#sonofthefrosthearted

[flashgotthis]

@son-of-the-frost-hearted x

“Oh no,” Flash frowned as his imagination started to go ahead and provide him with the visual of a boy getting hit by a car.

Only that it got worse to. “Wait, no,” he added with a mix of surprise and shock. “You..cut her tires! No, that’s...that’s not how you do these things. Even if she hurt you. Are you alright?!”

[deadpoolwasnothere]

@typicalclint @voicesasclearasday  @son-of-the-frost-hearted

“Listen up. I’m gonna tell you one more time. I have this gift card for Yogurtland and I S H O U L D be allowed to use it as valid currency.”

[singingintothevoid]

New Friend

Siren smirked as she leaned forward, sweeping the chips to her side of the table in a flashy, pointless gesture.

“I’m gettin’ full value outta ya buddy,” She drawled, grinning just a little wider so the points of her teeth were visible.  “Goods’ll be picked up in about fifteen hours, an’ so help me, if ya try to cheat me, there won’t be a meteor in this galaxy ya ass would be safe in.”

The blue man slumped, an impressive move given the size of his shoulders, and Siren laughed, plucking the datastick from her tablemate’s unresistant hand.  “Not that ya could!  Doubt ya got credits left for fuel!”  

In her moment of gloating, she missed her victim turn to mutter something to his bodyguard, who angrily stomped away.  Not that she had paid much attention to his presence anyway; when she was here, sizing up others was Lash and Spackle’s job.  The more she held herself as a rich, cocky brat, the less people expected of her, and the more she could get away with.  And she got away with a lot.  For example, her taunting about being cheated was so heavily hypocritical her tongue should be making clanging noises against her teeth, as Chamile was currently hanging on the ceiling, invisible, and quietly relaying the other’s hand to her over an earpiece radio.   Over at the dice table, Chirp had his antenna tucked under a hat as he quietly tilted dice for Zentara, who was flirting just enough that no one was paying any attention to the scrawny kid beside her.

But rules were things for other people.

Her opponent (he had introduced himself when he sat at her table, but she had promptly forgot and had been thinking of him as Fresh Meat all night) stood, glowering at her.  Siren just grinned wider, settling back in her chair, as Lash and Spackle stepped forward.  Meat looked like he was considering it anyway, probably because he alone was as wide as the two of them together, but decided against it in the smartest move he had made all night.  

“Run along, buddy.”  A casino bouncer had come along, and rested his hand on Meat’s shoulder.  “Computer says you don’t have enough credits left to stay.”  Meat, having been given a smaller target and the smashing realization he had, in fact, just bet away almost everything he owned and now had nearly nothing left, turned and punched the man in the face.  The bouncer didn’t budge, and Meat recoiled with what definitely looked like a broken hand.  

Siren didn’t care to stay and see how this was going to go down, and promptly sauntered off as the bouncer pulled back for his own punch and a flock of black-suited bouncers descended on the starting fight.  She didn’t feel bad.  Meat had been downright rude to the waitstaff, and that was the lowest kind of person.  Even space pirate had standards.

“Let’s get drinks.  On me.”  Siren decided, as they exited.  Hailstorm and Warhound pushed themselves to their feet from their seats next to the door and fell into step beside them.  Chamile became visible next to the two, and gave a quiet cheer.

Drinking on won money was almost always a bad idea, and last night was not the exception.  There always seemed to be even less concern with how much money was spent, and on backwater planets like this, there was some potent stuff if you had the credits for it.

Siren dragged herself out of her tank, glad she had made it in, because most of the rest of her crew were going to be useless for the rest of the day.  This way she was at least somewhat safe from the hangover, having spent the night hydrated.  She peered at herself in the mirror, tugging a brush through her hair, which was already drying, thanks to its oils.  Wasn’t much she was going to do about the circles under her eyes today, and she was already in a losing battle with the crows feet.  “We’re only thirty-eight.”  She snapped at her reflection.  “It’s bad enough we got white hair already, stop that!”

“Stress does terrible things, boss-lady.”  Shine commented from her doorway, smiling serenely.

“So it’s all y’all’s fault.”  Siren grumped.  “Noted.  Ya need somthin’?”

“Not particularly.  However, you may be interested to know that your winnings from last night have been delivered.  Also, the man you won them from who started the fight as we were leaving?  He’s going to be working at the casino until he can pay off the fine they levied against him, so we might want to avoid it for a while.”

“Go figure.”  Siren sighed dramatically.  “Was one of the only ones ‘round her we could still get in’ta.”

Shine smiled.  “Guess we’ll have to actually work a job then.”  She narrowed her eyes slightly.  “I am surprised though...  You almost never drain someone completely like that.”

“‘E was ‘n idiot.”  Siren shrugged, and yanked her coat on.  “Shouldn’ta bet more than ‘e was willin’ ta lose.”  She reflected for a moment.  “He also slapped the waitress’s ass.  I didn’t like that.”

“Hmm...”

“Anyway, where’s ‘Ailstorm?  I need someone sober ta help move shit.”

It hadn’t really occurred to Siren that when you win all “easily liquefied assets” from a man who owns slaves...  That included slaves.  But here sat the long haired man who had been behind Meat all night, with the rumpled look of someone who had spent a night sleeping on a crate.  And now he was glaring at her, holding tight to a small sack that must have held everything he owned in the world.  Siren probably looked much the same when she was dropped off in the orphanage.  

“No!”  She screeched again, jabbing one finger at the employee, who was almost straining something with the level of ‘I couldn’t give less of a shit’ attitude they were exuding.  “I don’t do slaves!  I don’t deal in ‘em, I don’t transport ‘em, and I certainly don’t win people!”

“Well, you won this one, and he can’t stay in here.  I’m obligated to make sure all your winnings get off planet with you, and that includes this...”  He glanced at his tablet.  “Theoric.  An Asgaurdian combat slave, about 900 standard years of age.  Male, and fuckin’ smells it.”  Behind him, Theoric looked massively offended, and tried to give himself a subtle sniff.  The employee closed the program, and popped the data stick out.  “His info and ownership papers are all on here.  You could give him back, but he’d just get sold to cover his old master’s debt to our casino, and the owners don’t care who buys those they sell.”  (The offended expression switched to vague panic.)

Siren stared at the man, unable to form words through her fury.  Next to her, Hailstorm was almost vibrating from his own disgust.  Pretty much everyone on her ship saw eye to eye on slavery, but that had never stopped him from going on long, angry rants about it.  

Shine stepped forward, before Hailstorm could explode, and took the stick from the man’s hand.  “Of course we’ll take him.”  She was releasing her calming pheromones, and to her (decreasing) frustration, Siren felt herself respond to them.  “I know where this place sells people.  I don’t wish that on anyone.”

“Fine.”  Siren seethed.  “Alrighty, Mr. Theoric, come aboard.  I’ll find ya a room without some weird ass bird in it, and decide whatta do with yer ass once we get off this shithole.”  She stomped back up the gangpank into her ship, waving for him to follow her.  Shine smiled apologetically at the man.  

“She’s nicer than she acts, I promise.”  She patted his shoulder as he walked past, before moving to help bring boxes into the cargo bay.

They found a room Theoric could put his stuff down on the third try.  First door had a large, blinking machine making concerning noises in it, and the second did indeed have a large, weird bird, which flew at Siren when she opened to door, shrieking wildly.

“First order of business, is you are taking a shower.”  Siren wrinkled her nose.  “I’ve lived with an unwashed crew once before, and its not ever happening again.”  She pointed out the shower room, and continued, “Once you do that, come out.  We’ll figure out getting you free.”

Theoric bolted into the shower with more enthusiasm than she expected, though he did mutter something about not stinking THAT bad.

Siren sat on what was to be Theoric’s bed, and brooded.  Slaves were documented, so that meant she had to go submit paperwork for not only his transfer to her ownership (a frustrating mess), but also for his freedom (An even more frustrating mess.)  It also wasn’t much help that she had been banned from the planet as a slave thief, a title she wore with pride.  The Goats had told her about how slave escaped on their home planet, how simple it was in comparison...  Cross the right boarder and you were generally safe.  (Actually, it had been a much more complex explanation, but there was just something about Chamile trying to explain things that made Siren lose all focus and retention)

Here, if you were stolen as a slave, your paperwork had to be stolen too, and then purchase or exchange information forged, then you would still generally have to be on the watch for bounties out on you.  And that was just if you were being stolen by another master.  Stolen to be freed?  It was easier just to find a way to fake your death.  Fake identities for ex-slaves were highly sought after, and Siren was pretty sure that’s how Zentara made most of her money.  They hopefully wouldn’t need that though, considering this was all done legit.  

Huh.

That was a weird feeling.  Though she supposed bounties were things done legitimately...  Probably...

Her musing was interrupted by Theoric coming back out, toweling his hair.  There had only been one towel in there.  Nothing she hadn’t seen before, but...

“So I suppose the “ass-gaurd” part ain’t really embraced in yer culture, huh?”  She drawled, giving it a vague inspection.  Probably in the top twenty she’d seen, and that was saying something considering how many brothels she had wandered around in.  

[flashgotthis]

💚🖤 Send this to 10 bloggers you think are wonderful. Keep the game going. 🖤💚 ((We haven't interacted for a while but I adore seeing you on my dash nonetheless.))

//Awww thank you <33

(and I always have to smile when I see you too! we really need to interact again!)

[ofvallianceandvillainy]

✮

✮ Have you managed to stay away from drama?

Sadly, no. In the course of 5 years of RPing on tumblr, I have been dragged into drama all the time, whether it was from my rp partners because how dare I interact with other same muse blogs as they had (mind you I wasn’t exclusive or anything with them), or drama that included me that I didn’t even know about before anons came swarming into my ask accusing me of copying other people and stealing headcanons/plot ideas/icons etc. Drama is the main reason why I quit roleplaying for 8 months. Thankfully the MCU fandom is drama free from what I managed to see.

[wanderingtheinbetween-blog]

“It’s a rather curious thing, fate.”  Hariman mused, the light of the dying star casting his face in an ominous series of shadows.  The glow that came from his eyes was much clearer here, but Ethereal didn’t bother to comment upon it.  Her butler had been shifting since this whole mess started, seeming to forget the form he had carried for the past thousand years.  She had to wonder how old he really was, that the illusion dropped so readily at distraction.  Loki’s had been unwavering until his death...  

Her throat tightened, and she dropped her gaze to the sleeping form swaddled in her arms.  Lorelei, who had been restless the whole trip here, finally settled down once the rings had picked up motion.  How inopportune, given how soon they would be off again. 

Ethereal thought she might have been tired, had she been able to feel anything at all besides a numb ache in her chest, the result of a battle between grief and terror where both sides had just given up and burned all remaining feelings.  

Hariman was still talking, unconcerned with her lack of attention.  “He will see so many outcomes, but there’s only one that was ever going to happen.  Funny how they always seem to think they have a choice.  That the strings could be broken.  What has happened was always going to happen, what they see was always going to be seen and acted on...  That’s what makes these things happen, after all.  We knew, and we wrote it out.  Like moths, these mortal sorcerers and wizards try to alter the fabric of fate, but all the holes they chew just sew themselves back together. Except the hole your mother made.”  He added as an afterthought, reaching down and gently bopping Lorelei on the nose.  She stirred for a moment, then settled back down.  

Frowning, Ethereal rocked her daughter, trying to ignore the points of light dancing in his eyes, tiny stars spinning in their galaxies, whole universes carried and watched by the man who would bring her tea and ran her households while she was away.  Even harder, she tried to ignore the ones that were winking out...

The dread was seeping back in.  Distantly, she could hear the dwarf telling Thor that whatever idiotic thing he was thinking of doing could kill him, and she wondered if Thor even cared.  If it would matter if he fell here or later...  Would it matter if she did?  Here or there, she would never see her daughter grow, and her daughter would never know her parents, never have a family...  An uncle on a suicide mission, an older brother too stubborn to stay alive in the coming mess, who took after their shared father who was also too stubborn to keep his hand hidden.  Whatever Sigyn would have been to her, it was subverted by the fact that woman would have to die before anyone could lay hand on her son. 

Hariman was watching her.

“...What can I ask of you?”  She found her voice, small in her throat.  To ask what she had to was to acknowledge too many things going wrong.  Too much pain, too much fear, too many awful truths.

“What can you?”  It wasn’t the first time he seemed to read her mind, and that half smile that was so familiar was languidly in place.  As if this was about what flowers should go in the front garden, not...

“How many can you save?”  Choked and mangled as it was, she needed to ask.

His smile deepened.  “A handful.”  Hariman held out one hand, palm up, fingers bent lightly inward.  “But not you, ma’am.  You’re too far from the fate I built.  I cannot truly touch you.”

A terrifying implication, but one to be dealt with if there was a later.

“My babies.”  No hesitation.  She had been a mother for so long, she knew nothing else anymore.

Wordlessly, his thumb and pointer curled down to his palm.  As they touched, Lorelei seemed to flash, light that wasn’t light flickering across her body.  From across the room, Tyr yelped.

“Sigyn.”  They would need a mother.

Another finger, and the women giving Tyr a pat down jumped, and give a started look around.

“Thor...”  She swallowed as another finger went down.  Hariman had just his pinkie out, curled, the daintiness of the gesture almost obscene with it’s contrast with what it represented.

Who else?  Who else did she even care about that much anymore?  Her heart had distanced itself in the past few days, retreating into the heavy isolation she had held for centuries, a shield against the loss that her life provided around every turn.  

Well, it was simple really.  She only really had one friend outside of the immediate family she had gathered around herself.

“Tony needs to live.”

The final finger folded over, and gently, Hariman tapped her forehead with his now closed fist.  A shock passed over her body, like falling in a cold pool, and Ethereal gasped, her muscles tightening in surprise as her vision went temporarily dark.  

Or no, no it hadn’t.  She was just falling into the endless space that hid behind Hariman’s eyes.  Ages and a void, the abyss of time, of bended space and reality...  She couldn’t see, because it was beyond her comprehension.  Her many long years of life flashed by in an instant, and the sun which earth circled snuffed itself out as the galaxy collapsed inward into the black hole that was it’s heart...  And elsewhere, new suns, new planets, new beings that were life beyond what they knew, sprang into being...

And Hariman blinked, turning away, and she was once again on the forge, spinning around a star that was in it’s end.  There was commotion behind her, and the power of whatever weapon was crafted behind her was radiating through out the whole place, making it shake.  

“Hmmm...”  Black hair was back in place, eyes were once again dark, and the smile lost its predatory edge.  Hariman was again, just Hariman.  “Not yet, my dear, you’ll have some time.  Remember your mother, Eva.  You are not just the frost, for you hold both sides of conflict in your soul, and if you can reach what she left you, you will give more a chance than I am allowed.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You will.  One day, you will achieve it on your own, but for now...”  He reached behind a nearby pillar, and pulled forth a staff she knew had not been there the moment before.  “A channel for your, ah, new growth.  Also, an early wedding present.”

What.  “...That fucker is still alive isn’t he.”

“As his brother said, he’s been dead before.”  Hariman winked.  “I’ll watch Lorelei, while you help save the universe.  It isn’t even yours, aren’t you such a good person?”

He took her baby from her unresisting hands, and replaced it with the staff.  

“Go on.  We’ll be waiting for you.”

Ethereal looked over at where Thor was visibly preparing to leave, Sygin, Tyr, and the obnoxious raccoon and tree person all standing next to him.  Thor gestured to her, clearly urging her to hurry up.  She tried to take one last look at her daughter, but Hariman was gone.  Home, probably, but to hers or his (where ever that may be), she did not know.

To go with Thor would be to her death, she knew for certain.  But the universe always keeps spinning.  And life after death was always a reoccurring theme, she thought, a wry smile crossing her lips.

She stepped forward, each step lightening the tightness in her chest, the staff radiating warm life through her hands, and by the time she took her place behind Tyr, next to the woman who had quickly become like a sister, she was content.

Let what may happen happen.  Ethereal was ready.

[wanderingtheinbetween-blog]

((Ooh! Ooh! "Quite Me" or "Wed Me" (just talking about it) with Ethereal and Sigyn?))

((Gonna combine both ;D))

Ethereal stared at herself in the mirror before her, almost unsettled by her reflection. She wore white almost every day of her life, but this… Somehow this dress felt more blinding, more real then her.  The idea of the dress wearing her sprung to the front of her mind, and she sat down, the wide skirt swooshing around her in a cascade of grey silk and white fur.

“Sigyn… Sigyn, this is a wedding dress.”  Her voice and hands shook, as she smoothed her hair down.  Her fingers touched the cool metal of the circlet and traced the dangling crystals where they brushed against her neck.  “What are you planning?”

Sigyn grinned at her friend, bouncing Lorelei as the baby gurgled happily.  “Hey, Loki already has one already technical bastard, let’s not let this little one grow up as such too!”

Ethereal stared at Sigyn in a panic.  “He’s never said anything to me, never asked, I don’t even know if we’re considered courting, much less asked me to marry him, this isn’t something I can just spring on him because I had a baby, we weren’t being smart about it and it was my fault just as much, I’m not trying to trap anyone-”

“Do you want to be?”  She was cut off, the dark hair woman clearly amused at her outburst.

“What?”

“Do you want to be married?  Because, my friend, you sure seem like you do.”

Ethereal stared at her for a moment, before reaching out to take her daughter back.  She stared down at the baby’s bright green eyes, framed with dark lashes so unlike her own ghostly pale ones.  

“Ten years ago, I would have said no.”  She managed, after a long silence.  Her trembling had stopped once her child was in her arms, though her voice lacked her hand’s steadiness.  “I just wanted someone who wasn’t going to die on me in another fifty years.  We got along, we had fun, we were uh, sexually compatible and I have some very nice paintings above various fireplaces in my homes.

“He’s nothing like my first husband.  Halbrad was honest, loyal, relaxed, almost kind to a fault.  Honestly,” her brown furrowed.  “Almost the complete opposite of Loki.  But then he started opening up more…  I heard about his home life, the feeling of being an outsider in a place you used to feel you belong…  I hurt for him, because I lived that as well.  And the more he talked, the more I felt like I knew him, the more I realized I was falling in love, like an idiot.  I told myself I wasn’t doing that anymore.”

“It never works out that way.”  Sigyn was grinning, far too enthusiastic about this.  “If we actually loved who we thought we were supposed to, the world would be a much more boring place.”

“And you wouldn’t be dating someone with the IQ of a grape.”

The laugh that came from Sigyn’s mouth was deep and from the belly.  “Oh be nice.”  She came up behind Ethereal, armed with a brush, and began going after her hair, quickly twisting it up into elaborate braids that Ethereal hadn’t seen the likes of since wedding ceremonies between two chieftains in old Iceland.  “So when did you decide you’d marry him?  You followed Loki back from Midguard when he got himself arrested.”

“Yeah…  Probably not my brightest moment, but I was angry.  I knew all his pain, you know?  He disappeared for almost two years, and all I heard from before that was his father was possibly dying, and his brother was exiled, and even then, he was…  Nothing in anyone’s eyes.  There was so much pain wrapped up in the feeling that no matter what he did, he was never going to be enough…  And the whole frost giant thing.  I probably should have been more sympathetic there, thinking back, but he had this dramatic reveal, and all I could think of at the moment was, ‘oh, like this?’ and dropped mine too?

“That uh, was probably the night I got pregnant, thinking back on it…”  She coughed, awkwardly, but Sigyn’s eyes were sparkling as she tried not to laugh.  “Anyway, He left for two years, and come back with a plan, and even deeper betrayal.  Odin was a terrible parent.”

“Yeah he was.”  Sigyn nodded enthusiastically, trying to goad Ethereal into continuing.  She hadn’t needed to bother though, because after years of not talking, Ethereal was more or less turning into a verbal steam roller.

“He wasn’t him, though.  Not really.  Something was wrong.  He showed up at my door one night, with that scepter, and told me of his treatment at Thanos’s hands…  Gods I just wanted to take it all away.  He’s a little shit most of the time, but he didn’t deserve half of what he got dealt.  But he’ll never say it, but I don’t think he was entirely in control of himself.  He’s never wanted to lead through fear, not really.  He wanted respect.  Maybe sometimes he didn’t know what it looked like, ouch-”  She winced as Sigyn worked through a particularly large group of knots.  “But fear is too much work.  I think it’s also what became expected of him, and we all, meaning to or not, rise to meet what we are expected to do.”

“Mmhmm.”  Sigyn finished her pinning, and resettled the crown on Ethereal’s head.

“And he keeps growing.  And learning, and I don’t need someone to take care of me.  I don’t need a Halbrad anymore.  I’m still young, I just want...  An equal.”  Her eyes were worried when she looked over at her friend.  “But we’re not, not really.  I might be rich, and vaguely famous in the right circles on Midguard, but he’s a goddamn crown prince up here, and if you weren’t really accepted, how can I hope to be?”

“Mother-”  Both women turned to the small, dark hair child who had been standing in the corner of the room, unnoticed.

“Oh, Tyr!”  Sigyn grinned wider at the beaming smile the broke out across his face.  Tyr gave two thumbs up, before fleeing, leaving Ethereal very confused, and a little worried at the fact that Sigyn was practically vibrating with glee.

“Well, sister, there’s two things that you’re wrong about.  For one, our wedding dresses are a lot fancier than this.  We do dress up real nice for engagement parties, though.  Weddings take years to set a date for, especially since we don’t have any bride-ale on the ship and not really anything to brew it with.”  Sigyn took little Lorelei out of Ethereal’s unprotesting arms.  “And second, Thor and Tyr have been, uh, talking with Loki.  You’re not nobody.

“You’re going to be a princess.”

[singingintothevoid]

Memory Prompts:  Siren (Pt. 2)

🐥- A memory about their children (past, present, or future)

“Kid, take a good, long look at this ship, and the fuckin’ jackasses running ‘round on it, and ask me that shit again with a straight face.  Don’t have time, or energy, for my own kids, even if I did like ‘em.  I helped raise Peter, and that’s good enough for me.  Right now, I gotta remind people to put their laundry away, have to keep dumbasses from killin’ each other over stupid shit, make sure people don’t eat junk every meal...”  Her eye twitched.  “Literally no time.  Theoric’s old owner was nose deaf, and the idiot needs to be reminded that showers exist.  Though it’s fuckin’ hard to find somewhere to wash ‘round here that doesn’t have somethin’ weird hidin’ in it.  Yes I know there’s a snake in the guest bath.  His name is Inchworm, yes it’s stupid, but I don’t argue with Lash anymore.”

👘- A memory associated with an article of clothing they have

“Why the hell were ya goin’ through my things?”  Her cheeks purpled as she yanked the lacy dress out of the boys hands.  “By gods child, yes it’s see through, because it’s an overdress, you wear a bodysuit or some shit underneath it, jackass.  Stop laughing Peter, I swear to god I will punch you in your fuckin’ face.  Yes, even when I danced, I wore shit under it, it tried to be “classy”, which I could usually pull off as long as I didn’t open my fuckin’ mouth.”  She held it up to her chest and smiled fondly, any embarrassment seemingly gone.  It was white and sheer, covered in elegant lace, with wide armed sleeves.  Reaching mid-thigh, it looked far more risque then most would imagine the captain wearing.  “Fortunately, I wasn’t hired to talk much.” “I’m still amazed you weren’t hired to punch people in the face, with all those scars on ya.”  Spackle had wandered in to find out what the yelling as about.   “You wear enough foundation up there to wall a house, scars or no scars.”  Siren shrugged, balling the dress up.  “And I did snap a few fingers, remember?”  She tossed the dress on the bed, and grabbed Tyr by the ear.  “Now don’t go diggin’ through my shit anymore, ya brat.  There’s much less innocent things, not to mention dangerous stuff, in those drawers.” 

⚔️- A memory about war

A long pause stretched after the question was asked.  “You pry too much.”  Her voice had gone harsh.  “I lead a rebellion on my home planet to try to keep other kids like me from getting burned alive.  It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t honorable, and I got the fuck out of there once I got paid.”  Siren stormed out of the room, the spine along her back raised and pulsing red. “It’s a bit of a sore point.”  Lash said quietly, watching her leave.  “She felt important, and is actually quite the hero on her homeworld now, but she’ll never go back.  Too many remains of murdered children, and the ghosts of her, ah, spawners, as she calls them, will always haunt her there.  She also knows she was just a tool, just a plot point to add to the fight of one group against another.  They offered to let her stay, give her power, a new name...  She left as soon as credits got transferred.  I wouldn’t bring it up again.” “What Lash dodging around sayin’ is that she killed her parents there.”  Tossing a ball absentmindedly, Spackle stared at the ceiling.  “They were lining up parents who had killed their children, basically those who had kids at one point, and then mysteriously didn’t.  Some could prove they hadn’t killed their kids, and those they couldn’t prove if they did or not got secluded elsewhere, and those who had...  Well, there’s some new mass graves on a nearby planet.  Her parents tried to use her to be kept out of it, said she was proof they hadn’t killed her.  Wouldn’t look at her, wouldn’t acknowledge her presence, didn’t say ‘sorry for dumpin you’...   “She killed them herself, and you could see it fuckin’ hurt to do.  Couldn’t get a word out of her for days, weeks before she smiled again.”  The two lieutenants looked uncomfortable.  “She really doesn’t like it being brought up.  Just know she always wanted a family, and have that thrown at her...  Yeah, don’t talk to her about this, and be grateful you got two parents that care about you, okay?”

🌅- A memory associated with a certain location

“Best memory of this place?”  She said slowly, frowning.  “The ship itself?  Pro’lly walkin’ into it the first time.  Such a surreal experience that was.  She wasn’t new, no way I coulda afforded that, but she was clean, and ready to fuckin’ go...  Just so exciting.  Lash ‘n Spackle at my back, ready to take on the whole damn galaxy...  Didn’t know the fuck I was doin’, but I was doin’ something.” A snort came from behind her.  “You spent almost an hour running through the place screaming like a little kid.”  Lash was smirking.  “Literally just, ‘mine mine mine mine!’ for almost an hour.” “Oh shut up.”

🌠- A time they wished upon a falling star

“Jeez, you’re sappy.  Um, okay, I didn’t really wish on that shit, but uh, when I first left the orphanage, first time on the Ravager ship, there was a meteor shower goin’ on.  Too dangerous to fly in that, so we stayed in orbit until it cleared up.  Freakin’ beautiful man.  I was seventeen, it was my first time off planet where, ya know, I wasn’t freakin’ the fuck out at the idea I was about to get brutally murdered.  The city my orphanage was in was too damn bright to have notice from the ground, but man, I must have spent the whole thing plastered against the windows.  I thought I didn’t need to wish, right?  I was already gettin’ all I had hoped for.  I just wanted off and away from that whole damn mess.  But it was second only to the time we flew through a space storm for gorgeous shit I’ve seen...  Well, while on the Ravager ship at least.”

🐕-A memory of teamwork

“I give my people shit, but they’re good people.  You gotta trust everyone to have your back ‘round here.  One person stops...  The group’s just too small for that.  Everyone’s gotta job, and it gotta get done in order to have everything work, both in ship and on the field.  Yeah, my people are fuckin’ great.  Wouldn’t trade any of ‘em away for anythin’.” “You’re being so sentimental tonight, Boss Lady.”  Jackie grinned, and there were a few chuckles around the circle.   “Oh, y’all can go suck it.  ‘M drunk, I have an excuse.  ‘Sides, y’all know I’d die for any of ya, no need to make somethin’ stupid outta it.” “Same to you, Boss.”  Jet raised his bottle, drunk sincerity making his voice quiver.  Siren beamed. “Anyway, there’s no specific memory ‘bout it.  The whole ship is teamwork.  Every job we’re hired on, e’ry day flyin’...  Ya need everyone.”  She threw her arm around Cinder, who was settled in next to her.  He looked like he was about to argue, but perhaps her words had managed to make an impact, and he merely looked away.  “Everyone is important on here.”  Siren threw back the rest of her drink.  “Every last one of ‘em.”

🐺- A memory about being alone

“There’s something about flyin’ alone that gets to me.  I spent almost a full week, when I first left the Ravagers just...  Flying.  Literally just spent all that time just bein’ happy at shit bein’ quiet.  Never was, even when people were sleepin’, no matter where you were.  People would be snorin’, stoppin’ around drunk off their asses...  Quiet was just so...  Wonderful.”