#eighthunter

[eorzeashan]

I still find it Very Funny that Eight caught onto Hunter's psychosexual flirting/antagonism and got so excited to reciprocate that he tried to court him in the Echani way which was to fight him about it in their last showdown. and well. Hunter only lasted about a minute or two

[eorzeashan]

Thinking about how I accidentally made Eight the perfect accompaniment to Hunter, and it's killing me.

Hunter clearly loves driving the Imp Agent up a wall because he recognizes you are much like him your own brilliant, independent way as spies that no one can compare to, but I feel like he'd get outright excited if he realizes you too, are a killer who can play the same game. He wants to get a rise out of you while always jerking your leash, laughing at your helplessness, but if you can keep up with him...well. It's a sort of acceptance, isn't it? To recognize yourself in the other. To go, "you think you are the only one with fangs in the room. shall we court, then?"

My Agent and him would get along exceedingly well; watching them go to work is like seeing two lions running side-by-side, as if they've never been apart their whole lives. Hunter is a black-humored point of hilarity to him in the way he constantly tries to get under his skin, but he doesn't mind it as much as he pretends to. Their back-and-forth devolves from attempted verbal slaughter to mundane retorts and banter that only accentuates how much time they spend in each other's space, and soon they're never seen apart. I think Eight is the straight man to Hunter's boke, but his outer coolness hardly gets in the way of his antics. If anything, he enables it.

Kothe calls for one or the other, but it's always two answering. As a result, the cell has given up on splitting them apart; where one goes, the other follows.

Standing guard by Kothe's side, they look like twin dobermans that the leader of a gang has bred to be eternally loyal and downright vicious.

I also think there's too much sexual tension between two killers who have never met someone like themselves much less someone who understands them so entirely that there's no way they could not fuck, but my Eight only submits to those he sees as above him that even a true equal like Hunter could not be his love. I feel bad for Hunter in this situation, knowing he'd be obsessed with someone who sees him so thoroughly and yet flies out of his reach. Sorry Hunter. His flirting would drive Hunter crazy, especially since Eight is not afraid to get physically intimate.

I also think he respects Hunter's secret independence as a free agent enough that he'd let him go after the cell dissolves, saying something like "you wanted to travel the galaxy with me. make good on that promise, and maybe I won't kill you the next time we meet." Sure, his motives and the Star Cabal suck, but he genuinely enjoys the chase and wants to see what else Hunter will do out in the galaxy. If it's not something he agrees with, he'll stop him.

If it is, they'll be two lions on the hunt once more.

[eorzeashan]

hmm. Hunter thoughts today to the surprise of no one since he's circulating around the dash

Eight was never particularly upset about what he did because it's not his personality to fall for Hunter's bait whatsoever. Chalk it up to his inner numbness and inability to pursue vengeance of any sort. He and Hunter were very much equally matched as opportunists, and he knew that one tiny chance was all he needed to get to him. Sometimes he'd give him reminders (cough oops got your tongue cough).

More than that, he knew Hunter was a cog in the wheel of his own game as well, much like himself. Reasons why he was more upset that Hunter might've lied to him about being free and seeing the galaxy unbound by doctrine when Hunter was as much a caged being like him, raised to be a weapon for a cause he was barely a part of, a last man standing. As if being an enforcer for the Star Cabal would've let him be anything but a bunch of lies. This, he knew too well. It's their duty to live for the cause and fight to the death. It's never been their duty to live. Only anyone else like him would know that.

Did you lie? He'd ask him.

Hunter would smile, red staining his teeth. It's what we do, isn't it? Weave fancy stories to lure people in. It's fun, pretending to be someone else for awhile. Sorry you had to find out this way. I was expecting someone a little less... you.

[eorzeashan]

I've forced myself into creative fasting both so I can actually write and not pigeonhole straight into gaming and plow through every chapter of the agent story again and forget everything that happens bc i went through it too fast but also so I don't lose sight of the Jadus encounter just to trade it for more Hunter dynamics.

So basically, i'm not allowed to go kiss Hunter in-game until i've finished writing more Jadorre, but this made me imagine Eight being like "I have a fiancee" to Hunter, who's immediately (secretly) jealous, and 'who's the lucky bastard and when do I get to kill him' "it's Darth Jadus." '....alright, that's a little harder. pauses any chance I can squeeze my way in there or is tall dark and sith-y not open to that?"

either way, Eight x Jadus x Hunter is the funniest OT3 I can think of, and i'm pretty sure the other two are immediately thinking of ways to murder the other. how the hell would this work out? it doesn't. but by god I want it to. it's like a mini legion of doom.

[eorzeashan]

eighthunter is so romantic until I remember the part where eight chased hunter through the star cabal headquarters at full sprint with a knife smiling ear to ear and yelling "THANK YOU FOR THE MEAL"

[eorzeashan]

recalling the final confrontation with Hunter made me burst out laughing because not only did Eight knock him on his ass in record time (and then in my personal imagination, sit on his downed self so he couldn't do anything after like suicide), when Hunter started explaining his past and how he was just a nobody raised for this one purpose of nonexistence in espionage and that they were the same, Eight went "oh! and so we are." all cheery-like with a smile.

I also completely forgot that bit about Hunter, which meant I had unintentionally made a little-too perfect mirror of an agent. Oops.

I pictured Hunter shocked into silence for a few seconds before going "that wasn't supposed to be relatable you asshole," but still unable to prevent a smile because you can't exactly feel that sorry for yourself when someone else is in your shoes, can you?

[eorzeashan]

vampire hunter AU for eighthunter where Hunter gets trapped in Jadus' creepy castle and chased by naked werewolf Eight hunting him slowly with a giant sword and a big smile- wait a minute this is just the usual verse

[eorzeashan]

eighthunter is really funny to me bc it's about reversal but i also realized that hunter is looking at eight in my snippet the way some people look at hunter like 'he's covered in blood and INSANE i want him so BAAAD'

[eorzeashan]

wait. if in the context of the class story Eight is in love with the ghost of Cipher Nine but carried on in their place knowingly does this mean he literally fought Hunter for Nine's hand and Won

[eorzeashan]

say what you will about Hunter but it's incredibly funny to me that if you choose to attack him when he says "I've dreamed of this--you and me tearing each other apart," he calls you a liar for calling him a 'sick man with sick dreams'. why are you mad i'm getting right to the ripping and tearing. i thought you wanted this. *eight's stoicism ruins hunter's romantic mood yet again*

it also reminds me of how ffxiv's zenos yae galvus will say 'hmph, still playing the part of the hero,' if you choose to not accept him. in more ways than one, these two characters are very alike in being obsessed with a hero-figure who finds them repulsive for trying to get close to them, and makes their own parasocial relationship with them in their mind and through mutual violence.

[eorzeashan]

[eorzeashan]

Now where were we- oh, right. Agent Ch 2 spoilers.

It's Mr. Yousa Get No Bitches.

Hunter: Our Imperial hero- with a conscience.

No, he's just that good to get a perfect score without breaking a sweat. Professionals have standards, Hunter.

And don't buy him a Sullustan Sunrise. He's not one of your fried chicken harlots.

Eight: I'm a professional. I focus on the job...whatever side I'm working for. boy you don't know the half of it

COUGH- DAD THIS ISN'T WEED

Vector: Traditionally, the Dawn Herald is a warrior and emissary for the nest-- one who confronts the unknown.

I'm really glad I went Hand of Jadus route, because he also calls you his herald, so it makes the parallels Vector draws all the more striking. That definition fits us too, if you consider Jadus as the unknown.

"Heehoo I'm just an innocent old man" l i a r. Also, Taris is a lawless place.

This part scratched my brain. I like the idea of Eight's other specialty being improv interrogation. He is the type to kill someone with whatever is in the room, whether it's something average like a kitchen knife or as impossible as a penny and a feather.

Chance: And for the record? I don't agree with how Master Kothe is using the command codes... I'd like to make up for it.

Chance you sweet, sweet boy why didn't you say that my first playthrough you would've garnered so much sympathy instead of having Nine hate your guts for out of associated spite arghhh

At least Eight is touched about it.

That's about half of swamp spelunking done, but I'm thoroughly amused by the fact that Eight got the restraints on him and shrugged, going "it wouldn't be much of a game without a little difficulty added, wouldn't it." He'd be a lot less impressed if they didn't use that countermeasure.

And you know how he is with risk gambling.

Jadus is...going to have a time feeling all this on his end. I've actually been debating all week whether or not he could directly inform Jadus about it over their bond, but I think that's too much of a cop-out so I'm leaving it at only mental transmission.

[eorzeashan]

First a season of fire. You saw the world burn. You kindled spark into the blaze. You...bound yourself to a darkness falling like rain.

This is possibly my favorite description of the history between him and Jadus, not to mention the sheer surprise coming off of an unflappable Voss Mystic who has seen countless traumas. I've always written their dynamic like dark waters; incalculably deep and frightening like the abyss, but comforting to those who cannot breathe anywhere but in its depths.

Falling like rain...is an oddly gentle metaphor. It extinguishes fire, does it not?

I'll be thinking on this.

Voss questline continues to remind the agent of their core. That strength remains. It's why he's won over and over again, even if he is no longer who he once was.

I imagine that's why he also ultimately triumphs over Hunter; he'll kneel on him and ask, have you ever loved someone, Hunter?

Hunter might stare at him in confusion. Maybe even answer "you, for starters," while coughing up blood in his shitty smile.

Eight will just hum and go, see, that's why you lost.

If there's one thing he believes above all else, it's that everyone needs their reason to fight. It doesn't matter how. It doesn't matter why or if the reason stopped mattering a long time ago. Without it, you truly are nothing.

Amin-Le: Your spirit shines, but it is trapped. You must change, what will you become?

Eight: Changing identities is what I do best. I'll be whatever I need to be.

There he goes again. I adore how compared to his Nine playthrough, this quest reminds him of the sheer Light he holds inside that drives him to victory each and every time. As Nine, he was so broken at this point that he simply wanted to be free, so it was much different than the confidence he has here. He doesn't need to be free as Eight; he has his own power in knowing fully what he can be and what he values most. Nothing can take that away from him.

I can change. I will change. I will not fear it.

Final note: The number Eight resembles an infinity symbol. It has no end, and no beginning.

[eorzeashan]

it's time for another Eight hc: we already know he uses Echani vibroswords, but there's more to it! Katana-wearing irl (usually in iaido) features a cord to tie the sheathe to the hakama so it doesn't fall off (diagram below).

However, the cord, called a sageo has multiple uses besides simply being an attachment and was theorized to have aided as a quick improvised rope to capture defeated enemies with. This plays into Hojojutsu, the martial art of restraining with rope-- which in turn fathered Shibari, a version of bdsm, as Japanese rope-tying has always had origins in being done as an art form.

Circling back again to Eight, it's a frequent joke in my head that he only knows any other random skill because it related to combat at some point, and I think this would hold especially true for having knowledge on sword maintenance and martial rituals/etiquette (which are canon to be just as proper and symbolic) so he would very likely carry a sageo and know exactly how to use it to its full extent, so adding rope-tying methods to his arsenal would be necessary. Ropes in general have symbolism as "evil-sealing" cords in Shintoism, so I like to think his particular sageo was an artifact obtained from the IRS and given to him when it kept inducing horrible nightmares in other officers who touched it with the memories of dark-siders bound and sacrificed with it in the ancient past. As a result of being immune to it and finding its proper usage, he uses it to restrain Force individuals as it seems to absorb their energy but also wards him from it in a minor way.

However, he also insists it represents his Force bond with Jadus and fawns over it like a wedding charm that he lovingly wears. "This is as strong as the link that ties me to my Lord. That's why it'll never break!" 'There he goes again...'

(There's simple and ceremonial knots and even ones that symbolize status. If we go even deeper, there's the same kind of thought put into even tying-up criminals.)

My last point is that Eight probably trussed up countless targets with this cord and has incredible rope-tying skills bc of the innate martial art of it, but at some point this definitely turned someone on by accident....and then he discovered he had a knack for this bdsm business.

So, please expect a blurb of him practicing bondage on Hunter at some point. And perhaps a few others.

[eorzeashan]

eighthunter dynamic is hard to parse for me. i wrote it a long time ago and several times over. i could call it toxic yuri. but most of the time it was haha :^) this game we're playing is so fun! *gets to the end, eviscerates his entire order like a fox that broke into a henhouse* ah, but the game is over. it was always going to end this way. we really were alike, but only winners get to decide that, don't they?

[eorzeashan]

SWTOR Page

general tag swtor + ooc (most of my character ideas and thoughts/worldbuilding goes here)

general fic rec tag swtor fanfiction

personal writing tag admin writes

SWTOR OC's:

Eight (Cipher Eight)

character tag oc: orradiz

Overview: Originally an AU of my original Cipher Nine, who evolved into his own character and is now independent of his previous iteration. As an expy, he sometimes shares the universe with the canon Cipher Nine or takes their role in the Agent story.

Background

AUs:

General List

Hand of Jadus

KOTXX

fake alliance alerts

Ships:

Jadus x Imperial Agent (tag: jadorre)

Hunter x Imperial Agent (tag: eighthunter)

OC Ships:

sh: 789 (ft. ain'res who belongs to @thelealinhypehouse and jey'mian who belongs to @ainyan)

sh: 7 + 8 (ain'res)

tyr deckard (@tiredassmage's Cipher Nine)

Nosta (Ex-Cipher Eight):

Overview: The original Cipher Eight and adoptive mother/mentor figure of the current "Eight", with ties to the Ascendancy; does not go through the canon events of the Agent story and precedes them.

character tag oc: nosta