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italoniponic · 3 years ago

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Hi- this was way too cute >////<

If its okay can i request the same thing but with different characters this time? Said characters would be: jade, floyd, and kalim? However if you dont want to you dont have to, just thought id ask 😀 thank you.

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

| Notes: Hi again, Playfully Anon! Sorry if this is almost turning into a competitive category of playfully avoiding hugs and kisses from a boyfriend lol Also, to my other readers, the same trope was made for Trey, Leona and Rook! Kalim had a different type of ending bc I felt like it should be more sweet and the twins' part could be more similar in a way. And Kalim is a baby boy (that’s my final statement) Thanks for the request <3 |

Kalim Al Asim, Floyd Leech, Jade Leech x g!n reader who playfully avoids their kisses and hugs / fluff / established relationship / part 2 / use of “you” pronouns

Cherry’s Harvesting event 🍒 Masterlist

No-Hugs Season

It's not news to anyone that Kalim likes to hug people, no matter what kind of relationship he has with them. Obviously with you it would be no different. He's your boyfriend, isn't he? One of the happiest things in his life, as if Kalim needed more reasons to wake up in the morning, resplendent with so much joy;

When you avoided hugging him that morning, Kalim was very confused. He tried again, almost covering you with his beige sweater but you escaped him faster than a snake. Your laughter was low but it managed to reach his ears. Oh well, you were having fun so he couldn't help but laugh too;

It seemed that you were playing “catch” just like Kalim did most times with his little siblings back at his home. Was that your intention? But when he stopped for a moment during a conversation with you to kiss your cheek, you swerved and Kalim practically kissed thin air. Kalim had seen alchemical equations simpler than this situation;

With singular patience, Jamil was obliged to explain to Kalim what you were doing — or what he was almost sure you were doing. Have you been finding Kalim too clingy lately? Why wouldn’t you? Either way, he explained that you're just playfully avoiding his cuddles;

This generated an embarrassing stream of questioning — “why would you do that?” “Is it fun?” “Couples do it?” “I think I've seen it once in a movie, do you remember the name?” — which Jamil no longer wanted to answer. Well, at least Kalim now understood things a little better and decided to contribute to your fun as much as he could!;

Between class exchanges and breaks, free moments, and more, Kalim sneaked up on you and you slipped out of his arms — or rather, you engaged both of you in a dance that ended up distracting Kalim. It is only when you said goodbye with a nod that he realized his failure. But still, dancing with you was always good;

Once Kalim followed Lilia’s idea and caught you with one of the bandanas from his collection, leaving you cornered in front of him. You couldn't help it at the time. Your luck is that Kalim was so fascinated by the gleam in your eyes up close — he should try that more often — that he forgot to try to kiss you;

Even though Kalim was missing having you close to him, there’s something very special about the experience of coming after you and trying to hold you, like an illusion of an oasis that you want to believe is concrete. Maybe really “fight” for your feelings, you know? Kalim was sure that he would always search for you, no matter the circumstances;

That day, you found Kalim sitting in the stairs, arranging his school supplies to check if he had remembered to bring the history report. You approached him carefully and when Kalim stood up, you gave him a big hug. That sudden action surprised him but he laughed out loud when he saw that it was you;

“Tired of playing? It's okay,” Kalim put his backpack aside and hugged you back. In fact, he was practically squeezing you. “I missed you.” His almost heartfelt tone melted your heart. You were also satisfied with this move and ready to return to normality and his cuddles;

When you went down the stairs, you handed over Kalim's report that he had forgotten in the library the other day. You knew because he had dropped everything to try to hug you the moment you passed by — but you both got scolded by the librarian. Kalim was so happy that, without thinking twice, he took your face and kissed you.

The two of you have been dating for a certain time and it’s a great joy for Floyd because he loves hugging you almost all the time, literally squeezing you with all the love he has to give. So when you started avoiding his hugs, he was very confused. What was the matter, little shrimp? Why are you running away?;

Even his kisses! Floyd went so far as to ask if you had banged your head to suddenly stop wanting to do anything with him — or were you no longer in the mood? You quickly assured him that this wasn’t the case, you were just wanting to “keep your distance” for a while. Floyd didn't quite understand what you meant by that;

It was Azul who pulled him aside for a moment to explain your “little game.” This excited Floyd, he understood as if it was some kind of challenge that you were playing with him. Which was not entirely true, nor entirely untrue. Azul simply let Floyd go, refusing to explain further. He was your problem now anyways;

And as expected, Floyd spent a good time having fun with your alleged challenge. He would scour the hallways looking for you, trying to ambush you to give you a hug and a kiss. So you would run from him, sometimes laughing and sometimes actually running away. Floyd ran through the other students as if they were nothing;

Maybe if you were at sea, Floyd would have an easier time holding you with his tail but, on land, you would take advantage of his long arms to get around him and escape being surrounded by him. In fact, the more you did it, the more dexterity you acquired. It was like watching someone train a big wild animal — lucky for Ace that Floyd didn't heard him say it;

When you were alone, just talking, Floyd would suddenly lean in front of you to try to leave a kiss somewhere on your face. Anywhere was worth it. Usually, you just blocked him with your hand and continued with what you were saying. This made Floyd laugh, lighting up the mood;

But having the kisses blocked didn't get so bad when you started taking a pot of takoyakis everywhere and putting it in Floyd's mouth every time he made those approaches. His lips touched the salty surface of that little fried food, his favorite. Then he would collect the takoyaki with his tongue and swallow it, satisfying at least his hunger;

Like Floyd, another person who was having fun with all this playful banter was Jade. While everyone was more afraid of the implications of a Floyd in love — who will raise the world to catch up with you — Jade considers the whole thing a unique entertainment. Maybe it's a twin-thing where when one is happy, the other is happy too;

Unfortunately the fun came to an end because Floyd began to feel that the joke had lost its fun. For a few days, you stood next to Floyd, and he walked next to you in a silent, sour mood. He was tired of chasing you, even if he still wanted to hug you until your ribs or his arms broke. But he was no longer in the mood for any of this;

It was an ordinary afternoon and you found Floyd sitting on the courtyard grass, kinda sulking. You wondered if he was still in the process of regaining the urge to play again or if maybe it was a good time for you to let it go and get back to normal. It was good while it lasted. You calmly approached him, crouching down so you could look each other in the eye;

And then, long arms surrounded you before you could do anything. “Gotcha, Koebi-chan,” Floyd smiled, a dangerously calm tone. You felt your face turn red, just like a shrimp. Floyd must have also come to this conclusion because he started laughing while squeezing you tightly.

Anyone who sees Jade from afar might even think that he understands something of romance, but in fact his knowledge is very limited. The little he knows is the way merfolk court each other and yet the closest he has to reference is his parents’ love story — a complicated soap opera of romance, crime, a few murders and... um, you already know too much;

Still, Jade knows how to please you and kisses and hugs are a pretty simple thing to do. Or so he thought. One day, you seemed to simply decide that you wouldn't let your boyfriend hug you at all. But from the way you giggled softly, as if provoking him, Jade concluded that it was a healthy joke between lovers;

Well, Jade likes healthy banters. Even without quite understanding the purpose of you playfully running away from him, Jade followed you. When he tried to hug you from behind — hidden and surprising — you jumped out quickly, like a fish that cunningly escaped from a net. You laugh together, this action repeating itself a few more times;

Kissing, on the other hand, required a more direct strategy. When you talked — preferably face-to-face — Jade would approach your face quickly, in an attempt to at least get to your nose. The first time you got scared and literally fell back in your seat. So in the following times, you have already come up with ways to deviate from it;

With some nearby object, you blocked Jade’s lips and stared at him, containing your laughter. Poor thing, he hadn't made it this time! Your gaze was a tease itself. You were having so much fun being able to make a fool of him. It wasn’t for nothing that Jade liked to do this most of the time, the feeling was great;

Jade didn't quite know what he was feeling. The thrill of practically hunting you through the sea of students, looking for a gap in your posture to pounce on you with a hug and steal a kiss, directly conflicted with his frustration. He was smarter than that, he would find a way to beat this joke you included him;

Floyd had never seen his brother so focused on anything other than mushrooms and mountains. He laughed a lot watching the scenes of you skirting Jade's arms and hiding behind his back, avoiding him at all costs. Jade was annoyed with him because of this, even though he had a thin smile on his face to maintain his calm demeanor. He wanted to see if Floyd would be all happy if it was him in that situation;

After the fifth failure that day, Jade locked himself in his bedroom to think about what to do. Unfortunately, Floyd was also there to torture him a bit, recapping everything he was doing wrong. Suddenly Jade had an idea;

It was a simple Saturday morning. You found Jade crouching inside the Ramshackle’s garden, looking for something. According to him, it was the earring that he always wore, lost somewhere in the grass while he was going to meet you to go to classes together. You didn't approach Jade right away, suspicious that he had some plan on his hands;

But when Jade turned to ask for your help, you stared into his eyes, desperate and helpless. He once said how important that earring was, an unforgettable reminder of the Leech twins’ adventures. It made your heart ache. Sighing, you crouched next to him and squinted at the lifeless grass. Despite everything, it was kind of ridiculous to take so long to find an turquoise piece in the middle of that yellowish and colorless grass;

So, you got caught. When Jade squeezed you into his arms and gave you a strong kiss on your cheek — the kind that even makes a noise — you realized that it was a plan all along and you fell right for his bait. You hit his knees, nearly sending both of you plummeting across the meadow, but Jade's victorious laugh — rare as the scaly earring in his pocket — made you regain your good humor in no time.

#twisted wonderland #kalim al asim #kalim al asim x reader #floyd leech #floyd leech x reader #jade leech #jade leech x reader #twst x reader #twst imagines #twst headcanons #cherry's writing #cherry's harvesting

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willowwhispersspeakeasy · 3 years ago

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Cani request another part of the injured cat mc with jade, floyd, and rook? Thanks in advance!

Anonymous asked:

Would it be terribly greedy of me to also request Angsty Cat Reader Edition with Floyd and Jade? This is the same anon, I am, absolutely double dipping here, so I understand if this is refused.

twst! cat mc gets hurt

characters: Rook Hunt, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech

warnings: (mostly) gender neutral mc (French is hard), wound and blood mention, eye injury, cat getting run over

French key: Mon Cher ("my dear" masculine) Ma Cherie ("my dear" feminine)

Rook

oh rip whoever harmed you. Rook will hunt them down and there shall be no escape. I hope they have their affairs in order.

"mon cher what happened!" the blonde rushed to where you were shaking, high in the branches of a tree. "did something frighten you Trickster?"

you offered the young man a pitiful meow, one that warbled at the end. Rook flinched, worry etching into his features. he knew that cry, it held pain.

"shh now my dear trickster I shall be your night in shinning armor~" he cooed as he made quick work of ascending the tree.

Rook pulled himself up to the brach you were hidden on, gently reaching out and taking your shivering form into his arms. you cried out again, and he saw the source of your distress.

your back leg was bend and bleeding, the fur matted and dirtied. Rook held you securely in his arms as he carefully moved the limb to fully survey the damage.

"oh ma cherie, who did this to you?" he cooed softly, stroking your ears to calm your whimpers. you blinked up at him, half heartedly offering his glove a lick of affection.

Rook leaned his head down, nuzzling your fur gently.

"you poor creature. lets get you to the nurse and clean up that nasty leg. I'll handle the rest, promis."

Jade

he had been worried something like this might happen. however while he was distracting putting distance between you and Floyd another mishap accrued.

a call of your name was met with a strained meow. only moments later a head of green hair and a pair of mismatched eyes found you.

Jade observed where you had curled yourself away, tucked into a hallowed tree trunk surrounded by moss and fungus. he tapped at the moss by his knee, trying to coax you from your hiding place.

your small body shook, frozen in place. letting out a sigh, the merman instead reached his hand into the tree trunk, grabbing you by the scruff.

as he started to drag you out you released a pained shout, attempting to scramble away. Jade was far to strong for your small form, easily pulling you out and into the evening air.

"now why did you crawl in there?" he wondered, holding you still and observing you. it was then he witnessed the blood on your face. one of your eyes was closed, the fur around it caked in dried blood.

he let out a slight gasp, scooping you up and standing to his feet.

"oh dear," Jade took quick and long strides, leading you both out of the forest and back towards the school. he maintained his cool and calm appearance, letting you whimper and cry into his arms.

in reality though, Jade was greatly worried. sustaining such harm when not in your human form could offer you some very severe consequences once you are turned back again.

he pushed the worries away, deciding he would face them when needed. right now he needed to get you the medical care before he jumped to any conclusions.

Floyd

but... he promised? Floyd promised he's protect you. that you'd be okay. so... you'd be fine! you've have to be fine. he'll protect you.

"SHRIMPY!" Floyd screeched at the top of his lungs. the black carriage barreled towards you at top speed and you cried for the merman.

you tried to doge the oncoming wheels but Floyd was to far and you were to slow. you let out a horrible wheezing squeak noise as the wheel made contact with your shoulder, rolling over your back and making a crack sound once it met your spine.

the carriage continued its plummet towards doom as you lay on the ground, unmoving.

"SHRIMPY NO!" Floyd cried, finally making it to your side. he had thought going outside with you would be fun. you're so small and cute in this form he wanted to show you the stables.

he thought it would be fun.

he isn't having fun anymore.

your nickname was abandoned, now instead Floyd called your actual name, his voice shaking with each syllable. his hands shook as he reached down to the feline.

he paused just before he made contact with your fur, remembering that he can't move your spine if its been broken or you could die.

he whimpered your name once more, sniffling as he tried to blink back his tears. Floyd looked around frantically for something to move you onto so you could lay flat. ripping a large piece of bark from a tree he returned to your side.

Floyd's whole body shook as he carried you back to the infirmary. he didn't speak for days afterword. not in class, not for work, not even to Jade. Floyd was completely silent.

#twst cat mc #twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland x mc #twisted wonderland headcannons #rook hunt #twst rook #rook x reader #jade leech #twst jade #jade leech x reader #floyd leech #twst floyd #floyd leech x reader

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a-dragons-journal · 4 years ago

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Hello again. This is the 5-part anon from earlier. I wrote a long response to your post and I think it’d be more convenient to dump the text in a pastebin than split it into asks. The link is going to expire in a few months, so I recommend copying the contents into its own post rather than posting the link: pastebin. com / 2r49iein

I had, sorry; you've just caught me in the lead-up to and midst of finals week, so I haven't been answering asks as quickly as usual, especially ones that will take a significant amount of time and energy xD (No worries about checking in, though, Tumblr does have a horrible habit of eating asks and it's good to check! And also my ADHD no-object-permanence ass will see an ask, go "I'll respond to that later," and then forget it exists sometimes with no Tumblr interference necessary, so good to check for that reason too xD)

Hello again. This is the 5-part anon from earlier. Thank you for your thoughtful answer. First off, I want to apologize to anyone who may have been hurt by my words on the topic of otherheartedness, copinglink, etc. I did not mean to in any way minimize the importance of these identities for others. Because I felt I didn’t have the "right" to claim a "full" otherkin identity, I felt like I had to settle for something that simply didn’t fit my experience, which led to my frustrated, generalized words.

With that out of the way, I’ve been giving what you said some thought. I have to admit I never really participated in otherkin communities, only watching from afar. It’s good to know that I "qualify" as otherkin, but I wonder if it’s such a good idea for me to identify that way. I have so few experiences in common with most otherkin that I would probably feel *more* alienated by calling myself that, not *less*. In my experience, forcing myself into an identifier that is technically correct but feels wrong/bad is not the way to go. At any rate, I’ll describe my feelings in more detail, just because I’m really curious to know if you’ve ever heard of anyone similar, or if this reminds you of anything. I apologize if some of it is repetitive or if it jumps from topic to topic without making much sense.

Some parts of otherkin… culture, I guess? Baffle me. For example, needing to narrow down one’s exact species or the cause/origin of one’s identification as nonhuman. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s not valid; just that I don’t personally see the point? All the rules about who gets to call themself otherkin feel constraining to me, because I guess there’s not really any other term that fits, but even that one doesn’t fit that well, so I’m kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place.

So I’m more inclined to just say, yeah, I’m a bird. Do I behave like a bird? Do I have bird instincts? Not really, but I’m still a bird. Adopting an otherkin identity throws a wrench in that, making me feel like a failed nonhuman, because it’s *hard* not to feel invalid when everyone else seems completely different from you. If anything, I feel more valid doing my own thing! I didn’t come to this bird identity because I felt like I was Different somehow and needed to find an explanation for it (been there, done that with the autism, lol). Instead I came to it because it felt good, and right, and it made me happy.

You say since I don’t know if I chose this or not, it’s unlikely to be voluntary. I guess I just… feel weird about this? I don’t really have words to describe it. Maybe it boils down to "does it matter?". And I know when it comes to the term "otherkin", it *does* matter, which is kind of one of my problems with it.

I looked at that daemonism post you reblogged and found myself relating to the way Rook described Tukuxa: "She lacks a shark’s instincts, fears and drives - but her core is still shark." I wouldn’t say I *lack* these things, just that I simply don’t have them. Do I have a human mind in a human brain? Sure, but that doesn’t mean I have to be a human, nor does it make me any less of a bird. It makes me happy to conceptualize myself as a bird, to design my own appearance as a bird with qualities that can’t physically exist in this world, to daydream of flight. Is that such an uncommon experience?

I have a headmate who is a dragon. She was born as a dragon, she looks like a dragon, she simply Is A Dragon. She’s not dragonkin, she’s not based on any fictional dragon, she just… is. (Not to say that dragonkin folks aren’t dragons, just that she doesn’t identify as dragonkin.) But she doesn’t have any of the typical dragon traits you might expect; like me she has a "human mind" in a "human brain", and yet she’s just a dragon. I guess it’s sorta the same with me.

I just feel like it’s better for me to say "I’m [X]" and keep the specifics to myself. Despite these asks, I have no intention of holding my identities up to the scrutiny of others. If I say I’m a thing, I could mean it in a number of ways. Total or partial identification as/with, or even just a passing attachment. Ultimately, it’s my business, and trying to define it beyond just "I am this thing" or "I relate to this thing" or "This thing is me" feels sort of obnoxious? (For context, I do have nonhuman identities other than a bird, I just used that one as an example/shorthand.)

I guess that about covers everything. What do you think? If your followers/anyone who sees this wants to chime in, I’ll be looking at the notes. Thanks again!

(Regarding the 'hearted/'linker stuff, I figured that wasn't what you meant in your previous asks; I just wanted to bring it up because it's a conflation that gets made a lot, accidentally or on purpose.)

Honestly, these are all incredibly valid points, and if you just want to call yourself nonhuman or bird but not otherkin/therian then that's entirely up to you. If the label doesn't work for you, then it doesn't work for you! You are not obligated to use every label that you technically fit under (gods know I don't), and I didn't mean to imply so - just to make it clear that it's available to you if you do want it. I can see now that I probably kind of missed the point in that response.

And you're right that frankly, even though there is a wide range of experiences under the otherkin umbrella, there's also a set of common experiences that almost everyone seems to share at least a few of, and when you don't share those I can imagine it makes it kind of hard to connect with others in the community. Unfortunately, like I said, I don't know that there's a way around that other than trying to host a platform for those atypical experiences to speak, which is a good idea but probably not very effective in practice because of the sheer numbers game.

So you've decided you're probably better off not trying to make the "otherkin" label or community fit, and that's entirely valid - I guess the question is, what now? If you're wanting to find others with similar experiences to you, you still need somewhere to look, and it seems like this isn't it.

You might want to look into other nonhuman terms - "nonhuman" and "transspecies" come to mind, and while neither of these might fit you, they do collect different subcultures that might be less alienating for you or easier to find others with similar experiences within. The broader "alterhuman" label may also be useful, though that can be a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack just because of how many things are included in "alterhuman" and I don't know that you'd have any better luck than with "otherkin".

Or you might want to try older platforms, if you haven't already - forums, IRCs if they still exist. The community wasn't always as focused on some of the things you noted as it is now (pinning down a specific species, voluntary vs involuntary, etc.), and platforms with a population that trends toward people who've been around longer sometimes still have more of that culture than Tumblr and Discord tend to, though they come with their own problems of course.

Ultimately, if "I'm a bird" is the easiest way to communicate your experiences, then that's that on that. These words only exist because people find them useful - if you don't find them useful, don't feel like you have to use 'em. As far as finding community when so much of the otherkin community feels alienating to you, I'm afraid that's all I've got - y'all got anything for anon?

#otherkin #alterhuman #nonhuman #transspecies #rani talks #community talk #asked and answered #anonymous

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aerynwrites · 5 years ago

Text

Husband - Javier Peña x Reader

Author’s Note: Ugh I LOVE Perdo Pascal, and his role in Narcos has me WEAK. so here is a little one-shot? fic? idk what you would call this lol. But here you go, I hope you all enjoy this little request I got! Love to hear from you all as always! (Sorry for any grammatical errors, I’m writing and posting this in between classes so I didn’t quite have time to like triple check lol)

Request? Yes! based off this request: How about a one-shot where Agent Pena or Agent Whiskey (your choice) takes injured reader/partner (who is secretly in love with him) to hospital. He lies and tells them he is her husband so that he can stay with her. When she wakes up, the nurse says something like, "Your husband went to get coffee, but he held your hand all night and kept telling you how much he loves you." (Requested by anon)

Word count: 3.2k

Warnings: blood, violence, fluff.

/////

While you had been an agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency for almost 10 years now, you were completely caught off guard for what awaited you at your assignment in Columbia. Not only was there bribery, treason, and just down right morally questionable circumstances, there was also Javier Peña. When you were assigned to move to Columbia to help the DEA take down Escobar, you had met Steve Murphy the minute you stepped foot into the country. He was kind enough to escort you back to the Embassy and give you the official tour, as he called it. Everything had been going well, but then Javier Peña showed up and, as his presence usually entails, he dampened the mood.

“Another rook?” he said, hands on his hips as he looked you up and down, eyes filled with disapproval.

Murphy let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, “Javier, meet (Y/N) (L/N), Senior DEA agent.” He said pointedly.

You squinted your eyes at the man in front of you, completely turned off by his hostile and frankly rude demeanor, and you opened your mouth to speak, but Javier cut you off.

“Well she’s not a senior agent down here Murphy,” he looked from Steve to you, “And I don’t need another person to babysit and translate for. One is enough,” he all but hissed.

You took a threatening step forward ignoring Murphy’s hand on your upper arm, “I’ll have you know Agent Pen͂a,” you emphasized these words, your Spanish accent shining through as you said his name, “I grew up in New Mexico, and my parents are from south America, so I think I can handle myself just fine. With or without your help.”

Your words were dripping in venom, and Javier had to keep the surprised look on his face at the revelation of your background as well as the fluttering of his heart as your accent slipped through. Not that he fond that attractive or anything…just surprised. Yeah, just surprised.

Javier hadn’t moved in in, hands still on his hips as he let out a sigh, “Whatever. I’m just going to go ahead and assume you’re all in on this operation,” he relents, “We have a lead on the whereabouts of some Narcos connected to Escobar, we have a possible safe house location.”

You didn’t waste a second before you were grabbing your holster and leather jacket and brushing past the two men towards the door, “Well what are we waiting for, let’s go!” you called.

Your eagerness to dive into your work had Javier and Steve casting a glance at one another before shrugging and following you out the door.

* * *

That was forever ago. At least it felt like it was as you fell from the second floor of one of Escobar’s known homes and plummeted to the ground. It had been several months, almost a year since you had joined the hunt for Escobar in Columbia, and you all had made considerable progress. Despite several setbacks with M-19, the police, and even Escobar himself, you all were closing in. And along with your continued search for Escobar came the inevitable close relationships with your partners. You had grown to see Steve as somewhat of a brother to you, weekly dinners with him and Connie becoming a regular occurrence. They helped ease the pain and homesickness you felt being away from your friends and family for so long. It also provided an environment in which you all could just relax and forget about the days work, opting instead for wine, local food, and beer, a familiarity you had missed since moving. However, your relationship with Javier was nothing but confusing. He had slowly but surely accepted you as his partner, acknowledging your capability in the field and fearlessness when it came to doing more questionable parts of the job. However, that was as far as it seemed to go, which was difficult for you because you had grown to feel more for the man than just a platonic relationship. As horrible as it seemed to you, the feeling of love and adoration slowly crept its way into your heart the more you were around the hardened DEA agent. You had been hard pressed to reject his more intimate advances one evening when you all were at your apartment eating pizza and just relaxing after a hard day’s work. He had flashed you one of those toothy charming grins, and less than subtly suggested what he wanted. However, you, not wanting to get trapped in a meaningless friend with benefits relationship, turned him down. No matter how much it pained you, and he never asked again. However, he seemed to distance himself more after that, and it frustrated and saddened you. Was that all he saw you as? A conquest to take, and once he found out you weren’t giving it up you were worthless to him?

For some reason that night, the night with the pizza and hasty rejection, was the only thing playing through your head as you fell through the air and hit the ground with a painful thud. The Wind was knocked from your lungs and you knew instantly you had broken several ribs as you could not draw in a full breath. You and Javier had climbed the stairs to the second story of the house and when checking the last room a left behind Narco had burst from the closet with in, and before you could react he had fired a shot directly into your shoulder before roughly shoving you through the open balcony doors. You vaguely registered a panicked shout of your name followed by another gunshot before you tumbled over the railing and to the ground below.

Which is where you were now.

Blood pooling around your neck and shoulders as you lie gasping for breath on the warm dusty ground of the backwater property of Escobar’s mansion. Your head was throbbing painfully along with your chest and leg. You couldn’t even think properly to try and figure out what had been injured in the fall. You just kept struggling to breath as tears slipped from your eyes, both from the pain and the now ever-present fear of death. You hear two sets of rapid footsteps approaching you and opened your eyes to see the faces of Javier and Steve hovering over you, expressions of panic and fear creasing their features.

“Jesus Christ,” Steve muttered as he knelt down, “What happened?” he demanded from Javier.

“Steve just shut the fuck up and get help over here now!” he exclaimed.

Steve just nodded and ran off to make a call as well as request help from the police there with you all. Javier knelt next to you and pulled your hand in his own, brushing your hair back in a comforting manner, causing you to close your eyes at the small distraction from the pain.

“Hey, look at me,” Javier gripped your hand tighter, and you opened your eyes to look at him, “Don’t go to sleep,” at this point he had started to remove his button up shirt, leaving him in only a white undershirt, and pressed it firmly to the still bleeding wound in your shoulder.

You let out a cry of pain as more tear’s escapade your eyes, the pain was excruciating and your eyes were getting almost too heavy to keep open, but you did.

You looked over to Javier who was now trying to asses your other injuries, “I’m sorry,” you mumble, “I should’ve been paying attention.”

At your words Javier snaps his gaze back towards you his heart clenching as the words left your mouth. You just got thrown out of a window and were currently bleeding out, and you were the one apologizing? He just shook his head and returned his hand to the side of your face, brushing the tears away with his thumb.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. You just stay awake – stay alive,” he insisted.

If you weren’t half unconscious, you would have sworn you heard desperation and a slight fear in his voice as he said those words. But before you could dwell anymore on the fact, Steve ran back over to the two of you.

“Come on Peña, we have to move. Medical help is no where to be found, so our best bet is just driving her there ourselves.”

“Fuck,” the man above you muttered before looking down at you apologetically, “I’m sorry (Y/n), but we have to move you.”

Those were the last words you heard before you felt him slide two arms underneath you and life you from the ground. You didn’t even let out a cry of pain before darkness consumed your vision.

* * *

“Hey! We need help! We need help right now!” Javier called out to the staff as him and Steve burst through the doors of the hospital, your unconscious form still held firmly in his grasp.

The next few moments were a whirlwind of commotion as the nurses and doctors jumped into action, quickly moving you onto a gurney and rolling you into the back after listening to what happened from Javier. He watched, for once feeling completely helpless, as he watched you be wheeled past the doors and into emergency surgery. Both him and Steve sat in the waiting room anxiously waiting to hear something about your condition. Javier could hardly keep himself in his seat as he switched from sitting to pacing, then sitting again, then standing and asking the nurse if there was any word, then sitting again. It was making Steve even more anxious.

“Will you sit the hell down?” Steve finally blurts, “Please? God, you’re making me more anxious pacing around like that,” he finished, leaning his elbows on his knees and letting out a sigh.

Javier turned on Steve ready to make a snarky remark but stopped himself short when he saw how awful Steve looked. He was being selfish. He wasn’t the only one who cared about you, he knew very well the sibling-like bond you and Steve shared and felt himself deflate slightly as he plopped in the chair next to his partner, running a hand over his face.

“I’m sorry, I just- “he stopped himself, taking a deep breath, “I’m just worried about her.”

“And you think I’m not?” Steve shot back, “She’s not just your partner you know.”

Javier let his hand fall from his face and onto the armrest of the chair, “I know that, it’s just that I- “he stopped himself, pursing his lips to keep the words from coming out. He wasn’t sure he was ready to reveal those feeling yet.

“You what?” Steve pressed.

Javier opened his mouth to respond but the entrance of the doctor stopped him short.

“(Y/N) (L/N)?” the doctor called out your name, which prompted both Steve and Javier to jump from their seats.

“Is she okay?” Steve asked frantically.

The doctor gave them both a kind smile and tucked a clipboard under his arm, “She is going to be just fine,” both men let out sighs of relief and wait for the doctor to continue, “She had three broken ribs, but they didn’t puncture her lungs so it will just be uncomfortable to move and breath for a few weeks. However, the gunshot wound to her shoulder and her broken tibia will keep her out of commission for at least a few months. That means no field work agents, I mean it.” The doctor look pointedly at both men.

“Can we go see her?” both of them asked simultaneously.

The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked down at his watch a frown tugging at his lips, “Well unless either of you are immediate family, I can’t allow that. Visiting hours ended four hours ago.”

Before Steve could say anything, Javier took a step forward, “I’m her husband! Just married last week,” he smiled, hoping his usual charm will help him out in this situation.

“You’re her what?” Steve’s shocked words caused the doctor to give the men a suspicious look.

Javier just reaches an arm around Steve and pats his back more roughly than needed, a fake smile plastered on his face, “I know, I can hardly believe it myself,” Javier’s voice drips with faux happiness, as he squeezes his partners shoulder begging him to play along.

Before Steve or the Doctor can say anything else, Javier is walking towards the door and holding it open, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see my wife now.”

The doctor gives one more cautious glance to both men before leading Javier back to your room. His eyes immediately fall to your sleeping form and he feels a lump form in his throat and his heart clench at the sight of you. He doesn’t even hear what the doctor says as he takes in your form. White bandages wrapped around your shoulder peak out from under the baby blue hospital gown as well as the sling that rests over your arm. He also notices your right leg is casted from just below your knee all the way down to your foot and is elevated on some pillows. By the time he has pulled a chair up to the side of you bed and holds your hand in his, the doctor is gone.

* * *

The dryness of your mouth is the first thing you notice when you wake up. followed quickly by the beeping of a machine and the shuffling of papers. You open your eyes more and take note of the dimly lit hospital room and your newly bandaged wounds and casted leg.

“Good Morning, sweetheart,” a feminine voice meets your ears.

Your eyes move to find the source of the sound and are met with a short petite nurse in green scrubs standing at the end of your bed flipping through papers on a clipboard. You open your mouth to respond but it’s so dry you can hardly get any words out. The nurse, who had looked at you briefly, seemed to notice your predicament and quickly poured some water in a little paper cup before handing it to you. You swallow the entire cup in two gulps, and sigh in relief as you lay back into the pillow, the movement flaring pain up the side of your neck.

“You are one lucky woman,” the nurse says as she takes the cup from your hands.

you close your eyes and try to adjust yourself to sit up more, “Yeah, I’m just glad it wasn’t any worse. Because trust me, I’ve had worse.” You chuckle dryly.

You glance around the room and are immediately aware of the absence of your partners, and you frown slightly. Had they not stayed? You felt your heart clench at the thought of your own friend not staying to make sure you were okay.

“Was there anyone that came in with me?” you ask, “Two men, a tall blonde and then a shorter brunette?”

The nurse’s eyes seem to light up at the mention of your partners and a large smile comes across her face…what was her deal?

“Oh yes! Your partner Steve said he was going back to fill out some reports and then your husband just left to get some coffee.”

Your eyes widen, and if you had still been drinking water you would have surely choked, “My husband?”

Her smile widens as she looks at you, pulling the clipboard to her chest, “Oh yes, he was a nervous wreck waiting to hear word from the doctor on your condition. And since he was let in the room, he hasn’t left your side,” she notes, and she leans in slightly to whisper her next words, “He really love you, you know. When I would come in to check your vitals and such he would constantly be whispering of how much he loved you and how he couldn’t lose you…” she lets out a forlorn sighs, “It’s endearing really, I wish my husband was like that.”

You couldn’t do anything but stare at the nurse as you soaked in the news, she just told you. but before your mind could catch up and respond, Javier walked back into the room, coffee in hand and the nurse excused herself, sending you a wink on the way out. Javier met your eyes and his own widened at seeing you awake. But he tried to keep his composure as he walked over to the side of the bed and sat in the chair still resting there.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, genuine concern in his voice.

You rest back into the pillows, not sure what to say. Because physically you felt okay, most likely thanks to the pain medication, but emotionally you were confused. Confused at what the nurse told, confused if she was telling the truth. So, you just shrug, choosing not to answer.

Javier doesn’t seem to like that answer because his hand falls to yours and he runs his thumb over your knuckles, “Are you in pain? Do I need to get the nurse back- “

“No. No Javier I’m fine, I just- “you paused not sure how to continue.

Javier sets his coffee down and leans back in his seat now, hand withdrawing from your own, “It’s just…. what?” he asks, a curious expression settling on his face.

You pick at the hospital blanket absentmindedly, not prepared to talk about this subject but knowing that it needs to be discussed.

“The nurse told me some things,” you begin, “Some things you said while I was out. Some rather…intimate things.” You finish finally, looking to the man sitting next to you.

He seems to freeze in his place, mouth dropping open as if saying ‘oh’, before it snaps shut and he seems to be at a loss for words. Which, for him, was very unusual.

“Did you mean them?” you ask quietly, not sure if you want to know his answer.

He’s quite for a moment, and you’re sure he’s about to reject you. tell you they meant nothing and that he was just afraid of his partner dying. So, your mouth starts to move before you can stop it.

“Never mind, that was a dumb question. I know you were probably just worried about me dying. I was so stupid to think that you could like me back. I know that’s not your style and- “

“(Y/N)- “

“in this line of work its never a good idea to- “

“(Y/N)- “

“get into relationships and I’m sorry if I-“

“(Y/N)!” Javier’s raised voice stops your rambling, “Stop. Just listen to me.”

You snap your mouth shut, lips pressing into a thin line as you wait for him to tell you off. But you unclench your jaw when you feel his warm hand gran onto your slightly cool one. You look up at him again and are shook by the soft and almost loving look he gives you as a small smile tugs at his lips.

“I was terrified when I saw you go over that balcony,” he admitted, “And I was even more scared when you passed out in my arms. I was so scared you were going to die in this hospital and I would never get to tell you how I felt,” as he stops speaking he brings your hand to his lips and kissed the back of it softly before placing his other free hand over yours encasing it in both of his still very warm hands.

You felt tears burn at the back of your eyes at the meaning of his words, you were so sure you had pushed him away and that he could never feel the same way as you. so, to here this, it was a lot.

You squeezed his hand gently as you looked at him, “You remember that night you brought over Pizza and beer?” he nodded, “And you tried to get into my pants?” you let out a little chuckle as he groaned and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly but nods again.

“I thought I pushed you away,” you admitted, “I thought that you had only gotten close to me so you could add me to your list or whatever.”

“No (Y/N), that’s not what happened, I thought I had pushed things too far,” he explains, “I thought you wouldn’t want to be around me again because of that. I though its ruined things.”

You shook your head and squeezed his hand again, “Well, that’s good to know,” you smile, “Because when you quite hanging around me after that was when I realized…” you paused.

“Realized what?” Javier asked, heart pummeling against his chest at the words he expected to come from your mouth.

“That I love you, more than just a friend or partner,” you finally admit, eyes dropping from his own to look at your still intertwined hands.

Javier didn’t say anything at first, and when he pulled his hands from yours, your heart fell to your stomach. Did he not feel the same? But before you could voice your concern his hands came to the sides of your face as he leaned down to place a heated and desperate kiss to your lips. You kissed back instantly and, out of instinct, went to reach your hand up to card through his hair, but a sharp pain in your injured shoulder caused you to let out a gasp of pain.

“shit,” Javier pulled away instantly and looked over you worriedly, “Did I hurt you?”

You let out a pained chuckle as you rested back against your pillows, “No, I just got a little too excited, and I don’t think my shoulder appreciated it.”

Javier gave you a mischievous smile before leaning closer to you, “I can kiss it better.”

Before you could respond he placed a tender kiss to the bandages over your injured shoulder, then a soft kiss just below your ear, then finally a much gentler meaningful kiss to your lips. You responded and you both stayed like that for a moment before he pulled away and sat back in his chair, your hand held in his securely.

“Did it work?”

You smile and nod, “Yes, I think it did, husband.”

He let out a loud laugh at your little joke and scooted his chair closer to your bed, resting his hand near your head and stroked your hair affectionately.

“I think I could get used to that,” he whispers.

You smile and kiss him one more time before nodding, “Me too.”

////

Permanent Tags: @lord-wolfgen @petalduck

#Javier pena x reader #javier peña #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal

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haru-sen · 4 years ago

Text

IAL: Mandalorians 2

Thanks, 3-D Render Anon, with your adorable voodoo dolls. That was the serotonin I needed.

I should be working, but I’m posting this. The Mando’a phrases and cultural dishes are from Wookieepedia. I’ll post the actual translations in the fic, but I don’t have time right now.

You woke up in a tent, your entire body aching. You were tucked under some blankets, a bedroll under your head. Your sabers were still on your belt.

“Query: are you done yet?” HK-53 asked, from overhead. “Also, are you sure I can’t kill these Mandalorians?”

“I am going to track down that pacifist module and shove it right up your accessory port,” you muttered. “Just you wait-”

“Shock: Master, how could you threaten your loyal droid this way? When did Master get so cruel? I am very proud of you!”

Laughing, you held your head for a moment. “What happened?”

“Recollection: You collapsed. The blue-armored meatbag injected you with kolto, and carried you here. The black-armored meatbag kept his gun on me, and I made sure neither of them did strange things to your person while you were inconveniently indisposed. It has been a little over a standardized hour since you lost consciousness.”

You sat up slowly. The sun was still up. “Where are we?”

“The witch is alive.”

You blinked, the black-armored Mandalorian standing in front of you. He was not wearing his helmet. Tall, with dark skin and clawmark scars across his cheeks, he loomed over you. He was well-groomed, his beard neatly trimmed, his black hair was immaculately styled. How did he not have helmet hair?

Blue scrambled over, also with his helmet off, also younger than you expected. He was blonde, hair gelled and styled. What the hell? Did Mandalorians discover the secret to preventing helmet hair? He smiled at you, with eyes as blue as his armor, his cheeks flushed. “You’re recovering much faster than I expected. How are you feeling?”

“Like I drank Delta Squad under the table again…” You said, rubbing your forehead. You had overdone it back there. Between the terentatek corruption, the Ataru form, and the subsequent wounds, you had pushed yourself too hard too quickly.

“Jedi drink?” Blue raised a brow.

“No, we just absorb dew through our pores,” you scowled.

“This Jedi witch is about to get dunked in a lake if she keeps giving me that attitude,” Skull said coolly.

“Well, I am thirsty,” you said.

To your surprise, Blue offered his canteen, looked thoughtful for a moment, took a drink, and then offered it again. “It’s not poisoned.”

“Disgust: Not poisoned, but definitely contaminated,” HK-53 said.

You hesitantly accepted the canteen, drinking down some of the metallic-tasting water. “Thanks.” You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand. “What do I call you?”

“Reaper,” Skull said. “76.” He pointed at Blue. “You?”

“Strike,” you said, climbing to your feet. The world wobbled, but did not tilt too far on its axis. You looked around. This encampment was small, but there was a cold firepit and vehicle tracks. They had not set this up in a couple hours. They had been in this area for awhile.

“Strike,” Reaper said, expression grim. “I think we need to talk.”

“No, I need to get to Nar Shaddaa,” you said.

The men looked at each other. “So do we.”

“That’s what we need to talk about,” 76 said, crossing his arms.

You stood there for a moment, a little intuitive nudge already sending your thoughts into overdrive. This was about to get even more complicated. “Because you really like casinos? Right?” You asked, with a sigh.

“Because we need to get one of those kids back,” Reaper said.

“...Of course, you do,” you said, staring up at the sky. You were glad someone had survived to hire mercs to rescue their kid. And you didn’t really care if the child chose to avoid training on Tython. But you did not need battle-happy Mandalorians ruining your operation. “Which one?”

“Xenya Itera, human female.” Reaper held out a holo of a little girl with a tiny spherical droid floating over her outstretched hands. She was dark skinned, her hair in several long tiny braids. She was smiling. “You can rescue the others, but we are obligated to retrieve her.”

“And if she doesn’t want to go with you?” You asked, crossing your arms.

“Then she doesn’t have to,” Reaper said with a shrug, surprisingly unbothered by the question.

“Your bounty?”

“Not your problem,” Reaper said coolly. “We just need to get the kid away from the Cartels. Simple enough. Easier too if we go after them together.”

...Two sensible, non-volatile suggestions from Mandalorian mercs in one day? Was the world coming to an end? ...Or was it a trap? There was a long history of bad blood between Jedi and the Mandalorian clans.

“What clan?” You asked suddenly.

“Excuse me?” Reaper said.

“What clan are you?”

The men looked at you for a moment, like they hadn’t expected that question. “Clan Ordo.”

You nodded. You didn’t have any standing grudges with Clan Ordo. Hell, you hadn’t really ever dealt with them. But they weren’t Clan Lok, Rook, Varad, or Viszla, so you were probably good for the moment. “I can work with that.”

“You should be fine with Ordo,” Rogun said, over the comm-link. “They were one of the clans that backed the Crusader’s Schism, several years back – wanted to side with the Republic instead of the Empire. Whole thing got crushed by Mandalore the Vindicated, and Ordo was eventually welcomed back into the fold, with honor. So they likely don’t have the grudge that Lok and Viszla do. I can’t speak for the individuals though.”

“Good to know,” you said, sitting cross legged in the tent. “And Talon?”

“...I guess you’re right, Strike. There are no coincidences. He’s been spotted on Nar Shaddaa, near the slave markets with an entourage.” An entourage? Did that mean…? Rogun gave a rough laugh. “The Force moves in mysterious ways.”

“No, the Force is a mean bitch with an axe to grind, usually in my face,” you scowled.

Rogun guffawed, the lethorns on the side of his head shaking. “You’re never going to make Master with that kind of talk.”

You rolled your eyes upward, like that was the only thing keeping you from obtaining the rank of Master. Ha! “Just so you know, I got quizzed by the Council on our association.”

“I’m sure you said nice things about me,” he said, his grin mean.

“I said, your sandwiches suck.”

Rogun scowled back at you. “It was the best I could do during an active bombardment!”

You knew adult Chagrians often lost their sense of taste due to environmental factors, and maybe that was the reason the food had been awful, but it was rude to point that part out. “Yeah, well, I talked you up a little too. Made sure they knew that despite your questionable occupation, you’re a friend of the Republic.”

“Great, so when they come knocking at my door for favors or charitable handouts, I know who to blame.”

“Just give them one of those sandwiches, that’ll send them on their way.”

Rogun squinted at you. “It’s a good thing you’re useful, Strike.”

You laughed. “Thanks, Rogun. Keep me updated on Lord Talon’s movements. I’ll make you a delicious sandwich in gratitude.”

“Go kiss a sarlaac,” he scowled, and hung up.

“You certainly have a way with people,” Reaper said, hovering by the entrance.

You had not noticed his approach. How much had he heard? “That’s me, making friends wherever I go,” you said with a shrug.

Reaper gave a low chuckle. “You and that mouthy droid.”

You glanced around, realizing HK-53 had not been over your shoulder for your conversation with Rogun. You got up, a little concerned.

“Relax, he’s shooting bogstalkers with 76. They were attacking the comms equipment. I’ve already updated my people. I’m going to finish breaking down the camp, and then we can go.”

You started to disassemble the tent, watching as HK and 76 sniped at the leathery reptilians that fluttered in the sky.

“What are you flying?” Reaper asked, packing several weapons into crates.

“The usual – Rendili Defender-class light corvette. It’ll get us where we need to go.”

“And you think your credentials will be enough to get us through Olaris?” He asked, because the Republic-held city wasn’t too friendly toward Mandalorians.

“I can, but it might be easier if you leave off the helmets. I know that’s culturally insensitive, but we’ll move faster if I don’t have to pull rank on a bunch of terrified soldiers and customs agents,” You shrugged, bundling the tent tightly.

“Sensible,” was all Reaper said.

“So what’s it like, traveling with a Jedi Knight?” 76 asked, lowering his rifle.

“Declaration: That is a broad question, meatbag. Be more specific,” HK-53 said, rifle aimed at a ferrazid hound, the mutated creature already tearing apart a broke receiver.

76 laughed. “Do you get in a lot of fights?”

“Bragging: We get in so many fights. The number of people who want to kill Master is very high. And it doesn’t seem to get lower, despite how many people we do kill. If I wasn’t so busy killing her enemies, I would want to fight her one day.” HK-53 paused, its head twitching.

76 frowned. “Why does she attract such enmity? Just who are you killing?”

“Aggravation: Master has killed many things, usually enemies of the Republic, but she has also made many rules about what I am not allowed to kill. It is unnecessarily complicated. For example, Master generally prefers to let the enemy make the first move of aggression, to ensure that it is adhering to her archaic rules of “moral” combat. Sometimes she even talks people out of fighting her. Can you believe it? She knows they’re her enemies and she lets them walk away! She should just kill them ahead of time, not spare them. What is she thinking?” HK-53 gunned down the mutated hound-beast. “But Master is a Jedi, and Jedi have to follow silly rules,” the droid muttered petulantly.

“How did a...violent murder-happy droid like yourself end up with a Jedi then?” 76 asked.

HK-53 tilted its head, giving 76 a very skeptical look. “Suspicion: Such flattery. Why are you asking so many questions, meatbag?”

“I’m just curious about the people I’m traveling with,” 76 said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not every day I meet a Jedi Knight or such an...enthusiastic battle droid. It leaves an impression. There’s a story there.”

HK-53 stared at him, those eyes glowing. “Satisfaction: We are impressive. You don’t need to know more.” Turning back to the swamps, HK-53 surveyed the area. “Observation: Oh, it looks like Master and the other meatbag want us to return.”

76 just laughed awkwardly.

“Concern: Master, that meatbag was asking a lot of questions about us.” HK-53 was secured to speeder on the seat behind you. The Mandalorians were on the other. You were technically using their equipment, but you didn’t exactly trust a bunch of battle-happy maniacs in the driver’s seat. That included your droid.

You zoomed over marshlands and fields, the Mandalorians riding parallel to you.

“What kind of questions?”

To your surprise, HK-53 just replayed the recording of the conversation. Normally, he was all too happy to summarize an interaction, and intersperse his own commentary, but he let it play out without interruption.

“Query: There is subtext that I do not understand, Master. Is he probing for weakness? What angle is he coming from? What does he hope to learn?”

You sighed. “It could be socially-motivated, but I’m sure he’s also trying to gather intel. People often let a lot of things slip in friendly conversation.”

“Query: What did he let slip?”

“Not a lot,” you said, thoughtfully. “But he’s trying to be diplomatic, and he seems to have a personal interest in Jedi.”

“Query: How can you tell?”

“The enthusiasm,” you said. “He’s not just asking for intelligence purposes. He’s interested in the topic, and he wants to make a good impression on you. I’m not exactly sure why – Mandalorian mercs aren’t really known for their diplomatic skills, but I think if we talk to him more, we’ll figure it out.”

“Statement: These Mandalorians are not what I expected. Normally, we just fight them, and it’s a little difficult, but it’s done. This change in behavior is...disconcerting.”

“Yeah, I know. Nothing about this mission is what we expected,” you muttered.

“Clean, sturdy, and fast,” Reaper said, looking over your ship. “Not bad.”

“Spacious,” 76 said, with a nod.

Given the fact that it was just you and HK-53, the ship was almost too big. “You guys can make yourselves comfortable in the crew quarters,” you said, gesturing to the rooms. “Let me know if you need anything. I’m going to make some calls before we reach Nar Shaddaa.”

But first you needed to change into an intact top, and check your wounds. Your robe was ruined, and there were three parallel gashes across your low back. They nearly spanned the entire width of your back, and were each a couple inches wide, and thankfully not too deep. But they would take a while to heal. 76 was right, you would scar. Your healing skills just weren’t up good enough. Still.

The auto-navigation was engaged, cockpit locked. You wouldn’t have to take the helm till you reached Nar Shaddaa. You didn’t exactly trust the Mandalorians on your ship, but you could feel them settling down, sharing one of the two sleeping rooms - there were multiple berths on your ship, but they holed up in one together. And they were behaving. To your surprise, when you reached Olaris, the Mandalorians had tucked their helmets into their bags, and quietly followed you through the spaceport. HK-53 attracted more attention with his running commentary, but boarding had gone smoothly.

You put HK-53 outside the comm room and shut the door.

You first called Master Amari, to give her the update for the Council. Yes, you were going to Nar Shaddaa. Also, Orgo the Hutt had a terentatek and had tried to feed you to it. You did not have time to finish the beast – but you would return to take care of it, after you rescued the children. You had picked up some Mandalorians – they were also tracking one of the children and on their best behavior.

Master Amari had been interested to learn they were Clan Ordo, but seemed satisfied with your progress. You did not mention Lord Talon.

The next call was less staid.

“A terentatek, Theron,” you snarled. “How did you manage to leave out that detail?”

“I don’t keep an inventory of every crime lord’s dungeon!”

“It’s a goddamn terentatek, not a monkey lizard! How did he even get one?”

“Did you try asking him?” The spy asked snidely. He lounged on the comm unit, looking nothing like the sickly boy you’d met on Haashimut. “I was too busy trying not to die!”

“Sounds like a “you problem,” he shrugged. “And stop whining, you didn’t die.” He grinned at you.

“No, thanks to you!”

“You didn’t invite me. You could still invite me,” he said, leaning forward, his eyes bright and too eager.

“Pfft, since when did you care about a dozen potential padawans?” You asked, even though you knew the answer, just like you knew why you had not invited Theron along. It would get too complicated for a variety of reasons. “This is barely even Jedi business. It’s a criminal venture that happens to have Imperial ties – not really relevant to the SIS or your career.”

“...I heard you saw the Grandmaster,” he said, suddenly subdued.

And that was exactly why you had not invited him. Theron was a shady son of a bitch on the best of days. That said “bitch” happened to be Grandmaster Satele Shan was just another level of complicated. There were so many reasons the situation was screwed: she had given him up immediately, his father was “unknown,” and he didn’t have enough force sensitivity to blow out a candle. His solution? He’d gotten some kind of high end cybernetic implant and gone off to play spymaster for the Republic, instead of working through his feelings.

But there was always an underlying layer of bitter regrets that accompanied his dealings with the Jedi Order.

“Yes, she looks healthy,” you said, playing it off like it was not a big deal. “It was going to be a disciplinary hearing, but that changed, because I’m just a pawn in some greater philosophical argument. Or maybe because they needed me to do a job,” you scowled. “I still annoy her, don’t worry.”

“Wanna wager which one of us is the greater disappointment?” Theron asked, his smile deceptively cheerful. You knew better than to answer that question. “Just kidding, Strike. It’s obviously you.” He made finger guns. “She hasn’t given me a second thought.”

You shrugged, pretending like you didn’t hear the open wound in that statement. “I doubt it’s anything so important. I just get a lot of lectures from the Council. You can probably guess what they think about strong emotion and any activity that isn’t meditating in front of a fountain.” You paused. “Look, do you want to be there when I report back to them? Like as an SIS adjutant or something?”

Theron let out a harsh laugh. “Are you trying to get kicked out, Strike? You show up to a High Council meeting with the Grandmaster’s bastard offspring in tow? How’s that going to look?”

“...You’re the one asking to come along,” you scowled. “Make up your own mind, Theron. I don’t offer to drag you into stupid Order business, you complain. I do offer to bring you into stupid Order business, after you ask, and you decline and point out why it’s a dumb idea. This is why you don’t have friends.”

“You’re one to talk, unable to make real connections because the Order stunted you for the first half of your life. Now here you are, running around with that psychotic defective HK unit, like it will replace what you lost on Corellia, chasing after Lord Talon like he’s the one you’re mad at, instead of-”

The world narrowed to a single point. Red light flashed across your field of vision.

“You need to stop talking,” you said, your voice going cold.

Theron blinked, his eyes widening. “...Druk. Strike, I didn’t mean-”

You cut the connection, the room blurring around you for a moment. It took a couple seconds for your vision to adjust. To realize how angry you were. Sure, Theron was an asshole, but he’d only peeled back the scab on a still-festering wound. You tilted your head back.

Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. Hold. Repeat till the darkness recedes.

Gradually, your control steadied. But you sat with that cloud of anger, not letting it go, nor letting it take ascendance. It was there, a pulsing reminder of your humanity.

You were going to kill Lord Talon and maybe his apprentice. Not because you hated him, though you did. Not because it was the right thing to do, though it was. You were going to kill him for personal reasons, and unlike the rest of the Order, you were not going to lie to yourself about it. And if that brought you down, if that decision made you fall, well, you were prepared. You had taken the appropriate precautions. There would be no Sith Lord Strike.

There was a ping as you received an incoming message. It was from Theron. It was only five words.

I’m an ass. I’m sorry.

You shook your head, not ready to respond just yet, and left the comm room.

“Is that the best you can do?” 76 laughed, and then there was whumpf, before you heard a body hit the floor.

You peeked into the bunks, to see the Mandalorians stripped down to their shorts, wrestling on the ground. Both men were muscular, with noticeable scars from blasters, vibroblades, and even some teeth and clawmarks. But the tattoos were interesting… Reaper had a full left sleeve, and 76 had some very colorful creatures etched on his back. Was that a varactyl?

“See something you like?” 76 asked, glancing over at you.

Reaper looked up at you, narrowing his eyes. “Or are we being too loud?”

“I wasn’t sure what was going on, just making sure it wasn’t a murder,” you said. “Carry on then.” You abruptly turned around, shoulders taut. You would not stare. And you certainly would not get caught staring.

“Hey, you seem kind of stressed. Do you want to spar or something?” 76 asked.

“That’s not a good idea right now,” you said, tensing.

“Why, because you’re still weak from getting your ass handed to you by a Sithspawn freak?” Reaper asked, casually. “Don’t worry, witch. I’ll go easy on you, if you ask me nicely.” His grin was savage.

You turned back to face him, feeling the anger pour off you in waves. “...Mandalorian, do you need someone to humble you that badly?” You asked, your voice low and harsh.

Reaper laughed. “You don’t scare me, witch. Choose your weapons. And if you need to hide behind your fancy light swords-”

“Practice blades will do,” you said. “Come on then.”

Reaper squinted at you.

“You don’t think I’m going to tear up this room, do you? The sparring mats are on the lower decks,” you said, already heading down.

You picked up two blades off the rack, choosing a full blade and a half-length blade. The cargo hold was equipped for exercise, as you did not normally transport a lot of goods. You stretched, ignoring the whispered conversation between the Mandalorians.

“Oh good, the medbay is across the hall-” 76 said.

“Whose side are you on?” Reaper growled.

“You’re out of armor, cyar’ika,” 76 murmured. “She’s a Jedi. The outcome is obvious.”

“Hut’uun,” Reaper spat. “Verd ori'shya beskar'gam.”

“Don’t be salty because I’m telling the truth, mir’osik.” 76 laughed.

Maybe you should have called HK down here. He could have translated the Mando’a for you. Except he’d be calling for real bloodsport instead of just sparring. And you didn’t need that temptation right now.

You took a few practice swings, reviewing your forms. Niman would be the most sensible. This was just a sparring match. It was an all-around style, and Reaper had a lot more muscle mass than you did. You did not need to go all out. You swung the longer blade, feeling the air part in front of you.

Reaper glowered at 76, then stalked over to the weapon rack.

“Don’t worry, Mandalorian,” you said, your mouth curving in a mockery of a smile. “I won’t use my witchcraft to beat you. I’ll do it with my own two hands.”

“You don’t sound much like a Jedi right now,” Reaper said as he stepped on the mat, holding a single vibrosword.

“What do I sound like then?” You asked, as you began to circle each other.

“A real soldier,” Reaper said. “Which is impossible, because everyone knows that the Jedi like to hide in their fancy temples praying for peace, while their soldiers die.”

You just smiled, the insult gliding right by your ear. You had made that argument too many times to be offended by it. Especially when it was from a Mandalorian braggart trying to get under your skin. But it said everything that this was how an outsider viewed your order.

You spun your swords, the heavier one in your dominant hand, feeling just right. The anger boiling under your skin seemed to evaporate. It was just energy now, ready to power you through another fight. Your mind slid back into its seat of balance.

Reaper charged you, lunging forward, the blade cutting through the air in a horizontal arc. You sidestepped, ninety degrees to the right, just out of his reach. And while his blade was extended, you slipped around his guard, and dragged your short sword across his back, a thin line of blood appearing seconds later.

He whirled, swinging the sword at you. You parried with your left hand, and glided forward, under his guard, so close you couldn’t swing your other blade. Instead, you grinned up at him, and rammed the hilt into his stomach.

Coughing, Reaper doubled over, glared at you, and then his leg snapped up. You slid backward, but a half-second to slow. He kicked you in the chest, and you had to catch yourself in a spin. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

He charged you again, blade raised overhead.

You instinctively raised your swords to parry, catching his blade between both of yours. You twisted, and the vibrosword flew out of his hands, and landed on the floor of the cargohold with a clatter.

“Do you yield?” You asked, spinning your swords. “Or would you like a moment to go retrieve your weapon, Mandalorian? That’s fine. I’ll wait.” You grinned. “Because I can do this all night long.”

Reaper stared at you, eyes dark, nostrils flared. He was bleeding, breathing hard, and sweat glistened on his velvety skin, but he didn’t look like he was done.

“Maybe you’d like to try both of us then?” 76 asked, his eyes narrowed. He picked up Reaper’s sword and then a stave for himself. He placed the sword in Reaper’s outstretched hand, and took up a stance beside his comrade. “Tion'ad hukaat'kama?”

You tilted your head back, moving your head from side to side. 76 held the staff like he knew how to use it. You closed your eyes, feeling the currents of the force flow through you, a picture of the field forming in your head. They stood side by side, but they would attempt to box you in. They both had excellent range, but 76 would have the advantage of reach. You could see the range and motion of their attacks before they made them, and while it would be difficult, you were good at this. “What are you waiting for? An invitation?”

76 lunged first, sweeping the staff at knee-height.

You leapt over the attack, even as Reaper slid to your right swung the vibrosword in a downward arc. Elbow bent, wrist pressed to your head, you blocked the strike.

76 struck again, thrusting the staff like a polearm.

You jumped backward out of his range, disengaging from Reaper’s sword lock. You spun around toward Reaper, blades outstretched.

76 swung the staff around, blocking the area across Reaper’s torso.

You struck the staff with a clang, and had to swing your right blade to block Reaper’s counterattack. You disengaged again, dancing to the side, putting Reaper between you and 76. He tried to swing his sword, but you parried the blow again, and whipped your other blade across his cheek with a little flourish.

The skin split and instead of countering, he stared at you, with an intensity that made you hesitate.

From behind Reaper, 76 thrust again, striking you in the side with the staff. You hissed, and kicked Reaper backward into 76. The blonde man steadied his friend, and together they stayed on their feet.

You touched your side, knowing that the area would need extra healing later. But it wasn’t enough to bring you down now. Breathing hard, you took a deep breath and whirled toward them, blades spinning in your hands.

Still leaning on 76, Reaper didn’t have a chance to take a strong defensive stance. You caught his vibrosword between yours, and scissored them, sending his weapon flying once more. You couldn’t quite kick him aside, so you circled around to 76. You got close, too close for him to use the staff properly. He could block your blows, but he didn’t have the space to maneuver. Your blades slid off the staff, but still scraped against his chest, slicing a long gash through the pink skin, the tip of the short sword catching on a gold ring.

“Haar'chak!” He yowled.

“Ke'pare!” Reaper shouted. “Wait!”

You froze, having not noticed the little gold rings on his nipples. “Disengaging,” you said, dropping your vibrosword, and very carefully freeing the short blade from the piercing. “Why the hell would you leave those in for a sparring match?” You asked, backing up.

Wincing, 76 held a hand over the right nipple ring. ��I...forgot,” he mumbled.

“Showoff,” Reaper said, shaking his head.

“I’ll get the kolto,” you sighed, setting the blades back in the rack, before you went across the hall to the medbay. You grabbed the first aid kit and headed back.

76 sat in the middle of the mats, rubbing his chest sheepishly. Reaper sat next to him, shaking his head.

“Hold still,” you said, crouching down in front of him to examine the cuts on his chest. You cleaned the wounds with a sanitizing wipe and then applied a layer of kolto over the cuts. You glanced at the nipple. It was pink and a lot more swollen than the other one, but still intact. You hadn’t torn the piercing or cut anything off. It wasn't even bleeding. Squeezing a little more kolto onto your thumb, you rubbed it lightly against his nipple.

76 stiffened, inhaling sharply as you put the healing gel on him. He was breathing hard now, chest and face flushed from the exertion. He watched you with hooded eyes, teeth clenched. “Do you patch up all your conquests?”

“No, normally there isn’t enough left to fix,” you said, meeting his gaze.

He studied your face for a moment. You could feel the heat pouring off him. He leaned closer. “So I’m one of the lucky ones?”

“Very, you almost lost that piercing and more.” You said, your mouth suddenly dry.

“It’s still sore, maybe you could put some more kolto on it,” he purred, a very knowing smile on his face.

“No, I think you deserve to suffer a little for your stupidity,” you said, backing up. You glanced at Reaper. “Do you need kolto?”

“Go on then,” Reaper said coolly, sitting up straight.

You crouched back down in front of Reaper, keeping him partially between you and 76. You worked quickly, your fingers lightly tracing the scar on his face. He watched you sullenly, as you quickly applied the gel. And then he turned around, silently giving you his back. His skin was hot under your fingertips, and you tried to seal the wound quickly, very conscious of 76’s hungry gaze. You slapped a bandage on it, and he turned back around, plucking the kolto out of your hands.

“Let’s see those ribs,” Reaper told you calmly. “76 hit you pretty hard.”

“I can take care of it myself,” you said.

“No one’s going to pounce on you,” Reaper said. “And even if they did, you could handle them.” He did not look at 76. “Now don’t be stubborn and try going up that ladder with your ribs cracked. That’s just foolish.” There wasn’t any of the previous malice in his voice, just a gentle chiding that reminded you a little of Master Amari.

Sighing, you unfastened your sash, and peeled back your robes, wincing as you touched your left side.

His head tilted to the side, Reaper applied the healing gel to your bare skin, his warm hands gently massaging it into your left side. You bit your lip, placing a hand near there as you tried to convince the bones to knit back together correctly.

Between the kolto and the little bit of force healing you could manage, the pain began to subside.

“Better?” Reaper asked, his palm still pressed to your side, close to your hand.

“Yes,” you said, swallowing roughly. “I should be good.”

Reaper bowed his head. “You won, Jedi. I am...humbled by your prowess.” He nodded to you, giving you a slight smile. “But I would like to try against you again later. Perhaps barehanded next time.”

You remembered seeing them rolling around on the ground, wrestling. Your breath caught. “You’re welcome to use the sparring mats,” you said, pulling away, closing your robes and tying off your sash. “But I need to go meditate.”

“Will you join us later?” Reaper asked.

“...We’ll see,” you said, glancing at 76, who lounged on his side, one hand cupping his sore pectoral.

76 winked at you. “Feel better?”

You blinked, having already forgotten why you’d agreed to spar in the first place. “Yes, thank you, but I really need to go meditate.”

“I can think of some other things that would help you out,” 76 said, looking you up and down with a smile.

“I really should go,” you said, already halfway out the door.

“I need to go meditate?” Really? That was your best excuse? It worked, but still…

Grumbling you, shut yourself in your quarters, limping to the fresher for a shower. It was quick, and you changed into another clean robe – today had been hard on clothes – and then settled on your floor cushion, still feeling the force run through you.

You did not contemplate the temple fountains, nor the forests of Tython, nor any Jedi object. You stared out the window, into the void of space, the stars twinkling in the distance. You fully expected flashes of red light, or even that dark haze that settled over your mind when you really got to thinking about the past.

But the force continued to move through you in strong currents. It was like sitting up to your shoulders in a warm ocean. The world took on a soft gray glow, and you let yourself drift.

It was the most peaceful you had felt since Corellia.

“Knight Strike, are you occupied?” 76 asked over the intercom.

You opened one eye, focus settling back into your body. “Do you need something?”

“We took the liberty of making a meal, and thought you might be hungry,” he said.

You blinked. “Oh, I’ll be down in a minute.” The offer took you by surprise. HK-53 had said nothing about them moving around the ship. You rose, tightening your robe, and left your quarters.

A warm savory scent hit you as you opened the door. The entire deck smelled of rich spices and sauteed aromatics. It was coming from the conference room – the one you used as a makeshift dining room back when… Back when there had been more people on your ship.

The Mandalorians were inside and had set up hotplates and a kettle on the table. Reaper was back in his polished black armor, sans helmet, stirring a pot. He did not look up when you came in. He just lifted a battered spoon to his lips and tasted the stew or maybe it was a casserole? If so, it was heavily sauced.

76 stood over his own battered iron skillet, an amber colored cake within. He cautiously poured some syrup over the cake. Then he cracked open a bottle and poured an even more generous amount of dark liquor over it. “It’s almost done!”

“If you want to cook, I have a small kitchen setup in my quarters-” You paused, realizing that maybe you did not want them traipsing in and out of your bedroom.

“Oh? Really? I would like to see that,” Reaper said, looking up and smiling at you, heat in his gaze. He lifted the spoon from the pot, offering you a taste of the bright orange stew. It had chunks of mystery meat, vegetables, and what looked like beans. It smelled like fire, smoke, and peppers, clearing whatever spacedust might have been clogging your sinuses. You hesitantly took a bite. It was savory and hot. The layers of earthy and smoky spices blended well together and even though you were still chewing, you wanted another bite almost immediately.

Even if you had never tasted this dish before, there was something immediately comforting about it. The meat was smoked. The vegetables had likely been dried and reconstituted in the sauce. The “beans” were actually some kind of grains, soft and fluffy with just the right amount of chewiness. “That’s very good,” you said. “What is it?”

“Tiingilar,” Reaper said, watching your face. “It doesn’t burn too much, I hope.”

“The seasoning is excellent. I’m very fond of peppers,” you said, raising a brow. Was he hoping that it was too much for you? That seemed a possibility. You had beaten him in combat, so he was going to compete with you in other ways. Still, if it meant that he cooked a nice dinner, you wouldn’t take too much offense.

Reaper just smiled at you. “You are full of surprises. The last non-Mandalorian I fed this to accused me of poisoning her. It was...too hot for her delicate mouth.”

“She wasn’t as well-traveled as Knight Strike,” 76 said, flipping his skillet and dumping the cake onto a battered metal plate. “Uj'alayi. It’s a traditional dessert,” he told you, pulling out a combat knife and slicing it into six pieces. “It can be made in our helmets. Reaper insisted that I use a pan this time.” He winked. “But I think the helmet adds to the flavor.”

“Interesting,” you said, glancing at Reaper, who just chuckled. “Should I get-”

“No need! We have tiingilar, uj’alayi, and behot tea. Plenty of food to go around,” 76 said proudly. He paused, gesturing to the table.

“And I have a few extra bottles of kri’gee and narcolethe, if you’re interested,” Reaper said, a little too innocently. “Now I think he is trying to poison me,” you said, because you weren’t an idiot. Those liquors were very potent.

“I have some extra ne’tra gal,” 76 said, gesturing to the bottle he had. “It’s a much nicer ale.”

“It would go well with the uj’alayi,” Reaper said, setting a bowl of his spicy stew in front of you. He poured you a mug of tea. Then he began doling out portions for himself and 76.

76 put a slice of cake in front of you, along with the open bottle of ne’tra gal.

You took a sip of the sticky sweet ale. It was more potent than you were expecting, but it was Mandalorian alcohol. You then took a small bite of the dense cake. It was rich and sticky, filled with dried fruit, nuts, and some kind of sweet syrup. The syrup had carmelized a little on the outside of the cake, but the inside was almost too sweet, except for the ale that soaked in. You washed it down with more of the ale.

76 watched you eagerly. “What do you think?”

“It’s rich,” you said. “But the ne’tra gal does go well with it.”

“It was originally army rations – lots of calories for a march,” Reaper said. “We thought you might enjoy some traditional Mandalorian food.”

“That was very kind,” you said. “It’s delicious.”

“Do Jedi have tasty traditional food?” 76 asked.

You sat with that for a moment. “...It’s actually kind of bland,” you sighed. “Nutritious, but not fancy. They don’t want us to be “distracted” by such things.” Back in the day, Theron had smuggled you candies, snack foods, and even alcohol. You felt a twinge of annoyance. Back in the day, Theron hadn’t been such an asshole. “I like trying new things though. I had to sneak around in Coruscant – make it look like I was only stopping because I needed “sustenance.” Not because the food stall smelled delicious.”

“We are not encouraged to be easily distracted by food,” Reaper said with a frown. “But there is no harm in enjoying it.”

“...Jedi aren’t supposed to “enjoy” things,” you muttered. “Well, they can, just not…too much.”

“What counts as “too much?” 76 asked, taking a big bite of cake.

You shrugged. “That’s a philosopher’s debate. But we’re meant to focus on denying most temptations. Want and attachment lead to other negative emotions, which lead to hate, which leads to the Dark Side. Let me summarize it for you: everything fun leads to the Dark Side.” You rolled your eyes and took another swig of ale. “Depending on who catches you, that lecture can go on for hours.”

“Enjoying cake leads to becoming a Sith Lord?” 76 chuckled. “I want to eat more. Will that get me my own lightsaber?”

You laughed.

“Your Order has a real fear of this Dark Side,” Reaper said, sipping his tea. “It seems a little convenient, like a method of control.”

“The fear is legitimate, but the safeguards are controversial.” You took another bite of his spicy stew. “It’s complicated.”

“So what happens when a Jedi goes to the Dark Side, becomes dar’jetii? Why is this so dreaded? I have met the dar’jetii of the Empire. Some are reasonable. Many are not. But they are not Jedi, and they are not so much more fearsome.” Reaper’s brows furrowed.

“We’ve fought dar’jetii,” 76 said, chest puffed out. “And we’ve won. Didn’t get to keep the lightsaber though. Captain got it.” He gave you a rueful smile.

“I assume dar’jetii means “Sith.” And that’s part of the problem.” You took another sip of tea, staring at the wall. “There are two different understandings of the terms. The political difference is that Jedi are force-sensitives who work for the Republic. Sith work for the Empire. It is an overly-simple explanation.” You held the mug between your hands, its warmth comforting.

“That is how we understand it,” Reaper said.

“Then you have the philosophical definitions. There are two sides to the Force, Light and Dark. The choices you make in life determine your alignment. There are Imperial Sith, who are fair-minded and compassionate. Even if they may not follow the Jedi Code, they are of the Light, though it would be unwise of them to advertise that.”

“And there are Jedi who are cruel and bloodthirsty, and they are of the Dark?” Reaper asked. “Your Order allows this?”

“No, they do not. In fact, they are dismissed from the Order, and sometimes they are imprisoned. Sometimes it is...worse.” You did not look at them.

“That seems like a tactical disadvantage,” 76 said.

“...It’s more than that.” You switched back to the ne’tra gal. “Sometimes singular choices can swing a Light-side Jedi to the opposite end of the spectrum. They go from honorable, kind, and patient to violent, cruel, and despotic in seconds. Falling is a sudden kind of madness. Often they turn on their friends and allies, killing the people they swore to protect. Sometimes they recover who they were and regret what was done. Sometimes they just become monsters.”

“What causes it? I haven’t heard of Sith having such experiences often.” Reaper asked. “Do they fear an inverse effect?”

You laughed, imagining that for a moment. “No, I guess I haven’t heard of a Sith suddenly being filled with an uncontrollable sense of altruism. At least, not to the same degree. They may switch sides or work to seek redemption, but these are conscious choices.”

“So what makes Jedi so much easier to influence?” 76 asked.

“Well, the Sith Code does encourage a certain amount of violence and backstabbing, but that’s the question, isn’t it? The Jedi Order thinks if we, as individuals, keep our distance from the world, do not get attached to others, and live like ascetics, we can avoid falling. If we just follow their rules, and live in our cloisters, we will be safe.” The bitterness of your words surprised you.

“Is there no middle ground?”

You took another bite of the stew. “That’s also complicated. Allegedly, there is.” You thought of the Gray Jedi. “But it is not an explanation accepted within our Order. I have witnessed people falling. It is...horrible to see someone you have known your entire life changing into the antithesis of themselves.”

“So if...attachment makes them fall, what brings them back? Do you appeal to their honor?” 76 asked.

“Maybe,” you said, because you would give a lot to find the answer to that question. “I think...reminding them what they found to be so important can help.” You thought of Nomen Karr. “But sometimes they are just in denial. They think they are infallible, they think that excuses whatever actions they take, and that accumulation of corruption combined with their own hubris destroys them.” You sighed.

“What causes this madness? The revelation of their own hypocrisies?” Reaper pressed.

“Force users are...vessels. The Force runs through us, it is like a constant stream of energy. That energy can manifest in different ways. Light Side users have certain powers, Dark Side users have others. And then there are some abilities that are so rare, it’s hard to say where they come from. Those are the extremely talented few: I have a friend who can heal broken minds. But I have no idea how to do such things. I am just a better-than-average fighter.” You smiled wryly. “But one of my teachers has a theory. Jedi spend so long keeping out the Dark, that sometimes, if we lower our guards, if we make an emotional choice toward the Dark, suddenly we have opened ourselves up to an outpouring from it. Some of us do not know how to cope and that system shock is too much too quickly, and then we swing to the opposite side.”

“So maybe you should do a few bad things, to keep your mind safe,” Reaper said with a shrug. “Easy enough.”

You laughed. “...maybe. Or maybe that slow acceptance of corruption just makes it easier to fall. That’s a high-risk theory for me to try to prove.”

“So what is an example of how a Jedi falls?” Reaper asked.

You sat there, knowing it wasn’t any of his business, and that you were drinking too much. But it was not a secret. And he wasn’t actually asking about your past. “Say you go into battle, and you really hate the person you are fighting. You have thought long and hard about how they need to die. You know that it is against everything that your Order has taught you, and you don’t care. They might want him as a useful prisoner, but even if he surrenders, you are going to kill him. Or perhaps, you are going to disobey orders – you will pursue him off the battlefield, even if it means leaving your comrades or charges behind. There are many ways. But I think it comes down to, you will look at your choices, you will know that what you choose is wrong, and you will do it anyway.”

Reaper snorted. “That doesn’t sound evil: foolish and undisciplined maybe. But killing certain enemies is sensible.”

“But if it throws off your sense of self…” 76 rubbed his chin.

“That is a problem we do not have to deal with,” Reaper said, brow furrowed. “Perhaps the cost of sorcery is too high. Or perhaps Jedi are weak-minded. Their strictures are too rigid; the conditions they set are unreasonable.”

“This fear of attachment and strong emotion,” 76 mused. “How are they as parents?”

“...Jedi are good caretakers, but not good parents. Because Jedi are not supposed to marry or have kids, so we usually recruit externally,” you said, trying not to think of Theron.

Both men blinked. “What?!”

“We’re warrior monks,” you muttered. “Or supposed to be. There are exceptions, but in general, marriage and other romantic attachments are not encouraged.”

76 and Reaper exchanged meaningful glances.

You could feel the judgment. You finished your ale, suddenly wishing for more.

“So no sex?” 76 asked, his eyes wide.

“...We’re not supposed to,” you said, looking at the table, suddenly embarrassed.

There was a long moment of silence.

“But you don’t always do what you’re supposed to, do you?” Reaper asked, his voice warm and amused.

You bit your lip. “That’s really not your business.”

Reaper gave a low laugh. “I didn’t think so.” He tilted his head to the side, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “There’s no shame in indulging or abstaining. But something tells me that you’re not the type to shrink away from a challenge.”

You crossed your arms, staring hard at him. Did he need another lesson in humility? “What are you trying to say, Reaper?”

“I’m saying, if you choose to indulge, we’re both interested,” he said plainly, and took another bite of his tiingilar. “And if you don’t, we respect that too.”

You nearly choked on air.

“But we’re a package deal,” 76 said, his expression uncharacteristically somber.

“...Wait, are you married?” You asked, because it was easier than processing what Reaper had just offered.

“Promised,” Reaper said, giving 76 an appreciative smile. “But this one has fought at my side for years, and that matters more than any words spoken.”

76’s cheeks burned pink. He gave Reaper a warm look. “Traditionally, we can just say the vows whenever: in person, over comlink, through letters, and it’s done. But our clan wants to be there to witness it and throw a big party, which isn’t exactly traditional – they usually can wait till afterward.”

“But certain clan-members are insisting that they should attend,” Reaper said.

“And if we didn’t make the allowance our sisters and the Captain would never forgive us,” 76 said with a sigh. “You don’t cross the Captain.”

“And our sisters are unreasonable and very good with their flamethrowers,” Reaper said.

“Oh,” you said, like it all made perfect sense. They were about to be married, but they wanted to invite you to their beds? How did that make any sense? You groped for words. “That’s lovely.”

“You could come too,” 76 said. “There will be plenty of food.”

“...Uh…” You blinked, not sure how to process the proposition, the wedding invitation, and the entire situation.

“76 and I take pride in performing well, be it fighting, cooking, or other recreational activities,” Reaper said smoothly. “If you’re concerned, we’d be happy to give a demonstration.” He leaned over, one arm around 76’s shoulder.

76 nodded happily. “You can think of it as exercise or stress relief.”

“Or you can just watch, if you like, we don’t mind,” Reaper purred, stroking 76’s hair. Those thick metal gauntlets tightened into a fist, pulling 76 closer. Reaper leaned over, pressing a hard kiss to 76’s neck.

The blonde man moaned.

But Reaper was watching you, those dark eyes glittering.

“...I should go meditate,” you said, abruptly standing up and retreating from the room.

#SWTOR #IAL #Crackfic #Reader-Insert #overwatch fanfiction #In Alio Loco AU #In Alio Loco

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walpurga-nacht-academy · 4 years ago

Note

Can I ask what types of relationships does your school and their students have with NRC and their students?

It’s here, and it’s a behemoth lol. Thank you very much for your ask, Anon! It ended up being super long, lol. 👀

WNA-NRC: The two have a long history together and are considered to be part of the top three magical schools alongside RSA. However, due to their similar values and principles WNA and NRC have always had more of a closer bond. The two schools have a ‘monthly campus visit’ policy in which students from both schools are able to make visits between campuses. WNA girls usually visit at the beginning of the month, while NRC boys return the favour at the end. The purpose of those visits is to have the schools maintain their friendly relationships with each other and observe the going-ons of each institution. NRC’s more modern approach has become of high interest to WNA, who’s more traditionally inclined, and their Headmistress has insisted very much on this bond being preserved even now. The schools are often considered ‘siblings schools’, with WNA being NRC’s sister and NRC being WNA’s brother.

The students themselves have a much less formal relationship. WNA are stereotypically extremely shrewd and mischievous, a bundle of chaos hiding behind the face of an angel. They enjoy visits to the NRC campus because it gives them the opportunity to go wild and have fun, something that WNA’s more strict environment doesn’t permit them. Moreover, visiting gives them plenty of opportunities to create mischief and flirt with the boys there for their own amusement.

Moreover, WNA also organises the Spring Debutante Ball every year in March which is an event that brings the three schools together for a night of socialising and dancing. The girls actually have a small notebook which lists all the boys’ charm points and use it as a means of choosing “targets”.

Ruggie, Jamil, Deuce and Jade ended up being extremely popular among the students population of WNA due to various reasons, while people like Leona, Malleus and Vil are considered part of the ‘look, but don’t approach’ category because they’re considered annoyingly difficult to deal with.

During the Magift Inter-school Tournament between NRC and RSA, WNA girls are known to lead the chants for the two schools, with drums and megaphones, much like an ōendan. They also attend the VDC as spectators each year, and they look forward to seeing the boys perform songs and dances.

Ursa Astoria: The Headmistress of WNA is familiar with both the Headmaster of NRC as well as its History teacher. Ursa’s more strict and formal approach often clashes with Crowley’s more laissez-faire attitude. Many have noted that they look eerily similar to a grandmother scolding her unruly grandchild when they interact, since Ursa is quick to lecture Crowley on not keeping a tight enough grip on his students and letting them run wild at school. “A little mischief is good to keep the heart young, but they should never need more than a glance to know when to stop.” However when she’s not scolding him, the two get along quite well, getting together for tea every three months or so. Crowley himself bends rather easily in front of Ursa due to the sheer power of her personality and presence.

She and Trein know each other from when they were young, and he was her NRC escort during the Spring Debutante Ball. According to Alkin they even dated for a while but broke up due to their very differing personalities: him being a cat person, and she a bird one. The break up was amicable, and even to this day they remain good friends.

Frau Perchta Yaga: Though she refuses to reveal how, it seems that Yaga is familiar with Crowley. Though they rarely interact, because Crowley goes out of his way to avoid her whenever he’s visiting WNA.

Alkin: Crowley once mentioned that he does not get along with cats, and this applies to his relationship with Alkin to a certain extent as well. Though the two are not hostile to one another, Crowley gets rather irked by the way Alkin dismisses his presence or ignores him when he doesn’t feel like dealing with him. Alkin simply does not care much for the NRC Headmaster. Though the two seem to have a past together, neither really talks about it all that much.

Moreover, Alkin seems familiar with Lilia as well and on much more neutral terms. He does however comment that he finds it odd that the fairy would agree to pose as a high school student at his age.

Rosenhex

Traditionally Rosenhex students have always had good relations with Pomefiore, and it is especially true for this generation as well. The two dorms have similar attitudes regarding beauty and how to achieve it through hard work, however while Pomefiore specialises in potions and poisons, Rosenhex specialises in charms and enchantments.

The Prefect of this dorm, Rosalia, is a work colleague of Vil and the two have collaborated before on some modelling gigs and movies. Rosa admires him quite a bit because he is in a similar position to her (wishing not to be typecast anymore) and his refusal to take any more villainous roles has also inspired her to speak up and tell her manager she’ll be dropping the role of ‘Cherry’. The two have an amicable relationship that is mutually beneficial to both parties.

Vil was also the one who introduced her to Jack, who is her love interest. Because Rosa wanted to audition for a role that required a ‘wild image’ she asked Vil for advice, who referred her to Jack suggesting that she observe him and his mannerisms since among the Savanaclaw dorm, he considers Jack the best example of what a proper beastman should be when portrayed in media. Rosa and Jack get along quite well, as both enjoy exercise and sports. It’s a typical teen romance and Rosa’s first actual crush that ends up going anywhere. Though for the longest time she was very scared of taking a step beyond ‘crush’ for fear of ruining their relationship, so it took Jack taking charge and confessing to actually make realise it was time to move to the next stage.

Much like with Vil, Rosa seems to have a positive relationship with Rook, who does praise her for trying to adopt an image that tends towards ‘wild beauty’, saying that is also fantastic to witness. Among the many negative comments Rosa received on her Witch Dance performance livestream, Rook’s was one of the few positive ones.

She doesn’t have a good relationship with Cater on the other hand, since he constantly asks for a selfie with her due to her celebrity status. She’s left behind the image of ‘Cherry’ and so she doesn’t want to be associated with it anymore.

Grimmaire

Traditionally Grimmaire students have had good relationships with the Octavinelle dorm, but the recent change in leadership has caused the Prefect, Blanche, to distance herself from it. She does not approve of their underhanded way of doing things, thus it seems that she’s become rather close to Heartslaybyul instead.

Riddle is Blanche’s love interest and fellow study partner. The two met during his first year at NRC where during an Unbirthday Party, Blanche commented on the lacking form of the then Prefect who was unable to recite the 810 rules of the Queen of Hearts. After Riddle became Prefect he invited her back to Heartslaybyul to ‘wash’ the dorm’s reputation in the eyes of WNA. Because both are rather studious they often communicate with each other to discuss all sorts of ideas and articles. In typical Grimmaire fashion, Blanche left an encrypted note containing a riddle in one of the books she lent him and ever since then the two have started to talk to each other via this method. They enjoy this highly intellectual rapport they have with the other, even though it does take both of them quite a while to realise they’re romantically interested in the other.

More surprisingly, Blanche has a good relationship with both Ace and Deuce, but for completely different reasons. Deuce looks up to her as a fellow model students he wishes to learn how to emulate to make his mother proud. Ace initially considered her a stick in the mud, and overly serious, until she unexpectedly cracked a really good joke and he was blown away by the contrast. Now both of them look forward to her arrival but for entirely different reasons. Blanche herself is rather fond of them too, and even strives to tutor them sometimes, with Ace finds bothersome and Deuce appreciates very much.

Kriegskald

Under normal circumstances, Kriegskald would get along best with Ignihyde given their interest in magical constructions. However, due to the girls’ forceful personalities and the boys’ more reclusive nature they tend to clash quite often. The fact that Kriegskald tends towards steampunk, while Ignihyde tends towards cybernetics also makes it more unlikely that they would get along. The current Prefect, Marcia, was initially interested in trying to recruit Idia as a sponsor so her broom racing career to take off properly, but has had no such luck, so she gave up and set her sights on somebody else.

It just so happens that that somebody is none other than the heir of a multimillionaire family. Whenever Marcia visits NRC she always pays a visit to Kalim, to hang in Scarabia, enjoy the good food and try to talk him into giving her money and/or become her sponsor. Kalim himself seems quite willing to do so, since Marcia’s enthusiasm for flying is on the same level as his, so the two have a lot of discussions on this particular topic. Her attempts at getting him to sponsor her always fail however due to Jamil’s interference, who always reminds Kalim he can’t give out his money away like that just because someone asks for it. He and Marcia don’t have the most positive relationship as a result, with her complaining that he shouldn’t be so strict on Kalim, and him pointing out she just says that because she wants to scam him.

Another person Marcia keeps bothering about sponsoring is Leona, who as the second prince of the Afterglow Savannah should have the necessary funds to sponsor an athlete. She did not have much luck there either as Leona either completely avoids her, or pretends he’s in deep sleep when she does come across him. They have spent more than a few afternoons in this position in which Marcia patiently waits for him to wake up, while Leona actually falls asleep while pretending. Though he is annoyed by her persistence, he does find her efforts impressive in their sheer stubbornness.

Marcia has attempted to talk to Malleus on this topic too, but has always been stopped by Sebek, who yells at her about bothering the ‘Young Master’ and being a suspicious person. The two don’t really get along, as Marcia finds his constant interventions annoying, and Sebek is enraged that she would dare bother Malleus about this sort of thing. It’s generally a disaster when Sebek catches Marcia trying to get into Diasomnia.

Galdtrea

Because plants are often used in alchemy, Pomefiore and Galdtrea usually have a positive relationship. However, the current Prefect seems to not be able to get along at all with Vil, due to their clashing worldviews. June has a similar opinion of his dorm as she has of Rosenhex: frivolous rich city kids who never worked a day in their life. The fact that Vil is on good terms with Rosa only strengthens her opinion and she tends to avoid Pomefiore and its students usually, since she flies off the handle easily. The only exception to this being Epel, who eventually becomes her love interest. She did not think much of him at first, as she considered him a mere scaredy cat, rich and spoiled kid, but was very surprised when he shot off at her after becoming angry enough. As fellow farmers they understand better than anybody what it means to struggle with hard work and responsibilities, so June feels like there is someone who finally understands what her struggles are.

When coming to NRC she usually spends her time in the botanical gardens checking out the plants and planting techniques used there. Because she avoids Rook, since she thinks he’s creepy, she usually accidentally bumps into Trey, who she considers more bearable. Though she gets frustrated if they get on the topics of families, since his ‘Big Brother’ aura makes her incredibly annoyed. They usually just stick to the topic of plants as a result.

Another person June seems to potentially get along with is Jamil. I say potentially because while they seem able to bond over their shared helplessness in terms of not having autonomy over their own person, June gets annoyed by the fact that Jamil does not simply tell Kalim off when he’s being unreasonable. She does not understand Jamil’s loyalty to his family at all, and just gets annoyed at him not really doing anything about his situation. She’s very much ruled by her emotions so his calculated approach is not something she can resonate with.

Monarchia

Traditionally Monarchia has always been close to Savanaclaw due to their similar aesthetic. The two dorms are sufficiently wild that they mesh together quite well, and they are most at ease in each other’s company. Moreover, Monarchia girls are rather respected among the Savanaclaw dorm and often adopt a big sister-like figure to the boys. It’s most prominent with Monarchia’s Prefect who is also treated like a Big Sister by her girls. Diana’s wild tendencies and close connection to animals make her blend right in with Savanaclaw’s roughness. As a citizen of the Afterglow Savannah and a follower of pack hierarchy, she respects the Kingscholar greatly, and thus Leona by default. Though she claims she is a bit disappointed by how Leona doesn’t display the same ferocity he did three years ago since she considered it ‘beautiful’. Leona on his part says he dislikes being nagged like this, but also seems to appreciate the fact that Diana takes him as he is and doesn’t compare him to his older brother. She is also on good terms with Jack and Ruggie who she treats similarly to how she treats her younger brothers.

Because she is a big eater, she also frequents Mostro Lounge and ends up spending time in the company of Azul who is her love interest. Their first meeting was a disaster, with Diana calling him “a newborn calf” due to how unstable he was on his feet during his first year on land. Spurned by anger, Azul made it a point to try and get her to sign a contract to steal her magic and humiliate her in return, but it just lead to a game of cat and mouse which eventually resulted in feelings forming. Though he’s very much in denial about it for a long time.

Diana also gets along quite well with the Leech brothers, in the sense that they recognise each other as fellow predators. The two are somewhat impressed by her utter fearlessness as not even Floyd’s threats of ‘squeezing’ her seem to have had any effect on her. Because she’s proving to be quite amusing they became fond of her, though that feeling is always subject to change. Floyd calls her ‘crocodile-chan-senpai’ and likes to bother her for stories about the beasts and monsters she tamed and fought throughout her life. He sometimes even listens to her requests, in the same vein he listens to Rook and Vil. Jade is amused by her sharp mind and killer instincts, and likes having discussions on various topics with her. They both like to needlessly grill Azul about his feelings for Diana for their own amusement.

Diana’s oddest relationship is with Rook, who seems to find her wild tendencies very charming and fascinating, while she’s annoyed by him due to the fact that he calls himself a ‘hunter’. Having had a bad run in with poachers in the past, she does not take kindly to people hunting animals for trophies, rather than sustenance. Rook’s presence makes her alert and cautious, and his general oddness just makes her more suspicious of him. Rook’s own fascination for her seems to stem from the fact that, as he puts it, her eyes occasionally sparkle with something inhuman in them. Like she’s more beast than human.

Oraluna

Traditionally, Oraluna has always had close ties with Scarabia, as both dorms have an interest in star movements and researching their patterns. While it continues to maintain them, the current Prefect, Cassandra, has shown interest in forging relationships with Diasomnia as well. This is mostly due to her vested interest in learning more about her fairy heritage and having heard that the future King of the Valley of Thorns is attending Night Raven she thinks it would be nice to be acknowledged by him as a fairy as well. Unfortunately, her shy nature makes it difficult for her to approach Malleus. She respects him greatly, to the point she idolises him, but it also means she finds in difficult to get along with him since she’s always worried about offending him by accident. So she tries to work up her courage to talk to him, while Malleus simply regards her as a bit odd, and is uncomfortable with the fact that she acts so scared around him. He merely wants to experience a normal high school life so he does not understand why Cass behaves as if he expects everybody to treat him in a special manner.

Cass also shows a lot of respect towards Lilia too, which means that she falls for his pranks rather easily. He always claims to teach her about fairy customs and traditions but he mostly makes up stories for his own amusement. Cass does not contradict his claims no matter how absurd they are, because she thinks it would be rude. On the other hand, she seems to actually consider Lilia’s cooking delicious which endears her to him greatly and makes him approve of her eventual friendship and relationship with his son. Out of everybody in Diasomnia, Cass feels closest to Silver, who is her love interest. His diligent nature and kindness won her over completely and she thinks of him as the knight who saved the damsel in distress her grandmother would often tell her about when she was young. Silver himself seems to find Cass a bit odd due to her professed love for his father’s cooking and other quirks, but overall sweet and endearing.

She seems to have a somewhat positive relationship with Sebek too, since she idolises Malleus too, so they often openly praise him to one another. Sebek seems not to mind Cass’ presence as much since she obviously understands Malleus’ greatness. However, after Lilia begins to teach her how to embrace her fae ancestry, he’s among her only victims when it comes to the pranks she pulls. They are extremely innocuous and rather lame, as Ace might bluntly put it, but Sebek still falls for them every time to everybody’s amazement.

She also seems to have a bad relationship with Azul since he tried to talk her into coming to do some fortune telling for Mostro Lounge customers as a special treat. She categorically refused him since it reminded her too much of when people asked her to tell their fortune just to profit off her abilities. Ever since then, she’s completely avoided him whenever she comes to visit.

Eliksia

The dorm which Eliksia normally got along with would be Pomefiore, since they both have a clear focus on alchemy. However, current Eliksia Prefect, Agatha, seems to deeply dislike Vil due to him being one of those ‘shiny’ people she despises. His positive relationship with Rosa, which Agatha also hates, only makes her more convinced Vil is not the sort of person she wants to have around, so she has completely avoided him and the Pomefiore dorm building ever since she became Prefect.

As a result, whenever she visits the NRC campus she mostly hangs around Sam’s shop, who she considers her ‘Big Brother’ due to him having helped her gain a human form when she first expressed a desire to explore the surface world. His help has gained him her eternal gratitude so she makes sure to visit each time she’s on campus. She merely huddles in a corner and makes conversation with him about various topics which invariably freak out anybody who eavesdrops on them. She likes how Sam won’t judge her for behaving the way she does, and makes sure to always buy something as a show of appreciation for letting her hide in there.

Other people Agatha can’t stand are Kalim, Ace, Deuce, Rook, Cater, Trey, Riddle- It would actually be easier to count the number of people she does like and that’s mostly only Ortho. Though she was initially skeptical of him due to being related to Idia (who she thinks is not good enough for her Big Sister), she eventually warmed up to him when she realised how knowledgeable and how absolutely deadly he actually is. The fact that he does not make fun of her appearance and has even complimented her teeth (because they look his Idia’s) has only made her fonder of him. So she does not mind if he approaches her for a chat when she’s on the NRC campus.

She does not get along at all with the Leech twins, since she considers them bigger predators and Floyd annoys her Big Sister, nor with Azul, since octopuses eat crustaceans too, which are the main food source for flashlight fish like her. She generally tends to avoid them since she can’t really stand them all that much.

Noctasis

The dorm’s dark elegance and grace has traditionally made it a good fit for Diasomnia who exhibits a similar aesthetic. Though that would usually be the case, the current Prefect, Vita, is much closer to Idia, which is natural given that the two are engaged and he is her love interest. As they were betrothed when they were five and six years old respectively, they are childhood friends. Vita’s more forceful personality often clashes with Idia’s more reserved one on the surface, but they are in actuality pretty in sync. Vita appreciates Idia’s intelligence as well as his mean side and takes delight in encouraging him to express his displeasure more loudly, rather than be afraid of what others might think of him. Idia cannot understand how Vita can care so little for what others think about her, but also admires this side of her. She’s very devoted to him, but does not mean she will hold back when she whips him in shape so he’ll be a more functional person and more confident in himself. On the whole the two get along quite well, and are gaming buddies, since Idia taught her how to play video games when they were younger. She’s become quite proficient at it however, much to Idia’s ire since it means she often beats his high scores. He’s also tried getting her into anime, manga or light novels but has had no luck on that front yet. Vita also calls him ‘husband’ generally, which he initially found embarrassing but now doesn’t mind anymore. The two also have a dog (Kerberos breed) together who spends most of the time with Vita, but is extremely attached to Idia as well.

Vita also has a good relationship with Ortho, in theory at least. Because he’s Idia’s brother she treats him well and is very pleasant to him, but is also uncomfortable in his presence to a certain degree. His creation goes against her family’s beliefs and Idia clings to him as a security blanket which makes it difficult for him to learn how to move on from the past, which bothers Vita quite a bit. But she understands it’s not Ortho’s fault so she takes most of her complaints to her husband, something that causes quite a few fights between them. Ortho himself is unaware of this.

Incidentally, it was Ortho who gave her the nickname ‘Vita’ when they were young children and it stuck The fact that Ortho uses it even now gives her mixed feelings.

Another person Vita gets along with is Ruggie since she found him amusing in his attempt to get close to the Shrouds because they’re a noble family. His mischievous personality also endears him to her more and thus she’s become fond of having him around or taking him to Mostro Lounge to buy him lunch and get the latest gossip regarding the students of NRC. Ruggie himself also seems to like Vita since she’s very generous with her money and sometimes jokingly even calls her ‘Big Sis’ (in the same manner delinquent girls are called ‘big sis’ within their group).

Vita also finds a lot of enjoyment in annoying Azul ever since she met him at Idia’s club. Whenever she drops by Mostro Lounge with Ruggie she also seeks out Azul just to entertain herself on his behalf by trying ruffle his feathers. For a provocation expert like her the task is very enjoyable, though she also has to put up with Floyd’s unpleasant presence too. She is on better terms with Jade who is somewhat similar to her in that he enjoys trolling him, and the two often have repartees whenever they have time to chat, speaking in metaphors and odd allusions.

These are all the very condensed versions, but I plan to make some posts dedicated just to relationship mapping since I find it interesting. 👀

Also, I know there are some peeps that have WNA OCs so do feel free to join in with how your OCs interact with NRC if you want to!

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themonotonysyndrome · 5 years ago

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It’s been a while! Looking at that other anon’s ask, I’m so curious how the TW boys would react to everyone learning the truth about witches and Mami mercy-killing the other girls before she’s killed by them (like in that one timeline in the movie, I forget which one because it’s been years). (Also, me when I hear the word “angst”: 👀 fuck me up 👌🏽👌🏽) -V

Hello, Anon V! You doing, good? Ah, yes, I was wondering when that one Mami’s scene will come up.

The boys could only properly grasp their head around the truth about Witches only when they’re comfortable that the girls won’t into their Witches form from the revelation. Only when the girls are emotionally stable, calm and understand than they have so many supports from the boys to move on, then the boys could finally take a moment and think, wow, they had no idea that their magic came from such a heavy, heavy price.

Azul, in particular, understand perfectly well when it comes to wishes and prices; after all, he needs to make sure there’s a balance between the prices he asks for the contracts he fulfills (think Ichihara Yuuko’s wish-granting ability in XXXholic). Yes, he might intentionally sabotage his deals so the situations would always be in his favour, but in true businessman fashion, he would at least be upfront with the terms and conditions of the contracts (you just gotta be smart and finding the loops in the contracts). Omitting the truth is a dirty tactic and Kyuubey only feeds the girls half-truth when they became Magical Girls (they need to fight Witches), he didn’t tell them the true price for becoming Magical Girls.

And that, I think, what makes Azul and Kyuubey different.

In terms of the boys’ reaction to Mami mercy-killing the girls after the revelation, characters like Jamil, Lilia, Jade, Rook and Leona can easily understand why she would do it, given Mami’s kind nature and how she sees herself as the girls’ mentor (the big sister figure). Other characters would sympathise with her but in a way, now afraid of her. She’s so strong and powerful but now with the fact that she can kill you very quickly if she deems its’ necessary and nothing you say can change that? Yup, people will treat her the same way they treat Malleus and wouldn’t that just drive Mami to be even lonelier? It’s a horrible feeling to be shunned away, isn’t that just sad?

Looks like there’s truly no way to escape the fate of a Magical Girl, eh?

#twisted wonderland #puella magi madoka magica #puella magi holy quintet #Holy Quintet in TW series #crossover

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twisted-nox-sidus · 5 years ago

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Hello there, I’ve just read your headcannon of Strix trolling the Octavinelle trio. LOL. Thank you for the laughs. Since April fool’s day is coming. If you have the time, can you do a scenario where Strix trolls the other dorms with the help of her dream eaters. If you can include Malleus, it’s okay. If not, I understand. Thank you and stay safe.

Anon continued: Hi there, during my previous post, I was asking whether or not Malleus would join Strix’s trolling in trolling the other dorms since April Fools is coming. Oh! I almost forgot, can Grim and Lilia join with Strix in trolling. Thank you and have a good day or night.

Oof, doing six other dorms is a lot in one post, so I’ll keep things condensed, hence the headcanon format (sorry if you really wanted a scenario version!). I see Malleus and Lilia as types to watch for entertainment than directly take part in it. Strix left Grim out of her plans since he himself is chaotic already. It was time for her to assume the lead and let it out, at least for the day.

It’s come to my attention that I like doing headcanons of Strix and her dream eaters, so I plan on doing more headcanons/scenarios involving the pesky but cute spirits. They don’t stop here so look forward to it! Happy April Fool’s~

Heartslabyul

Heartslabyul could handle strange things more so than any other dorms. Just not anything against the crimson tyrant’s 810 rules.

“WHO PAINTED THE ROSE MAZE BLUE?!!!”

Riddle’s face fumes as red as his hair. Not a single trace of red is found! There was only blue as far as the eye can see.

Deuce, Trey, and Cater were rendered speechless by the sight. Just...wow. They’re not even dreading the culprit’s fate at Riddle’s mercy; instead they’re impressed with the feat. Such commitment!

Meanwhile Ace was resisting from bursting in a fit of laughter. That madwoman actually did it! She even casually remarked about doing such a feat but no one had paid her words seriously. Bravo! Bra-freaking-vo!

Ah, speaking of...

“You have a lot of nerve showing your face, Strix! You must be begging for your head to roll! This is defying the Queen of Hearts herself! Repaint every single rose -by yourself- until all is red!”

“Sheesh, let’s not get a rage stroke. You’re still so young...” Strix nonchalantly yawns. “I wanted to surprise you so I spent the whole night painting every rose blue. Of course, I had a helping hand with me.”

She vaguely gestured to the dream spirit hiding behind her leg. Me Me Bunny’s ears act as another pair of hands, and this cutie is quite dextrous; it also knows “bun fu”.

“Oh you surprised me all right. [Surprise] is only an understatement!”

A sigh. “You don’t get it, Riddle. Think of it this way. Blue makes the red stand out. Then the only red rose we’ll see...is you, my queen.”

She leans forward to slip a strand of Riddle’s velvet red locks between her fingers and graze her lips on them. Her half-lidded bright blue eyes gaze into his steel gray pair. Perhaps she was still under the drowsy spell to comprehend what she was doing, though a part of her was knowingly teasing.

Riddle stared wide-eyed. His cheeks flushed in a different meaning this time.

She pulls back to give space and turns the other way.

“Plus, contrary to your words, I think you actually like my surprise. It’s certainly not boring. And it’ll only be for today.”

Strix flashed a lazy grin his way.

“Happy April Fool’s~”

Savanaclaw

Strix’s dream eaters are quirky, adorable, and colorful spirits. Jack often questions their capabilities. What can little prey do to the brawny hotheads of Savanaclaw?

A lot.

One day Strix was on patrol. Jack had been keeping an eye as she works part-time as the “cleaner” of Savanaclaw. Just how much power can she draw from these familiars? It was a test for Strix to see if she can meet the standards of a respectable magician in this academy.

Meanwhile Ruggie anticipates something interesting will happen. Strix’s dream eaters are an enigmatic force to reckon with. He himself certainly doesn’t plan on confronting them since that’s not what he signed up for as vice dorm leader.

The hyena snickered his trademark laugh. What mayhem will the prefect student do?

Strix had to break up a fight for the nth time this week. Things happened, and one of the students said something that forced Strix to deal her hand.

Instead of commanding her eagle and hawk to attack, she summoned a single chubby cat/dog hybrid with stubby legs. It doesn’t look like a clever beast.

Aww, look at it roll around and paw at air for affection while its pink tongue stuck out. They’re going to die of cuteness.

Strix blankly stared ahead. “Meow Wow... Balloon.”

Said spirit stood on all four legs and stopped wagging. Every onlooker watched as it inflated in size. It continued to grow and grow until no one could see the light of day. It was then everyone thought it’d be wise to run from immediate vicinity.

However it was too late when Meow Wow deflated in puffy smoke and sparkles, drowning its victims along with the plume of clouds.

Jack and Ruggie watched from a platform above where they could see the area in action.

“Magic familiar tamers have unique strengths...” Was what Jack concluded. A hawk and eagle’s cries pierce the sky.

Ruggie rubbed the back of his head. “Let’s be real; in this world, birds are a real hassle. As long as you don’t make an enemy of them...”

Strix was already gone by the time Meow Wow inflated. Her eagle dream spirit now willingly massive in size acted as her glider and transporter. Strix’s body dangled as she clung tightly to her Eaglider’s talons until it settled her on the balcony of a dorm room. Eaglider flew to patrol elsewhere alongside Halbird, the hawk dream eater.

Sitting on a chair was Leona playing with a chess piece in his hand. A chessboard was already set up on the table, the black side facing him.

“Enjoying your job, aren’t you.”

Strix allowed a sheepish smirk. She’s not exactly proud to engage in cleaning up people’s messes, but there’s the thrill she finds in it. “To be honest, yeah. I think I might be a sadist at this point...” She mumbled under her breath and continued, “Sorry for the wait. Let’s start.”

Scarabia

“Jamil, a rainbow fish is swimming through the skies!”

“Nonsense. There are no aquatic animals in Scarabia. You probably just saw a magic carpet.”

“Then how come no one told me magic carpets can shoot lasers??”

Before Jamil can decipher whatever the hell Kalim meant by that, the sapphire blue skies turned murky. No, that wasn’t the work of clouds.

To everyone’s bewilderment, they bared witness to a school of colorful fish roaming freely through the air and above the whole dormitory aimlessly.

Lasers shoot from their mouths and make contact with the other to cause sparks to erupt in colorful fireworks. So that’s the laser part...

Kalim’s eyes sparkled. “It’s like the aquariums at Octavinelle, but airborne! *gasp* I just got a great idea for the next party!”

“For the nth time Kalim no more parties this month!”

*whistle* “Fin Fatale’s actually enjoying this. Who’d knew?”

The two boys turn to see Strix approaching them causally.

Strix grinned. “Bet you don’t see this in Scarabia often.”

Pomefiore

Pomefiore students have a tendency to look into a mirror at almost any given opportunity. They recognize every detail of their their highly bestowed beauty, lest they would fail to maintain perfection.

Imagine their surprise when a carbon copy of themselves suddenly replaces their reflection, except in a horrendous eye-burning color palette that screams “clown”

Turns out the copy really is a clown creature with a large tongue. Jestabocky simply loves to prank people at the expense of their reactions, and it took a liking to Pomefiore students.

Strix giggled in amusement, much to Vil’s chagrin. Standing next to the man was a Vil duplicate, except in that hideous orange carrot and lemon yellow palette that made his eyes want to bleed. Of course no one could ever compare to the original, especially a circus mimic at that.

Rook was examining his blood red and ice blue carbon copy. What a refreshing change of pace! “Your dream eaters never cease to amaze, little owl.” “Don’t hunt them for sport though!”

Epel was staring at his clone awkwardly. Cotton candy hair and yellow eyes are an odd combination. And would it stop grinning uncharacteristically like that? It’s freaky.

Strix looks beside her. Teal green hair, violet eyes, and an orange to yellow uniform color scheme. It’s horrendous, but that’s where the fun lies. Her dream eaters don’t know the meaning of color coordination.

Ignihyde

Strix thinks a surprise here and there in the shut-in dorm leader’s life ought to keep him on his toes. She knows how much Ortho wants him to come out his room, and so she’ll deliver just that.

Idia recieved an alert message as he was browsing the net. A window pops up displaying the security camera footage across the entire Ignihyde dorm.

To his horror, rainbows invaded the cameras everywhere he looked. In each one there was a massive bipedal colorful panda doing something to the students behind the screen. One was lifting a student to the air, another swinging and cradling, and others generally giving bear hugs to any soul -dead or living- that enter their vision.

Though the pandas are harmless and students are unharmed (some seem to enjoy it while others are bewildered in shock), Idia was quaking in his chair. If he walks out the room he’ll be crushed by the pandas’ mercy! (And by rainbows and cuteness!)

He zoomed in one of the footages. A Kooma Panda held a sign directly to the camera.

[YOU’RE NEXT]

This is nightmare fuel! Nightmares, he tells you!

Just as he spun around to hide and cower in the safety of his blankets, he had failed to notice the looming shadow over his flaming head prior to this very moment.

There was the same panda. In his bedroom. Staring right into his soul.

It smiled. (I reread this part and lowkey I realized I was writing a FNaF fanfic for a moment wut)

Idia wheezed. How did it get here?! Was it capable of teleporting?!

The shut-in had never ran for the door to the outside world with such eagerness in his life up to now. He slammed the door open and was about to hit the breeze when suddenly he recognized Strix standing right in front of him.

He practically tackled the poor girl (oof). Just when he dreads the contact with the floor, he felt something bouncy push them off. And then the same bouncing source came from behind. Now he’s squeezed between something.

The world spun in his eyes. Light-hearted laughter snapped him out of his trance. His soul actually came close to leaving him the moment Strix’s face registered in his vision. So close!

Two Kooma Pandas were hugging and nuzzling the two in a human-dream eater sandwich. Awww.

From the sidelines, Ortho watched in awe. That’s one way to bring his big bro out of the room. He eagerly joins in the hug fest with Strix and an all-too drained Idia.

Strix giggled and wrapped her arms around Idia and the panda behind him. She was clearly enjoying this. “Happy April Fools~”

Diasomnia

First things first: Strix can’t fool two all mighty and powerful faeries. Instead, she’ll entertain them like she and her dream eaters have always done. After all, boredom is their kind’s biggest enemy.

One day, Diasomnia students were walking down the halls when they notice a colorful bat creature hanging upside down from the ceiling, innocently watching people pass by.

There was one Komory Bat. The next door over there are two. The door after that door appeared three. In front of the dorm gate there may or may not be a bat perched to greet students in and out.

In the library, students are surprised when they’re greeted by the librarian aid...who was working upside down and levitating with gravity magic.

Strix casually acts as though it was natural. When she had to move away from the counter she continued walking upside down on the ceiling. If the ceiling was too high she’d float over just above people’s heads, and address when needed.

Strix likes to mess with Sebek by doing a “handstand” on his broad shoulders while talking to Silver. Sebek would shoo her off and when he does, Strix still pesters him by floating with a mocking haughtiness behind the way she rocks back and forth while grinning mischievously. The sight is hilarious, much to Sebek’s chagrin.

She can see why Lilia likes doing this. By the end of the day though, that’s enough walking on ceilings for the year.

Strix greets Malleus at eye level. “How’d you like it? Not boring, right?”

The horned fae chuckled. The glimmer of accomplishment in her stunning blue eyes amuses him the most. Like a child who proudly boasts their little achievements to appeal to their parents. It was adorable. “Certainly.”

#twisted wonderland #my post #strix noctowl #anon #headcanon asks #diasomnia #heartslabyul #savanaclaw #ignihyde #pomefiore #scarabia #dream eater spirits

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alma-berry · 6 years ago

Text

Let’s talk about The First Heir

I got a lot of asks about the matter, so while I don’t have a concrete theory, sometimes summarizing what we do know helps.

One of you asked for a list of people who knows about Kit’s heritage, and I actually think that’s a pretty good place to start with!

Knows for sure:

Jem & Tessa, duh

Magnus

Catarina

Ragnor

Emma

Julian

Barnabas Hale

Probably knows:

Alec - not because of Magnus, actually... he was there when Jem and Tessa heard it from the faerie in The Land I Lost

So was Lily Chen

Jace - we know they will have a familial relationship, and it’s pretty weird to keep him out if Alec already knows.

If Jace knows, and Alec knows, Clary will know.

Hypatia Vex “That’s a lie,” he said. “My father is Johnny Rook.” “And your mother?” said the deep voice of Shade, behind them. A crowd had gathered behind him, too; they couldn’t run that way. “I don’t know,” said Kit, between his teeth. To his surprise, Hypatia raised her eyebrows, as if she knew something he didn’t. (Lord of Shadows)

Mother Hawthorn - We can debate on whether or not she actually followed the line up until Kit, but she knows the gist

The prime suspect to spill the beans is Barnabas, right? He hates Kit in particular. Warlocks have patience, so I’m inclined to believe he will wait up until the best moment, where the truth will be most harmful.

Hypatia is a mystery… we know she doesn’t like shadowhunters (a subject on which COG will probably elaborate) but she’s an ambitious woman who basically wants what’s best for her people. She’ll align herself with Shadowhunters if it’s necessary, but will she also betray them if it is?

Mother Hawthorn is no friend to Shadowhunters and we remember too well how cruel she can be. She cared about Auraline, but not about her decadents. In the very end, where will she align herself?

Lily made me worried for a while because of the Janus favor thing, here’s a theory about it. But I read somewhere that Cassie said Lily probably blocked it out of her memory from lack giving a shit.

I honestly believe none of the rest will tell - not to their families and not to their friends. Emma and Julian probably know everything - they did see Kit using his magic, and we know that they went to visit the Carstairs in Devon. But for the sake of this issue, I don’t think Ty, Dru, or any of the Blackthorns will learn about Kit’s ancestry from Jules or Emma. It would be problematic if Emma would have told Christina, because of her relationship with Kieran, and even though we know both Emma and Christina could keep a secret, I don’t think Emma would risk it - it’s not her secret to tell.

Will Ty figure it out before all hell brakes lose?

One of the more burning questions are - did Ty see Kit making the horses disappear? He was on a tree, yes.. but he hit one of the riders with his slingshot - which means he was looking.

In GOTSM, Ty is still hurt. He won’t talk about Kit, and he won’t talk to Kit. When Livvy asked him to write him, he didn't say "I don't want to".. he said, "He won't answer". Which means he's still sure Kit is mad at him, and him staying away is respecting Kit's decision. But Ty is the sort of person that can channel his emotions into actions, into goals, like with Livvy’s death. I find it hard to believe he would refrain from such a mystery for long. At some point, he will probably channel his pain into a relentless chase after the truth. He needs rules, he needs a plan, and he needs a purpose.

Ty is definitely a proud person… that, and the fact that discussing his detachment from Kit would result in questions he doesn’t want to answer - probably means he won’t go asking Emma and Julian about Kit. So who will he ask?

The obvious answer is Ragnor, of course. He sees him all the time at school, he already knows about Livvy, and he’s an extremely old and powerful warlock. But, he won’t ever tell. He’s far too loyal to his friends, and he stands to gain from claiming he’s the one that tricked the riders ;)

The second obvious option is Barnabas. Ty was the one who noticed Hale’s weird remark (“We tolerated you because the Shadowhunters hadn’t found you yet. But now they have and it’s a hop, skip, and a jump until you find out who you really are—” “What’s that supposed to mean?” said Ty.) But will it do him any good to ask? As we know, he hates Blackthorns… and if he knew Ty was searching for that information, he could use it against him.

I did a little reading about faerie magic and warlock magic.. and I actually disagree with one of the anon’s assumptions. I don’t think Kit’s magic “screams” faerie... But when it comes to him seeing through glamour - that’s a clue alright. The Codex specifically says that fairies are considered the masters of glamour magic. It’s not an easy connection to make, but Ty is, as we know - more than capable of getting there.

Ty didn’t know that Kit’s mother was the lost Herondale. Now he has her necklace, which means he knows both of Kit’s parents had shadowhunter blood… but apparently not only. That’s a lead - one parent is a Herondale, one’s origin is unknown. One of them, at least, had more than Shadowhunter blood.

Honestly? I don’t know if Ty will come up with something significant before TWP… because we won’t be there to read about it ;) but I’m almost certain he will try.

Who, how and why?

The two we know for a fact that are looking at Kit’s existence are The Seelie Queen and Janus.

The main problem, when it comes to the queen, is the fact that Kit is a Shadowhunter. If it was any other way, I don’t think she would have seen him as such a potential threat… not that she knows who and what he is at the moment. Julian thought she’s not into harming Shadowhunters just for the sake of it, but the end of TDA suggests differently - she wanted the parabatai bonds to be severed so she can weaken the Nephilim. Kit, being the descendant of the first heir and a Shadowhunter is like a spit in the face of everything she and The Unseelie King tried to accomplish with their union - all of that power could be harnessed by the wrong hands.

When it comes to Janus - I am more than sure that the fact that Kit looks like Jace will not be in his favor. I said it a while back - Janus will probably look at Kit and see the past he had, and the future that was stolen from him. The similarity between them will probably be even more pronounced in TWP - and it would be like looking at a broken, twisted mirror. By the time TWP comes, Janus will be even more ruthless - because now he has someone to love. Not just the memory of loving Clary, or even the distance stalking and occasional smooching in some alley. Its Ash - he’s everything to him. He put all of the shattered pieces of his heart in Ash’s hands, and that would clean away every remnant of guilt or empathy that was left in him.

I’m kinda scared just from thinking about it.

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glowwormsmith · 6 years ago

Note

Joseph seed fanfic please?

Sorry,this is late anon! I wish I could write faster, but I hope you like thisregardless.

So,since you didn’t specify what type of story you wanted anon (except to have itfocus on Joseph, hooray), I just went self-indulgent as hell and did aplatonic, semi-AU with my OCs that may lead to a fix-it fic of ND, oops.

Imay continue this, depends if you all like it or if I have any motivation/timeto do so (motivation what motivation? Also, I’m a grad student, there is notime anymore). Hope you guys enjoy!

Warnings:Some language, some gore/violence, child endangerment

Everythingthat had led up to this point was a blur. The only clear memory was the finalstand between him and the Deputy, where he had fallen. The day was beautifuland clear, the air still. No wind, no animal cries. And then the sirens wailedand the bombs fell. He knew The Collapse had arrived in all its fury andrighteous fire, and only he knew of it. There was panicking, disbelief, cryingfrom all around him, except from him.

Hehad been shoved into a car, everything was red and ash and heat. He was betweenthe two girls, the younger one trembling like a leaf and the older screaming,eyes widened in shock as her shouts ranged from how they would all die toyelling for her aunt to keep driving. The Deputy was in the driver’s seat,driving erratically, the only sound from her were erratic mumbling of how hewas right and heavy breathing. Her superior was in the passenger, givingfrantic directions to the bunker.

Andthen they crashed. He awoke and let out a cough, the environment making itharder to breathe, his thoughts jumbled but forming faster as he looked around.The old sheriff had gone through the windshield, half his body still inside andthe rest on the hood, his skull split open and eyes glazed over. The driver’sseat was empty, the door open. He looked over. The older girl was unconscious,but alive, head bleeding and breathing slow. He heard a whimper to his rightand saw the little one curled up, eyes wide and form trembling hard as sheregarded him.

Therewas no sign of the Deputy, corpse or otherwise.

“Areyou alright, child?” he said, his voice soft and raspy from the ash. She didnot respond and he offered a weak smile. He saw the bunker in front of them. Heturned back. “We will head there. I will carry your sister and you’ll ride my back.We cannot stay out here long. Alright, Fern?”

Hespeaks gently to her. He knows she is the soft-spoken one, the one who will bemore likely to trust him. She nods, but does not speak. He crawls to the frontand exits the driver’s door. The world is on fire and the air is toxic. Itstings, the sky is black and it hurts to even look around. He has no time towaste.

Heopens her side and lifts the older girl—he remembers her name, Hazel—up withease, putting his weight to carrying her limp form. He goes to the other sideand Fern opens the door. He leans down, prepares his weight and she climbs ontohim, wrapping her arms around his neck. She dangles like a rag doll, but herlegs are useless and he struggles. He marches on. He wonders where the Deputyhas gone. Perhaps she has already entered the bunker, but it didn’t feellikely. She would have brought her nieces in and left him outside if that werethe case.

Hewas able to make it to the doors despite his struggle with the two bodies he wastransporting. He briefly put Hazel down and opened the bunker doors, slowly asthey creaked open. He could already hear the old man who had hidden away herecalling up from within. He helped the girls into the top steps and closed thedoors shut, muting the destruction outside and putting things in the dark.

Heturned to Fern, huddling close to her sister. “I’ll be right back, my child.Keep close to your sister.” It hurt his heart to see her timidly nod andshuffle closer to her sister, but it was better that she didn’t see what he wasabout to do.

Therehad been a struggle, but the old man had gone down quickly, even with hiscurrent state. All it took was a distraction from Fern’s cries to turn hisback, and Joseph swung a wrench down on his head, bringing it down a few moretimes.

It was for the best…he would nothave let me stayed otherwise. He looked around thesmall bedroom for anything useful. Among the supplies he found were a pair ofhandcuffs and the tattered remains of the Deputy’s worn uniform in a pile. Hegrabbed the cuffs and pocketed them as he moved.

Hesaw Fern stroking her sister’s hair as Hazel was coming to, emitting low groansand head lolling, but not regaining full consciousness.

Hepicked up Fern first, who let out a few cries of confusion and she begins toflail in his arms.

“It’salright. I’m taking you to a room where you will be more comfortable. I’llbring your sister soon.”

Shegave him a troubled stare but didn’t struggle as he brought her to the infirmaryand placed her on a cot. “Would you like a blanket? Some water? I could grabyou a book, though I’m not sure there’s much here that you would like.”

Shestayed quiet, but shook her head. She used her upper body to pull herself upand drew her legs to her, huddled close as her eyes looked around. “Where’sUncle Dutch?”

“Hewasn’t here.” She gives him a hard look before looking away, downward. He letout a soft sigh and began to head out. “I’ll be right back with your sister.”

Hethen went back to Hazel, lifted her up and checked her vitals. She had a minorhead wound and small lacerations from the crash, but nothing he couldn’t treat.He walked to the infirmary and placed her on a cot. After securing her wristswith the cuffs to the bed post, he treated her wounds.

“Why’dyou put handcuffs on her?” Fern said, an edge in her tone.

“Theminute she wakes up, she will no doubt attack me. I need her to listen firstand when I feel she won’t harm herself or me, then I’ll remove them. I won’t doanything to hurt you or her, I promise.”

Hethen left the room briefly to handle the old man, disposing of the body bybriefly opening the doors and then immediately throwing it out. He glancedbriefly outside, at the world he knew was coming, that the Lamb of God hadwrought…who had seemingly vanished into the flames.

Heshut the doors and headed for the small bedroom where a radio sat on a table.He observed it and began to see if there was anyone out there. Once the sevenyears were over, there would be no need for these machines, but for now he hadto make sure some members of his flock were safe. He had very few things leftand to think on it anymore would drive him mad.

Heheard the emergency broadcast system, but nothing else.

Itwas when he heard the distant rattling of the cuffs and Fern’s voice to hersister that he headed for the infirmary. He saw a struggling Hazel shiftingupward as she pulled on the cuffs and she turned to glare at Joseph. “Where’sAunt Layla and Dutch, you sonuvabitch!? Where are they?!”

“I’mglad you are awake, my child. We have much to discuss, the three of us.” Hepulled a chair forward and sat facing the girls, worry and fury on twoindividual faces. “The Collapse has come. The world as we know it is over. Weshall reside in this bunker for seven years and then step into the New Eden,the Paradise I had prepared my family for, and start again.”

“Saveyour fuckin’ prattling for your braindead sheep, I don’t give a fuck if youwere right!” Hazel shouted, eyes ablaze. “Where’s Dutch and Sheriff Whitehorseand Aunt Layla!?”

Josephclosed his eyes and swallowed his ire. These were children, confused and hurt.They needed guidance and care, otherwise he’d never reach them.

“SheriffWhitehorse was already dead in the car crash. Your friend Dutch…would nothave let me stay otherwise, so I removed him. As for the Deputy…Layla…Idon’t know what has happened to her.”

“Bullshit!Just a few hours ago, you held us hostage and fought with everyone! You killedDutch; who’s to say you didn’t kill the sheriff and Aunt Layla, too!” Hazelscreamed, tears brimming on her eyes as she fought against the cuffs, making anawful clamor.

“He’snot lying, Hazel.” Both Joseph and Hazel’s eyes turned to Fern, small and meek,looking at the sheets and picking her nails. “I woke first. Things were blurryand my eyes stung, but I saw Mr. Whitehorse…through the windshield. Josephand you were unconscious, I tried waking you, I thought you were all dead. ThenI saw Aunt Layla wake up…I called out to her and tried to reach for her. She,she just stared at me, didn’t say aword, and we stayed like this for what felt like forever…and then she ran outof the car and, and I couldn’t see where she went! She…I screamed for her!”Her strained voice suddenly began to break into a hysterical high-pitchedvoice, tears and sobbing threatening to spill over, “then Joseph came to a fewminutes after that. She…she just…”

Theair was heavy with tension with only Fern’s sobbing breaths the only noise asshe struggled to gain it under control. Hazel had stopped moving, and Josephcould have sworn she stopped breathing or blinking with how still she became.The fire in her eyes were extinguished, her very soul crumbling as her facefell with the realization that she may not trust Joseph’s word, but she couldtrust her sister’s. Any excuse or explanation would fall flat at this point andthere was only one thing to accept: Layla Rook had abandoned her nieces, notcaring if they were alive or not.

Josephstared at these lost lambs, realizing that everything that had unfolded waseverything that the Voice had told him would happen and yet he could feel thesame emptiness that these children felt now. He had waited so long for theprophecy that God told him would be fulfilled. He had prepared his family forthis and now his brothers, his Faith, and perhaps all of his flock were ash. Hefelt no victory or self-righteous over this, even if he did how could he gloatto these girls? They had lost their mother, a man—his older brother—whom theymight have called father, they had been thrown into senseless bloodshed, theirentire world had been cleansed by God’s fury, and now their aunt has abandonedthem, to her sworn enemy.

Itwas then that he saw a new purpose laid out of him, right in front of his eyes,now that the Voice had gone quiet with the prophecy fulfilled, as he awaitedthese seven years to leave the bunker and into New Eden. He knew God always hada plan; he had sacrificed his own daughter so many years ago to prove hisloyalty to God and to reward him, God had come full circle to give him thisgift, to begin anew.

Hisstoic face became warm, a soft smile gracing it as he drew closer to them.Hazel did not notice, too lost in her own thoughts, head bowed as herdisheveled light brown hair covered her face. Fern had settled down to noticethe change in him and her gaze looked warily on.

“Thereis no need to fear now. I am not going to hurt you. The sins of your aunt andof the Resistance against my family have nothing to do with you. You’re all Ihave left now. You’re my family. And when this world is ready to be borne anew,we will step into the light.”

Fern’sgaze widened with horror and realization while Hazel barely looked at him, hairrevealing her dark eyes as she gave him a tired, despair-ridden glare. Bloodwas drawn from her mouth as she bit into her lip and her fists were heldtightly together. Fern was trembling again, soft hiccups coming from her mouth.It would take much work to get them to trust and love him like a father, butJoseph Seed did not become the Father without putting any work into it. Heleaned back in his chair with a content smile, a newfound peace settling overhim after all the angry and despair the recent events had brought him.

“Iam your Father…and you are my children. And together, we will march to Eden’sGate.”

#far cry 5 #fc5 #joseph seed #my ocs #will there be a part 2? maybe #who knows #if this needs any other warnings or a read more or tags #let me know #now time to work on my birthday bash fic

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