#a red saber is a freed saber

[tunamayuuu]

@bsdecember <3

Day 5 - Freedom

tachihara was definitely my first thought when i read this prompt, because he managed to break free from the Book’s control through his self-actualization, isn’t that beautiful?

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DAYS: 1 - 2 -3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12- 13 -14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31

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illus. details for those interested! v

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berry red = hunting dogs/disguise

red = hunting dog past/revenge

green = mafia/actualized self identity

- the green actually has his usual color palette because the mafia is where he feels himself, someone separated from a grieving younger brother seeking to avenge his older brother

- i meant to add color to the red side too But i have discovered that this red was too dark for any colors to sit on top. so instead it's only shaded, it's the righteous younger brother in him who wants bloody payback for the angel who took his brother in the war

- the uncolored hunting dog uniform and saber are there for visual contrast, but can also mean that he no longer sees himself a hunting dog, also also i thought it'd be fun to try what harukawa does (considering the negative space created by the colored areas)

- the cape drapes like that bc i got inspired by the tachihara vol cover

he was freed when he determines his side as mafia, a side who believes in the agency's innocence; he looks distraught because the commander who gave him purpose betrayed him

this is honestly my most favorite piece so far! i hope to create more experimental pieces like this 🙇

[kaibutsushidousha]

Your opinion on Ayaka and richard relationship?

Oh right, Ayaka won't wake up for the rest of volume 9, so I guess I can already go over this one. Honestly, I'm tempted to wait until the series is over. This is one is difficult because Ayaka has been recontextualized pretty hard recently and they haven't interacted since, but I suppose I can give it a try.

In the simplest terms, they're really fun in a very basic way. A classic dynamic between a tried-and-true pair of staple archetypes rooted in a manic pixie dream boy arc. Ayaka's identity is quite innovative but the way she interacts with her Servant isn't. In fact, it's taken directly from Fate/Prototype's own Ayaka.

The main progression they get throughout the series is discovering their dreams together. Saber wants his personal hero to hear his song of triumph and Ayaka wants to make Saber's pure-hearted dream come true without him needing to sully his soul further.

Ayaka's dream being to grant someone else's wish fits really with her hidden nature, but it's easy to see why Richard's wish feels special. It's completely heartfelt and unambitious. A dream entirely for the sake of someone else. And the most important is that this pure and selfless dream is coming from a man plugged 24/7 to a greed amplifier.

As the recent talks about Rider and Berserker establish, Saber Richard I is a lot like Saber Charlemagne and Archer Napoleon. A heavily romanticized image of a brutal overlord. Perhaps he can't produce a greedier dream because he himself is also a dream. The gentle lie Ayaka needs. A strange fake, even.

Even without her memories, Ayaka was still consumed by the guilt and fear that came with taking A's life, but Richard's support let her find meaning in fight and become a better person. This reflects Saint-Germain's last advice to Ayaka: judge Saber by what she sees of Saber in the present, not by Richard I's life. A's human perspective left Ayaka horrendously disgusted with things she did as a natural Holy Grail, but like Saber, Ayaka Sajou is also a new person who should be judge herself by what she will do as Ayaka, not by A's or Little Red Riding Hood's lives.

The key difference between Ayaka and Saber throughout the series is self-awareness. He was an ideal knight who is perfectly aware and outspoken about his past life being all sins and bad decisions. He never denies responsibility but never self-loathes either. Meanwhile Ayaka was an amnesiac who hated herself intensely for a crime she didn't remember and couldn't properly place herself as the culprit.

Ultimately, Ayaka can only be freed by learning that past sins shouldn't follow you into a new life. Saber already knows and shows, but Ayaka struggles with the idea a lot. She needs to see it in Saber to be able to see it in herself, and I believe that's why Saint-Germain just showed her Richard's past in full.

[rambheem-is-real]

Jedi General Jayce Talis and Mand'alor'ad Viktor of Clan Zaun

After Mand'alor Vander's betrayal and murder at the hands of his rival and once vod Silco, the Hexsaber disappears. Revered as the symbol of Mandalorian leadership, and with other clans dissenting to Silco's right to the throne without it, the Hexsaber's disappearance causes a big problem for Clan Zaun. The Mand'alor sends his newly adopted ade on a mission to retrieve more Hex crystals to secretly recreate a Hexsaber to solidify the succession and pacify the other clans. Viktor and Jinx track down a lead to Dathomir, and with information from the Nightsisters, Viktor journeys to the planet Carlac for the crystals. Jinx stays behind to protect her buir from the increasing political unrest on Mandalore, and help find her vode. Vi, Mylo, and Clagger had gone on the run after Vander's death, and Jinx suspects Vi has the original Hexsaber. General Talis is sick of fighting this damn war. The Jedi were supposed to be the peacekeepers of the galaxy, but here they were, leading an army of clones into war against the Noxian separatists. With each battle, with each loss of life, Jayce's resolve to figure out how to end the war, quick, increases. Since he was a child, Jayce would dream of a robed being with armored hands, hood obscuring other parts of their body, lit by the purple saber in their possession. It wasn't like any of the purple kyber sabers Jayce had seen, with the inner light shining pure black. Across from the being was another, holding a red saber. No matter how many times he'd seen it, Master Heimerdinger would insist that it wasn't a vision of the future, only a recurring dream created out of Jayce's own fears and anxieties. A latecomer to the Jedi Order, bought out of slavery and freed by Master Heimerdinger himself, he certainly had many. When Geonosis happened, when the first rumors of a Sith lurking in the shadows had started, Heimerdinger eventually reluctantly admitted that Jayce's dream may have been a vision of the Force. The Sith was there... as well as the Hexsaber. A Mandalorian symbol, forged with Beskar and Hex crystals, it was the only blade that could slice through Kyber beams, more durable and Force sensitive than the Jedi Kyber sabers. The Hexcore inside the saber was prone to trying to seduce its wielder with power, with promises of glory, which is why only the strongest willed Mandalorians could withstand the Hexsaber's manipulations and wield it to become Mand'alor. If he kept seeing visions of it, then it was probably important in the fight to destroy the Sith. Jayce, along with his newly assigned padawan, Commander Caitlyn Kiramman, has spent his free time during the last few months of war looking for any trace of Hex crystals, which he could use to build another Hexsaber.

During a particularly brutal aerial shootout, Jayce crash lands on an uninhabited icy planet, but strangely he can hear the song of the Force stronger than ever here. His vision returns in earnest, the red of the bled Kyber blurring into the purple of the Hexsaber in the hands of that mysterious being.

Viktor lands his ship on Carlac, frowning as he sees the wreckage of a smoking fighter ship across the horizon. He wasn't alone, then. The spacecraft looked Republic in origin, and with his luck the pilot was from Piltover. The capital of the galaxy, filled with rich elites that didn't want to bother themselves with the savage ways of Manda'yaim, and headquarters of the Jetiise, who were currently using Mando'ade as meat shields in their war. He zooms in on the wreckage as he moves closer with his buy'ce's HUD, a sinking feeling growing in him as he sees a familiar blue light slicing through the outside panels of the ship to free its pilot.

The pilot was definitely from Piltover, alright.

They were also a karking Jetti.

And they were probably also here for the Hex crystals.

-

@sometimesbrave 👀 @ghostdriftexistence i think you'd be into this concept

inspired by me realizing zaunite kisses and kov'nyn/keldabe were the same

i do want to write this into a full fic at some point but here's the lore infodump lol

[chronozen]

Dissecting Tales of the Empire (Barriss stuff)

So let's break down all the Barriss stuff in the trailer:

There's an Inquisitor Shuttle approaching Our - likely after she is freed from prison

When Barriss is freed from her cell

This little bit is actually quite interesting. First of all Barriss is wearing a prison symbol with the emblem of the Jedi Order on the shoulder.

The clone troopers are Republic Shock Troopers, The Coruscant guard.

Fourth Sister is actually wearing Jedi robes not an Inquisitor uniform, she's already fallen to the Dark side as evidenced by the eyes.

This is suggesting that Barriss is freed from somewhat close to the end of Revenge of Sith

Also the framing of Barriss in prison is very similar to Luminara's hologram in Rebels.

Barriss's eyes are really blue in this scene. Like more so than other ones.

Barriss walking down a hallway

Pretty self explanatory. She's walking down a hallway. She's wearing Robes that a likely Inquisitorius initiate robes. (Or maybe it wasn't Laundry day and Barriss's uniform wasn't ready)

The Clones are just Regs in Phase 2 armour. It looks like Fortress Inquisitorius on Nur.

Speculation: Barriss is giving a little side glance, she's either taking her environment or she's plotting something.

The Grand Inquisitor scene

When then see the Grand Inquisitor leading Barriss into a room with several lightsabers

None of the Lightsabers are Luminara's (Trust me i double checked Weapon's Factory.) They are most likely reused models and generic sabres - because animation and props design is hard and short cuts should be taken whenever you can.

.....but two of those lightsabers are very close to Barriss's lightsaber.

The one in the middle doesn't seem to hold a significance (The bottom of the hilt slightly resembles Ahsoka's Padawan lightsaber, and you could go Green symbolic of Luminara.)

....wouldn't it be just awful if its Tutso Mara's lightsaber?

Inquisitor and Barriss have a sparring session, he tries to get her to use Anger and slams her into the roof, she's noticeably angry.

"Mercy only breeds defeat, i will help you overcome this weakness."

This line is interesting because it's not the usual only your Hatred can strike me down line, the Grand Inquisitor is actually being polite and offering a twisted form of assistance.

Which brings me to a thought - The Grand Inquisitor was right beside Barriss during her big confession at Ahsoka's trial, he's probably going to see her as someone that they don't have to break or torture.

Fourth Sister using Spinning Lightsaber

So this is a very short sequence. The Fourth Sister is in an area with a Rock wall, jumps down, glances around nervously, spins her blade and looks up.

Speculation: Something hasn't gone to plan, maybe the Jedi later in trailer is tougher, or maybe someone else has swapped sides...

The Jedi Fight

This shot opens with Barriss in a proper Inquisitor Uniform and her own useless spinning lightsaber running towards Fourth Sister and an unknown Jedi with a blue Saber

During the fight we can see ITS NOT LUMINARA, this Jedi has a different facial structure, skin tone and likely human.

We can also see who i assume is Barriss looking like she is hesitating on what to do.

We then cut to a different seen of a hooded figure using the force to blow away B2 Super Battle Droids. This implies its during the clone wars and the hooded figure is very likely Barriss cause that silhouette is very similar.

The figure is illuminated by a white glow and it's probably a part of sequence meant to show Barriss before she went nuts - cause its been 11 years so new viewers might not know this character who only appeared in technically 7 eps at most is...

FIGHT TO THE DEATH

Fight to death between Barriss and an unknown initiate.

Grand Inquisitor throws a lightsaber between the two - no its not Barriss's lightsaber

Ray shields go up. Initiate who i'm calling Glup, goes for the Saber. The crystal has been bled so it's red.

Glup and Barriss fight and Barriss goes for the sky high kick or possibly punch to the head.

THE NEW MASTER

'it is time to meet your new Master."

This implies the initiates don't meet Vader until they're full members.

We see Barriss lined up with the other Inquisitors - she's in full uniform. Really hard to tell if her eyes are dark side yellow or not. (They still look Blue compared to Fourth's)

Also it's really funny to me that she's lined up with Bird face Inquisitor, Marrok and Fourth Sister, cause everyone said all of those Inquisitors was Barriss Offee.

They all kneel, Barriss goes down first.

Vader walks past and Barriss looks up slightly and watches him...and she immediately frowns and furrows her eyebrows.

She's plotting something....

Interesting note: Since bird face is alive and has his head perfectly attached to his neck still, This places Barriss's eps of Tales of the Empire prior to Ahsoka's last ep of Tales of the Jedi

Look i can hope for Barriss to escape and then we seen the back of Ahsoka walk into frame....

[triscribeaucollection]

@foxstronaut: #YEAH SO I DID IN FACT WANT TO SEE IT#this is so good……this au just keeps getting better……….tysm for the link to this post!!#the wider context of the time travel……the fallout of bens betrayal…..#positively eating this up#also if i can ask- what is the ‘shereshoy’ mentioned in ur tag? :0

Shereshoy is the capstone of my Vod'e An Star Wars series, which is ALL about time travel, but I keep copy-pasting the intro scene into different AUs because it is. Definitely one of my favorite bits of writing to date.

Here's the series summary:

Have you ever seen a time traveler dropped into the middle of someone else's butterfly effect? How about several dozen someones? AKA I nabbed all my fave clone troopers and sprinkled them into a much happier galaxy, with a touch of violence on top. As a treat.

Aaand just for laughs, here's the intro scene in question:

---

The Force screamed in the middle of the night, and Ahsoka lurched awake with one overriding thought: not again.

Both lightsabers immediately flew to her hands as she rolled out of bed - boots and outer robes left behind in her sprint for the door. For the first time since constructing her own hab at Luke’s school, Ahsoka regretted putting herself on a neighboring ridge instead of down in the valley among the students.

Even as she ran, the Force flickered with another youngling’s death.

Beams of red light in the darkness, matched to knots of Dark power, drew her forward at even greater speed. Bounding off rocks and trees, the togruta remained nearly silent with every leap; she instinctively shielded herself with the Force to mask her approach, until the moment she burst out over the heads of three Sith acolytes, and let her own power flare.

Their helmeted heads snapped upwards. In the span of two heartbeats, her white sabers slashed, and those same heads fell to the ground, their bodies following after a brief pause.

Ahsoka landed in a battle-ready crouch, positioned defensively over a boy collapsed on the ground. When no further Sith revealed themselves, she deactivated and tucked away one lightsaber, freed hand reaching for the teenager at her feet. “Jacen?”

“I’m okay,” he rasped, heart pounding hard enough her lekku could feel the vibrations. “What- what’s happening?”

“Another Purge,” Ahsoka said, fighting hard to keep her voice level. “Can you feel Ezra?” After a moment’s pause, his face scrunched with desperate concentration, Jacen nodded. “Then let’s go. I’ll watch your back.”

The boy staggered upright, and led her around to the far side of the school buildings: student sleeping huts, a kitchen and meal hall, storage and laundry and library. Most of them bore scorch marks and other damage, while further up the valley, the actual temple where Luke handled meditation and combat training burned.

Storm clouds rumbled overhead, an echo of the fury roaring in Ahsoka’s mind. Twice, cracks of lightning revealed fallen bodies as she and Jacen ran past.

Another set of Sith attempted an ambush, only to falter when they registered her white lightsabers. Ahsoka didn’t hesitate to leap forward and deal with them swiftly, before any attention could be turned to the padawan beside her. Jacen, thankfully, didn’t attempt to join her, nor did he comment afterward - but his Force-presence shivered and pulled in even tighter on itself.

The next enemies they came across were a squad of stormtroopers, concentrating fire on a solitary figure, who deflected incoming plasma bolts and shot back his own with the same weapon. Ahsoka could sense two more younglings hidden behind Ezra’s billowed cloak, and increased her speed.

One trooper spotted her mid-charge. He and his neighbor turned to shoot at the new target, but their bolts went wild, too far off the mark to even require deflection. Ridiculous, Ahsoka could hear in her mind, as she spun and slashed, No brother would have gotten off Kamino with aim like that; do they even bother training these shinies, or just hand ‘em armor and a blaster and a new set of orders?

Faster than droids, but not nearly as fast or coordinated as clones, which meant Ahsoka carved through the stormtroopers within moments. As the last blaster fell in pieces to the ground, she saw Jacen dash past to crash against his favorite teacher with a desperate hug. Ezra wrapped an arm around the boy’s shoulders, the other still holding his lightsaber. “Ahsoka?”

“Get to my ship,” she ordered, as another peal of thunder rang above their heads, and the first few raindrops began to fall. “Don’t wait for anyone else, just take off and get to safety.”

Expression grim, Ezra nodded, and turned to drop into a crouch. He helped Alora get to her feet, the girl holding Grogu against her chest. “Pypey?”

The teenager shook her head, headscarf gone, face covered in tears. Ezra didn’t waste any more time before hustling her and Jacen off, towards the hidden landing pad where they kept hyper-capable craft. Ahsoka barely waited before hurrying onward again.

She passed more bodies; some students, some stormtroopers, the occasional Sith in black and red armor. The rain began coming down harder, turning the ground slick with mud, dragging visibility down to mere feet and severely impacting how much Ahsoka could sense with her hollow montrals.

But the Force didn’t falter. Every leap took her from one mostly-stable spot to another, following further death knells and surges of power, all the way up to the front steps of the old Jedi temple set into the mountainside. All the way to Luke.

Despite his much smaller stature, he moved like Anakin, and she could feel the intense emotions racing through him. One trooper after another fell, Luke refusing to let any of them put so much as a single foot on the steps into his school, his Academy. More bodies sprawled across the stones behind him; only one still flickered faintly with life.

Ahsoka took over the fight.

She landed ahead and just to one side of Luke, better positioned to defend the one student still gasping for breath. “Go! Take her and go!” Her fellow Jedi hesitated, clearly torn between multiple directions. “She’s dying, Luke, take Jaina and go, NOW!”

His Force-presence flared, then settled, decision made. Ahsoka felt the man lunge, scoop up his wounded student, and bolt into the Temple. She knew he’d follow a secret route out to the far side of the mountain, where an overhang sheltered his old X-Wing. With any luck, Artoo would be waiting, engines already fired up and ready to take off.

Even without luck, Ahsoka would buy them enough time to escape. Raindrops sizzled off her lightsabers as she swept them through the air, evaporating into steam that trailed after her every movement.

And Ahsoka moved.

[the-starry-seas]

Bad Batch finale stream of consciousness thoughts

THAT EPISODE NAME?!

Oh, right. The cavalry. The cavalry for Tech, the cavalry chosen especially to save Tech, Tech's cavalry.

bestie something about this intro has me fucking nervous I think it's the funeral music

I don't know if I like that this is a 48-minute episode that's a lot of time for things to happen and I don't know if they're gonna be good

"At the time. Yes!" <3

Rampart's talking a lot of shit for someone in smacking range

WDYM THEIR FAILURE IS INEVITABLE

oh shit Emerie redemption arc??? Omega really does make friends with everyone huh

oh shit these kids are accomplishing things!

I really do love Wrecker

"Don't like the sound of that" you and me both babe

"Things are about to get very loud anyways" I support womens' rights but more importantly I support womens' wrongs

FUCK YEAH BEASTIE BOY TIME

what was that scream lmfao he really said EEP

the way Echo's head moved when he heard the Zillo Beast was loose

BECAUSE IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'D DO 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

why does Wrecker keep groaning you people are worrying me

CLONE FORCE 99 DIED WITH TECH WE'RE NOT THAT SQUAD ANY MORE bestie you are fucking killing me I'm hunting you for sport I'm never gonna recover

"Omega needs you both. I'm doing this alone." I'm not made to handle this kind of stress I need to be sent to the seaside for my health

Hunter and Wrecker immediately like "yeah that's our girl"

MY BROTHER WRECKER 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Hemlock's way too confident I don't like it

suddenly zombie vibes with these red tube men. don't like that thing no sir.

for some reason that double tap really got to me idk man they're just so in sync and i'm 🥺

ah fucknuggets

y'all had no reason to pancake Hunter

WHY ARE YOU ELECTROCUTING WRECKER FUCK OFF

oh my god did they just maim Crosshair

besties they don't have plot armour any more I'm scared shitless

HAVOC 5 BABE I'M SCREAMING

"Hey, kid. And... other kids." lmfao Echo's only ever talked to his one kid before hasn't he

oh this is not a good episode suddenly

what do you mean alterations to your methods what the fuck man cut this shit out (but maybe he tested out the new stuff on Tech who also survived??? one can hope??? I need one idea from this ep that isn't completely horrifying.)

I'm gonna cry over Echo huh

AUGH the clones banding together to help them AUGH 🥺🥺🥺🥺

y'know Hemlock referring to Tech as 'lost' rather than 'dead' gives me a skosh of hope that is most certainly false but that I shall have all the same

well fuck man these freed clones are the new redshirts huh

oh fuck yeah blow that bitch to pieces, RIP Nala Se and all but at least we got rid of that guy

ah fuck they got Echo

this amount of electrocution can't be good for anyone

can't be going out windows like that. can't be doing that.

glowy saber commando is some cool shit ngl

Hunter and Cross are a dream team tbh

THE ARM TAP AND THE NOD

"I can't risk Omega" OUWCH

FUCK YEAH LIGHT THE BITCH UP

oh my god her running to Cross first is just gonna break me

did they just. leave. without Echo and Wrecker. I mean I get it but still rude.

at least Project Necromancer was a total loss

ah, Windows Movie Maker transitions, my old friend

oh thank god Echo's okay

eyyyy some of the redshirts survived!

oh god the Hunter-Echo nod.... I see u

"We've all fought enough battles for one lifetime. Now we get to choose who we want to be. Whatever we want." SCREAMING AND CRYING 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

that family shot I love it so much oh my god

oh no there's an epilogue

of Tech perhaps???????? I will remain delusional until the end

oh shit who's thisoh my god grown-up Omega just look at her

WHAT THE FUCK OLD HUNTER AWOOGA

THE BEARD AND THE HEADBAND AND THE PONYTAIL AND THE GREYING HAIRS AND THE

"You're our kid Omega, you always will be" dissolving into dust as we speak holy shit just look at them they're amazing

god I'm gonna cry

TECH'S GOGGLES ON THE DASHBOARD I'M NEVER GOING TO RECOVER FROM THIS EVER

[votestaynight2]

12th Day - moonlight (II) (Scene 3)

"――――――――!" I breathe quietly. I push my body against the wall and watch while keeping myself hidden. …It's still too early. It'll be too reckless to charge in when I don't understand the situation yet.

And more than anything, I don't have much power. The strengthened wooden sword is my only weapon. It's foolish to confront Caster without a plan. ―――No, that's wrong. I do have another weapon.

"……No way. What am I thinking?" I can't use projection. Half my body became numb after I used it once. Archer told me that it'll end up worse if I do it again.

Using magic beyond your capabilities can destroy you. If I use projection magic in this state, it'll be natural for me to die on the spot. "――――The chance will come. For now…" I'll bide my time and wait for my chance.

"―――I see. So you killed Kirei?" Her voice only holds murderous intent. Tohsaka is glaring at the enemy with a coldness I've never seen before.

"Yes. He didn't seem like someone that would obediently hand me the Holy Grail. I also didn't want him to interrupt later on." In contrast, Caster is calm and composed. The magus in purple cheerfully admits the murder of the priest.

"――――――――" A gritting sound echoes through the temple. …He was more like a devil than a saint to me, but that priest was a fellow apprentice to Tohsaka. And he was killed. Even though he was involved and might have been prepared for it, it's not something she can take in readily.

"…I see. That's fine. Kirei should have been prepared for such a thing. But Caster. Did you check his corpse?"

Am I mistaken, or has she suppressed all her anger? Tohsaka seems like she's not angry at all. Caster evades Tohsaka's question.

"…What are you saying? Such a thing should not concern you."

"No, it doesn't. But it's not something totally unrelated to me. I just wanted to make sure, since I'll be relieved if he's really dead." "――――What does that mean, little lady?"

"It means what it means, Caster. He's not one to die so easily. I just thought he might be alive, since you didn't check the corpse."

"Damn, you're useless. If you attacked Kirei, make sure you killed him. Oh well. I have something to do now, so let's finish this quickly, Caster. We can fight freely, as there are no hostages this time."

―――A signal to start. Tohsaka or Caster… If either one of them takes a step forward, this temple will be filled with magic―――

"You talk big. Do you think you can beat me in this situation?"

"It depends on how I do it. Fortunately, it seems Saber has yet to come under your control, so the conditions are the same. And I also know about Kuzuki-Sensei. Saber was surprised, but he's no threat to Archer if he knows his attacks beforehand." Tohsaka points to Archer while staring at Caster.

"You heard it, Archer. I'll fight Caster. She might break your contract if you get too close to her." "…Hm. So I will be fighting that man? I do not mind, but―――do you know that a magus cannot beat Caster, Rin?"

"…Don't worry. I wouldn't say anything if I didn't have a chance of victory. I'll surely defeat Caster here. If I do that, Saber will be freed and Shirou can make a contract with her again, right?" ―――Tohsaka tenses for action. I feel pressure as if she's a tiger about to attack its prey.

And as if to stop her… "That is only in theory. It is difficult to defeat her here. She is a master when it comes to running away. She is a woman that will kill her own brother to escape." Archer steps in between Tohsaka and Caster.

"Archer…? What are you doing?" "――――――――" He does not answer Tohsaka. The knight in red silently confronts Caster.

I think… I saw something like this before…

"…I killed my own brother…? You talk like you know about me. Do you know my true identity?"

"I hear human-shaped creatures made of dragon's teeth are magic used by the king of Colchis. I hear that his daughter, Medea, was famed as an excellent witch." ――――The air freezes. Caster's composure disappears and enmity like fire is directed at Archer.

"―――I see. Then you should know which one of us is at an advantage now, right?" "――――――――" Archer does not answer. His expression is like stone, as if accepting everything that is happening.

"Resistance is futile, Archer. You won't be able to take back Saber no matter who you may be. She still has a will to resist me, but that should not last for another day. And―――I can make her into my puppet now if I use my Command Spell."

"――――――――" I barely stop myself from moving. …Not yet. Even if that's true, now's not the time. If I want to save Saber, I can't jump out now――――

"―――Heh. Saber should be able to stand it even if you use the Command Spell. I don't know if it'll be a minute or two. But we should be able to beat you in that time."

"Yes, you are right. You look like you have some plan. But Archer, do you really think so? Do you think you can defeat me here like that girl thinks?"

Caster and Tohsaka are glaring at each other. Standing in between them…

"That is impossible. Even if we attack you, all we would manage is to take half your powers at most. What awaits us after that is a disadvantageous situation where we would be fighting both you and Saber." …Archer does not meet his Master's expectations.

"Archer, that's…" "You should know, Rin. We cannot win if that happens. Saber's abilities were restricted because of her incomplete Master. As she does not have that restriction anymore, she is the strongest Servant now. Only Berserker should be able to match her."

He speaks plainly. Tohsaka stares at Archer in astonishment, and even Caster is bewildered by the sensible enemy.

But it's different for me. I've experienced something like this before.

"――――Could he…?" I get a bad feeling. Back at the Ryudou Temple… When Caster proposed that he join her, what did he say back to her when he refused?

"――――Don't." I murmur without realizing. Don't do it. It's not because the situation will get worse. You're Tohsaka's partner. So don't do it. If you do such a thing―――I don't know what kind of an expression she'll make.

Archer steps forward. He is empty-handed as usual. He steps forward without enmity or intent to kill.

"―――Don't curse me, kid. There's nothing else I can do in a situation like this, right?"

He looks and smiles at me as if he knew I was watching this whole time――――

"Well, Caster. Let me ask you. Do you have room for one more Servant?" "Archer, you…!"

"Fu――――Fufu, ahaha, ahahahahahahaha!" Caster laughs out loud while Archer stands tall before her. And Tohsaka…

…Takes this in with an expression I have never seen her wear. ―――She does not look away. She should break down at a time like this, but she keeps a straight face and endures it, gritting her teeth.

"Of course. I have enough capacity to accept all the Servants. You know where I get my magical energy, right?"

Magical energy that allows her to maintain seven Servants. It is the lives of the people in this town.

"Then this should be easy. I shall accept that earlier offer you made, Caster." He holds out his hand to Caster in spite of that.

"――――――――" I feel like I'll go crazy. ―――I can't forgive him. For betraying Tohsaka. And for approving of Caster and joining Caster's side.

―――A hero. For this hero, who embodies Emiya Shirou's ideals, to do such a thing――――

"Even though you refused back then? You are pretty unfaithful."

"The situation has changed. If Saber is on your side now, you are likely to win the Holy Grail War. It is natural to want to be on the winning side, right?"

Archer walks towards Caster defenselessly. That means he's abandoning Tohsaka. Tohsaka does not stop him and stares at her enemy.

"――――――――" I know that figure. The red classroom. She tried to hide her trembling legs and act like the same old Tohsaka Rin, even with the collapsed students in front of her.

…That's her strength and weakness. She tries to act firm in any situation, so everybody around her gets the wrong idea that she's a strong person――――

"Use your contract breaker. Rin still has her Command Spell. I might attack you if you don't hurry."

His tone doesn't change. He betrayed Tohsaka in front of her, but he's still acting normally. She must be on guard against such a guy. Caster takes out the distorted dagger, but she does not pierce Archer with it.

"What? You'll obtain a loyal subordinate without trouble. Why do you need to hesitate?" "…Really? I do not trust betrayers. If your words are correct, then shouldn't Saber be enough for me?"

"You don't trust betrayers, huh? I certainly might betray you. I am going to your side for my own benefit. I did not approve of you as my master. But―――"

"The Command Spell is there to punish the betrayer, right? …All right. I shall prove to the world that I am great enough to take you in. I am interested in your Noble Phantasm, so I will follow your plan."

Caster raises her arm. The dagger to eliminate the contract pierces Archer's chest.

"――――!" Tohsaka makes a pained face. It must be the reaction of having her contract broken by force. But this isn't the time to be hesitating. This has become the worst possible situation.

Tohsaka watches Caster and slowly retreats. …Tohsaka's calm. She knows it'd do no good to fight them now. If she wants to keep on fighting, she has to retreat for the moment.

"――――――――" But there are six meters between Tohsaka and the stairs. Is it possible for her to run that distance safely?

―――Impossible. It's apparent, watching the scene from above. Kuzuki, who has been silent up to now, is on guard against Tohsaka. If she turns and runs full-speed, would she be able to reach the stairs and get to the exit before Kuzuki catches up to her?

Tohsaka sighs while looking at them. Her face… "Heh―――that's impossible." …Seems to say so.

"――――――――" She'll die. She'll be killed. If I try to help her, I will also die.

The area below me is a land of death. There is a Master called Kuzuki along with two enemy Servants. There's no way I'd get out of there alive.

"――――――――" My throat is dry. My fingers are tense from nervousness. Zero or one? Even before I can think… Tohsaka moves.

She starts for the stairs without any warning. Behind her… A tall lean figure catches up to her so quickly that Tohsaka appears to be standing still.

Kuzuki's fist should hit her in the back of the head. He was able to hurt Saber through her armor. It should be easy for him to break a human skull. "――――――――" ―――I can't save her. I can't save her by myself. I can't save her with this wooden sword.

…I'll die if I go out. I'll die if I go out. I'll die if I go out. I'll die if I go out. I'll die if I go out――――!

[junhwe0309]

A Thousand Faces but No Wings

Shmi once told Anakin a story about the saddest slaves, the ones who loved their chains so much they remained in bondage. They were so happy they could not see the tears that fell from their eyes and disappeared into the greedy sand.

Ekkreth wears a thousand faces, but Anakin Skywalker wore two. Ekkreth was a beautiful red bird, but Anakin had no wings. Ekkreth was unfettered but Anakin Skywalker was heartbound.

Anakin loved Obi-Wan and he was grateful to the Jedi, for all of their faults. They could have cast him aside so easily but took him in, no matter how begrudgingly. Anahkeen owes them a half-debt and it festers snarling resentment under the guise of begrudging compliance. The Jedi cannot help the slaves of Tatooine but they can help their slavemasters. They point their fingers at Anahkeen and do not see the ones that point at their backs. The Jedi Masters disapprove because Ekkreth has a thousand faces and a hundred thousand hidden facets to him and they see a bantha only for a bantha.

Anahkeen knows he is many things. He is prideful because the Sky-walker does not bow to a Master. He is jealous because he cannot help but envy the other children who came to the Jedi earlier. He is accused of greed because the Jedi mistake his desperation to please his Masters for avarice. He is criticized for his laziness by the Masters in his classes because Watto wanted a smart slave but did not want a capable person. He is shown disdain for the eagerness he takes food, even when eating the proper amount because a Jedi eats to live and does not live to eat. His passion for saber-fighting is scrutinized as aggressive and almost bloodthirsty. Perhaps they are right; most of all, he is wrathful, because real gods drown the half-gods of wine and flowers in flesh and blood.

He is many things and content is the last of them. But Anakin has a beautiful wife and a duty to the men. He cannot say no, because he remembers the last time he abandoned someone he loved. The gods must have laughed as they reminded him of his disloyalty, his unending debt. When he thinks of Shmi, he thinks of all the ways he failed her. Anahkeen tried to name which of the deadly seven may apply, and when he failed, he decided to append an eighth, regret. His agony seeds shameful tears.

The Jedi can have their temple, their lavish ships and water. They can have their glowing blades, and soft robes, and endless amounts of food, and bacta and tall buildings because slaves have no use for them anyways. Anahkeen wanted nothing more than his ragged, old cotton bedsheet and the moonlight shining through the desert clouds, and the cool breeze under his feet while he ran around catching fireflies. He is almost sick of seeing so much plant life. There are even days when he misses Seek because his cruelty was one Anahkeen saw in himself and countless other faces.

But the Jedi won him a long time ago, and it was not long before his Master Knighted him and he got married. It was not long before he became a war general and a teacher to a bright, young girl. But none of them contribute to his joy now. His apprentice is long gone to the wind, becoming a woman before he could realize the girl he helped raise had bloomed. His wife is a woman he is eternally grateful for and he knows he can never repay her enough. His Master is a Jedi, and it is both good and bad. He is among thousands of Jedi and clones and he cannot help but feel so lonely in their company.

Desolation drives a man to think about times he once wanted to forget. Maybe someday he will get to go home when the war is over. Anahkeen remembers a freed Grandmother, who was born on a lush planet. She once told him a story he did not understand until it was too late.

“When a person crosses the river, Ar-Amu gives him what he wants. I don told the All-Mother I don’t want nothing much – only my home. I don’t think that’s much to ask for. I suppose she’ll send me back there. I been waiting a long time for her to call.”

If Kitster could see him now, he would feel pity for Anahkeen for the first time in his life. At least with Watto, he was useful but not important.

Some days, he reveled in his own ruin. Some days, he is not a Sky-walker. Many days, he is not Shmi’s son.

[borntobelime]

Rider Diarmuid Au

To call this his best version from Lancer and Saber will not be a lie . Having a lot more self esteem and confidence is one thing to start he remains the same chivalrous loyal knight who enjoys a good fight and a good adventure you could say he can be more optimistic and smiling a lot more than his other versions

After his survival of the Demon Boar thanks to the boar’s natural negating ability Diarmuid broke free from his Love Spot Curse and Grainne’s Geis .......This new freedom made Diarmuid decide to leave Grainne so that she can find real happiness now that she was also freed from the charm .....even though he was fully welcomed back to the Fianna Diarmuid felt something missing ...with Fionn growing old and everything was at peace Diarmuid’s soul craved for a real action so he left on self discovery journey hoping for adventurous quests .

And so he travelled to the Otherworld meeting again his adoptive fathers Aengus and Manann were they welcomed him and gave him different tasks to complete ...Diarmuid completed them all and seeing how much he grew they decided he was ready to revel him the truth of his birth ..... That he was the Son of Donn ...the God of the dead whose Kingdom was in Tech Duinn .....Diarmuid travelled to his father’s domain and they were finally reunited as he still alive Diarmuid knew he still didn’t belonged in Tech Duinn permanently yet however he accepted his demigod status and found a new purpose as he had access to all the realm of the Fae , Human and Dead His new role was to become a Guide to those who were lost and a Messenger to the Gods ....

(for the fellow Diarturia fans ...unfortunately as his duties were keeping him busy even when he was blessed with longevity of a demigod their paths did not cross but stories of her Legend did reached him of the brave King of Camelot ...I wanted too but i didn’t wanted to change the whole myth )

Abilities and Powers

NP ''''Torch Deamhan'''

The Demon Boar he once defeated is now his not only personal transport but also his fellow companion in his battles when needed

NP ‘’’ Tá Donn ag sracadh sna scamaill anocht. ‘’

This power is given by Donn himself as Diarmuid is still ‘’Alive’’ in this version he was not granted any blessings who will be more fitting to a death deity ...however this Lightning magic is a powerfull offencive and defensive for different kinds of combat the yellow spear and sword must been thrown to the sky to activate in order to access it ...They kinda work like a conductor ....

Gáe Buidhe : The yellow spear has lost the permanent curse of a wound remaining unhealed because of the fight with the boar it weakened the curse to a point that wounds can heal but in a really slow pace

Beagalltach : The yellow sword was used on the boar but it didn’t had a curse to be weakened but it is capable on repelling magic attacks

Moralltach : His demonic red sword that is said A blow bringing certain death, another certain victory, ....that does not mean a simple cut will ensure it

Gáe Dearg : The red long spear renders magical enhancements and projections useless by severing all ties with magical energy as long as the contact remains

Special shout out to @tired-reader-writer @mygenderisambigiousanimeboy @fiannalover @bitterrosebrokenspear @jelliedfox

[phoenixyfriend]

Tread Upon the Wind (and Chase the Sky)

Read on AO3

This got long enough that I needed to split it! Written for Day 6 of Anakin Rarepair Week: Unfettered Anakin/Freedom Trail

I call this ship Windwalker

-------

It starts, of course, with rumors.

Most problems from the Outer Rim do.

Mace is not the one sent to investigate. He is the kind of knight dispatched to end civil conflicts and broker peace treaties in their wake, not the one that goes chasing rogue Force wielders that they aren’t even sure actually exist yet.

Then the mines of Kessel fall.

--

At twenty, Mace has been a knight for two years. His knighting was early enough to cause titters, but he doesn’t think anyone can fault the work he’s done since then.

Well, Qui-Gon can, but that is because he is a menace.

(Just because they’re former crèchemates, and Qui-Gon happensto be nine-and-a-quarter months older…)

Mace is dispatched to Kessel. It’s a desolate area, for all that the southern half of the planet is lush and verdant. The despair that clogs every breath is only just starting to dissipate after centuries thick with it. Everywhere he looks are newly freed slaves, and there are Jedi Adjuncts from the Service Corps peppered among the populace. Mostly, they are medical, removing chips and healing the soft tissue damage of months in the same chains, but EduCorps are here, too. Not all the slaves are comfortable with droids, and so the Jedi Adjuncts are there to translate and smooth the refugee process; the Republic Refugee Program representatives are harried, but seem delighted to have gotten access to this wretched place for the first time in living memory.

The Adjuncts point him to the office of the former slaves’ chosen speaker.

“He was not one of yours,” the Rodian woman tells him. “He was very clear on that, even though, or maybe because, he carried a saber like yours. Had a pair of Mandos with ‘im, too.”

“What color was the saber’s blade?”

She eyes him. “Every single one o’ you jeedai have asked us that.”

“Unfortunately, saber coloration is often an indicator of intent,” Mace says. It’s more complicated than that, but he’s not going to willinglystart that discourse with a civilian who probably couldn’t care less. “As none of the Adjuncts saw fit to stop me, I can assume it wasn’t red, then?”

She shakes her head. “Blue. Mando armor was blue and white, if that helps?”

He’ll have to reach out to the Temple’s current expert in Mandalorian culture and affairs. He doesn’t even know who that might be. “We’ll look into them as well, madame.”

They discuss it a while longer, and Mace has to deflect some very pointed questions to the effect of ‘why did the Republic not interfere with our abuses before?’ Those answers are even longer and more convoluted than explaining kyber, and just blaming the Senate for refusing to fund a supplemental military and judicial force to pursue anti-slavery initiatives and aid the Jedi’s ongoing, existing projects in Hutt Space is… generally unwise.

He takes his leave, and finds the security holos.

--

“Oh, so it was Skywalker.”

“That means nothing to me,” Mace says. Plo is probably smiling behind that mask of his, and he certainly gives off such a feeling in the Force. That little shadow of his, the eleven-year-old human padawan known as Tholme, remains solemn. He stares up at Mace with wide, dark eyes, and says nothing.

(They’d all known Plo would be the first of them to acquire a student. It was inevitable.)

(Qui-Gon’s gotten himself a half-trained padawan, though, from a recently dead master, and so he’ll probably be the first to knight one.)

(Petty bastard.)

“Mm, we’ve been following up on sightings for a while,” Plo says. “Actually, Tholme’s been helping with this one. Tell Knight Windu what it is we’ve found so far, Padawan. Reports practice.”

Tholme looks up at his teacher, and then straightens his back and focuses on Mace. There’s a little furrow of focus in his brow, and Mace smothers the urge to laugh at the child’s serious mien.

“Outer Rim Force user with no known affiliation, seemingly Jedi-trained based on skillset,” Tholme says. “Accent indicates Hutt Space, but is non-specific, possibly due to frequent travel or schooling in other regions. The Mandalorians with him referred to him as ‘General Skywalker’ in at least one scavenged holo and several eyewitnesses, indicating a previous military record, though we cannot corroborate this, and cannot find said record in any existing databanks that contain information on recent conflicts. We have not gotten a name for either of the commandos, or a first name for the Force user.”

Mace is pretty sure that was memorized, word for word. Adorable.

“How do you know he doesn’t have just one name?” Mace prods. “Like you?”

“Skywalker is a slave name from Tatooine, which is where we trace some of his earliest activities,” Tholme says. “It’s a family name, not personal.”

Mace nods. “I appreciate your dedication to detail, Padawan Tholme.”

The child brightens, and Plo passes him a cookie.

Tholme, despite his attempts to maintain a grave demeanor whenever possible, is like most children. He accepts the reward with glee.

“So he’s a vigilante?” Mace asks. “No actual jurisdiction, but since he’s operating outside of the Republic, we’re free to ignore him?”

Plo tilts his head, and then turns to Tholme.

Tholme blinks at Mace. “No, Skywalker’s a pirate.”

Ah.

--

As it turns out, Skywalker has two fields of focus. Mace would almost go so far as to call them hobbies. One of them is freeing slaves, as he did on Kessel. He’s generally very careful with these, using his little strike team of three to destroy records, kill or arrest the royal family or Hutt or whoever is actually in charge, and set up the absolute barest government before phoning in the Service Corps.

He has not, Tholme explains, failed to call them to come in and sweep the mess clean yet. The Senate finds this suspicious, and keeps asking if the Jedi are secretly bankrolling this maniac. They are not.

The Senate, supposedly, does not hate Skywalker’s work. Ending slavery, they agree, is generally a good thing. Only, he’s causing some massive and unexpected price hikes for these luxury goods…

Tholme rolls his eyes, and Mace has to nod solemnly in agreement to avoid laughing at the boy’s irritation at adults in politics.

The other hobby is the attack, ransacking, and mockery of Trade Federation vessels.

It’s very targeted, Tholme explains. He never attacks solo ships, or even the intrasystem transport companies. It’s always either the Trade Federation, or the crime syndicates.

“He says the Federation are basically a crime syndicate anyway,” Tholme intimates. “The Senate got really mad about that one.”

“I see.”

Mace isn’t sure if he agrees, but at least he knows what he’s dealing with now.

The good news, Plo tells him with a smack to the shoulder, is that Skywalker almost always leaves the Federation employees alive.

“Like little fish,” he says, and it’s a direct quote. “So they can come back big and strong with a better meal.”

Mace has a terrible feeling about this.

--

Mace is assigned to find and ‘capture’ Skywalker, at the Senate’s request.

The Council tells him to just establish a line of communication and call it a day.

This is going to be awful, and he knows it.

“I can come with you, if you’d like,” Qui-Gon offers. “Feemor hasn’t been to the Outer Rim yet.”

“I have, Master.”

“Yes, but have you been to Mon Cala and Christophsis and Eriadu, or have you been to the Outer Rim?”

Mace rolls his eyes. Feemor just sighs. “No, I have not been to the stereotype of the Outer Rim, Master Jinn.”

Qui-Gon ruffles the teenager’s hair with the grin of a bastard. “See? We shall accompany Knight Windu on his adventure.”

“That’s really not necessary,” Mace says, but he knows it’s already a lost cause.

“We’ll be packed by the fifth bell. Come along, padawan!”

“Yes, Master Jinn.”

(Continue on AO3)

[saggitary]

Lil excerpt from Wild in the Soul

She steeled herself, drawing the Force around her to keep her mind clear as she let her lightsaber tilt to the left. Ventress drove her weight down and Ahsoka felt the red blade burn across her arm. She dropped her saber completely and the saber bit into her shoulder. Pain made black spots appear in Ahsoka’s vision but she pushed upwards, swinging her now freed blade. 

Ventress noticed a second to late what Ahsoka was doing and only managed to stumble back a step as Ahsoka’s green blade swiped at her throat. The skin along Ventress’ jaw and left cheek burned from the cut. 

“That was for Wolffe.” Ahsoka growled.

[sinfulskywalker]

Hello again! Have any headcannons of Luke escaping Daddy Vader by successfully faking his death and Vader is grieving for his little angel? Luke is finally freed from Vader's clutches, but only for a few months since daddy dearest eventually finds out his baby boy is still alive.

Luke remains anonymous on the small planet he landed on. He knows the Empire probably isn't looking for him, but he cannot be too obvious. Faking his death wasn't easy. He has to do things he didn't like: such as cloning himself and killing the scientist that he forced to help him. It was easy to ensure the clone wasn't alive to begin with. Luke didn't need it alive he just needed a body that matched his DNA and a window to throw "his own body" out of and to have it land on the ground.

Mission accomplished.

Vader meanwhile is torn. News spread like wild fire that his son had put up a fight and was flung from a window and had no chance of survival from the height he fell at. A memorial was given for the young prince and was publicly broadcasted across the holonet. Months later, Vader still craves revenge, his little boy wasn't even twenty years of age and was taken from him so soon. He sends out spies to get a lead on whoever was with Luke at the moment he died.

Luke lives in alone on an island in a small stone hut where he keeps to himself. He's taught himself to fish, hunt and has gone lengths to cut himself from the force to not have his father sense he's still alive. Vader used to call out to him for a desperate answer, but Luke always ignored it. It was so painful to hear Vader's plea. When the force went quiet he thought he was safe.

Until he was spotted.

Vader is livid. What should have been joy that his son wasn't dead, but alive, was replaced by anguish and confusion. Luke wasn't dead but there was no killer. The DNA found on Luke matched no one but Luke himself. And the cameras clearly showed he was thrown out of a window rather jumped. When a spy brings back information that a young Jedi was spotted living in Ahch-to.

Of course it's Vader who announces he will be retrieving Luke. Alone.

Luke's heart thumps as he watched his father's shadowy siluette hover above him. His red saber glowing in the dark of the night along with his yellowed sith eyes.

"You." He pointed his blade at the trembling boy. "Have a lot of explains to do."

[fanartfunart]

Fly Away

Episode 6: Riposte

Ao3 - First - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

(Féline Sombre & Paon Lilas designs)

Summery: An AU where Adrien never went to in-person school, not getting the cat miraculous, and found the peacock miraculous. - Marinette and Sabrina try out for D’Argencourt’s fencing academy, and a mysterious person challenges Adrien for a spot in the academy.

-

“You've been reviewing the fencing rules all weekend, it's going to be great!” Tiki exclaimed cheerfully. Marinette smiled and nodded.

“Oh! Marinette!” Sabrina waved cheerily, holding her fencing helmet under her arm. Tiki squeaked and hid in a fencing helmet as the other teen ran up to Marinette. 

“Hi? Sabrina?” Marinette said slowly, looking around the room, “...Is Chloé here?”

They nodded, “Yep! She’s going to be watching!”

Marinette grimaced. Great, now she had to worry about Chloé judging her too. She shook her head, “I… didn’t know you were interested in fencing?”

“I thought it’d go well with my self defense training. It should be fun too! For lots of reasons! Chloé and I roleplay as superheroes sometimes... Well, actually, Chloé’s always Ladybug-” Marinette made a face, but Sabrina didn’t comment on it, “and I used to play the villains. But now that Paon Lilas showed up, I finally have a superhero to play as! …. Anyway, while I researched the sport, I noticed much of his combat style is informed by fencing-” she shifted into a fencing stance, making a few combat poses (which did in fact, remind Marinette of Paon Lilas), “You can tell by the way he moves.”

“You roleplay as… Paon Lilas? Why?” Marinette frowned, crossing her arms, “What about Féline Sombre? They’re cool.”

Sabrina straightened their posture, smiling almost nervously, “...You think Féline Sombre’s cool?” she shook her head, “I, uh, do too... but... I uh- I... Paon Lilas matches my color scheme! Blue and purple!”

Marinette sighed, “Of course… Well, good luck Sabrina-” She grabbed a fencing helmet, and dropped it on her head. Marinette yelped, stumbling back, noticing something inside the helmet. Tiki stared at her from inside with wide eyes. After the initial shock, the kwami had to cover her mouth to contain her giggle.

“...You okay Marinette?” Sabrina asked.

She gave Tiki a glance and took the helmet back off to allow Tiki to subtly hide in a better spot. “Yep. Yep, don’t mind me, just- thought a loose hair was a spider for a second…” she pointedly brushed some of her hair away from her face and grinned awkwardly. She ran from the room to get in place with the rest of the prospective students.

-

“I am the fencing master, Mr. D'Argencourt. Instead of the estimated one open spot, we have two, due to an… unexpected drop out…. The coward,”  Mr. D’Argencourt said, flourishing his saber, “So, in order to select the best possible candidates, I will observe the beginners performing a number of attacks on the experienced students,” he gestured to the group of the current students, “Get into position!” 

Marinette squeaked as one of the students walked towards her, “Actually, maybe I’m not cut out for this…” 

“If you’re worried about why Landon dropped out, it’s because of the akuma attacks, not because of the classes. He and his mom are moving out of Paris,” the fencer explained. 

“Oh thank goodness- Oh well, I mean, not for Landon because that must be hard- I- It’s just- I mean, the akumas certainly aren’t great- ” Marinette sputtered. She sighed, and offered her hand, “I’m Marinette.”

The fencer raised his helmet. Adrien smiled, “I know. It’s nice to see you here.”

“Wh-” Marinette’s brows furrowed, “Wait, weren’t you sick? Why are you doing sports?”

He blushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck, “I’ve been feeling better since last week. And, uh, skipping class… wasn’t an option. Don’t worry, I talked to Mr. D’Argencourt beforehand. If I ever raise both of my hands in surrender, it’s because I got dizzy or something, and we’ll stop. He’ll get you rotated with a different partner.”

Marinette nodded firmly, “As long as you’re being safe.”

“Get into position!” D’Argencourt commanded. 

Adrien smiled at her and dropped his helmet back over his face. With a quick instruction on her form, Adrien stepped back into his side of the strip, waiting for Marinette to get a hang of what she was doing. They fenced for a while as Adrien explained how saber fencing worked. Eventually, he regretfully had to request a time out.

Marinette pushed her helmet up, “You feeling okay?”

He nodded, pushing his own up, taking in a deep breath of the unrestricted air, “Just winded, I’m gonna get some water and I’ll be good to go for another bout.” 

When Adrien returned, the class was bunched together. He easily spotted Chloé in the crowd (being the only person not in fencing gear) and walked next to her. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, Adrikins!” Chloé hugged him, and really, he’d rather not have had the air squeezed out of him at the moment, but resigned himself to it anyway. “This kid in red showed up and says they’re the best fencer everywhere they’ve been- but don’t worry, they’re obviously not as good as you.” 

He raised a brow but said nothing. 

“All right!” D’Argencourt exclaimed to the newcomer, “I may consider your admission, shall you defeat one of my students.”

The fencer in red strode forward, “Which one of you is the best combatant?” the fencer demanded. The crowd parted, and Adrien found himself alone in the center. He glanced towards Marinette, who gave him an awkward thumbs up.

D’Argencourt gestured to the primary fencing strip, “Adrien, please give our visitor a lesson in chivalry.”

He halfway suspected D’Argencourt had entirely forgotten he wasn’t at his best, but, if everyone thought he was the best here, who was he to disappoint? He nodded, “Yes sir.”

-

Chloé could care less about fencing. It’s all sweaty and involves clashing and clanging metal together. But, it's her Adrien's sport, and Sabrina seemed to think it was fun too. Least she could do was watch in support. With Marinette’s incessant questions and the answers other students were giving, Chloé could somewhat follow the bout. Really, who did this random red rouge think they were? Trying to take her Adrikin’s place as the best fencer in the Academy? 

“Uhhh… Abstention!”  D’Argencourt called. The fencers returned to their starting line.

Adrien pulled his helmet up to breathe, and looked up at the fencer in red, brows furrowed in determination. He dropped the helmet back over his face. 

“Tired yet?” The fencer taunted.

“Just getting started,” Adrien called back, straightening his stance.

“... Shall I request we do this the old fashioned way then?” they turned to D’Argencourt, “We'll be much more at ease without the machine.”

D’Argencourt considered it, “Adrien?”

He smiled behind his helmet, “Fine with me.”

Chloé focused on each move and clash and blow. Freed of their attachments, the fencers moved with agility and panache. Jumping, spinning, clashing. Some boring person muttered “Aren’t they supposed to stay on the strip?” The fencers raced up the stairwell and Chloé made her way to the front to watch them closely. Chloé didn’t pay much attention to the fact that Marinette was the only other person who had kept up with the fight. Nor did she pay attention to the fact that Sabrina had been clearing her path among the crowd before.

The fencer would lunge, Adrien would parry. Adrien feinted a step and pulled back, drawing them in, and the fencer would leap out of the way of his counterattack. Blades clashed and clamored. Adrien knocked the fencer through the doors of the Library. Marinette stood in front of the opened doors as the pair fought, watching intently.

“Out of my way,” Chloé huffed, shoving Marinette to take her spot in watching the pair fight. She yelped as a book cart was sent her way and she narrowly jumped out of the way, “Hey!”

Neither fencers paid any attention. (Which, ouch, really? Is she not important enough here?) 

“Let’s finish this!” the red-clad fencer announced, and they both lunged. Chloé blinked and both sabers were being pulled away from the other fencer’s chest. 

The fencers turned to look at Chloé. “Who got the first hit?!” The figure in red  demanded, “Who?”

Adrien pulled off his helmet and rubbed the spot he’d been hit, grimacing slightly.

“Er…” Chloé frowned and the group finally caught up to them, whispering curiosities. “Adrien?” 

“Wait, you’re not even one of my students….” D’Argencourt noted, “Are you sure?”

Chloé huffed, tilting her head up, "Of course! And I'm sure my father, the Mayor, would love to explain to you why I’m right~” she side stepped closer and lowered her voice, “You already lost the election to him, do you really wanna lose your job as well?"

Adrien frowned. “Actually, I think they touched me first,” Adrien said, turning to D’Argencourt.

“Er- Referee has the last word!” D’Argencourt exclaimed, “This victory is… certainly an honor to the D’Argencourt Academy!” He chuckled nervously as Chloé grinned.

Adrien frowned and watched as the fencer walked away and thrust their saber into the ground. “I’m going to offer them a decisive match,” he said, and raced after them. 

“Hey! Adriekins, why are you following them? You won!” Chloé sighed and followed him, rolling her eyes. 

Adrien pulled the fencer’s sword from the ground and ran towards the fencer’s car. “Wait! Your saber!” 

Chloé raced down the entrance, “Come on Adrikins, you won, what’s this...” she halted as she looked up. The red clad fencer removed their helmet and…well she was unfairly pretty. Dark hair and dark eyes and a dusting of freckles like stardust on her cheeks... “About…”

Adrien continued forward anyway, “Let’s do a, er, decisive match?” Adrien offered, smiling.

“Like she said-” The fencer said, gesturing to Chloé, “You won. There’s no such thing as second chances in my family. Goodbye.” She turned and got into the car. 

“Hey! What’s your…” The car door slammed and the car drove off. “...name.” He frowned and glanced down at the red saber. 

Chloé shook him. “Who was that? I must know immediately.”

He sighed, watching the car retreat into the distance. “Well… I saw her ring, it reminded me of something... Give me a second-” He grabbed his phone and looked up the imagery of the ring.

-

“Oh curse the passage of time,” D’Argencourt grumbled, “We will finish the last rounds of candidate selection next Thursday. Er, you four-” He pointed at Marinette, Sabrina, and two other students, “You’re in for the last rounds. Everyone else, farewell, no need to return,” he waved the group of prospective students away and the group dispersed. 

Sabrina was suddenly next to Marinette. Marinette yelped as she noticed the other teen so close. “You’re in the last bracket! That’s awesome!”

Marinette raised a brow, “Uh… Thank you. Congrats to you too.” 

They smiled, “Yeah! I’m super excited!” she bounced in place, “I can’t wait to master the blade.” 

Somewhere outside, Chloé screamed.

Sabrina gasped, “Chloé! I’ve gotta check on her!” Sabrina ran off, brow furrowed in determination. 

Marinette frowned and ran off in another direction, finding somewhere to transform. Chloé’s screams usually meant akumas.

-

“Adrien!” Chloé cried out as the akumatized villain pointed their sword at him. Adrien was on the ground, holding the red handled saber against Riposete’s sword.

“I’m taking you up on your offer for a decisive match!” Riposte exclaimed.

Adrien strained against the sword. He gave up and rolled out from under her. “I can’t fight you like this!”

“Fight!” she demanded with another slash. Féline Sombre tumbled in and knocked the sword away with her staff. 

“Hey now, play nice,” Féline said, shifting to get in front of Adrien. 

“I’m not playing,” Riposte said, “I will show you all just who the greater swordsman is!” 

Adrien groaned and scrambled to a stand, moving through a blur of dots in his vision, only to run into someone. Strong hands balanced him. “Careful,” Ladybug said.

“She’s after my Adrikins!” Chloé explained to Ladybug, hiding behind a pillar, “You need to protect him!”

“I can protect my-” his body decided this was a perfect time to betray him. He stumbled and coughed. ...Probably too much exertion today.

Riposte knocked Féline Sombre back, and rushed towards Adrien and Ladybug. Ladybug wrapped her yoyo around Riposete’s sword and yanked. Riposete’s arm was pulled away from Adrien, but the yoyo slipped off.

“It’s fused to her hand?” Ladybug exclaimed.

Féline Sombre got back up and vaulted towards Adrien and Ladybug. 

“I guess you can’t dis-arm her!" Féline Sombre chuckled awkwardly. 

"Puns? Seriously?" Ladybug shook her head, “Féline, get Adrien somewhere safe, I'll keep her occupied.” 

"Can do Bug, come on Adrien," Féline grabbed him around the waist and he yelped as they extended their staff into the air and the ground twirled away from him without his input.

Riposte growled under her breath and sliced a pillar and kicked it towards Ladybug. She stumbled back and lassoed the pillar before it could fall into her. Riposte was already bounding off after Féline Sombre. Ladybug sighed and hooked her yoyo on a nearby chimney to follow after.

"I really need somebody who's better at distraction than I am."

-

Féline Sombre landed on a bridge, gently dropping Adrien. She looked around, "Okay, okay, we're probably far enough to pause and make a plan of action. If she's looking to fight you then hiding might be your best bet, but that could become dangerous if she finds you and you're somewhere you can't escape-"

"No, hiding is great!" Adrien grinned awkwardly, already stepping away. He glanced around for places to transform. "I can do that! I'll just-"

Riposte landed just a few feet away from them before Adrien could run away. "Stand and fight, you coward!"

"I’m not going to fight you like this!” Adrien protested, “You're not yourself! What's the honor in this?"

Riposte lunged forward and he ducked, rolling out of the way. Féline Sombre twirled on their staff and kicked Riposte away. 

Riposte growled and slashed the lampposts. Féline Sombre’s eyes widened as the old metal lamps crashed and caged her against the edge of the bridge. They strained against the metal, “Adrien look out!”

Riposte immediately turned to him. She advanced quickly and he scrambled back, automatically shifting into a fencing form, red handled blade in hand. Riposte slashed at his feet, forcing him to leap up onto the edge of the bridge. 

Féline Sombre called for their cataclysm. Riposte prepared to strike at him. Féline wouldn’t be able to interfere fast enough. He knew it. 

-

“If you really are Paon Lilas, transform, Adrien,” Hawkmoth muttered under his breath, brows furrowed in concern. Because if he didn’t, what did that mean? His son was in danger and he put him there. Does he have to hope for yet another failure? Is it a failure if his son is safe? He practically growled under his breath, pushing such things out of his mind. “Come on. What are you waiting for?”

-

Adrien closed his eyes. He jumped. Riposte’s sword crashed on brick. Wind whipped around him. He held his breath and splashed into the water below. 

It was cold. His lungs were already protesting. He opened his eyes and spotted a red figure dive in after him. Ladybug’s arm wrapped around him, securing him as she pulled him up and secured her yoyo to land. He hacked on coughs as soon as they breached the water.

Ladybug dropped him on the ground and he groaned.

"You're kinda reckless, aren't you?" Ladybug noted with some sort of half smile on her face.

His lungs hated him. He wheezed with a cough, "I trusted Féline Sombre not to leave me."

Ladybug frowned at him briefly. She glanced towards the bridge as Riposte looked down at the waters below. Féline Sombre gave Ladybug the quickest of a wave, and she ran out of sight, presumably to detransform.

"Come on," Ladybug said. She picked him up (really these superheroes have got to stop doing that, it's making his vision blur) and bounded away.

"What about Féline Sombre?" Adrien exclaimed, closing his eyes and tightening his grip on Ladybug’s shoulders to keep the dizziness from overwhelming him.

"They'll be back, we need you somewhere safe before Riposte figures out you're not in the water." Ladybug landed and gently put him on the ground. He looked around, finding she had brought them to a park. 

He coughed more, shaking from the wind-whipped, damp, cold settling in his bones. Ladybug frowned at him again strangely. 

"How are you doing? ...You seem ill."

He forced a smile, "Just the after effects of my little dive I think. I'll be fine."

Her expression changed strangely yet again and she nodded, “Okay…” she looked around and nodded to herself, “here,” she grabbed Adrien’s hand and tugged him towards a statue, “Hide behind here. I’ll uh, come get you when we deakumatize Riposte.” 

Adrien nodded and watched as Ladybug dashed to the edges of the park, activating the phone in her yoyo. “Duusu,” he whispered, “we should help them-”

“You’re sick,” Duusu said, coming up and pushing against his cheek, “I’m sure Ladybug and Féline Sombre can handle it from here, right?”

Adrien frowned, glancing back towards where Ladybug was talking to Féline Sombre on the phone. “Maybe…” he muttered, “but it’s also the easiest way to get Adrien out of the way while still doing something, right?”

“You’re not in the way,” Duusu whispered.

Adrien grumbled anxiously, watching from behind the statue.

-

“She’s coming your way, bye Bug!” Féline Sombre exclaimed as they ended the call.

“Bye Kitty,” Ladybug searched for the silvery akuma with a frown. “Hm, better safe than sorry- Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called. The charm produced a metal wireframe chair. She tilted her head. “A...chair. Am I supposed to sit around for Riposte to come attack Adrien?”

Riposte dove in, sword aimed, and Ladybug yelped as she tumbled out of the way. 

“Where did you hide him?” Riposte demanded, flourishing her weapon. 

“You think I’d tell you?” Ladybug scoffed, briefly glancing to where Féline Sombre was inching forward. Hidden. Waiting for an opening. “This is just between us. Unless you’re scared to test your mettle against me?”

Riposte huffed, turning her full attention to Ladybug, “Oh? I’ll defeat you swiftly and then I’ll take your miraculous!” Riposte lunged and Ladybug twirled to block with the chair, gasping as she noticed the sword slip between the backrest supports. Riposte was too fast however, and the sword slipped back out before she could do anything about it. 

Féline Sombre vaulted in on her staff and kicked Riposte from behind, into the park fence. They shifted into a fencing stance, staff aimed like a sword, “You wanted some fencing, right?”

“Who told you all these puns?” Ladybug frowned, glancing at her redheaded partner.

“Would you be mad if I said all the puns is because I’m kinda missing Paon Lilas’s jokes?”

Ladybug made a face, “What? No, but-”

“Your face says otherwise!” Féline Sombre exclaimed, chuckling.

“Oh hush!” Riposte exclaimed as she lunged towards Féline. Féline Sombre used her staff to block the sword and shifted to get behind her.

“So Bug, what’s our plan?” Féline asked, extending her staff to hit Riposte again. They twirled out of the way of the counterattack.

“The sword!” Ladybug said, “That’s got to be where the akuma is. But she’s too fast!”

Adrien frowned, “I- I can’t just watch. Duusu-” he was caught off by a cough.

Riposte huffed and leaped out from the middle of Ladybug and Féline Sombre, skidding backwards. She turned her head to the sound of a cough. “Of course,” she sent a slash through the statue.

Ladybug gasped, “Adrien!”

Adrien dropped to the ground, then leaped up over the broken base of the statue. He tightened his grip on the fencing sword, frowning towards Riposte. “You want a fight? Fine. Let’s fight.”

Riposte grinned, “Finally.” She lunged and he doubled back, towards Ladybug and Féline Sombre.

Ladybug looked between the fighters and Féline Sombre and ran forward to meet them, smiling. “Féline, I’m gonna need your ribbon soon.” Adrien continued to retreat and block.

The cat hero tilted their head briefly but pulled the ribbon off. Féline Sombre moved in around Riposte’s other side. 

With the heroes in the right positions, Adrien drew in another attack from Riposte and called, “Ready?!” He twirled, switching positions with Ladybug. Féline Sombre came around with the ribbon and secured the sword into the metal bars of the chair’s backrest. They ran and tugged backwards to keep it secure as Riposte struggled in the snare.

“Prêt, Allez!” Adrien and Ladybug announced as they both used their combined weight to snap the sword trapped in the chair’s back.

Ladybug grabbed the back of the chair as Adrien fell into the seat, keep him from falling with the chair. Adrien blinked, “Huh, handy.”

Ladybug smiled at him as she grabbed his arms and pulled him up to a stand.

He looked up and down at her and barely flickered a smile at her. He turned towards Riposte with a frown.

“Wow, impressive fencing,” Féline said.

He shrugged, “I’ve been in fencing since I was really young.” 

Ladybug caught and purified the butterfly. “Bye bye little butterfly...” She grabbed the Lucky Charm, frowning towards Adrien, “You didn’t have to do that. You put yourself in danger.”

“What happened?” Kagami muttered, looking up in confusion.

Adrien frowned and glanced down at the ground before shaking his head, ignoring Ladybug in favor of the fencer. Ladybug sighed and called for her miracle cure.

He leaned down to the fencer and offered a hand. “You were akumatized,” he said softly, “It’s… a… whole thing. It’s fine now though.”

Ladybug walked over to Féline Sombre. They high-fived and smiled at each other.

“Hey, Adrien,” Ladybug said, “...take care of yourself…” she smiled, and waved as her miraculous beeped, “Bug out!” 

Féline Sombre waved goodbye to Ladybug and turned towards the two civilians, “Do either of you need a lift home?”

“I have a chauffeur,” Kagami said.

“Same,” Adrien chuckled awkwardly.

Féline shrugged, “Alright! In that case, I should probably head out too. See you later!” She vaulted away and Adrien turned back to Kagami.

“So…” Adrien muttered.

“Listen I-” she sighed and glanced at the ground.

“I’m sorry” both teens said. 

Adrien laughed and offered the saber, “Here’s your saber back… Maybe, uh, we could do a proper rematch?”

She shook her head, pushing it back towards him. “No, I lost. Keep it.”

“Chloé really doesn’t know anything about fencing. I personally think it was your point. Besides… red’s not really my color.”

“She certainly acted like she knew.”

“She can be… enthusiastic, she just… she means well, just goes about things wrong.” Adrien sighed and shrugged, “but I… I think- If you want, we could uh, be friends?”

She looked almost shocked, “You… You want to be my friend?”

“Of course! I- Here, let’s start over-” Adrien huffed a smile and offered his hand, “My name’s Adrien. What’s yours?”

She paused, glancing between his face and his hand. She took the offered hand and shook it. “Kagami.”

“Nice to meet you, Kagami.”

“...Yeah. Nice to meet you too, er, Adrien,” she smirked, “You better get ready for that decisive match.”

He laughed, “Oh, I will.”

-

Fencing swords clashed. One fencer lunged, and the other spun and hit. The buzzer sounded.

“Point!” D’Argencourt called, “Sabrina Raincomprix, welcome to the academy!”

Sabrina pulled up her mask and smiled at Marinette as she disconnected herself from the buzzer cord. Marinette raised her mask up with a sigh. They saluted with their sword and Marinette did the same.

“Good game,” Marinette muttered with a sigh, preparing for whatever mocking she would receive.

“You did awesome! It was a close game, you almost had me there."

Marinette raised a brow. "Uh. Thanks?"

Sabrina sighed, "It's really too bad there's only two spots, I was looking forward to sparring more with you. Next time there's an open spot you should definitely try again."

"I… you really think so? Chloé would've hated seeing me outside class on a weekly basis."

"I- I’m not Chloé’s clone, I... don’t hate you. I’m...sorry if I’ve ever made it seem like that," they sighed, and offered a hand, "Seriously. Good game, Marinette."

She smiled awkwardly and accepted the handshake. "Same to you, Sabrina."

Marinette walked into the equipment room and Tiki zipped out.

"You did great, even if you didn't get in. You can always practice on your own or get Adrien to help again!" Tiki cheered.

Marinette sighed and nodded, "True. ...I think that fencer- Kagami? and Sabrina wanted it more anyway. I wouldn't change a thing… and… Sabrina was weirdly nice."

"Without Chloé around she seems much more open."

"Yeah, I guess. ...Actually- huh. I guess they've never exactly been outright antagonistic… I guess I just… associate her with Chloé that much…" Marinette shook her head, "Weird."

[purelyfiction]

My Name (P.2)

Part One

Kylo Ren // Ben Solo X (F) Reader

Word count: 1,547 words

Summary: After recognizing what you’ve done, Ben is eager to find a solution to the mistake you’ve created. Unsuccessful, you try to determine what it is he’s after, and to figure out why you’re here, and if Ben’s telling the truth. 

(Inspired by that ‘stranger’ trend on tiktok where if you say stranger to someone you forget everything about them including your memories)

Triggers: Canon Violence, Pain, Injuries, Restraints and loads of angst

You had never seen the newly appointed Supreme Leader in such a state. 

After the death of Snoke, Kylo- er, Ben as he’d told you, had nearly dragged you to the med wing to be checked out. Aside from the injuries you remember Snoke inflicting - they continued to explain there was nothing they could do. About what, you’re unsure. Instead, you simply watch the male fight with the meddroids.

“There has to be something, especially for prisoners with information?? You can’t sit here and tell me we don’t have a solution to this.” He rambles on, sitting in one of the chairs in the bay room, nearly tugging on jet black strands of hair. 

“While we have questionable treatments for prisoners who have been inflicted with trauma or the estrangement connection, none of them are suitable for long term - nor safe for someone. We have always strongly advised the use in prisoners, though we’ve been told to do so regardless in most cases.” The droid then rattles onto protocols and the male waves a hand with a curse. 

“That‘s no help.” He groans, leaning into his knees as another droid patches you up. 

“The only known and approved treatment for estrangement cases is attempts at jogging the memory, or just starting from scratch.” The male then looks to you, his eyes red and tired. 

You hadn’t understood why he was so determined to get you to the med bay. Especially seeing as his  master had been the one behind all the injuries - but you also weren’t sure why Snoke suffered at Ben’s saber. There were lots of unclear things at the moment. You’re in your own thoughts when you recognize he’s at your side. As the droid finishes up, you look at him and he seems to pocket his hands. “You really don’t know me?” 

You hesitate, before speaking, rather nervously. “Well, sort of. I know of your affiliation with the Knights of Ren, and Snoke and the First Order -“

“That’s not important. Me. I’m referring to me. Not my career.” His eyes look to you seemingly even more distraught than earlier. Ben starts speaking. “We met a very long time ago after you infiltrated one of Snoke’s operations. I was in charge of keeping you prisoner, and… training you.” Training? Your head tilts slightly at this and his eyebrows raise even more. “Right. We had discovered you were force sensitive. I was supposed to be training you in The Force, to attempt to use you as a tool in The Order. I…  wasn’t so keen on the idea.” He lets out a sigh and pulls the gloves from his hands and throws them on the end of the bed before running them over his face. It’s all rather strange to you. He was supposed to keep his uniform on, gloves and helmet included, yet from the minute he freed you, he’d been beyond transparent. 

“Why not? If I may ask…” You look to him with confusion, only for your expression to be reflected to you in his own face. 

“Truthfully? I didn’t want you involved with my master. I was his only apprentice and having someone else side step my progress was somewhat threatening in my eyes. Now, it’s more of a fear of you hurting yourself.” You didn’t expect such a forward answer. This was not the person you’d been expecting. “None of that matters now…” he sighs and eyes meet yours for a brief moment. “I know things have changed. I see you in a way that you don’t see in me. And if you wish to leave I shall escort you to any planet of your choosing-“

“How do you see me?” You cut him off, still lingering on the words he’d spoken. Kylo- Ben. Right. Ben. Ben shifts from his seat and transfers himself to the end of the cot you rest on, a hand gently falling to rest on your blanketed ankle. 

“I see you with light. With a hidden smile on my features, with countless sessions of laughter and jokes. Sleepless nights where the galaxy was long forgotten. Running behind the backs of everyone, sneaking in kisses between meetings. I see a future with you - despite there not being any chance of one any longer.” His disposition shifts from the initial hope to the familiar despair and ultimate grief that washes over him. You take his hand in yours before watching his face.

“Do you see me in love? Er, have you seen me in love… with you?” Ben’s fingers tighten around yours. It’s the only answer you get for some time. His head lifts so that hair fails to the front of his eyes, a quick shake of his head to move the strands. 

“Yes. I’ve seen you at your highest, your lowest, your best and your worst. And I am willing to do whatever it could possibly take to get her back.” Your head slowly moves into a nod, your hand slipping from his to come to rest in your lap. 

“I’m so sorry. I don’t doubt you must be angry with me.” You feel tears well up in your eyes. The male’s expression changes into somewhat of anger, concern still lingering. 

“Of course I am. I don’t know what could’ve been so daunting that you’d agree to erase me. I’m sure whatever it had been I could’ve fixed it.” He huffs for a moment, his demeanor becoming much more recognizable. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have put you in such a situation. Had I not been so selfish none of this would’ve happened.” You shake your head. 

“I-I don’t know if that’s true. I could have just as easily done something selfish. There could’ve been something in it for me I-“ It’s his turn to cut you off.

“You apologized.” He’s firm, and doesn’t say it loud enough for you to clearly hear him.

“What?”

“You apologized before you said it. You tried to say goodbye first. Snoke wouldn’t let you. Then you said it. I knew you didn’t want to do it - yet you did.” His hands ball into small fists that rest in his lap, his eyes shutting. “So I doubt it was a willing or selfish choice.” It's sound reasoning. But you’re still so unsure of what to do from here. 

This man was clearly dedicated to you. That’s why he sat here instead of listening to protocols he should be following - he wanted to ensure you were alright before work was done. Which he clearly isn’t satisfied by your position, seeing as he was continuing to feed information to you. You can’t understand why this is so important to him. You were once an enemy to him as he stated. “Why do you care so much?” 

He freezes. His entire face falls from any and all emotion attached to it. He can’t tell if you’re being serious or vicious. As once upon a time, you’d made those kinds of jokes. He would come back from a long day, and immediately curl into you, no words spoken. He’d go on a rant for a while and then look at you and start listing every and all characteristics he adored. You’d then give a giggle and shake your head. Only to follow with why do you care so much? 

Now it sat so differently and so uncomfortably in the air. “Why do I care?” He repeats the question before standing, rather rapidly, anger starting to blend into his presentation. “I care because you came in and ruined a whole bunch of plans. I care because you were a burden that I didn’t care for once upon a time and suddenly you were everything to me. I care because you were showing me how much better life could have been if I left all of this behind. I care because I began to love you. I began to protect you. I began to change because of you. I care because you’re the key to a whole different person. I care because I am me again through you. If there’s no you, there’s no me.” Your breath hitches as he puts his arms on the edge of the cot, leaning towards you. “Do you understand now?” A slow nod of your head and he’s backing up softly. 

He proceeds to take you back to your quarters when you’re cleared by one of the droids, and briefly explains that he has to sort out some things (consequences of killing your master, no doubt), and that he’d return for dinner. Again, wasn’t he not supposed to eat? You say nothing and merely take a seat on a chaise lounge in the room, after looking around. When he’s gone, you get up and begin looking everywhere in the room. You know yourself,  if you truly have been here, there’s bound to be a journal somewhere. There has to be. Before you know it you’ve unturned everything in the room with no luck. You lay back on the bed, looking at the ceiling. In your frantic searching, you hadn’t recognized how exhausted you were. So, with it being somewhat early in the night, you choose to take a nap,hoping that some rest would help bring some sort of certainty back to you.

[ticklygiggles]

A little warmer | Nie Brothers

This is NOT a ship fic.

A/N: This one took me longer than I expected, but it’s finally here! I hope you enjoy it, Anon! Thank you for requesting some fluff for these angsty brothers!

Summary: Nie MingJue is a little drunk, Nie HuaiSang is a little silly and they actually enjoy each other’s company very much.

Words: 2006

There were times, (very rare times), when Nie MingJue allowed Nie HuaiSang to share a drink with him after being the feared Sect Leader and the strict older brother that was after Nie HuaiSang’s throat.  

Those times were Nie HuaiSang’s favorite. He felt like he could forget about many things, like the fact that he was extremely awful at using his saber, the fact that his cultivation was far behind and weaker than a ten-year-old, and that, probably, his mere existence was an inconvenience to Nie MingJue - yes, those things didn’t matter when he was just pouring liquor into his big brother’s cup over and over as he heard him talking, his tongue lazy, dragging his word as he recalled the events of the day and vented to Nie HuaiSang.

“How is cultivation going?” Nie MingJue asked after he talked about how angry he felt every time he saw Jin GuangYao’s face. “I haven’t seen you practice when I’m around.”

Nie HuaiSang winced, almost dropping the liquor bottle when he placed it back on top of the table. 

“W-Well… D-Da-ge, you’ll see…” He started, fidgeting with the fan on his lap. “I’ve been kind of  b-busy lately…”

Nie MingJue laughed, he actually laughed as he looked at Nie HuaiSang with slightly droopy eyes. “Busy with what, you rascal? You dare to lie to your Da-ge?”

Nie HuaiSang shook his head rapidly. The fear within his chest was just like a little flame, instead of the fire that usually grew whenever he talked with Nie MingJue. 

“I’m not! It’s just… I’ve been doing this and that…" 

Nie MingJue chuckled, shaking his head a little as he took a sip from his cup. "Yes, of course, this and that both sound extremely important,” Nie MingJue mocked, suddenly reaching for Nie HuaiSang’s arm. 

Nie HuaiSang shrieked when he felt Nie MingJue’s hand grasping his arm, right above the elbow, and pulling at him. 

“Da-ge! Ack!” A strong arm wrapped around his neck and if he wanted to say something else, he couldn’t as Nie MingJue pressed Nie HuaiSang’s face against his broad chest. “Da-ge!” Nie HuaiSang squeaked, trying to break free and whining loudly when he felt Nie MingJue’s knuckles rubbing roughly against his scalp. “It hurts! Da-ge, please!”

“You little shit,” Nie MingJue said and Nie HuaiSang could hear a smile in his voice. “I don’t know how to make you have common sense anymore!”

Nie HuaiSang cried when he felt those knuckles digging more into his scalp. “Da-ge! I’m sorry! Aaah!" 

Nie MingJue’s chest only grumbled with another of his chuckles and Nie HuaiSang whined again. He grabbed his brother’s sides and tried to push him away, but it was stupid of him to think that he could actually move Nie MingJue away with just a few pushes, but heavens! His scalp was starting to burn and he cried again. 

And then, sudden thought assaulted his mind. Some kind of memory and a risky strategy, but his brain was starting to hurt, so he simply placed his hands right under Nie MingJue’s rib cage, giving a few squeezes.

Nie MingJue tensed and growled, trying to fight back the bubbly laughter wanting to pour out of his mouth. "Stop that!” He said and pressed Nie HuaiSang harder against his chest.

“Let me go first!” Nie HuaiSang cried, his slender fingers vibrating against that tender muscle. He felt Nie MingJue’s arms trembling a little and the hand torturing his head had come to a stop. 

“HuaiSang!” Nie MingJue said with a high pitched voice. “I s-swear- ahahaha!” Finally, a bark of loud laughter poured out of Nie MingJue’s mouth and he let go of Nie HuaiSang. 

As soon as he was freed, Nie HuaiSang also let go of his brother’s rib cage and he staggered back, soothing his hand over his sore head and seeing how Nie MingJue wrapped an arm around his middle, right where Nie HuaiSang’s hands were just a moment ago. 

Nie HuaiSang was a bit taken aback to see that big smile on his brother’s face - it was not teasy, but almost childish and highly playful and Nie HuaiSang dared to think that Nie MingJue was… having fun? 

“Do you think you can win against me, Nie HuaiSang?” Nie HuaiSang widened his eyes when Nie MingJue seemed to recover and he shook his head. “I see, this is how you want to play, huh?" 

"No! No, Da-ge!” Nie HuaiSang begged, letting out a squeak when Nie MingJue launched at him, pushing him against the wooden floor. “No! Da-ge, listen! Lihihahahaha! Plehehehease no!”

Nie HuaiSang would never understand how his big brother’s fingers were so gentle and soft when tickling, instead of rough like… The rest of him. It drove Nie HuaiSang crazy. 

“Please no what, HuaiSang?” He asked, but Nie HuaiSang could only giggle like a kid as Nie MingJue squeezed up and down his sides, latching on to a certain spot right above Nie HuaiSang’s waist that made him shriek and laugh a little harder. 

“Nohohohot tihihihickling!” He pleaded, kicking his legs and trying to squirm away. 

“What? I thought you liked being tickled?” Nie MingJue teased and something sparked inside Nie HuaiSang’s head: a tiny version of himself asking a tiny version of Nie MingJue to tickle him?! 

His cheeks turned bright red and he shook his head desperately.

“No! Thahahat’s not it!”

“What do you mean? I do remember you annoying me all around, asking me to tickle you!” Nie MingJue said, moving his hands up to tickle along Nie HuaiSang’s ribs. 

Nie HuaiSang arched his back off the floor and he tried to roll on his stomach to crawl away from his mean brother. He thought he never felt his ears blushing before, but they definitely were blushing right now as the memories of a very far away childhood rushed back at him 

So, as he laughed loudly when Nie MingJue clawed against the sides of his ribs, he saw himself bugging Nie MingJue over and over, trying to coax him to tickle him when his big brother was not busy practicing his cultivation.

That was a lifetime ago and he had definitely forgotten about it growing up, but now that Nie MingJue’s drunken mind had brought it back, Nie HuaiSang didn’t know where to hide his face! 

“Ah, maybe this is a nice punishment for you?” Nie MingJue teased, moving his hands from Nie HuaiSang’s ribs down to his hips. “But I guess, if you enjoy it, it is not a punishment, hmmm?”

“Ohohoho m-my gohohohoodness!” Nie HuaiSang cried, bucking his hips and doing a ridiculous dance to try and dislodge Nie MingJue’s fingers from his hip bones. “Dahahaha-ge! Thahahat w-wahahas in th-the pahahahast!" 

"Don’t be silly, I’m sure you still love it,” he cooed and Nie HuaiSang could only shake his head as he squirmed desperately. 

This whole situation was probably his fault, but he never thought Nie MingJue would actually attack him back! Even reminding him about his very embarrassing past as he destroyed every sensitive spot his drunk head could remember. 

“Da-gehehehe! I’m s-sohohohorry!” Nie HuaiSang squealed, trying to push Nie MingJue’s hands away from his body. “Dohohon’t do thihihis!" 

"Where was that spot again, HuaiSang?” Nie MingJue asked and Nie HuaiSang shook his head. “Ah, right here, right?”

“No! NOHOHO!” Nie HuaiSang shrieked as soon as Nie MingJue’s fingers quickly moved down toward his stomach. Nie MingJue formed a claw with his fingers and vibrated them against the very center of Nie HuaiSang’s tummy.

Nie HuaiSang threw his head back, loud barks of hysterical laughter blooming out from within his very core. Both his hands moved to wrap around Nie MingJue’s wrist, but he couldn’t push his brother’s single hand with two of his own: all his laughter making him feel weaker.

“Oh, so this is still the spot!” Nie MingJue said, trying to find an opening through Nie HuaiSang’s clothes to get his bare tummy. “You really liked this spot when you were a child. Shamelessly opening your clothes and saying ‘Da-ge, Da-ge, tickle my tummy, please?’”

Oh Heavens, stop saying that! It was what Nie HuaiSang wanted to yell, but Nie MingJue was actually able to sneak his hand under Nie HuaiSang’s clothes and the contact of skin to skin made Nie HuaiSang shriek and howl hysterically. 

He shook his head and kicked his legs, even trying to use them as a support to flip himself over, but he was just too weak and Nie MingJue had so much practice reducing him into a laughing mess, there was no way out!

Nie MingJue chuckled and he teased Nie HuaiSang again, but the younger cultivator could barely hear anything besides himself, especially when Nie MingJue’s fingers found that particular super sensitive spot right around his belly button. 

“DAHAHA-GE! D-Dahaha-ge, stahahaha!” He could feel his face burning, blushing at his big brother’s antics, and he knew that if he wanted to save some face and prevent himself from doing that funny sound with his nose when he laughed so much, he had to take action.

Nie HuaiSang, blindly and quite uncoordinated, shot his hands up, luckily finding a perfect fit right against Nie MingJue’s armpits. His fingertips nestling right against the center of his armpits as they weakly started to wiggle.

Nie MingJue was insanely ticklish there, (Nie HuaiSang didn’t know how it was that he knew that information), so the weak tickling was enough to make him laugh hard as he glued his arms to his sides. Nie HuaiSang was a mess, but he also was fast to recover so, as soon as he felt Nie MingJue’s fingers away from his tingling body, he launched at his brother, successfully pushing him against the wooden floor with a soft thud.

His weak wiggling, became fast digging and soon enough, Nie MingJue was arching his back and shrieking with laughter.

“IHIHIHI’LL kihihihill you!” He laughed out, unable to use his hands as he pressed them against his chest in a futile attempt to stop Nie HuaiSang’s fingers. 

“I know, Da-ge! So I can’t stop!” Nie HuaiSang shrieked back, feeling a bit of fear bubbling in his chest for actually overpowering his brother with something as low as tickling. 

It didn’t take long before Nie MingJue turned the tables again, but Nie HuaiSang saw his openings and attacked back.

They rolled around for a few more minutes trying to attack the most sensitive spot in the other and get the upper hand in their little wrestling until Nie HuaiSang called for a trust and they both collapsed on the floor, giggling and chuckling and trying to catch their breath; their mouths still stretched in a wide smile.

Nie HuaiSang felt somehow warm inside, he was not sure what had just happened, but he was not upset or sad about it, he was… happy.

They both sat up and Nie HuaiSang quickly poured another drink to his still slightly drunk big brother, his hands shaking a little after all the excitement. 

“You, stupid little brother,” Nie MingJue chuckled and he suddenly grabbed Nie HuaiSang’s cheeks.

Nie HuaiSang squeaked, almost dropping the bottle. “Ah, Da-ge! I’m sorry, I-”

He was not expecting Nie MingJue to press his forehead against his, a warm and tender smile on his lips. “Da-Da-ge?”

“What will you do when your big brother is not around, hm?” Nie MingJue asked with a gentle voice and Nie HuaiSang relaxed, his voice just as gentle when he talked again.

"Probably die?”

Nie MingJue laughed, closing his eyes and bumping his forehead playfully. “You gotta be smart, HuaiSang, and strong.”

“I know Da-ge. I’m trying.”

"Yeah. I know too,” Nie MingJue said and he gently patted Nie HuaiSang’s cheeks before he let go of him to drink his third bottle.

Nie HuaiSang gently touched his forehead and he sighed. These moments with his brother were definitely his favorite. When Nie MingJue was a little clouded with liquor and his tongue a little loose and his heart a little warmer. 

[khazadspoon]

For the 40 Prompts thing, maybe some nie huaisang with #24. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m going to take care of you.”

The bird flutters about inside it’s cage, wings a blur of colour as it tries to find a way to fly free. Nie Huaisang watches it with curiosity. There is water and food in the cage, it is a suitable temperature in the room, the air is clear and nowhere near as smokey as it had been in the temple he had found the creature in, and yet...

It squeaked and flapped, darting about as though in danger. Every so often it would land and lift it’s injured leg.

“I know it doesn’t seem like it,” he said softly before reaching for the blanket on the floor beside him, “but I’m going to take care of you.” 

The bird stopped it’s hasty movements and perched on the platform in the cage. It preened it’s feathers, chirping once or twice before settling once again, favouring it’s healthy leg. Huaisang smiled and set the blanket back down. He would drape it over the cage later should the bird become agitated. But, for now, it relaxed.

In his mind he saw himself as a younger man, full of energy and curiosity, bored with saber practice but still eager to learn something. He saw himself in Gusu with boys his own age. He saw them playing at being cultivators and gentlemen, attending lectures and bowing to teachers. He saw friends and foes alike vying with one another to see his art collection. 

He had caught a bird then, too. It had been red, an auspicious colour, and he had been sad to see it go when he was urged to release it. Now, as a sect leader and nearly always alone (though always with someone), he envied the red bird he had freed all those years ago. He envied this bird with a reason to be cared for, legitimate and honest, not a mask to draw snakes close enough to strike at.

“Da-ge would have made me set you free,” he said to the bird in a quiet voice. “He never approved of pets. Birds need to be free he would say, and a pet with a function isn’t a pet...” He sighed, swallowed the lump in his throat at the thought of his brother, and put his finger against the cage bars. “But I can keep you until your leg is better. He would like that - he liked helping people.”

The bird ruffled it’s feathers. Huaisang shifted in his seat and ran his fingers over his fan. 

“You’ll be free again soon, little bird,” he whispered. “I’ll take care of you.”