#Marauders Vehicle

[labyrinthhofmymind]

tcoptp remus is soooo MESSY i actually cannot

[yikes-eliott]

Something about the bad driver Remus hc is so special to me like they finally arrive at their destination w Sirius and James huddled in the backseat horrified and my boy remu glaring at them like “okay but did you die?”

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Marauding Dreadship by Tiffany Turrill

[swtechspecs]

Finhead Stonebone's Modified Byblos Drive Yards E-2 Asteroid Miner "Marauder Starjacker"

Source: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Del Rey, 1996)m

[kollectorsrus]

[doom-nerdo-666]

3 ideas: UAC/ARC vehicles, "weapon mods" carrying enemies and a "Gun stealing" enemy

UAC/ARC war vehicles under Hellish/demonic influence

Eternal gave the idea of UAC/ARC soldiers having vehicles and mechs but it was barely explored, though there's also concept art of it.

But imagine if their military tanks, mechs, helicopters etc showed up more and not just as level assets: Imagine them as enemies, either piloted by Zombie/Possessed Soldiers OR the vehicles themselves would be "corrupted" by Hell and act on their own.

Maybe some could drop Zombie Soldiers as if they're deploying an army or even like the Duke Nukem 3D Pig Cops where shooting down a UAC vehicle leads to a Zombieman coming out of it (IF the vehicle exploding doesn't kill him, that is).

They could also have both Possessed Soldiers piloting them and the mechs/helicopters/planes/tanks etc look "demonic" as if they had flesh growing or were slightly changed with Cultist/Immora-like tech.

(And the inclusion of a tank means an homage to a certain other tank entity from the series)

This idea sounds weird but it'd be too far if they could've been pilotable by the player because of the extra complexity and all.

(Unless it's a game with more open spaces but NOT open world and maybe an opportunity for the Slayer to finally pilot the Atlan mech in a gameplay moment)

Could still be a fun way to "expand the universe" in a more "mechanical" way.

Weapon mods available to enemies

D2016 changed the Zombiemen type in the sense that they're no longer "gun carrying" zombies, both aesthetically and mechanically.

It might make sense for 2 reasons: One being the removal or at least lower amount of enemy hitscan and the second reason being how the pickup/loot system/economy works.

(And maybe how they're technically no longer "Doomguy's former buddies", even if they're somehow not using their UAC tech but he does)

But both 2016 and Eternal make a case of UAC soldiers armed with the same Plasma Rifles as the player, while Possessed Soldiers carry what might as well be a different version of it.

Because otherwise, imagine if these Soldiers having access to the same weaponry as Doomguy meant also having access to weapon mods.

Rifle zombie? He gets micro missiles and one of the sniper rifle based mods.

Shotgun zombie? One of the grenade mods and one of the auto shotgun mods.

What about chaingun zombies with those energy shields (Not the same as the TAG2 Riot Soldier) and turret modes?

Or Plasma zombies with heat blasts and either microwave beams or stun bombs.

This can also go beyond the UAC, like Cultist zombies with Eternal's Rocket Launcher or Possessed Sentinel warriors with Ballistas.

At the very least, you can give these guys a visual feedback/telegraph indicating them using a certain mod (Or just put them behind a difficulty setting or game mode).

They could also be a special boss like a Professional Zombie squad where a group of Zombie soldiers has each member have a weapon with weapon mods and they're a bit smarter/more mobile than traditional Possessed Soldiers.

(Remember what i said about the Dark Lord and if he was a "literal anti-Doomguy" mechanically? The Professional Zombie squad is like "split versions" of that Doomguy clone idea, wich each Soldier representing a different weapon)

But simply killing one of them grants ammo (Maybe even add ammo backpacks to their designs, to indicate they're packed with ammo and all).

And if said Professional Zombie squad was mostly UAC themed, pretend the UAC somehow figured out copying the Meathook from the Eternal SSG ("Lucifer's Bane").

Could also lead to a lore of UAC mimicking Sentinel weaponry and have their versions of some weapons but not all due to how advanced Sentinel stuff is.

(Like i can see UAC guys with shoulder equipment launchers but not Crucibles)

"Gun stealing" enemy

Remember when Quake SoE's Gremlin had the ability to take a weapon from the player?

I think the Marauder could suit this idea for a few reasons.

He's an adversary of the Slayer, but we could enhance that rival aspect.

He could steal weapons from the Slayer using a grapple hook, which even mirrors the Slayer's Meathook.

Imagine a Marauder spinning the chain rope like a whip before he launches it or doing something as some form of feedback/telegraph.

The player must prepare before the Marauder uses the hook to steal their current weapon.

It could even have a familiar logic of the Marauder being invulnerable when preparing his hook and doing the green light "hit me quick" bit when about to launch the hook.

When the Marauder does steal a weapon, he may even run out of ammo of said weapon and throw it away (Player can pick up the weapon back, but with no ammo lol).

Speaking of green light, when the Marauder throws away the stolen weapon, that could be another "hit me now" moment too.

Maybe this could be an iteration of the Marauder in a future game or even a "subvariant" like if the Cultist Marauder skin was an enemy type.

These 3 ideas sound complicated but might be fun... maybe.

Perhaps one extra idea i could've mentioned is the UAC military having nuclear weapons even called "BFN" and there could even be something with pilotable/guided missiles like the Redeemer from Unreal.

Final Doomer even had a BFG with a nuke for the Hellbound set: Like the projectile causes a huge explosion that even leaves radiation as a damaging hazard for enemies (I think it was like that if i recall).

[badly-drawn-doflamingo]

Brook’s Past, Military and Everything Between [ An Essay kinda ]

Brook’s past is not a thing many people seem to mention or think about, at least in full, however it’s something that's plagued me. Not only as a Brook fan, but simply out of the odd implications it has towards the future, if any. Oda’s planted too many seeds for it to utterly be nothing; there’s so much odd and seemingly out of place comments and facts stated by Brook and others towards this missing history. However, knowing that the show is beginning to near it’s end, due to time, I am unsure of what exactly will be done.

I believe however, for folks' interest and so we can have everything in one place, that compiling everything found so far can be beneficial, so, I have.

Starting with what we know for sure, Brook is from the West Blue, born 90 years ago to a certain kingdom, the same kingdom he was a military convoy leader from. We know this due to a few factors, however it’s still open to debate if it *is* the same kingdom, however seeing as he was shown as a child to already know what fencing is, practicing moves with his bow, I am just going to say he probably was. In any case, other things worth noting, on the topic of childhood, is that Brook seems to have had money. At least, stability.

Compared to a lot of the other strawhats, Brook is shown dressing very nice. No tatters, no tears, shined shoes and a full violin and bow. He also, as already stated, seemed to be exposed to fencing enough to mirror the moves. If this comes from his kingdom, it means he was exposed to it at a young age. Knowing that he was a military convoy leader, this could be taken that perhaps there were military demonstrations, perhaps the kid saw castle guard or other displays; it’s really up in the air.

We know Brook, again as stated before, became a military convoy leader. Now, the definition of what exactly that means can differ.

Wikipedia states; A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.

This could mean Brook’s job could’ve been accompanying ships for protection, being a knight for his King, mediating information and goods that come in and out of the kingdom. This would make sense on why his speed was needed, a 9.2 ft man being a great choice for a leader.

His weapon also would make sense for this kind of mission, perhaps secrecy being important or at least the ability to be discreet. His cane sword, a ‘Shikomizue’, is not unique however to just him in the show, one other man using one that has been confirmed so far, that being Fujitora. The pair also share a sea, the west, and both utilize iaijutsu (quick draw techniques.) Fujitora blinded himself with said sword because of something apparently so cruel and inhumane that he rather not see anguish. This may be related to Brook’s departure from his kingdom, which is addressed later in this essay. (Fig 3-5.)

Another thing that’s worth mentioning here is Brook’s attack patterns, being unique even for his kingdom apparently. Once again, during the Ryuma fight, Brook states, and I quote;

“Ryuma: “Now tell me, what part of that wretched excuse for a body would you like me to severe with my special ‘Arrow Notch Slash?’ Brook: You don’t know a thing about that move, so do not use it’s name. I use to serve in my kingdom’s raider squad. The quick draw attack that I was most skilled at was ‘Requiem Lebanderole’. My comrades-in-arms renamed it in regards to my fighting technique.”

(Fig. 1, Brook explains his raider squad and move names. A banderole mind you is a long flag for BATTLE crusades. )

This sets up a few interesting facts. 1. Brook was in a raider squad, a kingdom’s group of marauders, as well as if not the same job as convoy leader. 

2. His techniques were unique to him, or at least specialized to a degree of having a nickname. 3. As expected, he seems to have been close to these men he commanded, adding another layer over Brook loosing the Rumbars. Being in both a raider squad and being a convoy leader at one point, if not the same point, implies either Brook was simply versatile, acting in both in separate years or periods. Or, the most likely, that he was higher ranking than expected, making him a CO, or commanding officer. (Lieutenant Colonel is another equal rank for scale, making Brook just below a Major.) This makes him quite the important figure, especially for a kingdom that seems to value its military so much, so much so that a child of Brook’s age would already know about their style of fencing, as expressed already. Brook’s devil fruit is worth mentioning here, the revive-revive fruit not likely to be found by a crew like the Rumbars. It is spoken about as if he has always had it amongst the crew, being a fact of life. However, when did he get that fruit and why? I propose where it would be useful; in combat. If your military convoy leader, your best swordsman could be shot and come right back to protect the king, would he not be utterly invaluable? You would never let him leave… But he DID leave. It’s not said why, however we have some extra tidbits of information that may tell us why, and that ALSO may tell us the answer to what kingdom he means.

( Fig. 2. Brook states his leaving of the military for unknown reasoning, the word certain being used in an odd way, establishing his bounty.) This bounty mind you all is in fact, using inflation method, 297,000,000 berries. That is a MASSIVE bounty for just a pirate. Perhaps a certain blond stole a treasure a kingdom could not replace; their convoy leader. Lets rewind for a moment and cover something that may be seen as off topic however I will come right back to the subject at hand; Calico Yorki. Yorki is an odd bird, pirate wise. He makes his crew read his bounties and information, is never shown to play an instrument/sing but makes his crew preform/they all do, and makes Brook make him dinner. (Steak, and Brook continues to be able to make it as confirmed by an SBS.) What is oddest yet, other than his large crew and shirtless habits, is his nature. A man that set to sea to play music for “orphans and crying children” as stated by himself; a crew made for “any men who love music.” Now, I could be reading into this too hard, however from his speech patterns, to this apparent need for a large family, it seems that singing to orphans may be a very personal goal. An orphan turned pirate perhaps, with lofty dreams and a heart of gold, it reads to me that Yorki may have been just that. Knowing this, orphan or not, we now can compare these facts to Brook’s life up until their meeting. A child who probably grew up being taught to fight, being around access to education, expenses and the kingdom’s training. Why would a man like Brook ever join a man like Yorki, and if it’s only music, would that not make Brook a deserter? I do not think that is the case. I will now bring forward some interesting evidence regarding Brook’s kingdom and WHY he would leave. Germa 66. During Zou to Whole Cake, a few mentions of Germa are made with Brook around, garnering interesting reactions indeed.

( Fig. 3. Brook listens but chooses not to add anything utter than silence, his music pausing as well.) This silence could be take as simple ignorance, however Brook later admits he knows of the kingdom, in fact, he knows a lot. A lot more than anyone else did, Reiju admitting interest in his knowledge and once again, Brook brushes it off.

(Fig 4, 5, Brook speaks about Germa 66.) He seems to underplay or simply not elaborate a LOT on his kingdom, as if something happened. Perhaps joining Yorki was not out of simple cowardice or need to be free, (which again if he did would both reflect poorly upon his entire character and not be in character for him what so ever,) but in fact, out of necessity. It could have been Germa 66, it could have been some other grouping, however I believe this will come to be something important. The kingdom possibilities are interesting as well, and I will list the following LIKELY possibilities. (Other options are known to not be military, like Ohara, or literally places like Thriller Bark itself.) - Toroa - God Valley - Illsia Kingdom - Soja Kingdom The most likely candidates, because again, it is labeled as certain kingdom (Fig 2.) is Toroa or Soja, however I will personally lean into Toroa. This is because of a man by the named of Byron.

(Fig 6. Byron and his information.) His nose and face shape vaguely resemble Brook, however honestly that is a stretch. What is NOT however is his familiar attire, family line and the placement of his kingdom. This could easily be Brook’s home, however again, this is just speculation. Brook very well could belong to God’s Valley, or the same kingdom as Issoh, fleeing because of something he did not agree with or literally could not stand any longer. But, that falls under possibility, not fact. This concludes the facts section, now comes the final question; What does it mean for the story? And, honestly, that can be debated. What Oda has done is plant odd seeds of information about the man, similar to Sanji and his ties to Vinsmoke, that have not been addressed nor talked about in full, or so I’ve found sufficiently. These seeds MAY bloom into what I hope will be a tie into some huge reveal, perhaps aid from a past member of his convoy or kingdom, or perhaps this will only spark conflict. Perhaps it will be minute, Brook being able to aid due to his knowledge, the man already in Thriller Bark showing his prowess by being able to command the strawhats into defeating zombies via salt and tactic. In any case, we can only hope these things mean anything, tied into some huge story that could explain why a man like him would quit for a redneck like Yorki, other than perhaps love, and what kingdom would let a man like him go willingly.

[empress-simps]

Uncle Padfoot’s Motorcycle

Pairing: Dad! Remus x Mom! Reader CW: Language and Remus who’s gonna face the wrath of his wife. Summary: Uncle Sirius takes baby Moony out for a ride on his motorcycle and you aren't happy about it.

Note: I’ve literally enjoyed writing this, and dad! Marauders literally make me hdiskskssjska ALSO THANK YOU FOR 500 FOLLOWERS YOU GUYS🫨🥹 I LOVE Y’ALL

"Sirius Orion Black and Remus John Lupin!"

Sirius could feel his soul practically leave his body as he saw you, in your ever angry form, march to where he is handing your year old daughter to Remus' awaiting arms.

This is it, this is how Sirius thinks he’s going to leave the face of the Earth.

"Erm, I have to go! See you next week yeah?" Sirius clambers onto his motorcycle, praying to any deity that he would fly faster than you hexing him with your wandless magic.

"Bye pah foo!" Lyra grins, her four teeth in clear display as Sirius looked back and waved, "See you soon, baby moony! Have to go before mummy hexes me to no end!"

Remus watched his friend blankly, deep down wishing he too was in the back of the motorcycle with Lyra so he could escape the imminent wrath his wife that was to rain down on him.

“Remus. John. Lupin.”

Each word you uttered was like a nail on his coffin. He tried his best not to wince as he heard how utterly cold and sharp you spat his name out. So, gathering up his remaining courage, he faced you with a smile- and he definitely didn’t place your squealing baby girl in front of him, making her somewhat his shield. He hoped the cuteness of Lyra would soften the blow quite a bit.

“Hi, darling! You’re back early- “

“Tell me I did just not see our one-year-old baby land in front of our house riding Sirius’ flying motorcycle or so merlin help me I will strangle you.” You warned, taking Lyra from his hands, who happily snuggled in your arms.

Well, shit.

There goes his only chance of living.

He offered a wry smile, ignoring how sweaty his hands had become. “Alrighty, I won’t tell you- “

“Remus! You seriously thought it was a good idea to let our child ride a flying motorcycle? She just turned a year-old last week for Merlin’s sake!” You scolded, poor Remus. Call him a seer because he can already see himself sleeping on the couch for the entire week, a few days if he’s lucky.

“Darling, Sirius and I made sure it was completely safe.” He tried to explain, “Lyra doesn’t even have a helmet! What were you guys thinking?!” You hugged your baby closer to your chest.

“Well, Padfoot said it’s unnecessary since they’re technically flying.” You scoffed in disbelief as you comforted Lyra who started to fuss. “Remind me to make Sirius fall next time I set his eyes on him on that darn vehicle of his.”

Remus could only let out a nervous chuckle. "Erm, I will."

“Why was Padfoot even here the first place?” You raised an eyebrow, going back inside the house to place Lyra in her playpen as Remus followed you like a servant who’s trying to regain your favor. “He also took Harry out for a ride. After that, he went here and told me Lyra should also experience it.”

You turned around and faced him, a hand on your hips. “I’m guessing Lily isn’t aware- because there is no way in her right mind that she would let her two-year-old son ride a flying motorcycle.”

His silence was the only thing you needed to hear from him.

“Where even were you when he took Lyra out for a ride?”

He blinks stupidly, “Outside, watching them.”

“You better choose your next words carefully Lupin.”

“I was supposed to ride with them, darling! But Sirius already took off when I was about to get onto the motorcycle!” He explains, hoping it’ll be enough to save him as he recalled the events from earlier.

“Pah foo!” Lyra grinned as she clapped her hands excitedly, her sandy brown hair that was tied in pigtails was swaying with every move she made. Sirius returned her excitement, bypassing Remus who answered the door and made a beeline to the squealing baby.

“There’s my baby Moony!” He lifts Lyra up from her playpen and peppers her face with kisses while Remus smiled, rolling his eyes playfully. “I’m starting to think you’re just visiting so you can hang out with my daughter, Padfoot.”

Sirius turned to look at him, smiling playfully as Lyra tugged on his curls. “I’m afraid so, Moony.” He then turned his attention to the child. “Now, who wants to go on an adventure with uncle Padfoot?”

Sirius’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he held Lyra aloft, her giggles filling the room. “We’ll soar over the treetops, chase the clouds, and maybe even race a few owls, eh?” He bounced her gently, eliciting more delighted squeals.

Remus watched them, a fond smile on his face, thinking that his best mate wouldn’t seriously do it. “Just make sure you keep her within sight, Padfoot. No loops or dives,” he added with a mock sternness that fooled neither Sirius nor Lyra.

Sirius mock saluted. “Aye, aye, Captain Moony!” He turned to Lyra, whispering conspiratorially, “Your dad’s just worried we’ll have too much fun without him.”

Remus didn’t even know how it happened, he just suddenly became aware of the situation when Sirius and Lyra were off, the flying motorcycle roaring to life as they took to the skies, leaving a trail of laughter, the faint smell of engine oil in their wake, and a faint ‘I fly, dada!’ from Lyra.

You sighed, effectively pulling him out of his thoughts. “At least Lyra’s safe, I know Sirius wouldn’t endanger his god daughter.”

You watched as Remus’s eyes softened; the worry lines smoothed out from his forehead. “Yes, Lyra is safe, and Sirius might be reckless, but he’s also fiercely protective,” he agreed, his voice carrying a note of gratitude. You hummed in agreement.

Remus tested the waters, “So… I won’t be sleeping in the couch, right?”

You couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle, the tension from earlier dissipating like morning fog in the sunlight. “No, Remmy, you won’t be sleeping on the couch,” you said, your voice laced with a hint of amusement. “But let’s agree that any future flights require both parents’ approval, alright?”

Remus let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing. “Agreed, and I promise, no more surprises,” he said earnestly, reaching out to take your hand.

Just then, Lyra’s babbling caught your attention, and you both turned to see her playing with a small, plush fox, looking eerily similar to your animagus form that Sirius must have sneaked into her playpen.

“Maybe we can’t protect her from everything, but we can make sure she knows she’s loved and safe,” you mused aloud, watching Lyra.

Remus nodded, his eyes reflecting the same sentiment. “That’s all we can do,” he agreed. “And maybe teach her a few tricks so she can outfly Sirius one day,” he added with a wink.

You glared at him playfully, then laughed, imagining a future where Lyra, with her inherited Marauder’s cunning, would indeed give Sirius a run for his money. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind,” you said with a smile.

As the night drew on, the house filled with the soft sounds of a family at peace. The day’s adventures were recounted with laughter and gentle teasing, and plans for a grounded tomorrow were made. And in that moment, all was well in the world of magic and mischief.

[moonstruckme]

In a week-

I saw you did royal Bodyguard poly!marauders to sunshine!reader, ans I was wondering if we could get something like that but instead reader is a little sneakt bitch who uses escaping her bodyguards as a fun pastime?????

Thanks for requesting!!

join the party

bodyguard!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 979 words

You’re about to take a sip from your cup when your wrist is gripped by a strong hand, stopping it from reaching your mouth. 

“You have no idea what’s in there.” 

“Hi, Jamie,” you shoot him a smile, warm and loose all over from the drinks you’ve already had. “Sure I do. It’s a rum and coke. Pretty straightforward, actually.” 

“He means,” Remus says, prying your fingers from around the cup and setting it on the bar, “that you probably weren’t watching to see if anyone slipped something into it, and unfortunately for you, we weren’t here to do it for you.” 

You don’t have to look around to know Sirius will be here as well, your three bodyguards relentless and nearly impossible to shake. Still, you’re a bit proud you’d managed to get free for a little over an hour tonight. That’s not an easy task. 

“No one here is going to drug me,” you say, though you know that’s not strictly true, and you go on before one of them can contradict you. “How’d you find me anyway?” 

James gives you a deadpan look, the closest thing you ever get to anger from him. “If we told you, you’d just figure out how to get around it next time.” He sets a hand on your shoulder, pushing you gently away from the bar. “Come on, let’s go home.” 

“I don’t want to go home,” you say, and despite your best intentions, your voice comes out with a petulant edge. “Why can’t we stay here?”

“You know very well you’re allowed to go out,” Remus says as he and James steer you towards the exit. “But we haven’t had time to look around this place, and you’re supposed to be studying at Kate’s.” 

“So this is a punishment.” It’s not a question, but Sirius answers you anyway, draping an arm around your shoulders as you meet him by the door. 

“Yes, it is,” he says lightly. “You almost killed Remus tonight, doll, and attempted murder deserves a time-out at the very least.” 

Even whilst scolding you, Sirius’ voice is teasing. Between the three of them, you know he’s the least upset with you. He might be a bit frustrated, sure, but he seems to also harbor a tiny bit of respect or understanding for what he calls your ill-timed rebellious phase. Though to be fair, you’d never had much cause for rebellion before your mom had forced a security detail upon you. You were used to doing whatever you wanted, and what you wanted had never seemed so wild until one day you needed permission to go outside and your privacy was blown to smithereens. 

You step out into the cool night air, and Sirius rubs your upper arm when you shiver. Remus leads you all towards the parking lot, and you’re secretly glad to be able to get into a warm car even if you’re still stubbornly yearning for the mundanity of the bus. 

“I know you think of running off as trying to get back some sort of freedom,” James says, and his voice is gentler now if not quite friendly, “but it’s not going to feel like freedom if while you’re off by yourself one of your mom’s…critics,” he decides, using the most delicate term possible, “takes the opportunity to kidnap you.” 

“Or kill you.” Remus says gruffly, his posture extra-stiff as he scans the parking lot, eyes skimming over every dark corner and potentially occupied vehicle. 

“Their issue is with her, not me,” you sigh, somewhere between frustrated and resigned. “You should be protecting her.” 

“She’s got her own detail,” Remus reminds you. “And it wouldn’t be the first time extremists have targeted a politician’s family to get at them.” 

You’re silent at that, and the boys let you stew in it, the memory of your mother’s face when she’s gotten the news that her coworker’s son had been killed in their home. She’d grieved for her friend that day, but her panic had been for herself. For you. 

“We’ve got to find a way around this need to escape, angel,” James says, opening the door to the backseat and offering you a hand in. You nod hello to Marcus, your mom’s driver, whose duties have apparently been extended to picking you up when you go “missing” for an hour or two. Sirius gets in on your other side, Remus taking the passenger seat. “Are we really so awful to be around?”

“No,” you say, though you know the question was meant in jest. They deserve to know anyway. “You guys are great. It’s your job that’s the problem.” 

“Unfortunately, it’s still our job,” Remus says, turning around to fix you with a look. It works, and you shrink in your seat. Remus is such a kind, gentle soul, especially considering his profession, so when he focuses his disapproval like this, it always leaves you feeling thoroughly shamed. “Every time you slip off, we have to act as if you’ve been kidnapped, even if we know better. And you very well could be kidnapped. You just—” He shakes his head, and guilt sprouts, winding and thorny, in your gut. “—I don’t think you understand the danger you’re putting yourself in when you do this.”

You nod, forcing yourself to look him in the eye so he knows you’re really listening. “I’m sorry. I’ll…” you sigh, indignation eating at you even as you give in. “I’ll try to work with you guys more.”

“That’s all we’re asking, sweetheart,” James says, bumping your shoulder with his lightly, and you know you’re at least mostly forgiven. 

“For tonight,” Sirius drawls, “are you going to actually stay in your room, or is one of us going to have to tie you to the bed?” He winks. “Because if you need me to, I can totally do that, dollface.”

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Do you think Tom was the only student Dumbledore hated? I think Tom probably isn't the only Unfavorite Student and there are more out there that Dumbledore was successful at sabotaging.

(Side thought do you think Moody started out on Dumbledore's bad list but then worked very hard to "redeem" himself by trusting Dumbledore in all things and that's why he's so weirdly loyal to Dumbledore?)

Dumbledore and Hating People

The thing is that Tom Riddle does seem to hold a special place in Dumbledore's heart.

There are other characters we see who are also loathsome/have qualities that Dumbledore despises but it's in different ways/not to the same degree.

Dumbledore utterly loathes Lockhart, purposefully sets him up with the job so as to either destroy his reputation fundamentally or kill him. However, I'd say Dumbledore is contemptuous and dismissive of Lockhart. Dumbledore has 0 interest in the man beyond destroying him, and doesn't spend much time thinking about him beyond getting him in the castle and letting the curse do its work.

Dumbledore is dismissive and contemptuous of Cornelius Fudge, but again, doesn't focus on him much beyond pitying his shortsightedness and holding him in general contempt.

Dumbledore similarly doesn't love the Dursleys but it feels like that's in a way of he has 0 opinion or interest in Vernon and just... a very weird treatment of Petunia. I wouldn't even say he dislikes them, in fact, I think he likes the idea of them beyond the general disappointment in not treating Harry exactly the way he'd like (except they are doing that but he'll never say as much).

While we don't know that Dumbledore doesn't have stashes of memories he's painfully collected over the years, going to anyone who ever interacted with Tom Riddle and asking "please give me every memory you have ever had" only for the vast majority of them to slam the door in his face, given the focus he has on Tom Riddle it seems... unlikely...

Add this in with Tom's "dark glamour", the way Dumbledore talks about him, the way he pontificates about him as if he's a fictional character and Dumbledore is writing fanfiction and metas about the man, and we're looking at a... I'll call it a fixation where Tom hit all the right buttons for Albus Dumbledore in a way that other people just haven't.

Basically, the people we see Dumbledore hate just aren't hot enough (or are women so Dumbledore doesn't care).

I'll put it this way. Harry's easily Dumbledore's second fixation, he puts a lot of work into this boy, but Dumbledore's way less... into him is the only way I can put it, than Tom. Harry's there as a vehicle/means to destroy Tom and acts as a foil to Tom. Everything about Harry for Dumbledore is presented as "in contrast to Tom Riddle" and that's telling to me.

As for hating students...

I think most of the time Dumbledore just doesn't give a fuck.

With Draco who was actively endangering the student body, nearly killing several students to ultimately kill Dumbledore, and ultimately letting Death Eaters (including Fenrir fucking Grayback) into the castle where it's a miracle no one died/got lycanthropy Dumbledore was into it and a) knew the whole time b) did nothing to stop it because then Tom would hurt Draco. (It's too bad Katie Bell got cursed for six months in the process of that huh Dumbledore or you didn't approach Draco with that offer to give him clemency until the last five minutes of your life).

I doubt Dumbledore knows who Crabbe and Goyle even are.

And he seemed to favor the Marauders (rampant known bullies) and not care about Severus at the time and now thinks quite highly of Severus for having redeemed himself for love/following a narrative Dumbledore likes while also being unable to not do what Dumbledore wants.

He only cares about Ron and Hermione in relation to Harry and just likes the general idea of them (Dumbledore is very big on the "idea" of people).

Dumbledore and Moody

I don't think so.

We've seen the redemption story Dumbledore likes and that's Severus Snape's. Dumbledore likes a narrative, Moody having been disliked then just choosing to be a sycophant would be very unimpressive for Dumbledore because he'd see no reason for Moody to have changed/not an impressive enough reason.

It has to be for true love, friendship, some reason that is a compelling narrative to Dumbledore.

Everything for Dumbledore fits into these narratives from Merope dying in childbirth (she just didn't love enough), to Lily being murdered (she loved her son so much she sacrificed herself), to Snape (his love for her means he is now undyingly loyal to her son), to everything.

Plus, I don't get that feeling about Moody.

Dumbledore has plenty of people unquestioningly loyal to him, he cultivates the Order such that this is the case, it's not so much that Moody's an outlier for being so loyal but the fact that he is in the Order of the Phoenix at all means he must be this loyal to survive there (notice Percy is not a member). In the Order we're seeing the people who survived the litmus test of "actively not questioning Dumbledore in any decision he ever makes" (see HBP and the Christmas Party and shooting down of Harry's "Draco's up to something and Snape is too" for reasons that are simply "I trust Dumbledore completely" and nothing else).

If Moody wasn't like that, he wouldn't be in the Order.

So, I think Moody's just like the rest of them and I don't see a reason why he would have ever been different.

[aanoia]

Orphic (pt.1)

pairing; Ao'nung x Sully!reader Orphic; (adj.) mysterious and entrancing; beyond ordinary understanding words; 3,719 warnings; injury, mentions of death Pt. 2; Pt. 3 Important note; this is sort of a continuation of a previous story that can be found on my Wattpad. It's not required to read that story, in fact it was written years ago (now it's very poorly written, but then it was my best writing). It will give backstory on your parents. Speaking of your parents, you were born to Tsu'tey and Y/n. Tsu'tey died the same death as in the movie, and Y/n died during childbirth. Jake and Neytiri took you in and named you after your mother. You're basically twins with Neteyam :) Bold is English :) the normal text is Na'vi

Decided to stray from my Marauders era for the time being, as I rewatched the Avatar movies and that phase is coming back. This is mostly a trial to see if I want to post this series on Tumblr, or just on Wattpad. The format will probably change a bit as time goes on :)

The ground beneath her rushes past as her ikran races through the air, following closely behind the group of older warriors. She stays steady on her ikran, completely in tune with her surroundings as her sharp eyes scan across the moving terrain. The unpleasant hum of the skywalker machines fill her ears, and her lip subconsciously curls into a sneer. Into view comes a train upon its foreign tracks, two helicopter-like vehicles hovering above it. 

“Ground team, move.” Her father’s voice instructs in her ear. The track explodes, sending the front of the train flying and causing the aircrafts to veer off track. The experienced warriors dive, and she aches to follow suit, but she refrains. Only two others stay high in the sky, her brothers, Neteyam and Lo’ak. She knows they crave the same thing she does, to go down and fight with the others. However, their father’s orders echo in their minds. The group of Na’vi work swiftly, bringing down the aircrafts and searching through the various cargo bins.

“Yo, we have got to get down there,” Lo’ak says, looking at his elder siblings with an excited look on his face.

“No way! Dad will skin us!” Neteyam protests.

  “Come on, don’t be a wuss!” Lo’ak half shrugs, and his ikran changes directions, beginning to dive.

Y/n sighs, glancing at Neteyam, “Come on, little brother, we can’t let him have all the fun.” She grins, and flies after Lo’ak.

“Lo’ak! Y/n! Get back here- argh!” Neteyam groans, before reluctantly going along with them. The trio land, and Y/n gracefully dismounts her ikran, swinging her bow across her shoulder. Once again, she’s scanning her surroundings, taking note of any possible dangers, anything that could hurt her brothers.

“Come on, let’s go!” Lo’ak urges, already running into action.

“Lo’ak!” Neteyam growls, running after the boy. 

Said boy runs to a supply crate, where a warrior hands him a gun. “Go boy, take it.” Lo’ak happily takes the firearm, ululating proudly. Y/n and Neteyam walk towards him, the latter rather pissed off. 

“You don’t even know how to use it.” He sneers, glancing distastefully at the gun in his hand.

Lo’ak successfully loads the gun, a smug grin on his face, “Dad taught me.” He raises the gun in the air, pretending to aim at something. “I bet you can’t aim.”

Y/n rolls her eyes, “Lo’ak, you can’t either.”

“Yeah- but I bet he’s worse than I am.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Neteyam mutters. A warrior calls out, and once again their father’s voice fills the air.

“Gunship’s inbound! Fall back!” He yells, and the three kids immediately take off to their ikrans. Neteyam urges the two others to run faster, and they all push. However, their efforts are in vain as an explosive goes off behind them, sending the three flying in the air. Y/n yelps, landing on a jagged piece of metal. She hisses at the pain searing through her back. She sits up, reaching behind her to find her fingers coated in a wet substance.

“Shit, dad is gonna kill me.” She mutters to herself, pushing herself to her feet. “Neteyam!? Lo’ak!?” She spots her father, turning over a blue body. She rushes over, dread filling her body. “Dad- is that-”

Neteyam groans, his face scrunched in pain, “Dad?”

Jake takes Neteyam by the back of his neck, lifting him up to check his back for any injuries. Upon seeing none, he growls at the boy. “What are you doing here, boy? What the hell were you thinking?” He glances at Y/n. “And you- are you alright?”

She bites her tongue and nods, “Yes, I’m sorry, sir.”

“I’m- sor-sorry,” Neteyam grunts out, pain lacing his words as Jake lifts him over his shoulders.

“Go, Y/n. Now.” She nods upon her fathers demand, and rushes back to her ikran. She quietly calms its worried squawks, and takes off in flight. She follows the group through the mountains, trying to ignore the stinging in her back as she hangs her head low, afraid to meet her father’s stern gaze.

A loud horn blows as they make it home, and many Na’vi cheer and whoop upon their arrival. Y/n lands on the rock with a solemn face, and she winces softly as she dismounts, not so graceful as last time. She pets her ikran’s face gently, cooing.

“You did good, girl, thank you.” She whispers, restings her forehead against her ikran’s.

“Fall in.” Her father commands and she sucks in a breath. She pulls away from her ikran, following her father’s orders. He looks at the three children with an irritated look, and Y/n can’t help but notice the hints of worry mixed in. “You’re supposed to spotters. You spot bogeys, and you call ‘em in. From a distance.” He growls, looking back and forth between the children. “Does any of this sound familiar? Get here!” He commands Lo’ak, and the boy steps forward, joining the line. “Jesus, I let you three geniuses fly a mission, and you disobey direct orders.” In a softer voice he adds, “Kiri, can you go help your grandmother with the wounded? Please?” Y/n hisses softly as her mothers hands gently caress the skin around her wound. 

Kiri glances at her father, “My brother is wounded.” She says in an obvious tone.

“It’s fine.” Neteyam reassures.

“Baby girl, please.” Jake pleads as Tuk gazes curiously at the scene. “Tuk, go with her, go!”

“Dad- sir, I take full responsibility.” Neteyam tries as Kiri and Tuk sigh and join their grandmother.

“What- no, he doesn’t.” Y/n butts in, glaring slightly at Neteyam.

“You do. That’s right. ‘Cause you’re the older brother, you gotta act like it.” Y/n looks at him with a distasteful look. She’s the eldest. She was born many moments before Neteyam was. She looks at her feet, a dull ache in her chest.

“MaJake.” Neytiri says softly, a nice change in tone. “Your son, and your daughter, are actually bleeding.”

Jake looks between the two, and his gaze settles on Y/n. “You said you weren’t hurt.”

“I’m fine, sir.” She says quickly.

He stares at her for a moment, before sighing, “Just go and get patched up. Both of you. Go on, dismissed.” She hesitates for a second, but with her mother’s urging hand on her lower back, she walks, leaving Lo’ak alone to deal with their father. 

Neteyam grunts in pain, hissing slightly. Y/n watches quietly from the corner of the room, having already gone through this. Lo’ak laughs, arms crossed as he taunts his brother. Their grandmother, the Tsahik, shakes her head at his antics as Tuk hands Neteyam a bowl and gently instructs him to drink.

“I would use yalna bark.” Kiri says out loud, standing to walk to her grandmother. 

“Oh, you would? And who is Tsahik?” Her grandmother asks, continuing with patching her grandson. 

“You are grand- move!” She shoves Lo’ak over. “You are, Grandmother. But yalna bark is better.” Neteyam hisses in pain. “Stings less.”

“Mighty warrior.” Lo’ak teases, earning himself a slap to his leg from his grandmother.

Y/n tunes the group out, zoning in on a spot on the floor. Her hands clasp tightly around her beaded necklace, one that belonged to her birth father. She wonders if he would have let her go down and join the rest, or if he would also have her be just lookout. Would he be angry at her, the way Jake seems to always be? She’s heard many stories about him. He was a great warrior. The People trusted him to bring them to victory against the sky people, and he died attempting to do so. He was mighty, and she feels like anything but. Her thoughts shift to her mother, Jake’s best friend. She was kind, and fierce. People would always speak of her fondly. She had to end her father’s suffering, breaking her own heart in the process. And then, once Y/n was born, she died. All Y/n has left of her is her name.

She will forever be thankful to Jake and Neytiri, who have filled the position of her mother and father. But she can’t help but wonder how her life would be different if her birth parents were alive. She feels a presence beside her and sighs softly, glancing over. 

“Hey, sis, you alright?” Neteyam asks softly, looking over at her.

She nods a little, “Lo’ak got grounded.” She says quietly as said boy leaves with Kiri.

He hums, “I heard. No flying for a month.” He sucks in a breath, thankful he somehow avoided the punishment. Y/n nods and Neteyam studies her for moment. He notices the way she protectively holds onto her necklace. “Are you thinking about Tsu’tey again?”

“I always am.” She responds, back to looking at the floor. “I miss him, and I don’t even know him.”

He scoots a bit closer, nodding. “It’s alright, sis. He’s with Eywa, and he’s watching over you. I’m sure he’s proud of you.”

She makes a face, “Yeah, maybe.” She glances up as Neytiri and Jake walk into the tent. She makes brief eye contact with her father, but quickly looks away. His sad gaze lingers on the girl, but upon Tuk’s begs to be picked up, he looks away.

Neteyam sighs softly, wrapping his arm around his sister’s shoulders, “Either way, you have me, big sister.”

Y/n glances at him, a ghost of a smile on her face. She holds out her pinky, “Little brother.”

He grins, locking his finger with hers, “Big sister.”

“No matter how old we get.” She finishes softly, shaking his pinky like a handshake. “Thank you, Neteyam.”

He half shrugs nonchalantly, “It’s no biggie.” He pulls his hand away, and ruffles the top of her head. “I'll leave you to ponder, I need to speak to father.”

She smiles, “Try to keep your head.”

He stands, “I'll do my best.” And he walks towards their parents. 

Y/n uses this chance to sneak off unnoticed. She silently slips out of the tent, and once she's a good distance away, she calls for her ikran. She takes a deep breath, and jumps from the edge, landing seamlessly on her ikran. The two immediately take off, and she ululates loudly as they go. Once his wings meet a steady rhythm, she spreads her arms out, basking in the final moments of sunlight. The warmth of the rays brings comfort to her skin, and she sighs deeply. The built up stress slowly fades away and her muscles relax. 

Moments like these, completely alone and serene, not a worry in the world, are her favorite. It’s the only time she can truly relax. However, she doesn’t get many. The tight leash her father holds her on seems to be suffocating. She can never leave without notifying someone - and even then she can never leave by herself. Her father’s fear of something happening took over her life. So, whenever she gets the chance, she slips away, giving herself a moment of freedom. 

Her ikran perches on the side of a cliff, and Y/n carefully climbs onto the small landing. She rests against a rock, looking up at the night sky. Her ikran purrs softly and curls up beside her, resting his head on her lap. She gently pets him, caught up in her own world.

Her serenity was interrupted by the hum of vehicles below her. She furrows her brows as her ikrans head perks up. She peers over the edge of the landing, her eyes searching for the noise. A seemingly rogue amp suit trudges through the forest, gun at the ready. She glances at her ikran, and in only a moment she’s on his back, stealthily gliding down. The sun slowly falls behind the trees, and the world gets darker, but she doesn’t turn for home. The pair land in the trees, and she silently instructs her ikran to stay back. 

She runs through the trees, tracking the noises of the amp suit. The bow slung across her shoulder gently hits her thigh, and her ears perk up at every sound. She eventually catches up with the suit, and watches intently from the trees. A young man occupies the suit, and she notes his particular ugliness. Her stomach settles uncomfortably, and she swallows thickly. 

“Mule, do you read?” Her dad’s irritated voice fills her ears, and she freezes. The sound catches her off guard, and she falls short of the branch she was reaching for. She yelps as she loses her balance on the tree. She shrieks, flailing her arms as she falls. She hits the ground with a thud and a groan, and the amp suit already has his gun pointed at her.

“Well, what do we have here?” He sneers, a nasty look on his features. She grunts, pushing herself to her feet despite the ache in her ankle. She doesn’t answer, instead slowly inching her hands to her bow. “Don’t you touch that thing.” 

“Mule, I asked, "Do you read?””

“It’s getting dark out, did mommy and daddy not tell you to be home before the light dies?” He takes a step closer to the girl, and she bites her cheek, glancing around.

“I do not speak English, dipshit.” She sneers, glaring up at him. 

“What was that? Speak English, beast.” A squawk fills the air, and the man's attention is drawn. Y/n takes this moment to dart between the robot's legs, pulling her bow off her shoulders. She swiftly climbs on top of the tree, pointing the arrow at the man. He points his gun, and fires aimlessly. The arrow leaves her bow, and strikes beside his head. She loads another arrow, and a searing pain shoots up her thigh. But she holds steady, and releases this arrow. The suit slumps, and falls to the ground. 

Y/n glances down at her thigh and a pained look crosses her face, she lifts her hand to her throat. “Devil dog, I read.” She grunts out.

The answer is immediate, “Where’s your playground?”

She stumbles down the tree, calling for her ikran before answering, “By the mountain-” She hisses. “South side.”

There’s a pause, “Are you hurt?”

She sighs deeply, her ikran landing beside her. “Yes. I’m coming home.”

“No, stay where you are.” She takes off. “Mule, do you read?” No answer. “Goddamnit, Y/n.” She makes it home quickly, and her siblings immediately crowd her. 

“Y/n- what were you thinking?” Neteyam rushes out, pushing past his siblings.

She grunts, feeling slightly dizzy from her bleeding bullet wound, “My leg.” She mutters, afraid to look down at it. 

“My daughter!” Her mother shrieks, shoving the growing crowd. “My child- what has happened?”

“Mama-” She slides off of her ikran into her arms. Her leg gives out and she screws her eyes shut.

“Y/n!” It’s her father this time, who also shoves through the crowd. “Shit, Y/n- move! Everyone move!” Neytiri picks up the girl and follows after her mate, her face etched in worry. 

“I’m sorry-” She whispers to her parents.

“Shh, save your energy, child.” Neytiri instructs softly as she sets her down on a fur blanket in their tent. Mo’at rushes in, gently pushing Jake aside to assess the wound. She makes quick work of setting up her supplies, a deep frown on her face.

“Y/n!” Neteyam rushes inside, despite his father’s protests. He slides next to Y/n, taking her hand tightly.

“We must remove the bullet. It will hurt, grandchild.” Mo’at says calmly. “Are you ready?” Y/n swallows thickly and nods.

“Okay,” She whispers, dreading the next few seconds. Her fear proved to be justified, as the pain of large makeshift tweezers digging through her thigh is unbearable. She tries to stay quiet, but a few whimpers and cries manage to escape. She relaxes once the bullet is removed, and sighs. “Ouch.” She mutters, sniffling softly.

Neytiri frowns at her daughter, “What were you doing out there so late?” Jake watches from the front of the tent, a hard look in his eyes.

“I just wanted-” She hisses. “To be alone, for a moment. I lost track of time.”

“And the sky people?”

“Came out of nowhere… he was alone. I was watching him, and then dad called for me, and I fell.” She doesn’t make eye contact with anyone, shame filling her body.

“Where is this man?”

“Dead.” She replies grimly, slightly relieved as Mo’at wraps her thigh. 

“You killed him?” Neteyam asks quietly, wonder in his eyes. Y/n nods solemnly. “Woah, cool.”

“Not cool.” Their father butts in, stepping forward. His hard gaze sets on his eldest. “I’m disappointed in you. You defied multiple rules. Don’t go anywhere alone. Don’t go out when it’s getting dark. Don’t interact with the sky people.” His arms are crossed, and his jaw clenched. “You could've died, do you realize that?”

Y/n’s gaze lowers, and she nods. “Yes, sir.”

Neytiri gives her mate a pointed look, “She could have died, so be thankful she didn’t. She has already received the punishment of her mistakes. All you must do is comfort her.”

“A shot to the leg isn’t enough- she should be grounded.”

“MaJake.” The heat in her eyes successfully quiets the man, and he sighs, shaking his head and storming out of the tent. Y/n frowns, sitting up slowly.

“I’m tired.” She mumbles.

“You cannot walk on your own, granddaughter. Your leg requires healing, and you must give it time to do so.” Mo’at says, a rare gentle tone in her voice. “I shall have a healer bring you crutches.”

Y/n nods, “Thank you, grandmother.” Mo’at nods and collects her things. She exchanges a few words with her daughter, before walking out. Her presence was replaced by a crying Tuk. She runs in and jumps into Y/n’s arms. “Woah- Tuk?”

“Are you dying?” Tuk asks, her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, no, no, Tuk. I’m alright. I’m not dying, silly.” She says softly, kissing Tuk’s forehead.

“Is your leg going to be cut off?” Lo’ak questions, much too excited about the idea, as he walks in.

“You wish.” She grins. Her siblings can always cheer her up, even if they aren’t trying to do so.

“I think you’re an idiot.” Kiri mentions.

“I think father agrees with you.” Y/n shrugs, still holding tightly onto Tuk. “Is my ikran okay?”

Kiri nods, “You’re ikran is just fine.”

She smiles gratefully, “Thank you. Now, let me sleep. I require slumber.”

Y/n sits, gently humming to herself as she makes a necklace. It’s only been a few days since she was injured, and she’s spent her down time making things for the people she’s loved. She’s already finished the things for her siblings, her mother, and her grandmother. All that’s left is her father. She must admit that she contemplated even making him one, but he really does mean the world to her. She’s determined to make this necklace perfect for him. 

She glances up at the sound of ikrans landing, and her family is there. She hides the necklace quickly, and lifts herself up. She uses her crutches to step outside of the tent, a questioning look on her face.

“What’s going on?” She asks, and meets Lo’ak’s eyes. The boys gaze drifts to the ground and her brows furrow.

“All of you, go. I need to speak with your mother.” Jake demands and no one protests. The group of them go around the tent, and instead of giving them space, they eavesdrop on the conversation. The adults manage to get a few private words exchanged before the children listen in, “This thing. This Quaritch.” Y/n’s ears perk at the name. The villain of her parents’ stories. “Whatever he is- he walked right in here. He can walk right under Eywa’s nose.”

“This is our family! This is our home!” Neytiri defends.

“This is about our family! This is about our little ones.”

“I cannot. You cannot ask this.” Her mother steps past Jake. “I cannot leave my People. I will not.”

“He’s hunting us. He’s targeting our family.”

“You cannot ask this!” Neytiri snaps. “The children. Everything they’ve ever known. The forest. This is our home!” She yells, her voice urgent. 

“He had our children. He had ‘em under his knife!” There’s a moment of silence before Neytiri let’s out a shaky breath. 

“My father gave me this bow as he lay dying.” It wasn’t difficult for Y/n to know which bow she was speaking of. “And he said “Protect the People.” You’re Toruk Makto!”

“This will protect the People!” Jake yells.  “Quaritch has Spider.” Y/n gasps softly, looking at Kiri with sad eyes. “And that kid knows everything. He knows our whole operation, and he can lead them right in here.” The eldest kids share a look. “If the People harbor us, they will die. Do you understand?” They’re silent for a moment. “Look, I got nothing. I got no plan. But I can protect this family. That I can do.” Neytiri gasps softly, her face twisting in pain. “But I know one thing.” Her father whispers. “Wherever we go, this family is our fortress.”

Neytiri sighs, and embraces her mate tearily. Jake sighs softly, his heart heavy. Y/n glances between her siblings.

“You guys need to tell me what happened. Now.”

Y/n waits patiently on her ikran for the ceremony to end. She cannot walk well, so she doesn’t attempt to stand with her family as the new Olo’eyktan to “kill” her father. She keeps her bag close to her hip, her creations kept safely stored inside. She frowns as her family walks towards her, her mother cries silently. 

Not a word is spoken as they begin their journey to the islands. Y/n glances behind her at the forest for the last time, and she can’t help but feel as if she’s leaving behind a vital part of her. She’s leaving behind her birth parents. Their memories. She sighs and looks forward, holding tightly onto her necklace. 

A father protects. It’s what gives him meaning. One life ends. Another begins.

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[asmo-d3us]

Marauders Era Characters at a Wedding

James Potter-Black - The Groom Himself

Is most definitely being dragged around by the kids at the banquet hall. He's surprisingly not giving a shit about it but near the end of the night he begins to realize he didn't hang out that much with everyone else.

People (Barty) are approaching him for shots at random points of the wedding and he gladly takes shots with them.

Is absolutely hammered by the end of the night because of his friends and Regulus', but he's literally just staring at Reg with absolute love and adoration written on his face.

Is talking to the waitress'/waiters about how amazing his now-husband is, and how amazing the reception and the food was, and the workers are pleased about this.

Grabs his husband randomly and starts making out with him and then leaving like nothing happened. Sirius hates this and Reggie loves it.

OPTIONAL: Not even 10 minutes after the vows, he's caught making out with either Barty or Evan outside (maybe even both?), behind the building, where the smokers go. Regulus doesn't bat an eye to this information even though some guests are confused and shocked. Sirius is merely dissapointed but still claps James on the back when he comes back inside!

Sirius Lupin - James’ Best Man

He's walking around to other people's tables just to speak about some drama. The drama is about the 'bride', groom, and the 'bride's' best friends.

Is the one walking around drinking shots with other people. The type of drinker who either acts like he's drinking but he isn't or drinks a sip of the shot, just so he can pull some secrets/some drama from the person he's drinking with, and he can be conscious while doing so. He’s also the type to be walking to a table and be crossing through the dance floor, so he twerks against someone or he starts fucking someone from behind like a wild boar, and the elders have to shield the eyes of the children. It’s fun 🤷‍♀️

Is the one who caught James making out with Evan and/or Barty behind the banquet hall, and is the one who told everyone about it, yet he acted like he was innocent. He did it because he was petty, and disappointed, and extremely, secretly, proud.

Eye fucks Remus from across the room because DAMN does he look good in that suit Regulus picked out for him, he'll give his brother that.

OPTIONAL: When everyone leaves the wedding, it’s just The Marauders, The Valkyries, and The Skittles, so things are still fun and music is still playing. It’s kind of like an after party. When everything is settled, Jegulus make their way inside of James’ vehicle, Marylily make their way to Mary’s bug/pea shaped car, Dorlene approach Dorcas’ Rolls Royce, Pandora and Xeno use their feet, and Rosekiller take either an Uber or a half dead, half broken down vehicle. But, Remus and Sirius stay behind a bit longer to..catch up.

Remus Lupin - Regulus’ Best Man

Is eating all the wrapped chocolate placed on the plates as a sweet welcome.

Is the type of guy that sits all throughout the wedding and says he’s “not the dancing type”. He’s just sitting there, watching Sirius quite literally grind on The Groom, and watching James gesture to Lily for her to “distract Regulus”.

Goes outside for a smoke every time the DJ blasts up the music again. He does this throughout the whole dancing, just so Sirius and none of their other friends drag him forcefully to ‘party’.

Probably takes a book with him bc he “might read”. James is upset because “you’d rather read than celebrate our wedding?”, Sirius is annoyed because “you’d rather read than be with me?”, and Peter is surprised because “you’d rather read than eat?”

OPTIONAL: Is waiting for the damn moment everyone leaves so he can pounce on Sirius and ruin him. He ushers everyone out the door and says they’ll make it home themselves. When they finish, they each have 60 missed calls and messages. Oh shit! That’s right! Remus forgot that the gang was supposed to be having a sleepover tonight!

Peter Pettigrew - The Planner

Regulus sat down with Peter and told him that he trusts his designer eye more than anyone else’s, and that him and James want Pete to be the planner. Which suit? Dress? Which DJ? What type of center pieces? Invitations? Drinks? Food? And where will the wedding be held?

Peter is honored. He immediately begins planning, visiting banquet halls, taking Regulus and James outfit shopping (separately, ofc!) and making sure everything is in place.

There’s one tiny problem though. Nobody helps him. Nobody thanks him. Nobody compliments him. Nobody tells him a word. There’s no “Wow Pete, this is amazing!” There’s no “Christ, I can’t believe you did this! WOW!”

He sits at The Marauder’s table. And yes, people greet him and say hi, but none of them tell him he did a wonderful job. Perhaps they don’t know he was the designer, but the least his friends could’ve done was send him a smile.

OPTIONAL: This was the last straw for him. It’s been enough. He’s leaving this friend group, because he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He’s had enough! He deserves love and support! He deserves congratulations! And he deserves appreciation too! Nobody paid him any mind, as if he were a rat! But he won’t be having any more of that. None. It’s over.

Lily Macdonald - Usher

She is most definitely standing in front of the entrance and waiting for people to come in so she can greet them and take them to their seats.

The kids always come to her for help whenever something happened, or they scraped their knee. She doesn’t mind this at all.

When everyone is finally there, she allows herself to walk around and ask people how everything is going, and always laughs fakely when people tell her they expected her to be the bride.

Is tired yet amused of James every time he motions for her to distract Regulus because Sirius starts grinding on him. (As a joke, it’s just funny bc Regulus doesn’t like seeing it). She thanks the gods above that whenever Barty or Evan switch places with Sirius, James doesn’t tell her to distract the ‘bride’.

Stays sober throughout the night bc she’s not really quite the drinker. She’s also supposed to be watching everyone and making sure none of them (Barty, Evan, Sirius, James, and Marlene) do something stupid.

OPTIONAL: Mary and Pandora are dancing on the dance floor, absolutely shredding it down, and they drag Lily to join them as she’s walking by towards another table, and they tell her to “LET LOOSE AND HAVE FUN!!” And that’s what she does. She dances with them, takes selfies, drops it down, etc. (Xeno doesn’t mind bc he’s probably being ‘forced’ to do the same with Pandora’s friends.) it’s completely platonic between all of them when doing this besides Mary and Lily.

Mary Macdonald - Usher

She is probably dancing the whole night with an absolutely wrecked Marlene, and an horrifically high Pandora. She may be an usher, but all she does is say hello to everyone who comes in, and helps them to their seat if Lily is busy or if they still can’t find it. She knows her girlfriend has it covered though.

She remains sober. She claims that she “doesn’t need to drink to get lit”. She genuinely acts drunk and all hyper even though she didn’t take a sip of any alcoholic or energy drink, not even coffee that day.

Is always reaching for Lily every time she walks by them because she needs to relax and let loose. Everyone agrees. Mary’s been dancing all night and she forgot to bring slippers so her feet are currently murdering her. The back of her heels are skinning her skin, the space underneath her legs is tearing apart, and her toes are covered in bubbles.

When Marlene/Barty start chugging a whole bottle of alcohol in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by people and their body heat, you can bet your flat ASS that Mary is in the front screaming and hollering.

Doesn’t step outside for a single second. Remus asks her if she’d like to go for a smoke and she denies even though she usually loves smoking at places like this. Remus asks her why she won’t sit and relax, and all she says before dancing away is, “IT’S JAMES’ WEDDING, I CAN’T SIT DOWN!”

OPTIONAL: She’s having the time of her life with Pandora on the dance floor (Marlene is in the bathroom with Dorcas, and she’s vomiting her guts out), and successfully grabs Lily a handful of times so they can all dance together. They all dance on each other and with each other, but they all know it’s friendly. I mean shit, you’ll probably see Mary grind on Sirius or Sirius grind on Evan. On days like this, they’re all best friends, and it doesn’t always have to be romantic.

Marlene McKinnon - Usher

When the party starts, she’s the first person on the dance floor, accompanied by Mary and Pandora here and there.

She’s drinking multiple shots with Barty. They’re the type of friends to be sitting on separate tables but always join each other and start drinking different shots and cheers. Barty definitely has an arm around Marlene’s chair/shoulders while she has a hand on his shoulder and they’re both just DRUNK chatting with a shot glass in hand at all times. It’s sweet to look at them doing this, especially bittersweet when you know they used to be childhood friends.

Gets sick halfway through the night and runs to the bathroom, all Dorcas does is sigh, stand up, fix her suit, and walk calmly to the bathroom to help her girlfriend.

This bitch does NOT do her job. She doesn’t greet anyone besides people she loves, (James, Sirius, all the girls, Barty, Evan) and even then she’s too busy dancing, vomiting, or taking shots all night with Barty and other people to pay that much attention to anyone else. She definitely has makeup running down her face though.

She cries during the ceremony, absolutely sobbing and wailing. Sirius and Lily are the only other two who are crying. Oh, and she definitely acts like she wasn’t crying later on, even though she most definitely was.

OPTIONAL: She doesn’t remember a single thing from the night before, but she (and many others) took photos and videos of the night, they even hired a photographer, so when the whole group sits together and watches the 3 hour clip the next morning (since they had a sleepover, and the photographer was someone they knew and they sent the unedited version) she begins crying again, and everyone is just laughing at the hilarious scenes. James and Regulus are sitting together, staring at each other with love and affection in their eyes, Sirius and Remus are watching with loving smiles on their faces because even through all the teasing, Sirius is so happy for both of them. Lily and Mary are sitting down on the couch, Mary’s feet draped across her wife because of the pain, and they’re both very happy watching the clip. And Barty is just sprawled on Evan’s lap, his hands running through his hair, and they laugh at Barty’s drunk ass, and all those funny scenes. And then there’s Dorcas and Marlene. They’re both cuddled up together, Marlene (and Barty) both have horrible hangovers, but they don’t seem to care at all. They’re all together now, and it was an amazing day.

And if Barty and Marlene start hanging out more after that, then so what?

Dorcas Meadows - Officiant

Was so honored that Reg and James chose her as the officiant of the wedding. She memorized what she had to say, staying up all day and night until the wedding. She called over Barty and Evan so she could stand next to them/between them and rehearse the words. “Oh please, don’t whine about it! This is helpful for you two as well! Now shut up and stand!”

At the wedding, she goes outside and smokes with Remus occasionally. They’re not best friends, not even close, but they talk and they bond. They would definitely stand up for each other if it was ever the case.

She doesn’t dance. She sits, talks to everyone at the table, visits other people at other tables, drinks a little bit, and takes care of Marlene when she has to vomit. Nobody has ever, and I mean ever, seen her dance before. And no one will (besides Marlene and even then it’s either slow dancing or head rocking.)

She does get a bit emotional at the ceremony and saying the vows, and her voice wobbles when she asks Regulus if he will take James as his husband. Nobody speaks a word about it because they know she’ll whip their ass, but also because it’s rare to see Dorcas become emotional over something.

She stands up on the mini stage, holding a shot glass. She’s always been good at cheers and saying a speech, so she does exactly that. She stands on the stage and says something so poetic, so gut wrenching, so bittersweet and beautiful, that even Regulus and Evan shed a couple tears. Afterwards, Reg and James mention it and tell her how thankful they are, and how they don’t regret choosing her as their officiant.

OPTIONAL: There’s this one point where everyone is dancing. Everyone besides Remus, Dorcas, and a few others. Because Remus successfully managed to escape outdoors, they quite literally drag Dorcas to the middle of the dance floor. When they realize it’s no use, they ask the men to pick her up while she’s in her seat, take her to the middle of the dance floor, and they all take turns giving her lap dances. Everyone is screaming and throwing money, especially when Regulus starts getting all nasty with it. It’s all fun and games though.

Regulus Potter-Black - The ‘Bride’ Himself

He isn’t running around and panicking (he leaves that job for Lily), but he is most definitely constantly pulling her aside and asking her if everything is okay. His eyes are definitely running around the room.

He stands up every second to greet people he knows. Poor boy doesn’t even get a chance to eat. Luckily, his friends (and Sirius) do notice this, so they occasionally pop in next to him and feed him something. Remus does this too, except he takes him outside for a break/smoke.

He dances very stiffly at first, but then as the night goes on, he gets more loose and relaxed, especially when James starts getting all drunk and goes crazy on the dance floor. He’s always seen either dancing with James, or Barty, Evan, Pandora, and his brother.

Tells the kids to stop bothering James because he’s very busy. James keeps reassuring Reg that everything is fine, but Reggie is just like, “Bitch, no it’s not. It’s my wedding day and I’m barely catching my husband from the corner of my eye.”

He is absolutely exhausted by the end of the night, and is impatient for the honeymoon. He just wants to relax with James, no one there to bother them. He’s so happy that James was the one he married. He’s so happy that he didn’t have to wear a dress. He’s so happy that this wasn’t an arranged marriage. He’s so happy he’s free.

OPTIONAL: Regulus will forever act as though he hated this, but in reality he doesn’t and everyone knows that. At their wedding, a decent amount of time after they had said their vows, James was playing around with the children there. He had immediately looked at Reg, pouted with puppy eyes, and raised both his eyebrows up and down as he got drunker throughout the night. Again, Regulus acted like he despised it, when in reality he didn’t and Sirius was the one who was disgusted. “OH! My poor innocent brother! I knew you’d ruin him Prongs! Oh, I just knew!!”

Barty Crouch Jr. - The Payer

For some fucking reason, he’s the one who paid for everything at the wedding. He offered, and who was Reg to refuse? The weird part is, that nobody knows where he got the money from. He doesn’t have that type of money! Or does he?

Spends the whole night walking around the room and taking shots with everyone, even people he doesn’t know. He makes toasts and cheers, and even does little speeches. He’s the life of the party, and catches the eye of everyone there. He’s also drunk out of his mind halfway through the wedding, but somehow doesn’t vomit like Marlene every 4 minutes.

Is definitely grinding on all his friends, and making eye contact with Evan from across the room. They’re eye fucking each other, and everyone hates it. When he grinds on Dorcas, everyone goes wild because Cas and Bat have always acted as though they are frienemies, so this was new for everyone who didn’t know them like that.

People approach him when they find out he’s the one who paid for everything, and they’re always so amazed and shit; “I can’t believe you did this! You paid for all of this? WOW!”

Bonds with Marlene the whole night, even while dancing. They do the same dance moves as each other, or they do something that reminds them of when they were friends. They start hanging out again after this wedding. I mean, they had no choice either way. Regulus and James got married!

OPTIONAL: May be caught violently grabbing James and Evan (and maybe Reg? Or some other form of the four of them?) and taking them outside. They come back inside looking messier and more frazzled than before. Marlene—drunker than a sailor—calls this out, and all Barty does is wink in her direction. Because she knows. Of course she knew all along.

Evan Rosier - Ring Bearer

Usually this job is supposed to be done by a young boy, but Evan is a young boy! Period.

Like Dorcas and Remu, doesn’t really dance unless it’s songs where he can get all seductive. He sits there usually, manspreading with a glass of tequila in hand, and watching Barty grind and swing his hips against some other man/woman. That man is going to get the biggest punishment of his life.

Forces himself not to cry during the vows. He acts kind of upset because Reg didn’t choose him as a best man or anything special, but he’s actually so fucking happy he’s the ring bearer.

He observes the room and the people in the room. He watches them and what they’re doing. He watches their movements and their words, and their mouths and body language. He notices when someone is left out (Peter), when someone is illegally hot (Barty), when someone is scarily hot (Regulus), when someone is beautifully hot (James), etc.

Is in charge of the music the DJ plays. He created the playlist, and the way the songs transition, and what they transition into. Everyone tells him he did an amazing job after the wedding. He mostly chose specific songs because he knew Bee, Redgie, and Jamie would dance under them.

OPTIONAL: Allows himself to be dragged everywhere. Barty drags him to go dance with him, and drags him outside where he makes out with him ferociously (and they’re occasionally accompanied with someone..). Regulus drags him when he needs help fixing something, like his slight makeup or his outfit, and even the decor. And James drags him around when the kids do something sweet or cute, and it’s so fucking adorable to see. It drives Evan insane. Not to mention when Regulus is busy doing something so James approaches him (or Bat) and whines for their/his attention. Now that drives him wild.

Pandora Lovegood - Plays the ‘Father’ Role

She walks Regulus down the aisle. That’s literally it. She has one of the most important jobs ever, and it’s too walk him down the aisle because his parents weren’t invited. Because they were either dead, or not important enough for such an event.

Everyone—and I mean everyone—either tears up or gets a bit emotional when they see Panda walking him down the aisle. She waves at Ev from the walkway and all he can do it hide his wobbly smile.

Dances mystically and majestically. She dances like she’s high (bc she is), and she’s sometimes separated from the circle/group, so you’ll probably see her and Xeno dancing around in tiny swirls, with her one hand holding her pregnant stomach.

She’s mostly dancing either by herself, with her friends, her husband, or Lily/Mary. When she gets too tired she resides to her seat and smiles at her grown stomach, sliding a hand up and down the canvas and feeling Luna’s kicks.

After the wedding, Panda approaches Peter and slips a note inside of his bag, telling him she’s so proud of him and his arrangements. Sadly, Peter never sees this note until it’s too late and he’s lost all of them. Anyway, exactly a week after the wedding, Luna Dorcas Lovegood is born, and Regulus calls her his gift.

OPTIONAL: Dora announces her pregnancy on this day (Reg invited her too), and mentions that her first born child’s full name will be: Luna Dorcas Lovegood, and her sons name will be: Arcturus Barty Lovegood. Evan asks why he isn’t named after a child, and Panda smiles while saying; “Because every time I look in the mirror I see you. Because you’re the godfather of my child, if you’d like to be?” And finally, Evan cracks. He would be the godfather of Luna, and Barty would soon be the godfather of Arcturus.

[bubblegum-cherry-lips]

bittersweet

summary: moving out of your place creates mixed feelings for you.

prompt: day 3 - bittersweet (prompts from this post)

pairing: poly marauders x (gender neutral) reader

cw: none

words: 523

•

Sirius carries the last box downstairs to the car, and for the first time that day, you are left alone in the flat you have called home for the last 10 years. It looks sad now, when all the furniture and stuff is gone - you haven’t noticed before how the walls have gone more gray than white, how the floor is all scratched and missing pieces of wood, and how the kitchen ceiling is covered with stains you no longer remember the origin of. 

And even with all that, you still feel the ache at the thought that this is the last time you’re gonna be here. 

You don’t regret the decision to move - you and the boys have been going steady for a while now, and with the time you spend over at their place, it’s really pointless to keep paying the rent here, and all the bills. And you are excited, you really are, at the thought of waking up to them every morning and knowing that they’d be there when you get home from work. 

It’s just that this place, the tiny apartment with a single bedroom and ceiling-high windows in the living room, carries so many memories. 

For example, right there on that couch, was the first time you kissed James. You two were watching movies, you don’t even remember which ones, but you do remember cuddling and dozing off in his arms. He kept petting your hair, scratching your scalp, and once he leaned to leave a kiss on your cheek, you turned your head and that was the first kiss you two shared - and many more followed.

When you look at the bedroom, you can’t forget that day when Sirius helped you paint the ceiling, balancing on the ladder as he tried to stick the fluorescent stars and paint you all your favorite constellations. And in that tiny bathroom, you remember sitting on the closed toilet as Remus takes off your make-up, face serious and hands gentle as he wiped it all off, planting kisses in between every swipe, all over your face. 

Gods, even the stains on the ceiling tell the story of a birthday cake James and Sirius tried to bake and surprise you with, but it turned into a disaster and what you came home to that night was a chocolate-covered kitchen and store-bought cake, courtesy of Remus. 

“You ready to go?” You’re not sure when exactly Sirius has returned, but you do feel his hand searching for yours and letting your fingers intertwine once he does find it, a dashing smile on his lips and the adorable blush on his cheeks, from the wind outside.

The ache and the memories may sit heavy on your chest, but there is too much good to look forward to in the future. So you nod, and squeeze your hand, and when you all pile into the car waiting downstairs, with James’ playlist echoing through the vehicle and Remus slowly driving you away from the building, you embrace the bitterness along with the sweetness. 

Here’s to a new chapter - and all the amazing stuff it will bring. 

[spiritstar477]

The marauders modern muggle au jobs

Remus: quiet, keep to himself, solo jobs

- teacher, particularly academics for high school

- works in/owns a vintage esc book store, one of the cool ones with a spiral staircase in the middle that leads to a second level. All books are second hand and have that worn in feel

- researcher/archivist in a museum

James: active, hands on, go go go

- professional athlete (obvi)

- kindergarten teacher/daycare provider

- trophy husband/stay at home dad (we all know he’d love it)

Sirius: hands on, unscheduled

- mechanic/vintage vehicle restoration and reselling

- musician, singer, dancer, actor, influencer, professional artist of some sort (including tattoo artist)

- bar owner/mixologist

Peter: laid back, calm environment, direction, structure

- product help line (idk i can just see it)

- administrative work

- farmer (plants)

Idk I just think Peter would have a really boring job but would have the most ridiculous side quests. He’d love the calm repetitive work bc as soon as he’s done, James and Sirius are chaosing around.

Honourable mention for Reggie:

- classical musician in an orchestra

- powerhouse leader of a big time company

- biochemist who works with deadly diseases and such

[nonbinary-potatoes]

Prompt: moon 13/10/24 @wolfstarmicrofic

Word count: 360

Sirius was alone again. It had been like this a lot since the marauders had finished Hogwarts. Of on missions that they weren't guaranteed to return from, sometimes just for a few hours but sometimes weeks at a time. Remus had been gone for a few days, Sirius wasn't allowed to know where he was or what he was doing.

From the bed where Sirius was laying, he could see out the window of their flat, a dingy little mould vat excuse of a home in the heart of Soho. The street was bright, lit up by suggestive neon signs and car headlights as they went by. It was never quiet either, also chatter on the street below or at least the sound of vehicles.

It was a full moon.

Sirius could see it, the sky was clear, and somewhere Remus was gallivanting around in wolf form. He should have been home with Sirius. It was taunting him, a huge stark reminder that there was a war going on and his boyfriend was fighting the front line while Sirius laid in bed. Not even sleeping. No. Merlin forbid he actually does the right thing, sleep so he can make himself useful to the war effort.

Sirius couldn't help it. He stood up and opened the window. Staring at the moon, he had so much pent-up emotion. The air outside was cold and reeked of stale piss and cheap alcohol. What a homely smell.

"Fuck you, I hate you... I wish you didn't exist" he shouted the words at the sky, staring at the moon while tears streaked his face. Someone on the street shot him a dirty look. Sirius dissolved into ugly sobs, it wasn't fair. How could he have felt so immortal a few months ago, just him and the marauders against the world. His boyfriend, his soul mate and his best friend running around school like nothing would ever stop them. And now? Now what was left? Remus wasn't here, James was on the other side of the country at his sickly parents bedsides night and day, and Sirous couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Peter.

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippets: Free Day Thursday

As per the poll results, we are giving Damas stress via Just Plain Silliness. It builds character. Not that I needed an excuse to Inconvenience Characters in the first place 😆 it's become my favorite way of writing anything. Not Angst or Adventure, but Aggravation of Character in ridiculous ways 😂

This falls into the Trespasser au (last "episode" of that found HERE) a bit before the second Arena fight in the game.

The king of Spargus, Jak decided, was a killjoy.

For a city where strength and survival were supposed to be the most important traits, he sure didn't like any of Jak's demonstrations of strength or survival.

"You can't race Leapers in the middle of the market."

"Don't swim over the reef."

"Stop antagonizing the monks."

"You can't race Leapers on neighborhood roofs, either."

"If I told you not to swim over the reef, why would you assume I'd be okay with you feeding the sea monster?!'

It was like he was vehemently opposed to the mere concept of fun.

Jak folded his arms and tried not to roll his eyes while Kleiver complained about the scuffed up suspension and undercarriage on the Dune Hopper. Sure, he'd cut it a little close on the broken bridge, but he'd gotten away with the artifacts and left the Marauders in a two car pile up, so who was the winner, here?

Not Jak, apparently.

Damas listened to Kleiver yell about how he'd have to redo the entire suspension -- a gross exaggeration -- and how there was half a metalhead stuck in the undercarriage. Now that, Jak hadn't known about. When had he run over a metalhead?

"Hey! We didn't do that!" Daxter protested, "How do we know you didn't put that there last time you drove?!"

"Because I don't take the Hopper if I plan to do a run down Turquoise Canyon!" Kleiver snapped.

Damas steepled his fingers in front of his mouth and examined the damaged vehicle.

"One of these days, kid, I swear to Volcan-"

"What?! I got the job done, didn't I?" Jak protested indignantly. "Did you want the Marauders to get their hands on a functioning power cell?"

Damas’s jaw tightened so much that his mouth appeared to be folding inward. He inhaled slowly, and let it out again, ears twitching while he was very obviously counting to ten.

"There are no jumps in the canyon," he said slowly, "So how did you manage this?"

Jak shrugged nonchalantly. "The 'rauders chased us out to the ruins," he explained, "Ran out of turbo, so I had to get creative with the jump."

Kleiver started swearing very creatively under his breath. Damas turned an interesting shade of red.

"That does it."

The king grabbed Jak by the channeling ring and near dragged him out of the garage before Kleiver could clobber someone with a wrench.

"One more stunt like that out of you," Damas threatened, "and I'm entering you into an apprenticeship. Let's see you foment chaos with an actual structure in your day."

"You're not gonna do that," Jak scoffed.

Damas’s eyes narrowed. "Try me."

Jak did not take this nearly as seriously as he ought to have. In fact, he seemed to regard the threat as more instances of Damas "worrying too much". Damas did not worry too much! If anything, he wasn't worried enough about the insanity this young unknown relative had brought into his city! More than one advisor or guildmaster had been privy to the king muttering darkly, "I'm either going to kill him, or start training him myself. I'll let you know when I've figured out which."

And of course, Jak kept being Jak. Climbing the Arena walls because he saw a Precursor orb someone had dropped. Messing around with some kind of evil alien satellite on the beach. Inciting other inhabitants of the youth barracks to join foot races in the barrack halls in the dead hours of night. And he seemed to regard all of this as perfectly normal behavior. It was like all the impulses he'd had to shove down in Haven, all the ways he'd had to be perfect to fit under the yoke of that terrible word, hero, everything came crashing down in Spargus. He had almost no limits here, and that kind of freedom seemed to awaken a wildness that was above the paygrade of the dorm supervisor.

It came to the point where Damas was actually allowing the kid to go out into a sandstorm, just to get some of that boundless energy out! It wouldn't have been his first choice. Or even his tenth. But the storm rolling in was much larger than anything else they'd seen that summer. And for all his recklessness, Jak was their fastest driver.

"Four scouts have not reported in," the king told Jak and Daxter. His face was grim. "Two just set off their emergency beacons. At the rate this storm is going-"

He shook his head, cutting off his sentence.

Daxter had worried that Spargus would be another Krew situation at first. But here was the king of the cranky lizard-riders, flipping out because a handful of scouts -- one of the lowest ranks in the city -- weren't accounted for before a deadly storm.

In Haven, their absence wouldn't have even been noticed until roll call.

The old timers in the market were right, weren't they? "King's eyes see all." This guy watched everyone like a hawk, didn't he? Daxter wasn't sure if that bothered him, or if it just reminded him of Jak.

He supposed that was fitting, considering the two were probably related, no matter how in denial Jak seemed to be about being an Heir of Mar.

"Where's the Crawler right now?" Jak asked.

The mobile sandstorm shelter wasn't invincible, but it could take a lot. That would be the scouts' best bet.

Damas looked out the windows, glaring at the dark clouds as though he could hold the storm back by sheer force of will. It took a moment to hear his voice over the water.

"The Crawler is in the steppes at the moment. She's not a fast vehicle, Jak. I need you to get those scouts to either the Crawler or the city."

"I will."

Damas turned a stern look on them both.

"No stunts. These are people's lives we're talking about."

"I know!" Jak sputtered, a little offended. "And I won't bust the car up this time, so Kleiver can give it a rest."

"No. I'm serious, boy," Damas warned, "If it comes down to abandoning the car for shelter or trying to drive in the storm, you leave the car. Do you understand?"

Jak huffed. Damas had seen him outrun sandstorms before! What was so bad about a slightly bigger one?

"I got it, I got it," he grumbled.

Damas glared.

"No. Stunts. You get back here in one piece."

"Okay, I got it already!" Jak groaned.

"Jak-!"

"I know, Dad!" Jak complained.

An instant later his eyes widened.

The water suddenly seemed much louder than usual.

Daxter wasn't even sure any of them were breathing.

Three pairs of dramatically widened eyes darted back and forth between them as silence built up like steam under pressure. It was going to erupt sooner or later, the question was how.

Damas made a very small, strangled noise in the back of his throat.

Jak snapped out of his moment of horrified realization.

"Uh. I'll let you know when everyone is accounted for!"

He pivoted and bolted for the elevator before Damas could see his entire face burn crimson.

A guard at the back of the chamber opened his mouth to comment and in one rushed tangle of syllables Jak hissed,

"Youdidn'thearanything!"

Damas didn't blink for a good two minutes after Jak had left.

He didn't move for a good two minutes.

He stood exactly where he'd been, staring blankly at the empty elevator shaft.

The captain of the tower guard, an older man named Cephus, left his place by the windows to lean into Damas’s peripheral vision. He waved slightly, and the king finally blinked.

"Are you alright, sire?" Cephus asked.

Damas made a curious wheeze before speaking through a groaning inhalation.

"Oh no."

"Hm!" Cephus stroked his long beard. "Guess the wild one imprinted on you! Do I offer congratulations or condolences?"

Damas nodded slowly and stiffly.

"....help."

There could not possibly have been a worse time for the monks to finally send him the results of the blood test.