#valmora

[mycatwantstoeatpins]

Favourite MoShang fics

I’ve read something like two hundred MoShang fics in the last couple of weeks (RIP my sleep schedule) and these are some of my favourites.

bureaucratic processes (Restricted) by tciddaemina. Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Demon Courting, Demon Politics, POV Mòběi-jūn, Cultural Misunderstandings, Marriage, Bad Communication, Crack, Explicit Sexual Content, Shang Qinghua is Empress of the Northern Demon Realm, posessiveness, Shang Qinghua is Loud

how to face your high school crush after 7 years by revesdelimonade. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Office, Getting Together, First Kiss, Jealousy, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Childhood Friends, Moshang Events Secret Santa 22

How to Tell if a Demon Wants you Dead: the Unhelpful Guide by Esora247. Tags: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Attempt at Humor, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Courting Rituals, Gift Giving, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, No Beta We Die Like GongYi Xiao, Post-Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, < basically violence stemming from demon lords being protective (possessive) of their humans, Mobei-Jun is whipped he just shows it in his own special way

Husband (Imaginary) by diamondbruise. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempted divorce, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, extremely poor communication from all parties involved, Angst with a Happy Ending, although is it angst if it's just straight up stupid

in the stripped club. straight up "jorking it" by Volatilevore. Tags: Overstimulation, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

no more choose than rivers (Restricted) by Val Mora (valmora). Tags: Cultural Differences, Marriage Proposal, Courtship, Misunderstandings, dowry/betrothal gift/bride price, Classism, Discussion of mpreg, historically-inspired sex education, awkwardness about sex, Fade to Black, comparative cuisine, Weddings, Canon-Typical Fantasy Racism

of love, war, and romantic reconnaissance (Restricted) by dalairei. Tags: Fluff, Misunderstandings, Humor, Demon/Human Relationships, Human Courting Customs, Demon Courting Customs, Getting Together, Oblivious Shàng Qīnghuá, Soft Mòběi-jūn, Moshang Events Big Bang 2023 (Scum Villain)

The Shang Qinghua Effect by Yuu_chi. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Romantic Comedy, Fluff and Humor, Background Bingqiu – Freeform, cucumberplane friendship, Shang Qinghua isn't undesirable he's just dumb

Stay Acting Brave by Pip (Moirail). Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Magic School, Demon Summoning, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Rimming, Oral Sex, Size Kink, Size Difference, Loss of Virginity, accidental boyfriend acquisition

The Subtle Art of Trying to F*ck by firesandpixies. Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Showbusiness, Social Media, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Crack, Alternate Universe – Actors, Mobei-Jun being oblivious to his feelings, Bingqiu is a side pairing, PiningDirty Jokes, Bad Jokes, Bad Puns, Puns & Word Play

[loubatas-art]

Home

Lakkmir (wookiee), Valmora (twi'lek) and their adoptive daughter Zer'aya (togruta) are some of my favourite characters from my friend's @jackdaw-kraai 's fic The Guides Verse, living their best lesbian coffeeshop AU-like life after being freed from the horrors of Hutt slavery

It's more of an elaborated sketch than a fully painted picture (I rushed a bit because I wanted to finish it before leaving on travel, and now I see a LOT of stuff missing or I could've done better), but I finally got to draw the three of them, like I've been wanting to do for a while!

[sanguisdivinus]

[MISSIVA I, Valmora, neste 5 de novembro de 2024.]

De Lucius, em sua caderneta confinada aos cantos de uma cômoda.

"Se um demônio maldição à mim lançasse com o eterno retorno¹, nada mais que fôlego de vida indizivelmente satisfeito, denotaria ele. Querê-lo — o retorno — ia por todo o findar e o principiar contábil da ampulheta vital. Com ele, o vil e a graça carregaria, e p'ra gozo de meus sentidos humanos, luxo natural seria habitar o paraíso divino — sendo este, o Éden plantado —, cá mesmo, por terra, que amável terreno se faz; que nos ensina o bem com o mal tão caro. Não mais eludiria o declive inescapável, mas através do espelho² louvaria, e louvo desde a redenção, magnífica vivência de prodigiosos instantes. Instantes fadados a aliciar minh'alma, sem peso decisivo, até amor à vida fomentar. Hemos de repeti-la, portanto, com prestígio a desfrutemos."

[astromechs]

that being said, my old valmora sakaar au from, like, 2018 is flickering to life in my head again

[personal-reporter]

Una mole di colombe 2023 a Torino

Il 25 e il 26 marzo è il weekend della quinta edizione di Una Mole di Colombe dove, nelle sale dell’Hotel Principi di Piemonte, a Torino, oltre 150 colombe tradizionali e creative saranno presentate da 25 maestri pasticceri e fornai. Anche per questa edizione la società organizzatrice Dettagli Eventi ha selezionato gli artigiani che rispettano le regole di qualità, come l’utilizzo di lievito madre e l’esclusione di conservanti, emulsionanti, additivi chimici, aromi artificiali e semilavorati. Provenienti da tutte le regioni d’Italia, i maestri del lievito madre si sfideranno su due versioni del tradizionale dolce della Pasqua. La colomba classica, con ingredienti e procedure esclusivamente artigianali, verrà presentata anche in modi creativo, ideato da ogni Maestro pasticcere esaltando l’identità e i prodotti dei territori di provenienza. Quest’anno, il pubblico avrà l’occasione di scoprire il mondo dell’alta pasticceria italiana, tra protagonisti, innovazioni, ma anche abbinamenti. Infatti le Degustazioni guidate experience, completamente gratuite per il pubblico e su prenotazione, saranno condotte da una Sommelier professionista, un Produttore di vino e dai Maestri pasticceri per offrire il perfetto calice di vino in abbinamento alle colombe. Da segnalare tra le novità di questa edizione la collaborazione della società organizzatrice Dettagli Eventi con il Consorzio Vini d’Aqui, che tutela il Brachetto d’Acqui, l’Acqui docg Rosé e l’Acqui Rosso e che allestirà nella sala Palazzo Madama ben 30 postazioni per lo svolgimento di masterclass e abbinamenti tra vini e colombe e su come il Brachetto d’Acqui, l’Acqui docg Rosé e l’Acqui Rosso, tutti vini a base di uva brachetto esclusivamente coltivata e vinificata nella zona classica di produzione tra le aree di Acqui Terme e l’Astigiano, siano perfetti con la Colomba artigianale, dolce classico della tradizione pasquale Un altro partner di Una Mole di Colombe sarà TosiNatura, che ha selezionato e distribuisce per l’Italia i prodotti di Floribis, leader della produzione e trasformazione della vaniglia bourbon del Madagascar, che con il suo inconfondibile bouquet determina l’unicità dell’aroma nei grandi lievitati. Come sempre la kermesse sposa anche una buona causa, infatti 1 Caffè Onlus sarà presente con un servizio di Bar solidale, grazie alla collaborazione con Bialetti e Acqua Valmora. Inoltre il pubblico potrà degustare e acquistare al prezzo speciale di 30€ al Kg l’elegante protagonista dei dolci di Pasqua, nelle preparazioni classiche con glassa, granella di zucchero, mandorle o nocciole armelline e in quelle dai ripieni più creativi. Il mercato della colomba artigianale quest’anno è cresciuto del 10%, conquistando sempre nuovi estimatori e la Confederazione Pasticceri Italiani, Conpait, ritiene che sia dovuta alla grande  curiosità dei consumatori per la versione creativa del dolce della Pasqua. A beneficiare del ricavato raccolto dell’evento saranno le 52 realtà no profit sostenute nel 2023 dalla onlus fondata da Luca Argentero. Read the full article

[im-the-letter-t]

Updated!

Ships that you can literally always talk to me about because they’re just so cute and I can’t:

Odesta

Clato

Remadora

Romione

Starmora

Valmora

Bugborg

Brutasha

Scarletvision

Sambucky

Eposette

Enjoltaire

Jatherine

Sprace

Slexie 

Crowen

Calzona

Roger x Mimi

Angel x Collins

Joanne x Maureen

Fiyeraba

Peraltiago

Kevin x Holt

Not a ship but I’m always up to talk about Rosa Diaz. 

Starco

Globclipsa

Orphydice

Happiness / literally any character involved in any of the above

[incorrectgamora]

Loki: You’re such a coward.

Valkyrie: I am not!

Loki: Prove it! I’ll give you twenty units if you kiss Gamora right now.

Valkyrie: Deal

Valkyrie: *walks over to Gamora and kisses her*

*Later*

Gamora: Why would Loki give you twenty units to kiss me?

Valkyrie: Cause I didn’t tell him we are already dating.

[theleakypen]

cql fandom au!

@val-mora and I are working on this one (Val more than me, lbr)! The CQL crew are all part of a fandom for a Cdrama that does not exist. Fandom drama occurs.

smol excerpt written by me. you can probably guess who pinyouupgirl is :D

pinyouupgirl

Asks are open again in anticipation of the Lunar New Year exchange. You all know the drill. I’ll answer questions about medicine (both modern and traditional), agriculture in the time during which Standing Gate is probably set, and very occasionally translation asks if I’m feeling up to it (no promises on that last one). 

#housekeeping 

[warwick-valmora]

First character of the Valmora comics. Volo

Really nice to be drawing again after the last bout depression. I hope this project will keep me motivated during covid.

[alexeishostakoff]

the champion (of the people who don't believe in champions)

for @valmcras

gamora is the greatest champion sakaar has ever seen.

she's undefeated, merciless, a blur of green and metal as she whirls across the battlefield, sword elegant in its brutality and motions confident, sure. there's no one like her, never has been. they can't match her style, her ability.

her rage.

sakaar is the home of lost things, and gamora has been lost for a long, long time, since she stole a ship from her father's men and flew until the engine died, died, died.

she drifted in space, for awhile, rations low and desperation high, and then - and then.

some would say she was lucky, to land on a planet like this, where she can thrive.

some would say otherwise.

gamora doesn't care much, can't. nothing matters except the winning, the surviving. it's not much, but it's a life.

and people love her here. they adore her. it's been a year, and she's still not used to that. she’s not sure she ever will be. she can numb everything else out, but not the love. it’s too foreign. it will always be too foreign.

even loved, it’s lonely.

that comes with being the last of your kind, really - it’s a constant isolation that pricks at her skin, even in a crowd. it’s a pain that leaves her eyes burning and terrifying, more angry or more sad no one can ever be sure.

someone once said that if you live long enough, you can see the same eyes on different people’s faces.

the same eyes.

the grandmaster introduces gamora to scrapper 142, and it’s like staring into a mirror.

there’s a tense pause, gamora’s gaze locked onto hers from across the room, every one of her nerve endings on fire, and then - the scrapper breaks the odd, aching peace, knocks back a swig from the bottle of alcohol she seems to carry with her everywhere, demands more money than she deserves from the grandmaster, and leaves.

just like that, it’s over.

just like that.

she doesn't expect to see the scrapper ever again, doesn't expect to feel the burn of her eyes just one more time, doesn't want to, really, doesn't want the unsteady footing, the unchecked change.

but since when has she ever gotten what she wants? since when has the universe worked in her favor?

they meet. they drink. they spar.

gamora calls her scrapper; scrapper calls her champion.

there's no sweetness on sakaar. there's no sweetness between them. that's something they couldn't dare, wouldn't risk.

and yet. gamora's smile is a little softer, the scrapper's laugh is a little warmer, and there are a hundred thousand other things they shouldn't do, shouldn't say, that happen anyways.

it shouldn't be a surprise, though it still is, when scrapper pulls gamora into her arms for the third time that week, mirror image wildfire eyes sparking with something gamora hasn't seen in years, and says, "call me brunnhilde."

gamora hesitates, calculates, risk assessment running through her head.

"only if you'll call me gamora."

a kiss works to seal the deal.

[lovelyirony]

Protection for gamora x valkyrie? (Or whatever ship you want 😃)

Valkyrie doesn’t need protection. Just because she’s the new king of Asgard doesn’t mean that suddenly her muscles have weakened and she can’t protect herself any longer. The horror! 

She levels Thor with a glare. 

“I don’t need a bodyguard.�� 

“I know,” Thor says cheerily, as if he’s not continually pissing her off the longer their discussion goes on. “But you’ll need someone to help you attack people who try. You can’t take on five at once.” 

“Watch me.” 

“Oh I’ll watch failure on the big screen,” Thor adds readily, still pleasantly smiling. “But you know that someone matching your skill would be beneficial in case there are some situations that you can’t get to because of diplomatic reasons.” 

“I’ll just call Loki to terrorize them.” 

“You and I both know that the only things Loki does are for self-care or future benefits.” 

“He’s scared of me.” 

“He’s also scared of commitment, but you don’t see him telling us that he’s going to stop bringing Grandmaster all over the place.” 

“Please do not remind me of that.” 

“Then accept.” 

Valkyrie throws her hands up and agrees. 

The woman before her levels her with a gaze that is even, indifferent, and all the more interesting than previously thought. 

“My name is Gamora,” she says. “I’m here to take care of threats.” 

“Alongside me,” Valkyrie says, not willing to relinquish her previous past. “Why have you come here?” 

“I was asked,” Gamora answers. “As well as this, my–my acquaintance is wanting to study new Asgardian text.” 

Valkyrie is well aware that a few of the older citizens have transcribed a few of the texts from memory, and they were incredibly lucky to have them. She also knew that only Thor or she could give permission. She looks over to Thor. 

“You know of her. Mantis.” 

Valkyrie turns towards Gamora. 

“And you elected not to study alongside?” 

Gamora’s mouth quirks up in an amused smile. 

“That is not my preferred area of expertise.” 

“Then show me. We shall battle and see what happens.” 

Brunhilde is a woman who goes unmatched when it comes to combat. Being the last of the Valkyries (for now), she was trained to battle above all else. 

She’s not sure where Gamora’s from or what lessons she has learned, but they are very similar. She plays dirty from the start, and Brunhilde quickly switches techniques. 

Their force is considerable against each other, and Gamora is unrelentless in her pursuit. 

The fight ends with Gamora pressed against a wall and kicking Val’s stomach. 

“Enough,” Thor says. “It is clear you both are equal in fighting, and I’m getting hungry so I want us to get lunch. Sound good?” 

“Give me a minute,” Gamora rasps, looking directly at Brunhilde. “I’m impressed, Your Highness.” 

“Call me Brunhilde,” she responds. 

It’s a sign of respect, really. Few received the honor to call Valkyrie by her true name. 

“You are impressive,” Valkyrie says, grinning. “Join us for lunch.” 

Gamora nods, and while Thor is discussing new royal deals with Valkyrie, she smiles to herself. 

(She really hopes that Quill doesn’t see her in such a…state. The teasing would be relentless.) 

[takaraphoenix]

Damn, the Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon is really out there, trying to make me ship Valkyrie/Gamora, huh? I mean... it’s totally working, I didn’t have a Gamora-ship so far so this is nice.

[sanguisdivinus]

• PRELÚDIO, Fragmento escarlate, em 14 de outubro de 2024.

⳻⳺

❝ Nos confins da neblina obscura, absconso sob os uivos agudos da ventania gelada deambulando o manto oculto no bosquejo, nefastos semelhantes escrutinam rubente e submissa potestade.

Flauta doce, órgão e alaúde, com seu melodioso canto, orlam as cheias copas arbóreas de Valmora conforme a figura destoante, portando ébano perolado sob a fronte, vaga. Uma única das duas luas em seus olhos figura o evidente suprassumo fantasioso; em sua órbita, prostrada está a adormecida besta lupina. Plena criatura, maçã carnal, astro iluminado, que entre suas colunas, a noite percorre infinita, e sibila o vento aos teus lagos, teus povoados pequenos, que tênues caminhos de sangue rubro como o manto se fará verter. Sangue de putrefatos perturbadores do que se esconde abaixo do véu negro.

⳻⳺

Arrebatado clarão de matina, ressurge sob o mesmo estrelado para que tendam a continuar floridos os caminhos de volta a casa, onde nela, dureza alguma lhe sonda. ❞

[anniejanuaryz]

For @lesbiansassemble femslash writing challenge!

Pairing: Valkyrie x Gamora

Warnings: swearing, violence

Word count: 3.861

Alone.

That’s all Valkyrie has ever been.

Sometimes, she has dreams. Dreams of other people, people loving and caring about her. But they are just that.

Dreams. Dumb, stupid, naïve dreams.

And yet – yet she never forgets them.

It’s like some cruel joke, like destiny is laughing at her.

Not that she believes in destiny. Destiny hurts innocent people – and well, if no one can protect them, then she will do it. Maybe a bit drunk and dazed, but hey – better than nothing.

Valkyrie knows that she’s not popular. Yes, she saves lives, but she is not particularly known for keeping the damage small. But hey, at least the people are still alive, right?

She’s on her usual stroll, going up and down the alcohol aisle at the supermarket, as if she would take something else than usual. The bell rings above the door; Valkyrie doesn’t even turn to look who it is. That is, until she hears the click of a gun.

“Really? It was supposed to be a chill night,” she mutters under her breath to herself before rounding the corner.

A badly disguised guy stands there, the gun held at the cashier.

“Hey dude, come on. That’s my favourite store.”

At her voice, the guy spins around. A second passes before he starts shooting at her.

She sighs, snipping one of the bullets aside and quickly stepping right in front of him. She yanks the gun out of his hands, grabs his collar and throws him into one of the shelves. Bottles fall to the floor around him, shards flying everywhere.

“Man, that was one of my favourite liquors,” Valkyrie says with a grimace, looking at the shards.

The guy looks at her with wide eyes, trying to get up, but slipping on the wet ground.

She gets closer to him and he visibly shakes, attempting to get away from her.

“Hey, come on, take my hand.”  

He keeps staring at her like a deer in the headlights, so she just pulls him up, brushing the shards of his coat.

“See? You’re alright.”

With one swift motion, she pulls the cap from his head and pushes him to the cashier. “He’s yours.”

She then takes the two bottles left on the shelf. “You’re welcome.”

Valkyrie has already one opened and at her lips while she leaves the store, leaving two very confused men behind.

At home, she lies in her bed, zapping through bad tv channels and sipping on the bottle. God, earth has shitty tv.

So she just accepts her fate and stares at the ceiling, closing her eyes.

Like so often, her mind begins to ponder her existence.

80 years. It’s been 80 years since she woke up in some hospital, not even able to remember her own name. However, everything hurt so much. Whenever she closes her eyes, she can still feel the pain, like someone cuts her from inside out.

And her head, god. Whenever she wants to look back at her past, further than 80 years, it’s like she hits a brick wall. She can’t tear it down, she can’t go around it. Heaven knows she tried.

Sometimes, she asks herself if maybe it’s good. Maybe her old life sucked.

But then, she thinks of her dreams with the faceless people, showering her with love. What if her old life was good? What if she fucked it up?

So she closes her eyes and lets herself be.

* * * * *

Humans are stupid.

They are petty and care about dumb stuff.

Like, when Valkyrie throws a car at a bad guy. Yeah, maybe the car is damaged, but she stopped him from killing someone. That must count for something, right?

So, she is not surprised at the angry shouts of people when she stops a train, destroying its goods in the process, from driving over a car. A car that some idiot parked right on the tracks.

And then she spins around as she hears a pissed off female voice. But for a change, it is not angry at her.

"For god's sake, Peter! You told us that you're able to drive a terra car!"

Valkyrie lays her eyes on the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. With green skin, black hair dipped in purple and dressed in leather. Her heart stops for a second before speeding up. Holy hell.

As if the woman can sense her heartbeat, she turns around.

For a second, a weird expression flashes over her face; but maybe that's just an illusion from the alcohol Valkyrie has had.

"It's not my fault that this car sucks!" a guy protests.

Only now Valkyrie's eyes take in the male speaker, gathered behind him a walking tree and a racoon.

She raises her brows. It only surprises her slightly; she's seen a lot in space.

The other people don't seem to share that sentiment. They all stare at the group in disbelief.

The green woman avoids her gaze. "Peter, thank her."

"What? She destroyed my car!"

"Uh, I actually destroyed it to save you, you ungrateful asshole," Valkyrie says, arms crossed.

"I am Groot," the tree states, looking at the racoon. Latter starts laughing while Peter turns around. "Woah, careful, Groot! Thin ice!"

The green woman sighs and looks to Valkyrie. "Thank you."

Valkyrie raises her chin a bit. "You're welcome. I guess the tree and racoon too." Then she turns to Peter. "You, however, I'll let die next time."

A small smirk hushes over the woman's face.

Peter snorts. "Gamora, come on, we're leaving."

Gamora.

The name feels weird, it makes Valkyrie's brain itch. Gamora.

Before she can say something, however, the weird gang vanishes.

A few of the crowd shout for the police, others murmur about aliens.

Valkyrie just takes a run-up, jumps and flies away.

* * * * *

The next time they meet, it is in the middle of a fight.

A fight right next to her favourite liquor store. Fate be damned.

The racoon is trying to pluck a police man’s eyes out; the tree tries to pull him off but fails; Peter screams and tries to get out of the hold of two other policemen; and Gamora – well, she just ko’d her two policemen and now watches Valkyrie with an indecipherable mien.

“What the fuck is going on?” Valkyrie asks, crossing her arms.

“These – people – broke – the – law,” one police man says in between sharp breaths, trying to keep Peter down.

“What law?”

“Breaking into a high-security faculty –“

“Not so high-secured, then,” Valkyrie interrupts and goes to the racoon, grabbing his arms and pulling him away with a swift motion; he scrabbles in her hold, cursing with some words she has never heard before. The policeman has scratches all over his face and looks at her thankfully.

She throws the racoon into Groot’s arms and goes over to Peter and Gamora.

“Care to explain?”

“Not really,” Peter says, attempting and failing to punch one of the policemen into the face.

Valkyrie turns to Gamora; again, she has this weird itching feeling in her brain and her heart’s speeding up. Goddamn this gorgeous woman.

“How about you?”

“We did not break the law,” Gamora explains, frowning. “We just wanted to borrow something.”

“Ha! You definitely spend too much time with Quill!” the racoon screams, laughing wildly.

“Borrow something. What for?”

“None of your business!” Quill interrupts, glaring at her.

“It is my business if you do it right next to my favourite liquor store.” The policemen look at her with raised brows. “Oh, and of course if you attack officers.”

Gamora looks at her, calculating. "Do you know how to repair a spaceship?"

Peter gasps audibly. "Gamora!"

Valkyrie smiles, which pisses him off even more. "I do, actually."

"No! I won't let her touch -"

"You prefer being stuck on Terra?" Gamora interrupts him.

Peter makes a face, but says: "Yes, I do."

"Oh, suck it up Quill," the racoon says, jumping down from Groot's shoulder, "I like her."

"I am Groot," Groot adds, nodding.

"Even you, Groot? Really?" Peter says, sounding highly insulted.

Valkyrie steps closer, still a smirk plastered on her face. “What do I get in return?”

“You can kick Quill’s ass,” the racoon says, grinning.

“You cannot kick his ass. We need him, Rocket,” Gamora says, but Valkyrie can read slight amusement in her eyes. Then she sighs, looking at Valkyrie. “How about some space alcohol? We should still have some.”

“Hey! That’s mine!” Rocket protests.

“Space alcohol, hm? Haven’t been in space for ten years.”

“Okay, she’ll get some if she can fix the ship,” Rocket says.

“Oh, when I’ll fix the ship,” Valkyrie answers with a smug smile.

* * * * *

It is harder than she imagined. She has no idea how they did it, but they managed to damage nearly all of the motor. How could they even land with this? But hey, she’s had worse. She can fix this.

Besides, she can watch Gamora out of the corners of her eyes. There is something about her – something special, something making her feel different, something making her – whole.

“Hey, we don’t pay you for staring at Gamora!” Quill says, frowning.

Valkyrie can’t hide a short flinch as she spins around. “You don’t pay me at all, shithead.”

He snorts and goes away.

Now she focuses on the motor again, inspecting it and checking the different parts of it.

“I thought it was the catalysator at first, but that didn’t change nothing.”

Valkyrie glances at Rocket shortly before nodding. “I think it is something smaller. Your arrangement is a whole mess. Probably some cable broke internally.”

Rocket kneels down next to her, not really convinced. “These are from Xandar, lady. Some of the best cables out there.”

Xandar.

Like someone turned on a switch in her head, she sees people, walking over a busy market place. A fountain. Herself, walking to said fountain, searching for something – someone, a smile on her face. But then it all vanishes again.

She blinks. And blinks.

Before Rocket can say something, she turns to him. “Do you have pics from Xandar?”

“What? From the cables?”

Valkyrie shakes her head, licking her lips. “No. Just … Xandar.”

“It’s just Xandar. A trash planet, if you ask me. All a bunch of stuck-ups.” But he presses something on the watch on his arm and pictures come flashing.

And again, she remembers something. Her smile vanishing as she finds a man in the crowd. She doesn’t know who it is. But he holds a necklace in his hand – a necklace very familiar to her. And it makes her so angry she attacks him. A fight ensues, and he shoves her against the fountain wall. She falls. And then it’s dark.

She gulps, closing her eyes. Okay. Deep breaths.

Xandar. Fountain. Necklace.

What the hell does that all mean? Are her memories coming back?

She feels like she is stared at. As she turns around, Gamora just vanishes into the forest.

Valkyrie rubs her head and then says to Rocket: “Okay, let’s fix this ship.”

* * * * *

The others check up on them from time to time, watching them working until Rocket tells them politely to fuck off.

When it begins to get dark, they take a break. Someone made a fire and they all sit around it.

Nobody told Valkyrie to go. So she stays.

Her eyes wander from her oily finger tips to Gamora and back again, not listening to the conversation.

“Right?”

She looks up, seeing everyone staring at her. “What?”

“I said that you know what you’re doing,” Rocket repeats himself, taking a big gulp of a bottle.

Quill watches her with squinted eyes. “Where did you learn ship repairing?”

Valkyrie shrugs, leaning back. “I don’t know.”

“What? How can you not know?” Quill says, frowning.

“Well, I don’t remember is more fitting, I guess.”

Now they really all stare at her.

Valkyrie sighs, rolling her eyes. “I woke up 80 years ago on Sakaar with no memories but my own name.” She tries to say it non-chalantly, inspecting her nails, but even she can hear the slight hardness of her words.

“What the hell is Sakaar?”

Of course Quill would say something.

When she looks back up again, all are facing her – all but Gamora.

“It’s a dump planet. Many wormholes lead there.”

“Did something come back? When you saw pictures of Xandar?” Rocket asks.

Gamora seems to flinch slightly at the mention of Xandar.

Only now Valkyrie notices that Gamora is wearing a necklace; it’s mostly hidden underneath her shirt, but it’s there. A necklace …

She fixates on the other woman while saying “yes, I did”.

Maybe Gamora knows something. Maybe all the things Valkyrie thought she had imagined weren’t her imagination at all. Maybe Gamora is acting weird around her because she knows her.

Right as she wants to say something, Gamora abruptly stands up.

“I’m going to bed,” she says and promptly vanishes.

“Ha! She can’t stand you either!” Quill says, crossing his arms.

Valkyrie ignores him, getting up and following Gamora.

“I hope Gamora kills her.”

“I am Groot!”

“Shut up, Groot.”

Inside, the ship is bigger than she thought. She follows the sound of someone walking until she reaches a room.

Gamora stands in it, back to her. “What do you want?”

“You know me,” Valkyrie says, matter-of-factly.

“Why should I?”

“Because you’re still not looking me in the eyes and telling me the truth.”

Gamora turns around, eyebrows raised. “I don’t know you.”

“You’re lying.” Valkyrie steps closer. “And trust me, I have experience with lies.”

“Why should I lie?”

Valkyrie ignores her evasive question and points at the necklace. “Care to show me that?”

Gamora grabs for it. “Actually, yes.”

As Valkyrie reaches for the necklace, Gamora steps back and simultaneously grabs her sword, holding it under Valkyrie’s chin.

“Don’t you dare.”

Valkyrie only smirks. “I was never good at following orders.”

She ducks away under the sword, twisting Gamora’s arm so she must let go of it and reaching for the necklace.

What she didn’t think of was Gamora being equally fast.

Valkyrie gets a knee to her nose and stumbles back, blood dripping over her lips.

She huffs, wiping it away, her combativeness coming out.

It’s like Gamora can predict her every move; she blocks all of them with an easiness that pisses Valkyrie off.

She tries to throw Gamora over her shoulder, but instead they both fall hard on the ground, breathing quickly.

“You definitely know my fighting style,” Valkyrie says, rubbing her aching back.

Gamora smirks for a second before her expression gets serious again. “I should have known that this would happen.”

“What do you – hey! Where did you get that?”

During the fall, the necklace came out; it’s the same Valkyrie saw earlier in her own head in the hands of this man.

Gamora sighs and closes her eyes. “You gave it to me.”

“I – I’ve never met you before, that’s –“

“You did. You did, multiple times.” There’s a strain in Gamora’s voice that makes Valkyrie’s heart ache.

“I knew you. Before I lost my memories,” Valkyrie whispers, staring at the necklace.

“You didn’t just know me, Val.”

Val.

She closes her eyes as another wave of memories wash over her. Her and Gamora, fighting side by side against enemies. Her and Gamora, lying in a bed together, whispering careless things into each other’s ear and smiling. Her and Gamora, intertwining hands, kissing each other senseless. Her and Gamora.

Gamora.

When she opens them again, she can feel tears prick in her eyes. “We were together. I loved you. Right?”

“When you woke up at Sakaar, you didn’t remember me. You didn’t remember anything we had. So I thought it was for the best –“

“To leave me to rot? To leave me not knowing who I am, desperate and sad, all alone?”

“You don’t understand! They found us, again and again and again. I did it to protect you!”

“Who found us?” Valkyrie sits up, the memory of the man coming up in her head again.

“I –“

Gamora’s interrupted by a loud scream outside and then the firing of blasters. Her eyes grow wide in fear. “They found us again.”

Valkyrie jumps up, shaking her head. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

Gamora grabs her wrist before she can storm out. “Neither will I.”

They run outside to join the fight.

As soon as they fight side by side, it is as if they were never apart; their moves are swift, fast and precise, holding each other’s back free.

That is, until Valkyrie spots the man – the one who had Gamora’s necklace, who threw her against the fountain. She balls her hands into fists and leaps at him.

He pushes her back with easiness, an ugly smile plastered on his face.

It makes her insides burn with rage.

He will not take Gamora from her again. No one will.

“Val, no!”

She grabs the dagger out of her boot, throwing at him with a force that makes it nearly impossible to see it.

He catches it, a few inches away from his heart and snarls.

As she wants to leap at him again, he catches her mid-air around her neck; she gasps for air.

“Foolish of you to try this again,” he says.

Valkyrie tries to remove his hands from her neck, struggling to breathe.

“I thought that maybe you’d learnt.”

She smirks while watching Gamora approach from behind and says: “I’m not the type that learns.”

Gamora slides between his legs, striking his inner knee with a hard motion. He screams and stumbles a bit, giving Valkyrie the time to wrestle herself free of his grip.

She catches the sword from Gamora and rams it through his chest. “Foolish of you to try this again,” she says, digging it even deeper in until all she hears are his pained cries.

Valkyrie watches the life fade from his eyes, and only then pulls the sword out again. He falls to the ground, motionless. Dead.

She turns around to Gamora, relief on her face, a tired smile tucking at her lips.

“No, Val,” Gamora gasps.

Only now Valkyrie looks down; the man stabbed her in the stomach with her own dagger.

Her mouth forms an ‘o’ as her knees give in.

Gamora is on her side in a matter of seconds.

“This will heal. I had worse,” Valkyrie says, pulling it out with gritted teeth.

She can’t remember the last time something hurt her that much.

Gamora shakes her head, tears in her eyes. “It won’t heal like you’re used to.”

Valkyrie groans as the pain doesn’t fade and only becomes stronger. This can’t happen. Not just with a dagger, not with –

“The longer we spend time together, the less powerful we become. The more mortal we become,” Gamora says, her voice shaking a bit. She presses her hands down on the wound.

Valkyrie hisses through her teeth. “W-what?”

“We are made in pairs and when we find each other, we – Val, stay with me.”

Valkyrie forces her eyes to stay open, but it seems like they function on their own will.

“Val, please. Don’t do that to me. Not again. Not like this. You are my soulmate. Please. Val!”

She fights against it, fights against the darkness, fights against herself. She loses.

Everything goes dark.

* * * * *

Valkyrie wakes up to a steady beeping next to her.

Everything hurts.

She groans and opens her eyes; a white ceiling stares back at her.

She turns her head, looking around a room; a hospital …

With a confused mien she frisks her body until she finds it: a scar on her abdomen.

She touches it carefully; what the –

And then her memories come again; the fight, the dagger – Gamora.

Valkyrie sits up quickly – a bit too quickly, she realizes, as everything begins to spin shortly.

Is she alone? Again? Did Gamora leave with the others? Did she –

A soft knock on the door startles her out of her thoughts.

Gamora stands in the door, looking slightly awkward with a bouquet in her hands. “Hey.”

“You didn’t leave me,” Valkyrie says, confused.

“No. Never again. Promise.” She comes closer and helplessly holds out the flowers. “For you.”

Valkyrie huffs and takes them, shaking her head. “Where’d you get that idea from?”

“Quill said that’s custom on earth, I thought –“ She gets startled by Valkyrie’s laugh and stops talking.

“You’re taking dating advice from that idiot?”

A smile starts to creep on Gamora’s lips. “He can have good ideas, sometimes.”

Valkyrie stands up, putting the flowers on the bed; now they only stand inches apart from each other.

Valkyrie notices that Gamora is a bit taller; she also notices that there is a strand of hair right in her eye. Her hand itches to brush it away.

And then she remembers – she can do that. So she does.

Gamora’s smile softens, her head leaning against Valkyrie’s hand.

“Hey,” Valkyrie whispers, brushing with her thumb over Gamora’s skin.

“Hey.”

And then they kiss. It feels like they’ve always done this, their lips finding each other with ease, brushing, biting, moaning.

They pull apart and both start to laugh, breathless.

“I’ve missed this,” Gamora says, leaning her forehead against hers.

“You could have had it all the time,” Valkyrie teases, just grinning when Gamora rolls her eyes.

But then Gamora gets serious. “You know that this wasn’t the end, right? My father’s men will still hunt us.”

Valkyrie shrugs. “They can sure try.”

They sit down on the bed, holding hand, leaning against each other.

“You know, we can visit your friends.”

“I had friends?” Valkyrie asks in disbelief.

“Of course you had, Val. Thor and Loki.” She notices the look of confusion on Valkyrie’s face. “Remember? The muscly guy with the hammer and his annoying emo brother.”

Valkyrie can’t help but laugh. “These definitely sound like my kinda friends, huh?”

“The guardians will bring us there.”

“Guardians?”

“That’s what we call our group,” Gamora says, making a face. “We split the group for a mission; ours got stuck on Terra, as you know.”

“There is more of them?”

Gamora can’t hide her grin. “Yes; Drax, Mantis and my sister, Nebula. You might remember her? Blue, always pissed off?”

“She sounds nice,” Valkyrie says.

Gamora leans her head on her shoulder, taking Valkyrie’s hand and brushing her lips against the skin. “I like you a lot.”

“I know.” Valkyrie presses a kiss on Gamora’s forehead, closing her eyes. “I like you a lot too. But hey, from now on, we have all the time in the world, right?”

Gamora just rolls her eyes and shuts her up with a kiss.

Valkyrie closes her eyes and lets herself feel the moment; because this moment, this here, is all hers and hers alone.

[gngu]

Someone asked for valmora on Twitter so I did it