#shoutout to the kindness project guild

[bluesonthemoon]

"stranger danger" "kids shouldn't interact with adults on the internet" go see the neopets guild i'm in where people talk about childbirth, marriage, moving and jobs, but also come up with high school graduation gifts for possibly the only gen z on the neopets website (me)

[mareenavee]

Swift in Anger, Quick to Laugh

For @rainpebble3! Happy Birthday!!!! 🫂✨

Shoutout to @paraparadigm for the phenomenal beta work <3

Huge thanks to @changelingsandothernonsense, @thequeenofthewinter, @archangelsunited, @polypolymorph, and @thana-topsy for your endless support of Athis-related nonsense <3

Without further ado~

Swift in Anger, Quick to Laugh

LOST?

It was a matching set of keys for a reason. They weren’t exactly the same common-looking brass keys everyone on Nirn seemed to carry. These were odd-shaped and specific. And the major reason Athis had left them in the care of Brynjolf and Delvin to begin with was because—of all the idiots in the Guild—those two seemed to be the most responsible. How wrong he’d been.

“When was the last time you saw your key, Delvin?” Athis asked. He grimaced, sighed through his teeth and scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. The courier had woken the entire house in the middle of the night, and with a newborn, none of them had been sleeping much to begin with. He’d left the house as fast as anything, his armor barely secured, Odahviing all riled up from the sudden summoning. He was rather remorseful for leaving Teldryn and Nyenna to deal with the wake of that chaos by themselves, but there was nothing else for it.

He’d tried to give the title of Guild Master away. He’d tried. Even without the formality, the sheer amount of work that came with it never seemed to leave him. Hadn’t they done just fine before he’d helped them with the Mercer issue? No? He sighed. Gods, but his bones ached and he just needed a nap. But first, nonsense. Because that, too, was never ending.

“I had it with me while I was in the Flagon. I was having a drink with Endell here and Bryn. It was still on its chain; I remember because I tucked it into my shirt so it wouldn’t tip into the mugs,” Delvin said, sounding as miserable as he looked. He held his bald head in his hands and leaned his elbows on the desk. Endell snorted and patted Delvin on the back. Athis rolled his eyes.

“You’re always in the Flagon, Delvin,” he said flatly. Endell at least had the courtesy to laugh before he left the man to his suffering. Athis pinched the bridge of his nose. His head ached and the wobegon Breton was grating on the last of his nerves. “Can you retrace your steps after that?”

“I—uh, no,” Delvin said, voice muffled in his arms as he rested on the huge ledger which sat on the desk. Behind him, different artifacts of varying value glittered in the light of the lanterns and torches. The water of the Cistern sloshed as it flowed through the cobblestone channels, and never had the place felt more like a filthy bandit cave than it did right now. He wished, not for the last time, that he was home and warm in his bed with the people he loved. But no. Riften, instead. Because of course.

“Think harder,” Athis growled.

“I was drunk,” Delvin complained.

“Delvin—!” Athis protested in frustration, but held back further curses. He was out of the habit of that kind of language lately. He threw his hands up in exasperation. “Azura strike me down, already!” 

He walked behind the desk to search through whatever might have been moved. There were various bins which held such things as lock picks, quills, inks, charcoal, wax for impressioning, or sealing letters, and brass stamps. All of which were dusty and unorganized. Athis wasn’t surprised; this was the reality here in the Guild. Common sense was not their forte. It was little wonder things had gone to Oblivion while he was gone. Or before even that. Grousing wouldn’t solve the issue, however, so he kept looking. How hard could a key be to find, after all? -> Read the rest on AO3

[thebiasrekkers]

Edge of Forever [BTS Space!AU]

BTS Space!AU [ ♧ ✪ ✿ ☆ ❂ ☾✘ ] “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” The stage is set and the stars are the guide for the lost souls that have congregated to one point. A fixed constant in the universe for others to discover and fulfill their wishes but will it come to ruin for others?

Pairings: BTS X OC (s) Genre: BTS Space!AU Warnings: Graphic Violence, Heavy Language

AO3

AN: Ah! There’s people who like this?? I’d like to give a shoutout to @pinkpjmin who wanted a tag for this mess of a story! If there’s anyone who wants to be on the shoutout list when I finally post, let us know! I purple all of you!

Chapter 18- From Yesterday

"But it's hard to admit How it ends and begins On his face is a map of the world."

It was a grueling 72 hours since they started to work on Lirael, barely even stopping to take meal breaks. The only reason that they did was because Jin practically shoved food down their mouths, making them choke and pause to chew. He was worried about Namjoon and Hoseok if they kept it up but what bothered him the most was the person that they were working on. He didn’t realize that with her awakening, it would affect him so much. He tried to watch as they worked on her, actually seeing what she was made of--the intricate details that wove together her biological parts with the technological aspect.

Yet, among the blood and wires--he felt a sort of kinship with her and she didn’t even speak one word to him yet. His fingers grazed the outer corners of his eyes, the sharp and unnatural color of them was a constant reminder of what happened to him. The faint scars that he could feel there practically burning as he watched them work on her. Jimin, along with others, had come to the ship about a day ago but his reaction was something similar to Yoongi’s. And it surprised him greatly, on both accounts.

Jimin had burst into tears when he saw what they were doing to her, to which Vairuit steered him away from the area. Nyala joined them in the room, getting looked at while Namjoon was finishing up with what he was doing. She watched over them while everyone else could stand outside and look through the glass into the sickbay. Jin was one of the ones that had been standing there for a while, Yoongi coming and going to check up on everything. He still couldn’t get a good read on the man but one could tell that he was disturbed by what was going on. When he wasn’t there, he would slink back to the cockpit to sit with Jungkook to watch over the area.

Jin dropped his hand from his eyes, the old ache reverberating through his head and face. The faint memory of the incident bothered him from time to time, even more so when he encountered something that would remind him of what happened. Which was why he couldn’t be in the same room as them, nor could Jimin since he had something similar happen. He got along better with Jimin sometimes because of it, the both of them having the scars of repair. It hurt his heart that someone like her would have to have the same ones they had. No matter what she was, she was an innocent in their band of rogues.

“Oh, he’ll be a good one soon.”

The needles and the sterile atmosphere were a constant reminder of where he was. For more than half of his life, he’d been there in those same rooms as fingers and tests were constantly bothering him. That voice, silky and low, was something that haunted his dreams constantly as he had to hear it in his waking moments. They were always doing something to his body, testing it for something that was beyond his scope of understanding. His tears and pain had long dried up, becoming a husk of what he used to be. But that was the way that they liked it, their subjects compliant with everything they said.

Oh, how they praised Samael for his accomplishments, showing off his body and charts to some of the others in his circle. He remembered actually being alarmed with his superiors, fear flooding his veins more than normal when he laid eyes on Samael’s boss. The stare troubling him more than the rest, more than the needles and the procedures. He was to be a prototype for a new army that they were breeding, seeing what all they could get away with. The applications being implanted in their project, the Maiden Program.

He understood snippets of what they were talking about, how close they were to the perfect being and with what they were doing to him--it would all go to it, a being born specifically for their purposes.

He cried, shivering in his corner once he was taken back to his cell. His whole body ached after that meeting, the fear and the understanding that he was nothing more than a canvass for science. It was one time that he couldn’t drive away the pain, humiliation and his whole reality by delving into a dream of a field of warmth. That same golden field where he could sink his hands into the foliage, the warm dirt beneath his feet and the gentle wind that lightly caressed his bare skin. He often saw that scene in his dreams, chasing away the cruel voice and fingers that haunted his waking moments. Often, a girl would join his dreams and would tell him in a soft voice to hold on--to believe in his dream of freedom. A girl with golden hair, just like the field.

“You need to get up!”

He awoke from that sweet dream, the feeling of stiffness from the past tears that had fallen down his face. He rubbed his face as he realized that there was someone else in his cell, someone that was at that meeting. He remembered the cold, blue eyes and instantly shied away from him. The man crouched down, a finger on his lips as he reached around to pull out a black mask. It was something he recognized from a man that frequented the labs, one that always got into arguments with Samael. He put the black mask on himself, the only thing showing was his icy eyes--the whole getup striking him like someone had actually stooped over to slap him.

It was the Demon Sonneillon, the harbinger of death among the top tier Guild. However, he knew the man as someone kind despite what he could do to others. The man would visit, to keep the Mad Doctor in check but would always pity the subjects in his care. While Samael was gone, Sonneillon would give them a sweet treat--the hatred in the man’s eyes would evaporate when dealing with the lab rats.

“Do you want to live here for the rest of your life?” The demon held his hand out to him, getting up from his crouched position. He knew better than to trust a Demon but his offer was one that was sweeter than the sterile life there. After finding some clothes for himself, the pair found their way towards the docking bay. However, they couldn’t just escape quietly as Samael caught them in the act. His dark skin, wicked grin--he was enjoying the mice running around in the maze. Sonneillon roared with anger, killing all that dared to bother him and the ones he freed. It was like a dying beast, getting in the last hunt before succumbing to his weaknesses.

He was scared but her voice urged him on, to hold onto his freedom. He’d had a taste of what it was like, the exhilarating moment that had his soul singing. People dropped all around him but he kept close to the demon that freed him.

Samael caught up to them, smiling like he had found the answer to all of his problems. He held out a hand, inviting him to stay--to become something bigger. But his tone was far from warm and safe, a threat lined underneath the words. It was almost compelling him to stay, a command laced in the undertones. He resisted, the desperation that he was holding onto that kept him from running towards the Doctor.

However, that was the wrong answer as Sonneillon yelled for the Mad Doctor to die. Something ugly twisted his features as he lashed out at the insubordination. He ran in front of the attack, catching the full brunt of it to keep his only friend and savior from being hurt. The attack caught him in the face, rendering him blind and bleeding. He didn’t know what happened next, only darkness and pain that kept him going. He could deal with that, pushing past his body’s limits as he was made to do. The demon helped him into the ship but found that he was locked out from using it. He could hear the frustration in the demon’s voice, ready to die for his own freedom.

But there was something that the demon didn’t know, a way out.

He was able to use the ship, access its systems due to the modifications that had been forced upon him. The synaptic processor that had been implanted into his brain, replacing his parietal lobe--it allowed him to “see” and bypass the locks. After all, the brain is the most complex computer in a species like himself. His reflexes and body enhancements were just enough to escape the Guild, eyes bleeding and brain being strained from the effort. He was going to get them out of there, to chase his wish of freedom.

He awoke to another hospital but one that treated his injuries instead of that hell he was in. Blind and scared, he turned to the Demon that saved him--one that still stayed with him instead of abandoning him to his fate after escaping. He would have to lay in the darkness for a while until something could be done but they were free. A feeling that he only experienced in his dreams, finally a reality.

“Shikoba, what do you want to do now?”

A bloody tear fell from his damaged eyes, one that wasn’t soaked up by the bandages around his face. He didn’t know the answer to that but there was one thing he was certain of. He reached up and started to scratch at the tattoo on his forearm, to the point where it was bleeding. Sonneillon tried to stop him but his strong fingers had dug into the skin, disrupting the tattoo that was there. Pushing the man away, he had mauled his skin until he was satisfied. By the time the nurses got there, the area was a bleeding mess.

“I am dead.” A sob racked his body as they sedated him again, the Demon watching on as his body relaxed again. “But I will live again soon. You should too. I am made to survive so please be free.”

“We both are dead now. So sleep and know that I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Jin?”

He hadn’t realized that he had been crying, an actual feat that his body was barely able to do those days. Because of the implants, it was incredibly hard for him to produce tears but it didn’t matter anyways since he rarely felt the need to cry. The Pilot realized that Yoongi had been talking to him, sensing the turbulence in the man.

“Did you get any supplies wrangled up before we leave this place? I heard you got some more food products I can actually work with.”

Yoongi nodded, deciding not to press the issue. Jin turned, furiously wiped his face before looking back at the scene. Namjoon and Hoseok had just finished what they were doing, covering up her body out of respect. Nyala was talking to them, pointing towards the cockpit as she instructed them on something he couldn’t hear. He furrowed his eyebrows as the both of them watched the pair pick up her body and carry her out. He was going to protest, questioning their decision to move her body but Nyala placed a hand on his shoulder with a small smile.

Namjoon carried her body to the bridge and set her on a peculiar area that he hadn’t really noticed before. It was one that was situated right behind his pilot’s seat, a circle that looked like something should have gone there. As instructed, Namjoon put her body down into the circle and stepped back.

Initiating Maiden Interface.

They all heard Kibeth’s voice call out before the area sunk down deep into the floor. The top closed after enveloping her; a series of mechanical clicks could be heard before a large cylinder shot up, attaching the top to the other half. Suddenly the sides of it slid away showing Lirael in the cylinder like she was floating in that space. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were still closed.

Lights all across the bridge started to light up, and areas that were dead or barely working were now almost singing to life. An unexpected glow shining in the cylinder lit up her features more. The sides covered up the most important parts of her body. Lirael’s eyes slowly opened, the green color radiating with life. She blinked, looking around at something that they couldn’t see. Her mouth opened a bit like she was about to speak but instead something else happened.

Oh!

A voice, light and soft, could be heard as she smiled. Hoseok cheered suddenly, scaring them all as his mouth grew wide with a smile. Namjoon grunted in satisfaction as he was trying, very obviously,  to keep from cheering as well. Jungkook clapped Jin on his shoulder but the man was focused on Yoongi, who had walked up to the tank. Lirael shifted in there to look at him, a happy expression on her face.

I am Lirael, but I do not know your names! Thank you so much for helping me and Nyala! I have just access the ship’s systems and everything is in running order. You are Yoongi, are you not?

Yoongi didn’t answer her but extended his hand to touch the tank. A tear fell down his cheek as he used his abilities to connect to her mind. It was something that was bothering him, whether or not she was more machine than body. He realized that she was just like the rest of them but with a connection that he just couldn’t handle at the moment. It was something that he’d been sensing as well as with Nyala but the pieces just wouldn’t fit together until he joined minds with her.

Suddenly, everything made sense to him and it overwhelmed him.

You are leaking! Are you in need of repair? Do you have damage, Mr. Yoongi?

Yoongi snatched his hand away from the tank and ran out, embarrassed that he caused such a scene. Nyala came up to her and reassured her that everything was fine. Jin watched the exchange, the scene being committed to his memory unit. The success of the endeavor was being saved and he would remember it all for them.