#nia's navigation

[theloveliestembrace]

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 ✧

requests: open!

note.

Many of these will a. take time as I'm still a student, and b. be written based on my preferences

who.

Formula 1

Jujutsu Kaisen

Genshin Impact

Harry Potter

what i do write.

angst

smut

fluff

what i don't. (non-exhaustive)

incest

rape/non-con

abuse

pregnancy

how

send me an ask, or a dm:)

[writer-haley-e]

I haven’t talked much about it on here, but I was participating in NaNoWriMo this month! I was expecting to not complete it, because I’ve heard of so many people not able to in their first year, but I realized I can actually write pretty fast if I try to, and I finished!

My current word count is 50,537!!

I haven’t written this much for any one story before, so I’m so proud of myself for getting this much done in such a short time, and I’m hoping to finish the rest of the first draft by the end of January at the very latest.

Also I’ve been keeping track of how much time I’ve spent just writing this month, and it’s added up to 32 hours and 36 minutes, which seems fast to me at least, idk how fast other people did it.

Anyways, my first year trying nanowrimo and I did it! Yay!

[sxfthannie]

navigation

introduction // masterlist // rules // recommendations

-> no, i don't take requests for now.

-> take note that i post in a really slow pace. if you're down for when i randomly disappear and then come back to writing as if nothing ever happened, then feel free to follow me! ;3

[cuteniarose]

The most P’heer-coded song ever made and I’m not taking any criticism about this

(A.k.a: Nia ffs stop pushing your obsession with soviet cinema onto people no one cares)

Rough and non-rhyming translation done by yours truly because I’m bored and have nothing better to do than sit here and translate songs:

[ Like life without spring,

Like spring with no leaves,

Like leaves with no thunderstorms,

And like thunderstorms with no lightning

That’s how dull the years are

Without the right to love,

The right to answer your call

Or your wordless pained moan (x2)

Alas, misfortune can’t be predicted

Call for me, I will block the blow.

And perhaps I’ll pay for it with my head

It’s not up to me to wonder about the price, my love

The roads of love are not easy for us,

But at least the white moss and clovers show us kindness.

The nightingales are full of bittersweet longing

And the springs are generous as they return to us in the north

The nightingales are full of bittersweet longing

And the springs are generous as they return to us in the north

The land that is so full of separation

Will suddenly wed us itself.

Because we are faithful to the birds of spring

We hear them even in winter, my love ]

The vibes aren’t as apparent unless you know the context, which just SCREAMS young P’heer:

Alyosha is an upper class boy on the run from the government after getting involved in Shit He Should Not Have Gotten Involved In. While spending the night in a monastery, he meets Sofya, who was placed there against her will after the death of her parents and is now being readied to become a nun (her parents left her a big inheritance which she is being pressured into giving away as a donation to the monastery). He helps her escape and they travel together for a while until they reach her aunt’s place, where they part ways until he finds out that her aunt sold her out to the monastery in exchange for a cut of her inheritance. The nuns take Sofya to a nearby skit (remote religious settlement) and Alyosha follows, once again helping her escape but this time taking her with him on his travels. She ends up joining him and his friends as they attempt to get themselves out of the Shit They Should Not Have Gotten Involved In, and taking an active part in the attempt to rescue the kidnapped Anastasia Yaguzhinskaya, the love interest of one of Alyosha’s friends

Or, in other words – Nia once said that they have no interest in any other piece of media besides their multiverse of madness. Nia was, apparently, blatantly lying and did not realise until this exact moment that Gardemarines, Charge!, a four episode movie series from 1987, does, in fact, make them yell incoherently and brainrot like crazy

[xxxairheadedangelxxx]

Anyone wanna sit in on my ted talk about how the way Yoko Copes w Kamina's Death Vs the way Nia helps Simon cope are actually on par with each other as to their usefulness and also their toxicity which is why no member of dai gurren can exist on their own they need the support of everyone in order to keep going?

[itaehynz]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃

─ now playing, beautiful stranger by laufey.

˖ ⊹ ₊ ˚ ─── nia’lah! 23 (‘01 liner), she/her!

⤷ sfw + nsfw for tomorrow by together. ★ blank blogs/ageless will be blocked! soft hours: open! 𖦹 hard hours: open! 𖦹 requests: open!

PIX HOLLOW ⸝⸝⸝ MY SWEET HOME ⸝⸝⸝ NEVEREND ⸝⸝⸝ PIXIE TRAIL ⸝⸝⸝ FAIRY HAVEN

˖ ⊹ ࣪ 🌿 ₊ ˚ ───── recent works!

three’s a (choi) charm, choi line. *ongoing* two slow dancers, huening kai. a night to remember, choi soobin.

NETW?RKS. @k-labels.

ARCH?VE. lsrfm as your girlfriend.

© iTAEHYNZ. all rights reserved. do not repost, alter or translate in any way or platform.

[signedkoko]

You are such a sweetie! Since your requests are open, if you feel inspired and motivated by this (otherwise you can 100% ignore it, writing is hard - I know), could I request a one-shot for Vox who falls in love with a imp!reader? Would love to see how you write their "forbidden" love, how would Vox feel and what if the other Vee's found out about it. It doesn't have to be a story, you can do it in headcannon format if you feel like it suits better! Just try to have fun ♡ -Nia

Intern [Romantic]

In which the techy overlord falls for one of his new hellborn employees, much to his dismay. Reader is genderneutral.

Song - Break My Heart by Dua Lipa

Any hellborn would die for the opportunity that graced you. Well, graced was not the right word; you fought for months against many candidates, beefed up your resume, and pulled some strings to get an unpaid internship for the Vee's. More specifically, a three-month internship at VoxTek with the potential to be hired in immediately after. 

It was a position people could only dream of, especially hellborn. Sinner-based companies had a tendency to place sinners above hellborns, but you knew that and used it to your advantage. You couldn't go in as equal; you had to know you were less and make up for it. 

The job itself wasn't all that bad, either. It was a lot of unpaid hours, from the crack of dawn to the dip of the sun or later, but it mostly involved the small details. Coffee, sorting, and delivering mail between sections were hard to mess up. 

There was the rare extra task where someone messed up and they needed someone to cover quickly. 

Today was one of those days. You were at the right place at the right time, sitting by the coffee machine, grabbing yourself your first cup of the day. 

That was when he entered, his shoes tapping on the floor with confident clicks, and when he spoke it commanded attention. 

Mostly because he spoke through every speaker in the building at once. 

"Who here can follow me? No questions asked."

Before anyone could chime in, his monitor did a full rotation of the room, his eyes narrowing when they landed on you. 

Your ear piece buzzed to life. 

"You, follow me. Now." The overlord spoke directly into your ear using the device, and knowing this may be an opportunity of a lifetime, you followed. 

There was no question about who it was: a monitor for a head, control of all technology, and a towering seven feet tall. Vox was the top of the top, and it was hard to believe you were allowed to so much as stand next to him. 

It was hard to keep up with his speed-walking pace, but he eventually led you into the mail elevator, hitting the twelfth floor while he muttered something about incompetence amongst hires and how he always had to take control of every production if he wanted it done right. 

With a ding and the slow release of the elevator doors, he took the lead once more, though this time he was walking slower and backwards, navigating with ease despite looking directly at you. 

"Alrighty intern, ready for your shot at becoming something more? Because our previous voiceover person just walked out on us, and now you'll be covering for them." He stopped with his back against a door, grabbing the handle and awaiting your reply. 

"But I only just spoke to..." 

"You're cute, you know that? How many videos do you think are out there with your voice? I listened to them all the moment I saw you." Vox only smiled wider when his words sunk in; he saw the usual flash of embarrassment as you pondered what he might have seen. Without waiting any longer, he pushed the door open, spinning so he was finally walking normally. 

It was a recording studio, and there were several other employees waiting, mostly those handling the recording equipment and some holding papers. 

Vox sat himself in a comfortable rolling chair in front of the glass window that overlooked the recording studio, spinning to hand you some papers that he took from a demon next to him. 

"Here is your script; all you have to do is read. Make it sound exciting! Something new, something beyond anyone's imagination, is now available to the public!" He put on a voice as he continued, demonstrating what he hoped you could manage. Someone ushered you into the booth and plopped some headphones over your ears. 

"From the top! 3...2..."

The whole process was a thrill, but you managed to run over the script in three separate recordings, of which Vox cited them all as 'stunning' or 'absolutely perfect!', though the producer claimed to need multiple for any potential recording malfunctions. 

For an overlord, he had been oddly kind and encouraging throughout the process, and he walked you out himself when everything wrapped up. 

Vox continued to speak about what the script was for and how excited he was for the launch, all while leading you through parts of the building you had never been to before. You thought after that he would have sent you back down and forgotten everything, but eventually you found yourself in front of your supervisor. 

"Vox! Sir- oh no, had our intern upset you?"

"No, no, not at all. Sorry, what was your name again? Ally? Yeah, listen, Ally, I need you to handle the paperwork they were assigned. Oh! And I want them promoted to my personal studio for tomorrow, too."

Before you or the sinner could ask questions, Vox was already out of there, chipper as ever. 

That evening, you went home with an upgraded badge and access card, along with details on your new position and expectations. It was a lot to get through, but you felt extremely proud of yourself for doing so well. Hell, you met THE Vox, and he wanted you to be the voice of VoxTek? 

While flipping through the pile of information, the most surprising aspect was the six-figure salary you were about to get started on. 

. . .

Surrounded by monitors, Vox watched various camera feeds as they traced your steps home. Vox saw you smile from several angles, the electricity between his antennae flickering. Each monitor had some kind of file or piece of information on you, and he was only pulled out of his trance when he got a call from Velvette. 

"Hello there, Velvette! What can I help you with today?" Leaning back in his chair, the overlord flicked his wrist, which shot the call from his monitor onto one of the many others displaying you. 

"I need your guys for a sh- wait. Vox, what the fuck is all of that?" While the fashionista originally had her eyes elsewhere, her gaze quickly fixed on his background, which was quickly followed by all the screens going blank with his logo. 

"That? Oh, oh no, its nothing at a-" 

"That's the imp you were talking about last week! The one you were trying to get to apply to VoxTek!" 

"Well, maybe, but-"

Once again, she cut him off with a gurgling groan. 

"Listen, I don't care who or what you fuck; just get your camera crew here and we'll talk about this later. Kay? Kisses!" Before she abruptly hung up on him, he could have sworn he heard a small 'at least they're hot' before the call disconnected. 

Tensed from the interaction, Vox could only groan and dramatically fall back into his chair, tapping his claws along the armrest. 

So what if he scouted you out? You didn't know that, and you were happy about it anyway! One by one, each monitor opened back up on your data, the overlord grinning. 

It was better this way; everyone would think it was the intern going after him, so nobody knew one of the top overlords in hell was dotting on some helpless imp.

Author's Note - I love Vox so much...hes so obsessive but he denies every accusation (its the same w Alastor lmao) like its going to hurt him! But thank you so much for the request Nia, I hope this interests you 🖤

Word Count - 1,219

[biblomaniac]

Lena’s late.

In her defense, the conference call with Japan had been rescheduled twice and they were ready to pull out of the project if she didn’t speak with them directly.

So, Lena’s late to Al’s for the groups weekly hang out. She ended up coming straight from the office. She is definitely overdressed for the bar, clad in black red bottoms, a tight forrest green pencil skirt, a white silk blouse patterned with black triangles, and a matching green waistcoat. Her hair had been set loose from its tight bun two hours into the four hour conference call, leaving her inky black locks wavy.

Arriving at the bar, Lena thanks Frank as he opens the door for her.

“Thank you, Frank. You can have the rest of the night off, I will probably end up going to Kara’s after.”

“Thank you, Ms. Luthor. I will go home, but I’ll keep my cell on. I’d prefer for you to call me if you need a ride.”

Lena rolls her eyes good-naturedly, used to Franks protests of her finding other transportation.

“Good night, Frank.”

“Good night, Ms. Luthor. Have fun.” Frank tips his hat, waiting for his boss to enter the bar before returning to the drivers side and heading off.

**********

Lena enters the familiar building. It’s outside is rather unremarkable at first glance, which it should be for a business trying to keep a low profile.

Since the CEO has become a regular customer at Al’s, the general population has accepted her presence, or at least ignore it in favor of avoiding Kara’s wrath.

Lena navigates her way to the back, looking for any familiar faces on her way to their regular table. She doesn’t find any, but she does hears Kara’s characteristic voice calling her name.

“Lena! Over here,” she calls, waving her hand obnoxiously in the air. Kara is smiling profusely, perfect white teeth on display and cheeks a rosy hue.

“Stop that! You’re making a scene,” Alex scolds, trying and failing to pull Kara’s hand from the air. Kara ignores her sisters protesting, only ceasing her actions when Lena is near enough to grab.

Just as Lena starts to address the table, Kara pulls her in for a tight hug. One arm surrounds Lena’s back while the other pulls Lena in by the shoulders. The greeting is rather enthusiastic, even for the alien equivalent of a golden retriever.

“Lena! Hi! What took you so long?”

Lena is caught mildly off guard, but returns the hug anyway.

“Hi, darling. I got caught up in the office. Are you having fun?” Lena questions before releasing Kara.

“Yes! Nia got me shots of Aldebaran Rum to ‘loosen me up’, and she made Brainy try Xenorian beer. It tastes like smoked cotton candy!” Kara shares happily, entertwining her hand with Lena’s before the brunette can stray too far.

“Shots? How many have you had?”

“Three! Wait—maybe four. And a couple of those beers. They were really sweet!”

Interesting.

“Hey, Kara, why don’t you go get me a whiskey? Take my card and start a tab for the table.” Lena hands over her Platinum American Express card. She figures giving Kara and errand to run will allow her a few minutes to get to the bottom of what’s going on here.

“Okay! I’ll be right back,” Kara exclaims happily, pressing a kiss to Lena cheek before heading to the bar.

Read the rest on AO3 😉❤️

[theloveliestembrace]

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✧

𝐧𝐢𝐚 | 𝟏𝟖+ | 𝐬𝐡𝐞/𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲

𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 (open!) | 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐚𝐨𝟑. 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬.

#𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰 𝐧𝐢𝐚 ➶ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭

#𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ➶ 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

#𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 ➶ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

#𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐧𝐢𝐚 ➶ 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲

𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞.

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬.

[lovezbrownies]

Nia with a really clumsy reader, like when reader gets left alone for 10 seconds theyve already set something on fire and caused the death of 5 families (im exaggerating for dramatic effect)

everytime i see a nia request it always gives me so much joyndkjfnds theyre always so fire oomf thank yeww for this one

Oopsie! (Yandere!Queen x GN!Reader.)

Nia's Masterlist - General Masterlist

Synopsis: Nia meets a very clumsy yet endearing individual.

Nia Bloodwen x GN!Reader.

Warnings: 'Countel' used as a gender neutral term of Count/Countess, Reader genuinely doesn't know how to walk or talk at all, Reader is a nervous wreck in this, Nia is having fun.

Your marriage to Queen Nia was supposed to be one of convenience—for you, at least. As the clumsy former Countel of the L/N house, your title had been thrust upon you when your fathers, tired of the burdens of leadership, handed over the reins to their 24-year-old heir. And though you were earnest, you were terrible at it. It wasn’t that you didn’t try—oh, you tried—but the documents you signed often had to be rewritten, your speeches were filled with stumbles, and you couldn’t navigate noble circles to save your life.

So, you kept to yourself at parties, avoiding the judgmental eyes of other nobles, desperately trying not to trip over your own feet. Soon, you became known as the “mysterious Countel,” a title whispered among the court’s gossipers. The irony wasn’t lost on you—your mystery was born out of your desire not to make a fool of yourself. Yet, somehow, it only made you more desirable to certain women, drawn to your quiet demeanor. You always declined their advances, though. “I’m flattered, but at the moment, I have no interest in courtship,” you’d say, voice cracking just enough to make them more intrigued, though that was never your intention.

Then, one day, everything changed. You found yourself in the Queen’s presence, not through any special favor but simply through the necessary duties of noble estates. Queen Nia, however, was known for her reclusive manner—meetings with her were conducted behind a curtain, her assistant passing documents back and forth between you. As you fumbled through the mountainous folder of estate paperwork, you were, naturally, a mess.

“Err, the estate papers… Uh, I think it’s this one!” you said, rising from your chair to hand over what you believed to be the correct document. But as you stood, the chair screeched loudly across the marble floor, and your foot—of course—caught on one of its legs. You stumbled forward with a yelp, only to be caught by the horrified assistant. “Stop! Please, sit down,” she hissed, gently guiding you back into your chair, prying the file from your sweaty hands.

“Oh, sorry!” you muttered, flushed with embarrassment, your ears burning.

Nia, behind her veil of privacy, heard the commotion and couldn’t suppress her curiosity. She knew of you—rumors had swirled around court about the elusive and awkward Countel, but this display? The nervousness in your voice, the shuffling of your steps? It wasn’t what she had imagined. In fact, she found herself oddly charmed by the entire affair.

The assistant passed the file to Nia, and when she opened it, her amusement grew tenfold. “Countel L/N, are you sure this is correct?” she asked, her voice laced with amusement that was difficult to hide.

You froze on the other side of the curtain. “Um, yes?” you responded, only for her to hum softly.

“These appear to be your drawings,” she said, her tone now openly teasing.

“Oh gosh! Uh—y-yes, I mean, no! That’s not the—wait!” Frantically, you shuffled through your papers, your heart pounding in your chest as you realized you’d handed over your sketchbook by mistake. You found the correct file, nearly shoving it into the assistant’s hands, mortified beyond words. “I-I’m so sorry! Here’s the real one, your Majesty!”

Nia, on the other side of the curtain, had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. It was… endearing, really—your clumsiness, your flustered apologies. And those drawings? They were beautiful. There was something raw and unpolished about them that made her linger on each page, tracing the delicate, clumsy lines of birds and flowers, the intricate details you poured into sketches of the estate’s landscape. She wasn’t just amused; she was fascinated.

Your meeting ended in what you hoped was a neutral tone, and as you nervously stood to leave, you cleared your throat. “Um, c-could I maybe… have the drawings back?” you asked, eyes wide with hope.

“No,” came the sharp, definitive reply.

“Ah…” You left, defeated and certain this would be the end of you. Surely, she’d have your head for this embarrassment! You returned home that evening, declaring to your family that your beheading was imminent. They laughed, of course, as they always did when you overreacted. You, however, were already trying to figure out which of your younger sisters would be fit to take over your title.

Meanwhile, Queen Nia sat in her chambers, unable to focus on her usual duties. She tried, of course, to turn her attention to her work, but her gaze kept drifting back to your sketches. She found herself flipping through them over and over, a faint scent of flowers—perhaps from your preferred drawing spot—clinging to the pages. Each stroke of your pen had a life of its own, and it wasn’t long before Nia found herself daydreaming. How strange it was to miss someone she had barely met! The way you had fumbled, the way you had nervously stammered—it was all so utterly… adorable.

Within days, she began inquiring about you discreetly. She invited one of your admirers to her court, listening patiently as the young noblewoman gushed about your endearing quirks. Nia learned that you preferred to keep to yourself at parties, that you were fiercely protective of your sisters, and that you spent most of your free time drawing under the trees in your estate’s garden. A week passed, then two. Nia found herself thinking of you more and more, until finally, she couldn’t resist.

After months of orchestrated meetings and quiet observation, Nia had finally managed to break through your social barriers. You were no longer simply the Countel you had been before—now, you saw her as a friend. And you valued that friendship, even if it made you impossibly nervous. But then, out of nowhere, Nia dropped a bombshell.

“I want you to marry me,” she said one afternoon, her voice so calm and assured that you nearly choked on your tea.

“What?!” you sputtered, coughing violently as water sprayed from both your mouth and nose. You could barely breathe as you struggled to process what she’d just said.

Nia stood, her silhouette suddenly imposing as she stepped out from behind the curtain for the first time. She wasn’t in her usual royal attire—today, she was dressed simply, her hair loose and flowing, her eyes locked onto yours with an intensity that made your heart pound. “You heard me, Countel. I want you to marry me.”

“B-but, I—Your Majesty—I—!” Words failed you as you sat frozen, your mind racing with a thousand different thoughts. This wasn’t just a proposal from any noblewoman—this was the Queen. You couldn’t possibly refuse her, yet marriage had always been something you dreaded, something you weren’t ready for.

Nia’s smile was dangerous, predatory almost, as she closed the distance between you with deliberate steps. “You’ve caught my eye, Countel L/N,” she purred, her voice sending a shiver down your spine. “You’re charming, in your own awkward way. You’re clumsy, shy, and you never seem to know what to say, but it’s exactly those qualities that make you… irresistible.”

Your throat went dry as she leaned down, her face now inches from yours. You could feel the heat radiating from her skin, smell the faint hint of roses in her hair. “I’ve decided you’re the one,” she whispered, her lips brushing against your ear as you sat, helpless and breathless. “And I always get what I want.”

“I-I don’t know if—”

“Doesn’t matter,” she cut you off with a gleam in her eyes, wrapping her arms around you with surprising gentleness. “You’re mine now, Countel. And you’re going to be the perfect spouse for a queen.”

Before you could protest further, Nia’s grip tightened, her hands trailing down your back. You weren’t sure if you should laugh, cry, or pass out. But one thing was for certain—you were no longer the clumsy, awkward Countel. You were now the Queen’s clumsy, award partner, and there was no escaping her embrace.

The grand, sunlit halls of the palace stretched endlessly before you, the polished marble floors shimmering beneath the cascading light that filtered through tall, stained-glass windows. And in the midst of this royal grandeur, your hand was clasped firmly within Queen Nia’s—a gesture that had become all too familiar, though not for its elegance. No, she held onto you not out of decorum but to prevent your inevitable stumbles. Today was no exception.

“Honestly, my love,” Nia’s voice, a melody of amusement, slipped past her lips, the sound echoing through the quiet halls. She tugged you closer as you narrowly avoided crashing into a priceless vase, your foot—somehow—tangling itself in the hem of your elaborate royal robes. “How do you manage to trip over absolutely nothing? Do you have some sort of talent for this?” She was laughing now, the sound warm but carrying an undertone of possessive affection, as though she were the only one allowed to witness your constant mishaps.

You flushed, cheeks burning beneath her teasing gaze, and muttered an apology that she waved off immediately, her grip tightening on your arm. “Don’t you dare apologize,” she purred, eyes glinting as she looked at you. “You wouldn’t be you without all this.” Her free hand gently brushed your cheek, her touch lingering in that possessive way she always had—as if claiming you as her own with every small gesture, reminding you with each caress that you belonged to her and her alone.

Months had passed since your marriage, and though you had settled into your role as her spouse, you still hadn’t quite gotten used to the way she looked at you sometimes—those predatory eyes, always watching, always following your every move as though you were something precious and fragile, something she’d fiercely protect but never let go. There were days when you wondered if she’d ever stop teasing you, but you knew the answer before you could even consider it.

Nia enjoyed your clumsiness far too much, her laughter a constant reminder of her amusement—and her obsession. Every trip, every stumble seemed to end with her holding you tighter, her arms around your waist, her lips brushing your ear as she whispered, “You’re mine, darling. Always.” And though her words made you feel safe, there was something more beneath them—a fierce protectiveness, a possessiveness that never quite left her tone.

And yet, as the months passed, you couldn’t help but notice someone else’s eyes lingering on you—eyes that were far less welcoming, far less comforting than Nia’s. Isadora, Nia’s ever-dutiful assistant, had become a shadow in your life, always hovering just out of reach, her gaze too intense, too calculating. At first, you thought nothing of it—surely she was simply doing her job, ensuring her Queen’s spouse was well taken care of. But there was something different about the way she spoke to you now, the way her hands would sometimes brush against yours as she passed you documents, or how her eyes lingered just a bit too long when you tripped and Nia wasn’t there to catch you.

One evening, as you sat alone in the palace gardens, sketching nervously under the fading sunlight, Isadora approached, her steps almost too quiet for comfort. “Countel,” she greeted, her voice smooth as silk but laced with something you couldn’t quite place. You glanced up, offering her a polite smile as she stood over you, her shadow casting a long, dark line over your sketchbook.

“Good evening, Isadora,” you replied, your voice wavering slightly. There was something unsettling about the way she was looking at you, as if she were studying you far too closely. She crouched beside you, and you stiffened as her fingers brushed your wrist—just a light touch, but it sent a shiver down your spine. You didn’t like how close she was, how her breath seemed to warm the air around you.

“I’ve noticed…” she began, her tone far too intimate for your comfort, “that the Queen seems rather… fond of you.” Her fingers traced along the back of your hand, and you flinched, pulling away awkwardly, nearly knocking your sketchbook into the dirt in your clumsy retreat.

“I—um—yes, of course she is,” you stammered, fumbling with your words as you struggled to maintain your composure. “I-I mean, that’s not surprising, right? I—uh—she's my wife, after all…”

Isadora’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re quite the catch, Countel L/N,” she whispered, her hand ghosting over your arm now. “Someone as kind and charming as you… well, it’s no wonder she’s obsessed.” There was a sharpness to her words, a hidden bitterness that sent your heart racing in the wrong direction. You tried to step back slowly, awkwardly adjusting your sketchbook under your arm as you stood—nonchalant, you told yourself, just another casual movement. But as you turned, your foot caught on a loose cobblestone, sending you careening sideways into a nearby flowerbed, your arms flailing wildly to catch yourself.

You hit the ground with a soft thud, face flushed, flowers and dirt mingling with your robes. “Oh no! I’m fine!” you exclaimed, cheeks burning. You scrambled back to your feet, brushing off the petals and soil as Isadora chuckled softly, the sound laced with a mix of amusement and something darker.

“See?” Isadora leaned closer, a teasing lilt in her voice, “You really do need someone to catch you.” She reached out, her hand grasping your elbow, but you jerked away, panic rising as you tried to regain your composure.

“I really appreciate it, but I should go—like, um, really go tell Nia something! Important! Very important!” You stammered, your words tumbling over each other in your rush to escape. “I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to talk, but…” You stumbled over your own thoughts, the franticness of the situation sending you spiraling.

Isadora smirked, clearly enjoying your flustered state. “I think we’d make a lovely pair,” she persisted, her gaze piercing as you stumbled backward toward the palace, nearly tripping over your own feet again. “You don’t have to tell her everything, do you?”

You shook your head violently, feeling the weight of her words crashing down around you. “I-I really don’t think that’s a good idea! I mean, why would I—um, ah!” Your foot caught on the hem of your robe, and you tumbled forward, the world tilting precariously as you collided with a nearby garden bench, nearly tipping it over as you flailed to steady yourself.

“I’m—going to go—tell Nia!” you blurted out, the words tumbling from your lips in a rush as you managed to slip through the doors, leaving Isadora behind. Your breath hitched in your throat, and you wiped your sweaty palms on your robes, desperately trying to find Nia, trying to shake off the unsettling feelings that lingered from the encounter.

When you finally found Nia in your shared chambers, lounging gracefully on the edge of the bed, her expression softened at the sight of you. You could feel the tension leaving your body just by being in her presence. Her eyes lit up with curiosity as you approached—trying to steady your voice, trying not to make it seem like anything was wrong.

“What’s happened, darling?” she asked, her voice laced with concern as she noticed your hesitation.

You fumbled for words, wringing your hands together as you paced the room, trying to make sense of the mess in your head without alarming her. “I… um, I don’t want to make a big deal of this, but… Isadora, she…” You trailed off, feeling the weight of Nia’s gaze on you, and then took a deep breath, forcing yourself to say it. “She… tried to, um… make some sort of… move? On me?”

The room seemed to still. Nia’s playful expression froze, her eyes narrowing as she processed what you’d said. The air around her darkened, a possessive storm gathering behind her eyes. “What?” Her voice, though soft, carried an edge so sharp it sent a chill down your spine. “She what?”

You swallowed hard, regretting immediately that you hadn’t just told her straight away. But now, there was no going back. “I-I told her no, obviously,” you added quickly, feeling the weight of her possessive gaze on you, “but… I thought you should know.”

Nia rose from the bed, her movements graceful yet terrifying in their deliberation. The playful Queen was gone, replaced by something far more dangerous, far more protective. “Where is she now?” she asked, her voice cold, calculated.

Before you could answer, she was already calling for the guards, her voice ringing with fury. Within moments, Isadora was dragged into the room, her confident demeanor slipping as she was forced to her knees before the Queen. Nia’s eyes burned with possessive wrath as she stood over the trembling assistant.

“You thought you could lay a hand on my spouse?” Nia’s voice was deadly, her gaze unwavering as she stared down at Isadora. “You dared to think you could steal what is mine?”

Isadora stammered out a weak apology, but Nia wasn’t having any of it. “Your ambition blinds you,” she said, her voice low and sharp, like the edge of a blade. “You’ve miscalculated your position here.” Her gaze flickered toward you, filled with a mixture of concern and fierce protectiveness that sent shivers racing down your spine.

You stood frozen, caught in a whirlwind of emotions as you watched Isadora falter under Nia's intensity. “I—I didn’t mean to…” Isadora protested, her composure cracking as she looked up at Nia, desperation creeping into her voice. “I thought—I just thought…”

“Thought what?” Nia interrupted, her tone cutting through the air like ice. “That you could charm your way into my life? That you could take what belongs to me?” She stepped closer, looming over Isadora, who now cowered beneath the Queen’s wrath, her earlier confidence shattered.

The atmosphere in the room shifted, thick with tension, as you felt a mix of dread and relief. Dread for Isadora, whose ambition had led her to this moment, and relief because Nia was defending you, fiercely and unabashedly. But even as you felt that protective warmth from your wife, a small flicker of concern tugged at your heart.

“Nia, please—” you started, your voice hesitant as you approached her, wanting to defuse the situation. “I-It’s okay. I told her no. I didn’t want any of this—”

“Stay back, darling,” Nia interjected, her voice firm as she turned to you, eyes softening just a fraction as she glanced your way. “This is between me and her now.”

You watched, heart racing, as Nia’s expression hardened again. “You will not threaten my spouse again,” she declared, her voice unwavering. “Consider this your final warning. I’ll not allow anyone to come between us, Isadora. You may leave, but understand this: any further attempts, and you will regret it.”

Isadora’s eyes widened with fear, and she nodded rapidly, scrambling to her feet as she backed away. “I didn’t mean any harm! I was just—” But her words fell flat as Nia stepped forward, every inch of her commanding, fierce, and utterly in control.

“Leave,” Nia repeated, her tone leaving no room for argument. Isadora stumbled back out of the room, muttering half-hearted apologies, clearly shaken, her earlier confidence extinguished in the face of Nia’s wrath. The door slammed shut behind her, the echo reverberating through the silence that followed.

You turned back to Nia, who was now visibly shaking with the force of her emotions. The anger had left her, but the protective intensity remained, her eyes dark and swirling with unbridled feelings. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice suddenly soft, the fierce Queen giving way to the concerned wife.

“I—I think so,” you replied, your heart still racing, a mix of exhilaration and anxiety coursing through you. “I didn’t expect that to happen.”

Nia stepped closer, wrapping her arms around you, her warmth enveloping you like a shield. “You have to understand,” she murmured against your hair, “I can’t allow anyone to come near you. You’re too precious to me.” Her fingers tangled in your hair, holding you tightly as if she were afraid you might slip away.

“I know,” you whispered, burying your face in her shoulder, feeling the comfort of her presence wash over you. “I just didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

Nia pulled back slightly, her gaze intense as she searched your eyes. “You’re never trouble, my love. You’re everything to me. I’ll protect you, always.” Her voice was low, fierce, filled with an earnestness that made your heart swell.

As she stepped back, her expression softened, and the playfulness returned to her gaze, but there was an underlying tension still lingering between you two. “But I won’t tolerate anyone trying to come between us again. Not even a whisper of it.” Her lips curved into a teasing smile, but the possessiveness in her eyes remained. “So, just promise me—if anyone else tries anything, you’ll tell me immediately. No more hiding.”

You nodded, feeling the weight of her gaze pressing down on you. “I promise,” you replied, your voice steady. “I won’t let anyone come between us. Especially not Isadora.” Oof, best not to cross Nia, that is for sure.

Nia smiled, satisfaction flickering across her features. “Good,” she said, pulling you back into her embrace, her warmth grounding you. “Now, let’s put this behind us, shall we?”

In that moment, surrounded by her fierce love, you knew that no matter the challenges that lay ahead, you would face them together. And in the heart of the storm, you felt an undeniable strength—a bond that was unbreakable, forged in the fires of love and loyalty.

[geekcavepodcast]

DC Comics Announces Publication Date for "The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley and "Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story"

DC Comic's young adult original graphic novels The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley and Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story will publish in 2024.

The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley from author Melissa Marr, artist Jenn St-Onge, colorist Jeremy Lawson, and letterer Lucas Gattoni will go in sale on September 3, 2024.

Harleen and her girlfriend Pamelia sign up to participate in a clinical research trial. For Harleen it sounds like a good way to make some extra cash and maybe help control her anxiety. Instead, Harleen end s up with "increasingly larger gaps in her memory and stolen mementos from some guy named Jack. Soon Harleen discovers she’s sharing her life with Harley—a take-no-prisoners, who-cares-about-attendance, maybe-we-oughta-save-the-bunnies kind of girl. She is the opposite of Harleen in every way. And although she’s throwing Harleen’s life completely off track, maybe she ain’t so bad either…" (DC Comics)

Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story from author Nicole Maines, artist Rye Hickman, colorist Bex Glendining, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, goes on sale on April 2, 2024.

"Nia’s spent her whole life taking a back seat to her older sister, Maeve, who was expected to inherit their mother’s Seer powers: the ability to see the future through dreams, passed down to one woman in each generation. But when Nia, a trans girl, starts having visions of the future, she must suppress her powers to protect her relationship with her sister.

Soon Nia’s dreams become impossible to ignore, and she has no choice but to distance herself as she navigates her new reality. Taking off for Metropolis, Nia is quickly swept up in the bustling city and, guided by her dreams, connects with a group of queer girls who feel more like sisters than her own. As Nia starts to discover her powers may be more than just a burden, she’s given a choice: accept her new responsibility as a Seer or give it all up for a chance at normalcy." (DC Comics)

(Images via DC Comics - Jenn St-Onge's Cover of The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley and Rye Hickman and Bex Glendining's Cover of Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story)

[missaudreystiara]

Mamma (engi)Nia!

All aboard for a rollicking ride in the musical episode that we deserve! Melanie is thrown off track when Alex invites three men from her past on a grand tour of New Eden to showcase her latest scientific developments. While searching for Big Alice’s original blueprints, Alex stumbles upon Melanie’s old logs and discovers that she has three possible fathers: Ben, the sarcastic but charming engineer; Nima, the endearing chemistry nerd; and Mr. Wilford, the cunning mastermind. As the train speeds toward New Eden, sparks fly, tracks switch, and secrets are derailed. Melanie must navigate through the twists and turns of her past, while Alex tries to piece together the puzzle of her parentage. Will this journey reveal Alex’s true father, or will they discover that family ties are more complex than a simple switch of tracks? This laugh-filled, heartwarming adventure will have you singing along as the train chugs toward a surprising destination!

[vanguard-if]

🔧 WRENCH - are they good at fixing relationships? or do they tend to avoid doing so?

OH I LOVE THIS QUESTION?!?!?

Vera: she's had her fair share of relationships, probably the most experienced out of the bunch. she's acutely aware of how much miscommunication fucks things up, so she's learned to let go of her ego to talk things out when a relationship isn't looking the best. i would say she's a solid 8.5/10. she's not very patient though so best believe that she won't beat around the bush.

Emilio: never had to fix relationships himself; never been in one. poor guy. he's kind of bad at communicating (he knows this and hates it about himself) and will sometimes shut down if under pressure. he'll try his very best by prodding you to bring up a topic. be gentle with him. he's a 6/10 but 10/10 for the the effort.

Charles: sorry to the Charles lovers he's REALLY FUCKING DIFFICULT LMFAO he grew up in a household where his hobbies/passions were not appreciated and gets extremely defensive when criticized. most likely will be the avoidant type when things aren't going well, and will start retreating into himself. it's something he needs to work on. 4/10 oops.

Cirrus: Cirrus is devoted to his loved ones. you bet that he will do anything in his power to correct mistakes, mend relationships, and fix whatever he can. absolutely a 10/10. spouse material. they place their relationships, platonic or romantic, above their duty as a monarch. is this good for the people around them? yes. is this good for their job? hm. maybe not so much.

Nia: unfamiliar with navigating relationships, and tends to blame herself if she realizes something isn’t quite right. she’s trying her best you guys. gets a little frantic and wants to solve issues as soon as possible, rather than letting a snowball effect take place. will try her best to empathize and come to a mutual agreement on how to proceed in the relationship. hmm she’s like a 7.5/10.

[teshadraws]

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Seekers of Soul

[Chapter 51]

<< First | < Previous | Next >

-

Tobias and Nia lead the crew of the Aqua Jet through the dungeon, fighting their way back home.

-

With the group's formation for the dungeon officially decided, they quickly fall into a rhythm.

Each time they reach a patch of land the riders separate from the swimmers and line up as instructed. When they reach the next patch of water, they regroup. Tobias keeps a sharp eye out for ferals and directs them the best he can, and Nia follows suit from the back of the party, making sure they don’t get attacked from behind again. Tobias trusts Beck, Nori, and Cordelia to keep an eye out underwater for anything that might be lurking there.

Tobias is just glad that he knows dragon rage, because he’s certainly getting a lot of use out of it. The move wears him out quicker than everything else in his arsenal, but it’s powerful and—most importantly—effective against the many water types they come across.  

Considering how quickly everything could’ve gone sideways from the start, Tobias thinks it’s actually going pretty smoothly.

It would be going a lot smoother if Cordelia didn’t insist on attacking every feral they see and dragging the entire group into a fight. Tobias glares at the croconaw the first time she does it. The second time, he hisses for her to leave the ferals alone. After the third fight Cordelia starts for no reason, Tobias shoves past half their group to poke a finger into the croconaw’s chest.

“Would you stop attacking?!”

Cordelia crosses her arms. “This is dangerous territory—you said yourself that we need to keep moving to avoid getting ambushed. We should try to get the jump on them when we can.”

“They don’t need jumped! We need to avoid fights when we can!”

Cordelia doesn’t respond, but the set of her thick jaw and her narrowed eyes speak to how stupid she finds his argument.

Tobias throws up his arms. “Look—with a group this big, and an unknown dungeon? It’s idiotic to attack every ‘mon we see. We need to conserve energy.”

Cordelia growls. “If we don’t attack then they will. I could see that quagsire scheming!“

“He was asleep.”

“That’s what he wanted you to think!”

“Okay, okay, break it up,” Beck cuts in, physically stepping between them. He manages to look calm despite the tension in the air. “Delia? One stubborn ‘mon to another—listen to Tobias. He’s more experienced with navigating mystery dungeons. There’s no reason to go rarin’ for a fight if we don’t need to.”

Tobias shoots Cordelia a smug look under Beck’s arm. She wrinkles her snout.

“Y’know,” Nia cuts in. “I’m sure it’s not helping that we haven’t eaten. Why don’t we make a stop by the next set of stairs for a break?”

“All our food’s on the ship,” Ignatius grumbles.

“We have a few apples packed in our bag,” Tobias sighs. “We’ll have to make do with those.”

When they finally reach the next set of stairs, they make sure the room is clear of ferals before settling down by the exit for a quick getaway to the next floor.

They only have three apples packed to split between the eight of them, but Cordelia slices them into halves with her claws. Tobias gives her a look.

“I don’t need one, and the sableye doesn’t eat fruit. Right?”

The sableye jumps as everyone looks to him, then nods. “I-I’m not hungry anyways.”

Nia gives Cordelia a worried frown. “But won’t you get hungry? You need to keep your strength up.”

“She’s right, y’know,” Ignatius huffs, a cloud of smoke following the breath. “Stubborn girl.”

Cordelia pointedly ignores the torkoal and gets up with a grunt to patrol the hallways leading out of the room. Tobias is about to follow her and stuff his apple half down the stupid captain’s throat when Beck yanks him back down.

“What—“

“Save your breath. Not the first time Delia’s decided to be a martyr for the crew. If we haven’t been able to change her mind, you definitely won’t.”

Tobias wants to argue, but he glances at Cas and Nori, and even they have bitten into their apples with resigned expressions.

“That’s stupid,” Tobias growls, sitting down. He scorches his apple slice with a quick burst of fire before biting into the warmed fruit.

Beck shrugs. “Maybe. But she’s our captain for a reason. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

The apple makes the fatigue lapping at Tobias’ heels a bit less noticeable. They wrap up the snack quickly and move on to the next floor as soon as everyone is finished.

The next three floors are uneventful. Their formation works well for defending the group, and Tobias is grateful that only about half the ferals they run into are water types. His dragon rage is getting a lot more use and he feels himself draining quicker than usual, but he tries to keep moving forward at a steady pace.

They’re crossing another patch of grassy land when Tobias suddenly feels the ground underfoot shift with a distinct click. He looks down, panicked, at the faint square outline of a trap hidden beneath the grass.

Then the world spins and Tobias stumbles as he finds himself at the edge of a waterway notably different from his previous location. Beck, Ignatius, and little Cas stagger into being around him.

The back half of their group is nowhere to be seen.

“Great,” Tobias hisses.

“D-Delia?” Cas squeaks, looking around. He trips closer to Beck, looking up at the floatzel with wide eyes. “Where’d everyone else go?”

Beck looks to Tobias, brow furrowed.

Tobias sighs. “Probably a warp panel. There must be a psychic type on this floor who set it as a trap.”

“So the others..?”

“Should still be on this floor. We’ll just have to find them before moving on.”

Ignatius grumbles about his aching feet. Beck wordlessly scoops the torkoal up to carry him. Cas glues himself to the floatzel’s side.

Tobias nods, then turns to head down the grassy corridor, glad at least that they weren’t dropped into water this time. This is an annoying setback, but as long as they can reunite and keep moving, it’s nothing more.

Beck does a decent job warding off any ferals that approach from behind in Nia's absence, holding his own until Tobias can rush back to fling an ember or slash and take them out.

When they reach the next stretch of water, Beck ferries all three of them across with only a little strain. As soon as they touch shore Tobias hears something familiar.

Voices. The rustle of footsteps through grass, quiet but not as silent as most ferals tend to tread.

Tobias runs, following the noise down the hall, turning a corner and—

“Tobias!” Nia yelps, barely sidestepping him before they collide.

“Nia!” Tobias breathes, eyes flicking over her form before moving over her shoulder. He’s relieved to see her unhurt, but... “What happened to Cordelia and the sableye?”

Only Nori stands behind Nia, the golduck giving him a silent nod. Cas makes an excited chirp and runs to hug her leg.

“Cordelia ran off as soon as she noticed Cas warped somewhere else,” Nia says, giving Beck and Ignatius a strained smile over Tobias’ shoulder. “Carnelian panicked when we got attacked and bolted.”

Tobias curses under his breath. “This is why we don’t take escort missions.”

“Noted,” Nia says, voice edged with nervous laughter.

Another sound in the distance catches everyone’s attention. It sounds like…the rush of a water type move. Battle. It can’t be far.

Tobias and Nia exchange glances before heading for it. When they track down the room it’s coming from, they see Cordelia slamming into a bibarel with a powerful waterfall that knocks him hard into the wall of the dungeon. The bibarel slumps, unconscious.

Cordelia is breathing hard but turns with her formidable teeth bared when she hears footsteps. Then she falters, eyes skimming over the group before locking onto Cas. All at once, the tension outlining her body slackens.

“Oh, thank Kyogre.”

“Delia!” Cas sprints to her as fast as his little legs can carry him. Cordelia scoops him up and tucks him against her neck.

She looks back to the group, gaze skimming once more over each of them. “Just missing the sableye, then.”

Nia nods. “He got spooked. He can’t have gotten too far on his own, though.”

“Let’s hope not,” Cordelia mutters.

“Could just leave him,” Ignatius says, surprisingly casual.

Tobias and Nia both recoil from the suggestion. But where Nia looks horrified, Tobias’ face creases with anger.

“We aren’t leaving anyone!”

“We aren’t leaving the sableye,” Cordelia agrees, voice firm. She gives the torkoal a hard look. Ignatius shrugs, seemingly unbothered.

“Nori and I found the stairs back that way earlier,” Nia says, glancing over her shoulder. “So if we can find Carnelian quickly, we at least know where to go next.”

Tobias follows her gaze, trying to catalogue the general direction for later.

“I made a loop around that way,” Cordelia adds, pointing off in the opposite direction. “Didn’t see the little guy there.”

“He could be on the move,” Tobias mutters. But that still leaves a fourth hallway that no one seems to have traveled down yet. Might as well start there.

“This way. Back into formation,” Tobias says.

The group, clearly more tired than they were just a few floors ago, trudges back into order. Tobias takes a breath, then moves to lead them.

They run into two more ferals in the next few rooms—a parasect and a stunky that, luckily, don’t land any of their poison moves.

Then they hear a shrill, terrified shriek, just down the hall.

Tobias’ head snaps up. He bolts, hearing the rest of the group follow, moving loudly through the brush and puddles.

Tobias rounds the corner into a new room, and quickly takes in the picture in front of him.

They’ve found Carnelian. Unfortunately, the sableye has also found a massive crawdaunt. The large red water type is scarred, clearly an experienced fighter. It has the sableye pinned to the ground with one claw dwarfing his entire body. The other pincer is raised high, ready to finish him.

Type advantage or not, a blow like that could easily kill the frail ghost type. And they aren’t close enough to stop it.

If Nia weren’t at the back of the group, maybe she could use quick attack—

Or if Beck hadn’t frozen behind him with a choked breath—

Or if Tobias could—

If Tobias could—

Tobias wills the tired fire in his belly to burn hotter, desperation stoking it with a single quick breath. He braces himself. Molds his mouth into a whistle rather than the usual open mouthed breath of his ember.

Then he shoots a ball of flames lightning-quick across the room. It hits the crawdaunt in the back of the head and makes it flinch.

Tobias stares, panting, as the crawdaunt whips around with an angry chitter.

Did…did he just learn flame burst?

The crawdaunt abandons the cowering sableye and charges across the room. Tobias runs to meet it, opening up the entrance to the hall so Nia can step in to help.

The crawdaunt lunges, and Tobias rolls out of the way of its pincer. The crater it leaves in the dirt makes his heart skip a beat. They can't let themselves get hit by that.

Tobias darts in to try slashing at the feral. His claws barely scratch the crawdaunt’s tough carapace, almost bouncing off of it.

Tobias curses and steps back. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Beck hurrying over to scoop up Carnelian and carry the sableye out of harm’s way. Good.

The crawdaunt takes a breath and shoots out a jet of scalding water. It clips Tobias on the arm, and he hisses as he darts forward to roll under the crawdaunt’s tan underbelly and out the other side.

He has to use his dragon rage—it’s the only move in his arsenal that will even hurt this thing. But he can feel his dragon type energy running dangerously low, and knows he only has a few shots left. He was hoping to conserve them.

Guess he doesn’t have much of a choice.

Tobias inhales deep and releases a plume of purple flames that—finally—make the crawdaunt falter.

Right after, a blur of blue and black slams into the crawdaunt, right near the golden star topping its head. The force of the quick attack nearly manages to topple the water type, Nia rolling past it and clumsily back to her paws.

“About time,” he huffs.

“Sorry,” she pants. “Was dealing with something else.”

Tobias nods, eyeing the crawdaunt as it steadies itself. The quick attack seemed to do as little as his slash. Its hide must be tough—probably a higher defense than special defense.

“Water type?” Nia calls, dodging a heavy claw.

“Something else, too. Fighting, maybe? Or dark. Can’t remember.”

The crawdaunt is taking turns lunging at one of them and then the other. Tobias dodges and lashes out with a lick of purple flames that makes it stumble.

“It might be weaker to special attacks,” Tobias calls, cashing in on his guess.

Nia grunts as she deflects a claw with her aura staff. “Got it!”

Tobias knocks one of the crawdaunt’s legs out from under it with a swing of his tail, then skips back as it shoots another jet of water his way.

While it’s distracted, Nia forms a ball of aura in her paws and flings it into the crawdaunt’s side. It garbles something angrily and takes another swing at Nia that she barely dodges.

“Tough,” Nia huffs.

“No kidding.”

The two of them dart in and out to fight the water type. Tobias hears battling behind him too, where the rest of the group is, and hopes that Beck, Nori, and Cordelia can handle whatever attacked them. He and Nia have their hands full as is.

Nia finally gets knocked aside by one of the pincers. She wasn’t hit head-on, thankfully, but still hard enough to send her rolling across the grass.

“You all right?” Tobias shouts. He shoots another dragon rage at the crawdaunt, but his flames sputter. He’s almost out. Exhaustion drags heavy at his limbs.

Nia shakes her head, but it’s more of a grounding gesture than a no. She stumbles back to her paws, then braces herself. Tobias can see a glint of something in her eyes, and that makes him nervous.

Before he can worry about it too much, Nia darts forward with another quick attack, slamming hard into the crawdaunt. This time, the crawdaunt is sent skidding back. It’s a notable difference from the first time she hit it.

Tobias pauses, panting, and looks at Nia. The riolu is grinning with a victorious expression. Looks like she figured something out.

When the crawdaunt lumbers back to its feet, it’s visibly unsteady. Finally slowing down.

Nia and Tobias move forward to attack again. They both focus on quick, weaker moves to chip away at it while staying out of range.

Nia is the one to finish it, forming a much larger than usual sphere of bright blue aura in her paws. She shoots it at the crawdaunt, and it explodes against the water type with a flash of light.

The crawdaunt goes down, landing with a heavy rustle in the lush grass.

Tobias takes a moment to be sure it’s knocked out. Then, he slumps to the ground to catch his breath. Nia stumbles over and flops down beside him.

“What,” he gasps. “Was that about?”

Nia laughs. “I figured out work up!”

 Tobias blinks. “Really? From Cas?”

Nia nods, grinning.

Tobias snorts. “Cool. I think I learned flame burst.”

“New move buddies!” Nia cheers, falling over completely, clearly exhausted and half-loopy with adrenaline.

Tobias barks a laugh, weakly raising a fist. “New move buddies. Sure.”

Tobias finally remembers that they aren’t alone, and looks over to find the rest of their group. Luckily, they all seem to be in one piece, even if Cordelia is limping a bit and Beck is scuffed and muddy.

“Everyone all right?” Tobias asks.

“This one would be better if she would’ve eaten something,” Beck snorts, giving Cordelia an unimpressed look.

The croconaw curls her lip and gives him a glare in return.

“Carnelian?” Nia asks.

Tobias finally notices the sableye huddled up against the floatzel’s belly and shivering with fear. The ghost type jumps at the question, visibly shaking, but nods.

Cordelia whistles. She’s looking past them, at the crawdaunt they’d downed. “Nice work.”

“Thanks,” Nia huffs, struggling to her feet. She holds out a paw to help Tobias up after her.

He feels exhausted. Utterly drained. What he wouldn’t give to make a nest in the corner of the room and go to sleep right now.

“We’d better keep moving,” he says instead.

Everyone nods, clearly equally fatigued. They get back into order, and Tobias turns their group around to head back the way they came, to where Nia and Nori said they’d seen the stairs.

Tobias tries to avoid battles entirely on the following floors. They’re all tired and they can’t afford any real injuries. All conversation has petered out by this point, everyone just trying to conserve their breath.

They’re on the 19th floor—or maybe the 20th—when Tobias hears a barely-there rustle ahead, and freezes. The line stops behind him.

A little Pokemon stumbles out of the grass, squeaking a hiss when it notices their group. It’s a blue nidoran. A tiny one, no more than a baby. Its eyes are white and mindless, tiny barbs raised with poison.

Tobias can’t look away from the scratch across its side, bleeding sluggishly against pale blue skin. He doesn’t know if it was attacked or just injured by the environment. It wouldn’t take much to hurt something so fragile.

Tobias swallows against a lump in his throat. He has a soft spot for kids, so of course his first instinct is to help. But he can guess how it’ll react in its feral state. How it’ll spit and bite and poison anyone that comes near until it can wriggle free and flee in blind fear.

Could they take the nidoran kit along? Everything in him recoils at the thought of having to knock out a child, and he doesn’t even know when they’ll be able to get to the guild. What if he just makes it worse trying to relocate her?

A louder rustle of brush and a single heavy stomp is their only warning before a much larger, darker blue Pokemon emerges from the brush, towering over even Beck and Nori.

A nidoqueen.

Tobias tenses up now for an entirely different reason. He throws out an arm, hearing everyone behind him hold their breath. The silence is heavy.

The nidoqueen rumbles a low growl that Tobias can feel in his chest. She steps forward to plant herself between them and her child.

They’re at a standstill. Tobias is torn between anxiety that she’ll attack their already weakened group, and relief that the nidoran has anyone to defend her at all. Even relatively mindless, at least feral Pokemon seem to protect their young.

Slowly, the nidoqueen lowers her body. For a heart-stopping moment, Tobias thinks she’s preparing to charge. But then he hears the scratch of tiny claws on hard armor and sees the nidoran climb atop the nidoqueen’s back to settle between her plates. Now that she’s hunched over, Tobias spots a second purple lump already clinging to her: another nidoran.

Tobias wonders if any other kids got lost in this chaos. His chest squeezes.

The nidoqueen rises and turns as if to leave. Tobias steps forward, panicked.

That scratch on the nidoran, it…it’s nothing that would kill the kit on its own, but it’s only been an hour or two since the dungeon started. It could be weeks until their minds clear. What if it gets infected? What if she gets hurt more?

The nidoqueen’s head snaps back to him, thick teeth bared and accompanied by a warning growl.

“Tobias!” He hears Nia whisper-yell.

Tobias lowers his eyes and reaches slowly into their satchel. He feels around until he finds what he’s looking for. Then he crouches, slow. Slow. And gently rolls the oran berry forward so it stops just in front of the nidoqueen.

The nidoqueen hisses, hunching lower and flexing her claws. But then she pauses, sniffing the air. Her blank white gaze flicks down to the blue fruit and back up.

Tobias doesn’t dare move.

The nidoqueen reaches out to snatch the oran berry. She gives it one more sniff before gently biting into it to hold it in her mouth.

She glances at Tobias one more time. Her eyes are still blank, and there isn’t a shred of anything like gratitude or confusion present. Just primal wariness.

But she has the oran berry. Even at a baser level, she probably knows to feed it to her injured kit. It’s the best they can do.

The nidoqueen huffs and continues on through the grass. Her heavy steps quickly fade, and Tobias can feel the tension of the group follow.

Nia, who had apparently snuck closer to stand as Tobias’ backup, sighs. “I was really hoping we wouldn’t have to fight them.”

Tobias nods, trying to put the nidoran kit out of mind. “…Let’s keep moving.”

Nia must be able to tell where his mind is, because she reaches out to squeeze his hand before moving back to the tail of the group.

Tobias is just grateful his partner is enough of a bleeding heart to not get upset about his poor decision to waste their second-last oran berry. She probably would’ve done the same.

Or maybe she’s thinking about the same thing Tobias is. Thinking about how all of these Pokemon are only endangered because of the weakening dimensional border. How it’s only going to get worse from here. If that nidoran survives her time in the dungeon, she’ll die all the same if the border breaks entirely.

Tobias blows out a breath. Then, he forces his feet forward. He doesn’t have time to think about this right now.

Tobias enters an exhausted haze after that encounter. He still tries to pay attention as he leads the group through the dungeon, but he knows he isn’t as alert as usual, and they’re only 20 or so floors in. He tries not to think about what they’ll do if this dungeon is a freak incident and is a hundred floors deep. How they’ll survive. He tries not to think much at all, to conserve mental energy.

Once or twice, Beck and Nori step in when they run into another feral. Tobias knows he must look dead on his feet for them to do so, but he can’t find it in himself to be upset about the help. He’s stubborn, but not a total idiot.

He is enough of an idiot to not even realize they’re out of the dungeon at first.

He just starts walking after they warp, picking a direction. It takes a solid ten steps before he realizes he isn’t in a room, or a corridor. Half-convinced he’s hallucinating, Tobias blinks and looks behind him.

Everyone else seems similarly baffled, looking around with wide eyes. But no, the forest around them is open and unstructured. Natural. Tobias can hear the dull roar of the river nearby.

“Are…are we out?” Cas asks.

There’s a heavy silence before Nori nods.

Nearly all of them slump to the leaf-littered ground, a collective breath of tension leaving them. Tobias tilts his head back against the closest tree and just. Takes a moment.

They made it. He and Nia got the group through the dungeon safely. He didn’t realize how much pressure he’d felt to do so until it was lifted.

After what seems like barely a minute but is likely longer, Cordelia suggests they head back to the river.

“It’ll be the best way to navigate our way north,” she adds once she sees Tobias’ doubtful look. “We follow the river upstream, and we find civilization.”

Tobias, unfortunately, can’t argue with that. With a groan, he drags himself to his feet and trudges through the greenery of the forest beside Nia. Cordelia, even hungry and sporting a limp, can take charge out here. He’s too tired to fight her for the leadership position.

When they get to the river itself, all of the water types relax at the sight of the familiar waterway. As they take another moment to recharge, Cordelia crosses her arms with a thoughtful sound.

“What?” Nia asks.

“Just thinking.” The croconaw turns her head to scan Nori and Beck. “How’re you two feeling?”

Beck straightens. “All right. Little tired.”

Nori just gives her a nod.

Cordelia looks back out over the water. “The river is still high here, but it’s a bit calmer. How do we feel about swimming it?”

Tobias feels his face pale. “Swimming it?”

Cordelia snorts. “Not you, of course. We’d carry you, like we did in the dungeon.”

Tobias doesn’t feel very comfortable with the idea. Or comfortable at all. Whereas the water in the dungeon was relatively calm, this river is still surging quick and frothy and strong. He falls into that and he’s almost definitely dead unless one of the water types rescue him.

“We trusted you to cover us in the dungeon,” Cordelia says, voice confident but not antagonistic for once. “Trust us to get you back north.”

Tobias swallows. “Why can’t we just walk?”

“We could,” Cordelia snorts. “But we’d be moving twice as slow. And using more energy to boot, walking up and down the slopes and around brambles.”

“What about the boat?” Cas asks, voice small.

Cordelia sighs, ruffling the quaxly’s blue head feathers. “We’ll have to wait for the dungeon to pass and hope it makes it out in one piece. Nothing we can do about it as is.”

“Delia has a point,” Beck cuts in. “Water travel would be easier and quicker.”

“Really?” Nia asks. “Even if you have to swim with us on your back?”

“Yup,” Beck says with a wink. “We’re made for the water. We’ll just have to take breaks every few hours.”

“Nori?” Cordelia checks.

“I’m fine with that,” Nori says, quiet as usual.

Nia glances at Tobias, as if to question if he’s all right with this plan. He isn’t, and he knows that if he insisted on walking Nia would stick with him. The whole crew probably would, honestly, but it’s objectively the worse decision.

“Fine,” he mutters. “You’d better not drop me, though.”

“Or me,” Ignatius huffs.

Oh, right. Tobias is perversely glad that there’s at least one other fire type dealing with this less-than-ideal situation.

They move back into a similar formation as the one they used in the dungeon. Cas, of course, hops on Cordelia’s shoulder. Nia, Tobias, and Carnelian go with Beck. Ignatius, heavier than the three of them combined, crawls onto Nori’s back.

Then, with one last look around and an instruction to call for a break as soon as needed, they’re ready to go.

Cordelia leads the way, slipping silently into the dull roar of the river. Nori follows, Ignatius crouched low against her blue feathers.

Beck slinks into the water after them, cutting easily through the current. His tails spin and his body weaves gently side-to-side, and if Tobias didn’t feel so on-edge he’d admire how smoothly Beck is navigating such rough waters.

As is, Tobias scoots closer to the middle of Beck’s back, tail curled tightly around his middle. The water is so close, barely below the level he’s sitting on. Every few seconds, the river sprays high enough to mist painfully against Tobias’ skin.

“Here,” Nia says, offering Tobias his poncho from their satchel. He didn’t even hear her rustling through it.

“Thanks,” Tobias murmurs, pulling the leafy green garment over his head. While his heart slams against his chest still at the closeness of the water, he’s relieved to have the burning cool spray of the river gone.

Nia settles in, pressed against his side. Carnelian sits closer to Beck’s tails, curled around his backpack and dead silent.

“All right?” Nia whispers.

Tobias jerks a nod. He’s as all right as he’s going to get. At least it’s getting close to evening, so they probably won’t be able to travel too long before stopping for the night.

Nia reluctantly leaves Tobias alone to check on Carnelian. The sableye jumps when Nia addresses him, but nods as she asks if he’s all right.

“You didn’t get hurt earlier?”

Carnelian hesitates.

Nia frowns. “What hurts?”

Carnelian shakes his head. “I-I’m okay, I just—just a bit bruised. When I breathe.”

Nia glances at Tobias, concern clear on her face.

Tobias sighs but reaches into their satchel and pulls out the last oran berry to hand over.

“Will this help?” Nia asks, voice soft. “Or can you not eat it?”

Carnelian is surprised enough to actually meet Nia’s eyes with his own creepy gemstone ones. “I-I can eat it, but…I couldn’t take your berry—“

“We want you to have it,” Nia presses. “If it hurts to breathe, that means something’s wrong. Please?”

Carnelian crumbles under the riolu’s sad expression. Not that Tobias can blame him.

The sableye reaches out to take the oran berry with shaky claws, glancing at Nia and then Tobias once more before eating it in two large bites. Immediately after, Tobias can see a bit of the wire-sharp tension loosen from the ghost type’s posture.

“Thank you,” Carnelian says.

“No problem,” Nia returns, smiling warmly. “So it did help, right?”

“Y-Yes. Berries don’t have all the daily nutrients sableye need, since minerals are the main part of our diet. But the healing properties still work.”

“Cool!” Nia says, smiling earnestly. Tobias could guess that she has a hundred follow-up questions that she’s only holding back for the sake of Carnelian’s nervous nature.

The sableye gives her a shaky smile in return before looking away.

Tobias snorts and looks back out over the river. If he wasn’t so terrified of falling into the swift current, he could see how traveling upstream like this could actually be…relaxing. In the late afternoon sun, between the white currents, the river shimmers with reflected bits of light.  The trees on either side of the river cast long shadows, a warped mirror of the forest landscape. The dull roar of the water is constant enough to fade to something almost soothing.

Tobias can’t fully relax, but his tense muscles do loosen to something less stiff. As he starts to check back into the Pokemon around him, he notices Nia casting Beck hesitant looks. Every minute or so, her gaze moves back to his head, where his snout is half-submerged in the water. Her mouth opens then closes, as if to say something.

Finally, she speaks aloud. “Hey, Beck?”

The floatzel lifts his head to look back at them over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Don’t see why not! We certainly have the time.”

Nia smiles at the comment, but she’s clearly distracted. She takes a few moments to gather her thoughts, dipping her paw into the water. “Earlier, when you got hit in the dungeon, you called me Hazel.”

Beck looks surprised at that, his smooth swimming stalling before picking up again. “Oh. Well, apologies for that! Hazel’s my mate, y’see. And you…remind me of her quite a bit.”

“I’m not upset or anything,” Nia says, waving her paws in front of her. “If anything I’m flattered. But I just…” Nia trails off, frowning. She’s clearly weighing a question in her mind.

“You said you live up north, closer to the guild,” Nia finally blurts. “Would you happen to live in Afon’s Cap?”

For the second time, Beck’s swimming falters as he blinks back at Nia, clearly surprised. “…That I do.”

That seems to be all the confirmation Nia needs. She beams, leaning forward into Beck’s space. “Then that means—are you Hazel’s husband? The raichu? Your daughter’s a pikachu named Margot, right? A-And your grandkids are Tommy and Theo?”

Beck grins back, equally delighted. “You know my family? How wonderful! How did you meet them?!”

Tobias would like to know, too, giving Nia a perplexed look. She said Afon’s Cap, right? When they went there, it was before they really restarted their team, when he was still being a major jerk.

Funny, how that feels like so long ago now.

Nia wanted to go there so bad to look for someone, a former human, and—

Hazel. Her name was Hazel. The psychic type raichu that Nia mailed a letter to asking for a human bed! Of course!

“Yeah! I went looking for her because—“

Tobias elbows Nia, and gives a pointed nod behind them at Carnelian’s quiet presence.

Nia falters, but then says, “W-Well, I wanted to ask her some questions. Advice, really. I’m from the same place she is!”

Beck’s eyes widen as he catches her meaning. “I had a feeling that was the case after you shook my paw so quickly! Picked up that fun little habit from Hazel.”

Nia giggles. Tobias vaguely recalls staring stupidly at Beck’s outstretched paw when they first met.

“She mentioned meeting a—“ Beck glances past them, at Carnelian. “A sweet young Pokemon looking for advice, but I never thought it would be you. What a coincidence! I can’t wait to tell her—she’ll be thrilled to know you’re out saving wayward crews like ours.”

“Tell her I said hi! Oh, and that Tobias and I worked out our issues!”

Tobias flushes at that comment, especially when Beck raises a wry brow in his direction.

“Ah, the troublemaking partner. You put Hazel in quite the mood for days, according to Mar.”

“Sorry,” Tobias huffs, sounding more petulant than repentant. He looks away, embarrassed.

Thankfully, Beck just chuckles and looks back to Nia. “You all come down and visit when you find the time, all right? The girls and my grandkids could always use more friends from outside the Cap.”

Nia, of course, seems thrilled at the thought, already chattering away about it. Tobias doesn’t say anything, instead turning his head to watch the river and the forested shoreline drift by in the approaching dusk.

It’s getting too dark for the water Pokemon to see properly in the water when they decide to pull off to shore. Beck drags himself onto the sandy riverside and collapses there.

Nia scrambles off his back to crouch by his head. “Are you okay?”

“Just tired,” he soothes, yawning.

Nia sits back, relieved, and watches Cordelia and Nori pull themselves onto land with equally fatigued movements.

“We’ll go look for food and wood to start a fire while you three catch your breath,” Tobias says.

Beck raises a paw to give her a thumbs-up. Nia laughs at the gesture and moves towards the treeline, beckoning Tobias after her.

“Can I come too?“ Cas asks, fluttering on their heels.

“Sure!”

“Well I’m stayin’ here,” Ignatius says, settling into the sand.

Tobias rolls his eyes, but grabs their satchel from where it had slipped off his shoulder. A few of their items spill out, and Tobias groans, probably more dramatically than he needs to.

Nia snickers. “Calm down. I’ve got it.”

She crouches to scoop up their wayward items, but pauses once she grabs one of their badges.

“What?” Tobias asks.

Nia doesn’t answer, but she does click their badge on. Tobias bends to see what’s caught her attention.

Oh. They’re in range of the guild now.

“Does that mean..?” Nia starts.

Tobias grins, feeling a relieved sort of exhaustion fall over him. He snatches the badge to look closer. Just to make sure.

They must’ve traveled farther north through that dungeon than they’d thought. They’re finally close enough to the guild for the psychics’ range to reach them.

“Hey!” Tobias calls, looking over at Cordelia’s crew.

The croconaw lifts her head, annoyed. “I thought you were going to find food.”

Tobias wiggles the badge in his hand. “We’ll do you one better. Anyone want a lift to the guild?”

That catches everyone’s attention.

“We’re close enough?” Nori asks.

Nia nods.

“Then what are you waiting for?!” Cordelia says. “Get over here!”

Even Tobias can’t find it in himself to get irritated with the croconaw. Not after the day they’ve had. Everyone gathers close together on the beach as Tobias and Nia prepare their badges to send out a pick-up request.

“All right. Ready?” Tobias asks.

"Make sure you’re touching one of us,” Nia adds. “Or each other. As long as there’s some connection, you should be fine.”

Tobias feels Nori’s cool, webbed hand land on his shoulder and Cas’ feathers against his leg. On three, Tobias and Nia send out their pickup request. The badge in Tobias’ hand glows, and he tightens his grip.

Then, in a flash of golden light, Tobias feels the familiar vertigo of psychic warping.

In an instant they’re back in a familiar room lit by the blue crystals from below the guild. The uneven wooden flooring underfoot is familiar, and the treelike architecture around them even more so.

A pair of abra look surprised to see them, staring at the extra six Pokemon they’ve brought along.

The left abra slumps, voice dry. “That explains the extra weight.”

The right one sighs. “Next time, please alert us if you’re bringing tagalongs.”

“Sorry,” Nia says, sheepish. “Actually, can you, um…show me how to do that?”

While the right abra does so, pointing at Nia’s badge with a claw, Tobias scans their party to make sure everyone made the journey. They did, and the other abra is already going through the usual guest spiel of marking down everyone’s names and species for the records, as well as telling Cordelia where to find the cafeteria and guest quarters.

For the first time since this morning, Tobias feels himself truly relax. Almost immediately, a wave of exhaustion follows. He cannot wait to go to sleep. And in their own soft nest! They haven’t been home in over a week, and there’s nothing like sleeping in your own nest.

When their group finally departs from the psychics’ quarters, they’re in high spirits. Cordelia is running her maw about food and Beck is laughing in response. Cas is looking around with wide eyes, and even Nori and Ignatius, the quietest of the crew, seem at ease.

“So,” Cordelia says, hands on her hips. “Riolu. Charmander. We don’t exactly have much to give you in thanks, considering the Aqua Jet is stranded at the moment. What say we waive your travel fee and let your guildmaster know you two deserve a heap of Seeker points or whatever your reward system is?”

Tobias snorts. Not a great deal, but better than nothing, he supposes. “Fine.”

“Are you heading out right away?” Nia asks, ears lowering.

Beck smiles and reaches out to put a paw on her head. “We’ll stay the night, but then we’ll probably head south. If we’ve gotta stick around somewhere for a few weeks to wait for the dungeon to pass, I want to see my family.”

“And we can at least take odd jobs around Afon’s Cap to earn some cash,” Cordelia adds.

“You’re welcome to join us if you’d like,” Beck offers.

Tobias can see that Nia wants to accept, but she shakes her head. “I…we have somewhere we need to be, unfortunately. Say hi to Hazel and everyone for me?”

Beck’s smile droops, but he doesn’t argue. “Will do. Just make sure you come visit in the future, all right? Hazel would love to talk to you again.”

Nia nods, brightening. “Of course! As soon as we can.”

“Good kid,” Beck says, pulling Nia into a hug. She goes willingly, burying her face in the floatzel’s fluffy chest.

When they part, Nia wipes at her eyes. “Are you sure you’ll be able to make it to Afon’s Cap all right on your own?”

Cordelia snorts. “We ain’t helpless, believe it or not. We’ll get directions and be just fine. It’s not far from here.”

“Thank you again,” Nori says, quiet voice commanding everyone’s attention. She offers them the barest hint of a smile. “For guiding us through the dungeon, and for the company.”

Cas gives them each a hug as well before the crew of the Aqua Jet heads off down the hall, waving their goodbyes and thanks.

“Come find us if you’re ever dying to get back on the water, Charmander!” Cordelia shouts.

Tobias rolls his eyes and turns back to Nia—

Only to realize that there’s still someone here, waiting for them to notice him.

“Oh!” Nia sniffs, wiping the last of tears out of her eyes. “Hey, Carnelian. Do you need something?”

Carnelian shuffles his feet and tugs at his backpack straps. Finally, he says, “Th-Thank you. For protecting me back in the dungeon.”

Nia exchanges a surprised look with Tobias. “Of course! It was no problem.”

“All part of the job,” Tobias adds.

Tobias is surprised when Carnelian shakes his head, voice adamant enough to lose its constant tremor. “No. To many, it’s not. Not for a ghost. I didn’t even hire you.”

Oh. Tobias gets what he means now, and suddenly he feels a hot bloom of shame in his chest for how suspicious and annoyed he’d felt about sableye for the first half of their trip. Ignatius’ lackadaisical suggestion to ditch the sableye in the dungeon comes back to him.

Nia’s ears pin, her eyes wide. “…I’m sorry. That you’ve, um…dealt with that before.”

Carnelian shakes his head, but his voice is back to its usual shaky warble. “I-I just wanted to thank you. And say that I don’t have much to offer, b-but if you ever need anything you think I can assist with, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Nia smiles. “Well, thank you. We appreciate it. Beck mentioned you’re working up north?”

Carnelian nods, something almost like excitement lifting his head. “Yes! I-I’m something of a researcher of rocks and minerals. I was called in to analyze unusual crystal formations found under the Silenfroar Mountains. I should be there for at least a few months.”

“If we ever need to, uh…learn about rocks?  Then we’ll keep you in mind,” Tobias says.

Nia elbows him for his awkward statement, and he gives her a pointed shrug. He wasn’t even trying to be snarky!

Nia gives Carnelian a smile. “We appreciate it, really. Safe travels north!”

Carnelian nods, a weak smile flickering across his face. Then he scurries off towards the guest quarters after the crew.

“He’s sweet,” Nia coos.

Tobias rolls his eyes. “He’s fine. A little nerdy.”

“I’m a little nerdy,” Nia counters, giving him a playful glare.

“Yeah, you are. Now. What first? Food? Sleep?”

Nia looks thoughtful. “…Maggie?”

Tobias stops. Thinks of his adoptive mother’s warm smile and relaxing scent. “Maggie. Definitely Maggie.”

The two of them move to take the stairs up to the medicinal floor, slowly for the sake of their exhausted bodies.

“You think she’d let us crash in her room tonight? Oh, but I guess Sage has our alcove now…”

Tobias scoffs. “Forget the alcove. Maggie would be thrilled if we camped out right next to her.”

Nia beams, picking up her pace for the next few steps and bouncing ahead. “Sleepover!”

“Only if she has food. No way am I going all the way down to the cafeteria and back up again.”

“When doesn’t Maggie have food?”

Tobias’ mouth twitches with a smile. “Fair point.”

[damebunbury]

Been feeling kinda unmotivated so I did some outfit designs for my builder, Mai. I’m just gonna info dump about my silly lil OC bc it’s my blog, my rules babyyyyy. Also I’m making a tag for this particular character for any future posts I do about her (#mai’stimeatsandrock)

Mai competed as an athlete in Highwind’s gliding competitions (Until Pathea releases more info about Highwind’s gliding, this my concept lol). She participated in racing and had the impressive performance in the obstacle race event, where gliders have to not only make it to the finish line first, but must also navigate through a series of obstacles as well. During one year’s competition, Mai gets into a physical altercation with one of the most popular athletes bc Mai believes they tampered with her glider after witnessing them hanging around her equipment shortly before one of the races. Mai’s glider malfunctions during the race, nearly causing her to crash and be severely injured but she manages to perform and emergency landing and avoid too much harm. Mai, being extremely high-strung and prone to lashing out at this point in her life, throws the first punch. Her claims of the competitor’s possible interference are ignored by authorities due to Mai’s instigation of the fight, the competitor’s prestige, and the knowledge of Mai’s past aggressive behavior. She is banned from competing and thus ends her future as an athlete

Mai’s reputation and sense of self are both shattered. She feels incredibly guilty bc not only is she harassed and gossiped about, but her family and friends are also affected. Mai is unable to show her face in public for quite some time without ppl immediately talking about her or confronting her. She harbors shame about her behavior and the burdens she has brought in her parents’ lives. During this time, Mai fixes things around the house and for some kind neighbors who are at least willing to hire her for some small jobs. In the hardest time of her life, building seems to offer some kind of respite

Mai, realizing that any previous hopes of gaining scholarships from gliding were effectively gone, decides to pursue building as a career. Reconnecting with a childhood joy seems as good an option as any. Only, due to her horrible reputation, she has no access to any sort of financial aide from Highwind’s trade schools. Mai, with the help of her parents, manages to pay her way through school and takes any and all classes she possibly can. From building basics, to history, to defense classes, to safe ruin-diving practices. She throws herself into building and vows to prove herself to make up for her past mistakes

Mai learns to discipline herself and ends up becoming a very patient person, but she struggles to shake off the bad reputation and shame of the gliding scandal. Not to mention she’s just growing into a mature adult, so she doesn’t behave as recklessly as she did as a teen

After graduating, Mai cannot find any work in Highwind for several years. She can only find odd jobs here and there but nothing stable or long-term. What may have served her during school is not viable for any future plans. Her reputation in Highwind prevents her from getting any long-term contracts as a builder, and she struggles to find work outside of Highwind as well. Mai becomes a bit listless and idle, and slowly starts to grow restless in the process

Finally, after a few years, Mai notices a “Builder Wanted” flyer from Sandrock, and she jumps at the chance. She doesn’t even consult her parents she just sends a telegram to Sandrock’s City Hall to let them know she’s coming to work. She tells her parents, who are obviously shocked but supportive. They know how desperate their daughter was becoming and so they don’t try to stop her

However, her parents and Nia are worried because there are rumors of Sandrock’s state—it’s basically a wasteland and ppl avoid going due to the dangers of vicious monsters and a rogue bandit on the loose

Sandrock provides a much-needed sanctuary for Mai. She has a fresh start and can show what she’s capable of free from her past. She meets ppl who are similar to her—perseverant, stubborn, a bit reckless and crazy, but all in all trustworthy and committed to their community. Mai deals with severe homesickness, and for a while, she doesn’t plan on staying in Sandrock for longer than her 2yr-contract mandates. But she comes to consider Sandrock home, and eventually lets go of Highwind (although she knows two places can be like home), and chooses to settle down and sign a long-term contract. This part of Mai’s story will (hopefully) be elaborated on in future posts

Anyways, that’s all for nowsies byyyeeee

[walking-stressed-mess]

i'm also severely hoping for 3 books so i'm wondering if they'll explore the idea of the orb that carries the light magic? will MC possess it? how will this impact valax; will we have to kill her to have access to the light orb? or will we have to kill the ash empress to release valax from her control? that could be interesting as it sets up valax in the third book to navigate freedom and a self-identity away from her mother.

i read the lore tablet and i'm interested if MC will have to make a choice of reuniting the two realms or keeping them separate, given the history presented. i also wonder if there's a chance for us to interact with the Old Gods? we can see MC's powers growing, as assisted by the watcher, so if they were to possess the light orb, how would that impact their abilities? also, the watcher lives in this subliminal space because they were created and have no family or friends. if MC were to take on the light orb, do they have to separate from the friends to successfully fulfill the tasks of the watcher?

but, i'm not sure who they would set up as the villian. i'd be really interested to see the Old Gods be set up as some form of opposition to the group especially with the moral revelations tyril and nia are going through.