@little-purple-thundercloud, @steelcarbuncle!  Looky!

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Conflux, Pt. 3

“So let me get this straight.  You’re me…from the future?”

The elder Jessica – who, it had been decided upon by the three women, would be called “Commander” – shrugged and nodded, as if that wasn’t the best explanation.  “Future Earth, yes, but I’d wager I was from a different universe, too.  I have no idea if a ‘Paragon City’ even exists in my universe, but I’m pretty sure we don’t have living comic-book heroes in my world.”

The younger of the two – who asked to go by her hero name of “Stormscream,” but settled for “Stormy” when the other two women refused – shook her head.  “I mean, sure, we have comics too, who doesn’t?”  She ignored Ana raising her hand at this.  “But you pretty much leapt right out of the television screen of one of my favorite science fiction shows!”

Anafenza struggled to keep up with the women, who spoke of a whole different world they both knew well: Earth.  It was a planet, which she likened to her own Hydaelyn, though the majority of people there were “humans;” the Commander had called up a picture of one on the hand-held device she carried, and Ana had recognized the Hyur immediately.

Commander St. Peter had catalogued it as another similarity between the three women.  The list was, admittedly, small.  More was in common between the two Jessicas beyond their appearance, they discovered; both were orphans, both were adopted by a man named Jason, both loved the rain, they had similarly-named lovers.  It was far too fantastic to be pure coincidence.  Now they were comparing differences.

Commander St. Peter came from a future Earth, where she served in an exploratory service called “Starfleet” as a ship’s captain.  She was an alien, adopted by a human, and was currently in command of the starship Rafale, a spaceship.  Before waking in the cavern, she had been in her office on her ship, going over recent scans of a nearby system.

“Stormscream,” meanwhile, was nearly ten years younger, and already a registered hero in her home city, on a version of the same planet nearly four centuries earlier.  She was a hyur, but what they called a “mutant” in her world.  Anafenza listened with great interest and delight to discover it was this Jessica she’d dreamt of flying through the city and holding command over the weather; the girl was able to control the weather at will, and used her ability to call forth lightning to power her gauntlets and turn the energy into powerful blasts of sound.  Unfortunately, the girl had just laid down to sleep herself as well; she was dressed only in loose cotton pants and shirt, without her armor and gauntlets.

Then it was Anafenza’s turn to talk.  She swallowed hard.  “I’m Anafenza, like I explained.  My tribe is the Ejinn.  I come from a world called Hydaelyn, the continent of Eorzea.  I…am not anything really special,” she continued, and noticed both women eye each other skeptically.  “Honest, I’m not.  I bake, I clean, I love to swim, I can hold my breath for over a quarter bell, I love my friends but I can’t do anything to protect them…and for the past few weeks I’ve dreamt about both of you.”  The other two just nodded at this revelation, taking the wind from Anafenza’s sails. She looked at the two of them in confusion.  “You don’t…seem concerned by this?”

The Commander shrugged apologetically.  “Truth be told…I was having dreams as the two of you, too.”

“Same,” Stormy admitted, blushing a little.  “Which is why I thought this was still a dream.”

“Maybe it is,” Anafenza replied with a shrug.  “Maybe we’re just figments of each others’ imaginations?”

“So who’s the dreamer?” Stormy asked.

Commander St. Peter sighed and shook her head.  “Before we go in-depth in the psychological analysis of this, let’s just assume we’re all awake and here with one another…”  She tapped the device in her hand – a “scanner,” she’d explained, and frowned.  “It’s still pulling information from my ship’s computer…fascinating…”

Ana leaned towards Stormy. “Computer?”

“Yikes…you don’t have much technology where you come from?”

“Only the Garleans and ancient Allag…most of my people rely on magic and aether.”

“The computer is a piece of technology that can store, recall, and display information,” the Commander explained.  “It’s a library, but it’s all stored in…energy, basically, instead of books.”  She bit her lip, still reading her scanner, before snapping it closed.  She tapped the arrowhead on her chest, eliciting a small chirp from the gold and silver brooch.  “Oh, that’s a good sign.”

“What is,” Anafenza asked, confused.

She tapped the brooch again, and another chirp came out.  “No error sound.”

Stormy snapped her fingers. “Your ship is still close enough to be received.”  She pulled a black rectangle from the pocket of her pajama pants and tapped the front of it, making it light up.  She blinked. “I…have a signal too, on my phone. It’s roaming, but I have a connection.” She looked up in confusion.

“Curious.”  The Commander turned to Anafenza.  “You don’t…have anyway to communicate with people on your world, do you?”

Ana tapped her horn, where a small pearl was embedded in the scales.  “Linkpearls.  They let us talk over distances with one another.”  She tapped the pearl again, hearing it ring as it activated.  She shook her head quickly in surprise.  “Gods…it works!”

“How are all three of us still in range of wherever it was that we came from,” Stormy asked.

Commander St. Peter shook her head.  “The only thing I can thing is that we’re somehow trapped in some sort of…pocket dimension.  That exists simultaneously near all three of our starting points in time and space.”

Anafenza shook her head and huffed.  “Speak plainly, please?”

Stormy giggled.  “Pocket dimension, kinda like the nightclub?  The Pocket D?”

The Commander and Anafenza both stared at Stormy; she lowered her head in awkward silence.  “Apparently not…”

Commander St. Peter shook her head.  “I have no idea why or how you could build anything in a pocket dimension.  They’re highly unstable and short-lived.”

Anafenza didn’t like the sound of this.  “Meaning?”

“Meaning, we only have a few hours, if even that long, to get out of here before this dimension collapses in on itself with us still inside.”

There was a stunned silence in the cavern, until Stormy cleared her throat.  “Well, shit…”

Another night, another escape...

They’re married!  And I am genuinely, without a doubt, absolutely happy for them!  I knew it was coming even when i told him I loved him.  And it never bothered me.  I am very happy I went to celebrate.  They were adorable.  And I meant every word.  Every blessing.  They are perfect together, and I couldn’t be happier for them.

But Khala.  what he said bothered me more than it should have.  more than I think it should have.  “I don’t find every au ra attractive,” and I could feel him avoiding looking at me.  of course he meant me.  this after complimenting ayame on her beauty.  And anzu.

Ayame, Anzu, Suzume...all of them Raen.  All of them refined.   Cultured.  Learned.  Beautiful in their white scales and pale complexions.

is this what makes someone beautiful?  is this why I’m not?  Because I’m a dark-scaled, dark-skinned savage from the steppe?  Is this why no one consorts with me except out of pity?  I thought it just this accursed scar on my side, or my sins but

i am ugly.  mayhaps I shoudl just clothe myself and save everyone the suffering of looking upon me.

Journal Entry 6

Sasai Sai, a cousin of the twins, brought Kirikun home, at least to The Tower. He was alive, but still asleep - hadn’t woken for the weeks he was in reunion Sai was told.  There was nothing very wrong with him, that they could tell or she could tell but there he was.  just dropped in the bed and not moving, wrapped up in bandages.

I thank the gods my brother is back and alive...now if he’d only waken

A Guide to Sleeping With Anafenza

- She sleeps in a bathtub.  She has a very large tub in her room, with a small hammock installed in it for her to sleep on.  Being Ejinn, she’s able to hold her breath for very extended lengths, so even rolling in her sleep won’t immediately wake her up or cause her to panic from a lack of breath.  Sleeping in the water reminds her of sleeping on the banks of the Great River with her family.

- She loves to snuggle.  Despite the “water” bed, she also keeps a small mattress and blankets in another corner of the room for when she has company.  She is already a very affectionate and contact-seeking individual, and the trend carries over into sleep (in the event she’s lucky enough to have someone wanting to sleep with her).

- She has vivid dreams.  Sometimes they wake her; sometimes she stays asleep through the whole ordeal, sometimes believing these even visited other locations because of the clarity of the dreams. She began keeping a journal of her dreams, and will quickly record the events of her dreams in the journal before she forgets them.

- She can’t sleep on her back.  Between the horns and her powerful tail, Anafenza is down-right pained when she’s on her back, and will avoid sleeping in that position by any means.  On her side is ok as long as she has a pillow to support her neck, but mostly she sleeps on her stomach as a result (unless she’s in her tub; the hammock is easier to sleep on her back in).

- She likes to nap frequently.  With all the exercise she gets swimming, Anafenza will nap throughout the day as well, which also means she rarely will sleep for a full six to eight bells: she just doesn’t need to given the sleep schedule she maintains.

Tagged by: @mercermachines​ !  <3 was fun, thanks!

Journal Entry 4

Its now been a few weeks...perhaps even a moon or more I cant remember anymore.  my heart still feels cleaved cloven in two.  the cafe is empty...completely dead of life.  staying in kugane is harder still...i cannot stand the wait to go to the steppes.  to see kiratai.  to find the graves.  we have so many unanswered questions and i miss them terribly

I'm offering chibi!

Still for food/gas/bills now.

Looking to offer this type of drawing where your WOL is looking over a ledge.

It would be colored! Asking for $20.

Boost this please. 💖

Ko-fi.com/smolestberry

If you're interested!

The shark-skin covered journal...

This book belon This is the story all about how my li

Anafenza Eji

Go Away

This is the journal of Anafen

This is the journal of Anafenza Tetheros, of the Ejinn.  I am a protector of the Ivory Tower.  My mission is to protect the lives of the wizards of the Tower.

I’ve already failed.  This is meant to fulfill one means of helping myself come to terms with this betrayal trauma.  I have some confidantes among my friends.  And I have purpose in my daily activities to help distract me.  But writing to this journal - to myself - is the final act Miss Kerin recomended to me.  I have no idea if this is what I’m supposed to do or I’m doing it right but I’m doing it because i hate feeling this way.  That I failed.  That I hurt a dear friend.  That I killed a stranger.  i was used as a weapon and i happily complied.

It wasn’t my fault, at least that’s what Lyta has told me.  Kerin told me.  Kurenai...blames me.  I’m sure others do, too.  I blame me, though I know I shouldn’t...not for the actions I was forced to do, though.  For taking the step and putting myself into that position.  No i didn’t deserve it, but niether did lyta or jessika.

i just wish I knew that this would fix everything

The Fiery Moon ( @eightswordsparrow ), the River Knight ( @stormscream ), and a Wizard, looking for some research materials within the Gubal Library.

“It’s weird how there’s such a big section just for romance novels? And. That it’s so close to the historical records?”

Conflux, Pt. 5

Anafenza stared up at the tree and shivered.  She pulled away from the Commander’s comforting embrace.  “I…I don’t know what else,” she began, shaking her head.

Stormy interrupted.  “You mentioned a curse.  The vines choking out your tree.  They’re red vines, bloodred vines; what is this curse?”

Ana shook her head.  “When I killed her – the other Jessika – I wasn’t in control of myself.  I was under the control of these…other mages that call themselves ‘Nemesis.’  I was trying to parley with them; I didn’t want more of my friends to get hurt, and so I approached them using an amulet of theirs we had confiscated.”

Stormy blinked in disbelief. “Nemesis.”  She shook her head.  “It’s always a Nemesis plot…”

The Commander looked over at her.  “You recognize the name?”

Stormy laughed once, humorless.  “Yeah,” was all she said, and left it at that.

Anafenza continued.  “I just wanted peace…and they rewarded me for my troubles by using magicks to gain control of my mind, convince me the only way to peace was to silence my friends, starting with Lyta.  I was attacking her when Jessika got in my way and I…”  Ana trailed off – they’d heard this part already.  “I was still trying to kill Lyta when Jessika expired; this cloud of dark aether erupted from her body and surrounded me, subduing me and breaking the magicks that were driving me.  I woke up later in the infirmary…I knew what had happened, I was aware of everything.”  She wiped her eyes – she hadn’t noticed she’d started to cry – and continued.  “I woke up with this scar on my body, the same scar Jessika had born.  Her ‘bloodvine,’ as it were.  Since then, I’ve…heard a strange song…I’ve seen her memories…I’ve begun to use strange abilities she could use…and I’d swear I could feel her presence with me.”

The Commander tilted her head.  “What is aether?”

Anafenza nodded towards the tree.  “That dark fog rolling off the tree?  That is aether.  It’s…what everything is made of.  Aether flows through everything, everyone.  It channels to us from the lifestream.”

The older Jessica furrowed her brow.  “That would explain the strange energy readings, then.  This aether, do you have your own signature of it?  A pool of aether that is unique to you?”

Anafenza nodded.  “That’s how I understand it.”

The other woman nodded. “Ana, this strange energy reading everywhere, this ‘aether.’  It is very similar to your own.  That makes sense; you likened the tree to your own life force.”  She pulled out her scanning device, waving it near Ana.  She held it over the girl’s scar; the steady beeping and whistling of the device suddenly increased in frequency.  “And the scar you ‘inherited,’ it’s practically leaking this aether into the chamber.”

Stormy snapped her fingers. “She inherited that bloodvine curse from her world’s Jessika!”

“Exactly.  And with it, it would seem, a very large chunk of that Jessika’s aether pool…which would then help anchor us all to this pocket dimension.”

Anafenza looked stunned. “You mean…I really have had a piece of her with me this entire time?  I thought I was going insane…”

“And it was that piece that allowed you to come here and join us,” Commander St. Peter continued. “Whatever this aether and lifestream are, they must have reached out to similar aetheric signatures and pulled us all together.”

Stormy shook her head. “Like the stars just aligned just right?”

The Commander shrugged. “Maybe?  But now…we know it’s that ambient aether signature that is sustaining this bubble.  Maybe we can use that to lock on to and get out of here…”

“But how do we get out? We’re somewhat limited on the resources available in here,” Stormy pointed out.

“We are, yes.  But I think I know a way.”  She tapped the arrowhead on her chest, and the small brooch chirped.  “St. Peter to Rafale, come in…”

There was static, before the three women began to just barely hear another sound cutting through. “…ter, this…have you…and unread…are you?”

The three women looked at one another, their faces immediately reflecting the same emotion: hope.