FractalSpades

human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.

it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

glad i could be part of it.

evolution is lazy.

i guess this is it.

your face is leaking.

i will miss you.

you're my friend. heck, you're my best friend.

we have figured this out.

got to love computers. they do all the thinking for you so you don't have to.

another day, another staff meeting.

who would have thought saving the world could be so boring?

does that mean it's not no? is that another yes?

you're not alone. neither of us are.

sometimes the stuff we all hate ends up being the only way to do things.

i'm a scientist!

now we're getting somewhere!

time for me to use science.

i'm hungry.

what's your name?

are all russians crazy?

when stupid ideas work, they become genius ideas.

do you believe in god?

i know it's a personal question.

it's like he's inviting us to explore the universe.

if i had a nickel for every time i wanted to smack a kid's parents for not teaching them even the most basic things... well... i'd have enough nickels to put in a sock and smack those parents with it.

this is happy!

your face opening is in sad mode.

we're pretty untrustworthy, but i don't want him to know that.

i'm smart enough to know that i'm stupid. that's progress.

you poked it with a stick?

it was a scientific poke with a very scientific stick.

work fast.

first i have to wait for my computer to wake up.

fist my bump.

usually you're not stupid.

once again, i'm struck by melancholy.

i have to save humanity first. stupid humanity. getting in the way of my hobbies.

oh thank god. i can't imagine explaining sleep to someone who had never heard of it.

if i can't do it for a while, i go insane and eventually die.

no need for concern.

we're as smart as evolution made us.

we're the minimum intelligence needed to ensure we can dominate our planet.

i spend a lot of time un-suiciding this suicide mission.

that's not creepy at all.

wait a minute! am i a guinea pig?

it's not like that.

no. you cannot die. you are my friend.

be careful.

i don't want to look dumb in front of the aliens.

math is not thinking. math is procedure.

at least i'm not alone.

aaaaand they're dead.

you get to watch your food cook without melting your face off.

the hardest part about working with aliens and saving humanity from extinction is constantly having to come up with names for stuff.

you are here!

you saved me!

set up the damn tunnel!

get back in your ship!

it gives me a feeling of control.

i'm on a suicide mission.

yes. there'll be wars.

see how easy it is?

all i have to do is tell you something you don't want to hear.

it's the kids of today that'll have to make the world of tomorrow work.

when you're stupid tired, accept that you're stupid tired. don't try to solve things right then.

want to meet up in the bathroom down the hall and have sex?

let's see what we can do when we really set our minds to it.

you want me to observe you sleep?

you're a coward and you always have been!

Fat tears trickled from the dark clouds as they watched the young woman crash through the thick brush. Briars and sharp branches reached out, snagging her clothes and scratching at her neck and face. A low sob from the sky, carried on the wind, swept through the forest, sending its creatures scurrying into their hovels. At this point, the rain started to pick up; its pattering on the ground matched Sylvi's quick strides.

"Ope!" Stumbling, she slipped on the slick leaves, their rustle almost like snickering. Catching herself with her fingertips, she kept her momentum and continued her run.

A monstrous shrill ripped through the forest like a live wire, nipping at her heels. Sylvi only looked behind her for a moment. The world flipped on her again and again, her backpack providing a bumpy cushion with each thump until she landed on her rump and slid down the hill the rest of the way.

"Ow..." Instinctively, her hand went to her head, feeling the beanie still secure. "All's well." Disregarding the stinging in her hand, she looked down the thin trail where a man stood. "Hello. Bad weather, yea? Careful out there." Sylvi spoke in broken Russian, dusting damp earth from the seat of her pants.

. Rain was a detriment in far too many ways. Tracks obscured, difficult terrain, key gear jeopardized; worst of all was the lumbering creature that seemed to go mad in the downpour. An elk by shape only, rain drew it out and it struck at everyone and everything. He could kick himself for losing track of time in the safety of the cabin.

The sound of it wailing too close for comfort set his nerves on fire, drawing his bow and quickening his pace. Snapping foliage and the sound of something tumbling was met with a knocked arrow, Filin's eyes wide and trained on the muddy woman.

By @ creamyghost on twitter/X

Faye kicked her legs in while her eyes roamed around the cargo, over large crates and between the crevices of heavily packed luggage. With the train carrying both business and civilian patrons, there was no telling what they might discover inside the containers if they were so tempted to take a little harmless peek. Which, she was.

"That's alright! I figured we'd be hoofin' it," she briefly extended one of her hooves toward him, "and I wouldn't count ya among organ farmin'. You're your own person and we're gonna find out more about ya." Faye hopped off the bench and walked to one of the pristine crates pressed flush against the wall, warnings of its fragility stamped on every side. Running her fingers along the edges, she searched for any label that might discern its origin or where it was heading.

. Her quickly adopting his personal crusade struck him as odd, but far be it from him to pretend he didn't like having company. Seemed like she needed it too, anyways.

He watched her as she spoke, frown tugging at his stitches. "You run into enough stitched up people to have this many weird ideas?" he leaned back in his seat, only slightly jostled by the moving train. "What's the worst that could happen- the answer's unsatisfying? Not knowing's even more unsatisfying." Maybe the world would feel more in focus if there was a purpose to his creation.

"Bit of both. Most of the glass was already gone so I knocked the rest out. Only ever had a few birds come bargin' in," Faye smiled. Sharing this part of her life was like breathing in the crisp air of a warm day after emerging from some of the dank, dark ruins half devoured by the hungry world. A lightness entered her, coursing through her chest and radiating out to every limb. As often as she and Kalais had butted heads — and still sometimes did, it was in the quiet moments like these she could truly appreciate him.

He was burdened with the fate of Thedas, faced against two malicious evanuris while constantly enduring the unbridled pride and spite of another trapped within his mind. Despite having every reason or excuse to strike out at others with the increasing stress and dark developments, Kalais kept a relatively light demeanor. His tongue remained sharp as a knife and his charming personality and compassion had yet to dwindle. He even came out of his way to the Emerald Graves, risking all hell to break loose, just to entertain a pesky thorn in his side.

Anyone with a good head on their shoulders would have found it impossible to not admire him. Hers was just budding into something more. No, that wasn't quite right. It was sailing into treacherous waters and the wind and current were working together every time she tried steering it back to the storm she had known for an aching decade. At least there she knew how to navigate, the way she as heading was uncharted and another large wave or strike of lightning would have her drowning.

And yet... she could see rays of warm light filter in through the tumultuous waves and shifting clouds. A chance to feel the loving heat of the sun one last time may be worth drowning.

"Abejita? Callin' me names after I showed you somethin' secret pretty dirty." She teased, childishly sticking her tongue out. Faye flitted up the stairs with feline grace, pushing aside her tender thoughts. Reaching the top of the twisting staircase she threw back the half rotten door, hinges nearly disintegrating with its abrupt opening. She pranced across the battlement, running to the far end to brace herself against the parapet and stare out as a breathtaking view.

Breathtaking it was. Her smile, large and brimming with a deep love for the moment crumpled like the last stone at the base of a castle. What was once a luscious green as far as the eye could see had become a hellscape. Large, gnarled and thorny blight vines had devoured a large portion of the forest. Her head slowly turned, following the undulating blight to see the threat circled the entire forest.

. "Sounds terrible." His lips split into even more of a grin, eyes alight with amusement. "A few flighty friends, I'm sure you could enjoy their birdsong- or their horrible squawking, depending on who spooked who."

It wasn't what he'd call cozy- he was far better suited to embroidered pillows and silks, lovely bodies on his arm or his on someone else's. But there was no denying the warmth and serenity in this corner of the world. There was no industrious market, no rumbling of fights or work being done somewhere nearby. No lingering smell of cigars or fish nor the music that drifted from some parts of Treviso. If he stopped fidgeting, he could appreciate what she loved here. And he wanted to.

"It is only when I stop calling you names that you should worry," he replied easily, a hand lifted flippantly. But she nearly skipped away and he trotted to follow, smelling the dust that kicked up with their movements up the stairs. Perhaps if they cleaned it out, it could be...

It didn't take more than a glance to see the devastation. Verdant green twisted into inky black and red like malice given form to throttle the Graves.

The thud of her knees hitting the floor snapped him from his stupor, almost tripping to run to her side. What did she need? A hug? Space? Kind words? Clumsy hands laid on her shoulders, hands moving of their own accord to draw her to his chest. To hide her from the sight she'd already seen? To comfort despite not knowing how deeply it cut?