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 Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 5:20 pm
Backdated to mid March 2017
As the days got longer, Connie felt as though she got less and less sleep. She’d met so many wonderful people who were also powered like herself; they were helpful and friendly and kind, but she kept thinking back to that soft, sad smile of a man she’d met what felt like so long ago.
The thought of Aluminite not really existing any longer was terrifying, because what exactly did that mean? She knew there was some trouble with memory when people were taken from one side of the war to the other, and Connie wondered if maybe he’d forgotten about her. But if he forgot, then maybe he forgot the things that made him sad, too. She could only hope.
Meeting Tristan made things harder, because he reminded her of Aluminite. She was thrilled that Tristan was her friend, of course! But her heart also ached any time she saw him, or he texted her, or anything, because she kept wondering what happened to Aluminite.
The story she told Tristan about going to wait and watch for the prince at the top of the tallest tower really wasn’t as much of a lie as she claimed it was, although without being able to teleport like a Negaverse officer could, she could only manage to stick to the slightly lower buildings around it. She went from one to the other, trying to catch a hint of an aura nearby.
While she tried to visit as often as possible, things sometimes came up and she had projects to work on, or she got drawn away from the buildings to keep youma away from the civilians down below. So it wasn’t until that night that she caught a glimpse of something strange; a piece of paper of some kind that was stuck on the roof.
Connie slowly crouched down as she reached out for the page, her heart pounding wildly for no apparent reason, her hands shaking as if maybe, maybe this was something important.
The name Constantinople was written on the front, and her heart stopped, her eyes wide as she stared in confusion and hope and tried to fight back the stupid tears that started pricking the corners of her eyes. Trembling fingers carefully opened the letter to read. He would meet her there ---???
She quickly searched for the date, her heart breaking as she realized she was too late. She hadn’t even noticed the letter until it was past the time he said he would meet her. She felt so stupid. How had she not noticed the letter until that night?? And now, when she was certain Aluminite was okay, or had been, she still might not be able to see him.
But there was more to the letter, and she pulled the photo out from behind the page, staring at it for a moment in confusion and shock and –
This… this was her. Aluminite, or whoever he was now… that couldn’t be possible, could it?
Had it been Tristan this whole time? She knew he reminded her so much of –
But how? And how she’d missed him?
Tears welled up and poured down her cheeks in a strange mix of happiness and distress and hope and fear. She buried her face against her knees as she continued to crouch down, the letter and picture held tightly to her chest. She was going to call Tristan as soon as she got home. Or text him. Or something, but for now it was good enough to know that he was okay. Nuxaz Let me know if you'd like me to edit anything! <3 Sorry for the wait!
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Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2017 7:54 am
Disappoint had burrowed beneath his skin, crawled past his ribs, and made a home in the cavity that was his heart. Midgard carried it with him, weighted by the intensity of it, every single time he powered up. It bled into his civilian life, surely, because he didn't have much of one but it ached the worst whenever he was Midgard, Squire of Chronos, instead of Tristan Lestrange, a man who had no idea what he was doing with his life or what kind of person he was.
Tonight was a night when his self-loathing was particularly high, when it had seeped into the muscles of his back and shoulders and held them rigid.
Tonight was also a night where he had found himself circling back to the building that he'd left the letter, foolishly hoping that if he came back enough times that maybe, just maybe he would find the person he was looking for. The past few nights had been fruitless, with the man circling the block three or four times before giving up and returning to the room that Fiona had been so kind to let him keep as long as he needed.
She would scold him if she found out how often he went out on his own without a word.
Yet, being out at night in the city was easier than trying to sleep when he would toss and turn, nightmares plaguing him. Frankly, the knight would do just about anything to keep those memories at bay.
His feet led him to the building he kept coming back to, heart constricting in his chest with idle hope and knowing disappointment. She wouldn't be here, he'd missed his chance -
Wait.
There was an energy signature similar to his own swirling in the vicinity and Midgard was unable to help the way his heart leaped. Without a second thought, he found a fire escape and started to climb.
Don't get your hopes up, it's probably not her, he told himself, swallowing as he reached the last ladder rung and paused, pressing his forehead against the metal and closing his eyes to force himself to breath. It wouldn't be her, it couldn't possibly be the person he wanted so desperately to see because he was not lucky and the world owed him no favors after everything he had done but -
A deep breath and Midgard was climbing onto the roof with closed eyes. Slowly, green blinked the world into focus and he thought he might collapse from relief when he saw a familiar dress and ponytail.
"Connie?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2017 9:42 pm
She hadn’t been expecting anyone to join her up on the roof, even though she felt the aura of someone close by. She was too upset to think about how Aluminite must feel, thinking that she really hadn’t been there to see him previously. What if he gave up on her? What if that was his only chance at being able to see him?
Connie was still crouching on the ground, clutching the photograph and letter to her chest as she felt the aura get closer, and she quickly started to scrub at her face to wipe the tears away. She felt like a mess, and very much hoped that whoever this knight was wouldn’t linger for long.
Connie?
In addition to not expecting anyone to cross paths with her that night, she hadn’t expected someone she definitely didn’t know knowing her name.
She stared up at the ridiculously tall man, not in black but in colors similar to her own, similar symbols on his clothing. There was no way for her to really make the connection, but something was still familiar about him, even if she couldn’t see past the glamor.
"Yes! Hello, sorry, yes, I’m Connie," she greeted as she pushed herself to her feet with a bright smile, hoping her reddened eyes wouldn’t be too obvious in the darkness. The fact that he was so tall didn’t help to calm her nerves any. The words were on the tip of her tongue, wanting to point out just how tall he was, but seeing this man she didn’t know standing there –
Stupidly, her eyes filled with tears again, and she tried not to crush the photo or letter too much as she covered her face with her sleeve.
"Sorry, s-sorry. I just – I miss a dear friend so – " she tried to explain, feeling silly for crying in front of a stranger. She wouldn’t blame him for leaving. "You j-just remind me of him." And if Tristan really was Aluminite… she thought she would just be so incredibly happy.
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:45 am
Midgard couldn't breathe after her name left his mouth.
Anticipation coiled like an ugly thing around his lungs and he felt as if his heart had stopped; seconds ticking by at an agonizingly slow rate before it started up again. Without thought he was striding forward, closing the distance between them with green eyes sweeping across her small frame. He took in the envelope she clutched to her chest, the red eyes, and the tears that began to pool in her pretty eyes.
"Ne pleure pas, s'il vous plaît," the words spilled from his mouth as he reached for her instinctively. If this was Charlie - it didn't matter because it was Connie and she was here and safe and cosmos his heart ached in a pleasant, happy way when he looked at her. "Je suis tellement content que vous soyez en sécurité." He continued, not registering that he was still babbling in French because he was grabbing at her sleeves and pulling her into him.
"Tu m'as tellement manqué," he admitted into her hair.
It hadn't occurred to Midgard that his dear friend had no idea who he was and that he was just some stranger who was engulfing her in a hug and holding onto her like a lifeline at first. But, when it did, he was jerking back, hand held up in the air and his cheeks flushing beneath the low light of the night sky.
"Ah, I - I'm sorry." How did he tell her who she was? Would it endanger her?
Or did it matter since she was endangered already because she was looking for him?
"It's - It's me." That was enough, right?
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:32 pm
One moment she was looking up at this tall stranger, and the next he was moving forward to pull her into a tight embrace. Connie’s eyes widened in surprise, her heart nearly stopping, not out of fear but because she was hoping so badly that this person might actually –
He was speaking in French and she stared up at him, trying to see past the magic that was hiding who he might actually be, who she wanted him so desperately to be. She felt as though she was frozen in time; his quiet admissions in French into her hair, the way he pulled back and apologized, his face flushing red.
She didn’t need to recognize him physically to know it was Aluminite, to know it was Tristan. Everything he’d said, everything he’d done made it so obvious, because there was no one else who would know her like he did. He’d helped her and became her friend and then they just happened to cross paths in their other life, the life where the photo she held against her chest was taken.
The tears were impossible to stop. They poured down her cheeks as she reached forward, her arms around his waist as she buried her face against his chest because she was too short and he too tall to cling to any other way.
"I – was – s-so – worried – " she sobbed into his chest, not caring that she probably seemed absolutely ridiculous, one hand gripping tightly to his back, fingers clutching at the fabric, while her other hand still held onto the photo and letter even as she hugged him.
"S-she – told me – you were g-g-gone," Connie cried, although it was muffled, both relieved and completely distressed because she could so easily remember what the negaverse captain had told her. "I t-thought you – " there was a pause and she quickly shook her head, not wanting to admit what she’d been thinking, but she was sure it was obvious. "Then she – said you’d – c-changed, but I d-didn’t – know… I’m s-so sorry – I’m sorry –"
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Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2017 2:05 pm
She started crying fiercely and Midgard didn't know what to do.
"Ah, no. Please, don't cry." He tried, feeling panic swelling in his chest because he had no idea how to handle this situation. Had anyone cried over him before? Tourmaline - she had cried when she found out that he had left her, and the Negaverse, behind but that had been different. That had been anger-fueled...hadn't it?
Connie was crying now out of desperation and relief.
Once her arms were around his waist and her face pressed into his chest, Midgard allowed himself to engulf her in a hug once again. Tenderly, he pressed a kiss to the top of her hair. "It's me, I'm alive. I'm here," he whispered quietly, a gloved hand sliding up her back in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. "It's okay, Connie," he reassured, shifting to grab her by the shoulders and gently tug her back. When there was some space, he carefully ran a thumb across her cheek to brush aside falling tears.
"She's right. He's gone, but I'm here. Mostly the same." He shrugged and offered her a half smile, heart constricting in his chest when he realized how much stress he had caused her. "You believed...In me. It helped."
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 8:14 pm
There was a small amount of panic that she felt when he started pushing her back, his hands on her shoulders. Was he pushing her away? He’d kissed the top of her head, so she thought he was okay with letting her hold onto him –
But thankfully he just wanted to wipe at her face, but that was super embarrassing, so she quickly pulled her own hands away from around his waist so she could rub at her eyes, still crying out of pure joy and relief. And a little bit of fear still, because something could happen to him.
And he was smiling at her, and she felt so pathetic for not being able to help more than just believing. She felt as though she should have done something else, something more.
"I’m s-sorry," she sobbed still, because all she wanted to do was to hold onto him and make sure he was okay. "You’re alive. You’re – "
She stopped suddenly, looking curiously up at him, although her eyes were red and her face was probably gross and blotchy. She chewed at her lip as she hiccupped, trying to will herself to calm down enough to speak. Slowly she lifted the photo she had with the letter, still clutching it in a way that clearly showed she was unwilling to part with it, but wanting him to know what she was referring to.
"You’re… Tristan," she said breathlessly, every ounce of her being holding onto the hope that he was. It hadn’t even been a question, but a simple statement. He had to be. There was no other explanation.
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 11:47 am
"Ce n`est pas grave," he cooed, offering her the softest smile he could muster as his thumbs brushed her cheeks. "I'm here, I'm okay," he assured her, overwhelmingly touched that she cared so much she was crying in relief or happiness that he was there, tangible, and with her. Still, it pained him to see her crying even if they were not sad or angry tears.
"Connie," her name was barely a hushed whispered from his mouth as he stooped a little, determined to be at a more level gaze for the young woman. "Breathe," he encouraged, hoping the motion would help her calm a little and maybe stop crying. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." They had just found each other and, selfishly, he wasn't ready to part ways yet.
Hearing his name from her mouth was startling. He knew she was Charlie, it hadn't been hard to put two and two together and he had left so many clues as to he was for when she found them, but it still struck something within him. Slowly, his lips pursed together and he swallowed, gathering up the courage that he thought might try to leave him.
"Yes." He couldn't begin to pretend to deny it in her company. "Forgive me for worrying you."
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:47 pm
It was amazing and wonderful and she was still hiccupping with quiet sobs because this was Tristan. And he was amazing and wonderful and she just couldn't believe this was real but it was!
"I was looking for you. I was so afraid something-…" she tried to explain, calming down enough to be able to speak without stammering too badly, but she didn’t want to say all of the things that could have happened to him. He was too important to her, even if they’d only known each other for a short period of time. She felt as though she could trust him with anything. It was crazy to think that, but she couldn’t help it.
She also hated being so short. If only she was a little taller she would be able to give him a proper hug.
But since she couldn’t, she reached forward to wrap her arms around him and buried her face against his chest again. He was warm and smelled nice and all she wanted to do was stay there because he made her feel safe.
It was probably childish to want to never let him go, but she clung to the fabric of his clothes like her life depended on it.
"Ne pas être désolé, s'il vous plait," she said quietly, although not sure about the wording, but followed up with, "It’s okay." She pulled back just enough to look up at him, her eyes still wet. "You’re alive and it’s okay and… what should I call you?" she stared, realizing that she didn’t know what to call him now. Certainly not Aluminite. She didn’t recognize him as the man she once knew, but she knew it was him. It was a strange feeling.
"You look like me…" she said just as quietly, looking over the symbols she’d come to recognize as Chronos.
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Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 2:35 pm
"I know, I know," he cooed softly, hoping to soothe his worried friend. "I am safe." Though, for him, she was safe and that was the most important thing. With her face buried into his chest, he held her tightly against him, pressing his lips against the top of her head once again.
The near crushing worry that she had been hurt or that she no longer cared about him seemed to vanish when she was pressed against him, solidly firm in his arms and most importantly, present. Just like he had felt when he was with just Charlie, before he knew she was also Connie (of course, everything made more sense when he had made that discovery), Midgard felt light and like he could breathe.
Sometimes, he wondered if she was the air his lungs ached to breathe and he was breathing through polluted lungs whenever she was gone.
She spoke in French to him and he drew back, hands rising to cup her cheeks as his knees bent to put him at her level. "Always," he replied. He couldn't think of anything he wouldn't forgive her for. "I - " he hesitated, not because he didn't trust her but because he didn't know how wise it was to give out his name.
Tourmaline was hunting him so that surely meant the others were too...
"Midgard," he admitted finally, deciding that because it was Connie, it would be fine. "Just - please don't talk about it with others, unless I bring them up to you, It's not safe." Then again, were they ever safe?
"I am - sorta? Babylon was right. Chronos saved me." After you did, he thought privately.
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Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:24 pm
Her heart was pounding noisily in her chest. Out of fear and happiness and so many other things. Part of her wondered if they could just stand there all night and he would let her hug him and make sure he was real and okay.
The kiss to the top of her head was sweet and calming, and Connie could look up at him once more as she chewed on her lower lip.
Midgard, she tried in her head, nodding to show she understood, but it worried her even more that it wasn’t safe to say his name or talk to people about him. It hurt her heart because how could she not want to talk about him to just about anyone she met? Everyone deserved to know this kind, yet troubled, wonderful man. But she understood. Or thought she understood. The Captain she’d met had been angry and upset, and if he left the Negaverse, then naturally it would be dangerous.
"Thank goodness for Chronos," Connie said quietly, trying not to hiccup softly as she spoke, still feeling emotionally raw and worn down.
Even though she wanted to stay there with him, she knew that that most important thing was that they were both alive and he was safe. Reluctantly, she pulled her arms away from him and took a small step back, still clutching at the letter and photo.
"Did… you want this back?" she wondered, feeling a little sad at the thought of giving it back to him, but she would understand if he did need them. She was trying to keep herself calm. Besides, she could just text him as Tristan later. Or would that be weird? She wasn’t sure, but her heart was doing strange things because she was still both overjoyed and terrified for him.
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Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:20 pm
Connie was pulling away and, reluctantly, Midgard let her leave his arms, which feel to his sides as he watched her with worried, curious eyes. "She's far more forgiving than I deserved," he said, voice soft and for a moment he looked terribly distant. A shake of the head remedied that and he did his best to offer her a smile despite the way his heart ached.
He felt light and free, but weighted down all at once and he was certain that if he wasn't half kneeling before his companion, his head would be spinning and he might have collapsed.
Gently, he reached out and pressed the pads of his thumbs against her knuckles while she clutched the envelope tightly to her chest. "They're yours, if you want them." Green eyes blinked slowly, only dropping from her face and to the items in her hands for a brief moment before he looked up again. "I wanted to pick something only you would know, just in case."
He had been worried, when she hadn't shown, then relieved to see the envelope was still in the condition that he'd left it in at first, even if disappointment settled against his shoulders like a too heavy barbell after. "There are - there are others if you want to see them."
How many hours had he spent changing the exposure and developing techniques of the photographs he had chosen?
There had been so many to go through too.
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Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2017 8:29 am
It was still so hard to believe that Aluminite. No, Midgard – Tristan – was in front of her alive and healthy and smiling and Connie felt like she was going to start crying all over again. If she ever met Princess Chronos, there was a one hundred percent guarantee that she would get the biggest hug ever.
She let out a quiet laugh when he reached out to touch her hands, her own fingers curling more tightly around the photo and letter she held.
“Thank you. It was perfect,” she said, trying not to sniffle too much as she smiled back at him, her eyes still overly bright with tears.
“I would love to see your work,” Connie said, her smile widening, even if she felt a little embarrassed that these were pictures of her he might be talking about. She was sure he made them look wonderful by some mysterious photography magic, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be nervous about them.
There was a hiccup that escaped, and she laughed again, lifting one of her hands to scrub once more at her reddened and blotchy face, trying to wipe the rest of the tears away. She couldn’t help but laugh because it was so amazing and wonderful that Midgard was Tristan and he was wonderful and she just wanted to hug him for forever if she could.
“Would you like to get some tea with me?” she asked, her voice still a little strained from crying, but was in otherwise good spirits. She knew she couldn’t keep him all night, but she didn’t think she would be able to sleep any time soon after all of this.
Nuxaz (we can wrap with this or your next post if you’d like! Thank you!! ;_; <3 )
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2017 1:57 pm
His first instinct was to say, you're perfect, Connie, please don't cry anymore but he bit his tongue and swallowed the response. It didn't matter that he truly thought such things, there was a time and a place and right now, his lovely companion wanted to focus on him and the fact that she had found him again.
Her companionship was enough, especially now that he knew the truth and that she was safe. Connie - Charlie - was safe, something that was endlessly important to him.
"Pick a date and I'll show you," he promised, kind smile on his mouth as he let his hand rest upon her back and rub what he hoped were soothing circles. "Whenever you want, okay?" Midgard knew that if she asked, he would make time for her immediately. It was easy, for a man who had so few friends and even fewer ones who meant as much as she did to him.
"Of course I would," he said, voice dropping lower, quieter. He wondered if she thought he might reject her, but how could he when he had been nearly worried sick and he'd found her - she had found him.
"Come on," he encouraged, allowing himself to pull away despite his desire to stay firmly in her bubble. Sliding his fingers between hers, he coaxed her away from the rooftop. "Let's go somewhere safe and change so we don't get interrupted." Midgard couldn't keep the fear that one of them would find him and hurt her because of him.
"I missed you," he mumbled, voice nearly inaudible before he set off to get them somewhere they could power down safely.
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