Sonya Blade (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
soldier_blade) wrote2016-01-18 09:14 pm
soldier_blade) wrote2016-01-18 09:14 pm
*Closed to lightning_raiden* AU to MKX story
There was a stack of papers on the coffee table that Sonya needed to grade. Since earning a doctorate in pre-modern warfare and becoming a professor, she was pretty prompt about grading and keeping track of grades (something that both annoyed and relieved her students at the same time), but today wasn't one of those days.
Instead, she was sitting out on the deck of her and John's condo, watching people enjoy the late afternoon on Venice beach. Tomorrow would've marked the 23rd Anniversary of the end of the Netherrealm war, and 25 years since she'd been pulled back from that literal hell. A month ago, she and John received an invitation to a memorial service to remember those lost, but she couldn't bring herself to accept, not even after all this time, it was still too painful. Once and awhile Jax called her on advice to deal with the Outworld Civil war, but that was as close as she was willing to broach the subject.
She wasn't sure what was worse: the difficulty of coping with what happened, or the residual anger of dragging Johnny and Cassie with her while she couldn't fight off her own demons. She had the sort of life any woman would kill for, but years of therapy couldn't erase the self doubt of what she'd done to deserve them.
The deck was her favorite place to meditate; the white noise a welcomed distraction. Rumor had it that the current emperor would make an appearance at the memorial service, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. In the first few years of therapy, John was always on tender-hooks when the possibility of a trigger made an appearance, and anything to do with Outworld was certainly one of those. Even if the symptoms were more manageable now, the three of them were still careful. Even when Cassie joined the army, John didn't tell her until it was already official, and the deal done.
She looked at her watch. Those papers weren't going to grade themselves, but that meant going inside, and she wasn't quiet ready for that just yet.
Instead, she was sitting out on the deck of her and John's condo, watching people enjoy the late afternoon on Venice beach. Tomorrow would've marked the 23rd Anniversary of the end of the Netherrealm war, and 25 years since she'd been pulled back from that literal hell. A month ago, she and John received an invitation to a memorial service to remember those lost, but she couldn't bring herself to accept, not even after all this time, it was still too painful. Once and awhile Jax called her on advice to deal with the Outworld Civil war, but that was as close as she was willing to broach the subject.
She wasn't sure what was worse: the difficulty of coping with what happened, or the residual anger of dragging Johnny and Cassie with her while she couldn't fight off her own demons. She had the sort of life any woman would kill for, but years of therapy couldn't erase the self doubt of what she'd done to deserve them.
The deck was her favorite place to meditate; the white noise a welcomed distraction. Rumor had it that the current emperor would make an appearance at the memorial service, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. In the first few years of therapy, John was always on tender-hooks when the possibility of a trigger made an appearance, and anything to do with Outworld was certainly one of those. Even if the symptoms were more manageable now, the three of them were still careful. Even when Cassie joined the army, John didn't tell her until it was already official, and the deal done.
She looked at her watch. Those papers weren't going to grade themselves, but that meant going inside, and she wasn't quiet ready for that just yet.
no subject
Raiden, for the most part, was staying out of the middle of this. He was busy constructing the new portal stone, and also keeping an eye out for trouble from other realms. The ceremony would be an ideal situation to weaken two strong powers at once. Such a threat was part of the reason for keeping the celebration small.
no subject
The invitation was still on her desk, the envelope opened just enough for her to read it.
"Raiden, I appreciate you coming in to check on me." Much as it grated in her, in a sense, she appreciated it. "But I need to get grading papers."
no subject
"Please extend my congratulations to Sergeant Cage. I hope to see you soon." With that he raises his hand and disappears in a flash of light and the smell of ozone.