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gumnut-logic · 4 years ago

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He struck the key but it came out flat. A frown and he yanked off his gloves. Should have taken them off before attempting the piano, but he had to do this before he lost the tune.

Bare fingers made it easier and he struck out the basic melody caught in his head. But it was only part of a tune, yet it was going around and around. An old memory, where the hell had it come from and what was it?

Grabbing a piece of paper, he scribbled down the notes he had managed to discover already.

“Virg, are you going to change out of your uniform? You stink.” Gordon wandered into the comms room from the kitchen with a plate piled high with leftovers. There was definitely some chicken and possibly some lasagna in that pile, he could smell it.

“Need to work this out first.” It was muttered distractedly. He honestly had to grab this before he lost it. It was a song, he was sure of it. It sat at the very edge of his memory and nagged him. He knew enough to know he didn’t have the tune right. But he had to get it right. It meant something. Something important.

They had attended an earthquake this morning and while hunting through the remains of a shopping mall, he had come across a section that still somehow had power. No doubt from the mostly intact solar panels that had collapsed along with the roof. Something electrical had survived and the music was still playing, albeit in loop and fragmented.

It had been both familiar and irritating. Now it was caught in his head and he was sure it was important. He had heard it before. He just couldn’t remember...

He struck the keys again, fingering it out. C, D, E, E, D, F, A, C, C.

Again.

Where had he heard this?

Again.

“Virg, are you going to keep playing that same bit over and over again?”

Again.

This is important. He knew he knew it, but from where?

Again.

His baldric rubbed against the piano stool, shifting it awkwardly across his body. His uniform was definitely not designed for piano playing.

Again.

“Virgil?”

Again. Damnit, he knew this.

Again.

What if he varied the speed?

Again.

F sharp?

Again.

“Virgil!”

Again. Damnit! Again. It was there. It was damn important. Why couldn’t he connect the dots?

Again.

“VIRGIL!”

He flinched and found Gordon in his face. “What?!”

“Do you have to do that?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you play something else?”

“No, I need to work this out.”

“Can you work it out somewhere else?”

“No, Gordon. If I recall I was in here first. You were the one who decided to join me.”

“It is irritating as all hell. Part of a song over and over and over again. C’mon, bro. Play something else.”

“No! I need to work this out. It’s important.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know! Now, leave me alone. I have to work it out.”

He played it again.

And again.

Again.

“For god’s sake, Virgil, can you stop it please!”

“No!”

Again. It was so close. Just on the edge of memory.

“It’s like listening to Mom die over and over again. Virgil, please!”

Virgil froze, hands poised above the piano keys. “What?”

Gordon sighed. “It’s like that song that kid in the waiting room had playing too loud on his headphones, the day Mom died. Something about ‘teddy bear love’. I have no idea. All I know is that I avoid it like the plague and now you start playing something like it repetitively while I’m trying to eat my dinner after a damn long and sucky rescue. So, please, can I ask you to just stop?”

Virgil stared at him as the image formed in his mind. The stark white walls of the hospital waiting room. His arms full of a young Gordon, half asleep in his lap, Scott beside him on one side, John on the other. Alan curled up asleep in Scott’s arms. Dad and Grandma talking to a sober faced doctor.

And another family in the room, waiting and just as terrified. A young boy attempting to shut out the world with music, far too loud on his headphones, the tune drifting across the room.

Dad’s stony face trying to ignore the tears running down his cheeks as he told them that Mom wasn’t going to be coming home.

Something caught in Virgil’s throat. An old pain, a sharp pain, oh, god, he didn’t realise. Shit!

“Virgil?”

“I-I’m sorry, Gords. I’m....excuse me.” He stood up like a robot. His uniform creaked as he strode from the room.

-o-o-o-

Gordon stared after his brother and frowned. The man had paled, his eyes wide, as if...aw, hell.

He dropped the plate full of food onto the centre table, appetite suddenly gone, and closed his eyes. Did his brother honestly not remember that piece of music? Gordon would have thought with the man’s musical talent, his musical memory would be stronger than his.

Apparently not.

Or perhaps he had just blocked it out.

It had been a horrible time. Each of them affected in their own way. Virgil had been one of the stronger ones, reaching out to his brothers and supporting them when it got too much. Scott had been a champion, leading them through it all, picking up where Dad fell down. But Virgil had been the shoulder to cry on, the one the younger boys went to when it became too much.

Gordon couldn’t remember whether his second oldest brother had ever cried himself. He had always assumed that Scott had been the one to see to him.

But then Virgil had always been different.

He sighed.

Damn.

Standing up, he stretched out aching muscles and followed his brother from the room.

-o-o-o-

One of the advantages of living on an island was the many beaches. If there was a lack of a beach, there was plenty of oceanic cliff to sit on and gaze out into an infinity of water and sky.

It was evening after a long day and everything ached. Now those aches were joined by an old injury to his heart. His insides were a knotted twist of hurt. Old hurt. Stupid hurt. He should be over this.

But apparently, his gut felt differently.

How could he have not remembered? Now the memory was in place, the song came back to him clearly. It was a monotonous and repetitive composition. It had played over and over again, that boy desperate to shut the world out. Must have been his favourite song.

Virgil swallowed and a gust of wind caught his hair. His uniform made him impervious to the environment and for a moment he felt that restriction, that lack of contact. So standing on a cliff far above the ocean, Virgil Tracy shed his International Rescue uniform. His baldric fell to the rocks, followed by his blue jumpsuit and boots. Left in his black undershirt and shorts he shivered in the wind, but relished it. He yanked off his socks and his bare feet made contact with the rock beneath.

And for a moment he just stood there and closed his eyes.

The first tear fell before he even realised he was crying.

And once that was loose there was no stopping the others. Before he knew it, he was crouched on the rock bawling his eyes out. He had no idea where this had come from. No idea why now. Mom died years ago.

The mere thought brought another sob to the surface.

God, what the hell was wrong with him?

But then there were arms around him, holding him, gently rocking, muttering words of comfort. The arms were strong but smaller than his own and a vague sense registered that it was his brother Gordon who was witnessing this travesty, but he was beyond it. Beyond it all.

He found himself crying broken sobs on his little brother’s shoulder.

-o-o-o-

Gordon found his brother shedding his clothes on a cliff on the other side of the island. He didn’t approach immediately, quite frankly wondering what the hell Virgil was doing stripping down to his underwear out in the open. On a normal day, this would be perfect fodder for teasing the man. But this was not a normal day.

The moment Virgil started crying, Gordon’s heart broke.

What the hell was going on?

He wasn’t sure he had ever seen Virgil cry and here was the man curling in on himself, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Gordon didn’t hesitate. He ran up to his brother and wrapped his arms around him, holding the bigger man the best way he could. “C’mon, Virg, it’s okay. It happens.”

The man turned to him without looking him in the face and Gordon found himself holding his big brother as he sobbed on his shoulder.

“Virg, it’s okay. It’s okay.” He wasn’t good at this. He didn’t even know the cause so he had no idea how to make it all better. How could he fix this? He didn’t know, so he just held on.

He loved his brother. Virgil had been there for him all his life. That very night of his mother’s death, it had been Virgil who held him while he cried. While he tried to understand why his mommy would never be coming back.

All his brothers were supportive by nature. They were a very close knit family, but there had always been something about Virgil. Gordon had always looked up to him and Virgil had always acknowledged him, always looked after him. The man was very different to Gordon, but those differences made their relationship work.

Gordon ribbed his brother because that was a way to speak to the man. Other than work, they had little in common beside their familial connection. Gordon used teasing to reach out to Virgil, to lighten him up, to make him smile, and, yes, to make him groan. This was the man who held his life in his hands every time he dropped Module Four onto the ocean. The trust was there, the love was there, Gordon wanted to be there for his brother, too.

It didn’t usually involve holding him while he cried.

But that was life, so he’d do his best.

“C’mon, Virg, this is my favourite shirt. Tear stains are not groovy, man.”

Virgil didn’t answer, just drew in a shaky breath and straightened up. His eyes were wretched and red.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Sorry.” The familiar baritone was hardly there. His brother rubbed his face with both hands. “I don’t know where that came from.”

“Is this about Mom?”

And there it was. A flicker of hurt and the welling of further tears. The expression on Virgil’s face emanated pain and loss.

“I’m with you, Virg.” His own voice had dropped to whisper quiet. “Come here.” He gestured his brother to him.

Virgil stared.

“Aw, c’mon. I know I’m your kid brother. I know I’m younger than you. But I was there, too. It hurt. It still hurts. Sure, I didn’t know her as well as you and Scott, but she was still my mom. I still lost her just as you did.” He swallowed, his own emotions welling at the memories. “We may be grown men, but she was our mom, Virgil, and we have the right to mourn her. You have the right. So come here and give me a damn hug and we’ll work through this.”

Virgil’s eyes widened and it took him a moment, but he shifted closer a little, staring at Gordon the entire time.

Man, it was like enticing a walrus to eat from his hand. Except the walrus was easier.

In the end, Gordon closed the distance between them and wrapped his arm about his older brother’s shoulders. “Have you ever talked to anyone about Mom?”

Still staring, his brother shrugged. “Talked with Scott, you, all of you really.”

Gordon rolled his eyes. “Not about us and our feelings. About yours.”

“I did.”

“Bullshit.”

“Gordon-“

“All you’ve even said to me on the subject has been how I have been feeling.”

“Scott-“

“Should I contact him? What do you think his answer would be?”

“Gordon-“

This time he interrupted his brother by drawing him into a tight hug. It stifled whatever the man had been about to say. “Love you, bro.”

Virgil’s large hands crept around him and returned the embrace. Voice parched. “Love you, too.”

“She was our Mom, and we loved her.”

“We did.”

“It sucks that she was taken away.”

“It does.”

“I miss her.”

It took a moment, but the words were whispered into his shirt. “I miss her, too.”

After that, nothing more was said. It was just two brothers on a sea cliff holding each other.

Sometime later, Virgil drew in another shaky breath and straightened again, breaking off the hug. He wiped his face with one hand and shook himself a little. “Thank you, Gordon.”

A slight smile. “Any time, bro.” He reached out a hand and gripped the man’s considerable bicep. “Look after yourself.”

“Will do.” And Virgil was standing, grabbing his discarded uniform, shoving the socks and boots on his feet. A moment and he offered Gordon his hand to help him up.

Gordon took it and bounced to his feet. “So, do you always wear tight shorts under your uniform?”

Virgil frowned at him. “What?”

“I can see the attraction. They obviously show off your butt quite nicely and when those IR fans get their hands on you, you have to know that your underwear will live up to the hype.”

“Gordon!”

“What?”

Suddenly there was a meaty arm around him again and he was being drawn into yet another hug, this time crushed up against his taller brother’s massive chest. “Oh god, Virg!”

Virgil let off a laugh, his chest shaking with it. “I love you, bro. God, I do.”

And if there was a touch of noogie, Gordon didn’t care. He was too happy seeing his brother smile.

-o-o-o-

FIN.

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #Virgil Tracy #Gordon Tracy #FishTank #nuttyfic reblog

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ivy6127 · 7 years ago

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Unlikely Circumstances III

Part 3

Summary: After y/n’s car gets vandalized, she ends up getting a ride with Billy.

Word count: 1812

A/n: I won’t be able to write much these next two weeks due to finals, so I’m sorry. I might write a short story to relieve stress, but don’t hold it against me. Anyway, enjoy part 3!

Tags: @artisticlales @coolyoungbouquetdestinylove

To say the atmosphere in the car was awkward would be an understatement. Y/n was pissed about her car, pissed about Hailey getting bullied and not knowing till now, and especially pissed at Carol for being behind all this. It’s as if she can see Carol looking at her like she’s won while smacking that god damn gum.

And Billy? Billy didn’t know what to say to lighten the mood, trying to seduce her like he planned would probably make her angrier. Though that isn’t him saying that looking at her fume like she’s going to explode any minute wasn’t turning him on. For a while, they listened to the music blaring out of his speakers and smelling the air that reeks of cigarettes.

“Could you please throw that damn cigarette out the window, I’d like to breathe, thank you”, y/n finally spoke with a strained voice due to not breathing and having to be polite to him.

Billy replied instantly, “My car so I can smoke as much as I want princess”, at that he blew a puff of smoke at her the second time today.

“Please, don’t do that again”, if the first comment she said sounded strained, then this one was like a guitar string being pulled to its limits. Amused at her anger he did it again, this time the smoke cloud was bigger.

That was her breaking point.

Without saying a word, she snatches the cigarette out of his mouth and throws it out the window. This causes him to suddenly slam on his brakes. Which causes them both to violently jerk forward then back, causing the headache that was slowing growing in y/n’s head to come full force. That’s when she yells, “JESUS! You trying to get us killed?!”

He turns to her with only anger in his eyes and grabs her wrist. He quickly turns down the music so that she can hear him clearly. “No one takes my cigarettes. You got that?! Especially in MY own god damn CAR!”, he said at first with a quiet, malicious tone then yelled the rest to prove a point.

For a moment they just stare at each other intensely with anger and tension hanging heavily in the air. Music was completely gone. Then she breaks the silence, “I change my mind, I think I’m going to walk home. Thanks for the lift asshole!” She quickly grabs her stuff and gets out the car while Billy just stares ahead at the road in front of him. Clearly as pissed as she is now.

She barely gets to close the door correctly when he suddenly speeds off down the road. She flicks him off, then lets out a yell of frustration while turning to a tree and kicking it. That was a mistake.

“SHIT!”, y/n yips.

Anyone who passed by would have gotten a good laugh at watching some girl hop around on one foot while clutching the other, looking like some kind of awkward Flamingo. She cursed Billy out loud till she calmed down. Then she picked up her bag and started heading in the direction of her house.

Now thinking about it, she’s happy Billy didn’t get to figure out where she lived, one less bug to swat away is the saying. Or is it. y/n doesn’t really know.

Not long after her little fit she hears talking and the clicking of what sounds to be like a bicycle and something else. Wait no, multiple bicycles. She turns to see who it is and instantly catches the group of what looks to be middle schoolers, or maybe freshmen, who are quickly approaching. They call out to her and stop when they reach her, well, only because the only girl in the group did. She was pretty, had fiery red hair and fair skin, the only one riding a skateboard too. That must have been the other sound y/n was hearing. The group is rather small, three boys and one girl. Y/n soon recognizes the boys, Nancy’s brother and two of his friends, the only one missing is the small one with a bowl haircut. She has never really gotten the chance to talk to the boys since she goes over to the Wheelers to hang with Nancy.

The girl instantly starts speaking to y/n, “Enjoyed the ride with my step-brother? I’ve never seen him kick a girl out of his car before.”

“He didn’t kick me out, I wanted to get out.”

“Ri~ght, and that’s why you two were having an argument over HIS cigarettes that he loves so much.”

That baffled y/n, “You could hear us?”

“Well, we weren’t that far behind, and we got to see you angrily kick a tree and lose too.”

That’s when the boy who used to have missing teeth talks, “Yeah! That was hilarious!” He then gave a big grin that caused his eyes to squint like a cat in y/n’s opinion.

Y/n was beyond flustered that someone actually saw her lose her cool in such an embarrassing way. Then the girl speaks up again, “Hey, it’s cool we know how frustratingly annoying Billy can be. You can walk with us too, I know we’re just middle schoolers so if you don’t want to we get it.” Y/n just shakes her head and replies, “No, I would like that actually, you kids seem amusing.”

At that they head off down the road, they introduce each other when the boys get off their bikes to start walking alongside y/n. Dustin, who had the missing teeth, Lucas who must be dating Max, Mike who is Nancy’s brother, and Max who is ultimately Billy’s step-sister, putting an emphasis on the step. Soon enough they are asking y/n why she was even in the car with, as they like to put it, that “Crazy Asshole”. That’s when y/n starts telling them about yesterday and what she was met with today, leaving out how violent she acted toward Carol.

They talked to each other for the entire time, eventually splitting up when reaching Cherry Lane. Supposedly it’s not a good idea for the boys to be with Max in front of her home, but y/n lives on the same street so she wasn’t alone. By the end of the walk, y/n has clicked with the kids, especially Max. Next time she goes to the Wheelers house she might consider playing that silly game her and Nancy have teased them over.

“Hey, guess we’re next door neighbor’s”, Max comments as y/n checks the mail.

“Yeah, I guess so, if you ever want to come over go ahead. Hailey likes making new friends, so she would be thrilled to meet you.”, y/n states nonchalantly. Hailey really does love it when people come over, she starts taking out all the board games they have in the house along with her coloring books. People tend to act uncomfortable when she does this, but y/n just finds her excitement cute.

As y/n looks up over to the Hargrove house she notices Billy standing in the doorway watching her and Max. He takes short drags of his cigarette and runs his tongue harshly against his teeth, making it look like those octopus’s legs y/n’s seen in Florida. Y/n just glares at him till Max speaks up again.

“I have to go, maybe I’ll come over another time. Bye y/n”, she quickly says while walking toward Billy.

“Bye Max! It was nice meeting you!”, at that Billy and Max enter their house, slamming the door.

When y/n goes into the kitchen she calls Hopper at the station, though she calls him Hops. His secretary answers and quickly transfers her over to his office.

“Hey Hops, it’s y/n, I need your help with something.”

“Y/n, odd for you to call instead of y/m/n. What’s wrong?”

“Well, this girl- someone at school slashed my car’s tires and I need your help taking it to the shop. Before you ask, I walked home safely so don’t worry about that and Hailey was home sick.”

“I’m on my way over, when I get there you better tell me who did it”, Hopper states before ending the call.

It only took a matter of minutes till he was at the y/l/n residence. At that time, it had started getting dark, so by the time her car was in the shop she could barely see out the side of Hoppers car.

“You gonna tell me who did it or just stare out the window all night?”

“I can handle it Hops don’t worry”

He groans, rubbing his forehead while saying, “Y/n, why are you so hell-bent on doing everything yourself?”

Y/n looks over at him while cocking an eyebrow, “I asked you to help move my car, didn’t I?”

Hopper is practically like family to the y/l/ns. To y/n especially, he’s like the father she never had. Their mother grew up in Hawkins you see, she was considered as invisible as y/n when she was a teenager, and she moved out of Hawkins as soon as she graduated from high school to join the military while attending college. Though y/n’s grandfather has always been well known in the town due to his extroverted personality, his daughter and grand-daughter though, have always been introverts who never really went out of their way to talk to someone. However, when g/f/n introduced his daughter to Jim while they were children they became close friends, like siblings almost, she moved back to Hawkins only because he lost his daughter and needed someone there for him. Though it didn’t stop him from drinking. Since g/f/n still lived in Hawkins they tended to see each other at least once a year before moving back, which caused y/n and Hailey to be the daughters he never had. So really if anyone had a problem with them, they had had a problem with him as well.

Hopper only groaned this time as they pulled into the driveway and saw Ms. y/l/n, still in her uniform, sitting on the porch. They got out of Hopper’s car and headed to her, “Hello Jim, nice to see you’ve taken y/n somewhere without Hailey. Any reason why? You can tell me at dinner, c’mon” Hopper takes off his hat as he enters y/n’s home. Apparently, Hailey made dinner for them, Ms. y/l/n helped, and was waiting for y/n to get home. Makes sense as Hopper got radioed about her being reported missing, one of Hailey’s anxieties.

“Y/n! Where have you been?! I thought you got kidnapped by Carol and her awful friends!”, Hailey said worriedly. Hopper looks over at y/n,

“Carol and her awful friends huh?”

y/n whispers a curse word while looking away from Hopper defeated.

“We will talk about it during dinner like I said, so let’s eat”, Ms. y/l/n interjects while setting dinner on the table.

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove x reader #billy x reader #jim hopper #dacre montgomery #max mayfield #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair

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abakersquest · 8 years ago

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CHAPTER SIX – THE NATION OF TREES

Wally remained unconscious for the rest of the journey, his hand refusing to release the Stellar Flare. The Chilarthro soon arrived at its destination, a small coastal village in Planae. Once there and safely ensconced at an inn; Rozzi removed her Farsight Stone from its chain and set it to spin on the floor. It chimed several times before its blue shimmer turned green and the air above it was painted with the emerald tinted visage of Cinera the Seer.

The normally pleasant expression on her face was gone, it was clear to Hector and Rozzi that she already knew what had transpired.

“How’s Wally?” She asked ruefully.

Hector looked over to the small wallaby in the bed he’d placed him in. “Asleep for now, he exhausted himself.”

Cinera nodded. “Yes, that’s to be expected. It’s the first time he’s ever used any magic… He’ll wake up just fine, but be hungrier than he’s ever been. Don’t let him eat too much even if he wants to.”

“Cinera,” began Rozzi. “What was that thing that attacked us? Why was it trying to kill Wally?”

Cinera sighed. “I’ve no doubt that creature was ‘The Ragged Rogue.’ He’s one of Kota’s Generals.”

Rozzi gasped and Hector’s expression grew stern.

Cinera turned to Rozzi. “There were five generals leading Kota’s army of Black Rock Knights. The Ragged Rogue you’ve met. Next is The Peerless Knight, a living suit of armor without a wearer. The Indomitable Smith, a great builder and source of the Black Rock Knights. The Thorned Princess, who resembles a Planaetian but with a deadlier disposition. Lastly, Vizier Bulfo, a Sauroian sorcerer second only to Kota herself. If the Rogue is active in the world again… I’ve no doubt they are as well.”

“Y-you…” Rozzi began, trying to regain her composure. “You said they were on some secret mission and were coming with us as cover… But this?! I mean shouldn’t you be warning everyone?!”

“We had no way of knowing what the threat was,” said Hector. “Cinera’s initial vision of the future only pointed toward some great yet vague threat on the horizon. Now that we’ve encountered one of The Witch’s generals, we must spread the word across Mondia of her possible return.”

Cinera expression contorted in thought. “I’m not so sure… Spreading the word too quickly might cause panic and restrict your movements; Wally must be able to move as freely in the world as possible if we’re to face this threat properly.”

“AND THAT’S ANOTHER THING!” Rozzi shouted. “WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH HIM?!”

Cinera and Hector shared a glance before The Seer nodded.

“Wally,” Hector began. “Is the new Flarebearer. That sword in his hand is the Stellar Flare. The weapon that helped to end The Grand War chose him to stand against this danger.”

Rozzi turned to the sleeping wallaby, her mind reeling at the massive reveal. “But… But he’s…”

“It was his choice,” Cinera interrupted. “When faced with simply abstaining or going forward, he yoked his courage and soldiered on in the face of it. That’s exactly the sort of person whose hands I’m happy the fate of the world lies in.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Hector nodded.

The red panda’s eyes darted from face to face before settling on the exhausted Wally. She remembered the determination in his eyes as he flung massive bolts of flame at a truly horrifying monster. It was hard for her to reconcile that image of him against the bashful, overly polite fellow she’d been playfully teasing that very morning.

“But Cinera…” Hector began. “If they were able to find Wally aboard that great beast in motion… They could very well find him anywhere. Stealth may be lost to us.”

“Speed is your greatest ally then, keep on your feet as much as you can. I’ve yet to see anything past your meeting with Ygg the Elder so proceed toward Planae’s capital as soon as Wally can move on his own.”

“Right… Oh! Cinera, before you go… My own magic training was limited due to my handicap. I’m not sure what I know will be of much use to Wally.”

“It’ll be fine; he shouldn’t be learning anything more than the basics for now any way. Doing more complex magic could cause him serious harm. If you can find someone to tutor him on the finer points on your way, do so. Otherwise, just do your best.”

Hector nodded in agreement and the image of Cinera sank like fog into the stone below, its green shine fading along with its spin. Hector gently scooped it up and politely handed it back to Rozzi.

The red panda hooked it back onto her chain as she crossed the room settled into a chair by Wally’s bedside. As she looked to his sleeping face, she thought on how he’d be facing monsters just as terrible as, and worse than, the one they fought today. Had she not stepped in, could he have fought back at all? Would it have killed him? She looked up to Hector remembering that using his magic left him almost helpless after killing all those Thorn Spiders, that must be what he meant by ‘handicap.’

One of her ears turned toward the sound of Sir Hector sitting on the room’s other bed, followed by a rather regretful sounding sigh.

“I’m really going to have to come up with one incredible apology when he wakes up. I should’ve been the one to fight alongside him, not you.”

She barely acknowledged him.

“Thank you for that by the way… There aren’t many who’d risk their lives for someone they’d just met.”

“Even less who’d do that for the whole world,” she quietly mumbled to herself. Eventually, Rozzi stood and made her way to the door. “I’ll tell the rest we’re waiting on Wally to recover before we keep going. None of them may be fighters like me, but it’s still good to have as many hands as we can on the way to the capital. You keep watch ‘til he wakes up and get him some food when he does.”

“You know,” Hector started in with a softer tone to lighten the mood. “I honestly think he’d much rather see you when he wakes up than me.”

Rozzi opened the door and stood in the doorway for a few moments before deciding to say nothing and leave.

Night soon settled over the small seaside town, with Hector standing guard over Wally as the hours ticked away. He took the time to silently go over everything he’d ever learned about magic to himself. He remembered back to his younger years, learning that while he was capable of tremendous outputs of power, his ability to retain magical energy was severely limited. As such, every time he used it, it ate away at his stamina, instead of the magic that his body could gather. It meant each blow had to be decisive and lead to victory, otherwise he’d find himself completely vulnerable. He could teach Wally that much at least, the better part of restraint in using his power with the Flare.

Later in the night, Wally began to stir from his dreamless sleep. As he sat up; it felt as if his insides had been hollowed out and his head had been filled with cotton. The world was muffled and fuzzy to his senses and his mouth was dryer than it’d ever been. There was a voice as he stood and walked that he couldn’t make out, or had the energy to even address. Where was he? What was happening? None of these questions were on his mind. The only locus of his thinking was to fill the abyss like hole in his stomach with whatever he could get his hands on. He felt tugging and pushing on his body as he left one room, it went away as he found some stairs and headed down them. Once downstairs he sought out smells that might’ve been food and pushed open what felt like a door. Finally at the source of the smell, he grabbed it up and began to shovel handful after handful into his mouth as quickly as he could.

In a smattering of moments, the fog over his consciousness began to fade as all his senses came back to full function. He could now see was standing in a kitchen holding a large pot in one hand, the other covered in what smelled like Larg Beast Chili. As he looked around he saw members of the Bandit Circus watching in both awe and terror through a wallaby sized hole in the wall behind him, and an utterly terrified Planaetian chef cowering in the corner. Wally swallowed the last bits of chili still in his mouth, readied to speak, only to produce a deafening belch that surprised even him.

He then felt a pair of hands gently grip his shoulders, seeing Rozzi now standing beside him with a gracious smile. She laughed somewhat nervously to try and calm everyone down. “You’ll have t’ excuse my friend here;” she spoke sweetly handing Wally something to clean his hand with. “He’s the one we brought in on the stretcher y’see. Been sick n’ all, still a little out of his noggin’, right Wally?”

Wally nodded, afraid that opening his mouth would unleash something even worse.

“Don’t you worry about that wall now,” Rozzi continued. “We can fix that no charge, isn’t that right Cho?”

Behind her, through the Wally hole, an Orni’Hulan held up his hand and unruffled his feathers. “Yes ma’am! I’ll get ma tools!”

“Come on now Wally, you should still be in bed for a little longer.”

Wally began to walk with her before she put a hand on his chest. She pointed down to the fact he was still holding the chili pot which he quickly put down on the floor, exiting the kitchen through the new opening he’d apparently made.

Wally sighed, cleaning himself up as they walked toward the stairs. “I can’t believe I did that.”

Rozzi crossed her arms. “I can’t believe Hector didn’t stop you.”

At the bottom of the stairs lay the knight in question in a daze, very slowly picking himself up. “I’d have had better luck stopping a rockslide…” He groaned. “So glad we’re on the same side, Wally.”

Wally was about to apologize quite profusely when Sir Hector held up his hand.

“Getting pushed down a flight of stairs is exactly what I had coming for not backing you up on the Chilarthro. I’m sorry Wally.”

Unable to think of anything meaningful to say, Wally settled on looking remorseful.

Rozzi and Hector escorted Wally up the stairs and back to the room; he winced at the scuff marks made in the floor by Hector’s efforts to stop him.

Rozzi stopped by the door and leaned against the wall. “You have something y’ need to tell ‘im.”

Hector nodded and the pair entered the room, closing the door behind them.

Wally stared wide eyed as Hector told him who the Ragged Rogue was, and what its appearance on the Chilarthro meant. Someday soon, he’d be standing against The Witch Kota and her generals in a battle to determine the fate of Mondia. After Hector had finished speaking, he felt cold shock rush from his toes to the top of his head and the chili in his belly try to escape the way it came in. He swallowed hard not just to keep the food down but to center himself.

“Wally…” Sir Hector began. “It’s one thing to stand in the royal palace and agree to face some vague threat. It’s entirely another to ask you to face the greatest danger this world has ever known. If you’ve changed your mind, no one would think less of you.”

His brow furrowed in thought, was it truly any different now than it was before? He’d always known that if the Flare were needed the threat would be quite massive. Now it had a name, a face, a place it could exist instead of living in the nebulous void of imagination and fear. “You already know my answer,” Wally replied quietly. “We still have to go see that Elder Ygg fellow don’t we?”

Hector couldn’t keep from smiling. “Yes we do. Although we have absolutely no idea what were supposed to ask or tell him, were heading to a city that’s just as fortified and guarded as our own, all the while on the look out for the deadliest soldiers on the planet… But then, no one said a knight’s duty was an easy one, eh?”

“Right,” Wally clenched his fist and settled his mind with the task at hand, pushing back all the worrisome thoughts for now.

Rozzi, still listening at the door, crossed her arms and looked up toward the ceiling with a sigh.

---

In a small caravan of rented wagons, The Bandit Circus, with Wally and Hector in tow, make their way inland toward Planae’s capital city, Arborledan. Wally found it interesting that the rolling green hills and well kept farmland here reminded him of Animana’s country side. As they passed by several small villages, the band of travelers noted that in almost all of them the townsfolk have shuttered themselves into their homes, some even going so far as to board up their windows. When questioned as to why, the Planaetians responded only with silence. So the caravan simply kept rolling toward their goal until settling in for the night beside the main road. It was then Hector took Wally aside to begin his magic lessons.

“To start with,” Hector began. “Magic is an inherit trait in almost everyone. Most people however don’t live lives where it manifests in any way so it doesn’t matter to them. It exists as an expression of your inner will and conviction, and as such will reflect them.

Wally rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I wanted to save Rozzi, so it came out as the power I needed?”

“Exactly, the key to it all is understanding yourself and your desires. Harnessing that emotion and directing it outward, as one would for a punch or a kick.”

Wally puzzled over it for a moment. “But aren’t there some kind of incantations or something… I heard you saying something before you used magic on the Chilarthro and against the wyvern, I only understood half of it that second time.”

“Ah! You mean Spellspeak. You see, verbal incantations are required to shape your magic for stronger, more complex spells. There’s no teaching that unfortunately, they come to you with experience. As you use magic you simply learn how to shape it, for instance, my ‘Lightning Flash’ came to me as a result of long hours practicing strikes. As you use your magic, you’ll no doubt learn spells as you go. In time you won’t even need full incantations to summon up the power you need.”

Wally tilted his head curiously. “The words just… Pop into your head?”

Hector nodded. “Right, and when they do, they feel as natural as any other memory. You’ll just suddenly know what you need to say to shape the magic.”

“Alright… Then…” Wally thought on his following question before developing the proper metaphoric framework. “Say a person is… Like a kettle… Magic is the water, steam is a spell. Eventually all the water gets boiled off doesn’t it? I mean, there isn’t an infinite amount of magic inside of people, is there?”

Hector hummed thoughtfully, remembering everything he could from his days with a magic tutor, in fact aiming to mimic their cadence as he spoke. “With the exception of Insicai, every living thing on Mondia already has some magic in it, how much is always seemingly random. You’re right that it can run out, but for everyone who uses magic it’ll refill over time.” Hector rubbed the back of his head as if that’d somehow shake something useful off the metaphysical shelf of his memories. “As for where magic refills from, no one’s quite sure. Some folks think it might be the sun, since it seems to replenish itself faster during the day.”

Wally made a small thoughtful noise as he tried to internalize all this new information. He wondered then, if magic had always been inside him, had that been the reason the Flare chose him for this great task? Breaking away from his internal reflection, Wally looked back to Hector just as he pulled a low hanging branch off a tree and stuck the splintered end into the ground in front of him

“Now, here’s your target. You’re going to focus on how you felt atop the Chilarthro and channel those feelings through your body, into to your hand and then across the length of the Flare. It helps, I’ve been told, to imagine a stream.”

Wally nodded, drew the Flare, and pointed it at his target. He steadied his breathing and tried to remember how it felt to face down the Ragged Rogue, the desperation and fire that welled up inside his heart when Rozzi’s life was in danger.

The gem in the Stellar Flare’s crossguard shone for a moment before fading.

“You can do it Wally, calling on it on purpose is hard at first but then it’s as natural as breathing.”

Wally strained as his thinking fell into a jumble of images and emotions. He could feel the flame in his heart flicker like a candle in a breeze. He let his stance drop and he exhaled sharply in frustration.

“Well… You almost had it at least, that’s a start.”

“Needs more than ‘a start’ if he’s goin’ t’ get anywhere.” The pair turned to see Rozzi had been watching them silently. She locked eyed with Wally and walked closer. “Now, what exactly were you thinking when you shot off that first fireball?”

He closed his eyes to better sift through his memories.

“Did y’ think I was too weak to defend myself?” Rozzi’s tone was strong and direct.

She’d saved him; a strike that would’ve knocked him off into the Mangrove was the very thing she’d prevented. “No! Of course not!”

“Did y’ think you were too weak to fight it?” She escalated in volume.

The imposing image of his opponent faded some, how much of that fight was him simply being too afraid to strike back? “… No.”

Rozzi’s voice was now just an octave below a shout. “So then what’s left? Neither one of us is weak but we’re still losing and we’re about t’ die! What pops into your head in that exact moment?!”

His mind replayed vivid flashes of every last second as his heart began to pound away in his chest. He was paralyzed with fear but demanded otherwise of himself more firmly than he ever had before. Wally quickly turned toward the target branch, pointing the tip of the Flare directly at it. Flashes of ethereal flame surged down his arm and the blade, launching a small ball of fire that evaporated its target on impact. Wally then sheathed his sword and stood a little straighter. “I didn’t want to lose.”

Rozzi smiled as she turned to walk back toward the resting caravan, stopping just a few steps away to look back at Wally over her shoulder. “And thanks for that by the by… Savin’ my life n’all.”

“Oh!” Wally quickly lost all heroic posture as he rubbed the back of his head modestly. “Well… You’re welcome.”

She nodded once and set back on her course.

Hector watched her leave and waited until he was absolutely certain she was out of earshot. He sidled up to Wally and patted him on the shoulder amiably. “Now that you’ve got that down, allow your fellow knight to give you some absolutely essential lessons on dealing with the fairer sex.”

Wally froze. “… What?”

“Well Wally, it’s obvious to me the girl fancies you. It happens a lot when you’re a brave and courageous soldier! It’s also obvious to me you have absolutely no experience talking to ladies. As such, I am as forsworn to aide you in this matter as I am your sword and magic lessons!”

Wally recoiled entirely and started to slowly move away from Hector. “I… Think that’s more than enough lessons for tonight, Sir Hector.”

“Nonsense! We start with lesson one,” he slapped Wally on the back. “Poise and confidence.”

Wally grumbled and shook his head, now walking away from Hector as fast as he could.

---

At first light of the next day, the caravan set off again. It was half a day filled with more bizarrely quiet villages before finally, after reaching the top of a steep hill they could see it, Arborledan, capital of Planae. This city, much like Animana, rested behind massive smooth walls that, unlike any other wall, showed no sign of its material components. Whatever the material was, it was shaded in a yellow similar to the sky at sunset, and was properly accented by the city’s huge crimson gates. Towering above it all was a massive tree with no equal, its branches extending from its trunk to well over the city walls. The caravan rolled down the hill and up the road leading to one of the gates only to find it firmly locked with no guards appointed.

“This whole trip’s been too damn quiet,” Rozzi speculated. “Everyone’s all cloistered up, even the capital.”

Hector hopped off the wagon. “Well we can’t waste any more time waiting for someone to mind the gate, we’ll have to get in some other way…” Hector quickly took stock of the challenge ahead of them and the resources at hand, and a smirk of inspiration quickly arose. “Come along Wally, I have a plan!”

Wally quickly followed. “This plan doesn’t involve me blowing a hole in a wall, does it?”

Hector looked for a slight rise near the imposing wall and raised his hands to get a better sense of perspective and distance. “We’d never get through fast enough and draw far too much attention. No, my plan is much faster and involves far less destruction.”

“Okay then, what is it?”

Hector smiled down at him earnestly. “I’m going to throw you over the wall with some rope.”

The wallaby stared at him for a good minute. “So, when you said ‘less destructive’, you meant to the wall, and that all the destruction would be elsewhere, like my bones.”

“Wally, I wouldn’t even consider this a plan if it weren’t for all the amazing things that body of yours can do. I know in my heart you’ll land just fine on the other side.”

His brow furrowed. “Your heart isn’t your brain for a reason you know.”

“Alright then, do you have a better plan? Because we need to get into this city as soon as possible and this is the fastest, most direct path. You push off my hand at the last possible minute so you can make it over the wall, land on the other side, and then use the rope to pull me over.”

Wally slowly looked at wall and thought. He was right, they couldn’t wait for someone to come open the door. They’d just end up being easy targets for another one of Kota’s generals. In fact, the current state of Planae may even be the result of one. It was insane and dangerous but the only plan they had.

Taking a position a decent distance from the wall and leaving his pack on the ground by Hector, Wally tied the rope from Hector’s bag around his waist and allowed himself to be hefted up.

“Now, remember, Push off at the last minute, your legs will be the most important part of this.”

With the textbook image of absolute incredulity plastered onto his face, Wally nodded and braced himself for what will surely be the single most ridiculous moment of his entire life.

Hector readied his arm for the pitch, reared back, and gave Wally the mightiest of throws. Wally kicked off the palm of his hand at the last possible moment and proceeded to rocket through the air with far more ludicrous speed than he could’ve imagined, clearing the wall easily. Too easily as it turns out, for his forward momentum continued on well past the wall and straight through a large stained glass window in a building on the other side. As he hit the polished tile floor within, Wally bounced, then rolled, then skidded to an eventual stop. Had the wind not be knocked out of him on impact, he’d have probably said ‘Ow’.

Painfully lurching himself back onto his feet and wiping bits of glass out of his fur and off his clothes, he was happy to be alive. He was also surprised when he finally looked up and locked eyes with an incredibly shocked Planaetian who’d been putting books back on their shelves. He quickly looked around and found he’d landed in some manner of library, with rows and rows of bookshelves in almost every direction.

Wally was about to try and apologize when the Planaetian waved its hand at him. From around his feet erupted thick and thorny branches, effectively caging him on the spot in an instant. With no other recourse, he sighed and sat down, huffing out the words, “absolutely terrible plan.”

<[Chapter 05]–[Index]–[Chapter 07]>

#A Baker's Quest #Writing

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kalimarswriting · 6 years ago

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Playing by Ear: Chapter 5

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Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem.

Chapter 5: Royals

It was the change from grass to packed earth that let me know we were getting close. The march had been quiet, at least as far as I knew. If there had been conversation going I missed it, too lost in the daze that let me keep going on without complaint. I mostly just made sure I kept up with the group and didn't trip over anything.

What was I thinking of again? Oh, right, we were getting close. I could see the castle off in the distance, along with the town surrounding it. We were still too far away to make out any people though.

It wasn't long before we made it to the city. I marveled at the friendly atmosphere. It reminded me of going to Scarborough Fair. Shops and stalls lined the street, and clotheslines with banners hung between buildings. On a hill in the distance stood the castle itself. Altogether it was a beautiful sight.

I wasn't the only one marveling at the sights. "I've never seen so many people before!" Robin commented in awe. I chuckled, thinking of the crowds in Dallas after a hockey game. The people milling about here were scarce in comparison, but the streets were still fairly busy to someone who only had a day's worth of memories. Robin's excitement over something so mundane was refreshing.

Frederick heaved a sigh of relief. "It appears that the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods. The quake must have been limited to the forest." Actually, something of that magnitude, complete with fire and lava, would be seen if not felt from this distance, but it must not have had a great effect on the city. I kept my thoughts to myself though. There was no reason to annoy Frederick by contradicting him.

"Well that's a relief!" Lissa said.

I was just about to tune back out of the conversation again when I heard someone exclaim from a growing crowd, "Look! The exalt has come to see us!" I snapped back to attention, wanting to glimpse Emmeryn myself. Did her presence really exude a feeling of peace like I so often heard described?

The answer was yes. I stood transfixed as she passed. I could have sworn she looked right at me, and it felt like she saw me for all of my quirks and faults and welcomed me. With that one look I felt accepted into Ylisse. It was no wonder her people loved her so much.

With a start I realized she had already moved on and I was getting left behind. "Keep up Merra!" Chrom looked over his shoulder to make sure I got moving again.

"Sorry!" I jogged to catch up with the party. Robin looked flustered, having only just realized he had been traveling with royalty for this whole time.

"Did you know about this?" He whispered to me.

"Know about what?" I tried to ask innocently, but my grin was a tad too wide to pull it off.

"Of course you knew." He said, seeing my grin. He couldn't help but smile too despite himself.

Unsure of what to say next, I busied myself with trying to memorize the shops to keep from getting flustered. It didn't work, but it was suitable distraction. It was important to know what was sold where. If I was going to be stuck in this world for the foreseeable future I was going to need to know where to get my crafting supplies. I enjoyed sewing, and I was sure my clothes would eventually need to be patched with all the fights ahead of me.

We got a lot of looks on our way to see Emmeryn. I suppose that's to be expected, what with my modern clothing, Robin's plegian coat, and the prince and princess walking with us. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and tipped my cap down in a vain attempt to hide. I hated being the center of attention. This was going to be a long walk.

When we found the Exalt she was talking with Phila, the captain of the pegasus guard.

"Emm!" Lissa called out to her sister.

Emmeryn looked up. "Lissa! Chrom! Welcome home. Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?"

"Well—we shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while." Chrom said evasively.

"Wonderful." Emmeryn seemed unbothered by the implications that we got into at least one fight. "And our people?"

"Safe as can be, Emm. But we still need to watch the borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia."

Phila frowned at the news and bowed slightly. "Forgive me, milord. My pegasus knights should have intercepted them."

"No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the exalt." Chrom assured.

"And besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa added cheerfully.

"You speak of your new companions here?" Emmeryn gestured to me and Robin.

Chrom introduced us. "These are Robin and Merra. They fought bravely with us against the brigands. I've decided to make them Shepherds."

The edges of Emm's lips quirked up in a smile and her eyes lightened. "It sounds as though Ylisse owes you two a debt of gratitude."

"Not at all, milady!" Robin spoke modestly. I merely squeaked as it was the best I could do under the attention I was getting.

Frederick spoke up. "Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak. Robin claims to have lost his memory, but it is only that: a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that he is a brigand himself, or even a spy."

"Frederick!" Chrom exclaimed.

"Furthermore," the knight plowed on, "Merra outright attacked Lady Lissa. She claims it was an accident, but whether or not that is true she is a menace to those around her." Huh, I don't think I've ever been called a menace before. I don't know if I should be proud of that statement.

I started to get a hazy feeling and I stopped listening to the conversation in front of me. What was happening again? It was hard to keep my focus on the present. A wave of dizziness came over me. Closing my eyes seemed so inviting…I let them droop, almost closing them completely before I inhaled sharply and opened them wide. My senses snapped back to alertness. I had almost fallen for that.

Everyone was staring at me like I had screamed or something. Well, I guess gasping out of nowhere draws attention.

"Sorry," I said in a small voice. "I didn't sleep last night. Just ignore me." I shook my head to wake myself up and almost lost my balance. I was getting clumsier than normal as a product of not sleeping or getting my medicine. I had hoped that Lissa's staff would help that, but apparently not.

"Is she drunk?" Captain Phila inquired.

"No," I answered for myself, "but just twenty hours without sleep has remarkably similar effects." Another random fact from the peanut gallery. I had probably gone over the twenty-four hour mark by now, unless you counted my snoozes the night before and on the battlefield, which I didn't. I probably hadn't been asleep for even ten minutes before I woke up each time.

Concerned eyes took last glances before the conversation got back on track. I tried to pay attention to the words, but they ran together until everyone's voices became a constant, lulling my mind to a light doze. It was the best I could do as far as staying awake, so I settled for letting the conversation wash over me and waiting until I was addressed or we left.

I didn't notice the lull become a murmur, before stopping altogether.

"Merra? You still with us?" A hand touched my arm, causing me to jump in surprise as I slapped it away. At the same time I jumped I also retreated, and trying to do both things at the same time somehow tangled my feet and I tripped. I hastily looked up to see who had surprised me to see it was Lissa again. Oh crap…

"This is precisely what I was talking about!" Frederick pointed at me with the most expression I'd ever seen from him. He looked at Emmeryn to see her reaction to my slight, but she only looked amused at the whole scene. Lissa was outright laughing. Frederick's expression turned to one of indigence. "Does no one see the danger she could pose?"

Lissa laughed harder.

"All I see is speed and potential in someone who means well." Emmeryn stated calmly. "If a bit lacking in control." I almost cried in gratitude at her forgiveness. With the Exalt's approval, maybe I could catch a break from the knight.

Now to get off the floor before I fell asleep here.

Seeing that Lissa was going to need some time to get herself back under control and he was the next closest person, Robin offered his hand to help me up. I took it and pulled, launching myself to my feet so quick that I almost fell over again as the blood drained from my head. I hunched back over.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked, worried at my odd behavior.

"Just a sec," I held up a finger in a 'one minute' gesture as I waited for the light-headedness to go away. When it was gone I stood back up. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Lissa finally got control of herself. "What I was going to say when I got your attention is that we're leaving while Chrom goes to his meeting. Let me take you someplace with a bed."

By the time we got to the Barracks I was hearing things. I knew I was hearing things because along with the preparation screen music, I was hearing sound effects from the game. Everything from the level up sound (which probably had the highest frequency of all the sounds) to critical quotes and the clash of weapons. Neither Lissa nor Robin reacted to any of it, so I knew it had to be in my head. It wasn't the first time I'd hallucinated. Of course, last time had been after thirty hours without sleep, not the twenty-something that I had probably gone by now. I suppose the extra physical activity made the music start sooner this time? Whatever the case, it was getting annoying.

I flinched as a particularly loud strike sounded in my head, earning me worried looks from my companions. I probably looked like a twitchy mess between my normal shaking and now my random flinching. I was walking between them, since if I walked to one side they were worried I'd veer off-course and get lost. They were slightly in front of me, not only because it was easier to follow them than to lead the way but every time one got behind me I'd get twitchier, paranoid and hyper-aware of my blind spot.

We were stopped by a blonde launching herself at Lissa. Ah yes, Maribelle. She said, ah, something. I was too tired to pay attention or care, simply waiting for Lissa to take me to that bed she promised.

Still, the lack of my medicine drove my paranoia up to eleven. Through the haze of my exhaustion I knew where everyone was in the room, even a somewhat ghost-like presence to my left. It got a little too close and I whirled around, hands up and ready to defend, but all I could make out was a shadow. It moved and I jabbed at it without thinking. There was a hollow sound and a faint, "You can see me?" That I almost couldn't hear over my own personal background ensemble.

"What?" I asked the fleeting shadow.

"You can hear me?!" I was able to hear it this this time. Clearly the shadow was happy.

'Clearly, the shadow was happy.' I mentally repeated the sentence to make sure that no, that was not a normal thing to be thinking. Gods, I hope I'm not talking to a hallucination.

Something tickled at the back of my mind. It seemed important. I turned away from the potential hallucination, determined to make a good (ish) impression on the other occupants of the room. I wasn't going to let them see me talking to something not really there.

I ignored the shadow's "aw" of disappointment.

After introductions were over, which I managed to miss almost all of, Lissa led me to the girl's room. There were bunkbeds on either side of the sizable room, and I flopped down in the closest one without a second thought.

"That's—" Lissa started, but upon seeing the dark circles under my eyes she decided against whatever she was going to say. Probably whose bed I had just stolen. "Never mind. Goodnight!" She wished cheerily despite the very obvious sunlight streaming through the window behind her.

"Pick a god and pray!" I twitched at the imaginary voice. "Shut up!" I hissed, tired of the constant cacophony.

"Did you say something Merra?" Lissa peeked her head back in the room.

"Nnnn," I groaned. She giggled and left me to my sleep.

I had just let someone hear me talk to a voice in my head. Was I going crazy?

No, it was just a hallucination. "I'm not crazy." I told myself. "I'm not crazy…" I was so tired that I was lulled to sleep by the sound of my own voice.

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#my writing #Playing by Ear #chapter 5 #fanfiction #self-insert #fire emblem #fire emblem awakening #Robin x OC

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gumnut-logic · 6 years ago

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Music Memory

Title: Music Memory

Author: Gumnut

11 Mar 2019

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: An old loss is suddenly brought up and Virgil reacts badly.

Word count: 2375

Spoilers & warnings: None

Timeline: Post season two, standalone

Author’s note: For @i-am-chidorixblossom who had a bad day yesterday. The request was brotherly hugs and this happened. Not too sure about it, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Many thanks to @scribbles97 for the read through and putting up with my lack of confidence.

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

He struck the key but it came out flat. A frown and he yanked off his gloves. Should have taken them off before attempting the piano, but he had to do this before he lost the tune.

Grabbing a piece of paper, he scribbled down the notes he had managed to discover already.

It had been both familiar and irritating. Now it was caught in his head and he was sure it was important. He had heard it before. He just couldn’t remember...

He struck the keys again, fingering it out. C, D, E, E, D, F, A, C, C.

Again.

Where had he heard this?

Again.

“Virg, are you going to keep playing that same bit over and over again?”

Again.

This is important. He knew he knew it, but from where?

Again.

His baldric rubbed against the piano stool, shifting it awkwardly across his body. His uniform was definitely not designed for piano playing.

Again.

“Virgil?”

Again. Damnit, he knew this.

Again.

What if he varied the speed?

Again.

F sharp?

Again.

“Virgil!”

Again. Damnit! Again. It was there. It was damn important. Why couldn’t he connect the dots?

Again.

“VIRGIL!”

He flinched and found Gordon in his face. “What?!”

“Do you have to do that?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you play something else?”

“No, I need to work this out.”

“Can you work it out somewhere else?”

“No, Gordon. If I recall I was in here first. You were the one who decided to join me.”

“It is irritating as all hell. Part of a song over and over and over again. C’mon, bro. Play something else.”

“No! I need to work this out. It’s important.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know! Now, leave me alone. I have to work it out.”

He played it again.

And again.

Again.

“For god’s sake, Virgil, can you stop it please!”

“No!”

Again. It was so close. Just on the edge of memory.

“It’s like listening to Mom die over and over again. Virgil, please!”

Virgil froze, hands poised above the piano keys. “What?”

And another family in the room, waiting and just as terrified. A young boy attempting to shut out the world with music, far too loud on his headphones, the tune drifting across the room.

Dad’s stony face trying to ignore the tears running down his cheeks as he told them that Mom wasn’t going to be coming home.

Something caught in Virgil’s throat. An old pain, a sharp pain, oh, god, he didn’t realise. Shit!

“Virgil?”

“I-I’m sorry, Gords. I’m....excuse me.” He stood up like a robot. His uniform creaked as he strode from the room.

-o-o-o-

Gordon stared after his brother and frowned. The man had paled, his eyes wide, as if...aw, hell.

Apparently not.

Or perhaps he had just blocked it out.

Gordon couldn’t remember whether his second oldest brother had ever cried himself. He had always assumed that Scott had been the one to see to him.

But then Virgil had always been different.

He sighed.

Damn.

Standing up, he stretched out aching muscles and followed his brother from the room.

-o-o-o-

One of the advantages of living on an island was the many beaches. If there was a lack of a beach, there was plenty of oceanic cliff to sit on and gaze out into an infinity of water and sky.

But apparently, his gut felt differently.

And for a moment he just stood there and closed his eyes.

The first tear fell before he even realised he was crying.

The mere thought brought another sob to the surface.

God, what the hell was wrong with him?

He found himself crying broken sobs on his little brother’s shoulder.

-o-o-o-

The moment Virgil started crying, Gordon’s heart broke.

What the hell was going on?

He wasn’t sure he had ever seen Virgil cry and here was the man curling in on himself, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Gordon didn’t hesitate. He ran up to his brother and wrapped his arms around him, holding the bigger man the best way he could. “C’mon, Virg, it’s okay. It happens.”

The man turned to him without looking him in the face and Gordon found himself holding his big brother as he sobbed on his shoulder.

It didn’t usually involve holding him why he cried.

But that was life, so he’d do his best.

“C’mon, Virg, this is my favourite shirt. Tear stains are not groovy, man.”

Virgil didn’t answer, just drew in a shaky breath and straightened up. His eyes were wretched and red.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Sorry.” The familiar baritone was hardly there. His brother rubbed his face with both hands. “I don’t know where that came from.”

“Is this about Mom?”

And there it was. A flicker of hurt and the welling of further tears. The expression on Virgil’s face emanated pain and loss.

“I’m with you, Virg.” His own voice had dropped to whisper quiet. “Come here.” He gestured his brother to him.

Virgil stared.

Virgil’s eyes widened and it took him a moment, but he shifted closer a little, staring at Gordon the entire time.

Man, it was like enticing a walrus to eat from his hand. Except the walrus was easier.

In the end, Gordon closed the distance between them and wrapped his arm about his older brother’s shoulders. “Have you ever talked to anyone about Mom?”

Still staring, his brother shrugged. “Talked with Scott, you, all of you really.”

Gordon rolled his eyes. “Not about us and our feelings. About yours.”

“I did.”

“Bullshit.”

“Gordon-“

“All you’ve even said to me on the subject has been how I have been feeling.”

“Scott-“

“Should I contact him? What do you think his answer would be?”

“Gordon-“

This time he interrupted his brother by drawing him into a tight hug. It stifled whatever the man had been about to say. “Love you, bro.”

Virgil’s large hands crept around him and returned the embrace. Voice parched. “Love you, too.”

“She was our Mom, and we loved her.”

“We did.”

“It sucks that she was taken away.”

“It does.”

“I miss her.”

It took a moment, but the words were whispered into his shirt. “I miss her, too.”

After that, nothing more was said. It was just two brothers on a sea cliff holding each other.

Sometime later, Virgil drew in another shaky breath and straightened again, breaking off the hug. He wiped his face with one hand and shook himself a little. “Thank you, Gordon.”

A slight smile. “Any time, bro.” He reached out a hand and gripped the man’s considerable bicep. “Look after yourself.”

“Will do.” And Virgil was standing, grabbing his discarded uniform, shoving the socks and boots on his feet. A moment and he offered Gordon his hand to help him up.

Gordon took it and bounced to his feet. “So, do you always wear tight shorts under your uniform?”

Virgil frowned at him. “What?”

“I can see the attraction. They obviously show off your butt quite nicely and when those IR fans get their hands on you, you have to know that your underwear will live up to the hype.”

“Gordon!”

“What?”

Suddenly there was a meaty arm around him again and he was being drawn into yet another hug, this time crushed up against his taller brother’s massive chest. “Oh god, Virg!”

Virgil let off a laugh, his chest shaking with it. “I love you, bro. God, I do.”

And if there was a touch of noogie, Gordon didn’t care. He was too happy seeing his brother smile.

-o-o-o-

FIN.

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #virgil tracy #gordon tracy

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