Shade40: Ooh, hello! Don't worry, I get the 'I-don't-ship-Edvy-but-I'm-reading-this-anyway' a surprising amount. And thank you very much I'm definitely pushing myself with these themes, and part of that is trying to get away from the heavy romance. It's good to see that that's working at least in part.
I've never understood how some people will insist on one series to the exclusion of the other. We're lucky enough to have more than one 'truth', and that gives us writers a lot more room to play As far as canon goes, I mostly end up with a scene or idea and play with events until it makes sense. 'Flickering' is a good example of that.
Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm so happy to hear that people are enjoying even some of these stories – and trust me, I know they're not all good. I've got a couple earmarked to rewrite once I'm done all hundred themes. I hope there's more for you to enjoy as I keep writing. *scribble scribble scribble*
Clearly, this is an AU of sorts. Just wanted to make that obvious.
59. Quiet
Everything was quiet at the end of the world.
The cars were silent, stopped dead with nobody left to drive them. There were no crowds to murmur and shout. There were no shots sounding at the firing range, and no children screaming and laughing at the playgrounds or schools.
Envy stood atop Central Headquarters, trying to imagine an eternity in an abandoned city. It was peaceful, yes, but it was wrong.
"Envy." The voice struck through the silence like a bullet, a steel scream piercing into his brain. He turned. Lust stood there, arms crossed over her chest.
"Yeah?" His voice, in contrast, was hardly louder than a whisper.
"Father wants us. It's time for us to receive our share of the souls." She licked her lips.
More souls, more lives, more years in the quiet. "What about the sacrifices?" he asked, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Why, he's eaten them already. Didn't you know?"
Suddenly he felt sick. The quiet was wrong enough, but now there wasn't any blond terror alive to shatter it. He'd known the sacrifices were only to be kept alive long enough to serve their purpose, but he'd gotten used to Edward. He was the Wind of the circle – sometimes here, sometimes there, quick on his feet, sometimes a breeze and sometimes a gale.
Envy sighed. "And he didn't save any of them for me? Greedy of him, don't you think?"
She laughed at that. "It only makes sense. He'll probably make a new Greed soon. Imagine, having to reabsorb him twice!"
Envy shrugged, and got to his feet. It was so damn quiet. It was just them now, the sins and the father.
Just them.