thatsgonnabeanogho

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Forgot to post the last few weeks on here lol oops

Anyhow, Chapter 4 of the new fic after Came New Life is up now!

An excerpt:

The first thing Lana noticed as she began to come to was the burning, dry feeling in her throat that begged for water like a planted field under the desert sun.  She attempted to swallow, but the motion felt thick and awkward, with very little saliva in her mouth to even attempt it.  Begrudgingly, she began to crack her eyes open, keeping them at a very narrow squint as she attempted to determine how bright the room was, however to her relief the space seemed to be rather dim, with soft, muted light spilling through a window a few yards away from her.

As she began to open her eyes more, the sensation of spinning began to overtake her and she quickly squeezed them shut, pressing her head back into the soft surface beneath her as she inhaled evenly in through her nose and exhaled through her mouth.  Finally, the feeling passed and she was able to open her eyes, once again.  As she did, a different feeling of imbalance came over her, prompting her brow to furrow.

The wall immediately to her left was the wrong color.

Her bedroom sported beige walls, the approximate color of desert sand, however the one beside her was a deep green.

Lana turned her head to her right carefully, staring past the wild mess of her own hair to take in what appeared to be a living room, rather than a bedroom.  Much like the wall, however, it was not her own.  She turned to glance down at the surface beneath her shoulder, only to note the exposed expanse of skin that immediately greeted her.   Her heart rate immediately began to race as she glanced down at the rest of herself, finding a thin blanket pulled up to just below her collarbone, however as she lifted it away, she found only the wrappings about her chest covering her above her waist.

She quickly pulled the blanket back down over herself quickly, her breathing now beginning to come faster and faster as she turned to glance around the room, once again.  As she did, her eyes fell on something hanging on the far wall and she paused.  With each passing second, it began to feel more familiar, until she was finally able to place where she had seen it before.

“Santi…” she croaked, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

The small banner of woven cloth across from her bore the crest the brunette had once explained represented her family, as it had been made by both her mother and father when they had moved to Meridian, proper.   The glyphs around it were smaller and somewhat harder to make out from a distance, but she knew they must have been the names of Santi’s parents and brothers.

Groaning, Lana released her deathgrip on the blanket to press the heels of her hands into her eyes, rubbing at them forcefully for a few moments.

“Woke up at Santi’s… no shirt… not weird… not…”

Her heart rate hadn’t slowed, but she was quickly beginning to wonder about the feeling in her chest.  It felt like nervousness at first, fear even, but she was beginning to realize that it wasn’t quite that intense—or as negative.  As the strange, warm, and fluttering feeling began to sink from her chest into her stomach, Lana sighed, letting her arms fall at her sides atop the blanket.

“Fuck.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Just cuz Imagine0314 and I finished the collab where we both wrote pieces, doesn’t mean that the story was done... or that we’re really done collaborating. This week starts the next installment in the little AU we’ve been working in with Lineage. The kids from our collab are all grown up and ready for their own adventure.

It happens so fast.

Summary:

The world is a much different place nearly 60 years after Aloy defeated HADES. With GAIA fully rebuilt, and a new civilization that spans coast to coast, the world Elisabet Sobeck hoped to rebuild is truly taking shape. Some, however, feel threatened by this progress, and so turn to a warped perversion of the very thing that brought humanity back to life. The third generation of the new Sobeck line must now race to stop this corrupted AI bent on undoing GAIA and Elisabet Sobeck's greatest achievement. 

Chapter 1 excerpt:

The world flashed a brilliant white for a moment before immediately returning to a near-total darkness.  Not long after, a loud, echoing boom reverberated off the rocky slopes of the towering mountain ranges on the northeastern edge of the Sundom.  A single, rain-soaked figure draped in a dark cloak shifted his position under the branches of a tall evergreen, the late summer’s worth of needle-loaded branches providing a slight respite from the downpour that coated the darkened landscape.   He hadn’t lit a fire, as it would have been too visible in the darkness, so instead he huddled under the dark clothing in the hope that it would somehow help him stay dry and warm.

As the next gust of frigid air and stinging rain blew beneath the lowest branches of the tree he sat against, he knew that was merely a fantasy.

A moment later, a soft, synthetic chiming in his ear drew his attention as he frowned slightly, his brow furrowing before he reached one hand from under his cloak, tapping at the small, triangular device beside his hear.  A web of lines, numbers, and boxes made of light appeared about him, but one in the center, glowing orange, drew his attention.  Sighing, he reached forward to tap in the center of it, another synthetic chime ringing in his ear before it gave way to a voice.

“I’m bored.”

With a roll of his pale eyes, he leaned back against the tree trunk behind him.

“I thought the point of this was no comms,” he replied.

“It’s an encrypted channel.  You saw that.”

He shook his head, slowly, letting out a heavy sigh.

“I thought we agreed to take this seriously.”

“Sure, but also seriously, why would I do anything like this alone?”

The figure laughed, hanging his head for a moment as he swore he could see the smirk on the face of the caller, even from nearly a mile away.

“Maybe we need to work on your dating prospects, Lana.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

So @imagine0314x and I couldn’t help ourselves. We said our collab “Came New Life” was done, and then we went and wrote some extra parts for fun that we just immediately loved way too much and now they’re out as a separate little project called “Coming of Age”! All three chapters are up now, so feel free to take ‘em all in!

Summary:

Being the first generation of Sobecks in 1,000 years that aren't clones is a heavy prospect to come to terms with--for some more than others. 

An excerpt (from Chapter 1):

 “Kal? Are you okay?”

 “Kallik, say something.”                  The boy felt his head swimming, a thousand thoughts coming all at once. It was clear this talk had been a long time coming, and while he might have gleaned the general idea over the years, hearing it spoken in detail now left him feeling empty.

 Why? Why did he always have to be the one on the outside looking in?

 The one who didn’t match the fiery coloring of his family, the one with a      borrowed     house name. And now he was the one      manufactured,    unable to even lay as much claim to his existence as his own sister. He stewed in silence, watching as Bekan shuffled politely out the door, the Oseram shades of red that Kal hadn’t even known were possible. Somewhere in the distance he could hear Lana preparing a bag to go see their grandmother.

     Her    grandmother, Kal reminded himself. Even if the circumstances were strange, they were at least related. He couldn’t say the same. Everything about him was a patchwork of pieces: begged for and stolen and rearranged.                  It made him so, so      angry    .

 “Kal?” Anukai asked again, kneeling at his side, the worry creased into her face. “This doesn’t change anything, you know that right?” Her fingers dug into the hem of her off-white shirt, nervously fiddling with the fabric.

 The boy balled his hands into fists, his jaw clenching before he exploded. Bekan was his...was his…

 He was nothing. Just like he wanted to be.

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

And so here it is: the 31st and final chapter of @imagine0314x and I’s “easy, 12-15 chapter” collab is up now! Going out with some good ole-fashioned, wholesome feels, but don’t worry, this ain’t the end of this little world we’ve set up. Next week starts a new animal...

An excerpt:

“Hey there, Little Red. Wasn’t expecting you.”

 “Hey Aunt Ara,” Lana began hesitantly, looking away. “Um...can I come in?”                  “Of course,” the older woman said, urging her in. “You want something to drink? I’ve got some of that spiced tea you like.”                  The girl nodded, kicking off her boots in the entryway before closing the door behind her.                  “Is Vansa here?” Lana asked.                  “At the shop,” Ara called from the distance. “Had a patient with an emergency. She’ll be back in a few hours.”                  Ara and Vansa’s apartment was smaller than her own home but with a strange mix of Vansa’s various metalworking projects and herbs along with Ara’s more minimalistic style of decor. Over the years, it seemed, Vansa had transformed the space from Ara’s more spartan preferences to something that felt lived-in and welcoming. Warm, even.                  By the time Lana had fully walked in, she found Ara standing in their herb-laden kitchen with the kettle, pouring her a cup.                  “You’re in luck,” Ara said, “I was already boiling some water when you knocked.”                  The older woman handed the cup over before directing Lana to the living room, the two taking comfortable seats next to each other on the couch. Ara took an appreciative sip of her own tea before setting it down on the table before them, turning in her seat to look at her niece.                  “What’s wrong, Little Red? You’re being unusually quiet. And I know you well enough to know you and quiet don’t go hand in hand.”                  The girl took a deep breath, anger beginning to surface once again as she recalled the argument with her mother.                  “Mom and I got in a fight...”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

They grow up so fast. Penultimate chapter of @imagine0314x and I’s collab is up now!

An excerpt:

 “      How much do you remember?    ” she asked, her tongue settling comfortably into its native tones.

 “      A little    ,” Kal replied, his accent stilted but his words correct.

 “      You should practice more    .”

 The dark-haired boy released her from the embrace, staring back at her with a determined expression as he tried to decipher what she had said, prompting the redhead to smirk, once again.

 “You should practice more,” she repeated.

 “No one else knows it,” Kal sighed.

 “Well… maybe I should talk to Talanah,” the redhead scoffed.  “I can leave you some lessons for when I am not here, as she has provided for Elias so that he may learn your language.  Just as you wish to know mine, he wishes to know yours… then we can all speak equally.”

 The dark-haired boy’s eyes lit up for a moment and the redhead grinned.

 “      I… wish… to learn… more.    ”

 Ashana’s grin broadened as she nodded.

 “      I will teach you.    ”

 Kal stared back at her with confusion as she leaned forward, ruffling his dark hair with a smirk.

 “I will teach you, little Stormbird.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Newest chapter of @imagine0314x and I’s collab is up! This one’s a bit of a “before and after” structure, but I liked it enough that I asked if it could be included. Enjoy!

An excerpt:

 Eventually, when the snow squalls whipped up by the strong gusts about dropped visibility to only a few feet, they finally settled down amidst some particularly thick bushes, seeking refuge between the tangle of branches that helped block out some of the worst of the snow.   Almost immediately, however, Ikrie’s mind was no longer on the wind or the snow, but the feeling of the other huntress pressed tightly against her side in their shelter.

 Anukai’s arms were folded tightly over her chest, her hands shoved under her armpits as she kept her head bowed slightly, letting the back of her hood block the worst of the wind.  Ikrie spared a glance toward her, but found the redhead’s gaze fixed on the ground a few feet before them, and she swallowed heavily, turning to stare forward, as well.

 Despite the layers of fabric covering her visage, the dark-haired huntress was afraid that her companion would see some kind of coloration spreading across her cheeks as she felt her face grow hot.  Ikrie took several slow, deep breaths, attempting to calm herself, as she adjusted her position slightly.

 “Why exactly did you want to come out here, now?”

 The dark-haired girl startled at the sound of Anukai’s voice, glancing over at her before clearing her throat.

 “I… wanted a birthday adventure, I guess.”

 Her companion seemed to freeze for a moment before glancing over at her, confusion evident in her eyes for a moment before they widened.

 “It… it is about that time of year… isn’t it?”

 Ikrie nodded, feeling the warm feeling return to her face with it.

 “I’m… I’m sorry, Ikrie, I…”

 “It’s okay,” she replied, shrugging and trying not to let all of her mental power focus on the sensation of her arm rubbing up against the redhead’s.  “You agreed to come with, so…”

 “Yeah, but… if I’d remembered…” Anukai countered before eventually sighing, closing her eyes for a moment.  “I’m sorry, Ikrie, please forgive me.  I’m… a terrible friend…”

 The dark-haired girl’s heart leapt in her throat for a moment before she swallowed heavily, forcing it back down.

 “No, you’re not,” she replied, nudging Anukai with her elbow.   “There’s been a lot going on.  I almost forgot about it, myself, until recently.”

 The redhead still didn’t seem entirely at ease, prompting Ikrie to sigh and shift her position, again.

 “You can make it up to me by continuing on this hunt,” she said.  “I always enjoy when we’re—when we work together.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

So, it’s my birthday, and I decided to give a bit of a gift to others!

This is a little collection of one-shots that are basically fanfics to the collab fic I’ve been working on with @imagine0314x, primarily following after her chapter “Longest Nights”, which we both loved... and also explains the title of this one.

Anyhow, mostly just good all good-feels abound here, so enjoy!

An excerpt of Part 1:

 “What’s this?” she asked, sniffing it.

 “My magic cure for hangovers,” Vansa shot back, smirking.

 “I mean… I’m not even that hungover but…”

 Ara shrugged and took a sip of the drink, considering it for a moment before her eyebrows raised.

 “That’s… really good.  Where’d you get it?”

 “I can keep a      few     secrets for a bit longer,” the healer teased, winking.  “Might keep you coming back to my place, if I do.”

 Ara paused for a moment in her work at the stove, setting the glass down on the opposite side before clearing her throat and turning back to Vansa.

 “I… I want to… if you’ll let me, of course.”

 The healer quickly took another sip of her drink before setting it down on the counter behind her and pushing forward.  As she turned toward Ara, she wrapped her arms behind her, clasping her hands in the small of the redhead’s back.

 “I will if you let me come by your place.”

 Ara grinned nervously, but nodded, prompting Vansa to smile broadly.

 “Of course you can come back here,” she continued softly.  “I      want     you to.”

 “So… last night…”

 “Drunk words, sober thoughts,” Vansa interrupted.  “I told you.”

 “So…      also     not too drunk to remember…”

 “Oh,” the healer breathed, leaning in close so her lips were inches from Ara’s ear, “I remember it all.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

This one REAAAALLLL good.

This was one of my absolute favorite chapters in the entire work that @thatsgonnabeanogho​ created this year. I originally joked that this was the “holiday special” but…it really is and it’s so, so, delicious if I do say so myself. by imagine0314 Here’s an excerpt: “Come on, Ara, I’m not gonna let you sulk for the holidays.” The redheaded woman laid across her couch, the heels of her palms pressed into her eyes. Her sister sat at the end, patting one of Ara’s legs as it rested on her lap. “It’s depressing,” Ara moaned. “You always end up having a good time,” Anukai insisted. “Yeah, when I have someone to invite!” Ara retorted, sighing heavily. “I’m in a dry spell. And it’s just more and more painful as I get older to see everyone have a partner when I don’t.” Anukai frowned, continuing to keep her hand on Ara’s shin. “What about Malik? He seemed nice.” Ara removed her hands from her eyes, one coming to rest on her middle while the other shifted behind her head for support. “I haven’t seen him in six weeks. Just…wasn’t working out. You know how the Carja are, Anukai. I’m thirty-two–” “You make it sound like we’re practically dead, Ara.” “No, but–you know. Most of the Carja are settled down by our age. Those who aren’t are either looking for something disposable or hoping you’ll be quick to marry and give them kids.” “So which was Malik?” Ara sighed. “Doesn’t matter. Wasn’t working. Don’t really want to talk about it.” Anukai looked over with a soft expression, squeezing Ara’s leg for a moment. “Look, you’ll feel better around family. Plus, Ash and Sorin can’t make it this year–there’s a bad blizzard hitting the east. The kids are already disappointed that they won’t have Elias to play with during Winter Solstice and I’m pretty sure they’ll explode if I tell them their favorite aunt isn’t coming, either.” The short-haired redhead couldn’t help but grin. “Favorite, huh?” “As if you had any doubt,” Anukai said sarcastically. “You and Lani are practically joined at the hip. And as much as Kal has his fondness for Ash, he knows you’re the one he can rely on to be around when he needs you.” Ara sat up, removing her feet from Anukai’s lap as she did so, ruffling her hair with one hand. “Okay, okay, fine , you’ve convinced me.” “Good,” Anukai said with a smirk, “because Ikrie and I already invited Vansa.” Ara floundered in response, her mouth going slack and her cheeks burning. “You did what? Oh, fuck me.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

This weekend we’ve got a double-header right off the bat! @imagine0314x and I’s collab gets two chapter updates at once because one kind of feeds into the other, so... here we are. Spend some time with two of our favorite literary children, and also, we get some more of one of our favorite aunts and her... friend. Good times will be had by all.

An excerpt:

Kal stood before the polished mirror in the wash room, his chin inclined as he stared back at the image of himself, the blue tunic lit by the faint glow of the metal wings attached to his back.  A smirk tugged at his lips as he braced his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest, as he swore for a moment the small light in the center of his chest glowed brighter.

“Stormbirds aren’t blue, you know.”

Grinding his teeth, Kal turned from his reflection to the real-life image of his sister in the doorway behind him, eying the grey tunic and leggings with red lights that ran along her back to the pieces of metal that ran along her own jaw that constituted the jaws of her Scrapper costume.

“It’s a costume,” he shot back, “and for mine—this Stormbird is blue.”

“Not just because it’s Mom’s favorite color, is it?” Lani teased.

“No, it’s not!” he scowled, his hands beginning to bunch into fists about the fabric of his tunic.  “At least mine shows imagination.”

“Yours?” the auburn-haired girl shot back.  “You’re the one who imagined himself as a machine that could fly, at least mine—”

“That’s enough.”

Both children quickly fell silent as their fire-haired mother appeared in the doorway behind Lani, glancing between the two of them.

“You both look fearsome, and awe-inspiring,” Anukai continued.  “Truly the king and queen of the machine world.”

Lani’s face flushed red as she shuffled her feet awkwardly, while Kal tried his best to hide his grin of satisfaction.

“I concur,” GAIA added, appearing behind their mother and glancing between them with a soft smile.  “The designs of your costumes truly capture the spirit and essence of the machines that inspired them.”

“You… you think so?” Kal asked cautiously, his eyebrows raising.

The AI woman’s smile grew as she nodded.

“I do, little Stormbird.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Second of two chapters focusing on our favorite aunt character, Ara, in @imagine0314x and I’s collab! This one is by Imagine and it’s got some pretty heavy feels involved, and one of our favorite moments in the whole collection!

An excerpt:

“Hello?”

Anukai froze at the dinner table. The user ID read like the call was coming from Ara, but the voice wasn’t one she recognized. “Who is this?” “Ah, yeah, this is Jira. I run that tavern at the west end of the city. You know the one--seen you around here sometimes.”

“Why are you calling from Ara’s Focus?”

“She’s in a bad place. Fire and spit, girl, you need to come pick up your sister.” The redhead sighed, the cold fear that Ara had backslid into her old habits sinking into her stomach. “Ugh, not again,” Anukai muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Nah...it’s not like that,” Jira said, her gravelly voice softening. “Hasn’t been like that for quite some years now, least not on my watch. But you still need to get here. Now.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Next chapter of the @imagine0314x collab is up now! It’s kind of a big chapter, but one of my personal favorites I’ve done for it! Our favorite aunt Ara is going to have some emotionally healthy learning experiences.

 An excerpt:

 “What’s wrong?” Ikrie asked, sliding beside her and wrapping one arm supportively behind her back.

 “I… I just… all of the sudden I felt… terrified,” she muttered, shaking her head slowly.

 “Terrified?  I didn’t realize I was so—”

 “It’s the children, Ikrie.  Something’s wrong.”

 The dark-haired woman fell silent mid-sentence, her eyes widening as her arm squeezed the redhead even tighter.

 “W-what do you mean?”

 “I… it’s… I don’t know,” she managed.  “Lani’s scared, I… I just know it, and… I think it’s Kal.”

 Ikrie grew immediately stiff before she slipped from the bed, kneeling before her mate and gripping her hands in both of hers.

 “Anukai, what do you mean?” she said, her voice rising in pitch and volume.  “What’s wrong with Kal?”

 “I-I don’t know!” the redhead shot back, her chest heaving as her pupils remained wide, a flood of adrenaline pouring through her veins.

 “They went with Ara,” Ikrie said firmly, shaking her mate’s hands between them.  “Where did they go?”

 “All I know was… a hike, I think.”

 “A hike where?!”

 “I don’t know!”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Another random one-shots I did... a while ago, now. Felt like posting it finally, though, even if just cuz.

So, enjoy some GAIA feels!

An excerpt:

 “You have managed to remotely repair the core,” the AI woman said slowly.

 “Thanks to you keeping our friend HEPHAESTUS in check.”

 “It was an early build, and therefore much easier to coerce,” GAIA replied, shrugging.

 “Still—life-saver.”

 The redhead paused, Talanah and her sharing a quick glance as both women swallowed heavily and Aloy quickly turned back to her terminal.

 “So, because of that… today’s the big day.”

 “Oh?” the Carja woman replied, folding her arms over her chest.

 “GAIA?” Aloy said, coming to a stop in the middle of all of the terminals, raising both eyebrows at the AI woman.  “You ready?”

 The bot-woman looked visibly nervous for a moment before her composure settled and she nodded, straightening her posture.

 “We can always wait if you need more—”

 “Waiting will do nothing but prolong what will happen today,” GAIA interrupted.  “I am ready.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Accidental d-d-d-double feature! Would you believe @imagine0314x and I didn’t expect to have 2 chapters go up today? Well, it happened anyway. Time to see the other side of a similar theme from the one posted earlier.

An excerpt:

 “I feel a little bad, though.”

 “Why?” Ikrie replied.

 “Lani… heard all of these things about Aloy, me, Ara, Ash, Elisabet… but Kal just… had to sit there and stare at these images of red-haired people who looked nothing like him while… while everyone said they were family…”

 Ikrie frowned slightly as carefully began to turn in her seat, adopting a more normal position as her mate’s hand slid from lying across her stomach to coming to rest on her side, just above her hip.

 “Was he upset?” she asked softly, turning to meet the redhead’s eyes directly.

 “He… he didn’t seem it, but… he barely spoke,” Anukai replied.  “I… you know him, too…”

 The dark-haired woman’s frown refused to fade as she tapped her fingers on the outside of her mug.

 “Ikrie, do… do you know if… if Talanah has anything… of her family?”

 She blinked at the question, her expression suddenly shifting to something like surprise before her brow furrowed in thought.

 “I-I don’t know…” Ikrie replied.  “I haven’t asked too much.  She… she’s shown me a few things, but…”

 They both fell silent as the dark-haired woman’s eyebrows raised.

 “I’ll give her a quick call.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

The collab with @imagine0314x keeps rolling right along. Anyone (including ourselves) who thought this was going to be neat, short, and simple, was crazy. Get ready for some Grade A, prime cut feels this week.

An excerpt:

 “Mama, did you and Auntie Ara get in trouble from Grandma when you were children?”

 All three women instantly froze, Anukai unsure if her heart was suddenly beating so fast she couldn’t discern a single heartbeat from the others, or if it had stopped, altogether.  Ara had been mid-sip of her drink, turned toward the counter, thus hiding her face from the children, but revealing the wide-eyed panic that had overcome her clearly to Anukai.  The two of them exchanged glances before their eyes darted to the silver-streaked matriarch beside them, finding Aloy equally as frozen in uncertainty.  After a few long seconds, Anukai swallowed heavily, even as her wine remained firmly in its glass.

 Before she could speak, however, Lani interrupted.

 “And Auntie Ash, Kal!”

 In a split second, Anukai found her resolve to try to answer disappearing, leaving her glancing desperately between Ara and Aloy, until finally her shorter-haired counterpart sighed, lowering her glass to the counter and turning to the children.

 “We didn’t grow up together, remember?” she said softly, leaning casually against the counter as Anukai noted the subtle tension in her shoulders, even as her posture tried to portray the opposite.

 “But… you’re our Auntie which means you and Mama are sisters, right?”

 “That’s right, Little Red,” Ara replied firmly and quickly, nodding.

 “But… you didn’t grow up together…” Lani continued, her face contorting in thought as Anukai felt her right hand tensing around her glass, “so… Grandma wasn’t with all of you?”

 Once again, all three women exchanged glances before Anukai cleared her throat, drawing the room’s attention, prompting her to glance down into the red liquid before her for a moment before she drew a deep breath.

 “No, Lani.  We each… had our own people we grew up around,” she replied, sparing a knowing glance with Ara.

 Almost immediately, Kal’s face contorted in an expression somewhere between confusion and frustration, while his sister’s remained thoughtful.  A moment later, his gaze lifted to Aloy, once again, and the room seemed to go particularly silent as he opened his mouth.

 “Why did you leave them, Grandma?”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

A new chapter of my collab with @thatsgonnabeanogho is up! An excerpt: “Gramma GAIA!” the two children shouted in unison, both sets of arms quickly wrapping about her waist.

GAIA recoiled in surprise for a moment before her grin quickly returned, her hands coming to rest on the head of dark hair to her right and auburn hair to her left, ruffling them slightly.

“Why hello, young ones,” she said.

“You’re back!” Lani said, lifting her head from where it had previously been buried against the bot woman’s stomach to stare up at her, gray hazel eyes bright to match the smile still on her face.

“Like, really back!” Kal added, also turning to look up at her with his pale, blue-silver eyes.

“Yes, it has been some time, but I felt I needed to visit—in person,” the AI woman said, nodding.

“To see us?”

“Well, but of course!” GAIA replied, smiling as she began to kneel down, the children releasing her as she did.  “I am sorry it has been some time.”

“It’s okay,” Lani shrugged.  “You’re here now.”The AI woman paused for a moment before nodding slowly.

“Yes… yes I am.”

“You’re staying for a while?” Kal asked tentatively.

“While there are some other things I must give attention to while in Meridian soon,” GAIA began, placing her hands on the children’s shoulders and squeezing them gently, “today I am focused on spending time with you.”

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

Second chapter of the day/weekend live now of @imagine0314x and I’s collab! This one is probably one of my favorites in the whole collection.

An excerpt:

“Nothin’ but trouble,” Vansa slurred to herself. “Fuck.”

She trudged over to her bed, flopping down on top of the covers unceremoniously. She laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling, tired but unable to immediately sleep. She felt like something was missing, and despite her best efforts, Vansa found her mind drifting back to Ara once again. “You fucking idiot,” she muttered aloud, mortified at the errant thought. It had been more than a decade since they’d broken it off, but those two intense years together in Reva had seemed to leave their mark. No matter how long they’d spent ignoring each other, every so often they found their way back, the pull inevitable, like a law of the universe. It had been over a year since Vansa had last given in to Ara’s pleading looks and heated kisses, the two of them stumbling back to the redhead’s apartment with rough, needy motions.

The brunette rolled to her side, realizing she’d been biting her lip. She ignored the coiled feeling low in her belly and took a deep breath, trying to shove her memories aside. Being with Ara never worked out well, she should have known that by now. Every morning after had been a fight, or at best, an awkward and stilted goodbye.

She knew.

She  knew.

Still, she couldn’t help but think of the redhead, the other woman’s lean frame pressed into her own, Ara’s thigh slipping right between-- “She didn’t even ask me to stay,”  Vansa thought, shaking her head. The healer woman blinked heavily, ruefully slipping under the covers. It was for the best, after all.

She’d never seen Ara so in love with anything or anyone as she had that night.

  Herself included.

[thatsgonnabeanogho]

New chapter of @imagine0314x and I’s collab is up now! (actually been up for most of today whoops)

It’s nice and angsty.

An excerpt:

This is wrong. She  knows  this is wrong.

This isn’t how it happened.

The redhead searches frantically for the others, spinning on her heel and trying to ignore the pulsing in her side and the hot, slick feeling it leaves when she sees  him.

Small and innocent, his strawberry-blonde hair cropped short, his green-gold eyes a match for her own. He looks up at her, his gaze wide and horrified. How did he get here? He’s not supposed to be here, he’s not supposed to see  this .

The boy grabs for the hem of her shirt, insistent and scared. “It hurts!” he cries.

She kneels down to meet him at eye level before seeing that his wounds match her own: the scrape on his head, the bruises littering his body, the…

Oh, no.