I'M GONNA MAKE IT

ttrpg-based oc's of various flavors. verses for critical role/vox machina and taz. loved by hannah.

[parismemes]

MULTIMUSE ASK MEME

send in the name of a muse you’re unfamiliar with, and i’ll tell you a few things about them, as well as how i think they’d get along with your muse! BONUS: if you’re also a multimuse, i’ll list some of your muses they might get along with.

[naturolled]

[ so my computer is misbehaving, which I love, so until further notice I’ll be mobile and discord exclusive! disco is “rotisserie shithead#7002”, feel free to add me / shoot a message my way if y’all need or want anything!

[promptfairy]

𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐓 / 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓   ♡   𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

    change any gendered language to your needs.  ♡

“   you  don’t  have  to  hide  your  tears  from  me .   ” “   you’re  doing  great ,   okay ??   i mean it .   ” “   you  are  so  strong .   ” “   please  don’t  ever  give  up .   ” “   i  will  always  believe  in  you .   ” “   why  do  you  always  think  you  have  to  do  everything  on  your  own ??   ” “   it’s  okay ,   i’m  here .   i’ll  always  be  here .   ” “   you’ve  always  been  strong  for  me .   let  me  return  the  favor .   ” “   just  listen  to  my  heartbeat ,   okay ??   ” “   come  on ,   take  a  deep  breath .   it’s  gonna  be  alright .   ” “   please ,   just  hold  me .   ” “   you  always  meant  the  world  to  me .   i’m  sorry  i  let  you  forget  that .   ” “   i  never  stopped  loving  you .   ” “   you’ll  feel  better  if  you  talk  about  it .   i’m  here  to  listen .   ” “   you’re  so  much  more  than  the  mistakes  you’ve  made .  ” “   i  forgive  you .   ” “   you  are  so  fucking  powerful .   ” “   i’m  not  leaving  you  here .   ” “   i  trust  you  more  than  anyone  else  in  this  universe .   ” “   it’s  okay  to  be  confused .   nobody  has  all  the  answers .   ” “   i’m  so ,   so  sorry .   you  didn’t  deserve  that .   ” “   healing  is  not  linear ,   but  it’s  always  moving  forward .   ” “   you  can  admit  that  you’re  hurting .   it’s  okay  to  not  be  okay .   ” “   hold  my  hand ??   ” “   you  are  my  home .   ” “   no  matter  what  anyone  else  says ,   you  are  so  important  to  me .   ” “   don’t  worry .   i’ll  protect  you .   ” “   shh ,   it  was  just  a  nightmare .   you’re  safe .   ” “   don’t  talk  about  yourself  like  that .   ” “   just  say  the  word .   you  know  i’d  do  anything  for  you .   ” “   you  are  loved .   ” “   i  just  need  a  hug .   ” “   i’ll  destroy  anything  that  so  much  as  thinks  of  harming  you .   ” “   don’t  ever  let  anyone  make  you  feel  ashamed  of  who  you  are .   ” “   you’re  not  alone .   you’re  stuck  with  me  forever .   sorry .   ” “   well ,   hello  sleeping  beauty .   you  fell  asleep  on  me .   ” “   if  you  don’t  take  your  butt  back  to  bed ,   i  will  carry  you  there  myself .   ” “   i’m  sorry  to  wake  you  up ,   but  i  really  need  someone  to  talk  to .   ” “   i  hate  seeing  you  like  this   …   please ,  let  me  help .   ” “   you  are   &   always  will  be  precious  to  me .   ” “   i  can’t  believe  that  asshole  said  that  to  you .   it’s  not  true ,   you  know .    ” “   you  want  me  to  punch  him  in  the  face  ??   ” “   you  deserve  every  good  thing  in  the  world .   ” “   you  know  i  always  have  your  back .   ” “   you  don’t  have  to  worry  about  anything ,   as  long  as  i’m  around .   ” “   stop  apologizing ,   okay ??   i’ve  already  told  you  i’ve  forgiven  you  a  hundred  times now .   ” “   don’t  beat  yourself  up  over  this .   be  kind  to  yourself ,   it’s  not  your  fault .   ”

[naturolled]

[ i have a small ,, firbolg addiction

[naturolled]

————  “ This is no place to take a nap. ”   ›› @venturezone​

I KNOW , eli thought. I know. 

his brain and his mouth did not want to connect. he could not begin to tell minerva what sort of state he was in - he was barely able to show his new rise to consciousness , the slow and rhythmic expand of his chest turning to something more violent as he struggled for air. not because he’d been deprived of it , but because he was compensating for what he’d lost - breathing easily did not suit his panicked state of being , whatever terror his mind had been grappling with before darkness turned slowly into light. his head throbbed. he could smell iron. there was a wet spot on his forehead that he predicted was a casualty of being on the kitchen tile.

he was scared. minerva’s presence alone was soothing , but minerva couldn’t do a damn thing for him. couldn’t call for help. couldn’t keep a wavering hand out while he brought himself to his feet. couldn’t do anything but sit and talk and likely not have a clue anything is wrong if he couldn’t bring himself to move , and all that for only three minutes. 

eli swallowed , and grounded himself , and hesitantly pushed himself onto his elbows. with time he could get his legs underneath him. for now , he just kept his eyes closed and his breath easy. 

“ ... not on purpose , “ he whispered , cleared his throat. poppy whined nervously from behind the closed back door , where she waited to be let inside. “ i , uh ... i passed out. passed out pretty bad, ‘nerva. don’t think training is a great idea today. “ 

[rpmusings-galore]

             i died in that house 

                         and whoever came back

                                                    wasn’t me 

[deathinherited]

&&.  @naturolled​  ——  x.

IT’S A FAMILIAR ROUTINE, NOW :  hazel-green eyes fixed sharp on the undergrowth of the forest in search of flora and fungi to sell at the local market,  a woven basket hanging over their shoulder. the wood elf deftly navigates the terrain with bare feet, stopping only when they spot a significantly larger humanoid in the distance. cybin freezes – even from this distance, the figure is at least two feet taller than them, and has what appears to be a … flower in their mouth. 

another familiar thing for cybin. the druid approaches with caution, staff in hand; not in a defensive pose, but rather using the instrument as a sort of walking stick. they stop several feet away, clearing their throat and adjusting the strap of their basket full of goods. “ … you like mushroom? i have extra. ”

[naturolled]

today is a good day. 

it is dreary , but not dark - good for spotting things in the midst. the air is humid , and baz can feel the weight of it in his hair , and beading sweat across his brow. it will rain soon , he thinks , but not now - which is good , because he has much more to find. 

he’d long since turned his cloak into a sash , doubled around his waist to form a little pouch , filled with just enough of what he needs - bits of herbs and leaves , chunks of rock with salty white crystals growing within , berries only he would find edible , root vegetables caked in muddy clay , mushrooms , bruised fruit from the forest floor , all sorts of flowers , chunks of edible moss. he’s currently playing a bit of a cheeky game with himself - the best flowers are to be taken with him and prepared for later. the worst ones , he eats now and saves them a journey. a valid effort, if he weren’t intentionally picking the worst ones. he was hungry. 

though he’d smelled someone long before they made themself known, baz still looked down in surprise when they spoke. he hadn’t heard them come near , which , after making a small assumption on their race , made much sense. it wasn’t a bad thing , just an unexpected thing. baz smiled. 

“ i am okay , thank you. i have mushrooms as well. they grow very well here , don’t they ? in this forest. i am happy to be here today , i think ... are you collecting these too ? would you like me to move ? “ 

[naturolled]

————   ›› @gravemaker​

“ THIS IS very good tea , “ she says , finally.

the silence that had so deeply permeated this meeting was broken , her voice hoarse and husky despite how soothing the drink was on her throat. it had simply been far too long since she’d talked with others. had been too long since she’d braved civilization as a whole , as small and one-manned as this civilization had become. vaniel remembered the blooming grove with little fondness , and little warmth , though she remembers there being more. more living. more dead. shadycreek had not been a welcoming home when she’d lived amongst its people , and the amount of corpses compared to unwell that she’d tended to rivaled what she’d seen on battlefields. some had taken to the wildmother , had asked to be buried here. no one else had been willing to carry them this far into the woods. 

this is very good tea , she thought bitterly , to be made from such sad people. 

“ ... i am sorry to intrude , “ she sighed , staring into her cup as if it would give her some much-needed strength. “ i just thought i might’ve liked to say hello to a few folk. figure not many come this far out for the sake of the dead. figure i might as well be the one to do it. “ 

[gravemaker]

have you ever  been  in nature?                              VIOLENCE is EXTREMELY NATURAL.

private multiverse  caduceus clay  from  critical role.  brewed by avery.

[naturolled]

TLDR - almost all personal nouns are verbs , implication is everything, community is important to language , and hannah rambles A Lot. 

To start, I’ll tackle the idea of names and personal nouns. For firbolgs (at least for baz’ clan , like I’m not gonna force my headcanons on all firblogs ) there’s such an emphasis on community and the clan that even if someone has a noun attached to them , it’s stupidly long and formal. something like “baker” turns into “the-one-who-cooks-the-wheat-to-be-consumed-to-keep-starvation-at-bay” or something ridiculous like that. “i/you/them” translates more into “myself/yourself/themself-apart-from-the-clan”. the language itself is slow and drawling , with too many vowels and rolling consonants and it very easily turns anything into a mouthful , let alone nouns. 

but there can’t be a language without nouns. everything needs a name. sure , they can get away without using personal names or titles or names of locations , but what about “bread” or “wheat” or “house” or anything like that? the loophole made by the language is that nouns are now verbs. in giant , verbs imply action, action implies you need to say it fast, so verbs have been condensed to maybe one or two syllables for convenience. you can say “ i’m making bread “ , but that ends up as “myself-apart-from-the-clan is making wheat-to-flour-to-heat-to-be-consumed” - no one wants to say that, or sit around and listen to it being said. what you can say instead, is “i’m to bread” - “myself-apart-from-the-clan is to bread”.

And, because that’s still a mouthful, firbolg clans have a heavy emphasis on implication. you can say “i’m going to get bread from the baker” (myself-apart-from-the-clan is going to get wheat-to-flour-to-heat-to-be-consumed from the-one-who-cooks-the-wheat-to-be-consumed-tokeep-starvation-at-bay) but jesus christ, who has the time ? so shorten it. “i’m to bread from the baker” (myself-apart-from-the-clan is to bread from the-one-who-cooks-the-wheat-to-keep-starvation-at-bay). still a lot - which is where implication comes to play. if you’re telling this person something like this , there’s an implication that they are of the clan, and they know who you are and what you do , and they know you always get bread from the baker. so you can cut it down to “i’m to bread” (myself-apart-from-the-clan is to bread) because they’re fully aware you get bread from the baker. but there’s still a way to whittle the sentence down. if you’re talking to someone else and the conversation thus far has been about what you’re doing today , why would anyone else except you be getting bread? therefore , “to bread” is a perfectly acceptable sentence in giant. 

of course, it can still get a little confusing, but the beauty of a sentence only taking two words is that you’ve got plenty of time to ask questions. “to bread / yourself-without-the-clan? / yes / what kind? / plain and to fruit  / that sounds good” is a whole conversation that takes just as much time to say as that first monster sentence in the former paragraph , which is why they say it that way

this probably made no sense to read but i hope you can get the gist. I haven’t done a lot of research into the actual real-world linguistic applicability for this, but I know I’ve made some professor out there cry just by writing this. 

[naturolled]

venturezone​:

       THIS  WOULDN’T  DO.  staying out here was a ridiculous thought,  and it was all too clear when the boy  —  he was an adult,  she needed to get out of that habit  —  before her seemed to black out momentarily.  she worked hard to keep her panic and fear under control,  a tight grip around the emotions swirling around in her head and her heart.  now wasn’t the time for the smothering woman eli had put up with for most of his younger life.  she needed to be something of a rock,  a stable support.

   so instead of letting tears overwhelm her,  instead of letting the panic grip her like the vice she knew it could be if she let it,  she offered a small smile at the question. 

           “  it’s really dead.  you did good,  eli,  you have a day off,  promise.  ”

   she had to spend a moment to look around,  trying to take any account of how the area around was.  too far from her truck to leave him to bring it,  and too far into the woods,  too.  she was going to pick him up and take him there.  

           “  i’m gonna  …  i’m gonna do something here,  okay?  hold tight,  alright?  ” 

    mama couldn’t just lift him,  and she knew that.  no,  she needed to settle something,  anything,  she had to try.  she hadn’t been at the forefront of all this in years,  she wasn’t like leo,  sturdy and trained to be forever fight-capable. it had been a long time, but she would try.  removing the bundle of cloth from the wound,  trying not to look at the blood soaking through the fabric.  her hands settled over the length of the wound,  and she had to concentrate for a moment.

    warmth began to spread through her palm and the digits of her hand slowly, like trying to move a singular flame to coax into something larger.  it had been a long time since she had used magic like this,  but her concentration held true, and the warmth jumped from her palm in a show of a glowing passage of light to spread across the length of the gash on eli’s body.  meant to heal,  to at least stop the bleeding and lessen some pain.  he would need more assistance back at the lodge,  no doubt,  but it would do enough for her to lift him.

    she could feel the blood seeping through her own shirt from her side,  but she ignored the stinging heat.

         “  i’m gonna pick you up now,  eli.  bear with me,  honey,  okay?  ”

eli made a small noise , a cross between an approving hum and a strangled groan, and wrapped his arms tighter around himself. he’d always been cold - he was a small man , and chill cut through him easier than most , but this cold was different. it was bone deep , and seemed to radiate outwards rather than fall in closer to him. he knew , somewhere , that it was a balmy summer night , and when he thought hard enough it made sense , that something gave inside of him and that was why he was freezing , but then rationality gave way to cold and pain and this ever-swarming confusion. 

“ m’kay , “ he rasped , his voice thicker and hoarser than it had been moments before , “ ... s’not that bad ... i could get up , “ he offered meekly , but mama wanted to try something first. of course. let her do what she needed. it’d be rude to deny her that. 

eli settled back against the ground and , for the first time tonight , willingly closed his eyes. the stars had begun to swirl sickeningly above , and it wasn’t helping the twisting knot in his stomach. he shivered freely now , having found it jostled him less to just ... accept the inevitable. and then the shivering stopped. the nausea stopped. the pain itself stopped , separating from his body , and what once burned and stung was replaced with a lazy warmth that flowed through him like honey wine. he didn’t open his eyes - didn’t dare , afraid this was some illusion he’d break. but his body relaxed , the bearhug he held on himself fading into something more casual , even as things went back the way they were. pain eased through him this time , coming in tolerable waves instead of the throbbing mess it arrived as. the cold came back with vengeance , somehow shuddering even more heavily, but it was good. it was just cold. he felt , suddenly , like he’d survive. 

“ where’sit then ... ? “ he slurred , and grinned internally. in his head he could picture her rolling her eyes , and it brought him strength. just before she got her arms underneath him , eli forced his eyes open , and rolled over just enough to grab his sword. it sheathed itself with reluctance , and eli tucked his dagger inside his coat. “ m’kay , mama. i trust you. “ 

[naturolled]

venturezone​:

      THE  FEELING  OF  HEALING  MAGIC  FLOWING  THROUGH  MINERVA  MADE  HER  BLINK.   not much else came of the action, and for a solid moment, she hardly seemed to take much else in as her headache ebbed away and her aches seemed to dissipate into something more related to how she slept on the floor last night. her gaze peered at vaniel, then, confusion marring her expression  —  she had done that?  healed her?  such magic on her planet always required such attunement, such training, and ritual, and almost immediately she was intrigued into how vaniel could have possibly already tapped into such of her planet’s reserve keeping it alive.  perhaps that should have been more worrisome on that end, the idea that someone else could dip into those precious crevasses of energy, but instead it only made her lean a little closer, look her up and down.

     was she … ?

   no, there was simply no way, not as she watched her stagger a little and mention something about planes, and that was telling enough. 

        “ yes,  the  healing  magic  you’ve  used  is  quite  effective,  thank  you.  but  you  look  worse  for  wear,  vaniel.  come,  sit. ”  minerva gestured towards a chair,  a bit worn but sturdy.   “ you  look  dreadful.  let  me  make  you  some  tea,  should  set  you  right.  and  leaving  …  i’m  not  sure  i  could  send  you  back  the  same  way?  i  believe  i  brought  you  over  somehow  by  mistake,  as  you  are  certainly  not  leo  tarkesian. ”

   she began to bustle around the room, once vaniel was hopefully seated,  moving to small pit of charcoaled sticks to start up a fire from her hands alone. she settled a bowl of water over the top of it and pulled down a box from a shelf, seeming to start some kind of ritual. 

        “  this  may  be  another  plane  to  you,  but  i  likely  dragged  you  lightyears  through  space.  again,  my  apologies,  vaniel.  but  do  tell  me  more  of  where  you  hail  from.  i’m  curious  how  i  got  you  rather  than  my  intial  target. ”

“ perhaps ... “ she mused , throat suddenly dry and crackling. tea sounded lovely , as did the chance to sit down - her limp , barely noticeable on any given day , was magnified considerably , as was expected with exhaustion this great. vaniel took her seat with palpable gratitude , though she did only take up the very edge of it ; she’d done as much as she could , but didn’t doubt for a moment this minerva wouldn’t still be a bit tired. she’d catch her breath , adjust to the strange tilt the room before her had taken , and then offer the seat back to its rightful owner. it was only natural. god , she was tired.

enough to break form at the very least , hunched over just enough to rest her elbows on her knees , one hand massaging her brow. “ not sure why , “ she said , then cleared her throat to correct the weary tone that had slipped into her voice. “ i can’t say i’ve ever felt ... tired from magic before. it was worth it , certainly , but very unexpected. “ she’d felt warm before , and powerful , and loved , but never tired after the spell had run its course. maybe it was this new planet. maybe - ... maybe istus couldn’t find her here. her heart jolted momentarily , and she sent out a flailing , desperate prayer : mother , be with me.

many of the words minerva spoke made little sense. planets she knew , as the orbital bodies were casually studied by most monastery students. lightyears , she had little knowledge or comprehension for. leo tarkesian , whoever or whatever they may be , was wholly a mystery. her panic doubled suddenly , but ebbed away as quickly as it had appeared - she’d never been sent a challenge she couldn’t face. if she wasn’t meant to be here , she would’ve never arrived.

“ i’ve - ... i come from a land called faerune. near the flatlands. i’ve seen most of our world - found purpose as a medic for some time , and followed war where it led. i’m not sure what else to tell you , to be honest , i ... i was quite taken off guard by all of this. “

[naturolled]

————  “  In case you don't live forever, let me tell you now: i love you more than you’ll ever wrap your head around... ”  ›› @lcsingstars​​

FOR A FEW minutes , baz was quiet. not as if that was uncommon for him , but ... well. it was uncommon to the situation. angis was , and had always been , a man of few sweet words - not exactly a complaint on baz’s part , but an observation. a constant. something that had always been , and always would be , save for the occasional tender outburst like this one. and , when prompted accordingly , baz had always found it in him to gush. good behavior goes rewarded and all that ... as much as baz could live without it , he certainly wouldn’t try and sway him from speaking as much. 

tonight was a bit different , though. baz said nothing , and for a few minutes could have easily passed as asleep. but then his arms suddenly tightened , and his legs twisted around angis’ own , and they were interlocked more fiercly than their casual cuddle moments before. baz could feel stray bits of hay poking through his thin linen clothes and he grimaced at the sensation , but it was hardly worth making a fuss over. it’s what they got for sleeping in the stables again. it’s what baz got for being a literal giant. 

baz , with angis interwound tightly within his embrace , burrowed his face in angis’ hair , mooneyes fluttering closed. “ don’t want to lose you , “ he said , as softly as anything. “ never again. i’ll live as long as you need , angis. long as you need. we’ve got time , ‘aven’t we ? “ 

[naturolled]

————  “ Hearts, like flowers, cannot be rudely handled, but must open naturally. ”  ›› @freckledbats​ 

“ THAT WAS ... eloquent. “ to the surprise of most people , perhaps , but not vaniel. she knew better than many that daxton was a mixed bag , a perfectly unexpected creature entirely. when their mind was clear and open , words seemed to come easily to them , but that was a rarity few had the chance to witness - they were troubled , and lonely. their mind seemed to have its own agenda half of the time. it was best not to question these bouts of lucidity , but take them in stride , and that is what vaniel intended as she pulled them a bit higher up on her lap. 

“ i think that’s a very wise thing to say. people tend to forget that sometimes - that affection is fickle. it doesn’t come when you call , like some pet ... what brought this up , dear ? just thinking ? “ with one arm loosely around daxton’s waist , her other hand was free to brush a few leaves and twigs from their hair , and smooth a few of her own hairs behind her ear. it was nice , to just sit like this. be quietly affectionate. it had been too long since they’d been in the same space together , and as nice as the letters were , it was nothing compared to being truly together. “ ... is something on your mind ? “ 

[naturolled]

venturezone​:

     THE ONLY SAVING GRACE KEEPING LEO FROM OPENING HIS MOUTH AND COMING BACK WITH SOMETHING SCORCHING WAS THE BASEBALL GAME THAT HELD A SMALL AMOUNT OF HIS ATTENTION.

   At least, enough so that he could tune into it instead of the desire to snap back at Bim with some level of annoyance and anger mixed. He wasn’t in any kind of mood to chat. Hence, of course, the game on the radio. Not that he cared about the two teams enough to be invested. Red Sox versus the Braves. Not teams he liked nor hated, so it was simply following their plays, mapping out the game in his head. Pulling his mind from the pain of his injuries from his last hunt, at least. 

   His eyelids fluttered shut after a moment, as Bim lifted one of the ice packs and then disappeared. Probably to replace it. He just wanted to relax. He didn’t want to be angry or annoyed. But good god, every movement he made hurt like hell, and the stress of everything going on … it was only getting worse. And he could only see it getting worse as time went on. They were getting stronger, and Leo … well. He was getting older. His prime had passed, the two lovely decades of his twenties and thirties. And he worked himself harshly these days. If he wasn’t keeping an eye on the gate, he was working at the day-job he had, overtime every week save for the hunts. There was no telling how much more taxing this all would become. 

     (  Could he keep doing this … ?   )

   But the whole reason why he had to keep doing this seemed to walk right back into the room as if summoned or cued by Leo himself. His eyes slid open again as his head tilted back to glance at him. His harder expression softened for a moment. Shitty last week or not, Bim certainly didn’t deserve the brunt of that. A long sigh left his lungs, and he felt his shoulders relax.

        “ I don’t think ‘ve got enough naproxen t’do enough good, y’know, ” he grumbled, but he sat up a little straighter. “ But another few couldn’t do any worse t’me. ”

“ right , “ bim murmured , and disappeared once more. he came back with the pill bottle in tow , a soda from the fridge tucked in the crook of one arm and a glass of water in hand - just for options. bim would’ve brought a beer down for him , if he hadn’t thought it would just thin out his blood. was that how alcohol worked ? god , bim should’ve known that - he was almost sixty , anyway , though he didn’t look it ; there were a lot of things he should’ve known. most of his medical knowledge was piecemeal at best , enough to keep leo alive ; enough to keep them from visiting the hospital every week , because as good as bim’s healthcare was , it couldn’t afford that. 

speaking of his healthcare , of his work in general ... bim paused to give the calendar a look on his way out of the kitchen , and died a little internally. his marathon was coming up , the weekly stretch where he filmed sixteen hours a day and answered fanmail the rest. at least he didn’t need to sleep. at least leo never questioned why he dropped off on the couch anyway afterwards. 

bim set the drinks on the coffee table , and set a few naproxen in the pill cap. “ pick your poison , “ he sighed , settling on the arm of the couch , waiting patiently for leo to choose so he could hand it to him. “ we’re out of , uh ... we’re out of a few things , so i might run down to the store in a minute here. you got anything else we need to add to the list ? “ anything to keep busy. anything to repay leo for what he was constantly doing for them. even sitting still like this has him tense - maybe the ice pack was already frozen ? no , he’d put it in less than a minute ago ... trailing off into his own thoughts , bim leaned back against the couch , and crossed his arms over his chest. “ ... i , uh , think you should take tomorrow off too. i know that’s not your gig , but ... i do. “ 

[naturolled]

venturezone​:

   THE PAIN IN MINERVA’S SKULL POUNDED SOMETHING FIERCE. 

   Her bones seemed to ache horribly, and if blood could feel boiling, she thought maybe that’s what was happening in her veins, let alone her skin. The inky black of the night sky was hidden by the dark, impenetrable cloth hung against the single peeking window from the underground up to the surface. But there was light in here, in the little cave of sorts that Minerva called home, casting a gentle yellow glow over the walls and floor, and the tall, broad figure leaning over the one lain out across the rocky terrain of the room. Her armour was not being worn for the moment, decreasing some of her typical bulk, though the blue tunic was still adorned, and the symbols painted across her scalp were clear as ever.

   She would have to ignore the splitting headache to attend to whoever this person was on her floor, and that wasn’t terribly surprising. She was always ignoring something in favor of something else of higher significance. But in this case, the surprising thing was whoever this was. No one had spontaneously appeared on Miralaviniax Orbital Body Five  —  affectionately shortened to MOB-5  —  in over five decades. It must have meant something  —  and if she could judge by the horrid drain in her energy and the pain, she could only guess that her experiment had worked. Just not … precisely how she meant it to. She had been hoping to draw herself out this blasted planet’s ensnaring atmosphere, but it appeared that, instead, she drew someone else here.

     Whoops.

   But whoever they were stirred finally after a moment, and even addressed her in a language she could speak  —  convenient!

        “ My apologies. I am Minerva. You, my friend, are not from Miralaviniax Orbital Body Five, are you? ”  Her hazel eyes were fixed on the being before her, odd as they appeared.  “ And you are no human, yes? ”

   Her hand outstretched, then, reaching out to the person to help them up. A smile was on her face  —  this would be fascinating, no doubt.

oh , she felt feverish. it seemed to amplify the longer she laid , and she tried not to squirm uncomfortably in its wake. she couldn’t say her mind was racing , as slowly as the cogs were turning , but she thought deep and hard about what and where she might be. even as the answers were given to her , she thought this woman might’ve been mistaken ... she’d never left her lodgings. she never would leave her lodgings , not unprompted , and unless she’d been dreaming heavily and staggered out of her own accord , and been ... accosted , she doubted this was real. 

dreams could carry unbeknownst weight. they could feel as real as the stone against her back and the soft light scattered against the walls. but as she did take this strangers hand and slowly shift her weight to sit upright , vaniel knew it wasn’t a dream. her blood felt thick in her own veins , sweat dripping down her nape and past her collar. whatever reality this was , she couldn’t imagine why she felt so ... unbelievably horrible. work had been taxing , sure , but not to this degree. and , clasping hands with this poor woman before her , she couldn’t help but note her companion feeling much the same ; her pulse beat just as violently under her skin , and after a moment of hesitation , vaniel took that hand between both of her own. 

she called upon her magic the same as she usually would , but was immediately struck with how different it felt - it passed through her hands almost tangibly , a warm tingle flowing through her chest , slipping under her fingertips and flowing into the woman before her. though vaniel watched minerva’s expression patiently for change , her own started to tire even further. magic wasn’t normally a physical feeling : as such , she hadn’t expected the drop once it faded from her body. 

“ any better ... ? “ she asked quietly , using the other’s hand to get to her feet entirely. she felt as wan and pale as she likely looked, and wiped the sweat from her brow without much thinking on it. she’d be fine. a bit of rest would do her fine. “ forgive me , you ... didn’t appear well. my name is vaniel , and ... you’d be correct. i’m only half as much, anyway. “  

she wavered then , staggering under some newly discovered vertigo , and cleared her throat hesitantly. “ i don’t suppose you know how to leave this plane , do you ? “ 

[naturolled]

venturezone​:

    THERE  HAD  NEVER  BEEN  A  DOUBT  IN  MAMA’S  MIND  THAT  THIS  WOULD  HAPPEN  EVENTUALLY.  Injuries like these happened to everyone in the Pine Guard, never matter how experienced or strong or trained they were. The Abominations were always something more, whatever the case was. Faster, stronger, sturdier than the last they had fought, and the longer this all went on, the worst it became. Between horrifying creatures of total otherwordly nature to earthen animals lost to the Wasteland, she could remember her early days when they seemed so easy to tame and destroy.

       But now, they were nothing like that.

   Her hands were pressed against the gash and she was reluctant to let him feel it himself, to let him properly register his own wounds. She felt a heavy lump in her throat that she had to remember to talk through. Tears would do her no good here, would change nothing. But then Eli was trying to sit up, and her hand moved, bloodied, to his chest to stop him from such movement.

         “ No, Eli, don’t … don’t move much, alright? You can make it worse tryin’ to stand, ”  she said firmly, wracking her brain for anything at all she could do, aside from just lifting him. She sat back, pulling her hands away, covered in too much blood to be comforting, gripping the bottom of her overshirt and ripping at the fabric, removing a long strip of it to press and wrap around him tight as she could. Any staunching of the blood would be helpful.

        “ Tell me what you feel. Numb anywhere? ”

“ y’told me to stay awake ... “ he tried , tongue loose and numb in his mouth. he could taste blood at the back of his throat , but that was more likely to have been the result of fainting rather than being directly wounded. he thought he might’ve hit the ground hard , but he couldn’t remember at this point. couldn’t afford to concentrate on it. his body shook against his will , lips tinged blue with the sudden chill that swept over his body. he wrapped his arms around himself , desperate to hold on to what warmth his thin jacket still provided - things tinged grey again , the only bright thing being the stars above that he stared at with distant affection. the stars were pretty. mama pressed down , and eli blacked out. 

he came to to the feeling of cloth burrowed in his wound and he gagged , diaphragm heaving with an unexpected surge of nausea. he wasn’t sick , not yet , but he covered his mouth with his hands and retched and shook and almost fainted again. he couldn’t do this. he wanted to go to sleep. but mama said he had to stay awake , and he did , and then she asked him a question and he had to find the energy to answer.

“ it hurts , “ he whispered , not so much a complaint as him telling her exactly what she asked. “ s’not numb. it hurts. legs’r cold. “ he tried to curl them closer to himself , but the angle of the wound was awkward , and he couldn’t do what he wanted right now with mama in the way. some part of him felt irritable at that , but he didn’t have it in him to properly care. 

“ ... it’s really dead , right ? i don’t wanna do this tomorrow ... need a day off. “