#exhausted-impact

[surely-galena]

Ask meme for...Kimberly Garner, Vincent Kim and/or Zangr Stewart please!

(Good luck with your presentation! You got this 🥳)

Hi exhausted-impact!!

These are GREAT choices, I feel like I would have more to say if I wasn't so tired but here goes anyway:

Kimberly Garner

First impression: I honestly don't remember much, but one thing that stood out was probably that Artem got his eyes from her! I love finding the resemblances of the NXX team members to their biological family.

What I think now: I like her! Although she's not a perfect mother by any means, I like that she's very casual with Artem. She definitely loves him and wants the best for him, even if she wasn't able to be with him as much as he might have wanted when he was young.

Favorite moment: I'll be honest here, canon and stuff I've read in fic kind of blend together when it comes to Kimberly, but one thing I remember from the game is from the 2023 LNY call. It's where Artem is like, "my mom told me off for not bringing you over for dinner :((" and although it's off screen, it's a fun little interaction. (Non-canon wise, I've written a fic where Kimberly comes over to Artem's place to celebrate his birthday, only to get stuffed into a Trojan horse type thing with the other NXX members to surprise him. Along a similar vein, there's a fic called once more around the sun (i revolve around you) by @samsspambox where Kimberly tries her best to be present for Artem's birthdays after Neil tells her off.)

Vincent Kim

First impression: oh Marius has an assistant! He seems young! Why is he wearing gloves? (<- probably my primary thoughts upon seeing Vincent)

What I think now: I think he's super underrated and underutilized!!! I think there is so much more to Vincent than just being Marius' PA, but the main story almost never goes into these things. I mean, you'd have to be a pretty special person if Marius is going to trust you with research or work for the NXX Investigation Team. I also feel like canon maintains this professional barrier between Marius and Vincent when I think that they should actually be friends outside of work. Because the trust is there, and also because Vincent has canonically walked into Marius trying to flirt with MC. So Vincent has seen things that other people in Marius' life probably wouldn't get to.

Favorite moment: When we learn that Vincent is actually into romance media. It's such a delightful detail to know because it means he's a normal guy, too!!

Zangr Stewart

First impression: ohh fourth wall break guy!!! :D he's so silly. surely he's a one-off guy and won't return later. (also in the Lost Gold event, I was one of those guilty of assuming the picture of Zangr from behind was just Artem. Their hairstyles are very similar from the back.)

What I think now: I'm so glad you asked about him because I love Zangr's character so much, I'm truly delighted every time he appears in an event. Ever since he showed up in Skadi, every time he's not in a major event, I'm a little disappointed he's not going to join in the hilarity.

Favorite moment: My favorite funny moment(s) is probably in the Skadi event when the game mechanic has you approach Zangr to debate him multiple times, because the idea of MC marching up to Zangr nearly every day during her time at Skadi is such a funny idea to me. No matter what, Zangr's not going to get rid of her, and she's not going to stop bumping into him, either. (Slight tangent to this is how I actually don't mind the idea of MC/Zangr as a ship, but with the caveat that it has to be only under very specific circumstances. Otherwise they're like hilarious nuisances that keep running into each other. "Oh no, it's the protagonist debate lady :|" "OHO, it's ZANGR once again >:D"). My favorite serious moment is probably during the Blizzardous Threads of Red event when Zangr has crucial information, but only reveals it when MC goes along with his line of reasoning instead of her usual "because of truth and justice" answer. I think it goes to show that conceptually, MC and Zangr have opposing mindsets and as stubborn as they are, neither of them are willing to give up their point of view for another reason. Which is completely fair, of course, but also incredibly fascinating to me.

Thank you for the ask!! And thank you for the well wishes, the presentation went wonderfully <3

[actualbird]

Hmmm...non-TOT ask: As a fellow lover of cup noodles looking for recs, which brand/flavor of cup noodles reigns supreme for you? 😋

see im a basic bitch so my go-to is always NISSIN hjvsdfjKHVKJSHDFSDF. but but but not the PH smol cups of NISSIN not these ones on the right, but the imported classic ones on the left, now THATS the good shit

i actually went to the cup noodle museum in japan a few years ago!!! it was super fun there, they let you design your own cup and make your own flavor/mix of cup noods. heres some throwback pics!!

thank you for the ask ^w^ !!

[samsspambox]

'Inbox one thing you want to know about me': I saw the Joji post you made a while back, and the tag mentioned how 'Die for You' was an Artem song and '1AM' is a Luke song...

The question I have would either be what Joji song you would associate with Vyn and Marius, or a general question of what other songs do you associate with the NXX based on your playlist?

Sorry this is really long 😅

hello exhausted-impact!!!

i'm so glad you asked! i like joji an okay amount (not as much as i like other artists but he's still up there) but i mean, im still gonna do it with the songs i know lmaooo. and as a treat, i shall give you another song with the joji songs bc why not! (and also an explanation bc im a whore for overanalyzing things kjbsdcjskb)

i do have a playlist for every nxx boi tho (i should... probably update them tho oops)

marius - slow dancing in the dark/westside

i mean, aside from it being one of his more popular songs, slow dancing in the dark is so much like marius. like, he wants to share himself but he would still have reservations. westside definitely exemplifies this, all the questions in the middle of the verse and the insecurities he'd face.

vyn - sanctuary/love

okay sanctuary fits vyn so well, especially since his whole thing is being able to see other people's bullshit, all he wants is someone who is true. someone who'd he could be safe with. the second song is more about the cynicism of love, something that vyn has at the beginning of the game (re: his reservations with love at first sight)

luke - 1AM FREESTYLE/is your bedroom ceiling bored?

luke 'angst machine' pearce gets songs that specifically make me think about his time in the NSB without MC. that's literally it he gets all the longing songs ksbjksb

artem - die for you/valentine

LISTEN DIE FOR YOU JUST MAKES ME THINK OF ARTEM SEEING MC WALK OUT OF THEMIS WITH ANOTHER PROTAGONIST SOB SOB. like, with the timeline i'm making for tot, there's evidence in the main story that all boys are courting mc at the same time pre-confession, and i think he'd be the type of person to back down and try to be friends (and he'd be successful!). the second song is like... him realizing that he has MC as a partner now, and he's still very inexperienced with relationships

and yeah! those are my thoughts!! i hope you enjoyed and have fun listening to the songs!!

[ylceon]

tell me how i'm yours and you are mine

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

*puts down some SAGAU fluff* come here i have a tasty meal for you :)

Childe often goes to the city to pick up supplies, as you can't wander into a crowd without getting accused of impersonation- he's seen the scars etched over your skin, the lines of starry blood from blades and burns. so even with the cloth mask you always wear, he doesn't push you to venture into any big cities or villages. you are the Creator, after all, and Childe- Ajax- wants you to be as happy as possible. besides, it's always the perfect opportunity to catch wind of any news floating around, both from his subordinates and chatter on the street. the Eleventh Harbinger is oddly quiet nowadays, completing his work in silence and deep thought, yet the agents of the Fatui swear they can see a faint sparkle in his deep blue eyes.

it's during one of his outings that Ajax notices that he has a shadow- a small, fuzzy shadow, a kitten trotting after him as he goes around doing his weekly errands. the tiny thing is determined keep following him, even though one of his steps is practically an entire journey to it, and after the kitten trails after him to every shop he visits, Ajax simply scoops it up in one hand and carries it with him. it clambers onto his shoulder and makes itself comfortable, periodically mewing and nudging his cheek. Foul Legacy is going mad trying to stay silent in the back of Ajax's head, trilling and chirping in delight at the new adorable friend.

you're equally as delighted when Ajax brings the kitten home, gasping and reaching out as he gently sets it in your hands- and just in time, as Foul Legacy takes over their shared body, nuzzling up to you and chittering very quietly so he doesn't scare the cat. he watches your every move and reaction, the warm smile on your face after all that you've suffered making his heart melt. your newfound friend meows, high pitched and squeaky, kneading biscuits against your scarred palms as Legacy gently pulls you into his lap and purrs deeply along with the tiny kitten's buzzing.

the Creator, an Abyssal monster, and their fluffy companion- now all you need to do is think of a name.

[mmmairon]

Home was the only place left.

Prints

[c6jpg]

arlecchino ♢ lullaby

[cloud-ya]

another day another dragon

[sooshkaa]

rare sleepy morning together :')

[calmbigdipper]

Finally completed twt user herasphases’s prompt for @hkvthm-action! They requested a The Little Mermaid AU with Prince!Kaveh and Merman!Alhaitham ~

[m1d-45]

will you promise that i'll see you again?

summary: your people refuse reason, and their damage refuses to heal. when it seems as if the whole world has left you, your dutiful knight still remains by your side.

word count: 2.3k

-> warnings: implied suicidal ideation (reader + unnamed side character), reader's previous deaths are mentioned in somewhat graphic detail

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @yuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk

< masterlist >

“you’re one of the only things keeping me going, you know.”

dainslef turned to you in surprise, the even neutrality to your tone a sharp contrast to the rapid pace of his heart. he wasn’t a fool, he knew that the hunt had to be taking a heavy toll on you, but this…

this was more than he expected.

he knew he was one of a pitiful few who saw through celestia’s false puppet, who knew you for you and not their mirage. he knew that the entire world was hellbent on erasing you from existence, that you’d been forced through your own death countless times as teyvat pulled you apart and pushed you back together far from the scene of your would-be murder. he saw the golden scars across your skin, the dried remains of blood lining the wounds you hadn’t been able to patch yet. he’d been the one to wash them away, not minding the refuse soaking into his gloves if it meant your hands could be clean.

he recognized the dull exhaustion in your eyes, the same as the ones he saw in the reflections of lakes. tired, worn, barely there, hanging on by one solitary string that was wound so tightly around a desperate hand.

you had always been his reason for continuing. when the traveller broke down and the ruler of the abyss hid from the sun, you were there. when the chasm’s mud clung to his boots and the memories in his head burned as nails forced between his eyes, you were there. his rosary was kept tight to his chest at all times, familiar prayers pulling him up in the morning and forcing him to sleep at night. he was alive for far, far too long, but you made it bearable. you were his duty, his promise.

he never once thought that he’d be yours. then again, he never thought that he’d have to defend you from the ones you once called friends. time never did pass how he expected it to.

“…leading light?”

you looked down, twirling blades of grass around your fingers. he had led you up to a mostly desolate area of sumeru, west of bayda harbor. it close enough to the sea, forest, and desert that you could reasonably make an escape through any of those routes if need be, while also providing a rather pleasant view. the sky was bleeding red and gold as the sun sank below the horizon, a remarkable sight that fell on blind eyes. there was no use trying to enjoy nature’s beauty when he still kept one hand on his sword and both ears pricked for the slightest sign of danger.

you shouldn’t have to worry about your safety. you shouldn’t have to prioritize based on how likely you are to get hurt, or how easily it would be to make an escape. you still flinched when the wind blew a little too quick, used to it heralding armored footsteps and battle cries. in another life, you were welcomed with open arms, able to enjoy yourself without constantly being on high alert. teyvat did what it could to adapt; the air was still, frozen in time, barely a bird chirping for miles. it was meant to be comforting, he thinks, but dead silence was more unnerving than any breeze.

“i mean it.” he could hear every shift in his cloak around your shoulders, the heavy fabric doing little to soothe your stress. it was yours more than it was his now, to the point he felt claustrophobic wearing it. how long had he been traveling with you? the days blurred.

“i don’t doubt you.” he never would. never could. he’s not sure, even if he somehow wanted to, that his body would allow him to treat your words as anything less than fact. “but i don’t understand what you mean.”

you were a god. the creator, the first, the one that shaped the sovereigns scales and laid the foundations of earth. you predated the archons, celestia, the very skies themselves…

and he, somehow, was a driving motivation for you?

his words must have been funny, a sharp laugh tumbling out of your mouth. it was bitter, humorless, and somewhat raspy. he made note to find some water for you later. “what else could i mean?” you turn to him, some of his confusion lost as your eyes found his. even this burnt out, deep bags set beneath them, you still managed to steal the very air in his lungs. “you’re the only reason i’m still here.”

he didn’t know what to say. what was there to be said, when you were you and he was him? when the world had abandoned you, it made sense you’d cling to what remained faithful. it was merely coincidence he happened to find you first, that’s all. coincidence that you trusted enough not to run from, coincidence that you allowed to care for your injuries. there was nothing to say, because you held nothing for him in particular, only leaning on him out of need. he had to believe that. what was he left with if that wasn’t true? an awkward truth hid beneath his well-known lies, too large for him to see the edges, let alone to contain.

“please… do not say such things again.” to ask of his god what he could not ask of himself was surely some form of heresy, as was willingly laying aside his guard when he was the only one who was tasked with protecting you. he pulled his attention from the tide below, from the rustling trees, holding faith that the world would not be needlessly cruel. he stepped forward, kneeling beside you. even up close, you still seemed painfully small. “it is your own resilience that has allowed you to persevere.”

it’s the earth that leads you from danger.

it’s the water that follows you wherever you go.

it’s the leylines that whisk you to safety.

it’s the wind that warns you of what’s to come.

it’s the you from the past that protects the you in the present.

it’s the you in the present that provides for the you in the future.

it’s you, from everywhere and everywhen, continuing to fight.

and yet you sigh. you look away, across the sea, tracing fontaines skyline. “it really isn’t. i was lucky to run into you when i did.”

you had just crossed the wall back into the forest, burning hot and shaking. he was the lucky one, in truth, to be able to pick your figure out from the sand below. perched on a high cliffside, even mitachurls were reduced to small brown flecks.

you had worn a cryo mage’s cloak, which was what initially drew his attention. abyss activity wasn’t uncommon in the area, but a cryo mage in the desert… that was cause for intrigue. he stepped forward and slid down the steep face in front of him, a slight puff of dust marking his landing in the desolate sand of old vanarana.

he didn’t know what to expect. you stumbled around the jagged remains of a tree, heading for the statue of the seven. he followed, only growing more confused. cryo and dendro did not react with each other, and there was no way to “slow” a statue. a scouting mission, maybe? but why a cryo mage, when pyro would have been far more advantageous in the case of an attack?

he leaned around the corner carefully, prepared for the sight of a staff or the chanting of abyssal magic filling the air. the entire world seemed to be holding its breath, frozen in place and waiting for some trigger to continue.

he saw none of that. you were collapsed at the foot of the statue, faint wheezing only making it to his ears by virtue of the standstill around him. you held no staff, commanded no magic, your chest barely moving with air.

he’d never seen a mage seek out the archons when dying. one hand squeezed the handle of his sword as he crept forward, ready to strike should the situation turn against him. the sand barely shifted beneath his feet, his own heart sounding too loud to his ears. you did not move, showing no signs that you had noticed his approach. he still didn’t trust it.

your cloak was tattered and torn, with thick gloves atypical of a mage. they reminded him more of hilichurl wraps, which was strange considering you wore no mask. your face was instead covered by what looked like eremite cloth, just as stained and dirtied as the rest of your clothes. what he could see looked almost human; in another life, he could believe you were a weary traveller, lost amidst the sand.

he was acting foolish. if the abyss had a human tool, he needed to figure out why. he reached down, undoing the sloppy knot of your veil and letting the brocade fall limply to the grass.

…grass. he blinked, eyes flickering between the ground and your face, not sure which was harder to believe. flowers had bloomed around you, protecting your body from the blazing sands, and he’d be a fool not to recognize the face plastered all over every bounty board.

he didn’t understand. if nothing else, he thought the archons would have enough respect for their creator to know when they were being lied to, yet before him was barely living proof of the inverse. sweat beaded along every inch of exposed skin, deep-set heat exhaustion burning you from the inside out. how could you be a threat? how could they be so blind?

he looked again, the shine of elemental sight straining his eyes, catching flickers of the dendro energy pouring from the statue. you were the only one the archons would feed. you were the only one to make the very earth break its own rules, allowing lotuses to bloom from barren soil. something painfully similar to rage threatened what remained of his rationality, and it took all he had to push it aside.

that didn’t matter. if he went off on some banal revenge quest, he’d be no better than them. your safety mattered more. he picked you up and set aside how calm his curse felt, beginning the trek back to his camp. behind him, the flowers already began to wither, losing their persistence without you to foster it.

perhaps that initial meeting was luck. but these was no luck involved in your trust in him. when you woke up and saw him at your side, you chose to trust him. you chose to believe that he was not like the others, that he would protect you, and he was forever grateful for that trust. nobody could fault you for being angry, for being spiteful about what you were put through and choosing to lash out. nobody would have the right to be upset if you chose to vent your wrath against those that had hurt you.

but you didn’t. you chose, again and again, to believe in the world. you chose to let them live their lives, even if it meant getting hurt again in the process. you chose a quiet life traveling with him over the comfortable life on your throne. to willingly choose to travel with a disgraced knight to spare your people guilt… he couldn’t decide if it was noble or reckless. either way, he was selfishly happy that he was the one to stay by your side.

“i won’t try to convince you. but, please.. do not give up on yourself so easily.” i know far too many who have died by the same hand. “the world and its opinion does not define you. only you get to decide where fate leads.”

you lean towards him, and he thinks you might have passed out- but no, your head lands on his shoulder with far too much precision. he stiffens, not used to existence without a constant pain beneath his skin. “how motivational. you tell all your soldiers that?”

his heart is beating too quickly, thoughts unusually hard to grasp. you’re the only one who could have this effect on him. he only wished it wasn’t now, when your belief in yourself was on the edge. “i mean it. none of this is your fault, and neither are celestial actions the people’s fault. i know that you are hurt, but i don’t want you to accept that main needlessly. you shouldn’t have to view your creation with such pain.” slowly, carefully, he raises the hand closer to you, doing his best not to disturb you as he settles it on your arm. he’s can only hope that the contact brings you as much comfort as it does him. “if nothing else, believe me. promise you’ll at least try.”

he doesn’t think you’ll agree. why would you make a promise to one who represents the heaven’s betrayal? why would you let him hold you close at all, when you can surely sense the bindings of those who tried to kill you wrapped tightly around his soul? he doesn’t know. all he can do is hope.

“…alright, dainslef. i promise.”

twilight has long since fallen, and yet he smiles for the first time in centuries.

[surely-galena]

About ToT and Ace Attorney...of all the abilities shown throughout the series (like Phoenix and the magatama, Apollo and the bracelets, Edgeworth's 8D chess, Athena's emoji check), which ones do you think Rosa and Artem would have?

Hello there!! :D

I am so sorry to inform you that unfortunately I have not played the Ace Attorney series (I own the Phoenix Wright trilogy, but I'm waiting for my sibling's schedule to free up so we can try to play through it together). I've only seen the intro case that basically functions as a tutorial, a couple memes and fanart here and there (so I know some character names + designs), and that's about it for now.

However!! Based on my zero context I love the idea of Artem doing 8D chess... I don't know how it would work, but the image seems so fun to me. And an emoji check?? I think Marius would have a lot of fun with that if he was also an attorney. Vyn would probably be super annoyed by it though, because it seems like the check would bypass all of the formal training he went through (because it sounds like the check reads someone else's emotions by interpreting them through emojis? Is that what it does?). (Now if Rosa had the emoji check it would be a wayyy different story entirely. Vyn would be very proud of her, like, "Rosa, that is such an incredible skill. You are so much more talented than I could have ever imagined.")

That derailed into a mild tangent, but now I'm looking forward even more to playing Ace Attorney! I had no clue the characters had abilities... I'm now quite curious what a magatama is and what Apollo's bracelets do...

Thank you for the ask!!! I wish I could have better answered it, but for now, I don't have enough information to make the ability assessments :')

[actualbird]

11, 26 and 19 for the ask meme!! (Also sending a penguin, just because🐧)

for this ask meme

AWWWW thanks for the penguin!! //holds him gently

11) Link your three favorite fics right now

OHOHOHOHOOOO YESSSSS A CHANCE FOR ME TO RECC FICSSS!!!

my top 3 fave fics right now were all submissions to @marilukeweek, because that event made all the marilukewriters Insane with their quality so, without further ado

You say I'm in over my head, but considering I'm the tallest one here, I'm actually over YOUR heads by Litchire

mariluke role reversal AU thats the FUNNIEST FIC IVE READ EVER while also being a MASTERCLASS at tone shift and diverting the audience's intentions. this is one of those fics where i cant spoil what happens so it doesnt take away from the effect but please know this fic has me in a chokehold, i cant stop thinking about it

the magic of the algorithm by quarterweeb, theobscenefraction (quarterweeb)

mariluke actor AU and social media fandom fic and my god this is also SO DAMN FUNNY and a perfect snapshot of fandom culture and the shipping experience. wonderfully formatted too for peak immersion

can’t walk away (i would die for you) by xXILoveMyFridgeXx

mariluke yakuza AU and please mind the tags on this one if youre going to read it but my god what a masterfully done work. heartwrenching, riveting, well written, and beautifully done.

-

26) Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

OHHHHHH definitely excuse me, sir, i am this agent's emotional support babysitter. because that fic went through SOOOOOO many overall mood/tone changes, with many many scenes outlined but cut, before i finally settled on what i wanted it to be. it was wild for me because i simply have so many feelings about the aaron & luke dynamic, so it was hard for me to pick out what i wanted to write!!

-

19) What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

oh boy, let's take a look at my top 5. i have a suspicion but let's see if....

yep, knew it. KBLKSJDFDSFS

i really really really love writing humor. im a silly guy at heart and i love making people laugh, and theres a special kind of joy i derive from writing comedy fics and figuring out what would be the most hilarious course of action. also, i watched way too much Whose Line Is It Anyway growing up, so maybe thats why i am the way i am, HAHA

thanks for the asks!!!

[theleeryder]

“Hello?” Crepus shouted into the storm, the downpour and lightning easily overpowering him. “Hello! Is anyone else out there?!” 

The small child in his arms didn’t react as the read-headed man hefted him up higher, setting the child on his hip. Barely clinging to his consciousness as exhausted and fatigue clawed at him. 

Crepus could feel how feverish he was even now. The boy was racked with shivers. Archons knew how long he’d been out there by the time Crepus happened to notice him. 

“Let’s get you inside and warmed up and then we’ll find your parents. Yeah?” Crepus shouted over the rain as he tucked his coat further over the child’s head. Keeping the rain off him as best as he could with the wind trying to yank the cloth off the both of their heads. 

The child said nothing. His visible eye dull and his fingers pale with cold as the clutches at the man’s chest. It was a haunted expression. One that spoke of horrors no child should know. 

Even as Crepus whispered reassurances and promises of finding the boy’s family, the feeling in his chest knew that they were only lies.

 As did the child in his arms.

Day 3. Storm

[yourlocalfairygothparent]

Imagine how differently any Mortal Kombat game would’ve went if Raiden wielded a chancla

[wantonlywindswept]

forgotten fox ficbit

With Palpatine's dying breath, he curses Fox to be Forgotten.

(Fox isn't really bothered.)

---

There was a personnel transfer authorization sitting in Marshal Commander Thorn's crowded inbox.

He didn't remember requesting a fourth commander. The Guard was in desperate need of one following Thire finding Palpatine's wrinkled ass dead in his office, and the ensuing shitshow about the former Chancellor being a Sith and also controlling the war from both sides. Interim Chancellor Organa was incredibly competent and parsecs better than their previous natborn overlord, but even he was being swamped by the uproar in the Senate and the peace talks with the Separatists and the doubled amount of assassination attempts and the petabytes and petabytes of datawork--

Thorn couldn't remember requesting another commander, but he also couldn't remember the last time he slept.

Commander Vertex stood calm and at the ready on the other side of Thorn's desk, all-black helmet tucked under his arm as he waited patiently for Thorn to remember how to read. His hair was stark white, and there were vine-like scars wrapped around his neck that disappeared down into his blacks. The remnants of Sith lightning, Thorn knew, now that they'd been briefed on what that kind of thing looked like. 

Vertex's file was sparse, mostly redacted, and marked him as coming from the Special Operations Brigade, which Thorn could entirely believe.

"This isn't part of an investigation, is it?" he blurted, brain-to-mouth filter entirely gone after five too many cups of caf and an inadvisable number of stims over the past month. "The Guard was already cleared of suspicion involving the former Chancellor's death--"

Vertex held up a hand. Thorn's mouth snapped shut. 

"It's not," Vertex said, his voice firm, reassuring. There was something about it that made Thorn relax, as if his beleaguered hindbrain knew that the other commander had everything under control.

Spec Ops troops were amazing.

"The GAR is just reallocating resources given the recent upheaval," Vertex continued. Thorn nodded along like that all made sense. "I'm here to help with anything you need."

The word 'help' triggered a sudden burst of manic hope in Thorn's chest, and he lurched forward across his desk, grabbing Vertex's free hand in both of his own. The commander didn't even blink at the sudden movement, calmly meeting Thorn's wide, desperate eyes.

"Can you--" Thorn struggled to keep from sounding like he was begging, which he definitely was. "Can you do datawork?"

Vertex's sigh was entirely exasperated, and the roll of his eyes oddly, familiarly fond.

"Yes, Thorn. I can do your datawork."

---

Pt 2