-sparrowcall

/    *scuba dance*

{ @-AchoredSoldier- } // not at all, send it-

*
            
                 Slowly , she reached behind herself and unclipped Soulrend from the back of her armor.  The chakram pulsed with raw Argent energy , crimson light beating through its frame like a living heart.  A sturdy grip rested at its center , removable to suit whoever wielded it.  Ivana stared at it for a long moment before carefully placing it into Skye’s hands , her own trembling despite the faint smile she tried to muster.  “ I’ve . . .  been meaning to give this to you.  I won’t be needing it anymore. ”  A quiet laugh escaped her , though there wasn’t much humor behind it.  “ It’s basically a boomerang.  Doesn’t need to recharge , either.  After it gathers enough souls , it’ll release an energy arc with a strong throw. ”  She paused before forcing another weak smile.  “ I don’t know if it works on humans . . .  but I guess you could test it the next time you kill someone. ”  The joke was hollow.  Deep down , she hoped Skye would never have to fight again.  She wanted her to have the peace neither of them had ever known.
            
                 Ivana slowly lowered herself onto her side , letting out a shaky breath.  Even sitting upright had become exhausting now , her head pounding with every heartbeat.  “ I just . . .  I don’t want to go underground. ”  Her voice was barely above a whisper. “ I want to stay here . . .  with you.  I had so much planned for us . . .  everything. ”  Her eyes drifted toward Skye , full of longing.  “ I just wanted to live a normal life with the best . . .  woman I’ve ever met. ”
            
            /    they were supposed to get married..  /hj
            
            (2/2)

[@-sparrowcall]
            
                 As much as Ivana wanted to cry , she couldn’t.  Her eyes burned with tears that refused to fall.  Her lips trembled uncontrollably , and every word came out cracked and uneven , small squeaks escaping whenever her voice caught in her throat.  Maybe she’d simply forgotten how.  Years of forcing herself to stay composed — never letting anyone see her break , whether it was in front of the UAC or the god-like beings who depended on her — had taught her to bury every ounce of grief.  Now , when she finally wanted to let it out , nothing came.  Not since the day her mother died in a demonic ambush had she felt pain like this.  Seventeen years old and suddenly alone , she’d convinced herself she was strong enough to carry on.  But this . . .  this felt just as suffocating.  Just as hopeless.
            
                 When the fixer gently took the chip from her hand , a small part of the weight on her chest eased.  At least Alpha would be there for Skye , keeping her company when the silence became too much.  Hearing Skye’s voice crack , seeing tears stream down her face , felt painfully unnatural.  It wasn’t something Ivana ever wanted to witness.  It shattered her.  “ I can’t control what they say or do , ”  she murmured , her own voice barely holding together.  If she could , she’d stay.  They would’ve had all the time in the world to do everything they’d planned.  The future had once seemed so bright . . .  and now it was gone before it ever had the chance to begin.  “ God . . .  I had so many hopes . . . ”  She swallowed hard , her voice growing weaker.  “ And just like that . . .  they’re gone. ”
            
            (1/2)

{ @hellbreaker }
            
            « ivy-  ivy, i'm here... i'm here. » she stuttered, trying to find her own words, locking eyes with her. without breaking contact, the fixer instinctively reached for the slayer's hand, gently picking it up and pressing it against her cheek, interlacing her fingers with ivy's. « they... they can't do this... we did what the maykrs asked of you... of us! » skye attempted to bring some sense of reassurance, but it was only denial that seeped into her words. with each word, her voice gradually broke even more. no matter how much she kept herself from coming apart, it was impossible to maintain composure « it's done... they can't take you away - THEY HAVE NO RIGHT! »
            
            tears then began to well up in her eyes. out of the corner of the eye, she saw ivy's hand, in it was the chip. she really was going with the plan. « no... » she murmured. « no, fuck that... i'm bringing you home... i'll bring you home, and- and we'll be fine and... we'll laugh about it later... on a skate sesh. like we did before. » she tried to use her other hand to try close the slayer's into a fist in futility, wanting her to keep the chip... she tried to sell this story, mainly to herself, but by the time she finished, a choked sob escaped the pilot's throat, instinctively bowing her head down, but the shoulders betrayed what she was trying to conceal.
            
            (2/2)

@-sparrowcall 
            
            
                        "    Your ship??   You—   I swear to fuck I’m gonna kill ‘im…      "    Hunter mumbled that last bit to himself,      "      Look ma’am,  we  got intel that there was a hostage situation—  this ship matched our information…  we’re doin’  our jobs.    "

{ @-y0uc0wxrd }
            
            « yet stupid enough to enter my ship without an invitation, apparently. » she kept her sights trained on the man. « i'm giving you one chance to explain yourself. make it count. »

{ @oldskycaptain }
            
            and giant flying ship will never *not* be amazing- it's one of the main things that come to mind when i'm thinking about dnd- as a matter of fact, i used to watch the mighty nein campaign a while ago, it seems like a good time to start going through it again- i've also heart of final fantasy, but never played a single game from the franchise sadly-
            
            as for what we've got going on, i'm thinking we're still doing great! but i've got an idea where these two goofballs going around, and probably have skye ditch her suit for something more fitting for the setting.. less attention is good attention-

； and no worries! I am still at work, so there is 0 rush. I do appreciate it! I forgot my insperations from final fantasy ... but yeah, I think that would be the majority of them then listed. but also feel free to plot or skip ahead should you feel it getting slow or repetitive 

； basically, any world where magic is used to make giant ships fly is what I realised 

{ @oldskycaptain }
            
            « ...so they do. » the freelancer nodded, reaching for the coffee cup once more and enjoy a second sip. the idea of this local brew in particular has been better formed in her mind - while it was a bit bitter to her liking, it made up for in richness, unlike anything she's tasted before. for a moment she couldn't believe how something as simple as coffee could be this far out of the stars she knew and be readily available. perhaps for another time.
            
            the turned to face lucian once again, setting the cup down with less haste than last time. she took time to form a response once more, before speaking up. with the people finally settliing down after the race was over, it became easier to hear herself think.
            
            « glacis... was hardly different. » she shrugged. « there was always someone, somewhere... who was in dire need of help. and i answered, every time. » her gaze drifted away, back to the window... her hands clasped together, fingers interlocked. « distress calls, assignments, contracts... there wasn't a place you'd stay there for too long. after the war, all of them simply disappeared. »
            
            « it should've felt like peace... and it did, for a time. but it felt strange... it felt wrong. but most importantly, it felt incomplete. » she sighed, burying her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes. the exhaustion and slight headache that she bottled up during her travel began to crash all at once... and could no longer bother hiding it. it was a futile effort to iron out that dull, yet pressing discomfort in her forehead.
            
            « so... » she shifted a little to side-eye the man. « have you found a reason to stop yet? ...captain. » she added, as if she almost forgot.

for the first time since they'd met, something genuine touched his expression. not happiness. something softer. something tired. " turned out... " he murmured, " ...away is not destination. " his gaze drifted back to skye.
            
            " eventually, everyone stops somewhere. " he let the silence settle comfortably before adding, in that same measured eastern cadence, " question is whether you choose place... " his eyes flicked toward the bustling room around them. " ...or place chooses you. " outside, another racer crossed the finish line to a deafening chorus of cheers. lucian never looked to see who had won.
            
            2/2

lucian listened without interruption. he had always preferred listening. people filled silence far too readily, offering truths they never intended to share simply because no one rushed to answer them. his thumb idly traced the worn brass cap of his cane as skye spoke. when she compared gamblers to generals, the corner of his mouth lifted. not enough to call it a smile, but enough to betray the thought amused him. " da. " the word escaped before he seemed to notice." that is true. "
            
            his amber eyes wandered briefly toward the gaming tables, where a well-dressed merchant stared in disbelief at the cards before him while the dealer gathered another neat stack of coins. " dealer tells you odds are fair. minister tells you war is necessary." a faint shrug. " both sleep well. "
            
            the whiskey glass found its way into his hand once more, though he seemed more interested in its warmth than its contents. her answer lingered between them. it was not the answer of someone running. nor of someone chasing. simply... drifting.
            
            lucian understood that better than he cared to admit. " hm. "  another thoughtful sound. " there are worse reasons to travel. " his gaze shifted beyond the great windows overlooking the racing grounds. one of the enormous birds thundered across the track, feathers catching the afternoon light like polished bronze. the crowd exploded into applause, but it sounded distant.
            
            " during my navy years... " he began, his voice quieter than before, " we were always sailing somewhere because someone higher than us pointed at map. dis not matter where or why. "
            
            " after... " the word hung there for a moment. " ...after the rift... " his fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around the glass.
            
            " first time i chose my own course, i almost did not know what to do. " a dry laugh escaped him. " stood at helm nearly hour. crew kept asking where we were going. i told them... " his eyes settled on the races once more. " 'away.' "
            
            1/2

@-sparrowcall miss you too brother. Good to hear the HL journey is going well! bloody enjoy that mate!