#schreibers fanfiction

[druckkugelschreiber]

Six sentence sunday

Just on Monday cause timezones and stuff. Tagged by the lovely @mxanigel thank you so much!

A little more than six sentences cause yall know by now I can't help myself

Just some Cipher/ofc oneshot stuff

“Riha?” Dom called.  I refused to answer him. Maybe he’d leave me alone thinking I was still asleep. I wish I was still asleep. “I deserve a vacation”, I mumbled, cuddling against Cipher again.  Cipher kissed my temple. “I’ll take you anywhere you want once this is over.” “This over ending with you on top?” I mumbled, smiling because having her here was always nice.  “If it ends with me on top of you, I certainly won’t mind”, Cipher said at the same time as the door to my bedroom opened and Dom stepped inside.  “Do you not knock?” I snapped, instantly angry.  “The fuck, Riha?” Dom sounded genuinely put off. “I thought you weren’t sleeping with her?”

no pressure tagging some other people for late six sentence sunday cause I can and what is time anyway? @ziskandra @winterbonesthings @milesmentis and @ex0rin

[maybe-im-dark]

Growing pains

Based on this post

Puberty hit James like a freight train in the dark, but nobody had told him it would be like this. Nobody had told him it would be pain wrapped in confusion, wrapped in terror, wrapped in something that wasn’t entirely human.

It started with the claws.

They came in the evening, in the hallway of his home after a gunshot, his father lying lifeless on the ground and then blood — so much blood. He didn’t want to think about that evening anymore. He didn’t want to remember the sound Thomas Logan made when he drove his claws into him or the way or the way his mother's scream seemed to echo forever.

But that was only the beginning.

At first James thought the claws were the end of the changes, as if they were some horrible curse marking him as something wrong. But soon, other things started happening. Subtle at first: the way his arms ached, deep and insistent, like something inside was pulling him apart. Or how he could suddenly hear every creak of the old hunting cabin that Victor and he had found in the forest, every drip of water leaking from the ceiling when it rained, every breath his brother took in the room beside his.

The woods around them were alive in a way, only the lonely could feel. The kind of alive that pressed against your ribs, filled your lungs with pine-scented dread and whispered secrets just out of reach. James had been running in through these woods for weeks now, or maybe it was months. Time stretched like the shadows between the trees and he had long stopped counting the days since he and Victor ran. They had settled here for now but really they didn't have a destination. Victor had laughed and said running wasn’t about getting anywhere. It was about leaving everything behind.

At first, it had been easy. Victor hunted, they ate, they slept. It was a rhythm, primal and simple. But James could feel the changes creeping in, slinking up on him the way Victor’s feral grin sometimes did when he wasn’t looking.

And then there was the smell.

James hadn’t noticed it at first. But one day as he sat by the fire with Victor, it hit him. Victor smelled...different. Stronger, muskier like wet fur and something metallic. The realization unnerved him.

"Why do you smell like that?" James asked, his voice shaking.

Victor tilted his head, his lips curling into a sharp smile. He poked the fire with a stick. The flames flickered, as if they were afraid of him. "Like what, Jimmy?"

James sniffed again, his nose wrinkling. "Like blood."

Victor laughed, low and rough and reached out to ruffle his hair. "You’re growing up, little brother. You’re starting to notice things."

James pulled away, frowning. "I don’t want to notice things."

Victor’s grin widened, his sharp teeth glinting in the firelight. "Too late for that."

The pain got worse after that.

It wasn’t the kind of pain you could see —no cuts, no bruises— but it was there, gnawing at his bones, clawing at his insides. His forearms ached constantly, a deep pulsing agony that made him want to scream. Sometimes, when he flexed his fingers, he could feel something shift beneath the surface of his skin, long and hard and wrong.

"It's just growing pains", Victor said one night.

James shool his head, his face pale. "It doesn’t feel right. It feels like something...moving."

Victor leaned back, his blue eyes glinting in the darkness. "That’s cause it is."

James stared at him, his chest tightening. "What do you mean?"

His brother shrugged, his voice casual. "Your claws. They’re growin', same as the rest of you. Your bones gotta move to make room for 'em."

James' stomach churned. "That’s not supposed to happen."

Victor chuckled, low and dark. "We’re not supposed to happen, Jimmy. We’re something else."

---

The dreams started not long after.

In the dreams, he was running. The forest blurred around him, dark and endless, the trees clawing at the sky. He could smell the damp earth beneath his feet, the sharp tang of pine and something else—something alive. He could hear it too, the frantic thud of a heartbeat, the rustle of leaves as it tried to escape.

And then he caught it.

His claws tore through flesh, warm blood spilling onto his hands. The thing screamed, high and shrill and James woke up, gasping for air.

He tried to talk to Victor about the dreams, but Victor only grinned.

"They’re not dreams", Victor said, his voice calm, almost soothing. "They’re instincts. You’re waking up to what you are."

James frowned, his hands trembling. "And what am i?"

Victor leaned closer, his fangs flashing in the moonlight that fell through the windows. "A predator."

---

It happened one night, during a storm. The rain pounded against the roof of the cabin and the wind howled through the trees like a pack of wolves. James lay in his makeshift bed, his body wracked with pain, hus heart pounding in his chest.

And then it broke.

His forearms snapped, the bones shifting with a sickening crunch. He screamed, his claws bursting free with a wet sound. His senses exploded, he could hear every creak of the cabin, every gust of wind, every drop of rain. The air was thick with the smell of blood, sweat and fear. His very own smell.

He stumbled outside, his vision blurring, his body moving on instinct. The forest called to him, its shadows wrapping around him like a cloak. He could feel it now, the thing inside of him, awake and hungry.

Victor was waiting for him.

"Feel it, Jimmy?", he asked. "That fire in your chest? That burn in your gut? That’s who you are."

James shook his head, his claws digging into the dirt. "I don’t want this."

Victor stepped closer, his eyes gleaming. "It’s not about what you want. It’s about what you are."

And then James snapped.

He lunged at Victor, his claws slashing through the air. Victor laughed, catching his wrists and shoving him back.

"Not me, Jimmy", he said, his voice steady. "Not yet."

James turned, his senses locking onto something in the distance. The smell of something, warm and alive. The sound of frantic breathing.

A group of fawns.

He didn’t remember running, but suddenly he was there, standing over it as it cowered on the ground.

Its eyes stared up at him, wide and afraid. It made a choked bleating sound.

James' claws tore through its chest, silencing it.

The others ran, but he was faster. He caught them one by one, their screams cutting through the night like shards of glass.

When it was over, he stood in the middle of a clearing, his chest heaving, his arms covered in blood.

Victor appeared behind him, his smile wide and sharp.

"See?", his brother said, his voice soft and coaxing. "I told ya. You’re a predator."

James started at his hands, the blood pooling around his feet. His stomach churned.

Victor clapped a hand on his shoulder, his grip firm. "Welcome to the pack, little brother."

James didn’t answer. He just stared into the darkness, his breath fogging in the cold night air.

And deep down, in the part that was still human, he felt it.

The beast had won.

[eureka-its-zico]

A Body of Stars

Ongoing series

Synopsis: With a galaxy at war, it’s hard to distinguish the stars from the metal of UNSC ships. You were told about the war that waged between the UNSC and insurrectionists; your planet opposing them since you were born. Your enemy was meant to be the UNSC and the Spartans they created, specifically John-117 - the Master Chief. Except, all isn’t as black and white as you were raised to believe, and the galaxy holds secrets far darker than you could’ve imagined.

Pairing: John - 117 x F!Reader

Genre: enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, Halo TV series/Mass Effect mashup

Warnings: mentions of war, violence

Word count: 11.7k

A/N: Alright. As hyper fixations go, the Halo series (and let’s be real, Pablo is a menace) has my ass in a chokehold. That being said, season 2 was amazing and made me want to work on a small fic that blended the series and my love of BioWare’s Mass Effect. Mass Effect is my favorite sci-fi space game about galactic war, friendship, love, sacrifice. I could rant but I won’t. There will be mentions of certain ME things in here, like the reader having biotics, to go along with the lore of the halo series. So, without further ado: its back story time. I hope someone out there enjoys this and as always, thank you for reading 🖤 much love, Jenn

Year: 2521

•Shadow Sea cluster•

•Lera system•

Destination: Laconix

ETA: 13 hours

The Midsummer Night came out of slip space without a hitch.

Not that he’d been worried. It was one of the few things that Captain Jacob Keyes hadn’t worried about during this current mission. What, or rather who, currently worried him was standing less than ten yards from him and came in the form of his ex-wife. He risked a glance where Dr. Catherine Halsey was hunched over with her nose deep inside another holopad. 

Those holopads had been one of the many reasons why their marriage fell apart. 

There was no doubting the brilliance her work contributed to the scientific field or the war effort. All of her research was the stepping stone humanity needed in terms of augmentation and the human genome. The contributions Halsey and her Spartans made towards this never-ending battle against the covenant saved lives, but, and it was a big but, Jacob knew that Halsey’s methods were questionable, at best. Hell, he’d been a part of those questionable decisions, driving the helm, while she did what she deemed was necessary. 

Vital. 

So, Jacob Keyes knew without her ever having to say a word that something was off. The Midsummer Night and the Pegasus holding Halsey’s darling Spartain-III’s were meant to go for a routine extraction. Intel indicated one of the leaders in the insurrectionist rebel groups, Kahn Montrello, was located on a planet within the Lera system of the Shadow Sea cluster. It was a typical snatch-and-grab unless they were met with resistance. 

Halsey requesting to tag along was more than just a surprise. It was suspicious. Jacob knew Halsey didn’t do anything without purpose.

“Tell me again why you’ve insisted on inserting yourself into a routine mission dealing with insurrectionists?”

Halsey hadn’t even looked up from the damn holopad to acknowledge he’d walked over. 

“I’m just here to gather some data while the Silver Team is dispatched to help your marines on the ground.”

Jacob’s boots scuffed against the metal of the bridge as he moved closer to her. His eyes on Catherine’s back - willing her to turn, to acknowledge him - as her gaze held tightly to the readings she’d taken from a tablet from her lab. The data was transferred to the larger scale computer in the bridge’s main console. Halsey’s eyes roaming endlessly through data Jacob himself knew he’d never understand without her help. 

“Come on, Catherine. That may be the bullshit you fed Parangosky and the other admirals, but don’t feed me the same lies and expect it to go down smoothly.”

Halsey broke away for the briefest millisecond from whatever data she was reading. Her eyes skimmed over him before returning back to what was more important.

Research in the name of human exploration always was.

“It’s not bullshit. Data collected in the field is highly valuable for furthering my research; proof to Parangosky the Spartan research is worth her continued funding.”

“That’s a nice speech, Catherine, but I know that any collected data during the mission is recorded and sent back to your lab for analysis. So, when are you going to start telling me something honest?”

Honesty. 

Asking Halsey to be anything other than secretive was like asking a tiger to get rid of its stripes. Jacob knew even if she told him - really shared - it still wouldn’t be all of the actual information. Key pieces of information - the most valuable - would be forever stored within her; leverage for another day. 

Whatever it was she could see on those holopads had her sky blue eyes wide in excitement. Halsey wouldn’t be able to contain it - hide it - for much longer.  If the small rise at the corner of her mouth was any indication, all Jacob needed to do was push a little further. Find the right words to spark a rush of hypotheticals that might turn out to hold some truth. If she didn’t crack yet, it would take one more well-placed question and she would cave. 

“Jacob,” her voice was breathy, tinged with unrestrained joy. “I think I found something.”

“What are you talking about, Catherine? Found something?”

More cryptics. More hoops. 

A sigh heavy with years of fights - conflicts - departed his lips and Halsey rushed to recover some ground. Her body quickly took back the space he left to place her hand gently on his bicep. The grip was soft but demanding that he stay close; pleading with him not to pull away.

Halsey needed him. 

“A few weeks ago the UNSC sent over old documents from companies they’d disassembled. Conatix was one of them.”

It wasn’t hard to spot the confusion that deepened the lines in the crease of Jacob’s forehead and scrunched up his nose. His eyes roamed her face searching for a tell, but if Halsey had one she’d never show it. 

“Conatix was an old UNSC factory that produced our warships-“

“Yes, I know.”

“Why would you be interested in anything about warships?”

Halsey scanned the room to make sure no one was watching - no eyes lingering on the two of them - before she directed her attention back to him. The caution that darkened her eyes shifted with a spark Jacob knew all too well. 

Halsey had found something. Really found something. 

“Usually, nothing of value would be of interest in old documents and schematics for warships but, while scrolling through the files I stumbled upon an encrypted file.”

“UNSC documentation is always encrypted when it’s being shipped out to-“

“To be destroyed, yes I already know that, Jacob,” Halsey cut in. Her body directed back towards the holopad that she carefully picked up. Her fingers darted across the screen hunting for the files in question. “But this was different. It wasn’t schematics or calculations - it was redacted - sealed documents about an incident.”

No sooner had she started Halsey was finished. Her hand reached out to give him the holopad and waited patiently for him to take it. 

“Go ahead.”

Jacob looked around the ship's bridge to make sure no one was watching. He needed to be careful, not necessarily for Halsey’s sake, but for that of his crew. He should’ve known - did know - Halsey had a habit, a bad one, to go above the chain of command to get what she wanted. That leverage she saved for a rainy day coming in hot to throw around pawns and pieces as she saw fit to get her way. 

Cautiously, Jacob secured the holopad from her and started looking at the documents, or what little he could see. Almost with every swipe all he saw were broken links and documents with holes of information missing. Sentences that formed into two words with the rest gone or replaced by shapes and numbers. An elaborate break in the code. 

“I was able to decipher most of them. Get back what information they tried to hide-“

“Catherine,” he whispered her name in warning, not for himself, but for her. 

“Jacob - this wasn’t about warships or weapons or schematics. Something happened. A ship they’d used with element zero - eezo - had leaked out over a few colonies. A hole in one of the port engines that wasn’t caught in time.”

“Catherine,” Jacob pleaded again, “This isn’t news or anything that concerns you or me.”

Halsey wasn’t going to back down. He knew she wouldn’t. Not when the sheer joy of finding something undiscovered was close. The science behind furthering human evolution. The moment he realized what this was - what he held in his hands - Jacob knew his eyes were saucers. The sudden shock of realization stunning him to the spot. 

“Children, Jacob,” Halsey practically laughed. “The pregnant mothers who were infected by the particles gave birth to children with eezo ingrained into their nervous system. The abilities these files claim they saw…it’s like nothing I’ve ever read.”

In her excitement, Halsey reached out and took a hold of his arm. The startled warmth of her touch was enough to knock Jacob back out of his daze. His eyes skimming one more time over impossible things he saw in diagrams Halsey recreated. 

“Even if that was true, you don’t even know if any of them are still alive or where they are.”

With her lips curved up in victory, Halsey plucked the holopad from his hands. 

“Yes I do. We’re headed there now.”

————-

“You get caught staring up at the sky again and Caster is going to throw a fit.”

“When isn’t he throwing a fit?”

Your question wasn’t meant for an answer. The words barely made it above a whisper while you kept watch on the green hued light that streaked across the sky like a river. Calling it green felt like you were doing it a disservice. You knew it was more than that - the way it moved with purpose across the endless blue above. The different shades that reminded you of the grass on which you stood and dark as the forest that surrounded you. 

“Come on,” Thao called over his shoulder. Your name calling from his lips like it would be enough to coax you forward. “I want to get back to actually enjoy what little of my day I have left.”

“You can enjoy it now,” you reminded him. 

It took a few more seconds - another millisecond after that - for your eyes to turn back to the world around you. The snap of a branch somewhere off to your right informing you Thao had taken off without waiting for you to catch up. 

“Not when my friends are back at the colony having fun without me. And I’m out here looking for dumb ass yaks.”

A small tut of disapproval clicked at the roof of your mouth. Your stride easily brings you closer to the shorter eleven-year-old boy. It allowed you to gently ruffle his hair. Your efforts were greeted by a grunt of annoyance with his hand grabbing at your wrist to gently shove you away. 

“And just think, you would be there now, doing whatever it is you troublemakers do, if you and your friends hadn’t set a flare off inside Caster’s hut. And don’t disrespect the yaks.”

Thao’s eyes disappeared inside his head as your elbow gently nudged his shoulder. You must be making some kind of progress, because this time he made no move to push you away. 

“Old man deserved it. Always hoarding the chicken eggs.”

“He owns the chickens.”

“So?”

“So,” you drawled, “it means he owns the eggs. Owning the eggs also means he gets to distribute them however he sees fit.”

“How is that fair? You know he gave Lydia and her kids three eggs last week? Three eggs. What is a family of five supposed to do with that? It’s not right.”

You knew what Thao meant. You understood the feeling of anger that burned into sadness and ultimately to the ash of defeat. Kahn allowed those who proved useful in the fight against the UNSC to have a majority hold on most of the items in the colony. Those who allowed themselves to be shuffled around an unseeable chessboard like pawns. 

Willing to die, to give up everything, at his disposal. 

All in the name of fighting a government who grew more powerful everyday. The UNSC sharing their own videos of propaganda that showed thousands upon thousands of soldiers equally willing to die for a cause, and Spartans being the unmovable force needed to shift any battle back into the UNSC’s favor. It was this very reason Kahn looked for those desperate enough to join, to do anything he asked, to win. 

A devoted father agrees to be a walking bomb to blow up a UNSC building? His family is rewarded with food, wood, and blankets to help make it through the harsh winters. Attempting to infiltrate a building to release a virus, whether you were caught or not, Kahn took care of your family. It could be with livestock, guns for protection, or even the yaks whose pelts made the biggest profit at the markets. 

Every loss of life was just another reminder of the men and women who slowly disappeared from the colony. A senseless loss of life. You were still trying to figure out what it was for; what purpose you hadn’t been able to see, because for every life lost in the pursuit of justice against the USNC, their numbers only grew. The colony's numbers, however, weren't so lucky. 

“You could turn this war around.”

“I won’t kill for you, Kahn.”

You swiftly whipped your head to the side to rid yourself of the memory. Your eyes narrowing on the green rolling hills on the other side of the treeline. That was where you would find the yaks grazing. You gently patted Thao’ss shoulder - for whatever comfort it would give - before you moved forward to take point. 

“That’s because it isn’t fair, Thao.”

“See! Even you agree,” Thao huffed out your name. His small body broke into a jog to match your hurried step. “If anyone in the colony would be able to kick his ass, it would be you.”

Your feet were turning before you’d even realized it. Your body answered the piercing spike of adrenaline in your blood with your hands shooting out to grab his shoulders. The action made you crouch a couple inches until you were face-to-face with Thao. Your eyes scanned wildly across his features reading nothing but uncertainty. 

“Don’t ever say something like that out loud again, Thao. Do you understand me?”

“I was only saying-“

“I know what you're trying to say. The answer is no, and if Kahn or any of his dumbass lackies ever heard you even mention something like that we are both as good as dead.”

“But-“

“Tell me you understand!”

If anyone asked why you felt the sudden surge of panic ripple over your skin, you wouldn’t be able to say, or  place where it stemmed from. Technically, the both of you were out in the safety of the mountain fields and away from the prying eyes of Kahn’s dictatorship. Lost behind a sea of forest, the rolling fields of green, and poppies that puddled around you like blood. 

You’d seen what Kahn and his insurrectionists were capable of. Any whisper - false or not - and the person went missing. Kahn ruled the colony with the fear generated by the UNSC, but cultivated his own like the boogeyman. 

“Yeah I get it. Whatever.”

Thao shrugged out of your hold and turned away from you. His pre-teen feet stomped a path out of the tree line and out into the field. A sigh left you, worn and heavy, as you watched his retreat. 

I Should’ve been softer…

You let out a huff of air as a hand scrubbed over your face. It was supposed to be a simple ‘herd the yaks back to the colony’ type of day. Not grovel to one of the only people - kid or not - who wasn’t afraid of you. 

It was your turn to jog after his retreating form. Quickly, you noticed that he didn’t even look up to acknowledge your presence. He wasn’t sending jokes about being an old lady (you were twenty-four, thank you very much) whose brittle bones could snap under the strain of being a person. You would’ve taken being called an old lady than suffering through the silent treatment. 

Gently, you nudged his shoulder with your elbow. When he didn’t turn you tried again and again until, finally, you were rewarded with him turning an annoyed side-eye in your direction. You gave him your best apologetic smile and carefully looped your arm around his shoulders to bring him in close. 

“I’m sorry. Okay? I was kind of an asshole.”

“A major asshole.”

“Okay. I’ll accept that major part but only for today.”

“If there was an asshole award, you would’ve taken home the prize-“

“Okay, geez. I get it.”

You both settled into a comfortable pace with your arm still draped over his shoulders. Your mind raced back to the last time you’d been able to do this.  Thao had been younger - shorter - and with the rate he was growing, you soon might not be able to reach him. Soon, Thao might not care for your company. 

“You know, I am surprised you didn’t fracture an ankle running after me at your tender age.”

“Alright, that’s enough for today,” you grumbled in mock annoyance. 

You ended up having to shove him away just to try and hide the smile that threatened to lift the edges of your mouth. The sound of Thao’s laughter at your weak attempt at being mean - he 100% knew it took way too much to even make you raise your voice - made the crack of a smile begin to form. 

The yaks were about another ten or so feet ahead of you both. Their massive bodies moved in slow steps while they grazed along the long grass. You weren’t sure if it was their adorable long bangs that made it impossible for them to notice you right away (doubtful) or if they just didn’t consider either of you a threat (possible). Either way, they didn’t startle as the two of you closed the remaining distance. Didn’t jump up to try and kick or gore either of you with their horns when Thao produced the ropes from his satchel. 

It took a grand total of ten minutes, maybe less, to have all seven of the yaks securely held in makeshift collars from the rope. Their large bodies begrudgingly followed the two of you as you gently pulled the lead, forcing them to give up their meal of dewy grass and follow you back through the treeline. 

“You know,” Thao cautiously began, his eyes skimming between you and the trees. “This might be a lot faster if you just…ya know, float them up.”

“Float them up?”

“With your blue magic.”

This time you weren’t able to hide your smile as you shook your head. 

“It’s called biotics, Thao, not blue magic.”

“Blue magic sounds waaaay cooler than ‘biotics’. Who even came up with that lame name, anyway.” 

“You can thank the good folks at Conatix for that one.”

One of the yaks pulled back on its lead forcing you to give a slight tug back. You could understand if they were tired after eating, but you really didn’t have time in your schedule for yak naps. A huff of air came from the nostrils of the yak to drive home that it wasn't happy not having its nap. Or maybe it was the berry bush it was after, either way, napping and eating stops were prohibited. 

You weren’t aware the conversation had died until Thao’s voice interrupted the silence. 

“Is it true that you were born like that?”

His question was timid - afraid he would upset you. You were used to the questions; the stares. You remember sitting with your parents in a room, about Thao’s age, when Conatix came back around trying to clean up their mess. Said mess being spilling eezo from their ships across planets that later infected children. While some pregnant mothers had children like you, exposed to element zero in the womb creating a nervous system made of eezo, a majority were far less lucky. Children born riddled with tumors or horrific physical complications that left them in pain their entire lives. 

You were supposed to be a lucky one. 

One of the lucky ones they’d been trying to take back with them to their laboratories. A lucky one meant to be bought by a substantial fee that your parents quickly declined. It was the last choice they ever got to make for you before they mysteriously died in a tragic accident off-world. 

“Yes.”

You didn’t feel lucky and maybe it was the way the words crumbled out of your mouth. The way they sat suspended in the air in a swirl of regrets and dead wishes that Thao knew you didn’t want to talk anymore. Not about your past or anything that reminded you that what you are - who you are - has felt like one big burden. You wondered, most nights, if there was a possibility that curses could be born. 

————

The rest of the walk back was filled with an awkward silence. You weren’t sure if it was one you’d made by your lack of response, or if Thao no longer felt like talking. A part of you feared the image he’d held of you since he was young, full of mystery that made you seem cool, was slowly becoming destroyed. You knew it was a matter of time before it happened.

You were an anomaly. 

Children saw you as magical, while adults believed you could perform some kind of mind control or read their thoughts. It was the main reason Kahn wanted you to join the resistance. Who wouldn’t want someone who could read thoughts and control minds on their team? You’d know when and where attacks could happen and make them blow up their ships from the inside. Unfortunately, for Kahn, the only thoughts you could read were your own and, as of right now, they were desperately shouting at you not to lose one of the few friends you had left. 

Even if they happened to be a young boy who was notorious for being the most talkative kid in the colony. 

With a few more steps up the hill, you both came to a stop at the top of the hill. You took in the thatched roofs of the huts that lay scattered in a misshapen circle of rows. The outer ring of homes were made of clay and the only splash’s of color came from designs being painted on the sides of homes or flowers planted in the yard. 

The middle ring was meant to be for men like Kahn and his commanders; men and women of importance so that they lived closer to the final, smaller ring, of storefronts and farmers. The middle circle was left open and featured a large walkway down the center of town and out into the hills. 

Kahn specifically had the colony built this way. The walkway was the most important, because Kahn believed it was good for his people to be able to watch those that fought for their freedoms return from another victory against the UNSC. You knew it was more about parading around having people kiss his ass than for uplifting any kind of morale. 

It was the same path that Thao and you took now as you brought in the yaks from the mountains. You knew it wouldn’t be long until you got them back inside their pen and with the irritated snorts and tugs on their leashes, the yaks knew it too. The sound of multiple small feet came rushing in on Thao’s side and the faces of a few village children came into view. They made sure to stop just before they got in the way of a yak. 

“Thao, can you come play?” 

“Not yet. I have to finish this choir for Caster.”

A lot of groaning ensued and you felt your free hand reach over the back of a yak. Your fingers waving for him to give you his leashes. Thao’s brow raised in question and you only answered him by pointing at the leash and waving him again to hand it over. 

“Hurry up and give them to me before I change my mind.”

You were trying to be grumpy. The way any elder in town would complain about the youth of today being too soft and not knowing the meaning of hard work and blah blah. You were sure they were all just stuck in super grouchy mode from having to be an adult with responsibilities for too long. And because of that, you knew, instead of looking grumpy, a smile was already brightening up your face. Thao’s face lit up in response and his eyes darted - unsure - from up the path and back to you. 

“Are you sure? Caster -“

“Will never know that you didn’t help bring them all the way back. Now, like I said, hand over the lead before I suddenly have a fit of amnesia.” 

He didn’t need further prompting. Thao’s hand smashed the remaining leashes into your waiting palm and turned on his heel to run off with the other kids. A soft, “thank you,” calling out behind him. 

You didn’t waste any more  time watching their retreating backs as they tore down a small alleyway between huts. You had your own things that you still needed to finish today. As you continued on your way, you greeted people who were outside in their gardens or hanging up laundry. Some of them returned your greetings of, “Hello,” with grunts with their backs turned to you or hurried inside. Apparently, if they didn’t look you in the eye or were behind the safety of a wall it kept you from using your mind control powers. 

You were willing to bet Kahn had something to do with that latest lie about your make believe abilities. If you wouldn’t fight for him, why not cause a little mass panic in your presence. You being the monster and him, the hero, forcing you to toe the line. No ‘mind reading’ unless it was for the ‘cause’. 

As you neared the pen in front of Caster’s shop, you started to rotate the leashes tighter in your hands. You were positive if the yaks felt a slack in their leash, they would attempt a revolt. They also weren’t the biggest fan of the metal pen of broken down ships Caster created to house them; the metal of an old hatch door from a USNC frigate - rusted and covered in moss - groaned as it opened. A sound the yaks knew well and instantly sent their hooves stamping into the muddy grass. 

“Alright, ladies, I don’t want any trouble. It’s time to get your butts back in here - whoa!”You shot around with a start as one of the yaks gently bumped its nose against your back sending you forward towards the pen. “None of that,” you mumbled. Your index finger pointing at your chest then back to every single one of them. “Your home, not mine. Now go.”

With a cautious glance over your shoulder you took a step forward leading the herd inside. It wasn’t until you’d begun to remove their leashes that the familiar sound of a man clearing his throat brought your gaze up to search the fence. It didn’t take long for you to find Caster leaning against it. An arm hanging over while the other held up whatever self-righteous bullshit questioning he was about to spew. 

“Where’s Thao?”

“He helped me bring them here, Caster. I sent him on his way once we reached the pen.”

“That’s not what he was told to do and you don’t have any authority to change orders.”

Every word reached you like a slap in the face. Caster’s irritation was evident with the click of his tongue. You tried to keep your face neutral; your gaze fixed on one of the yak's as your fingers ran through the tangled fur. You gave one final pat to signal your departure before you walked back to the pen’s exit. 

“I wasn’t aware Thao had to be the specific individual to deliver a bunch of yaks inside the pen.”

“Bullshit,” Caster snarled your name. His body closing the distance between you as you stepped through the pen entrance. “You can try and play dumb with me all you want, but we both know you aren’t that damn dense. Thao can’t shut up even for a second in his sleep, and you’re trying to tell me the boy magically didn’t complain the whole time he was with you?”

Caster invaded what little space you had once you stepped fully out from behind the pen. The door hadn’t even closed yet before Caster rushed you, attempting to trap you between him and the metal. The cold gray of his eyes roamed your face waiting for you to break at his intimidation. 

One of the Shadow Sea’s three moons would have to explode first before that ever happened. 

You jammed the cool metal of the pens chains into his chest. You didn’t bother to see if he would catch it when you released it. You knew he would, and when Caster did, you made sure to take a step towards him forcing the older man two options; hold his ground or back up. You weren’t surprised when he did the latter. 

“You’re right, Caster, I’m not that damn dense. Close up your own fucking pen.”

You didn’t give him the chance to reply. The first step you took forced him to take another step back, your shoulder ramming into his as you pushed your way past him. 

Could you have gone around? 

Yes, but, no matter what, it felt a lot better being petty for a couple of seconds than pretending for a second you cared. 

It didn’t take Caster long to find his bearings. The sound of the chains rustling in his hands and a slew of curses thrown at your back were the first to greet you before he yelled after you: “Just wait until Kahn hears about this!”

“Yea, yea,” you mumbled.

You were willing to bet no matter how the exchange between Caster and you went, Kahn was always going to hear how it went. Good or bad. Caster yelled something else at your retreating back. You responded with a wave and continued back down the main path before you veered off course into a smaller path. It was one you knew well since you were a child. One you knew led to your grandparents' hut. 

Smoke rose from the clay chimney and you knew, before you entered through the doorway, you’d find your grandfather working to dry his latest clay pots by the fire. Your grandmothers weathered fingers working tirelessly with a needle and her beadwork scattered over the small table. It was only a few days before everyone with goods left to try and sell them at the Market. You moved through the small space stopping to kiss the top of your grandmother’s head before you gently took over for your grandfather. 

“And where did you run off to this morning?” 

You didn’t have to look up to feel the weight of your grandfather’s stare. His scrutinizing eyes waiting for you to give him a response knowing full well it wasn’t going to be the one he wanted.

“There is no need to worry, grandpa. I was nowhere and everywhere all at once.”

“That sentence alone turned what little hair I have left white.”

“All of your hairs’ already white.”

“Precisely my point,” he groaned. 

The soft chuckle of your grandmother cut through the tension in the small room. Your eyes now directed to the open flame and focused on turning the pot slowly with the tongs. The last thing you wanted to hear on top of giving your grandfather white hair and an early grave was ruining a pot he’d worked on most of this morning. 

“Would you two stop it? I’m sure she has a perfectly good explanation for why she was missing this morning. Don’t you dear?”

Your grandmother sent a coy look in your direction and you couldn’t wait to completely crush her dreams. While your grandfather believed in hard work, your grandmother believed in finding a good spouse who could provide for the imaginary great grandchildren she’d already named. 

Either that or joining the resistance. 

“I was out helping Thao rally up the yaks that ran away this morning.”

A sigh so heavy escaped from your grandfather’s chest that you could’ve sworn all your ancestors before you joined him. 

“And there it is.”

The soft call of your name forced your attention back to where your grandmother now sat idle. Her hands placing the beadwork and adjoining needles on the table. Her small frame turned on the bench to make sure she had your full attention. 

“I’m happy you want to help but you already know Kahn will-“

“Will throw a bitch fit. Yeah, yeah, I know.”

A smack on your arm sent you jolting back in surprise. Your eyes cautiously roaming over to your grandmother to see if she was going to hit you again. With how tightly her lips were pressed together, you had a feeling, with some of the things that came from your mouth, the possibility of her doing it again was imminent. 

“Whether you like him or not, Kahn is our leader.”

“No, he is your leader. Kahn will never be mine. A real leader doesn’t sacrifice their people to gain information or so they don’t get locked up inside a UNSC prison.”

“And do you think there is someone more fit to lead if he was gone? Who do you think would run the rebellion?”

“Plenty of more competent individuals could step forward to take his place if he wasn’t aro-“

You realized you sounded like Thao who, hours before, you’d shushed him into complacency. Your fear for his safety was paramount over how right his words might have been. And here you were doing the exact same thing inside your grandparents hut. 

“Enough!” 

Your grandfather wasn’t known for raising his voice and when he did it was usually out of desperation; a fear that surpassed anger that delved into worry from the unknown. You could see it now etched into every wrinkle that creased in the sagging skin of his sunburnt face. The way he tried to hold onto the anger before it was swept away by something he wouldn’t voice in fear of giving it a name. 

“Whether you like it or not, Kahn runs this settlement. He is the only one working here to free us from the tyrant that is the UNSC! At least he is doing something, which is more than I can say for my own granddaughter!”

“Ernest,” your grandmother’s voice cautioned. 

“So you want me to just let him use me like some kind of weapon?”

You no longer cared about holding the pinchers over the fire or the clay pot - your grandfather's life’s work - held delicately between them. As you stood up from the stool you dropped the pinchers and the sound of clay cracking tapered over your shuddering breathing for just a moment. You moved away from the fire towards a corner of the room closest to the door. The thunder in your ears drowning out the shouts of your grandmother; your eyes coming in and out of focus as you tried to ease the panic from your veins. 

It would only take a second - a fatal second of panic to fill the room with a cobalt hue of flame that would ruin everything. 

“Kahn offers you a way to use your gift, to teach you how to use it, and better help our people and you spit in his face!” He hissed. “Your parents gave their life for the cause-“

“And what has Kahn given!?” You hadn’t meant to scream. Each word laced with a grief stricken with rage that only bloomed brighter over time. “He asks families to give their husbands, wives, their children to fight his battles and what the fuck does he do for us?!”

“Why can’t you ever see that you can help save us? Kahn can help teach you how to control it.”

“Help me control it or control me?”

“You ungrateful child.”

His words hissed through the air and buried themselves in the hollow of your chest. Your feet involuntarily took a step back, ready to flee the hut, ready to find peace in the hills of the forest when the collective raised shouts of the villagers rang out from behind the walls. 

“UNSC vessels spotted!”

It was the distraction you needed to escape the hut. The shouts of worried men and women pushing you to rush outside and greedily take gulp after gulp of fresh air until the flare, the warmth, of your power began to dig back inside your skin. When you dragged your gaze away from the grass you were greeted with villagers running back and forth. The ones who sprinted down the open lane back out towards the open forest only ended up coming back moments later. 

You made your way out into the crowd, weaving in between the bodies to get to the heart of the circle their bodies created. They all stood in large huddled groups; mothers clutching their children and the able bodied men moving in front of them, in front of everyone, to try and guard them. The villagers who tried running down the main road were coming, as if herded, back to the center of the village. You didn’t understand why they were all running back to the middle. 

This was a kill zone. 

Strategically the worst place to be for any of the resistance fighters if they were going to make any attempt to fight back. It wasn't until you made it to the middle that your earlier rage turned to ice as you watched the UNSC marines, and four very big fucking Spartans, make their way up the middle. 

If Spartans were here you knew no one stood a chance. A fight would be suicide. You needed to get back to your grandparents. You needed - 

“Attention settlers of the Lera system of Laconix: I am Captain Jacob Keyes of the USNC. We have viable intel that led us to believe that you are harboring a fugitive by the name of Kahn Montrello - a known insurrectionist. We are asking for your cooperation in this matter. We can resolve this matter peacefully, with no need to resort to any unnecessary violence.”

“Screw you! You have no jurisdiction here or any outer colonies.”

Fred. That was his name. Maybe. You didn’t know - couldn’t remember. Your brain couldn’t think past your own rushing pulse or speeding thoughts. He was just pushing past the crowd with angry shouts and limbs flying while he moved towards them. You watched as he made his way towards the marines like a man on fire, and was met by a Marine who burned brighter. The butt of their gun cracking against his cheek sent him spiraling to the ground. 

You weren’t sure if you were already panicked or if the sight of blood seeping through his fingers caused it. No matter what the real reason was you knew there was no getting around whatever came next. Like a swarm of locusts, the marines fanned out and moved forward. Their bodies corralled the villagers tighter together and kept any hope of escape at bay. 

It was the perfect time for Kahn to make his appearance. His form practically glided from between a lake of terrified bodies frozen in fear, clutching one another, as he opened his arms in welcome. 

“You say you wish us no violence, only want our cooperation, and yet attack a simple working man.”

“You need to stay where you are or you will be taken down with force,” a marine answered, their gun trained on Kahn who continued to take careful steps forward. 

He responded with his hands showing he wasn’t armed. Kahn made a show to come to a stop in front of Captain Keyes. 

“Maybe that was advice you should’ve opened with, Captain Keyes.”

Kahn was treating this like a joke. He was wearing that easy smile of his displaying he didn’t have a care in the world. He was either suicidal, genocidial in willing to let them completely kill the colony or, you realized with a sickening drop in your stomach, Kahn had another plan. 

“And you are?”

“I’m Malcom. Another humble merchant who lives here.”

Liar! 

The panic that settled like lead inside your gut dropped heavier, threatening to upend whatever was left from your morning breakfast. You didn’t have to guess what his plans were, because Kahn was laying them bare for everyone to see. The only difference between you and everyone else is that whoever he chose to sacrifice for the name of his ‘revolution’ would be met with silence. 

Captain Keyes outlined Kahn’s frame with suspicion and a pebble of hope was thrown your way. Maybe he could sense the lie that costed Kahn’s words. Maybe it would be enough for him to call bullshit. 

“Okay, Malcolm. And what is it you’re wanting?”

“I want nothing, Captain. I just want to show you exactly who you are looking for.” 

Kahn never intended to point the finger at himself - why would he when there were dozens of men brainwashed to think their sacrifice mattered. You followed his finger like everyone else drawn to the imaginary string he pulled and waited to see what poor fool he chose this time. 

Except this time - no…NO! 

It was your grandfather who took a step forward out of the dozens of bodies. The wooden tip of his cane met the ground with a depth of a shovel digging a grave with each step. Your grandmother reached out her arms - called for him to come back - but he continued to make his way forward. His head held high like he was making a decision everyone should be proud of. 

“I am Kahn Montrello. The man you seek.”

Captain Keyes took one look at your grandfather and you could see the disbelief reflected in his eyes. The way they darkened further on a decision you, or anyone else, would ever be made aware of until he made it. 

“I’ve never known an insurrectionist leader to give themselves up so willingly.”

Thank god Captain Keyes was smarter than he looked. Your grandfather, however, wasn’t backing down. He squared his shoulders and planted his hands coolly over the hilt of his cane. His head held high enough for his next words to strangle him. 

“Any leader should be willing to give themselves up for the safety of their people. Is that what you can offer me, Captain Keyes? The safety of my colony if I come willingly?”

“What are you doing?”

You were sure it was the panic that surged you forward. How you found yourself taking step after step until you were out from behind every last villager and into the clearing with Kahn and your grandfather. 

“Stay back!”

“Don’t take another step forward!”

You were vaguely aware of the commands being slung your way. The arms that lifted weapons as you took scrambling steps towards your grandfather who only looked on with distaste. 

“Go back with the others. I won’t tell you again.”

It was the voice he’d used countless times since you were a child. A voice that radiated with authority that now only showcased his age. A part of you wanted to follow his orders and run to your grandmother’s side. To be a good granddaughter and comfort her the way she needed. 

But she wouldn’t need comforting if Kahn wasn’t such a fucking coward. 

“No!”

He hissed your name as he nervously looked out over the marines. At Captain Keyes.

“Be good and do as you're told.”

“I won’t let you do this!”

“And I don’t need your permission-“

“What about grandma? You’re just going to leave her like this?”

“I wasn’t aware Kahn Montrello had grandchildren?” Keyes quipped. 

You could see your grandfather open his mouth to reply and you made sure to cut him off before he could say another lie. 

“That’s because he doesn’t because Kahn -“

“Apologies, Captain Keyes,” Kahn cut in. “This girl is unwell. Ever since she lost her parents -“

“Don’t you dare speak about them.“

“-she’s been desperately trying to cling to anyone willing to call her family.”

You weren’t aware you were moving forward until you heard the shouts from the marines; the gasps of fear from your own people. You were vaguely aware of the tingle of heat that moved like a shockwave from your fingertips up your arms until it consumed you. In another time, a different life, maybe you would’ve been aware that your biotics had flared to life and enveloped you in what looked like cobalt flame. 

A fitting image for the one Kahn so lovingly painted for you. An unhinged woman filled with crazy fantasies and a desperation for family.

The only thing you could focus on was Kahn who stood before you. The coward who easily was willing to give your grandfather up to the UNSC knowing what they do to insurrectionist leaders. The unspeakable torture done to collect secrets, and their executions televised on every available feed for all to see. 

With the thought of your grandfather’s future weighing behind your eyes you lashed out. Your hand rising forward to catch Kahn midway in taking a step back. Your biotics held him suspended in the air. You were vaguely aware of what sounded like your grandfather calling your name. The wood of his cane crunching through dirt and leaves to rush to you. 

There was more shouting - orders being relayed and metal clicks of safeties being released - and you knew chaos was about to ensue. 

“Spartan’s your orders are to grab the insurrectionist known as Kahn Montrello. Marines focus on providing backup and subduing any and all threats.”

A wash of relief rippled through you. The UNSC had come to their senses. They  must have realized Kahn for the liar he was. Captain Keyes caught on that the rouse Kahn created with your grandfather was all a lie. 

Except that wasn’t what happened. 

The marines who fanned out around the clearing were now moving in towards one sole target: you. The Spartans who Keyes sent forward to capture Kahn weren’t headed in your direction, but towards your grandfather who was visibly shaking as he watched two of the UNSC’s giants - their most powerful weapons - move towards him. 

“No! You have it all wrong! He isn’t Kahn!”

You released the hold you had on Kahn. No longer was he held suspended in the air as you sent his body flying towards the marines. Your feet were digging into the soil, pitching you forward in a hard sprint, as you barreled blindly towards your grandfather. You could hear him warning you to stay back - ‘stay away’ - but you never were good with doing what you were told. 

The closest Spartan,only identified by the numbers 028 on her chest, was almost on him. They were so close it would only take a couple more inches and this Spartan would grab a hold of him and you would lose him. Forever.

You were running on pure adrenaline. Your vision honed in on nothing else but the hand of the Spartan that reached out to grab at his arm. If they got a hold of him, that was it. You called on every cell of energy in your body, your arm drawing back - nerves frying - as the eezo inside your body compacted in the space around you, changing it into a powerful ball that you launched with a scream. The Spartan barely had time to react when the cobalt sphere of element zero slammed into her suit and sent her flying back. 

“Riz!”

You had a split second to make half a shield before the second Spartan’s fist slammed against it. The impact snapped like a shockwave of its own. The force of impact sent your feet sliding back against the dirt. The sound of heavy footsteps following your rolling body forced you to spring to your knees as you called on another surge of element zero and sent it flying like a fastball. 

It slammed into the Spartan but, unlike the first one, it barely slowed them down. The impact crackled against the air and the force field around his armor allowing your biotics to push them back only a few feet. It was all the feet you needed to scramble on all fours to your grandfather, who was kneeling in a heap in the dirt. 

As soon as you slide in next to him, you put up a small force field - a bubble of blue that encapsulated you both just in time before bullets bounced against the shield. Gently, you secured an arm underneath his shoulders and tried to lift him up to you. All while your right hand stayed pressed against the barrier you’d created. Your arms shaking with the strain of holding back another round of gunfire and the slamming fists of a very big, very angry, Spartan. 

You were running out of time. The strain of keeping the barrier up, of using powers you usually never touched, left a noticeable trail of perspiration to crown your forehead. If you kept this up much longer, you knew the nosebleeds would start soon. 

“Come on grandpa. We have to get up now. We gotta get you out of here.”

“Just let them take me, deheyah*.”

A heavy wave of memory, weighted with emotions thick and stifling, threatened to knock you off balance. The last time your grandfather had ever called you that, was before your parents died. When you were allowed the luxury of childhood innocence and the imagination that the world held the beauty of magic before it was destroyed by the gravity of reality. 

“That’s not going to happen, grandpa. I won’t let it happen. I can’t lose you too.”

Your body jerked with the next slam of a fist against the barrier. The impact sent a shutter down into the marrow of your bones and snapped at your nervous system. The pain was immediate and tore a gasp from you. 

“You will never lose me. I will always be with you. Wherever you go. Whatever you choose to be.”

“No.” 

You shook your head violently forcing him to reach out to steady you. The soft leather of his hand cupped your cheek quieting your protests and forced you to keep your eyes on him. 

“I’m sorry for what I said. Earlier. I just - I just wanted what was best for you. I always have. But…only you know what is best for your life. Never stop fighting. Don’t be afraid of who you can be.”

“Why are you talking like this? This isn’t goodbye grandpa. Come on, I have to get you back to grandma. She’s going to be pissed if you just stay here.”

But it was, wasn’t it? You’d felt it when your hands touched the layers of shawls that draped over his chest. It was wetter than it should’ve been. His eyes glassy and unfocused and struggling to keep them on you while he spoke. Somehow, you’d been a few moments too late when the bullets came your way, and those few seconds allowed the hollow point of a bullet to find a hole in the center of his chest. 

Blood covered your left hand as another sharp synopsis of pain resonated through your nervous system. Spartan 028, Riz, was back up and hammering away at the sphere of the barrier you’d created. The pain should’ve been unbearable but nothing compared to the last gasp of air that shuddered from your grandfather. It couldn’t compare to the feeling of his body, lifeless, and sagging towards the earth where the weight forced you to place him. 

None of this would’ve happened if Kahn wasn’t a coward. If he didn’t use people, the very people he claimed were his. People he swore to defend and liberate - for his own gain. 

The anger swelled brighter inside like a raging flame. Every beating your nervous system took holding up the barrier became a dulled sensation as you struggled to breathe around the loss of your grandfather. 

The Spartans had stopped but didn’t move back. A woman was off to your right. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Smiling like she was friendly but the mock kindness didn’t reach her eyes. They were bright with excitement; the way hunters spotted prey. A scientist finding a new object to dissect. 

“…I’m Doctor Halsey.”

Of course she was. She wanted to dissect you. The same way the scientists from Conatix tried many years ago by trying to buy you from your parents. She was saying your name but she had no right to it. 

This Dr. Halsey. 

False smile given under false pretenses. Just like Kahn has his fancy glittering speeches that kept hopes high and results low. 

“We don’t want to harm you. If you are willing to come peacefully we promise we will leave the colony immediately. No further bloodshed needs to happen.”

The part of you that wasn’t soaked in grief agreed. It was the best call to make - the right call. It promised no more suffering would happen. It meant your grandmother would be safe. 

Your grandmother. A woman who lost her son. Her husband. Now her granddaughter. Who would watch her if you left? The thought alone sprang a sharp refusal to your tongue until you stood, your eyes cast down at the warm body of your grandfather. In that moment, whatever reasonable human being you used to be ceased to exist. The only thing left was rage. 

Dr. Halsey must have noticed. No longer was she crouched to be eye level with you. She returned to her full height. Her hands placed out in front to shield herself, as if that would be enough to stop what happened next. 

“Whatever you’re thinking - don’t.” 

Your reply came in a scream that crawled its way from the pit of despair that had lodged itself inside your heart. The loss of your parents, the death of your grandfather,  and for your grandmother who would be alone. You used that hurt, bitterness, and rage and used it to erupt your shield into a burst of biotic energy that detonated like a bomb. The sheer force alone sent the Spartans back. 

It wasn’t enough but you only needed a minute or two. Just enough time for you to send your biotics crackling along the air in a line until it grabbed a hold of Kahn and pulled him like a slingshot of force back towards you. When he was close enough, you dropped your left hand that you’d use to control the pull of his body, and cocked back your right arm, your palm open, and launched it forward. The slam of the biotics hit home at the center of his chest launching Kahn back through the scrambling crowd of people, with the sickening crack of his sternum mixing with the scream that tore from your throat.

It was all the time you had before the Spartan marked with 117 came into view. His armored fist closes in like a warthog at full speed against your cheek, sending your body spiraling into the dirt. You could feel the earth shift with tremors as he moved to follow you. You could taste the blood from the hit and wondered if your jaw was broken. If you just lost a whole row of teeth. 

“John, Incapacitate her only! I need her to be brought back with us. Alive.”

For a glorious moment, your blurred vision swirled only with the uninterrupted view of the sky before the cameo green of Master Chief, savior of the galaxy - or John - 117 -  helmet came into view. A joke was brewing on the back of your tongue, covered in humor and blood before his fist came crashing down your line of sight, and the world became blissfully quiet.

_________

You found that the darkness wasn’t as quiet as you’d hoped.

The impact from the punch the Maater Chief, or John - 117 as that woman called him,  had launched you into what felt like a nightmare. Held hostage by a paralysis of your own mind. Unable to change the forms of what you saw. The images were vivid. The sounds carried a weight that sat heavy like lead in your skull. It made you miss the pain of being conscious. 

You weren’t sure if the screams that bounced around inside your head were real or if they were just a part of the nightmare. Over and over your broken mind played out the moment a Marine’s bullet found a hole inside  your grandfather's gut. 

No matter how fast you ran, if you launched yourself in front of him, you were never fast enough. Each step you took sunk deeper into the earth as if your legs were trying to race through quicksand. Your own biotics mysteriously grew quiet - refusing to work for the first time in your life. 

No matter what the outcome never changed. Your grandfather was gone, and there was no time travel to head back and change that startling fact. 

A sickening lurch, one you knew meant a ship was coming out of slipspace, sent the contents of that morning’s breakfast swirling in your stomach. You barely had time to register that it was real, the nausea, and that you were really about to throw up. You’d barely rolled to your side before said breakfast displayed itself onto a very shiny metal floor. 

As soon as you finished, you rolled back onto your back. Your eyes fluttered open to take in the fluorescent lights, the cool slated metal ceiling that matched the walls and floor. It was definitely a cell, and you most definitely found out much too late that your wrists were tied behind your back. 

When you were sure you weren’t going to upend anymore of your breakfast, you slowly began to maneuver to sit on the only bench they’d laid you on. The pain in the sockets of your shoulders informing you that you’d been like this for quite a while. 

You were still trying to gather your bearings when the sliding doors to your right opened. A woman with blonde hair stood at the forefront with a Spartan, the dusk green armor of John - 117, standing protectively behind her. When she moved, he moved. You couldn’t help but consider her a puppeteer and the Spartan the puppet. He didn’t move unless she did and you doubted he would be doing any of the talking. 

She entered the room with a cautionary smile and clinical eyes assessing you before she even entered. It was easy to tell she was a scientist and, more than likely, a very experienced one in whatever it was she specialized in. 

“Hello, Subject Cobalt,” she said brightly. Her smile never faltered once. “I’m glad to see that you are alright. My name is Doctor Halsey. I’ve come to do an assessment on you and make sure you didn’t sustain any life-threatening or mind altering issues after what happened back on Laconix.”

Subject Cobalt? 

Was that supposed to be you?

You eyed her warily as she took her first step inside the cell. The heavy footsteps of Mjolnir armor followed closely behind. If she suspected you were jumpy - a rabbit in headlights, as the old ones used to say - Halsey never showed it. 

A few more steps and she was beside the bench. Another breath and she was sitting beside you. The smile on her face beaming and hollowing out her eyes with rapture at what she must have considered a new species. You made a fine new specimen for any scientist, you would imagine. A nervous system full of eezo that lit your body up like an Earthen Christmas tree and the power to wield it like a weapon.

Doctor Halsey was practically giddy beside you. 

“I’m going to do a few simple tests to verify cognitive function isn’t impaired. To do so, I’m going to need your assistance. Do you think you could do that for me?”

Your eyes scanned over her as you considered your options. It turned out to be a very short list that was available to you. The only option being to go along with what she asked. 

“Okay.”

That one word was all the go ahead Halsey needed to cause her megawatt smile to go up a notch. She must have thought you would be resistant to following orders and she wasn’t wrong but, from where you were sitting, this seemed like the lesser of two evils. 

“Splendid. First, I’m going to run this pen horizontally and vertically. I need you to focus on the tip of the pen, and follow it as closely as you can.”

“Okay.”

Doctor Halsey lifted the pen up to eye level, a few inches away from your face, and waited for your eyes to train on the silver point. You hadn’t expected an examination as soon as you woke up. You weren’t sure if you should’ve felt happy or worried about it. If you were one misstep away from becoming a lab rat. 

You’d been so deep in thought - your mind considering all the outcomes and possibilities of this interaction ending well - that you completely missed her first question. 

“I’m sorry. Can you repeat the question?”

Another smile. Another deflection. It was enough, however, for you to notice the tightness in the fine lines of her face. It was so small you could’ve missed it. 

“Of course. During your biotic episode on Laconix, I noticed your nose started bleeding. Does it do that every time you use your biotics?”

“No.”

The tightness again. This time it was the edges of her smile - suspended in that mock sweetness - that reminded you of your mother. Waiting for you to give more detail without prodding and realizing, rapidly, you feared incriminating yourself. The pen dropped into her lap. Her eyes roaming over your face for a sign - a tell - that she could exploit. 

“You aren’t in any kind of trouble. I’m merely trying to help you -“

“Is that what you’re trying here, Dr. Halsey? To be my friend? To tell me I’m not in any danger when you took me off my planet against my will?” You inquired. Her mouth was still suspended open, forming around a word cut short by your desire to not hear anymore bullshit. “It feels like there is more going on than what you’re sharing.”

She schooled her face - even her eyes - to remain emotionless. A perfect blank slate to display only what she wanted without giving away what she didn’t. 

“Alright. I watched you. At first, you seemed in control, but after the third or fourth time your biotics displayed themselves, and you overextended their use, you suffered an epistaxis - the nosebleed. Further scans done here in the ship’s medical bay presented signs of swelling and hematoma on the brain. A few hours before you woke up, I had them run another analysis and both are gone. Which leaves me to believe it only occurs upon exhaustion.”

She watched you as she spoke. Her gaze searching, prodding, for signs of whatever reaction she expected but wasn’t getting. You would’ve loved to offer up whatever it was she wanted, if only you knew which specific one she was hunting for. 

“Tell me. Do you get migraines?”

“What is this?”

“I don’t understand.”

“That’s a lie,” you shot back. 

The tone in your voice matched the anxiety rising in your chest. It caused your words to be rougher than intended, alerting the Spartan in the corner who took a step towards you. Only the rising hand of calm - control - from Dr. Halsey kept him from taking another step. 

“I think you understand more than you’re willing to tell me or, at least, not wanting to show your whole hand, anyway. You’re a scientist, right? Probably super smart. Smart enough you probably come from some UNSC lab  from Reach or Illium?”

“Reach.”

The carefully constructed smile was back on her lips, but this time you could see a spark of something brighten up the soft blue of her eyes. You were doing something she didn’t expect, but her scientific mind found it fascinating. No doubt logging it away to draw it open later somewhere quiet to dissect. 

Your lips pouted around her admission. Reach. One of the top three planets, if not the first, for all private and commercial research filled with legal litigation and NDA’s to protect organizations and UNSC labs from the courts of public opinions. It was how Conatix got away with doing what they did to you and the other kids scattered across the galaxy. Only taking notice when it seemed like something that could benefit them. You weren’t stupid. Halsey had taken one look at what you could do - what you did - and only two things came to mind: control or destroy. 

You hadn’t figured out exactly which one you were to Dr. Halsey yet. 

“Are you going to kill me?”

Halsey didn’t necessarily give you a reason to think it was an outlandish guess. Everything - everyone - was expendable when it came to science and the betterment of humanity. Or whatever the UNSC’s science team's new slogan was.

“Why would we kill you?”

You tried to shrug off the growing anxiety that sat coiling inside your gut.

“To experiment on me. Take me apart and see what’s buried underneath, so to speak. Isn’t that what you people do.”

“You don’t realize what you are, do you? The advancement of human genetics - biology - that is flowing through you.”

“What’s flowing through me is eezo and it cost hundreds of children their lives.”

“Yes, but for one out of a hundred children there is something remarkable. You. The one out of a thousand. A stepping stone towards humans having a place amongst the vast and ever growing populace of space. I don’t want to kill you, Cobalt. I want to integrate you into my program.”

“What program?”

You wondered if madness was contagious. If you asked anyone else, they might have dismissed your words as too harsh. No doubt calling Halsey’s display of excitement for simply that, but you could see her eyes. Underneath all that perfectly concealed pleasant exterior was an intelligence that was willing to break the norms - rules - to get to whatever she needed. 

“I run the Spartan program. Granted, you are well past the parameters to become a Spartan, no, I…I want to make a subunit. I think Cobalt, we can help each other, and not only help each other, but possibly end this war.”

UNSC propaganda. 

That’s what the war was. Everyone in the outer colonies knew it was just a fancy attempt to stop the growing surge of colonists from joining the insurrectionists. Halsey sensed your doubt before you disregarded her words with a shake of your head. 

“No. The covenant is just a UNSC nightmare story to try and get the outer colonies to toe the line. To allow themselves to be governed under your jurisdiction.”

“I can promise you. It’s not.”

“Of course you would say that! You’re a USNC scientist for Christ’s sake!”

“John.”

Somehow, you’d forgotten that big hunk of tin was in the room. Halsey kept you focused on her - solely on her - that when the Spartan took a step forward, the reflection of the room mirrored in his visor, you almost jumped out of your skin. 

In his hand was a holopad that he deposited into her waiting palm. Halsey didn’t waste time logging in. Her fingers tapped wildly across the screen with a speed that left you dizzy. When she found whatever it was she’d been looking for she extended the holopad out for you to take. 

“This was transmitted to us only a few hours ago.”

Warily, you watched her. Your mind debating if you should take the holopad or tell her to fuck off. It was more made up videos or fancy speeches, you were sure of it. The grim lines of her face, however, left you wondering just how certain you were. It was her turn to place the holopad in your hands. Your gaze on her a few more seconds before it dropped down to the video that played on the screen.

Bright beams. It’s what you noticed first. Beams that erupted from the sky with such brilliant clarity you knew it could only be one form: plasma. You couldn’t understand - comprehend - what you were seeing. 

Plasma on that scale was impossible. It should’ve been and yet, you watched as it sliced through the planet's barrier, through molecules, and simple things like trees and mountains. Everything it touched turned red hot like lava from volcanoes you’d heard stories about that were on the original human planet of earth. While the plasma beam continued its destructive course, the magma it left behind flowed behind. 

You didn’t understand until you did. 

You knew that mountain. You’d glanced at it many times on walks to neighboring villages for trade. Attempted to climb it a thousand times as a child. 

“What is this?”

Your disbelief was met with something you couldn’t place from her. Halsey didn’t offer up sympathy. She offered up an understanding of watching everything you love disappear in a wave of destruction. But how could she understand the hollowness, the sinking feeling of dread that gripped your heart and threatened to make it stop?

“It’s Laconix. Shortly after we left the Covenant arrived. They glassed the planet.”

“Glassed? I - I don’t. I don’t understand.”

You were going to hyperventilate if you weren’t careful. 

“It’s gone, Cobalt.” That’s not my name. “The Covenant doesn’t take prisoners. They destroy everything. Kill everything. Your planet is gone.” 

Gone. 

Gone. 

Your home. What was left of your family - your people - your community. Gone. In less than 7.8 seconds of holopad footage. 

“But you can avenge them. You can fight for them and to protect every other planet still left out there in the galaxy and I can help you do it.”

Deep down a part of you knew this had been her tactic all along. If reason didn’t make someone join your cause, then using their emotions against them would. You should’ve seen it coming. Took the time to ask more questions but the growing hole in your soul moved on from shock and grief was rocketing towards unbridled rage at lightning speed. 

When you glanced back up at her, Halsey knew she had you before you even spoke. 

“What do you need me to do?”

As always, thank you so much for reading. Comments and reblogs are always appreciated.

[blakeivy80]

I was wondering how I 'd spend my evening, well....

Searching gifs of Pablo's torso on google to do this post was such a non waste of time, shshshshsh

"Baby, I would climb the Andes solely To count the freckles on your body"

Whenever wherever - Shakira

[berberriescorner]

Home For The Holidays🎄♥️

Character: Husband!Pablo Schreiber x Black!Reader.

Word Count: 800+.

"A Season of Love Christmas Series 🎄♥️"

The soft glow of twinkling lights illuminated the cozy living room, where the scent of gingerbread cookies mixed with the crisp winter air. It was Christmas morning, and excitement buzzed through the house as your three beautiful children—your little girl, McKenna, and her two brothers, Marcus and Mason—scurried about, eagerly waiting for the festivities to begin.

Pablo stepped into the room, a broad smile on his face, his warm eyes sparkling with love as he watched the chaos unfold. He wore a cozy sweater that accentuated his tall frame, and you couldn’t help but feel your heart swell at the sight of him, the perfect father and husband.

“Are you ready for the best Christmas ever?” he asked, crouching down to ruffle Marcus’s hair, earning a giggle from the boy.

“More than ready!” McKenna chimed in, her curly hair bouncing as she jumped up and down. “Can we open presents now?”

“Just a few more minutes,” you said, glancing at the clock. “Let’s let your dad have a moment to wake up first.”

Pablo chuckled, feigning a yawn. “What kind of Christmas dad would I be if I didn’t get to enjoy the chaos, mama? Besides, I have something special planned for you all.”

“Special? What is it?” Mason asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“It’s a surprise, but I promise you’ll love it,” Pablo replied, winking at you before walking over to the tree. He bent down to pick up a beautifully wrapped gift with a bright red bow, handing it to you.

“This one is for you, cariño,” he said, his voice low and smooth.

You raised an eyebrow, surprised but thrilled. “For me? You shouldn’t have!”

“Open it!” he urged, excitement dancing in his eyes.

As you peeled away the wrapping paper, you revealed a stunning gold bracelet adorned with delicate charms, each representing a significant moment in your life together. It was elegant and meaningful, just like him.

“Papa, it’s beautiful!” you gasped, tears of joy threatening to spill over. “You remembered!”

“Of course, I did. I wanted you to have something that symbolizes our journey together,” he said, taking your hands in his. “With another little one on the way, I thought this would be a nice reminder of our family.”

You wrapped your arms around him, feeling the warmth of his embrace. “I love it, and I love you,” you whispered, savoring the moment.

“I love you too,” he murmured, planting a soft kiss on your forehead.

Just then, McKenna tugged at your shirt, her eyes bright. “Can we open our gifts now, Momma? Please?”

“Okay, okay! Let’s get the festivities started,” you laughed, breaking the moment as you gestured for the babies to gather around the tree.

Pablo sat down on the floor, surrounded by his children, his heart swelling with pride as they began to rip open their presents, laughter, and joy echoing in the room. You couldn’t help but smile as you watched them, feeling the love that surrounded you all.

After the initial rush of unwrapping gifts, the kids settled down with their new toys, and Pablo turned to you, a playful smirk on his face. “So, did you like your gift?”

“I loved it,” you said, looking at the bracelet on your wrist. “But what do you have up your sleeve for the rest of the day?”

He leaned closer, a twinkle in his eye. “How about we have a cozy family movie marathon? I stocked up on all your favorite snacks and hot chocolate.”

“Now that sounds like a perfect way to spend Christmas! I need to start cooking though,” you pouted.

“Foods ready and waiting, mama. Our moms cooked and sent the food over this morning. Both sets of grandparents will be by later to spend time together.

“How did you manage that?”

“Easy. I’m a momma’s boy and your mom loves me just as much. I think I may be her favorite son-in-law.”

“You’re her only son-in-law,” you teased. “Now about that movie marathon.”

Pablo beamed, clearly pleased with your response. “Let’s get everyone settled in. The sooner we start, the more time we have for snuggling and holiday magic.”

As you gathered the children, helping them into their comfy pajamas, you exchanged knowing smiles with Pablo, your hearts aligned in love and happiness. This was the life you had built together—full of love, laughter, and unforgettable moments.

Once everyone was cozy on the couch with blankets and snacks, you pressed play, and the room filled with the cheerful sounds of holiday movies. The sight of your children laughing and snuggling together made your heart swell with joy.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky with warm hues, you found yourself reflecting on the beautiful family you had created together. You couldn’t wait to see what the future held with your growing family, and as you looked at Pablo, you knew that every day would be a new adventure—together.

Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated, my babies! MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄♥️!!

Tagging some lovelies:

@darqchilddaydreamz @astoldbychae @sunshine-flower

@starrynite7114 @amorestevens @ravennaortiz

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Twice Seals The Fate***

Title: Twice Seals The Fate ***

Pablo Schreiber x GF Reader

Warning: NSFW, SMUUT, Cursing, Male & Female Receiving, Mild Crude Language, Fluff, 18+ Mature Content, Unprotected Lovin, Implied Preggo Talk

Words: 4.2k

Summary:  While Pablo is on location filming the latest season of HALO, you pay him a visit after a nice chunk of time frees up on your calendar. One morning you wake to see him mid workout and laying eyes on this sight, there is only one possible outcome.

Note: I couldn’t resist this one. You’re welcome!

Thank you all for reading. I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this.

If you enjoyed it, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!!

***NOT Edited/Proofread***

~~~~~~~~

 Chirp-Chirp, Chirp-Chirp.

 The sound was so soft you almost missed it. However, the bevy of animal sounds continued.

 Chirp-Chirp, Chirp-Chirp.

Squawk- Squawk, Squawk - Squawk.

Neeeeeeigh.

Moooooo.

 “Mmm.”

 You groaned feeling as if you’d put yourself through a rigorous two-hour workout. You rolled to your right and your arm flopped onto a pillow—an empty pillow. It took a few moments but when your brain registered that and the sounds you were hearing your head flew up. The brightness around you felt unnatural as if it was artificial. Squinting, you looked around and immediately didn’t recognize your surroundings.

 “What the--.”

 It took nearly a minute for you to remember the last 24 hours. Your head was heavy and everything hazy. You got bits and pieces of your travels. You on the plane after agreeing to make a long-awaited visit to none other than the love of your life. It was a trip you’d both been unable to make but also reluctant to make.

 Your schedule was insane as was Pablo’s thanks to him being on location filming the second season of Halo. To make things worse you hated flying after the two scares you’d had. Flying was the bane of your existence, and you could never do it unless you drank your way through it. Not even Valium fully worked on you, so you incorporated some self-medication—liquor.

 You groaned again as it all came back. 4 valiums, 4 bottles of wine and an eight-hour flight took you all the way out. When you’d gotten off the plane you were more than tipsy. You cringed thinking you may have embarrassed yourself or Pablo when he and his assistant picked you up.

 “Oh god, Y/N,” you croaked as you flipped onto your back.

 You knew you’d gotten into the wrong career for the level of shambles you found yourself in whenever you had to fly. Nothing worked. Pablo knew this and had always been so supportive of you with working around it and it only made you love him even more. You replayed a memory from last night of Pablo putting you in the bathtub and giving you a bath like an actual toddler then tucking you in forehead kiss and all.

 “Oh god.”

 Guilt filled you. He’d probably had a long day on set and needed to be taken care of and loved on too, but you were so out of it he’d ended up taking care of you. Knowing him he was probably feeling guilty making you come all the way out. At the thought of him, you looked beside you and found his side empty. You sat up with the intention to go looking for him but the view out the sliding doors held you captivated.

 “Wow.”

 Thankfully your legs were in full working order now. You walked over to the doors and marveled at the view before you. As far as the eye could see it was white with peeks of greenery. The expansive field was so wide and free of clutter, litter, and people that you could not help but step outside onto the veranda. The crisp, fresh air hit you and it was clear you weren’t in LA anymore.

 Despite the strong chill in the air thanks to the freshly fallen snow, you couldn’t find one fault. This may actually be heaven, you thought to yourself. Off to the left you saw the responsible parties for the farmland orchestra. There were actual cows grazing in the pasture like they had not one care in the world and free roaming horses.

 “Must be nice.”

 A flock of birds passing overhead caught your eye and you watched them flit merrily in the air as their song echoed around. This view and atmosphere made up for the eight-hour nightmare. You took a few more moments to enjoy the view but when the cold got too much to bear in your state of undress, you then went back inside to brush your teeth before finding Pablo.

 When you made your way through the quiet house you wondered if he’d left to set already. Peeking into rooms you found them Pablo free. You thought to go back to the bedroom for your phone to call him but decided to look everywhere first. Turning the corner, you expected to be the only one there, but you stopped in your tracks as the most delicious sight laid before you that cleared any residual haze in your brain.

 Pablo was in the center of the large and minimalistic living room with his back braced on a rolling sit up wheel with his arms behind his head. His feet were firmly planted on the hardwood floors with a pair of brown sweats sitting dangerously low. From the angle you stood you could count each and every ab muscle that popped from his perfect form.

 Slowly, you raked your eyes over every inch of skin that was on display. Have mercy you thought. The pictures he’d been sending you over the last three months had not done an ounce of justice to what you were looking at now. From the pictures he looked good yes, and you’d wanted to run your hand along every inch of him, but in front of you now, you wanted so much more.

 You watched him use the contraption underneath him, no doubt a new torture device from Eddie. He rocked forward and brought himself into a crunch and if it was possible those abs popped even more. He held the position and the longer he did the more parched you became. Thanks to those low sitting sweats you could see those brain numbing indentations at his sides that disappeared inside those now annoying sweats. Your eyes lowered and caught sight of a half-asleep monster skimming the surface.

 Without thought you licked your lips. Pablo rolled backward releasing the position he’d been holding and arched himself back. Your eyes roamed up his sweat glistened body to see he wore headphones. He probably had no idea you were up much less ogling him like this. You slowly and carefully walked into the room taking care to not make a sound. Once you came around him and stood just between his legs you took the time to admire him some more.

 His usual fit and build were always impressive to you because he always kept himself in good shape no matter what. However, his Halo level of fit was insane, and you thanked the producers every day that they’d chosen him for the role and that he was so dedicated to portraying an authentic master chief. Needless to say, your sex life since had been at a whole new level of explosive. It was a level you didn’t think was possible since you were already at wildfire levels.

 Before he could move you dropped down onto your knees and hooked your fingers into the waistband of his sweats and pulled them down. As soon as they moved, Pablo flinched swinging his head up to land on you. Your attention was taken by the half soft meal you’d revealed.

 “Jesus! Y/N, you scared the shit out of me!”

 “Did I?”

 You looked at him without moving your head, so it was only your eyes that bored into him. You always knew this made him weak. Sure enough, Pablo groaned.

 “God, don’t look at me like that.”

 Smirking, you wrapped your hand around his length that was much firmer than seconds ago.

 “Mmm. Looks like you like being scared and the way I’m looking at you.”

 Pablo scoffed and made a move to get off the wheel, but you gently squeezed him.

 Groaning, he met your eyes again. “What’re you doing? You know that’s not a toy, right?”

 “No? I thought it was my toy?”

 His clear hazel eyes darkened as the tip of his tongue dipped out to wet his bottom lip.

 “No worries, I’m not looking for a toy right now…just a snack.”

 You tipped your tongue and licked from the base of his cock to the smooth tip. A deep moan that sounded like a big cat’s purr rumbled in Pablo’s chest and filled the room. You loved hearing him moan.

 “I’m—I’m sweaty. Let me--.”

 His words were cut off by another moan when you sucked his head into your mouth and moaned on it hoping that was answer enough for him.

 “Uuugh!”

 Pablo’s head dropped back to hang down as you swirled your tongue around him quite enjoying the slight saltiness to his skin. A wave of hunger hit you so hard that you couldn’t control yourself. Dipping your head lower, you took him into your mouth until he touched the back of your throat.

 Pablo hissed as his head flung back up to watch you. Using his hands, he bracketed your head holding you gently. His mouth fell open as if he’d planned to say something, but no sound came. Rotating your head from left to right you rolled your tongue along the underside of his shaft.

 “Fuuuuck!”

 “Mmmm.”

 Pablo’s grip tightened. It wasn’t enough to hurt you but just enough to let you know he was quickly losing control.

 “God baby,” he breathed keeping a close eye on your mouth.

 You slowly bobbed on him bringing your mouth all the way down so your top lip brushed against the spray of dark neatly trimmed hair there then up just until his swollen tip slipped out of your mouth. When it did, he grunted and thrusted upward showing his eagerness to be back inside your mouth.

 “Shit Y/N,” he muttered through trembling lips.

 That wasn’t the only thing that was trembling. From the way his body shook, you could tell he was quickly getting to the point where his muscles would give way. Increasing the power of your suck, you clamped onto his need and moaned. Suddenly Pablo jerked up sending his arousal down your throat tempting your gag. Suppressing it, you pulled back lifting your mouth off of him leaving a trail of thick saliva.

 “For fuck’s sake,” Pablo rasped before he yanked you to him. Your body crashed to his and it was at the last moment that you worried the wheel underneath him would break that Pablo smoothly held you to him, rolled to the right while cocooning you so you didn’t feel the impact of the wooden floors.

 “I’ve missed you so much, dollface.”

 You smiled and smoothed the back of your hand against his bristled cheek.

 “I missed you too. I’m sorry about--.”

 That was all you got out before Pablo’s lips pressed to yours for your first kiss in months. You both moaned against each other as your lips sweetly danced together reacquainting themselves with the feel of the other. When you felt Pablo readjust himself so he was perfectly nestled between your legs, you moaned at the heaviness of his length pressed against your core. His lips sped and the kiss turned desperate, urgent, and so much more sinful. He kissed you like a hungry man. A man who’d had to go months without sustenance and couldn’t get enough now with his first taste.

 Soon you both were wildly making out on the floor pawing at each other wherever you could. The t-shirt that you’d found yourself in when you awoke was now pushed to your hips exposing your lower half where you only wore one of Pablo’s boxers. His large hand snaked underneath the shirt to cup your bare breast. You arched thrusting it further out to him like a sacrificial offering. Pablo groaned then buried his head into your neck where he nipped, licked and sucked your skin.

 “Oh Pablo.”

 His roughened thumb swiped across your nipple once, then twice before he flicked the now hardened peak.

 “Yes,” you breathed.

 As one hand cupped your breast, the other dipped inside those boxers and found where you wanted him the most. A high-pitched gasp left your lips when Pablo’s fingers dipped between your folds.

 “Mmmmm,” Pablo rumbled finding you already wet for him.

 Pablo then pressed his forehead to yours as his fingers explored the slickness between your thighs.

 “Fuck dollface, you’re already wet for me?”

 You nodded unable to find your voice. He scissored your clit between his fingers and slid them up and down sending such powerful sparks of pleasure through you, you nearly came right then.

 “Aaah!”

 Pablo must have sensed it because his body stiffened, then he slid one finger home into your core. You both groaned in unison. It wasn’t nearly enough but it was still so fucking good and so much more than you’d had all these months. When you opened your eyes, you found Pablo’s hazel ones locked on you. His mouth was slightly ajar as he continued dipping into your cavernous heat one centimeter at a time. When he’d finally sent that one digit as far as it could go, he curled it up making your eyes roll to the back of your head.

 “You’re so tight. It’s like I’ve never claimed this sweet little pussy as mine.”

 You whimpered when he hooked his finger deeper.

 “Fuck, I’m going to have to teach her again how to take me, huh?”

 You nodded.

 “I can’t hear you dollface.”

 Pablo added another finger rotating his wrist, so his fingers spiraled inside of you.

 “Ye—ye—yes, yes, yes!”

 As if on their own, his fingers pulled out of you only to slam back in again and again before Pablo pulled them out completely. You watched as he licked them clean like a man with his favorite flavored cone.

 “You taste as good as I remember. I want more.”

 Before you knew it, Pablo had flipped you so you were straddling him with his thick, hard cock pressing against your sex. The feel of him nestled between your legs but not inside of you was so tempting that you couldn’t resist ricking against him using your slickness to ease your glide.

 “Aah,” Pablo growled gripping your hips but not stopping you.

 You began slow but that didn’t last. After the second or third rock you were quickly rubbing yourself against his need half using him for your own pleasure and half teasing him. The only sounds in the living room were your combined panting and moaning. Pablo’s grip on your hips tightened and soon he was pulling you toward his face.

 When his mouth latched onto your clit you instinctively bucked against him swiping your pussy across his mouth and nose. Pablo moaned then locked his arms around your waist holding you right where he wanted. His tongue set the pace telling you that he planned on devouring you until you were breathless and trying to run away and even then, he wouldn’t let you.

 Before even three minutes had passed you were so close, and he knew it from the way your moans turned to mewls and mewls turned to pants then finally whines.

 “Ah, ah, ah, Pa—oh my god!”

 You tried to pull away, but his arms held you tighter and deciding to just lose yourself to the pleasure you rocked on him, riding his face. Your wail of pleasure echoed throughout the house as your orgasm crept up on you taking you by surprise. Pablo moaned as he lapped at your flesh taking every drop you gave him. Even then he didn’t releasee you, he kept on coaxing another.

 Trying to pry yourself from him was futile so you gave yourself to the wild, consuming feeling bubbling within you. A feeling that threatened complete destruction and rebirth, a feeling that wanted as much as it would give, a feeling that was almost terrifying in the way that it made you feel so utterly out of control, but you didn’t run from it. You found Pablo’s eyes on you, and you lost your shit. You came so hard you nearly fell back on him. If it weren’t for his strong arms holding you, you were sure you would have.

 The next thing you knew you were cocooned in Pablo’s arms with your head resting in the crook of his beauty mark speckled neck while straddling him. Your eyes met and your hearth thundered even more.

 “Hi,” Pablo whispered before kissing the tip of your nose.

 “Hi.”

 “I’m sorry, I took too much too soon,” Pablo said.

 Your brow crinkled. “Too much?”

 “After flying, now with jet lag, I should have--.”

 You cut him off with a kiss. When you felt his hardness lurch underneath you, you realized then you’d blacked out and he hadn’t come yet. This man was too good to you. Kissing him with renewed need, you shifted just a little so his cock was between your bodies throbbing against your belly. Then you shifted onto your knees and hovered just above his length. Every time your wet entrance grazed the tip of his need he flinched and stiffened.  He was barely hanging on.

 “You haven’t taken enough.”

 You then slid down taking him inside of you inch by slow inch. Pablo threw his head back and clenched his jaw. His Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably tempting you to nip him which you did. Biting down on his skin you marked him not caring who saw it. Pablo groaned, wrapped his arms around you and pulled you down onto him filling and stretching you to capacity.

 “Fuck!”

 Pablo shook as he held you still. Every muscle in his back and chest jerked, then clenched and unclenched. He was right, he would have to teach you how to take him again. You were so impossibly full of him you were tethering on that fine line of pleasure and pain, and it drove you mad.

 “So tight, so fucking tight,” Pablo muttered allowing his vulnerability to shine through his voice.

 You slowly raised off of him allowing a few inches to slip from you before lowering yourself again. When you did, Pablo whimpered. Doing it again and again his reaction to you only intensified. By the time you’d picked up your speed both of your pleasure had synced. It felt as if you could feel his pleasure and he could feel yours. You were on the same seesaw ebbing back and forth, up and down on the way to the most powerful shared orgasm.

 “You’re so beautiful,” Pablo whispered into your ear before he bit your lobe.

 “Mmm. You feel incredible baby,” you countered.

 “Did you miss my cock dollface?”

 You nodded before you bit onto his bottom lip then sucked it into your mouth. Pablo squeezed your hips then began moving you on him. First, he rocked you back and forth then lifted you up and down slamming you down every time. By the time you were seeing stars behind your eyes, you pushed him back, so he laid down onto the floor, then lifted his t-shirt off of your body. Pablo’s eyes immediately dropped to your breasts and seconds later his hands cupped them.

 Using him as an anchor you planted your hands on this ripped torso then bounced on him. With every crash down onto him the goosebumps on your flesh beaded tighter and tighter, your telltale sign you were close.

 “I’m so close baby.”

 “Come for me dollface. Come all over this cock.”

 The man was an expert dirty talker. You didn’t stand a chance. As if on command, you did just that. As the sensation wrapped you up and took over you sat on top of him allowing yourself to fully let go after so many months apart. Pablo gripped your hips then jackhammered up into you inching your closer and closer to another release.

 “Ah, ah aahhaa, Pablo!”

 he grunted once, twice then you felt him filling you like a twinkie.

 “Ah, uh, uh, ah, uuuugh!”

 He held you so tightly against him ensuring that not even a drop escaped you and with every spurt he released inside of you, your body trembled. After several long moments, you both were a panting mess as you clung to one another.

 “Mmm, I love you, Y/N.”

 Your eyes met. “Yeah?”

 He looked so open, so vulnerable, so free for the taking.

 “I do. I love you so fucking much. Shit after today you just may be stuck with me for the rest of your life.”

 He kissed your collar then brought sloppy open-mouthed kisses to your breasts before wrapping his mouth around your nipple.

 “Mmm. What’s that supposed to mean?”

 He took his time licking and sucking your nipple reawakening that hungry, desperate need within you. Pulling his mouth from your flesh, he bit his bottom lip then brought one hand to your stomach.

 “I think I may have just planted Pablo Jr and Pabuela right here.”

 Your eyes bugged as you took in his words. Both of you snorted then laughed heartily.

 “Pablo!”

 You playfully slapped his chest.

 “Is that what your goal was? Let’s trap her so she’ll stay?”

 You playfully pinched and poked him until he rolled onto you pinning your arms above your head.

 “Trap? That’s such an ugly word. I prefer locked down, wifed up.”

 Both of you stopped moving as your eyes lingered. This was not the first time ether of you had heard the W word in reference to your relationship. It was however the first time Pablo had used the W word in reference to your relationship. This was also the first time he’d joked about having kids with you. He hovered over you, searching your eyes. You didn’t know what to say so you remained silent as your heart raced uncontrollably.

 “What do you think?”

 “Pabuela is a hideous name. There is no way my—our daughter will be named that.”

 You knew what you’d said, and you’d said it on purpose. His eyes remained on yours, but they sparked with intensity.

 “But Pablo Jr?”

 “PJ, sounds good,” you whispered.

 It was as if you were having two conversations in one. This lighthearted hypothetical one with the real and much deeper one hidden between the words, a serious one, one that was heavy with promise and intent. Pablo bit his bottom lip as he readjusted himself between your legs.

 “It does. Maybe Y/N Jr for—our daughter?”

 Hearing how heartbreakingly soft his voice got when he said “our” made your heart skipped a beat. It was a horrible idea, no way would you want to make your daughter a Jr, but hearing those words from him took your breath away. Shit you were so gone--hook, line and sinker for this man.

 You widened your legs then wrapped them around his waist. “There’s room for improvement but—I think we should be sure they are planted properly. Once may be all it takes but twice—seals the fate.”

 Pablo slowly smiled until he was full on just teeth and gums. With one thrust of his hips, he connected you again, stealing your breath all over again. The whole time he thrust into you his eyes never left yours. You were having a full-on conversation with your eyes and the beating of your hearts. The intensity of the exchange made you overly sensitive. You could feel everything ten times more. Every rub of his skin against yours felt like sparks from fireworks landed on your flesh. Every collision of his hip bone into yours was the rake of nails along your skin. Every tap of his thighs against the backs of yours sent a frisson of fire through you. It all felt so incredible, so completely perfect.

 When you felt his movements lag becoming even less controlled, you knew the intensity of the moment, of your lovemaking was also making him more sensitive as well. He was close and neither of you wanted to stop it or slow down. Pablo quickly thrusted into you racing for his release and you held on to him never taking your eyes off of his. Suddenly he stopped moving leaving your body in heightened suspension. Your first thought was he’d changed his mind and was pulling away from you both physically and emotionally. The thought made your heart clench and eyes prick with tears.

 “I love you, Y/N. Forever and always.”

 His brow crinkled and just like that he’d made the conscious decision and deliberate choice to seal your fate and lives together. A tear rolled out the corner of your eye as you joined him in the sweetest orgasm you’d ever had together. When you felt Pablo’s thick digit swipe at the tear you saw the question, worry and fear in his eyes. Smiling, you cupped his bearded jaw and erased any doubt in him with three words.

 “Forever and always.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[hallecarey1]

I am obsessed with the halo tv series! Like Master Chief is so hot🥵🥵🥵 if anyone has an fics of him please put them in the comments bc I can barely find any on here. Pablo is daddy

[alienisticxo]

hello there!

my life is finally calming down and i am so excited to continue my writing journey here with all the Halo fanfic ideas i’ve started and have been kicking around!

logging in again and seeing all the love on my fics, Before the Fever especially, means so much to me.

as we all know, the Halo series has returned with season 2, and it’s looking pretty great so far! i can’t wait to gather more lore and ideas from it!!

aside of that, i’m still here, i still love Chief (and our girl Cortana), and i can’t wait to write again! Before the Fever is definitely far from finished and i’m so excited to get back to it— see you guys around and feel free to request fics if you’d like!

i’m so glad to be back 💚

[ladyharlequinreaperstuff]

Robbers and Roses chapter update!

Chapter 5 of 'Robbers and Roses' is up!

@believeinthefireflies95

@keritaro

@lilac-tea-time

@blakeivy80

[ofmdrecaps]

08/03-04/2024 Weekend OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Samba Schutte; Ruibo Qian; Rachel House Dominic Burgess; Nathan Foad; Articles; Fan Spotlight; OFMD Colouring Pages; Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika

Okay yall, I ended up being up all night for days with a grumpy kiddo so I am yet again behind, I'm really sorry. Here's the weekend recap. Aug 5 will go out tonight if I have to chug espresso for the next 4 hours!

== David Jenkins ==

Source: David Jenkins Twitter

== Rhys Darby ==

Our Captain is out in Edinburgh Scotland! Doing his Live Cryptid Factor show with Dan Scheiber and Buttons!

Lots of short videos on his Instagram Stories:

The Cryptid Factor Live - Edinburgh - Buttons CraftTime

The Cryptid Factor Live in Edinburgh - Dan's Book

The Cryptid Factor Live In Edinburgh - The Crypid Factor

The Cryptid Factor Live In Edinburgh - The Caves

Source: Rhys Darby's Instagram

Source: petrichorpond On Twitter (per @mon-ster-chen's Post)

= Astras TV Awards Nominee =

Rhys has been Nominated for BEST ACTOR in a Streaming Comedy Series in the Astra TV Awards! The TV Awards ill be held on Aug 18th so keep your eyes peeled around then!

Source: Hollywood Creative Alliance Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Happy Wedding Anniversary to Taika and Rita! (Aug 4th 2022). They were caught smooching out in London recently <3

Source: Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

No context, but Samba called it "Man in the Mirror"

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

Nathan's weekly Saturday Celebration

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

= Ruibo Qian =

Just some stills from the Ms. Holmes/Ms. Watson BTS I wanted to include cause they're adorable.

Source: OldGlobe's BTS Video

= Rachel House =

So these are a week old but I found them via a more recent post from someone else there, so putting them in today! Rachel out with friends <3

Source: Instagram

= Dominic Burgess =

Dominic sending us goodnight cat pictures. What a guy <3

Source: Dominic Burgess' Twitter

== Articles ==

Thank you to @adoptourcrew for highlighting this article!

https://telltaletv.com/2024/03/20-iconic-queer-and-trans-characters-of-color-on-tv/

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

https://screenrant.com/tv-shows-always-recommend-good-regardless-genre/

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= OFMD Colouring Pages =

Another set of colouring pages from our fab friend @patchworkpiratebear - I love that we're getting multiple versions each time now! These are super cool!

Source: PatchworkPirateBears Tumblr: Teacups / Flag

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

Another episode of the Omegaverse! This time hosted by Tessa! Check them out on your favorite listening platforms here!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Hey Lovelies!!! Found this really adorable artist this weekend and I thought I'd share them with you because they really express a lot of things that I tend to think--- like how much I love you all, seriously, did you know you're fucking FANTASTIC?? and fucking BRILLIANT AND AMAZING AND TALENTED!?

Whenever I'm stuck doing work, or other family/life stuff, I always come back to thinking about this awesome fandom, and how much I miss talking too you all and how much I love all the crazy stuff you all get up to every day! I haven't been interacting as much because it's really hard for me to focus with so much going on (yay neurodivergence!)-- but please know I'm watching and laughing, and crying and smiling, and wishing you all the best and cheering you on! Hope the end of the weekend and beginning of the week is treating you wonderfully <3 Take care lovelies!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James (@sunlightafterdark)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James (@sunlightafterdark)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James (@sunlightafterdark)

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Just needing some of the Cinnamon Sugar, Salt and Pepper boys smiling together for this one <3 Gifs courtesy of more of our gif-masters @eddie-redcliffe and @thunderwingdoomslayer!

[holylulusworld]

Halo / Master Chief masterlist

Masterlist for all John - 117 / Master Chief x Reader stories

A/N: Please consider I write for the Master Chief from the series, not the games.

Rebel in heart

A new feeling

The voice in your head

Header and divider by me. For my use only.

[druckkugelschreiber]

It's wednesday apparently, and since my brain has somewhat recovered I decided to post a sneak peek for a future Meredith Vickers/ ofc oneshot for the Pet Project series.

Tagged by the wonderful @mxkelsifer (thank you so much!)

“Hey honey I’m home!” I loved calling out to Meredith like this, mostly because it infuriated her. She didn’t like the domesticity of the statement which of course meant I teased her endlessly with it. 

“There you are”, Meredith appeared in the open living room before I had left the hallway entirely. 

Her impatience confused me, as did her lack of annoyance about my statement.

“What happened?” I asked, automatically assuming the worst, even though she didn’t smell stressed. 

My eyes wandered over her outfit. She still wore her office clothes, though without the suit jacket. Grey dress pants and a white shirt remained, but without any shoes, so she didn’t have any important calls anymore. 

“Nothing happened”, she said with a scowl.

I closed the distance and brushed away the furrow between her brows, relishing the fact that I could touch her whenever I wanted in here. Out there she was the untouchable Meredith Vickers, my project manager and if at all could be considered a friend. In here, she was my girlfriend. My partner. My everything. 

“Why are you scowling then?” I asked and resisted the urge to pepper her face with kisses just barely. 

“Because I need to talk to you and you weren’t here when I got back from my board meeting”, Meredith still sounded very pissed, but the frown didn’t return as my finger kept trailing over her face. 

“Darling, I always go running at this time.”

“I know”, she huffed, “doesn’t mean it can’t inconvenience me.” She pulled me closer for a kiss, putting her other hand on my hips. It never failed to amaze me how unfazed she was by me being sweaty from my workouts. 

Everything about her was always clean and tidy but for some reason she never minded getting her hands dirty with me. I smiled against her lips. 

Meredith broke the kiss. “Why are you smiling?”

“Shouldn’t I smile when you kiss me?”

“Not like this”, she was back to scowling, wow she was in a terrible mood for ‘nothing had happened’. 

[maybe-im-dark]

First blood

The forest was eerily quiet, the kind of silence thar settled after violence had taken its toll. A faint mist hung in the air, filtering the moonlight that seeped through the canopy. The metallic taste of blood lingered, sharp and fresh.

Victor Creed followed the scent like a predator honing in on its prey, his lips curling into a grin. His sharp eyes caught the trail of disturbed leaves and snapped branches, leading deeper into the woods. He’d been searching for Logan for hours after hearing the commotion back in town. The screams. The chaos. He knew what had happened before he saw it.

Finally, in a small clearing, he found him.

Logan stood motionless, his chest heaving as his claws dripped with blood. His hands were slick with it, trembling slightly. His white teeth were stained red. The corpse of a man lay at his feet, his throat ripped open and his lifeless eyes staring into the void. Blood pooled around the body, soaking into the earth.

Victor stepped closer, his heavy boots crunching against the leaves.

"Well, well", he drawled, his voice low and amused. "Looks like baby brother's finally got his first taste."

Logan didn’t turn. His claws retracted, the jagged bones returning into his forearms, as he stared down at his shaking hands, the blood smearing across his palms. His breathing was ragged and his eyes were wide, hazel flecked with an unfamiliar wildness.

"I...i didn’t mean to", Logan muttered, his voice barely audible. "He made me angry. I just...i couldn’t stop."

Victor crouched beside the body, inspecting it with a predator's curiosity.

"What'd he do?", he asked, his tone more interested than concerned.

Logan’s jaw clenched. "He...insulted me. Said i was an animal. Said i didn’t belong in town. He shoved me. And then..."

"You showed him he was right", Victor finished for him, standing again. He grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "You showed him exactly what kind of animal you are."

Logan turned to him, his face pale. "It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I...what have i done?"

Victor stepped closer, his hand clamping down on Logan’s shoulder. "You did what you’re meant to do, Jimmy. You stopped holdin' back. You let it out. And you know what? It felt good, didn’t it?"

Logan’s eyes darted away, but Victor leaned in, his voice dropping to a growl. "Don’t lie to me. You felt it. That rush. The power. That’s what we are, brother. Predators. Killers. And you just took your first step into what you’re meant to be."

"I'm not..." Logan started, but the words faltered.

Deep down, he knew Victor was right. The adrenaline still pulsed in his veins. He hated it, but he couldn’t deny the truth.

Victor threw an arm around Logan’s shoulders, steering him away from the body. "C’mon. First kills are a big deal. We’re gonna celebrate. Drink, maybe pick a fight. You’ve earned it."

Logan hesitated, glancing back at the lifeless figure. His stomach churned, but the warmth of Victor’s arm and the intensity of his words were hard to ignore. Victor had always been there, guiding him, protecting him. Surely, he couldn’t steer him wrong.

"Don’t be scared of it", Victor said, his voice softer now. "This is who we are. Who you are. And trust me, Jimmy —there'll be a hell of a lot more where that came from."

Logan swallowed hard, but he let Victor lead him away from the clearing, away from the blood and the guilt. Deep down, something stirred within him —a part of him that was both terrified and exhilarated.

And as the two brothers disappeared into the night, the forest remained silent, a witness to the moment Logan took his first step into the dark he’d tried to fight.

[threshergm]

My Halo: The Series pitch The Silver Timeline 2.0 Character Notes

I was generally pretty satisfied with what we got in season 2, but after a lifetime of watching sci-fi television, I know it could have been so much better. So I decided to take a crack at writing Halo: The Series my own self.

I had three goals in writing this.

Preserve as many of the actors and characters from the OG Silver Timeline as possible.

More closely adhere to the story elements of the core canon than the OG Silver Timeline did.

Make the Halo universe accessible to people who have never picked up a video game controller in their lives, while also not pissing off the long-time fans.

A point that I disagree with from many longtime fans of Halo is that they ought to be the "main audience" of any Halo adaptation for TV. But I disagree with that. Any "main audience" for a successful TV series has to be the average TV viewer. We therefore need to make the story of Halo accessible to the average viewer.

What I came up with was something of a cross between Halo, Stargate: SG-1, and the 2003 Battlestar Galactic reboot; and I think it satisfies all three of my goals above.

The biggest single change to my characters is that THERE ARE NO STUPID PELLETS IN THIS UNIVERSE. The Spartans are still going to be confronted with their humanity, but the narrative mechanism driving this will be something that actually happens in the core lore: the Spartan program being made public later in the war for morale reasons.

Silver Team

The Master Chief [Pablo Schreiber] - He's an amalgamation of the John we see in OG Silver Timeline season 2, plus a heavy leavening of the books. He's laconic, but not the silent protagonist of the games. Like most Spartans, he struggles to socialize with anyone outside the immediate sphere of their operations. But due to his exploits and leadership, he's looked up to and we see him become the legend he's regarded as by the rest of humanity.

PO3 Kai-125 [Kate Kennedy] - She's Kelly's personality, Linda's job, and Kurt's amiable gregariousness. She's Silver's sniper and secondary medic. Definitely the most human of the Spartans of Silver Team. Silver will wordlessly drop into a trench filled with beleaguered Marines, while Kai will grin behind her helmet and shout, "Morning, boys!" We'll see her lifting Warthogs on a bet, playing knife games with Marines, and even flirting playfully. We'll also see her crying quietly in a deserted compartment, after those Marines are killed on a mission. "If we can't protect them, what good are we?"

LTJG Vannak-134 [Bentley Kalu] - He's basically Fred. Dry and acerbic wit, but frequently unintentionally charming. Silver's deputy leader. The most Spartan-like of the Spartans, but with a very soft spot for kids. Team demolitions and heavy weapons expert. Giving him Jorge's backstory here; he's from Reach and speaks Hungarian. He'll have Jorge's death, too. There should be a subtle-but-obvious something going on between him and Riz. Lots of meaningful glances and lingering touches.

WO2 Riz-028 [Natasha Culzac] - Linda's personality and Kelly's job. She's the intelligence and communications specialist for Silver Team and primary medic. She's the most socially awkward of the Spartans, but probably the most hungry for human interaction; she just doesn't know how to be around non-Spartans. Has her little quasi-relationship with Vannak and shares his soft spot for kids.

The Pillar of Autumn Crew

Captain Jacob Keyes [Danny Sapani] - CO of the converted colony ship the Pillar of Autumn. In his 50s and should be an admiral by now, but an unspecified scandal early in his career has kept him sidelined to backwater postings throughout the war. But he has his friends and allies still, not least of whom is his estranged wife Doctor Halsey. His daughter is his shipboard science officer, but that relationship is concealed from the audience for a while.

Commander Tom Lasky [Actor TBD] - Rescued by the Master Chief from the ruins of the Corbulo Academy of Military Sciences in the opening days of the war; represents those who grew up with the war, having never known service before the Covenant. He has absolute faith in the Master Chief. He's married to another UNSC officer, a Chyler Silva, serving at FLEETCOM on Reach.

LCDR Miranda Keyes [Olive Gray] - Science officer aboard the Pillar of Autumn and only child of Captain Keyes and Doctor Halsey. Goes by the last name of Keyes, but can sometimes have a strained relationship working under her father. Torn between her innate aptitude for science and the desire to be a serving line officer and command warships like her father.

Cortana [Jen Taylor] - Ostensibly a gift from Doctor Halsey to look after her estranged husband and daughter, Cortana's real mission is to find evidence in the Outer Colonies of Halsey's hoped-for "latchkey discovery" that can turn the tide against the Covenant. Initially willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to obtain leads or the thing itself, she quickly learns to value her crew and humanity at large, and isn't willing to spend lives unless absolutely necessary.

Marines and ODSTs

Sergeant Major Avery Johnson [Bokeem Woodbine] - Senior NCO for the regular Marine battalion we see deployed groundside in the pilot episode; he takes on the same job for the scratch combined Marine/ODST force aboard the Pillar of Autumn after the evacuation from. Brash, boisterous, and always joking; he's pretty much game and book Johnson. Often comic relief and always quick with a one-liner.

Corporal Talia Perez [Cristina Rodlo] - The everyman character meant to be the audience viewpoint and represent the lower enlisted ranks. A wide-eyed draftee private when we first meet her, she spends a lot of time as a fire team leader and we watch her grow into a hardened Marine. A devout Catholic and extremely virtuous; everyone's little sister and her fellow Marines are extremely protective of her. Absolutely going to be the one we torment the most, mostly to take advantage of Rodlo's acting range.

Major Antonio Silva [Anson Mount] - Commanding Officer of an ODST company, absolutely hates the Spartans due to a fatal incident between some of his men early in his career and a teenage John-117. Old buddy of Ackerson, but possibly an asset of Parangosky. Playing both sides. Definitely not a white hat, but he has his reasons.

WO Carol Rawley aka "Foehammer" [Actor TBD] - Dropship pilot of Pelican Echo-419. NEEDS FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.

The Covenant

Makee aka "The Reclaimer" [Charlie Murphy] - Abducted early in the war (probably from Harvest) at the age of 6, she was raised up in the Covenant religion and is a true believer. As such, she hates her humanity, and her arms and thighs are covered with cutting scars. To the Covenant, she's a "Reclaimer" or "Blessed One," told that she alone can activate Forerunner technology. It's a lie, meant to allow the Prophets to make use of her in the least politically and theologically damaging way possible. Her one friend is Fleetmaster Var 'Gatanai, whom is responsible for her.

Fleetmaster Var 'Gatanai [Actor TBD] - Commander of the Fleet of Solemn Accord, primary artifact hunters for the Covenant. Is a respected leader amongst the Covenant and one rung below the High Council. Commands over 100 ships and thousands of troops. Often personally leads ground troops in the field. Is rare among high-ranking Sangheili in that he has only one wife. Honorable warrior, and a believer in the Great Journey, but not a vicious fanatic. Has a daddy-daughter relationship with Makee.

Commander Rtas 'Vadumee aka "Half-Jaw" [Actor TBD] - Fleetmaster Gatanai's right-hand Elite and all around bad-ass. Commands special operations troops. Lost half his mandibles to a bare-miss by a Spartan sniper some years ago. Doesn't hold a grudge.

Prophet Truth [Actor TBD] - Complete cynic, master politician, and absolute asshole.

Back on Reach

Colonel James Ackerson [Joseph Morgan] - A career soldier who went intelligence later in the war after leading Ranger units against both Insurrection and Covenant. A dick, but not without a heart, and certainly not a coward. He genuinely believes that humanity can fight the Covenant to a standstill - if they use the right tools in the right way. He sees Halsey's Spartan-2s as a waste of resources; techno-saviors too precious to risk, when humanity needs effective soldiers it can spend. Hence his Spartan-IIIs [which are teenage volunteers, not children].

Doctor Catherine Halsey [Natascha McElhone] - The self-loathing genius polymath who oversaw the creation of the Spartan-2s because she saw no other option. ONI was going to have its super-soldiers one way or another, and wanted automatons at that. At least she was able to fight for them and help them retain some of their humanity. Lingering guilt over this is probably why she treats the Spartans like they're her children - and why she's estranged from her actual daughter Miranda and husband Jacob. Politically, Halsey knows that the Covenant can't be beaten in the traditional sense of the term, and that humanity's only hope is a so-called Latchkey Discovery - something out there in the black that will change the game and give us the edge. She believes that Halo is that very thing, and that we have to find it first or else all is lost. And she's right.

Admiral Parangosky [Shabana Azmi] - She's the unaccountable, power mad spook; the very personification of the State run amok. Charming, quiet, almost grandmotherly - and utterly amoral in her pursuit of power for herself and ONI. It is not at all clear if she cares whether or not humanity survives the process. But at the same time, not ineffective in Humanity's defense.

Admiral Hood [Keir Dullea] - The poor bastard at the top of the heap, overseeing a losing war, and trying to keep all the plates spinning. A professional Navy man to the core, he's just trying to keep humanity alive. Wherever he throws his weight behind is the faction in the Reach/Earth political dog fight that will win.

[blakeivy80]

Oouuuuhhh huuuuuummmm I suddendly feel like huuuum.... laying... resting... napping... or else, but no need for a pillow !

[furious-rogue-stuff]

A Feral Interlude

An X-MEN Origins: Wolverine Universe-inspired Series

*Post-Origins movieverse

Pairing: Victor Creed x Isabela Montecristo | Sabertooth x Vipress

Disclaimer: This series will have canon-accurate and heightened levels of violence, adult themes, slight dub-con/non-con overtones and undertones, descriptions of bloody gore and sadism, and graphic descriptions of sex.

Rating: Mature/Explicit 🔞

Series Summary: Victor Creed's reputation as the Sabertooth proceeds him. He clashes with a mysterious feral woman, an enigma and anomaly to everything he knows. What began as a hunt becomes a dance between like-minded predators.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 |

Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |

Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13

Series is complete.

*Moodboard image was assembled from several sources and made by yours truly.