Author Archives: Illinia

Devil’s Due: Part 7: Tears of the Devil

Okay, so I get that the whole ‘colicoid serum’ thing (which sounds like it’s going to give you an STD, or maybe tuberculosis, honestly) is supposed to be for Inquisitor players who want to be mad scientists. But this is even more ridiculous than giving us magic rocks. C’mon BioWare! I’m still thinking over the final solution (with friends, irl, because the more brains on this the better).

Despite all this, there’s a lot of interesting stuff in this chapter that I’m really looking forward to!

Part 6: How to Start a Cult

 

Part 7: Tears of the Devil

He stepped out of the spaceport and was met with the smell of smoke. Looking around, one thing was abundantly clear. Whatever Balmorra had been thousands of years ago, the city of Sobrik was a poverty-stricken war-torn Imperial military mudhole today. And his artifact this time was in an untouched Sith sanctum… under a busted toxic waste disposal facility. He glared at the orange-tinted dawn sky in dissatisfaction with his lot. Continue reading

Devil’s Due: Part 6: How to Start a Cult

Hope I didn’t mess up Aristheron’s bit in this one! Had some fun here, gave Murlesson some initiative, indirectly introduced a new side character, poked fun at the fact that the final boss battle cutscene is all like “YOU CAN’T USE THE FORCE” and then you can totally use the Force in the actual fight. And the one and only time Murlesson will fall on his silly face and has to get picked up by someone not directly working for him.

Cult leader Murlesson uses Aviators: Angel of the Dark as background music.

EDIT: fixing Sabran’s pronouns to something more standard.

Part 5: Sins of the Father

 

Part 6: How to Start a Cult

He walked through the dark places of the planet, the deepest slums on Nar Shaddaa – not the deepest accessible locations, no, there were things deeper and far worse somewhere below. But this was pretty far down, the farthest down sentient life had been squeezed. He was alone – no sense in Khem terrifying those he wanted to recruit. Continue reading

Devil’s Due: Part 5: Sins of the Father

Trigger warning for a bit of discussion about religion; Murlesson is a die-hard atheist if you didn’t gather that already.

Ambiance for the tomb is Corpse Party: Underground Maze.

Part 4: Mud, Blood, and Artifacts

 

Part 5: Sins of the Father

He woke up in his room. “How… what…”

<The little Sith is a great fool,> Khem Val grumbled from the other side of the room. <I had to carry you back to Kaas City before your plan failed.>

“Ah,” Murlesson said, rubbing his head. He might have overdone it with the ‘drunk on power’ reaction. Not that he’d had a choice at the time. He’d have to keep a tighter hold on that. It wouldn’t happen again. Continue reading

Devil’s Due: Part 4: Mud, Blood, and Artifacts

I know there’s a lot of Aristheron in this chapter, but he and Murlesson are inextricably linked in their paths and destinies, eheheheh. Also, level-grinding montage! Murlesson (despite being a classic warlock) would totally play bard in DnD: put points in random stuff and be ready for anything!

Now, I know why Bioware wrote the Skotia fight the way they did. The Trandoshan tablet relic was supposed to be indicative of the Inquisitor’s interest in objects of power; however, probably the real failing was that Zash just exposits at you what it is and what it’s for. I know she was the one doing the planning “for years”, but if the Inquisitor had been the one to find it, and find out what it was for, it would have been far more satisfying, given a feel that s/he’s smart, and, well, inquisitive, rather than a sassy meathead that just does as s/he’s told. So that’s what happens here, even if I decided not to get too deep into it (it’s only used for this one quest, after all). It does make Zash a bit less knowledgeable, and it still feels stupid, and Murlesson lampshades that it feels stupid, but it’s worse in the game imo.

Crazy Sith break-down music: 8D

EDIT: added when he gets his tattoos; he didn’t have any before this.

Part 3: Alliance

 

Part 4: Mud, Blood, and Artifacts

“How lovely to see you, apprentice!” Zash greeted him cordially when he arrived in her little office in the overwhelmingly massive Sith Sanctum. “How was your journey?”

“It was fine,” Murlesson brushed off the inquiry. “Are you acquainted with a big ugly half-machine Dark Lord? He had a message for you. Several, actually.” Continue reading

Space Garden: Part 9: Ad Astra Obumbratio

[MAJOR SPOILERS FOR S6] [LIKE ALL OF IT NOT KIDDING] And I’M DONE until S7 comes out!! I hope it comes out soon, and I hope I don’t have to rewrite anything! XD And with the end of this chapter maybe an explanation for why Keith just dumped Shiro on the ground at the end of Episode 7 so he could stand up to be part of the Season Finale Group Pose™. Btw do you guys think Shiro’s eyes are actually brown now, or are they the same colour as before just they look brown compared to his new hair colour? EDIT: S7 confirmed they are still grey.

My tacky Shiro boob mousepad came in the mail today, I’m so happy. (It feels great!)

Btw I low-key ship Sheith (at least one-sided, from Keith’s side) (but I also ship Lallura) (but I also also ship Klance) (too many viable ships in this fandom)

Part 8: I’m Not Myself

 

Chapter 9: Ad Astra Obumbratio

“Hey, Elslince.” His voice resonated in her radio, and she smiled to hear it.

“Yes, Shiro?”

“Coran’s going to run a game, sounds like Dungeons and Dragons, and I’m playing – do you want to come join us? Hunk and Pidge are here too.” Continue reading

Space Garden: Part 8: I’m Not Myself

[SPOILERS FOR S5] Also known as Mood Whiplash: The Chapter.

The song that I was listening to was Jonathan Young’s cover of Shut Up and Dance, but it’s not specifically a Shelslince song, because first of all Elslince isn’t initiating, and second of all I use it for a whole bunch of my couples (MurShara, Quinnkuliina, HaruSAM, for instance).

The idea of Shiro being an angry boi when he was a kid is based on this tumblr post which makes him look kind of like… Akira? (I haven’t seen Akira lol)

Part 7: Deterioration

 

Part 8: I’m Not Myself

“Yooo, Elslince.” Lance hung by one hand in the doorway of the Garden. “You got a minute?”

“Yes, come in. What is it?”

Lance waited until the door closed behind him, and even then looked around suspiciously before he began to speak. “It’s about Shiro. He’s been… weird, lately, hasn’t he?” Continue reading

Space Garden: Part 7: Deterioration

It’s funny, because the first four parts of this fanfic would fit very well into this section of the show, the big time-skip between Shiro returning and the whole Season 4 stuff. I think they said it was like a year? That’s plenty of time for the Black Lion to be damaged in a random combat engagement and Shiro to crash-land on a little green planet and return a few months later to liberate it, that’s what they’re doing in general in S4. But I had already written it with the intention that Shiro met Elslince some time in the first two seasons, so I’m not changing it now. : P

Callback to Part 3 in the first section of this chapter. XD (I haven’t actually seen Thundercats lol.)

Part 6: Haircut

 

Chapter 7: Deterioration

He shut the door to their room behind him and heaved a massive sigh. “That was stupid. It’s all stupid. Why are we actually doing this.”

He felt the door open behind him and took a step forward to allow Elslince to enter, turning to face her. The smile in her starry blue eyes was bright tonight. “Shiro the Hero, hmm?” Continue reading

Space Garden: Part 6: Haircut

So yeah Shiro’s terrible haircut S3-onwards is all Elslince’s fault. XD (In the show I’m sure he did it himself, so they’re both bad at haircuts.)

(my friend has completed FFXIV2.0! Congrats, Yllamse!)

Part 5: Bereavement

 

Chapter 6: Haircut

He was unconscious when they pulled him from the fighter, almost unrecognizable when they pulled his helmet off. Elslince gasped when she saw: his hair had grown, flowing in straggling, tangled piles over his shoulders, over his face. Continue reading

Space Garden: Part 5: Bereavement

Oh my god, how long has it been since I wrote Voltronfic? November 2016? Holy crap. So I watched Seasons 3-6 over the last couple weeks and OH MY GOD (joins in the fandom’s incoherent screaming). And it gave me ideas for the fic, and I’ve been writing them as fast as I can. Because holy cow Shiro needs all of the love and support. All these precious babies do, really.

Since the show gets a bit more serious and painful starting Season 3, so does the fic. But there will be light sweet fluffy moments scattered around too. Enjoy!

EDIT: Added some Coran luv because he’s underappreciated. The only reason I didn’t have him in the first run was because I had no idea what to do with him…

Shelslince song for final scene is One Way Ticket.

Part 4: Solace

 

Part 5: Bereavement

She’d been tossed about, knocked unconscious briefly, and forced to sit near-useless on the sidelines, only able to help in monitoring power levels – when they existed – and following directions to restoring them when they didn’t. She’d done what she could, remaining calm, though her heart beat wildly for the fate of Voltron, out there, fighting Zarkon, and for Shiro, Zarkon’s personal target. Continue reading

FFXIV: Once a Hero

To write this chapter, I took Achiyo (level 52 PLD) and rounded up a party finder of folks willing to fight Coils 1-5 synced to level 50. Twintania took a couple days to beat, and when we did, it felt awesome!! It’s a lot harder than my writing implies… But the chapter was tending to the long anyway, and Twin isn’t really worth the epic writing, not compared to Phoenix and Bahamut will be.

Starting to feel like writing Voltron fic, stand by. : P

EDIT: I was never happy with Chuchupa’s little bit, or her backstory; I’m still not totally sure what it is, but it’s not what I had here before. I also added a bit for Vivienne, because her brother has thus far not made a single appearance and she seems kind of distant from him, like he’s not necessary to her story. Which means he probably isn’t, which I would like to fix.

Chapter 6: For the Light

 

Chapter 7: Once a Hero

Rinala had passed out from exhaustion not long after they had escaped the Castrum, and she did not hear much else until about eight hours later, when she woke to find herself in a tent with the sun smiling down outside. Someone had dressed her in clean clothes, and someone – probably one of her Scion friends – had even got out her Thancred plush and laid it in her arms while she slept. She squeezed it happily, sleepily, then decided she should probably get up, she was ravenous. Continue reading