#you think she had to live through Hei-ran trimming off the family trees branches and not have complicated feelings? TT0TT

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Jianzhu and Yun: *having tea together and looking out over the yard of the estate* Kyoshi and Rangi: *hustling across the estate field* Yun: *watching them, grinning dumbly* Jianzhu: So, which one is the one you like? Yun: The one with mommy issues. Jianzhu: *narrows his eyes and looks at Kyoshi and Rangi again* Jianzhu: I'm going to need you to be more specific.

[maaaaaatryoshka0325]

Shattered Sky - Hwang Hyunjin Zombie Apocalypse AU Part 13

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Ari had been the first person in your village to accept you. The leader of the village had found you, wandering the broken towns. Your family had been killed, everyone around you was gone. The neighborhoods were burnt to the ground, and you were all alone.

You had walked into an empty town, looking for food, coverage, anything. When a large truck started to come through the town slowly. It stopped in front of you, and you weakly raised your head as a man stepped out. He silently looked at you, lifting your chin up and looking you over.

“Are you alone?” He asked in a deep rumble.

You slowly nodded, your eyes on his. He nodded and turned back towards the truck.

“Come with me.”

You stepped through the wooden gates that creeped open, revealing a small village. Small huts scattered the large meadow it was in. Cows grazed, chickens clucked, and children ran around without a care. He helped you down from the truck, and a slightly younger man eyed you.

“Another one?” He asked with a sigh.

“She was alone, I couldn’t just leave her.” The man who had saved you said.

The other man eyed you up and down, his eyes narrowed.

“Are you sure she isn’t bitten?” He asked.

“Does she look infected? I would’ve noticed, I know to take precautions.” The man who saved you growled.

The other man said nothing, he just turned and walked away.

“Don’t mind him, he takes a bit to get used to people.” The man said with a small smile.

You nodded and looked around, noticing the other villagers eyes on you. You slowly shrunk back into your savior, fear of them wanting you out filling you. He gently rubbed your shoulder, a reassuring smile on his face.

“Don’t worry about them, they’ll get over it. I’m Hyungwoon by the way. I’m the leader here.” He said with a smile.

You bowed kindly to him, a little shy.

“I’m Y/N. Thank you for saving me.”

You settled your little belongings into a small hut, three beds inside of it. One looked to be a boys, and other, another girls. You placed your belongings on the empty bed, along with the sheets and blankets you were given.

“Hi! You must be the new girl!”

You jumped at the voice, spinning around and making eye contact with a girl around your age. She had a bright and bubbly aura, her eyes big and shining as she looked at you.

“Ok Ari!” She introduced herself brightly. “What’s your name?”

“Erm... Y/N.” You said, a little awkwardly.

“It’s nice to meet you Y/N! You look like you’re around my age, yeah?” She asked excitedly.

“I guess so.” You agreed with a small smile.

“Ahhh, I’m so happy! No one here besides Hoseok, who sleeps over there,” She started, pointing to the other bed. “Is around my age. Everyone is either middle aged, old, or a child.”

You giggled at her complaint, making her smile big. She helped you set your bed, and talked your ear off about life in the village. From hunting, farming, tending to the young ones, and taking care of the animals. You listened closely to her, when the door opened, and a boy stepped in. His eyes narrowed on you and Ari jumped up, a smile on her face.

“Hoseok! Hyungwoon found another survivor, and she’s around our age!” She squealed.

“I see that.” He said lowly, eyeing you.

You shifted uncomfortably at his intense glare, your heart beating fast at the tension in the air from him. Ari seemed to noticed it too.

“Why are you being all tense all of a sudden Hoseok? She hasn’t done anything wrong.” Ari pointed out.

“We already have more than enough mouths to feed. Hyungwoon shouldn’t try and take in every pathetic soul out there.” He growled.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve to call me pathetic. I’ve survived on my own till now.” You said.

“Yeah, whatever.” He mumbled, walking out of the hut.

Ari awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, turning and giving you an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry about Hoseok, he’s usually really friendly. He’ll warm up to you.”

Ari had been the one to show you around the village, always happily greeting everyone else. Her favorite person was an elderly woman she called Nana, and Nana seemed to be the first besides Ari to welcome you warmly.

“We need to stick together, we’re outnumbered by those things.” She said with a kind smile.

You smiled back as she gave you some food, and you sat down and ate with the elders. They seemed to be the most friendly, only caring if someone was infected. You sat there and listened to them, when you heard someone sit down beside you. You turned your head and saw Hyungwoon, and he flashed you a smile.

“How are you getting along the past few days?” He asked.

“Ari has introduced me to a lot of people, but mainly the elders accept me.” You said with a small sigh.

“They’ll get used to you, I promise.” He said with a smile.

You smiled back as he sat and ate with all of you, sitting in the floor of the porch of the elders hut. The night sky was beautiful, a million stars in the sky. The cold weather making you shiver as you sat close to Hyungwoon and Ari.

After you all finished eating, you and Ari decided to head back to your hut to warm up. You both lit the fire and sat on your beds.

“Did you have a boyfriend before the apocalypse?” Ari asked.

You giggled and shook your head, your eyes on your hands.

“I was more worried about schooling and a career than dating.” You said with a smile.

“That’s smart.” She hummed, hugging her pillow to her. “It just sucks now. I’ve always wanted to fall in love, but almost everyone is dead.”

You laughed through your nose and shook your head, laying back in your bed.

“I guess it’d just be heart break falling in love now anyways.” Ari sighed.

You turned your head and gave her a questioning look and she giggled.

“I don’t think everyone’s gonna live through this. I mean, it’s nearly impossible, right? They outnumber us by millions.” She said.

“Don’t think like that Ari, if you do, that’s how you end up like one of them.” You said, sitting up and looking at her.

“I guess you’re right.” She sighed. “I just... Feel like I’m not gonna make it very long.”

You fell silent as the door opened and Hoseok walked in, walking over to his bed, across from yours and Ari’s beds.

“Hey Hoseok, how was hunting?” Ari asked.

“It was good.” He said.

You all fell silent as he raised his head and looked at you.

“Are you even good at anything? Like can you ever contribute?” He asked.

“Instead of picking on me and asking me that, why don’t you show me how to do something besides farming and taking care of the animals.” You shot back.

“Fine. I will.” He grumbled, laying in his bed and turning his back to you.

Ari let out a small giggle and looked at you.

“I like your attitude Y/N.”

“So, what are you teaching me?” You asked, resting your chin on your hands as you looked at Hoseok.

“How to make bow and arrows.” Hoseok said, leading you to a small hut.

Dead animals hung by their legs, guns and bow and arrows hung up on the wall. You followed him in and you were met with an older man with a dark beard and small, sparkly eyes. His eyes were set as he cleaned a gun.

“This is our Gunsmith, Boyum.” Hoseok said, nodding to the man.

“You must be the newcomer, welcome.” Boyum said with a smile, his small eyes glittering.

“Thank you Mr. Boyum.” You said, bowing.

“Do you have a gun?” Boyum asked.

“I do not.” You replied.

“Hmm, I don’t have much to do, I’ll make you one.” He said with a big smile.

“O-Okay! Thank you so much!” You said, bowing deeply with a big smile.

He smiled back at you and walked out so Hoseok could show you how to make the arrows.

“You have to trim the wood like this.” He showed you, cutting it smooth with a knife.

You nodded and started to do what he did, feeling nervous as he watched.

“A little more gentler strokes.” He said, holding your hands and showing you. “Like this.”

By the end of the day, you had blisters, arrows, and a bit of pride. Your arrows were just about identical to Hoseok’s, and he seemed impressed.

“You did well.” He said with a smile.

Your eyes brightened as you both set the arrows up in groups and headed back to your hut.

You slowly crept through the trees, a massive buck in view. You turned your head to Hoseok, who signaled for you to stay down wind. You nodded and watched Ari, who was in a high tree, creep over to a thick branch directly above its head. She slowly pulled her bow back and shot, getting the buck between its shoulders.

It let out a loud shriek and began to run off. You quickly got up and pulled your bow back as the buck almost leaped ontop of you, your arrow getting it straight in its chest.

“Y/N!” Hoseok and Ari yelled.

The buck fell just before it was able to trample you. You smiled as you bent down beside it, it’s breathing ragged. You stroked its head until it’s breathing stopped and you closed your eyes. When you first started hunting, you cried when you killed your first deer. But Hoseok and Hyungwoon comforted you, saying it’s for survival.

You had began to fit in with everyone, having been there for a few months. You could now freely walk around without feeling pressure by their gazes.

“Y/N!”

You turned your head and saw Mr. Boyum, his eyes shining as he handed you a box. You opened it and gasped. A beautiful rose gold .500 handgun with your name inscribed in it was in the box.

“It’s beautiful Mr. Boyum. Thank you so much.” You gasped, hugging him tightly.

“I’m glad you like it Y/N.” He chuckled.

Ever since you were gifted that gun, it had been your most prized possession. You loved using it, as it fit perfectly in your hands. But you’d never guess you’d end up hating it.

Your eyes fluttered open, a smell of smoke filling your senses. You quickly got up, Ari turning in her bed.

“What is that?” She asked, getting up.

You noticed Hoseok wasn’t in his bed and you quickly grabbed your gun, Ari right behind you. You opened the door and everything stopped. Walkers had invaded.

They were everywhere, ripping people to shreds, their snarls and the smell of fire in the air. You and Ari quickly raised your guns and fired, hitting as many walkers as you could as you both ran through the village. Huts were in fire, and the grass was burning. You quickly ran to the blacksmiths, and you gasped when you saw Mr. Boyum on the ground, blood surrounding his body along with a bunch of bite marks. Tears filled your eyes as you raised your gun to his head, firing to end it so he wouldn’t turn.

“Hoseok!” Ari called, and you gasped when you saw him struggling with a walker in the back corner.

You quickly shot the walker and ran over to Hoseok as he panted. You saw a devastated look on his face and you turned your head. The walker you had shot had been Hyungwoon.

“No...” You gasped, tears streaming down your cheeks.

“We have to go! Come on!” Ari said, helping you up.

You all grabbed bows and arrows, packing up as much as you could as the three of you ran through the meadows. Walkers, the people you had known, came for the three of you. Ari sobbed as she shot one of the young girls in her head, her reanimated form only inches away. You were just about up the small hill that lead into the woods when you heard a scream.

You all stopped as Nana was running towards the three of you, a walker pursuing her.

“Nana!” Ari cried, running back down the hill.

“Ari don’t!” Hoseok called.

It was too late, when she got to Nana, the walker bit Ari first, slamming the both of them to the ground. Tears poured down your face as you tried to rush towards them, but Hoseok held you back.

“It’s too late Y/N... It’s too late...” He whispered.

You watched a silhouette run through the gates, and you knew it was another survivor. The image of the burning village, your dead friends, and the sight of the countless bodies filled your vision, leading you to this point.

It all flashed in your eyes as you sat on your knees, your hand clutching your bleeding neck, the walker dead beside you. You looked up, tears spilling down from your eyes to meet Hyunjin’s eyes. His eyes were full of shock and something you haven’t seen in awhile... Pain.

“H-Hyunjin..”

[arts-butthound]

Sense and Salarian Ability Chpt. 2

(Also read on  AO3 if you prefer, leave me a kind kudos if you like my work: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22537765/chapters/57317959#workskin )

After filing the paperwork for theft with C-sec, a week passed with no discernible action. Walking through the ward, to and from work, Lau would scan the mob of people for familiar faces. At times, he’d imagine he’d seen her, weaving through a crowd of much taller adults or disappearing into a vent. But when he’d turn to confirm the vision, she was gone with the steam and smoke of the vendors. A wisp of air passing through nothingness.  

             Lau shouldn’t have cared enough to still hunt for her. Despite the vulnerable feeling of being robbed, had he actually lost anything of value? It was a hunk of dried dirt that had escaped his grasp to make into anything. Yet he dreamed of it, vividly; the mediocre and stale curves that had taken him too long to piece together into a feeble attempt of replicating waves on the sea.  Lau had hated even looking at it. He asked himself why he still looked for its shards. He should be over this by now. A better salarian would have put the ordeal behind him. A better salarian would have given up on ineptitude and worked toward something more attainable. A respectable salarian would have…should have…

Lau’s fingers tightened around the handle of his mug.  He only half listened as his sister nattered on over the vid-com about one thing or another, adding only small confirmatory remarks if she asked for his input.  In front of him, on the table, several holo pads held shipping manifestos, bills, and requests from eager artists wishing to be displayed and sold in his gallery. None of it caught his interest, but he flipped through the paperwork to appear busy while in front of Nalano. She continued her tirade of a chore list to him and Lau turned his head toward the window, watching the blurred, colored lights of traffic whizz pass. “You’re going to be here, right Lau? Appearance is everything at events like this.”

“Yes, Ano. I’ve already made the arrangements.”  Lau took a drink of his tea, overlooking an artist’s plea for validation.  Being a turian upstart didn’t hurt, with the scarcity of the species style outside of turian space. Lau made a note to email the artist about further examples of his work.

             “Good. Zejaa will have you entertain some of our business partners. I expect you to be busy currying favors.” Since their mother had died a few years back, Lau’s boss of a sister had taken charge of their branch of the family. Wielding her feminine power with an iron will and steel forged words, she had further built their branch’s influence in clan politics. Now that their cousin was formally becoming the clan’s Dalatrass, Nalano’s power would grow tenfold. The two had been as thick as the dense jungle trees that wove around one another since childhood.

“-as is custom, I know.”  Lau droned. “Relax  Ano, things will go off without a hitch on my end.”

Nalano smiled and Lau got the feeling that if she could pet his cheek, as their mother had done when she was pleased, Nalano would have done so. “Dependable Lau. You never make trouble for me. Azik may not be able to come at all because of his partner and I still need to find a back up babyitter.” She paused for a moment with a cleansing breath. “ I’ll speak further with you another time.” Nalano hung up, leaving Lau in the abrupt silence of his dark apartment. He closed the holo-pads and stowed them in his work satchel. Standing up, he moved into the kitchen to replenish his tea, robotically.

Dependable Lau.

He decided against more tea.

Looking at the clock, Lau grabbed his satchel and gazed into the hall mirror. Clean faced, suit nearly without flaw, Lau flattened his collar with a flare of gravitas and feigned importance. He stared into his own eyes, avoiding the dark uniformity in his peripheral vision. Today was a new circle. Lau locked the front door behind him. It was a brisk, cool, walk to the Nasurn Gallery, consisting of fifteen, maybe thirty minutes on a bad day.  Lau’s focus remained on the crowds and the pavement, intent on not looking for the ghost of the duct rat that he’d never see again. It felt good to stretch his shoulders and his legs this morning.

When he walked through the back door, Lau was greeted by a hellish heat and the rhythmic and scattered ringing sound of a hammer meeting steel. Behind the wall ahead, Eramanthe cursed loudly as the ringing ceased once again. The salarian rolled his eyes as he flipped on the ceiling venting system. She always forgot about the fans on her work days.  Lau wondered if she’d been born on an arid world far off in Asari Space. Walking up behind her, he could almost see it. As a young girl, she would be a sun burnt baby-building sand castles in a desert long after she should have gone inside to her mother. She could have been a chubby little thing, running with wild abandon just to feel the sand rush in between her toes. Maybe her family went on beach trips to escape the heat by way of a breeze coming off the water. The intense temperatures hardly seemed to bother the woman.

The work shop was empty today, with the other sculptures pushed far into the walls in order to give the asari room to work. The forge burned with a blinding yellow, illuminating the massive metal behemoth beside it that had stolen Eramanthe’s sleep for weeks now. She twisted the arms of the galactic community together and in the center of their outreaching palms, Eramanthe planned to plant a miniature of the Citadel. The theme was a little predictable for Lau’s taste, but her results were worth a bit of cliché. With metal and her biotics, Eramanthe’s figures felt like they could move and breathe on their own. They had the soft bend of skin and muscle that caressed the viewer’s attention.  Of life’s soft and tender emotions, Eramanthe caste them in metal and polished them to a mirror shine.

Her sculpture still lacked a hand or two, missing the drell, turians, and vorcha. Why Eramanthe insisted on putting the vorcha in there was beyond Lau. It wasn’t as if they added anything to galactic culture. On the work bench laid the disembodied hand of the turians. “I like what you’re doing with the seams there, Era. But this looks a little aggressive compared to the others.” Lau quipped, looking at the hand from over her shoulder. She nursed a small burn on the outside of her thumb and groaned in miserable agreement.

“I think some of real life is bleeding into the piece.” Eramanthe collapsed into a nearby chair with her eyes closed and head tilted back. “Maybe I just need to…step back for a while.”

Lau moved closer to the metal hand. The iconic turian talons were uncut and vicious looking, unlike most of Eramanthe’s works in which they were trimmed with a rounded edge. The hand was flexed as if it were a predator that was about to strike. “Fighting with Cassias?” Lau mused, watching as Eramanthe ground her palms into her temples.

“I think we’re going to break up, Lau. He’s just…so….so-” Her hands flexed and clawed at the air, veins popping from the skin.

Lau inched away from Eramanthe’s rage. “Uncompromising?”

The asari sunk lower into the chair, crossing her arms and legs with sharp angry movements.  “He’s too conforming. Too restrictive! Imagine what he’d do to our girls with that kind of attitude! He’d ruin them!”

“If he lived long enough, that is.” Lau said to himself. Eramanthe shot daggers at him from her seat; her entire face looking like she’d tasted something sour. “Hey-look at me.” the curator defended, jabbing a finger into his abdominal hood. “I get to make that joke! Besides, Cassias isn’t a young man anyway. You can do better, age wise.” Lau retracted said finger as Eramanthe transferred her glare from him to the ceiling. He scratched the back of his neck, averting his eyes back to the metal hand on the table. Quietly, he said “The hand should be salvageable. You only need to loosen the fingers and cut down on the talons. It should be fine.”

Eramanthe stretched out of the seat, pushing it to its two back legs. “I want babies, Lau. I want them real bad.” She rocked back and forth on the chairs legs.  

Lau briefly ran his hand across the metal arm on the table, feeling its heat slowly ebbing out into his palm. He turned to face her, “I mean, you can get kids without keeping the father around. Isn’t that what you asari do?” Lau snickered as Eramanthe threw her balled up sweat rag at his head. It was a bull’s-eye mark, hitting Lau square in between his horns.

“Been digging up cultural weaknesses to report back to your Union, salarian?” Eramanthe grinned toothily; brows narrowed. “Or is it just for a busy-body Dalatrass?” The two smiled at one another from their opposing sides of the room, Eramanthe’s eyes a bit brighter than they were a minute ago. She was prettier when she smiled.  Lau found that glowering only made Eramanthe’s particularly round face look like a withering gourd, melting and squashing into unintelligible shapes. Yet, the way she held herself was still slumped over. She hugged herself, hands wrapped around her elbows and a clouded faraway look in her eye.

Lau placed a hand on her shoulder and returned the sweat rag to her expecting hand. “Personally, I don’t see the draw.” He said, “But you’re determined enough, Era. You’ll be putting aside all your passions and career to raise a brood of crass girls in no time.” Era shook her head, ignoring the salarian’s distaste of the idea.

             The tinkling of the bell above the door in the parlor rang and the two shared a glance. The sound of the bell was more of a whisper; like a shameful, slow outcry that begged not to be heard and hoped to go unnoticed.  Though not unheard of, it was rare for patrons or guests to come to the gallery before noon. When Lau didn’t hear the sound of the door closing behind the bell, the pores of his skin tightened around the base of his bulbous skull. His feet led him cautiously to the front room, with a straight back and stern countenance. There he saw, mirrored in the glassy flooring, two very unwelcome duct rats. They stared wide eyed at him, crouching over some foreign object on the floor. One held the door slightly ajar, just enough to slip back through without sounding the bell once again. Letting out a small growl, Lau lurched toward the girls. He wrenched the door from the asari’s hand and slammed it shut before the two could escape his grasp once again. A sickly, burning anger broiled in his belly.

“You two” Lau spat “are in very big trouble!” The human girl with the pale eyes started fidgeting spasmastically, her hands flying around her face and chest while her mouth opened and closed like a fish left out in the sun. She constantly looked back at her companion, who quaked in fear as she tried to pry the door open. The human’s hands clawed toward Lau in a beseeching manner. Her mind was slower than an elcor’s walk in the garden, it would seem, as her mouth had nothing to say but the smacking of a dry tongue. Lau watched her in disgust. The little pest who had been a blight upon him for too long did not measure up to the scheming, malicious whelp that he had pictured; but rather was a simpleton with less to offer of herself than a vorcha mercenary.

“N-no.” the human sputtered out, finally clutching and pulling at her shirt as if something were missing in her pockets. “No. I’m sorry…uh-uh-uh. Vey…” the sounds were strangled in her throat before she could get them out.

Eramanthe came into the room, looking at the two children and then meeting the fire in Lau’s eyes with the surprise inside her own. “Lock these two down, Era. I’m getting C-sec down here.” Lau ordered. He leaned his weight against the door to keep the two in and pulled up his omni-tool. The human child looked as if she were about to cry, her breathing shallow and fast.

“Wait, old man!” begged the young asari, beginning to wrestle Lau’s arm away from the fingers that threatened her freedom. “She just came to say sorry. That’s all! Don’t call the blues!”

“Lau” Era interjected slowly, gliding across the floor.

“What are you waiting for, Era? Use your biotics on these degenerates already!” the salarian ordered.

While Lau fought against the younger asari, Eramanthe’s attention was trained on the human. The girl bit at her lip and looked as if she were chastising herself, her gaze intent on trying to tell the salarian anything. When the human grasped at the small object on the floor, Eramanthe’s mouth slid up into a small smile, “Lau, hang on a sec.” With quiet panic, the human girl carefully shoved a piece of board into Lau’s chest. The girls stumbled back as he let go of the asari child, steadying each other.

It was his worthless piece Lau realized, looking at the clay turning and swirling upward from the board. It had been patched back together with cheap craft clay, nary a crack showing…despite the differing shade of color of the clay he’d used and what she’d used. There were juvenile fixes to curves and shapes that…actually worked. The edges had been softened where he had made sharp turns, not to a fantastic degree, but enough to make a difference. There were unfortunate blobs of dried glue in places-but there had been an attempt to hide them with similar clay blobs in varying places. They almost looked like bubbles-in an amateur sort of way. Lau stared at it in silence. He refused to believe that a duct rat, with no form of education outside of anything but ducking the law, could have put together the pieces so intuitively. Despite himself, the salarian found himself impressed.

“Sorry I broke it.” The little human said, drawing the attention of the two adults once more. “I tried to fix it.” She toyed with one of her fingers, not making eye contact with anyone in the room.

             Eramanthe pawed at the sculpture from around Lau’s arm. “You did a good job blurring the lines where the old material and new meet.” She drew her hand away, rubbing her fingers together. The brownish coloring had stained her skin-a sign of cheap mock clay. It smelled mostly of salt.

“You did this?” Lau sounded more like he was accusing her than asking. The girl nodded slowly, nervously. The asari child had started inching toward the now unattended door.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” Eramanthe squatted down to meet the duct rat’s eye level. She held out her hand warmly toward the girl. Lau looked at his friend as if she were crazy.

“Um…uh-Tegan” the human looked at Eramanthe’s offered hand as if she were offered credits and tentatively reached out-

Her hand was snatched out of the air by her companion, who whispered a firm “Come on.” before turning towards the adults with a tight, polite grimace. “Sorry, we gotta go now. We won’t bother you again.” She pulled the human girl with her, the two scurrying out the door before another word could be spoken. The human’s eyes caught in the glass window.

Lau passed the rest of the day in uneasy silence.  The duct rat’s appearance rattled his core, as did the sudden appearance of his failed bobble-fixed and childishly improved.  In a corner of his office, sitting on an aged couch, Eramanthe had resumed toying with the small sculpture after having called it a day on her own piece.  He only found irritation in watching her curious twists and turns and Lau’s jaw tightened until it threatened to never move again.  Lau found himself actively looking at his hand to avert his gaze from her-watching the tendons and muscles flow underneath his copper-toned skin as hands flew across his keyboard in feeble attempt of distraction. Answering these emails was always how he ended the day. But today, the hollow weight of routine threatened to crush Lau beneath it.

“You know what, Lau?” Eramanthe purred, finally setting the sculpture down in her lap. To Lau’s chagrin, she continued to pet at it absently. His head turned toward her like rusted machinery. “This is actually pretty promising now! It reminds me of some of some of your old college work that you’ve showed me-”

Lau pressed the palms of his hands to the desk, in a knee jerk reaction. “WHAT?” he hissed, “It looks absolutely nothing like my old works!”

“I mean energy wise, you angry little squit.” Eramanthe waved off his reaction. “Look at this, really I mean!” Reluctantly, Lau watched it from the corner of his eye. The form was a confusion of will and intention. It drew upon a ghost of a memory before Lau shoved it back down into the dark recesses of his mind. “There’s so much enthusiasm!” Eramanthe continued to cheer.

“It looks like its being pulled apart by different ideas of what it’s supposed to be.” Lau muttered darkly.

“Sure. But that shouldn’t bother you of all people. I mean, that kind of look helped you graduate, right?” Eramanthe’s shrug caused boulders to fall upon Lau’s spine. He stared intently at wood grain of his desk. She continued to speak but he chose to tune her out.

Pushing the chair back, Lau walked to Eramanthe and took up the sculpture, his fingers threatening to crack the wooden board. “It’s hardly even my work anymore. So it has nothing in common with what I used to do.” He opened up a cabinet, shoved the thing deep onto a shelf, and closed the door. The offensive object finally out of sight, Lau felt he could breathe again.

“Oh, squirt lube up your cloacae and loosen up, man.” Eramanthe crossed her arms and scowled. “The kid did good work.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Lau returned to his desk, resuming his evening work.

“I think she has potential worth nourishing!”

“She’s not an orphaned varren whelp, Era. Leave it be.”

“When she comes back, we should see what else she can do!”

“ERA! STOP!” Lau shouted. Her enthusiasm was too much for Lau. He collapsed back onto his chair, resting his head on the cool wood of his desk. Eramanthe was on her feet, glaring daggers at him. “Just…please.” the salarian took a deep breath, trying to clear the tight muscles in his head. “Yes. Admirable though it is that she came back, it doesn’t change what happened. Now I’d appreciate it if you let this finally drop. Period!”

             The quiet between the two hung stagnant in the air. Suffocating. Claustrophobic. The unrelenting automated clicking sounds of Lau’s haptic keypad signaled that the salarian was done talking. Eramanthe scowled as she stood, readjusting her clothes. “Okay, Lau.” She padded towards the door, her boots hanging from her shoulder on laces tied together. “I’m going home. You should too. Sleep off that attitude, maybe.”

Alone again. Lau hung his head in his hands, clicking off from his emails. What a disaster.

[nutsdoltsberets]

Basking In The Sun

Fandom: RWBY Rating: Teen Characters: Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long No Ships Just Team Fluff Other Tags: Great Weiss Shark AU, Faunus!Weiss, Slice of Life, Beach Vacations Words: 2044 Crossposted to Archive Of Our Own

Inspired by Spudato/ @faunusrights Great Weiss Shark AU They have a Masterpost on their tumblr Faunusrights https://faunusrights.tumblr.com/post/164560451654 Summary: Team RWBY starts off a week of relaxation with a day at the beach.

 Ruby and Yang ran ahead up the small steps towards the old homely looking cabin while Blake and Weiss trailed behind them up the winding dirt road.

 “Are you sure I should have come?” Weiss quietly vents her anxieties toward Blake who trudged along quietly.

 “Of course, did you want to go home to your father for your break?”

 “God no.”

 “Do you think Ruby and Yang would rather we hadn’t come?”

 “Well. No…”

 Weiss attempted to throw up an excuse but Blake quickly silenced her by pressing her finger over Weiss’ lips.

 “Then how about we have some fun. I’m sure it’s been a while since either of us has been on the beach.”

 “Why didn’t you go to visit your family?” Weiss asks cautiously hoping she wasn’t stepping on any kind of landmine.

 “Ships to Menagerie are expensive” Blake simply shrugged and Weiss relaxed a bit.

 “Hey you two!” Ruby calls from the open door. “Hurry up! Let’s get changed so we can hit the water!”

 The two wandered into the cabin to discover it was a lot larger than it had looked from the front. Clearly more of a permanent residence than a summer retreat home. Everything about it from the high wooden, the awkward shag carpet and linoleum floor as well as knick knacks strewn across every surface they could sit screamed of some sort of eclectic homeiness that neither were truly that familiar with.

 “Welcome to our home. Our small PATCH of solitude.” Yang emphasized her terrible pun to the groans of those present, coming down a set of stairs already changed into her vibrant yellow on black bikini.

 “Wait this is your actual house?” Weiss stared around at all the strange and mishmashed furniture. “I guess that makes sense.”

 “Wait. That means-” Blake was cut off by the sound of tiny paws tapping across the wooden floor.

 Zwei rounded a corner and bolted for the group. Blake dove to the safety of a small table top and Ruby did some sort of rock star knee slide, catching the dog from below before engulfing him in her best impression of one of Penny’s hugs.

 “Zwei!!!!”

 “Don’t worry, we’ll keep him on a leash or locked in a room until dad picks him up.” Yang said tossing a small collar and leash towards Ruby who deftly locked it in place.

 Eyeing the dog Blake quickly dashed for the stairs where Yang indicated they could use the bathroom or bedrooms to change. Weiss followed a moment later giving Zwei a quick scratch between his ears as she passed.

 The two changed leisurely, Blake into a black bikini with purple accented ribbons and drapings, elegant and somewhat impractical Blake assured Ruby that no it would not get caught on anything and yes the draping fabric could be removed before swimming. Weiss on the other hand appeared wearing what seemed to be professional swimming sportswear, a single one piece covered in weird patterns with side cut outs along her sides for her lower set of gills as well as a pair of knee high socks covered in similar strange white and blue designs.

 The other girls stared at Weiss confused for a while before Yang finally had to ask.

 “So what’s up with the uhh, water stockings? Is this some weird sort of foot thing?”

 “No you dolts, it’s optic camouflage. Coco designed it and said it would keep away any unwanted sea creatures while in the ocean. Like sea grimm or sharks.”    No one really knew how to follow that up so eventually they just let it go. Yang taking some pictures to send back to Coco as part of the design deal and Ruby running off to go change herself. Returning only moment later still in the red hoodie she had worn during the car ride but now in a set of swim shorts instead of her regular skirts.

 “I know you’re fast but that was impressive even for you.”

 “Thanks Blake, but actually I was already in most of the swimsuit before we even left. I’m just super excited!”

 “Well then,” Yang called heading towards the door with Weiss in tow. “Let’s get going, no time like the present.”

 Yang lead the group down a path from the back of the house towards the beach. It didn’t take too long for the sounds of kids and adults playing in the sun to reach their ears, at which point Weiss began to look nervous.

 “Hey are you okay?” Ruby pulled her aside to ask.

 “I thought we were going somewhere private to swim. I don’t want to be seen by people. What it word gets out?”

 Ruby quickly stopped her before she started spiralling, signalling Yang and Blake to go ahead.

 “We just need to go near the main beach to reach the trails. You can wear my hoodie until we get all the way there if you want. It should help hide your gills.”

 Weiss nodded slowly and Ruby stripped off her hoodie and helped Weiss into it, fitting almost perfectly despite the age difference.

 “Thank you,” she said quietly, letting Ruby wrap her arms around her in a soft hug.

 Ruby led Weiss down the path that Blake and Yang had gone, coming out on trail in the trees just above the dunes of the beach. Hundreds of beach goers could be seen just metres away down the slope and Weiss began to worry again, however Ruby led her away from the main beach along the trail. They passed four or five paths down to the sand and then eventually staircases as the trail and dune weaved upward transforming into a cliff side trail overlooking more rocky coves and outcroppings. Almost two stories up they came out on an overlooking point, clearly eroding and ready to collapse. From atop it Weiss could see massive rocks sticking out of once again jagged like angry teeth protruding from the sandy ground, she couldn’t help but run her tongue along her own. Swinging her gaze back up she found what seemed to be a climbing path down using the very roots of trees holding the ground up as rope clearly unstable after years of wear. Noticing Weiss’ apprehensive face Ruby laughed.

 “Don’t worry this isn’t the spot, but we’re almost there.”

 Following Ruby again they turned a small corner no farther than ten feet away and came upon what appeared to be hundreds of arches ground out of some sort of bush or tree. The resulting appearance of the too perfect and out of place fauna was rather unsettling, like some path one would follow only to disappear into a world of fae and darkness never to be seen again. Crossing through however opened up to massive trees growing out of the cliff side obscuring the ground below and flanked their opposite by a long well trimmed hedge, tall enough that you could make out the top of the cabin on the far side but nothing more. Ruby took her down a small path hidden in the branches into a clearly partway down, a podium almost nestled under the roots of a tree about and above the roots of a tree that looked like it had fallen from above but decided to keep growing against all odds across the ground towards the sea. A massive gnarled hand reaching out. Another path down opened out onto a small sandy beach surrounded by rocky outcrops that ran far out into the water.

 Yang and Blake were waiting for them, just finishing the final touches on the blankets and umbrella. The only two on the beach secluded by trees, the only opening revealing the massive hedges up and behind.

 “This is amazing.” Weiss gaped at the beauty of the small area.

 “We’re glad you like it” Yang waved them over. “We found this years ago, the owner of the cabin up there is gone most of the year but the property still acts as a sort of shield from the tourists. Most people think this is either private or they’re too scared to get past the cliff.”

 “Nice bathing suit Ruby” Blake said pulling out a folding chair and book.

 “Ack!” Ruby tried to hide behind Weiss who was still wearing her hoodie embarrassed by her overly lacey black top.

 “Come on it looks fine” Weiss tried to get away from her before relenting and instead returning her top.

 “Please sis, the goth look suits you.”

 Now free of the extra garment Weiss wandered out of the small play fight going on between her teammates and headed towards the shore. Pausing to relish the feel of the water on her feet she gazed back and forth across the beach taking in the site. Blake was in her chair in the shade reading, Yang and Ruby had stopped bickering and Yang lay out to sunbathe while Ruby climbed out across the rocks of one of the nearby outcroppings. The soft sound of the surf and gulls and warmth of the sun across her back reminded her of how long it had last been since she’d been able to find peace and quiet like this. The last time she’d been able to swim openly like this, though as that was back in Atlas it wasn’t quite so warm. She swam for what felt like ages, enjoying the fresh scents and tang of the ocean brine. Diving and exploring the caves and nooks down below discovering the various life that lived within. When she finally decided to take a break she leisurely swam over to the outcrop Ruby had perched on earlier and found that Blake had joined her a fishing rod in tow.

 “Weiss!” Ruby waved. “Come check this out! There’s a bunch of baby turts over here!”

 Coming up beside the rock Ruby helped pull Weiss up and above onto the stone shelf, discovering that on the other side was what appeared to be a massive bowl filled with small fish and a pod of small baby sea turtles.

 “When the tide rises they all swim in and then when it falls again a bunch stay behind” Ruby explained pointing out various different species they could see in the remarkable clear water.

 Eventually Weiss caught sight of Blake’s lure and padded over to her pouting as Blake without looking shifted the bucket containing her gains to the far side.

 “These are for dinner. You’ll get some then.” she teased.

 Flopping down and watching the pool and Blake’s lure once more they sat in comfortable silence. Ruby joining them shortly paddling her feet in the water.

 The peace was broken by a sudden hissing sound, Blake and Weiss whipped their heads to see Yang who had finally finished with her sunbathing wading out into the water which seemed to boil and steam around her as she went. Ruby seemed completed unperturbed by the whole thing.

 “She gets hot.”

 Everyone knew that but apparently her natural body temperature plus basking in the glare of the sun turned her into walking fire.

 Finally as the tide began to creep up onto the tops of the rocks and the sky began to turn a gorgeous dark orange they decided it was time to clean up and head back. Weiss and Ruby helped carry the gear as they hadn’t on the way there, and Yang and Blake carried the buckets of fish. Blake had managed to catch a massive haul, yet they still weren’t sure if it would be enough. Tai apparently would have picked up Zwei back at the cabin and taken him over to Qrow’s where he was going to stay for the rest of the week. Something which Blake seemed quite glad of. Both as she didn’t have to stress over avoiding Zwei all week but also as it meant there was one less mouth to feed.

 The walk back seemed longer than the walk there as if the week had suddenly began to move at half the regular rate. Obviously it was just the exhaustion of the end of the day speaking but if it had been going slower none of them would have minded, everyone was just looking forward to the rest of their plans together.

[padasteph-nie]

The Fourth Wall

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Vaewolves and Broken Glass

Characters: Stephanie (OC), Sam Winchester, and Dean Winchester

Pairings: Sam x Stephanie (still unofficial)

Word Count: 2,433

Warnings: Reality shifts and fight scene. Character injury.

A/N: I know what you’re thinking.. when is this going to end. Soon, very soon. 

The Fourth Wall - Masterlist

Stephanie’s Point of View

     We all loaded into the car, I took it upon myself to sit in the back. I needed all the solitude I could get. Sam already had his worried look on his face, and I knew that meant he was going to be looking back on me every minute or so.

       I decided to go back over the photos first. I pulled up the picture of the house. I closed my eyes and I could see it plain as day. The tall, blue house was sitting on a corner lot. I tried to concentrate, blocking out the sound of the roaring engine in front of us. It didn’t take long before my mind sucessfully drowned out the sounds. I felt like I was there, in the picture. I walked into the back door, somehow knowing the front would be locked. I explored the place with ease, knowing each turn and where it would lead. I went up the stairs, two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a den. One room was definitely a kid’s room, and it was shared. I was beginning to think this house belonged to the people I didn’t recognize in my photo album. I went back down the stairs and into the dining room. I stood there, realizing how real this all felt. My head felt dizzy, so I shook it a little to hopefully lessen the feeling. When I set myself straight again, I noticed a family picture. It was definitely the people in the photos. Same guy; tall, blue-green eyes and a full beard. The two boys and…

      “Stephanie, hey. Hey! Are you with me?” Sam’s voice woke me out of my trance.

      Dean was staring at me through the rear-view mirror. “You just passed out. Are you okay?” His eyes went back to the road, but I could see there was deep concern in them.

      We pulled into an empty lot, covered by trees. Dean shut his headlights off. “We are here already?” I felt like only a minute or so had passed, but it had been fifteen minutes.

      Dean turned off the engine, “Stephanie, I don’t think you should come in.”

      Sam looked at him like he was insane, “Dean, we can’t leave her out here alone. This place could be crawling with vaewolves.”

      I looked at Sam, scared, but I knew Dean was right. “I’ll just stay out here and keep doing some research. I mean, let’s be honest, not one of us remembers me doing much hunting. How I’ve survived these last few hunts has got to be a miracle.”

      Sam clenched his jaw, knowing we were right. It was obvious he didn’t like the idea. “Okay, but I’m keeping my phone on ring.” He checked his phone, “we have service out here. If you even feel uncomfortable in the slightest, call me. I won’t even answer, I’ll just come straight out.”

      Dean got out and opened the trunk. I heard him rummage through it and load a gun. Silver bullets I assumed. He closed the trunk and came around to Sam, who was still sitting in the front seat, staring at me like a fragile, lost child. “She’s gonna be fine, Sam. She’s a hunter. She will call if she needs us.” Dean handed Sam a machete. 

      Sam sighed and opened his door. He reached back and pulled me to him, kissing me on the forehead. “Please be on high alert. Please?” He begged.

       I nodded and watched as he got out of the car to join Dean. They headed off into the trees. I suddenly realized how bad of an idea this was. It was late evening, and the only sound was a light breeze blowing through the trees in the dark, wooded lot.

       I needed to continue looking into all of this stuff, but I didn’t want to use my phone and draw attention to myself with the light. So instead, I cracked open the book. I observed the handwriting, cursive and, honestly, a little sloppy. I hardly ever wrote in cursive, except for when I was trying to make a journal pretty, or signing something. I’ve always hated my cursive writing. I found my marked page. It was dark, and I almost couldn’t see, but it was just light enough, and I began reading:

       Sorry I haven’t wrote in a few days, I’ve just been really down. I’m not sure why this diagnosis is affecting me so much. I always wondered if something wasn’t right, but I’m so used to being me, ya know? Do you remember back when I had just graduated, and I went and seen that psychiatrist? Probably not, I only did two counseling sessions and that was it. But the psychiatrist said I had manic depression. At the time I thought that it was a mild form of depression, because I had only heard of major depressive disorder. So, I assumed if it wasn’t major, then it was minor. Well at my last appointment, when I was diagnosed, the doctor said manic depression is what they used to call bipolar disorder. So, this isn’t the first time I’ve been diagnosed apparently.

       Anyway, I guess that doesn’t matter. It kinda sucks that we moved out here in the middle of nowhere after I found out. Don’t get me wrong, I love this tiny town, but the timing was off. I could really use a friend. I’m glad I have you, it’s a good escape from the real world. I’m actually really proud of this move. I finally got away from the hustle and bustle of being in a city where I was always expected to be directly involved with the family. My family is great, but I’m an introvert, which I’m sure you’ve figured out by now. I mean, you’re my main source of socializing. Like I said though, I love this tiny town.

       Nothing makes me happier than taking my two boys outside on a summer day here. Right outside the back door is a small deck, and in the summer, Dustin likes to cook out and we eat on our patio set and watch the boys play. He is such a good dad, and husband. I still can’t believe I snagged this tall, blue-green eyed man. His beard is a little much at times, but I like more facial hair than not. But on days like today, I try to think of all this stuff. When I’m feeling like I don’t really care about my life, I try to think of my kids. They are so cute, and so young. We just put our oldest in Pre-Kindergarten this year. I don’t want to miss anything, ya know. I’m not even thirty yet. It’s amazing we’ve already bought a house. Five years ago, I would have been shocked to know we’d have two kids and live in this adorable, tall, blue house. Once we got the windows put in, the white trim really made it look nice. And in the spring, the little tree in the front yard blooms tiny pink flowers. I’m really lucky. I shouldn’t dwell so much on having a diagnosis, it doesn’t change anything. Thanks for this, I really needed to vent and get my mind on track.

       I slowly closed the book, my mind was racing. I opened my phone and pulled up the pictures again. The man, tall with blue-green eyes and a full beard. The young boys, like I said, no older than six. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate, but I was feeling nauseous. I went to text Sam but something else happened. I looked up and I wasn’t in the Impala anymore. I looked back down at my phone. Same phone, but instead it was opened to a text conversation I was having with someone named Dustin. It hit me, Dustin wasn’t a hunter that I met randomly and just kept his number for emergencies. Dustin was the guy in this story. Those kids are his kids, and that house is his house. I looked around me, I was back in that very house. I went into the dining room to find that picture. I grabbed it off the shelf it sat on, and I glared at it, in shock. There was a woman in the photo, I didn’t see her last time. This was the woman that wrote the books. It had to be her. The only thing was, she looked eerily like… me.

       I dropped the picture, shattering it on the floor. I sat down, to prevent myself from falling. “Wake up, wake up!” I yelled to myself. I picked up my phone to call Sam, each ring making me feel more and more alone. I was hoping he’d come out to the car and get me out of this trance before it went to voicemail. He didn’t. The voicemail wasn’t even his… It was Dustin’s. “Wake up, please wake up.” I looked down at the shards of glass in front of me. I couldn’t help but think this was a way out. I needed to wake up. I picked up a large piece, and squeezed it tightly in my hand. I screamed and winced in pain, dropping the glass. When I looked down to view the piece of glass, I wasn’t looking at the carpeted dining room. All I could see were the floor boards in the Impala. “It worked.” But my mind went back to the pain, my hand was cut deeply.

        I heard my phone go off, and I looked down at it. It was a message from Dustin, 'Please, don’t do anything else. I’m leaving work now. I’ll be there soon.' My mind was lost between two worlds. I examined my surroundings, and found that the back window of the Impala was broken. I couldn’t remember how. Was it me? Did I break the window? Did something attack me?

        I decided it was better to find Sam and Dean, I’d be safer with them. I got out of the car, not even bothering to shut the door. I ran into the wooded area, and it wasn’t long before I found the nest. It was a house, and by the sounds of it, Sam and Dean were already in kill mode. I slowly approached the house, still holding pressure to my hand. I had to tend to the wound, I couldn’t walk in there fighting with my hands clasped together. I let go, watching the blood pool in my palm. I lifted my flannel to my mouth, bit down, and tore a piece of fabric off of it, and tied it tightly around my hand.

        I circled the place, until I found a branch laying on the ground. I broke off a piece after jumping on it a few times. I was armed to my best and ready to join the fight. I crept up to the door and slowly opened it. There was blood everywhere, vaewolves laying dead, their heads cut off. All except two. Sam and Dean were each on one. Approaching the closest one with its back to me, it was the one Sam was fighting. It didn’t even realize I was behind it until Dean yelled, “STEPHANIE! WATCH OUT!” I turned around to a third vaewolf, and before I could swing the branch, it slashed its claws across my arm, and I fell to the ground in pain.

        “NO!” Sam yelled, decapitating his vaewolf with one swift strike of his machete. Dean had already shot his and was after the one that had attacked me. Sam ran and slid to my side, “Hey, you okay? Let me see it.” I pulled my arm away from chest to expose the slashes across my arm. “We need to stitch these up!” he immediately got up and started to look for supplies.

        “Sam, listen.” I winced, trying to sit up.

        “No, lay down! Don’t move.” He demanded.

        “Sam, I think I figured it out.” I tried to explain over his mindless rummaging.

        “We don’t have time for this right now, Stephanie.” He walked back over to me, “We have to go back to the car, there are first aid supplies in there.” He lifted me up and pushed my arm against my chest. “Try to keep your arm there, it will slow the bleeding.”

        “Sam, the book. The pictures, there is a link. The house is her house. The man is her husband, and the kids are her kids.

        Sam kept leading me out the door and through the trees. “That’s impossible, how would you have real pictures of fictional characters?” He asked, not really putting thought into it.

        “I don’t think they are fictional.” I waited for a response.

        Sam stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me. “Where is the book?” He put his hands on my shoulders. Before I could answer he yelled at me, “WHERE IS THE BOOK, STEPHANIE?”

        “Calm down! It’s in the car.” I replied. Sam took off running, and I followed as best as I could with my arm against my chest. “What’s going on? Why do you need the book?” Sam ignored the smashed window and the fact that the door was left open. He reached in, grabbed the book and walked around to the back of the car. He flung open the trunk, and opened the book, laying it flat in front of him. “What are you doing? Sam, I need to you to help me with my arm.”

         Sam continued to ignore me and pulled out the box of our fake I.D.s and badges. He grabbed them out, a handful at a time, until he found one of mine. He laid it out next to the book. “That’s it!” He yelled. “Stephanie, what is the main character’s name in your book?”

          I walked over to look closer at what he had found. I tried to remember, but I couldn’t recall her name. “I’m not sure. I don’t think she ever says.”

          “I didn’t think so. She wouldn’t need to.” Sam pulled me against him and brought the badge to my view. “Look at your signature.” I looked at it, still missing what he was getting at. He reached down and grabbed the book, “look at the handwriting, Stephanie. That is your handwriting.”

          I compared them closely and gasped. Just then, we heard footsteps coming from the trees. “Please tell me that is Dean,” I whispered. I turned to look at Sam and he was gone. It was like he dissipated on the spot. “Sam?” I walked around the car and hid behind the open door.

         “Stephanie?” A voice called, “Oh my God, no. Please, Stephanie!” Before I could see who it was, I fell faint to the ground, broken glass shattering into smaller pieces beneath me.

@dstrehlo

@vampirebunni

@lefthologramdeer

@fluffy-metal-kitten

[witsyo]

Sun and Moon 2

Year 17, Month 8, Day 15

The sun filtering through the trees had Razz raising his chin to the sky. The air was so clear, here, beyond the reach of civilization. There were birds chirping, and the stream bubbled behind him. It was so peaceful, the only interruption from the atmosphere a sudden splash and loud, swearing exclamation.

Razz looked back over his shoulder with raised brows to see a boy, quite soaked and slowly rising to his knees. He was still swearing, and Razz scooped up a small stone, tossing it in the other’s direction and bopping it off the top of his curly-haired head.

“Adrian, if you don’t stop that, the goddesses themselves are going to come down from the heavens to curse us.”

“I fell in the river!” Adrian exclaimed, shaking his head like a dog. “It’s freezing, and now I’m soaked!”

Laughing, Razz pulled off the sock he’d just put on, standing and wading back into the water to help the other to his feet. “Come, now. You’ll be fine.”

Adrian scoffed, leaning back down to splash a handful of water onto the other’s pants. “I suppose you will be too, then!”

With mock outrage, Razz seized the other around the shoulders, tussling for a moment before Adrian got the best of him, bringing them both back down into the stream and making Razz yelp with the coldness of it. Thankfully, he had left his and Adrian’s packs on the other shore, so their things stayed dry even as they half-drowned each other in an impromptu wrestling match.

Adrian, despite being the younger, was definitely the bigger of them, and quickly had Razz smacking on his shoulder in a call for mercy. “Hey, alright!” He was laughing, and Adrian grinned, but let him up, both rolling over and standing.

Looking down at himself in consternation, Razz snorted as Adrian commented, “So I’m guessing we’re making camp on the shore?”

“Yeah, that seems best. I’m glad you finally washed yourself, if nothing else!”

Snickering, Adrian splashed him again, then ran to the shore where their packs had been carried by Razz, nearly slipping again and barely catching himself. Razz shook his head long-sufferingly, following him and stripping his shirt off over his head. As Adrian got out their spare clothes, Razz hung the wet ones in a nearby tree, dressing quickly before squinting up at the setting sun. “I suppose we should make a fire.”

“Do you want me to get the wood?” Adrian said earnestly, and Razz turned to smile softly at him. He was a great kid, a good friend to Razz’s family before he had passed, like a brother to him even before they'd run off together. A sickness had passed through their village, leaving Razz miraculously untouched even as his family died before him. The same sickness had taken Adrian’s mother, leaving him to live with a man who was neither forgiving nor kind. When Razz had come of age and decided to leave, travel to somewhere that wasn’t filled with broken memories, Adrian had begged to come with him.

It’d been an easy decision, really.

“Sure. Remember, dead and dry wood, found on the ground. Don’t take branches from the trees.”

Nodding quickly, Adrian disappeared into the woods. They’d been traveling together for almost five years now, jumping from town to village to city and back again. There had been a time Razz wouldn’t have trusted him to protect himself in the woods, but now… well, the boy had more than proved his worth. Saved Razz’s hide more than once, that was for sure.

He still kept a careful ear out as he pulled food from the packs, beginning to skin a rabbit they’d caught earlier in the day.

When the other returned, he had finished carving their meal and was in the process of rubbing some salt they’d picked up in the last town into the meat. Adrian was carrying an armful of logs, and in his free hand, he held the stems of a familiar plant.

“I found carrots!” he said happily, dumping the wood in a pile at Razz’s feet and holding out the vegetables.

Razz laughed, taking them and inspecting the dirty orange of the roots. “Wonderful. We might actually fill our bellies tonight. Good job, Adrian, can you wash these?” Holding them back out, he smiled at the pride in Adrian’s eyes. “I’ll start building the fire.”

They worked in silence for a while, the sun beginning to dip below the trees as the growing fire filled the area with light. Without needing to be asked, Adrian found a flat rock, setting it carefully into the flames to heat before returning to the task of preparing his half of the meal. Razz paused in his preparations, smiling for a moment before he reached out, ruffling the other’s hair.

Adrian gave him a questioning look, but Razz just shook his head. “We’ve almost arrived, you know.”

“At Skies Haven? How do you--”

Razz gestured behind him, and Adrian turned around to face the sun, squinting at the outline of an impressively tall mountain. “That’s Cerulean’s mountain,” he said, naming the revered goddess of the sky. “The temple of skies lies on the other side, and Skies Haven sits just below the temple. My father would tell me stories. I wasn’t sure until I was watching it now, but that’s the mountain.”

Humming in thought, Adrian just looked at it for a moment, then shrugged, turning back to Razz. “Why have we come here? I thought we were going to avoid the bigger cities after you got arrested at Longhill.”

Razz snorted, laying strips of meat and some of Adrian’s chopped carrot onto the heated rock. The food began to sizzle, filling the air with a smell that had them both breathing in deeply. “That was the guard’s fault,” Razz protested quietly, then grinned at the other’s scoff of disbelief. “It’s just a feeling I have, like something is pulling us there. I’ve always loved working ships along the coast, and you could easily find work with a healer here. There are many who come to learn from the priestesses.”

“We passed a ton of coast towns on the way here. Fate wanted you at this one?”

“Hmm…” Razz reached out, gesturing for the other to come closer as he used a stick to move the food around on the rock. Suspiciously, Adrian scooted over a little, then protested loudly as Razz immediately scooped him into his side, giving him a tight hug and smacking a kiss to the side of his head. “I’ve come here to escape a certain annoying little kid!”

“Stop kissin’ me if you wanna escape!” Adrian huffed, seemingly accepting his fate as Razz didn’t let him out of his one-armed hold.

“I do it because you hate it!” Razz proclaimed, then grinned, rubbing the other’s arm and focusing back onto his cooking. “Should we go straight to sleep after food? If we wake early, we should arrive at Skies Haven tomorrow afternoon.”

“Sure,” Adrian said, looking back over his shoulder at the mountain. “Do you think we’ll stay there for a while? Settle down a bit?”

Razz looked down at him, biting back a sigh. He knew that Adrian deserved a home, a place to return to after each day and a family full of people who loved him. This kid needed a life, a wonderful one that brought him happiness. Razz had known he couldn’t provide it. All he’d been able to think was that an unsettled life must be better for him than one where he was made to believe he was worthless. If nothing else, Razz loved him. He’d protect him to his last breath. There was just something about stopping in one place for too long that made him hesitate, no matter how much he knew it would be good for the boy.

It felt like they were missing something, and they needed to keep moving until they found it.

“Maybe, Adrian. Maybe.”

~~~

Stepping to one side, Razz narrowly avoided being run down by a man with a donkey, barreling down the center of a bustling street. He grinned at the look on Adrian’s face, clearly enamored by the sights and sounds of Skies Haven.

It was apparently market day, vendors shouting their wares and farmers driving animals right into the alleys between more permanent shops. The sights and smells were almost overwhelming compared to the quiet forests they’d been traveling through, but Razz could feel his mood being lifted by it all. The excitement of the shouting was enough to have them both grinning, Adrian’s hold on Razz’s arm tightening every time they passed a stall he wanted to stop at.

Gently, Razz kept them going, but even he hadn’t been able to resist the call of a vendor advertising honey-soaked pastries, hot out of the oven. He’d pulled them over, traded a coin for a roll that steamed as he tore it in half. Adrian was still happily munching on his, but Razz hadn’t been able to stop himself from scarfing his down almost in an instant.

Flags fluttered on strings criss-crossing above the street, blue and gold with symbols of the sky painted on. The sun’s rays shone against the bright colors, making them glint and drawing the eye up almost as much as the bustle drove it down. It was hard to forget that this was the city of the queens of moon and sun, with the people decorating every available surface with their symbols. Even, Razz noticed, themselves, spotting a woman with a large sun tattoo across the whole of her bare back. Then she turned around, revealing that her front was just as bare, and Razz clapped a hand over Adrian’s eyes.

“It’s not like I’ve never seen that before!” he protested, but Razz just snorted, guiding them around the woman and turning down a side street.

The temple of the skies came into view, and Razz uncovered Adrian’s eyes. They had seen it from the side as they approached the city, a towering building of white marble and the same blue and gold in its trim that decorated Skies Haven. Now, though, they could see it in stark detail, set into the side of Cerulean’s mountain and looking down upon the city.

Every child in this land knew the stories. Long ago, a queen’s lover had been killed, and she had begged the three goddesses to bring her back. Amazingly, Cerulean had answered. The goddess of the skies had taken the queen to her palace, brought her and the lover before a council of her sisters. They didn’t care much for her plight, but the queen had been desperate. She had offered the gods anything they wanted, anything they could take in exchange for her lover to live on.

So the gods had asked for their eternities.

“It’s beautiful,” Adrian said, and Razz nodded. He wondered if the queen of suns had been found, yet. They couldn’t remember each other, he’d heard, not until they met. Then they were allowed to live together until their sacrifice, in their 20th year. The lives they lived until then were what was important though, the way they were treated being a marker for the goddesses for if humanity deserved blessings or punishment until the next sacrifice. They were in a time of blessings, now, though Razz had never lived to see a time of punishment. He had heard that it was a terrible time indeed, the hardships of now being nothing compared to dying crops and impossible storms.

“Could we visit, do you think?” asked Adrian, still staring wide-eyed at the temple.

Razz laughed. “Perhaps if we were disguised as women. I was born in the year of the queen of moons, you know, they might mistake me for the sun.”

Grinning, Adrian tore his eyes away from the sight and looked over at him. “I think I’d like to see that.”  

“I’m sure you would. Do you see another inn, yet?”

They emerged onto another bustling street, and Adrian pulled, pointing to a building across from them with a sign that swayed in the wind. “What about that one?”

Razz narrowed his eyes, inspecting the building carefully before he nodded. Many of the inns they’d passed thus far had either been far too seedy or far too grand for them to afford. Usually, they would stay wherever Razz picked up work, staying in an inn for a few days until he could move them to sleep in whatever pile of hay or warm ship’s kitchen he could barter for. They used to sleep outside instead of in an inn, but after a confrontation with a guard in one of the bigger cities, Razz had always been careful to keep the coin on hand to allow them to stay in safer places.

“That should work.” He shouldered off his pack, handing it to the other before he pulled his coinpurse from his belt. Adrian reached for it, but Razz held it back, looking at the other severely. “What’s our limit?”

“Twenty coins a night,” the other recited, and Razz nodded.

“And find out how much they charge for a warm bath. You need an introduction to some soap.” Before the other could protest, he shook a few coins into his own hand, then pressed the bag into Adrian’s fingers. “Secure our room, then wait for me in the tavern below.”

“Where are you going?” Adrian asked, blinking at him in confusion. Razz had been having him secure their lodgings the last few trips, but they were meant to be practice, and Razz had always hovered just outside the door in case of trouble.

Razz stood up tall, rolling his shoulders and glancing back towards the ocean. “We’re lower on money than usual. I need to find something that pays if we’re going to spend any length of time here.”

“I saw a healer’s shop back on the--”

“You stay here,” Razz said severely. “We’ll get you a job tomorrow, but for today, you rest, and you stay where I can find you. Okay?”

Adrian huffed, then nodded, reaching out for a quick hug as he answered.

“Alright, Razz.”