#'harness those emotions and wrote something'

[shyvioletcat]

Long time no see! After having a nap yesterday I was very awake last night and wrote this. I thought I’d join in and write something for @throneofglassmicrofics I used Memory as the prompt, as you can probably tell. And I broke the rules. I went 50 words over but I couldn’t bear to cut anything. Anyway…. Enjoy?

~~~~~

The chapel was lit by mid morning light, rainbows cascading from the stained glass windows. The flowers at the end of each pew elevated the ambiance just a touch more as the white blooms seemed to harness the warm light—nearly glowing. Aelin sat second row from the front, groom's side, a place of honour for her as one of his closest friends. There had been some cursory talk of her being in the bridal party, but in the end it was never going to happen, despite how much it was wanted. The bride and her family were far too traditional for the allowance of a woman in the groom’s entourage, so it was three male groomsmen along with three quintessential bridesmaids to match. All perfectly paired up for the perfect day.

Aelin tried to appreciate it, to smile along and blend in with the excited energy in the air. But the sinking in her stomach was cold and hard as a stone. She couldn’t ignore it, try as she might.

Rowan stood at the head of the aisle, dressed in a dark grey suit and trying his best not to look nervous. He was doing a fair job, he was always good at hiding his true feelings. That was part of the reason they had wasted so much time. Aelin hadn’t known how he felt until it was nearly too late. They’d only had a few precious months together before life got in the way and they had been sent to opposite ends of the world. Rowan was being deployed to gods knew where, traveling the world on whichever Navy vessel he was assigned to, while Aelin went back to Terrasen to work for her father. That had taken her all over the world too and never staying in one place too long. She had desperately tried to hang onto what they had but in the end it hadn’t been fair to him. They had struggled through time zones and lack of communication. In the end Aelin was the one to let him go, let him be free. She would regret that mistake for the rest of her life.

It had been foolish of her to imagine they would find their way back to each other. Rowan was too good of a man for that. Aelin wouldn’t be the one to hold him back from anything. He had so much love to give and a life of his own to live, it was Aelin’s fault she wasn’t there in the right place at the right time. Sometimes Aelin wondered if maybe they had had longer together in those initial months if they might have been able to weather the storm. Now it was too late, she would never know.

After smoothing down his suit sleeve for the hundredth time Rowan looked up, catching Aelin’s eye. He gave her a wink and a wave, his nervousness all but emanating from him. Aelin smiled back, rolling her eyes playfully to tell Rowan to get a grip. Catching her meaning Rowan huffed a laugh before his attention was taken by the appearance of the priest at his side.

The interaction drew the attention of Rowan’s parents in the pew in front, Aelin saw their faces light up as they recognised her.

“Aelin! You made it,” his mother beamed.

It was impossible not to smile back. “I did. Wonderful to see you Iris.”

“You too, sweetie,” Iris said a lent over the pew to squeeze Aelin’s hand. “We know how hard you work and it means the world to Rowan that you’re here.”

Aelin was saved from answering around the growing lump in her throat by the music swelling from the solo cellist in the corner. Everyone stood, knowing what was happening next. Almost as one, the gathering looked towards the doors. Not Aelin, she just needed one more moment. In the end it cost her, because it allowed her to see the look on Rowan’s face. It was filled with so many emotions, down to the tears brimming in his eyes. He smiled at his bride, his gaze never straying as she made her way down the aisle to him. His smile was unfaltering, wide enough that it caused his adorable dimple to appear. Rowan’s happiness was off the charts, filling Aelin’s chest with a bitter sort of happiness. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from it.

Memories flooded her vision, back when he used to smile at her like that, when that dimple in his left cheek would come out just for her. The haunting echos of his touch on her skin, the brush of his lips, the press of his body on hers. In those moments Aelin had never felt more cherished. As tears began to sting her own eyes Aelin had to look away, lest she become a sobbing mess and ruin this day for the man she loved.

Finally, Aelin took in Lyria, filling every definition of a radiant bride. Her dress was pure white, lace sleeves to her wrist with just the right amount of princess puff in the skirt. A veil trailed down her back from the elegant bun her brown hair was spun into. She smiled at Rowan with the same excitement he had. There were whispers of a pregnancy as to why the engagement and wedding were so rushed, Aelin didn’t know the truth of it. If it was true it might just break her. The secrecy first of all, and then because Aelin always imagined it being the one to have Rowan’s children—had been sure of it. That was a future that was rapidly vanishing to nothing but dust.

The congregation sat down and the ceremony began. Aelin barely heard it, almost in a daze. At one point the best man caught her eye, Fenrys sending her a concerned look. The small kindness was too much and Aelin shook her head with the clear message of stop. Thankfully he did and she went back to trying to keep herself together.

When they say I do the finality of it all hit Aelin like a shotgun shot to the heart and she would swear it was the exact moment her heart shattered into a thousand pieces because now all those memories… they meant absolutely nothing.

~~~~~

*laughs nervously* surprise?

#throne of glass microfics #rowaelin fanfiction

[haydenigmatic]

(NSFW)

How would the ROs react to a MC who says "I love you <RO Name>! I love you soo much" a lot during sex ?

oooooooh this is an interesting one:

VERENA:

She would initially see MC's declarations of love during intimate moments as an opportunity to maintain control and play into her own desires. She might use it to further manipulate MC, believing that their vulnerability in those moments could be harnessed for her benefit. However, as their relationship deepens and her true feelings for MC surface, she would gradually realize the authenticity of their emotions and become more open to genuine emotional intimacy, eventually reciprocating their affections.

ODETTE:

She would likely find MC's repeated declarations of love during intimate moments endearing and heart-warming. Her heart would swell with affection and appreciation for MC's emotional openness. While she also express her feelings just as vocally (I could easily see her saying it every time she has sex with MC), she would convey her love through tender actions and a deep connection, fostering an atmosphere of emotional intimacy. Her response might include sweet smiles, loving caresses, and whispered words of affection, even singing for MC a song she wrote especially for them.

NESRIN:

While deeply moved by MC's declarations of love, she might initially respond with a subtle smile, her dark brown eyes expressing a mix of affection and amusement. Nesrin would maintain her poise, focusing on her actions, but the words might evoke her own feelings of love and passion. She'd respond by showing her affection through gestures, touches, and whispered endearments, strengthening the intimate connection between them without overwhelming words.

JASIRA:

She would likely respond to MC's frequent "I love you" declarations during intimate moments with a mix of affection and amusement. While her focus during such moments may primarily be on physical and emotional connection, she would appreciate MC's genuine expressions of love. Her reaction would involve reciprocating with intensity, responding in a way that combines her passionate nature with her deep affection for MC.

SORIN:

She'll be touched by MC's repeated declarations of love during intimate moments. While her guarded nature might initially make her feel slightly vulnerable, she'd also appreciate the depth of MC's feelings and their desire to express love so openly. Over time, she might gradually become more comfortable with such affectionate affirmations, ultimately deepening their connection and intimacy.

DORIA/N:

In the midst of their intimate moments, as MC passionately expresses their love, Doria/n's initially guarded demeanour softens. A subtle, rare smile graces their lips, and their intense gaze meets MC's with a mix of surprise and genuine warmth. While s/he might not reciprocate the verbal declarations with the same frequency, their actions speak volumes. S/he responds by deepening the connection physically, drawing them into a more profound embrace. In the quiet aftermath, s/he might murmur something understated but laden with meaning, allowing the intimacy to convey what words seldom do for someone of their nature.

AURELIA/N:

In the intimate moments shared between Aurelia/n and MC, if MC consistently expresses their love verbally during sex, their initial reaction might be a subtle shift in demeanour. Being reserved, they could find such explicit verbal declarations a bit overwhelming. However, rather than outright stopping MC, s/he would likely respond with a tender smile, appreciating the sentiment. S/he might gently guide the focus towards shared emotions through non-verbal cues, emphasizing the connection and intimacy they share in those moments. True to their nature, would express their love through actions and a deep emotional connection, allowing the physical intimacy to speak volumes.

HANNIEL:

During intimate moments, Hanniel typically reserved about expressing his emotions, would be both surprised and deeply moved by the repeated declarations of love. At first, he might show a subtle blush, a mix of embarrassment and joy playing on his features. His heart would indeed burst with excitement at the unexpected tenderness. In response, Hanniel, overcoming his usual stoicism, would gently cup MC's face, looking into their eyes with sincerity, and with a voice filled with genuine emotion, and say the words back. The words would carry a weight of authenticity, revealing a side of him reserved solely for these intimate moments, strengthening the connection they share.

DAMON:

In the throes of passion, as MC repeatedly professes their love, Damon's bold and flirty demeanour intensifies. His grin widens, revealing in the verbal affirmation of their affection. However, in a moment of unexpected seriousness, Damon abruptly stops, locking eyes with MC. The room buzzes with a charged atmosphere as he responds, "And I love you, more than words can capture." The playful facade momentarily dissipates, revealing the depth of his feelings. It's a poignant declaration amid the heated intimacy, grounding their connection in a profound and sincere acknowledgment of love.

#tbotd #interactive fiction #choice of games #if wip #if game #ro's #the blood of the dragon

[lurkinglurkerwholurks]

Listening

First posted: April 14, 2019

Focuses on: Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson

Tier: Middle of the pack at best

This is my “behind the scenes” series where I indulge myself horribly by annotating my fics. Link to the fic itself above. Thoughts below the cut.

More than once person requested a continuation of Carried for the one-year ficiversary prompt, so after Shoulder to Shoulder I wrote this. Since I already rehashed Janet's funeral from Dick's POV, I figured it was time to take on Bruce, but for what happened after.

Bruce didn’t know what he was doing. On paper, he was trying, just like he had promised Dick. But Dick, ever the optimist, had underestimated just how broken Bruce was. I don’t know how to do this, he admitted to no one, but surely they could tell. 

Bruce is Not Well, y'all. Like bless him outwardly he's all 🗿, but internally? Parental Panic 24/7.

Dick had been too young and traumatized to notice when he had first come to the Manor. Jason—would it always hurt like this, just thinking his name?—Jason had expected everything and nothing of him and so hadn’t been disappointed to receive something in the middle. But what ground Bruce had gained, he had lost in a gleaming swing and a deafening explosion.

I would remove the "gleaming swing" because I'm not sure Bruce would know about the crowbar specifically, and even if he did, I'm not sure he would think of it in those terms. (Also it sounds more like a sword?) I'd want another adjective-noun pairing there for balance, though. Just "deafening explosion" doesn't feel right. The rest of it is nice, though, very true to how Bruce perceives his own efforts and how/why he feels his kids forgave his many mistakes.

Unlike the others, Tim had been unwanted. Bruce could admit that to himself, if to no one else. Tim had been the chirping bird on the windowsill, urging him to meet the dawn when all Bruce wanted to do was never wake up again. Tim had been the buffeting blow of an airbag to the face, the ricochet of a guardrail, the snap of a harness.

Hello, still fairly fresh off It Wasn't Real, howzitgoin. It's awfully fun to take a thing that two characters are each secretly thinking and secretly agree on and show how very far apart they remain on what that thing means. Tim knows Bruce did not want him around at first, and he carries that rejection with him long past when it was valid. Bruce acknowledges Tim wasn't wanted at first but places the onus of that on himself. It has nothing at all to do with Tim, other than the fact that Tim was pushing him to live when he wanted to die.

Tim had saved Bruce’s life, maybe in more ways than he would ever know, but he had not been wanted, only needed. Even once that had changed, Bruce’s behaviors hadn’t, not significantly. For all the deception his life depended on, he wasn’t sure how to fix this disconnect between behavior and emotion.

Ain't that always the way.

There had been no tears, no outbursts, no nightmares like the ones that had rousted Bruce from bed to pace the halls and Dick to cross his path in the glow of the open fridge.

Readers during Shoulder to Shoulder had noted the implication that being at a funeral would affect both Bruce and Dick, as people with past trauma involving death and funerals. Here's the payoff. Tim's mom died and Bruce and Dick are the ones who can't sleep.

He had only crossed paths with Jack Drake once or twice before, despite being neighbors, and remembered little about the man other than a vague sheen of dislike, like a thin film of oil floating above the water of his impression.

I like that line. Sometimes that's just how it is. There's no real mass, no substance to a dislike. A person just leaves a bad aftertaste.

He had reminded Bruce too much of other little boys, too much of himself, too much of Tim himself the first and only time Bruce had raised his voice outside the cowl.

I don't know why I wrote that. My guess is that I figured Bruce couldn't have yelled at Tim too much before this point or he wouldn't have reacted to strongly to Tim's reaction, but wow I really painted myself into a corner there. Bad Mental Health Bruce only yelled at Tim once???

And maybe if Tim had needed him still in the days to follow, that would have made things easier and given Bruce a template to follow. Instead, Tim was fine and Bruce was the one floundering.

me @ me: o o f

“I’m sorry you’re dead. Which is a-a dumb thing to say, I know, but... You were really important to Bruce. Even if no one said so, you can tell, by the way he doesn’t talk about it. And he’s old now. I mean, an adult and everything, but he’s still upset about it. Which is how it should be, right?”

I am perpetually fascinated with Bruce's grief, especially how it might be perceived by and affect those around him. It's often portrayed as this nostalgic, static thing—an unchanging event from his childhood—rather than a real, living, ongoing thing that affects his day to day life. Tim knows better.

“I’m upset you’re dead,” Tim was saying, “because you seem like good people, and because it hurt Bruce when you went away. And I’ve never even met you. So... so shouldn’t I be upset about my mom, too?”

IIRC, that first bit was one of the sentences I was writing toward, one of the reasons I put Tim out here in the snow at all. He needed someone to talk to and no way was he confessing any of this to people who might think less of him.

"But I was surprised, because they said she must’ve been on her way home, and I hadn’t even known she was coming back.”

Another sentence I remember being determined to fit in, since it fit in well with his previous sentiment in Carried.

“Alfred installed these. They’re really buried in Gotham Cemetery, but I wanted a way to talk to them every day, so...”

Oh I fussed so much about figuring out the logistics for the Waynes. You can't just bury people on private property! But I wanted them there! Thinking through why and how there might be a replica of a gravesite on the grounds was a useful exercise, though.

That seemed a long time ago, the days when he felt bursting with things to say. Bruce could still remembering the tight, burning sensation in his chest, like if he didn’t get all the emotions out, he would go to pieces, but it was like remembering something that happened to another person. He still had the emotions, still had the blaze beneath his breastbone, but the words had slipped away entirely.

I was pretty deep into Nature and Nurture by the time I wrote this fic, so clearly Bruce's psyche and communication skills remain Of Interest. I just love the idea of some parts of Bruce being a consistent throughline while others that non-Alfred people might think of as a core piece of his identity are actually a result of trauma.

Bruce pointed to the chipped arm of his mother’s cross. “I did that. I was... I don’t know how old. I don’t even really remember why. I just remember being angry. Angry at them for not being here, angry for leaving me with two hunks of rock that didn’t talk back. Angry at myself for being angry.”

I had to pull these details back up for a later fic and work around them/incorporate them into The Rain Again, when Bruce gets angry again.

The words came slowly, as they always did, but Bruce had learned by now to speak at a measured pace to make them seem as deliberate as they were, if less hard-won.

I was reading some book at the time that uses this framing for a character's speech and I wish I could remember what it was, because it makes sense.

“You were missed,” Bruce finally answered

I loved knowing that that's where this fic was headed, in the end. It made me feel so warm and cozy.

#fanfic bts brain dump #bruce wayne #fanfic #batfic #tim drake

[thecatamaranlad]

OC dump

These are just Some Guys (and gals and nonbinary pals) from a story I wrote in 2017 after taking a road trip across the US post-Trump election, tentatively titled "Raptors".

Setting: (linked to more in depth post) near-future sci-fi, United States. Lots of climate-linked natural disasters and social breakdowns.

Story vibe: Queer buddy/road trip comedy with some drama, friendship, found and birth families. And shitty biodiesel campervans!!

OK, here are the dudes and other folks: (below the cut)

Tai (they/them): Main character. Biracial (black mom, redneck white dad), nonbinary, queer, from South Carolina. Really into cars and mechanics. Autistic, reserved, fiercely loyal to those they let into their world. Has unprocessed childhood trauma LOL but who doesn't amirite. 19 years old at the beginning of The Trip.

Kat (she/her but dgaf, she's literally a cat): Tai's cat. Small black adventure meow who will ride on your shoulder if you're Tai or Carla, and tolerates harnesses and road trips -- if she can look out the window. A year old at the beginning of the story/trip. Her name is either short for Katrina or Category 6, depending on who you ask.

Sam/Sammy (he/him): excessively tattooed meteorology grad student. Tai's childhood friend/babysitter. White, redheaded trans man. Kind Of A Mess. Not over his ex. Full Of Feelings. Eventually acquires a motorcycle. 24 at the start of The Trip, but doesn't join. Will answer calls and monitor the weather where you're at even if he's mad at you. (Three guesses who's my self-insert character.)

Carla (she/they): Asexual biromantic Hispanic girl with blue hair (at the start of the story anyways). From New Jersey. Sammy's ex and also roommate (it's complicated). 26 at the start of The Trip, which she joins because she's tired of Sam's angsty BS. Can't get a job in her field (mechanical engineering). Way too impulsive.

Lou (they/them): Nonbinary Asian American kid from Boston. Tai's... ex? It's complicated! Emotionally constipated, but well-meaning. 20 years old when Tai ditches them to fuck off to California in a shitty van LOL.

Marisa (she/her... she/they really): Tai's mom. A black woman in her 50s. Overeducated and underpaid (doctorate in English Literature). Might be involved in fomenting a revolution but who knows. Has certainly been illegally fired for union organizing before. Lost custody in the divorce. Lives in California now and communicates with Tai sporadically but supportively.

Holly (she/her): Tai's aunt's ex-lesbian lover from college. (Still definitely a lesbian. Probably white? I haven't decided yet.) Manages a queer farming/ranching co-operative in Montana. Bit of a prepper and not a little paranoid, but welcoming and caring nonetheless.

Anyways these are my lil comfort OC blorbos (aka the ones I DON'T make do a shit ton of emotional processing on my behalf). I just stick them into the world my brain is convinced is starting to exist anyhow (gotta use that degree for something!!), and see what they do.

#me writing a thing #raptors story #sam the motorcycle man #wip wednesday #original characters #my ocs #i need to learn to draw for these guys tbh

[lightdash]

On the planet Sonic and co. inhabit, there are two primary sources of energy: Life & Chaos.

     Life Energy is the heartbeat of their world — the source of all, one that can be found in every living being (both flora and fauna). It’s the very essence of the planet itself, comparable to aether or the lifestream in Final Fantasy. Naturally occuring, vital, and poisonous in excess.* ①

     While Life Energy is more something you feel rather than see, it has some instances of manifestation: the aurora borealis, bioluminescent waters, and light rays being some. With the correct technology, this energy can be condescended into a physical form, which is the green liquid seen in Lost World. Despite it’s volatile nature in this state, it can be used to power machines, tech, and even people — at a cost.

     The most well-documented examples of physical manifestation of Life Energy are the Chaos Emeralds: the result of energy coagulating over many, many years. While it’s been theorized that there may have been more emeralds in early history, there are now only seven, not including the Master Emerald. As for why the planet stopped producing them, no one knows.

     The deities of their world, Dark* ② and Light Gaia, are made of Life Energy.

This is why Chip’s powers, such as the protective shield around Sonic, and Dark Gaia’s blood, are all green.

     After the Time of Awakening comes to a close, the two rejoin at the world’s core and become whole again — Gaia, a singular entity: their Planet Egg.

     During the very first sundering of the planet, the Chaos Emeralds were thrown into the cosmos as the earth cracked apart. They drifted into space, lost for a millenia, before falling into the hands of The Ancients. The emeralds were a great boon to them, and through their studies, became the first to utilize Chaos Energy to power their technology.

     Chaos Energy is the magic force of Life Energy. It’s mystical and difficult to predict; thoughts to will, energy to power — “power enriched by the heart.” Because the Chaos Emeralds are a direct result of the planet, inside them, they carry it’s memories. These are traces of endless history and information, constantly flowing and rearranging; the very thing that inspired the Ancients to create Cyberspace. This knowledge not only connects the user to the emerald, but allows them to tap into it’s power.

     While everyone on their planet is made up of Life Energy, not all can use the emeralds to harness Chaos Energy. Only those with a strong chaos affinity (chaos sensitive?) can. Sonic, as an example, was able to teleport with the fake emerald* ③ in Sonic Adventure 2 thanks to his chaos affinity. Like any other magic, this is a skill that can be practiced… if you have an emerald. * ④

     Because Chaos Energy is magic influenced by the user’s emotions, there are three types: Negative, Neutral, and Positive. All have different outcomes, ergo, different kinds of powers. While anyone with a chaos affinity can use all three, some may lean closer to one side than the other.

     After the remaining Ancients migrated to Angel Island, they were around for the next Time of Awakening and aided Light Gaia in it’s quest to fix the planet. They wrote the Gaia Manuscripts, and built the world’s first Gaia Temples; buildings based on their own, past experiences harnassing the emeralds’ power.

     As thanks for their help, Light Gaia gifted them a guardian: the Master Emerald, the last known natural emerald. Directly linked with Gaia inside the planet’s core, it’s vaguely sentient, and the most powerful gem on Earth — even surpassing that of the Chaos Emeralds with it’s ability to perform incredible miracles, such a warping reality itself, or raising an entire island into the sky.

①. Chaos Radiation is what happens when you get too much of a good thing. In excess, both Life and Chaos Energy can make you quite sick. What starts off as nausea and unease can eventually lead to full cell degradation. Fortunately, the latter takes some time… like, a few thousand years kind of time.

②. Dark Gaia Energy is not a seperate source of energy, but is actually Negative Chaos Energy.

③. Fake emeralds are similar to Chaos Drives. Condescended. Chaos emeralds are the natural version, and chaos drives/fake emeralds are the man-made option.

④. In the case of Shadow, he does not need an emerald to access basic Chaos Energy due to the nature of his creation. Gerald’s use of Chaos Drives gave Shadow a natural reservoir of Chaos Energy — basically, making him his own Chaos Drive. An emerald makes it so he can use stronger abilities.

#* ∙ ✰ / headcanons. #worldbuilding tag #a bit of a condensed + revisited version of my old post discussing the differences in energy for my canon #i'm still not sold on what frontiers did with the emeralds but i'm doing my best to make it work with my stuff (ough)

[neodarkdark]

I'm impatient to revisit the Shadow Crystal meta I wrote earlier in the year

It doesn't intentionally manipulate or Brainwash anyone, the energy that comprises it taps into existing vulnerabilities like an instability in mental health, or a desire, really whatever it can get a hold of. This is merely a product of the nature of its existence; it isn't a Thinking Entity.

It has a similar effect to the Ring in LotR, in its ability to potentially twist a basic desire for good into something harmful (as well as its pull on the minds of those exposed to it, cause irrational behaviour that isn't outright mind-control but is rooted in existing tendencies in the person being affected, and that it's very difficult to extricate its influence from the mind once it's got a foothold in). It should be treated with the same amount of respect and caution the Ring was to be treated with.

Similarly with the Ring, it's nigh on impossible to "use" or "harness" the power of the Shadow Crystal without ending up being pulled into that effect. This is what happened to Brighton, Wyatt/Blake and Altru. Whatever your original intention was is going to be twisted into something that aligns with the Shadow Crystal's nature (the extension of its influence, the creation of more negative energy, according to the base nature of the energy that comprises it).

It's an easy mistake to make because if there are people who think they can harness the power of a living conscious and powerful thing like a Pokemon, how much more should you be able to make use of an object like the Shadow Crystal?

(Without something under its influence to act on its behalf/to its ultimate benefit, it IS just a rock [made of an immeasurable amount of negative emotional energy].)

#but you can't. even if it takes decades or longer its influence will win out in the end. your actions will feed it #shadow crystal meta

[independentzaun]

Some stuff about (my) Jinx.

Because I want to write, but my head is blue screening on RP threads so have some headcanons.

First thing, I wrote this in an ask, but I want it in an actual post.

Jinx, post arcane, has the potential to work magic within her. I don't feel like going into deep detail as to why, but basically a combination of shimmer plus her exposure to hextech crystals/energy has made it so she could perform actual magic with all the same ability as someone born to it albeit a lack of skill due to unfamiliarity. Exactly what kind of magic, and what form it would take I haven't decided yet plus to be honest it could probably shift depending on different things such as who teaches her. One idea I do like is her learning to shove the hallucinations she suffers from into someone else's mind temporarily, but regardless there's different options. There's probably small signs here and there of that potential. Maybe how quickly she can move despite not transforming anymore than she already has with her eyes, or whatever else.

The important thing here is that she cannot learn how to harness that ability by herself. She needs a teacher who realizes she has the potential, or decides to try to teach her just as a "well why not try" type thing. She's not consciously aware of it enough, and in most cases honestly isn't stable enough when by herself to actually start trying to unlock that and learn it by herself. Partially because I think that makes sense, and partially because I don't want to just make Jinx randomly more powerful when she's already quite a threat without there being a story behind it.

So yes, she could work with magic now much like any other mage but only if someone picks up on it and teaches her.

Second thing. This is inspired by @arcanescion (thank you!)

Also partially due to Jinx getting exposed to energy from the hextech crystals along with her being odd/unique/etc Jinx without understanding/realizing it actually picks up on emotions (as in feels them psychically/magical style) but it's not from people. It's from strong enough emotions left behind in a building, or the environment around her. Picking up on those left behind emotions does effect her own emotional state, and normally in a negative way because she's in Zaun and the strongest emotions are almost always negative ones. Jinx has no understanding of this Empathic ability at all. All she knows is sometimes buildings/places feel kind of weird, but it's Zaun all of course Zaun is weird, and sometimes her mood shifts as well getting darker or worse or whatever else (because of the emotions she picks up on) and she doesn't know why and just figures it's cause... well just how she be. She's never stopped to consider it, or figure out why because as far as she's concerned it's just her volatile emotions being volatile. On bad days she considers "feeling like this building is creepy" left over weakness from Powder. It's also not something she likes admitting to people because she fully expects to get teased, mocked, or bullied for it. There's a decent chance she's muttered something before about "don't like this spot it's... weird." or something similar around Silco and/or Sevika however.

Side note: An idea I like is that she saved Silco unknowingly from an ambush once because someone spent 2-3 days setting it up, and she muttered something about "I don't like this area" as her and Silco approached the area and he asked if she wanted to go somewhere else and it was one of the few times Jinx nodded and said yes. Not something I'd shove onto any Silco, but it's a fun idea I think. Bonus points if he finds out a couple of days later about the planned ambush.

#justjinxthings

[furtiveseal]

@lutiaslayton tagged me to share the last seven lines of my current WIP, which I wasn't expecting but very much appreciate <3 (also go check out her stuff if you're into Professor Layton she does a bunch of really really cool things including a great fanfic, translating a bunch of the Japan-exclusive content, and hosting a website with a bunch of stuff)

The closest thing I have to a WIP right now would be Wild Magic and Wilder Witches, my The Owl House-inspired TTRPG project built around improvised magic and dicebuilding. It's still very much a work in progress (I've barely started working on chapter 2 of the 7 I planned on writing for the core book) but here's a sneak peek of the latest thing I wrote (a bit more than 7 lines admittedly, I'm putting it under the cut because this is gonna be long):

Mana types

In order to cast any spell, you will need mana, raw magical energy that emanates from the Isles.

There are 6 types of mana, and all but one of them are associated with a specific type of magic.

Wild mana is the purest form of mana as it exists before coming into contact with anything else. True to its name, it is ever-changing and hard to consistently use, but its nature allows it to be used for any type of magic.

Elemental mana is mana transformed by contact with raw elemental forces : fire, water, wind and earth, but also rock, thunder, snow, sand and ice. Elemental magic allows one to both conjure and manipulate the elements, shaping them into whatever form is needed or combining them into a powerful, if unstable, spell. By itself, elemental magic is ephemeral, and even solid constructs will rarely last more than a minute unless the caster is focusing on them.

Life mana is mana that was changed by the primordial force of life that permeates all living things, plants and creatures alike. Life magic lets its users bend the laws of nature, growing plants in the blink of an eye and bending them to their will, temporarily giving physical form to mana by summoning animals, healing wounds in a matter of seconds or transforming one’s body with claws, wings, gills or anything else they might need. While the plants created by life magic can often keep existing long after their original spell was cast, animals and other types of sentient life, along with bodily transformations, are harder to stabilize and will turn back into mana if not given proper care and focus.

Illusion mana was shaped by dreams, nightmares, and the way all living beings experience the world through their senses. Through illusion magic, Witches can make you see and feel things that aren’t there, producing illusions both frightening and enchanting, manipulating senses by changing something’s color, smell, taste or texture - sometimes turning things invisible -  or even getting directly involved with dreams. Illusions are volatile by nature, but take very well to efforts to keep them active.

Creation mana is the most stable of all the mana types, as it was changed by contact with physical matter and Witch-made things, as opposed to those born of the Isles. Creation magic allows one to manipulate the essence of creation itself, bending its rules via teleportation, the modulation of gravity, changing the size of objects, or turning mana into solid matter, whether ephemeral constructs of pure crystallized energy or permanent items and materials. The spirit of creation can also be imbued into items to animate them so that they may pursue their specific purpose on their own. Soul mana is mana transformed by the souls, thoughts and spirits of the sapient denizens of the Isles. Soul magic is powerful and dangerous, as it lets one get in direct contact with their and other’s souls, allowing for wordless telepathic communication, mind control, siphoning the very life force of another being through vampirism, or harnessing strong negative emotions into spells meant exclusively to kill or destroy. Soul magic also isn’t limited to the realm of the living, as it can allow Witches to interact with the spirits of the dead, or emulate a soul to reanimate a corpse temporarily.

If you liked that, I post updates about the project under the "seal makes a ttrpg" tag, but be warned that progress is slow and inconsistent.

Anyway, I'm not entirely sure who amongst my mutuals has a WIP of any sort, so I'm just gonna tag @spiderkunst, @raph-lachouette and maybe @iknaenmal too, but if you weren't tagged and have stuff you want to share please do and tag me so I can see it!

#seal talks #lutiaslayton #tag game #seal makes a ttrpg

[i-love-you-all]

Whumptober 2022 Day 22: Pick Your Poison

Angsty Reyna hours. This fic references the first one shot of this event I wrote.

Also, as a heads up, in case you haven’t seen my prev announcement, I’ve accepted I won’t be a completionist this year bc I don’t wanna force myself to finish all the prompts in time for tomorrow. So, gonna try to get the prompts done today on stream published, then I’ll work on the 31st one to be published on time at least :))

~1.3k words. Viper, Reyna, Mentions Brimstone, mentions Viper/Omen. Alcoholism, withdrawal, mentioned death.

“Have… Have you been alright?”

This was one of those quiet nights at the HQ. Viper sipped her coffee, studying Reyna who was sitting across from her, a drink of some sort in her hand as well, though untouched. There was rarely a feeling of peace around here. If it wasn’t the world ending events, it was the mirror group of agents driving them faster towards disaster, and if it wasn’t them, it was the agents themselves, trying to entertain themselves in the most dangerous ways possible. But hey, if it kept them focused for their next mission, it shouldn’t matter. Still, for once, there was nothing around them that would burn, or explode, or kill if they sat back for just an hour to enjoy their evening.

Their lives had been so quiet recently, that Viper was caught off guard when Reyna sought her out. She sipped again at her coffee before setting it down. The only time they met like this was when something was wrong with her sister. When the stasis machine was failing, or when there wasn’t enough energy to feed her life. But with the recent mission resulting in almost a surplus of this soul energy Reyna harnessed, her sister was doing just fine. That made this call for a meeting even stranger. Neither of them liked small talk, and there was nothing to discuss.

Nothing that they hadn’t discussed a hundred times before at least.

But this seemed new.

As she waited for some explanation, or even just a greeting, Viper caught the slightest of trembles when the glass was set on the coffee table.

“Alright? When was the last time things have been… alright?”

Viper almost rolled her eyes. Almost, because in truth, she remembered that she wanted this peace, and that meant that she just had to hold on a little longer.

“Look, I already assured you. Her vitals are stable. This is the best she’s been for some time now…” Viper crossed her legs and her arms as she waited for some other reason why Reyna was behaving this way.

“IT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH.”

Viper raised an eyebrow, just slightly at the outburst. Reyna habitually dipped into her anger and frustration for strength and renewed will, but this was still unexpected. There was no need for her borderline emotional state now – certainly not while things were just fine. They both knew that progress would be slow, but with the recent bump in energy, there were already signs of progress.

Then she heard a familiar sigh. One that showed the fatigue of sleepless nights and inescapable memories. How many times had that feeling escaped her own lips? And all at once, she read Reyna’s posture a different way. There were slumped shoulders, not a sign of bitter determination, but of exhaustion. The tremble that she caught earlier was likely not a sign of barely contained rage, there were times that a human body couldn’t keep going, and while Reyna liked to call herself a radiant, she was human first. Then, she caught the spasm, a small twitch that she didn’t seem to control in her leg. Lack of energy? Too much tensing? A sign of barely contained nausea? Viper couldn’t confirm, and she certainly wouldn’t ask.

But she remembered. In the nights after the accident, she remembered laying down on the empty bed meant for two and staring up at the ceiling just… wondering. It was the curse of the what if. The only two words that were always guaranteed to ruin a persona’s psyche, with the power only growing stronger the more they wanted it. She often begged for one of her what if thoughts to come true, so that she would wake up to his face again. She wouldn’t have had to walk past the same wing every morning and feel something that reminded her of him, only for her to press her nose to the glass window and watch as the shadows whirled and shook around a barely corporeal body that was wrapped in bandages that fell apart too quickly.

She blinked, and all of a sudden, she wasn’t staring at Omen, hoping he would be someone else, and she was looking instead at Reyna, someone who was desperately hoping, wishing for something, though she hesitated to guess what that could be. But more than her own sorrow and insomnia and fatigue, the way Reyna stared at the cup in front of her reminded Viper of Brimstone and all his vices that he struggled to give up.

She’s seen him at the point of a mental breakdown, eyes wide, with pupils nearly completely blown out while he whispered to himself. Names. That’s what she caught the last time she had been there to witness him reach one too many times for the bottle. There were so many names, people who would never be forgotten due to the crazed mutterings of an old man at the very edge of insanity. But if it helped him come back the next morning and put a smile on his face as he addressed the agents, who was she to stop him? Still, she sometimes wondered just how many people he lost to force him to act like this when he got too in his own head. One too many ghosts perhaps, or just one that meant too much.

She sighed in return as she tried to shake these thoughts out of her head. To imagine Reyna mourning someone who wasn’t gone yet, or as another victim of the liquid in her glass would be to assume too much.

“I… I can feel the call for more.”

Viper let her head tilt to the side a little. “More?”

“It lives and breathes inside of me. A call for more. Always more.”

Viper stilled. There was only one thing Reyna ‘consumed’ regularly. Only one thing she sometimes had trouble controlling.

“It’s always the same hunger that drives me. Never satisfied.” The tremble that started in her hands, then travelled to her shoulders, was now in her voice as well.

She took a deep breath in, and when she opened them again, Viper was looking into the magenta, blood-crazed, soul-fueled hunger that made Reyna so terrifying on the field. She uncrossed her legs and shifted, now acutely aware of how careful she had to be going forward in this conversation.

“Reign it in. You kill me, your sister dies as well.”

The words had an immediate effect. The eyes dimmed and an almost inhumane sound escaped her before she curled her hand into a fist and slammed the table hard enough for the liquid in her glass to slosh out. But it still worked, and that hunger faded for just a moment longer. Viper was now certain of what was going on.

“You should go get some food. It won’t help your… hunger, but at least, it’ll keep you standing.”

Each word and thought had to be perfectly crafted. She knew how volatile Reyna’s desire could be, and with her already barely able to control her instincts…

Reyna swallowed, then quickly, lifted the glass to her lips and tipped her head back, downing the alcohol in one gulp. She bared her teeth at the empty glass for a moment while the burn faded. Then, she looked at Viper again and nodded.

“I came here to tell you to tell Brimstone to hurry up and send me somewhere. I can’t keep waiting.”

Then, Viper was in the room alone. She let out a slow, long exhale, and then she lifted her own drink to her lips again. It was always a little morally grey when they let her loose like that, but what other choice did they have other than to keep feeding her addiction, which was, in turn, feeding the only thing that truly kept Reyna on their side?

#whumptobter 2022 #no.22 #pick your poison #withdrawal #valorant #valorant fanfiction #valorant viper #viper #valorant reyna #reyna #brimstone #alcoholism #mentioned death #my writing

[lale-txt]

i missed the whole compliment train but i was actually thinking abt your writing really hard the other day cause i just love the way you tell your stories.

they always seem so intimate even down to the smuttiest ones (i’m looking at you dilf kaido 👁). i think they best way to describe the relationships between your readers and characters are lovers. tender, sweet, lovers that have either known each other for a long time or the trilling promise of lovers that have just met. you always make sure to include details how the characters feel abt each other and it makes me all warm like watching your favorite comfort movie (i think of because of winn dixie even tho it’s so sad).

but what i really love (and what i think makes your writing stand out) is your use of figurative language. you use a lot of grand metaphors and similes that make your stories feel dreamy (now im thinking abt the rayleigh song fic). like your use of space comparisons! it’s very lale of you. idk it’s just really special and i admire it a lot.

and i love the way you harness emotions there’s just something so special about it. especially your angst i absolutely adore your angst which is why i request so much ig. it never fails to hit me in the feels it just hurts so good every time. idk idk idk you’re just such an amazing writer and i appreciate the things you create so so so much.

sorry for writing a book in your inbox lol. have a good day!

oh Ares. i honestly don't know what to say? i woke up to this message and reread it countless times over and over again throughout the day and always got so teary eyed because it's so rare to hear things like that (a reminder to myself also to let other writers know more often how much i love their works).

tender is what i'm always aiming for when writing and i'm glad it shows! metaphors are my way of trying to grasp the world around me and all those feelings that can't be described with words but you still want to. and maybe that's the sole purpose of writing, to describe the little things we don't have any words for, to find soft words for big feelings.

so, thank you so much! my heart is mush and i'm really at loss for words (ha) and i feel like a fool for replying with such gibberish when you wrote such an elaborate ode to my writing basically. just know i'll hold this very close to my heart for a long, long time.

and i'm glad that one Kaido fic still hasn't left your mind because mine neither

#lale.ask

[jimbleswrites]

RWBY Sidequest

A/N: this is a RWBY fanfic i wrote in 2019(i think? the files are older but i didn’t edit it until 2019). the main concept was that i was so upset they killed torchwick that i wanted to write a version of the story where he survived somehow. I made OC’s, then i got really into the OC side of it, and the story kinda formed in the middle of those ideas. I have no plans to continue writing this, but hopefully the 11 chapters here set the scene.

Chapter 1

The forests around Vale are pretty quiet. Normally the loudest things are caravans to and from the kingdom. Today, however, the loudest thing is an old tow truck is making its way through a forest. It's a clear fixer-upper, some parts rusted off and others clearly replaced with whatever scrap could be found. Even the tow cable was in rough shape. Inside are two young adults arguing about something. “I don’t like this. Who did you say the tip was from?” asked the driver, clearly the younger of the two. “It’s from Markie, he said some huntsmen were talking about it while waiting for supplies. Markie’s never let me down before, Maggot” responded the older one. “Please stop calling me that, Aaron.” groaned Maggot, pointing the name tag of Daniel sewn into his denim jacket. Aaron smirked “You wanna label yourself as the younger brother somewhere on there too, or only your name? You wouldn't have to talk to anyone if you just sew your life story onto that old jacket.” Daniel responded “I’d still have to deal with you talking 24/7, so there’s no point. We’re here.”

The old truck pulled into the middle of an abandoned town, surrounded by weathered homes. Some were still sound, some had major holes, others had completely collapsed. Aaron pointed to a worn sign reading Heavenside. “Heavenside, according to Markie, hasn’t been touched since it fell. Hopefully some good salvage around here. Aaron and Daniel left the truck, ready to scout the buildings. The two were definitely junkers, wearing torn and ripped clothes with weapons that looked broken in. Daniel was wearing a denim jacket with patches and extra pockets sewn on, a sleeveless white top, and brown cargo pants with more pockets. As if that weren’t clear enough to his profession, he was wearing an extra toolbelt with several tools poking out. He adjusted his goggles as he surveyed the area, holding a hodge-podge looking rifle in one hand. Aaron, on the other hand, might pass for hired muscle if it weren't for his current company. A brown overcoat with a simple harness and no shirt underneath was paired with ripped jeans that clearly were patched several times. The lack of shirt made sense once you saw the large wings that jutted through slits cut in the back of the coat. He tightened the grey metal gauntlets on his arms as he stepped out the truck. They certainly stood out amongst others, but they seemed to make sense in this abandoned village as the junkers they were. 

The two wasted no time claiming anything of value. They found plenty of good materials, including plenty of scrap metal, broken weapons, and some old androids still in good shape. They slowly filled the bed of the truck with various findings, eventually splitting off into separate buildings. Daniel was almost done strapping down the scrap, but Aaron wanted to check one last building.  He stepped through a hole in a wall and a shine caught his eyes. Aaron pulled away some rubble from a large pile of stones, sure he saw some glitter of metal. “The longer we’re out here, the more likely they’ll show.” warned his partner from the old vehicle. “You know Maggot, they are drawn to emotions, so if you stay calm they shouldn't bother us.” Aaron called back. He was determined to get something of value from this trip. So far it had all been scrap metal, unusable weapons, and lots of old bones. Aaron just wanted one thing of value from this dump before they left. As he continued to dig through the rubble of a former home, he hoped for some hidden ammo or jewelery, something just to show this trip wasn't a waste. 

While his brother kept digging through rocks and wreckage, Daniel kept his eyes on the horizon. A pack of grimm were wandering through and any attention to them meant they could lose some of the hard-earned salvage or worse, have to fight through them and risk their well-being. “There's a pack of beowolves on the horizon, maybe 10 to 15. We should call it and head back.” Aaron seemed to perk up and turned around to his brother. “There's a floor safe here! Maybe some real good shit…” he turned the handle to no avail. “Rusted shut.” He looked around for a key, or a crowbar, something to open this safe. Daniel looked from the truck to the safe and back to the pack of monsters. “I don't like this… we should really head out…” he cautioned. Aaron shook his head and raised his voice. “We gotta try for it. We need something good or this trip just breaks even. Get over here and try to melt the lock.”

“I don't think we should. Any major noise could attract those grimm and then we might lose what little we have.” 

Aaron groaned. “I'm not leaving without what's in there Maggot, so you can come try to melt this down, or I'm getting the dust and blowing the door off.” 

“Aaron, you're not seriously gonna use what little dust we have left to open a safe and let all of those beasts hear us?” Daniel looked at his brother's face, seeing a serious look. “Fine, i'll work on it,” he complained, throwing himself out of the truck and grabbing his weapon. “But you keep an eye on that pack there while i work on this.” Daniel pointed at the horizon, but Aaron squinted. “You gotta be kidding me… not all of us have crazy eyes. I can barely make out anything out there.” Daniel’s expression changed from nervous to stern, his brow furrowing. “Aaron, we have binoculars. Just get them from the glovebox.” Aaron started to walk to the passenger side of the truck, leaving Daniel to look at the safe in the building remains.

Daniel took a closer look at the room as he stepped through the ruined wall. He was used to seeing old weathered rooms at this point but he was surprised how broken the furniture was. It looked like a beowulf had torn everything to shreds. The bed was basically tinder for a campfire, and the dresser and table were not much better. He stepped over to the rubble pile his brother was working at, and looked at this floorsafe. It was in very good shape, considering the rest of the room. The rubble on top must have obscured it so other salvagers and grimm couldn't see it easily. Daniel removed his goggles, surveying everything with his insectoid eyes. No signs of other goodies to loot in here, he bent over the safe and started to channel his aura near the handle. Daniel's semblance allowed him to slowly disintegrate any material given enough time and aura. He began to melt the iron near the handle, hoping it would be thinner and go by a bit quicker. He focused on his task, hoping the pack of grimm he spotted earlier would continue to be oblivious.

Aaron opened the door of the truck and grabbed the binoculars, turning the direction Daniel pointed before. Sure enough, there was the pack he had mentioned. Aaron sighed. Daniel's eyes were better at seeing motion from far away, but he was always so cautious. Unless some major noise or some strong emotions came from where they were, the grimm had no reason to come by the ruined village they were scrapping. Aaron double-checked the truck, making sure they could leave once Maggot had opened the safe. All the salvage was strapped down, he had the key, the cable release was creaky but still opened, the road was clear. He took a breath and loosened the tension on his shoulders. Aaron’s wings slowly flexed as he stretched, their black feathers contrasting his brown overcoat. He was ready to go but needed this last loot to make a profit. The last couple trips had been duds and he was tired of not getting anything from these trips but junk and fights with grimm. Hopefully if the safe had some valuables in it, he could afford to get both Daniel and his weapons repaired with some new materials. He smiled at the thought, looking at his gauntlets. They were worn and torn, the metal chambers for dust were chipped and the knuckles especially were dented out from the last fight with a nevermore. The large bird grimm had spotted them trying to get some people from a caravan to safety. Aaron had managed to pin a wing so it couldn't fly away while Daniel dealt the final blow, but the hard beak had done a number to the metal plates on his hands. Aaron was suddenly brought back to reality when an explosion rang out from the building Daniel was in. “DANIEL!” He yelled as he sprinted to the home his brother was in.

Aaron leaped through the hole in the wall to see a blasted open safe and Daniel lying against a wall on the other side of the room. He ran and slid to his brother's side. “Come on buddy, talk to me!” Aaron grabbed his brother's wrist to check for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling it as strong as ever. He gently tapped his brother's face. “Maggot, you can't take a nap right now, we gotta go.” No response. He tried an actual slap to the cheek, resulting in Daniel jolting awake. “Oh thank Oum...:” aaron uttered. “You alright?” Daniel groaned and rubbed the back of his head. “Headache, but yeah ill be fine. What happened?” he asked. Aaron looked around, “well, it looks like it came from the safe.” He bent down, looking into the ruined box. He noticed a shadow of a box etched onto the side near the handle and a smaller black box still intact inside. “Looks like a bomb set to blow when the safe was opened.” He picked up the smaller box inside “Probably to protect this.” Daniel slowly stood up. “Well, you got the safe open. Can we head out?” Before Aaron could say yes, a loud roar was heard from outside. Aaron winced, “yeah we should probably try to leave before more come around.” Aaron took Daniel’s arm over his shoulders and started to walk outside with his brother.

Upon stepping outside, Aaron and Daniel saw a pack of beowolves lining up at the top of the road. They were slowly prodding around, looking for whatever made the sound that attracted them. Aaron put Daniel’s arm down, “How do you want to do this?’ Daniel looked around. “Too many to fight, but enough to block the roads. Maybe try to break a hole and outrun them?” Aaron nodded. “I can make a hole if you’re ok to drive.” Daniel nodded back and started to carefully walk to the truck. Aaron cracked his neck and started to walk into the middle of the road. He double-checked the ties on his gauntlets and readied himself. He just wanted to draw the grimm to one side and then catch the truck to run outta town. He whistled at the few grimm at the end of the road. They all quickly saw him and started to advance. “Alright fellas, i just need to check your licenses.” Aaron taunted. The grimm just growled as they began to go full speed at him, ready for blood. He started to sprint forward to meet the opposing forces, knowing he just had to delay them for a short time. The first beowulf pounced, claws first. Aaron jumped, starting the fight with a roundhouse kick to the face. Landing square on the side of its snout. This knocked the grimm away, only to be replaced with two more, aiming to bite whatever is in reach. Aaron sidestepped the bites and countered with a right hook, hitting one and throwing it into another. They were knocked into a wall and were stunned for a short while. Suddenly, the first beowulf came back into the fray, frantically swiping at Aaron. He managed to block most of the hits with his gauntlets, but the final swing smacked Aaron through a wall and back into the room with the safe. Aaron shook his head and grabbed a piece of splintered wood, ready for the grimm to come after him. Sure enough, it busted thru the new hole in the wall and tried to scratch him. Aaron ducked the swipe and pushed the wood spike through the grimm’s head. It slumped over and began to evaporate away. Aaron ran back though the hole and heard a truck horn go off. He looked over to see Daniel speeding down the road though the new opening. He saw Daniel push a button and raced over to where the truck would be. He let the truck rush by as he heard the tow cable be released from the back of the truck. He saw the two beowolves he hit earlier running over, snarling. As the truck’s end came closer, he grabbed the cable and hooked it into his harness. Aaron opened his wings and was pulled away from the grimm, soaring above their reach. He watched from above as the grimm pack started to chase the truck, only to be left behind as Daniel raced away from the old village. He laughed to himself as he was slowly reeled back down to the truck itself. It felt great to have a trip go reasonably, even if they still had to fight off some grimm. He pulled himself to the bed of the truck and untied the cable from his harness. He gave Daniel a thumbs up and lounged on top of the scrap they had collected. He picked up the box from the safe, wondering what was so important someone would rig it to explode. He opened it to find a data drive labelled “PRIVATE”. ‘Well then’, Aaron thought, ‘lets see what's so private then.’

Chapter 2

The old truck pulled into a junkyard outside a small village. Aaron jumped over the side of the truck and started to unload the haul from Heavenside. Daniel stepped out of the driver’s seat and started to help his brother. “So what was in the safe that we got attacked for?” he asked. Aaron pulled out the drive and passed it over. “This drive,” he sighed, “not what i was hoping for, but maybe something good on it.” Daniel put down the scrap he was carrying and groaned. “We risked everything for a drive? What could even be on there of worth?” Aaron shrugged as he got the last load of the truck. “I don't know, maybe some information for the owner? Maybe they’d pay for it back. Or maybe some blueprints we could use?” Daniel handed off the last bag of broken tools to Aaron. “that's a long shot, but maybe. I can look through it while you run the rest to Markie.” Aaron swapped the bag for the drive and nodded. “Go ahead, it shouldn’t be long. Ill be back soon.” Daniel walked into the house while Aaron set off into town.

The town of Sumire was a quiet area, just south of Beacon academy. It was a small town, with few shops and some homes. As Aaron walked through the streets to Markie’s forge, he passed the Winston’s store and the train station. He knew the streets well, despite living on the outskirts and constantly going on salvage trips and huntsman missions. He finally approached Markie’s forge, looking at the old building. Aaron always liked the old man, always direct and honest, even if he haggled a bit too much for the salvage Aaron brought him. As the door closed behind Aaron, he heard Markie rustling in the back. He waited as Markie turned the corner into view. A hearty laugh and a clunk of metal on wood was heard as he left the forge proper. “Aaron, you son of a bitch, you’re back!” Markie laughed and gave Aaron a handshake. “How was the haul? Whatcha got for me?” Aaron smiled and started pulling the tools out of the bag. “Lots of broken weapons for a settlement, and some tools that still hold up. The tip was good, even if we had to fight some grimm for it.” Markie had picked up a broken stun baton and was eyeballing the cracks. “These are good, basic repair, easy resells.” Markie muttered to himself. “The tools are in good shape, but older. How about 1500 lien for it all?” Aaron shot the blacksmith a look. “Markie, this haul is good. Last haul this size got 2000.” Markie smirked. “Maybe, but I still gotta repair all of it and resell. 1600.”

“You keep using the same excuses, but we’ve done this dance before. 1850.”

“It may surprise you, but the reasons are the same because unlike your joy rides through old ruins, I do things consistently. 1700.”

“1800, Markie. My joyrides keep you in business.”

Markie smiled and put down a bundle of lien. “1800. You know Aaron, if you hadn’t been stuck here years ago, I'd still be in business without your scrap shop.”

Aaron took the lien and laughed. “Really? You’re a good fighter, but I have the license to back my skills. I'm sure the kingdom would have loved to tear down this place without an official huntsman living here.”

Markie put an arm on the bar and sighed. “Maybe, but just because my leg is bad doesn't mean I can't still put you youngsters in your place. But enough of that, any other business for me? I’d love to put some of that lien back in my till.”

“Nothing right now. Gonna see Maggot and come back tomorrow for repairs we can’t manage. You know he doesn't like others messing with his creations.”

“That brother of yours still owes me a new android after he busted the last one. I miss the extra hands.”

“He was trying to help, and he’s trying to find some better hands for it. You remember, after you accidentally poured molten metal on it?”

Markie grumbled and walked off. Aaron was familiar with the blacksmith, being one of the first members of the town with him. As Aaron walked back, he remembered being stuck here as a guardian while the town was being built. After a nasty attack that took Markie’s leg, the kingdom wanted to stop building, but Aaron and the rest of the town were persistent on getting their own land. One of the kingdom’s conditions was that Aaron would be a resident. It wasn't completely bad, as he set up a scrap shop and helped the town form. But he never got to be a true huntsman, only operating in a certain vicinity and having to leave his team from Beacon. Aaron reflected as he walked home, wondering if things would change or if they would stay the same.

Daniel stepped into the house as Aaron left to sell the weapons and tools. Daniel turned on the lights and looked around. The home looked ramshackle, with simple furniture and messy countertops, covered in various papers and other materials. Daniel walked through the main room and kitchen and into his workshop. He flipped the switch for the power and heard the various tech and machinery slowly hum to life. Daniel sighed as he put his weapon on the chair and walked towards the partly open android on his workbench. He turned the power on and started to gather materials. He still needed to fix this for Markie, after he tried to improve the motor speed and it wound up overheating the processor. It was an older AK-130 model, but Markie was convinced he didn't need a new one and Daniel offered to fix it. The AK-130 finally had booted up and was sitting up on the workbench. “Boot-up completed. P-43 online. Loading personality matrix.” The android turned to Daniel. “My chestplate is open. Have my repairs been completed?” Daniel put down some circuit boards and tools on the bench and looked inside the android. “Not yet, P-43. Almost there, just need to put these boards in to harmonize with your new hands. I booted you up to double check the diagnostic once I'm done. ” P-43 looked at the more human-like hands he had. They were newer, but painted black to match the rest of the body it was attached to. “Interesting.” P-43 said, “These are from an AK-200 model. Much more flexible.” Daniel chuckled. “Glad you approve. I hope Markie appreciates it. Fought a nevermore on that trip and it broke Bootlegger.” He gestured towards his weapon. “Had to re-weld the main barrel after that.” Daniel put the last board in place and closed the chestplate. “There we are. Please run a diagnostic and then we can test them out.” P-43 quietly whirred and buzzed as the main light on the face of the went dim for a minute. “Nothing out of place. All systems operational.” Daniel grabbed a stress ball and lobbed it to P-43. “Alright then, test them out.” P-43 caught the ball and tossed it back and forth with Daniel a couple times. Daniel grinned. “Love to see everything work out. I’ll do a stress test later and then  we can get you back to Markie tomorrow. Feel free to walk around, make sure the rest of you is working fine. I gotta check this drive.” Daniel walked over to his computer and pulled the data drive from his pocket. P-43 stood up and walked behind Daniel. “Data drive? Where did you find that?” Daniel put the drive into the computer and started to load the files. “In a safe in Heavensdale. The safe was rigged to explode so however this belongs to must not trust others.” Daniel grunted as the monitor showed a password prompt. “Well that means they REALLY don't trust others. P-43, grab the disc from the workbench for me please.” P-43 went and grabbed it. “What do you need the disc for?” Daniel put it into a disc reader and started to type code in a separate window. “It has a password cracker on it. Helpful when your job is dealing with other tech others throw away. I should be able to bypass the password as long as the owner didn’t put on any extra security. Just need to tell the drive I can see the files and…” The computer beeped as a window of files was brought up. “Bingo, now let’s see.” Daniel saw some maps of an old buried section of Vale, a train track, some encrypted files, and a video file.  Daniel played the video and kept searching the drive while it played.

Chapter 3

The video started with static, then faded into a scene of old buildings. Lots of rocks and construction equipment were scattered in the background as a White Fang member appeared on screen. They spoke quietly, “I’ve got time, just need to hide the drive afterwards.” Even with the mask covering their face, they appeared nervous. They now looked at the camera and frowned. “If you are watching this, then hopefully this got to someone who can help. On this drive are all the files I could grab for Torchwick’s plan. I don’t like that this human is in charge and I don't know how this is helping our cause. That’s all i'm saying.” The video cut off after that. Daniel was a bit concerned. The more he read the files, the more the plans showed an attack planned. The strangest part, though, was that Daniel recognised the attack. Because it had happened a couple of months ago.

Aaron came in through the front door. “I’m back.” He un-strapped his gauntlets from his arms, stepping into the workshop. He saw his brother pouring over his computer and Markie’s android, P-43, slowly picking up trash from the floor. He slowly came up behind him and rested his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. Daniel jumped, and quickly turned, just to breathe out in relief. “You can’t sneak up on me like that!” Aaron laughed. “Maybe you shouldn't be so absorbed in your screen. P-43 was probably bored to death with you zoned out.” Daniel looked to P-43. “Oh shit, sorry P-43, you can shut down now.” P-43 nodded and laid back on the workbench, powering down. Aaron gestured to the screen. “Did you figure out what was on the drive?” Daniel scooted his chair back and gestured to the screen. “Well, you remember that train that drove into inner Vale a few months back?” Aaron raised his eyebrow. “Sure, that Torchwick guy used an old tunnel and brought grimm in. Why?” “Well, this drive is filled with plans for that. Apparently a whistleblower copied the data to give to someone but then we salvaged it from Heavensdale.” Aaron looked closer at the data on screen, looking for some reason for the drive to be in their hands. “Ok, but the White Fang is behind this too? The news just said that Torchwick was acting alone. And why would the White Fang listen to some human criminal? And who was this guy trying to get the files to?” Daniel shook his head. “I’m still decrypting some of the files but apparently this section of the White Fang worked for Torchwick. No reason so far. As for who it’s for, they never said. Only wanted to get the files to someone important.” Aaron shook his head. “This is way behind our paygrade. Not to mention a few months too late. Anything else of note?” Daniel pointed to a loading bar. “This last file is called ‘Phase 3’, with the rest being named Phase 2. Maybe some future plans? I’m waiting for the computer to finalize before I can read it.” Aaron rubbed the back of his neck. “Should we take this to someone? Maybe Ironwood or Ozpin? They would be able to do something.” “Well, it’s still decrypting, so i can’t take the drive out yet. But once it's done, we could see about getting it to someone. I just don't want to seem suspicious and get on some list.” Aaron looked at the progress bar. It claimed it would take about a day to decrypt. “Well either way we have to wait til tomorrow, so let's see what the file says then. Let's call it a night. I grabbed take-out on the way home.” Daniel smiled. “Sounds good. We haven't eaten since this morning.” 

Aaron led Daniel out of the workshop and opened up the containers, revealing warm noodles. “Tell you what,” said Aaron through the food in his mouth, “The Vytal Festival is coming up this week at Vale. If we go, then we can drop off the drive and see the tournament. Win-win for us.” Daniel bowed his head in thought. “You think we can just drop in on someone like that? Especially during a tournament?” “Why not? I’m sure once we mention the stuff on it, i'm sure they’ll want it. Also, we just gotta drop it off, we don't know anything else about it. Worse case scenario, we slide it under the door with a note.” Daniel shook his head. “I don’t know, maybe we should just forget it. People who know too much usually end up on the run or worse.” “Maggot, i’ll be honest. I don't like the idea of walking into an office with someone with terrorist plans and a lacking explanation, but I also don't want to have it here and get someone else in trouble for what we dug up. Also, depending on what's on that ‘Phase 3’ file, the next thing the White Fang planned for could be prevented.” Daniel sighed. “You’re right. Maybe i’ve just been watching too many outlaw movies.” Aaron looked at the clock and yawned. “We should go to bed. We might have a big day tomorrow.” Aaron and Daniel walked into a back room covered by a large curtain. Inside were the two hammocks the brothers slept in. Aaron crawled into one as Daniel stretched. “Maybe we could get a reward for turning it in? Finally expand our shack to include another bedroom?” Aaron laughed. “The huntsman jobs I get from their boards barely cover our expenses. I doubt the kingdom just wants to hand out money.” “Well, i can dream. Night, Aaron.” “Night, Daniel” Aaron looked out the window at the broken moon above as he fell asleep. 

Chapter 4 

Aaron woke up with the sun shining in his face. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms, then his wings. It had been a few days since they found the drive and the info on it, and it was time to take it to the people in charge. Aaron yawned as he started the coffee maker and stared at the fridge for breakfast. Nothing but the usual leftovers greeted him on the other side. He decided to grab something from the festival instead and went to the bathroom to shower. He passed Daniel as he walked by. “Hey, is that android you made ready? I decided to leave early and grab food at the festival before we hand off the drive.” Daniel yawned back, slowly blinking his eyes. Aaron chuckled. “Go get some coffee, I'll ask again when you fully wake up.” Daniel shuffled to the kitchen while Aaron shut the bathroom door behind him. As Daniel drank from his mug, his eyes lit up. “Oh right…” Daniel walked to his workshop and yelled from the door. “Aaron, we gotta drop off Markie’s android too. I’ll get them both up and running.”  Aaron turned on the lights and walked over to get things ready. He turned switches on both the androids and they slowly whirred to life. P-43 finished his wake-up and looked around. “It’s early in the morning. Is it time to go back?” Daniel nodded. “Yup, you’re all fixed and ready for Markie. Can you wait in the living room while I get K-64 powered up?” P-43 got up and walked towards the door while Daniel did some final tuning to his other bot. “K-64 online. Running optimally. Running convocation subroutines.” K-64’s eyes powered on as it saw Daniel rummaging in its chest. “Daniel? It’s early. Why am I on?” Daniel turned around and connected some wires from K-64 into a terminal. “Aaron and I got to head into Vale to finish some business. I’m leaving you in charge of the store while we’re gone. Just double-checking everything before we leave.” Daniel finished his coffee and turned back to K-64. “Do me a favor and check your memory. Everything still looks right?” K-64’s eyes turned dim as he began to scan. “Everything is the same as last time.” Daniel removed the wires from K-64 as the android stood up. “When will you two be back?” “Probably 3-4 days. Depends on how long it takes to see... “ Daniel paused, trying to remember who they were giving the drive to. “Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon.” Aaron added, standing in the doorway wearing a robe. “He’s the one in charge, or at least, can get it to whoever needs it.” Daniel nodded. “That's the guy. In the meantime, you’re running the shop. Any questions you don't know, just call us. Now go on over.” K-43 walked towards the door, heading to the junkyard. “You know, we could just close up.” Aaron said, “Not like we get many people asking for scrap anyway.” Daniel shrugged it off. “I built this bot just to run the shop. Let someone else run it for a couple days, it won't fall apart.” Daniel walked by Aaron to go shower. Aaron sighed. “Fair point. Once you’re ready, we’ll drop off Markie’s android and head out.”

The town was quiet as usual as the old tow truck drove through the street. It stopped right in front of Markie’s forge as the doors opened up. It certainly was an odd sight, two faunus and an android walking up to the business. The doorbell rang as Aaron, followed by Daniel and P-43, walked in the main lobby. One other man was waiting in the lobby, reading from his scroll. Aaron rang the bell on the counter and looked around. “Markie? We got your android for ya. Come look when you can.” Aaron, Daniel, and P-43 sat down across from the other man and waited. The man looked up and lowered his brow. “Don’t workers normally come in through the back? You’re dirtying up the lobby.” Aaron looked back at this man. He had an air of importance, like he thought he was hot shit. Blonde hair, a clean designer shirt, and some shiny boots really added to his image of a white-collar worker. “We don’t work here, just dropping off his android.” Aaron gestured to P-43. The man put down his scroll. “Sorry, just the vibe you give off, I suppose.” “Humor me, what vibe do i give off then? Since apparently you think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread?” Aaron asked, annoyed. The man scoffed, “You tell me, what do you think of two faunus wearing patchwork clothes and an android with make-shift parts?” Daniel tried to grab Aaron’s shoulder, but was pushed off as Aaron stood up, flexing his wings. “We can’t all suck up to daddy to get whatever newest fashion. Some of us work for a living instead of suckling off daddy’s bank account.” Aaron retorted. The man stood up as well, clearly angry. “Listen Bird-boy, your grungy wings aren’t going to intimidate a proper huntsman. You and your bug-eyed friend there are just junkers, forever grovelling with the scrap, where you belong.” Daniel again tried to pull Aaron back, only to be pushed aside as Aaron got right up into this man’s face. “Proper huntsman? If you want to see a huntsman in action, let’s head outside and you can see me kick your ass. Really show you how a huntsman fights?” The man cracked his neck. “I see, looks like the kingdom is despirite if you count as a huntsman. Why not swing right now if youre so confident you’ll win?” “You’d like that? Then you could call it self-defense and try to blubber to the cops that you’d never start anything like that? If you want to fight, i’ll give you the first punch.” Aaron pointed to his cheek, taunting the man. Suddenly, a loud thud broke the air and Markie was standing right next to them both. “I suggest you both back up, I don't take kindly to people starting fights in my shop.” Aaron stepped back, still glaring at this man. Markie handed a bag to him. “Your armor, Max. Now you best move along, or this’ll be the last repair you get from me.” Max took the bag, still tense, and started to walk to the door. “If you work with these…  animals, maybe I won't come back.” Aaron started to step after him, but was stopped by a hand on his wing. “Don’t. He ain’t worth the trouble.” Markie quietly said, with a firm grip on the top of his wing. Aaron saw Daniel and took a deep breath. “Sorry Markie. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Markie let him go and sighed. “You have a right to stand up for yourself, but starting fights with goons like that just nets you in trouble.” 

Daniel finally spoke up. “We have P-43 back for you!” he said, changing the subject. “I even found better hands from a newer model, and it should work better than ever.” Markie smiled and looked it over. “It looks better than when I gave it to you. What do I owe ya?” Daniel thought it over. “Well realistically i just put on new hands and convinced them to work with the older model. How about 750?” Markie handed over a stack of lien. “Here’s 800. You always undersell yourself, kid.” Aaron laughed, “How come i have to haggle all the things i bring, but he gets a bonus for doing nothing?” Markie gave a skeptical look. “Because he brings me a fixed android and you bring me a bag of broken tools! Bring me something that i don't have to fix and i won't have to haggle you!” Aaron shook his head. “Well, don't break it immediately, because we aren't going to be around to fix it soon.” Daniel nodded along as P-43 walked into the back of the shop. Markie shot a look at Aaron. “And where are you heading that takes priority over the scrap heap? Another lead? Maybe a huntsman gig?” Daniel looked at his watch. “We’re headed for the festival at Vale, and we’re running late. We should head out soon.” Markie laughed. “Personal time, huh? Have fun out there.” Markie wandered to the back of his shop as the brothers got back into the truck. Markie smiled to himself. He may give them a hard time, but he still respected them starting a business and helping Sumire become a full-fledged town. He looked out the window as the old truck drove out of town, feeling a sense of contentment.

Chapter 5

The drive through the woods outside Vale was nothing fancy, but the walls around the city were large and intimidating. All the better to keep grimm out, but still imposing to any outsiders. Daniel looked ahead to see the gate in the wall. He was surprised to see several androids alongside the human guard. “They must be extra cautious because of the breach. Look at the pack of droids up there.” Aaron squinted. “Great. As if it didn’t take long enough to get in.” They slowed as they reached the gap in the wall. The guard came up to the window. Aaron handed him his huntsman licence. The guard checked it, headed it back, and smiled. “Just need to do a quick sweep of your truck here. Should only take a minute.” He waved at one of the droids, who began to walk along the vehicle, scanning it. The guard leaned on the side of the door. “So you guys here for the tournament? You just missed round one.” Aaron nodded. “Yeah? Any teams to keep an eye on?” The guard scratched his chin. “The one that caught my eye was, uh, JNPR. The leader seems a bit off, but those ladies could handle the other team on their own. Also the team RWBY has this blonde chick, I'm betting on her for finals. Real feisty.” The android beeped and started to walk away from the car. The guard stood up straight. “Welp, the scan's clean. Have a good day, man.” Aaron drove into the parking garage near the wall. Daniel groaned. “Why can’t we park closer? This walk is going to take forever.” Aaron found a spot on the ground floor and backed in. “Because i can guarantee city parking is going to be a pain, especially with the truck. Now come on Maggot, we gotta find the head honcho and get this drive dealt with.” Aaron stepped out and started to close the door, then saw his brother's weapon still in the rack. “Grab Bootlegger, Daniel, just in case. Just put it in the bag.” Daniel groaned again, but started to disassemble Bootlegger to put it into a carrying case. “You’re lucky, your weapon can just hang off your wrists. I gotta make this easier to carry.” Aaron laughed as his brother slung the bag over his shoulder. “I can’t believe you haven’t done it already. Every time you have to bag it, you complain.”  The two left the entrance of the garage and started to walk towards the festival grounds. “Hey, let's grab food first! We still haven’t eaten today.” Daniel said. Aaron nodded. “Sure, we’ll grab some food, but after that we gotta get the drive to Ozpin.” They walked through the city, following the sound of people to the festival grounds.

The festival grounds were packed with people, all searching for something. Some looked for friends, or cool things to buy from vendors. At the moment, the two brothers were looking for some food at a decent price. They finally settled for deep-fried sausages with “Liquid Dust” to drink. They sat at a nearby table to eat. The “Liquid Dust” turned out to be just regular soda with small candies in it, but it still tasted good. As they ate, Daniel heard someone grumbling nearby. He looked around to see a younger girl with dark red hair trying to fix something. Daniel couldn’t see the whole thing, but it looked to be some form of sniper. Next to her was a black-haired girl with a large bow on top of her head. She was buried in a book and seemed to be ignorant of her friend’s plight. Aaron looked up from his sausage to see his brother looking at these girls. He coughed, causing his brother to turn and look at him, and then raised an eyebrow. Daniel sighed and discreetly pointed at the weapon the girl in red was working on. Aaron jerked his head to her, trying to encourage his brother to go talk to her. Daniel saw a trash can close to the girl’s table, gathered his trash, and started to walk over. Daniel glanced over at the girl’s weapon as he threw away his garbage. He saw the part in question the girl was working on and realized that she was trying to unjam the chamber. Daniel stepped closer and cleared his throat. The girl jumped and her friend’s eyes jumped over to him. “Sorry for interrupting, but are you trying to unjam the chamber?” The girl blinked, then seemed to jump back into reality. “Oh yeah! It got jammed during my last match and i can’t seem to get it back to normal.” Daniel nodded and pointed to the back half. “Try pulling the receiver out. Sometimes it messes with the magazine.” The girl pulled the part out and smiled. “That’s what it was! Thanks!” Daniel grinned back. “No problem. Can i sit here?” “Oh yeah, of course. I’m Ruby by the way, and this is Blake.” The book girl, Blake, nodded and went back to her book. Daniel waved to Blake and turned back to Ruby. “So you were in a match? We just pulled into Vale today.” Ruby beamed. “Yeah, we got into round 2! We still are figuring out who to send for it, but I’m just glad we made it!” Ruby unfolded part of her weapon, with a part of the blade shining out. Daniel looked closer into the weapon. “Wait… does your weapon unfold into a blade? That’s so cool! I’ve been trying to rework mine to fold but i can’t get it to move back and forth smoothly.” Ruby caught onto Daniel’s enthusiasm. “Ya! I built Crescent Rose myself! I use springtraps to move the parts easier, but it depends on your design. Are you a huntsman? Do you have your weapon on you?” Daniel moved his bag on the table and brought out Bootlegger in pieces. “Ol’ Bootlegger isn’t as fancy as yours, but it’s easier to swap out parts if i need to.” Ruby’s eyes shone as she started to talk weapons with Daniel. 

Aaron watched this happen as he sipped his Liquid Dust, smiling as his brother talked to other people. Aaron tried not to be over-bearing to his brother, but he did want to see him find other friends and be social. He let him talk for another few minutes, checking the tournament info on his scroll, then got up. He walked over and found Ruby sketching out a design on a scrap of paper. He put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder and introduced himself. “Hey, I hope my brother hasn’t been bothering you. He gets really into his works.” Ruby shook her head. “No, we’ve been talking about designs for Bootlegger. I think a folding design could work great but you would need some quality spring locks to have it snap open smoothly.” Daniel nodded. “I think this is a great design, just need time to get the parts soon.” The group of them suddenly heard a yell from the other side of the area. “RUBY! BLAKE! WHERE ARE YOU?” Two more girls, one blonde and one with white hair, seemed to be looking for the girls at the table. Blake looked at her scroll. “We’re late for the practice round. We should go.” Ruby looked at the clock and her eyes widened. “Crap, you’re right. We need to go.” They stood up and Blake started to walk away. Ruby took a step, stopped, and turned around. “We should share contacts! I want to see Bootlegger when you upgrade it!” Daniel stammered. “O-o-oh, ok, y-yeah.” They quickly swapped numbers and then Ruby disappeared into the crowd. “Alright loverboy, we gotta go too.” Aaron smirked, bumping his brother’s arm. Daniel got red. “Shut up! We’ve only had one talk!” Aaron wrapped his arm around his brother and led him down the road. “Don’t worry, with any luck you’ll run into your girlfriend again.” He showed the festival standings on his scroll, with the pictures of the girls they just met on the list. “It looks like team RWBY is going strong for round two.” Daniel and Aaron watched clips of the last round as they walked towards Beacon Academy.

Chapter 6

Beacon Academy was emptier than usual, probably due to the tournament. The brothers stepped around the construction near the entrance and kept walking for the main tower. Daniel got anxious as they approached the lobby. Aaron saw the concern on his brother’s face and touched his shoulder. “We just gotta drop this off. After that we leave.” Daniel smiled back and looked around. “Where is Ozpin’s office? Top floor, you reckon?” Almost on cue, a blonde woman and greying black-haired man pushed them aside. “Come on, Glynda. Ozpin is waiting on us.” the man said. They took an elevator just off the main lobby and the brothers watched it go up to the top. Aaron followed them to the elevator, pressed the elevator button and nodded. “Makes sense to me. I just hope he’ll be open to talk.” The elevator was coming down and quickly shot by, going deeper into the building. “I didn’t know this building had a basement.” Daniel pondered aloud. Aaron shrugged, “Probably just full of old files and junk.” The elevator came back up after a minute and opened. The brothers walked in and pressed the highest number on the list. As they rose up, Daniel raised a concern. “Are we allowed to be here?” Aaron scratched his chin. “I don;t see why not. Surely someone would have stopped us before we took the elevator. We’re essentially mailmen.” The doors opened as the elevator chimed. They were standing in a large room surrounded by large gears. The floor seemed to be a large clock and a single desk was on the other side of the room. The brothers slowly stepped towards the desk, taking in the room. Aaron closed in on the desk while Daniel looked out the large window behind it. “It’s a nice view. You can see out to the training grounds from here.” The training grounds, the courtyard of Beacon, even the outer walls were visible from the top floor office. Aaron looked over the papers on the desk, seeing names of students and layouts of dorms. “This is definitely Ozpin’s office,” Aaron concluded, “But he must be busy with the tournament.” Aaron looked for a blank piece of paper. “I guess we’ll just leave it here with a note.” Daniel came over to help look. “Maybe he keeps scrap paper in a drawer.” As he reached for the top drawer, the elevator chimed again. The brothers looked up to see Ozpin, alongside a middle-aged man with black hair.

Without a moment to say anything, the black haired man charged forward and swung a fist at Daniel, knocking him against the window. Aaron tried to swing back in retaliation, but was blocked and pushed back to the wall as well. Aaron tried to stand back up, only to be met by the end of this man’s blade. “You shouldn’t be snoopin around other people’s offices.” the man spoke, the smell of alcohol coming off his breath. “I can smell the booze on your breath dude, you might want to stop drinking.” Aaron retorted. “Qrow.” Ozpin finally spoke. The man, presumably named Qrow, looked back and saw Ozpin stare him down. Qrow sighed and put his blade away. “I apologize for my friend here, he’s… cautious of new people.” Ozpin walked around and put out a hand. Aaron took it and stood up. “That’s a hell of a way to show caution.” Qrow narrowed his eyes but kept silent. Ozpin then helped Daniel up and sat behind his desk. “I am curious how you got here though. Normally the elevator is locked out to people.” “We just pushed the button after two others were coming up here. We didn't realize it was locked.” Daniel explained. Aaron added, “Yeah, Blondie and Salt-n-pepper cruised on by. Mentioned your name.” Qrow chuckled at the nicknames, but Ozpin was straight-faced as ever. “They must have forgotten to lock it after coming up. But I'm still curious why you two were in my office. I normally don’t have people coming I don't expect.” Aaron rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, sorry, just get this to someone in charge.” He pulled the drive out of his inner coat pocket and placed it on the desk. “We found it in Heavensdale and found some…” Aaron paused, looking for the right term. Daniel chimed in. “White Fang plans. About the breach a while back.” Ozpin raised an eyebrow and put the drive into a computer under the desk. A hologram screen popped up, showing the same files Daniel had unencrypted at home. Qrow stretched his back and yawned. “This is great and all, but other than a recap, why did this need to go straight to Oz?” Daniel pointed at the last folder, labeled Phase 3. “According to this drive, they have more planned. I haven’t read it yet but we figured Ozpin could get this to where it needs to be.” Ozpin opened the last folder and inside were several pictures. Pictures of torchwick talking to some girl with pink and brown hair. Blueprints of some robot. The layout of the festival grounds. Aaron frowned as he combed over the images on the screen. “This just adds more questions. Who is that girl? Or the robot? Why would they need a layout of the festival?” Qrow looked at Ozpin, who seemed deep in thought. “Oz? Maybe we should talk about this? Alone?” Ozpin put his hand to his chin. “Perhaps. I don’t believe I caught your names.” Aaron and Daniel pulled out their Huntsman licenses. “Aaron and Daniel Black, Huntsmen.” Aaron said. Ozpin scribbled something down and stood up. He walked around and shook their hands. “Thank you for this information. I will get this to the right people. And I’ll even consider this a Huntsman job, so expect some pay in a few days time. Anything else?” Aaron shook his head. “No, just that.” “Excellent, now i need to make some calls, so if you’ll see yourselves out.” Ozpin walked back behind his desk as Aaron and Daniel stepped into the elevator. The doors shut and the brothers breathed a sigh of relief as it went down to the lobby.

As the doors shut, Qrow turned to Ozpin. “So, Oz, how did two nobodies get insider info before we knew about it?” Ozpin pulled up a Huntsman registry with the two young men. The two’s headshots filled the screen as a paragraph of info rose below them. “Just outside Vale. A town called Sumire. They both passed the exam with no schooling, just experience.” Qrow groaned. “So two young kids just happen to find this drive and decide to waltz up to your front door? Either the worst luck or they have an agenda.” “Maybe. But in the meantime, let's focus on our seasonal issue.” Ozpin replied. Before either could say anything else, Ozpin’s scroll rang. He picked up the call. “Yes.” A pause. “She did what?”

Chapter 7

The lobby doors closed behind them as the brothers looked through the plaza. They immediately noticed more security bots then when they entered. “What could have happened while we were up there?” Daniel mused as Aaron opened his scroll. “Welp, i have good news and bad news.” Aaron announced as they kept walking towards the festival grounds. Daniel groaned. “Ok, good news first.” “It involves your lady friend’s team.” 

Daniel shot Aaron a look. “So what's the bad part?” 

“According to this, her sister got a bit cocky during her fight and broke her opponent’s leg.” “Wait. Who’s her sister? The quiet one next to her at the table?” 

“Nope, the blonde who was calling her away at the end. Apeartently she thought he was attacking her but the video doesn’t lie.” Aaron showed his brother the scroll with the video pulled up, as the blonde punched straight through this guy’s leg.

“That looks painful.” Daniel winced as Aaron pulled his scroll back. “Is he going to be alright?”

“It doesn’t say. Just that he’s going to a hospital and team RWBY is disqualified.”

“Is that the final match? I guess we missed a lot while we were up there.”

“Nope, that was the first of the final rounds. Next up is Pyrrha Nikos vs Penny Polendina when they get done sorting this out.”

“Maybe I should message Ruby. ask her how things are.”

Aaron shook his head. “Bad idea. She probably is still freaking out about this. I’d wait a day or so. Not to mention the reporters are bound to be all over her, looking for her point of view.”

“I guess you’re right. Do you want to find a seat for the next round?”

“We’re probably going to have to watch from outside, with the amount of people. Maybe let's go to a bar and watch it from there.”

“Alright, I’m getting hungry anyway.”

The brothers kept walking towards the inner city as they looked for a place to eat, slowly moving further away from the festival grounds.

They eventually found a smaller bar that wasn’t overly crowded with a large screen up for the festival. Surrounded by others, the brothers ordered some drinks and found a table with a decent view of the screen. “Hey Daniel, did you recognize the blueprints of that robot on the drive? Something seems familiar about it but i didn't get a great look before we left.” Daniel looked at Aaron with confusion. “I thought you’d be happy to not think about that again. What caught your eye?” Aaron shrugged. “I’m not sure, just a feeling I'm getting. Wish i could see it again.” Daniel looked around for a second, then slid his scroll across the table. “Check it again.” Aaron opened the scroll to see all the files from the drive copied onto the phone. “You copied it?” Aaron questioned. “Just in case the drive got stolen or damaged on the way. I was going to delete it when we got home.” Daniel explained. Aaron thought about how this could look terrible on them, but decided to dismiss it. “Alright, but this was  a risky move.” Aaron pulled up the robot blueprints and started to look closer. “Here,” he pointed to a blurb next to some engine. “It says aura.” Daniel took a closer look and started to light up. “This is huge, if the plans are functical, then any robot could use aura and it would be self-fixing to an extent. This could be a huge leap in robotics.” Aaron pointed at the top of the blueprint. “Pietro Polendina. Seems to be the brain behind it. Who is he?” “He’s from Atlas. One of the big name scientists. Why does he sound familiar?” The screen in the bar inrupted. “Sorry for the delay folks, but the next match is ready to go! Now sparring, we have Pyrrha Nikos and Penny Polendina facing off!” “Must be his kid.” Daniel shrugged as they turned their attention to the screen. The two ladies were exchanging some words before the fight began. Daniel suddenly had an epiphany. “Aaron, what if this is it?” Aaron was half-paying attention, as the fight began. “What? What’s it?” “Aaron, the drive! The scientist’s kid, the festival grounds, what if it happens now?” Aaron realized what Daniel was implying. “Wait, what happens? We still have no idea how it connects.” Daniel seemed paranoid. “I know, but the scientist’s kid is in the tournament. This seems too coincidental.” Aaron shook his head. “Listen Maggot, she’s doing great. What could possibly happen?” He turned back to the screen just to see Penny get cut in half. 

The bar went from laughing and cheering to quiet mumbles and whispers. The camera stayed on the body while the announcers panicked. “Broadcast, what are you doing? Kill the feed!” A pause. “What!? How is that possible!?” The screen changed over to a red tint with a chess piece. A female voice suddenly came over the screen. “This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference.” Aaron and Daniel shared a shocked look as they realized the scientist’s kid was the robot that the blueprints showed. 

The voice continued. “And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?” The screen suddenly cut out to static, followed by a bright orange caution screen. The voice after gave no better news. “Alert. Incoming Grimm attack. Threat level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner.”

Chapter 8

There was a moment of silence. People slowly absorbed the information this mysterious voice gave them. The moment of silence was cut short by the howls of grimm heard nearby. Aaron snapped to action, equipping his gauntlets and standing on the table. “Any Huntsmen in here?” He was met with silent looks and shaking heads. “Alright, if there is grimm nearby, we have to get everybody to safety. You all know where the bunkers are?” Various murmurs were the response as everyone came to grips with the attack currently happening. One person seemed upset and raised his voice. “So all of a sudden you’re in charge? Why do I gotta listen to a faunus?” Aaron looked at the voice, seeing an older man still holding a pint. “By all means, can you fight a grimm? I’d love to take the day off if you can fight off the beasts outside?” Aaron retorted. The man realized his mistake and sheepishly looked down. Daniel stood up beside Aaron, holding Bootlegger. “I’m Daniel and this is Aaron. We’ll keep you safe. Now we should really go.” They pushed their way to the door. After checking both sides, they gestured to the group to follow. “Daniel, get on comms with someone, anyone. We gotta know what's happening out there. I’ll take front.” Aaron started to walk into the city, leading the 20 or so people, with Daniel taking the end. Daniel established comms and tried to link to the military channel. After a minute of slowly walking, the comms were set. “This is Atlas military channel. Please state your emergency.” Aaron responded. “I have 20 something civilians that need to leave Vale asap.” “Well, so is everyone else. We have air buses coming from in but you’ll have to meet us. These are the drop site cordaneties.” There was a beep as the scroll got the info. “We already lost 2 airships so we can’t spare anyone else.” Aaron grimaced. “Level with me. How bad?” “Not great, but-” The comm was suddenly cut as a large explosion rattled the sky. The group looked up to see a flash of light followed by a boom as the beacon tower fell. Daniel tried to reconnect but found no signal. “They took out the comm tower. We can’t reach anyone.” The group started to panic, but were quickly hushed by Aaron. “Fear attracts grimm. We have a location with a pick-up. We stay calm and we move quickly.” The people were still panicked, but at least they had a plan.

Despite a couple of grimm that were taken care of on the way, they were lucky. The location wasn’t too far away and the brothers even noted that the parking garage they left their truck in was not too far out for themselves afterwards. As they approached the plaza for pick-up. they found another group of people with a huntress standing at the site. “Good to see more huntsmen!” She exhaled. She was a tall, musualcar girl, with fiery red hair going down to her waist. “Fatima Tomo. I assume you’re waiting for the pick-up too?” “I’m Aaron and this is Daniel. To be honest, I was hoping it would be already.” Fatima laughed. “I wish! I hate to be negative, but the whole city isn’t doing great. Lots of ruined robots with the grimm.” As if on queue, some androids came around from the corner. Before Daniel and Aaron could react, Fatima had started running towards them. As they turned the corner, the robots began opening fire on all they saw. “That shop!” Aaron pointed, “Everybody in! Daniel, cover fire!” The people from both groups began running to the shop as Daniel started firing back. Aaron used his semblance and spread his wings, making himself a shield for the people behind him. Fatima was in the group of androids, swinging wildly and smashing any part she could get at. She was wrecking them, and soon all that remained were scraps and sparking parts. Daniel reloaded as he looked around. “I don’t see anything else.” Aaron did a headcount of the groups. Luckily there were no serious injuries, just scrapes and bruises. He turned back to the street as Fatima walked back. “Now the robots are attacking? I thought they were on our side?” Fatima shrugged. “I don’t know. After the explosion at the tower, comms dropped and the robots went wild.” Aaron shook his head. “I’m tired of the surprises, I just want to help these people and get out of here.” Daniel looked around the city and saw an airbus coming in. “I hope that’s ours.” he said, pointing it out to other people around. The air bus was coming in, and finally landed in the plaza. The back doors opened and a soldier stepped out. “Everybody on! We’re on a timer here!” The group rushed out to get on the airbus, with the huntsmen and huntress watching the perimeter. As the people boarded and flew away, some grimm from the sky took note and charged in to attack. “Griffons incoming! Move out!” The air bus started to shut its doors as the huntsmen outside squared up with these flying beasts. “One each, boys. Easy money.” Fatima joked as she set her weapon aflame. “The one on the right is mine.” Aaron checked his dust chambers as he stood next to her. “I think you guys enjoy this too much.” Daniel looked down the barrel of his rifle as the griffons came closer. The beasts screeched as they neared. 

Daniel opened fire first, using dust bullets to form clumps of earth on the center grimm’s torso. It cried in pain as it sunk faster, crashing into the plaza before its kin. The left grimm roared as it came closer. Fatima rushed up to meet it, jumping and striking its beak downward into the ground. The last griffon had landed and was running towards Aaron. Aaron activated his semblance again and stood his ground. As the griffon came up, trying to bite the huntsman, Aaron grabbed its head and shoved it down as the grimm pushed him away. Daniel switched over to piercing bullets and started to open fire as he moved closer to his opponent. The grimm was screaming as bullets started to puncture its hide. Fatima was busy fighting her griffon, currently using her mace to stop its claw from starching her. Aaron was busy punching the beast’s eyes as it pushed him further away and straight into a building. Daniel was closing the distance on his mark as he attached an under-mount shotgun to Bootlegger. As the beast was tearing the rocky masses from its body, Daniel blasted a shotgun blast into the beast’s face. It slumped over, defeated. Fatima was still on the receiving end of her grimm’s onslaught. The grimm suddenly tried to eat her, only to be met by her mace holding its beak open. “Fatima! Duck!” Fatima ducked only to see Aaron fly over her and into the beast’s maw. “What are you doing? Fatima screamed as he disappeared into the abyss-like throat. The Beast tried to close its beak, slowly bending the mace that held it apart. “Fatima! Jump out!” Daniel started to shot at the grimm’s back legs. The beast started to buckle, giving Fatima a chance to jump out, her aura weakened by the contest of strength. The beast started to walk towards her, only jolt the opposite direction. It cried out as a spear of ice came out its side, slowly falling over. The now defeated grimm were slowly dissipating, leaving a battered Aaron laying in the plaza. Daniel ran over and dropped to his knees. “Hey buddy, you can hear me right?” Daniel was quickly checking for vitals, then exhaled when he felt a pulse. Aaron moaned in pain. “Alright, I got you.” Daniel slowly hosted Aaron on his shoulders, carrying him. “Fatima. Can you help us get to our truck? Just in that garage over-” As Daniel pointed to the garage, he realized part of it had caved in and was blocking the entrance. “Just as I thought i could catch a break.” Fatima chuckled and looked around the plaza. “Sure thing Dan, but what about him?” Daniel looked at Fatima with a confused look, then followed her pointing hand to an unconscious man in a white suit where the grimm had just been.

Chapter 9

Aaron groaned as he woke up. He looked around to see a familiar window and his own bedroom. He looked up as he remembered what happened. Beacon Tower exploded, moving the people to an airbus, Griffon attack. He jolted to a sitting position as he was reminded of the battle he had. “Dani-” he started to say before he stopped. The pain was catching up to him as he started moving. The general hurt was bad, but his head ached like there was a grimm punching it. “DAn-'' He tried to say again, only to be met with the same pain from the sound of his own voice. The curtain opened to reveal not Daniel, but Fatima. “You’re awake. You’re also the most reckless fighter I've seen. Who chooses to jump into a Grimm and stab it from the inside?” She scolded him as she sat on a stool near the head of the bed. Aaron looked past her at the door. “Daniel?” He managed to say, wincing at the headache. Fatima stared him down. “No thank you? After I moved all those rocks to get your truck out from the garage, on top of saving you from Vale, you can’t even say thanks?” Aaron scowled, not sure if she was joking or serious. He swung his legs over the edge of his bed, feeling sore but able to walk. He grabbed some pills from the nightstand and crunched them in his mouth. “No thank you for diving into a Grimm to stop it from eating you?” He retorted. “Where’s Daniel?” Fatima rolled her eyes. “He’s in the main room. Dealing with our new guest.” Aaron slowly stood up. “New guest?” Aaron stumbled over to the door, catching himself on the frame. Fatima stood up. “Oh right, you were… out of commission when we found him.” Aaron pushed through the curtain and saw a man laying on his sofa. His bright orange hair was falling off the side of the seat. He had a blanket covering him as he rested. A ruined white suit and a broken cane were on the table next to him, with Daniel looking over them. Daniel looked over and smiled. “Glad you’re ok. How’re you feeling?” Aaron leaned on the counter as he shambled to the fridge. “Tired. Sore. Confused.” Aaron grabbed a carton of juice and drank straight from it. “When did we invite our guests?” Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, Fatima helped lug you and this guy from the plaza to the truck, and helped clean the rubble in the garage so we could leave. I offered her a spot to crash since she helped us out.” Aaron looked at Fatima. “More or less. I can’t exactly go back to my place at Beacon.” Aaron took another swig as he eyed the man on the sofa. “And who’s this guy?” Daniel pointed to the items in front of him. “I was going to look for some ID. Looks familiar but i can’t place him. His weapon is pretty slick. Clearly a professional job.” Aaron looked at the suit and saw a card in the front pocket. He leaned over and picked it up. “Nothing printed on it. Strange.” Fatima looked closer and suddenly snatched it from Aaron’s hand. “Wait, this is a code breaker. Look.” She pulled at part of it, causing the card to open up to reveal a bunch of letters. “I’ve seen these with White Fang members. Helps them keep info on the down-low.” Aaron looked again at the man. There were no animal features to be seen, unless a tail was hidden under the blanket. “He doesn’t seem to be faunus. Why would he need a breaker for a group that he can’t join?” Daniel suddenly snapped to attention and opened his scroll. “That’s where I've seen him!” he said as he opened the copied drive files. He showed a photo and showed his scroll to reveal Torchwick talking with that girl. “Somehow, we got Torchwick passed out on our couch.”

Torchwick woke up on a sofa, not sure how he got there. He had a hole in his memory that wasn’t clearing up. Roman was so buried in his thoughts it took him a second to realize that 3 people were talking in the same room. One of them was arguing with the other about what to do, while another was poking through a suit jacket. Roman’s eyes opened as he realized that was his jacket. He slowly sat up, and realized that he only had underwear on. Before he could fully think of a way out, the bigger man saw him move. The smaller one turned, holding a rifle. The final, a girl, spoke up. “Morning, Torchwick. Care to explain what happened?” Roman looked at them all and yawned. “You’ll have to be specific, dear. I’m afraid i’m a little scatter-brained at the moment.” The girl stood up and grabbed her mace from behind the chair. “How about we start with how you managed to organize an attack to destroy Beacon academy? And I hate pet names. You call me Fatima.” Roman put a finger to his chin, mockingly. “Gee, I don't seem to recall. Last I remember was being in a cell on an airship for my crimes. Really reflecting on my life.” the bigger man stepped around the counter, exposing his wings and gauntlets. “I’m sure you really felt bad, but i’d like to hear what happened after that. Care to recap?” Roman raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, little bird, even if i remembered i wouldn't tell some nobodies who kidnapped me. Honestly, the decor here is lacking, even for a hostage home.” The smaller one opened a scroll and played a news report. “It seems the blame for this horrible attack is on Roman Torchwick, who escaped during the attack and seems to have orchated it. Plans for the attack were found at one of his safehouses in Mistral, which was searched.” The little one smirked. “Well, it seems like everyone can agree it was you.” Roman groaned. “You’re like my ex-wife, just because it’s on the news doesn’t mean it’s true.” Roman rubbed his head as things cleared up. He broke out of the cell, fought little Red on the airship, Neo flew away-. “Help me out here, where did you find me? Because I have a hole in my memory I can't seem to fill.” The bird man responded. “Inside a Griffon’s stomach, you’d be dead if we hadn’t killed it. So I think that deserves some answers.” Griffon? That makes sense, but if he was supposed to be dead… “Hold on,” Roman thought aloud “It was a set-up. I was the fall guy.” He slumped against the back of the couch. Fatima narrowed her eyes. “Apparently he remembers enough to blame someone else! Why didn’t I think of it? Classic.” Roman thought more, then looked up and the younger man. “You. Look up the name ‘Cinder Fall’. Also ‘Neapolitan’.” The younger man scoffed. “First off, Name’s Daniel. Second, why are you suddenly hungry for ice cream?” Roman looked at the bird faunus. “Forget the ice cream then. Hey bird-brain, get your goon here to look that up for me.” The faunus clenched a fist. “Aaron. And he’s not my goon. Or yours. If you want to know something so bad, why not explain to us why you need to know.” Roman groaned. “I just said i was the fall guy. Who do you think paid me to do things? If she doesn’t come up on the search, it means she did it. Blamed an entire academy burning to the ground on me.” Aaron nodded to Daniel, who began to search. “Nothing but theory sites. Something about a Dust Mage?” Roman laughed. “Wrong, but not by much.” Roman smirked. “There you go kids! Your big bad guy to chase. Are you happy?”

Chapter 10

“What’s your take?” Fatima finally asked. She had pulled away Aaron into the workshop to discuss the story that Torchwick had given them. Daniel had stayed in the room, just to be sure their ‘guest’ didn’t do anything crazy. Aaron sighed, “Honestly? Something feels off. I don’t know about his story, but why would Torchwick attack Vale and Beacon?” Fatima looked confused. “Because he’s a criminal? He’s already attacked once, and he’s been stealing dust before that.” Aaron started to pull up the files from the drive on Daniel’s computer. “Look at this though.” Aaron pulled up the photos of Torchwick talking to the mysterious girl. “This woman, no one knows who she is, but she’s talking to Torchwick.” Fatima narrowed her eyes. “Why do you have photos of him with a mystery woman?” “Oh right, long story but these are from a White Fang member trying to stop Torchwick. Why would Torchwick be with a faunus group when he has no stake with them?” Fatima looked through the files. “Look, Cinder!” She pointed at a photo of a note, laying on a desk of papers. Aaron full-screened the photo, reading it aloud. “Phase 3 will start soon. Once Cinder does her part, things will proceed from there. Emerald and Mercury will be with her, so once it happens, no loose ends. Plans will proceed based on the outcome.” The two looked at each other as Torchwick’s story seemed to fall into place.

Daniel held Bootlegger as he watched Torchwick. The criminal seemed to be deep in thought, not paying attention to him at all. Fatima and Aaron had gone to the workshop to talk about what to do now. Daniel looked over to Torchwick’s things, hoping to see something that tied his story together, but saw the same broken weapon and torn clothes. “So... “ Daniel started, “Any proof for your story. About this Cinder?” Torchwick ignored him and stared off into the distance. “Real talkative.” Daniel sighed as he stood up. He stepped over to the table, looking closer at Torchwick’s items. “Maybe something in here? Scroll is broken, but maybe you have a backup?” Daniel dug through the pockets, finding scraps of fabric and some loose lien. “Come on man, work with me here. If you got paid to do this, surely you’re not happy about being the fall guy?” Daniel tried to appeal to Torchwick. Torchwick finally responded. “No.” Daniel looked back to Torchwick, seeing him still trying to piece together his thoughts. “Ok, so all I'm looking for is proof of this Cinder to show people. Surely you must have something.” Torchwick finally looked up. “Why do you want this? What’s your goal?” Daniel looked confused. “What do you mean?” “No one is really this selfless. Are you looking for power? Money? Respect?” Daniel thought for a second. “Money would be nice, maybe some respect. But mostly concern for the people who can’t help themselves.” Torchwick smirked. “You’re such a goodie-goodie. Those same people wouldn’t give a shit if you died looking for the true culprit. Especially a second-class faunus.” Daniel frowned. “You’re probably right. But someone has to be the bigger person, or else nothing gets done.” Torchwick groaned, “They really drilled the whole ‘hero’ thing into your head.” A moment of silence. “I have proof. But I have conditions. Grab me some clothes, get your gang back together and we’ll negotiate.”

Torchwick was now dressed in some older clothes from Aaron. A grey sportcoat, white button-up, and black pants were ill-fitting but worked for now. He cleared his throat as he addressed the three others. “I’ve thought about it, and I can find you proof of Cinder and the rest of her plans. But i need some things before we start.” Aaron narrowed his eyes, expecting the worst. “First, we can’t be talking to any authority before I get you the evidence. I don’t need to go back to jail before I can get your information. Second, my weapon needs to be reforged. Hopefully you can do a decent job. Third, i need a phone call before we leave.” Fatima laughed. “You haven’t even mentioned where or what this evidence is and you already have demands?” Daniel nodded along. “We need more info before we do anything.” Torchwick frowned. “You think i would pull jobs like this and not keep receipts? I have a safe house in Vacuo. You guys get me there and you can get all the info I have. Cinder, her little menecaries, her plans, anything I've put to memory, it’s all there.” Aaron glared at him. “Assuming this is true, you want us to take you to the middle of nowhere and then what?” “I disappear, and you guys find a lot of information.” “Disappear?” “Yes, birdy. I need to get off the radar of the authorities, which means after this little trip, I will go away.” Aaron scrowled at the nickname, but stayed still. Fatima spoke up. “Seems about right. And you need your weapon back too?” Torchwick nodded. “Lots of ground between here and there. Never want to be unprepared.” Daniel questioned next. “And this phone call? Who do you need to talk to?” Torchwick shook a finger. “That’s between me and them. Nothing to do with our trip.” “How do we know you won’t betray us? Calling a crew to get you or ditching us in some backwoods forest?” Torchwick shook his head. “I realized being ‘dead’ means I can get back underground much easier. No need for a crew when you goons can help me for some information I already have. I may be a ‘criminal’, as you say, but i'm also a man of my word.” Aaron looked to the others. “Give us a minute to decide.” Torchwick nodded. “I’ll go relieve myself while you decide.” he walked to the bathroom and the door shut behind him. Aaron looked at Daniel and Fatima. “Thoughts?” Daniel nodded. “I think we should go.” Aaron nodded back. “I agree.” Fatima looked surprised. “That easily? No big discussion?” Aaron gestured to her, waiting for her thoughts. “I don’t trust him. Even though it’s three on one if he tries something, i don't like this.” Aaron nodded. “I agree, but what happens if we say no? We get no answers and the attack is dropped as they caught the man behind it.” “This is the sort of thing that Huntsman and Huntresses do all the time.” Daniel added. “Just an escort job with some extra threads.” Fatima thought for a minute. “Fine. I guess i’ll stick with you guys for now. If only to watch out for any double-cross.” The toilet sounded from the other room as Torchwick opened the door, shaking water off his hands. “We’re in.” Fatima said. Daniel and Aaron nodded behind her. Torchwick picked up the broken weapon off the table and tossed it at Daniel. “About time. The sooner this gets fixed, the sooner we can leave.” 

Chapter 11

“Daniel, how are we doing?” Daniel turned from working on Torchwick’s weapon, which he called Melodic Cudgel. “Almost done, just fine-tuning the wires.” Daniel said. “Should be done in 10 minutes.” It had been a day since they agreed to help Torchwick, and they were almost ready to go. “Did you get the truck ready?” Aaron nodded. “Oil changed, full of gas. Just need to get the others and we’ll be ready.” Daniel gave a thumbs up and turned back to the weapon. Aaron went through the door to the living room and saw Fatima cleaning her weapon with a rag. “Daniel says 10 minutes till he’s done. How’s it looking for you?” Fatima shrugged. “Ready whenever, just wiping down Meteor Go-Go.” Aaron looked around. “Where’s Torchwick?” “Storage room, he’s trying to call them still.” Fatima said without looking up. Aaron groaned. Torchwick couldn’t reach whoever it was he was calling to call, and apparently was trying again before they left. He walked over to the storage room and started to open the door then stopped. He heard Torchwick talking and decided to listen in. “Please kid, i’m begging you. If you’re out there… just be safe.” Torchwick sighed and shut the scroll. Aaron opened the door. “Daniel says about 5 minutes before your cane is ready.” Torchwick nodded, and tossed the scroll at Aaron. “About time, hopefully he doesn’t mess with the balance.” He pushed Aaron aside and walked to the workshop. Aaron was confused, but decided not to press Torchwick about the call for now. He followed Torchwick into the workshop, watching as he picked up the weapon from the table. “This is a decent job, for an amutaer.” Torchwick balanced the cane on his palm, tilting it back and forth. “Kept the balance at least.” Daniel shot him a look, but stayed silent. Torchwick looked at Aaron. “Well. Gather the crew. Let’s go.” He said in a snarky tone. Aaron clenched a fist. Without looking away from Torchwick, he told Daniel to get Fatima and their stuff. Daniel walked out of the shop and into the home. “First thing. You are not in charge here. My house, my truck, my rules.” Aaron stated. Torchwick gave him a bored look, but nodded. “Second, who were you trying to call? If you need to be on the down low, why are you talking to people?” Torchwick laughed. “I thought you were eavesdropping on me. What did you hear?” “Something about a kid and being safe.” Aaron responded. Torchwick sighed. “One of my lackeys. She was on the same airship as me during the attack. Just checking in on her.” Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Only a lackey? Then why are you so concerned about her?” Torchwick straightened up. “My business, not yours.” Torchwick tried to turn away but Aaron grabbed his shoulder. “When my brother and I are at risk, it becomes my business.” Torchwick tried to wiggle out of the hold, but Aaron just gripped tighter. “If this comes around to hurt anyone, or you betray us, I will personally hunt you down.” Aaron threatened. Torchwick scoffed. “If you’re looking for a rival, you’ll have to get in line.” Torchwick suddenly dropped his cane hook around Aaron’s leg and pulled. Aaron lost his grip and fell on the ground. He looked up only to see the barrel of the cane open and point right at him. “Kid, I outclass you in every way. But I still need manpower to get to my safehouse. As long as you benefit me, you don’t have to worry about any double-cross.” Torchwick closed the barrel and walked towards the front door. “Come on now, we really should be going.” He taunted, stepping out the door.

Aaron stood up as Fatima and Daniel entered the shop. “Where’s Torchwick?” Fatima asked as she stepped through. “He… got tired of waiting. He went out to the truck.” Aaron half-lied. Daniel shrugged, “Well, we’re ready now.” Aaron looked to Fatima. “Last chance. We’re not going to force you to come with us.” He warned. Fatima chuckled. “It's not like I can just go home. Besides it’s nice to have a team again.” Aaron raised an eyebrow. “I guess we never asked about you. You just happened to show up and help us out.” Fatima shrugged. “Heat of the moment. It’s hard to give your life story while fighting off Grimm.” She held out her hand. “Fatima Tomo. Huntress.” Aaron shook it. “Aaron and Daniel Black. Huntsmen.” Daniel shook her hand after Aaron. “If you don’t mind, what happened to your old team?” Fatima frowned. “I don’t like to talk about it. Mission gone wrong. You can guess the rest.” Daniel nodded. “Sorry.” Fatima shrugged and smiled again. “You couldn't have known. Besides, we should get going.” As if on cue, the truck horn blared from outside. The group stepped outside to see Torchwick in the passenger seat holding his cane against the horn. Fatima and Daniel started to walk towards the truck, as Aaron took one last look at his home. “This is going to be one hell of a road trip…” he muttered to himself as he followed after his brother and his new ally.

#rwby fanfiction #rwby #writing #fiction #fanfic

[steveskafte]

A LIVING POET It might not seem immediately apparent, but I'm really only in this for one main reason – I wanted to be a poet. From the very beginning, putting emotional imagery into some rhythmic, rhyming pattern was the only reason I ever wrote. Poet is now an artistic occupation so intensely obsolete that even calling yourself one just stinks of pretension. It's been that way since at least the 1960s, perhaps the last era that any average citizen knew the name of a living poet. That's also when poetry moved more into the influence of singer-songwriters – a profession I greatly admire, but one naturally closed to non-singers like me. For the first seven years that I called myself a writer, from 2005 till 2012, I wrote nothing but poetry. Those six hundred poems from my late teens and early twenties contain so much writing I'm still proud of now, written when I had no other use for words. From the very beginning, I was drawn to how immediate it all was. I started writing with a pen or keyboard, like you'd expect, but eventually moved into writing all my poems out loud. Harnessing talking to myself made it feel all the more personal, making something expressive out of what I already tend to do when I'm alone. I've never taken more than thirty minutes to write a poem, and never edit once I'm done. I figure if it's not perfect, then maybe the next one will be. I always found something romantic in the notion of writing straight from the heart, not mulling over and rearranging your work for weeks on end. I love how a poem asks very little of a reader. If they waste a couple minutes, no worries. But if they're moved, it could bring them back a hundred times again. I love how something so short can give someone a reason to live. It know it sure has given me mine. But poetry is not the most monetizable of arts. Aside from my polaroid-poems that I write live and by request for $20, and seven self-published poetry books that I sell for $18 each, there are few available avenues of income. That's where photography and all my other writing comes in. Most (relatively) famous folks in the poetry scene make their name through either preaching to the choir with intensely political subject matter or slam poetry (basically shouting at the audience). Neither are suited to me. I love folk poetry in the most genuine and personal sense, and use every exposure I get to draw my audience back to it. A few days ago, I posted a video for my recent poem: "Fales River Bridge". That piece means more to me than weeks of everything else I do put together. Things like that are why I do this, why my voice is one you even know exists. Don't get me wrong, I have an affinity for exploring and photography, and prose can be a pleasure to write. But there's a lot of my heart out there – and it's mostly in my poems. Hold fast. August 18, 2022 Beaconsfield, Nova Scotia Year 15, Day 5394 of my daily journal. ~ ~ ~ Order a polaroid-poem, or get a poetry book here: www.etsy.com/shop/SteveSkafte

[not-to-be-gay-but-holy-shit]

Me: I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed with emotion tonight for some reason

Also me: You know what would make you even more emotional??? The fucking MOON

Also also me: *already opening my blinds* you're absolutely fucking right

#'harness those emotions and wrote something' #lmao #'im gonna write in my notebook to reduce screentime and help my creativity' #LMAO #im at a weird moment of self confidence where like. i know i exist. i know other people see me. but idk if i like what they're seeing #you know?? #like am i being the kindest i can be? the funniest? the prettiest? #its too much

[plannedparenthood]

Thank You, RBG

We are heartbroken. Supreme Court Justice and gender equality hero Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday, Sept. 18. Her death is a painful loss for our country. She was a fierce and unapologetic warrior for equality, and her achievements are endless. As we mourn we’re also embracing our gratitude for her service to our country.

Cherishing RBG’s Legacy

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg committed her life to protecting the rights, freedoms, and health of people across the country — in particular women, communities of color, and others whose voices too often go unheard. She was a true trailblazer who inspired millions of girls and women to fight through sexism and discrimination to make American a better place to work, to live, and to love. 

Her powerful words over the years, including her razor-sharp dissents, helped push our nation toward freedom and opportunity for all. Her spirit, values, and words will be deeply missed.

A Modern Revolutionary

Some revolutionaries shook up a society with anger burning and guns blazing. Others studied hard, knocked down an unfair system one peg at a time, and spoke truth to power while wearing a lace collar. That was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

She got two mottoes from her mother, Celia Bader (who marched for women’s suffrage): 

“Be independent,” take care of yourself without being financially beholden to a man, and

“Be a lady,” don't allow emotions like anger to be so consuming they get in your way.

When Ruth Bader Ginsburg saw anything repugnant — like systemic discrimination — she would get straight to work. It wasn’t easy. Over decades, Ruth Bader Ginsburg faced a slew of indignities. But she harnessed courage and resolve to strategically break down America’s sexist, unethical laws and institutions. 

To honor the Notorious RBG, we’ve collected our seven favorite facts about her life and her legacy.

7) RBG was defiant in the face of entrenched sexism in college and law school.

Most colleges didn’t accept women in the 1950s, and Ruth Bader was one of the first to break the gender barrier. At Cornell University, she was sexually harassed by a professor, who offered answers to a test in exchange for sex. She confronted him: “I went to his office and I said, ‘How dare you? How dare you do this?’ And that was the end of that.” 

At Harvard Law School, she and the eight other women in her class of more than 500 students were ogled, ignored in the classroom, excluded from the library, and asked by the dean how they could possibly justify taking a seat away from a man. But that hostile environment didn’t stop her. 

She fought it with brain power and superhuman physical endurance. She was so obsessed with the law that she’d regularly stay up until dawn studying. Well into her 80s, she retained her reputation for working until 3 a.m. and living on just two hours of sleep. 

While she was kicking butt at the top of her classes, she was also taking care of her young daughter and sick husband. Martin (Marty) Ginsburg contracted testicular cancer and had extensive radiation therapy, which kept him from going to his own law school classes. So, RBG organized his friends to attend his classes, worked through their notes with Marty, and typed up Marty’s papers — all while doing her own schoolwork on top of it. 

She tied for first in her class from Columbia Law School in 1959. She also was the first person to become a member of both the prestigious Harvard Law Review, and the Columbia Law Review — one of many of her unprecedented feats. She proved to those elite schools that a woman could succeed.

6) RBG showed the world what a partnership looks like in a husband-wife relationship.

Ruth Bader met Marty Ginsburg while they were both at Cornell University, and they forged an equal partnership from the beginning. He learned to cook so she didn’t have to. Later, he lobbied for her seats on the Court of Appeals in D.C. and on the Supreme Court. And he gave up his law firm in New York to follow her to Washington — a shocking move at the time. 

Here’s how she put it at her 1993 Senate confirmation hearing:

“I surely would not be in this room today without the determined efforts of men and women who kept dreams of equal citizenship alive. I have had the great good fortune to share life with a partner truly extraordinary for his generation. A man who believed at age 18 when we met that a woman’s work, whether at home or on the job, is as important as a man’s. I became a lawyer when women were not wanted by most members of the legal profession. I became a lawyer because Marty supported that choice unreservedly.”

5.) RBG won a whopping five cases before the Supreme Court — and they all advanced the Constitutional protection of equal rights for all Americans.

As smart and accomplished as Ruth Bader Ginsburg was, no law firm would hire her after she graduated from law school. Law firms slammed the door in her face time after time because they only hired men. She realized that “being a woman was an impediment.”

As Ginsburg navigated the legal working world in the 1960s, she saw how thousands of state and federal laws were treating women as second-class citizens. At that time, most states’ laws allowed employment termination for pregnancy, and let banks deny credit to women without a male co-signer. The Supreme Court had rejected every challenge to laws that treated women worse than men.

All this gender discrimination fueled Ginsburg’s drive for social justice. In the early 1970s, she followed the strategy of NAACP civil rights lawyer and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who helped dismantle Jim Crow laws case by case over many years — leading to Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which outlawed racial segregation in schools in 1954. Like Marshall, Ginsburg centered her arguments on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which says all persons should be treated equally under the law.

Throughout the ‘70s, Ginsburg led the ACLU’s Women's Rights Project, for which she argued and won five landmark gender equality cases before the Supreme Court. As she said in the 2018 documentary RBG: "I knew that I was speaking to men who didn't think there was such a thing as gender-based discrimination, and my job was to tell them it really exists.”

These cases set the foundation for the country’s laws against sex discrimination, and helped eliminate being male as the criteria for employment, pay, and benefits:

Two cases in 1975 and 1979 established the requirement that women serve on juries, recognizing that they should enjoy both the benefits and the responsibilities of our judicial system.

“The vaunted woman's privilege viewed against history's backdrop simply reflects and perpetuates a certain way of thinking about women. Women traditionally were deemed lesser citizens.”

—Ruth Bader Ginsburg, arguing before the Supreme Court (Duren v. Missouri, 1979)

An employment benefits case in 1973 required the U.S. military to equally distribute family-based benefits for service members regardless of sex.

“In asking the Court to declare sex a suspect criterion, we urge a position forcibly stated in 1837 by Sara Grimke, noted abolitionist and advocate of equal rights for men and women. She said, ‘I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.'”

— Ruth Bader Ginsburg, arguing before the Supreme Court (Frontiero v. Richardson, 1973)

Two cases in 1974 and 1975 threw out gender-based distinctions in survivors’ benefits, granting widowers the same benefits as widows. RBG argued that while giving widows special treatment sounded nice, it wasn’t. Withholding benefits to widowers devalued the work of their deceased wives.

“A gender line...helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”

—Ruth Bader Ginsburg, arguing before the Supreme Court (Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld, 1975)

4) At her confirmation hearings, RBG openly declared that abortion access is a Constitutional right.

At her 1993 Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Ruth Bader Ginsburg showed what it looks like to uphold constitutional rights. Unlike recent Supreme Court nominees, she affirmatively declared the Constitutional right to safe, legal abortion. When Sen. Hank Brown (R-CO) grilled her about her views on abortion, she declared:

“But you asked me about my thinking about equal protection versus individual autonomy, and my answer to you is it's both. This is something central to a woman's life, to her dignity. It's a decision that she must make for herself. And when Government controls that decision for her, she's being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices.”

3) RBG wrote the historic decision ruling that state-funded schools must admit women.

In 1996, Justice Ginsburg wrote the Supreme Court’s majority opinion in United States v. Virginia, which ruled that the Virginia Military Institute’s men-only admission policy violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. Justice Ginsburg destroyed the Institute’s argument that its program wasn’t suitable for women. Instead, she wrote that:

“[G]eneralizations about ‘the way women are,’ estimates of what is appropriate for most women, no longer justify denying opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description.”

The school has admitted women since then, and — as Justice Ginsburg predicted — they have made the school proud.

2) RBG’s dissent from the majority in Lilly Ledbetter’s case led to the passage a fair pay law.

In 2007, Justice Ginsburg dissented in the ruling against Lilly Ledbetter — a tire factory employee who learned, decades into her tenure, that she was being paid much less than men in the exact same supervisory role: She was making $3,727 per month, while her male counterparts were making between $4,286 and $5,236 per month. However, she lost the case because the Civil Rights Act had a statute of limitations for reporting on discrimination. 

In her scathing dissent, Justice Ginsburg wrote that gender discrimination can be hidden for a long time and “the ball is in Congress’s court” to change the rule. In 2009, Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which extended the Civil Rights Act’s statute of limitations and guarantees women equal pay for equal work.

1.) RBG put the smack down on TRAP laws in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. 

In the landmark Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt case in 2016, the Supreme Court — including Justice Ginsburg — ruled that two abortion restrictions in Texas were unconstitutional because they would shut down most clinics in the state and cause Texans an “undue burden” on access to safe, legal abortion. The case exposed the lie that anti-abortion politicians have been peddling for years: that it’s somehow “safer” when the state imposes medically unnecessary, onerous targeted restrictions against abortion providers (TRAP) laws. 

In her concurring opinion to the majority, Justice Ginsburg wrote:

“Given those realities [that keep abortion access out of reach], it is beyond rational belief that H.B. 2 could genuinely protect the health of women, and certain that the law ‘would simply make it more difficult for them to obtain abortions’... When a State severely limits access to safe and legal procedures, women in desperate circumstances may resort to unlicensed rogue practitioners... at great risk to their health and safety.”

With this historic decision, the Court reaffirmed the constitutional right to access legal abortion. This decision was a triumph for abortion access. And when one of the restrictions that Ginsburg helped strike down came up in another lawsuit this year, Ginsburg again helped lead the Court to protecting abortion access in a major Supreme Court victory for reproductive rights.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg rose for all of us. How will we work together to rise for her?

From day one, Justice Ginsburg recognized our constitutional right to control our bodies and our destinies. That is a legacy that cannot and must not depart with her. 

Justice Ginsburg stood up for us. Now it’s our turn. 

Follow Planned Parenthood at facebook.com/PlannedParenthood and twitter.com/PPFA to stay updated on how to get involved. Together, we will rise. 

By Miriam at PPFA

[snarky-badger]

Okay. Part one of five of my General Grievous... short stories, I suppose. Featuring my OC Kyra.

This was supposed to be a multi-chapter story. Kyra was a child when she met Grievous pre-cyborg. She was on Tattooine, in the 'care' of someone who raised animals and such. ('animals' being a loose term in the star wars universe) Later Grievous goes back, she's around 30 now - finds her. realizes that she's good with animals and 'appropriates' her as a caretaker/trainer for his pet roggwart, Gor. Shit happens. she treats him like a person not a droid/cyborg. he's an asshole, she gets mad at him. they bitch at each other a lot.

There. you're caught up. lmao.

Anyway, enjoy the slight story and definite smut. (I still can’t believe I wrote this)

Please comment on whether you want the other 4 parts.

(Also, should I put this on AO3??)

ONWARDS!

Part The First.

.

.

"Oh really? And how's that been working for you?"

A low rumbling snarl left Grievous as he spun to glare at Kyra, only mildly impressed when she didn't flinch away from him. "And what," he growled, voice harsh, "gives you the right to assume that you know anything about me?"

"I can sense you," she said softly, glancing away when his eyes narrowed at her from behind his mask. Sighing, Kyra rose a hand, one of the lightsabers that Grievous kept hidden in his cape flying into her grasp. He stiffened at the motion, clawed mechanical hands curling into fists, even as she held the saber out for him to retrieve. "I'm not a Jedi, Grievous, and I don't plan on becoming one. But, I don't want to be a Sith either...."

He snatched the lightsaber out of her open hand and activated it, growling as he angled the glowing blue blade close to her face. "I should cut you down where you stand!"

Kyra glared up at him, blue eyes boring into reptilian yellow for a long moment before she snarled at him. "Fine then," she snapped, ignoring how those golden yellow eyes widened in surprise at the ferocity in her voice. "Go ahead! All you've done since bringing me here is treat me like garbage! Worse than garbage! I thought living on Tattooine was bad, but this is worse! I thought, hoped, that some of Qymaen jai Sheelal still remained, despite what you've done to yourself, but you're not who I remember! The being who gave me that promise is dead and gone! So do us both a favor, General Grievous, and kill me already!"

He stared at her in shock, watching the tears that streamed down her face and idly wondering if she even knew she was crying. Something in him twisted at the sight of her pain, and a deep, rattling, sigh left Grievous as he deactivated the saber, his free hand rising to carefully brush the moisture from her left cheek. It surprised him to no end that Kyra shivered and turned her face into his taloned hand, trusting him not to hurt her, despite her outburst.

Slowly, fighting against everything that screamed at him to shove her away, Grievous hesitantly tugged her forward, crouching a little as he wrapped his arms around her. His cyborg form easily took her weight when she leaned into the embrace, her warm breath tickling across the sensors built into his chest armor. The warmth and pressure of her body sent a shiver through him, cybernetic sensors that were implanted in his armor activating at the stimulation. It had been so long since anyone had dared to touch him. And certainly longer since he had felt the urge to comfort anyone.

He felt her fingers curl around some of his back armor, returning the hug as best she could, fairly snuggling into his chest, her head coming to rest just above where the armor protected his gutsack, where the few remains of his flesh lay hidden. Moving carefully, Grievous used his greater height to his advantage, leaning over her a little, the movement bringing his masked head close to hers. A brief thought, and his arms split into four, servos giving a little whine as he curled three of the four appendages around her, the fourth sliding into her fire-red hair, bringing her head closer to his masked face so the olfactory sensors there could drink in her scent.

"Kyra, I.... I....." He growled, one hand clenching into a fist at her back, disgusted that he couldn't bring himself to apologize.

"It's alright," she told him softly, pressing her cheek to his armor as she sensed his roiled emotions.

Grievous sighed and leaned his head against hers, tucking her warm body closer to his, the cloak he wore about his shoulders sliding forward to curl around her as well, partially hiding her from view. "How can you sense me? Dooku constantly complains that not only do I have no Force-sensitivity, but that I'm invisible to his own senses."

"I don't know," Kyra admitted, leaning back a little to meet his bright gaze, blinking at the calm contentedness she saw there. "I've always been able to attune myself to those around me. Until you told me otherwise, I thought it was the same for everyone who could use the Force."

He shook his head slightly. "From what I've learned, you're the only one who can sense the Kaleesh in what I've become," he said, his synthetic voice losing the harsh edge it usually had, more of a whisper now. "Most think me a droid, even those with Force senses."

"I don't."

"I know. It's refreshing. And.... comforting." He gave her the slightest of squeezes, one hand settling on her right hip while two other arms kept her wrapped in a hug, his fourth hand still toying with her hair. "But how can you tap into the Force if Count Dooku didn't sense anything in you?"

A soft smile tugged at her lips. "It's one of the first things I taught myself, how to hide from others. I didn't want to be found by either the Jedi or the Sith...." She paused for a moment, dropping her gaze from his. "Are you going to tell Dooku about me?"

He jerked back, stunned at the question. "No! In fact, I don't want him anywhere near you! If he finds out that you can use the Force, he'll take you to Sidious. Worse yet, if either learns about---" His vocalizer momentarily froze as his mind caught up with what he was about to admit. He had spent so long, trying to lock his emotions away, centering himself on becoming a better warrior, a better strategist. And now, to find himself on the brink of actually admitting to having such powerful feelings towards her was.... disconcerting.

Part of him was disgusted that he was even suggesting the thought of weakening himself, of letting long ignored emotions return to the surface. But the other, the part that had been hidden away, the part that was still Kaleesh, still Qymaen, and flesh and blood, and singing at Kyra's closeness, realized that he had been a coward. Despite all his improvements, all the battles won and the trophies he collected, how could he call himself a warrior if he was afraid to accept the peace that Kyra's mere presence afforded him?

How could he ignore the part of himself that fairly screamed for some small bit of comfort, however fleeting?

Grievous knew that he had been losing himself to rages more and more often, something that he had hardly ever done before. Certainly, he had been, - and still was - an accomplished warrior. But he was also a strategist. He knew that letting anger overwhelm you during a battle was foolish. Anger clouded thoughts, made one sloppy. And a mistake during the high-stake fights he now found himself in would be very, very costly.

As he turned his attention outwards again, meeting Kyra's worried gaze, he suddenly realized that he couldn't remember the last time he had actually felt so relaxed. The anger and rage that usually boiled at the edge of his thoughts had eased, his legendary temper no longer tearing at his control. He felt.... well, not mellow, but certainly calmer than he had in a long, long time.

Giving in, Grievous hugged Kyra to himself, carefully angling his masked face close to hers. "No one can ever know of the fondness I hold for you," he told her, sensors thrumming at the shiver that went through her body. His fourth hand rose to her face, metal fingers playing across her cheek, touch receptors relaying the feeling of silk soft skin against his metallic palm. "Outside of secured locations.... I won't be able to acknowledge this, Kyra. It would put both our lives at risk, especially yours."

She frowned slightly. "They'd use me to get to you."

He nodded, relieved that she understood. "And vice versa, I imagine," he muttered, chuckling a little when she blushed. Growling lowly, Grievous pressed his masked face against the curve of her throat, sensors fairly singing as they took in the softness of her skin and the richness of her scent. "Ah, Kyra, whatever will I do with you? I find myself missing the time where I was more flesh than machine."

The admission tightened something in her abdomen, and she leaned away from his touch to meet his gaze again. "Can I try something? I promise, it won't hurt."

A grumble left him at that. "You want to use the Force on me."

She nodded, raising a hand to caress the side of his mask and smiling a little when he turned his face into her hand. "Will you trust me? It won't hurt, and if you feel the least bit uncomfortable, all you have to do is tell me to stop, and I will."

Her fingers stroked the side of his facemask, heightened sensors in the armor activating under her touch, and it was all he could do not to groan happily at the contact, very aware that her other hand was caressing the metal on his chest. At that moment, she could have asked him to defect to the Republic, and he might well have done it, just as long as she kept touching him. "Go ahead."

Kyra smothered a giggle at the contented growl in his voice, then pushed her amusement aside, focusing solely on what she was about to do. It was simple for her to tap into the Force. Instead of a mystical power, she had always thought of it as a different form of energy; an energy that only a scant few were sensitive to and which even less were able to wield.

Energy could be harnessed if done correctly, like the solar collectors on some other worlds. It could be molded to do many things, within limits. The nature of the Universe couldn't be changed. People lived and died, that was the way of things; but life could be extended to a certain degree, and disease and damage could be healed. Time was it's own master, even the Force was no match for it. Other limits were attached to the one opening themselves to the Force. It took concentration, practice and a fair amount of willpower to learn to harness such energy; and there were bound to be many failures before achieving a specific goal.

Kyra had learned things the hard way, without a guide or teacher. Trial and error had been harsh, but she liked to imagine that she was more flexible than others that used the Force. Some things that she had taught herself were simply not done by either the Sith or the Jedi, according to Grievous' information. Like what she was about to do.

It came to her so easily, like running water, invisible power flowing through her veins as she brushed her fingertips down one of Grievous' arms, triggering and enhancing every receptor and sensor that she knew was hidden in his armor.

The caress, powerful and so very warm, nearly sent him to his knees, little pulses of energy flitting across the circuits that crisscrossed his cybernetic frame. His cyber-organic brain translated the signals into throbs of pleasure, a strangled moan crackling out of his vocalizer as his eyes slid closed, hands clutching at Kyra as a shudder wracked his body. It took him almost a full minute to become coherent again, and even then, Grievous found himself struggling not to beg her to do whatever she had just done again. "W-What did you--?"

"I can manipulate energy to a certain degree," she told him, smiling as she lightly trailed her fingers up and down his upper left arm, causing him to shiver and tighten his hold on her. "I'm just.... sending little surges through your receptors."

Another small wave jolted up his arm, echoing through every circuit and wire in his entire body until he was fairly shaking, the wicked talons on his feet sinking into the dermaplated floor. Urges that he had thought lost rose to the surface, his two lower hands dropping to her waist to pull her pelvis against his as his hips arched towards hers uselessly.

While the action still pulled a rather delightfully breathless gasp from Kyra, he couldn't help but growl in annoyance at his metal body, his mind instantly running through the lewd thought of having some sort of attachment fashioned. The mental images did nothing to stop his newly awakened lust, his voice coming out in a near purr as he picked her up in his lower arms and carried her towards her quarters, upper hands already tugging at her clothes. "You realize that I intend to finish what you've started?"

Kyra met his smouldering gaze and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek, a little thrum of energy accompanying the gesture. "I wouldn't have started it otherwise."

Growling, he carried her through the automatic door to her room, stepping through and pausing only long enough to balance on one foot while using a metal toe to type in the lock command, insuring their privacy. "You're mine now," Grievous told her, partially burying his face in her hair as he stalked towards her bed.

His final upgrade into his cybernetic body had eliminated the need for sleep, and thus, the need for a bed. But now he found a small part of his Kaleesh mind wishing he could have brought her to his own quarters to claim her there, various memories of his past where he had taken his wives to bed for a night of rather impassioned sex.

The memories only fueled him, a low rumbling growl leaving him as he set her on her bed and crawled above her, eyes drinking in the sight of her before careful talons cut her clothes away. Every bare inch of flesh he uncovered looked like heaven, the hands of his upper arms caressing newly exposed skin while the lower continued to rip the material off of her body. Though it all, Kyra never stopped touching him, fingertips gliding across his arms, throat and chest, pulses and surges of pleasure only intensifying his need to have her laid bare before him.

"I haven't been with anyone since I began upgrading myself," he warned her as he threw the scraps of her clothes over his shoulder, sending his cloak after them seconds later before turning his burning gaze onto her once again, lower hands already mapping her body. "You must tell me if I hurt you. I can't claim you in the normal fashion, but I can still give you pleasure."

Kyra shook her head a little and rose herself on an elbow to bring their faces closer together, one hand stroking the side of his masked face and shivering in anticipation at the lust in his bright gaze. "You won't hurt me," she murmured, sliding her hand down his throat and across his chest until she took his right upper hand in hers, rising it to her lips and pressing a kiss to his metal palm. "I trust you."

That one small gesture sent a stab of arousal through him, his body wracked by a shudder when she playfully suckled on one taloned finger, touch receptors detailing how warm and soft and wet her mouth was. Groaning, he descended on her, all four hands caressing her body as he struggled to map out every inch of her, sensors drinking in every gasp and moan that escaped her, every arch of her back and roll of her hips. He explored every bit of her, easily bracing himself above her as he slid one hand into her hair, the second lightly tracing the curve of her throat while the third closed over one breast, his fourth hand dropping to her inner thighs, teasing her with gentle strokes.

And to his growing delight, Kyra was far from passive. She matched every touch, every stroke. Sometimes it would only be a warm throb that washed through him, leaving him craving more, while others were roiling waves of pleasure that threatened to completely overwhelm him, his breath leaving him in very audible moans and growls. She would drag her fingernails across his armor, the sensation making him arch his back and close his eyes, only to gasp seconds later when she dared to tickle at sensitive joints, the contrast both refreshing and oddly arousing.

Both of his upper hands shifted to knead and massage her breasts, talons ever so careful against the soft skin. His left lower hand settled on her hip, holding her still as his right cupped her, one finger sliding into her wetness. Her hips instantly rolled into his hand, a needy little mewl leaving Kyra as she clutched at him, her blue eyes darkening to a rich sapphire.

Growling, he shifted above her, dropping his face to the crook of her neck to drink in her scent, shivering when she rose a hand to stroke the back of his head, tiny little eddy's of Force energy dancing across his duradium skull. He wrapped his upper arms around her torso, tugging her slightly upright as he rubbed his face against her skin and purring when she placed a warm kiss to the side of his head.

"Touch me," Grievous whispered against her throat, mind whirling as she arched in his arms, her breasts rubbing against his armored chest. All the while, she constantly brushed her fingertips across any bit of him she could reach, the light caresses no where near what he really wanted. "Touch me. Really touch me. No one touches me.... I'm not a droid.... I still remember what it felt like...."

The pained tone of his voice brought tears to her eyes, and Kyra immediately wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close to her as she could, even daring to rub her left leg against his metal calf. A sort of desperate keen left him, his body giving a shudder as he clung to her, his four hands rubbing over every single inch of her back and shoulders, the lower two dropping to her thighs to further lift her towards him.

Muttering Kaleesh endearments, Grievous rubbed the side of his head against hers, sensors along the front of his body singing happily at the sensation of her pressed tightly against him. The heat of her body warmed his armor, her hands clutching and stroking at every bit of him that she could reach, her caresses stronger now in response to his plea.

He returned the favor, leaning back to gaze down at her as he mapped out every inch of her face and throat with fingertips and palms, his two lower hands sliding down to her chest while his uppers trailed across her shoulders. A pleased growl left him as he cupped her breasts, teasing her by flicking her nipples for a second before kneading the silk soft flesh, watching as her eyes fluttered closed, a pink blush spreading across her face. The sight spurred him onwards, a frustrated curse leaving him as he nuzzled his mask against her left breast, wanting nothing more than to taste and suckle.

A particularly intense pulse of energy nearly sent him over the brink, his breath coming in rough pants as he shook his head and caught her wrists in his upper hands, pinning them above her head. "Not yet," he growled, drinking in the sight of her gasping under him in a mix of delight and lust as he rubbed his lower hands down her abdomen, purring in approval of the hungry look in her eyes.

Her hips arched towards him as he brushed the fingers of his right lower hand against her thigh, his gaze locking with hers as he slowly slid one finger into her, a low groan leaving him as receptors relayed how hot and wet she was. Hissing, Grievous transferred her hands into one of his, dropping his now free upper left hand to massage one of her breasts as he slid the second and then the third finger into her warmth, growling when she gasped and rolled her hips.

Shivering, he closed his eyes, centering his mind on how tight and wet and hot she felt, and lewdness be damned, he was definitely going to look into getting certain 'enhancements' for his cyborg form, because feeling her through his fingers just wasn't enough.

Bright yellow eyes snapped open to stare down at her, wanting to memorize the sight of her arching and trembling under him as he moved his fingers inside her, his lower left arm carefully repositioning one of her legs to give him better access to her. He brought her to the brink twice, stopping each time and waiting until her body had reluctantly calmed before stroking her again, slowly pumping his fingers in and out of her. All the while, he reverently brushed his upper left hand across her skin, caressing every bit of her that he could easily reach.

Shivering, and greatly aroused, Grievous nuzzled his face against her chest, moaning when she gasped his name and arched towards him, one of her hands twisting in his grip so she could brush her fingertips against his wrist. Little shocks traveled along his upper right arm, leaving trails of warmth and pleasure in their wake. He growled at the sensation, repaying her by stroking her inner walls and delighting in the full body tremor the touch caused.

"Now," he growled to her, releasing her hands and closing his eyes when she immediately reached for him. A ragged purr left his vocalizer as he shifted his lower right hand, gently pressing his fingers deeper into her, quickening his movements, pushing her to climax. "Now. Want to feel...."

Gasping for breath, Kyra splayed one hand on his chest, the other grasping his shoulder as he stroked something deep within her that pushed her ever closer to the edge, her back arching as she cried out. Unlike the other times, he didn't let her pleasure wane, his hands continuing to caress her, even as he moved his fingers in and out of her, his lower left arm wrapping around her waist to keep her close.

Struggling to stay in control for just a moment longer, she moved her hand from his shoulder to stroke the side of his masked face, coaxing him to rise his head from her neck so she could meet his reptilian gaze. His golden eyes were filled with all the emotions and words that he couldn't give voice to, and she held his gaze for a heartbeat before leaning up to place a kiss just below his right eye.

The tender gesture pulled a full-body tremble and a desperate growl from him. "Kyra!"

Something inside her snapped, and she cried out as her climax ripped through her, her hands scrambling to hold onto Grievous as he jerked above her, a helpless howl of pleasure leaving him as the energy unleashed by her orgasm crashed into him. His arms locked around her, body trembling as every wave of her climax echoed into him, her awareness of him sharpening for one brief moment before all coherent thought left her, and all that was left was pleasure.

.

.

End Part 1

#snarky is writing #general grievous #still can't believe I wrote grievous smut #smut #grievous x oc #fanfiction #what have i done

[mmmatchasims]

Mr. Citron: Often times our most personal works can be our best. Think about all of the greats from the 19th century that we’ve read in class. Was Edgar Apple Pie famous because of his prose, or because he wrote from the heart? 

Primrose: Okay well I wouldn’t say Pie was writing from the heart as much as he was coping with alcoholism and a decent amount of mental health issues, but I see your point.

Mr. Citron: As authors, it’s our job to be vulnerable. In painting too, as you’ve so eloquently pointed out in your writing sample. I’d argue our most vulnerable moments are when we’re at our best as creatives if we know how to work with them. It’s about harnessing those difficult emotions to create; to give something back to the world, instead of letting them destroy us from the inside. Sorrow, pain, rage; these are the most powerful and productive feelings we have.

Primrose: I dunno... Vulnerability isn’t really my style, Mr. C.

#ts4 storytelling #ts4 legacy #ts4 #berry sweet sims #pastel rainbowcy #dream bpr #dream gen 2 #primrose dream #basil citron #basil emotional intelligence is a lot to ask of a high school senior #but go off #anyways a friend of mine once told me rage was the most productive emotion and it changed my life #felt like something rose needed to hear even if she won't internalize it for... a while lol