jeanniebug623

[jeanniebug623]

God, I'm so fried that I didn't even post the chapter here...sorry, Tumblr peeps!

🕸️🕷️ Weaving the Web 🕷️🕸️

Chapter 25: Fresh Start

“A job?” Quaritch asked surprised.  There weren’t many things that could interrupt him mid-sip his first coffee for the day, but his boy did it with the most unexpected request. 

“Yea.  I want a job.” Spider said with a nod, sitting across from him at the breakfast table as he tried to make his father proud by finishing his plate of eggs and sausage.  Eating was still difficult, but he HAD been trying.  The same with remembering his meds and building up his strength at the gym. 

The poor kid still looked like a bag of bones but at least he’d ditched the baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants for shorts and a t-shirt.  Even out in public.  Every time Quaritch looked at his body, his heart sank.  But whenever he looked at his face and saw the familiar markings, it swelled right back up.  As happy as he was to see the perk in his son’s eyes, Quaritch wasn’t sure about the request... 

“I appreciate the enthusiasm, tiger, but I don’t know...” Quaritch said, setting down the mug, “I thnk you need to fully get back on your feet.  Getting you clearance and in a system with payroll’s not going to be easy...” 

“I don’t need to be paid.” Spider said quickly then corrected himself with a slight sneer, “I don’t WANT to be paid.  All I know about money is that it causes a shit ton of problems.  I just need something to do.” 

Quaritch’s ears flattened and Spider knew his father wasn’t convinced. 

“I need something...to take mind of things...” Spider started, “I can’t go on missions.  I’m not allowed to leave base for more than an hour.  All I do is try to eat, try to work out, and try to sleep normal.” 

“Lyle’s been giving you plenty to keep yourself entertained.” Quaritch stated with a nod to Wainfleet, who was sitting next to the boy and listening to the exchanged.  He looked just as surprised by Spider’s request.  “I heard there’s actually more than comic books on that tablet of yours these days.” 

“Yea, there’s...a lot of stuff, but...” Spider sighed, feeling defeated. 

“Come on, boss, Spider-man's just growing up so fast!” Wainfleet said as he hooked the teen in a gentle headlock before he could slip away, “Being all responsible and shit?” 

Quaritch’s blood pressure spiked when he saw Spider hide a wince when trying to pry the much stronger recom’s arm off around his neck.  But he didn’t act on it or reprimand Wainfleet for being too rough with his fragile boy.  No need to make a mountain out of a molehill...no need to embarrass the kid for something he could handle no problem a few months ago... 

“Dude, you reek...” Spider said with a scrunched nose when he finally got Wainfleet off him.  He was secretly grateful for the bald idiot’s support in this.  Looking back to his father, Spider took a quiet breath to calm himself then continued to plead his case, “I have a friend-...” 

“Who?” Quaritch asked more forcefully than he anticipated.  He hated how it made his son flinch.  He was just shocked by yet another unexpected bit of information. 

“Um, his name is Devin.” Spider said quickly, “We met at the gym.  Sometimes we would run on the track together before I...got really sick.  And he works with an anthropology team called the Blue Diamonds.” 

Quaritch frowned a bit.  Of course, his kid would be drawn to those people...scientists.  Studiers of Pandora and it’s flora and fauna.  The ones that decided their grants and funding were worth more than betraying humanity.  But the traitors seemed to be doing ok without it-... 

The colonel had to pause his goddamn thoughts right there.  Was he really mentally about to think even remotely highly of those rebel science pukes?  When the hell did Quaritch start getting soft like THAT? 

“Devin also handled my blood work in the beginning when no one other than Ja wanted to come near me.” Spider said with a sad hopefulness as he looked at Ja a seat down from the colonel. 

Ja swallowed his bite as he nodded then said, “True, I’ve met him a few times.  Knows his stuff.  Seems like a decent guy.” 

“Alright.” Quaritch said, turning his attention from his medic to his son.  He crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward, “What did this friend of yours say?” 

“Devin said that they could use some help categorizing their current date in sub-species groups or something.  All I’d be doing is looking at pictures and telling as much as I know.” Spider explained.  He really hoped the job sounded ‘safe enough’.  He wasn’t worried about looking at pictures of plants and animals, but what about his father? 

Quaritch sighed and Spider’s shoulders dropped. 

“I don’t know, Spider...” 

“I wouldn’t have access to the labs by myself, I’d always be with Devin or one of the other scientists.  Devin even said I would do this work out in one of their greenhouses!  Please, sempul.  I just...need something.  Something else to give me a reason for being here.  I-I have no purpose.” Spider said, trying to keep his voice steady but each word made the fear of his request being denied more noticeable as it shook. 

“Ok, ok.” Quaritch shushed quickly, reaching forward and putting his hand on Spider’s before it could start twitching, “But I’m goin’ with you the first couple times.  Deal?  I don’t want anything happening to you, boy.” 

Quaritch could call it a deal, but Spider considered it a win-win situation.  He was getting this new task to take his mind of everything AND his father was going to accompany him at first.  For some reason, Spider felt even more excited to show his father just how smart he was.  Of course, the colonel already knew his son was a genius and didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. 

The first day was a tour of the Blue Diamond main lab, which was down in the lower levels of Bridgehead near a cellblock designed for Na’vi prisoners.  Spider saw them and clearly knew what they were...but kept his head down and didn’t want to talk about it when Quaritch tried to explain.  It didn’t need explaining...Spider was in a cell like that before... 

Fortunately, there was enough in the lab to keep Spider preoccupied.  The kid and Ja were right; Devin was a decent and upstanding man who was passionate about his job.  His calm demeanor was just the kid needed.  Someone more on his level, literally and figuratively, since the man wasn’t a soldier or an RDA lackey.  By the time they made their way up the greenhouse, Spider was excited again and he could see why. 

Sure, they weren’t technically outside but being out in the greenhouses and fields were closes enough.  Spider was quick to immediately point out misspelled labels quicker than he got his mask on.  He curled his toes in and out of the warm soil and carefully touched some of the leaves like Kiri would. 

“Greenhouse your idea, doc?” Quaritch asked Devin discreetly as Spider soaked in the warm sun in the rows of plants. 

Devin glanced up from his tablet he was typing on with Spider’s corrections and looked up at imposing recom colonel.  Quaritch was eyeing him sternly, but at least it wasn’t with suspicion. 

“The Blue Diamond lab is no place for a kid.  Especially a kid like Spider.” Devin said with a nod and gentle smile, “Kids need to be free.  Or as free as they can get...and sitting in a lab with no windows and prison cells around the corner?  No place for him, not at all.” 

“You got kids?” Quaritch asked, wondering where the interest in his boy was coming from. 

“No, sir!  Bachelor for life.” Devin said with a laugh, “But I did have brothers.  Three of them all younger than me.  I practically raised the youngest myself, so I know what it’s like to be raising a teenager, sir.” 

Quaritch nodded thoughtfully.  The man, dare he admit it, wasn’t so bad for one of the science pukes.  Something struck him and he asked, “Did have?” 

“Yes...sir.” Devin said as he looked back down to his tablet, “They came out here before I did.  They used to joke they were the jocks and I was the nerd because they all went into the military when I decided to work three jobs to go to college.  They were on one the first shuttle out they could get.  Adventure awaited and all that jazz.” 

“KIA?” Quaritch asked somewhat tactlessly based on Devin’s choice of words. 

Devin nodded but didn’t look back up to answer, “Yes.  All three.  None of them made past 25.  I don’t exactly know what or when it happened...just sometime between January and August of 2154.  That’s all they told me.” 

Silence fell between the recom and man.  The old Quaritch would have had Devin flagged as a potential usurper or flight risk and ordered him to be heavily monitored at old time.  The old Quaritch would have grabbed his kid and not let Spider near the scientist again for fear of the risk of being influenced to rebel. The old Quaritch might have even had the man arrested under the HINT of suspicion he might be on Pandora to get revenge for his fallen brothers... 

The old Quaritch would have done a lot of things...but he was not that man. 

This man would do none of those things. 

“Ma sempul!” Spider called from somewhere among the tall plants growing in neat little rows.  Quaritch and Devin could see the teen’s blue-striped hand popping out among the leaves and moving towards them at a quick pace.  There was a blue gourd-like fruit in his hand.  When the rest of his body appeared from the plants, he had a big smile and held it out to his father, “Try this.” 

Quaritch stared at it for a few seconds then his eyes shifted to Spider while asking, “What is it?” 

“I don’t know.” Spider said plainly. 

“What?” Quaritch said, furrowing his brow at the thought of eating some unidentified plant. 

“But I have a theory!” Spider said, holding up a finger matter-of-factly, “I can’t try it myself, so you have to do it.” 

Quaritch stared at Spider long and hard for a solid minute before taking the fruit.  He sniffed it before sinking his teeth into it.  That was a challenge in itself, even for his sharp canines, to pierces the thick skin of the gourd.  He barely got a taste of the salty, bitter taste of meat below the flesh before pulling back with a scrunched-up nose and spitting to the side. 

“What the hell is this, kid?!” Quaritch shouted as he ran his tongue back and forth over her teeth to get the taste off. 

“Huh...” Spider commented, “I guess it is damson squash...” 

“What’s a damson squash?” Quaritch demanded, his mouth still offended by the flavor. 

“It’s not poisonous...but it’s not edible either.  Most just used for decorations or dried for gourd instruments.” Spider said as he observed his father’s reaction. 

“So, you knew?” Quaritch said with a snarl, turning a glare on his boy.  Normally, that would have put the kid into an absolute panic.  Shrinking and shaking in fear; the type of actions that would bring out MJ.  But his son was just staring at him, almost ready to... 

“...you wouldn’t be thinkin’ of laughing now, would you boy?” Quaritch asked quietly as Spider tried to hold it together.  He was pursing his lips together tightly and biting his tongue so not to burst out laughing and Quaritch could tell.  Finally, enough of a snort escaped and Quaritch’s ears went back, and he grinned, “Your ass is mine, boy.” 

“Oh, ma Eywa....” Spider managed to say quickly as his eyes burst open and he turned on his heel and sprinted back into the tall plants before his Quaritch could grab him.  Now he was laughing without holding it back as his father chased his cackling self through the tall plants like he could have been playing chase with any one of his friends... 

[jeanniebug623]

Um...life really sucks these days, lovies, it's so hard to do anything other than work. And even that doesn't feel like a guarantee anymore. Please take care of yourselves, internet darlings. 💙

But hey, we can all be happy we're getting closer to Fire and Ash, right??

Finally, a new chapter for Weaving the Web to enjoy. 🕸️🕸️🕸️ It's kind of fluffy, I needed it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52729801/chapters/162676750

[jeanniebug623]

Combining different styles. I would think whenever he's upset spider goes further past the broken shack since the sully kids can't go near the shack. Just to lay and compose himself. Shed a few tears 🙂‍↕️

I'm pretty inactive but I hope to be more active even though I say that every single post 🥹 I don't have much else to say, have a blessed day! 💝

[jeanniebug623]

Omg, what?!?!?! Another @cyren-myadd Spider-centric AU with such an interesting plot to obsess over??? Excited isn’t remotely the right word! 🕷️🕷️🕷️

Prisoner of War

Alternate Universe where babies can survive cryosleep; Spider was sent back to Earth instead of being raised on Pandora.

At age fifteen, Spider finds himself in danger of being sent to prison, a fate worse than death in Earth’s unregulated, RDA-funded labor camps. Desperate for freedom, he lies about his age to enlist in the RDA and escape to Pandora. Spider thinks he’s finally found a place where he belongs, but his newfound refuge is soon shattered when he’s taken prisoner by none other than the race-traitor terrorist, Jake Sully— the man who orphaned him.

Can Spider survive being a war prisoner of the vicious Na’vi, or will he meet the same fate as his father?

I can't believe it, but I'm finally getting back on the horse and committing to a long-term multi-chapter Avatar fic again! The disaster that was Blood is Thicker Than Water really shook my confidence and I was disappointed in myself for abandoning it, but I took time to reflect on my skills as a writer and figured out what went wrong with BiTTW and set goals to improve with Prisoner of War. I hope you guys will enjoy!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63320548/chapters/162215083

[jeanniebug623]

Sweet summer Spider… 🕷️🥺

his life is a series of sacrifices.

[jeanniebug623]

Oooh, she is stunning! Always happy to see Avatar characters in your style! ❤️‍🔥

A quick drawing of Varang from that concept artwork.

.

(My commission prices)

(DO NOT repost my work on any platform and DO NOT use it to train AI. I do not give my consent to do so. ©)

[jeanniebug623]

I’m in my second AFOP play through and I finally named my Sarentu. Both of them! 🩷❤️

My first Sarentu is Tìlarey - Taken from the phrases: tìlayal meaning ‘innocence’ & reyfya meaning ‘way of living or culture’

My new Sarentu is Hì’uk - Taken from the phrases: hì’i meaning ‘small or little in size’ & uk meaning ‘shadow’

They don’t have backstories yet other than being Aha’ri’s younger sibling per game canon…but names are a good start! 💙🩵💙

[jeanniebug623]

Ouch…twist a little deeper… 😭😭😭

HELP i just noticed that while Neytiri is wearing Neteyam’s choker at his funeral, Jake took his KNIFE. I’m gonna cry.

[jeanniebug623]

Not gonna lie, I haven’t celebrated Valentine’s Day with anyone in YEARS! 😞

But that’s all different thanks to you, internet lovies! 😂❤️

Thanks for loving Avatar with me! 🩵💙🩵

actually if we’re mutuals we are valentines. no takebacksies.

[jeanniebug623]

I love when the spark comes back! 💙

This is the official first chapter of Wild Son but my next update will be for Weaving The Web. I'll be throwing this fic up on AO3 too.

🕷️🕷️🕷️

CHAPTER 1: The Neon Ghost

Miles kept his composure in the coffee shop; he kept it together all the way from calling his superiors to inform them he needed an unscheduled leave day to following the neon ghost from his past back into his apartment. 

Miles Quaritch had taken approximately two unscheduled days off in his entire career.  Once was from a failed assassination attempt when returning to the country after a heavily protested resource extraction from a third world country and the other was an abduction.  Fortunately, the latter occurred on a Friday, so he only missed one workday as he’d escaped by Sunday evening.  Other than that?  Perfect attendance. 

“Nice digs, Miles.  It’s bigger than your last pla-...” was all Paz managed to compliment before Miles closed the door and grabbed her arm in a flash to twist behind her back.  He slammed the five-foot nothing woman into the closest wall and immediately started to frisk her.  She wasn’t surprised.  In fact, the surprise came from that he hadn’t done the moment they were alone in the elevator to his top floor apartment. 

Paz just let out a chuckle as his hands wandered and probed the usual places one would hide weapons, including a few firm and awkward squeezes to her chest to check her undergarments.  Very beat cop.  She sighed and rolled her at the wall as she let the colonel get it out of his system while saying, “Could have taken this part to the bedroom, babe.” 

“Don’t call me that.” Miles said rigidly as he spun her around but kept her arm pinned tightly tot he side as he frisked her frontside, “If you’re here for pleasure, you came to the wrong man.” 

“No, not this time...” Paz said, a cunning smile watching Miles actively avoid eye contact with her as he went through the motions.  She understood why he was like this...and it wasn't just because their first meeting was when her little posse of mercenaries kidnapped the good colonel for stepping on the toes of other less than reputable groups harvesting minerals from blacklisted locations.  “All business, Miles.” 

“We don’t have any business.” Miles said with a low growl as he finished searching Paz for any means to do him harm.  Eventually, he let her go and backed up.  He looked her up and down again as she just stood there with that coy smirk.  Paz wasn’t afraid of anything.  Miles could have snapped her arm or even her neck doing that bodily search.  Of course, if he remembered correct, she could have done the same to him if he’d given her an inch to slip free. 

“I wish that were true.” Paz started, the dip in her voice betraying that sly expression.  She chuckled again as she gave him a wink while asking, “You felt that phone in my ass pocket, right?” 

Miles gave a curt nod, glaring at her with those stony blue eyes and stoic expression.  He did feel the cellphone in the right back pocket worn by the shape of it and nothing else.  No guns, no knives, no syringes.  Nothing that could do her harm.  Other than the woman herself.  Paz might not have a hair over five feet tall, but she was a dangerous little spitfire.  A real scorpion.  Tiny package, big threat. 

“I’m going to take it out, ok?  There’s something on it I need to show you.” Paz explained, waiting for Miles to approve. 

With a frustrated sigh through his nose, Miles nodded again.  She bit her lower lip as her grin widened as she reached into her pocket.  In the better lighting of his apartment, he could see her facial features better.  Aside from the new scars to the left side of her face, she had crows feet and lines around the corners of her mouth.  ‘Smile lines’, or some cutesy nonsense word to say she’d gotten older. 

It had been...almost sixteen years?  Yes, almost. 

Miles Quaritch could forget a face that didn’t matter.  It was like his brain was programmed to filter out useless information.  But Topaz ‘Paz’ Socorro was NOT someone to forget.  Even if he tried. 

Paz was a mercenary.  A young one at that when they first met.  While he never did find out how old she actually was, because she didn’t know the year she was born, Miles knew she was just a kid that was born in the gutter.  When she did crawl out of the gutter, she was armed with a gun and street smarts.  How else could her and the rest of the rats she ran with at the time managed to capture him so easily in street market in Barcelona? 

“Isn’t he amazing?” Paz asked, breaking Miles’s past reflection she shoved a smart phone screen with some heavy spiderweb cracks from all four corners in his face.  She never was very careful. 

Miles was stunned, but was more deer frozen in headlights than openly shocked, at what he was looking at. 

The photo on the lock screen was Paz and a young, unidentified male in several layers of winter clothing with snow-covered peaks and strings of brightly colored flags behind them.  The boy, now that he could focus on what little of his face was visible with the winter goggles hanging around his neck, towered over Paz with his arm around her shoulders and the other arm raising an ice pick into the air in victory.  Paz had her arms tightly around the boy’s middle.  Both looked ragged and exhausted and sunburnt... 

...and happy. 

Miles had never seen anyone look as happy as the pair in the picture. 

“You have a son?” Miles asked, furrowing his brow.  Where the hell did she find this kid?  And WHAT compelled her to take on that kind of responsibility?  The Paz he remembered was reckless and unpredictable.  She was only in his life for a short four months before she did what she did best: 

Vanished. 

Paz had followed through with her promise that Miles would wake up one day and she wouldn’t be there anymore.  He wouldn’t be able to find her and shouldn’t waste his time trying to.  And Miles would be lying to himself that he didn’t try.  Damn it, did he try!  This little early 20-something girl got so far under his skin that he asked some of his closest comrades to find her.  But even THEY couldn’t find even a trace she even existed... 

There was something about those four short months of Paz in his life that made Miles annoyed by the chaos but also...so alive!  He burned like the wildfire Paz’s personality sparked.  She was a constant challenge, who left her dirty clothes where they fell on the bedroom floor and slept well into the late morning hours or later.  She would cook him food that she swore was a prized dish from another country, but he was sure was just the result of whatever she felt like throwing in.  But it always turned out damn good. 

Miles was order; Paz was chaos.  How one didn’t suffocate the other with a pillow in the middle of the night was a miracle.  Though, the pillows were usually strewn about the room with the rest of the bedding after a night with her and finding one was too much effort after they’d exhausted all they had in the throws of passion. 

“Yea, he’s a great kid.  Can you believe he was only 13 there?  I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he said to see the top of the world.” Paz said, turning to look at the screen quickly then turn it back to him, “His name is Spider.” 

“You have a son...named Spider...” Miles repeated, not sure which was more confusing.  That she somehow had a child in her care or that he was named after a bug or whatever.  “Mother of year, you are.” 

“Thanks!” Paz said cheerfully.  She knew Miles was being sarcastic, but she always loved to see him surrender when she just went along with it. 

“Where’d you get him?  This new protégé.” Miles asked.  He didn’t care whatsoever where she picked up the little street urchin, but he did want to know what this small had to do with her ‘business’ with him. 

“You know, I was walking down this beautiful jungle trail one day.  The sun was going down and the southern aurora were starting to glow...then it felt like I pissed myself and I had to speed waddle my ass to the closest village before his giant head popped out between my legs.” Paz explained.  She started out so serious that Miles was actively trying to figure out where she was based on the phrases ‘jungle’ and ‘southern aurora’, but that came to a screeching halt of her blunt revelation. 

“Wait.” Miles said sharply, waving his hand to stop her story, “This kid is YOUR son?  Actually, your son?  You birthed him?” 

“Yessir!” Paz said, finally clicking her lockscreen off and slipping her phone back into the worn pocket, “You would think taking a bullet to the gut that goes through the uterus and explodes an ovary would be better at preventing unplanned pregnancies.” 

“Alright, so you got knocked up.  How’d that happen?” Miles said, waving his hand again.  He remembered that hidden scar during their nightly escapades or morning showers.  It was massive and brutal.  Paz had more battle scars and wasn’t shy to talk about them.  Miles never asked...but he always listened when Paz had one too many and brought her demons into the conversation.  She’d always tried to do the same, but the colonel was a closed book.  His stories were his own... 

“Well, when a man and a woman...” Paz said, lacing her fingers as she explained, “...fuck...” 

“Paz!” Miles said firmly with a low shout so as not to alert any neighbors.  He suddenly felt sixteen years younger going through the motions of Paz pissing him of then making it up to him later.  But there was no make-up sex in their future.  “Get to the goddamn point, why are you here?” 

For the first time since laying eyes on her in the coffee shop, Paz’s smile disappeared.  She just stared at him with her large, dark brown eyes and perfectly shaped cherry red lips pursed together slightly.  It was when Miles stared at her lips, she realized they were trembling.  Her shield of sarcasm had cracked. 

“Miles...he’s gone.” Paz said quietly, blinking quickly a few times, “My son...is gone.  He was taken.  Kidnapped.  I need your help to get him back...” 

Miles leaned back and stared at her.  Just how many bombs was this crazy woman going to drop on him?  His ex-mercenary flame, that never truly burned out, shows up out nowhere and reveals she has a son, who happens to have been kidnapped? 

“With all due respect,” Miles started, reaffirming his own guard against the sob story, “Why would I help you?  You have my condolences for your son, but with your ledger?  I’m surprised you’re still alive.  Much less that you’ve been raising a son that hasn’t already taken a bullet.” 

“I’m not in that life anymore.  I don’t have a ledger anymore.” Paz explained, “I crossed off all the names before Spider was born.  My life?  Growing up in it?  Nah, there shouldn’t be kids like me...” 

Miles stared at the woman.  Those crows feet were even more defined with her brows lowered in concern.  THIS was the serious Paz.  No more jokes or flirting; just Paz. 

“As honorable as that is, Paz, I also have my own honor to uphold.” Miles said.  He’d spent decades building his military career and following a strict code of honor.  The only hidden mark on those records was his ‘relationship’ with Paz.  She was a known mercenary when she turned on her crew and freed Miles.  With his life saved, he managed to use all his military credits to have Paz’s criminal record expunged.  At least in his home country of America, she was on her own in the rest of the world. 

Paz tried to smile and said, “I know you’re an honorable man, Miles...that’s why I’m so glad it's you.” 

“Me what?” Miles asked suspiciously, his patience teetering on the edge. 

“That you’re his father.” Paz said nonchalantly, “Spider is YOUR son.” 

[jeanniebug623]

Haha, that was my first thought when I saw that factory ship! Get Spider a fire extinguisher? Problem solved… 🕷️🧯😂

A ship twice the size of a SeaDragon? It looks like the only thing that can be done is to smuggle Spider with a fire extinguisher to the bridge.

I can see it now - Avatar Fire and Ash the con movie.

Spider contacts Quaritch pretending he wants come with him so he can get on the ship.

Payakan and Na'vi create distraction so he can grab a fire extinguisher and crash the ship into the rest of the fleet.

Jake and Neytiri secure the escape route.

Quaritch goes to cry in the corner because no one loves him.

Spider is like "Fine, I can come for Sunday dinner but nowhere near RDA. "

Quaritch: 🤩

Ardmore: 😠🤬💀

Quaritch resigns to spend more time with family.

The end

[jeanniebug623]

My brain is doing what it does best...jump around obsessively. 😂Please enjoy this prologue of yet another Spider-centric modern AU and let me know what you think...thank you, internet darlings! 🐞

WILD SON

Prologue

Not a hair out of place.  Not a single wrinkle in his uniform, meticulously starched and steam-pressed every evening before an early bedtime of 8:00pm on the dot.  Sometimes again first thing in the morning. 

This was the only possible distraction to keep Miles Quaritch from brewing his normal every day coffee from the bag of grounds stored in an airtight container in the corner pantry.  Black.  It was simple, easy, and consistent.  Like everything else in his life.  He controlled every aspect of his life to his high expectations. 

Miles had honed all of these qualities from over 35 years in the United States Marine Corps.  He may have started as a seventeen-year-old punk who lied about his age to escape an abusive father and drunkard mother, but no one could guess that origin story by who Colonel Miles Quaritch was now.  It took him a few years to realize if he didn’t want to take orders from anyone, he had to prove he was worthy to give the orders himself. 

But no amount of yelling or threats would make the unwanted crease in his military jacket’s left sleeve straighten out.  So, this was one of those days when he would break one tradition for the backup option: 

Getting a coffee on the way to the base he’d spent the last 14 years operating without so much of a health inspection violation on its record. 

The public called it RDA West Operations Military Base.  Most of the poor grunts sent there called it ‘Hell’s Gate’ while the success stories called it WOMB because it took in spoiled kids and spit out grown men and women.  Even though some questioned the necessity of the Resources Development Administration needing a militant branch, it was a necessary evil.  Needless to say, sometimes those resources were in some rough locations around the globe and a controversial firm hand had to be called in. 

The bad publicity nor the rumors did anything to bother Miles.  He didn’t care about the stares his military uniform gathered, even when he entered places as small and quaint as the coffee shop right down the street from the base’s long, highly protected driveway. 

Miles attempted to be practical, which meant not spending $5.00 on a coffee he could brew at home.  But if there was a worse way to start his day with a crease in his jacket?  It was to start a day without coffee. 

“Good morning, Colonel!” said the barista cheerfully when Miles entered the shop.  Though he didn’t stop in often, this was one of the customers the cheery 20-something year old college girl couldn’t forget when he came in. 

“Good morning, Sarah.” Miles said with a sharp nod.  She was a good kid, always polite, but that damned nose ring bothered him!  Why did so many young people put holes in their face so casually?  He reached for his wallet while saying, “I’ll have my usual.” 

“Oh, it’s already done, sir!” Sarah said, looking around the crowded cafe, “Your friend already paid for it and picked it up.” 

“My friend?” Miles asked lowly.  His suspicions shot through the roof and his muscles tensed beneath the dress uniform.  He hadn’t asked anyone to pick up a coffee for him and the only people he considered ‘friends’ weren’t in the country. 

“Yea!” Sarah said, sounding a little confused and worried, before spotting someone in the back corner with two coffee cups on their table, “That woman over there!  She came in and said she was ordering a black coffee for the colonel.  I mean, who else could that have been?” 

Sarah’s attempt to diffuse what could have been a mistake with the rhetorical question and big smile was ignored as the colonel walked away from the counter with determined strides.  Miles didn’t care if it came off as rude when he forced his way through the tight quarters to this ‘friend’.  He noted the emergency exit behind them was closed and that he could easily subdue this stranger without having to draw the concealed firearm holstered at his waist. 

Miles stopped out of arm’s reach and looked at the fingernails with chipped metallic green polish slowly tapping on the lid of the cup that had ‘The Colonel’ on the side.  He quickly took in the woman’s appearance.  A black denim jacket with patches hand-sewn over almost every surface, a neon pink shirt underneath with the baggy hood pulled up over her head, ghastly shredded gray jeans, and combat boots that swallowed almost her entire calves. 

How in the hell could anyone assume this punk show groupie was HIS friend? 

“Do they call you ‘colonel’ out of respect?” the woman asked softly.  It wasn’t until the woman lifted her head that Miles found himself frozen in place, not just standing back for safety.  The man did know this woman.  Though ‘friend’ was a gracious term.  Still, he recognized the way her warm-tanned skin was framed by crazy brown curls that had faded purple streaks in them.  Her eyes were dark brown, almost black at first glance like a shark’s.  He remembered the scar on her lip but not the ones around her left eye. 

“Or is that just your authority kink coming out?” 

The woman had a devil’s grin as she flashed her pearly whites from behind bright red lipstick.  Lipstick he remembered staining some of his starched and steam-pressed collared shirts over fifteen years ago... 

“Topaz Socorro.” Miles finally said, identifying the ghost from his past. 

“Please...you know I go by Paz, babe.” Paz said with a quirk of her brow as she raised the coffee with his title on it to him. 

[jeanniebug623]

This seemed like the place to show a late Christmas gift from one of my few IRL friends who understand my obsession. 🥰💙🎁

[jeanniebug623]

I'm just gotta do the dang thing! I will have longer chapters for this story...I just need to get through the kind of "intro" phase.

Any who! Here's the next chapter!

[jeanniebug623]

I started AFoP over…I needed distractions and inspiration! I’m going for a new Sarentu visually opposite my first one. Except I’m a sucker for long hair…so that stays. Also…why Alma gotta creep on me in the last photos…? 🫣😂

[jeanniebug623]

Chapter two of True Colors is started… 🤍

Chapter twenty five of Weaving the Web is on the docket… 🕸️

The final part three of Sixteen is almost ready to go… 🕷️

But damn…life being life to the max…

Without getting on my soapbox, I’m a little worker bee of an employee for a certain clusterfuck of a government that can’t get its shit together so the future of my job is uncertain… 😵‍💫

[jeanniebug623]

Chapter one is up, internet darlings! 🤗