testtestaz123

[personwho1s]

Look, I understand the ever-present fear that you're not good enough or that you haven't done enough with your time, but can we PLEASE not feel discouraged when seeing amazing work made by young people? Can we please stop seeing art in general and thinking "I'll never make something that good"? Beyond even art, whatever it is- looking at something and saying "I'll never be that good"? I decided I wanted to do art because because I was inspired by media I love- and I want to make things that do that for others- that drives them to pick up a pencil and start sketching OCs or writing a story that brings them joy and makes them feel proud of themselves. If someone genuinely felt bad seeing my work because "I'll never make something as good as that," I'd be DEVASTATED. That is the OPPOSITE OF WHAT I WANT. Please! Go, Make Something! Join in this thing I love! I want you to love it too! I want you to make things you love! Make characters you love! Make stories you love! Join in the joy of creation! Because it's fun! It's wonderful! It's expressive! And what you make, no one else will! It is yours! Love yourself! Love your work! Make things you love! Tell the stories you want to hear! Because if it's something you want, others will want it too.

[baileys-writing-desk]

Don’t let Rulie near the Master Cycle

…or he will hit a tree.

Wild learned this the hard way.

(a gift for dalemon-99!)

Wild’s Hyrule, like many others, has a Faron Woods. And it’s the perfect place for the Champion and the traveler to take a walk together, away from the rest of the Chain.

Hyrule has taken quite a liking for mushrooms. The reddish ones are called Hylian Shrooms, Wild taught him once, and the green ones Stamina Shrooms. Each time they come across one, he kneels down to examine it, running his fingers along its smooth surface and wondering if it’s edible. It has to be, as Wild eats things like this all the time.

But the Champion seems to have another idea, as he stops at a small clearing and pulls out his Sheikah Slate.

“Do you want to see something cool?” he asks, grinning.

Hyrule’s brow furrows in confusion. What?

“Um…sure. I guess.”

Wild presses a few buttons on the slate, and soon magical blue trails of light circle nearby, not much different from the ones they see upon teleporting at a Sheikah Tower. A strange object materializes next to the two Hylians, with what looks to be two wheels and…

“What is that??” Hyrule exclaims, eyes wide.

The Champion giggles. “This is called the Master Cycle. A piece of Sheikah technology I got from beating the shit out of a monk. As you can see here-“

“Wait, hold on.” Hyrule interrupts. “ You got it from what??”

“Yeah…long story, Rulie. It’s quite amusing, remind me and I’ll tell you later.”

Knowing Wild, the traveler can’t say he’s surprised. But still. Maybe if he finds this…monk and beats him up, he can get one of these things too?

“Anyway, as you can see it has a seat, handlebars for steering, think of it as like an electric horse. It’s a new mode of transport that we call a ‘bike.’ Maybe when we’re done inspecting the shrooms here, I can demonstrate for you?”

“Yeah!!” Hyrule’s heart skips a beat, unable to contain his newfound excitement. A mode of transport? He has never seen anything like this in his life! And a thought burns into him: I wanna try!!

And oh, he wants to try so desperately. But he knows Wild wouldn’t let him.

“Ok, sounds like a plan.” The Champion smiles again before walking up to a group of Hylian Shrooms. Hyrule can barely take his eyes off the Master Cycle in all its glory. It’s as if the bike is speaking to him, asking him to come over and ride it.

Another few minutes pass as they study the clearing, with Wild taking pictures on the slate for Flora, and Hyrule has come up with a different plan. He beams from ear to ear like a young child, positioning himself in front of the Champion and close to the bike.

“Hey, see that mushroom over there?” The traveler points to the green Stamina Shroom at the base of a small tree. “Walk over and grab it, then throw it to me. I wanna try something.”

Wild briefly narrows his eyes. “…Why?”

“Just trust me on this. I’m gonna try to catch it in my mouth.”

“Rulie…” Wild sighs, but pauses when Hyrule widens his eyes like a begging puppy. “Hmph. Fine.”

The Champion turns around to fetch the mushroom. Ok, he’s distracted. Go!

Hyrule locks eyes on the bike and darts over to it, quickly hoisting himself up with legs straddled like he saw Wild do earlier. Shit. How do you start this thing??

“Hey! Rulie, no!”

Wait, yes! The right side! He slams his foot on the small piece of metal underneath it and suddenly the bike is speeding forward. “WOOOO!!” he shouts, fluffy hair whipping in the breeze as the loud whirring noise of the bike overrides whatever the Champion is yelling. Laughing out loud, Hyrule rides in a straight line through the woods, making sure to follow the path. This is AMAZING!!

His grip on the handlebars remains strong. All he needs to do is just keep the bike upright. Easy!

“HAHA! YOU CAN’T CATCH ME, WILD!!” he shrieks. “TRY TO STOP ME!”

He’ll ride all the way out of these woods, maybe through the field and back toward camp. He has the power now, he’s carefree!

…Until a large tree looms in front of him, blocking the path.

Shit!! He doesn’t know how to turn! Oh no. Oh, fuck me.

Hyrule barely has time to think as the tree draws closer; at his current trajectory he will slam right into it. I can stop, right? Just-

Wait.

He also doesn’t know how to stop.

FUCK!!

In a frenzy he jerks the handlebars to the right, hoping the bike will follow. He hasn’t thought this through, but he doesn’t have the time to with the bike still speeding faster than a dragon. Just narrowly missing the tree, he manages to turn the bike…

…smack into another tree.

Hyrule yelps as the bike crashes, and next thing he knows it is…gone?? Shit!! Now without anything to sit on, he is flung forward, crying out in pain as he hits the tree before being tossed to the ground.

He can hear Wild’s shouting coming closer as he lies there, dazed, arm throbbing from taking the brunt of the blow. Somehow he had managed to shield his face, but Hylia, that aches too. Everything hurts.

Okay, that was a BAD idea.

“HYRULE!!”

He turns his head to see the shocked Champion running to his side. “Hyrule! Are you okay?? My god!”

Bad, bad idea.

“Mhm…” he groans, rubbing his forehead. “Where’d it go…?”

“What- oh, it disintegrates whenever you crash. Learned that the hard way once too.”

“So I…broke it?” Oh no. His eyes widen as he glances up at Wild, now standing over him. “I’m so sorry-“

“No, you didn’t break it. That’s what it was made to do,” the Champion explains. “But I digress. Why in Hylia’s name did you want to ride it with no supervision!?”

Hyrule sighs. “I…I thought it would be fun.” With a grunt he pushes himself up to sitting, despite the pain in his arm. “And- it was.”

He smiles weakly at Wild, who still looks less than pleased.

“Oh, Rulie…what am I gonna do with you?” He slowly shakes his head in disbelief. “Here, can you heal yourself? Or I think I have a fairy.”

“It’s okay…I can do it.” If Wild uses his fairy on something as stupid as this…no. He won’t let that happen.

“Well, well.” Wild smirks as the traveler begins to prepare his healing magic. “I can’t wait to see the old man’s reaction when we get back!”

Hyrule gasps. “No, please- don’t tell Time! He would kill me if he finds out-“

“I mean, you’ll still be a bit drained…he might ask why. And so I can deliver.” Wild’s voice is taunting, as the Champion keeps his cheeky smile. The horrified look on Hyrule’s face must be amusing.

“Please…I can’t stand a lecture from the old man,” the traveler whines. “I’ll speak for myself…”

Just like he did before when getting Wild to agree to his little trick, he gazes up at the Champion with his puppy-dog eyes.

“Okay…fine.” Wild luckily gives in. “This can stay between you and me. But you have to promise to never pull a stunt like this again.”

Hyrule huffs. Aw, man. He loves messing around with Wild…but he would rather escape the wrath of the entire Chain and their lecturing. Especially Time.

“Yes, I promise.”

“Good.” Wild gestures to Hyrule’s injured body. “Now heal yourself up, Rulie.”

With a sigh, the traveler closes his eyes as he feels the familiar warm glow of his magic, slowly placing his hands on each of his wounds to close them. Soon the pain fades away and strength returns to his body.

[beauzos]

WIP snippet two: The Pawn.

Stops in the middle of a fucking scene cause I felt like it wasn't working and stepped back, but the scene is honestly... fine? I might rewrite it though. Including the half-scene just for the sliver of Datz content.

This one is the main WIP I intend to get back to, about Nahyuta becoming a prosecutor. I'm still hammering out the pacing of the first few chapters, but at the very least it starts here.

When Nahyuta gets off of the bus at the edge of the little town, they don’t head straight for the mountain. They’re pretty sure they haven’t been followed, but old habits die hard. They’re used to taking random turns down streets to ensure no one is trailing them, a careful balancing act because if they look lost, then someone will start to notice them as they’re trying to disappear. But no one follows them from the bus stop, and no one even looks their way on the street. After they’re satisfied that they’re wholly alone, Nahyuta cuts their way into the jungle that creeps into the edges of the town, following a barely visible trail that they know like the back of their hand. They haven’t been back here in a couple of years, but Nahyuta doesn’t think that they could ever forget. Visits to town were rare for them—their distinctive appearance made them stick out like a sore thumb, providing unwanted attention to Dhurke and the Dragons. Today, they’ve hidden their long, silvery hair under a cloak and hat to avoid any trouble.

Nahyuta follows the twists and turns of the worn path, over tangles of vines and dense shrubs that dot the jungle floor. The sun is dipping well below the horizon, leaving only a splotch of light blue to guide them to their destination. The bus was late; ideally, they would have made it back hours ago, but they know their way, even in the dark. They use a flashlight they packed for worst-case scenarios that dimly flickers, but still provides enough light to help them avoid stepping on a snake that lazily slithers along their trail. The jungle blackens with every passing minute until the dying flashlight is all they have left to see. Their eyes adjust best they can to the dark, but the dense, lush flora doesn’t help them.

A fire burns in the distance, an orange light that pushes the darkness away. Nahyuta heaves a sigh of relief, but they stay on their toes. It could be Dhurke trying to light their way, or it could be a stranger, someone Nahyuta needs to avoid interacting with at all costs if they could help it. Still, they press onwards towards the light source like a moth, but they turn off their flashlight as they draw closer. As soon as they do, someone emerges from the other side of the fire, and although they look large, almost unmistakable, Nahyuta’s breath still catches in their throat and they hesitate. A deep man’s voice calls out: “Hey! You’re not scared, are you? Don’t you recognize your dear old dad?!” Nahyuta would know that booming voice anywhere, and as soon as the sound fills their ears, they smile, and speed up their walk to a careful run.

Out of the jungle and into a clearing by the rushing river, Nahyuta can better see him now: Dhurke stands proudly, his left arm still in a cast, cradled by his coat. But he pulls his arm out and drags Nahyuta into a bear hug with his good arm, the other awkwardly going around their back. Both of them groan at the sheer force of the hug, but Nahyuta can’t help but grin. When Dhurke finally lets go, Nahyuta catches their breath. Dhurke examines their face in the firelight, and brushes their cheek with his thumb gently. Then, he grins right back at Nahyuta, his eye crinkling with delight.

“Were you this tall last time I saw you?” he asks with a laugh. “Good Lord! You’re as tall as me, kid! I always remember you being about, oh…” Dhurke measures out Nahyuta’s height with his hand, and places it at his hip. “Yeah, about that height. When’d you grow up? Last I checked, you were twelve.”

“I’m eighteen!” Nahyuta objects lightheartedly. “Whether you like that or not.”

“Hey, I never said I didn’t like it, just that I couldn’t believe it. Someone check the court record here!” He sighs, but still, he smiles. “I guess you must be eighteen, considering you got quite the attitude now. Didn’t Abbot Inmee teach you inner peace and respect for your elders and all that? What did we send you to that monastery for?”

“I believe you said it was for my own safety,” Nahyuta shoots back. “I don’t see where I agreed to learn anything.”

Dhurke laughs. “Yuta, the biggest joke of all is you trying to tell me you don’t want to learn.” He points an accusing finger in their direction, then taps their nose with it. “Well, I sure hope you learned something. You were there long enough. How long again? Fifteen years?”

“Seven, on and off.”

“Oh, Holy Mother… it’s really been that long?”

It was inconceivable even for Nahyuta, they had to admit. They were in and out of the monastery throughout the years, coming home when Dhurke said it was safe to, spending holidays and summers back in the mountains. It was only the past couple of years that Nahyuta hadn’t been able to return. Another uptick in violence against the Dragons had Dhurke insisting Nahyuta stay away, lest they draw unwanted attention to their main camp and they would all have to move again, for the fifth time in as many years.

Dhurke throws his good arm around Nahyuta’s shoulder and ushes them towards a set of chairs around the fire. “We’re waiting up on the others. Datz and some of the Dragons had work to do tonight. I would’ve gone, but…” He shrugs. “Well, someone had to come and meet you.”

Nahyuta settles into a canvas chair with a frown. “I apologize for being late, the bus—”

“No, no! I’m not saying that, kiddo. Trust me, we wanted to avoid having to do anything today, but we couldn’t pass up the chance. Datz wants you to wait up for him. He’s dying to see you again. He’s been talking about you coming home more than me!”

Those words warm Nahyuta’s chest and heart, and they can’t help but smile.  “He still remembers me?” Nahyuta jokes. “I’m honored.”

“Yeah, just barely,” Dhurke replies with a wave of his hand. “Everyone’s excited to see you, though. We’re glad you’re coming home for good. This place has been missing you—missing everyone’s kids, honestly.”

The constant insecurity of the Dragons’ lifestyle had not lent itself to safe childrearing. Nahyuta was not the first and far from the last to be sent away to live elsewhere while the Dragons got their affairs in order. Apollo was the first. Nahyuta still thought of him from time to time, wondered what he was up to, if he was safe back in America, if he even remembered Dhurke or Nahyuta anymore. Nahyuta themself had been sent to live at a monastery just a year after Apollo was sent away. Ga’ran had snatched their mother and sister right out from under their noses, slipping into the Sahdmadhi home without anyone noticing while Dhurke and Nahyuta were out one day. Dhurke was disturbed by how easy it was, and he didn’t hesitate to keep Nahyuta out of her claws for a while.

It had been seven long years of ascetic training and religious study. Nahyuta liked it, truthfully. It was stable. It was calm. The Holy Mother didn’t judge, didn’t care who they were or where they came from, and to their surprise, very few of the monks-in-training at the monastery cared either. The Sahdmadhi name meant nothing to them. Nahyuta never forgot about the Dragons, but they liked it at the monastery. They had finally been ordained as a monk just a few short weeks ago, around the same time that Abbot Inmee was being named the new high priest. He would be moving to the big monastery in the capital, and that was when Nahyuta decided to take their leave. They could not guarantee that Inmee’s replacement would be so understanding of Nahyuta’s rebel background the way the sympathetic Inmee was.

Dhurke could barely contain his joy when Nahyuta had told him over the phone that they would be returning home shortly to figure out what to do next. What they had not told Dhurke was that they had made up their mind about it already. Nahyuta shifts nervously in their chair. They had pictured this conversation many times, considering the different directions it could take depending on Dhurke’s reaction. Now that they were in the midst of it, Nahyuta suddenly had no idea how Dhurke would react. The welcoming smile and proud gleam in his eye helped, but would Dhurke like the idea…? They couldn’t get the words to leave the tip of their tongue. They swallow, grip the tough canvas fabric of the chair.

“…I’ve… been thinking, actually,” Nahyuta starts hesitantly, words stilted and awkward. “About… my life. What I will do now that I’m finished with my training.”

“Uh oh.” Dhurke laughs in that booming way that echoes into the empty night. Nahyuta shrinks a little, discouraged, but Dhurke leans over to pat their hand. “Yuta, it’s all right. I knew this was a possibility. You want to keep being a monk, don’t you? I can help you find another monastery that’ll keep you safe since Tahrust—”

“I was… thinking of something else, to be honest.” Dhurke closes his mouth dumbly as he sits up to demonstrate that he’s paying attention. “I love being a monk, it’s true. I feel as though serving the Holy Mother is my calling in life, but… I know also that she is calling me to other work as well.”

“What are we thinking, then?” Dhurke studies Nahyuta closely, narrowing his eye till the white burns with the reflection of the fire. “You wanna be a rebel like your old man?”

Nahyuta’s mouth is sticky with dryness. “Yes.” Dhurke can’t hide the sly grin that fills out his mouth. “In a sense, that is. I don’t think I’d be useful on raids or missions such as the ones you and Datz do… I know it’s not my destiny, as much as I would like to help. I realized that there are more ways for me to help than that.”

“So?” Dhurke holds out his hands, expectant. “You’re dancing around it, kiddo. Look, I trust you and your judgment. You’re a kid with a good head on his shoulders, and I’m sure you’ve been thinking about this for a long, long time before making up your mind.”

Nahyuta smiles meekly. Dhurke can still read them like a book sometimes. They twist a long, silvery lock of hair around their finger as they think over how to approach this. “I want to become a lawyer,” they spit out before they can reconsider. Dhurke raises his thick eyebrows in surprise. “I know I am a quick and efficient learner. I love to learn, and I know I can do whatever I put my mind to. When I think about one of the biggest issues with the Defiant Dragons, it pertains mainly to the legal system itself, does it not? People jailed and executed without any defense. Ga’ran may have driven the defense attorneys underground, but it can’t last forever. I’m not afraid to put my life on the line for this. I want to protect the people who need it most. I can become a defense attorney if I just—”

“Nahyuta, no.” Dhurke’s words slice right through Nahyuta’s, and their mouth hangs open in surprise before slowly shutting in a frown. Their father smiles at them, but this time, it feels condescending, like he’s trying to let down a foolish child gently for their outlandish ideas. His eye has a hard gaze that shows how he really feels. “It’s suicide. You wouldn’t be helping anyone if the courts are stacked against you from the start. They’ll put you to death by the end of your first trial—if you even get that far.”

Seeing the crestfallen look on Nahyuta’s face makes Dhurke sigh, his eye softening. “It’s not like I don’t think you’d be a great lawyer. I think you could be. You’re smart as a whip and can spot tiny details a mile away. And you love arguing with folks.” He pauses, hoping Nahyuta will smile, but they don’t. Dhurke leans forward, resting his arms on his thighs. He looks so much older in the firelight now, dejected.

“Nahyuta, it’s just… it’s not safe.” Nahyuta opens their mouth to reply, but Dhurke stops them with a hand up. “And I know, I know. Being a Dragon is unsafe already, and that’s part of being in the revolution. But being a defense attorney is a guaranteed death sentence in this country still. It’s why none of us have stepped foot in court since the laws passed. Don’t you think I’d love to be defending my fellow Dragons in court if I could? Wouldn’t we all love that?”

“Someone has to be willing to do it,” Nahyuta murmurs. “Willing to… make the sacrifice and demonstrate that we aren’t afraid of the consequences when we seek the truth. Or else we may never have defense attorneys in the courtroom again.”

“It’s a waste of a life filled with so much potential to do good is what it is. Yuta, I know you can go so far in life if you just… keep your head down at the right times. Learn to pick your battles, in other words.”

“I thought a dragon never yields.”

“They don’t. But a dragon doesn’t go looking for fights he knows he can’t possibly win, either. Nahyuta, if we weren’t careful about picking our fights, we’d all be dead or in prison by now. I know you want to help, and I’ve always hoped you would, but your help is worth a lot more if you stay alive. They’ll kill you. I couldn’t take it if something happened to you. I’ve already lost your mom and Rayfa. I can’t lose you too.”

Guilt starts to gnaw at their stomach. Nahyuta draws their arms close to their body, one hand reaching up to feel for a well-worn set of prayer beads around their neck. They had expected Dhurke to say no. It was a clear possibility they had accounted for. They just hadn’t expected the way Dhurke had gone about it. Nahyuta had so many ways to explain and argue their point, but all of them have floated into the ether by now, left useless by Nahyuta’s dumbstruck brain. Dhurke doesn’t expect them to say anything, and for a few good, long moments, both stare into the fire that crackles and pops softly.

“We can find something you can help us with,” Dhurke eventually says, breaking the silence as carefully as he can. “You’re right. You’re quick to learn new things, and that makes you versatile as all hell. You could help us plan things, make sure things go smoothly. We can even teach you how to fight, really fight, not just for self-defense. Nahyuta, I’d be honored to have you as an official member of the Defiant Dragons. Just, please. You have to trust me here. Becoming an attorney is a dead end right now—dead in more ways than one.” Dhurke scoots his folding chair closer to Nahyuta and grabs both of their hands. “We will find a place for you. There is always a place for you here.”

“No… no, you’re right. I’m sorry, Father.” Nahyuta feels Dhurke squeeze their hands affectionately. “I simply thought… if I could just follow in your footsteps, that I could make a difference in this legal system. I can’t stand the thought of people going to prison with no one to defend them. There are so many Dragons who need us—”

“I know. Like I said… I wish I could be there defending them. But hey, you’ll see me—us—in the courtroom again one day. You can count on that. And when it’s safe, you can be right by my side and we’ll work together, all right? We’ll be the dynamic defense duo!” He beams at Nahyuta. It’s enough to make them smile a little. “Everyone’s going to learn to fear the Sahdmadhis all over again.”

“I hope so.”

But how could they ever get there if no one tried? That question still plagued them, although they knew Dhurke was right. It was a guaranteed death sentence. Nahyuta had felt the anxiety inside when they imagined the terrible ways it could go, but would becoming a martyr truly be so bad? Sometimes, it was what a revolution needed. But Dhurke would never allow it. Nahyuta dashed the thought from their mind, although deep down, they still felt the itch. They’d read all about Dhurke’s old cases, knew them inside and out. They wanted to be like that, this commander of the court, standing strong against any prosecutor that crossed his path. Khura’in needed another lawyer like Dhurke. Perhaps, one day, Nahyuta would finally be that lawyer.

Nahyuta lies awake that night in their bed, unable to command their brain to sleep despite their exhaustion. They couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation they’d had with Dhurke earlier. While they’d talked about plenty of other things that evening, Nahyuta’s mind was stuck on the thought of lawyers. With no sign of Datz well into the night, Dhurke had convinced them to turn in for the night, but here they were, awake as ever. There had to be some way for them to do this without getting killed. There had to be some way they could convince Dhurke that this could all work out with the right execution. There had to be…

Hours later, well into the night, Nahyuta heard Datz returning. Though they couldn’t make out the exact conversation with Dhurke—still awake, just the same as Nahyuta—they could hear their name being passed back and forth between the two. They made out some other loose words—lawyer, suicide, everything that tells Nahyuta that Dhurke was getting advice from Datz about Nahyuta. Something about that embarrasses them deeply, and they feel themself turn red. No need to tell Datz about their idiocy. Datz was the one who listened to Nahyuta the most out of everyone, but Nahyuta was sure he would agree with Dhurke. It was suicide, plain and simple; that simply wasn’t what concerned Nahyuta about the entire thing, though the more they thought now, the dumber they felt.

Eventually, the conversation dies down, and Nahyuta can trace Datz’s movements as he comes down the hall towards his bedroom with heavy, clunking footsteps. Nahyuta quickly clambers out of bed and opens their door just as Datz passes by.

“Hey, Datz—”

Datz jumps nearly out of his skin, leaping back with his hands up before he processes the scene before him. He relaxes, heaves a sigh, then grins. “Goddamn, Yuty, you scared the shit outta me!” he laughs, slapping Nahyuta’s back affectionately. “You always sneak up on me.”

Nahyuta smiles sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Datz. I just heard you come home and I wanted to talk to you.”

Datz puts a hand over his heart emphatically. “Aww, you wanted to see li’l ol’ me? I’m honored!”

“I tried to stay up. Father told me you wanted to see me, but…”

“Huh? Nahhh, it’s alright. I was tryin’ to go as quick as I could, but we got caught up. I hope I didn’t wake ya when I got home.”

“No, I couldn’t sleep.” Nahyuta pauses, shifting on their feet. “Would you like to talk for a bit, or would you rather get to sleep?”

Datz flashes a bright grin Nahyuta’s way. “Yuty, I could run a marathon right now. Sure, I’ll stay ‘n’ chat with ya!”

They move inside Nahyuta’s room. Datz pulls up the chair from their desk as Nahyuta settles themself back on their bed with their legs crossed. They tuck the stray hairs pouring over their face behind their ear. Datz leans back in the chair with a huff, stretching all of his limbs, then taking out an apple to peel. He does it with slow, deliberate motions, sleepy, his eyes hooded. Nahyuta feels the tiniest bit bad. Clearly, he was staying up for their sake.

[mikkadc]

Viewing Response 4: The Piano

Through the lens of Brown's article "The Representation of the Indigeous Other in Daughters of the Dust and The Piano", we can examine the various ways in which Jane Campion's The Piano uses the Maori natives as a vehicle to execute the "reconstitution of the white family according to a more liberated gender and sexual ideal". One sequence within the film that encapsulates this point is near the very end of the film, where the Maori characters are aiding Ada and Baines in their travel. Within this sequence, Baines insists that the Maori load Ada's piano despite the fact that they seem incredibly reluctant to do so. We then see the Maori characters paddling the boat forward. It is at this moment that Ada decides that she no longer wants this piano (which feels like something she could've decided before the Maori natives went through the effort of loading it onto the boat…) and requests that it be thrown overboard. When Baines attempts to change her mind, she decides to take it into her own hands to pull at the piano, rocking the boat (that she is not even attempting to help paddle). It is only at this point that Baines decides to throw the piano overboard, even though the Maori characters have made multiple remarks against the piano and even though the boat was already clearly overloaded. In this pivotal scene, the separation of Ada and her piano symbolizes her gendered liberation. In this way, the words and opinions of the Maori characters are ignored (to the point that it threatens their own safety) to service the agency of the white woman on her path to gender and sexual liberation as it is realized through the notion of the white family. The Maori become more of what Jolly calls an “undifferentiated ensemble”, which we see even in this same scene. The bodies of the Maori men are being used as mere props to symbolically and physically move Ada, Baines, and Flora’s storyline along. They get no thanks, no appreciation for this work, instead they get their safety being threatened with the load of this heavy piano on their boat.

[mianavs]

hunting a treasure pt. 2

part 12 of Cathexis

a/n: eeeep i’m back with another update! it took forever to write bc it contains more action than i’ve ever written and im still not sure about it but oh well. apologies in advance for...well you’ll see

tw: gore

wc: 5.4k+

Cathexis

As much as you wanted to chase after the blue-haired, yellow-needled stranger that had unnerved you in the way only Illumi did, there were hundreds of millions of Jenny at stake, so you drove the peculiar looking person from your thoughts and gave Bisky your undivided attention.

“We have until sunset to prepare before the beasts come out and the armistice between the parties ends,” Bisky explained before handing you a list of the treasured items. “We’ll be traveling to the northernmost island before circling around to the rest of them.

You glanced around and found that a couple of groups still remained and were discussing tactics, while the majority had already set off to begin their hunt. It was the first time you’d participated in a hunt like this, and with the prize as high as it was, you couldn’t help but feel a tad nervous. Bisky seemed to notice your apprehension and led you away from the others.

“Do you trust me, Y/N?” Her lips curled into a confident smile that eased your worries.

“Of course, Master.”

“Good. Now, let’s go!” She exclaimed and darted off in a flash. Reminded of your trainee days, you grinned before setting off after her, your nervousness transforming into excitement.

With the wind running through your hair and heart racing in your chest, the adrenaline rush that only came from hunting coursed through your veins. Your senses heightened as your aura naturally seeped out and you absorbed the sounds carried by the wind. From the largest beast asleep in it’s lair to the smallest insect buzzing around your ear, you picked up on their steady breathing as they slept and the beating of their wings. They were animals that sounded familiar yet vastly different all at the same time.

“They weren’t kidding about these beasts only being native to this area.” You commented as you expertly avoided massive roots, holes, and questionable-looking flora in your path. Bisky threw a cursory glance back at you before slowing her pace until it matched yours.

“I see you took my advice regarding your ability,” Bisky remarked with a sly grin that only increased when she met your gaze. The conversation you had years ago during your training with her came to mind and you remembered her advice on using the wind your aura molded into to examine vibrations in the air that eventually became sounds. The thought that she might’ve planned this better than you originally thought crossed your mind, and if that was the case then perhaps the two of you had a better shot at winning the competition than you’d initially thought.

By the time sunset arrived, the two of you had landed on the shore of the northernmost Ochima isle that looked almost identical to the one you’d left except for it’s pink sand. As you dragged the small boat you’d used to cross the narrow stretch of sea through the beautiful beach, you turned to Bisky to get some clarification regarding your next objective.

“So, what now?”

“First, we have to hide this boat and our supplies for our next trip,” she replied and led you to a large pit located at the edge of the thick jungle. “Then, we’ll set off to find my prize!”

You didn’t miss the sparkle in her eyes as she gushed over her gem while you covered the boat, oars, and supplies bag under layers of dead leaves, sticks, and other junk lying around.

“Do you know where on the island it’s located?”

At your question, Bisky let out a laugh. “Now, Y/N, wouldn’t that be too easy?”

“I guess,” you huffed. “But how are we supposed to search an entire island for a gem?”

Bisky dusted off her hands. “The ‘World of Ammolite’ is a gem unlike any other in that it doesn’t just change color but also emits a humming noise when sealed away from oxygen. And lucky for us, it just so happens to be inside a chest.”

You shook your head in disbelief at how thoroughly Bisky had planned this over the course of a few years. It wouldn’t have surprised you if somehow she’d been behind the shipwreck as well.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or perturbed.” You admitted, fixing the child-like woman with a stare that she shrugged off.

“Just think about the six-hundred million Jenny that will be in your account if everything goes well.” With that, Bisky set off to the jungle while you followed her lead.

“Now to make this work, you’ll need to use your ability to locate the gem while also being aware of the beasts around us. If you sense any of the big ones within a couple hundred meter’s radius, let me know. I’ll cover you while you track down the gem. Deal?”

“Deal!” you agreed and let your aura seep out as far as it could go while you walked deeper into the noisy jungle as the last rays of the sun painted the horizon orange and navy blue took over the rest of the sky.

The deeper into the jungle the two of you traveled, the faster you realized just how difficult locating the gem would actually be. Filtering out the noises proved to be a laborious task that required total concentration that was difficult to achieve when jungle beasts and flying pests were drawn to the two of you like moths to a flame--only these moths wanted to extinguish that flame.

After what seemed like an hour, you sent a nen-infused kick to a feline beast with feathers instead of fur and helped Bisky fight off a bat the size of an eagle before seeking cover in an oversized bush.

Despite the darkness, you didn’t need to use Gyo to feel the weight behind Bisky’s gaze. Steadying your breath, you focused your nen and filtered out the sounds you’d already identified. It was then that you could make out the vibrations of a sound you hadn’t come across yet. Whereas the vibrations of life were imperfect and sporadic at times, this sound had vibrations that were periodic but consistent. The sound they produced didn’t come from an animal or any other living thing, the source was alien.

Your head snapped in the direction of the source. You focused all your aura on the vibrations. A tug at your sleeve reminded you of Bisky’s presence, and you turned to her.

“Did you find it?”

“I think so,” you replied with a nod. “It’s unlike any other sound in this place.”

“Lead the way then,” Bisky said. You nodded before rising from your hiding spot and breaking into a sprint after the source of the otherworldly sound.

At the speed the two of you were running, you were able to maintain a steady concentration on the vibrations while Bisky fought off the faster animals that chased after you. The closer you got to the source, the more intense the vibrations grew along with your anticipation.

It was then that another set of vibrations captured your attention, and you stopped dead in your tracks. They too came from the direction you were traveling to, and your blood went cold. You opened your mouth to address what you’d just picked up on, but the beast beat you to the punch.

A blood-curdling roar shook the earth and ripped across the air like thunder. The trees swayed from the onslaught of the sound before the sheer force slapped you in the face and made your ears ring. Doubling over from the impact, you were shell-shocked as Bisky frantically shook your shoulders and yelled words you couldn’t hear. Like clockwork, your survival instincts kicked in and worked in tandem with your Nen, focusing it on your ears to aid your hearing.

“-you hear me?! How far is it?!”

“Thousand meters--no, less now,” you replied, relaxing your muscles. “It’s coming from the direction of the gem and it’s ten-times bigger than anything we’ve encountered.”

“The plan still stands,” Bisky stated and darted off in it’s direction. “Though I might need your help along the way.”

“Got it!”

You followed her and picked up on the gem’s vibrations while doing your best to ignore the beast that was tearing through the jungle to hunt you down. The gem’s vibrations were getting stronger to the point that even Bisky seemed to hear them from the excited glance she threw back at you. The beast growled again and this time it’s monstrous form was within eyesight.

It could only be described as a gruesome hybrid of sorts that was larger than any beast you’d ever seen. It’s torso resembled that of an ancient dinosaur only covered in eyeballs that varied in sizes. It’s head was that of an ant with a set of antenna atop it’s head and bright green saliva dripping from the mouth. The legs were that of a feline with claws that carved up the red earth beneath it and sent it flying behind the running monster.

“Go NOW!” Bisky shrieked before she launched an attack on the beast. You bounded around it believing you were beyond it’s reach only to get thrown into the air by it’s paw. The impact slammed you against a nearby tree that split in half and fell down beside you. His claws had managed to cut through your aura, and three gashes marred your arm while blood soaked the ribbons of cloth that remained of your sleeve. With the wind knocked out of you, rising to your feet proved to be challenging, but you managed to do it before the monster could try finishing you off.

The longer you ran, the louder the humming became until you could even feel the earth shaking from the powerful vibrations of the gem. Darting your head around, you caught eye of a small black chest within a large alcove that you only could have guessed housed the beast that was currently preoccupied with Bisky. You rushed inside and opened the chest to find the gem Bisky had worked so hard to obtain. Another deafening roar echoed in the air and you closed the chest before shoving it into the rucksack you’d brought. It was then that you noticed the blood had trailed down to your hand, so you ripped off your other sleeve and tied it around the wound before setting off to help Bisky defeat the monster.

It wasn’t until dawn that the headless beast staggered a couple of steps before toppling onto the mess of dead plants, shrubbery, and upturned red soil with a massive thud that sent squawking birds flying into the air.

With your hands on your knees and your chest heaving, the adrenaline that’d coursed through your body dissipated and the pain from your injury came back full-force. The cloth you’d tied around your arm was drenched in blood as well and it spilled down, another layer of tacky blood covering your forearm and hand.

“That looks bad,” Bisky remarked, before reverting back to her child form. “Let’s get back to the beach so we can treat it.”

You said nothing, too exhausted to form words, and only nodded once. Bisky seemed to understand and started the trek back to the beach at a relaxed pace with you just barely keeping up. You tried focusing on anything but the encounter with the monster, but your mind kept taking you back to that moment. You went over it and wondered what you could’ve done differently to avoid getting hurt. The more you revisited it the angrier you became with yourself for being so careless. It ate at you and until the anger cleared the way for terror to settle into your bones.

“Y/N!”

Bisky’s voice startled you out of your daze enough for you to realize you’d made it back to the pink beach that shined under the morning sun.

“You did well! This was the hardest treasure to find. I promise you that the others will be much easier.” Bisky assured you before proceeding to dig out the boat and supplies. You let out a ragged breath and did your best to help her with your good arm. Once cleared of dead leaves and sticks, the two of you sat in the boat as Bisky lathered disinfectant over your wounds.

“Do you know where the others are?” You asked, your voice labored from the burning sensation on your arm.

“They’re along the rest of the islands,” Bisky replied before summoning Cookie. The masseuse then went to work stitching you up before giving you one of her fatigue relieving massages.

“And what if the other groups have already gotten them?” The pessimistic inquiry left your lips before you could stop it. If Bisky was surprised at your little flare-up, she didn’t show it and responded to your heated question with a level-headed answer.

“Then we’ll just have to hunt them down to get what we want.”

It was such a simple solution yet at that moment it sounded like a refreshing and novel answer amidst the complicated situation you’d just been through. You couldn’t help but chuckle at Bisky’s answer and all of the fear and tension that had been building since defeating the monster melted away.

“Of course.”

Everything after that monster was easier, and after three days, Bisky and you had gathered ten of the original twenty treasures while also eliminating two other groups. Even still, you were behind in time and had only gathered half of the items, so you decided to split up on one of the smaller isles to cover more territory in less time. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, especially after you managed to find the vial of poison that was on the list of items

Yet, that sentiment vanished the moment you sensed another group in the same premises. You instantly concealed your presence and took cover behind the massive trunk of a towering tree. Letting your aura seep out, you analyzed the group.

There were a total of four people: two petite women, one large man, and a smaller man. They were all well-versed in Nen, and from their steady breathing, they still had most of their energy in-tact. Taking all four of them one wasn’t an option, so you decided to wait them out before returning to your meeting spot with Bisky.

That had been your plan until an oversized snake emerged from the ground and lunged itself at you, effectively blowing your cover. You responded instantly and hacked the animal into pieces using blades of wind before darting off in the opposite direction of the group to place as much distance between you as possible.

The sound of thin chains rattling followed by gunshots echoed in the air. You just managed to avoid any fatal injuries; the bullets missing you entirely or just grazing your skin. In a spur of the moment decision, you made a beeline away from the path you’d been on to flee your attackers. Just when you thought you lost them, however, you found yourself falling head first onto the ground.

The blow to your head blurred your vision with splotches of black. Eventually the black faded out but your vision was still blurry while a pulsating pain overwhelmed your senses. For a couple of moments, all you knew was pain and all you could hear was a sharp ringing in your ears.

The first coherent thought that broke through the crippling pain in your skull was that the ground seemed to be moving under you. It wasn’t until you pressed your palms against the red soil that you realized you were the one that was moving—getting dragged, to be precise. You mustered enough strength to turn over and saw the thin shimmering thread that wrapped around your calf and extended tautly behind you.

A harsh tug on your leg sent you toppling back onto your stomach, a groan escaping you. The thread tightened painfully around your leg and you started moving faster than before. You tried struggling against the thread, which you eventually realized was aura, but it proved to be useless and you resigned yourself to being captured like an animal.

When you eventually stopped moving, a sultry feminine voice spoke.

“So...it really was you.”

More threads materialized around you. Thesy bound your legs together and wrapped around your torso and arms. Completely covered in mud and scratches, you shifted around on the ground to face the woman while a wave of nausea washed over you. Yet even with blurred vision, you still managed to make out a familiar mop of pink hair on the petite woman.

“Y-you...Hisoka...at Heaven’s Arena,” you muttered, blinking in an attempt to focus on her and the other three in her group.

“I see you also recognize me,” Machi replied, with a hint of amusement. “How unfortunate that this is how we meet again.”

“You...weren’t there at the start of the competition. How are you--?”

“We’re only here for the items.” She interjected, sauntering over to you and crouching down until she was eye-level with you. “And you have one, don’t you?”

Her sky blue eyes zeroed in on the pack around your waist. You tried breaking the thread using force and your aura, but it only tightened, digging painfully and stopping your blood flow. Amusement flashed across her face as she watched you glower at her and struggle against your binds.

“I have no intention of eliminating you but that can always change.”

The threat didn’t fall on death ears, and you reluctantly stopped your struggle. Her lips twitched into a barely-there smile before she turned her attention to the rest of her party. Your eyes followed her gaze to a giant of a man with earlobes that sagged to his shoulders, a woman with short black hair and glasses, and a short man with a messy mane of grey hair that covered his face.

“The item is inside her pack,” Machi announced. “I’d take it myself but she’d definitely break free if these leave my fingers.”

“I’ll get it,” the woman stated and crouched next to Machi, going through your pack and taking out the vial of poison. “Oh, she had a good one.”

“What should we do with her now, Machi?” The imposing man stepped forward and the ground trembled with each step. He regarded you like one does a pesky pest before turning to his team mate.

“She’s been obedient,” Machi mused. “How about knocking her out?”

“On it,” the giant replied instantly and dealt you a blow to the back of your head.

Small hands shook you awake with a misplaced force. Once you opened your eyes, an overwhelming wave of nausea had you retching on the ground next to you. If there'd been any doubt prior to getting knocked out by the giant-like man, you now knew you'd suffered at least one concussion.

“What happened to you!?” Bisky asked in a frantic tone that was unlike her.

You wiped away the leftover bile on your lips. “I was ambushed by another group and they took the poison I'd found...but I’m fine.”

The disbelief was obvious on Bisky’s face, but she didn’t challenge you on your decision and you were grateful for that. Following your encounter with the monster and Machi’s group, the need to win the competition was greater than ever before. There was no way you’d leave the Ochima islands empty-handed after teetering on the edge of death.

Determination coursed through your veins and subdued your throbbing headache. You rose to your feet with shaky arms and legs but did it without supporting yourself on Bisky’s outstretched hand.

“We’re winning this competition,” you declared, dusting off your hands. “So let’s go get the rest of the items.”

Bisky regarded you for a moment before nodding once. “I found the fluorescent fossil but nothing else on this island.”

She pulled out the fossil with a lime green aura that surrounded it and showed it to you. “We should move on to the next island before time runs out.”

“Right,” you agreed and she put away the fossil before heading to the beach to retrieve your boat.

Once you reached the beach, Bisky broke the comfortable silence you’d been fostering.

“You know, I’m surprised they only knocked you out instead of eliminating you altogether.” Her words were blunt but you expected nothing less from your former master who wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

“I convinced them that I wasn’t a threat,” you answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“I see.”

Whether Bisky believed you or not, she didn’t pursue the topic further and started going over the rest of the treasured items as you dug out the boat and your sack of treasures.

After pushing off the shore, you hopped onto the boat with Bisky. She went through the items you’d found one by one before putting them back into the bag you were storing them in.

“Besides the poison, there are eight other items to find.” She commented, as she rowed. “But considering we have eleven of the total twenty, we’re definitely in the lead.”

“Then let’s continue that lead until the very end.” You replied with a grin that Bisky returned.

“Let’s.”

When the fifth day arrived, you and Bisky arrived on the island where the competition had started with fourteen of the twenty treasures. With your win all but secured, the worry that’d been weighing you down since the start slid off your shoulders the closer you got to the group of people already there.

It was a miniscule group compared to the crowd five days ago. In fact, the only other person you recognized from that crowd was the blue-haired stranger that seemed to have a power over you.

Their red eyes locked on yours and the feeling of being pulled in returned until you found yourself beside them. You searched their eyes and face for any indication that they recognized you, but there was none. The person merely watched you closely with lifeless eyes.

A pinch on your arm drew a hiss from your lips and you turned to a confused Bisky.

"Do you know that person?" She mouthed.

The denial was on the tip of your tongue but you decided to be honest with her.

"I don't know."

It wasn’t the answer she wanted and it showed on her face as she glanced between you and the stranger. Bisky opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, another person beat her to the punch.

“Congratulations on making it to the end!”

A man in a black suit drew your attention to the front. He was different from the one that had explained the competition to you, yet there wasn’t much that differentiated him from the other suited people behind him and the ones from five days ago. You had an inkling as to who they were exactly that was proven correctly when an elaborately dressed man stepped forward. He had an air about him that was unlike anyone you’d ever met and you knew in an instant that he was the Kakin noble.

“Gittarackur,” the Kakin noble’s bodyguard stated, addressing the stranger next to you. “You may present the treasured items you have found.”

The individual addressed as Gittarackur pulled out a sack and held it out. A female bodyguard stepped forward and took it from Gittarackur before counting the items with the help of another guard.

“Gittarackur has collected a total of five items!” The female declared before laying them out on a table they’d set up behind them.

If Gittarackur was upset by their lackluster total, they didn’t show it and merely turned to meet your curious gaze. The overwhelming desire to talk to them despite your better instincts won out.

“H-hey do I--”

“Bisky and Y/N, you may present the treasured items you have found.”

The sound of your name drew your attention away from Gittarackur and to the noble and his guards. Bisky nudged your arm and the two of you held out your sacks that each held seven items.

Two different guards stepped forward and each took a sack. With the help of the previous guards, the items were counted and placed on the table next to the other five. Each item that was laid out built up your excitement at finally being declared the winners.

“Bisky and Y/N have collected a total of fourteen items. They are the official winners of the competition!”

Bisky and you shared a high-five while the bodyguards gave you a round of applause. You turned to the Kakin noble, who offered you a smile before approaching the two of you.

In that fraction of a second, you sensed the presence of four other people on the island and instantly activated your ability. A shudder went down your spine when you recognized the four people as Machi and her group.

Before you could act on that information, Gittarackur lunged forward and murdered the Kakin noble and his guards right before your eyes. Heads were cut cleanly from their necks and toppled onto the sandy beach. Blood spurted out of the decapitated necks and covered the sand below with scarlet blood.

The familiar faint rattling of chains broke through your shock at the slaughter and you pulled Bisky into the thick jungle before the onslaught of bullets hit the beach. Hiding from the chaos, the two of you concealed your presence, and you watched as the four who had attacked you just days prior approached Gittarackur and his blood bath.

Bisky shifted, and you tore your eyes from the dangerous scene before you. One look at her and you knew what she was asking despite not saying a word.

Are those the ones that attacked you?

You nodded your response before turning away.

“Franklin,” Machi addressed the large male. “In the jungle.”

He grunted and aimed his fingers that had turned into guns a couple of meters from your hiding spot. What you now recognized as Nen bullets shot out of his fingers but completely missed the two of you. Realizing that it wouldn't be long before Franklin shot in your direction, you prepared yourself for the moment you would need to completely divert his attack to protect Bisky and yourself. Then just as you were mulling over your options, a single name from Machi’s lips sent your concentration to hell.

“So you’re also here, Illumi.”

You watched in horror as the person you’d known as Gittarackur raised their arms with jerky movements to their face and started pulling out the yellow pinned needles. Facial muscles contorted in a disturbing manner that left you stunned while that blue tuft of hair shot up in the air and became longer almost instantly. The transformation lasted a couple seconds, but by the end of it, Illumi with his flowing black hair, large black orbs, and delicate features stood where the awkward and freakish Gittarackur had been.

A sharp intake of breath from your mouth garnered Franklin’s attention and he aimed his fingers to the area next to Bisky before shooting once again. Machi, Illumi, and the other two members of her group waited to see the aftermath of Franklin’s attack, and when it was apparent that he’d missed once again, Machi turned her attention back to Illumi.

“Are you sure it’s okay to reveal your identity in front of your betrothed?”

Her question disarmed you entirely. That split second you'd dropped In was enough for Franklin to zero in on your location and release a shower of bullets. Gunshots snapped you out of your stupor, and the best you could do with your aura was shape it into a cone-shaped shield in front of you. As a result, the bullets were sucked into your billowing winds and sent in various directions all around you and Bisky.

Amidst the cacophony of birds, squawking, leaves rustling, and animals screeching, your eyes darted to Illumi as if compelled only to find him immobilized by Machi's threads. He stood too still for someone who’d been apprehended and the thought that they were in it as a team crossed your mind only to be shot down by the darkened expression on his face as he watched his captor.

No, it seemed as if their personal relationship had nothing to do with it. This was strictly business.

“Shizuku, Kortopi, how’s it going?” Machi turned to the other woman and smaller man.

“Almost done,” Kortopi replied and you tore your gaze from Illumi to see what exactly was almost done.

Sometime between their arrival and that moment, Shizuku had conjured up a vacuum cleaner that she used to clean up the massacre Illumi had left behind before approaching the table of the treasured items where Kortopi stood. You watched as the smaller being placed his left hand on the fluorescent fossil and an exact replica was conjured up in his right. Once the replica was complete, Kortopi picked up the fossil and dropped it into a large sack they’d brought.

It was only then that you remembered hearing about a group of criminals that plundered treasures and killed anyone that got in their way. Just as Franklin released another round of Nen bullets, you realized the four people before you were members of the infamous Phantom Troupe and a heavy pit set into your stomach.

 Kortopi placed the last item into the sack and Shizuku aimed her vacuum at it before sucking it up in its entirety. With the fake items on the table and the real ones in their possession, the vacuum disappeared and Shizuku turned to Machi and Franklin.

“Let’s go.”

Franklin, in the middle of preparing another round of bullets, lowered his arms with a grunt before turning his heel and lumbering to where Shizuku and Kortopi waited. Your eyes drifted over to Machi and Illumi just in time to see her whisper something into his ear. She pulled back and gave him the same small smile she’d given you days ago. Inexplicable anger surged through you that caused you to shift only to be held back by Bisky’s iron grip. Biting down in frustration, you watched dumbfounded as Machi completely retracted her threads, setting Illumi free.

But instead of effortlessly killing her and the other troupe members the way you’d seen him do to others many times before, Illumi collapsed on the ground. Machi and the rest of the Phantom Troupe members then boarded a docked ship with the emblem of the Kakin empire that departed after terrified screams and another round of bullets rang through the air.

Bisky’s grip on you loosened and you wasted no time in hurtling over to Illumi, falling to your knees next to him.

His eyes were tightly closed and his entire body shivered. Where Machi’s threads had wrapped around him, there were trails of unnaturally dark blood that trailed down his arms and soaked his ripped clothing. A sheen of sweat covered his face and even just by hovering your hand over his brow you could tell he was burning up with a fever.

An inexplicable panic that started in your stomach swelled within you. It lodged itself in your throat making it hard to draw breath. It caused your heart to thunder within your chest. It sent your body into a frenzied state and your hands trembled as they continued to hover over his form unsure of what to do. Your mouth opened and closed as you desperately tried to find your voice.

“I-I-Illumi just...what d-did she do?”

“He was poisoned.”

You snapped your head to find Bisky already kneeled next to you and examining Illumi’s fissures.

“T-that’s not possible,” you muttered, remembering Killua’s words about the Zoldyck siblings’ upbringing. “H-he’s been taking p-poison his entire life.”

“He might be immune to known poisons but this poison isn’t from the known world.”

The implication behind her words wasn't lost on you, and the vial of poison you'd lost to the Phantom Troupe flashed in your mind. You fell back on your haunches as dread seeped into your bones.

“No...this can't...he can't…”

For the first time in the couple of years you’d known of Illumi’s existence, the thought of a world without him sprung to mind, and the immense loneliness that came with it broke you down. You couldn’t breathe. You couldn’t speak. All you could do was sit there, a trembling mess as tears cascaded down your cheeks onto your lap.

[scarlettaagni]

Homecoming

It’s a breezy, sunny day.

Though it’s a big, overgrown jungle, all is quiet, like everything wants to enjoy the afternoon in collective peace.

Before she comes of age, before she leaves this place, one more thing must be done.

When she drove down the highway, she spotted a pickup truck with a tarp overlaying its cargo. Unnoticed, she took it for herself. She needed it, they did not. It was rolled up and strapped to her belt.

Eventually, she stopped, and laid her motorcycle gently against a tree off the road. Then she strayed off the path and into the wilderness.

Over the river, through the woods, over the hill, past the grasses, and M’hsi beholds the sight with such a familiarity, it was as if she had been here before. She hadn’t. But in the pit of her heart, she knew this place.

In the clearing before her, sat a crumbling temple. One side collapsed, blown out, debris all around. Ugly scars splattered and strewn across the field and up the steps and columns of the structure, from which no life can grow, for the soil is dead. Upon the neutral decaying stone and sunbaked dirt, the only thing to oppose these scars were lashes, lashes of lush and flourishing flora. Splashes of ivy vines that stretched with excitement, overgrown wildflowers that writhed in ecstasy.

Or, they once had. Surely, they will continue to grow, but they waved in that welcome breeze as gently as any other plant.

Burnt scars marred this place as if clawed by an animal, just as extraordinary plant life was splashed about by those scars’ sides, as if by the flick of a brush. Or throwing a paint can.

A large patch of overgrown grass sat in the middle of the field before the temple, which sat in the true center of the clearing. Two smaller patches connected by a thin string of grasses laid nearby.

M’hsi gazed at what appeared to be a display of life and death competing over this former place of honor. She knew better. Unfortunately, she knew better.

Taking in a last innocent glance at the gentle, lovely verdure, she took a knife from her belt and sliced open her fingertip. M’hsi raised her split finger to her wristcom and let her blood trickle into the slot beneath her wrist.

She rubbed her wound clear of fresh blood with her thumb and opened the device for calibration.

“THRESHOLD: 50%”

The vision inside her mask changed ever so slightly, for when she looked upon herself, she was alight. And when she looked up, so was the flora. All within the clearing, only within the clearing, did the plant life exhibit the same highlight.

It was one thing to know it, it was another to see it was true.

As if pulled by the heart, moved with a sudden peace, M’hsi walked forward, toward the large patch.

She stood before it, staring at the plush grass, whose shadows writhed in her vision, before sinking a hand into it, then her other hand, and curling up into it on her side. It’s soft. She stayed curled up on her side like a fetus for a while, as if waiting for the earth to tell her something. Watching the flaming grass that stood undisturbed before her very eyes sway in the wind.

M’hsi softly rolled over onto her back on her earthen bed, staring at the sky.

She wondered, does she see what he saw? And if he’s watching her right now, and seeing through her eyes, does he see what he saw fifty years ago? If any of them could.

She reached her right arm up to the sky, but not so strongly as to stretch her hand with intent, allowing it to droop and curl up reflexively before taking it back.

The Odd Crest sat up, fulfilled, folding her legs on one another, to one end. She sat for a moment more, hands planted into the grass on either side, observing the patch around her.

She glanced at the patches to her left, the interconnected ones. She reaches to the nearest traces of them and pets the grass as if it were a good child.

Slowly, but collectedly, she stands up and moves onward. As M’hsi walks up the steps to the mouth of the temple, she tries to keep her gaze forward, but strays by observing the ugly scars which revealed their depth as she grew closer.

Though the sun shines on, M’hsi allowed herself to be swallowed by the cool shadow of the temple’s maw.

The inside was as messy as it was on the outside. Clearly, it had once been much worse, but it was cleared up. Internal scars remained, however, as the stone was dead and marred and nothing could be done. Walking was unobstructed.

Not even the indoors was safe from the burning flora, glowing furiously in M’hsi’s eyes. The wind blew in seeds over the decades, through the gaping structure, and the luckiest landed where they glow now, standing so tall for plants that rarely see sunlight.

Every time she saw a trail, M’hsi strayed to locate its source. There would always be a trail of plant life, leading to a big patch that rooted itself proudly in the weakest points of the stone it lay upon.

And every time, she lowered her head in recognition.

Then there was the blasted heath. No plants to be seen. But she bowed her head anyways.

Then, there was the unseeming room. It looked as any other chamber of the temple, a node out of many of its sprawling halls. But a patch of flowers grew huddled behind a corner, as if afraid. Though, the mass spilled out from its hiding spot as if melted, peeking out and stretching across the floor and up the wall.

M’hsi crouched, and sunk her hands into the velvety leaves, and bowed her head, holding it just a bit longer.

This was done ten times.

Then she walked into the former Serpent Queen’s chamber. Shackles still hung from the ceiling, but no Queen wore them. Patches of thin sunless grass were strewn about the chamber platform. For the eleventh time, M’hsi looked down.

But she walked past them and up to the platform’s edge, which overlooked the roost where the Queen’s eggs once laid. None lay there now.

Glancing carefully over the side where she stood, to the left, a massive blot of light lay at the very bottom of the chamber.

She looked up, and aimed her grappling hook at a Serpent carving above. When it latched, she pulled. The structure immediately broke off, and tumbled past the platform, taking a mere few seconds to completely shatter at the bottom.

A distance too far to jump, just barely.

Trusting another statue embedded in the wall, of the merciful Black Hunter, she humbly sought his support by latching the hook to his embrace. As she pulled, he did not budge.

In a leap of faith, she left the platform and swung to the wall below him. Gazing below at the fiery blot, she glanced up once more, then lowered herself into the even darker depths of the platform’s shadow.

A neutral humidity permeated the entire temple, but here it was almost cold. In truth, lukewarm, but relatively cooler, upon the smooth metal and polished stone floor. M’hsi took the tarp off her belt, and unfurled it, carrying it under her arm.

Counterclockwise, M’hsi walked about the platform’s base, until beholding that bright blot. She walked to it and lowered herself to it, on her knees. She turned the tracker vision off.

A horribly, painfully, contorted figure with stretched skin was splayed before her. His mask charred, battered, fused to his body. Really, only half of him was left, the front half. The body, laying belly-up, had melded to the floor. Now encrusted, dusty, desiccated, he had once been, decades ago, mostly liquid, and before that, a man. Now, a mound of mummified gore.

She slowly laid a hand on him, planting careful fingers over his face, then laying her entire hand down. The hand was delicately run down his face. She took away her hand to examine her palm, and she did it once more, placing an equally careful hand over his heart, which stayed still. Then she laid her hands lightly all over him, quickly, then turned her palms toward herself. Balling them into fists and releasing them a few times, she knew she had come at the right time.

M’hsi laid the tarp on the floor nearby, then unsheathed the knife she bled with.

Over the hour, she chipped at his silhouette, cutting him from the floor. All parts that could be discerned from the floor was cut.

Once his arms were free, she folded them, his charred exterior folding and creaking, even breaking, spreading flakes all over the floor, even her hands.

Still, she persisted and peeled his back from the ground. Careful to support his head so his compromised neck would not break, she slid the tarp ever closer, beneath him.

Unbound from this stone prison, M’hsi rotated and set down the body perfectly onto the tarp. It was slightly too short, but that was okay.

She folded his arms neatly like a pharaoh, then folded the tarp over him likewise. His legs were bent, so she straightened them ever so gently. His head was exposed, as were his feet. She folded it unevenly so their backsides were supported, with only the fronts exposed.

M’hsi slid her hands underneath the wrapped body, then cradled him in her arms, even though he is taller than her. His head resting against her bicep, his legs being propped up by the crook of her arm. His mask almost nudged to face her, drooping just short of eye contact, as if nodded off.

She held him close and strongly.

“You’re coming home, H’ko-h’chak.”

Up to the platform. Out of the chamber. Through the halls. Over the remnants of her other brothers. M’hsi walks with H’ko-h’chak safely resting in her arms, ensconced in cloth.

Out the dark maw, down the steps, past the patches of Halkrath and H’ko-h’dlak.

She places him down gently at the foot of a tree along the clearing’s edge. If you don’t look too closely, he looks as if he is resting peacefully, as if he were back in his exchange days in the jungles.

Upon her wristcom, she sets a beacon for pick-up. This is for trophies.

“This won’t be a trophy. But handle it gently, as if it were, please.” M’hsi broadcasts. “This one is special.”

Before she leaves this place, one more thing must be done. She must become of age. But it cannot be done in this place.

[the-knightmare]

A modern au where Link takes Zelda camping to his favourite site off the beaten path. A certain flower grows abundantly at this particular site that reminds him of Zelda.

--------------------------------------------------

Link enjoyed camping alone. Setting off in the afternoon, walking until he found the perfect spot, and making a minimal camp before enjoying the natural landscape was one of his favourite ways to spend his weekends. But this time he had company.

Zelda had seen him packing earlier that week and asked to come along. This had surprised him, as she usually stuck to the more indoor oriented activities when she wasn’t studying for her master’s degree, but her green eyes shone with such earnestness and determination that he had agreed. Now she walked beside him, chattering softly about what plant species were growing around them as she held his hand.

“These mushrooms are much bigger than the ones in our greenhouse on campus,” Zelda said, letting go of his hand to kneel in front of a cluster of Ironshrooms, “Maybe I should start feeding some of my lunch to them? That should be enough to feed on.”

Zelda turned over her shoulder to smile teasingly at Link. He smiled at that, knowing that she would never give up the lunches he prepared for them both, having told him as much after her classmates kept asking to swap. Whenever she told him of another declined attempt there was always a satisfied smile on her face. It never failed to make him feel warm inside.

“I’ll have to make double then. Can’t have you go hungry,” was his response, which only caused her to smile wider as she retook his hand.

Hiking the final distance to his intended spot was just as peaceful as the beginning. Zelda occasionally pausing to observe the wilderness, and Link smiling to himself at the sight that awaited them. He knew she would love it. Zelda had been specialising in endangered flora her entire master’s degree, with her thesis focusing on repopulating the Silent Princess.

The site was deep in the woods, farther than most hikers would travel. He stopped Zelda before they cleared the last patch of trees. While the sun was starting to set camp needed to be built, he wanted Zelda to experience the sight fully.

“Wait here,” Link said, taking the gear she was carrying, “I’ll set this down and come get you. Close your eyes.”

“Why can’t I go now? I can help get camp set up faster so we can eat.” Link didn’t answer, just turned and walked into the clearing.

Setting the gear into place, Link observed the patch of flowered at the opposite end of the clearing. There was more than the last time he had camped here. He smiled, before returning to where Zelda stood with her eyes closed.

“Alright, keep your eyes shut. Open when I say okay.” He took her elbow, guiding her into the clearing until they were a few steps away from the patch of Silent Princess’. Link was smiling fondly as he told Zelda t o open her eyes.

It didn’t take her long to notice the flowers before them. Exclaiming softly, before dropping to her knees to study them. Link left her to her examinations, knowing she would be taking pictures and notes of all notable data. He set up the tent with a practiced ease, placing their sleeping equipment and bags inside. A small fire and Dutch oven tripod were next, and soon a simple dinner was cooking.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to come back to study the soil chemistry and take any fallen seeds. I might be able to replicate this patch in our greenhouse.”

Link nodded in affirmation, clearing the last of the stew from the pot. He had watched her excitedly move about the clearing until hungry had overpowered curiosity. Now, with the fire dimming and the sun setting, Zelda leaned against his side and took his hand. The flowers across the clearing began to glow dimly.

“I know why this is my new favourite place, but why is it yours? I remember you mentioning it before we left that this morning,” Zelda asked.

“Whenever I come here, they remind me of you. It’s nice to come in when they’re in bloom whenever you get busy. I can’t help but think of you whenever I see a Silent Princess. They will forever be Zelda’s flower in my mind,” Link said, the most he had all day.

He felt Zelda shift beside him, then a gentle press of lips to his cheek. Turning, he met her lips in a slow, gentle kiss. Roaming hands turned to a comfortable cuddle, as the days hike caught up to them. Tomorrow morning energy would be replenished, but for now they were content to slip into their pyjamas and rest against each other.

Link enjoyed camping alone. Packing up and picking a place to spend a night or two. It was peaceful to be alone in nature with no one around. But lying in their sleeping bag curled with Zelda holding onto him, Link thought he wouldn’t mind having a companion in future trips.

[thicctails]

Summer of Whump Day 5 [Buried/Labour]

Yes I know it’s late shhhhhhhh

Ω

  Omega yawned and stretched her arms out, the warmth of the sun lulling her into a state of laziness. She could hear the sound of the rest of the Bad Batch as they went about their day, but for once, she didn’t feel like jumping up to help. Beside her, Pillow snoozed happily. The pale amphibian had found a multitude of plump bugs, and he was now sleeping off the hearty meal.

 They had set up camp on a raised grassy plateau that was surrounded by mountains. A large forest was nearby, a half hour walk if you moved briskly. The sky overhead was a light indigo, and was peppered with fluffy white clouds. The occasional avian flew by, tweeting a sharp, beautiful song. Long legged creatures with orange and white fur and long, pointed ears grazed on the lush grass, their curled tails flicking away insects occasionally.

 Echo wasn’t too far away from her, begrudgingly sitting on the ground with his leg propped up. The clone’s leg was broken, and he needed to stay off it as much as he could. That was part of the reason they were on this heavily forested planet, as running away wasn’t really in the cards for poor Echo. Omega thought that it couldn’t be too bad; the man deserved a break. They all did. She just wished that they would stop moving so much. They were disturbing the bugs in the grass, and she didn’t want another insect to get into her mouth when she yawned.

 “Guys, come lay in the sunlight with us. It’s great!” She called, tipping her head back.

 Hunter paused in his knife sharpening, giving her an amused smile.

 “I’ve spent enough time lying in the dirt, Omega. I don’t need to do it for fun.” He said, his voice holding none of its usual seriousness.

 “Yeah but this dirt is warm. I didn’t even know the ground could be comfortable.” She said, pressing her fingers into the dry earth.

 “Give it a few years, and your back will tell you just how fun it finds lying on the ground to be.” Echo commented.

 Omega playfully stuck his tongue out at him, laughing when he copied the action. Rolling over onto her stomach, she watched a beetle crawl up a blade of grass, its ruby red elytra glittering in the light. She hoped Pillow didn’t eat this bug, as it was rather pretty.

 “Omega, I have been tasked with gathering firewood, would you like to come along?” Tech questioned, looking over his shoulder.

 “Yes!” She replied quickly, scrambling to her feet. Pillow snorted and rolled over, stealing Omega’s spot on the ground.

 She quickly fell into place beside Tech, eagerly following him down into the meadow that sat below the plateau. Small, striped animals scuttled around, leaping in front of their path and tussling in the meadow’s green grass. Omega chased a few, dashing around but never straying too far away from Tech’s sight. The older clone smiled as he watched Omega be… well, a kid. She hadn’t had too many opportunities to do so, and sometimes Tech worried that she was being treated too much like a cadet and not enough as a young, bright, curious child. She had the potential to become more than just cannon fodder for whoever controlled the galaxy, and he’d be damned if he just let the hardships of a life on the run take that chance away from her.

   As they approached the forest’s treeline, he turned to her. “See if you can find some thick branches. I’ll look for a dead tree to cut.”

 Omega gave him a mock salute and ran into the forest. Tech followed her closely, looking around the brush that now surrounded them. The trees here were enormous, likely hundreds of years old. Pale lavender moss covered many of the tree trunks, and the plants, interestingly, shrunk back if he came too close. His inborn curiosity itched to take some samples and examine the flora, but that could be saved for a later date. He was looking for…

 There! A leafless tree, bowed over and covered in overgrown in plants. As he set about sawing off some branches, Omega scoured the ground for more sticks to add to her ever growing pile. As she reached to pick up a stick that, to her, resembled a blaster, she felt a vibration run through the ground. She pulled her hand back in surprise, turning to look at Tech.

 “Did you feel that?” She asked, still crouched on the ground.

 Tech paused for a second and looked over at Omega. “Feel what?”

“The ground just vibrated.” Omega said, looking down at the forest floor.

 “You probably just felt the vibrations from the saw I’m using. This thing shakes so much I’m honestly surprised it hasn’t fallen to pieces.” Tech said, showing her the rickety saw. Omega frowned but went back to collecting sticks, hesitantly accepting Tech’s explanation.

 A few minutes later, the hairs on the back of Omega’s neck stood on end. An unpleasant buzzing sensation formed in the back of her mind, and she looked up from her stick gathering.

 Something bad was about to happen.

 “Tech,” She said, standing up straight and beginning to slowly back up, “I think we should go.”

 “What? Why?” Tech questioned.

 “Just trust me. We gotta go, now.” She said, pulling on his sleeve.

 Confused, Tech grabbed the branches he had sawed off and let himself be pulled forward. Omega set off at a quick pace, forcing Tech to quicken his stride to keep up. She kept glancing over her shoulder, like she expected something to pop up and start chasing them.

 “Omega, what’s gotten into you?” He asked, his brows knitting together. “You’re usually the one who wants to stay longer.”

 Omega opened her mouth to answer, but was distracted when a flock of birds exploded out of the trees behind them. Both clones dropped the wood they were carrying and hit the ground, covering their heads as the swarm flew over them.

 “What the-” Tech started, but was cut off by a low rumble. The ground beneath them began to shake, rattling the trees around them.

 “Tech, what��s going on?!” Omega cried, unable to find her balance.

 “It’s an earthquake! Of course, why not?!” He yelled, getting to his feet. “Can’t we have a day where nothing happens?!”

 A nearby tree crashed to the ground in front of them, forcing the clones to jump back.

 “I guess not. Come on, we’ve got to get out of here!” He said, running towards the treeline.

 Omega sprinted beside him, yelping when a branch just barely missed her head. “What’s an earthquake?!”

 “Its a phenomenon caused by the shifting of a planet’s tectonic plates. This one is particularly vioLENT!” Tech’s voice spiked at the end of his sentence as the ground in front of them suddenly split open. He quickly jumped over it, Omega copying his movements.

 “Does it usually last long?!” Omega cried, nearly tripping when another rumble shook the forest.

 “It depends! Some last for minutes, others, hours!” Tech answered, leaping over a fallen young tree.

 “There’s the exit!” Omega called, pointing towards the treeline.

 Another wave of shaking hit them, this one stronger than the last. The sudden force caused Omega to trip, and the young girl yelped in pain as she hit the ground. The sound had Tech skidding to a halt, and he was quickly helping Omega to her feet.

 “We’re almost there, come on-” He silenced himself and decided to just carry the young girl. The constant quaking and his own panic caused him to nearly fall over himself, but he somehow managed to power through it and started to run again.

 They had almost made it out of the forest when a thundering mix of crunches and snaps suddenly reached their ears. Both of their heads snapped to the left, and to their horror, they saw a wave of dust, rock, and broken trees hurdling towards them!

 Thinking fast, Tech sprinted towards one of the large trees and took cover behind it, tucking both himself and Omega into the ancient plant’s thick roots. He held Omega to his chest, shielding her with his body. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced for impact.

      Echo had just started to drift off when he felt it. It was like the ground itself was shuddering, causing the nearby wildlife to scatter. Wrecker, who had been trying to sleep of a headache, startled awake. Hunter was on his feet in an instant, searching for the cause of the disturbance.

 “Was that an earthquake?” Echo asked, sitting forward.

 “I think so. A pretty big one too…” Hunter replied, frowning.

 Pillow, who had also been awoken, started to let out long honks. It was the noise he made when he wanted Omega’s attention, but couldn’t see her. Echo grew worried when, upon looking around, noticed that Omega and Tech were still gone.

 “Why aren’t Tech and Omega back yet?” He questioned aloud, his gaze turning towards the direction of the forest. “I hope they didn’t run into any trou-!”

 “Echo?” Hunter looked towards his brother, who had now gone stiff and still. Him and Wrecker walked over to where Echo was sitting, and gasped at what they saw.

 A cloud of dust had risen into the sky, smothering the pleasant blue hue. It was right around where the forest was. Where Omega and Tech were.

 “Everyone in the ship, now!” Hunter barked, running to get the engine started. Wrecker helped Echo make his way back to the ship, the large clone looking worriedly over his shoulder. Pillow was quick to follow them, his stubby little legs going as fast as they could.

 Once everyone was onboard, Hunter piloted the Havoc Marauder towards the source of the dust cloud. As they neared the forest, the true nature of the situation revealed itself, and what they saw made the present members of the Bad Batch go from concerned to full on panicking.

 A landslide had decimated part of the forest, many of the ancient trees on the forest’s edge had collapsed under the barrage of rocks, mud, trees, and other such debris. The brothers’ stomachs sank as they realized that they couldn’t see Tech or Omega anywhere outside the flattened forest, which left only one place they could be.

 Echo activated his comlink, his hands shaking slightly.

 “Tech? Tech, can you hear me?” He asked, his voice betraying his worry.

 There was only crackling silence for a long, torturous moment. Then, a voice, weak and broken up by coughs.

 “I-I hear you, Echo.” Tech’s voice broke a growing tension in the ship, and the enhanced clones sighed in relief.

 “Thank the Maker. Stay put you two, we’ll get ya out.” Hunter called back, moving to set the ship down.

 “We don’t really have much of a choice. There’s rubble below and above us. I can barely move, and Omega is worse off. I think her leg might be pinned, but I can’t tell.” Tech said, sounding strained.

 “Why not just ask her?” Wrecker questioned, activating his own comlink.

 “She’s unconscious. I am unable to move enough to check for any head injuries, and she isn’t responding to me. I only know she’s unconscious and not dead because I can feel her breathing.” The younger clone was clearly distressed, his voice hitching a bit as he spoke.

 “Don’t worry Tech, we’ll get you two out and you’ll both be just fine.” Echo tried to sound as reassuring as possible.

 Tech was silent for a moment, then spoke again, this time in a very soft voice.

 “Just, just hurry, okay?”

   Hunter and Wrecker worked together over the course of an hour to dig Tech and Omega out. Echo, who could not dig on a broken leg, stayed on the ship and tried to keep Tech calm. They had limited oxygen in their little pocket, and panicking would only make it run out faster.

 Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Echo could hear the sound of dirt being moved aside over the com frequency. He exhaled in relief and felt his muscles relax. Running a hand over his face, he listened in as Hunter spoke to Tech.

 “How are you doing, Tech?” Their leader’s voice was soft as he hooked an arm around Tech, pulling him up. Wrecker was right beside him, lifting Omega up out of the little air pocket. He had to push aside a few rocks first, and winced when he saw that Omega’s pant leg was stained with blood.

 “I’ll be alright. Is Omega okay?” Tech asked, coughing into the crux of his elbow. Fresh air had never tasted better, but he had definitely inhaled some dust. They both had.

 Wrecker gently shifted Omega into a more comfortable position, supporting her leg. Now that they were out in the open, Omega’s injuries were obvious. A large gash was present on the top of her head, the blood that had spilled out matting in her hair. There was also a large scratch on her back, the cloth around the wound stained crimson.

 “I dunno. She’s pretty banged up…” Wrecker trailed off upon seeing Tech’s face. His youngest brother looked like he was going to be sick.

 “But she’ll be okay! We’ll get her fixed up, right Hunter?” He quickly added. Hunter nodded, pulling Tech up and letting the younger clone lean on him for support. Tech’s own back sported several cuts and multiple bruises, which meant that they would likely be taking a trip to a medical centre.

 “Yeah, she’ll be okay. She’s a tough kid, and she’s been through worse than this.” Hunter reassured.

 “That’s not a good thing.” Tech mumbled, his eyes downcast. “She shouldn’t have to be tough, Hunter. She’s only a child.”

 Hunter couldn’t argue with Tech’s statement. His brother’s words were true; Omega shouldn’t have to be tough. It was their job to keep her safe, but ever since they had left Kamino, they had just barely been escaping death at what seemed like every turn. They hadn’t been able to protect her on more than one mission, and the unfamiliar sting of failure weighed heavy on the group.

 “I know… I know that she wants to be with us, and I want her to be with us too!” Tech continued. “But maybe… she would be better off with someone else. Children need stability, especially young ones like Omega.”

 “We can’t just abandon her, Tech!” Wrecker protested loudly. “We’re all Omega has!”

 “What about the bounty hunters? We need to be there to protect her.” Hunter added.

 “Oh yes, we’ve been doing a brilliant job at that!” Tech snapped, his face wrinkling in pain as he stepped away from Hunter. “Face it, we’re not good enough to raise her. Almost every time we go somewhere, or try to do something, she either ends up hurt or traumatized! The longer she stays with us, the higher her chance of dying becomes!”

 “So what do you purpose we do? Dump her on some backwater planet and leave her to fend for herself? Hand her off to some orphanage?” Hunter was angry now, and he bristled at Tech’s words. “She’s a clone, Tech! There isn’t really many places for her in this world. If we can’t look after her, who the hell do you think can?”

 “The Jedi.” Was Tech’s reply. “Of course, finding one now will be quite the challenge.”

 Both Hunter and Wrecker looked at Tech like he was crazy.

 “The Jedi?! Why are they the first damn people you think of?” Hunter threw his hands up in the air. “The Jedi are gone, or did you forget that we saw our brothers start murdering them not too long ago?”

 “The Republic is gone, but it would be ignorant to assume that every Jedi was killed that day. They are masterful hiders, and I have no doubt that some still remain.” Tech argued, looking over at Omega, who was still unconscious. “They could hide her, and perhaps help her in ways we won’t be able to.”

 “What are you talking about?!” Wrecker cried, utterly confused by Tech’s words.

 “I have reason to believe that the Kaminoans accomplished something previously thought to be impossible. I think Omega here might be a Force-sensitive.” Tech explained.

 “What?” Hunter squinted in confusion. Omega? A Force-sensitive? Where was his brother coming from?

 “I had some time to think about it while we were trapped underneath the landslide, and the signs have always been there. At first, I thought that she was just intuitive, but it seems like she can actually feel our emotions and get a good idea of what we’re thinking. Whenever she speaks to Pillow, he seems to really understand what she’s saying, even if it’s something beyond a simple command. That doesn’t happen with us.” Tech shifted his weight to one leg as he spoke, clearly favoring one limb over the other. “And today, when we were collecting wood, she suddenly stopped what she was doing and told me that we had to leave right away. She knew something bad was going to happen, even before we felt the earthquake.”

 Hunter blinked in surprise. When you put everything all together, things did start to look strange.

 “So… what? We leave her with a stranger just ‘cause she’s different?” Wreckers voice was quieter now, but the anger was still there, bubbling underneath.

 “It would be for the best. Jedi know how to train Force-sensitive children, and Omega’s unique circumstances may cause her to need that sort of guidance.” Tech replied, trying to make his squadmates see things from a logical standpoint. “A Force-sensitive clone has never existed before, and her being genetically modified may change how the Force manifests itself with her. She could develop powers that haven’t existed before, and we would have no idea how to handle that or how to teach her to control her powers.”

 The three stood in silence for a moment, staring at each other.

 “We’ll discuss this later, when the two of you aren’t bleeding out.” Hunter finally said, extending an arm to Tech, who took it gratefully.

 Wrecker looked down at Omega, sadness entering his eyes. He didn’t think that Omega would want to go, magic powers or no. The girl loved being with them, and his heart clenched at the idea of leaving her with some random Jedi who wouldn’t know her like they did. Would they help her with her nightmares, like Echo did? Teach her to fight with more than just a blaster or bow, as Hunter was doing? Answer her questions and teach her about the world, a job that was shared by all of them but mostly fell to Tech, who loved being able to share his knowledge without getting eye rolls? Would they laugh at her jokes and carry her on their shoulders like he did? Would they entertain her curiosity? Let her take Pillow with her?

 Would they treat her like family?

 These, at least to Wrecker, were important questions, but his brothers didn’t seem to be asking them, so he kept quiet. Tech was the smart one, after all, so maybe he shouldn’t be doubting the younger man.

 ‘Still,’ He thought to himself, ‘I hope Echo says something, because I really don’t want to have to say goodbye!’

   “Absolutely not.” Echo said, wrapping the last of Tech’s bandages,

 “Echo,” Tech started, but the other man cut him off.

 “We are not handing Omega over to some Jedi just because she might be Force-sensitive and might develop powers.” Echo stated, a tone of finality clear in his voice. “The Empire is going to be hunting the remaining Jedi down relentlessly, and you want to leave her with one?”

 “The Jedi have a talent of disappearing when they need to. The Empire would have a harder time finding her under their care.” Tech argued.

 “Yeah, sure, until a Sith Lord tracks her Force signature and finds both of them. Do you want her to end up as another casualty?” Echo asked, tying a bandage tighter than he needed to. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to get her killed.”

 Tech whipped his head around and glowered at Echo, his gaze full of burning anger.

 “How dare you. You think I want to give her up? She’s family to me too, Echo!” He hissed.

 “Really? Could have fooled me.” Echo shot back.

 A growl was the only warning the clone got before Tech had launched himself at Echo. The two crashed to the floor, wrestling with each other. Pillow, who had been sleeping under Omega’s arm, honked in alarm as the bunk was jostled. Angered by the disturbance, the amphibian puffed himself up and hissed, baring his sharp little teeth. He launched himself forward, clamping his jaws down on Echo’s prosthetic arm.

 Hunter appeared beside the fight, gripping both of his squadmates and hauling them apart.

 “Cut that shit out! This is not the time or the place to start a fight.” He snarled, glaring at his brothers. “Tech, go lie down and cool off. Echo, come sit with me.”

 Upon being released, the two followed Hunter’s commands. Tech huffed as he lay down, rubbing a sore spot on his arm. Echo struggled for a moment to peel Pillow off of his arm, glad that the pale animal hadn’t latched onto the limb that he still had feeling in. His leg ached, and Hunter had to help him up. Together, they made it to the pilot and co-pilot seats, and the two men faced each other as they sat.

 “Hunter, you can’t seriously be thinking about going through with this.” Echo rested his head on his hand, looking at Hunter with pleading eyes.

 “Tech makes some good points. None of us can use the Force, so how could we help her if she is Force-sensitive?” Hunter responded quietly.

 “We can keep her under the radar of the Empire! If we keep moving, It’ll be harder for any Sith to find her Force signature if she isn’t in one place for too long.” Echo gestured towards the bunks. “I worked with Jedi masters and there is centuries of information out there. Actually, it’d probably be easier to find hidden written information than it will be to find a Jedi. We can help her, Hunter.”

 Hunter shook his head. “Information can’t replace experience. You know that, Echo.”

 “So that’s it then?” Echo frowned. “We’re just kicking her to the curb and hoping that she doesn’t get caught? What happened to not leaving anyone behind?”

 “It’s what's best for-” Echo looked at him sharply, silencing Hunter before he could finish.

 “She’ll hate you. If you try to leave her behind again, Hunter, she will never forgive you. Do you want that? Can you handle that?” He asked, making direct eye contact with Hunter.

 “I’d rather her hate me and be alive then love me and be dead.” Hunter said, looking away from Echo.

 Echo closed his eyes and shook his head, letting the crushing silence exist for a moment before speaking.

 “You’re making a mistake. For her sake, I hope you realize that sooner, rather than later.” He stood up and limped his way to his bunk, leaving Hunter alone with his thoughts.

[bosmermage]

Whumptober Day 5

I’ve Got Red in my Ledger (Misunderstandings, Broken Nose)  Characters: Sky, Wars 

They had been on the road months now and not a single time had Sky seen his home. It was beginning to eat at him and mix with the nightmares that had been haunting him. The horrible visions had gotten so frequent the scent of campfire had become unbearable. So when the last of the portal after-effects dissolved into the familiar deep green of the Faron woods, the awful tension that had been ratcheting up in Sky's stomach unwound into a deep sigh.

“It's my home” He spun to face the group with a big goofy grin that split his face, the smiles were mirrored all around. Home meant mattresses and roofs and good food and friendly faces. Goddess knows they all needed it after the last gauntlet of attacks and running and ambushes.

“So? We get to meet the missus??” Wars jabbed, slinging an arm around the shorter man's shoulders as he began to lead them off down the path to the bird statue by the Skyview Temple.

“Of course! And the rest of Skyloft too. I don't think anyone is going to want to miss out on meeting the fancy surface dwellers I've dragged in” Sky laughed, and all the nightmares of open fields and ash, began to lift off to the cool autumn air.

“Sky, what's off that way?” Time's voice cut through the excited chatter like a knife and the dread cut through him like a finishing blow. A glimmer of recognition was hidden in his usual stony expression and it made Sky dread to follow his gaze.

Sure enough, far past the great tree, up drifted from the sealed grounds a mountainous cloud of smoke. It snaked into the cloud barrier, staining it a gloomy charcoal grey and Sky's world gave out from under him. That sinking feeling he had finally began to shake was sizzling up his legs like lightning, pinning him like one of Flora's specimens with the horrifying recognition.

“Hey Twi! Gimme a boost!” Wind shouted out and Sky's eyes snapped over in time to see Wind scrambling up the nearest tree befre Wild could even so much as mutter a word of protest at being usurped as the group climber. Sky couldn't even get his lips to twitch into a smile over the rapidly swelling panic.

“All clear! No fire just a lotta smoke.” Wind called down before vaulting himself down and tumbling up to his feet, clearly revelling in the laughter the acrobatics earned him. “there's this really big statue but other than that, whatever it is, it's probably all cleared up now.”

Oh why could nothing be easy.

“We,” Sky started, voice cracking with the effort.

“We need to check the seal. To make sure its... safe.” Sky finished in sign, hands wavering almost as much as his voice. No one complained, falling in behind him dutifully as he raced off in the direction of the smoke, unsucsessful at outpacing the swelling panic.

“So uh what's..” Wind started to ask, and Four cut him off, thankfully, with a sharp motion against his lips. Wind gave a quizzical look but settled on resting his hands on his sword strap and Sky nodded, turning back into the march with determination, each leaf and vine and rock seeming to urge him forward as the clock ticked on ticked on ticked on.

The sealed grounds was as it had been left, save for the clear aftermath of a battle. Hylia stared on in contempt. Time rushed forwards.

“LINK!” Zelda's voice snapped his trance and he shot after it on instinct. She barrelled into his arms, the wool of her knight's uniform unbearably soft against his cheek. He pulled back to examine her face, spinning her about to check for injuries before crushing her back against his chest.

“..ink... LINK. I'm okay, everyone's okay. It's okay Link” Her shoulder was warm and soft and tethered him back into his body, mending his split seams. He nodded, pausing to lean against her cheek, melting for a blessed moment, before pulling away.

“What happened?” He signed, taking in the previously unnoticed battle carnage.

“There was an attack, but it's nothing we couldn't handle,” Sun murmured. Sky noted the smear of  blood along her tunic hem, not hers, and then the other knights making their way up to the path. Pipit was holding his arm and Sky and Hyrule bumped into each other on their way to check him, before Zelda pulled him back by his arm. “Oh no mister, you're staying right here.”

“Sorry,” Suddenly, the feeling of flying was not so welcome, and the ground felt, for a moment, like home.

“It's okay, just breath, we're okay.”  

“You're back?” Pipit was looking over to, of all the people he could be looking over to, Warriors, as he let Hyrule check over his injury, light magic dripping honey sweet into the wound. “You just left!”

“Left?”

Sky's eyes refocused. He stood up again, eyes boring into Warriors' back who was too busy signing in a panic to notice he was being noticed.

“Link thank the goddess you're okay,” That was Groose, “We thought you were done for when you went missing, but looks like you brought me the reinforcements this time eh?” Groose jostled Sky's shoulder making a spike of anger shoot up his spine, he shook it out of his teeth with a grimace.

“Groose” Zelda shushed and Sky felt a smile twitch at his lips. Sky clapped and Warriors spun around with the worlds guiltiest look on his face.

“Just left?” His sign was sharp, and he could feel the leftover panic buzzing through his system quickly transmuting backward into anger.

“He helped out just a few minutes ago, a portal opened up in the temple and was pouring out enemies. Him and some others came out of another one to help us out.” Pipit piped up, clearly ignoring the way Wars pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Skyloft?” Sky asked, the sign snarled through the fists that wanted to clench.

“Safe. There was a first wave there but no casualties.” Zelda's voice was calm and steady “We're okay, there's a reason we're all knights Link.” Sky knew he should really be giving in to the calming aura beside him but he shook his head turning back to the man who called himself his brother.

“You knew?”

Wars couldn't meet his eyes. “I'm sorry, Sky, I”

Sky clapped again. “You. Knew?” His tone gave no room for argument.

“Yes but Sky it was-” Wars' pleading was cut off by the crunch of his nose breaking under Sky's fist. He reeled back, sprawling over the ground as the others gasped in chorus.

“I did as well. We didn't tell you because we couldn't risk creating a paradox, or worry you for no reason when there was nothing you could do to stop it.” That was Time. And if the old man had thought he could be intimidating, he had clearly never been on the receiving end of the look reserved usually for those who would do the group harm. Sky was every inch the slayer of the god of hate.

“Never. Lie. To me. Again.”

“I'm sorry,” Wars started, petering out at the sharp turn of Sky's head.

“Don't apologize. I don't want to hear it. But if you lie to me about this again you will be sorry.” Sky promised, teeth bared. The gossamer bond that had been woven between them fell apart, and Wars looked away in shame.

The battle carnage was cleared in tense silence, with Sky working himself long past the sun down to work the horrible energy out of his body. Wars was quietly deposited beside Pipit, more for the sake of not invoking Sky's wrath than for the sake of mending his nose.

“You know Link,”

Sky sighed, and Sun's laughter broke through the last dregs of anger.

“Yeah yeah, I know. I'll go apologize Zel” He turned to face her sheepish in the face of her benevolent shining smile.

“Good. He really was only trying to help,” her hug was loftwing feathers and sun warm grass and Sky sighed into it wistfully.

[jasmindoodles]

“I’m not just another number”

Pairing: Arc trooper Fives x oc

Word count: 4.7k

Warning: None

A/N: This chapter was recently been updated, so some things have changed but its still mostly the same idea. Big thanks to my friend Alexa for helping me, couldn’t have done it without her!

Chapter: 1 | 2 |

Chp. 1- A sight to behold

Fives really didn’t have any expectations for his first mission after being promoted to arc trooper, but this certainly wasn’t it. He was on a diplomatic mission of all things. He was to accompany General Skywalker and General Kenobi. Along with him Commander Cody, Captain Rex, and Echo were also requested to come along. This was a very special mission personally requested by Senator Amidala herself. They were asked to go to a planet called “Toralu” who was interested in discussing a possible alliance. He definitely wasn’t going to complain about coming here though. On his travels he had heard rumors and whispers of Toralu’s wild, lush, and mountainous landscape. It was said to be one of the most breath-taking planets in its system.

As the dropship approached the surface of the planet the side doors opened.

Suddenly As the ship turned a ray of warm orange light seeped through the door.

“Gosh my eyes! Of course, I have to be standing right next to the door.” Fives though as he quickly raised his hand to shield his eyes. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the light, he lowered his hand to finally reveal the planet below.

“The rumors really don’t have anything on this planet” Fives admitted to himself as he gazed out the ship.

Below stood a planet with never ending golden sands and glimmering turquoise waters. From the sands bust forth black rock cliffs caped in deep green brush, flowing into low dense valleys. The Landscape was dotted with exotic Flora and flowers as far as the eye could see. The planet just screamed warmth and life. From its thick forests, delicate flowers, to its tranquil seas.  As his glimpse of the shores disappeared, he instead turned his attention to their white circular landing pad.

Alright men get ready were dropping shortly, stated Rex. Fives started gathering all his gear together.

Once the ship landed fives exited the ship in line. As he stepped down off the ship and scanned his surroundings, he immediately landed on the magnificent palace. There in the mountains stood a palace that beamed golden rays as if manifesting the sun itself. It seemingly melded and became one with the earth as vines flowed and intertwined with its many archways. The outside of The Place had wing-like glass archways that wrapped around the entirety of the building. From there rose sharp curved towers that resembled tongues of golden fire, reaching as if to touch the heavens. These towers encircled a dome of shimmering glass holding high the queen’s royal crest.

“Fives can you get your head out of the clouds and stop gawking at the planet. Hurry up and get on line, we don’t have all day” shouted Rex. Swiftly Exiting the ship behind the generals, they were immediately stopped and meet with greeters and other servants.

“Hello welcome honored quest, we are so pleased to have you on Toralu! Please take these gifts, as they are directly from the queen” stated the head Greeter. In the greeter’s hand lay a Flower clip. The flower had a crown of fuchsia petals blending into the bell-shaped purple petals below. It slowly draped down with short fuchsia vines holding little buds at the end. Please wear them when you’re in the palace as they signify that you all are special guests of the queen. If you need anything, please show this clip to any servant and your needs will be swiftly taken care of. All the servants quickly bowed and held out the flower clips to each person.

“Well at least the locals are friendly” Fives though to himself.

As they are handed the gifts, He just looks at Echo mildly amused, shrugging at one another not knowing what to do with the gifts they’ve been handed. Quickly he scrambles to find a place to clip it on him. He clips it on his belt and follows the generals down the walkway.

The group is escorted by a few of the servants down a long path that eventually leads to the palace. As the entrance slowly came into view, they noticed how heavily guarded it is. The doors were made of heavy gold being at least 3 times any human’s size. The entrance truly looked impenetrable. Once they approached the generals moved to the side to speak to one of the queen’s greeters privately. After a few moments passed General Skywalker quickly motioned for them to follow him. They followed him down a crescent shaped hallway with tall arch’s All the ceilings and adjacent archways were delicately painted with gold and elaborate paintings decorated the walls. Finally, they had reached the end of their walk as they came to stop at an impressive and imposing throne room. As they entered the first thing, they noticed an intricately crafted marble floor which led to a set of tall stairs. The stairs skillfully lead their eyes up to a large throne which sat perfectly Infront of a plethora of floor to ceiling windows.

Suddenly he noticed there were three people talking to one another off to the side, a man and two ladies. One of the women had her back to them, so he couldn’t see any of her features. Something about her though just captivated all his attention. He felt like he couldn’t look away even if he wanted to.

From behind he could see she was dressed in a long floor length dress that softly swayed as she moved. The Dress was a delicate mint that slowly faded down to a bright fuchsia. The gown was also adorned with golden shoulder plates that wrapped around the back of her neck making a high collar. Her shoulder plates connected to puffy sheer sleeves that tightened around her forearms. The rest of her was hidden from his view because of her long flowing brown hair, which she had half pinned up in an elaborate headpiece.

As the greeter made their presence known to her, she turned around to greet her guests. When he finally laid eyes on her, she completely took his breath away. There were so many rumors about how breathtaking the planet was, but they had never mentioned how the people were even more so. As she gracefully walked closer, he saw how elaborately she was dressed. It finally hit him.

“Oh my Goodness she’s the queen”! Queen Kira Luana! Fives though.

With her now In full view he could soak in everything about her. She had piercing mint eyes that were calculating and gentle. He also noticed how she had multiple thin golden markings. One that curved from the top of her cheekbones down to the corners of her lips, and another that started at the bottom of her lower lip and traveled under her chin. With her gown fully in view he noticed the dress’s heart shaped neckline trimmed with gold. She also wore a gold-plated corset belt, complementing her hourglass figure. The dress fanned out into two flowing front slits giving view to her clothed legs. Her hair swayed delicately as she walked closer and making his heart race faster and faster as she grew near.

She greeted the generals first, her smooth and silky voice sending shivers down his spine. Then she turned her attention to him and his fellow clones, giving them a sweet smile. Seeing just her smile made his heart flutter and him feel knees feel weak,

‘Get a hold of yourself Fives!’ he thought scoldingly.

She asks the generals in a gentle voice “Would your troops be so kind as to remove their helmets, please? I would like to see the rest of my guests' faces.”

‘Oh no!’ He thinks.

General Skywalker tilted his head back with a smirk and a small chuckle saying “Well boys you heard the queen, remove the helmets”

As he removed his helmet, he can feel himself start to blush, making him feel more flustered.

‘It’s not like I’ve never seen a pretty girl before! What is up with me! Come on get yourself together Fives!’ He thinks to himself. She’s different though. She is the most beautiful person he’d ever laid his eyes upon. She wasn’t your typical pretty face you would meet at 79s, she is a queen. Fives stared to get the strange feeling that someone was looking at him intently. As he looked to his left, he was immediately meet with a scolding gaze from Echo. That look firmly told him to get himself together and straighten up. The queen started to speak grabbing everyone’s attention, diffusing the growing tension between Five’s and Echo.

“Oh my, who knew there were such handsome faces hidden underneath those helmets” she said as she walked past them examining them.

Any semblance of composure that Fives had gained went out the window at her words. What she said left him even more of a flustered mess then before. Kira swiftly turned back towards the General’s to discuss details about their stay on Toralu. Out of nowhere, Fives suddenly felt Echo jab his elbow into his side causing him to jump and be abruptly brought out of his daze.

Two servants then walked into the throne room and once they finished talking stepped in front of the General’s.

“Generals’ if you would please allow us, we would like to show you and your warriors to your respective rooms” said the servant’s.

“Of course, Thank you, please lead the way” Obi One said as he gestured forward. After walking down more arched golden hallways they reached their destination. They stopped in front of two side by side doors.

“These will be the rooms you’ll be staying in.”

“Generals, you both will be staying in the left room and your men will stay in the right room beside yours. I’ll show you the room inside, Kamikara will show your men their room.” The two servant’s then ushered them separately.

As the clones walked in the room, they all gawked at how lavish it was. It had high arched ceilings, windows with a view, and best of all white plush beds with mountains of pillows. Fives immediately turned around and asked the servant ‘This can’t be our room, are you sure you’ve got the right place?”  

“Oh most certainly, only the best for the Queen’s quests” Kamikara said confidently.

“Now there are fresh clean clothes on the beds for you to change into if you so wish. Also, the refresher is on the right and a gentle reminder that the queen would like to have all of your presences at dinner at 19:00”.

“Wait, does the Queen actually want us to dine with her and the generals?” Fives blurted out.  

The servant girl looked taken aback and momentarily confused but then answered, “Why yes of course, it’s customary to feast with all the guests here on Toralu.”

Fives then said with a confused look on his face “But we’re just soldiers, we’re not meant to dine with a queen.”

“To the queen it matters not what rank you are, she views everyone as her equal and wants to make everyone feel welcomed. Unless you want to upset her by not coming to dine with her?”

Cody jumped in immediately “Don’t mind my friend here, we’re just not used to being the ones invited to dine. I assure you we’ll be ready for dinner at the proper time”

Kamikara’s slight frown quickly became a large bubbly smile at Cody’s words. “Perfect! I’ll come by a few minutes before to escort you all to the dining room. In the meantime, you can relax in your room or feel free to walk around the palace, even roam around the city as well, if you so please. If you need anything, use the intercom by the door and a servant will come, there are also servants all around the palace if you are in need of assistance. Now before I take my leave, do any of you have any questions or in need of something?”

Everyone was in shock by what she had said, but then he heard Rex clear his throat and say “No, thank you ma’am, um we’re fine.”

Ok great! Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here. Kamikara said as she left the room.

Fives scoffed “Wow! I can’t believe this room is for us. Hey Cody, Rex, does this usually happen in these types of missions? You know, where we're treated like normal people.”

Cody chuckled, “Enjoy it while you can Fives.” Echo playfully shoving him in the process.

Cody started walking to the door with Rex not far behind “We’re going to go speak with the generals. You boys enjoy yourselves in the meantime.” Cody mockingly said.

Fives curiously raised his eyebrow at them as they left. Eventually though he turned and looked at Echo shrugging it off guessing whatever it was they were going to talk about, he didn’t need to know.

“You heard the captain.”

Fives made a mad dash for the bed playfully shoving Echo out of the way in the process. Once Fives reached the bed he fell back on the soft plush bed. Relishing in how soft the bed was he buried himself in the mounds of pillows. Echo just shook his head and sighed as he walked towards the refresher. Once fives heard the door shut, he sat up and thought “Well if I want to explore the room, now is the time”. As he got up and walked around the room, he noticed a large balcony thru a frosted glass door. As he opened the door to the balcony, his face was hit by a warm gentle breeze. The wind carried the sweet smell of exotic flowers and the salty bite of the sea.

“Man, I just can’t get enough of this smell” Five’s though as he took in a large deep breath.

He felt the tension leave his neck and shoulders as all his senses took in the flora and beach that laid in his view. Behind him he heard Echo open the door to the refresher, slowing walking back in the room. Fives walked towards the door and leaned on its frame. “Echo you have got to see this view it’s amazing!”

“Ok, well if you would move your big butt out of the door then maybe I would!” Echo said with a playful smirk.

Just as Echo reached the door Cody opened the Front door with Rex in tow. Immediately Echo and Fives stopped and straightened up getting in line. “What are our orders Commander?”

There are none for right now, the generals are going to speak with the Queen, so I suggest you both should take this opportunity to rest up.”

“Yes sir!” Both Echo and Fives then relaxed and moved over to sitting down on their beds.

Echo quickly got comfortable lounging back on his bed. “Finally, I’m going to get a chance to read up on my data pad.”

Fives just shook his head while saying under his breath “Echo I think you were left in your growth chat too long.”

Fives slowly laid down on the soft bed. “Honestly it feels so strange laying on something so comfy. I don’t know, maybe I’m just too used to our rocks for beds.” As he got comfortable his eyes slowly grew heavier and heavier, until eventually Fives was fast asleep.

Fives bolted up from his sleep in a panic, sweat slowly dripping down his brow. ‘ It was just a nightmare” fives panted. “Gosh what time is it.” Taking a quick glance at the clock he noticed almost 2 hours had passed by, fortunately there was still plenty of time before dinner. Scanning the room he looked over to where Echo should be on his bed, but it was empty. Cody and Rex were nowhere to be seen. “I wonder if I should comm them?”As he reached to grab his comm fives thought, “ Wait… they may be in negotiations with the general’s and queen, best not bother them.” As fives pondered it hit him. “I know I’ll bother Echo!” he grabbed his comm an dialed.

“Hey Echo, where are you?”

“Oh, I’m in the art gallery.”

“Art gallery?”

“Yeah, I wanted to learn more about the culture of Toralu and there just so happened to be a gallery in the palace. It’s got so much interesting art and it's full of fascinating cultural pieces, ooooh wow like this unique plant life ....” Echo’s voice trailed off as something grabbed his attention and distracted him from the conversation. As Fives stood there waiting for Echo to regain his focus he rolled his eyes, growing in his frustration.

“Echo! Just tell me how to get to you?!” he impatiently shouted.

“Oh that’s easy, when you leave the room take a left down the hall, then walk a little and take a right and to your left there should be a large fountain, it’s right on the other side of it.”

“Finally! Ok, I’m coming to you.”  

If he remembered right, there were supposed to be two servants alongside two guards on either side of the hallway. Coming out of the room he looked left and right, and just as he thought there were two servants alongside two guards on either side of the hallway. He turned left out of his door and respectfully nodded at the guards and servant’s as he walked past them. After some time of walking down the hallway, fives started to notice what looked like two entrances on the right.

“That can’t be right! Echo never mentioned two entrances.”

Running his hands through his hair in frustration fives sarcastically huffed “This is just great!

Finally calming down fives leaned back against the wall pushing his head back, “Ok think, what should I do? I could comm Echo but who knows how long it would take to get an answer out of him. Or I could just go for it since I do have a fifty-fifty chance.”

Running his hand over his temples and through his hair he reluctantly came to the conclusion “I’m just going to go for it and choose the closest entrance. What’s the worst that could happen anyways?

Walking down the hall for a few minutes fives let out a long frustrated sigh “This is taking way too long, I should have reached the fountain already.”

“It’s got to be just around the corner, this place can’t be that big” thinking to himself in denial.

After walking for what seemed like forever, he saw a grand entrance at the end of the hallway. Getting closer he noticed the entry archway had massive marble pillars covered in vines sprinkled with small purple flowers. Past the archway laid a well-manicured courtyard and a magnificent view of the ocean. Taking in the elegant scenery fives thought,

“Echo never said anything about this place but maybe the gallery entrance is somewhere around here?” As he scoured for anything that looked like the entrance to the art gallery, he suddenly heard voices. Being curious he followed the voices and straight away stumbled upon the queen and her advisers. 

Panic sets in and he rushes back to the hallway hiding behind the wall, he peaks around the corner and sees she’s turned opposite to him, talking with her advisers. ‘Why am I so nervous?! Also why am I hiding?’ Thinking to himself, he notices another entrance on the other side of the opening and looks back where the queen was. She was still distracted talking, so he took his chance and tried his best to look inconspicuous but just a few steps in and the queen noticed. 

“Excuse me!” Fives winced and stopped dead in his tracks.

“You’re one of general Skywalker’s troopers, correct?” Going into autopilot Fives turns around while straightening himself answering “Yes sir. Arc trooper Fives at your service.” 

Fives relaxed enough to lay his gaze upon the one asking the question and  there in front of him stood in all her beauty, Queen Kira Luana. Making his breathing hitch and sending his heart racing.

She smiles at him sweetly and starts walking towards him. ‘By the force she’s beautiful!’ He thinks to himself, clenching his fist tighter as she gets closer. He keeps his eyes looking straight forward for fear that if he looked directly at her he would crack.

She stops in front of him and asks in a very gentle and smooth voice “are you lost Fives?” He can feel lightning crawling up his spine at her saying his name so gentle, making him weak at the knees. So in tranced by her words he almost doesn’t answer her, stuttering for a response he clears his throat “Um n-no your highness, I-I was uhh going to the visitors art gallery! Haha” ‘Wow! Really Fives!? That sounded so stupid!’

She smiles endearingly up at him humming. ‘Oh my force! Stop it woman!! Are you trying to give me a heart attack’

“Well if you’re going to the visitors art gallery you’re going in the complete opposite way.” Now she’s just smirking at him. Embarrassed now, he tries to act confident “I knew that, I just wanted to take a detour is all, considering how beautiful this palace is.” Smiling like a buffoon.

Raising an eyebrow at him she says in response “You have no idea where you are, do you?

Realizing he’s been figured out, sighs “Forgive me your highness, I think I might’ve taken the wrong turn, if you could just point me in the direction of the gallery and I’ll be out of your way.” Says defeatedly.

She looks pass him down the hallway and says “I could” then looks back at him “But first I have a favor to ask of you.” Looking back at him.

Confused he stutters to ask “uhh umm what w-would that favor be, your highness?” Trying to give a dashing smile but failing in the process.

At that she smiles again at him “ Would you mind walking with me to the gardens?”

He raises his eyebrows not knowing to respond,” uhhh-“ before he can answer she cuts him off saying “ If you don’t want to, that is fine I understand, you are probably tired and would like to rest.” Looking a little disappointed. He immediately jumps to says “N-No! I-I w-would love too! It would be an honor!” At that she instantly perked up, smiling once again. Before they start walking she turns back to her advisers and dismisses them. Turning back to Fives she grabs his arm, making him blush to the point where he has to turn his head the other way so she wouldn’t notice.

As they walk in unison Fives sorta starts to calm his heartbeat, until the queen starts talking. “I hope your rooms are to your liking, I’ve never had clones stay at my palace before, so I wasn’t exactly sure what you all would like.” Fives almost choked on his own saliva at what he was hearing, but quickly composed himself. “Trust me it is more than fine. Thank you, your highness. You didn’t have to do that for us clones, we’re used to far less.” Ending his statement with a nervous laugh.

“That’s... Disheartening to hear, you and your men are what’s holding up the Republic’s side of the war alongside the Jedi. Surely you should be recognized for your hard work, right? You all are putting your lives on the line and should be treated with the highest regard; although I know war is not a very accommodating situation. ” Looking at him with concern.

“That’s very kind of you to think that of us, your highness. But we are just another weapon of the Republic, we’re meant to be expendable. Me and my brothers aren’t even considered living beings to some.” He looks away as he says that, clenching his jaw.

Kira looking upset at his words “But that is not true! How could someone or anybody for that matter look at you and think you are not a living being? It’s outrageous!!” Fives response “Maybe it’s because others don’t understand or just don’t know, some look down upon us because we are genetically made instead of naturally born, like the rest of the galaxy.”

Thinking on what he says the queen takes a deep breath and exhales as she begins again “ I’m sorry about that, truly I am. No one or thing should be treated like that. Me and my people, we are taught to value all living beings whether they are born through the will of the force or genetically made. Know that even though my planet is neutral and does not participate in this war, you and your brothers are valued in my eyes and in the eyes of my people.” Fives a bit shocked goes on “ Thank you, your highness. That means a lot coming from someone such as yourself.”

“ All who meet you should be thanking you and your brothers for your sacrifices” bringing her hand to her chin in a thinking pose, she responds “ and I thank you for telling me this, I’ll have to take it into consideration for when I make my decision.”

“Pardon?” he was a bit confused at her words. She looks back at him “ oh do not worry, just know you have opened my eyes to a world unbeknownst to me, I thank you for that.” Looking forward again.

“If I may ask your highness, how do you treat your soldiers?”

“Well for one, we do not call them soldiers, we call them Makakoin warriors and they are treated with the highest respect. They’re specially chosen and put into training from a very young age. From the Makakoin warriors only a few are selected to actually be the queen's royal bodyguards. It requires even harsher training that not everyone can withstand. The ones who become warriors are given one of the highest honors and in return they honor and benefit their families. It’s quite different from the Republic who mass-produce soldiers and from what you told me, see you as nothing but weapons. I mean no offense by that.”

That last part makes him chuckle a little “ None taken, us clones are  just the republics means to an end. Many beings view us as disposable instruments of war but a few appreciate and value us for who we are. What you speak of though has many similarities to how our Jedi are selected.   

“Exactly! Our training and beliefs are very similar to the Jedi and we greatly respect their methods of training.'' 

“Now, it’s my turn to ask a question” She looked at him with mischief in her eyes, which made simultaneously excited and nervous. “Oh dear, please your majesty have mercy on me.” Saying it in a playful way which made her giggle and that made him blush again but also feel pride in knowing he was the cause for that lovely sound, he 

had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from smiling like a giddy little boy. “Hmm you’ve peaked my interest Fives.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.” as they keep on with their conversation he becomes more relaxed and has this weird fuzzy feeling inside.

___________

Meanwhile echo was starting to get a bit concerned that he hasn’t seen Fives yet. ‘He should have been there by now!’ Echo thinks while he’s looking around the gallery. As he does so a servant notices him and asks if everything is ok. “Yes, I’m just looking for my brother.” He goes to exit the gallery in an attempt to find his mischievous brother. ‘Ugh he probably got lost, the fool! Frustrated, he goes down to the fountain to see if by some chance he’s there, but sadly he wasn’t. He goes to com him but he doesn’t answer “oh come on Fives answer me!” But no response. So he coms Rex to see if by some miracle Fives was with him.

“What is it, Echo?”

“Sir, is Fives with you?”

“No. I thought he was with you. Please don’t tell me he’s run off somewhere unsupervised.”

Echo can hear the dread in his voice “Well, uhh about that sir...”

“I don’t want to hear it, just go find him and come back to the room.”

“Yes sir, Roger that!”

[susoftjockau]

The Party - Part Five

Steven had never been to a Japanese garden before. The only reason he came to the idea that they should go was that it had the word 'garden' in it, and a garden meant few people, flowers, and somewhere to think. It was the perfect place, better than a lonely road or grass plains that had mud tracks from fresh mowing.

He never expected it to be this serene, however.

Flowers would bloom in tufts over their heads, the scent of flora wafting now and then in pleasant aroma as they made their way through the path. It appeared to dip down — blossoms tickling him from the sides, trees of varying sizes and growths relaxing in every inch of the area — bringing them to a tiny wooden bridge above a creek, the boards creaking slightly from their weight.

His fingers fiddled with the railing, eyes bearing themselves to the reflection below: staring at him back in wavering refraction, his jam bud's form occupying the space next to him as well. Only a few people would pass by. It was just them; Connie watching the water below with heavy intent, the other awkwardly playing a beat to the wood like it was a rigid snare drum.

Thump dada thump.

“That lily.”

“Huh?” He looked over at her.

Her focus wasn’t clouded, but they looked poised, careful. He looked over at where she was looking, noticing a bump of white amidst the creek’s accumulating pebbles. It was a flower, sitting atop a lily pad, petals spiraling out like a tiny crown in the water.

“It looks familiar.”

Steven leaned a bit, trying to get closer. Even though it was small from where they were, it looked beautiful. “Might be a Japanese flower, since this is a Japanese garden?”

“Sounds likely.” Connie nodded. She leaned more as well, keeping a finger on the bridge of her glasses. “I remember reading a book about Japanese plants. It’s on the tip of the tongue.”

“Water lily?” It looked like the kind to be called a water lily. Or a water plant. Water tulip?

“Darn, something like that!” She frowned, pulling herself back. “Can we take a closer look?”

“Go for it.”

Steven watched her walk off the bridge. She didn’t have the same timid shake of her head or the wanting to buckle her legs. What he witnessed was an explorer, prying and trudging into the riverbeds with a mission in her mind. It could be seen from the tips of her fingers — careful in treading through and examining the flora on closer inspection when she brought herself down to her haunches — and her shoes, which grew muddied from it pressing into the watered banks next to the bordering rocks.

“Steven, come over here.”

And so he did. Getting off the bridge and jumping off the gravel trail, he found himself next to her as they examined the flower laying atop the floating pad, watching it lull around on the surface. Connie was careful in holding it, taking notice of its slight-bulbous shape and color.

”Nymphaeaceae,” she said. Taking out her phone, she began to tap on the keys. "That should be right, it has the same form, location, and everything."

"I mean, you're really smart." He smiled at her, the other's cheeks reddening at the reply. "If there's anybody who could find out about this and get it right, it would be you!"

She bit her lip. "I wouldn't go that far." Then her eyes relaxed at her phone screen. "Oh, it is Nymphaeaceae."

Steven's smile broadened. "See? You're really smart."

She let out an embarrassing squeak. "Now, hey! It's only one answer, it's not like I'll get more right!"

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. He stood up before the other could protest, pointing up at a hanging branch, speckled with leaves. "Then guess on what this is. It looks like a pine to me but I have no clue."

"With a garden like this, the caretakers have to be careful of maintaining the influence of each specimen." She started lifting up slowly, cocking her head at the sight of it. Steven could see the cogs turning. "So it's definitely of Japanese origin." She squinted, moving closer to it. "Look closer." He did, trying to find what she was looking for. "There're spines."

It became clear now. When she pointed it out, the thorns riding along the thick branches became more noticeable. "So a prickly tree?"

"Hmmm. I'm trying to think." She looked through her phone. "Maybe a Japanese black pine?"

"It does look like a pine."

"But the spines," she scrunched her nose, tapping furiously. Looking over, he saw her search bar go crazy with letters and backpedaling: spines, Japanese, Japanese plant with spines on the branches, tree, active in the cold, lilacs, white petals. It went by so fast he couldn't keep up until she blurted out a proud 'aha!'. "Aralia eleta!"

"Aralia?"

At the sight of his expression, she added onto it. "A Japanese Angelica Tree; it fits the description, look."

Steven was now thumbing the screen of her phone, an article in front of him with all the details she had talked about. There it was, a similar looking tree to the one hovering above them, its thrush tickling the tops of their heads — information passing by him in bullet points and pictures.

"It's the same one." There was elation in her voice, the familiar sound he would listen to when she would open up about those shows she loved, or the characters sketched in one of her green notebooks. "There must've been some careful consideration on maintaining it since it said that trees such as this can grow extensively if not cared for."

Steven couldn't help the smile growing on his face. "Then what about that flower over there?"

He pointed at a far-off flower, one that went down the bushes and canopies and growing cornucopia of color. If they got back onto the path they should be able to reach it, it doesn't look dangerous. But he wouldn't mind a bit of danger; as long as they didn't trespass on growing patches or private property, he would go anywhere with her, just to see more of her ease, of her being in her element.

She chuckled. "Alright."

Connie stood up. Beginning to walk over, she grabbed his hand in the process — Steven happy to oblige with a receptive squeeze. "Let's find out."

[talldarkandroguesome]

24th of Rain’s Hand, Loredas

After putting in my personal request for Tel as our escort in Molag Mar and seeing that the children were properly attired as were the expectation of our station, we headed to the Temple in Mournhold.

From there we were given small refreshments while we waited for them to finish preparing to teleport us and I indulged myself in as much sujamma as I could before we were sent on to Vvardenfell.

Added to my wine at breakfast, I was already feeling in a much better mood, despite the dizzying nausea, when we arrived in the Temple of Molag Mar.

As soon as we stepped out to where we were told our escort was waiting for us, I kept my expression as neutral as possible. It was hard not to let my excitement, at what should be a surprise for Tel, from showing in my face.

Indeed, Tel seemed pleasantly surprised to see us and greeted us warmly. They told us that they would love to talk more, but that they were on assignment waiting for some pilgrims to escort.

I feigned being wounded by their words and asked if some other noble had spent more money than I had on a personal request for an escort.

That surprised Tel, but they took it in good humor and asked if I was not simply jesting over having requested them.

I explained that I wanted to bring the family for a brief respite from the goings on in Mournhold. Tel seemed to understand this and we talked briefly as we stepped out of the Temple at into the center of the canton.

The girls introduced themselves, along with Nabine. Avon exchanged a few words of pleasant surprise and Sildras seemed happy to see Tel again.

Tel explained that he had been told that we were pilgrims looking to make the pilgrimage of  Pilgrim’s Path. I said we were mostly looking to spend time with an old friend. As we spoke, it seemed clear that Tel was wanting to stick to purely the business of an escort, so I let them go ahead and give their tour, complete with the flora and fauna. Sildras asked many questions about our surroundings and the history of the places we were visiting.

Kuna seemed very interested when learning that Tel worked for Vivec and went on one of her usual tirades about her becoming a living god.

All in all, Tel was very patient with all the children. They seemed to get on well.

That is, except when the girls would begin to climb up things. Particularly the taller and less sturdy looking of things.

While I had once felt similar, I defer to Nabine in these matters. After all, she is the one who makes the final decisions about our daughters’ care. As Nabine says, this is how they learn. They are learning their limits and strengths, as well as how to calculate risks and build their muscles. It is a part of their culture. I do not plan on interfering with such things. It is said to help build more independence, so I must leave such knowledge to Nabine.

We got to see many of the island’s animals going about their daily routines. Tel also pointed out various plants, their names, care, and medicinal uses.

I made sure to explain some of the Velothi uses for each one when Tel was finished. 

As fun and interesting as the hike up to the Assarnibibi and Kand mountains.

We started with the hike to Mt. Kand first. The children had had soul gems purchased on their behalf to place on the Shrine of Pride. They were all very excited to do so, despite the fact that none of us on this trip, save our guide, believed in Almsivi in any way.

Still, it was about the experience of it all.

The strangest thing, however, happened when we reached the summit of Mt. Assarnibibi. There was the most strange and splintering sound. A whistle and then a large thud and crack.

As we stepped up to where the small shrine sat, a large shimmering crystal, the size of an adult’s head, lay somewhat embedded in the shrine’s offering table. The stone was blackened and slightly cracked from the heat and force of the impact that the crystal must had undergone. 

Tel passed the crystal around for the children and explained that this must have happened recently on account of it not having been there on another recent trip up here.

There was talk of an omen. There was talk about what it could or could not mean. I did not pay it too much mind, for Avon and Sildras seemed to be taking a keen enough interest for the whole group of us. I had to focus on keeping Cariel from trying to run off to try and play with the glowing fetcherflies. While they are harmless enough in small numbers, with a nest involved the hive can get rather nasty and cause a nasty sting.

Tel then took the crystal down, explaining it was a sky shard. The same sort of thing we used right before we had returned to Nirn from Coldharbour our first time. The time when we had escaped the prison of Molag Bal with the help of Varen and Lyris.

The children were all very keen on examining the stone, even though Tel explained that the crystal had little value unto itself .

Then it was passed to me to return to Tel.

I must have forgotten exactly what happened the first time, for it was quite the shock when the crystal glowed, almost hummed to me, and then filled me with a warm feeling. It felt nearly like being whole once more. It was so strange. It was such a relief. Yet how great was the difference in feeling, that I realized that I had forgotten just how badly the hollow feeling of being without my soul was.

Then I looked in my hands and saw that the sky shard was, in fact, a little smaller in size. I glanced around to see if anyone had noticed.

They had.

Tel in particularly gave me a look of surprised.

Cariel and Sildras asked how I did it, while Kuna held her arms out making a desperate gesture to hold it again while chanting to be given it.

I passed it over to her and she and Cariel began to grapple over it.

Kuna finally managed to yank it out of her sister’s grasp and then shook it, trying to make it glow. Then she turned to me and asked me how I did it.

I said I did not know how to activate it and looked to Avon, who shrugged at me and said he had no knowledge that they could do such a thing.

So we all turned to Tel for explanation.

Tel asked to speak to me for a moment first. I braced myself for the worst.

They asked me if I had not gotten my soul put back.

I simply gave the same explanation as the one to my House, citing all the attempts on my life and the dangers of it. Tel agreed that it was probably the wisest decision and then asked if the children knew.

I said that my House was aware of the situation and that it had been discussed at length with the House Council.

Tel then told me to tell the children the cause. I said I did not know, perhaps a bit of a lie, but Tel simply said it was to do with my not having a soul. So together we explained it was a reaction to my not having my soul in my body and left it mostly at that.

Once the children calmed down, Tel took the sky shard back to the Armigers and the rest of us went to our accommodations. 

I cannot help but wonder about this supposed omen. What could it mean?

[ferallymine]

Twilight Princess: And then there were Two

A/N: This is how Link and Iris met in TP <3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Faron Woods was indeed darker and deadlier now that Twilight had encapsulated it.

Midna sat atop Link’s back as he fumbled around the path leading to the entrance to the Forest Temple, “The final bugs should be around here somewhere. C’mon stupid mutt, can’t you sniff ‘em out or something?”

Link growled in response, toying with the idea of just bucking her off of him. A sudden scurrying motion caught his eye- he pounced and another tear erupted from the bug’s dissolving corpse.

“There we go! Only two left.” Midna pat his side, “Giddy up! Let’s go!”

They followed the path up the hill, finding the ghost of a monkey standing on top of a log.

It shuddered, speaking to itself. “These crawlies give me the creeps! Why won’t they leave me alone?!”

Before Link could react, there was a blur of movement. A loud crash and growl reached his ears, then two teardrops floated towards him. The Vessel was filled.

He looked up the path and… wait… that’s not a ghost.

A panther stood at the entrance to the temple. It took notice of Link and Midna’s presence. It stared down at them, teeth bared.

“Oi, do you have a twin or something?” Midna leaned back, a surprised look on her face, “This thing should be a ghost in Twilight. Is this some new tactic Zant thought up?”

The panther relaxed, dropping its attack stance and simply sitting down on the grass.

You’re like me.  

Link shook his head. That voice just now, was it the panther?

What are you? He pushed his thoughts out, hoping that if it was that beast, they’d be able to communicate this way.

I’m a panther, silly.

What are you doing in Twilight?

I could ask you the same thing.

He growled again, Don’t avoid the question

The panther cocked its head to the side, Hey now, shouldn’t you return those bug tear things to the spring? I’m sure that’ll bring light back and we can have a better discussion.

And give you a chance to attack us?

Nope. I’ll sit right here and wait for you to return. Plus, opening these doors would be better with opposable thumbs, ya’know?

“I can hear both of you,” Midna yawned, “And they’ve got a point. Don’t worry, Link. If they attack while we go back to the spring I can use my abilities to take them out.”

Harsh. The panther stretched out along the grass. I’ll be waiting.

-----

With two feet and light restored, Link readied his sword and headed back towards the temple entrance. The sunlight felt warm and comforting- he definitely missed that sensation while suspended in Twilight.

…Was it just him, or was there more flora and vines at the entrance than when he first left it?

Link looked around, not seeing any indication of the panther’s current state or whereabouts. Just thick grass and plants covering the path- where could they be?

“Boo.”

Link jumped, turning around and slicing his sword at the source of the voice that had appeared behind him.

A young woman stood, unfazed, and held up her hand. Vines twisted and shot up his body, stopping his attack mid-air. “You swing that sword at me again and I’ll break it.”

Using his free arm, Link attempted another punch. Again, vines curled up, stopping him in place. Trapped.

“Dude, I’m not here to hurt you- but if you attack me I’m going to defend myself.” She dusted off her shirt, “So, are you the wolf? Where’s your little imp friend?”

“Let me go.” He grunted and pulled against the vine ropes. They scraped, leaving scratches and scuffs along his gauntlets and fingers.

“If you insist.” She raised her hands again, retracting the vines from their place.

Link stumbled, dropping his sword. “What do you want.”

She flicked her grey hair behind her shoulder, “Straight to the point, huh? Well, I want a lot of things, but I think the first thing I wanna do is defeat whoever is inside this temple. They’ve been causing a lot of trouble in my home. Monsters have been showing up all over.”

Midna popped out of Link’s shadow, “We want the same thing, but that doesn’t mean we trust you yet. No matter if you’re human or some panther beast.”

“Ah, there you are,” The woman smirked, “You look different in the light. Anyway, did you say his name was Link?”

“Dammit, Midna.” Link glared at her.

“And you’re Midna.” She smiled.

“Nice one, dumbass.” Midna returned the stare.

She shrugged, “Well, I’m Iris. Nice to meet you properly.” Iris held an imaginary skirt and curtsied, “If you haven’t noticed I kinda have a thing for plants.”

Midna crossed her arms, “I’ve heard of botany witches before, but I thought they all died out.”

“All but me!” An unusually cheery smile.

Link tilted his head, “Can witches turn into beasts to survive Twilight?”

Iris held up her hand, the back of it facing them. A silver inverted triangle glowed, “Actually, I turned because of this. I was just minding my business in my hut when the Twilight came. My hand burned and then BAM I’m suddenly a panther and no one knows I’m right in front of them!”

“But it’s called a Triforce, not a Tetraforce,” Midna examined Iris’ hand, “How’d you get that? Explain!”

“The way Faron explained it to me, The three pieces form a hidden fourth in the middle. The Harmony piece. The, quote, ‘bringer of peace among the three opposing entities’ or something like that. It doesn’t get passed on as much as the other forces.”

Midna thought a moment, “…Zelda may know more to corroborate this witch’s story. Until we get that information we can’t fully trust her.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Iris stretched her arms behind her, “Anyway, I think we should stick together. For now, at least. Things might get hairy in that temple if we’re alone.”

Link and Midna looked at each other skeptically. Midna shrugged, “Fine, but you’re on thin ice, darling.”

[crystaljins]

But why not me?

Characters: Jimin x Reader

Word count: 3.7k

Synopsis:   You are friendly with the Prince of a neighbouring planet and Jimin has some things to say about it.

Arrangedmarriage!au-ish

Notes: So an anon requested Jimin + prince and I thought... what about Spaceprince!Jimin? Again another 1000 follower request and hopefully this one is fun!!! It’s something a little different, at least.

Warnings: Jealousy. Immature characters. Verbal fighting.

The gardens of Lutania are some of the prettiest you’ve seen in this quadrant of the galaxy. The planet boasts unique bioluminescent flowers as part of their unique flora and great care by their scientists were taken to implant that DNA into imported species from other planets to give them the ability to fluoresce. The gardens are an accumulation of these lovingly cultivated species. They sit on the fringe of the palace grounds where the public can visit at will without interfering with the operations of their government, encapsulated in a neat bubble-like enclosure where the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels are carefully controlled. It is the closest to the outdoors that you can reach on this planet without your suit since you have not yet adapted to their atmosphere and you have no plans to stay long enough to do so.

“Are the gardens to your liking, my lady?” Beside you, the Prince of this planet has his hands neatly folded behind his back. A deep black cloak hangs off broad shoulders- it shimmers as it flutters behind him, catching the lighting of the luminescent flowers. You smile thinly. You have corrected Namjoon multiple times that you are Captain of the Royal Guard of your own government and are to be addressed as such, but you are beginning to suspect that it may merely be a translation thing. He, of course, is not actually speaking your native tongue- it is the communication device lodged neatly in your ear that translates his words at the same rate he speaks them. Perhaps the formal title has no other alternative in your language. So, this time you choose to hold your tongue rather than correct him. It is kind of… nice, if you are being honest, to have such a delicate and lovely title as “lady” attributed to you. Especially after the hurtful conversation you had had with your Prince earlier that morning. Today, you do not wish to be Captain. You do not wish to be an intimidating, highly respected civil servant who people whisper nasty things about in the hallways of the palace back home. You just want to enjoy the pretty gardens and not think about handsome Princes who only cause you heartache.

“It’s beautiful.”  You say warmly. “I can see why your people take such pride in it.”

Namjoon smiles and bends at the waist to examine a flower that hangs into your path. It resembles a rose but fluoresces a deep blue. The petals only glow at the base where they attach to the stem, however- the edges are dark and curl outwards and the effect is a rather nice gradient of light on each individual petal. He runs his fingers gently along the edges and a sweet smell fills the air.

“I had been meaning to take you to see these gardens at your earliest convenience. I… have greatly enjoyed your presence on this mission.” Namjoon offers hesitantly, and that brings you to pause. At this stage in your career, you’ve dealt with quite a lot of princes and bureaucrats trying to butter you up, thinking that perhaps you can sway the results of diplomatic meetings when you accompany Prince Jimin. But it does not seem that Namjoon is doing such a thing- no, he seems so warm and friendly. More genuine than the prince of your own planet, although perhaps that is just your own frustration speaking. Prince Jimin had not held himself back during his harsh words that morning, after all. You don’t know where he’s scampered off to after saying such things to you, but you much prefer Namjoon’s presence anyway. Namjoon does not hold the power to break your heart and cannot hurt you the way that Jimin did that morning. He’s the far safer option- Jimin can go off gallivanting as far from you as possible. Currently you couldn’t care less if he plummeted off the edge of a cliff.

“Well, thank you for making my time enjoyable as well.” You say, firmly pushing the thoughts of your prince out of your mind. Now is not the time for distractions even if his words from earlier will not cease replaying in your head. “It is rare that I am afforded such a beautiful sight on expeditions like these. Usually we are confined to the indoor areas where the meetings are to take place.”

“Well, if you don’t mind remaining indoors again tonight, I wouldn’t mind your presence beside me at dinner tonight.” Namjoon admits, almost sheepishly. This also catches you off guard- you are not sure why the Prince has taken such a sudden interest in you. Out of curiosity, you want to accept, but you know that you cannot.

“Unfortunately, I must-“ You begin, ready to launch into an explanation.

“It is her duty and role to sit beside me.” A third voice cuts off your explanation and both you and Namjoon turn in surprise to find the Prince of your planet staring you down with an unnecessary intensity. You blink a few times before turning to Namjoon.

“What he means is, as much as I would like to, unfortunately I have obligations to fulfill in coming here, and part of that is remaining by my prince’s side.” You offer in a way that is hopefully more tactful and polite than the blunt and intrusive statement that Jimin has just offered. The nerve of him! Like he has a right to speak to you the way he did this morning and then come barging in here like this. Prince or no prince, he has no right to be behaving in such a manner, especially when in conversation with another prince of a planet just as prosperous and peaceful as his own.

Namjoon offers a cursory glance at Jimin who has his arms folded across his chest. He offers Namjoon a slight arch of his brow, a challenging look that irks you. You cannot imagine how Namjoon must feel to be on its receiving end.

Prince Namjoon is seemingly the more mature and kinder being, for he merely extends an arm towards Jimin and offers a bow. It is a symbol of peace and acquiescence amongst his species and you are stunned and embarrassed that he is forced to offer such a gesture to your rude and obnoxious Prince. Jimin looks guilty, at the very least, and he offers a deep bow in return.

“I am sorry to have interrupted your duties.” Namjoon says to you, and he does seem to be genuinely apologetic. “Perhaps, in the future, you could come visit again when you do not hold any duties and we could-“ He suggests, but Jimin cuts him off by stepping forward.

“I’m sure the two of you can organise that at a later date when (Y/N) is not on duty, but unfortunately she has some important matters to discuss with me. As much as I do not wish to interrupt, I’m afraid her company is required.” Jimin says. You are relieved that the translation device which Namjoon is wearing does not convey sarcasm or you would surely have an intergalactic dispute on your hands. You are almost tempted to deny the existence of such things to discuss since you have no desire to speak to Jimin but you know you cannot afford to portray dissonance amongst your team.

“Oh. I’m sorry. I did not realise that she was required.” Namjoon says apologetically, confirmation that Jimin’s vitriol is not being conveyed through the translation device. He bows and offers you a sweet smile. “(Y/N) we will have to meet another time. There is so much I wish to discuss with you! You will have to tell me about some more of those strange planetary customs the next time we meet.” He tells you fondly, referring to an earlier conversation the two of you had had.

Jimin is stiff-shouldered until Namjoon is out of earshot and then he quickly whirls around to glare at you.

“I can’t believe you!” He cries. “I’ve been scouring this bloody palace, worried that something had happened you were in here? On a date with a prince of another planet?” He demands. You feel yourself bristle in anger.

“You don’t have any right to speak to me like that! He requested my presence, and as you so astutely pointed out this morning, I am Captain of your royal guard, and as such it is my duty to approach everything with diplomacy on this mission.” You snarl in response. “You seemed quite intent on duty earlier when you were being rude to Namjoon!”

“Namjoon?” Jimin cries. “You’re on first-name basis with the Prince now? And planning dates and extra vacations here! Why not just marry him?”

“Maybe I will!” You cry. “What right have you to be upset if I do?”

Jimin’s anger deflates and he shoves a hand through his hair in distress. His hair, normally neatly combed back off his forehead, is in disarray as it often gets when he is upset. He’s changed out of the normal uniform you all wear on expeditions such as these- he’s exchanged the military garb, a tight fitted dark green jacket that fits squarely over his shoulders and heavy-duty pants, for the flowy, darker attire of this planet. You like how he looks in his strict military garb, but you prefer the way he looks with the fabric that seems to wash over him like a waterfall and the loose fitted, airy shirts. He looks carefree in the attire, and less like he carries the weight of an entire planet on his shoulders.

“I…” He says, clearly trying to come up with the words. “I…”

He falls silent, clearly at a loss for words. Every other time you’ve fought, you’ve always made allowances for him. You’ve known Jimin since your days back in the academy- he had been put through the same brutal military training as you, as is the custom for all able-bodied young people on your planet, and the two of you had become quite close during that time. Close enough for you to develop feelings for the handsome prince, but you were a dime a dozen in that sense- there was not a single person in the academy who had not fallen for Jimin’s charming looks and big heart. He had this innate power to pull people to him. And so, he never noticed your feelings nor did he ever show any signs of reciprocation. And you’ve always been so blinded your feelings that you’ve let him step all over you- like the time he wanted to sneak out to meet with a young lady who lived in the city, a nobody that his parents definitely wouldn’t have approved of and despite your insistence that he had duties he must meet, he had begged and pleaded until you’d given in. Or when you’d been promoted to Captain of the Guard over him thanks to your dedication and commitment to the position and he hadn’t spoken to you for a week out of jealousy and disappointment. He’s not a bad or thoughtless person. Jimin is just used to getting what he wants thanks to his charisma and handsome face and he’s as used to taking from you as you are to giving in to him. You’ve always made excuses for him and the selfish things he does but this time it is too much. Your heart is tender and you cannot keep allowing him to hurt you the way that he does.

This particular fight has been brewing for months. It began when conversations began amongst your government over who would be an appropriate candidate to marry their prince. It is customary for the King and Queen to step down when their heir is of an appropriate age to lead, so that their guidance and wisdom is available as the new King adjusts to the role. And that day is fast approaching for Jimin- soon he will enter his second quarter, the age where on is considered mature enough to lead. Already he has been taking on more important roles, such as visiting foreign emissaries and making trips such as this one to Lutania to negotiate trade routes and peace treaties. And so, it is only natural that discussions of who would be Queen alongside Jimin would come into play. Some of the government workers angled for their own offspring to be Jimin’s partner, desiring the prestige and respect that would come for their children. Others were suggesting that perhaps someone from another planet, which would lend military strength to your planet and also gain you more respect in the Intergalactic Alliance.

It had been the King and Queen who had first brought up your name. As head of the military, a match between you and Jimin would win him the respect of his armed forces and demonstrate the strength and unity of your planet. It also meant that they had a direct line in communications with the Intergalactic Alliance, who preferred to liaise with the head of military of your planet rather than its rulers. Intergalactic prestige can only mean good things for your planet, which has no unique exports or riches to offer.

Oddly enough, Jimin had not been the one to oppose the idea. He had been scarily willing to sign his life away, which considering he had once admitted you were as attractive to him as the tiled flooring of the Meeting Room in the palace, was surprising. You had even overheard him discussing with his friend Taehyung about how maybe it wouldn’t be so bad- a list, pointing out that you aren’t unattractive, you’re well-loved by your people and you’re easy enough to get along with. Imagine that! Having such a convenient list of why he should marry you. You wish it were that easy for you.

And so, it had been you to politely decline the suggestion when you were summoned to the throne room to discuss the matter. Jimin had stood beside you with his head bowed like his parents were about to announce their decision to execute him because despite the convenient list, it is still not a pleasant thing to be forced into marriage. Perhaps you should have been overjoyed when they suggested you marry him. After all, your feelings for him are no secret to anyone with function optic spheres and they were offering you everything you could have ever wanted!

But this isn’t what you wanted. To give up the position you had worked your whole life for, to step into a high responsibility role, just to have a sham of a marriage where the husband you loved did not feel the same way? The thought of being married to a man who thought of you as a convenient way to tick some boxes sickened you. Jimin, however, used to getting what he wants and accustomed to having everyone adore him the second he stepped into a room, had not taken the news well. Finally, after numerous fights where he had tried to find what exactly made him so lacking that you would refuse becoming Queen to avoid marrying him, it had culminated in the fight the two of you had had that morning.

You’re not even sure what set him off- one moment you had been mentioning that Namjoon was positively considering the trade deals Jimin was proposing after a long but impromptu conversation with you the night before, and the next moment the two of you were screaming at each other. You can’t even recall most of what you said to each other, but it had ended up with you storming off. You had run into Namjoon then who had seen your distress and suggested a peaceful walk in the gardens to calm you down.

“I’m so tired of this, Jimin.” You say softly. “Aren’t you sick of fighting? Are you really that upset that I won’t marry you?”

“Yes.” The words are whispered so softly that you almost miss them. You blink a few times as you second-guess whether it was your imagination or not.

“What?” You ask aloud. Jimin sets his jaw and straightens. His fists are clenched so tightly that they shake, and his knuckles go white. He meets your gaze head on with dark eyes. Your people are known for fierce, dark eyes that seem to hold galaxies in them and the look that Jimin gives you certainly reflects that. His eyes catch the light of the luminescent flowers around you and you’ve never seen a more beautiful gaze.

“I’m upset. I’m upset that you can talk with Namjoon and smile and laugh with him like he’s the most charming person in the world and then look at me like I’m the dirt beneath your shoes. Am I really that repulsive?” He demands. His expression is tortured. “At first I thought that maybe you just didn’t want to be queen… I could live with that. It is because I am the prince that you refused. It hurts that you do not want me but I can live with that. But then, we come here, and Namjoon is a prince. Of the same standing as me. To speak and laugh with him is the same as speaking and laughing with me and yet you won’t do it. You treat me like I am diseased. So it must be me- something must be wrong with me that you do not want me. Why don’t you want me?”

You stare at Jimin in incredulous silence. You had not suspected such distress to lurk behind his anger over the past few weeks. You had assumed that Jimin’s ego had been bruised and that is why he has been treating you with such disdain, but suddenly you see that it’s not the case. You’ve hurt him- really, truly hurt him. And you’d been withholding your true feelings to protect yourself, but to have hurt the man you love so deeply… You swallow and inhale deeply.

“I don’t want a marriage of convenience.” You say softly. Jimin stares at you in confusion. “I… I did not want an empty marriage where our names are joined on paper because it looks good to the public. That… that is just too cruel. To love a man who sees me as a means to an ends.”

Jimin is silent at your admission. Perhaps he does not know how to respond. But it is far more likely that he simply does not understand.

“It wouldn’t be an empty marriage.” Jimin admits quietly. Now you are the one struck speechless. When you do not respond, he continues on desperately. “I chose you. I asked my parents whether it could be you. At first it was just because I didn’t want to marry a stranger and I know you better than anyone else. But then… then it became something else. You would smile at me or you would support me on our missions and all I could think was that there was no one better suited to the role of queen. There was no one else I wanted to be by my side when I did those things. And my friends disagreed. Everyone suggested that I marry someone who could grant us more power or better trade routes, or one of the court ladies who are groomed for the role. So I pretended that you had all these features that made you the perfect candidate to be my queen, but the truth is, they were just excuses. It’s because I wanted you. No, because I want you.” He steps forward, and when you do not step away, he clasps both his hands around yours. He raises them gently to his forehead and shuts his eyes. It takes your breath- it is an intimate and loving gesture, between your people, the kind of act of affection only shown between husbands and wives. “It wouldn’t be a paper marriage because I… well, because I love you.”

He raises his eyes and you see something in his gaze. Something warm and tender and suddenly the weeks of fighting make sense. It was because Jimin was hurt. He thought he was being rejected repeatedly and then you were so friendly with Namjoon… It does not excuse his behaviour, but you understand it.

“I thought you were merely upset because I had hurt your ego. You once said I had the sexual appeal of a tiled floor.” You point out. Jimin laughs, and steps in a little closer. His expression is warm and open when you do not push him away.

“That was when we were young and still in the academy! How many years ago was that? People and feelings change, my edese.” He tells you and your eyes widen at the adoring title. The look in his eyes matches the affection of the pet name. He tilts his head, as he awaits your reaction. You clear your throat awkwardly and look away. If it is a time of confessions, perhaps he is waiting for you to explain yourself.

“I have no interest in Namjoon.” You finally say. “Our mission required diplomacy and I treated him as such. And… you are not…. You are not repulsive. Far from it.”

Joy sparks in Jimin’s eyes and he laughs.

“I suppose that is as close as I will get to a confession of love from you.” He finally says. “Very well then. Perhaps… perhaps when we return from this endeavour… Perhaps we can reopen discussions on my marriage?” He suggests tentatively. It takes a lot of courage, which is amusing considering the fact that you are the literal head of the military of your entire planet, but you offer him a tiny nod, stepping forward to recapture the hands that had released yours.

“If… if you want me. As your love and not as a convenience.” You finally say, meeting his gaze and allowing the feelings you had been repressing for many, many years to surface. Jimin’s lids flutter beneath the intensity of your gaze. “Then that sounds like an excellent idea.”

Jimin smiles and steps forward as if to embrace you, but you hold a hand up to stop his advance.

“After we settle the trade routes here.” You say with a wide smile.

You can hear him complaining behind you as you turn away towards the exit of the gardens. He cannot get everything he wants in life, though.

Just most things.

[bkdk-fanfic]

The Best Date

Summary:

The Wonder Duo is traveling back home after an adventure but take the scenic route to spend some much needed together-time.

Twin Stars Week Day 1: Fantasy AU

“Hey, Deku, did you get us lost or something?” Katsuki huffed as he waded through the tall grass of the forest. “We haven’t taken any of the paths we passed by.”

Izuku examined the compass-like object in his hand, a handheld carved from ash wood layered with a sheet of glass. A pebble rested on the inside, hugging the side of the container as if it were attracted to something beyond its confines, magnetized.

He jostled it gently, confirming the stone inside pointed the correct way. Satisfied with its persistence to point north, he pocketed the item.

“Well, the spell I put on the stone should lead us back to the one I have stored back in town. We should be taking the shortest path home. We’ll get there in no time!” Izuku flashed a smile back at his companion but noticed he only looked half convinced. He reached for Katsuki’s hand and looked up at him, stopping the two momentarily. “You do trust my magic, don’t you Kacchan?”

Katsuki placed his other hand on Izuku’s face his moody conviction softened into a caring expression. “Tch, of course I do, nerd… You’ve gotten us out of plenty of situations with that gift of yours, ” he muttered, avoiding his gaze. His cheeks changed a shade closer to cherry. “I just feel like crap from our battles earlier today. Let’s set up camp soon.”

“Yea, we should…” Izuku said before pecking Katsuki’s lips with his own, making him turn a shade deeper, then looked contemplative.

“Hey, wait a minute, ” Izuku paused and looked around before reaching for his map, “I think I recognize this place.”

“Yea?” Katsuki asked surveying the land around them, “It looks like every other part of this stupid forest.”

Their eyes revealed to them a clearing of an oak forest, surrounded by large umber stalks with olive patches of moss erected from the ground and feathered by layers of green above them allowing only a few golden rays to seep in. There wasn’t much light to block anyway as the receding sun painted the sky with a gradient of bright oranges and deep blues. The lack of clouds that day allowed the vibrant pallet stretched across the atmosphere to be consumed fully and without filter.

Below them was a floor abundant with flora. Chlorophyll covered much of their footing as grasses and wildflowers of various sizes rose along to tickle their calves. Patches of earth revealed mushrooms and the crumbs of larger rocks peppered along the supple soil that catered to the plants' needs. The plant life and shaded area allowed for moist air and an ease of breath.

Izuku scanned his map, “I’ve passed by here plenty of time gathering supplies. See? We’re right… here,” He placed his finger on a part of the landscape resembling their environment. “And just ahead of us is a waterfall where we can break for tonight.” He shined another smile up at Katsuki.

Katsuki’s heart fluttered at the sight of the freckled boy. Flustered, he cleared his throat. “Al-alright, Deku. Lead the way.” He gripped Izuku’s hand once again and they both threaded farther north, deeper into the forest.

The sun was soon to disappear as they reached their destination. Ahead of them, the forest opened into a long gentle downwards slope with foliage at the bottom as dense as before; farther yet, they could see the destination town. It was a mass of glittering lights, a contrast to the deep-colored spearheads of the trees. To their right, they spotted the small waterfall trickling down the cliff only double their height, formed from a rock formation caked with moss on all sides and an inlet carved off just behind the waterfall.

“Wow,” Izuku sighed, “It’s so much more beautiful at night!”

“How often do you go here anyway? You’ve never told me about this place.” the blonde boy raised an inquisitive eyebrow towards Izuku as they started to settle down for the night, placing their things in the shelter of the scraped cave.

Izuku stretched out his bedroll and rubbed the back of the neck. “I- I wanted to surprise you one day. Uraraka and I have picnics up here together after gathering materials for her potions, sometimes. And I heard it was better at night, so I’ve always wanted to spend time here.” He slipped out of his shoes toes touching the cold grey below him. He made his way over to Katsuki and wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist. Katsuki followed suit as Izuku raised his head to look, voice softer now. “I always thought about spending time with you here.” It was Izuku’s turn to blush.

Katsuki took in the sight before him, a dazing image of his dream boy, he ran a hand through the mop of green curls before him, and stared at the freckles adorning his face. They stayed like this for a moment, taking each other in, purely enamored by each other.

“So,” Katsuki drawled quietly, “let’s do it.”

“What?”

“Let’s spend some time together, nerd.” Katsuki joked as he pressed his lips against Izuku’s forehead. “We are here, aren’t we? Besides, this our first adventure together in a while, and…” His voice trailed off.

A pause.

They both whispered in quiet unison, “I’ve missed you.”

Silent as they looked into each other’s eyes again, and broke it with a chuckle, touching foreheads.

“It’s decided then,” Izuku announced, releasing himself from Katsuki’s biceps, “It’s a date!”

“Damn right it is, nerd!” Katsuki scoffed, firing himself up. “We’re gonna make it the best!”

The next few minutes were spent tidying up. Katsuki started a fire and pulled out various foods they had picked up in the village in the morning, set a cutting board on a small rock, and began chopping. Soon, he had a tray of various fruits and cheeses in front of him and made his way over to Izuku.

Izuku had moved the two bedrolls together as a mattress substitute and laid blankets and pillows across to accompany.

“Not bad, Deku.” Katsuki smirked.

“You think its good enough for our date?” Deku wondered.

“The best,” Katsuki sat on bedroll and faced the fire, “Come here.” 

He pat the cushioned floor in front of him. Izuku nestled himself in front of the boy as the platter of sliced sustenance was placed in front of him. “It’s not much, but I hope you like it.”

“It’s the best.” Izuku sighed and pressed his back against Katsuki’s bare chest and fed him an apple slice.

“You’re the best... you nerd.” Katsuki managed as he finished the slice. He pulled Izuku in, cradled him even more and placed his chin on his right shoulder. Izuku craned his neck to stare at crimson eyes that stole his breath and pulled him into a kiss. 

The fire crackled and warmed the two lovers in their silent expression of affection. 

[jenovahh]

The Honey Pot - Ch. 5 - My Name is Honey

“Welcome to the Galvus Estate.”

The words of the Hyur chauffeur pretty much pass in one ear and out the other, for you can’t keep your jaw from dropping at the sight of Zenos’ home.

Wrought in hauntingly beautiful metal, the Galvus Estate sits primly upon the hill that you are at the base of. Well-manicured gardens sprawl out what feels like for malms before the opulent mansion, showcasing a variety of flora which you can tell isn’t native to Hingashi. Multiple fountains of varying styles are sprinkled across the garden, the miniature shows eye catching as the car slowly pulls down the hand laid brick road.

Dark in color, the architecture of the estate differs greatly from any home (or any building in general) of that in Kugane, leaving you to wonder if it’s design hails to their Garlean heritage. As far as you knew, Varis himself was not a native to Kugane; that he immigrated from Garlemald as a child and that for someone with so much power, most of his origins are shrouded in mystery.

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you try to not look too shocked; the very vision of a have-not being brought into the world of the haves. The chauffeur seems to realize he’s lost you and continues his drive to the front of the estate. Once there, he puts the car in park and steps out so that he may open your door for you.

He’s a bit late however as you’ve already done the job for him, ignoring his reserved sigh as he reaches to steady the door as you shakily climb out. “Ma’am, you still look very hurt,” He murmurs, holding out his other arm in offering.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” You huff, standing on unstable feet, willing yourself to stand upright. A pain shoots up your right leg and you begin to go down, but thankfully the chauffeur’s reflexes are somewhat fast enough to catch you before you collapse entirely.

“Obviously.” He drones, pulling you back up and clutching onto you. “While I’m sure you have your pride Miss, I ask you to remember I too, have a job to do.” He speaks softly, giving you a knowing look. “Not all of us are...built to receive punishment for failure.”

Catching his grave meaning, you nod silently, allowing a bit more of your weight to rest on him. “I’m sorry.” You whisper, watching as he gently closes the door. With a gentle nudge he urges you toward the grand front doors, the brick beneath your soles somehow managing to feel just as fine as it looks. Just as you reach the door it’s opened by a housekeeper, who gives you a slight bow.

“Also for the record...I wasn’t punished. I fought Zenos,”

The chauffeur grips your side tight and you yelp in pain. “I do not know much about your relationship to Lord Zenos, but I advise you against addressing him so casually in public. People like me have only heard hearsay of your coming. You don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea, should it leak out to the public.” He hisses underneath his breath, guiding you past the grand staircase that is in the foyer. “One might guess you are quite close. Employees certainly do not stay within the estate.”

You purse your lips as he guides you through another door, deciding to heed his words. Like it or not, this was the path you were given, not the one you had chosen. From the tone of his voice, you wonder if the chauffeur has seen employees leave work to go home; and never come back.

“Why tell me this?” You ask, curiosity getting the best of you.

“None of us want to work here. But no one wants to struggle either. And just looking at you...I can tell this is the last place you want to be.” He smiles easily, accenting his already handsome features. “Also...you’re the first person to ever thank me. I’ve been workin for these guys for about three years now.”

That brings a smile to your own face. “I hope I get to see you around more often then.” You beam at him, watching as his cheeks tint red.

“You might. I’m Lord Zenos’ personal chauffeur.” He murmurs bashfully, leading you down another hallway. The estate certainly didn’t look this big from the outside, but you did only see the front of it to be fair.

“Got a name?” You ask, eyes wandering over the expensive artwork lining the walls. It seemed Varis certainly wasn’t above flaunting his very obvious wealth.

“Ardbert.” he answers, finally coming to a stop at a door. “We’ve arrived at your rooms. Just give me a moment,” Fishing what looks to be a credit card from his pocket, he presses it to the access point on the outside, the device chirping happily much like the one at the highrise. Leading you in, it is far grander than you ever expected.

“This is the wing where Lord Zenos stays. His room is the floor above this one. Your uniform,”

Ardbert’s words once again become background noise as you look around slack jawed. The walls are painted in a striking red with an elegant, black design strewn across it. Your bed sits against the far wall, now situated in the middle instead of tucked against itl. A canopy sits on top of the bedposts, your mouth forming an “o” as you can see a beautiful landscape painting on its underside.

Your room has a desk tucked against another wall, along with dressers and a walk-in closet. There’s a door that leads to your personal bathroom, which you are ecstatic to get a look at were Ardbert not doing his best to walk you to the bed as you try to crane your neck to look at everything.

“Ma’am,”

“Honey.” You interrupt, flashing him a smile. “None of that ma’am stuff.”

He gives a small smile at that. “Only when we are alone.” He concedes, giving you a none-too-gentle nudge to sit upon the bed. It almost feels like it’s trying to drag you into its cozy grasp as soon as you make contact. “While I don’t know how you managed to get so banged up, I am under strict orders to make sure you rest until the resident doctor is here to check up on you.”

Deciding to not make his job harder on him, you nod and allow the bed to draw you in. “All right. But only ‘cause you asked.” You snicker, appreciating how he always seems to return your smile.

“I appreciate it. And...take care of yourself.”

With that, he makes his way out the door, shutting it behind him.

You lie there and stare absentmindedly at the painting on the canopy, wishing you knew more about brush strokes and techniques to appreciate it better. Instead, you just lie there and let your bones relax, the pain mostly a distant soreness. They had given you some pretty strong painkillers, and from the look of the doctors’ faces, you’d think you had come from the brink of death and not a little spar with the Galvus heir.

That bastard.

Just thinking about him sets your blood to boiling, wishing you could land another fist in his face. And in his stomach. A swift kick in the balls to add insult to injury.

The train of thought pulls your lips into a sadistic smile, imagining taking advantage of your newfound position to get some good payback on Zenos yae Galvus. Even he himself said your place as his bodyguard was merely for show; nothing but pure looks. He gave you a position where you could be kept close with little question as to why, free for him to use you as he wished.

Even though the situation had not turned out exactly as planned, you still could find some humor in it. You could already imagine the look on his face when you finally did him and his father in, wiping their crime from the face of the star.

A knock on the door jolts you from your plotting, shouting for whoever is outside to enter. The Miqo’te doctor you saw yesterday strolls in, stethoscope hanging loosely around his neck. “Greetings.”

“Hello.” You return, eyes fixated on him as he moves to stand beside your bed. Did everyone who worked for the Galvuses speak so properly?

“How are you feeling?” He asks, hands pulling his stethoscope from around his neck, placing them in his fuzzy ears.

“Not too bad. Bit sore, but nothing another night’s rest won’t fix.” You reply, watching his expression turn into one of pure confusion as he conducts his light examination.

“A bit...sore you said?” He asks, eyebrows furrowed.

“Yeah. Why?”

His features pinch together as much as possible, before he pulls away. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Though I must say...you have quite a few people in shock.” He finally answers, relaxing his face.

You tilt your head in confusion this time, watching as his eyes dart toward the door.

Leaning closer, he begins to whisper, “I know you’re new here, but I don’t think you grasp what you did.” His ears twitch nervously, as if searching for any foreign noise. “That you faced Lord Zenos is shocking enough...but that you lived to tell the tale has anyone who knows absolutely floored.”

“What? He doesn’t have any lackeys worth sparring?” You question, shifting to sit yourself up, forcing the doctor to sit back.

“There are very few....very few people who have dueled Lord Zenos. Not all have lived. And those that have were instead given to Lord Varis, to protect him.” The doctor explains, constantly glancing at the door. “You’ve fought him, lived, and walked away with bruised ribs at the worst. Others have had their bones entirely broken,”

“Speaking ill of me, are you?”

The doctor freezes up with fear, tail frizzing as Zenos steps into the room. Somehow he seems far too large for it, despite all the ceilings being noticeably higher than Doman architecture. “O-Of course not, Lord Zenos,” the doctor trembles, sparking your anger.

“He was telling me what a shitty employer I have.” You interject, meeting Zenos’ cool gaze with a fiery glare, inflamed further as his lips pull into an easy smile.

“I see your time in bed has done little for your tongue.” He drawls, looming closer. Your body rises naturally, kneeling in the plush covers so you may jump up at any moment.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in bed. It means I don’t have to deal with you.” You sneer, teeth bared as he stands at the foot of the bed. Something flashes across his eyes, something akin to interest as his eyes drink in your battered form.

“Luckily for you, my bodyguard is of no use to me broken and bruised. How much longer until she’s healed?” Zenos asks, settling to ignore you instead. The doctor nearly jolts at suddenly being addressed, his ears pressing flat against his head.

“Her vitals seem to be in stable condition, however,”

“That is not what I asked.” Zenos states coldly, that apathetic edge back to his voice. The glare he fixes on the shuddering doctor would kill him if it could, and it’s at that moment you decide you’ve had enough.

Standing atop your covers, you drag his attention back to you as you fist your strongest hand in his shirt. It’s soft to the touch, designer probably, for how plain it looks. But that’s not what matters right now. “I’m feeling just dandy.” You growl, hating how he places that stupid grin of his back on his face.

“Are you now?” He purrs, his eyes dipping to how your arm trembles. In a flash he makes a move to punch your side but you catch his fist with ease, wincing at the pain that shoots up your arm, unable to hide the cry of pain. “You are still unfit to serve me quite yet.” In a show of speed he frees his fist to grab your own, yanking hard to disrupt your balance and spin you around, pulling you against him, front to back.

You grit your teeth as he locks your arm behind your back, unable to move unless you feel like dislocating your shoulder. It rankles that he knows you know that. As if the doctor still isn’t in the room, he rests his chin on your shoulder, his hair tickling what bare skin is exposed to the air, drawing a gasp from you. For someone with such a cold demeanor, he is surprisingly warm. “Let me go, you overgrown, insufferable,” Your tirade is cut short as you stop to jerk away from his face as he presses closer.

He chuckles at your insults, the sound rumbling through you in the most delicious way. “Don’t stop on my account. Snarl and bite and gnash. Hate me if that’s what you must do. So long as you never stop fighting, living for that rush of blood, my beast.” His breath rolls across your skin, the sensation cool to the steadily rising warmth you feel. The man is a furnace. “I have found your strength and it is now mine. Deny my words all you want...but even now…” He pauses to laugh low and deep, and your teeth unconsciously bite down on your lip. “I can feel your pulse racing in my hand.”

You fall forward as he releases you, huffing indignantly as you flip yourself to face him. He studies you in silence for a moment before finally looking to the doctor. “She is to remain in bed until she is fully healed and ready for combat. Until then she doesn’t leave this room.”

“I’m right here, you know!” You hiss, glaring at his condescending smile.

“And here you shall stay. I look forward to you unleashing all that pent up anger when I see you next, my beast.” Done with the conversation, he turns with a flash of golden hair and strolls out the door.

You would kill him.

Well you wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Then you would be no better than he was.

Somehow that fact hadn’t sunk in...your doctor looked nearly ready to pass out from fear. Was Zenos’ reputation truly that horrible? Was there truth to the myth?

Had he really meant it when he said he would leave Nael there to die…

The thought that someone could be so heartless, so callous about another’s life, that they felt they could snuff them out whenever they inconvenienced them…

It’s what fueled your irritation as you were escorted across the estate grounds to Zenos’ personal training room, your fists flexing in the freshly bought fighting gloves you were given. Your favorites were stashed away in a drawer where hopefully no one would think to toss them out, or so you hoped. The fact that you were given an entirely new wardrobe without being asked or at the very least measured, concerned you a little less than it should have. ‘These damn rich people.’ you mumble internally, wiggling your toes in your brand new tennis shoes. Top of the line like nearly everything else in this Twelves damned, oversized house.

You’ve already made a decent map in your head back to your room, that way you can start walking yourself around the estate, and hopefully, snoop around in the future. The escort stops before an elegant metal door and you whisper a quiet word of thanks as you watch him press his card to the access point to let you inside.

The training room certainly is a lot more personal indeed, lacking the size and space of the gym at the high rise. The walls are painted a glaring red like the majority of the mansion, multiple weights of varying sizes lining one wall. A miniature fridge sits in one corner filled with a multitude of beverages, from water to what looks like sports drinks considering they have no label. The room is almost somewhat barren in comparison, save for a wall holding multiple training weapons on its racks.

Oddly enough, Zenos is seated in the center of the room, legs crossed in meditation, the pose looking strangely natural and effortless for someone of his bulk. His hands rest upon his muscular thighs, face completely relaxed as he controls his breathing. His breathing is so controlled, one might think he is not breathing at all.

“I’m here.” You announce, walking further into the room. His eyes slowly open to land on you, fixing you with a solid stare. “So you are.” He murmurs, giving you a once over. “And looking almost presentable. Enjoy your rest?” He asks and you have to remind yourself it’s not out of genuine concern for you.

“It ended far too soon.” You huff, watching as he stands to his bare feet, towering over you once more. You find yourself wishing that the only time you were taller than him wasn’t when he was on the ground. He is dressed much the same as you, a simple workout shirt loosely clinging to every bit of muscle he had, with equally form fitting pants. Had you already not pegged him as an apathetic narcissist, you’d think he was doing it on purpose.

Then again…

“So. You hired me as your bodyguard, what now? I just wake up and follow you around like a lost puppy? Hit anyone who calls you a mean name?” You snark, beginning to do your warm up stretches. He watches your every move like a hawk, and even were the situation different you weren’t sure if you would find it flattering or creepy.

“If that’s your prerogative. You are under my employment and my father’s by proxy. Therefore, there are rules you still must follow.” He explains, moving closer to you. His hand reaches out to grab your arm before you can jerk away, guiding it to a more comfortable position in a way that is strangely gentle. “I will explain the terms of your employment, after we have dueled.”

You mutter a begrudging thanks, finding the position much easier to stretch in. His eyes never leave you as you go through your motions, and it is clear he sees you as something to move and touch as he wishes; but thankfully he’s not handsy. His nudges and adjustments are purely instructional, his eyes completely analytical. “You are clearly trained, but have not studied anatomy. Most of your forms are off.”

“What kinda street rat knows anything about anatomy?” You retort, coming up from your final stretch. He’s finally backed off, walking back to the center of the floor. You watch his back muscles flex as he swoops his curtain of hair into his hands, elegantly pulling it into a ponytail.

“A street rat indeed…” He murmurs more to himself even if the words make it to your ears. “Your training does not speak of someone who has lived their life on the streets.” He observes, hawk eyes watching your every step as you come to meet him on the floor. You do your best to keep your expression in check, realizing that Zenos is not just a wall of muscle. He’s obviously smart.

“Are you gonna stand there yappin’ or what?” You spit, raising your fists to guard yourself. He sees your diversion for what it is by the glint in his eye, but is willing to let it slide as he brings his own arms up.

“You won’t hold back on me this time will you?” he asks, excitement glittering in his gaze as he slowly starts to circle you. You release a rude snort, unable to keep your lips from quirking upward. “You sure you want that? I handed your ass to you pretty good from what I recall.” You taunt, flexing your fingers.

“I would love nothing more.” He purrs, stepping in to make his first strike. You dodge him easily, able to weave your smaller form underneath the wide arcs of his punches. Deciding that it can’t get much worse from here, you don’t hold back, unleashing the full force of your schooling upon the eccentric heir. His face is pinched in concentration but the thrill never leaves his eyes, his exhilaration shining through in each strike. His blows seem to carry more force and it is with mild offense you realize even he was holding back on you that day.

How dare he.

Sweat drips down your back, your shirt clinging to your form as the two of you fight, adrenaline and excitement flowing through your veins like a delicious cocktail. Still, he will not let you get a hit in, his guard too solid, and he knows by now you’re willing to take a hit to get in one of your own. You’ve not had to think this hard about an opponent in so long, that you can’t help keep the smile off your face as you catch his fist in your hand.

He returns it, eyes gleaming brightly as he makes to grab you by the arm, but you are too swift, weaving out his grasp. He’s far too sturdy to nudge, and only a full fledged grab will do. You gasp as he manages to grab your arm and hold fast, his smirk downright feral. You tug and you pull to wrench your arm free, struggling to fight against his brute strength. He tries to pull you closer and you plant your feet down trying to twist out of his grip but he keeps step with you, smirk shining with victory.

Time to wipe it off his face.

Giving a sharp tug, you force him to move his weight with yours if he wants to keep you held. His free arm moves to grab hold but you grab him first, quickly turning your back to him and pulling him close. Bracing your legs you crouch down low and pull, yelling with the effort as you topple his weight and flip him backwards over your shoulder. He manages to twist himself to where he lands on his knees but he is on the floor regardless, and you grasp him by the collar in victory.

“Nice try.” You beam, chest heaving as you look down upon the Galvus heir. He stares up at you in disbelief again, his eyes wide with bewilderment and...wonder?

A trick of the light.

“Truly...there has been no greater prize I have won from my hunt…” he heaves, and you notice that he’s actually broken a sweat. His shirt hugs his chest tight, leaving little to the imagination as he gazes up at you, his blue eyes jumping across your features. “You are something else, my beast.” He purrs, despite how you clutch his shirt tighter and near your face to his.

“I told you. My name. Is Honey.” You bite out, for what good it does you.

“So you have said. But I find it a much more fitting name.” He croons, his cool breath slipping across your face. “A rat, plucked from the streets of savages--”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as you slam him on his back, digging your knee into his chest. “I will end you.” You hiss, wishing anything you said would have the proper effect on this man.

“You might be able to back up such claims, my little savage, but you lack the conviction.” He laughs, the sound growing louder as you sock him in the jaw.

“Shut up!” You snarl, praying he doesn’t notice your fist shaking.

“Do it then, Honey. Kill me, if that’s what you want.” He challenges, his body going completely lax beneath your own. He holds your gaze in a solid, unwavering stare, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

You could do it.

You could end him right here.

Your hands around his neck, he’s clearly defenseless; you’d just have to make a break for it before anyone could come check on him. You’d already be gone.

Your hands circle around his neck, and he has still yet to do anything to stop you. You squeeze, squeeze hard, feel the muscle and the veins cave under your hands. He hasn’t stopped staring, hasn’t stopped smirking even as you try to force yourself to add more pressure, to crush his windpipe--

“You disgust me.” You seethe, rising off of him and heading for the door, leaving the Galvus heir alone in the room.