held you back. He clung to you for a long silent moment, helmets pressed together. His chest shook in silent sobs, with the weight of understanding. You both know that violence, destruction, even death—they are but steps in the path to power. It was supposed to have been you on the front lines, but Paz needed certainty that the children would be safe.

“Bi cuyi ner Mand’entye. (It is my debt to carry.)” You whisper the words as verda (warriors) hustle past you on the tarmac. He’s silent for a moment. A million words hang between you and he says the last thing you ever thought he would say.

“Jorso'ran kando a tome. (We shall bear the weight together.)” Lok’s fingers tightened around your neck.

“Ibic jareor. (This is reckless.)” It had been the unspoken truth until you had uttered it. 

“Ibic Manda. (This is the way.)” Lok released you and you watched as he walked up the gangway, never looking back. Paz stood at the edge of the cargo hold, his shoulders low as he held your gaze, bearing the weight of your father’s deeds.

“Nayc, cyar’ika (No, sweetheart),” Theghti’s sharp tone startles you awake as he snatches a youngling up. You drop the vibroblade from your shaking hand and flop back against the crate, huffing out an apology. You can’t recall reaching for your blade, it’s reflexive now. ”Never wake a sleeping warrior by hand. Call us, and we shall wake.”

“I am very sorry,”

“What did you need, sweetheart?” Theghti crouches down with the young girl, and you lazily retrieve your blade from the floor, sinking it back into your sheath.

“I wanted to sleep with Nynir so that I am safe.”

The laugh escapes you before you can contain it. You can’t see his expression under his helmet, but you know for certain Theghti is glaring at you. The image of yourself cradling a youngling seems so foreign to you. Your husband had never made an attempt to have children with you. He simply took you to bed once a year just to maintain his duties to you. A divorce would have been scandalous.

Once you’re on your feet, you lock your blaster cannon beside your jetpack and scoop up the youngling, cradling her against your waist. Theghti seems surprised and you’re grateful he keeps the comments to himself. You try to quiet the heavy steps of your magboots as you head into the makeshift barracks.

“Have you been named?” You ask. Of course she has, she’s wearing a helmet, but it’s polite to ask.

“Khiggi Eldar.”

Eldar… You’ll be gentle with this one, or face the wrath of the Eldar House.

“Why do they call you Nynir if it is not your name?”

“The boys…” You hike her up above your utility belt and glance at her, “They like to tease. My gun is big and scary, but when I fire it, it makes a very silly sound. Nee-neer, nee-neer, nee-neer.” You poke her side with a gloved finger and she squeals. “They say my gun speaks as it fires. Do you know what it says?”

“Nynir, (Strike,)” Khiggi giggles and you can’t help but smile.

“My gun only speaks when there is danger. Tell me, Khiggi, what do you hear?”

“I think she is sleeping.”

She. What a blessing this one is.

“Yes, she is sleeping, and you must sleep too.”

“Nynir,” Sath’s whisper stops you in your tracks. She holds her arms out expectantly, leaning up from her cot. You glance at the rows and rows of cots, most with two or three children curled up on them. You pass Khiggi down to Sath, knowing that she is capable of keeping Khiggi contained.

“Jate ca, (good night,)” You clench your fist over your heart and Sath gives you a nod; Her arms are occupied, it will do.

“Jate ca, Nee-neer.” Khiggi manages, before her modulator cracks with a sharp yawn. The other children are all in various states of sleep as you exit the barracks. Theghti offers you a nod, before slipping a pipe under his helmet. The smell of cassius flowers permeates the hangar. 

The air is still, and a strangeness quivers in the shadows. As you step outside of the hangar and look up to the night sky, the devastation unfolding on Mandalore becomes clear. Imperial ships loom. There had been no call to alert your base. Your heart pounds with a terrible understanding. Tie bombers drop fusion bombs that bathe the planet in an infernal glow.

The Great Purge of Mandalore does not shock or dismay you; it confirms what you've known all along. Destruction is not merely an end; it's a purification, a necessary culling that makes way for the new. You see in the annihilation of your planet the embodiment of the Dark. Bo-Katan Kryze's refusal to follow the true path, her refusal to join you, was more than a betrayal; it was a sign of her unworthiness to lead. Her obstinacy had brought about the very destruction she sought to prevent. And now, you feel a renewed strength in your convictions, knowing that what has been destroyed will give rise to something more potent, more aligned with the natural order of power and chaos. This is the Way.

A sharp crackle over the comms stills your heart. The line buzzes as the transmission fluctuates. “Ner vod’ika— (My little sister—)” The garbled transmission breaks your attention and you turn away from the sight of Mandalore’s destruction.

“Ori’vod? (Big brother?)” You ask, hustling across the tarmac in hopes of getting into better range of the signal out in the open.

“Tion’vaii gar? (Where are you?)” Paz’s voice comes through loud and clear and you freeze mid stride.

“At the enclave.”

“Vod’ika, I’m not going to make it.” Paz’s words send your heart into your throat and you can hear your pulse start to race in your ears.

“Nayc! (No!) You swore to me!”

“I know.” He whispers, his voice soft, too soft.

“Ba’slan— (Retreat—)”

“Nayc!” You yell, tears welling in your eyes. He wouldn’t dare order you to leave, not unless... “Swear to me, Ori’jag (big guy), that you will make it out and you will find me.” You whisper. Pain grips your chest as you refuse to believe that this is the end for him. 

Static washes over the private channel, but his voice comes through crystal clear, “I promise I will find you… Haat, Isaac, haa’it. Ke nadir haar’ke’gyce ba’slan shev’la. Tion’waii mar’eyir—? (Truth, honor, vision. Execute the strategic disappearance. Where will I find [you]—?)” The channel cuts out as a blinding flash of light washes over you. You look around the tarmac that now appears bathed in daylight. The blinding flash strobes in the night sky, a massive explosion on the surface of Mandalore. Sundari, the capital city where all the verda had gathered… It’s blown open. Mangled pieces of the super structures erupt high into the atmosphere.

“Ni pare gar shal ashi eso. (I will wait for you at the other side.)

The brightness of the night sky only grows. You filter through your channels checking your comms to find that they are all empty. Raising your hand to shield from the radiant glow bathing Mandalore you catch sight of a shadow. Footsteps thunder beneath you as you draw your blaster, ready to take out any enemies. Something is off about their trajectory. It’s a verda, wounded, about to crash headlong into the tarmac. You clench your right fist, the gesture activating your jetpack, taking a split second to bring your weight off the tarmac. You give full throttle. 

The verda crashes into you and you wrap your arms around him. He at least has his wits enough to cut off his thrusters. Both of you crash down to the tarmac, drawing the attention of Thegti puffing on his pipe inside the hangar.

“Droids—the comms are—we need to…” The verda is barely making sense as you drag him up to his feet. Theghti rushes over, medpack in hands. He has some sort of twisted shrapnel sticking out of his abdomen, but there doesn’t appear to be an exit wound. It’s the sort of wound you only see when heavy ordinances are being used.

“Stims, he’s in shock. Abdominal shrapnel wound.” You mutter and Theghti is quick to pull out his stimpack.

“Talk to me, Vod. What happened?”

“Droids—they’re coming.”

“It’s alright, vod.” Theghti readies the stim and pulls down his cape, sinking the needle tip of the injector into his neck. “Breathe.” The man groans, continuing to ramble on about droids. You and Theghti exchange a look.

“I spoke to Paz, right before this one flew in. He ordered us to retreat off Concordia.”

“The droids are coming. They—the whole base is gone. Everyone is gone. Gone. There were so many—” The sharp plink of your helmets slamming together silences his rambling. You hold his head, staring straight at his visor. 

“Everyone is not gone, there are still 200 hundred children that need to be evacuated. What base were you stationed at, vod?”

“Ruus’kan, (Rock fortress,)” The man’s voice was becoming steady as the stim permeated his system.

“Ruus’kan?” Theghti gives you a long stare. If Ruus’kan was under siege, it would mean you wouldn’t have a lot of time to evacuate the children.

“We didn’t stand a chance. They obliterated the base. It’s gone. Gone. It’s a crater—nothing left but the exposed mineshaft.” His words hit like a punch to the gut. Ruus’kan wasn’t under siege, it’s already gone. You didn’t have time to think of what that meant. Not for what was coming, but what had been lost.

“Droids? Ships?” If the Imperial ships shift their target to Concordia, millions more will die.

“A whole brigade of KX enforcer droids. Viper droids. They called in an airstrike. Thousands of droids are heading this way. His name was Paz. He told me to find his sister and evacuate her children. I have to find her.” The man sucks in a ragged breath. 

“You found her. You did good.” Theghti says, tilting his helmet toward you.

“I did? I found her?” He scans the hangar before he twists out of your grasp. He catches your shoulder before kissing your helmets together. Theghti raises his hands in shock, reaches for the man but stops when you wave him off. Paz sent this man to you, the least you can do is hear what he has to say. “Paz made me swear on the pain of death that I would protect and take care of you and your children.”

Theghti waves his hand catching your attention as he makes a gesture to suggest that he’s probably a little high on stims. Your hand drags up on instinct, your fingers grasping the back of his neck as you acknowledge his vow, but you don’t get the chance to respond.

“What’s goin’ on, Vod?” Puck calls from the hangar and the man releases you to gaze around the hangar with a heavy head.

“Ba’slan Shev’la.” Your order rings hollow in the hangar and for a moment the other warriors stare at you in disbelief. It was a direct order to escape to a predetermined safe haven. The only issue is that there are only five ships, and over two hundred children hunkered down inside. The vast majority of which had yet to earn the title of Mandalorian Apprentice. Some of whom hadn’t earned their first helmets yet. You release the man and he steps back allowing you to take in the sight of him. “Tell me, Vod. What is your name?”

“Din Djarin, sir.” He says. You don’t recognize either of them as being a formal House or Clan name. He bears no emblem to designate a clan, and still has pieces of armor from his service in the Fighting Corp. Paz wouldn’t have just sent any man to you. He would have picked the strongest of the men to send to you… and he didn’t send Lok.

“I need you to go wake the children. Tell them to file into five equal lines, and board the ships for evacuation. Can you handle that?

“Yes, sir.” Din Djarin nods, and you belt the back of his helmet, sending him sprinting into the hangar.

“A whole brigade…” Theghti whispers, glancing at the other warriors and keeping his voice low. “How far out?” Ten to fifteen thousand droids are heading this way. Even five of the best verda wouldn’t stand a chance. It will be a bloodbath unless you get out right now.

“I don’t know. We need to make haste. The children must be evacuated.” Together, you swiftly organize the evacuation of the children, waking them from their sleep and herding them towards the waiting ships in the hangar.

In the urgency of ushering the children onto your own ship the air shakes around you. It’s a feeling you’ve only felt once before. The thrusters of thousands of droids in flight disturbing the air pressure. It’s a horrifying sensation to feel the air quivering around you, and the children can sense it too. 

The heavy landing of a droid just outside the hangar signals the arrival of a formidable foe. You wade through the children to watch as several more KX Enforcer droids drop down from the outcropping above. A lone Viper probe flutters down and turns toward the hangar. A red wave sweeps across the hangar as it scans for available targets. There is no other choice but to protect the ships while the children finish loading.

“Get the ade on the ships, now!” You bark the order at Din Djarin and he rushes back toward the barracks where children are still filing out. The children hasten their steps, the urgency in your voice heightening. Without a second thought you grab your heavy blaster cannon, charging around the gangway, prepared to protect the children with your life. It will give the children precious seconds to board the ships.

The clash is swift and fierce, but you and your fellow Kyr’tsad verda are quickly outnumbered as more enforcer droids land on the tarmac. You make the difficult decision to order a retreat, urging the other verda to make their escape to their waiting ships while you provide covering fire. The ade are far more important than your home, or your own life. Laying down heavy fire will give them a chance to escape. Rounds glance off your armor. Beskar armor might be impenetrable, but the force of each shot sends shocks to your body. You’re struggling to stay upright—out gunned, and outnumbered.

The hangar rumbles as one of the ships full throttles out of the hangar. You watch in disbelief as Skajert’s ship blasts from the hangar, the gangway of his ship still open, children slip out, crashing down to the hangar floor. There is no time to scream as you charge toward the children. Droids turn, taking aim.

As enforcer droids close in, anger rises within you. Your homeworld lay in ruins, your people wiped out in the blink of an eye. Bitter rage, for your friends, your family. Your way of life is being robbed from you, your identity, your husband—your brother. 

An all consuming rage surges through your being, empowering you with an otherworldly strength. That strength manifests as your fist connects with the durasteel plating of the Viper probe. It explodes, sending it flying across the hangar, the concussive shockwave taking out four other droids. A ferocious roar tears from your modulator as you bash through three more KX droids. This burst of rage draws the attention away from the children and you raise your arms, deflecting blaster bolts with a terrifying precision. 

As blaster rounds ricochet off your armor, pain jolts through your body as several rounds graze soft flesh. Pain transcends sensation, becoming fuel for your rampage through the droids. You bulldoze a path straight to the screaming children

Theghti blasts past you, crashing into two droids, while Din Djarin snatches up the two children. You grab the other two, hugging them to your chest and fire rockets. Rounds whizz past your helmet. Theghti is waiting, grabbing the children from you and rushing back to his ship.

“Hukaat! (Cover me!)” Theghti yells. You whirl around pulling out both your blasters, rapid firing rounds to provide cover as the men retreat with the children. There are too many droids to count and they are swarming the entrance to the hanger.

Summoning your remaining strength, you fight your way back to your ship as the other Death Watch ships begin to launch from the hangar. Blaster fire singes the air around you filling the air with the unmistakable smell of ozone as you retreat. You are a solitary figure standing against an overwhelming force.

With a jerk of your head you signal the ships to leave. 

“What are you doing, Nynir? Get the kriff on your ship!” Theghti’s voice cuts in over a private transmission. You glance at Din Djarin firing up your ship. Your holster your blasters, sparks showering around you, and you reach for your heavy blaster cannon.

“This is the way.” You cut off the transmission before Theghti can respond. This is why Paz had you stay. To clear the path for the next generation.

“My orders supersede yours.” Din Djarin’s voice is barely audible over the scream of blaster fire. You glance at the ship, the barrels of your blaster cannon are already starting to glow red hot. Paz swore to you. He swore to you that he would find you. He swore it. 

The last of the other ships disappear out of sight. Your own ship is taking heavy fire from the relentless enforcer droids. For a moment, you fear they’ve left without looking back, until a rocket explodes in a blaze of destruction, obliterating several droids.

Seizing the opportunity, you sprint towards your ship, every step weighed down by the encroaching threat. With a surge of adrenaline, you stagger up the side gangway, smashing your palm on the control panel to raise both the side and rear gangways. The children squeeze tight together to get out of your way. Up the ladder and into the cockpit of the Razor Crest. Din Djarin slips into the co-pilot seat, clutching Khiggi Eldar to his chest. Alarms ring on the dashboard as the ship's deflectors rapidly deplete. You demagnetize your back plate, your jetpack and heavy blaster cannon dropping to the floor as you sink into the pilot seat. 

There is no avoiding the flood of droids, so you punch the accelerator smashing through their tight formation. Your deflectors fail, but you’re able to make it out of the hangar. The ship struggles to climb, the readouts on your screen flash warnings about weight capacity. There was no time to clear the ship of cargo. You maneuver your ship low through the canyons as you reunite with the other ships waiting for you. 

The ships fall into a natural V-5 formation, with Skajert and Puck taking the lead. You cling to the tail end of the fleeing Kyr’tsad verda, your ship weighed down by its cargo and struggling against Concordia's gravity. The radio crackles with the chaotic chatter of the other warriors, their voices filled with urgency as they try to agree on a destination planet.

“Ke'duum koori serim taap. (Let's agree on an exact place.)” Skajert’s voice cuts in on the comms. The sound of his voice makes you sick. He will pay for his cowardice, but not now. Not with the safety of the children at stake.

“How many children made it on board?” You ask, glancing back at Din Djarin. He glances back to the wide open cockpit door. Sath’s purple helmet scans the children piled in the storage room.

“I counted 82 the first time, and 81 the second time.” Sath says. “Oh—Khiggi.”

“I got scared.” Khiggi says sheepishly.

81 children. Five Verda, and a little over two hundred children. Your hand tightens around the throttle, coaxing the ship to climb from the atmosphere. Skajert left in such a hurry, dumping the children in his cowardly escape. You wonder exactly how many children were on the other ships.

“Tion’vaii? (Where?)” Vurr asks, his voice cutting over the comm.

“Tion’Ossus? (Ossus?)” Puck asks, though he doesn’t sound sure.

“Nayc, Dathomir. (No,)” Skajert says.

“Ne’gebi Manda'yaim. (No, too close to Mandalore.)”

Your eyes widen in horror as Puck’s ship explodes, the shockwave jolting your senses as you bank hard, pushing your ship to its limits. The strained engines howl until they fade into an eerie silence as you breach the threshold of space.

“Take her!” Djarin yells, practically throwing Khiggi into Sath’s arms.

The clicks of the missile approach warning system grow to a terrifying scream, warning you of an incoming lock-on. You yank the yoke, executing a tight maneuver to break away from the pursuing enemy. Your voice rings out in the cabin, issuing urgent commands, but the Verda remain divided as blaster fire glances off your ships. Djarin is already on the offensive and returning fire but it’s not enough. The holoview star map whirls, spinning too fast for him to make sense of it. You are being herded, kept in tight formations to prevent you from making the crucial jump into hyperspace.

With calculated precision, you jettison a cargo pod from beneath your ship, watching with grim satisfaction as an enemy vessel vanishes from radar. Leveling out the ship, you push the throttle forward, desperately accelerating, your heart pounding in your chest.

A blinding flash erupts from your starboard side as a direct hit strikes your ship. The scream of children mingles with the acrid smell of smoke. It’s possible that your ship will rip itself apart at light speed, or that your blind jump to hyperspace will vaporize you and the children as you atomize straight through a star. The moment you clear the gravity well of Concordia you level out, punching the throttle forward, forcing the ship to accelerate to light speed. Kriff pre-light checks. You have no choice but to make a quick hop. Undeterred, you activate the hyperdrive, plunging into the unknown.

[cheemken]

Just thought of a small AU that I felt like sharing with you

The Unova kids as, kids.

Imagine if the six of them had somehow met before they became trainers and set out on their journeys

Just cute moments of them together, Iris boasting about how she’s already using her grandpas Pokémon to train to be a gym leader, N sneaking out of the castle to meet up with the five of them, Hilda, Hilbert, Cheren, and Bianca asking their parents to drop them off so they can hang out with Iris and N. Just the six of them being the best of friends

Now imagine when the events of BW happen :)

N is being forced by Ghetsis to turn against his friends and his friends being conflicted, cause on one hand The King of Team Plasma is causing chaos and wreckage in Unova, but on the other hand N is their friend since they were young. They don’t want to have to hurt him

Also it’s like 11:30pm and I’m tired so idk if this is even consistent with the story/plot of the games or if it even makes sense

WHY WOULD YOU HURT ME W THAT THE BW BRAINROT IS REAL LIKE YOU REALLY GOT ME ON THE FIRST HALF IM NOT GONNA LIE😭😭😭😭

HCKDBXMXBDN

No but,,, no but Ghetsis knowing abt N and how he'd sneak out from the castle just to hang out w the rest of his friends, and like, at first he wanted to take him and go on w that whole humans and pkmn speech, but like, him deciding to just let him be and let the betrayal break him soon and such

AND IT DID FUCKING BREAK HIM CNXMBXMDN

Like😭😭😭😭

Ghetsis forcing him to fight his friends and jus thcmxbxmx Omf sorry if I'm also incoherent??? But ouugghhhh ncmxbcncnc the Unova peeps just gets me fr

I do know tho that once N's friends hear Ghetsis call N a "freak without a human heart" they'd all go batshit, like I want it to be the breaker for them, that they'd really start attacking Ghetsis directly instead of just his pkmn, and it actually caught both Ghetsis and N off guard cause Ghetsis himself didn't expect them to really attack him directly.

And like cbdmnd imagine Bianca and Hilda taking N away from Ghetsis tho, bc despite the fact that he's the King of Plasma, and they did hear from Anthea and Concordia what Ghetsis did to N, all that abuse and manipulation, and they didn't know N was going through all that, so now that they know, they'll make sure that N doesn't have to go through all that anymore, they'll make sure of it

It would also be dope tho, if N got Reshiram in this, and like,, it flew over to Hilbert, waiting for his commands, and Ghetsis was shocked bc why would Reshiram, whose trainer is N, would listen to the commands of someone who isn't its trainer? Then he sees even Bianca and Cheren could command Zekrom and such, and then suddenly Reshiram listens to them too, and before they could land the finishing blow, he escaped

And just cjdmnd N's there wondering why they didn't just take him out too, he's the King of Plasma, surely he deserves the same treatment as Ghetsis, but just cjmdnd the others just hugging him and telling him that he didn't know any better, Ghetsis was a cruel man who used him for his own selfish deeds, they know that N was a good person, and they'll continue to believe that, and they'll make everyone see it as well.

But like,, N still wanting that space to think tho, and still left Unova to do some more self reflection stuff and such, and while it did hurt the others, they left him be, respecting his choices. On a lighter note, imagine his surprise the moment he got back, Cheren becams Gym Leader, Bianca became a researcher, Iris and Hilbert became Champions, and Hilda was still the Hero patrolling Unova, and he's just "I missed a lot"

"yeah, you did"

Anyways they're all soft after that bc I said tho and bc I'm so weak for them like your honour please I know for a fact they had a sleepover the moment N got back bc they missed him so much and they didn't want him to go anywhere anymore, not where they couldn't follow, please your honour N just telling them he's not going anywhere, he's finally home

[shabadarada]

Character List Yippeee

Listed in chronological story order, also, these are not what their canon "Group names" or story titles are called, just temp. Or exclusive ones used on this blog.

Individualsss

Elise' Family

Shaphat

Sarael

Elise

Crescent

Erebus

Ciara / Choco

Andromeda

Lai

Aka & Friends :)

Aka

Wendy

Novella

Hye

Oren (aka 'The Twins' uncle')

Vitus

Oroitz

Ginga

Extras

Diemos Kagayaki (Aka's ex-husband & Elise' grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-[...]-son)

Yoshiaki Kagayaki & Ros Sheridan (Aka & Oren's parents)

Arete & Friends :)

Arete (aka 'Younger Twin' / Evgeni)

Eudaimonia (aka 'Older Twin')

Trixie (aka 'Mark's Roomate', 'Law School Student')

Calypso (aka Violet, 'Magician', 'Mark's Roomate')

Seu (aka 'Gothic Lesbian Teen')

Bidelia

May

Blan

Grey/Gray/Græy

Moreley

Nat

Kira

Sauce

Mark

Ravinder

Reyes

Fresh Blood

Nameless

Preacher (aka the Nun)

Hero

Heroine

Lancer

Big Guy

Watcher

Heart

Mentor (aka 'Other old lady with purple hair')

Smart Guy

Funnyman

Kid

Dragonslayers [No Names]

Squire (aka 'Necromancer girls' situationship', 'Graveyard keeper')

Lady-knight (aka 'Knight Girl 1')

Necromancer (aka 'Necromancer Girl', 'Knight's BFF')

Knight (aka 'Guy Knight', 'Bi Cop's Husband', '[Vigilante]'s adoptive dad')

Gunner (aka 'Bi Cop', 'Bounty Hunter')

Vigilante (aka 'Bi cop's Husbands' adoptive daughter', 'Bi Cop's BFF')

Wizard

Dame

Inventor (aka 'Alchemist')

Cheap Residents

Pyrite

Dendrite

Ruby

Silver

Pearl

Celestine

Zircon

Jaden

Augustus

Sapphire

Onyx

Ebony

World Hoppers

Destiny

Adalfarus

Zaya

Travis

Timeloopers

Spinner (aka 'Mad scientist', 'White woman's roomate')

Micah (aka 'Android girl')

Varl

World Salvagers

Goldfinch

Concordia

Genamian

Elie

Munoz

Sparrow

Ariadne

Dionysus

Colby

EPILOGUE / Extra Chars.

Spectators [No Names]

Narrator (aka Argus, 'Landlord')

Psychic Child (aka Nia, 'Pink psychic child', 'The twins' younger sister', 'WW's ward')

Archivist (aka 'the Amnesiac')

Middle Child (aka 'The twins' younger brother', 'White Woman's Ward')

Sanity Checker (aka 'White Woman')

Theatre Residents

Mayor 2

Old Man Jenkins

Mika

Town Residents

Maimai

Leo

Lacey

Tocho

Aqua

Aristea

Bastion

Belinda

Kai

Kie

Sir Kay

Rin

Mac

Castor

Pollux

Lab PI

Umbrella Man

Duos / Trios / Whathaveyous

Duos

2 Bros Chilling - Hero + Lancer

Boring Investigator - Pyrite + Dendrite

Bread and Wine - May + Gray

Cope. - Elise + Aka

Curtain Close - Eudaimonia + Archivist

Daydreamers - Narrator + Psychic Child

Ethics is a Delusion - Spinner + Sanity Checker

Fire & Ice - Heroine + Lancer

Forever Together (Derogatory) - Narrator + Sanity Checker

Gemini - Castor + Pollux

The Guys Who Miss Their Wives - Spinner + Narrator

Match Made in Hell - Hero + Heroine

Missing Half - Arete + Eudaimonia

Nostalgia Paradox - Psychic Child + Kid

Perfect Partners - Big Guy + Smart Guy

Postscript Writers - Eudaimonia + Narrator

Siren Twins - May + Blan

Thousand Year Angst - Necromancer + Squire

Too Nice to be Him - Squire + Lady-knight

Yellow Dogs - Lancer + Big Guy

Trios

Bounty Hunters - Knight + Gunner + Vigilante (+ Wizard)

Failed Murder Attempts - Lady-knight + Gunner + Dame

I ❤️ Human Remains - Necromancer + Gunner + Inventor

Lady-knight's Yuritionships - Lady-Knight + Her 2 fiancees

NEEEEERDS - Hero + Heroine + Smart Guy

More

The Infamous LGBTQIA+ Community - Preacher + Hero + Heroine + Big Guy + Funnyman + Smart Guy + Kid + Lancer + Heart + Watcher + Mentor

You Can Marry More Than 1 Person - Knight + Gunner + Necromancer + Squire + Dame

Eschatron 9000 - Eudaimonia + Seu + Græy + Blan + May

[strangerofunova]

On learning to love the way things fell part 8: old talents

Our proof Beuregard had mishandled the Manaphy egg and made it hatch as a Phione stemmed from the fact that Ghetsis had been certain there wasn’t a Manaphy in Unova anymore. While it’s a compelling argument, it wasn’t enough either. We needed something concrete that would hold up in court.

The old college was long gone, burned down in a riot Beuregard personally incited. At the time we thought it was just the people reaching their breaking point, anger that one of the few things we had to look up to was just as rotten as the rest of Castelia. But the confessions from Plasma’s sages after their arrest paint a different story, one where this tragedy was part of their plan from the start. Leaving us with only one option left.

There was a single piece of evidence that had survived. The later a Manaphy becomes a Phione, the foggier the inside of their heart gem will be. It’s only visible under an x-ray, but it’s unmistakable. When put into perspective with the other hard evidence we had it would be enough to convict. 

Concordia had also done what she could to help. She'd gotten an expert on Manaphy to examine the Phione for us; Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh region. I don’t know what exactly she said to him, but he arrived in Castelia the same day fully prepared to help.

That being said, we still didn’t have any real way to force Beuregard to cooperate, which is where the final piece of the puzzle came in; me. More specifically, an old black uniform tucked away in a place I'd hoped to never reopen. It was time for the years I’d sacrificed to Ghetsis to finally mean something.

We arrived at the Driftveil contest just three hours before it was scheduled to start, hoping to catch Beuregard while he was still setting up the arena. The professor was waiting at a nearby hospital, having called in some favors to get the machine we needed. Brant had already gotten in position, ready to run interference. All that was left to do was steal Beuregard’s Phione.

[guiltology]

GUILT is a fast-acting, deadly strain of diseases and a major threat. However, there is another set of diseases that also poses a significant threat. This disease strain is named Stigma, and it consists of a set of six diseases: Cheir, Soma, Ops, Onyx, Brachia, and Cardia.

Although Stigma strains appear to follow some common rules of pathogens, they form their own category of unique pathogen known as culuriophiles due to their ability to feed off of and thrive in the mineral culurium. Without culurium, the virus cannot grow or thrive. This is why persons who had been given artificial blood donations were more likely to contract Stigma, as the artificial heme was created using culurium. Although it is unsure what sort of properties allow the virus to spread in culurium, it is one of its main transmission forms. The disease follows very little of the proper structures of most viruses and it is hypothesized it is in fact some form of Archaebacteria. If this theory is proven correct it would call the story of Markus Vaughn's "accidental" creation of the pathogen into question, as archaea cannot be manipulated easily due to their lack of a nucleus as well as the fact that “immunogenic properties of archaea as part of the human microbiota is generally rare”. (Schmitz et al) To summarize GUILT, a Gangliated Utrophin Immuno-Latency Toxin (GUILT) is a set of dormant toxin-like artificial diseases that attack the immune system. Each strain most likely triggers a cytokine storm which causes the body to attack itself. This explains why the healthiest patients die the fastest due to their immune systems being strong enough to tear the body to shreds. Essentially, the virus causes the body's immune system to attack itself, which would explain why GUILT hits hardest on people who are in the best of health. The stronger your immune system is the more damage it can do to itself. Stigma strains were created by accident using the research of Concordia researcher Markus Vaughn. As they mainly feed on the metal culurium, their transmission is somewhat limited and can be halted by simply starving the disease of its food source. GUILT, however, has no such limitations and its spread is only halted by the complete eradication of all virus colonies. It was specifically created to act as a bioweapon and used in biological terrorism, while Stigma was only used in biological attacks after its accidental creation and subsequent discovery by the terrorist organization Parnassus. GUILT and Stigma are both named after foreign language terms, GUILT being named after the Greek days of the week and Gnostic terms such as the neo-GUILT strains Nous "The Mind", Bythos "The Depth", Sige "The Silence" and Aletheia "The Truth". Stigma strains are named after the body parts they affect, such as Cardia “Heart” and Soma “Body”. While GUILT and Stigma are both deadly diseases in their own right, there are some differences in the two diseases that alter how they would need to be treated. For example, because of Stigma’s reliance on the mineral culurium, treatments of synthetic blood would only worsen the patient’s condition. This is because giving the virus more culurium to feed on would only cause its rapid spread. GUILT, however, does not feed on any sort of metals, and therefore synthetic blood can be given. , GUILT is also specifically designed to target surgeons as well as patients and has many self-destructive behaviors, quick work must be done to avoid the death of the patient being operated on. In conclusion, even though there are many differences between the two diseases, from the methods of transmission, differences in lethality, and in cellular composition, they are both large risks. The fight against them is both a difficult and long one and it has only just begun.

[loupy-mongoose]

Well, I guess with my fixation changing again, I should update my pinned post. This time I'll keep it a little more general so I can just alter this one if it changes again. :B

This is why I called myself Loupy (Loopy), btw. For times where my brain can't hold onto an interest. XD

~ ~ ~ ~

Current fixation: Something Wild Calls (SWC), Jamie Wild's Alternate Universe story, set in the same world as MOLD. Sideblog here.

Other stories that I will one day tell to as my fickle mind allows:

Linden Roots; Mew-centric story told here on my main blog. Info hub here.

The Matters of Life and Death (MOLD); An original story--Sideblog here.

Shadowed Soul; The Soul Silver Nuzlocke story that makes up Jamie Wild's Pokemon trainer journey. No blog associated yet. Set in the same world as Linden Roots.

Heart of Concordia (HoC); An original story. Sideblog Here.

~ ~ ~ ~

This post will be updated as I see fit. ^^

[frankiescap]

Here are my new OCS

The first one is a Mandalorian named Anahera (powerful Angel in Te Reo Maori) and below her is her husband Toa(warrior in Te Reo Maori) a clone commando, I might write a fic about them 🤠✨

She grew up on Concordia and later was taken into the True Mandalorian Covet by Jango (they are not related) and when the clone army started Jango asked her to help train the clone commandos, one of which was Toa. (I’ll tell you how he got his name later) She and Toa got married on Concordia just before the clone wars started and Jango and Boba were there. During the clone wars she helped Toas squad, who were dubbed the Whanau (family in Te Reo Maori) and they called Anahera the Guardian Angel because she would always step in and help them when they needs it. When Order 66 happened the chip blocked Toas Memory’s of Anahera, and when she went to go and help him run away to live with her on Concordia, he turned on her and tryed to execute her. She was heart broken, but made a viw. She vowed that even tho he didn’t remember her, she would never forget him. She followed his new squad across the Galaxy watching over him, and the squad called her the Angel of death because anything at tryed to hurt Toa was killed. Anyways let me know if I should continue with this story xx

[zelenacat]

When We Were Young- Chapter 27- An Obitine Story

The first place Satine checked was her bedroom, it was empty save for a note. The Duchess fell to her knees and wailed. She pulled at her hair, threw chairs across the room, paced, Obi-Wan found her in her quarters an hour later.

“Satine!”

“Maul took them,” the Duchess’ throat was raw, “he took our four eldest.”

Obi-Wan froze for half a second.

“Mandalore was attacked, we should get you out of here.”

“I’m not leaving until my people are safe,” Satine stood, “I have speeches to make.”

“Satine-”

“Come with me,” the Duchess ordered, “some things will leave with you.”

Servants moved out of her way when she passed, but Satine didn’t care how terrible she looked. Stalking over to the safe, Satine opened it and pulled out her children’s birth certificates, a bag of kyber crystals, and a tiara from King Zagreus the Second of Zygerria.

“These should be brought back to coruscant,” Satine swallowed, “guard them as you would guard Jynn and Lyra.”

The Jedi opened his mouth to speak, but Satine hushed him with a kiss.

“Jynn and Lyra may one day be all you have left.”

And with that, Satine left, walking briskly and then running once she rounded a corner. First she found Parna, who led her to where the servants were hiding. Satine freed them.

“Go home to your families,” she announced, “they will want to know you’re safe.”

Parna organized the guards to help escort people home, while Satine looked for the Prime Minister. Jaru Djarin was sitting up against the wall, locked in her office, with her eyes closed.

“Jaru,” Satine whispered, growing louder, “Jaru are you alive?”

“Satine,” the Prime Minister mumbled, “come.”

The door opened and the Duchess stepped inside, it smelled awful, like the kind of place rats lived.

“I need you to help me broadcast a speech.”

Jaru sighed, “Help me up.”

The Duchess and her Prime Minister limped through the empty castle, every move of theirs was as loud as thunder rumbling.

“What will we say?” Jaru’s garbled voice questioned.

Satine groaned, she hadn’t thought much about that.

“Mandalore has been used and deliberately attacked with no provocation,” the Duchess found herself saying into the camera, “we have no choice but to join with the Republic and defend ourselves. Please stay in your homes until we are able to address you again, thank you.”

After the camera cut off, Satine made her way to the landing, where a battalion of clones were stationed under Ahsoka, who felt her presence immediately.

“Momdalore!”

Satine collapsed into the Padawan’s arms.

“I heard,” Ahsoka whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you here?” Jaru asked a clone.

“Protection,” he answered.

Satine straightened, “The Prime Minister and I are grateful for your help, please make sure our curfew is enforced.”

“You heard the Duchess,” Ahsoka commanded, “go keep Mandalore’s citizens safe, I will stay with the Duchess and her Prime Minister.”

Ahsoka helped Satine and Jaru to a conference room and then retrieved the Duchess’ comm device.

“Call Countess Wren,” Satine sighed, “we should start with her.”

Ursa was stone faced until she was informed that Tristan had been taken, then, she broke down into tears.

“We’ll keep our district safe, Satine,” Alrich Wren promised, “just make sure he’s alright.”

“I will.” the Duchess promised.

Then the Counts and Countesses of Mandalore were called, all of whom had heard the news and prepared for the defensive.

“Satine?”

Bo-Katan, who stood in the doorway, grimaced when the Duchess looked up. Ventress behind her made a disgusted sound.

“They were taken by your replacement,” Satine growled, “you should help get them back.”

“Who?” Jaru asked.

A beat of silence followed.

“Korkie and his friends.” Bo answered.

The Prime Minister put her face in her hands, “Dear God.” 

“The pirates and bounty hunters need to be paid.” Ventress added.

Satine stood, “Sloppy business not paying them in advance.”

Bo-Katan’s eyes narrowed.

“We don’t have any money in the budget for this.” Jaru mumbled.

“Palace defense?” Ventress suggested.

The Prime Minister shook her head.

“I’ll pay them,” the Duchess decided, “out of pocket. I need to call the bank.”

The bank began converting the required amount of credits into cash, and after a quick signature, Bo-Katan and Ventress took over the distribution.

“Your Grace?”

“She was taken,” Satine frowned, without looking up, “Mara and the others were taken. I’m sorry, Boba.”

“Well,” the bounty hunter’s voice changed, “what’s being done to bring her back?”

Satine swallowed, “I’ll ask the Jedi Council for help, now that we’ve officially joined their side it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“I want to help.”

“I want everyone to help.” Satine countered.

Boba Fett knelt down.

“Your Grace,” he whispered, “we’ll get your children back.”

“Of course we will,” Satine agreed, “help me stand, Boba.”

He did and the Duchess sent him to find Khaami and Parna.

“Hello, Duchess.”

“Master Yoda,” Satine sobbed, “Darth Maul has taken my children.”

“Hm,” the Jedi stroked his beard, “bad this is.”

“Please help me get them back.” Satine begged.

“Do you know where he’s taken them?” Master Windu asked.

“No, he just said in his note that this was retribution.”

“He left a note?” Master Mundi inquired.

Satine nodded.

“Why didn’t you leave with the Jedi transport?” Master Windu questioned.

“I can’t leave my people.” Satine responded.

Master Yoda thought.

“Obi-Wan has our most important possessions,” Satine offered, “and the kyber crystals from Concordia.”

“Study those, we shall,” Master Yoda stated, “but meditate on this problem, I must.”

“Master Yoda?”

The Jedi looked to the Duchess.

Satine’s voice broke, “My children are all I have.”

Master Yoda nodded and the comm line went quiet.

“Satine?”

The Duchess turned her head as Parna entered.

“Let’s get you ready to face the public.”

Parna was gentle and kind, helping her lady shower and dress. Then she brushed her hair and braided it.

“Your locks are growing out again.” Parna observed.

“Really, I hadn’t noticed.”

Parna tilted Satine’s head upward.

“I know it’s hard without the children, but the Jedi will help.”

“If Master Yoda consents to.” the Duchess countered.

“He has a soft spot for you, I’m sure.”

Ahsoka poked her head in.

“Momdalore,” Ahsoka began, “there are cameras here to see you.”

“It figures,” Satine mumbled, “they need to know.”

“There,” Parna announced, “finished.”

Satine looked at the braid in her hair, it came down to her shoulders. Her face was pallard and her eyes gaunt.

“Momdalore?”

“Escort me.”

The walls were lined with servants all whispering, none of them stopped when Satine passed, and that was what worried the Duchess most. At least some of them had the sense to curtsey.

“Her Grace, the Duchess of Mandalore.”

Satine stepped out onto the foyer and took a seat at the place that had been set up for her. Ahoska stood at her side.

It took a second for Satine to remember why she was there, “Questions?”

One brave reporter stood.

“We know the Count betrayed us and we have allied with the Republic, but what happened in the chaos of the palace last night, and what happened to the weather monitor?”

Satine almost spilled all her secrets at that moment, but fortunately Ahsoka spoke.

“Count Dooku tried to frame the Duchess and kill her, the audio recordings have been released.”

In the stunned silence, Satine cleared her throat.

“My nephew and his friends, including Tristan Wren, were taken as prisoners by the count’s apprentice,” she swallowed, “we have asked for assistance from the Jedi.”

The room burst into noise but Satine couldn’t hear anything.

“Let’s get you out.” Ahsoka whispered.

Parna helped Satine stand while Ahoska quieted the room for a couple minutes more.

“You need sleep,” Parna whispered, “rest.”

Up in her room, Padme commed Satine.

“We saw your broadcast,” she smiled sadly, “Master Yoda has agreed to send a rescue party.”

Satine burst into tears.

“Jynn and Lyra want to see you.”

Wiping her eyes, Satine saw her daughters in Padme’s arms, asleep.

Satine swallowed, “They’ve gotten so big.” 

“Five months.” Padme commented.

“Five whole months.” the Duchess nodded.

Lyra sighed, Jynn gurgled.

“Your Lady Mother misses you.” Satine whispered.

“They miss their mother too,” Obi-Wan frowned, coming into view, “some days they won’t sleep at all.”

“Who is in the rescue party?” Satine found the courage to ask.

“Multiple of Tyra’s Padawan friends,” Obi-Wan answered, “Quinlan, Master Mundi, and Anakin.”

“Not you?”

Obi-Wan sighed, “Maul hates me, if I go, it would give him an excuse to kill the children in front of me.”

Satine gave a shaky breath.

“Don’t worry, Darling,” Obi-Wan braced a smile, “we’ll get them.”

Satine nodded, hoping with her whole heart that was true.

“You just rest,” Padme commented, after a silence, “you look like you need it.”

“I do.” Satine agreed.

The Duchess slept till evening when the comm call finished. By the time Parna woke her, she was informed that the heads of the eight clans were all here requesting a meeting.

“And Khaami is going to stay with her family,” Parna added.

“Good,” Satine sat up, “help me with my hair.”

In front of the throne sat a circle of chairs. Count Awuad, Countess Bralor, Countess Eldar, Count Mudhorn, Count Rook, and Countess Saxon were all present. Count Vizsla’s father, Tarrei, had joined Death Watch a month ago, Satine had almost forgotten. What Satine was not expecting to see was Alrich Wren leading his clan.

“My wife is unwell with the news of our son,” he explained at Satine’s question, “she’s miserable.”

“This is a terrible crime,” Count Mudhorn growled, “you would think Tarrei-”

“Death Watch assisted us last night.” Satine frowned, unable to hear anything negative about Bo-Katan.

“Yes,” Countess Bralor nodded, “because they wanted the Count, when the Jedi took him they were upset they didn’t get shots at him.”

“However, Asajj Ventress spat in his face.” Countess Saxon remarked.

“The Count, Dooku, I mean,” Satine began, “said he had friends in Death Watch, my guess is it would be Vizsla.”

“That would make sense,” Count Awuad agreed, “my spies just told me that your sister might face mutiny.”

Satine sighed, “That would be unfortunate.”

“It would, but there is more news,” Count Awuad straightened, “the Vizslas now believe that the children taken belong to you.”

The Duchess went stoic as stone.

“A dangerous rhetoric if true,” Countess Eldar prodded.

“But there is no need to worry about that then,” Satine forced a smile, “I have no children.”

“No,” Count Rook agreed, “but he did take Mandalore’s heir.”

Satine’s comm rang, it was the Jedi Council.

“We have decided upon our rescue party.” Master Windu announced to the room, “three Jedi Masters, will accompany five padawans to save the children.”

“That seems like a large group.” Countess Eldar observed.

“It is needed,” Master Mundi responded, “I will be leading the effort, which will take place on Mustafar.”

Satine grew cold.

“Mustafar?” Alrich Wren asked.

“Yes,” Master Secura nodded, “that is where the children have been taken.”

The room silenced, a fire planet known for cruelty.

“Is the Count proving useful?” Countess Saxon asked.

“He is.” Master Windu did not elaborate.

“Padawan Tyra, the one you sent here for protection who has now been captured,” Satine began, “informed me that Count Dooku’s Master has a son. His name is Je’er, and his mother is Oana Shields of Harran, from Naboo.”

“Interesting this is,” Master Yoda spoke, “good spy, Padawan Tyra is.”

That brought Satine some comfort at least, knowing that the Jedi had faith in her daughter's skills.

“The rescue party will leave tomorrow,” Master Secura offered, “you may rest easy on that.”

“Thank you,” the Duchess swallowed, “Mandalore looks forward to helping you more in the future.”

“Now,” Count Awad sighed, “for our Death Watch problem.”

It was decided that if Sabine Wren had any connections left to Death Watch, she should use them. Ursa loathed to let another child leave her, and therefore made her husband go with their daughter.

Satine spent the next few days organizing an optional armed force regiment, with incentives to join, of course. She also met with food experts to talk about rationing and spoke with the Head of Mandalorian Trade. 

The Duchess was in a meeting with her seamstresses about reducing fabric consumption when Parna burst in.

“Satine!”

The Duchess stood, sensing important news.

“Padawan Tyra is in the med bay.”

Satine ran to the make-shift hospital in the palace, she was glad to see both Hera and Doctor Quial present, but gasped when she saw their patient. 

“Your Grace,” Khaami whispered, appearing at her side, “please sit down.”

Shaking violently, Satine fell into a chair and began to sob.

“Your Highness?”

Satine swallowed and looked at the boy standing in front of her, “You must be Je’er.”

He nodded and knelt before Satine.

“Your Grace, I’m sorry I couldn't free the rest of your children,” he began, his voice low, “but they are all kept separate, and I couldn't let harm come to Tyra.”

Satine glanced over at her daughter, “What happened?” 

“My father electrocuted her,” Je’er did not lower his eyes, “she has second degree burns, but she will live.”

Satine fell forward and hugged the boy.

“Thank you, Je’er, thank you so very much.”

Je’er breathed a sigh of relief.

“If it’s alright to ask, will you help me get to Coruscant, I need to testify in front of the Jedi Council?”

“Of course,” Satine stood, “do you need food, water?”

Je’er winced, “Sleep, first.”

“Khaami,” the Duchess turned, “give this young man a nice room.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Satine then stepped into a quiet conference room and called her favorite Jedi.

“Obi?”

“Satine, I-”

“I have the Sith Lord’s son, he rescued Tyra,” Satine blurbed, “he wants to testify in front of the Council.”

“Good, this is,” Master Yoda spoke, “collect him tonight, Master Kenobi will.”

Satine blushed, realizing that Obi-Wan was likely in a meeting, “Thank you, Master Jedi.”

Once she hung up, the Duchess came back to her seamstresses, whom Parna was entertaining.

“Good news, Your Grace?” Waldie asked.

Satine finally allowed herself to smile, “Wonderful news.”

“That’s needed in these times.” a seamstress ventured.

“I agree,” the Duchess nodded, “Parna, I think we can repurpose some of my old gowns.”

The Lady nodded, “Should I bring some of the older ones down?”

“Please.”

Khaami came in as Parna left.

“A word, Satine?”

They made their way halfway towards the landing pad before Khaami spoke.

“I posted Gorg outside his room.”

“Protection?”

“Or in case of aggression.” Khaami answered.

“My Ben is coming to collect him,” Satine bounced on her heels, “he’ll be here tonight.”

Khaami grinned, eyeing her lady evilly, “You’re so giddy around him, you always have been.

The Duchess blushed, “Sometimes I still feel like we’re seventeen.”

Khaami snorted, “Yes, with six children.”

Satine sighed, “If Master Qui-Gon would’ve known we would have six children, he would’ve made our lives hell.”

“In a loving way, I’m sure.”

“Most definitely.” the Duchess agreed.

When Obi-Wan finally arrived, Satine was with Tyra in the med bay. She had woken up and was talking, but she had painful-looking white bulbs all over her arms and legs.

“At least I still have my hair.” Tyra joked with a wince.

“I’m just glad you’re safe, baby girl.” Satine smiled, “you know, it was a wonderful surprise when you were born.”

Tyra’s eyes watered, “Really?”

“Oh yes,” Satine placed her hand in Tyra’s, “I joked that I made such a mess I would need two towels.”

“But you really did need two.”

“What a lovely story.”

Satine turned and threw herself into Ben’s arms.

“It’s good to see you too, Darling.”

The Duchess kissed her Jedi until Tyra groaned.

“Uh, Dad, Lady Mother, I’m right here?”

Obi-Wan came to inspect his daughter, frowning at her injuries.

“Be nice to Je’er, Daddy,” Tyra warned, “he’s my boyfriend.”

Ben blanched, “A Sith-spawn?”

“Obi, he saved her life.”

The Jedi sighed, “Alright, Tyra, for you.”

Satine led Obi-Wan to where Je’er was sleeping. The poor child was thrashing in his sleep.

“Je’er!”

Obi-Wan gently shook the boy awake.

“You’re Master Kenobi.”

“I am.”

Je’er swallowed, “My father’s name is Sheev Palpatine.”

The room grew heavy with silence, and boils appeared on Je’er’s skin.

“Stay calm,” Obi-Wan ordered, “stay calm and they’ll go away.”

It worked.

Satine’s head spun, “Sheev? The Chancellor of the Galactic Senate, a Sith Lord?”

“We’ve been suspicious for a long time,” Obi-Wan explained, “but we’ll need this boy’s testimony, and his blood.”

“Take him then,” Satine urged, “quickly.”

Once Obi-Wan left, the Duchess stood staring at the sky for a minute longer. Her children were out there somewhere, three of them imprisoned. That Sith Lord was terrible, keeping them separate from one another. What did he want from them?

“Satine,” Khaami appeared, “I have the Prime Minister on the phone.”

Jaru Djarin suggested that Satine go to parliament and speak to the lords, because, as usual, they were very disgruntled and consumed by nonsense.

“I’ll go tomorrow,” Satine assured, “will you come with me?”

“Unfortunately,” the Prime Minister sighed, “I’m giving a press conference just as parliament begins.”

Satine nodded, “Good luck.”

“Thank you.”

Satine was in a fitting for tomorrow’s event, an old court dress reminiscent of Queen Mara’s style, only in Kryze colors, when she asked Waldie what time it was.

“Six in the evening.”

Satine said nothing, but her stomach rumbled.

“Your Grace?”

The Duchess lowered her eyes, “I forgot to eat today.”

“Forgive me, Satine,” Waldie began, “put you’ve lost much weight since the Count’s first visit.”

“Stress.” the Duchess sighed.

Waldie swallowed, accepting the answer even though she didn’t want to.

“Should I have Parna bring food to your room?” a seamstress questioned.

Satine hesitated, “A light dinner please, it would be good for me.”

Khaami came to retrieve Satine when her fitting was over.

“I just talked to Gorg,” she whispered, “he’s filing for retirement.”

“Now,” Satine gasped, “but-”

“I know he knows,” Khaami’s voice was low and understanding, “but he has been unwell even though he’s physically healthy.”

“PTSD?” Satine asked.

“He’s been having nightmares in the barracks,” Khaami frowned, “he’s terribly embarrassed.” 

The Duchess balled her fists, “That God-awful Count and his apprentice!”

Khaami agreed, “I just wanted you to know.” 

“I’d love to honor him somehow, a pension perhaps,” Satine decided, “seeing as he doesn’t like big events.”

The lady smiled, “That’s a good idea.”

“Come with me,” Satine hooked her arm through Khaami’s, “I need someone to make sure I eat.”

Parna was laughing with Jaym outside Satine’s door when the Duchess and her lady arrived.

“What’s this?” Khaami grinned.

Parna snorted, “Jaym has a strange sense of humor.” 

“Does he?”

“Apparently,” Jaym shrugged, “most people don’t think I’m funny.”

Parna grinned, “You’re hilarious, Jaym.”

Satine turned to Khaami and raised her eyebrows.

“If you like, Your Grace,” she began, “I could make preparations for what we discussed and Parna could eat with you.”

“I would love that.” the Duchess replied.

Satine ate cheese and bread that night, the whole platter that was offered to her.

Parna patted the Duchess’ head, “Good girl, Satine.”

“Thank you.” Satine replied with a giggle.

“Should I help you dress for bed?”

“Please, Parna.”

As Satine lay in bed that night, she had no idea what was going on somewhere else in the galaxy, on Mustafar. Obi-Wan had commed her saying he and Je’er had made it, but when the Jedi Council come out of a meeting to find Mara Supreis and Tristan Wren in the med wing, along with three of the five padawans.

[merigreenleaf]

Unexpected Inspiration Character Backstory: The Twins’ Past

The crisp snow crunched under Etri's feet in a sickening way reminiscent of the rough gravel floor of the Sanctuary's acolyte quarter. His skin burned every time he sunk into a knee-high drift, the pain a constant reminder of the flames that waited for him should they be caught. His fingers were numb under thin gloves meant for concealment, not warmth, and his robe was nigh-useless outside the cavern city. It had been cold underground-- every day of his life had been spent shivering-- but nothing had prepared him for this overwhelming numbness spreading through his body. If he couldn't find shelter soon, it wouldn't matter that they had escaped. They would die anyway.

-Excerpt from “Stuck With You”

As their lingering accents and pale features can attest, Sol and Etri weren't originally from Concordia. They come from Montglace, a place far to the north where the population lives in a single city deep below the mountainous snow and ice. At one time, long ago, people lived on the surface, but this was so long ago that the rest of the world mostly assumes the population of Montglace died out, if they're reminded of its existence at all. Possibly this would have been for the best, considering what Montglace has become. The twins do not have a happy backstory.

Montglacian culture is dominated by a dual religious order of light and shadow; the twins were born into and raised by the Sanctuary of Shadow. Within the carved stone walls of the temples, there is no concept of family and children never know who their parents or possible siblings are. Being identical twins granted Etri and Sol some insight, although it took years for them to work this out. While Etri was delivering a message for one of the high ranking priestesses, he came across a mirror for the first time in his life. It was then that it made sense why people had always called him by the wrong name-- he looked identical to one of the other boys. Since their language has no word for brother or twin, the closest they could come up with was "person who looks like me," but this was enough for them to realize the other was important. 

[More]

Etri's shadow magic manifested soon after this and he was allowed a small room of his own. This offered a little more security from the dangers of the temple, but it meant that it was harder to sneak around to spend time with Sol. In working out a way to do this safely, Etri discovered that his magic could turn his body into a shadow, much like the elementals the priest/esses controlled. This brought its own kind of danger in keeping it secret, but Etri has always been careful. He made sure that they were never caught together and when Sol began showing signs of light magic, Etri made sure no one else found out. If this was discovered, Sol would have been sent to the Sanctuary of Light and it would have been unlikely the two would see each other again. Sol played dumb, which was easy when the priest/esses never guessed he could have light magic and instead only tested his control over shadow elementals. To this day, shadows still terrify Sol.

Only one other person knew the truth about Sol having magic and he took it to the grave... but I'm getting ahead of myself. Sol fell in love with another boy in the temple and this needed just as much care to avoid detection since any kind of relationship was forbidden. Knowing how important this boy was to Sol, Etri took a risk and befriended him. Etri tried his hardest to keep both of them out of trouble, but this wasn't an easy task. Sol had a tendency to become easily distracted and not notice a threat until too late. Pierre constantly talked back to his superiors and made himself a target all too often, usually as he tried to divert someone's attention long enough for Sol to get away. Pierre always stood his ground, refusing to be quiet and accept life as it was in the temple. He hated the Sanctuary and while he and Etri were able to give Sol happiness as best they could, both hated seeing him scared so much of the time. There had to be a way out, even if leaving was forbidden. So the three made plans for Sol and Pierre to sneak out of the city and out of the mountain. Etri disliked the idea of losing the people he cared about, but he knew they would have a better chance of escaping if he stayed behind to distract or try to stop anyone who followed them. With his ability to shift into a shadow and avoid being seen, he had a level of protection the other two did not.

Their plan almost worked. At the last moment, their escape was discovered, and both were locked up. Etri tried so hard to break them out, but couldn't succeed before Sol and Pierre were dragged out to the surface of the mountain with Etri following close behind in shadow form. With no witnesses around, the three knew the type of punishment the priest/esses had in mind. What was essentially an elemental firefight went down. Etri, doing the best he could with magic that had never been fully trained, blocked the elementals long enough to give Pierre time to summon shadows of his own to use against the light elementals. Sol, absolutely terrified of everything happening, lost control over his magic. He flared hot and bright like a small sun, which took out a portion of the elementals before he fainted. This was a losing battle and the other two knew it. Pierre urged Etri to get away with Sol, then used every ounce of his strength to buy them time. Etri, in turn, threw all he could into wrapping his magic around the other two to try to shadow them to safety, but he wasn't strong enough. He was able to grab his twin-- just barely-- and pull him away before Pierre drained his own magic dry.

The twins got away and made their way south into Galanvoth and eventually into Concordia. It wasn't easy and they struggled at first, both in terms of controlling their magic and with life in general. As Sol grew more confident with his magic, he decided to change his name as a way of claiming his power for himself and also to get rid of the birth name that reminded him too much of his past. He earned what income he could through his skill in fixing and inventing things while Etri stole what else they needed to survive. This, though, is a story for another day. Seven years have passed since they fled Montlgace and both have grown up and found happiness. They now have safety, security, and friends in their carnival troupe. When they meet Blythe and later Adair and Dray, they gain a family they never had in anyone but each other. Forever at the back of both of their minds, though, is guilt and regret that they weren't able to save Pierre, too.

————————–

This is the next (and possibly last, although I might do secondary characters later) in the series of backstory moodboards I’m doing about the dorks. I have one for Blythe here, one for Addy here, two for Dray here and here, and one for Rosalie & Camille here.

This was made for @homesteadchronicles theme of “mountains” although I started it weeks ago for a theme that might have been “desperation”-- it took me that long to iron out their backstory because I realized I’d broken it as I’ve been outlining the trilogy. Also I swear I’m still writing comedic/lighthearted fantasy despite how depressing this post is. The twins most definitely had the hardest childhood, but it improved drastically after this low point as teenagers, I promise! 

(For the moodboard, most pictures are pretty straightforward, but I’ll explain a few. The pictures represent them in this point of their past-- Etri is naturally blond, believe it or not lol. I liked the heart shape of the guy breathing fire because that’s so very Sol. The necklace represents the one Sol made for Pierre; he put some of his magic into it so it served to protect Pierre a little while they were living in the temple. While Pierre was telling Etri to leave, he passed the necklace back because it was the only thing he could give Sol to remember him by. The crescent moon tattoo on Etri’s side represents the branding he was given when his magic manifested; everyone in the Sanctuaries is branded when they develop magic. In case you can’t see the images, like if tumblr isn’t letting you click them bigger, Sol’s quote thing says “Play Dumb! Not That Dumb!” and Etri’s says “Always have an escape plan.”)

Tagging my series tag list. Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the list and please definitely tag me in writing things you share, too!

@homesteadchronicles @ageekyreader @lynnafred @the-gay-hufflepuff @oceanwriter @desperatlytryingtowriteabook @muffindragon227 @theguildedtypewriter @toboldlywrite @wchwriter @dreameronthewind @shadow-maker @pen-for-sword @loopyhoopywrites @emptymanuscript @madmoonink @perringwrites @megan-cutler @elliot-orion @thatwriternamedvolk @indecentpause @writer-on-time @ravenpuffwriter @siarven @musicismymoirail @lady-redshield-writes @bluemartlet @reeseweston @worldbuildingwren @hiddswritingrefs @cay--scribbles @focusdumbass @enasroterfaden @missrobinswritings @joshuaorrizonte @zofiehelen @kainablue @kalis-scribbles @inspirited-goddess 

[kamalamackerel]

It's been a year since ZOM-FAM has been out into the world. I had only one dream for this poetry: That she would make her way into people's hearts. (Well two dreams: I also *really* wanted this book to make the CBC books preview list 'coz I have lil'immigrant dreams like that, y'know?) 🌸🌊 The way these stories have been received in the world has exceeded all my expectations: It not only made the CBC books preview list, but became a CBC Best Book of Poetry, a Globe & Mail Best Book Debut, a finalist for both the QWF Concordia University First Book Award and the Writers' Trust of Canada Dayne Ogilvie Prize! 💫🌱 #ZOMFAM has also been featured on CBC Books, CBC Arts, Radio-Canada, CityNews, Fugues, Revue Jeu, Spirale, Autostraddle, Xtra & so much more, with reviews in Canthius, Arc, Montreal Review of Books, Room, & World Literature Today called it "a milestone in Mauritian literature." It's presently being taught in universities in the UK, the US and Canada 😭✨ In January, ZOM-FAM went into its 2nd print run, which I still can't believe. This means that 1,000+ copies of this book have made their way onto people's bookshelves 🤯🤯 But more than anything, the greatest joy has been when the book landed in Mauritius this July. This was the true homecoming. True, expansive joy, like I never thought possible ♥️💙💛💚 So gratitude is in order: first of all for my wonderful, dedicated & diligent publishers @metonymypress. For all the indie bookstores that have stocked & promoted this book (& the many who hosted me for online readings & talks!) For everyone who invited me to teach, read, meet students, run workshops! Everybody who has read, shared, reviewed, made an IG story & generally celebrated this poetry in their life. This means so much 🌻🙏🏾 @aun_li & Kai Yun Ching, again, for this dreamy cover that still takes my breath away 😘😍 And all the queer, trans & racialized writers out there who supported me over the past year, taught me the ropes of "the industry," supported me so I could sustain myself through this journey & still find joy, & still remain true to myself, my heart, my values. THANK YOU! 🙏🏾💫🌱💖 Photo credit: @___sel_de_mer https://www.instagram.com/p/CT5t6NvLtKM/?utm_medium=tumblr