#andrill

Andrill stops, and turns his head.

A new sound starts to break through the forest ambience.

A trickling of water, filling the air just underneath the birds and the underbrush.

He sniffs the air again, finding very little to focus on despite being downwind.

He grins, drops to all fours, and practically gallops through the forest towards the streams, knowing his destination is finally nearby.

Only ten minutes later, the young kitsune sprints across the little brooks on the forest towards the main creek, making sure to get his paws into the water as he goes, before he shifts into his human shape at the creek, looking for the stash.

They said it would be by the cherry tree…

…Is there a cherry tree near––

He spots the blossoms, and scrambles across the nearest set of stones to get across the way, the scrambles yet further still towards the tree.

In the nook he can spot a leather bag.

Inside is a small handful of gold, a fox brooch, a map, a dagger, and a note.

We can’t go against what we’re paid to do. But that doesn’t mean we can’t give you the tools to survive on the way out if you make it. Good luck, kid. —K&K

Andrill exhales, and closes his eyes, letting the tension leave his body.

He’s made it.

He’s free now.

He takes the bag, and unfolds the map.

Andrill’s initial anthem was The Pretender by the Foo Fighters, but recently he’s evolved more into a Rip by Grabbitz / Caffiene (feat. Lamar Hall) by Jeff Williams & Casey Lee Williams type character of late.

Jess has always been an UNTIL IT BREAKS gal. (Truthfully, both Soldat siblings have had a lot of Linkin Park influence in them). But her showdown with Ace has fittingly always been set to Pendulum’s Showdown in my head. In Gigacross she’s inherited a bit more of Cage The Elephant’s Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked, and Gramatik and Tom Morello’s Can’t Stop The Bleeding.

Also, Can’t Sleep Love by the Pentatonix basically belongs to her and Scarlett.

Lucina’s interesting. Given that, of the half of the Broken Future kids that I have authoritative control over, she was always intended to be the one that took their mission the most seriously, she was just Rising (Jeff and Casey Less Williams) through and through for a while, along with Linkin Park’s Mark The Graves. And while Mark the Graves has stuck, Rising is a bit of a different story, since she’s had a lot happen recently to inform her character. She’s much more of a ONE OKAY ROCK’s We Are / Wonder type of gal these days.

Antarctica could be headed for major meltdown

In the early Miocene Epoch, temperatures were 10 degrees warmer and ocean levels were 50 feet higher — well above the ground level of modern-day New York, Tokyo and Berlin.

It was more than 16 million years ago, so times were different. But there was one important similarity with the world we live in today: The air contained about the same amount of carbon dioxide. That parallel raises…

My sister: So how did you and Will end up a thing?

Me: Hm?

Sister: Well, he's white for one thing. And obviously a bit popular.

Me: Are you implying something.

Sister: No, just curious.

Me: Well. Freshman year I threw a water bottle at him, and that's when he began to notice me more other than the smart ass with a weird name in class.

Sister: ...

Me: Then we sat by each other in AP Euro and we were civil and friendly to each other for the first time in eight months.

Me: Then I got his tumblr when he came to school in an Asscreed cosplay

Me: And then we started talking more. He started venting to me, and then suddenly I got protective of the ass. Like this crazy ass chick liked him and he had a girlfriend, so friend instinct kicked in.

Me: Then in like, late November, I realized I fell for the shithead. But he was taken, so I was like "AW HELL NO, FUCK MY FEELINGS, HE'S HAPPY WITH HER." And it was all good until he and his girlfriend started going to shit.

Me: Then like, I was comforting and fixing a broken hearted friend I loved a lot, right? Like shit, must make the kid smile.

Me: THEN I FUCKING CONFESSED ON NEW YEAR'S DAY I WAS DRUNK I SWEAR.

Me: AND HE SAID HE WAS INTERESTED IN ME.

Me: And then shit happened for like two weeks, and like he started getting more cheesy and shit. And was like, asking to kiss me, like dude I haven't even kissed anyone yet. And then he confessed his love for me on the 12th of January. I was like HOLY SHIT DUDE WHAT. WHAT. WHAT?!

Me: Then like, we became a thing on the 20th? And like, yea. Yea. More shit, just a lot of shit happening, lots of bad shit, lots of good shit, like wow I can't have a normal relationship. It has to be like an Asian drama mixed with anime, doesn't it.

Sister: ...

Sister: ...

Sister: ...

Sister: You could write a book.

AND NOW, something completely unnecessary that I wanted to do anyway: a bit of bonus fluff for my dear friend who's not doing so well and could probably do with some happy shenanigans. 

Scenario: Will takes Andriezl out on a "date".

-----

"Can I open my eyes /now/?"

"No! Stop asking, I'll let you know when we're there."

"You know I don't like things like this..."

"Trust me, you'll like this."

"I'd better, cause that's the only thing keeping me from peeking right now."

Will had told her to close her eyes, then he'd grabbed her hand and asked her to trust him and follow. Andriezl didn't like telling him, but just trusting people blindly – in this case quite literally – was one of the things she was worst at. She could love whole groups of people genuinely and with all her heart, but trust was a whole different issue.

She loved Will though, and so when he told her to take his hand and trust him, she bit back the retort already on her tongue and closed her eyes. He knew she didn't like things like this and if he did it anyway, he had a reason to. And she would do her best not to spoil everything for him and herself.

She heard the slide of an automatic door and a wave of warm air hit her. How many places this close to his house had automatic doors? She didn't get through her list of possibilities before he stopped walking and stood behind her, hands on her shoulders.

"Kay, open them up!"

She cracked her eyes open and, once they'd adjusted to the bright lighting, took in the scene around her. Blankets. Piles and piles of blankets and pillows. Bright colors, dark colors, elegant embroideries and modern patterns, pillows shaped like animals, like hearts, like donuts... Confused, Andriezl looked up at Will.

"Um? What are we doing here?"

He smiled and pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

"We're going shopping! I need a winter blanket and my mom, by accident probably, gave me enough money to buy at least two. So...I thought I'd bring you along and we could get something together. Then we can take it home and, I dunno, cuddle up. Or something."

"Or something...?" She looked at him doubtfully.

"Oh my god, Andri, not like that." He hit her playfully on the head and sighed. "I was thinking more along the lines of you finally showing me that anime you keep talking about. You know, Attack on Titan."

Her eyes widened and sparkled at the mention of her favorite anime and Will knew he'd made a good decision. She turned around to face him and held his hands.

"You'd really?"

"Of course. I said I would some day, didn't I? When better to do it than on a cold winter day with fluffy blankets," he looked around, "and possibly pillows?"

"That sounds wonderful- but is it really okay? It's your mother's money and-"

He cut her off by putting a finger lightly on her lips.

"Shh. It's fine. Consider it a..late birthday present."

"Will, it's past Christmas."

"A reeeally late birthday present."

She rolled her eyes and turned around. "So...what did you have in mind?"

-

Two hours later, the couple was bundled up in several blankets, sitting on Will's bed across from his computer. He was trying to hold back tears and Andriezl was patting his head comfortingly while trying to hold back a smile. They had just finished the first episode. This was going to be a fun evening.

-----

Look another part and I’ve given the story a title and everything! Wow. The first part was “the meeting”, because I’m uncreative and like stating the obvious. This part is really, really short.

—

"What’s your name?"

"Will."

"…Do you have another name?"

"You mean my last name?"

Andriezl’s frown deepens as her eyes bore into Will’s. He shifts uncomfortably under her heavy gaze and can’t help but feel like she’s trying to read his mind. After a long pause, she turns away and absentmindedly waves him off. Will can’t stand gestures like that and if he wasn’t so confused at the moment, he’d be extremely irritated. As it is he’s very tempted to just leave the room and never see this strange person again. It hasn’t even been an hour yet and he’s already sick of her unusual attitude. Can’t anyone in his class be normal for once? And yet when he looks at her again, his heart drops at the dejected look in her eyes and a little voice in the back of his mind tells him he needs to fix this somehow.

"Uh…your…hair is very pretty."

He wishes he could punch himself in the mouth and the look Andriezl gives him makes him feel like he just did. Her eyes wide in shock and her mouth slightly open, Will feels like he just made a big mistake. He’s about to mumble an apology when she stands and excuses herself from the room hurriedly. Wondering what could possibly elicit such a reaction, he glances at her desk and spots a single drop of clear liquid. His mind goes blank as he realizes what is is.

He made her cry.

—