Temperance V :: Lit | SciFi | Yuri :: NA!

[Aidenzyx]

Shannon Hallard

They had done it. They had really done it! They've accomplished what they had set out to do but there was a sadness at this accomplishment. Shannon kept her arm around her pair, patting the smaller spark's back as she cried. She knew, felt it really, that for Kamiko this farewell was a bit different. Her pair had practically given her everything to revive their beloved goddess. Shannon continued to hold Kamiko, letting the younger spark draw comfort from their embrace. Simone was long gone but she would wait until Kamiko had composed herself. After all, the seer definitely felt that they had all the time in the world. Anything the fates could decide to throw at them would be a walk in the park compared to what they had just been through so there was no rush.

Shannon returned Kamiko's smile and reveled at the kiss that she had been bestowed. "Hmm?" Of all the things to ask of her, the bluenette had not been expecting that! Did her cute, sweet, darling Kamiko really ask her to...? Looking at her pair and blinking in surprise, it took a few seconds for her brain to completely believe what her ears had heard. Not wanting to ruin the moment by thinking like a dirty old man - there was plenty of time for those kinds of thoughts later, much, much later - Shannon instead bestowed her pair a megawatt smile.

"Home it is!" The Hallard heiress gripped her girlfriend's hand tight, spread her wings and led the way back home with a grin. With much gentleness and care, Shannon happily honored Kamiko's request. This was the best day ever!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Graduation was a day that Shannon both dreaded and looked forward to. She was incredibly happy that her potential days were finally over and she was on her way to becoming a guardian - she graduated with honors to boot! - but it meant that she would be leaving Kamiko behind. Her girlfriend was her junior by a couple of years and considering that she has graduated, it meant that she had to move out of the dorm that she shared with her pair and that meant not having Kamiko around to cuddle with. Her apprenticeship with Zaira had allowed her to stay closer to the Academy most of the time but when the master seer decided that they were going on a trip they could be gone and out of reach for days on end! Those trips tend to wreck on Shannon's nerves but the separation - not to mention stress - had been worth it. The things she had learned from the older seer were invaluable. It had certainly helped when planning Kamiko's surprise a few years later.

It had taken an incredible amount of planning - sweat and tears were shed and blood was even close to being spilled - and a lot of help from her friends and parents to make sure that everything went without a hitch on Kamiko's birthday party. To keep herself calm until the time came, Shannon kept fingering the small velvet box tucked in her pocket as her way of keeping herself calm and cool until the time she would present the contents to her partner and make things official. Shannon would remember the moment for the rest of her life. There was just no way she could forget how the celebration's guests all quieted down as she got up from her seat, approached the birthday girl - giving her a kiss as to not alert Kamiko of what would happen in the next few seconds - and got down on one knee. Kamiko's surprise was very clear but she recovered quickly and Shannon had watched a bright smile appear on the younger woman's face. She easily posed her question and got an enthusiastic yes. The crowd went wild and from birthday celebration it turned into an engagement party.

The wedding was another event recorded, in vivid detail, in Shannon's memoirs. She did end up writing one detailing the events of her life, those of her friends and of course Kamiko and their darling daughters. It was another lively event and really with it being Shannon and Kamiko's day it would be hard for it not to be lively. The seer was pretty sure the guests had left with a few more cavities to contend with and it's not because of the cake.

With the Shamiko pair in full form, they were a force to be reckoned with. Much like their Academy days, they were inseparable. Shannon fulfilled her role in supporting Guardian squads on missions very efficiently with Kamiko and another pair as her guards. Of course when the need arises, she was there along with her pair front and center meeting the threat head on. On the subject of having children, the seer was very open to the idea. The little family she had seen, herself and Kamiko with two little ones, on the trip that landed them to one of their possible futures, she wanted to make that a reality. The two little girls that they were blessed with made their lives even fuller.

Apart from her memoir, Shannon had also written other books. Considering that Dual Vehicles was one of her specialties, she had expanded the number of books available in DV customization based on skill level: novice, apprentice, adept, expert and master. She has also compiled blueprints and schematics for spark and non-spark vehicles. She had even polished Jonas' notes regarding Monos Cores. The man was a genius with machines but his could have separated his caculations and measurements for easier interpretation. It took her quite some time to figure out which one was for what! Among her DV centered works, one was heavily sought after by Guardian historians and DV specialists: Shannon's manuscript. It contained her hand drawn designs for bikes, trikes and other vehicles; blueprints of existing DVs scribbled with her suggestions for improvement and/or additional functionality; schematics of Elvy's unique circuitry and the enhancements and changes she's made; DV artillery and last but not least a few designs for Guardesper parts that she helped conceptualize and test. Yup, she definitely loved her DVs. Not as much as Kamiko of course. XD

When she wasn’t busy with her manuscript, guardian duties, being lovely-dovey with Kamiko or being a dotting parent to her little ones, Shannon could usually be found in the company of one Lady Der Malian. The two maintained being close friends. There was a time when those that knew nothing began spreading around that there was ‘something’ going on during her visits. Shannon, and Ray, had resolved to ignore the rumor spreaders as they really had no idea of anything and they wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of giving in to their demands to prove them wrong but then the idiots began throwing in other names in the mix, specifically the children. That’s when the gloves went off. Ray when angry is already as scary as hell but couple that with a thoroughly pissed off Shannon and you get a very, very terrifying combination. It was very rare for Shannon to get truly angry, yes she gets annoyed, she gets irritated but she never truly gets mad. She was really slow to anger but for her to be practically breathing fire, the media had crossed a line they should not have crossed. Suffice to say the media wolves were no match for the two very angry mothers and they gave them and their families a wider berth from then on.

Yup. This was Shannon’s life: exciting, fun, with a dash of drama, a dose of action and lots and lots of sweet moments with Kamiko and their daughters. She couldn’t ask for anymore.

Jules Bordeaux

If Jules had questions as to why Relena had chosen this location for a surprise - she said - but she wisely kept her mouth shut. She had learned that, at times, it was better to just go along with what her wife had planned. The berserker turned to the older woman and nodded. She would watch whatever it was that Relena would do. Of course, once she figured it out, it took a lot of control to keep her feet firmly planted where they are on the sand and just watch. It took them a good while to convince the doctors to release her with explicit orders to not do anything to strain the healing muscles. This definitely counted under that category.

It made sense now, the cane she was holding and what it would be used for. She knew that her willful wife will not be agreeable to using a wheelchair any more than she already has so this was compromise. She will have trouble walking, that was certain but she will walk. Wanting to join in wife's accomplishment, the berserker quickly came to her side, handed her the cane and helped keep her steady. If only the doctors could have seen her now, they would definitely rethink certain decisions.

"A celebration..." Jules answered Relena's grin with a smirk. "I like that that idea. And celebrate they did. The silver haired woman felt that they could finally have that elusive happy ending, after all that they've been through.

Their tale wasn't a normal fairy however and it looks like happily ever after suddenly became out of reach yet again. Relena had been doing so well so Jules felt confident that she could leave her wife alone without so much worry. Perhaps she shouldn't have allowed herself to feel too secure. It had been a normal day, like any other day. She started her morning as usual. Wake up on the alarm, start breakfast, wake her wife, have breakfast, wash the dishes and then start preparing for going to the Academy. Just like before everything went into a downward spiral, Relena picked her clothes for the day and Jules was more than happy to wear the chosen combination. She bid the older woman goodbye and promised to be home early. Marianne was already waiting for her in the driveway and they went to Temperance together. It really was just like usual, nothing out of the ordinary or anything. Coming home to an empty house however sent the alarm bells ringing for Jules. There was no note, no signs of break-in, nothing was out of place. Relena was the only one gone.

Jules immediately filed a report to the authorities. She made it incredibly clear that her wife was in absolutely no condition to be walking long distances or traveling for that matter. Her body wasn't up for that kind of strain. After giving the appropriate description and a picture Jules had expressed that she will join the search as well. She knew she couldn't do it 24/7 but she joined whenever she can. She even directed some of the search party to possible places that Relena could have gone to but they turned into dead ends. Where in the world did her wife go?

On the day that she couldn't join the search and Marianne couldn't cover for her, they ended up finding Relena. She was restless, wanting nothing more but to go to her wife but she had class. She wasn't sure if it was some sort of intervention but at the moment she was ready to bolt she saw not one, not two but three of her former students. Torrin, Domi and Shannon come into view. She didn't ask why the three of them were there but asked if they could mind her class for the day. They readily agreed. The berserker sent a quick thanks to the goddesses above and rushed off to pick up her wife. She only had time to send a very short message to Marianne - who was on the way back from an operation - that Relena had been found.

The moment the berserker laid eyes on her wife, she had immediately wanted to ask what happened but settled on just pulling Relena in her arms and feeling like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. Yes, the older woman had gotten thin again after all that work, but she was alive and they could work on getting her healthy again. The place where Relena had been found, the ranch, as she called it ended up as being their property. Jules, really, didn't see the need for them to buy the place but Relena had been adamant. The silver haired woman had held out for as long as she could before finally giving in. What was she thinking really? Did she really think that she could completely deny her wife something she wanted? Bah! Jules must have eaten a bad pie or something for making think that she can. So the property was bought, fixed up and they even got horses. It was a ranch after all.

With her work in Temperance, Jules couldn't stay with Relena at the ranch every day. This time however, she was sure that her wife won't disappear on her again. Relena assured her so and she was also gaining a good amount of weight. The berserker definitely saw the benefits of buying the ranch. Apart from Relena being healthy again, there was something else that made Jules even happier. She was going to be father!! A father!!! She shouldn't have been surprised when the doctor announced that that they were having twins. With the gene in both families, it really was no wonder that they'd have twins. Dorothy and Theodora were precious, so very precious. She tried to be home as often as she could - even taking days off when she hadn't been known to taking them - just to be home with her wife and children. In a few years time, Theo and Dora gained a handsome little brother. Brendan was just as precious as his older sisters and was definitely a daddy's boy.

Speaking of children, Jules had noticed that Ray came to visit her less and less until it stopped altogether. Taking matters into her own hands, Jules sought the Lady out and asked. The answer she got left her feeling a bit hurt but she couldn’t fault her oldest daughter for doing that. She knew that mom and daughter had a lot of things they needed to discuss before things could get fixed between them but she did tell Ray about her youngest sisters. It took some time but Ray started coming for visits again and it gave the berserker a chance to introduce the twins to their older sister. Dora and Theo just adored Ray. When Brendan was born a few years later, he too took to making Ray the favorite older sister.

For Jules, she focused the rest of her life to her family. They were what she held dearest and protected fiercely. Yes, there were disagreements, misunderstandings and even she was set to doghouse a few times but it was all part of it. In a way, she did manage to finally grab that all elusive happily ever after.

Mary Adelgard

Marianne, like her twin, did not come to Simone's aid. She and Jules shared the view that they had done enough. Mary has seen her share of battles to last her this lifetime and perhaps a few more after. The U-mage focused on instead on her current duties. She remained on stand-by until the sparks that had went out to seek the tomb of the goddess had returned and gave their reports. It must have been quite a battle, a battle that had she been younger she would have not hesitated to join. With the threat to their world effective neutralized, Mary returned her focus to regaining the trust of her superiors.

It took another year for them to fully trust her but by that time, she had gotten used to the peaceful environment of the Academy. They Guardian superiors felt that she could be sent on missions again but, unlike what they expected, Marianne did not jump at the chance. Instead, she asked if she could think about it and then went to consult with Iliya and Remy D’Aubigne. That was the time that the U-mage had expressed that wouldn't mind teaching. She had, after all, experienced helping out in classes and she rather enjoyed them. Marianne was elated when she had been told that the Academy would be happy to have her. She told the Guardian's superiors so but they weren't too happy. Apparently, her being a U-mage had made her superiors want her back in the field.

The former headmistresses, Shizuru and Natsuki Viola, intervened on her behalf. They were able to strike a favorable arrangement. Marianne would still be rostered under the Active Guardians - very similar with Jules - list but she would only be called on for missions that required her intense specialty. Those missions were very few and far in between so she was in the Academy most of the time. She usually assisted during spells or during operations class but she also helped her sister out even if she was a painfully average DV operator. Jules certainly welcomed the helped and even more so during the time when Relena had gone missing. There were even days at that time that she completely took over teaching a class as her sister would out on her bike searching for her wife. She wanted to be out there too but she wasn't sure what help she could offer so she chose to hold the fort to the best of her ability.

The U-mage ended up being part of an extermination operation mere days before her sister in law had been found. It something that required her speciality, specifically the ability to cast highly destructive spells with double effectiveness due to her U-mage conditioning. She was unable to refuse but when she got back, she received the good news. Relena had been found but she won't see the older woman for some time. The next time she saw Relena was when Jules, finally, consented to bringing her to the ranch. She had been so excited to learn that she had gained two more nieces! Twins girls! She found Dora and Theo just absolutely adorable! There was no way she was staying away now, not even if Theo had gotten the habit of tugging on her hair or Dora trying to eat her hair, much to Jules' chagrin.

The less stressful life that Mary led certainly mellowed her out. It also helped that she had two little nieces that she certainly didn't want trying to copy her frowns and scowls. She had a feeling that should they succeed, it's not her version that they would see but their dame's. It was bound to be terrifying.

Over all, Mary was happy. Perhaps she could be happier but she's content with what she has.

[Lusine]

Bernadette Rhodes

Bern was quick to make her decision regarding her powers. It was something that she knew that she needed to do. It was mostly for selfish reasons, out of a need for atonement, but she decided to keep her powers and would ascend when the time came. She was irrationally concerned about her wings, considering the state of her back, but the scarred tissue did not prove to be a problem.

She was stupidly proud of the beautiful wings that sprouted from the damaged skin but she kept them hidden anyway. Bern wasn't interested in letting her new powers gain her any possible special privileges and she wanted to stay in the field, as close to the action as possible so that she could face the wrong-doers head on. Be it murderer, molester, or shadow hoard, Bern was more than happy to take care of the issue. It gained her a few admirers, and more than a few jokes about her being a vigilante, but she rarely paid that any attention. If Silvia Orr became a little more well known and feared in the criminal underworld as someone sure to seek revenge, Bern certainly wasn't going to mention that to anyone. Her personal hobbies weren't anyone's business. Besides, it wasn't as though the police force was complaining.

Bern wouldn't have really called herself happy, not for a few years. She enjoyed making friends with the Demirs, who proved to be very reliable people and made sure she didn't work herself into a coma. She also allowed herself to see some people in less than platonic setting, though her workaholic tendencies and less than classy personality eventually ended them all with being 'just friends'. Sitting around the security office at Temperance in her Batman boxers was a goofy trait, who figured?

Things didn't look up until Bern finally found Aisling Siobhan, the woman she had grown up with and lost the year before when Aisling had a psychotic break that led to her disappearance. Bern had never given up looking, had never given up on finding her one day. But Aisling's reappearance was due to her admitting herself into a mental hospital some odd miles away. Bern quickly put herself back in Aisling's life, and the two best friends reconnected. It wasn't easy, Bern never expected them to be. But she had her best friend back, and she would do right by her this time around. She helped Aisling out when a young woman named Rilo came into her care, and Bern watched the pair of them grow together and become a nearly inseparable bond. It felt good to have to helped create something so amazing, when most days it felt like all she could do was perpetuate violence.

Watching Aisling and then Rilo pass on was difficult, more so than Bern had expected since the pair had lived full and happy lives. It took years before she felt like herself again. But with the other ascended sparks to support her, Bern threw herself back into her work.

It was as happy an ending as any, she supposed. Atonement became less about forgiveness from others and more about forgiving herself. It would take a long time before Bern would reach that point.

Araceli Campbell

There is a goddess that Araceli is familiar with, a goddess of strength and compassion and overcoming the things that have hurt you in the past. Before the Reawakening Araceli couldn't have called herself religious, wouldn't have admitted to the nightly prayers she made to the goddess Talesia for strength. Prayer felt like a cop-out, as though some imaginary deity could grant her the power to move past the damage that Luann had done. But if Simone could exist, then Talesia could too, and Araceli found comfort in the fact that a woman could overcome such overwhelming loss and be gifted with the ability to help others like herself. In a way she was being offered the same.

Guren nudged her hand, his lion-like head coming up to her waist. Will you make your decision?

"I don't know." Araceli said, scratching behind her dearest friend's ear. "I'm not sure what I want to do yet. But, I know that wherever I go from here, I can only move forward. And you'll be by my side, right?"

Of course, always. You just have to call.

"Good." Araceli could feel her voice shake and she knelt by Guren's side, burying her face into his fur. She knew she wasn't alone. She had Lindsey, Melodique, and Mercie. And of course there were the others, should they accept her despite everything. She could do a lot of good for this world, if given the chance to do it. She just had to reach out and try. There was a feather shaped scar beneath her bodysuit and Araceli traced the mark with trembling fingers. She hadn't felt this alive in a long time. Guren pressed his face to her neck and rumbled out a purr that shook her whole body.

Are you ready to leave?

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go home, Guren."

--

Things did not come easily to Araceli, they never had and she knew that she would need to work for the things she wanted (to excel in, to become, to have for herself). She made an effort to reach out to the people around her and found herself with friendships that would last beyond death. Dallas was someone that Araceli could never regret meeting. Things changed for the better when the two of them hit it off, even though Araceli never got used to the tabloids. But really, who could?

She was more than happy to devote her life to the charity that Dallas had involved her in. It gave her a purpose, and Araceli needed that. She liked being useful, being able to do things for others when nothing could have been done for her.

Evangeline Jones

Eve had no idea where she stood when Sharon and Brooke came back, their bond stronger than ever, but Sharon was quick to assure her that things would be different in a way that was for the better. Although skeptical at first, Eve found herself pulled into Sharon and Brooke's small circle of family. It took a little while to get used to, but Eve was glad for it. It wasn't the same with Terra gone, but...that didn't mean it was a bad thing.

Eve graduated from Temperance as an average student and quickly wormed her way into an internship with a mechanics program. Her brother Martin was more than happy to begin teaching her about their own family's company, and although Martin was more suited to paperwork and the higher-up stuff, Eve was fast to catch onto the way everything else worked. She started off small but eventually began to grow into herself, becoming more comfortable with her abilities and pushing herself to do better.

It helped that she had little nieces and nephews to look out for when Sharon and Brooke started having kids, and later on when Martin finally got married and had a few of his own. Eve had been content to live her life taking care of her nieces and nephews, but fate had other plans. A younger woman she met through friends became interested in her and to Eve's utter embarrassment she was very open about her feelings for Eve. It didn't take much convincing for the pair to go out, and when the woman passed Sharon's approval, they two were eventually married.

Eve didn't regret anything about her life. She had a wonderful family and beautiful wife, and even though she didn't have children of her own she cared for her nieces and nephews as though they were her own. She eventually passed away from old age, entrusting the care of her wife to Sharon and Brooke.

It's possible that she reunited with her older sister in the afterlife. If they did, it would certainly explain some of the cosmic jokes that were played on the people they cared for.

Sharon Holloway

Sharon did not let go of Brooke's hand. No matter how much her fingers ached, she refused to relinquish her grip.

"You can let go." Terra's voice had whispered to her one night, when Sharon was fast asleep and dreaming of pink hair flickering just out of sight. "You can let go of me, Sharon. I don't mind. It's time to let me go."

She had to move on from the past to take hold of the new life being offered to her, and Sharon wasn't going to lose this second chance. She hadn't thought that she could feel anything again but Brooke had proven her wrong. Brooke's near endless patience, Brooke's warm hands, Brooke's wide smile. All of these things had made Sharon realize that life wasn't over just because Terra was gone.

"I want forever with you." She said, and was surprised by how much she meant it. "I love you, Brooke."

--

Sharon was more than happy to continue her life with Brooke. The marriage proposal was something she had been expecting (really, Brooke was such an open book it was a wonder Sharon had ever been oblivious to her intentions). Eve was her maid of honor and Martin had been more than happy to hold the wedding at the Jones estate. They paid their respects to Terra after the reception, and Sharon finally felt like she had moved on. It was a good feeling. With support from the Jones, Sharon started a new life with Brooke.

Four children later, Sharon sat Brooke down and told her straight up that she wanted her hips and back still intact for their babies' graduations. Motherhood suited Sharon, but she was practical and knew that too many kids would spread her thin. She wanted to impart equal love to her children and four was just the right number.

Of course the eldest, Terra, was exactly like Brooke in almost every way. Boundless energy and fiercely loyal, Terra grew attached to her Auntie Eve and followed the poor girl everywhere. Sharon was both entertained and worried, considering Eve's tendency to get into dangerous situations, but it turned out that having little cousins to worry over was exactly what Eve needed to get out of her depressed funk.

Life was not perfect but Sharon couldn't have asked for anything more. She got to watch her children grow, got to see Eve become a beautiful and talented woman, and had a loving wife that she could share forever with.


At the end of all things, Sharon was still holding Brooke's hand.

Faye Penny Fisher

Surprising absolutely no one, Faye transferred out of Temperance before the next year began. She enrolled in a dance academy not far from Temperance and visited the campus from time to time, still interested in maintaining the few relationships that she had at the school. At the age of 20 she was offered a spot in a travelling company and she jumped on the chance, eager to begin a career doing exactly what she loved.

Despite her scars Faye was in prime condition and her ability to quickly catch on to things led her on to a successful future in many productions across Tempera, and even across the oceans. At 27 Faye returned home to open a dance studio, which became well known and highly recommended to those who wanted to learn to use dance in their spells techniques. Faye never admitted it, but she enjoyed being able to something that few others could. She was certainly no master, but it was an ability she prided herself in. Finally there was something about her Spark that she could feel proud of.

Faye grew from a cold, disinterested young girl into a proud, accomplished woman. People knew her name for the thing that she loved most, while that was a boost to her ego, all Faye had ever wanted was to be able to dance. And she was able to do that for a long, long time.

Beryl Solis

Leisaim Ferron

The events of the Reawakening did not affect Leisaim the way it may have affected others, but the return of the Sparks involved with it took its toll on the Alimenti. The sheer power they possessed severely damaged Leisaim's own starving core, and she was forced to resign from Temperance for the sake of her health. Her absence was not immediately noticed, and that was what she wanted.

The former spy disappeared, leaving no trace of herself behind. Perhaps she wandered the city under a different alias, or maybe she found work in the black market and that took her to places far away. But rumors of the Alimenti sprung up in her absence. Leisaim Ferron was never heard from again.