☆ The Bright Spirits Trio Teaser #1☆ 

and anyhow, as much as she may be completely uninterested in learning anything about this idiot on a personal level, on a professional level, night time cuddles have got to happen so.

meanwhile paul canonically grew up as a flamboyant and i want to say the phrasing was either carefree or happy go lucky, one of those. got a good center is the point. so he's like 'yeah sure thing, cuddles are great why are you expecting me to be weird about this???' which just annoys anna tbh but oh well she'll live

A Guide, by me:

Step One: Take an Anna you have already drawn and a Paul you have already drawn

Step Two: Squish Them Together

Step Three: 

@stilldanytrash / @rhaerystheglitterqueen

Blue

:D

also its angst. i feel like that went without saying but

“I’m sorry if this seems a little insincere, I’ve had to do this a lot today.

“In a little while, they’re going to start telling you things about me. They’re going to tell you I betrayed UNATCO, that I betrayed everything you and I and everyone else swore an oath to. That I abandoned our principles and our fight and everything we held dear. If they think that you-

“They’re going to tell the people they think will still care about me anyway, that I’ve been corrupted. That I let myself be seduced by anger, by fear and loathing, that I let myself be taken over by weakness-

“They’re going to tell you I was weak. They’re going to tell you I was weak, that I was flawed. They’re going to tell you I was weak and that I’ve always been weak and that I let myself exploited. Used. Turned. They’re- they’re...

“...they’re going to tell you all of that, and you’re going to believe them, because they’ve been doing this for a goddamn long time and they’re so, so good at it. You’re going to believe them, and nothing I say can change that, there’s not a goddamn chance I can say anything that could change that, I don’t even know if I’m going to be able to save my own brother, but…

“But there’s some things I need to say to you. Before this is all over. I mean, maybe it’s been over for a while, but before it’s really over. Before there’s no coming back. I need to say it all while we still exist in a time where I know you’ll still hear me. Where I know you don’t believe them, not yet. A time where I know you don’t think I’ve abandoned everything we believed in. A time where I’m not a traitor. Not yet.

“You see, I… I’ve always respected you. You, you have this… you’re so certain. Of everything. You’re unshakable, immovable. You’re dedicated, you stand and pledge your loyalty to this thing, this thing that’s bigger than us and never once did you flinch away from it. Nothing could shake you from your devotion. You have loyalty, in your core and in your soul, maybe, and I, I’ve, I’ve never… I never had that, not even once. I’ve been…running, running my entire life from the murd- assassination, of my parents. I ran from there to UNATCO, from mission to mission, from ideology to ideology while the whole time you stood there staring at me like you were wondering what the hell I thought I was doing. Like you couldn’t fathom why I was wasting energy on it all. And- and- and you were right, it was all so fucking pointless, I killed for them and never looked deeper and never wondered and I-

“But you, you didn’t. You have this way of looking at the world and then committing yourself to it anyway. Looking at everything with open eyes and doing it all the same but the depth of this, of this, of this thing that you have, this certainty. You are certain of what it is you’ve done and are doing and who it is you’re doing it for and it’s because that’s who you are that I know I’m never going to be able to change your mind, not really. Nothing I say can do that, it’s me who’s the swayable one.

“I have to tell you all the same, but…

“But I don’t know what to say.

“I guess it’s…leaving is as simple for me as staying is for you. I thought what I was doing was right, but it wasn’t, so I changed what I was doing. And I thought what I was doing then was right, but it wasn’t either. And after that, I thought that was good, too, but it was just another fucking fuck-up. My whole life has been…been just this trip of fallacies and constructions and empty fucking actions.

“And if I’m being honest…if I’m being really, truly honest with you…Anna, I think this one is a mistake, too. I thought everything else was right and it was wrong, and there’s no reason this is going to be any different. None.

“But…I respect you…which means I’ve learned to respect myself. This might be the wrong thing, I’m terrified, Anna. It might be the wrong thing but that doesn’t make what I was doing with UNATCO right.

“So I guess what I’m trying to say is this.

“In a little while, they’re going to tell you a lot of things about me. They probably won’t need to lie to you; it’s probably all going to be true.

“But Anna. I know how I feel about you goes both ways. So I’m asking- I’m- I’m pleading with you Anna, for both our sakes.

“You’re going to believe them, because that’s who you are and that’s how this goes, but don’t forget who I am, too.

“When they tell you I’m a traitor, remember who I am. When they tell you I’m a terrorist, and I’m evil, and corrupt, remember who it is they’re talking about. And when- when they send you after me, and they will send you after me, and you’re looking down the barrel of a rifle and the loyalty inside you is finally forced to make a choice between what you say and what you feel…

“Learn from me, Anna. Like I’ve always tried to learn from you.