#sunless personal

[sunlessys]

looking sideways at that empathy post bc i did not want to derail in the tags but hwow. we have such extreme variance between system members in the way we experience those three kinds of empathy. 10 of us turn simultaneously to look directly at 🌿

[sunlessys]

We landed on Sunless recently, when one of our members got fed up with not having a collective name and forced a vote <3

For a long time we haven’t been able to come up with something everyone agrees with. We are relatively different people with very different interests and ways of perceiving the world, and the things that some of us relate to are things that are meaningless to others. We let it be for a long time and didn’t exist with a system name at all.

One of the more persistent proposed ideas was “heliocentric system”, mostly because it seemed funny to have a system name that’s a play on scientific system terms and because the solar system is a decent plurality metaphor! But there were some issues about choosing a name not everyone cared for just because it was funny, so it was scrapped.

Awhile later, we were off on a rant about a special interest (sunless skies, by failbetter games) and a friend pointed out that “Sunless System” had a nice ring to it. between the sound of it (VERY satisfying alliteration), the reference to something we all love, the way it almost feels like a response to “heliocentric,” the previous top contender for our system name, it seemed like a great option for everyone!

The cherry on top is the way it interacts with light and dark metaphors, which are very important to us. We love envisioning ourselves as a solar system without a sun at the center of it: when the light isn’t provided for us, and the universe seems cold and dark and empty, we make the light for ourselves.

I love hearing about system / collective names and the inspirations behind them! Its a really special aspect of being a system, and it's one of my favorite parts, because everyone's names are unique and have a very special meaning behind them.

fellow systems, if you have a sys / collective name, reblog and share what it means to you, if you'd like! ^-^

We chose the name Lighthouse Collective after outgrowing our previous system name, Potato Chip Squad, in more ways than one. Our system pretty much doubled rapidly over the span of about a month or so, and the old system name became linked to some rather sucky traumatic experiences, and we felt like we needed a fresh start.

Lighthouse Collective as a name came to us as a symbol of light, hope, and positivity in the aftermath of those darker days. When we changed it, the weight off our shoulders was amazingly freeing.

I can't wait to hear others' stories!

[grimm-the-tiger]

She dawn on my machine till I THESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHESUNTHE-

[elancholia]

One aspect of my experience of the world is that I experience gender dysphoria which is much more intense in warm weather. I have become conscious of this in the past few years, but I think, even before that, the discrete "episodes" I can remember were associated with spring and summer. The time I fainted because I wouldn't take off my sweatshirt and jeans in 90 degree heat couldn't have been in winter anyway, but the times I remember being put fully on my ass by it — like, rotting with it — were, I think, also in late spring. This may be one of the reasons I used to despise warm weather.

Obviously there are pain points, but I don't really experience it as distress anymore, fundamentally, it's sort of life-affirming, carrot rather than stick. A desire.

But for years — I mistook ambivalence for apathy. I read that fucking "cis by default" essay, I diffidently considered myself sort of nonbinary, I guess, haha, I don't feel like anything, in a lame, embarrassed I'm-probably-faking-it way that didn't mean anything or provoke action or change me or allow me to develop a better and more comfortable way of being for myself.

It never broke the blood-brain barrier, never meaningfully entered my identity.

But last summer, this tension built up and up for a few months, and I sort of made a choice, whereupon I felt this cataclysmic sense of relief, the feeling of sublimity I've experienced maybe half a dozen times in my life. You have to choose it, I guess.

I made some other positive changes in the months since, and now it's sort of re-entered my list of priorities. I need to allow myself to become someone new.

[leaf-miner]

I love you sunless sea soundtrack. Your vibes are immaculate. You help everything I do feel more like an adventure into an intriguing and possibly sinister unknown.

[artlessauthorite]

Shout-out to everyone who has seen me become weirder over time and still continues to follow me despite having no interest in me drawing myself turning into rubbery horses or whatever.

Speaking of for those of you who are fans of the rubbery horse content keep your eyes squeaked.

I mean peeled

[thatswife]

sometimes you love a song but have no desire to replay it (yet)

and sometimes you can't listen to anything else

and that's okay

[sensitive-creative-paranoid]

I redraw this picture each time I play sunless sea 2024 Aug / 2022 Jan /2020 Apr

[belowtheworldin80days]

playing sunless skies and tbh it's giving massive skullduggery island nostalgia with a lovecraftian twist and i'm highkey obsessed

[morgan-the-lonely-brick]

Thank you Sunless Sea for your various gender ambiguous or nonbinary characters. Thank you, also, for not having any of the "is your character male of female" stuff and instead having a number of varying traits that i can freely pick and combine without it being restrained by "male or female? okay now half your options are gone"

[theirrepressibleheiress]

Fuck it fic sharing time!

For any Dawn Machine fans out there, this is my take on the Something Awaits You in SSea where a crew member asks to be left behind at Grand Geode, if you, the Captain, were that crew member. Heads up for second person pov, identity loss, mind control, and generally very much not ending well. Also the one non-FL friend I shared this with is now playing Fallen London so make of that what you will.

Also, huge thank you to the person who commented and gave me the confidence to actually share this on tumblr!

[sunlessys]

cofronting with orpheus is fun because the only control of the body he wants is the voice and the only thing he does with it is sing and hum the whole time. i’ve had to physically fight other system members for control before, so this is a pleasant change 🩵

[superfluouskeys]

important part of plant care is explaining to the plant on a daily basis "i'm really sorry i'm trying my best i promise"

[grimm-the-tiger]

Why does every explicitly Victorian-era fantasy/sci-fi/horror story have to involve cannibalism? Can’t we go one day without eating our children? I know that era was horrible, but it wasn’t “we’re so desperate for food we’ll eat people to survive” levels of horrible, was it? 

...was it? 

[svngraced]

what if blood was the reason Elanor's lips are so red..?

[txniesha]

Complication Sylus x Non!MC reader Pt.2

This is Part 2 to Complication

Part 3 up now!!

Synopsis: You were never meant to matter to him, he already had someone. Someone he was bound to. And you? Well you were just a complication.

Word count: 3,410

Content: SMUT and it is explicit, cursing, some angst but not a lot, typos, grammar. Other LI are mentioned.

A/N: Thank you guys for supporting the first part and for asking for a second part. I would've written an entire second part for just one person if they asked but many loved the first part and im so grateful for that! Also the dividers Im going to use for these fic I've reblogged and liked! Also im from the south and I use a lot of AAVE so some of it slips into readers dialogue.

The ride back to your apartment that night after his little temper tantrum was nothing but awkward. The ride was filled with nothing but silence, he couldn't even be bothered to turn the radio on, immediately swatting your hand when you went to touch it. This entire situation was so out of character for him and so strange you couldn't do anything but think about what happened as you laid alone in your apartment chain smoking your third cigarette since you had gotten out of his car.

Sylus didn't show back up to Taurus for a couple of weeks after that and you knew it was because of that night and that woman. You tried to let the jealousy and disdain for that woman who did nothing to you go, but it was something about her, about the way he looked at her that made you immediately dislike her. You knew it was wrong to feel that way about someone you do not know, but you couldn't help it. You wondered if Sylus talked to her the same way he talked to you when it was just the two of you. When he held you against his bare chest, his hands tracing circles around the tattoos that line the skin under your breast, whispering sweet nothings in your ear. You wondered if any of that meant something to him, or if you were just a quick fuck to get him off when he couldn't be around her. The thought of it made you feel so much anger, so much disdain for Sylus that it was physically making you sick.   

You had begun to bury yourself in work, working longer hours at the lounge to get your mind off of anything that involved with Sylus. On one of the slower nights regular at the lounge had offered you a gig, he was a man that frequently hosted big events and he wanted you to work the bar at one of his venues for a art showing. That is how you ended up with a mini vacation to Linkon City, you stepped out of the airport dragging your heavy suitcase behind you.

The warm air of Linkon city hit you as you walked to find a spot to wait on the share ride you booked. It always surprised you just how much different the zone and Linkon city was. Hell even the temperature was always warmer than the cold and sunless city of the N109 zone. You were glad for the weather change though, finally being able to wear the cute sundress you had bought a while back that had an open back showing the  dragon tattoo mural that covered your back and the cute slit on the leg which put the flower leg sleeve you had on display. You were some what of a tattoo junkie and it had only gotten worser when Sylus introduced you to an artist who practically became your best friend from how often you were with her getting a new tattoo our touch up on previous ones.  

You sighed heavily as you looked at your phone seeing a message from the driver that you booked stating that he was running behind due to traffic. You prop your suitcase up and sit down on a long bench, grabbing your cigarette out of your purse and lighting one up. As soon as you took a drag a voice that was soft, and stern spoke up next to you. “Smoking those are bad for you, it causes heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, lung cancer, lung disease and even affects reproductive health. Not to mention exposing strangers to secondhand smoke is rude” the man says.

You scowl looking over at him, the man was beautiful you couldn't deny that part. Even while sitting you could tell, he was tall, his black hair in a slight side part falling neatly on his forehead and his hazel eyes bored into you with such a stoic expression you couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was wearing a three-piece suit with the sleeves rolled up slightly so you could see some scars peeking from under the fabric. You scoff at the beautiful man, “What are you a doctor or something” you say rolling your eyes taking another drag but blowing it in the direction opposite of the man. “Yes, I am actually, I work at the Asko hospital as the chief surgeon” His voice was calm and clear as he looked at you. You smile at him, there was no way a man that young was the chief surgeon at a hospital as big as Asko, “I don’t like being played for a fool now, you’re way too young to be a chief surgeon” you say rolling your eyes.   

His eyebrows furrow slightly, and he reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a card handing it to you. You finish your cigarette and throw it to the side haphazardly grabbing the card out of his slender long fingers, you looked down at the card seeing 'Zayne Li Chief surgeon Asko Hospital' with. A number and email on there. You raise your eyebrows surprised and hum, stuffing the card into your purse, “I'll be making sure to give you a call then Doctor” He raises his brow at your statement, finally showing interest in it seemed like you as a person, “that was not an invitation to call my personal number” he says a hint of amusement in his tone. You shrug at his statement and smile “well that’s what I took it as” your phone dinged, and it was a text saying your driver arrived. You stood grabbing your things and smile at the man “Nice to meet you Dr. Li, I'll be giving you a call” you say giving him a small wave. He just nods at you and hums not giving an objection instead watching you carefully as you leave and get into the car.  

After that encounter you went to the luxurious hotel which was being paid for by the man that hired you. He had set up an all amenities included room, where you didn’t have to pay for anything as he put his card on the file. You thought about all of the massages you were going to get over the next few days as you worked the vent that you were hired for. It was an art showing for some big artist you had never even heard of since you could care less about anything pertaining to stuff like that. You sat behind the bar preparing drinks from the never-ending guest who threw the drinks back as if they were juice. It finally slowed down when the official showing and selling of the pieces began.

Only a few people sat at the bar including a man that was looking very bored and was mumbling to himself. You raise your brow and walk over to him, “did you want anything to drink, you look like you need it.” He looks to you, his purple and pink eyes staring into yours, you were instantly mesmerized as his eyes were something unique, something you had never seen. A small scowl appears on his face as he responds, his tone filled with sass “no thanks, if I’m going to have to deal with this boring event I’ll at least do it sober so I don’t have thoughts of killing myself. My miss bodyguard already didn’t accompany me so I’m here alone, this night sucks” he says rolling his eyes and pouting leaning on his arm. You laugh at his words a little confused “No one is making you stay, you can leave at anytime” you say with a smile.

The man looks you up and down his eyes lingering in certain places longer than intended, “Actually someone is making me stay, those are my pieces in there, so my manger is forcing me to stay” his tone was bored.  Your brows shoot up in surprise, “wow! You’re the artist, I saw some of the pieces before I came to the bar and they’re incredible. You’re really talented” The man just shrugs and sighs “Im not that good at arts, and I don’t care to hear my praises sung.” He says standing and turning around and walking away.  

Your eyebrows furrow at his behavior and the sudden change in it. “What a fucking weirdo” you mumble to yourself, looking at the man's retreating figure. The rest of the night goes well or was going well until you saw her. She walked in looking beautiful wearing a soft colored dress that complimented her features really well and you cursed yourself for even thinking that she looked good. What was even more strange was that she was now with the strange man from before, his expression no longer bored or irritable but instead looking at her with affection and adoration.

Why did it seem like that girl had everyone wrapped around her finger, like they couldn’t think about anything but her. She looked over to the bar and caught you staring but you turned away quickly pretending to do something else.  “Hi again” you hear her sweet and soft voice speak to you; you turn around begrudgingly throwing on forced smile. “Hey! Its good to see you” you force out through a smile, whether or not she noticed this you didn’t know because she just continued smiling at you. But who did notice this was the pretty man with purple/pink yes, his gaze hardened a little as he looked at the two of you interact. It was like he could tell you didn’t like her as you gave her dry responses to her questions and then quickly rushed the two of them away feigning an excuse. He throws a glance back your way as they walk away giving you a dirty stare. “Sassy ass man” you say sucking your teeth.  

The rest of the night was uneventful as the bar closed before the event ended so you were able to leave. As soon as you got into your hotel room, barely even having time to take your heels off, your phone starts ringing. You groan as you fish it out of your purse throwing the purse itself onto the bed. Not even looking at the caller ID you answer and was surprised to hear Sylus voice on the other end, “Why are you in Linkon” he says his voice sounding harsh through the phone. You sigh sitting down on the bed putting him on speaker as you started to undress “And how do you know I’m in Linkon, you stalking me now” your voice was filled with irritation. “I always have eyes on you, but that’s not how I know you’re there. You just walked past me in the hotel lobby” he says and then you hear a knock on the door.

Your eyebrows furrow as you looked down at the phone and saw the call ended, you grab a robe throwing it on while you go answer the door. You were (not really) surprised to see Sylus standing on the other side, his eyes low and unreadable and his tilted as he looks down at you, “Not going to invite me in?” he says in his usual smug tone. You roll your eyes and open the door wider letting him in. You walk to the bed grabbing your purse, taking your cigarettes out. Before you can even take them out of the pack a red smoke engulfs them instantly making them disappear. You turn to Sylus irritated, “Aye dickhead that was my last pack” you curse at him. He just shrugs and walks towards you making you step back. You expected him to stop walking, but he didn’t, instead he just came closer and closer making you take a step back with every step he took.  

You continue to back up and eventually trip falling backwards onto the bed, he smiles as he positions himself above you trapping you between him and the bed. “Why did you come to Linkon without telling me” he says running his hand down the nape of your neck stopping just before he got to the opening of your robe. Your breath hitches in your throat as you try your hardest not to react. “Why should I tell you where I plan on going? i haven’t even seen you since that night you snapped on me.” His hand sat on your chest now playing with the opening to your robe “I’ve been busy with other matters” you raise your brow at him “like what?” You say grabbing his hand stopping him.  He flips your hand around intertwining your fingers together, “it doesn’t concern you” he says bringing your hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to the tips of your fingers. You sigh “well why are you in Linkon” you say as his other hand came from its resting place by his side and made its way onto your thigh, “it doesn’t concern you” he says again. He was really starting to piss you off. “I saw your little girlfriend today” his eyes shot up to meet yours, all his movement stopping as he looked down at you. “She was at the art showing I was working with the, get this, the fucking artist whose paintings were being sold. She looked good can’t even lie, but her and the artist were really close. He even had his arm around her waist” you say with a small smile forming on your face.   

His eyes darken at your statement and his grip on your thigh tightens. His hand leaves the fabric of your robe and grabs your chin, “you talk too much about unnecessary things, just focus on me for right now” he says leaning down his lips brushing against yours. You wanted to push him away, to protest but that man had you mesmerized. You allowed him to kiss you, his soft lips molding with yours and the taste of the whiskey he was drinking seeping into your mouth. His hand traced up the flower tattoo on your thigh all way up to where it stopped near your pussy. You bit down on his lip as you felt his fingers toy with the edges of your panties. His hand that was holding your chi moves down to your robe untying it. He runs his hands over the lace of your bra gently before he pulls at the fabric revealing your soft breast. His mouth leaves yours and he was now planting soft wet kisses down your neck, trailing them all the way down to your breast. His hand grips your other breast firmly as his mouth captures the other, his tongue swirling and sucking on the hard bud of your nipple. You let out a soft moan your fingers finding his hair and tugging at it. You can feel him smile against your breast as he bites and sucks down on your nipple and massages the other in his hand.  

His hand that was toying with the edge of your panties finally pushes them to side, running a long finger down your wet slit and over your swollen clit causing your moans to grow louder. He laughs at the sound, his fingers parting your lips as he rubbed your slick all over you swollen clit. His fingers toyed with the entrance to your pussy, dipping it in slightly before pulling it back out making you buck into his touch craving more. He chuckles pulling back off your breast so that he could look at you, as he rubs circles against your clit, the movement slow and unrelenting. “You’re soaking wet for me, did you miss me that much” he says with a smug smile. You glare at him and sigh biting your lip as he continued to rub circles against your clit “shut up” you say your voice shaky. He laughs, the sound rich and genuine, “it's okay to admit it, Sweetie” your eyebrows furrowed at the pet name and before you could say anything he slips a finger inside, pushing it all the way in and curling it to hit that spot that made you arch your back off the bed. You moaned loudly biting your lip and smiled down at you, as he thrusts his finger in and out. His mouth was back on your neck now, this time not kissing it but sucking it, marking you as his. His free hand held your thigh open as he pumped in and out, his thumb now rubbing circles against your clit causing you rut against his hand as you came on his finger.  

He smiles against your neck, “one isn’t enough for this greedy little pussy is it” he murmurs against. He slips in a second finger spreading them out as he thrust them in and out “so tight and wet for me” he says into your neck as he continues to suck it. His fingers continuously hit that sweet spot, and you could feel an intense release coming. You grind down against his hadn’t seeking more friction and he laughs at this, “Don’t worry I'm going to give you what you need” his thumb rubbed your clit relentless and quick. You grab his arms digging your nails into them and you hear him let out a soft moan at the action. You let out a soft cry as it became too much, and you squirted all over his hand. He pulls his fingers out rubbing your clit encourage you to wet the bed more. “That’s right, squirt for me baby” he whispers against your jaw. He pulls his fingers away and moves from where he was in your jaw and kisses you softly. The kiss was slow and deep. Your hand comes up to back of his head running your hands through his hair as you kiss him back.  

The moment didn’t last long as Sylus’ phone began to ring. You felt the vibration before you even heard it. He groans, pulling away and pulling his phone from his pocket. He looked irritated before he saw the name in the phone, and you were nosy, so you looked at it, not expecting to see the face of the woman that’s been irritating your soul since the very day you met her. He hesitates for a moment before he answers it, moving from above you.

You scoff and roll your eyes getting off the bed and pulling your robe back on. You watch him as he has a hushed phone call watching your every move. You catch the words “I’ll be there soon” fall from his mouth and he hangs up the phone. Sylus stares at you and you just roll your eyes at him, “You can’t be fucking serious right now, like you have got to be fucking with me” you say angrily to him. He just lets out a sigh standing from the bed and walking towards you, he reaches out to touch you, but you avoid it. He sighs irritated “It's important” he says the annoyance clear in his voice “I’ll be back once I’m done, I promise” You scoff at his words “Don’t bother, just get out” you say moving to the side throwing your head at the door. He looks at you, the irritation on his face evident now. He sighs looking like he was going to say more but instead he just walks to the door and leaves.  

When he leaves the anger and shame of letting him feel like he could just use you and leave the second she calls builds up in you. The humiliation of letting him touch you like that, of letting yourself believe, even for a second, that you mattered more, burned like acid in your chest. You let out a sound of frustration as you march over to the bed where your purse was searching for your cigarettes only to remember that he literally made them vanish. You throw your purse violently at the wall as you let out a frustrated scream. You couldn’t believe you let him so easily come back in just for him to go running to her the second she called. That’s when you realized that you didn’t know if he actually cared for you, or if you were just a complication between the two of them. 

Tags: @sylusgirlie7 @crimsonmarabou @z3vl @thehenchsket @perqbeth