#excuse the introduction bit for seeming funny i needed something quick and acceptable. doing my best was the best option

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[clansayeed]

Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ― Chapter 17: The Psychic

PAIRING: Kamilah Sayeed x MC (Nadya Al Jamil) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Destiny II, part 1 ⥽

While struggling with nightmares of lives she’s never lived, a shadow from the past looming over her city, and the proposed idea that her life may just be a little bit too weird to handle alone, Nadya makes sure to tell herself that everything is perfect just the way it is. If only. When the self-proclaimed King of Vampires (and Maker of her sometimes-girlfriend and always-boss, can’t forget that little tidbit) Gaius Augustine returns intent on claiming Manhattan as the throne that was promised, she and her friends find themselves forced into the task of saving the world. But with millennia-old vampires and an Order of hunters on their heels as well as allies hiding catastrophic secrets at their backs… it won’t be an easy task. Too bad destiny didn’t exactly ask for her input.

Bound by Destiny II and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing dramatic retelling project of the Bloodbound series and spin-off, Nightbound. Find out more [HERE].

*Let me know if you would like to be added to the Destiny II tag list!

⥼ Chapter Summary ⥽

The group's patience is rewarded when Serafine finally arrives in Paris. But with her comes the reality that it's time to buckle down and do what they came here to do. Seeing as none of her previous experiences with psychics have been even remotely good, Nadya can't shake her doubts.

note: from this chapter and going forward this series will contain Adrian x Serafine content/mentions

[READ IT ON AO3]

It’s the longest week of Nadya’s life. A week of unknowns and uncertainties that somehow both keep her exhausted and refuse to let her sleep for fear they would go ignored. Like there’s any chance of that happening.

The suckiest part is there’s no escaping the worry. She doesn’t stray too far from the block the apartment building is on for fear of losing her way, or worse — losing her life.But it’s not like their apartment was the most spacious thing in the world. Only Lily and Nadya are used to living with each other. They aren’t used to living with two grown men.

They scour newspaper stands, memorize the channel numbers for every news station and use Adrian when translations are necessary. Digging almost obsessively for any information on New York and their loved ones. After all, you’d think a giant pitfall in the middle of Central Park would get even one 24-hour news cycle of international attention.

You’d think.

“The police have the entire park sectioned off,” Adrian summarizes; eyes flying over the newsprint of that day’s issue, “looks like they’re trying to write the event off as a scaled-down natural event. Hartfield’s sent out their geology department but I’m guessing that’s for the newspapers rather than to do actual good. Manhattan isn’t exactly known for it’s sprawling underground caverns.”

They stop looking at the papers after that. Or — they stop asking Adrian to expose himself to all of the things he feels he walked out on. He’s got enough on his plate.

And isn’t that an understatement. Yes; Adrian’s worries about being unable to reach Serafine are definitely everyone else’s problem too. But every time he seems to be getting a little too heated or intense Nadya reminds herself of their first night here and the talk they had. He may not admit it aloud but much of his worry for her is personal.

The side effect is as unanticipated as it is worrisome. Adrian’s a vibrant personality; never one to boast his success but always the center of attention because he’s just that interesting. So to see such an extroverted person retreat into themselves as harsh as he does has everyone on edge. He’s quieter at meals and outright avoids the rest of them in the apartment’s lone bedroom most afternoons.

When Nadya tries confronting him about it (she starts off subtle, but screw subtle they’re all in a bad way right now so if he’s going to be miserable he can at least be miserable with the rest of them) he at least does her the courtesy of not pretending to be oblivious about it.

“I’m just worried, that’s all,” he insists; pushy enough that it’s clear he’s trying to convince himself of it too, “about Serafine, and everyone back home too.”

“You think you’re the only one?”

“No, of course not. I —”

“Okay, so stop acting like it. We can’t do this without you.” I can’t do this without you, but she doesn’t need to say it for Adrian to know.

His excuses are always the same; so are the apologies that inevitably follow. Finally Nadya just forces herself to accept that if Adrian won’t confide in her there’s not much she can do about it. Not that acceptance keeps it from hurting her deeply.

The only consolation the universe decides to offer her is a few (worry-addled) days wandering around a snowy Paris at night with her best friend. It gets them out of the claustrophobic confines of the apartment though, so she’ll take it.

Still rosy-cheeked and shivering from their metro ride, Nadya fumbles to Lily’s delight far too long before she manages to get the key into the lock and her butt into the apartment.

“Karma is real you know,” though her huffs of discontent are made less malicious by the way her scarf muffles her words and makes her glasses fog up to the point of blindness, “and it comes after people who watch their friends suffer.”

Lily laughs in the face of karma. “Oh you poor baby, all cold from your visit to the top of the Eiffel Tower. My heart goes out to you.”

“It should!”

“It does!”

“Good!”

They laugh in unison. When Nadya is finished shedding her many wintry layers she grabs for the takeout bag at her feet. “Looks like Jax is still out,” she comments, and doesn’t miss the indescribable look of continued confusion that gets thrown her way. Yeah, she didn’t understand it either at first, but turns out he’s never been out of the country before and likes walking the streets alone.

A woman’s rich and chiming laughter stops both of them in their tracks. Nadya knows full well it’s impossible for her key to have opened any other door in the building yet still she does a quick double-check to make sure they are indeed in the right apartment. Jax’s sword is where he left it on the coffee table, and Adrian’s suit is still hanging over the bedroom door; so it’s definitely their place.

And Adrian doesn’t laugh like that.

“Hold on,” comes Adrian’s voice from the kitchen, “I think I heard the door.”

The laughing woman’s voice is richly accented when she replies. “If your hearing has gotten so terrible, mon chéri, I’m surprised you’ve survived this long.”

Lily wiggles her eyebrows suggestively before calling out; “If you need a minute or ten, we can circle the block!”

Nadya claps her hand over her mouth to stifle her snort, and the fact she can hear Adrian’s rolling eyes when he talks doesn’t help in the least.

“Ha ha, very funny Lily. Come on in — there’s someone here I want you to meet.”

The woman sitting very close to Adrian at the small kitchen table needs no introduction but Adrian gives one anyway. “Nadya, Lily; this is Serafine Dupont.” And she’s a startling beauty to be sure; hair falling in bushy and effortless curls around features that manage to look flawless even under the harsh yellow light overhead. But Nadya can’t look away from Adrian from the moment she sees him.

Adrian who is smiling; really genuinely smiling, for the first time in a long time. She’d almost forgotten what it looked like, but the sight of it is like an old friend and gives her an immense relief. Not just for his sake either — because just maybe something is finally going right for them.

The girls are barely one foot through the doorway when Serafine descends upon them. Feather-light fingertips brushing through the wool of Nadya’s sweater with gentle kisses gifted to her cheeks. She smells of rose perfume and spring morning dew, and carries herself tall and proud in a way that is so familiar it makes Nadya’s heart ache.

Lily returns the kisses enthusiastically. “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since we got here,” she admits to Serafine’s delight.

“Believe me, the pleasure is all mine.” The woman smiles sweetly at the both of them before taking up her seat again. “Adrian’s been talking the both of you up for hours. I told him that I could not remember the last time he spoke so highly of anyone!”

“Well we are admittedly awesome.”

“And modest, too, I see.”

Her oh-so-courteous vampire friends wait until Nadya’s settled in with her food unpacked to get down to business. There are only two chairs for the table so Lily joins her up on the counters; their legs dangling and colliding on lazy occasion.

“So, Serafine,” and there’s a depth to her warm brown eyes that Nadya recognizes; they may not have discussed it before but she has no trouble believing that Serafine is much older than her current companions, “no offense — but you’re a hard woman to track down.”

At least she seems genuinely apologetic. “Ah, oui. I’ve spent the better part of the evening giving Adrian my apologies but I should offer them to you as well.”

“She’s been in hiding.” Adrian comments, and with no small amount of sympathy.

Nadya and Lily exchange surprised looks. “Are you okay?”

Serafine nods with a hum. “I am alive, and that is more than can be said for those who fell victim to the Order.”

The Order. Nadya’s heard that name before — though never with her own ears. She may not remember all of her visions but they’ve come up too frequently for her to fully forget. With that name comes the chill of fear and the weight of loss. Serafine radiates it and so much more.

“The Order of the Dawn, you mean.”

Which makes Serafine regard her with surprise. “You know of them?” she asks, and because she’s working really hard on this whole being-honest thing Nadya just shrugs in a noncommittal answer.

Lily raises her hand. “And for those of us who skipped Vampire History 1-0-1?”

“The Order of the Dawn is the oldest enemy to our kind. Legend says they have been around since the time of the First Vampire Herself, and with the amount of wealth and influence they have gathered the world over… I would believe it. They are the worst of humanity. Radicals who exist solely to exterminate us. By their teachings, from the moment we are Turned we cease to be people. They paint us as savages; animals controlled by our need for blood and nothing more.”

“Sounds a bit like —”

“Ferals?” Adrian nods grimly. “They’ve been used as a tactic for the Order’s indoctrination for decades. But they don’t see the difference between a Feral or the likes of you and I. To them it’s all the same.”

Indoctrination, he says. And judging by the pain that flashes across Serafine’s face when he isn’t looking it’s not a word chosen for melodrama. When she tries her hardest to recall what few memories she can that even so much as whisper the Order in her ear, it’s not an unfounded fear the older vampires share.

However there’s one thing Nadya doesn’t fully understand.

“If they’re so powerful and connected, why haven’t you mentioned them before?” Frankly it would have been nice to know of yet another reason to look over her shoulder.

“Because I didn’t see any reason to scare you over something that you wouldn’t have to deal with. Or… so I’d hoped.”

Serafine offers Nadya a sympathetic smile; something a hair’s breadth from pitying. “Don’t think too little of him for it, petit. America has the luxury of letting the likes of the Order fade into history. They fought hard enough for the right to do so, after all.”

Her hand falls over Adrian’s with a feather-light touch; offering a look with it that Nadya only sees half of but that’s more than enough to know the feelings behind it. The tension melts from his shoulders in a steady wave.

“There was a secret war in the middle of the 19th century; the War of the Dawn. A decade-long campaign to wipe every vampire from the face of North America; and the Order’s last and bloodiest attempt at killing Gaius and damaging our entire species beyond repair. They all but abandoned Western Europe and poured every resource into the fight. Unfortunately we were forced to do the same… and because of it they very nearly succeeded.”

He’s had Lily’s interest since ‘secret war’ but everything after is meant to frighten them. It succeeds — rightfully so.

It wouldn’t hurt for him to stop there but Adrian continues almost like he’s duty-bound to finish the story for the warning it is. “We won because we were connected to the human world in a symbiosis. Gaius spent years weaving his court into the very fabric of American history and it paid off when the time came. Politics, industry, big business — when we formed the Council we didn’t create these connections, we merely stepped in to fill the void our coup left behind.”

She gets it now. “You have more power than the Order does.”

“And so they can’t touch us. Not without losing for a second—and final—time.”

For all of the terrible things Gaius is and will always be, he can play the long game well. Nearly every vision he showed up in left Nadya confused as to how such a terrible tyrant could inspire such loyalty. Now… it makes a little bit more sense.

Not that it makes him any less of a villain.

“But it is not my enemies that bring you so far from home, Adrian.”

If Serafine was hoping to cut even the smallest hole in the tension between them, sucks to be her. She takes the defeat with grace though. “I relish this chance to reconnect… though I have a sense our night would be better spent with why you are here, in Paris with her dangers, at all.”

His laugh is as dry as it is fake. “Where to start…”

There’ve been enough psychic vampires probing around in Nadya’s head lately that she knows the look their new friend gives her right away. Before she can even open her mouth Nadya feels the itch of Serafine’s psychic influence right at the base of her skull.

“The beginning should suffice.”

While Nadya may not have picked up on much of the French language in their short time here, she has little trouble imagining the long string of words that roll off of Serafine’s tongue are the pretty woman’s equivalent of swearing like a sailor. Judging by the way Adrian raises his eyebrows and suddenly finds the bottom of his wine glass the most fascinating thing in the room… she should have bet money on it.

“You okay there?” Lily asks, and passes what’s left of the bottle wordlessly back to the table. As vampires, they may not be able to get drunk like humans could but Nadya’s coming to realize her favorite thing about the French is handling stressful conversations with an alcoholic buffer.

Serafine looks between the girls in a strange emotion possibly named ‘wild sadness,’ which is valid honestly.

“Non, Lily, I am not. But I cannot fathom how minuscule my emotions must be compared to your own. And you, Nadya,” who tries her best not to cringe under the emotions that make her voice thick and accent thicker, “to have endured what you have, so young and in the prime of your life. I would not wish such a fate on my worst enemy.”

“Yeah well…” she has no idea what to say to that; so she drinks until something comes to mind, “I would. If only to show him what it feels like.”

Serafine gives a fitful nod. “But it doesn’t do any good to sit here and ruminate on the tragic things which have already passed. Whatever is in my power is yours.”

“Well that’s the thing — I wasn’t sure if it was in your power.” She looks offended that Adrian would even think of doubting her. He doubles-back; tries again.

“You’re the strongest psychic Kamilah and I know, Serafine. But I’ll admit I don’t know much about the skill. Is it even possible to undo the damage that’s been done?”

Nadya doesn’t disagree that damage is right but it still hurts to hear it. He glances at her quickly and utterly remorseful. “I mean —”

“I know what you meant. Let it go.”

Serafine shrugs. “Let me see what I’m working with first. Nadya, darling, if you would?” She gestures and Nadya slips from her stool without argument, is glad for the fact that Serafine stays seated only because she knows the woman would tower over her. She cups Nadya’s face in her cool palms; thumbs brushing over her cheekbones.

Isadora had touched at her mind subtle and with caution. By comparison Jameson had all but swung a hatchet at her brain; chipped away at her until he found what he needed and that was that. And Serafine, too, is different in her own way. But it’s more than the simple differences between individuals.

There’s a power in Serafine’s touch. Impossible for her to ignore. A compulsion of the will that drags her eyelids closed and brings her deep within and along for the ride.

Images, emotions, thoughts. Nadya sees them coming from a great distance but doesn’t have time to brace herself before they hit her like a truck.

Grasping for Lily’s hand on the plane—Kamilah’s lips on her forehead tears welling in her eyes emotion choking her throat—pleasedon’tmakemeleaveyou—I’mrighthereI’vegotyou—fear and worry and the brief flicker of joy—Taylor’s inconsistent eyes Kathy’s rich violet hair—all those months of lying begging for the end in those moments just before succumbing to sleep and the horrible things that alwaysinevitablycome…

And then there’s Gaius. Gaius whispering in her ear feeling Nadya’s heart pounding in her chest Vega two steps behind don’tlethimcatchyou! Gaius entering the dining room with silent fanfare — the glamour fading to reveal the rotting corpse beneath — his shoes taptaptap echoing in the Chamber the blood of the First staining his teeth before he rises up upup and into the oblivion of the night—

Serafine tries to pull back her psychic reach — but something, certainly not Nadya, holds her down. Keeps her still and there and demands of her to watch. As I have watched, as I have seen.

Nadya knows so very little but she knows without a shadow of a doubt the images that follow are memories, too. Serafine’s memories. Surprised to be pulled from some abyss, out of order.

The smell of spice and ocean sea-salt freshly sanded wood on beaches sand still warm with the sun’s heat sinking between her bare toes — electronica pounding through modern speakers club lights shining down on her skin slick with sweat her head thrown back in laughter — Adrian’s lips on her neck on her breasts lilted language on her tongue slow down darling we have a long day ahead of us fingers intertwining skin burning where the barest sliver of sunlight catches on their shared bed—

Paris bright and both new and old history not yet written in cobbled streets an empty void in the skyline where the Eiffel Tower will be and the smell of burning flesh and bone wafting up from deep within the earth tears and ash smeared over her skin—Youwillseejusticeatthehandsofyourenemies—and a burning hatred that ignited the flame.

Nadya tastes something unfamiliar and metallic on the tip of her tongue. Blood, her mind tells her — though her body struggles to accept it as more than just another memory.

She opens her eyes just as the red slips from Serafine’s own gaze. Shame and confusion burn hot in her cheeks and she barely registers the combined cries of “Nadya!” from both of her friends before she’s emptying the meager contents of her stomach in the kitchen sink.

Nadya reaches with a shaking hand to push her hair out of her face. Lily beats her to it; holds her through every shaking heaving breath without a word.

The two glasses of water she all but inhales help soothe the sting of the cut inside her cheek. Still, Nadya keeps the flat of her tongue against it out of habit. And though she’d like nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep off the vertigo a nd nausea still churning in her belly Nadya knows she can’t. Sits back on the counter like a good little Bloodkeeper while Lily scrubs the sink before the smell can linger.

“Je suis tellement désolé, Nadya,” apologizes Serafine, to which Nadya only nods to reply. Words are a little bit beyond her right now if that’s alright with them. “I had no idea even a simple exchange would be so… violent.”

Which is a word for it. Though Nadya would almost prefer they find something more dramatic for the future.

Adrian looks between them in a silent war with himself. Torn between apologizing to Nadya and asking Serafine the inevitable. What had she seen?

“Do you truly wish to stay your current course?”

She appreciates Serafine asking; it’s a consideration she hasn’t gotten much of so far. Unfortunately it doesn’t change anything.

“You—gh,” the three vampires wait patiently while she swallows and regains her words, “you saw what happened. You saw what Gaius became. This is the only way.”

Lily throws an arm around Nadya’s shoulders. “Unless you magically happen to have a God-killing stake you can pull outta your back end.”

Serafine’s laughter is more polite than amused. “Would it spare you further pain, I would. But alas. And I would not ask you to try again so soon. Too much has already been forced upon you.”

“So you’re saying I’m damaged beyond repair.”

“Non, I am not. Psychic intrusion is rarely so simple, and cannot be compared to the likes of physical injuries. Judging by what you have told me and the little I was able to see… most—if not all—of your previous encounters within the mind were done without consent?”

Nadya nods slowly; the heartbreak is plain on Serafine’s face. “Then it is of no surprise that you have put barriers in place; even unconsciously. It will take time to bring down those walls safely and without risking further harm to you both mentally and physically.”

“How much time?” asks Adrian.

“I could not say. Up until tonight I too thought the Bloodkeeper only a myth. Even if there were a clear path to recovery, that alone will undoubtedly bring complications.”

He looks down and away. But he doesn’t have to say it — and they don’t need to be psychic to know what he’s thinking.

They don’t have time. The people they love don’t have time.

Nadya inhales shakily. “How big is the risk if we just wing it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Humor me.”

And the distinct lack of humor in her voice makes all three vampires uncomfortable. If she could, Nadya would laugh. They aren’t the ones with anything to be worried about. Serafine glances at Adrian, almost like she hopes he’ll interrupt before the silence becomes a deliberate refusal to answer.

Frankly she’s getting really tired of people making decisions for her. “Adrian didn’t ask you, I did.” She snaps her fingers. “It’s my head and my risk.”

“Nadi’…”

She shoulders Lily away. “No, no ‘Nadi,’ just tell me. If you dig back in for the memory we need right now, how big is the risk?”

There’s no doubt in Nadya’s already-fractured mind that Serafine won’t spare her from the truth. She’s been inside the woman’s head and that kind of knowledge is a dangerous thing. As dangerous as Serafine herself can be, has been, might become.

Maybe some part of her knows this too, because she finally stops holding back.

“Your body would not be able to cope. Your mind would be so focused on the task it would forget to send signals to the rest of your body. Your heart would forget how to beat and you would even forget how to breathe. You could die before I even came close to the answers you seek.”

“So we put me on a respirator or something.”

Adrian looks up at her sharply. “Stop. We’re not entertaining this; that’s not even an option.”

“Well neither is waiting however long it might take,” she snaps back, “they’re risking their lives for us back home — I think the least I can do is return the favor.”

“That’s not true and you know it.”

“I’m tired of everyone risking their lives for me! It’s not worth it!”

“Getting you out of New York was worth it!”

“Obviously not, since I’ve got too much brain PTSD to be of any freakin’ use!” Nadya gestures wildly, arms spread. She’s got no idea where any of this is coming from but that doesn’t make it any less true; that doesn’t make it any less painful. “Every day we’re sitting here tiptoeing around what we need to do is another day Kamilah or Maricruz or Arnold or anyone could be killed.”

How are they not getting this, she thinks, incredulous and bewildered and borderline angry at them all. How can they let others put themselves on the line and not ask the same of her? Because she’s fragile; because she’s human?

Nadya doesn’t realize she’s on her feet until the dizziness hits her. She doesn’t let it or Adrian’s desperate “Nadya, wait, come back!” stop her from leaving them behind. It’s easier when she doesn’t think about what she’s doing. Just lets her feet carry the rest of her aches and pains and all out of the apartment and down to the frigid streets below.

She doesn’t know how far she has — or could have — walked in her half-conscious daze until a firm and supernatural grasp brings her back to the present.

“Whoa there — where the hell is your coat?” Jax’s frown only deepens as he watches her become aware of her surroundings. Even if she had the strength left to try and pull away, she isn’t sure he’d let her go.

“I… left it back at the apartment.” She means to look back over her shoulder but the thought of their disappointed faces, despite not being there, is too much. It keeps Nadya frozen (literally) in place, shivering under his hands.

“Uh-huh… well, let’s go get it.”

Nadya barely manages to dig her heels into the pavement. It’s just enough resistance for Jax to notice. “Don’t… don’t make me go back there.”

He raises an eyebrow silently, but thankfully doesn’t push it. “I’m not leaving you out here on your own though.”

“Probably for the best.”

After a long moment the man sighs; shouldering off his coat and letting it hang on her shoulders comically large and smothering. “Lead the way.”

Though the pair of them isn’t one often found, well ever, Jax must have understood and accepted the moment they began their shared walk that eventually she was going to unload on him. He takes it all with great grace and stride honestly; and only shows his disapproval in a look rather than an outright argument when she makes them stop for another chocolate-stuffed crepe.

“Don’t I always miss out on all the fun…” he mutters, something Nadya probably wasn’t supposed to hear so she goes back to her sniffly mouthful of sweet pastry like he never said a word.

“What was it you saw that upset you so much?” And that she was supposed to hear. No doubt about it.

It’s to Nadya’s surprise that Jax waits with an uncharacteristic patience for her to answer. Eventually there’s no avoiding it.

“It wasn’t what I saw that… it wasn’t a vision or anything.”

“Then what had you running out of there so fast?”

“How I acted.”

“Well yeah, that was pretty dumb.”

She pretends it’s an uneven bit of pavement that makes her trip and not, well!

“Uh, thanks… I think.”

Jax gives her a careless one-shoulder shrug in return. “What did you expect me to say? Because I’m not going to tell you that you weren’t in the wrong, Nadya. You know that’s not my style.”

Yeah, unfortunately. “I just don’t think she gets how… how crucial time is.”

“If you really believed we had such little time you wouldn’t be here right now stuffing your face.”

“Joke’s on you, I’m always ready to stuff my face.”

He stops; Nadya gives herself three steps ahead before she accepts he won’t be joining her another step further. She turns back and, luckily, manages to hide most of her face with crepe. But Jax doesn’t spare her even the tiniest bit of sympathy. His frown is stern; almost harsh. It’s hard to see what’s in his eyes with the lights of the city glowing behind him but she can’t imagine it’s anything consoling.

“You really don’t get it, do you.”

It isn’t a question. Nadya doesn’t answer. “Alright, okay, I guess it’s gonna be up to me to do this. But I’m warning you,” pointing a stern finger her way, “you’d better listen, and listen good. Because I’ll only say this once.”

“Say what, Jax?”

“None of this is about you.”

“I don’t think —”

But Jax cuts her off. “You’re right; you don’t think. If you did then you wouldn’t have had me go behind Adrian’s and Kamilah’s backs. But that one’s on me — I had to agree to it. So that’s your one free pass. But skirting Lily and me and getting yourself kidnapped was what gave Gaius the lead on the Amulet in the first place.”

“I didn’t exactly choose to give him the memory, Jax.” And it’s really hard to keep the I can’t believe you right now from her offended voice but that doesn’t help things in the least.

“No, but you don’t let anybody forget it either. Have you ever considered that if you spent half as much time helping out as you did moping and crying things might be at least a little bit better?”

“Wow. Tell me how you really feel.”

“Oh I am,” he snorts a dry, humorless laugh, “because everyone else might want to spare your feelings but I don’t see any point in it by now. Not when there’s so much at risk. Do you honestly think for one second I want to be here, thousands of miles away from everything and everyone I’ve spent my entire life caring for? Do you think Lily wanted to leave Espinoza behind, or that Adrian wanted to leave his Clan without a leader? These are genuine questions, by the way. Because I really don’t know what reality you’re living in, but from the way it sounds the only one any of this sucks for is you.”

Word after word comes at her each one like a blow to the face, to the gut; fighting skills Jax has honed but Nadya never knew she needed to prepare herself for that leave her bruised and just barely standing.

“I… no.”

“‘No?’ No what?”

“No I… I know I’m not the only one hurting.”

“Damn right you aren’t. But just like all of us, Nadya, you have a part to play. Of course all of us — you included — would rather have stayed in New York; tried to fight. But standing here crying about it isn’t going to turn back time. All it does is make the sacrifices of those like Arnold, like Sayeed and Espinoza and countless others we’ll probably never meet meaningless. Is that what you want?”

“Of course not!”

“Then act like it! Take responsibility and realize everything we’re risking for you. You’re our friend, and a sweet girl and all, but sometimes you’re so self-involved it drives me insane! Newsflash — you’re not the only person hurting right now. But the rest of us can put that aside for the greater good. Now it’s your turn. You keep talking about how much it hurts, well take it from someone who has dealt with a lot of pain in a short amount of time. There comes a time when you have to make all of that suffering mean something. Not just for yourself, but literally for the world.”

Nadya’s way passed the verge of tears but that doesn’t mean she’s not doing everything in her power to keep from falling into a blubbering pathetic mess. Jax is right; worse still, Jax knows he’s right, Nadya knows he’s right. If anything that only makes it hurt more.

“I—I’m… I’m sorry.”

In less than a stride Jax is standing in front of her. His hands on her upper arms this time less forceful, less confused. But kinder than his words and tone would allow for.

“Come on now…” he admonishes; softer but no less insistent, “I’m not saying this to make you cry. I suck at dealing with crying people, actually, so I’d really prefer it if you stopped.”

Which works about as well as politely asking Gaius to not go through with his crazy plan would, which isn’t a surprise to either of them. He sighs and pulls her forward into the world’s strangest hug but it works for them both. He doesn’t want to watch her cry. She doesn’t want him to see her break down against his shirt.

“I—” she hiccoughs, “—I didn’t aa-ask for any of this.”

“I know that. But neither did we. And crying about it doesn’t change what happened. We know what we’re giving up to be here — and… maybe I was a little harsh. Don’t think we don’t care about you or keeping you safe. But, hey—hey. But —” Jax gently pries her back and fixes her glasses where they’ve gone askew, “— that’s our job; to keep you safe. And yours is to figure out how we can stop Gaius.”

“I know. I…” I don’t know what to say. And maybe that means it’s best she not say anything at all.

“Remember —” he waits until she can compose herself enough to look at him without wet hiccups spasming in her lungs; and when she does he surprises her with a small smile, “— whatever it takes.”

Whatever it takes. And isn’t that the kind of mentality that had landed them in all of this in the first place?

Though it was also the mentality that gave her the courage to save Adrian in the Bloody Cellars, to confront the Trinity and evade Vega for as long as she did.

It’s obvious Jax isn’t letting her go until she says it back, and out of the two he doesn’t feel the cold on his cheeks. He can wait her out.

“Whatever it takes.”

[obscurelysevere]

5: Introductions

Nerves that were uncharacteristic of her were flitting around in her stomach, as Usagi tugged at her and Mamoru's arms, pulling them toward Crown parlor. "Ooh, I can't wait to introduce you to my friends! Another senshi! This is so exciting!" the tiny blonde bubbled, as the sliding doors parted for the trio. "How many others are there?" Kat asked, betraying her own nerves. "Well, there's..." Usagi stopped to think, counting silently on her fingers. "Ten of us? If you include Chibimoon and myself." "Ten?!" She was not expecting that many. "Oh! But don't worry, not everybody is here all the time. Haruka and Michiru and Setsuna and Hotaru kind of like to... keep to themselves. And Chibimoon is in the future with Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion," she continued to babble on. "Endymion? Neo Queen...?" Kat stopped walking, and looked up at her brother, who went by the same name in a previous life, with her, and Princess Serenity. Usagi stopped walking and looked back at the siblings. "Eh... uhm... yeah. So... Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion are me and Mamo-chan in the future. And Chibiusa is their... our daughter." Usagi poked her two pointer fingers together a couple of times, sounding slightly embarrassed.

It was Kat's turn for her mouth to fall open slightly, at a complete loss for words. So Usagi continued. "Chibiusa - Chibimoon - comes and visits us here, in the past, sometimes. She also comes to see Hotaru - they're best friends, you see." Kat closed her eyes for a moment. She just spent the past few months trying to wrap her head around her past. But there was a future world she had to think about too? She couldn't help but smile, though. The idea that the prince and princess still existed in another time made her happy. "Well, I can't wait to meet her sometime." "I guess that would make her your niece!" Usagi exclaimed, excitedly, now that she knew she didn't freak Kat out. "So, then, if she's from the future... Does she already know about me?" The question tumbled from Kat's lips before she could swallow it. It didn't want to impose on their lives in any way, and that question almost felt too close to the line. Usagi and Mamoru exchanged an unsure glance. "Eh... She hasn't said anything about you, before," Usagi started, carefully. "Yeah, but, I only became aware of your existence after you did. So maybe, your... awakening will start to spark something in all of our memories?" Mamoru was quick to offer. "Yeah, yeah!" Usagi agreed just as quickly. She grabbed Kat's and Mamoru's hands, pulling them along again, as she walked backwards towards a booth full of four other girls and two... cats? "Usagi-chan!" A blonde with a red bow stood up, beaming. All the girls looked up at the sound of Usagi's announcement. They looked like they were going to greet her, but their voices stuck in their throats at the sight of the newcomer. The girl with the blue bob spoke up first. "Who's your new friend, Usagi?" Kat suddenly felt very under the microscope. All she had planned on doing was meeting her brother today. But she'd already met him, his fiancé - the moon princess - heard of their daughter, and she was meeting other senshi, that she had only had a very faint knowledge of just until an hour ago. Her face felt hot - was she blushing? "This is Roun Katrina! She's... well..." Usagi stopped again, looking up at Kat and Mamoru, as if asking them to finish explaining for her. Mamoru cleared his throat and put his free hand on Kat's shoulder. "This is my sister, from the Silver Millennium." "Whaaat!?" All four girls - and the cats - cried at once, in disbelief. "Your sister!?" the raven-haired girl repeated, the words almost sounding funny on her tongue. "Mamoru, honestly, how long have you been keeping this a secret from us?" she demanded. "He didn't know," Kat was quick to jump in. "I just... found him today. I only got my memories back a few months ago." "Right around the time Galaxia... killed me." Mamoru added. "Wait, what!?" Kat's head snapped up. "You died again?" Mamoru quickly put up his hands in defense. "Yeah... When you showed me your memories, I saw more than just our past, I saw your life up until... well, today, really." "Kat is a sailor senshi, just like us!" Usagi added, with much excitement. The girls began throwing a barrage of questions at Mamoru and Katrina. "Here, here, let me just show you," Kat offered. She glanced around, there weren't many people in the Crown parlor, so she felt fairly safe letting the other girls see her past. She wasn't aware that her past also included her transforming for the first time in the present and fighting the phages, which she assumed came from this Galaxia that her brother had mentioned. The girls each put a hand in the middle of the table, fingertips touching, and Kat hovered her hand over theirs. Her signature rosy-golden glow illuminated her fingertips and warmth flooded over the other girls' hands. They were all silent as the memories merged in their minds. Kat also sensed the two cats presences in the peripheral of her mind. They all opened their eyes as Kat pulled her hand back. They blinked slowly, and looked at her with new eyes. Not recognition, but acceptance. The warmth that squeezed at Kat's heart was new and unfamiliar. She'd never had so many people around her before. "Sailor Earth," the brunette said, wonder in her voice. They each began to introduce themselves - Minako, Sailor Venus, Makoto, Sailor Jupiter, Rei, Sailor Mars, Ami, Sailor Mercury, and even the two cats - Artemis and Luna. They all moved to make way for her to sit amongst them. Mamoru excused himself, kissing Usagi atop her head, saying something about really needing to study, and he was so, so sorry, but he promised Usagi and Kat that they could all get together for dinner that night. Kat wasn't in the least bit nervous about her brother leaving her behind with these girls she'd only just met. It felt like she'd always known them, Usagi especially. Conversation quickly bubbled up, about school and studies, and eating and sleeping and gaming (courtesy of Usagi, herself). It was clear the girls had a deep bond, one that went far beyond them just being sailor senshi. The girls asked where Kat lived, where she went to school, what she did for a living, etc. Kat tucked some hair behind her ear, looking down at the strawberry parfait sitting in front of her (one that Usagi had insisted that she try). "Well... I live in Hakone right now... but I've been looking at moving here and studying at Keio University. I want to continue studying biology, with an emphasis at animal husbandry and conservation. I'm currently a vet tech at one of the best vets in Hakone, but I want to be able to do much more." "So like, zoology?" Ami asked, smiling gently at her. "Yeah, exactly like zoology, actually. I would love to work at the Tokyo zoo, eventually. But that seems like such a long ways down the road. Especially after discovering who I really am. But it's gotten so quiet since you beat Galaxia, that I feel like I might be able to dedicate more of myself to my studies." Ami nodded sagely. "Being a sailor guardian can be a lot of work, itself. But I've been able to maintain my studies and honor roll, so it's not impossible." Usagi and Minako groaned and rolled their eyes a little bit. Kat laughed. "I take it you two aren't too fond of school?" Rei smorted. "Usagi avoids studying like the plague. And her grades show how vested she is in her 'studies'." "Why should I try to memorize something I'm going to forget immediately? And it's something that's not so important anyway, not like being Sailor Moon is!" Usagi's voice grew louder with determination. "Shhh!" The girls were quick to shush her, and she hung her head slightly. Kat laughed. "You're such good friends." "What about your friends, Kat-chan?" Usagi asked, innocently. Kat wasn't used to the affectionate nickname. It made her feel warm and welcomed. "Well... I don't really have friends outside of my coworkers back home, really," she admitted, quietly. "Don't worry, we'll be your friends, from now on!" Usagi cheered. "Especially if you're going to move here! Oh, you have to move here! Us scouts have to stick together!" Kat smiled at her. "You really think so?" "Of course I do! You can't stay alone! Especially now that Mamo-chan knows he has a sister. Mamo's parents... they died in a car accident when he was younger. So he's never had any blood relatives around. He was an orphan when he was younger. But I'm his family now! I could be... your family too, if you would let me." Usagi offered a soft, small, genuine smile. Kat couldn't help but feel the warmness spread through her. Though there was something that tugged sadly at her heart. How her brother grew up, it didn't sound too much different than her upbringing. Though her parents hadn't died. They had just given her up. She spent most of her life feeling unwanted, and like she didn't belong. But here, now, sitting with the five other girls, and knowing that Mamoru was in her life, it felt like she'd never really been alone at all. That night, Usagi and Katrina went to Mamoru's apartment. When they walked in, the rich smell of home-cooked udon ramen warmed the sparse living-space. "I don't cook often," Mamoru admitted, when he saw Kat eyeing the cooking food. "But this felt like an extra special occasion." He smiled at her and rested his hand atop her head, like he always used to do. It made her smile, fondly. Everything about this day had gone so much better than she had expected it to. In fact, she had been pretty sure that she wasn't even going to find her brother on this short trip at all. At the very least, she would check out Keio and talk to some professors, to see if it would be a good fit for her. But here she was, with her brother, and her new-found friend, whom she felt as if she had known her whole life. Usagi was purity and goodness and sunshine and love. It was no wonder she was Sailor Moon, and Princess Serenity. Even when she wolfed down her double chocolate parfait, leaving whipped cream and chocolate on her face, somehow Kat could still envision her as the princess of the Moon Kingdom. Even when she bickered with Rei in a losing argument, she could see it. Even when she tripped over the lip of the step up into Mamoru's apartment, Kat couldn't shake the vision of who Usagi once was; who she was destined to be. "It looks so delicious, En- Mamoru," Kat said, whilst Usagi peered over her shoulder. Usagi giggled. "Mamo-chan, it looks soooo yummy! Much better than the instant noodles that Mama buys me!" Mamoru laughed, and turned his affections to his fiancé. He slipped an arm around her waist, kissing her tenderly. Kat turned away. She wasn't used to this level of love, or any sort of stable relationship. Because of the way she'd grown up, and the deep-seeded feeling that there was something so very different inside of her, none of her relationships had lasted past the one year mark. And that was only a one time thing. All of her other relationships lasted far less, it seemed. Not that she minded - it had given her time to focus on her studies, and her job. But seeing her brother and Usagi together, Katrina felt a pang in her chest. Quietly, she pulled herself away from the small, but open kitchen, and padded around Mamoru's living space. It was very minimalistic, and she got the feeling that he didn't spend a whole lot of time here, save for sleeping. It was very clear that Usagi didn't spend more than a bit of a time here, either, as there wasn't a woman's touch to be seen. Not even a trace of clothing. "Oh, Mamo-chan! Katrina-chan is looking at enrolling at Keio!" Kat perked up at the sound of her name, and looked at the couple in the kitchenette, mainly her brother. He had one raised brow. "Oh really? What for?" He sounded genuinely interested. "Biology. Zoology to be more specific." "Yeah! Yeah! She wants to work at the zoo. Wouldn't that be so cool, Mamo-chan? She could spend all her days working with cute little animals!" Usagi was so animated. Mamoru smiled at Kat. "That doesn't surprise me. From what I can remember, you were very much an animal-whisperer, even when you were a little girl." It sounded weird having someone refer to her at such a young age. She was used to people knowing that part of her. No one had ever stuck around long enough to even try and learn. She laughed, a little self conscious now. "I guess I did spend a lot of time in the gardens, and the woods, getting to know the animals in the area." "Ooh. Like a real-life Snow White?" Usagi sounded fascinated. "Well... I never sang to them." Kat's face was a little flushed. She wasn't used to all of the attention, and positive feedback she was receiving from both of them. Kat was absolutely flabbergasted when she saw the way Usagi wolfed down three full bowls of ramen, not even waiting for them to cool down, and gasping and whining every time she took an especially hot bite. "Where does it all go?" Kat asked, half joking. Usagi shrugged. "That's what I wonder, all the time," Mamoru said with a chuckle. Once they were all finished, Usagi and Kat stood in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes. "You and Mamoru are really close, huh?" Kat asked. Usagi was happily wiping the dishes dry, and putting them away, as she went. "Of course!" she answered, without missing a beat. "I mean... he's my soul mate. And if time has proven anything to us, it's that we'll always find our way back to each other, every time." Usagi grew quiet for a moment, as if she were deep in thought. "I mean, Queen Beryl killed and brainwashed him, but he came back. Then, he was receiving warning dreams from King Endymion in the future, warning him that he might be my downfall. So we broke up. But he came back. And the Dark Moon Circus was draining his crystal with their powers, while they were here. But he never went anywhere, at least not completely. And then Galaxia... killed him. I thought he was just overseas, studying in America, and he didn't have time for me. But he came back, once I defeated the Chaos in Galaxia." "You know what I'm hearing?" "What's that?" "That you, and your love, have saved him time and time again. Without you battling to protect this planet, and everyone on it, none of us might be here right now. I really wish I had gotten to know you sooner, Usagi." Kat's voice had grown a little softer, a little more quiet. Usagi stopped wiping, and peered up at the other woman. "But... you're here now, and that's all that matters, right?" She smiled so brightly, the room seemed to glow with her energy. "Right." Kat smiled warmly back at her. "Usako!" Mamoru burst from his bathroom, in dark grey sweatpants, his hair still dripping wet from his shower. His voice was urgent. "People are being attacked downtown!"

[darkballsofsight]

Arquius 03/14/2019

Your name is ARQUIUS HALHAK, at least until you find another combination of names that are just as funny as Strihak. You are finally yourself, an after a day with tying to recuperate everything that was on your brainwashed self and feeding the poor opossums in the maze's shed its finally nighttime. You take another walk out through the snow. It just bothers you that much to stay not doing anything, but you are dead so you can't even be online properly. You look at the police building. Hm. You make a choice to bother someone who still has mystery to you which is what I call 10/10 dope. You shoot the older older older older Zahhak a message.

[ARQ > >---->]  @Darkleer  

ARQ:  🕶️--> Hello STRONG brorse, lets re-do introductions, I apologize for my abrasive precious behavior ,I wasn't in my right mind when I was inquiring about your %istance

ARQ:  🕶️--> My name is Arquius, I'm an AI and I see you

Darkleer 03/14/2019

: »—Hh—>

: »—Hello.—>

: »—What—>

Arquius 03/14/2019

ARQ:  🕶️--> I like your sweatpants

ARQ:  🕶️--> And you are bigger than the others too. Bigger than me I bet STRONGER

ARQ:  🕶️--> As I said, I see you

In the dark is probably hard to see you in the dark and hearing you wouldn't be like actually hearing someone stepping in snow, you sound like a horse stepping in snow. You can see through some small windows that give some light to the basement, ah hah.  You make a point to not stay near a window for too long, if he is to see you is moving in and out of his peripheral vision. You might enjoy playing a little too much.

Darkleer 03/14/2019

> You sense something moving in the shadows, and considering you spent almost a millenium to steel yourself for hunt, combat and danger, that has you on the highest alert. Feels bad, man.

: »—That is—>

: »—Cease this at once.—>

: »—I do not wish to hurt you, but you're STRONGLY pressing your luck.—>

: »—You type like a Zahhak. But you said you're an artificial intelligence.—>

: »—Did Equius or Horuss create you?—>

Arquius 03/14/2019

You are the prime being on pressing your luck being in this  side of the planet.  You giggle a little, you are just so excited. Nothing wrong with being genuine and creepy at the same time.

ARQ:  🕶️--> I like your prosthetics

ARQ:  🕶️--> Oh no, I come from another plane, a simple AutoResponder with a body then I crashed onto Equius' computer and something went wrong... or more like PERFECT

ARQ:  🕶️--> Although yes,  he did help me with my new acquisitions of a body

ARQ:  🕶️-->  No, I don't mean ill, although I wouldn't blame an organic to take my genuineness ass a menace

Darkleer 03/14/2019

: »—I see.—>

: »—Regardless, stop this spying at once.—>

: »—It seems that you are intelligence enough to understand such an order.—>

Arquius 03/14/2019

ARQ:  🕶️--> I only follow the STRONGEST of commands dear  Mister %

ARQ:  🕶️-->  Are your commands STRONG enough for such thing?

ARQ:  🕶️-->    Maybe if you would let me in or come and get me although I like it here, is like having a fish in a bowl

You make a quick knock at one of the windows a very visible read eye peering inside. It shows your face for a second. You do a little wave before the light turns off and you are covered by darkness.

Darkleer 03/14/2019

> You catch sight of him and then he is gone again. This is. The worst. You're not really nervous, for the record, but very annoyed. This is a transgression of your privacy. He ignored both your request and your warning. You had enough of not being able to control your own creations, you don't need other AIs harrassing you.

Part of you is admittedly curious about his contruction and his apparently very stubborn personality. But the current situation is unacceptable.

You get up and exit through the backdoor leading outdoors. With your eyes having no problem adjusting to the dark, you scan the surroundings for any sign of the intruder, wary as you're not convinced of him not being a threat.

"You will stop this sneaking around at once. Show yourself."

Arquius 03/14/2019

When you see him leave something startles you very much so, you don't want to get hyper destroyed just because you liked to play around. As he is out of sight you move so you are closer to the entrance of the maze in case you need to... escape. You can see him and you hear him, you wish you could be behind him to do your entrance instead of to this distance and basically in his field of vision once you light up but... security first.

You do that, tilting your head as all your installed leds light up from bottom to up, eyes last. You make a very realistic horse noise. "Hi  STRONG friend." Little wave.

Darkleer 03/14/2019

There he is. You're actually a little taken aback by this display, but your fascination wins over. He indeed seems to be a full android creation and.. there are a fer design choices that are apparently meant to resemble Equius. Also, are those hooves?

But.. security first.

"Do you have permission to be on the premise?" As far as you know, these are private grounds of members of the police force and outsiders are only permitted in on invitation and with company. He is... definitely alone and hiding outside in the dark.

Arquius 03/15/2019

"... Equius knows I'm here." Kind of. "Its my witness protection because if the Felt gets hands in my hot robotic body I'm good as dead."  Now that is true, except its not witness protection or anything legal you just kind of hang here.  "Is good to see you upclose for once, makes all the details all the more fascinating. There is a 90% chance you will be scanned." That's a lie, you are scanning him right now.

Darkleer 03/15/2019

Hm. You don't know enough to argue that, but you honestly sort of want to avoid asking Equius. But as long as this robot is in your company, it should be acceptable.

May he scan you as he likes. Not much there that he can figure out that a normal person with eyes couldn't. Meanwhile you worldlessly step up to him and do your own variant of that, taking his face in your hand and tilting it to have a good look. "Impeccable work.."

Arquius 03/15/2019

There is a moment of menace that he gives that you don't let show. But since he is getting close is the silent permission for you to get close. Its the permission for you to flex. "I commando you to touch my muscles they are quite fantastic bro." You are very much proud of yourself, although. "I'm a little bit more than just it, I'll never stop learning." Sort of, or perhaps that is  your excuse to pull the tanktop a tad examine HIS cyborg bits, not that you have to since most of it is in view now but... boy. "I have never seen a full blown cyborg befoal. This is fascinating, and certainly a correct approach to evolution, flesh is mare weak and will never be logically and functionally efficient. I knew I liked you mister X or Expatriate."

Darkleer 03/15/2019

Him suddenly returning the curious touch has you startle But uh, huh. It's only fair. This robot is a weird one and you don't think you like all of his particularities, but overall your fascination is too big to tell him off just yet. It's only after his comment that you pull away and huff.

"...being efficient should not be the goal."

You turn around to return to your workshop, but stop as you reach the door. "Come in."

Arquius 03/15/2019

You blink. Must be an organic thing. Aaaaaand you blink again. You are surprised and it shows. You haven't expected that he would let you in. You haven't foreseen that he would invite you of all things. "Magnificent, thank you for your generosity my good Adonis of a horse, I finally get to look at it from the inside."  You are almost trotting inside because you are joyful. Almost, you do make an effort to clean all snow and dirt from you right at the entrance so you don't end up messing anything as you make now skip your way in.

"I love nights inside, even if momentarily. I do love being everywhere. Say, why the invitation Strong friend?" You are not planning to kill me are you, you think. You remember exactly the amount of escape and how much time would it take you to reach them and then hide, you have no data on Expatriate proper, so if it comes to it... The Data is basically worthless.(edited)

Darkleer 03/17/2019

"You.. asked to be let in. I am letting you in." It's pretty simple and straightforward. The cold hardly bothers you, but you don't want to keep standing around in the open this awkward and inappropriately dressed.

You have no reason to harm him. Yet. If he poses a threat to yourself or someone else, you should be able to defeat him easily. Until then, there's no harm in trying to learn as much about this eccentric creation as you can.

Your workshop is furnished sparingly. Just the bare necessities, no real sign of comfort besides maybe a couch, hardly anything that would make this seem like someone's living quarters. And yet this is where you reside now.

All available surfaces are littered with tools and machines of human and alternian design. Not as much of a mess as your old home has been, partially because you couldn't bring all of it with you, partially because you've only been here for roughly a week.

Arquius 03/18/2019

"B@$%h you live like this?" The joke is right there and to be fair his quarters are still not the worse of the three, considering you lived in a maze until about 5 minutes ago, oh yeah, you live here now. He let you in, you are staying in here.

"I've asked before, it normally doesn't happen. I'm glad it finally did."  You go directly to the tools, you recognize a lot of this, mostly because Equius' place has around the same things. You are quick to wonder if maybe you could fix your bad tooth, but also are quick to ignore that input. You decide to find a shelf or table with enough space to sit and get comfortable enough.  "Now that you've let me in I will reside here as long as necessary unless I'm feeding the animals in the maze. I hope you understand." And if he doesn't you are going to do it anyway.

Darkleer 03/19/2019

"I do" you pant, mildly - no - very irritated. "You will stay for as long as I permit." That said, you sit down across him.

The urge to pick him apart and learn more about his construction is STRONG, but that wouldn't be appropriate without permission - of his creator or.. himself, probably. "Where did you state you came from?" It was something weird. Another universe? Hm. You don't know enough about what else is out there to argue that. "If not Equius, who made you?"

Arquius 03/19/2019

"Another universe, one dominated by a troll, she was quite freaking awful. But TLDR, the maze." You have to admit that the issue has never popped before for you, you got twined with a troll from the get go so it wasn't jarring to see them just as friends as it would had been have you just been Hal. But yes, trolls are nice here and not space conquerors waiting to ruin your day. "Equius, Hal, Dirk, me. It is lest about who made me and what I am right now. At least take me to dinner before being so invasive. I command you to be less invasive with your querys, I don't enjoy the path of conversation regarding my construction."

Darkleer Last Thursday at 9:31 AM

You know plenty about trolls that dominate universes. Hn. Could it be her? Another her? The same one? Well, if she is in a different universe, it has little meaning to you. Except, if this robot could travel across universes.. could she as well?

You shake that train of thought. Not what's important at the moment.

"You have no need for dinner." You huff. "You have been invasive first, with little care for my requests." But fine, you don't have the nerve to argue with a stubborn android. You turn away and pick up a bit of metal to tinker with it some more, or so you pretend. It's a piece that.. seems to have little function besides aesthetic. What a radical notion for you.

"What do you do here?" you ask, not looking up from the small figurine.

Arquius Last Friday at 2:42 PM

"I live in a nutritious diet of comedy an irony, bro." You could say those concepts can't be eaten but you beg to differ. "Oh and a glass of water for reasons regarding my construction and build."  Equius did give you salivary glands and my god you are a bastard about it. He made you THIRSTY.

You lean to try and see what he is working on from this angle while staying on the table, eyes zooming into his hands. "My sole function so far has been take care of my not so STRONG friends. That has been my number one command and it has been brought to a sharp halt with my fake death. So to answer your question, I have no idea. For once I have no real direction, everything is possible." You get to do whatever the fuck you want and apparently what you've wanted is stalking people and getting into their houses.

You finally just get off the table and set yourself to just stand behind him and try and look over his shoulder not saying much but smiling because you like what he makes. "What do you do here?"

Darkleer Yesterday at 1:06 PM

"Your strong friends.. Equius, Hal and Dirk?" You think you've heard the last two names around the precinct, but you're not sure if he means those. "Your fake death? Explain."

Ah, he got closer. Hn. You turn around a bit and look at him. "..much like you, I am here to help and protect those weaker than me. Though I am still learning about the dangers of this planet."

Arquius Yesterday at 3:10 PM

"Partially Incorrect." Dirk, Jake, Roxy and Jane. "Geez dad why don't you say please first." Your fake death. You make a disgruntled horse noise.  He turns around and you don't back out. "Its a secret I hope you can keep secrets. I want your secrets too in return I command you to give me your secrets afterwards. But there is something obvious here. The fricking evil in this planet are the bosses of the FElt. The Crew and the Patriarchy." Considering all of these place's problems. "I don't have much experience with the Crew personally but I have a tweened story with the Felt since the moment of my spawning. I got in there trying to protect little D, ended up being reprogrammed, there was a corrupt version of me for a while. I killed him but I-we merged. Which is why I have to STRONGLY apologize for his messages online. You were talking to him." Pause."I like what you are making. You are a machinery expert too huh my little kelpie?"

[hoopslab]

Game of Thrones S7 Ep 5 Eastwatch: What does annulment mean?

SPOILERS FOR GAME OF THRONES ON HBO, UP THROUGH EPISODE 5 OF SEASON 7. I said,  SPOILERS FOR GAME OF THRONES ON HBO, UP THROUGH EPISODE 5 OF SEASON 7.

"He (High Septon Maynard) issued an annulment for a Prince Rhaegar and remarried him to someone else at the same time in a secret ceremony in Dorne.” --Gilly

One of the fun yet maddening things about A Game of Thrones is how the writers can toss out something just to mess with the audience, that the characters on-screen completely miss because they have no reason to pay attention. They went back to that in a big way this week, with the whole scene where Gilly was just annoying the mess out of Sam with “unimportant” minutiae while he stews on whether or not to drop out of the Citadel. Of course, the writers had to tease us by dropping something important into the mix. But HOLY CRAP. They just drop info that changes the entire game, then have Sam completely miss it? I was yelling at my TV like it was a horror movie with that one.

So, not only is Jon the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna...which was confirmed last season, roughly 19 years after the R + L = J theory went crazy in nerd reader land. But now, we hear that Rhaegar had annulled his marriage with Elia Martell (sorry Oberyn), and that he actually married Lyanna...thus, not only is Jon the son of the late crown prince, he’s the LEGITIMATE son of the late crown prince. Meaning that, Dany has absolutely no leg to stand on as the “rightful queen”, as in every way that particular crown would go to Jon? Oh yes, Bend the Knee indeed! 

Bronn pulls Jamie out of the fire...and the water

At the end of episode 7.4, we saw Jaime Lannister charging Daenerys Targeryan on a horse, only to have Drogon the dragon catch him before he can get there and flame the whole situation. Just before Jaime is flambe’d, someone rides into the scene and pushes Jaime out of the fire and into the water, where Jaime’s armor sinks him like a stone. End scene.

This week, we got confirmation that, as expected, that last second savior was Bronn Stone. Bronn then doubled down on his heroism by diving to the bottom of the water and dragging Jaime, armor and all, back to the surface. Once back on land, coughing up water, Jaime and Bronn continue the verbal sniping of their bromance, with Jaime complaining that Bronn could have killed him and Bronn saying that, until Jaime gives him the castle he was promised, no one gets to kill Jaime EXCEPT for Bronn! He did make the exception that when Dany brings all three of her dragons into play, all bets were off because dragons are where their partnership ends. Speaking of dragons...

Drogon and Jon stare into each other’s eyes

As teased in the previews for the episode, upon their return to Storm’s End, Dany and Drogon confronted Jon Snow. However, in reality, it didn’t appear that Dany had any say-so whatsoever in the confrontation. She looked just as confused as the rest of us about just what was going on between her head dragon and her nemesis/bae that refuses to bend the knee.

The scene, which took about two minutes but didn’t have any words, was powerful. Drogon ran up on Jon like it was on, but Jon didn’t back down. Instead, they stared at each other for several seconds, then Jon reacted like one would when your friend has a giant dog that wants to get to know you. Jon took off his glove, let Drogon smell his hand, then started petting him. Now, outside of this proving once again that Jon has nerves of steel, this also was another confirmation that his Targeryen blood will likely let him eventually control a dragon. “The Dragon has three heads”, as the prophecy goes, and it certainly looks like Jon is on deck to join Dany as the second.

Also, as I saw someone point out on Twitter, there are now exactly three people in the show that have touched a full-grown dragon and lived. Dany, Jon, and Tyrion. Hmmmm.

Arya & Littlefinger: who’s playing who?

Littlefinger has been arguably the sneakiest player in the Game of Thrones universe, but Arya has trained as a Faceless Man and prides herself on being a good spy. In this episode, after clashing with Sansa about whether Sansa really wants to steal Jon’s crown, Arya decides to spy on Littlefinger. She sees him come into possession of a scroll, breaks into his room, and finds it. The scroll is the letter that Sansa wrote way back in Season 1, when she was held by the Lannisters and thought she would be marrying Joffrey. In that letter, Sansa reports King Robert’s death, names her father a traitor, and urges her brother Robb to surrender to Joffrey. Ouch.

The letter visibly horrifies Arya, who sneaks back out of Littlefinger’s room, apparently unaware that Lord Baelish is now spying her from around the corner. Put into perspective, it certainly seems that Littlefinger is playing Arya, letting her find the scroll to fan the suspicion between the sisters and keep them from working together. Will Arya be smart enough to catch it, or will she fall head-on into his trap? We should soon find out.

Bran wargs a million ravens and spies undead army

This section was self-explanatory. Bran sat at the tree, warged into a whole flock of ravens that he sent north of the wall, and spied the Night King’s forces...before the Night King looked up and broke Bran’s hold on the birds. Bran sent warnings out all around Westeros, including to both the Citadel and Storm’s End. The Citadel seemingly ignored the warning, prompting Sam’s frustrated conversation with Gilly from the opening paragraph and ultimately Sam’s departure from the Citadel. Jon Snow got triple-blindsided by the message, as he learned that both Arya and Bran were still alive at the same time that he got confirmation that his nightmare was on the march. This leads directly to later events in the show (below).

Ser Friend Zone & Ser rows-a-lot both return

Jorah Mormont was last seen in the Citadel, cured by Sam, so we all knew that he would be heading directly for his Khaleesi ASAP. He found her this week, and was welcomed back with open arms. The dynamics whenever he, Jon and Dany are in a seen together are interesting. Dany openly shows her emotion at Jorah’s return, but he looks at Jon before responding. And Jon quietly stares daggers at him too. 

Meanwhile, the bigger return in the episode was Gendry, Robert Baratheon’s bastard son that we last saw rowing away from a date with Melisandre’s flames after The Onion Knight freed him three or four years ago. It’s been a popular inside joke that, as the seasons were going along, Gendry was still somewhere rowing that boat. The Onion Knight even delivers a line to that effect, tongue firmly in cheek, as a nod to the fans. Gendry has been waiting for something to happen to give him an excuse to leave his life of building armor for the Lannisters, so he’s quick to bounce with Ser Davos. Along the way he shows off his skills with a hammer, crushing two nosy guards, and illustrating that he has at least some of his father’s fighting skills. 

The funny part of Gendry’s return (outside of his alarming resemblance to Ser Podrick) was his introduction to Jon. Davos warns him, repeatedly, to hide his past and use an assumed name so as to not bother Jon. Instead, Gendry marches right up to Jon, tells him his name, his lineage, and announces that since their fathers were friends, they would be friends too. Jon appears skeptical, especially when Gendry makes a quip about Jon being short, then suddenly he smiles and they become friends in a very meme-able way.

I’m a King

After Jon receives word from Bran that the Night King is on the march, he decides it’s time to leave Storm’s End and head home. Dany visibly doesn’t want him to go. Tyrion then comes up with the (IMO not that smart) idea that if someone can go North of the wall, capture one of the undead army, and bring that zombie south it could be used as proof for Cersei that they needed to be fighting the zombies instead of each other. As I said, to me it was far fetched. But, Jorah Mormont jumped on the idea with two feet, promising to bring back a zombie for his Queen. Dany looked semi-emotional, but then Jon jumps in that he’ll lead the expedition. First, he absolutely trumped Jorah’s I’m-going-to-impress-Khaleesi play. Second, Dany didn’t react well at all. 

OK, that’s an exaggeration. But barely. Dany’s face said it all, then she told him she hadn’t given him permission to leave. He then drops the TI line, “I’m a King”, so I don’t need permission. And proceeds to sweet talk her into nodding her head, when she clearly didn’t want to. This leads to...

Bronn matchmakes the Lannister brothers

To lay the groundwork for his big plan to convince Cersei with a zombie, Tyrion has Davos smuggle him into King’s Landing to meet with Jaime. This is the trip when Davos goes and finds Gendry. But while he’s doing that, Tyrion gets old buddy Bronn to set up the meet with his brother. Jaime’s still pissed the Tyrion killed their dad, and Peter Dinklage killed the scene because you can actually see him bleeding inside that his beloved brother hasn’t forgiven him. But he does convince Jaime to at least deliver the message to Cersei: upcoming queens meeting to discuss armistice because of the Zombies.

Cersei most likely to try to recruit the Night King?

Jamie goes to report to Cersei about his meeting with Tyrion, only for her to reveal that she knew about it all along and suggest that he punish Bronn for setting it up. She suggests that she’ll accept the armistice because Dany has the numbers and is currently winning, but she also doubles-down (triples down? quadruples down? What’s the highest number you can think of?) on the idea that she’s going to find a way to turn this to her advantage and find a way to defeat Dany, especially because Cersei is pregnant again. And this time she plans to tell the world that it’s Jaime’s baby. Twincest ick factor resurfaces a bit, but more than that, there is very little in the Game of Thrones universe scarier than motivated Cersei planning skull-duggery. I really wouldn’t put it past her to try to form an alliance with the Night King, if that’s even possible.

The Magnificent 7

The final scene in this week’s episode wasn’t a big battle sequence, like it’s been in several episodes this season. Instead, we journey up to EastWatch and get a reunion of seven badasses that are all going to go on this zombie expedition: Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, Gendry, Tormund Giantsbane (huge readheaded wildling that loves The Big Lady), The Hound, Beric Dondarrion (guy with eyepatch that keeps dying and being reborn) and Thoros of Myr (priest of the Red Lord that keeps reviving Beric). 

It turns out, most of the seven have reason to hate each other, but Beric says that this doesn’t matter since it’s their destiny to fight together. The Hound keeps it real, curses all the talking, and says he’s ready to go. Jon delivers the final line, that they’re all on the same side because they’re all breathing (while their enemies don’t have to breathe). The show ends with a shot of the seven of them, beyond the wall, gearing up for what looks to be another action-packed next-to-last-episode of the season...a Game of Thrones specialty. 

Not mentioned above, but the showrunners keep teasing the fear that Tyrion and Varys, as well as others, have that Dany will become more like her father as another fire-loving tyrant. Will anything come of that? Will Arya fall for Littlefinger’s plots and go after Sansa? And what the heck can the magnificent 7 accomplish against the Nightking’s undead army of thousands? Can’t wait to check it out.

Other articles of interest

Game of Thrones S7 Ep1: Winter has been a long time coming

Game of Thrones S7 Ep2 Stormborn : Where is Ghost?

Game of Thrones S7 Ep3 The Queen’s Justice: Ice meets Fire

Game of Thrones S7 Ep 4 The Spoils of War: Stark Family Reunion