#let cal be angry about a thing or two dammit

[breakfastteatime]

Oh dear, I am having THOUGHTS again about the likes of Yoda and Obi-Wan hiding while Cal was not...

[huntsman-ash]

RWBY LiveThoughts: V8E7

Since I finally have time for it today, lets make sure Im all caught up for the hiatus. 

Before we get fully started, an idea; Its not a war crime if they’re Grimm. Then its just self defense. So break out the napalm, the cluster bombs, the chemical weapons, the fun stuff. Make em regret it, yeah?

And we start off...on a farm. Looks like my moms old farm in South Dakota. Even on Remnant, hay is best used in bales.

Waiiiit. Thats the place the Whale set down isnt it. I see a Sayber running. Ah, and the Atlas military! Surely, the vanguard of a massive force to hold the line! Also Im glad to see a close up of the helmet for once, I want to make my own. Also, the gloves, and the rifle itself. Not sure why it doesnt have a stock, seems kind of silly...

And airships too, so they got some fire support...whats that wall behind them though?

Also it TOOK US 8 FUCKING SEASONS to get a close up of these FUCKING Weapons. 8. FUCKING. SEASONS. Okay maybe more like 5 cause they didnt first appear till 3 or so but come on. Im so picking this shit apart later. 

Pfft, bros got some nerves going on. Come on man, its just some Grimm, you’ll be FINE.

Atlas field harvesters resemble Halo’s JOTUN Farming equipment. As wel as our own. No surprise there.

Alright, bunch of Saybers, not seeing much of a threat here.

Hey, Paladins! Damn, they...look way different than I remember them to be. 

I wont lie, I dont like the Paladin design. Way to much visual noise, I cant tell where anything IS. 

Also that is the most 2D grass I have sever seen in my fucking life. What the hell are they growing here...

Huh, the whale has two sets of teeth. Wait, its just there? And its wpewing out Grimm. So...why isnt the air force firing on it? 

Yeah its not moving, its just raising its head and slamming down and vomiting out more Grimm. Im not sure what the issue is here, just...seal the mouth. 

Oh, huh. Apathys. Let me guess, RTs gonna try and tell us depression is going to kill most of Atlas. Oh for fuck sake. IM NOT IMPRESSED RT. IM REALLY NOT. IM MORE FUCKING ANNOYED THAN ANYTHING

Okay so...I see what this is. Its farm land outside of atlas proper and there’s an additional wall behind them, plus the power lines I guess? Seems like a viable place to make a stand. 

...thats it. Please tell me this is just a single detachment of the Atlas military because there is less firepower here than a NATIONAL GUARD UNIT ASSIGNED TO ONE CITY

Im fairly certain there are more people assigned to ONE UNIT attached to JBLM then I amm seeing here. 

Not to mention this is an OPEN FIELD the Grimm have to run through. This is a literall fucking TURKEY SHOOT. Running across an open field anywhere is a ticket to DYING.

Just ask the poor fucks on D-day.

Also uh...why is everyone in line formation? What is this, fuckin’ 18009s combat Napoleon style?

And did the distance suddenly change, I feel like the whale suddenly got a hell of a lot closer.

Just...I dont get this. This makes no sense. Did Ironwood learn how to deploy forces from a fairy tale book? This is legitimately some fuckin Lord of the Rings shit here.

RIP that one specific trooper hit by that Behemoth though. Dont worry friend, the thing walked next to a Paladin. Its getting its eye blasted out

And cut back to Ironwood. Doing...fuck if I know what.

Staring angrily it seems.

“Dammit, my tactical deployment by line formation and parade ground tactics isnt holding back the Grimm, curses!”

Well MAYBE IF YOUD THOUGHT TO INVEST IN SOME FUCKING AIR SUPPORT...Seriously.

I know people have told me why this is. I understand myself why this is. But it really just...does...not...jibe with me. At all. 

Okay so more details; first, apparently Atlas has a subway. Makes sense, its a big island. Inter-system transits probably a given. Second; Was that Mantis Squad Omega? Some kind of unit maybe...interesting.

 Also I love how this guy just questions Ironwood. Like, bro, if the General says do it, do it.

Hold the fuck up, why is everyone outside? It looks like fuckin’ Cali during our lockdowns...what ever happened to martial law huh?

Also “underground subway stations”. Yes, thats...kind of what a subway IS. I guess maybe they have overhead ones like New York does. Mass transit be weird like that.

I mean HELL the signs on it are almost identical to the ones in NYC too! Even with the colored circles and train cnumbers. 

According to the sign here they’re at Pickens Square Station. 

Oh boy. Ironwood just fed these poor bastards into a meat grinder. Anyone here ever played the Metro game series, or read the books?

Remember the Dark Ones? The Nosallias? Yeah. Tight corridors and monsters only work out well for angry vodka fueled Russians.

Didnt see it very well but I THINK those Mantas had some kind of wing gun. Either thats new, a separate armament setting, or RT forgot what ind of weapons they gave their ships AGAIN.

Cant get the shields back up, yeah, no shit, they DETACHED ONE OF THE FUCKING PILOTS YOU IDIOTS.

Also hah, they arrested Yang, Ren and Jaune. Not surprised.

Beta squads apperently been hitting the whale. ‘Bombs, missiles, we cant make a dent, sir.” ...while Im not surprised by this, I also hear shades of the opening of Halo 2s level Metropolis. “Where’s the rest of your platoon?” “Wasted, sarge. Blew right through us. Rockets, fifty cals, didnt do nothing.”

Honestly they could have SHOWED THAT too. Them just saying it feels like a cop out to me. Take that as you will. But if you want us to see the things hard to kill, show it. 

Not that I figure Atlas’s rockets are much more than Dust in a propellent tank. Not exactly a Hellfire or TOW.

Nice to see proper military talk for...a moment anyway.

Or what I figure RT figures is proper.

Oh so now the whales moving. Okay...huh.

Jaunes commentary is the same as mine. Though I guess the size seems to shift depending.

Ohhh. Its MANTA. As in the gunships. Alright, sure that works. And this guys making a good call. If you cant hit the big one go after the smaller. Of which there seems to be a HELL of a lot. Actually holy fuck that Grimm spew is across like...ahlf the fucking island right now. Time to fuckin torch and burn people.

Ahhhhhh and they get to the proper idea.  If you cant punch it from the outside, hit it from the inside.

I knew a crew...three madmen, names of Keegan, Lahni and Mac. The Hivebusters. Something tells me a Venom bomb would do the trick...if it can rip apart Swarm creatures as big as a Snatcher or a Swarmak and reduce them to green slime, I think it’ll work on Grimm. 

Something tells me RT isnt gonna give em a bomb though. Too obvious.

NEVER MIND. “Science team is putting together a bomb.”

Also I LOVE how Winter’s pupils expand and retract in fear as she realizes what Ironwoods asking her to do.

Awww now shes getting the shakes too.

Salem directing this shit like shes some kind of orchestra leader. I mean it FITS but...I dunno.

Ah so the command deck is directly behind the whale’s glowing nose. Basically inside where the spermacetiy organ would be in a real sperm whale.

What the fuck is Emerald doing there?

Sneaking I guess. Huh. Why’s she sneaking around the whale. Also, huh. guess seeers can get fooled by Emeralds semblance.  Is HE STILL BEATING UP ON OSCAR? Jeez dude. Take a breather.

Honestly if this was TRUE I would be okay with it. Replace the Huntsman with, I dont know, a massively overequipped military for each Kingdom, let them run rampant...stomp the Grimm out or push them back to nonexistence...everyone lives happily ever after

Lets be real here, the idea of the academies? Really really fucking dumb. Its cute. Fairy tale like.

But if theres one thing this show has taught me its that fairy tales SUCK. Reality...tends to be worse.

Ah theres one of those torture hooks they mentioned a few episodes back. Nice of the whale to have a specific interrigation room.

And at last we get some information on how Salem works. Alright so...what happens if you seperate the parts then? Sink one in the ocean, launch one into space.

Sounds like Oz/Oscars telling the fans what we’ve been saying forever, Companion Book be damned; Salem wants to die.

These mind games bore me. Its cute, but I dont like it cause I cant follow that shit. Give me a straight up fight any day, fuck this sublty backroom fuckery

No lies from them both here honestly.

Medical supplies in Atlas seem almost the same as here on earth interestngly. Also, soup. Or...coffee, tea?

Blake with the obvious here. But I mean thats not really saying much cause...well. Not hard to outfight the Atlas military it seems like.  (Long suffering sigh)

Im gonna make a seperate post about my frustrations with that and leave it there. But dont expect me to stop fully complaining about it because everyones gotta have something to bitch about with this show, and I’ll be DAMNED if I start joining the BB whiners.

Good question, Ruby. Might be that YOUR NOT LIVING IN A FAIRY TALE

I’d like to see these people dying in Mantle. I refuse to believe that there isnt SOMEONE in the nation that once brought Remnant to its heel that wont stand and fight. Unless Im wrong about that too...

May backstory? May backstory. Yeah.  Not amazingly complicated but it works. Cant tell if shes Henry though...or was. 

Dramatic lightning flash

Cute you think that Ruby. Theres sides. Always are.

Further proof honestly.

Hazels look of though is amusing. Cant tell if he doesnt believe Oscar, or if his tiny peabrain is runing full bore to think this through.

Coordination between farm boy and professor.

Oh. OHHHH. Plants the seed of doubt in Hazels tiny mind, he uses the last question for himself, sees the truth... Clever, Oscar. Clever.

Hazel peabrain go THUNK

Ah so Mercs going off to Vacuo. Guess that means everyone else is going there next too. Eat that, random Discord person, I called it.

Course, CFVYs there so...maybe we get to see Yats beat up on him.

Oh hi Tyrian. Do you just...randomly roam the halls of the whale waiting to DRAMATICALLY REVEAL YOURSELF and give violent expositon? Im very much okay with that.

Also I love how he just...accepts this. Totally fucking bonkers, totally down with it. 

Oh shit, Tyrian and Mercury going to Vacuo? Damn thats gonna be INTERESTING. I guess Tyrian’ll fit in well enough honestly.

Flying Beringal literally out of the roof. 

I remember back when this season first started and I said those weird bone platforms looked like VTOL launch bays. Guess what? They are.

Merc and Em emotion blah blah DONT CAAARRREEE

Jaune thinking tactically for ONCE IN HIS FUCKING LIFE. An I mean military tactical of course.

Also I like how the Aces say they dont let emotions cloud their shit WHEN THEYVE BEEN DOING THAT THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME.

This ENTIRE PLANET is emotionally run. Thats why the Grimm are such an issue! Makes small note to make Remnant Adeptus Mechanicus cult

Seriously though...

I wont lie though, Hare isnt wrong. Wonder what happened to that Tortuga guy. Tyrian, is my guess. Love how Ren interrupts the moment they almost mention Clovers name.

Expendable, yes. Replacable, no. You should have a talk with squadron leader Grey from Star Wars Squadrons Ren

ANNNNDDD SEMBLANCE EVOLUTION. Or the edibles just kicked in.

This is cool and all but its really fucking dumb and hamfisted. Explain all you want. Mention emotions all you want.

The Aces are fucking huntsmen. HUNTSMEN. FUCKING. SUCK. They always have. Its a dumb idea. Yes, lets stop the hordes of monsters invading this world BY SENDING IN SINGLE OPERATIVES WITH FUCKING MELEE WEAPONS

I’ll make this clear to you, Ren, right here and now. If you faced a REAL elites, you wouldnt have stood a chance. Nor would RWBY. Their bodies would have been three-shot from 20 meters out with a breach and clear and stacked against the wall like cords of wood, one final shot to the dome to make dead sure they were down. None of this stupid flipping and acrobatic crap, none of this clashing weapons and Dust and semblances...no. 

You’d be dead before you knew they were there and they would move on. You’d just be another body to the pile, one more faceless corpse to add to their kill count. A meatgrinder in human form. 

Professionals. Dont. Lose. AND THE ACES ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS!

Because thats not what RWBYs about, never has been.  And that is what annoys me slightly. That and the fact I cant distangle what I know of other universes and our own from RWBY’s. Its hard to hold a universe on its own when everything they make points towards it being like ours, but they change it when they see fit. 

I feel like thats bad writing.

Hehehe. Winter touched Elms boob.

Glad to know that Winters got her priorities right. Course, that bomb probably aint gonna do shit cause its Dust based.

...again, hoping its a chemical weapon...

Wait, the Atlas forces from earlier are STILL FIGHTING? Damn, these Grimm must suck if they couldnt wipe them out in that little time...

Also I cant tell if its getting dark cause of the storm or if its the dawn of the next day.  Or did...they shift time around? I lost track. I SWORE the sun was setting the last time we saw everything.

Also return of the shitty 3D grass...

Marrows gonna defect.

Awww poor Winters got emotions. HEY MAYBE DONT SEND A MENSTRATING WOMAN OUT ON A FIELD OP, ATLAS!

So according to May there’s still front lines. Cool. 

AYYY ITS KLIEN! HES BACK

Oh, I guess hes a doctor too. Oh he MAD.

Ayyy Whitleys being USEFUL for fucking once in his shitty life.

Shes gonna hug him isnt she.

CALLED IT. For fuck sake...whatever. Cute. But whatever.

Oh annnnddd now Grimmquake?

No. It stopped...Bolide?

No. PENNY.

Annnnddd shes leaking coolant. And sparking. And dead.

RIP Penny.

The concept art of the beached whale looks so fucking silly. Seriously, just...detach the whole section there. Drop the fucking thing. 

Oh well.

And thats it for almost two months! Be prepared for me to BULLSHIT MY WAY THROUGH ALL OF IT and continue on with my military fanwank because THATS HOW IM SURVIVING 2020!

[do-not-call-me-meathead]

aposiopesis (part one)

My Orphan Black fic on AO3

part two  part three  part four  part five  part six  part seven

Summary: 

Cosima and Sarah turn to each other for support after the night they both almost end their lives.

It's simple, at first. Their friendship and care.

But things are never as simple as they seem.

Cosima loves Delphine, but there's something about Sarah that makes her question everything.

...

Ironically enough, it all began with the news of life. Delphine’s life, that is. Cosima had believed that she was dead, long dead. There was a sliver of hope that the woman she loved was still alive because it wasn’t like she felt her death like she believed she would if the French blonde had really died. But still. The radio silence carried the dread that led to her almost putting the bot into her cheek like a lunatic.

But she didn’t.

Kendall was dead and the scientist wanted to beat those Neolution sons of bitches. And deep down, she knew she couldn’t do that all sick and tired and dead. And besides. Kendall’s death was her fault. At least, that’s what she thought. She knew that she needed to make up for what she did so that she could live with herself. And for Kendall and Siobhan and all the clones. She (stupidly) thought the bot would fix it. Give her more time. She almost put it into her cheek.

But she didn’t.

Cosima apologized profusely to Scott and Hell Wizard about her moment of brief insanity, but they refused to leave her alone for the rest of the night. She was grateful for her friends of course (especially Felix who had stopped you from doing something so… dangerously stupid) but she needed time to accept the news.

Delphine was alive.

At least, Krystal saw her leave alive.

Things only seemed to escalate when she received a skype call from Alison. She had expected Felix to tell the other clone about her break down, but when she answered the call, she was bombarded with a terrified Alison who had her house raided by the police and her husband arrested.

“Oh, dude, that’s awful,” Cosima told the rambling woman, trying to find words that weren’t completely awkward. “W-what are you going to do?”

She listened as Alison explained how Felix had already gotten his (biological) sister to agree to be Donnie’s lawyer and ranted about wanting to torture Duko for scaring her kids. She had to admit that she wanted to torture him too for what he did to Kendall. For what he’s done to all of them.

“Does Sarah know?”

She was surprised by Alison’s sudden silence and frown. Alison looked down (avoiding Cosima’s gaze) and mentioned with what seemed like a forced calm, “I think Felix told her, but heavens, I don’t want to stress her out with this. With everything going on.”

Cosima didn’t know what the hell the soccer mom was referring to. She was positive that more than anyone in the clone club, it was Sarah who would want to be involved and help. But there was something in Alison’s eyes that made her wonder if something else was going on. Something that she had no knowledge about.

“What do you mean? Did something happen to Sarah? Kira?”

Alison held her hand to her cheek and sighed. “Lord knows Felix didn’t want this to be on your mind either, Cosima. He told me what happened last night. Honestly. Finding out that--”

“What happened to Sarah, Alison ?”

Alison made a tutting sound and crossed her arms. “Felix practically begged me to not tell anyone. I’m not even planning on asking Sarah--”

“ Alison .”

The mother put her hands up in the air in surrender. “Holy cow. Okay, Cosima. But please don’t ask her about it. I’m not even sure Felix told me the whole--”

“Just tell me.”

“Last night, Sarah almost killed herself,” Alison said so quickly that Cosima barely had any time to process what she said before she continued, “and Felix says that she was going to do it like… like…”

Cosima bit her lip, trying to stop the tears from coming to her eyes. She filled in the blank in her mind, but she still needed Alison to say it out loud.

“Like what?”

Alison blinked and stared like it was the last thing she wanted to say out loud. “Like Beth.”

Cosima’s heart felt like it had stopped with all the air knocked out of your lungs. She wanted to ache for Alison (knowing how close she was to the late clone), but she couldn’t stop thinking about Sarah. The cold truth (not that she’d tell Alison or anyone else for that matter) was that Sarah was much more important to her than Beth ever was. The idea of losing her, losing the person who held them all together, made her whole body feel weak and like it was decaying (more than usual). Especially since she realized that Sarah's pain must have been her fault. That this wouldn’t have happened if Cosima hadn’t been so…

“We almost lost her?” She asked in a whisper, not really expecting an answer.

Alison narrowed her eyes. “What, Cosima? I can’t hear--”

Cosima ended the call. It was Cosima after all who wanted to make the deal with Evie Cho. It was Cosima who allowed herself to be played and caused Siobhan’s mother’s death. It was Cosima who lost the months of work and advancements they made, probably stopping any chance of a cure. None of it was Sarah’s fault, but then… she could imagine the guilt she must have been feeling. Sarah kept the world on her shoulders. She let on the pain of others. She felt more than anyone but forced herself to not always show it.  

She dialed Felix’s number not knowing what she would say to him when he would pick up. She couldn’t call Sarah, at least, not yet. Not until she got the full story from him first. She liked to think that it was the scientist in her who needed her facts straight before going to the original source. But truthfully, she was terrified of talking to Sarah knowing that she was the root of her pain.

“Oi, do you know what bloody time it is?” Felix croaked as if he had just woken up.

She didn’t answer his question. “Is Sarah around?”

“She was plastered last night, mate. She’ll be out for at least another few hours. Please tell me you aren’t planning on doing another senseless act. Let’s not put any more foreign objects in mouths except for--”

“What happened with Sarah last night? And why didn’t you immediately tell me?”  

Felix paused for a second but then sighed. “You would think by now I would know not to tell Alison anything--”

“ Felix .”

“You had a lot on your mind, if you remember, darling,” He snapped cooly with an edge that made Cosima almost cower in her chair. “You nearly put a bloody bot maggot in your face. And you were all weepy about Delphine. It wasn’t the night to worry you about Sarah. Besides, you almost died too.”

Cosima roared with a growl. “Who cares? I still have the right to know.”

“If Sarah wanted you to know, Sarah would tell you, but as I said, she’s knackered. I shouldn’t have told Alison. I just needed… to tell someone.”

His voice changed from angry to… something tired. Desperate, maybe. Cosima gulped. She hadn’t realized how terrifying it must have been for him too. She thought about seeing Kendall and knowing she was about to die and closed her eyes tight. She couldn't imagine seeing Sarah in her place.

Lowering her voice, she asked, “How close of a call was it?”

“Dunno, really. Found her standin’ on a bridge lookin’ down at the trains. I’d say pretty bloody close. She was… not talkin’ right either. I don’t think she’s told me everything anyway. Which means nothin’ because she’s Sarah.”

Sarah was the one who everyone leaned on for support and help and armor and yet… she never allowed anyone else to do the same for her. It wasn’t something that Cosima had realized right away. She thought that Felix was her confidant and that people like Paul or Cal had gotten through to her emotionally. Hell, Cosima even thought that she’d be a person that Sarah’d go to if she needed someone. But now…

“Cosima, I can practically hear you think. Please don’t tell me you’re going to do what I think you’re going to do. You are not comin’ to the safe house.

She huffed stubbornly. There was no way that she wasn’t going to see Sarah now. “Well, either I’m going there or you’re bringing Sarah here.”

“You cheeky bitch. She’s not well, Cosima. You askin’ her questions about her bloody feelings ain’t gonna make her better. Look, I told Alison because I knew she wouldn’t have the balls to ask Sarah about it. You on the other hand…”

“I’m not going to make her feel bad about it!”

“She doesn’t want to concern you!” Felix yelled uncharacteristically. “Sarah likes to appear like she’s tough as nails for a reason. If she found out that you know--”

“I won’t tell her that I know. Dammit, you can even tell her I need to see her for my own emotional wellbeing. I won’t bring it up. But I just… I need to see her.”

Felix was quiet again. “Why?”

That was a loaded question. Her immediate thought was because of the guilt. For Kendall. For Mrs. S. For not realizing Sarah was in a dark place. For being too caught up with the bot and Delphine that she didn’t notice Sarah’s pain.

But Cosima had to be honest with him. “Because I can’t stop imagining Sarah jumping off a bridge and getting hit by a train and maybe if I see her alive, I will stop imagining the way her body looks all broken and dead on the tracks.”

More silence.

And then she heard him sigh like he was giving in. “Bloody hell, darling. Fine. We’ll come see you, yeah?”

Before she could thank him, he hung up. She understood his trepidation and need to protect her, but she was Sarah’s… Cosima couldn’t find the right word for it. They were close, at least, that was what she had thought. But when she really thought about it, she realized there wasn’t much about Sarah’s life (other than the clone shit) that she knew about.

“Were you talking to someone?”

Cosima almost sighed in relief that Scott had interrupted her darkening thoughts. She was already spiraling about Delphine and Sarah’s behavior. She didn’t want to spiral about her relationship with her either.

“Don’t worry, Scotty. I’m not turning into a nut and putting a bot in my face. Again. I was on the phone with Felix.”

Scott nodded and looked relieved. “The news about Delphine must have really shaken you then.”

“I mean, obvs I feel like the luckiest woman in the world that she’s alive, but I have no damn clue where she is or how she’s doing or if she’s okay. If Neolution has her…”

“Don’t think so negatively. We are going to find her, Cosima. And then you’ll have your science partner back and--”

“Scott, I don’t want you to think that you’re replaceable or something. Or that you’re like any less valuable than Delphine. I mean, you’re here because of your kind heart and bravery. I sorta dragged you in, but you didn’t have to stay.”

He stared at her with this wide-eyed look as if he was genuinely baffled by her words. “Yes, I did. I might have put a few things on hold, Cosima, but this is what I chose for my life. I know what I’m doing is important. There’s purpose in my life. And I’ve never… I’ve never had people before all of you. You, Hell Wizard, and even Sarah. You’re my family.”

Cosima’s eyes flooded with tears. She was so obsessed with the cure and Delphine and battling Neolution that she put almost everyone else on hold. Scott had never left her side, but Cosima felt like she had abandoned him. Just as she abandoned Sarah.

“Dude… I don’t know how to thank you.”

Scott gave his classic dorky grin and shook his head. “You don’t need to thank me, Cosima. Thank me by finding a cure so that we can stay mad scientists forever, okay?”

Cosima nodded vigorously. Forever sounded like a good amount of time to her.

.....  

The door to the basement swung open and the sound of heavy footsteps caused both Cosima and Scott to jump. Surprised that it wasn’t Hell Wizard, Scott looked from Felix and Sarah to Cosima wondering if this was indeed a planned meeting or something spontaneous.

Felix looked annoyed as he and his sister made their way toward the scientists. His arms were crossed and his eyes were cautious. It was obvious to Cosima (and Scott) that he was not happy to be there. He even stood in front of Sarah slightly, like he was protecting her. It made Cosima frown. She hated that he seemed to be protecting Sarah from her.

Cosima could barely see Sarah behind him. But she could tell that the woman was looking… incredibly Sarah-like. With her baggy tank top and ripped black jeans, messy eyeliner, and partially braided hair. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets of a leather jacket that Cosima hadn’t recognized but soon fell in love with. She couldn’t meet Sarah’s eyes, though. She didn’t know how to without revealing to the woman that she knew.

“I hope we’re interrupting something outlandishly nerdy,” Felix greeted and put his hands on his hips as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Cosima ignored him and turned to her lab partner, trying to tell him through her eye movements that he needed to go along with whatever she said. “Yo, Scotty, can you take Felix upstairs and show him the new bottle of vodka?”

Scott tried to hide his apprehension by nodding vigorously. “Yeah. Er… sure. Felix, do you mind if we… head…”

Felix waved his hands up in the air and shouted, “you are all hopeless,” and then started to walk up the stairs while his feet pounded the pavement with more drama than he usually mustered.

Cosima motioned her head toward Felix at Scott, telling him to follow the man. Scott gave her another terrified look, but she ignored it. Her attention was now solely on Sarah and the realization that even though Cosima was the sick one, Sarah looked much paler and skinnier.

Suddenly, Cosima didn’t have any idea how to greet the woman that she had felt so close to for the past few years. There was so much that she wanted to say, but she couldn’t find any of the right words in her mind.

Luckily, Sarah wasn’t struggling with talking like she was. “Felix said ya almost put my bloody bot in your face.”

She blinked at the woman with the British accent that always caught her a little off guard. “Yep. Not totally the smartest idea I have ever had.”

“You can’t always be a brainiac,” Sarah replied seriously.

Cosima snorted. “Tell that to well… everyone.”

Sarah frowned (somehow more than she was already frowning). “Fee said you’re strugglin’. With the Kendall shite and all. An’ losin’ all your work.”

“Ergo the bot in my face. Yeah, I had a rough day. Everything sorta hit me at once, you know? And I shut everyone out. But I’m just lucky your brother didn’t let me. He’s the reason why I’m not dead right now.”

Sarah blinked and sat down next to Cosima on her bed. She slouched over and stared at her feet, not allowing the other clone to see her face.

“Yeah, not all of us have a ‘Delphine’ that would flip the switch for us and make us want to live. But hey, good for you, yeah?”

Cosima hadn’t felt this breathless since the time she had almost died in Felix’s bed. She opened her mouth, wanting to apologize for some reason, but then knew that she couldn’t do that. She wasn’t sorry for finding out about Delphine. She wasn’t sorry for not putting the bot in her face. And she definitely wasn’t sorry that she was still here. Though, she did feel sorry for Sarah, but she knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t want her pity.

“I know Fee told you,” Sarah commented, a little less harshly, but with the same amount of coldness. “I could tell the second I walked into this fucking dungeon. So, what, Cosima? You want me to talk about it or somethin’? Share my bloody feelings with you?”  

“I want--” Cosima paused. She didn’t know what to say. “I want…”

“ What, Cosima? Spit it out.”

Tears fell down the scientist’s cheeks without fail (she didn’t even care if Sarah saw them). And with the tears, she finally found the words. “I just wanted to know that you were alive. I just wanted to see you. Touch you, maybe. Know that your heart was still beating, Sarah.”

Sarah finally looked up at her, startling Cosima with her red and watery eyes. “That’s fuckin' rich comin' from you. What would I have done if you offed yourself, eh? Who says you have the right to end your life and I don't?”

Cosima fidgeted with her hands and sighed. “Sarah, it’s dif--”

“Oh, so now your suicide attempt is different than mine? Better than mine?”

“I didn’t want to die! I wanted to live!” She shouted at her, standing up too quickly, causing her to topple over, forcing Sarah to catch her ungracefully as they both fell to the floor. She started coughing and couldn’t stop. She hadn’t had a fit like this since…

Sarah grasped both of Cosima’s shoulders and asked her what to do, how to help, how to stop the coughing. Cosima wanted the look of worry on Sarah’s face to vanish. She hated scaring people with her sickness and this was the absolute worst timing.

Finally, the coughing ceased and Cosima drank the water that Sarah had forced into her hands. The scientist began to apologize and didn’t know how to stop.

“Don’t say you’re sorry, it’s all my fault.”

Cosima tilted her head with confusion. “How the hell do you think that you made me cough? It’s the sickness, Sar. Not your charming personality.”

Sarah rested her head on Cosima’s shoulder, no longer upset with her clone. She was worried about her for sure, but the anger was all gone.

“I hate that you were the one who was with Kendall when she was killed. I hate that you had to go through that. I hate that we got played. I hate that Kendall’s gone and the research is gone and that you’re still bloody sick.”

Cosima reached for Sarah’s hand and squeezed it. “Sarah--”

Her voice trembling, Sarah interrupted, “I fucked things up, Cos. For all of us. I let everyone down. I let… I let Beth down. And it fucked me up. I don’t want to die, Cos. I just want it all to be over. And I want everyone to be okay.”

“Woah, dude. First, you didn’t fuck things up, Sarah, okay? Second, the whole Kendall stuff was my fault. I was desperate and not thinking things through. Especially with the damn bot. I don’t… I don’t want to die, Sar. I want to live this crazy life and do something good. And this sickness, it makes me feel so helpless.”

Sarah shook her head and then held it against Cosima’s own forehead. “You aren’t helpless, Cos. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. We wouldn’t have gotten this far. And we won’t find the cure or end this Neo shit without you. I need you here with me. I can’t do this without you.”

It was the same thing she had said to the scientist months ago when Cosima was dying in Felix’s bed. It wasn’t something they talked about often. Sarah’s rare moment of vulnerability and Cosima’s death bed wasn’t something that they would like to revisit. Even if it was a solemn moment of bliss where two women who understood each other, held hands in silence and compassion and love. Though, that could have been a part of the reason, too.

“You won’t have to. If MK can find Susan, we might be able to find a cure together. Not that I really want to work with that bitch.”

Sarah snorted and moved away from her clone. “Do you think Susan knows where Delphine is?”

Cosima’s eyes darkened. “Krystal said that she was alive when she was taken but… who’s to say she didn’t die minutes later? Hours later? Days later? I could be searching for a ghost.”

“Or you could be searching for the French love of your life who can help get a cure, yeah?”

The scientist tilted her head. “Now who’s little miss optimist?”

“Oi, don’t be spreadin’ that to everyone, yeah? Especially Alison. I don’t think I have enough optimism for her and Donnie. Bloody hell. I’ve always hated cops, but Neo cops are just another layer of shite I never thought we’d have to face. But it’d make sense. Cops do normally include the worst of people.”

Cosima gave Sarah an all-knowing look that made the mother roll her eyes and groan.

“Yeah, yeah, know-it-all. Besides Art and Beth. You have a good point.”

....

“You’re bloody joking,” Sarah blurted in the middle of Cosima’s story while they shared a joint (or two). “Alison’s mum did not say that.”

“She did,” Cosima said and nodded as she flopped onto the bed that she had been sleeping on most nights in the basement (if she were to sleep at all). “Called me ‘mulatto’, the horrid bitch. God, I can’t imagine growing up with that woman.”

Sarah hummed in agreement. “And I thought S was bad growin' up. Can’t imagine livin' with some racist arseholes. Probably homophobic arseholes too.”

Cosima never thought too much about how the other clones grew up. She thought about it in an analytical way (obviously, she noticed that nurture impacted everyone’s personalities more than nature) but she never really thought about how different she would be if she had grown up in Sarah’s or Alison’s shoes.

She gathered that maybe it was selfishness. Or that she was so entwined with living in her own head and learning about her own biology that she didn’t give other people much of a thought. But here, staring at Sarah and her lion’s mane of messy hair, thick eyeliner, and clothes that hung off her body, she realized that Sarah’s life didn’t start when she met Cosima (or Alison or Beth for that matter). It started when she was born. A separated twin forced into the foster system. She had been living a very different life than Cosima, but it was just as real and emotional.

Sonder.

“My parents were—are—great. College professors who always allowed me to be curious. I was never just some little kid to them. I was an equal. When they talked about physics, they let me talk too. Even if I had no idea what I was talking about.”

A smile grew from Sarah’s lips. “Are you sayin' that if I had your parents I would be a genius too?”

Cosima chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t know. If I was raised by S, would I like boys and alcohol?”

“Ah, touché, geek monkey. Yeah, it’s loads to think about. I mean, we are all who we are ‘cause of how we were raised but… there are similarities.”

Cosima was dazzled by the curiosity she was feeling for whatever Sarah was thinking, even if they were both high as a kite. Sarah’s thoughts were more intoxicating than any drug.

“Like what?” Cosima asked her as she took a big puff and coughed as she did a sultry little dance. “You mean our hot bodies?”

Sarah laughed again which made Cosima grin. She didn’t know if she heard her fellow clone laugh this many times before.

“Not just that. I’m talkin’ about our recklessness. Stubbornness. Our fucked up relationships.”

Sarah had a good point. “Now who’s the smart one?”

“You, ya twat,” Sarah muttered and wrapped her arms around the scientist and laid her head on her chest. “Always you.”

Cosima looked down into Sarah’s eyes and just stared. Neither of them could look away. Most of it was pure fascination. They were two completely different people and yet… they had the same (but different) features. The same (but different) face. It was jarring and complex and intriguing.

They heard the door open and both of their eyes flickered toward Felix and Scott who were walking down the stairs with glitter in their hair that wasn’t there before they left.

Sarah quickly moved away from Cosima and tried to joke, “Though I could’ve been the genius. We’ll never know.”

Cosima couldn’t laugh. She just stared as Sarah moved toward Felix and suddenly seemed so far away again. So untouchable. So hardened and alone.

“Keep me updated with the science cure shit, yeah? We will come back soon.”

Cosima wanted to ask if Sarah promised that, but the words wouldn’t escape her mouth. Instead, she just nodded and waved, feeling like the light was escaping the room and what was left when Sarah was gone was the darkness.

[isobel-thorm]

Writing Prompt: Deputy Nic is called out to investigate a string of wild turkey attacks (Dammit TJ, you menace) ?

Karma Turkeyleon

Post New Divide shenanigans featuring the BEST TURKEY A FANDOM COULD ASK FOR. Post-Collapse, John thinks that the occasional attempts on his life done by former Resistance members was all he had to worry about. He was wrong. 

It didn’t take long for things to settle after the remaining residents of Hope County had emerged from their bunkers after the Collapse. There had been rebuilding, foraging and farming for the most part. And then people had tried to resume their old lives- as close as they could come to them. 

For Nicolette, that had meant going back to work as the only cop in the Valley. (Whitehorse had tried to join her, but she had smacked him to smack some sense into him, told him to ‘follow through and enjoy his damned retirement’ and that had been that).

She had expected her life to be as busy as it had been pre-Hope County. She expected Missoula. Domestic disputes, petty theft here and there, drunk and disorderlies- well, she had gotten plenty of those complaints courtesy of Sharky. But it had been dreadfully boring. Seven years in a bunker had taught people patience and how to get along. John had mentioned finding it laughable that one of Joseph’s other prophecies had come through- the people had gone into the New World mostly innocent and pure with next to no desire to do crime. The closest thing to a major crime that she had to deal with was the occasional attempt on John’s life that had all but died out once non-Falls End bunker survivors had learned that John had gone into the bunker a slightly better man than they knew, and had emerged from it a far better one. Though it was saying something that the ones who attempted to harm him still had the decency to do it away from Cal. Or maybe it was her wrath that they feared if they dared traumatize or hurt her son. 

Either way, things had still been boring. 

So when Grace commented about a string of strange attacks  with people who explained that they ‘didn’t know what attacked them’ while suspiciously not making eye contact, and other reports of ‘a rogue turkey starting trouble’, Nicolette had laughed it off at first. She had assumed it was younger survivors trying to bring back the closest thing to prank calls they could get. 

She had been very wrong. 

Even when John had come back to the Ranch after hunting with Jerome, scratched to all Hell and grumbling all the while, she had chalked it up to someone trying to kill him again. 

When she had overheard John talking to Cal when the pair of them were curled up by the fireplace and he had mentioned that a turkey attacked him on the hunt and gotten away– ‘don’t tell your mother that, by the way.’  She had thought John had lied in order to hide the elephant in the room from him. They knew Cal would have to find out about their past sooner or later, but they were determined to wait a few more years. 

Things had gotten quiet again for a couple of weeks. One morning, Jerome had offered to take her out hunting instead of John because ‘the man’s an easy target.’ Jerome had chuckled at his own logic and Nicolette was confused but chalked it up to people doing the attacking again, chuckled with him politely, gotten her sniper rifle and headed out with him. 

All bets were naturally off an hour later. 

The pair had found John  halfway up a tree, holding on for dear life with a very angry turkey at the base, jumping up at him in attempt to attack. It was alternating trying to climb the tree to get to John and pecking at the tree in what looked like an attempt to cut it down. It was evidently out for John’s blood and was not going home without getting a taste. 

Nicolette had merely covered her mouth with her hand and stared at the sight to behold. 

Jerome, on the other hand, couldn’t stop the laugh that had bubbled up in his chest. “You know… he’s come a long way. He’s made up for about… half of what he did to us before. But this? This… I’d say makes up for another eighth.” 

“Can you stop talking karma and kill this thing?!” John yelled. “How are turkeys even alive?!” 

“That’s why we can’t kill it!” Nicolette objected. “If one’s alive, others might be. We need to get animals to repopulate, same as humans!” Nicolette objected. “I mean, you of all people should know that. You took all of the animals from the farms around the Valley to that bunker out south!” 

“That was different!” John objected. “That was to make sure we had food. This one- let’s not let the turkey with violent tendencies be the one that reproduces!” John objected. He let out an undignified yelp when one of his legs slipped and he dropped a foot on the tree- enough for the turkey to pounce and maul his jeans leg. John proceeded to get his grip back on the tree and punted the angry creature away- which caused it to launch itself back at the tree and triple its efforts in getting John back to its level. 

“We really should stop it,” Nicolette pointed out. 

“I guess so,” Jerome agreed. 

“Why aren’t you?” Nicolette asked. 

“Why aren’t you?” Jerome countered. 

The pair of them exchanged looks before chuckling again. 

“Glad to know you’re enjoying this!” John barked. “Great examples for Cal.” 

Nicolette groaned in disappointment. “Okay, that’s a good point.” 

John lost his footing again and the turkey managed to get enough of a grip on his jeans with its beak that it tore them a solid couple of inches before John managed to kick it away again. 

“Fine,” Nicolette sighed. She picked up a small rock and tossed it at the turkey. 

The turkey turned its attention to her and let out what seemed like an indignant squawk of protest, but made no move to attack her, funnily enough. It did, however, immediately resume trying to sever John’s leg from his body. 

“Hey, you! Turkey!” she tossed another rock and moved forward carefully. 

The turkey repeated the miffed squawk, blinked at her a couple of times and went back to its task at hand. 

Nicolette tossed a third rock, puzzled at just what the Hell was up with the bird’s John-centered bloodlust. She stopped short when the turkey approached her, looked her up and down, squawked accusingly again and looked back at John. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or shoot Jerome a puzzled look at just how expressive the damn thing was. 

The turkey moved to return to the tree, so she called out again,breaking out her Mom voice for good measure. “Hey!” 

The turkey turned to look at her again. 

“Look, Pal. Whatever we did, I’m sorry. Maybe we killed a few of your ancestors and I’m sorry about that, but whatever you’ve got against that guy, I kinda need him, okay?” 

John muttered something under his breath, and she only managed to hear him repeat ‘kinda’ spitefully. “What was that?” she called. 

“Nothing, dearest!” 

She turned back to the turkey. “See, he’s kind of useful here. And my kid can’t go fatherless. There’s a whole capital ‘T’ thing involving  preventing that outcome that your turkey brain wouldn’t be able to comprehend. So how about I come back here with some worms or something, you let him come back with us, and we call it even?” she had no idea why she was negotiating with a fucking turkey, but she supposed that was just her life now. 

The turkey let out another squawk that sounded contemplative, then another that sounded affirming, then turned around and waddled off in the opposite direction- but not before taking one last peck at John as he dismounted the tree before it left. 

“What. The. Fuck,” John commented. 

“No idea,” the other two chimed in. 

“Let’s get the fuck out of here before that damned demon changes its mind and my wife’s Doctor Dolittle powers stop,” John snapped before he stormed in the direction of the Ranch. 

The other two watched him for a while before Jerome leaned over. “Are you telling the Ryes or am I?” 

“Oh, it’ll be better coming from you.” 

“Fair enough.” 

Later that night, the three had been surprised to find that the turkey had followed them back to the Ranch. To John’s relief, it had apparently decided that fighting him was not worth it- after the worms had been exchanged for his safety, of course. 

To John’s horror, however, Cal had immediately taken to the damned creature as quickly as he had taken to Boomer Jr. 

One minute John had been talking about patrols with Grace while keeping a weary eye out for his latest attacker. The next, he was in a panic  because he had seen the damned creature running after Cal at top speed. He had been ready to vault over the deck railing and throttle the turkey for daring to harm his son, but in the next moment he had heard Cal laugh- a sound that still disarmed him and made his heart ache in the best way even after all this time- and the boy had reversed course and chased the turkey- and the turkey had the nerve to sound delighted as it darted around the grounds, apparently an equally willing participant in the chase. 

John had gone for some of Sharky’s Black Label at that particular realization. 

It didn’t stop him from watching the animal and his son play, ready for anything. But once Cal had gotten tired and gone inside for dinner, the turkey had wandered off on its own. 

John had been weary all over again due to the disappearance, not at all eager to have another encounter with the turkey on his home turf where anyone could see. But the turkey was apparently missing, so he had retreated to the great room for the night. 

It was there that he found Cal sleeping on one of the couches- with the fucking turkey curled up on top of him. 

John edged closer to the pair carefully- more so when he saw that the turkey was evidently awake and watching him like a hawk. Strange creature indeed. He shot the bird a warning look before he leaned down in order to stroke Cal’s hair and drop a kiss on the boy’s forehead. He frowned when the turkey let out what sounded like a disapproving noise. “What? You wanna look after him, too?” 

The turkey merely blinked at him. 

John scoffed. “Fine. Then you can stay. And thanks for being on my side about that, at least…” he reached out towards the turkey in some attempt at solidarity- at bonding over wanting to keep his son safe- and got a peck to the knuckle for his trouble. He hissed and pulled back. “We’ll work on it.” 

The turkey made a noncommittal noise, turned its back on him and snuggled into Cal. 

John woke the next morning to the turkey staring at him over Nicolette’s shoulder. He had startled at the sight, enough for Nicolette to stir, and he ran a hand up and down her side reassuringly to try to lull her back to sleep- which earned another peck from the turkey.

The little shit was getting possessive over his fucking wife, too. 

 He hissed and tried to shoo it away. “My wife. My mate. You get me?” the turkey merely blinked at him and he sighed. “I’m talking to a turkey…” he muttered to himself. 

“It’s kind of adorable…” Nicolette muttered sleepily. 

“The demon bird or the fact that I’m talking to it?” 

“Both,” she replied. “Cal likes it.” 

“Yeah. That’s the problem.” 

“I mean I think it’s imprinted on him. Can’t mess with that.” 

“We can try-” John began, only to be pecked again. “Ah! Should we be concerned that it seems to know what we’re saying?” 

“Probably,” Nicolette sighed. “We all named it last night.” 

John groaned. “Of course you did,” he sighed. Then, carefully, “… what’s our uninvited house guest’s name?” 

“Turkey John. TJ for short. Because it’s a ‘menace with a bad temper’. Grace’s idea, actually.” 

“Of course it was,” John added.  “And I’m sure everyone agreed.” 

“Cal wanted ‘Bubbles’ but saw that Sharky liked ‘TJ’ and he was sold.” 

John groaned again. “I’m losing standing with my own son to a turkey and a pyromaniac.” 

“As if that would ever happen,” she leaned over to kiss him before he could protest further. She sat up, gave the turkey- TJ an affectionate tap on the forehead that it just about cooed at in response, got dressed quickly and left to start the day. 

John turned his attention back to TJ, and the pair had a staring match before John finally broke it and went to get dressed himself, mostly unnerved when the bird kept staring. He approached it after a while. “Alright, TJ. Part two of our little deal. You steer clear of me, look after my wife and kid, and I’ll steer clear of you and make sure you’re well taken care of,” he offered, then laughed weakly. “You know, usually this would be where I’d say ‘all you have to do is say ‘yes’.” He reached forward carefully and waited. 

When Nicolette saw John enter the kitchen, muttering to himself and wrapping up a cut on his hand that had definitely not been there a few minutes ago with TJ trailing behind him, watchful but not attacking, she merely blinked at the man for an explanation. 

John had merely reported it was ‘a work in progress’ before he left, citing looking for Sharky. TJ went the opposite way, apparently following Cal’s voice to seek the boy out in the other room. 

She had a feeling she was never going to understand the exact workings of her nuclear family- in two senses of the word. 

Still, she wasn’t ever going to complain. 

The fact that she could say she had a pet killer turkey didn’t hurt, either 

[theroyalwords]

Teen Olympians, Ch. 30

-Artemis-

Pre-Cal would be the death of her; Artemis was sure of it.

Something about learning had always frazzled Artemis. She was smart, to be sure. She picked up on things quickly. Math was always something she didn’t really have the patience for, and today, it showed. She’d already broken two pencils during the class and was working on her third. She could just finish the homework with a mere thought, something she itched to do, but the man beside her stopped her from doing that.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she lowly huffed, “or I will make you regret ever running into me again.”

Artemis had to admit she was glad for his presence. After everything was brought to light, it only took a talk with the school secretary to have Orion transferred to a few of her classes. Math was one she had done on purpose. He’d shown an affinity for math since they had reunited.

“Duly noted,” Orion murmured, fighting a grin. He went back to his work, effortlessly completing another problem on their assignment. She watched him for just a moment, admiring the furrowing of his brow, the way his lips would twitch to the side when he knew he’d completed the problem correctly.

“How?” she spat, frustrated.

“How what?”

“How do you manage to do that so fluidly without magic?”

Orion turned to her, his brow raised playfully. “Besides the fact I’ve endured high school over and over?” He let out a sigh at Artemis’s expression. “You just have to remember the rules, Artemis.”

“I’ve got a rule for you.” She tapped the paper with her eraser, magically filling out every problem. “I can do whatever I want!”

Orion pursed his lips and nodded his head. “Of course, my Lady. But if you would ever like help in doing it without magic, I will be glad to assist.”

“I don’t need assistance, just like I will never truly need math.”

Orion shook his head but remained quiet. They worked in silence, well Artemis pretended to look busy, for the next few minutes until the bell rang. Lunch couldn’t come soon enough. They quickly left the classroom looking for the others. Most of them were already at the table, their fare in front of them. Orion left her to go get their food.

“How was class?” Hermes asked.

“Boring as usual,” Artemis mumbled. She looked around the table, noting who they were missing. Athena was meticulously working on her homework. Aphrodite was speaking to Hestia and Apollo, while Hermes’ attention was mostly on his phone. “Where’s Cassia?”

“Said she had to run an errand,” Apollo explained. Artemis noticed the tightening of his brow as he said it, that worried expression he seldom wore. Artemis had watched them closely the past few days. Apollo was acting…different. She’d known her brother for thousands of years, through relationship after relationship. He had shown admiration, even if the motive behind it was lust, but this was different. He truly cared for her, more so than she’d seen in a very long time. And it was more than the guilt from his curse. His eyes actually softened at her when she wasn’t looking. But something about her unnerved Artemis. Maybe it was the way she would occasionally look at Artemis with pity in her eyes like she knew something but wouldn’t say. Which with her gift, that theory was probably true.

“You didn’t want to go with her?”

Apollo shook his head. “I offered but she said this was the first opening, and it would be better if she was alone.”

“She’ll come back,” Orion noted as he sat down. “She always does.”

“Just depends if it is in one piece or not,” Aphrodite added. Both Apollo and Orion looked up at that with angry glares.

“I’m in one piece, thank you very much.”

Cassia appeared down at the end of the table, making Orion jump. She was perched just across from her brother, a satisfied grin on her face.

“Oh, well, that’s disappointing. Would have made things so much more interesting today,” Aphrodite lamented.

“You look excited,” Apollo noted.

“I am. I got something that will help us steal the book. And I got off scot-free! They aren’t even going to notice that it is missing until it is too late to do anything about it.”

“About what?” Orion stated. A collective groan left all of them.

“I’ll explain later,” Artemis sighed. “What did you manage to steal?”

“Oh, just the plans that outline what security measures the book has,” Cas explained. “We’ll be able to know everything before going in there.”

“And how did you manage to do that?” Apollo asked in wonder.

“You remember when I had my moment in the training room last night?” Apollo nodded his head. “I saw a glimpse, but it wasn’t certain until this morning. There was a tiny window that I could get in and out without everyone knowing. The guard was being changed, and I’d remembered where Isis and Thoth set the plans. It only took a quick spell to cover my presence, and I made a copy of the scroll to replace it with. They will figure it out after my attempt,” she added with a grimace.

“And what will that cause?” Artemis asked.

“If I fail, then my ass is grass because they will know it was me. If I do manage to make it, they would be pissed, but because of the blackmail, they won’t do anything about it.”

“Cas, how could you possibly know that?” Orion looked worried. The table collectively ignored his comment. Artemis shook her head, knowing she would have to explain everything, again.

“The protections on the book aren’t as extensive as I thought. They believe that the first two obstacles protect it enough, but there are weaknesses in them.” Cas smiled before grabbing the apple Apollo had on his plate. “This almost doubled the odds that we will succeed.”

“Who said you could have that Apple?”

“You were going to offer it to me, were you not?”

“Smartass,” Apollo chuckled affectionally.

Yeah…there was definitely something more there for him.

#

Artemis loved the woods. Being there was the best feeling in the world, and it was made even better with Orion there. It felt like old times, which she missed more than she could say. They were lying in some grass underneath the trees, the late afternoon sun lazily lighting the spaces in the trees. A slight breeze filtered through, making the temp almost comfortable. Artemis knew her presence had a little to do with it, but it didn’t change how much she enjoyed it.

Artemis rolled over to look at Orion. He was laying on his back, his arms resting under his head. His eyes were closed, lashes fluttering in his sleep. Artemis always thought he was handsome. After all the years, he still appealed to her the most. Laying as he was, his shirt had ridden up, showing off his taut lower stomach. Artemis ached to touch it, to see if his skin was as soft as she remembered.

“What are you doing?” His voice was lazy and still half asleep.

“Laying here, same as you,” Artemis snapped as she rolled back over. Her gaze burned into the canopy. She refused to look at that smug grin he had on his face.

“Of course,” he acquiesced. “Just thought you should know, that if there is something you want, I’d be happy to give it to you. You don’t even have to ask.”

Dammit all. That was one thing she liked about Orion. He could read her mood as easily as Artemis could follow a quarry’s trail. He was always respectful without going overboard. She waited a few minutes, her thoughts warring between touching his stomach or to deny Orion the satisfaction of reading her so thoroughly.

Need won out over want.

Artemis rolled back over and reached for his stomach, tracing the edge of his shirt right at the edge of his hips. His skin was soft and smooth with plenty of muscle underneath. He was a honed warrior, and that made her smile. She wanted to feel that pressed against her, to know what laying against that would feel like. But she couldn’t do it.

When Artemis looked up, Orion was staring at her, his eyes filled with something that she couldn’t just pin down. He tilted his head to the side. “Artemis, what is it? Something wrong?”

“No, nothing is wrong.”

It was a lie. The only wrong thing was how she felt warring with her duty. Ever since that stupid talk with her siblings, she couldn’t get the thought out of her head. She wanted to taste him again, to feel his lips move against her own. There were so many things she wanted, and each one would go against the vow she took. Hermes did have a point. After all this time, one would think she could just do whatever she pleased. Would there be consequences? Would what she gained be worth it?

“Do what you want, Artemis.” His whispered words were soft, full of the same want she suspected that she had. “You are in charge.”

She was in charge. Remaining a maiden didn’t mean that there weren’t other things they could do. So, Artemis did what she wanted and met his lips with her own.

It was just as good at the time before. A part of her was acting on pure instinct. She deepened the kiss, making Orion make a noise that made her blood boil in a good way. His hand was half in her hair, gently holding her to him.  She was pressed against his side, his free arm wound around her waist. It was better than anything she’d experienced before, even the high from a hood hunt.

“If you ever tell anyone about this, I’ll make death seem good.”

Orion rolled over, putting Artemis on her back as he hovered over her. “Noted.”

Then, he kissed her again.