#and it would be better to wait a bit and see if better reactors are developed

[kraniumet]

the neoliberal desire to ensure tax-funded welfare to unprofitable for-profit companies is not founded on any logic or reason but pure emotions & feelings ♥️

[barblaz-arts]

Fellow Chaggie shipper, here and I wanted to ask you a question. Could you please do an analysis post on the Chaggie argument from Hello Rosie. I know this will sound weird but I can't get over the level of icy anger Charlie had towards Vaggie or how despite everything going on, Charlie is more hurt from Vaggie not being honest with her. Just angst all around.

Oh yeah sure I'd love to!

I'm not sure there's a lot I can say about that argument that isn't already super obvious, so I wanna talk about Charlie's anger because of something my brother said as we watched episode 7. He loved that episode apparently because "When they're separated, it's even more obvious that Charlie is the one who's more quick to lose her cool." Which, looking back, is actually true!(To an extent)

Vaggie and Charlie are both quite quick to anger. Charlie is just better at hiding it because she's a chronic people pleaser. Although Charlie wouldn't immediately show her anger at a person being a jerk to her specifically, she's immediately summoning fire and brimstone over anyone who hurts/insults her friends or the cause she's fighting for.

Love this lil bit in "You Didn't Know". How Vaggie is the one telling Charlie to calm down, as if she knows what's about to happen. She knows that if she doesn't at least try to reel in her girl Charlie would be spitting literal fire at a goddamn seraphim.

It would seem like such a surprising role reversal, but if you look at all the times Charlie would lose it whenever Vaggie's not there to tell her "babe, chill", then it makes sense.

But then when their fallout happens, Charlie's short temper is even more apparent. She calls Alastor an asshole to his face even though she considered choosing his support over her father's. She openly glares and rolls her eyes at Rosie when she jokes that her and Alastor look like an item even though she still kept things cordial with Valentino after he licked her arm. She flips the bird at some old lady even though she didn't take visible offense at all the demons that inserted their crude and rude selves in "Happy Day in Hell." While she was cold and subdued even when upset with Vaggie, she was explosive and in ur face when she was pissed at everyone else.

Vaggie reigned in both the girl in Charlie who dreams a little too big and the demon who's waiting to lash out in flames. It really makes me wonder if there's a difference in the kind of person Charlie used to be before Vaggie. Before she had friends to be angry on behalf of and a person to calm her down. And then, in the wake of their argument, Charlie is left with a lot of anger that is easy to ignite.

But I love love love that despite all that anger, Charlie can't bring herself to deny that she loves Vaggie with all of her hurt heart.

This little moment is one of my favorite parts in the series. My brother mentioned that this episode and episode three were his favorites because he liked the beats the dialogues followed. So he looked back--

(the man literally paused the episode to check the opening credits of ep 7 and 3. I was a little annoyed because I just wanted my Chaggie dammit! We'd make terrible youtube reactors with all the pausing and discussing mid-episode that we do...)

--and was satisfied to see that it was written by the same person, Ariel Ladensohn. Apparently she's in a sapphic relationship too and projected her own experiences whenever she wrote Vaggie and Charlie, and it must have paid off because the moments she wrote with them felt so real.

Charlie expressing her fear that even Vaggie's support and love could also be part of the lies she told was understandable considering the betrayal she felt. But immediately following that she goes "Oh that's a horrible to thing to think!" which I love even more. Even when she's understandably mad she thinks about how Vaggie would feel over Charlie thinking that of her. Because although Vaggie lied about who she is, Vaggie was always sincere about how she felt for Charlie. Vaggie's past may have been a lie, but the things she did for, to, and on behalf of Charlie were very real and held dear in Charlie's heart.

I dont have anything smart to say to conclude this. Sorry, I'm not even sure where I went here. Let's all just appreciate the smile Charlie has on her face when she thinks about Vaggie even when she's under a lot of stress I guess.

[iamvegorott]

Trust

Happy Birthday @luluisoff! Have some of that good Ironstrange

Summary: Tony needs an upgrade to his reactor. Who better than a literal doctor to help?

Trust

Stephen watched as the soap suds were rinsed off his hands and swirled down the drain. This was the third time he’d washed them, and it still didn’t feel clean enough. Nothing was sterile enough. There were no nurses, no help, no gloves or masks, or that heavy scent of disinfectant in the air he would expect when performing a procedure. The most he had was hand soap with some cartoon fish on the bottle and a pack of alcohol wipes that didn’t smell the same as hospital sanitation. 

But this wasn’t a hospital.

This was Tony’s lab. 

“You’re going to run out of skin if you keep going.” Tony playfully scoffed from the chair he sat in.

“I’m going to give you an infection if we don’t-”

“You literally can’t give me an infection. You’re not going to be in contact with any of the squishy bits during this.” 

“How is there no risk? This is an operation on your body. I should at least put on a mask and some gloves.” Stephen knew he had requested those at least ten times by his count, but Tony kept insisting they weren’t needed.

“This is all tech stuff that we’re doing. Putting a set of wires from one machine into another.” Tony said as he slipped his shirt off and tossed it onto a different chair. ��It’s just hard for me to see the inside of my own chest, and I figured with you having medical experience, you wouldn’t get squeamish at putting your hands into my hole.” He gestured at the reactor in the center of his chest. 

“Alright. If I can’t get a mask or gloves, my only requirement now for doing this is for you to never phrase it like that again.” Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose as Tony leaned back in the chair, pressing a button on the armrest and having it recline so he was lying at an angle. 

“I think I can handle that.” Tony chuckled. “See this guy on the table right here?” He pointed with a finger. “That’s taking the place of what’s in me already.” 

“You discussed this with me.” Stephen stepped over to the table and looked at the piece of machinery. He was still hesitating to actually touch it. “On the bottom is a set of three color-coded wires. I take the wires from what’s already installed, unplug them, and then connect them to this.” 

“And you’ll want to be quick about it since I’ll be, like, dying while you’re doing that.” Tony sounded far too casual about that.

“You’ll be what?” Stephen would not have agreed at all had he known that piece of information. 

“I’ll figure out how to not need the reactor one day, but right now, I need it to keep everything working and going, and without it, nothing’s working in here until the new one is plugged in to get it going again. The upgrade will take less of a toll on my body than this one while I still work on that.” Tony shrugged before sticking his hand into an Iron Man suit armpiece and waiting for it to adjust to his body. 

“I think we should have more than ourselves working here, given how serious this all sounds,” Stephen said as Tony took his armored hand and twisted his reactor, popping it out of his chest. 

“We got this. You got this. You’re a professional and all that. I trust you.” 

“Tony…” Stephen stopped whatever excuse he was going to come up with and sighed instead. 

Despite how calm Tony acted, this was an invasive act. Tony’s been known to slap hands away if anyone tried to touch his reactor, let alone be inside of it. Trust was complicated with Tony when it came to his body, and no one could really fault him for that. Control was vital for him, and at this moment, he had faith in allowing Stephen that control. 

“Fine.” Stephen finally picked up the new reactor from the table. “Switch the wires and pop it back into place.” 

“Should only take thirty seconds, if even that.” Tony took a deep breath and rested his head back on the chair. “Whenever you’re ready, doc.” 

Stephen took a few of his own breaths, forcing his brain into a different setting. This wasn’t Tony Stark, a person he cared for; this was a patient that he was going to help. He knew what to do. Had his instructions. And everything was going to be smooth because he was the Dr. Stephen Strange. 

Finally, Stephen was in the mindset he needed, and he got to work. Recalling how Tony showed him the best ways to unplug the type of wiring he used, Stephen popped out all of them in record time. He noted how Tony’s arm started to lower. The movement of it was controlled, meaning Tony was still fully functioning. His breathing changed, but no signs of it being caused by distress; he was simply adjusting to the current feeling. Stephen then plugged the wires into the new reactor and felt some relief at how it started to glow after the final one. He found the angle that matched the pit inside of Tony’s chest, lining up and pushing in until it clicked into place. 

“I told you. You had this.” Tony said, his voice sounding hoarse. 

“Are you alright?” Stephen asked.

“Yeah. It just felt…weird.” Tony cleared his throat. “Do you want to go get a drink with me?” 

“Your wording is always amazing, Tony.” Stephen lightly chuckled. “You sound like you were asking me on a date.” 

“I am,” Tony stated.

“What?”

“Dying for like ten seconds changes a man.” 

“You’re not joking?”

“Nope.” 

“I…okay? Sure. Why not?” 

[saphronethaleph]

Mothballs

“Checklist step forty-seven,” Mira Tern said, glancing down at her datapad, then back up at the computer systems. “Check that battery power is above eight percent charge… where’s the indicator for that…”

TY-3 whistled, and Mira glanced at the astromech.

“Thanks,” she replied, returning her gaze to the control panel. “And it’s, uh… right, twelve percent. I guess we’ve been going a bit slower than we should, huh?”

They’d have to be, if the generator they’d brought in had recharged the ship’s emergency batteries that much.

She flicked her comlink on. “Hey, Flynn, what’s the status on the reactors?”

“We finished providing the reaction mass and hypergolic slug for reactor one twenty minutes ago!” Flynn answered. “Everything down here is closed up and ready, you’re the one who’s delaying us at this point!”

“Right, right, I get it,” Mira replied, rolling her eyes, then checked her datapad again. “Step forty-eight… okay, here we go.”

She flicked two more switches, activating self test, and the emergency lights flashed on and off once.

A holo of the ship appeared, and Mira and Tye both gave it a once-over.

“Looks all green to here, Tye,” she declared, and the astromech rocked back and forth slightly in confirmation. “Great. Step forty-nine.”

She triple-checked the numbers, then flicked a control. Another.

Some of the switches on the panel lit up, others went dim again, and Mira moved back and forth between three different duty stations as she followed the flowchart on her pad. Then, finally, everything converged on a single control, and she took a deep breath.

Then pressed it.

There was a kind of subliminal thump, the whole ship trembling slightly, then telltales and indicators lit up all across the board.

“Reactor one start,” she reported, into the comlink again. “Everything looks good from up here, Flynn!”

“We’re all good here, too,” Flynn replied. “Reactor one is running smoothly, we’re getting a good efficiency curve, within five percent of nominal. They mothballed this ship well.”

“Then let’s get on with activating the rest of the reactors,” Mira decided. “How long until I can begin the start procedure for Two and Three?”

“We’ll be good in… fifteen, twenty?” Flynn said. “That’s for Two, we’ve been doing some of the prep work while we were waiting. Make yourself useful and get some of the other systems unlocked and online.”

“Hey!” Mira protested, shaking her head, then tutted. “Well, whatever. I’ll bring up… shields, I guess? Does One have enough power for that?”

“It should, but let’s not chance it until Two is online,” Flynn said. “Sensors should be better.”

“Got it, sensors it is,” Mira agreed, signing off, and switched to another file on her pad. “Okay, step one is… of course it’s on the other side of the bridge…”

She picked up her toolkit with a huff, and began schlepping it across the bridge to the sensor control station.

Halfway there, she paused, and looked out the armoured window.

The ships in the Chommell Sector Reserve Fleet were far enough apart that she could only see even the capital ships as toylike shapes, lit by the distant sun, and the escorts were not much more than points of light. Much closer, though, was the Makepeace, the Nebulon-B all the reactivation teams were working off, and she smiled a not particularly charitable smile as she looked out at the engineering support frigate… and four of the five other Star Cruisers that they were here to reactivate.

Bringing the Reserve Fleet from mothballs to full active status would take months, of course. They were operating off canned air and only pressurizing certain rooms, and there were less than a dozen engineers per ship for a truly vast war vessel. But it was happening, and it was inexorable… and it was happening for hundreds of Reserve Fleets, all across the galaxy.

Star Cruisers, Star Destroyers, heavy frigates, cruiser squadrons… the Military Disarmament Act limited the strength of the New Republic Defence Force, the active military, but putting everyone serving the arms industry out of work straight away would have been an economic catastrophe in a galaxy that had sorely needed to avoid them.

And the result was… something the First Order could have no idea was coming. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been foolish enough to pick a fight with the Republic.

TY-3 whistled, and Mira sighed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m on it,” she said, finishing her trek to the sensor panel. “Plug in and start the self test, will you? Now we’ve got reactor power this should go quicker…”

[no-gorms]

Omega Tony Stark getting baby fever later in life (at a similar time to Canon!Tony I guess so mid to late 40’s and let’s pretend there was no CW and the team is still all friends together*). And he never wanted kids before, in fact the very idea made him shudder! (à la IM3). Plus he resent the stereotype of “baby crazy omega” being foisted on him in his youth and fought HARD against it until the public all agreed with him, thank god Tony Stark never had kids.

but then he starts interacting with Peter and he’s getting more into mentoring and he’s been having these dreams of little babies with his eyes…

And like, he knows his body has been thru the wringer even BEFORE the reactor and he hasn’t been gentle since. And he’s been single for years now so it’s not like he has a partner to help him get the job done…

So good thing he has a team! And what luck, he’s besties with some demi-gods and super soldiers and wizards, at least one of them should help cheat biology a bit. And miraculously he’s still getting heats! Inconsistent ones yeah but still, doesn’t hurt to try! better get a move on, the biological clock is ticking!!!

And so he calls a team meeting and asks very sweetly for any volunteers, and Alphas or Beta’s for something like a sperm donor, but if they wanna be part of the little nugget’s life Tony is down with that! Be it cool uncle or full co-parent it’s all gravy. And speaking of gravy

(Yes Tony swung this hypothetical talk by HR and they “highly recommended against it but it isn’t technically illegal…” (thanks to archaic omega laws) so he took that go ahead and ran)

And wouldn’t you know it? Ever since Steve told Tony about his parents and Bucky and some…heated disagreements about the team and politics there’s been some polite distance between them. And during this distance Steve of course realized he had feeling for Tony (king of waiting to long over here) and has been pining every since…

…so maybe that’s why Steve stands up and essentially, loudly, volunteers as tribute, talking loudly over like say Thor who was clearly about to also agree.

Does Tony accept this outright or does shenanigans happen where like, Thor challenges Steve to some kind of contest for the privilege. Or that Tony was gonna leave it up to people to donate anonymously or something but Steve just jumped in feet first

What happens next? Do they try turkey baster style first or is it a known fact in the Omegaverse that the “old fashioned way” is the most effective (blah blah special pheromones thru touch/heat/ancient breeding magic blah blah). Does Steve wanna go full co-parent? Do they start dating DURING the “attempts”? While Tony is preggers?? After the baby gets here???

(preggers!Tony fretting about what to wear on their first date while just SO VERY pregnant is hilarious to me.)

*Or if you wanna go full angst CW DOES happen but the team was able to come together and defeat Thanos and now they are technically all together and friends again but there are ~*~tensions~*~ and (TヘT) …distance~*~ + pining

---

Lol well that's a fun scenario! I don't think Thor would challenge Steve for the honour, but he might see the determined glint in Steve's eye and think to himself, ah what fun! And make a show of trying to convince Tony that he's a better prospect than Steve, arguing about Asgardian genes and the ease of the pregnancies in Thor's family, meanwhile Steve is getting redder and redder in the face, but anyway Tony's like, actually I don't want my kid to suddenly start levitating or whatever magic nonsense you guys get up to, so Steve it is!

Steve would probably suggest the turkey baster (lol) insemination for Tony's ease but it doesn't take and Tony gets anxious because of super soldier swimmers are struggling with Tony's slightly(!) aging self then he might really have a problem so ANYWAY would Steve be up for going the traditional way?

Yes. Yes, Steve would. Anyway it's the best sex Tony's had in his life and he's just like, okay, what was that. Maybe... they can go again just to make sure. A third time, just to be REALLY sure. Then oh he's pregnant so. uh..... that's good. Good job, Steve. Thnx~

But intimacy is what it is and the spectacular sex may have addled Tony's brain because he's totally fine with Steve fussing around him, and asking very politely if he can be part of the child's life and will Tony allow him to take care of Tony during this time? With foot rubs and making drinks for him and fetching hot water bottles and calming Tony down whenever Tony has an attack of the doubts, and so on?

Then Steve is so focused on giving Tony everything he wants and anticipating his every need to make sure the pregnancy goes as smooth as possible, that he misses that Tony is having a slowly-unraveling meltdown under Steve's glorious attention.

I see your possible date while Tony is heavily pregnant, but also I think it would be hilarious if Tony is so determined not to lose focus on the baby, because his priorities have to change with this gift he is bringing into the world and there's no energy left over to do something about developing feelings for Steve (never mind that Tony is king as multitasking)...

But at the very last minute when Steve has sent Tony to the hospital and they're prepping for Tony's c-section, and Tony has another flash of fear for the soon-changing future, and grabs Steve for a big ol' smooch. Steve is shocked, but smooches back. Then Tony gets rolled out to the OR.

[salternateunreality2]

Why Cloud is so much more of a mushy pancake than Zack at the end of Hojo's experimentation:

* Zack started with enhancements, so Cloud probably got a rushed experience with mako, leading to severe poisoning.

* Hojo probably had a vendetta against Cloud for killing Sephiroth--the reactor likely had cameras, so he could see who dealt all the best blows to his perfect creation.

* Smol bean, if given the same stuff as Zack the giant tank = no bueno.

* Zack was likely out of puberty and done growing, so whatever Hojo did didn't mess with his growth or development.

(Cloud would like to officially blame Hojo for why he isn't 6'3" like the rest of them. Shh, nobody tell him Science experimented on the others during puberty too, that was different.)

* Zack didn't watch every single person he loved and every single person from his youth die in front of him, including killing his idol. Zack had hella trauma, sure, but a child watching everything he's ever known go up in flames is going to mushify his mind, while an adult who's seen death and had support through it and has family waiting for him is probably going to do a bit better.

You be as much of a squashed soggy kitten as you need to be, Cloud ❤️🐥❤️

[spacemagictea]

Race against Time

Stories of Kaylessa the Drifter and Amir Beckett, part 2. This was a bit of a struggle to finish.

Working title of the series/pairing: Eye of the Storm.

Awkward dorks are too afraid to admit to each other they're in love. Will the next story be a breakthrough? (yes)

Also a little gift of Apollo in the worst way.

CW: Major character hurt, violence (not too graphic but still violence)

I will post the fics on AO3 when I get to make an account there.

wtb more colors for color coding

Race against Time

April 3rd, 1999

In recent days, Scaldra has been attacking civilian areas with an increased intensity and brutality, seemingly hoping to lure the Hex out into the open as they went out to help. It was a busy time and every member often went out on multiple missions per day. And whatever time was free was spent on training as Kaylessa was helping each member get accustomed to their abilities granted by their partial Warframe bodies. The shop leading to the backroom was turned into a training room, the unused mannequins from the entire mall proving effective training dummies after some tweaking and reinforcement.

But the Hex weren’t the only ones training. The Drifter used her little spare alone time to practice her own combat skills, trying to make sure whatever she learned in Duviri stayed with her in case she could not use her Warframe. It helped her wind down, too - seeing the suffering of the innocents took a toll on her mental state to the point her rage dulled everything else. And she hated feeling nothing but rage. Right now, she wielded her bladed spear, Edun, vaulting around, stabbing and slashing at the practice targets. Focused on the practice, she didn’t notice when Amir came into the former store.

He didn’t expect the sight of her training with a melee weapon, watching her swift and purposeful moves with awe. He also couldn’t help but study her toned body clothed in athletic wear. As Kay usually dressed up in loose, comfy clothes, the muscle she clearly had was often hidden. And he found her form beautiful, even if he would be too shy to admit it to her face. The sight reminded him of his favourite heroines, but even better. Kaylessa was real. Right in front of his eyes. Evoking a faster heartbeat and a flutter in his stomach. And a tint of red appeared on his face with a quiet -wow- he couldn’t hold back.

Kay didn’t hear it, but it seems she decided these dummies had enough for now as she stopped and took a step back and exhaled, letting her tension completely free. As she turned to stash her weapon to the side, the corner of her eye caught sight of Amir and now they both looked like deer caught in headlights, both blooming red in the face as they looked at each other in surprise. Edun slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a loud clang and only then they broke off from the shocked state.

-SorryKayIdidn’tmeantointerruptyouralonetime- Amir blurted out, looking as if he wanted to run away and hide in embarrassment. 'ButdamnIneverthoughtyouhadmoveslikethat.'

-Oh no, it’s fine, Amir, I really, really don’t mind. I hope you haven’t been waiting long- Kay chuckled awkwardly, picking up the spear and now finally putting it away before approaching Amir. -Gotta keep my skills sharp in case of emergency. It also helps me better with controlling the Warframes, especially in melee… and it does help me let out some steam. Take my mind off all the shit that’s going on- she briefly closed her eyes and let out a dejected sigh as she suddenly felt how much things weighed on her. The reactor explosion was prevented but the fight was still very far from over.

‘Why does all of it feel so much heavier here compared to the Origin System in my time where worse shit happens all the time? Is it because I have time to stop and think about it? Is it because of a more personal stake? Is it because we don’t interact much with the civilian population in the future so we don’t put them at risk unless we absolutely have to?’

She looked back at Amir as she broke this line of thought and it felt like a soothing balm to her heart. He gave her a soft, awkward smile as she smiled at him and she could swear it’s the most adorable thing she’s ever seen.

-If I didn’t know better I’d swear I just saw Warrior Queen Zasta in the flesh- he chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood some more.

-Hah, if you want me to improve the impression, then I can improve it with my battle armor.- Kay couldn’t help but tease him with an amused grin and it paid off, seeing the blush on his face deepen and his eyes widen.

-UhmumyeahIwouldkindaliketoseethatsometime- he stammered, scratching the back of his head. -Probablyanothertimethough…

-I will keep it in mind then. So, what brings you here?- Kay tilted her head to the side, looking into Amir’s grey eyes. And her thoughts immediately drifted, causing a fresh wave of heat to hit her face. ‘I’d love to wake up seeing these eyes looking at me again like when he came to comfort me after my nightmares… or to watch him wake up and look at me with those sweet eyes… uhm, I’m distracting myself’

-I’m going on a mission to help some civvies with tech maintenance and set up some interception and comms beacons- he took an unusually long pause to continue -andwonderedifyou’dliketotagalongunlessyouhavesomethingelsetodo.

-Sorry, Amir, I’d love to but I already got asked by Arthur to help Aoi and Lettie with an evacuation. But show me where you’re going and I’ll come help you out when I know they have the situation under control? - Kay’s smile dropped and she hated that she had to decline, but she had all the intention of keeping her word. She didn’t know why, but there was a terrible gut feeling brewing in her.

-Aw, okay. Let me put in the coordinates.- Amir was noticeably disappointed, but brought up the navigation device Kay used on her Atomicycle and put a waypoint on the location of his mission. -It seems to not be too far from where you’ll be working so maybe if I’m done earlier, I’ll catch up with you instead.

-Sounds good. And, Amir?- she looked at him intently -if you feel like there’s any danger to you or the civilians, call me immediately. I am absolutely certain Scaldra will be trying some awfully bold things.

-I will, promise.- Amir gave her a warm smile, which soothed her anxiety a little, but she couldn’t resist stopping him for a little more with a gesture as she transferred into the frame she would use for today’s mission, Protea Prime, which stood idle to the side of the weapon rack until now. She took out a handful of little ball shaped devices from a pocket on the harness she put on the frame to blend in better with the Hex and handed them to Amir.

-They’ll be weaker since I won’t be around to empower them, but here’s a few shield satellite grenades if you happen to need them. There’s a button to activate them. Even the civilians can use them, if needed.- she explained, taking out one more ball from the pocket and demonstrating the workings of the grenade, which opened up to circle around her, enveloping her in an energy shield.

-Woahthat’ssocool. I hope I won’t have to use them, but thanks- Amir excitedly took the devices and put them into a pocket of his harness, keeping his hand on the pocket for a while longer afterward as if making a mental note of it. -See you soon, then!

She transferred back out of the frame and put her hand on his chest for a moment, her face expressing a wordless 'Please be safe'. Amir gave her a nod in response and put his hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before heading out. As Kay looked at him leave, she only hoped the dread her intuition was giving her would turn out to be false. But there was no point in dwelling as she transferred into Protea and walked to the backroom to prepare to head out herself, a somber regret on her utter inability to express the full extent of her feelings to him squeezing her heart painfully.

—

The evacuation was going smoothly. Suspiciously so. Kay, Aoi and Lettie didn’t intend to drop their guard however, watching carefully for any troops.

While on the way to the evacuated block they only encountered a hive of Techrot blocking their intended pathway, but utilizing Protea’s turret device, which shot hot plasma the cleanse was swift, comparable to cauterizing a wound.

-It’s odd that Viktor didn’t put too much effort into stopping us from the evacuation- Kaylessa pondered loudly, itching a bit to move along and join Amir in his task. She and Aoi patrolled the area, moving every now and then between streets on their Atomicycles while Lettie led the three families they were evacuating through the alleyways alongside a few allied civilian operatives. 

-Indeed. Feels like he’s plotting something and that involves him letting us get these civilians to the safe district, in exchange for a victory elsewhere- Aoi narrowed her eyes with suspicion, the mere mention of Viktor seemingly sprouting anger. And her words reminded the Drifter of the terrible feeling she had brewing in her stomach, bringing dreadful anxiety. As she nodded in agreement, Aoi felt the worry of her friend. -You don’t think he might strike where Amir is, do you?

-Hard to tell. Plenty of collaborators and they might also purge another civilian area instead…- Kay looked around nervously, trying to deflect the question a little. -But yes, I do think I should go check on him soon. Won’t leave you unprepared in case anything happens, though.

She had a bigger bag of Protea’s devices prepared for them in case they had to get separated. Kay showed Aoi each device and explained their workings before handing her the bag.

-I think we should be able to handle this between me and Lettie, especially with the help of your training and these doohickeys.- Aoi gave the Drifter a reassuring smile. -Thank you for your help, Kay.

-I’ll call to check on his progress. He did mention he’ll come our way if he’s done.

—

Amir was finishing the setup of the computer that would store the data the beacons gathered and later send it to the Hex headquarters. The small flat on the top floor of this building located within the Historic Quarter belonged to one of the civilian operatives, who volunteered to have this room turned into one of the recon spots. Other inhabitants of the building asked Amir to help them afterwards with maintaining their electronics and checking if they were infected with the Techrot, which Amir got quite adept at finding out. As he opened the window to put out the antenna that would receive info from the beacons, he could swear he heard loudspeakers down below. Carefully looking out, his heart started beating anxiously fast. A big Scaldra squad was here. And the soldiers were calling for civilians to come out of the building. Seems someone ratted his location for whatever short term benefit they could get. But that was not the worst part - the civilians would certainly be executed for cooperating with the Hex. Shutting the window quickly, Amir called Mike, the operative living in the flat and informed him of the situation.

-Is there any other way out?- Amir asked, initially trying to not betray his anxiety. -If yes, gatherasmanyfolksasyoucanandgetout. I’ll cover the main entrance.

-You sure, Jitter? You’ll be alone against the entire squad!- Mike protested as he prepared his gun and ammo.

-I’ll call in backup. Top priority, get the civvies out. Take these.- Amir took the pack of shield grenades and handed them to the operative, but not before showing him how to activate them. -These will give you a covering shield. Now gogogogo!

-Thanks, bud. I hope the backup makes it in time.- The operative saluted, realizing that there was no other way and rushed to get people out. Amir took a deep breath and collected his weapons. He saw already that the squad brought in was large - he didn’t really stand a chance by himself, he’s going to get killed - or worse, captured. He could only hope that Kay could make it in time as he reached for the radiophone.

—

Just as Kaylessa took her RT to call Amir, the comms blared immediately.

-KaycomequicktheScaldraishere- Amir’s panicked voice confirmed her worst fears. -IgotMiketoevacuatethecivviesbutIneedtodistractthetroopspleasecomeASAP!

-Fuck. I’m on my way.- Kay tried her best to not let her fear come through as she revved up the engine and brought up the navigation.

-Oh no. We should’ve expected this. We’ll handle the civilians, get going!- Aoi’s face turned pale with horror as she prepared herself to move to let Lettie know of the situation.

A nod was the only response as the Drifter rushed out, tires screeching on the asphalt.

—

Amir rushed down the building, asking whoever he passed to go join Mike at the other exit route, hoping that everyone would be able to get their families out. As he approached the main entrance to the building, he heard the loudspeaker demand clearly - if the civilians inhabiting this building won’t give them the Hex, they would be put to death for treason. At this point, he knew better - they would be killed regardless. And he would make his stand and fight to make sure they got out, even if he had to pay the price. He thought of Kay, he knew she was on the way but… would she make it? He almost hoped she wouldn’t risk herself but he knew her better than that. Yet, if she didn’t make it on time… the thought of never being able to tell her what he felt made his eyes sting with tears. His thoughts and heart raced but there was no turning back now. And no other way to proceed. Scaldra troops were already ramming into the door and it would give out at any moment. While he didn’t have the grenades anymore, he still had the ability to conjure a shield of electricity, which could block bullets, but also empowered whatever he shot through it.

-COME AND GET ME!- he yelled out, firmly gripping his automatic Vekesk pistol and charging himself up. The door broke and he unleashed from himself a powerful, crackling wave of electricity that surged towards the troops looking in with weapons ready. He noticed that the soldiers did not appear to show intent to come inside, instead, someone from the back managed to toss in a few smoking grenades before the wave hit. Amir recognized what was going on immediately. They did not want to kill him. They wanted to capture him alive. They would wait out until he was knocked out properly and once the smoke settled enough, take him away before he’d be made an example by Viktor and used to bait the other Hex. ‘At least you won’t go without casualties’ he thought bitterly as the discharge started quickly spreading between the soldiers, electrocuting and paralyzing them. He blasted rounds from his pistol, hoping that he’d put enough resistance before he got knocked out. The shield unfortunately could not stop the gas that quickly started saturating the air, causing Amir coughing fits. He sent electric shocks and shot blindly, but time was running out quickly. Consciousness was starting to slip as the smoky gas filled his lungs. And as he fell, the last thoughts before his mind blacked out were of the emerald-eyed Drifter.

—

Even though she was going at maximum possible speed and taking every shortcut to this fairly close block, Kaylessa still felt like she was going too slow. Each second felt like eternity. But finally, she saw the excessively large squad sent in, their leader smugly looking towards the entrance with a loudspeaker on the rear. “Sol and Lua, am I too late?” raced through her mind. Sorrow and rage filled her heart entirely. She jumped off the Atomicycle with a furious battlecry, immediately drawing her sidearm, the Pyrana Prime, an automatic shotgun pistol. The squad leader clearly didn’t expect reinforcements as the roar got his attention, he looked in shock at the new combatant but quickly started barking orders to attack her. Exactly what the Drifter wanted. Buckshot rounds started ripping through the soldiers the moment she landed on her feet and with lightning speed she started deploying shrapnel and shield grenades alike in addition to turrets of blazing, fiery death.

The Scaldra used to be able to fight the Hex since they didn’t have a full grasp on their powers in the past, but fighting an unknown Warframe that clearly had full control? That quickly turned into a one-sided slaughter. Surviving soldiers had scattered and the captain tried to frantically reach higher command for reinforcements via radio but failed as he too got ripped apart by the onslaught. She could give chase to survivors, but there were more important things now - finding Amir.

An eerie silence fell over the block and Kaylessa looked around, scanning for the building where Amir was supposed to be. She noticed a broken door to one of the buildings - and dead troops that definitely were not caused by her powers or weapons. Dense smoke slowly suffused out of the building, but not a fire type of smoke. Something else. A poison gas?

Heart racing, she moved over, praying to whatever powers she hoped might listen that she was not too late. As Kay entered, she immediately noted the gas fortunately didn’t affect her Warframe and how it must have been there for a while. She took one of the grenades laying on the ground and stashed it in a pocket for further study back in the mall and that’s when she saw Amir slumped against a wall, pale and motionless.

-NO!- she immediately leaped over to him, expecting the worst. -No, no no no… Amir…

How long has he been here? What was in that gas? A slight tinge of relief came through when she checked for breath and pulse and noticed he was still alive, though his breaths were shallow. Kay crouched down, carefully picking his limp body up and taking him out of the building. Anything was better than inhaling more poison gas, even if it potentially got the smell of scorched corpses.

Once she got outside, she laid Amir down gently before she sat down in a kneeling position and repositioned him so that he could lean on Protea. Once she was sure that the position was secure, she transferred out of the frame and opened her hood, violent sobs shaking her body as she knelt next to him in a release of emotions she could not hold back anymore. She cupped his face and kissed his forehead, tears falling from her cheeks on his face.

-Amir… I’m so sorry… I should’ve gone on this mission with you… or at least come here earlier…- she whispered softly as she leaned her forehead on his, gently caressing his cheeks with her thumbs, as if hoping the gesture could wake him up. 

‘I failed him. I failed him just like I failed Aurelia.’ Guilt was rending Kaylessa’s heart as she pulled away to look around. The area was safe for now, but she had to get him back to the mall before the Scaldra got any new ideas. The main concern was making sure she could transport him safely via the Atomicycle. Closing her mask, she recalled she had extra harness belts in the vehicle seat storage. The bike fell to the side not far away once when she leaped off, but besides some scratches and dents it scored as a result of the discarding it was more than good enough to ride. She went to retrieve it, not letting her eyes off Amir, as if he was going to disappear if she looked away. Once she brought it nearby, she got the belts out. Figuring it’d be best to put Amir in front, she transferred back into Protea so she could pull him up into a position where she could get him secured. When pulled up, Amir started coughing violently and Kay got slightly startled, but held him to prevent him from falling down. Once the coughing fit stopped, she noted with relief his breathing got deeper and more stable, even if no further reaction was present. She shifted out of the frame again and began weaving the belts through both the harnesses, first adding some extra security she wouldn’t be able to add later between his back and Protea’s front with a few short belts, then crossing two longest belts on his chest and putting one around his waist, looping them around Protea’s back. Once Kay was certain Amir wouldn’t fall off, she took up the radiophone and informed Aoi, then Arthur, trying her best to not let her emotions surface. Then, she returned to her Warframe, got both herself and Amir on the bike and as fast as she reasonably could, she raced back to the mall.

—

The events back at the mall felt like a blur. All the Hex were waiting for her at the garage, Arthur and Quincy (who, as Kay noted with a surprise, for all his usual swagger looked absolutely mortified to see Amir in his state) helping the Drifter with getting Amir out of the makeshift harness and then carried him on a stretcher into the mall. Before allowing Lettie to go with them, she explained to the medic what was the situation once she got there and how she found Amir and showed the grenade collected on site.

-Gracias. I already have a suspicion what it might be and if it is what I think it is, then he’ll recover- Lettie took the grenade and packed it into a bag to avoid excessive contact before following the men, but not without giving the Drifter a soft look. -You did well, amiga.

Aoi parked the Atomicycle for her before joining with Eleanor to get the Drifter to Eleanor’s room to not allow her to be by herself with her emotions. Once there, Kay transferred out of Protea, opening her mask and feeling the weight of exhaustion, guilt, despair and rage settle in, sat down with her friends, allowing herself to weep, comforted with both mind and physical embraces.

After a few hours, which felt like an eternity, Lettie came to Eleanor’s place from the makeshift hospital room setup for Amir. Her expression was reassuring.

-He’ll indeed be fine, amiga. I don’t know how long it will take for him to recover, but they’d need much more of this gas to kill any of us. You can go visit him when you want to.

-Thank you, Lettie. I’ll head there soon. And thank you, Ellie and you, Aoi... It means a lot that you didn’t let me be alone with… all of this. I think I’d do something reckless if I was left alone- Kay sighed with relief, the emotions still present but not threatening to control her.

-Something like raiding the Scaldra HQ?- Aoi only half-joked with this question, having seen how fierce the Drifter is in battle.

-Yeah. I would still consider it, but that will have to wait. Viktor better watch those tattoos of his. For now I’ll make sure no purge squad makes it back or gets to complete their task- Kay’s eyes narrowed with a vengeful spark, but she shook the feeling off. There were more important things for now. 

‘Brave knightess avenging someone she cares about and leaving no stone standing, story for the ages.’ Eleanor’s telepathic joke got a chuckle from all four women. She stood up and left for the makeshift hospital room with Lettie. 

-She’s so madly in love with him. And she doesn’t even realize it’s mutual- Aoi kept a quiet voice, even though she knew Drifter couldn’t hear her. -I’ve seen how he looks at her as she passes by or when she leaves his arcade.

‘He doesn’t realize that she loves him either. Leave it to the two smart, awkward nerds to be the most oblivious in these matters. We can only slowly encourage them to take the step they’re so afraid to take.’ Eleanor’s response brought a smile to Aoi.

-Well, I guess once Amir recovers we can start trying.

—

Kaylessa and Lettie arrived at the room where Amir was placed. He laid on a freshly prepared bed, his gear put away on the side. If the Drifter didn’t know better, she’d swear he’s sleeping.

-Amir doesn’t need my immediate attention, so I’ll let you be with him. But try to get some rest when you can, okay?- Lettie’s gentle approach surprised Kay but she appreciated it, giving her a nod and moving a chair near Amir’s bed. Her heart stung painfully again as she sat down and put her hand on his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

-I’m here, Amir. I’m here now.- she wasn’t sure if Amir could even hear her, but she could swear the corners of his lips raised up as she spoke. She might have not made it in time to prevent harm coming to him overall, but she made it in time to save him. And that’s what in the end was more important. Sitting there, she watched his chest rise and fall in steady breaths for a while, as if assuring herself he was indeed alive before moving her eyes up, lovingly studying his features - the edges of Techrot creeping up on his neck like lightning scars, his thick, messy, soft looking raven hair, his sleek face shape… then her eyes lingered on his scars and she reflected on things they’ve been sharing recently. 

He was opening up to her about his past and the nightmares he’s been suffering since he became a protoframe. He wasn’t a soldier and the nightmares of fighting the Scaldra plagued him endlessly and yet… He stayed behind to protect the civilians who escaped the block. He was willing to give his life for them. He was a hero, even if he’d never admit it to himself. Beyond this silly, joking, hyperactive front was a true and honest heart of gold and an incredibly smart brain that suffered from self consciousness and constant feeling like he’s broken. She didn’t think of him as broken. He was similar to her in many aspects. And she fell for all of him. Yet, why was she unable to admit it to his face? Was it fear of rejection? Fear of committing? Fear of how she might have to return to the future with no way back and break both their hearts as a result? It couldn’t be fear of being vulnerable with someone since they both shared so many raw and vulnerable moments already.

Exhaustion truly set in, but she didn’t want to leave. Quickly considering her options, Kay took off her armored gloves and vambraces and put them under her chair, then leaned forward and took his hand again, using her forearms as pillows on the side of his bed and kept looking at him as she let herself drift into dreamless sleep.

—

April 4th, 1999

The Drifter woke up and immediately felt a twinge of back pain from her uncomfortable position. Having noticed she held Amir’s hand the entire time she was asleep, she let it go for a moment to stretch. Frankly, this was worth a little pain.

-Good morning, Drifter.- Arthur walked into the room as if right on schedule, carrying a plate with him. -You should eat, so here. It’s a square omelette. It’s a dish made out of beaten eggs so I think it shouldn’t be as bad as… well. The spaghetti.

-Thanks, Arthur.- Kaylessa, still groggy, happily accepted the plate. She hasn’t eaten since before leaving for the mission yesterday and it now hit her that she was straight up ravenous. She quite enjoyed egg dishes, so she immediately dug in. And she immediately had to restrain herself from devouring the meal like a Kubrodon devouring a Pobber in Orb Vallis -Yeah, that’s good. Different from Kubrow eggs, but I really like it.

-The dog-like animals of your time lay eggs?- Arthur’s one-eyed gaze turned wide in shock.

-Uh. Yeah. The Orokin were a bit wild with their experiments- Kay let out a chuckle upon realizing the shock she gave to Arthur. -Any news?

-The group of civilians from the block Amir worked at made it safely to the district you, Aoi and Lettie were escorting civilians to yesterday. I do feel like I made a mistake in sending him alone, but I’m glad you managed to recover him. Thank you- the protoframe’s expression was tinged with regret as he looked at Amir, who has not regained consciousness as of yet. -I’ve learned from Mike, our operative from that block, that someone ratted them out.

-I did what was necessary, though I regret not going earlier. But… I don’t think either of us could predict they wouldn’t go for our escort- her eyes narrowed a little at the mention of someone collaborating with Scaldra. -But it makes sense now, that we know someone decided to work with Scaldra. Too bad they probably didn’t get any benefit from it since the squad failed to capture Amir. I can’t imagine… if they did succeed…- her words brought a sharp sting to her heart as she swallowed loudly, trying to push away the image from her mind.

-They’d use him as bait for us and make an example out of him. That I’m sure of. But thanks to you, that scenario is not a reality- Arthur sighed, putting a hand on the Drifter’s shoulder in a surprising, but reassuring gesture. -No need for regrets if in the end he’s safe with us here and will recover.

Kay nodded with appreciation, her gaze lingering on Amir. Indeed. She made sure he’s back home. His home… and hers too. She finished the meal and handed the plate back to Arthur.

-If you’d like to stay here and keep an eye on him, then you’re free to do so, especially after yesterday. Though make sure to take care of yourself- As the swordsman turned around, Kay stood up, cracking her knuckles.

-If you got any purge squad leads then I could go deal with these. Some extra payback is in order.

—

Arthur had leads, indeed. Kaylessa spent most of the day dealing with purge squads, making sure to leave a message of fear, especially when she could hijack comms and send a clear message to the Scaldra high command: they would be hunted down like beasts of old for their crimes.

She returned to the mall and after a brief detour to eat, her steps immediately took her to the hospital room. Near Amir’s bed, there was Quincy who placed a card on the bedside table.

-Never thought of you as a sentimental kind of person, Quincy.- Drifter’s perplexed words had the sniper turn around and let out a soft chuckle.

-It’s from the kids. Civvies that Amir saved, all grateful. Made him a “get well soon” card.- Quincy gave the Drifter a respectful nod as he headed out, deeming his “task” complete. -Eyes open, fam, I’ll leave you two be.

-Thanks. Stay safe.- While she wasn’t happy with the way he treated Amir when she met the Hex, some talks seem to have pushed the relationship in the right direction and she appreciated that Amir could feel like he’s got another person in his corner. He didn’t show it often but he cared. That was good enough in her books, even if she’d always think of him as a bit of an asshole.

Sitting on the chair, she exhaled, as if letting the weight of the day be swept away to not disturb her vigil over Amir. She once again placed her hand on his, looking at him.

A few hours have passed, sometimes interrupted by one of the Hex checking in on them.

Kay considered going to sleep when suddenly, Amir stirred. Eyelids fluttered and she was greeted with his beautiful, speckled warm grey eyes opening and looking at her in surprise once he awakened enough to notice her.

-Kay?- his voice sounded slightly hoarse and still weak but there was an undeniable warmth to it and he let out a sigh of relief -So good to see you.

-Amir…- happy tears glistened in her eyes as she moved to sit on the edge of his bed and leaned in to embrace him -Oh, Amir…

He happily returned the hug and while his embrace was weaker, it was no less honest.

-Never expected that a warrior queen in the flesh would save me but here you are, a heroine warrior queen- Amir’s smile as he looked at her made her heart warm and the compliment caused her cheeks to burn as she let out a laugh.

-A warrior queen saving a hero of the people, no less- She pointed at the card, her emerald eyes sparkling with joy. And that in turn made Amir blush and laugh as well. The commotion caused the Hex members to come in one by one to check what’s going on.

And the rest of the night was a celebration for the whole team.

[tactical-mode]

After a rushed release, I took my time re-editing and reshooting and am now happy with the final product. Lesson learned. Perfectionism is the enemy of putting a product out, but I can afford to take the time to be proud of it.

Between where we left Cloud last time and where we find him in this opening shot, I actually filmed multiple scenes using Remake that took us into the station house, through a combat, up the stairs, and back out onto the street. These scenes were cut because they weren’t in the OG, it’s as simple as that. The 76 shots and ~15 minutes of good footage are waiting on the ancillary hard drive to be used in a music video or something.

[Chapter 01] Scene 10:  Meeting AVALANCHE

(see my post from Episode 1 to read about why I enumerate scenes this way)

This is the first major overhaul to a scene from 7R, and I cut a lot, refilmed, and moved shots around much more than folks might notice, and I had to manipulate a lot to make it seem like Biggs is interacting with Cloud, which he doesn’t actually do in the Remake scene.

The character’s mouth animations surprised me by how well they could be interpreted to be saying the PS1 lines, especially:

Jessie: “--s, this, uh, what was his name again?”

Jessie: “SOLDIER? Aren’t they the enemy?”

Biggs: “He’s a professional, unlike the rest of us.”

Biggs: “He quit them, and now he’s one of us.”

For the dialogue in this scene I blended PS1 and EC. Forever shout out to Yinza for preserving the PS1 script.

(remember to turn on closed-captioning for the dialogue!)

Scene 11:  Opening the Gate

There’s some stage blocking here and another instance where I decide to go with Remake and/or EC’s dialogue over OG. In OG, Barret tells them to split up (they don’t), the player is given the option to rename him, he tells Cloud that he doesn’t trust him, and then he tells the player how to use the controller buttons to run. Yeah, that won’t work. We’re going to keep his one line about trust:

“Ex-SOLDIER, huh? Don't trust ya!” (PS1/Beacause)

“You’d better be worth the money, merc. Every last gil.” (7R)

For this, 7R’s line is the most evocative and gives us just a bit more context for the situation at hand. I’m not super thrilled that it extraneously introduces us to the concept of ‘gil’, the fictional currency of FF7’s world, which isn’t relevant to the story right now (in the OG, Aerith introduces it when selling the player a flower). But the line is just so damn cool. Barret is so damn cool.

I cut the extraneous chatter between Cloud and Wedge here. I added a couple of shots around the door opening, such as moving one of Wedge’s face-muggings and a wide shot of Jessie and Biggs being sneaky.

I blended the different movements of the soundtrack here to match the iconic tilt of the camera up at the reactor. I also made sure to keep the entire sequence timed in such a way that Barret’s cold turn back is accented by the tense cellos. They haven’t said which one of Remake’s many composers is responsible for each individual diversion from Uematsu’s original score, but I would put good money on Shotaro Shima for the cinematic variation that plays during this scene. The forevariance of the Main Theme here is a particularly nice touch.

Scene 12: Combat: Cloud vs. 1 MP and 1 Guard Hound

A combat has begun, which means that our major story moments for the episode are behind us. That’s not to say that there won’t be plot in the following few minutes, but there won’t be dialogue. Enjoy the slow-motion feast for the eyes and ears, I really enjoyed making it.

Because Cloud is the only combatant in these, it’s easy to actually choreograph and re-shoot the fights, finaggling the enemies into the same locations as I use the same moves on them. This fight can be repeated after opening a nearby chest, allowing me to quickly restart it without having to reload, with only minor changes to the starting positions. For instance, in the first scenario, the members of AVALANCHE start on the battlefield and spend the first few rounds taking the lift, whereas they’re already at the top at the start of the second fight.

I really loved the naturally moody lighting on the crew in the warehouse, and cutting back and forth allowed me to mask some of the “jumping around” that the enemies and Cloud do – although not all, as eagle-eyed viewers will see. This will become less possible when more characters become involved in fights, but for the opening encounters I thought it would be important to show how this slow-mo thing could give the impression of fights progressing. Here's my favorite from the cutting room floor:

Scenes 13-14: Through the Warehouse

At three separate times, I mask edits to the score. At the end of the combat, Cloud sheathes his sword, allowing me to cut out 14 bars and restore Uematsu’s original score structure. I then put this opening piano on loop, extending it until enemies are on the screen (it’s masked again by the sound of the lift and by Jessie cutting the wires. In Uematsu’s structure, loops of the song don’t include the timpanis and orchestra hits from the beginning, but 7R’s version does include them, which I think is an oversight. However, it had the unintended upside of scoring the arrival of enemies from behind Cloud really well! Also, we can associate the orchestra hits with Cloud once more as they punctuate him whirling around and preparing to fight!

Fun fact: Bombing Mission has a bpm of 136, so when I found editing the music too repetitive I would use placeholders with the same bpm and then fine-tune it later. Highlights from the playlist I made were Rocket Man, Thunderstruck, Go Your Own Way, Jump (For My Love), and, heh, Sandstorm. 

Scene 15: Combat: Cloud vs. 2 MPs, 1 Guard Hound

With this combat, I chose to introduce the viewer to magic - specifically, Cloud’s ability to cast lightning and ice. In OG, the player learns this by taking control of Cloud down on the train platform, but its quite possible in a playthrough for Cloud to never use magic – and indeed, in 7R he begins with different spell abilities altogether!

However, I feel like this short encounter was the way to introduce magic with the maximum hype possible, and I’m proud of the result. Cloud zaps one MP, dispatches the other with a quick sword slice, then fires off an ice spell to nab the pup.

I tried to have the materia in focus while Cloud was casting in order to provide a visual clue as to where this magic comes from, because it won’t be exposited with dialogue for some time yet.

Scene 16: Combat: Cloud vs. 2 MPs

Around 1 minute of combat footage represents about 2-3 hours of shooting, and about 5 hours of editing. This one took a bit longer because I remained in bullet time so that I could get coverage of the crew running out onto the bridge.

For this combat, I cut out a chunk of the score to make room for the section that uses a variation on the Main Theme, accenting a Cloud hero shot.

Scene 17: The Bridge

This was pretty straightforward to shoot except for cutting out a door puzzle that triggers AVALANCHE running into the reactor. Filming around that was a bit tricky. I also dabbled in my first bit of colour-correction here, as jumping from the gap between sectors back into that metal tunnel was hard on the eyes.

A quick clip of the music to ramp up towards the credits, and about a hundred reshoots of that camera so that it passes between the pipes and not through them. And we're done.

Final Thoughts

I can’t believe anyone reads these things, but if you did, hey thanks. Let me know what you think of the series! And dOn’T fOrGeT tO LiKe aNd sUbScRiBe!

[nautilusgays]

Live reactions to Episode 2 of AMC's Nautilus

SPOILERS SPOILER SPOILERS SPOILERS

Oh the N rising out of the water is beautiful

Humility's massive skirt is pissing me off I'm having a viceral reaction to it - Oh yes it's getting ripped up - I think the fabric just looks like I would hate the texture

Ayyy it's going up

'Captain Crazy' lmao Ned Land would approve of that title.

Oh god that like cockney/sailor accent hurts

ANOTHER TWINK!? Oh god he's a brat 'algey boy' oh god no

Lmao they are literally giving Humility Aronnax-esq dialogue - except she's apparently lying?

'ah Mon dieu' just incase we forgot Benoir was French

'you are not going back to the underwater boat. Get back to the underwater boat' marvel called it wants it's dialogue back

Look I love a competent woman but ahhh her writinggggg

YES DOGGOOOOOOOOO

Nemo speach time - oh a threat instead of motivational - he's looking good in his rolled up sleeves and waistcoat tho.

Oh dreadnaught is back - more like Twinknahght there is three of them now!

Listen to the fucking captain you shareholder dickhead he actually knows how ships work (he's giving "and a (business) partnership was the only ship that he ever had seen" - a Gilbert and Sullivan lyric)

Oh! He knew Nemo??!

Oh god that comparison Humility babe - HUMILITY NO

'that will be none of your business' I love the way she did that slay

'its hope that brings people together'

Lmaoooo Lord Pitt is Humility's fiance??? Oh twink on twink violence.

Youngblood has some positive view of Nemo yas

Mate Pitt is weird af

HUMILITY! Her foot in mouth disease is real I kind of love it

Benoit sweetie! I love him. Also hope him and Humility have a cute father daughter-esq relationship.

I love submarines so much!

Oh this is adorable!

Him and Nemo are brainy besties I love it. "He has his reasons for being the way he is." Mate just give him some 2010s emo music and he'll be fine.

I love them messing with the kid so much omg it's so cute.

'hey concentrate' mate you put me in front of that window I will focus on nothing but the moving water and fish.

Aw Benoir is such a bleeding heart!

Nemo angst projected onto whales

Pfff dramatic waistcoat removal I love him.

Wait are those sperm whales??? (I don't think so but I can't tell lol - my bro is the marine biologist not me)

Wet cat Nemo fr fr - need a fic where Pierre sees him in a wet white shirt.

Damn Nemo savage!

"That was theft" why is that so funny to me

NOOO Humility baby imma hug you her sad puppy eyes

"they're made from whale bits" "the fish that made these are dead already" savage queen Imao

How tf did a mouse get on-board??

Horizon scanning is the favourite past time on the Nautilus.

"big boat with big big guns" that's how we should describe the dreadnaught from now on

Ugh competency is sexy - also I now realise why that the open waist coat and shirt combo is so sexy it's cause Nemo got that lesbian fit

UGH 'we better use our wits then' CUTE PATERNAL REASSURACE IS ALSO SEXY HES A GOOD DAD

Archie NO

Crawley mate don't fight the shareholder

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Oh stowaway?

"then the next stage of our journey maybe a spiritual one" NEMO NOT HELPFUL SWEETIE

Benoit and Humility make me happy (it's probably the daddy issues)

"how deep were they tested?" "50 fathoms" YOUNGBLOODS EXPREASION OMG - I love the plots of shareholders not understanding how science and engineering work and the people that do having to deal with it - I hate it in real life tho: looking at you RBMK Reactors and The Challenger! - I hope Crowley gets his commupence for not listening to experts and the actual competent people get to save the day (to make up for it not happening in real life)

This is so stressful

I like having the viewing port on top of the saloon window

Oh no a Brit

[smidgen-of-hotboy]

Our Angel of Brahma, pt. ix

Travelers. Friends. Mutuals. @ceaseless-watchers-special-girl @ananxiousgenz @the-private-eye @demonic-panini @gwenlena

SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING BEGINS. MOTHERLY VOICE: I finally got a moment to myself thanks to Eber and Camilla… Thank the Goddess… I don’t know what I would be doing without them. (THE PERSON SIGHS) Where do I begin? I guess… my name would be a good start.  (CLEARING THEIR THROAT) My name is Eevee Bell, and I am one of three to four dozen Dome Wardens on Brahma. Our duty is to perform routine maintenance on the planet’s Dome, track incoming and outgoing shuttles and ships, and monitor Brahma’s severe weather outside the Dome. I love my job. I think I do my job very well. From what I’ve heard about other planets, they have robotics and computers to do this job now. Artificial intelligence that the Solar Planets spent a fortune to perfect. Of course just like with everything else though, Brahma gets left behind in the dust. (EEVEE CHUCKLES UNDER HER BREATH) EEVEE: Goddess bless our savior New Kinshasa. (EEVEE LAUGHS A BIT HARSHER) EEVEE: What happened to us though has been brewing under their noses for some time now. I guess it was only a matter of time before… something was done.  To be honest I’m still not entirely sure what did happen. I know that our alarms went off when the Reactor Core was removed, and I know they stopped going off when the Core was put back. I know that the Chief Constable called all of our stations, and ordered us to go home. I know that we have not gone back to our stations for nearly ten days. I know that if we don’t accept any imports within the next seven days Brahma will begin to suffer. And if we fall, New Kinshasa falls with us.  Cyrus called me while I was rushing to get home to Baird. He asked me how much I knew and after I told him, I asked how much he knew. He said it would be better if he came to speak to me in person. He lives across town with Iris. I told him it wouldn’t be wise to meet up so late, especially with a curfew in place. He disagreed, but I talked enough sense into him that he waited until morning to catch a tram over here to the apartments.  Baird was not enthused to see him. He was rather… indifferent, actually. I know it hurt Cyrus’ feelings, I do plan on talking about it with Baird when I can, but it’s so hard to talk about anything seriously right now. I’d rather keep things as light-hearted as possible.  I sent Baird over to Camilla and Eber’s apartment while I had tea with Cyrus. He looked so worried. He asked me if I saw the Chief Constable’s broadcast about the Revolutionary, Peter Nureyev. I have. I watched it with Baird the night before after I got home from my post. Cyrus said that he doesn’t know of any Peter Nureyevs in any of his revolution circles.  He surprised me by asking me for my thoughts about the Constable they allegedly found murdered by the Revolutionary. I didn’t at the time, and I still don’t now. Cyrus said that he has reason to believe that part was a lie. He doesn’t believe the Revolutionary killed a Constable. He thinks it might be an elaborate lie or cover-up for some more vain truth. (EEVEE INHALES SHARPLY) The revolutionaries are holding a meeting tonight. Cyrus invited me to come. He wants me there. I don’t want to get in trouble, but… I need to keep Cyrus and Baird safe. And by extension, it’s my job to keep Brahma safe.  SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING ENDS.

SOUND: COMMS BEEPS AGAIN. NEW RECORDING BEGINS: EEVEE:  What the fuck! NEW VOICE:  What are you doing? EEVEE:  What am I doing I’m recording you idiot! Cyrus, don’t you see? If what was discussed tonight has any truth to it, New Kinshasa isn’t going to let any of this get out. More than– I bet you my next paycheck that Dark Matters is going to play a role in covering it all up! (CYRUS TRIES TO SHUSH EEVEE) CYRUS:  Alright, alright– you have a point. Keep your voice down alright the streets have ears… You really hope your little comms though is going to play a role in– This? EEVEE: Mark my word, I think my little comms will outlive both of us. If Baird’s lucky it will outlive them.  (CYRUS GROANS. EEVEE GIGGLES) Okay, okay… I attended the meeting– CYRUS: The book club. We went to a late-night book club meeting. What? Don’t give me that look. Plausible deniability, Eve. EEVEE:  Right. The Book Club. We attended Book Club and talked about the climax of a war story. In the story, the main character kills a man with radical ideas to overthrow their government. The man he killed was not popular amongst the rebels. In theory, they should have agreed with him. CYRUS: In practice, however, the rebels do not condone murdering hundreds of thousands of people. Thus the whole unpopular amongst the rebels.  EEVEE:  Of course, word got out about the man’s death, and to cover it up, the government claimed him as an Enforcer. And they were getting away with it because the last clothes the man was found in was a stolen Enforcer uniform.  I don’t know if I believe the rebel or the government’s of the story– CYRUS: Eve– EEVEE: But! But. But I do believe that it was the right call for the rebels to sit back and wait for information to trickle out to them slowly… I think I’ll need to attend the next meeting to really make sure I understand what I’m getting myself into. Oh– I’m so tired. Can we discuss all this in the morning? With hopefully less ears listening in? (CYRUS HUMS AFFIRMATIVELY) CYRUS: I’ll even let you sleep in if you let me crash on your couch.  EEVEE: Of course, I wouldn’t make you walk across town while already breaking our curfew.  CYRUS: Thanks, Eve.  (LONG PAUSE) Baird’s not going to be mad to see me, is he? EEVEE: This late at night? I doubt it. If anything he’s staying over at that Spade’s apartment probably fast asleep with Charlie. Oh, they’re so sweet together. I went to say good night to them one evening and I couldn’t kiss Baird’s head because Charlie had a death grip on his shoulders. He's always polite and entertains all of Baird’s whims… I wish you were around more to see it happen. CYRUS:  You and I both know why that can’t happen.  (BOTH OF THEM SIGH) EEVEE: You know he’s only so pouty around you because you and I split up, right? He just wants us all together again. Like a proper family. CYRUS: We are a proper family. Mom who works too hard, dad who left to get milk and never came back– see? Proper family. (EEVEE LAUGHS CAUSING CYRUS TO LAUGH) UNFAMILIAR VOICE: Hey, state your business and show your credentials. CYRUS: Shit, Constables. Run Eve! SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING ENDS. 

SOUND: COMMS BEEPS AGAIN. RECORDING BEGINS.  (EEVEE WHISPERS) EEVEE: Cyrus and I got away from the Constables last week perfectly fine. This week on Brahma: we went to another revolution meeting. A few old timers took roll call and one of them said he had reason to believe that the person the Angel of Brahma killed was one of theirs. A man who wasn’t the least bit popular in any particular revolutionary circle. Apparently, he wanted to drop New Kinshasa out of the sky and saw it perfectly fit to kill all of Brahma in the process.  (EEVEE SCOFFS) The nerve of some people. No one at the meeting could remember his name though, and no one still knows who Peter Nureyev is outside of the photos projected on every billboard on the planet now. He looks so young. Those dark and haunting eyes and sharp teeth. I find it hard to believe that he’s just a teenager. But– he is.  I’m trying to keep my voice down right now because Baird is asleep. The meeting was held before curfew this time so Cyrus went home to Iris and I walked alone back to the apartment. Eber was waiting for me just outside and before I could say hello he was dragging me down the halls to Hank’s apartment. His dog Missy was sprawled out on the sofa but Hank, Camilla, and Josie were all gathered around the dinner table. Mrs. Darius was upstairs with Talia, Charlie, and Baird. I sat down and told them everything I could.  The revolutionaries wouldn’t let me record anything with my comms during the meeting, but there wasn’t much that I think needed to be recorded. Just talk about who was storing what, who was leaving their doors open to help others. There was a lot of talk about going on strike. Either food or labor. They want to send a message to New Kinshasa. I don’t think I can afford to do much of anything. Me and the other Dome Wardens just went back to work two days ago, we are working through a backlog of off-planet imports and exports still. If I strike alone I’ll just be fired. If all the Wardens strike, then the Constables will take over and that will lead to certain catastrophe. And if I stop eating then Baird will stop eating and he’s already so… short.  Oh– I wish I got a chance to talk to Cyrus before we went our separate ways. He’d help me think of some way I can help. Better yet, he’d probably be able to give the others here at the apartments the answers they wanted from me. Hank didn’t say anything other than telling us to get out. Eber, Camilla, Josie, and I were silent on the walk upstairs. The kids were delighted to see us. Eber walked Talia back down to Hank, Josie was trying to fill in Mrs. Darius, and Camilla and I watched the boys play some sort of game where they kept pinching each other and trying to not shriek? I think that was the objective? Children’s games used to be much less violent when I was that age. I remember when– BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Memma? EEVEE: Bairdy! What are you doing awake? BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): I couldn’t sleep. You were being too loud.  (EEVEE TSKS) EEVEE: Then let’s put you back to bed alright baby? C’mon. I’ll even sing for you if you’d like.  SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING ENDS.

SOUND: COMMS BEEPS AGAIN. NEW RECORDING BEGINS. EEVEE: I have either made the best decision of the revolution that will turn the tides in favor of Brahma, or the worst mistake of my life.  I told the old-timers at this past meeting that I work as a Dome Warden, and that a few of my colleagues seemed interested in joining the rebellion but were uncertain on how to go about it. The old-timers were delighted for a number of reasons and had drawn the same conclusion that I had a few weeks ago when a labor strike was first brought up. They think it would be very good if I was able to get some of the other Wardens on board with the revolution.  Cyrus was very quiet during the meeting. I asked him before we left if he had any opinions he was holding back, and all he said was to trust my gut. So… I trusted my gut. I told the other Wardens at my post about the meetings. I told them about going on strike. A few seemed skeptical. Others wanted to know when the next meeting was. I’m going to contact Cyrus and get him to help me get the others to the next meeting.  I hope… this wasn’t a mistake. I guess time will only tell. SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING ENDS.

SOUND: COMMS BEEPS AGAIN. NEW RECORDING BEGINS. EEVEE: –you turned it on. Good job, baby. BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Mom, why are you showing me how to use your comms? Is something going to happen to us? Is something bad going to happen to you?  EEVEE: What? Oh no, baby. Nothing is going to happen to me. I just think you would find more use out of my comms than I would. Look, since you got it to record you can start recording all those little songs you like to sing. Or maybe you can get Charlie to record a story for you.  BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): But Mom, I like your singing and your stories more. Will you sing for me? And tell me a story tonight? EEVEE: Absolutely not. You get one or the other. Take your pick. And whatever you don’t choose, you have to give to me.  (BAIRD POUTS) BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Fine… I want a story from you, and then I’ll give you a song. EEVEE:  Good choice, Bairdy. What kind of story would you like? (BAIRD HUMS) BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): I want a story about Brahma.  EEVEE: A story about Brahma? Well… there once was a boy born on Brahma with nothing. Not even a name. He grew up just like everyone else, hungry for more. More food, more freedom, more time. The boy followed a man who dreamed of dropping the New Kinshasa on top of the planet.  The boy was very tired. Tired of being poor, tired of being hungry, tired of being alone. But he knew, that if he let that man drop New Kinshasa out of the sky, he would never be able to forgive himself. Brahma is his home. He looked down at Brahma from up high, and saw them: his people.  Starving young faces just like his looked up to the sky and stared back at the city as it trembled. The boy had the power at his fingertips to stop a tragedy.  This is it. The people thought. This is how we go out. Not with the big bang, but crushed under the heel of our jailor.  The boy heard their thoughts. He felt a rush of adrenaline and stopped the man from getting away. The city of New Kinshasa never fell out of the sky that day. The people were ordered to retreat to their homes. But that evening, everyone heard about the great threat against the Guardian Angel System. And everyone learned the name Peter Nureyev. And for the first time in the last half-century, hope bloomed on Brahma. The Boy, The Legend, The Angel of Brahma.  BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): That’s not a story Memma, that’s history.  EEVEE: And what is history but a story we have to learn from? Now, I believe you owe me a song. (BAIRD GROANS AND HUFFS) BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Fine… (BAIRD TAKES A DEEP BREATH AND HUMS. THE SOUND GETS CLEARER LIKE HE’S BROUGHT THE COMMS CLOSER) My angel, I must ask you keep singing for me.  How sweet your tune, like a songbird at noon.  What a lovely trill, it makes me feel ill. O’ My heart overflows, I could never let go.  Like chimes in the wind, it must be destined.  I’ll find my way home, with your voice I’ll never be alone. Happy? (EEVEE SNIFFLES) EEVEE: Very. Thank you, Baird. That was beautiful.  (FABRIC RUSTLES, BOTH BAIRD AND EEVEE HUM) Promise me you’ll never stop singing baby. BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Of course, Memma. I don’t think I could even if I tried.  EEVEE: Good. Now– (EEVEE PRESSES A KISS TO BAIRD’S HEAD) Get some sleep. Okay? We have a long day tomorrow. And Bairdy? BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Yes, Mom? EEVEE: You know that I love you, right? BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): To the moons and back, yeah… Mom you promised nothing bad was going to happen to you.  EEVEE:  And nothing will. Good night, Baird.  BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Night Mom.  SOUND: DOOR CLOSING. BAIRD (FUTURE REVOLUTIONARY): Which button was it to end the recording? Was it this o– SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING ENDS. 

- EEVEE BELL. BAIRD BELL. must contact Frannie’s friend about both of those names. - Dome Wardens are indeed an old, out of date job. Eve is right, they’ve been replaced with robots. It’s actually kinda scary how right she was about things. About that, about Dark Matters probably covering everything up with New Kinshasa. - Cyrus and Eve sound so fun together. I can see why they got married and had a kid together. - Bairdy and Memma… right up there with Charls and Dearest. - Oh Baird, he was 12 when these recordings were made. 12. Just almost a teenager, not quite. Almost too old to be called a baby. - Eve loved Baird so much. She reminds me of my mother a bit. And she knew exactly what she was doing tucking Baird into bed that final time. There’s no doubt in my mind this is the last recording with her in it. She was taken away after this and never came back. The Dome Wardens did go on strike at some point according to Baird in other recordings, so did someone snitch to a Constable? Did she the Constable that almost caught her and Cyrus track her down? - I think that’s the most frustrating part of my job. No matter how much I dig and research, there are some things that will be lost to me forever.

[decks-writing-blog]

Third Time's the Charm

Summary: After ejecting to escape an Angler, Auri scans for the other travelers' signal, instead they find Feldspar's.

[A/N] This fic was loosely inspired by an experience I had while playing the VR mod. Long story short, I had to jet pack through Dark Bramble without the ship. I ended up going to Feldspar's camp and spending the rest of the loop there, sitting on the floor and roasting marshmallows. The flight there was kinda intense because VR is kinda intense. It was cool though.

~

Alarms blared, flashing all around as the Angler’s jaws closed on the ship. The reactor was damaged but didn’t immediately explode this time. Whether that was actually good news or not was yet to be determined. A fast death via explosion might be preferable at this point.

Auri was already reaching for the eject button though. They didn’t want to die. The fact that they were probably dead no matter what and waiting for the reactor to explode would end this nightmare the quickest didn’t feel like it mattered much in comparison. As soon as they got the cover up, they slammed down on the button.

The cockpit shot forward into the thick mists of Dark Bramble. A moment later, the ship’s reactor exploded. Nowhere near as loud as it would’ve been on Timber Hearth, it made more of a loud pop sound than a proper explosive bang. Likewise the shock wave was also somewhat pathetic but strong enough to create a visible rolling motion in the fog.

Looking back to see how much damage had been done to the Angler would’ve been nice but Auri was a bit too busy. The cockpit was barreling towards a wall that wasn’t a wall at all but an overgrown root. They hit hard enough to jar them forward into their seat’s straps but the cockpit window remained intact and so did they. Despite everything they were utterly unharmed. Wow.

Their hands trembled as they pawed at their strap buckles, fumbling for a moment before managing to find the release. That left them floating there though. All their momentum had been halted by the root in front of them. They had three hours to live, less if they panicked and used up their oxygen faster. See? A fast death via explosion probably would’ve been better after all. Too late now.

They pushed themself up and out of the chair before using the jet pack to free themself of the cockpit entirely, halting their momentum once clear of it. Which left them floating in the dense fog. Looking back in the general direction of the rest of the ship, revealed nothing. They’d drifted far enough that the fog obscured everything except the Angler’s light. It was moving, thankfully away. Whether that was because it was leaving, satisfied that it had killed its prey, or that the explosion had killed it, leaving it’s body – or perhaps the pieces of its body – to drift was unclear. Auri could jet pack over and find out for sure but… if it was still alive, they’d barely escaped unharmed, why go back? And, the ship was for sure inoperable, thus there was nothing to gain from going back and everything to lose.

Which left them floating utterly alone and bereft of a way out. They hated this place. Dark Bramble was the worst planet. ‘Third time’s the charm’ they’d thought but nope, their exploration efforts turned out worse than ever before. There had to be a secret hidden somewhere within this place, possibly even multiple. How could there not be? This wasn’t the loop they were going to find it in though.

They pulled out the signal scope. Maybe the other pilots’ signal music would come through the entrance and guide them back out. They were two seeds deep by now though so maybe not but… A signal! They honed in on it. Harmonica music filled their helmet as they found it. Weird. Wasn’t it Feldspar who played the harmonica?

Maybe it was a trap. An audio signal version of the Anglers’ lights that looked almost exactly like the seeds’ lights from afar when obscured by the omnipresent fog. They had only three hours to live though, even if they made it to the exit, they wouldn’t be able to do anything other than die in space instead of in fog. Which would’ve been more comforting but this was a mystery that they officially needed to know the answer to.

Keeping hold of the signal scope with one hand, they grasped the jet pack’s controller with the other and started towards it. Once they got going at a decent speed, they let up on the controls, letting themself settle into a drift. Unlike true space, their speed would decay here but slow enough that they should be fine to drift for a while.

Nothing was around them. Not that they could see anyway, who knew what the fog might be hiding. The range of vision it offered was only maybe a meter or two at most. Rendering them effectively blind.

The harmonica music filling their helmet was comforting but… not enough to ease the tingle of fear in their spine. The impenetrable fog made the space feel simultaneously too spacious and not spacious enough. It was impossible to see through it to determine how big this place was, giving the impression that it was vast and cavernous. On the other hand though, the fog pressed in so tight and thick, it seemed almost solid at times, lending itself to a claustrophobic feeling. The juxtaposition of the two sensations had always been unsettling. Without the safety and protection of the ship around them, it was so much worse.

They were a tiny little thing drifting through an endless sea of fog in a space that shouldn’t physically be possible. Massive predators waited in that fog, maybe only one or two but probably far more, possibly even hundreds across the many folding passages made up by the many seeds.

How far and deep did these seed-borne passages go? Were they endless? Or was there a center? If so, what lay within it? A horror that overshadowed even the Anglers or something majestic and wonderful?

With a whimper, they curled in on themself. As much as they could with the bulky suit and their hand held up and partially extended to ensure the signal scope continued picking up that harmonica music. Silence would surely drive them mad. They needed that music. It was their only lifeline in this awful place.

What if it was a trap though? Surely anything capable of laying such a trap was worse than the Anglers, right? What if the reason it was playing harmonica music is because it’s what killed Feldspar? It assimilated them into itself, allowing it to mimic their music. How likely was that? … Auri had no way of guessing, especially not right now when they were trembling in fear at the mere thought of it such a horror existing, let alone the fact that they were headed straight towards it.

Maybe they shouldn’t risk it. Instead they should just… pop the seal of their helmet and send themself into next loop. The thought of doing so set their hands trembling anew. Just like they couldn’t force themself to wait the extra three seconds for the ship’s reactor to take them out with a quick explosion, they also couldn’t merely reach up and remove their helmet. They didn’t want to die. The fact that they’d done so several times by now didn’t matter.

Also, what if it was actually Feldspar? The reason they’d vanished was because they’d gotten lost in this wretched maze. Maybe there was no way out once one entered. Auri had never successfully left before after all, death and thus the loop was the only thing that ever brought them out. If that was the case they had to know.

~

‘30 minutes of oxygen remaining’ flashed onto the helmet’s display with a small beep. It settled up at the top a moment later where it would stay, counting down every minute.

What purpose did the countdown serve other than to cause anxiety way earlier than needed? Auri didn’t need nor did they want to know they had only thirty minutes left before they suffocated. Their fear had numbed down to a dull distant thing but now it was back. They didn’t want to die.

It was far too late to turn back now though. They were in three more layers deep with more than half their jet pack fuel gone. Their call to start preserving it early had been a good one. Twice now they’d followed the signal to a seed too small to fit through, requiring course changes on top of needing to dodge the occasional branch or to aim for the seeds’ entrances. Their momentum also bled out quickly upon going through the boundary of one seed to the next. Why was a mystery but it meant yet more fuel usage.

At this rate Auri was going to die as soon as they reached the signal’s source. Or maybe there was no source. It was bouncing around in circles, sending them in circles as well. That’d be just their luck. They were committed though and so they kept going, trying not to think about the timer they’d already been on but now had a number for.

~

The light Auri was drifting towards wasn’t another seed. Their immense luck in not running into another Angler had finally run out. Once close enough to realize the light was that of an Angler’s it was always far too late but Auri tried anyway as they as they engaged the jet pack’s retro-thrusters. Which only slowed them of course. And they were going fast, way to fast to…

It was a skeleton. Much like the fossil in the Ember Twin’s cavern, the lure light still glowed even though the Angler it was attached to had long since rotted to bones. Why their florescence was so persistent even after death was worth studying. Auri wasn’t the person to do that study that though.

Letting out a shaky breath, they engaged the jet pack again, pulling themself to a complete halt. Which used more of their rapidly depleting jet pack fuel but they needed a moment to calm their breathing.

‘5 minutes of oxygen remaining.’ the suit informed them with another beep. Before putting the text back at top. It’d be doing that every minute now. But that was why Auri needed to calm down. Panicking would shorten their already short life.

Signal lost, static filled their helmet. Which fit with the static that settled back into their mind as their relief of no longer being immediately about to die faded. No instead they were still choosing to wait and delay even though it was unlikely they’d find the source of the signal before death came. There was nothing else to do though and so they lifted the signal scope back up and panned around until they found the harmonica music again. Which resulted in them pointing at the Angler fossil again. It must be on the other side.

Except, no, it wasn’t. The signal source read as too close for that to be the case. Also there seemed to be two sources of the same signal. Not odd in this place but the seeds had never been so close together before. Well, even if that wasn’t the case exploring the Angler fossil was probably about all they had time for anyway. They hadn’t found their way to the one on Ember Twin yet so the opportunity shouldn’t be declined anyway.

Engaging the jet pack, they flew closer, aiming for the wide open jaws. They were still unnerving even when the beast was clearly dead. Why did it have to have such big teeth? They were bigger then some trees as proven by the fact that there were… trees growing inside it? How? Why? There was also a campfire set in the middle of the jaw, lighting up the place and driving back the fog.

‘Trees detected, oxygen replenishing,’ the suit’s HUD read, replacing the countdown to suffocation, as they neared the trees in question. A moment later, gravity gripped them and pulled flailing down onto the jaw, landing face down as they hadn’t been at all prepared to orient to there being a proper down again.

They pushed themself up to into a sitting position, allowing them to look around. A campsite, the campfire set safely in the middle away from the sparse trees and surrounded by rocks. To the side was the gravity crystal, holding everything down in a small radius. On the other side of the campfire sat what could only be another hearthian wrapped up in space suit. Auri almost stumbled to their feet to go around and hug them in sweet, sweet relief. The only thing stopping them was how strange this was. They’d long since purposefully stopped thinking about what they might find if they kept following the signal, if anything at all. So literally anything would’ve been surprising but the fact that it was warmth, company, and a literal extension on their life this loop seemed far too good to be true.

Was it a dream? While suffocating they’d certainly had some fairly vivid dreams before. Never one like this though.

Eventually the other hearthian broke the silence. “You gonna say anything or you just gonna sit there and stare at me? Or perhaps I’ve finally cracked and you’re a hallucination, something my brain made up to keep me company.”

Their voice was familiar but Auri couldn’t place it. … Except they didn’t have to because there was only person it could be, right? They weren’t playing the harmonica but there was one in their hand. And next to them sat a radio, much like how all the other Venture pilots had to broadcast their music so they could always find each other.

Auri stumbled to their feet and lifted the signal scope in their hand. They pointed it at the radio. No music currently came through it of course as its owner wasn’t currently playing and hadn’t set a recording to keep going for them. Meaning its signal was currently silent but the signal scope still beeped, indicating it had found the source of a signal. Surely no matter how advance a mimic Auri’s theoretical sound based Angler was, copying the campsite, the person, and the signal would be impossible. Meaning it could only be… “Feldspar! You’re alive!”

“So they sent people to look for me after all, huh?”

“Of course they did. They looked and looked and looked but never found you. I uh… wasn’t really sent to find you. Everyone’s pretty sure you’re dead even if um, most of them won’t say it.” Auri had certainly not had any doubts about it until hearing their harmonica. And even then their first thought had been that it was probably a new kind of Angler.

“Oh. I see.” How they actually felt about that news was hard to tell with the helmet hiding their expression and how reigned they kept their voice. “You’re the new astronaut, right? The one that was in training when I left. Aurichalcite’s your name?” They remembered Auri’s name!

“Yep that’s me. Call me ‘Auri’ for short. Thank you for saving me with your trees. Suffocating sucks.” There were worse ways to die but the slow countdown of watching their oxygen deplete and knowing freaking out about it too much would only make it deplete faster was a special kind of awful.

“I imagine it would. That means you’ve been away from your ship for a while then. You crash too or did you get got by an Angler?”

“Angler. It bit my ship and I ejected before the reactor exploded. I followed your signal here.”

“Guess that means you’re here to stay then. Welcome to my humble campsite.” Feldspar gestured to the camp around them as if welcoming Auri into their home.

Auri put the signal scope back on their belt before walking around to sit next to them. Not too close as they didn’t want to be weird but Feldspar had been their hero when they’d been little. They were much shorter than Auri remembered but still they’d daydreamed about being the one to find Feldspar once their disappearance had become undeniable. Asking how they’d ended up here and whatnot was tempting and Auri would get to it in a moment but first…

“This gonna sound really weird but this is actually fine because I’m in a time loop. I’m gonna wake up in a day or two, I’ve uh, lost track of time so I don’t know how long’s left, and be back on Timber Hearth. I’ll come rescue you then… assuming I can find this place again with the ship intact. I’ll figure it out. And then once I figure out how to end the loop, ‘cause I don’t know how it works yet, I’ll come back again and rescue you permanently.”

“Hmm… maybe you’re the one hallucinating.”

“I hallucinate when I die sometimes so technically, yeah. It’s fine that you don’t believe me though. In hindsight I should probably stop telling people, it kinda just makes things awkward most of the time.”

Feldspar thought for a moment before shrugging. “Maybe you are in a time loop. This place loops physically so maybe there’s something out there that makes time behave in a similar fashion. Time’s just another dimension or whatever, right? Good luck with that. Don’t worry ‘bout saving me too quickly though, I kinda like it out here.”

“Why?” To each, their own and all that but this place sucked.

“It’s quiet.”

“Yeah but the Anglers and the fog and… it’s been years.” Even if it was nice out here, after so long alone it would surely still have grown wretchedly awful. Hearthians could bear solitude for a while, some longer than others, but everyone had to have a limit, right? How could Feldspar have not reached theirs yet?

“How many years exactly?”

“Like ten, I think.”

Feldspar visibly flinched. “Surely not. It couldn’t have been more than a three or four.”

“Nah, it’s been like ten. More like eight or so since you were officially properly announced as missing.” Auri had caught wind of and intentionally eavesdropped on several conversations about whether or not Feldspar was coming back. Gossan and Slate had fought about it in particular. Such had been the start of their adversarial relations. “Maybe time flows differently here?”

“Maybe it does. It would certainly explain how you’re old enough to have finished training and properly launched. Darn. I suppose I should’ve been putting more effort into trying get out then. I was always planning on leaving but stuff needed doing.”

“I’ll get you out. The loops will give me plenty of time to figure out how to and then once I also figure out how to end them,” and stop the sun from exploding too of course but they had already stopped talking to people about that, “I’ll get you out for reals and take you home.”

“Well, all righty then, I suppose.”

[beekissies]

HAIIII RAINBOW RANGER!!

May I ask for calla lily and aloe for, rubs hands evilly, the lorax tm and March(fom)perhaps?

AND MARCH?????? youre evil . now im getting warframe And dream bbq And mistria withdrawals.... life is so cruel. this took a bit longer bc i couldnt figure out how to put calla lily And aloe together in the same thing so i wrote everything separately . because i hate myself

also also side note: light cw for alcohol consumption + intoxication in the margarine calla lily thing, and cw for death/execution/etc for the lrtr + aloe thing

prompt list here!

❀ calla lily (beauty) — “you’re so beautiful.”

(lrtr)

arthur watches the way loren's eyelashes flutter against their cheeks, the way their chest slowly rises and falls with each breath. they've stolen the blanket again — but he'll withstand a little chill to watch them sleep so peacefully for just a few moments more.

he brushes a bit of hair out of their eyes, letting out a soft huff of a laugh as they scrunch up their nose in protest. "gods," he breathes. "you're so beautiful."

they stir, mumbling something that vaguely sounds like a, what? and arthur cups their cheek this time, rubbing gently at the dark circles under their eye. "nothing," he says. "go back to sleep, love."

"mm... okay."

they rest their head in the crook of his neck, and he holds them close again.

(margarine)

jessamine is flushed and giggly by the time march makes it to the inn, heaving a sigh at the sight of her. he vaguely recalls thanking ryis for making sure she doesn't fall face-first into the soup or something, before unceremoniously looping her arm around his shoulders and hoisting her up.

"can you walk?" he asks.

"ohhh, march! when did you get here?" she drawls, swaying back and forth on her feet.

"just now," he says. "can you walk?"

"of course i can, silly. i have legs, y'know..."

he sighs again, for what feels like the second of many times that night. by the time they've made it halfway from her seat to the door she's already run her mouth enough to have him as flushed as her, and march was already dreading the arduous journey back to her house.

"y'know, march," she hiccups, her face falling so close to his that he swears he feels her lips brush his cheek, "you're sooo beautiful."

she starts rattling off again — something about how the capital is so nice this time of year — but all he can seem to focus on is the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears and the smell of her shampoo. "you're too drunk," he says, pushing open her door with his shoulder and settling her down on her bed. "get some rest."

"okay," she chirps, looping both arms around his neck in a clumsy hug. "i'll see you tomorrow?"

reluctantly, he wraps his arms around her waist, enjoying how her hair tickles the side of his neck. "...yeah," he concedes. "i'll be waiting for you."

❀ aloe (affection, also grief) — “i miss them so much.”

(lrtr)

an excerpt from "tales of duviri," a children's book found in the ruins of the höllvania central mall following the 1999 nuclear reactor incident:

the knight returned to duviri dressed for a funeral. gone was the usual bite of their scorn, replaced instead the long ache of mourning. there was no parade to celebrate them — only the cold glare of the child-king and the colder steel of the executioner's blade.

day after day, the knight sat on the same cliffside, with no call to rouse them from their constant vigil. mourning turned to despair — their tears could have filled the bone-dry ocean of their home, and the cliffs echoed with the same litany, over and over, i miss him so much, can't he come back, can't we do this over again? despair turned to rage, then rage to apathy. they stared down at the ancient blade in their hands with eyes that were already dead.

but the knight knew better than anyone that they weren't allowed the liberty of death, just as well as they knew the only path apathy would lead them to.

maybe, they deluded themself, they'll find him again at the end instead of just the wall of bone.

(margarine)

olric smacks march's shoulder so hard in what he can only assume is brotherly encouragement that he almost face-plants into the forge.

he makes a strangled noise, shrugs his hand off, and glares. "hey," he hisses. "what was that for?"

his brother grins so brightly that he has to squint. "you've been so gloomy ever since jessie left for the capital," olric says. "i thought you could use some cheering up!"

"i haven't, and i don't," march protests, trying to refocus on the metal in front of him. he can tell olric is watching him, but the last thing he wants right now is to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he's a bit distracted — jessamine always passes by around this time to sift through the frankly excessive number of gems she always seems to have in her pockets, and the sudden change in his routine even for just a few days has been nothing short of disorienting.

and definitely not because he's been thinking of her or anything. absolutely not.

olric makes a dejected noise, but it doesn't seem to dampen his mood for long. he says something or other about how you can tell your big bro anything! and then heads back inside the shop, and march lets out a little sigh of relief. he runs a hand through his sweat-slick hair, and stares back down at his hands.

"fine," he mumbles, loud enough for only himself to hear. "...maybe i do miss her a little bit."

[naushtheaspiringauthor]

~Child Of The Storm~

Nikolai Lantsov x OC

Image by - @brokendreamtale2

Warnings- none

A/N- Let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from the taglist!

Taglist- @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @sirisuorionblack @nadeleine123n @marauders-wife

Ch-39 ~New ideas~

Anaya was heading out of the war room after a meeting when she heard a low voice from behind, "Umm...Anaya?" she was surprised to see David standing near her with his shoulders hunched as she turned behind

"Yes, David?" 

"Umm.. I was wondering if you'd be willing to assist me in a new invention. You know, since you've some practice with that?" he asked hesitantly

He was right. She had in fact, had some experience in the Materialki field as she'd learned more about their work and such from her mother than she had at school. At one point, she'd attained an interest for such and had attempted to make a miniature nuclear reactor but had resulted in setting it on fire and had to put it out all by herself. She never told anyone that.

But she had assisted David in some of his projects back when they'd still been at school.

"Yeah, I can try" she agreed. Maybe getting back into all this would be a good distraction from the apprehensiveness looming in her head.

She followed David to the Etherealki workshop. She saw several Fabrikators hunched over their tables, too deeply indulged in their work to notice her.

David went to his table and gestured at the sketch of an object appearing as a half sphere. "This, is a reflective bowl. Alina mentioned that her powers seem to be the only thing that draws the nichevo'ya away. So I was thinking of a way to make something that can sort of, magnify her powers and reflect them" he explained

"So like, a reflective lens but better?" Anaya asked, observing the drawings

"Yes, I just need help with the design finding the right angles they should be adjusted at. Maybe you can help?"

"Yeah" she finally nodded after contemplating for a moment

                                       ..............................................................................................

They began working on the bowls and Anaya helped David with the equations until Alina showed up.

The girl seemed to be surprised to see Anaya at the Materialki workshop, though it was unusual for a Summoner to be there.

"Anaya, what are you doing here?" she asked with a slight smile

"Oh, just attempting to help out David with something he's working on"

“What are you working on?” Alina asked, her attention turning towards David

He blinked. “Dishes.”

“Ah.”

“Reflective bowls,” he said. “Based on a parabola.”

“How ... interesting?” Alina managed.

 “It might be a way to magnify your power.”

“Like the mirrors in my gloves?” 

“Sort of,” said David. “If I get it right, it will be a much bigger way to use the Cut.”

“And if you get it wrong?”

“Either nothing will happen, or whoever’s operating it will be blown to bits.”

"Wait, you left out that part for me" Anaya looked at him with immense shock

"Well, don't worry, the chances are not high, atleast I believe so"

“Sounds promising.” Alina spoke, ignoring Anaya"s terrified expression

“I thought so too,” he said without a hint of humor, and bent back to his work.

“David,” Allina spoke. He looked up, startled, as if he’d completely forgotten she was there. “I need to ask you something.”

Anaya noticed his gaze darting to Alina's collar but he went back to work again

“What can you tell me about Ilya Morozova?”

David twitched, glancing around the nearly empty room. Most of the Fabrikators were still at dinner. He was clearly nervous, maybe even frightened.

He looked at the table, picked up his compass, put it down.

Finally, he whispered, “They called him the Bonesmith.”

Anaya's attention moved from her equations to the conversation at David's words

 “Why? because of the amplifiers he discovered?” Alina asked

David looked up, surprised. “He didn’t find them. He made them.”

 “Merzost? How?” she asked.

“No one knows,” David said, glancing over his shoulder again. “After the Black Heretic was killed in the accident that created the Fold, his son came out of hiding to take control of the Second Army. He had all of Morozova’s journals destroyed.”

“Why was his son in hiding?”  

 “A Darkling and his heir never live at the Little Palace at the same time. The risk of assassination is too great.”

The particular reason for this never seemed quite plausible to Anaya, yet she chose to believe it like the rest of them.

“I see. Why would he have had the journals destroyed?” Alina asked

“They documented Morozova’s experiments with amplifiers. The Black Heretic was trying to re-create those experiments when something went wrong.”

“And the result was the Fold.” she realized

David nodded. “His son had all of Morozova’s journals and papers burned. He said they were too dangerous, too much of a temptation to any Grisha. That’s why I didn’t say anything at the meeting. I shouldn’t even know they ever existed.”

“So how do you?”

David looked around the almost empty workshop again.

“Morozova was a Fabrikator, maybe the first, certainly the most powerful. He did things that no one’s ever dreamed of before or since. To us, he’s kind of a hero.”He gave a sheepish shrug.

“Do you know anything else about the amplifiers he created?”

David shook his head. “There were rumors of others, but the stag was the only one I’d ever heard of.”

“David, why are you here? You fashioned the collar. You must have known what he intended.” Alina asked after a short pause

He swallowed. “I knew he would be able to control you, that the collar would allow him to use your power. But I never thought, I never believed ... all those people...” He struggled to find the words. Finally, he held out his ink- stained hands and said, almost pleadingly. “I make things. I don’t destroy them.”

David had been the one to secure Alina's collar, he surely felt immensely guilty for that.

“Good luck with the dishes,” Alina spoke as she rose to leave

David hunched over his papers. “I don’t believe in luck.”

                                   .............................................................................................................

Anaya was usually working in the Materialki workshops with David and Paja when she wasn't at any meetings, but she'd seemed to grow fond of the confined space and silence. She had begun to enjoy her work. She would sometimes chat with Paja whether about their work, or anything in general. The girl reminded her of her mother. Her brown Suli skin, her dark hair and eyes, and her purple kefta. Even though her mother was a Durast, the resemblance was striking. Just like her mother, she always seemed to remain hopeful and enthusiastic about her work.

[argumentalist]

My first Real Grade kit was Char's Zaku II - so, of course that had to be my first Master Grade kit too.

I've been kind of hesitant to try a Master Grade kit for a while. They're bigger, more expensive, more complicated... It's a big step up from the High Grade kits I usually build. It's kind of intimidating.

But, at the end of the day, it's still just gunpla.

I don't like painting miniatures much. They're so tiny, my eyes are bad, and my hands shake. I hate waiting for layers of paint to dry. And then I feel frustrated when it doesn't all turn out the way I want.

But it felt wrong to leave these pilot figures completely unpainted. I think they turned out OK? They look fine from a couple feet away.

This K-runner quickly became the bane of the build.

It's a neat idea. The grey is some really soft, flexible, polycap-like plastic. The pink is normal, hard plastic. They're molded together so you just have to slide the pink bits into place.

But that pink plastic was stuck pretty tight. It didn't want to move. And there isn't really any good way to grab the individual pieces. I cracked two fingernails working with this runner.

The internal details are fantastic.

Of course there's the seated pilot figure in the cockpit... But there's a tiny little reactor that I'll never see again now that the kit is built. And there's terrific detail all over the inner-frame.

Unfortunately that inner-frame is almost entirely ABS, so I couldn't do any panel-lining on it. Although, given how detailed it is, that's maybe a good thing. It probably would've taken me a month just to panel-line that inner-frame.

I used my favorite metallic pink Gundam Marker on the monoeye. I just love how that looks. And it seems perfect for Zeon monoeyes/cameras.

This kit again has the neat gimmick where the monoeye moves when you turn the head - just like the RG.

I really didn't love the simple, clean, anime-accurate aesthetic.

I guess that's what it's "supposed" to look like... But after building the RG and the Origin kit - this one just looked awfully plain.

This kit came with some sticker-style decals and some dry-transfers. I tried one try-transfer, but I wasn't happy with it. I used one of the stickers on the reactor, but I didn't want to use them all over the place.

So I picked up some G-Rework waterslide decals.

So many decals!

I thought it would be easier since the MG is larger? But they're still just as tedious. And since I was using third-party decals there wasn't a nice guide to follow. Just lots of squinting at pictures and agonizing over which decals to use where.

I think I like the G-Rework decals better than the Bandai decals I've used. They released from the paper much faster. And the decals themselves seem thinner. I didn't have to use any Mark Softer at all - they all stuck great and conformed to all the curves fine.

Very fun build.

The MG is obviously bigger and more complicated... But it really isn't any harder. It's still just gunpla. The instructions are fantastic. Everything went together just fine.

It's very nicely articulated. Very poseable. Maybe a little too articulated? It's got the articulated hands, which I don't love. I'll probably wind up buying some fixed hands to replace them eventually. But it still feels very solid. Much less fragile than the RG.

And it looks fantastic up on my shelf.

[farfromdaylight]

2023 writing meme

i don't usually do the fic writer meme because i don't usually write a lot of fic other than longfic. but this year was an outlier, so, here we are!

Number of fics written (posted) in 2023: 23. seriously, who am i? plus 3 finished and 2 unfinished, both unposted.

Total word count of posted fic: 57,515

Total word count of unposted fic: 66,701

Total word count overall: 124,216

Worth noting that some of my posted fic this year was written during Nanowrimo last year, so the numbers are a bit skewed.

Fandoms: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XIV. I did write one FFXIV/Pacific Rim crossover.

all of my fic is on AO3.

Best title: I'm really biased towards heaven can wait (WoL/Exarch), my big bang fic. I also quite like before you're burned, become the sun (Alisaie) but that's just because I've always liked that lyric.

Worst title: to believe in you (i'll try) (Cloud/Tifa). I was going for a theme across all of my Cloti week fics but I don't like that title at all...

Best first line: From before you're burned, become the sun:

The sun never sets, because there is no sun.

Worst first line: From to believe in you (i'll try):

Cloud is so different.

Best last line: From heaven can wait:

"Welcome to the First, Warrior of Darkness," he says, lifting up his brother. "Let's get you inside. We've got a world to save."

Worst last line: From to believe in you (i'll try) (seriously, I am not happy with this fic LOL):

For now, they have a reactor to take down.

Looking back, did you write more than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

Less than I was supposed to, yet more than I expected. I had various health issues throughout the year that prevented me from writing a lot (have you ever tried to write when you can't sleep more than 3 hours at a time? Yeah) but also I managed to write for two fandom weeks and completed Nanowrimo. So, not bad!

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

I didn't think I'd write so many Cloti fics! I've loved the pairing for a long time but I really didn't think I would write so much. Really glad I did though. Also, I had no plans to write the Alisaie or Ashe fics and I'm glad I stretched myself and wrote them.

What’s your favourite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

heaven can wait, no contest. I still go back and reread it sometimes and just have a blast. It's a story I very much wrote for myself, and I'm really glad it's gotten a good reception.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

By kudos: amber embrace (WoL/G'raha)

By hits: love grows (WoL/G'raha)

By comments and bookmarks: heaven can wait

Deeply funny to me that the NSFW fic is the most popular. The people want what they want.

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

If we ignore the fic I posted an hour ago that has literally 1 hit so far: for you, i walk on (Tifa), which I wrote for the second volume of the Tifa zine. But that's only by hits and kudos; it got very lovely comments and I had a great time with the zine.

By comments, I have 5 fics without comments at all. :( One of them has 30 kudos! Please comment on fics, folks.

Story that could have been better?

Not to beat the dead horse, but to believe in you (i'll try). It's meant to be a Remake fic, but I haven't finished replaying Remake and I only half-remember the Cloti scenes. I'm working on replaying it now, so hopefully I can add to it soon.

Sexiest story?

I mean, according to the numbers, it's either amber embrace or love grows. But actually it's one of the fics I didn't post this year. I wrote a 16,000-word fic about my WoL's honeymoon with G'raha. It is very spicy and it will not be seeing the light of day because it belongs to a non-canon AU.

Saddest story?

I don't know that I have a good answer to this one. I mean, heaven can wait is angsty, but that's different.

Most fun?

Most silly is definitely shuffle or boogie (WoL/G'raha), which was just an excuse to write a fic about Triple Triad.

Story with single sweetest moment?

PROBABLY THE WEDDING FIC, LOL. Or the denouement of heaven can wait. Or the holiday fic I just posted.

Most fucked-up story?

I wrote some vanilla-ass fic this year, I ain't got nothing for this.

Hardest story to write?

Honestly, a lot of the Cloti fics were tough. I'm not really rusty on the canon (FFVII lives rent free in my brain) but I hadn't written the characters in a pairing for some years. The Ashe fic was also tough for similar reasons: I've never written FFXII fic before. The Endwalker fic (WIP) has been really hard because it's some tough content and I've been struggling with how much of the canon to cover and how much to make up whole cloth.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

heaven can wait, which I really just had a blast with. This was last year's Nanowrimo, though, so... Maybe the holiday fic? I wrote it in a couple hours last weekend.

Did any stories shift your perception of the characters?

Not really. I don't tend to write fics about characters I don't have a firm grasp of.

Most overdue story?

Beyond the Vault, the eternal albatross around my neck. Also the Endwalker fic, because it's taken me two years to even have a WIP...

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

This year was good at helping me fight off the perfectionist tendency! I posted a lot of the fandom week fics within a week (or shorter) of writing them, and it let me chill out considerably about polish. Sometimes you can just write a fic and you don't have to go over it with a fine-tooth comb, you can just post it.

[withgreatpowercomesmyfuckingdick]

wait does that mean in the reactor of doom ( aka jenova's 1 star hotel) sephiroth said to genesis in front of zack to " go rot " while they were all lovers?

I don't know why but in my mind that makes it so much more violent than canon because dang! hard to see your sephiroth say that to genesis or any of his lovers for that matter. Zack must have been so chocked !

hello lovely, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this question! (jenova’s 1 star hotel lmfao) I’m going to break it down piece by piece:

at this point in time it would be…a bit of a stretch to say the four of them were still lovers. The love was still there for sure but the distance and the miscommunication went wild and it definitely threw all of their dynamics far, far off. I will go into it more in the future, but it’s not so much a major plot point that I’m not going to talk abt it lol. I personally find that Gen and Ang leaving strained all of them in ways their relationship unfortunately wasn’t made to withstand.

I think I’ve showed somewhat in the argument Sephiroth and Genesis had in Chap 11 (I think lmao I be forgetting my own chapters’ contents) that when they’re mad or hurt or confused, they tend to say things they don’t really mean if they know it will make the other more vulnerable than they currently feel. I’d go so far as to say that this is something Sephiroth picked up from Genesis as a defense mechanism. After all, he grew up with Hojo, he didn’t exactly understand the notion of talking back on purpose. Who better to learn from than Genesis?

The context of them (formerly) being lovers makes it far more violent statement from Seph regardless, but it comes primarily from a place of hurt. Genesis did just tell him he was a monster, after all. And the only way they know how to argue is that, if they feel bad, make the other one feel worse. And Angeal isn’t there to referee for them anymore.

More on Zack and how he felt, but SPOILERS FOR 14 IF YOU HAVEN’T READ: Zack definitely thought it was harsh, but he has his own feelings of resentment going on. Like in Chapter 14, as more and more things come to light, he begins to realize how much his boyfriends were keeping from him. This begins to bother him, and with no way to talk it out, the anger he feels in 14 just festers. He begins to resent both Sephiroth and Genesis, especially after having to kill Ang; he takes it personal that Genesis didn’t think to trust the rest of them with the degradation he was facing and he takes it even more personal that Sephiroth refuses to take any missions having to do with Genesis. He begins to feel as though he’s the only one fighting the war, the only one taking responsibility for Ang/Gen’s actions, and this distances him even further from Sephiroth. There’s more that, again, I will explore in the future, but that’s the very base of it.

Thank you for the ask lovely!!! This is something I’ve heavily thought on because of how I have to inculcate that original falling apart into their current dynamic, so I’m very happy to see a question on it 😁