#kandomere x ofc

[whimsicalragnarok]

Off Balance

One day, I might actually put these in chronological order, but today is not that day.  This is from the early days, when Camille and Kandomere first met.  Honestly?  It almost went well.  As always, I’m blaming @searchingforaplacetocallhome and @echoesandwhispersanddarkthoughts for this.  Thank you lovelies <3

“You eat food like the rest of us, yes?”  Kandomere’s only response was to raise an eyebrow from the file currently resting at the top of what was veritable quilt on the bed of desks pushed together to make a table.  Camille said nothing until the elf who could be described as ‘sharp’ finally turned an electric blue eye up to her.  “I’ll take that as a yes.”  The woman, as at ease in her skin as the man was in a tailored suit, straddled the chair to his right.  “So how about you take a break and grab dinner with me?”  Her green eyes were light and easy, just like her smile.  Kandomere looked as if he was having trouble deciding exactly how he felt about her demeanor.  The detective just seemed so...

Young.

That was it.  Had to be.  Only youth seemed to have this kind of persistence.  Youth and hope.  With age came a certain roughness, like a worn stone.  This woman clearly did not have that yet.

“Okay…”  She stretched out the word and rested her chin on her knuckles.  “If you don’t come with me and at least get out of this office for thirty minutes, I’m going to bring you something and you have absolutely no say in it--and just so you know, McDonald’s is right down the road.”  That seemed to annoy him more than anything.

“If I agree, will you let me work in peace?”  Camille Miller was somewhere between a thorn in his side and an asset to the New York Field Office, even if she was on loan as some sort of gesture of goodwill from one of the local precincts.  To be honest, he couldn’t recall which one she was from.  All of New York City tended to run together for him.

“Of course.  Now come on, I’m driving.”  She flashed him a smile that was blinding… Like highbeams in a fog.  Suddenly, she seemed in some great hurry, waiting by the door as he stretched and pulled on his coat.  The more time he spent around Detective Miller, the younger he thought she was.

The car she lead him to was surprising.  He figured something flash in the pan cheap or even an unmarked Lincoln.  It was a classic Mustang convertible, all well polished black paint with immaculate red leather interior.  He was still looking the car over when the engine purred to life with the ease that only a well cared for car could.  It made him think better of her.

“Come on, the deal only stands if you actually leave the field office.  The parking garage doesn’t count.  Now get in before you turn us both into elfsicles, you’re letting all the heat out.”  Honestly, when Kandomere got in and shut the door, it was hard to tell who was more surprised.

The surprises didn’t end with the car, a ‘66 he had found out after Camille had caught him quietly inspecting the car.  The next one came when she pulled up to a small bistro that included valet parking.  “You said thirty minutes.”  He said, straightening his suit jacket as they walked in.  “Depends on how hungry you are.”  She said passively, pulling her knit cap from her head, fluffing her hair as they walked.  The staff seemed to know her, leading her back to a quiet spot near the kitchen.  It was already set and the wine was poured.  Kandomere’s look said it all--that he didn’t appreciate surprises.  There was a brief internal struggle as to whether he should sit down or hail a cab back to the office.

“Your partner called.  He said to make sure you eat something that didn’t come from a vending machine.”  Montehugh… He would be calling him later and he would be complaining.  It wasn’t the only reason he chose to sit.  The bordeaux smelled good and the food smelled better, even if the company was a bit forced.  A lot forced.

Over the course of the dinner, Kandomere learned more about this woman than he had both wanted or intended.  She had had four siblings and was the only girl.  She was originally from Michigan and shared a family wide obsession with hockey. Camille even made time to coach a peewee hockey team during the winter months.  He couldn’t help but think she wasn’t giving her career the attention it deserved, even if someone who had tattoos on their face (even if they were very subtle, traditional elven designs) and seemed to be barely in their twenties had made detective.  Perhaps she would have been more comfortable teaching middle school or something similar.  Had the setting been anywhere other than an atmospherically pleasing restaurant he had been treated to, he might have said as much.

At least an hour had passed by now and he was on his third glass of wine with an empty plate of lamb waiting to be taken away before him.  All in all, he found Camille’s presence tolerable, pleasant even.  Though their conversation inevitably turned to work, he wasn’t as tight lipped after a good glass of wine, or three.  He had almost smiled at one point--he was proud of his career and had every right to be.  There was a certain breed that could handle becoming Special Agent In Charge.  It took an even more specific breed to become that in the MTF.  And through all of that pride, Camille wasn’t impressed.  Normally, he only needed to introduce himself before an elven woman knew his entire resume.

Camille Miller?  Didn’t seem to care and it was causing him to falter.  Did he rest on his reputation so often?  Judging from a few awkwardly long pauses and a curious pair of green eyes studying him, the answer was yes.  Strange, he hadn’t realized that he had a social crutch.  A safety net that saved him from doing more than the bare minimum unless it was required of him.  He was embarrassed but the elf woman in front of him didn’t seem to mind.

“You have every right to be proud, you worked very hard to get where you are now.  You probably spend a lot of time wondering if all of your sacrifices were worth it--if Montehugh had to sacrifice just a little bit more to get to this point.”  Camille shrugged and sipped her wine, leaning back in her seat with a gentle grace.  It wasn’t an elven gesture or even a human one.  It was just natural grace.  “I was the first elven police officer in Brooklyn, I’m sure you can imagine the rumors that went flying around.  Shit, you probably had to deal with the same thing when you first joined the Bureau.  In spite of elves running the world, the moment one tries to do anything other than shop or go into finance, it’s like everyone loses their damn minds.”  She sipped her wine again, more recounting her own days as Johnny New Kid, though there were parallels.  Dues had to be paid in all fields, it seemed.

“But I doubt you really wanted to hear me talk at you for an entire meal.”  She smiled again, tilted her head to the side, mocha cheeks made darker with wine and what might have been a genuine smile.  Earlier, when she had beamed at him like a toddler with a new toy, it hadn’t been real.  Kandomere didn’t know what to think, but he knew he would be watching her a little more carefully from now on.

“Anyways, it’s getting late and we’re well past the thirty minute mark.  I should probably get Cinderella back to the office.”

And they were doing so well...

[runmilder]

Nothing but Vain Fantasy

Chapters: 2/?

Fandom: Bright (2017)

Rating: Teen

Tags: POV Second Person, my only consolation is this fic can't be any more of a mess than its original source, these aren't your tolkien elves 

Summary:

Between shady government agencies and the doomsday preppers from hell, life just got a heck of a lot more interesting.

A romp through the BRIGHT-verse

[youngmalfunctionarts]

Glamour vs Glamour

Fandom: Bright (2017)

Summary: "You think it's hard being an immigrant? Try being a half-breed immigrant who doesn't speak English." Embra, a singer, is under the protection of the FBI's Magic Division after threats are made against her life.

Warnings: Mentions of death threats, brainwashing

Prologue

"...and some people believe musical sensation 'Monochrome' isn't as sensational as she appears. There's been speculation that 'Monochrome', the two-toned artist, brainwashes her audiences with glamour. The Fae singer has offered no comment..." With a click, the screen turns black and the Elven reporter is silenced.

"This," the Magic Division team leader, Special Agent Penelope Thompson, points in the TV's direction, "is a problem. Monochrome has received multiple threats, which is why we're placing her under our protection."

"She's a singer. Why is it our problem? We aren't bodyguards." Agent Hildebrandt Montehugh crosses his arms and glares at the black box before glancing at Thompson.

"It's our problem because she's magic, Agent Montehugh."

"So? We stop people from using magic, we don't protect them for it."

"She's also a French national with full immunity, and we can't arrest her for it. Director Wright agrees." Her green eyes flash and turn to the blue-haired Elf. "No complaints, Agent Kandomere?"

"No. Director's orders."

"Fine," Montehugh sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, "I guess we're babysitting."

If you want to be added to my tags, let me know!

[starslooklikediamonds]

Kandomere Fic Recommendations

More Than Things  Angst, Fluff, General, Romance - Kandomere x Reader

Stilted Coincidence Angst, Sexual Tension - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Headcanon #92 Smutish, Romance -  Kandomere x Reader

Love Is Blind Fluff, Slight Humor - Kandomere x Reader

“Who did this to you?” Drabble  Angst, Hurt - Kandomere x Reader

“Is that my shirt?” Drabble  Fluff, General - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Request/Imagine  Fluff, Romance - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Drabble   Angst, Fluff - Kandomere x Reader

The Great Cake Calamity Fluff, Slight Humor - Kandomere x Reader

A Kandomere Sleepy Time Imagine  Fluff, General - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Shower Imagine NSFW  Angst, Smut - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere x Reader x Jakoby  Pure NSFW Smut

Untitled  Angst, Hurt, Gory - Kandomere, Leliah

Kandomere Imagine  Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Smut - Kandomere x Reader

Leave Your Light On Angst, Slight Fluff, General - Kandomere x Reader

So Let Go  NSFW Smut - Kandomere x Reader

Doesn’t Get Better Than You  Fluff, General - Kandomere x Reader

Your Touch Becomes My Everything  NSFW Smut - Kandomere x Reader

“It’s just a cut, really” Drabble Angst, Hurt/Comfort - Kandomere x Reader

Precautions  Slight Angst, Fluff - Kandomere x Reader

Untitled NSFW Imagine  Pure Smut - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Request  Fluff, General - Kandomere x Sick Reader

The World As You See It  Fluff, General - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Request  Sad, Angst, Hurt/Comfort - Kandomere x Reader

Well This Is New  NSFW Smut - Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Request  Humor, General - Kandomere x Reader 

Biting Pure NSFW Smut - Kandomere x Reader

“You don’t have to pretend with me.” Drabble  Angst, Hurt/Comfort -  Kandomere x Reader

Kandomere Isn’t Lovin’ It  Slight Humor, General - Kandomere, Montehugh

You can Call  Hurt/Comfort, Fluff - Kandomere x Reader

“Is that all it takes?” Drabble  NSFW Smut - Kandomere x Reader

Bad guys come to Kandomere’s apartment and….. Angst - Kandomere x s/o

Kandomere x Reader Series  NSFW Smut, Angst, Some Romance

20 Years Coming Pt. 1  Angst, Hurt - Reader, Leilah

20 Years Coming Part 2 Angst, Hurt - Kandomere, Reader, Leilah

20 Years Coming Part 3  Angst, Hurt/Comfort - Kandomere, Reader, Leilah

Conflicting Jurisdiction- Part 1  Angst, Crime - Kandomere, Montehugh, OFC’s

Conflicting Jurisdiction- Part 2  Angst, Crime - Kandomere, Montehugh, OFC’s

Headcanons - 

A Random Assortment Of Kandomere Headcanons 

Assorted Kandomere Headcanons Pt 2

Love Languages - Kandomere Pt 1 - Giving

Love Languages - Kandomere Pt 2 - Receiving

NSFW Kandomere Headcanons

Kandomere Kisses

I invite you to imagine Kandomere and his S/O walking down the street in uptown LA just messing around and enjoying a nice day…..

Kandomere and a Bright S/O Headcanons

Kandomere x Fem!Human headcanons

Kandomere’s Dreaded Moments - Small Headcanon

Living with Kandomere headcanons  

Sexy elf daddy coming home from work and the whole apartment smells like his S/O and their arousal…..

Random Kandomere Bedroom Headcanon

Headcanon how Kandomere reacts when you get hurt

Kandomere Domestic Headcanons

Just some random boyfriend Kandomere headcanons

Small Headcanon - Kandomere has a big fat sweet tooth..

Some Kandomere/Human s/o Headcanons

Kandomere and Montehugh Work Headcannons

On Compassion and Corporate Life

Hear me out. Kandomere has sharp teeth right? Imagine him being fascinated by your teeth…..

[love-of-fandoms]

Loving You

Another story on AO3, Kandomere x OFC. The Netflix film Bright

When Kandomere is bugged by his mother to come visit, he begrudgingly accepts. But to his surprise, she has company. A human girl with lavender hair and a curvy figure has befriended his mother. Who is she? Why does he not hate her?

[seventyfiveapples]

In Transit - Chapter 5

Bright fanfiction / Nick Jakoby x OFC

Previous Chapters: ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR

Or: The whole enchilada on AO3

Summary: When Officers Jakoby and Ward are hand-picked by the Magic Task Force to transport a dangerous convicted murderer, they must stay a few steps ahead as various enemies, forces of magic, and mistakes from the past complicate their path.

Nick slowed down and pulled over the car. There were five people waiting at the roadblock: the Sheriff, two police officers, and two of the men who’d recognized Leigh back at the motel. They must have used a shortcut of some kind to pass Nick, Daryl, and Leigh. The men from the motel did not appear to be police officers, but there was no telling what they had already told the sheriff.

In the passenger seat, Ward sighed heavily.

”What’s your plan here, Jakoby?”

”Ward, they’re still police officers. I think we just explain ourselves and continue on our way.”

”Guys-“ Leigh piped up from the back seat.

”Not all of them. You think Mr. Blue Pickup Truck is interested in the law, Nick? He was ready to fire at us back at that motel.”

”Guys-"

“I think the Sheriff would be reasonable,” Nick responded. They didn’t seem to hear Leigh.

“And if he isn’t?” asked Ward.

“If he isn’t, I have an idea.” Nick leaned over to whisper to Ward, out of Leigh’s earshot. She saw him open the glove compartment and hand the MTF cellphone to Daryl.

Leigh gave up on trying to get their attention and started working on her bracelet, working on the crack until she could pry it open and get them all out of this mess.

At that moment the sound of a megaphone rang out.

”This is the Sheriff of Lincoln County. I’m ordering you to exit the vehicle, slowly, drop your weapons and place your hands on your heads.” The two officers looked at each other before opening their doors, Daryl giving Nick a slight nod. Before he left the car, Nick turned around to Leigh.

“We’re going to stall as long as we can. Just stay low, out of sight.”

--

[TWO YEARS EARLIER]

Nick and Leigh exchanged a few sloppy, wine-fueled kisses on his front porch. It was Leigh’s birthday and they’d just enjoyed a leisurely dinner date at their favorite restaurant. She was looking forward to some additional “celebrations” once they were inside. Reluctantly, Nick separated his lips from hers.

“Leigh, sweetheart, let’s wait until we get inside.”

She draped herself on him as he managed to get his keys in the lock. She started nibbling his ear, causing him to drop the keys twice before he was able to successfully open the door.

”Mmm, now you can give me my other present... You know,” She said, talking a little more loudly than usual due to the wine as she stumbled inside. “In the bedroom?”

“Leigh-.”

“I mean you. I mean unwrapping you. And then-”

”Shhh…” he said, stifling some laughter.

”Why shhh? I know you like it when I’m loud.” She pulled up his shirt, running her hands over his skin - she loved the way his muscular chest felt - and started trying to pull his shirt over his head. He giggled and tried to gently hold her hands still.

”Listen, honey,” he whispered, “Trust me- wait a second.”

”What are you-“ Nick cut her off by flipping on the living room light to reveal about fifteen of her friends jumping out from behind furniture.

”SURPRISE!” They all yelled in unison. A few giggled.

Leigh’s eyes went wide and her hands flew back to her own pockets as she tried to remember exactly how much her friends had just heard. Behind her, Nick smiled shyly. Her friend Jeanette crossed the space to hug her first.

“Leigh, happy birthday! I was so afraid you already knew about the party, but I think now we can safely say that was not the case!” The party burst into laughter at that and any awkwardness in the room evaporated. Nick hung back a bit as Leigh greeted her guests one at a time. He said hello to the ones he already knew and was pleasantly surprised, as he always was with Leigh’s classmates, to sense their ease around him.. There were vanishingly few places where an orc and a human could express affection, but a room full of Brights was one of them. Magic users, in Nick’s experience, tended to hold more nuanced views of the different races than most humans - certainly, more than the humans in his Police Academy class. Leigh’s classmates always spoke to him with the same respect they’d give anyone: elf, orc, or human.

A few hours into the party, Nick went out to the backyard to get a little air. In a corner of the yard he saw... Chad. Nick still didn’t trust him, but he thought this might be a good time for a fresh start. He hated fighting with Leigh, and they’d had so many tense conversations about Chad. Maybe Nick could be the bigger person here. If Leigh got along with him, there must be something good about him. Maybe. In any case, Nick was ready to forget the past and start over. He started to walk towards him when he overheard snippets of a phone conversation and froze in place.

“Yeah. They’re still together, for now. It’s been almost three months, but I’m working on it... I’m actually at his house right now if you can believe it…. I don’t know, she doesn’t even notice my flirting, but he sure does… Of course they don’t suspect anything, she’s so naive, and he’s stupid even for an orc… Yes…Maybe… Look, I mean, she might get hurt that way but it could work…. Yes, I know we need her alive but, actually, an injury might actually be helpful.” Nick heard him laugh as he said this. What the fuck was this asshole planning? “I’m working on it, okay? I’m sure. Yes… okay, fine, I’ll see you later, Sarah.”

Well, there went that. Nick considered what he’d heard as he quietly made his way back to the house. Chad wanted Nick and Leigh to break up - no surprise there - but now he was planning something that might injure her? He saw Leigh through the window, laughing, and hung his head. How could he get her away from him when she saw him every day at her school? Would she believe what he’d just heard?

He thought of Chad laughing as he talked about injuring Leigh. Nick had to keep trying. Even if Leigh was angry. Even if she thought he was just jealous. Even if they got in a huge fight over it.

He wouldn’t - he couldn’t - let her be hurt, even if it meant things would be uneasy between the two of them.

----

[PRESENT DAY]

The bracelet that the MTF used to stifle Leigh’s magical powers was actually designed - by a Bright - to make life easier for other Brights. The inventor’s hope was that Brights could use these bracelets to stay safe and undetected while leading lives as normal as possible. She would be horrified to learn that the MTF now used them as a form of prisoner restraint.

The inventor, a mechanical engineer, had built it with two primary functions. First, its exterior projected a field that neutralized the physical and astrophysical traces left behind by magic use. This would block anyone from detecting the wearer’s magical activity. Second, its interior was built to shrink and conceal a wand. The external structure of the device was a sturdy military-grade polymer, reinforced by magic. The interior had a hollow cavity that used a permanent spell to reduce a wand to one eighth of its usual size. A single button popped the clasp, allowing the bracelet to open and the wand inside to emerge at its full size.

The design and magical elements were so intertwined that the device could not be replicated by anyone but the inventor. Because the MTF kept tabs on all known Brights in the country, they had become aware of this device from its development and they hired her to create a dozen of these for the agency’s official use… with some slight modifications. She wondered why they’d created them without the button that allowed a Bright wearer to remove and replace the wand at will, but she was paid well enough that this didn’t bother her for long. However, the addition of a tracking device was not part of her original schematics and went against every reason she’d created it.

She flatly refused to add one.

The MTF added them anyway, tacking them onto each completed bracelet with tiny screws that were able to puncture magical fields. The holes drilled for the screws had weakened the device enough that when Leigh fell, the tiniest crack had started to form. It was this crack that had rendered the concealment function unstable. It was periodically shooting out surges of energy and beams of blue light. These traces of magic had left a trail that both Agent Kandomere and Chad had now picked up.

To the agent, these surges were worrying. Although the tracking device had begun to malfunction, the spikes in magical energy could be picked up by anyone who was looking. There must have been damage of some kind to the bracelet. Hopefully she hadn’t been injured, but he knew something had happened. He frowned at the irregular beeping on his MTF map software. The transport SUV wasn’t far off and they seemed to be stopped in the middle of nowhere. More confusing. He heard a ringtone and looked down to see an incoming call from the phone in the transport vehicle. He answered it and heard voices: people shouting. The officers had placed the phone on speaker and appeared to be in the middle of a confrontation. He asked his driver Argyle to pick up the pace.

To Chad on the other hand, this was the first useful information he’d received in two days. He could identify the signature traces of Leigh’s magic anywhere. He tried to act calm as he saw a spark light up his paper map, and turned the car around slowly so that Sarah wouldn’t ask too many questions about the abrupt turn. He hadn’t been as fortunate in tracking her and was still more than 100 miles away. Sarah gave him a sidelong glance and only snickered as he re-routed, making his way back to intercept Leigh.

---

“Where’s your prisoner?” The sheriff asked, looking at Ward.

“Sir,” Ward started. “We’re LAPD officers on official assignment for the Magic Task Force, and we really need to be on our way. The man behind you is interfering with police business and I highly recommend you not pay any attention to anything he might be saying.”

“That’s not what my friend Danny here tells me. He’s saying that y’all have abducted Leigh Caldwell and are impersonating police officers. Can I see some credentials? Slowly.”

The officers slowly reached for their wallets and showed the sheriff their badges. This seemed to relax him… somewhat.

“As my partner said-” Nick began.

“Did I ask you?” The sheriff shot back. Nick seethed but remained quiet.

“Sir, this orc is an officer of the LAPD and you will speak to him with respect.”

Even with everything going on, Nick puffed up a little at his partner standing up for him. He didn’t have time to appreciate it. Mr. Blue Truck - Danny, apparently - fired a bullet into the dirt near the officers’ feet. Nick didn’t react to the gunshot but Ward jumped. “Quick dicking around. Hand over the prisoner.” Snarled Danny.

The sheriff whipped around to yell at him. “Back the fuck off, Danny. We’ve got this. I don’t need your help.”  Maybe these two weren’t so close. He turned back to Nick and Daryl. “But we will need to take custody of your prisoner until we’re able to confirm your story with the feds.”

“We’re not going to do that,” growled Nick.

“Hand her over or we’re taking you all into custody,” said the sheriff.

“Do it and you’re making the biggest mistake of your life,” Daryl warned, “and judging by that haircut your mistakes are a pretty long list.”

“You want to get smart, son? Fine, hand her over or I can’t be responsible for your safety if you try to leave with her.” He nodded his head towards Danny, who raised a rifle to aim at Nick.

--

Back in the car, Leigh was laying as low as possible, hiding out of view as Nick had asked. She couldn’t really hear what the officers were saying, but the sound of a bullet was unmistakable. She wanted to help but couldn’t think of what to do that wouldn’t just make things worse. A few moments’ silence followed, then another gunshot. A scream. The rumble of another car’s engine arriving and shutting off. Silence for several seconds. She strained her ears for any sign of a voice. If Nick had gotten hurt trying to protect her…

After a few moments, she heard BANG BANG BANG - a frantic knock on the car door. She tried to press herself further into the seat. Leigh winced as someone slid the SUV’s rear door open, then relaxed as she saw that it was Nick. Thank Jirak.

“Leigh, Daryl’s been shot - but he’s okay - and the elf agent from the MTF is here.” He helped her out of the car. She saw Kandomere speaking with the sheriff. The men in the pickup truck were being cuffed and led into the police vehicles.

The sheriff had believed the men in the truck easily enough to threaten Nick and Daryl, but now seemed to be cooperating fully with Agent Kandomere, who appeared to be in charge now. Leigh didn’t really know what had happened but she was relieved that no one was pointing any guns at anyone, for the moment.

On the ground lay Daryl, panting and bleeding from a wound in his shoulder. Nick kneeled down next to him and Leigh followed suit. Agent Kandomere approached the three of them.

“Hey,” said Ward to the small group that had gathered. Even one syllable appeared to be a struggle.

“Officer Ward. Try not to talk too much. My driver is going to take you to a hospital, and I’m going to take your place with Officer Jakoby and the prisoner. Excuse me,” he said, walking away to take a call.

“That guy… just a real… teddy bear.”

“How do you feel?” asked Leigh.

“Like shit, actually...  Thanks for asking.”

“Hey partner- you know there are easier ways to get out of having to hear my Orcish music, right?” Daryl smirked. “Take care of yourself. Text to let me know when you get home. Soon as I get back to L.A. I’m going to bring you some vitamins, and I’ll tell Sherri and Sophia to make sure you take them.”

“Nick, man…  just be careful... And you?” he looked at Leigh. “Try not to…  get him killed, okay?”

“I’ll try,” Leigh said in a soft tone. She felt so guilty she could hardly speak.

Nick helped Leigh to her feet - she was still in handcuffs - and they walked back towards the vehicle.

“So what happened?”

“We called the MTF agent.. I had this phone clipped to my belt, and we put it on speakerphone so the agent could hear what was going on. Daryl and I were going to just stall as long as we could. Luckily, the agent was already following us, and he was just a few miles away. Anyway, that guy from the hotel this morning? He saw the phone, maybe heard it, and fired at me. Daryl pushed me down.” He shook his head. “He took a bullet for me. I can’t believe he did that.”

“Yeah, that’s… Damn, Nick.” She was grateful to Daryl but this was surreal. “I’m glad he’s going to be okay. But all of this - for me? Why do they care?”

“One of the people that, um, that were in that bus - was his niece. He just wanted…” Nick trailed off and shook his head. Leigh could finish that sentence in her head: Revenge. He just wanted revenge.

“You should have just handed me over. All of you are at risk as long as you’re with me. I’ve got a death sentence anyway.”

“I made you a promise, Leigh. I’m not handing you over to be executed.”

“Nick, for Jirak’s sake- You can’t just not do your job. I know you. But even if you wanted to, it’s a little trickier now that we’ve got that weirdo MTF agent travelling with us.”

“I’m going to figure something out. This - sending innocent people to be, well - this isn’t why I became a cop.”

Leigh didn’t want to argue anymore. She leaned back against the car. Nick looked at her tenderly again. “Hey, Leigh, I meant to tell you earlier: happy birthday.”

She laughed drily. “Shit, I nearly forgot. Don’t tell me this is all leading up to another surprise party.”

Whether from exhaustion or adrenaline or just surprise, Nick let out a hearty laugh.

The elf called over to them and, carefully, they helped Daryl into the car driven by Argyle. Nick, Leigh, and Kandomere headed for the MTF vehicle. They hoped for an uneventful night at the safe house.

NEXT CHAPTER

[searchingforaplacetocallhome]

Everything About You - (Kandomere x OFC - Pt 1)

Setting: Bright movie-verse

Characters: Kandomere & Topaz Bennett (OFC)

Warnings: strong language possibly

Background: Topaz Bennett was the brightest student of her class, always the hardest worker in the room and it finally landed a much coveted spot on the FBI’s Magic Task Force. By a cruel twist of fate, her new ‘partner’ turns out to be an elf named Kandomere, who seems to think it is his task not only to train her as the new agent on the task force, but educate her on pretty much anything else as well.

wordcount: 1203 

Part 1 - Contemplating Murder

There was too much light in her room. Peeking an eye open she realized her curtains were open. Her curtains were never open. The view wasn’t very good and she didn’t want to give the pervert with the telescope across the street a free show all the time. Pulling the blankets over her head she blocked out the light. At least the banging wasn’t in her head. Although her mouth was as dry as the desert, she thankfully didn’t have a hangover.

“How can you sleep with all that noise around you?”

A cry of surprise involuntarily escaped Topaz. The blood rushing through her veins and her pounding heart caused a deafening woozy and thumb in her ears as she snapped the blankets down and was greeted by the sight of the stoic Elf standing in the corner watching her, like some creature from a nightmare. Unfortunately for her, this was not a nightmare she could wake up from and laugh about. This was her life now. “Kandomere! What the hell?!”

“I thought opening the curtains would wake you from your slumber. You are a deep sleeper.”

Hands covering her face she counted to ten but when she peeked through her fingers he was still there. Great. She was going to have nightmares now about him watching her sleeping, judging her, thinking of the best ways to insult her. Just standing there in the corner like he was now, immaculately dressed, not a blue hair out of place, one hand in the pocket of his pristine pressed pants. A feat in her apartment, which was probably why he wasn’t sitting. “Why are you here?”

“I tried calling you, but you weren’t answering your phone. It is very irresponsible to turn your phone off, agent Bennett.”

“It’s my day off…” Rolling onto her side she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself up into a sitting position, her back to him. The banging intensified, but her head felt fine. Turning an ear up toward the sound she recognized it. Her upstairs neighbor seemed to think bad sex got better if you banged the headboard into the wall with each thrust. At least he was having a good start to his morning, which was more than she could say.

“Just because you take a day off, doesn’t mean crime does.”

“Thanks for the wisdom, oh wise one.” Rolling her head around on her shoulders, she tried to loosen up her muscles and get her protesting body to cooperate. As she rolled her head back from one side to the other she caught sight of her alarm clock. 7:03am. He woke her up this early on her day off, after calling her at god only knew what time.

“If you are looking for your bra, I believe it is dangling from the lamp by your living room couch. Need me to fetch it for you?”

“No!” Aware finally she was naked, she clutched the sheets around her and looked at him mortified. This was crossing so many boundaries, but since when had he cared about those? They had only been working together for a few weeks, but Kandomere had ignored all of her personal boundaries the entire time, despite her protests. “Do you mind? I need to get dressed.”

“Not in the slightest. The human female anatomy is nothing new to me and I am an elf, not a prude.”

Grabbing the nearest thing she could find she hurled it in his general direction. “Out! Get out of my room!” She flung something else at him, but he ducked, elegantly, as he made his way to the door, the hand never leaving his pocket as he did. Grumbling to herself, she angrily started to put on her clothes. Arrogant, pretentious bastard. It was too early for his shit, especially on her day off. Didn’t he understand that concept? Did he not have a personal life?

Running the brush through her hair with quick, angry strokes, she half expected a clump of hair to come out as she took her anger out on everything but the source of it. Putting her hair up in a bun, and straightening her blouse, she spritzed on some perfume once she was satisfied she looked presentable. Hopping around on one booted foot she zipped up her other boot as she went into the living room to get her credentials and gun from the safe.

“I could ask my maid to stop by, if you wish, seeing as you have absolutely no domestic skills whatsoever. How do you live like this?”

“Happily, before you came along.”

“What are you looking for?”

Pulling up the couch cushions, she didn’t bother putting them back where they belonged when she found her keys, with a triumphant “Ha!”. The disapproving look on Kandomere’s face made her grumble, roll her eyes and walk back to fix the cushions. “Okay, good to go.” Noticing the box on the counter from the donut shop down the block, she peeked inside, her face lighting up when she found one left inside.

The delicious fried sugary goodness was gone from her fingers before she could take a bite, watching in horror as Kandomere stepped on the paddle to flip open the lid on her trash can and released her breakfast from between two fingers. Grabbing a napkin he wiped his hands and tossed that in the trash too.

“What are you doing?!”

“Saving you from yourself. Stale donuts? That’s not breakfast, that’s diabetes and heart disease waiting to happen. Ready to leave?”

Blue eyes narrowed as she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. He was much taller than her, even with her boots on, and it didn’t escape her that from an outside perspective she probably looked like a child angry with her parent for not getting her way. Taking a deep breath she let it out in a quick huff and walked out the door with big angry steps.

“You’re living dangerously,” she commented as they waited for the elevator, resisting the urge to press the button more than once, because ‘the elevator doesn’t operate any quicker if you press the button continuously, agent Bennett’.

“I am?” An eyebrow rose, which was the extent of his physical reaction the majority of the time.

“It’s my day off, it’s 7am. You insulted my personal living space, destroyed what little self esteem I had left and dropped my breakfast in the trash, all before I had my coffee. I am contemplating murder right now.”

Stepping on the elevator, he clasped his hands together in front of him as he stood beside her, waiting for her to press the button for the ground floor. “You realize by telling me, you are making me an accomplice.”

Slowly, she turned her head to look at him. She could never tell when he was being serious and when he was making a joke. His face was just a blank, and because he was looking ahead she couldn’t see his eyes well enough to read them either.  The elevator dinged, doors opening. A smile creased her lips. Perfect moment for a mic drop.

“Accomplice? You’d be the victim.”

Next >>

[searchingforaplacetocallhome]

Everything About You - (Kandomere x OFC - Pt2)

Setting: Bright movie-verse

Characters: Kandomere & Topaz Bennett (OFC)

Warnings: strong language possibly

Background: Topaz Bennett was the brightest student of her class, always the hardest worker in the room and it finally landed her a much coveted spot on the FBI’s Magic Task Force. By a cruel twist of fate, her new ‘partner’ turns out to be an elf named Kandomere, who seems to think it is his task not only to train her as the new agent on the task force, but educate her on pretty much anything else as well.

Word count: 1898

Pt 1

Part 2 – Learn Things

“Do you have a moment, sir?”

Looking around like she was waiting for someone to pop up out of nowhere, Topaz quickly slipped in the door when she was ushered inside. Closing the door behind her made her feel a little better, but she knew it wouldn’t stop him from barging in. He was in a meeting though, which was exactly what she had waited for.

“Something I can help you with, agent Bennett?”

“No. I mean yes. Did I do something wrong, sir?” Oh great, she was fumbling her words now, looking like an absolute idiot.

“Excuse me?” The pen in his hand tapped impatiently against his desk.

“Did I offend you in some way? Were you not satisfied with my work?” she asked quickly, trying her best to get to the point before he lost his patience with her.

A deep sigh, the pen was laid down, so the captain could clasp his hands together on the desk and lean back. A frown creased his forehead. Patience was being lost, quickly. “What are you on about, Bennett?”

Looking around there was no sign of her personal blue haired, pointy eared devil, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still lurking around somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to barge in and scare her into another audible reaction. “Well, I just thought. I worked really hard to be here, and that was why you chose me.”

“Is that why you are here, Bennett? I have no time for hand holding today.”

“Oh no, sir. That’s not it at all.”

“Point, now.”

“It’s Kandomere, sir.” There, it was out. For a moment panic attempted to get a grip on her, and once again her eyes darted around to try and spy even the smallest hint of blue hair. The sound of laughter brought her attention back to the captain. Why was he laughing? What was so funny?

“I was wondering when you would come to me about that.”

“You were? So this was a test?”

The laughing stopped and the man turned deadly serious. “No. You have potential, agent Bennett, and I place my agents where I think they can live up to the maximum of that potential. You wanted to learn from the best, Kandomere is the best at what he does.”

“He’s a bit of an acquired taste though, sir.” He’s a jerk, a bastard, asshole.  

“This is not kindergarten, Bennett. Learn to get along.”

“Sir...”

A short rap of knuckles against the door was immediately followed by the door opening. “There you are. You done, sir?”

“Yes. Go learn things, agent Bennett.”

Goddamnit.

Looking from the captain to Kandomere she wanted to wipe the triumphant look off his face. She didn’t have to duck, but still did as she walked under the arm that was holding the door open for her. Ducking his aura, if Elves even had such a thing. Everything about him was aggravating her today, from the amused look on his face and the penetrating smell of his expensive cologne, to the heel click of his hand crafted Italian leather shoes against the marble floors.

“Everything alright?”

“Peachy.” Holding up both her thumbs, she gave him the biggest fake smile she could muster. If only she could punch him in the face just once. It would be so satisfying.

“Good. Grab your jacket.”

“Where are we going?” Far as she could think there was nothing currently going on that required their attention in any way outside the office and she still had a mountain of research to go through, as evidenced by the files spread out all over her desk. Kandomere glanced over the mess, but a glare from her stopped him from commenting this time. Searching under the stacks of papers, she found her phone and grabbed her jacket, slipping it on as she followed him to the elevators.

“We are going to learn things, agent Bennett.” A smirk tugged on the corners of his lips.

Oh, just one punch. It would be so satisfying.

“That really clarifies things, thanks.” She couldn’t hit him and she definitely couldn’t shoot him, so that left her with her only other weapon; sarcasm.  It kept her from losing the last shred of sanity she had left. Stopping a few steps from the door, she gestured over her shoulder at the front office desk. “Hold on, I need to get the keys.”

“We’re taking my car.” Holding the door open once again, he waited for her to follow him outside, gesturing in the direction of where his car was parked.

What on earth was going on? He hadn’t driven, let alone used his own car for work related things before. She assumed since he mentioned she was going to learn things they were about to do work related things. Of course his car had to be expensive looking, brand new and shiny, probably fast too. The doors unlocked and the smell of new leather wafted her way. Peering in she looked around.

“Problem, Bennett?”

“Nope.” Slipping into the passenger seat she wanted so badly for the seat to be uncomfortable so she had something to complain about. There was nothing about the car she could complain about, which only left one thing to comment about. “Was just looking for the chauffeur.”

Her comment actually got an eye roll and a sigh. Double score!

“I am capable of driving my own car.” Pulling out of the parking lot, he stepped on the gas. One hand rested on the steering wheel, the other on the stick, looking completely at ease and at the same time exuding an arrogance like she ought to be impressed by him and his car.

“So are you going to tell me where we are going or is ‘to learn things’ the extent of the explanation I am getting?”

“You’ll see.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she physically prevented herself from reaching out to slap the smug look from his face. Turning her head away, she stared out the window. The silence that fell between them got on her nerves quickly. Normally she would turn on the radio, but this was not a car from the pool, and she had no idea how any of the buttons worked.

“Kandomere...”

“Topaz.”

Her head turned so fast she heard her neck pop. He had never bothered to use her first name before. It was ‘agent’, ‘Bennett’ or both, but never Topaz. Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face. What was he up to? “Where are we going?”

He sighed in answer, glancing over his shoulder and changing lanes. “I am taking you to lunch.”

She blinked. Her mouth opened to say something only to close again. Her brain had trouble processing his answer, so she sat back in the leather seat that was way too comfortable and stared out the window, though not really focusing on anything. Lunch? The man that criticized every food choice she made was taking her to lunch?

“How is that learning things?!” she blurted out when something finally clicked. His laugh rang out in response. Was there a more frightening sight than a laughing elf?

“We are going to learn to get along.”

Eyes narrowed. That was exactly what the captain had told her. Had he been listening in on their conversation? Unless he had been crouched down by the door or had the office bugged, she didn’t think it was possible and while she was sure he did very dubious things, she didn’t think he would go that far.

“Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.”

“I was afraid of that… sorry.” The glare he sent her way made her bite the inside of her cheek to keep her from making more comments.

“I requested you to be assigned to my team. You’re a hot mess, but you work hard, and you have talent. If I am going to turn that talent into a great asset for my team, we need to find a way to get along… So I am taking you to lunch.”

Nothing. Try as she might, she had no smartass reply to that. Pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth she made a noise as she thought it over. “To learn things?”

“About each other.”

“Over lunch… away from the office. If you weren’t an elf this would be borderline HR worthy.” Feeling better after pointing that out, she turned her attention to the road finally and realized they were about to hit a traffic jam. Just what she needed, being stuck in traffic in a car with her least favorite person in the world. Today was turning out great.

“I am not hitting on you.”

Head rolled to the left. “I’ve thought about hitting you. At least five times already... today. Three times in the last thirty minutes.”

An eyebrow rose as he finally tore his attention away from the road to look at her. They were stopped behind a black SUV that was blocking her view from seeing just how far this traffic jam stretched.

“Oh sorry, I thought we making confessions. Carry on.”

A deep breath released in a heavy sigh. “Topaz...”

Her nose crinkled. “Yeah, no… let’s not call me that. That’s not gonna work for me.”

“It’s your name. What’s wrong with your name?”

“Aside from the fact I could never find any mugs, pens and other fun stuff with my name on it? Just about everything. It’s a hippie name.”

“Your parents were hippies?”

“No, they were junkies with about half a brain between them.”

“You’re a very hostile woman.”

“What can I say, you bring out the best in me.”

“I’ve been trying, but I seem to be failing.”

Making a clicking noise she shook her head a little. “I would really like to punch you in the mouth.”

“That would be worthy of HR.”

Her jaw dropped, and her head slowly turned to look at him. Did he just really use her own sarcasm against her? She needed a moment to process it, which got a half smirk from him, exposing pointy teeth briefly. Looking away, she could finally see the road signs and knew they were headed for elf town. As soon as she figured that out though, Kandomere’s arm hooked around the head rest of the passenger seat as he looked back for an opening. As soon as he found one in the slow moving traffic, he hit the gas, and with practiced ease, maneuvered the car out of traffic to the exit.

“Changed your mind already?”

His fingers tapped against the steering wheel. “Just getting out of a traffic jam. I know a place not too far away that actually serves decent food.”

She gasped in mock shock. He had criticized every restaurant she loved, giving her the impression that everything outside elf town was a germ infested dump. He actually knew a place? He had tried a place outside elf town? This just begged to be made fun of after all the criticism.

“Topaz.” His tone was one of warning and stopped the retort from leaving her lips. “Shut up.”

“Only if you stop calling me Topaz.”

Tilting his head, he seemed to contemplate it for a moment, then shook his head. “Don’t think I will.”

“May I punch you in the face?”

“You may not.”

“Damn...”

[searchingforaplacetocallhome]

Everything About You (Kandomere x OFC Pt7)

Setting: Bright movie-verse

Characters: Kandomere & Topaz Bennett (OFC)

Warnings: strong language possibly

Background: Topaz Bennett was the brightest student of her class, always the hardest worker in the room and it finally landed her a much coveted spot on the FBI’s Magic Task Force. By a cruel twist of fate, her new ‘partner’ turns out to be an elf named Kandomere, who seems to think it is his task not only to train her as the new agent on the task force, but educate her on pretty much anything else as well.

“Now this is a story all about how My life got flipped-turned upside down And I’d like to take a minute Just sit right there I’ll tell you how I became the servant of an Elf called Kandomere”

Word count: 2165

tag list: @echoesandwhispersanddarkthoughts @xtequilaxmockingbirdx @kandomerx

If you wish to be added to the taglist, just leave a message in the comments, and I will add you from now on.

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4 | Pt 5 | Pt 6

Part 7 - This Means War

Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz.

Groaning, Topaz blindly searched for the source of the buzzing. It continued, until her hand finally touched on the source, her phone. Opening one eye, she swiped her finger across the screen and dropped the phone on the pillow, laying her ear on it. “Morning...”

“Oh my god, you sound terrible! I just saw the report come in. Are you okay?”

Genny. Of course she would monitor all their communications with the office.

Topaz smiled a little, but when she tried to move she was reminded of the night before. Painfully. “I am alive… but everything hurts. My hair hurts. Why does my hair hurt?”

There was a giggle on the other end of the line. “I don’t know. Did someone pull it?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. That elf did… didn’t even buy me dinner first or anything. Just went straight for the choking and the hair pulling.” Pushing the blankets off, Topaz struggled into a sitting position despite her body’s protests. The room spun a little, so she closed her eyes, and silently counted to ten. “You can stop worrying, I’m okay. Grumpy the Elf is too.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Listen, I went by your landlord this morning...”

“Fuck, I totally forgot, Gen, I’ll wire you the money today.”

“No need. Someone already paid your rent. She wouldn’t tell me who, though.”

Reaching for her sweats on the chair, Topaz grimaced at the pain it caused to her chest. Pushing through it, she snatched them up and sat back just when Genny’s words sank in. Who on earth could’ve done that? There were only two people who knew she needed to pay her rent and since one tried and she was the other, there was no one. Unless… She pushed the thought from her mind, but shaking her head.

“You’re sure she said that?”

“Yeah, I am sure… you must have a secret admirer or something.”

“I guess… Sorry for the sounds I am about to make, I am trying to get dressed.” Groaning and grunting, she wormed her way into the pants, sitting back and panting with the sweats pulled just over her knees, she needed a little breather before she pulled them the rest of the way up.

“So I am looking over the report, and there are pictures...”

“Nope, no, nah uh. I do not need to start my day off with you asking me if I was wearing anything underneath that dress, and shit like that. He’s my boss, Genny. Stop it.”

Her laugh rang out from the other end of the line. A change of subject was sorely needed, before Genny could really latch on to this one.

“So someone really paid my rent? All of it?”

“In full. That place is terrible though, horrible neighborhood and so noisy. You really need to come check out my place when you’re back.”

“I know. Good apartments are hard to find.” Topaz let out a triumphant sound when she managed to push herself to her feet. She grabbed the sweats before they could slide back down to her ankles, and with a little wiggling got them up over her hips. “I can do this… today is gonna suck, but I can do this.”

“You should take a bath with Epsom salt. It will help with the soreness in your muscles.”

Leave it to Genny to have tips for everything. Although they hadn’t known each other nearly as long as other people seemed to think, not one of Genny’s tips she had received so far, and she had received many, had failed. “I might see if they have some. Thanks for the tip. Now go to work, and stop fantasizing about my boss. It’s gross. Bye.”

Putting her phone in her pocket, Topaz took a few small, hesitant steps, surprised when it didn’t hurt nearly as much as she thought it would. Pushing her hair back out of her face and behind her ear, she walked out into the living area.

Kaldomere was sitting at the table, reading something on his tablet, bringing the coffee cup up to his mouth to take a sip and set it back down. He was fully dressed, the only thing missing his jacket, but the gorget was back around his neck. This disappointed her, but she wasn’t sure why. Maybe because he looked a little more approachable without it? He looked up and put the tablet aside when she came closer.

Pulling a chair out, she slowly sank down into the seat, and sighed. She had made it this far, but today was really going to suck if she was going to be hurting this badly. It wasn’t going to stop her though.

“Morning...” she yawned, watching him pour her a cup of coffee, giving him a little smile as she wrapped her fingers around it. The warmth of the liquid, radiating out through the cup and against her skin somehow felt soothing to her and she let out a sigh.

His hand reached out and brushed her hair back to reveal her neck. She hadn’t even thought to look in the mirror to survey the damage herself, but if his reaction was any indication, it wasn’t a pretty sight. “That bad, huh?”

“How are you feeling?”

She took a sip of her coffee, feeling it warm her chest. Just what she needed. A little boost to start her day. It was really good coffee too, not the cheap kind from work, or the really cheap blend she used at home.  “Well, I was thrown down, choked, smacked and had my hair pulled, and not in the way I usually enjoy. So I am feeling a little used and unappreciated.”

“I meant physically.”

She got the look.

That look that told her she had managed to turn a simple question into an answer he wasn’t looking for or wanted to know, which made Topaz smirk behind her cup. It would take a lot more than a little fight to get her to drop the smartass retorts. If he didn’t know that, he was about to find out. It was also sort of her way of proving she was okay. She took another sip of her coffee, before she answered.

“I feel like I played Frogger in traffic and lost.”

Reaching over to the empty chair where his jacket was hanging, Topaz watched him riffle through the pockets and heard the familiar sound of pills rolling around in a plastic container. Immediately she shook her head, even before she saw them. “Those heavy duty painkillers make me loopy and tired. I can’t work with those.”

“Good thing you’re not working then.”

“Oh come on! I am just a little sore.”  

A brow hiked, Kandomere paused a moment, then tossed the pill container at her, which she caught with a grimace. The pain that shot through her chest was red hot like a poker. It took the air from her lungs, making her set her coffee cup down on the table. He proved his point, and Topaz wanted to slap the smug look off his face, but that would only hurt her more.

“You cracked two ribs. The only thing you’re doing today is resting.”

Glaring at him wasn’t going to make him change his mind, so her gaze dropped to the container, spinning it between her thumb and index finger to read the label. This was most definitely going to make her drowsy, but the pain was making it difficult to breathe right. The knock on the door made her look up at Kandomere. He seemed to be expecting it. Turning around on her chair, she watched as he went to answer the door.

A nicely dressed young man wheeled in a table with two silver domes on it, and her stomach growled in response. Breakfast. Behind breakfast was a cheap looking suit and a vaguely familiar face. It had to be one of the detectives they had met on their first night. He had two folders and a small evidence envelope in his hands.

“Good morning. Sorry to interrupt breakfast, but I thought you might want this as soon as possible.”

A friendly smile, veneer teeth, clean shaven, expensive cologne, not a hair out of place. All that trouble to look sharp, and a cheap suit ruined it all. She remembered him now, having dubbed him ‘the pretender’. “Morning, detective Howard.”

He shook her hand carefully, weak grip. Yup, all pretend. His gaze was on her throat, which made her even more curious to see the damage now. Was it really that bad?

“That looks pretty painful. You okay?”

“Oh this, it’s nothing.” Her mind made a connection, and the look in her eyes betrayed that she was about to make a remark she probably shouldn’t be, but it was out before Kandomere could warn her. “I told him not to use the belt, but he got a little carried away. Elves, right?”

The detective looked from Topaz to Kandomere, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, his other hand on his hip. Bringing up her coffee cup, she used it to hide her smirk behind. Payback is a bitch, Grumpus.

“You’ll have to excuse her. She has a very dark sense of humor,” Kandomere answered with a sigh.

“Oh, okay.”

“So what did you want to bring us, detective?” Topaz asked curiously, going straight from smartass to agent. She would spare the detective more discomfort and awkwardness. Kandomere was a different story however, she was far from done with him.

“Right, sorry. Our techs pulled the data from the cellphones of the two guys we have in custody, and from the phone you retrieved last night. We haven’t had a chance to go through that ourselves, but agent Kandomere said that you would want to have it as soon as possible.”

He had said what now? Her eyes went from the detective to Kandomere for a brief moment. Unless he had lost his mind completely or was still high on the drugs they slipped him the night before, this had to be his way of trying to appease her. It wasn’t gonna work. Signing for the little envelope, she opened it and held up the thumb drive. Not much she could learn from that without her laptop which was on the other side of the room.

As if he could read her mind, Kandomere placed it on the table and let the detective out. They were talking by the door, but Topaz paid them no mind as she booted up the laptop and plugged in the drive. She looked up only when Kandomere wheeled the cart over. She held up the end of the charge cord. “Can you stick it in?”

“Are you going to be doing this all day?” Kandomere asked, taking the plug from her and finding the nearest socket. The laptop beeped in response as soon as it was hooked up to the power.

“Pretty much. It’s not like I have anything better to do, since I have to rest and all.”

There was the look again. This time she had no coffee cup to hide her grin behind. Putting her hands over her heart she pretended his gesture of finding her something to do was touching. It was a terrible attempt to try and mend things between them, and she would let him feel it.

“Topaz...” His tone was one of warning, but she didn’t look impressed. “I had to convince that detective I wasn’t responsible for those marks on your neck.”

“Well, you did put me in that dress and had me play a hooker. Turn about is fair play.”

“You don’t want to play that game with me, Topaz.”

“Who says it is a game, Grumpus?” She watched him as he put on his jacket and straightened himself out. “Where are you going?”

“I am going to see what that elf has to say for himself. See what you can learn from that thumb drive. Call me if you have anything, and eat something before you take those pills.”

With a hand gesture she saluted him. He’d likely gotten her more of that disgusting grain stuff with dried fruit and yogurt that made her gag. She would order up some real breakfast while he was gone.

Her attention went back to the laptop when he walked away, and she almost missed his comment as she started clicking through the files to see what all was there.

“Silk scarf or tie.”

“What?” she frowned.

“I would never use a belt.”

She blinked at the door as it closed behind him. It took a moment or two for the other shoe to drop, but when it did, she went through a myriad of emotions in rapid succession. She even yelled at the closed door, though she was sure he was far out of earshot by then. 

“Oh you want war, Grumpus, you got it.”

[searchingforaplacetocallhome]

Everything About You (Kandomere x OFC Pt 5)

Setting: Bright movie-verse

Characters: Kandomere & Topaz Bennett (OFC)

Warnings: strong language possibly

Background: Topaz Bennett was the brightest student of her class, always the hardest worker in the room and it finally landed her a much coveted spot on Homeland Security’s Magic Task Force. By a cruel twist of fate, her new ‘partner’ turns out to be an elf named Kandomere, who seems to think it is his task not only to train her as the new agent on the task force, but educate her on pretty much anything else as well.

“Now this is a story all about how My life got flipped-turned upside down And I’d like to take a minute Just sit right there I’ll tell you how I became the servant of an Elf called Kandomere”

Word count: 2239

tag list: @echoesandwhispersanddarkthoughts @xtequilaxmockingbirdx @kandomerx

If you wish to be added to the taglist, just leave a message in the comments, and I will add you from now on.

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4

Part 5 - Lady In Red

“Well that was a colossal waste of time...”

Pulling her boots off, Topaz dropped them and groaned as her feet flattened against the plush carpet.  They had spent all night in interrogation and they still weren’t even a sliver closer to finding out where the wand was and who, besides them, was all after it. If she had to take a guess Inferni were involved, but it really could be any coven, as several were represented in the Elven district here. Whatever the case, the Shield of Light didn’t seem to be involved. At least the two in custody didn’t brandish the tattoo.

“Not entirely,” Kandomere spoke as he closed the door behind them.

“We just spent like 7 hours in that shit hole trying to get those schmucks to talk, and they didn’t flinch.”

“Exactly,” he said, and smirked in that creepy way that told her he knew something she didn’t. “They didn’t flinch.”

This caused Topaz to pause, the socks she had just pulled off her feet still in hand and her toes spreading a little as they sank into the carpet. It almost derailed her train of thought. Shifting on her feet a little, she gave a curious head tilt. “They didn’t flinch,” she repeated his words, trying to catch his train of thought, and closed her eyes a moment when she realized the connection she hadn’t made before. “No flinching, because someone trained them, and I know that look. You just had an idea.”

“I do have a few ideas, but they require some preparation.”

Pursing her lips, Topaz debated whether or not she wanted to ask him what those ideas were and what kind of preparation it required, but from past experiences she had learned that Kandomere always gave her just the information he was willing to share, and asking for more only got her frustrated. “Okay. Will this preparation take long?”

“Long enough for you to rest, yes.”

Topaz let out a little sound of excitement, turning to head to her bedroom.

“Topaz...”

Pressing her lips together, she resisted the urge to give him a smart retort and turned around with an annoyed ‘what?’ look.

He had taken off his jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. His gaze went from her down to the discarded boots on the ground and back.

For real?

Balling her hands into fists, she wanted to tell him very much that if the boots bothered him, he could move them, but this was just the first day, and she had a feeling she would have to share a living space with him for the majority of the week. It was probably best not to get into a fight over something as stupid as her boots right off the bat. Swallowing her pride, she snatched up the boots and made sure he saw her flinging them into her room.

Her butt bumped the door closed, her eyes on her phone to look through her messages. Her finger hovered over Genny’s number when her phone started buzzing and her name appeared on the screen. Swiping her finger over the screen she answered the call. “You must have some crazy ESP, girl. I was literally just about to call you.”

“Oh really? I just wanted to check up on you.”

“Uh huh, sure. You want to know things, elfie things.” Topaz chuckled when Genny tried her best to deny it. She knew better though. For some reason, the more Kandomere ignored her, the bigger her crush became on the elf. “Before you hit me with the twenty questions though, I need a favor.”

“Anything, chica. Whatcha need?”

“If I wire you some money, would you mind going by my landlord later and pay my rent? She’s getting antsy and I don’t wanna come home to all my stuff out in the street.”

“Yeah, of course. Just text me when you’ve wired the money.”

“Thank you, you’re a lifesaver.” Cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she wiggled her pants down her hips, Using one of her feet, she threw the garment up in the air so she could catch it without bending over. “I really need to find something cheaper, so if you hear anything, let me know, please.”

“You know, if you’re having trouble making rent, I have an extra bedroom. Splitting rent would make it easier on both of us.”

It was a tempting offer, one she was seriously considering, but she didn’t want to jump right in. She had bad experiences with roommates in the past. “Not sure you’d be able to put up with my messy ass.”

“You don’t have to say yes right away. Just think about it, come by when you get back, get a feel of the place and we’ll talk about it.”

It was a reasonable offer. “Alright. Hang on.” Shrugging her blouse off, she put the phone down long enough to toss her blouse on the chair in the corner and slip on the t-shirt she had brought to sleep in, not wanting to risk Kandomere walking in on her naked again. “Back. Okay, ask away. Just know I am silently judging you.”

“FYI, it’s not very silent when you tell me about it. So what’s it like?”

“It’s Vegas. Loud, in your face, and very superficial.”

“I don’t mean the city, I figured that much.”

“Lush carpet, too much white, amazing bed...” Topaz moaned, sinking back into the pillows and pulling the sheets up to her waist. “The view is pretty decent too. The only downside is I have to share it with Captain Grumpypants.”

“Ugh. You are so lucky. I am so jealous right now.”

“Genny, I love you, but you’re hopeless. Need I remind you he’s my boss?”

“That just makes it hotter. He’s your boss, you’re the subordinate...”

“Okay, I am gonna hang up on you. I need sleep, not nightmares. I’ll text you.” Ending the call, she tossed her phone on the bed beside her. Sinking down further into the pillows, she let out a content sigh. She could definitely get used to these assignments if she got so sleep in beds like these.

Kandomere proved once more that subtlety and tact were not his strong points, when he all but barged into her room and stated it was time to get up. It felt like she had passed out minutes before, but the clock disputed that feeling. Rubbing the sleep from her face, she dragged her unwilling body out of bed, and with toiletries under her arm, she all but sprinted across the living area to the bathroom for a quick shower.

She heard a knock on the door while she was drying off, followed by Kandomere speaking to someone. Slipping on the impossibly soft bathrobe, she tied it up and peeked out of the bathroom before she emerged. Kandomere was carrying a black clothing bag on a hanger, disappearing into his bedroom with it. What on earth was he up to?

Looking in on him, she watched him unzip the bag and reveal an expensive looking suit. Didn’t he bring enough of his own? Things just kept getting more and more curious.

“You should get dressed.”

His voice cut through her thoughts and her gaze shot up to meet his. “For what? Where are we going?”

“Elven district. Those tattoos those guys were sporting weren’t random, or some gang affiliation. There is a club where Elves go to meet humans.”

“I thought humans were servants?”

Kandomere laughed.

It clicked. She had heard about Elves keeping humans as pets before. It was some sort of fetish she didn’t understand, but to each their own. “Oh. I see.”

“We leave in thirty minutes.”

The tone of his voice urging her into action. “Right. Wait, I didn’t bring anything other than work clothes.”

Her comment got a smirk from him. “Check your room.”

Now she was convinced he was up to something. Curiosity got the better of her, so instead of asking him, she went into her bedroom to find a similar bag hanging from her closet door. Unzipping it she revealed a sea of red, her fingertips gliding over the fabric told her it was silk, not satin. This was an expensive dress.

Slipping her robe off, she struggled with the slippery fabric, getting her head through the opening only to realize she had the dress twisted. Muttering some curses under her breath, she finally got her arms through the straps correctly, smoothing out the top which fit eerily perfect over her curves. Having the dress somewhat figured out, she stepped in front of the mirror to look at her reflection.

“This can’t be right...”

The red strappy dress had a plunging neckline, the bodice form hugging, but what didn’t make it look right to her was the full length flowing skirt, with a split running way up the front on either side, so that when she stood there, not only her legs, but her panties peeked out as well. This definitely couldn’t be right.

“Are you sure this is the right dress?” she called out.

Kandomere appeared behind her, wearing black pressed pants, and a white button up shirt, which still had the top few buttons undone, a silk tie hanging loose around his neck. He wasn’t wearing shoes either, which took her a little aback. For a moment she just stared at him in the reflection of the mirror, committing the view to memory because she wouldn’t likely see him like this again.

Looking her up and down, he looked dead serious when he nodded. “Yes.”

Topaz snorted, looking over her reflection, tugging on the dress here or there. “This thing makes me look like you bought me for the night.” The gears in her mind started to work overtime, making the connections she really didn’t want to make, and her eyes went wide. “You want me to play a hooker?!”

“Escort,” he answered as casually as possible, buttoning the cuffs on his shirt like what he was telling her was the most normal thing. His eyes and the little smirk betrayed his amusement.

Her eyes were shooting daggers when she snapped her head to look at him directly, clenched fists ready to wipe the look off his face. He disappeared from view before she could act on the impulse. Growling in frustration, she snatched up one of her boots and threw it at the empty doorway.

How was this happening? Her first assignment, and she was going to be playing the working girl. This was beyond humiliating. She could barge into the other room and demand that they used some other strategy, but she knew he had a point. Her usual attire screamed law enforcement, and Elves in their own district weren’t going to even acknowledge her existence, let alone answer her questions.

So what’s bigger, Taz, your sense of duty or your pride?

Closing her eyes, she counted to ten until the urge to punch Kandomere in the face subsided. “Swallow your pride and do your job. You’ve gone undercover before. It’s just acting.” Talking to her reflection helped, and nodding, she finished up getting ready. She was almost finished when she spotted the one glaring flaw to her look. She definitely needed to wear something else.

Hoping against hope, she dug through her suitcase to find anything besides her regulars, but she found nothing. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell she was going out there without underwear, undercover or not. Something told her to look behind the zipper that was lining the inside of her suitcase, and what she found made her both sigh in relief and want to strangle Genny at the same time.

When they had packed up her go bag together, Genny found a way to sneak some of her lingerie in as well. Picking up the black lacy thong, she quickly switched her panties for it, checking her reflection to make sure they didn’t peek out. Satisfied, she flipped the suitcase closed, and pushed it back in the closet.

“Ready?”

Kandomere was leaning in the doorway, now fully dressed, including a black vest and jacket, but one thing was missing. His gorget. It made sense though, it was a very recognizable item, and his reputation might precede him if he wore it. Like her work clothes, it would make the Elves suspicious and defensive.

A pair of strappy heels were dangling from two fingers and he held them out after taking in the view and nodding approvingly. She snatched them from his hand and sat down on the foot of the bed to put them on. Kandomere disappeared from sight once again. “Lord, give me the strength not to kill him.”

Put your game face on.

Standing up straight, she took a moment to get used to the heels, which were surprisingly comfortable despite being inches higher than her usual footwear. The heels did something to her, making her sashay a little, which was one of the reasons she didn’t normally wear them, but it helped put her in character now.

Her eyes narrowed, glaring at him when he offered his arm. Slipping her hand under to curl her fingers around, she let him lead them to the elevator. She could feel his gaze on her as she stared ahead at the elevator doors when they closed. 

“I hate you.”

[searchingforaplacetocallhome]

Everything About You - (Kandomere x OFC Pt 4)

Setting: Bright movie-verse

Characters: Kandomere & Topaz Bennett (OFC)

Warnings: strong language possibly

Background: Topaz Bennett was the brightest student of her class, always the hardest worker in the room and it finally landed her a much coveted spot on Homeland Security’s Magic Task Force. By a cruel twist of fate, her new ‘partner’ turns out to be an elf named Kandomere, who seems to think it is his task not only to train her as the new agent on the task force, but educate her on pretty much anything else as well.

“Now this is a story all about how My life got flipped-turned upside down And I’d like to take a minute Just sit right there I’ll tell you how I became the servant of an Elf called Kandomere”

Word count: 2390

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3

For the song she listens to  >> --click here-- <<

Part 4 - Get used to it...

Some songs were just too good not to blast at full volume and sing along to with gusto. Blues rock was one of her vices, so when her playlist transitioned to the next song, she instantly squealed and picked up the remote to turn up the volume. The sound of guitars in a blues rhythm filled the room.

Dead of night baby, we’re finally alone. I’ll pull down the shades if you unplug the phone.

Adjusting the sloppy ponytail on top of her head, Topaz sang along to the lyrics while dancing around. It was laundry night, so she was wearing whatever wasn’t dirty, which in this case was a pair of hot pants and an oversized shirt she’d stolen from an old boyfriend, that said ‘careful, I bite’. Finished with the folding, she was sorting her clothes into different piles, taking sips of her beer in between.

Turn on some music, Marvin Gaye’s real nice. Once we get settled, I’ll turn out the lights. Don’t be afraid of the dark...

“Don’t be afraid of the dark. I’ll be there to hold you, don’t be afraid of the dark,” she sang, on key, and did a little hip turn before depositing another t-shirt on the pile. Picking up her phone, she sent a quick text message to Genny to tell her to hurry up and bring more beer. She had no idea how far the music was carrying, but she didn’t really care.

With the laundry sorted, she just started putting it back in the basket when she thought she heard a knock on the door. Pausing a moment she heard nothing else, so she shrugged and continued swaying her hips and singing along at the top of her lungs. “You might tremble, you might shake. Scream out loud, you may even break.”

-knock knock-

Genny had arrived and hopefully she got beer or they would have to go out to get more. Dancing her way over to the door, she missed a line in her song but picked up on the next. “You beg for more, you forget about the night,” she belted out and swung the door open with a swinging roll of her hips. “Did you bring beer?”

Kandomere raised an eyebrow as he stood there, one hand in his pocket, the other dropping to his side. “I did not.”

Well this was awkward.

Straightening up instantly, she pulled on her shirt as if that could cover her more. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No… Genny. Miss Larsen? Anyway, can I help you with something? Sir?” She scooted a little sideways, trying to use the door as cover.

“I called twice and left a message. Do you ever check your phone, Topaz, or do you just ignore my calls?”

“When you still insist on calling me that, I just might start.” Walking into the living room, she turned down the volume on her music and picked up her phone. Unlocking the screen, she discovered she did have new voicemail messages. How had she missed that when she just texted Genny?

“Did you mute your phone again?”

“No.” It was a blatant lie as she flipped the little switch on the side back to volume and put her phone down. When she looked at him, he was looking around her apartment. She could tell it was still far beneath him, but it wasn’t the mess it had been when he had intruded on her day off. She had cleaned and it showed.

“Don’t look so surprised. Contrary to what you believe, I do have domestic skills.” Her tongue darted out. “So since you’re here, wanna give me the quick and dirty version of it?” The moment the words left her mouth she regretted it. Why couldn’t she ever stop to think before she spoke? Because she didn’t have a brain to mouth filter like everyone else, that was why.

“We have confirmation. We’re leaving for Nevada.”

“Oh.” He seemed to be waiting on something, both eyebrows rising. “Oh! You mean right now.” Looking down at herself she made a face. “I should change...” Good thing she had the presence of mind to pick up her dry cleaning before going home today.

Grabbing the clothes basket, she disappeared into the bedroom, dropping it on the bed. Stripping down quickly, she put on a bra, contorting herself to get the damn little cloth flap to lay flat instead of irritating her back all day as usual. Picking her dark blue pants suit, she carefully lay the jacket on the bed to put on after she had her hair fixed. That way she avoided having to pluck all the stray hairs off later. The whole switch took less than two minutes, including her shoes.

Just at that moment, her playlist switched to a song even more embarrassing and she hit the power button on the speakers before the song could really get started. She found Kandomere standing by the counter, fingertips running along a stack of envelopes. Each one of them had a dreaded red stamp or sticker on them.

“Do you mind? Those are personal.”

“You’ve got a lot of overdue bills.”

“Yeah well, we aren’t all born with a silver spoon in our mouths. Some of us have student loans to pay off.”

Retrieving the trolley suitcase from the hallway closet she was thankful she had enlisted Genny’s help in putting together a go-bag just in case. With her phone in hand, she followed Kandomere down to the car. The trolley’s wheels whirred as she pulled it behind her and texted Genny to let her know that she was going out of town for work. This was not something she wanted to call her up for, because she knew Genny would squeal in her ear and that just wasn’t something she wanted to explain to him.

Handing her trolley off to a man in a black suit, with a transparent wire going from his suit colar to his ear, she was a little startled. What was with the security? Montehugh held the door open to the back passenger seat, and she smiled politely at him as she slipped into the spot.

“You’re coming with us, Montehugh?”

The big man chuckled and shook his head. Was he laughing because he could hear the silent plea in her voice. “Not this time, Bennett. My wife would string me up by my balls if I missed our tenth anniversary.”

“You’re married? You mean you actually tricked a woman into putting up with your ass all the time?”

Another laugh from the man. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry though, you’re in good hands. He doesn’t bite… much.”

This got a snort from the elf beside her, making her head snap in his direction. Kandomere was amused. Shaking her head, she turned her attention out of the window. Her phone buzzed with a message from Genny that had way too many exclamation points in it. Typing a quick reply she kept the phone in her hand, but the screen turned away from prying eyes.

The plane looked impressive, making her jaw drop a little as she stared in awe. She had seen it plenty in the movies, but the few times she had flown herself had always been on commercial flights.

“What’s the matter, Bennett? You look like you’ve never seen a private jet before.”

So smug and arrogant. Once again the brain to mouth filter was sorely missed. “Why do you always have to be such a jackass about these things?”

Montehugh snorted. “He can’t help himself. He’s an elf. We’re all inferior creatures to him.” He waited until Kandomere headed for the plane, two men following behind to take their luggage on board. “He might look and act all high and mighty, but once you get to know him, he’s really not a bad guy. He’ll grow on you, I promise.”

“You do realize that what you’re really saying is, ‘he’s a jerk but you’ll get used to it’, right?”

Montehugh shook his head. “Boy, he’s in for a rough ride with you. Do me a favor Bennett, don’t let this job change you.”

“I’ll try not to. Congratulations to you and the wife.” Greeting him with a little salute, she crossed the distance from the car, to the plan, and keeping a good grip on the railings, she climbed the steps, bracing herself against a gust of wind before all went still and she was faced with a flight attendant who gave her a bright smile and welcomed her aboard.

The interior of the plane was mostly white with light brown leather and polished wooden tables. This was nothing like a commercial flight, since there were only eight seats in rows of two facing each other, and an actual couch behind it. She was sure it was secured to the floor though.

Kandomere was already seated by the window, one hand on the table, his well manicured nails tapping against the wood, a flash of an expensive watch peeking out from under the sleeve, which he revealed when he checked the time. Expensive suit, expensive watch, probably an expensive manicure as well. Did he get mani-pedi’s with his elf buddies? The thought made her snort and drew the elf’s impossibly bright blue eyes to her.

“Are you going to stand there all flight, Topaz?”

She still couldn’t figure out what offended her so about him calling her by her first name, she just knew that it did. Her nose pulled up a moment, her lips pressed together in contempt. Moving, she took the seat across from him. The soft leather gave way in just the right places, and it almost felt like the seats in his car.

The flight attendant walked up and greeted them again. “We’ll be preparing for take off in a few minutes. May I take your drink order?”

“Scotch, neat.”

“Just a water, please.” Topaz frowned when the woman walked off and turned her attention to Kandomere, who was still looking out the window. “Didn’t your parents teach you how to say please and thank you?”

“No. Humans are servants.”

“Right...”

An awkward silence filled the air. Buckling up for take off, she relaxed in the seat and following his example, stared out the window as the runway started to disappear further down below and that funny flutter made her stomach turn a little. Flying wasn’t her favorite activity. Once in the air, their drinks were brought over, but the silence still hung in the air between them.

His response had made her painfully aware of the different cultures they had grown up in. Even though they were working for the same agency, no matter how far up the ladder she climbed, she would never be seen as his equal. Not because she was a woman, but because she wasn’t an elf. Her gaze went to the gorget around his neck. Elves above all. Above all Elves.

The script was intricate, and beautifully etched into the metal, or was it silver? She had never bothered to ask. The words however, were a reminder that to Elves all other life was inferior. They ran the world, kept the economy going, but no matter how hard the rest of the world worked, they would never achieve the wealth the Elves possessed.

“Didn’t know you could dance.”

She blinked. Not expecting Kandomere to break the silence, her eyes met his, then looked away. “Well now you do. You learn something new every day.”

More silence. Grabbing her glass off the table she took a few sips of her drink. He had tried to make small talk with her and she had cut him off, because the thought he could think of her as inferior angered her. Her race shouldn’t factor into her worth. Sighing, she rolled her shoulders to release the tension.

Say something, woman, anything!

“Do Elves dance?”

“What kind of question is that?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she unbuckled the seatbelt so she could shift around in her seat a little. The flight attendant noticed her trying to get comfortable and came walking over with a pillow and a wonderfully soft fleece blanket. Fussing around, she arranged the blanket around her and pushed her back into the pillow until she was comfortable.

Kandomere waited for his answer, a finger tapping his glass. It was empty already.

“It’s a legitimate question. I mean, with that stick so far up your ass it’s kinda difficult to bust a move, don’t you think?” She really needed a filter between her brain and her mouth. If only she could stop the words from coming out somehow, but whatever she thought shot straight out of her mouth. “I suppose you could do the Rigor Mortis two step.”

“We’ll land in Nevada in about two hours. From there we will be headed straight to the field office. I suggest making the most of the flight and take a nap.”

“Now see, you feign caring, but I know you don’t care if I get enough rest or not.” Someone really needed to stop her. Not even pinching herself stopped the words from coming out. “What you’re really saying though, is ‘I have no good retort so I would like for you to shut up now’.”

“And yet you’re still talking.”

Her eyes went wide and she scoffed at him. “See this is why nobody likes you.”

Opening the briefcase on the seat beside him, he pulled out a tablet, and started swiping a finger across the screen. “Go to sleep, Topaz,” he said in the tone of a parent telling a child to go the fuck to sleep.

“You don’t tell me what to do.”

“I am your boss, so yes I do. Go to sleep.”

“Yes, sir.” She saluted him.

“Topaz. Stop talking.”

“I wasn’t-”

“Still talking.”

The sing song tone in his voice made her shift angrily to get more comfortable. From the corner of her eye she could still see him, his focus still on the tablet. Maybe a nap wouldn’t be such a bad idea. At least she wouldn’t have to try to make small talk with Grumpelstiltskin. The nickname made her smile, even as she closed her eyes and let the sounds of the plane lull her into sleep.

[searchingforaplacetocallhome]

Everything About You Doodle

No new chapter today because I have the flu and been drifting in and out of consciousness all day. I did doodle a little on my phone and thought I’d share this cute moment with you all.

————

Genny had just finished tucking Topaz in when the door opened behind her and Kandomere appeared with two large cups of tea and some sandwiches that definitely didn’t look like they came from the cafeteria.

“I-I know it’s probably silly but she really likes this blanket and I thought it might help her wake up sooner. The doctor said if her stats keep improving they will take her off the ventilator in the morning.”

Kandomere placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. “She’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

“And you.”

A soft smile briefly passed over his features. “I brought you something to eat. I thought we could both stand to have some real food instead of that mess the cafeteria sells.”

“Thank you.” Genny giggled when a thought occurred to her. “Taz would probably love it.”

The comment made a smile finally break through on Kandomere’s face. “Undoubtedly.”