#unstable world

[kasumatchakoi1999]

HEADPHONE WARNING

i made a monstrosity and i like it for some reason

enjoy my first actual attempt at extremely loud music because i cant make breakcore :<

p.s. this attempt sucks

song name: "UTT3R CH405!!!" (utter chaos!!!)

samples:

a looped part from the song "Unstable World" from Sonic Adventure 2

drums from the song "Unstoppable Force" from ULTRAKILL

[ryqoshay]

Unstable World: Hot Cocoa Awaits

Flagship: N/A Starring: Maki, Nozomi Escort Ships: NicoMaki, NozoEli Words: 554 Rating: G AU: A wartorn world Prompt: Soon

---------

Author's Note: Primary entry for the 31st

Summary: Maki wants to make good on Nico's promise

---------

Cheers erupted across the sky as the last Paragon skyship fell to the ocean below.

The dragon riders of the Μνήμη Kingdom began to return to the ships that brought them to Erato Island for its defense. And crews abord those ships began to assess and repair the damage suffered by the battle.

Maki observed the activity of her military from the foredeck of the Jardin de Verre. Her tactics and leadership seemed to be paying off as the fleet suffered fewer losses compared to engagements of years prior.

Still, there were improvements that could be made. When defending against an invader with nigh infinite resources, all losses needed to be examined carefully so as to aid in future reductions. The next few days would be filled with reading reports and meeting with the captains of the involved ships and dragon flights.

Maki sighed.

“We just successfully defended against another Paragon attack and Maki-chan is sighing?”

Maki pursed her lips, unsure if she was ready to speak with someone like Nozomi. The Grand Wizard had an uncanny knack for ferreting out things one wished to remain hidden.

“First Officer Toujou.” Maki turned to greet the other woman.

“So formal.” Nozomi giggled.

“…” Maki turned back to the aftermath of battle.

“So,” Nozomi put her hands on the railing beside Maki, “what’s still troubling our glorious Grand Star?”

“I’m… just… not looking forward to all of the paperwork.” Maki decided to say.

This prompted a sidelong examination from the mage. “But Maki-chan should be used to that by now. Obviously, something else must be bothering you.”

“Nozomi…” Maki puffed.

“Well, at least I got you to drop the formality.” Nozomi laughed, clamping a hand onto Maki’s shoulder.

“It’s just… no, it’s silly.”

“Mmm?” Nozomi leaned in.

“Nico-chan promised to make me hot cocoa when I returned.” Maki muttered.

“That sounds delicious. Perhaps I should make some for Elicchi. We know how much she loves her chocolate.”

“Yes, but…”

“But…”

“I won’t be back until tomorrow…”

“Why?”

Maki blinked and turned toward Nozomi. “We just finished defending Erato Island!” She swept a hand out over the railing to emphasize her point. “There is a lot of work now to clean up and recover!”

“All of which is already well in hand.” Nozomi said calmly. “Our Grand Star is a welcome leader in battle, but she can trust everything after to be taken care of and reported to her properly later.”

“But…”

“Also, the queen of Μνήμη awaits the return of her wife.”

“… But…”

“Niccochi is waiting for her Maki-chan. With hot cocoa.”

Maki’s shoulder slumped.

“Right, I’ll take that as an order to return then.” Nozomi said cheerfully. “I’ll have Elicchi set a course back to the castle and then head to the engine room to pump in some extra magicks to hasten our flight.”

Then, without waiting for a rebuttal from Maki, Nozomi practically skipped off. For the briefest of moments, Maki found herself wondering who was really in charge of the Jardin de Verre. However, that thought was quickly shoved aside as the airship turned and began its return trip.

Soon, she would be back home. Soon, she would get to enjoy a mug of hot cocoa prepared specially, just for her, by a queen. Soon, she would get to see Nico again.

---------

Author's Note Continued: I honestly hadn't considered that having Nico promise hot cocoa to Maki two prompts ago would perfectly set up this scene where I could use the Hot Choco prompt from '21 - yeah, I spelled it differently, oops.

Anyway, I really had fun writing Nozomi here. I love her as a NicoMaki supporter/shipper/wingman/etc. She really cares about them, in her own teasing way.

Also, Prompt was the prompt from '22. And with this, my self challenge of using all of the prompts from the two prior years I participated in this event is complete.

Now to move on to the Backup Prompts.

[ryqoshay]

Unstable World: Setsuna Scarlet Storm

Flagship: YuuAyuSetsu Vanguard Ship: AiRina Rating: T Words: ~2.4k AU: A war-torn dimension other than our own Time Frame: Sometime before the main story Event: Femslash February 2023 Event Source: @femslashfeb Prompt: Storm Content Warning: Mentions of war

---------

Author’s Note: Woo! It’s February again! And that means it’s time for another Femslash Feb event! ♡ ＼(≧▽≦)／ ♡

I’m a whole three days earlier to the party this year. And I have some good ideas for what I could write for some prompts. But will I be able to match or exceed the 16 entries I managed to write last year? I’d like to say yes, but we’ll see how my work/life balance goes this month.

Summary: Ayumu and Yuu search for Setsuna after she misses a commendation ceremony.

---------

“That was a wonderful presentation, Madam President,” the aide said as soon as the door closed behind them. However, her voice could still barely be heard as the door did little to muffle the cheers of those outside. “The troops clearly appreciate your commendations.”

“Thank you, Nishikawa-san,” Ayumu replied, “I only wish I could do more.” And I wasn’t able to award one because she wasn’t there… She added silently.

“Shall we go find her?” Yuu asked, seeming to read Ayumu’s mind as she leaned in, far too close for comfort, especially in what was supposed to be a professional situation.

Well, it wasn’t like it was any big secret that they were married, or how openly affectionate Yuu was, but it still occasionally bothered Ayumu how casually Yuu usually behaved. Heck, she couldn’t even be bothered to wear her suit jacket correctly, leaving her arms out of the sleeves and treating it more like a cape. Then again, such traits were often a source of comfort on which Ayumu relied when the stresses of leading a nation wore on her.

“Yes, that is a good idea, Takasaki-san.” Ayumu replied, making a conscious effort to avoid becoming flustered in front of so many of her staff. “Let us go find our absent Brigadier General.”

Yuu grinned widely. “Alright everyone,” she addressed those gathered around them, “you’ve all done good work today. Why don’t you all take the rest of the day off? I can ensure the President’s safety until we find the Brigadier General.” She slipped an arm through Ayumu’s. “She’ll be in good hands with us.” She winked.

“Y-Yuu-chan…” Ayumu murmured before ducking her head in a vain attempt to hide the blush she knew was forming.

“Thank you, Madam Secretary.” One of the Service members replied before reached up to his ear to activate his comm device and relay Yuu’s orders to the others.

With that, the Secretary of Defense began to lead the President of the United Rainbow States down the hall to begin their search for the one who had been absent for the ceremony. The one they both had wanted to see most during their visit to Prism. An officer in their nation’s Air Force and the leader of a special detachment known as the Firestorm Chasers, Brigadier General Yuki Setsuna.

In truth, the woman’s name was Nakagawa Nana, but she had enlisted in the military under as Yuki Setsuna for reasons she had never revealed, not even to her wives. As they rose in rank and position, Yuu and Ayumu had become privy to birth name of the woman they were dating and would eventually marry. They had asked her once, years ago, about the name and she declined to answer, so they decided not to bring it up again.

“I hope Setsuna-chan’s not sulking somewhere because she believes she failed to protect Prism.” Yuu commented as she and Ayumu left yet another facility where the staff did not know their wife’s whereabouts.

“Mm…” Ayumu hummed her agreement before sighing.

Setsuna was the type to take failure to heart, even perceived failure that only she believed. This was a large reason why she was still a Brigadier General, despite having previously risen to the rank of Lieutenant General. However, shortly before she was to be promoted to General, the forces under her command were nearly wiped out. They were ultimately victorious due to her tactical leadership, but she struggled to accept sheer number of casualties of those under her. She declined the promotion and requested a demotion. Those above her refused to let her rank drop any lower than Colonel, but she later refused to be promoted any higher than Brigadier General.

At her current rank, Setsuna by rights should be commanding a significantly larger force than she did. Instead, the her superiors had approved the formation her own small squadron of hand-picked, specially trained sky fighters. They used the latest, cutting edge and experimental military technology, often reverse engineered from the enemy, like the Rapid Dimensional Deployment packs that allowed them to respond to invading forces anywhere around the globe.

Most recently, the Firestorm Chasers were, as usual, were the first on the scene when reports came in about a mounting attack on Prism City. The military’s newly built headquarters for research and development had been in production barely a month before it became the target of the Paragon.

The Paragon, as this world had come to call them, were invaders from another dimension and the greatest threat they had ever faced. And this time, the Paragon brought new weapons, giant insects that they had augmented and enslaved as tanks and artillery. Their carapaces were reinforced with some new technique and the Chasers found it significantly difficult to penetrate with their weapons.

Despite the challenges of the battle against a new type of enemy, the Chasers succeeded in holding off the invaders until reinforcements arrived. The Evergreen Battalion, led by Emma’s monstrous tank, the Montagna and its lava-blasting Vesuvius canon made short work of the Paragon forces.

The next day, just as the Chasers and Battalion were about to leave, a second wave of Paragon arrived. This one larger than the last. And another came the next day. And the next. And the next. Each time, the invading forces increased in size. Prism was under siege for over a week.

The reports Yuu and Ayumu received told of the waves being successfully repelled each time. However, Setsuna was clearly becoming increasingly frustrated with what she believed to be a lack of ability for her and her squad to fully pull their weight, compared to the likes of Emma’s tank brigade. Both Yuu and Ayumu tried to assure her that the other commanders all spoke highly of the Chasers’ contributions to Prism’s defense. But, in typical Setsuna fashion, she continued to insist that she should be doing more.

That was the perceived failure Yuu and Ayumu were currently worried that Setsuna was suffering, and thus, possibly sulking somewhere that she would not be easily found.

“Ayu-pyon! Yuyu!” A voice suddenly called from above.

“Ai-chan!” Yuu welcomed the blonde woman that swooped down from the sky to land near them.

“Mi…” Ayumu cut herself off and gave a quick glance around, only noticing an eye roll from Yuu. “Hi, Ai-chan. Good to see you.” She said, despite having just seen Ai at the ceremony not half an… wait… had it really been over an hour already?

Ai’s grin could be seen through the faceplate of her armored suit even before she popped it open. “You two looking for Setsu?”

“Yup.” Yuu confirmed. “Have you seen her?”

Ai shook her head. “No, but Rinari just contacted me saying she and Setsu were working on some super-secret project.” She chuckled. “Ai was wondering why Setsu didn’t show up at the ceremony. I mean I know when Rinari doesn’t respond to my messages that she’s lost in research. Again. And you know she’s not big on such pomp and circumstance anyway. But Setsu…” Ai held up her hands in an exaggerated shrug. “Ai figured she’d be thrilled to accept an award from her beloved Ayu-pyon.”

Yuu snickered. Ayumu blushed.

“Anyway, apparently Setsu wanted to practice more with whatever new thing Rinari made.” Ai continued. “Ai was on my way to pick up Rinari, literally,” she levitated her suit a bit off the ground and motioned with her arms for emphasis, “for dinner, when I saw you two. So, Ai can take you to Setsu, since I’m heading there anyway.”

“Thanks, Ai-chan.” Yuu smiled as well. “Lead the way.”

Yuu and Ayumu followed Ai into an unmarked building, through a maze of research areas crammed with what they could only assume to be salvaged parts from the recent siege forces, and down several flights of stairs.

“Setsuna Scarlet Storm!” An excited cry echoed through a long hallway at the lowest level.

“Well, at least it doesn’t sound…” Yuu was cut off by a brilliant flash from wherever the hallway led, followed by the sound of a roaring explosion, “like she’s sulking…” She finished as a hot air washed past them.

The joyous sound of Setsuna’s laughter proved Yuu’s point.

“Rina-san! That was amazing!” Setsuna’s enthusiasm felt contagious even without being able to see her directly. “Those new carapace shields don’t stand a chance! How many more pieces do we have? I want to try that again!”

“One moment, Setsuna-san.” Rina’s voice could now be heard from the room ahead. “I believe we have guests.”

“Oh?”

A door slid open near the end of the hall and a head of pink hair poked out.

“Ai-san.” Rina greeted in what most would assume to be a monotone voice, but those familiar with her knew she was happy to see her girlfriend. “Welcome.”

“Rinari!” Ai jetted forward to embrace the lead developer in Prism.

“Ai-san?” Setsuna repeated. “Ne, Ai-san! Rina-san made one for you as well! Come try it… Geh?!” She uttered as Ayumu and Yuu stepped into the cavernous experiment area. “M-M-Madam President!” She sputtered. “S-Secretary!? Wh-Wha… When… uhm… What are… Why are… You’re here?”

Setsuna dove down from where she had been hovering, botched her landing, stumbled, and nearly knocked into Ayumu in the process. “I’m sorry, Ay… Pres… uhm…” She got out as she righted herself and snapped to attention.

“It’s just Rina-chan, Ai-chan and us here.” Yuu laughed. “No need to be so formal, Setsuna-chan.”

“Actually, it’s just you three.” Ai’s voice came from the direction of the stairs. “As Ai said, Ai’m taking Rinari to dinner.” And she was gone.

“Ayumu-san… Yuu-san…” Setsuna broke the moment of silence. “I’m happy to see you two, but… uhm… Why are you here? The next wave of the siege could come at any time now. It’s not safe.”

“Given the present company, I think this is where I’m actually safest.” Ayumu said gently, stepping forward to pull her wife into an embrace. She silently wished there wasn’t armor separating her from Setsuna and her warmth, but she could address that later.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” Yuu added as she joined the group hug. “Besides, the Paragon have left Prism alone for almost a week now. Perhaps they’ve lost interest.”

“For now…” Setsuna sighed, letting herself relax a little into her wives’ embrace.

“A respite is a respite.” Yuu reminded. “No matter how temporary.”

“Mm…” Setsuna hummed a neutral agreement before finally returning the hug.

Yuu’s comment was an unfortunately common sentiment expressed by many in this world that seemed to be forever at war. The Paragon poked and prodded around the globe, searching for weak points, and stealing any resources they could. Thus, the nations of the world were perpetually on high alert and their populace always at least a little on edge. It was exhausting, to say the least. And moments of respite, no matter how small, had to be treasured.

“We missed you at the ceremony.” Ayumu said.

“The ceremony?” Setsuna blinked.

“Yuu-chan and I came to commend the valiant efforts of the Firestorm Chasers and the Evergreen Brigade in defense of Prism City.”

“Especially their leaders.” Yuu added as she pulled a small medal out of her pocket.

“If that’s the case, Ai-sa…” Setsuna was cut off by Ayumu’s lips pressing against hers.

“We already gave Ai-chan hers.” Ayumu said as she pulled back.

“Oh…” Setsuna uttered. “Still, I…” She stopped again as this time Yuu placed a finger on her lips.

“You did more than you realize. As usual.” Yuu said. “Reports mentioned enough Paragon infantry to outnumber the Chasers by an order of magnitude, even with the first wave. And yet there’s not a mark on the wall out there.” She motioned in the general direction of Prism’s perimeter. “No gates were breached either. You guys did well. Exceptionally well.”

“And you absolutely earned this.” Ayumu took the medal from Yuu and was about to reach up to place it around Setsuna’s neck when she paused. “Would wearing this hinder your ability to give us a demonstration of what you and Rina-chan were working on so diligently?”

“Hrm… I’m not sure.” Setsuna touched the padding near her neck. “Maybe there’s enough room to tuck it in under here? Or I can just keep it in here for now?” She popped open one of her suit’s auxiliary storage areas near her hip.

Ayumu nodded and placed the medallion where Setsuna indicated before stepping back. “We heard you already have a name for your new maneuver.” She smiled.

“It’s a working title,” Setsuna admitted. “I like it, but I may still come up with something better. Or maybe Ayumu-san or Yuu-san could rename it?” A hint of her earlier excitement was already starting to affect her tone.

“Well, we’ll have to see it first, won’t we?” Yuu grinned.

“Right!” Setsuna agreed happily. “Let me quick set up another carapace fragment.” She snapped down her faceplate, leaped into the air and flew over to a pile of broken exoskeletons. “You two can watch from the observation room where Rina-san was earlier.”

Yuu and Ayumu obeyed the instructions and made their way into the protected room. There, they watched through a thick pane of translucent armor as Setsuna mounted the piece of carapace on a tall pole.

Setsuna hovered back a meter or two from the fragment before jutting out an arm to her side. “Setsuna” she curled her arm back in “Scarlet” then shoved it straight up “Storm!”

A sphere of energy blasted out from Setsuna’s armored suit. Layers of the carapace began to slough off before the pole holding it up melted. What remained of the shard shattered when it hit the floor, completely destroyed.

“That was amazing, Setsuna-chan!” Yuu cheered. “That got my heart racing!”

“I know, right?” Setsuna’s voice filled the observation room through the wall-mounted speakers. “Rina-san is a genius! I can’t wait to try this against the Paragon! But first I want to see if we can make the plasma red because that would make it look cooler and be more intimidating. And…”

Ayumu laughed lightly to herself as she watched Setsuna set up another fragment and listened as the ramblings began to dive into the technical details of the new weapon, well beyond her level of understanding. She loved when Setsuna was like this and was more than happy to let her continue her demonstration as long as she wanted.

The Paragon would undoubtedly target Prism again someday, as its strategic importance was obviously known to them. But at least for today, its people were safe.

Setsuna was safe. Yuu was safe. And perhaps Ayumu could have an uninterrupted night together with them for a change. Wouldn’t that be nice? Setsuna’s demonstration continued. Yuu continued to cheer her on. And Ayumu let herself have a moment to forget what tomorrow might bring.

---------

Author’s Note Continued: Yes, you read the beginning correctly. In this AU, Ayumu was elected as the President of the United Rainbow States.

No, she is not 16 like her canon counterpart. She’s in her mid-twenties; 26 in fact, as compared to the age I set for Yohane back when I wrote the core story for this AU, and assuming I am recalling that correctly. How does someone so young rise to such a high rank in society? The overly simplistic answer is war. A century and a half of nigh perpetual invasion from an unrelenting enemy with seemingly unlimited resources has left many vacancies that need to be filled quickly with whoever happens to be available and is at least halfway competent. The longer answer is what I hope to explore as well as I continue to write more for this AU.

Mild spoilers for any new readers of this AU, but I also made Yohane an emperor and Nico a queen. Pretty much all of the LL girls are in high positions unlikely to be reached by anyone their age in our world.

Also, yes, my Niji flagship is already married at this point in the AU. Whether or not they were married before Ayumu was elected President and appointed Yuu as Secretary of Defense, I’m not honestly sure yet. Either way, yes, there is plenty of room for arguments over impropriety or nepotism or whatever, but as mentioned above, this is a world perpetually at war. The populace has far more important things to worry about, like whether or not they’ll be alive tomorrow, than who is sleeping with who and who is married to who. What’s that? The President is occasionally able to have a few moments of respite and find some comfort in the arms of two other women? Good for her. And that’s the excuse I’m sticking with for this AU.

Also also, the URS is loosely, very loosely, based on the USA of our world. I’ve no idea if it’s possible for someone to ask to be demoted or not to be promoted in any of the armed forces here in the States. But it is in this AU. And who knows what else I’ll have to handwave away or author fiat in when it comes to any sort of realistic representation of the nation or its militaries as I continue to write this story.

And finally, I really need to come up with name for the collection where I intend to eventually put all of these chapters I keep writing that take place outside the main story. I’d like to avoid confusion about what is and isn’t the core story, as said core story was originally written for an event with rules that it was supposed to be a one-shot. And while I’m having fun exploring more of this world that I’ve created, I would like to only supplement that first story and allow it to continue to stand on its own as a complete story with a definitive beginning and end. I have a couple ideas, but none that really hit the way I want them to.

[ryqoshay]

Unstable World: How to Train your Cattywampus

Primary Pairing: N/A, Rin and Umi Secondary Pairing: RinPana Also Starring: Honoka Rating: G Words: 654 Fandom: Love Live Parent Fic: Unstable World Time Frame: Sometime before the main story AU: A dimension other than ours Event: Promptober 2022 Event Source: Idol Fanfic Heaven channel on Discord Prompt: Cattywampus

---------

Author’s Note: Bonus 3rd entry for Oct 5th

Summary: It’s time for Rin’s Dragon Pairing Ceremony

---------

“Dragon Knight Hoshizora Rin.” Umi said solemnly. “Welcome to your Dragon Pairing Ceremony.”

“Hooray!” The recently graduated cadet cheered over the applause of those gathered “Thank you, Umi-san!”

Umi resisted the urge to correct the younger woman and insist she be referred to properly as Dragon Commander Sonoda. But then, Honoka, her own superior officer, had never been fond of formalities, and that attitude had spilled over to those under her. It likely wouldn’t be long until Rin dropped the honorific as she adapted in with the rest of the flight, the Pandæmonium Riders.

“Master Dragon Custodian Koizumi,” Umi called “please bring out Hoshizora’s dragon.”

“Kayo-chin!” Rin cried happily, running over to the other woman as soon as the door of the Dragon Hatchery and Care Center opened.

“R-Rin-chan…” Hanayo protested mildly as she was glomped.

That’s right, those two are a couple. Umi remembered.

“Oh, and who is this adorable girl?” Rin detached herself from Hanayo and ran a hand along brilliant yellow scales. “Well, adorable, but she’s not as cute as Kayo-chin…”

“She doesn’t have a name yet, Rin-chan.” Hanayo said.

“Part of the Ceremony is assigning a name to your dragon.” Umi stated.

“Well, I can’t just give her any old name without knowing her first, nya.” Rin insisted. “Hey, girl, why don’t me and you go take a ride?” That said, she began to climb onto the back of the dragon.

“Wait, Hoshizora…” Umi started.

“It’s fine, Umi-chan.” Honoka interrupted. “Flying together is part of the bonding experience, right?”

Umi’s shoulders slumped a little. Of course, it would end up like this. Honoka was so informal with these things, she even refused to be the one to preside over them, despite being the leader.

“Iku-nya!” Rin shouted as she and her dragon took the sky. “This is nyamazing! Oh, over there, girl, let’s go!” The two banked toward the nearby training field.

Well, I’m certainly not going to discourage training activities. Umi thought as she watched the pair careen haphazardly through one of the courses. There was certainly a lot of improvement that could be made, but Rin had only flown training dragons, and her newly assigned dragon was still quite young. And Umi could clearly see a lot of potential. No surprise Hanayo had made another excellent match between rider and dragon.

Oh…

“Rin-chan!” Hanayo cried, breaking into a run.

“Hanayo-chan, here!” Honoka called, reaching down from Pandemain to pull the other woman up to ride behind her.

Impressive, she beat me to it. Umi thought as she and Tempest flew toward the crash site.

“Owwwie…” Rin was whining as the others arrived. “Are you alright, girl?” She asked of her dragon, who in turn, seemed more concerned about her.

“She’s fine.” Hanayo assured, as she approached her wife. “You know how durable dragons are. You on the other hand…” She reached up to dab at a cut on Rin’s cheek.

“I’m fine too!” Rin was already returning to her normal energetic self. “Guess we took that turn a little wide, didn’t we?” She patted her dragon’s head before suddenly grinning. “And you looked really silly there for a moment, all cattywampus and… Hey! That’s what I’ll call you, Cattywampus!”

“Rin-chan, are you sure you want to name your dragon something so… strange?”

“Honoka named her dragon after bread…” Umi pointed out with a side glance toward her superior and friend.

“But I like bread!” Honoka insisted. “And so does she!”

“Well then maybe Catfish?” Rin suggested. “’Cause I like cats. And yellow dragons like fish, right? Oh, hey…” She giggled as her dragon nuzzled into her.

Although for very difference reasons. Umi thought.

“I think she likes that name instead.” Hanayo observed.

“Catfish it is, nya!” Rin declared. “Now, let’s go try that turn again!” With that, she hopped on her dragon again and took off.

Well… I guess the rest of the Ceremony can wait. Umi decided.

---------

Author’s Notes Continued: I caved. I gave into the idea of writing a story involving LL’s resident cat-like girl for a prompt that includes the letters for cat. I couldn’t help it. But at least it was fun to write.

[ryqoshay]

Unstable World: Coffee Respite

Flagship: NicoMaki Words: 684 Rating: G AU: A wartorn world Time Frame: Sometime before the main story Prompt: Routine

---------

Author's Note: Primary entry for the 29th

Summary: Maki loves her morning routine

---------

“Maki-chan, time to wake up.”

Maki scrunched her nose. She was about to roll over, away from the woman approaching her, when a wonderful aroma reached her nose. She opened her eyes.

Yazawa Nico, Queen of the Μνήμη Kingdom, was holding a mug of steaming coffee near Maki’s face. And actively waving the steam toward her.

“That’s right, I have delicious coffee for you.” Nico said, slowly drawing the mug away.

Maki shot her hand out but made sure to grab her wife’s arm gently to ensure no spillage of the precious caffeinated beverage.

“You have to at least sit up, Maki-chan.”

Maki pouted. Nico giggled.

Finally, with a resigned sigh, Maki pushed herself up into a sitting position and took the mug. She felt her shoulders relax the moment the steaming hot liquid began to pour into her mouth. She sighed again, but this time, far more relaxed and contented.

Maki loved this morning routine.

Nico had been the one to start it, years ago, before she had ascended the throne. Maki was still a belligerent knight upset about being assigned to protect a bratty princess. And with as much as they had bickered back then, they were nowhere near being a couple.

Granted, they still bickered, but it was more playful nowadays.

In any case, one morning, Nico, in a rare moment of humility, had made a pot of special coffee to serve to Maki as an apology for going too far in the argument they had days prior. Maki remembered fondly being reluctant to accept the gift, believing it to be unbecoming of a knight to be served by the royalty she was supposed to be serving. And Nico had been persistent enough that it almost resulted in another fight.

A few days later, Nico made more coffee for Maki in the morning. Then it started being every morning. And once the two finally figured out their feelings for one another, Nico started bringing the coffee to Maki in bed.

And it became one of Maki’s favorite moments of respite.

“How is it?” Nico asked her usual question.

“Wonderful, as always.” Maki gave one of her usual responses.

“I still don’t know how you drink that bitter stuff so early in the morning.”

Maki chuckled. “It’s not as bitter when Nico-chan makes it.”

“Maki-chan, flattery will get you everywhere with Nico.”

“I know.”

Both women laughed.

A loud knock sounded from the bedroom door.

Both women sighed.

“Come in.” Nico called.

“I’m so sorry to disturb you so early, your Highness.” A woman rushed in and quickly acknowledged Nico before turning her attention to Maki. “Grand Star Nishikino. A Paragon fleet has been detected near Erato Island.”

“I can be ready in five minutes.” Maki stated.

“Thank you.” And just like that, the other woman was gone.

Maki drained the rest of her coffee, regretting that she couldn’t savor it as long as she preferred. She then swung her legs off the side of the bed and stood up. Nico had already disappeared into their closet, so she followed.

“Here, I’ll help.” Nico said, holding out one of Maki’s military uniforms.

As Maki changed clothes to prepare for the day, she prepped herself mentally as well. Her morning respite was over. It was time to resume the masquerade that she was the competent military leader her Queen and the people of the Μνήμη Kingdom believed her to be.

Suddenly, Nico grabbed both of her hands, causing Maki to startle out of her thoughts. Had her hands been shaking?

“You’ll be fine, Maki-chan.” Nico said gently. “I trust you. We all do. Your parents would be proud.”

Maki released a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding before nodding.

“I’ll take Eli and the Jardin de Verre.” She said, naming one of the best captains and sky ships in the kingdom.

“Of course.” Nico agreed. “See you when you get back. I’ll make some hot cocoa when you get back.” She then pecked a quick kiss on Maki’s cheek.

And with that, Maki left to defend the kingdom from another invasion.

---------

Author's Note Continued: I really need to explore more of the Μνήμη Kingdom and the United Rainbow States in this AU.

Anyway, the thought of a queen happily making coffee for the head of her military amused me. So I wrote this.

Also, Masquerade was the prompt from '21 and Coffee was from '22.

[ryqoshay]

Unstable World: Shiny Sacrifice

Primary Pairing Trio: MariKanaDia Words: 673 Rating: T AU: A wartorn world Time Frame: Sometime before the main story Prompt: Chess Content Warning: Depictions of battle, Fire

---------

Author's Note: Bonus 2nd prompt for the 10th

Summary: Mari makes the final move in a battle

---------

Emergency klaxons blared. Flashing red lights filtered through smoke. The temperature of the bridge continued to rise as various fires raged throughout.

And Mari ignored it all.

Evacuation orders had been given and she was the only one left aboard. Automated and assisted controls were down, so someone needed to remain, and that duty fell on the ship’s captain.

Mari pulled hard on the manual controls of the Shiny Racer, steering it toward the Paragon cruiser. Just a little more… a little more… She shoved the throttle forward, sending her ship’s last remaining engine into overdrive.

A new, collision warning alarm joined the cacophony. Mari ignored that as well.

Impact.

The only reason Mari was not thrown through the shattered windows at the front of the bridge was the fact that her mech’s feet were magnetically clamped to the floor.

She gritted her teeth and continued to hold the throttle and the Shiny Racer pushed the cruiser into the carrier next to it.

That should do it. Hopefully.

Mari raised her weapon and fired into the roof, then deactivated her mech’s magnets. Finally, as a tear slid down her cheek, she pressed one last button.

There was no countdown. The Shiny Racer’s engines exploded.

Mari’s mech punched up through the weakened spot in the roof as more explosions chained up the body of the ship. The first shockwaves began to buffet Mari's armor the mech held itself aloft.

Then, the first explosion rocked the cruiser. Their munitions room had obviously been damaged, which was why an inferno was now blasting toward Mari.

Time seemed to slow for a moment as she watched. However, she was unable to even complete a sigh of resignation before it was upon her.

---------

"...ri?"

Mari's eyes snapped open.

"Oh thank the gods, she's alright."

"Kanan?" Mari blinked to clear her view.

Sure enough, her wife was leaning over her with a relieved expression.

"I'll give you three a moment." The medical officer said before departing.

"Three?" Mari muttered.

"I’m here as well." Mari heard the voice of Dia, her other wife, come through a nearby speaker.

It looked like Mari was in the medical bay of the Delphinus, Kanan’s submarine. But… how?

“When I heard about how the battle was going, I came as fast as I could.” Kanan explained, answering Mari’s silent question.

“But this was a contract with the URS, not the Empire.”

“I don’t care.”

Mari smiled as Kanan casually dismissed having likely broken protocol by not waiting for orders.

“And my mercs?”

“They’re fine. They’re aboard the USS Nijigasaki, enroute to the Bomberhead’s HQ.”

Mari made a mental note to thank Secretary Takasaki when next they spoke.

“What were you thinking, Mari?” Dia’t tone became stern. “This isn’t a game of chess. We don’t need to be sacrificing pieces.”

“It was just a ship.” Mari replied. “And I took out two of theirs, so it was a trade in our favor.”

“I wasn’t talking about the ship. And you know it.”

“We lose personnel every battle.” Mari stated solemnly. “I am just as prepared to give my life for our world as they are.”

As neither Dia nor Kanan responded, Mari continued.

“But you’re right, Dia. This isn’t chess. Chess is a zero-sum game. But we’re the only ones working with those rules while our opponents seem to have nigh infinite resources. We need to make sure everything we do hurts them more than it does us.”

“I would say that’s still a point in Dia’s favor.” Kanan finally spoke. “You can’t make any more moves once you’re off the board.”

“Fine, you two win.” Mari relented. “I’ll try not to sacrifice myself again. But,” her tone became more lighthearted, “having done so, I think I’ve earned myself a break. Why don’t the three of us spend a nice week together? Tsubasa or Sarah can take any contracts that come in while I’m gone.”

“I… could burn some PTO.” Dia said.

“Alright, I’ll set a course back to the home islands.” Kanan said.

---------

Author's Note Continued: My initial thought for this scene was to have Dia comment that Mari was playing 4D chess and have the battle actually be in some sort of training. I was back and forth between the training being a simulation and live, and leaning toward the latter as I was a little amused by the idea of Mari sacrificing an entire ship to gain an advantage in training. Dia would be upset about the money wasted and Mari would point out that if the Paragon won, money wouldn't matter.

But I can say confidently that I am glad I took the live battle route and actual sacrificial maneuver on Mari's part, and said sacrifice being what Dia admonishes. That said, I did have to do a lot of trimming to get this to fit into 4k, so I'll probably expand this chapter when I add it into the UW extra chapter collection.

[ryqoshay]

Unstable World: Attack on Prism

Flagship: EmmaKanaKarin Also Starring: Setsuna, Ai, Rina Rating: T Words: 584 AU: A war-torn dimension other than our own Time Frame: Sometime before the main story Event: Promptober 2022 Event Source: Idol Fanfic Heaven channel on Discord Prompt: Carapace

---------

Author’s Note: Bonus 2nd entry for Oct 28th

Summary: General Emma heads to Prism to defend the city from invasion

---------

“General Verde!” A corporal burst onto the bridge. “Reports coming in of rifts appearing near Prism City.”

Karin sneered. Had the Paragon discovered Rina’s new lab? She glanced over to see concern on Emma’s face, as she was liking thinking something similar.

“All hands!” Emma called. “Prepare for maglev transit to Prism City!” She then turned to Lieutenant General near her and asked in a softer voice, “Karin-chan, would you mind waking Kanata-chan?”

“Of course.” Karin nodded.

A tense half hour later, the Montagna and its battalion of smaller tanks arrived to find a city under siege. Prism’s defenses, with aid from Setsuna's Firestorm Chasers, appeared to be holding against the usual Paragon ground forces. However…

“What are those?” Kanata asked, popping her head out of the hatch of the Dream Buster.

“Bug… tanks?” Karin replied from the Vivid Striker.

Amid the rear ranks of the Paragon forces, behemoth creatures scuttled about, not on treads or wheels, but on giant legs. Tank-like turrets were mounted into the backs of some that could pass as ants, while the horns of… what were they called again? rhinoceros beetles? had been reconstructed as giant artillery cannons. And, skittering through toward the forward ranks were what appeared to be huge centipedes.

As if giant airborne sea creatures cursed into servitude as airships weren't enough. Karin thought to herself. Now they've found some giant bug world to raid?

“The cavalry has arrived!” Setsuna cheered, swooping low to hover between Kanata and Karin's tanks. “Ai-san and I have been having trouble with these big bugs. They seem to have ablative carapaces that are resistant to our plasma.”

“And despite their size, they seem pretty good at dodging Rinari's artillery.” Ai added over the comm, still engaging the enemy.

“Then we will have to see how they like Vesuvius.” Emma responded from the bridge of the Montagna. “Evergreen Battalion! Advance!”

The tanks tread forward. Kanata and Karin broke off with their squadrons to deal with the ant tank and centipede things while Emma directed the rest toward the beetle artillery units.

“Kanata-chan’s gonna squish you!” The brigade’s other Lieutenant General drawled as the Dream Buster rammed through the middle of a centipede.

Ablative armor or no, the creature crumpled with the force of the blow, earning cheers from nearby Prism troops. More cheers responded to the Vivid Striker firing point blank into the head of an ant, blasting straight through to its thorax and causing an explosion within.

Now it’s Emma’s turn. Karin swiveled her position to watch.

Sure enough, the Vesuvius canon was already glowing. Then, with a titanic rumble, molten lava sprayed the nearest beetle.

Well, it wasn’t actually lava, rather a lava-like substance invented by Rina that could be superheated beyond the normal range of the real volcanic stuff. Or something like that, Karin didn’t understand the specifics. But it also stuck to surfaces better than napalm, allowing it to melt through darn near anything. Even Paragon enhanced ablative giant insect carapaces.

The tides of battle had turned. More troops poured out of Prism, leaving their defensive positions to go on the offensive. In less time than it took to traverse the distance to the city, the Evergreen Battalion eliminated the invading Paragon.

“Thank you, Emma-san, Kanata-san, Karin-san.” Rina’s voice came over the comm as the battle came to its victorious conclusion. “Please come in to refuel and restock.”

The Prism City gates opened and the brigade made their way in to relax after a battle well won.

---------

Author’s Note Continued: Definitely need to expand this chapter.

[ryqoshay]

Unstable World: Classical Training

Flagship: YohaRiko Rating: T Words: 645 AU: A war-torn dimension other than our own Time Frame: Sometime before the main story Event: Promptober 2022 Event Source: Idol Fanfic Heaven channel on Discord Prompt: Classical

---------

Author’s Note: Primary entry for Oct 26th

Summary: Riko trains while Yohane watches

---------

There was no holding back Yoshiko’s smile as the performance started. She loved watching her girlfriend, Riko, train.

The redhead stood inside a modified mechanized battle suit she lovingly named Prelude and held an experimental sword Hanamaru had recently designed for her. She worked the controls of the mech moved the sword not unlike a conductor of an orchestra, keeping rhythm with classical music coming out of the nearby speakers.

As more instruments joined and the energy of the song increased, Riko’s sword began to split. Sakura petal shaped segments of the sword shot out in all directions while their conductor continued to control them with the hilt.

The lovely lilt of a flute led Riko to guide the sword into a flowing motion through an obstacle course. Violins took the focus and the segments sawed back and forth through several dummy targets, mimicking the motion of the players’ bows. The thunderous timpani saw the shards rise together before falling like a downpour on the dummies. The crash of cymbals caused two groups to collide and take out their targets.

Yoshiko watched it all with the utmost fascination. As much as she enjoyed tweaking her own Paragon imbued powers, she was always in awe of the creations of her Empire. Especially those made with a specific user in mind, in this case, the musically gifted Riko.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to and end, and the piece neared its conclusion. The sword shards rejoined at the hilt and Riko sheathed the weapon in its slot on Prelude’s hip.

“Bravi! Bravissimi! Riri!” Yoshiko cheered, using words she had learned from Mari recently.

Riko turned and bowed, awkwardly, as the mech wasn’t exactly designed for such a maneuver. “Thanks, Yocchan.”

“You destroyed all the targets with ease.” Yoshiko examined the training field. “And even before the end of the piece. You’re getting really good with that thing.”

“It is definitely an… interesting weapon.” Riko admitted. “But I do like it. A lot, actually.”

“Zuramaru and her team outdid themselves.”

“Mm.”

“I wonder if it isn’t time for Riri to start practice against mobile targets.”

“I don’t think we have any drones at this facility…”

“Bah, who needs drones when you got me?” Yoshiko summoned her wings.

“Eh?” Riko balked. “I… can’t fight you, Yocchan.”

“Why not?”

“What if I hit you?”

“Well, you can try, but also, hitting me would kinda be the point.”

“But… you’re the Emperor…”

“And? No one is gonna punish you if you do manage to hit me, least of all me. Besides, I can heal even if you do. C’mon, we used to spar in melee training. And I’ve got some new techniques I wanna try.”

“… Alright…”

“Right, first a change in music.” Yoshiko chose a new track and a more upbeat tune pumped out of the speakers. “Good luck, Riri!” And with that, she teleported, leaving a decoy behind.

Dark or White! Dark or White!

Lyrics chanted and Yoshiko flitted around to the rhythm.

“Hup!” She dodged Riko’s first attack. “Nice try!” She deflected another with her scythe. “Almost had me.” She whispered in Riko’s ear before teleporting away.

unstable world

Yoshiko’s flight became unstable as a shard shot through her wing.

“Yocchan!” Riko cried. “I’m sorry!”

Yoshiko unsummoned her wings and let herself fall, laughing along the way. At the last second, she teleported into Riko’s mech’s arms.

“You got me.” She grinned. “And now for your reward.” She leaned in through the cockpit frame, placed a hand on Riko’s cheek, and drew her girlfriend in for a kiss.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Riko asked as they pulled away.

“Yup! See?” She summoned her wings again revealing them to be completely unharmed.

“It didn’t hurt?”

“A little.” Yoshiko admitted. “But that’s why I dismissed them. Anyway, ready for round two?”

Riko took a breath and nodded. “Alright.”

---------

Author’s Note Continued: This was a fun one to write. Both fighting styles are amusing to me and I love imagining the visuals.