Chapter Text
“You didn’t make any skin to skin contact, right?” Garuda asked, looking the Wisp up and down, crossing her arms.
“I was making to,” Adara admitted, “but she moved before I could.”
Garuda wiped some of the sweat that was clinging to her cheek away. “Where were you going to touch her? You might have accidentally excited one of her nerve pathways.”
Adara pursed her lips, seeming to shrink a bit as Dagath gave her a little shake. “Her butt,” she whispered.
Dagath snorted, covering her mouth with her free hand. “That explains a few things,” she giggled.
Adara slapped ineffectually at her. “No! No! I’m not staring at people more than usual!”
Garuda sighed loudly. “I’ll have Sue collect her, we’ll do some basic tests, see what she’s made of, try and trace her history. She’s old, she might just be a bit quirky.”
“She has teeth,” Dagath smirked, “Might be from the same time that Raniya’s Valkyr’s from.”
Garuda gave her such a look. “I pray that she’s not, sincerely,” she whispered. “But… it’ll be good to know no matter what…” She pasted a smile on her face. “We’ll figure things out, until then, can we please get out of this room? I’m melting”
“I’m gonna drink a gallon of water,” Dagath whined, “Cold shower, something nice.”
Adara pouted. “Maybe I’ll go shower in the communal area since you’re intent on making accusations about me.” She squeaked as Dagath shrugged her from over her shoulder, holding her in her arm.
“Now, normally you get permission to stare at people’s butts before you do it,” Dagath said wisely, “Right ‘Ruda?”
Garuda looked as if she’d been slapped in the center of the forehead. “Uhm… yeah!” she squeaked. “Permission and consent are very important if you’re… uhm… ogling strangers.” She grimaced. “Don’t do that please, I’ll get complaints.”
“No promises,” Adara muttered, scrunching her face up.
“I’m gonna tell Hatshem then, and she’ll bug you until the end of time about it,” Dagath murmured, “C’mon, we don’t need to play around about this. Just tell me the truth about how you feel when you’re ready. Gods know I’m always gonna support and love you.” She smiled as Adara crawled up, wrapping Dagath’s head in a hug.
“Love you, momma,” the girl whispered, “Always.”
Dagath pressed a hand to Adara’s back, pinky to thumb almost able to touch the far edges of either shoulder blade. “Always and forever, Squiggle.”
Garuda was crying again as she made her way back up to the bridge.
She was going to call her daughter again that evening, she didn't even care if she woke her up, she wanted at least a verbal hug.
...
“They’re all asleep,” Vandhya grumbled, wandering through the quiet mall, “Lazy…”
She pouted as she stared out at the recently unearthed tavern, spying a faint glow shining across the dirty tile floor. Signs of life!
Her feet fell a touch faster as she made for the tavern, able to hear gentle conversation wafting through the air. Kiff, Minerva, and… Qinoha was asleep so it had to be Vadanya. A little smile crossed her face. It was the perfect time to snoop!
The child picked her way across the debris that still littered the floor, taking great pains not to make any noise as she peered into the dimly lit tavern. Her eyes immediately locked onto the busty pastel eyesore that was Kiff, leaning on the countertop, spying Minerva’s powder purple self stood on the other side of the bar next. Vadanya seemed to be keen on blending in.
Or…
Vandhya squeaked as a pair of vise-like arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her up. She figured it was best not to struggle, she didn't want to wake up the potentially angry pregnant woman four meters away. It wouldn't stop her from being both pathetic and annoying.
“I caught a snoop,” Vadanya quietly declared, sitting Vandhya on the counter beside Kiff. She sighed, blinking a touch drowsily as she picked up a bottle of probably flat beer. She snickered to herself. “Void’s love this tastes terrible, but the buzziness is lovely.”
“Can I have some?” Vandhya asked, reaching across Kiff for it.
“My gut says no, my brain says no,” Vadanya scrunched her face up, lifting an eyebrow as Minerva clicked her tongue.
“You don’t want to see what a dunk child looks like,” the woman growled, “I can promise you that.”
Vandhya sniffed, sticking her tongue out at Minerva. “I’m Vandhya, I’m twenty billion years old, I was forcing arcane knowledge on sapient beings a half million eons before the gas your sun is made of was farted outta its first four supernovas. I might have the body of a seven year old, the face of a seven year old, and the mind of a seven year old, but… I really shouldn’t be allowed to drink alcohol.” Her face fell a bit.
Minerva smirked, pulling a glass from beneath the bar, flipping it about a few times. “How about something a bit more age appropriate?” She scooped some ice from places unseen, pressing the cup beneath a tap. A vibrant yellow liquid poured into the cup, the citrus smell hitting Vandhya not long after. “Care for a straw?” she asked as she slapped a little napkin down on the bar, placing the dripping cup down after.
Vandhya stared in awe at the aggressively yellow drink. “Is it piss?” she asked, making Kiff snort.
“It’s lemonade,” Minerva explained patiently, “And it’s probably the best tasting thing at this bar.”
“Put a little of that vodka stuff in it and… ough, that’s dangerous,” Kiff whispered, voice a little bit slurred. She took a deep breath, looking over at Vadanya as she sipped at her beer. “Think you can get me back to Xeto when drunk like that?”
“I can just recycle myself in the Void and emerge sober,” Vadanya grumbled. She waved at Vandhya as she greedily sucked down the lemonade. “She can vouch, having done it before.”
“Every body like hers that returns and emerges from the Void is new, recycled,” Vandhya said quickly, a bit taken aback to be asked about her old domain. She also knew that such a process was purely voluntary, the body could be easily preserved. “A couple moments and she’ll be sober and back to her normal unlikable self.”
Kiff and Minerva exchanged glances.
The towering Grineer shrugged. “As long as she doesn’t fly me through a sun or Void storm, I’ll be happy. Xeto wouldn't forgive you if I come back too singed.”
Vandhya swallowed loudly, staring at the empty glass. “Can I have another please?” she asked, “I promise to taste it this time.”
“Something about cold drinks,” Minerva whispered, quickly refilling the glass. “So… Vadanya… Your little idea regarding your… truant sibling… Where are we at with that, ten, fifteen percent?”
“Events are unfolding as hoped,” Vadanya muttered, “Those in the future are moving as they should, making the same mistakes, the same missteps that will lead to that wretched present.” Her eyes fell as her lip curled. “Vandhya… Would you deem that a future worth living in?”
“I wouldn't,” the little girl whispered, “Death is preferable to the Orokin persisting long enough to get to Tau.” She took a small sip of the lemonade, smirking. “Ah, you’ve made the mood all serious. She laid back on the countertop, staring at the shadowed ceiling. “Tell me about your plans,” she sighed, “I want to know if I can do more than wander around the background being useless.”
Vadanya mumbled something, letting out a little sad noise as Minerva swiped the half-empty bottle from in front of her, replacing it with water. “The Heart cannot be allowed to be taken from this time… It rests in a state of equilibrium now, here and in the future.”
“Seems fragile…”
“Desperately so…”
“If the Heart of then and now are disrupted then the future of this place shall spiral, and my present will be swallowed by the Void and replaced with the nine layers of hell…” Kiff let her eyes shut, taking a deep breath. “Queen’s mercy, I just want to hug my Xeto, I need dopamine.” She shook her head. “I can stall them as best I can, Vadanya, I’m known for being disruptive, but… I can't change Amaga’s course, I can't stand before the Worm Queen and Tyl Regor. I’m less than a speck before the influence they wield.”
“I beg you to try,” Vadanya whispered. “If Amaga succeeds in ripping the Heart back then this place is sure to fall.” She took a sip of water. “Void’s love, I just want to nap through the next thousand years, but all the people I vaguely like are on that strand of time and I’d be stupid to let it crumble.” She pushed from the bar, slipping into the Void for a moment before falling from the ceiling. “Alright, Kiff, let’s go back…” Her voice completely lacked the slight inebriated slur it had carried before.
“One for the road?” Kiff asked, looking back at Minerva.
Vandhya had thought she was asking for a drink, but when their lips met she found herself with her worst expectations perfectly met. “Eww…”
“It’s a date,” Minerva smirked, quite easily sliding Vandhya down the counter.
“I promise to deliver next time,” Kiff whispered, gently bumping her forehead against Minerva’s before accepting Vadanya’s hand.
The Grineer and the Goddess vanished into the Void, leaving Vandhya making dramatic retching noises on the countertop as Minerva refilled the child’s lemonade, just drinking it herself.
...
Kalina was panting as she hunkered down in the darkest crevice she could find, the sounds of cars buzzing past as day broke over the once slumbering city. Snatches of conversation fluttered on the breeze that swirled down the alleyway, sending the litter that rested upon the dirty pavement spiraling. She’d covered a lot of good ground, she was well into the city, she’d earned a rest.
Little whines and gasps fell from her mouth as she gently wriggled her fingers between the lip of the little jets that clung to her stumps. She’d never run them so hard for so long. Her head fell back as she severed the connection between her flesh and the machine, feeling that perpetual energy drain cut out.
“Sol above,” she whispered, staring at the slip of blue sky that rose between the sloped roofs of the too-tall buildings, “I feel ten pounds lighter.
Not an inconsiderable amount, considering she weighed less than seventy.
The other jet was disconnected, the pair resting on the ground beside her as she caught her breath. Sol above it felt so nice to be free of them, if only for a time. She’d rather have proper feet instead of the demeaning options forced upon her by Viktor and his Scaldra.
It wasn’t his fault they were blown off, but he certainly didn't improve anything.
A faint smile hovered on her face as she pulled the prayer ribbons from her pockets, pressing them to her lips, whispering a simple prayer to her sister’s gods. She prayed for Nadia’s safety, she prayed for her own concealment… She prayed that she was treated with kindness when she was inevitably found, whomever it was that did.
She pulled up the hood of her coat as she leaned against the dumpster she’d been nestled beside, pulling a wooden pallet down to shelter herself a bit better. The smell didn't really register at that point, so long as she was safe. With a touch of difficulty she managed to tuck her stumps into the shade cast by the pallet.
If anyone was passing her by for whatever reason, they would likely only think she was homeless. It was the easier conclusion to jump to…
She took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut, forcing all those buzzing thoughts from her mind. She just needed to rest. She’d not make any progress that night if she was dead tired from the start.
Before long that familiar numbness began to spread through her fingers, the gentle caress of sleep to whisk her away to whatever odd dreams her mind had prepared. And whisked away she was, though it wasn't to the realm of dreams stored within her own skull, that would be too simple. Simple was never the way things were to be.
Kalina, in her drowsiness, in her sleep-addled state, neglected to see the massive centipede-like insect staring at her from the shadows cast by the dumpster opposite her. Its vast body pressed against and rose up the wall, clinging to it, those vast eyes giving its master a perfect view of the tiny woman nestled so cozily across from it.
Qinoha decided, in her limited… lacking… wisdom, to not notify anyone in the mall, opting instead to…
...
That six-noted ringtone seemed to roar from the little pager stuffed in one of Lettie’s innumerable satchels and supply bags.
First a sharp gag, then a string of profanity tore from Lettie’s mouth as she rolled from the rather disheveled bed, bare feet, gnarled with Techrot growths, slapping into the wooden floor as she rushed toward her singing supply sack. Eleanor laid on the bed, a dejected expression on her face as her tongue rested limply on the pillow, having been left to go cold so very suddenly.
Eleanor let out a quiet whine. “Oh, sweet bliss interrupted, what cruelty is this, to deny us our nuptials?” She sat up on the bed, quite scantily draped in the sheets.
Lettie flashed Eleanor a look as she read the message Qinoha had sent. She let her head hang. “Nuptials, Eleanor?”
“Well,” She threw her legs over she side of the bed. “You can’t fault me too much for being a touch fanciful. It’s a joyous day, is it not? We’ve consummated something neither of us thought possible…” She slid from the bed, letting the sheets slip from across her body as she knelt down beside Lettie. Her cheek rested against Lettie’s shoulder. “Mmh, I could purr…” She cracked her eyes open, reading the short message that had been sent.
‘Kalina found, 2 and Victory, alleyway. Will send a guide.’
“I guess we’ve been volunteered…”
“I’ll go,” Eleanor whispered, “I can find her through her thoughts. No sound, no searching, no chance of being discovered.” She smiled as Lettie wrapped her in a tight hug. “I’ll not be gone for long, an hour or so. Maybe I’ll pick up some groceries along the way.”
“Candy,” Lettie muttered, “I don’t care what kind…”
“And coffee?” Eleanor cooed.
“The stuff here’s strong enough,” Lettie said somewhat dismissively. “It’ll keep me going another day or so. Don’t keep me waiting that long.” She leaned over, planting a solid kiss on Eleanor’s cheek. “Be quick, cielos. I’m liable to get a bit desperate if I’m left alone too long.” She smirked as Eleanor let out a little huff.
“And we were having so much fun,” she murmured, tone changing ever so slightly, inflection shifting a touch. “No use in dragging my feet,” she grunted, standing up, “Quicker gone, quicker back.” She straightened up, crossing the floor and pulling open Qinoha’s closet door. “Now… what does that catastrophe have that’s low profile?”
…
Sort answer: Not much…
Long answer:
...
Kalina’s eyes fluttered open as she felt a shoulder press into her stomach, bouncing intermittently as whoever had picked her up walked. She lifted her head, face falling as she saw the streets bathed in lamp-light, the glow of the city lighting the sky a sickly shade of plum. Her mind slowly caught up to her situation as she looked down, seeing the person carrying her.
“Welcome back,” Eleanor whispered, baggy shirt blowing in the gentle breeze, a sweater tied about her waist. Her steps echoed hollowly as she walked slowly up the sidewalk, a pair of chunky boots wrapped around her feet. “Sleep well?”
“I…” Kalina sniffed quietly, trying to get her sleep-addled mind to stop trying to fall back into unconsciousness. “I slept well…”
“Good,” Eleanor looked up, her irises blazing as she smiled. “Qinoha sent me to collect you,” We’ve a safe house near here, your sister’s waiting for you.”
“She-…” Kalina’s face went slack.
“She misses you dearly…” Eleanor looked forward again, spying the street she needed to cut across to get to the near outskirts of the city. “Spent all last night whispering about you, I kept her mind as calm as I could, but I can only temper so much grief.”
“For her whole life I’ve been all she has,” Kalina murmured, “And for much of my life she’s been all I have as well…” She deflated a bit as she sighed. “Could you let me down, please,” she whispered, “Your shoulder is very sharp.”
“I’ve your leg attachments here,” Eleanor said, lifting a canvas shopping bag, the weight of it making her arm shake. “I was wondering why you were so light.” She sidled toward the nearest building, setting Kalina down, placing the bag in her arms.
“They weigh quite a bit, yeah.” Kalina set about buckling and clipping the heavy devices to her stumps. “But they keep me grounded, and it’s better than the alternatives.”
“I’m sorry,” Eleanor grunted, crouching down beside Kalina, almost able to taste the resentment in her voice as she thought about how she lost her feet. “It was our fault that you wound up this way.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” Kalina huffed, a thin skin of sweat breaking across her face as she began to funnel that barely understood energy into the little devices. “But you’re still making an effort to help me and my sister. You’re working toward me forgiving you lot for my feet.” She smiled weakly as she gently lifted from the ground, the smell of sulfur cutting through the air. “If this is any indication, Nightingale, then you’re gonna get there sooner rather than later.” She gave the woman a gentle pat on the shoulder, drifting on ahead, Eleanor not far behind.
...
“She’s a ghost,” Garuda said flatly, handing the data screen over to Dagath as Adara peered over the edge of their nest. “We have records going back a certain length of time, to the Old War, but her manufacture is unknown, her construction as well.” She grimaced. “Like little Chakka’s Trinity, like Raniya’s Valkyr…”
“Like Sierra,” Adara added, blinking a few times as she looked up at her mother as she read through the notes Garuda managed to scrounge up. “I don’t feel comfortable piloting her anymore,” she said flatly.
“You may need to, Adara,” Garuda sighed, settling on the fabric-covered room’s lone chair. “She’s showing signs of autonomy, she’s on the cusp of being able to take control of herself again. We need you to make that push so that she can… decide what she wants.”
Adara sighed loudly, mashing her face into the side of the nest. “Gimme time to think about it,” she said after a moment’s silence. “I… I was put in charge of a life once, briefly… I don’t know if I can do it right.” She lifted her head, pouting slightly as she clambered over the side of the nest. “Hatshem’s gonna throw a fit,” she grumbled as she picked herself up.
Dagath took a sharp breath. “Y’know, I haven’t seen her in ages. Where’s she hiding?”
Garuda lifted an eyebrow. “She’s in the infirmary… I… I thought I told you.” She seemed to shrink as Adara and Dagath stared blankly at her. “Clearly my memory is faulty,” she whispered.
Dagath walked slowly to the door, pushing it open. “Go to her Adara,” she whispered, “I’ll finish up here.”
Adara didn't say a word as she shot from the cozy little space, speeding faster than her frame would suggest. Dagath sighed as she pulled the door shut, eyes locked onto Garuda. The poor Orokin seemed to shrink even more as she refused to meet the towering woman’s gaze.
“What happened?” Dagath finally asked, crouching down, something creaking in her leg.
“She had a fall,” Garuda started, “She got rather ambitious with the exercise equipment and got dragged down. Ballas says its not a bad break, but due to her… unique constitution, we’ve opted for caution.” She smiled weakly. “She keeps trying to walk out of the med-bay, it’s rather inspiring.”
“She got a second chance,” Dagath grunted, straightening up, “same as the rest of us.” Her lip ticked as she rested her hand on the door. “We’re the lucky ones, aren't we, Garuda?”
The woman was quiet for a moment, wringing her hands. “I’ve had more than my fair share of second chances, it’s to the point where I can’t allow myself to paint the picture with such a broad brush,” she admitted, “Blind luck and chance lent me so much as I stumbled through my life. I- I have had many second chances with some things…” she stood up, clasping her hands together as she took a deep breath, her lips quavered as she struggled to keep her expression calm, “I’ve not been so fortunate with so many others.” She shuffled forward, wrapping Dagath in tight hug. “Go be with your children, Dagath, I’ll have Adara’s Wisp moved someplace comfortable for the time being.”
Without another word she pushed the door open, leaving Dagath alone.