sea

ok so i mostly just simplified a lot of their designs and i tried to keep the main silhouette + vibe keeping their personalities and work in mind

Lumine just got a utility belt and also her boobs arent out anymore, and her skirt is more simple

Tighnari got better shoes, plus he looks more like the Forest Ranger NPCs since he’s a FR himself. plus headband bc cute

Fischl probably changed the most, i wanted to lean into a more gothic aesthetic and also i hate the fact that she’s basically in lingerie :( so i gave her a kind of dress thingy, complete with some coverage bc lord. she also has a Bag :D

Noelle is probably the closest to her ingame design, i just simplified it, and gave her a second pauldron

Paimon just has fairy wings and a dress lol

there’s more I’m just too lazy to write it all out LMAO

art taglist:

@bamber344 @inspirationallybored @leahnardo-da-veggie @cepheusgalaxy

@urnumber1star @melodxi @write-with-will @teratheo @bioniclechronicles

@oros-ash3s @satohqbanana @ominous-faechild @sunflowerrosy

@megandaisy9 @ashandamen @illarian-rambling @corinneglass

the Forest Rangers have a set uniform, and I found it weird that Tighnari’s outfit didn’t even resemble it, so I tried to emulate that uniform while also making him look like a PC

headband <3 and I hated how that flower was so out of place in his og design, so I moved it up there b/c why not

got rid of a lot of conflicting colors, kept the red as a contrast to the amount of Green

he has a lil badge thing ion know what it means but it looked important

bigger bag b/c he’s getting Samples and Such, I’d have given him another for supplies if I had the foresight (I didn’t)

different boots b/c his old ones did Nawt suit him at all!!!

kept his iconic bob, messed it up a lil b/c I felt like it, kept the green streaks b/c I think they’re cool

ears and tail have a sort of gradient??? it wasn’t on purpose I just zoomed out and said “hey that looks kinda cool”

i decluttered a lot of details and such, got rid of a lot of patterns in his og design, I think I went overboard tho

gave him A Scar and then forgot about em woops

decided to make his face have fox-like (????) markings b/c of all the fox things yeah

ok so i mostly just simplified a lot of their designs and i tried to keep the main silhouette + vibe keeping their personalities and work in mind

Lumine just got a utility belt and also her boobs arent out anymore, and her skirt is more simple

Tighnari got better shoes, plus he looks more like the Forest Ranger NPCs since he’s a FR himself. plus headband bc cute

Fischl probably changed the most, i wanted to lean into a more gothic aesthetic and also i hate the fact that she’s basically in lingerie :( so i gave her a kind of dress thingy, complete with some coverage bc lord. she also has a Bag :D

Noelle is probably the closest to her ingame design, i just simplified it, and gave her a second pauldron

Paimon just has fairy wings and a dress lol

there’s more I’m just too lazy to write it all out LMAO

art taglist:

@bamber344 @inspirationallybored @leahnardo-da-veggie @cepheusgalaxy

@urnumber1star @melodxi @write-with-will @teratheo @bioniclechronicles

@oros-ash3s @satohqbanana @ominous-faechild @sunflowerrosy

@megandaisy9 @ashandamen @illarian-rambling @corinneglass

You've Changed

Shifter sat on the edge of a building, looking out over Alephia; the city she once called home. In her hands, she held a bánh mi from the local mum-and-pop Vietnamese place nearby. It was her lunch — possibly her only meal for the day, if the bank kept holding up her transfer — and a soft reminder of a simpler time. A breeze blew past, bringing the sound of traffic to her ears, and tousling her hair and the thin black fur on her arms. Peaceful moments like these were few and far between in her life. She had to take them where she could.

Footsteps; a heavy landing behind her, followed by a few tentative steps forward. Shifter stiffened, preparing for a fight, until an old, familiar scent hit her nose, and she froze instead.

"Hey there," the person behind her said. Her voice was rougher than it used to be. Ten years could do that to you. "Heard you were back in town. I'd been hoping to run into you."

Slowly, Shifter rose to her feet, wrapping her lunch back into the paper bag it came with and stuffing it away in one of her belt pouches. Taking a slow breath, she turned around.

Starstrike stood across from her, displayed in all of her costumed glory. Her white robes billowed in the breeze, covering a body that seemed to be carved from marble, hardened and chiselled by years of hero work. Golden open-toed sandals wrapped around her feet and ankles, reaching halfway up her calves. A red sash hung off of her shoulder, its shade complimenting her tan olive skin. Shifter would've considered it all rather lacking in defence, if not for the fact that Star was bulletproof, and therefore had the luxury to focus solely on aesthetics for her costume. Lucky bitch.

She stood with her weight on her front foot, like she wanted to move in closer, but was holding herself back. Her expression held a tentative smile, eyes searching Shifter's face for any sign of reciprocation. Shifter hadn't decided yet if she'd find any.

All the years they'd been apart, Shifter wondered what this moment would be like. She would lie awake at night, fuelling the bubbling emotions in her chest with fantasies of different scenarios playing out in her head. Now, as the two of them stood face to face, Shifter searched herself for any hint of that old jealous hatred she used to hold.

Ten years was a long time. Too long to hold onto a petty grudge. The truth was, part of her had been hoping for this encounter as well.

"Hey, Acacia," she greeted after a long silence. "'S good to see you."

Acacia's shoulders dropped a little, relief visibly flooding her stance. She wrung her hands together.

"Is it still... Naomi?"

Shifter smiled, despite herself. "Not when I'm out here, but... yeah."

Acacia nodded, running a hand through her hair. Apparently, being the number one hero in the country didn't cure her nervous habits. "Cool. Cool, cool."

Shifter raised an eyebrow. "So, what exactly does an esteemed Daughter of Zeus want with a nobody like me?"

Acacia groaned, covering her face. "You heard about that, huh?"

"Everyone heard about that; it was global news. I mean, Demigods aren't unheard of, but for one to become so famous that an actual Olympian had to come down to whoop your ass because he was getting jealous of your power as his sister? That tends to make the front page."

"Okay, first of all? Ares did not 'whoop my ass.' It was a fairly even fight."

"Uh huh, yeah. And you got that scar over your nose from a nasty fall."

"Whatever," Acacia replied, trying to hide her grin. Shifter ignored the spark of familiar joy that lit up in her chest at the sight. Despite her efforts, her tail lashed behind her anyway. Acacia's eyes darted to the movement for a split second, before she conspicuously stared into the distance. The joy immediately turned to humiliation. Having strangers see how freaky she was was one thing, but this? There was a reason Shifter actively avoided Acacia during the Tryouts, the last time they met.

Well, it wasn't like she could hide it, could she? She had fucking tusks poking out of her mouth and pupils that were slitted like a cat's. Acacia already knew what she was now. It didn't matter.

Her mood spoiled in the space of an instant, Shifter folded her arms. "You never answered my question."

Acacia blinked. "O-oh, right. I, uh, just... wanted to see you, I guess. I... heard you were doing independent work now? How's that going?"

Shifter shrugged, turning back around to face the city. "It's fine. I have to use a donation website to make any money, but I have enough stashed away to get by for now. I'll figure something out if I run out."

"Have you... considered joining the League? You'd get a guaranteed paycheck. Could have an official hero ranking, too."

Shifter clenched her fists, her tail batting against her leg in agitation. "I tried. Didn't make the cut. You were there, you should know."

"Wait, you didn't? But, I saw you pass all the tests. I thought you just decided not to join after the fact."

"I didn't get to join. I wasn't allowed."

"What do you mean?" Acacia asked, voice soft.

Shifter sighed, looking down at the road far below her. "After the tryouts, one of the suits came to me. Told me in person that I wouldn't be allowed to join, despite passing all of the tests. 'Cuz they didn't want a beastly freak like me souring their public image of gorgeous, muscle-bound heroes."

"A judge... said that?"

Shifter huffed. "In more polite language, but... yeah, pretty much."

She stiffened as Acacia stepped closer, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Naomi... You're not a freak."

Shifter turned her head, glancing up at Acacia. "Look me in the eye and tell me that I'm not. I know what I am. There's no denying it."

Acacia did as she was told, staring Shifter down with those uncanny pale irises of hers, her white hair blowing in the wind. "You're not a freak just because you have a few animalistic features. Being different isn't a bad thing, Naomi."

Something uncomfortable welled up inside of her. Shifter turned away again. "Yeah, well... Easy for you to say, miss Demigod."

"It is... easier, for me to say, I suppose. But that doesn't make it wrong. Our differences are the reason we get to do what we do. You may look a little different now, but because of that, you can transform at will! You can help people."

"I don't need you to preach to me about the benefits of my curse," Shifter hissed. "I'm well aware of them. Doesn't change the fact that the curse still forced this appearance onto me. Still... changed me."

Acacia was silent for a long moment. Long enough for Shifter to worry she'd scared her off.

"...Estrogen changed you, too. But I definitely wouldn't call that a bad thing. Believe me or not, but you look good, Naomi. Tusks and all. You look like you."

Shifter bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. How could she just say that so easily? After so many years of fear, of grief, knowing that their relationship would never be the same after this stupid curse took over her life. She'd spent so long terrified of encountering her old best friend, afraid of how she'd react to this new body. How could Acacia just... dash everything away like that?

"Whatever," she muttered, staring down at the road.

Acacia gave her shoulder one last squeeze, and let go. Shifter was silently grateful for it.

"You should know that the old leadership of the League was ousted a couple years back. Now the organisation is by heroes, for heroes. We're encouraging all local indie heroes to join up. That includes you, if you want to. The only criteria is that you're dedicated to using your powers to protect people. And I know you are."

Shifter huffed again, turning back around to face Acacia. "That your sales pitch?"

Acacia shrugged sheepishly, glancing away. "No. But the benefits are worth it, trust me. No one can do the work we do alone. And... it'd be cool to work together with you, too."

"I'll think about it," Shifter replied.

"That's all I ask."

A loud crash caught their attention, along with the assorted screams of dozens of distressed civilians. Shifter turned back around, scanning along the road for any sign of the disturbance. It wasn't long before she found it.

A giant ogre that looked like it had been ripped straight out of a children's fable book stomped its way down the street towards them, smashing cars and terrorising the population with the large hunk of wood in its hand.

"Is this that guy that can make mythological creatures come to life?" she asked, still trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

Acacia sighed. "Yeah, definitely him. Can you deal with this while I go find where he's hiding?"

Shifter took a breath, jumping up and down to hype herself up. "Shouldn't be a problem."

"Awesome," Acacia said, patting her on the shoulder before turning away. "Good luck, Omi!"

With that, Acacia leapt into the sky, propelled by her incredible strength towards the source of the monsters. Shifter felt her cheeks heat up at the old nickname. No one had called her that in a long time.

She shook it off. There was work to do.

A pair of falcon wings sprouted from her back, out of the holes in her costume, and she took off through the air towards the ogre as it focused its attention on a terrified civilian. The woman tried to run, but ultimately tripped on her heels, clattering to the floor as the ogre raised its weapon and brought it down.

Shifted swooped, swinging low and gliding close to the ground, scooping up the woman and pulling her out of harms way. The ogre's cudgel smashed the pavement right as they moved out of reach.

"Don't worry, you're okay," Shifter hissed as she landed, carefully setting the shaking woman down. She stared with wide eyes.

"Th-thank you."

"Run! Get out of here!"

Thankfully, the woman did as she was told, and Shifter turned back to the ogre, pulling her wings back in. She could only take on the aspect of one animal at a time, so she had to choose her transformations carefully.

Invoking the aspect of the panther, Shifter's body changed; her fingernails morphing sharp claws; her fur spreading onto her hands in a thin black layer; tendons and muscles growing leaner, more agile. It was her preferred aspect for ground combat, but anything could happen in the heat of battle. She had to stay on her toes.

The ogre charged, letting out a roar that reverberated in Shifter's ribcage. She pounced out of the way of its downward swing, springing off of the pavement and slashing at its face with her claws. They sunk in deep and easy. Good. This shouldn't be a challenge. Just needed to nick an artery and the fight would be over.

That was, of course, assuming that ogres had similar anatomy to humans. Otherwise she might need to get a little wild with it and hope for the best.

She focused on dodging, pouncing around the ogre to disorient it and avoid its crushing attacks while occasionally jumping in for a slash. She cut into its neck and thigh, but never deep enough to get anything important. Its muscle and fat were too thick, and her panther claws were too short. She needed a different approach.

Shifter landed behind it, reverting from her panther aspect and thinking of an alternative. Only, the ogre was quicker on the recovery than she was expecting, spinning around with a powerful swing of its cudgel before she could pick another aspect. Instinctively, her body summoned up the armour plating of an armadillo across her skin.

It wasn't enough.

The chunk of wood slammed into her side with the force of a truck. Her vision flashed white, and a loud ringing deafened her ears. She crashed into something, coming to a quick and sudden stop, having been thrown some distance by the blow. It was hard to tell what was going on, given that even when her vision cleared, the world continued to spin wildly around her. Her right arm burned, searing pain spreading under her skin like acid, throbbing rapidly with the beat of her heart. Definitely broke something in there. Sloppy. That was so sloppy of her. She was meant to be better than that.

She swallowed down the metallic tang on her tongue, trying to get to her feet amidst the dizziness, but she was too slow. The ogre's fat hand reached down for her, grabbing her around the middle before she could get away. It picked up her small frame with ease, holding her so close to its face that she could smell its foul breath, and squeezed.

Shifter screamed, the pressure on her already broken arm sending a hot wave of agony through her body, and that was just the beginning. The ogre tightened its grip, flushing the air from her lungs with several painful cracks in her ribs, each one popping with its own little unique stab of torment in her chest. It quickly became impossible to suck in another breath, and darkness flooded her vision. How could this happen? An opponent like this should've been easy work for her.

No. She wasn't done just yet.

Shifter let go of the useless armadillo aspect, instead taking on the form of the spitting cobra. Fangs formed in her mouth and she wasted no time, spraying venom right into the ogre's eyes.

The beast roared, letting go of her to cover its burning face. She dropped to the ground, doing her best to control her landing in her battered state. Pain rocketed through her body regardless. But the fight wasn't over yet.

Summoning the last of her strength, Shifter called back on the aspect of the jaguar panther, this time focusing the change in her jaw and her legs. Her face transformed, growing longer, making room for feline fangs and a bite force to crush through skulls. Calculating the trajectory, she jumped, opening her mouth as wide as it would go.

Blinded as it was by her venom, the ogre had no time or ability to react. Her jaws reached the ogre's disproportionately small head, and Shifter bit down as hard as she could, trying to ignore all the horrible flavours bursting forth on her tongue. Her fangs sank into its skull and through its brain with a crunch that would've been satisfying in any other context. Before it even knew what was happening, the ogre was dead.

Shifter withdrew her fangs as the ogre's body teetered, jumping off and landing carefully as it dropped limply to the road. Adrenaline kept her injuries from hurting too much, but it wouldn't be long before that wore off. She needed to find a safe place to hide out before that happened.

"Hey, nice work, Shift!" said a familiar voice from behind her. Acacia had already taken out the summoner and returned, then. Not surprising; she was known for her speed just as much as her strength. Shifter turned around.

"Oh, gods. Is that your blood?!" Acacia exclaimed, expression horrified.

"Nah. Ogre's," Shifter explained, spitting out a glob of coppery liquid. Her words came out slurring. Probably not a good sign.

Acacia frowned, taking a step closer. "Are you alright? Your arm looks... not good."

Instinctively, Shifter backed away. She gritted her teeth and groaned. "I'm fi-"

Only, she wasn't able to finish her lie, as the remains of her lunch forced their way out of her stomach, splattering out of her mouth as she doubled over. The involuntary clench of her abs ached her ruined ribs, and the pain caused another wave of nausea to wash over her and darkness to flash in her vision. What a wonderful cocktail of torment.

Acacia was silent for a moment. "Y'know. The League has free and fast medical care for all of its heroes. Just saying."

"I said I'll think about it," Shifter hissed, carefully standing back up straight. She only whimpered a little bit. Acacia probably didn't even notice. The world turned black for another quick moment, and her legs buckled slightly. That was probably fine.

Acacia looked around worriedly, then leaned in, whispering. "Omi, you very clearly have a concussion. Just let me get you some help, okay?"

"I told you, I'll be..."

Once again, Shifter wasn't able to finish her sentence. The last thing she saw before everything went dark was Acacia, rushing towards her with her arms outstretched

—

"So... How do you two know each other again?"

Acacia chewed her bottom lip, staring worriedly down at Naomi, now dressed in some of Acacia's spare clothes with her arm in a splint and passed out on her couch. Her hair was still damp from the shower to get all of the blood off. She just hoped Naomi wouldn't be too mad about that.

"She's... an old friend," Acacia answered, turning to look at Althea, the League's resident healer.

Althea raised a greying eyebrow. "So you didn't just kidnap a random hero off the street and take her to your apartment."

"No, of course not. We've known each other since we were kids. It's just... been a while."

Althea sighed, putting her hands up. "Well, so long as I don't get in trouble for it, I don't care."

"So? What can you tell me?"

"Right now, she has seven broken ribs, a fractured humerus, a grade two concussion, and enough bruising to cover a canvas with. Honestly, I'm surprised she was even able to finish the fight in that state. Other than that, I came across a lot of older injuries that don't seem to have healed quite right. Couldn't do much about those, though."

Acacia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you see all that scarring on her face. The rest of her body is in a similar state. There were also a couple bones that clearly broke at some point and never healed right. Whether it's from poor or too little medical treatment, or her own disregard for the time it takes to heal, I can't say. Also, girl could do to put on a bit of weight. All skin and bones right now. Well. Skin, bones, and fur."

Of course Acacia noticed the scarring on Naomi's face. She'd just been trying not to bring it up, as much as it stressed her not knowing what happened. The three obvious claw scars on her left cheek had been there since their last encounter during the Tryouts, but the rest? All of the thin, pale lines criss-crossing her skin? Acacia couldn't begin to guess where they came from. Hearing that they only continued below her clothes made her stomach tighten with worry for her old friend. Just what had she been through in their time apart?

"Now, if you're looking after her, you'd better make sure she stays right here on this couch for the next two weeks, alright?" Althea continued. "And you tell her if she wants it done any faster, she can come to the League for it. I don't have time to be coming all the way over here every day. Got too many patients for that."

"Alright. Thank you, Althea. Seriously."

"You wanna thank me? Look after her. She clearly needs it."

Acacia huffed a laugh, hiding the sadness. "Was gonna do that anyway."

Althea huffed back, and showed herself out, leaving Acacia alone with Naomi.

Ten years since they last saw each other. Fourteen since they had any real contact. It was a long time. Clearly, Naomi was a very different person from the girl she once knew. For one thing, she never had tusks when they were teenagers. She was never so closed off and defensive, either.

And yet, when Acacia looked at that soft olive face, even through all the changes, that same old feeling still lingered. The heat in her chest that was both all-consuming and comforting. When she first laid eyes on her again, back on the rooftop, it felt like coming home. How could she still feel this way, after all this time?

Well. Both Naomi's parents and her own had called her a hopeless romantic. So maybe it wasn't so surprising. They'd been best friends pretty much since birth. Attachments like that didn't fade away so easily, apparently.

Acacia never got the chance to tell Naomi how she felt back then, if she'd even realised it by the time Naomi's family moved away. Maybe... this could be a new start for them? As friends, for sure, but... maybe something more, too. Acacia couldn't help but hope, hopeless as she was.

Well, before any of that could happen, they needed to get to know each other again. They were different people now. Would it all go okay? Naomi clearly had a lot of walls up, and while Acacia was determined to bring them down and make her comfortable in her presence again, it would definitely take some time. Would they even get that long together before fate pulled them apart again?

...Acacia needed to stop worrying. She sighed, flexed her hands, and got up to make a cup of tea.

—

Naomi opened her eyes, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. Immediately, her heart started pounding. Where was she? Who'd taken her here? She tried to sit up, but the movement sent pain throbbing across her chest and in her head, bringing all of her previous injuries into sharp relief. She let out an involuntary whimper, falling back onto the couch where she laid.

"Oh! You're up!" said a familiar voice. Oh, of course. Naomi remembered now. Remembered getting her ass beat like an idiot. Remembered Acacia having to rush in and save her. Embarrassing.

Acacia came into view, confirming Naomi's suspicions. Still, her heart wouldn't stop racing. Unfamiliar places were dangerous, no matter who was present in them.

"Where am I?" she hissed, staring up at Acacia with her teeth clenched.

Acacia frowned. "Don't worry, just my apartment. You're safe."

Now prepared for the pain to come, Naomi forced herself to sit up. Acacia rushed in to support her, and Naomi allowed it. For now.

Carefully, she scanned the area around her. As Acacia had said, it seemed to be a small studio apartment. She was on the couch in the centre, in front of a TV against a wall with bookshelves on either side. Behind the couch, in one corner, was a small kitchenette. In the other corner, a double bed was pushed up against the wall. There was a door in between the two spaces, and one on the adjacent wall past Naomi's feet. Behind her head was an open window, showing nothing but a brick wall a few metres away and letting in a cool breeze.

"What's through that door?" she questioned, staring at the one next to the bed.

"That? Oh, that's the bathroom. Do you need to pee?"

"Open it."

Acacia did as she asked, walking over and revealing that it was exactly that. Naomi let out a small sigh of relief.

"What about the other one?"

Acacia returned to Naomi's side. "That's the way out into the hall."

An exit. Good. The window could work too, in a pinch.

Confident she could escape if she needed to, Naomi took a breath, leaning back down on the couch. Reasonably, she understood that she wasn't in any danger. Her nervous system didn't know that, though. If she didn't get that reassurance, she was gonna be on edge the entire time she stuck around here, however long that might end up being. With how battered her body was right now, it was difficult to know when she'd be able to move properly again.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem," Acacia returned, sitting across from her on the coffee table.

As she settled back down, Naomi realised she wasn't in her costume anymore. Now that the panic was fading, she was becoming more aware of her body and its signals. Her hair and fur were damp, and these weren't the clothes she was wearing before. The shirt was about three or four sizes too big, her sweatpants were oddly low — no doubt to make room for her tail without cutting a hole through them — and they both smelled almost overwhelmingly of Acacia. It wasn't difficult to deduce where her new garments had come form.

"Did you change my clothes?" she asked quietly, trying not to freak out again.

"Oh, yeah, um... About that, uh..." Acacia chuckled nervously. "The League's healer owed me a favour, so I called her over to take a look at you and fix you up a bit. Only, you were covered in ogre blood. She took you into the bathroom and cleaned you up. All I did was pass some clothes through the door. I... didn't see anything, if that makes you feel better."

Oddly, that did make her feel better, and it explained why her arm was in a splint and sling, despite not remembering a hospital visit. It wasn't like she'd never been cleaned off while unconscious before; she understood the need. Better it be a stranger that does it than her childhood friend. There was just too much baggage there. Even still, she groaned exasperatedly, reaching up under her shirt to feel the patch of fur on her chest.

"Ugh. Now my fur's all tangled up."

Acacia pouted, looking guilty. "I can, uh... help brush it out for you?"

The thought of Acacia doing that made Naomi's cheeks warm. It was the type of simple, casual intimacy they would've thoughtlessly shared as kids, and Naomi found herself craving it. But... Not now. Not yet. Too much time had passed, and though Acacia was clearly keen on rekindling what they once had, Naomi wasn't sure she was ready for that. She wasn't sure she was capable of that anymore.

"No thanks," she responded quietly. "I don't like other people touching my, uh... more animalistic parts, I guess. I'll just deal with it."

She was aware that her 'more animalistic' parts made up over 50% of her body, given the amount of fur coverage, but whatever. She didn't like most people touching her anyway.

"Okay, well... offer stands if you change your mind."

Naomi couldn't help but smile at her earnestness. "Maybe I just might."

—

Acacia informed Naomi of the state of her body, and the doctor's recommendation for how long she would have to take it easy. It was a lot better than she'd been expecting, given the amount of pain she was in up until the meds kicked in. Apparently, the League's healer could accelerate the recovery process, but only so much at once. Two weeks was still a long time for her to not be doing any work, but it was much better than the alternative. Still, how was she gonna eat next month?

"You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you need to. Or, I could take you home, if you promise to actually look after yourself," Acacia offered.

Naomi scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, dodging the implied question about her living status. Right now, it was something between 'homeless' and... well, that was it, really. Living in a makeshift rooftop tent didn't exactly count for a 'home' by any stretch of the word.

"It means that I would be a lot more comfortable knowing that you were safe, sound, and recovering peacefully. That means no hero work until you're better."

Naomi rolled her eyes. Acacia was always so anxious. "Hey, you don't have to worry about me; I've been hurt enough times to know my limits." She paused, considering her options. There really weren't many. "I... guess I'll take you up on your offer, so long as I'm not gonna be cock-blocking any boyfriends you bring home or something. We could use the chance to catch up."

Better to frame it as a desire to spend time with her than an admittance of her circumstances. Acacia didn't need to be worrying about that, and... what Naomi said wasn't entirely untruthful, either. Despite her best efforts, she had missed her old friend. It would be nice to actually get to know each other again.

Acacia laughed. "Okay, first of all? Boyfriends are not something I'll ever be bringing home, but either way, no one's gonna be coming here. I'm extremely single. Secondly, like I said, you can stay here for as long as you like. It's nice having you around again, and I'd... love to catch up, too." She smiled sweetly, and something in Naomi's gut fluttered at the sight. Odd. She chose to ignore it.

"But, you know..." Acacia continued. "If you really wanted to catch up, we could spend the whole workday together if you joined the League. You'd get sickness and injury leave too!"

"Alright, alright," Naomi replied, grinning exasperatedly. "I was already planning on joining up, you don't have to keep selling me on it. I just wanted to act all cool and aloof about it."

Acacia giggled, her cheeks darkening. "Sorry. Like I said earlier, it would be fun to work together. I got excited about the idea, I guess."

Naomi huffed a tired laugh, then winced as the action irritated her ribs. "You haven't changed a bit, you know that?"

"I don't know, I think I've changed quite a lot," Acacia replied, flexing her arms and showing off her pristine muscles. Naomi's mouth turned dry at the sight.

"...Yeah. I guess so," she breathed, slightly winded. Probably from the broken ribs.

"Well, I should let you rest," Acacia said, standing up. "I've still got some paperwork to do from the villain attack, anyway."

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "You guys have to do paperwork?"

Acacia sighed. "Yeah. It's one of the few disadvantages of being a League hero over an independent one. Big organisation with government ties means a lot of benefits, but it also means a lot of guidelines. Can't just kick someone's ass, I've also gotta fill out a report about it to corroborate with the police one."

"...Y'know, maybe I'll stay independent after all."

Acacia snorted. "Sure, Omi. Whatever you say, little miss 'cool and aloof.'"

Naomi's cheeks burned. "Shut the fuck up."

—

A few days passed, and Naomi seemed to be settling in well enough. She spent most of the time sleeping, which was probably to be expected, given the state of her. Acacia wasn't sure what her living situation was like, but given just how lethargic she became once she actually had a comfortable place to rest her head, and how she scarfed down her meals like she was afraid she'd lose them, she couldn't imagine it was good. Acacia was just glad she could provide some semblance of comfort and safety to her, after she'd clearly been deprived of it for so long.

Then, the fever hit.

Acacia's first clue was when she was helping Naomi to the bathroom one morning a few days into her recovery. Her body was unusually warm, and her responses seemed slow and confused. At first, Acacia just accounted it to having just woken up, and warmth from being curled up in blankets all night. Those assumptions were dashed the moment she heard the unmistakable sound of someone collapsing while she waited outside for her to be done.

"Naomi?!" Acacia called, rushing inside without thinking.

Naomi laid face down on the floor in front of the toilet, her pants around her thighs. From the looks of things, she'd been getting up after finishing her business when her legs gave out.

Acacia stepped over, kneeling down next to her head and brushing the hair out of her face. Her skin was hot to the touch, and her eyes remained half-lidded.

"Naomi? Are you alright?"

Naomi only groaned in response.

Acacia bit her lip nervously. "I'm gonna... I'm gonna pull your pants up, okay?"

"M'kay," Naomi muttered against the tile, apparently too out of it to care about her ass hanging out, which Acacia was trying very hard not to look at. Her tail wasn't even moving, relinquishing Acacia of the ability to guess how Naomi was feeling based on its behaviour. She just had to trust that she was doing the right thing.

Carefully, she pulled Naomi into her lap to get her off the floor, before reaching down to tug her pants up, gingerly slotting her tail through the hole she'd cut in the back. One pair of sweatpants was a small price to pay for Naomi's comfort, especially considering she could just stitch the hole back together later.

Once that was dealt with, she picked Naomi up and brought her back over to the couch, setting her down. She had to dig around in her kitchen for a bit, but eventually she found a thermometer hidden away in one of her drawers.

"Open your mouth, Omi?" she gently asked. Naomi did so with no push-back whatsoever, enabling Acacia to slip the thermometer under her tongue. She couldn't help but feel unsettled by the complete lack of... anything. If there was one thing Acacia had learned about who Naomi was now, it was that she always pushed back. She would never say yes to anything right away, whether it was deciding what she wanted for dinner or accepting a blanket when the night got cold. For her to just give in like this was deeply wrong.

The thermometer beeped, and Acacia pulled it out, wincing at the result. 39 degrees Celsius. A nasty fever for sure, but not quite severe enough to warrant taking her for a checkup with Althea. She would have to take the day off and monitor her though, just in case.

But, that was fine. Alephia could look after itself for one day. Right now, Naomi needed her more.

—

Fortunately, Acacia was able to rouse Naomi for long enough to down some water and soup broth, but she remained largely delirious and unresponsive for most of the day. Acacia settled in on the couch and let Naomi use her lap as a pillow while she caught up on her gaming backlog, meaning she could multitask looking after Naomi at the same time. It also meant technically getting to cuddle with Naomi. It was pretty ingenious, if she did say so herself.

"Don't..." Naomi muttered weakly, startling Acacia out of her focus on the game. She paused it, putting the controller down.

"Omi? Are you alright?" she gently asked, brushing Naomi's hair away from her clammy face.

"Don't tell Acacia..."

Her face scrunched up, a few errant tears dripping from her eyes. Acacia's chest tightened with concern. Clearly, she didn't know where she was. But, at the same time, curiosity gnawed at the back of Acacia's mind. What was Naomi so afraid of her knowing that she'd be worrying about it in the midst of a fever?

"Don't... tell her what?" she questioned, her curiosity winning out.

"Please," Naomi sobbed, voice rough and croaky. "She can't know. She'll hate me."

Acacia pouted at the thought. "She could never hate you, Omi."

Naomi shook her head as much as she could. "No. She's so... She's so good, and kind. She would do anything... for anyone. Not like me. She wouldn't... she wouldn't forgive me if she knew. I just... I just got her back. I don't wanna lose her again."

Acacia tried to think of something Naomi could've done that she would truly see as unforgivable. There were things, obviously, but they were few and far between, and it was hard to see Naomi ever doing something like that. Regardless of whatever she'd done in the fourteen years they'd been apart, she chose to be a hero. To do that; to put your mind and body at risk for the protection of those weaker than you, there had to be true good in you.

Suddenly, Naomi started crying harder, and Acacia's heart broke more with every hiccup.

"I didn't wanna..." she whimpered. "B-but... I knew too much. They were gonna kill me. I... I had to do what they said. Th-they made me do it. I didn't wanna but they made me. They made me kill them."

Acacia's body turned cold.

"Who'd... Who'd you kill, Omi?"

Naomi sniffled, shivering. "I can't... I c-can't remember them all. B-but... military targets. All of them. No civilians. They tried but, I refff... refused. They made me into a killer but then I killed them too. I had to. I couldn't let them. I had to survive."

It was a bizarre feeling, suddenly learning that the silly girl she used to know had become a trained killer. The knowledge that she still tried to uphold a code was a balm on the shock, though. She could guess which conflict Naomi was talking about, too; when Mytralis' neighbour tried to invade over a border dispute gone bad. There was large demand for mercenary assistance, due to Mytralis' lack of any sort of formal military, and it began right around the time Naomi was apparently denied access to the League. In fact, Acacia even remembered hearing news about a few high-profile assassinations carried out on the enemy that made a big difference in the defence effort. She couldn't help but wonder how many were Naomi's handiwork.

But... Naomi's fears were unfounded. Acacia knew better than to throw stones in a glass house. She'd had to kill before, too, even though the situations were vastly different. And, even then, for some reason... the thought didn't sour Acacia's view of her. Whatever Naomi did in the past didn't matter to her, because she was here now. Everything she did led to this moment; meant that she would survive to reunite with Acacia. She knew Naomi; knew that, no matter who she killed, there must've been good reason for it. But right now wasn't the time to extract that information from her.

"Acacia would never hate you for something like that," she whispered, wiping a tear from Naomi's cheek. It felt weird to speak in the third person, but given Naomi's deliriousness, it seemed appropriate to meet her where she was at. "She understands having to kill. She's... had to do it, too. She knows that the situations were different, but... She doesn't care, Omi. She's just glad that you're still here. The rest... we can figure it out later, okay?"

The news seemed to calm Naomi. She didn't respond, but her hiccuping faded out, and from the looks of things, she drifted back off into unconsciousness a few minutes later. Acacia gently stroked through her hair, sighing as the memories of grief and rage and guilt passed through her head, from that first time she lost control and took the life of another sapient being. How had things turned out like this? She couldn't help but long for the days when it was just the two of them, before either of their powers awakened and before Naomi's family moved away. Back when they were just normal kids, normal teenagers, walking to school together and ditching class and hanging out without a care in the world.

But, no... They would've never gotten to have normal lives, even if they stayed together. Acacia's father was a god. Naomi's bloodline was cursed. From the moment both of them were born, they were destined for this. Acacia would've always become a superhero. Naomi would've always become a mercenary after being turned away from the League, given the overwhelming lack of options for someone in her position. Maybe, had the League been owned by someone less corrupt at the time, things could've been a little different. But there was no point in debating about the what-ifs. The past couldn't be changed. All they had was the present.

All that mattered was that they were together now. Neither one would have to face the world alone anymore.

Taglist: @seastarblue

  Personally, I would much have preferred searching through a library for information. However, Lukka is determined to question these jötnar, and so we blindly followed her lead. On second thought, I believe I was the only one blindly following, as the rest of our little group seemed well prepared for what we were getting into. 

  Loki’s uprising was, plainly, something that could not afford to happen. As I have found out over my time here in Midgard, Loki is not very well liked throughout the nine worlds. He did many unpleasant things, and he is now, in Lukka’s words, ‘tied up in a cave somewhere’. 

 Contrary to reason, we are attempting to find Loki, presumably to check that he remains securely incapacitated and far away from humanity. 

  “How far away are these jötnar, Lukka?” Bryn’s voice echoed across the snow, the only accompanying sound of our boots crunching through ice. Lukka turned to face her, walking backwards. “We’re almost there, promise! It should be right around-” She startled. 

  Seven jötnar had appeared, and to tell the truth, I was rather intimidated. They were towering, standing at three stories tall before they shrunk to a regular height. Their voices were sharp and scratching. “Who are you.” 

  Lukka, despite shivering uncontrollably with cold, spoke with a cheerful smile. “Hello! We’re just visiting, and we were hoping to find a jötun to ask a couple questions! So could we possibly-” 

  “What are your questions.” The jötun at the centre spoke, clearly the leader of the group. The wind whistled around us, whipping Ryder’s cloak to the side, biting into sensitive skin. The cold was the worst I had ever felt, being from a warmer climate back home. 

  “Do you know where Loki’s cave is?” Bryn was blunt to the extreme. The jötnar talked amongst themselves briefly in a harsh sounding language because answering. “We do not. Do you accuse us of siding with the Sly One?” 

  Lukka jumped in ahead of Bryn, ironically, to answer the question. “We don’t, of course we don’t! I just have one more question: do you know anyone that does know where he is?” 

  The jötnar look livid now, and nerves were creeping up my throat. “We do not. Why do you wish to know the location of Laufeyson? Are you sided with the Shape-Changer?” 

  “No! No, we aren’t, it’s just-” Lukka’s explanation was cut off. A fight blooms around me. The jötnar fight with ice, frozen swords swinging, icy arrows flying. I desperately attempt to quell my anxiety, but it is to no use. My thoughts are like a panicked horse, bolting back and forth with no real direction. My throat closes over and my breathing is ragged. 

  Anders, sweet Anders, steps in front of me, drawing his bow. His shoulders shake, his only sign of fear, but he soon focuses on the task at hand. His arrows begin to fly as the twins completely disappear from my view. They are like assassins, suddenly appearing in places completely unexpected. Bryn and Max fight side by side, one of the rare times they aren’t fighting each other. 

  A fierce battle rages around me, and I’m stuck, feeling utterly useless. Anxiety has my chest in a death grip, and I cannot tell it to beat it. It is, frankly, all I can do not to sink to the ground. 

  Time flies past me, my anxiety inducing time loss. In my peripheral vision, I catch a glimpse of a  jötun, alarmingly close. I pick up a discarded sword, hands slipping. 

  The ringing sound of metal clashing cracks through the wind’s roar, and the jötun’s strength immediately overpowers my own. We parry for a few moments, and I copy what I have seen Bryn do in the past. With a cruel grin, the jötun slashes, and pain rips through my side. I shout a warning to Anders as the jötun advances on him. 

  Blue flares around the elf as runes explode through the air. The jötun crumples to the ground, and Anders breathes heavily. Panic spikes through me as I hurry over to him, checking if he is okay. Marks on his arms glow a ghostly blue, the remnants of his power. 

  Within moments of Anders helping me out, a pained cry splits the air. Necks whip towards the sound. 

  “LUKKA!” Ryder’s voice is as panicked as my mind, and everyone runs towards the sound. 

  Lukka lies on the ground, her legs curled into herself, chest heaving. Anders drops to the ground next to her, his voice quiet but words rapid. The remaining jötnar close in, drawing close. Bright golden light erupts, transporting us out of the snow. 

ᚱ ᛟ ᛈ ᛞ ᚷ ᚠ ᚨ ᛖ

  “Bryn, where have you taken us?” Max sounds indignant. We are in a ballroom of sorts, long tables stretching far and wide. Bryn’s wings, to my surprise, have appeared. Her voice is steady, if not a little nervous. “Welcome to Valhalla, the hall of the slain.” 

  Our jaws drop as Anders heals Lukka. He whispers quietly: “Hey, Lukka, can you wake up for me? We’re in Valhalla!” Ryder sits next to his twin, his expression the most emotional I have ever seen it. “This was a mistake. Lukka can’t last in the cold. Her fire hates it.” 

  Tentatively, I place a gentle hand on his shoulder. “She will be alright, Ryder. Anders will make sure of it, I promise you.” Inside, I am just as worried as he is. Bryn paces back and forth, wings shaking in agitation. Max leans against a table, sword at his side. 

  You could cut the tension with a knife, it is so heavy. Everyone is silent. 

  “Am I dead?” Lukka’s voice is weak, but present, as she turns her head to look at her brother. Ryder’s dimples flash. “No.” 

  “Then why are we in Valhalla? Fill me in, please.” We all laugh. I wince, having completely forgotten about the wound on my side. Unfortunately, the ever-observant Ryder noticed it. 

  “Felix, why is there blood?” He asks. Lukka sits up, eyes locking on my own. 

“Anders. Go heal your boyfriend.” 

“He’s not my- Felix! You're bleeding! Why didn’t you tell me you were in pain? Godsdammit, Felix, sit down!”

-------

If you made it to the end of that... Thank you so much for reading Part 1! Next up for Part 2... it's Bryn's turn to narrate her view of events.