#i got too tired and couldn't muster up the energy it takes to make accurate character voices for banters ok

[cassynite]

WOTR Companion Meme: Vonzi

@dragonologist-phd​‘s original meme here!

Name: Kallesto Voness (Called Vonzi)

Race: Human

Class: Oracle--Wave Mystery, Blackened Hands

Appearance: A dark-skinned woman with a solid, curvy build and an afro of curly black hair. She wears clothing in blues and purples, in styles that are similar to the southern ocean-faring countries like Sargava, but cut for clolder climates. Perpetually wrapped around her shoulders is a large fluffy wool wrap. Her most striking features are her eyes--which are large, bulging, and flecked with light like a starry sky--and her hands, where her fingers have blackened as if exposed to extreme frostbite.

Favored Weapon/Equipment: Her magic, which tends to be focused on frost spells. Uses a crossbow if needed, though she has disadvantage. Will wear light armor if she wears any at all. Will often also wear gloves, as it makes it less painful to use her hands.

Top Skills: Use Magic Device, Knowledge (Arcana), Persuasion

Alignment: Chaotic Good

General Personality: 

Vonzi has two states: the Delirious State and the Lucid State

Her Delirious State is distant, inattentive, and forgetful. She is not fully aware of herself or her surroundings, and finds it difficult to concentrate on the present situation around her--this does not prevent her from being a powerhouse of offensive cold magic when needed. In conversation, she speaks little and sometimes will not make a lot of sense, muttering phrases or fragments of sentences to herself. She will often struggle to understand or speak in a conversation.

Mechanics-wise, delirious state causes her Wis and Int to lower but her Cha to increase.

Her Lucid state is that of a cavalier easygoing woman, one with a witty sense of humor and a matter-of-fact attitude that lets her carry her burdens with far more tact. She is deeply self-confident in herself and her abilities and tends to dislike showing weakness in front of others--her delirious state is a vulnerability she hates showing. She will tell the truth when she thinks it matters, but will also lie for fun about things she doesn't think matter, and what she thinks matters might be different than what a KC values.

What traits/values do they admire?

An ability to stand up to and question authority; in that vein, a willingness to put value on individual's lives and helping those who would not otherwise provide material benefit as a reward. Personality-wise she's drawn to people who are willing not to take themselves too seriously and have a sense of humor about things, as well as people who are confident in themselves and what they stand for.

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

Blind loyalty to any organization, including religion, makes her wary, as she believes all hierarchal organizations are inherently corrupt. Cruelty disgusts her, whether it be self-serving and pointless or borne out of zealotry. Showing a lack of curiosity about the world and the people around them, being overly judgmental, or just being like a stick-in-the mud is likely to irritate her.

Also, while it's not something that will stop her from being friends, being overly deferential or self-deprecating is something she has little tolerance for.

Are they affiliated with any deities?

Explicitly she is an atheist, and shows a distrust toward all organized religion. However, though she no longer remembers this, her quests reveal that her family (or at least her mother) worshiped the entity that gave Vonzi her powers, and she possibly worshiped them as well.

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the commander’s party?

Vonzi is neutral to the Crusades and their place in it. She is introduced in her Delirious State and barely knows what the Worldwound is, let alone cares. Becoming lucid shows her expressing concern over the danger to the public the Worldwound poses, though she tends to express it in a very cavalier way ("Yeah, a giant demon hole is a problem"). However, she distrusts the Crusade as an institution and will warn a KC that if there isn't corruption on some level of such a large movement, there definitely will be. She doesn't particularly care one way or the other about the fact that she is companion to its leader, however.

Vonzi's attitude toward the KC's powers will be largely positive except in a few mythic paths, as she directly attributes them to her lucidity and ability to function.

Vonzi joins the party as a consequence to actions she no longer remembers taking, and remains due to instincts or half-remembered memories that tell her she either knows the KC (which the KC will refute) or that being in the Crusades is important for some reason. She's looking for something, and thinks that the KC and whatever she's searching for are intertwined. Her main motivation for remaining in the Crusades is to find out what she wanted in the first place.

Who are their friends among the other party members?

Ember: Ember's one of the only people who never gets irritated at Vonzi’s blunt and self-confident attitude, and will often converse with her normally regardless of if she is delirious or lucid. Vonzi enjoys Ember’s can-do attitude and her determined joy, finding it refreshing and an outlook that she philosophically agrees with--life might be shit but getting upset over it won’t change anything, so you might as well find hope.

Arueshalae: Like Seelah, Vonzi wholeheartedly believes that Arue is genuine in her attempts to become better and therefore sees no issue in befriending her and treating her like anyone else. She does struggle to understand Arue’s struggle--she genuinely thinks “just don’t be evil” is sound advice--but is tolerant and encouraging of Arue’s desire to learn more about mortals and trying to be better.

Seelah: While Seelah's devotion to Iomadae is something that Vonzi finds tiresome, her relaxed demeanor is one that Vonzi enjoys. As long as they don't talk about anything too serious, they got along just fine.

Sosiel: Sosiel's Andoran background is something Vonzi is interested in and she enjoys talking to him about ideals, of which they share a lot of commonalities. Sosiel's better about not being preachy about his religion, though he will still irritate Vonzi when he tries to pry into her past or the cause of her mysterious illness in an attempt to heal her.

What about rivals?

Daeran: While Vonzi thinks Daeran is hilarious and "actually sort of self-aware, for a noble," she ultimately finds his contrarian nature hollow and doesn't get along with his overt selfish nature. Daeran enjoys Vonzi's sense of humor and her usual easygoing nature but as soon as she expresses her usual life philosophies he starts to tune out; even if they share disdain about the Crusades and religion it's for different reasons and Vonzi's anarchist leanings are good for a laugh to him and nothing more. They can joke in banter but ultimately Vonzi writes him off as a spoiled, self-centered noble with little redeeming qualities under the surface.

Camellia: Camellia dismisses Vonzi early on in the game and will openly question why her presence is considered more of a help than a hindrance. She will also, conversely, insinuate the Vonzi's delirious state is an act she puts on to hide some dark secret. Vonzi, when delirious, will avoid speaking to Camellia outright; when lucid, she will be very straightforward with the fact that she doesn't like Camellia, but is willing to work together. She doesn't have to like her coworkers, after all. Cam just needs to leave her the fuck alone. When Camellia's secret is revealed, she tries to bond with Vonzi over dark pasts and entities that require so much of them, but Vonzi will tell them they are nothing alike.

Lann: I don't think Vonzi and Lann dislike each other necessarily--Vonzi appreciates Lann's sarcastic sense of humor, and when lucid they get along. However, Vonzi gets very irritated by Lann's self-deprecation streak, finding it self-pitying, and there will be several encounters where she basically tells him to get over himself, and he gets angry and defensive--he's allowed to think he's ugly, because he is, and he's allowed to joke about how short-lived and awful his life is because that's all true. And Vonzi retaliates by letting him know that they've all got it bad, he isn't special, and also he's moaning so much about how no one will ever want him, well that's less to do with his appearance and more to do about how he won't shut up about how ugly he is. You want people to see you as a hotshot? Act like it! Fake it till you make it, bud. (This would occur over several resting banters, ending with her apologizing, "Not for saying it, because it's true. But I shouldn't have said it that way. You're a good guy, you just have to see it in yourself.")

If Lann's quest is completed with him successfully pulling off his plan, there will be dialogue where he and Vonzi will reconcile and become good friends.

Regill: Regill sees Vonzi as an unknown factor with too varying a skillset--her delirious state, in his mind, is an active liability. He treats her with less contempt and wariness than Arue, but not a whole lot less. He'll often vocally wonder why the KC is allowing someone so clearly out of control of their own powers to assist the Crusade. For her part, Vonzi will be rather accepting of Regill's censure, but how much of it is out of actual agreement and how much of it is sarcastic, "Yup, I AM a menace, yet I'm still here and there's nothing you can do about it, neener neener" depends on if she's lucid or not.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

Vonzi will show up for the leadership council--"show up", not "was invited," because she somehow finds out about the meetings and ends up crashing the sessions, much to the annoyance of Captain Harmattan. Her leadership advice basically comes down to recommending the KC be open and transparent about their leadership abilities to dispel dissent. She'll also make not-jokes about keeping an eye out for inherent corruption within the upper ranks; to be quite honest the Wary just sounds like the beginnings of a classic power grab to her. But what does she know?

Where do they hang out in the Defender's Heart? Drezen? In the Abyss?

Defender's Heart: Near Vissaly and the injured. Ambient dialogue when the KC comes near would have Vissaly asking Vonzi diagnostic questions about her state of mind.

Camp to Drezen: Around the edges, close-ish to Seelah

Drezen: Near where the Ziggurat/portal to the Azata court is.

Abyss: Around the campfire near Sosiel and Trever.

What are their idle animations?

Delirious: Rubbing her ears, hunching down and holding her head in her hands, looking around as if she hears something or is confused about where she is.

Lucid: Rubbing her neck, lifting one foot up placing it back down again, massaging her hands, swaying from side to side.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

Vonzi's dream is pretty sad--even if her act 3 quest is completed before the lab, Vonzi's dream is deeply incomprehensible to an onlooking KC, like a splash of watercolor around her rather than a concrete scene. There are some vague almost-images, sometimes--a farm, maybe, a giant bush of blue and purple flowers. Laughter--some that sounds almost familiar, and sometimes that of a stranger's. A shadow of a child, running along the edges of the vision. Sometimes other figures, which a completed-quest KC might interpret as Vonzi's sisters. The only thing constant and clear is the sky: the purple of high dusk, and yet covered in stars like salt on dark linen.

When asked what she saw, Vonzi will admit she can't really remember.

Do they advise the commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?She will strongly advise an Angel or Azata to keep their powers--they're clearly not of the Abyss any longer, and it helps them with their goals. They've certainly helped her, literally made her sane, and she can't imagine the KC causing the kind of harm Iomadae is worried about.

"You're joking, right? I don't know, personally I think the powers that have literally given me back my sanity might be good, actually. Go nuts! I've got faith in you no matter what you decide."

If the KC is a trickster, Vonzi will urge them to go legend, equating the mythic path to her own sense of unreality when her sickness untethers her--it's not nearly as fun as it seems, and the KC will lose sight of themselves. She will even say that while the power has allowed her some lucidity, it also makes it even harder for her to stay in the here and now, and she doesn't want to lose herself--or the KC to lose themselves either.

If the Commander is a demon or a lich, Vonzi will consider the power as doing more harm than good--either by being so focused on their own power that they do not care what happens to others, or by thinking the only way to truly gain the power needed to stop the Worldwound is by dominating others' wills (demon and lich, respectively). She will urge them to go Legend.

If the KC is an Aeon, Vonzi will admit to being torn. On one hand, the power of the Aeon is changing the KC in ways she doesn't like, and she's worried about them. However, she understands that becoming a full Aeon could do more than even Iomadae could do to fix what is wrong. She will ultimately tell the KC that they will know what is best, but to ask themselves if they are truly willing to sacrifice everything to walk this path--because that is what their power will demand of them.

How/when do they join the Commander’s party?

Vonzi can be found near the base of Iomadae's statue in the Market Square, collapsed and surrounded by a puddle of what looks like black ink, except strange pinpricks of light emanate from the dark liquid like stars. The tieflings trying to break free their friend nearby will comment on her presence, saying they had nothing to do with whatever the heck happened to her but also that no demons have come near this area since Deskari first attacked. The scrawny tiefling (the one you can help free from the rubble) can be asked about her once he is free, and he'll tell the KC that she just appeared out of thin air right before Deskari attacked, to tieflings shock, and had collapsed. He doesn't know where the inky stuff came from.

The KC can approach Vonzi at any point, triggering a cutscene. She will be unresponsive, both to physical attempts to wake her and to healing, if the KC is a healer. However, the strange wound on the KC's chest hurts looking at her, and the KC can reach out with the strange power to connect with Vonzi. This causes her to wake up. She is shaken and barely responsive; the KC can only ask a few questions before a group of demons attack. Vonzi takes one of them out immediately with a blast of cold, and fights alongside the party to take out the rest.

Afterward, Vonzi can be asked questions again. She's slow to respond, and doesn't have a lot of information. She knows her name is Vonzi. She was here in Kenabres for...something. Something important. But she doesn't remember what, anymore. She doesn't know what the black liquid is. She doesn't know why she's so injured. The KC can then tell her where the Defender's Heart is, and she will offer her services and her magic as thanks for the KC waking her up. If the KC agrees, she becomes part of the party.

Do they have any specific comments or interactions during the main quest (EG volunteering to go to Leper's Smile, reacting to the Queen firing the KC, etc.)

If Vonzi is present during the second attack on the Gray Garrison, when the KC first gains a level in mythic power, she will have dialogue before the fight with Minagho that shows her first shift from her delirious to her lucid state, which the KC can note as her seeming far more clear-headed than before. Afterward, she has dialogue when KC first comes to the camp at the beginning of Act 2 as a formal introduction to her lucid state.

A lucid Vonzi will volunteer to lead the soldiers in Leper's Smile, probably with a comment about how bugs don't like cold much.

Vonzi will be kidnapped during the gargoyle attack; she'll be the last companion found, right before the chapel, encased in black ice that has surrounded her as well as a group of gargoyles. The KC touching the ice will cause it to break, freeing the gargoyles to be fought; Vonzi will be in her delirious state but insist on coming along to fight.

Describe their companion quest:

In Act 2, after Leper's Smile, Vonzi will request to accompany the KC the next time they go scouting. While she's felt much better and more clearheaded ever since the attack on the Gray Garrison and dealing with the wardstone, she is now feeling antsy and out of touch, unable to concentrate. She's worried she's slipping back into the state she was in when in Kenabres. The KC can also note that she's looking far worse, and is distant and distracted. She's hoping that some fresh air away from the camp, as well as concentrating on scouting, will help shake off the cobwebs in her mind, and she doesn't care where the KC is going as long as they go somewhere.

The next time the KC travels with Vonzi after this conversation, a random encounter will occur on the map that forces the party to fight a group of demons who have ambushed them. During the fight, Vonzi will have a breakdown, causing an explosion of power around the party that knocks the demons away in a gust of cold. After she teleports the party, she collapses in a seizure, black liquid with pinpricks of light oozing out of her eyes, nose, and ears. It's a large amount that very quickly pools around her body.

If Sosiel, Daeran, Seelah, or Ember are in the party, one of them will jump in at this point to stabilize Vonzi (in that order if more than one is present). If none are present, the KC has the option to heal Vonzi if they have healing abilities, or use an item if a potion or scroll of Heal Major Wounds or Greater Restore is in the inventory.

If none of these requirements are met, then Vonzi succumbs to her mysterious wounds and dies.

Once Vonzi is healed, the scene immediately cuts back into camp, where Vissaly is examining Vonzi. He will inform the KC that the seizure was not caused by a regular illness, or even a byproduct of some kind of brain injury; instead, it looks like the source of the seizure is magical in nature, some kind of spell that has been placed on Vonzi and is actively causing the condition--and probably her shifting mental state as well. Vissaly cannot determine what the spell is, where it is coming from, or how to remove it; all he can tell the KC is that the strange power they are sharing with their companions is actively healing Vonzi and is probably the only reason she isn't dead yet. Regular checkups and healing can also help mitigate these symptoms and he insists Vonzi visit him regularly moving forward to help with her condition until they can figure out more.

Vonzi herself is little help during this regarding the source of this spell; she not only still doesn't remember anything pertinent, but the seizure has reverted her back into her delirious state, and she finds it difficult to communicate.

Vonzi will remain delirious until the KC gets their next level of mythic power at the Lost Chapel; after that point, their general state will switch between lucid and delirious after several rests, with corresponding buffs and debuffs for each state.

NOTE: If the KC does not take Vonzi with them before the camp is attacked by gargoyles, Vonzi's body will be found during the attack with black liquid seeping out of her orifices and she will be permanently removed from the party, failing the quest.

In Chapter 3, after the key to the Ivory Sanctum is found in Wintersun, Irabeth will approach the KC in a cutscene with Vonzi present, who (currently lucid) was asked to come to the war room. Irabeth will explain that a new civil servant has joined the Crusade, and has specifically been helping to coordinate resources and supply lines to Drezen. She hails from Sargava as a highly recommended businesswoman--she is also, Irabeth had found out when they had met the other day, almost identical in appearance to Vonzi. Irabeth had wanted to bring this to Vonzi and the KC's attention, as this "Viritine Voness" might be related to or know something about Vonzi's past.

Vonzi seems genuinely confused by the revelation. She has no recollection of having any kind of family and doesn't recognize the name of the woman, though that really doesn't mean anything considering the holes in her memory. However, she is also surprisingly unwilling to follow up on this information. If the KC asks why, she says she feels that it just doesn't feel necessary, but this is obviously a super cagey response.

If the KC pushes the issue, pointing out a family member can tell Vonzi about her past, or perhaps know about the spell placed on her, Vonzi shuts down the conversation. "Okay, what I was doing before was a hint--I don't want to meet this Viritine person. Drop it."

The KC can, at this point, seek out Viritine on their own--she will be in Drezen near the soldiers practicing in the yard, near the supply houses (around where Trever can be found). She does look nearly identical to Vonzi, though there are some key differences--she's taller, and looks older, and her black hair is cut short, close to her scalp. She does not have whatever gift Vonzi has, as her eyes are a dark brown, and her hands are unblemished.

Viritine comes across as impatient and intense, with little charm or desire for niceties. She's helping to deal with supply chain issues and even the Knight Commander is just someone distracting her from her job. The KC can try asking her about her past, her life, and where she's from, what her family is like--but after a few questions Viritine, who had only been reluctantly answering before this point, will cut to the chase and ask why she's being interrogated.

The KC can lie about getting to know who works for them, but it requires a high bluff check and even if it succeeds, Viritine is not convinced. The KC can also just explain the truth, that they have a companion named Vonzi who looks like Viritine.

Failing the bluff check or telling Viritine about Vonzi will cause Viritine to get very angry, and she will storm off with little explanation.

Succeeding in the bluff check allows the KC to drag a little more information out of Viritine. She has lived in multiple places through her life, mainly in Sargava, though the last place she lived was in Isger until her mother's death a few months ago. When the Crusade started she traveled north to help with the efforts. Viritine will also reluctantly mention a younger sister, Aerici, and a niece, Laicanis.

After the conversation with Viritine, the KC can return to Vonzi to inform her about what little was learned.  Vonzi is uncomfortable and irritated that the KC even bothered to speak with the other woman, reiterating she didn't need to know this. However, if the KC offers to drop the issue, Vonzi will ask for them to just give the information since they already went to the trouble to get it. If the KC told Viritine about Vonzi and informs Vonzi of this, she will become truly angry.

Whether or not Viritine was told the truth, she will appear and interrupt the conversation as either the KC or Vonzi attempts to end it. Viritine is furious, pop-a-blood-vessel furious, either by what the KC told her or about what she found when she followed the KC to Vonzi on a hunch.

She immediately starts yelling at Vonzi, calling her "Kallesto." She accuses Vonzi of playing some sort of ill-thought prank, of being selfish, of abandoning the family. Vonzi will stay silent throughout the tirade, and the KC can at this point step in in various conciliatory or aggressive ways.

Regardless of how the KC jumps into the conversation, Viritine will turn her attention to the KC and ask them if they know who they've been traveling with. She calls out Vonzi as her younger sister, Kallesto, who the Voness family had sacrificed everything to keep safe from the Isger government, who had seen her powers as heresy in a country where worship of all but Asmodeus was illegal. And in return? Vonzi's recklessness had led to the death of their mother. And then, the day after her mother was hanged for her crimes, Vonzi had the gall to leave.

Vonzi will not speak or defend herself during the tirade; at the end, she just walks. The KC can go search for her afterward; the conversation after will have Vonzi not giving a lot of information, but stating that it was important that she leave the family. That seeing Viritine had allowed her to remember enough to know that she'd left them for an important reason and that while the anger was probably deserved, she ultimately feels that her decision is justified even if she can't remember the justification.

The KC can, at this point, urge Vonzi to try and reconcile with her family, tell Vonzi that the KC is there to help if anything is needed, or agree that Vonzi is probably correct in her decision. Regardless, the scene ends.

The next time the KC leaves and re-enters Drezen (or a period of five days passes, whichever comes first), a small cutscene will happen where Irabeth will tell the KC that Vonzi is acting erratic and is demanding to see the KC. Vonzi comes in shortly after, and the KC can tell she's either delirious or slipping into a delirious state; she tells the KC she can't find Viritine anymore and had found out that she'd gone back to Kenabres. She insists that they go after her; under no circumstances should Viritine stay in Kenabres. The KC can ask for reasons but Vonzi will not give them. The KC must either agree to go to Kenabres or disagree; if they disagree the quest fails.

Traveling to Kenabres, the KC can enter the Market Square once more, with a cutscene starting in front of the church where Vonzi was first found and recruited. Viritine will be there, along with another woman described as looking like Vonzi, as well as a child about four years old--Vonzi's second sister, Aerici, and her daughter Laicanis. Aerici comes off as far more even-tempered than the angry Viritine, but is clearly hurt by Vonzi's actions.

They will together resume the argument that started in Drezen, with both sisters expressing anger/disappointment at Vonzi's behavior. The KC can either side with the sisters, urging Vonzi to open up to them and explain her reasoning, or side with Vonzi, noting that the sister seem to demand a lot from her and that they clearly don't know the whole story. Either way, the sisters refuse to listen to the KC's excuses, and Vonzi will tell them to leave the Crusade immediately, that they're not wanted--she will be very cold and downright cruel, which can cause the KC to either agree or intervene. Both sisters will express confusion and anger at Vonzi's behavior.

Then, there argument gets cut short by sounds of shouting and terror--and the subsequent arrival of a group of very powerful demons. Vonzi will freak out and immediately start attackign them with powerful cold spells; the KC and party will join in to help defeat the demons, with the sisters running away.

After the fighting is done, Vonzi is delirious from the energy expended. The sisters return and notice her change in behavior and demand answers. The KC can give a little bit of information regarding how Vonzi's mental state has shifted, which leads Aerici to ask Vonzi to please tell them what is happening.

The KC can ask Vonzi to tell them what is going on; if they have not been supportive of reconciliation or agreed that Vonzi's mindset is correct before now, Vonzi will refuse. Otherwise, she will tell the sisters that she left to protect them, that she didn't want them hurt the same way their mother was hurt because of her. This will cause the family to reconcile.

Alternatively, the KC can continue to support Vonzi's desire not to say anything, saying that she doesn't really owe the sisters anything and the sisters aren't obligated to forgive her. There are some things you can't fix, and this rift feels like it is one of them. This, as well as Vonzi refusing to say anything, leads to the family not reconciling.

After this quest, whether or not Viritine and Aerici are reconciled are not, they join the Crusade as NPC helpers, both providing buffs to Crusade management. Viritine ostensibly helps Dorgelinda with the supply line and rationing issues, while Aerici starts a "comfort circle" with other noncombatants in Drezen to send letters and gifts to soldiers on the front line, giving them a boost in combat.

Both of them can be spoken to in Drezen. They will share more detailed stories of their childhood and the complicated feelings they have toward each other, though what they exactly say will change depend on if they've reconciled with Vonzi.

If reconciled and Vonzi is in her delirious state, one or both sisters will move from their usual spots (Aerici is in the lower quarters near the mongrels, while Viritine is in the marketplace) to next to Vonzi, and will provide additional dialogue if the KC tries to speak to her letting the KC know she's not "feeling well" that day.

Vonzi's Act 5 quest activates after Iz. At the beginning of Act 5, the KC's first conversation with Vonzi will have the KC noting she looks far worse--sallow with dark bags under her eyes, and an unfocused gaze. Even lucid, she starts drifting off more often in conversation. However, if you ask her about it directly, she'll insist she's fine.

After the big post-Iz speech, Aerici will show up and say that something is wrong with Vonzi--the exact speech will be slightly different depending on if she's reconciled with Vonzi or not, but it will basically amount to Aerici attempting to visit the house Vonzi lives in and finding the door won't open, and black liquid is seeping out from underneath the frame.

She will then hand the KC a note, one with a short and simple message: "Thank you for helping me accomplish what I came here for. I tried to hold on until after we closed the Worldwound, but it looks like that won't be possible. Goodbye."

Aerici will insist they immediately go to Vonzi's house; if the KC refuses to, the quest automatically ends and Vonzi is permanently removed from the party.

 If the KC agrees it cuts to her house, where the KC can break down the door. They will find the interior in a black expanse with dim lights twinkling in the distance.

When the KC tries reach into the blackness, it will coalesce on the doorstep into the shape of a vaguely humanoid figure with stars twinkling in its form. It will tell the KC that Vonzi is dying--the mythic power had been keeping Vonzi alive for far longer than she should have been able to hold on, and for that it thanks the KC. But the KC needs to convince Vonzi to let go. Otherwise, Vonzi will not survive the night.

The KC can ask questions--what the entity is, what is relationship to Vonzi is, but it will not answer. Aerici will guess that it is Vonzi's patron. The patron will reiterate that Vonzi needs to "go back," and that Vonzi needs to know she "cannot fix this."

The KC can express distrust at the entity's motives but will ultimately have to move forward with what it asks. The KC can ask what needs done and the entity will telll them that they need to "find her where she lies and tell her to let go."

The KC can walk into the house after this point, with Aerici asking the KC to get her sister.

Walking in finds the KC in Vonzi's memories--back when she was Kallesto Voness in truth, the youngest child of a woman who picked up her children and ran away from the community she grew up in when Kallesto was blessed with powers from the stars. There are several scenes the KC has to walk through showing Kallesto as a child, chafing under the understanding that the poor conditions her family has to endure is a direct consequence of her existence and her powers; that her family loves her, but they all might have been better, happier, if she weren't around.

Rigid and controlling Viritine, who expresses her fear and concern through anger; sweet and placid Aerici, who takes until she's married and left the family to sail with a Sargavan pirate to find any sense of identity outside of caregiver; and of course the matriarch Zapphine, whose overbearing nature, paranoia, and intermittent rages are all layered over the overwhelming sense that she had given up everything for her children and would die for their happiness. Vonzi is the one they revolve around, for better or for worse; the one chosen by their mysterious god, the smartest and the strongest and the one destined for greatness.

This information is given in discordant, out-of-order scenes from Vonzi's life, where the KC is forced to watch her interactions before being able to speak to Vonzi, who is able to point them in the direction they need to go to get to her--walk through a door, crawl under a bed, even fall off a cliff at one point, to get to the next scene.

While many of these pieces of her life are from the past, some are strange and conflict with what has happened in the story: scenes from Vonzi's life where she apparently joined the crusade alongside her sisters months after Kenabres was attacked, after the KC had led the army to Drezen and retaken the city. This Vonzi has no illness and helps her sisters with reconstruction efforts, with plans to head to Drezen after. There's no indication she has ever met the KC in these scenes--in this version of events, the Voness family fled together after their mother's death, when Vonzi retaliated by killing an entire church of Asmodean worshippers and putting a bounty on their entire heads.

The confusion with these scenes is eventually explained in a scene from Vonzi's earlier childhood; she and Aerici are cooking together when Vonzi stumbles and breaks a figurine that had been on the shelf, ostensibly the only nice and expensive looking decoration in the room. While Aerici tries to comfort Vonzi, Vonzi insists that she'll "fix it," closing her eyes and holding the broken glass sculpture. The world around her warps and turns liquid, then restructures itself; when Vonzi opens her eyes, she's still in the kitchen, but the figurine is back on the shelf, unbroken. There is a puddle of black liquid at her feet, one that Aerici expresses confusion about. Vonzi excitedly tells her sister that she learned a cool new trick with her powers.

Everything seems to be fine, until several hours later when Vonzi collapses, black liquid seeping out of her ears. Her mother helps Vonzi up and demands to know what's going on, but Vonzi can't answer. Eventually, the liquid pouring out of Vonzi turns into a puddle with a slick, mirror-like consistency; in it, Vonzi's patron tells her mother that she must 'go back', or she will die. Her mother, caught between rage and terror, demands that Vonzi do what their god has told them and go back. Vonzi, still seizing, seems to lose her grip, and the world snaps back--she is in the kitchen, with the broken figurine in her hands. She faints shortly after.

When Vonzi awakens, it is to her furious mother, who demands an explanation. Vonzi says that she broke the statue and had just wanted to fix it; she knew how important it was to her mother. And she'd realized that when she concentrates, she can go back in time, though she'd never tried to stay there before.

Zapphine tells Vonzi that she can never, under any circumstances, do that again. Their god has spoken and explained what had happened; Vonzi is too young to use this power, and if she tries to stay in an altered timeline she will die. She cannot make any meaningful changes in the past that will stick, because her powers will slowly crush her mind and soul until she dies or snaps back to the unaltered present she left.

Right afterward, it devolves into one final scene: Vonzi in Kenabres again, with her sisters and her niece. She and Viritine are fighting about how they had to join the Crusade because of Vonzi when the demons that had attacked in Vonzi's Act 3 quest show up. This time, though, unprepared and without the KC's help, Vonzi is only able to protect herself; the rest of her family is killed in the attack.

Vonzi has a breakdown at the deaths, her powers exploding out of her and killing the rest of the demons. She then tries to revive her sisters, without success. After a moment, seemingly numb, she tells their bodies that she will fix this, that she can fix it. And then the world warps and melts again, restructures once more with a puddle of black ink--Kenabres, months in the past, right as Deskari attacks.

The scene ends, and the KC has finally found Vonzi in the middle of a black expanse littered with stars. Her power is a tangible thing here, a weight on her back that is slowly crushing her to death: it was her own spell, her insistence on staying the past, that has caused her delirious state, and what is killing her now.

Vonzi expresses surprise at the KC's presence and thanks them for their help, but saying that she knows she has to die to preserve the timeline and keep her family alive. Dialogue will vary slightly if she reconciled with her family or not, but either way she asks the KC to leave so she can make sure she properly fixes things.

At this point, the dark figure from before will reappear, this time a more coherent silhouette of stars--it identifies itself as an aeon (an Aeon KC will be able to recognize it as a rogue aeon, one that has gone against the natural order), and insists that Vonzi is "too young" to do this properly. That she must return back to her timeline, and let the past go.

The KC, at this point, has three options:

Let Vonzi die: the default, which requires no convincing on Vonzi's part, and can be done whether or not her family reconciled with her or what her relationship with the KC is. The rogue aeon will grow furious and attack; the KC must defeat it, with Vonzi helping. When it is gone, Vonzi dies, and is permanently removed from the party. The KC leaves the house and delivers the bad news to Aerici, who is tearful but understanding; both she and Viritine remain as important NPCs to the Crusade, with their corresponding buffs.

Convince Vonzi to return to her timeline: Requires the KC to have pushed Vonzi to letting things go/not destroying herself for the sake of fixing things in her dialogue and quests, as well as have high trust. She and her family must not be reconciled, and a persuasion check must be passed. If successful, Vonzi agrees with the idea that even if her family is gone, life is still worth living--that there is something on the other side of the tragedy. Vonzi will let go, causing the stars to wink out and fade into darkness. When they fade, the KC will be in an empty room; Vonzi will not be present, and outside, neither will Aerici. Both Aerici and Viritine will have disappeared from the Crusade and their buffs will also be gone.

After a rest, a cutscene will occur in the war room where Vonzi appears. She is calmer, more grounded, and looks much healthier--lucid, permanently. She at first presents herself as a stranger and a new recruit; after the KC tells her they remember her, she thanks the KC for helping her come to terms with what happened and for convincing her to revert the timeline. She asks to rejoin the party, which the KC can agree to or not. There is special dialogue regarding Vonzi with several NPCs, as while the KC's mythic power allows them and the party to remember Vonzi, no one else does. The KC can also talk to Vonzi after this quest to discuss her decisions and her grief.

Convince Vonzi not to let go and accept help from the KC: requires very high trust, the KC to be on a non-evil mythic path, and for the KC to have convinced her in her quests that her efforts weren't pointless even if they came at a high cost. Her family must be reconciled and the KC will have shown her they can be trusted to support her. When Vonzi agrees the KC will use their mythic/legend powers to permanently join Vonzi to the KC's power.  However, the patron informs the KC that this will not stop the pain and the delirium brought on by remaining in this alternate present, and that even with their power it will grow worse for her and she will never fully recover from what was done.

At this is done, the stars fade to black, and then the darkness recedes to find the KC in a room with Vonzi lying on the bed, covered in the black tar of her powers. She is barely unable to speak, having reverted to her delirious state; however, she will thank the KC for their help and express gratitude at what they have done for her.

Viritine and Aerici will burst into the room shortly after the KC starts talking to Vonzi and begin take care of her. All buffs they bring to the Crrusade remain and Vonzi remains part of the party, oscillating between lucid and delirious states with corresponding debuffs.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want!

 Vonzi is not a romance option; however, she will sleep with a female KC following her Act III quest. Vonzi makes it clear that she is not interested in any kind of relationship, and the sex is a no-strings attached arrangement; the KC can speak to her more in general dialogue about this, where she admits she just doesn't really see the point of romance. She's got friends, she can get sex if she needs it, and sex with friends in particular is fun. But she doesn't want anything like a romantic relationship with the KC and she will encourage the KC to seek out another partner if that's what she's looking for.

If the KC has romanced another character and slept with Vonzi, while there is no jealousy confrontation, Vonzi will stop sleeping with the KC in Act V, letting the KC know that while she doesn't care about who else the KC sleeps with, it's clear the other love interest does and she's not going to step on anyone's toes. There is no option to continue sleeping with her past this point if another romance is active.

However, if the KC did not romance anyone else and continued the friends-with-benefits arrangement with Vonzi, Vonzi will have special dialogue at Threshold, basically telling the KC that she's sorry she wasn't able to give the KC the kind of romantic relationship that other people could have given her, and that she hopes the KC will find that one day after this.

The KC can respond basically saying that she hopes so as well, or by saying that the close friendship she has with Vonzi is more than enough; this second dialogue option leads to an additional bit of information in the ending slide, where Vonzi and the KC meet up frequently for the rest of their lives and their close friendship is a point of discussion, though whenever asked directly they always deny a romantic relationship. "We're best friends," Vonzi will say. "Isn't that enough?"

What would their ending slides be like?

Vonzi dead, timeline preserved: A small slide regarding the rest of the Voness family, who leave Drezen after the end of the Crusade and mourn the final loss of their sister.

Vonzi alive, timeline reset: Vonzi travels after the events of the Crusade, acting as a mercenary and a bodyguard for travelers that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford the protection--her focus is on families. She will regale her clients with stories of her family now long gone, finally able to confront their loss while still moving forward from it.

If KC chose to leave Drezen: Occasionally, Vonzi will be joined in her exploits by the former Knight Commander, who will share tales of their own travels.

If KC chose to stay in Drezen: Sometimes, Vonzi's wanderings will take her back to Mendev, where she will visit her old friend.

Vonzi alive, timeline preserved: The Voness family settles down in Drezen, Viritine heading a lucrative shipping and transportation business and Aerici starting a daycare. Vonzi, for her part, spends her time helping her sister with guarding shipments in her business, volunteering as a child wrangler at the daycare, and being a menace at The Half Measure during off-nights. Both of older sisters work to take care of Vonzi when her episodes of delirium grow longer and more frequent; Vonzi will always brush off their concerns, saying that the delirious episodes don't even hurt anymore. Besides, the episodes are more than worth it to see her family alive and together.

Ascended: Godhood suits Vonzi. She becomes something akin to a trickster goddess, an enemy to rigid organizations and corrupt hierarchies. If someone is planning on burning down the system, Vonzi is who they pray to.

Timeline reset: Vonzi also ends up traveling, exploring the vast expanses of the planarverse. Eventually, she comes across what she's looking for--the hidden home of the rogue Aeon who was her patron as a mortal. What she discussed with them is known only between the two of them, but after that first encounter Vonzi often disappears for periods of time to visit them.

Timeline preserved: Beyond her usual patrons, there is one group of mortals that Vonzi can always be found reliably helping out--the Voness family. Even after her sisters go into Pharasma's arms after long and fruitful lives blessed by the gods, Vonzi keeps a close eye on Laica and then all her descendants afterward, making sure her family is safe.

True Aeon: In a word where the Crusade never took Vonzi's family away, the Voness clan move to Andoran and settle down in a far more democratically minded society. Vonzi turns her attention to speaking out against the iron hold over common lives that Cheliax still has over its citizens, and is vocally supportive of rebellion groups in the country. Eventually, to her family's disapproval, she goes to Cheliax herself to help with the rebellion's efforts--gone in the middle of the night without a word, silent for years, and believed dead, until she comes home with gray in her hair and stories about the people she has helped the adventures she has had. When her family does not welcome her back, she only smiles and expresses understanding before leaving again, never to return.

True Aeon (memories preserved): [Last sentences of previous slide are replaced with this] Eventually, to her family's disapproval, she goes to Cheliax to help with the rebellion's efforts, stating only in her defense that it would be better for all of them if they had distance from her. Despite her work and the attention it demands of her and her powers, Vonzi still regularly writes to her family over the years, making sure they are all happy and safe, and when they call for her to visit, she makes the effort.

Any other fun facts?

If Lann was recruited but not romanced, and Vonzi reconciles with her family in Act 3, there can be party dialogue activated by speaking with Aerici a few times that suggests she and Lann have been spending a lot of time together--Aerici's late husband was a sailor himself and they had traveled on sea together until Aerici became pregnant with Laica. Lann has, apparently, been asking her a lot of questions about it, and other things as well.

Eventually, party banter will have Lann awkwardly bring it up to Vonzi, who will immediately shut Lann down: no, she does not want to know ANYTHING about what he and Aerici are doing. Her older sister is a paragon of beauty and purity who has never touched a man. She conceived Laica through some kind of divine intervention and, in Vonzi's opinion, that will be how she will stay. She will give Lann a very laid-back version of a shovel talk, though, and warn him to expect to get shit from Viritine for it.

If this ends up activated, Aerici survives, and Lann gets his good ending, his ending slide will reflect that his adventures on ship are always punctuated by trips back to Drezen to visit his wife and adopted child, who both eventually join him on his adventures.

Vonzi describes the difficulty she experiences communicating in her delirious state as like "finding words underwater--they're always two inches to the left of where you think they are."

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

When clicked on (lucid):

"Where do you need me?"

[When clicked on too many times][annoyed] "What--what? Yes?"

"Fun fact: some of the greatest atrocities committed in history were done by people fighting for a good cause. Why did I bring that up? Oh, no reason."

When clicked on [delirious]:

[Audible sounds of shivering]

"I missed that...what?"

"Where are we?"

Conversation start:

[lucid] Vonzi looks over to you and yawns. "Feeling pretty good today. What do you need?"

[delirious]: Vonzi's gaze is in the far distance, unfocused and feverish. She jerks her attention to you only when you are close enough to touch. "I don't--I'm here. What did you need?"

Conversation end:

[lucid] "Well, don't let me keep you."

[delirious] Vonzi turns her attention back to the far distance, her gaze unfocused.

Skill check success:

[lucid] "Ha, nice."/"Yeah, you're welcome."

[delirious] "It worked..."/"I did it. I fixed it."

Skill check failure:

[lucid] "Well, that sucks."/"I'm not trying again."

[delirious] "No..."/"What...was I doing again?"

Combat start:

[lucid] "Well, let's get this over with."/"You really think you can take me on?"

[delirious] "You won't hurt them!"/ *screaming*

Low Health

[lucid] "Hey, healer please!"/"I'll put down my weapon if you put down yours!"

[delirious] "I have to stay!"/"No, I won't go back, I can't--"

Knocked unconscious:

[lucid] "You absolute shitheads..."/ "It's too soon..."

[delirious] "It's so cold..."/"I can't go back..."

[jarjarbinksies]

The Siren and the Winter Soldier: Ch. 1

The Siren and the Winter Soldier: Ch. 1

Hi stinkies here's the full chapter hehe

No number of books on grief and even my degrees in the study of the human mind could have ever prepared me for the reality of it-- the sensation of a hollow chest with a crisp, cold wind passing through endlessly, or the moldy, dark well in my stomach spreading disease all over my body. Every day it seemed the hole in my chest or the well in my stomach changed in condition. Some days, I wouldn't feel the cold breeze, with a little bit of sunlight reaching the bottom of the well. Other days, I wasn't so lucky. Still, I managed to force myself to get up most days. I tried to stick to a simple routine; Sundays were for deep cleaning, Tuesdays I must go to the gym even if I could only muster up enough energy for a 10-minute workout, Wednesdays were reserved for support group meetings in the evening and I'd let myself be a mess for the rest of the night, and therapy was on Fridays. The rest of the time I would attempt to fill with cognitively engaging activities like reading or playing chess. I even got into the habit of doing yoga whenever I felt tired and trapped. I knew if I didn't stick to this routine and force myself to have hobbies, if I let myself go, I wouldn't be a person anymore, just like in the first month after everything happened. However, all of this doesn't mean I didn't have days where all I could do is stay in bed, feeling as numb as ever, and endlessly scroll on my phone.

Temporarily settled at a modest apartment not too far outside of New York City, I had a plan to move out and get a job, but that's a problem for another day when my head is no longer consumed with the losses I've experienced. It's always been hard to comprehend how different my life looks now. What didn't I lose?

That day, a Sunday, what I didn't lose was my ability to be disgusted by the "dirty" floors of my apartment and the "pile" of dishes by the sink. At least I still had my germaphobia.

I worked my way through the apartment, taking my time to make a mental note in my head of what needed to be done in each room. Music blasted through my speakers as I cleaned and tidied up, the volume loud enough to ensure my singing was drowned out, not that my voice was above a whisper anyway. When I felt satisfied that my apartment was clean enough, I paused the music and in the silence, my heart sank a little at the sudden silence and the thought of my neighbors possibly hearing me. I had to rationalize my thoughts and convince myself that there was no way they could hear me over the music and everything was alright. I stood absent-mindedly in the middle of my living room with the mop handle in my hands for a few minutes before I took a shower and rewarded myself with TV time. I felt my mind wandering as I tried to focus on the movie in front of me. As the strongest urge to pick up my phone came over me, I finally gave in after about 10 minutes although I knew where this would lead.

        I opened the dating app, mindlessly swiping more left than right-- I don't even think I spent more than a minute looking at the profiles. Glassy-eyed, with my attention divided between the TV and my phone, I felt myself getting a headache but I kept on swiping nonetheless. My thumb was getting used to swiping left but I had to stop myself from almost automatically doing so when I saw a profile that caught my eye, or more accurately, completely shocked me.

        I jumped in my seat a little as I giggled, "No way," glaring at the familiar face on my screen, my smile couldn't seem to disappear.

        Bucky's blue eyes stood out in the picture. Standing in front of a pale yellow wall, Bucky was wearing a black shirt underneath his black leather jacket. He was giving a half-smile which contributed to the gloomy, mysterious look. It didn't seem like he could be bothered to create a genuine profile as this was the only picture uploaded and he didn't write anything to describe himself. He only put in his name and age, claiming to be 28 which made me chuckle. Knowing what he had gone through, I assumed his presence on this app doesn't actually indicate any readiness to actively start dating, but rather a curiosity about current technology, and probably boredom.

        I found myself wondering whether he was there for the same reason I was-- meaningless flings with people we hoped we'd never see again. Still, it didn't matter much what he was there for, I swiped right anyway as the opportunity to reconnect with Bucky excited me.

        I leaned back on the couch, putting my phone down. Was that a bad idea? I began to ponder whether Bucky would still be anywhere as flirty as when we first met in Wakanda five years ago, although to me it felt as fresh as yesterday. The memory took over my thoughts.

         I had stepped off of the Quinjet with half of the Avengers, met by the humid, yet fresh air of Wakanda. I remembered it being particularly warm, which I imagined would've been nice if half my body hadn't been covered in armor. T'Challa, Okoye, and about a dozen other Dora Milaje soldiers greeted us as we walked towards the tall, dark building not so far in front of us, its appearance very distinguished from the surrounding buildings. I trailed along at the very back. T'Challa started talking to the rest of the team, but I don't think I heard a single word. The only thing I recalled being on my mind at that moment was Miles.

 A/N: Idk who would think this but just in case:  it's not Miles Morales! lol. This is referring to my OC Miles.

Everyone suddenly stopped their walk and it took me a minute to realize it was because a man I hadn't met before had joined us. He and Steve shared a hug, helping me identify who it must have been. He had greeted some of the others in a familiar manner and as he saw me in the back, everybody started walking again. I made no effort to catch up with the rest, keeping my slow, tired pace.

        The man jogged towards me, "Hi," he said in a coy tone, "I'm Bucky," the smirk on his face felt contagious to me, with his blue eyes showing an almost mischievous look.

        "I know," I smiled back at him, trying to suppress my laughter as I had sensed he was definitely not going to give me the same quick greeting he gave the others. I introduced myself, "Alena Aiden,"

        "Alena," His voice lingered on my name, "I don't think Steve ever mentioned you," he sounded surprised, as if it should have been Steve's main priority to have informed Bucky of my existence.

        "Yeah, probably didn't have much time for that when you were all busy fighting each other in some German airport,"

        Bucky chuckled, "Well, he should've taken a minute to mention he has a friend as beautiful as you,"

        I stopped right outside the tall building, throwing my head back in laughter, "Oh god, that's pretty good," I stepped into the entrance with a couple of Dora Milaje soldiers standing on either side of the door, and Bucky followed behind me.

        He didn't miss a beat nor did he seem to be remotely embarrassed by me laughing at his face, "It's been a while but I gotta admit, that's probably one of my best ones," Bucky had joked along.

        "You know, Steve told me some things about you," I shook my head, "I don't know why I expected anything less,"

---------------------------✮----------------------------------

        I was proud of myself as I ticked off the only thing I had on my Tuesday to-do list: go to the gym. I felt like I passed with flying colors as I had participated in a Pilates class the gym offered. Sitting down on my couch, I tried to stop my mind from wandering too much and instead focused on thinking about things I could do to pass the time tonight. As if it was a reflex, I picked up my phone and saw a couple of notifications that stood out among some others. Bucky had matched with me and sent me a message. Eager to see his response, I immediately tapped on the notifications.

        Bucky had written, "And here I was thinking this day would never come..."

        I smiled, looking down at my phone. I began to type, "Yeah I'm just here looking for my perfect, 28-year-old match"

        As I waited for his reply, I decided to take a quick shower and change into something comfortable. The first thing I did as I finished drying my hair was to check if I got any texts from Bucky. Again, I smiled as I saw his name on my screen.

        "Unfortunately they don't make dating apps for people 100 and above, so I had to make do. Hope this isn't a deal breaker."

        I felt my smile turn into a huge grin, hesitating as I typed out my message, "Nope. Do you wanna come over tonight?" I forced myself to press send and threw my phone on my bed, in disbelief at myself for saying something like that to Bucky. I felt immediate regret as my chest tightened. I thought to myself I really, really shouldn't have done that.

        Then I realized, why not? It's not like I would ever work with him again. On top of that, we didn't have a friendship to ruin or a group dynamic to damage. Maybe if Steve was around and we all kept in touch it would've been a different case, but he wasn't. Maybe this is safe to do.

        It didn't take more than a minute for my phone to vibrate. I sat on the bed, reaching for it. I opened Bucky's text which said, "Sure, what time?"

        Fuck.

        We texted back and forth a few more times, I told him to come over at nine and gave him my address. Bucky confirmed that the plan worked for him and the chat ended there. I had almost two hours before he was supposed to arrive, so I took my time putting on light make-up and a more spruced-up, but still casual, outfit. I quickly tidied up my apartment and dimmed the lights, feeling promiscuous as I tidied my bedroom as well. Not that I thought there was anything wrong with me being promiscuous, but I just never felt this way with strangers I invited over before. The thought of Bucky being in my bedroom felt a little wrong. Then I started to think, does he know what I meant by asking him to come over? Surely, someone as flirty as Bucky would know. However, I wasn't sure if growing up in the early 1900s would mean Bucky would never assume coming over to someone's place means a one-night stand. Was that even a thing back then? I swatted these thoughts away. Bucky is not dumb, he would know. If he doesn't, I'd just have to prepare myself for the most awkward conversation you could ever have with your ex-colleague.

        As it got close to nine, I waited in the living room, the TV playing one of my favorite comedy shows to calm my nerves. I took a long sip from the glass of wine in my hand and fixed my focus on the show. I kept checking my phone every few minutes, and right at nine o'clock on the dot, I heard the door knock. I took a deep breath, paused the show, and chugged the rest of the wine before I got up and walked to the front door.

        I opened the door to see Bucky standing behind it, holding a bottle of red and a bouquet of brightly colored flowers. He was, of course, dressed in all black, including black gloves, despite the weather being a tad too warm for that. In the past few months since I'd last seen him at Tony's funeral, he didn't change his appearance much except for his hair which had been cut short. He also seemed more jaded and tired, understandably. That, however, did not detract from how good he looked.

        Bucky looked at me with that same, coy smile he had on when we first met, and yet again, I found myself smiling along with him. "Wow, it's been a while, you look even better than I imagined," He said.

        I chuckled, "And you imagine it often?"

        "Trust me, Alena, I imagine it all the time,"

        I would be lying if I said I didn't get a funny feeling in my stomach. I stepped away from the entrance to let him in. The entrance immediately leads to my kitchen, and Bucky put the wine and bouquet down on the counter.

        "Bucky," I hesitantly started and paused for a moment as I tried to find my footing again, "I think the wine and flowers is a really sweet gesture but I just wanna make sure you know what I meant by asking you to come here,"

        Bucky let out a small laugh, "Relax, Aiden, it's just wine and flowers, I just didn't want to show up to your door empty-handed," he continued, "I'm not trying to propose to you or anything. Not unless you want me to, of course," Bucky leaned on my kitchen counter, looking satisfied with his quick-witted response.

        I rolled my eyes but I couldn't help but laugh too, "Really funny," I said sarcastically, "You're a very confident person to joke about a proposal two minutes into walking to a hookup,"

        He retorted back, "And you're a very confident person to assume this will be nothing but a hookup,"

[imjustpeachy8]

An Inconvenient Spark

Part I.  Summary: He's a Commander in the Resistance. You are a lowly force-sensitive thief from an equally lowly planet with order defying tendencies. You two under no circumstance get along. Your life take a turn the moment you decide to save his arrogant sorry-ass from certain death. If only you knew saving him would result in joining the Resistance finding not only your purpose in life - but also the biggest oaf-looking asshole in the whole galaxy. If only you could go back in time to that day - you would let him die, just to rid of this incessant headache Ben Solo is giving you. AU.

Warnings: language

Word Count: 2k

A/n:  i just needed an angsty, slow burn Ben Solo fic I guess. Go easy on me guys, this is my first time with writing.

Ben Solo woke up with the intent to make that day better than the last one. Last day was - well, it was complicated. It was messy, unnecessary and downright ridiculous.

He still felt his frustration consuming every bit of his body. Yesterday, it had decided to sit on his heart and made a home in it. He didn't know how long he was going to feel it. And he hated the whole situation in each passing moment more.

Still, he forced himself to start the day as a new one. A blank page. Nothing else before the morning.

It would be for the best. For him, and for the whole base, actually. Yes, he decided then - he would do that, he would behave, he would pretend that everything was fine - just for the sake of the people who he led and commanded. And for her Mother - yes, for her he would behave.

When he stepped foot in the command center, the whole place fell silent for a moment.

Great.

Letting out a breath, he scanned the room to find a familiar face. After a second, Lt. Connix appeared next to him, a small smile disappearing from her face the moment her eyes found his.

"She's in her office, Commander. She's waiting for you."

"Thanks" - he muttered out, and went on his way.

When he reached the door of the office, he gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts. He pushed through the entrance, only to find himself face-to-face with her mother’s stern look.

"Commander, it's good to see you. Although, i believe this was due yesterday." - her tone made sure to have an edge in it.

He huffed out a breath in return. His annoyance was coming back in an instant.

"I apologize. I was.. I wasn't in the right state of mind last night and -"

"So I heard." - she replied. "Tell me, son.. what were you thinking? To send off your comrade without a blaster, and then leave her to fend for herself on her own."

Ahhh, right.

He knew this would be a problem. He just had a tiny little hope that his mother would somehow understand. Basically, he did nothing wrong. He just lost his cool for a moment back there. For a couple of moments, really, but that wasn’t important right now.

"We went back to her, she's fine and i didn’t think she'd be stupid enough to not have a blas-.."

"That's enough." - Leia pinched her nose with her delicate fingers and let out a sigh. "Ben.. you need to be smarter than this. I know the two of you had a rocky start, but this whole thing looks like you deliberately tried to leave her to die on that planet." - She was raising her voice now, obviously mad at this whole ordeal. "She's not just your fellow comrade, she's also under your guide." - She let out another long breath. "You have to fix this."

"Fine." - he reluctantly replied.

There were a lot of things Ben Solo learned in his 28 years of his life. One of the many was, that somehow women - and especially his mother - would turn out right in every argument. Every kriffing time.

Agreeing with her would be beneficial. And if he wanted to be honest with himself, a teeny tiny part of him felt guilty.

So, he let her have the last words, let her see how sorry he was - even if it only was an act. He would get scolded a little but then he would forget about the whole deal. Like nothing really happened.

"Good. I expect you to apologize to her." - she chided after a moment.

Ben let out an unwanted growl. "You cannot be serious! I won't apologize to that wench, she deserved to be left on that planet. Maybe this time, she learned something about why it is imperative to follow a simple kriffing order."

"You will apologize, end of discussion." - Leia decided to ignore her son's outburst, knowing well enough that further engaging Ben will only lead them to another heated argument.

His chest heaved. He was seeing red. Why- why should he apologize? He hadn't done anything that bad, really. He just wanted to teach her a lesson about not following his orders. Nothing else. After all, he was her commanding officer, she should be listening to him. He didn’t left her there, he just wanted her to see that she wasn’t the only person who knew how to play this game.

She was a pain in his ass, thats what she was in reality, ever since he first saw her. She - without a doubt - was the most infuriating person he had ever seen in the whole universe. She was reckless, defiant and most importantly, she tended to ignore orders when she saw fit. Well, honestly, that only happened when said order came from him. For everyone else- she was compliant, nice even. And that made him hate her more. She drew him to the fucking wall.  

He was snapped out from his train of though the moment Leia started to speak again.

"And the two of you are grounded for a week. Maybe this will teach you a lesson, too." A moment passed in silence, but Leia wasn't done just yet. "Oh, and please be a dear, and deliver the news to her."

He couldn't  fucking believe this.

***

"WHAT?"

You and Finn were seated in the mess cantina in the morning. The room was empty except for the two of you, everyone else was already busy with their assignments at hand. Life on the Resistance base meant that work started way too early and ended way, way too late.

You however, were back from a mission. From a really bad, tiring one to be specific. The Falcon landed in hanger B late last night, and since nobody assigned any task for you in the morning, you decided to sleep as long as you could.  Hence, the reason you are the only people in the cantina, with Finn sitting across you, both eating the blob that was left behind.

"You heard me right. Kriffing bastard almost left me on that planet this time. Apparently, to teach me a lesson about defying orders." - you grinned. "Can you fucking believe it?"

Finn looked at you in disbelief. "How are you so calm about this?" - he thinned his eyes at you, clearly being suspicious of your state of mind right now. "You.. - you are planning something, aren't you? That's it, right?"

"No, my dear friend. I'm not gonna do a thing about it." - your grin grew wilder. "Someone else will...I hope." - with that, you got back on munching the blob people here called breakfast.

While eating, you thought back to last day's events. The whole thing was - well, avoidable. If only the two of you just knew how to behave when things went awry. You often found yourself thinking about this arrangement. After saving his ass on your home planet, you found yourself in a place where you could choose. Choose about your future, about what you wanted to do with your life. So you left with him and his team to join the Resistance. Acclimation to this whole situation was pretty easy for you, easier than you previously thought. Everyone was welcoming, and very friendly. The realization of you force powers was the cherry on top. As they told you, there were only two of them on the base.

Since your first day, you have been helping them with everything you could. Sometimes with mechanical work, sometimes with piloting, sometimes with missions. Work was easy to find. Peace - not so much. Not really, when a certain Commander is always pestering you with little, incessant jabs and remarks. Not when every time you come up with a wonderful idea he immediately shuts you up. And definitely not when he leaves you on Nar Shaddaa. You huff out a breath at the thought, shaking your head.

This fucking man.

Blob put aside, you and Finn were chatting about nothing, sipping caf when the doors of the cantina opened, and Ben Solo swaggered through. Your gazes locked on each other. You waited for this moment since the morning.

Being on base only for a couple of months wasn't much, but you thought of yourself as a good judge of character. While Ben Solo sometimes was still a mystery to you, her mother wasn’t. You instantly knew how Leia worked. And you had a suspicion that she knew that you knew. Looking at his annoyed face, you realized Leia was playing along. You were baffled at the thought and forced the creeping smile from your face. You needed to savor this moment.

Your commander stopped at your table, face now impassive but the twitching of his left eye and the current energy around him gave his true feelings away. He was angry and annoyed, and at that moment, you were the happiest person in the galaxy. The staring contest  however, was interrupted with Finn's throat clearing.

You put up your sweetest smile you could muster and batted your lashes at him before speaking.

"Commander Solo, are you joining us for breakfast?" - you chirped.

He looked up at the ceiling then, breathing through his nose. You loved him so riled up.

As he realized that he didn't want to spend any more time in your presence than it was necessary - he leered down at you, and started talking.

"No." A beat. "I'm sorry for the mean, awful, accurate things I said and that I almost left you on Nar Shaddaa." - he still managed to be cocky and arrogant, even when apologizing. You couldn't believe it.

"Thank you, Commander. I hope your bruised ego will get well soon from this beautiful apology. Aaaaand, I just hope next time you would be a little more professional." - You couldn't just let him go with a sorry-ass apology like that. He needed a jab. Just a little one. "I mean.. one would think that after saving your life, you would.. I don't know.. not leave me to die on a hostile planet maybe?"

He was getting angrier now, the force around him resonated. While you loved making him angry, you realized this was not the right time to engage in another argument. After last night, you didn’t have the energy to fight, so you decided to let this conversation go as soon as possible. After all, you got what you wanted.

"What more do you want me to say, Princess? I'm sorry, take it or don't, I don't care."

What a jerk.

"Most importantly, both of us are grounded for a week, and for the time being, you're training only with Rey."

Oh. Ohhh.

You could work with that.

A whole week without working with Ben Solo? Last night, on that planet, while you desperately waited for  rescue you could only think about how unlucky you were to be left behind.

Now? Now, you were certain you were the luckiest girl in the galaxy.

Leaving without another word, you again had found yourself with Finn, a shit-eating grin already on your face.

"Why are you so happy about this? Didn't you hear the part you are grounded? For a week." - he looked at you incredulously.

"Oh, Finn. Don't you see? I got myself an apology and a Ben Solo-free week. I really couldn't have hoped for more."

If being mouthy and sarcastic around the Commander always resulted with a week of not seeing him, you would probably just try to sabotage every mission from now on.