#thal talk

[me-thal]

Thinking about... How Ratio's VA voiced the "do stay alive" message to Aventurine... The softness in it, the words unsaid......

[me-thal]

I do not think ratiorine are the type to use a lot of petnames and stuff, but boy do I end up weak when they make Ratio call Aventurine Mea vitae or mea anima

[me-thal]

As much as I love Verso he really had no right to be angry at Maëlle for gommaging Alicia. If Maëlle wasn't here, Alicia would have died as well and the only difference is that he wouldn't have been here to grieve her in the case he died too, and she would have no agency in what happened to her.

Verso is a very fucked up guy in general, that's something I like in him. He's a fucking liar and hypocrite and that's very cool.

[me-thal]

I dont usually like to post snippets of what I write elsewhere than in dms, but I need some motivation and showing this ratiorine exchange will motivate me to finish that damn fic

[me-thal]

My sibling told me Sampo would use Tumblr and they're so right actually

[me-thal]

Btw ya thing (me) officially has antidepressants for the first time in their life (yay !)

[me-thal]

(Tyr (mentionned) belongs to @hel-phoenyx, Domhildr (mentionned) belongs to @soupedepates, Canopus (mentionned) belongs to @noa-de-cajou, Meili (mentionned) to @azeler and Moldekai (mentionned), the Guest (mentionned), Valentina (mentionned) and Skuld belong to @corneille-but-not-the-author )

The boat has been quieter, ever since the worry and uneasiness has gone with the wind. Some still lingers, a fleeting smell of anticipation and anxiousness as to what awaits the small crew. No one is authorized to go into the chamber containing the new lab of their newly recruited doctor, but that naturally doesn't stop some of them from being curious. The sun shines brighter than ever, despite the tenth month of the year coming in and the days getting shorter ever so slowly.

Oli has been on rest duty, ever since the successful ritual. No flying, no excessive exercice ("Yes, that includes jumping Tyr or Domhildr's bones" had unhelpfully said Skuld when the order was given), no skipping meals or sleep. And safe to say, it left them restless and full of an excitement they struggle to contain.

Excitement that is probably felt by Skuld, as she turns as soon as her friend passes the door of her small garden, deep inside the ship. She looks better than when she passed out, but her arm is still bandaged.

Her screams of pain come back to them, for a second. A risk they would never take again, a thing that would haunt their nightmares if they still dreamt.

Dreams are a part of the System, it had told them when they asked.

"Ah, Oli, perfect, can you give me the haunteries ? Red leaves, black spots."

"Depends, are you resting like Moldekai said you had to ?" She stops a second then turns to Oli with a glare that says everything they need to know. "Oh I can't believe it ! And you were soooo adamant about how important it is to listen to a doctor..."

"Gngngn." They laugh, still getting the witch the ingredients for whatever she may need. "How are you doing ?"

"As well as I was yesterday, and the day before. Do you need something else or can I talk about your arm now ?"

"Limerines, silver flowers. Get only one petal, they're starting to be very hard to grow with the heat." Oli does as asked, looking at the way Skuld crushes and mixes the different substances and herbs in front of her. "It's something to hopefully stop the vomiting, I'm getting tired of it."

Oli simply nods. They can only imagine how it feels, to have something like this happening to Skuld, the usual pregancy symptoms mixing with the roll of the waves and the life on the boat.

Skuld tosses the weird paste on a leaf before gulping it down in a single move. She grimaces, the tattoos on her face distorting and accuenting just how much the taste makes her want to puke, and how much the sight makes Oli giggle.

"It's really that disgusting ?"

"It tastes like rat piss and meat that's too salty." Oli grimaces as well at the words, only imagining the taste and very thankful they do not plan on having anything requiring something like that. "Anyway, did you need anything ?"

"Well, I wanted to just spend some time with you, and also be sure your wound is doing okay."

"You dont need to feel bad about that, Oli, it was a conscious choice."

"Yea, it doesn't mean I dont feel bad. Let me pay you back even a bit, okay ? I proooomise it'll make me feel better."

They must know what their smile does to her, she thinks, as she sighs and shows the slowly healing cut.

They look at it, simply. Then nod and thank her, voice close to a whisper. Their hands are opening and closing, next to their body, as if they still didn't know what to do with them. Oli likes touching people they like, she remembers. She can picture how they press their body against Tyr's arm, how Domhildr's hand seems to find theirs always, even how they casually bump their fist against Meili's left side to tease him. By the gods, even how they shake Canopus like a palm tree when he's doing whatever he does. They even respect how Valentina seems to be very limited when the contact does not involve fighting or Domhildr.

So why don't they touch her as easily ?

It's not that they dont want to, quite the contrary. Skuld's skin seems so soft, and they wonder if her hand feels as nice in their hand when it's not a "you may die tonight" situation. But it's not easy, doing this. Hell, just six months ago Oli would have laughed in the face of anyone who told them Skuld would one day take their hand and kiss their fingers for "good luck".

But they did say they would be more honest with their feelings and wants, didn't they ?

"Can I-"

"Please take my hand."

They're both stunned, but Oli doesn't waste any time taking that pale hand in their own blue one.

It is very just as nice. A bit better even, they think.

They stay in silence, for a bit. The sound of the waves all between them, as they feel themselves blush just slightly from the single contact.

"Sorry. I... Just like that. It... Doesn't feel like I'm cursing you with my bad Luck, when I take your hand." Probably because, of the two, Oli clearly has the worst luck anyway.

"Curse me ?" The genuine shock in Oli's voice makes Skuld turn her head to face them. "Skuld, to be honest, you're more like... A good luck charm in my life, since you started holding my hand !"

There's a pause, a second of silence. Then Skuld's face contorts and Oli fears they offended her but-

She cries.

She cries and takes Oli in her arms, squeeze them against her like there's no tomorrow. And it may take a second, but they hug back, just as strong.

"Please dont cry...?"

"Please dont cry, they say, after telling me the nicest thing I ever heard..." She sniffles a bit, and Oli can feel the wings and the feathers under the illusion she keeps up at all time. They are careful in how they press their hands against those, how her owns are pressing against their back.

"Well stop or I'm gonna cry too..." It's not a lie, and Skuld only holds them closer.

"... Help me preen ?"

They nod. Fast, without thinking. Neither of their arms leave the other for a few more minutes.

They do have to let go when it's revealed the paste did not help in making the puking stop.

[me-thal]

For doodle prompts: what abt syndicate dream? :3

I like the headcanon that After Pandora, Dream stops wearing the mask when around Techno

Also I think the Syndicate would gain from having its members dress fancier lmao

[send me prompts !!]