#attrition mention if you squint

[txicyuri]

liir short for glinyero

[flameraven]

Good Omens Fic Rec Masterpost - Part Two

 Hello hello I have read MANY MORE fics in this fandom now so it’s time to add on to my previous recs. Part One can be found here: https://flameraven.tumblr.com/post/187742832545/good-omens-fic-recs-masterpost General info! No fics rated higher than M, and that’s usually for violence not sex. I headcanon the husbands as being in an asexual relationship, so any fics I rec will have no sex, or only have sexy stuff alluded to or briefly mentioned.

The Soft Zone (TM)

all the days - G / darcylindbergh

War of Attrition- G / out_there / 8k - 3 gifts Crowley gives Aziraphale

A Meddling of Houseplants - T/ wingedspirit / 6k - Ophelia (a peace lily) is tired of Crowley and Aziraphale’s hopeless pining, and takes matters into her own leaves.

Sweetest in the Gale - T / wingedspirit / 3.8k - Gabriel can sense Aziraphale’s love for Crowley, and confronts “Aziraphale” about it before his execution

Deck the Halls - G / forthegreatergood / 18k - two idiots attempt to acquire mistletoe for the holidays in order to convey their feelings for the other.

Tartan Wrapping Paper - G / Arej / 2k - Crowley may not have quite gotten the message about the tartan all those years ago

a prize-winning philodendron - G / Elsajeni / <1k - Crowley does look, and sighs heavily. “Angel,” he says, “of all the plants you could have tried keeping, why did you start with something this fussy?”

Silver and Gold - G / asparkofgoodness / 1.5k - Crowley buys a ring.

Futile Devices - G / ticketybye / 3k - Yes, Crowley has imagined. He has craved. But being in Aziraphale’s close proximity has had to be enough. He’s not even sure he deserves that. But this, this feels like it felt to be commissioned the stars. It feels like being entrusted with something precious and fragile.

The Weight of Words Unspoken - G / rattatatosk / 1.8k - Aziraphale has always hinted to Crowley when he needed to leave. After the Apoca-wasn’t, he asks Crowley to stay.

J’Aime (I Love) - G / yourpaceangel - Crowley is searching for what the ‘J’ means.

the other way round - G / darcylindbergh / <1k - Aziraphale gets hair pets for once.

Take My Hand (Take My Whole Life Too) - G / soft_october / 1.5k - Crowley is trying not to go to fast, ends up stalled out completely. Aziraphale decides he will have to get creative. 

In Good Hands - G / Sunjinjo / 14k - Aziraphale was created wearing a golden ring. It’s now the last remaining aspect of his original attire.One day, he tries to take it off. The rest follows naturally. (Marriage Proposal)

One Golden Glance (Of What Should Be) - G / Sunjinjo / 8.5k - Crowley takes up painting after the Apocalypse.

Misfit / Safe Haven - G / Mothfluff / 2k - Aziraphale provides a safe space for the Soho queer community to gather

seasons, changes - G / the_pen_is_mightier / 2k - In the autumn Aziraphale and Crowley go out apple picking.

on the necessity of a temptation - M / darcylindbergh / 4.5k - Crowley squinted at him. He said, slowly, as if sounding around the words [...] “But doing things is what we do. Why would—what would be the point of me being here otherwise?”

In Other Words, Baby, Kiss Me - T / mikkimouse / 4.5k - Five times Aziraphale kissed Crowley and one time Crowley (finally) kissed him back.

It's Getting Hard, This Holding Back - T / ZehWulf / 13k - Crowley decides to lure Aziraphale into Explicit Gestures of Romantic Affection. Aziraphale sets a cuddle trap

give you more to hold on to - T / cryptidkidprem / 4k - Crowley nods. "It's..." He looks down at their joined hands, and takes a long, deep breath. “We’re not— We’re not supposed to need this, y’know?” He lifts their joined hands up, lets them fall again. “You and I. Angels, demons. We're not meant to need all this. This touchy-feely stuff, all this affection, this—” a hitch in his breath— “Love.”

two parallel lines -lineffability

don’t let me wake up - acuteangleaziraphale

how to let go - jlmarch

Mornington Crescent -politeanarcy

Wingfic

Symmetry in Favor - G / kedreeva / 8k - Five times Crowley preens Aziraphale's wings, and one time Aziraphale preens Crowley's.

London Calling - G / forthegreatergood / 30k - Come for Crowley’s ridiculous 1970′s bed, stay for Feelings and extensive wing pets.

Hurt/Comfort

Be Ye Therefore Merciful - T / AmberDiceless / 9.5k - Book!Verse. Crowley does something utterly unexpected, and Aziraphale must face an opponent who cannot be thwarted.

Pigeon Girlfriends with a Long Preamble - T / SleepySelfLoathing / 8k - All Crowley wanted was to spend a nice night in with his husband, so of course he ends up summoned by a bunch of cultists instead. Why would he expect anything different....This would probably be a lot easier to deal with if he wasn't wearing Aziraphale's fluffiest bathrobe.

All Creatures that Have the Breath of Life - G / Elsajeni / 4k - Aziraphale fishes a very sodden Crawly out of the water during the Flood.

Touched by an Angel (And it Bloody Hurts) - G  /hedgehog-o-brien / 7k - Aziraphale can’t touch Crowley without burning him.

Douse the Fire, Help Me Breathe  - G / Arej / 1.5k - Even demons fear fire, when they've watched their world burn.

In a City Under Aerial Bombardment  - G / battle_cat / 3k - After the church and the bomb and the books.

Small Mercies - G / rattatatosk / 4k - Crawly gets smited. Aziraphale lends a hand.

Easier Than Air - G / A_Candle_For_Sherlock / 3.5k - The world hasn't ended, and everything is fine. They're fine. It's terrifying.

attachment - T / artenon / 4.5k - Crowley crosses over to open the passenger door for Aziraphale, and Aziraphale’s attention is drawn to Crowley’s uneven gait, the light, too-quick steps and the rocking back and forth on his heels as he holds the door open and waits for Aziraphale to get in.“Oh, Crowley,” Aziraphale says, heart sinking, “your feet.”

Hell Freezes Over - M / charliebrown1234 + Turcote / 18k - The year is 2002, and Crowley and Aziraphale are sent to Alaska to investigate a decommissioned entrance to Hell. What could possibly go wrong? 

Better The Demon You Know - T / mikkimouse / 1.2k - When Crawly falls out of the sky and into the flood, he gets help from a very unexpected source.

Gently, gently - G / the_pen_is_mightier / 3k - Heaven is cold and lonely. Hell is filthy and crowded. Aziraphale badly needs to be touched; Crowley needs fresh air, and light, and space. They can’t seem to connect on days after they’ve returned from their respective head offices.

Of Firsts and Foremosts  - T / kedreeva / 6k - Aziraphale is left vulnerable and injured as his first molt approaches. Crawly comes to the rescue for the first time.

The Brazen Serpent - T / ImprobableDreams900 / 11k - Some other angels come to help Aziraphale at the end of the Isrealites’ 40-year exile in the wilderness, unfortunately for Crawley.

hold my hand tight (we'll make it another night) - G / cryptidkidprem / 3k - The night at Crowley’s flat. He’s having a hard time not panicking.

Harbours of My Own - T / wingedspirit / 30k - Crowley knows that, as a demon, his freedom is limited. He doesn't get to have a home; he doesn't get to love. Aziraphale would very much like to change that, but he, too, is limited in what he can do. It takes the better part of six thousand years, but they'll get there.

crack me open, feel me shatter - T / rattatatosk / 2.5k - Crowley dreams of the Fall. Aziraphale is there to catch him when he wakes.

Angst (w/a Happy Ending)

Where His Angel Dares to Tread - M / PinkPenguinParade / 16k - Crowley is taken by Hell. Aziraphale disguises himself as best he can for the rescue mission. Newt and Anathema help.

Remembrance of Things Past - T / Fyre / 18k - Hell takes Crowley’s memories all the way back to Eden as punishment for his crimes.

Drunk Theology - G / battle_cat / 3k - Aziraphale had been hoping tonight for Giggly Drunk Crowley, which was his favorite drunk Crowley. That didn’t seem to be how things were working out, though.

Like a River Flows - T / kedreeva / 15k - Five times Crowley was not allowed to love Aziraphale, and one time he succeeded.

The Cultivation of New Growth - T / Vitreous_humor / 3k - “I mean,” he said carefully, “if you want a plant, let me give you one of the snake plants or maybe the big coleus. They'd be good for the shop, pretty stalwart in the dark...You don't want this one, it's rotten.” “Actually,” Aziraphale said firmly, “I do want that one.”

The Holy Essence of Experience - T / Dragonsquill / 4k - They know how they feel, but giving it a name would be too dangerous.   Ineffable husbands from the beginning to the end of the world, aware and wanting.

AUs/Crossovers

be mine tonight (be mine forever) - T / artenon / 11k - Human!AU. When Aziraphale finds out his coworkers have made a bet that he won’t bring anyone to the company party, he asks his best friend Crowley to go as his date just to spite them. Things quickly spiral out of control.

Siren’s Song - T / kedreeva / 30k+ (WIP) - Siren!AU. Crowley, a lone siren, calls a ship to wreck upon his reef, but finds when he meets pirate captain Aziraphale that sirens are not the only ones able to lure another creature to their heart's desire.

Adopt Don’t Shop - G / lucky_spike / 6k - Cat!AU based on Chekov’s “Good Meowmons” comics.

The Ones Who Walk Away From Nevaeh  - T / soft_october / 15k - AU based on “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”

The Grinch Who Sold Christmas - T / darcylindbergh / 60k - Human AU / Hallmark Movie AU. Crowley is a big city lawyer sent to seal the deal that will destroy the quaint town of Tadfield forever, right before Christmas... and then he falls in love with the town, and a certain bookshop owner. Ridiculously sappy fluff that hits all the right notes.

The Odd One Out  T / RainyDayDecaf / 2k- A meeting of many different Crowleys and Aziraphales.

Beat Again - T / TeaCub90 / 7k - Human AU. Two neighbours keep each other and their respective conditions company in the dead of night

Outsider POV

Ophidiophobia - G / lyricwritesprose / 7.6k - Pepper is afraid of snakes. When this is abruptly revealed in an encounter with Crowley’s serpent form, she immediately goes about trying to cure herself of it.

What’s in a Name? - G / lyricwritesprose / 4k -  “You do realize,” Brother Francis said, “that Warlock is just your name, not some sort of, of directive?”

Damaged - G / lyricwritesprose / 6k - Aziraphale is struggling after the Apocalypse. Madam Tracy offers some advice. (Very good spooky/nonhuman Aziraphale in this one.)

Angel’s Favor - T/ PinkPenguinParade / 10k - A hundred years ago, Aziraphale gave one of his feathers to a woman who helped him. In the modern day, her descendant calls in the favor.

Protective Camouflage -  G/ politeanarcy/ 2.3k - The Antichrist isn’t the only one with defenses against being noticed.

Disposable - T / lyricwritesprose / 7k - Eric the Disposable Demon attempts to become Crowley’s vassal after the Apoca-wasn’t. Nothing goes the way they expect after that.

on deceiving appearances - G / asideofourown / 2k - The Disposable Demon realizes the truth of Crowley’s deception in Heaven.

Anthony J. Crowley, Retired Demon and Airbnb Superhost - G / TheOldAquarian / 3k - What are you supposed to do when you've been fired from your sweet job in Hell for thwarting the schemes of Satan, you've got a swanky flat in Mayfair, and you're looking for an excuse to spend all your time in someone else's bookshop? Obviously, you turn to the dubious world of short-term vacation rentals.

Other

the best laid schemes - T / asideofourown / 4k - How Crowley got his Rat Army

Incongruous States of Being - T / ZehWulf / 8k - “Who would win: Aziraphale or Crowley.” “Oh!” Aziraphale startles. “Well—such a question. It’s not as though either of us has engaged in so much as fisticuffs in ages, and one does need to keep up practice with these sorts of things.” His fretting dies abruptly when Crowley cuts over him clearly, baldly: “Aziraphale.”

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition - T / WoodsWitch / 12k - The Arrangement is 500 years old, and Crowley and Aziraphale have been having a fine time in Renaissance Florence. Things start to go a bit pear-shaped with the arrival of a Friar Savonarola, so Crowley suggests that they meet up in his favorite refuge from the rest of medieval Europe: Spain. ((Don’t let the title fool you, this is an incredibly in-depth and well-researched historical fic and deserves way more hits than it has.))

[mayaparker]

Enduring Relationships;

Chatzy log w/ @alessafalling & @cassiegermaine

The department had been getting quite a few calls from concerned residents of the town and Essie couldn't blame them. The ghost presence in town was unexpected but apparently not to be all that concerning considering no matter the relation of the ghost following a person they couldn't do physical harm. People were investigating but it would take time to figure out, in the meantime Essie was assuring anyone who came in that they were working on it and just to hang tight. Looking harried and ignoring her own Ghost with a passion she looks up as the door opens again "Hi." she says with fake enthusiasm.

Maya didn't resist being hauled down to the Sheriff's station. It was a song and dance she knew well. Of course, this time it was under the watchful eye of her mother. If Rosemary hadn't been disappointed in Maya by now, this had certainly done the trick. The front door to the station swung open and the deputy gestured for Maya to go through it. She did so. "So I tried to punch a ghost," she tried to reason again with the deputy again, "This feels like an overreaction." She turned to Essie as she heard the greeting. "Hey, can you tell him this is an overreaction? I didn't even hit it. Also that ghost was being a dick, so..."

Essie certainly had her own feeling about her ghost so she smiles, attempting to be convincing. "I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding deputy, and I'm sure Maya wouldn't have attempted it if she had been able to make physical contact. Due to the nature it could perhaps be written off as a verbal attack, nothing more right? And that's not a very big offence right?" she tries. She may be pushing her luck but boy was she done dealing with all this ghost shit.

Cassie hadn't gone down to the department for any other reason then to check on the many employees she knew that worked there. Ephram was comfortable with his ghost, so Cassie mostly wondered over Danny, but when she first strolled into the station she didn't catch a glimpse of the familiar deputy. Only Maya, and someone at the front desk. Oh well. It beat being outside in the heat, anyday. "Did you say you tried to punch a ghost?" Cassie asked, trying to fight down a small smile. She didn't mean to laugh at Maya but...really. "You don't listen!" Cassie's ghost exasperated, "You go wretched places and do nothing I ask. I've been cursed with you. I'd rather be chained to a goblin." Cassie only smiled stiffly, ignoring Melena beside her. "This has to be one of the best quirks yet." She said sarcastically.

Maya would've absolutely still done it if she could've made physical contact. But she knew to keep her mouth shut. "I really just had to get her away from that ghost," the deputy replied, "He was going on and on about how he was going to have my badge." Only half listening to the deputy's reasoning, Maya turned to gave Cassie an almost sheepish smile. "He totally deserved it. He was some 1950s douchebag who seemed to think women should be seen and not heard."

"So is my daughter free to go then?" Rosemary asked the deputy.

The deputy ended up mumbling something about letting her off with a warning and Essie thanks them and promises to bring them a coffee later on at their desk. She glances curiously at the ghost in Maya’s wake and then curiously at the new arrival at her desk with her own form in tow. Quiet and polite as always around a new face.

"No more punching ghosts, Roger that," Maya replied with a little salute. Rosemary nodded once. The ghost watched the deputy return to his desk, feeling that while he shouldn't have arrested her daughter, it had to be a difficult day at the office with all these ghosts wandering around. "Oh, and this is my ghost mom," Maya said, "She was murdered seventeen years ago and now she has to watch me pee. So, you know, life's pretty cool." Rosemary only looked sad. She could see how much of a toll her presence was having her daughter and wished their reunion could be a happier affair.

Cassie blinked at the bluntness of Maya's introduction of her ghost mother. Not that she should have been surprised. Maya was always a very straight forward person, Cassie only smiled somewhat apologetically over at the ghost, and Essie behind the counter. "Ah well, I guess we're all meeting pieces of other peoples pasts right?" She motioned to Melena, "That's my Great-Grandmother. She uh...died by turning into dust?" Cassie squinted slightly, "It's complicated." She turned to Essie then. "You must be the new receptionist. I heard from someone you like to skydive?"

The introduction of Maya’s mother got a raised eyebrow from Essie but she could definitely relate to the slightly almost bitter tone she'd had about the whole thing. The other ghost introduction was more normal by comparison if only by tone alone, turning to dust sure was a way to go after all. Essie opens her mouth to respond when Craig from behind her pipes up from his spot standing behind her chair "Only her dumbest and most moronic choice in life." She completely ignores him, not even pausing and talking right over his words "I do love to skydive, I'm Essie." having had the other two introduces Craig perks up as if Essie might finally acknowledge him. She doesn't.

Maya saw the surprise on both Cassie and Essie's face. She knew it wasn't an elegant or even entirely appropriate introduction. But she couldn't talk about it in a real way. Talking about it in a real way meant admitting how much it terrified her, how she'd barely been able to sleep since Rosemary had arrived and all the other emotions she didn't feel like she could talk about. It didn't escape Maya's notice, or Rosemary's, that Essie didn't acknowledge her ghost. "Sorry, could I get in on some of that coffee? I've got a wicked headache," Maya asked. "And does anybody know why these ghosts all showed up now? Or how they even showed up?"

Essie jumps to her feet, the chair gliding right through Craig’s body with an unimpressed expression on his face. "I can do you some coffee no worries." she nods. "Decaf, regular or I bought latte packets not long ago and they're not the worst, though they're definitely not the best." she looks to the other woman as well. "Would you like something? We have some pastries in the coffee nook, a few chairs too if you want to hang around and chat, could use some non work conversation."

Cassie noticed how Essie avoided introducing her ghost, but she understood and decided not to press her. "Danny told me about the skydiving actually." She chuckled, just in case the woman worried for a moment how a stranger knew anything about her. "I didn't realize it'd be thrilling for fairies but I do suppose, you have extra safety nets." Cassie made a short motion with her hands, not wanting to outright say wings. She looked to Maya and shook her head with a sigh, "I don't know how they got here. I've struck up a few conversations, all I know is some ghosts seem to be here for a visit, and other are here on their own agenda." Cassie grinned at the mention of pastries, "Hey, sure. That'd be great."

"Their own agenda, that's not ominous at all," Maya replied. At least she didn't have to worry about that. As disappointed as her mother surely was in her, Maya knew that Rosemary only wanted the best for her. "Just coffee, thanks," Maya said to Essie, "And whatever's strongest." 

For her part, Rosemary frowned, concerned. "You believe that some of these ghosts mean to harm whoever they're attached to?" she asked Cassie, although she didn't the woman's name.

Essie gains the hint of a smile and shakes her head "Danny can't quite believe me, but I bet I could get him to go if I really tried to convince him." she says "But the real thrill is strapping your wings down and taking the leap." she wonders why people around here avoid using the term but never wanted to ask or look too deeply, she probably did that because she knew Danny and Danny was funny about his own wings. Essie jerks her head and starts moving towards the snacks and kettle. "People from the department are looking into it, they're not very far yet but they're looking." she chimes in.

"Oh no. I don't think they can harm anyone." And mostly, Cassie had come to that conclusion simply by the fact that all her ghost had done so far was scream. She knew Melena had more of a temper than that, but it didn't seem like she could do more than make a toy rattle. It no doubt, only added more to her frustration. She followed Essie towards the snacks and coffee. "Really I think we just have to endure them. No offense." She said quickly, already seeing the ginger witch's expression pucker. "The department will figure it out." She nodded to Essie, "They're well equipped enough."

Both mother and daughter nodded, neither entirely settled on just letting the authorities handle it. Rosemary though was glad to hear that the other ghosts, like herself, seemed unable to interact with the physical world. Of course, there were more ways than physical to hurt someone. "Enduring," Rosemary half mused, "That does seem to be the most apt description, doesn't it?" Maya winced. Growing up, she'd always heard tales of Rosemary's silver and sometimes acidic tongue. She liked hearing about it much better than being on the other end of it. She knew that her behavior had to be hurting her mom's feelings, but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

"This all feels like a war of attrition on my end I have to say." Craig mumbles to himself grumpily being forced to follow along as Essie simply walks right away without so much as a backwards glance at him. Essie herself agreed. "The team working on it are from all kinds, they'll figure out some way or another to deal with the situation. If we have to let it play out-" she makes a face "-We let it play out."

"Do you think anyone got stuck with a ghost they were actually happy to see?" Cassie muttered to the other women. Sure maybe the apparitions could easily hear her, but between Melena, Maya's mother, and whoever Essie's mystery man was - it was clear none of them were ecstatic over reunions.

Essie glances at Craig and he perks up looking back at her startled by her gaze all of a sudden. "I don't know." she mumbles looking away again and setting about putting on the coffee. "maybe the outcome of the visit is supposed to overall be positive? but magic doesn't usually do things like that right in my experience."

Maya winced again. She should be happy. She knew that she should be happy. After all, she had spent countless hours wondering about her parents, about how her life would've been different, about if they would be proud of her now. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. Rosemary too was at a loss for words, at first. Her reunion with her daughter would've always been bittersweet. She had missed so much time and she was beginning to suspect that she and Nate had left their daughter to face the world alone, however unintentionally. Finally, Rosemary said, "I don't think its easy for any of us either. I get to see my daughter again, only to discover that she seems to be angry with me. I assume for dying."

[ladyspaceradio]

Ink Chapter 3

Ao3 Link

Chapter 3: Giraffe 

The angara found their other halves through dreams.

It was a connection that linked them from birth.

Evfra had heard the tales all his life of the joy and intimacy such a connection brought each pair. But he had never experienced it himself.

Oh it wasn’t obvious that there was anything different about Evfra as a babe. His mothers had simply thought him just another fussy infant that disliked sleep. It had been quite some time before he had been old enough to understand that there was something seriously lacking in him.

Evfra de Tershaav did not dream.

His mothers had been adamant that there had to be some mistake. True, there was the rare tragic tale of lovers never meeting, dying before the mating bond was complete, but nowhere on the Angaran worlds existed any mention of someone simply… alone.

At first his family had decided that his mate simply had not been born yet as not every pairing was close in age, some were as far as seven or even nine years apart. Everyone but Evfra ignored that even in those cases the older angara in question had always dreamt of something, blurred shapes and fog instead of the empty black void that awaited him each night.

The blood blue angaran boy only grew more sullen with every dreamless year, but still he waited. For the one who would love only him, Evfra de Tershaav swore he would wait as long as it took.

By his twenty fifth year, his patience had worn thin in the face of his family’s well meaning but ceaseless pity. His heartache gained a desperate, almost savage edge as he faced the possibility of dreamless nights unending.

Why Why WHY?!

What had he done to be so undeserving? For what possible skkutting reason could the Stars have for denying him the other half of his soul?!

It was a few more years before Evfra found his answer at the hands of the Kett.

Screaming. Gunfire. Splashes of blue, so much blue staining the floors and walls. Smoke. Pain. Then silence.

Evfra awoke in the ruins of his family home with the dead eyes of his youngest niece staring at him.

Sweet Avinii had been excitedly telling him about her dreams just a few hours before.

Her small body was twisted into an unnatural shape and it broke him.

Without a word his hands gently gathered her into his arms and with great care he tucked her into bed with her favorite stuffed toy.

Armed with his true mother’s assault rifle and firaan, Evfra left to find the rest of his family.

But they were long gone.

After his family was taken on Voeld, Evfra felt he finally had the answer for being born an unpaired Angara. He was to be an uncompromising blade striking at the heart of the enemy.

He would fill the void in his soul with the bodies of a thousand dead Kett.

The Resistance had always been there after the kett came, but only as unorganized pockets of scattered fighters. Through the sheer force of his rage Evfra rallied his people, pulled them together across the stars and transformed them into a force that held the Kett back.

And at the time it had worked, till the kett realized what was happening. First is was Eos, lost to the ketts attrition warfare. Elaaden was next, though pockets of Resistance forces stayed hidden with civilians. Kadara was on the cusp of being another loss.

They were fighting a losing battle once more.

Until one day it changed again.

Strangers came, much like the kett. Out of the stars they appeared, scouring various worlds. The kett lost their footholds in some worlds as they fought against the new aliens. This in turned forced them to focus their attention on others. Angara kidnappings increased, and so did the pressure to simply survive.

The resistance was on the verge of failing. He was on the verge of failing.

Reports poured in every day. News on ketts movements. The horrors of what they have done. Attacking supply lines, ambushes on scouts, so many MIA reports. They were targeting comms trying to leave the resistance blind. The worst yet were the reports of civilians. Stories so similar to his own. Families ripped apart.

Evfra had been reading over such a report when it happened. As if someone had stabbed him with a dull firaan, pain erupted in his chest, his lungs spasmed as if to draw in air but there was none available. Stumbling he latched onto the table in front of him, dropping the datapad. His hand pressed to where his heart lay as it ‘thump-thumped painfully beneath the skin and muscles. Tears blurred his vision as the recurring thought of ‘I can’t die here!’ echoed in a voice that was not his own.

As the seconds ticked by the agony reached a peak before it abruptly stopped.

“EVFRA!” Someone was yelling repeatedly. “BY THE STARS! GET OLVEK!!”

He opened his mouth to snap at them that he didn’t need the skkutting doctor. But the fighters were already scrambling, yelling for Olvek who was just a level below.

By the time the old angara made it up the steps, Evfra is back to growling orders at his bewildered men. Getting them settled and focused back on the information pouring in.

It took a full five minutes for Olvek to pull the General away from the resistance feeds and start checking him for signs of sickness. Routine scans are done, medical checks are clear, leaving the medic puzzled over these signs. He glances at the charts, double checking that it states no mate recorded.

Having enough of being treated like an invalid the Resistance leader stands again. “It’s just exhaustion.” He proclaims as there is no other clear cause being presented.

“Evfra,” Olvek frowned. “This isn’t mere exhaustion.” He hesitated which made Evfra’s frown deepen “I-I’ve seen this before, many times when a...when an angara loses their culum mea.”

“Preposterous.” Evfra snarled, his lip curling in aggravation. “I’ve never had a mate.”

Olvek eyes him, as if this was something Evfra would skkutting lie about. The resistance leader glared at him, daring the doctor push him on this. Olvek instead shifted uncomfortably. “I’ll prescribe something to help you sleep, and I recommend you to get more sun Evfra.”

Grunting the resistance leader turns his back, returning to his safe haven.

The phantom pain doesn’t leave him for sometime, like small fingers wrapped around his heart, he can feel a searing squeeze now and then. Sending shocks of pain rocketing down his spine. Lingering behind the pain though was that little feminine voice who had been crying out that she couldn’t die here. He ponders the peculiarity of all that has happened for a few more days before another kett ambush sweeps the incident away.  

It’s children this time, taken from the clutches of their mothers.

Evfra is snarling at the news, barking out orders to skkutting prepare for a counter attack. He will not let the younglings be taken as long as he’s still breathing when it hits.

His arm burned, a delicate flame brushing gently across his arm. As if someone is stroking the bioelectricity down his arm in a lover's caress. Sensual, slow, and seductive.

Hissing with confusion, Evfra throws down the datapad he was holding, scaring the recruit who had been reporting in as he peeled back his sleeve and froze.

Gentle curving traces a picture were being born upon his arm. Stroke by lazy stroke the swirling colors of a sunset bled onto his arm.

“What the skkut is this!” Evfra roared wiping his fingers across the image, smearing the details that were painted upon his skin.

His outrage had gained the attention of all the fighters, those who were curious enough cast peeks at his arm, while others were too fearful to leave their station.

“Perhaps sir,” A pilot who had been reporting in hedged back. There was a tremor in his voice as he spoke to Evfra. “Olvek could look at it and-.”

Evfra chuffed cutting off the angara. “Finish your report with Raviin.” His second in command turned at the sound of her name.

The pilot nodded before scurrying over to her.

Giving his arm a long look, he nodded to Raviin as he stepped out. The light blue angara returned the gesture before frowning at the pilot explaining what was happening.

Olvek is sitting, scrolling through his list. Inventory needed counting, and if there was surplus then it needed to be shipped to those in need. He’s squinting at the screen, crunching numbers when his vision suddenly shifts to something colorful. It takes the old, tired angara a moment to process that there is an arm now in his field of vision.

Following the arm to it’s owner, Olvek came face to face with the scowling leader of the resistance.

“Are you an artist now Evfra?” Olvek inquired in good nature. It was something the blue angara took in stride, sometimes Olvek almost got a smile out of the wary angara. Today would not be one of those days.

“I’m not finding your attempts at humor funny Olvek.” Evfra hissed. “What is this?” he demanded, pointing down at the mark in disgust.

“A picture.” Olvek ventures.

“How did it get there?” Evfra presses, his arm is practically touching the medics nose at this point.

Olvek gives the general a look before examining the smear picture. Lips tipping down in a frown he studies it for a moment. “How exactly did you get it?”

“That is what I am asking you.” Evfra chuffs. “It just appeared.”

“Just….appeared.” Olvek regards the arm one more time before crossing his arms. “Tell me everything.”

Evfra wasted no time explaining how he had this odd feeling burn across his arm, and when he went to check, pulling his shirt back he found this. Wet on his arm like it had just been painted.

Olvek was quiet for a long moment before sighing, which usually meant he was about to say something the pissed Evfra off more. “I only have a theory…..Have you been,”

He hesitates again. “dreaming?”

Like poking a festering wound, the pain flared. The jagged edges of a fractured soul lay bare and empty. It was a shameful mark he would always have.

“No.” He snaps. “I have never had a mate.”

“Evfra.” Olvek stands placing a hand upon his forearm above the marking. “I think this is a soul mark. The new aliens might be-.”

“No.” He couldn’t possibly have a mate with those heathens. The ones who sold their own for money and slaughtered each other at the slightest provocation. No he couldn’t have a mate like that.

There isn’t much else exchanged between the two angara. Olvek attempts again to broach the subject but Evfra shuts it down, with only a sad look he sends the General back to his troops to fight another day.

It was no secret to anyone who serves beneath the detached angara what happened to him. However not all know that the scarred male had never dreamt a day in his life. There was only one other case Olvek knew of, yet he held onto hope that these newcomers would bring about a peaceful future.

Grabbing a rag he wiped the image away. Scrubbing the colors off into the basin, watching them swirl away till only his skin is left.  It wasn’t possible that his mate was an alien.

Wasn’t it?

That night he dreamt in color.  Of a planet he had never seen. On a hill that overlooked the sunset that had been painted upon his arm. The land was a dusty brown while the sky was a brilliant blue. He could feel the wind kicking up dust around his feet while the murmuring sound of life drifted from below.

Souls dream.

Heart in his throat Evfra twisted around. His eyes scanning and searching. For a frantic moment he couldn’t find her. Only the dusty planes of this flat starved world. But he could feel her. Feel the flutterings of her heart, her twisting emotions and confusion. He can feel the thrum of their connection. How it's growing stronger the longer they stay in this connected dream.

She is alive and his.

Around and around he turned till his eyes landed on her, a mere spec standing in white armor, to far to see clearly, but close enough to know she looked….wrong.

She can’t be...

As if the connection sensed his forming rejection, the world at his feet begin to quake. Colors splintered, turning back into a dulling gray color, sucking away all warmth leaving only a starch coldness.

She did then turn, face plate glinting in the sun before everything began to crumble, she started to fade from view, taking the sky and land with her till Evfra was left to suffocate in familiar darkness again.

NO!

Jerking awake, he gasps. Muscles twitching as electric volts shimmer beneath the surface agitated. His fist slams into the wall beside his cot, leaving a dent.

He just ruined their connection.

For the rest of the night he sits in the silence of his rooms. He feels torn in two, yet whole at the same time. Absently his hand rubbed across his chest, above the rapid beats of his heart. Around and around his mind turns.

He wasn’t unworthy.

She was real.

She was his.

Her origin didn’t matter.

After 40 years of waiting, Evfra had a mate and once he found her… he was never letting go.

Before the first rays of the sun could greet the dawn, Evfra had slipped from his bed and walked the silent streets of Aya. Vendors had yet to set up stalls as most would still be dreaming with their loved ones. Some of the veterans of the Resistance called greetings as they went to work, switching out with the other fighters who had been monitoring feeds and reports during the night.

With the morning dusk peaking over the horizon, Evfra made his way to the repository. There was something he needed. Avela was certainly surprised to see the resistance leader, and even more surprised to hear his request.

As silently as he came, he was gone before anyone could really realize that the leader of the Resistance was passing by with a harsh scowl twisting his mouth.

Once in the safety of his base of operations, Evfra pulled out the small thin device to study it. Wondering if he was making a fool of himself.

The small black artisans brush weighted heavily in the palm of his hand. Twisting it to have the tip pointing up. Evfra studied the ink stained felt nib. Red, like the Harval skyline of a waning sun.  

Avela had handed it to him with small inquisitive stares. She had been curious, probed him with timid questions, all he refused to yield an answer to. Now he stood in the headquarters, the few fighters present paid him no heed as the passed in and out of the room, carrying request and sending out orders.

Uncertainty stilled his hand. What was he suppose to do? Would this even work?

Grunting he lay the tip against his skin, and drew a hesitant line. The small red mark stood out against his deep blue skin. Beneath the drying ink he could feel the faintest of tingles dancing across his nerves, just as he felt when the sunset appeared.

Would this bring back the link he’d shattered?

“Evfra,” A voice called from the doorway.

Evfra De Tershaav, Resistance leader, a man always on the alert, flinched at the sudden intrusion. The pen he held dropped to the ground and rolled beneath the table.

“What are you doing?” Jaal stood in the doorway looking perplexed at the General’s behavior. It would seem he had returned from the reconnaissance mission.

Jaal Ama Darav was a good fighter, but far too skkutting nosy for his own good.

“Nothing.” Evfra growled kicking the brush away like it had burned him.

Jaal regarded him with a curious look before moving into the room with purpose. He was ambitious, reckless at moments but a good shot and a better soldier. Most of Evfra’s time was spent on Aya which meant he had to send others to gather information and carry out orders. Jaal was one of the few scouts he sent out and knew he would be returning. He was an Ama Darav after all.

The pen was soon forgotten as Jaal began his reports of Eos and Voeld. Though Evfra’s eyes drifted continuously down to look at his arm, wondering what came next.

Hours he waited. Watching something, but his arm remain persistently blank. Disappointed and no amount of frustrated, Evfra threw the pen away. Tossing it with an angry snarl out the open window.

He came to regret this decision moments later when the first of the lines began appearing. Pen gone, he could only stare in both amazement and frustration at the blocky lines. At night he’d trace the nonsense scribbles and wonder what she looked like. How’d she feel in his arms. It was the only thing that soothed the aching need that the tattered bond had left.

For days there was an endless stream of markings on his arm. Blocky black lines that made no sense to him.

But they were more welcome than the dreams that came at night. Each evening, Evfra made little to no progress building back the link he lost. Constantly she was in the distance, across a cavern of stars staring silently at him. No matter how many steps he progressed forward she always seemed too far to reach, or if he pushed too hard the dream would crumble apart.

She slipped through his fingers again and again.

Most nights he awoke snarling in frustration.

The only hope he had was the small thrumming of the what was left of the connection. He could feel her beating heart, even in the day. The feeling was tucked inside his chest, right next to his own heart. When the Resistance had a particularly bad encounter with the kett, he relied on those small fluttering beats to reassure himself that he was fighting for more. More than just the future of his people, he was fighting for her.

But it was those times during the night, when small pieces of fractured emotions would reach him before the connection failed. These little swirling emotions stabbed at his gut with worry. His mate was a small bundle of fear and confusion, tinged with joy and wavering confidence.

It was at this moment Evfra wished for the Moshae's calm presence the most. He missed her counsel, and needed the advice.

The day the Tempest showed, he probably should have known. That the woman with the all too soft smile, flaming hair, and green eyes was more to him than just the savior of his people

It had been another day at the Resistance, where a collective breath was being held as they were monitoring kett ships that had drifted far too close to Aya. The battle cruiser that had been coasting along the scourge, seemingly with no definite course when the reports of an unknown ship entering Aya’s atmosphere began piling in.

Evfra had been in a meeting. The kett had been up to something since the strangers had come from dark space. There had been high levels of activity at Ja Nihk and a seemingly unrelated report from Harval of angara scientist who went missing.  Evfra had been tasking Jaal with finding more out about the two when the report came to him.

Preparing for the worst, Evfra waited for the the reports to come in, that they were under siege,  when his pilots reported in. The alien ship was defenseless and on fire. An unusual predicament that left Evfra hesitating. Before, when his skin was silent and his dreams were empty, it would have been a quick decision to bring the ship down. They could not afford to lose Aya. Now he was almost torn about taking down an alien ship.

That choice was taken from his hands when Paaran Shie’s voice entered the comms telling them to let the aliens land. His pilots hesitated, they didn’t answer to the governor despite what she thought, when he sent an all-clear for the order.

Snarling, he organized snipers and troops to flood the streets and keep the civilians of aya safe. If this was an assault he was needed here, to coordinate counter attacks. Evfra would not leave his people blind. So he sent Jaal and listened to the sniper comms as the Pathfinder was escorted to his base.

“Sector three reporting….It’s legs are odd.”

“Her, and keep the chatter to a minimum” Raviin snapped as she directed the sniper squad. “Sector two clear she’s heading your way Valik.”

“I see her.”

There was a silence between each report, Evfra could feel the light fluttering of the connection beating rapidly. As he waited his hand pressed to the base of his diaphragm, was his worry bleeding into hers or was she in trouble? The worry about her well being that implanted itself in the back of his mind like a sickness silenced the moment the headquarters doors opened revealing Jaal and the small alien beside him.

The human Pathfinder appeared like the flaming sun of Voeld. Her eyes were a shade of green he had never seen before and tuff as red as the flames flickering in the lonely nights of Harval.

Evfra found himself staring at this creature, trying to piece together the chaos of her body.

Her legs were wrong, bending only once, her voice was wrong, speaking in a slow drawl like his growling and chuffing didn’t affect her. Her face was wrong. Eyes too wide and expressive, spilling out all her secrets, while her lip had the corners upturned at all moments, even when he was towering over her, snarling at her to back off.

“Can’t,” She said with a dainty uplifting of her shoulders.

Skkutt she’s small.

“I have people I need to protect.”

He noticed then the slight sag in her otherwise confident posture, the dark lines beneath her eyes, something burdened this woman. A brief flash of sympathy had him telling her he was sorry, for her people, but that didn’t change anything. She just smiled before saying.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” She tilted her head to the side her wide green eyes sparkling with a secret she wasn’t telling.

Evfra sneered. “That is quite possibly the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Her smile widened then, rows of white teeth revealed.

“You say the nicest things.”

She confused him. Confounded him to the very core. He tried intimidation, she looked amused, he tried reason, she bewildered him with nonsense. He had only force which left a sour taste in his mouth when he looked at her tiny body.

I could snap her in half with one hand.

“Pathfinder-”

“Ryder.” She sniffed, smiling again. “Only elite douchebags have to call me Pathfinder,”

He narrowed his eyes. “Ryder. Why are you here?”

“Oh, well I met this-what did Jaal call him…” She tapped her pursed lips. “Archon, escaping him busted up my ship so we were forced to land. But we were already on our way here, see you got this vault I need to look at-.”

“No.” He cut her off before she could finish the statement. Her face twisted into a frown for the first time before the smile return.

“What if I ask really nice.” Lids lowered as she stared at him with half hidden eyes while her voice had taken a lower, huskier tone.

“No.”

Huffing, she crossed her arms while her pink lips puckered out in a pout he only seen pups do when being denied. “You didn’t like sharing toys when you were younger did you?”

He had no dignified answer for that so he stared at her, hoping that maybe she was smart enough to take the hint.

She was not.

“Look Big Blue, you seemed like a nice...guy,” Someone snorted behind her. “But I’m going to insist that you let me see your vault."

“No.”

She sighed rubbing her face with those little fingers. She had too many segmented joints. “Is that the only word you have in your vocabulary?”

His lip twitched then in amusement before settling back into a frown. Because resistance leaders did find small mouthy invading aliens amusing.

“Evfra,” Jaal stepped forward, tired from watching from the sidelines. “The Moshae could help.” The little Pathfinder behind him started nodding her head excitedly as she crosses her arms.

“The Moshae is lost to us.” He hisses.

The nodding stops abruptly.

“If what she says is true,” Jaal hesitates before moving forward to clasp Evfra’s shoulders. “We have a chance to rescue the Moshae, should we not take it?”

“Let me help.” The human edges in. That constant smile is fainter now as she speaks. “Let me prove to you we aren’t... that I’m not like the kett.” It’s her eyes so wide and honest that it has him hesitating.

“Do what you want.”  He relents as Jaal persistently pokes at his shoulders. Little nudges the angara does when he wants to do something but needs Evfra’s approval.

If he gets himself killed it’s not my fault.

But his eyes continuously track back to the flaming strands curling around a small round face. Her green eyes gleam in the sunlight as she speaks to him. The tips of her pink lips are curling again.

“Next time you see me,” She pointed a finger at Evfra, almost challenging, “I’m going to have your Moshae.”

He hated her.

Something about her gnawed at him, made his skin prickle strangely. But those are worries he tucks away as the Resistance’s rising demands take his attention away from the woman sauntering out his door.

The days to follow are filled with reports. A series of events that Evfra never thought would come at the hands of an alien. Every report flooding in from Voeld was of one woman, and how she was single handedly wiping the ice planet clean of the kett’s grasp.

‘Ja Nihk shields are down, Pathfinder spotted on her way.’

‘Another ambush, Pathfinder showed up got the team out.’

‘Need dispatch of rescued angara. Pathfinder says more are on the way.’

As the Pathfinder repeatedly proved herself to be invaluable, Evfra found himself in awe. She was a force to be reckoned with, even with her small stature. But while the Resistance was seeing better days, Evfra was still fretting over the silence of his skin. Days had gone by and there had been no whispering lines of black drawn there. He had attempted to get another brush from Avela who had turned stubborn on the point. Especially when he informed her that the last pen had been ‘lost.’

“That is part of our history!” Avela gasped. “Our great artists used them to depict the murals of history.”

Evfra merely shrugged, he had no interest in history. He was here to protect the future of their people, not the past. When he demanded another one, the curator clammed up with surprising anger.

“I am not a vendor Evfra.” She tilted her chin, looking perturbed by the prospect of yet another lost artifact.  

No amount of growling would prove to budge the stubborn woman who stood firm in her decision, until he found the ‘lost’ brush he would not be getting another one. Even snooping proved futile as she had taken what was left of the little writing tools and secreted them away.

As helpless in the waking hours as he is asleep, Evfra can do nothing but glower at his unchanging skin. Till one morning, while he lay sprawled across the cot staring unseeingly at the ceiling he feels the slow delicate strokes of another mark appearing on his skin. He shudders at the sensation and tries not to moan.

Upon its completion, the image that now graces his arm is of some strange four legged creature. Yellow with an elongated neck and spindly legs. It looks ridiculous against the blue of his skin.  

Evfra leaves it.

Notes: Welcome back Lovelies to Tuesday’s update! Thanks for all the love you send our way! See you next Tuesday!

Now a note from the Co-creator @lunamkardas:

*Grabs Microphone From LadySpaceRadio* ARE YOU FUCKERS READY TO ROCK?! WELL GET ON THE GODDAMN FEELS TRAIN BECAUSE WE ABOUT TO FUCK SHIT UP! YOU SEE THAT HOT BLUE FUCKER?!

WE'RE GOING TO WRECK HIS ASS!! SO STRAP IN MOTHERFUCKERS CAUSE IT'S ABOUT TO GET BUMPY!!!!!!

[rideboldlyride]

Pretty Please...

For those of you worried that I’ve died, or given up writing entirely, First off, I wanna assure you- that is far from the case. In fact, I’ve been busy, keeping myself busy writing some scenes for the future of O-Yoroi, and the next in the Argent Series (which is a prequel/next one in the series combo? It’ll make more sense when I write it). Speaking of, would you like to see a scene from that?

I knew you would. 

This is entitled: Pretty Please...

"So are you in?"

Qrow Branwen raised a brow to the petite young woman beside him. 

"I don't know, Short-Stack... you know how my luck is..."

She shrugged, raising a brow in retort. 

"All depends on your version of bad luck tonight."

The full implications of her words hit him, and the lanky young man stopped in his steps. Continuing without missing a beat, she glanced over her shoulder. 

"It's okay if you don't want to- I've already got Perry and Drake in for the game, and I only need to ask Tai, and I'll have them both in." Winking, she continued. "So if you don't wanna test your luck, we'll be fine without you."

Shrugging, she disappeared around the corner as Qrow fought hard to control his rebelling body as he moved on to his next class.

___

"Alright- house rules:," Tai began, still shuffling the deck. "I know Sum, Perry and Drake know how to play, but Rae, do you know the basics of--"

A knock at the door paused the explanation, and Perry popped up to answer. Behind the door stood the taller Branwen twin. Rolling his eyes, the stocky man moved aside to let him in, calling in to the inhabitants of the room. 

"Ugh... you invited the bird to come?"

Raising a brow to him, Summer replied. 

"Definitely. Partner, remember?" 

Turning, she threw a dazzling smile up at the red eyed young man. He was frustrated to feel his stomach flip. "You made it!" 

"Well," Qrow said, internally begging his body to behave. "After you mentioned it, I was curious as to my luck tonight."

As the door shut, Summer pulled a bottle from under the bed. Gesturing with bottle in hand she directed him to a spot next to her as she poured him a shot. 

"Atlesean whiskey? What's the occasion?" He queried her. 

"It's been years since the four of us played. And we have two newbies with us. Both good reasons to celebrate. Besides," she smirked at him, "always start with the good stuff while you can still taste it."

"Always a good principle to live by."

All six clinked shot glasses, tapped the floor and downed it. A harmony of sighs mixed as it burned their throats. 

"So," Tai began again, "house rules. Everybody familiar with poker, right?"

All nodded. "So- the differences are this: if you didn't fold, and you lose the hand, the winner gets to choose which piece of clothing you lose. At the end of the game, the winner decides what happens to all the lost clothes."

Summer cleared her throat. "And shots every round."

The blond man nodded. "Yeah, that too." 

Taking a look at the twins, he threw a predatory smile their way. 

"You guys do realize that Summer holds the record, right?"

Raven whipped her head towards the young man. "Record? For what?"

"Winning. She's never lost more than her boots and cape."

An innocent smile was flashed towards the twins. Qrow leaned in, his eyes narrowing. 

"That's no fair."

"Hey, now!" She held her hands up in mock surrender. "Your luck goes both ways. Today might be the day..." 

A wink, and the young man felt his head spin. 

Wait. If she normally wins, and she wanted me here... His brain started making the calculations, and a small sly smile pulled at his lips. 

"Fair enough."

With a flourish, Tai flicked the cards through the shuffle. 

"Ladies and gentlemen! The first round of the Team STRQ and half of Team MPLE," he pronounced with great enthusiasm, "STRIP POKER!"

___

"Fold."

"Call."

"Call."

"Fold."

"Call."

"Call."

With both Branwen twins playing it cautiously, Summer was beginning to get frustrated. As per usual, her hands were just right, and Drake and Perry were as easy of reads as they had always been. Tai had been more careful, but still played risky. 

The members of the other team had already cast their shirts and shoes in the center, not leaving much left to work with. Tai had lost his vest. To both members of Team STRQ's frustration, Qrow and Raven had only lost their boots. Summer remained completely clothed. 

Glancing down at her hand, she knew she had let her frustration get the better of her. Distracted, the petite woman had missed an opportunity, and once the chance had passed, still called, rather than folding. All she could hope was that her misstep would still be better than every one else's hands. 

First hand down, and she knew that it wasn't. Once all were down, it was obvious that Tai was the winner with three of a kind and a small run. 

A few more rounds and shots in, Summer had lost her cloak and boots, and Raven and Tai had lost their shirts. 

Forcing her brain to focus through the alcoholic haze, Summer stared hard at her hand. Keeping her face as blank as possible, she was happy to see the makings of a run. At the discard, her next card filled her with confidence. 

"Call."

Qrow eyed the young woman, searching her face for any telltales. It was becoming more difficult, through the fog starting to settle over his mind, to determine. Having lost nothing, he was willing to risk it. 

"Call."

Both men of the opposing team had the liquor's effect hit them the hardest. Both chose to call, despite their obvious level of intoxication. Tai and Raven both folded. 

Laying down the cards, Qrow watched with growing anxiety as Summer's hand was revealed. Sighing, he showed his hand with no flourish. The other two men just started taking off their pants. 

Summer shrugged, and turned to her partner. Her eyes scanned him, the haze discarding some of her caution. Finally meeting his eyes, she smirked. 

"We'll start with the shirt." 

Meeting her smile, he slowly unbuttoned. Her eyes watched each motion with childlike curiosity. Slowly, his chest emerged, laced with scars, many of them old. One prominent fresh and pink scar ran from shoulder to hip. The sight of it brought back the memories of Songji, and sobered her gleeful mind. Quickly, she turned back to the game, compiling the cards again. 

Stopping she took quick stock of the ranking. Perry and Drake, fairly well sloshed, were down to their last article of clothing. They would soon be out of the game. 

Raven and Tai remained mostly clothed, only lacking shirts and boots. However, there current attention spans were becoming limited, as hands began to wander.

All that left was Qrow and Summer, both mostly clothed. This game was nearing its end. A sudden warmth at her shoulder, and the gravelly voice of her partner emerged at her side. 

"You know, Short-Stack, it's a bit unfair that you've got a cloak. Gives you a bit of a handicap."

"Ya know," Perry slurred, "I've neva thaat abut that. Waddya say, Summmur?"

Raising a brow at her partner, she sniffed. Deciding that another shot was in order for a proper response, she poured and downed it. 

"Tell you what," she turned to them, "if I lose either of the next two hands, I'll take off two things."

A smirk etched across the face of the man. Extending a hand with playful formality, the two shook. 

"Deal."

Hands reshuffled and dealt, all six studied their cards. 

"Fold."

"Fold."

"Call."

"Fold."

"Call."

"Call."

Three in and three out, Drake, Raven and Tai, threw their cards away. Slowly the remaking three laid their hands down simultaneously, eyes flicking to their opponent's. 

Once more, Summer had come off victorious. Turning to Perry, she sighed even as the man grinned widely. Her voice was resigned. 

"Yeah, yeah Perry." 

Turning to Raven, her silver eyes rolled. "It's not that impressive."

"Hey!" The stocky man cried out defensively. "It's not about the size..."

Drake, who had mostly passed out, woke up enough to interrupt his friend. 

"That's not what she said."

And promptly passed out again. 

Raven took in an eyeful and turned back to her friend. 

"That's... actually pretty depressing."

The scarlet haired woman nodded resignedly. Her face suddenly perked, and she glanced over at her partner. Blinking a few times, she took in the shirtless masterpiece she saw before her. 

Shaking away the stars from her eyes, she smiled softly. 

"I won't be that mean, yet. Just the jewelry."

Raising a brow at her, he paused for a moment before working off his rings and wristband. His hand strayed nervously to the strand and charm at his neck, but she stopped him. 

"No." She shook her head. "No, you can leave that on. That's..." her mind was at a loss for words, but she could still see he concern in his eyes at the thought of its removal. "... that's important to you."

His brow cleared, and he nodded once.

Turning back to the game, she caught an eyeful of Perry still standing, free to the wind. 

Letting out a sigh of disgust, Summer squinted up at the man. "Sit down, Perry."

"Aw," he started, his drunken stumbles adding to the humor of the situation. "I figured you guys were used to... Stark... situations."

All four stopped their motion and met him with the same withering glare. Hands up in mock surrender, he sunk back into a cross-legged position. 

"I thought it was funny..."

Tai cocked a brow. "At least one of us did."

Raven turned a long suffering look to her boyfriend.  "I wouldn't say much, 'Pun Master'."

Shrugging, he turned back to Summer. "Please deal, and get me out of the mess."

Hands back out, save for Drake, as he laid passed out on the floor, and Perry who was out from attrition. Dealer called last hand, and it was solely Team STRQ playing. 

The silver-eyed woman's hand was good. Really good. Three aces. Unless someone pulled a Royal Flush, she'd get those pants off of the red eyed man now across from her. 

"Call."

"Fold."

"Fold."

"Call."

Staring the other down, they placed their hands down. 

Royal Flush. 

That damn Qrow Branwen. 

He had a Royal Flush. 

Glancing up at him, she watched the slow smile pull across his lips. 

"Leggings."

Record gone, but the look in his eyes made her shiver, and records? Well, they were made to be broken. Tugging at her leggings they slid down her legs and she kicked them to the pile. His eyes were watching her every move, and she felt a warmth spread from her chest.  Finished she raised a brow to him. Sitting back down, she glanced at him, and found his eyes following her lines, before raising a brow to her. 

"What?"

A lopsided smirk pulled at his lips. "I believe there was a deal..."

Warmth started in her cheeks and she tried to dismiss it in her mind as the alcohol, as their eyes met for a moment. Glancing away and clearing her throat, she tried to speak nonchalantly. 

"Well, then, what's next?"

A pause, and he cocked his head to the side. 

"Dress."

Nodding, she stood, even as the lanky man leaned back on to his palms, stretching his torso, keeping his eyes on her movements. Trying her best to keep a neutral face- and failing- she kept her eyes on the two across from her. Fortunately for her, they were both distracted. However, as she attempted to reach for her zipper, the petite woman quickly recognized that the multiple shots of whiskey had not helped her coordination. 

Frustrated, she turned her back towards the cause of her current discomfort- her partner. It was now his turn to become uncomfortable. A hesitant voice called around her after a moment. 

"Um... do you need help?"

Sighing, she nodded. "Yes. Seems when I'm tipsy, unzipping myself is a lot harder than it usually is."

Taking in a deep breath, he stood, a little closer behind her than necessary. His warm breath was on the back of her neck, and she shivered. Qrow reached for the zipper, letting a few fingers drag across her revealed skin of her back as he pulled it down. Far too quickly, the dress fell to a heap on the floor. 

Still for a moment, he took in the sight of her back, mostly smooth, a few small scars peppering, but two fresh new scars laced her back. Ever so lightly, and without his notice, his fingertips brushed the top of her shoulder, and he was gratified to see goose bumps raise after his touch. Her silver eyes glanced over her shoulder to meet his garnet, and in the moment of alcohol and heat, Qrow allowed his self control to break. Hand now around her shoulder he took a half step forward, eyes glowing. Their skin so close, he leaned in--

"Heeeeyyy...." 

Damn Luck. 

Perry pointed a lazy finger towards Summer.

"I can seeee your undieeees...."

Both broke away quickly, and she skewered the drunk man with an angry glare.

 "Shut up, Perry."

Dropping back into her position, she mumbled a 'thank you' before she started gathering the points. Slower, Qrow joined her on the floor, taking care not to accidentally touch her. The quiet voice of anxiety whispered in his brain, recalling the other events in the past where young men had been rejected by her. 

"Tai!" 

Her voice interrupted both his thoughts and an impromptu make out session between the other two, and he shot his head up at her words. "You're better with numbers. Who won?"

A few moments, spent with pen scratching across parchment, and Tai announced his conclusions. Summer had won, as per usual. Drake was still unconscious, in his underwear, and Perry who was still au naturale, was nearing the same condition. 

Quickly scavenging the pile, she flung shirts and jewelry back to her teammates and pulled her own clothing from the batch. With a flick of her hand, the rest of the pile caught in a small whirlwind of petals, out the window and into the courtyard. All four took a quick gaze outside, seeing their compatriot's clothing strewn like streamers from the trees. 

"Unspoken house rule:" Summer explained to the twins, "never pass out during strip poker."

Easily slipping back on their clothing, Raven and Tai slipped out of the room and were gone. It was simple to make the conclusion for Qrow and Summer that their dorm was off limits lest they wanted more emotional scarring. 

___

So, Yeah, this is a scene you will see in the next story. ;) But you’ve got to finish O-Yoroi first! (Which means I’ve got to finish it too...)

[waynekelton]

The Best Free Games on Android

Some of the greatest games ever have been freeware. The openness of the Android system has led to many, many freeware games making it onto the Play store. In this article, we look at the cream of the crop, only a handful of which you can find for free on Apple devices. None of these games have ads or IAP beyond donations, nor are they demos. They are full, free and unlimited.

Are you an iOS user? Don't worry, we've got you covered as well! These are games that have been created by beautiful, dedicated teams of people for the love of the craft. They are free, really free -- free as in America, not free as in beer. No ads. No gold, diamonds, coins, elixir, timers, or hats. They are what was once called "freeware", and we're here today to share some of them with you...

Ananias (Google Play)

Ananias is another mobile-focused but otherwise traditional roguelike. It's easily playable on a phone with traditional turn-based gameplay and nice-looking pixel graphics. What it adds is an online mode that lets you co-op play with your friends, or just track their solo progress through the dungeon. A newer paid edition has more classes, but the original is definitely a complete game by itself.

Arcane Sorcery (Google Play)

You know you want Master of Magic on your phone. Arcane Sorcery is a fantasy-themed 4X strategy game that is deeply devoted to the early 90s classics. That's sometimes to its detriment, but it should ring some nostalgia bells for many gamers. Arcane Sorcery is not the deepest experience out there, but for a freeware mobile title, you'll get your money's worth. Best played on a tablet, unless you like squinting.

Hidden Dimensions 3 (Google Play)

Hidden Dimensions is a hidden gem of a digital collectible card game. Where hits like Hearthstone want your whole paycheck to keep competitive, Hidden Dimensions gives you several hundred cards that you can collect just by playing. Here, instead of magical wizard duels, you're commanding a starship and adding fighters and space stations to your fleet. Having reached its third iteration, Hidden Dimensions has been under development for a long time and the refinement shows.

To Arms! (Google Play)

There are dozens of deck-building dungeon crawlers on mobile right now, but not many of them will cost you absolutely nothing. To Arms! keeps things minimal so you can play it vertically on a small phone with few problems. Its graphics are nothing to write home about, with simple pixel art and little to no animation, but the gameplay is quite solid.

Influence (Google Play)

This recent title is an abstract Risk-like strategy game with randomly-generated hex maps. It has pass-and-play multiplayer with online play in beta. How many other games can you play online with one hand? Ads are present, but only as voluntary support for the developers, like a tip.

Alite (Google Play)

Alite is a port of the classic space sim Elite from the 80's. It lets you fly around the galaxy trading, upgrading your ship, and blasting pirates with heat-seeking missiles and surprisingly decent mobile controls. Alite is worth playing for the pure freedom it gives you to pursue your own space opera dreams.

Void Pyramid (Google Play)

Void Pyramid looks and feels like that time you stayed home from school with a fever and played NES all day while coked out on cough syrup. It's an old-school console-style RPG and set in a bizarre alien world with an Egyptian theme rendered in lurid hues. Having been banished to the Void Pyramid, can you escape to defeat the Prime Pharoah? You can find a variety of solutions to problems depending on your character's class or skills: if one path is blocked by something too heavy for your stringbean to move, you can bet there's another way in for the luckier or more agile. The developer's other game Ramble Planet has a similar aesthetic and is also freeware.

Seedship (Google Play)

The toughest choices are also some of the best choices, in terms of the rush you get when you gamble and it pays off. Seedship, a one man band project by John Ayliff, is full of tough decisions. You are an AI in control of a colony ship that's fled earth. You're carrying colonists in cryosleep, as well as all of the material, knowledge etc... you need to start a new world. But navigating interstellar space is dangerous, and the laws of decay are absolute - you must find a suitable world to set up shop before it's too late.

The best thing about Seedship is how it plays on your subjective opinion around the word 'suitable'. Every planet has a range of variables to consider, from the amount of water, to the quality of the atmosphere, to the availability of resources for expansion. You have a limited amount of surface probes with which to find this information out, although the longer your journey the easier it is find planet with a minimum standard in specific criteria. The problem is, with time comes danger - with each passing step, something will go wrong. You start off at peak condition (with all values at 100), as you travel you lose things. Knowledge, colonists, landing capabilities... your final score is a combination of what you had left to start the colony, plus the quality of the new world you chose to call home. 

Pixel Dungeon (Google Play)

The easiest freeware game to recommend (of any kind) is the great Pixel Dungeon. This is a full-featured roguelike made to be controlled on mobile - in one handed portrait mode, no less! It's got classes, bottomless pits, status effects, secrets, randomly named potions that will set you on fire when you drink them, the whole kaboodle. The graphics are chunky pixels, but they are clear an communicative. The controls are simple, but the gameplay is anything but. You'll need to balance caution and daring to make it even a few floors in to this dungeon. The desktop version of this great game is paid, but the Android version is donation only!

Roguelike Honorable Mentions:

For a more mind-bending roguelike experience, try HyperRogue, which is set in non-Euclidean space on a hyperbolic plane. Among the granddaddies of roguelikes, only Nethack has a really good mobile implementation.

Battleheart (Google Play)

Android users are lucky enough to have the excellent tactical RPG Battleheart gone truly FTP. Battleheart was one of the earliest big hits on mobile, spawning a couple of likewise well-received sequels. It achieves this success by boiling down classic RPG gameplay into a system perfectly suited for mobile play. It's entirely battle-focused with very little story, but what battles they are. You'll lead a four-person team of varying classes, strengths and abilities against a wide variety of monsters with World of Warcraft-style tank-heal-damage strategy. It's like an MMORPG but instead of forty friends you just need four fingers. You can swap out different class types and experiment with sets of complimentary abilities. It all looks and controls beautifully, smoothly animated with simple line-drawing controls that were born for mobile.

Warfare Incorporated (Google Play)

If you have a craving for Starcraft or Command & Conquer, but no Tiberium in the bank, you are in luck. On Android, Warfare Incorporated has successfully brought classic RTS gameplay to tiny touch screens in the form of a game that goes back to PalmOS of 2003. In this game, you command the forces of a far-future megacorp in its efforts to strip-mine an alien planet (keep in mind, this was developed before we all learned the valuable lessons of James Cameron's Avatar).

War Inc. especially does a great job of adapting RTS commands to mobile controls. The interface gets out of your way, and simple intuitive taps order your troops around. Its graphics will either tap your nostalgia bone or make you scream at their messy pixels, but nonetheless do a good job communicating the state of the battlefield. There's a great and extremely well-balanced campaign mode plus hundreds of user-created missions. Multiplayer also works well.

Mindustry (Google Play)

Mindustry has an unusual spin on tower defense that makes it quite a bit more complicated than your typical time-waster. It will remind you immediately of Factorio, especially as your chains of production sprawl all over the map. It's played from a standard endless/survival formula that will drop you back at the beginning if you lose your base. To the basic TD formula, Mindustry adds conveyor belts that your towers need to keep running and supply chains that you need to keep building more towers. Running these systems efficiently is far more interesting and challenging than merely funneling creeps down corridors and wearing them away by attrition. The game includes a dozen maps and can be expanded with user-made downloads.

Mekorama (Google Play)

For puzzle fans, Mekorama [also on iOS] is a cute navigation puzzler in the vein of Monument Valley, but not quite so mind-twisting. You guide a cute robot around 3D mazes, dragging elements of the geography to make paths. There's no Escher-esque visual trickery, but that doesn't mean the puzzles aren't challenging! IAP are for donations only, and you can make and share your own levels through QR codes! The design is clean and the animation of the robot is utterly adorable. This is one of the very few freeware games available on iOS thanks to Apple's expensive developer hurdles, so be sure to give it a try and be doubly sure to drop a donation in the collection plate if you like it.

Open Panzer (Google Play)

Open Panzer [also on iOS] is an easy recommend for wargamers. This is a traditional hex-based historical strategy game that has you commanding World War II troops at the battalion level through mission-based scenarios. It builds on the venerable Panzer General II -- one of the most classic wargames ever -- and has great mobile controls. Just be sure to play the tutorial first. You'll be commanding and upgrading thousands of different units through three lengthy campaigns of 72 different "semi-accurate" scenarios. It's a hardcore game, but if you've been interested in dipping your toe into wargaming, you could do worse.

Freeciv (Google Play)

Yes, Civilization VI just came out on iOS Universal, but why play that mere demo when you could have an entire clone of the original classic for the price of exactly zero dollars? Freeciv is an open-source game originally on PC that is most similar to the classic Civilization II. If you've been living under a rock for thirty years, Civilization tasks you with guiding a civilization through six thousand years of gameplay, from the wheel to nuclear fission. Freeciv is well-implemented on Android, with new touch controls that are WYSIWYG but functional. The AI will provide a challenge, and there are tons of scenarios to undertake as well.

OpenTTD (Google Play)

This is a remake of Transport Tycoon, a business simulation game where you build transportation infrastructure. Okay, that sounds boring you think but then you've looked up and you've not just missed your bus stop, you're sitting in the bus mall and the driver is yelling at you to get the hell out. You'll make your fortune shipping products around the globe through a hundred years of gameplay, from steam engines to maglevs. The Android version is well-done, but doesn't provide a lot of guidance, so you may want to start on a desktop and them let your capitalist hunger take you to the mobile screen -- so long as it is one large enough for the tiny buttons and text.

Hall of Fame

Underhand

Birth of the Empires

The Battle for Wesnoth

There are so many great open-source and freeware games around these days I must have missed some great ones, so let us all know in the comments what else is out there. Just remember the rules: no demos, no ads, and no in-app purchases except for donations!

The Best Free Games on Android published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/