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trashcanwithsprinkles · 1 year ago

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Now that CN is over I need more fics to read (I say as if I'm not in the middle of rereading CN and plan to reread ITYSG(AINLY) again because I'm literally obsessed with your fics). Do you have an recs? Also what's your favorite fics/comfort fics (you can include your own)? I always find it interesting to know what the authors of my favorite fics like to read when they aren't writing.

other than my other fics (babysitting in the apocalypse is my other zhongchi fic), i do have a some zhongchi recomendations! sadly i cannot actually go to my bookmarks atm nor provide direct links. i also don't really remember the authors' names of most of them? and you'd have to like.... save them for later, what with ao3 being down and all;; but here are some off the top of my head if you want to get planning:

(once ao3 gets back up i'll update this list with proper links and the authors' names and maybe more recomendations since i do have many more i just can't remember,,)

○ entirely out of spite by Bgtea - i generally assume everyone's already reading this one given how big it is (and how it was kind of my inspiration for cyanide even tho i never said it), but if you're not, holy shit are you in for a good one. literally anything bgtea makes is wonderful. this one is an au based on the premise of a different story, but you don't need any knowledge whatsoever of it to enjoy and understand eoos (tho consider it if you like the premise, bc it's also really good). the rundown is- a mondern ajax dies and wakes up in the body of tartaglia, the antagonist of genshin impact, a game he'd been playing before kicking the bucket. he is tasked by a weird isekai-anime looking menu to fill in the shoes of the antagonist or else, but he's not technically stopped from altering the story just a tiny bit or being ooc, so he goes about trying to play the tartaglia role without meeting the same end as tartaglia (who dies ingame). it's such a good fic i cannot recommend it enough - it's not complete yet, but the wait for each chapter is more than worth it, and bgtea always does an insane amount of research for everything they post.

○ literally any other zhongchi fic by Bgtea. there's this short one about pulcinella or capitano (i can't remember, it might've been pantalone) selling pictures of childe to increase morale in the fatui (something something pr strategies), that one is hilarious. there's another one about zhongli getting stuck as a dragon and childe taking care of him as the world slowly goes to shit from rex lapis being missing (a comment pointed out it might be called "ajax' adventure with dog-lizard" and it sounds about right for me). another one they have is the autumn winds are sighing i think. that one was posted WAY back, some of the info is a bit outdated, but it's still so, so good. i can't remember what it was all about, but i do remember it involves zhongli going to snezhnaya to meet childe's siblings. the pining and tension on that one is off the roof. i should read it again,,,

○ after everything by Amanveth (i think that's how their username is written,,) - literally palate cleansing fluff. there's really good angst as well but it's overall just very sweet and soft, very much a feel-good fic. it's about zhongli and childe going back to being friends after the events of the archon quest and slowly realizing they're in love. it's still ongoing but it updates shockingly fast, and it's a nice little thing to read before going to sleep.

○ the white cicada society by clementinesgulag. still ongoing i think, but i have paused reading it for reasons unrelated to the fic itself, so i can only really atest to the frist arc of it? but holy fuck is the first arc good. the angst is godly in this one, and i'm always a sucker for a good horror mystery. this one is about the gritty and slow reconciliation of post-archon quest zhongli and childe as they investigate a series of awful murders and terrifying paranormal shit (i'm pretty sure) going on in the city. (it might be revealed to not be paranromal later in the fic as that partiuclar plotpoint hadn't yet resolved when i paused it at the end of the first arc, but i wouldn't know. wouldn't make it any less good if it wasn't tho)

○ death became him by Merianon. also still ongoing i think, but part of the many fics i have paused reading for reasons unrelated to them (i have... way too many saved,,,). this one is about childe going back in time after dying and waking up as a god, and the fic starts there, so it's about how the events of the game go with childe as a god and not in the fatui. i can't remember all that much about it tbh, but i remember i really liked it, the concept was so interesting. i'm waiting for it to end.

○ a sight for sore eyes by ToumeiKyoudai. still ongoing afaik, but i paused reading it as of very recently (again for reasons outside of the fic). this one is the events of the game except childe is legally blind. you have no idea how interesting and hilarious this fic is, the premise is so simple but it's so nicely executed. i can't really say all that much more about it since it's basically just that- it's a retelling but childe's blind. and he's so fucking funny. it's all so fucking funny, and the worldbuilding is stellar, and i just really really like it i can't explain why exactly. it's not a comedy! but fuck it's so entertaining.

i have so many more that i wish i could put here but i'm not 100% confident in their titles nor which fic was which (happens when you have a ton bookmarked but have paused reading a lot of them), so i don't want to risk saying this fic is one thing when in reality it's something else completely different,,,

these last two i put below for reasons i'll explain in each of their blurbs, but they're still as recomended as those above!

○ lungs full of roses, by SecretlyACatLady. if this is the title (and i'm 99% certain it is, but i can't check), then this is hands down the BEST hanahaki angst i've ever read. i'm not kidding. this one is very specific in its angst tho, and i gather likely not what everyone is looking for in a hanahaki fic, but holy fuck. basically childe gets hanahaki here but knows he cannot afford to have anyone find out he has it (bc fatui) and also not that he died from it, i think? might be mistaking that particular plotpoint for another fic. anyway- he leaves liyue but zhongli goes to look for him bc he's confused and just wants to apologize for the whole tsaritsa's contract and all. it gets out of hand real quick when the ppl of mondstadt try to help by acting as pushy wingmen and it's so GOOD holy fuck. i've never liked when other characters try to push the main pair together and act all 'just kiss already we all know!' around them, and seeing it backfire as horribly as it could if it were a realistic scenario (tho enhanced bc childe) is so incredibly satisfying. the reason why i put it down here is 1) i'm not 100% sure that's the title and 2) if it hasn't been abandoned, it's been in hiatus for a while now. which is hearbreaking, but it's also such a good fic that i'd honestly recommend it regardless if only for the angst at the start. but i understand not everyone is in for something like that if it doesn't resolve/likely won't resolve (idk if it's abandoned tho but i understand that if a fic takes too long to update, people will fear the worst). so yeah,,

○ non-playable character, by Jouicifer. this one is here exclusively because i'm a sucker for horror mystery - it doesn't mean the zhongchi isn't good, but it's not as prevalent in the plot as in white cicada (another horror mystery), so i can't exactly put it with the other more zhongchi-centric fics? not that the zhongchi isn't here, but. hard to explain. this one is also hard to explain in general, i'm not sure if it's based on the premise of another story or if this is a highly-secific trope/sub-genre in china (i think?), but the author refers to it as 'unlimited flow', so look it up if you want to be sure. either way, much like with eoos, it doesn't matter if you know anything about whatever that might be to enjoy and understand the story. the rundown is childe and a bunch of other people are players in this sort of virtual-reality scenario hopper, where they get put in 'games' with other players where they can die (tho idk if die die irl as well). basically, in the newest scenario they get thrown into, it's a horror murder mystery about a haunted mansion, and their guiding npc is zhongli, whom childe has met in another scenario and whom he is an absolute simp for. god idk how to explain it, it's just so good; but you need to be there for the plot first and the ship second. the ship is there! it's just the plot takes presedence. but holy fuck is the plot good. the reason why it's down here, like lungs full of roses, isn't bc of the plot or the ship being secondary, but... well, it's also been in hiatus for a long while now. to this fic's credit in particular, it was in a long hiatus before, but updated! out of nowhere! and then it went into its current hiatus, so. again, i understand people don't like that, but i'm a patient person so i'm willing to keep it in my bookmarks for as long as it takes (and forever if it gets abandoned). it's just THAT good. and since there's not much horror murder mystery in this fandom (or in fics in general), i'll take whatever i can get. the mystery is good in this one, so it helps.

(edit: added some authors and a fic title, thank you archon-of-chaos and redwormonastring!)

#as soon as ao3 is up i'll look thru my bookmarks and correct anything i got wrong #and also add some more fics #i have a ton more that i really really like #i just can't remember their names with as much clarity as these ones #idk why it's not like i like these particularly more than some of those #i enjoy all equally #except non-playable character that one's probably my favorite #and eoos #anyway #thank you!#always happy to recomend fics

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pukner · 2 years ago

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✨masterpost of my works✨

posted to my ao3

[this post is subject to editing in the future]

Since I intend on using Tumblr a bit more now, and because I like neat lists, I thought it'd be prudent do make a little list of what I have out on ao3 right now!

My name's Looth, and I am ENTIRELY at the whims of my hyperfixations. I'm on twitter and pillowfort by the same handles, but I rarely use the latter.

fandoms: Stranger Things, Our Flag Means Death, The Witcher (Netflix) and Good Omens

[list under the cut!]

fanfiction

Good Omens:

A Nanny? In MY Summoning Circle?

A twoshot wherein Warlock Dowling meets his Nanny again, via the very normal uni student past time of trying to summon a demon with a book you found in a dodgy bookshop. Very fluffy, genderqueer Warlock.

[Complete] 2/2, 10.5k

The Witcher (Netflix):

The Viscount

[geraskefer endgame]

A 5+1 that works on the premise that "I'm from Lettenhove" is a sort of codeword in the royal class for children that have fallen out of grace with their court/family? And the higher your rank in Lettenhove, the worse the thing you have done is? Lots of Jaskier shenanigans, aggressive found family and genderfluid Jaskier.

Based on a post by @artistsfuneral.

[WIP] 3/?, 1.3k

build me up, buttercup [rated M]

[geraskefer endgame]

A longfic I've been chipping away at since 2020, dear God. Features Jaskier and Yen being fake married and co-parenting Ciri, Geralt getting adopted, the found family inherent to bards and the city of Oxenfurt, ftm Jaskier and Ciri having a well-deserved identity crisis. Also, ocs galore, gratuitous academia, and also Valdo Marx is immortal and Jaskier's annoying best friend.

Geraskefer endgame. My baby, who I will return to as soon as I am able.

[WIP] 15/?, 64k

Our Flag Means Death:

the inertia series [rated E]

a three-part series following Israel Hands as he attempts to move on from the things keeping him trapped in amber, unable to grow.

[steddyhands endgame]

[Complete] 62.9k

1. love like a dog on a leash

Izzy Hands encounters an old friend in the form of Sam Bellamy, Ed starts a barfight, and Stede learns some backstory.

All of these men are haunted in some way.

1/1, 5.5k

2. open season

Izzy Hands finds himself inexplicably being courted by various pirates to be their first mate. No one has addressed that fact that he isn't looking for a new Captain; he already has two. Steddyhands endgame, features some Jackhands.

A long look at the dynamics between Ed and Izzy, and now Stede, and the older dynamics of Ed, Izzy, Calico Jack Rackham and Sam Bellamy. Actually, it's a look at Izzy himself, and his various traumas and the way he's transitioning from being in a Black Sails type dark genre to this weird muppet land everyone else on this ship seems to live in.

7/7, 44.5k

3. red sky at morning

An epilogue, wherein the boys all contend with the future on the horizon; the good and the bad of it.

1/1, 11.9k

stranger things

[my current hyperfixation send help]

Eddie Munson and the Dreamboy

[steddie]

Wherein Eddie and El traverse the inside of Steve's mind, and encounter various Steves at different points in his life trying to find where he's hidden himself to escape Vecna's final curse.

A 5+1, featuring Steve's Scoops Ahoy flirting, a little baby Steve, and El's hair.

[Complete] 1/1, 8k.

Dustin Henderson and the Lovebirds

[steddie]

Five times Dustin Henderson was subjected to Eddie Munson being gross and sappy and in love with Steve Harrington, and one time Steve didn't even have to be there.

Features Steve being serenaded, Eddie Munson's Roger Rabbit Impression, Steve's Tiny Gym Shorts, and a good old fashioned worm conversation. Also, gay dnd.

[Complete] 1/1, 9.7k

always burning, world keeps turning

a two-part series set in a soft post-apocalyptic Hawkins, where community and family keep everyone going. And Steve and Eddie kiss about it.

[steddie]

[WIP]

1. took you for a working boy

In a post-apocalypse, mildly nightvale-flavoured Hawkins, Steve and Eddie are the only ones who aren't aware they're dating. Steve does not have a gender crisis but does have a lot of difficulty finding the words for it all, Eddie is oblivious but earnest (and running a radio show, Dr. Death Defying or Cecil Palmer style), Steve and Robin are ACTUALLY soulmates, and everyone's doing their best.

I cannot stress how much everyone thinks they're already dating. Featuring genderqueer Steve, disaster gay Eddie, scheming younger teens, and lots of stobin fluff.

[complete] 6/6, 43.8k

2. hometown blues

The sequel to working boy, wherein Gareth, Vickie and Steve's mom encounter how fucking weird Hawkins has got in their absence, and take it with varying degrees of grace.

[WIP] 3/? 17k

off-script

Wherein Steve Harrington has his sexuality all figured out, Eddie's in comically heavy denial, and everything rapidly snowballs from there.

[steddie]

1. off the beaten path

Wherein Steve figures out he's bi before Eddie figures out he's gay, but Eddie STILL manages to fall first.

Features Steve talking himself though discovering his sexuality in approximately five minutes while on the phone with a baffled Jonathan, and him aggressively flirting with the local metalhead. He's also very good at being an unreliable narrator.

It ALSO features said local metalhead (who thinks himself straight) accidentally flagging, calling Steve Harrington princess in a totally straight way, and doing the ttrpg equivalent of doodling your crush's name on a notebook over and over. Also, somehow he's convinced himself he just hates Steve.

This won't end badly for anyone, I'm sure.

[Complete] 6/6, 34.2k

2. no boys allowed

Robin Buckley has her very first Girls' Day. She gets her hair braided, consoles her heartbroken best friend, and everyone muddies the water a bit on the exact definition of what a Girl is.

Steve Harrington has a good cry about Eddie Munson.

[Complete] 1/1, 7.5k

3. here be dragons

Eddie Munson has kissed a boy, and now he has to handle the fallout. He's got to grapple with the fact that he likes boys, likes a boy, and the harrowing fact that he may have inadvertently broken said boy's heart.

Or, a rapidly snowballing fic that's become a series of character studies by accident. Features Mike Wheeler kicking Eddie's ass into gear, ruminations on being a fashion-assigned dom, Steve Harrington's Various Abandonment Issues, and a surprise Tommy Hagan.

[WIP] 6/?, 38.9k

original works:

court of law

A mildly unhinged second person pov piece about a person going to college and finding that he's trapped in a bizarre dreamscape with no memories. And a new body. He accidentally steals a cute boy's name.

Lots of shenanigans, lots of gender and bad jokes.

[WIP] 6/?, 13k

#looth yells #my writing #ref #pinned post #writing #fic #i genuinely never remember what tags i use

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xyliane · 4 years ago

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AUgust 5: post-apocalypse au

PROMPT THE FIFTH: POST-APOCALYPSE

...I know there’s a robot anime with a premise kind of like this, but I haven’t seen it. also I don’t know what’s happening here, just accept that gon’s an android, the world’s dead, but he’s tending a garden I guess.

0o0o0o0o0

There is a human hiding in the oak tree eating an apple. He’s good at it, too--there are no blaring klaxons or silent alarms buzzing in Gon’s head, so he avoided all of the garden’s built-in failsafes, and the tree barely moves as he breathes. Every bite of the greenish-white fruit is timed for the gentle breeze, the creak of rickety metal and heavy tape drowning out the quite crunch of teeth into the apple’s flesh. Gon might have missed him entirely, tending the berries as he is, if the boy’s hair wasn’t pure white.

It’s too bad, really. Gon’s programming doesn’t allow for intruders. There are too many things left, looking for false sanctuary, wanting a museum of days long gone, searching for the answer to questions no android can possibly give. But he doesn’t have to do anything about intruders he doesn’t know about.

The next time he looks up, the human is gone. Gon should wipe the shock of white hair from his memory. He is supposed to be a guardian, protecting what’s left. But somewhere in his programming, his mother slipped a glimmer of free will, and she grounded it with her own love of the garden she built out of dead soil and ash with nothing but ferocious will and grief. Gon loves two things: his mother, and his mother’s garden. And his mother wanted her garden to be used.

So Gon doesn’t forget.

-------

Today, the human has found Gon’s carrots. There aren’t many images of root vegetables left, just Gon’s mother’s old old books he has scanned into his external databases, so he isn’t sure if the roots are supposed to be stained a gentle purple. The human crunches into them all the same, hiding behind the shed for the garden’s power supply, solar panels and water mills chained together with wire and ivy. Gon had left the ground innocently loose around the carrots, hoping that today the white-haired boy would come and steal without Gon noticing.

Instead, the boy is bolder, throwing himself over the fence and snatching the entire batch from the earth with a single fluid motion. A single alarm blares behind Gon’s eyes, warning at the irritation to the earth. Gon frowns in irritation and silences the alarm. Now he has to do something.

...the next time the boy comes around, because there is no foreign pressure left in the garden. Only the weight of Gon’s chassis, and a pair of errant human footprints pressed deep into the dirt.

--------

“You’re a terrible guardian, if that’s what you’re supposed to be.”

Gon smiles up from his work, unsurprised to see the human at the base of the oak tree. The last week, he hasn’t seen the white-haired boy around the garden, but the silent alarms have taken note of his presence: reddish-blue berries falling to the ground in handfuls rather than carefully transported to compose, a strip of cloth caught on the sharpened metal fence surrounding the delicate aloe bushes, even freshly-planted sunflower seeds dug up and re-planted haphazardly along the path.

So today, tired of sensing-knowing-feeling but not seeing, Gon left a basket.

A basket that worked for the human as easily as a handful of fresh greens left out for hungry rodents nibbling on the garden’s lettuce.

The boy is rail-thin and tall, old enough to have stopped growing but young enough that he shouldn’t have cheekbones standing out so sharply against his face. His hair, although the white of nuclear fallout, is soft and curling, spreading around his face like a dandelion about to seed. And he grips the rickety old basket so tightly his knuckles turn white, bones fragile and stark beneath his scarred pale hands.

Gon leans on his spade, content that his trap worked, even if he has to keep manually shutting down the alerts, warning him against the human he invited in. “Am I a guardian?” he asks.

The white-haired boy rolls his eyes--an expression so simply human that Gon can’t help but smile a little wider. “You’re an android in one of the only spots of green left along the slurge. What else are you?”

“A gardener?”

“You’re a Freecss model. Even before the Fall, anyone with sense would have known what you were. Your creator wouldn’t waste their time on a bot running around a patch of dirt playing at flowers.”

A jolt of unfamiliar feeling--annoyance--bursts into Gon’s chest, and he frowns. “Her name was Mito, and she was my mom,” he says.

The boy shrugs, jostling the basket. “Whatever. All I’m saying, you’re not following your programming.”

Gon imitates the gesture, down to the exact degree of shoulder slump, and the human’s eyes narrow. “You’re not following yours, either,” he says.

“I’m not programmed--”

“You could have taken the basket and left, before I noticed. Or before I let myself notice. The oak tree’s not a good hiding spot with your hair.” The human continues to splutter, a flush spotting his cheeks and nose, and amusement hums along the currents in Gon’s skin. “But you didn’t! Even though I could have terminated you if you were wrong.”

The human is still red with irritation, but his expression is wary when he says, “I wasn’t wrong.”

A timer ticks, the day’s schedule flickering away second by second. Gon picks up his spade again, the ballbearings in his shoulder joints clicking a little from overuse. “You’re not right, either,” he says, and scoops a shovelful of dirt out from where one day, potatoes might grow. If Gon has time, and patience, and luck.

Androids don’t have luck. Androids have programs. Gon’s father, the man who built him, made sure that he would want nothing more than to constantly search for the true meaning of his programming. But Gon’s mom made sure he had a little luck, and a little love, and a little choice in what he wanted.

“So what are you, then?” the human asks.

Gon stabs the stave into the ground firm enough to make it stick. “I’m Gon,” he says. “What about you?”

“I’m--” The human shuffles the basket under one arm, careful to not let any of the produce fall. He sticks out his other hand. “I’m Killua.”

Gon stares at the hand. “Is that a weapon?”

Killua rolls his eyes again, and Gon deliberately saves the gesture into his onboard files for future reference. “It’s a handshake. A greeting for new friends. You can shake hands, right?” He juts his hand out insistently, elbow straight, and mutters something about how even his little sisters know this.

“Oh.” Gon gingerly wraps one hand around Killua’s pale, too-thin fingers, and lets himself be shaken up and down. “Thank you, Killua. Will you be back tomorrow?”

“Aren’t you a guardian?” Killua demands. “There’s nothing out there, not that anyone’s out there to take it anymore. I’m stealing from you.”

The alarms blare out inside Gon’s programming, and he slams up a wall. “You’re trading with me,” he says, and shakes Killua’s hand firmly. The boy stares, mouth slightly agape and hand still clasped around Gon’s. Blood pumps steadiily beneath the thin warm human skin, a gentle wave against the currents that keep Gon running. “Food for friendship. So I have nothing to guard from you.”

And a tiny, fragile smile breaks out across Killua’s face.

(AUgust prompts)

#AUgust2020 #hxh #my writing #gon freecss #killua zoldyck #yet another prompt I have no idea what's going on #but hooray 5 down 25 to go!#gotta catch up on a few more a day now that I'm not dying under work #androids and gardens and gardening androids #in the post-apocalypse of course

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bevioletskies · 6 years ago

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across the universe [prologue]

summary: Peter, the son of the Chancellor, has lived among the stars for the first ten years of his life. Gamora, the future Commander of Terra, has lived on the ground for the first ten years of hers. Though it’s finally time for the last survivors of the so-called apocalypse to return to Earth, they might not be prepared for what’s waiting for them. But when Peter and Gamora meet and find their worlds irreversibly tangled together, titles, obligations, and the impending war may be the very last thing on their minds.

a/n: The premise of this fic is very loosely based off of The 100, the television show more so than the book series. However, no previous knowledge is required, as I only used the basic concept and language, and none of the storylines or characters arcs from the show.

Fic title is from the song Across The Universe by The Beatles. Warning for mentions of canon-typical violence and injuries.

word count: 6.1k | ao3 | tag

Gamora crouched low in the grass, maintaining her near-perfect center of gravity while balancing delicately on her toes. Her eyes and ears were alert, the handle of her switchblade digging into the palm of her hand from clutching it too tightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could only just spot her sister a little off to her left, their gazes fixated on the same target about fifteen feet away. She used her free hand to bring her finger to her mouth, silencing her before her breaths became too loud, too laborious.

However, she was too late; Nebula seemed too far gone to be reasoned with. Her ink-colored eyes narrowed to slits, and under her breath, she murmured, “Yu gonplei stei odon.”

With a feral shout, Nebula took a running leap, landing firmly on the shoulders of her intended prey, yanking the wooden staff from its holster on her back and swinging it around, across the column of his throat. She grappled its other end with her other hand and yanked, snarling viciously as it dug into his flesh. The man stumbled, gasping for breath, before suddenly rolling forward, sending Nebula tumbling to the ground in front of him, the staff shattering instantly upon impact. Gamora hung her head in disappointment.

“You failed again. Why am I not surprised?” Both girls looked up into the face of their father. They barely noticed the other man, one of many mid-ranking generals who’d been unlucky enough to be their trainer for the day, limping away, rubbing at the irritated skin on his throat like it only mildly inconvenienced him, another blow to Nebula’s already wounded pride. “Are you proud of the way your voice sounds? Do you enjoy having everyone know where you are and who you are? Why do you insist upon screaming like an animal instead of remaining silent like a warrior?”

“I wanted to practice my battle cry,” Nebula murmured, recoiling. “I’m...sorry, Father.”

Thanos drew to his full height, completely towering over them, his shadow engulfing them in darkness despite it being mid-afternoon. “We’re finished here today. Let me speak to heda, alone.” Nebula slinked off in dejected silence, picking up the remains of her staff along the way. “You performed well today, little one. You’ve become stronger, far stronger than she could ever hope to be.” He jerked his head sharply to the side, indicating he wanted Gamora to follow him further, away from their temporary camp.

“I don’t know if I will be ready by the time I’m of age,” Gamora replied, brushing her stray baby hairs out of her face. “Your gonakru don’t like me very much.”

“That is because you’re still a child,” Thanos said dismissively. “They don’t see the potential in you like I do. Your ferocity, your intelligence, they will carry us forward, Gamora. They don’t see how much more powerful you are compared to all the rest.”

“They want their children to become heda instead,” Gamora muttered. “They believe it’s their right.”

“Then they forget who keeps them alive. Who made sure they had soft beds and warm bellies? Who protected them from those who dared challenge our right to this earth?” Thanos came to a stop, his piercing gaze wandering across the horizon. Vast expanses of lush grass, trees as far as the eye could see, a rich blue sky that bathed them in fresh, warm light. It was almost impossible to tell what had really happened here a hundred years ago.

“You, wanheda. The commander of death.” Gamora stopped beside him, her fingers itching to reach out and pluck a single flower from the ground, just so she could have something to make her war-ridden tent feel more like a home. “They follow you. They fear you.”

“And they will come to fear you as well. As they should.” Thanos almost sounded proud, but Gamora couldn’t help but feel her stomach curl at the very thought. She tucked her hands behind her back, clenching her fists so tightly she could feel her fingernails drawing blood in her palms. “You have good instincts, Gamora, and far more gravitas than anyone I’ve ever met. Your worthiness will become known. I have no doubt.”

“I have eight years to prove myself,” Gamora said brightly, smiling just the slightest bit. “I have time.”

“Do not wait that long, little one,” Thanos warned, glancing down at her. “They may try to kill you first.”

Her bottom lip trembled. “Really?”

“They do not care for your age or your affiliation. Only your title,” Thanos said gravely. “If they find you a threat to their survival, they will slip into your room in the cover of night, and slit your throat before you ever wake again.”

Gamora shuddered, drawing away from him. “May I please return to camp, Father? I’m hungry.”

Thanos nodded sharply. “You have my permission to rest, but we return to Sanctuary tonight. We ride out when the sun begins to set, or else the reapers will find us from the trees. I need to have some words with the gonakru about setting up snipers across Shallow Canyon.”

“Why is that, Father?” Gamora asked.

“I believe war is coming.” Thanos turned, staring directly at the sun, barely moving to shield his eyes. “And not war among our people, but one of a different kind. The kind that comes from the skai.”

“How was school today, baby?” Peter glanced up from the dining table across the expanse of their modest apartment, surprised to see his mother smiling warmly in his direction. He hadn’t even heard the door open.

“It was okay,” he shrugged, grinning toothily when she walked over to kiss his forehead. “I’m still no good at math, even though I really like my teacher.”

“Should we get you a tutor, then? They’ve got a great system going with the older kids who need extra education credits,” Meredith suggested. She went back to the front door so she could hang up her doctor’s coat and kick off her shoes, then collapsed onto the couch with a relieved sigh. She never had anything but long, arduous shifts in the medical ward, and today was no exception. “I’m glad you like your teacher, though. You had a real big spat with that last one, didn’t you?”

“He was rude to Mantis,” Peter frowned. “He got all freaked out ‘cos of her powers, but she wasn’t gonna do nothin’.”

“People don’t like what they don’t understand,” Meredith said, shaking her head. “After all this time, some folk still don’t understand modern medicine. They think I’m trying to poison them!”

“You would never!” Peter exclaimed, sitting up in his chair. “They got real scared about that ant - anti - antidote? Yeah, that antidote that you tried to give ‘em last month for the air seal problem in Sector Six. It was only after they stopped swellin’ up that they stopped tryna protest.”

“I told ‘em, baby, I even let ‘em have a look at decades of science. But you would not believe what some people choose not to believe,” Meredith chuckled sadly. “Your sister over at farm station again?” Peter nodded. “And your daddy’s in Sector One, probably doing a late night...I’m not sure if he’ll be coming home today. There’s a big ol’ announcement he wants to make, won’t even tell me what it’s all about.”

“He don’t tell us anything, anyways,” Peter muttered derisively under his breath.

Meredith frowned, moving to join Peter at the table. “Come on now, you know that’s not fair. He’s got all those laws to obey, and if the Chancellor himself don’t follow them, then what are they good for?”

“But we’re his family,” Peter protested. “Can’t he at least...I dunno, give us a hint? He’s been talking about it for ages.”

“He could get floated for it, baby,” Meredith murmured, reaching over to squeeze Peter’s arm. “Not everyone on the Council likes him, and they’re looking for any excuse to get him out. If we know something we’re not supposed to...it’s his life on the line. It could be all of our lives on the line.”

“But he said it could change our lives,” Peter said. “But...I guess that could mean anything. Like more rations, so people don’t get the hollow stomach virus.”

“Or maybe they lifted the one-child policy,” Meredith suggested. “He’s been talking about it ever since we found Mantis.”

“Yeah, ‘cept no one knows Mantis is actually his kid,” Peter retorted. “They just think her daddy never spoke for her mama when Dad floated her.”

Meredith exhaled sharply. “We don’t talk about that, Peter. Ever.”

“There’s a lot of stuff we don’t talk about.” Peter yanked his arm out of her grasp and resumed his schoolwork with a scowl on his face. Meredith opened her mouth to reprimand him, but the wince-inducing screech of the front door’s poorly maintained hinges cut her off.

“I’m hungry,” Mantis announced loudly to the entire apartment, tossing her shoes aside and skipping over to the table, oblivious to their rigid expressions. “Hi, Mama.”

“Hi, baby.” The tension in Meredith’s face instantly vanished, and she leaned over to kiss Mantis’s cheek. “I hope you were careful today, you know I don’t like you being around all those harvest machines.”

“Renie’s daddy would not let us into the greenhouses,” Mantis frowned, walking over to the fridge to search for a snack. “But he did show me the brand new holoscreen that Renie’s got in her room. She wants to know why I don’t have one, ‘cos we’re s’posed to be the richest family here.”

“We aren’t the richest by any stretch, darling,” Meredith said gently. “The most powerful, maybe.”

“What’s the difference?” Peter asked. Mantis turned away from the fridge, also curious.

Meredith hesitated, glancing back and forth between their innocent faces. “Your daddy’s invested a lot of his own money into this secret project of his. That’s why we live in a smaller apartment now,” she said carefully.

“No, it’s ‘cos he wanted his own place in Sector One so he can keep avoidin’ us like he always does!” Peter snapped, slamming his fist onto the table. Mantis let out a startled shriek, nearly dropping the cup of water she was holding.

“Peter!”

“He’s only talked to me three times this week, and all he ever says is ‘good morning’,” Peter grumbled. “He don’t even look at Mantis at all. Not for one second.”

“Peter, keep your voice down,” Meredith said urgently. “You don’t want other people to hear speak badly about your daddy, or else - ”

“Or else they’ll float me?” Peter got to his feet, snatching his homework up in his arms and storming off to his and Mantis’s shared bedroom. “They gotta catch me first.”

Gamora rolled over on her makeshift cot, woven by her own hands, staring into the dying fire intently, watching the last of it flicker away. She could only just make out Nebula’s silhouette across from her, back turned firmly in her direction. “Did you hear about the incoming war?”

The silence stretched on for so long, Gamora wasn’t sure if Nebula had heard her. “You should really stop listening to the other children. They know nothing.”

“It wasn’t from the other children, Nebula, it was from Father,” Gamora whispered. “He said they come from the sky. Skaikru.”

“We’ve heard about the skaikru before. Why would they come now? They think their planet is gone,” Nebula scoffed.

“Maybe they know the truth.” Gamora turned onto her back once more, folding her hands neatly on her stomach. “That it survived. That there’s food, and life. Fresh air, air that we can breathe.”

“Maybe, but it can’t be better than what they have now.” Nebula paused. “There is nothing here for anyone. Not even us.”

“You don’t know that, Nebula,” Gamora protested. “Our home planets were dying when we were babies. Father took us to this planet for a reason.”

“He is not our father,” Nebula said darkly. “He is a man...who tells us to call him that.”

The flap of their tent was thrown open, casting a ray of blinding sunlight across their faces. They both squinted to see better, but regretted it instantly when an awful, gaunt face peered inside to sneer at them. “You dare waste firewood during the daytime, child?”

“Father gave us three hours to sleep before we leave at sunset,” Nebula snarled in return. “Leave us alone, Maw.”

“That’s General Maw to you,” he said smugly. “And I’m failing to hear the reason for your need for fire.”

“I was cold,” Gamora volunteered, sitting up in her cot and shivering exaggeratedly. “I didn’t want to take another blanket. Firewood is less wasteful than fabric.”

Maw retreated, bowing his head respectfully as he did. “Forgive my rudeness, heda. Sleep well, and I will send Proxima to wake you before we leave.”

The moment he disappeared from earshot, Nebula snorted. “You are such a hainofi.”

“I am no princess,” Gamora said haughtily, lying back down. “I’m the future commander, and I will be better than Father. I have to be.” Nebula merely scoffed and rolled over again, snuggling into the scratchy sheets, willing herself to fall asleep against the backdrop of noise outside, the armies chatting and rattling about, calling out orders and suiting up for one last raid before dark. Gamora, meanwhile, stared up at the small gap in the top of the tent, the daylight streaming in, highlighting the dust that danced in the air above the crackling fire. “I have to be,” she repeated, just barely above a whisper.

“Peter?” The door creaked open slowly; he saw her antennae before he saw her face. “Can I come in?”

“It’s your room, too,” Peter mumbled, burying his face back into his pillow. “What d’you want?”

Mantis tiptoed into the room and hopped up onto the foot of his bed, swinging her legs over the edge. She folded her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs nervously. “Renie says that people talk about Mama and Daddy a lot. She told me the Council don’t know if Daddy can be a good Chancellor if he cannot be a good ‘family man’ to us and Mama. What does that mean?”

“Well...what do you feel when he’s here?” Peter asked, lifting his head to meet her puzzled expression.

“I feel...love,” Mantis said, though she sounded uncertain. “They love each other, and they love us.”

“But if Dad loves us, then why doesn’t he talk to us? He don’t even look at you before he leaves in the morning,” Peter grumbled. “He doesn’t tell Mom anything, either. It’s like he’s not really here. Maybe he isn’t a ‘family man’. He’s just...a man.”

“Do you think he is doing it again?” Her voice sounded impossibly small. “Like he did with my real mom.”

“I dunno...maybe.” Peter threw back his sheets and sat up, joining Mantis at the end of his bed. He gently placed his hand over hers. “Sorry ‘bout yelling earlier. I don’t mean to scare you. I’m just real mad at him.”

“You gotta tell Mama that you are sorry, too,” Mantis insisted. “She feels very sad. She has been feeling sad all the time. I do not think she likes thinking about what Daddy might be doing when he is not here.”

“None of us do,” Peter sighed, sinking into Mantis’s side. He swung his legs beside hers, matching her pace, enjoying the way it made her giggle. Just as the tension seemed to evaporate out of both of their bodies, his foot caught on something just underneath his bed. “Ow!”

Mantis slid off the bed and knelt on the floor, peering underneath. Her large eyes grew even wider at what she saw - a door handle, leading to the crawlspace under the floor. She sat back on her behind, pulling her knees into her chest. “It is just like the one in our first apartment. Where Daddy used to make me sleep, when no one was s’posed to know who I was.”

“Don’t think about that stuff, okay? You’re gonna make the hurt come back.” Peter held out his hand for her to take. She reluctantly accepted it, allowing him to pull her back onto the bed, into his arms. “No one’s gonna make you hide under the floor again.”

She sniffled. “But...the Council does not like me, ‘cos of my powers. They say that I scare people. That I am a...a...a burden.” She struggled to recall the word that was still foreign to her young mind, and yet simultaneously made her terrified of her own existence.

“You’re not,” Peter promised. “You’re my baby sister, and you’re Mom’s little girl, an’ you got friends and teachers who like you a whole lot. You ain’t a burden, Mantis. You’re a person.”

“He’s right.” They both looked up to see Meredith leaning against the doorframe, watching them fondly. “Don’t think that way, baby. You’re loved. You are so loved. You feel that, don’t you?”

A smile crept across Mantis’s face. “Yes, Mama.” She then turned to Peter and fixed him with a knowing look, silently urging him to apologize.

“Sorry about getting mad, Mom,” Peter said, his shoulders slumping. “I know I shouldn’t be yellin’, or talkin’ about getting floated like it’s nothin’. I just want Dad to care about us.”

“He does, Peter. He’s just really, really busy right now, and he has to put Chancellor duties first. When it’s all over, whatever it is he’s doing, he’s going to put being part of this family first,” Meredith said gently, kneeling in front of them both. She held out her hands to them, smiling when they immediately accepted, and squeezed in reassurance. “Now...since it’s just the three of us tonight, I think I can convince Nelia to get me some dessert rations for you two. How does that sound?”

They both cheered, letting her go to jump off the bed and run out into the living room in excitement. Meredith watched them go before turning back to look at the crawlspace door, twisting her wedding band consideringly around her finger. She straightened up, sighing, and followed them with a false smile.

The darkness crept in without much fanfare, and Thanos’s army was on their way, crossing back through the forest to return to Sanctuary. Gamora and Nebula were placed in the middle of the proceedings that were travelling by horseback, surrounded by soldiers, though they carried weapons of their own. The two of them kept quiet, their hoods drawn over their eyes, so they could eavesdrop on the conversations carried out by the nearby Black Order generals.

“Today’s raid would have been more successful if Father had been there,” Proxima said derisively. “Instead, he chose to remain behind and train those...branwodas. He could have done that any other day, any other place, and he picked today, of all days. When we needed him.”

“You question his decisions?” Corvus said, raising an eyebrow. “We had a near-flawless victory against Azgeda without his help and you still find something to complain about.”

“Flawless? We are carrying home fifteen soldiers on stretchers, and seven in bags,” Proxima snapped. “You are not the one who has to tell our people when their husbands and wives didn’t make it. I am.”

“Do I hear yet another petty argument between lovers? You two amuse me greatly,” Maw simpered, cantering up beside them. Even his horse had an aura of self-importance in its trot. “It is not about winning every battle, generals. It’s about winning the war.”

“Forgive us for not kneeling to kiss Father’s feet at every chance we get,” Corvus said, shaking his head in disgust. “How does the dirt taste without blood, Maw? After all, you wouldn’t know otherwise, since you never join us in the real war.” Cull grunted his agreement from a few feet behind.

“My role is to utilize my vast array of mental manipulation abilities, not apply brute force like some common thug,” Maw replied. “It takes real skill to do what I do, something I don’t expect you to understand.”

“What you do? You mean supervise heda? A real hardship, protecting a ten-year-old girl,” Proxima said bitingly. “It’s an insult to bestow the title on her so early. We should at least wait until the Conclave, see if she can survive for more than thirty seconds.”

“I can, and I will.” Gamora rode up beside Proxima, staring up into her surrogate sister’s blood-red eyes. “I will be the last one in the ring. You’ll see.”

“Even if it means having to face Nebula?” Proxima said smugly. Gamora’s breath hitched. “What if Father asks you to kill her?”

“He wouldn’t,” Gamora said a little too quickly, though she knew it was a lie. Her stomach turned unpleasantly; Proxima sent her one last smirk as the Black Order generals sped up to join Thanos at the front of the line. Gamora fell back to Nebula’s side, suddenly finding it harder to look her way.

They carried on through the forest for what felt like forever, their vision obscured by both the dense treeline and the pitch-black darkness. Conversations began to subside, now replaced by the sounds of stifled yawns and short coughs, with everyone trying hard not to draw too much attention to themselves. Even Nebula was starting to drift off despite resting earlier, the reins going slack in her hands. Gamora was still alert, however, scanning her surroundings diligently, like she’d been taught. She inhaled deeply, finding that something smelled...off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. It was only when she saw a flash of orange light in her peripheral vision that she knew exactly what was about to happen.

“Bak op!” she shouted.

The dreamy silence was broken by the sound of bodies hitting the ground, with every last soldier throwing themselves down and covering their heads and necks with their bare hands, their horses whinnying in fright as they were unintentionally dragged down with them, now stranded on their sides. Flaming arrows whistled through the air and whizzed past their ears, sticking into the ground and igniting the pine needles beneath their feet, along with striking a few unfortunate individuals who cried out in pain. Thanos shouted for order, calling for soldiers to fire at the tops of the trees where the snipers were hiding, while others tried to help the wounded back onto their horses and lead them back to Sanctuary.

Proxima knelt by Corvus, cradling him in her arms protectively. “Get up,” she ordered sharply, though her voice shook when she saw the arrow stuck in his shoulder, burning a hole through his armor.

“I can’t,” he panted, struggling to yank out the other one that had hit him in the leg. “Help me, my love.” She didn’t need to be told twice, hefting him over her shoulder and lifting them both onto one of the few horses left standing. After a quick order to Cull to stay behind with Thanos (Maw, unsurprisingly, was long gone), they took off to join the others.

Gamora pulled herself back up onto her horse, dragging Nebula alongside her before she could protest, and rode up to join Thanos at the front. “Fall back, daughters, it’s too dangerous for you here,” he called over the gunfire. He had an expression of grim satisfaction, watching bodies fall out of the trees like ragdolls. Nebula cowered a little behind Gamora’s shoulder at the sight.

“Guns won’t solve this, Father.” Gamora leaned over to grasp his elbow in urgency; he turned back to look down at her, surprised by her boldness.

“You suggest we bomb them, little one?”

“No. I suggest we run.” Gamora released him. “If we go now, no one else will have to get hurt. But if we fight...we will lose more people. Good people.”

To her astonishment, Thanos hesitated, staring at her like he was seeing her for the first time. Then he lifted his head and shouted, “Heda sei ban em op!” Instantly, everyone holstered their weapons and began stampeding down the pathway in pursuit of the others who were now miles and miles ahead, shouting over the chaos and carrying the retreat order down the line while arrows continued to rain down around them.

Gamora’s heart was racing in her throat as she dug her heels into her horse’s sides, breaking into a gallop, keeping herself flat against its neck while trying to block out the cries of the army behind her. Nebula’s fingers were digging into her waist, holding on for dear life, the distance between them and Sanctuary seemingly never getting smaller. It was only when they reached the gates that she finally slowed down, daring herself to look over her shoulder at the soldiers that followed.

She brought them to a stop and climbed off, clutching at her chest, willing her breath to find her again. Nebula collapsed beside her, also panting heavily. “How could you tell?” she rasped.

“Smoke,” Gamora said, letting out a long exhale. “I smelled smoke.” She straightened up and turned to look at Sanctuary, an ill-fitting name for such an imposing ship, and yet, she’d never been happier to see its darkened doors.

Sanctuary was, by far, the most advanced ship on the planet, perhaps the most advanced thing that had ever existed on Terra. When they’d arrived ten years ago, when Gamora and Nebula were babies, Thanos had brought his ship down into a huge stretch of forest that melted into farmland, in hopes of cultivating food instead of relying on rations. That soon became less relevant once people started leaving to start their own clans, refusing to remain under Thanos’s rule. Still, families expanded, and people slowly began spreading across the spaces within Sanctuary’s halls, taking up whole apartments instead of single rooms, now that they’d gone from thousands to hundreds of occupants. Now, when Gamora walked back to her own bunk on the top floor, she could go minutes without seeing another soul. Sanctuary was the hollow, empty shell of its own glory days, and to many, it was nothing more than a cold comfort in a world occupied only by them, and those who betrayed them.

“Gamora.”

She turned, stumbling backward over her own feet at the alarming sight of the entire army coming to a halt in front of her. Nebula retreated to her side, looking apprehensive. Thanos was stood in front of the crowd, facing her, an unsettlingly wide grin on his face. “...Father?”

“You did well, little one. No more lives have been lost tonight.” He stepped aside, gesturing for the crowd to address her.

One particular soldier stepped forward, his eyes shining with gratitude. “We return to our families because of you, heda.” He got down on one knee and took off his helmet, holding it over his heart. “Accept our eternal servitude, daughter of Thanos.”

Gamora watched in utter shock as every last member of the gonakru followed suit, kneeling before her like she was their new deity, their perfect god. It felt wrong, somehow, having grown men and women swearing their loyalty to her, a young girl not five feet tall, with no kills to her name. Her hands curled into fists behind her back, her fingernails digging welts into her palms once more. She clenched her jaw.

“Thank you. But remember...oso gonplei nou ste odon. The Sky People are coming.”

Once Meredith managed to steer her children into their seats at the dining table, she made a quick trip to the canteen to pick up their rations - with dessert, of course - and bring it back to their apartment. The three of them chatted idly about school, Meredith’s work, and Mantis’s visit to farm station. It felt...nice, honest, quiet in a way that even Peter’s rambunctious nature could appreciate, until they were interrupted by an alert on the holoscreen.

“Calling all residents to the main deck. The Chancellor has an announcement to make. I repeat, mandatory call for all residents to the main deck.”

Peter perked up instantly. “Is this it, Mom? The big one?”

“It could be,” Meredith said, putting her fork down. “Quick, put on your shoes. Would be bad form for the Chancellor’s family to be late, don’t you think?”

They shuffled out the door a moment later, knowing their dinner was going to go cold, and weaved their way through the halls, struggling against the dense crowd. Even with their status, people seemed unmotivated to let them get by when Meredith politely asked, some even scoffing in her face like she’d committed a great personal insult. “Privileged folk,” one of them muttered under his breath to his companion.

Meredith, having been raised right, opted to bite her tongue, but the moment she spotted a familiar fin bobbing above the crowd, she knew they weren’t going to make it through quietly. “You watch how you talk to them Quills! Meredith saved your damn life jus’ three weeks ago, you ungrateful - ”

“Yondu!” Peter cried happily, reaching for the man making his way towards them. “You’re here, too!”

“Where else would I go? Your daddy would kick my ass if I missed out on his big day,” Yondu snorted, clapping Peter on the back. “I got an actual job outside of teachin’ you how to wrestle, y’know.”

“And you know I don’t approve of you going behind my husband’s back,” Meredith said exasperatedly, falling into step beside Yondu regardless, with Mantis tucked neatly into her side. “There’s no need for Peter to learn how to fight. He don’t wanna be one of your guardsmen.”

“Your boy don’t know what he wants half the time, Mer, but that don’t mean I can’t teach him anyway,” Yondu said airily. “And ‘sides, Kraglin needs a sparring partner.”

“Kraglin��s a teenager, he could break Peter without trying,” Meredith scolded. “Use another one of your guard trainees, not my son. Forget about losing your job, the Chancellor would float you if he knew.”

“Can’t even call him by his name, can you?” Yondu shook his head. “Damn shame.” He leaned around Meredith to grin toothily at Mantis. “Hey, girl, you doin’ alright? Heard you was up at farm station.” Mantis’s shyness evaporated instantly, and she began excitedly repeating all the things she’d told Meredith and Peter earlier, only stopping when they finally arrived at the main deck.

Despite being the “main” area of the ship, it was hardly ever used, and was only open to the public for major events. However, it was a spectacle in itself - the size of a football field and then some, with a large viewing window that spanned across three of its four walls, the vastness of space spelled out for them in all its majesty. There was an elevated stage at the front, and there, Peter and Mantis could see their father waiting with his back turned to the crowd. Mantis called out to him, but her voice was lost in the chatter of the hundreds of people spilling into the room.

Once the deck was packed to its very limits, a hush fell over the crowd, everyone holding their breath in anticipation. Finally, Ego turned around to face them with his usual slick, undeniably charismatic grin. He opened his arms wide. “Our time has come,” he boomed. “I promised the day that I woke you from your chambers fifteen years ago...no, the day that we came up here a hundred years ago, the day that I welcomed you aboard my Ark, that we would be returning home someday. That day, my friends...that day is today.”

“What?” Peter whispered, clutching at Meredith’s arm in disbelief.

“You heard right, Arkadians. Today...we reclaim the Earth.”

The entire room exploded with sound, everyone cheering, clapping, some even bursting into tears of joy as they clutched at each other, jumped, danced, and sung their praises like never before. Peter and Mantis had to hold their hands over their ears; Meredith pulled them both into her side, keeping them close while the entire Ark seemed to shake with the force of everyone’s pure, uncontrollable, unstoppable joy.

The three of them barely heard the rest of the announcement, even after the crowd settled down, where Ego rattled off some statistics and facts that didn’t interest them, or really, anyone much. When he brought his speech to a close, he mentioned the guardsmen placed at every station entrance and exit, ready to answer questions and provide codes for digital instruction booklets on how to prepare for their descent. “That’s my cue,” Yondu muttered. “I’ll see you Quills on the ground.”

“Wait, Yondu - ” Peter tugged on his coat sleeve before he could go. “Are you still gonna teach me how to fight? Y’know, once we’re on Earth?”

“I dunno, boy, your daddy’ll be keepin’ a mighty close eye on you,” Yondu said, smiling ruefully. “Take care of you and your family, alrigh’?” With that, he disappeared into the crowd. Meredith rubbed Peter’s back in sympathy, but the despairing look on his face told her that he definitely still needed his dessert ration.

The citizens began filing off the deck, chatting excitedly to one another, looking more animated than they ever had in their entire existence, because finally, there was something to look forward to, something beyond their day-to-day of utterly joyless monotony. Peter and Mantis, however, only had eyes for their father, and ran the length of the deck towards him the moment a path was cleared. “Dad!” Peter exclaimed.

Ego didn’t miss a beat, immediately sweeping them up into his arms and off their feet. “You made it! It’s a happy day for us all, isn’t it?” he laughed, setting them back down. “And oh, there’s my river lily.”

“Hi, darling.” Meredith was slightly out of breath from chasing her children, but smiled regardless, wrapping her arms around Ego’s waist and kissing his cheek in greeting. “So this is what all that kerfuffle’s been about, huh? No wonder you couldn’t tell me a dang thing.”

“I’m sorry, Mer, you know if I could’ve told you, I would have,” Ego said apologetically. “I know how long you’ve waited for this, and it’s finally here. You get to go home again. You get to be on the planet you’ve always dreamed of returning to, your planet.”

“Oh, it does feel like a dream,” Meredith sighed; her smile was radiant in a way that Peter and Mantis had never really seen before. “We have to celebrate, darling. Won’t you come have dinner with us? I’d love a big ol’ slice of pie, and maybe a song or two before bed. I’ve been itchin’ to play you more of my daddy’s favorites.”

Ego stepped back suddenly, looking at her like she’d sprouted an extra head. “Come on now, Meredith, you know I don’t have time for all that. We’ve got hours of work ahead of us before we even get close to landing, and I’m not letting the Council out of my sight. You know they’ll take over the whole damn bridge if I do!”

“Watch your language,” Meredith said quietly, nodding towards Peter and Mantis. Ego seemed to have already forgotten they were there, looking rather flustered as he smiled tightly in silent apology.

“I’ll come find you before we land,” Ego said shortly, kissing her for a brief moment before he swept out of the room, his dark cape fluttering behind him. Peter and Mantis exchanged resigned looks.

Meredith, not to be deterred, took their hands and walked them right up to the glass, watching as her planet idly went by, just as bright and bold as she remembered it. “Why don’t we take a second before we have to go back? I’d hate to miss out on this view.”

“It is so dark in here, I cannot see anything,” Mantis complained, straining her neck to no avail.

“Wait, lemme - ” With a snap of his fingers, Peter’s hand began to glow faintly, and he held it over Mantis’s head, delighting in the way the light reflected off the glass, illuminating her face. “Better?”

“Thank you,” Mantis beamed. Peter teasingly ruffled her hair in response, both of them seemingly far more relaxed than they had a minute ago.

Meredith smiled in relief. “Earth it is, then. I hope you’ll love it there, darlings. I hope it’s still beautiful.”

a/n: I have been waiting to post this fic for a very long time and it's finally here!! I'm excited for a bunch of reasons - namely, being able to combine some of my favorite tropes I've used before in different ways, writing something (loosely) based off one of my favorite TV shows, and maybe the most important reason of all: featuring Meredith as a major character, which I've never done before but wish I had since she's so wonderful!

If you've read my previous fics, I'd say this one is most similar to everybody wants to rule the world in terms of plot weightiness and worldbuilding. Each chapter will cover one year of their lives (with the exception of both this prologue and chapter one featuring them at age ten), finishing with the epilogue at age eighteen. I'll also provide translations for the Trigedasleng (the language from the TV show) in the endnotes, though since it's based on English, some may be self-explanatory/explained in context and will not be included.

I have no clue whether this premise will be of interest to anyone else, but I'm certainly having a good time writing it! And I don't necessarily have a set posting schedule (I'll try to post once per month) but I do have the entire thing plotted out in detail, so I promise it will be finished. Thank you so much for reading, likes and reblogs would be much appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed :)

Trigedasleng translations: yu gonplei stei odon - your fight is over / oso gonplei nou ste odon - our fight isn't over heda - commander / wanheda - commander of death branwoda - idiot bak op - go back / heda sei ban em op - commander says to abandon [it]

#starmora #starmora fic #peter x gamora #gamora x peter #gotg fic #myfic #myfic: across the universe #marvel #i have no idea if anyone's gonna be interested in this one #but gosh dang i like writing it haha

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