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vivasity · 3 months

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Fight Like Dogs - Original Work

I would do anything to protect my brother. If my enemies fight like dogs, I have to do the same - tooth and nail and nothing less for him.

Warnings: Descriptions of violence, animal death, body horror?

Wordcount: 1.9k

Ao3 | WritingBattle.com | Original Post (writing battle)

AN: Originally wrote this for Writing Battle! A quarterly short-story competition that I regularly participate in - this past fall competition was to write 2k words in 5 days following some genre restrictions/prompt inclusions. This story got me to the top 32 in my genre! The story and prompts I was given are below the cut!

I was given the genre Ride or Die - the story's focus needed to be on the bond of the characters. Additionally, I was required to include the topic of destiny and the action of patrolling. This happened! Enjoy!

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I thought growing up in New York would prepare me for the cold. I had years to acclimate to their winters, biting winds and vicious snow.

Nothing can prepare you for the bone-deep chill that I experienced in the depths of northern Ontario. My brother Sam and I had been transferred over to the Canadian base two weeks ago, and we had already settled into a comfortable routine – eyes on the monitors during the day, patrolling the perimeter at night.

We were about 40 kilometers northwest of a small town called Moosonee, a population barely over 2,000 and largely cut off from the rest of the province. I often wondered what would have happened to such a small community if we hadn’t arrived. As if sensing my shift in mood, Sam blew his cigarette smoke in my direction, breaking me away from my thoughts. I swatted the smoke away and leveled a glare in his direction. He was looking at me expectantly. I remained silent.

“Did you even hear my question?” He asked, eyeing me curiously around another drag of his cigarette. I hated the habit, but after everything he’s seen I'll allow him his vices.

“Fuck, lost in thought again. One more time?” I prompted apologetically, and he rolled his eyes.

“Do you believe in destiny?” Sam repeated, and I almost laughed until I saw the genuine curiosity in his features, smoke curling around his nose. I readjusted the grip I had on my rifle, rolling my shoulder as we leisurely walked the perimeter of the base.

“I don’t think I like the idea that all the nightmare scenarios we’ve lived through were a part of some greater plan for me, that there was nothing that could have been done about it.” I answered honestly. I didn’t like the idea that my decisions weren’t my own, that I was just following a script. Sam hummed thoughtfully, pausing to take another drag from his cigarette.

“I think we are mostly in control of our lives, but I also think the universe will put you in the place you need to be whether you want it or not.”

“Did you start smoking weed again?” I narrowly avoided the butt of Sam’s rifle, laughing as he huffed in annoyance.

“I’m serious! I honestly believe there is an intended role for everybody, doing what feels right is just listening to the universe telling you where you need to be.” He continued, his voice taking on that wistful quality it had when he talked about things bigger than himself – despite everything he was just as optimistic as when we were kids.

“Well in that case, I hope everything we’ve done still means something in the end.” I mused, eyes scanning beyond the perimeter into the dense forest. The hard-light fencing pulsed with a renewed power cycle, marking the next hour of our patrol.

“Look at us, we joined the military after our father died, if we hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t have been asked to join the Northern Watch, which leads us here. When we lost dad,” Sam hesitated for a moment before continuing, “all we had left was each other. Anywhere you go, I follow. That’s how it’s always been, and I think that’s how we got this far.” He looks to me and he’s grinning – and I see my little brother again, he’s 7 and missing a tooth and stuck to me as much as I teased him – I open my mouth to respond, and I’m interrupted by the shrill alarm cutting through the base. I immediately look at the holo-screen on my wrist, and Sam sees where the alarm is coming from the same moment I do, his cigarette falls forgotten onto the grass.

As we run along the perimeter, the base comes to life. Voices shouting orders, lights coming on where they were shut off for the night, the sound of heavy footsteps all running in the same direction.

“Sector 19C has been compromised, all units report to Sector 19C immediately.” A voice calls out over the base-wide intercom, it repeats twice before we arrive at the affected sector.

While the sight nearly makes my knees buckle, the smell is worse.

This was the reason we had been sent so far north, the Mutts. Global warming had defrosted plenty of prehistoric viruses before, but this most recent one has been the biggest pain in the ass. An invasive fungus, largely harmless to humans but parasitic to nearly every animal species it comes into contact with. We had tried our best to study its effects, we know it becomes airborne via the spores it produces, it aggressively mutates an infected host, and once mutated the host will stop at nothing to kill us. Then there’s the smell, metallic like blood but almost like it’s rotten, if that was even possible. I didn’t have much time to think about it before Sam dragged my attention back to the matter at hand, a heavy hand landing on my shoulder. I steeled myself, ignoring the mangled creatures already limp in the frost-covered grass surrounding the hard-light fence, illuminated with the faintest blue light pulsing from the deteriorated fencing.

They must have pushed through before the power cycle, arguably the most terrifying thing about the Mutts, they would readily put themselves in harms way if it meant that was the most direct path to their target. It was possible to force your way though a hard-light barrier, but it was extraordinarily painful and likely to kill you before you made it to the other side. That seemingly wasn’t a consideration for the Mutts, as they watched other creatures fall to the fence or to the bullets fired their way and pushed forward with violent abandon.

We weren’t the first ones to respond, and we joined the firefight with the others. We had encountered Mutts before, and it had been almost a week since the last attack – a pack of what we assumed were once coyotes – but these were already more numerous than the last time. They looked like wild dogs, if wild dogs came with extra limbs and grotesque growths that looked like festering wounds that would never heal.

I watched as Sam readjusted the grip on his rifle, looking down his sights as he pulled the trigger next to me and something died near the fence. He’s mentioned before that everything we’re dealing with now reminds him of the video games we played as kids, and our conversation on destiny floats through my mind again as I shift into an area with more cover. I don’t need to look to know Sam is moving to tuck himself next to me, covering my back like always. I shoot a Mutt myself, grimacing as a second carelessly tumbles over the body of the first, paws slick from frost and viscera. I put it down like the first, and I almost wish Sam was wrong.

He deserves an easy life, and I wish I could’ve protected him from all of this, but when I look at him again and see the determination on his face – mirroring my own – I know I couldn’t convince him that this isn’t where he is meant to be. He’s right, we’ve made it this far because we stick together. Our enemies have always fought like dogs, but so do we. I would do anything to keep Sam alive, I know he feels the same, and I’m certain it’s that drive that keeps us alive. Another Mutt crosses my sight-lines, and I pick him off just like the others.

This would be easy if there weren’t so many of them. There are roughly 50 ex-soldiers on this base, almost 50 more non-combatant personnel, and the Mutts easily outnumber us ten to one. I know there can be a lot of wild animals this far north, but it still feels like an obscene amount when they’re all trying their hardest to kill you at the same time.

Sam takes a moment to reload his rifle, breathing hard as he looks over at me. He grins, and I’m always shocked at how he can have fun in moments like this. I roll my eyes playfully as I turn my attention back to the fence. “We aren’t gonna be able to do much else but survive unless they fix the fence!” I shout over the gunfire, and he nods thoughtfully as he checks the fence himself. The tear in the hard-light construct isn’t particularly wide, enough for two Mutts to squeeze through together if they tried, but it’s an effective bottle-neck for the moment.

“Better to thin out the pack while we can, then!” He shouts back, nudging my arm before he turns back to fire into the Mutts again. If you squint you can just barely make out the press of their bodies against the fencing, the shrill animalistic screams that follow the moment one of them presses a little too hard and they burn on contact. It doesn’t deter them, and I ignore the sound as I turn back to the fight myself. I can feel the moment my focus shifts from keeping the town safe, to keeping my brother safe. I always do this, focus on the small goal so the pressure doesn’t eat me from the inside.

My brother was right. I’m here for a reason.

To keep him safe.

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Two hours later, we’ve lost six men and the damage to the fence has been repaired. The hard-light construct thrumming with renewed energy, glowing brighter than usual. Sam took a stray bullet to the shoulder and hasn’t stopped whining about it. I walked him to the infirmary, and we sat in silence as the nurse stitched him up. We’re expected to clean ourselves up and get back to finish our foot patrol. Sam scoffs when he hears this, our commanding officer looks unimpressed as he gives the news.

“I know you’re not happy about it, but look around. The two of you were barely scratched in comparison to the others, and we lost more men than I was anticipating. At least the two of you can still walk, I’m sorry you got hit with friendly fire but right now your primary concern should be keeping the town safe from those Mutts. You succeeded tonight, but their attacks are getting larger and more frequent.” The older man looked past us at a spot over the wall, and I watched Sam readjust his arm as the nurse pulled away, covering the wound and moving on to the next person. “This is the fight you signed up for, you’ll survive another few nights of patrols until our next wave of reinforcements come in from Hearst, and I heard Thunder Bay is sending over some of their own forces, their attacks have been going down lately and they know we could use the help.” Our CO rambles on, trying to instill a bit of hope.

I nod and thank the older officer, my hand landing on Sam’s good shoulder as I told him we would happily continue night watch. Sam barely hides his groan of displeasure, and I shoot a glare in his direction. Once he leaves, I relax my shoulders and smile apologetically at Sam. The nurse returns as Sam gets up to leave, reminding him that he has to get painkillers before he leaves the medical bay. His face slowly splits into a grin as he looks over at me.

“Maybe it’s not so bad.” He reasons as he asks for the specifics of his prescription. “At least if I’m gonna do rounds with an injury I’ll have a good time doing it.” He adds playfully and I roll my eyes, knowing that everything has led me to this moment – keeping him safe, and happy.

#most of this sits under the cut #original writing #writing battle 2023 #writing battle entries #if theres anything i missed warning wise PLS tell me i'm not good at this #q #science fiction #sci fi #sci fi writing #science fiction writing #horror writing #gore #spooky #anyway good luck idk how to tag this

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vivasity · 3 months

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To Love Another - Kassidas

Chapter 1 | 2 | Ao3

Source: Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Pairing: Kassandra/Brasidas

Chapter Warnings/Tags: everyone lives/nobody dies, I'm using this to cope can you tell?, they make out in the sand, the smut stays in ch 2, it get's kinda emotional, there's a bit of hurt/comfort in there if you squint

Word Count: 1.9k

Chapter 1 - Reunions

The last thing Kassandra expected when leaving Kephalonia for the first time in years, was to get tangled in the fate of the Greek world itself. All she had wanted was to bring her family back together, saving the entire Greek empire in the process was an added side-benefit.

With the Cult of Kosmos wiped out of existence, she had time to focus on her family. Over the months, Alexios had been less and less troubled by what the Cult did to him, unlearning the violent reactions that were ingrained into him. Kassandra had gently encouraged him to become a misthios alongside her, to put his skills to use more than anything else, and he took to it like Ikaros to the wind.

Pheobe had been immediately fawned over by her mother and father, prompting them to take the young girl in. Pheobe was, of course, delighted to have Kassandra as her sister, and while still a little scared of Alexios, she brought out a gentleness in him that Kassandra hadn't seen in a long time, if ever.

Continuing her life as the most dangerous misthios in all of Greece, she maintained her title as captain of the Adrestia, occasionally leaving the ship to her brother as an escape when he needed it. The guilt he felt when he was surrounded by his family, so kind and forgiving, weighed on him in a way that Kassandra knew without him needing to say a word.

She was surprised when she found herself back in Sparta, spending months bouncing between different islands and on the open ocean. An unknown contact reaching out to her once she made port, a Spartan scout hurriedly pressing the letter into her surprised hands before running off just as quickly. It lead her to a familiar battleground in the dead of night, Phobos tied off nearby as she stepped through the trodden sand to meet whoever needed to see her so soon. This was one of the last battles she had against Alexios when he was still under the control of the Cult, and where she had killed Kleon for everything he had done. The salty breeze shifted through the light armour she wore, the shiver brought on by the cold or the memory she wasn't sure.

Walking closer to the shoreline, she found comfort in being alone even if only for a moment and sat in the sand that had long since lost the sun's warmth. Removing the spear from her back, she gently set the tip into the soft sand, resting her hands on the hilt as she watched the small waves come and go. So lost in the moment she barely heard the footsteps behind her until a familiar voice spoke.

"My eyes must be deceiving me, there is no way that Kassandra of Sparta is having a moment of peace." On her feet in an instant, she whipped around and offered a wide smile and gentle laughter to Brasidas. He held out an arm to her in greeting and was surprised when she launched herself at him, strong arms wrapped around him in a hug.

"We take those moments when we can, Brasidas." She answered coyly, letting go to hold him at arm's length. "It's been months! How have you been? You have to tell me everything!" The younger woman exclaimed, and he gave a hearty laugh in response. Removing himself from her grip he set his sword into the sand before sitting next to where she had been before. She took the unspoken invitation and sat comfortably next to him.

It was just before dawn when their conversation caught a lull like the waves before them, a still and comfortable silence. They watched each other, and Brasidas found himself gently tracing a scar etched into Kassandra's shoulder. "This one is new," he trailed off, hoping she could give him the story of how anyone could have possibly gotten close enough to hurt her.

"Do you know the Daughters of Artemis?" She asked, and when he nodded she continued. "Their leader, Daphnae, had tasked me with gathering the pelts of legendary beasts from all across the Greek world and returning them to her. There was this particularly nasty wolf that managed to knock me on my ass a few times. It got a good bite in before I took it down." She smiled softly, almost reverent, and Brasidas couldn't help but encourage more out of her.

"And what happened? After you finished with the task?" He asked, and Kassandra grinned in a way that sent a shiver up his spine.

"In the interest of making a long story short, I became the leader of the Daughters of Artemis." She said so simply as if discussing a meal she had made. Brasidas paused, taken aback. Yet another title to add to her already impressive collection.

"Should you not be there? Leading them?"

"It was all for the sake of propriety, it's more that I'm their leader in title only, I appointed another to take my place in my absence. But, I am free to come and go from their territory as I please."

"Ah." He said simply, kicking himself for the limited response. They lulled into another comfortable silence, Ikaros' calls sounding off in the distance as dawn broke over the waves.

"The battle here, that almost ended very differently for you." Kassandra mumbled, her knees tucked to her chest. She looked incredibly vulnerable at that moment, and Brasidas knew she was confiding in him in a way few other saw.

"It's because of you that I'm still alive. I owe you my life and so much more." He offered gently, and her shoulders shook in quiet laughter. "Although I hardly think you brought it up to be reminded of that." He pressed gently, and she sighed. When she looked up at him again her brow was furrowed tightly, a small line of worry in her otherwise unmarked face.

"And yet I could have lost you that day, all of Sparta could have lost you." She paused, taking a deep breath to calm the desperate notes in her voice. "I don't know what I would have done if my brother had been able to finish what he started, if I'd be able to forgive him." She offered quietly, and Brasidas felt his chest tighten with an emotion he refused to name.

"Then don't think about it. I'm here, your brother is safe with your family, and nothing will change that," taking a chance, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, hoping the gesture would bring her some comfort, "I promise you." He offered, voice full of determination as she lifted her gaze to his own. Her heart was pounding, her nerves wound so tight she feared they would snap. While Kassandra was no stranger to indulging in her desires, she didn’t know what to do when she was faced with wanting something more. The older man must have seen the hesitation in her face and he sighed quietly. “I was terrified whenever I saw you on the battlefield, especially when you went against your brother. It’s not every day you meet a Spartan like you, Kassandra. Walking in a world without you in it is the last thing I want.”

Kassandra’s face grew hot, cheeks stained a dusky pink at his words. “You are very kind, Brasidas, but I’m sure there is more to your life than just me.” She teased gently, masking the longing in her voice. There was no denying her feelings for Brasidas, although she was certain that he did not feel the same. “You’ll have a wife soon enough, the gods only know how many women would want the Great and Honourable Brasidas of Sparta.” She teased, looking back out to the shore. The sun was just starting to peek out over the horizon, painting the sky in soft pinks and yellows.

“That’s just it,” he began, “I’ve never wanted anyone. I was determined to live my life in service to Sparta, never settling down just continuing my life in the military.” His hand dropped down from her shoulder and Kassandra found herself missing his warmth. “At least, I thought that was the plan. Until I met you.”

Kassandra whipped her gaze back to him, to find him closer than he had been previously, their knees brushing against each other.

“The day we met, that fight in the warehouse, I’ve never felt a connection like that with anyone in my life.” He continued, his eyes warm with affection. “You’ve become very important to me, Kassandra. I would be incredibly stupid to let you go now.” He said with a boyish grin, and Kassandra only gaped at him, her eyes wide with shock. It wasn’t a grand profession of love and adoration sung from the hills, but it was so overwhelmingly him that her heart ached all the same. He laughed nervously as the silence stretched on, breaking her gaze to run his hand anxiously along his braid. “Of course if you don’t feel the same, there is no pressure. The last thing I want is to make-“

Kassandra cut him off with a hand on his cheek, turning his gaze back to her. “Please, stop talking and kiss me.” She demanded gently, laughter filling her voice. He smiled in return, all boyish with glee.

Their lips met once, a soft, almost exploratory gesture. Twice, and it was like they both remembered that the other isn’t fragile, filled with the passion and longing they had both pushed so far back it was remarkable that they had even made it this far.

Brasidas lifted his hands, one curling along her neck under the braid Kassandra never seemed to be without, the other cradling her jawline so gently it made her heart ache. Their lips moved together like they were meant for it, an easy slide that didn’t feel uncomfortable, even as she shifted closer still. Her own hands began to wander, settling on the swell of his chest beneath the armour he still wore.

He coaxed her lips open with a gentle nip against her lower lip, brushing his tongue against hers that eagerly awaited him. It was so gentle, so soothing in its own way and Kassandra was grateful to not have to rush something for once, to be able to take her time. Heat burned on her cheeks as warmth pooled in her belly, the little flames of desire building in a way that was unique to Brasidas, when they fought together, any time she laid eyes on the man she had the same reaction, she certainly wasn’t losing the opportunity now.

She tried to muffle the yelp of surprise she gave when he lifted her off the ground just enough to settle her on his lap, her thighs bracketing his own, not even breaking the kiss. Now impossibly close, Kassandra draped her arms around his shoulders, letting herself melt against him.

Slowly breaking the kiss, Brasidas buried his nose against the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply before pressing a gentle kiss against her skin, grinning at the shudder that ran through her.

“I’ve wanted this for so long, wanted you.” He admitted quietly, his hands ghosting over her torso to settle on her hips again. “Since the moment we met, you stole my heart. I can't imagine being with anyone but you, if you'll have me." He murmured, lips ghosting against the side of her neck and she had to repress a shiver.

"Always, Brasidas." She answers breathlessly, pressing a kiss against his temple. They held onto each other, content in the moment of peace they found in each other.

#self rb #while i set up new posts to go into the q have my old posts again #kassidas #assassin's creed #Kassandra x brasidas #ac odyssey #ac odyssey fic #my writing

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