#it's barely a competition when none of the others in the settlement have lips

[secretsimpleness]

Have some shameless shakarian (if you squint). Nameless Turian Child, Female Shepard (custom), Garrus Vakarian, random casual turians / Mass Effect (c) Bioware

[serararku]

Memories and Reveries Pt 1: Kazukane Crimson

<Theme>

Red maple trees shivered in the morning light while a thick fog rolled across the forest floor to chase the night away. Beneath the brightening sky knelt a lone Raen girl at the start of her twelfth summer, kneading dirty clothes against a washboard at the bank of the Kazukane River. The blisters on her hands had yet to heal from churning butter the night prior, but if she wanted to spend some time by herself, she needed to tackle these chores now lest she work well into the evening. She wisely decided to bring her straw hat to protect her grey skin from cooking when the sun burned away the fog, a satchel to gather apples along the path to keep her hunger at bay, and a pointed stick in case some wild animals started getting ideas. Yet as she washed her father’s trousers to watch the dirt slither down the river, she began getting ideas of her own.

Mizuna Daisho was on borrowed time. She only had two more years to attract a suitor, and competition was tough; just about every girl in Kokoro Village was fairer, more physically developed, and far more submissive. Mizuna’s hands and feet were covered in calluses, her body was still as flat as a flounder, and she loved spending her free time secluding herself from the other children. If she didn’t get any marriage prospects by the time she turned fourteen she would likely face a lifetime of being a crone; her parents planned to sell her to a family in another village, but word of Mizuna’s attitude had already traveled halfway across the Raen settlements. Hopefully she could physically mature into a more desirable body before she became a burden on her family.

Snap!

Mizuna shot up to her feet and spun around from the sound. "Hello?!" She called out, dropping her laundry to grab her pointed stick to defend herself; any creature large or bold enough to hunt an Au Ra for breakfast wouldn’t give away its position before the strike. Was it a monster instead? An angry spirit? She clenched her jaw and stiffened when a boy came stumbling over tree roots and out of the morning mist. Not just any boy either- one of the cruelest oafs she's ever had to deal with. 

"Uh… hi… Mizuna-kun." Takaatsu  Kusakari mumbled, waving awkwardly. "I was hoping you were here…"

He was too big to stab with her stick, plus he was strong enough to rip it out of her hands and snap it in half over his knee if he wanted to. Instead she dropped her weapon and reached for her satchel full of apples. "Go away!" She demanded with a trembling voice. "Just leave me alone!"

"Wait!" He raised his hands to shield himself from the shiny red apple spiraling toward his face; Mizuna had one hell of a throwing arm despite her size. "I wanted to apologize…" She was already stretching her arm back with the second attempt to nail him between the eyes when she paused. "For laughing at you… for all those stupid pranks… for… for calling you Tiny Tiddy Mizzy…"

This time she lifted her foot when she put her whole body into this throw. A red flash of fruit exploded on his arms, sending bits of apple all over the forest floor; he would have definitely been hurting if it weren't for the hardened scales lining his forearm absorbing most of it.

It was hard to pick out another apple while she was blinking away these blinding tears. She had fallen victim to their merciless name-calling and cruel pranks all year, and she would rather die than fall for any more of their tricks again. But to hear Takaatsu laughing along with them- someone she was close friends with ever since they were toddlers, that one hurt the most.

When she finally found the biggest, fattest, and hardest apple to chuck at him, she looked up to see Takaatsu bowing with his fat head facing the ground and his arms at his sides. "Please forgive me!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking twice. Muzuna was surprised yet cautious; shattering this juicy fruit against the top of his head at this angle and distance would be almost too easy. But why would he make himself vulnerable like this? What was his goal here?

"Who put you up to this?" She demanded, straining her eyes in hopes of finding his friends hiding behind the trees, barely containing their laughter. Yet no one was there…

"I wanted to be cool… for everyone to like me. When Matsumi singled you out, everyone just tried to impress her. I'm so sorry for all those dumb things I did… I trampled on our friendship because I was afraid they wouldn't accept me if I didn't…" Takaatsu barely moved a muscle, his eyes trailing up just high enough to see her feet; his scalp wasn't stinging from her throw, so that was a start. "I just wanted to fit in…"

Mizuna sucked in air as the first tear rolled down her cheek. "I wanted to fit in too…" She admitted, swallowing dryly. She wanted so desperately to hate him for humiliating her again and again. But she was just tired of being so angry and miserable all the time; and most of all, now more than ever, she wanted to be left alone.

"I wrote you something…" Takaatsu was slow to rise to his full height. He struggled to retrieve a crumpled parchment from his pocket and fumbled with it more when he pulled it open. He had to clear his throat more than once, with beads of sweat glistening on his forehead; his face was flushed and he was shaking- it looked like he was about to vomit.

“Well?” Mizuna huffed, her arm starting to ache from holding the apple aloft for so long. “Out with it!”

“M-Mizuna-kun… the Diasho Diamond… the Maiden of the Mists…” He blinked a few times and inhaled sharply before continuing. “With hair like bending reeds in the gentle breeze, and eyes like jadefire. You are a sleeping dragon, generous with fury and flame to those who disturb your rest. Your voice is honey… a song befitting the dancing waves of the sea. I risk your wrath, your ire, your warmth. I know the danger but I still speak your name to the wind. I still call out to the spirit in the fog.” Slowly he looked up to finally meet her gaze, no longer reading from the parchment in his trembling hands. “You’ve placed a curse upon me. I’ve seen your treasure at the back of your lair. I’ve heard your siren song along the stillwater. I am a moth and you are my candle… and I am forever drawn to your light. Mizuna-kun…! I…”

She had flushed a deep green in the face at this point, her arms heavy at her sides. The apple she was going to chuck at him had long dropped to her feet. Furthermore she was utterly speechless; no one had dared talk to her like that. A ferocious dragon? What did he mean when he called her that? And a ghost? None of it made any sense… and she didn’t know how to feel. But she knew she didn’t hate him. Not nearly as much as she used to.

He suddenly stiffened and took a few steps back. “Oh man…!” He mumbled, pointing at her. No… not at her… behind her. “What…?!” Mizuna was reluctant to turn around, partially fearing this was a setup for one of his cruelest pranks to date. But when she did turn to look at what he was pointing at, her blood ran cold and all the strength she had fled into the crisp morning air.

The Kazukane River was turning red. Deep and dark and crimson. 

Soon shattered pieces of wood and broken wagon wheels began drifting downstream. Then came the livestock torn to pieces, their dull lifeless eyes and mangled faces occasionally poking out of the water before sinking and turning sideways when their legs scraped along the riverbed. The bloody water stained the few pieces of laundry Mizuna had soaking in the river, but she didn’t even notice. Especially once the Auri bodies came drifting down to greet her.

Men, women, and children; the river carried them all. The dead would be ferried to the mouth of the river and swallowed by the sea, their faces contorted with the permanent scars of their final moments- filled with terror. Mizuna felt nothing when she stared at the remains of people she once knew, staring blankly into their eyes as they shifted, bobbed, and floated by. The entire population of Shinegao Village seemed to drift along the stained waters, from infants to elderly. 

"Mizuna!" Takaatsu's voice coaxed her out of her dazed stupor. "We have to go!"

She looked away from their faces once the dread began to settle in; she took a few meager steps back, but was still processing what she was looking at. What kind of horrible monster could slaughter an entire vil-

"MIZUNAAA!" Black scales burst forth from the river! Through the red mist and vapor came a hooked claw that raked across her stomach to violently tear holes through her dress! Mizuna stumbled back in shock and fell hard onto her back, knocking the wind from her lungs! She had just enough time to gaze upon the face of this monster as it slowly stepped out onto the bank!

The oni towered over the two children, with vibrant crimson skin painted with inky black markings. Across its collar were the severed heads of villagers strung together by their cracked and broken horns. But it’s eyes…! Fiery pits from the hottest hells, yet empty like the hungering void! Long black horns sprouted from the sides of its head, with tattered lips peeled back in a sadistic grin to reveal a mouthful of jagged teeth stained with the blood of its prey! Mizuna stared at its form and became paralyzed with terror!

Only Takaatsu grabbing Mizuna by the arm and yanking her onto her feet broke this insidious spell. The creature made a deep growling sound that vaguely mimicked laughter as it watched them flee into the forest, and Mizuna glanced over her shoulder just in time to see its burning red eyes disappear behind the grey backdrop of the morning mist.

She could barely keep up. Her tattered dress was nearly falling off her body, and blood trickled from her stomach from the slash, but he didn’t dare let go of her wrist. It wasn’t until they made it to the other end of the woods and stumbled upon the Hermit’s House did they stop and take a breath. 

“What’s going on?” Okeya-san demanded, walking out of his house with his pitchfork. “What are you two kids doing out here so early?”

“Sir! A monster is coming!” Mizuna squeaked out between gasps. “It killed everyone in Shinegao!”

“What are you talking-” He paused as he caught figures emerging from the mist; instantly he recognized their markings. “G-get inside, children! Don’t make a sound you hear me?!” Takaatsu pulled Mizuna into the hermit’s shack, and ducked behind a large clay pot to hide. Okeya-san dropped his pitchfork and began walking toward the strangers, who stopped running and stood up to their full height to approach him. “W-wait…! Dotharl!” He called out, struggling to keep his composure. “N-no food! No glory! U-unarmed, see?! No sport!” He collapsed to his knees when the oni emerged, towering over Okeya-san as well; this creature was gigantic, and poorly disguised as an auri like them.

“Where children?” It demanded in a voice and accent as thick as mud. “Two. Tiny?”

“N-no children came this way…!” He clasped his hands together and bowed to show his surrender. “No children! J-just me!”

The oni glanced back at the others and sneered, bearing its teeth again. Okeya-san tried to reason with it again, but the creature suddenly grabbed him by the horns. Mizuna squeaked at the wet snap before Takaatsu could cover her mouth to stifle her panicking. The oni then planted a clawed foot on his shoulder and pulled off his head with three crunchy yanks. Another monster began to approach the shack with a cruel grin spread across its face, with burning yellow eyes and trophies from its conquest dangling from its form. But instead of just rushing in and slaughtering the two Raen children, it plucked the torch from the patio and swung the door open.

"Buuuurning!" It laughed, tossing the torches onto a bale of wheat before slamming the door closed; last night's rain and the morning mist left the outside of the shack too damp to burn, but everything inside was bone dry. Mizuna watched the growing flames devour the wheat in seconds before it began to creep along the floorboards and walls. If they tried rushing out of the only door, the murderers would simply catch and kill them; she didn’t have any answers and worse, the shack was quickly running out of air.

“Over here!” Takaatsu huffed, working his fingers between the floorboards in the corner to begin pulling them up. Mizuna reached down with one hand to help him, but kept her other hand over her mouth to avoid breathing in the darkening smoke. Just as the roaring flames began to surround them, the shoddy woodwork gave way; the Hermit’s House was elevated over the ground, but not by much- last night's storm had turned the dirt below into a sticky paste. Still, it beat burning to death. Mizuna and Takaatsu crawled along their bellies like salamanders to escape the flames but they weren’t out of the woods yet.

As soon as Takaatsu wiggled free from the underside of the shack and could stand up straight, he pulled Mizuna out by the arms and they began to make a run for it. It was hard to sprint in her dress even when it was clean and tidy, but now she nearly tripped on the torn threads that clung to her legs from the mud. But if they could just make it back to their hidden village then they could wait out these killers and-

THOP!

Mizuna’s legs buckled and she fell down the steep hill, rolling over and over until she slid the last few yalms at the bottom. Dazed, dizzy, and confused, she pulled her face out of the mud and gasped for breath, before desperately attempting to rise to her feet. “AUGH!” Jolting pain up her left leg stopped her from putting any pressure on her foot, and when she smeared mud away from her eyes, a cold dread gripped her by the back of the neck. 

An arrow had pierced her lower calf to spill her blood into the muck; she didn’t know where the impact of the shot or the tumble down the hill broke her leg, but she was quickly running out of time. Takaatsu was nowhere to be found; he likely raced down the hill and jumped over the ditch in a single bound. Mizuna was now alone, bleeding and broken. It was only a matter of seconds before those monsters found her. “TAKA!” She cried out, grabbing handfuls of dirt and mud to pull herself along. “TAKE PLEASE! DON’T LEAVE ME!”

He reappeared out of the fog, scrambling down into the ditch to try and pull her out. “Come on! Come on!”

“M-my leg-!” She pleaded, unable to look at the twisted thing any longer. “Takaatsu please! Please don’t leave me with those things!”

“Oh no-!” He choked, glancing up and behind her. Mizuna whipped her head around to see seven oni standing at the top of the hill, with the one responsible for shooting her leg drawing another arrow. Takaatsu reached down and pulled her up by the collar of her shirt, yanking her out of the mud and heaving her over his shoulder. Gritting through the pain Mizuna clung to him for dear life, her fearful gaze locked on the creatures who slowly began to descend in their direction.

“I’m going to die!” She closed her eyes as tears began streaming down her face. She couldn’t bear to look at anything any longer- she simply braced herself for the bite of an arrow that never came. All she could hear was Takaatsu’s heavy breathing, all she could feel was the bounce of each step. Mizuna spent a lifetime waiting for death to take her, an eternity between every heartbeat. She sagged over his shoulders like a giant doll, letting her arms dangle and swing freely while she silently prayed to the Dawn Father for this terrible nightmare to end.

“HEY! HEEEYYY!” Takaatsu began shouting, drawing her back to reality. “Help us! Someone help us!” Mizuna opened her eyes just in time to see them cross the threshold of their home. All of Kokoro Village came stumbling out of their homes to witness this commotion, with murmured whispers and gasps slipping from the residents when they saw the sorry state of the two children.

Takaatsu almost dropped her when he collapsed into the dirt, using what little strength he had left to gently place her on the ground. Her mother Kana came running out of their house to surround Mizuna in her arms, but she could barely hear her mother’s panicked voice over the gathering crowd’s shouting. She looked around for Takaatsu, but he had vanished behind the legs of adults standing over her to get a better look.

“That’s enough! Get out of the way!” Only one voice could carry that far and demand that much respect. Mizuna’s father came rushing out of his dojo, almost stumbling and losing his cane more than once; but with his free hand he pulled and shoved people out of his way until the crowd got the message and gave him and his family much needed space. “Mizuna?! What happened?! What is the meaning of this?!”

“M-monsters Oto-san! There are monsters out in the mists! They killed everyone in Shinegao! And they killed Okeya-san!” Mizuna’s heart was pounding in her throat when she delivered the news, but she felt safe again in her mother’s soothing embrace. “H-he called them Do… dodo… d-”

“Dotharl.” Lord Daisho grimaced before his steely gaze shot to the entrance of the village. “Fetch me my sword and armor!”

“The blood trail…!” A villager gasped, pointing at Mizuna’s wounded leg. “Oh no…! You led them right to us! We’re doomed!”

Fear surged through the crowd like waves rippling across the disturbed surface of still water, but her father stood up straight and cleared his throat. “Women and children are to get inside! Anyone who can stand and fight- form up on me!” The villagers were terrified, but they did as he commanded. The elderly were ushered into their homes along with the children, with the women already setting buckets of water along the main path in the event of fire. Mizuna’s mother snapped the arrow’s shaft and pushed the barb through her leg, before she began wrapping the wound tightly. Even through the pain the little girl looked around for Takaatsu, spotting him still on one knee and drenched with mud and sweat.

“You there! Kusakari!” Her father commanded, pointing a finger at the young boy while his pupils rushed to fasten his old samurai armor onto his aging body. “Are you injured?!”

“N-no, Daisho-sama…!” 

“You have given my daughter nothing but misery for the past year. You and the other brats have tortured her for far too long!” Takaatsu looked like he was about to wet himself, pressing his hands and knees onto the ground and bowing before the old swordmaster. “But because of your actions today… my daughter still breathes. Leaving her to die would have bought you enough time to return here alone… but you didn’t. You have shown great courage and bravery. Rise, Kusakari! Fight by my side and you shall have my daughter’s hand!” Mizuna pursed her lips in shock as Takaatsu shot to his feet, still out of breath and trembling, but seemingly taller than he’s ever been.

Hidekore Daisho went by many names over the years, but Kokoro Village simply knew him as the Bending Reed. His skill with a katana was unparalleled in his prime, but his prime was long gone. He couldn’t stand for long without the use of his cane, and his eyesight was beginning to fade. Worse still, he was terribly out of practice; he hadn’t so much as held a real katana in a dozen summers- not since his daughter was born. The villagers were terrified of being pillaged by a horde of Dotharli screamers, yet they rallied behind his call to arms all the same. The village was hidden in the cliffside and the only way out was through the entrance, so what choice did they have?

A dozen farmhands, some as young as ten, and not a shred of combat experience between them. Four hunters and a fisherman who knew how to gut and clean animals but not people. A woodsman who’s only ever swung an axe at trees, and an aging swordmaster. All against at least seven Dotharli berserkers who live and die for the glory of combat. Hidekore had to keep his composure lest the village succumb to panic, and if that were to happen, every single one of them would share in Shinegao Village’s fate. Their one saving grace was Takaatsu and Mizuna’s warning. And despite the Dotharl likely letting them go to lead them back here, he still considered it a boon more than a curse.

Hidekore turned to his family as his chestguard was pulled over his head and tied beneath his shoulders. Leaning hard on his cane he approached his loyal wife and pressed his lips against her forehead. “Whatever happens…” He whispered so low even Mizuna could barely hear him. “We will be together. Always.” Kana closed her watery eyes when her husband gently caressed her cheek and pulled away.

“They’re here!”

He whipped around and tossed his cane aside. “Get inside. Now!”

“Oto-san!” Mizuna cried out, reaching for him. The painted monsters came charging through the main gate, and everyone began stumbling back in terror; everyone but Lord Daisho. “Oto-saaan!” The last thing she saw as her mother slammed the door shut was her father drawing his pearly white katana and dropping the sheathe, with the berserking fiends closing the distance by leaping through the air at him. “OTO-SAAAAN!”

Mizuna jerked awake, her heart pounding in her chest. For a split second she could have sworn her parents were with her in this clinic, but she was alone. Only the steady beeping of the monitor and the low hum of the ceiling fan kept her company. Even after thirty summers her first Dotharli raid was still fresh in her memories, just waiting to peek around the corner and frighten her in her darkest nightmares. No longer concerned with keeping up a professional appearance, she pinched a gloomroot blunt in between her trembling fingers and lit it up. 

Her smoke break would have to come early this time.

[girlsinthestars]

There was Probably a Better Solution

Pairing: Elim Garak/Julian Bashir

Word count: 1493

Warnings: None

Read on AO3

It was ridiculous, this whole plan was insane and for the third time that night Julian wondered how Garak convinced Sisko to let them go. They were on a cardassian planet, in cardassian space, searching for some kind of new weapon Sisko had sworn Garak to secrecy about, based on a hunch Garak had that it was here. He didn’t even know why Garak had picked him for the mission. That being said, sneaking into a cardassian settlement that was potentially hiding some top secret military base was everything Julian had been dreaming about ever since he befriended the cardassian spy- sorry, plain, simple, Garak.

Julian would have stuck out like a sore thumb as they walked through the settlement if it weren’t for the empty streets owing to the fact that it was midnight. They hadn’t bothered with cosmetics to blend in because it was supposed to be a quick mission, transported down well after sunset, four hours to search the colony, then they would be picked up from the rendezvous point.

“We’re turning right up ahead, I’m getting some strange readings from just outside the city.” Julian said, altering the tricorder’s settings slightly. “I can’t get any indication on what it is exactly.”

“That does sound like-” Garak cut himself off, pushing Julian back against a wall.

“Who’s there?” A voice called from a little ways ahead.

“I’m sorry about this.” Garak hissed, then he pressed his lips to Julian’s and slipped a thigh between his legs.

Julian barely had time to gasp as Garak’s mouth opened against his own. It was like a dream come true, in fact Julian had almost certainly fantasised about this scenario at some point. Garak’s hands tugged his body closer, before pressing him harder against the wall, Julian pressed closer easily, his hands finding their way into Garak’s hair and tugging slightly, revelling in the gasp Garak let out against his mouth. And if, just for a second, Julian forgot they were doing this to hide, well, Garak didn’t have to know.

“I apologise, Doctor,” Garak said, smoothing his hair and adjusting his clothes, as footsteps faded into the distance behind them, the person having walked past and left them to their business, “There was probably a better solution to that situation, however, that was the best I could come up with in the time given.”

“No, no, its-” Julian coughed, and attempted to make his voice slightly less breathy. “I didn’t mind- I mean, that is to say, it was a perfectly reasonable solution.”

“Thank you, shall we?”

The rest of the mission went as planned, they located the base and Garak took detailed readings of the new weapon, muttering under his breath about how it was exactly as he suspected, then they were collected before the sun rose.

It had been weeks, but Julian couldn’t get the kiss out of his mind. There were thousands of other ways they could have avoided detection, they could have hidden in the alley they had passed, they could have just stood pressed together against the wall, it was dark enough that the person probably would have assumed they were making out. It just didn’t make sense, Garak was an ex-spy, making out with your associate to hide while on a mission wasn’t a professional tactic, it only really happened in Julian’s spy holo-programs. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. Julian desperately wanted the kiss to have meant something to Garak, it didn’t even have to mean the same thing it did to him, as long as it was more than just a necessity.

He tried to force himself to forget about it, Garak clearly had, sitting across from him at their sixth lunch since the mission, talking about some cardassian book he was sure Julian would love. But Julian couldn’t get himself to focus on what Garak was saying. His mind replaying the kiss over and over again, imagining Garak turning up at his quarters in the middle of the night saying he couldn’t stop thinking about him and-

“Doctor?” Garak asked, Julian glanced up, Garak was clearly waiting for an answer to a question Julian hadn’t heard.

“I’m sorry, Garak, I must admit I haven’t been listening.”

“Is everything alright? You’ve seemed distracted the past few weeks.”

“Yes, yes of course, I’m just busy.” Garak looked doubtful. “Speaking of, I really must be going, thank you for lunch, same time next week?”

He barely gave Garak a chance to reply, jumping up and making his way to the infirmary. He really had to do something about this situation, Garak was noticing his odd behaviour and there was no way he could keep using the busy excuse. Maybe he just needed some space, give himself some time to get over this infatuation before it ruined their friendship.

So the next week he dropped into Garak’s shop to tell him he wouldn’t be able to make their lunches this week, making up something about a big report being due, and while Garak seemed suspicious and even a little disappointed, he didn’t ask any extra questions.

He did, however, ask questions when Julian cancelled their next six lunches, excuses varying from ‘I have a patient I have to deal with’ at the time to ‘I have a staff meeting’ the day before.

“I’m beginning to think you’re avoiding me.” He said, when Julian finally ran out of excuses.

“No, I- I’ve just been busy, I told you.”

“You can’t lie to a liar.”

Julian sighed. “It’s silly.”

“Then it shouldn’t matter to tell me.”

“You’ll laugh.”

“Try me.”

“It’s going to change how you think of me.”

“Really, my dear, you are being awfully cryptic, I don’t like competition.”

“Okay, here’s the thing…” Julian lowered his voice, looking around them. “I can’t stop thinking about the kiss.”

“What kiss?” Garak leaned in and lowered his voice dramatically, Julian could tell he was taking the piss.

“The Kiss, between you and me.”

“On the mission?” Garak leaned back again, brows furrowing. “I didn’t know you were so uncomfortable with it.”

“Well, that’s the thing… I’m not uncomfortable with it.”

The corners of Garak’s mouth twitched up. “I see.”

Julian stared at him, waiting for him to say something else, but he didn’t say anything, just watched Julian with that tiny smug smirk.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Well… what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking this food is rather dry, you must talk to Chief O’Brien about these replicators.”

“Garak! You know what I mean.”

Garak sighed and put down his fork. “I am not a relationship person.”

Julian’s heart sank, Garak was rejecting him, their friendship would become awkward, they would both start making excuses to get out of coming to lunches and soon enough it would be as if they had never been friends.

But then Garak continued. “That is to say, I am not good at them, I lie just as much, I do not turn into a warm, loving person.”

“I wouldn’t want you to.” Julian said quickly, his eyes lighting up again.

“You must understand what you are getting into.”

“I do, come on Garak, who on this station knows you better than me?”

“That may be true, my dear, but surely you know even you barely know me.”

“I do. Come on Garak, I know you felt it too, there’s something here.”

“Do you use that line often?”

Julian didn’t bother replying, putting on his best pleading eyes.

Garak sighed. “You are incredibly persistent, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes.”

Months later, they were lying in Julian’s bed, it was late in the morning but Julian was on an ordered rest day (apparently working for 48 hours straight was unacceptable and displayed a level of stress that could only be solved with a break), and Julian was lying on Garak’s shoulder, tracing patterns on his chest. And it was then that he finally got up the courage to ask.

“Did you deliberately kiss me on that mission?”

Garak laughed. “You didn’t really think that was actually the only method of hiding I could think of?"

“I guess not, I was just never sure, you seemed so reluctant when I asked you out.”

Garak sighed, moving so he was face to face with Julian. “That wasn’t because I wasn’t sure, I wanted to make sure you were sure, that you knew what you were getting into.”

“So you liked me before that?” Now that he had gotten started Julian wasn’t stopping now.

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

“Since I laid eyes on you that first day in the replimat.”

Julian grinned. “You old romantic!”

“Says the man who used ‘I know you felt it too’ on me, like we had walked right out of one of your ridiculous holo-programs.”

Not much had really changed, not in the way they talked to each other at least, except now their light arguments ended in making out.

[mama-m1na]

Soul Drivers: Chapter 1

~~~I~~~

It was extremely loud on the buses that were currently transporting 59 students through the Tokyo settlement of Area 11.

This particular group of students had just come from the homeland of Britannia to have their last two filed competitions of the season and participate in a few parade competitions as well.

This was the Trinity Institute’s Platinum Regiment, a marching band that had recently gained prowess in the capital for their sudden high scores and performance ability.

“Can you guys be quiet for once?!” snapped a twenty-one-year-old male from a seat closer to the front as he turned around to the multiple teenagers that made up the band.

“No you, Kassim! You just want an excuse for you to cuddle with Mina again!” came a response from the back causing a red heat to spread across the male’s face.

“And I’m definitely awake now,” groaned a ravenette who removed her head from the male’s shoulder.

“Sorry, Your Highness,” sighed the male as he turned to face his seat partner, “Your kids are extremely annoying.”

“I know, but I love them anyway,” she chuckled before turning to the back of the bus, “And y’all are perverts by the way!”

“Shut up and kiss already dammit!” was the response from one of the boys as he sat with his girlfriend, “The tension between you two literally frustrates everyone!”

“Ha! What you see does not exist,” laughed the ravenette as she turned back to the front, pulling out her phone and reading fanfiction before she positioned herself so her back was against the window.

“Why do you always do that?” the male asked as he observed the barely shorter female.

“Do what?” the teen hummed as she kept her eyes focused on her phone.

“You always hide your screen from everyone,” the male replied before a smirk crept onto his face, “I bet you’re reading porn or some shit.”

“Hun, do you take me for one of my siblings or something?” scoffed the girl as she rolled her eyes, “Why do you want to know so bad anyway?”

“Don’t I have a right to be curious?”

“You do but if I catch you looking through my phone without my permission, I will not hesitate to gut you,” she chirped with a bright smile on her face.

It was around three in the afternoon when the buses reached their stop, Ashford Academy, a school made for Britannians in the Tokyo settlement of Area 11.

Even though none of the students in the program were born Britannian, almost all of them were gifted with honorary Britannian titles due to various reasons.

For some their parents were honorary Britannians, some passed a test, some had parents who served in the Britannian military, and there were others who earned the favor of a Britannian noble.

“Alright! Hey, Band!” the ravenette exclaimed as she stood in the aisle of her bus, earning the undivided attention of everyone there.

“I know I already said this before we left, but I’m saying it again,” the seventeen-year-old began, eyes sweeping across the students to make sure they were paying attention, “As fellow honorary Britannians we all know that there will be many here who discriminate against us, but as we do in homeland, we have to ignore it. Do not give in to their taunts and let their comments of us being lower life forms than them ring true. If you have problems with someone, talk with me and I will personally take it up with them.”

“Mina, what happens if a bully happens to, let’s say, disappear without a trace?” asked an older member of the band.

With a short chuckle, the female licked her lips, making sure no adults other than Kassim were on the bus before replying, “It isn’t a crime if you aren’t caught.”

This statement caused the others to yell in excitement, knowing the only crimes their Drum Major would allow them to commit involved getting back at those who discriminated against numbers.

“However,” continued the female, “You must be wary amongst these people after last year’s Black Rebellion, they are sure to be on edge.”

“Yes?” she asked with a smirk on her face, dark pleasure shining in her brown irises littered with gold flecks.

“Yes, Ma’am!” came her reply before she as well as the others began collecting their things from the overhead storage compartments.

Waiting at the gates of the school stood three students, doning the academy’s uniform.

The first was a female with shoulder-length blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes and a curvy figure.

The second was another female with long orange hair, fair skin, yellow/green irises, and stood a little taller than the average teenage girl.

The third was a short male with semi-long, bright blue hair, and grey eyes.

As they looked to the buses the first one to exit was a teenaged female who obviously was not born Britannian.

She had golden-brown skin, long black hair that reached her upper thighs, and a curvy figure. When the female turned to face them the group noticed a strange and quite literal, golden sparkle coming from her brown irises.

The female wore a black t-shirt littered with white lightning bolts, a pair of denim shorts, and brown combat boots with a three inch heel.

The oldest of the students took it upon herself to approach the ravenette as she watched the others unload from the bus and said, “Hello there, I’m Milly Ashford, president of the student council. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Rhamina Miyu, Head Drum Major of the Platinum Regiment,” the foreign female replied with a smile as they shook hands, “Nice to meet you as well.”

“Oh, you’re the one who is joining the student council!” the blonde beamed with a large smile, clasping the girl’s hands in her own.

“Um, I guess?” Rhamina asked, eyes flicking back to Kassim for help, but it was already too late as the president had dragged her off to the other three students. 

“Well, these are the other members of the student council, Shirley Fenette and Rivalz Cardemonde,” Milly introduced as she gestured to the other two who still stood by the gate, “We have one more but he left with his little brother a little earlier today.”

“Milly, is this the Drum Major?” the blue haired male asked earning a nod from the ravenette.

“I’m Rhamina Miyu, Head Drum Major of the Platinum Regiment,” she spoke with a slight bow, “It’s a pleasure to be able to attend school with such a welcoming student council.”

For a few moments Shirley stood there confused at her statement before remembering that almost all of the members of the band were not of Britannian origin.

‘Poor things,’ she thought with a slight frown as the ravenette returned to where a taller male stood by the bus, ‘They must have had a hard time.’

Once the rest of the band were settled into the dorms, Rhamina along with Kassim accompanied Milly to the Student Council room where they began discussing things involving the program.

“Where is Lelouch?” huffed the president as they took a break, “As my vice president, he should be here for these things.”

“He went off somewhere with Rolo,” Rivalz replied as he turned on his laptop.

“He’s off gambling again?” Shirley asked with wide eyes, “And with his brother too? His bad habits are going to rub off on little Rolo.”

“Sounds like a certain someone, wouldn’t you say, Princess?” Kassim asked, nudging the ravenette with his elbow.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rhamina sung in reply as she returned her focus to the notebook in which she was writing down notes throughout the meeting, heat spreading across her cheeks as she turned away.

“Holy crap!” the blue haired teenager exclaimed while standing up, the force knocking his chair to the ground, “Zero, and the Black Knights are back and they’re holing up in the Chinese Federation building!”

“Huh?! But isn’t Zero dead?!” Shirley asked as she and the others gathered around the screen to see the masked figure known as Zero, alive and giving a speech.

Kassim and Rhamina looked towards each other as they stood at the back of the group, the latter with a dark smirk on her face as her eyes flicked back to the screen momentarily.

“Well, thank you all for having us today, but I think I’m going to head back to my room and get some rest,” Rhamina spoke, expression changing to a light smile.

“Yeah, I’m going to do the same,” Kassim added with a yawn as he made his way to the door, “Peace.”

“Bye, Kassim, love you!” the ravenette chirped as the male disappeared before she walked back to her seat to grab her things.

“Wait, are you and Kassim a thing?” Shirley asked in surprise.

“Huh?” the foreign teen asked before realizing what she just said, “Oh, no we aren’t dating. We’re just really close friends! I tell all of my trusted friends and kids that I love them because I don’t know if they hear it enough from others.”

“It’s not a lie though,” she added as she reminisced about her previous band experiences, “I truly do love each and every one of them despite the fact the can get on my nerves sometimes.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” a new voice said, earning the attention of everyone in the room.

“Lelouch, Rolo, you’re back!” exclaimed Shirley, immediately rushing over at the sight of the two boys.

The original members of the student council glomped the male with violet eyes that had just walked in.

“Weren’t you at the casino that was attacked by terrorists?” Rivalz asked, leading the male back to the table while the ravenette stood off to the side gazing at the five as they interacted.

“Yes, but I managed to escape somehow,” the male spoke before turning to the unfamiliar female, “but who is this?”

“I’m Rhamina Miyu, Head Drum Major of the Platinum regiment,” she replied for the third time that day as she held out her hand to shake, “I’m going to be working with you guys from now on.”

With a small smile, the noiret shook the female’s hand and said, “I’m Lelouch Lamprouge, nice to meet you as well.”

Before any more conversation could be made, the ravenette’s phone began buzzing in her hand and she shook her head.

“Well, I really have to go now, but it was nice meeting you all,” she said, declining the call she was getting, “I’ll see you all tomorrow!”

As she made her way to the door the shorter, more timid, violet-eyed male could have sworn the ravenette’s eyes flashed gold, if only for a split second.

Once she was out of the room, Rhamina pulled out her phone and opened up a group chat consisting of all of her leadership.

With a small smirk on her face she sent one, simple phrase.

“Target identified.”

The next morning the ravenette woke up to her alarm going off in her individual room.

She was fortunate to have been roomed on her own since their band had an odd number of girls, so this allowed the teen to take her necessary breaks from socialization.

“Fuck!” she groaned while standing from her bed, multiple pops coming from her various joints 

“Why am I so fucking broken?” the ravenette growled as she limped towards her closet, the female’s deformed left knee not taking well to the cold temperature of the dorm.

Once she had finished her morning routine, Rhamina exited the bathroom and looked at herself in the floor length mirror that was already there.

“Jesus, this skirt is kinda pushing some limits,” she huffed as she looked down at the black skirt that barely reached mid thigh, “But at least I won’t overheat in the blazer.”

Hearing her text tone go off, Rhamina checked to see it was from one of her siblings saying that she was outside her door and to hurry up because she was hungry.

The ravenette only shook her head before she grabbed the necklace that was on her nightstand and put it on, letting the purple and aged pewter cross pendant dangle over her chest.

Upon opening her door she was greeted with the sight of a familiar, dark-skinned female standing in front of her door.

“God dammit, Tijarah, you could have gone ahead of me you know?” Rhamina sighed as she locked her door.

“I could have done that,” the other female said with a shrug, “But I don’t like these fucking people.”

“Almost all of them kept making comments yesterday,” scoffed Tijarah as they reached the cafeteria, “Very loudly I might add.”

As the two girls got their breakfast, Rhamina very quickly noticed that her kids were separated from the others, the Ashford students making an effort to avoid any of the new faces.

“Why the hell would they let so many numbers into this school?” was one of the whispers, the sharp ears of the teen picked up, “It’s so disgusting.”

Rhamina’s eyes flicked to the side where she heard the voice and flashed for a moment before the male student let out a yelp, dropping his now frozen solid drink as he cradled his hand that was burned by the cold.

Tijarah snickered from the ravenette’s left side before the pair took a seat amongst their fellow band children to begin their meal.

Rhamina had barely finished her meal when the voice of a certain female caught her ears.

“Mimi! There you are!” an orange-haired female called as she made her way over to the isolated tables earning the attention of the entire cafeteria.

“Mimi?” the ravenette asked as Shirley approached her.

“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind,” she chirped with a bright smile.

“Not at all, but did you need something, Shirley?” Rhamina asked as various members of the band eyed the new character.

“Yeah, we’re having a party today after school to celebrate Lelouch and Rolo’s escape from the terrorist attack and all of you are invited!”

“Alright,” the ravenette said as she pulled out her phone to put it in her calendar, “I’ll tell everyone about it when I get the chance. Thanks, Hun.”

“No problem,” the female chirped before she turned to leave, waving before she disappeared.

“Who was that?” asked a male from originally Area 6 as he was eating some chips.

“A girl from the student council,” came the simple reply from Rhamina as she sent out a mass message to her band about the party.

“Well, I’m done so I’m going to start heading over to meet my homeroom teacher now,” she sighed while gathering her things and standing, “Love you guys, see you later.”

“Love you, Mina!” came the reply from a smaller girl with short hair.

With a short wave, the teen walked out of the cafeteria and began walking to her class  eyes scanning the hallways, walking past various students whose whispers never seemed to stop.

‘Jesus, and I thought the gossip in Homeland was bad,’ she thought, sending a quick glare at a pair of girls that had sneered at her.

Upon reaching her new classroom the girl knocked before entering, her teacher greeting the teen with a smile.

When the class started the ravenette stood in front while the teacher introduced her, eyes scanning over her class to see three members of the student council.

“Class this is Rhamina Miyu, she and many of her peers have come over from Homeland to compete in our band brackets,” the woman spoke before the ravenette gave a slight bow.

“It’s nice to meet you all and I hope we can get along,” Rhamina chirped with a smile before walking towards an empty seat near the window.

“Filthy six.”

“Shit!” a male student exclaimed as he dropped his pen, now encased in ice as some of it stuck to his hand.

“Tyler, to the principal’s office!”

Rhamina sat down with a small smirk as she released the grip on her pendant, not noticing the pair of violet-eyes that were on her.

Once the day’s classes were over Rhamina began picking up her stuff when she was approached by Shirley and Lelouch.

“Ready to go?” the female asked as Rhamina stood up.

“Yep, I’m good, so what are we going to do first?” the ravenette asked as she walked with the other two back to the student council room.

“Well, Milly and Lelouch are going to handle making the food since Rivalz and I aren’t really that good in the kitchen so you can either help them or you can help Rivalz and I set up the decorations,” Shirely replied with a thoughtful look on her face.

“I’ll just help wherever I can, I guess,” Rhamina chuckled with a shrug, “Though, I might be more useful for decorating than in the kitchen.”

“Shirely, be careful!” called Rhamina as she watched the orange-haired female standing on top of a wobbly ladder as Rivalz tried to hold it steady.

“Jesus, I should have been the one to put this up instead,” she muttered watching as Shirley reached out to hang something on the ceiling only to slip.

Crash! “Crap!”

Upon hearing the loud noises, Lelouch and Milly rushed outside to see Rhamina on her knees holding Shirley while the ladder was on its side next to them.

“Oh, my god! Are you okay, Mimi?” Shirely asked as she got off of the ravenette.

“What happened?” Milly asked as she rushed over and held out a hand for her.

“I was putting up streamers when I fell and Mimi caught me,” Shirely recounted as the ravenette waved her hands around dismissively.

“I couldn’t let you just fall like that now could I?” Rhamina chuckled as she took the president’s hand.

“Yeah, but are you okay?” Milly asked like a concerned mother would.

“I’m fine,” the girl chirped, only for her body to betray her as she winced upon trying to stand, her knees not allowing any pressure, “Nevermind.”

Lelouch then surprised the members by bringing a chair forward and saying, “Shirley, go get the first aid kit.”

He then assisted the teen into the chair when he noticed something, she was extremely warm.

His eyes flicked up to her face in confusion, but she was focused on the large bleeding patched on her legs.

“Nice,” she chuckled while attempting to straighten her legs only to regret her decision as pain ran up it, “It’s always my knees.”

“Do accidents like this happen a lot?” asked Rolo, who the ravenette didn’t even notice was there.

“Yeah that and my knees aren’t really that good to begin with,” she explained as Lelouch began to disinfect and clean the area with the first aid kit Shirely brought back, “I injured my left knee when I was younger and it never healed properly so my bones are literally deformed.”

“You can visibly see it too,” she said pointing out a bump below her left kneecap once it was cleaned, “Makes it pretty hard to function sometimes, especially when it’s cold or when I first wake up.”

“That must have been uncomfortable while you were marching then,” Milly commented as the noiret finished patching up her knees, “It’s good that you’re just conducting now.”

“Actually, it’s getting worse as I grow older so it actually hurts worse now,” Rhamina chuckled sadly and she played with her hands, “I just hope that they can last till I graduate until I become a band director, at least then I won’t be doing work that’s as strenuous.”

“I’m sure you will,” chirped Shirley as she placed a hand on the female’s shoulder, “From what I saw of you yesterday and today, you’re very hardworking, so I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

“Thank you, Shirley, you are very kind and I’m sure you will find a bright future as well,” the ravenette said with a smile before she tried to stand only for multiple hands to keep her seated.

“Oh no you don’t!” Milly said with a small smile, “Just take a break and we can finish the rest.”

“But-” “Seriously, we can do this, you’ve done enough for us already and I’m sure you’re tired from your first day,” Rivalz reassured, “Just rest up so you can be ready to party later!” 

The ravenette tried to continue her protest but was immediately shut down by her new friends, so as they finished the set up, Rhamina just sat in a chair off to the side while playing with her phone.

As the time for the party approached the female stood up, not just to stretch a bit since the pain was starting to go away, but also because her own friends were arriving and she wanted to greet them.

“So this is where you’ve been for the past hour?” Kassim asked as she wrapped an arm around the ravenette’s shoulders before he noticed her knees, “What happened?”

“I did an oopsie,” she replied with a shrug, earning a glare from the male before he swept her to an isolated corner of the room.

“Princess, you really can’t afford to be getting clumsy right now,” he said with his hands on her upper arms, “Especially with what we’re about to do.”

“You think I don’t know that, Kassim?” Rhamina replied with an awkward smile as she placed one of her hands on his, “With our next move, we’re for sure to shake the world. Don’t you think I realize that? I’m terrified, but we’re doing what it takes to move forward so please just let me act like a normal teenager when I get the chance.”

  From across the room Lelouch watched as the older male brought the ravenette into an embrace.

“Jesus Christ, one of them needs to just get on one knee and fucking propose already,” Tijarah scoffed from next to him at the snack table.

“Are they together?” the male asked with a raised brow as two more females and a shorter male walked up.

“Nope, but you would think one of them would have the balls to confess by now,” scoffed the dark-skinned female, earning the attention of the three.

“You talking about Mina and Kassim?” asked a female with dark hair and tanned skin from next to her boyfriend, “yeah, they both obviously have a thing for each other but none of them will admit it, it’s hella frustrating.”

“Yeah, but I kind of understand why they don’t,” the female with brown hair and emerald eyes commented, “I mean think about it, Kerstin, it would be dangerous for them to be in a relationship given their circumstances and it will be for a while.”

They all just stared at the brunette, speechless until Kerstin broke the silence by saying, “Jesus, Sam, rhat’s fucking depressing.”

“I’m not wrong though, am I?” she continued as the group of three walked away from the snack table, bickering back and forth.

“Fucking, wackjobs,” scoffed the dark-skinned female before she turned back to Lelouch, “You don’t want to hang around them.”

“Like you’re one to talk, Miss Aquaphobe,” chuckled Rhamina as she walked back with Kassim at her side.

“You two done making out?” the female retorted, causing the ravenette to shake her head before turning to Lelouch.

“I hope this one hasn’t been saying anything weird,” Kassim chuckled, placing a hand on Tijarah’s shoulder.

“She was only answering one of my questions,” the taller male replied with a small smile.

“Oh, dear lord,” came Rhamina’s response as she looked to her sibling who only shrugged.

“Oh, Lelouch, before I forget!” chirped the ravenette before she bowed in the male’s direction, “Thank you for helping me earlier! I really appreciate it.”

“You don’t have to-” “Hey, Mina!” called a younger girl with blonde hair and glasses.

“What is it, Jamie?” the seventeen-year-old asked as she was dragged to the center of the room where a harp and chair were set up.

“Do you know how to play this?” she asked pulling out her phone as others began turning their attention to the instrument.

“I-um, yes I can, but why do you need to know that?” chuckled the ravenette as she began to tense up.

“Can you play something for us?” the blonde asked with bright eyes, “Please?!”

“Do I have a choice?” Rhamina asked as she noticed that she was surrounded by her peers.

“No,” came the unified response from everyone she knew.

“Fine,” grumbled the female as she took a seat at the chair and thought of a song to play on the stringed instrument.

With a sigh she lifted her hands to the strings and began plucking, earning the attention of the whole party.

“In the woodlands low, born of ice and snow, there's a maiden weeping tonight. Snow falls softly 'neath the winter moon,” she sang, trying to ignore the multiple eyes watching her, “Forest bare and white, she dwells there by night. Listen to her cry sorrow's song. Snow falls softly 'neath the winter moon .”

“Breathless, icy, bright. Daughter of the night. Oh, who do you cry for? Keening softly 'neath the winter moon,” the room seemed to grow darker and colder as she sang, the moon seeming to appear above the female’s head, “Fuyu no tsuki, fuyu no tsuki, kanashimi utsusu fuyu no tsuki. Kogoeru fuyu no tsuki no yoru ni yuki no otome hana o mistuke ni yuki ni umoreta sanrin no naka o tabi tsuzukena sai.”

“Traveler passing through, feet all bare , his smile was true. His eyes shone with starlight he waked softly 'neath the winter moon,” as Rhamina continued her tale, she looked up to see everyone entranced by her song and smiled softly, “Love made my heart soar, you're the one I've waited for. Stay with me forever she cried softly 'neath the winter moon.”

“In the snow he stayed, from my side he did not stray. My hands could not warm him. He died softly 'neath the winter moon,” the ravenette sung, closing her eyes, “Fuyu no tsuki, fuyu no tsuki, kanashimi utsusu fuyu no tsuki. Kogoeru fuyu no tsuki no yoru ni yuki no otome hana o mistuke ni yuki ni umoreta sanrin no naka o tabi tsuzukena sai.”

“Fuyu no tsuki, fuyu no tsuki, kanashimi utsusu fuyu no tsuki. Kogoeru fuyu no tsuki no yoru ni yuki no otome hana o mistuke ni yuki ni umoreta sanrin no naka o tabi tsuzukena sai.”

“In the woodlands low, born of ice and snow,  there's a maiden weeping tonight. Snow falls softly 'neath the winter moon.” 

“Breathless, icy, bright. Daughter of the night. Oh, who do you cry for? Keening softly 'neath the winter moon.” 

As Rhamina strummed the last note of the song she was greeted with applause and the afternoon sun filled the room through the victorian styled glass windows of the student council room.

Standing, the ravenette let herself be swarmed by other students before her eyes met with a pair of violet irises from across the room who just watched her, even as she was swept away by the crowd.

“Lelouch?” a voice asked, calling the male from his thoughts.

“What is it, Rolo?” he asked, now focused on his ‘younger brother’.

“Are you alright, Lelouch? You’ve been staring at that girl for quite a while now,” the brunet commented as he looked over at the teenager who was currently trying to run from Kerstin and Sam, “Does something about her bother you?”

“Yes, actually,” the pale teen replied as his eyes narrowed slightly, “Her presence reminds me of someone, but I can’t place my finger on it.”

Just then the television which was being used to play music in the background switched to the news channel.

“Breaking news, in response to Zero hiding himself within the Chinese Federation building, Gilbert G.P. Guilford, the personal knight of the second princess Cornelia, has brought out all of the imprisoned Black Knights!” the reporter stated as it showed two large containers holding prisoners, with some of them restrained on top.

The camera then switched to the knight himself as he said, “I personally challenge Zero to a duel tomorrow, if he fails to show up then these comrades of his will be executed at noon.”

This statement brought shock upon the entire room as Rolo looked up to Lelouch who could only stand wide eyed.

The various students of Ashford Academy immediately began to whisper to each other about the new uprising of Zero.

Which left the Platinum Regiment to wordlessly look at each other before their heads snapped up to Rhamina who hid a smirk behind her hand.

‘It looks like our turn has finally begun.’

~~~Fin. Chapter 1~~~

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Song Used: Winter Moon - Erutan

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