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Seela Coldren and Ardbert Hylfyst thought they'd be together forever, adventuring around the First, until a mysterious portal rips Seela across the veil to another world that is strikingly familiar yet malms away from her home. She meets an adventurer with connections to a group who may be able to find her a way home, along with his best friend, who feels more like home than she ever expected.

When Ardbert appears in this new world with a plan to destroy her adventurer friend, Seela must find where the limits of her conscience lay. And when the Scions of the Seventh Dawn are trapped on the First, she must follow and help pave their way home, even if her own definition of home continues to change.

But as her behavior grows more and more strange, suspicions are raised about who exactly Seela Coldren is and what her motives are. Is she really the mild-mannered white mage she appears to be, or is there something more at play? Is Seela the perpetrator or victim in her own story?

Shatters is an au where Lamitt wasn't Ardbert's first traveling companion.

I'm also publishing this on AO3 complete with transcripts.

Start here!

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51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79

Episodes 80+

Author's notes

@diggingforkuponuts's Reverse Asks is a great idea!

This one's from noraleedoes:

🔗Tethers

Do they have a consistent living space/housing situation? Do they share it with anyone else? How do they feel about this arrangement?

Garrett keeps a flat in Limsa proper. It came furnished, and really he only uses it for the bed and bathroom. He tried using it to entertain his sexual partners for a while, but didn't care for finding them still in his bed in the morning. He switched to renting rooms for the evening so he could make his own exit. The flat has largely sat unused since the Bloody Banquet, but he likes knowing it's there if he needs it.

♻️Effects

Do they tend to act quickly or to take time to weigh the consequences of their actions? Do they generally feel that this strategy serves them well? Have there been any notable exceptions?

He's never weighed a decision in his life. He is the poster child of "fuck it, we ball". The king of impulse. He doesn't think too hard about the consequences, preferring to plow ahead and try something else to see what sticks. It drives Y'shtola and Alphinaud insane. Thancred and Estinien think it's hilarious.

👥Socialization

How comfortable are they with silence? Do they look to fill it themself, prompt others to do so, or simply sit with it? Do they ever try to initiate it?

He's going to fill every bit of silence with whatever stream of consciousness is running through his head. He's babbling about his day. He's taunting his opponents. He's teasing his friends. He's giving a play-by-play of a past battle. If silence is required, it feels like bugs under his skin. Then the dark thoughts begin.

🚫Taboos

Have they ever betrayed the sincere trust of a close friend, partner, or family member? In the aftermath, did they feel justified in their betrayal? How, if at all, was the relationship affected?

Yes, and he's never spoken about it to anyone. True, he fell for Aesil's manipulation in the most Meteor way possible--via seduction--but he knew that what he was doing was wrong. Way back in episode 54 it was established that Seela was off-limits, that Brithael was into her, and that she just wasn't for him. And yet, in episode 93...

When he had a chance to breathe in the aftermath, the guilt absolutely ate him up. So he pushed it down and pretended to forget.

He did not forget.

@diggingforkuponuts's Reverse Asks is a great idea!

This one's from noraleedoes:

⏰Time

By their nature, are they more of a morning person or a night owl? Is there a reason? Does their lifestyle generally allow them to keep to their preferred waking hours? If not, how do they handle it?

Garrett's always been a morning person. School, then the Maelstrom reinforced this. His time in the Rogues' Guild was rough. He often wondered why one couldn't dance in the lightmans just as well as in the darkmans. His inquiry didn't go over well.

The Scions generally allow him to keep his diurnal schedule, but of course there have been a few missions that went well past his bedtime. He is able to grit his teeth and power through but makes up for it later.

How well do they manage their time? Are they generally easily side-tracked or distracted? What about when they have an important objective or obligation? How do they feel about their habits?

If he wasn't constantly surrounded by people with even a modicum of time management and organizational skills, he'd be lost. He'd spend the whole day fishing when he was supposed to be leading a charge on the next continent over.

Do they prefer to make plans for the future or to take life as it comes? What has shaped this preference? Do they generally feel that their habits serve them well?

He's really not one for forethought and planning. It has worked out for him so far; starting as an unaffiliated adventurer was perfect for him, like the puzzle piece that was always supposed to be there finally got found and put into place. He's focused on helping people and having a good time.

Do they remember or keep track of dates like birthdays and anniversaries? Of their own accord, or when prompted, do they like to celebrate/commemorate such dates, or do they prefer to let them pass quietly?

He barely remembers dates, but has made a special effort for his found family. He's usually up early and banging on their door with confetti in hand and a plate of pancakes. He usually remembers to save the pancakes for after the confetti goes off...

Y'shtola shuts the door in his face every year but he keeps it up.

What is the earliest memory of their life that they can recall? Are there any details that stick out or are particularly clear? Is their memory fairly accurate or has it been distorted in any notable way? Has the memory been influenced by any recountings or other events in the time since it occurred?

It's one of those hazy, disjointed memories from early childhood. Bright blue ocean, colorful shapes under the water, ships passing back and forth on the horizon. A green coconut tipped into his mouth so he could taste the juice within. A sea bird that stole food from his hand. The lines between his mother's brows. His father's sigh.

It's not enough for him to really talk about. "My family used to holiday at Costa Del Sol," is as much as he'd say. He always wondered why they stopped going.

If they had been asked, as a child, to assemble a time capsule for themself to open as an adult, what would they have included? What was the significance of those items to them at that age? If they opened that time capsule as an adult (at least a decade later), would they recognize the objects and recall their significance?

There would be a little wooden sword, of which he had several. Some of Ellie's cookies. A watercolor painting of his family as stick figures plus several other notable manor staff. The shriveled tail of a wharf rat and two dodo tailfeathers. A tiny shard of a water-aspected crystal.

He would remember all of it. Especially the rat tail that his mother demanded he get rid of. He stuck that thing under his pillow at night and tucked it into a small chest during the day.

How do they feel about the passage of time and aging? Do they feel they have made good use of their time so far? Do they look forward to the future?

It was a long road that led him to adventuring and the Scions, and each day that led up to this felt like another weight around his neck. Looking back, he doesn't feel like any of that time was wasted, but a lot of it was painful. He tries not to think too hard about the future unless it's in very broad strokes. He can only control what he does in the present after all.

If they could relive any 24 full, continuous hours from their past, without the ability to alter their behavior or any events, would they choose to do so? Why, or why not? If they would relive the time - what 24 hours would they choose?

It would be his return to Limsa after graduating school in Ul'dah. He spent a couple of weeks bumping around Thanalan and La Noscea sowing his wild oats, then strolled back into the Wench with a cutie on each arm. After a day of that, he bumped into Brithael.

That moment of recognition while they were making small talk is something that will stay with Garrett forever. He, of course, came onto him rather ungracefully, but Brithael shrugged it off. That was the beginning of their friendship/brotherhood.

If given the opportunity to learn exactly when, but not how, they will die, would they take it? Given time, would they come to regret that decision? Why, or why not?

@diggingforkuponuts's Reverse Asks is a great idea!

This one's from inhurtandincomfort:

🌓Day or night?

Garrett is a daytime guy! Azem's symbol is the sun, after all.

👐What is their relationship with their family like? 

It's tricky. He harbors a lot of hurt and anger at his parents for not being around, shipping him off to boarding school, and not listening/believing him when he told them he didn't want to be a merchant like them. They are the only two living family members he has, so he doesn't feel like he can just completely cut them out of his life, but it's rare for him to send a letter and rarer yet for him to make a visit.

💖What’s something they like about themselves? Can be a physical feature, a personality trait, anything about them. 

His body. He knows he's hot. He loves it.

😶What’s something they dislike about themselves? Can be a physical feature, a personality trait, anything about them. 

He likes people. He needs people. But when it comes down to it, he doesn't really get people. Sometimes he feels like an alien.

💘Have they ever been in a relationship? How many?

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, no. He's had more sexual partners than he could possibly count, but he hasn't had the inclination toward a real relationship, and he wouldn't know where to begin with that anyway. It's something that he alternates between being curious about and being repulsed by.

🎶Pick three songs that represent this character.

🥶What is this character's primary fear response; Fight, flight, freeze, or fawn? 

Fight! Fight! Fight!

🙉What is something your character wants to hear, vs what do they need to hear? How would they react to being told these things?

He wants to hear that he is on the right track in life, and that he's a good person. Hearing that would bring a sense of relief that would quiet those pesky doubts he tries so hard to ignore, at least for a little while.

He needs to hear that he needs to slow down, stop being so damn impulsive, and to consider others' feelings before he acts selfishly. He'd hang his head and say that he knows. And then he'd go right on doing the same old things.

🍝How good is their cooking?

I've been trying to make this short story happen but it's been fighting me so I thought it might make more sense in a traditional comic format. This may or may not have legs, we'll see. Mostly I've been farting around with formatting to see what works.

@diggingforkuponuts's Reverse Asks is a great idea!

This one's from stormemes11:

❤️ RED ❤️

1. What is the easiest way to make your OC angry?

Acting nonchalant about injustice or intimating that it's a foregone conclusion. Accepting selfish bribes. These are things that lead to Garrett's fists swinging.

4. How important is the concept of strength to your OC?

He's always had the inclination to protect others, and he's trash with magick, so he's spent a lot of time training to be strong and fast. The Warrior job suits him well even if he doesn't always get to use the skills he learned as a Rogue.

5. Is your OC vengeful?

YYYEP. His internal compass for justice is strong. A little too strong. Honestly, he can be kind of a violent guy. All in the name of capital-g Good, according to him. He eventually starts feeling bad about it all and tones it back a touch.

🧡 ORANGE 🧡

3. What first impression do strangers get from your OC?

People can't tell if he's incredibly sincere or totally full of shit.

7. What is your OC’s favorite season?

Summer!

💛 YELLOW 💛

5. Does your OC have a strict morning routine? If so, what is it?

He's lost without his morning strength training.

💚 GREEN 💚

6. Is your OC generous? If so, is their generosity conditional?

Once he learned that he didn't actually need much to get by (read as: he was always broke), he became very generous with what money he did make along with his time and skills. His generosity is never conditional. He still idolizes the heroes in the books he read as a child and if he gets to have a cool adventure along the way, that's more than enough for him.

🩵 CYAN 🩵

3. How easily distracted is your OC?

SQUIRREL!

4. Is your OC more humble or arrogant?

Neither and both? He knows he's exceptionally gifted at whacking things with his axe in service to others but doesn't make a big deal out of it.

6. Are your OC’s decisions influenced more by their head or by their heart?

Always his heart. When that moral compass points a certain direction, no amount of reasoning can stop him.

7. How observant is your OC and how much does it affect them? Are they clueless or nearly paranoid?

He's a Warrior, and you don't just turn that off. He's not paranoid, but if something feels off he's going to look into it.

💙 BLUE 💙

1. Is your OC confident in themselves?

He comes across as incredibly confident and he even believes it most of the time.

3. How independent is your OC?

Not very! He needs the company of others or things start going very badly in his head. He's also hopeless when it comes to domestic things like cooking and cleaning. If he didn't pay for occasional housekeeping at his flat he'd literally never change his sheets. His stove has never once been used.

7. Is your OC structured or do they go with the flow?

He goes with the flow. It is his natural state. The structured life his parents wanted for him in their mercantile business was like torture and his entire school experience was excruciating in that there was no flow to be had.

💜 PURPLE 💜

1. What is one of your OC’s biggest dreams and do they believe that dream will come true?

He's already living it in the Scions. He's got his people, he's got purpose, he's traveling the world. Life is good.

2. How affluent is your OC? Does their level of wealth matter to them?

If his parents leave him anything in their wills, and that is very much still up in the air, he will be quite wealthy indeed with the business, the manor, and a ship. But to date he hasn't been given a single gil in pursuit of his adventurer dream, and he hasn't batted an eye since the last time he asked them for money immediately after graduating school.

6. Is your OC book-smart or street-smart?

He was a real solid 2.0 GPA guy in school. Everything else has been street-smarts. But let's be honest, he's kind of a dipshit all around.

7. Is your OC stylish? How much do they care about the clothes they wear?

Not quite Jacke Swallow levels of fashion disaster, but close. It looks like he's trying but not quite getting there in the end. He really doesn't care. He's usually wearing armor anyway.

🩷 PINK 🩷

6. Does your OC have a favorite flower? If so, what is it?

He likes carnations. They smell like the morning of a new adventure.

🤎 BROWN 🤎

3. How protective is your OC?

He can be very protective. Alisaie has had to remind him with more than a few harsh sparring sessions that she has neither the need nor the desire for his protection.

I don't think Seela really noticed how protective he had become.

And if he catches wind of someone trying to take advantage of Brithael, that's when a bit of the ultraviolence makes an appearance.

🖤 BLACK 🖤

3. What is one of your OC’s greatest fears and how much does it affect them?

His family and friends abandoning him. He's finally got this amazing found family in the Scions after going so long looking for his tribe, and the thought of losing them is enough to send him into a panic. Ultima Thule was incredibly traumatic for him and he nearly died several times over.

5. Is your OC comfortable at fancy gatherings?

He can fake it if he's got friends there, but if not he can usually eventually be found out back drinking and joking with the help.

🤍 WHITE 🤍

1. How much does your OC care about cleanliness?

@diggingforkuponuts's Reverse Asks is a great idea!

This one's from cityandking:

oc asks: AU ABCs

A. alternate universe. What kind of AU is your OC best suited to? Are there any AUs they're in already? What are they?

I honestly don't know. I'm actually not a big AU person. Shatters is an AU because of the Seela/Ardbert thing, and that's about as alternate universy as I get. It feels better to be to try and nail canon and characterization as much as possible.

B. band au. What is your OC like in a band AU? Are they a performer or a groupie? What instrument would they play? What's their relationship with their bandmates and/or the group(s) they follow?

Garrett would be playing rhythm guitar and singing. He's the kind of guy who always wants to be center stage. He'd be automatic best friends with his bandmates, because that's just what he does. Even if there was a tiff with someone, and there always is in a band, he'd find some way to smooth things over. Possibly by sleeping with them.

I fear he'd be destined to be in Fleetwood Mac.

C. coffee shop au. What would your OC be like in a classic coffee shop AU? Are they at all suited for the barista lifestyle? What's their go-to coffee order?

I gotta be honest, I've never quite understood the coffee shop au. Is it like Friends?

Garrett would have a ridiculous coffee order, though. Like, XL triple shot oat milk latte with three pumps of caramel with whip and chocolate drizzle. And as many chocolate covered coffee beans as he could charm out of the barista. Possibly by sleeping with them.

D. duplicate. How would your OC react to meeting their clone or doppelganger? What if they were a clone or doppelganger? How would they feel about that?

K. kids. Does your OC have kids? What are their kids like? If they don't have kids, would they? What would they be like as a parent?

He's never wanted kids. He didn't have very good role models, and he's bright enough to realize that his lifestyle hasn't been conducive to that sort of thing his entire adult life, and the thought of having something that small depending on him so much scares him a lot. Sure, entire nations or worlds have depended on him for their safety, but the arms-length nature of the hero business is good for him.

M. multiverse. Are there any points in your OC's life where things could have gone differently? Where else might they have ended up? How would your OC react to crossing the multiverse and meeting another version of themself?

Q. quiet. What would a quiet and peaceful life look like for your OC? Would they enjoy living a simple life or would they get bored?

He'd be so bored omg. He'd rather go back to the Maelstrom than sit on some porch sucking tea. T. (star) trek au. What would your OC's role be in a Star Trek AU? Are they part of Starfleet? Another organization?

Much like how he was booted out of the Maelstrom for insubordination, he'd be booted out of the Academy in much the same way. He'd probably find his way onto some kind of adventuresome crew, maybe performing heroics against authoritarian regimes or smuggling people and cargo out of dangerous situations. He'd easily rise to a leadership position, hot dogging his way around the universe in some kind of flashy ship with some asshole Ferengi's underpants fluttering from a mast in the solar winds.

U. underworld. How would your OC deal with being part of a criminal underworld? Would they be a thief, a spy, a conman? Something else?

He tried that already with the Thieves' Guild. It didn't go well. Half because the guildmaster at the time was corrupt, and half because he just can't help punching his way past injustice. He wasn't bad at the game itself and learned a lot of tricks that got him through some tight spots down the line.

W. werewolves (& vampires). Is your OC more of a vampire or a werewolf? How would they feel about being turned into a creature of the night? Would they be part of a clan, a pack, a coven?

He'd be a werewolf and would naturally insist upon being a part of a pack.

Z. zootopia. What animal would your OC be if they were an anthropomorphic animal? Would your OC be a furry? What would their fursona be?

@diggingforkuponuts's Reverse Asks is a great idea!

This one's from mist-the-wannabe-linguist:

We're getting meta!

What was the original thought that led to the creation of this character?

When I was planning Shatters, I knew for sure that the main character couldn't be a WoL, because Ardbert. Seela was always going to be with him as a focused part of the story--the reason she needed to find a way back to the First and all the other drama that came after that. So that meant that there needed to be a Source WoL, and because I do most things because they make me laugh, I thought why not the generic Meteor Survivor, only I'd give him a personality and backstory. So yeah, it was 100% me having a laugh. See also: the origin of his nickname.

How did you choose their name and why? Was it simply based on vibes or is there any specific meaning behind the name? Are the reasons behind their name different in- and out of universe?

I'm a big fan of Dragon Age, and DA2 is my favorite in the series, and generic male Garrett Hawke is my favorite, so...

As for his surname Gage, I used a Midlander name generator and thought the alliteration would be just the sort of thing that might piss off someone like him and make him stick with a nickname, and one more piece of ammo for the kids doing the teasing he received in school.

What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite?

I love his dopey, happy-go-lucky, labrador retriever personality. I love that he loves Brithael unabashedly even if they can't be together, but he doesn't realize the depth of his love and just sees it as good natured ribbing and flirty teasing.

I don't love that he's a knob when it comes to every interpersonal relationship in his life. He straight up doesn't understand what it means to love someone and to be in love with someone and to be loved by someone. No, Garrett, love does not equal sex full stop.

"What are you doing?" they ask, eyeing my screen.

"..." says I, knowing that what follows is going to be an entirely unsatisfactory answer.

"I'm cooking water for space rabbits," I offer with the conviction of someone who knows exactly what they just said.