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the-last-kenobi · 3 years

Note

I adore your qui gon and obi wan stuff so can we get a number 8 on the prompt list with obi wan and qui gon?

Absolutely!! I’m so glad you chose that one; I’ve loved every single prompt I’ve gotten but this one breaks the mold a little.

I hope this lives up to your expectations!

From this various prompts list.

When Qui-Gon Jinn set foot on the planet of Melida/Daan for the second time, he had a fixed set of expectations.

He expected to find the same war-torn, shattered homes and abused soil, the same decimated populations, the same stench of death. He expected to find the underground hideouts where the children hid from the wrath of their parents, and where the Melida plotted against the Daan and the Daan against the Melida. He expected to find a bruised and shame-faced former Jedi Padawan, ready to humble himself before the Council.

He expected to have to offer both comfort and stern reprimand to this child who, as much of a delight as he had once been, no longer deserved to be his apprentice.

And he did find some of that.

He also found fields of green grass, and abandoned fields of half-plucked vegetation and fruits.

A memorial garden.

A row of corpses covered neatly in cloths, lining the road, respectfully untouched.

Faded posters announcing committees and treaties and open elections, speeches and remembrance services.

A mural on a stone wall, somewhere between impressionist and abstract, of a line of children and adults, the children in the center. Towards the very middle, almost exactly so, was the image of a young boy with pale russet locks hanging an inch loose, and Qui-Gon paused, observing warily as if the image might come to life and attack him.

But it was only an image, and Obi-Wan Kenobi was only a wayward child.

And none of this is was going as anticipated.

The Jedi Master tried to recall what Yoda had told him before chivvying him out the door, but in truth he had not processed much of it aside from Obi-Wan’s name and the understanding that he had asked to be retrieved from Melida/Daan.

Why?

Clearly things had changed, immensely — and yet, in the background, the continued sound of bombs going off and weapons firing, and not a living being in sight.

Qui-Gon continued deeper into the core of the civilization, skirting the worst of the ruins but avoiding the main road in a passing effort to go unnoticed.

It did not last long.

“Master Jedi!” a voice hissed out suddenly, and Qui-Gon turned sharply to see a young man — maybe nineteen, at most — peering at him around the corner of the nearest building, pressed close to the wall. He gestured shortly and vanished.

Qui-Gon took a moment to cast out his senses. The Force bore no distinct warning, so he crossed the road quickly and ducked around the corner.

The young man was waiting for him. Up close it was clear that he was younger than he had appeared, perhaps seventeen, just emerging from the gangly limbs stage, and he was coated in dirt and grime — some of it oddly strategic, smeared across his cheekbones and the crown of his forehead, darkening and muting them. Dark hazel eyes considered Qui-Gon suspiciously.

“You were expecting me,” Qui-Gon stated.

The boy nodded. “I was. Obi-Wan said you would be arriving today, maybe tomorrow.”

A strange jolt ran through Qui-Gon. He had not said Obi-Wan’s name aloud himself, not since that day almost eight months before, and while he had heard other Jedi mention it, it was off-putting to hear this total stranger use it. So familiarly. Like he knew Kenobi well. Qui-Gon brushed the thoughts aside like so many cobwebs and spoke again: “Well, here I am. Where next?”

He did not say, ‘Where is Obi-Wan?’

For some reason, it would have felt like a confession.

The boy pressed his lips into a flat line, as if the Jedi had failed some sort of test. “…I’ll show you. Stick close to me and don’t do anything reckless. Stealth is our best ally right now. Only ally, really.”

Qui-Gon wondered what he was, then, since he was certainly not included in this mysterious “we.”

It was slightly insulting, and sharply painful, to be lectured on strategic maneuvers by what amounted to a child soldier.

Nevertheless, Qui-Gon followed him.

They wound their way through the settlement, bypassing craters where homes had stood and also far more intact buildings, still crisp and clean and bearing that unmistakable scent of newness.

These, more than any of the others, were painted with images of children and adults standing together, plastered with announcements, and more than one — many — almost all — featuring that flame-haired youth. More often than not he was framed closely by two others. Another boy, this one slightly taller and leaner with dark hair. And a girl, a little smaller, with bold waves and startling green eyes.

The boy with the dirty face turned his head to look at each of them, though he did not slow.

After what felt like a very long time, Qui-Gon found himself entering what seemed to be a cellar. It was dark and musty, but before he could question it, his guide went to a section of the wall and pushed, popping open a panel that sank away and slid to one side.

“This way,” he said unnecessarily.

In they went. It was a tunnel, low and long, and Qui-Gon had to stoop halfway just to move. The boy, several inches shorter, had less trouble.

A few minutes of breathless, blind stumbling later, and they reached a reinforced door.

The boy knocked slowly, then quickly; stopped, and then knocked rapidly again. “It’s me!” he called through the crevice. “He’s here.”

There was a grinding sound, and then the door swung open to reveal bright light. The boy slipped through without hesitation, but the Jedi Master was more wary, blinking and waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light before slowly entering the room, still bowed low from the tunnel.

When he rose, he was looking directly into the eyes of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The boy had changed, and yet was exactly the same.

There was no other way to describe it.

He had certainly shot up an inch or so in height. His Jedi tunics were gone; he was wearing a stained white tunic of much poorer cloth and simpler cut, over a pair of patched brown trousers and sturdy boots. His robe was still the one he had worn when he had first arrived all those months ago, but he had sewn the sleeves so that they did not dangle over his wrists or hang wide and loose; instead they were drawn closer, but not so tight that they impeded his movement.

His hair seemed more coppery red than before as it hung loose and untidy, coming to slightly ragged ends halfway between his jawline and his shoulders. Some of the baby fat had melted away, driven off no doubt by stress and hunger and emotion, and his cheekbones stood out a little too much.

But it was his eyes that struck Qui-Gon.

They seemed exactly the same.

Pale blue-green, wide and friendly and innocent, sweet as they had been on the day they met.

Unbearably naive.

Those eyes flickered with shock for a moment, and then the boy stepped forward and offered out his hand. “Master Jinn,” he said.

Qui-Gon blinked. Perhaps if he waited a moment, Obi-Wan would remember that Jedi bowed? But the boy merely stared at him with his hand extended, and so Qui-Gon grasped it and shook briefly before letting go.

The boy did not seem particularly bothered. He turned to the rest of the room. “You’re all ready?”

“Yes,” came a chorus of voices.

Freed from the strangeness of Obi-Wan and his gaze, Qui-Gon looked around. There were several others present — all humans, all young, all grimy. Maybe a dozen or so in number. The room he was in was spacious, a little low-ceilinged and plain. It had the air of a bunker, with bright lights that aggravated the eyes and dull walls and functional furniture. Most notably, the enormous table in the center.

It was spread with maps, fliers, announcement posters, detailed blueprints for buildings and machinery, tidy sketches outlining strategies and countermeasures. Qui-Gon’s keen eyes caught words like ‘anti-terrorism,’ ‘knowledge is courage,’ ‘long-range missile launcher,’ and ‘riot activity.’ And, half-concealed under a map of Melida/Daan’s entire surface, a flat holo of three people. Obi-Wan. The dark-haired boy. The girl with green eyes.

“Master Jinn,” Obi-Wan’s voice broke into his observations.

They were all watching him with various degrees of mistrust.

Qui-Gon straightened his spine, and then forced himself to relax a little, trying to radiate comfort and honesty. Even without force sensitivity, they would be eased somewhat.

“Yes, I’m listening,” he assured them.

Kenobi exchanged a quick look with the boy who had guided him here, and the youth shrugged. “He was quick enough and he listened to what I said, but he’s like most adults. Thinking more in his head than paying attention, didn’t even ask my name.”

Qui-Gon started. He hadn’t, had he?

“I—” he began, but the youth cut him off with a dismissive gesture.

“You didn’t ask,” he said. “I’m not sharing now. I’m sure you’ll hear it eventually.”

Obi-Wan nodded as if this were perfectly reasonable. “Master Jinn, are you prepared to take all thirteen of us back to Coruscant?”

“What?” Qui-Gon demanded. He glanced around at the others, who looked even less impressed than before. He felt so unexpectedly out of his depth. What was this place? “I — no, I’m returning you to the Jedi, to the care of the High Council.”

“No,” Obi-Wan said placidly. “You’re not. I’m sure Master Yoda had his reasons for sending you—” the slightest emphasis on the word ‘you’—“but you are here to escort myself and the other twelve to the Core to appear before the Senate. That’s why you were assigned such a large ship. We’re going to make an appeal on behalf of Meldan.”

“Meldan?” Qui-Gon echoed.

“Our planet,” one of the others, a curly-haired, fierce-eyed woman of about twenty-two said. “Obi, are you sure about this? This isn’t at all what you said we could expect.”

“Master Jinn is an exception to many rules,” Obi-Wan told her; as he turned his head to look in her direction, he briefly seemed to change, the tension in his shoulders easing and his face alight with mischief. Then it was gone. He turned back to Qui-Gon, and beneath the veneer of professionalism could be glimpsed a strange aura of… something Qui-Gon couldn’t determine or define.

Their eyes met again, and silence fell for a moment.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan decided. “Yes, this will work. If any Jedi will help ensure you catch the attention of the Senate, it would be Master Jinn. Master Yoda also told me that Master Adi Gallia will be your official patron, which is good; she spends most of her time handling the political side of Jedi affairs.”

“Then we should go now,” said a small boy of no more than nine. “Let’s go!”

“Not just yet, Jocco,” Obi-Wan said soothingly, turning a gentle smile on the child. “We’re not quite ready. We’ll leave in about an hour.”

“Right,” Jocco said, nodding. “Okay.”

Obi-Wan smiled again. “All right, everyone. We have meals to eat and supplies to pack, so let’s keep together and keep organized. Sarai,” he nodded at the curly-haired woman, “and my friend,” a nod to the bitter-eyed nameless guide, “please bring Master Jinn up to speed. Master Jinn,” he added, glancing up from where the smallest children were flocking to his side and clinging to his hands, “I will see you in an hour.”

He left, surrounded by children both far younger and several years older than him, like adoring chicks following their mother, or maybe more like an honor guard. The contrast was both ludicrous and oddly touching.

“You listen to him,” Qui-Gon commented to his tight-lipped companions. “Even though he no longer carries the authority of a Jedi.”

“I haven’t seen any Jedi authority yet,” snapped back his unnamed guide. “Just three Jedi who came, two who left, and one who stayed.”

“It was not our mission to stay,” Qui-Gon replied calmly, tucking his hands inside his sleeves. “Though I can see what compelled him to.”

“Oh, can you?” said Sarai. She folded her arms tightly and assessed him, her lip curling. “I don’t think you see much past the end of your own nose.”

“Petty insults will get us nowhere,” he replied, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of said nose. “And it won’t help you when you speak for your people before the Senate.”

“Me?” an amused smile curled her lips. She looked as if all her suspicions had just been confirmed. “I won’t be speaking, not primarily anyways. I don’t have any governmental authority behind me, I’m just a secondary representative.”

“Same here,” said the young man.

“Governmental authority…? Then who is your speaker?” Qui-Gon asked, slightly bewildered.

“Are you blind?” said the young man. “Obi-Wan is the leader. Since the other two were assassinated, Obi-Wan is our only head of government.”

The next time Qui-Gon laid eyes on his former apprentice, it was mere minutes before their agreed departure time.

The children — Melida, Daan, none of them older than sixteen, aside from former Melida Sarai and former Daan who still refused to share his name — were all gathered next to a large reinforced bay door next to a small fleet of speeders.

Obi-Wan had one arm draped around the shoulders of a ten-year-old boy, murmuring instructions to him, and carrying the little toddler girl on his hip. She was playing with his hair contentedly, unbothered by the preparations going on around her.

If it had been strange to see Obi-Wan before, with his air of sameness-yet-differentness, it was doubly so now.

Knowing what he now knew.

Knowing that Obi-Wan Kenobi had accomplished what he had set out to do and reunited the Melida and the Daan with the help of a few middle-aged adults from both sides and the constant aid of his two companions, Cerasi and Nield. Knowing that he had been fairly elected alongside Cerasi and Nield as the Triumvers — the three Heads of State — of the newly named Meldan.

Knowing that they had been in the midst of Reconstruction both physical and emotional when a radical had betrayed them, murdering innocents gathered for discussions. How Cerasi had been murdered in her bed. How Nield had begun drumming up a military force, only to be assassinated — by a friend of the peace or a foe, who could say? How Obi-Wan had seen all his allies either killed or turn away, and had gathered all he could and retreated below ground, holding tight to his ideals and the legislative power that now backed him.

Knowing how he had continued to sow the seeds of freedom and diplomacy even as the people left above ground resorted again to violence. How he had nurtured genuine friendships among his people, even after having been betrayed.

And here he stood, not even fifteen, making children laugh and reassuring people older than him as he attempted to carry them to freedom and hope.

A government of war-veteran children, led by a former Jedi Padawan.

Qui-Gon watched as everyone was paired up, older teens with younger children, two to a speeder, until at last there was only one vehicle left and only himself and Kenobi still standing.

“I’m afraid I’ll be piloting,” the boy told him. “I’m familiar with the route.”

Qui-Gon swallowed away a bitter taste and merely nodded.

Obi-Wan swung himself up behind the controls, and Qui-Gon moved to sit behind him, and despite everything, despite knowing Obi-Wan’s history over the past eight months, despite being determined not to regard him as his Padawan ever again, it still felt wrong to sit behind. To let the child lead. To let the child sit behind the controls where any decent sniper would aim.

“Stick close and keep low!” Obi-Wan called out.

“Love you Obi!” the same tiny girl cried out from somewhere behind them on another speeder.

Qui-Gon didn’t know what he expected, if he expected anything at all in this strange parallel universe he had wandered into. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan turning his head to grin at the girl and calling back, “Love you too, Cler!” still surprised him.

And then they were off.

The children were clearly well trained, experienced. They seemed to know this back route by heart, undeterred by the semi-light of dusk, and keeping behind outcroppings of rock and trees as much as possible.

Obi-Wan glanced around periodically to check on the others, and every so often one of the others from the back of the parade would speed up to match his pace and give him the all-clear before falling back again.

The breathlessness of the moment settled somewhere in Qui-Gon’s chest. If he could put aside the emotional toll it was taking to sit behind his former student and see him not as a Jedi but as a war-tried planetary ruler, it was easier to be caught up in the rush. The fate of thousands depended on this race for freedom.

The former Jedi Master and Padawan maintained their lead, a slight gap between them and the others.

This served them all well when a blaster bolt came out of nowhere and struck Obi-Wan in his right shoulder, missing his chest only because he sensed it at the last second and twisted away.

There were screams from the smaller children; the older children reacted immediately, scattering their small fleet and engaging their weapons.

“There!” Qui-Gon cried, pointing to a ridge on their right where glimpses of people moving could be seen. His other hand was holding Obi-Wan upright.

“Are you all right to keep piloting?” he shouted.

“For a little while! Hold on, I have a plan!” Obi-Wan shouted back.

“Is it a good plan?”

“Hard to tell until I’ve done it!”

For a second it felt like it had been a year ago, or even better, both of them on the edge of adrenaline and serenity, grinning.

Qui-Gon ignited his lightsaber and deflected two more blaster shots, calling out warnings to the others within earshot.

A speeder went down.

A girl and boy were thrown several meters, crushing in the dust, clinging to one another as they rolled to a stop. On another speeder, Sarai yelled “Here!” and pulled up alongside Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, while Jocco stood up from behind her and leapt.

Qui-Gon’s heart shot to his throat.

But as he extended a hand and caught the child with the Force, Obi-Wan was already doing the same thing, drawing Jocco safely onto their speeder. Sarai, meanwhile, swung her speeder back around and parked it in front of the fallen one, shielding the injured two from view. She stood up on the seat and raised a blaster in each hand, lips twisted in a snarl. “Over here you bastards!” she screamed. “Like shooting at children? Give it your best shot!”

“She’s insane,” said Qui-Gon.

“She’s my second in command!” Obi-Wan laughed. “Now get ready! You’re taking the wheel!”

“What?”

Qui-Gon turned his head just in time to see Obi-Wan launch himself off of the moving speeder with reckless grace, executing a Force-augmented leap to land neatly on the ridge. “Kenobi! What are you doing?” Qui-Gon bellowed.

The boy didn’t respond. He had a blaster in his good hand and dropped out of view, directly onto the heads of the people concealed behind the rocks. There were yells; red light flared as weapons went off in rapid succession. Sarai took advantage of the distraction and urged the other two onto her speeder. “Go!” she said.

As soon as they were off, one of the other speeders erupted from the tree-line and swooped in front of her, slowing down enough to allow her to jump aboard behind two smaller children. “Good job kiddos,” Qui-Gon heard her say. Then she looked up at him. “Come on, we have to go!”

“But—Obi-Wan—” he said helplessly.

As he did, Obi-Wan reappeared at the crest of the ridge, a smoking hole in his trouser leg and a bloody furrow over one eye. He looked directly at Qui-Gon and mouthed, ‘Go! Take the others and run, now!’

Then he was gone again.

A pained look crossed Sarai’s face, but she glanced at Jocco sitting on his lap and smoothed it away at once. “He knows what he’s doing,” she said. “Now come on!”

They sped off, trailing dust and a broken wreck, following in the wake of the other speeders far ahead of them.

In the distance, the ship gleamed in the low light, a beacon for them to follow.

The others were waiting for them when they arrived, arranged defensively around the ship, protecting their only mode of transportation. The nameless boy was standing front and center, an adapted blaster rifle in his arms, looking ready to kill anyone who got too near. Jocco ran straight to him.

Sarai helped the other two down and began loading everyone onto the ship, which opened at Qui-Gon’s command.

He and the boy with the rifle waited.

And waited.

The sun set in earnest, and darkness fell.

And still they waited.

“Can you make your appeal to the Senate without him?” Qui-Gon said suddenly.

The young man whipped his head around to look at him. “What?”

“Can you make your appeal without Obi-Wan?”

He sneered. “In his absence, legal responsibility falls to Sarai and me. But it’s not the same.”

“No, it’s not.” Qui-Gon agreed.

There was a brief silence.

“Can you pilot this starship?”

“What?”

Qui-Gon did not repeat himself this time, and the young man’s eyes widened, his grip on his rifle slackening. “You… you want to stay. You want to stay and search for him.”

“You need to leave,” said Qui-Gon quietly. “Can you pilot this starship?”

“My name’s Radan,” the young man said brusquely, extending a grimy hand. “And yeah, between me and Kieln we can figure it out pretty quickly.”

“Good,” said Qui-Gon shaking his hand firmly. “As soon as you exit your first hyperspace jump, contact Master Yoda, it’s all programmed into the system. Tell him what happened.”

He looked again to the shadowed horizon, to the dark smudge several kilometers distant that was the stone ridge where he had last seen Obi-Wan.

“Tell him,” he paused. “…Tell him I am going to stay with my Padawan.”

Radan paused halfway up the ramp, turning to look back, a look of concern crossing his young face. “Even if he’s never going back to the Jedi?” he asked.

Qui-Gon hesitated.

“I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we? Obi-Wan is capable of making his own decisions.”

Qui-Gon turned back towards the horizon, towards Obi-Wan.

“But I will not leave him again.”

#ugh this boy #someone hug him he’s hurting #sir please your life is in mortal peril sit down #obi wan kenobi #qui gon jinn #qui gon and obi wan #master & padawan #jedi apprentice #melida/daan #padawan obi wan #my writing #star wars #star wars fic #tw injury #tw blood #tw reference to child death

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shatouto · 3 years

Text

another sequel to @obiwanobi's ex-sith anakin au (here and here), and at this rate… yea. yea we’re gonna have to archive this on ao3 (soon)

anyway here’s 2.8k words of tonal inconsistency

et si les étoiles sont cachées

Obi-Wan barely sleeps a wink through the night. His mind turns and whirls as he battles between second-guessing his decisions regarding the former Sith sleeping in his bed and planning on what to do going forward. Anakin knows how to cloak his own signature well enough, that much Obi-Wan can observe, but he will not stand a chance if Masters such as Yoda or Windu search his presence. And then there is the matter of the elusive Darth Sidious’ death, as well - Obi-Wan can only assume that it would be classified information on the Confederacy side, but even then, the Force only knows what kind of hell would break loose once his body is discovered. It doesn’t help that he could barely pull his hand out of Anakin’s without him frowning in his sleep and stirring. He simply has to stay put, with Anakin’s very likely feverish body pressed up against his side in a bed that is only snugly enough for two.

In meditating all of those scenarios, he forgets to account for the hell that breaks loose in his own quarters upon the return of his apprentice.

“Master, what were you thinking?” Ahsoka hisses, eyes darting from him to the closed door of his bedroom, from where the sound of Anakin’s pacing is obvious. Her hand is still clutching one of her lightsabers, alert.

“He was an injured man who crawled to my doorstep for aid, young one.” Obi-Wan sighs. “Surely you cannot expect me to simply turn my back to him, can you? That wouldn’t be the Jedi way.”

“Yes, but…” Ahsoka pinches her own forehead, shoulders dropping in a harsh exhale. “He’s a Sith lord, Master. We’ve all seen what he has done and can do!”

“He was a Sith, Ahsoka. Leading him back to the Light means one less darksider for the galaxy, and no more lives lost. I have always been trying to accomplish this.” Obi-Wan realizes, all of a sudden, that he is trying to convince himself rather than his apprentice. “He came in a moment of need, with nowhere else to go. He no longer wants to remain with the Dark.”

Ahsoka blinks. “And you just trust him? Just like that?”

Well, Obi-Wan wants to say, you didn’t see him on his knees in the hallway with blood covering half his body and bruises the other half; and you didn’t see him hang his head as you took his lightsaber and then his ruined arm off before setting him to bed. Then again, nobody would ever see that: the exact devastation and distress the once-Darth Vader was in last night, at his door. “That is the case, Ahsoka. I would like to trust him, for the time being.”

Ahsoka grumbles something about tried to kill me earlier, didn’t you see that? which of course inspires a twinge of guilt in Obi-Wan - because indeed, this borders on being a foolhardy venture, that his Padawan is dragged into solely by virtue of her sharing quarters with him. She shakes her head and speaks clearly again for him to hear. “...Fine, I get it. Where do you even plan to house him, Master?”

Obi-Wan pauses. He has had plenty of time in the night to consider this, and still he cannot find any better solution than the one he is about to suggest. “I suppose there is no place safer than here.”

“Here? You mean as in, your own quarters, in the Jedi Temple?” Ahsoka stresses on the last few words, incredulous.

Something crashes inside his room, followed by Anakin’s muffled curse. Obi-Wan looks his apprentice dead in the eye as he lets out a sigh, and says, “Yes.”

—

Anakin is strangely good at cooking.

Obi-Wan supposes he shouldn’t have presumed; after all, being a Sith apprentice should probably not interfere with the more mundane aspects of life. But not only is Anakin’s cooking distinctly above average (how did he learn enough skills to make a three-course meal out of the few basic ingredients in Obi-Wan’s pantry, and at what cost?), he also seems to undertake the task with zeal. It’s rather endearing to watch him shuffle around the kitchenette in warm beige pants that barely reach his ankles, and a left sleeve that doesn't need to be rolled up because it's already too short for his long arm.

It’s been less than a week since Anakin first comes to his door. He clearly doesn't like Ahsoka, but with one arm and no lightsaber and Obi-Wan firmly telling him to behave, he eventually, and clearly grudgingly, tolerates her presence, from time to time. The gleam in his eyes is still worrying, from time to time, but the most Anakin does nowadays when Ahsoka passes by is turn his back to her. He seems to be trying his best, which is why Obi-Wan feels immensely guilty for having to preface their meal with a rather somber question.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, as Anakin sets down before him a plate of steak that smells nearly the same as that one luxurious dish he once had while in disguise as a socialite at a prestigious fine dining party. It isn’t the materiality that is distracting, but the efforts that must have gone into it. “I would like to ask you a question.”

Anakin sits down opposite of him, balancing himself. Even with the Force, he’s unused to not having a weight elbow-down on his right hand. “What? Leftover is in the kitchen for your apprentice. If she wants it.” His voice still sharpens at your apprentice, defensive. “I didn’t mean to let her starve.”

Obi-Wan is torn between a smile and a grimace. “No, that isn’t my question, Anakin. I’ve been wondering if you knew of your allies’ plans.”

“What kind of plans?” Anakin’s eyes narrow, warily. “It depends. Dooku knew most. I just did battlefield strategy.”

“You don’t happen to know if there has been recent plans to assassinate the Supreme Chancellor, do you?” It has been on Obi-Wan’s mind ever since he was summoned to an urgent Council meeting days ago. Investigative teams reported that the Supreme Chancellor has gone missing; then midway through the meeting, another report came, and so they ended up discussing how to keep peace while the Senate would break the staggering news of the Supreme Chancellor’s death to the entire galaxy and organize an emergency election. The timing fit too well with Anakin’s arrival, and he doesn’t know what to make of it.

“Oh, there’s never any.” Anakin shrugs, tension melting out of his shoulder. He begins to cut into his steak without a care.

Obi-Wan frowns. There has been plenty of attempted assassinations before, as well as kidnapping - he himself has been sent to protect the Chancellor on many occasions. He’s loath to contradict Anakin, though, so he asks, carefully: “And you are sure?”

“I’m sure,” Anakin says, swallowing a mouthful. “My mas—Darth Sidious, is Palpatine.”

It takes Obi-Wan a stunned moment, while Anakin just continues to eat.

Well, the Council had their suspicions, but it was never so direct. Some have speculated, very privately, that the Chancellor might be linked to a darksider in some way. Perhaps somebody who is in opposition to Count Dooku, another Master has raised. But for the Chancellor *himself* to be this elusive, mysterious Darth Sidious, seems downright unfathomable.

“You…” Obi-Wan pauses, rewording the sentence in his mind for the seventh time. “I would like you to be serious, Anakin. That was not a joke, was it?”

Anakin, unsmiling, turns his eyes up to him with a look of confusion as if saying What’s a joke? “Darth Sidious is Palpatine,” he repeats. “I’m not allowed—I was not allowed to call him that, though.”

Obi-Wan takes a deep breath. The timing does line up far too well. “Anakin, that means you have... disposed of the Supreme Chancellor.”

Anakin scoffs, scrunches up his nose, and shrugs again. “If you put it that way,” he mutters, slouching down even lower as he pointedly eats his food.

Obi-Wan opens his mouth, then closes it again. He sighs at the ceiling, and picks up his fork and knife. Might as well enjoy a good meal before the migraine sets in.

—

To his own amazement, Obi-Wan is getting used to the way Anakin follows him around like a hatchling, whenever he is home.

During the first few days, it took Obi-Wan a considerable amount of patient explanation to convince Anakin not to sit on the floor at the foot of the door frame until he came back. His reasons ranged from “It’s rather undignified for you” (to which Anakin said, “I’ve done worse,” at which point Obi-Wan had to switch subjects immediately, putting a pin in it for future unpacking), to “You might catch a cold, sitting here for so long” (to which Anakin answered, “It’ll go away on its own,” which prompted Obi-Wan to check his temperature immediately, only to realize that Anakin had been cloaking his fever for at least a day, and - well, that was another pin on the board). In the end, it was only the allowance for him to use the kitchenette that kept the former Sith from waiting at the door like a hound, rather busying himself at the stove instead. It was a great decision through and through, considering how much Anakin improved the quality of their meals.

But otherwise, Anakin still makes no secret of his immediate attachment to him. Perhaps there should be no surprise in that, considering the sort of upbringing he must have suffered through; not that Obi-Wan knows much of it anyway, considering how quiet Anakin remains and how reluctant he himself is to ask personal questions. Nevertheless, from the way Anakin acted - finding his way into the Jedi Temple and declaring his trust to a sworn enemy rather than relying on his own Sith allies - it isn’t hard to infer that this man has had precious little reason to put his trust into anybody in his surroundings. It also aligns with the Sith ways, Obi-Wan speculates - and could only dare speculate, because truth be told he does not know all that much of the Sith outside of his research on ancient texts. Contemporary Sith are few. The Master might just make his own rules, and Darth Sidious - the Supreme Chancellor, Force have mercy - seemed like the type to play cruel games. So he has every reason to understand and empathize. And he truly does extend his most heartfelt compassion to this wayward Force-wielder.

That doesn’t make it any easier to deal with Anakin’s irritability whenever Obi-Wan comes back from a mission.

He’s clearly unhappy about Obi-Wan being away, especially if he discovers that the mission has been with Ahsoka. He only grows more upset and quick-tempered as time goes by; it begins with him upturning the decorative datapad shelves in the living room, escalating to a series of broken glasses and plates in the kitchenette; finally one day Obi-Wan comes back home to knives lodged in the wall, Anakin in the midst of pulling them out.

Anakin has the decency to look sheepish, even just slightly, as he silently puts away all the knives and hides himself in the kitchen completely. He cleans up, at least. In fact, he was almost always in the middle of cleaning up when Obi-Wan caught him in the act, which prompts the question: How many other times has he done this while left alone?

Obi-Wan only sighs. It does border on cruelty to keep somebody alone in these cramped quarters for weeks on end. He also knows that whatever measures he has set up to keep Anakin safe here - from the world, and from Anakin himself, - it would be a fatal oversight to underestimate the ability of a former Sith. He has no doubts that Anakin, even while one-handed and saber-less, could escape if he truly wanted to. The fact that Anakin willingly keeps himself stowed away in a Jedi’s quarters while desperately and entertaining himself through destructive means only to then be embarrassed about it… is a testament to some budding virtue, Obi-Wan supposes. And it only intensifies his guilt: it’s as if he’s taking advantage of Anakin’s trust to confine him to solitude, while he himself pushes back and back the kind of work a true mentor would need to engage in to help Anakin. The fact that he is fighting a war, or whatever is left of it, is no excuse.

It is with resolution that he stands up and heads into the kitchen. Their eyes meet as soon as he steps in; clearly enough, Anakin has been watching him. Anakin’s fingers grip the counter, knuckles blanched. Obi-Wan holds up his hands, moving as slowly and unpredictably as possible, and cuts to the chase.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go outside, Anakin.”

Anakin’s brows shoot up, but he still doesn’t unclench his jaws.

“I believe it’s rather unfair to keep you locked inside,” Obi-Wan explains. “After all, cooking can only do so much to spend all of one’s pent up energy.” He gives a small, gentle smile, inwardly anxious because of the way Anakin still looks at him with his guards up, shoulders squared, halfway between fight and flight. “I am not suggesting anything much, Anakin. Only a walk in the park, if it suits you. The decision is up to you.”

A moment or two passes in thick, awkward silence. Then Anakin, hesitantly: “Will you be there?”

It’s the first pleasant surprise Obi-Wan has had in what felt like an age. His smile grows, unbidden. “Yes, I insist.”

—

Autumn winds reel through his hair before rushing off to rustle in the foliage. The nightly air is crisp on his cheeks, and Obi-Wan doesn’t even think to tighten his robes around him; he enjoys a nice, chilly evening. Silence is alleviated by the song of insects in the grass, as they make their way down the serpentine path, round fountains and beds of flowers. Their robes flutter, and their hands are firmly linked.

It’s nothing that cannot be explained by strict necessity, or so Obi-Wan reasons: He must be able to make sure Anakin never strays from his sight, for safety reasons; and he dislikes the thought of putting any kind of binding or chains or even just a simple tied thread on Anakin. As usual, when all else fails, undertaking by hand is the solution - hence Anakin’s hand in his own, their palms warmly interfacing, their calluses fitting together.

The contact is also enjoyable, but that’s beside the point.

“I like the sky at night,” Anakin says, sudden but quiet. Obi-Wan glances at him to find Anakin not looking back at him for once. Anakin’s hood has long since slipped off because of the way he tips his head back to turn his eyes to the stars. Most of them are shrouded by gathering clouds, but some of them still shine through the dark.

“I see,” Obi-Wan muses. “May I ask why?”

For once, Anakin doesn’t hesitate to answer. “I like to look at the stars. They’re just suns, but far away. Can’t burn you, only blink at you.” Anakin’s hand tightens just a little. A patch of wildflowers gently glows when the two of them pass by. “When you blink back at them, you’re not alone.”

“And what if the stars are hidden?” Obi-Wan gestures, voice light, even as his heart sinks. He knows a lonely child, or one who used to be a lonely child, when he sees one. “What do you do then?”

The sigh that follows is lost in a gust of wind. There’s only the slightest of tremors in Anakin’s fingertips. They fall back into silence, deeper silence this time, as even the insects seem to quiet. The air feels earthy and damp with a coming rain. The sky blackens as clouds roil and thicken, and suddenly it’s dark as pitch and the comfortable coolness splinters into shivers under his skin. When the first drop falls, Obi-Wan reaches over to draw up Anakin’s hood for him. Anakin turns to him, eyes downcast.

“Then I’m alone,” he answers, belated and small.

—

“Maybe you’re right, Master.” Ahsoka picks up her steaming mug of tea, sinking comfortably into her amply cushioned seat on the couch. A strip of morning sunlight draws lazily across the room. “Whatever you’re doing, it’s working. He’s getting... nicer, lately. You should keep walking him.”

Obi-Wan chuckles at the turn of phrase. Walking him… “I don’t think it’s my doing,” he says, pouring a little more tea for himself. Anakin shuffles from one corner of the kitchenette to another, apron strings fluttering behind him. Obi-Wan shakes his head and takes a sip of tea, smiling. “I don’t think it’s my doing at all.”

#obikin #anakin skywalker #obi-wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi #ahsoka tano #star wars prequels #the clone wars #raised as sith anakin #i really did hijack clem’s au #sorry for pinging you again!#why is this so reminiscent of le petit prince all of a sudden #will that story ever stop haunting me? (no)#all aboard the woobify train yay

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siennahrobek · 3 years

Text

He hadn’t realized it, but Alpha-17 had been waiting for this moment. This time. Whatever.

His loyalty had always been to the Republic, rather strictly, thanks to his training and upbringing, even though it never seemed like the government had cared about him or anyone else. It was something he was used to. The trainers didn’t care about anything but what they were being paid. The Kaminoans didn’t care about anything aside from progress in their work and perfection from the clones. Before, it hadn’t mattered. He did his job; that was his purpose, his whole reason for being. There was nothing else.

And then the war started. The Jedi came.

And then, despite the death and fighting and everything else, the jedi cared.

General Shaak Ti and General Kenobi had been adamant to save the clones still in tubes during the first invasion of Kamino, despite the fact that it would have been more efficient and easier just to destroy them.

They had been steadfast in saving lives.

Time had gone on and the jedi fought alongside them. Died alongside them. They encouraged speech and individuality and names.

Alpha-17 didn’t exactly know when his outlook had shifted but it had and now, he had committed mutiny against his planet, against everyone, to save his brothers from being brainwashed completely, to have the one thing they had freedom of taken away. He had committed mutiny to help them, to help the jedi. The Jedi that the clones had been made for, the jedi that had accepted them so readily and the jedi whose fates were intertwined with their own.

It would be about three days until they would arrive and virtually every single clone was working nonstop. The city was near completely torn apart by the time the ships under Kenobi’s command came into their space and kept off to the side of the planet, far enough away that they could make an escape if a ship began to fire upon them.

Alpha-17 and Commander Colt messaged the ships, indicating their safe orbit around the planet. Several gunships come down to the planet side with an entire slew of jedi and clones. Commander Colt had found General Shaak Ti and sagged in relief but Alpha-17’s attention was behind her, where General Kenobi strode off the gunship with Commander Cody and Captain Rex by his side.

Storming up to them, Alpha-17 stopped in front of the trio, staring at General Kenobi up and down with such intensity, he nearly thought the Jedi would combust into flames.

“Uh…sir?” Captain Rex questioned.

“At least you’re wearing some armor again,” Alpha-17 told the general instead, rather gruffly. General Kenobi’s smile was a bit weak but no less genuine. “Where is that scamp of an apprentice of yours, he’s usually right behind you.”

“It is good to see you, as well, captain,” General Kenobi greeted. “Your blunt honesty has been sorely missed. I am sorry to say that…that Anakin’s allegiance lies with the Empire now.”

“The Empire that tried brainwashed my brothers and tried to kill all the jedi,” Alpha-17 replied, flatly. Wordlessly, General Kenobi nodded. Alpha decided not to say any more on the matter. “We have a war room set up. Your bridge said you need to try and contact any of the jedi out in the field.”

“Yes, we have warned many, but now we have to plan on what we are going to do as well as thoughts on where to rendezvous,” General Kenobi explained. “It is also a bit of a roll call, as we don’t…know who survived.

“Master Kenobi,” a new voice called out as a human man walked towards them. Alpha-17 looked over and watched him warily.

“Alpha-17, this is Battle Master Cin Drallig,” General Kenobi introduced to a long-haired Jedi. “I think you two will get along fairly well. Master Drallig, Captain Alpha-17.”

“Well met, Captain,” the battle master greeted. Alpha-17 imagined with a title like battle master, General Kenobi was probably, irritatingly, correct. He did sound like someone he would perhaps get along with. “I have a feeling we may be working together often.”

Alpha-17 took his hand with the shake. “Why would you say that sir?”

Battle master Drallig just smirked. “Just a feeling.”

The captain led them towards the inner workings of what was left of the city and towards the large room with a nearly just as big holo table. There were already several jedi and nearly just as many clone officers standing around the edges.

He watched as General Kenobi, flanked by General Ti and battle master Drallig, straightened himself, taking a deep breath before the giant holo table flickered to life, the visage of several jedi and sometimes their respective commanders with them popping up in blue form.

There was many of them.

He imagined it was a relief to the other jedi. Alpha-17 tried to take stock of all those who were standing around. There were a few that Alpha-17 recognized, including Wolffe’s general, General Koon and Bly’s as well, General Secura but for the most part, he knew very few of them. The former looked as calm and put together as always, even though his arm was bandaged up to his side. General Secura was leaning forward, her own holo call trembling as her eyes nearly blazed which looked still intimidating even with the slew of wrappings around one of her lekku.

“As many of you are aware,” General Kenobi started, coolly. “The Republic has fallen, an Empire has rose in its place with the dark lord of the Sith at its head. We have been deceived and in it, the Temple has been lost. Former chancellor – now emperor – Palpatine is the Sith Lord we have been searching for.”

There were gasps all around, horrified stares and even a bit of pained denials.

“Right under our nose,” General Secura snarled.

“It is…very good to know that many have you survived,” General Kenobi interrupted. “We have a lot more pressing matters to attend, however. One of my communications officers, Menace, will take down everyone’s names of here and I will want you to tell him your situation so we can keep track. If you are not with your soldiers and/or do not have access to a holo table and are listening via long distance commlink, Menace will be your voice and ears if necessary. Whatever you need,” he continued, gesturing to the clone that was sitting in the corner, surrounded by equipment. He looked up and waved, indicating his presence.

There were nods around the table.

“We are currently on the planet Kamino, picking up any supplies and the clones that wish to come with us,” General Kenobi started up again in explanation, keeping his back straight and his posture perfect that even Alpha could appreciate it. “We do not know how much time we have so we are quickly working to evacuate all the young ones, the clones and then any resources they want to take.”

“I know…. I know they were chipped and that is not their fault,” a general Alpha-17 didn’t recognize said warily, swallowing heavily. “And they have the right to choose… but can we trust them?”

There were very few bristles but mostly shifts in posture with glances away from the Jedi.

“I have worked much with Alpha-17 during the beginnings of the war,” General Kenobi replied, firmly. He could see General Shaak Ti and a few others straightening with a near looming presence. “I trust him. Although first loyalties were to the Republic and the Jedi second, since the Republic has been replaced with an Empire…”

General Secura snickered with a gleaming grin. “Loophole.”

“And with him is my Commander, Colt, who I do trust,” General Shaak Ti cut in, seriously. Although her expression was as collected as he had ever seen it, her tone was underlaid with something that would not be argued. Commander Colt smiled faintly, just slightly shy at the praise.

“It appears that you are doing well in facilitating our survival, General Kenobi,” General Tapal commended with a nod. The Lasat General shifted while his padawan, a young human child, glanced up at him and grinned, keeping himself so close to his master that he was nearly hanging onto him. General Kenobi acknowledge him and then glanced towards Healer Che to take over.

The twi’lek healer had been one that Alpha-17 knew, he had spent some time in the healers, ward and he had come to respect the master healer. She was no argument and never took any crap from anyone.

“The chips within the clones are not difficult to remove,” Healer Che started to explain, pulling up diagrams and scans, clicking and swiping through some of the holo table as she sent the visuals to the others across the galaxy. “If one has the right droid or scanner, it is a very simple surgery. The only problem is you need a level five minimum atomic scan to find it which I don’t think many ships have. If you have the requisite medical droid, I would just allow them to do it. It does not take long, and the recovery time is short,” she added, calmly. “If you have a scanner capable of the level of scan and excellent medics with steady hands, they can remove it fairly easily if you would like.”

“However,” Commander Colt cut in. “If you find yourself in a pinch and being surrounded by activated brothers, we do have a pulse that will nullify the effects of the chips for several hours,” he added, pulling up his own research to replace that of the healer. It showed schematics on a small generator. “Only use it once and only if necessary because we don’t know the effect of several pulses. It should give you enough time to escape. I will have General Kenobi’s officer send you the specs of its creation. All ships should be able to scramble up the parts fairly easy.”

“That is a start,” General Koon rumbled through his mask and vocoder, shifting his wounded arm. Alpha-17 could see Commander Wolffe barely concealing a snarl right next to him. “Is there any other way to avoid the chips being activated? Do we know how they are activated?”

“Currently, at least the Empire’s voice does that with specific orders,” Alpha-17 found himself stepping up to speak. “It started with Commander Cody after he got a call from the emperor. We suspect he probably contacted, or tried to contact, the Marshal Commanders and from there, the Commander’s orders would relay the activation.”

“Proximity also appears to be a large way of the activation being spread,” Commander Colt added.

“So, we limit communications as much as possible, especially with the clones until they can be de-chipped,” General Secura shrugged. “That seems mostly doable.”

“But where do we go from here?” an older jedi rumbled.

“Right now, we move away from the Empire. Start moving towards the outer rim, towards wild space,” Battle master Drallig started, his voice rather booming in the room they were in. “The Empire will start to scramble what forces and resources they have to come after us and our men. They know current locations so move, group together if you can. If you are near another jedi or fleet that has not been activated, join together.”

“I am working on which planet would be the best to retreat to,” an older woman with tightly bound white hair, stepped forward. Her voice was no nonsense and serious with no room for argument. “I have a team as well helping to figure out the best place to go. Because we need a planet that is inhabitable to accommodate as many as we can, outside of the Empire’s view and not within their memory.”

“You have not gotten there yet,” one of the field generals noted.

She shook her head. “Not quite. I am working as quickly as I can. We cannot be running around trying to find a planet. It will be some time for all of us to come together, but we will keep in touch.”

“Ration your food, take care of each other,” General Shaak Ti added. “And fuel, get it where and when you can. I imagine very soon the Empire will make getting resources very difficult, if not impossible, to gather. Gather what you can.”

“I imagine we will have quite the fleet,” General Billaba hummed. The padawan next to her barely suppressed a snicker.

“That leads me to my next point,” General Kenobi added, glancing between Commander Cody and Alpha-17.

Alpha narrowed his eyes, suspiciously as he waited for the general to continue.

“Like I told the jedi here, I have offered the clones a place with us,” he started slowly. “And like I said, I know I didn’t particularly have the authority to do so but…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Master Koon assured with a bit of a chuckle. “I do believe it would have been unanimous.”

“And well, Alpha-17 and Commander Colt had already committed mutiny with the intent of following us,” he added, glancing at Alpha-17 with a dry, vaguely amused look. There was something else there in his look that Alpha-17 wasn’t entirely sure on. “However, I have noted that if any freed clones do not wish to make this journey with us, we will let them go to wherever they would want, with our blessings.”

Alpha-17 was a little surprised by the nods around the room, although even he could tell there was some vague disappointed even through the calls.

“I will relay it to the others,” Commander Cody said, although Alpha-17 knew him. His tone had a tint of dryness. “Don’t expect any other answers, however.”

“Same here on Kamino,” Alpha-17 grunted.

He doubted anyone else could see it but something in General Kenobi’s shoulders shifted.

“Besides,” Commander Colt interjected. “We don’t really have any experience with cadets, we could use some help with the tubies,” he admitted.

“Tubies?” a general echoed.

“Babies,” General Shaak Ti amended with a smile.

“We are not abandoning the galaxy,” General Kenobi announced with a breath. “But we need a plan. We must rebuild, regain strength before we can do anything about the Empire. We will not abandon people, nor the rest of the clones.”

“But we do need a plan,” General Koon agreed, nodding.

“Which we will do,” battle master Drallig assured.

“We will find somewhere very ancient, old and obscure. Far from minds and memory,” the white-haired woman added. “A place of refuge where we can plan our next moves.”

“Does anyone have any questions?”

“I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say numerous,” General Billaba noted with a curiously raised brow. “But I do imagine you will not have much time to gather from Kamino and get away before the Empire catches up.”

“Menace will gather a list of everyone,” General Kenobi started again. “Please keep in touch with him and his team with updates on your positions as you move so we can keep together. Everything we add will be coded. He has a few things to send to you as well.”

“We have survived thus far,” General Koon rumbled, the vocoder easy and low, nearly crackling through the call. “And if we work together, we will continue to survive this.”

***

“That seemed rather successful, Master Kenobi,” battle master Drallig noted with a sly smile as they walked out of the war room. The large holo call had lasted a little longer, with more questions, answers and suggestions. Commander Cody, Captain Rex and Alpha-17 walked behind, following the jedi easily. The others had filed out, the six of them were some of the last few, leaving only Menace and his team to gather a list and give out necessary information. “Many are alive,” he added, glancing over at the other generals.

“There is hope,” General Shaak Ti agreed, calmly. “And we must also keep in mind, there are very possibly still others who have lived but were unable to make contact. We should have Menace’s team to search for other commcodes to send messages, just in case.”

General Kenobi nodded. “That is a good idea, Master.”

“I will return to the ship and set it up,” she hummed.

“I have something you need to see,” Alpha-17 announced, shooting a glance at General Kenobi. His mouth had been moving before his brain caught up but at this point, he figured it would be a good moment to do it. He was met with a rather fond but confused look. “It won’t take long.”

“Alright,” General Kenobi replied with a small shrug. “Commander Cody, Captain Rex, would you mind going with Master Drallig and Master Shaak Ti back up to our ship for a final count on what field Jedi have responded and survived?”

Commander Cody gave the both of them a rather suspicious look but the few of them walked off towards the landing platform where their gunship would be waiting. Alpha-17 barely waited before he gestured for the general to follow, unwilling to impart answers as he walked through what was left of the city. They got towards his destination and opened the door.

Good, they were still waiting for their transportation to one of the cruisers.

“Hey guys,” Alpha-17 greeted a group of younglings, gruffly, his voice mumbling through, trying not to sound too fond of the inhabitants of the room. “I brought you someone you’ll want to see.”

The room was full of a small group of cadets, nearly a dozen of them. They were all the same, as the clones were, and the expressions on their faces were nearly exactly the same as well but their voices shifted into different types of gasps and light screeches.

One of them stepped forward towards General Kenobi, eyes shining as he stared up at him. General Kenobi just glanced down and then looked back up at Alpha-17, quite thoroughly confused. It was almost comical.

“Is that…” one of the children asked.

“Yes,” Alpha-17 affirmed.

“General Kenobi!” they cried in shock, nearly tripping over one another to get a closer look. General Kenobi just smiled warmly down at him, taking it in stride as he walked forth into the gaggle of children although he was completely bewildered and puzzled, and it showed.

“Hello there,” he greeted softly as he let the kids climb over him.

“Seven!” one of them shrieked, making the captain crinkle his nose in some irritation. General Kenobi just shot him a small laugh, shaking his head. He had no idea what was going on but if there was one thing the alpha clone knew, he loved children. The young clone glared at the captain with a firm pout, shaking his head vehemently. “You did not tell us we were going to meet our finder.”

“My apologies,” General Kenobi said, already holding a child in his arms and several others clinging to his legs as he turned towards the captain. “I’m your what now?”

Alpha-17 groaned lightly and shook his head, nearly bringing his hands up to cover his face, the cadet staring at him, intently. He let out a sigh of resignation and then a breath as he began to clarify. “General Shaak Ti, when she visits the cadets, she tells them about the Jedi. She tells them a lot of things,” he explained. “I don’t know how it happened or where it came from, but she told a class once about Jedi finders, their role in bringing children to the Temple and into the Order. She explained their importance and how many children had relationships with their finders growing up. When she was asked…she rather insinuated that our… the clone “finder” was, well, you,” he explained, a bit uncertainly. “It kind of snowballed from there and now nearly every young cadet class knows and well, thinks that way.”

General Kenobi stopped and stared at him for a long moment. Even Alpha-17 could determine his reaction.

And he kept staring.

Would this man just have a reaction already?

And then, abruptly, he burst out into such laughter to the point that Alpha-17 nearly thought he was crying. The general hugged the child in his arm closer and laughed some more, his shoulder and whole body shaking from the movement. Apparently, he found this hilarious, Alpha-17 mused.

“I would love to be considered your finder, dear ones.”

He was glad he had brought General Kenobi here, for this small moment.

***

He had originally intended on going to General Kenobi’s flagship, but he was redirected towards a modified cruiser that had appeared not long ago by the battle master Drallig. The trip was quiet and although Alpha-17 was fairly certain he wasn’t anywhere near force sensitive, even he thought he could feel the gratitude and happiness echoing off of the General.

He had made the right choice, starting his mutiny without approval.

As they walked off the gunship and onto the docking bay of the venator, General Kenobi let a small, “thank you.”

“You’re welcome, general.”

General Kenobi opened his mouth to say something else, but his eyes caught sight of another, and his gaze dragged over the area. He stepped back, nearly tripping over a box as his eyes widened.

“Sir?”

The general practically flew across the docking bay. Alpha-17 caught sight of the battle master, Drallig, at the other end, alongside another jedi. Dark skin, even darker hair, weird yellow stripe over his face and nose. Alpha-17 felt like he had seen him before. Nonetheless, Alpha-17 jogged after him, quickly on his heels.

The general nearly threw himself at the other jedi, tightening his grip around him in a fierce hug. Such public display Alpha-17 hadn’t seen from his general was rather rare so this must have been an importance person to him. Kenobi tucked himself into space, squeezing the man tightly. The other jedi looked utterly surprised but before he could even think of hugging – or not – back, General Kenobi hastily pulled away a few steps and didn’t even meet the other Jedi’s gaze.

“My apologies, Quinlan,” he murmured, shaking his head. “That was uncalled for, I do sincerely apologize for touching without permission. I will take my leave.”

The other Jedi – Quinlan – looked just confused and befuddled in a way that almost, just almost, would have made Alpha-17 laugh. He didn’t even think a jedi couldhave that expression. General Kenobi hurriedly shuffled away down the hall, presumably towards the bridge.

“What was that about?” Quinlan asked, glancing at the battle master for answers but his eyes ended up trailing general Kenobi as he walked away. Alpha-17 was ready to follow him but for the moment, somehow his feet wouldn’t move.

The battle master sighed and frowned. “Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the dark side, and he is now the new Sith apprentice. He is the one who led the attack on the Temple.”

Some kind of understanding fell upon the Jedi’s face as it twisted into something horrified of some type.

Alpha-17 didn’t know what that meant.

“Force,” he whispered under his breath.

And then he took off after the general. Alpha-17 rolled his eyes and sighed, barely catching a glimpse of the battle master before jogging off after him. “Again,” he muttered, keeping just behind the unfamiliar jedi.

“Obi-Wan!” the jedi shouted out.

General Kenobi stiffened and hesitated before finally stopping. He let out a soft sigh and turned around, forcing himself to look up at the man. “Quinlan,” he greeted, fairly evenly despite the shaking in his voice.

“Hey, hey buddy,” Quinlan murmured, carefully putting his hand on General Kenobi’s pauldron. “Master Drallig told me about Anakin. I’m so sorry, Obi-Wan.”

General Kenobi took a shaky breath. “I don’t…I don’t think I can really talk about it right now,” he admitted quietly, just barely leaning into the other jedi’s touch.

“Alright,” he agreed, and he didn’t seem to bothered by the notion. He quite quickly changed the subject which ended up being a good call. “Dex says you have a friend for life, ya know.”

Glancing at him, General Kenobi ended up with a small smile. “You were one of the jedi that Dex said he had.”

“Yeah. I found Master Windu. He’s in pretty rough shape but I think he might make it through, probably because I got him into a bacta tank quicker. Wanna hear how I took over the entire medical venator star cruiser,” Quinlan said with a grin.

An eyebrow raised on General Kenobi’s face but there was a relief in that, probably due to the fact that a jedi he knew was alive. “You…took over a ship? Full of clones around Coruscant.”

The long-haired jedi laughed. “Oh, let me tell you. It was kind of awesome. Not as hard as I thought, considering. But since I am a shadow, so you know, it is part of my skill set,” he winked and it made the general smile back at him, although lightly.

Alpha-17 just walked and listened as the jedi went to a full, long tirade about how he had taken over the ship and escaped with the clones. He couldn’t help be grateful, the jedi had rescued hundreds of his brothers, some of which may have been killed outright due to the fact they were sick or wounded. Still, he already had the feeling that this Quinlan character was kind of annoying.

“Dex is amazing, let me tell you,” Quinlan had said with the biggest grin. Something must have been going on with General Kenobi in the force or whatever because practically every time the man twitched, the other jedi would get happier and speak brighter. “I made a plan and needed some guys to help me out. Within the hour, the hour, Obi-Wan, he had gotten me a lineup of dozens of beings to pick from for my heist. He has got some serious connections!”

General Kenobi smiled and it was warm. Alpha-17 could almost feel it. “Dex is good like that,” he agreed. “I found Kamino because of him.”

Quinlan continued to explain the rest of the couple of days. His plan had been mildly impressive and well thought out, even Alpha-17 could begrudgingly admit. The jedi did not go in halfcocked and impulsively. And the fact that he checked to make sure there wasn’t a jedi on board, so the chips probably hadn’t been activated was probably smart. At least he didn’t jump aboard the first ship he came across and took over the bridge, just hoping nothing would go wrong.

There were a couple medical stations across the galaxy and several more pelta-class medical frigates that traveled with wounded soldiers aboard. There wasn’t a medical station orbiting Coruscant, as they were around the rest of the galaxy. Clones weren’t allowed to be treated on planet mingled with the regular citizens, although the Jedi often treated clones in their own Healing Halls frequently. They didn’t just go around turning people away who needed care.

One of the large venator cruisers had been converted into somewhat of a medical station, or at least, used as one. It was the main place where clones were treated for illness or injuries, when they could make it there. It was a good one to take over, he imagined, if one had a good plan. Which apparently the master jedi had.

There must not have been any jedi stationed at the medical facility during the time because Quinlan explained how he made sure that none of the chips had been activated. He had shut down communications with jammers around the ship and eventually took it over, locking up most of the natborns that weren’t cooperative and confiscating long range commlinks. Men were locked in certain portions of the ship to where they were stationed, at least those just handling the ship. Medics themselves were dechipped so they could continue to help those who needed it. Everything was neat and tidy and even Alpha-17 had to be impressed.

It was not only a well-thought-out mission and operation but a successful one as well. Quinlan had brought back an entire venator crew of clones with as well as many other, although wounded, brothers as well.

By the time he was done, General Kenobi’s smile was rather wide, and he offered his congratulations to the other jedi. He was thankful, Alpha-17 quickly realized. Not only had he saved people that General Kenobi valued, but he had kept his mind off of Skywalker. He hadn’t even pushed; he didn’t even ask. Nothing circled back to it.

The jedi explained about the Commander he came across, Hound, and how he had helped him. The guy was a mad man and apparently, Quinlan appreciated that sort of thing. They had rather hit it off, along with his mastiff, Grizzler, who went everywhere Hound did.

Alpha-17 wasn’t sure whether he should be worried.

“Do we know who all survived?” Quinlan asked, nudging General Kenobi gently.

“One of the officers, Menace, is compiling a list of those who have responded or were present at the meeting,” General Kenobi replied with a nod. “As far as I could tell during the meeting, it seemed quite a fair few had blocked communications or escaped in time. Aalya was one of them,” he assured. “She looked just a little banged up but okay. Her troops weren’t activated.”

Tension fell from Quinlan’s shoulders. “Thank, Obes.”

“Of course,” he added. And then, his commlink beeped urgently. General Kenobi opened it up and a gruff voice burst though. “This is Kenobi.”

“Master Kenobi,” battle master Drallig replied. “You should get back down to the loading bay. Something has happened.”

Several medical officers rushed down the halls around them. Alpha-17 caught one of them by the arm, stopping him abruptly. “Officer, what is going on?”

“A ship came out of hyperspace a few minutes ago!” the soldier reported, worriedly. “It open fired on one of our ships and then stopped. We think it is full of activated clones and there are injured jedi,” he said before pulling away and running off again.

General Kenobi swallowed heavily and the three of them chased after the group back down the hall. The loading back was a mad house of yelling officers and wounded soldiers. Out in space, it could be seen one of the ships was partially on fire with several fighters surrounding it, ready to destroy if necessary.

“Whose ship is that?”

A rolling cot ran down from a ship towards the hall. Alpha-17 watched as General Kenobi stared wide eyed. The man on the gurney was a male, a jedi from the robes, he imagined with short blonde hair that was practically soaked in blood. There was a lot of blood.

A lot.

General Kenobi’s breath got caught in this throat, his eyes wide and his hand gripping Quinlan’s vambrace so tight he thought it would crack. “Master Feemor,” he whispered.

“Feemor?” Quinlan muttered under his breath. “Where…”

Alpha-17’s old general backed up a few steps as a realization came across him. “Oh God, Ahsoka,” his head whipped around, frantically. “Where is Ahsoka? Has anyone seen Ahsoka Tano?!” he shouted out, turning and turning and turning.

“I…I’m here, Master,” a new, feminine voice announced, although rather quiet. The three of them turned around. There was a clone next to her although he had quite a few mechanical parts, more so than Alpha-17 had seen on any others. A Togruta jedi was standing there, her arms hugging herself and her eyes downcast.

General Kenobi sighed in relief. “Ahsoka, what in the galaxy happened?”

#we are burning stars #we are burning stars au #they live!#order 66 #order 66 au #many survive #pro jedi fic #pro jedi #pro clone #jedi positive #look this got a little long for this story #honestly i can't believe how long this story is #yikes #im a bit jittery so im just gonna leave this here #the fate of luminara and yoda is unknown #otherwise i know who survives #currently #i think haha

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elstreem · 3 years

Text

ALBW One-Shot: The Sword and the Shadow

Heya, so more writing stuff! This one is technically finished but prolly needs edits.

To summarize, the spirit of the Master Sword meets with a lad with her master's face on one late night.

As usual, if this is too hard to read, here's the G docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pjs3LhclohUslR_ZQ55N1y8qQ3nZ640EJgn_5c-6HSg/edit?usp=sharing

ALBW: The Sword and the Shadow

Night lay deep on Hyrule, the late hour quiet except for the occasional rustle of the grass. Ravio peered outside and sighed in relief – despite his fears, none of the monsters patrolling outside had ever thought to come inside the houses of Hyrule. Whistling to his only companion, his pet bird named Sheerow, he proceeded to lie down on the dusty rug, the only comfortable place to rest on. It wasn’t always so – a few days ago, it was the neat and cozy home of a blacksmith’s apprentice. Ravio had changed that, and the former home was currently devoted to being an item shop. Not that it looked much like a shop - the display tables formed a rectangle, but most of them were empty, displaying only a few placards which proclaimed most of the items were on rent. Only a Fire Rod was left, sparkling in the lamplight.

Though he should have happily dozed off, Ravio felt rather restless and try as he might, could not get himself to feel sleepy. With a sigh, he realized he had to do something to pass the time. The only problem was there wasn’t much to do when there are monsters outside and your only companion is a pet bird. Looking around the house, the Fire Rod caught his eye, and with a huff, he stood up, expecting little more than a quiet night polishing the magical item. Ravio was just picking up the wand to dust it off when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Instantly alert, he clutched the Fire Rod to himself and anxiously peered out of the window. A warm glow came up the hill on which the house stood, and in a few moments a slight figure limped its way up the slope. Ravio perked up and immediately returned the Fire Rod to its display table, before eagerly bustling off to the front of the house to welcome his only customer. The door had barely opened when Ravio did his usual greeting.

“Hello, Mr. Hero!” Ravio chirped, sounding a bit like Sheerow.

“Here to rent -?”

But he stopped short in surprise. Garbed in green and with a sword in hand, the Hylian named Link looked like a hero straight out of the legends, but a very exhausted one. The hand he was using to carry a lantern was shaking slightly, and aside from the usual dirt from his adventures, a nasty cut was also on his face.

“Need to sleep,” Link groaned, limping into his home.

“Hang on, let me just, uhh, dig out your bed,” Ravio said, looking around at Link’s furniture, which he had wildly pushed to the walls to make the space for his shop.

“This will do,” Link mumbled, lying down on the rug. He just about placed his sword back into its sheath before he collapsed into sleep. Ravio gasped and hurried to his side, and was relieved to see Link breathing – in fact, he was already snoring.

“Phew, you scared me Mr. Hero…” Ravio murmured. Checking once more to see if the Hylian was truly, deeply asleep, he felt confident enough to remove his mask. Without the distinctive rabbit hood, Ravio could almost be mistaken for the youth sleeping on the floor. From the shape of their eyes, the same pointed tips to their ears, and even the way the hair fell down their faces, they were incredibly alike. There were only two differences: while Ravio’s hair was the purple of falling dusk, Link’s was the gold of noonday sun, and though the Hylian’s eyes were closed at the moment, his eyes were blue to Ravio’s green. Perhaps it had something to do with the worlds they lived in, and Ravio sometimes wondered if he too, might have had golden hair and blue eyes if he had grown up in a world filled with light. He shook the thoughts away and stood up. He went to the roughly stacked furniture and scrounged for a blanket, before returning to Link’s side and sitting down again. Sheerow landed on his shoulder and gave a curious chirp, making Ravio smile.

“Of course, we only look alike, Mr. Hero and I. The similarity is only skin-deep, but it would frighten anyone to see someone look much like themselves. I suppose he’ll only want to see his own face in a mirror,” Ravio softly said to Sheerow. With a sigh, he pulled on his hood again, wincing at the stuffy feeling of having it back on his head. With his face hidden away, Ravio then gently draped the blanket over Link, but on noticing the sheathed sword still within Link’s hand, he paused. It was definitely new – the sword Link had been using was a plain old sword, sharp and a good blade, yes, but nothing remarkable, especially when it was tucked away in its nondescript brown scabbard. This one was sheathed in a beautiful blue scabbard, richly decorated with gold ornaments, with the holy symbol of the Triforce prominently featured. The hilt of the sword was all that was visible, but it was certainly anything but ordinary. The hilt was made of a crystalline material, carved into the shape of wings that jutted away from the blade. It was enough for Ravio to recognize that this was the legendary blade spoken of in Hyrule - the Master Sword.

Awed, he couldn’t help himself from going closer to gaze at it. Even without knowledge about the history of Hyrule, Ravio could tell that this sword was sacred, meant to banish evil. Scarcely daring to breathe, he reached out to touch it, thoughts careening wildly in his mind. With a sword like this, maybe, just maybe, he could…he could do…

Nothing. Still nothing, because I’m only a coward.

The thought came like a splash of icy water, and Ravio flinched, fingers stopping short of touching the sword. A bitter frown formed on his face – while very unwelcome, the truth still held fast, and that truth was that he was a coward at heart, and he knew it. Only a coward after all, would have fled and left a princess when she needed him most…he was no hero. With a sigh, Ravio dropped his hand, his fingers brushing against the sheath of the sword.

In the next moment, a blinding flash lit up the inside of the house.

Ravio yelled in surprise and threw up his arms to shield his face. It was a dazzling silver light, and it burned his sight much like the sun of Hyrule has burned him when he first came through the chink between worlds. But as quickly as the light had come, it faded, and sensing this change, Ravio carefully lowered his arms and blinked away the spots dancing in his eyes. As soon as his senses cleared, he was aware of Sheerow making an alarmed racket next to his ear. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, and realized why the bird was behaving so strangely. With his heart hammering away at his chest, Ravio scrambled back, his mouth open to scream, but sadly, his voice got stuck somewhere in his throat and would not come out.

There was an intruder in the house, and she was definitely a cause for alarm.

For starters, she was floating in the air, close to the ceiling. The sight reminded Ravio of the Great Fairies that were scattered across the land, but she had no wings at her back. Also similar to the fairy folk, she was very beautiful. Her face was young and smooth, her blue skin glowing with a metallic sheen. She was clad in the colors of the sky and dusk, her fluttering robes fit for royalty, richly dyed purple and blue, and threads of gold running through her dress.

For all her beauty and regal air, however, she also looked frightening.

“Ahhh…aaargh –!“ The pieces of a scream started to come out of Ravio’s mouth, but a voice cut across the sounds of his distress.

“Please refrain from creating noise,” the voice instructed in formal tones. Ravio saw the spirit’s mouth move, and he supposed only she could have spoken in such a voice – it sounded like a girl’s voice, but also otherworldly, echoing as though she was speaking from the end of a tunnel.

Ravio's voice, on the other hand, decided to crawl back into his throat and cowered there, and he ended up just shutting his mouth and scooching away. Sheerow perched on his shoulder and stayed there, trembling occasionally.

The spirit looked on curiously, and satisfied that Ravio seemed to have quieted down, she floated down until her feet touched the ground, just beside Link. At that sight, Ravio was about to stand up, a sudden feeling of protectiveness coming over him. He couldn't let Link be harmed by this spirit - he was the only hope for their kingdoms (as well as his only source of business.)

But before Ravio had even shifted his weight, the spirit sat down, neatly folding her legs under herself. She also draped part of her cloak over Link's sleeping form, and though her face hardly changed, Ravio thought there was deep fondness in her eyes. Her gestures and mannerisms - Ravio sensed a devotion in them, of a bond that had been forged long ago.

"What is your relation to my master?"

"Huh?" Ravio asked.

"What is your relation to Master Link? You share his home and your auras are very similar," the spirit said.

"I…I'm Ravio. I guess…I'm like his counterpart in this world," Ravio said. He briefly pulled his hood away to show the spirit his face. She did not look fazed at all to see Ravio's face, and only nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Processing information…processing complete. You are not of Hyrule, but of a world also created by the Goddesses. Greetings, Ravio. I am Fi, servant of Master Link, spirit of the Master Sword."

"Servant…so you've been looking after Link here?" Ravio asked.

"Only very recently in this life," Fi replied. Ravio got goosebumps - the way Fi said it, he could only guess how many times she had performed this role. "I am sworn to serve my master, in any age that evil wakes to threaten this land,” she added.

“So...you’ve done this before then? Save Hyrule?” Ravio asked.

“Yes,” Fi answered simply.

“Then - then please -” Ravio came closer, aware of the desperation in his own voice.

“Please - save my own kingdom. No - save my princess,” Ravio said, bowing his head so low that his forehead touched the ground.

“I couldn’t do my duty to her. But you - and Link - you can do what I couldn’t. Right?” Ravio said, raising his face to look at Fi in the eyes.

“Once, long ago, I failed my master, and Hyrule fell to ruin. I cannot guarantee that it will not happen again,” Fi said. Ravio got a lump in his throat and fell silent.

“Any time we face down the dark forces against Hyrule, my master faces a 90% chance of failure. It is the same situation now.” Fi looked at Link’s face, a master she had grown to truly love over the ages. And with that love she had also felt his pain, and now, she felt hurt to see him wounded and in danger.

“But even with the low chances of success, I will do my utmost to prevent the same downfall,” Fi said, her words gaining an edge as sharp as her blade. Then she looked at Ravio, her eyes still blank and expressionless but somehow it felt like she was looking through him.

“If you are to prevent what you fear the most, you must act,” Fi said.

“But if I can’t find the courage to do so…” Ravio said, lowering his head.

“Then, act with love.”

Ravio looked up, his words trailing into a stutter of surprise. The spirit of the sword, a legend who had endured countless ages...her lips were unmistakably curved in a warm, fond smile. It was a sight that no one, save Link, had ever seen.

And the sight of her smile reminded Ravio of long-ago days, when the princess he loved did not yet bear the burden of saving a fallen kingdom...

“The hour grows late, and you will need strength for days to come. You should also get sleep,” Fi suggested. Ravio started, not realizing that he was lost in thought.

“Oh, but-”

“Do not worry. I shall keep watch,” Fi said. She stood up and floated over to the window, humming a lonely melody. Ravio blinked - it was like all his exhaustion caught up with him all of a sudden, and he lay down, his mind clear of all worries. He didn’t know what he was meant to do yet, but...he shut his eyes and slept, dreaming about light for once.

Alone, Fi looked out into the night, and when a curious Sheerow perched on her shoulder, she did not mind.

-------

“Up and at them, Mr. Hero!”

Link groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He knew he heard a wonderful, familiar song in his dreams, but he couldn’t quite remember it…

“Breakfast?”

A warm and sweet aroma perked Link up, and he looked to see Ravio pass him a tray, on which there was a bottle of milk, still-warm bread and apple slices. Link looked down at the tray and then up again at Ravio, and his wonder must have shown in his face because Ravio put up his hands.

“Ooh, surprised? Well, so am I! I was only looking forward to some apples for breakfast but a really nice lady passed by and left this food. I think she said she was the Blacksmith’s wife? Anyway, she said it was for you for finding...Gunney or someone,” Ravio explained in a chirpy tone.

Link’s mouth watered - he hadn’t had a proper meal in forever, it seemed, and barely had Ravio finished when he tore into the food.

“Whoa, adventuring sure gives you an appetite huh? Anyway, you’ll be going out again, yeah?” Ravio said. Link nodded, crumbs sticking all over his face.

“...well, take care, you hear me?”

Some time later, Ravio repeated the sentiment as Link was heading out, and the Hylian cocked his head at him, puzzled by Ravio’s behavior. Sure, he was pretty cheerful, but laid-back, and Link wondered why Ravio was being positively sunny. Shrugging it off, he walked out, not seeing Ravio wave cheerfully at his back - or the Master Sword twinkling briefly as they set off on another journey together.

#a link between worlds #albw #ravio #fi #zelda fanfic

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zarcake-writes · 4 years

Text

The Witch King- Part 3

Hey! Here it is! Part 3! Thank you all for being patient, this took a little longer than expected to finish. Last time, everyone voted for reader to tell the hooded figure their name.

Catch up: Part 1 Part 2

Vote for part 3! This link is also at the end of the story. You’ll have until 10pm on Friday the 25th to vote.

Warnings: mention of slavery, kidnapping, hints at abuse

You struggle to speak for a moment because who are you? You can barely recall the person you were before the raid and kidnapping. Do you tell him the name Lady Argent gave you? Pretty Girl. You didn’t like it, but you didn’t dare tell her that. Before Lady Argent, you were only called Girl and other unpleasant names. You don’t want to think of those names or the cruel men who gave them to you.

The tattooed man who bought you from Lady Argent never gave you a name. He didn’t call you anything. Should you tell the hooded figure your real name? The one that you whisper every night before you go to sleep as a way to feel some connection to your past and to make sure you never forgot it. Do you dare? It’s been so long since you’ve said it out loud.

Taking a deep breath, you peak up at the hooded figure and whisper your name. It feels wrong saying it in front of someone. You almost expect this to be a trick and you’ll be punished.

The hooded figure simply nods. “That is a good name. Where are you from?”

You debate what to say again. “Lady Argent’s estate in Cresa.”

“Cresa? That’s a long way from here. Who is Lady Argent?”

You want to tell him the truth. You want to tell him that Lady Argent is a cruel woman who hides her true nature beneath the guise of a gentle and caring woman. You want to tell him of her pit and the punishments. Of the dungeons, the chains, and whips. Of the scars on her slave’s backs and the fear in their eyes when she walked by.

Instead, you say, “Lady Argent is the last good person in Cresa. She is a good and kind woman. She loves us all and takes care of us like family. We are her family.”

Repeating that mantra leaves a sour taste in your mouth. But all her slaves were forced to memorize it, those who did not were punished.

The figure lets out a noise and squats down to your level. “I see. Are you from Cresa?”

“N-no.”

“Where are you from?”

You think for a moment.

Your home was a fishing village right on the coast that was located between two large cities. Despite its small size, the village was on the main road, so it was always busy and filled with people coming and going. Traders, adventurers, travelers, and students would spend the night in the local inn before moving on. Sometimes they would stay if they were looking for work or had business in the area. There was even a small farm owned by a family of Minotaur’s that were beginning to sell their crops.

The village had no official name, but everyone in the region knew the small fishing village between Maport, a massive coastal city, and Olista, the city that was mostly inhabited by magic users. The fishermen of the village were skilled and the main road provided constant opportunities for trade.

And you called the small village home once. But you don’t even know if the village is there still. It was probably burned down in the raid.

“A fishing village,” you say.

“Where was this village?”

“Between Maport and Olista.”

“I know those cities. If you’re from that area, how did you end up in Cresa?”

You clench your jaw at the memory. The dark night the pirates attacked your home was filled with screams of pain and terror. The heat of the fire as the pirates burned down homes and shops. The smoke made you cough and burned your eyes. The pirate’s dark laughs as they separated families and cornered people trying to flee. Getting separated from your family and being carried away by one of the pirates. Your mother shouting your name, watching helplessly as you were dragged away with dozens of others. The horror etched onto her face will never leave your mind.

After that, you remember the ships. The constant rocking and sickness. On the ship, surrounded by people you knew, you felt safe. You could cling to neighbors and friends, hoping that you all would see home again. But once the ships docked, everyone was separated. You don’t remember much after that. Somehow, you ended up with Lady Argent.

You clench your eyes and shake your head. It hurts to remember that night and every night after. There’s a pounding in your ears and your entire body feels hot. There’s a tightness in your chest, and for a moment, you think you’re dying.

“Hey,” the man’s voice is soft and low. It penetrates the haze that is filling your mind. “It’s ok. Breathe.”

“Can’t,” you gasp.

“Yes, you can, take your time. In and out, nice and easy.”

You nod and try to do as he said.

“Keep listening to me. Focus on where you are now.”

Again, you nod. You can feel the rough stone floor beneath your bare feet. The stone pillar you’re still hiding behind is cool to the touch and solid. You can hear the man’s voice, so soft and calming. The air is cold and causes goosebumps to bloom across your skin. And you can hear your own breathing slow down.

The pounding in your body lessens and breathing becomes so much easier. When you open your eyes, the figure is still crouched in front of you.

“There you go. You’re doing wonderful. Just slow, easy breaths,” he says.

You nod and wipe your face. A mixture of sweat and tears is smeared onto the back of your hand.

“Are you ok?” he asks.

You shrug.

“Can I ask you another question?”

You look up at him. The hood still hides his face, but his voice is so soft and gentle that you imagine he has a kind face.

You want to say no, but you can’t. “Yes.”

“How did you meet my former apprentice?”

“The man with the tattoos?”

“Yes.”

You glance in the direction where his body was thrown. The pillar hides the spot where he landed from your view, but you can still hear the crunch from when his body hit the ground.

“He’s… he’s dead,” you say.

The figure nods. “Yes, he is.”

“He attacked you.”

The figure nods again. “He attacked me and I defended myself.”

“And that armor came to life and…” you trail off.

“They disposed of his body. The suits guard my home, they will not hurt you.”

You nod.

“How did you meet him?” he asks again.

You hesitate. Lady Argent told her slaves to never say they were bought or sold by her. It was the city’s worst kept secret that Lady Argent was at the center of the slave trade. Some claimed she decided what villages and towns would be raided, but you weren’t sure about that. It wouldn’t surprise you if she was the sole person behind the trade of people, she did have her hand in every other terrible thing in the city. But the city officials couldn’t touch her. No one could touch her. Anyone who tried ended up dead or worse.

“Lady Argent… gave me to him.”

“What do you mean gave?”

You look down at the floor and say nothing.

The first time you met the tattooed man was your last day at Lady Argent’s estate. She had you summoned into her meeting room. Lady Argent was seated at her massive desk, flanked by two of her guards. The tattooed man stood on the other side of the desk, his face was blank and cold.

Lady Argent introduced you to the tattooed man as Pretty Girl. Then she said you were no longer a member of her “family” and that you belonged to the tattooed man. He made no comment, simply motioned for you to follow him. And you did, because what were you going to do? Argue and demand to stay? No, you couldn’t.

When you don’t elaborate, the hooded figure lets out a heavy breath. After a moment of heavy silence, he speaks. “Can I ask you one more question?”

“Y-yes.”

“Are you hungry?”

The question catches you off guard. But at the mention of food your stomach growls. You look at the figure in fear, but he only laughs. It’s soft and kind.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Come, let me feed you.”

He holds out a hand for you to take. It’s only then you realize that he’s wearing gloves.

“You… you would feed me?”

“Of course. What kind of person would I be to not feed a hungry guest? If my mother found out I let a guest go hungry, she would bend me over her knee and spank me.”

You let out a soft laugh at the image. His gloved hand is still outstretched towards you. Slowly, you take it.

The glove is cool to the touch. The black leather is worn but clearly made by someone with skill.

The hooded figure helps you stand and motions for you to follow him.

As he leads you towards the exit of the circular room, the two metal suits come back in. They salute the hooded figure and walk pass him, not even glancing down at you. The figure nods at them and continues out the door. You look back and watch as the two suits take their original positions in front of the pillars. You wonder if any other seemingly inanimate object in this place is really alive.

The figure leads you out of the circular room and down a hall. With him, the halls don’t seem as confusing and unpleasant. They seem almost normal. The green walls don’t seem as unnatural and sickly. Even the glowing green fires don’t look as haunting.

Eventually, you both arrive at a large kitchen. Unlike the rest of the fortress, the walls here are made of dark stone. And it’s clear most of the kitchen has not been used in a very long time. A single stove in the far corner has herbs hanging above it, while the others are piled high with pots and pans and dust. Near the stove is a fire pit with a large orange fire and pot hanging over it. Something bubbles in the pot and smells good.

“Take a seat there.” The hooded figure points at a chair near the fire pit.

He grabs a wooden bowl and scoops some of the pot’s contents into the bowl. He hands it to you and takes a seat on the other side of the fire.

The bowl is filled with some kind of meat and vegetable soup. Just the warmth alone makes you want to cry, but the taste is something else. It’s hearty and reminds you of sitting in the kitchen with your mother, watching her cook, and eating dinner with her. Though much of the soup you ate with her was fish-based.

You eat the entire bowl faster than you expected. The last time you had a warm meal was at Lady Argent’s estate. While the food her cooks made was good, it could not compare to this simple bowl of meat and vegetables.

“Thank you, it was delicious,” you say, slightly embarrassed at how fast you ate the food.

“You’re welcome,” he sounds pleased, “But I must admit, I did not make this.”

“Who did?”

“The chef, Nith. She’s a goblin who has lived here for a very long time. She’s probably in her room sleeping.”

“Other people live here?”

The figure nods. “Not many, but yes, others live here.”

“How many?”

His head tilts like he’s thinking. “It depends. People tend to come and go. The most that have been here in recent years have been about fifteen. But usually, it’s about five, myself included.”

“Where are they?”

“Around. Nith spends most of her time in the kitchen and garden, but she’ll visit the library if she’s looking for a recipe. I have a maid, Yaza, who cleans most of the fortress and does laundry. Just a warning, she’s a drider.”

You nod and do your best to hide the shiver that runs through you. There was a drider at Lady Argent’s estate, but he was massive and scary and lived in her dungeons. Lady Argent often used him as a way to keep her slaves in line. When you first arrived at Lady Argent’s estate, she showed you and a few others the drider. You remember how she hinted that any bad behavior would result in a visit with him.

“Who else?”

“I have another two apprentices. A tiefling, he spends most of his time in the library doing research or out in the courtyard practicing his magic. And a half-orc who lives in the smithy.”

You open your mouth to speak, but instead, you yawn. You didn’t even realize how tired you were, but the warmth from the fire and the warmth in your belly made you comfortable. And with that comfort came drowsiness.

“You’re tired. And it’s been a long day, would you like to sleep? I have many rooms available. We can also get you some new clothes to sleep in.”

You bite your lip and look down at the empty bowl in your hand. “What will it cost?”

“Nothing, I swear.”

You nod, unsure if you should believe him or not.

The hooded figure leads you to the kitchen and towards the entrance of the palace. It feels like minutes have passed since you were first here with the tattooed man. It’s probably only been about an hour or so.

The figure leads you up those massive stairs and down the right hall. How he doesn’t get lost, you don’t know. Eventually, he stops at a wooden door. He opens it and motions for you to step inside.

The room is huge with a massive bed in the center. The sheets and blankets look so soft and warm, you’ve never seen anything like it before. Even Lady Argent’s own bed wasn’t as plush looking. There’s a set of glass doors that lead to a large balcony outside, where there’s a small table with chairs. A lit fireplace is on the wall across from the bed.

The hooded figure opens a nearby dresser and pulls out a nightgown. It’s simple and long, but it looks clean.

“This may be too big,” he holds the nightgown out for you to take, “but hopefully it will be fine for the night.”

You take it and nod. “Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome. Get some rest, if you need anything, you can pull that string near your bed. The maid, Yaza, or I will come to check on you.”

You nod again.

“Goodnight.” He turns to leave.

“Wait.”

He stops and looks back.

“What do I call you?”

“Voxir. You can call me Voxir.”

You nod and say his name softly. It’s strange, not a name you’ve ever heard before. “Goodnight, Voxir.”

He bows and leaves you alone in the room.

You put on the nightgown. It’s several sizes too big, but it’s clean and new. You crawl into the bed, savoring the warmth and soft sheets. As soon as your head hits the pillow, you’re asleep.

When you wake, the afternoon sun is shining in the room. At first, you’re confused, but then you remember everything that happened the night before. Arriving at the fabled Witch King’s home, the man with tattoos dying, the hooded figure named Voxir, him giving you food, and him letting you sleep in a room. It almost doesn’t feel real.

But as you sit up and stretch in the bed, you know it’s real. The fire in the fireplace is still burning, just like last night, making you wonder if the fire is magic like everything else here. The sun is bright outside, probably early afternoon.

For the first time in a long time, you don’t know what to do. For so long, you had people telling you what to do. But no one is here this morning to tell you what to do. No one was even here to wake you up.

What do you do? Should you go back to sleep? You are still tired and a few more hours of sleep would be good for you. But would that be rude? It might be. Maybe you should pull the string near the bed as Voxir instructed? He said that would bring him or that drider maid he mentioned to assist you. But do you need assistance? Should you put on your old clothes and go look for Voxir? You might get lost though, so that’s probably not a smart idea. Should you try to leave? But leave to where? Again, you remember you have no idea where this fortress is or how to leave this mountain range.

What should you do?

#exophilia #monster boyfriend #lich boyfriend

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naivesilver · 3 years

Note

(don't worry, I've got more) Twinkle (beloved): 3 for past, 5, 6 & 9 for present (yes, I DO want to hear more about Igor and Sylvester as well btw), and 2 for future?

THEE best girl in all of the realms 💖💖💖 thank you so so much, once again.

OC Asks

Past:

3. Describe their family. Who raised them, and who had the most impact on them? Did they have any siblings? Who were they closest to? What were the family dynamics like?

She doesn't really remember much about her birth family - she was born the sixth child in an Arendelle family who after hitting a rough spot couldn't afford to feed her as well as the siblings that came after. Her older brother went off to apprentice as soon as he was able, and by the time she was four she'd already been sold off to Petter, who took her back to his home in the Enchanted Forest after one of his journeys. She can only vaguely recall some flashes of her former life, like her sister holding her hand, or her mother kissing her on the forehead before she got sent away.

Sylvester and Igor did a much better job at parenting, all in all, even if they kinda received the role out of nowhere and didn't exactly read any How To Dad books beforehand.

Present:

5. What kind of people do they usually interact with? Who are their friends, the people they look up to/trust, and who are their “associates”?

The whole court, of course, branching out to the furthest corners of it, like Ava, Nicholas or little Roland. She's also on friendly terms with Grace and some other girls, but the two groups really don't mix well, so she sees them separately. Among them, she's closest to Pinocchio and Pierrot, but she's also (like most of them tbh) very protective of Roland, and she has taken on the mantle of Lampwick's second favourite annoyance. Pierrot and Lampwick are the ones more likely to indulge her passion for dancing, too - Lampwick pretends he's annoyed when she asks, while Pierrot would jump at any chance to perform, but the result is much the same. I like to imagine them finding Marco's old records while hanging out at Pinocchio's house and ending up sliding around in their socks and making fools of themselves to the sound of shit like Sono Solo Canzonette.

6. What is their current relationship with their family?

They're an extremely happy, profoundly weird family. During the curse their personal microtragedy was that her parents couldn't yet get married and that Sylvester had lost his job, and as such he feared he'd have to resort to unsavory means to keep his little girl fed.

Luckily, both problems were quickly solved after the curse was broken (I found out that gay marriage was legalized in 2012 in Maine while researching for this AU - good for them!), and the pair are extremely invested in their daughter's life - borderline embarrassing, actually. Twinkle really can't take them anywhere. When they're not being outrageously loud at her recitals they're talking about past heists during parent-teacher conferences, and they would have tried terrorizing Pinocchio out of the house when he was dating Twinkle, if the boy hadn't been raised awfully right when it came to how to treat his dates.

Honestly, the point is that while they might not be the kind of men you would entrust a child to at first glance, they remember all the little things that Twinkle needs on the daily - how to comfort her after a nightmare, her friends' names, the foods she doesn't like. They only marginally signed up for the task of raising her, but they're trying really hard.

9. What kind of place do they live in?

Their house is relatively small, but it's made even smaller by the fact that Sylvester and Igor have all sort of crap lying around that no one can find a reason for. Boat paddles? Check. Clown costume? Check. Potentially cursed items? Check. When Twinkle was small she loved rummaging around and trying to come up with outlandish stories for how they'd ended up there, and more often than not the truth ended up being even weirder.

She has her own room, though, cramped that it might be, and they let her pick the color when they painted over the house walls, so there's a lot of baby blue and pink going around.

Future:

2. Are they content with their future situation? Is there anything they would change?

Okay so the thing about Twinkle is that she became a "pave your own way" kind of girl in like, third grade, and then never looked back afterwards. This means she won't settle for anything except a future that makes her happy, even if it's unconventional and/or she has to make some sacrifices along the way for it. What matters is that her partner loves her, that there's food on the table and that she can be as good a parent to her kids like her dads were to her...and that she can go start a small scale riot if her friends need her to, as well, without worrying about someone taking it out on her family.

#bewilderedmoth #ask meme #court of misfits #the sweetest spitfire you'll ever meet tbh #thousand problems verse

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feferipeixes · 4 years

Note

Even though their parents have made it clear that they will not be going back to gravity falls, Mabel makes deals with Dipper to tesser them there whenever their parents aren't around. This leads to a lot of midnight visits that can last until 4 or 5 am, since Stan's sleep schedule hasn't recovered from thirty years spending most of the night in a basement and their parents usually fall asleep around 11

At one end of the hall, a door clicked shut. At the other, a door quietly glided open, and a 13-year old girl’s head peeked out.

“Okay Dippler Effect, Mom and Dad went to sleep!” Mabel hissed excitedly. “Let’s ride!”

“That’s a new one,” Dipper replied in a whisper. The idea of sneaking out in the middle of the night still gave him anxiety, even though he’d done it a million times, even though no one but Mabel could hear him, even though the concept of him getting caught and punished was long dead. “Do you even know what the Doppler Effect is?”

“Sure do! It’s that thing when, like, if someone’s standing in one place listening to you, the sound of your brother’s protests get whinier as he blips away with you to go hang out with your friends!”

Dipper snorted into his hand. “Okay, that was pretty good.” He grabbed his sister’s hand. “Ready?”

Mabel put on a serious face, gripped her Dream Boy High backpack, and nodded. “Ready!”

There was a quick jerk as the air twisted around them – flashing colors filling Mabel’s vision and an awful nausea filling her stomach – and then it stopped. Mabel’s bedroom in Piedmont was gone, replaced by the kitchen of the Mystery Shack, complete with the sounds of a romcom floating in from the TV in the other room, a few empty cans of Pitt Cola sitting on the counter, and a sleeping Grunkle Stan slumped over the table.

Dipper floated over to his Grunkle and poked him in the head. His finger, unsurprisingly, went right through. “I thought he said he’d be awake,” he said, pouting. “Should I visit him in his dream and tell him to wake up, or -”

Mabel clapped giddily – cutting her brother off – threw her backpack to the ground, and unleashed the glee that had been building up within her since they’d planned this trip a couple of days earlier. She screamed at the top of her lungs, causing Dipper to clap his hands over his ears and recoil (which resulted in him clipping halfway through the refrigerator).

Stan jolted upright in his seat. “SOOS, THE COPS ARE HERE, HIDE THE VIOLINS!” he shouted. He blinked sleepily a few times, and then his eyes settled on Mabel bouncing up and down in front of him with a face-splitting smile on her face. “Oh, it’s just you kids. Geez, you’re gonna scare me into an early pension doing that.”

Mabel jumped at her Grunkle and hugged him tight. “Well, someone said he’d be awake at 11 so we could come by right after our parents went to sleep! Did someone forget it was our -”

There was the pounding of boots on stairs, and the door burst open to reveal Ford in a lab coat with ash on his face and in his hair. “Stanley! I heard screaming, what’s going on? Did the man-eating toaster come back? You swore you’d let me be the one to kill it if it did!”

“Calm down poindexter,” Stan started, “it’s just -“

“GREAT UNCLE FORD!” Mabel screeched, peeling herself off of Stan and running over to hug him instead. “You made it! I thought you were still having an awesome boat adventure!”

Ford flinched, but then ruffled Mabel’s hair. “Of course I made it, Mabel. Wouldn’t miss it.” A tuft of his hair spontaneously caught on fire, and he patted it out. “You’ll have to excuse me, I brought some of my research home with me. I must warn you, I may be slightly radioactive right now, so… watch out for that.”

“Haha, YES!” Mabel pumped her fist. “Soon I’ll have magic glitter dandruff!”

“Ask him about the boat trip, ask him about the boat trip!” Dipper whispered in Mabel’s ear. She waved him off.

“So nice of you to show up,” Stan said, getting up and punching his brother on the shoulder. “Did you finish cleaning all of your science crap out of the parlor?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Ford countered, and then paused. “Mostly. Almost. There’s too many people in there right now anyway. But hold on – I only see Mabel. Where’s my former apprentice?”

“MABEL HE’S TALKING ABOUT ME,” Dipper hissed. “Tell him I want to know about his trip and the sea monsters and the cursed gold doubloons he’s hiding from Stan and -”

“Dipper’s right here!” Mabel chirped. “He’s just invisible right now! Speaking of, Grunkle Stan, did you get a sacrifice for him?”

“You know I did, sweetie.” Stan picked up his eight-ball cane and gestured down the hall. “But today’s an important day. He’s not getting none of that rodent’s blood hootenanny we usually get him. We got something special.”

Mabel started hopping up and down so violently that the walls shook and everyone had to cover their ears. “What does that mean!!!!!!!!”

Stan hoisted Mabel up onto his shoulders. “How about you come and look for yourself before you blow the whole house down?”

Mabel cackled. “Onwards, Stan-oshima!”

Dipper eyed his sister jealously, and then floated over to Ford and pretended to sit on his shoulders. He and Mabel stuck their tongues out at each other playfully, forgetting to pay attention to where they were being carried, until -

“SURPRISE!”

Dipper and Mabel both flinched at the chorus of voices, and Mabel almost toppled off of Stan’s shoulders. It was a moment before they could take in the sight in front of them, but by then, Stan had placed Mabel on the floor and people were already coming up to her and hugging her.

“Dude, so good to see you!” Wendy said. “Where’s your bro at?”

Soos pushed up next to Wendy. “Mabel! You made it! Is Dipper here too?”

“Hey, it’s my turn to talk to her,” Pacifica drawled. “You’re lucky I’m even here – my parents would never allow it. Good thing they’re in Venice right now. Why can’t I see Dipper?”

Mabel screamed in joy again. “I can’t believe it, all of our friends are here! Wendy and Soos and Pacifica and Candy and Grenda and Robbie and Thompson and that weird guy who likes America! You all made it! And bro-bro’s right here,” she added, grabbing her incorporeal brother and squeezing him close. “We just haven’t summoned him yet!”

“Sixer. That’s our cue,” Stan said from behind them.

Dipper and Mabel turned around to see Stan and Ford each holding a cake with the number “14″ written in the center. Stan placed his cake on the table, while Ford carried his over to an empty space of the floor where a summoning circle had been drawn out. He placed the cake in the middle, and pulled out a vial of blue liquid from his lab coat. He uncorked it, dropped the liquid into the circle, and then paused.

“Uhh, remind me what the incantation is?” he asked.

“It’s stella splendidum, te invoco -” Dipper started.

Mabel cut him off by grabbing his sides, effortlessly lifting him up, and throwing him at the circle. He squealed in surprise, his little wings flapping frantically as he toppled through the air. He came to a stop a few feet above the circle, at which point Mabel shouted, “COME ON OUT, DIPDOPS!”

Another yelp, and Dipper was yanked out of the Mindscape and into the real world. The cake they sacrificed to him disappeared, replaced by a very nervous looking demon. Even though Dipper trusted his friends in Gravity Falls to be more supportive than his parents, it had been a long time since he’d seen some of these people, and, well, things sure had changed even since the Transcendence. He felt every eye in the room fall on him, examining his fancy attire, his sharp teeth, his pointed ears and gold-on-black eyes.

And then they began to cheer.

“Good to see you little man!” Old Man McGucket yodeled.

The Multibear growled softly. “Such a lovely gathering now that you’re here.”

“The Mystery Twins are back!” Candy joined in.

An incredible sense of relief washed over Dipper. Mabel pushed her way through her friends and pulled him into a tight hug again.

“Can you believe it, bro-bro?” she said, giggling as the rest of the crowd rushed in to join her. “Everyone made it!”

“Yeah, this is incredible!” Dipper wiped a golden tear away from his eye. “Everyone’s still here. Everything’s still okay.”

“Hope you like it, kiddos,” Stan said, ruffling his hair just as Ford did Mabel’s. “Happy birthday.”

The twins grinned. The remaining cake was passed through the crowd until it was resting in front of them.

“Don’t forget to make a wish!” Grenda shouted.

Dipper laughed. “I don’t know about you, Mabes, but I’ve already got my wish.”

“Me too, bro-bro,” Mabel replied. “Although I wouldn’t say no to backstage passes to the Boyz 4 Now concert, or maybe a jetpack, or…”

“Just blow out the candles, dummy,” he retorted.

The crowd of their friends and family started chanting “Blow! Out! The candles! Blow! Out! The candles!” The birthday twins nodded and grabbed each other’s hands. They both drew in a large breath. They blew as hard as they could.

Applause rippled through the room, and Mabel and Dipper were happy.

—

At 5am, there was a soft blip, and two teenagers appeared in a bedroom in Piedmont, California. A newly 14-year old girl’s head peeked out the door, looked toward the other end of the hall, and then pulled back into the room.

“Looks like we got away with it, bro-bro!” Mabel whispered. “That was the best sneak out to Gravity Falls to date!”

“It sure was,” he replied, and a warbling note of gratitude filled his voice. “It sure was.”

(AO3 link)

#gravity falls #transcendence au #dipper pines #alcor the dreambender #mabel pines #stanley pines #stanford pines #fic #fluff #long post #my stuff #asks #anonymous #i went a little off script from this prompt but i hope you enjoy it anyway!

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valkyrisffvii · 3 years

Text

Mentorship

Setting: Shinra Headquarters, Midgar

POV: 1st person (Mithra)

Summary: Angeal takes Mithra on as his second apprentice alongside Zack, and he introduces her to Genesis and Sephiroth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood outside of the training room waiting for Zack to show up. A week had passed since I met him, and I was eager to meet his mentor, Angeal. We had been hanging out a lot as well, and he quickly became a good friend. Both of us had seemingly boundless energy and friendly personalities. We talked about our childhoods, or at least his childhood and whatever I had experienced before:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So Mithra, where are you from?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but my earliest memory is waking up in the slums. I don’t know how I got there. What about you?”

“Me? I’m from Gongaga.” I couldn’t help but laugh at how funny it sounded.

“Hey, what’s so funny? Don’t you know about Gongaga?”

“I didn’t know there were so many other places out there. The slums were the only world I knew for so long.”

“Gongaga’s pretty far from here,” Zack said. “There’s a broken reactor nearby, but it’s a pretty sweet place. You’ve gotta watch out for the frogs though. Some of them can turn you into one if you’re not careful. I know that from experience.”

“You got turned into a frog once?” I laughed.

“Several times, actually. My dad got really good at reversing the transformation,” he said, his face blushing slightly. I giggled, finally feeling that I’d found someone I could really relate to. Even though he wasn’t a former slum-dwelling thief, I had never met someone as cheerful and open-minded as him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I smiled at the memory before hearing footsteps walking down the hallway. I turned my head towards them, and low and behold, there he was. Zack grinned at me as he stopped in front of me.

“Angeal’s not here yet. You wanna go in and spar?” I nodded eagerly. I had been practicing for hours every day, and my skills have been improving quite significantly. I had also spoken with the Director about scouting missions, and he told me that the three Firsts and he would test me on my skills in the coming weeks.

Zack and I entered the training room, which was bare of any furniture. We stood opposite of each other, drawing our weapons. Aside from my standard issued Shinra short sword, I had a long bow and a quiver of arrows. If I was gonna be a scout, I might as well learn ranged combat.

Zack made the first move, performing an overhead slash, which I shielded easily. I took advantage of his position and jabbed him in the stomach with my elbow, causing him to stagger backwards. We continued at it for a few minutes before Zack crumpled to the floor, panting heavily.

“Damnit Mithra, I still have training with Angeal! You’re wearing me out!” I smirked, my practice was definitely paying off.

Just after that, another presence entered the room. I turned my head to see a tall, muscular man. He almost looked like he was related to Zack, with black chin-length hair, a small beard, and the signature SOLDIER eyes. He was wearing a black SOLDIER uniform and holding a short sword identical to mine and Zack’s. The most noticeable thing about him, however, was the giant broadsword he had strapped to his back. He looked at Zack, smirking.

“I see the newcomer has overwhelmed you, puppy,” he chuckled. Zack rolled his eyes and picked himself up off the floor.

“Shut up, Angeal,” he retorted before turning to me. “Mithra, this is Angeal Hewley, my mentor.” Angeal held out his hand, and I shook it.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Valkyris. Zack’s told me about you, and you seem very promising in your abilities as a SOLDIER.”

“Please, just call me Mithra. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Commander Hewley,” I said nervously, struggling to make eye contact.

“If you don’t need formalities, then neither do I. Angeal is fine.” He let go of my hand. “You’re a former thief, aren’t you?”

I gulped. What was he gonna think of me now? I nodded in shame; I knew that my past would haunt me forever. Luckily Angeal noticed, and he did nothing that would embarrass me further.

“I’m glad that you’ve decided to join SOLDIER, as we are always looking for new recruits that can be sent on stealth missions.” He drew his sword just as Zack had done earlier. “Give me a few hits.”

I struck his sword several times, but on one, he managed to push my blade away with a fair amount of force. However, I took the opportunity to roll underneath him and get behind him, remaining directly behind him so he couldn’t swing at me. Taking care not to get cut on his giant sword, I swung the sword in front of his neck, landing it inches away from his skin. His eyes widened, thoroughly impressed with my performance.

I lowered my sword, and he turned around. I bowed respectfully, hoping that I didn’t do anything wrong. He cleared his throat, and I looked up at him.

“That was very impressive. You excel at being unpredictable and disarming your opponent. I’m sure the Director will be pleased to know this. I also see that you are an archer as well.” He gestured to my bow.

“I’m learning, but yes, I also like to use some ranged weapons.” I replied. Angeal hummed to himself in satisfaction.

“Good. Adaptability is essential in the military.” He turned to Zack. “I’m gonna go and talk to Lazard about assigning scout missions to Mithra. We shouldn’t take long, and then I’ll train you afterwards.”

“I can’t complain about a training delay,” Zack said before doing squats. Angeal motioned for the two of us to follow him, and he led us out of the training room and to Director Lazard’s office. Zack smiled at me encouragingly the whole way.

We reached the Director’s office, and I instantly spotted two SOLDIERs standing in front of the desk, their backs facing us. One of them had rusty red hair and a reddish coat on, and the other had silver hair that went past their waist and a black leather coat. I was instantly drawn to the silver-haired one; wasn’t I the only female SOLDIER? Whoever they were, they looked absolutely beautiful, and I could not take my eyes off of them. Angeal cleared his throat.

“Director Lazard, I’d like to talk to you about Mithra Valkyris.” The two SOLDIERs turned around, and to my embarrassment, I saw that the silver-haired figure was a man. I did my best to hide the flush that came over my face. I thought he was a woman, a very tall one at that, and a very attractive one. Zack noticed my nervousness and squeezed my hand in support.

“Angeal, did you really have to interrupt us?” The auburn man asked in annoyance. “We were talking about something important. Couldn’t you have waited a few minutes?” Angeal rolled his eyes.

“My bad, Genesis.” Lazard turned his attention towards the black-haired First, and he glanced at me as well.

“Has she gotten a chance to demonstrate her skills to you, Commander Hewley?”

“Yes, and she’s very promising. She managed to sneak under me after I blocked her, and if she wanted to she could’ve cut my throat.” Genesis scoffed.

“Not as aware as you think you are, huh Angeal?” He laughed at himself, and Angeal rolled his eyes again. I wondered if he got headaches from doing that so much.

“Very good,” said Lazard. “Are you recommending her for scout?”

“Yes,” replied Angeal, confidently, “she’ll do well on stealth missions.” Lazard smiled.

“Well then, Mithra, congratulations. You now have the title of Agent. I trust that you’ll do well in your upcoming missions.” He turned to his computer to type out his latest report. Angeal turned around to leave the Director’s office, and Zack and I followed him. Genesis and the silver-haired SOLDIER caught up with us.

“Angeal, how could you not introduce us to your second pupil?” Genesis asked, looking at me. I held out my hand.

“I’m Mithra Valkyris,” I said. Genesis smiled at my initiative, taking my hand and kissing the top of it.

“I’ve heard about you, Mithra Valkyris. The first female SOLDIER. Commander Genesis Rhapsodos, at your service.” I smiled at his charisma. Genesis let go of my hand before staring at the third SOLDIER.

“Sephiroth, be a gentleman and greet the lady!” I looked at him and tried my hardest not to blush. I had crushed on him earlier because I thought he was a woman!

“I’m Sephiroth, General of SOLDIER,” he said quickly, shaking my hand. His eyes drilled into me as if he was searching for my true emotions. I felt intimidated by him, maybe because his pupils looked weird.

“I’m Mithra,” I squeaked. I could see the faintest hint of a smile form on Sephiroth’s lips.

“I’m sure we’ll become well-acquainted if you’ll be training under Angeal,” Sephiroth said calmly.

“I don’t know how you’ll be able to train two rambunctious Thirds, Angeal,” Genesis snorted. “The puppy already stresses you out enough.”

“I’ll try not to be too much trouble for him,” I retorted. “Unless you would like to mentor me, Genesis.” Genesis held his hands up.

“I have a tendency to set things on fire, so maybe I could help you with magic,” he replied. I laughed in response.

“And I don’t think you’d be able to keep up with me,” Sephiroth added. Genesis scoffed.

“Yes, no one can beat Shinra’s poster boy.” He rolled his eyes, and I snickered.

“Anyways, I’m gonna go to the simulator room and do some stealth practice. I can’t get rusty if Lazard expects me to do scouting missions.” I turned to head towards the simulation room when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked over to see Genesis.

“Let us accompany you. We haven’t gotten to see what you can do, and Lazard did say that we’d get to see it as well.” I smiled and nodded, and Genesis and Sephiroth followed me to my destination. Time to prove myself worthy of making Second Class.

#mithra valkyris #zack fair #angeal hewley #genesis rhapsodos #sephiroth #lazard deusericus #mithra thinks seph is a girl at first #that's why she thinks he's hot #this happens a little over a month after mithra joins SOLDIER #she is about 18 #she gets promoted to second class at age 19 #that story will be coming soon #final fantasy vii #fanfiction

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sssuperbartola · 5 years

Text

Their Night - ‘90s Inukag AU

I did it again, this time inspired by the amazing artwork of @thatchickbooboo I present to you a modern Au for our own favourite OTP

Enjoy~~

The sun was already setting on the horizon, leaving on its path a series of reddish -purple stripes of clouds lingering on top of the scraping towers of Tokyo. The city was almost immobile if looked from afar, already swiping its hectic traffics away and leaving the place to the nightly scenery of its chaotic town center and juvenile life. As soon as one left the freeway, though, the suburb area would pop out to welcome the travelers with a tranquil neighborhood and quiet streets. That’s where the local Buddhist temple of the Higurashi family was, a relic of the last generation of priests of the province. Nowadays, only the former family lived there, sometimes providing religious services to the community, but overall the structure turned into a symbolic state of a dismantled old power. And that’s where a flaming red Honda NSX was currently waiting, at the bottom of the long stairway directed to the family residence, just opposite to the temple. Inside, the driver was lightly tapping on the leather wheel, unconsciously following the drums’ rhythm of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ while trying to make up his mind and get out of the car.

Inuyasha never thought of himself as a hesitant guy. On the contrary, he was one of the most steadfast people of the school, never backing out of a fight nor holding back his sharp tongue for a hasty remark. His bad boy status was what made him so popular in high school, that not a single soul dared to stand up to his feisty attitude. It wasn’t that he was a delinquent per sè, for that there were already too many bullies and stereotypical bitch types in his own life for him to act like one on his own. No, he surely wasn’t anything special: average school life, average private life - if you don’t count the fact his own father and brother were actually pretty powerful demons with powerful mingling with human business - then yeah, he managed just fine. Significantly more now that his position as an apprentice mechanic at Totosai’s Car Saloon was finally paying off the bills, with the first rewarding outcome of his job currently under his own butt. Tessaiga - or, as he liked to call her, Tessy- became an inseparable part of himself as soon as he laid eyes oh her when she was first brought to Totosai’s as a clunker to get pieces from. A little gruff on the outside, some dents here and there, but her unmarred interiors of beige and black leather and the thundering, smooth rumble of the engine spoke volumes of how much more than hot wheels could still do. And Inuyasha could tell that right away that she was speaking to him. So after a little quarrel with said shop owner, and after some negotiations from Inuyasha’s side, he was left in complete charge of the scarlet beauty, on the condition that he would do the reparations by himself, with his own paycheck. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t care that much for that detail, as he finally had his own vehicle for the first time ever, and, after a couple of months’ work, she became alive again.

It was never a mystery for Inuyasha how to fix stuff. Whenever he was given a broken or damaged object, he knew exactly what had to be done, which parts to dismantle, what to throw away, or even which ones had to receive the white-glove treatment. Don’t discard something that could earn back a second chance, his motto was. That spoke volumes for him and for everyone’s else, one of the reasons as for why Totosai was left quite impressed during an interview with the boy when he came to his car garage years ago.

One could say Inuyasha had a way with tools and machinery. However, when it came to people, that’s when he always hits a slippery slope. If we were to use a term from the area of his expertise, that’s what would “jam his system”. Not a single time he connected with people around him, not at work - although, social relationship was kept at a low rate there, only focusing on the work’s tasks and making some witty remarks when the occasion called for it - and most importantly, not when he would go to spend a scrape of his almost nonexistent philanthropic relationships with people. Usually, the solutions would be either not having a social life at all - but that would mean more harassment from his best friend Miroku - or swallow down the bitter pill and get on with the show. If it was up to him, he would choose neither.

Now, though, things were different. And Inuyasha had a hard time adjusting to that new fact.

His grip on the car wheel tightened, with both hands grasping at the coarse leather which now became slightly hotter thanks to the setting sun now peeking through the driver’s window. He deeply inhaled, flaming nostrils getting as much as they could, and then a woosh of air which pretty much didn’t do anything for his nerves, but wonders to the dusted dashboard in front of him. He wasn’t nervous, he definitely wasn’t, why would he anyway? It’s not like he has never done this before. Well, it has been a while since the last time he went on a date, maybe one can get rusty in that department, but dammit if that didn’t annoy him.

And what made things even worse, was the fact that he managed to get a date with none other than Kagome Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi, the president of the archery club at his own high school, and currently priestess under training.

She wasn’t the brightest student but she managed just fine, juggling herself between all her classes and still having time for the archery activity. Most of the times he would find her outside of class, talking with a bunch of other students, chatting happily or discussing the club’s administrations when it was with her fellow members. Never once has he saw her alone, always surrounded by people, were they her friends or just casual ‘hellos’ down the hallways. But she ain’t just a pretty girl to hang out with, Inuyasha though with a slight smirk, recalling the time she stood up to a teacher who wouldn’t stop dismissing a student’s request for delayed homework. She took out this fierce, bossy attitude that no one could tell she had in her, a spur of fight that made her quite the temerarious, but that in the end made her victorious in helping her classmate out.

Inuyasha could tell that she was a master of sociality, not just because of her many stunts, but mostly because she had this aura of positivity around her that drew folks towards her. She was reliable, willing to help, had a clear mind on her shoulders, and she was incredibly straightforward, to humans and demons. Which was why he redeemed her as special. See, while most people wouldn’t immediately jump at the idea of going out with a half-demon - yes, the biased selection among races still happened in the renewed Tokyo, even if tamed down to a historical minimum - she went completely on board as soon as he proposed her that. Given how skilled Inuyasha was, it was purely casualty that helped him even talk to her, and eventually get her to go out and have a stroll at the monthly city festival. He was casually leasuring on the front yard at lunch break waiting for Miroku’s ate arrival, when he was approached by her, the only time he saw her with no company, and Inuyasha immediately froze, not for fear or anything, but he was mindful enough of the fact he didn’t have the most welcoming appearance that time - uniform not always on point, shoulder-long white hair, couple of tattoos visible on his arms and at the base of his neck because of said disheveled look - but after a quick “hi” and the commonplace questions, he just started having a chat with her, a great milestone on his part.

She never once felt uncomfortable with his presence, since, y’know, she was the one who went to him in the first place, nor she held a superficial attitude because he was a halfty, but instead even giggled at his quick remarks. In the end, they even shared the lunch break together - Miroku was long forgotten and Inuyasha was grateful for once that he didn’t show up. By the end of the little vis-à-vis, Inuyasha landed a Friday date with her. Double milestones, ladies and gentlemen!

Thinking back about that time, Inuyasha still felt baffled by how simple it was to talk to her, how carefree he felt with just being in her presence, the anxiety of facing a conversation just gone. She truly made him feel like himself, and he finally understood what her secret powers were, maybe that’s why he didn’t even stutter when he asked her out, maybe he felt like it was something so normal, yet so better than just hanging around for lunch. And it all took a ten minutes talk with this girl.

He unconsciously smiled and that memory, a warm, tingly sensation coursing through him at the anticipation of seeing her again, and that was his final resolution, turning off the radio and swiftly exiting the car, ready to get to the front door with his head held tight.

He jogged up the stairway, so happy he was. As soon as he reached the front door, he stopped and took a deep breath. He once again looked down at his own attire: donned in nothing but a white T-shirt, black jeans and dark Nikes, he hoped that he wasn't being too casual. It was just Tokyo’s late spring festival after all.

Miroku’s teasing, usual encouragement echoed in his mind: C’mon ‘Yasha, let your inner dog out! and Inuyasha agreed with it for once. He lifted his right hand and rang the doorbell.

Couple of seconds after, the door swiftly opened and he was greeted by a small boy, who looked incredibly similar to Kagome and was anything but surprised by his presence at his entrance. “Hey, you must be the guy my sister’s dating! Name’s Souta, I’m her brother. Sis is not quite ready yet, she’s always late when she makes herself pretty. You can come in and wait with Gramps in the living room.” With that, Souta quickly left as he arrived, leaving Inuyasha dumbly standing at the door, trying to process what just happened. Was that....did that just happened? Was there even a boy earlier?..... What?

Shaking his head lightly, he stepped inside the little house, discarding his shoes at the entrance and then approaching the wooden corridor, which he assumed would lead to the living room the boy talked about. Not even after a couple of steps, and a woman with dark hair like Kagome’s but shorter appeared from the corridor’s end. As she glanced at him, she smiled warmly “Oh, hello, dear! You must be the boy Kagome talked me about” the woman started while approaching him, her hands busy with cleaning themselves on the apron she was wearing, “I’m her mother, nice to meet you, Inuyasha right?” She quickly raised her hand towards him in a greeting way. Inuyasha, still quite taken aback from all the informality received so far, slowly reached for the woman’s hand, shaking it lightly “Uh, yea, nice to meet you too, Ma’am” he automatically replied, his posture a bit rigid. The woman giggled lightly - a sound so cristally pure, just like Kagome’s own giggling. “Oh, please, no need to be this formal. ‘Ma’am’ makes me older than i already feel!” she jokingly argued. “Kagome is still getting ready in her room, but it won’t take long, why don’t you wait in the living room? Can I get you anything dear?” she kindly offered. “Oh, no thank you, Ma- I mean, I’m fine like this. I’ll just wait for Kagome” Mrs. Higurashi beamed at him, then gently said “Alright, dear. I’ll let Kagome know you’re here in the meantime” and with that, she slowly turned to the other stairway which went up to the second floor. Inuyasha watched her climbing up the stairs for a while, before finally turning towards a room at his right from which the sound of a TV came.

When he approached the open door, he was greeted by another person - just how many people this house has? - sitting on the green tatami, but the huge newspaper covered the person on the other side. The room itself was nothing special: a sofa in the right corner where the boy from earlier, Souta, sat with crossed legs while playing with a GameBoy with his face furrowed in concentration, the TV opposite of the sofa, and the coffee table right in the middle. Inuyasha’s sight lingered briefly on the other figure, then slowly made it for sitting at the same table, when the man from behind the newspaper spoke out of nowhere “You came here by yourself?”.The voice startled Inuyasha for a second, stopping mid-air from completely sitting down, then looked right at the newspaper in question. “What?” he asked confused, not sure if the question was directed to him at all. The upper half of the papers was hastily bent and the face of an old man appeared with a crabby look on. “I was asking if you came here by yourself, boy”; with that repeated, the old man put away completely the newspaper at his side, then clasped his hands on the table in front of him, while never leaving his eyes from the half-demon.

He was probably in his late 60s, a tiny yet challenging figure with an old house kimono on. By looking at him, Inuyasha assumed he was Kagome’s grandfather or something, so he didn’t feel particularly threatened by him, but he didn’t appreciate much his look, specifically when he was clearly observing his sleeveless arms adorned with scattered tattoos. Inuyasha regarded the old man with both brows furrowed, his eyes slowly drifted across the room as if to look for an answer anywhere, but eventually sat completely down, his leg crossed, his arms folding on themselves, an unconscious twitch of his dog ears. After that, he answered “Uh, no, I came here with my car” “What? you got your own car?!” Souta quickly exclaimed, his attention completely drawn away from the game, “What car do you have?” he now sat straight on the sofa, his hands on both his knees, looking in excitement toward Inuyasha.

“I drive a Honda NSX. It’s a pretty recent model, 1990” he replied, quite content for the fact that the boy was curious about his car, something Inuyasha was comfortable enough to talk about. The old man, though, was not that impressed. “Mh, those cars are pretty expensive, where did you find one?” he inquired, pensive. Inuyasha didn’t understand the implications behind those words, but he gave the old man the benefit of the doubt, “I didn’t buy it, it was gonna be dismantled for change pieces but it was still good to work, so I took it and fixed it myself at the garage where I work” he simply stated, his eyes shifting from the old man and Souta.

At the mentioning of a car shop, the old man’s whole figure lit up with a new aura, changing from guarded to genuine surprise.“Garage?” His posture became more relaxed and for the first time since Inuyasha joined the conversation, the mood became more light “Say, isn’t it by chance... the old Totosai’s car saloon in Shibuya?” Inuyasha’s own look matched the old man’s and was quick to confirm his thoughts “Yes, it’s actually still there, I’m his apprentice mechanic. I started almost a year ago” At that, the old man took off.

“Oh, I can’t believe it! That scranky old man still has his business going on?! It’s been so long since I’ve been there, these old bones of mine crack at the slightest breeze, ahh! But I bet that old raisn’s not yet given up, uh? Tell me, boy, does he still smell like an old burnt shoe?” While asking that he showed a playful smile, already prepared for the answer. Inuyasha was more than glad to tell him about it, surprised that the old man knew his demon boss. A fang poked out while smirking back at him, not even hiding his amusement. “Oh, yeah, the more he spends time covered in greasy motor oil, the worse it gets. Everyone at work thinks he has never taken a bath in a whole millennium!” Grandpa Higurashi bursted out laughing hard, slamming a hand on the coffee table, leaving the poor Souta shocked at his reaction. “I didn’t know you had a friend like that, Gramps. I thought all the people you knew were already...gone” Souta muttered, and not being too specific on that topic, but that was enough to bring back the old man on Earth. Grampa quickly turned to the boy “Don’t say such nonsense, Souta! Back in my days, I knew all sorts of people, both human and demons. It’s more than normal for me to have friends amongst the youki population”.

Those words caught Inuyasha’s attention, whose eyes widen in astonishment. Never in his life has he heard of someone of the old generation who befriended both demons and human without any problem. Apart from his mother, who was the only person he knew capable of such a thing, he now was the one curious about the old man’s life. He inched forward, his upper arms resting on the smooth surface, leaning on both of them “So you know him? And for how long?” he found himself asking with unsuppressed stupor. Grandpa Higurashi scoffed smugly, crossing both arms in a resolute way, his chin held high “Well, I’ll have you know that we were quite the duo a long time ago, I was barely 17 years old when I started helping him in his workshop. Gotta get myself some pocket money to go out and have fun, y’know, I had to get started somewhere, and good ol’ Totosai owed me big time!”

Grampa narrated. “He owned you a favour?? He’s the most tight-fisted person I know! Ain’t no soul who managed to make a deal with him!” Inuyasha inquired bewildered, still incredulous at the fact he found probably the only person around Tokyo with gossips about that old fart. And it happened to also be his date’s grandfather!

“‘Cause no one knows him like I do, son. I got him good for that time, lemme tell you about it” Grampa commenced, but before anything could have been said, a feminine, joyous voice spoke just behind Inuyasha’s back. “Inuyasha!”

At that familiar voice, and that familiar sweet scent, Inuyasha’s pierced ear flickered slightly while slowly turning around. The sight that welcomed him left him out of breath.

He already thought Kagome was cute, if not even beautiful to him, but the way she was donned in tonight only accentuated her own natural prettiness.

A simple, aquamarine tank top framed her small but toned bust, the upper edges adorned in a floral, black lace pattern. While the pale blueish color enhanced her soften, pale skin like crystal, transparent water would contrast with moonlight, the blackness of the lace was a touch of elegance perfect for a night out. Her voluminous, long black hair was loosely framing her creamy cheeks and neck, reaching way past her shoulders, the only contrasting color a golden necklace just under her sternum. Inuyasha’s gaze lingered on the skin revealed by the top but slowly descended low, reaching her high-waisted, dark jeans skirt which left her long, smooth legs running dangerously free of constriction. There was nothing out of the extraordinary in her clothing, yet she managed to look ethereal all the same. She stepped into the room more, reaching his place, hands tucked behind her back from shiness. “Hi” she softly muttered, her eyes never leaving him, never ceasing to smile.

It took a while for Inuyasha to finally talk to her, and when he stopped mentally drooling, he swiftly stood up. “Hey, you” he creatively said, unable to hide his own smile.

Kagome briefly glanced behind him, looking at her brother and grandpa who also were watching them. Then looked up at him - he sure was tall… “I hope they didn’t annoy you too much, it’s rare for them to see another male being inside this house”, she asked him, her nervous smile less visible, pure amusement was coming from that question, while her hands, now in front of her, were fidgeting a bit.

Inuyasha turned his head back as well as if to confirm the presences behind him, he then reassured her “Oh, uh, no, not at all, we were just chattin’ about stuff. They’re cool”. At that, Souta’s face lit up with pride while Gramps nodded in agreement, quite content of the young man’s compliment. “I’m glad to hear it. Well, I’m ready to go, so we can head out” Inuyasha dumbly nodded, then gestured the exit for her while following behind. He gave one last glance behind him at the two other members who both gave him a wave of the hand. Relieved from that response, she smiled weakly and waved back goodbye.

They both reached the door in silence, but then Inuyasha’s mouth reacted before he was able to stop it, “You look beautiful by the way”. He mentally facepalmed himself at how nauseatingly clichè that sounded, even if it was the truth. Kagome turned around, more surprised for a break of the silence between them rather than the compliment itself, but unfazed nonetheless. “Thank you”, she said with a genuine smile, while her cheeks shifted to a light pink that matched her own rosy lips. Inuyasha stared at her but quickly averted his eyes afterward, making himself busy with his shoes scraping the floor. She giggled softly and then reached out for her own shoes, and after she was done, she raised her voice to call for her mother “Mama, we’re heading out! Don’t stay up waiting for me!”

As soon as she finished that sentence, said woman popped her head out in the corridor again “Bye, honey! Ah, remember, the festival has now a Kissing Bridge just above the river in Shibuya. It’s a recent one, in case you two wanted to check it out!” she casually suggested while winking at both of them. The two teens abruptly became as red as Inuyasha’s Honda at that, with said hanyou was unable to form a remark, too busy to observe the doormat. A frustrated “Mama!” was the only thing Kagome could say back, but Mrs. Higurashi barely giggled at that “Have a fun night!” and disappeared again.

Kagome was still pouting at her mother now gone. She had hoped for no intromissions from her own mother when she told her about her grand date. How embarrassing was that! And while Inuyasha was right there too!

Something warm placed itself on her shoulders, bringing her small self closer to the hanyou next to her. Caught by surprise, Kagome lifted her eyes up only to find said half-demon smirking down at her, the whiteness of one of his fangs caught her attention for a split second, before coming back to his amber-colored irises.

“We got the whole night to ourselves, a drop at this bridge sounds nice, don’t you think?” His voice held something husky behind it and Kagome found herself drawn by every syllable. Face slightly flushed, she fatigued on responding, but eventually, she managed to emit a soft “uh yeah, I guess so”. Satisfacted with her response, Inuyasha removed his arm from her but never left his sight from her warm, brown eyes. Where that smooth nonchalance came from, he had no idea, but he had to thank Mrs. Higurashi from that wingwoman action right there. He stepped away from her in order to open the door and let her step out of the house, and after she realized that, she quickly exited, just to be followed shortly by her.

They reached the outdoor stairway side by side, and before going down to where Inuyasha’s car was parked, they quickly exchange a look, one who held no hesitation from both of them, only the thrill of what was going to happen next, the possibilities enchanted by the moon, the stars and their own heart. Kagome felt smaller under his smoldering gaze, yet she was more than ready to how her own fire as well. Inuyasha held a lingering feeling of fear, but his doubts were cleared by the waves of excitement that took over his body and made him reach out for her hand. She didn’t flinch nor stepped back, but firmly grasped his clawed fingers. Together with the last final ray of sun on the horizon, they, too, descended towards the night; their own night.

#inukag #inuyasha #kagoe #otp #au #90s #modern au #their night #fanfiction #personal blog

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badsithnocookie · 4 years

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character meme

tagged forever ago by the lovely @micaldisciple. tagging @ikarralives @jumajuicy @buffkreia @lesabear uh and you yes you personally do this

― your muse’s name:

Eirnhaya Illte

― one favorite picture/face claim of your muse:

i don’t usually ‘do’ faceclaims but then i saw a picspam of katy o’brian and was just like HEY that’s my daughter

― two headcanons you have for your muse:

eirn was not actually tremel’s first choice for his scheme to get in baras’s good graces. she killed tremel’s protégé in self defense, after the other apprentice set a trap for someone he thought would be easy pickings. eirn, acutely terrified she’d get caught by one of their overseers, did her best to cover her tracks - and while her own overseer was satisfied by eirn’s cover story, tremel was more difficult to shake off. instead of getting her expelled, though, he decided that she’d proven herself his protégé’s superior in the most traditional of sith methods - and baras was nothing if not a traditional sith. the rest, as they say, is history.

eirn refused to participate in the imperial attack on the jedi homeworld of tython. not out of any love or respect for the jedi, but because she believed that it was a scheme arkous had cooked up to give his Sphere - whose previous three councillors were Arho, Baras, and Vengean, two of whom she’d executed herself - some kind of credibility boost in the eyes of the rest of the Dark Council, and that like all schemes cooked up by her former Sphere, it was doomed to failure. i mean, she was almost right...

― three things that your muse likes doing in their free time:

visiting new places. from as local to a city district to whole new planets. eirn wants to see the whole galaxy. just, you know. preferably without it being at war with her.

socialising. eirn is an extrovert; she loves to be around people (so long as they’re not, you know. hostile people.) meeting new people, spending time with old friends, it’s all good.

food. acquiring, preparing, serving, consuming, studying. eirn enjoys exploring new food just as much as new places and people (and is of the considered, if frequently clumsily phrased, opinion that a people’s food says as much about them as anything else). she is very much a ‘live to eat’ rather than ‘eat to live’ person.

― seven people your muse loves/likes:

her husband. at least outside of the defection au. they have their differences and disagreements but ultimately they both have the empire’s best interests at heart. again, at least outside of the defection au.

defection au eirn’s current feelings on quinn can be summed up as ‘misses him, misses them, osscilates between ‘wanting desperately for him to show up and for there to be some happy-ever-after (despite the rational part of her knowing this can and will never happen)’ and ‘that same rational part of her wanting to never see him again, especially if the republic wants her to fight for them, if only because she doesn’t know if she could bring herself to do him harm - or what the republic would think if she failed to protect their interests’

her sister, arlanya. eirn was always very protective of her little sister when they were children, despite anya’s force-sensitivity. her apparent death broke eirn’s heart, and was the force behind eirn’s clumsy attempts to reconcile with her mother. (then quesh happened - then eirn had to spend a year dead for avoiding-baras reasons, and eirn has never stopped feeling guilty for putting her parents through that second loss)

jaesa. while jaesa was technically her apprentice, eirn always felt much more like jaesa was a peer, even as she struggled with her own inadequacies both as a teacher and a sith - the latter demanding that she be a teacher and a master, and the former demanding authority and distance to the supposedly-former jedi that eirn both lacked and did not want. the truth is that eirn considers jaesa a dear friend much more than a student, and would go so far as to call her a sister, of a sort.

vette, the other member of the ‘reasons eirn still has something resembling sanity’ gang. eirn was never entirely sure if vette actually liked her or was just hanging around because she seemed like the least terrible option, but then vette informed eirn that she was adopting the sith as her sister and well, who was she to argue with that?

zura. one part authorial fiat, one part the Force as non linear, one part eirn encountering a tiny lost sithling and impulsively deciding I Must Be A Mother To This Child is 100% on brand

aemilia. not that she would admit this aloud, even to herself, but during her time on odessen, the jedi was a stalwart friend and ally. even on rishi, when in the dead of night when none of them could sleep, aemilia would teach eirn new ways to harness the Force, or talk about nothing in particular, or simply keep her company in the weird, lonely hours. aemilia never seemed to judge her - not like so many jedi did. not like so many sith did.

teeseven. yes, it’s a republic droid. a jedi droid, though eirn is ignorant of that particular fact. but teeseven is friendly and would listen to her complain and helped rescue her from zakuul, and at least appeared not to judge her for her questionable decision making skills. not to mention her complete lack of fucks about respecting valkoriate or allying with the empire. in retrospect, the fact that t7 is a jedi droid should probably have been more obvious, huh, eirn?

― a phobia your muse has:

losing her mind/losing touch with reality. a lingering aftereffect of both the assault she suffered on Belsavis by the Dread Masters, and of fighting their servants during the Dread War. the nightmares and hallucinations that remained, the echoes of their power - of what they did to her, of what they’d do to any in their path. the broken men and women who comprised the Dread Host, and the fear that always plagued her that she was one waking nightmare away from falling down that path.

#oc: eirnhaya

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ladyrevanhalin · 5 years

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ONLY LIGHT CAN CAST SHADOW: CHAPTER ONE - THE YOUNG KNIGHTS OF DANTOOINE

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15753210/chapters/36659886#workskin

Many Jedi lined the walls of the Council Chamber within the walls of the Jedi Enclave of Dantooine. The Council of Dantooine was in full assembly, and eager Padawans stood watching their comrades as they approached the Masters one by one. Apprentices who had not yet become Padawans looked on excitedly as they watched the ceremony take place. A young human woman with blond braids pinned neatly atop her head approached the Masters and kneeled before them.

“By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force,” one Master spoke as he passed the green blade of his saber over each of her shoulders, “Opela Moraf, you may rise.”

The young woman rose and stepped aside, taking her place apart from the others as another Padawan came forward. The process repeated, a different Master leading the knighting this time. “…you may rise.” The Padawan stepped aside as the next came forward, this time, a woman with wild raven hair pulled back out of her face and piercing eyes. She knelt before the Council and a Twi’lek Master came forward, passing his pale blue blade over each of her shoulders.

“By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, Halin Chan, you may rise.”

Halin rose and took her place among those recently knighted, next to Opela Moraf. Opela was Halin’s elder by three years. She was a polite woman and made friends quite easily, but she was also quite… complacent. Not that there was anything wrong with following orders from one’s superiors, but it seemed odd how she would often choose the path of the follower when many of the Masters saw the opportunity in her natural abilities for a great leader. Opela, however, seemed to be content with this. Her greatest desire was to serve and inspire as a teacher, rather than in other affairs. In this way, her choice to follow the path of the Jedi Consular seemed rather fitting.

“By the right of the Council, by the will of the force, Alex Khaar, you may rise.”

A towering man with a shaved head who had been kneeling before the Council rose and took his place among the others. Alex was the same age as Opela, but had become a Padawan with Halin. He had never been much of one for popularity among his peers, but what he lacked in social adeptness he made up for in his skill with a lightsaber. Alex was one of the most skilled among the Dantooine youth with the blade. His sheer size granted him a certain level of brute strength which gave him an advantage in that regard and made him an excellent Jedi Guardian.

He and Halin had grown to be great friends during their training. The two had the same insatiable thirst for knowledge and helped each other to make up for their flaws. Halin was the more clever of the two, and often assumed the role of the leader among the pair. She had chosen to follow the path of the Jedi Sentinel. She was significantly smaller than her companion though, and so Alex was generally the brawn to her brains.

Eight Padawans in total knelt before the Council on Dantooine that day. Each rising as a Padawan no more, but as having been granted the title of Jedi Knight. When the ceremony had ended, each Master went to congratulate their former Padawan. Master Sana approached Halin.

“I congratulate you, Halin Chan, on attaining the rank of Jedi Knight. You have grown beyond your apprenticeship to me, but know that you may seek me at any moment you feel you have the need for my wisdom or consultation. Remember what I have told you. Always seek the truth for yourself. There are those even within the Order whose intentions are not always what they might first seem. Be mindful of this, young one. I feel it will lead you down the path to discovering your own greatness.”

“Thank you, Master Sana,” Halin said with a bow to her former Master. “I assure you that I will not forget your teachings.”

“Good,” Master Sana replied. “You have been the most brilliant of my students. Your destiny lies ahead of you now that you have joined the ranks of the Jedi Knights. Now if you will excuse me, I have matters I must attend to.”

“Of course, Master Sana,” Halin replied. And the Jedi Master departed from the room. It was then that Halin felt a hand ruffle her hair and looked up, trying to shield her head with her own hands. It was Alex. “Hey!” she protested, laughing a bit. “What was that about?”

“Aren’t you going to congratulate your old friend? Or does being a Jedi Knight mean you’ve moved above talking to losers like me now?” He went to ruffle her hair again, but this time she caught his hand and punched him lightly in the chest.

“Of course it doesn’t, you nerf-herder. Congratulations! You’ve earned it—we all have. Now about our bet…”

“Our bet?” Alex said, seemingly confused. “What bet?”

“About who would be knighted first.”

“We were both knighted at the same time…. Doesn’t that make it a draw?”

“Well, technically speaking, I was knighted exactly one person ahead of you, which makes me the winner.”

“Wait… but that’s not fair! I let you go ahead of me in line!” Alex protested.

“That’s your own fault,” she said with a smirk. “Next time you should think ahead. Now pay up.”

Alex leered at Halin—an expression to which she replied by batting her eyelashes in an attempt to feign innocence as she held out her palm to claim her reward.

“Are you crazy!?” he whispered, glancing around briefly. “Later. What would the Masters think?”

She took her hand away and shrugged. “That you’re a fool? Don’t take things so seriously, Alex. Loosen up a little. We can settle this later if it would make you feel better.”

“Thanks,” he said dryly.

“Oh, stop being such a crybaby. We’re supposed to be celebrating right now! Now go congratulate Opela.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because it’s good manners, and if you want people to more openly interact with you, then it’s a good place to start,” Halin explained, nudging him a little.

Alex groaned.

“Is there a problem here?” came a voice from behind.

Halin and Alex spun around to see one of the Masters on the Council watching them with his arms folded, a rather disapproving expression set upon his facial features.

“Of course not, Master Lamar,” Halin chirped. “Alex and I were just shooting the breeze, congratulating each other and whatnot. Nothing to get worked up about.”

Master Lamar raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Miss Chan, do you mean to make a mockery me?”

“Of course not! Why would I think of doing such a thing?”

“Because you don’t seem to be taking me very seriously…”

“I?” she gasped. “I would never dream of it! Now, uh… If you’ll excuse me, Master, I really must get going. I promised one of the locals I would take a look at their droid. Apparently it’s had some glitches since the last memory wipe.” And with this, she bowed out and headed swiftly to the exit.

Alex made a move as if to follow her, but Master Lamar stopped him. “Be mindful of that one,” the Jedi Master told him. “She is too headstrong and proud of herself. Her Master was always too liberal with her teachings and only encouraged this behavior from her pupil. I fear miss Chan’s defiant nature may lead her down the path to the dark side. Do not allow her to have a negative influence on you.”

“I will keep your words in mind, Master Lamar.”

“Good. I must continue in offering my congratulations, so I leave you to meditate on this.”

Alex looked after where Halin had gone. He somehow doubted that she was really headed to help some farmer with their droid, but that was just who Halin was—always rushing off on some sort of new ‘adventure.’

“Congratulations, Alex!” came a feminine voice from behind him. It was Opela. Alex froze for a moment.

“Congratulations,” he murmured back, hesitating before turning around fully to look at her. Opela was a rather beautiful human female. She had hair as gold as the Tatooine sands and eyes that were the same pale blue of a Guardian’s blade. Though he had taken the oath of a Jedi, Alex was not blind to her beauty. Her image made him feel things that he knew were forbidden.

There is no emotion; there is peace….

“The same to you,” he finally managed to reply. Alex was generally the strong quiet type. He didn’t talk to many of the other Jedi, with the exception of Halin. She generally did the talking of the two and he would sort of follow her lead. Right now, however, he couldn’t rely on this status quo, and he couldn’t help but to wonder to himself if she had somehow planned this when she chose her timing to depart from the ceremony.

‘Damn you, Halin…’ he thought.

“Where did Halin run off to?” asked Opela. “I wanted to wish her the same.”

“Oh, uh… she said she had something she needed to do… Sorry about that.”

“No, don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. I just figured that I would ask, since the two of you seem to hang around each other so often while here at the Enclave… Are you busy later?”

A moment of terror passed over Alex’s features before he could answer her. “I…. I was planning on doing some sparring practice later on.”

“Mind if I join you?”

Alex was stunned. Was he really asking her this question? It was no secret that Opela was a bit weak in her skills with a lightsaber, and Alex was certain that his skills might overwhelm the poor young woman… And yet, there was something about her… something unspoken, which compelled him to say yes to her.

“I don’t mind at all,” he said, before he could even know what he was doing.

“Perfect!” she said, her face lighting up. “I truly admire your combat skills, and hope that I might take much away from this valuable opportunity to spar with you. I promise that I will not disappoint you.”

Opela Moraf had always been known to make fast friends and allies with those around her, and Alex was beginning to see why that might be the case. It was something about her aura that put the minds of those she was interacting with at peace and encouraged them to follow her desires almost blindly. Some Jedi Masters had been known to be quite gifted in the art of persuasion, and could use the force to easily influence the weak of mind. While Alex certainly did not consider himself to be weak in any sense of the word, he couldn’t help but to wonder if Opela was having a similar sort of influence on him.

“I trust you won’t,” He replied. “I’ll see you later in the day?”

“Certainly! I wouldn’t dream of missing it.”

><><><><><

Alex paced the floor of the sparring room. Along one side sat several deactivated training droids designed to be used for sparring practice. One could spar with a droid, or with a fellow Jedi, though Alex more often than not chose the droids. Droids could be set to whatever level was suitable to the one practicing, and any injury could only occur upon that person, should they have overestimated their own skills and set the droid to too high of a level. People, however, were a different story. Injuries or even deaths could occur if a miscalculation was made.

Such miscalculations were a thing that Alex feared greatly, and the reason why he generally avoided sparring with his peers. Occasionally, he would spar with Halin, but only because he knew that she was clever enough to read his forms and to respond appropriately. In fact, on more than one occasion, she had bested him with some unorthodox method she came up with that exploited a weak point in his form. Sparring with her always made him better at spotting his own flaws, though he was convinced sometimes that she must have cheated by secretly observing him outside of their sparring sessions.

Opela, however, was not at all like Halin. She was far too trusting and known to let her guard down at crucial moments when she could have easily taken the opportunity to strike her opponent. Opela was clearly more of the Mentor and Negotiator than Swordsman… So why did she ask to spar with him?

Alex was pondering this exact question when Opela entered the sparring room.

“Opela!” Alex said, “It is good to see you.”

“Likewise,” she replied. “I hope that I’ve not kept you waiting for long?”

“Not at all! Though I have to ask… Why did you wish to spar with me? I… I don’t mean to come across as rude but… well… I… er… you… I mean…”

“I’m not very good?” she said, completing his thoughts. “And you don’t usually choose to spar with your peers?”

Alex could feel his face reddening. “I didn’t mean it like that…”

“No, please. I know all of this already. No offense is taken. I have chosen the path of the Jedi Consular---it is, after all, what probably suits me best. We rely more on our connection with the Force than our skills with a lightsaber, and generally try to avoid direct combat wherever possible… Though even among the Consulars, my skills with a blade have always been my weak point…”

Alex wasn’t sure where Opela could be going with all of this. If she had known, then why would she even want to join him in the first place?

“…You may know of Master Kavar?” she continued. “He’s an excellent swordsman—one of the best in the order—and is a dear friend of mine. At one point, he wished me to become his Padawan, but it was clear to him that, given my nature, he would not be the most suitable of teachers for my case… Now that I have graduated from Padawan to Jedi Knight, I wish to show him that I have grown and that, despite my nature, I can learn to be skilled in lightsaber combat.”

“I empathize with your case—I really do, but…” Alex began in protest, “Would not a droid be most suitable in this case?”

Opela shook her head. “A droid is not living. A droid cannot become one with the Force. Since my strengths lie with my connection to the Force, I think that, maybe, if I learn to draw upon it more during combat, instead of relying upon the physical nature of lightsaber forms, I might have greater success.”

So there was a plan behind her seemingly mad request after all! Perhaps she was not so very different from Halin as Alex had initially thought her to be…

“I see… While I admire your reasoning, I must admit that I am hesitant to spar with you, despite my previous agreement to your request. I do not wish to harm you as a result of our training together.”

“I trust that you will not,” she said simply in reply. “Of that, I am confident. I sense much unrest within you. Perhaps this experience will be good for the both of us. Perhaps I will also be able to teach you to trust in your own self-refrain.”

Alex considered this. Perhaps she was right? Perhaps the problem was that he had difficulty trusting himself to know when to stop? Surely he was wise enough to know such now.. After all, the Council had granted him the rank of Jedi Knight. Control was something that he was expected to have learned much more of than he was while still a Padawan.

“Fine,” Alex said with resolve. “Let us begin then.”

He ignited the blue beam of his blade and assumed a ready stance, waiting for Opela to do the same. Bowing graciously in acceptance of his decision, she removed the hilt of her saber from its place hanging at her waist and pressed the trigger, causing a brilliant silvery-white blade to spring forward with a whirring sound. She assumed her ready stance. “Yes, let us begin.”

><><><><><

Halin Chan sat upright in her bunk, sorting through information in her datapad. What she had told Master Lamar had not been a complete lie. She had gone to take a look at a droid, but it wasn’t malfunctioning. It had been a security droid on the estate of one of the wealthier locals on Dantooine. The droids were meant to prevent trespassers and kath hounds from roaming the property, but Halin had found a hole in the security system and had created a sort of backdoor through which she could observe the droids’ systems at close proximity without sounding an alarm.

It was risky, sure, but there weren’t many combat model droids on Dantooine other than those used in combat training in the enclave, and those were difficult to observe the mechanics of without being reprimanded by the Jedi Masters. Security droids were the next closest thing. Halin thought that a droid could be a useful tool on either side of a conflict, and so she wanted to have a good understanding of them in order to make the best of any situations which arose in the future.

In her mind, she had toyed with the idea of building her own droid. She understood enough of basic mechanics that she could have done so easily if she chose… but Master Sana had never been particularly fond of droids, and so Halin had refrained as a sign of respect for her Master. However, this did not mean that she hadn’t created any of her own plans based on her findings.

Droids, despite not being directly connected to the Force, still radiated energy and vibrations which could be felt by those who were well attuned. Like sentients, Halin found that droids often had their own unique personalities that would develop over time, particularly without frequent memory wipes. They were capable of a large variety of tasks, but, like people, had their particular specialties.

Halin sighed and collapsed backward onto her bunk. She knew quite well that there would be nowhere to hide a droid, and anything beyond a protocol droid might be highly questioned. A simple protocol droid wouldn’t be any fun though…

She switched off her datapad. One day, though not now…. A protocol droid would be useful, yes, but the only particularly challenging programming would be a simple study of language and etiquette…

She shoved the datapad into a drawer beside her bunk and then rolled back onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. She supposed it might be best to rest right now. After all, she and Alex were supposed to travel to Coruscant in a couple of days to serve as extra security for a treaty between two insectoid races from a rim planet.

She closed her eyes and attempted to calm her mind. Eventually, she drifted into sleep, the sound of the creatures roaming the plains of Dantooine resonating in the far background.

#kotor #kotoredit #female revan #revan malak #revan #mandalorian wars #jedi exile #fanfic #star wars #revalek

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dearlazerbunny · 5 years

Text

Once Upon A December

Pairings: Kylo x Reader

Genre/Rating: Anastasia!AU

Words: 3800

Summary: Requested by anon, who wanted a Kylo Anastasia AU to go along with my Poe one. Not as long as the other, but I hope you enjoy anyways!

As a fist flies towards your face, you dodge and roll to the right, back on your feet before your opponent has time to blink. You aim a wicked kick to the back of his knees, crumpling him to the ground, and you’re on top of him in an instant, pinning down his arms so he can’t land another hit. Unfortunately, he’s strong enough to flip himself over, even with you on his back, slamming you onto the floor.

You wince, but wearily get back up, knowing he won’t let up until he’s beaten or you’re unconscious. When he comes at you again, you decide to take the defensive, blocking his moves with bruised forearms and the occasional duck and cover. Goddamn he’s fast. But nobody’s perfect- and even Master Ren has weaknesses, few as they may be. Your body is screaming at you to end this sparring match, and fast, so you duck under his arm and snag the lightsaber hanging from his belt and activate it. Red sparks whine into existence as you wave it into a defensive position, effectively blocking him from yourself.

You both pause, breathing hard. Then Ren leans down and taps the mat twice, your signal for tapping out. Internally sighing with relief, you shut the saber off and practically collapse onto the floor, back to the mat, lying in a lovely pool of your own sweat.

“Cheater.” With a flick of his fingers, his lightsaber flies into his hands, and he returns it to his place. “This was hand to hand only.”

“‘Use whatever advantages you might get,’” you quote, not looking up from your resting place. “Or have you forgotten your own golden rule?”

He walks over to you and stands in your line of sight. Two inches closer and you’d practically be looking up his robes. “Not everyone is going to have a lightsaber for you to steal.”

You scoff. “You’re just mad that you had to tap out.”

For a second, he’s quiet, and you think he’ll get angry. But instead, a smile breaks out across his lips, and he offers you a hand. You take it gratefully, slowly rolling onto your feet. “Touché. Go get cleaned up; I’ll see you here same time tomorrow.”

“Ugh.” You work your hair out of its messy ponytail, then wrap it back into a bun on top of your head. “Don’t you have someone your own size to beat up on?”

Ren rolls his eyes. This is a common retort for you, and even though you say it jokingly, part of you does wonder why he chose an apprentice a third his size. “I’ve told you before, you-”

“-have potential, yadda yadda, I know, I know.” You roll your neck and it audibly cracks, making you wince. “Potential to be a sack of ground meat by the time you’re done with me.”

He chuckles and points to the door. “Out. You’ve done plenty for today.”

You obey, a small smile on your face as you aim your battered body for your quarters. A good spar may be something to be proud of, but the thing you love most is making Master Ren laugh.

Not that you’d ever admit it.

…

That night, you’re expecting to sleep like a rock, but instead you toss and turn, restless. You can’t get comfortable, and your dreams are proving to be ruthless. Flashes of smoke and fire couples with the shrill sounds of screams floating in the air. You run and run down corridors crumbling all around you, but you can never seem to escape. That’s the most common nightmare. But you do occasionally have good ones. A blurry face looking down on you from above, singing softly. The intangible feeling of a hug from someone who loved you. Through it all, snatches of a melody too far away to hear properly, but haunts you all the same.

You wonder where they came from. The dreams. Were they real, at one point? Is the lullaby meant for you as a child? Did where you came from burn to ash? Per usual, you have no concrete answers. Whenever you managed to work up the courage to broach the topic with Ren, he always changed the subject or harshly shut you down. Whoever you were, whatever there was before Starkiller, doesn’t matter. This is your calling in life. To fight by Ren’s side, in the name of the First Order.

Not that you really have a problem with this. Despite being your master, you would also call Ren a friend. Not only that, your only friend. You’d defend him with your life, and from the way he’s warmed up to you since your first day meeting, you’re inclined to think he’d do the same. At first, he was always cold, and harsh. Demanding perfection constantly, with little needed to set him off on one of his tirades. But as you got to know him, the less of him you feared. You realized that despite his reputation, he’s quite… human. And you made it your mission to pull that human part to the surface any chance you got.

Thinking of it makes you smile. You remember the first time you made him laugh, and how sweet that sound was. When he came back from a mission bruised and bloodied, and instead of going to medical he knocked on your door and asked you for help instead. When you caught fever and in between unconsciousness, you could see him sitting by your bedside, keeping watch.

Yes, Kylo Ren is a friend. And if you want more than that… well. That’s a road best not travelled down.

Finally, you stand and wrap a coat around your shoulders, intending to take a walk around Base to clear your head. After wandering for the better part of an hour, you end up in one of your favorite spots: the surface of the planet, beneath the base of a pine tree so large it’s jokingly used as target practice by trainee pilots. You settle down into the snow, head against the rough bark, and breathe in the cold air so sharp if feels like it will leave ice crystallizing in your lungs. You like it though. The cold banishes the dreams from whence they came.

You don’t even notice when you start humming that elusive lullaby. It sticks in your head for hours on end, just solid enough to make you wonder about its origins. Who you learned it from. Who sang it to you. It goes nicely with the snowflakes whipping around in the air, so you let the song be, mingling in the night with the stars and the moon.

“Y/N!” At the sound of Kylo’s voice, you’re immediately on alert. He emerges from the trees, cape whipping in the wind like some dramatic super villain. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

You shrug. He never understood your fondness for the cold. “Thinking.”

“About?” He sits beside you with a crunch, and you almost make a jab about him messing up his cape, but you decide to let it lie.

You let a breath hiss into the air. “Where I came from.”

Kylo doesn’t say anything for a moment. “Y/N, you know that-”

“No, that’s the thing, Ren! I don’t know! I don’t know anything!” You rarely lose your temper- that’s Ren’s job- but the lullaby is enough to drive you mad. “You won’t tell me jack shit except that I was drafted in the war to be your apprentice. But-” your voice cracks. “There has to be more than that. There has to be- family. A home planet. Something.” You turn to look at him, hoping all the emotion in your voice isn’t showing on your face. “You’d tell me if you knew something. Right?”

His face is neutral, his eyes scanning yours like he’s looking for something. “Have I ever lied to you?” It’s more a statement than a question, but all the same it makes you deflate into a shiver.

“No.” He hasn’t. Why would he?

…

As Kylo looks at you, he can see tears beginning to form in your eyes, even though you’d never admit it. Damn. This is really weighing on you. Sure, you’ve asked a few times over the years about where you were from, but never this seriously. And he never knew it got to you this much.

Are you not happy here? Would you rather be out somewhere in the galaxy with the family you never knew? Without him?

The thought makes his heart clench. There, sitting side by side with you beneath the trees, cold wind smarting his face, he can’t deny it- losing you would destroy him. He’s grown fond of you, ever since that first day you came out of your shell and decided to snark back at him. That was when he knew you were a fighter. With some coaching, you could be good enough to fight by his side.

And you are, now. But if you’re not happy…

Kylo gets up, brushing snow off his clothes. “I’ll see what I can do.”

…

The next day, Kylo strides into Hux’s office, not caring if he’s busy or has another meeting. With one look at the officer sitting across from Hux’s desk, he scampers out, leaving him and the General alone.

“I need to know about Y/N.”

Hux raises an eyebrow. “What about her?”

“Where did you find her?”

Surprisingly, Hux doesn’t bite back, just sits down at his desk and begins rifling through files on his digipad. “Ah. Y/N Y/L/N.” She was captured when the First Order overtook Rusija. Apparently she’s the daughter of the former monarch there, and was brought on board Starkiller by mistake. She was slated for execution when you took an interest in her.” He looks up at Kylo. “Does that answer your question?”

Kylo knows about Rusija. The operation commenced before his time, and he’s suddenly furiously glad. “What happened to the family?”

Hux smiles. “Executed, of course.” His face turns suspicious. “Why are you asking? Does she suspect something?”

Kylo shakes his head. “No. She knows nothing. I was just… curious.”

Hux nods. “Good. She was dosed with experimental amnesiac drugs once you decided to keep her; I’m glad to see they’re doing their job.”

Oh, stars. Without warning, Kylo stalks out of the room. They drugged her to forget her past? All because he wanted to train her? He shakes his head. But if he hadn’t picked her up, she’d be dead just like the rest of her family. So this was for the best… right?

…

That night there’s a bang outside Kylo’s door. Angrily, he stalks over to it, throwing it open ready to shout at anyone who dares to interrupt him this late at night-

But stops short, when he sees you on the ground, looking confused and rubbing your forehead.

“Y/N?” Kylo crouches down. “Are you okay?”

“I think so?” You laugh a little, hoping it will cover up your embarrassment. “I think I- I think I ran into the door,” you mumble, trying to piece together what happened.

“You ran into the door,” Kylo says dryly.

“Sleepwalking,” you admit, shrugging your shoulders. “I do it occasionally. I must’ve somehow been aiming for your quarters and-” you stop, gesturing to the welt on your forehead.

Kylo’s eyebrows draw together. Sleepwalking? “Do you need medical?”

“Oh, stars, no, I’ll just-” you try to stand, but wobble on your feet, clutching your head.

“Okay, no, you’re coming with me.” Kylo grabs your elbow and leads you inside his room, setting you on the bed. “I’m getting a washcloth for that bump.”

When you don’t respond, he leaves for the bathroom to wet a cloth for your forehead. When he gets back you’ve laid onto his pillows, eyes closed. “So that was stupid of me,” you say.

“I don’t think you can exactly control sleepwalking.” He drapes the cloth over your forehead and you press it onto the wound gratefully. “Were you… dreaming about anything in particular?”

You sigh. “Fire, screaming, not being able to escape. The usual nightmare fuel.”

“I’m sorry.”

You snort. “It’s not like it’s your fault.” You seem to curl inward on yourself, making you even smaller than you normally are. “Could I… could I stay here tonight?” You murmur. “I don’t really want to be alone.”

You want to stay here? With him? “I- yes.” He nods. “I can sleep on the floor.”

You roll your eyes. “You don’t have to do that, Ren. Seriously, you’ve seen me in much more compromising positions.”

His cheeks flame at your insinuation. “You better not kick in your sleep,” he grumbles, trying to cover up the sudden flare of warmth in his chest.

Another eye roll and a smile as you grab a pillow for yourself and settle down with it on the opposite side of the bed. Kylo carefully lays down on his side, concentrating very hard on not touching you. He falls asleep to your even breathing, faster than he ever does when he’s alone.

He wakes before you in the morning- he’s a much earlier riser than you- and when he opens his eyes he’s shocked to find you curled into his side, your head on his chest. The two of you must have shifted in the night. At first he’s going to wake you, but then… you’re sleeping so peacefully. And after last night, you probably need it. So instead, he slowly works an arm around you shoulders and pulls you in a hair closer, closing his eyes once again.

…

“Get dressed.” A few days later, Kylo comes into your room unannounced while you’re stretching out sore limbs. “We leave in five.”

“Where?” No answer. So you shrug and put on traveling clothes, pack a few necessities, and meet him at his TIE. You strap yourself in expertly; you’re used to being his copilot. As he fiddles with the controls. You can’t help but notice there isn’t a squadron going with you for backup. Must not be a mission then. Then why go off base. “Uh, Ren? Mind telling me where we’re going without assistance?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

That’s all you get? Well, fine, then. Two can play at that game. You cross your arms and sit back, pouting the entire flight to…wherever. As he nears a planet frosted over in ice, you glance down at your clothes. “Not sure I’m prepared for snow, Ren.”

He fishes around and pulls out a black, fur lined coat, then tosses it at you, barely missing your face. You take it with a huff, but gratefully. As you land, officers are there to greet you, saluting as you disembark and taking the reins of Ren’s TIE to look it over for inspection. You look around. Pine trees covered in icicles, a brisk wind blowing from the north… it’s nice, although other people might think you’re crazy for saying so.

“This is Rusija,” Ren says without looking at you, and you nod. You’ve heard of it.

“It’s pretty.”

He doesn’t respond as he begins marching off to who knows where, and you follow, more than a little annoyed he won’t tell you where you’re going. It’s a long walk through a fairly massive metropolis, all bustling with First Order business. But as you reach the outskirts, the buildings become shacks, the bustle becomes silent streets. It’s a quiet, run down town, with nothing of much importance. You can’t imagine why he’s brought you here, unless you’re here to run down a fugitive they’ve caught wind of.

The few people who are on the streets look at Ren fearfully, but he ignores them, walking right up to a house at the end of the lane and knocking on the door. An old woman answers, a Shaw wrapped around her shoulders. “May I help you?” She seems terrified, but knows enough to stay polite.

“I’d like to speak with you, if you please.” You reel back a little. Ren saying please? Nevertheless, the two of you are invited into the small hut, which a roaring fire is keeping warm. There are chairs, but the two of you stand- Ren out of propriety, yourself out of confusion.

When the old lady has settled back down into her own chair, Ren begins bluntly. “I know who you are,” he says, and though you have no idea what he’s talking about, the lady seems to know exactly what he’s saying. She looks frightened, but also… regal, in a way. Like she will accept her fate.

“Very well. Do what you wish to me.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not here to turn you in. I’ve… I’ve brought you someone.” He stands aside, and you realize the person he’;s talking about is you. You shake your head at him, wondering what he’s getting at, but he gives you a look that says ‘be patient’.

The lady stands, and walks towards you slowly. You stand your ground, not afraid of such a frail woman. But as she gets closer, she seems more and more sure of herself, even going so far as to brush a piece of hair away from your face before you can recoil.

“It can’t be…” she whispers, apparently in disbelief.

You raise an eyebrow. “Someone mind explaining what exactly is going on here?” You ask the two of them. Both are silent.

“Anastasia,” the woman murmurs, and for some reason that name sets off all sorts of alarm bells in your head.

A shiver rolls down your spine, but you try to ignore it. “Sorry, no, my name is Y/N. I don’t know who Anastasia is, but-”

“Where did you find her?” The woman cuts you off, directing the question at Ren.

“The First Order picked her up during the takeover,” he says. “She was dosed with… with amnesiac drugs. She doesn’t remember a thing.”

“I was what now?” You practically shriek, taking a few steps back. “Picked up when?”

Ren looks at you. “When Rusija was taken over by the First Order, the royal family of the planet was decimated. Two people slipped through the cracks. The matriarch of the family,” he nods to the woman still staring at you, “and a granddaughter.”

“And you’re saying that granddaughter is me,” you say in disbelief. Unbelievable. What sort of joke is this?

“Anastasia, my dear,” the woman steps forward, wringing her hands. “I know you must not remember me. But I am your grandmother.” There are tears in her eyes. “Oh, my dear, I never thought I’d see you again. We thought we’d lost you…”

“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” Ren says in a rough voice, then steps outside the hut, shutting the door behind him.

‘I- wait! Ren!” You follow him out the door, letting it bang behind you. “What the hell are you doing?”

He stares at you as though the answer is obvious. “Giving you what you wanted. This,” he gestures around, “is where you came from. That woman used to be the crown queen of Rusija. She’s your family.”

His words hit you in the chest, hard, and you feel like you’re about to fall over. “My family,” you repeat, the word unfamiliar on your tongue.

He nods. “I thought you wanted to know.”

“I- I thought I did too.” You look around at unfamiliar surroundings. “But this planet- that woman- are strangers to me. Starkiller is my home.” You glance at him, trying to gauge his reaction. “You’re my home. You were right, it doesn’t matter where I came from. It matters what I’ve become.”

He looks at you for a long while, his eyes blank. Then he slowly nods, and gestures back the way you came. “Let’s go home, then.”

…

You did tell the woman goodbye, and give her a hug at least. You aren’t cruel. And she seemed to understand how lost you were in that strange new world. Back amongst Starkiller, with its winding corridors and sparring matches with Ren, you feel more like yourself then you ever had.

One such sparring session is taking place late at night, with the both of you working out pent up frustration from the day before. He’s hitting a little harder than usual, but you’re punching right back, not giving him an inch. Eventually, the both of you tap the mat at the same time. A draw.

Hands behind your head, you try to get some air in your lungs as Ren leans against the wall, breathing hard. You look at him. You’ve been practicing the last few weeks, on what to say, but that doesn’t make it much easier.

“Hey.” He looks at you. “I wanted to say… thank you. For taking me to Rusija.” You falter, but forge ahead. “You… didn’t have to do that. But you did. For me. And…” you try not to blush. “It means a lot to me.”

He shrugs. “It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing!” You walk over, standing right in front of him. “If I had wanted to stay with that woman, on that planet, would you have let me?”

He tilts his head, considering you. Then nods. “Yes.”

“That’s… stars, Kylo, I can’t even tell you how selfless that is.” A small smile appears on his face. You frown. “What?”

“You called me Kylo.”

“I-” your heart beats to a stop. “Did I? Sorry, Ren, I just-”

“No,” he cuts you off. “It’s okay.”

“Oh.” You look at him. “Well, good.”

“Good.”

The two of you look at each other, neither sure what to say or do next. Then, ever so slowly, you raise up on your toes and give him a soft kiss on the cheek, lingering for a second before pulling away. “Seriously. Thank you,” you whisper.

Another beat. And then you’re both leaning in, meeting in the middle for a heated kiss. His hands immediately wrap around you, resting on your lower back, pulling you into him, and yours run through his hair like you’ve dreamed about doing so many times before. Teeth collide, noses bump- as kisses go, it’s hardly flawless- but the pull in your stomach makes it feel like the most heady thing in the world.

When you pull away, trying to catch your breath, he’s staring at you wide eyed, like he can’t believe that just happened. You put a hand to his cheek. “I never would have left you, you know,” you say softly, and the smile on his face could rival the sun as he goes in to kiss you again.

#star wars #Star Wars fanfic #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren x you #kylo ren #requests #star wars request

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willabethmoonleaf · 5 years

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Ok I just thought about this. In Dead Man’s Chest, Governor Swann could have granted Elizabeth, Will, and maybe James clemency. Now Jack would have probably died but so many good things would happen. Beckett would leave Port Royal to persue James (or go back to England if Governor Swann granted him clemency as well), Governor Swann wouldn’t die like he did, Will and Elizabeth would get married on another day and be able to raise Henry together in Port Royal, and Will wouldn’t die. Now Will wouldn’t meet his father but I have an idea.

Jack sighed a breath of relief as he and his crew climbed back aboard the Black Pearl to escape the cannibals. Jack had to get the key and find the heart or else his days sailing freely on the sea are over.

“Keep close to the shore.” Jack commanded his crew.

Not long after his escape from the cannibals, Jack made it to Tia Dalma’s hut. She had to have something that could help him get Davy Jones off his back.

“A jar of dirt? How is this supposed to help me?” Jack questioned in an angry tone.

“Well if you don’t want it, then give it back.” Tia Dalma replied while reaching out for the jar.

Jack recoiled back, holding the jar close. “No,” he snapped. If Tia Dalma gave it to him to help with Davy Jones, then he needed to figure out how. Tia always knew what to do, but she was never forward with the answer.

Will stood on the beach barefoot holding Elizabeth, who was also barefoot, in his arms. Elizabeth cuddled into his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck as Will looked out at the ocean. He still couldn’t believe that not long from then, he would be married to the only woman he’d ever loved. He held her tighter as he ran his fingers through her golden hair. Elizabeth shifted her head a bit so that her cheek was on Will’s shoulder. Will smiled as he kissed her on the head. He saw a small smile form on Elizabeth’s face as he turned his attention back to the ocean.

A new dress was being made for Elizabeth and the wedding was planned to be inside instead of outside, as Elizabeth had requested. A small house was being built on top of the blacksmith shop for the Turner family to live in. It was an early wedding gift from Will to Elizabeth. Will owned the shop now after his old boss left town. Will was hesitant to get an apprentice as he was so focused on Elizabeth and their life together, he couldn’t think of bringing in an unknown person into their lives just yet.

Jack had locked himself inside his cabin, leaving Gibbs in charge. He needed to get rid of Davy Jones or else the Kraken would get him and he’d be stuck as a member of Davy’s miserable crew or be stuck in his locker. He just couldn’t figure out why Tia Dalma had given him a jar of dirt and why she had told he had to free a member of the crew. Jack couldn’t bring himself to tell anyone in his crew, even Gibbs. But Jack couldn’t keep it a secret forever. His plan kept going back to two ideas. Either having someone sneak onto the Flying Dutchman and stealing the key or make port in Tortuga and finding one hundred souls to give as a sacrifice to Davy. Jack looked down at the black spot growing on his hand and decided on the second plan. He just needed to recruit men who have given up in life and he didn’t have to tell a soul about the Kraken. He had somewhat of a plan with the jar of dirt but he couldn’t figure out the second thing Tia gave him. The warning about freeing a crew member to repay.

The wedding day was almost here and Elizabeth was getting more impatient everyday. She was tired of sleeping alone in her room. She was tired of the carriage rides over to the shop to be with Will. She wanted to just wake up and have him next to her. She wanted to kiss him everyday before he went down to the shop to work and every evening when he came home.

As the Pearl was nearing Tortuga, Jack went into his cabin to replace the gaws on his hand. As he did he remembered the ones on Elizabeth’s and Will’s hands. He hadn’t thought about them since he left Port Royal. As he was thinking about how they might be doing, he figured out Tia’s warning. “Bootstrap was the one who gave me the mark, meaning Bootstrap is a part of Davy’s crew. He’s the one I have to free in order to repay Will for saving me from hanging!”

Jack started getting impatient after an hour of watching Gibbs “recruit” new members of the crew. Jack knew he had to free Bootstrap but he didn’t know how to convince Davy to set him free. Gibbs broke his train of thought, letting Jack know that 100 men have been recruited. At that moment, Jack heard a familiar voice.

“Mind taking another? I don’t care if I die, I’ve already ruined my life any ways.”

Jack looked up to see the former commodore James Norrington holding an almost empty bottle of rum. Jack knew what he had to do.

“Sorry we’ve got all the recruitments we need.” Gibbs answered.

“Wait wait wait, one more can always be handy. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl.” Jack said, everything falling into place.

Will stood on the altar staring at the door Elizabeth was to walk through. He wasn’t nervous, he was excited to finally have Elizabeth as his wife. He was finally able to protect her and comfort her whenever she needed him to. The music started and startled him a bit as it had been uncomfortably quiet. His smile got bigger as Elizabeth came through the door and walked towards him. Once she was in front of him, he took her hands and everything in the room fell away as he stared at the beauty that was looking back at him. He could only barely hear the priest marrying them. As Elizabeth said I do, she smiled and scrunched up her nose. Will fought so hard not to just kiss her right then and there. Finally the priest said the words that the young couple had been dreaming to hear since they first met. “I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride.”

The rest of the wedding was a blur to Will as he was more focused on Elizabeth than anything else. Finally the wedding ended and everyone headed off to the governor’s house while Will and Elizabeth headed to their new home above the blacksmith shop, where they gave into the urges they had been fighting for years.

With 101 new men on board, the ship felt crowded. But not for long as the haunting ghost ship approached. Jack had already emptied the jar of dirt in a thin layer around the ship, hoping it would keep Davy off the ship. The sacrifices one by one went over to the Dutchman, with Davy counting them to make sure all where there. Davy smiled menacingly as he counted 100 but was confused when one more came aboard. Before he could question anything, Jack called out his name.

“Yes there are 101 souls. I gave an extra in exchange.”

“Exchange for what?”

“Bootstrap Bill.”

As Jack said the name, a figure came down the stairs of the Dutchman to where the captain stood. He was tall and had starfish and barnacles all over him. Under it all was a resemblance to the shy blacksmith Jack had helped to save the love of his life.

“Fine,” Davy said turning to Bill, “you have finished up your work on this ship. Leave.”

Bootstrap was confused at first but complied as not to feel the wrath of Davy Jones. As he landed on the decks of the Pearl once more, the barnacles and starfish fell off. He looked like a normal pirate once again.

“Jack I don’t want to be a part of your crew ever again, what’s going on?”

“You aren’t joining my crew. I’m taking you to see your long lost son.”

“You know where William is? Is he ok?”

“Yes and he is more than ok. Last time I saw him he was set to marry the love of his life soon. But I’ll leave the story for Will to tell.”

A week had passed since the wedding and Will and Elizabeth couldn’t have been happier. Will hadn’t started working again just yet, he wanted to spend some time with his wife. Will was in the kitchen making breakfast, letting Elizabeth sleep in.

“Will, can you come here?” Elizabeth yelled from their bedroom. Will turned off the flames he was using to cook and headed over to his wife. He was worried something was wrong. Elizabeth’s voice sounded scared but also happy.

“Yes what is it? Is something wrong?”

Elizabeth stood up from where she was sitting and wrapped her arms around Will’s neck, resting her forehead on his. Will wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, feeling the tension in her body melt away.

“Will, I’m pregnant.”

Will couldn’t help but smile as she told him the news. He leaned in and whispered in her ear “Great.” before kissing her pationatly, loosing his hands in her hair. Elizabeth smiled into the kiss as she also lost her hands in Will’s dark hair.

Will did everything he could to make sure Elizabeth’s pregnancy went perfect. He refused to leave her side during any point she was in pain, and the birth was no different.

Will held Elizabeth’s soft hand in between his the whole time, slowly rubbing his thumb over her skin as she pushed. After the midwife delivered their new baby boy, Will layed next to Elizabeth, letting her curl into his side as she held their son. They decided on the name Henry even though Elizabeth wanted to name him William after his father, but Will refused. Elizabeth fell asleep, as did the baby, but Will stayed awake, looking lovingly at his new family, vowing to never leave them like his father did.

Bootstrap stood at the front of the ship for most of the trip over the Port Royal. He was excited to finally see his son for the first time. But he was also worried. Thoughts of Will being mad at him and wanting nothing to do with him filled his mind. He thought Will would be so focused on his marriage that he wouldn’t want his estranged father near him. But Jack assured Bill that Will does want to meet him and he would most likely be happy to have him in his life, even if only in adulthood.

Will and Elizabeth sat on a blanket on the beach, cuddled into each other. Henry layed asleep on their laps as his parents watched the merchant ships sail in and out of port. A large picnic basket sat in front of them, empty after they ate their lunch together. Everything was just as it was everyday until a hauntingly familiar ship came sailing over. It didn’t stop at the port like all the others. It sailed in the water that was in front of the young family. Soon Will recognised the Jolly Roger flying in the wind as the one belonging to the man he hoped he’d never see again. A figure got off the boat and started walking towards them as the ship sailed off. But the figure wasn’t the infamous pirate who Will had helped escape from hanging not long ago, but it was someone who felt familiar but strange at the same time. Elizabeth grabbed Henry as Will got up to investigate, grabbing his sword and telling Elizabeth to stay there. As he got closer he realised who this stranger was. It was his father. The father he was searching for when he met Elizabeth. The father who gave him the medallion that accidentally brought Will and Elizabeth into each other’s arms. Tears filled both the men’s eyes as they walked towards each other.

“Father?”

“Yes son it’s me. I’m sorry for leaving you. Would you allow me into your life now even though you seem perfectly happy with your little family?” He said smiling as he looked over to Elizabeth who was walking over to her husband with Henry in her arms. Will sighed when he saw Elizabeth in the corner of his eyes. Elizabeth was incredibly stubborn and really listened to no one, not even the love of her life.

“Father, this is my wife Elizabeth and our son Henry. Elizabeth this is my father.”

Elizabeth looked to Will and smiled before looking to her father-in-law and saying “Nice to meet you. Are you staying here in Port Royal?”

“Very nice to meet you. And I was hoping to maybe live with you and be with my son again and maybe help raise my grandson?”

Will looked down at Elizabeth and gave her a quick kiss. “We’d love to have you live with us. There’s plenty of room in the house for you.” Will said as Elizabeth nodded next to him.

“Aww there you are. I went over to the shop to check on you and you weren’t there.” Governor Swann said as he walked over to the group.

“Father how are you?” Elizabeth asked as her father hugged her and then Will before setting his eyes on Bill.

“I’m great, who is this?”

“Oh this is my father, Bill Turner.”

“Aw welcome to Port Royal sir.”

“Thank you. I need to speak with the governor about something.”

“Well I’m the governor so what do you need to talk about.”

Bill was confused as he realised his son was married to the governor’s daughter. He wanted to ask how but he knew he’d hear the story at some point, plus something else was more urgent.

“Well I was dropped off her by Jack Sparrow. Yes I am or was a pirate. I left Will with his mother. I never meant to never come back but I guess that worked out for the better. I was just hoping that you would grant me clemency. I just want to be with my son and help raise Henry.”

“Your wish is granted as long as you do not go back to piracy.”

“Never. And thank you.”

Will and Elizabeth smiled as their fathers walked ahead talking. With one hand wrapped around his wife’s waist and the other holding the picnic basket and blanket, they headed back home.

Sorry if this is stupid or there are any English mistakes. I wrote this at like 4:00 am because I couldn’t sleep without writing this.

#willabeth #willabeth forever #willabeth fanfic #potc #pirates of the caribbean #my ship #my otp #fanfic

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waltdisneyconfessions · 6 years

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ASK A DISNEY MANAGER: QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

This is a repost because of accidental deletion. Awhile back you guys sent in questions for a Disney Manager, below are his responses! Thank you!

1. What is the worst experience/mistake you've ever made with a guest? What is the best experience you've had with a guest? I think my worst experience or moment was during my college program. I remember arriving at merge area at Peter Pan's Flight where Fastpass and standby guests merge into one line, and the Fastpass line was extremely long. I stepped in and tried my best to get the Fastpass line under control and I remember a few families in the standby line yelling obscenities at me. Once I began to let a few standby guests in, all I remember was five or six adults standing around me in a circle, screaming at me. I was so stressed that I tried to grab the attention of the person working to load guests onto the attraction, to ask if she would switch with me briefly because I thought I was going to break down and begin crying. Instead, I walked away from the merge area with no Cast Member there for a minute or two. I walked over to the person working in the load position, and said, "I'm really sorry, but I can't work in that position right now." We swapped positions until one of my managers could pull me aside to talk. I honestly thought I was going to get into trouble for walking away, but my manager was understanding and spent a few minutes with me to make sure I was okay.

2. As someone who was a Disney manager, would you openly recommend it as a job to anyone who would want to work at Disney?

Personally, I would recommended working for Disney!

As with any job, I would also encourage those interested in working at Disney to evaluate and make decisions about their own career path before immediately making the jump to work for the company. Do your homework! Determine exactly what you would like your career path to be, study and read up on the company culture, and be prepared to work hard.

Also remember that Disney is massive Fortune 500 company, operating domestically and internationally. If working for a large corporation isn’t your thing, I wouldn’t recommend Disney. Most often, moving up within the organization can take time because it is competitive.

3. how do they handle workers who don't speak English? at some point that must have happened right?

In many Guest facing roles, you are required to have a basic understanding of the English language, or be able to speak English to communicate with Guests. However, bilingual skills a great qualification that the company looks for in job candidates. If a Cast Member doesn’t possess strong verbal communication skills or basic English, he or she may work in a backstage role where guest contact is limited.

4. For the former manager: did you ever have a heart warming experience while working at Disney? Or was it all work and no spark? Many thanks for taking your time to answer questions ️

Actually, I have a few really heartwarming moments from my time at Disney, but one of my favorites moments involved me assisting with surprising a young guest with a tour the Cinderella Castle Suite whose favorite character was Cinderella. The highlight of the tour was seeing the expression on the guest’s face when she knocked on the door to the Suite and Cinderella opened it. I, along with her parents and a few other Cast Members involved, were on the verge of tears.

5. What's the snottiest, most entitled guest you've ever dealt with? And any recs for getting into the Disney College Program? Is there a chance to move up in the company into, say, the writing division in animation? Thank you so much <3

This is tough one for me because I can’t think of a specific story. That’s probably because the person acted so entitled that I wanted to completely erase them from my memory once they were gone. lol.

I will say that I’ve dealt with several Guests who have tried to essentially “pull rank” or highlight their social status by mentioning they were either lawyers or doctors when things weren’t going their way or they weren’t satisfied. I’ve also dealt with people who have tried to belittle me (and even other Cast) by assuming most of us didn’t graduate high school or attend college because we worked in a theme park. I’ll be honest, I often take words to heart, so there were moments at the end of the day when I questioned who I was and what I was doing with my life. I can’t describe the feeling I would get when I felt defeated because someone decided to belittle me…but… the good always outweighs the bad…seriously!

Even though Disney can be a competitive environment, yes, there are opportunities of moving up. I think using the College Program as your stepping stone is a great start! As for getting into the program, I would recommend opening yourself to as many roles as possible when you’re applying. I often hear that you chances are better if you don’t limit yourself to only one or two roles. These positions aren’t always going to be glamorous, but it’s what you make of it. If you are hoping to build a career at Disney, remind yourself that it has to start somewhere…and that somewhere may not be in the role you envisioned yourself. I recommend reading up on the roles available to DCP participants just to get an idea. Apply early! During the interview process think about how you respond to situational questions using your past experience. Be prepared to discuss your strengths and weaknesses, and have a few follow-up questions for after the interview. I could go on and on!! If you need more advice with the process, let me know and I would be glad to give you even more preparation tips.

Finally, as for landing a career within animation, I would recommend the path of doing a college program, to familiarize yourself with the Disney culture (be a strong and consistent performer during your DCP experience),and looking for an internship after that… Here’s a good link to check out: https://www.disneyanimation.com/careers/interns-apprentices#life-at-disney

6. can I just ask if there's something like special training on supporting Autistic Adults? Or just facilities in general? I'm saving to go to Florida next year for DisneyWorld but I'm very scared on how I may be treated if I start reacting badly to overstimulation :/

Cast Members complete training for assisting guests with specific needs, including autism, and how to assist guests requiring special assistance as part of the training process. When I worked in Guest Relations, I had to familiarize myself with the location of “break areas” throughout the parks which are helpful for individuals becoming over-stimulated. However, I think more Cast Members working in the park need to become more familiar with these locations.

Overall though I wouldn’t fear making the trip to WDW. I would recommend planning out your trip and studying up before taking your trip. Disney has some good planning resources including information for services for Guests with cognitive disabilities available on their website, and they also have a Guest with Disabilities department that can contact by phone or email before your visit.

7. how often did guests have asinine requests? like stupid things: "can you make the rain stop?"

Or… can we see Walt’s frozen corpse at the castle? lol. I’ve heard that one a couple of times. I also remember being asked by a father whose child wasn’t tall enough to ride an attraction, “what if I stuff my child’s shoes and come back later? Will you let him ride then?”

8. what are the best secrets that guests can access at the parks but few do? Also is the paintbrush on tom Sawyer island actually a thing? One last thing, what is the pay like? (Answer if you want, I know it’s not necessarily my place) I’ve always wanted to work there but I live in Ohio so I’m deciding whether it’s worth it to move. Thank you and you’re an amazing human being <3

I think some of the best secrets aren’t found within attractions or shows, but in some of the smallest details that Guests tend to overlook. For me, I enjoy the fact that the parks are full of small Easter eggs. For example, there is a telephone in the back of the Chapeau (the hat shop on Main Street) at Magic Kingdom. It looks like a simple prop hanging on the wall, but when you pick it up you can hear a funny “party line” conversation between two people. Or, if you’re ever in the lower level of the Main Street train station, you’ll hear a telegraph tapping out the Walt Disney’s opening day speech for Disneyland in Morse code.

I wouldn’t think of this as much of a secret, but one of my favorite Disney treats is a peanut butter & jelly milkshake from 50’s Prime Time Café. Many people think you have to dine there to order one, but if you stop by the Tune-In Lounge next door, you can order one to-go! If you’ve never had one though, you must!

Paintbrushes at Tom Sawyer Island did exist for quite some time, and it was a great scavenger hunt, especially for younger guests, but the Magical Moment was removed several years ago.

To answer your question about pay, I think it depends on your role. I think most people forget there are a wide variety of roles at Walt Disney World alone. I don’t know the exact current starting pay rates for guest-facing hourly positions, but the range is anywhere between $8 to just over $12 depending on the type of role.

And if that "you're an amazing human being comment was directed at me"... Thanks so much! I appreciate that! :)

9. I always loved Disney Quest, and we made one final trip when we heard it was closing. We had a blast, but the main attractions did look run down and out of date, and we constantly joked about the ps2 style graphics. It seemed like Disney sunk a lot of money into DQ for opening day and did little else to update it since. Do you have any info on why this was, or on what led to Disney Quest closing down? I feel like there was still a lot of potential there, especially with Disney's new properties

I think people have created their own theories behind the demise of DisneyQuest. DQ was a pretty ambitious project by a division of the company known at the time as Disney Regional Entertainment. The long term goal was to open DisneyQuest locations in several major cities throughout the country. DisneyQuest Chicago opened in 1998 and closed two years later. Groundbreaking for another location in Philadelphia started and was halted after the DisneyQuest concept didn’t sustain itself in Chicago, and there were a number of reasons thrown out for its failure…from the theme park admission price structure to enter, to the lack of return visits, and Disney simply misunderstanding the market which led to low attendance.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the exact “why” behind the closing of DQ at WDW. I think many will say that a lack of investment was the primary cause. I will agree there wasn’t much invested into DQ after the property transferred hands from Disney Regional Entertainment to WDW park operations. I think one of the biggest challenges for Disney was keeping up with the rapidly evolving technology trends to ensure that DisneyQuest stayed relevant, and the possibility of having update attractions within the building frequently to keep up. In the end, I think executives within Disney figured it would be wiser to invest its money into its largest attendance draw, its theme parks.

10. What was your best day and what was your worst day working? My worst day? Hmm...working in Guest Relations when it started raining during the last two hours of a Halloween Party. I remember the line for Guest Relations stretching across Town Square on Main Street...and there were lots of angry people. I wouldn't say it was the worst day, but it was definitely stressful. It's difficult to narrow it down to just one because I've quite a few memorable days. I think one of the best days involved the Cinderella Suite magical moment I was part of (mentioned in a previous question). 11. What was the weirdest complaint someone brought to Guest Relations?

A guest who was upset because he ended up getting wet while riding Splash Mountain. He tried his hardest to convince me there was nothing convincing him that he or his family would get wet on the ride, and that the rest of his day was ruined because his shirt was wet. Try listening to that with a straight face and concerned face…

12. if you had been high enough on the food chain to make larger changes to the park, what would be the most important thing you'd want to accomplish?

Hmm, interesting question. The first...BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION attraction, with some slight updates.

Although it’s practically unrealistic, if there was one thing could change about WDW would be its size, and try removing some of the growing pains that have come as a result of the WDW sprawl. I often think that Walt Disney World expanded at a pretty rapid pace, and maybe much too quickly at times. After my first visit to Disneyland almost 15 years ago, I fell in love with the place. I felt like Guests had a personal connection to Disneyland, and that wasn’t something I had ever really noticed in Florida. As corny as it sounds, there is a certain charm about Disneyland and I think a lot of that not only has to do the fact that it was the only Disney park that Walt was involved in operationally, but it also has something to with the size and walkability of the resort.

13. How do you feel about the union negotiations? (From a current and scared part timer in the parks)

What has you scared? My feelings are rather mixed about the current negotiations. I’ll be honest and say that I do think pay increases are needed, and that Cast Members are generally held to a standard higher than any other individual working within similar positions in the industry. I’m just not completely certain if $15/hour is going to be the solution. I don’t think I’m best person to ask regarding facts and figures because I’m not an economist.

As an outsider looking in, I do think that the negotiations has had an impact on service levels within Disney’s parks and resorts. I think the union will continue leverage the belief that if the organization expects such high performance standards, then Cast Members need to be paid appropriately to reflect those expectations.

On the other side of the debate, I think it’s possible to see a future where Disney will eventually begin to heavily focus on marketing its attractions and experiences to continue to entice people to visit, remove those high expectations often place on hourly guest-facing roles, and treat the role of Cast Member as simply a “ride attendant” or “sales associate” rather than placing emphasis on the role of a Cast Member as something unique (hopefully, that makes sense and it doesn’t appear that I’m rambling).

One thing I will stand by is this… I recommend that Cast Members take time to develop their skill and not allow themselves to become complacent. Personally, I’ve witnessed a lot of that during my time with the company. I had moments when I felt that way about myself as well. I know that each person has a different story, and a different set of circumstances, but I would love to see more hourly Cast Members try to advantage of Disney’s education funding/reimbursement program. I’m not certain if the new higher education program benefits announced earlier this year are available to WDW hourly employees, but if so, I would encourage people to take advantage of it! Even if a person thinks they are not cut out for college, the new program covers vocational training which provides individuals with a better opportunity to develop their skills.

14. What was your favorite magical moment you gave and received? [see Cinderella Castle Suite response] 15. Do you know what kind if engineers Disney hires the most? I'm looking at electrical engineering for college but I'm not sure if that's a good approach if I want to work at Disneyworld or Disneyland.

I think electrical engineering is a good choice and you’ll definitely find a number of positions seeking individuals with backgrounds in that specialization. It’s tough to say which types of engineers the company hires the most of, but I think some of the most common consist of mechanical, electrical, systems engineering, and even audio/visual engineering.

As you make your decision, I would definitely pay a visit to disneycareers.com and do a job search for engineering. I think you’ll learn that there is a pretty diverse offering of engineering roles not only in Parks and Resorts, but companywide as well.

Mod Jen: I’m going to butt in here: I was close with many of the maintenance team at Disney and I know straight from them that electrical is much more lucrative than mechanical, because you’re at greater risk. You also get paid more.

16. If I want to become an imagineer at the parks, is there anything I can do to improve my chances of being hired as one?

Definitely ensure that you have a degree specialized in a field of engineering, art, or another creative field. If you are into design, it will be important that you start building a professional portfolio as well.

If you’re currently in college or a recent graduate, I would highly recommend looking into Professional Internships with Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI). I think the professional internship is a great way to “get your foot in the door” and understand the culture of Imagineering. I know a few people who have taken the internship route, worked hard, and were offered opportunities to continue their career with Imagineering after graduation. If you’ve been out of school for a while, I recommend looking for entry level positions within WDI, or take on a job with a design or engineering firm elsewhere so that you can develop some career experience. I know some Imagineers weren’t always Disney “fanatics” or knew much about the history of Disney prior to joining, but they’re experience and portfolio stood out as something Disney saw as creative or unique.

For designers, WDI hosts an annual design competition for college students and recent grads called “Imaginations” which gives winners the opportunity to be considered for internships.

17. Hi! I was wondering is there an age limit for DCP? I'd love to apply before I move out to CA for grad school. I'm 30. I also have multiple disabilities, mainly Cerebral Palsy. What jobs can be done from a power wheelchair? How accessible is Disneyland?

There is no age limit on the DCP. At one of my locations, I worked with someone who was 45 years old when she did her first program. As long as you’re enrolled full-time or part-time at a university, or a recent graduate. Utilizing a power wheelchair isn’t an issue at all, and there are a variety of positions you would be able to work within Disney’s parks and resorts. There will probably be some limits working in some roles though (such as some attractions) since those may require the ability to travel up or down stairs to access areas of the attraction when it’s needed.

Overall, I think Disney does an excellent job when it comes to accessibility within its parks. If you were to compare accessibility between the two parks in Anaheim, Disney’s California Adventure would probably win since it was built more recently with ADA accessibility in mind. Disneyland still does a great job with accessibility though, it’s just that many of the attractions may not have queues that are wheelchair accessible, so instead they use alternate entrances.

18. What are your guys' favourite Disney rides? Have you guys went to some of the other parks outside of the US?

My all-time favorite is The Haunted Mansion. I’ve always been obsessed about the early history and the development of the attraction. Laugh if you want, but It’s a Small World is another one of my favorites (I worked there during my college program). Spaceship Earth is another. I have yet to visit any of the Disney parks outside of the US. Tokyo Disneyland is on my list of must-sees!

19. How did you work up the ladder to manager? What position did you start in, how did you get that position, and what other positions did you have between then and manager?

I began my Disney career as a part-time attractions host at Space Mountain which lasted about two months before I transferred to a full-time attractions host role at DisneyQuest. It was during my time at DisneyQuest that I decided I wanted to become a Disney leader. Before stepping into an actual leadership position with Disney, you often have to take on the challenge of informal leadership positions, such as a trainer or coordinator. Six months after starting at DQ, I interviewed for an attractions trainer position and that became my first step to gaining some leadership experience.

During my time as a trainer, I began to communicate regularly with another manager who became my mentor, and he helped guide me through me through the process of strengthening my resume and interview skills. After spending a year at DisneyQuest, my mentor and the operations manager suggested that I transfer from DisneyQuest to an attraction at a park as a way of gaining more experience working at an attraction with a high guest capacity. I took their advice and transferred to Mission:Space at Epcot and became a trainer within six months of working there.

During this period, I was also given an amazing opportunity to join the Disney Traditions team as a Traditions Assistant facilitator. For those unfamiliar with Disney, Traditions is the new hire orientation that all company employees go through. This was a year-long, “once-in-your-Disney-career,” experience that I think helped open doors for me at WDW as well.

Almost two years after starting with Disney, I went through a process known at the time as Leadership Casting Call. This was the process WDW used to identify and develop a pool of talent to become Guest Service Managers for each line of business at Disney’s parks and resorts. After lots of networking, mock interview preparations, and finally, the actual interviews, I was selected to be part of the talent pool. My first temporary position as a manager took me back to DisneyQuest. This would also be the place where I would end up becoming a full-time manager about 8 months later.

20. Is Splash Mountain an awkward subject to discuss? Have people asked about what that ride is based off of, & if they do, were you allowed to tell them about Song of the South, or did you have to lie & say it's an original attraction just like Haunted Mansion or Jungle Cruise?

Honestly, I’ve never had to have an awkward conversation about Splash Mountain. I think majority of the population may not connect the attraction with the movie Song of the South.

21. What has been one or more of the craziest experiences/incidents you ever had working for Disney?

Splash Mountain probably led to some of my craziest and most interesting challenges ever. One of the craziest moments though was witnessing a ride vehicle at Splash Mountain nearly on the verge of sinking with Guests onboard because the log was taking on too much water. Everyone was okay, but they pretty much drenched from the waist down. The family was pretty understanding in the end and actually ended up being some of the nicest people I’d ever interacted with while working at Disney.

#ask #Disney manager #please reblog #long post

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zaolat · 6 years

Text

Consequences

so my salty ass hates the Fall of Osiris comic with every fiber of my being so i wrote a fix it fic that ignores it entirely lmao

tagging @dngrs-untld-hrshps-unnmbrd and @littleshebear in it because their salt fuels mine, as well as @house-of-kells because their fix it fic inspired this one

the Speaker is mine now and Bungo can’t have him back

note: if the formatting messes up just read it on my blog it’s being fucky for some reason (edit: yep it’s being fucky just click the readmore it fixes it i swear)

“Ikora,” the Speaker says warmly as the younger Warlock enters the Observatory. “Thank you for coming. I am sorry to pull you away from your duties, especially at a time like this.”

Osiris’ apprentice looks nervous, and he does not blame her. Especially with the responsibilities she has had to take up. The Fallen are only a week away, marching on the City en-masse, and their Vanguard Commander is nowhere to be found. Lost in his own...obsession. Stirring up conflict in the City at a time when they need unity the most.

The doors close behind her, and she glances back, her Ghost’s nodes shifting nervously from where he hovers over her shoulder. The Speaker’s own Ghost gives a sigh, noting their obvious discomfort. [“Relax. You’re not in trouble.”]

Ikora’s shoulders sag a bit, the tension easing out of them, and she stands up straighter, her expression morphing into one of professionalism. “What’s this about, Speaker?”

He sighs, his shoulders slumping a bit, looking away from Ikora briefly to glance out over the Traveler, the City. Everything looks peaceful from up here, as if nothing is wrong. But that’s far from the case. The Fallen are marching on their walls en-masse and the people are in a state of panic while the Guardians prepare.

And where is their Vanguard Commander?

Everywhere but where he’s supposed to be, apparently.

His former apprentice has lost his way. And while he sees what he is trying to do, this is neither the time nor the place for it. So they must do what has to be done.

Does he want to? Does he take any pleasure in stripping his former apprentice of everything he’s worked so hard for? No. But they cannot continue like this.

“You and I both know what this is about,” the Speaker says forlornly, turning back to Ikora again. She says nothing, but her expression says more than any words could ever say. “How goes the coordinating of the Warlock Orders?”

“I will have to ask Osiris-”

“Ikora.” He holds up a hand, shaking his head. “You don’t have to lie to me. I know you’re covering for him.”

She sighs, as if she’s been expecting this conversation. In all honesty, she probably has. “Someone had to,” she says firmly. “His...research is very important, Speaker.”

“Yes...his research. Vex simulations and timelines. Did any of his research tell us the Fallen would be marching on our doorstep?”

“I...I don’t know. He never mentioned anything of the sort.”

“Hmph.” He folds his hands behind his back, pacing in front of her. He’s trying to hide his own anxiety about the entire situation - Osiris has been a valuable asset, especially after his actions at Six Fronts. But that was then. What has he done recently but obsess over the Vex? “Research is important. And maybe he’s right. Maybe these...simulations he speaks of could help us predict the future. But the thing about the future is that it is always in motion. But what good is all of that if it turns their attention on us? Right now they largely ignore us, unless we are on Mars or Venus or Mercury. Osiris speaks of the Vex as a threat, but what good is all of that, what good is all this talk of the future, if the very real threat in the present is ignored? If we ignore this threat there will be no future.”

Ikora is silent for a few moments, a conflicted expression on her face. Her Ghost looks between the Speaker and his Ghost, as if trying to read them. The older Warlock sighs, taking a few steps closer to the two of them. “Ikora…”

Ikora closes her eyes briefly, then opens them. “It’s not,” she admits. “He’s obsessed, Speaker. I couldn’t pull him away, even to talk about the defense of the City. He just told me the Vex are the real threat.”

[“He and Sagira barely even acknowledge our presence anymore,”] Ikora’s Ghost says, sounding insulted on the behalf of both him and his Guardian. And though Osiris may not think so, it is an insult. It’s easy to see that Ikora Rey is brilliant, well respected among all Guardians.

The Speaker sighs. So this is what it comes down to. Osiris won’t even listen to his own apprentice. “Something must be done.”

“But what?! Speaker, I know he has lost his way, but-”

He holds up a hand, and she falls silent. He sighs. This entire situation is giving him a headache. He hates putting her in a position like this, where she must choose between the people she loves and her duty to the City.

“I know you care greatly about him. He is your mentor. He was my apprentice, too. But we can both see how far he has fallen. We need our Vanguard Commander now more than ever. And he is simply not there.”

“I know.” The words are like an admission of guilt, Ikora’s carefully crafted expression falling. She has had to be so strong for so long, to carry the burden that shouldn’t be hers.

“You’ve been coordinating the Warlock Orders, and have handled the responsibility with grace. I would ask that you continue to do so, for the time being,” the Speaker says, moving forward to place a hand on her shoulder.

She doesn’t shrug him off, instead looking straight at him, as if she could see his expression through his mask. If she could, she’d see a million different emotions. Anger, sorrow, regret. He closes his eyes briefly and sighs, drawing his free hand down over his mask.

“And what of Osiris?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

The Speaker sighs again, tearing his gaze away from Ikora’s. “I need your help, Ikora. You are the one person he may still listen to. And if not him, I know Sagira values your input.”

“I don’t think he’ll listen to anyone at this point. Not even me,” Ikora admits quietly. She sighs and pulls away from him, pinching the bridge of her nose, eyes closing briefly. He can’t imagine how frustrated she is, to have her own mentor brush her off. Someone she was supposed to be able to rely on. “What do we do in the meantime?”

The Speaker sighs. This is the part that will be the hardest, for both of them. He folds his hands in front of him, and she stands only a few feet away, a questioning look on her face. But her eyes are full of conflict. He can see worry, anger, and doubt in them. And he doesn’t blame her one bit.

“I have spoken with the other members of the Vanguard and the faction leaders,” he says, and Ikora makes a noise of surprise. A Consensus meeting that Osiris wasn’t invited to. “Off the record. For now, we have agreed to strip Osiris of his role as Vanguard Commander and Warlock Vanguard.”

Ikora gives a deep, long sigh. She knew this was coming. They both did. [“Who will coordinate the defense of the City?”] her Ghost asks, his nodes shifting and voice full of worry.

“Lord Saladin has stepped up as temporary Vanguard Commander for the duration of this crisis. And you have done a fine job coordinating the Warlock Orders in his place. I would ask you continue to do so.”

She straightens, and in that moment he is proud of her. She has stepped up when no one else has, in a time of deep conflict both in the City and outside it. She will make a fine Warlock Vanguard, when this is all over. “It would be my honor.”

“I know you will do the job well,” the Speaker replies warmly, placing both his hands on her shoulders, and she gives the smallest of smiles. But then she is all business.

“Something still needs to be done about Osiris.”

“Go to him. Try to make him see sense, and inform him of what we and the Consensus have discussed here. If he refuses to see reason, further action may be required.” Ikora nods firmly, but there’s conflict in her eyes again. They both know what “further action” means. And neither of them want to do that. But something unspoken passes between them at that moment. Sacrifices must be made, even at great personal cost.

For the good of the City.

He lets his hands fall off her shoulders, and then she’s all business, nodding to him respectfully. “I will go to him immediately. Hopefully, he will at least see reason.”

They both know their fellow Warlock is too stubborn to do such a thing.

“Take a contingent of Guardians with you, just in case. He always has those...cultists, hanging around him. As much as he dislikes them, he does little to dissuade them. We don’t know how they’ll react. And...thank you, Ikora.”

She nods to him, and he motions for his Ghost to open the doors. She strides with purpose out into Tower North, and he watches her go, both pride and sorrow in his eyes beneath the mask.

Nothing will be the same after this.

The doors close behind Ikora and her Ghost, and they’re alone in the Observatory once more. The mask and cowl are removed and the Speaker draws a hand down over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose and giving a long sigh, his other hand running through his long white hair. A nervous habit.

[“Vadim,”] his Ghost says, speaking his name in the quiet of the Observatory, with just the two of them, her tone hesitant. [“Are we doing the right thing?”]

Vadim gives a sigh, his hazel eyes flickering to his Ghost before they both turn to look out over the City. “I hope so, Maria. I hope so.”

#the speaker #ikora rey #destiny fanfiction #mine: writing #fanfic: destiny #c: vadim yousafzai #c: maria #this was brought to you by SALT #and written in like half an hour #vadim is my version of the speaker and i love him #the speaker is mine 1v1 me bungo #i've been fighting with the formatting for like half an hour i give up

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