raisedbymoogles (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
raisedbymoogles) wrote2022-01-01 02:48 am
raisedbymoogles) wrote2022-01-01 02:48 am
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self-imposed fic challenge: 22 tarot cards for 2022
....mostly because my partner gave me Crimson Sun's FF7 tarot deck for Christmas and I wanted to play with it. And I just kinda feel like it now my mojo seems to be coming back. (Fingers crossed.)
So I came up with 22 AUs/scenarios/prompts, and then drew 22 cards as a further prompt. I meant to do only 3-5 sentences per prompt, but that went about as well as those things ever do and now here I am posting at 3 AM on New Years' Day. ...look, I'm following my muse, I'm not responsible if she leads me off a cliff.
1) fixit/Two of Swords: Transformers G1, Hot Rod
The battle was here. They hadn't believed him and they hadn't prepared, and now they'd lost half their command corps and Autobot City was under a relentless siege. Hot Rod had fielded no few jaw-dropped looks over the course of fighting for their city's life and Ultra Magnus had even asked him a few pointed questions about what was coming - oh, sure, now you're listening! - but as the hours and the Autobots' power to fight drained away, tick by tick, Hot Rod wanted nothing more than to hide for a minute, just to get a chance to think.
Once Optimus Prime touched down, he and Megatron would engage in battle. They would accept no other path. Hot Rod knew now that jumping in bodily to assist was a horrible idea - but did that mean he should find another way to help? Try to get that stray pistol away from Megatron with a long-distance attack? Or should he just stay away entirely?
Choosing wrong would doom the Prime. Hot Rod wasn't sure he could handle being his cause of death twice.
2) detective/Queen of Cups: Sailor Moon, Hino Rei
One of the useful things about being a miko was that Rei had her finger on the spiritual pulse of the city. Visions were more immediate, of course, but they took a lot out of her, and she had to interpret them correctly or they might lead the Senshi astray. But the steady stream of visitors to the shrine, as unreliable as they could be sometimes, was its own source of information.
"Miss Ikuhara?" Smiling carefully, Rei sat down next to the visitor - a classmate, but not one she knew well up until now. "You've been here every day for a week. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Oh." Ikuhara couldn't help but smile back, her resolve crumbling just a little at the show of kindness. "I don't - well - it's just, my boyfriend's fallen ill. It's getting worse every day and I can't even, his family won't even let me see him."
Rei directed her frown at her hands. "There's been a lot of that going around," she murmured, the part of her that was Sailor Mars beginning to burn behind her eyes. Soon, Rei told her, so settle down. "Well, I think I have a charm that might help. Come with me."
3) space/Four of Wands: Beast Wars, Cheetor
He wasn't the same kid who'd crash-landed here. But it was hard not to feel the shake of excitement as he took the pilot's chair on the Ark shuttle and put his hands on the controls.
Three years marooned in space and time. Three years fighting a war that had claimed the lives of his friends and that had nearly changed history itself. But they'd won, and defended the flow of time, and now Cheetor was going home. Wouldn't his cadremates be surprised! He couldn't wait to see them, to tell them everything.
"Everyone strapped in?" he called over his shoulder, and received a chorus of affirmatives. "Then let's blow this joint!"
He activated the launch sequence, and the ship leaped for space.
4) sick/injured/Death: FF7, Sephiroth
His head spun; his stomach roiled. Water spilled from his hair, mopped up by a dry towel, and he was patted dry and conducted back to bed.
Another treatment over. Who knew how many more to go.
Sephiroth was under orders to rest as mch as he could between sessions, but that was easier said than done. Despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, and despite the plush comfort of the bed they gave him, his mind refused to settle. He buried his face in the blanket and tried to ride out the assault of emotion that kept him awake.
There was fury there, of course - the Company had betrayed him, the Professor had betrayed him. Bitterness at himself for falling for it for years. Apprehension - no, it was fear, an unfamiliar visitor to his mindscape. Sephiroth could feel how the treatments were changing him, robbing him of something fundamental, rebuilding him from the inside. Could he bear to close his eyes, knowing that the person who opened them would one day soon be a different person entirely? Who would he be, what would he be - and would that Sephiroth be strong enough to face the world?
5) text/letter/The Tower: Tangled/Frozen
To his Majesty the King of Arendelle, from the hand of his Majesty the King of Corona; Dear Agnarr,
When last I wrote to you I told you that I faced the worst possible thing: the probability of a life without my beloved Arianne. I know now that I was wrong.
I confess I did not follow your advice regarding forces beyond a king's command or a man's comprehension. I reached for hope, as I suppose any man would when grieving the death of his wife before she'd even breathed her last, and found within my grasp a golden flower with the power to heal. Agnarr, you should have seen it - it was as though she was brought back to life before my eyes! With her newfound strength she had an easy delivery, and we welcomed a healthy baby girl into our family. Our joy was indescribable - but it would last only hours. The very night our Rapunzel was born, some fiend snuck into the castle and stole her away.
The guards only caught glimpses of the kidnapper. There has been no word of ransom. Whether our daughter is still in the country, whether she even lives, I cannot say. I write to beg for your help: enclosed is a sketch of our daughter, which I ask that you share among your people. If anyone recognizes her, please, write me immediately.
Right now you must be thinking me mad (and you're not wrong!) - how can anyone tell one infant from another at a glance? Or you are now looking at the sketch and asking yourself what kind of infant is born with a full head of hair? The influence of the magic flower, I can only guess, but it would make our daughter visually distinct. The only shred of hope I have, even as I wonder if by using the flower I have saved my queen only to doom my princess.
I can hear you scolding me, Agnarr. I should not have meddled with magic. Perhaps you are right, but I assure you - despite what I wrote only a paragraph above, I would meddle with it again if it would bring back our baby.
My love to Iduna.
Your friend,
Frederic
6) survival/wilderness/Four of Coins: BotW, Beedle
Hyrule was a dangerous place these days. Less so than in his grandparents' day, but dangerous enough if you couldn't fight. Beedle had all the fighting prowess of a radish and he knew it, so he didn't rely on it.
No, what he relied on was preparation. Food, he had food for days. Supplies, he had everything you could possibly ask for. Elixers? Beedle's elixers were so efficacious that if he ever drank them instead of trading them he probably could wield a sword like a soldier. Or at least a blacksmith.
Oh, and beetles. Not for anything would he sell his beetles.
7) mutual pining/Two of Cups (I swear I didn't do that on purpose): Transformers G1, Jazz/Prowl
Jazz had his sidearm repaired and his axle patched, but before he could move another voice broke through the comm chatter. //Jazz, you need to fall back.//
"What?" he blurted, instantly incensed. "Zero, who are you, and one, that's my Prime out there and I'm not leaving him to get picked apart!"
There was the briefest of pauses before the voice came back, steady and calm and of the purest, hardest steel. //My name is Prowl, lately shield and guardian of Praxus, and that is my Prime too. I ask for your trust.//
//He's legit, Jazz, Kup vouched for him,// Blaster broke in.
//Withdraw,// Prowl commanded once more. //Feign weakness.//
Jazz winced, transformed, and pulled away from his shelter, away from his Prime, fishtailing a bit as he did so like his axle was still busted. His aft radar was still out so he couldn't see it, but a data-packet from Blaster and a smug silence from Prowl told him that at least a few of the hunter-seekers assaulting Prime's position had broken off in favor of an easier target. Feign weakness, he repeated to himself, so he fishtailed again and spun out like he'd just noticed he was headed for a cliff. Now he could see his pursuers - a full trine. How flattering, heh.
The trine began its dive, nearly in synchronicity. //Jazz-// Prowl started, strained.
"Trust me," Jazz said, and Prowl held his silence for the five full seconds it took for the trine to get close enough to Jazz to be utterly destroyed by his brand-new mods, speakers and short-range holograms originally part of his old club's setup. "Hah!" he cheered as the sons-of-glitches crashed behind him and slid off the cliff entirely. "Enjoy the tunes, air hogs!"
//What on Cybertron was that?// Prowl demanded.
Jazz grinned at nothing. "Just a lil surprise I threw together."
//I see you're going to be hell on my calculations, Jazz.// There was a smile warming that voice, rich with amusement and interest, and oh damn suddenly Jazz's engine was racing for another reason entirely and he was going to have to work very hard in the future not to notice how hot the new tactician was, wasn't he? War was hell on romance. //Now let's go aid our Prime.//
Despite himself, Jazz found himself projecting a smile in reply. "You got it, Prowl."
8) kink/King of Swords: Beast Wars, Rhinox/Dinobot/(implied Optimus) (kinks: D/s, bondage, wax/warm oil play)
Rhinox knew very well that he was a convenience to Dinobot, nothing more. A stepping stone on his way to woo the Maximal commander. He didn't mind; Optimus didn't come to his bed nearly as often as Rhinox would like, and for all Dinobot considered himself a natural commander, he had an unsung gift for taking the submissive's role.
"Are you comfortable?" Rhinox asked, sitting carefully by Dinobot's berthside. The former(?) Predacon, bound immobile and outwardly calm, rumbled wordless assent. "Good. Tell me if it's too much; that's an order."
Hot oil dripped: through Rhinox's fingers first, testing the temperature, then over metal and scale. Dinobot tensed, but when Rhinox paused he only said, "Lower down," and "...please," when Rhinox didn't immediately move.
"Good," Rhinox told him, and did as Dinobot wanted.
If and when Dinobot charmed his way into Optimus's berth, he'd know how to treat him right. Though Rhinox still suspected that, having successfully bossed Optimus around in the berth, Dinobot would be shocked to find that Optimus would still be every inch Dinobot's commander outside of it.
9) post-apocalyptic/Ace of Cups - BotW, Link, Sorelia & Tye
Link tapped up the steps to the cabin with his bucket held carefully by the handle, lest it wobble and spill freshly-boiled water everywhere. Tye was already at the door to let him in. "Thank you, thank you," he babbled, flapping in barely-restrained panic, "quickly, quickly, quickly!"
The midwife was calmer. Kneeling on a spare folded blanket by Sorelia's bedside, she pointed Link to one side where he could deposit his bucket. "We don't need it yet," she reported, "but when we do it'll be cool enough to handle. She's fine," she added, patting Sorelia's knee. "Thanks for your help, young man."
"Yes, thank you." Sorelia gave him a shaky smile, her hair plastered to the sides of her face with sweat. "You always seem to know when to sh-shhh-!" Link startled as Sorelia's voice was strangled out of her by another contraction. "....show up," Sorelia breathed when it was over, sinking back into her pile of pillows. "Like our guardian from Hylia."
Link asked, wordlessly, if there was anything else he could do, and the midwife gently-but-firmly suggested he take Tye out and chop some wood. This Link was pretty sure more for Tye's benefit than for the women's, but he went, and Tye didn't protest too much when Link went and relayed that the two of them were under orders.
"There used to be a hospital around here," Tye commented anxiously in between taking out his frustrations on some seasoned logs. "So my grandpa said. People coming from all over, learning healing, or getting healed. I bet people around here didn't worry so much about their wives giving birth, back then."
Link allowed he was probably right. But he thought - and he told Tye and Sorelia, later - that bringing children into the world, broken as it was, was an act of courage. One day perhaps their child would do some healing of their own.
10) magical accident/Knight of Cups - Okami, Waka
Let none say that the gods' gift to man Waka couldn't roll with the punches.
He brought it on himself, really; the artifacts Amaterasu had collected had some amusing applications but they weren't toys, but in his defense, the Lucky Mallet wasn't even what he'd been looking for. He'd just sort of... bumped the shelf, a little, and it had fallen out. Onto his head. And the predictable thing happened.
Really, it was hilarious, when you thought of it that way. And him a prophet!
...speaking of hilarity, this situation had nearly endless prank possibilities, so perhaps Waka wouldn't seek out Amaterasu to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness/unshrinking just yet. In his opinion, the Celestial Realm was long overdue for some laughter.
11) performer/Six of Coins - Sailor Moon, Minako and Haruka
Minako could sing, but she couldn't play for the life of her, and she definitely couldn't do both at the same time. And Haruka could play the piano like it was her Planet power, but her singing voice - well...
"A dying frog," Michiru had said cheerfully.
"Why do you hurt me," Haruka had complained, not sounding like she minded one bit.
(Those two were weird sometimes.)
So they combined their powers: between them, Minako thought cheerfully, they made one whole performer! And then she stopped thinking cheerful thoughts, because this was supposed to be a sweet and heartfelt ballad they were performing, appropriate for the children in hospital the CD would raise money for and carefully chosen to make other children's parents cry and/or part with their hard-earned money for the fundraising effort.
"Way out on the ocean, far beyond the seven seas..."
It had been Haruka's suggestion. Minako had struggled with the English a bit, but hearing how her voice melded with the way Haruka's music danced through her headphones, she decided Haruka's taste in music wasn't bad. Even if she couldn't sing.
"Use your heart as a rudder, faith as a compass, and a blanket for a sail."
(lyrics from Blanket for a Sail, sung by Harry Nilsson for the 1991 For Our Children album.)
12) warring states period/The Empress - Pokemon, Erika
Smoke on the wind, again. Erika resisted the urge to close the shoji against it and went out into her garden.
Tangela was the first to greet her, his tendrils coiling in mixed delight and agitation. "I know," Erika murmured, bending to greet him, and was instantly mobbed by a small tribe of Bellsprout, also seeking reassurance. "I know, little ones," she told them, and though they bobbled about dizzily, each one received a gentle pat on its round little head.
Erika rose again, walked the stone path down to the pond where grass- and the occasional poison-type mingled with the water-types she'd asked for and received as tribute the last time someone had thought to bring war to her doorstep. Placed near the crossroads of Kanto as she was, Celadon was a strategically important prize, Erika was sure! But she had no intention of giving up her land's independence.
As nervous as the grass-types were, the water-types were calm, watching her with eyes just above the water's surface. "Well, then," she told them with a smile. "I suppose we should get to know each other a bit better. What do you say to a battle after tea?" From the splashing, the idea was met with enthusiasm.
Erika had worked very hard to create this little oasis in the midst of war. If someone thought to destroy it with fire, they would have a hell of a fight on their hands.
13) magical girls/The High Priestess - Transformers G1, Hot Rod (sorry, again, but I already have a magical girl AU for him and this is such a perfect prompt XD)
Hot Rod knew the stories, of course. Of Optimus Prime, of Primes long past. Their strength, their wisdom. That wasn't him.
It could have been. Sometimes Hot Rod was tempted. To reveal himself, to become... himself-Imus Prime. The wisdom of the Matrix could help, so much. Ease the weariness in Ultra Magnus's optics. Couldn't it?
...except, he thought, if he did he couldn't be Hot Rod anymore. Hot Rod would die, more or less, and while in his darker moments he thought that wouldn't be such a bad thing... he'd made a promise, once, not to let the darkness win. So he wouldn't. Maybe that was its own kind of wisdom.
Besides, Danny would be disappointed if they couldn't run around together. Put like that, Hot Rod felt like he had to stick around a little longer.
(this is the ficbit I was writing when it clicked over to midnight and the fireworks started. ^_^)
14) vampires/werewolves/monsters/Four of Swords - BotW, Link (lol, Four of Swords Adventures)
When the blood moon came upon him Link could no longer stand the light of civilization. He'd flee the road, or the stable, or the inn if he'd been foolish enough to risk it for the sake of sleeping in a bed. He'd leave all his gear behind, rip his clothes off mid-run. If he was lucky, the change would come upon him when he was well into the woods and out of sight of civilized people. So far he'd been lucky.
On four paws Link ran until his lungs gave out, then scratched a makeshift den into the dirt in the cradle of a tree's roots and flopped down into it. Slowly, as panting gave way to quieter breaths, the fireflies returned and Link set his chin on his paws to watch them. He'd sleep for a bit, then return for his clothes and his pack once pre-dawn let him claim his other form again. So far he'd gotten away with it - hadn't scared anyone walking around the woods naked.
Had he really been a knight before? How had he managed?
It was hard to fathom and there was no use trying - he couldn't remember. Link yawned and resettled, the slow dance of the fireflies lulling him to sleep.
It was funny, the little snatches of remembered emotion that came to him as he drifted off. Somehow, despite everything, there was a little warm glow in the dark sea of his memory and he couldn't shake the feeling that once, there was one little fire and one little Person he hadn't minded being a wolf around.
15) occult/necromancy/Queen of Coins - Okami, Amaterasu
Issun had been left behind in Ponc'tan, which was just as well: he'd have words about Amaterasu's new destination. A lot of them. At volume.
Entering into the land of the dead required absolute silence.
It was not her first time in the darkness, which was probably the only reason she was able to navigate the path as well as she was. She picked her way along, paw by paw, spiraling down and down and yet further down as the dead moaned and wailed and sang around her. Nippon's troubles had them restless, and they wouldn't be calmed until she set things right. Yet here she was, on a... rather personal errand.
They'd have to endure it. She wouldn't be here long. The sun couldn't rise without her, after all.
There wasn't really a 'where' in the realm of the dead, but even so something had conspired to place her goal as far away from her as possible. Much as in the living world, there were rivers to cross, battles to fight, bridges to rebuild before she was judged worthy to find what she sought. This was not her realm: she was at the mercy of other powers now, if they deigned to notice her.
They did not, and Amaterasu passed unseen and unheard, until she nearly undid her entire journey when at last she beheld the shade of Queen Himiko and had to try very hard not to bark with joy and relief. "Great Mother Amaterasu!" Himiko gasped, and immediately hid her mouth behind her sleeves. "Oh, you should not have come," she lamented. "You will pay a price to pass into the living world again, much less to bring me with you, and I am not worth that price."
Amaterasu stepped forward and very delicately set her teeth in Himiko's sleeve, and began to glow. Himiko was more wrong than Amaterasu could express - and as for the price, well, Amaterasu had divinity to spare.
16) wingfic/King of Wands - FF7, Reeve
Reeve had never been a particularly strong flier - perhaps that's why he'd gravitated to Midgar. The city had granted him heights he'd never have reached on his own.
Now Midgar was gone, and Reeve was a man of airships, of leading on the wing. Like a goddamn goose, Barret had said once, and the comparison was unflattering but apt. Reeve was the one who talked angry small-town mayors around into giving up Mako. Reeve was the one who hauled Edge from a glorified refugee camp into a (mostly) functioning city. Reeve was always on the move, making new connections, rebuilding the web of cooperation and of commerce one link at a time.
"Heyyy, Tuesti! Come on down, the wind's calm!"
...and now and then, Reeve was just a man who needed to practice flying more. He glared down at Cid waving from the deck of the Shera, swung his leg over the railing of the Cloudbank and let himself drop.
Cid was right - it was a calm wind that filled his wings, cradling him as securely as Midgar once had. Two flaps just to right himself and then he was soaring, descending in a slow spiral until he landed heavily on the Shera's deck to be met with Cid's approving grin.
17) dragons/Ace of Coins - TMNT, Donatello (went a bit Pit Dragon Trilogy-flavored almost immediately, oops)
"Heya, Quark." Donny extended a hand - palm down and fingers curled in, like a falconer - and Quark chirped and rocked a bit on his perch before finally spreading his wings and launching himself across the room onto Donny's wrist. "Hey, look at you," Donny praised, stroking over the dragonet's pebbly scales. "Getting stronger all the time." Quark trilled, and a warm pulse of yellowy-orange bloomed inside Donatello's head, a wordless expression of happiness that was as close to speech as the dragonet could manage.
"You have a way with these little ones," Splinter commented from behind his mug of tea and lapful of dragonet who was very curious about the tea.
"Guess who I learned from," Donny said, and Splinter's expression softened. Truthfully Donny thought that all of them were good with the dragonets, in their own ways, but it was nice to have a little praise to himself now and then, and to have that look directed at him. "...tell you a secret?" he offered.
"Hm?"
Donatello sank down on the ottoman next to Splinter's chair, Quark held close against his plastron. "Mama dragon promised us a boatload of wealth for babysitting duties, and, I mean - it'd be nice not to have to worry about money anymore. But..." He leaned in a bit. "I'd look after Quark for free."
Splinter's eyes sparkled as he did the same. "My son, I feel the same way - but let's never breathe a word of that outside this room. ...if Himeko-chan will get her nose out of my tea!"
Donatello leaned back and laughed, Quark coiling about his arm in his own wordless amusement.
18) Victorian/steampunk/Wheel of Fortune - Star Wars, Rose&Paige
Hot water, soap, clean clothes. When was the last time Rose had any of those things?
She wanted to luxuriate in it for hours. Instead she rushed through her ablutions, scrubbed off the worst of the grime and tried to ignore the rest, how years in the mines had indelibly marked her. Paige was waiting beyond the screen, having insisted her little sister wash first - the least Rose could do was make sure the water was still warm when Paige got in.
"There are far too many buttons on this thing," Paige complained, and Rose could see her shadow holding up one of the dresses their benefactor had afforded them. "How are we even meant to put it on?"
"Don't worry, we'll figure it out together," Rose called. Then she took a deep breath, ducked her face into the tub, and blew out her breath in a riot of bubbles: her one concession to the allure of luxury.
The dresses were every bit as ridiculous as Paige had implied, and when they put them on didn't suit the two of them at all. "We look like - like-"
"'Posh' is the word," Paige informed her.
"But we're not posh. We're anti-posh. Posh is the enemy."
"Yes," Paige agreed, toying with one of the buttons. "But posh doesn't know that yet."
Rose conceded the point - as usual, Paige was right. Besides, she'd just discovered the ridiculous posh dress had a hidden pocket, just right for one of those clever little weapons their benefactor built. Perhaps if the two of them asked nicely he would give them one or two, and then the Posh People who'd grown rich off of the suffering of Rose's family had better watch out.
19) Star Wars AU/King of Cups - TMNT, Leonardo
Cloaked in gray and leaning on a cane, the figure stood alone on the porch of a decrepit old cabin, watching as the Stormtroopers approached in what little formation they could manage in the dense forest. "Are you the owner of this property?" the sergeant called out as they neared.
"No, I'm just staying here for a while," came the calm answer.
"Pull your hood back for identification purposes, please."
"Must I? It's cold."
The sergeant snapped a gesture at one of his subordinates, who stepped in front and reached out. The figure didn't move as the cloth was seized and thrown back, revealing a domed, scaley head with a blue cloth masking his eyes. "Satisfied?" Leonardo asked dryly.
"Hey, aren't you-"
Leonardo blurred into motion. The cane whipped out, once, twice, slamming into blasters before their holders could think to fire. The third and fourth managed to get shots off, but Leonardo was no longer there - only his cloak, floating down to the ground with two holes burned in it. Leonardo was already cracking the men out of their fragile shells, knocking their heads together, kicking their legs out from under them, until finally the last one fell and did not rise again.
He stood over them, just to make sure, while behind him the door to the root cellar squeaked open and the property owner peered out, four eyes wide with awe. "Are you a Jedi?" she asked.
Leonardo covered his mouth against a laugh where she couldn't see. "No, not me."
20) Gundam AU/Five of Cups - BotW, Zelda
There was very little left of 001 Vah Ruta, but what little there was, they duly brought back: part of the arm, most of the head, and the pilot's chair, soaked in blood. Zelda had taken one look at it and burst into tears, which didn't help her insistence that she could serve the country better as an engineer than as a political pawn.
But it must have been that no one went and carried tales to her father. No messengers came from Earthside summoning her back, and Zelda was much more stoic seeing the remains of 002 Vah Medoh, 003 Vah Rudania, and only teared up a bit at 004 Vah Naboris. Their black boxes she took for herself, and asked the mechanics to dismantle and salvage what they could of the rest. They'd agreed, solemn-faced, and set to work.
Zelda wished she could do the same. But once the black boxes were hooked up to her personal console and uploading their data, she found herself curling up on her cot and weeping anew. Her friends were dead; they were all but lost; what good was she now?
21) solarpunk/King of Coins - Beast Wars, Optimus Primal
As it happened, the Axalon had landed such that the window to Optimus's personal quarters faced south, and as they'd landed on the planet's northern hemisphere, this presented a key opportunity. Optimus was determined not to let it go to waste.
Multiple grasses sprouted in little round containers that had once been intended for grenades. Radishes and salad leaves freshened the air with their sharp scents. The beans had gone gangbusters that first season, and Optimus learned to moderate his planting the following spring.
Seeds came from everywhere: samples brought in by the patrollers, blown in on the wind, discovered in Optimus's own fur. If it seemed to be a seed, Optimus would plant it, just to see what grew. If it turned out to be something edible, so much the better - he'd replant it outside and encourage it to grow as wild as possible.
He almost regretted the thought of eventually returning to Cybertron, but who knew - maybe he'd manage a balcony garden there too.
22) flying city/The Star - Pokemon, OC
It was maybe four days before I knew where we were. Umbreon knew the whole time, of course, but didn't see fit to alert me. Which was probably the right choice.
It's very disorienting to look down and see sky, even if you're expecting it. I don't think I'll ever get used to it. Everyone else seems to take it for granted, living in a floating city - there's nets to catch the odd flying Pokemon who gets blown off course and railings for everyone else but aside from that it's just like living on the ground, I guess. There's hydroponic gardens for food and such. Huge library. Everyone's careful about their water usage.
We've gone back to our training slowly. Umbreon's practically sitting on me, trying to make me take it slow. But I'm starting to see where I've gone wrong now, and that means I have a chance to fix it. I know I'm not back to my old self yet, but I can't wait to get started.
So I came up with 22 AUs/scenarios/prompts, and then drew 22 cards as a further prompt. I meant to do only 3-5 sentences per prompt, but that went about as well as those things ever do and now here I am posting at 3 AM on New Years' Day. ...look, I'm following my muse, I'm not responsible if she leads me off a cliff.
1) fixit/Two of Swords: Transformers G1, Hot Rod
The battle was here. They hadn't believed him and they hadn't prepared, and now they'd lost half their command corps and Autobot City was under a relentless siege. Hot Rod had fielded no few jaw-dropped looks over the course of fighting for their city's life and Ultra Magnus had even asked him a few pointed questions about what was coming - oh, sure, now you're listening! - but as the hours and the Autobots' power to fight drained away, tick by tick, Hot Rod wanted nothing more than to hide for a minute, just to get a chance to think.
Once Optimus Prime touched down, he and Megatron would engage in battle. They would accept no other path. Hot Rod knew now that jumping in bodily to assist was a horrible idea - but did that mean he should find another way to help? Try to get that stray pistol away from Megatron with a long-distance attack? Or should he just stay away entirely?
Choosing wrong would doom the Prime. Hot Rod wasn't sure he could handle being his cause of death twice.
2) detective/Queen of Cups: Sailor Moon, Hino Rei
One of the useful things about being a miko was that Rei had her finger on the spiritual pulse of the city. Visions were more immediate, of course, but they took a lot out of her, and she had to interpret them correctly or they might lead the Senshi astray. But the steady stream of visitors to the shrine, as unreliable as they could be sometimes, was its own source of information.
"Miss Ikuhara?" Smiling carefully, Rei sat down next to the visitor - a classmate, but not one she knew well up until now. "You've been here every day for a week. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Oh." Ikuhara couldn't help but smile back, her resolve crumbling just a little at the show of kindness. "I don't - well - it's just, my boyfriend's fallen ill. It's getting worse every day and I can't even, his family won't even let me see him."
Rei directed her frown at her hands. "There's been a lot of that going around," she murmured, the part of her that was Sailor Mars beginning to burn behind her eyes. Soon, Rei told her, so settle down. "Well, I think I have a charm that might help. Come with me."
3) space/Four of Wands: Beast Wars, Cheetor
He wasn't the same kid who'd crash-landed here. But it was hard not to feel the shake of excitement as he took the pilot's chair on the Ark shuttle and put his hands on the controls.
Three years marooned in space and time. Three years fighting a war that had claimed the lives of his friends and that had nearly changed history itself. But they'd won, and defended the flow of time, and now Cheetor was going home. Wouldn't his cadremates be surprised! He couldn't wait to see them, to tell them everything.
"Everyone strapped in?" he called over his shoulder, and received a chorus of affirmatives. "Then let's blow this joint!"
He activated the launch sequence, and the ship leaped for space.
4) sick/injured/Death: FF7, Sephiroth
His head spun; his stomach roiled. Water spilled from his hair, mopped up by a dry towel, and he was patted dry and conducted back to bed.
Another treatment over. Who knew how many more to go.
Sephiroth was under orders to rest as mch as he could between sessions, but that was easier said than done. Despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, and despite the plush comfort of the bed they gave him, his mind refused to settle. He buried his face in the blanket and tried to ride out the assault of emotion that kept him awake.
There was fury there, of course - the Company had betrayed him, the Professor had betrayed him. Bitterness at himself for falling for it for years. Apprehension - no, it was fear, an unfamiliar visitor to his mindscape. Sephiroth could feel how the treatments were changing him, robbing him of something fundamental, rebuilding him from the inside. Could he bear to close his eyes, knowing that the person who opened them would one day soon be a different person entirely? Who would he be, what would he be - and would that Sephiroth be strong enough to face the world?
5) text/letter/The Tower: Tangled/Frozen
To his Majesty the King of Arendelle, from the hand of his Majesty the King of Corona; Dear Agnarr,
When last I wrote to you I told you that I faced the worst possible thing: the probability of a life without my beloved Arianne. I know now that I was wrong.
I confess I did not follow your advice regarding forces beyond a king's command or a man's comprehension. I reached for hope, as I suppose any man would when grieving the death of his wife before she'd even breathed her last, and found within my grasp a golden flower with the power to heal. Agnarr, you should have seen it - it was as though she was brought back to life before my eyes! With her newfound strength she had an easy delivery, and we welcomed a healthy baby girl into our family. Our joy was indescribable - but it would last only hours. The very night our Rapunzel was born, some fiend snuck into the castle and stole her away.
The guards only caught glimpses of the kidnapper. There has been no word of ransom. Whether our daughter is still in the country, whether she even lives, I cannot say. I write to beg for your help: enclosed is a sketch of our daughter, which I ask that you share among your people. If anyone recognizes her, please, write me immediately.
Right now you must be thinking me mad (and you're not wrong!) - how can anyone tell one infant from another at a glance? Or you are now looking at the sketch and asking yourself what kind of infant is born with a full head of hair? The influence of the magic flower, I can only guess, but it would make our daughter visually distinct. The only shred of hope I have, even as I wonder if by using the flower I have saved my queen only to doom my princess.
I can hear you scolding me, Agnarr. I should not have meddled with magic. Perhaps you are right, but I assure you - despite what I wrote only a paragraph above, I would meddle with it again if it would bring back our baby.
My love to Iduna.
Your friend,
Frederic
6) survival/wilderness/Four of Coins: BotW, Beedle
Hyrule was a dangerous place these days. Less so than in his grandparents' day, but dangerous enough if you couldn't fight. Beedle had all the fighting prowess of a radish and he knew it, so he didn't rely on it.
No, what he relied on was preparation. Food, he had food for days. Supplies, he had everything you could possibly ask for. Elixers? Beedle's elixers were so efficacious that if he ever drank them instead of trading them he probably could wield a sword like a soldier. Or at least a blacksmith.
Oh, and beetles. Not for anything would he sell his beetles.
7) mutual pining/Two of Cups (I swear I didn't do that on purpose): Transformers G1, Jazz/Prowl
Jazz had his sidearm repaired and his axle patched, but before he could move another voice broke through the comm chatter. //Jazz, you need to fall back.//
"What?" he blurted, instantly incensed. "Zero, who are you, and one, that's my Prime out there and I'm not leaving him to get picked apart!"
There was the briefest of pauses before the voice came back, steady and calm and of the purest, hardest steel. //My name is Prowl, lately shield and guardian of Praxus, and that is my Prime too. I ask for your trust.//
//He's legit, Jazz, Kup vouched for him,// Blaster broke in.
//Withdraw,// Prowl commanded once more. //Feign weakness.//
Jazz winced, transformed, and pulled away from his shelter, away from his Prime, fishtailing a bit as he did so like his axle was still busted. His aft radar was still out so he couldn't see it, but a data-packet from Blaster and a smug silence from Prowl told him that at least a few of the hunter-seekers assaulting Prime's position had broken off in favor of an easier target. Feign weakness, he repeated to himself, so he fishtailed again and spun out like he'd just noticed he was headed for a cliff. Now he could see his pursuers - a full trine. How flattering, heh.
The trine began its dive, nearly in synchronicity. //Jazz-// Prowl started, strained.
"Trust me," Jazz said, and Prowl held his silence for the five full seconds it took for the trine to get close enough to Jazz to be utterly destroyed by his brand-new mods, speakers and short-range holograms originally part of his old club's setup. "Hah!" he cheered as the sons-of-glitches crashed behind him and slid off the cliff entirely. "Enjoy the tunes, air hogs!"
//What on Cybertron was that?// Prowl demanded.
Jazz grinned at nothing. "Just a lil surprise I threw together."
//I see you're going to be hell on my calculations, Jazz.// There was a smile warming that voice, rich with amusement and interest, and oh damn suddenly Jazz's engine was racing for another reason entirely and he was going to have to work very hard in the future not to notice how hot the new tactician was, wasn't he? War was hell on romance. //Now let's go aid our Prime.//
Despite himself, Jazz found himself projecting a smile in reply. "You got it, Prowl."
8) kink/King of Swords: Beast Wars, Rhinox/Dinobot/(implied Optimus) (kinks: D/s, bondage, wax/warm oil play)
Rhinox knew very well that he was a convenience to Dinobot, nothing more. A stepping stone on his way to woo the Maximal commander. He didn't mind; Optimus didn't come to his bed nearly as often as Rhinox would like, and for all Dinobot considered himself a natural commander, he had an unsung gift for taking the submissive's role.
"Are you comfortable?" Rhinox asked, sitting carefully by Dinobot's berthside. The former(?) Predacon, bound immobile and outwardly calm, rumbled wordless assent. "Good. Tell me if it's too much; that's an order."
Hot oil dripped: through Rhinox's fingers first, testing the temperature, then over metal and scale. Dinobot tensed, but when Rhinox paused he only said, "Lower down," and "...please," when Rhinox didn't immediately move.
"Good," Rhinox told him, and did as Dinobot wanted.
If and when Dinobot charmed his way into Optimus's berth, he'd know how to treat him right. Though Rhinox still suspected that, having successfully bossed Optimus around in the berth, Dinobot would be shocked to find that Optimus would still be every inch Dinobot's commander outside of it.
9) post-apocalyptic/Ace of Cups - BotW, Link, Sorelia & Tye
Link tapped up the steps to the cabin with his bucket held carefully by the handle, lest it wobble and spill freshly-boiled water everywhere. Tye was already at the door to let him in. "Thank you, thank you," he babbled, flapping in barely-restrained panic, "quickly, quickly, quickly!"
The midwife was calmer. Kneeling on a spare folded blanket by Sorelia's bedside, she pointed Link to one side where he could deposit his bucket. "We don't need it yet," she reported, "but when we do it'll be cool enough to handle. She's fine," she added, patting Sorelia's knee. "Thanks for your help, young man."
"Yes, thank you." Sorelia gave him a shaky smile, her hair plastered to the sides of her face with sweat. "You always seem to know when to sh-shhh-!" Link startled as Sorelia's voice was strangled out of her by another contraction. "....show up," Sorelia breathed when it was over, sinking back into her pile of pillows. "Like our guardian from Hylia."
Link asked, wordlessly, if there was anything else he could do, and the midwife gently-but-firmly suggested he take Tye out and chop some wood. This Link was pretty sure more for Tye's benefit than for the women's, but he went, and Tye didn't protest too much when Link went and relayed that the two of them were under orders.
"There used to be a hospital around here," Tye commented anxiously in between taking out his frustrations on some seasoned logs. "So my grandpa said. People coming from all over, learning healing, or getting healed. I bet people around here didn't worry so much about their wives giving birth, back then."
Link allowed he was probably right. But he thought - and he told Tye and Sorelia, later - that bringing children into the world, broken as it was, was an act of courage. One day perhaps their child would do some healing of their own.
10) magical accident/Knight of Cups - Okami, Waka
Let none say that the gods' gift to man Waka couldn't roll with the punches.
He brought it on himself, really; the artifacts Amaterasu had collected had some amusing applications but they weren't toys, but in his defense, the Lucky Mallet wasn't even what he'd been looking for. He'd just sort of... bumped the shelf, a little, and it had fallen out. Onto his head. And the predictable thing happened.
Really, it was hilarious, when you thought of it that way. And him a prophet!
...speaking of hilarity, this situation had nearly endless prank possibilities, so perhaps Waka wouldn't seek out Amaterasu to confess his sins and ask for forgiveness/unshrinking just yet. In his opinion, the Celestial Realm was long overdue for some laughter.
11) performer/Six of Coins - Sailor Moon, Minako and Haruka
Minako could sing, but she couldn't play for the life of her, and she definitely couldn't do both at the same time. And Haruka could play the piano like it was her Planet power, but her singing voice - well...
"A dying frog," Michiru had said cheerfully.
"Why do you hurt me," Haruka had complained, not sounding like she minded one bit.
(Those two were weird sometimes.)
So they combined their powers: between them, Minako thought cheerfully, they made one whole performer! And then she stopped thinking cheerful thoughts, because this was supposed to be a sweet and heartfelt ballad they were performing, appropriate for the children in hospital the CD would raise money for and carefully chosen to make other children's parents cry and/or part with their hard-earned money for the fundraising effort.
"Way out on the ocean, far beyond the seven seas..."
It had been Haruka's suggestion. Minako had struggled with the English a bit, but hearing how her voice melded with the way Haruka's music danced through her headphones, she decided Haruka's taste in music wasn't bad. Even if she couldn't sing.
"Use your heart as a rudder, faith as a compass, and a blanket for a sail."
(lyrics from Blanket for a Sail, sung by Harry Nilsson for the 1991 For Our Children album.)
12) warring states period/The Empress - Pokemon, Erika
Smoke on the wind, again. Erika resisted the urge to close the shoji against it and went out into her garden.
Tangela was the first to greet her, his tendrils coiling in mixed delight and agitation. "I know," Erika murmured, bending to greet him, and was instantly mobbed by a small tribe of Bellsprout, also seeking reassurance. "I know, little ones," she told them, and though they bobbled about dizzily, each one received a gentle pat on its round little head.
Erika rose again, walked the stone path down to the pond where grass- and the occasional poison-type mingled with the water-types she'd asked for and received as tribute the last time someone had thought to bring war to her doorstep. Placed near the crossroads of Kanto as she was, Celadon was a strategically important prize, Erika was sure! But she had no intention of giving up her land's independence.
As nervous as the grass-types were, the water-types were calm, watching her with eyes just above the water's surface. "Well, then," she told them with a smile. "I suppose we should get to know each other a bit better. What do you say to a battle after tea?" From the splashing, the idea was met with enthusiasm.
Erika had worked very hard to create this little oasis in the midst of war. If someone thought to destroy it with fire, they would have a hell of a fight on their hands.
13) magical girls/The High Priestess - Transformers G1, Hot Rod (sorry, again, but I already have a magical girl AU for him and this is such a perfect prompt XD)
Hot Rod knew the stories, of course. Of Optimus Prime, of Primes long past. Their strength, their wisdom. That wasn't him.
It could have been. Sometimes Hot Rod was tempted. To reveal himself, to become... himself-Imus Prime. The wisdom of the Matrix could help, so much. Ease the weariness in Ultra Magnus's optics. Couldn't it?
...except, he thought, if he did he couldn't be Hot Rod anymore. Hot Rod would die, more or less, and while in his darker moments he thought that wouldn't be such a bad thing... he'd made a promise, once, not to let the darkness win. So he wouldn't. Maybe that was its own kind of wisdom.
Besides, Danny would be disappointed if they couldn't run around together. Put like that, Hot Rod felt like he had to stick around a little longer.
(this is the ficbit I was writing when it clicked over to midnight and the fireworks started. ^_^)
14) vampires/werewolves/monsters/Four of Swords - BotW, Link (lol, Four of Swords Adventures)
When the blood moon came upon him Link could no longer stand the light of civilization. He'd flee the road, or the stable, or the inn if he'd been foolish enough to risk it for the sake of sleeping in a bed. He'd leave all his gear behind, rip his clothes off mid-run. If he was lucky, the change would come upon him when he was well into the woods and out of sight of civilized people. So far he'd been lucky.
On four paws Link ran until his lungs gave out, then scratched a makeshift den into the dirt in the cradle of a tree's roots and flopped down into it. Slowly, as panting gave way to quieter breaths, the fireflies returned and Link set his chin on his paws to watch them. He'd sleep for a bit, then return for his clothes and his pack once pre-dawn let him claim his other form again. So far he'd gotten away with it - hadn't scared anyone walking around the woods naked.
Had he really been a knight before? How had he managed?
It was hard to fathom and there was no use trying - he couldn't remember. Link yawned and resettled, the slow dance of the fireflies lulling him to sleep.
It was funny, the little snatches of remembered emotion that came to him as he drifted off. Somehow, despite everything, there was a little warm glow in the dark sea of his memory and he couldn't shake the feeling that once, there was one little fire and one little Person he hadn't minded being a wolf around.
15) occult/necromancy/Queen of Coins - Okami, Amaterasu
Issun had been left behind in Ponc'tan, which was just as well: he'd have words about Amaterasu's new destination. A lot of them. At volume.
Entering into the land of the dead required absolute silence.
It was not her first time in the darkness, which was probably the only reason she was able to navigate the path as well as she was. She picked her way along, paw by paw, spiraling down and down and yet further down as the dead moaned and wailed and sang around her. Nippon's troubles had them restless, and they wouldn't be calmed until she set things right. Yet here she was, on a... rather personal errand.
They'd have to endure it. She wouldn't be here long. The sun couldn't rise without her, after all.
There wasn't really a 'where' in the realm of the dead, but even so something had conspired to place her goal as far away from her as possible. Much as in the living world, there were rivers to cross, battles to fight, bridges to rebuild before she was judged worthy to find what she sought. This was not her realm: she was at the mercy of other powers now, if they deigned to notice her.
They did not, and Amaterasu passed unseen and unheard, until she nearly undid her entire journey when at last she beheld the shade of Queen Himiko and had to try very hard not to bark with joy and relief. "Great Mother Amaterasu!" Himiko gasped, and immediately hid her mouth behind her sleeves. "Oh, you should not have come," she lamented. "You will pay a price to pass into the living world again, much less to bring me with you, and I am not worth that price."
Amaterasu stepped forward and very delicately set her teeth in Himiko's sleeve, and began to glow. Himiko was more wrong than Amaterasu could express - and as for the price, well, Amaterasu had divinity to spare.
16) wingfic/King of Wands - FF7, Reeve
Reeve had never been a particularly strong flier - perhaps that's why he'd gravitated to Midgar. The city had granted him heights he'd never have reached on his own.
Now Midgar was gone, and Reeve was a man of airships, of leading on the wing. Like a goddamn goose, Barret had said once, and the comparison was unflattering but apt. Reeve was the one who talked angry small-town mayors around into giving up Mako. Reeve was the one who hauled Edge from a glorified refugee camp into a (mostly) functioning city. Reeve was always on the move, making new connections, rebuilding the web of cooperation and of commerce one link at a time.
"Heyyy, Tuesti! Come on down, the wind's calm!"
...and now and then, Reeve was just a man who needed to practice flying more. He glared down at Cid waving from the deck of the Shera, swung his leg over the railing of the Cloudbank and let himself drop.
Cid was right - it was a calm wind that filled his wings, cradling him as securely as Midgar once had. Two flaps just to right himself and then he was soaring, descending in a slow spiral until he landed heavily on the Shera's deck to be met with Cid's approving grin.
17) dragons/Ace of Coins - TMNT, Donatello (went a bit Pit Dragon Trilogy-flavored almost immediately, oops)
"Heya, Quark." Donny extended a hand - palm down and fingers curled in, like a falconer - and Quark chirped and rocked a bit on his perch before finally spreading his wings and launching himself across the room onto Donny's wrist. "Hey, look at you," Donny praised, stroking over the dragonet's pebbly scales. "Getting stronger all the time." Quark trilled, and a warm pulse of yellowy-orange bloomed inside Donatello's head, a wordless expression of happiness that was as close to speech as the dragonet could manage.
"You have a way with these little ones," Splinter commented from behind his mug of tea and lapful of dragonet who was very curious about the tea.
"Guess who I learned from," Donny said, and Splinter's expression softened. Truthfully Donny thought that all of them were good with the dragonets, in their own ways, but it was nice to have a little praise to himself now and then, and to have that look directed at him. "...tell you a secret?" he offered.
"Hm?"
Donatello sank down on the ottoman next to Splinter's chair, Quark held close against his plastron. "Mama dragon promised us a boatload of wealth for babysitting duties, and, I mean - it'd be nice not to have to worry about money anymore. But..." He leaned in a bit. "I'd look after Quark for free."
Splinter's eyes sparkled as he did the same. "My son, I feel the same way - but let's never breathe a word of that outside this room. ...if Himeko-chan will get her nose out of my tea!"
Donatello leaned back and laughed, Quark coiling about his arm in his own wordless amusement.
18) Victorian/steampunk/Wheel of Fortune - Star Wars, Rose&Paige
Hot water, soap, clean clothes. When was the last time Rose had any of those things?
She wanted to luxuriate in it for hours. Instead she rushed through her ablutions, scrubbed off the worst of the grime and tried to ignore the rest, how years in the mines had indelibly marked her. Paige was waiting beyond the screen, having insisted her little sister wash first - the least Rose could do was make sure the water was still warm when Paige got in.
"There are far too many buttons on this thing," Paige complained, and Rose could see her shadow holding up one of the dresses their benefactor had afforded them. "How are we even meant to put it on?"
"Don't worry, we'll figure it out together," Rose called. Then she took a deep breath, ducked her face into the tub, and blew out her breath in a riot of bubbles: her one concession to the allure of luxury.
The dresses were every bit as ridiculous as Paige had implied, and when they put them on didn't suit the two of them at all. "We look like - like-"
"'Posh' is the word," Paige informed her.
"But we're not posh. We're anti-posh. Posh is the enemy."
"Yes," Paige agreed, toying with one of the buttons. "But posh doesn't know that yet."
Rose conceded the point - as usual, Paige was right. Besides, she'd just discovered the ridiculous posh dress had a hidden pocket, just right for one of those clever little weapons their benefactor built. Perhaps if the two of them asked nicely he would give them one or two, and then the Posh People who'd grown rich off of the suffering of Rose's family had better watch out.
19) Star Wars AU/King of Cups - TMNT, Leonardo
Cloaked in gray and leaning on a cane, the figure stood alone on the porch of a decrepit old cabin, watching as the Stormtroopers approached in what little formation they could manage in the dense forest. "Are you the owner of this property?" the sergeant called out as they neared.
"No, I'm just staying here for a while," came the calm answer.
"Pull your hood back for identification purposes, please."
"Must I? It's cold."
The sergeant snapped a gesture at one of his subordinates, who stepped in front and reached out. The figure didn't move as the cloth was seized and thrown back, revealing a domed, scaley head with a blue cloth masking his eyes. "Satisfied?" Leonardo asked dryly.
"Hey, aren't you-"
Leonardo blurred into motion. The cane whipped out, once, twice, slamming into blasters before their holders could think to fire. The third and fourth managed to get shots off, but Leonardo was no longer there - only his cloak, floating down to the ground with two holes burned in it. Leonardo was already cracking the men out of their fragile shells, knocking their heads together, kicking their legs out from under them, until finally the last one fell and did not rise again.
He stood over them, just to make sure, while behind him the door to the root cellar squeaked open and the property owner peered out, four eyes wide with awe. "Are you a Jedi?" she asked.
Leonardo covered his mouth against a laugh where she couldn't see. "No, not me."
20) Gundam AU/Five of Cups - BotW, Zelda
There was very little left of 001 Vah Ruta, but what little there was, they duly brought back: part of the arm, most of the head, and the pilot's chair, soaked in blood. Zelda had taken one look at it and burst into tears, which didn't help her insistence that she could serve the country better as an engineer than as a political pawn.
But it must have been that no one went and carried tales to her father. No messengers came from Earthside summoning her back, and Zelda was much more stoic seeing the remains of 002 Vah Medoh, 003 Vah Rudania, and only teared up a bit at 004 Vah Naboris. Their black boxes she took for herself, and asked the mechanics to dismantle and salvage what they could of the rest. They'd agreed, solemn-faced, and set to work.
Zelda wished she could do the same. But once the black boxes were hooked up to her personal console and uploading their data, she found herself curling up on her cot and weeping anew. Her friends were dead; they were all but lost; what good was she now?
21) solarpunk/King of Coins - Beast Wars, Optimus Primal
As it happened, the Axalon had landed such that the window to Optimus's personal quarters faced south, and as they'd landed on the planet's northern hemisphere, this presented a key opportunity. Optimus was determined not to let it go to waste.
Multiple grasses sprouted in little round containers that had once been intended for grenades. Radishes and salad leaves freshened the air with their sharp scents. The beans had gone gangbusters that first season, and Optimus learned to moderate his planting the following spring.
Seeds came from everywhere: samples brought in by the patrollers, blown in on the wind, discovered in Optimus's own fur. If it seemed to be a seed, Optimus would plant it, just to see what grew. If it turned out to be something edible, so much the better - he'd replant it outside and encourage it to grow as wild as possible.
He almost regretted the thought of eventually returning to Cybertron, but who knew - maybe he'd manage a balcony garden there too.
22) flying city/The Star - Pokemon, OC
It was maybe four days before I knew where we were. Umbreon knew the whole time, of course, but didn't see fit to alert me. Which was probably the right choice.
It's very disorienting to look down and see sky, even if you're expecting it. I don't think I'll ever get used to it. Everyone else seems to take it for granted, living in a floating city - there's nets to catch the odd flying Pokemon who gets blown off course and railings for everyone else but aside from that it's just like living on the ground, I guess. There's hydroponic gardens for food and such. Huge library. Everyone's careful about their water usage.
We've gone back to our training slowly. Umbreon's practically sitting on me, trying to make me take it slow. But I'm starting to see where I've gone wrong now, and that means I have a chance to fix it. I know I'm not back to my old self yet, but I can't wait to get started.