I can't get this idea out of my head about being Ryland's lab assistant as part of project hail Mary's mission (more under cut, this became a little long, warning for angst, gender neutral):
Maybe you both met before - having been a postgraduate student around the same time as Ryland was doing his PhD and as part of that he was your professors TA, so you're already a little familiar with working together, with Dr Grace being senior to you. Or maybe you met on the ship officially, having come a long way on a jet, having only watched or read notes on each other's progress the odd times you've been able to in the upheaval of being recruited by Stratt.
After Grace has his meeting he once again thinks they'll show him to some quarters or something of that kind, but no, he's introduced to the lab on the Vat and the various scientists, who all are some of the best and brightest in their different fields of expertise.
It's overwhelming for him, he's only just been briefed on the project and been in the room with the most amount of professionals and officials he's seen, now he's meeting others chosen for the project. Just like he's been, he feebly reminds himself. But it's a little intimidating, nonetheless.
Then, Eva Stratt parts the crowd and Grace trailing after her as if in a bizarre dream is shown where he'll be directly working, already there's someone sitting at the counter, fiddling with a microscope, who seeing them approaching scrambles to get up from the stool.
"And this is _______, you know them for their work already, of course, they'll be your assistant scientist..."
And that's the craziest part, after all he whined to Stratt about having others work on the astrophage, now all of a sudden he has someone he can work with?! You shake hands, hand much warmer than his, temperature still not regulated from the conditions outside and give him a much warmer smile that he's not sure he returns as well as he could.
"Dr Grace, it's nice to finally meet you!"
And from there a friendship blossoms, working together you kind of stick by each other a little on the ship. Aside from when Stratt is there. If people were confused before about Grace's 'relationship' with Stratt it becomes doubly so with you around!
Most people are either too scared or bewildered to ask what's going on there. Are you a third, is there some kind of poly hierarchy or did you just have a doomed crush on the guy who has some sort of thing going on with everyone's boss? Maybe it's best not to ask you, just in case it's the latter option. But not everyone is so tactful, you do get the odd question and it confuses you too. No, you were not in a relationship and also sometimes Dr Grace uses Stratt's office or you'll get her coffee order because you know what she likes, as far as you know they're not in a relationship either, why do they ask?
Ilyukhina refuses to believe that they're not fucking, whilst others on the Vat decide that it must be some secret third thing.
You and Grace have also developed some sort of thing with each other, though it's strictly platonic/non sexual and neither of you would admit it or voice it (at least not yet), too insecure and tentative to broach the subject, not to mention the convenient distraction of the hail Mary mission.
Grace is drawn to you at the bar, where you are both dragged to when you're not working through the night (not that there's much else to do on the ship), sitting next to each other, chatting about anything, trivial things, personal things, the things that you like. There's even quiz bingo nights or karaoke on the weekend and you and Grace team up, a rare competitiveness rearing up between you as you debate answers and who got the most right. Grace argues about the probabilities of the game, which you refuse to hear and he finds himself unable to stop the grin spreading across his face, the laugh bubbling up as he shakes his head at you.
Heading out together to get some fresh air on deck, Ryland's arm firm around your shoulders, an infrequent moment of being content and comfortable. You ask him to promise he'll keep in touch, there's only a week left and whilst you have been itching to get back home, you'll miss his company.
It all shatters the moment of the explosion. Grace is put into the worst position possible. Four people are needed for the mission, and it's going ahead without delay, they need at least one scientist. In Stratt's office, he says he can't do it, she tries to persuade him of the importance of the mission.
"I'm sorry but you just can't talk me into it."
"I'm not talking you into anything... I'm trying to make you understand what I'm going to do next."
The personnel come into the room, Eva has to talk him down from scaling the furniture, whist he accuses her of his murder.
"What if I told you Dr ______ has volunteered to go?" Ryland's world feels like it's tipping on its axis once more.
Eva Stratt swallows the lump in her throat, continuing quickly. "Regardless of whether or not you agreed to go. They were very clear on impressing that to me, in fact it took them half an hour to deliberate after our meeting."
"What?!â Ryland spat out, stunned. His head was scattered by sheer panic and the well of questions brought up by that statement. He couldn't believe it, was she lying? Surely they would have told him before? He had been wandering around in his three hours, toiling over the decision, did you come to find him or had you avoided him? What kind of coward did it make him, that you had hardly hesitated to sacrifice yourself, whilst he was still trying to find a way out... "I- I, that's not... don't... You're lying to me that's not possible!"
The wounded yet pitying expression on Eva's face told him otherwise, quite clearly.
"You can't!" He could feel himself hyperventilating, eyes flitting to the security personnel, who were cautiously hanging back. "You can't do that."
"I can't? They've agreed, Dr Grace." The tone left no room for argument and it instantly brought his vitriolic anger back to the surface. This was his fault, his mind delivered to him, he was the reason you were put in this position, not just from his deliberation; you were his assistant, his teammate; he didn't even get a chance to say goodbye... "Does this change anything in your decision?"
"Fuck you." He scrambled up onto the table, kicking out at one of the medical team, who now started to close in on him once more. He thinks of your smile, your voice, your excitement to go home... "I-I'll sabotage the mission! T-that's it, you want Earth to be saved, if you put Doctor- if you put me on there, I'll destroy that, blow up the astrophage-"
The room became a cacophony of physical struggle and rising voices trying to counter one another...
"-I don't believe that. Dr Grace I will not compromise this mission, you are the expert on astrophage-"
Grace finally managed to leap over to the door, heart lurching at potential freedom. "Please, sit down and we do this differently!"
Painfully aware that every step forward is increasing the inevitable distance between you, a conflict in his panicked mind that still pushed him to run, to survive, to preserve itself...
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Hello! Thank you for signing up for my little fandom project. Like I mentioned in my post, these will be once a month character building/exploration questions. I don't expect immediate answers. Feel free to take the whole month, if you need! If you have more than one Step, pick your favorite or whichever you think needs more love.
We're going to start with the basics this month: Where did your Sidestep get your name? Do they know what it means? Do they feel any particular way about their name?
- Cigs
Hi, thank *you* for doing this, it's such a wonderful idea!
Leigh got their name off some books. They'd just been exploring a little second hand bookstore, starting to get the feel of being able to make their own decisions about what they do with their time and not being completely controlled by some higher power. Probably the first time they ever actually bought something instead of stealing it (it was Pride and Prejudice), but they felt like this shop, the person behind the counter, they should buy it this time.
They didn't actually need a name until later, but they took the first name from a book that was stalled out, and the last name out of the book they bought. The memory stuck with them, and it felt right. They did go for Bennett with an extra T, to be a little less obvious maybe (real reason I misremembered and stuck with it)
I just looked up the etymology of both first and last name (Leigh: delicate or meadow / Bennett: well-spoken of or blessed) and I don't think they know. They'd be a little annoyed at the origins probably, like what the fuck do you mean they're a special soft little angel.
But they are pretty happy with their name. Something about it being something they got to pick out for themself, becoming their own person, and by having a name, also having a place in the world, even if only a small way.
Blue looked up when he heard a knock on his door to find Phantom standing in the doorway, leaning on his cane with an easy smile on his face. âHey there, Blue. You busy?â
Blue shook his head. He had been working on something, but if someone wanted his help, it could wait. âNot really. What do you need?â
Phantomâs smile grew. âI just got my hands on a bunch of new magical artifacts, and I want help going through them and organizing them.â
Blue nodded, standing up. âOk. I can help with that.â
âGreat! Knew I could count on you.â Phantom turned, leading the way down the hall towards his room.
To call the place where Phantom stayed in Ego Inc. a âroomâ would be understating it. The place looked something more like an antiques shop, with various magical artifacts stored all throughout it on shelves and tables. Next to his workbench sat three boxes, piled high with even more artifacts.
Blue settled down at the workbench and immediately began sifting through the boxes, checking objects and sorting them into stacks. It wasnât the first time heâd helped Phantom organize his magical items, and he had a feeling it wouldnât be the last, either.
Phantom watched as Blue worked quietly. The android was never very chatty while he worked. Although, he wasnât ever really very talkative. That was more his brother, Oli. Blue was different, though. Phantom didnât think it was possible for an android to be shy, but somehow Blue had seemed to manage it.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a dull clunking sound. He looked over to see Blue holding an old wooden puzzle box in his hands, turning it over curiously. âThereâs something inside here.â
Phantom hummed. âProbably. If you can figure out how to open it, it might be interesting to see whatâs inside.â
Blueâs eyes flashed with light as he scanned the box, analyzing its locking mechanism and beginning to open it. With a few quick motions and a soft click, the lid of the box popped open, and Blue raised it to check what was inside.
The inside of the box was covered in old velvet that looked like it used to be purple. Nestled within was an old, tarnished brass bottle. Blue lifted it out, turning it over in his hands curiously. It was clearly very old, and time had not been kind to it. The bottle was scuffed and scratched, and looked like it hadnât been touched in decades. A brass stopper was wedged firmly into the top, holding it closed, and a golden thread ran through the stopper, winding around the neck of the bottle to keep the two attached.
Blue could just barely make out the indication of some kind of lettering engraved into the side as he peered closer at it. He frowned, rubbing at the dirt that was obscuring the writing, reading it aloud as it was revealed. âTo wish is the truest act of desperation.â
Suddenly, there was a loud popping sound as the stopper flew out of the bottle, dangling from its golden thread as purple smoke billowed out of the bottle. It flowed out morphing and swirling until it cleared, revealing a figure, rising up from the bottle, still made of smoke from the waist-down.
They wore a flowing purple shirt, made with glittering golden thread. Thick golden bracelets surrounded their wrists, connecting to their gold collar necklace with beautiful, delicate chains. Their hair was short and brown, their eyes a striking shade of violet as they looked around the room, taking in their surroundings.
Blue stared at them in awe as their eyes eventually landed on him, still sitting at the workbench with the bottle clutched in his hands. Their face was calm, but he saw something in their eyes. Something that looked wary, and sad. His mouth gaped as he stared back at them, unable to look away.
Blue had barely made it out of the doors before part of the building collapsed behind him. Eric was in a full meltdown as he set him down on the ground. There wasnât a scratch on either one of them. Tears poured out of his sightless eyes, soaking the bandages covering them. The designs that Terra and Eric had worked so hard to create began to run, the colors dripping down Blueâs face in streaks as the bandages fell away, not stable enough to remain on his face.
He wasnât sure how long he stayed there, but the next thing he knew, there were hands on his shoulders. Somebody was talking to him. They were asking him something, but he couldnât figure out what. Terra and Dark. He had to find them.
Oliâs eyes widened as Blue stood up, trying to go back into the rubble. His arms went around his brother, holding him back. âBlue, stop!â
Blue struggled against his grip. âI have to find them! Oli, I-â His legs gave out, and Oli caught his weight with a grunt. âPlease, Oli. I need to find them.â
Oliâs face softened at the broken tone of his brotherâs voice. Colors were streaked down his face, tears still leaking from his damaged eyes. He sighed. âAlright, Blue.â He helped him stand back up, the other still seeming a little unsteady on his feet. âIâll help you look. Letâs go find them.â
~ * ~ * ~
Dark woke up to massive pain and a world covered in darkness. Their shoulder felt like it was on fire, so much worse than it had felt before. Their torso was tender, and if they breathed too deeply, sharp pain stabbed through them. They tried to shift their leg, only to cry out in pain as it felt like they were pulling against something stabbed through it.
It took long moment for them to move past the pain and register the rest of their surroundings. They were surrounded by what felt like rubble on all sides. Except wait, that wasn't right. On their chest, covering most of their body, there was a warm weight. They managed to shift their uninjured arm, trying to explore what it could be.
Dark froze when they felt skin beneath their fingers. It wasnât theirs. Someone was buried under all this rubble with them. Dark felt around more, recoiling when they encountered something warm and wet and sticky. Even without seeing it, Dark could tell it was blood.
The person laying on top of them wasnât moving. Dark couldnât tell if they were breathing or not. Come to think of it, Dark couldnât...Their eyes widened in the darkness when they realized that the person on top of them didnât seem to have any legs. There was only one person among the egos and anons that didnât. Darkâs breath caught in their throat as they realized it was Terra.
They couldnât move. They couldnât go get help. So Dark did the only thing they could. They opened their mouth and started screaming for someone to please come help.
~ * ~ * ~
It was Blue that heard them. As he and Oli carefully searched the rubble, Blue had turned his hearing as high as he could, to almost dangerous levels, hoping beyond hope to hear something, anything. And just as he began to give up, he heard it. It was muffled, but he recognized Darkâs voice immediately.
âOli! Over here!â His brother was at his side immediately, grabbing his hands as he began tearing at the rubble. He tried to pull away. âWe have to get them out! Let go!â
Oliâs grip was firm. âBlue, you need to listen to me! We have to be careful in how we get rid of this rubble. If weâre not, the whole thing could shift and crush them.â
Blue stilled, stopping his struggling and nodding. Oli cautiously released him. Together, under Oliâs direction, they began carefully lifting the rubble away. Darkâs face was the first thing they managed to uncover.
There were tears running down Darkâs face. Oli gave them a reassuring smile. âItâs ok, Dark. Weâll get you out of there soon.â
Dark shook their head. âIâll be ok. But please, hurry. I,,,I canât tell if theyâre breathing.â
Oli froze as Blue let out a broken cry, tearing away the rest of the rubble to reveal Terra laying on top of Dark. It looked like they had tried to shield them with their body.
Oli was brought out of his thoughts by his brother screaming and sobbing. He had been feeling for Terraâs throat, trying to find a pulse. What he had found was an alarming amount of blood from deep gashes in their face and neck. Blue pulled his smaller partner close, cradling them to his chest and sobbing.
Oliâs breath stuttered when he saw just how bad Terraâs injuries were. Were theyâŚ? He engaged his scanner, searching desperately for a heartbeat.
Blue whined as he felt hands trying to take Terra from him. It was a moment before he registered what Oli was saying. â...need to give them to me, Blue. Theyâre still alive, but I need to get them to the doctors and Green now.â
Blueâs arms loosened, and then Terra was gone from his grip, whisked away by Oli. He heard his sprinting footsteps retreating away into the distance as tears poured down his face. He felt Dark grab one of his hands, could feel his partner shaking in pain and fear next to him. So Blue did what he could to comfort them. Eventually, Marvin and Chase and Anti arrived, two of them lifting Dark onto a stretcher and carrying them away. The third helped Blue to his feet, guiding him out of the rubble and into the portion of the building that was still standing, seemingly untouched by the damage the earthquake had caused.
Eric started screaming as soon as Blue was led into the clinic. Everyone in the room flinched at the sudden noise. Blue quickly retreated, holding his hands over his ears. He hadnât adjusted his hearing back down all the way, so the screams sounded three times as loud. He was led into a different room and guided down into a chair. Someone else was in the room with him, but Blue didnât care. He deactivated his hearing, just slumping to the side as he tried to process everything that had happened.
~ * ~ * ~
It was hours later that the doctors and Green emerged from performing surgery on Terra. Various egos looked at the unconscious anon in concern as they took in their injuries. One of their arms was heavily bandaged, a compression bandage holding it to their chest to prevent it from moving. Their neck was immobilized in a brace, more bandages covering the gashes to their neck and face. One of their eyes and a large portion of their face was completely hidden behind the carefully-wound white cloth. Their mouth was open, a tube down their injured throat to help them breathe.
The two doctors each collapsed into a bed, exhausted from hours of surgery. Green pulled a portable battery pack from somewhere, plugging in to charge himself as he started to tend to Dark. Phantom sat close to Eric, keeping an eye on him. Oli grabbed a chair and sat down next to Terraâs bed, watching carefully, waiting for them to wake up.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Pix took the first move. She wasnât sure what motivated her.Â
Was it their conversation?Â
As the moonlight shed its light on them for what felt like the millionth time, Inigo suddenly brought up the concept of a romance with anyone. And, of course, her mind jumped straight to the man in front of her. With a sudden blush that Inigo somehow missed(?), She tried to be very, very vague.
Inigo was also dodging around whoever he was into, but again... vague. Just like her own words...
The conversation drifted to kisses, and how they would kiss others. Pix laughed about her short height, saying that an integral step in her kissing someone would be to tilt her head up.
The silence after that comment was deafening. Her thoughts about what they had just been talking about- kissing-, and Inigo was smiling at her, and...
Maybe that was what inspired her.
She slid over to Inigo, her mind screaming at her to stop, but her heart, twisted up inside of her, yelling at her to keep going. She slid an arm under his, wrapping it around his side. Inigoâs shoulders hitched, but his smile grew. He said nothing. Pix let her hand swirl around on his back, her mind racing as to what to do next.
Lean up her chin. She leaned up, and her lips hit the side of his.
Inigo didnât respond to the kiss, at first. But after a few heart-wrenching moments, he turned his head. His arm moved, and a hand brushed down Pixâs back. Their lips were in full contact, a perfect match.
After a few moments of puckered lips, of slightly opened mouths, of soft sighs, Pix remembered why she hadnât kissed him before.Â
She tore herself away from Inigo, who opened his eyes, looking at her with-
âIâm so sorry,â She mumbled, before getting up from the ground and running as fast as she could, away from Inigoâs face, away from what she just did.
Darling, I heard you wanted someone to send you a letter! How about from your dear husband?~ I ah, have a new dance I'd like to show you, so why don't we make it a date night and dance together? I should stop writing here before Odin gets the urge to look over my shoulder... With love, Laslow
[HOLY FUCKING SHIT i mean uhhh QUICK RESPOND]
Oh, thank you, Laslow! Of course I would love to see your new dance! Maybe you could even show me some tips? I have my own style, but I just admire yours, as well. I would like something soothing to drink, as well- you have so many tea dates, there must be something, right?
Hope Odin doesnât peek in on your letters. Iâm intending our night to be private! Just us, and the stars...
With love,
Pix
[TH ANK. sorry for the sappy letter followers, i, yet again, am FUCKING TRASH for this man]
Jimmy looked at the phone in his hand, grumbling something about finding a damn Nokemon before Hana, of Normal Boots, found it first. You kept him company, getting supplies from one of the two Nokestops that Asagao Academy held. To be honest, you didnât really get why he was complaining over not finding another Nokemon, it pops up later... right?
He turns to you, worry on his face now. âSorry- You doing alright? Todayâs kind of a warm day, and while I may be able to withstand the heat of the sun at full force, you may not.â
Jimmy was sweating. Something told you he wasnât dealing as well with the heat as he tried to make it seem.
âIâm alright,â you respond, wiping your open palm on your shirt, âhow about you?â
âIâm fine... are you sure youâre okay?â Jimmy clicked the side of his phone, and his face is actually completely down. âIâm feeling like you donât want to do this, and as your boyfriend and all I shouldnât just-â
âItâs fine, itâs great just seeing you excited!â You rubbed your hair back, trying to organize it into something presentable after a bit of sweat. âAs your boyfriend, I say continue. Donât worry about me. Besides...â You smirked, âI think I just saw a Pikach-â
âOH YES!â Jimmyâs attention is back onto the game, swiping through his phone, and you click on the Pikachomp on your screen. You think you see the bob of a red ribbon in the distance, as Hana Mizuno swiped at her screen, too.
Who got the Pikachomp first...? That will be an arguement to remember. Youâll bring your phone.
