#HI OKAY so I have a lot more like this: branch-off ideas about their reproduction and blood functionality and cute baby stuff and all that

[ihavetoomuchhomeworkforthis]

So I found this on Google, and I accidentally ended up having a megabrainstorm session with my dad about if Vulcans were actually photosynthetic, or really just how photosynthetic humanoids would work in general and how they'd function on a Starfleet ship? It was more like me ranting excitedly at my dad for a few minutes, but there were some cool ideas in there. (I mean I think they're cool, hopefully you guys do too)

Warning: EXTREMELY long (and nerdy) bullet point list follows under the cut

green skin because chlorophyll

possibly even leafy skin, which might end up looking more like scales, but with patches of softer more leaf-like areas where we'd have more body fat and/or body hair

(they can still have that Vulcan hair though, since it's sort of a defining trait/style of the species in Star trek)

This means they have to absorb sunlight through their skin, and convert it into energy in the form of glucose, like trees

Therefore they'd have to have glucose (not copper) based blood (but the melting point of sugar is really high? Hadn't quite worked that part out)

Their blood would be white then? Amber, like tree sap. Wait actually don't some flowers/green stemmed things have white sap in the stems? (Maybe their blood would change from white to amber as they age? I know flowers aren't younger versions of trees, but it would be cool)

and they'd have to drink water just as much as humans because plants need water (as Chekhov is panicking about) but maybe since Chekhov is worried about "watering" spock, their hair can function like roots or something to soak up extra water as well. Idk if it rains much on Vulcan but when it did they'd all be going outside like the worms do on Earth lol

They wouldn't really have to eat if sunlight is their primary energy source. Their mouth would be just for water, breathing, and speaking. In which case they'd have ALL different organ systems, seeing as our digestive system takes up a good chunk of space in the torso, what would they fill it with? Being humanoid, they'd still need lungs, as well as a heart to circulate the (glucose based?) blood. They can still have a liver as a toxin filter and whatever else livers do (trees have to deal with not-so-clean water, so the photosynthetic Vulcans could probably deal with pretty muddy/questionable water as well. And maybe that connects to a very basic digestive system (liver-filters > short and singular intestine > rectum) which is mostly just for getting rid of the mud (yes, pooping.) And the liver can also deal with dusty/sandy air probably. Oh they might not need to eat (maybe even CAN'T eat since they wouldn't need or have the organs to deal with it) but they could drink liquids other than water, and it might be helpful/necessary to drink sugary fruit drinks if it's been cloudy for a few days, because humanoids expend a LOT more energy than plants probably do. They probably have a "stomach" which acts as a storage and distribution-into-bloodstream area for water and sugar, a little like how a camel's hump works, so it might not only be "OMG did anyone water Spock today!?" But also "OMG Spock fainted, somebody get him fruit juice!" *frantic running to the mess hall* *20 ccs of sugar* "I told you to drink more sugary stuff, our artificial light here just can't give you as much energy as your THREE ENTIRE SUNS back home, you ****ing idiotic hobgoblin!" *definitely not crying over Spock's wellbeing*

Idk what would make up the rest of their torso since they don't need as much space for organs. Heart, lungs, liver, one intestine + waste management, storage stomach, and the rest of ours is primarily taken over by about 15 feet of scrunched intestines, so maybe for them it's all leg, or they could maybe have a redundant extra pair of lungs, and/or another heart, especially to lessen the workload since tree sap is significantly thicker than human blood? Or maybe all the water would thin it out? Or one heart is more connected to the skin where they absorb light energy and cycles the glucose-based blood (which goes from white to amber as they grow up) and the other heart connects more to the water/fruit juice storage stomach and cycles water as well as somehow sends old water off to get peed out? And they should also have an organ that somehow counters sunburn and helps then deal with their world's elevated levels of radiation.

So: two pairs of lungs (for no real reason), two hearts (and two circulatory systems?), one for water and one that's more for the nutrients of glucose from sunlight, a storage stomach, a liver, an organ that deals with radiation and sunburn, a short intestine for the undrinkable parts of potentially muddy/contaminated water, the rectum to poop out the mud, the kidneys/bladder/urinary system for old water, and I think that's it.

I've been occasionally researching (googling) during the process of writing this, and I found that trees actually do have 2 different kinds of sap! Phloem is the "more nutrient rich form, and flows from the leaves bringing sugars and hormones to nutrient-hungry parts of the plant," while Xylem "consists mostly of water" so it's perfectly reasonable for them to have 2 hearts, one for each kind!

But how can we design starships to be more Vulcan-friendly then, if they need so much light? Well first of all, having sugar as an option for hyposprays in the medbay/sickbay, as well as plenty of sugary drinks available in the replicators, and the sugary fruit drinks shouldn't "cost" as much in rations since the Vulcans sort of need it as much as they need water when they aren't able to access direct sunlight. Speaking of which, all the hallways should have strips of light off to the side (one on the floor and another shining down from the ceiling above it) that the Vulcan crewmembers can walk through, and there should be a solarium room which does its best to replicate at least the lighting and radiation conditions of Vulcan (the planet). This solarium should have the light panels be able to slide away to reveal actual windows, and starships with any Vulcans in their crew should be required to spend a minimum amount of time every so often in orbit of an actual sun or star system so that the Vulcans can have genuine sunlight. It would be really funny if Spock just had a spotlight that follows him around like Olaf's snow cloud in Frozen, but it would be more practical if his station on the bridge just had extra light panels which are positioned in some way so as not to shine in his eyes. Also, this photosynthesis sort of depends on their skin actually being exposed to light, so the uniform would probably be modified for Vulcans to be short sleeves and shorts despite how weird that would be, or it would be designed like tinted glass somehow, or... some other way of letting the light in without being immodest, idk

And now for a very important question: some trees are deciduous, yes? Oh dang it I just googled whether Vulcan has seasons and the answer was no. Scrolling down pointed out that Vulcan is a desert planet and so they'd naturally be able to go without water for longer periods of time than humans. That second one is okay, that's why they have a water storage organ sort of like camels, and I guess maybe they wouldn't need so much water after all. More like cacti than trees. But the no axis tilt / no seasons thing sort of cancels out what I was about to write :(

I'll write it anyway. Let's pretend for a second that Vulcan has seasons, because this whole thing can really apply to "photosynthetic humanoids" in general, not just photosynthetic Vulcans in particular. So, I was about to talk about deciduous trees :) When the seasons shift towards winter, the sunlight is weaker, trees go red before losing their leaves and sort of hibernating, right? Well what if Vulcans start going pale, then yellowy, and eventually taking on a pale reddish hue, and since they can't lose their skin to conserve energy, they consume as much sugar/fruit juice as they can over a period of a few weeks, before going into hibernation like bears?

This means that your Vulcan crewmate is kind of useless for at least a quarter of every year, which isn't really a problem unless they're a senior officer, but if they ARE a senior officer, they better have an apprentice or someone who can cover for them while they hibernate. Maybe another Vulcan from the opposite side of the planet, who would naturally hibernate during the opposite half of the year.

Would this Vulcan and their opposite-side-of-the-planet counterpart be best friends, or bitter rivals? Who knows!

Now, starships do not actually have seasons, so the hibernation cycle wouldn't be technically necessary. The Vulcan has two options: either slowly adjust to the year-round availability of sunlight over a period of multiple years so that they don't have to abandon their crew for a few months out of every year (and be SEVERELY messed up if they ever retire and go back to the hypothetical version of Vulcan which has seasons), OR, make sure that the availability of light mimics the seasonal cycle of pretend-Vulcan-with-seasons so that they can have their hibernation cycle properly. (Clearly the better option if they aren't a senior officer, especially if they don't plan to spend the rest of their life on the ship.)

Also it would be really cute to see what kind of pillow fort nest Spock would probably end up making in his quarters to hibernate in. I wonder if they'd visit him.

DO NOT WAKE THE HIBERNATING SPOCK. Google says waking up an animal from hibernation too early can have fatal consequences. On the other hand, it also said bears can wake themselves up immediately to protect cubs if necessary or if they're startled awake, so maybe he can respond to red alerts. However going based off the first point, it might be necessary to completely soundproof his quarters and make sure he remains undisturbed. And yet another possibility is that photosynthetic Vulcans wouldn't need to hibernate at all if they come from a part of the planet which is mostly friendly year-round (which would technically be true, since it doesn't actually have seasons at all, and they would choose to have civilizations in the most habitable areas. Maybe civilizations closer to the poles would have Vulcans that are naturally paler or more reddish, like how the Aenar on the Andorian homeworld are blind and paler.)

Animals coming out of hibernation can have lost up to 30% of their body weight (over a QUARTER), so Vulcans coming out of hibernation would look so sick and weak, and they'd probably take a while to get their full green color back, and the more soft leafy areas of higher body fat would have shriveled into just the small scale-like leaves that make up the majority of their skin, and their uniforms would be all baggy on them, and the human crew would probably be so so so worried for them, especially the first few hibernation cycles

*Spock stumbles onto the bridge for the first time in several months, pale orange-red and extremely skinny* "Oh my god, Spock!" (overjoyed at his return) -- "Oh my god Spock you look like crap, are you alright?" (softer and full of concern upon actually noticing what he looks like) -- "This is perfectly normal, I'll be fine, you need me on du-" *faints*

[dgcatanisiri]

I have historically shied away from using the word, because it always feels like an overreaction, because, hey, I can power through, and it’s not a big deal, it’s not like we’re talking about something that genuinely makes me relive any actual trauma, right? 

But... I think about the physical response I have, the depths that my anger and frustration go to, which I can often admit can hit excessive at times... I start thinking that it’s accurate to say that Liara is a trigger for bodily autonomy for me.

Like... Peebee and Cora both suffer from a lot of the same issues that Liara does in terms of focus, but neither of them draw the same sense of ire from me. They both have attention in the narrative that reaches excessive (particularly at the expense of other characters) - someone timed their character/romance content, and the two of them had the most in the game, while Gil (my preferred romance of my options) had the least. Peebee’s introduction is sitting on Ryder, while there’s the come on with her in the escape pod that I would legitimately refuse to even get in before it happens. Cora is... Well, I’ve been over how I don’t think she should have been a romance option at all because it just muddies her character arc.

And yet neither of them elicit the same kind of frustration I get with Liara.

Because with Liara... It is mandatory that we meld with her in ME1, multiple times. And if you even try to duck out of it, she badgers Shepard into it. The meld is explicitly said to be a part of the asari reproductive process, so we have Liara effectively coercing Shepard into having sex with her, and in front of others. Potentially multiple times. 

Like... I’ve been public about how the big reason I don’t care for Bull’s romance is the fact that, being asexual, being specifically a sex-averse asexual, bondage is catapulting over my line at mach three. So what is effectively what amounts to public sex that has been coerced? Same damn thing.

Except the narrative thinks it’s fine. Hell, going off the damn Genesis comics, Shepard is supposed to LIKE it (which... NO, and fuck you BioWare).

The meld in general is deeply uncomfortable for me, considering that I honestly wouldn’t mind meld with people I consider close enough to be family, blood or not. And yet it’s mandated that Shepard do this with someone who is, in essence, a total stranger. Multiple times. In front of several people. 

And then there’s the recovery of Shepard’s body. Which she sets off to do, wholly on her own, without even telling any of Shepard’s other friends. And proceeds to do so, only to hand it off to Cerberus, so they can perform their Frankensteinian mad science to bring Shepard back.

All because, and I’m using her words here, she “couldn’t let [Shepard] go.”

SHE decides what is to be done with Shepard. For HER. No care or consideration of what their wishes would be, she does it because she doesn’t want Shepard to be gone. Not even that she believes Shepard is the best chance for the galaxy, but because SHE wants Shepard alive. Uncharitably, but it comes across like saving Shepard is a choice she makes in the hopes that they will proceed to hold her close, declare their undying love for her, and they can run off into the sunset with a horde of blue babies at their side.

And the narrative again sees nothing wrong with it. In fact, it rewards her for it - she’s the only reunion in ME2 that results in a hug, no matter relationship status. She’s a stationary reunion we can have at any time, unlike Ashley/Kaidan, who get just a brief cameo. The one response that even approaches being upset about this act focuses only on the fact that she kept her involvement from Shepard, not what she had done specifically, and not just loops back around to the friendly “let me know if I can help” exit line, but also is “bugged” to not be accessible unless you take it the first time it appears. She gets a DLC that features her and Shepard running around and bickering like an old married couple. She joins back up with the Normandy and is immediately treated as Shepard’s XO. Multiple points in ME3 feature her as the person who Shepard can unburden themselves to - the ONLY person they can unburden themselves to. If you don’t take the opportunities to do so with her, there is no answer or equivalent with any other character.

Yes, obviously, we’re talking game mechanics and production costs with creating multiple branching conversations. I understand the real world rationale for these decisions. It does not change the fact that it still pushes this character who crosses my boundary lines into the spotlight.

Like... I have seen the negative consequences of someone making a choice for themselves because they couldn’t let someone they loved go. And while it obviously worked out fine in the games, worked out for the best in the case of Shepard, I saw the negative side effects of the idea of keeping someone alive for the sake of that .0001% that they’ll recover. The reality of the 99.9999% chance that they don’t recover and spend the rest of their lives in a situation that I classify as more a living death than anything else.

And yet the narrative only rewards Liara for her selfishness. Not once does anything in the writing stop to consider that anyone could view her actions as having been done for selfish reasons that came at Shepard’s expense, at the expense of whatever Shepard may have wanted - again, yeah, maybe it turned out for the best in terms of the galactic situation, but that doesn’t mean that it was RIGHT for her to do this. A positive result does not change the selfish motivations that led to the act being done.

Miranda, at least, calls out her hypocrisy of wanting to put a control chip in Shepard’s head after her father spent his life trying to control her. It’s part of Miranda’s character arc that she viewed rebuilding Shepard as a project, more her molding a work of art rather than a medical procedure on another person. But Liara... She just takes responsibility for consenting to this and no one ever asks “hey, Shepard, how do YOU feel about this friend of yours giving the go ahead on resurrecting you in defiance of all known science and nature?”

And all this... I wouldn’t mind it so much if we could just CALL OUT Liara’s actions. If the narrative would properly acknowledge “hey... this was kinda fucked up that she went after Shepard’s body like this wholly on her own, and then gave the go ahead to resurrect them for the chance to get them back,” I’d be a lot more okay with Liara. I still would keep her at arm’s length, but I’d feel like the game wasn’t gaslighting me, telling me that her actions are only to be rewarded, what’s your problem with her, here, we’re gonna immerse you in Liara content and help you get past these silly “issues” you have.

So, yeah. I have spent years trying to avoid using the word, given how loaded a term it’s become with how dismissive people have approached it, but... It is a trigger for me. Liara, as a character, triggers issues of bodily autonomy for me. She makes a choice for Shepard that is based on what SHE wants, not Shepard, and the narrative proceeds to reward her and frame her decisions and her actions as right and proper.

So for her to be the big reveal of the first trailer for the next Mass Effect is... NOT something I celebrate.

[lotus-baby]

are you insane like me been in pain like me (otsutsuki stuf 😭😔)

disclaimer i don’t think this is what the writers had in mind it’s not rlly theories they’re just funny headcanons, and it's not very interesting or conclusive i just had all this bouncing around in my head. also i dont know any stuff abt physics or biology or anything i just want to babble about alien ideas

ok so under the assumption that the otsutsuki as a species:

have adapted to frequent travel in space and across different dimensions with a large variety of climate and gravity values.

spend most of their time growing and cultivating chakra fruit, farming them as their main energy source

are humanoid*, but physically sturdier than them in an unknown variety of ways. 

(*ok  why are they so humanoid????? humans are NOT designed for their lifestyle... and some of them think they’re soooo superior too like sit down my guy you’re embarassing yourself we aren’t even reproductively isolated. and why is compatibility even a detail they made canon?? who in the writers studio was like, yeah you know. we have some alienfuckers out there lets print it)

this is all the thoughts i have:

kaguya had the ice dimension and the lava dimension, and she wasn’t particularly bothered by the cold or heat, so they’re probably able to regulate body temperature to a much wider scale than humans. if their lifestyle is based on visiting different dimensions and planets with different climates, they’d need to adjust temperature not to freeze or burn. it’s temperature change or lots of layers and they like, never change their clothes. so i'm assuming it's the former

okay i know naruto doesn’t usually make a lot of sense and i know the otsutsuki are an asspull, but for the sake of conversation, i have no idea how they breathe when they travel. there’s no air in space. so hypothetically, let’s assume that they’re anaerobes (and don't need oxygen) who for some reason are structurally similar to humans. what is their nose for?? or maybe they have a nose because do need air, they just hold their breaths for a really long time? like space whales? blood composition can carry more oxygen? or their respiration doesn’t involve oxygen but a different gas????? 

also there isn’t any sound in space (they’re still seen talking though…this is when boruto’s High Quality Worldbuilding really shines through). i don’t think hearing is their most important sense, even if they live in areas with sound, they frequently travel in a soundless environment. unrelated to biology, it would be more convenient if they had a soundless form of communication (some form of sign language?)

their bones are sturdier than the bones of humans/animals on earth. kimimaro’s clan is descended from kaguya, and his bone weapons were strong enough not to break against the metal that kunai were made of. i’m not sure what effect constantly switching between different levels of gravity would have on their bones and muscles though, as they were shown to be affected poorly by high gravity (kaguya’s spiky dimension). may frequently need recuperation time after travel? (inconsistent theory though, urashiki dropped from planet otsutsuki™ to the moon with what i’m assuming is a pretty wack gravity change and was physically ready to beat the shit out of toneri as soon as he landed)

aside from chakra pills or whatever, what can they eat? toneri from the branch family is shown eating human food (where tf did he get it by the way… do they doordash to the interior of the moon...), but his branch is also fairly genetically different from the main family (no horns, exhibits no particular mutations upon absorbing large amounts of energy). It makes sense that their diet needs to sustain the growth of denser bones and maintain their body fat (this is rlly important 4 temperature stuff if you want to live but a lot of them are fairly thin?? where is the energy stored???) but otherwise it would be fun if they could digest things that are like, clearly inedible by human standards, like heavy metals and toxic stuff. or if harmless-to-human foods would make them sick.(maybe acidic stuff :D)

some of the functions they need to perform (space travel, maintaining body functions in varying pressure levels and temperatures, etc.) would require a lot of (non-chakra) energy to complete. would they need to store energy in their bodies somehow? 

(momoshiki not conserving any chakra makes me mad for no reason. you have a finite amount of energy! even if you beat them your dumbass will not be able to fly back!)

more of a cultural question, do they age slowly but continuously eating chakra fruit or do they reach a prime at which they start to eat fruit? is it considered a coming of age ritual? “son one day this will all be yours” but parasitic...

they have a lot of weird magic eye powers but it would make more sense to have a higher range of sight on the light spectrum than people or smth. being limited to the human vision spectrum + human senses would be pretty ass if you needed to see anything in deep space. would’ve been more helpful to sense heat or UV better.

they might be so creepy pale + wear white clothing because white reflects light + heat better than other colors (its the same reason space suits are white)?? 😕 temperature regulation and would stand out against space, which appears dark because there are few objects for light to reflect off of. but i like the idea that they are slightly flourescent for jokes and funnies. (i'm just thinking abt the fashion potential, maybe it's more a statement to wear shiny things? maybe duller colors is their equivalent of camo print? what does their wedding clothes being black have to do with this?)

some of their rinnegan may be shiny + gold because it deflects light the same way reflective sunglasses do, because while there’s not a lot of objects in space, the things that are there appear brighter the closer they are to a light source, and the glare can get irritating to the eyes. im kind of bullshitting though.

how do the transformations work? chakra doesn’t usually have mutagenic properties when it comes from the user themself (it usually only happens with sage/nature chakra, ex. jiraiya turning toadlike, juugo’s curse transformation), but urashiki absorbed his own (eyes?) chakra and turned into a bird monster. maybe they’ve all just been sitting in solar radiation too long…

ohhhhhhhh kay thats all good night <3

[mrneighbourlove]

Into the Darkness and Unknown: Ch 7. The Burden of Knowledge

‘My dear Revan. Are you well? I know you are still learning to read, but I do this for your future. Either you read this when I return, or if something unexpected happens to claim my life. Need not worry. Your father is mighty, but more so, he is careful. Omisha has been a vast and colourful country. The air is hot, and the jungles vast. I think someone with your imagination will come to like it if you ever explore its land yourself. However, to be honest, it is difficult to judge in the present if that is a possibility. The people of this land are opposed to humans, as of now. I hope to change that with time, and I know that it will be your generation who will no longer know of prejudice. I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, but the work I do is important. It is for your future as well as everyone else. This does not mean I don’t miss you. I hope to be home soon. I love you son.

- Your father Malik.’

~

A month and a half. A whole month and a half Leere and Malik found themselves in Omisha. Due to the attack, and unfortunately only three days into the trip, no communication could be sent to Hyrule due to Mother being paranoid information being intercepted by additional enemies. Bonegrinder needed time to recover, but neither had any idea it would take such a strenuous recovery.

Malik spent his time learning combative history of Omisha, sharing stories of Ganondorf and Link throughout the ages. Leere made herself getting comfortable knowing every villager she could. As a tease, she decided not to have sex with Blue and White’s younger sister, being catty that the doctor could wait. The poor woman couldn’t get Leere alone with her. Currently, she was playing with Solani, climbing up a tree. It seemed that her mother slowly eased up on letting Leere get closer.

“Solani, the secret to climbing tree’s for humans is balance.” The princess was carefully reaching for a piece of fruit near the top. “Steady your feet, reach up, aaaaand... got ya.”

Leere indeed snatched the fruit off the tree, but with a snap under her, the branch she was standing on broke, sending the princess plummeting to the ground. Other branches broke most of her fall, but she still hit the ground hard, having the wind knocked out her, the back of her skull ringing as loud as two brass cymbals smashing loudly in the coffins of her brain.

"SQUAWWWK!!!" Solani rushed over to the princess and looked slightly panicked. "You okay?!" Thanks to a spell that Mother had allowed her children to use, there was easy communication with the two visiting humans. "I told you that I could get it! I have wings! You are bound to fall and fall you did!"

"Why are humans so clumsy?" Sneha, her sister, rolled her eyes. "Trip, fall, repeat."

“Simple my dear girls, I wanted to show you the strength of tiny humans. Ow my fffuuu-reaking head.” Even in a dazed state, the woman was noble enough to not swear around kids. Leere felt the back of her head, frowning at the feel of blood. “Darn it. You kids ever see human blood before? Feels so gooey.”

"Only the ones that tried to kidnap us when we were chicks." Sneha spoke without filter, earning a jab from her sister. "Ow! What?! She asked!"

“I’m sure they got torn up good eh?” Leere cracked a smile, trying to stand. “Oh man. Doc might get her wish to have me alone in her office. Woooo, the earth is spinning.” The princess immediately fell on her ass. Appeared she was losing balance in her legs as much as she was losing balance in her filter. “Don’t suppose one of you wants to get some help while the other stays close?”

"I'll go get Nomusa, I'm faster than you." Sneha took to the sky while Solani waited with Leere. "I'll be sure to tell her that you got hurt being stupid."

"Don't call her stupid!" Solani huffed as her sister flew away. "Just because she hatched two minutes ahead of me, she thinks she knows everything."

Leere felt close enough to pull Solani close enough for an arm around the shoulder. Pretty sure after a month her mother wouldn’t treat her like Prometheus. “Well not stupid, but maybe climbing up the tree without a harness was a little dumb.”

"... well... a little, perhaps so." Solani agreed. "You humans don't have a defense against gravity like we do."

“Oh boy, that’s the truth right there. Lucky I didn’t go splat like a raspberry pie.”

"Next time, please leave the task of picking fruit to me." Solani asked Leere as an afterthought. "Are you going to go check on Bonegrinder today?"

“Yeah. Probably after I get myself checked out.” Leere sighed, giving the girl a half-hearted smile. “If things go well for him, I’ll probably be leaving.”

"Aww, you're not staying? It's been fun learning from you." Solani pouted a little. "Mama said to be careful. But you're not too bad. I think."

“You’re a pretty great kid Solani. But I got a home of my own to go back to. I’m sure my own mama is a bit worried how I’ve been doing all this time.” Leere gave the bird a light ruffle on the head. “How about this? Ask me anything on your mind.”

"It's not good to make your mom worry." Solani had to agree with Leere's reasoning. Her own mother worried enough. So, it was logical that human mother would worry too. "I guess... why aren't you with the other Mortuus? Why aren't you like... a bad guy? Why do you wanna be a good guy? ... I mean girl. Not guy."

“Well, I don’t remember them too much, but my birth parents were bad guys. They escaped to Hyrule with me when I was a young little thing. After being adopted by my new family, I wanted to help people like you Solani. I wanted to use my gifts to save lives, help other people feel safe.” Leere looked to the sun in the sky and smiled. “Maybe there are other good Mortuus, trapped in Malus. Maybe I’m the only one. Regardless, I’m going to do my best living a life where people can look into the shadows and still feel safe.”

"There's been a lot of bad Mortuus..." Solani said quietly, "A lot of bad humans too. Mama wonders if Mother is doing the right thing sometimes. Though, everyone knows that Bonegrinder's visions are never wrong. We have to have a little faith... but it's hard."

Leere silently nodded along to Solani. Maybe it was the dazed head and leaking blood, but the princess asked in an almost worrisome tone, “Do you think I’m a good human?”

"Yeah, I do." Solani nodded. "It's just... hard to think that there are some good ones out there when all we've ever known is bad."

“That’s called hope Solani. And if I can be the start to your list of good humans, that’s honour enough for me.” Leere grinned, giving the girl a light tickle on the stomach to get a laugh before her sister came back. The princess wondered if she really did make a difference to these people. She certainly hoped so. There was so much mistrust, so much secrecy in Omisha she had yet to crack.

Kiume broke the princess’ thoughts when he approached Leere and Solani. "I have news." The father of White and Blue told the princess. "Bonegrinder is awake."

“He is?!” Leere was so excited, that, when she tried to move, she forget her own injuries. She was quick to stumble back onto her but with Solani in hand. “Ow.”

"... Sneha also sent me to tell you to stay out of trees." Kiume then bent his eight legs to lean down to inspect Leere's head.

“I just reopened an old head wound. Not a great big deal.”

"You let me decide what is 'a great big deal' or not." Kiume was not the best healer, but he could mend an open wound. "There... might be a little tender for a few days."

“I’ve been knocked around by worse.”

"Would you like to go see Bonegrinder now? Or fetch Malik first?" Kiume informed the princess. "He's still a little woozy, so he's resting in Mother's nest. Though, she will allow you to see him. As long as he can slither and eat by the end of the day, he should be able to return with the two of you to Hyrule tomorrow."

“I’m sure Malik won’t mind continuing his journal on his own if seeing Bonegrinder doesn’t guarantee our departure. You don’t want to keep me in your care for a while first?”

"I'm quite confident you'll be all right. There's no brain matter leaking from your head." Kiume then arched his eyebrow. "Unless you're referring to the 'other' type of company, which should not be discussed in front of a chick."

"Hey! I'm almost ten! I'm practically grown up." Solani squawked with a huff and puff of her cheeks.

"Sure, sure."

“You’re the one who can’t stop batting those pretty eyes at me.” Leere patted Solani’s head. Her head was still woozy because she didn’t notice the obvious as of yet… “Advice kid. When a boy or girl does that to you, that means they like you. Bonus points if they stutter around you.”

"... boys? Ew." Solani was not exactly at that age where she thought of romance. "Boys are yuck. Why would I want a boy to like me?"

"You keep thinking that until you're about two hundred years old, kid”, the old spider chuckled.

"I'm not a kid!"

“Nomusa? Aren’t you a teenager hopelessly in love yourself?” Leere grinned mischievously towards to who she still believed was the young doctor. “Besides, what is a kid anyway? Who are we to judge? Solani can fly after all. That’s a pretty grown up thing for birds to do.”

"A 'kid' is someone who isn't old enough yet to learn how reproduction takes place."

"How what takes place?"

"See what I mean?"

“Ok. Point proven.” Leere paused when she saw Solani’s mother fly down with her sister. In her current position, she couldn’t exactly hide the fact she had an arm around her daughter getting heart to heart with her. “Oh. Hello there!”

"... it's time for lunch." Solani's mother, Syndia, was not exactly comfortable around humans. It was still taking a bit of getting used to since Mother decreed these two visitors were not to be harmed. She did not like it that her child wanted to hang around a... a Mortuus of all types of humans, but would not dare go against Mother. "Come, you need to eat, and you're still growing feathers."

"Mooooom, five more minutes?"

"No, it's ready now. Come along."

"Aww... okay, I'll see you later, Leere."

“Hey, it was good to hang out. In case we don’t get to say goodbye again before I leave... you’re a good kid. It was awesome to met you.” Leere gave Solani a warm hug. “I’ll be back for more than on visit to Omisha. Now go eat and do as your mother says.”

"Before you walk, I think you require a clear head." Kiume placed his large hand on top of Leere's skull and used his magic to clear her senses. "You have quite a knot there."

Leere waved goodbye before stretching out her limbs. Her head suddenly felt all the clearer. “Thanks, Nomusa. Don’t know what you missed the first time. Maybe I can-!!!” A deep sense of confusion rose up to her chest from her gut. “You’re not Nomusa.”

"... no. I am Kiume. My daughter is Nomusa." The elder healer crossed his arms. "Maybe we should wait until you got a little more clearer head."

“Oh wow. Did I make a move at you in her place?”

"Yes."

“…”

“…”

“…..”

“…..”

Leere took a deep gulp to swallow a sense of embarrassment wanting to crawl out. “Sorry about that. I’ll go see Bonegrinder now. Oh... maybe it’d be best to not tell Nomusa.”

"I figured you were not in your right mind since you prefer females instead of males, but I will take it as a compliment." Kiume gestured toward the Temple of Ruin. "Mother is waiting. You best go."

“Well, your daughters had to get their beauty from somewhere.” Leere took a few deep breaths before entering the temple. Since her emotional epilogue a month ago, Leere saw Mother only a few select times for check ins. In her time, Leere tried to study Echidnan language, explore the territory of the country, as well as grow a stronger relationship with as many monsters that felt safe around her. Seeing Mother at her throne, she bowed respectfully. “Greetings Mother. I was told Bonegrinder is finally feeling well?”

"Modoc is well enough to talk and move." Mother told Leere, looking rather tired. She had researched text after text to find a way to ensure that the deity inside the Anagari remained stable. The Echidnan leader had spent a majority of her magic and resources and was in dire need of rest herself. Yet, she could not slumber until she was sure everything was all right once more. "He is still... out of sorts. Do not be surprised if he says things which make no sense."

“I will be careful around him. Mother, are you well? You look fatigued.”

"I am simply tired, Leere. It is not easy using magic when you have none to spare." Mother admitted to the princess. "Yet, I have seen worse. Go visit with Modoc. Even if he is still confused, it will do him good to see a familiar face."

“Please take care not to strain yourself.” Leere gave her a kind glance before leaving to journey deeper into the temple.

Mother had constructed a new nest for Bonegrinder on the ground level. It was too difficult to carry his body up to the higher levels of the temple. So there he rested, on pillows and silk. His body had mended well, with a few new scars to boot, but his mind was still threading itself together after the strain.

Leere carefully journeyed close, placing a hand upon his chest to feel a heartbeat. “Bonegrinder? Are you awake?”

"Faces, faces, everywhere in places... hrm... another face..." Bonegrinder was murmuring to himself and his eyes were glazed. "When are you?"

“I’m Leere Dragmire. In my 40’s.” Leere looked down into those glazed, dazed eyes. “Who am I talking to?”

"He does not know if he's... Modoc... no, Bonegrinder... what about Prama? He barely knows, barely knows himself, but knows all..." The Anagari's tail flicked back and forth. "Who do you want to talk to, princess who desires answers? Part of him keeps you from knowledge, the other part thinks you should know."

Leere’s fists squeezed tightly, feeling so much older than she appeared. There were indeed answers she needed to have unearthed. “Can you tell me what is so important about the markings about my back? And do you believe Malus is truly dammed to hell?”

"Ah, curious little one..." The Anagari even sounded different than his usual self. "Malus used to be prosperous until their downfall. A downfall due to promises of power. You know power is so seductive, but can be so corruptible." He then elaborated. "I was there, I saw them turn from using their gifts to transport the souls to the afterlife, but then decided to manipulate them for their own purposes. Such was a cause for their damnation." His head then turned to look at her. "And you would be part of their plans, princess. Modoc wanted to ensure you were kept ignorant. Bonegrinder agreed. But I know you wish to have that knowledge. The knowledge that you are a piece of their ritual to bring back the entity of Chaos, incarnated as pure Tyranny. To bring forth corruption." He asked Leere. "Another reason why the Temple of Time scares you, beckons you and torments you... to show you what is a possibility to come."

Leere looked down at him, unsure what to say at first. It was one burden replaced by the next. She always knew that she was a failed sacrifice, yet now she knew what for. More so, there was always a danger of her forced purpose being fulfilled. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

"Modoc, Bonegrinder, your friend didn't want you to hurt further than you've already been hurt." He mused. "Figured it would be best to keep you in the dark so you would live the remainder of your days in normalcy... humans always want the usual. So boring... but it keeps the balance."

“I wanted the truth. Why couldn’t he- why couldn’t you give me that Modoc? I... what else are you hiding from me?” Leere’s voice fizzled to a whisper, her muscles relaxing from a sense of defeat.

"He would not tell you for he feared you would hate him. He is already facing blame from his creations," The Anagari's hazy eyes blinked slowly and then he said. "He earned your friendship and did not wish to lose it. One of the victims of Chaos' terrors, if he could spare even one, it would be a good deed done..."

“I don’t need secrets. I don’t need to be kept in the dark. I’m afraid of the dark after all.” A sad chuckle escaped her, her head falling down into her arms. “I need friends who can be honest with me. I need a light to rely on. If not you... than someone else.”

"Would you hate him for trying to protect you? He is, simply, a host." The Anagari then had a bit of a maniacal giggle. "Darkness and shadows bring nothing but dread, two can keep a secret if one is dead..."

Leere tilted her head, unimpressed by whatever was talking through Bonegrinder. “I am shadow. Now how about whatever entity you may be, take leave of Modoc’s body?”

"He cannot until Kaska comes to fetch him, princess. Just as does Dhakk and Chaos with their bodies, he has his. Surely you know the tales, Mother should have taught you well." He then asked with a tilted head. "Should he teach you the rhyme?"

“Wait. Dhakk? You speaking in third person like Bonegrinder, or the first? Which god does that make you?”

"Which do you think, princess? Snakes have a very bad reputation for having part in the end of the world..." He chuckled, partly rising from the bed. Bonegrinder's eyes were no longer hazy but now solid white. He was very clear that there were two souls within one body. The Anagari's eyes were usually redder than blood, but now, were the color of fallen snow. "Very clever of Kaska to manipulate the circumstances so my host would be just that. Somewhere no one would look for him. Someone who would be avoided due to fear to keep him safe. Until it is time for the final battle until Chaos, he will be unable to leave his host."

“I see a lot of destruction from your host...”

"He is a formidable creature and deadly shaman... what he does is not me. I am not him and he is not me."

“Cryptic. Like most higher beings I know.” Leere gripped his hand, looking deep into those white eyes. “I want my friend back please.”

"Why? So you can torment him further?" The deity was curious. "I still do not understand what draws you to him. My host is by no means a saint, but serves his purpose well. He has accepted his fate, yet still tries in his own way to benefit others. What has he ever done to benefit you? Didn't you say he brings forth much destruction? Hasn't he brought you misery? Why stay by his side?"

“He was a friend to me when I needed one. The destruction he brings is chosen by those who seek it. He saved my life. The misery I felt was inflicted on myself and by monsters in the dark. Now, tell me, exactly, what do you mean I torment him?” She aggressively grabbed him by the thin beard dangling from his chin. Leere didn’t know if she could truly intimidate a god, but she didn’t care.

"You truly do not know? He wants to save you from your impending fate," The deity then paused. "But knows he may not be able to do so. He lost his family and does not want to lose anyone else."

"That's not torment you sniveling being. That's concern. How dare you make me believe I'm a burden on him." Leere let go of his beard, patting down her pockets for chalk. Soon as she found an old broken piece, she started to get to work on drawing a circle around Bonegrinder.

"If you are trying to exorcise me, it won't work." The deity told the princess. "In time, you will see what I mean. For now, I will allow you your friend back. If you have more questions, I will be waiting... or you could ask Kasdeya. The mother of many will elaborate more so than I." He then told her. "Be grateful this snake cares for you, Leere. He took a hit for you, and we have been repairing ourselves for a long while."

Then he retreated to the recesses of the Anagari's body.

Leere paused her attempted exorcism. Throwing the chalk away, she sat down next to Bonegrinder until she heard his presence stir next to her. "Modoc?"

Once the deity had retreated into the recesses of Bonegrinder's mind, the Anagari squirmed. He was in agony. The pain would not subside. For all Mother's magic, she could not cure all that ailed him. Dark magic had its price and while light tried to battle it, he had to suffer the consequences. He looked so frail. "Tiny princess..." He tried to mask the discomfort from his voice. "He would have thought... you'd be home by now."

"Malik and I wanted to wait for you. We're a team." Although she smiled, and her hands were soft and kind as she held his, there was a sense of unease in her voice.

"Don't jest, tiny princess, you know that Malik hates this snake's guts." The Anagari said dryly, being a bit of a brat. "Still sore since he lost a fight and knows he would lose again and again."

"He has honour Modoc. He respects you enough to not abandon. He hasn't had any contact with his family for over a month now. Stop acting like a child." There was something about his brattish behaviour that seriously got under Leere's skin now.

"He is not Modoc!" Bonegrinder shouted so loud that dust shook from the stones. He jerked on the bedding and held his head so tightly, that his claws made it start to bleed. "He is not him! He is... he is... he doesn't know who he is!" He groaned and closed his eyes. "When is he! The visions, the memories, what is what, who is who, when is when, he can't stand it anymore! Let him forget! He wants to forget the screams, the bodies, the failure, the absolute failure! All this power and he can't save one fucking soul!" Sparks of magic filled the air. "Why did you tell her?! She had to know! She didn't, she doesn't, she won't---"

Mother quickly skittered around the corner and approached the nest. She held tightly to the Anagari, trying to ensure he would not have another outburst of celestial magic. It could harm everyone within the Temple or even outside of it if he was too agitated.

"Don't laugh as death passes you by, for you might be the next to die," Mother repeated the age old rhyme, trying to bring some sense of clarity back to the snake. "The grim reaper walks beside of thee, she comes for all, for you and me. What's next? Tell me what is next."

"Darkness and shadow bring nothing but dread, two can keep a secret if one is dead..."

"She... the grim reaper walks beside of thee..."

"Answer me!" Mother nearly shook him. "Don't let your mind crack again! You're here! You're with me! With your friend, Leere! You don't want to hurt her, right? Keep control!"

"He is... I am... who am I?"

"You are the shaman once known as Modoc, you call yourself Bonegrinder now. Why? Why do you call yourself that?"

"Because... because..." His eyes nearly rolled back into his head. "The bones of his enemies will be ground into dust... nothing left..."

"Good, good... tell me of your family..."

"Ngh... Kaksa... no... Akihara..."

"Your children."

"Osage and Ponca..."

"Your friends."

"Blue, White, Red, Black, Silver... such pretty colors."

"And the kid in the maze?"

"Hrm... tiny princess... so small.... so... so lost..." Bonegrinder emphasized the last word, looking heartbroken. "Mother, how can he help her if he cannot even save her?"

"It's okay, it's okay, she's right here... she's still alive."

"Alive... still alive..."

"That's right... sleep now. She's all right."

"Hrm-hmm..." Bonegrinder started to doze in Mother's arms. "So... tired..."

"Then sleep."

Once Bonegrinder had dozed off into sleep again, Mother's tense body relaxed with a deep sigh. "Oh thank Kaska..."

Leere watched the whole ordeal with dread, watching two massive slithering monsters shake back and forth all so one could keep the others emotions calm and in control. The temple stone shook for a few moments there. Finally feeling like she could take a breath, Leere leaned back against a stone pillar. "I don't even know what to think of that."

"I doubt he will recall any of this when he wakes again." Mother kept as still as a mouse while holding Bonegrinder. "When he's in pain, he barely remembers what happened or what he says. It's all like... a dream to him. That's as close as I can describe it." She looked so tired herself, but held strong. "Destroyer and Chaos are out there... Prama is here." She stroked Bonegrinder's long hair. "Prama is bitter for what has happened to him and has been separated from Kaksa for what feels like an eternity. Yet, he still protects us through Bonegrinder's eyes. While sullen and crass, Prama still looks for Kaksa and to us..." She then said, "Despite what you may believe or anyone else, he does have our interests at heart. At least that is one objective they both agree upon."

"What now? Is he going to sleep for another month?"

"The last time he was attacked by Chaos, he was asleep for nearly an entire year." Mother told Leere. "It would not be fair to keep you or Malik from your families any longer. When he is well, I will send him there. For now, if you wish to return to Hyrule, I will open a portal for you."

"What about his family within the Hive?"

"We will send word that he is in recovery still. They have faith in him." Mother then told Leere. "This is great a burden to know, Leere... if you wish to rid yourself of this knowledge, there are ways."

"... this." Mother held up her hand, magic forming in her palm. Yet, it aged her skin prematurely. "Pure life force. Prama is the Maker. His host can accept nothing else."

"Modoc complained about too much light in him."

"It hurts him sometimes, but I know naught of what else to do. This is the only solution which works." Mother's magic returned to her body. "I have tried many other ways. Perhaps he will wake sooner, perhaps not. For now, tell Malik that Bonegrinder is still unstable. The last thing your kingdom needs is the chance of a deity wiping it off the map."

"His body holds darkness within him... with all due respect Mother, I think you aid the spirit of the god inside him, but not Modoc himself. On that note, perhaps I can be of true assistance."

"I cannot allow you to use your magic upon him, Leere." Mother told the princess with a small shake of her head. "I am ancient and will live until you and yours are long gone. You are mortal with a select number of years left. Any unknown move could result in transference of your life energy... willing or not." She sighed and carefully laid Bonegrinder's head back on the pillows. "I aid the deity to save us all. I aid Modoc because he is my friend. Prama require light. Modoc uses darkness. Hence, he can use either type of magic. Yet, too much of one... and the scales are tipped."

"Two things you should know about me Mother. Most of the life I have has been taken other mortals to fuel my own youth. Stolen from criminals and murders. And I am all but willing." She placed a hand on Bonegrinder's chest, taking a deep breath. "You're right. He does need balance. But I can also see in those beautiful eyes of yours, despite proclaiming your superiority over mortals, there is fear in your mirrors to the soul. I believe you haven't been giving him that balance he needs due to your own fears. My own mother and father taught me that every source of light casts a shadow. Both must be embraced as they can't be separated. Please... trust me." Slowly, Leere channeled her stolen abundance of life energy, laced with shadow magic to fill the darkness Bonegrinder was missing.

Bonegrinder started to stir, grumbling curses, and Mother calmly removed Leere's hand from the Anagari. She was holding her breath. The Anagari then settled and returned to slumber. "We cannot have another outburst, for I have not the energy to contain him." Mother then told the princess. "And I never said I was superior. Just that I live much, much longer."

"Most people don't like being called mortals. Makes them feel like they are being talked down to someone with a god complex." Leere was very tired herself suddenly. She must have given him 5 years of life within the span of ten seconds; the Anagari was like a sponge. "I thought that would wake him... I'll go fetch Malik, and we will leave. Taken up enough of your time and hospitality as is."

"While you do wish to help, you cannot know everything for sure, Leere. Please be more cautious in the future." Mother covered Bonegrinder with a thick fur pelt before rising. "I will escort you to the exit."

"I know..."

________________________________________________________________

Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/190828059731/into-the-darkness-and-unknown-ch-6-poking-the

Next Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/190959464556/into-the-darkness-and-unknown-ch-8-connection-to

[classlesstulip]

Okay, so what's it like growing up as a Principia?

So, the Umbra are Matriarchal and matrilinial. The natural birthrate for the sexes is stupidly skewed in the favor of girls, and that has a major impact on society as a whole.

Women hold most of the power, and the men are, well, they suck. Pampered, spoilt princelings. They are lazy, with many of them being either fat or a stereotypical twinks.

House Principia, on the other hand, has Standards. Everyone is expected to be fit and educated. It also helps that House Principia has a higher birthrate of boys, with about 30% of the bloodline being male. Quite a few think that it has to do with how often Principia women find viable sexual partners with Incubi, but research is still ongoing.

As it is, a typical Principia upbringing will depend on your social class. Regardless, women run the show. If there is one Husband with multiple wives, the First Wife is the Matriarch. Usually, the marriage between a First Wife and her Husband is more like a business arrangement. She has major say in who runs the household, who else her Husband can marry, how ALL of the children are to be raised or treated, etc. Also, it isn’t unusual for the Husband to stay home while the women work. The Umbra are VERY protective of the few men they have, and if too many of them die, a severe bottleneck of genetics can happen. It’s why a past High Queen created an Office of Genealogical Affairs.

Unless your a Principian male. Yeah, good luck getting them to do as you say. High Queen or no, but these stubborn ASSHOLES will do what they want, where they want, when they want. Unless their queen says no. Then they do what they want, where they want, when they want, where their queen can’t see them.

ESPECIALLY Ty’s bloodline. House Principia has literally THOUSANDS, if not nearly a HUNDRED THOUSAND, living Principia. His branch is descended from one of their great warrior hero’s, and Mohira was notorious for having no fucks to give. He married who he wanted, and even started literal wars for being a stubborn jackass.

“Hey, Mohira? That thing you want to do?”

“What, marrying Caleandra?”

“Yeah, that. Don’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

“:) Imma do the thing.” *30 years of war*

Yeah, it’s just safer to let Ty and his fam just, do whatever the fuck they want. The headaches and paperwork just aren’t worth it. It also doesn’t help that they are cartoonishly powerful, magic-wise.

Back to growing up, kids in a multi-mom household call all the wives mom. Which can lead to an endless loop of “Go ask your Mother” when they want to do something. Especially in the richer families. The more money a Principian male has, the more wives he can get. One of Ty’s distant cousins has 32 wives and 46 children. He has no idea what most of kids are named, or even how many boys and girls he has, but look! I’m rich!

(Ty thinks Vespasian is Stupid, and is tempted to off him so that the Matriarch, Ambrodinia, can get a break. The kids are cute, though.)

House Principia also has a very vast taxation and stipend system. Poor to middle-income families get a stipend for their kids, and unmarried Principian men get money as well. This is collected through taxation of the Ultra Rich, with only a few not getting hit. Certain ultra rich families, if they are in professions that are both necessary and dangerous, pay little to no taxes, unless they have income from stock investments. Taxes earned from that goes towards not just stipends, but an INCREDIBLE education system. Families from other Houses actually compete to get slots in Principian schools, sometimes even resorting to assassination to get a spot.

A typical Principian education goes from 5 to 21. The last three years are very similar to college, where the person in question chooses their profession and gets hands-on training. Depending on what they choose, they may then go for their Mastery, which usually happens when they are around 25.The rest of their schooling is very similar to most modern education systems. However, their Biology classes get a lot more in-depth, where an entire year is spent teaching about not just reproduction, but literally difference between Principia that have strong Incubus blood and the like.

Plus, like, every few years there’s a kid who shows up with wings or horns. So, ya gotta teach the youngin’s about that. Like, don’t rub a guys horns, he may think your coming on to him. It’s the equivalent of a handjob.

(BTW, Lucio with goat horns would have literal fights over him. Same with Valerius. Just saying.)

JFC this is going on forever. I think I’ll just stop that here, and if anyone has a specific question, I’ll answer that separately.

[coutelier]

Another sxcerpt from my current WIP. This one continues straight on from the last excerpt I posted. I was going to put a break there and cut away to something, but it would have been to some villains talking and we’ve already got three POV characters and had a few asides at this point so I didn’t want to have another one so soon:

The signs took them to a laboratory which at first didn’t seem much more impressive than science labs at school. There were some lockers, computers, sinks, those little racks filled with tubes, and a refrigerator filled with labeled jars that probably you shouldn’t pinch no matter no hungry you were. There were a few other pieces of apparatus but one thing stood out - a console in the middle of the room with a cylinder extending from its top up to the ceiling. Jennifer went straight over to it, taking a moment to scrutinize the controls and read some data off a small monitor.

“What is it?” Kaya asked. Jen’s answer was to turn some switches. The surface of the cylinder peeled away, dropping into the console to reveal a glass water-filled tank. Inside the tank was what at first looked like a tall purple leaf, but looking closer revealed that it was actually of many fronds branching from a central stalk held closely together. “Okay,” said Kaya, “so, what is it?”

“It’s not a plant,” Jennifer told her, “There’s no photosynthesis happening in there. It’s like a Charnia - a fractal life-form from the Pre-Cambrian era.”

“Well it doesn’t look that old,” Kaya pointed out, “so is it like a clone or something?”

“Very, very unlikely. No, I think this is more like a living reproduction created here. The label calls it ‘Syn’.”

“Great name. But this thing doesn’t look all that dangerous. I don’t see what it’s got to do with invisible bark skinned creatures.”

“This might have just been the start,” Jennifer nodded toward a set of doors opposite those they had entered this room from. “We should look deeper.” They headed in that direction, Jen with her wires and tablet ready but then she paused, perplexed.

“What’s wrong now?” Kaya asked.

“I-it’s locked,” Jennifer stammered. “I mean, locked-locked. There’s no panel.”

A glance confirmed that the door was, most simply, locked. Kaya almost laughed, but the truth was she would be ashamed too if this adventure came to naught. There could well be answers in there, and all that was in her way was a few inches of metal. “You spent years studying the security and doing all that fancy computer stuff, but you never thought you might just need a key?”

“I might be able to pick it,” Jen insisted, reaching into her coat for what looked like just some pins and needles. “It’ll just take a while.”

But Kaya already saw it was futile. “You’ll never pick it open with those,” she said. “If I had my tools…” that was on her, of course. She’d left them in the wreck of her car. But there had to be something in this laboratory…

Jen peered at her old friend suspiciously again. “You’re a locksmith?” She asked incredulously.

Kaya crossed her arms and muttered, “sure. Something like that.” It seemed paradoxical to her that Jennifer, who clearly had a low opinion of her anyway, refused to just acknowledge the truth. Maybe she just wanted Kaya to say it - admit out loud what she had become. Although it was an odd circumstance in which to claim any moral high ground… there were footsteps and Kaya glimpsed a shadow moving outside. “Someone’s coming,” she whispered. There was only one option where they could hide and that was the lockers, so she quickly took Jen’s hand and dragged her over. There was a coat or two hanging inside but luckily enough room for them both to fit. Jen seemed surprised and confused, enough that she didn’t resist being stuffed inside before Kaya squeezed in beside her.

Mere seconds later the footsteps were definitely inside the lab. Then they stopped. Kaya wondered why, then… the tank! They’d left it open - a silly oversight. Sure enough they soon heard a low murmur that suggested the cylinder was going back up again. Kaya could only hope that whoever was there would assume they or some other egghead had simply forgotten to raise it earlier. There was another problem - in her haste Kaya had shoved Jennifer’s face against some fur coat and now heard her whisper, “I think I’m going to sneeze…”

“Shhh!” Kaya urged as quietly as she could. “Pinch your nose!”

But it was too late. The locker opened and Kaya found herself blinking at a tall, dark skinned woman with her hair in a bun who did not look too happy. “What are you doing in there?” The woman asked.

The only explanation Kaya could think of was, “we’re agoraphobic?”

“Get out,” the woman was obviously unsympathetic to the condition. “I’m calling security.”

That meant she hadn’t yet… and she might have a key to those doors. The woman was taller and seemed quite fit, but if Kaya got the jump on her…

“Doctor Sarkis!” Jennifer gasped with surprise matched by the woman’s own.

“Jennifer?” The doctor asked. “How… why are you here?”

“That’s,” Jen avoided eye contact but this time out of genuine guilt and fear.

“That’s complicated…”

“Well you had best start explaining,” Doctor Sarkis obliquely eyed Kaya. “Who is this?”

“Cade,” Kaya put on a friendly smile. “Kaya Cade.”

“Sounds familiar,” Doctor Sarkis thought. “Isn’t she the one who used to bully you?”

Jennifer shifted her feet furtively. “N-not the only one,” she admitted. “And it was years ago. We’re adults now.”

“Did she put you up to this?”

“No… coming here was actually my idea.”

“It’s true,” Kaya nodded, “I was ready to turn myself in to the dibbles… the police, but Jen said we’d find answers here.”

Doctor Sarkis screwed her face in confusion. “Police? What for?”

“There was a creature,” Jennifer said. “Or maybe several creatures.”

“I called it a faerie,” Kaya piped in, “but we don’t really know what it was. It was invisible.”

“An invisible creature?” It was plain the doctor was already considering what kind of medication they would need.

“Only at first,” Kaya tried to clarify. “Then it rained and it de-cloaked and was strong as hell and had some kind of bark-like skin.”

“Maybe armor,” Jen suggested. “I was able to analyze a sample of its blood and I believe it was synthetic.”

“So,” Doctor Sarkis repeated it all in head, “you think we created an invisible faerie here at the lab that somehow escaped?”

“Well,” Kaya shrugged sheepishly, “it kind of sounds a bit mad when you say it like that.”

“It’s impossible,” Sarkis said, turning from them. “You’ve already seen Syn, I presume. We’ve had some success reproducing simple organisms but a creature like you’re describing is far beyond what anyone has done.”

“That’s not the same as impossible,” Jennifer gently pointed out.

“No,” Doctor Sarkis conceded, “but this is the most advanced genetic engineering facility in the world and it’s taken us decades to get this far. For anyone to have created an organism capable of acting freely would not only be unethical but they’d have skipped thousands of steps testing and understanding what they were doing. No one would be so reckless.”

Jen answered bitterly, “Alvin Stag would be…”

“Even if that were true, he answers to Meridiem now and I doubt they’d allow him to do anything that could prove costly to them.”

Kaya was missing out on a whole lot here. She knew that Alvin Stag founded this company and that Jennifer never liked him - she perhaps suspected him of having something to do with what happened to her parents. But Kaya still had so many questions, so she decided to start with what was in front of her. “Excuse me,” she said, raising a hand. “What, exactly, is it that you’re doing here? What’s that thing in the jar?”

Doctor Sarkis looked between the two intruders. After a moments consideration she seemed to resign herself. “Synthetic biology,” she said, revealing ‘the jar’ once more. “The next step in genetic engineering. Syn wasn’t modified from an existing organism. We designed and wrote her entire genome on the computers here, then implanted that code into a synthetic cell and allowed it to grow. Simple, really, although the creation of artificial cells capable of self-replication, that can be complicated.”

“But why?” Kaya asked. “What’s it for?”

“Use your imagination,” Jennifer chided, “there’s no end to all the good you could do. Plants that can absorb and recycle greenhouse gases, crops that can grow in any environment, bacteria that can clean up waste. Medicine, biofuel, space travel, terraforming… if perfected, the only limits to this are your imagination.” “Most of our work is with single celled organisms,” Doctor Sarkis nodded, “with focus on bioremediation and medicine.”

“Okay,” Kaya nodded along as well. She actually got it, but it seemed to her they were avoiding something obvious. “So all of that is what good Jen would do. But, what about evil Jen?”

There was a long moment of silence before Jen answered. “You could create a virus…”

“That’s why we’ve kept all this from the public,” Doctor Sarkis tried to assure them. “Yes, in the wrong hands someone could make a devastating weapon, but nothing happens in this lab without the approval of myself and an ethical committee.”

“But this wasn’t always your lab.”

“Before me this was your father’s work. Syn was his creation. He believed he could create a better world, not just for you, but for every human.”

Jennifer never argued with her dad. If he believed in what he was doing then there was no doubt she would as well. But, “what about Stag?” She asked. “He’s an ass,” Doctor Sarkis admitted, “but he doesn’t interfere with us. All he cares about is our progress and patents. This was your father’s work… you should see it all. Come.”

The doctor left them to open the inner doors, leaving Kaya alone with Jennifer for a moment. She slid next to her friend whispering and grinning, “you know her, then?”

“Yes,” Jen nodded. “I’ve known Jana for years.”

“So, we didn’t actually need to break in here at all? You could have just asked her to let us in?”

“Well,” Jennifer puffed indignantly, “I-I didn’t know she would be working now. Besides, I didn’t want to get her into trouble.”

Kaya made a motion as if to strangle her, but Jennifer squeaked and quickly escaped to follow the doctor. Kaya had no choice but to swallow her frustration and follow as well.

[askthenewhopespeak]

Friends and allies

Jirami sees Kyoji walking in the cafeteria and approaches him after she finished eating. “Nakamura!” 

Kyoji: Ah, Jirami-San! Good morning. “Good morning. This might sound kinda rushed but, may I talk to you in private for a bit? I wanna ask you some things.” Her expression and tone were serious and she tried to get into her work suit. He turns back to look at Mikan, who’s still eating her pancakes. He gives her an apologetic look and an “I’ll be back a bit” sort of hand gesture, then turns back to face Jirami

Kyoji: Of course. What do you wish to know?

She showed him the same drawing she gave Makoto and Kyouko, explaining the connections the students and some teachers had with weird incidents at Hope’s Peak. “I know this is kinda like disrespecting your privacy but in my line of work we do anything to get to the truth, help others and solve problems.” She lets him analyze it before speaking again.

Kyoji: He smirks before handing it back to her. I do the same thing in my line of work. Believe me, I’m all to happy to get the truth out there and make sure people understand what happened. I was involved with a lot of things at this school. Where do you want to start? \

She smiled while folding her arms. “I want to fill that blank with a name I haven’t been able to find and it’s bugging me. I thought you’d know since well, you’re kinda involved in my investigation.”

Kyoji: He ponders it for a moment. I can think of a few possibilities, honestly, as for what binds them together. It may be the man I helped create or the man I’m trying to defeat. 

“I see. Okay if it’s not such a bother, do you mind writing those names down? Just… Being safe, y'know?” She offered him a pencil. 

*He takes it and writes down the names ‘Izuru Kamukura’ and 'Maverick Storm’*

She chuckles when she sees Izuru Kamukura. She did investigate about the project and Hajime Hinata… But never wondered why he wasn’t here.

I’m really losing some skills…

She sighed. “What can you tell me about this… 'Maverick Storm’?” 

Kyoji: Hoo-boy, where do I start? Well, first of all, he’s the Ultimate Manipulator. That should tell you something. He ranks high on the narcissism and antisocial ranks on the personality spectrum model, bending people to his will, showing no empathy or remorse for anything he’s done. I should know, since he was one of my classmates. He put several students in the hospital countless times, including my best friend, Miaya Gekkougahara. She was left with an incomplete spinal injury thanks to him and never regained the ability to walk. Even before Hope’s Peak, there’s some evidence that suggests he triggered a school shooting and motivated one of his adoptive parents into committing suicide. He’s intelligent, determined, cruel, ruthless, but he can’t fight for shit. And as far to anyone’s knowledge, he died in a plane crash. But the odds of that seem…unfavorable, if you ask me. 

Her eyes are wide open at his explanation and frowns afterwards. “This is really bad… Even though I did not have information about him, I had my suspicious that whoever was behind this was alive and weren’t just pawns following orders from a dead leader, like what happened with Junko and the remnants of despair.” 

Kyoji: He’s less of a pawn and more of a wannabe leader. He joined the despair movement not because he was forced or manipulated into it. He did so because it seemed interesting. 

She laughs. “He sounds like the opposite of Kamukura.” After that she clears her throat and goes back to her serious expression. “Nakamura, I’m afraid something big’s going to happen soon. If there are Storm pawns here at Hope’s Peak already, then all of us are in danger. But I’d like you to go easy on them, they’re human still and can change. I think I’m asking too much, I don’t think you’d understand my philosophy though…” She didn’t make eye contact and sadness could be heard in her voice. 

Kyoji: I agree completely. Maverick’s the problem here. We get him out of the way, we can rehabilitate them. And if I may ask, what is your personal philosophy? 

She smiles. “I never thought someone would ask me, to be honest… I believe in most virtue ethics and Kant’s categorical imperative, basically."  

Kyoji: I see. Interesting branch of philosophy to follow. Kant did present some nice ideas. The idea of ethics and morality as reasonable absolutes, like mathematical formulas. Even if he was a pretty wordy guy. 

She chuckles. "I prefer not to deepen into the maths area that much though, I’m a humanist. So will you help my carry on this risky mission, Kyoji Nakamura?” She puts her hand in front of him, waiting for a handshake Kyoji:

shakes her hand

Absolutely, Jirami Senkou “…Thanks.” She wondered if it was fair to tell him her real name, but he would’ve recognized an UN and EU diplomat…

Oh well, he’d find out somehow anyway.

Kyoji: And…if it’s not too much trouble, can I share something with you? 

She tilted her head a bit as a sign of confusion. “Um, sure. What is it?” 

Kyoji: You say you want people to know the truth, right? Because there is a certain truth that precious few people know or fully understand. One that’s followed me my whole life and I want more people to understand. 

“…Yeah.” She folded her arms with a worried expression. “The way the truth is taught to us though… May differ, we come from different cultures.” 

Kyoji: Even so, I’m sure you’ve studied history. You know about Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, right? 

“Of course.” 

Kyoji: Everybody knows about them, but do you know what kind of societies they were? What sort of ideologies they embraced? The kind of ideologies that lead to the torture, murder, and genocide of millions of people. Eugenics, social darwinism, racial hierarchy, those sorts of views. It’s impossible to tease those apart from them. But they were not the ones who invented them. 

“We have to know history for we cannot afford to repeat those events… Is that what you’re trying to say?” 

Kyoji: Yes, of course. But the thing is that not many know why it really happened. World War II is often painted as the story of democratic allied good vs. fascistic axis evil. You wanna know the real truth? “

It can’t hurt to know.” She nodded. 

Kyoji: First of all, the concept of eugenics was the result of a man named Josef Galton, half-cousin of Charles Darwin. He heard about Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and choose to imbue its qualities onto the human species. His idea was that, by encouraging stronger and smarter people to breed, we could create a master race of geniuses. This view was embraced by the whole world. America, the UK, France, Japan, Korea, China, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Australia, pretty much everyone. The idea that the human gene pool could be “improved” by removing certain traits, namely by discouraging breeding in some. And by “discourage,” I mean “sterilize against their will.” In the United States alone, between 1910 and 1932, more than 64,000 people were sterilized for things like a low IQ, mental or physical illness, a mixed racial background, or even traits like alcoholism and criminality. This was before DNA was discovered and it was assumed that these traits could be passed on to children. These ideals were embraced to their full extent by the Axis powers, who followed a new form of political thought that encouraged the spread and domination of their singular groups. For Germany, it was the Aryan Race. For Japan, it was the Japanese Empire. Their views of being a master race were nothing new, but instead an extremist stance on already existing ideological values. They viewed their people as the best and that they needed more land in order to survive. This is why Hitler chose to invade eastern Europe and why Japan invaded Asia. It wasn’t for political gain. It was to acquire more land for more food production and to encourage reproduction of their people. A view of us against all. Eugenics, as a whole, is a pseudoscience and was discredited after the defeat of the Axis powers, thankfully enough. It does nothing but leave some people unable to breed. It certainly doesn’t improve the gene pool to just have smart people or strong people survive and reproduce. Galton failed to recognize that Darwin referred to survival of the fittest as being about adaptation, not strength nor intelligence. If you can adapt, you can survive. That’s what it means. You see the dangers of viewing the other as lesser everywhere in history. The idea that blacks were inherently inferior to whites is what lead to the enslavement of Africans. But people of all colors and ethnicities have been slaves in one way or another. You know why Europe was so advanced and places like Africa and the Americas so underdeveloped by comparison? Environment. There were no good animals for domestication in the Americas, no easy methods of transportation for the exchange of goods in most of Africa, and precious few crops that would grow to the extent that was needed for large civilizations. They were few and far between in some places, but that’s because they lucky. They found the necessary resources. It wasn’t a matter of White or European supremacy. Places like Europe and the fertile crescent were just places where civilization could easily take root. And people have been trying for centuries to determine the differences between people from around the world. Trying to take this knowledge and attempt to justify it with pseudoscientific racism. Skull measurements, brain measurements, skin color, ancestry, everything you can imagine. The irony is, had colonialism never taken off and humans remain on different continents, the idea of humans being split into multiple species would’ve become a fact due to geographic isolation. You keep two members of the same species apart, they will change over time. You understand what I’m saying? 

“I feel like I should be honoured by this knowledge. I understand, even though you’re not going to be our History professor you’d be great there.” 

Kyoji: The history of genetics research and medicine holds both fascinating and terrifying facts. And it’s these sorts of ideological views that lead to Hope’s Peak’s founding in 1937 

She nods and sighs. “It’s kinda frustrating what we humans must do and what we have to experience to really learn the lesson…" She folds her arms. "Nakamura, how do you think this is going to end? I mean, we already went through the Tragedy Junko created… 

Kyoji: With everything that’s happened, I don’t think people are willing to embrace a second tragedy. They will fight back with everything they have. But as for us, I don’t know how this will end. But I do know that I will see this through to the bitter end. I will not surrender the lives of my friends so easily. 

She smiled. "Oh excellent, you seem like you won’t fall to despair that easily either.” 

Kyoji: Some people can fall into despair, but I simply choose not to. Even with everything I know that’s happened, including the Tragedy and all the historical facts I’ve told you, I still believe in hope. I choose to embrace hope, kindness, and freedom. Despair is just another disease to cure, and it’s on its last legs. As an Existentialist, it’s my duty to adhere to my choices authentically. 

“It’s nice to hear that… It’s nice to hear I can trust you as an ally now, I guess.” 

Kyoji: Same here. Though we have a lot of work we’ll need to do if we want to beat Maverick. Fortunately, I know almost everything that happens in this school. And I have a tendency to plan for anything. 

 “Alright then! Now I won’t be so lost about what’s going on. Oh and… Thanks, for everything.” She bows after saying. 

 Kyoji: No problem. And Jirami-San? 

“Mm? Yes?”

 Kyoji: Be careful, okay? Try not to do anything too reckless.

He sounded just like him… She sighed. “I… I’ll try.” She turned her back to him just so he couldn’t see she was about to cry. 

 Kyoji: And please remember that you don’t have to face this alone. Remember that me and a lot of people have got your back from now on. Allies look out for each other in these kinds of situations. 

 “…Okay.” She stood silent for a while before replying. “Sorry, I just have stayed away from people for so long because I don’t want my emotions to get in the way… One can’t be unbiased if relies only on them and as a diplomat, I cannot have that luxury. 

Kyoji: I can understand that. As a doctor, I try to stay impartial as well. But still, in the battle against despair, we need to stick together. Strength in numbers. 

“I understand, it’s true. It’s just that I didn’t ask to stand alone and now I can’t see myself succeeding if there’s someone else by my side helping on this mission.” She wiped her tears with her sleeves, still not turning around to see Kyoji in the eye. 

Kyoji: Well, we’ll never know until we try. And in my experience, it’s good to have people who you know you can rely on. 

“…Even though there’s the probability they’re going to die in front of you and you can’t do anything to save them?” She turned around just to stare at him.

Kyoji: It’s a risk I’m willing to take. I’ve lost a lot of good friends already, but let it be known that I will do everything in my power to protect the ones I still have. I’m a doctor, after all. It’s my job to help people. 

“You say that cuz you’re prepared for the aftermath, you prepared for that, you know what you have to do.” Her tone changed to an American one, she would snap if she couldn’t shake off her memories. “I’m a diplomat and even I couldn’t prevent ourTragedy.” 

Kyoji: Neither could I. And neither could a lot of people. There are too many factors that go into this for you to blame yourself. Besides, dwelling on the past doesn’t solve anything. You learn from your mistakes, then you do everything you can to ensure you don’t repeat them. And I think we’ve learned quite a bit from that experience. I have faith in you, Jirami-San. 

 She sighs and looks away. “Thanks, Nakamura…”

 Kyoji: No problem. looks up at a clock on the wall We should probably head back now. I can tell we’ve probably got a long day ahead of us. 

“Yeah.” There’s a little bit of silence until she speaks again. “Hey, Nakamura? When both you and Miraz were attacked by Shirokuma, Mikan wasn’t feeling well and I wondered how’s she’s doing… If you don’t mind telling me, patient privacy I guess?” 

 Kyoji: She’s…doing alright. It’s probably just all the stress from the incident causing physical effects on her body. Nothing too serious. 

“…Good to know!” She smiles at the news. “So, what are we gonna do next? We keep checking stuff about Storm and we share our discoveries to each other?” 

 Kyoji: Sounds good. Although Hijirihara said he needed to talk to me about something after breakfast. Something very serious. 

“Well, you better not make him wait then. Unless you wanna share that info with me. Kyoji: True. In that case, I guess I’ll talk to you later. 

 "Until then, Nakamura!” She bows. “And again, thanks.” She walks away.

[kiyuoswritings]

(SW: Rebels) Stuck on a Planet

Note: Just an idea I had where human Force users suffered through mating cycles and decided to add it to Ezra's & Thrawn's Space Adventures. There is absolutely NO underage anything in here, though there might be a blink and miss mention of such things. The vaguest reference to Thrawn: Alliances is in there but I haven't gotten around to reading the book so shrugs. I've included a blink and you miss it reference to something else as well so yay you if you catch them! And please excuse the tense mix-ups if you come across any, I am bad at fixing those. AO3

EZRA

“When I said I had to see this through, this is not what I meant,” Ezra ground out as he tried to once again wiggle out of Thrawn’s grip. It only had the Admiral tightening his grip and letting out a low hissing sound. Same result as before.

“How did we end up like this again? Oh, wait I know! We went hyperspace, which somehow knocked me out, and I woke up stranded somewhere with you. AND WHY ARE YOU HOLDING ME??!!” Ezra thrashed, kicking his legs out as he tried for the umpteenth time to get out of Thrawn’s grip. He quickly went still when a low rumble vibrated through the Chiss’ chest and teeth pressed warningly into his neck.

Ezra gulped and carefully shifted into a more comfortable position than what he stilled in. Seconds ticked by after he stopped shifting around when finally the threatening sound and pressure of teeth were gone. Ezra couldn’t help but sigh as he was shifted slightly so Thrawn could shove his face into his hair. A less threatening rumble started to vibrate out of the content seeming Chiss.

Ezra had no idea how he was going to get out of this one.

A groan escaped Ezra’s lips as he slowly woke up, blinking he raised a hand to rub his eyes clear. Once his eyesight clearer, the young Jedi sat straight up, eyes roving over the cave he found himself in.

“Seriously? I fall asleep on him, which is still his fault, and he ditches me in a cave. I honestly think I’d prefer being stuck with Maul than him,” Ezra trailed off on his rant, still mumbling nonsense under his breath as he took in the cave.

It was quite large and — though the ceiling was probably only a few feet over his head when standing — the circumference was a lot larger. He cringed to think what kind of creature on this planet could squeeze through the small opening to fit inside.

It wasn’t until he shifted to stand up that Ezra realized he was laying in what could only be a bed, made of the tall grasses that covered the ground and massive leaves. And checking further, it was holding its shape by branches interlocking together and hidden by the foliage.

“Oooooookay then.” Completely ignoring the thought that Thrawn of all people probably put it together and what the implications of it could mean, Ezra turned toward the cave's entrance, only to let out a scream. (Shut up, it was not high pitched, thank you very much.)

Awkwardly clearing his throat, Ezra crooked a smile and waved, “Uh, hi there. Um, so what’s that you got there?” He had a right to be nervous, okay? It’s not every day, a high ranking officer for the Imperial Forces — one that has shown his intelligence against the Rebels — shows up almost completely covered in blood and dragging an animal corpse. The amount of blood really made Ezra nervous, especially considering the blood covered his mouth in a way that indicated he just probably used his teeth on the creature he was now dragging into the cave.

Thrawn dropped the carcass to the far side before his attention turned toward the young Jedi; the unnerving glowing red eyes combined with the blood made Ezra looking away. As Ezra plucked at the bedding, his eyes roved around the cave, doing his best to keep his eyes away from where Thrawn and the bloody carcass were settled.

The sudden burst of a metallic smell and a light noise had Ezra look up, jolting back with a strangled noise at the sight of the Admiral just inches away.

THRAWN

Thrawn narrowed his eyes as he ignored how the boy kept leaning away the same time he leaned in uncomfortably close to smell Ezra. Blood smeared on the boy as Thrawn's nose brushed along Ezra's neck and hair, taking in his scent and continued to ignore how Ezra kept attempting to squirm away. A low warning hiss was enough to stop the movements and allow Thrawn to continue. The Chiss pulled back with a slight frown and put space between them to leave Ezra confused on the nest.

As he headed back to his kill he pulled a knife out the back of his belt, a smirk twitched at his lips at the gasp behind him before kneeling to proceed to skin and cut the meat of the beast he killed.

It was coming on quicker than he anticipated.

A frown tugged at the corners of Thrawn’s mouth as red eyes narrowed at the huddled figure on the nest. The boy was shivering even as sweat beaded on his flushed face, while barely audible whimpers escaped a parted mouth. Those whimpers pulled at the Chiss’ instincts even as Thrawn tried to rein them in; some of his instincts had already won, having provided food and shelter for the boy, and now the whimpers demanded he gentle the child.

Bridger was no Chiss. But he was a youngling and that was what made a difference. Very few Chiss would leave a youngling alone, whether they belonged to allies or foes. Bridger was his enemy, but both knew not of what inhabited this planet, and Thrawn would not leave the boy alone when he could not defend himself.

Aside from the whimpers, that Thrawn did his best to ignore, the only other sound was of him skinning and cutting up the beast he killed. He made quick but efficient work on prepping the meat for storing away before a rustle of cloth diverted some of his attention from his task.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” Thrawn raised his head from where he was finishing wrapping the meat in damp leaves to look over at Ezra, the Jedi had his head raised slightly and was looking at him with slightly glazed eyes. He turned back to quickly finish his task before standing and making his way over to Ezra, who’s only answer was to glare up at him.

Crouching down, the Chiss raised a hand and pressed the back of it to the boy's forehead and let out a noise at the heat radiating from his skin. Lowering his hand, Thrawn continued to stare calculating at Ezra, uncaring for the way he started to shift at the staring.

“You are entering a cycle.” He finally spoke.

“A...cycle?” Ezra’s face screwed up in confusion, staring at Thrawn as if what he said was in a language he didn’t understand.

The sudden temptation to roll his eyes at the idiocy of the boy was a slight surprise. Thrawn was almost sure the boy was messing with him, after all, he should already know what was happening having been taught by one.

“Yes. A reproduction cycle, I assume you know what that is?” He drawled with a raised brow, unimpressed by the sputtering Ezra started as he spoke. The way his copper skin started gaining a red glow was amusing, yet the memories it brought of another tan-skinned man dampened his amusement.

“Yes! I know what that means but what the force does it have to do with me?! If you didn’t realize I’m human and humans don’t get cycles like a lot of species!”

Silence passed between the two as Thrawn ran through the options of what he could say. Even with the Jedi practically exterminated, he had made a promise to someone, and he didn't break his promises. He must have taken too long to reply for Bridger as the words the boy suddenly spits out at him was ill received.

“Don’t you fucking touch me.” The venom that made it to Ezra’s voice combined with his words had Thrawn getting into Ezra’s face, his own twisted into a snarl as a low warning noise rumbled in his chest.

“I will not touch you .” He hissed into Ezra’s face, uncaring at the fear in the boys widened eyes. His breath rattled as he took a deep breath through his nose, and slowly let it out through his mouth. Leaning away, Thrawn attempted to speak more calmly, “If there is one thing you should trust me on, it should be that. I will not lay a hand on you in such a way, that I promise. But you are going through a cycle, one which only appears to affect those that are force sensitive no matter the species.”

It took a few tries before Ezra finally got his mouth working again to ask, “What, what should I expect then? And how do you know this?”

“The only thing you need to know is that I knew an ally that suffered through this same problem.” The Chiss stood and headed to the entrance of the cave, not heeding the calls to ‘wait’ and ‘don’t leave’. They both needed their space, and Thrawn needed time to think without any distractions.

Thrawn sat outside, back against the cave as he watched the stars twinkle from overhead. Night had quickly fallen as he reminisced about the man he had allied himself with before. A Jedi that suffered through the same issue, but by the time they were working together he knew how to care for himself and was very straightforward and made sure Thrawn knew he was interested when his cycle had come around.

He had just closed his eyes when a shuffling sounded at the cave's entrance. Thrawn stayed still and waited to see what the boy would attempt. He didn’t expect the boy to come over to him and lower himself onto his lap. Thrawn’s fingers twitched as Ezra maneuvered himself to lay sideways in his lap before settling down with his head against Thrawn’s shoulder.

Thrawn ignored how the shoulder of his top was becoming soaked with perspiration, caring only for allowing Ezra to make himself comfortable. He recalled the Jedi’s words on how the first time he experienced his cycle, all he wanted was contact with someone and how it ended up with him cuddling up to his Master practically the entire time. And the first few days for the following ones were the same as well.

He was positive this wasn’t the boy’s first cycle and was not looking forward to when the few days of needed non-sexual contact was over. He allowed it for now though, and even if there were only a few people he would willingly tell that he found Ezra Bridger cute at that moment. That was not a conversation he wanted to have.

Letting a content and soothing rumble build, Thrawn gazed down at the now sleeping Bridger before he bent the short distance down and rubbed his nose and cheek across Ezra’s forehead and hair in a soothing motion. Bridger’s issue would keep them from traveling for a standard weeks time, but if the Jedi ally he had made had ground anything into his head, it was that he couldn’t rush it.

Thrawn will make an attempt to make it through the standard week it would take for the issue to come to an end before he forced Bridger to leave the cave and travel with him.