#either way she seems concerned--for bradley and herself | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cherrycola27 · 1 year

Text

Nevermore

Part 4: Only this, and Nothing More.

Paring: Rooster x OC Skylar "Raven" Blackwood

Warnings: Language, fighting. Smut. 18+ Minors DNI

"So, that went well" Maverick states when he and Raven exit Admiral Simpson's office. "Better than I thought it would have, though I was a bit concerned that he immediately went to the negative side of things when he saw us." She states.

"Tends to happen almost every time I'm in an Admiral's office. I seem to piss them off a lot." Maverick shrugs as if he doesn't care, unbothered by the situation.

"I can't say the same, I buzzed the tower one time on a dare and got chewed out, never did it again" Raven tells him as they walk towards the classroom.

"Must be your mother in you. Buzzing the tower is one of my favorite things to do." Maverick grins. "But I will say, you remind me a lot of myself when you fly. You react, you do"

"I've always done that, I have this sixth sense in the air, I always have. Guess I know why now, I must have inherited it." Raven says as they walk into the room. It's still early, they have an 90 minutes until everyone is supposed to report.

"So, would you mind if I asked you some questions, got to know you a little better?" Maverick asked her.

"Only if I get to as well." Skylar replies. "Deal" He agrees.

After about 30 minutes of learning things about each other, Maverick turned to Skylar and asked her something that had been weighing heavy on his mind: "What happened between you and Rooster?"

Raven was taken aback by the question, she hadn't expected it to come from his mouth.

"I only ask, because he hasn't been himself since you've been here. He has gone back to some of his old ways, things I thought he had gotten past." Maverick continued.

"I broke his heart." Skylar said plainly. "I lied to him at the end of flight school. I was given the chance to pick my station, I could have gone with him. But then I was offered a covert mission, the one where I earned my first kill and my call sign. I was so hellbent on proving myself that I took it. And I told him that I didn't have a choice." Raven explained to him.

"Wow, that's, does he know?" Maverick asked.

"No, he doesn't, and that's not even the worst part." She sighed. Maverick looked at her with heavy eyes as she gathered herself to tell him more.

"He asked me to marry him. Told me he loved me, and if we got married we could stay together... and I told him no."

"Oh.... fuck....are you serious?" Maverick was baffled at her confession. "I told him I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment, I loved him but, that wasn't what I wanted. We decided to stay friends. But we lost touch, until I came back here." She finished

For once in his life Pete Mitchell was speechless. "Guess you're more like me than I thought."

"What do you mean?" She asked him

"There were a few women in my past, your mom and Penny for example... I left them because I was focused on my career too." He told her.

"Penny like the bartender?" Raven asked him. "Yup." He responded.

"Now the thing is Mav, I don't know if I could ever tell Bradley the real reason I said no. Because I did love him, even though we only were together six months, I've never loved anyone besides him. I still love him if I'm being honest. But, if I tell him what really happened, that I chose my career over him, that I've lied to him all these years, he'll never trust me again. And if he doesn't trust me, I can't fly this mission." Skylar states, her voice heavy with despair.

"Can I give you some... fatherly advice?" Maverick asks her. She shakes her head.

"You have to tell Rooster the truth, it's the only way either of you can move forward, and the only way he is going to be able to get out of his head." Maverick tells her.

"Tell me the truth about what?" Rooster's voice cuts through the classroom. Both Maverick and Raven jump up, startled by him.

"Rooster, you're early." Skylar stammers out. Panic flashes across her eyes.

"I'm always early, but what do you need to tell me the truth about Skylar? Maverick already called me last night about your situation so I know it's not that". He states as he walks futher into the room

"Oh wow I didn't know he told you. We just talked to Cyclone this morning about it, we were going to tell the rest of the team today." Skylar says avoiding his question.

"Cut the bullshit Raven! What do you need to tell me the truth about?!" Rooster yelled while slamming his hand down on the table. Skylar jumped at the sound. She didn't like the way he used her call sign instead of her name.

"About my orders after fight school." She whispered out.

"What about them?" He asked, his voice still thick with anger.

"I didn't have to go Asia if I didn't want to. They gave me a choice of where I wanted to go, or if I wanted to fly a covert mission. I chose to got across the world instead of staying with you." She confessed.

Rooster stood there for a moment processing, Maverick looked between the two of them, not sure if he should say something or not.

"You could have went with me. You could have stayed." Rooster spoke. A statement rather than a question.

"Roosie, I" She tried to defend herself

"Don't 'Rooise' me!" He shouted at her.

"I begged you to talk to them, to try and change your placement. I held you when you cried and you told me everything would be alright! I poured my heart out to you! I asked you to fucking MARRY ME Skylar because I loved you and I didn't want to lose you! But you lied to me! You could have chose me but you DIDN'T! I've never loved anyone besides you, and it was all what? A game to you? Did I even mean anything to you?" Rooster screamed. His face was flushed with anger.

"Bradley I..." she tried to interjected but he cut her off.

"I can't believe how selfish you were Raven! How could you! Maybe I've should have seen that you were Maverick's kid from a mile away because just like him, you always chose your career over everything! Did you even love me? Did you even care?" He yelled as a few stray tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Rooster, of course I cared. And I did love you.... I still do." Skylar whimpered out her own tears fell.

Rooster clenched his fist and grabbed his things.

"I don't even know who you are anymore. I thought you were my friend Skylar. I thought you loved me. Guess I was wrong." Bradley spat as he walked towards the door.

"Where are you going we have training?" Raven asked. He paused and turned around. "I earned a day pass last week for shooting down Maverick. I'm using it today." He seethed before going to open the door.

"Oh, and have fun with your little 'daddy- daughter training job today." He said before pushing past the rest of the squad who had arrived just in time to hear his last comment and watch him storm away.

The rest of the team filed in and sat down in complete silence until Hangman finally spoke up. "So do either of you want to tell us what the fuck that was about?" He asked looking between Maverick and Raven.

She tried to regain her composure, but it was no use. Skylar quickly grabbed her bag and ran out of the classroom.

She had to get to Bradley, she had to make things right. She recalled what Maverick had said to her the day before, you can't change the past, but you can fix the future.

She scrambled into the parking lot to find that Rooster and his Bronco were gone, thankfully she knew where he was living.

She sped to the house he told her he had purchased not long ago and was relieved to find his car parked there.

She jumped out of hers and bounded up the steps. She pounded on his front door until she head his heavy footsteps behind it and the lock turn. When he opened the door, he tried to slam it right back in there face, but Skylar managed to wedge her boot in the frame.

"Bradley please, let me explain." She begged him. He sighed, knowing she wouldn't leave until her point was made, he begrudgingly opened the door.

Skylar rushed in a poured her heart out to him. She told him how sorry she was and that she was scared when he brought up marriage. She was afraid of losing him or worse losing herself. She had to fight to get where she was in life and she always felt like she had something to prove.

She begged him for his forgiveness, because she didn't want to lose him again. Tears streaked her face as she plead her case, and when she was done she told him something he had longed to hear for ages. "I still love you Bradley, I never stopped."

After she finished word vomiting her feelings she stood there in his living room panting, waiting for his response. Rooster's face was expressionless.

"Well I guess that's all then, see you on base Monday." Skylar said after a few more moments of silence. She moved to walk past him and leave, but Rooster reached out and grabbed her by her bicep, halting her movements.

She looked up at him and then back down to where he was holding her. It wasn't a tight grip, she could easily break free if she wanted to. They both knew that, but she didn't, she wanted to know what he was going to say.

But instead of speaking, Rooster pulled her closer and crashed his mouth into hers.

The kiss was hot, heavy, and demanding.

He yanked her body into him as their mouths moved together. Their kisses were filled with anger, emotion, a longing, a need that both of them had burning inside them for the past seven years.

Ravens arms wrapped around his neck as she fisted his curls. She tugged on them hard, causing a growl to escape Rooster.

He moved them backwards until Skylar felt her back make contact with the wall. Rooster continued to assulat her mouth, it was a messy mix of lip, teeth, and tongues.

He peeled his lips away from hers and moved them across the column of her throat as his fingers unzipped her flight suit and pushed it off her body. Skylars hands moves to push his pants off his hips while Rooster stripped himself of his shirt. Both articles of clothing were tossed somewhere in his living room.

He pressed Skylar back against the wall and grabbed her arms, pinning them above her head. She struggled in his grip but he held her firmly in place.

He tapped her hips and she jumped to wrap her legs around his waist. She could feel his hard cock grinding into her core.

"Bedroom" she groaned against his lips. Rooster must have agreeded, because soon he was peeling her away from the wall and blindly stumbling towards his room. He didn't account for his long forgotten shirt to trip him up. He slipped causing him to roughly drop Skylar on his sofa.

Without missing a beat, she pulled him down with her and straddled his waist.

She ground her core down on him, her panties were already soaked through she knew he could feel her wetness between them.

Her pulled her sports bra over her head and tossed it behind the couch.

She took the opportunity to seal her lips on his pulse point causing him to let out a low moan and jolt his hips upward.

"Fuck" She cursed under her breath at the sensation.

Using his feet as leverage he flipped Raven into a sitting position and knelt to the floor infront of her. She gasped at the sensation and groan at the sight before her.

Rooster was kneeling between her thighs, his lips coated with their mixed saliva, cheeks flushed, and curls askew. He leaned down and sucked her clit into his mouth over her panties. She cried out at the sensation as he repeated it again.

"Shit Rooster." She moaned out as he fisted her underwear and ripped them from her body.

She didn't have a moment to protest before his lips were on her core.

Skylar ground her center against his face, his mustache supplying a delightful friction that she had been missing.

"Fuck Bradley just like that. Feels so good." So moaned out throwing her head back.

Skylar tasted like heaven to him, and Rooster would be lying if he said he didn't miss the way his name sounded when it left her lips or the way she pulled at his hair while his fingers and tongue worked in tandem. He was painfully hard straining against his boxers but he so desperately wanted to make her scream for him like she used to.

He pushed a second finger into her and curled them up in a way that he knew would have her seeing starts. The traced his tongue over her swollen, throbbing bundled as she bucked faster and harder against his face.

"That's it baby, take what you need from me. Cum for me Skylar, need to taste more of you." He groaned into her center.

Skylar chased her as she writhed above him on the couch. Her eyes screwed shut as he curled his wrist and his nibble fingers hit her gspot. She screamed Bradley's name as he worked her through her high.

It was incredible, she hadn't felt that good since the last time they were together. None of her other partners could work her like he could.

Soon his lips became too much and she pulled his face away. The trail of spit that dangled from his mouth and connected to her core had her clenching around nothing.

She may have just had a mind blowing orgasm, but she needed more.

Skylar pushed Rooster onto his back, he hit the living room rug with a thud and she climb on top of him, kissing him with fervor.

"What happened to the bedroom?" He asked in-between kisses.

"S'been seven years. Don't want to wait seven more seconds." She groans out as she pulled his boxers down and his cock sprang free.

God it was still just as glorious as she remembered it.

She wrapped her hand around him and gave him a few strokes. He thrust up into her fist and groaned at the sensation.

"Fuck Sky, need you now." He moaned. She removed her hand and straddled him.

"C-condom?" He gritted out as she slid her wetness over his length.

"On the pill and clean." She replied. "Clean too." He groaned.

That was all she needed to hear before grasping onto the base of his length and sliding down on it. When he was filled seated in her she paused for a minute to get used to his size.

No one she had been with in the past compared to Bradley. He was surely the biggest she had ever been with. The stretch he provided toed the line between pain and pleasure.

She flexed around him causing him to be pulled deeper into her if that was even possible.

After a few moments. She could feel Rooster stirring under her, desperately trying not to drive up into her.

She placed her hands on his torso and and rose up almost completely off of him and sank back down on him.

"Fuck" He hissed out. Skylar repeated the motion starting off slow and building up her rhythm.

Rooster's hands found her hips and gripped them. She felt the blunt tips of his nails dig into her flesh and she was certain she would have finger print shaped bruises on her for weeks to come.

Throwing caution to the wind Rooster planted his feet and began to drive up into her. Meeting her thrust for thrust.

"Shit Sky, you feel so fucking good around me. Forgot how good this little cunt felt taking my cock. He groaned as he continued to drive into her.

Rooster sat up, changing the angle at which he was meeting her. The head of his cock found that spongy area deep inside her.

"Oh fuck Bradley, right there!" Skylar cried throwing her head back. She wrapped her arms around his torso. Her hands clawed at his shoulder blades, surely leaving evidence of their romp behind.

In a moment of hazy desire Rooster flipped Raven under him. Her back hit the floor with a soft thud.

Rooster took a moment and leaned back on his calves. Raven looked back at him... took shocked or too far gone in her pleasure to argue with him.

He picked up his movements at a much slower pace than before earning his a groan of dissatisfaction from her.

"Rooster.. Rooster... please." She whimpered

He picked his pace up slightly. God he loved it when she begged.

"Please, please, harder, faster, I need more!" Raven called out from under him.

"Rooster!" She moaned trying to meet his thrust to get herself to that much needed peak.

"Say my name and I'll let you cum." Rooster purred to her as he drove his hips into her.

"Rooster please let me cum!" Skylar begged.

"That's not my name princess. He retorted.

"Bradley... please!" She cried out again.

Rooster gave a disapproving tsk as his finger began to circle her clit. "Still not the name I'm looking for Baby Girl.

In the back of mind Skylar knew what he wanted her to say, but she was trying so hard not to break.

"Lieutenant Commader Bradshaw, please sir let me cum!" She panted. God she was so close, yet so far away.

Rooster's larger hand snapped forward and wrapped around her throat. He leaned down close to her. "Skylar, you know who I am, you know who the only person is that can make you feel this good, quit being a brat and just say it." He whispered in her her.

Skylar couldn't fight it anymore. She knew he was right.

"Daddy!" She screamed. "Daddy, please, please, please let me cum.

"Good Girl." Rooster praised her. He pushed one of her legs over his shoulder and quickened his pace. He was relentless against.

"YesDaddyYesYesYes!" Skylar babbled out as her orgasam slammed into her. Bradley fucked her through it before following suit, spilling hot and deep into her.

His body collapsed on top of her.

He rolled over onto his side as to not crush her with his weight.

Rooster pulled Raven onto his chest. They both lay there sweaty and panting.

Neither of them spoke. The only other sound in the room was their breathing and their erratic heart beats.

They both looked at each other for a moment before Skylar sat up and spoke.

"I'm sorry I hid the truth from you all these years. I never wanted to hurt you Bradley, because I do love you. I spent so much of my life not knowing who part of me was. I felt like I always had to to prove myself. I lost sight of what was important."

"I'm sorry too Sky. We were kids back when flight school ended. I was just afraidlosing you. Everyone I ever loved I lost. I was scared of that happening, and I came on too strong, and I pushed you away. I lost you." Rooster spoke.

"I think we both made some mistakes. I think we both have regrets, but I'm willing to try again... if you are." Skylar looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah. I'd like that too." Rooster replied before kissing her.

Their sweet moment was short lived thanks to a knock on Rooster's door.

"Rooster, Raven, I know you two are in there, both of your cars are in the driveway. Can I please come in?" Maverick called to them.

An oh shit look crossed both of their faces as the two pilots scrambled to get their clothes back on.

"Just a minute Mav!" Rooster called out to him.

"Shit!" Raven cries as she caught sight of herself in the mirror in his living room. Right above her collar was a red mark, a piece of evidence of their encounter.

"Um... go to the bathroom and see I have some bandaids to cover it up?" Rooster suggested as she looked to him for advice.

Skylar quickly ran out of the room while Bradley attempted to hide any trace of the sex he and Raven had just had.

Now that Maverick knew he was her father, he didn't want to get on his bad side.

He opened the door. "Hey Maverick." He greeted him nervously.

"Hi Rooster. Is Raven here?" Maverick asked taking a skeptical step in.

"Yeah she is in the bathroom." Rooster replied scratching his next. Moments later Raven emerged.

"Oh hey Mav—Da—um" She trailed off honestly not sure what to call him.

"Hi Raven." He greeted her. Raven went and stood next to Rooster. Both of them with nervous grins on their faces.

"So I take it you two worked everything out?" Maverick asked looking between them.

"Yes Sir, we sure did." Rooster answered quickly.

"I see." Maverick responded. "So... you're good? Everything okay? Nothing I should be worried about?

"No sir, everything is fine." Raven smiled.

"Okay, well... I'll see you on Monday then." Maverick stated before walking out the door.

Both Rooster and Raven took a deep breath before Rooster's phone pinged.

The blood drained from his face after reading the message.

"What does it say?" Raven asked. Rooster turned the phone to her unable to speak

Maverick: Rooster, just a reminder that any...marks... visible in uniform can result in a citation for destruction of government property. I don't care what you and Raven do, just be safe and smart about it.

Raven turned red as a beet once she read the message. She then looked at Bradley and saw the exact mark her father and texted him about.

"Well... its a good thing we have the weekend off!" She laughed before kissing him.

Tag List: @dreamingathighaltitude @shanimallina87 @luckyladycreator2 @mak-32 @katieshook02 @samhapner6 @rosiahills22 @thedroneranger @itsdesireexx @eruannaaa-blog @roosterforme

#top gun maverick #top gun #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #rooster top gun #bradley bradshaw smut #rooster smut #rooster x oc #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun rooster #top gun smut #tgm smut #tgm #tgm fic #top gun 2 #lt. bradley bradshaw

67 notes · View notes

bayisdying · 1 year

Text

Behind A Screen

Lucky's eyes hadn't moved from her phone in what felt like hours. That one little world bouncing around in her head. Squidward. The cruel nickname her bullies had bestowed upon her back in elementary school all because of her nose.

"You good over there Lucky?" Spicy asked as she wiped down the bar, her voice startled Lucky enough that she nearly dropped her phone.

"You scared the shit out of me Spice!" She tried to laugh it off.

Lucky knew that Spicy could read her like a book, and that she was a terrible liar when it came to her friends. But Spicy didn't press her, and for that she was grateful.

"Oh my God, is that Squidward?!"

The comment had come from a former classmate, one who had made her life hell. It shouldn't shock her, but it still stung. She was reading it over and over, hearing the laughter from her childhood.

"Babe?" Cin's hand rubs her shoulder.

"Yeah? Sorry. Got distracted."

"Are you okay? You seem very in your head."

Lucky smiled at that, of course Cin would be the one interrogating her. That's how their friendship worked. Spicy was the quiet supporter until you needed her to get loud - and get loud she could. Cin started at about a 50 and could go either way depending on the situation. Lucky? Lucky started at 100 and stayed at 100.

"It's nothing Cin."

"Doesn't seem like nothing."

Lucky sighs, she knew her friend wouldn't let her get out of telling her. So she just slides her phone over to Cin who takes it.

"Squidward?" Cin asks. "Who is Squid...ward.."

Cin hands the phone to Spicy who has a similar reaction. "Bay what is this?"

"It's a classmate, I'm Squidward. That was what the other kids called me. Because of my nose."

Spicy and Cin share a look.

"Your nose isn't even that big." Cin says

"Tell that to children." Lucky said "it's no big deal guys."

They drop it, for now. That was until Luckys phone buzzed with a text message and she had Bradley look at it for her. He read the text then got curious and read the post and comments.

"Sis, what is this?"

"What, who texted?"

"No what's these comments on a picture of you?"

Lucky snatched her phone back. "It's nothing Roo."

"Didn't look like nothing Lucky, sure looked like childish bullying to me."

"It's fine. I'm a big girl."

"Lucky..."

"Roo drop it I'm fine." Lucky snaps, causing the rest of them to look over at them.

Lucky took a look around at all their friend's concerned faces and bolted to the bathroom locking herself in, much like the very first time Drew Larson had called her by the name.

-----

They had been partnered together for an assignment. Baylie was doing most of the work and finally got tired of Drew not helping.

"Can you please help?"

"Shut up Squidward." He had retorted.

It shut her up all right, she was so taken aback by his comment that it stunned her.

"You know you really do look like Squidward, with that big nose of yours." He continued laughing.

Baylie went to the teacher and asked to use the bathroom, as she walked out of the classroom she heard Drew whispering to another classmate about her nose.

By the end of that day in first grade, Baylie was called Squidward and it would continue all the way through high school.

-----

A knock on the bathroom door brings her back to the present. She wasn't seven years old anymore, she was a grown woman, a Naval aviator.

"Bay?" It was a voice she hadn't been expecting, it was Jake.

She wiped her tears real quick before she unlocked the door, the worried look on his face greeted her.

"Did you draw the short straw to come and get me?"

"Actually I offered." He opened up his arms. "Come here."

She rolls her eyes then hugs him, he squeezes her tight. It was...not at all like the Jake she knew.

"What's up with you?" She asks, looking up at him.

"Listen, I read those comments. I know I haven't always been the nicest to you but I saw red."

She just looks at him puzzled, "who are you and what have you done with my friend Jake?"

He laughs, "I'm still right here dickhead."

He walks her back to their group, Mickey gets up and kisses her soundly. Rooster pretended to vomit, and Spicy elbows his ribs.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Cin asked.

"Absolutely nothing wifey, I don't need to justify any of them with a response. I got my besties right here. Even Jake."

They all laugh as Jake feigns being hurt.

"I'm not that bad Lucky!" He exclaims.

"Sure buddy."

-----

Little Baylie would be so happy to know that instead of Squidward she was called Lucky now. And yes, she had the best friends in the whole world. Even Jake fucking Seresin.

-----

Tagging the besties: @dragon-kazansky @mrsjaderogers @gracespicybradshaw @callmemana @cycbaby @callsignscupcake @breadsquash

#top gun #top gun maverick #mickey fanboy garcia #baylie lucky steele #lucky x fanboy #bradley rooster bradshaw #jake hangman seresin #callsign lucky #alana cinco metcalf #grace spicy bradshaw

9 notes · View notes

curiouscompanions · 2 years

Text

@parables-for-days (continued from here) Oh, glowing eyes. That’s new, Cyrus thinks. But at the same time, so what? Things are becoming increasingly weirder around here and he’s starting to suspect that some fabric of the universe has been ripped somewhere and is allowing all these other realities to bleed into one another. His colleague suggests that the Infinite Improbability Drive has been activated and now everybody is stuck at permanent abnormality. Cyrus thinks both or either are possible and isn’t about to question it any further than that.

He’s less impressed with all the dialogue that just spilled out of their new guest’s mouth, though. Seems the one commonality between all these universes is talkative folks and that curse is his alone to bear because they all keep wandering into his office.

He sighs and gets up to get himself some tea, leaving his cohort and the stranger to yak at each other.

Thursday immediately takes his vacated seat and predictably resumes yakking.

“Okay, well, I kind of have to disagree with you about the employee lounge being the least chaotic place because we have had some decidedly strange things happen in there, not the least of which is apparent ghosts trying to communicate with people via makeshift Ouija boards and keyboards. And someone keeps turning all the paintings in there slightly askew - kind of funny, but also kind of annoying.” And at least one person has inexplicably died in there. But she doesn’t want to bring that up, not with a stranger, not like this.

Now Thursday trusts Bradley, but she still doesn’t know exactly who this stranger is. However, he doesn’t seem to be asking about recent events concerning a certain stupid virus, so she decides to skip past all the mistrust for now. That and it also helps that their whole notebook thing doesn’t seem to work with anybody other than herself and Cyrus - she’s tested this - with the exception of other Narrators and their respective powers, so it’s not like this person can use it against them in some way.

“Well, we don’t necessarily have to use our notebook. It can technically be any piece of paper. And it’s not 100% necessary for telling our stories - it just helps to sort of, um, cement the idea down for the office to interpret, I guess? Sort of- Sort of gives it a better idea of what we’re trying say and do for our characters. The notebook we use outside of stories to just- well, to do whatever we want in our down time, quite frankly. I mean, if I want a charcuterie board, then I should be able to have a charcuterie board and that’s the end of it.”

“As for how it all works? Ah, well, you know, I’ll have to get back to you on that. I have no idea. I’ve always just chalked it up to Narrator privileges, hehehe.”

“Also, hello, Deimos! My name is Thursday. That’s right, Thursday, just like the day of the week. My grouchy associate you heard earlier is named Cyrus.”

Behind her, Cyrus lets out a scoff, although he really should be used to being referred to in such ways by now.

”So!” Thursday chirps. “Would you like to see what all we can do with our stories?”

Deimos senses a faint hint of some grumpy vibes coming out from a fine distance, so he assumes that must be a second Narrator of this very Office. Otherwise it would not feel this far away and ghostly, right? He blinks when those vibes fade away quicker than he manages to pay more of attention. Thursday’s vibes seem stronger to him, which makes him focus on listening to her much more.

“Ah so your notebook is not as magic as it seems- could that mean you are magic?” he wonders. “Or it’s just Narrator-y magic powers? I have seen glimpses of those before, performed by other Narrators! I think I actually had a little of practice with powers alike- even as I am not a Narrator myself, I am just capable of shapeshifting and creating ~little illusions. I am something humans call a ‘magic alien’!” He floats up and sits down in the thin air, gracefully. He wraps a strand of this this long black hair around his finger as he keeps looking around, curiously. “Thursday and Cyrus?” he purrs softly. “I think it’s the first time I hear these names! I like them!”

Deimos’ eyes are as big as plates at this offer, then they glow even brighter than before as he switches from surprise to excitement in mere seconds.

“I’d love to!” he agrees. “If you got new stories to show, I am all eyes and ears!”

#ic #the haunted office #sorry i am a slowpoke

6 notes · View notes

aquietwritingcorner · 2 years

Text

March Mildness Day 19: Peaceful Word Count: 654 Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating: K/G Characters: Mrs. Bradley Warning: Summary: Amelia Bradley knows that her family isn’t normal, and she’s at peace with that. Notes: AO3 || ff.net

________________________

Peaceful

Amelia Bradley knew that her family was not normal. Oh, certainly being the wife of the leader of the country, and a militaristic country at that, would not lead to a normal life. And having to adopt a son because she and her husband couldn’t have children of their own was not the norm either. But beyond that, Amelia knew that her family was not normal.

Despite what people believed, Amelia was not entirely clueless. While not high society, she had grown up high enough on the economic ladder that she knew the games that were played. She had watched some of them from her father’s knee, as he, a general, tried to outsmart other generals for rewards or just to protect what he held dear. She had seen the mechanisms at work after she married King and watched his rise to power.

It was because of this, that she knew that her husband was not normal. There was something off about him, compared to others she knew. It was something different that she couldn’t put her finger on. It wasn’t just his nasty temper, which she had been on the receiving end of a few times. Fortunately, she gave it right back to him, and, she was pretty sure, that was what attracted him to her. It wasn’t how unnaturally strong and fast he was at his age, still a man few—if any—could beat. His own strength had diminished with age, but his hadn’t seemed too yet. It wasn’t even that he didn’t like for her to see him with his eyepatch off, and, if she did, he generally kept that eye closed.

No, it was something else. It was something more dangerous, something that she had seen give others shivers and discomfort when he brought it forward. She still wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew that it was not normal.

She also knew that Selim was not normal.

Yes, he had been adopted by them years ago, and slowly he had grown up with them. But that had given her plenty of time to watch him. While he played much like other little boys, there was something that was just a bit off about it. Often, it was almost like he was play-acting. It was like he allowed her to care for him or do for him. He was incredibly smart and attentive, and she knew that it could just be that he was gifted but wanted to please her so did as he was expected to, but that wasn’t what Amelia thought it was.

She wasn’t sure what it was, but it had a similar feel to that of King’s, although it was not as threatening most of the time. If he was threatened, though, Amelia had seen the way his eyes would narrow, how his focus would become sharp, and how his presence just seemed to increase. She wasn’t sure how to describe it, but she knew that it was not normal either.

However, none of it bothered her.

Who cared if King and Selim weren’t normal? She loved them, and they loved her, albeit, in their own ways. She had seen genuine love and joy light up in their eyes and faces, seen surprise and worry bloom on them. She had seen them legitimately concerned for her, and she had seen them genuinely enjoy family time together. It didn’t matter if they were normal or not. All that mattered was that they were a family.

And on nights like this, where they were all together, where King and Selim were enjoying themselves as they all played a game together, with the radio playing music in the background and a fire crackling in the fireplace, Amelia found herself feeling peaceful. She didn’t care that her family or her life wasn’t normal. She was at peace with it and had all that she ever wanted right here.

#March Mildness 2022 #Mrs. Bradley #Selim Bradley #fuhrer king bradley #fma #Fullmetal Alchemist #fma fanfic #fullmetal alchemist fan fiction

19 notes · View notes

kaunis-sielu · 3 years

Text

A Favor

“Auntie!” Anya says the second you answer your phone, “I need your help!”

“What’s wrong?” You’d learned quickly that her version of an emergency and yours were very different.

“My principal wants to talk to my parents!”

“Why?”

“Because I’m sick of Ted Cramer being a bully so I punched him.”

“Okay, so why are you calling me?”

“My parents are out on a mission!”

“Oh.” Keeping who Anya’s parents are a secret is the only thing keeping her in normal school, which was something both agents had wanted for their daughter. “I’ll grab one of your uncles and come in.”

“Not uncle Bucky okay?”

“Why not?”

“Um, last time he was here the principal called him a terror or something and uncle Bucky got really sad.”

“Okay, not Bucky. Are you in the office now honey?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell the principal we’ll be there soon.”

“Um, could you just say you’re my parents? They haven’t met them and you don’t travel as much as my parents do, and you look a lot like me. Since you work behind the scenes people won’t know.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Please!” She begs, “otherwise they’re just gonna demand my parents come in and then they’re gonna be recognized and I’ll have to leave all my friends!” She sounds so upset that you cave,

“Okay fine.”

“Thank you! Okay I gotta go, I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon honey.” You hang up then and grab your purse to head out and find one of the boys. You know that Bucky, Steve, Scott and Bruce are all home. Bucky is already out and you don’t think Scott is around enough to be a good Clint substitute. You round one of the corners and nearly crash into Steve, “ah!” You cry startled at the sudden appearance of the Captain.

“Sorry, you okay?” He asks and you nod.

“Hey, I need a favor. Well, actually Anya needs a favor.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yea, just in trouble and needs two people to come to the school.”

“Let me get changed.” You haven’t told him all the information yet but he’s already ready to jump in and help Anya. It’s one of the reasons you adore the man, always ready to help his family.

“Oh, okay I’ll meet you downstairs?” He nods then disappears into his room, you make your way down to one of the cars and as you’re walking up he appears out of the stairwell. He’s in a black shirt, jeans and a grey jacket that either belongs to him, Sam or Bucky, you’ve seen all three men wear it so you’re not sure who it belongs to.

“You want me to drive or do you wanna?” He asks and you pull open the passenger side door in response. “Alright.” He chuckles then gets into the car and heads for Anya’s school.

“So just a heads up she’s asked me to pretend to be Natasha, well actually Natalie Rushman.”

“Why?”

“Nat and Clint are gone so often and since I don’t go out on missions to fight I’m home more than anyone. If Anya needs someone to come in again I’m the best option, I’m not a familiar Avenger. You might be more of a problem, having to explain how I know Captain America.”

“I wear a mask and I’ve got my undercover hat in the back.” He tells you with a grin and you laugh softly.

“Alright, if asked I’ll just say I work for Stark.” You say as he pulls into the parking lot. You climb out of the car and make your way into the school, Steve’s hat is low and somehow it does make him look less like Captain America and more like suburban dad.

“Hi, how can I help you?” The woman sitting at the front desk asks, it was too easy to get into the school, you glance up at Steve and see a small frown on his face. He must be thinking the same thing.

“Hi-“

“Mom! Dad!” Anya cries rushing you and Steve who you share a surprised look with Steve as Anya wraps her arms around your waist and buried her face in your stomach.

“You must be Anya’s parents, I’ll let Principal Decker know you’re here.”

“Thank you.” You tell her and the second she turns away you conjure rings for your and Steve’s fingers.

“Good thinkin’ Sweetheart.” He mutters into your hair.

“Anya, can you tell us a little more about why we were called in here?”

“Ted Cramer wouldn’t leave me alone, he keeps pulling my hair and poking my side and taking my stuff. When I told Mr. Sanders he just told me to ignore it so when Ted grabbed me at recess I punched him.” She looks up at you and that’s when you see the forming bruise around her eye.

“Anya who hit you?” Steve asks, his voice low.

“Nick Sanders. He’s best friends with Ted.”

“So why are you the only one in the office?” You ask, irritation building.

“Because the boys are in with the nurse.” A male voice says and you look up to see a man in a suit standing in front of you. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Rushman. Principal Decker.” He reaches a hand out for Steve’s and he shakes it coldly.

“Bradley actually, Clark Bradley. My wife kept her last name and since she did all the work we decided to give Anya her last name.”

“My apologies, let’s move this to my office?” He offers and when he goes to touch you to guide you into his office you shy away, Steve wraps a protective arm around your shoulder and when Principal Decker gestures for you to sit Steve stands behind your chair arms folded tightly.

“So you’ve called the other children’s parents?” You ask hoping that he isn’t going to disappoint you but considering he’s already pretty much ignored you you don’t have a whole lot of hope.

“Considering Anya is the one who started the fight we’re a little more concerned with dealing with her behavior first.”

“That’s not the story we heard.” You tell him, glancing over at Anya who looks furious.

“Well, you can’t always believe everything children say.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve says through gritted teeth, “did you just call our daughter a liar?”

“No, no, I just think it’s unwise to just assume you’re getting the whole story.”

“I told them the whole story!”

“Anya if you can’t be respectful then I’m going to ask you to sit in the office.” Principal Decker warns and she folds her arms tightly over her chest, that’s when you notice the rip in her shirt.

“Anya, turn around please.” You tell her and there’s a large tear in the back of her shirt. “Did this happen when you were defending yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Fighting Mrs. Rushman.” Principal Decker interrupts.

“Maybe Anya should go out into the hallway.” Steve growls and you reach behind you to take his hand.

“No,” you counter, “Anya needs to be here to hear this just as much as Principal Decker does.” Your voice is steady, calm, “we have taught Anya to defend herself if someone has touched her when she has asked them not to. Ted Cramer has been an issues all school year, I know because I’ve already emailed Mr. Sanders about it.” Not a lie, as her godmother Natasha has you in their parent email so that you can step in if needed. He opens his mouth to speak but you hold up a hand, “I am not finished.” His mouth closes again, “We won’t be pressing charges against the school for allowing sexual harassment to continue,”

“Sexual harassment? Hold on a minute, they’re 10!”

“He has been pulling her hair, touching her and taking her things all year.”

“Little boys do that when they like little girls! He just has a crush.”

“I see you’re married Principal Decker,” You say gesturing at his ring, “do you poke your wife? Do you pick on her? Take her things? Touch her when she asks you to stop? Because if you do you’re an abuser.” His mouth drops open. “Am I pleased that Anya felt her only course of action was to hit someone to get them to leave her alone? No, I’m furious that her teacher and principal did not listen to her and made her feel like she had to defend herself. Now, how long will she be out of school? My husband and I have jobs to do and frankly you’re an ass.”

“Mrs. Rushman!” He sputters but you stand and hold out a hand for Anya’s.

“How long Principal Decker?”

“Three days.”

“Very well. Anya go get your things.” You turn then and make your way out of the principal’s office Steve behind you.

“Damn Sweetheart.” He mutters and you give his hand a little squeeze. Then he disappears with Anya to gather her things. You head out for the car, leaning against the sleek black thing in the sunshine. Hopefully Clint and Nat won’t be too upset with how you and Steve handled this.

“You! Are you that little Rushman bitch’s mom?”

“Excuse me?” You ask standing up straight as a woman comes storming toward you.

“You heard me. I’m gonna kick your ass.” She takes a swing at you that you see coming a mile away. You duck under her arm, step behind her and throw and elbow into her shoulder blade throwing her off balance. She stumbles forward and you turn to face her again as she whips around.

“My daughter took on three boys and only had a black eye and a ripped shirt. Where do you think she learned to fight?” You ask calmly as the woman rushes you again, you wait and shove her away as you sidestep her again she goes stumbling. Technically it was Natasha but the woman doesn’t need to know that. This time when she rushes you you don’t move, instead you catch her arm and spin her into the car pinning her against the hood.

“Mom?”

“Hi Anya. Clark.”

“Everything alright here Sweetheart?”

“Yea, this is one of the boys mom. She doesn’t seem pleased with how we decided to raise our daughter to not be a passive little thing who lets boys do whatever they want.”

“Fuck you!” The woman screams and you twist her arm painfully.

“Language. You’re at an elementary school.” You say coolly, “Anya honey get in the car please.”

“Anything you need from me Sweetheart?”

“Mm, her husband doesn’t seem too pleased.”

“Let go of my wife you fucking bitch!” He roars his truck squealing to a stop behind your car. He comes bolting out of the car and Steve sighs.

“Honestly. Who do they think taught our kid to kick ass?” Steve grumbles placing himself between you and the large tatted man.

“He’s gonna kill you!” His wife says from where you still have her pinned to your car.

“Friday, are police on their way?” You ask your watch.

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” You say before a loud crash happens behind you.

“I told you to calm down.” Steve says and when you glance behind you you see the other man groaning against his car, a body shaped dent in the hood.

“Mick! Mick! Do something!” The woman yells struggling against you as the police roll up.

“I don’t think Mick is gonna be getting up anytime soon.” Steve says with a sigh. The two police officers come up and she starts screaming about how you’d attacked her. The police take her from you and when they attempt to cuff you too Steve speaks up.

“You probably shouldn’t do that.”

“Are you threatening us sir?”

“No, but she does work for Stark and the whole thing was caught on that camera so maybe check the security camera before you go slapping cuffs on people.”

The two officers call for an ambulance to check on Mick then one goes inside to see what was caught on the camera. When he comes out with a flash drive you’re free to go.

“Thanks Auntie. Thanks uncle Steve.” Anya says from the backseat as Steve pulls out of the school parking lot.

“Don’t thank us quite yet. You still have to tell your parents that you were suspended.” Anya groans loudly before pulling her phone from her pocket. “On speaker please.” You instruct, she’s a tricky thing.

“What? Don’t you trust me?”

“Considering I just played your mom and Steve your dad, no I do not.” She groans but does as you ask and calls her mom on speakerphone.

It’s not the worst conversation and you’re glad that Nat and Clint found that you and Steve played them entertaining. You make sure to tell them that you’ll make sure she gets her schoolwork done before she goes back next week.

“So, I was thinking we deserve ice cream.” Steve says once Anya hangs up with her parents.

“I think that sounds like a great idea. What do you think Anya?”

“I love ice cream. Uncle Steve you should ask Auntie out.”

“Oh, um.” Steve stutters and you glance over your shoulder at Anya.

“Anya you don’t just get to decide things like that for people.”

“But he likes you, and you like him Auntie.” Before you can say anything else Steve chuckles,

“Well she’s not wrong.” Steve says and your gaze whips over to him.

“What?”

“I do like you. So, what do you say? First date at an ice cream parlor with our niece?”

“That sounds perfect.”

#steve rogers #captain america #oneshot #imagine steve rogers #captain america x reader #Steve Rogers x reader #steve rogers one shots #steve rogers oneshot #avengers imagine #avengers one shot #clintasha #clint barton x natasha romanoff

182 notes · View notes

shadow-commet · 3 years

Text

This game has far too little fan content. So here, have a fanfiction I wrote yesterday instead of sleeping. Edit: I figured out how to add read more, yay!

W͟a͟t͟c͟h͟i͟n͟g͟

Light footsteps sounded behind him, coming to a stop what must have been a foot or two away at most. He didn't turn around. "He's not woken up yet." the man mumbled; murky brown eyes fixed upon the unconscious figure in front of him.

Silence hung heavy in the air as they both watched the detective's chest rise and fall in a slow, almost hypnotic rhythm. Other than that, the sleeping man lay completely still. Not even his eyes were moving behind his lids to indicate dreaming. Pierce hadn't moved at all since he'd passed out in his arms. That had been 15 hours ago. If he weren't still breathing Bradley would be sure he was dead.

A sigh echoed through the empty room. "It's getting late Ethan, get some sleep." The officer didn't move.

That wasn't much of a surprise. He'd been sitting there staring at the detective for most of the day already. Marie knew he was worried about him. She was too, of course. Neither of them knew why Pierce hadn't woken up on his own yet, nor why nothing they tried could rouse him. She suspected he was simply incredibly exhausted. They didn't know how much time he had actually gotten to properly rest since he'd been found at the cave in. Or if he had gotten any rest at all.

But even if that was the case, 15 hours were still very concerning. Especially because she couldn't find anything physically wrong with him. A strange notion considering the cave in he'd survived. But without anything physically wrong with him, they were unable to do anything but wait for Pierce to wake on his own.

Bradley wasn't much of a fan of that fact and so he had refused to leave Pierce' side. Stubbornly watching over him, anticipating the other to rouse any second. It didn't seem like he would leave any time soon either, even if he should go to get some rest himself.

"Ethan..."

"I'm not leaving." he stated, interrupting his old childhood friend. The officer still hadn't even turned to look at her.

Another sigh left her lips. Bradley could be far too stubborn for his own good sometimes. But it didn't look like she could convince him to leave Pierce alone. A clock in the house chimed. 9pm. She'd try again in an hour. If he still wasn't leaving, then she'd drag him to the next couch to sleep herself. For now though she left, soft footsteps getting quieter and quieter as she walked back down into the main room.

The brunette officer once again found himself alone with the unconscious form of Edward Pierce. He had been watching over him for hours now. Why? Bradley wasn't entirely sure either. He just...felt like he should. Just like he had just felt as if he desperately needed to get the other man out of the psychiatric wing at the hospital. There was no proper logic to these feelings. It was as if he had that strange need to protect the detective as well as he possibly could, keep him safe, warm and happy.

It was weird really, he'd only known Pierce for a few days at this point, heck Bradley hadn't even told him his first name yet! Yet he felt a certain...connection to the other man. Ethan couldn't properly describe it, didn't even know what it was himself but...he knew it didn't feel bad. It felt sort of warm and fuzzy, reassuring in a way.

These feelings weren't exactly helping in his worry however, as that was what had gripped his heart. Worry. Worry about why the other wouldn't wake up, why he was so still.

Seeing the detective so completely motionless was somehow surreal. In the entire time he'd known the man from the mainland he'd never seen him completely still and relaxed. Pierce had always been moving in some way; be it his ever searching, curious, perceptive eyes wandering over his surroundings, his strong hands tensing and relaxing with a rhythm only they seemed to know, his feet carrying him swiftly and gracefully from place to place or his lips, curling and parting to ask, speak, silently convey his emotions and opinions. Now, lying there without these constant comforting movements he looked strangely vulnerable.

A look that was only added to by his current state of undress. Marie and him had taken Pierce's leather harness, his vest and his tie off, leaving him only in his white, hastily buttoned up shirt and undershirt. To Bradley, this looked weird on Pierce, wrong. Such as is usually the case if you only know a person dressed in specific clothes.

Pierce would probably think Bradley's own current attire weird, had he been awake to see it. The brunette had taken off his uniform jacket and hat, had taken his belt off and opted to open the first few buttons of his shirt, his sleeves rolled up over his elbows.

His eyes wandered with over his friend's body...friend's? Yes...yes, he supposed he could call Pierce that...maybe. No injuries were visible, albeit the detective looked rather pale, ruffled up and tired, even as he slept.

A deep sigh left his lips. The first sound he had made since telling Marie that he wouldn't leave the other man alone. Slowly he leaned forward to rest his head on the couch next to Edward's chest. He was getting tired. "Just what happened to you after we left the office?" he mumbled quietly, glancing up at the slack, expressionless, breaded face of his friend.

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

The clock struck 10pm. Light footsteps approached the couch on the balcony. They stopped, maybe a foot or two away. Grey-blue eyes roamed over the scenery in front of her.

There on the couch lay two figures. One fully on it, the other half on the piece of furniture, half on the floor. Oh, how she regretted not owning a camera in that moment.

The two men made for an adorable picture. Bradley had apparently fallen asleep after all and had unconsciously sought out the nearest source of warmth to cuddle up to, Pierce. How he'd ended up with his head on the other's chest encircled by Pierce's arms with one of his arms and legs lying on the cold wooden floor she wasn't entirely sure. But oh, was it sweet to look at.

Marie stayed to silently observe the cute display for a few minutes, debating whether or not to wake Ethan to get him to lay down properly. The longer she looked at the pair however, the less she wanted to do that. They were both sleeping and seemingly peacefully at that, a rare treat on this island. And well...they were just too cute together. So, she decided to just let them sleep there.

A small smile upon her lips the doctor sneaked back downstairs to lay down herself, already thinking about how she could tease Ethan with that in the morning.

#edward pierce #officer Bradley #pierce x bradley #they'd make such a cute couple #you can't tell me otherwise #marie coldon #call of cthulhu #call of cthulhu game #Shads wrote a thing #I regret nothing

25 notes · View notes

ketamineharry · 3 years

Text

Rose Pt 2 - Joshua Bradley

Requested: No, this is the second part of the Doctor Who au. This part is slightly longer than the first at an almost 3,000 word count. I really do hope you enjoy this as it has taken me forever to write it. Lots of love, as always xx

You sat in your front room, the familiar domestic style of your ordinary life being a vast difference from the experience that you were dragged into mere hours ago. Your mum, Jackie, as much as you loved her… was always a bit over the top, always had something to say or brag about. Always wanted the Earth to centre around her.

“The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire. Early reports indicate.” The news reporter stated. The anxiety and severity of the situation, hadn’t yet sunk in. You were barely able to keep a track of your own thoughts.

You slumped down into the sofa, hoping that if you slipped down far enough, that it would swallow you whole and that you wouldn’t have to continue processing what had gone on. It was crazy to even think about, and you couldn’t talk to anyone about it, because as the Doctor had stated, it would get them killed. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place, as the saying goes.

“I know. It’s on the telly. It’s everywhere. She’s lucky to be alive. Honestly, it’s aged her. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now, you’d think I was her daughter. Oh, and here’s himself.”

Your boyfriend, Mickey flopped down on the sofa with you. His face is the picture of concern, as he takes your hand in his.

“I’ve been phoning your mobile. You could’ve been dead. It was on the news and everything. I can’t believe that the shop went up!” He exclaimed, his voice frantic. Laced with worry. His eyes searched your face for some sort of answer, some sort of explanation.

“I’m alright, honestly, I’m fine! Don’t make a fuss.”

“Well, what happened?”

“I don’t know!” You exclaimed, frustrated with the fact that you couldn’t tell your boyfriend. The one person you were supposed to confide in, with everything.

“What was it though? What caused it?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t in the shop.”

“It’s Debbie on the end. She knows a man from the Mirror. Five hundred quid for an interview.” Jackie said, her excitement clear.

“Oh, that’s brilliant! Give it here.” You said, as you snatched the phone out of her hand and disconnected the call. The measures that you were having to undertake to protect people were beginning to mount up.

“Well you’ve got to find some way of making money. Your job’s kaput and I’m not bailing you out.” She told you, quite matter-of-factly.

The phone rang again, your eventful night being the gossip of the tower block so it seemed. You just wanted to be able to go to bed and try to forget about it. But, you couldn’t do that, until everyone that knew you, or knew of you was reassured that you were safe.

“Bev! She’s alive. I told her sue for compensation. She was within seconds of death.” Jackie said, as she made her way through the flat, presumably so that she could work herself up and get excited and not have you bring her down about it.

“What’re you drinking, tea? Nah, nah, that’s no good, that’s no good. You’re in shock. You need something stronger.” Mickey said, trying to convince you to come out, for an alcoholic beverage. As much as you would usually be down for it, the thought of having to face even more people with even more questions, was exhausting.

“I’m alright.”

“Now come on, you deserve a proper drink. We’re going down the pub, you and me. My treat. How about it?” He asked, as he playfully pleaded with you.

“Is there a match on?”

“No, I’m just thinking about you babe.” He stated, simply.

“There’s a match on ain’t there.” You said playfully, a broad smile spreading across your face. The small normality of your boyfriend trying to persuade you to go to the pub with him, so he could get drunk and watch the football, was a comfort that you didn’t know that you needed.

“That’s not the point, but we could catch the last five minutes.”

“Go on, then. I’m fine, really. Go. Get rid of that.” You instructed him, as you threw him the plastic arm that the Doctor had pulled off of the mannequin a few hours beforehand. You just needed it out of your house, so that you could continue to try and live in some sort of normality and repress the memories of what the afternoon and the evening had presented you with.

Mickey quickly gives you a soft kiss, before taking the arm and getting ready to leave.

“Bye, bye.”

“Bye.” You respond, as you gave him a small wave.

As Mickey was leaving, he pretended to strangle himself with the arm. He would never know just how chilling that imagery would be for you, and you could never explain. Or else get him killed. For the safety of everyone you knew, you had to pretend that you were fine and you had to pretend that you knew nothing. Quite the burden to carry on your emotionally exhausted shoulders.

You woke up to the sound of your alarm clock, blaring beside you. Begrudgingly, you stopped the sound and went to get out of your bed.

“There’s no point in getting up, sweetheart. You’ve got no job to go to.” Jackie’s voice called. Sending you into a vivid reminder of what had happened the night before. Perhaps, it would be best to go back to sleep for a little while.

You were sitting at the dinner table with Jackie, discussing your future or what was left of it. You had to find another job, but everything that was available or was suggested to you, just didn’t seem like the right fit. You couldn’t force yourself to work somewhere, when it just wouldn’t work. You just weren't that type of person.

“There’s Finch’s. You could try them. They’ve always got jobs.” She suggested. You knew that she was just trying to be helpful, but there was no way that you could work in a butchers.

“Oh, great. The butchers.” You groaned. You were fed up of trying to sound grateful for each suggestion, because they weren’t helpful and these weren’t jobs you could see yourself enjoying. After all, she was your mum and you had hoped she would’ve known you better than this by now.

“Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I’m not joking about compensation. You’ve had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek! I know she is Greek, but that’s not the point. It was a valid claim.” She said, as she danced her way back into her bedroom.

Once Jackie was in her bedroom, the cat flap at the bottom of the front door began to rattle. A telltale sign that although you had instructed her to pin the cat flap down, because you didn’t want to have strays coming into the tiny flat, that she had in fact not listened to you. As it seemed like the cat flap was able to move freely, for it to be making all of that noise.

“Mum, you’re such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We’re going to get strays.” You complained.

“I did it weeks back!” She protested.

“No, you thought about it.”

As you bent down to try and see what was going on, you noticed four silver nails sitting comfortably on the floor. Something had managed to unscrew all of them to be able to try and get through the cat flap. Without warning, it moved. Cautiously, you pushed the cat flap back, in an attempt to see what was going on, on the other side of your door. It wasn’t a total surprise to see the Doctor, the stranger that had saved your life the night before on the other side. Quickly, you rose to your feet and opened the door for him.

“What’re you doing here?” He asked, confused.

“I live here.”

“Well, what do you do that for?”

“Because I do. I’m only at home because someone blew up my job.” You explained, a slight hint of anger to your tone.

“I must have got the wrong signal. You’re not plastic, are you?” He asked, as he made a fist with his hand and gently tapped it against your head a couple of times. “No, bone head. Bye then.”

“You. Inside. Right now.” You instructed him, as you took his arm and successfully pulled him into the flat.

“Who is it?” Jackie asked, from her bedroom.

“It’s about last night. He’s part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes.” You explained as you walked past her room.

The Doctor stood in the doorway, you couldn’t make out much of their conversation, but it seemed like Jackie had attempted to try and make a flirtatious advance onto him, which he had rejected.

As he joined you in the living room area, you felt a sense of shame. The clutter of your everyday life was on show. From magazines, to a deck of cards, the television set sat proudly in the corner of the room. The domesticity seemed alien to him. Like, he didn’t have any of these things himself and it concerned you. Perhaps, he was just some loner who in playing the hero had gotten himself attached to you and now you had let him into your house.

“Don’t mind the mess. Do you want a coffee?” You asked, breaking the silence that had filled the room.

“Might as well, thanks. Just milk.”

“We should go to the police. Seriously. Both of us.” You suggested, as you tried to think of a way to end the nightmare that you had found yourself residing in.

“That won’t last. He’s gay and she’s an alien.” You heard him mumble.

“I’m not blaming you, even if it was some sort of sick joke that went wrong.” You said, in an attempt at comforting him.

“Hmm. Sad ending.”

“They said on the news that they found a body.” You told him.

“Y/N Tyler.”

“Ah. Could’ve been worse, look at the ears.”

“All the same, he was nice. Nice bloke.” You said, as you continued trying to explain Wilson to him, but it seemed like he either wasn’t all that interested or couldn’t hear you.

You could hear that he was trying, and had failed to shuffle a deck of playing cards.

“Luck be a lady.”

“Anyway, if we are going to the police, I want to know what I’m saying.” You began, only stopping as you heard the deck of cards he was attempting to shuffle, fall to the floor. “I want you to explain everything.” You continued.

“Maybe not.”

He stops for a moment, as if he was trying to observe something. A silence from him, he failed to even explain his actions any longer.

“What’s that then? Have you got a cat?” He asked you, as he attempted to try and figure out what was going on.

“No.” You answered simply, as you finished up making the coffees. “We did have, but now they’re just strays. They come in off the estate.” You continued, as you picked up the two mugs of coffee and bought them into the living room with you. You placed them down on the coffee table in front of you, finally taking in the mess that was your living room.

“I told Mickey to chuck that out. You’re all the same. Give a man a plastic hand. Anyway, I don’t even know your name. Doctor what was it?” You asked, no sooner than you had. The plastic arm had attached itself to your face. You were barely, still able to breathe.

The Doctor, quick on his feet, pulled at it. Which only made matters worse, as he did, you both fell onto and crashed through the glass coffee table. Pieces of glass, and other matter flew everywhere as your bodies collided with it. He decides to use the metallic device that he had used the previous night to open the fire exit door, which finally pulls the arm off of your face. He then jabs the device into the palm of the hand, which stops the fingers from moving. The life from the object, seemed to have been drained.

“It’s alright, I’ve stopped it. There you go, you see. Armless.” He explained.

“Do you think?” You asked him, as you hit him with it.

“Ow.”

As soon as the Doctor had come, he was off again. But, you couldn’t let him leave until you had some sort of answers. A clear story in your head if you will. So, you decided to follow him down the stairwell.

“Hold on a minute. You can’t just go swanning off.” You protested.

“Yes I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See ya.”

“But that arm was moving, it tried to kill me.” You said, voice raised slightly from a mixture of fear and annoyance.

“Ten out of ten for observation.”

“You can’t just walk away. That’s not fair. You’ve got to tell me what’s going on.” You all but begged. Once you had the answers, you could easily drop it and go on with your normal everyday life, treating the cause of these events as some sort of anomaly.

“No I don’t.” He stated simply.

You had found yourself outside, still chasing after him.

“All right, then. I’ll go to the police. I’ll tell everyone. You said, if I did that I’d get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I’ll start talking.” You threatened. Which caused him to stop and turn around, allowing you to catch up to him a little bit.

“Is that supposed to sound tough?” He asked, flippantly.

“Sort of.”

“Doesn’t work.”

“Who are you?” You asked.

“Told you, the Doctor.”

“Yeah, but Doctor what?” You questioned.

“Just the Doctor.”

“The Doctor.” You repeated.

“Hello.”

“Is that supposed to sound impressive?” You asked.

“Sort of.”

“Come on, then. You can tell me. I’ve seen enough. Are you the police?” You enquired.

“No, I was just passing through. I’m a long way from home.”

“But what have I done wrong? How comes those plastic things are after me?” You couldn’t quite understand it all. It all just seemed a bit much. From your understanding, you hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet, these things still seemed to want to haunt you.

“Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around you. You were just an accident. You got in the way, that’s all.” He explained.

“It tried to kill me.”

“It was after me, not you. Last night, in the shop, I was there, you blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing. This morning I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixated on you, is ‘cos you’ve met me.”

“So what you’re saying is, the entire world revolves around you.” You stated sarcastically.

“Sort of, yeah.”

“You’re full of it.” You teased.

“Sort of, yeah.”

“But all this plastic stuff, who else knows about it?” You asked, your inquisitive nature getting the better of you.

“No one.”

“What, you’re on your own?”

“Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed and watch telly, while all the while underneath you there’s a war going on.” He explained.

“Ok. Start from the beginning. I mean, if we are going to go with the living plastic, and I don’t even believe that, but if we do, how’d you kill it?”

“The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I killed the signal dead.”

“So, that’s radio control?” You asked.

“Thought control. Are you alright?”

“Yeah. So who’s controlling it then?”

“Long story.”

“But what’s it all for? I mean shop window dummies, what’s that all about? Is someone trying to take over Britain’s shops?” You questioned, with a slight giggle.

“No.”

“It’s not a price war. They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?” He queried.

“No.” You responded simply.

“But you’re still listening.”

“Really though Doctor, tell me. Who are you?” You asked. He took your hand in his before answering

“Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving? It’s like when you’re a kid. The first time they tell you that the world’s turning and you can’t quite believe it because everything looks like it’s standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We’re falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world and if we let go.” He began, as he let go of your hand.

“That’s who I am, now forget me Y/N Tyler. Go home.” He instructed, as he headed towards a blue police box with the arm in tow.

You turn around, deciding to go to Mickey’s as luckily he had a computer. Before you could go much further though, you heard a strange noise. You looked back over your shoulder to see that the police box was gone, something was definitely going on and you needed to find out what.

20 notes · View notes

reversecreek · 3 years

Note

lily for magda (thinking about figs feeling evil), tulip for cricket, marigold for ziggy, chrysanthemum for bradley, belladonna for nyla

lily : how does your muse view their mother ?

magda doesn’t know a lot abt her mum. she knows vague snippets n details bt they’re all very elusive. it’s kind of a tricky subject where her mum’s concerned bc when she was younger she’d come up w all these assumptions abt how her mum was n who she’d be if she were with her but the rational part of magda was like..... u don’t know any of this. ur literally making things up. it’s kind of hard for a kid to have that vital person missing from their life n to resist the urge to fill in the blanks with their own projections so the space feels less empty. it’s like having a tooth missing n ur tongue always going back to poke at the spot in ur gum. there’s a constant reminder of loss in that. magda knows her mum liked to sing bc her dad said once she’d always sing to her belly when she was pregnant. this is a lot of the reason why magda has always cared so much abt music bc she took this fact in her fist n grasped it tight n never let go n in a way grew parts of herself around it. it’s like............. i feel like her mum dying in childbirth gave her lots of issues when it comes to her identity n like. who she is n who she wants to be.......... bc of magda’s issues w her dad i feel like she got into this habit growing up of rly putting who her mum could have been on a pedestal n basing everything around that.... she’d be like I’m More Like Her (a belief which was only accelerated bc her dad would drunkenly say she looked so much like her) n cling onto that so she liked herself more bc the other option was her dad who she loves but he’s also an incredibly flawed person n they hv a complicated relationship...... i think as she’s gotten older she’s realised her mum cld very well have been that way too n putting people on pedestals isn’t the way to go about things but. idk. as a kid she was kind of obsessed w this idea of her n this idea that her mum being gone was the beginning n end of everything wrong in her life. for the most part now magda accepts she never knew her n sometimes even feels stupid for grieving her at all bc she never knew her to grieve in the first place but. there’s a tiny part of magda tht still hangs on to the comfort of what she could have had n it’s obvious by the fact she still keeps a photograph of her folded up in her pillow. she loves the mum she made up in her head n she wishes she got to meet her. there’s this sense tht maybe then she wouldn’t feel like this culmination of missing parts more than a person if she’d had that in her life. sighs n lks away holding my dyed black emo bang.....

tulip : how does your muse view people in general ?

cricket is like. the strangest little anomaly of a person FGHKSFGHSFKGH bc like. u would rly think that after everything he’s been thru he would just have this absolutely jaded view of people and life in general and i wouldn’t even......... blame him for it if he did like. i’d understand completely bc he’s experienced A Lot of bad stuff. n yet somehow he just.... idk. i think i wrote in a reply once this comparison of cricket n a cockroach in the sense that they have this incredibly reinforced exoskeleton n even if they’re stomped flat they can keep living n bounce back from it n that’s very him but it’s more specifically the hope inside him. he has this little candle lit that good things can still happen midst all of the terrible things n i genuinely can’t see it snuffing out at any point even tho sometimes he might want it to. sometimes i think he even gets into these frames of mind where it jst infuriates the fk out of him bc in his head he’s like why do u even think good shit can happen when u have sm overwhelming evidence to the contrary but then he’s also like. look u can dwell on the bad or u can notice the way the light falls thru the leaves in the trees and u can think to urself inside ur head as u listen to someone u love talking abt something that makes them happy ‘hey this feeling is nice n there’s a dozen others like it’. idk. against all odds he’s an optimist. he has tinnitus in his left ear n sometimes he pretends the ringing is angels trying to talk to him. he likes to search for the silver linings in things to make them bearable n that’s how he gets by. obviously he knows there’s evil in the world n that a lot of people can be shit bc he has firsthand experience w that but he also believes there are people to serve as the antithesis to that n he wants to focus on them bc like. why give bad stuff the time of day. not necessarily always a positive coping mechanism (if u bottle up bad feelings n thoughts they leak thru one way or another aka his overwhelming anxiety) but like.... i think there’s a lot of bravery in that n i respect him for it i won’t lie. he cld have become very bitter bt instead he’s like that quote that’s like 'the gentleness that comes, not from the absence of violence, but despite the abundance of it'. suddenly slaps his little anxious rump (supportive) (affectionate)

marigold : is your muse prone to jealousy ? how might they handle envious feelings ?

it’s hard to say w ziggy............... i feel like he doesn’t want to think he’s prone to jealousy bc he’s like i’m literally a god wdym i simply wld never give a fk bc i know i’m above all else................. but like. do u actually believe that ziggy. do u. FKGJHKSJGHFGSHFGKSHGKFHG. he’s good at convincing himself at least........... has me fooled too most of the time. bt. thinks abt this.............. i feel like he doesn’t tend to get jealous over ppl he hooks up w a lot of the time bt there’s definitely a few select ppl he might.......... n then he doesn’t rly know what that feeling is bc he’s so unused to feeling it so he’s like wtf why am i so fking pissed off over the thought of this person fking that person? like literally doesn’t even. connect the dots n make the logical conclusion bc it jst seems so bizarre n nonsensical to him. rly is awful at working out his own feelings like. he cld just suddenly explode one day n have to smash a bunch of shit in a junkyard n after his chest is heaving n he has all this broken stuff around him n he’s just like yo wtf was that man forreal lmfaoooooooooo..... like he just doesn’t even get how his own emotions work it’s tragic n it’s men for u. w anxious feelings he represses them a lot he doesn’t rly understand what they r or know how to recognise them........... i honestly feel like he has a lot of anxiety surrounding his mum esp w her dating n like some of the guys they’ve both had to deal w that she’s dated in the past.......... i doubt he processes that healthily or expresses it healthily either..... probably contributes to the tensions between him n his mum they hv a lot of underlying issues that come out in the form of bickering n petty disagreements...... probably a huge contributor to him acting out so terribly in high skl was just all this pent up worried energy with no means of making sense of itself or like. place to go. like shaking a coke bottle over n over n finally having to crack the lid n let it fizz on something. i also think he probably swallowed a lot of jealousy growing up whenever other kids had gd relationships w their fathers or parents in general probably ws kind of like lmfaooooo yo why don’t mine love me like that. in his head...... so ya. i think he copes w anxious feelings by acting out n also fucking if we’re being honest......... it helps him let off steam <3 king of clapping cheeks ig....

chrysanthemum : how does your muse express romantic love ? how do they feel about love as a concept ?

bradley is kind of hard to read romantically like from an outside perspective but slides on my thin rimmed spectacles n picks up my scalpel to delve right in to the nitty gritty of her brain... omg... that sounded... kind of scary actually but. it’s ok. basically settles in. bradley struggles to verbalise her feelings in this regard but also in a general sense honestly.... like she’s spent a lifetime having any vulnerable or negative feeling shut down....... her dad’s the type of personality where it’s like... u can’t win. even tho he’s narcissistic n thinks he’s a god if u compliment him or express affection he’ll act pleased but there’ll also be this register in his eyes where he thinks less of u for it. so this rly had a domino effect in bradley’s emotional expression in all grounds of life...... romance is probably the most frivolous concept to tony so bradley definitely internalised some of these views n wld feel stupid for ever taking anything seriously in that regard or rly investing herself..... she also just. idk. love has only ever left bite marks in bradley’s world so she’d kind of like ‘why wld i ever expose my tender spots n open myself up to someone just so they can sink their teeth in’. i will say tho that like. despite that she can in rare instances develop those feelings n it’s always like..... quite a struggle for her when she does. she doesn’t rly understand it or how to deal w it. she finds talking about it hard n she feels childish or weak in the eyes of whoever knows how she’s feeling. it takes a long time n a lot of work to earn it bt bradley in love is like. ur the only person on the planet who knows how gentle she can b. she’d literally like. touch the face of this one guy i wrote her being in love w when he was sad so gently it was shocking it ws like a love tht deep unlocked a whole other part of her she didn’t know existed. sex is a big part of her love expression jst like. a lot of it. so much. JHGSFKHGSFGKHFKGSHG let’s get it.......... she’s a ride or die n doesn’t do anything in halves. she has a nasty habit of pushing good things away n also wld probably do this to protect the other person bc her world is a never ending shit show with her father’s presence in every room even when he isn’t physically there. she wldn’t wna subject someone she loved to the danger of that bc she hates it enough herself so. idk. smiles w hand on hip. love isn’t something bradley thinks is on the menu fr her bc she’s only ever known it to be hard or mean n why bother trying when that’s the case. it feels like there’s always small print attached tht will hurt her in the end n nothing is free or genuine. very doomed outlook on love in general tbh.

belladonna : how does your muse respond to silence ? do they take comfort in soundlessness , or seek to fill the void with noise ?

nyla honestly doesn’t mind silence at all........ they always wake up rly early in the morning no matter what time they went to bed. it’s like someone programmed an oven timer into their brain n often when they wake up at 6am or something they’ll go on walks around irving tottering in their own little world which is quite a quiet experience in itself when the rest of the world’s asleep........... always off on impromptu adventures they came up w on the spot.......... sometimes they get lost in their own train of thought too so they just randomly fall silent bc they’re having a whole conversation w themselves inside their head or like. writing a whole children’s story abt an iguana in a trench coat floating in a hot air balloon smoking a little vintage pipe all the way to peru. honestly for every 1 thing nyla says there’s about 4987295749572592745 things they don’t say tht are x100 times stranger n more nonsensical they sort of let it all drift thru their head like an open sieve for the most part. having said tht i think in order to sleep at night they probably need some sort of white noise or smthn................. it’s handy living in a beach house bc they just leave the window open to let the ocean gush bt sometimes if they’ve snuck into like. mido’s bed fr the night or someone’s bed idk the sound of them breathing works too................. they used to always sleep w bob ross playing on loop n that was rly comforting to them esp bc he reminds them a lot of their dad w his calming voice n energy.............. sometimes they’d have taken smthn n they’d literally hallucinate it as their dad instead of bob ross n this happened so many times in a row fr a period of time tht when they finally watched it sober they were like wtf since when did they recast my dad in this show...... KJHFGSHFGKSHFKGH but also. frowns... bit sad considering.

#magda | memes #cricket | memes #ziggy | memes #bradley | memes #nyla | memes #death tw #grief tw #anxiety tw #fortyfivcs #drugs tw #abuse tw #i think thts all tws theyre like not covered in detail obviously bt still #i put under read more bc i wrote literal essays fr everything idk what happened to me....#also thank u fr the ask sexy :yum:

7 notes · View notes

naruwitch · 3 years

Text

Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron: Chapter 33: Island of the Gods

The sound of seagulls cawing and cold water lapping against her legs was what roused Nonette into consciousness. Blinking as the sun hit her eyes, she saw about a dozen of the birds circling above her.

With a gasp, she sat up. Looking around, she saw that she was alone, but there was no sign of Britannian troops or Knightmares anywhere. It was clear she was still on one of the islands if the sandy beach and glistening ocean was any clue, but it didn't seem to be Shikine Island. Otherwise, she was sure that she would have been picked up by now.

"How did I get here?" she muttered. All she remembered was fighting Zero in the Black Lion and then…

"It's no use," she growled, "I can't remember anything!"

Nonette knew that without any Knightmares, it was unlikely that she could call for help or request a rescue party. The best she could do would be to get to higher ground. She was sure that her unit was looking for her, and if what she remembered was correct and her other colleagues were here...

Prince Schneizel had some explaining to do.

Until then, though, she would have to simply survive, and the first thing to do in that case was to find some freshwater.

Hiking up along the mountain trail, the faint sound of rushing water caught her ear. Likely a waterfall. At least she knew there was a good water source here.

Turning around a bend, Nonette nearly leaped out of her skin as she came face to face with a large green lion head.

Under normal circumstances, she would have at least drawn her gun to defend herself, but the only weapon she had was her sword. She instinctively gripped the handle but not drawing it just yet, merely staring the lion down.

After about a minute of tense silence, Nonette slowly moved, realizing the lion wasn't moving. That likely meant whoever was piloting the lion wasn't inside.

That meant whoever was piloting it was somewhere in the area too.

Now on her guard, Nonette cautiously snuck towards the sound of the waterfall. She had no way of knowing if the pilot was armed or not. However, even if she didn't have a gun, all of the Knights of the Round were proficient with swords, or knives in Bradley's case. She would just have to make sure that she got in close to fight properly.

Sneaking as silently as she could through the foliage, she finally found the source of the sound, and as she expected, it was a waterfall.

What she wasn't expecting, though, was to see someone already occupying the pool beneath it, and she couldn't help but gasp.

It was a young man with platinum blonde hair. His bareback was towards her, so she didn't see his face, but what she could see was… horrifying.

Whip-lashes, bullet wounds, other crisscrossing scars (likely from knives) covered the teen's back. There were also fainter, more straight lines. Surgical cuts. She could barely make out any clear, smooth skin. But most horrifying of all was right in the middle of his spine.

A brand. The symbol wasn't anything she recognized. If she had to pick a word to describe it, though, it looked like some sort of mutated, three-pointed claw.

This man had been tortured. Brutally. As well as experimented on and labeled as property. Of all of the cruel things she'd heard the Empire doing to the Numbers, she was at least glad that branding had been outlawed. Wounds and injuries could heal, but brands, they weren't easy to get rid of. Most were impossible to remove, and from where that one was located, it was unlikely it could be done safely for him.

She must have made more noise than she thought, as a moment later, the teen turned from where he had been bathing. His eyes widened when he saw her.

Her eyes widened in shock too when she saw his face.

"Prince Zephyr?!"

The Knight of the Round was in too much shock that she overlooked the blond reach for something behind him and fired it at her. Next thing she knew, she felt a cord wrap tightly around her, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground. Moments later, she cried out in pain as electricity ran through her body.

Then she blacked out.

On another area of the island, with a bit more of a rocky shore, Zero stood by, calmly observing the new location that he and Zen had somehow ended up. When he had come to, he had been unable to rouse his Lion. He knew she'd wake up on her own eventually, but what concerned him was that he was unable to contact the castle or the other Paladins. Something on this island was jamming the signal. The best thing to do for now would be to wait until Zen woke up to leave and regroup with the rest of the team manually.

"As I thought," he muttered, "This is another island… though the vegetation and climate are the same as Shikine Island. We can't be that far from it. I can't contact the castle right now. And with my face all over the news, I can't pass myself off as an ordinary person asking for help either. This is annoying."

His train of thought was cut off when he heard a noise to his right. Looking over, the person he spotted made him gasp.

'Euphie!'

The princess herself, soaking wet, also gasped as she came face to face with the mysterious masked revolutionary.

Nonette groaned as she regained consciousness for the second time that day. As she tried to move her hands, she realized that they were bound in what felt like hand-cuffs.

"Have a nice nap?"

Nonette gasped and looked up in surprise, the sun blinding her vision partially as her captor stood in front of her, now fully dressed in a black bodysuit and white and green armor. She noticed that they were by the Green Lion again, and the teen was perched on top of its nose.

Getting a better look at the teen now, there was no mistaking it.

"Prince Zephyr, is that really you?" she gasped hopefully.

The teen frowned and narrowed his eyes and pushed off the Lion's muzzle, landing on the ground.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, lady," he said severely, "My name's Rai."

"What? No, that's not…" she protested before pausing, "Don't you recognize me?!"

"Yeah, your name's Nonette Enneagram, Knight of Nine. A member of that bastard Emperor's personal watchdogs. It's hard not to figure it out considering how famous you are," he said, eyes still narrowed.

"That's not what I…" Nonette cut herself off and seemed to think for a moment, before looking at Rai again, "I see. If you don't remember… amnesia, maybe?"

Rai stared at the woman critically. It was evident that she knew him, but he had no recollection of her. Not from before or during his Galra captivity. She did call him Zephyr, though, which is what the other alien prisoners called him as well. That couldn't be a coincidence.

"Zephyr… what happened to you…?" Nonette whispered. Rai was surprised to see tears falling from her eyes. "Those scars… who did that to you?"

Rai gasped, his hand instinctively reaching around to the small of his back where the cursed brand rested. So she'd seen all of that? He hadn't even shown it to the other Paladins. The only person on the castle that had seen it was Coran, which he only saw due to performing a mandatory physical on each of them shortly after they arrived.

The Altean had been horrified, but not surprised that Rai had gone through such treatment. At the time, Rai had asked if Coran recognized the writing branded underneath the symbol. When the Altean confirmed he did, he asked to know what it said. Coran had hesitated at first, but Rai insisted.

According to the Altean, the script roughly translated to: 'Property of the Galra Empire.'

The Green Paladin begged the older Altean not to tell the others, and Coran agreed, knowing that these things were personal and sensitive to prisoners of war.

Now knowing that someone other than Coran knew about the brand made Rai unusually uncomfortable. Like he was exposed. Naked even.

As the Green Paladin's mind raced, all Nonette could do was bow her head as tears of joy and sorrow flowed down her cheeks. She'd found her prince, but what was the cost of it?

Zero's hand gripped the knife he had attached to his side as Euphemia continued to stare at him. He seemed to be her sole focus.

His mask hid the conflicted look upon his face. What on Earth was he supposed to say to her? Besides the hotel-jacking, this was the first time he was seeing his sister face to face. He remembered before their exile how he, Nunnally, and Euphie used to be. She was the first girl he had ever truly loved, besides his mother and sister. But now what did he do? He could use his Geass on her to make her forget she'd seen him, but that thought didn't seem too appealing right now.

"Lelouch," she addressed, taking him by surprise, "Lelouch, it's you, isn't it? I haven't told anyone about you, I swear! Please… let me see your face."

There was about a minute of silence before the Black Paladin moved. It wasn't to attack, though. Slowly and calmly, he let go of the knife and reached up to remove his helmet and mask, allowing the princess to see her half-brother's face.

Tears gathered in Euphemia's eyes as she cried tears of joy. Not wasting any more time, the princess ran forward and embraced her sibling.

Lelouch stood frozen for a moment, too stunned to move. Soon, his own emotions overpowered him, and two sank to the sandy ground, hugging each other close.

"I've missed you so much!" Euphemia gasped between tears.

"I've missed you too, Euphie," Lelouch whispered back.

Ocean and sand. That was all Kallen could see with her Geass as her vision swept around the area.

The second the Hadron cannon's attack had ceased, the rest of Team Voltron was shocked to see that not only Lelouch but Rai and both of their Lions had vanished! So had Nonette Enneagram and Princess Euphemia. And Kallen was getting increasingly irritated the longer her Geass couldn't locate them.

From what she could gather, the Britannian forces looked just as agitated. Several soldiers were scanning the area, likely looking for the princess and the knight.

She and the rest of the team still couldn't believe that someone would throw away and endanger their own men like that. True, in war it was inevitable that people would die, but it was a completely different story when soldiers were willing sacrificed like that! And the fact that the attack wasn't stopped by Princess Euphemia's interference!

"I can't find them!" she reported into the comm, "Not even my Geass is picking anything up!"

"Keep looking!" Suzaku practically barked, "They've got to be somewhere!"

"Hey, first of all, don't use that tone with me, Suzaku!" Kallen snapped back, "Second, I doubt looking in the exact same place for the fourth time, and yes, I counted, will bring different results! It's a little something called insanity, you know!"

"Plus, it's kind of hard to do a bigger search with all of the troops down there," Milly pointed out, "They were clearly after the Lions, so they could try and ambush us again if we aren't careful!"

"Allura, has the castle picked up the Lions' location yet?" Shirley asked.

"No, nothing!" Allura replied, "Wherever the Lions landed, the castle isn't picking up their signal!"

"Maybe they both got knocked out?" Rivalz suggested.

"No, the castle would still be able to find the Lions if that were the case," Coran answered this time, "Wherever they are, they're in an area that is completely blocking out their signal, in or out!"

"If it helps at all, I do sense that Lelouch and Rai are both alive. It's most likely that Zerith and Zen are with them wherever they went," C.C. spoke up, "Come back to the castle for now. It won't help anyone if you exhaust yourselves searching like this. The Knights of Round could still be in the area."

Kallen growled before spitting out, "Fine!"

With that declaration, the five remaining Lions turned tail and flew straight back to the castle.

Meanwhile, back on Shikine Island, the Le Fay continued to float over the beach, overseeing the cleanup and search party down below. The Gawain had been recovered, but unfortunately, both the Black and Green Lions appeared to have vanished, much to everyone's bewilderment.

Inside the ship's main hanger, Cecile was busy typing on a laptop by the recovered Gawain. Next to it was also the Tristian, Mordred, and Galahad. She was going over the data the Gawain managed to obtain during the fight, but she still felt shaken over what had happened.

"So Nonette really just vanished?" the voice of Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three, echoed through the hangar, and Cecile looked up in surprise.

"Without a trace," Anya Alstreim stated plainly, staring at her personal electronic diary.

"And the two lions that were in the area are gone too. The Prince won't be pleased with this," the Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein addressed gravely, "Are you positive you've looked through all the data?"

"No, Lord Bismark," Cecile addressed, "it's all just static in the Gawain's systems. No trace of what happened to Lady Enneagram or Princess Euphemia either."

"Hey, Mark, no offense," Gino suddenly said, eyeing the Knight of One suspiciously, "You didn't tell us that sacrificing Nonette like that was part of the plan!"

"Are you questioning the intentions of the Second Prince and Viceroy?" Bismarck challenged with a deadly gaze.

"But you also didn't intervene when you saw Princess Euphemia was there either!" Cecile couldn't help but point out in a rare burst of anger.

"If it wasn't clear for you to see, Miss Croomy, the three of us were also occupied with the other lions!" Bismark snapped. Cecile cringed back in fear of the Knight of One's wrath.

Before she could apologize, another voice entered the conversation.

"In all situations, priorities must not be forgotten either," Prince Schneizel acknowledged, walking into the room.

Cecile gasped, "Prince Schneizel! Y-You're here!"

"You impudent little…! How dare you look down upon the Second Prince of the Empire!" General Bartley exclaimed as he appeared as well.

"General Bartley…?!" Cecile lost her footing and slid down the stairs to land on her rear on the ground.

"Nice one," he commented.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Schneizel asked gently as he helped Cecile to her feet.

"Uh, thank you," she gasped as the prince helped her to her feet.

"Gah…! She's unworthy!" Bartley growled.

"You're quite the devoted subject, aren't you, General?" Lloyd observed.

"Primarily because the prince is the one who commuted my sentence and saved me from being chained up deep beneath Temple Tower!" General Bartley barked.

"I wish you'd stop thinking of me so formally," Schneizel told the General matter-of-factly, "You've been a great help to me in this current matter, as you were to my brother, Clovis. It is I who am grateful to you."

"M-my Lord!" Bartley gasped.

"Please, Bartley. Now my Lady Cecile, if you'll excuse me. Bismarck, Alstreim, Weinberg, please follow me. We'll discuss the events that transpired. In the meantime, Lord Asplund, you and Lady Cecile will use the Le Fay to locate Euphemia," the prince ordered before turning to leave the hanger.

"As you wish, Your Highness," Bismarck bowed curtly before he and his colleagues turned to follow the prince out.

Right as Lloyd turned to follow as well, Cecile spoke up, "Please wait! Were those orders yesterday issued by the prince?!"

"Silence! You don't want to be in contempt of royalty, do you?!" Bartley exclaimed.

"To be honest, I've been wondering about that too," Gino admitted awkwardly.

Despite the accusations, Schneizel responded anyway, "Those orders were mine, yes. I also fired the Hadron. Even in a situation like that, priorities mustn't be forgotten. The Empire is facing what is likely its most dangerous adversary. I saw an opportunity to eliminate the leadership, and I took it. I certainly didn't expect Euphie to rush out like that, but if something anomalous happened, we would have still been able to rescue both her and Lady Enneagram. That's what I gambled on."

"Okay… if you say so," Gino shrugged, but he still looked reasonably uncertain

"Yes, My Lord," Cecile nodded as well, "I understand now, and I sorely regret my rudeness. I accept any punishment you decree."

"Nonsense," Schneizel dismissed, "It's my fault for not protecting my subordinates. Can you ever forgive me?"

These were the last words Schneizel said as he left the hanger, but the Second Prince's mind was extremely troubled. While it was true that he ordered to have the experimental weapon inserted into the Gawain in an attempt to capture the Black Lion, somehow the machine had vanished, along with Zero, the Green Lion and its pilot, and Lady Enneagram. The Gawain didn't disappear, so it was a mystery as to why the two Lions vanished.

Something else was at play, and he hoped that he could somehow still talk the matter out with his brother before the situation became too dire to be reversed.

"How did you figure it out? Did Suzaku tell you?" Lelouch asked as he leaned back against a large stone. Euphemia was sitting on the other side, Lelouch's cape draped over her bare body as she had stripped out of her dress so that it could dry off.

"No. Well," Euphie stopped to think about her words, "he never specified you were Zero. He did say you were with Voltron, though. But I figured it out during the hotel-jacking."

She didn't see, but her brother nodded, "At the time, I said too much without thinking."

"Of course, I was never one hundred percent certain until now," Euphemia added.

"I see… I'm naive, as well. Even so, why didn't you discuss your suspicions with Cornelia or Schneizel?" he asked.

"I didn't because my sister never listened to me. And it never felt right to talk about it with Schneizel. Besides that… I think things are depressing enough as they are… Oh, Nunnally — how is she? Is she really all right? Suzaku said so."

"Yes," Lelouch answered, "She's better than she's been in a while, actually."

"I see… Can I assume that she knows everything? About Zero… and Voltron?"

"Yes," Lelouch nodded, "She knows everything, and why I'm doing what I'm doing."

"Lelouch I… I'm so sorry…" Euphemia stuttered, her voice cracking slightly.

"For what?" he asked, glancing back in confusion.

"For… for everything!" she gasped, holding back tears, "The hatred you must feel for us. The hatred towards the Emperor… towards us."

"No…" Lelouch answered, cutting Euphemia off, "Euphie, even after we were exiled, I never hated you. Of course, when I saw what Clovis and Cornelia became, I was scared at first that you changed too. But when I spoke with you at the hotel, I was relieved to see that I was wrong. You're still the same girl that would play with Nunnally and me at Aries Villa. You're still our sister."

"Lelouch…" Euphie murmured.

"I know you and Cornelia had nothing to do with my mother's murder. From what she told me, she investigated it extensively," he added as an afterthought.

Euphemia nodded, though, on the inside, she was relieved to hear that Lelouch and Cornelia talked. That meant her sister was still alive after all.

"Cornelia did think a lot of Lady Marianne and looked up to her," Euphemia said, "It frustrated her that she couldn't find who did it."

"Yes, I know…" Lelouch nodded again.

Suddenly, Euphemia's stomach gave a slight groan, and the princess looked down with a blush, "I believe feeling relieved has made me hungry."

Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle a little as he stood up, "Well, we're in luck. Somehow Zen was transferred here along with me. We should be able to find some provisions with her."

"Zen?" Euphie asked, confused as Lelouch went to gather her clothes.

"You'll see," was all he said with a light smile.

"Gotcha!" Rai shouted as he snatched another fish from the stream. Of course, it wasn't necessary to go hunting for food since Zerith had several packs of food goo stored inside her, but Rai wasn't going to let this opportunity slide. It had been ages since he'd had some decent Earth food.

"You know I can help you with that!" Nonette said. She was sitting by the shore, her hands still bound behind her, but she hadn't made any moves to get free. Rai's outer Paladin armor lay in a neat row beside her.

"Not a chance!" Rai couldn't help but snap a little back. He didn't care if the Knight of Nine claimed to know him; he wasn't going to take any chances while he was temporarily unarmed.

"Sheesh, were you always this stubborn before?" Nonette grumbled a little, but there was no malice in her tone. Instead, there was fondness and admiration as well.

"Oh my!" a now fully clothed Euphemia gasped as the two approached the still powered-down Black Lion in the forest.

"This is Zenobia," Lelouch introduced, "But I call her Zen for short."

"Well, hello, Zen," Euphemia greeted with a small smile.

Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle a little. He had yet to explain to Euphie how the Lions were sort of alive in a way, but he figured it would be easier to explain when Zen regained consciousness.

"I'll get inside and gather some provisions…" Lelouch trailed off, frowning a little. Sure the food goo would keep them alive for a while, but it wasn't exactly the best-tasting thing in the universe. But he wasn't in the mood to try and set any complicated traps right now. His physique may have improved over the last few months, but it was best to conserve as much energy as possible too, just in case he had to fight.

So he turned back to his sister, "Euphie, why don't you look around and see if you can find some berries or something? They would help improve flavor at the very least."

Euphemia blinked in surprise, "Does it really taste that bad?"

"No…" Lelouch shook his head, "It's just an acquired taste, let's just say that."

After a few seconds, Euphie shrugged, "All right, if you say so. I'll be right back."

"Be careful!" Lelouch shouted after her as she hurried off. As he lost sight of her, he sighed, looked at the head of his downed Lion, and then up at the sky.

"I just hope we're found soon…"

The atmosphere on the Castle of Lions was tense. For most of the night prior, the Alteans and Black Knights alike had been working non-stop to try and locate the Lions from above while the Paladins continued to scan on Earth's surface. Eventually, Coran made an executive order for the Black Knights and the princess to turn in for the evening, and they all did so reluctantly. They wouldn't be able to help Zero and Rai at all if everyone on the ship was acting like a gang of bumbling, sleep-deprived karjekals (whatever those were) by the time they were located Coran had said.

Now that the five remaining Paladins had come back, Coran had ordered them immediately to bed themselves, even if it was technically still mid-day down below. They protested, of course, which forced the older Altean to amend his statement and ordered at least a nap, which he promised to wake them from within a few varga.

Ohgi sighed as he picked at the food goo on his plate. He reminded himself that they wouldn't have to live off of this alone for much longer, as several of the seeds now in the new greenhouse had at last started to sprout.

He didn't want to offend the Alteans for their ways with food, but would it kill them to add at least a little seasoning to this from time to time?

He and almost everyone else in the dining hall looked up as Coran himself walked in.

"Still no sign of them?" Ohgi asked anxiously.

"Unfortunately no," Coran informed them, shaking his head, "The princess is continuously scanning the island and the area around it, but she still has yet to locate either the Green or Black Lions, which is deeply concerning."

"And you still don't know what happened to them?" Tohdoh asked who was seated next to Ohgi.

"No, it's like they vanished into thin space," Coran said solemnly.

"Um, you mean 'thin air' right?" Minami corrected.

"Ah-yes that!" the Altean corrected sheepishly.

"And it's isn't the result of a special ability on the Lions' part?" Tohdoh pressed further.

"Well… I wouldn't say one of the Lions doesn't have an ability like that, but it's highly unlikely that they used it given the situation."

"Do you think they could have wound up on one of the islands nearby?" Inoue suggested.

"We haven't picked up any signals from the surrounding islands yet. But once the Paladins are rested enough, I'm sure they'll start searching the other islands next."

"I beg your pardon Coran, but would that be wise?" Tohdoh asked. This statement drew the attention everyone in earshot, "Britannia will likely start to do the same, and the Green Lion is the only one equipped with stealth capabilities. Should the remaining Lions be too reckless and get spotted by enemy forces again, considering that several Knights of the Round are now present..."

"Colonel?" a small voice gasped from the entrance. Looking towards the door, Nunnally sat in her hoverchair, her eyes wide, "You're not suggesting that we stop looking for Lelouch, are you?"

Tohdoh blinked, and his gaze softened, "Of course not, Nunnally. I'm simply stating that we must exercise caution doing so. We can't afford to lose any more men, especially not another Paladin."

"Quite right," Coran nodded, "Rest assured, Nunnally, until we get solid confirmation that Rai and Lelouch have either been capture or, dare I say this, killed, we will not cease our search."

"Hell yeah!" Tamaki exclaimed, "There's no way those two kicked the bucket that easily!"

Biting her lip, Nunnally nodded, her heart hammering in her chest. She had just got her brother back not too long ago. If she were to lose him again so soon…

The princess's thoughts were cut off by a small hand on her shoulder. Looking up at the source, C.C. came strolling in.

"Well, for once you're correct about one thing, Tamaki," C.C. said, "those two are very much still alive. I can sense that they are."

"Thanks to that Geass thing they have, right?" Asahina asked.

"Yes," C.C. nodded, "So if the two are still alive, we can assume that the two Lions are fine as well. If Britannia had managed to capture either one of them, they likely would have made a statement by now."

"Even so, the fact that neither are responding on the comms is concerning nonetheless," Allura's regal voice said, calling everyone's attention to her as she walked in herself. Despite getting some rest herself, the princess looked a bit worse for wear with slight bags under her eyes. Her skin looked a little paler as well. "Coran, if memory serves correct, some of the shuttle pods are still equipped with the prototype stealth systems. If Lelouch nor Rai don't respond with the next twenty-four Earth hours, I suggest we use those to take to Earth and look for them ourselves."

"Very well, Princess. Does anyone object to this course of action?" the advisor asked the group as a whole.

No one spoke up, so Coran nodded, "Now Princess, please do sit down, you look like you're about to pass out!"

"I'm fine, Coran. Just… stressed," Allura protested.

"Well… aren't we all?" Coran sighed, several murmurs of agreement rippling through the group.

While this was going on, Nunnally couldn't help but bite her lip nervously. She was positive her brother was all right; she was sure she would feel it if he wasn't, but that didn't stop her mind from wandering to the worst-case scenarios.

'Lelouch… where did you go?'

"Lelouch… what exactly is this?" Euphemia asked as she eyed the green goo curiously. It looked like mashed potatoes drenched in green food coloring, but she had a feeling that it wasn't anything like that. She managed to find a decent amount of edible fruit on the island, much to Lelouch's relief. Hopefully, this can help with the taste.

"This is… uh…" Lelouch hesitated. Come to think of it, Allura and Coran never mentioned what the goo was officially called, did they? Everyone on the ship simply called it 'food goo.' The name probably just stuck. "We eat this a lot when we're on the Castleship. It was our only food source for a while. Now that we're back on Earth, we've managed to sneak some trips to markets and grocery stores, and Coran has been working with Milly and Rivalz to set up a greenhouse too."

"I see," Euphie nodded, "That's quite resourceful."

"Thanks. In a pinch, though, this stuff will at least keep us alive. It's not five-star quality by a long shot, but it'll sustain us until help arrives. Fruit only lasts so long, and hunting can be unpredictable without the right tools, which we, unfortunately, don't have."

Euphie nodded as Lelouch handed her a plate with a small amount of the goo on it, along with a spork. The fruit was situated between the two in easy reaching distance, and after pouring his own portion of the goo, the Black Paladin dug in. He was more than used to the texture and taste of the strange space food that he could eat it without too much incident, but he was fairly curious about how Euphemia would respond to it.

According to Kallen, Cornelia had refused to even touch the goo the first few times it was brought down to her in her cell. She only starting begrudgingly choking it down when she couldn't take the hunger anymore. Euphemia wasn't necessarily a picky eater, so he really didn't know what to expect from his sister.

Euphie tentatively scooped up a small amount onto the spork, eying it cautiously. She slowly brought it to her mouth and almost immediately gagged. She brought a hand to her mouth to keep from spitting it out and forced herself to swallow.

"It's... delicious," she tried to say politely.

Lelouch chuckled in sympathy, seeing right through her, "It IS still pretty bad, though. I think Alteans focus more on the nutrition value rather than taste most of the time."

"I see."

"This is what they make you eat?!" Nonette asked in shock and disgust after speed shoveling the food goo into her mouth. At least the faster she ate it, the less she tasted it. The fish had been tasty, though.

Just like Lelouch, Rai raided Zerith's emergency supplies, which included several bags of pre-packed food goo. He managed to catch a fair amount of fish, but he also wanted to preserve the supply as much as possible.

Biting into the first fish he could grab from the fire when he finished, he forgot how delicious Earth food was. That greenhouse and possible… oh, maybe they could give aquaculture a try too.

The Green Paladin shrugged, unbothered as he took another bite, "Everyone eats it, even the Alteans. Most of the time, this is all there is."

...Okay, that last part was a bit of a lie, but C.C. guarded her pizza stash like a dragon guarded treasure. After Tamaki tried to sneak one out of her hiding spot his first week on the ship, the immortal nearly sent him to the cryopods in a fit of rage.

Rai chuckled at the memory. He would never have thought the cocky, loud-mouthed rebel would have such a squeally scream.

After that, no one dared touch, much less question where the stash was hidden.

"It's honestly not that bad once you get used to it," Rai continued, "There's way weirder food out there in space. One of the other Paladins had a space bug stew one time."

Nonette rose an eyebrow but shook her head, deciding not to think about it.

Rai then jumped when the Knight of the Round let out a large belch.

"...Did you just burp?" he gasped.

"What? It's a normal bodily function. A Knight of the Round can't do that?" Nonette jabbed with a smirked.

"Well, besides the family itself, you guys are practically royalty, making yourselves look good," Rai commented before frowning, "All the while hiding just how rotten you are underneath."

Nonette's smile faded. "You really hate Britannia? Can't say I blame you given what happened…"

"It's kinda hard not to hate Britannia considering it's mostly filled with narcissistic warmongers who'll do anything for victory!" Rai began. 'You're just like the Galra' went unsaid at the last moment.

Nonette sighed, "I'll admit, some of the Empire's actions have been anything but honorable."

Rai scoffed, "If you're so hung up about honor, then why do you still do it?"

"It's not my choice, not my call," Nonette quickly explained, "The Emperor's orders…"

"Of course!" Rai threw his arms out in exasperation. "It's always 'the Emperor this' or 'the Emperor that'! I swear if I ever see that bastard, I'm gonna kill him myself if Zero doesn't get the chance to!"

Nonette looked toward Rai in minor surprise, "You… you really don't remember, do you?"

This snapped Rai out of his rant, "Earlier, you called me a different name. What was it?" the Green Paladin asked.

"Yes, Zephyr. That's your name," Nonette answered.

Rai flinched back. So he wasn't mistaken. The same name that associated him as Champion…

"My name is Rai," he denied.

"No!" Nonette exclaimed, sounding almost desperate, "Your name, your real name, is Zephyr zar Britannia."

At this declaration, Rai stumbled back in shock. No… this couldn't be true! But if that was his name…

"Then, that means…"

Nonette nodded, "Your father… is Charles zi Britannia.

"The stars haven't changed, have they?" Euphemia said softly as she layed down on Lelouch's cape on the sand, gazing up into the sky with her brother, "They were the same back then. We all used to gaze up at the stars together. Remember that? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live like that again? I'd be so happy then!"

The princess turned over to look at her brother better, "What are the stars like up there? Are they still like this from above?"

It took a few moments for Lelouch to answer, but he smiled slightly when he did, "Yes. If anything, I think they're even more beautiful. You feel closer to them."

Euphemia smiled in wonder, "What else have you seen? Will you tell me?"

"I can try," Lelouch answered with an amused smile, "But you know I wasn't much of a storyteller. I'm still not."

Euphemia giggled as she listened silently to the story of Voltron.

Rai felt his hands shaking as he fully processed the words that came out of Nonette's mouth. ""No… that-that's not true…" Rai stuttered, "I can't… you're lying… you're lying!"

"I'm not!" Nonette exclaimed before her face became somber, "I'm sorry, but that's the truth."

Rai couldn't take it as he fell to his knees. The world seemed to be closing in around him as he clutched his head, a loud ringing in his ears.

"Zeph!" he barely heard Nonette shout along with a shuffling. Was she trying to get out of her bounds? And do what?

All further panic was lost as a loud roar echoed through the trees. The ground shook beneath Rai's form as a large shadow draped over him.

"What the hell?!" he heard Nonette scream as the Green Lion stood protectively over her Paladin, his distress calling her into action.

Another weight fell on top of the Green Paladin, but unlike before, where it felt suffocating, this one felt warm. The feeling of safe, safe, safe sang like musical notes in his mind, harmonizing with a gentle but powerful purr.

It took several minutes before Rai finally calmed down. Zerith didn't move that entire time, pressed her quintessence gently but firmly against his, almost like when Arthur rubbed his head against their knee.

"Thanks, Zerith," he whispered, getting to his feet.

The Green Lion chuffed before slowing sitting down on her haunches like she did in her hangar in the castle. The second he was out of her shadow, her particle barrier shot up, shielding the Lion from any other outside threats.

Nonette stared up in shock. She was positive that no one else was inside that Knightmare. So how did it…?

"Surprised?" Rai asked, cutting her thoughts off, "Though it's probably obvious by now, the Lions aren't any ordinary machines."

The loud roar made Euphie and Lelouch jump and looked towards where it seemed to come from. Lelouch recognized it as one of the Lions and frantically looked up at the sky. Had they been found? It certainly hadn't been Zen roaring; he would have felt her waking up.

"What was that?" he heard Euphemia ask.

"...It'll be dangerous to investigate in the dark. We'll check it out in the morning. If I'm correct on what it was, we may have found our way off the island," Lelouch answered before glancing at Zen. Whatever had been in that Gawain Knightmare must have really injured her for her to still be out of it. He only hoped she woke up soon, or the castle had some way of getting her back on board as well.

Rai took a few more minutes to calm down. Now that Zerith was back online, her presence certainly helped slow his heart rate.

Nonette still stared at the Lion, looking ready to bolt if she had to.

Rai sighed, "Calm down, she won't attack you unless she thinks I'm in trouble… but you already saw that, so…"

Nonette visibly swallowed, honestly not sure what the best course of action would be. She wouldn't do anything to hurt her prince, but it would be suicide to fight the Lion, especially not without a Knightmare.

"Hold on…" Rai muttered, before glaring at the knight again, "Something doesn't add up. If it's true that I'm supposedly a Britannian prince, how come there aren't any records of a 'Zephyr zar Britannia' in the royal archives?"

Along with Lelouch's own knowledge, Rai had been using as much spare time as he could to research the Royal Family, trying to see how many of them could become potential allies to the Coalition. So far, Euphemia was the best option, but other possibilities included Odysseus eu Britannia (official crown prince of the Empire) and Marrybell mel Britannia (current Viceroy of Area 24, formerly Spain). Of course, now that they had Cornelia in their custody, there was always the chance for her to have a change of heart and join their side. According to Nunnally, she was willing to fight with them, but several Black Knights were still doubtful.

But like he said, throughout his sweep of the family, not once was there any mention of anyone named 'zar Britannia.'

"That's because there officially isn't one," Nonette revealed, "The Emperor wanted to keep your existence a secret, along with your sister-Oh right, Sophie! If you're alive, then is she?"

Rai grimaced, but still answered, "I don't know. The last time I saw her, she was supposed to be sent off to a work camp. I haven't seen her since."

"Work camp? Where?!" Nonette growled, looking infuriated.

Rai scoffed, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. And I honestly don't know myself. Like I said, that's the last time I heard about her. Her current status is unknown to me too."

Nonette deflated at that, but Rai could still see the fiery anger in her eyes. It was clear that Nonette did seem to know him and his family. She knew Sophronia's name, and he never mentioned it in front of her. Was it possible that she really was telling the truth? He wished his Geass functioned the same way Lelouch's did; that way, he could know for sure.

"...I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered to himself as he sat back down. Nonette looked up at him as he leveled her with a stare, "Look, I honestly have no clue if you're telling the truth or not, but… I need some answers, and an untrustworthy source is better than no source at all."

"I would never lie to you, Zephyr," Nonette insisted.

Rai didn't completely believe her, but he took a deep breath. He decided to start with something else he already knew, "What's my mom's name?"

Nonette answered immediately, "Erina Kurugui."

The world seemed to stop for the millionth time that day as he processed this information.

"K-Kururugi?" he stuttered.

"Yes," Nonette nodded, "Your mother was a member of the Kururugi family. The younger sister of the late Genbu Kururugi, in fact."

"What?!" he gasped, "Wait… so that means that Suzaku and I… are cousins?"

Nonette paused for a moment, then chuckled a little, "Huh, that thought never crossed my mind, but yeah, I guess you are."

Rai to take a breath as he processed this new information. So, in the span of less than an hour, he learned that not only was he Lelouch and Nunnally's half-sibling through that disgusting man, Charles zi Britannia, but now he and Suzaku were cousins.

He wondered if Suzaku knew about this or not.

He quickly wiped that suspicion from his mind. Sure, maybe Suzaku knew about his aunt, but he never mentioned having a cousin named Zephyr. And he was sure Suzaku would have said something if he had. Unless… he had been sworn to secrecy. He had proven that he was good at keeping secrets, at least.

Rai groaned. He felt like his head was about to explode, but he had to keep going.

"So, let me make sure I've got this right so far. The Emperor of the Britannia is not only my father but he, a man who actively encourages racism and war, married a Japanese woman?"

"No," Nonette shook her head, "They never got married. Erina and His Majesty had an affair that was kept secret from both families."

"Okay… why?" Rai had to ask. It made no sense. If it were for political purposes he'd understand, but this sounded more like a one-night-stand sort of thing. Were they drunk or high when this happened?

"I don't know," Nonette honestly shrugged, "As far as I know, I'm the only one who knew about this."

"Okay, so why did you get to know about us?" he asked suspiciously.

"I was assigned by the Emperor to be your knight to protect you," she answered simply.

So that explained a few things too. Why she was so protective of him and so desperate to rescue him from Zero and how furious she became when he told her about where Sophie may be.

"Okay, so where did we live? Before we disappeared anyway?"

"It was on an island known as Fiji," Nonette explained, "It's in the Pacific, east of Australia."

"Fiji?" Rai asked, "I don't remember that island being part of the Empire."

"It isn't," Nonette shook her head, "Officially it's considered an independent nation even now. The fact that it's not in Britannia's territory is likely the reason you and your family were hidden there."

"Okay… so happened to us then? How did we disappear?" Rai almost demanded.

At this, Nonette looked down sadly, "I can't answer that because not even I know. Before you vanished, I had been called away on another mission to quell some riots in Area Sixteen, the nation once called the Philippine Islands. When I got back… you were gone. It's like you were never there to begin with."

Rai nodded. He felt a small tickling in the back of his skull. Something was fighting in his memories to come to the surface, but it felt like a thick pane of glass was keeping it back.

"I'm guessing you searched for us?" he guessed.

"Yes," she nodded fervently, "I talked to practically every local I could get my hands on but none of them seemed to know who I was talking about. Then I pulled some strings in the higher ranks of the Empire to find out if you had been moved unexpectedly, I tried every trick in the book. I found nothing…"

Rai stared at the knight as tears gathered in her eyes, but remained silent. He could tell she wasn't finished.

"When nothing turned up from my own investigation, I confronted the Emperor himself and demanded to know what happened to you all. I got nothing out him, and as punishment, he demoted me."

"And yet now you're a Knight of the Round, one of his elite," said obviously.

To her credit, Nonette didn't take offense and just shrugged, "I practically started over after that. I rose in the ranks of the military, and eventually, the Emperor offered it to me. I saw it as an opportunity to use the position to expose the Emperor's darker side. I figured if the people saw it, they would remove him from power. Maybe even by force."

Rai stared wide-eyed. He hadn't expected that. She wasn't doing this out of loyalty at all! At least not to the Emperor.

"It's revenge," he realized, "You did all this to avenge my mom, my sister, and I?"

Nonette looked up from where she had been staring at the ground and looked Rai straight in the eye, "Yes. I'd avoid war if necessary, but if there were no other option, I would. I...I was your knight, assigned to keep you safe. And I turned my back for what felt like a moment, and you were gone. I failed you."

Rai remained silent, unsure of what to say. Here was a Knight of the freaking Round blatantly telling him that she will betray the Emperor she had swore to protect just for his sake?! Maybe… maybe he should tell her about the Galra. Voltron had questioned whether it was possible to recruit any of the Knights. If they did, that would be huge!

But something still stubbornly stopped him. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth yet.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, much less believe me, and I understand if you don't, but that's the truth," she finished.

Rai bent down, his hands covering his face, fighting back a surge of bile rising in his throat.

"Are you all right?" Nonette asked with concern.

"I...I need a moment," he said quickly before practically sprinting towards Zerith. The barrier opened just enough to let him in, and the Lion bowed to let her Paladin enter her mouth.

He collapsed before he could make it to the pilot seat, breaths coming in heavy and quick. It was only Zerith's strong purr that prevented him from fainting. If she was flesh and blood, he had no doubt she would have been curled up on his chest and vibrating like a phone.

So many thoughts were racing through his head. He had finally learned his history, but at the same time, he wished he hadn't heard any of it. Despite learning all of this, more questions were still swirling in his head. The ones that Lelouch had brought up before the dual sprouted up again. How did he and his family end up with the Galra? Was the Emperor involved somehow? How was that possible, though? From what he could tell, once the Galra set their eyes on a planet, there were no negotiations. The planet either surrendered and became slaves, or the inhabitants fought to the very last man, and then the Galra took the planet anyway.

Like Coran had said, "You would know if the Galra had been there."

He was sure that the key was in his lost memories. If only he could remember-!

Suddenly, Zerith growled urgently. It was enough to shake the Green Paladin out of what was likely the beginning of a panic attack. Looking up at the window, he saw through Zerith's eyes to see lights shining from another area of the island up.

"We couldn't find Lady Enneagram washed ashore on the other islands, so it's obvious we should look here," Schneizel reasoned as he directed the search party from the Le Fay's throne room.

We'll send a search party out in the morning," General Bartley replied next to him.

"Hmm… And this must be what you mentioned?" Schneizel questioned, looking at the structure down below.

"Yes! We uncovered it when the Shinjuku incident occurred," Bartley explained.

Ah… Yes, I can see why this would've attracted Clovis' interest," Schneizel realized with a nod.

As the morning sun peaked over the ocean's horizon, Rai silently lead a still bound Nonette up the mountain. The Knight of Nine still made no attempts to escape.

"Are you sure you really saw a light?" Nonette asked.

"Yeah, definitely," he answered.

Leaving Zerith behind in the jungle foliage for now, Rai figured if they were Britannian forces that he could just drop Nonette off and sneak back to look for Lelouch and join back up at the castle.

"It must be a search party," Lelouch reasoned as he and Euphie trekked up the mountain on the other side. Zen still hadn't woken up, much to Lelouch's disappointment. Maybe this the problem was something only Allura and Coran could fix.

"Once we learn who it is, we'll know how to deal with them."

"'Deal with them'?" Euphie questioned anxiously.

Lelouch grimaced at the wrong word choice, "I mean that we can decide what to do once we realize who it is. If it's part of Voltron, nothing bad should happen to you, Euphie. And if it's Britannia…"

"I may be able to help. I can approach them while you sneak back to your Lion," Euphie suggested.

Lelouch nodded. That sounded like the best possibility.

"A Thought Elevator, you say?" Lloyd asked as he, Prince Schneizel, General Bartley, and several other soldiers stood inside the cave. On the massive stone doors in front of them appeared to be very ancient hieroglyphics, but they weren't ones that they could identify.

"I'm afraid archeology isn't my strong suit, especially this paranormal stuff," the Earl confessed quite casually.

"Why, you… Show some respect!" Bartley barked in irritation.

"As I was saying, this is way outside of my field," Lloyd continued to complain, "I wish you could've asked Cécile about this instead."

"Please don't complain so much," Schneizel said sternly, "My father is fascinated with this as well. Isn't that right, Bartley?"

"Yes," General acknowledged when the Prince looked at him, "We've found artifacts similar to these in a number of places around the world. Except for this one that I discovered, all the other sites are directly under imperial control. This is mere speculation on my part, but I think the real reason we're invading other countries is to obtain these objects!"

"And so, in order to analyze this ancient occult data, you're going to use the Gawain's Druid System, untuned prototype that it is?" Lloyd questioned before gesturing to the obtained and newly repaired Knightmare next to them.

"That's why we called you in," Schneizel answered.

"AH-HAH!" Lloyd exclaimed in understanding.

Unbeknownst to the men, one soldier eyed the monument critically, their yellow eyes narrowing in suspicion.

There was no doubt now. This was the source of that blockage. Now… how to remove it?

"I think it was around here," Lelouch muttered and he, and Euphemia approached a clearly at the top of the hill.

"Lelouch, if it is a search party, then will our time be over here?" his sister asked sadly.

Lelouch sighed, "Yes, it will. Only for now, though. I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again very soon."

"I sure hope so," Euphemia answered with a smile. Lelouch smiled back, but the moment was ruined when they heard rustling in the woods on the other side of the clearing. Lelouch quickly put his helmet back on and braced himself for a confrontation when the people appeared.

'Rai!' he thought in surprise as the Green Paladin emerge from the foliage along with Nonete Enneagram, who seemed to have her hands bound.

"Nonette!" Euphemia exclaimed happily, jumping up.

Nonette and Rai both gasped, "Princess Euphemia!"

"Don't move!" Zero exclaimed, grabbing Euphemia's arm and drawing his knife, "This girl is my prisoner!"

"Le-Zero!" Rai exclaimed.

"Just play along," Lelouch whispered as his sister looked at him frightened. He then turned to address the pair in front of him, "Back away from my subordinate Lady Enneagram. Do that, and no one gets hurt here."

"Zero, you!" Nonette exclaimed angrily about to charge the terrorist. She had just found her prince; she wasn't about to lose him again. She was stopped in her tracks as she felt Rai grab her arm and hold his Bayard against her back.

"Nonette, wait! Please!" Euphie shouted, escaped Zero's grasp, and running towards the knight.

"Euphie, wait!" Lelouch shouted, but the moment he stepped into the clearing, a massive glowing red Geass sigil formed on the ground, much to everyone's shock.

'A Geass?!' both Lelouch and Rai thought. Suddenly, both Paladins felt their own Geasses burning in their eyes, them having activated all on their own.

Rai suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his head as he fell on his knees, clutching his head as he yelled in pain. The Geass sigil was no longer in just one eye, but both!

"Zephyr!" Nonette shouted, her bonds suddenly breaking, freeing her hands. Before she could kneel to Rai's level, though, the ground underneath the group shook violently, and the floor began to descend.

In an unknown location, a young boy smirked victoriously as his two targets fell right into the trap that he had set up for them.

The Thought Elevator began to glow a bright red, much to the shock of the Britannians as the entire cave shook viciously.

"Oh, not good…" Lloyd muttered as the readings on the Gawain skyrocketed to off-the-chart levels.

Simultaneously, on the beach Lelouch and Euphemia were that same morning, Zenobia's eyes flashed awake, and she leaped to her feet.

With a deafening roar of both anger and fear, the Black Lion shot into the air and beelined towards the Thought Elevator's location, the Green Lion right behind.

"Princess! The Green and Black Lions!" Coran exclaimed, "we've finally managed to obtain their signal. And they're closing in on one of the islands!"

"Aw, and just when I was about to try my new feature out!" Milly groaned with a pout, her hand having barely left C.C.'s when the signal alarms blared.

"Paladins, to your Lions now!" Allura ordered.

"Yes!"

"Got it!"

"On our way!"

As the Paladins all scrambled to their elevators, Nunnally let out a sigh of relief, leaning on a pair of crutches this time. If they found Zenobia and Zerith, that means they could finally find Rai and her brother.

"Hang on you two," Allura said, "We're coming to get you!"

"My Lord, please save yourself!" Bartley exclaimed in a panic as debris continued to rain down everywhere. He attempted to pull the Prince away as a large platform slowly dropped down from above, carrying with it Zero, another figure in green armor, Princess Euphemia, and Nonette Enneagram.

"Lady Enneagram!" Lloyd gasped, shielding his face, "And is that Zero?!"

Seeing the terrorist and one of his subordinates, the soldiers quickly raised their weapons to shoot them, only to be stopped by General Bartley, "Don't you fools! Princess Euphemia's with them! Capture them! Capture them!"

Rai struggled to his feet, his eyes wide, but he managed to grip his Bayard unsteadily.

Scanning the crowd, Zero cursed.

"Quiznack, we're in trouble!"

Then suddenly, something else caught Zero's eye. One of the soldiers that had his weapon pointed at him. But one look into his eyes told Lelouch that that was no soldier.

Instinctively, Lelouch shot at the soldier with lightning, and just as expected, the soldier vanished.

"Wha-what?!" Bartley exclaimed, having witnessed this too. An annoyed growl drew the group's attention to the center of the cave, and the Paladins' blood ran cold.

"What?!" Zero gasped at the sight of Haggar's hunched form. Her gold eyes glared back at him.

"No…" Rai muttered, taking a step back, pure terror freezing his spine, "What are you doing here?!"

Haggar shouted in fury and fired a beam of quintessence directly at Lelouch. The Black Paladin barely raised his arms in time to try and block when another crash echoed through the cave. Two large paws landed on either side of Zero, followed by a ferocious roar, which seemed to make the entire mountain tremble.

Lelouch didn't waste one more second, instinctively grabbing Euphemia around the waist, and with a yelp, Euphemia and Lelouch were snatched into Zen's mouth.

"Princess Euphemia!" both Lloyd and Bartley exclaimed as they watched as the princess was seemingly swallowed whole along with Zero.

Just as Zerith was about to scoop up Rai, the Green Paladin felt something grab him around his waist. He didn't have time to register who or what it was before he found himself and Nonette sprawled across the floor in Zerith's mouth.

The Lions didn't waste any more time as the duo shot out of the cave entrance, sending rocks, stone, and Knightmare Frames flying. Then Zen pivoted in the air, facing the cave entrance and her mouth lit up with blue light.

Lloyd gasped.

"HIT THE DIRT!"

A couple of soldiers fell on top of Schneizel to shield the Prince while everyone else immediately hit the cave floor and covered their heads just as Zenobia's blast of quintessence energy hit the Thought Elevator point-blank. The structure exploded and collapsed into rubble, leaving nothing salvageable.

The little boy gasped when he felt it, the feeling of the Thought Elevator collapsing. He fell to his knees, and he clutched his head, his eyes shaking with shock and rage as he took multiple rabid breaths.

"No… no…" He stuttered. "They… they destroyed the Thought Elevator!" V.V. ranted like a spoiled brat, "No! How dare you…! Voltron… you dare! You'll pay for this! You'll pay!"

C.C. blinked as she felt the exact same thing happen as well. At first, she was shocked, as destroying a Thought Elevator was no easy feat, but her expression quickly morphed into a smirk. She could only imagine the faces V.V., Charles, and Marianne were making right now.

"I did warn them, didn't I?" she stated with a satisfied smile, smothering a giggle.

"Viceroy, are you all right?" one of the soldiers gasped as everyone got to their feet.

"Yes, I'm fine," he muttered, dusting himself off, "So… that was Zero?"

"Halt! Stop where you are!" another soldier suddenly shouted.

Looking towards the entrance, the Second Prince spotted the cloaked woman that seemed to spook Zero. She was staring out at the sky with a scowl, likely watching the Lions fly off.

"Identify yourself!" Bartley shouted as soldiers surrounded the woman.

She simply growled, annoyed, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Wha-what?!" Bartley exclaimed in shock, eyes wide, staring at where she once stood. Most of the other soldiers had similar reactions.

"Well… you don't see that every day," Lloyd commented.

Schneizel, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes, gaze calculating. Despite the loss of the Thought Elevator, he had learned two important things.

First, Zero was scared of that woman. Who she was, Schneizel didn't know, but it was rare that his brother showed actual fear to anyone. The last person to bring this emotion out of his brother was their own father.

And second… Those Lions had not had pilots in them when they had come to collect Zero and the green pilot. His logical mind kept saying that it was impossible, but he had seen it just now for himself!

Which allowed Schneizel to draw another conclusion he thought he never would in his life.

Those Lions weren't just advanced machines. They were alive.

Schneizel's thoughtful expression soon shifted into an intrigued smirk.

"Well, well, this game just got much more interesting…"

Lelouch quickly scrambled to the cockpit and pushed Zen to fly faster. They had to warn the others, fast!

"Hailing Castle of Lions, this is Lelouch!" he exclaimed urgently.

"Lelouch! Are you and Rai all right?" Allura's voice carried over the speaker.

"Yes, we're both fine!" Lelouch nodded, "We're heading back as we speak."

"Heads up then!" a voice inside his head exclaimed, "We're coming to intercept you!"

"Wha-! Milly, is that you?" Lelouch stuttered.

"Yep! Say hello to my new Geass, Lulu. I call it Absolute Telepathy."

"You made a contract with C.C.?" he asked.

"I knew I wouldn't have control over what the power would be, but I figured it was worth a try to see if it could be used to find you two," the Yellow Paladin explained over the radio this time.

"Wait, use what to find us?" Rai questioned from inside Zerith.

"...Huh, there's a drawback already. I guess I can only talk to one person at a time," she deduced.

"We'll explore it's practical uses later," Lelouch said, "We'll meet you outside the castle. And Princess, inform the rest of the crew to expect some guests."

"Guests or prisoners?" Allura asked for clarification.

"...One is for sure a guest, the other… I'm not sure. Rai?" Lelouch questioned.

"...We can decide when we're back on the ship," the Green Paladin said.

"Very well," Allura acknowledged, "We'll see you a couple dobashes… I'm glad you're both all right."

With that, the intercom switched off, and Lelouch spotted several colorful figures heading towards him and Rai.

"Lelouch…" Euphie asked, noticing the frightened look still on her brother's face, "...Who was that? Down there?"

"Someone… very bad."

#fanfic #code geass #voltron

4 notes · View notes

worryinglyinnocent · 3 years

Text

Fic: Forged Through Fire (12/13)

Summary: Amestris. Once democratic, now a military dictatorship. Prohibition is strict; personal freedoms curtailed. All alchemists must be state-licensed or face imprisonment. Foreigners are met with suspicion. It’s a grim place and a grim time, but there are some people able to bring a little light to the world. Behind an innocent-looking bookshop, speakeasy proprietor Chris Mustang has formed an unlikely alliance with unlicensed alchemist Van Hohenheim to provide alcohol to those who want it and medical care to those who need it. When Riza’s newly complete tattoo becomes infected, Roy brings her into this underworld, little knowing the way it will change their lives in the future – uncovering the secrets of the mythical Philosopher’s Stone and the schemes of a Fuhrer hell-bent on achieving immortality, all whilst navigating what they mean to each other.

===

Rated: T

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [AO3]

===

Content warning for this chapter: Moderate blood and gore.

===

Forged Through Fire

Twelve

“Is that so, Mustang?”

Riza’s immediate reaction to hearing Bradley’s voice behind her was to grab a pistol, turn, aim and fire. It was a clean shot in his shoulder and it should have at least slowed him down, but he didn’t even break stride, and her heart started to pound in her ears as she saw the telltale red crackle of alchemy at the bullet hole. Whatever the doctor had done with Hohenheim’s blood, it had already started to work.

Roy snapped, a column of fire shooting down the corridor towards the Fuhrer, who simply reached up with his sword and slashed at the water pipes in the ceiling, dousing the flame and drenching Roy’s spark cloth, rendering his alchemy useless.

On instinct, Riza fired again, trying to slow him down if nothing else, but it had no effect save seeming to anger him as he raised his sword again, and Roy grabbed her hand, pulling her along down the corridor at a breakneck pace. All they could hope to do was to try and outrun him, but these corridors seemed to be interminable. She hadn’t realised just how deep Marcoh had brought them into the building when they had first come in; she had been trying to memorise the route back if they’d ended up needing it, at the same time as keeping an eye out for anything that might have caused them a problem. She hoped that Marcoh had made it back to the car after he’d met up with Havoc.

Riza forced herself to keep moving on burning legs, racing down the corridors beside Roy. They were almost at the entrance that they had come through with Marcoh, and Roy slammed the door open. She didn’t know what would happen once they were out in the open, but whatever it was, surely it would be better than being trapped in a building about to collapse in a flaming heap with a completely insane and apparently immortal Fuhrer chasing them. She knew that it was too much to ask for the others to have got out in the car and come screeching around the block to rescue them at the last minute, but she could always hope for a miracle.

The lights on the staircase had gone out and they stumbled up blindly in pitch dark, still very aware of Bradley’s footsteps behind them. Riza didn’t dare to turn and see, but something in the back of her mind was telling her that Bradley was slowing down. Maybe he wasn’t as fit as they’d thought he was; or maybe the initial boost he’d got from the immortality had worn off.

Riza flung the top door open, squinting in the sudden bright full moonlight. They’d made it outside, and now it was a race towards the gates and the road and the prayer for deliverance.

There was a garbled shout from behind her, and the thud of someone falling to the ground.

“Roy!”

She turned, but Roy was only a step behind her, perfectly safe, also looking behind him in horror as Bradley picked himself up off the ground. Riza had to stop in her tracks at the sight of him.

He was bleeding heavily, not just from the bullet wounds she had inflicted in his chest that had healed immediately at the time; it was pouring from his mouth and nose as well, dripping down his face from the corners of his eyes; dark red and sparkling with alchemic energy that seemed almost angry in its intensity.

He tried to put on a final burst of speed towards them now that they had both come to a dead halt, but it only made it a couple of steps before falling onto his knees, spewing a fountain of blood and landing face down on the ground.

Riza looked at Roy.

“What the hell just happened?”

“I think his body must have rejected Hohenheim’s blood after it started to heal him up.” Roy’s face wrinkled up with disgust as he made his way over to the body. “Either that or the blood rejected the body.”

“Roy! Be careful! Don’t make this into a horror novel scene where he’s not dead and he grabs your ankles!”

Roy picked up Bradley’s dropped sword and poked at the man a couple of times before bending to take a pulse, shaking his head.

“He’s dead.”

“Good. Now let’s get out of here before the entire building goes down!”

Smoke was billowing up from the subterranean levels now, and Roy didn’t need further encouragement. They both started running towards the gates, grateful that Marcoh had not locked them again after they’d come through earlier. They kept pounding down the street until they stopped in alarm when a car screeched to a halt in front of them and Riza had to double take when Hughes leaned out of the driver’s seat.

“Need a ride?”

They threw themselves into the back as Hughes floored it away from the laboratory.

“How on earth did you manage to sneak out of the shop and where did you get this car?” Roy asked.

“Well, Gracia helped with the sneaking and Falman’s going to make a career out of forging car requisition orders.” Hughes grinned at him in the rear-view. “Don’t I get a ‘thank you for saving our asses’?”

“Thank you for saving our asses, although I don’t know who’s going to save yours once we get back and Madam Christmas gets hold of you.”

Hughes laughed. “I shall simply remind her that I brought her darling nephew back to her in one piece.”

“Hmm.” Roy raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure how much mileage you’ll get out of that.”

In spite of everything that had happened over the course of the last several minutes, Riza had to laugh. It felt good to laugh. They weren’t out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination. Bradley may have been dead, but there were a bunch of generals under him who would not be so easily unseated - although, if Roy’s description of the chaos unfolding at Central Command was anything to go by, perhaps that wasn’t a foregone conclusion. There was the small matter of Kimblee shoved in the ammo closet back in the armoury (although surely someone would have found him by now), and all of the destruction that had been wreaked through the Fifth Laboratory.

Right now, though, that wasn’t a problem. That was something that they could think about later. The most immediate problem had been rescuing Hohenheim, and Riza could only hope that he and Havoc had managed to get out with the rest of the exodus in the fire alarm. Her mind was set at ease as they rounded the corner a few blocks from the laboratory and Armstrong came into sight, their original car parked up next to the phone booth he was in.

Hughes leaned out as they pulled up alongside, and Riza could see the others in the car. Hohenheim appeared to have passed out again, covered in Marcoh’s coat like a blanket, but since the doctor didn’t seem to be too concerned by this, Riza decided she wouldn’t be either.

“It’s ok, the cavalry’s already here,” Hughes called. Armstrong stared at him for several seconds.

“Not to worry, false alarm,” he said into the phone and hung up, getting back into the driver’s seat of the car. Beside him, Havoc was killing himself laughing.

The rest of the journey back to the shop was made in relieved silence - Hughes asked what had gone on but accepted Roy’s wish to leave the tale until they were all together in one place to avoid having to repeat the details several times. It did not take them long to reach the shop; most of the traffic was going in the other direction towards the laboratory, and the two cars parked up in convoy a couple of blocks away. They could return them tomorrow; with all the commotion, Riza was sure that no one would notice them missing for a while.

The adrenaline was beginning to wear off now, and Riza could feel the tiredness beginning to settle into her limbs as they all made their way inside and down the stairs into the bar. She hadn’t realised just how physically demanding that trip through the vents and all the subsequent excitement had been until now.

“Van!”

Trisha was across the room in the blink of an eye, throwing her arms around her husband and burying her face in his shoulder as she burst into tears of relief.

“I’m all right,” he murmured. “I’m all right, my love. It’s all going to be all right.”

The rest of the group moved away towards the bar counter, letting them have their moment. Madam Christmas was already pouring out generous measures of spirits for the returning rescuers.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” she said to Hughes. “For now though, I’ll let it slide.”

Riza just managed to make it over to a booth before her knees gave out, the weight of what had just happened finally coming down on her. She couldn’t quite believe it; if anyone had told her it second hand she would never have believed them. Secret laboratories, immortality experiments, the Fuhrer now dead. It didn’t seem real.

“Hey.” Roy slid into the booth beside her. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I just…” She leaned in and kissed him. If there was more hunger and desperation in it, then it was out of sheer gratitude at not having lost him despite the dangers they had faced.

“Yes,” Roy said softly as she finally released him. “Yes, I think that sums it up.”

Before anything more could be said, there was a joyous bark as Fuery came down into the bar with Hayate, who bounded towards Riza, tail wagging so hard it was in danger of falling off.

“Someone could have told me they were all back!” Fuery exclaimed. “Why am I always the last to know these things?”

“We knew you’d be back inside soon enough.” Hughes waved away his affront. “Come on. We need to hear all about the daring rescue, and also how come the Fifth Laboratory is now even more in ruins than it was before. It was smoking when I drove past it, so I think Roy probably has some explaining to do.”

Roy sighed; the moment was over, and they weren’t going to get any peace until the story was told. Hayate took advantage of the confusion to jump up onto Riza’s lap and start licking her face. She had to laugh.

“Hayate, I was only gone for a few hours.”

“He must have known you were going into the lion’s den,” Roy remarked, scratching Hayate’s ears and receiving grateful licks of his own.

“It’s ok, Puppy, I’m home. We’re all safe and sound.”

Hughes and Madam Christmas brought the drinks over as everyone began to gather around for the tale of what had happened in the laboratory. A few refills later, the entire room was speechless.

“Well.” Hughes was the first one to speak. “I think I speak for everyone when I say let’s never do that again ever. And I think we definitely dodged a bullet when it comes to Bradley. That man was all kinds of creepy I want nothing to do with, thank you.”

“Amen to that.” Breda raised his glass. It was a mark of how much the story had gripped him since he hadn’t noticed that Hayate had got down from Riza’s lap and was now snoring happily on his feet.

Riza looked around at the people around the table; a scrappy, rag-tag bunch on the face of it, with nothing in common between all of them except the bar that they were sitting in, but they had grown into a strange kind of family nonetheless. These were the people that Riza truly considered to be her family. She would always miss her mother, that went without saying. Her memories of her father would always be sour. But this family she had found and made for herself would always pick her up and have her back, no matter what. Just as she would always have theirs.

“To the future.” Roy held up his glass in a toast. “Whatever the hell that might be. Here’s hoping it’s better than the present.”

The sentiment echoed around the table, and Riza glanced sideways at Roy, knowing that now he had the opportunity, he would make that future as better as it possibly could be.

Gradually, with the excitement and horror of the day slowly catching up to everyone, people began to make their way back to their own homes in dribs and drabs. Breda and Fuery were staying to man the radios in case anything horrifically unforeseen happened overnight as a result of the Fuhrer’s death, and it was unanimously decided that Hohenheim and Trisha should lay low at the bar for their own safety, but soon enough, it was just Riza and Roy left at their table.

“I guess I should go as well.” Roy sighed, but he made no move to leave, his arm still tight around Riza’s shoulders.

“You sound like you can’t think of anything you’d like to do less.”

He chuckled. “No. I’m enjoying this moment. I don’t want it to be over.”

“Me neither.” Riza paused, thinking back to the previous night. “You know, you don’t have to leave. You can come up. And… maybe not sleep on the couch this time?”

He looked at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m way too exhausted – physically and emotionally – to do anything that’s not sleeping. But I don’t want this moment to end. I don’t want you to stop holding me.”

A few years ago, Riza didn’t think she would ever be in a position like this, where she would want to stay in someone’s arms forever, and moreover, that she would be comfortable admitting that to them. Now though, she had Roy. She had always trusted him, and he had proved himself worthy of that trust over and over again, but there had always been a part of her that had shied away a little, trying to remain aloof and not admit to herself just how much she wanted and needed him. She was so used to having to be self-sufficient that it had taken her a long time to accept help, and an even longer time to accept love.

Roy kissed her softly, warm hands cupping her face.

“I would love to stay.”

To say that the few days following the Fuhrer’s death had been frantic would be an understatement. Although the city had not quite descended into complete anarchy, Riza had been convinced that it was heading that way at times, to the point where she and Madam Christmas had boarded up the shop windows just in case. The government was flailing in chaos without the leader who had run it with an iron fist for so long, and the few more competent and logistically minded generals were scrambling to pick up the pieces with what they had available. Roy and the others were rushed off their feet with contradictory orders, and as such, it was only Riza and Rebecca who were around at the bar to see Trisha and Hohenheim off with Marcoh.

“As much as we’re really going to miss you, I think that you’re making the right decision,” Rebecca said. “Let us know when you’ve got yourselves sorted out with a place to live and we’ll box up all the stuff from your apartment and get it sent on.”

“We will. It shouldn’t be too hard. I grew up in Resembool and I haven’t been gone long enough for it to have changed much. The people there know me, and they know Van. We’ll be safe there; it’s the kind of place that bands together to protect its own, no matter who they are or what they might do.” Trisha smiled. “Besides, we were always going to make the move back there at some point. I don’t want the little one growing up in a big city.”

“Congratulations, by the way. I guess you probably didn’t intend for everyone to find out via Madam Christmas banning you from going on rescue missions, but you can take to heart that half of them probably didn’t twig what she meant.”

Trisha laughed. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for everything,” Hohenheim said. Physically he was back to his usual self again, but Riza didn’t want to think about the mental scars.

“We’re family. It’s what we do.”

They got into the car with Marcoh – Falman had conveniently mislaid the requisition paperwork and in the confusion no one was likely to miss it for a while – and Rebecca and Riza waved them off.

“I think there’s something inspiring about that relationship,” Rebecca said as they made their way back towards the shop. “It can’t exactly be easy for them with Hohenheim being, well, Hohenheim, but they love each other so much that they make it work.” She paused, turning towards Riza with a wicked grin. “Speaking of relationships though… Don’t think I don’t know that Roy’s been staying over rather a lot recently.”

Riza rolled her eyes. “The shop is closer to Central Command than his apartment. It’s just practical.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Rebecca!”

“Hey, I’m the last person to judge. I’m just happy that you two are on the same page and you’ve got your act together and decided to go for it. I’ve been watching the mutual pining ever since I’ve known you both; it’s been painful and hilarious in equal measure.”

“Yeah. I think that we decided that life’s too short not to try and be happy in it. Especially given everything that’s been going on lately.”

As they rounded the corner towards the shop, Riza saw Roy standing outside with a bunch of flowers. He knew very well that she didn’t own a vase, but she liked the sentiment anyway.

She had decided to take that chance on love, and on the prospect of a better future, and she couldn’t be happier that she had.

#FMA:Brotherhood #FMA Fanfiction #Royai #Riza Hawkeye #Roy Mustang #Fic: Forged Through Fire

2 notes · View notes

brvdleymilligan · 3 years

Text

HLO slinks in thru a bead curtain.......... truly sry this took me so long to concoct bt i’m here now, hand on hip, smiling coyly at u all...... i’m nai n i’m rly excited to b here so i’ll just dive right in!! u can find bradley’s pinterest board here n her muse tag here. like this or hmu for plots!

[ cis female, she/her, margaret qualley , twenty-four ] i can’t be sure, but i think i just saw BRADLEY MILLIGAN drive onto the parkway. don’t they know we’re not supposed to be driving on that haunted road right now? maybe it has to do with the fact that they’re so +RESILIENT and -VOLATILE that makes them feel UNPHASED about everything going on. i guess we could also chalk it up to the fact that they’re always reminding me of LEMON IN A FRESH CUT, THE AMBER BLINK OF AN ANGRY ALLEY CAT, GRINNING WITH BLOOD ON YOUR TEETH. either way, i hope they get back safely. [ nai, she/her, 24, gmt ]

aesthetics: singeing a hole in your fishnets with the cherry of a menthol, spitting a pistachio behind the bar just to hear it ping off the nozzle top bottles, lemon in a fresh cut, a war torn poppy standing alone in an empty field, pressing thumbs to yellow bruises, stomping over flowerbeds when there’s a path right besides it, dangling over ledges just to feel your chest jolt, a snarling rottweiler that needs muzzling, limp feet poking out behind a door, ‘I PROMISE I DON’T BITE’ scrawled on a name tag, slapping a bald head in front of you at the cinema like it’s a bongo, not owning a single jacket that isn’t stolen, driving a stranger’s car down the wrong lane against the screaming traffic, hair more feral than a wolf cub and eyes smudgier than a coal mine.

BACKGROUND:

ok SO. her father owns a strip club in crescent hill named no angels. it’s kind of.... a seedy establishment i won’t lie. hs a red glowing sign like it’s lighting up a window in amsterdam. cigarette butts floating in oil slick puddles outside. unsavoury characters crawling all over like rats in a sewer. despite this it’s a legitimate business on the surface of things n it does pretty well in trade. it’s like.... that place people warn u NOT to have ur bachelor party at unless u fancy urself the type tht willingly enters a lion’s den bt tht almost??? adds to the allure in a way??? ppl r like wow so sketchy it’s the thrill of a lifetime........ i mean run while u still can bt go off i guess

it isn’t Confirmed Public Knowledge bt it’s pretty heavily implied thru the rumour mill that bradley’s father is the head of a gang of rly............ Not Nice people. all the ppl that work for him u would hands down NOT want to run into in a dark alley. while things seem legitimate on the suface it’s pretty clear they’re into shady dealings n the townsfolk that suspect that would indeed b correct! the club’s a front for a drug business n they’re also washing n running counterfeit cash thru it. they probably also have their hands dipped into a few other local businesses to run their cash thru these too n keep it all seemingly by the books so nobody comes sniffing around. they even r friends with a member of local law enforcement that’s working w them for a cut so they honestly have all bases covered to keep things airtight n foolproof. perhaps a business in reed too which bradley oversees bt i haven’t given this Too Much thought as of yet??

so ya she’s grown up fairly local most of her life n would maybe be known around town as such.................. the milligans r certainly Interesting as far as families go so like. it honestly wldn’t surprise me if ppl nudge elbows when they see one of them coming n immediately walk in the opposite direction. just quite an intimidating presence...... they’re like caged animals where ur specifically instructed NOT to stick ur fingers between the bars bc they WILL bite

on a more personal note her dad is pretty much the worst human being alive n bradley hs like….. a lot of issues with herself as a result of years of toxicity n abuse

in terms of more family bkground info her mum’s name was alyssa n she vanished when bradley was 12. jst like…. into thin air. nothing. no note. zilch. gan! n when bradley asked her dad abt it his response was essentially “guess she didn’t love us enough to stay”. as bradley’s got older tho n become (without intention) more involved in the business side of things, it’s become pretty clear there was far more to the story.

(abuse tw) they had a horrible marriage n tony ws emotionally manipulative at the best of times, violent at worst, which didn’t help the fact tht alyssa ws struggling a lot w severe depression n rly just… not in the mindset to b dealing w anything else, even where motherhood ws concerned. bradley p much… would look after her a lot n they’d both b scared of her dad n it was just a whole unhealthy mess.

(death implied tw) anyway im rambling bt basically tony (bradley’s dad) gt wind of alyssa sleeping w men tht worked fr him n he just… got rid. bradley’s kind of worked out over the yrs tht her mum didn’t jst leave on her own accord n tht something must hav happened to her bt she’s too scared of her dad to ever directly accuse him

when her mum went all of her dad’s cruelty pretty mch got channelled straight onto her. it ws diluted between two before bt as u can probably imagine her upbringing was jst…. a steep downhill decline

(drugs implied tw) she learnt ways 2 deal w the incurring trauma bt they weren’t healthy ones at all! bsically jst. will do or take anything fr the distraction. chases a thrill like it’s the only way to remind her she’s alive. has absolutely no regard fr her own wellbeing n often gets other ppl in trouble too bc she’s so insatiably reckless

(hospitalisation tw) she hd….2 separate stints of psychiatric hospitalisation n she never tlks abt it. like ever. acknowledging she’s been vulnerable is her worst nightmare n bc of the way her dad raised her she always thinks any sign of struggling within herself is weakness. truly does…. not kno how to properly emotion

CUT TO!!!! the present. she’s currently living at the motel which is like. the least homely place she cld ever live rly but bradley loves making her life uncomfortable n doesn’t rly believe in growing sentimentally attached to anything if she cn help it <3 probably gets into arguments all the time w her neighbours it’s a whole thing.... atrocious at feeding herself has breakfasts frm the vending machine like her organs aren’t screaming fr vegetables.... plays music too loud n sometimes vanishes for days at a time without a word. she’s a lot.

i honestly feel like the murders haven’t rly phased bradley too hugely....... i won’t lie she probably genuinely is like. oh maybe it’s smthn to do w my dad. n just blinks the other way not rly that phased. on some subconscious level i think she rly just thinks........ death follows her wherever she goes n is like. this is just life for me! kind of depressing. holds her hand bt then screams n pulls away when she inevitably bites me.

PERSONALITY:

the kind of sour cherry only certain people have a taste for

once drank a bottle of whiskey, insisted she could still do a cartwheel and accidentally kicked an old man’s front tooth out in the process. proceeded 2 collapse into a flower bed and laugh so much abt it that she cried

barely takes anything seriously 50% of the time and is angry the other 50%

if she was a coffee she’d be black with five grains of sugar that you couldn’t taste until the last sip

(alcoholism tw) high functioning alcoholic. if u ever see her w a coffee cup u jst kno tht one sniff will confirm high alcohol percentage. honestly idk hw she does it her liver must b yellin

loyal to a point of fault. if she cares abt u (rare) and u murder a man in cold blood (not so rare in the broad scheme of bradley’s life) she’ll brawl anyone that says ur guilty

honestly wld probably fight a person over anything. sometimes she’ll jst be having a bad day n she’ll burst n take it out on whoever says the wrong thing. minefield!

has the worst luck in romance…. ever. ALL her past bfs hav been absolute beasts n as a result she has the ‘romance is dead n love is a lie’ mentality. definitely NOT a romantic. very cut n dry abt these things. sex is mostly just sex n she’d kind of scoff at anyone that wanted more from her

mostly wears stolen clothes from strangers and jackets that swamp her. huge chunky stomping boots with steel toe caps that would RLY bruise if they gave u a kick. hair is p much always a wild mess n she usually hs kind of smudgy/smoky makeup bcos apparently she’s allergic to combs and generally looking presentable… relatable content. the only time she rly looks put together is when she has to do something/go somewhere/see someone on behalf of her father....... he kind of uses her as a sort of. honey pot sometimes fr shit his gang get up to it’s like. not! a way u should ever utilise ur daughter but :/ i cannot stress enough how much i wna drop kick him in the neck

she’s v sarcastic. blunt. kind of has a habit of…. assessing a person n she’s quite perceptive bc she’s been trained to b by the way she always has to monitor her dad’s expression fr the slightest emotion change. she’s very confident n can p much mke a conversation out of whatever if she feels like it. independent too like she hs a bunch of (predominantly surface connection) friends bt she doesn’t care abt going out places alone n does this often. she’s probably kind of known around town bt itd b a 50/50 balance between bein known as intimidating n bein known as that one girl tht always gets into anarchy

likes: drunken snow angels that drag on so long they flirt with pneumonia, stealing cars, throwing watermelons off rooftops to watch them explode, shooting pedestrian’s with bb guns from hidden spots on rooftops.

dislikes: telling the truth, tulips so yellow it’s like they’re gloating, playing music loud enough to fry your brain and serve it on a piece of toast, going home.

PLOTS:

someone tht works at the ‘no angels’ strip club?? either as a dancer or bartender or whtever. just a forewarning it’s probably gna b a pretty….. seedy and Not That Pleasant environment bc it’s like. a crime hotspot inevitably bc it’s a gang hangout so. ur chara wld truly be in fr a rollercoaster ride to say the least

(drugs tw) she deals coke fr her dad’s gang so perhaps ur muse buys off her

anyone….. she’s brawled in the past like. she’s literally a menace i cnt express this enough. wil jst randomly throw a drink in someone’s face fr no reason bc she’s bored. she’s probably pissed off 1000 diff ppl in 1000 diff ways. the possibilities r endless n i jst think tht’s a sexy prospect!

fwbs perhaps??? exes??? (probably ws a tumultuous relationship honestly bradley is. a handful...... it’s also rly not often she ties herself down tbh so this would maybe have to b discussed/be circumstantial/kind of rare)

mayb someone tht she met at an aa meeting when she hd to go fr a court mandated thing one time after bein arrested fr public indecency. i feel like there’s probably a rly expensive statue somewhere thts fancily sculpted n she like. did a flying kick n broke the dick of it off n gt arrested fr it

ppl she……. Goes Wild Goes Crazy w. truly jst the most self destructive person alive so anyone w a similar mindset wld b a hellish bt fun combination

on the contrary a gd influence cld b nice perhaps? like someone tht genuinely cares abt her n she jst doesn’t kno hw to compute it

maybe people who r her neighbours that live at the motel too??

OH it could b fun if ur muse runs or works at a local business maybe like. a bar? idk? n bradley n ur muse have developed a rapport bc she frequents the place n is................ a Character

um. honestly the world’s our oyster. hmu n we cn brainstorm if none of tht catches ur eye!

#parkway.intro #abuse tw #death tw #drugs tw #hospitalisation tw #alcoholism tw #depression tw #i believe tht covers it...........#FLINGS this like a harpoon

12 notes · View notes

sonicringbond · 3 years

Text

Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey - Scene 50

It’s scene 50! It’s quite the milestone really, but also not really. No big celebrations planned with this one, and it’s smack dab in the middle of the ongoing story. That means no special plans for it were ever considered. Further, it’s probably the shortest scene to date. So, let me not eat up your time and let you get straight into...

Sonic and Rosy were not the only ones sneaking into the city of Tower Point during the festivities of Claymore’s banquet. As they discovered, Zooey and several members of the Engineers had infiltrated the city as well. For what purpose did not matter to Sonic, as long as they did not interfere with his attempts to rescue Tails and the others. It would be fine however if they served as distractions, even though that was what he was aiming to do. And he had done a fine job making his presence felt in the city. Now, every flight capable autogolem swarmed the skies watching for Sonic and Rosy to emerge from one of the airships. This allowed the group on the ground that had also infiltrated the city to move mostly unnoticed, though the two members who made it up could easily sprint away from any trouble they found. That very possibility is what made Blister the Mouse’s deliberate and sleepy sounding fashion of speech carry a weight of genuine concern.

“I know I keep bringing it up, but maybe I can say I’m surprised now,” Blister began, giving a tug on the straps of her massive backpack should she need to suddenly flee.

“And what would that be lass?” Gill asked, rotating one eye back to look at the mouse while the other scanned his surroundings. “That your informants actually had the right of it, or are you trying to pick a fight with me again? This hardly seems the time lass.”

“Hmm~hmm,” Blister agreed, holding a finger to the corner of her mouth as she nodded. “And that’s why I’m surprised you haven’t run off yet. I wouldn’t have believed that you were the type to not flee in this situation.”

“Well, believe it or not lass, but Mach Frog Gill Bradley is loyal to his friends, and Rosy-lass is a fine treasure of a friend.”

“Hm~hm,” Blister nodded, repeating her confirmatory humming. “Though, I wonder how many autogolems we’ll still have to evade to get inside.”

The inquiry of Blister’s was far from simple caution. The mouse and frog had managed to make their way almost to the heart of the city. What awaited them was the city’s largest tower, and a massive swarm of autogolems and black robed priests. The crowd itself was fairly alarming, but it was the giant that strode through its midst with great anxiety that caught their eye and made them dive for cover.

Standing at an illusory nine meters tall, due to the spire of his helmet doubling as the hilt of his namesake sword, Claymore was as imposing as ever. He was for all extents and purposes a suit of battle-ready knight armor of a purple hue that was built directly onto a clockwork skeleton. It was not an uncommon design style for an autogolem and, but at a distance it was almost impossible to think Claymore anything but a living being. His glowing purple eyes peering out from behind the slotted visor of his helmet put it into question though. Much closer it became obvious however, the joints of the armor revealing hints of the clockwork skeleton beneath. Even then, it was hard not to believe that Claymore was a living thing as he spoke with much anxiety, in a booming and jovial voice.

“Ho! I expected the Ring Mage and the medium, but the other. I knew not he was even unsealed. Has he been found yet?”

“I’m afraid not Good Knight,” one priest answered, sprinting to match Claymore’s stride, and having to duck under the knight’s billowing black cape. “But if the Ring Striker has come here–”

“Unquestionably,” Claymore agreed and came to a stop to face the throngs of autogolems and priests. “I’ve little concern of the hedgehog. He knows the ways of knights and is likely to be honorable. I will take his companions with me personally to the main table to meet him in battle. The rest of you however, and every other that can be spared, descend into the catacombs. Ho! Flood them! We cannot allow a single crumb of a chance that he be allowed to reach his goal. It would spell an unmatched disaster that would fully defeat my banquet. Stop him, at all cost.”

“Now what lass?” Gill asked, giving a sidelong look to Blister. “We might be able to outrun the giant, but we can’t take him in a fight at all. I’ve seen the fox and the armadillo in action before and they didn’t stand a chance either.”

“Well, I figured we could rely on your specialty,” Blister hinted at an idea.

“And run where lass?” Gill sighed with exasperation. “Do you see the size of the complex? If it were going to plan it’d be little concern taking our time, but that wall of metal is already on the move.”

“And we don’t have to take our time,” Blister assured Gill. “If he’s getting them personally then we know that he has to be able to get to them.”

“Of course, lass!” Gill latched onto Blister’s line of thought and donned a sinister smile. “Then we best not waste any more time. It’s unlike Mach Frog Gill Bradley to steal more than Rings, but he won’t come up short in this job. I’ll leave that to you, lass.”

“And here I thought I would beat you to the joke,” Blister allowed herself a laugh at her own expense, having failed to deliver her counter of how everyone came up short next to Claymore. Instead, she raced after Gill as making their way inside became unexpectedly easy with nearly all of the priests and autogolems descending into the catacombs below. But even as convenient as it had become, Blister was anxious. Claymore’s anxiety lingered with her and she looked down at her feet a moment as she ran, perhaps trying to peer through the polished marble floors to whatever lay below. “I wonder who could get him so riled up though.”

Scene 50 · CLEARED Party Crashing, to be continued

-----

So, that was a scene XD

Sure, it was short, but it helps set up events. I want this season to go out with a bang, and that requires a little set up. Unfortunately that also means I’m now down to four scenes to put everything together in. After that it’s time for season 2 to start, and there will be big changes. But I’ll talk about those later. For now, I hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to what comes next!

-----

Special Thanks to Cutegirlmayra Story by @JoshTarwater/SonicFanJ Inspiring Song – Saeada, We Sing! Massir, We Sing! – Tsutomu Narita – GRANBLUE FANTASY ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK Awakening

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic fan fiction #sonic au #sonic au series #sonic ring bond #the journey #classic amy #amy rose #rosy the rascal #au amy #amy redesign #sonic ocs #mach frog gill bradley #blister the mouse #claymore the purple

3 notes · View notes

lantur · 4 years

Text

royai week 2020: day two, “little pistol”

summary: Riza works for the Fuhrer for two months before she cracks.

rated: t for teen

tags: canon-compliant

words: 3122 | read on ao3

Riza works for the Fuhrer for two months before she cracks.

The Fuhrer dismisses her late. It’s the most petty of the several little power plays that he engages in. He always has her work late, and not in a predictable fashion, either. Sometimes he keeps her half an hour past five; sometimes he keeps her until eight or nine at night, despite the fact that she reports for duty at seven every morning.

Riza hadn’t minded the occasional late nights when she had been her Colonel’s assistant, but this is different. This is so different.

Half the times that Bradley asks her to stay late, he only has the most menial, inconsequential tasks for her to do. Hardly anything of urgency. It’s nothing more than a reminder that she is utterly at his disposal. Riza is careful never to reveal her irritation or impatience, or her worry for Hayate, alone for so many hours and probably in desperate need of a walk. She schools her expression into blankness. She doesn’t pick at the skin underneath her fingernails or tap her fingertips against the desk, or twirl her pen through her fingers (a habit she had unconsciously picked up from her Colonel, and never realized until Havoc had pointed it out. She misses Havoc.) She doesn’t look at the clock.

On this Friday evening, two months to the day that she had first reported for duty in his office, the Fuhrer dismisses her at half past six. “Have a good evening, Lieutenant.” Bradley glances away from the window, giving her a small, genial smile, the corners of his visible eye crinkling in the same way Lieutenant General Grumman’s eyes crinkle when he smiles. It looks so human.

Riza salutes him. “You as well, Fuhrer.”

She walks home briskly, her heart in her throat. The sound of the cars speeding past on the road makes her startle. When one of them honks, she nearly jumps out of her skin.

Normally, spending time with Hayate, stroking his soft fur, admiring the shine of his warm brown eyes, watching his tail wag and his nose twitch as they walk together, is enough to soothe her. Center her. It doesn’t, this evening, though Riza takes him for an extra long walk. They get home and she measures food out into Hayate’s bowl and stands and watches him eat. Her shoulders feel rigid and achy, her nerves rubbed raw after another long week in such close proximity to the Fuhrer.

Riza pets Hayate for a few minutes, and then grabs her keys and her access card to the range.

It’s nearly empty, at this time on a Friday night. Riza normally enjoys the solitude, but tonight, she keeps looking twice at every shadow. No witnesses, she thinks, every time.

She stays until closing, trying to take comfort in the muffled sound of the gunshots, the subtle kickback of her weapon, the smell of the gunpowder, even the weight of the protective coverings on her ears. It normally helps her feel calmer. More in control. Tonight, when every shot hits its target, Riza just sees Lust and Gluttony in front of her, advancing on her, completely undeterred.

It’s almost ten when the range closes. She should go home and try to sleep. She can’t remember the last time she had a good night’s rest. It must have been back in East City, before Hughes was killed. But she isn’t tired. The shooting had burned time, but not energy.

It’s impulsive, it’s not like her - at least, not like the old her - but Riza takes the train, the Sanderson Line, to the very outskirts of Central. She gets off at the last stop on the line and she just wanders, for a while, her hands shoved in the pockets of her coat. It’s a chilly night, and she lets her hair down to warm her neck, relieved that she had thought to put on tall boots underneath her skirt before leaving her apartment. The warmth of the Nimble Bar, when she steps in, is a welcome sensation.

Riza takes in her surroundings at a glance. It’s a large space, but somewhat run-down. It’s dimly lit and smoky - good for privacy. It’s busy, but not too busy, which is another point in its favor. The deciding factor is its distance from Central Command. She doesn’t see a single familiar face here.

Thankfully, no one pays her much attention as she walks up to the bar and orders her drink, or when she takes it back to a corner booth far away from the billiards tables. It’s white lightning moonshine, stronger than what she normally likes. She hasn’t had this particular drink since returning from Ishval. Something inside Riza is telling her that this isn’t a good idea, but she ignores it.

It’s good moonshine. It’s smooth. It’s potent. It burns. Riza curls her hands around the glass and takes a deep breath, and she savors the way it burns all the way down. It nearly hurts.

She sits there, nursing her drink, and she lets it all wash over her. She thinks of the Fuhrer, and of Selim Bradley, and Gluttony and Lust, and the Philosopher’s Stones, and Ishval.

Riza finishes the glass faster than she should, and goes back for a second. She is close to finishing her second glass, and is staring into it, contemplating ordering a third, when a man slides into the booth beside her, without even asking if she would like company.

Riza looks up a second too late, and her angry words die on her lips.

“Drinking alone, Elizabeth?” Roy gives her an affable smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “That’s very unlike you.”

He’s wearing his usual, overly formal, civilian clothes, and he looks so out of place here that Riza blinks, wondering if the moonshine is hitting her too hard (now that she thinks about it, she hadn’t had dinner), and whether she’s seeing things. Colonel, she almost says. She catches herself, just in time, but she can’t bring herself to think of a codename.

“What are you doing here?” This isn't one of his usual haunts. As far as she knows, he’s never conducted business on this side of town before. It’s clear on the other end of the city from Chris Mustang’s bar.

“I came to find you, of course.” Roy studies her glass. “Is that white moonshine?”

He sounds a little shocked. Riza closes her eyes. “How did you know I was here?”

“Vanessa was here, on a date, when you came in.” Roy’s voice is low. “She gave me a call. She said that you looked down - that you were probably having troubles with your new man - and suggested that I check in.”

She doesn’t even know what time it is. It could be close to midnight. It could have taken him half an hour to get here. Riza rubs her temples. “You shouldn’t have.” Her voice doesn’t sound quite right. It’s less steady than usual. “I’m fine.”

“Are you?”

She doesn’t want to argue. She’s too tired, all of a sudden, for that. Riza lifts her glass for another sip, and her Colonel presses a gentle hand to her arm, lowering it. “I think that you’ve had enough for tonight.”

She wants to snap at him, like he has done to her whenever she’s tried to cut him off - so many times, over the past years. Especially after Ishval, and after Hughes. But Roy’s hand is lingering on her arm, and he’s sitting so close that she can smell his aftershave and feel the warmth radiating off him, and he’s wearing that dark coat he always wears, the one that’s as familiar to her as anything she owns. Riza feels the tears burn the back of her eyes. She sets the glass down. She presses the heels of both of her hands to the skin underneath her eyes and takes a deep breath.

“That’s better.” Roy pauses, and she wishes he wasn’t sitting so close. The temptation to lean against him, to press her aching head to his shoulder, is almost overwhelming. “I don’t think I need to ask you what’s wrong.”

“No.” Riza actually laughs, though she feels anything but happy, and she wipes her eyes as discreetly as she can. “You don’t.”

“Talk to me, Elizabeth,” Roy says quietly. “Has anything happened? Did he do anything to you?”

Their shoulders are mere inches from one another. She feels how tense he is; how tightly wound. Riza shakes her head. “It’s more about what I want to do than anything he’s done.” She struggles with the words; with her thoughts. “Every day. Every hour. I think of going to the mansion, at night, and burning it down. I’d pour gasoline around the perimeter, first. All it would take after that is a couple of matches and a lighter.”

A lighter. Riza thinks of Havoc, and the desire to cry returns. She looks at her Colonel. From the expression on his face, he seems to have had the same thought.

“Fire kills them,” Riza explains, as quietly as she can. “You remember what you did at the Third Laboratory. But my guns are useless against them. I’m useless against them.” You wouldn’t be, a voice inside her says, one that sounds like her father, if you’d only been able to learn alchemy from me; if only you weren’t such a hopeless pupil-- and Riza nearly sobs.

She can’t remember the last time she had seen her Colonel look so concerned. Maybe it was on the day that they had all received their transfer paperwork. He moves as if he would touch her shoulder, and then stops short. “Elizabeth--”

“I can’t accept it.” Riza buries her face in her hands. “I can’t get my head around it.”

“What? What is it?”

“All of it, Roy.” She hasn’t called him by his first name in ten years, but it just slips out, and she can’t put it back. “The fact that he is - what he is. Ishval. For all the years since then, I thought he was a person, a person who gave that order, a misguided person, a person who made a terrible, cruel decision, but a person. To learn that everything in Ishval happened not just because a human made a terrible decision - as all humans are capable of, as even you and I would be capable of - but because it was calculated is just…” Riza chokes. “He used us to murder the Ishvalans, not out of his own human cruelty and frailty - but as a deliberate sacrifice to get what he wanted.”

“I know.” Roy’s hands tighten into fists. “I know.”

“I can’t stand it.” It’s taking everything in her not to cry. “I hate it. It makes me want to kill. And all of the senior leadership who know the truth of what he is, who accept having him as the leader of our country, using the people of Amestris as pawns in his game…” Riza’s stomach heaves, and she bites the inside of her cheek to suppress the wave of nausea that washes over her. “Every day, I have to sit in on his meetings with them and take notes, and there’s nothing I’ve ever wanted more than to take out my gun and put a bullet in each of their brains. It scares me, how much I want it. I’ve never… Killing is something I do, it’s something I’ve done for years, but I’ve never wanted to do it so badly before. Does that make sense?”

There’s such compassion and empathy in Roy’s gaze. “It does.”

“I don’t just want to put a bullet between his eyes. Even if that would do anything.” Riza rakes her fingernails through her hair, against her scalp. It doesn’t burn in quite the same way the moonshine does, but it’s an acceptable substitute. “I want him to burn, and to suffer. Like Lust did.”

“I know,” Roy repeats. “But you have to let this go.”

The words, the sentiment, is so unexpected from him that Riza stares, taken aback. “What?”

“Anger isn’t your vice. It’s not your burden to carry. It’s mine, and it always has been. It’s not…” Roy hesitates. “It’s not what’s best for you. I know it’s difficult, but you have to put this aside and focus on surviving. It’s going to be a long winter, as it is. It’s going to be a hundred times longer and harder if you’re dealing with all these thoughts every day.”

A number of retorts rise to her lips, and Riza swallows them down. “You think that you can bear this burden better than I can?”

“I always have.” Roy rests his hand on the table, a hair’s breadth from hers. “With you to keep me in check. With you to pull me back whenever I’m close to doing something dangerous or impulsive. It’s not an option for both of us to be so compromised.”

Riza exhales slowly. She thinks back to the past five years, since Ishval, to all the times she’s warned her Colonel against being too rash, too impatient, too bold, too borderline insubordinate to senior staff. To all the times she had chided him for drinking too much. “I’m sorry. I should have been more understanding of you, in the past.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Roy says, at once. His tone brooks no argument. “And you can let go of the idea that you’re useless, as well. There’s nothing further from the truth. You should know how valuable you are to me.”

“I--” Riza looks at him, and then looks away. I miss you, she’d almost said. Because she does. That’s the steady undercurrent that runs through every single one of her days, now. Like the background music on a radio drama or a television program. She goes about her work, taking notes at the Fuhrer’s meetings, creating his schedule for the days, making him tea, helping him prepare for his upcoming meetings, filing his paperwork, and she misses Roy Mustang, every single day. “Thank you.”

“Is there anything else on your mind?” Roy presses. “While we’re here, and able to speak a little more openly then we can, closer to home?”

He knows her so well, and Riza can’t help but smile, for the first time in what feels like months. “I miss the unit.” That’s an acceptable thing to say, and it is true. She stares at her moonshine, wishing she could finish the last sip, even though it’s really hitting her, now, and she doesn’t need any more of it. “And Rebecca. And Edward and Alphonse.” Even though she’s surrounded by the Fuhrer’s associates and the Fuhrer himself all day, and she has Hayate for company at night, she feels alone. Alone with her thoughts, her feelings, her anger, her fear.

“They miss you too. I’m sure of it.” Riza glances at him, and Roy smiles, and this time, it does reach his eyes. “You’re not alone, I promise.”

Underneath the intelligence, the sharp wit, the strength of his convictions, the confidence, the charm, this is what had made her fall for Roy in the first place, more years ago than she cares to remember. His quiet, subtle kindness. It’s been so long since her world has had any kindness, any tenderness, any soft moments at all, and Riza looks away from him abruptly. Her breath actually catches in her throat, embarrassingly, and she hopes he hadn’t noticed it.

Roy reaches out without another word and rests a hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles against it, and Riza goes still, because this isn’t something they do. They never touch, unless it’s necessary. But it feels so comforting, so soothing, and all the breath leaves her body in a shuddering exhale. She lets Roy draw her close against him, holding her like a man would hold his girlfriend, like he’s sheltering her, like he would protect her. Riza presses her cheek against the wool of his coat and breathes him in. He’s still rubbing her back, and she can feel the weight and warmth of his hand through her coat and her sweater, and she’s had sex less intimate than this feels.

Riza rests her aching head against his shoulder. “You know,” she murmurs, a thought suddenly occurring to her. “Maybe there’s one small silver lining to all this.”

“Hmm?” Roy smooths her hair out of the way, moving his hand further up her back, and Riza closes her eyes, savoring the sensation.

“We’re not in the same direct chain of command anymore,” she says, as quietly as she can. “You’re not my commanding officer. Not for the rest of this winter. Not until spring.”

Roy’s hand stills for a moment, and then he resumes. “That’s a good point.” His voice wavers slightly.

She pulls back, just enough to look him in the eye. They’re close enough to kiss. Under normal circumstances, she would never be so bold, but there’s a great deal of white moonshine in her system and all of the want, the need, the craving for destruction and violence that had dominated her earlier, pressing into her ribs with every breath she took, is taking a different direction.

“Take me home, Roy,” Riza says softly. That’s the second time she’s called him by name in a decade, now. She has to be careful. She loves the way it feels in her mouth, on her lips. It’s strangely addictive.

Roy closes his eyes briefly, as if to shield himself against whatever he sees in hers. “You’re drunk, Elizabeth.”

“That doesn’t change anything.”

Roy opens his eyes, and she can see his frustration, his indecision, as plainly as if it had been written all over his face. His hand is still on her back, thumb caressing down her shoulder blade. “It does.” He takes a deep breath, and she can see it on him, that he’s come to a decision. “We’ll meet at Madame Christmas’s bar tomorrow at nine. For now, though, let me take you back to your place so that you can rest.”

It’s what she’s wanted - what both of them have wanted - for so long. It’s a win, after a devastating streak of losses. A silver lining amidst the gathering storm. Riza nods. Roy stands, and offers her his hand. The world spins alarmingly when she rises to her feet. She takes his hand, grateful for the support, and they walk out together, into the cold night.

and I, well, I want what's best for me / and I, I think I know just what that means / just what that means

The title of this fic on ao3 and the lyrics at the end are taken from “Little Pistol,” by Mother Mother. It’s a fabulous song and I highly recommend giving it a listen!

#royaiweek20 #royai #royai fanfic

26 notes · View notes