#JUST EARTHBORN TINGS

[masseffect5]

“And yet I swear I love this earth that scars and scalds and burns my feet” - Gregory Orr.

[haldenlith]

What if: Never Meet Your Heroes

My brain is buzzing, I’m wired, and I have a crack thought of “what if” with Hal.

What if his past self never died? What if Ardwynn stayed alive, and Ghost was left to find someone else? And what if... Ardwynn ran into Uldren?

Fic time.

Uldren trudged through the wilderness, looking for one of the crow-drones he’d left in the EDZ. It shouldn’t be this hard to find. Where is the damn thing?

“You lookin’ for this?” He turned to find an Awoken, tall and muscular, and wrapped in various layers. A scar ran across the lower half of his face, splitting his mouth near the corner, just enough to show a peek of teeth, and marring his markings on his face. Anyone else would’ve assumed it a simple scar, but the subtle burns on the edges told the Prince all he needed on that detail: it was from one of those shock knives Eliksni carry. Someone squared up with them and lived. He certainly could’ve struck an imposing impression on anyone else, but for Uldren, he was little more than a curious annoyance. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder, and the drone tucked under his arm.

Uldren wrinkled his nose a bit. He avoided dealing with anyone down here on Earth, since there was a high likelihood he’d run into one of Those People, with their little machines. Not just that, but also to avoid exactly this situation -- an Earthborn Awoken. Or so he thought.

“That is mine, yes. Care to hand it over? Or shall I take it by force?” The man scoffed.

“I thought you were better than idle threats, Uldren. Guess I was wrong,” the man replied, tossing the drone to Uldren. It was worse for wear, that was for certain. “Thought it might belong to one of those four-armed beasts. They seem to have a thing for machines. Couldn’t have it bothering the town.” Uldren cocked up an eyebrow as he caught the deactivated drone. Hopefully he could salvage something from it.

“That’s Prince Uldren to you,” the quip wasn’t said so much with hostility as with something of a prodding tone. He was a little curious how this man knew his name right off the bat. It wasn’t like he, or any of the Reef Awoken, were particularly well known to the general people here.

“Yeah, I don’t give a fuck,” the stranger quickly quipped back. “When I left, there weren’t any monarchs, but I see you and your sister sought to fix that. Is it cozy up there? In your asteroid ivory tower?” The stranger’s remarks earned him a small snarl. Uldren could hear the shift in tone when the man mentioned his sister. There was venom and disdain there, and he would have none of it.

“First, watch your tone when you refer to her. Second, it’s none of your damn business. In fact, maybe if you hadn’t abandoned your own people, you’d know.” Uldren knew now. This man must’ve been one of the ones so many, many years ago that had rioted and defected to Earth. Impressive that he was still alive. Didn’t change how irritating he was. He had half a mind to just punch the man and leave. He had better things to be doing than squabbling with some random Awoken on Earth. Though, still, to run into one of the ones that crossed the breach with him and Mara, and then left, was... interesting. What happened next wasn’t quite the response he expected.

The man laughed.

“Abandoned? That’s what we’re calling it now?” He shook his head and planted his hands on his hips, letting his head hang for a moment, before continuing with a tight sort of smile, “We came here to help these people, didn’t we? Or is that another lie your sister fed us? You know what? Don’t answer that. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is we -- those people you say ‘abandoned our people’ -- are actually doing what we came here to do. A lot of us have died doing it. But you all up there couldn’t be bothered, we don’t exist, it’s beneath you. If you ask me, the ones who abandoned your people, were you lot.”

There was a sigh out of Uldren, and he pursed his lips. There was a part of him, however small it was, that felt a tinge of... guilt. It was true. Earthborn and the “defectors” were considered banished, exiled, never to return. That was the... polite way of putting it. The stranger's words, though scathing, weren’t wrong. Uldren thought for a moment on a reply, but decided it better to perhaps end the conversation there. “Think whatever you like.” With that, he began to leave.

“I hoped you would be different.” Unlike the words previously, the ones laced with a quiet sort of anger, these were soft, sorrowful. Uldren paused, turning his head to regard the other Awoken with a curious look. The man let his shoulders fall, his hands slide from his hips, all like a waterfall, that anger sliding away. “I hoped you’d have come with us. You already had been down here, even, so you’d have a better idea of what we’d have been running headlong into. You even seemed excited about it, but you... stayed.” He gave a disappointed sigh. “Uldren, when I was little, back in the Distributary, I’d be with the other kids. We’d occasionally be around when you were there, with your pretty hunting bird, in that garden square, and you’d tell us stories. Stories of heroes, monsters, and all that good stuff. They were... inspiring.” There was a painful pause. “... They were all convenient lies, weren’t they? Just empty fairytales to wow some idiot children with.”

It dawned on Uldren just why those words earlier were filled with such anger, and why now they’re filled with hurt. He let his amber eyes fall to the ground for a moment, the sheer disappointment in the other man’s voice, combined with the other information shared, stung. It was certainly a manageable sting, but one that ached, nonetheless. One that fed that shred of guilt.

He had inspired this small child to grow, to aspire, to genuinely try to do good, and yet... he was also the one shattering those expectations and dreams, in a sense. What cruel irony.

Uldren’s condescending little grin was forced. The words that spilled out stung and tasted like a bitter poison to him. “They were just stories. It’s your own fault for putting so much weight in them.” No, they meant something. To him, to this boy, to someone... they meant... “What’s your name?”

The man’s eyes searched the ground for a moment. It was visibly clear that those forced words hit like a bullet to the heart. Absently, he replied, “Ardwynn.” Uldren nodded and began to leave. Behind him, he heard a half-hearted, “Sorry for breakin’ your little bird.”

Ardwynn finally understood the phrase “Never meet your heroes.”

[scarletooyoroi]

the sky was particularly clear tonight, allowing for a good opportunity to camp out and admire the scenery along with the stars. the crackling of wood and flames offered a quaint and peaceful atmosphere, but what made the night an absolute perfection was, for sure, the company. seated side by side, amber gaze attentively monitored the treats that were held towards the fire and how the chocolate was starting to melt. blowing over the ' ready ' smores, she took a small, careful bite to not burn her lips, before smiling almost childishly towards him. " it's so good ! if i had known about this before, i'd have made it all the time. " [ from lumine ! ]

Finding solace upon their manmade hearth and the flames that aim to caress and toast the treats within their hand was well, comforting. Not often could he find time in where the current day wilds of this land could find a peaceful front within his gaze. An endless stretch of a navy sky provides a blanket of starlight, only complimenting the golden orange flow of the flames that settles a small ways away from them. Thoma didn’t have to think twice in knowing that the presence of someone cherished and treasured was part of the secret to his amiable mood. Not once could he fight away the smile from his lips despite any attempt.

Standing stalwart and true before the face of a cold, pained hell served in multiple ways only added the value of these quieter moments. With one hand balancing the cleaned skewer for his smores, skillful use of his extended free hand worked instinctively to manipulate the flames, never controlling, only re-directing their course in order to ensure a fine toasting. “These quickly broke the ranks of becoming a timeless classic in Inazuma. While I’m not certain where such a sweet tooth stems from, countless people enjoyed making their spins on a new sweet to charge them up during the days.”

Canting his head to the side, he’d come to see the eagerness that remained palpable from someone who tilted in the field beyond simply an ally. From a glance, he could see how the smoked embers twisted into earthborne stars, flowing harmless beyond her complexion, a sight that feels as serene as it was magical in that moment, leading to his distraction. ..Words really couldn’t to play upon just how pretty she was.

A fact that remained impossible to change in and outside of this moment.

Amusement wasted little time in bubbling forth in seeing the impatience within her own preparations. How each huff and puff was executed with a tinge of haste, a shiver of excitement, making Lumine’s witness to this treat more prominent then an actual revisit upon his own taste buds. Rearing up his stick, he’d take the time to bear witness, unable to resist the stir of lighthearted laughter in seeing the way she glows once the combination of breaded and contrasting color treats worked their magic.

“Right?” He’d agree, laughter prolonged.

”These never failed in stealing the show for me while growing up here. One of the old butlers of the Estate introduced me to it, a reward for just seein’ some youth taking their work with heart. Hadn’t thought deep on that then, buuuuuuut.. Heh. They always had a penchant for rewards that can be everlasting.” ..Oh. Now that he notices, it catches his eye.

Clear remnants of cracker crumbs were dotted along the corner of her lips, drawing him into curious, stunned silence while the joyful look she carries stirs a magnetic pull all of it’s own. Somehow, it relieves Thoma immensely to know that the plagues and horrors of this world hadn’t stolen away something so precious. With a growing stir of emotion, a need to have this, her better recognized, tied with a hidden wellspring of emotions, before thought could catch up, action lead one of his hands, manipulated to hold a soft warmth, was lead to cupping her cheek.

To take in a perfect view of those honeyed eyes and that brief question draw from her look alone. “Ya just had a lil something on your face, let me--”

In truth an effortless swipe of the thumb could’ve made due. Yet, in his mind wasn’t the idea of cleaning at all. Underneath the crackling white noise of the campfire, a moment is shared, distance is closed, and soon the bravery to take that broad step forward is made once again as lips meet Lumine’s. It’s an action that never grows tired, always serves as endless invigoration, a greedy selfishness he intends to take hold of as remnants of crumbs weren’t cleaned, but simply shared in this purely ineffective way to handle it. That hadn’t stopped the smile from shining strong within this moment, from his dip of pressure to be careful, concise but so certain  as his palm tenderly brushes at her cheek.

Thoma couldn’t deny the euphoria that flocks to his veins like renewed power whenever they held a quiet moment like this. Humming contently within their kiss while repressing every urge to deepen it on the spot, gradually he leans up, just a touch, allowing for his closed eyes to ease back open to catch a very amused countenance within that moment.

....

Oh it did not take any amount of guesses to figure why.

“That-- hadn’t been the best way to spark up clean up duty, huh?” He’d admit, teeth bared in a shameless smile as he’s all too happy regardless. Not one bit of him felt like releasing cradling hold upon her cheek in this moment.

@lunaetis