#myrin thinks

[myrinthinks]

I know this is an old post but since it's still circulating it means new people are bound to see it, so: This is terrible advice! Do not do it!

First of all, not every job out there goes through a recruiter. They're pretty standard in some fields but not at all used in others, so this might not apply to jobs you're looking for from the get-go.

Second of all, you don't know if your application will go through an electronic pre-screening at all. With many places, especially smaller ones, a real-life human is going to look through all of them (I work in local government for a town of 20,000 which hires for one position or another basically all the time and we don't use pre-screening tools at all). So at best, your little trick is going to be worthless.

Third of all, if your application goes into an electronic system, it's likely that the formatting is going to be stripped away and everything is going to be converted to plain text (at my place of work, we can still access the formatted version but the "clean" version is going to be there anyway for those who prefer it, which apparently many of my coworkers do). Which means that your little white job description is going to become black and immediately visible. Like, think about it. If an electronic system can read a PDF in such a way that it can highlight or sort with regards to keywords, it can also export "hidden" text into another format because it does not have eyes and doesn't "see" text in that way. If the mere act of converting your application into a PDF stopped the employer from "go[ing] in and see[ing] what you did", they wouldn't be able to highlight keywords, either, because the same kind of electronic "reading" is required for both.

Alison of Ask A Manager already talked about this nine years ago (and almost certainly ealier as well, I just couldn't find an example) (#3 at the link) and answered a letter which I'm pretty sure is about the exact Twitter post this whole thread is about (#5 at the link) and had another person asking about the TikTok version of this (#4 at the link) where she mentions that this apparent trick has been making the rounds online for over a decade and it's never been true.

There are a lot of interesting, insightful, and helpful replies in the comment section to all of these posts which I definitely recommend if you want to learn more about this topic.

cheat code

[non-un-topo]

favorite OC you’ve made for a fic?

Apple!! 🥺 You know I love my original guys (gn)

Because I'm currently re-using him for a long fic, I would say Hamza, who appeared as Yusuf's mentor (the OG al-Tayyib) in Young Man's Game (sidenote, it was so much fucking fun writing that fic for you). I just love giving young Yusuf a sort of extra father/grandfather figure, someone who teaches him to think for himself, and how to find beauty in the world. Hamza is a little different in my current WIP, but I think he'll be better.

Honorable mention would be Uncle Nicolò, who is exactly what he sounds like, and who I am also recycling from an even older fic. From the same WIP as the one I'm recycling Hamza in, he is Nicolò's father's younger brother. Definitely a complex character, and not a very good person in the end, but that's why I'm loving writing him. My red-headed problematic fave.

[nysocboy]

New images from Gemstones Season 4

Seven new images from Righteous Gemstones Season 4 have dropped, along with the announcement that this season will be the last. Most don't reveal any plot points.

Jesse in a sailor costume

Eli at the marina, with long hair, wearing beachwear and a towel.

Keefe comforts an upset Kelvin. At dinner, but not at Jake's Steakhouse. He is showing woo much chest for a family dinner; I think he's wearing the Renaissance-courtier costume that was seen in an Episode 3.8 out-take.

The siblings sing. They're in a hotel or restaurant. but the painting behind them looks like it features Jesse's family

Baby Billy and Tiffany playing cornhole at the lake house. The other woman is Arden Myrin, wife of the family friend Cory (Sean William Scott), whose mother Lori (Megan Mullally) may be Eli's girlfriend.

BJ at the lake house

Baby Billy looking sad

[tylermileslockett]

ARGONAUTICA : Lemnos, Giants, and the Doliones

         Book 1 continues with Appollonius giving us the backstory of the Women of Lemnos, and how they murdered their husbands (and all boys) due to the men lusting over their captured slave-girls from raids. In this way, Aphrodite exacted revenge on the men neglecting her honors. When the argonauts appear on shore, the Lemnos women, “put on the armor of war and rushed out of the gates of Myrine on to the shore like bacchants who devour raw flesh,” (Hunter). The herald Aithalides, son of Hermes and gifted with unperishing memory, is sent forth to ease relations. After a council, the Lemnian women agree to welcome the argonauts into their city. And Jason leads the men inside, holding a spear gifted by the warrior-heroine Atalanta, and wearing a brilliant purple cloak gifted by Athena with a lengthy description of the embroidered designs.  After some days of revelry, Herakles, still residing at the ship, chastises the men for getting distracted from their mission, and the Argonauts disembark from Lemnos.

         Next, the men arrive at the island of the Doliones, where king Kyzikos honors them with a royal feast. THe next day at the ship, Herakles and others encounter the “children of the earth:” six-armed giants who attack them by hurling rocks, but are cut down by Heracles arrows and other argonauts spears and arrows.

         After disembarking, they sail across the sea all day, but shifting winds blow them backwards to moor on an island in the night. The argonauts are attacked by armored warriors who think the travelers to be invaders. After a fierce battle, the terrible error is realized at first light; King Kyzikos and his men lay slaughtered. These attackers were the same Doliones that had received them in honor the previous day.

Thanks for looking and reading! If you share this image ill defend you from any 6-armed giants! Xoxo 🤟😁❤️🏛

Please support my kickstarter Greek Gods and Heroes" coming early 2024. https://kickstarter.com/projects/tylermileslockett/lockett-illustrated-greek-gods-and-heroes……

[barkingbarghest]

I'm helping my buddy with some combat balance tests for his homebrew Etrian Odyssey-inspired Pathfinder 2e mega-dungeon campaign which may never actually exist on account of how much time and effort is going into him writing it...

But that didn't stop me from getting over-invested in the lore of the setting. So here are 3 characters, 1 of whom is not getting run, that I spent the past like 2.5 days designing and thinking about. To be clear these characters are never going to matter. Oops!

Anyways, this is Fenway Goldtail, an 'Orc' Protector Fighter: she is a big beefy tank with the ability to impose a penalty on enemies who attack anyone besides her, which is why she's so friggin' many colors.

At lvl 1 she can have an AC of 23 by using the 'Raise a Shield' action followed by the 'Take Cover' action, and she can have a functional HP of 44 between her base health and her shield health.

Next is Myrin Longnight, an Awakened Animal (probably) Dark Hunter Swashbuckler (maybe?). This one is not developed bc he is not getting run in the test campaigns, but Etrian Odyssey's Dark Hunter is a fun concept to play with. Their whole thing is using their whip to 'bind' parts of an enemy which prevent them from taking certain actions.

and finally, the least visually-developed is Jawday, an Awakened Animal Hexer Sorcerer. Hexers are silly little freaks, and I'll just quote my friend's doc about them:

"You spent your early years emulating the punishment of the Zoas: gagged and bound in chains in a dark cellar, unable to move a limb or make a sound. All of your words—all of your heart—were sealed in a silver bell. Now, in the fullness of your power, you can instill in others the fear and restraint that was forced on you in your childhood. As you speak, the bell rings in resonance, and your foes flee before you."

Hilarious! Anyways, it is here to impose the Frightened condition on enemies, which synergizes with other characters in the party, and do elemental damage to exploit vulnerabilities. Fun fact: it can climb walls.

[branching-paths]

Of Battle Cries

I'm back baby!!! Sorry for the long wait, this one is a doozy, but y'all already know the gist! Have fun!!!

Kili's POV

Three days since we emerged from the Goblin tunnels, with barely anything to eat. Right now, we were camping in a hidden gully, and everyone was getting worried. Myrin and Bilbo had gone missing, and there was no sign of them. Right now, Balin was up top, keeping watch for Goblins, Wargs, Orcs, and anything that could kill us. None of us were seriously hurt, just a few bruises, maybe a cut, but we all were fine. Gandalf was leaning up against a tree, glaring at Thorin. Thorin had his head held in his hands, grumbling to himself, every now and then shaking his head. Then Gandalf stood up and shook his staff at Thorin.

"Why did you lose my hobbit," Gandalf snarled. Thorin stood up and glared back.

"Why did you bring him, he's been useless since he left the shire," He growled back. Gandalf took a step towards Thorin.

"I do not bring useless things, and he hasn't been useless! He saved you from the trolls, and might I remind you that he helped Myrin take care of you and Oin while we were staying in Bree?" Thorin growled and lowered his gaze. I glanced at Fili, who glanced at me and shrugged.

"What do you suggest we do then," Thorin growled.

"Return to the tunnels and look for your missing companions," Gandalf shouted like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and in a way it was.

"What about leaving nobody behind," I shouted. Thorin flinched and looked at me, a pained expression in his eyes.

"It's suicide going back in there," Dwalin growled back. "As much as I don't agree with the idea, we must venture on without Myrin or the hobbit."

"Why don't you agree, you hate them both," Fili snarled at Dwalin. Dwalin stood up and pointed at Fili.

"I don't hate them, I just don't trust them," He corrected. "There is a difference!"

"You wouldn't strike up a conversation with them, and I don't trust either one bit," Dori growled. As everyone started to yell, I had enough.

"STOP YELLING," I shouted. "This won't solve anything! Petty issues aside, preferences and dislikes aside, should we go back and find Myrin and Bilbo?"

"While you all are deciding, they could be getting mauled," Gandalf reminded.

"For all we know, they could be dead already," Bofur added. "Why risk our hides if they're already dead?"

"Because they deserve more," I shouted. "Think about it, you are running for your life, being chased by goblins and Durin knows what else down there, you're all alone, and you die. Wouldn't you want someone to find you and give you a proper burial?" As the company thought, the gully grew silent. "Bilbo did sign the contract, and it states that we would take care of his funeral if it happens," I added.

"I would hope that I won't need to have one," Bilbo said behind me. Oh, how he startled me. If he hadn't dodged, I would have run him through, and I didn't need a wizard against me! Everyone crowded around Bilbo, slapping his back and giving him brotherly hugs. Balin came down, absolutely puzzled at how the hobbit had gotten past him, but Bilbo wouldn't give him any answers. Thorin stayed back, he wasn't a hugger or anything of that sort.

"How did you get out of there," Dori asked. "There were guards and we heard Wargs on the way out!" Bilbo smirked and slid something into his pocket. Gandalf sniffed and leaned forward.

"What does it matter," THe wizard said. "He's back!" Thorin looked up and growled at the wizard.

"Something that does matter," Thorin snarled. He turned to Bilbo and his gaze softened from anger to confusion. "Why did you come back? Last I remember, you were going back to Rivendell." Bilbo shuffled his feet and looked around, a thoughtful look plastered on his face.

"Well, Thorin you are right, I miss my books, armchair, and not having to worry about whether or not I'll live another day, and because of that, I have been rather useless," Bilbo said. "I would like to go home, but then, I realized that you all don't have a home. Or maybe you have one, but it's just a house, not a home. That got me thinking, and I have decided to do anything within reason to help you get your home back." Bilbo's eyes landed on Thorin and pain crossed his face for a split second, I barely caught it.

"Did you see Myrin down there," I asked. Bilbo looked at me and opened his mouth. Then a howl split the air.

"Crap, how did they follow me," Bilbo shouted, looking behind him.

"This way, quickly," Gandalf shouted, running down, farther into the gully. I ran ahead of everyone, only to stop as I came to a large hill, covered with rocks. Fili ran into me, just about knocking me over the edge. Someone else ran into us, and then Bombur tumbled into us. The entire company tumbled down the rocky slopes, then it turned into an avalanche of little pebbles. We came to a stop at the bottom, my lower half was under the rocks, and I was almost certain that I had a few in my trousers and boots. Gandalf, who was the only one besides Bombur who had everything above ground, looked back up the slope and chuckled.

"I believe that will stump them for a while," He chuckled. Thorin pulled his foot out of the rubble and helped Fili out. When everyone was out of the rubble, we continued to run away from the Goblin tunnels, and away from the mountains. I looked over at Bilbo and felt my mouth open up.

"Stop, stop, The hobbit's injured," I shouted, pulling Bilbo to a stop.

"What," Gandalf, Thorin, and Bilbo shouted. I pointed to his shirt, which was covered in blood. Oin lifted the hobbit's shirt and grunted.

"It's not my blood," Bilbo shouted, pulling his shirt back down. He had been frowning two seconds ago, but now he was panicked.

"What hobbit," Oin asked.

"It's Myrin's-"

"Climb the trees," Balin shouted. Wargs burst into the clearing I stopped the company in. Everyone scrambled to the trees, swords and other various weapons drawn. Those who weren't climbing were fighting off the Wargs. Gandalf climbed the tree at the far end of the clearing, disappearing into the boughs. Dori reached down and pulled up the hobbit, who had his sword stuck in a Warg. Bilbo and sword came up as the rest of the Wargs sprinted into the clearing. They snapped at the lowest branches, tearing them off the trees and shaking them, the company, horribly. The Wargs circled the trees and sat under them so we couldn't escape. It was at times like these that I wished that I had my bow still. However, Gandalf came up with the next best thing, flaming pinecones of all different colors. He handed one to me and Fili, we snatched more off the tree, lit them up, and threw them at the Wargs. When it hit their pelt, it stuck and I felt a little sorry for the creatures as they went tearing back into the woods, howling. Then the Wargs got smart and started to dodge the pinecones. They hit the ground and started to burn the layers of pine needles and other things that lay on forest floors. Then Wargs with Orc riders came into the clearing. The Orcs were as fouler than the others that attacked us, not only in smell. They rode towards our trees staring into the boughs.

"Fifteen bird in five firtrees," One shouted. His voice sent chills down my back. Not only was he off-key, his voice sounded like knives on a chalkboard.

"Their feathers were fanned in a firey breeze," Another yelled, sing-songing too. "But, funny little birds, they had no wings! Oh, what shall we do with the funny little things? Roast 'em alive, or stew them in a pot; fry them, boil them, and eat them hot?" More Orcs had joined the first two by this point and were laughing at us.

"Fly away little birdies, while you still can," One shouted, his voice worse than the first.

"Go away, you naughty boys," Gandalf yelled. I couldn't help but be shocked! How could Gandalf not be afraid?! "Little boys who play with fire get punished," Gandalf added. The Orcs, as much as I wished they had, didn't mind Gandalf and continued to sing.

"Burn, burn tree and fern! Shrivel and scorch! A fizzling torch to light the night for our delight, Yo HEY!" At this point, I was quaking in my boots, they frightened me so!

"Bake and toast 'em, fry and roast 'em! Till beards blaze and eyes glaze, till hair smells and skin cracks, fat melts, and bones black, in cinders, lie beneath the sky! So the dwarves shall die and light the night for our delight! Ya hey, Ya harri hey, Ya HEY!" As their song finished, I was beyond terrified. Over twenty Orcs were around the trees, or just emerging from the tree line. One just coming into my view, however, looked just like an Orc that older children would describe to scare the younger dwarflings. Thorin lowered the branch in front of him and stared at the Orc. The Orc raised his head and sniffed the air. He turned to the rider next to him and said something in Orcish. They both smiled, sending chills down my back. Thorin lowered his head and growled at the two Orcs, shaking his head.

"It cannot be," He mumbled quietly. Azog said something more, and the Wargs launched at the base of the tree Bilbo and the Ri's were in. The tree started to fall over, it knocked into my tree and the company was forced to jump from tree to tree until we all were in the last tree. Wargs started to dig at its roots, and the tree lurched backward, over the edge of the cliff I hadn't noticed before. The tree was balanced on the edge of the cliff, almost horizontal, and we all were hanging from the boughs that didn't break when the tree landed. Thorin was on the trunk, the least dazed of us. He looked up at Azog, who was almost smiling back. It was a sight that I could never forget... Azog reached behind with his good hand and grabbed something that was on his saddle. The Pale Orc raised it high and glared at Thorin as a sack cut in half fell off whatever the orc was holding. I felt my eyes bug.

"MYRIN," Fili shouted. That's what Azog was holding, and I wanted to rip him a new one! Saying one thing, and doing another are two different things, I found out then. Terror and shock kept me frozen to my branch, where my feet were dangling over nothingness. Thorin looked back at Fili and I, determination crossed his face. He got to his feet and drew Orcrist. Azog smiled again and leaned forward on his Warg saddle, egging Thorin on. Thorin brought up his armguard and raced down the trunk. As he did so, Azog threw Myrin to the ground, she rolled near the cliff and stopped. I glanced back towards Thorin, fear pricked my heart again as I saw Azog bash Thorin's face with his four-bladed mace.

"THORIN," I yelled as he fell to the ground. I swung up onto my branch, only to have it snap under my weight. Fili grabbed my arm and heaved me up to the branch that was supporting him. We both turned back to the cliff, where Thorin was getting chewed on by the White Warg like a piece of meat. He yelled out and brought his sword down onto the Warg's muzzle. It yelped and threw him across the clearing. Thorin bounced on the rock and rolled to a stop, dazed. Azog pulled his jaw in and growled something to the other Orc. That Orc snarled/smiled and slid off the Warg, sword drawn. It crept over to Thorin and put his sword at his neck. He raised it up and Bilbo tumbled into the Orc, stabbed it a few times, and stood between Thorin and Azog. Thorin's head jerked as he slipped into unconsciousness. Azog growled and rode his Warg towards Thorin, but Bilbo wouldn't have any of it. He swung his sword a few times, and that was enough to make Azog hesitate. Fili and I took that chance to get up off the branch and attack the Orcs. Dwalin, Gloin, and Balin were with us in attacking. We slashed and hacked at the Wargs and Orcs, and then something grabbed my shoulders and lifted me into the air. I looked up and saw Lakita. Then she dropped me and I yelled. I landed on the back of a giant eagle, Fili landed seconds later. The eagle circled the blazing clearing for a while as others picked up the rest of the company. Lakita scooped up Myrin and flew away, the eagles seeming to fly another way. We flew away from the clearing, and Azog's howl of furry pierced the night.

"Thorin," Fili shouted a while later. The sun was just coming over the horizon, and we could barely see our uncle. He was in bad shape, and if it wasn't for the eagle's hold on him, well..... I'm not going to think about it. A few minutes later, we came to a bear-shaped rock and that's what the eagle set Thorin down on. Gandalf was next and he raced to Thorin. Fili and mine eagle landed and we scrambled off, racing over to Thorin. He took a shuddering breath and his eyes flung open.

"The half-ling," He mumbled. Gandalf sighed and leaned on his staff, getting up.

"It's alright, Bilbo is here, he's quite safe," He mumbled back. Thorin started to get up, so Dwalin and I helped him to his feet. He shoved us off rather rudely. Thorin glared at Bilbo, who was noticing the anger on Thorin's face.

"You," Thorin growled at the hobbit. "What were you doing, you nearly got killed!" Thorin took a few steps forward, still glaring at Bilbo. "Did I not say you would be a burden," He asked. "That you would not survive in the wild?! That you had no place among us?!" If Thorin kicked Bilbo off the rock, I would never forgive him! Thorin's gaze softened and he walked towards Bilbo. "I have never been so wrong in my life," He said, embracing the startled hobbit. I was beyond startled, and so was Fili. Thorin never hugged, unless you get lost for a few days..... Fili leaned on my shoulder and sighed.

"I thought he was going to kill him," Fili mumbled. I leaned over.

"So did I," I agreed. Thorin let go of the hobbit and looked him square in the face.

"I am sorry that I doubted you," Thorin said. Bilbo held up his hand and looked around as if the rock we stood on would give him words.

"No, I would have doubted me too," Bilbo said. "I'm not a hero or a warrior..." Bilbo looked up at Gandalf. "I'm not even a burglar." Everyone chuckled. The eagles screeched and returned to the west, back towards the mountains. Thorin looked beyond the hobbit and the smile on his face disappeared. Bilbo noticed and turned around.

"Is that what I think it is," He asked. Thorin didn't answer, he just walked beyond Bilbo, an even brighter smile starting to show on his face. I wondered what he was looking at, so I walked towards him, then I spotted it.

"Erebor," Gandalf said. Bilbo looked back at him, surprised. "The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle Earth."

"Our home," Thorin added quietly. I looked at Fili and smiled, looping an arm around his shoulders. A bird twittered past and Oin pointed it out.

"A raven, the birds are returning to the Mountain," He shouted, holding up his flattened trumpet. Gandalf looked at the bird and shook his head slightly.

"That my dear Oin, is a thrush," Gandalf corrected. Thorin heard it twitter and the smile brightened. I could almost see the gears in his head working.

"But we'll take it as a sign, a good omen," He said softly. Bilbo and he shared a look and the hobbit nodded.

"I do believe that the worst is behind us," Bilbo said. I found myself nodding, agreeing to the hobbit's words.

"We can't stay up here all day," Thorin said loudly, turning around. He took a step forward and winced, but he continued. Dwalin stepped up and supported Thorin until we got to the stairs. Then Thorin leaned on the rock and made his way down.

About an hour later, we were almost down to the ground. Thorin was getting worse, now he was panting with every other step, but he wouldn't accept help from anyone. The injuries that I could see were numerous. He had a nasty cut above his left eye, his nose had another, his arm was held against his ribs, where I was sure a few were broken, and he was limping on his right foot. But he walked with a certain air around him that said he was on a mission, and nothing would stop it. That and the smile had brightened tenfold, I think he was doing great, despite his panting and limping. We came around the last corner and Thorin stopped. I could barely see him around the corner. Everyone else hesitated, then ran forward. Screeching came and I sprinted around the corner. Lakita was backed up against a spire of rock, wings raised offensively and trilling angrily. I ran towards her head and started to pet it. She lowered her wings and trilled at me as Fili went to the saddle and checked on Myrin, who somehow got on Lakita's back.

"Shhhh," I told Lakita as I rubbed her head. "Anything Fili," I asked, peeking around the griffon's head. Lakita trilled again as Fili pried off his glove and licked his finger. "Fee..." He looked back at me, tears in his eyes. Tears welled in my own and I raced to the saddle where Myrin was laid across. "No, she's alright, you just didn't check hard enough," I screamed as I reached for her. Fili grabbed my arms and held them at my sides. "NO, SHE ISN'T DEAD," I screamed. Fili held me tighter as I struggled against him. Tears fell off my face, she couldn't be dead! Fili lowered to the ground and turned me around, I buried my face into his shoulder, still sobbing. Then I remembered something. I turned towards Bilbo and looked him in the eye.

"Why is Myrin's blood on your shirt," I snarled at him. Bilbo looked up from staring at his feet and looked me in the eye.

"We ran into each other," Bilbo said. Anger started to boil.

"And you two didn't stay together," Dwalin asked. Bilbo nodded with a gulp. "Why would you two of stayed separate, there's strength in numbers!"

"She was leading away some Wargs," Bilbo said. "If I had known that she was going to get killed, or that she was injured, I would have gone with!"

"You sent her to her doom," I snarled at him. Bilbo looked at me, shocked. "She was injured and you knew it, yet you still let her go!"

"Kili, hold your tongue," Gloin shouted.

"NO! This hobbit has betrayed Myrin, and I refuse to travel any longer with him!"

"Kee, Bilbo didn't betray anyone," Fili said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "He just said he didn't know...." I stared at him, was he really doing this?! "You've had a stressful day, probably need some sleep-"

"I'm just fine," I shouted, wrenching my shoulder out of his grip. Before anyone could say anything, I ran into the woods to clear my head.

A few hours later, I was in a different clearing, and I was hearing sobbing, but it wasn't my own. Curious, and needing something to get my mind off of Myrin, I got up and crept towards the sobbing. I stopped just out of sight of a form hunched over, leaning up on a tree. I couldn't see his face, but I knew who the owner of Orcrist was.

"Kili," Bilbo called, stumbling into the clearing. Thorin's head shot up and looked at the hobbit. I backed farther into the bushes. "Oh, Thorin..... Sorry, but have you seen Kili?"

"No," Thorin croaked. He cleared his throat and looked up at the hobbit again. "I haven't seen him, did he run off or something?" Bilbo walked towards Thorin, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, he thinks I killed Myrin." Oh, right...... I kind of forgot about that........... Note to self, when Bilbo is alone, apologize to him. Apologizing in front of a crowd is very embarrassing.

"What," Thorin shouted.

"Myrin and I met each other in the tunnels, and she was injured at the time with Wargs on her tail. She told me to take one path, while she took another, and to not look back no matter what I heard. Her left shoulder touched my chest, and some blood got on-"

"That hair-brained idiot," Thorin mumbled. Bilbo stopped explaining and looked Thorin square in the eye.

"You talking about Myrin, me, or Kili?"

"Myrin," Thorin growled. He mumbled something quietly, I didn't hear what he said exactly. A tense and awkward silence followed.

"Did she have any family," Bilbo asked.

"No, just friends she thought family," Thorin said wistfully.

"What were you doing out here," Bilbo asked.

"Thinking, mourning, regretting, hurting-"

"Myrin's going to come back and kill you," Bilbo shouted. Thorin jumped. I must say that I did too, I hadn't heard that much reprimanding in the hobbit's voice. "You're injured, and here you are sitting in the dirt, getting mushroom spores and other things into those wounds! Back to camp, this second!" Bilbo was up and wagging a finger at Thorin. "Besides, when Fili and I went to search for that dim-wit, they were preparing Myrin's body. It would be an insult to miss her funeral."

"Now she's going to come back and kill you," Thorin chuckled. "Nobody can get away with calling Kili a dim-wit." Thorin looked around and frowned. He stumbled to his feet and stumbled back to camp.

"I know you're there Kili," Bilbo said, looking right at me. I stood up and walked out of the bushes.

"Bilbo, look I'm sorry about-" Bilbo held up his hand.

"Apology accepted Kili," Bilbo said.

We all were at the camp, crowded around a rock bed that everyone had made to rest Myrin's body on.

"I don't know about Dwarven traditions, but in the Shire, when a lady dies, those who knew her best would say something," Bilbo had said when Nori suggested that we just put her in the river, a true traveler's burial. Normally, we would put the dwarf in the ground, and then bury the coffin with molten gold. Seeing as we were short on gold, and shovels, we went with the Shire tradition. All eyes went to Thorin, he knew her best, even better than Fili and I, even though she had raised us. I turned my gaze to Thorin, tears welling in my eyes and blurring my vision.

"She deserved more than this," Thorin started. His face was still covered in blood, and you could see that he had been crying, thanks to the little clear spots running down his face. "Myrin deserved more than to be murdered by an Orc... She deserved more than to have her family killed... Myrin has been my friend since she was very small, and couldn't ask for a better friend, confident, or a warrior...... Fate has never been kind to her, not even in death. I had hoped she would have died in some lucky dwarrow's embrace, surrounded by her friends and family... At least now she will be...." Thorin nodded and Dori moved to pick her up, but Dwalin held up his hand.

"Might I say something," He asked. Thorin nodded again. "Like you said, you couldn't ask for a better confidence. There are so many things that I regret saying to her, and many more things I wanted to thank her for. Up until a few years ago, I wouldn't even think about her without getting a snarl, BALROG, I couldn't even talk to her without insulting her in some way or another. I know it's too late to get her apology, but I hope she can still hear me." Dwalin turned to Myrin's ashen face and folded his arms. "Myrin Flamebird, I am sorry for everything, for doubting you, but mostly for creating most of the chaos that affected you in Ered Luin."

[savanah-claw21]

My twisted wonderland yuu

She based on rian from the dark crystal

story:was a soldier from the Crystal palace but was framed by the skeksis everyone in thra thinks that she murderd her best friend myrin but it was the skeksis that killed him has been banned from her clan she ran away and entered the twisted wonderland she convinced Crowley that she does not want to go home because she was a fugitive at thra

[sailor-neptune-shitposts]

Order Series Incorrect Quotes 1:

1:

Genera: Okay, who's turn is it to give the pep talk?

Arlas: It's Tifrin's turn.

Tifrin: Don't die.

Hemlock, wiping a tear away: Truly inspirational.

2:

Hemlock: I'm incredibly fast at math.

Arlas: Alright, what's 30x17?

Hemlock: 47

Avitrana, concerned: That's not even close.

Hemlock: But it was fast.

3:

Aslocke: Hey, look babe! There’s posters of me everywhere! I’m famous ~

Ronwynn: …those are wanted posters.

Aslocke: I’M FAMOUS

4:

Avitrana, trying to cheer the group up: Things could be worse, you know!

Tifrin: How?

Avitrana: How what?

Tifrin: How could they be worse?

Avitrana: They couldn’t, I lied.

Tifrin:

5:

Gararic: Oh, fiddlesticks! That really ruffles my feathers!

Hemlock: Please, just say fuck.

6:

Myrin: What makes a bigger memory than a passionate kiss?

Tifrin: A stab wound.

7:

Hemlock: Care to give a free sample to a pretty person?

Gararic, manning a bake sale and tired of their shit: Sure! You know one?

Hemlock:

Hemlock: Care to give a free sample to an ugly person?

8:

Ronwynn: Am I in trouble?

Esmeray, arms crossed: Take a guess.

Ronwynn: No?

Esmeray: Take another guess.

9:

Avitrana: *slams down an absolute doorstopper of a tome* I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading.

Genera: This is light?!

10:

Tifrin: Arlas gave me a get better soon card.

Avitrana: That's sweet!

Tifrin: I wasn't sick, he just thinks I can do better.

Avitrana, softly: Oh...

[amberskywrites]

The Forever Watched

Weeping Winds | Flickering Flames | Errant Earth | Lilting Leaves | Opulent Omissions

A side story of Not of This World, "The Forever Watched" switches between point of views throughout one continuous scene.

Word Count: 838

Fic Masterpost | Original Work Masterpost | Not of This World Info

Ammolite frowned with Fawley’s answer, but there was little she could do to challenge his word. He was superior to her, even if she was still a Council member and he was not. Even if there were rumors he taught those seeking taboo magic, and rumors that he was conspiring with Lord Asonze. For the first, Ammolite never spoke for or against, for she was from [TOWN NAME] and she knew how muddled magic could become, and she could not in good faith put at risk her family and friends of youth while attempting to enforce the stifling restrictions the Council imposed upon the land. For the second, Ammolite knew it was not Fawley who conspired with Asonze, because he remained at Onalov with the exception of a Council summons, and because Emeret was more loose-lipped when drunk than the land’s most renowned blacksmith would probably like. He was also older, and she had learned long ago to listen to those with more experience, even if one did not heed their words. But she also remembered Dia, and how highly of Fawley and Gale both she spoke. It was rare for Dia to speak praise of her fellow Council members, but she had vouched for their integrity, and so Ammolite would listen.

Passing by the water platform, and Ammolite sees Gale has been joined by a Councilwoman younger than he but older than her, though Ammolite didn’t even muster up the energy to recall her name for now that she had thought once of Dia and her words, she could not help but continue thinking of Dia, and the group she had welcomed in before Ammolite received this summons. She believes she received this summons after the group had arrived, at least.

It was hard to keep track, Ammolite found. Day after day of traversing these steps with the annual meetings and then the biannual rituals and the monthly reports that could just as easily be carried by other messengers. And then there were the random summons, such as this.

But the crux of the issue was time. Some days it felt like no time passed at all, from when Dia began learning a second magic to when Ammolite took her seat on the Council. She pushed the image back of the last time she had looked Dia in the eyes, the one that always resurfaced when she remembered her inauguration into the Council. She didn’t need to remember the way life seemed to fade but she could still see Dia’s chest moving, still hear the arduous breaths she took.

The group helped a little with time, and yet made it so much worse. She hadn’t known then, that the group Dia had agreed to hide and slip away were the ones Master Opal had been trying to track for months now. She had no way of knowing, because no one ever told her what the rogue hero looked like or learned.

She wouldn’t have turned them in, at least, she doesn’t think so. Not after they helped her write their names, even if she could only remember some of them. Not after they brought Myrin home, her sister looking so different that Ammolite hadn’t recognized her when they first reunited, and also on the run from the Council’s wrath, for the simple crime of changing how she used her abilities.

It was worse though, because the days felt all wrong, as though she’s lived them before, but with every day feeling like that it’s become hard to tell which days she has actually lived before–if any–and which she merely dreamed. Their names were scribbled and familiar except one and she never got the rogue hero’s name right, it always seemed to change whenever she thought she had the correct one.

The Councilwoman with Gale–Lantana, the Council’s Plant Master–laughs at her own joke ahead. A vile woman, in Ammolite’s experience and on Dia’s word. She gained status of Councilwoman by poisoning her predecessor, who no one spoke the name of, even Dia, who refused to tell Ammolite why.

She’s pretty sure she should know, but she doesn’t even remember their name.

A moment to see what Lantana was laughing at revealed nothing of importance, and so Ammolite returned to her thoughts.

It was mind-boggling, how thick her book was, scribbled with names that she could not read besides a handful of them.

But Opal didn’t need to see the book, nor did they need to see the one Watina kept, the one they had Emeret compare so they knew they were not losing their wits, the one that Dia confirmed matched in every way except handwriting and the fact that Watina’s included measurements. Opal didn’t need to see the book.

She didn’t need to see it, though Ammolite still worried each time she opened it that Opal would.

Opal always knew what was going on, what was to come, what will come. She cannot remember the rogue hero’s name, but she hopes Opal does not see them coming.

[offbookkeeping]

31. Russian Into Love: Live! From SF Sketchfest with John Michael Higgens and Arden Myrin

Plot summary:

A model named Tita from Utah looks for apartments in New York. She moves into an apartment with Vladimir and his wife Maryshka who refuses to close her robe except around her husband. She refuses to sleep with him or let him see her naked. Asexual queen? A fashion designer with a leather coat named Captain Vladimir Serge comes to their apartment who's looking for the couple but Tita covers for them and says they're just curtain mice. Maryshka and Vladimir gossip about how they think Tita and the other Vladimir are falling in love with each other. Captain Vladimir is carrying a massive garbage bag full of powdered sweetener and Tita is 17 years old. Meanwhile, Tita has turned 18 and the greatest fashion designers of the world (including the creator of... sunglasses??) The Italian Mob family, The Spaghetti Brothers, hunt Maryshka and Vladimir from Witness Protection. It's revealed that Captain Vladimir is actually Michael Spaghetti and he's actually just a talented actor. He uses his comedic talents to mask the fact that he's madly in love with Tita. Carlton Spaghetti reveals that he killed a brother for falling in love. Everyone tries to kill each other. No one dies. Maryshka and Vladimir wish Tita was their daughter to the extent that Vladimir tells his "sweet I-wish-daughter" a sad story about why Maryshka doesn't have sex with him. Tita introduces Captain Vladimir to her landlords/adoptive parents and they think he's a terrible listener. Captain Vladimir is revealed to be Michael Spaghetti and some of Michael's brothers show up. Michael decides that he's going to stay Russian because he never met his parents and Vladimir and Maryshka are very parental. Carlton and Gino reflect on why they kill people for being in love. Maryshka discovers that Michael is actually her son because she forgot the nine months where she was pregnant and Tita asks for permission to marry their kid and everyone tells her to shut up because she's a narcissist. Maybe it's the cocaine?? Tita and Michael get married and fuck mid song. Maryshka and Vladimir walk in the rain together consensually.

Best quotes:

• "I MUST CONSULT WITH MY CURTAIN MICE"

• "Vladimir what. the. fuck!"

• "Who designed those beautiful trash bags and what went into that process?"

"Michael Kors."

Best songs:

• Ti-tah from Utah

• Vladimir W.T.F.

• I Get The Impression (That You're Already in Love)

• I Love Tita And So I Stay Russian

Thoughts Overall:

Zach forgot what the word for trigger was so every time someone was being threatened they just called it the hammer. This episode is a compilation of my favorite Zach and Jess accents: Russian and Mob Boss. I really love their aggressive cockney orphan voices too but that's not exactly on theme for the episode. SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND JESS!! Also Arden has a weird habit of interrupting everyone else mid conversation and it's kind of grating but she makes up for it by being really funny. Besides the kind of uncomfortable ending this episode is absolutely hysterical and it's definitely worth a listen

[kuuderekun]

Okay now that I'm looking at it I think I probably had seen that website too.

Most people's research into Greek Amazon lore begins and ends with those encountered by Herakles and Theseus but the Myrina/Myrine narrative from Diodorus Siculus I always found fascinating wished someone would make a Campy Movie out of.

Chelouranya's take on the Amazons makes perfect sense in the context of their overall lore but is different from what I would write.

But basically my interest in looking for Myrina Fanfiction and Pseudo History theorizing is how I stumbled upon this whole movement in the first place.

THE AMAZONS World History Timeline

Who were the Amazons? The world history timeline of Telluria, or Planet Earth must be examined before we can answer this question. This is one of the earliest first-orientation papers of the current initiative and has been in use for over two centuries.

The Amazons: World History Timeline - the Coming of the Mascali

In the beginning, we are told, the people of Telluria were not unlike ourselves. In their Golden Age, before the coming of the mascali, there were maidens only among them, even as among us.

And as with us there were two sexes: chelani, the golden-headed, that bore daughters, and melini, the raven-tressed that protected and provided for them.

Whence came the mascali we do not know. They were not, it is thought, an alien incursor that might be repulsed with force of arms, as was the case with our people.

It is thought that the Telluri maidens committed grave sins, and thus a curse fell on them; and they bore creatures of their own loins that were unlike themselves, and not maidens. Creatures that filled some of their daughters with unnatural desire. Creatures that were - in the course of long millennia - to enslave them.

Many things happened in this time that could not in later times have happened; for in the Golden Time of Telluria, as in the Golden Time of any world, maidens were still subtle creatures whose feet had but lately touched the earth, and the mascali that they bore were grosser than they. And though it is the fate of every race of maid to descend ever deeper into the veil of matter as the Ages wear onward, yet in the case of these Telluri maids, this strange consort of theirs hastened their descent.

And as their bodies hardened into flesh and bone, it came about that many maids were barren among maid and could be given child only by the mascali, and these were called the mazei, meaning the lost, or bewildered. And among them the chelani and melini became almost as one kind and that kind was called fema­ni; for while all maidens are feminine, the mascali were not.

Yet while most of the newly-consolidated were mazei some remained as we are, and these were called a-mazei, or the Amazons: those who are not lost, but adhere to the true way.

Taken from this archived website that is clearly Aristasian in nature: https://web.archive.org/web/20190131155454/http://www.amazon-intel.com/world-history-timeline.html

[rufinagertrude]

54 for Myrine and LS! (since they both dance, I assume)

54 - dancing, Myrine and LSWord Count: 752 words

  It started with a song she did not know. A pleasant sort of music, weaving through the air of the manor room, that was easy to find a rhythm to sway along to as it played  Myrine’s attention was drawn from the tune at the amused hum of her company. “I quite adore this melody, too.” Logan agrees around the rim of his teacup, his own leg swaying from it’s perch upon the other.  “I don’t think I’m familiar with it, actually.”  That comment makes Logan’s face do an odd mixture of emotions, settling finally and quickly on something a touch too dramatic to be actual offense or concern. “No? Oh dear. They play it every year, around this time of year, in the town.” A vague wave of his hand towards the windows that face the gardens, where it’s easy to assume the town adjacent to the manor is. “It is played very often at the festival, and it is such a joy to see all the couples and children take the square to dance. Well, it is pleasant to watch people merry-make to any song, but I find this one to be a favorite. I recall that I swept many a maiden from her feet with this dance when I prowled the streets.” A wistful sigh, then, as he sets his cup down.  “Is that why it’s a favorite of yours?” She asks, a smile peeking at her lips as she reaches for another cube of sugar for her own cup.  The effort is rewarded with a laugh. “Oh my. I can not say I am not fond of many of those memories, but it was always the dance itself that caught me.” And, like a flip switching in his head, he perks again. “If you are not familiar with the song, then you are not familiar with the dance, are you?”  Myrine doesn’t have the chance to confirm that thought before Logan is standing himself from his chair, and the music seems to re-start when he gives her a gesture too small to be a bow, but too large to be a flourish, and gives her a rather charming grin.  “Then come, I shall teach you, yes?” And, like a perfect gentleman, waits until she puts her hand in his.  “Oh, if you insist-”  “It would be a pleasure. Now,” he pulls her along from the table, stopping when he deems the distance enough, and then slots himself up beside her, arm wrapping around her waist, “this is supposed to be where I lay it, but if you prefer I move it higher, it is truly no issue…?” His grip is loose, and pliant when she nudges it just a little higher up.  “Better.” A nod.  “Good. Now, this is a partner dance, and while it is perhaps a faster paced one, the steps to it are not hard to master.”  Myrine is sure they spend at least an hour practicing the steps, slowly but surely going through the whole song at slightly faster speeds, before they manage to do it properly. She’s also sure she steps on his foot no less than four times, between the feet work and the spinning. Logan takes it rather gracefully, with a wince and a smile and “Oh darling, you would not believe how used I am to having my foot stepped on. You are not my first student, and I hardly believe you will be the last.”  But he’s right, that it’s a fun one to dance, once she gets into the swing of it. She’s a little breathless by the time they go through the real dance, but she laughs as she’s twirled anyways, as he twirls her back.  “A natural.” Logan compliments, as the end of the song nears, and Myrine is fairly certain she’s supposed to do another sidestep with him - as every time before, at this point - but instead he turns her away again with a flick of his arm-  And she thumps into a broad, warm surface behind her, two new hands reaching out to steady her as Logan’s disappears. Myrine brushes stray hair from her face to look up at the new person - because this is indeed a person she has been however gently flung into - to find the slightly confused but still smiling face of Tahir.  “Now you could teach him.” Says Logan from behind her, and she doesn’t need to see his face to know what kind of grin is on that face.

[amethystpath-writes]

I Will

NOT A PR0MPT- After seeing how many of you wanted to see more fantasy, I decided to give a small sneak peek at something I’ve been working on, featuring the fae. 

******

"I fancy the way you pity me- as if I'm less than I was, as if I couldn't still rip you limb from limb."

“You are human now, Deniekae. You could not rip a squirrel apart if you tried.”

Myrin’s eyes stung at her friend’s words, at the savage tone which they were spoken in, but she wouldn’t shed her tears in this moment. Later, when she was resting, perhaps dreaming, she would allow herself the liberty to feel her own emotions.

On the other end of the wooded room, Niekae was angry. His old friend was underestimating his strength, underestimating his wrath and will- at least according to him and not reality. “Tell me what was so wrong with what I did. I’d like to know.” He feigned interest, making his voice unreasonably light- posh almost.

With a roll of her eyes, Myrin crossed her arms. “You know I am- was- always there for you. You should have told me your plan.” You should have warned me that we’d become enemies. “What happened, Niekae? Why the betrayal?”

Gods, he hated that word. And others: betrayal, treachery, traitor, coward. “I was loyal,” he said, “though not to the same peoples as you. Open your eyes, Myrin.”

“I’m supposed to open mine?” She blinked at Deniekae, and a thought crossed her mind- no, not a thought. An observation. Niekae’s eyes were duller now- also thinner. His lashes were shorter, but appropriately lengthened for the small size of his eyes. “Was it worth it?” she asked, genuinely curious. “Abandoning your own traits and gifts for overly bulky shoulders and unseeing eyes?”

“I can see well, thank you.” Niekae lied. He couldn’t see anything except Myrin’s silhouette every once in a while, if he really focused on trying to see it. He no longer had night-vision, and he could no longer stay awake at night. As he spoke with his friend, he felt his eyes becoming heavier, his eyelids filling with lead and drooping further down. “Do you know what’s best about this body?” Deniekae asked. “About being human instead of fae?”

Myrin shook her head. No, she didn’t know, and she didn’t care to know, either. Whatever he was about to say...it’d be a lie, or it wouldn’t be as great as he preached. Her old friend would be manipulating her, trying to make her think that he knew best. He never did. Niekae never knew what was right.

“I’ll tell you,” he volunteered when Myrin wouldn’t respond. “You feel more in this body. Falling asleep feels like flight- like elevation and hovering. It’s...it’s light and it’s pleasant.”

“You got into Old-Lady-Rybus’ stash, didn’t you? I thought that stuff would kill a human, yet here you are talking as if you walk on clouds.” She was partially joking. Of course, no human could ever reach Rybus’ stash- it was far too well hidden- but she joked about it because the two of them, Myrin and Deniekae, had gotten into the stash once, and neither of them ever wanted to look back. They laughed about it just two days ago, before Niekae decided the fae weren’t good enough for him.

“I’m not high,” Deniekae argued, and rather brutishly at that. His voice may as well have been a whip, whereas Myrin’s had remained as soft as a bird’s undercoat feathers. “You wouldn’t understand- you haven’t ever tried to.”

“I’m trying to understand now,” Myrin said. “I’m asking you why you did it. I’m asking you what was so bad about us”- she corrected herself- “about our kind, that you felt the need to change into one of them.” One of the humans- wretched things.

The way she said ‘us’, though, Deniekae knew she didn’t mean the fae as a whole. She meant what she said- she meant the unity between the two of them as beings, whether that was as a fae loving another fae, or as a fae loving an ex-fae.

“Nothing has changed between us,” Niekae promised. “We can act as we always have. I’ll meet you,” Niekae said, as if to compromise for her broken heart, “in your realm- at sunrise and sunset, and we can talk as we always have.”

“It wouldn’t be the same,” she finally snapped.

Something pulsed in the air- a humidity that made Deniekae’s skin itch. “You’re angry.”

“That wasn’t obvious?” Her tone could have split atoms, could have ripped Niekae apart if he were still fae.

But this was what he wanted- humanism. Being human meant never looking over his shoulder, wondering when the next a spear might land in his shoulder. Being human was freedom.

“You sacrificed your ability to do practically anything for what? To be betrayed by them?” Myrin’s arms finally fell from their crossed position, but her hands fell into fists at her side. “They won’t accept you,” she swore. “If they ever found out that you were fae, they’d string you up by your ears until they tore off. Do you understand me?”

“How would they ever know? I speak their language and I even look like them now,” Niekae reasoned.

“Someone might tell them.”

Deniekae squinted at her. “Like who? Because I sure as hell don’t plan to.”

She blinked, then said, “I will.”

[scamuel-likely]

Thanks for the tag!!! I really enjoyed this one!

Meet the Triton tempest domain cleric, Myrin Volothenn. I thought I’d do something a little bit different cause clerics tend to make you think of robes and armour and divinity and a holier-then-thou outlook on life. So I instead went for a pirate, born and raised on ships, who’s god is one of storms and monsters lurking in the deep. Myrin is vaguely scoundrelly in attitude, but they do always look out for those in need. They’ve got an anti-capitalist streak and that extends to church’s, preferring the ways of the old exiled gods to the new religions set up by and for landlubbers.

(Why tf did I make a character for this when 1: it’s a bloody ask game & 2: I’m a forever DM. Maybe Myrin will pop up as an NPC or something now idfk.)

Oh who should I tag for this…let’s go with @mj-thrush-gxn @likelyscam @justablah56 (please feel free to ignore the shit out of this). Oh and ofc anyone else who sees this can jump in!

:)

Starting a picrew chain!

Take this quiz to see ur DnD class and then create ur own fantasy character with this picrew.

NTPS: @foodiewithdahoodie @messrsbyler @andiwriteordie @michael-wheela @callmetheidiot @miaisagirllover @l0veu2themoon @starmanbyler @sillylittlerock @unrepentant-byler-shipper @conanssummerchild @mike-queerler and anyone who feels like joining!

[darielivalyen]

Ugh the ToEN ros climbing their ways up to the fine af scale and yanking my heart outta my chest by following the mc around a lot in the game, i'm repaying the heart wrench by asking how the ros (even the immortal and magical ones for this sake of this ask) how would they react if mc died?

Hi there!

That's a very particular question, and I have to say I haven't thought about that when I was working on the game. MC's death meant the end—at least mechanically—so I didn't put that aspect into my lore building. But! I can figure it out now. Let's see.

I think we would be dealing with two types of reactions here. Those ROs that are immortal, would be focusing on what they need to do to bring MC back, while the other two would be dealing with their own feelings of loss and failure.

Menkaure would be devastated (in both versions), but he wouldn't give up. He'd try to contact Ra and bring MC back, and—at least in my opinion—he would likely succeed.

Apepi would turn to dark magic and raise MC back from the dead, but there's no saying how well that would work. Apepi isn't really a necromancer. He likes chaos and freedom, not death.

Persenet would be heartbroken, but she would have to accept MC's death. She's not a sorceress or a priest, and she would have no way to bring MC back to life. She wouldn't forget about MC, though. She'd be excited about reconnecting with them in death.

Myrine/Zephyros would probably focus more on their job as a merc. They would take more risks, and—in the end—they would probably end up dying an early death because of that.

Thank you for the ask! 💛

[fallenlightsif]

Dimitri visiting MC's grave please. I want to hurt.

Highpoint is warm even in the winter. It's such a vastly different climate from Oclesia, but Dimitri has grown used to it over the past five months. He's learned to shed his furs and heavy leathers in favor of lighter fabrics, much like the cotton and linen you had preferred.

Your headstone is still exactly where he had placed it the first time. Your name is carved by his own hand, various flowers are scattered around by the many villagers who view you as their hero.

"You know, Ari says I've grown more melancholy the past few months." He grins, but it's humorless, "I think she might be right."

He kneels before your grave. Ari is not here this time, Anais having desperately needed help with the children at the temple, so he is alone.

"I wanted to apologize the first time I came here." He says, pursing his lips, "Ari wouldn't let me but I feel like I have to. You told me I wasn't a curse but..."

He doesn't bother choking back the tears.

"Liliya was the first to fall to it. Then my parents, and now you. My father was right when he said I would only bring destruction and I'm sorry you were caught in the middle of it."

He bends down to press his forehead against the stone, cold from the shade of the tree. Why did you have to die? Why had he been cursed so?

He had so many questions, and none of them would be answered. For all his hours screaming until he was hoarse at the sky, praying until his knees were numb in the temple, none of it would bring you back.

The sunlight burned his back and it felt like judgment. Whether it was yours, the Gods, or the spirits from beyond he hadn't a clue; he accepted it because he deserved it.

He places the azaleas beneath the stone. They were your favorite; you had mentioned in one of your letters how abundant they were in Highpoint.

He hopes you get to look down at the flowers and the town you saved, wherever you happened to be. He hopes you'll wait for him when the wretch that is destiny finally releases him from the grip of the living.

When his cord is finally cut, he hopes you'll be there to welcome him with open arms.

Until then, he stands and looks towards the ocean. He had to return to Myrine soon, even if his heart was six feet below the ground in Highpoint.