#Maurus Snagglegrin

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

Living World Season 4 Episode 3 Spoilers below the cut!

As a preface, I usually consider Chaz as not actually being the commander - however their experiences with Living World are instead documented as bizarre dreams where they’ve been thrust into the role of Commander and have to try and handle things as best as they can. With that in mind:

After the ending of the episode I just had to make the pun, I am so sorry.

[murellow-farts]

Short stories of Iron Legion’s Grin warband, the continuing series.

[pocket-raptor]

Maurus! 1, 3, 11, 50 \o/ Just a smattering of questions I am curious about, haha

01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded? 

oh man it’s uh… actually been so long since I made this character, I prob just browsed a list of names - Maurus means “dark skinned” so I may have picked that for the literal, obvious reasons. but I also just like how it sounds! same also with “Snagglegrin” though he’s also got snaggly tusks so it works

03. What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves? 

he’s fond of his strong jaw and chin spikes. also his doofy little mane, which is less a true mane and more just “long tufty fur he spikes up”

11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage? 

picking on his bandmates, for sure. probably also shit-talking his dam. or iron legion.

50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say?

it’s less of “what would he say” and more “what would he do” - probably shove a gift in his crush’s hands, mumble something unintelligible and slouch off. (what kind of gift? well - rule of thumb is always to give something you’d like to get, right? so probably he’d gift a nice sword or a slab of spiced yak jerky)

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

(Starring @pocket-raptor’s Maurus Snagglegrin!)

[Chaz]: Sometimes for fun, Maurus will pick me up like I’m a little plushie and we’ll just sort of go around and confuse people. I mean sometimes Maurus picks me up for other reasons too.

Honestly? I kind of like it.

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

[Chaz]: ...Yep, Maurus is still as cute as he ever was. It’s nice to take a break from work and just relax with friends and loved ones, y’know?

((Some nice things for Chaz Targrin for a little change, starring @pocket-raptor‘s Maurus Snagglegrin! Thank you @guildwars2 for providing us with Friendship Tonics and making these screenshots possible!))

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

(Starring @pocket-raptor‘s Maurus Snagglegrin!)

[Chaz]: Maurus was one of the first people to help me out back on the day of the ambush. He, along with Atlas, Clovis and the rest of the Grin warband, whether or not they were present that day, have seen me at the worst point in my life, and they’ve been there for me. I guess it’s no wonder that I’m most comfortable around them, even when my scars are visible to all.

Especially Maurus. (Yes I had to get an apple crate to stand on before I could give him a hug. No I don’t care if it looks silly.)

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

(A little “what-if” thing of Chaz attempting to express their feelings for Maurus. They’d probably immediately hide in the corner and worry that they were being weird afterwards.)

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[Chaz]: Sometimes if I’m panicked I might lapse into a weird, incomprehensible bastardization of shortspeak - Twice as fast and twice as hard to understand, yet half as efficient.

Maurus at least knows what I’m trying to get across, at least.

(Starring @pocket-raptor‘s Maurus Snagglegrin and @murellow-farts‘ Clovis Snaregrin! And yes, this is Chaz speaking in Doric - not Lake Doric but Scottish Doric. Shortspeak brought it to mind, haha.)

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

[Chaz]: I’m starting to relax on my holiday a bit, aaand some thoughts have been distracting me. Thoughts about what? I’d... really... rather not say. -ahem-. Okay okay I might have a bit of a crush on someone. Aaand I have no idea how to express it. But just... shh on that, I dunno how Maurus would react if I- oop. I’ve said too much.

(Guest starring @pocket-raptor‘s Maurus Snagglegrin, who Chaz has something of a crush on!)

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

The Targrin Story Arc

Now that all the parts are out, I’m also gonna go ahead and gather all six chapters of the Targrin story arc into one post, along with a synopsis for each!

Act 1: Ambush - Chaz Tarbound, along with the Tar warband, goes to aid construction efforts in the Fields of Ruin, but Separatists lurk in the Sniper’s Woods.

Act 2: Rescue - A few hours after Act 1, three members of the Grin warband are tasked with disrupting Separatist activity, and get more than they bargained for when they discover a panicky prisoner.

Act 3: Scars - A few months after Act 2, Chaz returns to Rata Sum to check in with their mom, Doctor Maakinen.

Interlude: The Sidearm - Chaz has a nightmare while resting up in Maakinen’s home, following Act 3.

Act 4: Redreave - At the start of a new year, Chaz tries to prove themselves to a few potential warbands, with a little help from the Grins. Things go very wrong very fast.

Act 5: Induction - After a disastrous performance at Redreave Mill, Chaz and the Grins go to a bar in the Black Citadel, where they meet the Grin legionnaire. Chaz finally gets a new name.

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

(Kind of an OOC thing, but) I actually just saw you in the Wintersday jumping puzzle just before you left. I admit I did a tiny squee...

(Hee, sweet! Never be afraid to say hi if you see me in game! That goes for the rest of you checking out my blog, too - as I’ve said before my account name’s up on the top of my page for anyone who wants to add me o/ - Chaz Targrin won’t bite!

Okay maybe that one t-

two times, it was only two times geez. Kidding aside, it always warms my heart when someone in-game recognizes me from Tumblr, so yeah, I’m always open to chat! Though I suppose in the case of the Winter Wonderland jumping puzzle I was trying not to fall off the platforms, so. XD)

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

[Chaz]: So after starting my vacation, I am sure anyone who’s been keeping an eye on my updates is wondering how I’m taking having almost an entire month to myself with no work, no obligations, no routine to speak of...

[Chaz]: Things... could be better.

(Co-starring @pocket-raptor‘s Maurus Snagglegrin!)

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

(Starring @pocket-raptor‘s Maurus Snagglegrin!)

[Chaz]: This is Maurus Snagglegrin, one of the members of the Grin warband, and a good friend of mine. At least I hope we’re good friends... -ahem-

It was Maurus, along with Atlas Jaspergrin and Clovis Snaregrin who rescued me from a Separatist camp a little over a couple of years back. I owe the three of them my life, and in particular I tend to feel pretty safe when Maurus is nearby.

Which makes me feel all the worse when I come close to accidentally hurting him. He’s forgiven me for biting him in a panic already - Thankfully he wasn’t hurt because that houndskin mantle stopped my teeth from doing any damage. I guess I’m still beating myself up over what happened at Redreave Mill. I know I need to stop that, he’s already forgiven me for that too, but... I dunno, I feel like I’ve betrayed his trust somehow. Silly as that sounds.

Anyways, I let my thoughts get away from me for a second there, apologies. As I was saying, this is Maurus, and he’s awesome. Atlas and Clovis are awesome too.

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

Targrin, Act 2: Rescue

(So I know I wanted to sort of make this a weekly thing but I don’t know if I can hold onto the story for that long, ahaha. That, and I wanted to get a format down for linking between chapters of a story! So have a bonus second chapter for today, starring @pocket-raptor‘s Atlas Jaspergrin and Maurus Snagglegrin, and @murellow-farts‘ Clovis Snaregrin!)

NAVIGATION: <- Previous Chapter | Next Chapter ->

Targrin, Act 2: Rescue

1328 AE, Fields of Ruin, Ascalon

(A few hours after the events of Act 1)

“Ugh, this place reeks. Let’s keep our time here short.”

“Would you say this is preferable to or worse than hoofing it all the way from the Black Citadel, Maurus?”

“It’s a tough choice, honestly, but I suppose the quicker we come here to do… whatever it is we’re doing, the better.”

Fresh out of the asura gate from Ebonhawke came a ramshackle trio of charr, all sporting rather vibrant orange and purple armour. The second-biggest of them, Maurus Snagglegrin, looked around a bit, before clearing his throat. “So like I was asking, what’re we doing here again?”

“We’re making trouble for Separatists,” stated Atlas Jaspergrin, the tallest of the group.

“Damn straight we are,” came the call from the back, uttered by Clovis Snaregrin, the shortest of the trio, as they headed down the ramp and out of the stronghold proper. “Though I don’t think bossman said how we should making trouble for Separatists, so… any thoughts, Atlas?”

“You weren’t paying attention, were you, Clovis?”, Atlas chuckled. “Apparently some of the bastards have set up a camp in the Sniper’s Woods area, and it’s making things difficult for our Iron Legion diplomats trying to aid construction efforts in Tyler’s Bivouac. We’ve been tasked with disrupting their activities in the area. So you know, the usual, trash the camp, kill ‘em all, you know how we do.”

“Oh, I knew that! I just wanted to hear it from someone who wasn’t bossman,” Clovis smiled cheekily, “That, and I wanted to know how much looting we’d be doing this time around.”

Atlas chuckled. “You know, the usual. Anything that isn’t nailed down. Whoever finds the most valuable thing wins a free drink when we get back.”

No sooner had they gotten out of Ebonhawke than they heard a commotion - Lots of screaming and distressed sounds, interspersed with the occasional gunshot… seems like there was a pattern, and it didn’t sound like a fight. It sounded more… one-sided.

Maurus piped up. “Think that’s the camp?”

Atlas nodded. “Sounds like some folks are already having fun.”

Clovis chimed in. “Oh, let’s see if we can find another angle of attack. I bet they won’t be expecting a group to hit ‘em from ‘round back.”

Atlas hummed. “Y’know, that’s not a bad thought. They’re probably distracted fighting off who knows what else, we could totally take them by surprise.”

The Separatist captor had been doing a number on Chaz - slow, painfully long drags of the knife across their arms, legs and torso - Careful enough to avoid severing arteries or causing serious damage, yet brutal and slow enough to make every living second hell. The screaming had since subsided to a soft whimper and an occasional yelp. “Oh come on, most charr I’ve tortured last longer than this. Don’t tell me you’re really as weak as you look.”

Chaz winced and squirmed, feeling dizzy and nauseous. “Fuck you, you murderous warmongering scum” was what they wanted to utter, but it came out as a slurred mess of words ending in what sounded vaguely like “Your mom.”

The captor took great offense to this perceived slight and raised his knife, causing Chaz to yelp, flinch and shiver some more, but a ruckus broke out from elsewhere in the camp. Screams, gunfire and yells of “Take that, Separatist shitbags!” echoed throughout the area. This sounded a lot more like an actual fight, and the torturer seemed none too pleased with this fact.

“Oh hell… Well, I didn’t get as much time with you as I would’ve liked, but I must be going now. Do hold onto THIS for me though, would you?”, he grumbled, emphasizing the word “This” by plunging his knife deep into Chaz’s still-good leg, causing them to yelp again in pain. Before they could swear at their captor, he was already gone, along with a handful of his cronies. Glancing around more, Chaz’s eye caught sight of a trio of charr dressed in purple and orange.

Maurus was the first to point them out. “Oh shit, those bastards had a prisoner. He looks like he’s hurt pretty bad!”

Atlas chimed in, “Don’t worry, kid, we’re here to help!”, and the two of them hurried over, followed shortly by Clovis.

Chaz was still on high alert, and panic set in.

“What are you doing?!” they yelped hysterically at the three charr. “Get out of here, it’s a trap! They’re using me as bait and they’re gonna… just get away from me, leave me here before… just leave me!”

The trio slowed down, and looked dumbfounded - from their perspective they saw a half-naked, cut-up, clawless male charr with a knife stuck in his leg, yelping incoherently about an ambush. Atlas tilted his head. “What, you mean those guys?” He stepped aside, giving Chaz a clear view of a pile of Separatist corpses.

“Oh yeah, we killed ‘em quick,” Clovis chimed in, holding an armful of weapons and trinkets Maurus nodding alongisde her, holding an equally large armful of assorted junk.

Chaz stared… and laid their head back, letting out a pained laugh. “Okay…  I must be delirious from blood loss or shock, most likely I’m hallucinating. That’s the only possible explanation that I can come up with for how I can go from being tortured by a knife-wielding Separatist maniac to being greeted by a bunch of looters dressed in orange and purple!”

The Grins looked at each other, and then at Chaz. Clovis piped up. “I think we broke him.” Maurus nodded again.

Atlas, however, noticed something else. The handle of that dagger stuck in Chaz’s leg… It looked like a golden wing. That’d probably be worth a few gold, and he’s sure he’d be doing this kid a favour by getting rid of it for them... He went over to Chaz, and without really thinking much else, he yanked it out, causing Chaz to let out a shrill yelp of pain. “Check it out, I found the shiniest thing in the camp!”

Clovis and Maurus both dropped their armfuls of loot and rushed over to Chaz and Atlas. “ATLAS!” Maurus snapped, “You don’t just yank a knife out of someone like that!”

Atlas looked at the knife, then at Chaz’s leg wound, and then back at the knife. “But I… Oh. Ohhhh. Er, sorry, buddy.”

He jammed the knife back in place, causing Chaz to yelp again and nearly pass out. Maurus and Clovis both put a palm over their faces, with Clovis finally admitting “Okay, well that’s one way to deal with that.”

Chaz, still dizzy and incoherent, looked back at the purple-and-orange charr rescuers. “Alright, so you three are real. And you really dealt with… most of the Separatists.”

“Aw, only most?” Clovis grumped.

Maurus patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. “Yeah, I’m bummed about it too. We saved this cub, though, we should patch him up before he bleeds out.” Clovis nodded in agreement, and the two of them started gathering together whatever medical supplies they could find in the camp.

While they were at work, Atlas tilted his head. “So… what’s your story? You’re here with a knife in your leg - sorry about that again - you’re all cut up and you were yelling at us about some ambush and-- what happened to your claws?!”

Chaz chuckled weakly. “Don’t worry about the claws. Been like that since I was born. Separatist bastard sounded disappointed that I didn’t have any for him to pull out, lemme tell you.”

Atlas looked confused, but nodded. “What’s your name?”

“Tarbound. Chaz Tarbound. Tar Warband. Iron Legion.”

“Hey, another Iron Legion band! I’m Atlas Jaspergrin, Grin Warband. Those two over there are Clovis Snaregrin and Maurus Snagglegrin.”

“Wait,” Clovis called out, as she and Maurus hurried over to the injured charr with some first aid supplies. “Did you say Tar warband? I remember hearing they had an unusual recruit, a clawless charr who applied some revolutionary asura techniques into building charr technology.”

Chaz weakly raised a clawless hand. “That’s me.”

Clovis looked pretty overjoyed. “Oh wow, we need to talk sometime when you’re better! …Where’s the rest of your warband?” She asked, as she started applying antiseptic to Chaz’s lacerations, in an attempt to keep them distracted.

Chaz looked visibly upset, but tried to hold it back, wincing every now and again as more antiseptic and bandages were applied. They gestured weakly towards the group of dead charr near the camp’s front entrance. “I… I couldn’t do anything. The Separatists… they… one-by-one. They made me watch. Kept telling me I was next.”

“Burn me,” Atlas grumbled. “So they really were using you as bait. I’m… I’m sorry.”

Chaz sounded more and more upset. “It was my fault. If I’d just shut up instead of making a racket… maybe they…”

“Hey, hey, hey now, don’t go talking like that,” Clovis said, shushing Chaz and trying to comfort them. “You can’t go blaming yourself for what these bastards did to you. Y’hear me? It’s not your fault.”

“Your bandmates went to great lengths to save you,” Maurus huffed, looking down at Chaz as he helped Clovis patch them up. “You would have done the same for them, wouldn’t you?”

Chaz was hesitant, but eventually nodded. “Tar Warband sticks together… Though technically speaking Tar Warband isn’t really a thing anymore, is it? That one over there, Arjuna Tarpelt… she was the Legionnaire. I’m not fit to lead a warband…”

“Well, you’re not fit to do much of anything right now,” Atlas offered, somewhat unhelpfully.

“Oh, I’ve got an idea!” Clovis chirped, “We were looting this place, right? We looted this charr, so he’s ours now! He can be a part of Grin Warband!”

“Yeah, he looks so adorable and small,” Maurus chimed in, “We can’t just leave him to be a gladium, that’s just not right. Can’t we keep him?”

“We’re not kidnapping him,” Atlas stated flatly. “You need to ask him politely, and see how he feels.”

Clovis nodded, as she and Maurus finished patching up the charr and sitting them up. “So, Chaz, how do you feel about that?” she inquired hopefully.

“I feel like I am in severe pain and discomfort, and require immediate medical attention,” Chaz stated, bluntly and unhelpfully.“Fair enough,” Clovis sighed, “It’s gonna be a bit of a journey but we can take you back through the asura gates in Ebonhawke. Do you think you can stay with us until we get back to the Black Citadel, or should we try and get you some treatment in Lion’s Arch?”

“The Citadel, please…” Chaz responded weakly, “Ugh… then again, I… don’t know if I’m ready to explain to the Tribune what happened. I’m going to have to register as a Gladium and that’s gonna be a mess, and--”

“Hey, hey, hey, let’s just focus on the fact that you’re still with us, right?” Atlas butted in. “We can worry about all that paperwork later, but for now we really need to get you to the Citadel. Can you walk?”

Chaz shook their head, pointing to the bullethole in one leg and the knife in the other, the knife that Atlas had haphazardly pulled out and reinserted.

“Right, right. Sorry again about the knife. Maurus, care to give this guy a lift?”

Maurus nodded, and rather roughly picked Chaz up and slung them over his shoulder, eliciting something of a squeak of pain from the small charr. “Jeez, you’re lighter than I expected, lil’ buddy,” Maurus chuckled. “They been starving you in that camp?”

“N-no, I was only in there for a few hours… At least I think it was a few hours. I’ve just always been like this.”

“Well you’re lookin’ like a mess, either way. Speakin’ of, we should get you to our mess hall once you’re patched up, get you some grub, y’hear? Now there’s something to look forward to.” He offers the smaller, injured charr a soft smile, over his shoulder.

And so, as Maurus and Clovis started heading back towards the gates of Ebonhawke in the early evening light, with Chaz in tow, Atlas surveyed the carnage of the would-be Separatist camp that they’d successfully trashed and looted.

He took another glance at the remains of the Tar warband, and heaved a sigh. “Fucking Separatists. The hell do they think they’ll accomplish pulling this shit?” Near the corpses, a conspicuous patch of bloodstained grass caught Atlas’ eye - a trail led from it to where the Grins had found Chaz, and nearby, a rickety old bolt-action rifle lay on a flat rock.

“Hm…” a thought crossed Atlas’ mind, and without another word he grabbed the rifle, slinging it over his shoulder before moving to catch up with the group.

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

Thinging about it, are you sure your mild crush on Maurus is only one sided? Cause I don't think too many people would bother to learn bastardized shortspeak or act completely neutral to being gnawed on like meat for just anyone.

[Chaz]:  I guess my main worry is that  I don’t know how genuine my love is, like if it’s just a fleeting thing or if I really do have honest, genuine feelings for Maurus. I mean for sure I feel like I owe him my life after he saved me from that Separatist camp along with Clovis and Atlas, but that just sort of... complicates affairs further. I know I should ask, I really do, but I’m not confident in my ability to convey my feelings.

As far as the biting thing goes, Maurus forgave me that because he and the Grins have seen firsthand what I’ve been through, and they know I’m not entirely myself when I’m panicked. In that regard, though I’m scared that I’d be an actual threat to those who I love and hold so close.

As for the shortspeak thing... You know, you have a point there. I’m not entirely sure how Maurus can comprehend what I’m saying - Actual useful shortspeak takes a while to get used to, but... Maurus just instinctively knows what I’m rambling on about when I’m panicked. Maybe I could start by asking him about that.

(Again a note that Maurus is owned by @pocket-raptor so while I can’t speak directly for Maurus, I can definitely share Chaz’s thoughts and feelings about their relationship with him o/)

[chaz-targrin-gw2]

Targrin, Act 5: Induction

(Well, it’s been a fun few weeks sharing these stories to you, but the Targrin arc is almost at an end! Following a disastrous night out at Redreave Mill, Chaz and the Grins - @pocket-raptor​‘s Maurus and Atlas, and @murellow-farts​‘ Clovis - hit the bar to decompress. Thanks for sticking with me through this story series!)

NAVIGATION: <- Previous Chapter | This is the final chapter!

Targrin, Act 5: Induction

1329 AE, Black Citadel, Ascalon

(An hour after the events of Act 4)

The Grins’ legionnaire was enjoying a quiet night to himself at the bar. Wait… was it night? How long had he been… Whatever, it was dark out, most of the other patrons had left, he had some peace and quiet to himself for now, he might as well enjoy-

“EY, Bossman!” the voice almost resonated throughout the tavern.

The legionnaire turned his head just slightly, he didn’t need to look to figure out who owned that voice. “…Atlas. What brings you here at… What time is it?”

“Good morning to you too, sir.” Atlas chuckled, taking a seat at the bar, as Maurus followed closely behind. “Nice timing, we have some news! I was gonna save it for tomorrow but while we’re here…”

“It had better be damn good news, I’m on my last drink for the night, I don’t have the cash for any… actually scratch that, it had better be damn okay news, I’m not buying you lot drinks to celebrate.”

“Not to worry, I’m already buying a round for three other folks, I can buy one for you too.”

The legionnaire cracked a smile. “Alright, if ‘free drinks’ is the news, I’m happy to… “ He paused, counting the heads unsteadily. “Wait. Three other folks? There’s just you and Maurus, and Maurus and…  and Maurus.”

“Hang on, hang on, I’m the one you’re supposed to be seeing three of!” came another voice from the doorway. Clovis trotted in, with Chaz tagging along behind her.

The legionnaire looked back at Atlas and Maurus. “…Oh right, you, Maurus and Clovis. And… who’s he?”

Clovis put her hand on Chaz’s shoulder and shook them excitedly, which elicited a pained squeak from the smaller charr. “We looted a potential ‘bandmate!”

Atlas shook his head. “Nonono, that’s, uh. We have someone who wants to join our warband.”

“Hah!” the legionnaire scoffed. “That’s a new one. Someone actually volunteering to join this bunch?”

Clovis gently nudged Chaz towards the bar. The legionnaire rubbed his eyes and took a closer look. “…He’s got no claws. He’s so small. How old is he?”

“They,” Clovis started, making a point to correct the legionnaire, “turn twenty-six next month. I know they look small and soft and cuddly, and that’s… because they are, but you can check in with Tribune Goreblade yourself, they’re twenty-five, they’ve been registered as a gladium for a few months, and they were keen on joining us.”

Chaz finally spoke up, raising a nubby paw-hand. “Y…yes. Is it alright if I join your warband, sir?” They squirmed a bit, struggling to get up onto the barstool next to the legionnaire. They yawned a bit, looking over at the bartender. “Uh, I’ll have an amber ale. Please.”

The Legionnaire was taken aback, and tried to maintain a more professional tone of voice, despite being fairly drunk. “…If… If what Clovis is saying is right, you’re a bit older than the others. …You’re not in trouble for anything, are you?”

Chaz looked back towards the legionnaire, looking unsure. “I… don’t know? If it hadn’t been for Atlas I’d probably be in the stockades instead of the tavern right now. But once word gets out of what happened I doubt very many warbands will want me.”

Confused, the legionnaire looked to the other Grins for further explanation.

“We might’ve been over at the Redreave Mill. I was showcasing their combat prowess to a few other legionnaires, in the hopes of getting them into a warband. They’re a crack shot with the rifle, you should’ve seen them in action. They used a wounded Separatist as bait to lure out others and take ‘em out. They even made one’s head explode!”

“Really? This lil fella? I doubt he- …they… know how to hold a rifle.” The legionnaire scoffed, moving to pat Chaz on the shoulder.

Chaz huffed a bit, and took a swig of their ale. “Atlas, do you still have that rifle?”

“Uh… yeah, here. It’s not loaded.” He walked around and handed Chaz the rickety, bandaged-up rifle. Chaz took it gently, holding it up to their shoulder in a firing stance, finger off of the trigger.

“Well, there’s no scope on this, so I wouldn’t be able to trajectorize as easily… it’s also in really poor shape, unsurprising, given the last owner was a bastard…” A brief pause, Chaz lowered the rifle from their shoulder, shook it gently, then quickly pulled back the bolt, a slightly rusted bullet springing out of the magazine and landing on the floor with an audible ‘clink’. “…The bolt-action’s sticking with me a bit… oh, and it was loaded, but it’s empty now, thank you Atlas.” They held the rifle back out to him.

Atlas coughed, slightly embarrassed. “You can hold onto it. You seem to know your way around that thing better than I do, I nearly shot Maurus with it.”

“Oi!” Maurus grumped, glaring at Atlas. “I’ve had enough of that for one morning.”

“I stand firmly corrected,” the legionnaire grumped. “So why… what happened that the other bands won’t take you?”

“I nearly shot Maurus,” Chaz mumbled.

“They nearly shot Maurus,” Atlas and Clovis chimed in.

“They nearly shot me,” Maurus confirmed, giving Atlas another glare. “In that case though it was partly my fault.”

“Okay… Okay back up a little bit, I’m gonna need more information on that. What happened?”

“Well,” Maurus coughed, “I might have walked down into an active firing range without warning the shooter - that’d be Chaz.”

“Yeah,” Atlas countered, “But when I realised you were going down that way I tried to warn Chaz, and they were…”

“I was lost,” Chaz piped up, finishing Atlas’ sentence, “I’d assumed everything I was aiming at was… was a… I mean, it wasn’t until Atlas knocked me off of the mounted rifle that I realised what had almost happened.”

The legionnaire nodded, humming pensively. “So… you’re a good sniper but you have difficulty differentiating targets? You had your eyes tested recently?”

“Eyesight’s fine, it’s just… I mean… I was sort of taken by a strange mood… like… I just saw… I…” They started stammering again, taking slow, shaky breaths.

“They’re suffering from battle fatigue, sir,” Atlas piped up, putting a hand on Chaz’s shoulder gently to try and help them calm down. “We never got around to explaining where we found them.”

The Legionnaire tilted his head. “Clovis said something about looting a ‘bandmate but aside from that, no, you haven’t explained yet.”

“Alright, well you remember a couple of weeks ago you asked us to go over to Ebonhawke and fuck about with some Separatists?”

“‘Disrupt Separatist activity in and around Ebonhawke’ was the official order, soldier. But yes, I left it to you three to decide how to proceed.”

Atlas leaned over, whispering to Chaz. “See what I mean?” No response. “…Sorry.”

“I haven’t gotten your report back about that yet, by the way, how’d that go?”

“Well, we discovered a makeshift Separatist camp up in the Sniper’s Woods, and Clovis suggested we loot the place after trashing it.”

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but good work. Gave those bastards a run for their money, yeah?”

“Yessir,” Atlas nodded, “While we were looting the place we found Chaz here. They were kind of… messed up when we got to them. They’d been tortured, used as bait to lure other Charr into a trap.” Still no response from Chaz, who was staring off into the distance, shivering. Atlas squeezed their shoulder gently. “C’mon Chaz, stay with us, you’re safe here.”

The Legionnaire huffed. “And you say they lost their warband?”

Atlas nodded grimly, still trying to help Chaz keep it together, “Yessir. This is Chaz Tarbound, from the Tar Warband, Iron Legion. They were in the area helping the humans with construction efforts, when they were ambushed by Separatists.”

“I see.” The legionnaire looked over to Chaz, his expression softened a little. “I’ve heard of Tar’s efforts around Ascalon, as well as their revolutionary turrets that were deployed in Orr. Deepest condolences, soldier. We’ll head out to the Plaza of Remembrance and raise a toast to them later. …They have been memorialized, yes?”

Chaz shivered a little, sniffling. They lowered their head, shoulders slumped, looking physically overburdened with guilt. That was as much an answer as the Legionnaire needed, and he frowned.

Eager to break the awkward silence, Atlas stood up. “Clovis, Maurus, keep an eye on Chaz, yeah? Make sure they get some food and drink in them, they could use something good right about now.” Atlas looked over to the legionnaire, and jerked his head in the direction of a spot away from the bar. “A word, sir?” The legionnaire nodded slowly, and followed Atlas over.

“So it’s… pretty bad, huh?” the legionnaire gruffed, once the two were out of earshot.

“That’s the thing, we’d rehearsed this marksmanship demonstration before and Chaz was perfectly fine - They’re an amazing shot, they’ve got some self-doubt about their abilities but they’re really good. That said, the reason they’re here is kind of… my fault. I guess I underestimated what the Separatists had done to them emotionally.”

“So after they suffered so much at the hands of Separatists, you figured the best thing to do was expose them to more Separatists.”

“Yeah, that was… a mistake. I figured they could be done with some revenge, but they sort of… lost themselves, kind of like what’s happening right now. You can probably see why the other warbands won’t take them.”

“I see… I think I might have an idea of where this one could be useful.”

“Oh thank fuck, because I’ve been running on fumes for the past few minutes and I’m fresh out of ideas.”

“Not to worry,” the legionnaire chuckled, heading back over to check on Chaz, who had buried their head in their arms, hiccuping quietly. “Clovis, Maurus, How’s our new member holding up?”

“I dunno,” Maurus shrugged, “We got them talking again and things seemed fine, but then they just broke down sobbing and apologising over and over. Maybe giving them booze right now was a bad idea?”

Clovis had a hand on Chaz’s shoulder, giving them a reassuring rub. “Nahhhh, I think loosening the valve on the waterworks is helping… Wait, did you just say ‘new member’?” She looked up at the Legionnaire and then back down at Chaz, whose head slowly lifted back up - they were a sight for sore eyes after all that crying, but they looked as surprised as the others did.

“Well, not officially yet, but I’ll be getting in touch with Tribune Goreblade to let him know I’m recruiting Chaz here into our ranks. I just wanted to ask you something first, Chaz, and I understand if it’s hard to answer.”

Chaz sniffled and hiccuped a bit more, but nodded. “Y-yes, sir?”

“When you were in Tar Warband, what were your off-field duties?”

Some confusion from Chaz. “What do you mean off-field?”

“Anything you did back at your barracks, stuff that doesn’t involve building or sharpshooting. Both are valuable skills, of course, I just wanted to know what else you did.”

“Oh! Umm… I helped take stock of our supplies, wrote up requisitions for more materials when we needed them… Desk jobs, paperwork and bureaucracy really.”

“Ahh, yes,” the legionnaire chuckled. “The eternal battle to get through all of that red tape, right?”

“Actually, if I’m to be honest, I kind of enjoyed that side of the work.” Chaz laughed lightly, still sniffling.

The Grins looked at each other, and then to their Legionnaire, sharing an expression that was summed up by the Legionnaire’s next word: “…What.”

“…What?” Chaz tilted their head. “It was nice. It was actually… kind of relaxing after a long day of marching and carrying stuff back and forth, or after my guard shifts with the rifle. Actually made me feel kind of important, too. With a bit of know-how and a few strokes of a pen, I could get anything you need delivered to you in good time.”

Yet another flabbergasted look shared between the rest of the Charr. “You… you’d actually be happy to do our paperwork for us? Shit, what have I been drinking?”

“You’ve been drinking my wallet dry,” Atlas snarked, as he forked out the change for another round of drinks.

Wiping the tears away from their face, Chaz smiled, a soft, heart-melting smile. “If… if that’s what your warband needs, I’d be more than happy to help out.”

“Well then, I’d be more than happy to-”

“Wait, wait, I’m not finished,” Chaz interrupted, that adorable little smile spreading a bit further into an expression of unbridled gratitude, “Your warband saved my life. They did their best to help me find a new warband. You offered to take me in when nobody else would.”

“It’s nothing, really, we just-”

“I can do a lot more than just handle your paperwork for you. What if I told you I’d be willing to go the extra mile?”

The legionnaire blinked. “…Go on.”

“Oh, it’s nothing major, just that you mentioned having difficulty with red tape?”

“Yes?”

“It so happens that over the three years I served with Tar, one of my old bandmates taught me a few tricks to cut through the bureaucratic crap, save time, save money, you know.” Without even changing their expression, they lowered their voice just so the barkeep wouldn’t hear. “…Exploiting loopholes, basically.” A wink to seal the deal.

The legionnaire, still trying to process this all, approached Chaz, sitting back down at the bar and taking another swig of booze. “I’m still convinced I’m drunk and imagining all of this, but… welcome to the Grin warband, soldier. Better to get that out of the way now than later when I’m hung over.”

A chuckle between the Grins.

“And don’t worry, I’m not just shuffling you into a desk job. You may still perform field work with the other Grins, and I’d recommend it so you can keep your marksmanship in practice, but you are under no pressure to do so.”

“Thank you, sir. I think as long as I have someone keeping an eye on me I’ll be fine.” Chaz nods, having finally calmed down and cheered up.

“There is one other matter we need to see to before I wrap up this impromptu meeting,” the legionnaire continued. “Your name. You’re a Grin now, have you thought of a name for yourself?”

“Uhh… “ Chaz pondered.

“Bluntgrin, ‘cause you’ve got no claws!” Clovis offered.

“Grinbolt, because you’re damn good with that bolt-action rifle,” Atlas pondered.

“Pengrin, if you’re as good at tackling paperwork as you say,” Maurus mused.

Chaz shook his head. “No, no… I can’t make up my mind… argh.” They tapped their temple a bit. “C’mon, Chaz, think…”

“Targrin,” the Legionnaire stated flatly, much to Chaz’s surprise. “Your old warband clearly meant a lot to you,” he explained, “When you talked about your time working with them earlier, you looked… happy. It’s a bloody shame the Tribune hasn’t memorialized them in the Plaza, so the least I can do is let you carry their name with you. If you want, no pressure.”

“I… yeah.” Chaz looked down at the floor. “Ever since the day I lost them, it hurts… far more than any blade or bullet. But when I think about the time I spent working with them, it…” They sniff a bit again. “It’s nice.”

“Hey hey hey, I didn’t mean to start up the waterworks again.”

“No, no, it’s alright.”

“Give it a try. Repeat after me. ‘Hello, My name is Chaz Targrin’.”

“H-hello. My name is Chaz… Targrin.”

“Again.”

“Hello, my name is Chaz Targrin.” A chuckle. “It’s got a ring to it.”

“Once more!”

“Hello! My name is Chaz Targrin!” he laughed. “Yeah, yeah, I like it!”

The Grins cheered, and rose a mug in toast to their new bandmate… Much to the misery of Atlas’ wallet.