#there are people that play with bugs out of curiosity or boredom. but there are people that won't hesitate to kill it if it's annoying

[hermit-frog]

[sweaty-confetti]

summer gothic

 - you can feel bugs crawling up the back of your legs when you lie on the couch, but when you check, there’s nothing there except a few goosebumps and raised hairs.

- you try not to sit outside for too long on hot nights. the buzzing gets louder until you can’t tell the difference between cicadas and your mind anymore.

- on hot days you go to the community pool. the water is undisturbed, silty, and grayish. a sign says caution: no lifeguard on duty, but you can see a figure staring at you out of the corners of your eyes.

- some days the streets get quiet and stagnant and you’re overwhelmed with a bone-deep tiredness. you fall asleep, and when you wake, the whole word seems pitch-black for a moment.

- none of your friends are around; they left for camp long ago. one day, out of curiosity, you look up the camp’s address. it says it’s been closed for years.

- you don’t go to the grocery store often. the people manning the till always have huge, unwavering smiles plastered on their faces. it used to comfort you. now it just makes something sick twist in your gut.

- the movie theater is a good distraction. the snacks are cheap and filling, even though they smell sickly sweet and decayed. you aren’t alone in the theater, but everyone sits just out of reach. you can never remember what’s playing once you walk out.

- you pass the school on days it’s cool enough to go for walks. the letters in the sign outside it change every day, just a few letters replaced or rearranged. you wonder what’s changing it.

- you think about going hiking, so you email the park rangers about opening and closing times. the email they send back has no subject, and the text just says, most people get lost on these trails. you don’t reply. 

- there are flyers around town for a summer carnival opening a few towns over. you don’t remember when they were first put up, but they’re yellowing and faded with age, the edges smudged with some deep red liquid.

- no matter how many fans you turn on or how high you crank up the air conditioner, the heat doesn’t change. it’s sticky and dry, like a stove. you can feel it sizzling the flesh under your skin.

- one sleepless night you drive to a nearby beach out of boredom. the remains of a dying bonfire crackle on the sand. you think you see bodies moving in the deep blue water, sometimes faces; waiting, watching.

- when you finally go home it’s early morning, fog lifting. your house seems different. the paint is peeling and ivy crawls up the walls, tiles on the roof falling. your whole street has the aura of a ghost town. how long have you been driving?

[ornisapiens]

Some drafts of a peraxil based fan-character for Serina. The silhouette is newer and better looking, so it goes first. I’ve included a human to illustrate Timber’s height, and made them hold hands as if he’s touring Earth’s cities and asking lots of questions. The sketch is from a spontaneous stream I did during December from memory, hence why his body was rounder and his face finchier than the species of his inspiration. Since I don’t use a mic, notes were sketched on canvas or typed into chat. Details were kept on the vague side as I didn’t want to raise hopes and let people down in case this ended up in the trash bin. It also plays a little bit with the canon like taffy candy.

So... to reiterate Timber’s origins, he popped into my head while I was reading the project via text-to-speech as a narrator character with a penchant for weather forecasts. He speaks with a playful cadence and doesn’t always pronounce words the way we do. Think if Microsoft Mark had a little more emotional/tonal range and that’s roughly the pitch and texture for him.

Timber is an outdoorsy dude largely by obligation, since he has nowhere else to be if not hunkered inside temporary shelter, built or found. Through a combination of his sapience, its ensuing isolation, and sheer boredom, Timber occupied himself with skill-building activities that would eventually aid him on his journeys. He seldom stays in one place, driven by his stomach and a need to satisfy his curiosity of the world around him. It began with uncovering a bug he’d never seen before, which was an unexpected and positive outcome of his father driving him away from the family. It was then he really took in the sight of his surroundings, the trees thinned out to open skies, and he didn’t know why. He has seen biomes that his species hasn’t, with a preference for temperatures slightly warmer than his native habitat. On occasion, some of his rounds bring him back home and he can be seen swinging through the branches.

It doesn’t mean he feels entirely at home with other whitecloaks, and not for a lack of trying. The species’ familial structure comprising of one territorial male with multiple females and their offspring has proven prohibitive, he would relearn painfully. He fathered some chicks with an individual who was temporarily separated from her group, under the assumption she was alone. Timber would then be a dad solely in a biological manner when his mate’s presumed male found them both shortly after the encounter. The shouting match had been brief, one-sided, and profoundly embarrassing for Timber as he chose to retreat. How can you argue with someone who will never understand you for reasons beyond any living beings’ control? None of his offspring would display behaviours indicative of his spark, so he couldn’t recognize his chicks if they were to meet at all.

It would not be the last unpleasant encounter he’s had with anything, but those are for another time. Below are more general notes.

Timber’s favourite foods are insects and other metamorph species larvae. With some exceptions he’ll eat just about any arthropod, exoskeleton and all. He’d probably do handstands and sing the alphabet backwards to get some lobster from you.

Meeting other sophonts would make him squeak and gesticulate happily, if it’s safe to do so. While his intentions are good, he can come across as insensitive in his questions concerning social norms, traditions, and physical traits.

Humans would make his head spin. Our jaws, forward-set eyes, and ear structure are especially uncanny and interesting to him. He will look you up and down with one eye.

He’ll bring snails and or hug a friend to comfort them. If neither is an option, he’ll apologize and scramble to try something else.

Timber’s OCEAN index scores are highly open, mid to highly conscientious, highly extraverted, highly agreeable, and mid neurotic. If we’re going by human standards, that is.

[awhiskeyriver]

le cirque monstre

This is the prologue to an old but newly updated story I idea I’ve had for years, sort of forgot about and recently remembered and became interested in again. I honestly don’t know when I will transfer this over to ao3 (probably at least the prologue, soon) or when I will add more. My inspiration for things is very fleeting right now, but I wanted to get your thoughts here in tumblrland on whether or not I should bother continuing!

Unedited and some things might end up changing in the future, but enjoy!

                                                            +++

Prologue: 1918, Coney Island 

     She used to think the cotton-spun candy that tasted like melted sugar was just like a dream; too good to be true. She was younger then, and everything about life was shiny and vibrant. Her nose crinkled with distaste as her boney knee stuck to the floor of the bleachers.  Not anymore, though. Now, the popular fair treats were only a nuisance, making her job of cleaning between shows all the more difficult.

      “Applesauce,” she muttered, twisting to sit on her butt as she peeled a piece of gum from her skin.

       “What are you complaining about now, Katniss?” Gale asked, poking up from the row behind her with a devilish grin. Katniss rolled her eyes when he reached out to poke her nose, wondering how someone three years older than her could still be so immature. Gale and her had been best friends since the time she was small, bonded through unfortunate circumstances of life. 

        “I’m tired of cleaning these seats,” she pouted, sweating and absolutely exhausted. It had been their fourth show of the day, with five more to get through before calling it an evening. Katniss felt the sharp pangs of hunger vibrate through her stomach and moaned.

        “If you quit being such a dewdropper this could’ve been done by now and we’d be off eating lu—“ he cut off, ears perking at the sound of distant voices growing closer. Katniss turned to face Gale before he pushed the top of her head in signal to crouch, doing the same for himself.

        Female voices billowed through the auditorium, followed by that of her father, whose voice was authoritative and all business. He cleared his throat loudly a couple of times before joining in their quiet laughter with a hardy one of his own that reverberated off the bleachers.  Katniss shrunk further into the ground with the sound. Father had always been a vocal man. Vocal when he was happy, even more so when he was angry. He talked, and Katniss listened. Katniss was always listening.

       “The children all loved the performance today.”

       “Simply loved it!” another high-pitched voice agreed. Katniss twisted her head uncomfortably in hopes of seeing beneath the bleachers and caught sight of two women dressed in long black robes with matching white-lined headdresses.

       Nuns from the orphanage.

      Gale had sold them tickets earlier before the last showing, and Katniss had hoped she would’ve finished her chores in time to see the children. Because despite living within her father’s circus (what he advertised to be the happiest place in America) there was a surprisingly low number of people who were willing to keep her boredom occupied.

     “Children, what must you say now to Mr. Snow?” A chorus of cheerful thank you’s sounded, and underfed children whose clothing didn’t exactly fit wore bright grins. Perhaps the advertising hadn’t been entirely false. They all sure seemed to think so.

     The children lined up behind the tallest sister like toy soldiers, marching towards the opening flap of the tent. All, except for one.

     “Not you, young man.”

     Katniss had practically turned herself upside down in effort to keep the woman in her line of sight, and caught the faintest glimpse of the child. He wasn’t facing her, but his hair was ash-blonde and unattended. Although he wore the same uniform as the other boys, it was sloppy with his shirt un-tucked and it’s color slightly off-white.

     “You are not going anywhere,” she spoke dismissively as the other sister came to stand beside her.

     “…But, have I done something wrong?”

     His voice surprised her. Strong for a child, despite the same unavoidable squeakiness Gale experienced sometimes, being almost fourteen. 

     “Part of becoming a man,” he’d said proudly when her and her baby sister Prim giggled. “It’s called puberty.”

     “Puber-what?” Prim asked, nose wrinkled.

     “Awe, forget it.”

     “Peeta...” The one reached out, as if to touch him but recoiled before her hand could land on his shoulder, and drew back. “Our home has no place for you, anymore. There is nothing we can do for you.”

     He remained quiet as the softer one peered up at her stone-faced sister, who only nodded with agreement.

     “You belong here. There is simply nowhere else for you to go.”

     “There is not a soul in New York who cares to take in a crippled boy.”

       Father took a step in closer to the nuns, who stood a fair distance from the wilting boy. Katniss watched on, her heart beating explosively inside of her chest in a way that made her breaths almost ragged. She’d witnessed cruelty tenfold and was not blind to its existence. But the reality of what the young man was crashed down on her heavily, and she realized perhaps they were not being heartless afterall.

    The boy was grotesque. Evidence of the fact made clear as he turned on a crutch made of wood and exposed his profile. It took a hand covering her mouth to keep from making any audible sound. 

    So, they were simply right, then. There wasn’t a soul in New York, or most likely any state, that would willingly take him into their care. Nobody but a circus.

    He resisted as her father’s thick hand clutched his arm, but surprisingly enough did not scream. He did not say a single word as he finally spun around fully into Katniss’s view. Watching with a mixture of fear and dread as the two nuns who had escorted him in left without him. 

                                                          +++

     “Quit trying to bug him, Kat,” Gale snapped, catching her arm outside of the tent where all of the circus freaks were busy preparing for their shows.

       Three weeks had passed since the boy joined her father’s circus, parading around with clowns on stilts and the small people that waddled around in shoes five times too big and circular red noses. Three weeks and any time she tried to catch a glimpse of him outside of the show, Gale caught her.

       “Aren’t you at all curious?” she huffed, twisting out of his embrace with a thoughtful rub to her elbow. “Haymitch says he is only thirteen. The youngest carnie we’ve ever had.”

       “Then going in there will only make him feel like more of a freak,” he scolded and Katniss wilted, realizing the truth to his words. They both jumped as father’s booming voice sounded from a distance, calling Gale’s name.

       “I need to go start selling tickets,” he sighed, turning to leave with suspicion in his eye. “Promise me, Kat.”

       “…Oh, alright.”

       “Promise me.”

       Katniss sighed, smoothing out the fluffy material of her dress as something to keep her hands busy. “Yes Gale, I promise to stay out of trouble. Now go, or you’ll have to answer to the whip.”

       He left and Katniss paced the length of the carnie tent. There was music playing inside, the soft blare of a saxophone and some sticks against metal pots. Katniss enjoyed spending time with the performers when allowed. Chaff, the deep-skinned muscle man that could lift four hundred pounds despite missing a hand, made her laugh. And Haymitch, a magician, let her play  with some of his props when he was drunk enough. 

       So, really, her going inside of the tent wasn’t completely for the new boy. She had been keeping her fingers crossed during the promise to Gale, anyways.

       Katniss glanced around the abandoned backlot, where dark puddles of mud created divots in the green grass she was forced to hop over to keep her shoes clean. Then, she slipped past the thin curtain, which closed off the strange world of fantasy from harsh reality.

       Katniss went unnoticed, weaving her way through lounging performers and billowing clouds of smoke. It was always louder in the back tents – deep laughter and saxophone practices, occasional drunken arguments and the escaped moans from two closer carnies. She winced when the volume grew unexpectedly, and bowed her head as if to provide a thin veil of privacy to a group of outlandish people who didn’t know the meaning of it.

       She waved at Haymitch, who only raised up his eyebrows in her direction before blowing up a shining red balloon and twisting it with his skilled hands. The other clowns seemed to be hanging close by; some sleeping, others smoking. The new boy most likely wasn’t far. She bit the inside of her cheek, silently debating with herself whether or not to ask of his whereabouts before she caught a glimpse of something that captured her attention.

       There it is again, she thought, following the thin trail of light that bounced off the draped edge of the tent, which was otherwise dark. She bent over in half, silently pushing past it with curiosity in her expression. The corners of her mouth lifted when she saw him, sitting perched on the clear opposite end near one of the long poles, which held the tent in place. With a thin, melting candle for light, he kept a novel perched in his one bent knee, his eyes scrolling the pages like a typewriter.

       “Hello,” she offered, jumping in surprise when the boy dropped the book and shot up on one wobbly leg.

       “Oh…” she bit the corner of her bottom lip to keep from giggling at his startled expression.  His overgrown hair fell haphazardly into his eyes despite his best efforts to push it back.

       “Did I scare you?” She asked, reaching out to hand him his cane. He didn’t reply, but accepted the crutch quickly before bending over for the book, which he tucked behind his back away from her view.

       “It’s alright, I’m not gonna take it,” she promised. He glanced down at her, bright blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I was just curious.”

            He huffed in silence, falling back to the ground silently as he dusted the dirty pages. Katniss frowned, shifting on her feet as she watched the boy flip through his story.  She hadn’t thought past the initial finding him, and now that she had, the silence was deafening.

       “Can you speak?”

        The tips of his ears turned red as he kept his gaze focused at the ground, running his hands over the dirty cloth of his pants.

        “Of course.”

        “I know,” she smiled slyly, inching closer to him the way one might approach a nervous animal. “I just wanted to hear you say something.”

        She sat down, pushing her butt closer when he didn’t protest and leaned over his shoulder to glance down at his lap. She’d never seen a book so close in real life, only in the hands of strangers or in pictures. Father had never bothered teaching her how to read more than a few simple words, claiming it was pointless for girls to fill their heads with nonsense like knowledge. Certainly, as a circus girl, it wasn’t Katniss’s place to argue. But, it hadn’t helped her curiosity.  She sat in silence, wondering if the boy could actually read the words on the pages, or if he was pretending. It was just as ridiculous for the time to be spent teaching him such a skill as it would be for herself.

        “What is your novel about?”

        “You can borrow it, if you would like,” he offered, dog-earing one of the pages before handing it over to her waiting hands. Her lips pursed sourly as her eyebrows furrowed, pushing the book back into his hands with a sting of betrayal in her chest.

        “Well, you don’t need to make fun of me.” she mumbled, rising up to her feet. How humiliating, to be made fun of by this boy she’d only hoped to make feel more comfortable.

        “Wait.” He grabbed hold of her arm, the first physical contact he’d offered to her since she’d approached. Her body stiffened and the warmth of his fingertips was gone in a flash as his hand twitched back down to his side. He pushed a long lock of hair back behind his ear, eyes boring into her despite her back being turned.

      And it was then, under the candlelight that she saw the gnashes and hideous scarring that ripped apart more than half of his face up close. Quickly, she looked away. 

        “I wasn’t making fun of you,” he promised lowly, sounding almost sincere. “I wouldn’t.”

         “I can’t read. You should know that,” she sniffed, chin tilted up in the air as her eyes shifted back to his forlorn face. “I’m a lady.”

        “My apologies. Someone I kne—” he stopped himself short with a shake of his head before cocking his chin back in the direction of the book. He ghosted a hand over its impressive script before opening it back up to the page he’d previously closed. “Perhaps, I could teach you. If you wanted to learn, then you could borrow it sometime.”

        Katniss took a moment to truly ponder the idea. Plenty of carnie’s had taught her things over the years. Octavia, the lady with facial hair as long as that which grew on Katniss’s head, had taught her how to properly buckle her shoes when she was younger. And to that day, Haymitch took credit for teaching the girl her first words. She didn’t suppose accepting such a proposition from this boy was much different.

        “What would you like in return?” she wondered aloud, confused by the boys humorless laughter, sounding through the dark space.

        “Your company shall be payment enough.”

        She imagined the boy, all by himself in the dark confines of the carnie tent with only the book as company, and pitied him. She knew well that it took more than being surrounded by a sea of people to not feel alone. Gale and Prim would like her new friend though, she was sure of it, and together they would all keep him fine company until he found a solid place within the odd circus family. 

        “Alright,” Katniss agreed, dusting the dirt from the bottom of her old dress. She needed to be going soon, or Gale would grow suspicious. The last thing she needed was father out searching for her when he had a show to run. “Friends, then.”

        “Sure,” he agreed slowly, as if mulling over the word. “Friends.”

        “But we can hardly be friends if I don’t know your name,” she argued, waiting patiently with her hands twisted together. Her tightly spun sausage curls bounced with every step she took in the direction of the main tent before stopping just outside of it. “Mine is Katniss.”

       “It’s nice to meet you, Katniss,” he spoke, so eloquently for someone of his status. “I’m Peeta.”

[altair-interactive-fiction]

One of the five shorts I’m doing this month, first up is Utterson.

It is Gabriel Joan Utterson second year living in this house that has more rooms than people living in it, but it is the first time she will spend both her Christmas and birthday here and she finds that last year had been harder but at least at the end of it she had spent it with her family that live outside this city.

Instead, this year she wanders around the manor, not allowed to go outside, and play in the garden alone, not allowed to explore the rooms that are covered in dust and that have the white cloths covering the room, not allowed to follow her mother or Mr. Poole around today, not allowed to speak to the only person close to her age (“They need to rest darling, their a frail child.”).

As she passes the main parlour, her eyes are immediately drawn to the tree in a pot placed on a table; for a brief moment she is certain it is imagined as she quickly wipes her eyes, seeing it still sitting there in the center of the room.

Stepping into the room to inspect it, Joan quickly notes the baubles, candles, and the little trinkets and nick-nacks hanging off the branches of the tree. Standing back to look at this oddity in its entirety. Her nose scrunching up as she concentrates on this mystery that presented itself to relive her of her boredom.

“Why is a tree in the parlour?” It is spoken softly but filled with the wander and curiosity of a child’s mind of when they know a fact, for certain and are witnessing something that contradicts that fact, for certain and Joan knows for a fact that trees belong outside, for certain.

“It is currently what is in style, I’m afraid.” A voice sounding above Joan’s head, startling her as she twists her head around. Only to see the lady of the house, watching her from the doorway. Joan attempts to recall if the Mistress Jekyll has ever spoken to her or even spared her a glance without her mother by her side. Joan is certain she has not and feels her left-hand grip a loose bit of her dress, to wring it back and forth. Ducking her head slightly in hopes that her bangs will cover her eyes.

The silence is weighing down the room, but Joan is unsure of what she is meant to say…maybe she could try and excuse herself. Daring herself to take a glance back up, she finds the older woman paying her no mind, looking directly at the tree with her eyes narrowed and lips twisted. When her gaze lowers enough to meet Joan’s own, she lets out a long sigh and Joan can feel her face heat up, she was starring and it’s rude to get caught staring. “I hope it passes within the next few years, who wants a tree in their home…All that extra cleaning, not to mention the insects.”

“Like ladybirds or caterpillars?” Joan replies eager to get anything in the air, looking back at the tree in earnest thought; looking at it early she didn’t see any bugs. “Ladybirds are pretty, but they can’t stay in the cold, but the house would be warm for them.” The Lady of the house seems to actually smile at the last comment, Joan quickly realizes its not like her mother’s…it feels pointy, sharp. Joan thinks she is trying not to laugh at her, Richard sometimes smiles at her like that because his older and thinks he knows better than her.

Joan finds herself pulling on the fringes of her dress again, taking a deep breath and holding it. Counting in her head, reminding herself that she promised she would only cry for the really important things.

“Well, I must be going, this house does not keep itself in order; have a lovely day Joan…and please stop pulling on your dress, you will ruin it.”

Joan slowly loosens her grip on her dress, easily noticing where she has caused bits to fray. Finally letting go of the breath she was holding as the footsteps echo in the empty hallway. With that Joan is alone in the parlour again, with the weird indoor tree.

[adarlingwrites]

Dormouse

Summary:

After playing a game with two of The Beach's most dangerous members, the dormouse gets her tail caught by a tiger's paw.

He’ll make a wildcat out of her.

Author’s note: I kind of regret the song choice due to its association with a certain movie but... it fits the chapter's themes. -shrug-

Edit: Changed the song I associated with this chapter because I think it suits Aguni and Yamaneko's pseudo-paternal relationship, which was highlighted more than the murder mystery on the Beach

go ahead and cry, little boy | you know that your daddy did too, you know what your mama went through | you gotta let it out soon, just let it out

X

As if a spotlight had been shone on her, Yamaneko’s body tenses at everyone’s scrutiny.

“Why does this concern me?” she starts, looking at the faces around her, all of them with varying degrees of wariness, save for her fellow militants. Her eyes flick to her father’s, and resentment blooms in her chest, spreading through her veins like bitter poison.

“She’s your stepmother,” Ann responds, examining the victim’s corpse with the purpose of scrutinizing every detail. Then, her eyes flick to Mr. Yamane, looking at him with an unreadable expression. “Though, she looks more like an older sister.”

“We weren’t close. I haven’t spoken a word to her before we arrived on the Beach.”

Ann tilts the victim’s head with a gloved hand, exposing the wound to view. “I’ve yet to examine the wound, but it’s clear that whoever killed her used a sharp object. You’re one of the few militants who exclusively carry a bladed weapon, along with Last Boss.”

Folding her arms Yamaneko was about to go off on the taller woman, but she mentions something else. ”He’s under suspicion, too,” she mentions as she motioned to Mr. Yamane. “Her body was dumped from their shared room.”

“Me? That’s preposterous! Are you suggesting that I have something to do with my own wife’s death? I’m not even allowed to hold a weapon! It’s those militants you should be looking at.”

“You know what?” Yamaneko interrupts, bringing all the attention back to her when her head whips towards his direction, and her voice drips with venom at every syllable she utters. “If you can beat your first wife and your daughters for years, and lie through your teeth every time the authorities get involved, I believe you have the capacity to be violent with anyone and lie to our faces.”

“You dare accuse me when you’re the one who carries a weapon and holds a criminal record,” Mr. Yamane spits back, pointing at his estranged daughter with a wrinkled finger, spittle flying from his mouth. “I’ve raised you myself. You’re an uncontrollable child. Disobedient. Delinquent! You dirtied the family’s name when your name showed up on the tabloids twice. It’s no wonder even your sister gave up on you.”

It took every fiber of Yamaneko’s self control to stop her from lunging at her father’s provocation. Instead, she hissed through gritted teeth. “Don’t bring Mai into this. You are the reason why I had to resort to stealing! You kicked me out. I couldn’t even find an apartment without a guarantor because I was a minor. Do you think I would resort to that if I wasn’t so desperate without a family’s support? That criminal record means nothing here anyway!”

“My, my, this is a conversation you shouldn’t be having in front of strangers. Are scandals really commonplace in your family?” Niragi interrupts, and aims his rifle at Mr. Yamane’s chest. “Why don’t we just kill the old man?”

“See?! Even the company you keep reflects who you really are,” Mr. Yamane blurts, face red from rage. “No amount of discipline I tried to instill in Minami worked to keep her in check. She's a criminal. It’s why I disowned her.”

Aguni remains stoic throughout the entire ordeal, but the last thing the Yamacorp CEO said stirred something hateful inside him. He towered over Mr. Yamane in a show of intimidation. “I thought I heard you call my underling ‘daughter’ in that confrontation I broke up. So which is it?”

And just like that, Mr. Yamane’s domineering facade crumbles, stammering to answer the militants’ chief.

Hatter holds out an open palm, motioning everyone to quiet down. “These accusations won’t get us anywhere. Regardless of who killed Mrs. Yamane, peace on the Beach has been disturbed,” he mutters, expression grim, and jovial demeanor absent.

“The number of violent cases has been rising, but we have handled them quietly. This one is a public spectacle that might send ripples of fear through the entire Beach. Aguni, tell your men to go harder on their patrols and to keep themselves restrained.”

“You’re not even going to interrogate her?” Mr. Yamane exclaims, pointing at his daughter.

This time, Aguni is openly sneering at him. “Why are you so eager to accuse my underling of a murder, old man?”

The former CEO shrinks before Aguni, and any bravado he had dissipated. Yamaneko couldn’t suppress a satisfied smirk.

“Ah, Mr. Yamane, you were some corporate bigwig before coming to this country, am I right?” Hatter asks him. “As number one,” he nearly growls, voice dropping an octave. “I call the shots here. Your daughter brought back high-value cards from the games. Any member of the Beach like that is a fine asset. Unless she’s proven to be a traitor, murderer or not, no action will be taken against her without the executive board’s say.”

“Then you’re complicit in my wife’s murder. I won’t forget this,” Mr. Yamane spits, turning around to barge out the door.

Niragi scoffs at his dramatic exit. “I really want to put a bullet between his eyes. What a bastard, shitting on the military sect like that.”

“As much as I hate that asshole’s guts, you killing him right after his wife just died would just draw more suspicion to me, and the other militants,” Yamaneko replies, folding her arms and eyebrows creased.

From the corner of her eyes, Mira glances at her with a newfound curiosity.

“I think I should also mention that he begged me for help to get out of this place. The executive board should watch out. He’s known for stabbing business associates in the back to climb the ranks. My father is highly manipulative, and doesn’t stop until he gets the result that he wants,” Yamaneko adds.

“Hmm. He sounds like a potential Heart specialist too. Perhaps it runs in the family?” Mira croons thoughtfully, looking at her with the eyes of a child examining a shiny new bug she had found in the garden. “Ah, but you’re willing to impart information about your own father for the sake of the Beach and the executive board?” she asks.

Yamaneko cringes at the comparison between her and her father. “My loyalty is to the Beach, and to my chief. My chief is part of the executive board, isn’t he?”

Mira regards the CEO’s estranged daughter for a moment, and grins.

“That’s enough. Hopefully this incident is just an isolated case. Ann, if any similar cases show up, you know what to do,” Hatter said, almost with an air of boredom. And with that, Hatter leaves, adjourning the meeting.

“I do think an interrogation is in order, though. If you would allow me to borrow her for a moment, Aguni?” Ann asks, tilting her head towards Yamaneko.

Aguni’s stony expression turns sour, but he nods. The younger militant steps right ahead. “If it helps me prove that I have nothing to do with this, sure.”

The chief backs off, and he turns to the rest of the militants present. “I want to have a word with the two of you. Now.”

As the chief goes off on Niragi and Last Boss, Yamaneko follows Ann to a storage closet for cleaning supplies, and clears her throat.

“Well? We’re clearly not here to play seven minutes in heaven, so if you have a question, shoot.”

Ann rolls her eyes, expression otherwise stoic. “Right. How do you usually execute traitors?”

Yamaneko gulps, looking at her hands. “I usually aim for the carotid, or any other large artery I can target.”

“And why do you choose that method? Are there any advantages to it?” Ann asks, taking out a notepad and starting to jot down on it.

“It puts them out of their misery fast. Plus, the blood spurts in one steady stream without much spraying. It makes cleanup easier.”

Ann nods, and flips a page on the notepad. “What were you doing at around ten thirty in the morning?”

“Grabbing lunch at the lobby,” Yamaneko responds, folding her arms.

“Who were you with? Who did you speak to?”

“Last Boss. Though, I saw my father in the lobby too.”

Nodding and writing, Ann continues. “And what were you doing around two hours before the incident?”

Yamaneko hesitated for a moment, and Ann watched her like a hawk, noting the shift in her body language. Clearing her throat, the militant stammers. “I… I was having sex.”

“With whom?” Ann asks with a completely straight face, pausing from writing on the notepad.

“Is this even necessary to ask? God… I was doing it with Last Boss, obviously. I’m pretty sure some of the people in the rooms nearby heard us too,” Yamaneko says through her teeth, shifting her weight on one foot. “Can I go now?” she asks, face red.

Ann nods, and tucks away her notepad and pen. “You’re free to go.”

The militant leaves. She meets up with the others, who were receiving a tongue-lashing from the chief, and she joins their misery. Afterwards, Aguni motions at his underlings, and they follow. As they walked through the halls of the hotel, Yamaneko felt strength in their numbers.

Then, Aguni halts. “Yamane.” Her head perks up. “How many visa days do you have left?”

She pauses for a moment to think. “More than a week.”

“You’re on patrol duty with me for a few nights.”

“Right. Understood, chief.”

“Meet me tonight at the gate. You’re all free to leave.”

Niragi went ahead and trudged off, mood sour from Aguni’s reminders on the use of violence on the Beach. After checking if no one else is around, Last Boss puts an arm around Yamaneko’s waist, eyes searching hers.

“I’m okay,” she reassures him, before pressing a quick peck on his lips.

“You haven’t been on a patrol yet, haven’t you?” Takatora asked her.

“Mhmm.”

“Stay alert,” he says, voice hinting at some softness.

“Of course.”

Takatora would be lying if he said that he’s nervous about his lover’s first patrol, but as he watches Yamaneko meet up with their leader from a window, he felt some relief knowing that she’s made it far enough to rise to number sixteen and gain some semblance of trust from their chief.

Feeling a little cold from the absence of her jacket, Yamaneko walks towards Aguni, doing the best she can to look focused. She wouldn’t want to disappoint him on her first patrol.

“Yamane, eyes peeled,” Aguni said as he drew his pistol and motioned the younger militant to follow.

“Yes, chief.”

Halfway through their patrol, Yamaneko speaks up. “By the way chief, could you refer to me with my nickname instead?”

This gains her a stern, questioning look. “I don’t want to be associated with my father’s family name anymore.”

The look on Aguni’s face softens ever so slightly, and he grunts in acknowledgment.

“You don’t have to call me chief all the time,” Aguni says to her after some time as he scanned the perimeter for any suspicious activity. His underling looks up to him, a curious look on her face. She hasn’t heard the chief say much outside of games.

“But I find it respectful,” Yamaneko replies, hands hovering near her thighs, where her knives are holstered. Aguni blinks a few times before moving again.

“With proper training, you’d fit in with the SDF. There are more female recruits now, I heard.”

“Nah. I’m too much of a non-conformist for that.”

“And what makes you say that?”

Yamaneko motions to her face with one hand. “Good luck trying to scrub all this makeup off my face, chief.”

The snort he gives her sounds almost amused, but Aguni’s expression remains stern. “That attitude of yours, did it get you in trouble with your father?”

Yamaneko is taken aback from the personal question, but nonetheless, she responds to her leader. “Well, yes. I tried to suppress it and be a good daughter, I promise. Regardless, it’s just an excuse to beat me. Everything I did got me in trouble with him,” Yamaneko says almost too casually, as if her experiences weren’t the damaging, traumatic ones that lingered for years.

Old, painful memories started to stir within Aguni’s psyche upon hearing Yamaneko open up about her own upbringing. In the young woman before him, he saw shards of his past self, the angry young man who wanted to get back at his own father, but was robbed of the opportunity due to his death. His knuckles turn white from the rage simmering in his heart.

They continued walking, looking over the fences for any possible intruders. Every now and then, Aguni would tell the young militant what to watch out for, and what to do in certain scenarios. The patrol ended peacefully, much to Yamaneko’s relief. She leaned against a fence when they got back to the gate. Aguni folds his arms and observes her.

“Is there anything else you need, chief?” Yamaneko asks, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“Yamaneko, day or night?”

“Uh, night.”

“From now on, you’re training with me every five in the afternoon, sharp.”

Eyebrows rising up her forehead, Yamaneko has a dumbfounded look on her face. “Training? For what?”

“Do you want to gain an edge over your bastard father, or not?”

One look in the chief’s eyes, and she knew he had similar experiences in the past; of feeling small and powerless against someone who should have been one’s shelter from the world. “Yes.”

“Then don’t be late.”

Aguni leaves, while a dumbfounded Yamaneko stays in her spot, still processing the events of the day. Cold fingers trail on her good shoulder and she turns to see her lover’s face. A smile blooms on her painted lips.

“Takatora. You didn’t attend a game?”

“I was patrolling on the upper floors. I can’t leave you here on the Beach alone either.”

“Ah,” she replies, holding his hand as they walk back to their room. “I guess we deserve a little break from all the madness of the games.”

After some time, as they lay on their shared bed, Yamaneko asks her lover a question. “Are you worried about my father being here?”

He nods, and squeezes her small hand.

“Don’t worry too much. Besides, the chief said he’ll be training me every five in the afternoon. I’ll kick the bastard’s ass if he tries anything.”

Takatora tilts his head. “The chief?” he asks almost disbelievingly.

“Yeah. It’s kind of strange.”

“You didn’t do anything to earn his ire, didn’t you?”

Yamaneko raises an eyebrow. “No.”

“Good luck. He’s... strict.”

“I know, I know.”

The first day she trained with Aguni, she expected it to be difficult, but not this severe. The wildcat pants as she ran her second lap around the Beach, sweat dripping from her skin and stinging the healing burns on her left arm. Onlookers were staring, and some militants were chuckling among themselves. Niragi sees her, and yells after her.

“Yamaneko, what the hell are you doing?”

“Chief wanted me to run laps!” she shouts, voice hoarse.

“What did you do?”

“Huh?” Yamaneko asks, irritation growing. “No time to talk, gotta run!”

Hanako, the militant who once accompanied her in the dressing room, watches as Yamaneko jogs past her, raising an eyebrow. “Huh. When the chief asks us to do something like that, it’s usually because we pissed him off,” she mutters.

“She must’ve pissed him off bad, then,” Saiko butts in, passing the other girl a cigarette.

As fast as her legs can take her, Yamaneko sprints at the last few meters when Aguni comes into view. As she runs past him, she collapses and lies on the ground. Her feet ache, and it doesn’t help that her sandals aren’t made for running.

“What the hell are you doing? You need to cool down. Walk!” he barks, and Yamaneko suppresses a pathetic sigh as she forces herself up. She paces around in circles, occasionally stretching her arms and legs. Satisfied, Aguni lets her sit, and he tosses her a bottle of water. She gulps it down.

“I’m gonna hit the showers now, chief,” she pants, and Aguni tilts his head.

“You think you’re done for the day?” he asks.

Yamaneko couldn’t answer, looking at him in disbelief.

“Not yet, you’re not. You still have some grapples and knife techniques to study. Stand up!”

She swore she wanted to cry, but Yamaneko kept her mouth in a tight line, swallowed hard, and got on her feet.

“This is nothing compared to the shit I endured in the past,” she thinks to herself, and carries on.

Two. Three. Five. Ten times, she ended up on her ass, disarmed and beaten by the chief every single time. As she was starting to reconsider what she thought earlier, the chief holds a meaty hand out, and she grabs it. Aguni helps her to her feet, and pats her back, almost making her lurch forward.

Yamaneko freezes at the friendly touch. All the touches she got from authority figures, her father especially, was nothing like this.

“Focus on your footwork.”

Then, he leaves without saying anything else. Tired, bruised, but fulfilled, Yamaneko shouts a spirited “Yes, chief!” as he walks away.

Taking a deep breath, the younger militant finishes what’s left of her water, and heads back to her shared room. Takatora is waiting inside, fresh from a patrol, and upon seeing her sweaty and disheveled form, he lets go of whatever he was reading to check on her.

Yamaneko holds two thumbs up and beams at him, voice failing her.

“Did the chief go too hard on you?”

“No. Well, yes. But, it’s fine. I learned a lot,” she says as she sits next to him. “You know, he’s more of a parental figure to me than my own father.”

Takatora snorts at the idea of Aguni being a father, but the more he thought about it, the more he agreed with her. He’ll never say it out loud, though.

On the tenth day of Yamaneko’s training, in the middle of sparring with the chief, one of Hatter’s men approached them.

“Aguni. Please come with us. Take her with you too,” he says in an urgent manner, brows furrowed in concern.

“You better have a good reason for this interruption,” he growls, picking up a towel and slinging it over his shoulder.

“There’s been another killing. Please take care of it discreetly. Hatter doesn’t like it when things like this goes public.”

A lump forms in Yamaneko’s throat as she follows Aguni to the hotel room holding the victim. When they arrived, Ann was there, assessing the situation, and the victim sprawled on the floor, a diagonal cut on his neck. A few men were setting up a stretcher nearby, and they halted when they saw the leader of the militants enter the room.

“It’s similar to the previous case,” Ann starts, taking off her shades. “The wounds are consistent with the type I found on Mrs. Yamane. A laceration to the neck with a sharp object,” she continues, holding a clean handkerchief and tilting the victim’s head. “And this time, the glass fragments stuck on his skin are more obvious. Whoever committed these murders used a shard of glass as an improvised weapon.”

The taller woman turns to Yamaneko. “I’ve corroborated your statement with the other residents on your floor. They indeed heard you that morning, so you couldn’t have been with your stepmother. Your method of exsanguinating traitors before disposal doesn’t align with the ones used in these murders, either. The odds of you being the killer are low, from this information.”

“Any clue on the killer's identity?” Aguni asks, watching the corpse. The victim died with his eyes wide open, the look of terror etched on his face.

“We have a lead,” says Ann, full of cold confidence. “For now, bring her to the makeshift lab discreetly. I need to do a full autopsy.”

Boots thudding against the floor, Aguni walks towards the corpse, and hooks his arms under his armpits. Instinctively, Yamaneko grabs his feet. As they lay him down on the stretcher, the victim’s mangled arm, riddled with stab wounds due to his attempt of protecting himself from his assailant, slips and dangles off the edge. Looking around, Yamaneko grabs the end of a curtain, and puts it back in place. The victim’s Beach tag, number 28, reflects the moonlight streaming from the window, and Yamaneko’s eyes trail to the glittering mess of broken glass on the floor, which contrasts with the dark blood splatters on the wood.

“Hey, Ann,” she calls her attention. “I think I found the murder weapon.”

The taller woman hands her the handkerchief, and she picks up a large shard of glass, its pointed end jagged and stained with blood. Ann holds it out in the light, making out some fingerprints.

“Good,” she said, then she prompts them to follow.

“That face is going to haunt me,” one of Hatter’s men comments, and Yamaneko gulps.

“Me too,” she adds.

Hatter’s devotee looks at the militant, a question hanging from his open mouth, but he chooses to keep it shut. Sensing his hesitation, Yamaneko rolls her eyes and quietly gets to work.

Glancing at the dead’s face, whose eyes were frozen in an expression of distress, Yamaneko grimaces and closes his eyes with her fingers. She pulls the curtains off the rods, and covers his bloody body. The crimson quickly soaks through the fabric.

That night, the wildcat sat in the bath longer than usual.

Wading over to his lover’s side, Takatora helps Yamaneko settle into his chest as he wraps both arms around her. In silence, she mulls about her day, brows furrowed.

“You’re bothered by something,” Takatora speaks up.

“I had to carry a corpse with the chief earlier. And my father is still living on the Beach. Ugh. Takatora, I just want to get away from all this. I mean, I’m not going to leave and turn traitor. I crave some change of scenery, maybe explore some places outside the Beach.”

Playing with Yamaneko’s hair, Takatora presses his mouth behind her head. “Supply runners leave for food and gasoline at eight in the morning. I help put away the gas when they return in the afternoon.”

Yamaneko looks up to give him a mischievous grin. “Do you think we can scare them into driving for us?”

He nods, and she laughs with a childish giddiness.

“Great! There’s this place I’ve been wanting to visit again.”

[razorblade180]

Looking Back

[Lasting Embers au spoilers]

A constant in life is that life is constantly changing; a concept known to any huntsman that were worth their salt on the battlefield. As well as anybody who chose a dangerous life style. For Adam, it was the second constant in his life. The first was the stary void that dawned over him with its trillions of stars. It might be the only real perk of night watch. It was his turn to keep an eye out for any enemy that could’ve been following him and the rag tag fever dream of a team he found himself with. When Jacquelyn told him life is a story that goes the way each person decides, he never imagine somehow he had written a story that would lead him to helping members of team RWBY, their families, and his as well. Crazy for sure but hey, crazier had happened. This didn’t even make the list.

Yang approached him from behind with two mugs in her hand. The both of them were ordered to watch the forest clearing from the tree line. Ruby was dead set on making sure the two of them were in sync enough to fight together if things got hairy. Yang could think of a million other ways to spend the night but she wasn’t about to complain and handed him the coffee.

Yang:One coffee, black. If you’re going for something gross to keep you awake then I understand.

Adam:I told you black so you couldn’t slip anything in it.

Yang:....

Adam:Joking, I wasn’t serious. Mostly.

Yang:Your humor is more bitter than your drink. *sips* you should try to be more grounded.

Adam:That was terrible. We can’t both be bad at this or I might die from boredom alone.

Yang:Stabs to the chest didn’t end you. I doubt puns will. I’d be upset; could’ve gotten rid of you a long time ago if they did.

Adam:What can I say? I’m one lucky bastard.

Yang:I’ll say....

The blonde bruiser sat down with her head supported by her hands. Being here was awkward, too awkward. Neither of them really continued speaking. One watched the fields whil the other star gazed. Adam would sometime steal glances at Yang’s arm before going back to mapping out the sky. Yang let out a long and over the top sigh. At this point, talking to Adam couldn’t be as unbearable as saying nothing.

Yang:We should play a game.

Adam:What?

Yang:You heard me. It’ll pass the time. Besides, I’m positive Ruby will keep sticking us as partners if we don’t even pretend to get along.

Adam:Who’s pretending? I made my peace with my thoughts on you a long time ago. If I hadn’t then I wouldn’t have entertained the thought of looking over your daughter for over a decade.

Yang:Hmm is that right? Well, can’t say I’m not entirely over that hump.

Adam:This makes the fourth of fifth time you’ve told me that. You need new material. Freeing Jackie, me, when I showed up at your home, the train ride; I get it. Messaged received.

Yang:Tsk, no need to sound smug about it.

Adam:I’m not. I just don’t see a reason for you to state the obvious. You don’t forgive someone who shouldn’t be forgiven. What, are you upset because people like your sister don’t share the sentiment?

Yang:Why bring Ruby up and not Blake?

Adam:Like I said, stating the obvious. How are you two though? You’ve had plenty of time to properly bury that hatchet.

Yang:We’re just fine. Even before this whole cult shit.

Adam:Good. It’s already insane you two “killed” me and didn’t get together. I’d feel some type of way if you weren’t even friends. Talk about a let down.

Yang:You’re the reason- ugh, why the hell am I even trying to hold a proper conversation with you? I might as well pull my hair out...

Adam:....The hate game.

Yang:What?

Adam:It’s the game I wanna play. You and another person take turns talking about something you hate about the other.

Yang:That....sounds so stupid.

Adam:That’s the spirit, I’ll go first. You’re really loud all the time. Ever heard of a inside voice?

Yang:That’s rich coming from the screaming goat. All you ever did was scream Blake’s name.

Adam:All you ever did was scream in general. I hate how you always seem to butt into everything. It’s one thing to help a friend but you like act like you have a right to have an opinion on people you know by association.

Yang:I don’t need to know much about a terrorist to know you’re terrible.

Adam:I hate how you haven’t realized this is the first time you’re judging me by the crimes I committed for the first time, instead of claiming I was nothing but fake towards Blake and Ilia.

Yang:....

Adam:Everything is personal with you.

Yang:Says the hypocrite.

Adam:I won’t deny that. You feel better or you got more on your chest?

Yang:We’d be here for years if I said it all.

Adam:Then say the important ones I know you wanna say. “I hate that you’re still alive.” Or is it “I can’t stand your dismissive attitude?” The fact anybody like me was given a second-

Yang:I hate that you’ve spent more time with Yujin than me...

Adam:Oh....hmm. *lays back*

Yang:Got nothing smart to say, jackass?

Adam:Hey if you raised my kid with me barely around, I’d hate you too. Can’t fault you for that one.

Yang:It’s a twisted joke really. So many people to look over her from afar and it’s you. What was Sun thinking?

Adam:We were under staffed and things got ugly really fast. Decisions had to happen quickly. Plus the threat was clearly too unknown and dangerous to half ass anything. They killed two of you after all.

Yang:It would be wise to keep that incident out of your mouth. Ruby might tolerate you but that’ll change before I can even lift a finger.

Adam:Now you’re warning me? I thought your sister stomping me out would make your day.

Yang:Dude...shut up.

Adam:....What happened to your uncle and friend was terrible, sorry.

Yang:Ugh, even you saying that feels so wrong.

Adam: Please, thank you, and I’m sorry aren’t that hard. It’s not even new. The white fang wasn’t all snarls and chanting like you think. For awhile I pretty calm there.

Yang:The key word being “awhile.” You murdered your own.

Adam:Yep.

Yang*grits teeth* That’s all you say? People keep saying you’re different left and right and yet you don’t seem even a little regretfull. You’re sipping coffee and staring at the stars as if you hadn’t spent most of your life ruining other’s! What part of that sounds like a change of heart!?

Adam didn’t break his attention away from those stars. If he did, Adam would’ve no doubt seen how irritated Yang was. Her eyes burned red as she waited for an answer. Yang’s coffee was even boiling.

Yang:Well?

Adam:Regretting doesn’t bring them back, or the most heartfelt apologies. It just stirs anger. You wouldn’t feel better about your arm if I apologize.

Yang:So you choose to not even try.

Adam:No, I’ll just convince Jacquelyn to get the relic of creation whenever we eventually go to Atlas.

A perfectly good cup of coffee falls out of Yang’s hand. Did she hear that right? Adam just said he planned on creating an arm with a relic, for her!

Adam:What? It made me an eye. Making an arm is far less complicated than that. I’d say that would be better than any words I could say that you wouldn’t believe anyways.

Yang:....It’s your turn again.

Adam:Ah, let’s see. Well, if I were to be honest I guess...it really bothers me how similar you are to your daughter.

Yang:The hell does-

Adam:Let me finish before you break my ribs. That kid of yours pretty feisty and passionate about so many things. She bugged me to help train her until I finally said yes. Yujin gets frustrated easily and gets really sensitive about certain maternal subjects; yet it isn’t like she doesn’t want to avoid those conversations altogether. Seriously, your daughter is a little bit of a mess, but a fun mess. That bothers me because for a split second I can’t help but wonder that maybe if you and encountered each other on the same side in the beginning...maybe we’d be decent acquaintances or something.

Yang:D-Did you just say what I think you just said.

Adam:Who knows? I suck with words. I’m gonna rest for a little bit.

He turned his back to her to avoid eye contact. Yang couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. Was he embarrassed? Did he actually try some roundabout way of saying she was a good person? If only Blake was here for that. She would’ve flipped. Yang looked up the sky then back at the field; still nothing. When her guys went back to the stars it was curiosity.

Yang:Hey, were you staring a constellation in particular or something?

Adam:You can see Capricornus well from here. I joke all the time with Jael about that one since she’s into a shark faunus. Looking at it made me think about her is all.

Yang:Jael is your second daughter right?! I can’t believe I didn’t know that. I remember the first one for sure.

Adam:You were a little preoccupied to notice anything regarding Jael. Her and Yujin share a birthday.

Yang:No foolin!? Well how about that.

Adam:Yeah, life sure does like it’s jokes. I get a lot of flack if I’m not around for one’s birthday. Jael will get pouty and your daughter gets fussy. “You promised!” I’ve heard that too much.

Yang:Hehe, Jin might get that from me. It’s natural for your kid though. I know I wanted my dad around for mine. Even when I grew up and acted like I was too grown to really care, I wanted his birthday breakfast. Your kid looked like a real beauty.

Adam:Thanks, definitely got that from her mother.

Yang:Haha, don’t feel bad. Seeing Yujin with short hair made me think Jaune had another younger sister I just never met. His genes are way too strong.

Adam:Trust me, I’ve seen her with long hair and in the middle of a fight. I might’ve called her your name a few times.

Yang:Oof, that must’ve pissed her off.

Adam:No....she was actually surprised more than anything. Yujin never hated you Yang. Despite how she acted whenever your name was mentioned. I think she just wasn’t sure how to feel about you besides feeling lonely. I’m not any better with Jael. You wanna talk regrets, I don’t think I spent enough time with her the way I should’ve. Hopefully I’m wrong.

Yang:It’s very telling that you don’t regret your past but you regret something like that.

Adam:My past is terrible and dark, but it led me to my wife and kids. It feels wrong to regret it, so I’ll just accept it and carry on. Otherwise I don’t think I’ll ever have time to live in the present.

Yang:Geez, ever the drama queen. Though I can see a little bit of that view point. Still a spit in the face to people and yourself if you asked me.

Adam:The world thinks I’m dead and has made their mind up about me a long time ago. I go around taking down other terrorists and orginizations to keep them safe as a way to give back. I don’t owe the world anymore than that. I’m simply a remnant among Remnant. My regret is my kids have me as a dad. A kid should be able to talk about their parents and be proud.

Yang:Can’t argue with that. At least you stayed and are apart of their life. I can barely say that.

Adam:Helping save Remnant from another shadow war is a pretty strong excuse. Especially when the group has actually killed your family members. You’re just protecting them. Jaune and Yujin understand that.

Yang:....I hate that you’re not as terrible anymore. Reasonable you is too...

Adam:Reasonable?

Yang:I really hope I don’t have with this for another ten years.

Adam:I give it two, tops. You have a maiden with you this time and me. I’ll just hit you so you can get stronger and wreck shop.

Yang:Hit me and I hit you.

Adam:I’ll block, now we’re both wrecking shop.

Yang:Jacquelyn must have the patience of a saint to deal with you.

Adam:Yep, she’s pretty great. Saved my life, saved my soul. Couldn’t ask for more. You two would probably get along.

Yang:Nah, we worked together once. Wasn’t the best experience.

Adam:I was kidnapped and you were both pregnant. I’m not the smartest person but I’m positive that was a recipe for disaster. She thinks you’re cool, really respect your virtues. Sometimes it feels like she’s quoting you unfortunately.

Yang:Oh, glad I left a good impression. Maybe I can have her whisper regrets into your ear. Seriously, I regret things like lying to Ruby about tiny things yet you don’t really regret anything?

Adam:My regrets take place before the white fang. They remain in the work camp I escaped from. It’s funny, Yujin reminds me of my little sister, Eve.

Yang:Are you telling me that you, Adam, had a sister named Eve?

Adam:When you live in a place devoid of hope or faith, you cling to it in any way can. So my mother named us to help maintain hers. Probably had something to do with the loss of our father. Can’t say, never met him.

Yang:What was your mother’s name?

Adam:Don’t know. I called her mom and the gaurds called her by a serial number. Even that’s a little hazy. Anyways, sis got caught in an mining incident; mother was gunned down because I furious at a gaurd that stopped me from saving Eve.

Yang:Wow that’s umm, heavy stuff. Is that how you...*point to face*

Adam:Yeah, called it my punishment for disobeying. As far as regrets go, it would’ve been nice to be a son and brother; one that got to actually have proper meals.

Yang looked at Adam stare deeply into the void of space. It was strange. Yang has never seen Adam look mournful before. His eyes seemed to get more lost in thought by the second. A part of her felt....sorry for him.

Yang:I’m sure they’ve watched over you since day one. Who knows? Maybe they’re the real reason you’ve survived so long? If I know a thing or two about little sisters and mothers, they’ll never let you rest until you clean up your act, hehehe. Ruby can vouch for that. I bet both of them would be proud of your end result.

Adam:That’s funny. It kinda sounds like you just tried showing me compassion.

Yang:Pfft, I think you may have brain damage you didn’t know about.

Adam:Oh it’s possible. Neo and Mercury have put me through some shit.

Both of them laughed and continued to chat aimlessly, unaware that Ruby and Raven were watching from their own vantage point.

Raven:Well look at that? Maybe the gods haven’t abandoned us if people like those two can chat like that.

Ruby:Looks like our colorful team has gotten a little more stable. Now if only Weiss can get used to Nora’s snoring.

Raven:That’s seriously on your to-do list?

Ruby:I refuse to lead my team poorly this time around. I’ll do whatever I can whenever I can.

Raven:Qrow and Oscar would be proud to see you back on your feet, the right way this time.

Ruby:Can’t mourn forever. This is the mission to end all missions. I’m going full throttle...

[diamondsableye]

“Hey!  Guess what I just found in a box of my dad’s old things!”  Grimm huffed with an air of satisfaction, grunting from under the heft of his miniature backpack.  The pastel red material surged with a noticeable heavy bulge, as the harsh outlines of a semi rectangular object stretched the slightly dingy cloth along its edges.

His young companions turned their attention to the child strutting proudly into the room, knowing precisely who it was from the somewhat worn, dark hued graphic tee and the torn denim pants.  The first to reach the smug juvenile was Radiance, her cream colored sundress fluttering with every hurried step she took towards the trotting bug, her eagerness fading the closer she got to inspect whatever Grimm was so proud to show off.

“Awe Grimmy I thought you had something cool, like one of those super old brick phones.  We could’ve at least called someplace and had some fun!  If this is another boring old book I’m so not playing with you after this.”  The small moth huffed, more fuzz than fury.  She was still salty that the last time her playmate had insisted he had something fun to do, it turned out his idea of entertainment was nothing more than looking at an old dictionary for naughty words.  It had been tear jerkingly funny for all of 15 minutes before they got bored and hung up over how little there was to be found.

“Raddy trust me, this is way better than any other book.  This is a super magic book!”  Grimm beamed with excitement, already scrambling to take off the overburdened pack, hurrying to undo the sticky zippers which always caught on themselves whenever he worked himself into an energized frenzy.

“A magic book?  Is it like a spell book or a portal to a mis-ter-us world?”  Asked the petite juniper in a soft and sweet voice, saturated with innocent glee.  Her luminous branches flickered with life as a single small hand fiddled with the button to her denim overalls.

“No Lady, those books don’t exist, at least I don’t think so.  And it’s My-steer-ee-us, not mis-ter-us.”  Piped up another, crisper chime.  The voice had come from a young lad, his head adorned with a ring of stubby horns, as clean as the white button up and sleek grey trousers he so commonly donned.

The last two to approach the growing circle of friends was none other than Pale and Lady, who at least to Lady’s greatest ability, managed to keep each other conjoined at the hip.  Radiance let out a huff as the two approached, blowing the duo a timidly contemptuous raspberry once they were within teasing distance.  Pale stuck out his tongue and drew back his lower eyelid in response, the only mean gesture he was brave enough to send her, since the first and only time he ever threw her the middle, he lost dessert privileges for an entire week.  Oh how he wished he could've tattled on her back.

“Welll.... it’s sorta magic.  Apparently when my dad was in college, he played this Castles and Keepers game with his old school friends.  I was looking through the attic to find one of my favorite kites when I knocked over some stuff and found this book!  Apparently it’s a rule book for how you play the game.”  Grimm beamed with a dark smile, brandishing the newly uncovered hardback with the pride of a mighty sorcerer showing off their most accursed tomes.

“Seriously?  Old people games?  Ugh I’ve watched my family play stupid board games before, they’re always so rulesy and don’t have any excitement at all.”   Radiance almost immediately sighed in boredom, feeling let down by the surprise already.

“I mean I dunno Raddy, my mamma told me it’s a really scary game, and if you play it you turn evil.” Lady cooed with a lul of concern, regarding the book like a priestess to a haunted artifact.

“You don’t seriously believe that do you?  Remember when your mom said that you shouldn’t jump in puddles because one day you might jump inside a super deep one and you’d never come out?  Your mom tells you way too many stories I think.”  Pale chimed in with a curt cut of his voice, begrudging the sapling's timidness.  Even so, it was clear that the kiddie bug was apprehensive to join in on whatever his friend had planned.

“Cmon guys please?  I even brought in these things called character sheets!  I stayed up real late reading all about this and I got the perfect idea for.... for a.. I think the book called it a camp-pain?”  Grimm enthused, desperate to grab his friends’ weaning attention.  He fished up some spare pencils and a few slightly crumpled sheets of paper, ready to be filled out by waiting minds.

“How late did you stay up to do all this?”  Radiance asked, cautious but intrigued.

“You won’t believe this, but 9 P-M-!”  He beamed.

“Wow that really is late-!  You must be really serious about this then.”  Pale noted, taking a look over the sheet and offering one to Lady.  The youngin snatched it eagerly, pouring over the detailed contents.

“What is... Char-ris-maa?”  She asked, her head tilting in confusion to all the new words she perplexingly had never heard of before.

“Don’t worry guys I’ll explain all of it to you, but only if you decide to play the game with me!”  Grimm offered, the tempting offer hanging in the air decisively.  The rest of the gang looked to one another, mulling over their options.  It was enticing sure, but would it be worth it?

“Fine I’ll play, but this better not suck Grimmy, or else!”  Radiance huffed, but even through her begrudging tone, it was clear that she was barely containing her ample excitement at its seams.

“I don’t have anything better to do, I don’t like Miss Seeker’s craft ideas anyway.  She probably won’t notice if we’re off playing this instead.”  Pale offered, not quite captivated, but also not put off enough to turn the offer down.  The three looked to the last to join in, waiting for her response.

“Cmon don’t be a scaredy Lady, join us or else we’ll tell Herrah how big a scaredy you are!” Radiance teased, poking fun at the meek and shy sapling.  She stiffened at this, her rounded cheeks brightening with a frustrated blush as the moth’s threat did its work to rile her up.

“Nuh uh you wouldn’t!  You’re such a meanie Raddy!”  Lady shot back, so easily wrung in and agitated by the slightest tormenting.

“Well then prove it!  We all know you still sleep with a night light and that you once cried for an hour because you though someone took your favorite plushie!  Nya nya nya!  Lady is a big ol scaredy!” Radiance sung over and over in a crude mocking voice, her childish squeals flat and annoyingly toneless.  With a final huff and a determined wail, Lady broke through her fervent taunts.

“You’re wrong!! Fine!  I’ll play it!  But if mamma gets angry I’ll tell her it was all your faults for making me play!”  She squealed, asserting her all too certain threats to the group as a whole.  With that, Radiance let out a victorious sigh.

“Finally you decide to be some fun for once!”  She gloated, confident for now that she had swayed over the timid lass to her side for now.  With that, the trio stared back at Grimm, eyes brimming with curiosity and impatience.

“So...  What do we do now?  You said you knew how to play this game, but I don’t see a game board or cards or anything.”  Pale broke the silence first, inquisitively looking over the smirking bug with a hint of scrutiny.  After all, what kind of game had no pieces?

“Well, let’s take a seat, and I’ll explain everything!”  Grimm smugly cooed, taking out a pouch of various sided dice of all different colors.  Lady immediately was drawn to the unfamiliar objects, mulling them over as if she was surveying a new type of candy.

“Woah!  I’ve never seen dice with so many sides!  I never knew they could have that many!”  She exclaimed, watching them with unbridled captivation as Grimm rolled them around in his small palm.

“We’ll get to use them later but first, you guys get to make your characters!”

[kenzieam]

Not Happening, Doll - Chapter One (Bucky X Levi)

Rating: M (language, violence, eventual smut, angst)

Genre: Drama/Angst

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I KNOW, I KNOW!!! I HAVEN’T FINISHED ALL MY PENDING STORIES AND HERE I AM STARTING A NEW ONE… I CAN’T HELP IT, LOL. COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

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Levi and Bucky cannot stand each other (or rather, the former Winter Soldier cannot stand to be around the Avenger’s newest member and, like the ass he is, he won’t divulge why) and of course, they get teamed up for a new mission. It’s deep cover this time and not only do they have to work together, they have to pretend they’re MARRIED.

Heaven help them….

****************************************************************************

“No.” The declaration was so abrupt that even Tony was stunned silent. Finally, he managed a disbelieving, “No?“

Bucky nodded once; eyes stubbornly fixed to a corner of the room that nobody currently was occupying, arms crossed firmly across his massive chest.  

“What-the-fuck-why?” Tony asked, voice hardening.

Bucky shrugged, glancing up once to briefly meet the glare of the woman he was referring to. “She’s too new, too green.”

Levi snorted derisively, rolling her eyes so hard Steve worried she’d just seen her brain and he was plagued with a similar impulse.  

“She’s new to us, not this line of work.” Tony’s voice was sharp now, warning the former assassin who only shrugged again, drawing a low snarl of anger from Levi.

“What the hell is this bullshit, Barnes? I gotta bleed for you first? Gotta pass initiation?” Levi’s violet eyes were incandescent, blazing with fury and indignation and Steve wondered idly if she would simply launch herself over the table at Bucky. This wasn’t the first time Bucky had questioned Levi’s abilities in front of the team, but it was the boldest.

“I’m not babysitting-”

“Oh, fuck you Barnes! Who the fuck kicked your amnesiac ass just yesterday in training, huh? Me!” Levi slammed her fist down on the table for emphasis then abruptly turned her attention back to Tony. “I’m not going to work with someone who doesn’t trust me.”

Tony sighed. “I need you to. Nat’s cover might be compromised and I can’t pull Wanda; unless Frosty and Steve are willing to play a gay couple, it’s on you.”  

Levi’s full lip curled and she fixed her blazing glare back on Bucky. “I’ll go, but send me with someone else who’s not a peckerhead.”

Steve had to disguise his sudden snort of laughter with a cough, rolling his chair away to face Clint and Nat. Nat was still disgusted at being grounded, her arms crossed over her chest, while Clint snort fresh coffee out his nose and proceeded to howl like he’d just been hit with an electric cattle prod, prompting Sam to laugh so hard he started choking and needed Steve to whack him on the back. Bucky just glowered; his expression a mix of begrudging amusement and boredom.

Tony shook his head faintly, glancing upwards to implore for strength. “It has to be him; he’s got the most experience with this type of infiltration work. We need absolute secrecy and camouflage to be successful.”

“And we have to pose as a married couple?” Levi clarified. At Tony’s nod, she rolled her eyes again and shot finger guns at Bucky. “There’s no way Captain Siberia can pull that off, affection? Shit, we’ll be blown inside a day.”

Anger joined the boredom in Bucky’s eyes, and something else Steve couldn’t immediately identify. His mouth opened in rebuttal but Steve didn’t wait to hear what came out.

“Stop it.” He commanded. He glared for emphasize at both Bucky and Levi, but let his gaze soften with her. It was no secret that Bucky had made Levi’s transition into this team as rocky as possible and this was finally going too far, even for the benefit of the doubt Steve often seemed to extend his oldest friend’s way. “This is the way it has to be. Bucky, you’re the most experienced in this; Levi, you are more than capable. I know you haven’t had too many opportunities to prove yourself with us yet, but I’ve read your jacket, you can handle this assignment all day.”

Bucky’s face went hard, his eyes darkening. Abruptly he stood and stormed from the room.

“Briefing in an hour! Wheel’s up in three!” Tony bellowed at his retreating back. The slamming door was his only answer.

Steve exhaled and forced a smile as Levi turned to look at him. She raised a brow.

“He’ll come around.” Steve offered weakly and Levi snorted, pushing sharply at the table to spin her chair away.

******************************************************************************************

“You proud of yourself?” Steve demanded, poking his head into Bucky’s room. He only grunted in answer, shoving supplies into a tactical duffel.  

“What is your problem with her, Buck? Levi’s got this-”

“Just drop it; punk.”

“No, I’m curious.” Steve strode past Bucky and flopped down onto his bed, resting his folded arms behind his head; crossing his feet at his ankles he fixed his oldest friend with a baleful eye. “Enlighten me. What is it about Levi that rubs you the wrong way?”

Bucky only sneered, disappearing into his bathroom.  

“She’s enhanced too.” Steve began. “Is that the problem? She’s the last experiment tied to Howard Stark, is that it? She’s new to us but not to this line of work. Fury trusts her; hell, we all do, why don’t you?”

“Why do you?” Bucky shot back; reappearing from the bathroom. “Who knows what SHIELD had her do, all her files were destroyed, why?”

“What about you?!” Steve demanded and was immediately ashamed when Bucky flinched at his words. “We going to start judging people based on their past now? Where does that leave you?” He snapped his mouth shut, already hating himself for going there. “All I mean is, you’re better than your past, and nobody holds it against you; why can’t you give her the same courtesy?”

Bucky fixed Steve with a dark, heavy, hateful glare. “Glass houses, right?” He spat, his voice dripping venom and pain.

“Buck, c’mon-”

“Whatever.” The former assassin stormed out; jaw clenched.  

The briefing was tense. Bucky glowered at nobody and nothing while Levi listened with a grave intensity, flicking occasional glances at Bucky before returning her attention to the information. The mission, while simple, was delicate. Bucky and Levi were going deep undercover, posing as a married couple, to infiltrate and observe a curious abnormality in a small industrial community. It was the type of place where a large corporation had moved in and all but bought the town; most of the residents were employed in the corporation itself, while the rest depended on the worker’s business to survive. The company had been going on a hiring spree in recent months, enlarging its work base to almost double and deep digging had discovered suspicious ties to murky industries overseas, blank parent companies with flowery bullshit names that, if you dug even further, stunk of HYDRA.  

Bucky, to his flat curiosity, was to play a stay-at-home husband, a man who worked from home on computers (children’s book illustration, to Sam’s intense amusement) and rarely left the house while Levi would be the one to actually begin working at the company. While Levi worked to burrow her way into the dealings at the corporation, Bucky would spend his days sneaking around like a thief, planting bugs and wire-taps in the neighborhood that he would then be able to monitor in real time from almost directly on top of.  

The corporation was too legally backed and too savvy to be taken down by anything resembling a government or law enforcement tied investigation and so the here they were, ready to dive in, the old-school way.

“Your backgrounds have been sent to your tablets, memorize them; we’ve got everything up to and including how much the tooth fairy gave you as a kid. Your entire life is there if someone gets suspicious and starts digging.” Tony explained, rubbing his forehead wearily.  

“Did I miss something? Why is nobody asking why we’re sending a former HYDRA agent directly into a suspected snake pit?” Levi broke in suddenly, her voice hard. “I mean, the guy’s a cyborg, it kinda makes you stand out in a crowd.”

Ashamed anger flared in Bucky’s eyes and his lip curled involuntarily. Tony shifted uneasily in his chair, clearly wishing that Levi hadn’t brought up such a sticky point. Steve tensed, ready to intercept if things suddenly turned violent, dimly noting that the rest of the team was doing the same around him. Levi continued to stare levelly at Bucky, one brow raised and Steve admired her balls, they definitely clanged.  

“We don’t really have a choice. We can’t risk an in and out type surveillance, that’s why we gotta go old school. We need someone with the most experience at deep cover and Barnes here has made a living, involuntary as it may have been, at being invisible. He’s also got the real-time experience to evaluate and make determinations on what he picks up, without having to send out communications that might get detected or intercepted. And you’re new enough to the team that no one tied to HYDRA should recognize you. It’s a definite risk but one we need to take.” He paused then and winced as he continued. “Which is also why you have to cut your hair and dye it before you go, Barnes.”

“WHAT?!” Bucky exploded, leaping to his feet.

“Well, Lev’s got a point. Your arm you can hide, that shaggy, greasy mess you call hair, right out there to see.”

“When were you going to tell me this?!”

“You would have known this if you’d read the jacket earlier but you chose to storm out like a toddler.” Tony snapped and Steve groaned quietly. This was falling to shit awfully fast. Bucky was already chafing on a number of points, chiefly being working with Levi, followed closely with being stuck as the mole, burrowing around in the background like vermin and demanding he cut his hair was probably going to be the proverbial straw.

“Your wardrobes are being sent ahead with the ‘moving company’ to the house, you need to fit the preppy style chosen for you.”

“Preppy?!” He thundered, nearly apoplectic now. “I gotta be-” he paused, then spat the word. “A millennial?”

At this, Tony finally had the grace to look temporarily sheepish. “Starbucks chic.” He shrugged, cockiness returning.  

Tony had a death wish, that was the only explanation. Salvation, however, came from an unlikely source.

“Save your energy, Barnes. We gotta get going.” Levi cut in; her voice surprisingly soft. She ran a hand regretfully through her own auburn mane, and looked over at where Bucky stood, chest heaving, fists on hips. “I have to dye my hair too, and wear ‘vegan leather’ or some shit.” She stood then with a heavy sigh, gathering the tablet and folder of information in front of her, holding them to her chest. She met Bucky’s glare again, but surprise had drifted into his eyes now, his lips slightly parted. “C’mon, husband. Escort your wife to the beauty salon.” She turned to address Steve. “Meet us in the hanger in an hour?”

Steve nodded, surprise making him dizzy as Bucky seemed to cave, heaving an almighty sigh before gathering his own materials and storming after Levi, pausing only long enough at the door to whirl and give Tony the bird.  

*******************************************************************************************

An hour later, a Seattle metrosexual and his vegan-leather clad wife marched into the hanger, walking close enough to fool a layman into thinking they were friendly with each other, as long as you ignored the sparks of banked anger and resentment flashing in their eyes every time they happened to meet.  

Bucky was now blond, sporting the uber trendy slicked-back undercut and clearly uncomfortable in fitted khakis and a body-hugging long-sleeved, navy blue sweater. Levi was only slightly less uncomfortable with a harsh geometric bob in unrelieved black, skin-tight jeans and white, deep-v necked, button-down men’s shirt, the sleeves rolled up and left unbuttoned half-way down to her navel.  

Steve bit his lip to keep from laughing. They had an hour and a half quinjet flight, followed by a two-hour drive with Steve to a safe house, then another hour and a half drive without him further to their new ‘neighborhood’ to get comfortable and learn all the shit on their tablets. And to eighty-six this distance between them, not even trendy hipster couples practiced this level of ‘anti-love’.

Bucky glared daggers at Steve, correctly reading his amusement and stormed up the ramp. Without a word he threw himself into the rear-row seat; Levi watched him mildly before looking at Steve and offering a faint smile.  

“Think we have a chance?” She asked.

Steve fought a grimace. “I’m not worried about you, I mean, I am… but you can take care of yourself…. I’ve never seen Buck this wound up though.”

“He really doesn’t like me, does he?” There was a definite edge of sadness in her voice and Steve reached over, slinging an arm over her shoulders and pulling her close, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.  

“I don’t know what his problem is. He won’t tell me, and I’m worried what I said to him made it worse.”

“I doubt that, he respects you too much.” She paused, a little uncomfortably, then added. “We should get going.”

Steve nodded and turned, pulling Levi with him up the ramp and depositing her gently in a seat across from Bucky, to her faint amusement. Her smile however, faded when she slipped into the seat and remembered her ‘husband’ glowering at them both. Pulling out her tablet from a trendy over-sized tote, she smiled gamely at Steve while he strode further to the cockpit then turned her attention to reading her fictional past.  

With an aggravated sigh, Bucky yanked his out and began to do the same, glaring smoking holes into the screen.  

Steve barely held himself back from an only semi-ironic Hail Mary before beginning throwing the magic switch.

*******************************************************************************************

Levi stayed valiantly in her seat, despite the storm cloud next to her, and continued to memorize her story during the remainder of the flight. At times she’d feel Steve’s eyes on her and would glance up, grinning when they made eye contact, usually looking away in chagrin when a low growl from beside her would remind her that she wasn’t alone with the blond man.  

“Should be on this mission with him.” Bucky grumbled irritably. “Punk already looks metro.”

Levi rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath and praying to the fates for strength. Jesus Christ. “You are far from my dream partner too, Barnes. You think I want to spend the next how many months stuck with you? Pretending to…” she swallowed and while she didn’t really mean it this way, it looked like in revulsion, “love you? Dream on. The biggest asshole in the Compound and he’s all for me? How did I get so lucky?” Without waiting for a snarled reply, Levi deliberately pulled her knees up to her chest and turned her body away from Bucky, pointedly looking away and concentrating solely on her tablet.

Ears burning, Bucky chanced a glance up at the cockpit, fought a kneejerk sneer when he saw Steve’s disapproving frown. With his enhanced ears, Steve had just heard every word and Bucky was suddenly ashamed at the disappointment in his friend’s gaze. Gritting his teeth, he returned to his reading.  

Although he would have liked the company, Steve was proud that Levi stuck it out and stayed near Bucky, seeming to have completely erased him from her radar after her last burn. She hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true, unfortunately; since the Accords and Wakanda, Bucky had been struggling. He was the black sheep of the team, rejecting most social contact and glowering from the sidelines petulantly when forced to interact. The movie nights that Steve admittedly loved with the team were always made slightly tense when the Winter Soldier was made to attend. Nat was braver than most, dragging the man out of his self-imposed cave and demanding he stay and watch with them, but Bucky rarely relaxed enough to make it worth the trouble. Most of the team just gave him a wide berth now, a courteous acknowledgement when they passed in the hallways and little else.

He was a valued member of the team, no doubt; strong and capable on missions, but he just couldn’t seem to relax and the charming, charismatic man Steve had known before the war rarely volunteered conversation anymore, or even a smile. It hurt Steve’s heart, to see him struggle like this, but he was running out of ideas on how to help. Time didn’t seem to be doing anything but make Bucky more entrenched in his self-imposed isolation and, if he was being completely honest, Steve would have preferred to sit Buck out of this mission entirely. Maybe he needed to go back to Wakanda, maybe they shouldn’t have asked for him to return to the team after Thano’s defeat.

But he was the only man on the team fluent in enough languages, and familiar with HYDRA activities; he was the only one who could watch and evaluate what he was seeing and draw on his seventy-plus years of bitter experience to act accordingly. It sucked, frankly and Steve was infinitely sorry that Levi was going to have to suffer too. The woman was smart and capable and Steve’s mind and body hadn’t decided yet if the emotions and impulses he felt near her were brotherly or something far more intimate.

A small ping from the control panel reminded him that they were close to their destination and he yelled back to his flight mates about it, smiling in delighted surprise when Levi appeared and sat in the copilot’s chair, strapping herself in.  

Bucky watched her leave, watched her give Steve the smile she never gave him, feeling an unfamiliar pang deep in his chest.

*******************************************************************************************

“Okay, what high school did I graduate from?” Levi asked, glancing over her shoulder, quizzing her fictional husband.

“Thomas Jefferson High, Denver Colorado, home of the Spartans.” Bucky intoned, bored from the back seat.  

“My first dog?”  

“Mutt named Harvey, ran over when you were seven.” Bucky sighed dramatically.

“My apologies, your Highness.” Levi snarked. “Just making sure you read your homework.”

Bucky leaned forwards suddenly, poking his head between Levi and Steve’s shoulders. They’d been driving for less than an hour, but it seemed like forever. “Your full name is Madison Elise Jaeger-Harper, born June 2, 1994. Your mother was a whore who left the family when you were seven. Your step-monster was okay but definitely favored her own kids over the steps. You worked your sweet little ass off and graduated high-school early, which is the reason you’re so young and packing two majors-”

“And then I married a pompous, grouchy asshat and that’s how we ended up here!” Levi snapped, then whirled suddenly and grabbed at Bucky’s collar. Steve wasn’t sure if she was just that fast, to catch the Winter Soldier unaware, or if the man had let her, but it hardly mattered at this point. Levi yanked Bucky closer, their foreheads nearly touching and hissed, her voice so low and venomous that even Steve felt a cold finger trail down his spine.

“Listen here, Barnes.” Levi spat, nearly vibrating in fury. “This is not my dream assignment either, but if it somehow keeps HYDRA from infiltrating our world further, then I’ll do pretty much anything, even work in close proximity with you. But this is it, this is where this stops. Spit out whatever it that you hate so much about me and then get THE FUCK OVER IT. So help me, we are not going to blow this assignment because we can’t be professional!” Her eyes bored into his, her breathing heavy. “Well? Say it?!” Bucky only glared in return, fists clenched, his breathing just as labored. For the briefest moment, his eyes flicked down to Levi’s lips then back to meet hers, narrowing with anger.

With surprising strength, but not really surprising, Steve reminded himself, Levi was enhanced with almost the same serum as he was, Levi pushed Bucky away from her, the sound his back made when it hit the seat a loud crack. Both parties continued to glare at each other before Levi growled and broke the staring contest, turning around to glower out the windshield.

“Okay, that’s it.” Steve declared. He pulled the vehicle sharply over to the side of the road and threw it into park, whirling in his seat to face sideways. He leveled a stare at both teammates, until they looked away, cheeks reddening.  

“We need this to work.” He snapped. “We need to find out just how deep HYDRA goes in this town. I fought Tony on this to send someone, anyone else but you two, but I lost. So you both need to get this out and dealt with-”

Suddenly, Levi threw open her door and stormed out, marching angrily away. The whole car vibrated with the slam. They’d managed to pull over near some type of rest stop and Levi climbed onto a weathered picnic table a couple dozen feet away, in profile to the two men. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin on top and stared forwards into the trees beyond the rest area, chest still heaving. Tears poured freely from her eyes now, even as fury continued to blaze from them.

Steve stared at her for a long moment, then flicked his eyes up to the rearview mirror. There were too many emotions on Bucky’s face right now to name all of them, but predominant in his eyes was discomfort and shame. Finally, when Levi had finally broke and cried, it had finally reached him.  

“Fix this.” Steve snapped.  

His oldest friend’s eyes flicked to his in the mirror for the briefest instant, then down and away. Bucky heaved a deep sigh, not in irritation, but seemingly to get up his courage. He nodded once, silently, then exited the vehicle, walking slowly towards Levi, his hands jammed into his pockets.  

Steve watched silently as Bucky approached, saw Levi remain silent and unmoving as Bucky paused and called her name quietly. After a pause, he stepped closer and leaned against the picnic table, a safe distance from Levi, and crossed his arms over his chest, staring out at the trees with her.

*******************************************************************************************

“Levi… I’m sorry.” Bucky murmured, when a few minutes had passed and she still hadn’t acknowledged his presence.  

She remained silent and Bucky continued, shame making it hard for him to breathe. He hated to see someone else cry, to know he was the cause.  

“I… I can’t tell you right now what bothers me so much, I’m not even sure myself but… you’re right, Steve’s right. We need to do this; we need to be professional.” He exhaled and uncrossed his arms, grimacing as he rubbed the back of his head and felt freshly-shaved hair.  

Levi stared forwards for so long that Bucky was tempted to move his hand in front of her eyes, to see if she hadn’t fallen into some kind of catatonic state but he held back, biting his bottom lip, his arms crossed again, not it anger, but in defense, to ward off the chill that Levi’s emotions seemed to super-charge the air around them with. His shoulders hunched and he began to worry that he truly had broken something in her this time, that she would never willingly communicate with him again-

Levi turned her head soundlessly and fixed him with her amethyst gaze. “I’m doing this for the team, not for you.” Her voice was flat. “I’ve done deep cover before too, with SHIELD. I can play the part, can you?” There was a chilling lack of emotion in her voice that struck somewhere deep in Bucky, in a way he didn’t understand fully. She waited until he swallowed and nodded in return before pushing off the table and standing in front of him.  

She held out her hand to him, but the smile on her lips didn’t reach her eyes. “Hold my hand, husband?” There was an edge and a challenge in her tone and whereas before Bucky might have felt a need to bite back, the genuine sorrow she’d let him glimpse softened his reaction. He took her outstretched hand, gave it an experimental squeeze. Levi tensed only briefly before returning the action and Bucky laced his fingers with hers, an involuntary move that made him hesitate a beat, as he waited for Levi to reject it.

Her smile softened a bit, but still didn’t reach her eyes. She moved soundlessly beside Bucky as he guided her back to the vehicle and opened the door for her. Steve waited, reaching over to rest his hand on Levi’s shoulder, searching her eyes when she looked at him. His eyes tracked Bucky as he slid into the back seat, then moved back to Levi’s, asking a silent question of her with a raised brow.

Levi nodded in return and the smile she gave Steve did reach her eyes. “Let’s go.” She murmured, then reached for her tablet. “Okay Barnes,” she called back as Steve shifted into drive. “Test me now.”

[xekstrin]

Warm-Blooded

Title: Warm-Blooded Fandom: None (Original Work) Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance Tropes: Bodyguard Romance!  Warnings: None

Summary: Adhira Kahtri does not need nor want a bodyguard. Her meddlesome, rich, and devastatingly powerful family disagrees. So she does her best to ignore Emilia Roarke, who stares at her just a little too hard, and moves just a little too fast, to be entirely human.

You can also read this story on AO3.

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The last thing Adhira wanted was a bodyguard. But when the menacing letters escalated to phone calls and eventually an outright bomb threat, her family put their foot down. Enough was enough. The Kahtri family had plenty of enemies even without a daughter who straddled an arbitrary line between ethical and unethical science. If she was going to be assassinated, it would be after they had exhausted all avenues to protect her.

So she got a bodyguard. Or rather, one was foisted upon her.

"Emilia Roarke," she said out loud, and scanned over an impressive resume. Her eyes landed on an accreditation near the top. Lingered there. A fencer was unusual, but not unheard of. Adhira assumed they were mostly for vanity's sake. Of course her family would get a froofy bodyguard with all the bells and whistles. "Miss Roarke. Miss Roarke."

Adhira went over it again with disinterest, lacking any other reading material in the lab. Her new tablet was still being swept through for trackers, bugs, or viruses that might compromise her research, or leak any secrets to the family's enemies. She wouldn't get it back for hours, and while her productivity skyrocketed, she missed three calls from her sister.

That was a shame. She enjoyed their talks.

"It just seems superfluous after I already splurged on a PAA." Adhira told her once she got home. She idled in her kitchen, a cup of hot tea cradled in her hands. "Mother could have asked."

"It's a gift," her sister Trayi said in response. "Don't be ungrateful."

Adhira groaned. "I'm not b— don't start with that. It's just..."

"Extra?" Trayi supplied. 

How's that different from superfluous? she wanted to say, irritated. "It's all for show. Once this all calms down and people move on to other subjects to be outraged about, I can fire Miss Roarke."

"You're crazy. If our parents got a private contractor for me I'd keep her as long as I could."

"Well your job comes with that territory. I went into this field hoping to be left alone."

Instead all she got was a reminder that that wasn't happening. Not as long as they shared a surname. The subject moved from Adhira's bodyguard to Trayi's job, and what headaches her children were bringing her this week. Adhira listened attentively until her tea went tepid, neglected in favor of the conversation. Sipping at it anyway, her eyes were drawn to the PAA around her wrist. It was still new enough to be distracting.

"Hard to think a little bracelet can stop a bullet," she said, twisting her hand from side to side.

"It's not a force field," Trayi warned her. Dark black eyes, mirror to her own, honed in. "Some people out there make guns specifically to get past the Affect!"

"No," Adhira said in disbelief.

"Yes!" Trayi countered, leaning forward. Her finger waved in front of the camera. "Technology can only get you so far! Learn to trust another person from time to time!" 

Later, morbid curiosity brought her nothing but a sleepless night. The minute she ended the call she started researching if there were any guns with velocities low enough to not be registered by the Personal Anti-artillery Affect she wore when she was in public. Turns out there were many ways to kill someone even through the PAA. Knife wounds, for instance. Blunt force trauma. Poison. She flickered through them all until the health app on her tablet started asking her why she was jogging at two in the morning.

A little more research led her down a rabbit hole of videos online, of fencers slicing right through PAA's, the thrust slow but strong enough to not register as a threat. It was hard to find that perfect balance. Even a punch thrown too hard could be caught in the Affect. 

Adhira thought if anyone was bold enough to stab her, a bodyguard would not dissuade them. But still, she was suddenly glad Miss Roarke was a fencer. 

==

-

==

Ahdira's attention lingered on the hilt little too long during their first introduction. 

Since Emilia Roarke had her license, she was allowed to carry the hilt on her hip out in public. She wasn't very tall, which went against what Adhira assumed a bodyguard should look like. But then she supposed height didn't really matter more than skill. She was also very pretty; Adhira hadn't expected that.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Kahtri." 

Her eyes returned up, meeting Emilia's. The bodyguard had green eyes. There was something very intense about them. The way they shone made them seem almost like glass. Adhira assumed there were some kind of enhancements in her irises. "Nice to make your acquaintance as well, Miss Roarke."

The woman took her hand, shaking it swift and firm. "Emilia's fine." With one hand on the pommel of her sword, the bodyguard regarded her coolly. Her shining copper hair was pulled back into a tight, serious ponytail. It made her face look sharp. "Your family must love you a lot. I'm the best in the biz."

"Are you?"

Emilia's eyebrows darted up, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm the best," she repeated with just the right amount of surety and disbelief, as if it were the most obvious thing anyone could have said. She wore a grin that looked freshly-pressed, like her red suit.

Many people had that smile. A few years ago she'd seen a lot during interviews. That was before, though. When others had thought her research was interesting. Before the fringe groups got ahold of misinformation and spread it like wildfire. 

They'd painted her as a modern Mengele and the people who had fawned over her suddenly couldn't say her name or meet her eye. Adhira wondered when bacteria gained personhood, or why others were so deadset on preserving them. Regardless, she resumed her studies, which she personally found as controversial as Sudoku, and lost herself in her interests and her work.

Adhira's smile felt tight, but it wasn't feigned. She was genuinely amused, just a little tired and not functioning at 100% social skill. "It would be bad advertising if you had to say you were second-best."

"Gotta protect the brand."

"That's what I thought."

She led Emilia through the labs. The fencer swaggered, loose and slinking like a confident cat. 

"Tell you what." Emilia's voice spoke easy, easy like her walk, though her too-bright eyes made Adhira feel distinctly uneasy. She never seemed to blink. "Anybody gets past me, you can fire me."

"Anybody gets past you and I'm dead."

"Nah," Emilia said. "You'd put up a good fight. Unless you're the sort who freezes?"

Adhira had to stop mid-step. Only for a moment, hesitating, before her pace resumed. "Well, the last time someone tried... well, there's a reason my parents think I need protection."

"Oh. Well hey, hey, hey." 

The woman reached out and grabbed her. It sent a jolt through Adhira. Not fear, but just as strong. It was a shock to be touched, even as impersonal a touch as Emlia's palm around her wrist. 

She went still, looking from the pale hand touching her to Emilia's strange green eyes.

"Nobody's gonna get past me." Emilia gave her a little squeeze. She had a very warm hand. Adhira could feel the heat of her through the palm of her black leather glove. "Okay? Promise."

"Okay," Adhira said. 

The rest of the day she worked in gloves as well, sterile blue to Emilia's black. The latex wasn't nearly as thick; she wondered how hot Emilia's touch would feel if there were even less layers between them. Then she pretended she wasn't thinking that.

And Emilia remained a fixture in the labs, day in and day out. On those rare times Adhira went into town, Emilia followed. Occasionally she drove her home, though Emilia never passed the front doors. Just as well. It would have been a terrible disappointment. She merely existed in her home. It wasn't a place to live. It was a place to store her things and sleep and shower. Adhira had her groceries delivered and cooked rarely. Everything else was work. That's how it had been for a very long time and she liked it just like that.

Besides, her home security was up to date as all Kahtri estates had to be, to protect the lineage.

"What do you do during your time off?" Adhira asked, unprompted. 

Bacteria floated, suspended in the slide under her scope. 

Her bodyguard's loose body language tightened up a bit in confusion. "Huh?" 

"When you're not babysitting me." Adhira looked up from her sample to see Emilia standing, even though she'd offered her a stool. Emilia always stood. It was not exactly a lean or a slouch but she was always a little off-kilter. Something about the set of her shoulders was sleepy; it wouldn't have been odd if one day Emilia slid down right onto the floor to take a nap.

She never did, of course. 

"Relax. Train. See friends. Read." Emilia shrugged. "I'm boring."

She wondered how Emilia felt, coming to work every day only to do nothing. "You can read in here if you want to bring books in."

"I read on my tablet." Her glass-green eyes shimmered again. "Which I will never bring in here. I know the sweep you all need to do in order to 'okay' portable tech. And I don't want you judging my habits."

"Lots of romance?" Adhira guessed.

"An obscene amount of westerns," Emilia relented. "I like watching westerns, too."

"Contemporary or old-school?"

Emilia took a few steps closer. She relegated herself to that corner near the door, most days. Adhira wondered how she didn't die of boredom. It wasn't like Adhira was a great conversationalist. Even this moment was taking a lot out of her. But she was more curious than socially depleted.

"I like them all." Emilia's carefully unaccented English swapped to a southern drawl. "Pardner."

Without warning, Emilia's hand dropped to the hilt at her waist and she pulled it free. It was a whip-like movement, drawing steel at high noon.

At first Adhira wanted to laugh, then the noise died in her throat as Emilia summoned her weapon. The fiber-thin steel unfolded from the hilt to form a straight, sharp sword. The mechanism was completely silent, but Adhira swore she heard a hummmmm underneath, like raw power made it vibrate in place.

Emilia wasn't smiling, not at all. Her pale face creased with worry as she dashed towards Adhira, shouting her name.

The hum grew louder, and Adhira realized the sword was not the source of the noise.

The bomb hit with the force of a charging animal. 

It left the air around them burning. Knocked breathless, Adhira's vision swam through the flames, rippling like coils of smoke rising in the sky. 

The impact had been so sudden. An eyeblink. One moment standing and the next, she and Emilia were thrown through one of the thick glass doors of her open-space lab.

"I've got you,  Dr. Kahtri." Emilia was holding her, arms solid as cage bars around her. Holding tight onto the lapels of Emilia's jacket, Adhira croaked in fear, all words failing her. 

Miraculously, Emilia stood up, and brought Adhira with her. Glass shards clattered around them. Emilia's suit was nothing but bright red ribbons. 

Glass-green eyes scanned her up and down. "You okay?"

Through her shaking, Adhira managed to talk. "We have to go. Let's go. Can you walk?" She looked down at their feet. The shards of glass were at least four inches thick. Had the explosion broken them? How could Emilia withstand the kind of force needed to crash right through them? "H-how am I walking?"

Emilia cracked her neck as she twisted it from side to side. "I took most of the hit for you. If wewerk thrhuuwuu— urr— urr— "

Suddenly, her bodyguard started turning away. She held a palm to her face, speaking in a slur. Her head cracked a few more times, a startling clicking noise repeating over and over.

Terror gripped Adhira. She thought Emilia was succumbing to the impact, that she'd only gotten this far out of adrenaline and stubbornness. But Emilia raised a finger for her to wait.

Taking her sword, Emilia started sawing through her own face. 

It fell onto the floor in pieces, kicking up puffs of dust from the debris. When she turned back to Adhira, shining circuitry pulsed over Emilia's left cheek, her brow. The rest of her face looked the same, though a little distorted, as if grimacing in pain. 

"Come on." Emilia said. "Sorry, my face was acting up."

Emilia reached out for Adhira and the other woman flinched away. Another kind of terror rose up in her, less sharp but so much deeper. The realizations hit her one after the other.

My bodyguard isn't a human.

My bodyguard isn't a human.

My bodyguard is one of the six dozen.

I'm working with the most dangerous machine ever built.

Artificial Intelligence.

Everyone knew what they looked like, under the skin masks. The six dozen AI first programmed during that fateful year, before anyone knew the legal and political ramifications the act would spark. 

Only six dozen were ever made; after the watershed victory that granted them full rights as living autonomous beings, most of them went into hiding. Trying their best to live among us, like anyone else.

Adhira flinched away from Emilia, who paused there with her hand open and still reaching for her.

"It's just me," Emilia reassured her, gently. 

The metal on her face shone.

"I'm taking you somewhere safe. Let me do my job, Dr. Kahtri."

Allowing herself to be guided, Adhira did her best not to look at Emilia as they walked out of the burning building. In the distance she could hear sirens, but the world was spinning. She lost her balance, clutching onto Emilia for support. 

The AI's body was firm, but not unnaturally so. The disguise was horribly convincing. 

How did it mimic the heat, the weight, of human skin? How did she feel so warm, so good, the simple contact refilling Adhira's social batteries in an instant.

"The people who did this might still be nearby." An arm wrapped around her, carefully. "Stay close to me until the police arrive, hmm?"

Adhira nodded, trembling faintly. All around her sirens spun and wailed, lights flashing blue and red. The noises grew too much to bear; the last thing she remembered was crumpling onto the floor.

===

-

===

Her house was safer than any hospital. Adhira's parents called in a physician to do a home visit, as well as a mechanic for Emilia. 

Under the ragged skin remaining on her face, a number could be seen. 

Each and every one of the six dozen had an identification number. Some of them kept theirs out on display until the day they died, and refused to be turned back on. The public was endlessly fascinated with the Numbers, wikipedia entries and articles written about them, an intense fandom springing up around the functionally immortal robots who could look like anyone they wanted. 

Emilia was Number 57. A quick scan through known Numbers pulled up her history before her current face switch. Most of her public personas were 'retired' or 'dead', meaning she didn't wear those faces or go by those names anymore. Legally, she couldn't. Every time a Number changed their face they had to do a mountain of paperwork, but by all accounts a trait all Numbers shared is that they were patient. They had all the time in the world to do paperwork.

Sitting with a bag of ice over her head, Adhira stared through the open-floor plan of her house at Emilia, who was getting patched up. Her last iteration had been a career soldier. She spent an entire lifetime learning how to fight, and in this lifetime, she evidently used it to be a bodyguard for the elite.

"So what's the problem?" her sister asked, bringing Adhira's attention back down her tablet. "Miss Roarke did her job, didn't she? You'd be dead right now if I hadn't hired her."

"I guess I just don't know what to think," Adhira admitted. "Until it happened, I didn't even realize she was different."

"Well yeah. She's got the best fake skin money can buy." A little bit of grumbling. "Probably why her rates are so expensive."

Falling quiet again, Adhira watched the technician slowly seal Emilia's new face on. She stood at ease while they did, one hand on the hilt of her sword, her posture completely relaxed. 

What must it be like, Adhira wondered, to be that confident? To never need to rest? To not know fear? To change your appearance on a whim? She appeared so human, but it was literally only skin deep. 

Number 57, Emilia, noticed her watching and waved at her cheerfully through the glass. Adhira managed a weak smile in response. From just her profile, the bot looked normal. But when she turned to give Adhira her full attention, she couldn't help but wince. Half of it— her face— was still missing after the attack. Even if her unlucky bodyguard couldn't feel pain, Adhira felt guilty to see the exposed chrome shining under the lamplight.

Once the job was done Emilia tested her jaw with one hand before leveling another thin smile at Adhira, as if she knew exactly what she was thinking. Then Emilia winked.

Cheeks warming up, Adhira averted her gaze.

"She saved you," Trayi warned her, voice and face stern on the tablet. Looking at her sister was like staring into a mirror, where Adhira's reflection was always two degrees prettier and more posh than her. "Be nice."

"I'm always nice."

Her sister rolled her eyes and hung up. Probably on her way to another meeting with the Queen or whatever it was diplomats did in foreign countries when they didn't have science to keep them busy seven days a week. 

Later on, with her face fully attached, Emilia came over to check up on her. 

"Did something getcha?" she asked, noting the bag of ice. "I'm sorry, I tried to shield you as much as I could."

Adhira grimaced. "I bumped my head when I fainted."

"Ah." Emilia seemed too amused by that, in her opinion. "Sorry. Can't protect you from yourself."

They smiled at each other. Even though Emilia wasn't anywhere close to her personal bubble, Adhira thought she could feel the heat of her skin like a wave, rolling over her and leaving her dizzy. Closing her eyes, she shifted the icepack and sat down.

"Nobody told you about me, did they?" Emilia guessed, sitting down next to her. "Thought you knew."

"No. My parents gave me your superficial ID and resume. None of the— other things."

"I'm pretty public if you know my Number." Emilia's voice was soothing and low. She wondered how long it took to get a voice like that. What actress did they pay to hum and croon consonants and vowels and diphthongs into a box for a year, so that Emilia could string together noises that sounded almost normal? Now that she knew the truth, Adhira could pick out little ticks and buzzes where the replication was imperfect. "You can look me up if you want."

"I already did. You're very talented."

Emilia brightened up. "Thank you! I've been working hard at rounding out my skills. Learning swordsmanship has been especially rewarding."

A million questions sprang to the tip of her tongue. There was so much she didn't know. How often did someone get this opportunity? But all she wanted to know were the mundane things, that she would have asked any other woman. And she didn't want to seem nosy. 

And her head still hurt.

"Can you..." Adhira winced, shifting the ice pack again. "Stay here? A while longer?"

Emilia tilted her head to the side, a curious quirk. "Sure."

"I'll pay overtime. I just don't want to go to work alone tomorrow."

Sighing, Emilia tugged a handkerchief from her back pocket. She dabbed it against Adhira's brow, where the ice was starting to melt. "You're not going back to work tomorrow," she said. "Your lab is in shambles."

"We own a few other labs in the area."

"You could own all the labs in the country. You're staying home."

Resentment flared up in her. "On whose orders?"

"Your mother's," Emilia quipped. "She's the one paying me. Not you."

Oh. That made too much sense. 

Maybe she'd hit her head harder than she realized. Even if the doctors gave her the all clear, Adhira spent the rest of the day lost in a haze, staring off into the distance or fitfully trying to get some sleep. She checked the locks on every door and window, twice, even though she knew Emilia already had tapped into her home security network. She called Trayi and convinced her, again, that she didn't need to fly overseas just to check on Adhira. She was fine, really.

Most distressing was the loss of her physical samples. She recorded everything she worked on, of course, but so much work would have to begin again from scratch. Adhira wondered if she'd have to go to work past picketers again, as news spread of this attack. Some would be sympathetic, and others would realize she was the ideal sort of target to attack for publicity and notoriety. They'd see her injured and it would trigger that predator instinct so many people seemed to have, where they piled on at the first sign of vulnerability.

She remembered being a girl, driving past crowds of people. Angry about the Numbers, even though they'd already been legal for generations. Every so often things went back and forth in waves, as humans died and forgot and made the same arguments over and over again, and the six dozen bots watched and recorded it all as their numbers slowly dwindled. 

Numbers didn't change, it was true. But really, neither did humanity.

Emilia was downstairs, lingering in the kitchen. She had her own tablet out, headphones in. Faintly, Adhira heard pop music wafting out. 

Adhira frowned to see it. "How are you going to hear an intruder like that?"

"I have two sets of consciousness," Emilia answered, not looking up. "Another part of me is paying attention while I distract myself. And I don't detect danger audibly, anyway."

She honed in on the first part. "Two sets of... all right, I need to know, how do you get through long days in the lab without getting bored to death? Do you shut off your second brain and let elevator music play in the background?"

"I'm usually playing a backlog of old westerns," Emilia breezily agreed. "Since I can't bring my unscanned tablet inside the lab I just use my memory."

"Have you been scanned? This sounds like a data breach risk waiting to happen."

"I am not interested in your bacteria samples, doctor, nor would I allow anyone to use me as a backdoor to access them." She assured her with a thin smile, finally looking up from her tablet. Coils of copper red hair had peeled out of her bun, messily framing her face. "They're safe with me."

Folding up her tablet, Emilia tucked it into her breast pocket. The technician who fixed her face also brought her a spare set of clothes. No flashy suit today, just a dress shirt and passibly formal pants. Adhira wondered if it was easy to sword fight in those. Maybe Emilia had them especially made. 

"Are you bored?" Emilia countered. "Is that why you're wandering around? It's three in the morning and you should be asleep."

"I can't get comfortable." The Affect she wore kept any shrapnel from hitting her, and Emilia took the worst of the blast, but she was still finding bruises all over her body.

"I see."

Now that she knew those eyes were indeed made of glass, they seemed to shine all the brighter. They didn't move like eyes normally did. They bored into her, tunneling deep and uncovering everything she had hidden.

"Then would you..." Emilia started uncertainly. Instead of fidgeting, like a human, she went absolutely still. Strange, how her normal mannerisms shone through. Not idle shifting, but something solid and motionless as steel. Her natural state. "...Like to watch a movie?"

She considered it. "Does it have to be a western?"

"It can be whatever you like. But I'd prefer a good old shoot 'em up with a duel at high noon."

"I guess it can't be helped, then." She ought to do something with that big screen in her living room, after all. Adhira used it once when it was installed and then never again. 

She didn't remember anything about the movie. Adhira had perched on the edge of her couch until Emilia landed heavily right next to her, put an arm around her shoulder, and tugged her close. She made a noise of surprise, but didn't pull away. Not when the body close to hers was so warm. 

Adhira fell asleep halfway through the film, and woke up in her own bed, the blankets tucked around her.

A robot bodyguard.

Adhira stared up at her bedroom ceiling, arm thrown over her forehead. The repercussions came at her, one after the other. The consequences. The risks. The implications.

"Fuck it," she said after a while. "I'm already in trouble with the fundies."

In for a penny, in for a pound.

===

-

=== 

The size and scope and power of the Kahtri family, with their fingers in every branch of government and law (and one little pinkie in medicine because of Adhira), meant she had an operational lab by the end of the week. Adhira went right back to it, grateful to no longer be idle. 

"Most people would have taken a vacation." 

In the next few months Emilia became closer than a shadow. No longer keeping to herself by the door, she followed Adhira as she moved about the labs, into her offices. They spoke, but not frequently. More often they listened to audio dramas or music. Adhira uploaded a few of Emilia's favorites onto her own tablet, since the especially soap-operatic ones were cushy enough to not be distracting. 

"Most people aren't me."

Emilia's eyes flickered in a way she'd come to recognize as soft agreement. "So your family approves of your research."

"They wish I had gotten into politics like my sister." Adhira stretched. "But I've proven lucrative. And as long as she has her children there will be less pressure on me to keep the family name."

"Don't like kids?"

"I like children just fine." It was the truth. Children were interesting, not fully formed yet. All wobbly, like clay. They spoke unfiltered. And Adhria loved her nieces and nephews. She indulged them endlessly when she got to see them. "I just don't want to have any. I don't suppose you ever plan to adopt?"

It was a rude and personal question, but Adhira figured Emilia had already opened the door. She was just walking through it. There were more than a few Numbers who successfully reared and raised families. The main rival of the Kahtri dynasty was led by one, after all. Having a member of the family who didn't die meant they were a lot more stable than the many branches of siblings and cousins that Adhira had to navigate. 

"Seems like an easy way to break my own heart," was Emilia's opinion on the matter.

===

-

===

Finally, Emilia decided that Adhira had stared enough. 

"Come here."

There was a small courtyard outside the new lab, where other researchers came for cigarette breaks. Instead of that, Emilia drew Adhira closer, standing behind her with both hands on her hips. "Keep it loose. You're too rigid."

Adhira had the hilt in her hand. It was active, blade extended. "I don't know what that means."

"Means you're all tight." Emilia kept one hand on her hip, the other gripping around Adhira's wrist. "You need to relax. Know what happens to steel that doesn't bend?"

"No. What happens?"

Guiding Adhira by the wrist, Emilia had them swing the sword once. It whistled as it sliced nothing but air, cutting through the silence around them. "It breaks."

They ran through some drills together. Adhira had a lot to unlearn about how to wield a sword, by Emilia's estimation. "And the rest is just practice."

"Maybe I should take up fencing myself. I need an excuse to stay physical."

Emilia agreed, and the next day, she came to work with two blunt practice swords.

Tossing one to Adhira, she grinned. "Let's start before lunch, and build up your appetite."

Crossing blades also happened mostly in silence. Nothing but the whistle of steel and the clack of her blunt blade hitting Emilia on her unbreakable body. Adhira appreciated that; Emilia did not talk to fill silence or to alleviate boredom. She respected Adhira's time and energy. Not many people did that. Even those paid to be in her presence.

"Dr. Kahtri," Emilia said, "I think when we graduate to live steel, you will be a force to be reckoned with."

Adhira had never been hungry for praise. She knew when she was doing a good job and didn't need anyone else to inform her. She also was keenly aware of all her failures. So hearing the kind words made her... off-kilter, since she was so new to fencing. She didn't know if she was actually good, or if Emilia was just humoring her.

It became even more complex when Emilia insisted on dropping her off at home every night. Until one night she insisted on walking her all the way to her door. And then one night she lingered by the door, her hand over Adhira's.

"Is it okay if I come inside?"

Dimly aware that the offer was possibly inappropriate, Adhira struggled to find a reason to refuse. She had never been the best at navigating social situations, or the proper protocol to follow during them. She only knew what she liked. "Why?"

"To watch another movie." Emilia's voice had gone softer, soft enough that Adhira strained to catch it. 

"I might fall asleep again."

Emilia's hand hadn't left hers. She radiated an incredible amount of heat, more than most people. It had to be how she was built. When she stepped closer, Adhira felt soothed by that warmth the way a weary traveler longs for a hearth fire. "Then I'll carry you to bed again."

"You don't sleep, do you?" Adhira said, just to confirm. Emilia nodded. "That must be so convenient."

"Can't say. I've never known anything else." The pressure on Adhira's hand increased as Emilia's fingers curled over her own. She brought their linked hands up to her mouth, dropping a kiss on her knuckles.

Oh. 

Adhira's cheeks grew hot. "You're my employee."

"I'm your mom's employee." Emilia grinned. 

"Fine." Adhira pulled free, expecting resistance. But Emilia didn't cling, even if her grip stayed flexed, as if she was still holding on, or maybe she just wished she was still holding on. "But surely between two brains you can string together enough common sense to know why this isn't a good idea."

"Doctor." Emilia's green eyes focused and unfocused, a lens inside adjusting to the setting sun's dying light. "Saying I have 'two brains' is a gross oversimplification of my technology, and undersells exactly how much smarter I am than you."

The flames on her face traveled up from her cheeks to halo her skull. Veins pulsed, anger pounding thickly through them. It was as unfamiliar to her as everything else Emilia made her feel. The intensity of them, if not the emotions themselves. 

Emilia was taunting her— trying to get a reaction out of her—

Teasing her? 

The glitter in Emilia's eyes said she was amused, not angry, but Adhira didn't know how to feel. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" Her grin widened. "Dr. Kahtri, I've been flirting with you since the very first day we met. It's been nearly half a year. If I don't press harder, you'll never get the hint."

Her lips had gone dry. Licking them was worse than tonguing rough leather. 

"So." Emilia said it slowly, bracing her arm next to Adhira's head. She was still trapped against her own front door; if she opened it she could escape this situation, but she didn't want to. "We should hang out sometime. Off the clock."

"We're off the clock right now. And you're probably already watching a movie, aren't you?" Adhira scoffed. "With your second brain."

"Maybe I am. You'd never be able to tell." Emilia leaned in closer. "Do you want all my attention even when you can't register the difference?"

"Of course I do." Adhira snapped. "Nobody likes to think someone is with them on auto-pilot." Even if they weren't talking about a robot.

"Why, Dr. Kahtri. I had no idea you were so greedy," Emilia said, and kissed her.

[starryse]

Undead and the Living

Seventeen Zombie Apocalypse! AU

Words: 2,233

Genre: Supernatural, Zombies, Purely Fictional

Seventeen X reader, but the male lead is undecided until later chapters.

Chapter One

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The clock was slowly ticking by, as if time had just abruptly stopped. Pencils clicking against the wooden desks could be heard throughout the classroom as your teacher collected the tests. Most students had their heads down, ready for the bell to ring for break. You, however, had your eyes trained on the window to your right, continuously looking around the schools yard, as if something would magically appear and take away the boredom etched in your eyes.

As time went on, the ever lasting quiet continued, and the peers around you began to slowly drift off, drool evident as it seeped onto the geometry books in front of them. And you couldn’t blame them, with the mix of the silent room and the fact you had woken up merely two hours ago, drowsiness had fought its way to you as well. Your hand rested against your head, as you leaned onto the front of your desk, head slowly slipping down your arm. Everything was calm as you found yourself being in between your dreams and being awake.

What felt as hours had only been a few minutes when a sudden burst of yelling was heard through your closed classroom door. Your eyes snapped open as you slowly brought your head up. The confused eyes of your classmates travelled around the room, everyone looking around at each other as if they knew what was happening outside. Murmurs of what was going on were drowned out by the resounding noises that grew louder and more apparent. The bearded man who was once grading everyone’s tests rose from the spot behind his desk, stepping out to the door.

You sat in the corner, slumped by the window, curiously watching the teacher to see his reaction of the chaos outside. “Everyone stay here, and please keep calm and stay quiet. I’ll be back, I want to see what this uproar is about. Stay in your seats!” The teacher dismissed the class, opening the door and disappearing into the havoc taking place. As quickly as the man had walked out the door, it was slammed shut behind him.

Almost immediately after the adult had left the room, the air grew loud with conversations surrounding the events that could be happening just outside your classroom walls. All though you remained in your seat, not mixing in with all the rising talk, you couldn’t help but wonder yourself what exactly was going on. Was someone in your school? Did a famous singer suddenly show up at your schools front door? Was a fight going on? All these options had you slightly worried, no matter how big or small they may possibly be.

As you aimlessly looked at the classroom door, praying what was going out there stayed out, the boy with the rounded face that had been sitting next to you since the beginning of the school year, turned over to look at you.

“What do you think thinks going on out there? Soonyoung said he thinks it’s the freshman’s rallying against the no sugar ban.” As if you were brought back out of a trance, you turned to face the owner of the questions.

Honestly, you didn’t know what was going on out there. You didn’t even have a good guess as to what was happening. All the ideas that were temporarily filling up your thoughts were just irrationally based off of the curiosity and fear of what it could be. Sighing, you leaned back into your chair, sliding away a fly away from your face.

“Honestly, Seungkwan, I wish I knew. I don’t have a solid guess. I mean, for all we know maybe Soonyoung’s right. It just seems weird that all the screaming, and what seems like bombs going off, would be from a simple ban of sweets and sugary shit.” You glanced over at Seungkwan, then turned your head to look back at your original gaze of looking out the window.

Seungkwan hummed in agreement, his hand moving to ruffle his hair back. “That’s true, for all we know a horde of zombies could be roaming our halls.” Seungkwan booed like a ghost as he wiggled his fingers in your direction.

Laughing at the boys sad attempt to lighten the mood up, you swatted his hands away from getting closer to your sides as they inches closer. You grinned before reaching over to shove his shoulder, “you’re going crazy, Seungkwan.”

“Quite possib-“

Before Seungkwan could finish his retaliation, a loud thud banged against the shut classroom door. As everyone got up to examine what was now stuck against the door, you leaned over the desk trying to get a peak for yourself. Unfortunately for you, your desk was sat in the far back corner, not in a viewing distance of the silver door the students were gathered around.

A loud series of screams and curses were heard, the crowd jumping away from the door and scrambling to stand as far back from the entrance as possible.

“THERES A FUCKING HAND ON THE GLASS” the tall grey haired boy pointed to the door, ducking behind the now deceased teachers desk.

Not believing what the giant had,

ear-piercingly screeched, you stood up from the comfort behind your desk, walking your way over to the once crowded door.

You rolled your eyes at the immature words that were said, “Seriously you guys, were not 5. How about we don’t play sick jokes like tha- WHY IS THERE A BLOODY HAND ON THE DOOR, AND WHY IS IT MISSING FINGERS”.

Your hand grasped across your mouth, your

e/c eyes beginning to widen like the bug you spotted on the way to school. You looked around the room, making sure you and the now terrified Mingyu, whom was still hiding behind the desk, weren’t just going crazy.

In the midst of the freaking out and panicking everyone was doing INSIDE the classroom, you all had seemed to forget just what was happening outside. The bickering happening between you and the class was soon cut off.

“WAIT”

The class immediately shut their mouths at the sudden outburst from the class rep, Seungcheol. All heads turned toward the boy who was etching his way closer towards the door.

Soonyoung furrowed his eyebrows together, stepping away from Seungkwan, who was just ranting about the bloody hand, whose blood was still tragically smeared over the glass.

“What is it Coups?” Seungcheol looked out the door, scanning over the scene outside the safe haven classroom, his face mimicking the one the younger boy was showing. He turned his body back to his peers, them all messily scattered across the room.

“Do you guys hear that??”

You looked over at the boy by the door, walking over to where he was standing.

“Um, I don’t.. hear anything” you tilted your head, glancing over to Seungcheol. You pondered for a moment, maybe Coups is going crazy? His face frowned upon that, but his eyes told a different story. If he kept rolling them they’d end up falling out of his head, pft.

“EXACTLY- you don’t hear anything! Do you not recall the screaming and bangs that were JUST happening?”

As if on cue, your eyes widened once again. Your mouth widened, as a long oh fell out. You turned back around to the door, looking out the reddened glass.

Parts of bodies were left along the hallway floor. Massacred bodies were pressed against the long lockers, and splotches of dark red painted the once white walls. The lights that had previously lit up the narrow corridor were now glitching and hanging from wires off the ceiling. It truly looked like a scene from a horror movie.

Your hand covered your once hung open mouth, tears threatening to leak passed the surface of your eyes. “Oh my God, I- is.. is this what we were hearing?” You turned away from the horrifying scene. Your classmates. Your teachers. People you’ve known since you were 5, they were gone.

Mingyu got up from behind the desk, walking over to your huddled figure. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you away from the door. “Hey, hey, you’re alright y/n-ah. It’s out there, your fine. We’ll get through this, yeah? Cmon, lets sit down, hm?”

Mingyu was the closest thing you’ve had to a brother, a sibling in general. You grew up together, he was literally the boy next door. The first time you met the goofy giant wasn’t the best first impression a person could have. One minute you were playing soccer with your cousin, next minute you had a baseball flying at your face. One bag of frozen peas and a black eye later, you became friends with the frantic brown eyed boy who came rushing over apologizing endlessly. Truly the rest was history, the frantic energy never left him and he was there whenever he was called.

Mingyu sat you down on the widow ledge by the desks, leaning you against the wall. Everyone either came over to comfort you, or filed over to the door to see what had you worked up. Gasps were heard from the group huddled around the door.

It must have been near lunch time now, yet no one had the strength to make a move out the door. The images from the other end of the door were still glued in everyone’s brains. You were now sat in the teachers desk, rummaging through the drawers to find anything to get in communication with someone. Of course, the one time your school decides to get rid of any tech use.

Quiet conversations could be heard throughout the small room, and things seemed to be awfully silent outside as well. Out of the corner of your eye, a movement outside the door caught your attention. You tilted your head over to the door, narrowing your eyes towards the figure. “Pst! Cheol! Come over here!” You waved your hands over to the dark haired boy.

Seungcheol got up from the desk across from you, slowly walking his was over to your shrinked down figure. You both crouched down behind the door, popping your heads up just enough to peer over the glass. The figure you noticed earlier was now getting closer to the door, it’s pace steadily increasing when it sensed yours and Cheol’s presence.

“Fucking Hell I think it sees us! We need to move back, go, GO!” Seungcheol ushered you away from the door, the two of you fast crawling across the dirty floor. Your bodies immediately hid behind the desk, once again only showing enough to see what was coming at a quicker pace towards the classroom.

The figure was now directly in front of the door, it’s disheveled face practically stuck to the blood smeared glass.

“Is- is that Mr. Jeong?!” The blonde haired girl, whom you didn’t even know the name of, walked over to the door.

“JINAH NO, Get back!” Oh. So that’s her name. Her friend, you had presumed, pulled her back from being in the sight of the horrifying figure outside. Too little too late.

Your now rotting teacher had already seen her. The corpse began pounding on the door, it’s body jamming into it repeatedly. Not risking what could happen if it kept that up, you began to push desks in front of the door that was slowly beginning to creak open.

Taking your lead, a group of boys began to mimic your actions, quickly placing things in front of the door. They began stacking the desks, building up a wall in front of the thing on the other side. The door began to break from the constant beating, it’s hinges coming off of its sides and the wooden frame cracking into pieces. Everyone jumped back, praying the stuff in front of it would keep the decayed teacher out. The door began to crumble down, bringing the corpse with it.

Soonyoung walked in front of the group, getting as close as possible to the hallway as he could. A small ew could be heard from the red haired guy, his shoulders visibly cringing back. Soonyoung turned back a round, a slight smile on his face.

“Good news, the zombie thing is dead! Bad news, we’re trapped in our school during a zombie apocalypse.”

“Thank you captain obvious, please, any more info we should know?” The boy to your right spoke up, a displeased look taking over his features.

“Actually, Minghao, yes. That was the first undead thing we’ve encountered the past few hours we’ve been here. And luck just happened to be on our side when the stupid thing killed itself on accident” Soonyoung walked over to your now dead teachers desk, spinning the chair around with his foot

“...Butttt not every zombie is going to do that, and I have an itching feeling that’s not the only dead thing with us here. So. We need a plan, my friends.” He finished his little speech with a grin, sitting himself on top of the wooden desk.

Everyone’s mind went blank as the realization set in. You were in a zombie apocalypse. Flesh eating zombies are now roaming everywhere, and you just happened to be in a school.

You sighed, running a hand through your h/c hair. “Alright. Let’s come up with a plan then, and one that doesn’t end up with us all becoming a zombies lunch.”

[kumeko]

ghost in the shell

Character/Pairing: Aikoto—Aigis, Makoto

A/N: Wrote this for the @aikotozine. I’m not 100% happy with it but I’ll leave it alone. :/

Summary: Customer #3. Never found without his coffee and his headphones. Always walking straight out of the shop. It was a deviation of the norm that he was standing here, in front of her. Aigis would have to investigate this.

...

...

...

...

“Have you pinpointed the bug yet?”

 “Do you know how much code’s in her? It’ll take months.”

 “We don’t have months! She was supposed to be fully operational by now.”

 “Well, I can’t make it any faster! Why don’t we just reboot the system?”

 -x-

 “French vanilla,” repeat customer #3 requested, his voice almost inaudible.

 From her corner, Aigis could only tell what he asked by reading his lips. Her seat offered her a view of the entire coffee shop, allowing her to study the customers discretely. For the most part, there were no issues but repeat customer #3 always talked quietly, too quietly sometimes for even her sensors to pick it up. From her observations, humans with headphones generally talked at a higher or lower pitch than the norm, but even this was beyond that.

 For that matter, she had never seen him without those headphones. What was he listening to? Other repeated customers would generally take off their headphones while they ordered but he never removed his. Even his hair seemed to get in the way, his long blue-black bangs covering an eye. What sort of human voluntarily deafened and blinded themselves? As though he noticed her stare, he turned to her and gave her a smile.

 That was a deviation from the norm. Aigis put a bookmark on his file.

 -x-

 “Reboot? That’s expensive.”

 “It’d be more expensive to lose her.”

 “We could still lose her—I’m not sure how much data this will wipe.”

 “Do it anyways. We’re behind schedule as it is—the battle’ll be over before we deploy her.”

 -x-

 Social interactions, Aigis had been told, were the point of this exercise. They had filled her with enough knowledge to do almost anything, but she needed to learn how to interact with humans.

 So she spent her mornings in this café, recording people and their behaviours and now repeat customer #3 was sitting across from her. While she could not understand his intentions—lust? Curiosity? Boredom?—this was the next step for social learning.

 If she succeeded at this, then she would be considered complete. Her processors ran through various greetings and she settled on an appropriate one. “Hello. The weather is great.”

 Repeat customer #3 raised an eyebrow and glanced out the window. It was raining. She had picked the wrong starter. Before she could correct herself, he asked, “Do you like the rain?”

 His voice was firmer than she’d expected, considering how soft it was. He slid his headphones off till they rested on his collarbone. Aigis slowly shook her head, remembering the action from the lead scientist. “No.”

 If anything, that confused him even more. He opened his mouth to ask a question and then seemed to think better of it. Slowly, he stirred his coffee as Aigis waited for him to speak. That was how conversations went—each person spoke in turn.

 Unless she had accidentally terminated it. Which was possible, the other scientists often stopped talking after ‘no’ as well. Before she could verify, the repeat customer held out his hand. “I’m Makoto.”

 Makoto. She updated his file, committing his name to memory. “Aigis,” she answered, taking his hand and squeezing it. As he winced, she quickly reduced the pressure of her grip. His skin was more calloused than she’d expected. There were bags under his eyes, a sign of that he needed more sleep.

 “You have a strong grip.” He shook his hand when she released it.

 “I am very strong,” she confirmed. When he didn’t say anything, she considered mentioning her specs. Perhaps he needed to know what alloy—Makoto laughed. Uncertain of how to respond, she stared at him. Had she missed a joke? “Is something funny?”

 “No.” He shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. “You’re here every day, right?”

 “Yes. Every morning.”

 “That’s good.” He smiled at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow too, then.”

 -x-

  “Reboot initiated: 10, 9, 8...”

 -x-

 “You don’t like coffee?” Makoto asked as he sipped his usual. “Why are you in a cafe?”

  “Studies,” she responded honestly. For some reason, the café felt emptier than usual—were the walls always so plain?—but Aigis paid it no mind.

 True to his word, Makoto chatted with her daily now. Apparently he was a student though Aigis was not certain if a student should be drinking so much caffeine. There were plenty of studies that mentioned the harm to his health and even the cost benefits of withholding purchases. When she’d brought it up, he had laughed again. Somehow, she was very good at making him laugh. Just like the rest of him, it was quiet laugh. It fascinated her all the same.

 Makoto rested his cheek on his hand. “Are you an exchange student?”

  Aigis considered his question, examining her clothes. The black school uniform was supposed to help her blend in with the locals. “Why do you think I’m a foreigner?”

 “Your hair.” He inclined his head, indicating her blond locks.

 She touched them gingerly. Perhaps she should get them painted over. It was true that her hair colour was not the most common one in this region. “I see.”

 His eyes never left hers and she wondered just who was the observer between them. “What do you study?”

 There were a dozen ways to answer this. She picked the simplest one. “People.”

 A flash of confusion crossed his face before he shrugged. He did that a lot too and she updated her conversation algorithms. Clearly that was not a typical response. “Apathy syndrome? It’s been more frequent lately, hasn’t it?”

 Not quite what Aigis meant but she nodded her head. “The number of customers here has dropped recently.”

 Something flickered across his face, a dark expression she couldn’t quite understand. “It’ll be fixed soon.”

 “How do you know?” She had yet to find any medical records indicating a cure.

 “Just…a hunch.” A lie. Aigis could see it in his body language. Before she could press, he changed the topic, holding out his headphones.  “There’s a band I’m listening to recently. Want to listen?”

 It was an obvious attempt to change the topic. She should follow up on him but her hand reached out for the headphones instead.  It was strange; Aigis found herself doing a lot of illogical things with him. The sound of guitar played as she slid the pair on, a woman talking more than singing along: Dreamless dorm, Ticking clock. “This is nonsense.”

 “Maybe. It’s called Burn My Dread,” Makoto replied, not offended in the least. There was a slight curl of his lips, a softening of his eyes, indications she had learned to recognize as joy for him.

 She listened to the whole song, recording it and adding it to his file.

 -x-

 “…80%, 82%, 86%...”

 -x-

 “Hey, Aigis?” Makoto hesitantly sat next to her.

 He was not normally that shy and she stared at his face. For some reason, it was hard to focus on his features, to find any distinctions. Even his voice sounded off, like an old recording. “Makoto?”

 He gripped his headphones, a nervous tic of his. It was serious then. Important. “There’s something I have to do, to help everyone. To help you.” He swallowed and then looked at her eyes. “I’m not sure if I’ll survive it.”

 “Makoto?”

 “I’ll try to come back to you, Aigis. I lo—”

 Aigis couldn’t hear his voice anymore. There were no lips to read, no expressions to guess off. What little of the café was left had disappeared, leaving only the two of them sitting in a white void. His hands reached out to grip hers but the sensation was lost.

 Before she could reach back, he disappeared.

 -x-

 “All right, reboot complete!”

 “Good, double check her systems.”

 Aigis could hear voices. Soft, indistinct voices, as though they were coming through a filter. Her eyes refused to open and her sensors were off. Briefly, she wondered if she were injured.

 “Looks good. I see no traces of Makoto in her databanks anymore.”

 “I still don’t get it, how did she create a set of false memories? She can’t imagine anything.”

 “A malfunction, probably. Or a virus.”

 “I wonder why the barista only called us now—she must have been talking to herself for months. Oh, sir, you came back in time.”

 A new voice joined the mix. “How is she?”

 Suddenly, Aigis could move again and she opened her eyes. She was in the lab again. “Did I get injured?” she asked. She was not scheduled for a check up.

 “You’re awake.” A man with an eyepatch looked down at her. Kirijo, her data helpfully informed her. “Run diagnostics.”

 Aigis double checked her operations. “No errors to report.”

 “Aigis, do you know anything of a Makoto?”

 “Makoto?” She cross-referenced her data. “A popular name for both male and female Japanese infants. Should I go into more detail?”

 “No, that’s fine.” Kirijo studied her once more. “Perhaps if you were ready to fight in time, we might not have lost him. Maybe it wouldn’t have come to down to this.”

 Confused, Aigis stared. “Ready to fight what?”

 “Nyx, though I suppose that’s no longer important.” He turned to go. “I am sorry for what happened. To Makoto. It’s one thing to die, it’s another to be erased.”

 “Makoto,” she repeated and she wondered how a single word could feel so sad.

 -x-

 Aigis sat in a café, in a booth with the best view of the room. She could see everyone from here and for the most part, hear them as well. It was a good way to learn about social etiquette, the last thing she had to acquire to be complete.

 The barista set down a French vanilla in front of her. “Are you sure you want this?”

 She stared down at the drink. It was meaningless to her, she could not taste it. Despite that, somehow it felt right and she nodded to her. “This is fine.”

 Maybe she could use that to converse with the other patrons. They all had drinks, after all. Aigis sat back and watched as the door opened and a woman stepped in. Faintly, in the back of her head, she heard an electric guitar play.

 I’ll lift my face and run to the sunlight.

 The words comforted her, for some reason. Maybe today she’d try initiating a conversation.

[purplesurveys]

686

1. What previews did you see at the last movie you saw in theaters? I don’t even remember dude. I do remember the last movie I saw in the cinema was Knives Out, but we were too late to see the previews and arrived exactly when the movie started. The movie I saw before that wasssssss Portrait of a Lady on Fire, but that was so long ago I definitely don’t remember the previews that showed beforehand – or if there were any, at all. 2. Have you ever washed your hair with mayonnaise? Ok I love mayonnaise, but that shit goes in my mouth and not anywhere else in my body lmao. 3. How many things are you a fan of on Facebook? I stupidly liked so many pages when I was 14 and new to Facebook...it must be in the hundreds. I think I still like most of them, but I’m just too lazy to unlike each of them. 4. Do you have more friends on Myspace or Facebook? Facebook is a sure winner here because I don’t even have a Myspace.

5. What generation iPod do you have? I don’t know...it’s an iPod from 2008, though. The really thin one that comes with games, and the screen is already colored. 

6. What celebrities share your birthday? James McAvoy and Queen Elizabeth II are the biggest names I think. I Googled to confirm anyway and it turns out I share a birthday with Iggy Pop too. Pretty diverse group lmao. 7. What's your first and last name spelled backwards? Nybor, and that’s all you’re getting now. 8. What song is playing at the moment? No song, just two electric fans whirring loudly here in the first floor, and my sister watching a playthrough of some game she’s into on YouTube. 9. Do you clench your teeth when you're angry? Ugh no. I hate the feeling/texture/sound of grinding my teeth. I find it a little disturbing and I wince when I hear someone doing it in their sleep :/ 10. Have you ever been to a movie that sold out? Yeah, Killing of A Sacred Deer was surprisingly sold out when we watched it. Then again we were in the part of the city where people are more likely to watch films like that, so maybe it’s not that surprising after all. Other movies I remember being sold out was the entire Twilight Saga HAHAHA. I went to 4/5 midnight screenings and the cinema was packed every time.

11. Have you ever been to a midnight movie? ^ Just mentioned it. 12. It's 2010; are you gonna say oh-ten, twenty ten, or two thousand ten? I always say twenty-ten. 13. How many of your classes change next quarter? Next semester? I graduate next semester...hopefully. This virus is really ruining my life plans for 2020, especially as a graduating student who was expecting to graduate by June and get a job by like, September. 14. Do you believe in the paranormal? Only ghosts. 15. How old are the shoes you're wearing? I’m barefoot at the moment. I haven’t been outside in a WHILE, so I haven’t had to wear shoes in a while as well. 16. What's your state's weather usually like this time of year? The Philippines is a relatively tiny country so our weather from the northernmost to southernmost tips are uniform. That being said, March to June is our summer season so the *country’s weather is very humid and excruciatingly hot for now. Temperature usually plays around 34-37C, but the heat index can reach 42C. 17. Do you get those leg cramps in the middle of the night? I used to get them quite often as a kid - it would wake me up at 4 AM and I’d usually be crying by the end; I couldn’t scream because I never wanted to wake everyone up, so I’d just cry until it was over. 18. What movie last made you too scared to go to sleep? Midsommar didn’t make me too scared to sleep, but for a short time it made me terrified of flowers and the color white. 19. Do you have a Twitter account? Sure. 20. Did Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded? Oh he won it? That’s pretty cool. I dunno enough about his presidency other than he seems to be ~hipper than all the other US presidents and is generally more well-loved, but I don’t want to make a stand so hastily. 21. Is your cell phone a qwerty (full keyboard) or no? Yeah, touchscreen qwerty. 22. What was the last website you logged onto (besides the one you're on)? WWE Network!!! Just today they announced that they were gonna give free access to the Network, which means thousands of hours’ worth of pay-per-views, shows, and documentaries. I made a WWE account just for it and I’ve already downed two documentaries this morning. 23. What's your home page? It’s a Google Chrome extension called Momentum. I’m too lazy to describe the features so I’ll just show you what it looks like when I open Chrome/a new tab.

24. Put a line from the song you're listening to right now: I’m not listening to a song rn but I do have everything i wanted by Billie Eilish stuck in my head for a few minutes now. A lyric goes: I had a dream / I got everything I wanted / Not what you’d think / And if I’m being honest, it might’ve been a nightmare / To anyone who might care.

25. Music artists you listen to: Are they a little or a lot older than you? They’re typically close to my age, like maybe 4-10 years older than me. The oldest artist I listen to is probably Beyoncé? 26. What always has to be in the refrigerator? For us, eggs. 27. What was your favorite movie of 2009? The Proposal. 28. What do you want for Christmas? That’s sort of a long way from now, dude. By that time I’d have grown a bit and will probably ask for a vacuum cleaner lmaaaaao. 29. If you could go to three places in the world right now: UPTC, Feliz, and a Starbucks. I just want to be out of my actual village – I don’t even want to go anywhere far after this. 30. How many days until your birthday? I was too lazy to do math but Google says it’s 28 days away. 31. Who are you crushing on right now? (Famous or not, it's your call.) Gabie, Kristen Stewart, and Lee Joo Youngggggg. 32. Do you squish bugs or put them in a glass and let them outside? I squish them especially if they’re being annoying, soz. 33. Do you have split ends? I recently got my hair done, so no.

34. Isn't it ridiculous that movie theaters sell hot dogs and nachos? It is pretty stupid considering they’re messy food and you’ll have to eat them in a really dark room. Where I’m from they allow any kind of food in the theatres, so we aren’t restricted to hotdogs and nachos. My go-to food is Potato Corner french fries, since they’re easy to pick up and would never have a strong smell, or make a noise or a mess. 35. What school subject do you absolutely fail at? I don’t think I ever got past an 85 in chemistry in high school. 36. When you're on a laptop, do you hook up a mouse or use the touchpad? I have a touchpad. I’ve never owned a mouse. 37. When's the next day(s) off you'll get at school? Literally right now until April 14th. It’s a lockdown, dude. 38. If you're learning a language, what year are you in? I’m not. My curriculum doesn’t require me to take language electives. I did take Spanish and Korean in Duolingo in the past out of boredom/curiosity, though. I lasted a few levels into Spanish because of its similarities with Filipino, but they have like a million verb tenses and that’s when it got too much for me. Korean was pretty difficult right from the start. 39. Do you think you're done growing or will you grow a couple more inches? Nah, this is it I think. 40. What's your mom's mom's name? Agnes. 41. Do you replace "and" with an ampersand (&)? No, it looks so informal to me. 42. What do you usually get at school for lunch? I don’t have a usual lunch; it depends on what we have at home, because I typically just bring food from home to school. 43. Have you ever encountered a creepy neighbor? I don’t think so. If I did, my brain probably blocked the memory already. 44. How many texts can your phone's inbox hold before it's too full? As far as I know it doesn’t have a limit and just depends on my phone’s overall capacity.   45. Do you like the foam soap or the liquidy soap? I use a liquidy one, so I’ll go with that. 46. Do you like the automatic sinks or the ones with hot and cold handles? Lmao, first of all our country’s not even rich enough for this question. We just have a basic sink. We get whatever temperature is available and we need to turn a knob to have the water running. 47. What day did/does your birthday fall on this year? It’ll fall on a Tuesday, which suckssss because it’s a weekday and I have weekly Tuesday meetings for this semester. It’s also the first week out of the coronavirus lockdown, and I doubt people will even be paying attention to birthdays by then. 48. Do you tend to lean towards bright colors or more subtle colors? Subtle ones. 49. Do you use British spelling even though you're not British? No. 50. Name the farthest/weirdest/most unique place you've ever been: Farthest: Bali, Indonesia Weirdest: There was this park in Palawan that just didn’t fit with the city’s atmosphere at all lmao. Let me look it up... Baker’s Hill. It had tons of vibrantly-colored figurines, decorations peppered with cheesy pick-up lines, and Valentine’s decor (hearts, streamers, etc) spread all over the place. I couldn’t understand what it was supposed to be and it was a surreal experience overall lol. Most unique: Sagada. It didn’t feel like I was in the Philippines for the 3 days I was there.

[aadhiskanmani]

I am back with Part 2 as promised earlier also because it was bugging me that i have left it incomplete the other day. The formatting is going to remain exactly the same way.. am just saving myself some extra text clutter , time and  typing/copy paste this time round LOL. 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS COMPLETELY MY OPINION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING FEATURES.  I feel the need to say this again because last time too i got a message but x,y,z film has x,y,z issues . I've said it before and i will say it again  It is all a mixed Bag, Mixed Genres, Mixed reasons to suggest them right from the quality to acting to cinematography to story to critical acclaim to some just for PURE ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.  I makes these lists because I feel these features deserve love and appreciation and because some made me feel Proud and some just for pure entertainment factor . Sidenote.. all titles are actual links where you can watch the features with subs and most of these are On prime video or netflix as well

K.G.F: Chapter 1 |Kannada| *Yash | alt Link  A young man's promise to his dying mother leads him on a dangerous quest for power and wealth.  If I may say so this One pretty much did the same thing in terms of opening doors to kannada film industry like Baahubali did to tollywood. This one  followed the formula and dubbed it in multiple languages and gave it a wide release worldwide which raised eyeballs and got me curious too esp caz this one has a similar plot with the rise of a hero and the hunger for power just set in a completely different world and era. Now the Strength here is the screenplay  and the non-linear pattern which keeps you engaged, with the growth of Rocky being shown steadily. The film is set between 1951 to 2018 and maintains a sense of curiosity as each character is unveiled. Yash is Phenomenal in it as rocky. I said it back then when i watched it and i will say it again He exuded the same kind of charisma say like a 70′s 80′s hero e.g Mr Bachchan from his blockbuster hits where he Played similar roles or salman khan in his typical masala characters basically Larger than life even if he has this arc of being a nobody to Rocky Bhai to Rocky the messiah. One word of Caution... This one gets a lil confusing in Kannada  and with subs as there are too many characters and each one has his/her own agenda. i was confused at many parts but then i watched the hindi dubbed version and it made a world of difference. this one is fairly well dubbed too just like baahubali and what i mean is the voices didn’t sound robotic. Also i personally felt they went a little too far with the dukhi  junta in prison in 2nd half and the violence as in it got very tedious but thank God that got over soon with the rise of this hero but it is worth watching and rest of it is really good, esp the last 15 mins WOWWWWW I cannot wait for part 2. Also my only sandalwood entry.

p.s all dubbed versions are available on prime including Hindi but i have linked the kannada originals  

Fidaa | tel |*Varun Tej, Sai Pallavi  (on Prime as well) Two young people embark on a winding and rocky path to love after meeting at a wedding. First of all supercute romantic, comedy/ family drama but what is refreshing about it is that it is Mainly from the Heroine’s POV and we have a VERY STRONG heroine who has her opinions, her say ,her own thought process and who is just so real. On the surface it looks like just another tollywood rom com but it’s Not. the music is really Good too and Sai Pallavi is A bundle of joy as Bhanu who calls the shots  mostly here. Needless to say it is one of my Feel good films when  i want to see something that makes me smile and gives me that comfort vibe i  go to this one mostly.

Tumbbad|hin|*soham shah . A man and his son encounter a legendary demon while searching for hidden treasure in 19th-century India. 

This one will come as a surprise to many as it is a hindi title but This one a rare gem that is Underrated af and i haven’t seen a finer hindi film in the last year because of how rich it’s content is and how thought provoking it is. The makers have invested years in getting to final result and it shows. this one gave me goosebumps, sacred me, left me mesmerized and make me go WHAT too. This is also on this list because you may not have heard about it at all just like myself who had no idea and jumped into it out of supreme boredom and was left in complete awwwwww and then did my reading and research. This one is a well thought out psychological horror film with strong visuals and metaphors and makes you question as it plays with your mind. Tumbbad is a perfect example of a film that creates a surreal illusion.

Imaikkaa Nodigal| Tam| Nayanthara,Atharvaa, Anurag kashyap: alt link  A suave CBI officer (Nayanthara), is in search of a serial killer who kidnaps and kills the children of important people. The killer, however, is targeting his nemesis next. a revenge thriller with a strong Plot unpredictable and amazing twists.Each character has an important role and Nayan As a Bad ass cop who freaking sets the bar too high for female officers in desi films. THis one is one of the finest Thrillers in recent years which actually gives you thrills and Shocks and most of them one can’t guess. Let me be honest i gave upon this seeing anurag kasyap as the antagonist as i was unable to bear rudra and just his Ottness on top of that atharvaa’s lovestory as the parallel track mad me go ehhh as i initially clicked on it for nayan and there was so little of her in the beginning but then i gave it another try and couldn’t stop & was WOWEDDD by the Film and Nayan as anjali and yeah she is the MAIN CHARACTER so we get a lot of her later. She is at her FINEST as anjali. this is the film one wants to watch to get a high of sorts. WATCH IT FOR NAYAAAN FOR A STRONG FEMALE ACTOR/CHARACTER Taking the center stage and BEING FANTASTIC. This one is so just so entertaining in so many ways and the film one can watch on any given day despite knowing the plot twist. Beware Nayan and Vijay’s little arc is heartbreaking and i cried a lot tooooooooo... i was shattered at that part..... it is so hauntingly shot too. TW: Graphic violence  In that scene 

Mahanati|Tel|* Dulquer Salmaan, keerthy suresh, samantha, vijay D |alt link  Biopic based on  The life story of South Indian actress Savitri, who took the film industry by storm in the late '50s and '60s Mahanati is a film about the rise of the first female south Indian superstar – Savitri. Her story one of the most heart wrenching romantic tragedies of our times.This film tells a story of the Mahanati; her life, her journey to fame, and the dramatic downfall. Keerthy Suresh, elegantly brought Savitri to life, and Gemini Ganesan, played by Dulquer Salman, makes this film a true pleasure to watch. I had no idea who Savitri was i went into it because DQ and Again was BLOWN AWAY by How well made this film is and how it is made with so much sensitivity and rawness. it keeps the real journey part intact as in doesn’t sugarcoats or overly glamorizes things to show Savitri as some mahaan hasti. They make this film the Grand celebration of her life with all her struggles and tragedies  and makes you connect with her in a very real  manner and All this Makes this film so much more than a film. this one becomes that Larger than life Grand,SHE IS A HERO More because she truly is rather than OH because she had this sob story IYKWIM  like hindi Biopics do. They have made savitri Grand By her resilience by her courage by her will power and invested in the character and plot rather than all taam jhaam. This one is By far the best Biopic i’ve seen from desi industries and Not One and i mean it NOT one Hindi biopic even comes close to this one in terms of presentation. Keerthy suresh is a joy to watch as savitri. i am not gonna lie i broke down at few points and that is because of her acting and laughed too i connected so strongly to an actress’s story (who i had no idea about as in savitri i had 0 knowledge about savitri or in general about south industries retro eras ) only because of keerthy’s presentation.Also dulquer is a Joy as gemini ganeshan. he really slipped into it with ease and lived upto the part. they have achieved finesse in  showcasing a life story and recreating old songs from black & white era. If nothing else on this list watch this and imaikaa nodigal and you won’t regret it 

Rangasthalam |tel| *Ramcharan, Samantha :  Chitti Babu, a hearing impaired boat skipper, becomes caught in the middle of a political feud in the village of Rangasthalam. Watch this one for Ram charan’s performance  He is a delight to watch as chitti babua and this easily is his Best WORK till date this character have so much to play with and He ACES IT . The strong and intriguing story line is also a Plus . The film is not just set in the 80s; it also picks a story template from that era and narrates the tale in a refreshingly raw manner but the characters are so well fleshed out they don’t look caricatures by any means. the songs are grand and super fun to watch too. 

Maari 2 |tam|* dhanush, sai pallavi :  Maari, a gangster with a heart of gold, tangles with a new nemesis who is determined to bring about his downfall. First things first this one is mileas ahead of the previous version in everything. A much stronger film in every way. Otherwise it is a pure masala entertainer with all the masala elements and  dhanush and sai make a BOMB pair and their lil story is ahh sooo full of feelz. 

Sudani from Nigeria |Mal|* soubin shahir:  When a soccer club manager brings one of his injured foreign players home to recuperate, they form an unlikely bond despite their cultural differences.. A refreshing sports drama that touches your heart. explores the cultural differences so beautifully. the characters stay with you much longer after the film is over. The film effortlessly explores iissues in the neighborhood and much bigger political issues too. overall SImply an underrated film and one should watch it for it’s warmth and sincerity.

Koode|Mal|*prithviraj,nazriya nazim, paravthy  A family tragedy causes a young man to reflect on his childhood and reassess his future.Anjali Menon and that brilliant cast should eb your reason to watch. i don’t think i need to say another word to convince you but still anyway. it takes you on and emotional roller coaster ride. it is a flawless film with an extraordinary cast. also Naz is as charming as ever in her comeback film. there are very few films who actually jump into exploring the bond between a brother and sister and this one aces it with reflecting upon various issues and things they had to go throughasa family  as well as their individual struggles. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. Also Paro and prithvi yeah. .. simply OUTSTANDING film

Varathan |mal|* fahadh faasil,Aishwariya lekshmi:  After losing his job, Abin and his wife, Priya, move from Dubai to Priya's family estate in Kerala, but peace eludes the couple. It takes it’s time in the first half but in second it comes all guns blazing and turns into a worth watching survival thriller. it does makes one uneasy at times with the contsant stalker guys lurking around but it is all worth the wait at the end. trust me..

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam |tam| *vijay sethupathi,arinswami,jyothika,simbu;  An attempt is made on the life of a reigning don, and it sets in motion a succession battle between his three sons. In other words Godfather with Mani ratnam  twists A delicious film to devour it si an out and out maniratnam film with massy fan moments and smart filmmaking techniques. watch it for performances esp. i wish jyo had more to do but she is good at what she does in her supporting role. . this one is a true blue  multi starrer ,family drama.

Merku Thodarchi Malai |tam| Antony, Gayatri Krishnan, Abu Valayamkulam :  it  revolves around the life and times of a group of people living along the foothills of the Western Ghats. basically we travel along with Rangu ( teh pratagonist) who is a daily wage worker and his struggles in bringing that load upto the city  and his one dream to own a piece of land someday. this oen is almost like a documentary. this makes you thank and count your blessings. feel every bit of pain and effort and struggle that these daily wage workers have to go through in their daily lives. i broke down at so many points and i just wanted to do something to help makes lives a bit easier. IDK it hit me so hard at places and made me thankful for all the things i have. 

Mayanaadhi |Mal|*tovino thomas,aishwariya lekshmi : A mule driver in a gang and an aspiring actress try to navigate their way through an unexpected romance. Mayaanadhi is a beautiful tale of love. The emotions it conveys needs to be experienced and the movie gives us a taste of life. Aashiq Abu really knocked it out of the park once again with this one. this one. It is a simple enough tale with a plot that is real to life and familiar.It is perhaps the most Soulful Romantic film i’ve seen in last year or so. 

Takeoff|Mal|*parvathy,fahadh :  A young Muslim woman (Parvathy) struggles to find love and happiness in midst of the ongoing civil war in Iraq. It  an ode to the Indian spirit. This is a riveting survival saga, made by a team gifted with acute political and social awareness. It is, in one word, stunning. Paro Simply have slayed. A bit like airlift as in the basic setting and premise is similar but poles apart. it is one hell of a film( in a good way) PARO,PARO,PARO. this is all i have to say to explain the brilliance of it. 

and with that this comes to an end.. again please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with me i would love to see you guys actually taking the use of this list and sharing your thoughts. Bye and Have a Wonderful Summer binge watching these hehe. i hope you love them as much as i do. looking forward to your thoughts 

[fountainpenguin]

I've read through your stuff but I'm a tad still confused about refracts. What exactly are the rules on how their personalities relate to the fairy and anti-fairy counterparts? I understand they're the opposite gender but I'm not so sure about the rest?

That’s a good question!

Deciding which traits to give a Refract counterpart is a personal decision; there isn’t a hard and fast in-universe explanation for it. I design counterparts in trios and tweak them appropriately until they feel right. For this discussion, I’ll talk about H.P., Sanderson, and their counterparts, because H.P. and Sanderson were given to us by canon, but I designed all their counterparts on my own.

BUILD-A-BUG

The first step in designing their counterparts was settling on my portrayals of H.P. and Sanderson. 

H.P. tends to be socially oblivious, high-maintenance, and guarded with his emotions. He’s very logical and constantly deflects responsibility for his actions on other people or circumstance. He does care dearly for his pixies, but tries to keep them at a distance.

Sanderson is his loyal lieutenant who would never dream of turning on him. He’s obsessed with becoming the perfect pixie in order to win H.P.’s affection, because he just wants his boss to show some feelings and treat him as a son. He’d do anything for that.

BUILD-A-BAT

H.P.’s counterpart (Anti-Fergus) and Anti-Sanderson were designed with the opposite dynamic in mind.

Anti-Sanderson was designed first. If Sanderson is the loyal one, I wanted Anti-Sanderson to be Head Anti-Pixie, having overthrown the former H.A.P. simply out of boredom to see if he could. Sanderson prioritizes safety over freedom, so I made freedom the most important thing in the universe to Anti-Sanderson.

Since H.P. is strict with his pixies, I made Anti-Fergus a major pushover. H.P. is professional and dignified, mostly. Anti-Fergus is an overemotional train wreck who spent most of Anti-Sanderson’s youth napping on the couch and sobbing into buckets of ice cream, rather than taking care of the young anti-pixies.

BUILD-A-BIRD

I knew from the start that I wanted the Dame Head to be just enough like H.P. that Anti-Cosmo is uncomfortable. When I first created the Refracts, they were going to be a quick cameo towards the end of Frayed Knots, when Anti-Cosmo scales the Planes of Existence on his search for Fae Heaven (I ended up introducing them early in Origin of the Pixies when I realized it was necessary for the cherubs to experiment on all three counterparts to prove all three reproduced asexually, and they’ve since become a much bigger concept). Her original purpose in Knots was to offer Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda a place to stay during their journey. I wanted her to be nice enough to do that, but also irritating enough that Anti-Cosmo would be eager to move on. 

I began by jotting down some dialogue exchanges that I could see happening between Dame Head and Anti-Cosmo. I wanted it to be obvious that she’s similar to H.P., but I wanted her conversation topics and her dynamic with her pixies to be totally different. So, I designed her personality entirely around these two exchanges you’ll see later in Knots:

She curtsied. “I am the Dame Head of the High Kingdom Pixies. To what do you owe the pleasure?”

Venus lifted one claw and giggled. “I think ya meant, ‘To what do I owe the pleasure,’ huh?”

Dame Head looked her directly in the eyes. “No, I did not.”

Some things never change.

and

The Dame Head sheathed her wand and sniffed. “We strive to be without sin.”

“I thought pride was a sin.”

She glanced over her shoulder to glare at me.

Since my interpretation of the H.P. / Sanderson dynamic is, “My assistant is helpful and follows me around when I want him to,” and the Anti-Fergus / Anti-Sanderson dynamic is, “I talk about how much I love my son all the time, but I never pay attention to him unless he’s acting out,” it seemed logical to make the Dame Head / Dame Sandy relationship be, “My daughter is constantly underfoot, nosing into my business, and I can’t stand it.” 

All three dynamics are distinct, but there’s a similar undertone running beneath them: All three Sandersons want attention from a single figure they prize above all others, and the three Heads love and appreciate them even if they find them a bit annoying at times.

Anti-Sanderson may have overthrown his dad, but I wouldn’t describe him as bossy. He just sort of takes the lead, and his brothers tend to follow him out of curiosity. Dame Sandy was designed to be bossy- she orders people around, and generally bullies her younger siblings (instead of raising them like Anti-Sanderson did). This is how she treats her mom in Origin of the Pixies:

Dame Sanderson, with a toss of her head, snatched her notes up in one hand and placed her free palm on her mother’s back. In that way, she propelled her towards the door. “Now, Mother, we are expected in the shrine. Let us prepare for tomorrow; we have a fair amount of paperwork to finish up.”

Dame Head stuck her tongue in my direction, although it was obviously directed towards the other person in the room. I chuckled softly. So fascinating, I found it, that one of us had ended up with a firstborn who followed orders without question, another with a spunky rebel, and she with a no-nonsense busybody who chattered in her ear like an adviser to a queen.

Sanderson - Loyal, trusting relationship with his father. Sanderson listens carefully to H.P. and always strives to follow instructions exactly, even if it’s detrimental. He’s convinced H.P. always knows best, and that his boss will someday express affection by treating him like a son. Sanderson gets his affection needs met by hugging people, which isn’t acceptable in his culture. He’s constantly pursued by his ex-girlfriend, whom he only courted out of social obligation and then dumped for political reasons.

Anti-Sanderson - Bitter, neglectful relationship with his father. Anti-Sanderson never listens to anything his dad says, or he’ll actively go against orders. He longs for Anti-Fergus to step up and raise their family, but is convinced his father will never love him. Anti-Sanderson gets his affection needs met by chaotically acting out for attention, which isn’t acceptable in his culture. By the time he’s an adult, he’s sworn off romance unless he can have it with the counterpart of Sanderson’s ex-girlfriend, who hates him.

Dame Sandy - Patient, “She means well” relationship with her mother. Dame Sandy listens to her mother a bit too well, because she’s a total eavesdropper. She’s nosy, convinced she always knows best, and prioritizes getting her way over peacemaking. Dame Sandy gets her affection needs met through risky sexual encounters, which isn’t acceptable in her culture. She has a very “I’m the greatest and you exist to entertain me” type of personality.

Dame Cosmo is a clever thief with excellent street smarts, but otherwise designed after the ditzy valley girl stereotype. She’s smart in a way Anti-Cosmo isn’t, but still isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Drake Wanda is a soft-spoken tag-a-long who doesn’t know how to express his feelings for his best friend with benefits, so he tries to show off by acting tough and manly. Dame Poof / Poppy is a total anime geek because Poof likes action movies and Foop likes plays, so that seemed like the logical alternative.

Like I said, there’s no in-universe rule for why Anti-Fairies get certain opposite traits and why Refracts get others. I simply do what works best for story purposes and the way they grew up. Anti-Sanderson’s disorganized culture has no problem with him overthrowing the former Head Anti-Pixie. Dame Sandy’s culture encourages her to respect her mother, not overthrow her. I designed their personalities accordingly.

Once you get two counterparts down, designing a third to balance them both is actually pretty simple.

[barneslives]

Masterlist of Other People’s Fanfics

I HAVE A REALLY HUGE LIST OF FANFICS. I NEED IT ORGANIZED. THIS IS IT.

NONE OF THESE ARE MINE.

One-Shots that I plan to read sooner or later:

(Since this is getting some notes, just wanted to clarify that this list changes as I read it. I have a favorites list here, which I only add more fics. This masterlist changes pretty much everyday)

1 4am :  it’s four am and he’s left wondering if he should call the girl across the hall. (582)

2 kiss me again : (993)

3 Truth or Dare :  Seb fluffy and giggly smut where the reader is his best friend and they're doing the nasty out of curiosity and boredom (1,242 / smut)

4 The Times Sebastian Referred to You as His Wife and the One Time Where He Does It on Purpose :  Sebastian keeps calling you his wife. (1,449)

5 Greek Days : (1,540 / smut)

6 Wasted Times :  Seb smut based on Wasted Times by the Weeknd (1,600 / smut)

7 Touching In The Air : (1,923 / smut)

8 I Know That You Don’t :  Sebastian is in love with his best friend; that much is obvious. For a while now, he’s been watching Y/N give her love to someone who isn’t worth it. After being there for her when said relationship is in shambles countless times, it began to feel like a routine. A routine that Sebastian did not want to be part of anymore. (2,000)

9 Anything For My Girl :  You come down with a fever, and Bucky takes care of you. When you’re feeling better, he puts your mind at ease about your relationship and then really takes care of you. (2,200 / smut)

10 The Fabric Of A Soul :  Bucky wrestles with what state his soul might be in. (2,300)

11 Loopy Love :  Sebastian has finally come back home, but instead of finding his fiance waiting for him at the airport, he gets some bad news. (2,317)

12 Enjoying the view :  Your mission is going perfectly. Target is charming, receptive… Then you notice the balcony door is unlocked. Hmm. (2,664)

13 Facesitting : (smut)

14 Music :  Bucky doesn’t really understand ‘modern’ music. The reader is there to help. (2,818)

15 Lucky Fan : (2,900 / smut)

16 Soft :  A more sure and confident Bucky, enjoys the softness in life. (3,283)

17 Staying In :  Bucky and you had plans for the evening but neither of you really want to go (3,800 / smut)

18 Risky Business : A mission in Stockholm. A shared hotel room. And a secret. (3,898 / smut)

19 Countdown to White :  The countdown of your life. Five more days until you marry Bucky Barnes and begin the rest of your life.

20 Going Slow : (4,067 / smut)

21 Euphoria :  In which bucky discovers your stash or in which you and bucky get high as balls and fuck each other’s brains out. (4,153 / smut)

22 Stay the Night : “What did I say?”“You told me to behave.”“And what did you do?”“The exact opposite.” (4,300 / smut)

23 Colors In The Dark :  The world is without color, and that’s never bothered the Winter Soldier. The Fist of HYDRA didn’t have time for love and soulmates. At almost a century old, what are the odds that his soulmate was even still living? (4,400) 

24 Softly, Gently :  Bucky hated the dreams that haunted him every night. But they weren’t always too bad. They can sometimes lead to good things, especially if there is a someone that can help him through the aftermath. (4,560 / smut)

25 Hey, Stranger :  Bucky and you have broken up but you run into each other at Tony’s wedding (4,800)

26 A Soldier’s Sigh :  A series of memories told through Bucky’s eyes. (4,800)

27 My Dearest One :  Reader is Shuri’s best friend and meets the White Wolf one afternoon in Wakanda (4,980 / smut)

28 Give Me Love :  Prompt: Can you please write a fic where Bucky has a nightmare and reader wants to help and he fucks her but in between he look at her and stops bc he doesnt want to hurt her. (5,800 / smut)

29 Die A Virgin :  When things are not looking good on Y/N’s and Bucky’s mission, Y/N admits that she’s a virgin. Bucky, being the gentleman that he is, offers to help her out, if they make it out alive. (5,879 / smut)

30 Love Is For Children 1 | 2 :  You’re a former mercenary turned Avenger who joins the team after fighting, and defeating, each member that tried to recruit you. You’re confident in your abilities and even challenge the man formerly known as the Winter Soldier. A battle of egos ensues and it’s Bucky that fights to get your attention but you’re a professional and won’t fall easy for his charm. (8,500)

Series I am trying to keep up with

1 Do You Remember : You remember nothing from the past ten years that you spent working for Hydra - they wiped your memories only days before the organisation imploded - but after meeting Bucky Barnes for the first time in your new job at the Avengers facility you can’t seem to get rid of the feeling that you know him from a deep, dark and violent past the two of you happen to share - but what role did he play in it? (On-Going / 3)

2 First And Last Time :  A collection of one-shots describing the first and the last time the reader and Bucky did something - it’s not a coherent story. (On-Going / 3)

3 Daffodils :  When Bucky’s mental health starts to spiral out of control, and worsen beyond anything he’s experienced before he’s put on lock down in the compound for his safety and the safety of others. It’s then that he finds a familiar necklace that leads him to memories and a mysterious woman born of water who might hold the secret to his deteriorating mental health. (On-Going / 3)

4 What Have I Done :  A bad break up between Bucky and his ex leads to a new friendship with the quiet tech he never had the chance to get to know. Relationships grow, feelings are caught, and boundaries are explored. Bucky thought he found his happy ending, but old memories haunt his future. He knows what he’s doing wrong, dangerous eve, but he can’t help it. Can he fix the wrongs he’s done? (On-Going / 4)

5 Rome, 3am :  Before he was found in Bucharest, Bucky lived next door to you in Rome trying to evade remnants of Hydra. Every night at 3AM you find Bucky smoking his usual cigarettes and trying his best to flirt. However, as time goes on he becomes more careless about staying hidden. (On-Going / 4)

6 Pretend : There’s a person who won’t stop bugging me will you pretend to be my partner so that they’ll fuck off? (On-Going / 7)

7 Espresso : In which your best friend’s brother begins to set you up on dates when you mention that you haven’t been in a relationship in years, but things don’t go as expected. (On-Going / 7)

8 A Series Of Vignettes :  A series of episodes and events in the reader’s and Bucky’s relationship. Big and small, sweet or angsty, these stories lay out the moments in time they carved out for themselves in the crazy world they live in. They all take place in the same universe, but do not need to be read in any particular order. (On-Going / 10)

9 Golden Hour :  A series of moments when everything sparkles, shines and glitters, just like it’s gold. (On-Going / 10)

10 My Neighbor’s A Jerk :  Modern-Day (AU) There’s this mutual feeling between you and your neighbor, called hate. And since your first meet you both commence that feeling with a burning passion. You don’t know the reason behind his hate and you know for damn sure that he will never tell you. But what happens on the first day of your job, when you find out that you even work together? Maybe you will learn to co-operate? (On-Going / 10)

11 Shadows :  After spending a month imprisioned, you were finally rescued only to find out that you were apart of something much greater than you could ever imagine, in the worst way possible. (On-Going / 13)

12 Blue : James and Y/N take a road tip across the country to help Bucky’s recovery process. A question Y/N asks at the beginning of the trip sets Bucky searching his memories for an answer, one he finds he needs if he can move forward. (On-Going / 15)

13 The Things We’ve Done :  All you wanted was simplicity. You had moved to Washington, DC for a better start - to get away from what you were, to get away from what you were expected to be. You never thought you’d meet the Captain America in a bar just three days after moving. You never thought there would be a dangerous person in your apartment just hours after meeting him. (On-Going / 15)

14 I’m No Hero :  When Y/N is caught in the crossfire of a HYDRA raid gone wrong, the Avengers take her in until she heals. Bucky is fascinated with her, and helps her find the courage she’s had inside all along. Plus, you know, a lot of other stuff. (On-Going / 15)

15 Ready to Comply : The reader was taken as a teenager by HYDRA and turned into one of the most dangerous weapons ever created. On a routine mission to take out their remaining bases, the team stumble across the reader and Bucky finds himself face to face with a ghost from his past. (On-Going / 19)

00 Bittercoffee | Duck&cover

1 Let’s Play Pretend : Bucky agrees to be your fake boyfriend for your brother’s wedding to appease your family.  There’s only one problem - you want him to be more than just a fake boyfriend.  (Complete / 3)

2 Rescue me : A strange man had come out of nowhere and grabbed your arm. He told you to, “Play along,” as he hauled you along with him. Next thing you knew, he had opened a door and pushed you through it. Once you were inside, he had bent low and told you that he, “Wasn’t going to hurt to you, and will explain in a minute.” You had only caught a glimpse of him, but you were pretty sure you saw the light glint off a metal arm. (Complete / 3)

3 One’s Promised : Living a double life was not a choice when one was the daughter of Alexander Pierce. Y/N was the youngest agents of SHIELD and one of the most respected threats within Hydra’s empire. No matter her allegiance, she was feared by both. Y/N Pierce would’ve tried to escape it all… if it hadn’t been for The Winter Soldier. (Complete / 5)

4 Peach Scone : In where Bucky has it so bad for you, he cannot find the words to confess his feelings. After an entire year of failed attempts, plus a declaration of love for scones, he decides it’s about time the words come out of his mouth. Only Bucky knows himself and is certain it’s gonna be one hell of a challenge. (Complete / 6)

5 Mad For You : Nat hosts a costume masquerade. Bucky meets the Alice to his Hatter. Shenanigans ensue. (Complete / 6)

6 Movie Night :  Being an assistant to Tony Stark, you never felt like you fit in… that is, until Bucky invites you to an Avengers movie night in the compound. (Complete / 7)

7 Help Us : Bucky is in the process of recovery when a new Avenger causes his world to come crashing down again. (Complete / 8)

8 Fallen : The same haunting dark figure, surrounded in crisp white have plagued you since early childhood. For a while the dreams have stopped until you move to New York and they come back full force. You get a once of a life time vacation to a remote place in Russia and jump at the chance.Then you come face to face with the man of childhood nightmares. (Complete / 10)

9 Another Winter Soldier :  Y/N spends most of her life away from people. She has a secret to hide, and there are people who are looking for her. After an assassination that confuses the world, will she be able to escape from the Avengers? Or will she join them and try to clear her name? (Complete / 13)

10 Delta : Reader is a rare being in the a/b/o cycle and finds herself along side the Avengers. She manages to hide her true nature successfully until she catches the eye of a certain blue eyed super soldier. (Complete / 13)

11  The Subtle Redemption of Lance Tucker : Lance is a perfect fixture in your past. Suddenly, he’s roaring into focus as your younger sister’s National Coach. As warning signs scream around you, resistance is almost futile. But you’re an adult now. You’re stronger than the silly little kid you were before, right? Right? (Complete / 13)

12 Remedy : When a woman is found at an abandoned Hydra base, more dead than alive, Bucky takes it upon himself to help her in any and every way he can. He doesn’t have much of a choice, being the first to approach her without the intention of hurting her in a long time, she doesn’t trust anyone around but him. (Complete / 15)Z

13 Me, Her, and You :  For the last sixl: months you’ve been living in New York with your ten old year old daughter. After one failed job after another, you’ve almost given up. Then someone extends a helping hand, next thing you know you’re living in the Stark tower as a live maid. As you begin to get close to Bucky the truth about your incredibly gifted daughter comes out. Will your past come back to haunt you? (Complete / 18)sz