Unconventional

 

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Disclaimers

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or otherwise, is unintentional and purely coincidental. I make no monetary value in the writing of this story.

This is my NaNoWriMo 2017 project, which means it is a first draft. If you like, please point out any discrepancies, typos, etc. and I will get to them in due time.

The story contains an LGBT+ theme. If this offends you, you're more than welcome to hit the back button. Otherwise, this story is rated T for Teen, ages thirteen and up.

This story also contains mild language and possible mild adult situations. 

I hope you enjoy the story. This is my first time writing a F/F so please be patient with me!

Many thanks to Christina Quinn for the lovely cover as well as the creator of the main cities mentioned!

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Prologue: The Exile

The winds from the mountains whipped silently through the colony as residents gathered in the Hall of Elders. It was rare one would be judged publicly and the local Erulsans did not want to miss this opportunity. It was standing room only by the time the last group entered but they stood without complaint.

In the center of the room, the five Elders of Erulsan sat suspended in the air, dark green robes covered their faces from the public. They didn’t flinch as the side doors opened, an Erulsan woman struggled against her restraints as two guards escorted her inside. The onlookers murmured amongst themselves, familiar with the woman.

Her dark hair disheveled from the fight she attempted, she growled and cursed at no one in particular. The entrance of King Zinnarl stilled her but only for a moment as she narrowed her eyes at him and continued her flurry of expletives. He paid her no mind as he directed his attention to the Elders and everyone quieted down, except for the restrained woman.

Have respect for the Elders!’ their voices boomed in unison and the woman huffed but stayed silent.

Will you become swayed by Zinnarl’s words as well?

He is king and as such–

He is scum!’ the woman spat, which caused the room to gasp and murmur once more. King Zinnarl narrowed his eyes at her but turned to the Elders with a smirk.

My divines: now you see why I called for action. This somee sh–’

‘You will watch your language in the Elders’ presence, King Zinnarl. The accused will be punished for her insolence as well. We will not hesitate to make an example out of you.’ Their words made the king stammer and bow.

‘F-Forgive me, my divines.’

‘What are the accusations against Tzayzeh this time?’

‘She has bedded the princess.’ The king said hastily. While the onlookers continued to murmur, Tzayzeh pursed her lips and stared at the Elders.

‘We are in love. How is that a crime? If the king fears that I’ve deflowered her, he has the wrong culprit by far!’

‘Silence! Tzayzeh, you have appeared far too many times in this Hall for accusations and punishments.’

‘If you are going to imprison me for being in love with the princess, then go ahead and do it. Don’t waste time with your flowery speeches.’ Tzayzeh rolled her eyes.

We grow weary of your constant insolence. Imprisonment has proven to be of no bother to you, and that defeats the purpose of implementing punishment.’

‘I live in a world where I’m to be punished for being in love.’

‘Love? You believe for my daughter to love you? If she does, then why is she not here to defend you?’ the king smirked at her. Tzayzeh opened her mouth to speak but then thought on his words.

Tzayzeh: since imprisoning you has little to no affect, we must imply a harsher punishment. We are not a society where there is judgment on who you love. However, because of your status and gender, it is against our rules that you choose anyone from the royal houses as a partner. Heirs must be produced for the royal houses to thrive and same gender partnerships cannot produce heirs. Bedding the princess is intent to destroy their legacy. Therefore, the Elders have decided on exile as your punishment.’ They announced and everyone gasped, including Tzayzeh.

‘Exile? That is a bit extreme, don’t you think? I’ve done nothing but love the princess!’

‘Judgment has been made. Prepare the prisoner for transport.’ The Elders dismissed and dissipated from the room. A mixture of emotions erupted as the Erulsan guards carried Tzayzeh out the room, kicking and screaming. King Zinnarl looked on with a defiant smirk but turned to the residents.

I do hope that serves as a warning to the other citizens. Tzayzeh has been an unsatisfactory member of our great community for quite some time. But, now is not the time for speeches. It is late and we all need to return to our homes.’ He nodded to the residents and made his leave.

 

Tzayzeh quieted down once reality set in as the guards strapped her inside the capsule. Her pleas fell on deaf ears: there was no talking out of the Elders’ orders. When she realized it, Tzayzeh began asking questions but they were of no use. The guards refused to speak to her, let alone glance at her, as they prepared the woman for her exile.

She looked up as the door to the room opened and a physician walked in.

‘Mhavar!’

‘So, it’s true. The Elders exiled you. Oh, Tzayzeh.’ The physician sighed out as he caressed her cheek.

‘These soteerayso won’t talk to me. Please: do you know where they’re sending me?’ Tzayzeh asked, her eyes misted over by the comfort the doctor gave her. He glanced at the guards who ignored both as they left, their job complete.

‘There’s a galaxy called the Milky Way. It’s a bit primitive. The Elders believe it will make you the most miserable.’

‘The Milky Way? I’ve never heard of that galaxy.’

‘It only has one or two inhabitable planets. I can’t talk much longer. I was only supposed to come in and administer the hibernation serum.’ He gave her a solemn look as he took a needle out of his small case.

‘Wait. How long is my exile?’

‘I believe it’s for a hundred teeso. I must do my job. Stay well, my friend.’ Mhavar injected the serum in Tzayzeh’s shoulder. He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead as others entered the room. Tzayzeh had no time for any more questions as the serum took effect, putting her into a deep sleep.

 

“Sir, there’s something approaching our atmosphere…” Alexis rushed into the office without knocking. Phil got up from his desk and followed the woman to the jumbo screen situated in the main room. He watched as a torpedo-shaped object made its way towards Earth and took in a breath. “Do you know what that is?”

“It’s… well, I know for sure it’s a space craft. From where, I don’t know. Projected destination?” he asked and Alexis busied herself with the tablet in her hand.

“Fifty miles north of here, sir. ETA is in three hours.”

“We don’t know what that craft is carrying. Have Angel set mind blockers on our friends at NASA.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll also brief the ‘big three’.”

“Good. I’ll be in the conference room.”

 

The agents looked to the sky as the object entered the atmosphere and descended quickly into the area.

“Okay… not to sound ungrateful but why am I here and Angel’s still at headquarters?” Penny looked at Phil. He smirked but kept his eye on the vessel.

“I need Angel with Alexis to debunk whatever pictures and videos anyone will post of this. You will help us, just in case who or whatever comes out of the craft is hostile. Brace yourselves.” Phil told the other agents as the space capsule collided with the ground fifty feet in front of them. The group wasted no time going through the clouds of dust, grass and dirt to examine the damage.

The three agents readied their weapons as the hatch opened with a low hiss. Phil slowly approached with Penny behind him. He took in a breath as he saw a woman coming out of her sleep. Phil quickly studied the inside of the vessel and motioned for his agents to lower their weapons: the woman had nothing to defend herself.

Tzayzeh groaned as she came out of her hibernation state and slowly opened her eyes. She squinted at the abundance of light but panicked when she realized that she wasn’t alone. She gasped and tried to scramble away from the man who hovered above her.

Get away! Who are you?’

“Oh… what language is that?” Lorraine’s brow furrowed but Phil shook his head, still paying attention to the woman.

“I don’t know,” he tapped on a device in his ear. “Alexis, I need a translation.”

“Yes, sir.” her voice came through. Phil inched closer to the woman who gasped.

What are you doing? Leave me alone! What did you just say?’

“Whatever she just said, she’s pissed.” Penny took note and the other agents nodded in agreement.

“Uh, sir? That’s not a known language…”

“On Earth?”

“In this galaxy, sir…” Alexis hesitated which made Phil take in a breath. He looked back at his agents.

“She’s not from this galaxy. I’m not familiar with any languages outside the Milky Way.”

“So, what do we do? She’s obviously terrified.” Tyler pointed out and Phil sighed.

“I’ll have to… go into her mind.” Phil looked back at the woman who tried to move her stiff body out of the capsule. The oxygen levels were a bit lower than what she was used to and Tzayzeh found it hard to breath properly. Along with her panicked state, she started to gasp for air.

It’s okay. Just calm down. We’re not here to hurt you.’ Phil had tapped into her mind and learned her foreign language. Relief flashed over her face and the difficulty she faced on breathing right eased.

Oh? Have I not left Erulsan? Why can I not breathe right?’

‘I do not know what or where Erulsan is but it is safe to say you’re not there anymore. You are on the planet Earth in the Milky Way galaxy.’ He gave her an easy smile. Tzayzeh’s eyes widened as she studied the group.

Earth? If you have never heard of Erulsan, how do you speak our language?’

‘I am not a simple earthling. I come from a different planet as well but I have telepathic powers that allowed me to go through your mind and learn your language.’ Phil kept his smile even as the woman gave him an indifferent look.

‘Who are you?’

‘My Earth name is Phillip Cross and I am head of an agency meant to help people like ourselves. However, my real name is Uak… and I am still willing to help you.’ He reached his hand out for her to take and Tzayzeh hesitated. She glanced at the others behind him, who were clearly apprehensive but they didn’t move.

Mhavar said that your world is primitive. So far, the only problem I have is breathing.’

‘Ah, yes. I had the same problem when I arrived as well. You’ll get used to it. As far as Earth being primitive? In our eyes, perhaps. But they’re a young planet and they are learning,’ Phil smiled more as she grabbed his hand and he helped her out of the vessel. ‘There is much to learn from each other but that won’t happen out here. It’s much safer at headquarters.’ He led the woman towards the other agents. Tzayzeh stiffened as they approached the others but the soothing hand on her shoulder calmed her. As they studied her, she did the same and realized that they were just like the Erulsans, appearance-wise. She would be able to blend in and Tzayzeh thought perhaps her exile wouldn’t be so bad.

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KMR

This is really interesting so far! I am enjoying it :)

Thank you!

Off a Bridge

Tzayzeh took in the city of Perdition Falls as she flew around. She couldn’t believe that five years went by since she began her exile on the planet, Earth. It was enough time for her to think about everything, as well as adjust to this species and their way of life.

The Saturnian, Uak helped her as much as he could to adjust. The founder and head agent of the Agency for Super Human Enforcement made sure that aliens, if possible, could blend in with the humans. With help from his “secretary”, Uak gave the Erulsan a human identity and job. The one thing Tzayzeh found primitive was the language: it didn’t take her long at all to comprehend and speak what Uak said was “Earth English”. Her transition from alien to human was simple.

However, being told what to do put a sour taste in her mouth and Tzayzeh did what she does best: modify and go against the grain. She wasn’t too thrilled on having a human alias, especially if she was the only Erulsan on the planet. She looked like an earthling, why should she change her name? The secretary, Alexis pointed out that her name was a bit too hard for people to pronounce and Tzayzeh compromised with simply Zay.

One major thing Zay noticed after she grew used to breathing the retched earthling air was that she possessed super human powers. It was no surprise to Uak: he, too gained extra powers outside of his natural telepathy once settled on Earth, and he knew of many other aliens who had as well. There was something about Earth’s atmosphere, he concluded but he was no scientist.

As much as she didn’t like being there, she was impressed of the premise of ASHE. Since she had these new powers, she wanted to put them to good use and join ASHE. However, she was shot down but encouraged to become a vigilante. While she gotten her way with her name change and job, joining ASHE was something Uak definitely put his foot down on.

Perdition Falls wasn’t a crime-ridden city: it was actually voted one of the safest in the United States. Zay was shocked to find that while there were plenty of super humans within the city limits alone, no one wanted the title of being the city’s savior. Uak and his agents did minor battles but they were far and in between, as well as scarce to the public. Zay had nothing else better to do and jumped at the opportunity. It appeared to be karma that she was exiled to the primitive galaxy… and Karma became her super heroine alias.

 

I feel like I’m so alone. That everyone is moving on and I’m just stuck. And, no one gives a shit. Well, fuck this. Fuck life. What’s the point? It’s not like anyone would miss me…

 

Zay flew aimlessly around, her thoughts on the stark comparison of Perdition Falls to Ashhaven, dubbed the city of darkness. Of course, it wasn’t purged in eternal darkness: it was just the overall feel of the city. Unlike its sister city, Ashhaven was crawling with criminal activity but it did have its own savior, a woman who Zay wouldn’t mind being a sidekick to.

Her semi-lewd thoughts were interrupted when she noticed something falling from the bridge that connected Perdition Falls to the next state over. As she got closer, she realized that it wasn’t a something but a someone. Her adrenaline kicked in, something that she hadn’t felt since being placed in that capsule some five years prior, and she zoomed underneath the bridge to catch the nearly unlucky soul.

Zay wanted to smile at her deed: she was used to stopping crime as a whole but it consisted mostly of armed robberies, muggings and maybe arsons here and there. But, never had she physically saved a human. Her smile turned into slight shock as she looked at the woman who she just saved.

“He… Hejix…?”

“W-W-What…?” the other woman actually glared at her, her dark brown eyes wide with a mix of astonishment and anger. Zay swallowed and realized it was a case of mistaken identity and quickly smirked at her.

“Ignore that. Not every day I get to save a falling angel… literally…”

“Wha… p-p-put me down!”

“Put you down? I think the correct phrase is ‘thank you’. Sometimes ‘oh, my hero’ works. ‘You saved me: how can I ever repay you’ sounds good, too.”

“Let go of me!”

“Sorry. If I do that, then that’s definitely the total opposite of saving you…” Zay nodded towards the choppy waters of the Manes River.

She didn’t understand why the woman was making such a fuss but Zay was glad they were near land where she could put her down. She couldn’t help glancing her over, her heart caught between a rock and a hard place: she looked so much like her…

“The hell you do that for?” the woman ranted, glaring and shaking at the super heroine. Zay blinked in confusion.

“Uh… it’s my job? I’d be a shitty superhero if I ignored you falling from a bridge.”

“You just cursed…” the woman eyed the super heroine.

“Yeah, I love your little colorful words here. We have them, too but shitty sounds so much better than sola. Rolls off the tongue better.”

“W-What…? Never mind. I wasn’t falling off the bridge, you idiot!”

“Oh? Were you trying to fly? I find it easier if you–”

“I jumped, okay?” the woman glared once more but Zay gave her a confused look.

“Why would you do that? From that height you could’ve… oh.” Her confused look turned into one of sorrow but then went back to confusion. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Human life is so short as it is, from what I’ve learned the little time I’ve been here. I don’t get why someone would want to… end it so abruptly.”

“It would’ve had you not come along and saved me. It’s none of your business why, anyway…” the other woman looked down at her feet, her thoughts beating up her brain: she was in no mood to speak on it anymore.

“I guess… fair enough. But, you have to do me a favor.”

“Stop talking to me…”

“Not until you agree to the favor.” Zay looked at the woman, it was her turn to glare. The darker skinned woman looked up at her, nearly amazed at the sight. She had seen the super heroine around before, around town and on television. But, she was more toned up close and personal.

Cassandra knew her as Karma but that was about it. The woman was also taller than she appeared on TV and in pictures: she almost had to look up into her eyes that seemed so dark because of the mask she wore. The little skin that she showed was an olive tone, as though she was from another country rather than another planet.

Cassandra stopped looking at her as she rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“Could you… not do that?”

“Do what? Why are you so confusing?”

“Do the whole trying to end your life thing.” She asked sincerely. Cassandra gaped at her for a moment before closing her mouth and looking back out at the river.

“Why do you care?”

“Honestly? I don’t know if I do or not.”

“Oh, my God. What type of superhero are you?”

“All I know is that your human life is too short for you to end it yourself. You guys live, what, only ninety years average? Spend that time doing things you like or… something.” Zay shrugged but continued to look at the woman. Cassandra wasn’t who Zay thought she was: although she looked like her, it wasn’t her. The face and skin tone was where the similarities ended: they both had the same full lips, big brown eyes and mocha skin. But this human woman had a bit more weight on her, as well as an obvious problem with being at least a bit appreciative of Zay’s efforts. As much as she had a need to let the woman be, she couldn’t stop staring at her.

“What makes you think I would keep my word on that?”

“Let’s see. I could always stalk you, to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

“You… you wouldn’t.” Cassandra narrowed her eyes at Zay but the woman gave her a lazy shrug.

“Try me. I can fly and can probably even walk faster than you.”

“I’ll… call the cops…”

“I can outrun them, too. Although… yeah, no: calling them wouldn’t do well with my standing. You’d call the police on me?”

“Uh… yes. You just threatened to stalk me…”

“And, you’re threatening to kill yourself. Oh… I could tell the police that…”

“Seriously, the hell kind of superhero are you?”

“One who cares, apparently.”

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Keeping Her Word

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Blueberry Muffins

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Conversations

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