It Was One Of The First Things She'd Started Work On As Soon As Her Hand Stopped Hurting.

It was one of the first things she'd started work on as soon as her hand stopped hurting.

Milli figured Aell wasn't one to wear jewelry or be so overt with his displays of affection, especially if he needed to woo a client, but she thought -- hoped -- that he would be willing to accept this.

The heart was as small as she could make it -- and with Milli's eye, that was pretty darned small -- and sat in the center of her palm, barely larger than her fingertip. Milli attached it carefully to a fine silver chain, not a necklace or bracelet, but to be looped around buttons and slipped like a pocket watch into a coat.

It was difficult to keep it from him while she worked, but utterly worth it when she was done.

Gently, Milli stroked the sapphire necklace he'd given her for Wintersday. It was one of her most prized possessions. He had worked so hard on it and she would cherish it forever. This was just...needful. Not a response, because she'd made him something as well. A mirror, perhaps? It didn't matter. She needed to give it to him, to let him know. Though likely he did anyway.

That night she snuck home with a box and a small note, slipping into bed beside him. He immediately turned and dragged her into his arms, still mostly asleep, but he always knew her.

In the morning he would wake and find box and note both on his bedside table.

My love,

Enclosed is something only I can give you. You may claim to have stolen it or swept it away, but in truth it is given freely to your keeping. I know you will care for it always. You are everything I need, Aellarian. And everything I could ever want.

So I give you my heart.

Yours,

Milli

Sometimes a new set of armor helps change your attitude. Sometimes it just makes you feel pretty.

It was all so beyond her control. Rae was used to being unable to interact with the world around her, but she wasn't used to caring that she couldn't.

Ciara had just seemed to explode with anger, the woman who had been so crystal clear to her becoming suddenly out of focus, swarmed by a miasma of red and black fog that seemed to contain dark lightning within.

Rae had been helpless as she watched Ciara attack the armored man savagely. Though she'd thrown herself at her, trying to touch her, to draw her out of it, something...the miasma wouldn't let her close. She was just a ghost again, with no power to interact. It was frightening. And it made Rae realize just how much she had come to depend on Ciara.

Once the woman was unconscious on the floor, Rae was sobbing uselessly beside her, begging Ciara's attackers to stop, even though she knew they couldn't hear her. The miasma clung in a way that was almost...smug.

She hated it. Almost as much as she hated her own helplessness.

Ciara was taken and patched up, then bound more completely than Rae had ever seen. The incessant machine noises would have been calming if she wasn't sure that the buzz was coming from the miasma that refused to leave Ciara.

Rae reached into it, but it shocked her fingers, a warning. She wasn't used to feeling anything and the sensation of pain was almost more startling than the fact that it fought back at all. After a few minutes of clutching her hand to her in shock, Rae moved back to Ciara's side. If the...thing could hurt her, maybe she could hurt it.

Ciara was awake and the buzz...was more like words now. It was distracted, Rae was sure of it. Making herself as solid as she could, she swept her arms through the cloud, trying to drag it from Ciara.

There was pain as soon as it realized, but Rae struggled through it. She pulled at the almost-present miasma, shoving it away from Ciara.

It took no thought to climb onto the table beside her, curl up around the woman in a protective fashion. She was crying, filling the air with the sounds of hurt and despair.

Rae was exhausted, but she stayed close, whispering to Ciara, "I'm here, I'm here. I won't let it hurt you. It's okay, Ciara. I'm here."

The Price of Insanity

Again.

The damn itch was starting up again.

Exhaling slowly, she focused her gaze on the oh-so-familiar ceiling of the subterranian lab and gave her wrists a light tug. Cable clinked against the edges of the bed, and her hands moved only a scant inch. Ciara had awoken to find Nighlla’s patience had obviously worn out and she was bound hand and foot.

…not to mention the straps above her breasts, over her stomach, her hips, thighs, knees and shins…

Unable to move, the thief was left to stare blankly at the ceiling and think.

…they could’ve chosen a more elaborate torture, but perhaps this was simply more elegant.

  You see? This is what your approach to everything gets you. Really, it was much simpler before you let that charlatan toy with our connection. You had no troubles such as this when I held the reins.

 Closing her eyes did nothing to block out the voice. Not that soft, insidious whisper that was liquid and enticing, purring in the back of her mind. Ciara knew attempting to knock herself out would be futile; there was no hard surface close enough to slam her skull against and the… whatever the hell she was hooked up to would start shrieking out high-pitched beeps if she held her breath. 

  It was easier, wasn’t it? Just letting me help you. Guide you through everything. I’m certain you could’ve gotten something more enjoyable out of that interesting little construct if you’d just let me handle it. Or were you eyeing that big Elonian that you took a nip out of? Handsome, wasn’t he? Ooo, or what about that sassy little redhead that came up to play ‘rescue Prince Charming’? 

One slow breath in, one slow breath out, and she closed her eyes, blocking out the sight of the lab’s ceiling for the more familiar sensation of gazing into fathomless dark. The dark was welcoming and she would’ve fallen gratefully into it, into silent stillness, if not for that continual, laughing murmur.

  I know how much you want to just give up, pet. You could. I’ll take care of everything for you. Handle it all. I could, if you like, give you the chance to roll in his blood. Go take back your woman from whatever upstart happens to be warming her bed. Perhaps having that little blue-haired tart on a chain would ease the cold, hm? Or money? Money enough and we could have everything we wish purchased and no harm done to anyone. You could simply buy your little blonde back. Give her everything she ever wanted. 

Vaguely, Ciara could recall that simple message that had taken her down to the beach. When that… whatever she was had arrived, the thief had been looking across the bay, remembering that ridiculous duel which hadn’t ended, as she’d so hoped, in her death. 

 …probably not the best train of thought to be on when someone began asking questions about the Clubs. Or her work. Or him. Or looked at her and spoke of trust, of all things… Had it been then that she’d heard the sibilant voice rising beneath her thoughts, speaking the name she didn’t allow herself to consider. Ever. 

 …she had been trapped. Was trapped. Was still trapped.

 A shudder worked down her spine that she was barely aware of, and when beeping rose, the redhead did not pay it any mind. Soft hissing filled her ears, rising with her own snarl in a crescendo that drowned out anything external. Muscles tensed as the redhead began to thrash anew, twisting her neck and curling her spine in an attempt to bite at the strap across her collarbones. 

 She didn’t know she was keening loudly.

 …or that she was crying.

Here it is!

The (long-awaited) Dye Giveaway!

Thank you 174 followers who actually like my little adventures and put up with my non-gw2 posts as well ♥

I collected many many dyes and the Winner of this giveaway will get the chance to choose 16 (yes thats right 16!) dyes out of my 97 shiney dyebottles :3

little rules:

- only for my current followers (14th jan) because its a Thank You♥

- reblog and like as often as you want (will only count one time mehehehe)

- the giveaway will end on 24th jan

so maybe now you think: ooh so many dyes! I wish I knew which ones so I can prepare myself.

Well, here they are:

the picture is from here

common dyes

Pink Ice

Pastel Mint

Pastel Rose

Banana

Tulip

Mint Breeze

Orange Frost

Rose Breeze

Olive Tint

Lime Breeze

Stem

Wintermint

Humilitation

Shy Lilac

Strawberry Cream

Fluff

Mintay

Olive Silk

Malt

Honeybutter

Olive Yew

Seafoam

Shy Violet

Latte

Spring Moss

Dust

Fresh Green

Persephone

Old Nickel

Veronica

Midday

Periwinkle

Morning Glory

Beige

Forgiveness

Natural

Old Penny

Shy Blue

Mohair

Arrogance

Hydrangea

Root

Green

Riverbed

Khaki

Mushroom

Swamp Grass

Caramel

Sea Green

Grapevine

Adobe Sunset

Green Shade

Leprechaun

Sienna

Country Teal

Adobe

Deep Pine

Spitfire

Grape

Mahogany

Brick

uncommon dyes

Honey Ice

Purple Ice

Pastel Winter

Pastel Wine

Violet Breeze

Flush

Nickel

Violet Tint

Celery

Heather

Hush

Harvest Gold

Sprig

Orange

Mischief

Sincerity

Teal

Eucalyptus

Lime

Chalkboard

Blue Rose

Nightsong

Rich Grape

Tea Shade

Remembrance

Envy

Pine

Evening Wine

Tarnish

Heirloom

rare dyes

Silver

Autumn Sky

Crisp Mint

Blue Sky

Sage

Evening Grass

Her feet were freezing.

She'd been tucked in under a blanket all morning, huddled down over an explosive device that required a great deal of concentration and focus to keep her pieces in all the right places, and when she finally came up for air, Milli realized she could barely feel her feet.

The engineer stood up and stomped around the shop trying to get the blood flowing, her fingers shoved under her armpits. Her letter to the Captains' Council hadn't worked. She'd been back almost daily to check to see if they'd read and understood it. They didn't seem to care. Wintersday was for snow, damn the merchants!

"Well damn the snow," Milli muttered angrily to herself. "It's just a stupid mechanical...oh." The idea, so simple, dawned on her like a brand new day.

Sitting back at the table, Milli pulled out her notebook and began to scribble a design. Absently, she pulled the blankets up over her legs.

They were only mechanical devices. Removing their functionality would be easy. And if asked, well, she'd just say she heard gunshots one night and then didn't bother to report them. Because the Council obviously didn't care about the merchants.

Milli grinned.