I actually read over this chapter a few times in total before reviewing...not because there was anything wrong with it, but because I kept hoping that there might be MORE. ;)

I love the powerful sexual tension you've created between Ashleigh and Reilonde. You built up to it nicely with subtle (and some not-so subtle) hints in previous chapters, but it really explodes off the screen in this one. It's very nearly palpable, and the "coitus interruptus" when Juggles saunters nonchalantly into the middle of the scene sets my teeth to grinding. ;) I don't typically consider myself a fan of stories that include loads of smut, but I have confidence that if/when you take things further, you'll do it tastefully and with skill. That is, I'm ASSUMING that they'll eventually jump each other's bones, but I won't lay any bets. ;) You've certainly upped the tension in the story by a fair bit! ;)

I'm interested by Reilonde's suggestion that perhaps it's Ashleigh's resistance to the illness that makes him unique. As he points out, there are any number of Breton mages born under the Atronach, and his odd medical condition is just about all that makes him stand out. I hadn't considered that his mere ability to "live with" his illness might be more special than the illness itself. Something to ponder while I wait for more updates (hint, hint)! ;)

Petitioning to have Ashleigh's full name legally changed to Ashleigh "Hurt me. I mean it. HURT ME! I LIKE IT." Prideaux.

Oh. My goodness. He's crazy - in a good way. I think. And so is Reilonde. And so is Juggles. Y'know, I'm beginning to think that this particular group really does have more in common than meets the eye. ;)

Yay! New chapter! Intriguing as always.

For some reason I can't pinpoint, I'm a bit worried about Reilonde. I can sympathise that she's been through quite a bit, but at times she seems as unstable as Juggles. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Who knows?

Anyway, keep up the good work!

Just finished reading through 16 SickleYield stories and they were all good. Loved the undead centric and Fallout ones the Harpie Queen was a great character.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with next.

Thanks for sharing.

Happy Holidays, I'd completely forgotten that you'd rewritten the canon DB ending way back when, so I was completely surprised by Teinaava's appearance. Vampires and assassins and skinny naked Bretons, oh my.

Interesting little indication of self-awareness on Juggles's part in her reference to her own madness, there. I keep wondering just how in touch with reality s/he really is, and how much of that disassociation from reality is voluntary. It might, however, explain why she's being so helpful to Ashleigh. The mentally unsound Argonian (sorry, Khajiit) finds a kindred spirit in the physically unsound Breton?

Also: Ashleigh, m'dear, I think you're blushing.

Wow, this story is so good! the characters are freakishly tasty , the plot's awesome and there is no sidetracking romance except the well put moments of "man-woman " acknowledgment

Handsomely done!

Cool! It's nice to get this insight into Juggles' backstory. I'm intrigued by the insinuation (or Teinaava's belief, I should say) that Juggles doesn't TRULY believe he's a female Khajiit. Everything we've seen of "her" so far indicates that the belief is genuine and complete...but who knows? I'm fascinated by this character. S/he is easily one of the most complicated and hilarious you've created to date. I can't wait to learn more! Especially what s/he'll say to Ashleigh and Reilonde about this most recent incident...and exactly how Reilonde managed to kill two more DB assassins. Like Juggles, I doubt not at all that she did, but I'm curious as to how it played out. ;)

I'm not surprised by Ashleigh having a snippy temper when the mood strikes him...if anything, I'm surprised that we haven't really seen much direct evidence of it BEFORE now. I mean, his life really does rather suck. Semi-terminally-ill, deposed former noble, forced to lug around a large sack of potions just to be his magey self, and now tasked with a minor (it seems) crush on just about the prickliest (and most deadly) mer this side of a Vivec City ordinator...yikes. So really, his command of his temper is obviously pretty good, overall. I'll chalk up his midnight crankiness to being woken in the middle of the night. ;)

Still, Ashleigh should know better than to count on a devotee of Sheogorath to respect terms of truce. ;) Or to respect much of anything, really... I can't wait to see what happens when they hit Fort Nikel.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, Sickle! :)

Ah. A new chapter before the holiday. And it was very interesting with the foreshadowing of Ash's growing "affection" for Rei and the intrigue with The Brotherhood.

That's all I really have to say except...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow. The three of them kicked some vampire butt. You have a way of ending chapters that never gets old. Not much to say this time around so I'll keep it short and sweet.

Thanks for writing.

re: potions and paralysis: Honestly, the entire idea that you can drink a potion but can't cast a spell while paralyzed has always struck me as bass-ackwards. Unless you have an Adoring Fan waiting and ready to pull the potion out of the bag, uncork it, and pour it down your throat, I can't see how you can manage to ingest it. I mean, I'm kind of assuming, based on what little knowledge I've retained from Bio 101 (:P), that autonomic functions like respiration and the swallowing reflex will keep going even while the rest of you is paralyzed, because Oblivion's paralysis spell doesn't do any damage, and cardiac arrest or asphyxiation is probably worth just a few HP of damage, wouldn't you say? :P Still, every step of the potion-taking process, up to the swallowing, is going to be impossible to do if paralysis locks up all conscious motor control. On the other hand, you're still perfectly conscious and aware while paralyzed, and you'd think that a self-directed healing or curing spell would require minimal to no gestures - although that's kind of an assumption on my part. Spells in the Oblivion world are cast with gestures, but I'm not sure if that's considered a necessary component of magic or if it's just a style thing.

In other words, I don't think it matters if you futz with the mechanics of spell paralysis, because the mechanics don't make much sense anyway. ;)

Regarding the events of this chapter: Heh. Ashleigh has a very peculiar kind of integrity. He's willing to let a vampire go to find someone else - someone who will presumably be more defenseless than he is - to suck on, in exchange for information, but then he'll heal a dying stranger, and stick to his word even if it kills him. I'm also not certain whether he was still concussed while gawking at Reilonde, or just dazzled by the Nerevarine in all of her (bloody, battle-scarred) glory. Hey - I'd stare. She's very impressive.

Oh, and nice save by Juggles. Good to see that she's doing her job, and won't let a little thing like Ashleigh's sensibilities get in her way. ;)

The 'parts of bandits' exchange between Ashleigh and Juggles made me splutter into my morning tea. Then I grinned at Juggles's completely unanticipated amphibious qualities. (Come to think of it, I've never understood how the Argonian water breathing skill works. Don't all real-world amphibians lose the gills once they reach adulthood? Are there any kinds of amphibious creatures that retain both a set of lungs AND a set of gills? Is that even possible? Or are we just assuming that Argonians have some innate magical ability that lets them breathe water and leaving it at that?)

A slow and low-key chapter, after the excitement of the last two, but there's some nice character development taking place, and you're establishing an interesting group dynamic.


As an aside: at first, I was confused by the phrase, "The heat was grateful." Grateful for what, I wondered? Being lit? Then I actually looked up the word 'grateful' in the dictionary and discovered that it can, in fact, be used that way.

Huh. You learn something new every day.

Damn, SY. I'm sorry to hear about the job situation. It sucks that someone as smart, witty, and awesome as you has found themselves in this situation. I have faith you'll get it sorted out. Now, onto the review.

ROFL at the last interaction. Doesn't he know you never ask a female her age. It can be very dangerous, as I have learned to my great personal dismay.

Everything's humming along very nicely. It's always hard to see where you're taking a story and I really appreciate the fact. It keeps me on my toes and provides a thrill of excitement whenever I get a notification. I usually give a great big mental, "YES!" As I learned from my idol, Tony Robbins! :)

Circumstances can get you down, but I know you have the power (like She-Ra) to rise once again!

Thanks for writing.

Oh goodness, Juggles DOES spice things up, doesn't she? ;D I admit, I'm a bit surprised by Reilonde's easy acceptance of her, but it doesn't seem at all out of character. I guess I'd just expected the reaction to be a bit more...pointed, somehow.

Ashleigh really is TOO funny. How did he EVER survive the trip from High Rock without a minder?? You've really nailed the absent-minded professor vibe with his character. Sweet and dedicated to his work...but otherwise utterly hopeless. And while she would perhaps think me too forward for saying so, I suspect that it's doing Reilonde a bit of good to feel needed in such a way. Not to mention that it feeds right into the typical Altmeri certainty that they're just somehow better than those around them. ;) Where Juggles will fit into that dynamic remains to be seen, but for now she's a cheerful and entertaining addition.

I'm sorry to hear you're out of work. :( I hope you're able to find something fulfilling (and lucrative) soon. Have you thought about applying to do copy-editing or something else related to writing? You certainly have the skills for it. ;) But you're probably sick of people offering unsolicited advice on such topics, so I won't annoy you further. Good luck with your job search, and whenever you feel motivated to post more, I'll look forward to reading it! :)

Having read what's been written up to now, I have to say that your first chapter is sadly the weakest. Everything happens too quickly and the end result is a little chaotic. That may be what you were aiming for, but - a humble suggestion here - the pacing *could* be a little less rapid-fire.

The rest of the tale has been most excellent. Continue the good work! ^^

ROFL! Love the last line. ;D I'm not sure if you just meant it for the humor, or also as a sly reference to your previous TfC tale that opened with the same line about an Orc, but either way, good fun!

I'd forgotten about the Magicka absorption aspect of the Atronach sign, so yes, that would make magical duels rather simple, wouldn't it? I feel silly for worrying about Ashleigh now. ;)

I was a bit perplexed as to why the guild mages seemed so hostile toward him after the duel. Did they just not hear how rude the Altmer was, and therefore thought Ashleigh was unnecessarily cruel? Or are they just stuffy and defensive of someone they consider "their own" against an outsider? If the former, I can sort of understand why they'd think less of Ashleigh. For the latter...well, there are people like that everywhere, and they're all tedious and irritating. I suppose it seems most likely that people of that ilk would be found in the Mages Guild, if anywhere in Cyrodiil.

I like how Reilonde seems to be falling into the bemused role of Ashleigh's "minder." She's good at it, and he obviously needs one! I'm curious what her motivations are (aside from a sense of debt for him saving her life). I find myself hoping that she's on the level, but I won't rule out the possibility that she has ulterior motives.

Can't wait to see where things go now that they're wandering aimlessly. All sorts of wacky fun could ensue! ;D