Mando Avec Croûte

"You have done nothing but what others have asked of you. Why should you be able to choose what you want now, especially since it conflicts with their needs?" Croute could hear his own voice ask him.

He opened his mouth to answer and his lungs were met with endless flowing blood. The rest of his armor seemingly gone, melted with the blood of what little sanity he felt he had left. His helmet left remaining. Then it was gone, and the blood that coated his lungs with it.

"You have little time left with your bashert. See that they know your true feelings" A new voice spoke to Croute. It spoke with a resonant baritone, and an accent he couldn't quite place.

Croute woke in a large body of ankle-deep water. Sitting up he could only think of one thing.

That, is the hardest thing.

This scene takes place roughly two weeks after what is written below. Please enjoy.

Princess had always wanted to climb the mountains of Intix-7. The mossy cliffs and damp canyons were said to give way to a legendary view once summited. So when Croute suggested that they do just that for their honeymoon, she was ecstatic.

"Really?!" she breathed in deep as if she could already feel the cool mountain air in her lungs.

"Yes." He nodded "Though we would have to get the ship fixed first and that might take a while."

"Oh, right."

"Why don't we go back to the inn room? We could polish our armor or…" Croute's sentence trailed off as Princess walked away from him.

Princess could feel the tears welling up under her eyes. She didn't know why she had chosen the Intix Station Club as their meeting place, but Croute had promised he would be there. And now it seemed as if he wouldn't show. Just like all of her previous partners. And as she began to feel the crushing weight of being alone sag on her consciousness a large hand landed gently on her shoulder. Turning around at a near violent speed she saw green paint with a dash of silver in the middle.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" Croute asked, his helmet tilted at such an angle that one could only interpret as concern.

With the grace of a fumbling fawn Princess fell against the tall man's chest, her head landing in the space above his left breast and below his helmet. Gentle sobs began to flow out of the woman.

"I didn't think you were going to come…" her voice shaky with a mix of relief, sadness and pain.

Croute wrapped Princess in a tight hug, leaning his head down and speaking low enough that his voice could only be heard by her.

"Focus on breathing Princess." the shakiness in Croute's voice more evident than he would have liked as he took a deep breath himself.

"I can't... Croute... I can't..."

Princess's final words leaked out, her chest coming to rest inside her armor. Her body rapidly losing its warmth in the cold swamp water.

-Josh Allardice ❆

guys this is Princess

she is taking any and all questions