CHAPTER LINK
In Sheep's Clothing – 10.4
OPENING LINES
I exited the bathroom, a towel wrapped around me, a bag of the more expensive products in one hand. I was scrubbed pink, my hair was oiled back and away from my face, left unparted, though the ends of my hair were already pricking up and curling away. Any adolescent boy given access to the products that smelled 'manly' tended to overdo it, much as the girls went over the top with makeup, but I knew enough to go light. It was a good smell, and one that would complement the smell of shoe polish.
The hand that wasn't holding the bag held a fresh bandage over the ruin of my eye. It put me in an awkward spot when it came to the towel around my middle.
We open with Sy mucking about with his personal appearance, and in front of JamII no less. Don't let the Jamie 2 Sy Nill shippers near this one.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Here's a fun question. Name a Lil conversation chapter in recent yonks that hasn't also had a conversation with JamII. JamII is concerned by Sy and his mission, and wants him not to.
At Lil's, Sy talks to Lilian about her ideas for her project, we get some neat worldbuilding about the Academy's project proposals. Its pretty neat.
Also, for some reason Lilian being a Lamb is kept secret from her parents, which is awfully silly if you ask me but its probably part of the five mystery solving teens genre. I wouldn't know, I spent my teen years reading the "One monster killing teen, their also monster killing friend, and their utility focussed sidekick" genre that is seemingly propagated solely by Rick Riordan.
CHARACTER BEATS
Mary might be coming on the job, Sy and Lil are revealed to her parents, Ashton is sitting around thinking contentfully with his nightmare imagination thing that makes Helen seem normal, and Duncan is allegedly a git but he's had all of one chapter where he did anything. Rick's being carted away to be turned into some taser handed monster or something.
The next time Sy bemoans a Mouse getting hurt, remember this.
CLOSING LINES
Lil's father, meanwhile, released my hand. The frown lines in his forehead deepened.
"I believe you have lipstick on your ear," he told me, staring me down.
"Ah," I said. I pulled the handkerchief from my pocket, and rubbed at my ear.
"And you smell like perfume," he added.
I didn't even get a chance to get a word out before the door opened. Lillian must have run to get downstairs as fast as she did. She skipped down the path until she was at my side. She hugged my arm, smiling up at two very disapproving parents.
I'd say Aww or something if I didn't think Sy was a jerk and Lilian was a hypocrit hiding behind the illusion of morality but remaining wholeheartedly behind the academy.
Hah. Just kidding. I've written S9 shipfics. Sy and Lil is perfectly adorable.
KEY QUOTES
I pulled clothes on. Slacks, a belt. Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw the ruin of my eye. Beyond it, I saw the Lambs dead in their individual, detailed ways, Lambsbridge's staff and occupants maimed or altered.
I'd been thrust into the world of adults, out-thinking grown men and women, facing mortal peril in a way that even soldiers didn't necessarily have to deal with. At least they had moments of rest and moments of peace. I'd been faced with being on call, dealing with things on the spur of the moment, with regular situations and simple jobs becoming nightmares.
Even now, as I got dressed in a casual suit, like the preppier Mothmont or Academy kids might wear, all of the pressures and the confusion added up to make me feel far from ready to face the world of adults.
I'd been given a set of tools to help me adjust, to put me in the right frame of mind and give me the flexibility to deal. It wasn't the wyvern formula. It was the Lambs, first and foremost. Now I faced losing them.
I think I need moments like this every now and again to remind me that despite Sy being a lying murdering hypocritical manipulative jackboot wearing bastard whose every likeable trait is unfortunately tied to one of the above traits, he's also a kid who is ironically enough more human than both of Bow's prievous protagonists.
"As far as I can figure, you want to secure things, keep the Lambs safe. The deaths don't weigh on you the way they weigh on me, though I imagine you mourn and remember your predecessor in your own way," I said, as I fixed my tie. "But there's clearly another side to you that's more caring. The way people operate, they're all the protagonists of their own story. Everyone wants to be the hero, and for that to happen, the story needs to be tellable in a way that puts them in a good light."
It was his turn to be silent.
"So I can't help but imagine a scenario where you tell yourself I've gone off rails, the horse is running away with the cart, and in that scenario, you make the decision to put the bystanders first, the wrecked train or the runaway horse second. If I don't sell you on this, or if I break the promise, now that I think about it, maybe you tell, because that way, the Academy can't justify hurting the Lambs."
He remained silent.
"If you do decide to tell, whatever your reason, I won't blame you," I said. I pulled on the jacket. There was a dried drop of blood on the inside lining. I picked at it with my thumbnail until it came free. "I've blamed you for an awful lot of stuff that wasn't your fault. It makes sense if, should you decide to go to Hayle and tell him I've gone rogue, that I can't hold it against you. It might even be an optimal way to go. It would tell the Baron that you serve him, first and foremost."
Sy at his most vulnerable, self aware, and his most powerful. Although this clearly either isn't the story that puts him in a good light, or somewhere out there is a story where Sy shaves kittens, kicks Hubris, and won't let Helen eat cake.
And Ashton, in the idle hours, just sat. He liked to have a window, but he didn't need one.
Whatever went on in his head was more colorful than what the rest of the world was doing, apparently.
I like Ashton. Its a good thing he's here.
"Dumb vessel for collecting the wounded. They get pulled inside, their legs inside its legs, their chest in its chest, their arms in its arms. It works as a weak exo-suit, added muscle, for when you need more heavy lifting, but the real purpose, what I'd really hope to pack it with, would be life support. Not a lot, but enough. Pressure on wounds, help with breathing, help with heart rate. If I did it in an advanced way, I'd have it recognize the need on its own. As it is, I think I'd have it respond to external cues. Taps."
Isn't this a worse version of Sub Rosa? Sounds neat enough Lilian but I'm fairly certain Sub Rosa does its job better. Heck, Sub Rosa doesn't even need the wires to keep its victim/occupant alive for two solid weeks.
Come to think of it, did they even kill Sub Rosa? They fed her to Gorger but that's no guarantee. If anything her suit sounds like it could've eaten Gorger.
COMMUNITY COMMENT HIGHLIGHT
Someone with a great name who just wanted to talk about Sil. Yeah. That's the ship name we're going with on this. I can call the Lambs the Twigs, what of it? I don't need your fandom nicknames. And If there was a better name, you'd have to comment to correct me, and then I get a comment! Hah! HAH! HAHAH!
Cogitothala (reading from an island without electricity give me a break) | March 29, 2016 at 9:04 am
On no… This is all going to go do wrong and I like Sy / Lil really well…
COMMUNITY COMMENT HIGHLIGHT
My most liked post is still a stupid omake for Monster! Its not even that good! Its the longest exploration of Night's powers and it's bleeding Taylor!
TYPO TANGO!
"The third project is a drug. I… I don't know, Sy. It's not fully thought through. I'm sure it's been done before, but I thought I should have a third project. I admit I'm selfish in wanting it. Something to help suppress fear, to clarify the mind. A low-impact combat drug for soldiers."
"Something you could take, so you didn't need wyvern?"
"I don't want to use wyvern ever again, Sy," she whispered. "I'm sorry, but-"
I think it should be don't need, not didn't, but I'm not certain. Its an impactful line that all but guarantees she'll end up needing Wyvern again and I can't tell if that's a typo there or not.
PARTING REMARK
Sy and Lil continues to float happily in the same sea as every other ship in this mess of an ocean.
PARTING REMARK
Scryx is a great ship idea for the S9.
