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There's a life inside of me
That I can feel again
It's the only thing that takes me
Where I've never been
I don't care if I lost everything that I have known
It don't matter where I lay my head tonight
Your arms feel like home
- 3 Doors Down, "Your Arms Feel Like Home"
***
Inyme staggered through the Vanguard portal, not looking back. She didn't trust herself to do anything more right now. She'd thought she'd made her
peace with her mission, with what she had been supposed to do. The task force had dragged it all back. Her doubts and loathing of Drag'on, one of the
"heroes" of the first war. Her conflicting feelings regarding Hero One, and the monstrous Honoree they'd made him....and how much she still
identified with her own race, despite the change in sides.
She knew she was, to a degree, somewhat run ragged emotionally right now, but after the joking invocation of the "Rikt-E-Raser", and an attempt to
conjure a working counterpart out of magic, she'd been reduced to her personal mantra of "magic users are not insane and I cannot put them down like
mad dogs" lest she actually hurt someone on her team. As much as she knew what pain the Rikti had brought to this place, she didn't understand why
such things were jokingly tossed about as acceptable so long as the soldiers in question were Rikti. Sure, a handful of them might not have known her former
secret, but that only made it worse, in a way.
The rest....the rest had been covered. The Honoree was stopped for another day, but they'd failed to save him...or even stop him permanently, as she'd
concluded was the only logical response at this point.
Exhausted and drained, she sat herself down on the interior of a column near the firing range, head resting against it as she tried to get her thoughts in
order. It wasn't as hard as it could have been. Sachie's cool apathy regarding the life of anything and everything had at least reassured her yet again
of the fact that the entire human race was not summed up by the examples irritating her at the moment, and Ruff's simplistic mindset had allowed her to
shut out the inanity intruding on her calm most of the time.
Which was the main reason she hadn't realized she'd been scratching the attentive former warwolf's ears for the last ten minutes as she sat there,
trying to de-stress. Or that she'd been doing it for so long that Ruff had fallen asleep next to her. Smiling slightly despite herself, she patted him on
the head once, before getting up. She let the trainer on duty know that Ruff was still there while absently punching in her security clearance codes again. So
distracted was Inyme by her internal monologue and general thoughts of home that she entirely missed the congratulations of the trainer on her latest security
clearance level.
***
"Long day?" Alice's voice asked in the dark as Inyme slipped into the bed, having decided that she didn't feel like using her mostly empty
apartment tonight.
"Yeah...long day."
"....how bad?"
"It just would've taken a little adjustment of neurons, or a quick twist in the spinal column. And he'd have stopped jabbering.
Forever." A vaguely day-dreamy tone.
"Ah....that bad. Let's see if we can help you relax then, hmm?"
"And Sammy?"
"Sammy can deal."
***
Inyme was still munching on over-sugared cereal doused in milk and contemplating whether she wanted to risk the attempt at coffee that Nene had put together in
the pot due to Ifrit being out on an overnighter dealing with Council when her phone rang. Hovering it beside her head telekineticaly, she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Ah, is this Miss Inyme W'tin?"
"Yes," she said, pulling the phone back so she could still hear without them hearing the sound of her mashing cereal over the phone line.
"Good!" the other end of the phone said in a voice much too cheery for 8AM. "I'm Sally Taldern with City Hall, and I was calling to
congratulate you on achieving your 50th Security Level, as well as to ask if you'll be attending the medal ceremony this Saturday."
Inyme blinked. Had she qualified for top clearance lately? Maybe? In the meantime, she shrugged, setting the phone again. "Um...yes, I guess. If nothing
comes up."
"Wonderful! The ceremony's at five, but don't worry about showing up too early. The stage directions are fairly informal," she chirped, as
Inyme grunted an acknowledgment. "See you there, then, Miss W'tin!"
Inyme glanced at her phone in vague bemusement before hanging up and sliding it back into her hip holder.
Naturally, when she mentioned this fact to the rest of the household later, there was considerably more excitement.
***
"I know what to do, Alice. I'll be fine," Inyme said as they stood backstage.
"I know you will. It's just....I'm not sure what it is," her girlfriend said, as Inyme chuckled slightly. "This is a big thing....a
good thing for you....I'm so proud and happy for you and...." Alice said before Inyme placed a telekinetic finger on her lips, smiling at her
softly.
"I'll be fine. I promise not to attack Statesman in a fit of misplaced vengeance," she said deadpan, causing Alice to break down giggling before
the two shared a brief kiss. "Now go on. They're waiting for you in the seats."
As Alice left, Inyme smiled softly, helmet held in the crook of her elbow. She would be fine, and wasn't that something given what she'd come
here like to start with....
Listening to the stage directions, she nodded at a few faces she recognized in the crowd, found her place in line, and waited.
****
The first thing that Inyme noticed when she stepped onto the stage was that her family wasn't the only ones paying particularly close attention to her.
That, in and of itself, wasn't surprising. She'd expected a few people from Riot Force and the Legendary to show up for the ceremony. But her eyes were
almost instantly drawn to the back of the group, where a familiar dark jacketed man and his older, silver haired companion were standing. Gaussian and the
Watcher, along with a small Vanguard contingent. She'd expected the latter, but not the former, really. More than that, though, was the group causing quite
a stir on the left side of the center aisle, with many people glancing over at them nervously or trying to pretend they weren't doing so.
There were entire ranks of them, two aisles deep. Rikti. General Bu'Dekka was there in full armor, though her helmet and blade rifle were missing. Instead,
she wore a traditional ceremonial blade on one hip. Alongside her were a full honor guard that only a handful would recognize the significance of in Rikti
culture. C'Kelkah and several major Traditionalist leaders were present as well, a rather surprising declaration of support given Inyme's outing and
Bu'Dekka's defection had cracked the solidarity of the war-opposing Rikti somewhat by giving former Restructurists figureheads to rally behind, which
made the Traditionalist position slightly less united than it had been before.
However, Inyme slid her attention back to the present as she felt a shift in the air, looking over as the hero of heroes of Paragon City, Statesman, descended
to the stage. Inyme briefly tasted the thoughts of the heroes around her, feeling accomplishment, pride, awe, but not boredom. Some weren't even sure if
they were dreaming or not. Inyme, herself, simply felt....acceptance, if little else. She knew she was here. Every bite, scrape, and claw on her way to this
point was elongated and etched into her memory far too well to be an illusion of her subconscious. The achievement of becoming a Hero of the City meant little
to her after the events that had revealed her secret to those who knew her. Not because that rendered it meaningless, but because the former was far more
important to her than the latter.
Coming out of her introspection, she looked up as Statesman came down the line, her feelings mixed. She'd spent so long seeing him as the man that had
ordered the attack that'd killed so many, but that had been a fake. An imitation meant to inspire the very feelings in her she felt swirling inside. The
ones conflicting with the urge to trust...to believe. She settled for vague discomfort as a compromise as he came up next to her. She could have sworn she saw
recognition in his eyes for a moment, but his mind was closed to her. Her name was announced over the loud speakers as he settled a medallion on a ribbon
around her neck, he smiled at her slightly and gave a nod, before moving on to the next person in line. Inyme found herself nonplussed. There were no trumpets.
No voices speaking from the heavens. No great revelation. She was a hero of the city, the very city she'd planned to help burn to ash less than two years
ago.
The ceremony finished, before long, and Inyme stepped off the platform like so many others to find people waiting for her. Not Bu'Dekka and some of the
others. Their solid approval had been evident to any telepath in the stands, although it had confused everyone else quite a bit to see the Rikti come in, sit
down, and then leave without saying a word. Instead, there was a small collection of groups waiting for her.
"I'm so happy for you, Inyme," Evangelia said, holding her hands and, though she didn't show it, practically bouncing on the balls of her
feet to Inyme's mental senses. "You've proven yourself a dozen times over, to anyone who can see it. You deserve this."
"Thank you," Inyme said, before looking over past the quiet yet supportively smiling Lora'lai to Shizuru beside her. The ash brown haired woman
nodded at her with that same easy smile.
"You did well, Miss Inyme, an' that's no mistake. I trust that we can look forward t'more of the same." Take it all in, an' hold
it close. You've come through your own storm. Now make the best of what you have...what's precious t'you.
Inyme nodded, both to what was spoken and what had passed between the two of them alone. "Thank you, Miss Fujino."
"I told ya, you can call me by my first name, Miss Inyme. You make me feel a touch old when you refer t'me that way," she replied, eyes
twinkling.
"Ah, yes, Mi-ah...Shizuru."
"That's better," Shizuru smiled. "Now, girls, let's get a move on. I'm sure that our young miss here has quite a few people waiting
around t'take up more of her time. We can't monopolize her."
Eva chuckled slightly and nodded, waving as the trio headed over to see another hero descending from the stage as Inyme turned to see the ones she'd
spotted in the crowd earlier. The Dark Watcher and Gaussian....as well as a familiar silver-haired woman in a sleeveless longcoat similar to the Watcher's,
looking amused at something as they came up. Gaussian was the first to speak as they came up, offering a hand and shaking it firmly as Inyme gripped it with
her own. "Heck of a job, young lady. I didn't get the chance to say this after you were cleared, but while I won't apologize for my reaction to
your breach of our security, I would hope there's no hard feelings now. You're a good soldier and, frankly, one hell of a covert operative. As your
membership with Vanguard has been....re-validated, I suppose you could say, I'd hope you'd be open to further work. Your skill sets are extremely rare,
to say the least, and I could use your help until this war's over," he finished.
Inyme couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, but the intent behind his words was as straightforward as it sounded. Gaussian was always like that,
really. But somehow, she'd never actually thought she'd fall in the category of those he actually trusted. "I...thank you, sir....yes, if you need
me."
Gaussian nodded once, earnestly. "I'll contact you if anything comes up."
As the elder Vanguard officer headed off, the Watcher simply gave Inyme a grip on the shoulder and a knowing nod, before following, leaving Inyme looking
somewhat nonplussed at Syndesis. "I...can't say I expected you to be here," she said finally.
Syndesis shrugged. "They asked fer volunteers an' there was a strong hint I might like t'come along." She chuckled. "Maybe they wanted
t'give you a good firin' angle."
Inyme surprised herself by returning the rough chuckle. "No...I'm fairly confident that I have a partial handle on why you helped Brightsky out, and
that's fine with me. We may be working together in the future, besides. Don't worry about it."
Syndesis gave her a nonplussed look, her general bearing suggesting she'd expected...anything else but that response, and wasn't quite sure how to
respond just yet. A split second of thought and she shrugged eloquently. "So, ah, you wanna get a beer sometime or somethin'? Kick back a few?"
Inyme considered the spirit that offer was made in and nodded. "I'd like that. Though you'd need to buy the drinks. I'm underage," she
said, deadpan.
Syn looked, before breaking out laughing, smacking the younger girl's shoulder with friendly force. "Yer....oh man....all that an'...." She
continued in a bit of incoherent amusement for a second as Inyme (unsuccessfully) tried to conceal the faint smile that was creeping onto her face.
Syndesis snorted a little more laughter before looking back up at her. "Yer a dirty little sneak, but I guess I knew that already. Gaussian sure does
now," she laughed. "Not sure, but I think I may like you. Don't tell anyone, though. Might ruin my sterlin' reputation," she grinned,
before casually "jogging" to catch up with the Vanguard contingent heading off the square.
Inyme watched her go in bemusement, before turning with the unerring certainty that she'd gained since she and Alice had first bonded and finding herself
looking directly at where her girlfriend and the rest of her family were. Making her way there, she dismissed her armor into the teleportation grid that
supported it, marveling yet again at how much more at ease she felt in casual clothes these days. She adjusted the blue jean jacket more comfortably onto her
slim frame and walked towards them.
Alice turned as Inyme approached, though she'd probably known the instant Inyme'd touched their link to find her. The two embraced and shared a kiss,
words unnecessary in the mental communion that shared the kaleidoscope of emotions, feelings, and thoughts both of them were experiencing. Their appreciations
of the day were, for a brief moment, amalgamated into a single whole, before Inyme backed out of the link and the kiss, retaining the physical contact as she
let her telepathy pass beyond Alice and towards the rest of the group, sensing...feeling.
Ifrit's maternal pride, bright like a flame and warm. Nene's pleasure at seeing the two of them together. Sammy's uncomplicated happiness at seeing
Alice happy. Robin and Miranda's satisfaction at seeing Inyme receive the recognition she deserved. And among them all, not a hint of doubt. Not a jot of
suspicion. These people knew who and what she was....knew everything about her. And they didn't care. Didn't judge. Even though they had every right.
They felt she belonged.
"Inyme... what's wrong?" Alice asked, blinking as she looked up and saw her lover's watery eyes.
"It's nothing..." Inyme said, her voice catching just a touch as she felt a unique sensation she'd thought lost with the radioactive fireball
over a decade ago. "It's just...I'm home."
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
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![[Image: ab23641815bb91db069983de5c7d3994335220e7.jpg]](http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumimportfiles/ab23641815bb91db069983de5c7d3994335220e7.jpg)
It is NOT from her POV though. Why don't you take a look, eh?![[Image: 8d916c1a9d008a5d32a8c5ae9e02fe81c1adb411.jpg]](http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumimportfiles/8d916c1a9d008a5d32a8c5ae9e02fe81c1adb411.jpg)
