#sybil writes fic

[moodyseal]

TOApril Day 4 - Facing the Unknown

Harpocrates and the Sybil of Cumae for day 4!! I hope they're having the time of their lives, wherever they are

[sugarsnappeases]

thinking about sybill and how violating it must be to have a mind that - plagued as it is by visions of the future, other people’s futures, often people that she doesn’t even know and maybe never will know - can never truly belong to her. how violating it must be to have the very inner depths of her mind be filled with rivers of other people’s fates, the beginnings and the ends, endless tangling strings of people’s lives pressing through her mind, the constant lack of privacy, lack of self-definition in the very place which should really be the most private, the place where the self should be defined most clearly

also thinking about barty and the violation of the imperius curse. you guys get it. you see it. i don’t have to say it. you understand.

[suzieloveships]

Marauders era's girls x girl childhood

Lily - Strawberry Shortcake girl first, human second, collected greeting cards and watched the cartoon religiously. Loves Barbie, had few dolls and watched every movie with Petunia, her favorite ones are Magic of Pegasus and Princess Charm School. Watched Winx, her favorite was Bloom. Favorite Disney Princesses are Belle and Cinderella, Twilight is her favorite out of Mane6 from MLP. One of 10 people on the planet that read Star Darlings.

Marlene - Polly Pocket girl, had a dozen of those tiny boxes. Adores Monster High, got atleast 2 dolls for every birthday, seen every movie. Watched og He-man and She-ra with her brothers and was super hype once the reboot came out. Made James and Peter watch Barbie movies and W.I.T.C.H., they made her watch TMNT and Transformers. Her favorite Barbie movies are Mermaid Tale and Diamond Castle, favorite pony is Rainbow Dash and favorite Disney Princesses are Mulan and Merida

Mary - dances ballet since she was 10, watched Angelina Ballerina almost every day and read as many Angelina books as she could. Collected LPS since she was 6, has two shelfs in her room just for the figurines. Favorite Barbie movie is Nutcracker and Swan Lake, mostly because of the real ballet dances in those movies. Her favorite Disney Princesses are Tiana and Rapunzel and Rarity is her favorite pony. Elle Woods and Cher Horowitz are her heroes

Dorcas - she is Tiana and Tiana is she, she owns colour green, as a kid definitly tried to kiss a frog atleast once and she and Pandora dressed up as Tiana and Lottie for Halloween 2 years in a row. Adored My scene, had many dolls, watched all movies and cartoon episodes and played all of the flash games. Also watched Winx and listened to Winx's albums so often I started to drive her family insine. Was also obsessed with PowerPuff Girls. Watches Sofia the First and Elena of Avalor with her younger sister. Mariposa duology are her favorite Barbie movies, Applejack is her favorite pony

Pandora - W.I.T.C.H. girl, collected comics as they were coming out, still has a box with accessories that came with each issue, rewatched the whole show every year, probably forced Regulus watch with her. Watched all of Disney Fairies movies and read all of the books, forever mad that Rani was not in the movies. Fairytopia trilogy stan, had a Bibble plushie. Pinkie Pie is her favorite pony and Aurora and Ariel are her favorite Disney Princesses. Watches Enchanted atleast 3 time per year

Sybill - One of 5 people that remembers Bratzillaz, but never really got into a Bratz. She just really likes a cartoon where a main character is a seer. She also likes Barbie, Rapunzel is her favorite. Religiously watched Addams family cartoon and Laika's movie. Had all 3 MLP G3 movies on DVD and later got obsessed with Friendship is Magic, her favorite is Fluttershy. Her favorite Disney Princesses are Snow White and Aurora. Practical magic is her comfort movie

Emma - Bratz girl, bought many dolls, watched all of the movies, even the live action one and listen to every album. Was also obsessed with Totally spies and Kim Possible, wanted to be a spy until she was 10. Despite being Bratz girl she did seen few Barbie movies, 3 musketeers is probably her favorite. Will unironically say that Kuzco is her favorite Disney Princess, it's actually Jasmine. Also a big fan of Jem and the holograms. Can quote Mean Girls so well it's actually scary

Amelia - one of those Barbie scholars. Not only has she see all of the movies she also knows deep lore of the toy. Don't ask her which movie is her favorite, she cannot choose. Adores Legally Blonde, movie and the musical. Hello Kitty aesthetic. Favorite Disney Princess is Rapunzel. Read Princess Diaries serie and hates to movie for completly ruining the story

Emmeline - MLP stan, can sing every song on Rainbow Rocks soundtrack, her favorite is Twilight, og LyraBon shipper. Also loves Care Bears, definetly annoys everyone by yelling Care Bear Stare while throwing thing at people. Had a massive crush on David Bowie and watch Labyrinth over and over again. Favorite Disney Princess are Ariel and Mulan and favorite Barbie movie is Princess and the Pauper

Lucinda - Evar After High girl, watch the whole show, bought many dolls and had a diary with a key. Thought Somebody to Love was written for Ella Enchanted. Favorite Barbie movie is Thumbelina. Got really into Buffy as she grew older. Grew up with DreamWorks rather than Disney, but Jasmin is probably her favorite princess

Hestia - lived near sea and had a mermaid phase. Watched H2O and Aquamarine almost every day. Marmaid Tale duology stan. Favorite Disney Princess is obviously Ariel and favorite pony is Pinkie Pie. Had a small Sylvanian Families collection. Was also a big Sailor Moon fan. Adores studio ghiblie movies, especially Ponyo. Actually owned the 13th year on DVD, that's how big her obsession with mermaid was

[royalthorned]

you intrigued me with the sybill/pandora tag... also, "sybill telling pandora she's god's prophet" THAT'S CRAZY i need to know more about them (i don't remember if anyone has already asked you this question, i hope not)

irene when im telling you i jumped for joy at this ask

this is a fic idea i've had brewing for a while. sybil is a half-blood and infamous for the fact her visions aren't real. growing up in the muggleworld in the 70's and attending mass she is convinced that she is the second coming of christ. my girls had visions of the future, she knows she's a wizard but her prophecys aren't "normal" and she's tried to turn water to wine.

pandora is a believed seer, her visions are trusted. she's reputable and a pureblood. so pandora hears about sybil's spiritual break down of "im god" and is enamoured with her. the rosier way of enamoured which leads to pandora running experiments and going on adventures to test visions and prophecies with her girlfriend. if she can change Sybil's visions and if sybil can change hers all while learning about "sybil being a part of the Holy Spirit"

they are bony blonde4bony blonde, two delusional teenage girls running around the castle in nightdresses with all white prophecy eyes.

[old-stoneface]

thinking abt how vimes and vetinari are gonna work themselves to death because neither of them will retire until they physically cant do their jobs anymore . like come on .. theres two options for them n its 1. starting to take it easier and slowing down 2. dying

[catharsis-in-a-bottle]

I HAVE MORE TRANSFEM VIMES FOR YOU!!

FEAT. sybil, drumknott, more murder, and way too many time-related phrases, puns, and other conundrums

[multishipperofgaydeadwizards]

barty has always known he was different. he stood out like a sore thumb wherever he went. people whisper about him behind his back and he has long given up on counting the amount of times he's heared people ask his mother if she's really sure he's her kid

but, no matter what people say, his mother loves him anyway. his mother with her gentle hands, kind voice and soft looks. his mother, perhaps the only person he thinks will ever love him

maybe that's why he likes sybill. she has the kind voice (even if she uses hers to spout nonesense), gentle touch (even if hers is shorter, more fleeting. almost like touching barty is a crime) and soft looks (even is hers is sometimes filled with an unimaginable amount of grieve. barty doesn't understand where it's from, but he wants to make it dissappear)

to him, sybill is like the sun with her untamed blonde curls that do whatever the hell they please, and her eyes that burn with a passion he's never seen before. he could watch her forever as she look in her crystal ball and tells him all about the future. he often hopes to be paired with her for divination—often to the dismay of regulus, who really doesn't want to work with either of the never shutting up rosier twins

barty seeks sybill out. he goes to places he knows she frequents in the hope of catching just the tiniest glimpse of her. he starts to actually eat breakfast so he can watch his fellow ravenclaw chat with the one year older aurora sinistra—he remembers her name solely because she hangs out with sybill. he starts to tag along with evan when he visits his other friends—even if he can't stand mulciber or wilkes—solely because there is a chance aurora might bring sybill along

he never confesses to her and makes sure to keep his distance. whenever he tries to get closer or make his feelings more obvious, sybill gets that look on her face. it's almost like it's wrong of him to do these things. so he watches and observes. he lives through the people who get to make sybill smile. he lives through her first boyfriend, imagining it was him kissing her and not that stuck-up griffindor that knows nothing about barty's dear billie. he imagines that his girlfriends—usually blondes with the same curly hair or the same brown eyes—are sybill

he finds her one night, sobbing her eyes put whike grasping a letter. she never tells him what's written down, the only thing she does tell him as he holds her tight and pats her back is that "nothing matters" and that "nothing changes". he holds her all through the night, even as sybill falls asleep. she kisses him that night for the first time

the second time she kisses him is behind the quidditch stands. it's not the same short back as back then in the griffindor common room, it's more feverish. she bites his lip and draws blood. her eyes are wide and her hand covers her mouth, a bit of barty's blood on his lips. if he didn't have a match in a few minutes he was sure he would've continued on with this

(he keeps biting the wound open for weeks to come. he doesn't want it to heal, for sybill's mark on him to fade)

the third time is after a prank by the marauders—it's silly name, but regulus makes sure every one of them calls them that. barty doesn't know why, but he does so anyway. sybill pulled him into a small passage way. her big brown eyes filled with worry as she looked over barty, searching for any mark or injury. she asks him in her soft, gentle voice if he's alright. he tells her that his cheek hurts, sybill kisses it. he tells her that his lips hurt too. sybill scoffs but kisses him anyway

(he carries the mark left by her lipstick for as long as it lasts, refusing to wash it off. regulus gives him a look—one that screams that he knows—but barty pretends not to notice)

the last time she kisses him is in a run-down flat in the heart of london. they're sitting on a bright red couch, sybill places on top of barty as she bites on his lips until their open and all they both taste is blood. the flat is cramped and smells like shit, but barty doesn't even think about complaining. being here is wrong and it feels so good. what would the dark lord say if he knew that barty was helping a muggleborn witch hide out just for the chance of getting her to call his name sweetly once again

she doesn't do that anymore. every time she shows up on his doorstep, her eyes are clouded by pain. she makes tea—it's bitter and gross, but to barty, it's the best tea he's ever tasted. they don't talk. just sit there in silence and drink their tea. yet, it always ends the same, on that old ugly colored couch with sybill's hands in his hair and their mouths tasting like his blood

barty is already halfway out the door by the time sybill puts a shirt—his shirt that he gave to her merlin knows when—on. she doesn't join him to the door. she just watches. but, this time, as barty turns to give her goodbye, she tells him she loves him. her eyes filled with guilt and pain. barty knows that this is the last time he'll see her

the flat burns down barley a day later. barty doesn't know if she made it out alive, but he prays that she didn't

(dying on her own terms would be much nicer than dying on the terms of the dark lord)

[risetherivermoon]

lil snippet;

“Pandora Rosier,” She says, shaking James’ free hand.

“Oh this is fun!” Sybil says, clapping her hands. “What a fun coincidence.”

“Wait- I'm sorry.” Regulus stops. “Rosier?” She nods. “Are you related to an Evan Rosier?” Regulus puts his hands together in front of his mouth. He is about to lose his fucking mind.

[sorrel-scribbles]

I'm watching Downton Abbey with my mother, and today we watched 5x3. When Tom says if "If you love me you'll support me" in that scene near the end where they're talking about their love lives, I made a joke about that being a weird love confession and my mother, who doesn't like romance novels/movies etc and definitely has no idea what shipping is, turned to me very earnestly and said "really, those two should have ended up together instead."

So I think that's as close as I'll ever get to having my mom's blessing to write TomxMary fanfiction 🎉.

[zakalwe-the-ninth]

Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Discworld - Terry Pratchett Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Havelock Vetinari/Samuel Vimes, Sybil Ramkin/Samuel Vimes Characters: Samuel Vimes, Havelock Vetinari, Sybil Ramkin, Carrot Ironfoundersson, Angua von Uberwald, Cheery Littlebottom, Detritus (Discworld), Nobby Nobbs, Fred Colon Additional Tags: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Blood and Injury, Honestly not as dark as it sounds, Ignore the science plotholes, Some Attempts at Humour, Sam Vimes loves his wife, but they're not the focus, Set after Jingo but before Thud Summary:

Nobby slowed as he approached the cell.

“Morning, sir!” he said brightly.

“Morning, Nobby,” said Vimes, as if he hadn’t killed someone last night.

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

His Grace, the Duke of Ankh has had better weeks, and old feelings are making everything...confusing. Just how far will his loyalty stretch when he's pushed to his limit...?

[direwombat]

a possessive kiss that is meant to stake a claim . + Sybille and Jacob?

another installment of me chipping my way through the prompts in my askbox. have a late-game katc moment where the gang (guns for hire) find out that syb's a peggie now :)

2.2k

It isn’t uncommon for Sybille to disappear for days on end. 

She’s a private person who values her alone time, and considering how much she’s done for the county since Joseph declared the Reaping, Grace is willing to grant her privacy. Without her, John would still be terrorizing the Holland Valley, and Faith — or, Rachel, as she’s going by nowadays — would still be infecting everyone’s minds with Bliss. Without Sybille, the Resistance wouldn’t have been able to organize in the way that they have. 

Without her, they’d still be fighting for survival, rather than making the organized efforts in dethroning Joseph Seed from his reign of terror. She stepped up when no one else would and became the leader the county needed. 

The poor woman has been to Hell and back more times than Grace cares to count. The woman works herself to the bone and barely sleeps. If she decides she needs some time to disconnect and get some rest, Grace isn’t going to stop her. 

Even machines break down if they’re not taken care of properly. 

But, after going a week without hearing from her, Grace starts getting antsy, and after another few days of radio silence, she decides to take matters into her own hands. 

She has a map of the Whitetails spread out over the table of one of the booths at the 8-Bit, desperately trying to get Nick, Hurk and Sharky to fucking pay attention. Last she heard, Sybille was in the Whitetails, which means that odds are she’s being held prisoner at the Veterans Center. And that means doing recon is essential. 

Jacob Seed is fucking smart. They can’t just go in guns blazing if they want to rescue her. 

“You know who’d be real good help here is Boomer,” Sharky says. “That guy could sniff out every Peggie in a ten mile radius! Locks onto Peggie B-O like a fuckin’ missile.” His grin falters and his heavy brow furrows as he frowns. “Where is he, anyways? I ain’t seen him around in a while.” 

“Might’ve gotten captured along with Syb,” Hurk says thoughtfully. “She said that John was gonna send ‘im up north before she freed ‘im, right?”

Nick groans in dismay. “Shit, Jacob better not be turnin’ him into one of the Judges. I don’t think I got the heart to kill old Boomie if he attacked me, y’know?”

“All the more reason for you all to focus,” Grace grits through her teeth. “Now, can we please —”

“Hey, y’all?” Adelaide calls from where she stands behind the bar, fixing herself her third cocktail of the hour. “I ain’t gonna say you’ll all want to see this, but, uh… I think y’all should.” 

“What is it, Mama?” Hurk asks. 

“I don’t — I can’t…” It’s the first time Grace has ever heard the woman at a loss for words. She’s usually so easy to joke -- the more serious the situation the more inappropriate the comment -- but when Grace locks eyes with her, all she sees is fear. “Just come look at the TV.” 

Grace’s stomach drops. 

Ever since the Cult took over, nothing good has been playing on TV anywhere in the county. Most days it's just broadcasts of Joseph’s sermons interspersed with other programs that are blatant Cult propaganda — cult song sing-alongs and storytimes led by the former-Faith, John’s alleged “self-help” programs, and, perhaps the only useful things that play between segments: Jacob’s five-minute survivalist tips. But every now and then, the Cult puts out something new. Something that looks more at home in a horror film than it does on public television. 

The broadcast of Deputy Pratt, ankle deep in water, tied to a chair, sobbing and pleading for his life will forever be burned into Grace’s memory. 

She and the boys slip out of the booth and all cautiously approach the television resting on the bartop. The video quality is poor — dark and fuzzy — but when she makes out the figure on the screen, she claps a hand over her mouth. 

“Shit,” she breathes. 

At the same time Nick cries out, “Jesus Christ!”

Standing, at attention, before the red-and-black version of the Peggie flag and dressed in the garb of the Chosen is the Deputy. She stares into the camera, her face calm and expressionless. No fear or anger; she remains stoic as the soldier she is. 

The camera zooms in for a moment and then back out, focusing on her face before the voice of Jacob Seed sounds from offscreen. “State your name for the record.”

“Sybille Marie La Roux,” she answers. 

Jacob steps forward, just enough so that only one of his broad shoulders is in frame. “Do you, Sybille Marie La Roux, solemnly swear to support and defend the Project at Eden’s Gate against all enemies, both foreign and domestic?”

The words ring bizarrely familiar in Grace’s mind, and it takes her a moment to recognize them as a bastardized version of the Army’s Oath of Commissioned Officers. Her breath hitches and dread roils in her gut. It twinges painfully when Sybille answers with a firm, “Yes, sir.” 

“Do you swear to bear true Faith and Allegiance in the Father and the Project?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bullshit,” Nick hisses under his breath. Bullshit, she’s swearing this oath of her own free will. Surely, Jacob did something to coerce her into this. 

But what if he didn’t? What if she is joining the Cult of her own volition?

Grace’s jaw clenches so tight that her ears ache. 

“And do you swear to well and faithfully discharge the duties asked of you by the Father and your Commander?”

“Yes, sir.” 

Jacob steps further into frame, completely obscuring Sybille from view. There’s the distinctive sound of a knife being unsheathed and Grace catches the red flash of its handle as he appears to lift one of Sybille’s hands and presses the blade against the soft flesh of her forearm. “Then in the name of the Father, I appoint you Judge, Jury, and Executioner of Eden’s Gate.” He wipes the knife against his jeans and slips it back into its sheath, and lifts his hand to draw something on the woman’s forehead. “May you act as God’s Divine Wrath and enact His judgment against our adversaries.” 

“Yes, sir.”

He leans down to pick something up and then moves to circle behind her, revealing the red cross he drew on her forehead. It matches the blood that stains the faces of the wolves he’s tortured into submission. Leaning down, his lips brush the shell of her ear and he eyes the camera with a sadistic smirk. 

Even where she stands, miles away from the Whitetails, Grace barely suppresses a shudder. It may be a video recording, yet she still feels like he can see them through the screen. 

“Praise be to the Father,” he says, low and breathy, with the intimacy of a lover.

Sybille lifts her hand to her forehead in salute. “Praise be to the Father,” she repeats. 

What happens next stuns everyone into utter silence. 

As Sybille’s hand falls back down to rest by her side, Jacob is wrapping a hand around to cradle her jaw and tilt her head up and towards him. It’s so quiet that Grace nearly misses it, but he mutters a quiet, “Good girl,” before leaning down to capture Sybille’s lips in a devouring, open-mouthed kiss. Her eyes flutter shut and she leans back against him, allowing his tongue to plunge hungrily into her mouth. Small, whimpering moans are pulled from her every time their lips move. As she tilts her head back to give Jacob easier access, the red scarf wrapped around her neck slips, revealing a band of leather wrapped around her throat. 

A sharp gasp flies from Adelaide’s lips and she covers her mouth and nose with both hands, muffling the quiet “Oh no…” as her eyes go wide. Nick’s face goes red. Whether it’s in anger or second-hand embarrassment, Grace isn’t sure, and both Hurk and Sharky’s mouths hang agape, absolutely dumbfounded. 

The Chosen uniform, the collar, the kiss — Jacob might as well be fucking her on camera. Not only has Sybille pledged her allegiance to the Cult, but she’s allowed herself to be claimed by one of the most ruthless men Grace has had the displeasure of meeting. 

When they part, Sybille’s lips are swollen and her eyes are glassy. Jacob’s arm wraps around her waist, pulling her back and holding her against him. Her head leans back and she melts into him,, seeming to forget that the camera is still there. 

But Jacob doesn’t. Piercing blue eyes focus back on the lens to address those watching. “Let it be known to all who stand in opposition to the Project: the Sword of Justice will be swift and merciless.” Everyone lets out a horrified gasp when he lifts Eli’s head — severed from his body — into frame by the hair. “Your sins will be weighed and judged. Those deemed worthy, those deemed willing to repent, will be spared. Those who aren’t…” he trails off, lips quirking smugly upwards as he glances at the decapitated head in his hand, “...will be set free.” His gaze snaps back to the camera. “This is the will of the Father.”

The video cuts out, replaced by static before it begins to loop. 

Adelaide turns the TV off, and all those gathered stare at the blank screen in horrified silence. 

Sharky is the one brave enough  to shatter it. “W…we’re gonna help her, right?” he asks, looking to the rest of the group with round, pleading eyes. 

“She’s gotta be brainwashed,” Nick says shakily. The flush of his face has given way to a sickly green. “The conditioning…there’s gotta be a way to deprogram her,” he says before tacking on an uncertain, “Isn’t there?” 

Adelaide’s brows knit together, and she looks to the boys apologetically. “Sugar, I ain’t so sure there’s anythin’ we can do.” 

“Why not?” Sharky asks. His voice is small, almost childlike. 

Grace’s stomach churns. “Because she’s exactly where she wants to be,” she says grimly. 

“What — how…?” Nick stammers. 

Adelaide taps at her throat. “The collar, honey,” she explains. “Y’all’ve met her. You think she’d be wearin’ that if she didn’t want to? You think she’d let him do that to her on camera if she weren’t at least a little into it?”

A wave of disgust washes through Grace. To think that the woman who helped her defend her Pops’ grave and saved Falls End — the woman she looked up to as a leader and commander — is now Jacob Seed’s pet. 

“I’ll be damned,” Adelaide sighs. “The military kink I kinda expected, but I ain’t ever woulda pegged her as a sub.” She knocks back the martini she’d been holding in her hand and grimaces again. “Guess we know why we ain’t heard from her or Eli in a while.” 

“Fuck,” Nick hisses. “Shit.” He drags his hand over his face and rubs at his beard. “How — how the hell did we miss this?” 

Grace sighs wearily and leans over the bar, pulling up the first drink her hand touches. Unscrewing the cap, she doesn’t bother with a glass and drinks whiskey straight from the bottle. 

At first she thought the delegation of missions was just Sybille being a good leader. It’s impossible for her to do everything, and, at the time, it made sense to have teams attacking outposts and doing what they could while Sybille was elsewhere in the county. But then she thinks about how much time Sybille had spent in the Whitetails — how whenever she disappeared for days at a time, it was always when she was up north. How she was always so irritable, almost volatile, whenever Grace had asked about how her “solo-missions” went whenever she returned. 

It’s easier to spot the red flags in retrospect. Hindsight is a bitch like that.

Sybille always played things close to her chest, hiding problems until they couldn’t be hidden anymore. Ever since the night she dug herself out of her own grave and struck Joey during Burke and Virgil’s funeral, Grace has known that something was wrong with Sybille. But she always assumed that they were close enough — that she was trusted enough — that she would confide in her if something was weighing on her shoulders. 

And maybe that’s Grace’s fault. Maybe she should have pressed harder or checked in more often. 

Not that it matters anymore. They all missed the writing on the wall, and while Eli was the first to bear the consequences, he certainly won’t be the last. 

The county’s greatest hope has turned into its biggest nightmare, and now they need to figure out how to fight it. 

Abruptly, the door to the 8-Bit swings open with enough force that it bashes against the wall. They all whip around, pulling their sidearms from their holsters.

Stumbling through the door is a man dressed in Peggie garb. His hair and beard blend into one dark, tangled mass around his face, and his bright green eyes are bloodshot and wild. Wheaty leans against him, his arm wrapped around the Peggie’s shoulders, while his other hand is pressed against his abdomen. Blood oozes between his fingers and he’s barely clinging to consciousness. 

“My name is Augustine La Roux,” the Peggie says, looking to all of them with fearful desperation. “I need your help.”

[sparkly-angell]

I need more vetvibil fics that focus on Sybil or have her as a character on her own and not just someone who accepts Vetinari and Vimes's love

[sugarsnappeases]

psychologically traumatising sybill today my darlings… 3.5k words of trauma so far actually and i’m not stopping i don’t think

[5ampagvita]

beast or [arcane] for @tes-summer-fest ! 608 words.

Wrote this way too quickly in a bid to get my prompt done before 12AM lmao. I privately do a lot of speculation on Akaviri (particularly Tsaesci) lore with my bestie, because I’m Asian and by God I will get my rep in my fav silly lil fantasy games one way or another!!

This is a lil scene where my Cyrod-Tsaesci gal Sybil does a spirit summoning so that everyone’s fav fellow Kaidan can learn more about his past. Hope you enjoy!!

When Kaidan first sees it, he’s shaken to the core. The way the water bucks and claws at the air with seemingly nothing bending it, the way Sibyl’s eyes roll backwards against her will, the way otherworldly shouts ripple from the freezing lake and echo across the empty shores–it’s all so foreign, and it gives him the sinking feeling that his companion is playing with forces neither of them understand.

Still, Sibyl had assured him that she’d done this ritual a thousand times, and Kai himself would do anything to learn more about his past. He tentatively kneels beside his entranced friend, watching the paper lotus she’d cast onto the lake’s surface bob and splash against the water’s force.

The first hand, ghostly and golden, rises from the small whirlpool in front of them. It grips the wavering water as if it is ground, and it lends the spirit purchase. Sibyl, once death-still, begins to shake, murmuring words in the old Akaviri tongue, and each syllable beckons her ancestor to push further into the mortal realm, until finally, he is free of the lake’s grip, and stands on the surface of the water with the powerful poise afforded to such tangible history.

Sybil, all tremors, slowly comes down from her trance. When she’s gained her bearings, she rises to her feet, and to Kaidan’s shock, walks on the water to meet her ancestor.

She kneels before him in reverence. They share a few words in a tongue Kaidan doesn’t understand. Listening to their conversation feels like passing by a home someone else now inhabits–you belonged once upon a time, but now it is gone, and your heart aches.

The spirit gestures for Sybil to rise. After a few more words, she returns to land and addresses Kaidan.

“It’s your turn,” she whispers to him, placing a palm on his armored shoulder. He cannot feel the warmth on his skin, but the sensitive way she speaks sends it to his soul.

“But I don’t speak Akaviri,” he croaks.

Sybil gives him a smile full of mirth, but the kindness of it is tinged with pity. “The Waters are beyond such trifles. He will understand you.”

Kaidan sheepishly nods and rises to his feet. He briefly attempts to meet eyes with the ghost, but is faced with only the gaping maw of his helm. He recalls Sybil telling him that, like some Tamrielic cultures, a Tsaesci warrior is expected to be buried in his armor. He didn’t expect the armor to be so formidable.

The younger Akavir takes his first step towards the now-peaceful water, teeth clenched, expecting his boot to sink into the mud. But his foot stays above water, casting a strong ripple across the waves. With each stride, he becomes more sure of his balance on the lake, and finally closes in on the spirit, where he falls into respectful kneel.

Silence echoes across the waters. Kaidan fights the urge to look up to check that the man is still there–he fears seeming doubtful.

After seconds that feel like days, Sybil’s ancestor speaks. His voice is strong, and accented in a way that Kaidan’s never heard before.

“You may rise, young one,” he says. “I am Lieutenant Hailne-Shai.”

Kaidan heeds his words. “I’m Kaidan–ser.” His voice, usually strong and sure under his softness, shakes.

Hailne-Shai’s smile can be heard in his tone. “Sybil told me you have questions.”

The prompt fills Kaidan’s heart with joy. Now, here, he is not restricted to the books of Tamriel and vague extrapolation. His history is right in front of him, glowing, breathing. Welcoming him home.

[void-spells]

Chapter 11 of House of Eternal Return is up a day early! Felt bad about missing last week..

'It has been a week now since Sybil took Cal, and Cere hasn't slept so poorly since before she met Greez. She feels just as on edge as she had then, and the nightmares aren't too different, either.' 'As far as recorded history goes, Humans appeared, charmed every other civilization they came across, and were vital to the first true unification of the Galaxy.' '"Tell me everyone is in one piece and no one has hijacked the station."'

[lavenderlyncis]

Only The Good Die Young - The Cthk Halloween Special is out!!!

I'm so sorry for the delay! I'm actually really scared that no one will read this, so it would be wonderful if you could check it out if you like cthk or my writing in general!

"Shh," James shushed him. "I'm not going to kill you."

Regulus ceased his struggle, knowing that it would only tire him out further. Instead, he finally looked James in the eyes. It was dark, but the red glow in them was unmistakable.

"What do you want from me?" He spat furiously.

James' lips tilted upwards into a hungry grin and gripped Regulus by his other shoulder, making it impossible for him to move at all. Inching his face close to Regulus', he practically purred, "I only want your blood."

Regulus' eyes widened and his breath quickened. "Well, you aren't getting it! I haven't survived this long just for you to put an end to it!"

"No, no, Regulus. I told you, I'm not going to kill you." To Regulus' horror, James pulled him against his chest, his face hovering over the curve of his neck. "I'm going to make you just like me."

Hot breath ghosted over the soft skin of Regulus' throat, who did his best to squirm away as far as he could. "Why would you even want that?" He asked, disgust clear in his voice. He'd rather James kill him than make him like the rest of the Blacks.

James pulled away slightly, allowing Regulus to let out his breath again, and considered him with amusement glinting in his eyes. "You're pretty, I like that in a man. Plus, you're Sirius' brother. It's only right for you to join our family."