#pangu toys

[hikikomorialice]

Pangu Toys PT-11 Loki

Another mecha, this time a transformer type too.

The model is 7.5 inches tall, with it's alt. form being a bird.

The pack contains: 1 x PT-11 Loki Figure, 1 x Gemstone Scepter, 2 x Katanas, 2 x Scabbards, 1 x Cube, 1 x Exchangeable Hand Panel, 2 x Exchangeable Wrist Frost Hands, 2 x Ice Daggers, 2 x Frost Effects, 1 x fabric Cape, 1 x character Card, and instructions.

I like the dabble of Jotun Loki represented here too.

Approximately $52 / £46.

Original release in China (I believe) was the end of Jan 2024 and cam be bought one ebay etc now, while US import stores are looking at a March 2024 release date.

[ryanmoody]

@mightymaxtoys

[j-graysonlibrary]

The Xiang Chronicles: Book Four Chapter 12

Title: The Xiang Chronicles: Book Four

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 118k

Genres: Fantasy, adventure, drama, LGBT+

Available on: my website

Synopsis: In order to save the world from the continuous subjugation and potential annihilation at the hands of Tiandi, hard lines must be drawn. The Great Spirits that were imprisoned ages ago must be unsealed and awakened, no matter the consequences.

The players are divided—those who stand blindly with Tiandi, such as Xiang Merra and her disciples versus those who want to tear the system down and give the power back to the people. Even a few of the most religious Lords change their minds when they learn the truth of the world—that Tiandi is no more than a dictator with no love in his heart.

It is up to the last, real Xiang and the ill-fated Chaaya to put everything they have into tearing God from his throne and creating new possibilities for the future.

Full chapter 12 under the cut

Chapter XII:

Pangu branched out his energy, encasing her and the house in the same protective spell that cloaked the others. Then, when he was sure he had a strong hold on it, he released the disguises.

The expression on Heidi’s face changed a few times—first into irritation when no one responded to her right away and then confusion when she felt a slight disturbance in the air around her. Finally, when the curtain was pulled back, her brows shot up and a huge grin spread across her face.

“You are back! Pangu!”

She ran forward, instantly grabbing onto her brother but, on the way, she took in everyone else as well. The Enlil party she was familiar with from their last visit but the new face was just as jarring, if not more so, than seeing Pangu.

“Kira?!”

“Hey, Heidi.” Kira waved and gave her a half-smile.

She stepped away from Pangu, though she still had her hands on his arms, gripping his robe as if, the second she let him go, he would disappear again. Her eyes stayed fixed on Kira, however. “I…What are you doing here? What happened? Where is everyone else?”

“Everyone is alright,” Pangu assured her and gently removed her hands. He kept a hold on her, in case she still felt the need to grasp onto something. “You were right, by the way, I did get some of my memories back when I saw Raine.”

Finally, Heidi looked back over at him, a wide smile in place. “I knew it!” He did not hold her attention for long, however, as her eyes returned to Kira pretty much immediately. “He was worried about you, you know? Raine, I mean. He did not add a lot of detail in his letters but I could tell he was really torn up over you leaving.”

Kira responded in a breathy chuckle. “He and I are on good terms. Don’t you worry.”

May, instantly, started to giggle.

Fujin or Kaz must have done something to quiet her because she stopped rather abruptly. Pangu was too focused on his two disciples to check over his shoulder to confirm.

“So, is everything okay now?” Heidi could not decide who she wanted to look at—Kira or her brother. Her eyes bounced back and forth between them. “Kira, what was your reaction when you saw Pangu again?”

They exchanged a glance between each other and Pangu smiled. “Maybe we should go inside and talk?”

It would offer more privacy, they could sit after hours of walking and riding, and it would also allow Pangu to draw back on the shield a little. He would only need to focus on the house if they went in.

“Sure, of course.” Heidi hurried back to the door and swung it open, inviting them all inside.

“I will admit,” Kira started as he passed through the threshold, “I am curious to see your old home, Pangu. Do you still have a room in here?”

“It is not all that exciting,” he responded with a snicker. “I barely spent any substantial time here.”

“Still, I am sure there is an essence of baby Pangu lingering about.”

Pangu supposed that was true but it was not as if he had old toys or real, tangible evidence that he had grown up within the walls. His room, for instance, had no character to it. Always, it had been a plain cot with one wardrobe in the far corner. Nothing else.

“Urishka? Do I hear people?” Idris’ voice entered the room before he did. He held his son in the crook of his arm and Pangu worried he might squeeze him a little too tightly by how his body tensed upon seeing everyone. “Pangu! Kira? What is happening?”

Again, Kira waved with a smile while Pangu said, “It is good to see you.”

“So, is that Pangu Junior?” Kira asked and pointed to the baby.

“Oh…yes. Do you want to hold him?” Idris stepped closer, ready to hand him over.

“N-no, I am covered in miasma. Probably not the best idea to touch a baby.”

“You have gotten a lot paler…” Heidi mentioned as she regarded him.

“Is he that pale?” May asked and then gestured to Kaz and Fujin, “They are waaay paler.”

“Yes but he used to be darker than you,” Heidi said, pointing to May.

She had been told that Kira lost a lot of his color through the poisoning process but having it pointed out to her in that way really put it into perspective. She looked down at the back of her arm and imagined the skin tone on Kira. It was difficult to picture.

When the baby started the cry, Idris went to rocking him and talking in a soft voice, “Hungry? Ho ti muccolis?”

Pangu smiled as he watched the man retreat back into the house, probably to feed his son. He was glad he was teaching him Foi’rra as well as common tongue. He knew his parents were probably trying to learn as well though he doubted they were all that good at it.

The idea alone almost made him laugh and it also reminded him that he had not seen or heard either of them. “Heidi, are mom and dad here?” It was still light out so it was unlikely that Karto was off of the boat yet but usually, Sayama was doing something or another in the house.

“Actually, mom is taking a nap with Lady.” Heidi chuckled. “And dad went to the market for some things. He happens to have today off. Well, maybe not off but the ship needs repairs so he and his crew are stuck until it gets fixed.”

“I should wait for him to get back then…” Pangu mumbled and then sighed. “There is a lot going on and I think it is best that I make everything clear to all of you.”

Heidi frowned and noted the serious tone her brother took. “I guess you did not just regain your memory and have a fun date with everyone, huh?”

He laughed. “No.”

***

Naturally, when Pangu’s mother and Lady returned to the common area, they were both beside themselves to see him again. Sayama certainly was not expecting to see her son so soon after last time and, when she realized he had his memories back, she clung onto him with an iron grip.

Once he was able to pry her away for a moment, he introduced her to Kira. “This is my Terran disciple, Kira. I was able to find all the rest of my old disciples as well and my memory returned a little with each one.”

“Where are the other two then?” She asked.

“We decided to only bring the five of us for this particular adventure…I will tell you why when dad gets here,” Pangu promised with a smile. It was really too much to repeat twice in a row. He did not have May’s stamina for storytelling.

Sayama nodded, understanding. “So…Kira, was it?” She looked over at him and, when he nodded, she continued, “How did you meet my boy?”

Pangu listened to the retelling, amused by Kira’s creative choices in some places to either bolster the narrative or to make Pangu seem like some mystical hero. Occasionally, he glanced at everyone else—Heidi who rolled her eyes at a few points, Fujin who held in her chuckles, and May who was absorbing the story as if she had never heard it before.

Then he looked to Kaz. He caught his gaze and, when the blonde smiled at him, Pangu could not help but smile back. He wondered what his mother would think if she knew about his personal life.

It had not occurred to even mention it to her until then. But, perhaps, Kaz would want to be introduced in such a way? It seemed unlikely since the man despised unwanted attention but it was also possible he would take Pangu’s lack of acknowledgement to mean that he was embarrassed of him.

Which, of course, he was not.

But he could not imagine his mother’s response when he really considered it. She would not be angry over the loss of a potential grandchild—she had already given up on that hope the second the Princes whisked him away at the age of five. She was religious, however.

He intended to tell her the truth about their circumstances and what really happened a year and a half ago in Gnoma since he believed she and his father deserved the truth. He also intended to let them know what he was up to as he doubted he would have a chance to come back to them before the end of it.

So, it seemed cruel to dump his personal life on her after all of that other heavy information. She would already be in a vulnerable place where she could end up wanting nothing to do with him any longer (if she picked Tiandi’s side over his).

If Kaz felt jilted by the omission of their relationship, Pangu would just talk him through it once they were gone.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Karto walked in and passed through all the same stages of surprise, disbelief, and then joy as everyone else. His father hugged him this time—the second he knew that his memories were intact.

Then, after the brief introduction of Kira, Pangu insisted they all sit down so he could talk. It was a lot to cover and not even May was helping him. She was keeping, mostly, quiet though she did occasionally make a comment or bicker with Lady since the two had not forgotten their ridiculous rivalry. Kira and Heidi only chimed in to confirm what happened with Zhu in Gnoma.

“But why?” Sayama asked, tears in her eyes. “Why did they kill you? What did you do that was so wrong?”

Pangu chewed on his lip and considered revealing the entire truth but, with one look at his mother’s broken face, he decided to spare her. It was not as if he wished to lie for the sake of being deceitful. He only wanted to prevent her and his father from being unnecessarily hurt and confused.

“I disagreed with their ideas for the future. What I learned of their plans against Agni was terrible and I stood against them.”

Everyone else shared a brief look with Pangu—Kira and Kaz especially conveying their feelings quite clearly. Heidi as well. They understood why he was leaving certain things out and Kaz, thankfully, did not seem upset in the slightest.

Pangu carried on to explain the darker parts of the story—his resurrection—which shed more light on the reason he was with May, Fujin, and Kaz in the first place. Those sections, accompanied by May since it was still her favorite story, were clearly difficult for Pangu’s parents to wrap their minds around.

But, they held their questions and just listened.

The last part was news to Heidi as well. Pangu ended up looking more at her than their parents as he explained the battle with Merra at the border and the subsequent visit to Shakti’s lair.

He explained Gong’s position, Parvati’s plea for humanity, and the training they had all been undergoing in order to leave the caves in peace.

“So what will you do now?” Idris asked.

“We are looking for a Great Spirit,” Pangu said and then sighed, knowing he would need to break his mother’s faith even more by explaining it. “Heidi, Idris, you know the monument to Gnome in Gnoma, right?”

“Yes,” Heidi said at the same time Idris said, “of course.”

“Well, we are looking for something like that but in Enlil. So we can free the spirit.”

“But the spirits are dead.” Idris’ brow furrowed.

“Hopefully not,” Pangu responded with a humorless laugh. “They should only be sealed.”

“Idris, you know about this?” Karto asked, breaking his silence for the first time since the serious discussions started.

“Yes, my people…not worship but…we look up? Look up to Gnome? We worship his mother. The Earth mother.” he frowned as he tried to think how to parse his thoughts. “But, a God from the stars came and killed Gnome and the others. Mother was sad and filled the world with miasma. We still look up to her and Gnome.”

Pangu was honestly just glad to have a break from talking and Idris’ explanation got the point across well enough. Even if the Great Spirits were not actually dead—as far as he knew—it gave his parents all the information they needed.

“So, did you all already go to Gnoma?” Heidi asked, slightly shifting the conversation.

“Nope,” Kira answered easily.

“Not yet…” Pangu resisted the urge to frown. Even if it made the most sense to get Gnome out of the way since they already knew where they were, he was still reluctant to return to the scene of his death. Luckily, no one had tried to push him to go before he was ready.

“So who was this God from the stars?” Pangu’s mother asked, bringing them back to the topic at hand.

“Oh, that would be Tiandi,” Pangu responded. “Gong told me that all of the older religions were correct, they just used different terminology. Tiandi came here from the cosmos, sealed the Great Spirits and began an endless war with Shakti.”

“Is that why the Xiang usually hates us?” Idris asked with a hint of resentment in his voice.

“Probably.” Kira shrugged.

“Tiandi cannot stand those who are not subservient to him,” Pangu said and shook his head, “The reason Merra wishes to invade and subjugate Agni is because most of the people there are not religious. He has no love for people, he only wants control. Had he not killed me, I might not have ever fully understood the extent of his hate.”

The sudden and sharp sob from his mother caught his attention. She covered her face and her shoulders began to shake.

“…Mom?” he asked as Heidi reached over and touched her arm.

“I am so sorry, Pangu.” Sayama sniffed and rubbed her eyes fiercely. “I should have never handed you over to those men…this is my fault you are involved in all of this. I should have said no. I should have hid you away like I wanted to…”

Pangu did not waste a second and pushed himself back from the table and rushed around to her side. He kneeled beside her chair and pulled her into his arms. “No, it is not your fault.” He smoothed her hair back. “If I was not raised by them, I would not be prepared to stand against them. It is because of my training that I am able to make a difference.”

That, however, did not soothe her any. She broke into more sobs and gripped tightly onto his back. They spent several minutes that way and Pangu almost regretted his decision to kneel as his knees ached already.

“You know…” Kira broke the silence, “It may be no consolation at all but, if Pangu had not been taken in by those men, my life, at least, would have been an absolute nightmare. Your son saved me in more ways than I can count so…it may sound strange to say but thank you for giving him up.”

“Oh, me too!” May raised her hand as she said, “Pangu was a huge help and I have had the absolute best time since meeting him.”

Fujin was quick to add, “Without Pangu entering our lives, it is quite possible the current state of Enlil would be vastly different.”

“That is true,” Kaz agreed, looking toward Sayama as he continued, “Plus, your son is very precious to me and I am very glad to have met him. It may not dissuade the guilt you feel as a mother but everyone here is happy about the decision you made for the, perhaps, selfish fact that it brought Pangu into our lives.”

Sayama’s sobs slowed but she did not lift her head to meet any of them. Pangu looked around at everyone instead. His chest constricted and, while he would have loved to bring each of them into a big hug and plant a kiss on his lover, he stayed by his mother’s side. For the time being, he just smiled and mouthed a “thank you” before returning his focus to his mother, continuing to comb through her hair.

[plugoarts]

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[guhamun]

SO…WHAT HE WAS getting from this conversation, was that this foreigner saw Jianyu as someone to toy with. Because if he wasn’t taking the fight seriously, then clearly that was what this amounted to. Killing, fighting – that wasn’t something that should be perceived as fun in any capacity. However, the way the other spoke was enough to make his already heightened anger go ever higher. He had always been temperamental, though at least had been doing better about keeping it under some semblance of control. The desire to just up and lop that head from shoulders was very much present...but...he would brush that to the back of his thoughts. Focus. He needed to focus on what was said afterwards – on the information he was being given, rather than on anything else. If he did that, then all would be well. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he sheathed his sword, although his defensive stance had yet to change. ❝Sounds like something they’d do. Probably intended on using you for one of their experiments. Lucky enough that they were slain thanks to your hand ‘slipping’.❞ 

     The people of Huanglong were indeed often rather helpful, and considering he could tell from a glance that these two were from the New Federation, it must have been rather bizarre for them to experience. If you were exposed to constant kindness, it had a tendency to make you lower your guard. Your senses would dull all thanks to that trust. Shifting his attention away for a moment, he made his way over to where the other ‘company’ had placed down documentation showing everything he needed to see. There was no doubt anymore that their story was true. Bending down, he picked up one of the IDs, softly clicking his tongue before gently placing it back down. ❝Understood. Seems you prevented some other poor soul from falling for this ruse. Seeing as those who were killed are unable to thank you for it, I’ll offer my own instead.❞ Pushing himself back up, he reached for his pangu terminal, quick to make a call to Jiyan.

     The Ghost Hounds could deal with everything, but seeing as to these were Huanglong citizens, no doubt the Midnight Rangers would prefer to collect what items were left, and then attempt to contact the families of the fallen. Jianyu would just stay around and make sure no TD attempted to eat the corpses. There were a few saurian and dreamanes nearby, and though saurian weren’t prone to coming this far out near the roads, the dreadmanes might be drawn to the scent of blood. They were a lot more brave depending on the pack size. ❝The both of you will have to remain here until I get word from the General on what to do with you,❞ he spoke idly, a languid glance thrown in his ‘guests’ direction.

...Survival? That made him blink, genuine confusion evident on his features for a second. It was true that, at the end of the day, it all came down to making it to the next day. But when you're taught that you're at the top of the 'food chain' and your skills and deeds only solidify that thinking... "Sorry, but I don't see this as something that could threaten my life." The resonator wasn't boasting, nor was he trying to mock his opponent. The sharp end of his crimson spear was buried on the ground once his opponent backed away. "And I don't see it as a game, just don't think you need to be so serious about this stuff all the time. Even if someone dies, it's nothing personal, you know? Just the way things are." So why not get some fun out of it before kicking the bucket or putting an end to someone else's life? Cú Chulainn and Deirdre failed to notice it, but there was something inherently wrong with the way he talked. His sole defense was that hunting hounds and attack dogs are taught to have fun when they chase, kill and bring back their prey. They get praised when they do as they're told, they get scolded when they don't, and then they get discarded when they aren't useful anymore.

"These guys offered us a ride and, after half an hour or so, they tried to sedate us. I don't react well when they try to hurt my friends, so my hand slipped." He didn't think the mercenary was interested in long explanations (nor would give him the time for one), so he kept things as brief as possible. "As for why we accepted the ride, well, dunno. Everyone has been awfully nice and helpful since we set foot in Huanglong. Really dropped the ball there," Cú said as he scratched the back of his head, frustrated with himself for falling for such an easy trick. He was certain he would be teased relentlessly if his cousins ever learned of this incident, so he hoped the guy trying to slit his neck didn't go around sharing the story after all is sorted out.

Before another fight could break, Deirdre opened the vehicle's door and lifted a pair ID cards and the vehicle's documentation. "Found the original documentation." If one were to look at the photos, they would see that the people on the documents, and the ones lying dead on the ground weren't the same. The uniform made it difficult to spot the differences but, without the trademark hat and sunglasses, the differences were clear enough. "Leaving these here in case you want to check them," the masked woman said as she placed the documents slightly closer to the mercenary, and then returned to the vehicle.

[witharsenicsauce]

Chosen Stories From the War #30: Lady of the Oasis

(Content Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of gore, and parental abuse)

Nazira plucked a single dandelion from the sandy field that overlooked their humble lake. The sun was glittering over the water today and beating down on her own skin harshly. She pulled her hood up, keeping her olive skin covered. Bright green, nearly yellow eyes trailed over the oasis, and the old stone buildings that surrounded it. It was a lazy day today, and everyone was moving slowly.

She moved into the shade so she could remove her cloak, the thick garment making her hot. Under the simple fabric was a long, silken dress of burgundy that sat low on her shoulders. Golden jewelry adorned her hands and her neck, and on her arm, hugging her supple skin, was an arm bracelet in the shape of a golden cobra. That one, she kept close.

Her long, black hair pulled out of her face by a silk headband, Nazira’s snake-like eyes scanned the bright streets and took in everything she saw, filtering it through a mind programmed to assess combat, to never stand still. Majority viper, nearly half the population. Sociable. Interacted with the other species. Hard to isolate. Easy to communicate with. Next, human. Surprisingly small population, unsurprisingly unpredictable. Easy to talk to but hard to communicate with. They really liked the snakes. Use that. Less than 10% former ADVENT troopers. Exactly one Muton, named Ginnethoi. Shot in the jaw, had a speech impediment, could communicate via rudimentary sign-

Nazira sighed, squeezing her eyes shut as she leaned against the ancient stone wall. She wished she could be like her brother, but even then, she knew how hard he’d had to work to be able to turn his brain off, to get some semblance of peace.

Speaking of. 

She made her way down the long narrow pathway towards the small, almost indiscriminate temple that sat a ways away from the main village. Despite its unassuming features, as she stepped up to the opening she found the walls covered in graffiti: drawing made in ancient Egypt, runes depicting the Theban triad of Amun and Mut and Khonsu. The inside was swathed in darkness, and she found as she stepped inside, it was cool, a blessed respite from the sun. Smokey incense filled the air, and nearly inaudible breathing echoed from within.

Nazira tapped loudly on the rock wall. “Ding dong!” She sang, and laughed at the grunt she received in return. No other sound followed, so she stepped farther into the darkness. “Are you awake, Zafar?”

“Unfortunately.” Her dearest brother’s voice came to meet her, and with that, her snake-like eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. He sat cross legged on his mat, facing the back wall of the temple where the stone shrine had been crudely rebuilt, and the weathered stone statue of Khonsu would be unrecognizable were it not for the inscription above him. Zafar had lit a candle before the altar, and his wavy black hair was loose from it’s ponytail, and looked wet after the anointing from that morning. 

“I saw a suspicious vehicle above our little village.” Nazira cooed. “You know what that means.”

“That it’s time we come out of hiding.” He agreed, getting to his feet slowly. His chest was bare, and she quickly handed him his shirt and coat. “...You really think they’ll accept us?”

“I’m sure of it.” Nazira put a comforting hand on her brother’s shoulder. “If they embraced the Skirmishers, they are meant to help us.”

“Humans were meant to do many things, Nazira.” Zafar’s golden eyes met hers, pupils wide in the low light. “And each time they failed.”

“Not every time.” She punched him lightly. “You’re so melodramatic.”

“I am pragmatic.” He scolded her as he began to button his shirt. “Something I wish you had inherited, Nazira.”

She surged forward and planted a light kiss on his cheek. “You worry too much, it will wrinkle your pretty face.” She fastened her own cloak again and took her brother’s hand. “I believe it is time we reveal that face to the world.”

.

.

“Well, I guess it is only a skip and a hop away from Carthage.”

Jane sighed at the analogy. “Can you just say yes or no like a normal person, Commander?”

“Oh but Jane, I’m not normal~” Senuna giggled. She began to toy with the stack of papers on her desk, flipping through them absentmindedly. “Hm...and you said…?”

“They’re not registered with the Resistance Council.” Jane said. “Of course, it's not entirely unusual. But they’re also...not human.”

Senuna raised a brow at that. “I didn’t realize there were other Skirmisher colonies.”

“They’re not Skirmishers. Well, not in the way we know them.” Jane crossed her arms. “...It seems like some of the other species imprisoned by ADVENT have followed suit.”

“The others?” Senuna mused. “Well if Verge managed it…who is the leader?”

“They have two leaders.” Jane clarified. “Zafar Ba’al-Peor, and his sister, Nazira. He doesn’t show himself often. She’s a little bit more forward.” She cleared her throat. “I’m told.”

Senuna nodded slowly, her eyes seemingly glazing over as she contemplated this. “...This could be a trap.”

“It could be.” Jane admitted. “Could be ADVENT.”

“Or it could be a group of people who want to help.”

“Whatever your orders are, we’ll follow.” Jane confirmed, nodding as she did. “You haven’t led us the wrong way yet.”

“That’s the spirit.” She stood and patted Jane’s cheek. “My dear girl~”

“I’m not a child, Commander.” Jane looked away.

“Sweetheart, I held you as a baby, cut me some slack~” Senuna giggled and tossed the files back onto her desk. “Okay. Call Bradford in here and let's see what he thinks.”

“You’ve already made up your mind.” Jane protested.

“Yes, I have. But Bradford made me promise to at least consult with him first.” She winked. “And convincing him I’m right isn’t that hard.”

.

.

“I think you’d be really pretty if you curled your hair.” Malinalli said as she collapsed back on the booth. Her hair was still damp from the beach, and Pangu waddled up to her and sat at her feet, sniffing her slippers.

The Shrinemaiden stopped combing her hair briefly, looking back at her human friend. “...Really?”

“Mhm.” Malinalli picked up Pangu, who snorted and settled on her chest. “It’s already got some curl to it. If you used a bit of styling product to enhance it, it would look incredible.”

Kon-Mai stared at her for a moment, her eyes falling away as she considered those words. “...I suppose…” She conceded, finally, going back to running the comb through her tangled white locks. The strands were so fine, it was hard to untangle them without ripping them out of her head.

Her brothers were both dressed in their sleeping clothes: Gur-Rai was lounging across the booth, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with an illustration of Courage the Cowardly Dog plastered across the front. Dhar-Mon was sitting much more politely, wearing both his silk pajamas and a very comfy looking robe. Firebrand had made him some hot chocolate as well, and it all looked very cozy.

“If we are all maximizing our comfort…” Verge came over, wearing a very large t-shirt and nothing else to cover him “then I should be able to remove this.”

“Absolutely not.” Kon-Mai said.

“Why?”

“We are in public, you cannot go nude.”

“I do not have genitals!” Verge exclaimed as he crossed his arms.

“If the other soldiers see a naked Sectoid on board, who’s to say they won’t mistake you for an enemy and shoot you?” Gur-Rai cut in. “We’re keepin’ you safe, Verge.”

“...That is one of the better excuses I’ve heard.” He admitted, crossing his arms. “Still an excuse.”

They heard footsteps, and Kon-Mai looked up to see Jane enter the room. The two swordswomen locked eyes and Jane nodded.

“Hope you’re all comfy.” She said. “We’re on the move again. The Commander needs you three up bright and early tomorrow.”

“Why?” Gur-Rai asked as he plucked Pangu from Malinalli’s lap. The possum let out a squeal, then settled around his shoulders.

“Another settlement needs our help.” She chuckled. “A nearby haven has cropped up, and they’re asking to make contact.”

“I thought the Templars were our regional contact.” Malinalli asked.

“The Templars…” Jane blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Well...Molly, you’ve seen them interact with normal soldiers. Would probably be best if we had a contact that didn’t try to fight everyone we were trying to make peace with.”

“Fair.”

“Hm.” Jane nodded in satisfaction. “The Commander wants you three to greet them personally. Thinks it’ll ease negotiations.”

“How will three great, grey monsters make negotiations any easier?” Dhar-Mon spoke up, taking another sip of his hot chocolate.

“These people aren’t... “ She hesitated. “...They’re not...I...hm.” She shrugged. “Commander’s orders. Believe me, it’ll make sense when you get there.”

“In that case, we should turn in for the night.” Kon-Mai got up from her heat and pulled her sweater on, covering all exposed skin. “We must sleep well and early, greet the world with a fresh face.”

“Our faces? Fresh?” Gur-Rai laughed.

He meant it as a joke, but Kon-Mai felt the sting in her chest when he said that.

.

.

The night in the desert was unusually dark. The Avenger drifted lazily through the sky, like a bird floating on water. But despite the peace, sleep did not come easily.

At first Kon-Mai felt that the pricking on her skin might have been a sunburn, but soon she realized that the heat was not coming from her skin, but inside of her. As she laid back on her bed and tried to sleep, her breath kept coming in shorter and shorter bursts, cutting her esophagus with each movement. She sat up and noticed she was shaking, and she needed to do something but was unsure as to what…

She laid back and closed her eyes, deciding that if she wasn’t able to sleep, she could at least rest. It was better than nothing.

The night passed much more quickly after that, and soon Kon-Mai felt the prickle of red light gracing her eyelids. She opened her eyes, the bright orange sun cutting into her window. She wondered if she had managed to fall asleep. Her bones still felt so tired though…

She stood and dressed in her armor, noticing how utterly quiet the ship seemed to be this morning. Around this time, she would usually hear Bryni banging pots and pans together as she cooked breakfast, and alarms going off to wake the first round of morning duty soldiers. But there was none of that today. She didn’t even hear the ship’s engines, and that was a constant.

Kon-Mai power walked to the door, not bothering to pull back her hair or even to tie her yukata properly, and swung it open to reveal a sudden burst of cold, purple light. 

As she darted out into the hall, calling for her brothers, a wave of fear came over her. The door behind her had disappeared, as had her armor, though instead of being left unclothed she looked down to see she was once again clad in her old, torn ADVENT armor, the chestplate half cracked and discarded. Around her the Avenger morphed into the pillars of the inner sanctum.

She tried to turn around and run back to her bed, to hide like a child from a monster, but the door was gone and an infinite drop off the walkway was all that remained.

She looked to either side, analyzing the unfortunately familiar surroundings. At one end, she saw the metal path extend far off into nowhere. She had never been down that way before, and the emptiness of it terrified her.

 At the other, not 50 feet away, was an apparition, glowing red, in the shape of an alien woman she knew all too well.

Abyzou.

Kon-Mai wanted to run, to turn and sprint down that hallway until she faded into shadow and nothing. But her feet brought her forward, out of her control. She stood before her mother, a demon glowing crimson, and dropped to one knee.

“My sweet girl.” Abyzou’s voice dripped with malice. “What is THIS?”

Kon-Mai looked up, only briefly. This conversation felt familiar to her somehow. “I am so sorry.” She whispered.

“What was that?”

“I am so sorry, Vox Abyzou.” Kon-Mai said, louder, her voice shaking. “I could not help it.”

“Look at you…” Abyzou raised one long, gnarled finger, also dipped in red, and yanked Kon-Mai’s head to attention, grabbing her by the chin. “Look at your face.”

Kon-Mai didn’t dare look, but she brought one hand to her right cheek. It stung, and her fingers came away bloody. Her lip felt numb.

“It will not leave a scar.” She tried to assure her. She knew it hadn’t: the cut had healed and the scar had faded and even then, she was later “killed” in an explosion and brought back fresh and clean once again.

“Look at your body.” Abyzou hissed. “Your calloused hands. Your bony hips. Look at you.”

She looked down now, and like a magnifying glass she saw every flaw, every bruise and cut and bone. She was not as thin as her brother, but her hips were wide and protruding, and the skin under them dipped in like a crease before moving to her fleshy thighs. Across her belly, there was that long scar she had given herself, inflamed and red and oozing purple and green. Even in this nightmare, she could smell that nauseating sweetness.

“There is so much wrong with you.” Abyzou ripped her hand away. “How could my precious blood have birthed something so utterly deformed?”

The words stung. “I won, Vox Abyzou.” She rasped out, knowing this conversation by heart. Every word was burned into her memory. “I destroyed the entire convoy. All the soldiers. The train is safe. You are safe.”

“And you expect praise?” Abyzou made a sound that could have been a laugh. “You were simply making up for your many, many shortcomings. A train? As if that will save us from our demise. As if that will help.” She clenched her fist, and Kon-Mai flinched. She could feel her heart racing, the temperature in her body growing hotter.

“Mother…” Kon-Mai collapsed forward on her hands, writhing in agony. She tried to keep silent, but couldn’t help the whimpers as Abyzou’s infernal magic cut into her cells and stripped her of her life. “Please have mercy…”

“Be SILENT.” Her mother’s booming voice echoed on the chamber's high walls, and with it, the pillar of purple light slammed into Kon-Mai. “THAT is what I want from you. To be silent. Be STILL. I wanted a beautiful jewel to look upon, and all I have is broken glass! That’s what you are.” She hissed, wringing her hand so hard, glowing ichor dripped past her fingers. “You are broken.”

Kon-Mai gagged as she felt her heart burst, her ribs break and her lungs pop. Her vision was fading fast as she desperately tried to get her breath back, driven by nothing but a primal, human need to survive. Her body was crumbling around her and as she let out a scream…

She sat up in bed. The sun was barely up, and the distinct shades of yellow and pink met her eyes. She heard the gentle hum of the ship’s engine, the bustle of soldiers in the bar, talking and laughing…

Kon-Mai put one hand to her chest, her heart still racing, but definitely still beating.

.

.

The Avenger touched down on shifting sand. The heat and light in the distance gave the illusion of a sea of water, vapor rising in the air, but anyone who looked out onto the dead landscape would see that it was dunes alone.

The bridge came down, and there they stood: XCOM’s pride and joy. The Commander in front, clothed in sheer white, glowing in the sun. Beside her, Bradford, Zhang and Jane, at attention, like always. And behind them, towering like pillars, the Chosen were clad in their armor.

Kon-Mai felt like she was floating, perhaps because of the lack of sleep or the heat. Her brothers stood on either side of her but she dared not lean on them, for the heat was bad and they both had enough to carry as it was. 

For a while after they landed, the sand remained empty and barren, a deserted landscape with no one in sight. Jane looked over to Bradford. “We didn’t get stood up, did we?”

“Look.” Zhang answered instead, pointing out into the sand. At first, there was nothing, then Gur-Rai craned his neck.

“Someone’s coming.” He said.

Kon-Mai squinted against the bright sun, and slowly but surely, she saw a figure drawing closer and closer, moving gracefully and lithely like a snake. As it approached the ship, the figure of a woman was distinguishable, her head covered by a loose, pink hood, partially obscuring long black hair. She was tall, and her body was thinner than Kon-Mai had ever seen in a human, almost suspiciously so. Her long tunic was a soft burgundy color, and under her hood, Kon-Mai could feel her green eyes scanning over them.

The woman stopped just short of the ramp, eyes landing on Gur-Rai, and a smile of absolute delight came over her face. “My dear!”

Gur-Rai blinked, meeting her eyes in confusion. “Me?”

“You don’t remember?” The woman smiled warmly. “I had heard the rumors...but I never thought I would see you again!”

He blinked, narrowing his eyes for a moment. “...No way.” His face broke into a wide smile. “Nazira?!”

“It is me!” She took down her hood and shook out her long, silken hair. “In flesh and blood!”

Gur-Rai shoved past Jane, almost knocking her over, and ran down the ramp, practically tackling Nazira in a hug. It was then that Kon-Mai realized she was nearly as tall as he was, though still light enough that he was able to pick her up and spin her around like he was dancing with her.

“It’s been so long!” She cried, her voice muffled from her face being buried in his shoulder. “There were rumors you had left the Elders, but I dared not let myself hope!”

“But hope is what brought us here, my dear~” He pulled away, turning to the confused group (and the very annoyed Jane). “Brother, Sister, you never met Nazira, did you?”

“Was she one of your many liaisons?” Kon-Mai descended the ramp and bowed to the strange woman, who was still shorter than her, but not by much. It was a weird feeling. “I cannot say I remember you, Nazira. I am sorry.”

“Well, you wouldn’t even if we’d met before.” Nazira chuckled. “I have changed quite a bit.”

“I’ll say~” Gur-Rai let out a wolf whistle. “I didn’t know you set up shop out here in bumfuck nowhere.”

“Oh, this place is actually quite lovely. You just have to find it.” She turned away from the Chosen and looked up. “Hm. I wonder which of you is the Commander.”

“That would be-” Bradford  began, but Nazira cut him off.

“I was kidding.” She extended her skirt in a curtsy. “Commander Senuna. I have heard so many stories about you.”

“All of which are true, I’m sure.” Senuna said with a giggle. She began to descend onto the sandy plateau, beckoning her present company to follow. “Is it just you?”

“My brother awaits your arrival back home.” Nazira replied. “He’s a little bit paranoid—too paranoid if you ask me. But he insists.” She turned around, staring out into what they thought must have been empty desert. “Come come, follow me.”

.

.

As they drew deeper into the heat, the vapor of mirage began to dissipate, and before their eyes emerged an array of stone houses, rising up out of the sand and dust. Around the houses, like a ring, were fields of green grass and flowers that sat as a barrier between it and the harshness of the world around. Within that ring of green and the maze of stone, a glittering blue lake sat like the pupil of an eye.

Nazira led them in through a stone archway, which opened up to winding stone paths and dry houses made of clay, decorated with colorful cloth and tents.Bradford looked around nervously. “Why are there so many snakes here?”

“Snakes?” Dhar-Mon looked at the ground and staggered, scared he was going to step on one of these mystery snakes.

“He means the vipers, Brother.” Gur-Rai chuckled. As he gestured around, the other two Chosen did notice the multitude of serpentine women, some wearing head coverings and holding back their hoods, some cloaked in modified human clothes, but not a single one holding weapons.

“The snakes are here for the same reason as everyone else.” Nazira deliberately turned and stared Bradford down. “To escape from the tyranny that is ADVENT.”

He said nothing, but Gur-Rai saw his hand move to his gun.

They came to one slightly larger house near the center of the small town, shaded by intricate red rugs that looked similar to ones they had seen in Nuwa’s room at Vorontsovo. Nazira pushed aside the cloth that blocked the door and stood to the side. “Brother, I’m home and I brought friends!”

As they stepped inside, the surprisingly cool air hit their skin first, causing most of the company to shiver. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, Kon-Mai saw that the inside, though made of the same clay, was neat and swept clean, with more colorful rugs covering the bare concrete floor. At a low table on the other side of the room, she saw a man with long, wavy black hair sitting with his back to them. In his hand was a steaming cup of tea: she could smell the peppermint and it gave her some vague comfort.

“Ah.” He said as he rose to his feet, straightening up to reveal his tall, thin, lanky figure. He turned, and greenish-yellow eyes scanned the room, landing on Senuna. “And so the mysterious Commander shows herself. Welcome to Dakhla Oasis.”

“It is an honor.” She smiled, and her teeth flashed pearly in the low light. “I assume you are Zafar Ba’al-Peor?”

“Yes, I was the one who sent word to you.” He confirmed. He scanned the room, and Kon-Mai could see his mind processing everything at a mile a minute. His gaze fell on Gur-Rai and…

“Damn it.” He sighed. “You again.”

“Oh come on now.” Gur-Rai walked right up to him and socked him in the shoulder. “You missed me~”

“I will miss the peace and quiet more.” He growled, but Kon-Mai saw just the hint of a smile on his face. “Please keep your unholy transgressions with my sister to an indoor noise level.”

“Oh, I’ll be quiet as a mouse, Zafar. I’ll make no promises for Nazira~” Gur-Rai snaked one long arm around Nazira’s waist.

“Stop that, you dog~” She giggled.

“Yes, stop it please.” Bradford snapped. “You can play later. It’s time we got down to business.”

“Of course.” Zafar sat at the narrow end of the table, and Senuna plopped down criss-cross-applesauce across from him. She leaned forward, a smirk on her face.

“What do you need from me?” She asked.

.

.

The afternoon seemed to drag on, in that way it does when one is experiencing something unpleasant like a class lecture. Or, in this case, a debate gone very, very awry. While Jane, Bradford and Zhang stood behind their Commander, backing her up in the event that Zafar foolishly tried to attack, the Chosen hung back: Dhar-Mon and Kon-Mai relaxed by the doorway, and Gur-Rai was sprawled across a nearby couch one of the only pieces of furniture in the room. Nazira sat beside him, laying back comfortably on his chest.

Senuna raised her cup of tea to her lips, eyes unmoving as they met Zafar’s golden gaze.

“Well?” He pressed, his tone anxious.

“You’re asking for a lot.” She admitted.

“It is nothing short of what we need.” He assured her. “We have access to supplies; food and water and there’s an Elerium deposit in the mountains of Al-Wahat.” He was trying to maintain a calm demeanor, but from the tapping of his finger on the table, she could see he was anxious.

“I know. But 100 soldiers is too much for us to spare.” She shook her head. “As it is, we only carry about 75 with us on the Avenger. The rest are stationed at other havens, and they’re already spread thin. Most don’t have more than a few.”

Zafar chewed on his lip. “We are being targeted by ADVENT.” He elaborated. “I only ask for what we need, and I would never ask this of you without offering all I could in return.”

“I can spare 50, at most.” Senuna said.

“It is not enough!” He snapped. Before Senuna could react, or Bradford could draw his weapon though, he sighed and sat back. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay.” She looked at him sympathetically. “...How have you been sleeping?”

“Poorly.” He admitted. “It is not me I fear for. I may be taken back to ADVENT. I will suffer, but what is the suffering of one man? It is my people I fear for: the Vipers have eggs here, and many are already nesting. At least one human couple has children. Besides them, the denizens of this oasis simply want a place to live in peace, and if ADVENT finds us they will all be dashed under a trooper’s boot.”

Senuna sat back, and Bradford spoke up. “What did you do that makes you such a hot commodity?” He said with resounding snark. “I kind of doubt you’re more important than the Commander.”

Zafar turned his golden eyes on Bradford. “It is not what I did, but who I am. Who…” He gestured to Nazira. “Who we were. Our mere existence could incite rebellion. You’ve seen it with the Skirmishers.”

“Indeed.” Nazira rose from her seat. “Imagine if the Elders old forgotten pets suddenly rose up and usurped them.”

“Old forgotten…?” Bradford narrowed his eyes. 

“You really don’t see it?” For the first time since they arrived, Zhang spoke up. “Look at their eyes, Bradford. They’re snake eyes.”

All of a sudden it clicked. The tall, lanky bodies, the black hair, the eyes, “You two are Thin Men!”

Zafar nodded, almost in relief, but Nazira crossed her arms, her confident smirk just a bit tense. “You’d be right, although ‘Thin Man’ is hardly the appropriate term for me, at least nowadays.”

“I don’t recall any female infiltrator units.” Zhang looked at her sideways. “There was only the Thin Men, was there not?”

“I’m well aware of that.” She fiddled with her tunic as she searched for the words. “The Elders changed us into the image they saw fit, with no regard for who we truly were. They stole us away from our home, molded us to their liking, and assigned us an identity. An identity that I knew was not mine.” She met his eyes with confidence. “I’m a woman now, I always was, and I always will be.”

“That is fair.” Zhang nodded. “That does leave the question of how you two escaped.”

“Each ADVENT unit has a chip.” Jane said. “I assume yours malfunctioned, like the rest?”

“Perhaps. One of the human engineers assumes it’s some kind of hardware rot.” Zafar spoke up. “Nazira’s broke before mine did, but mine followed suit quickly after.”

“Rest assured, Commander, we are chip free.” Nazira settled back into the loveseat, leaning back against Gur-Rai’s chest.

“That’s quite a story.” Senuna laced her fingers together. “You truly think ADVENT is hunting you? Don’t they have better things to do? Like hunt me?”

“I would have hoped so...no offense, Commander.” Zafar cleared his throat. “But before coming to Dakhla, Nazira and I were accosted constantly by ADVENT soldiers and troops. I would very much like to believe we are safe here in hiding, but I can’t be sure. I can’t take that risk.”

Senuna seemed to ruminate on this. “I’ll see what I can do to help you, Zafar. I can’t promise anything, but...maybe I can call in a few favors.”

Zafar’s face seemed to relax immensely. “...Thank you, Senuna.”

She nodded. “In the meantime, would it be possible for my soldiers to deplane and relax for a bit? Your city is lovely and they’d love to explore~”

“After what you’ve agreed to? Please.” He took a sip of his now cold tea. “It’s the least we can do.”

.

.

“So what is it you do for fun in this lonely little town?” Gur-Rai asked as Nazira took his arm in hers and dragged him through the streets. His siblings followed behind at a distance, walking slowly to give the two a wide berth.

“Farming, fishing, guard patrol…” She sighed and flipped her hair. “It is incredibly dull here, but maybe dull is what I need.”

“Really now? Haven’t found someone to replace me yet?”

“Replace the Chosen Hunter?” She cackled. “A few have tried. None can measure up, figuratively and literally.”

“Thank you…” He trailed off. “But I don’t go by ‘Hunter’ anymore. XCOM calls me Darkstrider.”

Nazira was silent for a moment. “Hm. I always figured your name was the one thing the Elders gave you that you liked.”

“It’s not bad…” He shrugged. “But let’s face it, I was never good at hunting.”

“Well, you found me.” She giggled.

“Yes.” He nodded. “And then I let you go.”

“You made the right choice.” She assured him. “I would have suffered a slow demise in the Elders’ grasp. Out here, people know who I am and actually respect it.”

He brushed a lock of long, black hair behind her ear. “I am glad you regret nothing, Nazira.”

“I only regret not knocking you out and taking you with me.” She said. “More for your sake than mine.”

“My sister would have hunted you down.”

“Maybe she would have actually found us.”

“Not likely, she can’t see six feet in front of her own face~”

“I can hear you!” Kon-Mai snapped behind them.

Nazira broke into a laugh and led them farther down the narrow streets, towards the oasis in the center. To one side, one of the houses was topped by a tall, magnificent tower with a makeshift satellite atop it. She stopped for a moment, pointing up at it. “That’s what we used to call your people.”

“They’re my people now?” Gur-Rai chuckled.

“They always were.” She beckoned them toward it. “Come, let's get out of the sun. I am burning out here.”

“I agree.” Dhar-Mon sounded hesitant. “But perhaps one of us should check on the Avenger?”

“Didn’t I just say that’s a radio tower?” Nazira raised a brow. “We can call them in there.”

“I…” He blushed, turning briefly purple. “Yes...you did.”

“His girlfriend is on the ship~” Gur-Rai leaned over, barely bothering to whisper.

“She is nothing of the sort!” Dhar-Mon was blushing so hard, he looked like a grape. “I am worried about all of the personnel! Not just Malinalli!”

“Girlfriend or not, she sounds lovely.” Nazira used her shoulder to heave aside the huge stone door that marked the entrance to the tower. “Come, we can place a call to them inside if you are so desperate to see her~”

The inside may have been narrow, but it was far from empty. The stairs leading up top were but an addition on the side: in the center was a maze of stone shelves that held various books, from fiction to technical know how, including a very worn out “Radio Communication for Dummies”.

“Are you not worried this will start a fire?” Kon-Mai asked.

“Not at the moment. All the electrical gear is at the very top.” She looked over the two. “I assume you know how to operate a radio? Or would you like to browse our collection?”

Dhar-Mon began to open his mouth, most likely to take her up on that offer to read books, but his brother cut in. “They’ll be fine, right guys?” He gave them a look. “Why don’t you go upstairs and put in that call.”

“But I do not-” Dhar-Mon was once again interrupted, this time by Kon-Mai sighing.

“Of course, Brother.” She sneered. “Protect yourself down here.”

“Oh I will.” He winked as Nazira pulled him into the maze of books.

Kon-Mai took her older brother by the arm. “Come. They want some time alone.”

“Well that is fine.” He grumbled. “But I still do not know how to use a radio.”

“I have some experience.” She assured him. “If we put our heads together, we can most likely figure it-”

Dhar-Mon snapped his fingers. “That is it! Psionics! You are a genius, Sister.”

Kon-Mai smiled. “Is that all I am?”

“No.” He put a hand on her back, both as comfort and to protect her from what was becoming a steep drop. “You are kind and beautiful as well.”

.

.

.

.

.

Summary: At the beginning of the chapter, we are introduced to a character named Nazira, who examines her hometown while reflecting on it’s inhabitants. The haven is made up of Vipers and humans at least, with one notable Muton. Suffering from a headache, she abandons her current thoughts and joins her brother, Zafar, in what appears to be meditation at an ancient temple, dedicated to three Ancient Egyptian gods. Nazira tells Zafar she saw the Avenger today, and the two agree that it is time to make contact, though Zafar is nervous in doing so.

On board the Avenger, Jane informs Senuna that Zafar has made contact, and Senuna agrees to meet with them at their home. Jane goes to the Chosen, who are relaxing after their day at the beach, and inform them that Senuna wants them present for negotiations, to which Dhar-Mon and Gur-Rai comment that their faces may only serve to scare them away. That night, Kon-Mai has a nightmare about Elder Abyzou, who made several disparaging comments about the former’s appearance in the past, which Kon-Mai still holds onto.

Landing in the desert, the group meets Nazira, who is revealed to have been one of Gur-Rai’s old flames, and they are excited to see one another. She leads them to Dakhla Oasis, where she introduces them to Zafar and negotiations begin. Zafar wants 100 soldiers to guard the oasis, and Senuna informs him that that is not a possibility. Zafar is adamant, saying that as he and Nazira are escaped Thin Men, the Elders accosted them regularly, and he fears his people will be caught in their wrath. Zhang expresses some confusion towards Nazira, who clarifies that she is a woman, despite the gender the Elders assigned to her while she was in their service. Impressed with the story of their escape, Senuna agrees to call in some favors, but makes no promises as to whether they’ll be able to help. In return, Zafar allows the Avenger’s crew to rest and relax at the oasis.

(Well, I meant to wake up earlier to post this but I hit snooze too many times and now it’s late afternoon! Oh well, at least it’s out, and I’m quite proud and excited for this arc of the story. Thing are about to get very, very exciting.)

Archive: https://chosenstories.tumblr.com/

[iffeelscouldkill]

Roses Are Red (Valentines Are Hard)

A/N: A late Valentine’s Day offering. (Which is in keeping with the theme of the fic, if you read!) Just a silly and (hopefully) cute thing.

Cross-posted to AO3

Violet does a double-take when she sees the date on her holo-display upon waking up that morning. 92-02-14. February 14, 2192. Valentine's Day.

Crap. She'd forgotten about Valentine's Day. Well, more like she'd stopped thinking about Valentine's Day given that the last time she was in anything resembling a 'relationship' had been those four months with Terry right before finals. Ugh. No, she doesn't need to be thinking about that right now.

Is it too late to plan something? she thinks, followed by, Would Arkady even celebrate Valentine's Day?

Arkady isn't exactly the hearts and flowers type, granted, but neither is Violet. She likes genuinely sweet and thoughtful gestures - like using your favourite mint plant to make someone a cup of tea - not saccharine Hallmark declarations of affection. Besides, with her name being Violet, she's heard way too many puns over the years involving that stupid 'Roses Are Red' poem.

Anyway. Violet returns to thinking about Valentine's Day plans. She remembers Sana saying that they would be making a call at Pangu, a small planet with a bustling market, in a couple of days to refuel and resupply. In fact, were they due to land today? If they were, then she had an idea for what she could do to mark the occasion.

After getting dressed, she wanders into the kitchen to make breakfast - and runs into Brian, who is inexplicably wearing a plastic crown on his head.

"Uh, morning, Brian!" she greets him, amused.

"Hey, Violet. Do you do Valentine's Day? If so, Happy Valentine's," says Brian, slicing a banana onto some oatmeal.

"Yeah, I kind of do, as long as it doesn't clash with the Lunar New Year, anyway," Violet replies. "Happy Valentine's Day. And uh, nice crown?"

Brian laughs a little and touches the crown on top of his head. "Thanks. It's a tradition, kinda?"

"Between you and Krejjh?"

"Yeah," Brian says and smiles fondly. "Dwarnians don't really celebrate Valentine's Day or anything like it, though they have a couple of festivals dedicated to bonded couples - married couples, that is - and to intended couples, or-"

"Engaged couples?" Violet fills in. "Yeah, I remember Krejjh referred to you as their "intended", to Eejjhgreb."

"Right. But there's not really a day for like, romance in general? Or for newer couples. So, Valentine's Day came up a couple of months after we sorta, finally, became an official 'couple', but Krejjh didn't know about it. I wasn't expecting us to do anything for it, but we happened to be docked on Bathala, a kind of lawless planet wayyyy on the outer reaches of charted space, almost in the Deep. It's mostly a human planet, but it's not unheard of for humans and Dwarnians to mingle there in peacetime.

"So, Krejjh and I went out to this - cafeteria? A really cheap and kind of commercial place, really hilarious. And Krejjh wanted to know what was with all of the pink, and the hearts, and the flowers. So, I kinda explained it, and they got upset that they didn't have anything to give me, to "symbolise their undying affection"."

Violet giggles.

"I told them I didn't expect anything, but I think part of the appeal was understanding and taking part in a human romantic tradition, so... anyway, they were doing this ongoing competition - eat a huge plate of this legendarily spicy house chili, and win a crown. And a spot in the cafeteria Hall of Fame."

"I think I see where this is going," Violet laughs.

"Right, so Dwarnians also have this thing about competitive acts of bravery to prove their affection. Add to that a love of spicy food, and - that chili didn't stand a chance. Krejjh's portrait is still hanging in the House of Tantalising Tastes Hall of Fame. And I wear this," Brian touches the crown on top of his head, "every Valentine's Day in honour of their victory."

"'House of Tantalising Tastes'?" Violet repeats with glee.

"The finest establishment we ever set foot in," Brian says solemnly.

"Clearly, a sign of great things to come," Violet agrees.

The door whooshes open and Sana comes into the kitchen. "Morning Violet, morning, Brian," she says, cheerfully. Looking between Brian's pleased face and Violet still snorting with laughter, she says,

"Has Brian been telling you the plastic crown story?"

"I don't think I've ever heard a more classic Krejjh tale," Violet laughs.

"Oh, dude, you haven't even heard the story of our first date. I have so many more where that came from."

"Well, you can tell them on the way to the market," says Sana. "We'll be landing on Pangu in half an hour. Violet, are you up for a market run?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," says Violet, thinking of her Valentine's Day plan. "Is Arkady coming?" she adds, hoping she sounds casual.

Sana frowns slightly. "She hasn't actually emerged from her room yet, but she usually comes on a market run. I'll knock on her door again in a few minutes and see."

Violet hurries to finish her breakfast and get ready to go out. She's not dressed up, exactly, but she puts on just a little bit of makeup - which she doesn't normally bother with - and a pair of cute, dangly earrings with clusters of flowers hanging down. She smiles at her reflection in a small hand mirror.

However, when Sana knocks on Arkady's door a few minutes later, she's met with a muffled, "Go out without me!"

"Arkady?" Sana calls through the door, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"I think I'm sick," comes the response, followed by a slightly forced-sounding bout of coughing.

"Do you want me to check you over?" Violet calls.

"Nah, I'm probably contagious. I don't want to get you sick," Arkady calls back. "I'll be better this afternoon, probably."

Sana looks sidelong at Violet and then replies, "All right, make sure you get some rest. It'd be really good if you can make it out later on."

"Count on it," Arkady calls. "Have fun at the market."

Violet is a little despondent over Arkady's absence, but her mood picks up as soon as they get to the market. It's a nice day outside. Pangu has two stars that rise and set at different times and provide light to the planet; one is rising as they step outside, while the other is just past its peak. The combined effect is bright and pleasant.

Normally, Sana and Arkady and occasionally Violet do the market runs while Brian keeps Krejjh company on the ship, but this time Brian comes with them, on the lookout for some kind of mystery item for Krejjh.

Violet winds her way among the stalls, keeping her eyes open for something suitable. There's such a huge variety of stalls and goods on offer - food and clothing, accessories and crafts. She is eventually drawn towards a jewellery stall with elaborate, gothic necklaces and bracelets wrought in silver.

She toys with a cuff with a pattern of interlocking vines, before she spies a black velvet choker with a delicate design in the centre: two silver flowers nestled side by side, with leaves arching around them in the shape of a heart. Violet can't help reaching out to touch it. She loves it, but is it too much? Would Arkady wear it? She feels like she needs a second opinion.

She looks around for Sana, but the Captain is deep among the food stalls, bartering for supplies. Instead she spots Brian, browsing a couple of stalls over.

"Hey, Brian," Violet calls. He looks up and trots over.

"Oh, hey, do they have crown jewellery on this stall? Ooh, they do!"

Brian picks up a large, ostentatious crown pendant hanging off a chain, and beams at it.

"Brian, do... Do you think Arkady would like this?"

Brian looks over at the choker Violet is holding, and smiles. "That's super nice! It's totally Arkady's style, too."

"She doesn't already have one like it, does she?"

Brian tilts his head slightly, thinking, and then shakes his head. "Arkady doesn't really splash out on jewellery that often," he says. "I think she might have a plain one, but that's it."

"All right," says Violet determinedly. "I'll get it for her."

She haggles briefly with the stallholder before buying the choker, and Brian does the same with his crown necklace. Carrying their purchases wrapped in tissue paper, they meet back up with Sana, who is looking triumphant with several bags full of dehydrated food packs, fresh ingredients and other necessities.

"Looks like you made out okay, Captain," says Brian approvingly.

"I'd say I did," Sana agrees, satisfied. "Would you mind taking one of these each?"

They help her haul the bags of supplies back to the ship. To their surprise, as they approach the Rumor, they can see a small delivery drone hovering outside the airlock.

"What's this?" Sana asks, frowning. "I don't remember ordering anything. Did either of you...?" Violet and Brian both shake their heads.

Sana takes hold of the drone's package, which is a matte black cylinder about a foot long, vacuum sealed. Relieved of its delivery, the drone flies off.

Sana peers at the little screen that details the sender and recipient. "It's for me," she says with some surprise. "But there's no sender listed..."

"Do you think it's dangerous?" asks Violet, worried. "Should we get Arkady?"

Sana shakes her head slowly. "Whatever it is, it's passed through an official interstellar Customs checkpoint," she says. "The contents have been certified."

"What does the label say?" Brian asks.

"'Flora,'" Sana replies.

"So, a plant of some kind?" Violet suggests.

"Time to find out..." Sana twists one end of the cylinder, and the vacuum seal releases with a hiss. She hands the cap to Brian and from inside the tube, gently draws out a bouquet: delicate white flowers with dark green leaves and a pale yellow centre.

"Oh," says Sana in a strange voice. "These are my favourites."

"Is that jasmine?" asks Violet, recognising the scent. She's amazed that the flowers have survived the journey from - wherever they came from. It's definitely not a local delivery.

"Hey, there's a note," says Brian, peering into the not-quite-empty delivery tube. He pulls out a folded piece of paper and opens it to reveal a drawing.

"What is that?" Sana asks, puzzled - but Violet recognises the shape.

"Isn't that a soup can?"

"Oh!" says Sana again, in understanding, and her cheeks tint pink.

"It's from Campbell?" Brian asks, delightedly.

Sana nods slowly, leaning forward to smell the flowers. Violet shares a grin with Brian.

"I'll see you guys a little later," Sana says, almost to the flowers. "I have to go make a call."

As she disappears into the ship, they hear her murmur,

"Jasmine... I can't believe he remembered."

Roses are red Violets are blue Wait, your name is Violet, that sounds weird

Roses are red Flowers are pretty This poem is shitty

Roses are red Flowers are lame At least I didn't make A pun on your name

Arkady groans and puts her head down on her arms. With one hand, she reaches out for the closest sheet of notepaper and crumples it, then listlessly flings it across the worktop.

She rubs her eyes as a knock sounds at the door. "What?" she calls, trying to sound croaky and hoarse.

"You can give it up, Arkady, I know you're not sick," Sana calls through the door, quietly.

"I don't know what you're-" Arkady breaks off mid-sentence to fake a coughing fit. "-talking about."

"Right," Sana says drily. "Look, I know you're not much of a one for days like today. I know you'd rather just skip the whole thing. But I don't think... anyone... is expecting something huge. I think they'd just be glad to see you, honestly."

Arkady looks at the crumpled notepaper spread across the worktop, at her failed attempts to write even a clichéd four-line poem.

"I'll be out real soon," she promises Sana.

If she leaves her room now, it'll all have been for nothing. She can't give up.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? How the fuck does the rest of it go

La fleur que tu m'avais jetée Je ne parle pas français

“No, and hell no,” Arkady mutters, tearing the page from her almost empty memo pad. "Fuck. Why is this so hard?"

She sweeps her arm across the metal worktop, clearing it, and stares at the empty surface. Just write from the heart, Kady, she thinks to herself. You've listened to how many flowery declarations of love in operas? It's not that hard. Just project confidence. And your voice. Okay, not your voice.

Hey Violet I think you're super cute and also I want to make out with you

Arkady scribbles violently across the page and contemplates breaking her pencil in two. She should have just gone with her original plan of doodling a bunch of flowers and sliding it under Violet’s door. Or making her a bouquet of mint plants. Or a cup of tea. Something.

Arkady catches sight of the time on her holo-display and feels the bottom drop out of her stomach. 11:42 PM. “Fuck,” she swears vehemently. No, that doesn’t quite cover it. “Breesht.”

She has 18 minutes left of Valentine’s Day. 18 minutes left to come up with the perfect poem. Or even a passable poem. Arkady frantically reapplies herself to her task, ignoring the part of her brain which intones that she’s definitely already fucked it up beyond repair by ignoring Violet for the whole day. She can fix this. With a good enough poem, she can fix this.

Violet isn’t normally an early riser. She gets out of bed at a reasonable hour, and she’s always up and dressed in time to carry out her allocated chores around the ship, but she’s not one of those people who relishes getting up at the crack of dawn. Sana rises with the sun, and Brian and Krejjh keep odd hours, but when neither of them has a night shift, they’re up early to do some kind of Dwarnian meditation. Arkady rolls out of bed at the last possible second, while Violet makes a point of being up by 8 AM at the latest.

The morning after Valentine’s Day, though, she wakes up much earlier than usual – 6:20 AM, ugh – and can’t get back to sleep. She can’t stop thinking about Arkady’s non-appearance yesterday and wondering if she had anything to do with it. Did she do something wrong? Was buying the choker too presumptuous? Should she have tried to talk to Arkady? Slipped the gift through her door?

Several times, Violet had hesitated outside Arkady’s door, wanting to call through it and check on her, but something had held her back. She couldn’t help but think that it was her Arkady was avoiding by staying in her room, and if that was the case, she didn’t want to make things worse. But the anxiety eats away at her.

Sighing, Violet gives up on sleep and sits up, deciding to go to the kitchen and make a cup of tea. She knows she’ll probably run into Sana, if not Brian and Krejjh as well, but it’s better than staying inside her room and stewing.

As she leaves her room, she pockets the tissue paper package containing Arkady’s choker – just in case.

As she’d suspected, Sana, Brian and Krejjh are all awake and drinking coffee in the mess hall as Violet shuffles through on her way to the kitchen.

“Violet!” Krejjh calls out happily. “You’re awake so early! Good morning!”

Violet is barely able to deal with Krejjh’s level of energy before tea on a normal morning, let alone at this hour and with her current level of anxiety. She just about manages a, “Morning, Krejjh.”

Sana is definitely looking at her with sympathy, and Violet prays that the captain doesn’t say anything. While she normally appreciates what Arkady likes to call “the feelings corner”, if Sana tries to comfort her right now, she thinks she might start crying.

But before anyone can say anything else, Arkady bursts into the room.

“Violet!” she cries, skidding to a halt. Her hair is a mess, and she looks like she slept in her clothes – if she even got any sleep. There are dark shadows under her eyes and her expression is slightly wild.

“Arkady?” Violet begins tentatively, but then Arkady is barrelling on, reciting something off a crumpled piece of paper.

“Roses are great, Tulips are too, But of all the flowers, My favourite is you!”

Arkady finishes and looks up at Violet with a mixture of expectancy and trepidation. Uncaffeinated, and taken aback by the sudden – and very public – declaration of affection, Violet is frozen for several seconds. She sees the panic begin to creep into Arkady’s expression, and knows that she’s seconds away from bolting – she needs to do something, quickly.

“Uh…” Brian begins uncertainly, but stops as Violet steps forward and kisses Arkady in front of the whole crew.

Arkady’s eyes widen, and for a second she seems like she might pull away and bolt anyway, but then her eyes flutter shut, and she tenderly returns Violet’s kiss.

The whole thing only lasts for a few moments, but Violet is almost delirious with happiness as she pulls away. She thinks she might literally be floating. Arkady looks slightly dazed, but smiles and rests her forehead against Violet’s.

“So, you liked the poem?” she asks quietly.

“It was perfect,” Violet tells her sincerely. “Oh, I got you something as well-” She takes the tissue-wrapped package out of her pocket and hands it to Arkady, who looks stunned.

“It – you got this for me? Really?”

“Yes,” Violet confirms shyly. “Uh, you can open it back in your room, if you want to-”

“Crewman Jeeter, please can I applaud now?” Krejjh stage whispers, breaking the moment.

“Oh my god,” Arkady complains. “No, absolutely not. Go away, all of you.”

“Uh, you burst in on us, dude,” Brian says with great amusement. “Also, did that rhyme really take you, like, thirty-six hours?”

Arkady flips him off before carefully undoing the tissue paper around Violet’s gift. “It was twenty-four hours at most-” she returns, and then stops short as she uncovers the velvet choker.

Violet realises that she’s unconsciously holding her breath as she waits for Arkady’s reaction. She would rather not have given her the gift in front of the whole crew – would have been happy to let her open it in private, in fact, but she’s desperate to know that Arkady likes it.

“Is it okay?” she asks quietly as Arkady gazes at the gift without speaking. “I saw it at the market yesterday and thought of you, but if it’s not your style, I don’t mind if you-”

The rest of her sentence is lost as Arkady kisses her enthusiastically. This time, Brian doesn’t stop Krejjh from applauding, and Arkady manages to refrain from making obscene gestures until after she and Violet have finished kissing.

“Thanks,” she says quietly to Violet, under Krejjh’s delighted commentary, Brian’s good-natured teasing, and Sana’s encouragement. “I… yeah. Just, thanks.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Violet says, and squeezes her hand.

A/N: "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" is a romantic aria from the opera Carmen. I doubt Arkady would have had the opportunity to learn any French on Cresswin Landing (outside of an operatic context), but I figured it wasn't out of the question for her to know the phrase, "I don't speak French" (which is what the line after that says).

Also, credit to @thevoicefromthestars who came up with Arkady’s final poem in the Starship Iris Discord. Thank you for inspiring this fic! <3

[kxux3]

Exhibition Proposal - Week 4

#1 Bermeja

In a criticism on the artist Sturtevant, there is a interest statement: contemporary art is performing. Nowadays, many intentions of art works and various exhibitions have the character of performance. What are our normal definitions of performances? With the ups and downs of the plot, they are deductive in front of the audience, accompanied by physical movements or techniques. The definition of the word performance on the Wiki is "Show the details and skills and abilities of characteristics.” See, even for many kinds of contemporary art, it with drama, music performance has much in common. For the “performance” as keyword there is a movie, the Truman Show. It performed that a person's life all be acted in a TV show, but he does not know. This man's life is like a Russian toy, after the non-stop look, the smallest one inside. This extends to the next argument: the perspective of God, the manipulation behind it, the real world and the false world. Here is a new proposition for our world. Is our world real or creator-directed? Even when I wrote these words, I am not sure that this world is what we are seeing now.

The choices of artists and works

Some of the artists and works selected below use the actors to interpret the plot, but the presentation of these works is also a performance in front of the society. Their art works both contain the essence of performance, as well as the reflection of the world and society, and criticism.

1. Zbigniew Rybczynski

Work: Tango. https://youtu.be/3JPZm1vM3gU

This is an experimental animated image that includes actual shooting and edited synthesis. Our society seems to be concentrated in this small house. People are independent of each other. Even at a certain moment, in a certain space, people are dodging each other, without overlapping, without hindrance. It seems that the seemingly complicated interpersonal relationship can actually be split. In the start of the film, the actors independently performed in this space, but in the hands of the director, after the editing, at a certain point in time, the twenty-three lives seemed to have connection, but they were far away from each other.

2. Matthew Barney

Works: Cremaster Series

Most of Matthew Barney's creation uses the participation of the body, using ubiquitous symbols, metaphors and symbols to jointly express the essence of human life, the original function of thinking, to metaphorize the potential biological and capacity limits of human beings, life.

This male body's unique muscles play a role in raising or lowering the testicles to adapt to changes in ambient temperature or as a physiological stress response after being frightened. Matthew Barney used this cremaster muscle as a cross-cutting theme from 1994 to 2002. This series contains many elements of fabricated reality. The surrealistic artistic vision expresses the opposition between temperance and madness in the form of performance, and the powerful appeal of breaking the truth. It is not at all nonsense, the symmetry of the lens, the unity and rigor of the performance art movements create visual effects, even though seemingly weird characters and behaviors are serving symbolism and symbolism. The film comes from the United States, a metaphor for the potential dangers and strange phenomena under the existing system of American society. It seems to express the entire society of the United States, violence, deception, disguise, dangerous.

3. Andrea Fraser

Works: Untitled / Art Must Be Hung.

Untitled: The film recorded a video of her own sex transaction with an unnamed collector who paid $20,000 for the deal. The content of this work has caused great controversy, criticizing the use and dissemination of pornography and obscenity to others.

Art Must Be Hung: She played the role of others and recreated a drunken speech by Martin Kippenberger six years ago. The speech of “She” is slick and uncoordinated.

She made uncompromising resistance to the gender status of the contemporary art market.

4. Ayesha

Works: Parasites of Pangu/ Where is Una Jynxx?

Even if people are classified incorrectly, but according to the beautiful human diversity, queer artists are now a very important group in contemporary art.

Today Ayesha has created a number of characters that are related to his experience as a queer and exploring his identity. Una Jynxx is one of the characters, and with this young oracle, Ayesha explores gender issues. "She is very girly, with a whip and a shiny dress. She is naive." These characters don't exist in real life, they only show up through Skype. In general, Ayesha's queer traits bring a kind of dystopian called “mysterious optimism”, which means that Utopia will never be realized, because about what it is, many in the world. People have their own opinions. Or as the artist Jesse Darling said: “The end of the world has already happened, it is just not being transmitted evenly.” Ayesha's work tries to find a way to survive. “I think Shadow Sistxrs exemplifies a mysterious and optimistic dystopia that takes place under a patriarchal, unbalanced social framework, with women, queers and non-duality being oppressed. But it creates A community that allows you to assemble forces and alliances to rebel."

5. Douglas Gordon Work: Play Dead; Real Time

https://youtu.be/XCVJ73ce8_E

People will ask animals to do things that they wouldn't normally do. Like this elephant, Minnie performs lying and standing up at the request of her trainer. This is a silent color image with a sense of coldness in a medical documentary. It is not only the irony of the circus in the art gallery, but also the attack on the nature of the pervasive human behavior.

In the first exhibition, there was actually an infinitely extended mirror world theory. The artist placed the screen in the exhibition hall of Minnie's performance. The real elephant performance is not allowed to enter the art gallery for all-day performances, but the same space, the same ground, Minnie has an infinite loop in the screen here, falling down, standing up, fall down and stand up. . . The entire gallery, the audience, and Minnie's roles are interrelated, like a play of nature and man, performance and display.

The works of these five artists are divided from different contents: a group of people, male, female, queer, animals.

[j-graysonlibrary]

The Xiang Chronicles: Book Three Chapter 20

Title: The Xiang Chronicles: Book Three

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 107k

Genres: Fantasy, adventure, drama, LGBT+

Available on: my website

Synopsis: Only one Xiang remains and her name is Merra. She hopes to unite the land by force and plow down anyone in her way—especially the people of Agni who she deems faithless and the native people of Terra who refuse to cooperate with her.

Raine continues to serve his Lord but he has taken to alcoholism to soothe his grief—a fact he keeps out of his letters with Heidi. Baiya has returned to mercenary work in order to keep his family safe while Kira is on the warpath. He, fully, takes on the title of Chaaya and means to defeat the Xiang he sees as false.

And, in a guarded castle in Enlil, a stir-crazy Princess dabbles in the dark arts, setting in motion something even Tiandi cannot see.

Full chapter 20 under the cut

Chapter XX:

It had been a slow, pleasant day. Heidi was able to use a chore that needed done as the perfect excuse to get out of the house for a little bit, although she was still assigned a supervisor. Even if she had not felt sore or out of sorts for the past week, Idris still panicked at the thought of letting her travel alone.

He had been practically attached to her hip since the baby was born, helping her in any way that he could. The sentiment was, of course, appreciated, but sometimes Heidi fantasized about being completely alone.

Her mother had been wary about her leaving as well but, in the end, promised to take care of Pangu junior while she was out.

The reason for taking the ferry out to the port town was for her medicine anyway. Markets in their town never ordered the herb needed so Heidi would always have to travel over the bay for it. She had not done so in about two months—both because of her late stage of pregnancy and because there was no need.

But, they had only about a week’s worth of it left and, without it, her mother would be in pain so she needed to go. Her father could have gone in Heidi’s place (as he was the one retrieving it while she was off traveling) but she insisted that she was healthy enough to go.

The fresh air and smell of the sea was well worth it.

She did miss her baby but the distance might have been needed as well. Spending all of her time with him was important but occasionally she did need a break. It was a double edged blade, however. Now that she had some time away, she did feel an ache in her chest over her baby’s absence.

Idris noticed and started to look for more than just the medicinal herb—he picked out some baby clothes and wooden toys that Pangu was far too young for.

“He will grow fast,” he reasoned.

Heidi sighed and nodded. He would probably be playing with the toys in the blink of an eye.

Her husband grinned from ear to ear and set everything in the bag around his neck. He pretty much always smiled like that, especially recently in regards to his son. Really, the only time Heidi saw him frowning was when their sleep was interrupted by crying.

They took turns with that responsibility or, if Heidi had a particularly exhausting day, Idris would soothe little Pangu all through the night for her. She looked forward to when this stage would be over although, according to her mother, she would grow to miss those sleepless nights—in a way.

Just about every thought she had about her baby was accompanied by something her mother had said or a bit of advice she gave. As she started to consider how late it was becoming and how they needed to hurry back to the ferry, Heidi heard her in her mind.

‘You will be surprised by how strong the bond is right away.’

Heidi knocked the words out of her head by shaking a little. She then turned to Idris to ask if he was ready to go but his eyes were fixed to a certain spot across the street.

She frowned and followed his gaze, unable to see much of anything past the crowd.

He aided her by moving her head. “Urishka, who does that look like to you?”

When she finally saw it—saw him—her thoughts of home vanished. She became so overwhelmed that she could not do anything besides run over.

Pangu was alive.

Though, after meeting his new friends and hearing them talk, Heidi was more confused than before. They were coming back to the house with them so the group followed her and Idris to the ferry.

It really was Pangu, she had confirmed as much with his energy—he felt exactly the same as he had before and every detail of his face was identical to her brother. There was no mistake. He was not a stranger with an uncanny resemblance nor a trick of the mind.

He was Pangu.

He just did not remember her. Or anything, apparently.

Having him back, in the world of the living was a relief and life changing but when he looked at her with a blank, slightly confused expression, she was driven to tears nearly every time.

“You did not tell us your name,” the blonde female soldier, Fujin, mentioned once the ferry kicked off from the pier. They were the only passengers so they were free to talk about anything.

“Oh,” Heidi blanked. The idea of introducing herself to her brother was so bizarre, she had not even considered it. “I am Shu Heidi Min. This is my husband, Idris.”

“Oooh, so Shu and Min are his family names?” the other woman, May, pieced together and gestured with her thumb over at Pangu.

“Yes.” Heidi glanced between them and badly wanted to ask what their story was but, so far, the entire group had been dodgy. The armor the siblings wore was rather flashy and not the typical attire of Enlil soldiers while May seemed…strange. Heidi was not one to judge for strangeness but she was really teetering on the edge. “Did my brother only remember his middle name?” she asked instead of prying into anything personal.

“No, he did not even know his name at first,” the other soldier, Kaz, replied.

“Parvati only told us and him that he was Pangu. And the Xiang, before this new lady Xiang showed up, anyway.” May leaned back on her seat—an old crate—and sighed.

“Parvati?” Heidi’s brow furrowed. “As in…Sha-parvati…?”

“Oh, right! You would know her too, huh?” May immediately sat up straight again. “She did say she met all of the disciples.”

More fell into place. A lot more. If Parvati was involved in the miraculous return of her brother, that probably meant some dark elements were at play. His body did not feel full of miasma, however.

Heidi frowned and her eyes stayed on May rather than on her brother. “Sha-parvati did imply that she would return the favor one day. This is a major favor, though…I…I do not even know what to say.”

“May did most of the work, if we are being honest,” Fujin said and nudged the woman’s foot with her boot.

“You…are you a Chaaya then?” Heidi quirked an eyebrow.

May, however, returned her expression. “No? If anything, I am like another disciple. Pangu taught us all how to use air after he unblocked us.”

There was a lot to take in with that one statement alone. Heidi almost slapped herself in the face to keep focus. To start with, Pangu had been brought back but not through miasma. That made sense considering there was none of it in him, that she could tell. Then, he had given all three of them abilities so everyone on the ferry, except for Idris, could manipulate at least one element.

“Okay,” Heidi took a deep breath and looked at her brother, “So what do you remember?”

“Personally, nothing,” he responded rather easily, “I know certain things about the world, like where countries are, the political climate, generally, and laws around Tiandi worship. There are no actual memories though, just feelings.”

Her throat went dry. “Do you have feelings right now…?”

Pangu was avoiding her eyes but he still nodded. “Yes,” he whispered.

Heidi blinked, feeling on the verge of crying yet again. She forced a smile to try and combat it then said, “I had a baby…I named him after you.”

That brought his attention back. “I am an uncle?”

“You are.”

The other part of the group exchanged glances as if they were having their own private conversation. Heidi had not forgotten her urge to dig more into them and, considering how lengthy the ferry ride was, there was no better time in her book.

“So,” she cleared her throat, “Are you lot going to tell me who you are, exactly, and how you know Sha-parvati?”

Again, they looked at one another. Kaz glanced to Pangu and held his eyes for a long moment before asking. “Do you think she is safe?”

Heidi realized they were being cautious solely because Pangu did not remember anything from his past so, technically, she could be anyone for all they knew. But it still irritated her. She was his sister. She had traveled with him for months. She had fought at his side and stood up to a Heavenly Prince in a poor, vain attempt to avenge his death. In her eyes, they were the suspicious ones.

In fact, even if they did all have the same ability she did, she was quite sure she could take them all in combat if it came down to it. Her only drawback was that she recently gave birth.

Pangu nodded his approval and said, “I believe she can be trusted. I do care about her, I just cannot say what our exact relationship was like.”

Troubled, Heidi answered mentally. For a time at least. Though it had all been from her side—she was big enough to admit that now. Her resentment toward him had been put to rest a long time now but she could still feel the sting of it from time to time.

During the past year, she had often laid awake at night regretting how long she carried anger toward him in her heart. As if, had she only loved him more, he might not have died.

“Well, she seems alright to me,” May said with a shrug before pointing to Idris, “Him on the other hand…he’s just been sitting there and staring…like some creep.”

Heidi reached her arm out and patted Idris on the leg but her eyes stayed on the group in front of her. “Common tongue is not his first language and he is more of a listener anyway.” She would bet that he was even more overwhelmed than she was at all the information presented to them.

“Ah…” May still frowned. “I suppose that is alright. So, where should I start?”

“Besides just saying your name, who are you?” Heidi proposed.

Another exchange of looks. Then May took a deep breath. “I am one of the princesses from Mythos.”

Silence enveloped the ferry—only the sound of water parting around the vessel could be heard and the distant croaking of frogs.

“A princess?” Heidi repeated. “I…I thought there was only one princess in Mythos?”

“The King and Queen hide their oldest daughter,” Fujin explained, “They find her unfit to rule but she is in charge now. We…Pangu took care of that.”

Her brows rose and she looked at her brother. “Really? The first thing you do when brought back to life is inject yourself into politics?”

The laugh that came out of Pangu almost made her feel like she was transported back in time, over a year ago. It felt normal and was a relief to hear.

“I suppose I did.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I know, not very Xiang-like of me but, to be fair, I do not believe those rules really mean anything. I have broken at least seven since I awoke.”

“They killed you—you should not have to go by their rules anyway,” Kaz said and grimaced.

At least Pangu knew who was responsible for his death but she guessed Sha-parvati would have been more than willing to share that information.

“I do not think they mean anything either,” Heidi admitted, “but, speaking of them…how did Sha-parvati come into the picture, exactly?”

“She just sort of showed up one day.” May laughed. “I was cursing in my room because of something my parents did and she appeared to me from the shadows. Sometimes she would show up in the castle, disguised as a regular woman but, most of the time, she came into my room directly.”

“You were not scared?” Heidi interrupted.

May laughed again, louder. “Of what?”

“Her killing you? Being poisoned with miasma? Having your mind taken over and controlled to do Shakti’s bidding?”

“You sound paranoid.” May waved the entire list of possibilities away and Heidi started to wonder if her lack of fear was due to actual courage or if it was, more simply, ignorance. “Anyway, Parvati showed me how to do this ritual where I could bring corpses back to life but they never worked out for very long. I wanted to send an undead army to terrorize my parents into giving me my freedom, especially after I got wind of the marriage plans.”

“And you were able to perform this ritual without Sha-parvati teaching you how to use miasma?” Heidi’s brow furrowed.

“I do not believe I ever saw any of that,” Fujin said with a frown. “There were some other…unseemly methods involved.”

No miasma—Heidi still could not comprehend. It would be much easier, she assumed, to have made May into another Chaaya and then teach her how to re-animate corpses like the necromancer. But, she considered, his corpses were always rotten and mindless.

Pangu was clearly not brought back under the same conditions.

Heidi listened to smaller details of May’s adventures with unearthing her ancestors for the ritual and all the failures she had before Sha-parvati brought her Pangu. There was some confusion about where his body had come from as well as his soul but none of them had the information.

Really, it seemed May barely had any idea what was going on at any point and simply went with the flow of the moment. Fujin was a little more attentive and had some of the same questions as Heidi while Kaz spent the entire last portion of the ferry ride staring at Pangu as they retold his resurrection.

She had started to notice something in their body language—something that reminded her of how Baiya was with her brother. The glances, the “accidental” touching. She was even doing some of the same things with Idris as they talked—unintentionally leaning into him and reaching out for him.

It was a slight concern for whenever Pangu’s memories came back but she could not deny how funny it was as well. Even with no knowledge of himself, Pangu had still managed to find a handsome man to fawn over him.

If she had not figured that he was really her brother before then, that would have given him away.

[nadertigerkay]

OP: What's that on your shirt?

@mightymaxtoys