#syl — partial works

[midoriima]

where to? | aomine daiki

GoM go to the same school in HS and kise could be ooc, publishing as is

"The parallels in your class play is ironic," Kise said, though not a hint of playfulness behind his voice.

"Nevermind that. You're leaving soon, it's best to warn everyone beforehand what they're about to go through." He advised, despite already knowing you wouldn't change your mind on the topic and lie about how you were simply moving away, just never coming back or talking to them ever again.

"I know that! But, I mean, am I supposed to say, 'hey guys, I'm going to die in months' time!' that it? I don't even know what and where I should start first..."

He groaned, "You're stupid and your plan is stupid. If this is your idea of lighting up the mood, it's not working."

A sigh leaves your lips and that brought about another wave of silence between the two of you as you walk to your neighborhood from a nearby convenience store.

Now, it really feels like the hours to your life is coming to an end.

A month ago, you accepted it like it was like your destiny. You weren't set on anything, you had no particular ambition, no one (or at least, you hadn't figured it out) to love, nothing, nothing for your future, much more with anyone.

But now, you do and it's almost driving you insane. The sleepless nights and the nights you've cried yourself to sleep because of this awful bind you're in, knowing you'd have to leave everything this world had to offer. You couldn't accept it, not anymore.

Leaving them and especially him, Aomine, without letting them know and have them find out maybe even years later was doing nothing less than decreasing your own sanity.

You grew pale as the two of you walked and in the end, Kise had to give you a piggyback ride. He pondered on asking if you were thinking about your condition and ask how you were doing and what else you were thinking, but he bit his tongue and held back on that.

Not that he didn't care about you enough to ask, he just didn't have the courage to know.

As the walk to your house continued, there was a lack in conversation.

It probably felt like walking on egg shells with you when he found out.

The warm lights from your house came into view and Kise walked faster, by this time you got down from his back but you didn't follow, hoping he would notice and slow down, and he did.

"Kise, how do you feel about all this?"

He stayed silent for a while, "Like everything just came crashing down."

He could tell you were about to apologize, "Don't apologize. It's not like you asked to get sick, you know?" Like always, he drops you off at home before walking further up the neighborhood and into his house.

'I am not going to walk with you this morning. Go with Aomine, you NEED to speak to him.' With just a text, you could already sense a sort of threatening aura from Kise.

Well, it wasn't like you had a choice anyway, someone's gotta be around you at all times or you'll probably drop dead on the sidewalk, maybe even fall into a ditch somewhere for some reason and rot for a couple of weeks or months before someone finds you.

Before you could even start eating, Aomine had already busted through the living area's double hung windows and started scolding you about how you two will be late if you don't get the fuck up now.

"You're still eating?"

"And why are you so energetic? We're just going to school."

"Whatever. Should I feed you so you'd pick up the pace?"

"No, thank yo–" but he did so anyway.

please do go check out more on my masterlists cos these partial works are open for any continuation or derivatives, etc. but on one condition: ask permission 🤗 that's allll

[crabussy]

OWUFHHGHF ONE MORE THING I THINK YOU'D FIND REALLY COOL: Dominator was actually written as being a lesbian. The Night Out specifically was written to have hella lesbian undertones to it wrt Dom & Syl's brief friendship. Staff writer ND Stevenson was largely responsible for both these things and confirmed as much himself, though he also stressed that Dominator being a lesbian isn't a part of the show's official canon bc he doesn't have the authority to declare that, ofc. Still, though, that was very much a part of how she was approved to be written, and getting confirm that one of the mains was very much intentionally queercoded (and in such a specific and, idrk the best words for it... authentic? Down to earth? Way? What I'm getting at is that it feels so so meaningful that a lesbian writer had the biggest hand in writing a character and episode to be lesbian(TM) like oh my gosh) and with much support from the crew. Like, that just rules so hard!!! I totally don't doubt that there was a lot of other purposefully queercoded stuff in woy, but consistently queercoding a character in a very specific way throughout the show's run, with apparent 'silent' agreement from the others who worked on it is something that's just.. in a whole other league of its own and I can't not have a lot of love for that. Partially bc queer writers writing queer characters is a wonderful thing, and partially bc it's just SO COOL from the fleshing-out-the-character standpoint bc it for sure either influenced a lot about the character or came about because of the other things they used for inspiration for her. Auhghghgh I just love it sm...... #endnerdramble

THIS IS THE COOLEST EVER THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING!!!! I love dominator so much I can’t imagine a world or galaxy for that matter where she would ever be into men. ND stevenson is so good at writing queercoded characters I appreciate him so much….

[randomidiocyncrazies]

Rhythm of War spoilers

so Leshwi had an honorspren friend who wasn’t bonded to her, and we’ve seen Syl talk to + form her own relationships with other people who isn’t Kaladin (her taking fashion advice from Adolin is so cute! I would totally watch a makeover show with Adolin, just sayin’)

given Maya’s partial rehabilitation at the end of the Shadesmar arc, i can’t help but wonder... is it possible to have spren work with, but not bond with, people? with deadeyes it might be that their broken oaths prevent them from making new ones, but maybe they’ll be able to act as a kind of ‘willing’ shardblade—shifting forms but not granting associated surges? if that’s possible, would KR squires (those who hang around KRs but have not bonded a spren) be able to get a 'willing’ shardblade without being bonded necessarily? or would their association with KRs make it unpleasant for them to handle deadeyes (even revived ones)?

like, i definitely think rehabilitating/reviving deadeyes would take years—Adolin talked to Maya for a long time before knowing she’s anything more than a fancy sword—and arming squires with partially revived shardblades wouldn’t be a viable war tactic, but i just think it’s cool as heck if we see spren therapy programs alongside human therapy programs running during the back half of the series. i think spren interacting with humans aids in their revival/recovery (deadeyes do not seem to react to their spren caretakers), and we don’t really know the effect of unbonded intelligent spren presence on people who need help, so it’d be kinda rad if there are like... buddy programs or whatever between deadeyes and people who need therapy. (ofc not everyone or every deadeye spren is suitable for programs like these; it depends on their specific circumstances)

as for non-deadeyes working with humans without bonding them... i think it’ll be interesting to explore alternative ways of people-spren interactions outside of a radiant bond

[bluebellwriting]

Mom-Friend Looking for a Dad-Friend Part 2

You’re sitting in your office, going over some case notes from your last session with Paul. The poor thing has really been missing his husband. You never had the pleasure of meeting Hugh, but from the way Paul talks, he was a wonderful man and a loving partner. You’re sure you would have loved him. 

Your door pings and without looking up you beckon your guest to come in. The familiar sound of hooves on metal draw your eyes upward to Saru who looks... horrible. 

His skin is pale, eyes watery and pained, and he’s sniffling. Never in the time you’ve known him have you seen Saru look so vulnerable or so openly in pain. It’s a strange and horrible sight, and you want nothing more than to wrap him in your arms, and hug and kiss the pain away.

“Oh, Saru!” You stand and usher him over to the small couch in your office. He looks gigantic compared to it, but he sinks into the soft cushions and lets out a content sigh. Once he’s seated and you can actually reach his face, you place a hand on to his forehead.

“You’re burning up, you poor thing.” Saru leans into your touch, forgetting for a moment the immense pain he’s in, just relishing in the coolness of your hands. You’re so sweet, so lovely, such an angel. 

“Saru,” your voice draws him back out of the fever’s void. “What’s going on? Why aren’t you in med bay?”

“I wanted,” he breathes, “to come see you. It’s nicer here.”

“But you need help. More help than I’m equipped to give you right now.”

You try to move away but a hand on your waist -- Saru’s hand -- keeps you there.

“I’ll be fine. I just need to rest.”

He leans his head back to lean against the wall, but you’re still being held in his grasp. Which honestly isn’t fair, you need to be helping him right now and the feeling of his large fingers holding you close is just so distracting.

“Saru, please. Let me take you to med bay, or at least back to your room. My couch is too tiny for you, you giant.” 

Saru sighs but lethargically rises from the couch. His hand remains on you though, gliding up from your waist to your back to your shoulder, using you like a tether to keep him from plummeting into something horrible. The longer this “cold” persists, the more it occurs to him that this isn’t a rhinovirus. But maybe he can just fall into you, let the embrace you have over him keep upright for just a little bit longer. 

You have to hold on to him with all your might to keep him from falling over in the halls. He refused to go to med bay, afraid of the inevitable. He wasn’t ready yet, there was still so much to do, so much to tell, to say to you. The issue of needing to confess his love to you now before he disappears forever is weighing on his mind just as much as the news of his impending death. But it wouldn’t be fair to you, especially if you didn’t return his feelings. To pour his heart out only to expire and leave you with the guilt of not loving him back would be far too cruel.

You’re about to reach his quarters and Saru is lost in a day dream of resting his head in your lap, letting your thighs cushion and comfort him. But Michael had to ruin that with a desperate call to the bridge.

You graciously helped him there but were called back to med bay at that by Dr. Pollard, who was desperately understaffed. You left him in a rush, a promise to check on him at every possible moment, and one last lovely sight of the back of your head.

---

The med bay was overrun with your wounded crew mates after... whatever had happened. You’re still not quite sure. Right now all of your attention is on checking vitals and applying hypos. But when Saru comes stumbling into the room, it’s like you have tunnel vision. All you’re able to see is how considerably worse he’s gotten, how he can��t even support himself anymore. He has such powerful legs, it’s strange seeing them so weak.

You finished quickly and rushed over to him, not even trying to hide the partiality you felt towards him. That’s when he told you that he was dying, that the man you were falling in love with was going to disappear from this realm within mere hours. You almost burst into tears then and there, but Saru was determined now, motivated to use what time he had left to save his crew. He didn’t need you blubbering over him or confessing your love (which you’re sure he didn’t reciprocate) to distract him. This is how he wanted to spend his final hours, and you were ready to honor that.

But it hurt. A very selfish part of you wanted him to want to spend these last hours with you. That same part so desperately wanted you to confess your love to him, to scream out into the world how deeply into him you had fallen. But a bigger part, the therapist, the maternalist, tells you that you can’t. That he doesn’t need the weight of some girl’s affections on his fatigued shoulders. He needs to rest and to work, he doesn’t need to be concerned for you right now.

So you stay quiet and resist the urge to check in with him and Michael every minute. You use what you remember from medical school to help patients who you can actually save. You try not let the those dim, teal eyes haunt you throughout the day.

---

You’ve just returned to your office after your long day assisting in med bay when you get the call from Michael. You’re tired, your arms are achy and your back feels like it’s holding up a thousand pound stone. But when she calls you, you’re out of your seat and down the hall before she can even finish.

He’s okay, she says. He wants to see you.

When you enter his quarters he’s on his bed, shirtless, and very much not dead. In fact, the color has returned to his face and his eyes are alight with a kind of energy you’ve never seen from him before. On his end table in a small bowl rests his... ganglia. The sight of them is enough to distract you from his shirtlessness.

“Saru!”

His eyes meet yours and he grins. You hug him before you can even think about it because he’s alive. He’s breathing and smiling and hugging you back. He’s alive.

“I was so worried. I was thinking about you all day and I--”

“I’m sorry.”

You pull back to look up at him but you keep your shoulders on his forearms, just to make sure he’s here with you. It’s definitely not because you like the way his skin feels against yours.

“Why?”

“I...” he breathes out. “I came in here with all intentions to... And I didn’t get to say goodbye.” 

Your shoulders deflate and you remove your hands from him entirely. He came in here to die with Michael. He wanted Michael to be here instead of you. 

You take a step back, trying not to look hurt because this isn’t about you and your feelings. You should just be grateful that he’s alive. 

Plus, Michael’s known him for longer. And she’s stronger and more brilliant and more attractive than you, of course, he’d want her here with him. Of course, he’d choose her.

You hide your disappointment behind your best and brightest smile.

“It’s alright. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m just happy you’re here,” you tell him. He smiles at you again and proceeds to tell you everything that had transpired since you had seen him med bay. About his revelations regarding his people, about the freedom he now feels, about the conversations he had had with Michael. You try to be happy for him and in a way you are. You’re thrilled about his new relationship with his culture and his mind, and heartbroken with him over this new truth he has stumbled upon. But you have to force down the anguish you feel every time he mentions Michael.

---

You’ve been avoiding Saru since his vahar’ai, making up reasons for why you couldn’t eat dinner or listen to music with him. Sure it was cowardly, but you could take cowardice over the feelings he brought up for you. Every moment you did spend with him was just a reminder that he could do so much better, that your feelings were useless because he was probably in love with Michael or some other amazing person on this ship that wasn’t you.

Yes, you’re aware that if a patient of yours was acting so childish you would have told them to confront their problem head-on. But you’re only human and sometimes it’s just easier to descend into the pit of repression, no matter how psychologically damaging it might be.

That’s how your sister had put it when she had confronted you about your “increased workload” and frequent nights hidden away in your quarters.

“So what? You’re just gonna hideaway from him forever?” Sylvia asked.

“No! Not forever,” you pouted. “Just until I have to return to the Enterprise with Captain Pike.”

“Don’t remind me that that’s a possibility. I’ve loved having you here with me all the time.”

“I have too.” You smile at her. “But ultimately my home is on the Enterprise and this just... affirms that maybe this isn’t the right place for me.”

“But you are perfect for Saru!”

“That doesn’t matter, Syl. What matters is what he wants and I don’t think that will ever be me.”

“In that case... have you considered a rebound? Maybe that ensign that’s shown some interest in you,” she teases and you shudder at the thought of him.

“Mark? No, no way. He’s just a flirt who can’t take a hint.”

“Okay, then someone else! Oh! Maybe at the party next weekend?”

“No.”

“Oh, come onnnnnnn.” Sylvia flops onto your lap, sending you her best pleading eyes. 

“Ugh, no. I hate parties. The loud music, the bumping and grinding.”

“You’re such an old lady. Please? If you really want to get over him, a rebound might be the best way.” She nudges your shoulder.

“Syl,” you sigh. “I think that’s the problem. This isn’t something that can be fixed with a rebound, assuming I can even get one.”

Your sister sends you a glare, screaming ‘knock it off with that self-criticalness.’

“I just mean,” you continue. “This feels so different. I feel so different about him, more than I’ve ever felt about anyone and it just hurts to much knowing I can’t have him. He’s not someone I could just get over with a casual fling.”

“Why are you so convinced he doesn’t like you? You should know by now that he’s way different around you, way happier, way more relaxed. I don’t think it’s as out of the question as you think.”

You shrug because you can’t put it into words. It’s a feeling, deep in your gut, telling you that he’s going to break your heart if you’re not careful. You’ve already let your guard down too much.

“Well, how about we make it a girls night? We can dress up all fancy and dance~” Sylvia interjects, bringing you out of your cloud of negativity.

“...Fine. But I’ll only stay for a few minutes.”

---

Sylvia left your quarters with a conniving grin. She taps her comm badge.

“Tilly to Commander Burnham.”

“Burnham here. What’s going on, Tilly?”

“Can you meet with me in the spot?

There’s a short pause, but Sylvia knows Michael is grinning just as wickedly.

“I’ll be right there.”

“The spot” is really just their shared quarters but the two decided long ago that neither you nor Saru could learn about their secret meetings to get you two together. These meetings began as casual chats or with Michael complaining about the goo-goo eyes Saru would send you from across the room. Ultimately, this became the war room in the infernal battle to bring together two souls who were so obviously meant to be together but were too dorky to actually do anything about it.

“Did you tell her about the party?” Michael asks as soon as the door closes behind her.

“Yes! And she actually agreed which is the real miracle here. What about Saru?”

Michael sighs, “we’re gonna have to work on that.”

“What do you mean? What have you been telling him?”

“That there’s a party and it might be fun for him to socialize and relax.”

Sylvia looks at her incredulously.

“What?” Michael cries. “If I say, ‘oh, and (Y/N) will be there in a sexy dress,’ he’s going to panic and not show up at all.”

“How is he, by the way? Any better?”

Michael sighs and flops on her bed. Truth be told, Saru had been a nightmare and was making no attempt to hide it. He had been agitated every since his vahar’ai and everyone on the bridge was convinced it was because he wasn’t getting his daily dose of you. 

There was a pattern. He’d report for duty each morning with a hopeful look in his eyes. He’d send you a message asking if you wanted to have lunch. He’d receive ‘no’ as an answer. He’d ask about dinner. Again a ‘no.’ He’d mope for about a solid hour, and then be cranky for the rest of the day. At first it was kind of amusing, seeing the usually cool and collected Kelpien reduced to a depressed dork because of you. But now it was just annoying and infuriating, with a hint of sad.

“He’s getting worse. He doesn’t even snap at people anymore. He just mopes. Have you told (Y/N)?”

“Even if I did, she wouldn’t believe me. She’s so convinced that he’s actually in love with you.”

They burst out laughing at that. 

“Okay, okay,” Sylvia breathes, recovering from their fit of giggles. “You should tell him that she’s going to be there and that he should get a grip and whisk her off her feet. I have a feeling pushing him into the deep end on this will finally motivate him.”

“Are you going to tell (Y/N)?”

“Mmm, no. I think it should be a surprise.”

[st-just]

Semi-coherent thoughts on The Way of Kings

So clearly Sanderson improved significantly as an author between series, or possibly I just clicked with this aesthetic more, but either way I liked this book a lot more than Mistborn. (Though I still don’t think any single book really needs to be 1300 pages). More in the back-half than in the front, admittedly, but even the table-setting was interesting. The final climax to the War plotline was really well done, if a bit Hollywood (but then, I suppose that’s not really something you can sit down to a multi-thousand page heroic epic fantasy series and complain about). Though honestly by the end I was nearly as invested in Shallan’s plotline - the final reveal with the parshmen was really well done, though gonna try real hard not to think too deeply about the subtext there. But still, the entire climax just made me grin like a fool, and the epilogue was a legitimate surprise, in a good way.

But, like, so the Parshendi are clearly, self-evidently in the right as far as the war goes, right? Like, there were plenty of humanizing hints through the book and I’m really hoping that they weren’t just a red herring for the leadup to the big reveal. And, semi-related, but I feel like I have to say – ‘docile, perfect slaves who will just sit until they’re killed by the elements without instruction, distinguished from real humans primarily by their bizarre skin, turn out to be the remnants of some ancient evil who, under the right circumstances, will rise up in revolt and slaughter the masters who foolishly let down their guard.’ C’mon man. Really?

Anyway, given the impression I’d gotten of Sanderson – both from people online talking about him and from reading Mistborn, I am really pleasantly surprised how, well, magical the magic felt (well, less so in Szeth’s POV, but even there to an extent). Kaladin’s gradual (via other people repeatedly pointing it out to him) was especially great. Though on that count I probably like soulcasting rather more than binding or whatever it’s called, entirely because of all the weird associated mysticism, and also because it seems to be very nearly FMA-alchemy.

Of the three main POVs, I’ll admit Dalinor’s was the least interesting to me by some margin (and I honestly can’t even remember how to spell his son’s name. But, like, the jock prince even less so). Still, the ending where he launches a coup d’etat and forces the king to declare him Shogun after credibly threatening his death was great. Although, yes, if I was the king I would probably be a bit paranoid in the situation where I have no land or power of my own, my bodyguards are entirely loyal to my uncle – one of the great landed magnates, suffering from messianic delusions/visions, not even hiding his relationship with my mother the queen dowager, just forced me to sign a deeply unpopular order granting him control of other nobles’ armed retainers – and will do absolutely nothing if he beats me half to death to make a point. Seems, uh, less than ideal.

I’ve been repeatedly told that Kaladin is basically the book’s main character, and that me getting more invested in his arc than the others is basically things going as intended. So, well, that pretty much worked. Though I’ll say right not that I do not remember a single name of any of his bridge-buddies. They’re fine as quirky supporting cast, granted, but that’s about it. Syl’s great though, easily in the running for best non-POV character (the spren generally are a really interesting bit of worldbuilding). I’m sure it’s just because I read Mistborn so recently (and, honestly, because both their names start with K), but he remained me of Kelseir to a certain extent. The same arc of ‘embittered cynic learns that not every privileged noble of the horrifying oppressive system he suffers under is evil, merely the vast majority’, anyway. That and the fact that he also seems to have a cult now, though I guess he got his by accident.

Shallan’s arc really grew on me once we got back to it in part three – and I’d always liked it to begin with. Partially because intrigue and conspiracies are generally more interesting than action scenes and this had one without the other, and partially because Jasnah is the other candidate for best supporting character (sorry, I’m obligated to love the insufferably too-smart-for-her-own-good atheist historian, its in my contract). Though I am looking forward to Shallan’s next conversation with her brothers “Bad news, I do not have a soulcaster. Good news, I’m now an apprentice wizard. No, I will not be coming home.”

I am more than a bit confused about the exact timeline of all this mythic prehistory, though I’m sure that’s at least partially intentional. Still, very curious if God’s death (or, well, I suppose Ahura Mazda’s, given the whole dualism thing) is the cause, result, or unrelated to all but one of his immortal hero-saints deciding to say ‘fuck this’ when it was time to go back to being tortured/fight in hell for another few (decades? Centuries? Millennia?).

Also unclear on what sort of timeframe all this is supposed to have happened in. Hundreds of years ago? Thousands? Tens of thousands? It seems like it went ‘mythical dawn kingdoms’ ---> ‘global theocracy’ ---> ‘current setup’, which doesn’t seem like much change. But, like, it’s a thousand page high fantasy book, political situations persisting for thousands of years wouldn’t exactly be surprising.

But yeah, anyway, good book. Will need to grab the sequel sometime soon. Though I should really take a break with some nonfiction first.

[ally-writes-many-things]

Start Over (J. Halstead)

Summary: You didnt like Jay because he was always doing dangerous heroics. Maybe getting held hostage will change that?

Words: 1115

Requested: yes

Prompts:

Warning or A/N:

You looked at Halstead with pure annoyance as he did another heroic thing risking all of your lives. You haven't been partners with Halstead for long but the moment you were partnered with him, you could tell that you're werent gonna get along.

     You threw your jacket on your desk after getting back working the case. "Halstead, what the hell is wrong with you?"

      Halstead turned and looked at you. "What?"

    You rolled your eyes."That stunt couldve gotten all of us hurt or killed,"

    Halstead snickered. "Its not like I haven't done that before,"

    You were growing more and more pissed. "And that makes it okay? One false move and not only the case wouldve been ruined but our lives couldve ended,"

     "Youre just jealous that you didn't do it,"

     "I- Im jealous over a move that could have killed us? No, Halstead. Im not. Im tired of you doing this risky saves/stunts that put all of us in danger,"

     "Good thing, you're not my boss,"

     "If I was, your ass would be either suspended or on paper duty,"

     --

     After your little show at the precinct, Voight ordered you and Halstead to go and do some partner bonding, whatever that meant. You weren't gonna like Halstead until he realizes his actions have consequences. You two were just sitting in the car that was parked on the side of the street, not saying anything to each other.

     You were praying that there was a call  soon, you didn't know how much longer you could sitting here with Halstead. "Any officers available, we have a 310 in progress at 2356 West point,"

     Halstead quickly grabbed the radio. "This is detective Jay Halstead, badge number 51163, CPD Intelligence responding,"

      Halstead had drove the two blocks where you were and the armed robbery was taking place. You jumped out of Halstead's truck with your gun raised. You were already in the office building as Halstead followed you. You walked into the lobby and saw a few women were laying on the floor bleeding, Halstead goes to her. "Where did he go?"

     "I don't know,"

     "How many?"

     "Two,"

     You nodded. "Halstead, call for back up. Im going to go look for him,"

     You had opened the door to further into the building and saw there were multiple places the shooter could be at. You were about to walk to your right when you heard a door shut to your left. You quietly but quickly followed the sound with your gun raised, you got to the door of where the sound came from but the secons you opened the door, the shooter had jumped you. You two had a fight over your gun which eventually landed a ways from you becuase he had elbowed you in the gut and then punched you in the mouth. You could feel the blood running down your chin. One of the shooters held you at gun point and walked you back into the lobby where Halstead was putting pressure against one of the woman's wound. Halstead quickly jumped up and pointed the gun at him. "Put the gun down,"

    The shooter laughed and shook his head as the other shooter walked next to Jay and placed a gun on Jay's head. "I suggest you doing that,"

     Halstead slowly lowers the gun and the shooter roughly grabbed it. The shooters had forced you two to sit behind the reception desks. The two gunmen walked over to the other side of the room and whispered toward each other. You looked at Jay. "Did you call backup?"

Jay shook his head. "No,"

You looked at Jay like you could shoot him yourself. "Why not?"

"I thought we could handle this on our own,"

"Really? See this is what Im talking about. How you never realize the consequences of your actions,"

You looked up and saw the two gunmen aruging about something. You wsre thinking about something but you were failing miserably.

You dont know how long had passed until you heard sirens. Your head popped up from your lap and looked at Jay. One of the gunmen came and picked you up roughly by your arm and held you at knifepoint instead of a gunpoin and looked at Jay. "Did you call for backup?"

"How could I have called for backup when you took my radio?"

"Then how did they know you at here?"

The other gunman had left about half and hour ago.

Jay looked confused. "I dont know. Maybe the dispatch told them,"

While Jay was distracting the gunman by talking, you quickly grabbed the guy's hand and twisted it around to were he's bought the knife which didnt work out so well. It had turned into a bawl, you without a weapon and him having a knife. Before, you had managed to get the gunman to stick the knife into the wall, he had sliced your arm which hurt like a bitch but you forced on getting the knife out of his hand. After he got the knife stuck into wall, he had reached for his gun but his gun wasn't there. He looked over and saw that Jay had gotten it. "You couldve announced you had that gun before I got cut,"

"I just got it, it had just dropped the second you got the knife into the wall,"

----

You were sitting on the ambulance getting your arm patched up by a medic, when you saw Jay walked up. "How's your arm?"

"Its good. Thankfully, the cut wasnt deep enough to need stitches,"

Jay nodded and was quiet for a second. "Hey Syl, can I talk to my partner alone for a second?"

Sylvie nodded and finished patching my arm up. "All yours,"

Jay looked at you. "Look, Im sorry for not calling backup. I should have but I was really hoping that we couldve done this alone,"

You looked up at him confused. "I get that but what you did was dangerous Jay,"

"I know. I promise I won't do anymore heroic things. My actions could have lead to you getting more hurt than what you got and the people in the office could've gotten hurt worse too,"

Finally Jay saw the consequences of his actions, so you decided to take some of the blame off him. "My arm was my doing so don't blame yourself on that one,"

"But if I called it in-"

I shook my head and cut him off. "Jay, I could've called in backup too but I didn't. Im partially to blame for this too. Don't try to aruge with me,"

Jay reaches his hand out. "Start over?"

You reached out and shook his hand. "Yes,"

[archegisheart]

──     “  we  don’t  have  a  lot  but  we  do  have  each  other.  ” 

pep talk time during war council :) from syl

@hauntics​ - sylvain │ prompted .

✦ ;   the lone wolf sits in his place at the table ,   bored & disinterested in the discussion being held .   felix ,   quite naturally ,   does not care for the politics surrounding this whole affair .   in his mind :   war is war -   a cruel ,   disgusting thing -   which seems to happen when opposing parties decide that force is the only option .   so it is very seldom that he actually pay any heed in the other voices or the subjects spoken ;   he cares not for battle plans or strategy .   he leaves that to byleth & the others .   he wants no part of it .   being here is the only thing he will do ( even if he has absolute no desire in it ) .   so that he can say he has been present .   but he is only there physically .   his mind is found to be elsewhere .   he has better things to do than to suggest battlefield tactics -   even though he is perhaps one of the better units in the army .

he keeps quiet & to himself .   if his demeanor shows anything ,   it shows a young man wants to leave .   stays attentive enough to pick up phrases here & there ,   but truly looking bored on the matter .   but where else can he go if not here ? 

thoughts roam to other things .   his focus unclear but enough to wander .   he is ...   thinking about a lot .   a brow furrows .   there is a sign of him being slightly irate .   not by the council ,   but by his own ponderings .   so absorbed with other things he is that perhaps a special kind of fear begins to settle in .   wants to determine what to work on after the council ends .   but ,   now he is considering the idea that he really doesn’t have much to do .   thus ,   he begins to fidget .   not very apparent ,   but it is enough .

sylvain’s voice is what snaps him from his partial - trance ;   it stops the internalised anxiety from developing any further .   feels a hand brush slightly against his own fingers .   its a rather different sort of grounding for him .   one that he secretly likes .   one that he privately yearns for more .   it is enough to cause the wolf of the lions to shift ever so slightly .   reactive enough respond ,   but it is furtive in nature .   makes an effort to make it seem like not a big deal .for the sake of his own privacy .   though the underlying tones mean something different .   & they are meant to be only for one person . 

          ❛ tch . this is pointless ... ❜   the scoff is meant for the table -   the general group .   his hushed voice is meant to be heard by at least of the few sitting nearby .   though it seems directed towards sylvain .   since he seems to glance towards the other’s way .   it is common for exchanged whispers to happen amongst a group like them -   but he makes it a point to make it sound relevant to the discussion of the group ,   rather than a response meant for the other .

for what the others do not see ,   that sylvain knows ( & perhaps that ingrid knows as well ) ,   is that felix does ,   in fact ,   respond to the tentative touch of the hand that had reached for his under the table .   fingers find their way carefully curling a couple of his companion’s own .   not enough to hold his hand completely .   but a link is made .   it is enough to calm him down .   it helps him refocus .   he tries not to be obvious that he’s happy -   at least for the moment .   but there is a slightly crack of a smile .   he’s waiting to get scolded by somebody .   surely there's a few that find his words were really unnecessary .   but at this point ,   they all regard it as him just being felix .   he’s just complaining . 

to the others ,   the lone wolf seems amused by the sentiment & reaction ( or lack of ) ,   but the smile is not for them .   it is for sylvain .

          ❛ i know . ❜

he wouldn’t any other thing . he doesn’t need anything else . having each other was plenty enough for him .

[samkat10423]

The Day Sunset Died

So today something different. Sunday, my brother decided to binge on all things zombie, and since I wasn’t doing anything – Yes, I know! Sucks to be me! – I decided to join him. And let me tell you, some of those zombie movies were just awful. We kept hoping they’d get better, but NO! Remained awful.

Anyway it got me into the mood to play a zombie world. After all, I have a zombie-hunting fool saved in my bin, and it’s been a while since I played her. (You can see her here, if you’re interested: https://modthesims.info/d/429642/skriva-scurvy-the-local-crazy.html )

So I tried a bunch of different worlds, then finally went back to SimCookie’s Sunset Died. It’s been around forever, and there are tons of videos over on YouTube if you’re interested.

Anyway, I can never leave well enough alone – no, I have to “tweak” it. Mostly because these worlds are rarely built using CC, and I have TONS! So, I’ve been going into lots, “fixing” things. The first thing I did was kill everyone in town, using MC’s total annihilation option. (It’s good to be a simgoddess!) The 1st lot I tackled was the graveyard. This world has generic graves, and I hate generic graves. So, I went into EA’s version of SV and grabbed all the dead sims from the town cemetery. I also grabbed a couple of live sims to replace the ones I killed. I plan on grabbing a few each day, since I hate, hate, hate CAS. But I also hate EA’s idea of “fashion.”

One of the sims I grabbed was Erin Kennedy. While she was busy placing graves in my new graveyard, I checked out which rabbitholes are still operational. Turns out 3 – and 2 of them aren’t actually feasible, since they are both partially buried. So, I decided to build some, using those RH rugs.

I plan on moving Emma Hatch here – even though SimCookie killed her – because the sims working at my new science/military lot will need somewhere to eat. (Also, like Claire whatshername, she’s a cute, little sim once you take her into CAS. And it doesn’t take a lot to fix her).  

So, while I was over at Mod the Sims, looking for something else, I found this little diner by Ferguson Avenue: https://modthesims.info/d/530924/blowin-smoke-diner.html

It is really pretty, but way too “shiny” for this world. So, I “fixed” it! First thing it got, was a good coat of rust. Then, I removed the parking thingies – since this is a roadless world - and painted some broken asphalt out front. I also added some more weeds and TechnicallySwagPizza’s flowers. (Thank you!) I also changed out the diner signs for 2 from Around the Sims 3 – along with some trash piles form her recent set. And the mandatory box and feed dish for my feral cats. (I add them to all my towns. They’re from that Homeless Pet set over on TSR).

Then inside, I grunged everything up - new floors and walls - removed the 2 Late Night bars and some cabinets. I added 2 pan racks from SYL over on TSR – along with her barstools.

I then changed out the small tables and chairs – using a table by HugeLunatic and chairs form that EA diner set. The booths I left alone – just recolored them.

I moved the jukebox over to the opposite side of the diner and left a small area open for dancing. (I used that invisible dance floor). In that back room – where the ductwork is, is where I placed my RH rug.

And viola! Done!

Then I went over to my new research facility that I started the other day – where my science and military sims work – but my game crashed. And oh well. Such is the Sims 3. I did manage to almost finish it – and was able to save most of it, thanks to Nraas Saver mod – before the game said “Screw you!” Sadly, I have to use that “testingcheats” cheat when I work in this town, because there are so many spawners and when I bulldoze a lot and replace it with something else, I really need to remove the 100 or so spawners left behind when you bulldoze something. So yes, frustrating. But I keep a glass of wine handy when I play, so all is good.

[sylwritesstuff]

After millions of texts and dozens of video chats over the long wait between winter and summer, the Mystery Best Friends are ready for a summer full of fun and romance in Gravity Falls.

After too many years of waiting and planning, something else waits in the shadows. And this time, he has Hellish help and enough power to draw the attention of one angel and one demon who would so much rather be doing anything other than trying to prevent another Armageddon.

Co-written by @syl-writes-stuff and @skimmingmilk

—

Chapter 12

Any demon would prefer Earth over Hell, which was exactly why the demonic lot had been more likely to visit its surface over the years than the opposition. They'd popped in and out, possessing humans, stirring up trouble in tiny ways, and everyone had left Crowley alone because they'd all assumed - partially because he'd lied on compliance reports - that he was stirring up trouble in big ways. If they'd known most of it all had been humanity itself, no demonic intervention needed, he'd have probably been dragged back down for a desk job.

Though, after making it a point to visit as little as possible over the centuries, Crowley couldn't actually remember the last time he hadn't gone through the front door. His job had always been above ground and he'd liked it there even before slithering up to a certain angel. It shouldn't have been a surprise that they'd landed in a storage unit filled near to bursting with desks, but it made him grimace as much as the dirt the back entrances always required.

He brushed loose soil off his shoulders, but left it smudged on his cheeks, and reached out for Aziraphale's wrist before it could come down. "None of that, angel. A Heavenly miracle will reverberate through here like a bomb. You can handle a touch of dirt for a bit." Though he silently rid him of most of it anyway. It was the scent that mattered more than the actual soil.

"Right, so sorr-" The apology died on the tip of his tongue, so Aziraphale switched to a well-practiced huff as he relegated himself to merely dusting off the sleeves of his coat. He hesitated when he realized the demonic miracle that had likely taken place when his fingers came away clean, and it took everything in him not to send Crowley the most grateful of smiles. "Right," he said again, pitching his voice a bit lower than usual, a bit more gruff. "Obviously. Not bothered by dirt, don't be ridiculous."

He almost sounded drunk, Crowley mused, just without the slurring. It was a good thing he'd had centuries to act like he wasn't gone over him because it was easy enough to angle his head and scowl a little. He let his accent shift when he spoke, thicken into more of a Scottish brogue. "Obviously not. Just keep at it and we'll be alright. You ready?"

[Continue on Ao3]

[ternaryflower53]

fic where pattern and syl have to work together to save kaladin and shallan? 👀

aaaaaaaa this doesn’t super follow your prompt (partially cuz i’m not great with writing shallan) but!! i hope you like it!!

--

The spren were plotting something. Kaladin was sure of it--he hadn't seen Syl at all for the past two days, and while she did disappear from time to time, she usually told Kaladin before doing so. Shallan said Pattern was being reclusive as well, though Renarin had just looked confused when they'd brought up the subject with him. "You mean you don't know?""Maybe they're just getting to know each other," Shallan suggested. Kaladin shook his head. "I can't imagine Syl wanting to get to know a Cryptic. She's never been a big fan of Pattern.""True," Shallan said. "Pattern's the same."And so they were back to where they were, with no leads as to where their respective spren were. The silence continued for a week before Syl reappeared early one morning, only a few minutes after Kaladin woke up. He'd gone to bed even later than usual that night, busy sorting through a miscommunication of the shift schedule that had caused mass confusion in the former bridge crews."Come on, Kaladin, hurry up! We have something important to do today!"Kaladin frowned. "Syl?""Yes, of course it's me, you dummy." Syl hovered closer and crossed her arms. "Hurry up!""What in Damnation..." Kaladin shook his head and got dressed for the day, doing his best to ignore the honorspren in his ear. She seemed to want him to look nice--usually he'd skip shaving if he was in a rush, but Syl insisted he do it anyway.And then he was pulled out of his room and down several hallways to a room he wasn't familiar with. It was smaller than most of the communal rooms in Urithiru, only large enough to hold a few dozen people, but it was clearly a place for people to gather.Gathered today was most of Bridge Four. Kaladin turned to Syl. "What's going on?""It's your birthday," she said, and Kaladin froze. Counted through the days. "I thought you'd appreciate if I did something for you. The Cryptic helped make sure you didn't find out.""I--" Kaladin glanced around. Filling the room was Bridge Four, and Adolin, and Renarin, and Shallan, and  it occurred to him that he hadn't celebrated his birthday in years. "Thank you."Syl smiled, and it seemed like her entire self glowed brighter when she did. "Of course, silly. We care about you. You deserve this."And as Kaladin joined the festivities, he let himself remember past celebrations, and find joy in the fact that he'd lived another year.

[midoriima]

lingering | shirabu kenjiro

If there was anything that you dreaded more, it was nighttime. The fear and guilt always crept into your mind as soon as the lights dimmed and silence engulfed the dark room. Nothing made its presence known enough for you to distract yourself from the imagery that flashed and replayed night after night inside your head.

Everyone tells you it wasn't your fault, you want to believe that it wasn't, but it still holds a heavy weight in your chest for you to disregard it. You could never persuade yourself enough to think you weren't the cause of Shirabu's accident but had you processed things quicker, you would've done something to change the outcome.

You remember he told you a while back that he'd switch schools by the time you two would move up to your third year. It didn't affect you as much then since you two were only in middle school then, but the months pass by so quick it's hard to believe that your third year is only mere months away.

Just get through this year, then maybe the guilt would start fading once he goes. You'd tell yourself, but it always made you feel even more guilty. Instead of facing what caused your anxiety, you pushed it away. You were afraid that all the walls you'd built up until the present would fall and that you'd have to build them up once more when you muster up the heart to face him.

It was always such a pain to turn your gaze to his direction, seeing him unable to use his legs, unable to play the sport he's loved since his middle school days, having no other choice but to sit back and watch the rest of his team play without him. Semi Eita even took his position back as setter.

publishing as is again, i need to clear up drafts but i wanna publish the ones i really wanted to post back then but couldn't. i hope yous enjoy ❤️ also, go check out more on my masterlists cos these partial works are open for any continuation or derivatives, etc. but on one condition: ask permission 🤗 that's allll

[astraldrake]

Ive mentioned Terrus like, once in the description of a separate piece of art, but i have a lot of ideas concerning him. I outlined some of them in a previous post (under the read more) and I’ll happily add more here.

link to post: https://astraldrakedoodles.tumblr.com/post/189727290047/after-witnessing-so-many-battles-you-begin-to 

tldr: two guardians end up in The Hobbit, three end up in LotR and one has been here for a portion of the Silm. This post has details about one of the two guardians who ends up taking part in the events of The Hobbit. I’ve done some art for two of the three who take part in the events of LotR, and Silm lady is in the photo of that post. 

Plese Note: This crossover is pure self indulgent garbage, and if that’s not your cup of tea i would suggest you go no further.

Anyway yeah so here’s the new stuff.

Firstly, his bow is named The Maw, and it has the jawbones of an ahamkara attached to it, although the effects and consequences of that are something im still working out. Im thinking magic arrows and creepy whispering.

Secondly, the object in his hand in the top right image is the bond of his warlock buddy Syl, who he is currently attempting to find after they got chased through a suspicious portal buried under the ice near Hellas Basin, sixty or so years before Warmind. 

Thirdly, Terrus is an ex Iron Wolf, he was presumed dead alongside most others after the incident with SIVA. He still wears the armor, mostly because it’s the best stuff he can get his hands on, but also as a reminder of the promises he made. I based his gear off the D2 year 1 iron banner set because it looks cool.

Fourthly, he spends the beginning of the adventure growing steadily weaker, as the hive who chased him through work to leech his light. He grows weakest within the goblin tunnels as the hive have holed up there, and makes it out severely weakened and barely alive. (everyone else is fine, it’s just him who gets hurt.)

Fifthly (dear eru this is getting long) Syl shows up during the burning tree incident, protecting the company and also totally wrecking some wargs. He’s mostly there for Terrus, and helps his ghost revive him once they get to the Carrock. Terrus’s ghost has trouble doing so because they have so little light left  that Terrus stays dead for at least a day before they can pull him back.

Sixth and final bit of stuff, He teaches Bilbo to fight while using his invisibility and size as an advantage, something Terrus knows plenty about from fighting fallen and cabal. (sidenote on character heights, Bea is super tall, Talia, Terrus, Syl, and Echo are all average for guardians, and Red is short. Im sorry that this is vague.) The dwarves don’t trust him for most of the adventure, partially because he’s a human (humans tend to have a problem when it come to corruptibility) and also because he’s got a creepy looking helmet. (would you trust someone with teeth on their helmet because i wouldn't) although they do eventually warm up to him, finding that he’s actually not awful.

this is a lot, but yeah this crossover has officially transcended it’s origins and for convenience im now tagging these as lotrstiny becuse it’s easier to type.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

I would absolutely love to work on those GIFs for you. Please send me all the ideas you have. I re-watched the series a couple of months ago and have some things in mind, but I think I need to refresh again. So yes, your ideas on the transgenics and anything else. Helps me get started on it. Thanks for the reblog and I will try and get the Max and Logan one out soon. You can reply to this with your ideas!

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much! And sorry in advance if I go overboard with this. Hahaha. And if I do, feel free to ignore me and only do the ones of these you want:)

I’ve actually done a few screenshot Dark Angel things that aren’t the greatest. So if you wanted to remake some of those as gifs, I wouldn’t mind at all. https://oveliagirlhaditright.tumblr.com/post/188483190012/i-know-brainiac-is-arguably-the-most-hated, https://oveliagirlhaditright.tumblr.com/post/186108463327/i-saw-alec-saying-the-move-your-furniture-thing.

And then some other ideas I had… uhh. It’d be cute–if you wanted to, I mean–if you gifed all the times Max and Logan held hands, or almost kissed… Or to do a comparison gifset between when Max says in the finale season of season one (And Jesus Brought a Casserole) “I’d kiss you, but I have to keep my head in the game”, with her in season two saying to Logan (Proof of Purchase): “Thanks, Logan. I’d hug you, but-”

Max kind of posing with the pool stick and smiling after Logan says he’s at Crash to see her in Fugheddaboutit is really cute. And so is the scene in Harbor Lights when they’re just smiling at each other when Max is in the hospital bed. Or when Max is telling Logan, in Gill Girl, how she wants this story to have a happy ending… and you can just tell he knows–without her saying it–that she wants the merepeople to have a happy ending, since they can’t right now. And before that in Gill Girl, when Logan is calling Max… and then hears her ringtone in his apartment, and then sees her coming in with a mermaid slung over her shoulder as she says “I’ll hit you back later!” That was funny. 

Logan’s speech about how it never mattered to him what Max was in Love Among the Runes is good, as is the whole scene when he’s sticking up for the transgenics that they do have souls, in Dawg Day Afternoon. And if you wanted to do a “Logan character development” post you could, in comparing Haven (”How can I even think of having a good time, when the man who orchestrated the shootings was a cop… and he not only got away with it, but got promoted for it, too?!”) with Proof of Purchase (”Well, you can only fight corruption for son long before you have to kick back and relax.”)

You could also do Max character development ones if you wanted! Like, in the Pilot when she’s telling Logan that people are looking to kill her, put her in a cage, or turn her into a science experiment or all three… and that she’s gotten by through keeping her head down and wants to keep it that way, and not help people… with the season two finale (Freak Nation), where she’s saying “Where will you go? I can’t force anyone to stay. But I’m tired of running, hiding, and being afraid. Aren’t you tired of running? Of being in being in darkness? Don’t you want to feel the sun on your face? It’s time to make a stand, right here and right now. They created us, and it’s time that they owned up to that instead of trying to sweep us away like garbage” and that sort of thing. Or how in the Pilot (even though she’s partially lying here) when she tells Logan that she doesn’t blame herself at all for what happened to him, and that it’s on him “one-hundred percent”. But then in Meow she and Original Cindy have this conversation: Cindy: The truth is, you love Logan. Max: We’re not even like that, and the fact is we both would have been better off if we’d never even meet. Cindy: Please. Max: He has to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair because of me. Cindy: I didn’t see you on TV, pulling no trigger. Max: Yeah, but I could’ve protected him and I didn’t and that’s on me “one-hundred percent”.

I also love how Max and Logan give each other a piece that the other was missing: Logan suggesting that Max choose a birthday (C.R.E.A.M), and then her giving him back his mother’s locket in Art Attack. Or also how I think it was in Max going to the wedding with Logan in Art Attack, that she finally chose a last name for herself “Guevara”, and then began using it from then on out.

I once did a screenshot post (that I’ve since deleted), of Charlie telling Case the “storybook” version of Tinga’s life (this happens in Hit A Sista Back) that she’d told Charlie and Case (that neither of them had any idea was real at first), paired with Max incredulously saying to Bling about Logan in 411 on the DL, “I’ll go over and read him a bedtime story.” And then after that, I put Charlie telling Max and Logan in Hit A Sista Back, how he didn’t regret any of the time that he had with Tinga… and he’s essentially telling Max and Logan to get together there… and you can kind of tell by the way they’re looking at each other, that maybe they want this “bedtime story” for themselves, too. And if you wanted to remake this, you totally could:)

I also did another post in the past, that you could remake… Where Max says to Logan in C.R.E.A.M, that she’s surprised a high-minded, leftist, idealist like him would be okay with her greasing the enemies… and then paired it with her saying (in Prodigy) that she isn’t as high-minded as Logan is, with the idea that life is good and murder is bad, so she should have just let Lydecker go for that reason.

The scene where Original Cindy is talking to Max about Diamond at the end of Shorties in Love is really good overall, and is speaking of both the Max/Logan and Original Cindy/Diamond relationships, that could be cool to see gifed:)

You could also do a Max and Original Cindy comparison, where Max has to touch Logan’s hand through glass in Proof of Purchase and Original Cindy has to do that with Diamond in Shorties in Love.

Speaking of, any Original Cindy content–like with her and Max–would be awesome. I personally love the scene where they’re dunking the guy in the hot tub in Art Attack, being such a team, to get information out of him.

Gifs of Max being smart and a badass would also be great.

And just anything with Tinga, Brin, Syl, Jace, Jondy, and Mia would make me so happy.

You could even do a gifset that explains where the name of the show comes from: “Forever eyes, dark. Somebody’s angel” (the poem Logan made for Max in Shorties in Love) and Art Attack. Guy that Max Saves from Jumping Off a Building: “You’re the messenger, right?” Max: “Yeah?” Guy: “Well, I’ve never been much of a believer before… but you personally coming here to straighten me out like this. Thank you”. Max, smiling: “I’ll see about getting you that package back” (he thought she was an angel).

So these are just some of the crazy Dark Angel ideas I have. Feel free to use any or none of them. And thank you so much again:) And if you need me to try and explain any of this better, I can.

Edit: You could also gif what I believe is the closest we ever got to Max and Logan saying they were together in this series (aside from the times they told each other “I love you”, I mean. Or at least started to say it). Max saying angrily in “Boo” after Rafer insinuated Logan was her ex: “He’s not my ex! …I mean, we’re not like that.” And then Mia asking Logan in “Fugheddaboutit”: “You’re Max’s boyfriend, right?” And him saying, “Something like that.” You could also maybe have fun gifing all the times they said the ridiculous “we’re not like that” line, and then prove how untrue that was. LOL.

Edit 2: I also loved the scenes we got that showed how much Max and Logan knew each other, and that they got to know each other even moreso in scenes we didn’t see. Like when Max is sad in one episode (though I don’t remember which one it is), that he sold a painting his grandmother had given him, I think, to try and find a cure for the Virus (and we hadn’t known that painting was from his grandmother before this). Or when in Gill Girl, Max knows so much about people in Logan’s family–like Bitsy–and is talking about them with him, even though the audience had never heard of them before. Or in Some Assembly Required, when Logan knew how much Zack being alive would mean to Max and is gently and somewhat excitedly telling her, “You’re brother’s alive, Max.” …And really, just how kind Logan was to Zack actually says a lot about his love for Max, since Zack was always cruel to him (and I say this as a Zack Stan).

Edit 3: You could also do a Space Needle journey: Max on the Space Needle in the Pilot, Max asking Logan about going on the Space Needle in Heat, but him refusing since he’s scared of heights… Them almost going together at the end of Rising, but not for some reason… And then them finally getting there on Jesus Brought a Casserole together, and then Logan alone on the Space Needle at the end of And Jesus Brought a Casserole–echoing what Max said in the Pilot. Also, speaking of Max and Logan being on top of buildings: Max being on top of Logan’s penthouse in the Pilot, and Logan being on top of it in She Ain’t Heavy (as it seems he finally got over his fear of heights).

Edit 4: Gifs of Max interacting with kids could also be cool, since she loved them.

[treeofonelife]

& k.)

[Experiments with canon and mind alchemy.]

Thadon was relieved only for a moment. He knew he still needs magicka to fix the situation; and while whipping up a spell seemed no problem even with slightly confused thoughts, exhaustion was more up against him. He didn't prepare with anything for this case; he didn't plan on a fight... just hoped for the best as usual. He had to consider anything that could help.

'I still have a vial of the original experimental potion... That granted an influx of magicka as well... Among others. It's… not a good idea... but it is an idea.'

It sounded too risky. It was too risky. Sure, he could cast spells again... If he still knows what he was supposed to do.

'...And to think I promised Caleb - and myself - not to use it... What would happen...? Would I lose sight again...?'

A loud crash of the Gatekeeper's weapon arm hitting the ground where Syl just stood woke him up harshly. She has just dodged another devastating hit, but none of her attacks seemed to hurt the Gatekeeper at all.

He had no choice. He didn't have anything else that could help: he was prepared to heal, but did not expect to exhaust himself this much.

The potion tasted like water at first, and then it started to burn as if too spicy. Just like the first time.

"Ew, I really should refine this... But I had a refined version, I think..."

Over a section's time, Thadon regained all his senses after not even having noticed they have blanked out in the first place.

Both the burning sensation and the numbness disappeared, and he had a moment of panic when he didn't know if it is working at all. Then the light pain returned into his hands, and he already knew. It burned for a moment, then faded out quickly, or more like: as if it has turned into light. It felt like living light he could touch, feel and sense in his hands and feet. The sensation started to flow up on his arms and legs as the pure magicka coursed through his veins: he knew it technically just reinvigorates his mind, and that causes the heightened senses, and control of magicka, but... All that scholar nonsense sounded like some distant chatter now. It felt exactly like light and pure power at his disposal: whether it was real, that didn't matter now.

What mattered was re-assessing the situation. But he didn't leave himself enough time for that: he couldn't catch up with his own thoughts, and already made a decision by the time he could think over if it made sense at all.

He squinted in the light and tried to determine where Syl is now. It was harder than he thought.

"Here is hoping I can play the same trick twice... And, that she won't disrupt it this time."

He aimed more with his mind than his sight: there wasn't much point in straining the latter. But he could catch a clear glimpse of the sunlight glinting off Syl's armor once and again, and his heart skipped a beat in worry. It wasn't enough to aim; he had to guess where she will be a moment later.

He was still unsure even while already watching the streak of light float through the air (was it slower than before?), pass by the Gatekeeper and reach Syl - nearly missing, but still hitting by an inch. As if it was all slow-motion.

Now he had to repeat most of the words of the spell... And change some of them. First, to determine which ones… And how. Magic was tricky.

'But at least it is powerful, when needed.' he thought.

Syl only intended to pause in battle for a single attack worth of time; safe for now and planning to dodge right after. The light of the spell caught her unaware, and it flooded her vision for a frightening second.

She already knew this light; so she steadied herself, unmoving. A quick glance at her weapon-tip. Nothing. Yes, this was the same spell: possibly even more powerful, but it did the very same. And she already knew what to do to avoid breaking it.

Sadly, that was harder said (or thought) than done, again. The Gatekeeper stood confused only inches away, apparently having lost sight of her despite she was standing right before it.

Seconds passed by. Syl could swear she can hear her own teeth grit. The Gatekeeper bent down to attentively stare around with no eyes at all. It stood up, turned around, and saw nothing but the last hazy streak of light after the second similar spell. Now it has lost all targets.

Thadon had no problem standing still at this time: he was wondering what he is going to do when he is expected to move instead. His right leg felt significantly heavier even on top of him generally feeling heavy, weak and dazed. He couldn’t quite determine the reasons for that. It was somehow an important sensation, but he has lost track of most physical impulses.

As the Gatekeeper started to slowly walk its patrol route again, Syl had a good view of the creature's back: its skin was only partially sewn shut at its spine, and something glistened in there. Unseen, Syl followed the Gatekeeper, and took a closer look.

Between every two vertebrae, there was an eerily glowing gem, only barely covered. Stuck between one of the gems and the bone, a small key was sticking out. Only a few inches up, another one. Syl remembered the key element of Thadon's research. She soundlessly laid her weapon off, and used both hands to remove both of the keys at the same time with a quick swish.

She expected to have to escape after this, but nothing happened. The Gatekeeper took another heavy, languid step. And another. And another. Forwards; towards the cliff wall, aimlessly.

Wonderful illustrations by @k1spiegel​:   &   &  

[capriciouscartographer]

The Library At the End of the World, Chapter 7

| Ko-fi | Twitter |

Syl slipped the key into the slot and felt the slight click as it bottomed out. She wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to turn it, and if so, which direction, but she gave it a test nudge, first one way then another. The key didn’t budge. Which left Syl standing there in confusion and a state that, to an outside observer, might have been funny. If there’d been anyone to see her. She stood, staring dumbly at the key in the lock, hands half raised as though to do something that never came. She almost turned back and walked away, damning the door to whatever existence it had in mind.

           And then, she had a thought.

           Syl pulled the key out of the lock and flipped it over before sliding it back in. This time, after it clicked home, she tried turning it. And it rotated smoothly in her hand until, with another quiet click, it stopped. And the room was filled with the sound of whirring gears and falling counterweights.

           The great metal vault door did not slide apart like in some of the books Syl had read. It did not rise or fall of its own accord. Indeed, apart from the spinning of gears that could be heard within, it remained almost perfectly impassive. Almost, because as Syl stepped back to see what was going to happen, a section of door popped out. It was about as long as her forearm and was, almost certainly, a handle of sorts.

           So, Syl sighed, having been half expecting some sort of incredible reveal and not the extremely mundane and understandable necessity of physically opening the door, and grabbed hold of the handle. It was practically ice in her hands and Syl winced to hold it, but with a grunt and a tug, the door shifted a few inches along a track. So, Syl sighed again and kept tugging. After the first few pulls the door began to move smoothly and she was able to slide it back enough to slip through. For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, Syl didn’t want to fully reveal the vault room to the world and thus left the door only partially open.            The room beyond was almost pitch dark and Syl worried about bringing fire into a room with books older than she could imagine, so she stood in the door, uncertain what to do. Until she saw the faint, blue glow from the depths of the inky blackness. She stumbled, half blind, through the darkness, bumping into what she hoped were tables and shelves but had no real way of telling without pausing to investigate. Her goal was at the far end though, and there was something about standing in the darkness that bothered her.

           The darkness, however, did not swallow her in any more than the usual way, and Syl was able to make it to the small, blue glow. Which turned out to be an orb of some sort — she believed crystal, but had never seen anything like it outside of her own imagination so couldn’t be certain — that, when she touched it, rose into their air and, with a burst of luminescence that nearly blinded her, lit the room.

           What magic this orb used was a question that was quickly thrown from Syl’s mind as she looked around. She had indeed been bumping into tables and shelves, as that was effectively all this room was made up of. Apart from the books of course. Stacks upon stacks of books filled the room, piled upon tables, bowing shelves. More books in one room than Syl had seen in any one place before. If these were all the books that the librarians had thought too important to be lost to flame, then there must have been centuries, millennia of knowledge locked within the vault. And it was all Syl’s now.

           Her head reeled from the implications and she sat on a floor that held no dust. She hadn’t noticed before, but the sealing of the vault had, apparently, kept the various dusts and dirts of the rest of the library out as well. Perhaps it was the same magic that had made the orb work, or some technology that didn’t rely on the infrastructure of the old world. Syl filed those thoughts away mechanically, still barely able to grasp the room she was sitting in. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books sat before her, untouched by time or human hands in years unknown. The secret knowledges of the old world.

           And so, Syl set to work.

[housedzemael-archived]

Wreckage - Short Fiction from the Present of Movran of the Mists

In which Movran finds out the fate of an old friend, but only partially

The full story hell have to look for.

   "Take care of yourself Movran. If not for me, than for you." The words echoed through the silent air of an empty battlefield north of the Moon Fortress. It had been seven years since she left that message, seven years since he joined the Order of Whispers under the guise of mercenary work at Jurrahs insistence that it would help him.    He pressed the replay button, worn now after so many years, the third time that night. The familiar voice started again. "Movran, I’ve tried to make this recording seventeen times now..." After a while the words lost meaning, all that was left was the sound of a voice. He focused on that, pushing back tears with thoughts of happier times. Away from the smell of tar and fire and the sound of insects hums. Near an ocean more friendly than the current one.     He pressed replay again. He could still tell you exactly what she smelled like, exactly the texture of her hair, and what notes she hit when she laughed. Boy, you know this isn't healthy. Osh Moran spoke into the Sylvaris head. He always sounded closer than the others. Like instead of pacing in front of him, or standing far to a side, he was seated right next to the Revenant. And Its very much not what she would have wanted.      "Don’t you think I know!" He snapped out loud, before exhaling slowly. "I just... I don’t know what else to do."  He placed his head into his hands, and sat as the recording continued to play. He pressed replay when it ran out. He untied his blindfold and dabbed at the corners of his useless eyes. The Ghosts were silent, he could hear the distant sound of Corsairs moving towards their ships at the end of a long battle, going back to their home on the waves and their own, personal lives.    You could go look for her boy,  Osh continued, Find her ship, catch up on Old Times.  He had heard this suggestion before, time and time again, it was the only one Osh ever brought to the table. He had to admit, each time it was more and more tempting, the former captains romantic nature rubbing off on the tired sylvari. Now more than ever.     "Hey! Hey! Moping Guy on a Rock!" He heard a distant loud voice, knocking him from his thoughts and conversations with the entities that resided there. The voice was familiar. Jurrah began painting a new picture of a small Asura with long black hair tied up with a scarf into a gaudy updo accented with nautical trinkets, and brilliant orange eyes reflecting the world around her. "It is you! Movran! Movran over here!" The form jumped, and ran at him.  Ey, looks like Tyrias decided for him this time, In your favor Osh.    "Navari?" He asked, skeptical that his past had caught up to him at such a perfect time. He stood quickly, nearly dropping his precious recording in the process. The Asura ran into him at full speed, wrapping her arms around his knees with a strong hug.    "The one and only!" She let go of his knees just as quickly as she had grabbed them. He could hear the familiar jingle of charms, and the smell of fancy perfumes Navari would spent untold sums of money on back in Lions arch only to mix them together to find her perfect Navari approved fragrance. "I didnt believe the other corsairs when they said they had heard my old ship name but now. Now look at you, our old cook right in the flesh-err bark." He could feel a illusionary pat on his shoulder, as she would often do back on the days he did in fact sail the seas with her.    "Wait, your no longer with the Cockatrice?" He asked, the terms old ship finally sinking into his head. His heart skipped a beat in worry, as the water color images of Jurrahs description of the old girl danced in his minds eye. A beautiful Black clipper, with intricate sails and an engine at her heart that would make the Iron Legion envious.  Grenth preserve us. Jurrah mumbled distantly in the Revenants head.    "Yeah, haven’t been for a few years now. Since the... wait you haven’t heard?"  Navari replied, and then asked with sadness dancing in her voice. Jurrah painted the picture of the Asura stealing Movrans spot on his rock, and lowering her head. Pulling a locket from the assortment of nautical accessories around her.    "What Happened! Is Syl - Is Everyone ok? Where are they? " Slow down, let her explain. Osh urged him to a calm. Movran placed himself on the cold sand and put his head back into his hands. "Just, start from the beginning."  He looked up, after rubbing the back of his neck.   "Its... are you sure? I mean you arnt part of the crew anymore and I... Its" Navari stumbled. He heard light sniffing. Jurrah could not paint what was inside the locket, but Movran could imagine. A scene from when the crew was together, taken with Navaris state of the art Temporal Stasis Fragment Extractor, and printed out just in the right size for the little bronze circle. Stacy must be improving if she was proud enough to wear it in her hair. "We really fucked up Movran. Me and the old Bookah really fucked up, the entire family fell apart and..and Sylvie. Shes.. Shes gone."    Movran sat silent. Even the ghosts refused to talk. He felt Navari move closer to him and gently pat his shoulder her actual hand. "She got us out of trouble but, but she used herself as a bargaining piece. And you know her...she... I’m sorry Movran. I know how much you..." She decided it wasn’t wise to continue, and instead just sat there with the Revenant.   He pressed Replay.