Sadly, I don't have much to show. I've been going through a rough depression spell and it's made writing hard. That said, I have a couple treats from Duality (RE fanfic) & my untitled BG3/Astarion fic. These are the two stories I've been consistently going back and forth on while my other fics are marinating in the background.
Duality Context: Two Legs (Plaga!Luis) and The Many (Esperanza, Plaga oc) are having a conversation about missing the plaga hivemind (they used to be connected to the one in RE4 Leon helped take down), and it leads into a conversation about intimate comparisons.
BG3/Astarion Context: Ytarii (Tav/OC) is recovering from envenomation by a spider colony in the Underdark. An orcoblin named Mayhaaps is assigned by the vampire Dalyria to help Ytarii be sorted to a pod (foster clan) while she stays within the newly established vampiric domains of the Underdark, led by Astarion and his siblings.
Duality Scene
“So what comes after you handle Dr. Alvarez and our Sire’s sins?” she asked curiously.
“I don’t know anymore,” Two Legs admitted, more to himself than her. “I mean, I was planning to travel to the States, see if I could find other Plaga like us. Rejoin a hivemind. That’s been my prerogative since leaving the village. But if you’re here—if there are others like us—then I don’t have to leave Spain.” He paused. “Wait…are you part of a hivemind?”
“Yes and no.” For the first time, The Many frowned. She took a breath, glancing along the beach as she searched for the right words. For all her experience living as a human, translating feeling into language still felt clumsy. “I am Sovereign to a group of twenty, but the connection isn’t what it once was. The unity is there, but not the full bond. I think it has to do with how integrated we’ve become with our hosts—a give and take. We share their weaknesses now. Even their cognitive limits.” She glanced back at him. “Does that make sense?”
“I guess so.” He didn’t really know what to say. How could he, when it felt like something delicate he’d spent years building had just been crushed into pulp? Still, a trace of hope remained in his eyes as she sighed, almost nostalgic.
“Do you miss it, Hermano? The light?”
“Dios mío…” he whispered, shaking his head with a faint smile. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about it.”
The Many smirked. “Can you imagine it? If human beings had that kind of connection, with all the complexity of their emotions. Everyone unified. Nothing misunderstood.” She tilted her head. “It would either enlighten them beyond compare, or—”
“They’d destroy themselves,” Two Legs finished.
“Exactly.” She nodded.
He hesitated. “You’ve lived like this longer than I have. Do they have… anything close?”
“Sex.”
“Sex?” His cheeks warmed despite himself.
The Many smiled, curious. “Have you tried it, Hermano? In the nest or otherwise?”
“No—no.” He shook his head quickly. “My host has, but I haven’t…sought it out. What’s it like?”
“Good question.” She chuckled softly. “It’s nothing like the connection we feel in a hivemind, but it scratches the itch.” Her gaze drifted, thoughtful. “It also puts things into perspective. How they must feel when we invade their bodies.”
BG3 Fic
"Head Healer," the orcoblin cleared their throat, their voice rough—feminine, but edged in gravel. "Pardon the interruption. Brawl at the Crooked Nook. Three fractures. One punctured lung. You'll want to get a move on."
"Thank you. I'll be down shortly," Dalyria replied, then lifted a hand before they could leave. "Mayhaaps, any remaining rounds?"
"Just two kobolds who knocked their heads together. Why?"
"I'll take them. I need you elsewhere." Dalyria gestured lightly toward Ytarii, a small smile returning. "This patient is cleared to leave the ward, but will require supervision for five tendays. See that they’re assigned a pod."
Mayhaaps’ gaze flicked to Ytarii, one brow lifting slowly. "...Suppose I can manage that."
"Wonderful." Dalyria inclined her head toward Ytarii. "Return in two tendays for reassessment."
And just like that, she was gone—swept back into urgency before Ytarii could protest, question, or even ask about medication. Which left her alone with...
Mayhaaps.
Who immediately stepped far too close.
Ytarii barely had time to react before the orcoblin leaned in and sniffed at her. Deeply. She could almost count every nose hair that lined Mayhaap's nostrils.
"I knew your scent was off," Mayhaaps snorted, clearly amused as Ytarii recoiled.
"Uh, you're probably smelling the elixir. Or the spider venom—"
"Nah." A dismissive wave. "That rotten fruit note aside, you're mixed. Like me." Her eyes dragged over Ytarii’s face, lingering. "Nice baby scales you got there. Bet your family tree gave a few panic attacks. I'd pay to see your parents moaning to the heavens when they made a scales mutt like you!"
"Grandparent, actually," Ytarii corrected with a small, awkward laugh. "My bio parents were tiefling and human—my dad was half-dragonborn. It’s…less dramatic than it sounds."
"Yeah, yeah—save the genealogy lecture for someone who cares." Mayhaaps waved her off, already turning. "Up. On your feet and off your ass. I’ve got a schedule to keep and none of your sass."
She sing-songed the last part, completely ignoring the look Ytarii gave her. Still, Ytarii swung her legs over the side of the cot and pushed herself upright, slower this time. Her core protested immediately—a tight, pulling sting where the wound had been stitched, like something inside her wasn’t quite ready to cooperate yet.
She paused halfway up, breath catching, fingers drawing briefly against the edge of the cot before she forced the rest of the motion through.
Mayhaaps watched closely, measuring Ytarii's movements and determining whether she'd crumple or compensate. For a moment, the orcobolin thought she'd need to step in, but alas, it was unnecessary.
"Name’s Mayhaaps," she continued instead, already pacing a step ahead. "M as in Masturbation. A as in Avernus. H as in Hell. A as in Asshole. A as in…ass. P as in pie. S as in shit out of luck." She glanced back. "Got all that?"
"I…think so?" Ytarii winced slightly as Mayhaaps let out a sharp cackle.
Picked up this book from the library new book section. In The Many, an alien meteorite infects a tick on Earth. After the tick bites middle-aged office worker Carole, the infection causes her to merge with her husband and several neighbors into a hivemind, with unforseen consequences...
This is one of those sci-fi novels where you turn the last page and go well! what was the point of all of that. The central concept is compelling—Neuvel sets the novel in a small midwestern town and the characters encompass a wide range of perspectives, although ones that might not be very palatable to My Dear Readers. Insecure advertising professional Carole is relatively inoffensive, but other characters range from a persistent woman police officer to a baker who is reluctant to allow his kid to access puberty blockers, and a habitually bigoted doctor. While the character vignettes are well-drawn, Neuvel doesn't seem to be interested in exploring the implications of the hivemind aside from platitudes about walking in other people's shoes and the meaning of world peace. I think this book would have made a striking short story... but as a full-length novel, the concept strains a bit.
What is a drop of bits, compared to the sub? What is a follow, compared to a watch streak? Our stream team is full of partner, which your tiny affiliatism cannot even conceive.
What is God and What is our Relationship with Him? By Hazur Baba Sawan Singh (Philosophy of the Masters)
"The Lord is the great storehouse of consciousness. He is the embodiment of reason and the treasure-house of intelligence. He is the repository of love and compassion. We are parts of Him; He is the whole. The essence of which our souls is made, its fountain source, is called the Lord. If we are a drop of consciousness, He is the Ocean of Consciousness. We are a ray of the essence of consciousness, and He is the sun of the essence of consciousness. Every particle is a part of the whole. Our real substance is a part of that whole, which is called the Lord.
"The scriptures also proclaim that son is the soul of father. Just as a tree produces seeds, and a seed grows into a tree, similarly all beings spring from God. All living beings are of the same essence as the Lord. They are His children. Just as a child is a part of the flesh of the mother, it lives in her womb and is brought up there, similarly we are born in God, are brought up in Him, and are connected with Him in the same way as a child is with the mother; in fact, he is never separate from her. The mother’s connection with the child is natural. He may be unwise or ignorant, but the mother takes care of him. In fact, she is obliged to do so. A mother is never neglectful of her child. Because of her genuine love, she cannot be indifferent to him.
"We have an even stronger connection with the Lord. We are particles of the Lord. The relationship between us and the Lord is that of a part to the whole. There is no distinction between the ocean and its waves. There is no difference between the sun and its rays. The Lord is never unmindful of us even for a moment. He is always looking after us. We have never been separated from Him. He is always with us and always pervades our entire being." (Gurumat Siddhant, The Philosophy of the Masters)
