sweetestsurrender | { The AU meme }

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{ The AU meme }

Ever played out something and then later wondered "What if?" Ever wondered what it'd be like to play your character a different way, but didn't feel like making a full thing dedicated to it? Now's your chance to play it out!

Using RNG you'll roll 1-3 for the level of the change, and 1-6 for the change itself, or if you want, pick your own based on what you wanted to do.

1)  Small Change: The flap of a butterfly's wings can cause tsunami's on the other side of the world.

-1: "A minute too late"- What if you missed something by a minute, or more? You missed the big meeting, the girl, helping that person, all because you were too late, what happens next?
-2: "The nick of time"- Just like the first, only that instead of missing something you got, that if you got something you missed because you were either too late, or just messed up? Congratulations! Let's just hope it's what you really wanted.
-3: "A little too early"- One more, what if you showed up early? It's suppose to be a good thing, is it this time?
-4: "The other choice"- You had two choices, left or right, heads or tails, Coke or Pepsi, now you get to see what would have happened with the other choice.
-5: "Oops!"- You slipped up, and made a mistake. Is it bad, or a blessing in disguise?
-6: Wild card/Pick your own- Thought of a slight change that'd make all the difference, or had one you wanted to play? Here's your chance.

2)  Medium Change: Didn't really see that coming, did you?

-1: Turning point change- That one thing that would have turned things in your favor went against you, and vice versa. How will you handle this critical change?
-2: "A Razor's edge"- That one moment that could have went either way has gone the opposite way of before. Is this a good thing, or a bad thing?
-3: Crossroads- You reached a point in your life where you had several choices before you, now's the time to go down another road and see where it leads.
-4: The Road less traveled- "Two roads diverged in the woods, and I took the one less traveled" Will it make all the difference?
-5: Interference- Something blocked you from getting something you were going for. What do you do once the moment is gone?
-6: Wild Card/Pick your own-Thought of a medium change that'd make all the difference, or had one you wanted to play? Here's your chance.

3)  Large Change: Why do all the people here have goatee's?

-1: Good/Evil- Use to be a good guy? Welcome to the dark side, here's your cookie. Former bad guy? Hand over the cookie tray and join the side of good. How will the change of moral compass change you?
-2: A different person- You're now a completely different person, literally. Are you taller? Shorter? A robot? A pony? Powers? No powers? Your call.
-3: The other sex- Rule!63 is in effect. Now how does this effect your relationships with the other?
-4: A change in history- Something that happened in the past now has completely change or is now gone. One domino toppling the rest. Now that you've changed your past, how will it effect your future?
-5: Giving up- You walked away from something important to you? Do you regret it? Are you happy?
-6: Wild Card/Pick your own- Thought of a large change that'd make all the difference, or had one you wanted to play? Here's your chance.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You assume that sort of thing would bother him," she said with a chuckle. "But if you don't want to bring it up, I'll keep my nose out of it. If you ever want a wing-woman for making nice with him," she shrugged.

"Delightful," Wufei replied warmly. "But I heard something about a death by chocolate cake... do you think you could box one up to go for us? I'm all out of room at the moment but I don't want to miss trying it." She was a lot better with people than she'd been during the war, and it helped that Duo had her so relaxed.

"I'll think about it." He wasn't going to dismiss it out of hand, but he shut up once Debbie showed up and just grinned up at her.

"You've been talking about my cakes?" She looked at Duo with that same wide smile. Laughed when he nodded and was happy to agree to the request. "Then two slices of death by chocolate coming up. I'll bring them right over, sweetie." This time her smile was aimed at Wufei before she trotted off.

"You've made her day. She's real proud of those cakes. I remember when she first started making them. They were awful, but she never gave up. Kept practicing and now... Well you'll see just how good they are."

"Thank you," Wufei replied warmly, watching her go before turning her attention back to Duo. "Hard work often pays off. I hope I wake up hungry in the middle of the night. Nothing better than cake at two am. Which I suppose gives away that I still have nightmares sometimes, but it's gotten down to just once or twice a month and I don't thrash anymore."

"I think nightmares'll be with us for a while..." Duo replied carefully. He had his fair share too. And he had a feeling he had the share of others on top of that. Sometimes he went without sleep for days before finally crashing. It didn't happen nearly as often as it used to, but maybe that was a bad habit he should have mentioned...?

"But it's good they're not as often for you, Wu." He smiled then, wide and genuine. "Maybe you'll have even less now you've nothing to hide anymore?"

She nodded in agreement, letting out a long sigh. "One of my conditions of employment is regular therapy, and as much as I hate it, it has been helpful. But yes, I think it's likely I'll have fewer now." Tonight, though, she'd be surprised if she didn't wake up swallowing a scream.

She sighed heavily at the thought, and forced a smile. "Well. Probably going to have one tonight, but it's a price worth paying."

"Wu..." Duo tried, he was going to reach out, but before he could Debbie was back again. All smiles and happily delivering her cakes. They were nearly wrapped and placed in a paper bag for them to take home with them.

"Now you two don't be strangers, y'hear?" she wagged a finger at Duo in warning and then turned to Wufei. "I expect you to knock some more sense into the boy! Teach him that leaving his friends behind is bad." she pouted, but there was a teasing light in her eyes. "Now you two go on home and have a great rest of the night!" she winked, playful and laughingly walked away before Duo had the chance to splutter and tell her off.

She smiled at him, a little sadly, but brightened it up for Debbie. "Oh, we won't," she promised. "And his sense is all in there, it just needs a little rearranging," she teased right back, and slid out of her chair when she walked away.

"She's not expecting us to accept the entire meal for free, is she?" Wufei asked, since a bill hadn't been dropped with the cake, and she fished her wallet out of a pocket. She had no idea what the normal price was, but she knew very well what it was worth, and put a couple bills on the table.

"Probably does, but that never stops me." Duo had also pulled out his own wallet and added a few more bills on top of the others with a smile. He grabbed the paper bag, waved to Debbie and held his hand out for Wufei before he lead the way back out to where he'd left his truck.

Wufei bobbed her head at Debbie as Duo waved, her hand sliding into his as if they'd been doing it for years, and she followed him to the truck. "This was lovely," she said warmly as they stepped out into the evening air. "I can see why you like the place so much. Good food, good people, maybe the occasional scuffle if the scratches in the floorboards are to be believed," she grinned, walking with him to the truck. The evening would be a nice counterpoint to what she was about to put them through, something they could hang onto, to remember that things were better now.

"Hah oh yeah, fights break out now and again. Cian usually puts a stop to it quick enough but they happen." He grinned and, once they reached the truck, he opened Wufei's door before he headed around to the drivers side and climbed in.

"I'm really glad you liked it here." He said with a happy sigh once be was settled in. "Kinda worried you wouldn't. Guess that was silly, huh? But just wait till you try this cake. It'll blow your mind!" he twisted around and put the paper bag on the back seat before turning back to start the engine.

She climbed up into the truck and buckled herself in, letting out a happy sigh as she relaxed into the seat. "I'm sure it will," she agreed warmly. "But now you've got me curious... what kind of places do you think I like?" She was amused that he thought she wouldn't like a spacer bar, though she could understand it. She'd relied heavily on propriety and tradition during the war, distanced herself with feigned arrogance, acted like she was better than them when really, she'd just been scared.

They'd all been, she assumed. A bunch of kids thrown into a war they had no business being a part of. The whole thing was madness, but it had been necessary. She reached for his hand again, without even thinking about it.

Duo laughed. "I'll be honest, I've no idea. That's the problem. I didn't know, but I'm learning.". And it was kind of nice, learning new things about Wufei, learning what she liked and didn't like. And when her hand found his again he was happy to take it, threading his fingers with hers. He even went ahead and brought it over to rest upon his thigh as he started the truck and started the drive for home.

"Well, at this rate I'm going to learn as much about myself as you are. I'd never thought to try a place like this, but it was a wonderful surprise, and promises to be again when I wake up in the middle of the night craving chocolate," she teased lightly, turning her head to watch him drive, to catch his profile changing under the street lamps. "I suppose I'll have to plan our next date, take you somewhere that you can try something new," and hope he liked it. She did tend to prefer quieter places, and despite how loud Duo could be, she knew he appreciated the quiet, too. "Have you ever gone hiking? For recreation, I mean."

"So this was a date, huh?" Again he'd not wanted to assume, but he'd still wanted to show her a good time. If they'd said it was an official date before hand maybe he would have gone to a bit more effort, or at least arranged a little extra excitement.

"Cant say I've gone hiking for fun. But I'm open to it. That something you like doing, Wu?" it wasn't something he was against at all. Running for fun was something that baffled him. But a nice walk in nature? He could enjoy that.

She shrugged. "It felt like what I imagined one would," she replied with a little smile, letting her thumb slide along the back of his hand. "Maybe not as excessively romantic as the ones in movies, but I've never been terribly fond of going over the top."

She chuckled at his reply. "Three or four times a year, I'll go out into the wilderness for a weekend. Usually when I'm waiting for internal affairs to clear me after a complaint, since I'm not allowed in the gym during the waiting periods," so she couldn't just fight her way to a clear head, and she'd opted for nature hikes as an alternative.

"Glad it wasn't just me then." He'd felt it himself but, again, hadn't wanted to push for anything Wufei wasn't comfortable with. He'd thought if he was going to ask Wufei out he'd be more clear on it. But this was fine too.

"Well..." Duo couldn't help laughing. "You wanna take me on a date to the thing you take your frustration out on? Sure sure, so long as that's not what we'll be doing?" he risked a quick glance over at Wufei. "It's for fun you wanna do it, right? I'm not driving you crazy already am I?"

She laughed warmly when he asked about the hiking. "Just for fun," she confirmed. "I don't exactly have a lot of hobbies that aren't for venting frustration, but most of it comes from work," or things that were no longer problems, thanks to Duo. "In fact, you're having the opposite effect. I've been so relaxed this week people are engaging me in small talk, and I haven't snapped at anyone all week. Not even Heero," it was a personal best.

Duo have her hand a little, happy squeeze, his smile widened. It made him feel pretty good to know that she'd been happy this last week.

"That's good. And better if we're doing it for fun." He smiled over for a second before turning his attention back to the road. "You do seem more relaxed. I can't take the credit for that though."

"You can take a little credit," she replied with a warm smile. "Most of it's because I don't have the threat of forced marriage to a complete stranger hanging over my head -- which reminds me, my dining room walls look a bit like investigation boards right now." So he wouldn't be totally taken aback when he saw it. "I used one wall for wedding things, and the other is... I used it to weigh my options, make sure that the choice I've made is the right one." Marrying Duo wasn't her only option, wasn't even the only option to avoid an arranged marriage, but it was by far the best one. "After we've talked, if you want me to go through the thought process with you, I'd be happy to. It looks a little chaotic."

Duo frowned but was good and kept his eyes on the road. "You're saying you made a board about me...?" he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to see something like that. Having all of his pros and cons laid bare was just a little too much to think about. Unless it was something else entirely. But the way she made it sound as unsettling.

"Did you come to a decision at least?" he asked instead.

"Not about you, exactly," she replied. "But my various options. You, the men my family had selected -- they emailed me biodata sheets on all of them," she rolled her eyes. "And the non-marriage options. Running away, faking my death," she waved her free hand dismissively, as if to encompass more options. "But yes, I came to the decision that my first instinct is, as usual, correct. Marrying you is the only option where I can see myself being happy long-term."

Assuming he still wanted her. She knew he would, that he wouldn't blame her, but knowing something and feeling it wasn't the same thing. She gave his hand a little squeeze. "You're the smart option, the safe one, but most importantly you're the one I want to take," she said it softly, like it was a secret. "I can't imagine feeling as safe with anyone else as I do with you."

He listened quietly, did his best to reserve judgment until she'd finished what she wanted to say. But it did little to help the dull ache building within his chest. Duo supposed she was right. He was the smart option. He was safe. He didn't expect anything from her really. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

So he smiled and nodded. Accepting the answer.

"And I'll keep being a safe place for you, Wu." Since that was really all he could offer her right now. A safe harbour away from the chaos.

"I know," she said, her voice smaller and quieter than it had ever been. She sighed quietly, squeezing his hand again. She knew, somewhere in her bones, that while he might react badly, he would still be there for her.

The gilt might just eat her alive, but they'd made up their minds. She would see it through and, maybe, with enough work, she might one day actually be worthy of all the sacrifices he was making. Even if he claimed he wasn't. She knew, she could see how much he cared for her, and she wished she could just wave a wand and feel all the love for him that he deserved.

And made a mental note to call her therapist.

Duo held the hand in his a little tighter too, never enough to hurt, but more to stop himself from letting go and crashing his truck trying to hug her. The tone of her voice made him want to. But he couldn't risk it while they were driving so he decided to wait.

It wasn't long at all before Duo was pulling up outside of Wufei's apartment. It was quicker coming back with less traffic than getting there. So he parked up and shut the truck down. Then he twisted around to grab the cake.

"Don't suppose you've got coffee at your place? Or are you mainly a tea drinker?"

The grip made her smile, because she knew, she knew that her fears were irrational with him. That if anyone could understand that what happened to you didn't define you, it was him.

By the time they reached her apartment, she'd steeled herself for what was to come, and even had a smile for him when he let go of her hand. "I mostly drink tea, but I've got coffee on hand for guests. Been getting quite a few of those this week, too. Heero, Sally, even Une popped by yesterday. She had herself a good chuckle at my dining room," she flashed a grin as she hopped out of the truck and closed the door behind her, since he had the cake. She came around to meet him on the other side before heading in with him.

And true to her word, the walls were indeed reminiscent of investigation boards. On the larger one there were pictures of half a dozen Asian men, most of them at least twice her age, one who was pretty young and attractive, and not far from that one was a picture of Duo, a mechanic's jumper half on and tied around his waist, a tank top emerging from it, grease stains on his face and arms, clearly extremely focused on the section of Deathscythe he'd been working on at the time and utterly unaware of the camera. Down near the baseboard, as far from Duo's picture as it could get, was a piece of paper with Treize's name written on it. Every other person on that wall had a picture, except for him.

She pulled out a coffee maker from a cupboard, brand new that week, and started getting it ready to brew. "I've got arabica and Colombian beans. I have no idea what the difference is," she said as she showed him the two packages. Both were very fancy brands.

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