#cwz fanfiction

[giraffles]

Of A Feather

IT’S CAPTAIN HARLOCK WEEK KIDS. Which means I have absolutely nothing prepared and spent the whole evening scraping this together. pls just take it as it is. 

day 1 is supposed to be your favorite tochiro, and what an unfair question, I love them all. so have a little thing with a tochiro in it instead! this is set in modern AU/the Lights Will Guide You series. 

Of A Feather

They've just finished cleaning out the den of a much hated rival when Tochiro approaches him with a squawking bundle.

you can also read it here on AO3!

They've just finished cleaning out the den of a much hated rival when Tochiro approaches him with a squawking bundle.

"What the hell is--"

"We're keeping him," Tochiro announces, pulling the sheet off the cage with a flourish, "Isn't he adorable?"

Harlock has to disagree. Inside the cage is a rather large bird, mostly black with crimson accent feathers, and beady little eyes that have murder within their depths. It shrieks even louder when exposed to the light. He can already tell that Tochiro has fallen in love.

"It's ugly. And loud."

"He's perfect," His best friend coos, "Aren't you, Tori?"

"...you didn't seriously name it 'bird', did you?"

"What's wrong with that?" Tochiro questions defensively, "Do you have a better one?"

The truth is, he doesn't. They're both garbage at coming up with fitting titles for anything; the only reason the Arcadia sounds remotely passible is because they stole it from a book of old folktales. (Harlock had personally like 'Deathshadow', but Emeraldas had stared at him blankly until he withdrew it from the table.) But naming a sorry excuse for an animal 'bird' was extra uncreative. The bird flaps its wings, nearly shaking the cage out of Tochiro's hands.

"I'm not sure bringing it along is such a good idea."

"It'll be fine." Tochiro insists. Harlock doesn't believe him for a second.

He makes a good case for returning the bird to the wild. It's a rare breed of parrot, though it looks more like some carrion eater, and it's not domesticated in the slightest. Tori only eats certain kinds of fruit, but chews relentlessly on anything within reach. The bird hates everyone in the crew, save for its savior Tochiro, and barely tolerates Harlock's presence. Tori is obnoxious, messy, and has very few redeeming qualities.

However, the discovery of a broken and badly healed wing that prevents the bird from flying straight destroys that argument. That, and Tochiro's puppy eyes are impossible to say no to. So the bird stays.

Tori never gets any better. He sheds feathers everywhere, stashes food in hidden places on the ship, and makes sure to make enough racket for an army. They find torn connection lines and trashed circuitry with suspicious claw marks, but Tochiro just laughs and fixed whatever his pet breaks. Harlock has to fish the clumsy thing out of the ocean more than once. He knows most of the crew are only joking when they say they're going to finally kill Tori, and yet he also wouldn't be surprised if it actually happened one day. Harlock instates a ship-wide 'no pets' policy. It gets broken on more than one occasion.

But life goes on. Things return to a rhythm, or they find a new one, just like whenever someone new arrives. It's not the worst thing to have ever happened on the Arcadia.

And then, everything falls apart.

The world goes so dark so fast. There are suddenly more important things than a ship, or playing the noble pirate, or a dumb bird he never wanted in the first place. His best friends are dead and there aren't enough answers in the universe for why.

One year, three months, and eight days later, Harlock strikes the deal that puts him behind bars. In exchange, everyone else's criminal records are erased. A little girl in southern California gets protection and is provided for, though she'll likely never know her parent's history. The warship Arcadia ceases to make port. And then, he waits.

Six months after that, they offer him the job.

Kei asks if he wants her to bring the bird along. The northeastern US probably isn't the best place for a tropical animal, but the thought of leaving Tori behind, or worse, handing him over to a zoo, doesn't sit well with him either. If it was anyone else's bird, he would have said to hell with it, but Tori is Tochiro's. Abandoning him would feel like accepting that there was nothing more to be done, and that is unacceptable. Maybe it's a bit of stubbornness. Maybe it's a bit of nostalgia, a bit of pity, a bit of wanting to hold onto any last thing that he can.

It's funny to watch it all play out again, but with different people. An office, albeit a secret one, is different than a ship's bridge but Tori manages to create havoc anyway. Pencils, pens, and computer cords get shredded. Snacks are stolen, only for chewed wrappers to appear later. Someone mentions they're probably breaking ordinance laws by keeping an exotic parrot within the city limits. Again, the bird stays.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He warns Zero when he walks past with a handful of grapes. He blinks at Harlock, holds a grape in front of Tori, who then devours it before chirping. No blood is drawn. Harlock hasn't seen such a peaceful, much less affectionate, display since, well, before all of this. Tori headbutts Zero's hand in search of more treats.

"Do what?" He asks.

"Nevermind."

#captain harlock #cosmo warrior zero #captain harlock fanfiction #cwz fanfiction #fanficion #au fanfic #ao3fic #this started out fun #then i made it sad #whoops #captain harlock week #lights will guide you #giraffles

[talesofzero]

Stakeout

CWZ-verse; Zero is on a serious mission, and Harlock couldn’t care less.

Sometimes I forget I have a Fanfiction account, so this is super old, and if you’ve ever looked through Crushing, you’ll probably have read it. It’s the one with the cows. I just realized I’d never posted it here.

~2k words

It was funny how much I could complain about my job when in reality I enjoyed it so much. I always had something to dislike though, some part of a mission that was just a pain in the ass. But most missions at least had something enjoyable about them.

Patrol missions did not.

Patrolling on the ship wasn't so bad. We could all take turns on the bridge and run scans with the press of a button. Land-based patrol missions were the real devils. There was just so much standing. Just standing and waiting. It was rare for something to happen, so we had to work to keep ourselves entertained.

Usually the government gave us patrol missions when they didn't have anything else for us. The idea was that they couldn't allow us to take work from any other groups, because we could take jobs that weren't as acceptable to their standards. It was better to give us a pointless mission than to risk their clean-cut Independents getting dirty. Like we belonged to them or something. Thinking about it made me grumble again.

We were guarding cattle, and I thought that gave me good reason to complain to the air and the dim-witted beasts. They were the only things that could hear me. Now, these were very expensive cows, and there had been numerous reports of them being stolen in the night. We were also getting paid well for this job.

I was still not happy about it.

A couple of the men on guard had caught perpetrators, but my post had come up empty. I'd simply been staring at cows for hours, leaning against a thick, wooden fence post for support. If it was any consolation, this planet had a beautiful night sky. Occasionally I'd look up at the splash of stars and feel the calm breeze of the night as it rustled the grassy field. It was a nice planet. The cows simply slept peacefully.

Nice and boring.

I suppose it was my own fault for complaining. I must have brought it upon myself.

"There you are," a familiar voice chimed. I hoped I was hallucinating. "I've been sneaking all over this place trying to find your post. You know, for a stakeout mission, your men aren't bothering to look very hard. Half of the ones I passed were asleep."

Harlock strode up from behind me and hopped up on the length of fence at my side as a seat. "What are you doing here?" I sighed.

"I was bored and in the area. We noticed your ship's signature and figured we'd check in on you."

He sounded like me, bored. At least I had someone to talk to now, even if it was Harlock. In one hand he held a bottle of wine, and he yanked the cork out to take a deep drink of it before handing it over. If Marina found out, she would tan my hide, but she didn't need to find out.

"What's the deal with these cows?" he asked as I knocked the bottle back.

"They're some special breed," I shrugged, "very expensive."

"For eating?"

"Yeah."

For a while we just passed the bottle back and forth. We hardly exchanged a word, and I wondered if he honestly thought I believed him. "Why are you really here?" I asked once the wine was gone and once I felt loose enough to be interested.

"Not important," he answered.

We fell back to silence, and my eyes drifted from the cows to him. He just stared at the sky. All I could think was that his hair was too long. He really needed a haircut or at least to tie it back. It was going to get in his face when he fought. Reaching up, I brushed the loose strands behind his ear. He glanced my way for a moment but said nothing. Even though I was with him, the silence felt strangely comfortable. Maybe it was the wine.

"Do you ever wonder what's going to happen to us?" I murmured, still staring at him. I memorized his profile and traced his scar with my eyes. He looked nice in the starlight, so young, so naïve.

"What do you mean?"

"I was just thinking that you'll probably end up just getting yourself killed before you're thirty," I frowned. "I don't know what's going to happen to me, but that's what you'll do." Like his father and his father before him. The Harlock line was famous for dying young in a blaze of glory or just by being shot in the back. I'd traced through his family tree and found that to nearly be a constant.

"I think you're just tired and buzzed," he replied, his expression unchanging.

"But don't you ever think about settling down and having a kid or two?"

His eyes flashed to me, his gaze sharp as he seemed to read my mind. "Have you thought about it?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came. Instead, I sighed.

He reached down from his perch atop the short fence and ruffled my hair as though I were a child. "I've thought about it, but it sounds boring, honestly."

I shrugged. He sounded like I had a few years back. I'd grown up a lot since then. "I think maybe you'd feel a bit differently if you found the right person."

His brows shot up, and his eyes brightened with interest. Apparently I'd said what he'd wanted me to, but I was just confused. "Zero, have you found the right person?" he pried curiously.

"I…did," I responded slowly, eyeing him with suspicion. "Once."

"So you've been in love before?" His interest was growing, and his full attention was on me. I didn't like wherever this conversation was going.

"Yes…"

"How did you know?"

I'd braced myself for dozens of different questions, but that hadn't been one of them. For a moment I could only stare at him. "How did I know…what?"

"How did you know that you were in love?" he insisted curiously. "What did it feel like? When did it happen?"

Now he truly did seem like an innocent child, but his questions were so honest that I felt compelled to answer. "Well," I huffed, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks, "This is going to sound really stupid, but I…I knew I was in love from the moment I laid eyes on her."

"How?" he prodded.

"I just…did. I saw her, and everything stopped." I couldn't help but smile dreamily as I remembered it. "She was so beautiful, and the way she punched that guy…"

"Hang on, what?"

I quickly shook the thought away. "Long story. Anyway, what's important is that it's different for everyone. I never really believed in love at first sight, but I felt it at that moment. She didn't love me until we'd been dating for a good couple of years. Everyone experiences it differently. It's different from infatuation. Hard to describe it really. You just sort of know."

"What about her then?" he questioned. "A couple years is a long time."

I nodded. "Her story – the one she told me – is even weirder than mine. I was fixing my car. That was all. Piece of junk had broken down again, so I was fixing it in the parking lot of the apartment while she watched from the curb. She said she was just looking at me while I was cursing at the damn car, and she just realized she loved me. So she started crying."

"I didn't realize it was so upsetting to be in love with you," he said, fighting back a grin. I slugged him in the arm for the fun of it.

"They were tears of happiness, asshole. Though I wouldn't recommend falling in love. You're better off without it. Am I supposed to guess you think you've fallen for some poor, unlucky soul?"

"I'm still not sure," he frowned, staring off in thought. "I haven't been compelled to cry or anything."

"What does it feel like?"

"When I think about them? Like I keep getting punched in the gut."

"Hm…it does sound like love." I wondered if he had anymore wine back on his ship. Maybe I could convince him to go get it. As much fun as it was to tear open old wounds, drowning myself in alcohol sounded preferable.

"How can I know for sure?" he continued, his brow furrowed deeply.

"I don't know. Take them on a date. Get to know them. Kiss them a few times. I'm really not the best person for advice on this sort of thing."

"Alright," he nodded, suddenly sure of himself. "I think I'll try the kissing one."

"That's pretty direct. You might scare them off that way."

"I'm a very direct person," he smiled, grabbing the front of my jacket. He jerked me toward him and leaned down. Suddenly he was kissing me. I just stood there, too stunned to respond. When he pulled away, he was frowning. "I didn't get anything from that one, but I think it's because you weren't kissing back."

Why would I kiss back? Why would I ever kiss Harlock? I stared blankly up at him, trying to find the words to snap at him with. He couldn't just do something like that. That was against the rules or something. That was… "N-not allowed," I spluttered.

"Why's that?" he blinked. His firm grasp remained on my jacket as I pulled uselessly on his hands.

"I-it's against the rules!"

"What rules?"

"The…pirate rules?"

He held back a laugh, his lips worming into a smile. "Zero, pirates don't have rules. That's the point."

I opened my mouth to say something else, but once his lips were against mine, I forgot what it was. This was not allowed. He was in trouble. He was…good at this. He was really good with his tongue. Wait…tongue? Whoa, slow down. That was against so many rules. Stop stop stop. No no no, stop.

For a moment I felt really light. Then I was on my back, the grass blades brushing the sides of my face. "Zero?" Harlock called curiously, lightly patting my cheek as he hung over me.

"What?"

"You blacked out for a second there."

"Wow," I laughed, unsure how else to react. Apparently I'd forgotten to breathe.

"So it really felt like a punch to the gut then?" he smiled. "I'm still not exactly sure what I felt. I think I'll just have to try again."

"What?" I questioned distantly. "Is this whole thing about you wondering if you were in love with me?"

"You're a bit slow, aren't you?"

"You can't love me, and I don't love you."

His smile widened into a grin. "Is that against the pirate rules too?"

I scowled up at him. I needed to get back on my feet, but I was worried he'd try kissing me again. Then I'd have to kill him. "That's against my rules," I growled.

He leaned down, his too-long hair falling around our faces as his lips brushed mine. "Well we're at a bit of an impasse then," he whispered, "because I think we're both breaking your rules."

As he kissed me again, I realized he was right, so warm and so right. And so very wrong. I'd need to kill him immediately.

#Cwz fic #Harlock fic #Zero fic #this is so old it's just a mess

[giraffles]

Hellbent

iiiit’s day two! I’ve actually been working this for a while, but finished it up for this week. \o/ today’s prompt is “favorite battle” so how about a BATTLE OF CONFLICTING EMOTIONS. it starts silly but gets feels-y, sorry. 

prompt that inspired this is here and from the lovely @writing-challenges-and-prompts​

this is set in the modern AU/Lights Will Guide You series!

Hellbent - (Young!Harlock/Warrius Zero)

"We're just friends." Harlock deadpans.

"Friends don't kiss." Kei counters, and she's not entirely wrong.

you can also read it here on AO3! 

"We're just friends." Harlock deadpans. "Friends don't kiss." Kei counters, and she's not entirely wrong. "Some friends do. Like the kinds with benefits." Kei is not amused. It shows in the way her dark eyes glare at him, and the unusual force she puts into organizing the papers on her desk. If he didn't know her better, he might have thought her jealous; but Harlock is very, very aware of her preferences for partners, and they don't include sulky ex-Navy men. "I don't trust him," She says at length, "I don't trust any of them as far as I can throw 'em." In some ways that's a roundabout compliment. Kei Yūki may look sweet and possess a slight figure, but he's seen her take down fighters twice her size. And while outnumbered. So really, she could throw them all pretty far, Zero included. And she's not a force to be taken lightly, like a storm at sea, waiting to sink ships and sink hearts. The two of them aren't related by blood, but sometimes he wonders if she isn't another long lost sibling. Kei is overly cautious from being burned one too many times. He can't say he blames her. The world is already cold and cruel, and it's done a number on all of them. She doesn't often share what happened to her in the period between running away from home and meeting up with the Arcadia crew, and he's not one to press her for details. But he knows enough to realize it wasn't pretty and it wasn't kind. So Kei has good reason to be suspicious of anyone who hasn't gained her respect, and it's a hard thing to earn her trust. The only reason she's here in the first place is because Harlock asked her to be. "Tori likes him," Harlock mentions, "I'd say that's a good litmus test." She shoots him an incredulous look. "That's a terrible example. That bird doesn't even like you." "He likes me enough," Though really, that was only because he fed the dumb parrot, "That totally counts." "What on earth are the two of you arguing about?" Marina materializes out of nowhere, a startling and all too common habit of hers. She comes armed with what look like case files, petty grievances they'll need to take care of if they want to keep their jobs. Before he can come up with an excuse for her, Kei is already counting mutiny. "Someone has been kissing the commander in the fire escape." When she put it that way, it made it sound like they were a couple of teenagers skulking around for kicks. Which, maybe wasn't that untrue, but that didn't mean she had to tell Marina of all people. The one person there who had known Zero the longest, who wasn't often found far from his side, and who always managed to look stunning regardless of the situation. Delivering mission briefings or breaking noses, she never faltered or lost her composure.  "Oh, is that all?" Marina's voice rang true and calm, yet there was an edge of ice to it, "Anyway, look into these security breaches. We need to know how deep they've gone." Then Marina sweeps away, leaving without another word like a receding tide, barely sparing them a glance. Kei throws her hands up. He shrugs. "You trust me, don't you?" He counters, knowing it's a little unfair to pull that card, because she's never been anything less than devoted, "I know what I'm doing. Relax." Kei grumbles something along the lines of 'I don't know why any of us bother with you', and his phone pings that a new email has come through. It's a very specific notification, reserved for anything from the government server they're all wired into, and he frowns when he sees it's from the same M. Oki who was just talking with them. She's also only a few yards off, there's no reason she needs to be messaging him when she can communicate in person like a rational human. He flicks the email open. It's a curt correspondence, no introduction or signature, just her name attached to the top and his in the receiving field. <If you hurt him, there will be consequences.> Few people can get away with threatening Harlock so openly. There are fewer people who legitimately terrify him. Marina is very close to the top of both lists. "What is it?" Kei asks. "It's nothing," Only quite possibly the shortest and most direct shovel speech he's ever gotten, "We should be working." "You never want to work." She points out, but lets the subject go. He doesn't dare look in Marina's direction. Really, he's not sure how much of a secret it all should or shouldn't be; Zero can be so prickly on a good day, to the point that it's hard to decipher between the officer's normal personality or if he's being an ass on purpose. He's so flighty for someone with a reputation for being loyal and steadfast, shying away even behind closed doors and hidden from prying eyes. He's not even sure where the two of them even stand at this point, if there should be labels involved or it's better to keep it off-brand for now. (Fraternization laws probably don't apply in this case, even if they did, he'd ignore them anyway, because to hell with that.) And yet kissing him is so good that Harlock couldn't resist catching him by the back door that morning. Which of course was when Kei wandered by, nearly choking herself to death on her coffee when she saw them. He's probably lucky Zero didn't pitch him out the nearest window for that one. It's not like it had been on purpose, and they were all bound to find out eventually. It's impossible not to, when they're working and living in such close proximity to each other. And they're glorified experts in espionage, for crying out loud, he could find out everyone's favorite color and childhood pet in twenty minutes if he put his mind to it. If he was really determined, he could probably find every dark and embarrassing secret of every person in a five mile radius, and the whole city if Kei and Ishikura helped. So how were they supposed to keep a relationship of all things under wraps, under the noses of individuals trained to sniff out deceptions and half-truths? Only an idiot would try. Or, someone so stubborn and deep in denial that they ran the risk of drowning. Fucking Zero. Harlock had taken a calculated risk with him, when he had asked for his handler to be the same agent who had spent years trying to bring him to justice, but he hadn't expected this. Because, maybe, he hadn't planned on an infatuation, or half jokingly flirting with him, which  may have turned into whatever it is that they've been avoiding talking about. It wasn't Harlock's fault that he was stuck living with someone who was so accidentally attractive. (Except, it was his own damn fault, and now he had to deal with the consequences.) It started as just a way to pass the time, an exercise in seeing how he could get under his keeper's skin, and now he's fallen. Hard. This wasn't part of the plan. None of this was part of the plan. Not that the plan had been fool proof, or even fully baked by the time Harlock had put it in motion. Its still a vague sort of idea, floating about with loose strings he's tying together on the fly, but it had worked out so far. Mostly. Present situation not included. But the plan comes first, it always come first, because he'd die before he'd let a vow go unfulfilled. Even if it was hard to come to terms with the fact that they would eventually be jumping ship, slipping back into the sea once they'd gotten what they came for. What Arcadia members are on this team may not know exactly what's going on, but they're smart enough to realize they're all acting the parts the government wants them to until they're ready to bail, a deception and treason of the highest order. He never said he was an honest man. Harlock sinks low in the office chair.   This would have been easier without lingering attachments. And yet had made them anyway, like the idiot he was, repeating the same mistakes over and over again. You would think he would have learned by now, but there was still that stubborn part of him that was a hopeless romantic. At least it would be good while it lasted. Marina couldn't kill him if she couldn't find him. 

On his way to the vending machine, Zero ambushes him. Which would have been great if it was for some midday fooling around, but instead Harlock has a snarling totally-not-a-boyfriend to appease. "Who did you tell?" Zero growls. "I didn't tell anyone!" "Bullshit." This is it. This is how he dies. In a back closet of an undisclosed office somewhere within the greater-Boston area. There are worse ways to go, and Harlock always knew he'd kick off young, but it's a little disappointing that it won't be in a blaze of glory. It really isn't fair. "I swear to god it wasn't me," He pleads, "If anything, it was Kei." She probably doesn't deserve to be thrown under the tracks like that, but at the same time, she had started it. If he's going to die then he's not going down alone. And technically he hadn't breathed a word of anything; that had been other people's doing. Zero looks both indescribably livid and so very tired. "I hate you. I hate you both," Zero bites out, "You're the worst." Before Harlock can come up with a defense, or a snappy reply, Zero is kissing him. It's not where he expected things to go, but he's not going to complain either. Zero is hellbent on taking every piece of his being and spinning it upside down, even if that defies logic, because it's alway been Harlock who's taken people on rides. Although, none of those had worked out very well in the end, so maybe it's just as well. This is better than any of them anyway. His hands curl in the front of that dumb Navy jacket Zero was always wearing so he can pull him closer, to cut his tongue on teeth. It's so easy to fall like this. It won't be easy to leave.

#captainharlockweek #captain harlock #cosmo warrior zero #captain harlock fanfiction #cwz fanfiction #ao3fic #au fanfiction #zeroha #it's set in boston because fuck u #also kei is a giant lesbian #just accept it #goddd i need to write not sad things for this #why am i like this #anyway #lights will guide you #giraffles

[giraffles]

Keep It Low

shhh it’s still day 4 somewhere in the world, right? don’t worry about it. today’s prompt was “favorite rescue” so here’s some one’s dumb ass getting rescued. :D again apart of Lights Will Guide You don’t look at me like that

warnings for all sorts of things including torture, mentioned eye trauma, choking, psychological torture, god just click the AO3 link for the whole list. zone is a douchenozzle here what can I say

Keep It Low (Young!Harlock/Warrius Zero)

"I'll never get over how he came running when he heard," Even behind tinted glasses, those eye glint maliciously, "So predictable. So romantic! I'm almost a little jealous."

you can also read it here on AO3!

"I'll never get over how he came running when he heard," Even behind tinted glasses, those eye glint maliciously, "So predictable. So romantic! I'm almost a little jealous." Harlock spits up blood. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Zone bares his teeth like the rabid animal he is, then lashes out for the hundredth time in god-knows how many days. Harlock has lost count, because it hasn't been easy to keep track in a windowless cell or the cloistered bunker. Getting backhanded to the ground still stings, but it's not the worst thing that's happened to him, objectively speaking; everything hurts from previous thrashings, and there's something wrong with his right eye. A couple ribs might be broken, though that's something he's used to by now. Zone may herald himself a genius, but he's hardly creative in the physical torture department, and that's a cold comfort. Harlock has old scars that come from masters of the craft, mementos of younger times when he got into more trouble, or put himself in between them and someone who didn't deserve it. He doesn't regret any of it. However, the current situation still sucks. There's a knee in already fractured diaphragm, causing his breath to catch and stutter, and then a hand wrapped around his throat. There's not much he can do but wheeze, with his wrists bound and no way out in sight. At the moment it's just a threatening display, but he's still wonders why Zone just hasn't killed him yet. Probably to fulfill some sadistic fantasy. He's certainly the type. "Your little army boy," Zone drawls, "The righteous prick who thought he could save you." Harlock would be tempted to correct him (the Navy and Army are two very different branches after all, you can't just interchange them like that) but there's that implication that has him reeling instead. There is only one idiot who fits that description, who would be reckless enough to come charging into such an obvious trap, and just the thought is enough to sink razors into his heart. This wasn't supposed to happen. "What did you--" "Ah, ah," Zone's expression is positively predatory as he presses down on his windpipe, "I'm telling the story here, aren't I?" Harlock chokes, and thinks better of struggling, if only to spare aggravating existing injuries. He hadn't entertained any ideas of getting out alive and no one else should have been involved. This was wrong, wrong on so many levels, and there's nothing he can do while pinned and abused. "It was so easy. He was so distracted, all it took was a single shot. Oh, not lethal, of course. What would be the fun in that?"   Then there's a knife gouging a hot trail down his side, because the bastard wants the satisfaction of hearing him scream. Well, Zone can't have it, not while he's half conscious enough to resist. He's lying. He has to be lying, Zero would never make such a rookie mistake, to come alone and to fall victim to a madman with a shotgun. "I tied him up. There's a well out back, you know. Very old. It runs deep, even though there isn't much water left. But there's enough." "You f-fuckin'--" "Not done yet," The knife twists, "That was, oh, three hours ago, give or take? He's very dead by now. Maybe I'll even put your corpse down there too." It's hard enough to breathe as it is, but this is crushing. The weight of this revelation is almost too much to bear, too absurd to believe-- but Zone has that covered too. From his pocket he produces a torn piece of cloth, blue and gold and stained with dark blood, the insignia of a ship's anchor and pilot's wings. It's from a worn bomber jacket. It's from Zero's jacket. He snarls something, an insult, an unintelligible sound of rage and pain, and gets a blade in his leg for all his trouble. This time he does scream, because what does he have left to lose? Zero is dead. He's dead at the hands of a monster Harlock couldn't stop. It's all his fault, because he wasn't smart enough, wasn't quick enough, because he hasn't been the same since he found Tochiro and Emeraldas murdered in a not-so-safe house. Since then he's only been one part of three, left behind to try to make some sense of the world, and he's obviously failed. And now he's dragged someone else down to hell too-- someone who never deserved to die like this, to die for him. "I think, when I'm done, I'll pay everyone else a visit," Zone muses aloud, a hint of maniacal laughter slipping into his voice, "Lure them in. Break them down. That'll be very entertaining. Maybe I'll let you watch." He can't even come up with an answer to that, not when Zone is choking him to near unconsciousness. Funny though, how everything has now gone numb, with dark clouds on the edge of his vision and a shadowy figure approaching the scene. It's most likely a manifestation of death, with his oxygen deprived brain doing it's best to keep up with the torture and trying to fill in sensory jargon with familiar objects. It would almost be better if it just happened. If it all just stopped. Then it would feel like he was being eviscerated with every stolen breath.   A sickening crack rings out and Zone falters. He then slumps, tumbling to the side and onto the concrete floor with a garbled moan. He doesn't move. "Fucking hell," Zero, dripping wet and one arm soaked in blood, stands not more than two feet away with a rusty pipe in hand, "What an asshole." Harlock is too busy trying to remember how lungs work to fully process what's happening. He's dizzy from both shock and emotional whiplash, and neither are very pleasant things to deal with. While he stumbles over words, Zero is rummaging around Zone's prone form. "But-- t-the well--" "I can swim, you know," Zero says with the utmost patience, "They do require that if you're a sailor." "He-- he tied you up!" "Those knots were the worst I've seen in my entire life." "He said he killed you," And god, he'd believed the bastard, "I thought you were dead." Zero huffs. "He's bad at that too. Anyway, I'm more worried about you right now." Zero has found the magnetic key to the cuffs, and wastes no time in pulling them off of him before tossing them across the room. The sound makes him flinch. Part of him is having trouble parsing that this is happening, that it's even close to being real. He must be half a moment away from waking up in a black hole again, but there are also startlingly cold hands on his, still damp from groundwater and cast pink in diluted blood. "You came for me," Harlock's voice cracks, and he feels like his rib cage is crumbling inward at the effort to speak, "You came here for me." Zero looks startled and concerned before his expression melts into something warmer. "Of course I did. I wasn't going to leave you behind." He's not sure what to say to that. He doesn't deserve an ounce of anything this man has given him, and yet he keeps coming back. A wiser person would have given up on the wreckage that is his being and ran far away. But Zero has always been defying the equation, hasn't he? Since Budapest, since Tabito, since rocky first missions together and rockier first touches. Ever so gently, Zero brushes back his hair, wincing in sympathy at what Harlock can only assume is the injured side of his face. "Is it that bad?" "Well, it's not pretty," Zero admits, which confirms his suspicions about his sight being permanently damaged, "But I think you'll live." "I can work with that," he murmurs back, "Can we get the fuck out of here?" Zero hauls them both to their feet, and he has to lean on him more heavily than he would like. But he's a solid, grounding force that Harlock hadn't realized he was missing until it wasn't under his fingertips anymore. His heart may never be steady again, but at least there's this. It's something to help with the ache, even if it doesn't fill the void, even if this is all they ever are. Even if they have to hobble out of there while using each other as mutual crutches.   "Shit." "Yeah." "Fuck." "Mmhm." "Are you gonna be like this the whole way home?" Harlock grumbles, "I'm bleeding out, you could at least show a little sympathy." "I could always carry you." "Don't you dare."   The snickers that bubble out from Zero are contagious as hell, and maybe there's something to be said about finding mirth even when you've been torn apart. Maybe it’s not too late to hope.

#captain harlock week #captainharlockweek #captain harlock #cosmo warrior zero #captain harlock fanfiction #cwz fanfiction #au fanfic #ao3fanfic #zeroha #godddddd writing torture is hard #pulling this out of my ass in a day is even harder #HAVE UR PAIN AND UR GAYS #PLS ENJOY #lights will guide you #giraffles

[giraffles]

Ready To Go

it’s day six! we’re almost done! today’s prompt is “favorite minor character” and specifically, not an arcadia crew member. it’s zero. it’s always going to be zero, he’s my fAVE.

set in the Lights Will Guide You series, set before Keep It Low, and featuring zero being a dad and daiba being angry c: 

Ready To Go

"Sir," Ishikura wheezes, "We have a problem." "A fun problem?" Harlock answers before Zero can get a word in, "Or a problem-problem?"

you can also read it here on AO3!

"Sir," Ishikura wheezes, "We have a problem." "A fun problem?" Harlock answers before Zero can get a word in, "Or a problem-problem?" "Problem-problem, I guess?" Ishikura parrots back, "Nevermind, it doesn't matter, just please come with me." If he didn't sound so distressed, Zero would have said it could wait a moment. But instead he hands the half constructed sniper rifle off to Rai and follows Ishikura from the room. He means well, even if he's excitable, but he knows better than to burst in like the sky is falling. Unless something is actually wrong. "What happened?" Zero asks as he keeps pace beside him. They're only a few scant hours from raiding a terrorist cell, so it's the worst time for a distraction. There are still preparations to be made, plans to double and triple check, and trigger happy former-pirate-mercenary-whatevers to keep in line. If they've been compromised, then the past two days of grueling set up and utmost secrecy would be for nothing. "It's-- well-- complicated," Ishikura admits, "Someone hacked into the stockhouse." "Someone what," though their arms stockhouse was basically a glorified mobile safe, it shouldn't have been hacked of all things, "That's impossible." "I know! But someone did, we found it open and--" "What's missing?" "Nothing." "Nothing?" Zero pauses, "They didn't take anything?" Ishikura stops just before the tent, which is guarded by other team members, one of whom was sporting a black eye. Zero feels like there's a lot more to this story than he's getting from his subordinate’s ramblings. "They must have sent a kid in to do the dirty work," Ishikura goes on to explain, "We caught him trying to carry out an anti-tank gun." That more than anything else is deeply troubling. Children should never be anywhere near war and bloodshed, but the world doesn't work like that, and all too often they get thrown into the line of fire. If there's one thing that bothers Zero the most about this job, encounters with kids would have to be it. Angry yelling pours from inside the makeshift prisoners tent. He thinks he recognizes some of the words. “Good lord,” Zero can't help but be shocked when he finally enters, “How old are you?” The scrawny kid handcuffed to the chair sneers at him. He can't be more than maybe fifteen, with dirty blonde hair and fierce eyes. Zero has picked up enough Japanese between Kei and Harlock that he catches curses being spat their way, and colorful ones at that. The would-be thief also has the marks of a struggle, between a split lip and blooming bruises, and he would feel worse if he hadn't already seen the guard outside.   “He won't tell us anything,” Acceluder says to him, “And he pretends he doesn't understand English." As if to prove a point, the teen pointedly looks away, becoming very interested in the ceiling. Zero knows better. "I can handle this. Go help Marina." "But sir--" "Just trust me," Zero insists, "But send Kei over, would you?" Ishikura is obviously not okay with leaving him alone without any backup, but it's not as though they have a dangerous agent being held there. They're just a child; no matter how much fight or determination they've gathered up. And he has a feeling that the usual intimidation tactics aren't going to work. (God, not that he wants to submit some kid to an interrogation in the first place, but they have to find out who disabled the security computers.) Maybe if Zero has him by himself, he can show that they're not in any danger, and get some actual answers out of the boy. Ishikura and the others relent, leaving to find ways to be useful or to send Kei in his direction. Zero drags a chair over. "What's your name?" He asks, but the kid huffs and glares at him. Zero also refuses to believe that he doesn't comprehend English, but he tries Spanish and German just for kicks, which elicit a blank response. "Where are you from?" He tries again, "Do you live nearby? The closest town is a pretty long walk." Silence ensues. The kid refuses to make eye contact of any kind. Zero sighs.   "Listen, no one is going to hurt you. I can't help you if you don't help me--" "I don't need your help!" They snap back at Zero, flushing red as they realize their mistake. They clam up immediately.

Their tiny prisoner refuses to say anything more until Kei rolls in on the scene. She raises an eyebrow as Zero explains the situation, and throws a few lines of lightning fast Japanese at the boy. He sticks his tongue out at her. "I really just need to know who hacked the system," Zero grumbles, "And who wanted the weapons in the first place. We can let him go after we’re done here." "No promises," Kei says, "But I'll do my best." She shoos Zero off to a far corner before stealing his seat and chattering away. Part of him wishes he'd made more of an effort to learn the language half of their ragtag team was fluent in, but it was easier said than done. He picked up most of his interpreter skills through osmosis anyway, rather than dedicated study, and he'd had other priorities lately. Priorities that mostly consisted of making sure Harlock didn't do anything extra stupid. While Kei talks, Zero pretends not to be interested. Kei has the boys attention anyway, which allows him to observe their body language unhindered, and he watches them begin to unravel. For all their vitriol, they look tired and hurting. Zero doesn't think it's an act. Not with the way they've reacted so spontaneously, without control. If some shadowy organization is employing him, then it's not as though they've given him much training. Which also isn't good; that means the kid is just a disposable pawn to someone. The thought makes Zero increasingly angry. "He says he did it." Kei pipes up. "Did what?" "Disabled the security system." "That can't be right," Zero frowns, "I need to know who actually gave him the program--" "I said I did it!" Both of them stare at the kid. "I did it," he repeats, "Your encryption codes are shit." "Then who were you stealing the weapons for?" "Me." "Why on earth does a twelve year old need an anti-tank gun--" "I'm fourteen!" They all but yowl, "And I'm going to kill those bastards if it's the last thing I do!" Kei is trying not to laugh, but Zero can see her shoulders beginning to shake. He wonders why these things always seem to happen to him. 

It takes a lot of yelling (from the teen, not from them) to finally learn that he does have a name, and a somewhat reasonable purpose for trying to jack armaments from them. He goes by Tadashi, and refuses to give a surname, and when Zero asked where his parents were, he point blank stated they'd been murdered. Apparently he's here on a quest for vengeance against the perpetrators, who he thinks are also the terrorist cell their own team plans to move on. Though Tadashi had intended to try to attack them as a one-person army. Just thinking about how that could have gone wrong alarms Zero immensely. "We can't just leave him here." "No," Marina agrees, "But we can't just let him run off to his death. We'll keep him here until we're done with this mission." Zero can't argue with that. Still, he wishes there was something more they could do than just drop him off back in town, to leave him with local authorities and hope he could find his way. It reminds Zero that for any good they do in the world, there's still so much they can't change. There are too many things for them to fix by themselves. He entertains the idea of maybe bringing Tadashi back with him, but rejects it just as fast. The life they lead is no place for a child, no matter how grown up he insists he is. 

"Sir," Ishikura comes to him again once they're back on U.S. soil, "We have a problem." Zero clamps his hand over Harlock's mouth before he can say anything. "What is it now?" Ishikura makes a face, and in the distance familiar screeching can be heard over the white noise of the airport. "You can't be serious." Except Marina and Acceluder are dragging Tadashi along, who's struggling for all his worth, but also half frozen and shaking like a leaf.   "He hid in the landing gear," Rai shrugs, "He's lucky he's not dead. Immigration is going to have a fit, though." "Holy shit," Harlock on the other hand thinks it's hilarious that they have a hypothermic stowaway, "That's badass." "It's illegal," he sighs, but is pulling his coat off to hand to the trembling boy, "But I guess we're stuck with him now."

#captain harlock week #captainharlockweek #captain harlock #cosmo warrior zero #captain harlock fanfiction #cwz fanfiction #au fanfiction #ao3fic #zeroha in there if u squint #let zero dad #also thank u all for the nice comments <3 #I'm glad people like this series!! #because i have no idea what i'm doing lmao #lights will guide you #giraffles

[giraffles]

Mirror

on time for day five, aw yis. B) today’s prompt is “favorite ship”  and I'm sorry, it's the 2013 movie Arcadia. dat aesthetic. dat dark matter. sign me the fuck up. so have a crossover drabble. c:

Mirror

Somehow, in the dead of a void-etched night, intruders had come upon the Arcadia.

you can also read it here on AO3!

Somehow, in the dead of a void etched night, intruders had come upon the Arcadia. How they had boarded without anyone knowing is a mystery all on it's own. The more concerning part is that the ship itself hasn't reacted; usually, something this wrong would have come to light long before a crew member stumbled on it. Instead a frantic Logan had discovered them, and then come to him for help. "You just left them there?" Harlock snaps, incredulous that even he could be that stupid. "It's complicated, okay?" Logan protests, "You have to see for yourself." There are intruders on the bridge-- intruders on his ship, and not one person is reacting in a reasonable way. The crew can't have collectively lost all their minds, could they? He swears if this is some kind of joke, he's going to kick them out the launch bay himself. Again, the Arcadia is deadly silent, not even the background hum of the engines for company. Something is disturbingly wrong. Harlock enters the suspiciously empty bridge, which is dimly lit, but nothing seems to be amiss until idle chatter catches his attention. They're over by the dark matter controls, because of course they are, so that's what he stalks towards with sabre drawn. It's a gift to move silently; one that's been honed after a hundred odd years of fighting, and it comes in handy when sneaking up on the man who's pleading with an unseen companion. They think they can still escape. Harlock is going to make it very clear they're not going anywhere. If on cue, the man turns and catches sight of him. They're sufficiently alarmed at first, befitting someone starting down a weapon pointed at them, but then they let out an exasperated sigh. "For crying out loud," they mutter, "Of course you're here." "This is my damn ship." He growls back. And really, he should just run them both through and be done with it. But there's something in the man's expression that gives him pause. Recognition? Tired resignation? As if death has been chasing him too long, and now he welcomes it. It hits a little close to home. "Harlock," The man starts, but for some reason it's not directed at him, "Would you please get over here?" "Zero, you have to see this," An excited voice calls back, sounding far too familiar, like an echo of an age past, "This is amazing!" "I can look later when your double isn't going to kill me." "What?" The other intruder appears from behind the dark matter relay lines. It's like a mirror-- but a distorted one, because they're too young and wide-eyed and enthusiastic to ever be him. "Oh, jeez. Don't shoot him. I have dibs on that." "I told you so," Logan pipes in from the entryway, "You wouldn't have believed me." Harlock really doesn't care where they came from. It's not the strangest thing to have happened to him. Multiverse theory isn't a new concept, and they've already proved there are many things in this universe that they have yet to explain. Who's to say they didn't put some cracks in the shell of reality the last time they used the dark matter engine? Or they could have broken through from their side. In the end, it doesn't matter how they got there. And finally, the Arcadia rumbles to life. "Get the hell off my ship."

#captain harlock week #captainharlockweek #captain harlock #captain harlock (2013) #cosmo warrior zero #captain harlock fanfiction #cwz fanfiction #crossover fic #ao3fic #holy shit it's not in modern au #AMAZING #(i'll get back to that for tomorrow lmaooo) #anyway #2013 arcadia more like #can i marry the ship #I'll do it #fuckin watch me #giraffles

[giraffles]

Le Disko

my entry for day three might be late BUT IT’S STILL HERE, IT COUNTS. and are 95% of my things this week in this dumb au?? you bet ur ass. It’s just easier to throw up things set in this universe, especially because I’m not a smart person who has stuff prepared beforehand.

today’s prompt was favorite intimidation tactic. so I rolled with it.

warning for a mention of underage drinking and murder mention I guess? no one is getting dead but like. they’re military people and former criminals. bruh. it’s happened.

Le Disko (Marina/Kei)

Marina Oki can make grown men wither and crumble at her feet with a single cold stare. It's more than a little intimidating. Kei still wants to climb her like a tree.

you can also read this on AO3!

Marina Oki can make grown men wither and crumble at her feet with a single cold stare. It's more than a little intimidating. Kei still wants to climb her like a tree. She knows Marina has fought tooth and nail to be where she is, because being a woman in the military is hard enough as it is, but commanding status and respect? That's even more difficult. And yet no one questions her orders. In their predominantly male-dominated unit, sexist quips are likely to crop up, even if spoken out of ignorance or meant in jest; Marina shuts them down in the most savagely elegant of ways. They all grow sheepish around her, and yet when Kei attempts to do the same, it doesn't quite work. Oh, she's tried every trick in the book. Harsh words. Kind ones, but spoken with knives on her tongue. The intense take-no-shit glare she's been perfecting since she ran on the streets of Tokyo. Adding more spikes and chains to her clothes so that even her silhouette is threatening. None of it has the same effect as Marina simply entering a room. There is nothing that compares with her diplomatic grace and brutal truths. It doesn't help that she's gorgeous, and that Kei figured out a long time ago that the taste of men does nothing for her. But, alas, that's a lofty goal she's not pursuing at the moment. "You have got to teach me how to do that." Kei mentions offhandedly one day, after Marina has just finished chewing out the special ops team joining them on their mission. Marina gives her a confused look. "What on earth are you talking about?" She asks as she hikes a rifle over he shoulder, "Let's get moving." Harlock later likens her to a puppy trailing after their favorite person. Kei punches him until he shuts up. Like he has any room to talk, with the way common sense goes out the window when a certain someone is in the picture. But they all have her vices, and her's just happens to be really tall, really hot women who know their way around a Beretta M9. Maybe it's her age. She is that much younger than the rest of them, twenty and a half and always having to sneak her booze before someone with their laces tied too tight tries to take it from her. (Kei has been drinking since she was seventeen, they can all kindly fuck off) Maybe though, it's sheer lack of experience that's causing a lack of impact when she tries to put the fear of god into anyone. Maybe Harlock is right and she keeps getting too distracted by Marina to practice properly. "You have one hell of a murder walk," Is what Marina offers to her weeks later, "I've never seen a crowd part so fast." Kei is a little taken aback; she might be one of the few among them who hasn't taken a life, for whatever reason. All she had known was that she wasn't about to let a busy marketplace come between her and the target. She hadn't really been conscious of the way she carried herself, or the way other people had reacted-- but then again, they must have scrambled out of her way because she doesn't remember bowling anyone over. Belatedly, the fact that she's been complemented catches up with her. She needs to say something cool, something meaningful. "Thanks?" Is all that comes out instead. Kei really hopes she isn't turning red. Judging from a snicker or two in the background, she probably is, which means she's got a new list of people to beat up at her earliest convenience. Marina's sincerity still leaves her tongue-tied. It's still a little victory.

#captain harlock week #captainharlockweek #captain harlock #cosmo warrior zero #captain harlock fanfiction #cwz fanfiction #marikei #JUST TAKE IT #I wish I had more time to polish/lengthen some of these things #but I'm just running with it rn #pls enjoy everyone being super gay tho #I know i do B) #also harlock n kei have a very sibling like relationship in this au #as opposed to canon #but like cwz harlock is v. different from any version that also has a kei #THIS IS MY AU I DO WHAT I WANT #LET THEM BE BESITES #anyway tag spam over #lights will guide you #giraffles

[giraffles]

Freedom Hangs Like Heaven

another short thing set in the Lights Will Guide You verse, because I’ve become attached to it ok. kind of a prequel, nothing really happens, zero and harlock are giant manchildren and I love them.

Freedom Hangs Like Heaven 

He is quiet before breaking into a grin that has her questioning every choice that has led her to this moment. "I have some conditions."

you can also read it here on AO3!

"You want to turn yourself in?"

"That's what I said," the faceless voice drawled, "Though it comes with conditions."

Someone in the back snapped that they shouldn't negotiate with criminals, but she raised a hand to silence them. Of course it would come with restrictions. If it was easy, then it would have been done before now. "What are the conditions?"

"I've already faxed them over," the sheer audacity of it was astounding, "And if you violate any of my terms, there is no prison on this earth that can hold me."

Harlock's voice stayed even, but she knew that a threat lingered there. The madame president could only hope that his demands weren't too outlandish. There was a reason he was known as a ghost, a phantom wanted by most world governments, and a reason he had eluded them all for so long. And yet, to pass up an opportunity like this would be insanity. It wouldn't hurt to at least consider it, with all the good and bad that would come with it.

"Alright. You have my attention."

Months later, she finally meets him face to face. The security detail crowding around her was a little much, considering the state-of-the-art facility, but she can appreciate the thought behind it. Dressed in incarceration gray and surrounded by steel and glass, he looks less like a myth and more like just a man. However there's something in those gold eyes that tells the madame president to be careful; as though there's a wolf hiding there, wrapped in mortal skin and far too smart for any of them. Something sinister behind messy hair and a bored expression. She choose to stand her ground, envelope of classified materials in hand, and stare the beast down.

"I have a proposal," She held forth the documents, "If, perhaps, you're interested."

He is quiet before breaking into a grin that has her questioning every choice that has led her to this moment. "I have some conditions."

Because of course he does.

No one tells Warrius Zero exactly what his new assignment entails.

It's a risky decision for the president to make, but she would have never gotten to where she is today if she didn't know how to read a situation. He might be unhappy with it, but he'll do his job. It's the only thing she can count on. It's taken a lot of string pulling, of red tape and negotiation, to arrange this new department under her care. To convince others that it’s well worth the risk. When push comes to shove, Zero won't let her down.

Although she has second thoughts about the only information that she gave him was that it involved Harlock, especially when they lead the newly liberated agent into the room. It's not a deception. It's politics. Yet, Zero has never cared much for those kind of things, which is why he had never climbed the ranks. He may be a stickler for the rules, but he's terrible at the diplomatic games. His greatest fault is his unwavering trust in humanity. Because he will always do the right thing, so it doesn't always occur to him that others won't, or worse, that definitions of justice are subjective.

The madame president could only watch as Zero's expression went from shock to outrage to dangerously blank. Harlock scarcely got a word out before Zero landed a right hook on his jaw. Then there were comrades restraining him from doing any more damage, but they also seem unsurprised. She had also been afraid of something like this.

"What the hell was that for?" Came the annoyed mumble from the floor, where Harlock had been knocked prone.

"Tabito." Zero ground out with a bitterness the president had never heard from him before. The name only sounded vaguely familiar, a city perhaps in some small country, and she couldn't place it. Whatever it was, there was history there that hadn't been mentioned in their case files.

Harlock blinked up at him before giving a small nod. "I suppose I deserved that."

A history indeed.

They are frighteningly good together.

She flipped through mission reports, each one successful, or at least satisfactory. The president should be thrilled at their results; but it's tempered by the fact that they're still so reckless, two loose canons that she decided to pair up. The risk is always calculated, always looming, and there are many who are watching like vultures waiting for her special unit to fail. She would have to take full responsibility, and be mired in the fallout. Even now, in a best case scenario, things can be a headache. Other world powers aren't always happy when they find out her elite force has been operating within their borders. They're also not pleased with the collateral damage that sometimes ensues. But, she supposes, it's worth it in the end. Their goals are achieved. Some peace is hard won.

Still, she wonders if she made the right decision. Rai says they fight all the time, and that they have an alarming disregard for protocol. Which doesn't sound at all like Zero at all, and yet all bets are off when Harlock is involved. But there's also no one better to rein him in; and, he had asked for Zero specifically, as part and parcel of his employment terms. Harlock had said it was because he trusted him, but maybe he really knew what would happen. Maybe they're all being played by the most legendary criminal alive and they just haven't realized it.

If that's what it takes, then so be it. She'll take the blame, go gracefully before the fall. Her legacy may not be perfect, but at least history can't say she didn't try, that they didn't try to make the world a better place. Being a leader, a protector, isn't without its casualties. Freedom comes with a certain price. And even then, isn't it just an elaborate illusion? Perhaps it would behoove her to keep a closer eye on her little side project.

Then again, perhaps she’s better off not knowing.

#captain harlock #cosmo warrior zero #captain harlock fanfiction #cwz fanfiction #au fanfiction #ao3fic #I got sick of looking at this #so whatever I posted it #JUST TAKE IT OK #weeps #I'm in too deep on this au now I will never be free #rolls away into the night #lights will guide you #giraffles