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thedistantstorm · 5 years

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Phoenix Protocol 29

When the Traveler’s Light was returned to the Guardians after the defeat of the Cabal, it did not manifest itself the same in everyone. Miyu, an Awoken Warlock, finds herself struggling with her abilities, her Light feeling different and not her own. With her Vanguard preoccupied with grief and all eyes turned to the Reef, she finds herself turning to an unlikely source in an attempt to rediscover her connection to the Light and define what it means for her as a Dawnblade.

Previously

“Let me come with you!”

“No.”

“Please!”

Miyu swings her sword around, blocks her opponent's swing and ducks under her arm, punching the other Warlock in the gut. “You aren't ready.” She returns to their starting stance while Lilith breathes hard, gasping breaths with a wheeze on the end of them. When she gets back to her first form, the blade moving ever so slightly with each breath, Miyu frowns. Her blade shouldn’t be moving. Lilith corrects it with a better grip. “Again.”

They begin as mirror images, their blades perfectly aligned. From afar, it might even look like a dance, something intricate and ornate, perfectly choreographed. It stops looking that way when the stances change, their forms no longer looking exact.

Lilith has good instincts. She does not rely on them enough. More, for certain, than she had previously, but not now. When she believes she is doing well, she grows cocky. That's dangerous.

Not that Miyu was ever going to let her follow her into the Shattered Throne this time. She can't. This time, she has to go alone. They need to know if changing the variables changes the outcome.

The smaller exo lunges, and Miyu strikes her down. Her Ghost, a quiet little thing with a voice like an elf, waits for enough Light to coalesce to revive her.

Fireteams of three have been infiltrating the stolen Throne world of Mara Sov like clockwork. The battle is fierce, but they always, after a time, are able to put down Dûl Incaru.

The Techeuns have wondered if a different number would change the outcome. The portal closes after three cross it. The last time, Miyu and Lilith went alone, the two of them together. Petra watched icily from the other side of the swirling entrance and allowed no others to pass. This time, they've asked for only one to go into the darkness that is Eleusinia. Of the several they approached, only Miyu reluctantly agreed.

She has spent almost five months now, in this decaying city. She is ready to go home. She does not have the connection Kamela Rior believed she might rekindle, she does not find herself reminded of someone she was before but is no longer. Home to Miyu is terran skies and the Traveler, the smell of wind and earthen incense, not this strange, sweet perfume.

The only one who seems to understand that is Sedia. Sedia, who is fraying at the edges, knowing that this cycle is divining to send her into madness. But Sedia understands her duty. She'll likely die in this city, at the hands of the Taken Queen, and forever become what she's been morphing into until she's erased permanently.

When that time comes, she asks for brutal, violent mercy. If she is Taken for good, she does not want her own queen to come for her. Miyu has not seen hide nor hair of Mara Sov. She does not believe that she'd come, even if Sedia begged.

But, even so, Sedia understands. She has shown Miyu around their City. She has spoken of the Darkness, of their enemies. Sedia understands that the Darkness is their true enemy, Corsair or Guardian, Techeun or Ghost. None of their differences matter.

Before Lilith had approached them, the conversation took on a different tone. Sedia does not want her here, when the pieces fall. And she believes they will.

'You're of far better use to us teaching them,' She'd said. 'Sending you on this quest is a fool's errand. You'll test your abilities, and, if you survive, feel as though you've gotten what you've came for.'

'I will not lose to her,' Miyu replied, firm. 'Nor her Fatesmiths.'

'Perhaps not. But promise me this: if you defeat her, go home.'

'That was my plan.'

'Teach more than just one of your brethren,' She had motioned to the returning Exo, all but skipping through the Divalian Mists, hand on the sword she'd recently received, 'How to perfect what you've achieved.'

Lilith barely takes a breath before she's up, charging at the Awoken. Blindly. Miyu dodges. She trips the girl and flips her, pushing her blade to the side of the synthetic mesh that comprises the outer layer of her neck.

Once again planted in the present, Miyu steps back and sheaths her sword. She offers her pupil a hand, to pull her to her feet. Lilith allows it, and rises, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

“Would you show me that kata,” She asks. “From the Okuden? I always mess up the footwork on the uke… uka-”

“Ukenagashi.”

“Yes. I think I do better when I’m focused on my technique and my breathing.”

Miyu nods. “You do learn,” She comments mildly. Lilith pouts.

“I’d learn more if you let me come with you, you know.”

The older of them hums. Of course she’d tie in her argument somehow. “I have to do it alone,” Miyu pushes back, drawing her weapon and taking the initial stance in the kata. “Take up some strikes, find something else to do. Maybe see some other part of the system than this place.” She walks through the positioning slowly, each move precise and dangerous. Lilith watches the demonstration studiously.

When the other woman’s sword is safely sheathed, Lilith tilts her head and questions, “Will you come back after?”

“I was going to tell you to meet me at the Tower,” She says. “Assuming you still think I have things to show you.”

“I mean,” She laughs a little as she moves to stand in Miyu’s place, to try and recreate the move she’s just seen, “How many more katas do I still have to learn?

Miyu braces Lilith’s abdomen and straightens her back. “Only about a million,” She teases.

The Tower's only bar is relatively dead on a weeknight. Most Guardians worth their salt are at home, preparing for the next day's strike, or a few rounds in the Crucible. Most of them.

But not all.

The Commander sits at the end of the bar, nursing a lukewarm beer. Shaxx is next to him, but he's the type who never lets his beer run cold. Then, there's Ikora, on his other side, drinking a mixed drink. Shaxx suspects it's some fizzy beverage that's loaded with vodka.

It's strangely comfortable. The Crucible Handler hadn't been expecting much - certainly hadn't expected Zavala to message him, much less show - and had gotten way more than he'd bargained for.

The two Vanguard were sitting at a table when he'd come in. They'd been having dinner. It was almost too domestic for him. He had almost had to leave and come back, scrub at his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him. He had many questions. How long had it been going on? What triggered this? Had it changed anything?

“I hope you don't mind,” Zavala had said to him, while Ikora finished what looked to be a rather bloody cut of beef. A woman after his own heart, he thought briefly, before looking back at the Commander.

“Not at all,” He'd recovered quickly. “By all means. “Finish your supper and I'll wait for you at the bar.” When Ikora looks up, subdued enough, he revises, “Both of you.”

They conversed quietly when he'd walked away, but both of them had joined him ten minutes later.

“Dare I ask,” He starts, when it's been a while since any of them have spoken, “What has brought you two together?”

Zavala sighs, and Ikora smiles sadly into her drink. “Politics, for one,” The Warlock Vanguard answers flatly, rather than self-degrading or menacing. “We've been doing some thinking.”

“Is this to do with that idiot you've allowed to move into the annex? I don't trust-”

“Yes and no,” Zavala says, cutting him off. “He is necessary, and that is all I will say on the matter.” The Commander pauses, sips at his beer. “He's not responsible for our… meetings, though.”

“No.” Ikora echoes, looking Shaxx over. Eventually, she sighs and asks, “Why have you never shown interest in becoming the Titan Vanguard? You're certainly capable.”

His laugh is a short bark. “I believe Zavala is less of a hothead, as he's so eloquently told me throughout the centuries.” He looks to Zavala who smirks with only his eyes, but levies his head in a nod. He's asking Shaxx to answer the question honestly. “Truly?”

“Tell us,” Zavala beckons. Ikora hums as well.

“Let’s assume that no one ever discovers my previous… position,” Shaxx begins. “Though the theatrics would be hysterical. In any case,” He redirects, “Though I assert my opinion now, whether you lot like it or not,” He looks at his hands, clenches them in a fist, “I am not satisfied with leadership unless I am in total control.”

Ikora gestures ambiguously, clearly unsurprised by his reasoning.

“That and I'm not about to be thrown into that snake pit every time I make a bloody decision someone dislikes. I'm a warrior, not a politician.”

At that, Zavala and Ikora share a glance, leaning forward, looking around him. Shaxx realizes he's missed something. It comes to him in an instant, though. While he may not desire to be a leader in this day and age, he sees more than most will ever know.

“Everything would collapse,” He says, in the softest, mildest of tones. “You know that, right?”

“The Guardians all but govern themselves,” The Commander counters.

“We certainly wouldn't disappear overnight,” Ikora continues for him. “It would be a process.”

“It would, or it is?”

Both Vanguard exchange another glance. It only serves to ignite Shaxx's growing fury. “Nothing is certain yet,” Comes the alto voice to his right. “We’re just considering possibilities.”

The Crucible handler pushes back his mostly full pint glass - the barkeep had just given him a refill. “Sounds a lot more like you’ve both decided what you’re doing, just not the when.”

“We aren’t-”

“It isn’t-”

“Have you asked the old man about this?”

“Shaxx,” Ikora presses, when Zavala doesn’t answer, “We’ve just begun discussing this ourselves.”

“Oh, bollocks. If he wasn’t afraid Saladin would march right down off his mountain to come here and beat the sense into him, he’d have asked for his opinion already.”

“Listen here,” Zavala says.

“No,” He retorts, deadly quiet, voice quaking with emotion. “You listen. The both of you. If you don’t wish to hold your positions - to hold this City,” He looks pointedly at Zavala, “Then go. Find someone else to take up the mantle and be done with it. But do not sit here and tell me we don’t need a Vanguard. Maybe next time enemy forces come for the Traveler, we’ll just roll over and give it to them.” He rises, vibrating with the weight of his feelings. “Have the two of you ever entertained the idea of balance or has Cayde’s death made you both vy for the position of stupidest among you?”

“Leave him out of this,” Zavala growls, noting Ikora’s look of hot rage.

“Why? He valued you both. He’d be ashamed at what you’ve reduced yourselves to. He might not have liked being cooped up here; Hell, he thought it was a death sentence. If he left, whether he should have or not, he always meant to return. And he never once told you he’d abandon his post like you’ve both just inferred to me.” Shaxx drops a handful of glimmer - enough currency for all of their drinks and then some - on the counter. “I’ll not stay and hear another word of your self-pitying drivel.” His voice is soft still, but far more evocative than it would be if he we're yelling at the top of his lungs. “Enjoy each other's company.”

They wince when the door to the establishment slams loudly, the only indication the rest of the patrons have that Shaxx might have been less than his boisterous, happy self. Ikora and Zavala regard each other warily.

“I thought he would understand,” She whispers. “He's always had an issue with City leadership.”

Zavala looks down at his hands and sighs. “I think I've finished drinking.”

The Warlock Vanguard leaves her seat, her drink only half empty as well. “Shall we go then?”

He follows wordlessly, taking an extra step to hold open the door for her. The skies are dark, heavy with clouds. Any second now, it will start raining.

#destiny fanfiction #commander zavala #ikora rey #lord shaxx #zavala x oc #oc: miyu #miyu the sweet bean warlock #collection: phoenix protocol

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zoquatre · 7 years

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Guess who really loves MahoPre and practically fell over herself buying gay books? Opinions and general fangirling are under the cut; I won’t be taking as many pictures this time around though.

Not gonna comment on every book since that would just take forever.

In case it wasn’t obvious, I’m a pretty huge fan of suzu’s so the gems of this lot have got to be his books. He was pretty silent in the month or so prior to Rainbow Flavor so I was all ??? but it turns out he was just busy drawing all the MiraRiko bless. The third book is chalk full of amazing adult!MiraRiko 4komas. Haa-chan loves her moms but she’s becoming jaded with all their age gap play, even when they just trying to be legit (this eventually becomes more sex play BUT WHATEVER). There’s this one 4koma in particular where Riko sits in on one of Mirai’s lectures because she assured her no one would notice BUT EVERYONE NOTICES BECAUSE SHE’S WAY TOO GORGEOUS (“is that the girl Asahina-san is sharing an exchange blog with??”).

Each book does contain a short little comic (in regular comic form) that’s 100% serious and even those are absolutely delightful!!! In book 2, Haa-chan tries to prove that she can fight on her own so Riko can go back to the Magic Academy and fulfill her dream of becoming a great magician and the feels are too great... Book 1′s comic is hilarious in hindsight because Mirai promises Riko that she’ll come to the Magic World for her. And that totally didn’t happen, hehehe...

I’m gonna lie down, MiraRiko is too good......

GOBOU’S BOOK IS FULL COLOUR MIRARIKO EVERY PAGE EVERY DAY. There are only a handful of drawings that haven’t already been uploaded on twitter/pixiv but WOW the commentary and afterword is worth it. Who doesn’t want to read the thoughts of a fellow yuri clam? lol. And ofc, the final page is the 「あなたがここにいてほしい」picture. Aaaah, how we all wish Mirai and Riko spent their high school days together, falling deeper and deeper in love... ゜･(ノД`)･゜･ I MEAN, the five year gap is all kinds of romantic and just SO BEAUTIFUL but aaaaah they could’ve also been happy growing up together without those sad lonely nights staring at an izayoi moon. ゜･(ノД`)･゜･

I also wish I had two copies of this so I could frame them side by side. (ღ˘◡˘ღ) Why is Orangea so gay and good????

The anthology was also really aaaaaHHHH!!!! Surprise, surprise, my favourite comic was the one by suzu~ Haa-chan wants a little brother or sister but after having a go at it, it turns out two girls can’t actually have a baby. So what to do? Just transform into Topaz and make one with those yellow balls (complete with a “kin no tama” joke). The babies are basically mini Mirai and Riko and they grow up, fall in love, and want to have babies of their own. But what’s that? Two girls can’t actually have a baby? So what to do? Just transform into Topaz... etc, etc. HELP ME.

And Kokori’s contribution was SO GODDAMN DUMB AND ROMANTIC. They’re in love............ And Haa-chan loves her moms.........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The whole anthology is a gem, just like it says on the tin. 13 beautiful, shining gems. (ღ˘◡˘ღ)

There’s this R18 by Tsuburakei and!! Okay, I’m not the biggest fan of R18 and this really wasn’t gonna be different—I just got it because the opening preview made me laugh (”I got Haa-chan to teach me how to do lewd stuff” “WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU ASKING OUR DAUGHTER??”) and MIRARIKO!!!!!!!! but it got really sweet at the end! (ღ◕◡◕ღ)

Someone needs to stop maho at all costs. I mean, I really like their art style but they keep portraying Mirai as this one-step-from-yandere character. Both their books have real consent issues;;; Granted, I knew what I was getting into but really... Mirai taking the lead is good and all, but this is taking it a little too far imo. Apparently, they wanted to do a more upbeat MiraRiko this RF but this ended up happening again anyways. *stares into space*

I really wanted Negom’s MakoRitsu book but I sorta wanted to bundle it with a KHU book I had my eye on for forever so I waited... AND THEN I READ THERE WAS A TINY LITTLE BIT OF MANAARI AT THE VERY END (LIKE, TWO PAGES’ WORTH) AND I HIT THE “ADD TO CART” BUTTON AS FAST AS I COULD. And it really was only two pages imma gonna lie down sobbing............... In them, Alice reflects on how her feelings for Mana were always hopeless to begin with; it’s just that Mana was the one who got married first. Her situation’s exactly the same as it’s always been. AAARRRGH. YOU MIGHT BE FINE WITH THIS, ALICE, BUT I’M NOT. SOMEONE NEEDS TO GIVE THIS STORY A HAPPY ENDING, STAT.

Putting aside those two pages though, the bulk of the book was really sweet! I’m totally for this interpretation of Mako/Ritsu—seeing someone through entirely new eyes and all that. Negom also has a really nice twitter thread about this book with some neat insights, like how all the scenes she had to cut out would’ve doubled the book’s thickness.

For no reason at all, look at this ridiculous family again:

LOOK AT THEM. I CAN PROBABLY DIE IN PEACE NOW. ಥ◡ಥ

I really can’t get over how perfect MiraRiko is. I’m just a useless yuri clam who’ll take photos of every izayoi from now until they finally reunite, what can I do but cry for ages......

I’ll be going on a little break so my askbox will be open for a little while in case anyone wants to cry about MiraRiko with me or wants to shoot any Precure-related questions my way. Rest assured that I cry about MiraRiko on a daily basis and am progressing pretty well on things starting with Miyu and ending with Rei. (づ￣ ³￣)づ Honestly, I’m pretty sure that’s my biggest priority TL-wise.

Questions regarding anything that may or may not have been promised before may go unanswered...? idk, anything that stresses me out too much. MAGICAL GIRL SHIPS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME THOUGH??? If not, I can always just rewatch Ep49 five hundred more times and cry to myself, no biggie~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

ALSO ITS MIRAI’S BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

i hope riko and her have a good time ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

#text post

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