#captain gepard

[1magine-engine]

Dust to Dawn

Gepard x Underground Fighter! Reader (GN)

Part I| Part II| Part III

_____________

•Growing up in the Belebog’s Underworld, you always thought the first time you’d see the sky would be a cause for celebration. It was supposed to be something to remember. Well, in a way it was.

• It starts with Scott and with Sampo, as most of your troubles do. You already told Scott that once the Silvermane guards lifted the barriers and you got your stuff sorted you were leaving the Fight Club and the Underworld and he is on you in an instant, trying to change your mind.

•You’re one of the best, a crowd favorite and while he still had his other money-makers on his payroll, the thought of even losing one cent that you could have brought him has Scott practically begging. It’s almost worth it to see that pathetic look on the old miser’s face.

•But then Scott stops you with a pitch. A big blowout, the event of a lifetime, one last fight to close out one hell of a career and a payout that he swears will be worth it. Or course, you call bullshit. You’d been fighting for years, you knew the figure he named was beyond what any fighter would make even on the biggest nights.

•What would make this one any different?

• This is where stupid fucking Sampo came in. He had apparently conned a bunch of Overworlders into coming down to Boulder Town for an “immersive historical tour” and while they didn’t enjoy getting duped and ditched like a stood-up date, they did enjoy watching people and robots beating the crap out of each other. And boy, did they have the shield to bet.

•Scott promises to you and any other fighters willing to come up to the surface that you’d all make great money at the Overworld’s first Fight Night.

•You almost say no. Almost walk away for good like you promised Natasha and Oleg. But you knew from some of the people who’d already been up to the surface that life up there, the better life you wanted, didn’t come cheap even after getting a decent job. You shake Scott’s hand one last time.

•It’s how you end up leading your fellow fighters, squeezing through Sampo’s secret tunnel leading from the Underworld to an abandoned warehouse in what he says is the Belebog Industrial district. You would have gone outside to see it for yourself but people were already starting to gather

•You had your doubts about all those stuck-up Overworlders wanting to see something as boorish as underground fighting. It’s why you made Scott sign a deal about the minimum of what he’d pay you regardless of how many people actually showed up. Listening to the crowd from the fighters’ prep room you regretted not raising the fee.

• You hated when Scott was right.

•Underworld rats and Overworld spiffs alike fill up the makeshift stands inside an abandoned warehouse in Belebog’s industrial district. From where you stand you almost can’t tell the difference between them as they cheer and roar each time a hard blow takes someone out. You almost laugh at the thought that this is what it took to unify both sides.

• The crowd settles down in a hush when the presenters announces your fight to close out the night. You were one half of the main event. The other half? A hotshot rookie who’s been rising through the ranks, fast. And while he does gives you a hell of a scrap, you weren’t one of Scott’s best for nothing.

•The fight goes on for round after round of the two of you trading blows. The rookie is relentless, a grin plastered across his face even though you’d knocked out a few his teeth a while ago. There is a manic gleam in his eye that is disturbing in how familiar it is. You’d seen enough pictures of you in action to recognise it.

• You’d lost that fire years ago. But that wasn’t a bad thing. You didn’t fight because you liked it, you didn’t fight just because you were good at it. Tonight, you were fighting because you had to. For the future and the better life that you always wanted. That is what puts you over the edge.

• It’s the reason why, with one final blow, you come out on top.

•The crowd is deafening. Cheering your name as the presenter raises your hand in triumph. You’d never seen old Scott so damn happy at seeing collector’s at the betting table are almost overwhelmed by a sea of people. Your ears are ringing, your body is beaten and you can barely hear the sound of your own breath. You don’t hear the presenter announcing when the next Fight Night will be. But you do hear when the warehouse doors burst open. “Halt! Everyone stay where you are!”

• Silver, blue and gold.

•You didn’t need to be from the surface to know those colors. “In the name of the Silvermane Guards, you are all under arrest!” Someone at the head bellows and how stupid did they have to be to think people wouldn’t run?

• It’s chaos. People leap from the stands and run for any and every exit the can find. But the Silvermanes advance with their shields interlocked, blocking all the doors. Except the one leading deeper into the warehouse.

• You make a mad dash, dodging between spears and swords to get out of the ring. Its in a far off boiler room where you find the other fighters, still recovering from their bouts, old Scott, shoving as much Shield as he can into a burlap sack, and Sampo opening up the tunnel you all came in from. You corner Scott, grabbing him by the collar.

• “What the hell, Scott?!” You snarl at him. Pieces of Shield “You said you had Seele run this by the Guardian!”

• He doesn’t even have the audacity to lie. “You think the Supreme Guardian would ever approve something like this? If so, you’re stupider than you look.” You almost deck him right then and there. But a hand grabs your shoulder.

• “My friend, I think you and I both know that this is not the time.” Sampo appeals to you, smiling somehow despite all this fucking mess. You almost wanna punch him too but then you remember the other fighters in the room. Your hands loosen on Scott’s collar.

• “Fine.” You scowl, going over to a corner of the boiler room and ripping a pipe off the wall. It bellows steam, missing the top of your head by inches. “Go. Get the others out of here.”

•The others gape. “What?! What about you?” One of them, the rookie you’d fought, asks. He looks you over, almost guilty as he takes in the blackened eye, busted lip and bruises he gave you himself.

• “If I don’t come back, you can split my prize money.” You say, running back out the door before any of them can protest further. Some of the Silvermanes had followed you and the moment they catch sight of you, they pick up the pace, the metal clinking of their armor echoing off the high warehouse ceiling.

• You wait until they’re close enough, buying as much time as you can for others. “Do not attempt to escape!” The one at the lead, some blondie who’s scowl didn’t suit his face, commands. “There is no need for any further violence. Put down the weapon and surrender yourself.”

•You smile back. “No can do, pretty boy.” You say before making a break for it and running in the opposite direction. It was a shot in the dark but if this warehouse was anything like the ones in the Underworld, there’d going to be a loading bay in the back.

•But the Silvermanes know that too and there are three of them waiting in the doorway of the bay. There is no other way but straight through them. Ignoring every ache and pain in your body, you barrel straight into the first soldier, sidestep the other and sweep the last off his feet with your pipe. You barely have time to look back and catch the dumbfounded look on blondie’s face.

•Catch ya later, soldier boy!” You give him a mock salute before you run out into the back alleys of the industrial district. You have never been here before in your life, you have no idea where you’re going. But you’re in your fighting gear and they’re in full armor. You keep running.

•The sound of combat boots and steel plates grow rapid but distant. You can’t stop now even as the adrenaline starts to fade and sores and aches of the fight set in. You’re hand clenches around the pipe as a chill starts to creep into your skin. You wonder how these Overworlders deal with such weather all the time.

• You find yourself slowing each time you pass by a lamp, trying to savor and soak up their warmth until eventually, you stop in front of one. You must have gotten away at this point, but you had gone far into the district and you look around.

• You don’t know the way back.

•“Ah shit.” You probably should have thought this through more. Ok, no problem, if you recall landmarks and retrace your steps it should be fine. You can find your way back to the warehouse and take Sampo’s tunnel. Or you could follow some street signs to the administrative district and take the cable car from there. It would be fine so long as no one was looking for you.

“Please, drop your weapon.”

You were never pious and maybe that’s why, if the Aeon of Preservation was watching, they must of thought they were funny. Turning around you come face to face with the blonde soldier from before. He looks as winded as you feel and thinking on how much trouble he went through to get here, you shrug. “Sure, whatever you say, sir.”

The pipe clatters onto the brick path and blondie’s eyes narrow. But it’s not any kind of trick. In fact you were fresh out of them and wanted more than anything, to just sit and breathe. So you do. “Mind if I take a load off, chief?”

“It’s Captain,” he amends, walking closer.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, full silver armor.

Qlipoth apparently really did have a sense of humor. You sigh, your breath coming out in a little puff of smoke in the early morning light. “Captain Gepard Landau, by any chance?”

He nods. Shoving the pipe away with his foot.

“Ah,” you say, hanging your head. “Fuck.”

He hums as if in agreement. “You are under arrest for your involvement in the illegal-“

“Yeah I know.” You brush him off with a wave of your hand. It’s callous and disrespectful in the face of a high ranking officer. “But could you give me a minute? That little marathon took a lot out of me.”

Landau gapes, then shuts his mouth as he looks you over. “You were one of the fighters.”

“Main event.” You nod.

He nods back. “You’re injured, and still you ran?”

“Buying time.”

A scowl. “For your employer? Scott Eldson?”

“Ha!” You bark and really, you shouldn’t be antagonizing the guy about to arrest you but it’s not on purpose. “The day I’d do that lying bastard any favors is the day belebog burns to the ground.” You swear and because you shouldn’t admit to any more crimes in front of the good Captain any other promises concerning Scott are made in silence.

To his credit he doesn’t mistake your malice for Scott as mockery. He purses his lips. “You did this for the others, then. Your fellow fighters.”

“I’m not telling you their names.”

He shakes his head. “There’s no need. It’s Eldson we’re after.”

“Any chance that means you’re not gonna arrest me?” You peer over at him and you can see him better, now that the night has started to recede. Though his expression has softened you recognize that small speck of suspicion in his eyes. “Ah, gotcha... I’ll come quietly.”

He nods. “Thank you.”

You attempt to rise to your feet, only to fall back flat onto your ass. “Shit!” You curse and Landau surges forward but you stop him with a hand. In hindsight sitting out in the cold in your close fitting fighting gear for several minutes is not the wisest of ideas, heat lamp or no. Whatever adrenaline powered you through your chase has drained into the bricks beneath you. You close your eyes and lie back in the snow, taking a deep breath, then another to try and stop from shaking.

You open your eyes.

And your breath is stolen right from your lungs.

Colors, the likes of which you didn’t even have a name for, splash and streak the morning. They bathe everything in a cool golden light. Even the old grouted bricks and sooty building faces shine like this. The sky itself is an expanse of the lightest blue dotted with fluffy white and peeking out from the tops of the buildings is the sun. Your eyes ache as it is blinding to look at, but you can’t tear your eyes away and can’t even remember to blink. Natasha and Oleg and all the other older folk of the Underworld have told you before what the sky looked like. They’d tell you stories, show you books and pictures.

None of them had ever done it justice.

“Are you alright?”

Landau comes into view, genuine concern breaking through his stern captain’s facade. He holds a hand out towards you but if he hadn’t put it right in fromt of your face you would have missed it for the sky.

You do take it eventually.

You end up slinging an arm over his shoulder when you find you can’t stand up on your own two feet anymore. “Please understand.” He says to you as he steadies you against him. “We are not doing this in order to make life more difficult for you as your people get used to the Overworld again.”

“I do understand.” You answer, gritting your teeth when a corner of his armor grazes one of your bruises. “But I just want to give the others a chance.”

Landau’s brows furrow. “At running?”

You shake your head.

“At living.”

He’s silent then. For the next few minutes you both don’t utter a word. Him, because he seems to be lost in thought. You because you are still staring up at the sky, taking in as much of it as you can. Eventually, Landau seems to have made a decision.

“If you and the other fighters assist in the investigation and arrest of Eldson, we can lessen any punishment you might recieve.”

That’s when you finally look away. You meet Gepard Landau’s eyes and search for any sign of deception, of judgement or contemp and find none of it. The captain himself is an unreal vision in shining silver armor, pale gold hair and eyes even bluer than the sky. He stares back, waiting for his answer and while you know he’s only trying to do his duty, you can’t help but think in that moment that you would follow him anywhere.

“You got yourself a deal, Captain.”

[feroluce]

Love thinking about Sampo's possible early days after just infiltrating Belobog. Like imagine Sampo hiding out, spying on the captain of the guards, trying to learn all the important people's names and faces on this weird new planet if he's gonna make this whole thing work.

He likes watching the blonde one, he apparently has a thing for blondes now. There's also two idiots down there though, privates by the looks of them, and even from all the way up here, Sampo can tell just from watching their movements that they're talking while the captain is giving orders. Amateurs-

And then he hears that blonde captain guy yell for them to drop and give him 20 in his harsh voice and his military discipline tone and Sampo just. Freezes. Goes completely stock still. Slowly turns red and drops his face into his hands where he'd dropped almost face-first into the snow because ohhhhhh holy shit.

Sampo, looking up at the sky, face STILL red: You're doing this on purpose. You must be. You think this is fucking funny, don't you. Aha: 🔔🔔🔔🔔

[awriternamedart]

ik people love to write it as gepard is so frustrated with sampo because sampos being annoying and his crimes are constant - and thats great and all

but I think its infinitely funnier to think of sampo being all bragging about how much he runs around the Silvermane Guards , how much of a wanted criminal he is , and then you ask Gepard about how chasing down Sampo Koski is going and he just gives you a blank stare raiden shogun style "who?"

like it literally takes him five minutes to recall who your talking about like "oh, him. Investigations on him are not high on the priority list." and sampos pride is just torn to PIECES.

[teddybeartoji]

gepard laying down between your legs after a tiring day with his face nuzzled into your tummy. he lets out a quiet, content little sigh when you card your fingers through his hair. he hugs you tight, slowly letting the tension melt away from his body as you work your magic on him. that's exactly what this is to him – magic. he reckons you can't be of this world, you simply can't be.

your fingers massage his scalp and he feels like he's ascended into a place made out of clouds and maybe out of something sweet, a place with no no worries and no duties to tend to. your soft hum is like music to his ears, so calming and comforting that he can't help but feel like crying. happy tears, the happiest kind. he never wants to let go.

and when you whisper 'i love you', he feels at home.

you're it – the place he's safe and sound at, protected by your loving arms and hidden away inside your beating heart. a place where the outside world cannot reach him and where he can just be.

he gives you a squeeze and you reply back by ruffling his hair. he knows that you know what he means. you understand; no words needed, no explanations, no nothing – you read him like an open book and he's grateful. he's in love.

[brachyzoid]

Bringing Gepard to fight Gepard

[shoezuki]

i been thinkin bout sampard a lot in terms of their values n morals n like. i feel ppl dont really address the fact that they are very much on opposing sides a the law in terms of what it would mean for an actual established relationship. which ofc is fine who cares but it Interests me so much like

at their cores they Do share a clear care for other ppl and the planet they live on. but gepard is very much a by the rules, follow the law, justice driven character who will follow laws to a T. its integral to his character. Opposing this is Sampo though like. he's a criminal and he messes woth people and we can argue that he isnt evil but he IS unlawful and orchestrates scams that harm people to arguable degrees.

i think the solution i see to this dichotomy the most is sampo turning a new leaf n becoming a Good Civilian but tbh i'd argue that his criminality is just as integral to his character as justice is to Gepard's. ive said before i cant imagine him ever changing into a Good Boy but i genuinely mean it.

i just think it'd be the most contentious aspect to their relationship like. that gepard believes the law is always moral and just, sampo doesnt see the law as always moral nor that He should always be moral. i dont know fully how they would actually parse that n i wanna explore it

[almond-tofu-chan]

Okay I get that it’s super cute that Gepard uses Serval’s guitar case in battle, but also ?????

How exactly did that?? Happen?? Like ignoring the obvious fact that a guitar case is a bad weapon and also Serval’s guitar is FUCKING huge, why???

I’m just picturing little baby Gepard like training to join the Guard and hauling around this absolutely ginormous guitar case and nobody bats an eye because obviously his sister fights with the LITERAL GUITAR that the case is for so sure this isn’t That Weird

Like he HAS to have another weapon right?? Like a sword or claymore or something??

Also like did Serval let him do this? How did that interaction go?

Gepard: Hey sis can I borrow your guitar case?

Serval: yeah, for what?

Gepard: …

Serval: For What??

This man is the absolute funniest man in the game and absolutely not On Purpose

[coin-z3fs]

I’m haunted by the ghosts of my past and present (they are both present)

[uwuyangeppie]

yandere gepard showing that he certainly is a golden retriever, as evidenced by his rummaging through your dirty laundry, trying to get his paws on “just one more pair” of underwear

[venstm]

you ever just be minding your business having a good time and then you remember that.

[sorrinslays]

More about the Belobog Roleswap AU

So, I decided to make this post because of @lesbianbootheng. Specifically, their reblog right here:

#hsr#role swap au#op i hope u know much i enjoy those aus and the fact u made one is So Cool to me#pls tell me u have more ideas bc dude? i’d love to hear em#and i hope ur comfy w/ me adding some ideas myself bc this sounds soo fucking cool dude like wtf#love the idea of clara and hook being assistants to the silvermane guards that’s so cool <3 it fits them surprisingly well#ALSO THE FUCKING NERD PELA BEING PART OF THE FIGBT CLUB?? idk that’s so funny to me idk why LMFAO#oleg being luka’s father is rlly cute i love that <3 my HEARTT#also svorg being slowly being aaprt of the landau family by serval fixing him and they start to consider each other as the other loved ones#serval is still a musician i hope she’d just be one of those underground artists (literally haha)#also love the fact cocolia/serval r a thing in this au that makes me so happy u don’t understand :3#their yuri is NOT doomed after all :3#also… bc this is a roleswap au imagine bronya as the new supreme guardian… can u see it?#how do u think she’d act as leader?#sampo + bronya would DEF need to reign her in haha#also. do u think geppie sees sampo interacting w/ hook/clara & thinks of lynx & wants to sob when he’s separated#bc I DO. i so fucking do

So here's some more insight on the lives of the characters!

Gepard

He has this rule he set for himself that he doesn't steal from the less fortunate, guards and children. Those he does frequently steal from are nobles and since he used to be one (technically still is) he knows the obsolete worst ones. Sometimes, when he learns something particularly bad, he leaves an "anonymous" tip in Sampo's office.

He tried to grow a side business out of selling flowers. Since he's not a guard he has way more time to actually engage in his hobby, unlike his OG counterpart, he can actually keep a plant alive. However the business sadly didn't end up working out.

He does have "disguises" so he can get groceries without being chased around, although they are all kind of terrible. He doesn't know jackshit about makeup so he relies on hiding his face instead (hats, masks, sunglasses and the like). Almost all of Belobog knows this but they just kinda don't bother him cause the disguise is so bad it's sad.

Whenever Clara and Hook see Gepard in his "disguise" they try to get Sampo to arrest him cause "it's literally the guy you chase everyday, he's right here, just get him!!!!!" only for Sampo to pretend not to recognize him. Gepard goes through all five stages of grief whenever this happens.

He has accidently bumped into Luka sneaking into the restricted zone on numerous occasions and both kept it secret. They have even fought together in secret.

There are rumours of the "Phantom Shielder" amongst the guards, which is just Gepard. He keeps trying to help in the snow plains, since he feels guilty for adding to the workload of the guards by committing crimes. He believes it to the least he could do.

He is a supplier of automaton parts and the like for Oleg. Luka has a sneaking suspicion that's the case but since it's Gepard's most legitimate business venture, he doesn't bother reporting it. Oleg is, like, the closest thing Gepard has to a father figure.

Sampo

As the Captain, he rarely has time to relax alone and anytime he does have the time he spends it in the far away snow plains looking for medicine for Cocolia. He sneaks away when he's supposed to be doing paperwork. Or he "loses track of time and stays on patrol for longer periods".

He has made deals with pharmacists all around Belobog, asking for "defect medicine" that cannot be sold to the public (because of such things as a wrongly colored bottle, wrong print, a small cracks etc.). Basically, he collects it without telling the pharmacists where it actually goes. They don't really question him and he brings it to Cocolia.

He has a house near the restricted zone, not because he wants to be "closer to the actions" as he tells people, but so that he can have more alone time. You need a good reason to be anywhere near the restricted zone or you have to sneak in, so his apartment is like a safe haven to him.

He doesn't have any tells when lying, contrary to popular belief. He has fake ones that he uses to trick Natasha. She believes him to be a bad liar because of this.

Anytime he has free time (which is not all that often) he is surrounded by children anywhere he goes. If you hear manic giggling across the streets you know Sampo has a day off. He will have at least two kids around him at all times and the parents have to practically peel them away from him.

Sometimes, whenever he spots Hook bothering Gepard while he's "in his disguise" he walks over and chats with Gepard just to fuck with him. It's incredibly entertaining watching the poor guy squirm as his voice cracks in ten different ways.

He actually knows if Luka sneaked in and disguised himself as a guard because there's a standard hair length soldiers in the restricted zone have to have that Luka does not follow. He never mentions it, just let's him do whatever since he believes Luka to be capable enough. He does like ordering him around just to fuck with him, seeing Luka flinch and do anything without making a sound or "deepening his voice" so that Sampo "doesn't recognize him" is very funny to him.

Luka

As much as he hates paperwork, he's infuriatingly good at it. So he's probably staying an intelligence officer for a long while. Seele told him as much after a meeting with Natasha. He had begged Seele to bring up his situation, arguing that he's healed now and can go back to the front lines. Seele, true to her word, did mention him, but Natasha shout down any conversation about him, stating he's "too useful as an intelligence officer".

He used to have a small crush on Sampo. He was impressed by his fighting and was asking the Captain for a spar for weeks before the other agreed. It's still unknown if he still harbors that crush. The crush doesn't necessary have to romantic, it's honestly up for interpretation.

He attends every funeral, celebration and memorial held in honor of the Silvermane Guards. It's based on respect but also a little bit of guilt on his part. He believes that if he hadn't lost his arm, he would've still been in the front lines and he could've stopped some of the death that happened in the snow plains.

Whenever he is cooped up in his office for long periods of times, Clara and Hook are tasked (by Sampo, as their "superior") to get him out. Usually, they steal an important document and have him chase them all over the city. By the time he gets back, the day is over and he is ordered to go home and rest.

During his days off, he helps Oleg around the workshop. Oleg has tried to reassure Luka many times before that he doesn't need to keep helping, although all of them were in vain.

He has tried getting new hobbies to distract himself, and one that he enjoyed more than he thought he would was crocheting and knitting. He made matching scarfs for Clara and Hook and Seele called him a granny. He challenged her to a spar after that (he lost).

Whenever Luka and Gepard sneak into the snow plains together, they get into "competitions". Basically, they try to kill more fragmentum than the other. Usually, it's a tie or one of them winning by a small precent (like one or two more kills).

Natasha

Just like every other Supreme Guardian, she graduated in history. Although that's the case, she was always fascinated by human biology and the structure of the human body. She became even more interested after she met a man by the name of Vache, who told her he wanted to make a medicine specifically for people to be able to survive the bitter cold. After Cocolia banished Vache to the snow plains, Natasha brought him to Qlipoth Fort. He is still alive, even after the Astral Express' visit.

She really likes teddy bears, they used to be the only emotional support she had back when she was first selected to be the future Supreme Guardian. She had shared this information with Oleg, and since they used to be very close back in the academy, a lot of her stuffed toys were left at Oleg's place. So their absence during the Stellaron's manipulation helped her spiral quicker.

Vache lives in the lab of Qlipoth Fort and he is, basically, Stellaron 2.0. Since he also believes the Stellaron, he tries to pressure Natasha into following its plan. Natasha, isolated from any actually healthy influences, gives in and soon orders that result in more deaths than victories follow.

She and Oleg used to be very close, to the point that they even grew flowers together and used to babysit children together as a way to gain a little something something on the side. Whenever Luka reports to her, she asks about Oleg and how he's doing, every time she asks she has a wishful expression on her face.

Natasha was actually very suspicious of Sampo in the beginning, after all, before he joined the Silvermane Guards she hasn't heard a thing about him. She remained suspicious of him even after years, until the end of the Belobog arc. When he first made waves, she researched every little thing about him.

Oleg adopted Luka after his break up with Natasha, so when she first saw his last name she cried. She genuinely thought that she had missed a wedding or something.

Doctor handwriting. Even in another universe she couldn't escape the illegible doctor handwriting curse.

Seele

Used to go to the same elementary, middle and high school together with Luka. He was just a year or two younger than her. As a kid, she used to think he was okay, then during middle school she found him annoying and now it's a mix of two. However, he's probably the closest thing she has to a best friend and it's the person she trusts the most outside of Natasha.

She focuses a lot of her combat abilities. Since Natasha doesn't let her go on too many missions and she's not aware she's supposed to be the next Supreme Guardian (she is under the impression that she is just Natasha's adopted daughter) she doesn't think about the political situation or strategies all that much. She much prefers fighting the fragmentum.

Although technically she has a higher position than Sampo, whenever she gets overzealous during training or pushes herself too hard, she'll "be put in time out" by Sampo. Basically, she will be training and Hook and Clara pop out of nowhere, telling her how it's "time for a break, or else Sampo will put you in time out". She always tries to get out of it because she finds it stupid, but honestly dealing with Hook and Clara is a challenge in it of itself, so, unfortunately for her, Sampo's tactic works annoyingly well.

At first, she was struggling a lot in school, specifically with writing. When Natasha first caught wind of this, she sat down with Seele and they spent a whole evening just writing and Natasha helping Seele with school work.

For almost her whole life, Natasha and Oleg were together, so when Natasha turned distant and they broke up, she basically lost her parent. She visits Oleg's workshop every now and then, but they definitely aren't as close as they used to be. Now, unfortunately for her, the closest thing she has in her life that actively acts like a father figure is Sampo.

She regularly makes bets with soldiers in the front lines. Like, "oh, I bet Kyle can't headshot five fragmentum in a row". In general she is very friendly with them. Natasha is not a fan of that.

Luka asks her for a spar session almost any time he sees her. While it "annoys" her, she find comfort in the fact that she can tell him mood easily like that. She knows that if he's just fired up he gonna ask one or two times and if he feels bad for whatever reason, he's gonna be more persuasive.

Oleg

To him, the Neverwinter workshop was something that would've happened one way or another. He always knew that at some point he would own a workshop, however, what he didn't expect was how soon it would happen. He imagined opening it in his late forties - early fifties after passing his Stellaron research to a younger researcher. He never expected to have the nasty break up with Natasha and getting kicked out of the Silvermanes like that.

A side hobby he picked up after losing his job as a researcher was sketching. Whenever the workshop goes through a slow period with no customers or any work to do, people can find him outside, sketching whatever he sees.

When Luka lost his arm, he was devastated. He was so scared for his son he soot out Natasha, asking if she can find a better position for Luka that doesn't endanger him so much. Although he feels guilty for taking the choice from Luka, he also prefers feeling guilty with a son than feeling guilty without a son.

Back when Luka used to be in the frontlines, he wanted to meet his superior (Sampo) just to be sure that the Captain was capable. His first impression of Sampo wasn't a positive one, but after hearing about his achievements in battle, anecdotes from other guards, seeing Luka's admiration of him and seeing him around the street playing with the kids, he backed off.

He still misses Seele, even though technically she's not his kid. Even though that's the case, he still makes sure to prepare birthday gifts for her and congratulate her on any achievements.

He teaches Hook and Clara the basics of engineering. Every week he dedicates two hours for them. It's actually one of his favorite past times cause it livens up the place and reminds him of back when Luka and Seele used to be kids.

He still thinks about his research, specifically the Stellaron. He really wants to continue studying it and oftentimes thinks about it. He has a lot of theories about it but can't test any of them out.

Cocolia

She met Serval when the Landaus first moved to the Underground. While all the siblings have a positive opinion of her and they generally get along well, she and Serval clicked almost instantly. Serval helped her a lot with the orphanage, then with the clinic and finally with Wildfire.

Even though the Underground's atmosphere is pretty depressing, Cocolia tries her best make it more homey, warm and, in general, uplift the people. There's a reason why the people of the Underworld trust her with more than just medical issues.

One of her attempts to make the Underworld more welcoming was plants. Although most of them require sunlight, she got Sampo to look for ones that can survive without it. And just like that the Underworld is full of plants (as much as it can be). Unfortunately not all parts of the Underworld have a flourishing flora, the unlivable parts (thanks to the fragmentum) don't have any.

While she is a doctor and a healer is general, if it comes down to it, she can hold her own in battle. She uses a bass guitar when fighting, the one that in the original Serval broke during her companion quest.

She and Bronya have a very strong bond. They spend hours talking about different ways to optimize Wildfire. Serval helps with that too, either as the face of Wildfire or by suggesting ways to update equipment or create new weapons. Whenever Sampo is present, his input is asked as well, although he mostly helps with strategizing and ways to get rid of the fragmentum.

The hardest choice she had to make was exile Vache. She was conscious of his downward spiral when he started obsessing over blizzard immunity but the human experimentation was kept a secret from her until Lynx mentioned hearing something about it. Needless to say when she found out she was heartbroken.

She is well liked by all the children, and she always has some sort of candy on her desk. It's either for children who are being treated or, at the end of each day, the most behaved kid gets two.

Bronya

Although she didn't go to school, she knows the basics thanks to Cocolia and Serval. So now, her favorite hobby is reading. She has read as many books as she could get her hands on. Anytime she sees Sampo, she asks him to deliver her a book or two.

While she is part of Wildfire and she does fight against the fragmentum under Serval's command, whenever fragmentum activity is low, she is seen helping around Cocolia's clinic. While is mostly acts as a nurse following Cocolia's orders, she is still very skilled, to the point that other nurses sometimes call her "Cocolia 2.0".

She has learned the basics of engineering from Serval. It's a skill that comes in handy more often than not, from fixing up children's toys to helping fix equipment that was broken by the fragmentum.

The kids love her too. Whenever they get into trouble the first person they go to is Bronya due to her "not being an adult" (she is, she is just the youngest one working in the clinic so they assume she's still a teenager).

She has heard a lot about Gepard, but she has never actually met him since she wasn't adopted back when the Underworld and Overworld weren't separated. Despite this, she feels as if she had known him forever because of how often Serval and Lynx mention him. As if he's still here, with them.

She and Pela are good friends. Thanks to her, Bronya got into the Tales of the Winterlands. That series got her to wish to one day go to the topside and see the snow plains for herself. It's a wish she holds close to her heart.

She is close to Lynx as well, they spend a lot of time together due to her being the little sister of Serval. The two of them started reading Tales of the Winterlands together thanks to Pela and both of them loved it. They have spent hours talking about what they want to do in the Overworld.

Pela

She is a very important part of Wildfire not only because of her strength but also because of her great investigation skills and data collection. Thanks to her, Wildfire is not only able to catch troublemakers but also because she could predict future fragmentum activity based on the data she managed to collect.

She was the one who investigated Vache when Cocolia first heard of the rumours. She had come to Pela as a friend, asking for help, not as part of Wildfire. Pela accepted to look into it for free, and gave it her all. Let's just say the investigation wasn't all that pleasant.

She has created a fake identity that she uses to bet on herself. She is very strategic about it too. If she wins too many bets, she makes sure to stage a few loses to keep the attention away from her fake identity. She has made bank with that strategy.

Moreover, the reason she is still technically in debt is because the person she owes to is in the Overworld, so she had no way to reach him and she can't ask Sampo for help. She has a small box in her apartment that is the payment to her debt. She's not sure if there's any extra payment due to being late (although it's not really her fault) but just in case she keeps some extra shield.

Her closest friend is Lynx, they hang out together anytime Lynx isn't with Svarog. There's moments were they don't talk, Lynx just shows her picture as they cuddle on Pela's sofa and that's probably their favorite activity. However, anytime Lynx is in a talkative mood, the two of them theorize on what Gepard is doing in the Overworld.

She preforms in Mechanical Fever with Serval. It's a way for her to gain an additional income while hanging out with her friends (Serval, Lynx and sometimes Cocolia (when she's not busy with Wildfire and the clinic, which is pretty rare)). She is a drummer, her drumsticks are handmade and very sturdy (build by Serval) and she uses them when fighting as well.

She participates in a lot of food completions (like eating all 5 crabs that are in the game), but her favorites are the ones with spicy food. She and Serval were the ones with the biggest rivalry in a spice tolerance competition.

Serval

When she and her siblings first moved into the Underworld, they could only afford a one-bedroom apartment. She and Lynx shared the bedroom and Gepard slept in the living room. Soon, after Cocolia formed Wildfire, Serval go the opportunity to move. Now, she lives with Cocolia in a four-bedroom apartment, one for her and Cocolia, two bedrooms for Lynx and Bronya and the last one for Gepard.

While she is part of Wildfire, she also has her own "workshop" which is just her "experimentations" on automatons. She wants to create truly sturdy ones that can handle the fragmentum so that people don't have to risk their lives (and to also win in automaton fights shhh!!!!!).

While she doesn't like Svarog, she still helps him fix up a few things here and there, although she doesn't approve of the way they run their part of the Underworld she understands that he is an important ally. Plus, she gets access to better tools/materials.

She is still the lead singer/guitarist in Mechanical Fever. Most of her songs are about hope and a brighter future, it's her way of helping uplift the people of the Underworld. She is the most popular artist in the Underworld because of this.

When Sampo first arrived to the Underworld, she asked him about Gepard. More specifically, how he's been, if Sampo knows anything about him (whereabouts, health and the like). While he answered her questions, she asked if he could bring Gepard down, but he said "not yet". He did give her other reasons as well, but the "not yet" stuck with her.

Whenever Bronya and her go for patrols or missions together, they just talk. Like, they do get the work down, but they have insanely good coordination skills and synergy together that it's a breeze for them so it works more as a bonding moment rather than work.

The one taking care of most plants in the Underworld is Serval because they remind her a lot of Gepard and his love for plant life. On especially lonely nights she imagines his reaction to seeing how much the Underworld has changed since last time he was there.

Lynx

The reason Lynx got so attached to Svarog was because he possessed a lot of knowledge about the outside world and he could answer a lot of her questions. He once even showed her a projection of how the aurora looks back in the snow plains.

Before meeting Svarog she had tried to go to the surface to, one, find Gepard and, two, to see the Overworld once more. She went pretty far, but she couldn't unlock the Furnace Core, so she had to leave before Svarog found her.

She once confided in Pela that she doesn't remember Gepard's face, that it's very blurry for her and that she feels very guilty about it. She is frustrated because she does care about him and Serval always gets a sad distant look when he's brought up, but whenever she is trying to imagine the three of the reuniting, she can't picture it.

She has tried reasoning with Svarog on multiple occasions, but the robot never changes his mind. She still hasn't lost hope whatsoever. After all, her dream, aside from reuniting with Gepard, is to visit the snow plains.

She knows basic engineering thanks to both Serval and Svarog. Although she is not very interested in it. She prefers learning about the outside world much more, but it's useful information so she doesn't argue.

Whenever she wants to get a few extra shield, she goes to the fight club to bet on Pela. If she is not participating, she follows Pela's betting advice. She almost always wins, but that's because she doesn't visit the club that often.

When she met Sampo, she had asked for pictures of the snow plains, since she learned he fights the fragmentum there. He obliged and now she has a whole pin board dedicated to those pictures in her room.

Hook and Clara

The two of them are a very big deal in their school. They brag that THE Captain of the Silvermane Guards has them as "assistants". At first, the other kids didn't believe them when Hook said that they work for Sampo until he comes pick them up from school one day (Fersman was busy).

While the two of them have their separate bedrooms, every night they have "sleepovers" which is basically them sleeping together in each other's bedrooms. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they sleep in Hook's room and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays they sleep in Clara's room. On Sundays they play rock paper scissors to decide where the sleepover will be.

Seele had to explain to them on multiple occasions that they are not official Silvermane Guards. Hook refuses to listen and Clara is just confused. Both insist that they are cause "uncle Sampo told us we are under his command!!!!!!!!! You're just jealous your boss isn't as cool as ours!!!!!"

While they get a lot out of following Sampo's orders, they are still not allowed in the restricted zone. They don't get it, and Sampo dances around the issue, ordering them to do things outside it like bringing lunch to Luka or something.

Both of them are really scared of Natasha. They've seen her once or twice in public appearances and whenever they bumped into her in Qlipoth Fort, and while at first she seems nice, something about her scares them. Most of the time whenever they see her they run to hide either behind Sampo or Fersman or Luka.

Once, Sampo had an infiltration mission but Hook and Clara kept wanting to hang out with them. Sampo noticed Gepard in his terrible disguise and told them to follow him. They ended up pestering Gepard all day instead.

Anytime there's a disagreement between them they solve it with a game of rock paper scissors. Even when doing homework. If one of them got a 7 as an answer while the other got a 100 they play rock paper scissors and list the answer as whatever the winner got.

[mitsundere]

as an avid rofan enjoyer ur so right about gepard being 2nd ml coded 😭 HE'S SUCH A PERFECT FIT he would be suspicious of fl at first (if they first meet like mc did in jarilo) but then warm up to her and become friends and then she'd show him how to take care of himself and not be such a workaholic and maybe they meet by chance when he patrols omfg the possibilities...and then gepard realizes way late he has a crush (and he's at a disadvantage bc he isn't a black haired cold duke of the north who the fl is in an arranged marriage with) and he blushes sm around her even though he knows perfectly well how to be chivalrous he just makes more mistakes and blanks out....and tries to grow flowers that remind him of her...but keeps his distance bc she's married and gets heartbroken when he sees fl and cold duke growing closer and closer </3 (i yapped a little sorry lmao) i can count on one hand the manhwas with mls that remind me of him and that's something that needs to change Right Now

YOU GET MEEEE he drowns himself in his work again to try and distract himself, but he's still clearly affected by it 💔 when he overworks himself, he gets reminded of the FL's concern for him and he just. suffers more. like i'm gonna need to get isekai'd or something to help mend his broken heart (another trope i adore /coughs)...

imagine him with a person he's never met before, showering him in so much love and affection.. he wouldn't know what to do!!! gepard is still the polite nobleman that he is, but his politeness keeps people at a distance rather than pull them towards him (which is understandable since everyone in the nation knows about his recent heartbreak). yet this person keeps approaching him. constantly asks about his day, how he's feeling, etc. and even offers to try doing his work for him just to ease the burden off his shoulders.

and it works. the servants are the first to notice the change, then his sisters, and gepard is the last person to realize that his chest doesn't hurt as much anymore, or he isn't feeling as exhausted as usual.

over time, he started avoiding the garden he loved so much because it brought about painful memories of him and the FL. the one time he visits it again, he sees that person watering the flowers that reminded him of the FL. they don't notice him, but he has the opportunity to see the way the morning sun shines on their disheveled hair and blessing their cheeks with warmth. the dirt on their garments. the silly little tune they hummed and the gentle smile on their face—

gepard knows this feeling blooming in his chest all too well, and for the first time in months, he doesn't mind being in this garden again

[feroluce]

Sampo's jobs usually involve either business or smuggling, but he prides himself on his wide variety of skill sets. He's the one and only Sampo Koski, after all! You name it (and pay him for it), he can do it! Which is how he gets drafted by Natasha to help out in the daycare/orphanage one day. Gepard goes down to the Underground to see the leader of Wildfire about some official business, and instead he runs into Sampo with:

One baby strapped to his chest,

Another baby strapped to his back,

A toddler carefully balanced on his hip,

And a little kid clutched around each leg, whining for Sampo to start walking again because they wanna hitch a ride.

Sampo: Well, well! If it isn't our- Er... You alright, friend?

Gepard: OTL (I AM GOING TO DEFY BIOLOGY-)

[reallyrandomtj]

What if I said that my Gepard is ONE STEP away from a villain arc?

One more of his men 'dying' in front of him?

One of them DYING to protect their Captain in the Fragmentum?

The pressure to be the perfect citizen/role model?

Enduring another fight/falling out with Serval?

Pushing himself to be the best he can be in an attempt to protect his men and citizens of Belobog from those that wish to disturb the peace? Be it other people or MONSTERS.

The constant 'silent killer' fear of the citizens turning against him?

The best way I would describe my Gepard? THIS SONG!

Gepard is ALWAYS trying his best to benefit the safety/freedom of other people BUT in HIS reality... at the end of each day he is ALWAYS on the edge of breaking down into tears and mentally claiming that Belobog, and even his siblings, deserve better than what he has already given. Only he can't or else everything he has done would be undone and the innocent would suffer! By this I mean his lack of wanting to take time off from his duties ~

[loiyaltie]

STARTER CALL. // @caemthe (cú)

"Your support on the front lines has been invaluable..."

Gepard leads the way back into the barracks, offering the other entry before himself, and first chance for a seat in the warmth. Serval's repairs to the Geomarrow heaters have meant that retaining heat within the buildings has been easier on the front lines, the soldiers able to function without huddling for warmth. Gepard is more than used to the bitter bite of the cold, but the newer recruits always struggle. Well most of them. The green-haired one who fights like a man possessed has never held complaint, nor has the one he now shares space of. Privately he considers him the more personable of the two.

"How are you finding things? I do hope that the service has not detracted from your enjoyment of Belobog..." He would not want the visitors from the stars to see themselves as being taken advantage of.

[w4yn31ngm00n]

i know that several people have already brought up how alike Gepard and Garroth look, but like id like to add a little bit of Captain Dunn's personality in there too <3 [it also may just be the fact that i really wanna draw garroth in both gep and dunn's armor, also bc the way that Dunn talks about him and Serval's past kinda makes me think abt how Garroth would probably talk about him and Aph's post-s2].