Chapter 2

Family Ties, Family Dies

If the smog painted the night sky any darker, Aseria would believe it was night. Her dirty blonde hair nearly dyed black by the smoke that drifted through the alleyways she snuck through them. It was a horrible night to be a citizen of any part of Whiusil. The villages had been torn to shreds during a war between the people and the neighboring powerhouse of Betrothal a year before.

While it seemed so simple to just let others live in peace, peace is not an option once others have better technology.

The people of Whiusil began fixing their wounds and ailments with a metallic substance, Sweoyae, shortened to Swey in the face of enforcement.

Sweoyae took the villages by storm, even people that didn’t need the metal used it to enhance their bodies in ways that were meant to be used for good. People began to create machines that could move and talk, but not have the same for of intelligence of a human.

All around, swey was helping the people of the nation. The men could build the villages, hunt or fish for longer periods of time and the women could stay in the fields to plant longer.Doctors could work longer on the things that typical amounts of swey couldn’t fix without being tired, and the children didn’t worry about broken bones as much as they typically would. In the lines of villages, everyone knows everyone, meaning that everyone shares the work regardless of their status.

As previously assumed, Betrothal caught wind of the neighboring technology and wanted to buy it all from the villages. Why would a line of villages need such materials if they have no one to protect themselves from? Why use it for little things like hunting when one could use it for strength?

Whiusil, barely takes a third of Betrothal’s size, meaning if Betrothal wanted something, they could take it by force, which is exactly how things happened on the night of October 12th.

Betrothal came in with a force unlike anyone had ever seen. Statues broken, people murdered in the streets, flags and buildings set on fire with no remorse.

Once the dust settled and the losses were cut, was no trace of sweoyae taken from Whiusil. It became increasingly obvious as the people of Whiusil began to fight back that the attack was never about sweoyae. The attack on Whiusil was all for the sake of showing off the immense power, threat that Betrothal holds and money that Betrothal could burn to show the steps they could take for power.

“What a night to be alive, huh dear?”

A calm, yet chipper voice says from beside her.

Without much thought, she swung her fist so hard the wooden post behind the alleged attacker dented slightly. A quick kick is swiped under her feet, giving her no time to dodge. As she reaches for the small dagger holstered above her ankle, the voice rings out again.

“It’s me! It’s me!”

A blur of black and white shoots in front of her like lightning, a loud thump hitting the floor a few feet away and the next thing Aseria knows, she is on her knees with one hand caught at the wrist behind her back.

“This is your lieutenant speaking! Stand down!”

With a cringe from the sudden realization, and a wince from the pain, Aseria’s head drops slowly.

“I’m sorry, it’s just instinct! Isn’t that what you taught me? Swing first, questions later!”

The lieutenant chuckles and shakes her head, the rest of her white curls falling out of her helmet. Lieutenant Reyna Muerzo, a terrifying leader that stands at six foot three, was nothing short of sneaky. For her size, she knew how to get around quickly and quietly.

“That I did. I know that is just how you were taught, but you know we’re not in those times anymore. The war ended last May, child.”

Letting a stressed sigh, Aseria sat back up to look up at the woman in front of her. Wordlessly, they both stand to overlook the burning city before them. Another product of a revolution that simply refused to end. The silence between the duo felt deafening, there was nothing to say, nothing to do anymore, nowhere to call home that wasn’t in cinders to return to.

Sifting a hand through her pocket, Reyna found three stray cigarettes and offered one to the dirty blonde beside her. As Aseria declined, she took a match to strike on the side of her boot to light the cancerous stick in her hand.

“I know you lost a lot, we all did. But you have to be willing to let go of the soldier you were, and accept the woman you are. You shouldn’t have had to grow up that fast. This should not have been your battle to fight.”

“That was the only time I felt useful, mom.”

Reyna’s eyes widened. She hadn’t heard that title from her daughter in over a year. Once the war for freedom started, she was nothing more to the country than a feared lieutenant. She regained her composure just as quickly as she was thrown off.

“Then find another way to be useful.”

“I don’t think I can find one so easily.”

“Then let us make one, my child. Where do we start? Rebuild the city?”

Looking up to see the expression on her mother’s face, Aseria sees nothing but a smile adorning her wrinkled features. It shouldn't be a shock for such a strong woman to be such a strong mother, but Aseria was still taken back by the gentleness in her mother’s words after watching her take countless lives for the sake of their freedom.

The silence feels tense for a moment, but Reyna moves to her motorcycle that was discarded at the beginning of their conversation. As she puts her helmet on the ground, she looks over her shoulder gently.

“I do not blame you for throwing your sword the way you did;”

Reyna starts to lift the machine, a gentle whirring noise coming from it, as if it was arguing with her. She fiddles with the kickstand as Aseria takes a sharp breath, unsure of where their conversation was going. She knew from the start she was nothing more than a combat medic, she was told from the very first battle between Betrothal and Whiusil to only save the people with mechanical enhancements on their bodies. She couldn’t help but wonder if her mother was angry at her for running away from her position as a medic.

“I know you were scared. I did the same thing when I was handed my first sword. I just wish they would have kept their promise.”

A sigh of relief left Aseria as she realized her mother was more worried than upset with her, but when she looked at her mother again, she could tell something was wrong. The way Reyna leaned against the motorcycle told her everything she needed to know.

She was tense, nervous like she told a secret she wasn't supposed to tell. Lost in her own thoughts, the lieutenant begins to mutter to herself, ways things could’ve shifted in their favor, things she could’ve done differently to avoid her only child going to war at the age of twenty, losing part of her own arm and more. It wasn’t until a hand was on her shoulder that she was drawn out of her thoughts quickly.

“..Mom? What promise?”

A deep sigh settles in her chest as she nods, more to herself than the confused woman in front of her. Taking her hand carefully, Reyna begins leading her daughter to the ruins of the city in front of them.

“I think it’s time I tell you a little more about the man your father was, more importantly, who everyone thought your father was.”

Aseria turns to point out the motorcycle her mother was just leaning on behind them.

“What about your bike?”

“He will follow.”

Without hesitation, the vehicle lights up and roars to life as if it was leaning on the stand in the first place. Aseria's eyes widened but set quickly, silently cursing herself for forgetting that sweoyae was also used in machines, not just humans.

“Maude, come. We are going home.”

Just some trashes in my gallery–

2K notes View Post

artsyxabbyx

3 years ago

Jjk Characters As Text Posts I Saw On My Dash

jjk characters as text posts i saw on my dash

(twitter)

335 notes View Post

artsyxabbyx

1 year ago

hey, reminder to everyone iduring the current situation with Israel and Palestine: check on, protect, and support the Jewish people in your life. They’re at a much much higher risk for hate crimes right now, even though, and I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH, JUDAISM ≠ SUPPORTING ISRAEL. But some people don’t really understand that, and nazis and antisemites will use any excuse to hurt people. Maximum harm reduction equals protecting everyone you can, which means fighting to free Palestine and also protecting people against antisemítico violence. The two can angst should coexist.

210 notes View Post

artsyxabbyx

3 years ago

Black Lives Matter got LOUDR 🔊 @ Tumblr

WHO THEY ARE:

Black Lives Matter, and black lives are threatened every day by violence inflicted on Black communities. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is an organization dedicated to eradicating white supremacy and building local power within Black communities.

WHAT WE DID:

✊🏿 📣 On January 3, 2021, Black Lives Matter PAC and the Working Families Party took over the Tumblr dash with an ask for users to volunteer to make calls and mobilize voters in Georgia:

✊🏿 📣 On October 26, 2020, with just one week until the election, we wrapped up our #make2020count campaign with Tumblr’s very FIRST video Dashboard Takeover; donated to Black Lives Matter. Check out the moving video below:

Check out @blacklivesmatter's Tumblr blog

2K notes View Post

artsyxabbyx

3 years ago

emotional support white haired anime boy

71 notes View Post

artsyxabbyx

2 years ago

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/artsyxabbyx

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtsyxAbbyxAds Website: https://artsyabbyofficial.my.canva.site/

Throne: https://throne.me/u/artsyabbyplays

Patreon: https://patreon.com/Artsys_vault?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/artsyabbyplays

My Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/25L74BCC6AN4N?ref_=wl_share

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/artsyabbyplays

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4RdjmhnqA-fp88EhuesHg?sub_confirmation=1

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ArtsyAbbyPlays

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artsyxabbyx?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4v2v1GQWuknZTPYNqVWq0H?si=bSQUcrz8QwiDCyjvnhsvPg

Apple Music: IHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/artist/artsy-abby-37852843/ Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Artsy+Abby&i=digital-music&ref=dm_aw_ps_adp

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/artsyabbyofficial?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/its.artsy.abby/?r=nametag

Snap: https://t.snapchat.com/NvvZO0Gr

Masterlist Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ArtsyAbby

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ArtsyxXxAbby/?invite_code=7a58b3a0ae934b868c3e7dd7db8c287f&sender=821414556944405042

Tags

Spotify announcement mental health music social media musician SoundCloud new Snapchat apple music instagram small streamer streamer twitch streamer mentalheathawareness gamer influencer gamer girl mentalhealthmatters influence socials

0 notes View Post

artsyxabbyx

2 years ago

“Such a weak-minded woman shouldn’t be here by herself, especially after what you’ve done to this family.”

Reyna bit back nothing less than a snarl as she stepped in front of her daughter. The protective stance was a very clear sign of the mother’s love, something that wasn’t shown on the battlefield, but often shown in moments of distress. Of all the moments that a ghost from her daughter’s past could come back, this would be the worst case scenario. There were too many questions and not enough time to explain them if she was here.

“Who said I was alone? I’m simply waiting for my company to arrive. This is our house now, after all.”

Aseria didn’t move an inch as she heard the women in front of her banter back and forth. Frozen in a state of rage and fear, she didn’t know what to say. She would never know how to react to the very source of her pain coming back with such a bright smile.

“I didn’t know a dead woman walking could speak so clearly.”

Reyna glared and stepped towards the smaller woman, assuming by the noises outside that the company she spoke of earlier had arrived. If she was going to make a move, now was the time.

“I didn’t know the little brat didn’t give up after the first battle.”

Reyna, who was typically slow to anger, was quick to lash out as the five foot seven woman in front of her shrank back in haste with a small smirk gracing her features, knowing that she struck a nerve. As assumed, the door opened and four more people piled in the room, decorated in black armor stained with blood. The tallest one spoke with annoyance laced in their modulated voice.

“Marisol, that’s enough.”

The woman let out a harsh laugh as she watched Aseria pathetically reach out to grab her mother’s arm in an attempt to hold her back from making a worse choice than the ones that she had already made. Reyna allows her daughter to keep her hold, steady yet firm, but still enough to let go if needed.

“You know my daughter more than anyone, calling her a brat is a very bold choice in your words.”

“Weak would’ve caused a riot, I’m sure.”

As the conversation turned more hostile, the company Marisol invited began to move in, no words were said, no weapons were pulled, but the tension in the room was all that needed to be felt. Glancing around, Reyna took in the appearances of the people around her. The first was a tall, dark skinned woman that was menacing in stature. She had dark hair with blonde streaks in it, almost like lightning. The tattoos that adorned her skin could be described as a tapestry of the battles that she had witnessed in her lifetime.

The second member was a little shorter than the woman in front of him. He looked nervous, like it was his first time confronting someone. With his shaggy brown hair and scuffed chin, he almost looked like a scared teenager.

Dark eyes met with pale skin and bright red hair belonged to the next noticeable person in the room. She didn’t stand nearly as tall as the other’s, but the weapons she held made her just as intimidating.

The last person in the room was the one that held the most harsh energy. He didn’t blink, didn’t move, and stood stiff as a board. With tanned skin and a scarred face, he stood close to 6’3. He held a commanding air around him without even trying.

Finally breaking the silence, Reyna dropped her shoulders.

“You of all people should know she is the strongest woman you have ever had the pleasure of meeting, you had the honor of being engaged to her too, but left our forces for his.”

Aseria’s eyes widened at her mother’s words. No one spoke of her divorse with Marisol, it was a sensitive subject for everyone involved. From the day Marisol left to the moment she was found on the other side of the battle field, she was considered dead to the family.

“It was for the greater good.”

“The greater good was right in front of you the whole time and you forced it past your fingers with no hesitation.”

The others in the room began to change their stances, ready to follow with action at the signs of an altercation. Aseria turned her back to her mother’s, getting ready to grab her weapons if needed. If there was one thing the duo knew how to do, it was fight back to back.

Reyna didn’t want to fight. Even as talented of a soldier as she is, she would never actively seek out a fight. She finds herself avoiding every useless fight, especially now, when she wanted answers and had one of the people that could give them up so easily right in the palm of her hand. The ambience of the room became more tense than before as Reyna decided to stall just a little longer.

“You could’ve gotten married. You had the whole world to create together.”

“I don’t want to create the world, I want to burn it down, now if we are finished talking, I have business to attend to, and you have a little meeting with my friends here.”

Marisol began shifting on her heels, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation and with Aseria’s silence. There was nothing more to say and there was nothing more that could come out of the ruins of the relationship, so why were they here, talking? Marisol only had one thing on her mind, the anklet in the basement. Her only mission was to get the anklet and get out. Motioning with her head for her crew to advance, she turned her heel, only stopping at Reyna’s next sentence.

“You knew she would’ve helped you.”

Deep down, she was right. Aseria would set the world on fire and choke on the ash with her if it meant spending forever by Marisol’s side.

“I suppose we never know how toxic something truly is until we take a breath of fresher air, so thank you for showing your true colors, Marisol.”

Green eyes shift across the room, landing on Aseria for the first time. Her dirty hair, shaking frame and white-knuckle grip almost pulled her heart strings too tightly.

“I suppose so.”

Without another word, Marisol threw something to the floor and made a run for the door, sparing one glance to the love that she lost disappearing in the smoke, losing her one last time.

Chapter 2

More Posts from Artsyxabbyx and Others

Just some trashes in my gallery–

Black Lives Matter got LOUDR 🔊 @ Tumblr