#beanie bites

[kirkwallace]

I found the timeline hdd last night

[kirkwallace]

Bet Your Life Sometimes you can’t win for losing.

Fandom: FFVII Words: 500 words+ Rating: T Characters: Reeve Tuesti, Vincent Valentine, Shalua Rui, Rufus Shinra, Yuffie Kisaragi, The Turks, basically everyone. For: animus-inspire Part of the Reversal Universe | Crossposted to AO3 In 0010, life should have been stabilising, but in the budding portion of Edge a movement rose in anger and spite, through many mediums, the WRO could not shake the most basic forms of hate from anti-ShinRa theorists. So the WRO stagnates, in limbo, they cannot help those who are still reeling from the after effects of Geostigma and Meteorfall– but with public outcry Reeve’s hands are tied, and now he realises how Shinra Senior fell down that slippery slope of a power struggle. It turns his temples grey, not that they were already grey– he’d deny that for years to come, but he does grey over this stress. His chief medical officer states very coolly that it give him the face of wisdom, but she states with a laugh grey hairs don’t make him wise. Stress lines harden over his face for a moment before she even changes her stance, brushing a hand over his– stating he also looks human, approachable. She’s kind, in the effect, that she’s stating that he has a fight in this game, regardless what the papers say.

They are juvenile, trying to make the world a better place, and she’s right, leaving him with the thought to keep moving on, keep fighting the good fight. So he does– at least for now. She’s not the only one to give him advice, two weeks after his hair greys and the reports come out that people are missing, he’s approached by his chief of finance who has a plan to dupe the public with a super PAC donation under a name that has nothing to do with the Shinra family or the SEPC, inc. It’s a dangerous game to play and the Commissioner steeps his fingers, mulling it over as his staff moves in and out of his office, getting flustered by the presence of four Turks and the man who could have owned the world. The blond offers to step down from the WRO’s board of directors as well, and Reeve only can stand and usher the group out, saying that he’ll think about all of it.

He doesn’t.

His popularity takes a nose dive– into the forty percent range.

GNN reports on an affair he didn’t know he was having with his chief of staff, who is a very beautiful woman in her own right, but she’s married, and he’s married to his work. The WRO is taking over his life– he’s already bet his bank account, so his soul is obviously next. He can’t decide if he believes in something like a soul, so he bets his sanity in it’s stead.

He grabs a cup of coffee with a former co-worker turned almost employee. The Wutai man offers no advice, he simply offers a cup of warm, dark roast, and a blanket statement about sometimes people are fickle, and that they would come around. The words are almost comforting, if the Turk could feign a shred of emotion, and the Commissioner tells him that pointedly. It’s the first time he’s snapped in two months, and the Turk has to hide a smile over his cup. So Reeve excuses himself back to his office, and finds himself pouring the coffee into a potted plant that he really didn’t want. It’s a safe way to let out the frustration– rather than appear publicly and dispute fact and fiction, telling the public that they were wrong and he was right.

He later admits, the Turk’s advice was solid, in the totalitarian prospect of things, but Reeve doesn’t want to take away their freedom of speech, and he doesn’t feel the need to defend himself when the housing programme in Mideel needs work, people in Kalm are starving due to a drought, and when there are more important things to handle than defending his good name.

Later, he decides his name isn’t that good anyway.

Deepground attacks.

And the public is silent on how much they hate ShinRa and the WRO. They actually cry out for help. Kalm is the first city to demand military aid, which, Reeve sends. He personally escorts aid into the city, sending up a beacon for ex-AVALANCHE agents to help. His director of espionage is the first to respond, she’s geared up to send aid to her homeland of Wutai, but she stays in Kalm and evacuates homes under Reeve’s orders. After the walls fall, and they have gotten a hold of the crimson gunslinger, Reeve and she exchange words. She is the only one not to have advice for him, she’s up to date on his issues, she shrugs, and he thinks she’s the one who is most qualified to give advice in this situation he has. She’s going to be Empress of a nation after all. But all she does is tell him to do is to hang in there, and that she’ll see him on the flip side.

Public support for the WRO is at an all time high.

He’s angry, but he smiles for the press reports, he states he’s just doing his job, and he finally kills that potted plant he never wanted. His chief medical officer is the one to get rid of it, before she tells him that she’s going to chase down a lead in Edge as she evacuates the city.  Reeve wants to tell her it’s too dangerous, that it’s stupid to do this now. However, he doesn’t, he throws himself into troop organisation and let’s her do what she wants.

Later, he ends up regretting her go, and also is very thankful that he didn’t tell her off. Because, even though eventually the both of them compromise the security of the WRO, she brings Reeve a gift in the form of a gunslinging ex-Turk and ex-AVALANCHE member, who then proceeds to seize due to a fever.

She states she can fix that.

He goes back to work.

His popularity dips again, when the attacks slow for two weeks.

His frustration mounts, and finally ebbs when Vincent is finally released from the medbay. Reeve kills another house plant, this time it’s not out of anger. Things happen, Deepground invades, Shalua is in a coma, her sister takes up her mantle, Reeve fractures his knee in the attack on the WRO. Things genuinely escalate, and he’s terrified, but he puts on a stern front.

His popularity soars– Until GNN reports that Deepground was an SECP, inc project that went wrong and that the WRO is to blame, that the WRO wants to cover it up.

Reeve stops listening to the news as they invade Midgar. He stops listening as the people that matter most to him bet their lives. He’s not needed on the ground, so he sends out his own mechanical scouts, as he monitors the vital signs of Shalua Rui.

He then admits aloud that his grey hair does not mean that he’s any wiser than he was in his youth, he then gets mad that Shalua was so selfless– that she could bet her life with such ease. He then eats his words as Shelke, Yuffie, Vincent and AVALANCHE do the same thing. So he tells his security to go fuck themselves, after the Shera is totalled and he takes up a defensive stance with the people that mean the most, and watches in awe as Vincent does the heavy lifting.

They recover Shalua two weeks later, and she’s stabilised. Vincent reappears unscathed, and partially grey. Reeve laughs for the first time in three months. He’s gifted another potted plant from the Turks, and he’s almost thankful.

The GNN and the Brotherhood of Edge are already at their old tricks again, but Reeve finally doesn’t care. His popularity isn’t any concern for him. He’s got cities to rebuild– people to think of.

He’s already bet his life, and that’s enough for some.

[kirkwallace]

Say Something--

For: feminaimpossibile

Fandom: Doctor Who (Clara/Ten) (Clara/Eleven) [Almost AU, but not really]

There is a bond between them. She's fallen through his past, and he's running through her future-- of course she wears the same face, and he happens to change, but that isn't the point. The point is that she's with him in the most basic of senses. Of course, when she goes, he forget her face, her name, and the fact that his world is safe, and for the few days that she has to be away-- it's hell for her and it's more than hell for him. She can't imagine what he feels, but she does have to keep her timeline moving, but she always rushes back, not to her floppy haired doctor with the chin, he doesn't know she's moonlighting as a keeper to his former face. But, she's running back to him and beating down the door in her own fashion, trying to let him know that he's not the murder that he thinks he is, trying to let him know that she's still here-- and the future is still bright and new.

There are days where it take him a while for the memories to bubble up, and she doesn't worry-- that's why she has the book, just like River she boasts, but her book can be shown to him, no spoilers-- just things they've done, like danced on the moon and looked into Barcelona (this time it was the city, because when they went to the planet-- that was an interesting turn of events: "We're not married" "We're kind of married." "What?!".) The book sparks something in him, and she's always called it magic-- he's laughed at that line of thought: "It's not magic Clara, it's a wobbly timeline and you're the stabilizer." He always boasts that he's one of the constants in his life, just like the Bad Wolf he loved and loves, but he loves her too, even though he doesn't say it aloud. He taps her nose and spins away on sandshoes that would look funny on the chin Doctor, but they look dashing on her handsome suited Doctor. 

Then-- it's finals, and she's gone for weeks. Of course Chinboy whisks her away after that, and she has no time to go looking for her suited paramour. Her heart cries out to try and keep him from falling into some sort of sorrow, but she doesn't know what that will do, she hopes he finds someone-- someone that will take care of him, and maybe he'll be fine without the book, but she worries, even when Chinboy takes her home and tells her that he'll call. But she leaves in the dead of night and goes to the place she and her suited Doctor always meet-- and like a beacon there she is, worse for wear, but she's the TARDIS all the same. It takes all of her might to not break down the door, but she's a lady and she removes the key with the monkey top on it and starts the routine to unlock the door (a kiss for luck and then into the lock-- turn it left three times, and only then once to the right). The doors swing open-- and the suited man is already on guard, but she pulls out the key and waves it at him, he sputters in swears in a language that more like singing (she assumes it's the TARDIS refusing to translate the words out of Gallifreyan). However, all she can give him is a smile and a promise to explain everything.

This time it takes longer, he remembers slower and he paces, trying to piece something together, he struggles with her name and the smallest of details-- like the meal she always cooks him. He doesn't say anything, and automatically she knows he's struggling with the timelines-- he's older and on edge, he's dying. That has to be it-- her echos have seen it before, but she hasn't, she's never had to do this, so she begs him to say something. Anything, she stresses.

Eventually, he pieces all of her together and that spark comes back for a moment, before he apologises and allows her in. It's the last time, he says-- drawing her close into his arms and she makes the most of it. He's got to be off, he's got things to do, and she knows he's going to see the other love in his life-- he deserves to see her too, but she says goodbye in her own way. They know each other, hands following their curves and lines like a map well known and worn. It's one more kiss, it's the heat of the moment and desperate. When they let go, she has to step back or she knows she'll draw him back in for another. So, she's the one to leave-- back out the door and hold onto the key (she'll frame it, she says), and it's hard to watch the TARDIS leave without her, knowing it's going to take him to the girl who became the Bad Wolf. 

Feet carry her home, but she really doesn't want to go there. It's covered in things that remind her of him, of that face. As she drives home, she plans to take the pictures down for now, to remove the knickknacks and forget that she was married to him in the oddest of ways for the shortest of time (the High Priestess annulled the marriage, out of a favour to the Doctor). But when she lets herself in, she doesn't get the chance to settle or catch her breath-- Chinboy is nestled on her couch with a photo in his hands (It's of her and suited Doctor, they had dinner on the Titanic and they'd gotten their picture taken in black and white). 

She wants to steal it from his hands and yell at him, how dare he! But, he turns his head, features riddled with concern, and pity, but he speaks: "I remember this." He pauses and she moves, dropping the bag to the floor. It only takes her a moment to cross the room and crawl into his lap. Instinctively wrapping her arms around him, because those words were the something she needed.

[kirkwallace]

Tifa/adopted Remnant Wild West style??? Howdy Partner?????

There are no children in this area, they are all full grown men-- even the ones that are just shy of twelve or thirteen, stating so boldly that they are fifteen and they are working on the railroad, just because that is what men do, but she caters to the townsfolk and the builders, she makes sure that everyone gets fed and someone always has a place to sleep, luckily her bar is no longer being used as a shelter for those who haven't built their homesteads, she can now pull the feathers from her hair and shuck the kneehigh boots that seem to disappear under the red ruffled skirt. However, she cannot rest for too long, men build homesteads and take wives-- the children playing as men end up in her inn and she always walks to check on them, however, the oldest normally comes for her, he's a gentle boy with hair like starlight, many people call him slow or behind, but she doesn't listen to those men who act like boys, she loves him-- she's his mother now, and he'll will not have to pretend to be a man and work on the railroad. She wants him at home so he can be a boy. 

[kirkwallace]

Ten and Eleven talking about their children. Not a pairing per se, but still valid?

If a God exists, this is a cruel trick to be playing on the both of them. Of course, with most Gallifreyans a shared hivemind is normal, especially between regenerations-- to keep the timelines valid and to not cross them, but this hivemind is littered with the ghosts of their children, well his children-- same man, different face. They don't speak as they watch the memories play out, there is nothing to say as Susan chases her mother down a rolling moor, all they can do-- is smile.

[kirkwallace]

Ten/Clara in Gallifrey.

She doesn’t need to hold his hand and let him lead, she knows this place as well as he does, actually she knows it better— she knows all of the secrets fall below the paved roads, but she allows him to lead, enjoying the chatter that falls from his lips. He knows that she doesn’t need a guide, and she does it for his benefit— she’s blessed in hindsight, blessed by a timestream that keeps him on his toes and all he can do is smile in wonderment as she responds to his remarks with a gentle ‘I know’. Their stories are not linear and he only remembers them when she’s here, so he’ll keep talking and she’ll listen, if only to walk under the orange sky while he remembers.  

[kirkwallace]

( "Vincent/Hojo. World War II" )

They are both dealers in death, both masters in their trade-- above reproach, fighting for very different means. A soldier had waltzed into the lab, so they had said, held a blade to the neck of the other, the hilt as black as the other's eyes-- some had called this devilish work, the others had called it mindless arrogance when this behaviour, this almost sexual encounter could have you sent seven miles down the road with a triangle strapped to your chest. Blood is never drawn, and kiss never laid, simple biting remarks frame their relationship in a war that will not relent.    

[kirkwallace]

Title: Tradition

For: Vinny

Fandom: FFVII

Characters: Reno, Rude, and Tifa

Rating: T (for swears, and kisses, yes kisses)

Word count: I didn't open word for this so I don't give a rats ass.

Close the bar, turn off the lights-- as she sits down and she remembers she's alone this year. That's an odd thought, normally this is her week from hell, she closes early on Wednesday and cooks for her unruly family of four. But this is different, they all filtered out, leaving her in a place that is far too big for one soul. Marlene and Denzel left on Monday, that was hard. She'd never seen the two of them off to the airfield alone, but they had boarded, waving her goodbye and she had been the divorced mother, weeping alone. Cloud had left between Monday night and Tuesday morning, all he left was a note-- something about work with Vincent and Reeve. Honestly, she didn't care, what was she going to do with just him anyways? PB&J sandwiches?

Most likely.

So she had kept the doors open late Wednesday, regulars filtered in to listen to her gripe, listen to her tell stories of the old days when they were a team, but people have families now-- so she's laughing along late on a night where she should be prepping a turkey, laughing alone with people she had barely known. But that's over, the door is locked and the lights are out, she's tempted to turn on the television to see the world past her frosted window, half tempted to grab her bag and catch the next train to somewhere war, Healin-- no farther south. However, she doesn't, she tucks her legs and flips on the screen, letting the blue fill the room as someone chitters something about ShinRa, something she doesn't agree with and tears begin to fall, a sadness overwhelms her for one second. This sadness claws at her, dragging her under as she knows she's alone-- even though she really isn't, it's a great juxtaposition of life. It's pointless to be this weepy over Cloud and the kids-- the kids need to see Barret and Cloud has his own world that he's devoted to, while she's in it, this holiday didn't factor in this year.

That had been disappointing, but she moves and finds her phone not wanting to sit in her self loathing for too much longer. This isn't her fault after all, people have lives, so she'd going to be proactive, so she picks herself up and cocks the wine, that's a path she doesn't want to head back down. However, as she starts to tidy the couch the back bell rings, which perplexes her-- only the kids and a couple other's use the back door, and she knows it's not the delivery guys. They had already informed her that they'd be off until next week.

But, regardless she moves and grabs the keys, and her gloves, to unlatch the door. Of course, it's not her kids, Cloud or even Yuffie-- it's Reno and Rude tucked behind him. It's only kind of snowing, but it looks like Reno is dressed for a blizzard. She recognises the coat as one of those ugly things that are sold at the inn, they are passed off for ski jackets, but they just giant stitched marshmallows-- while clutching a plastic bag. Rude however is dressed much more modestly, holding onto something that looked like a vacuum flask. For a minute she's dumbstruck, but then she recovers-- opening the door wider for the both of them, "Why are you here? I thought you'd be with the other Turks?"

Reno steps up shaking off the jacket and offering her the plastic bag, before leaning down to undo his laces, obviously in the know with most of her rules.  "Those are turkey sandwiches, girly. Don't get used to it, my kindness only comes out during the holiday season and I've gotta rep to hold up in the streets." Of course she opens the bag, scepticism clear on her face, she doesn't even notice Rude step up and remove his shoes. "The Turks are a bit fragmented for the moment, Rude an' I are the only ones round right now, and I talked him into coming with me-- he brought cocoa." Reno thumbs back to the lug behind him, the man in the middle of hanging up his muffler, of course he pauses when she turns to him, offering her the flask. But she moves forward for a moment-- invading his personal space and moving to pointed toe only to press a kiss to his cheek. She only lingers for a moment, before moving to Reno, who is still on the floor, messing with his boots.

"What the fuck, girly, where is my kiss?" She knows he's half joking, but she leans down, pressing a kiss to his forehead, causing him to shut up for a moment, "Someone is in a good mood." He waggles his brows and she pushes him back with her hand. Some traditions are meant to be broken, she guesses. The half of bottle of wine is forgotten in near the couch and she doesn't have to gripe with Cloud about what is going to be on the TV or what the kids want for dinner.

She doesn't have to please anyone, and they just let themselves in.

Reno moves behind the bar and flicks on the lights, griping about how dark Tifa kept it. She has to laugh and make up some excuse, half wanting to brush off her loneliness-- knowing they must feel it too. Their own family fragmented again. Rude unstacks a couple of chairs and she finds herself looking for plates in the kitchen cabinets. Rude asks her where she wants them and before she knows it Reno and Rude are setting a table for three. Reno's helped himself to the TV sets and found something that is a bit festive, it beats the Kalm parade that Marlene normally watches. Rude sits at the table, tipping back a beer that Reno found in the chiller.

Before she knows it they are all joking over beer-- talking about something that she can't quite put a name to.

It's comfortable.

And she hopes it's a new tradition.