#we think they're carpenter bees but we're not 100% sure

[spacetimewraithwrites-archive]

Find the Word Tag Game

(Double Feature)

tagged by: @talesfromaurea & @druidx!! my words: risk, expression, understand, convince, storage, watch, failure, tale tagging: @drippingmoon, @drabbleitout, @ashen-crest, @zmwrites, @asher-writes, @kaiusvnoir, @muddshadow, anyone who wants to, and the bees that hang out on our back deck. they’re huge and all they do is fly around in circles. your words: strict, stare, steal, stop, steer, start

risk (Rebirth)—

"That would mean you'd be exposing yourself to them," Guetry said. "It'll leave you open for them to trace you back to us and cut you off, you know that."

"Which is why you would temporarily untether us while I disable the security."

Guetry slowed to a halt beside the image of Neptune and turned to the viewscreen, brow furrowed. "...Wait, are you being serious about this?"

"I am."

"Absolutely not. No way. There are too many risks. Your processor isn't strong enough to handle a task like that. If they have fail-safes in place, you could be fried for good."

"My processor is strong enough. It works for thirteen percent of your neural functions and has room for plenty more. Technically, I could operate every system of your body if given the proper adaptation."

"And you think the power of an entire Morrite palace is in the same ballpark as some guy's bodily functions?"

"I have enough processing power to keep a small city running, Guetry."

expression (Meridian)—

Thrive's expression softened, dusted with melancholy.

"I want this," Warren continued. "You said I've sacrificed everything, and I meant it when I said I'd do it over again, but I'm tired. I'm tired of losing everything. You got to tape over the hole in your heart left by the eliyi, but I'm still hurting from losing everyone I've ever loved save for you guys. You...you are the only reason I'm still going right now."

At those last words, Warren choked up, his emotion threatening once again to spill over. Thrive swallowed back the combination of the runoff he felt through their connection and his own guilt.

"It's bad again," Warren admitted. "I barely want to get out of bed most days. I don't feel like I have a purpose anymore other than to fulfill your needs. I don't wanna feel that way. I don't want to end up resenting you."

The silence between them was thoughtful, but heavy. Thrive eventually dropped his gaze to the ground in contemplation.

understand (Aurora)—

"Possibly. We're taking it one step at a time. If they join us, it could be a huge blow against the venevans and the Morrites, and we'd have to prepare for any retaliation to that effect. But for now, we've got an impressive arsenal against the Emmuli, and we're very comfortable about our odds."

The frown digging into Thrive's face indicated that he was, in fact, very uncomfortable about their odds, though he remained silent on that fact.

DeCosta paused. "I'd like to take a second to thank both of you for everything. I know we haven't always been on the same page, but I admire and respect you for accomplishing everything you'd accomplished thus far. I'm truly sorry for anything I've said or done that could have personally offended you, and I hope you understand my intentions are and have always been good."

Thrive nodded. "It's water under the bridge, Delegate. And for the record, I, too, apologize for any and all irrationality on my part. I look forward to…" He trailed off, a muscle in his jaw working as he fought to stay composed enough to carry on with this major omission of information. "I look forward to working with you again in the future."

convince (Rebirth)—

Warren left them to rehearse, running into Varussa as he exited the room.

"You coming to see Skywaste on the Node, Warren?" she asked, pulling her hair out of its ponytail.

He nodded. "I'm guessing you are, too?"

"I've convinced everyone." She smiled. "I've been listening to their albums off the library. Guetry's really good, right?"

Warren inwardly snickered. "Oh, yeah."

"I mean...Alec's very talented, too...I just…" She cleared her throat. "I...prefer the instruments he plays, that's all."

Warren quirked an amused eyebrow. He didn't have to be silhou to know what was up. "Gotcha."

She made a hasty exit and Warren snorted, retreating to the commander's quarters.

storage (Rebirth)—

"Perhaps I can help," Scotty said, voice tinny in the small room.

Guetry placed his rifle in the weapons locker. "Whatcha got?"

"I've lifted files from the data storage on ———'s ship."

"How the hell did you do that?"

"The system purges classified information over a signal similar to wi-fi. For lack of a more comprehensive term, I grabbed them on their way past. The files are heavily encrypted, but with some time I could unlock it. I suspect it leads to Hyret's hidden palace."

"You serious?" Guetry grinned. "God, what would I do without you?"

Warren looked at him, surprised at the sincerity of his tone.

watch (Eternal)—

"We're going to consult the Consortium about commissioning a ship. Do you think we could get back to the—"

Warren stopped short after realizing simultaneously that he was no longer holding the comm device and that his floor looked different. A buzz of static snapped within his skull, and he reeled back as if shocked by a livewire. A mirror directly across from him caught his attention; his reflection much thinner and with a full beard, hair reaching his ears.

He stared, unable to fully comprehend what had happened. He watched his reflection reach up to the collar of his maroon jumpsuit. Stars went out through the window in his peripheral, dying one by one, the power in the station shut off. Flashing crimson emergency lights bathed the room in chilling shadows.

He started to breathe heavily despite every nerve in his body telling him this wasn't real. He wasn't on the Destiny, he was on the Consortium Node. No longer in his cell, but his far-too-small apartment in the Southern Division.

...Here you are.

The stars began to fizzle out much faster, and a cautious glance outside told Warren there was an undulating shape of black smoke outside, billowing around the facility. The pulsing red light grew tighter and Warren felt a sharp, icy finger trail around the back of his neck as the familiar voice rumbled intimately in his brain.

failure (Meridian)—

"I'm getting the news now," Scot said. "There's an investigation underway. There's speculation that it's an attack by the terrorist organization known as the Failure to Thrive, or the FaiTh as they're more colloquially known."

"Not those guys again," Warren yelled. "Jesus Christ, how about just one fucking day where nobody in the universe dies?"

Scot and Hondris took to talking over one another about how impossible that would be and felt the need to clarify that though unfortunate, people die of various reasons every second of every day. Scot went into the odds of there being a single day where nobody died, and Hondris decided to lay on a guilt trip about the venevans and the qrihk that Warren really did not need to experience right then and there.

"Hey!" Warren snapped his fingers between their faces and glowered at them as they fell silent. "Shut the fuck up!"

Scot nodded. "That's fair."

tale lie (Eternal)—

"Just know that when and if it does—"

"Warren," Thrive interrupted, "as much as I am endlessly grateful for your presence and your support, I am not made of glass. I've been pushed past my limits recently, yes, but it's insulting to assume I've never had to cope with this amount of stress before and will fail to do so now."

Warren glanced around at everyone else not even paying them any mind. "This isn't just you dealing with ———. This is ———, the attack on Earth, the loss of ———, the war, the disappearance of an entire other race of—"

Thrive cracked a grin, much to Warren's surprise. "I have no choice but to be the strongest one here."

"You do have a choice. You just as much as any of us have the option to just...let it all out."

"No." Thrive shook his head. "I do not."

"Well excuse me for being concerned after you told me yourself you need to retire because things are getting too hard for you."

Thrive paused as if he'd been caught out in a lie. "Varussa, what is our estimated time of arrival into R'lis space?"

#tag game #Find the Word #we think they're carpenter bees but we're not 100% sure #either way my poor kid's terrified of 'em