#this is more about my protective hawke who would claw at anyone daring to threaten yet another dear person to them after losing so many

[azurechicken]

I like to imagine Hawke and Anders saying "No matter what, I will do it." or something along those lines to each other under the same circumstances but with totally different reasons behind it. Anders says it because he has a duty he has to fulfill and nothing will come between him and his cause, not Hawke nor all the love that comes along with them. He will not waver with the promise of someone's warmth when everyone he used to be and stands for wouldn't dare speak of it, because the templars will hear it, they wouldn't even be able to dream of it because then the demons would come rushing. He won't turn around just because he got lucky and he had it better than most. It could be the templars, the chantry or the companions they made along the way, the lover or even his death, he won't stop. But when Hawke says it they are thinking that even though they might not know all of it, they know who they are with and who they want to protect, and that is enough. For them no matter what means that love is an experience and will never be just one thing, but the whole of a person and if it means a hard decision he decided Hawke isn't to make that the majority will stand against them for, then be it. If Anders is to be shunned for a sacrifice he made to be a voice of many, even by some of those same people he is fighting for, bring it on. They mean that whatever you decide, I will be there.

[holdmyowos]

Mating Season (Hawks x Male Reader Lemon)

Includes: Boy x boy (duh), feral Hawks, angst and cursing.

Your POV:

           It had been a long day at the League. So much hectic things had happened that Shigaraki decided to call a meeting. Everyone was crammed in one room with a really long table. The meeting was one of those that you had been to countless times before. It was just Shigaraki ranting about how nothing ever went his way. Thankfully, Hawks, was to the right of you. That always put you at ease. He was so easy to get along with. That, and he was handsome. Too bad he was probably straight. He kept making stupid jokes and making fun of Shigaraki. Shigaraki gave Hawks the middle finger and kept up his speech. "Shut it, bird boy, or else you'll get in trouble," you hissed at Hawks. He laughed. "Come on now. Live a little." You rolled your eyes at him. "How can I do that when Shigaraki's keeping me here? I'd rather be doing anything else." You whispered back. "A hot guy like yourself shouldn't be stuck in this musty room doing nothing but listening to some crusty dude vent. You should totally hook up with someone!" He winked at you. Your heart about stopped. He was so cute. Did he mean he liked you? If you asked, would he hook up with you? Just the thought made your lower stomach throb. "Yeah, I guess I should. You know who with?" You blushed at him.

Hawk's POV

My body tensed up. No. This could not happen here. Not in front of the whole league. I started fidgeting. What Luke the chances be that he liked me back? My nails dug into the chair arm. His voice was so nice and soothing. So calming. My breathing sped up. I hate when this happens. It puts me in an odd position. My mating instinct kicks in when someone says something like that. I could ask him out, but that might ruin our friendship. I kept fidgeting throughout the meeting, waiting for it to be over. My anxiety probably wouldn't let me talk to him anyway. The pressure in my stomach just gets more and more. My face turns red.

Your POV

For some reason, Hawks had not answered your question. In fact, he had not said anything for the rest of the meeting. He started fidgeting. His face turned red. Did you make him uncomfortable with that question? By the ending of the meeting, his hair was all messed up by how many times he had run his fingers through it. Somehow, his fingernails had seemingly turned into something that more resembled talons. Shigaraki dismissed everyone. You went up to him. You caught his eyes for a few seconds, and his gaze was very intense. You walked closer. "Hey, Hawks-" you took another step forward, and he flew off to his bedroom. What was he doing? You followed him. When you got to his room, you knocked.

"Hey, what's going on?" You asked, concern lacing your voice. He was acting odd. Even through the door, you could hear his labored breathing. He did not answer. Was he ignoring you? You knocked louder. "I'm talking to you! Are you okay? What's wrong?" His breathing calmed down. "I'm sorry! Please... please just leave me alone." He almost sounded like he was crying. "Hell I will! I'm not going to just leave you like that, damn it! Something's wrong, and I want to help you! I'm your friend!" You shouted at him. "I need something more than that," his answer came. What did that mean? What was going on with him? A giant crashing sounded from in his room, as if he had tipped a chair over. "What do you mean, Hawks? Do you need something? I'll get it for you. I'm here for you." Whatever was going on was serious. The Hawks you knew would never cry. He was always quick with a joke, always seemingly happy. He had never show his weakness like this before. "I need something more than a friend. Just leave!" He said again. Yet he still did not sound angry, just sad. What did he mean by that? "Hawks, please. Just tell me what's wrong. I'll help you with whatever it is. I-" your voice broke. "I love you. If there's anything I can do, just come and get me." You took a step away from the door, giving up. If he did not want to tell you even after such an emotional confession, he'd never say.

"Wait."

In a flash, you were whisked away. You could barely comprehend what had happened. He was so fast. One moment, you were in the hall, but the next moment you were in his room. It had all been a blur of red. Hawks shut the door with a click.

You took a moment to take in what had happened. He had grabbed you and dragged you into his room in less than a second. He pressed his mouth against yours with passion, pulling you in. His strong muscles were hard against you. Surprised by how fast he was taking it, you pushed him away.

You took in the scene. He had ripped through your shirt in the place he had dragged you. His room, which normally seemed so orderly, had feathers all over it. A wooden desk had been toppled over, so that much paper and few pencils littered the floor. Hawks's shirt had been cast aside on the floor. His hair was a mess. In fact, he looked so disorganized. He was all sweaty, but his scent was so nice. You could see all his abs and arm muscles spread in front of you, moving with his breathing. He looked so fucking hot. His fist kept clenching and unclenching. He was staring at you like you were the last morsel of food left on earth. His breathing had again become heavy. His lips were parted. One hand of his was on the wall. He looked really angry.

"Why the hell did you say you loved me, if you can't even bring yourself to fucking kiss me?" He spat. He did not give you a chance to respond. He trapped you by pressing you against the door. He very slightly squeezed your neck with one hand, his claw tips barely touching your skin. You stayed like that a moment, his breath hot against you. He slowly calmed down enough to let you go. He flopped onto his bed and laid down on his back and closed his eyes, and grit his teeth together. "Whatever the fuck. Just leave then. I was probably just hallucinating. Tell anyone and you're dead. I swear." He let out a giant sigh and raked his claws on his blanket sheets, ripping long lines in them, as if to prove his point.

"Hawks. It just all happened so fast. I do love you. Really. I was just surprised you accepted me. I just needed a minute. That's all." He sat up on his bed. "Sorry for yelling at you. And threatening you. It's just these bird instincts sometimes take control." He licked his lips and stared at you. "N-no problem. Anyway, what was wrong with you during the meeting? Why did you... you know, flip over your desk? And what is up with those claws?" You knelt down on the floor next to his bed. His gaze wandered over you, humming, as if deciding what to tell you. "Well, if I'm being perfectly honest, you were what was wrong with me during the meeting. What a pain in the ass. You're just so fucking hot that you turned me on. What can I say? And one thing turns into another, and my breeding instincts kick in. I get protective of my space, my things, including..." He said the next word quickly. "...you." "And when my bird instincts kick in, I seem more bird like. So, they are talons, not claws. He stuck out his tongue. It was longer and narrower than usual. I just did not know how to let out my feelings. My instincts go against what human society's norms are quite often. I get angry. So," he gestured to the knocked over desk.

You got up. "Well, I'm here for you now. So don't worry about society's norms." You crawled on top of him and plunged your lips against his. His chest was so warm against you. He broke the kiss for air. The two of you rolled on and off of each other. Finally, he pinned you against the bed. He took one finger and gently traced your jawline. He laid down on top of you, embracing you in a hug. Melting onto you. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I just wanted someone to hold me like this so badly." He laid his head next to yours. You traced his muscular arms. "Are you sure that's all you want?" You whispered in his ear. "What do you mea-" he spluttered. Noticing his pants, you had pressed hard against him. He looked down at you with lust. "Touch me like that again, I fucking dare you. You won't," he whispered. "Yes I will." You started palming him through his pants. He let out little gasps, moving his hips towards your hand.  "Needy, hmm? I kinda thought you'd be dom, not going to lie. Makes things more interesting, I guess." He smirked up at you. "So, you've thought about us doing this before?"

"So?"

"Nothing."

"Good."

A sudden knock at the door surprised both of you. "Hawks, I was wondering if-" Toga's voice. "Hawks is busy right now. How about you fuck off?" You heard her skipping back down the hall, completely unfazed. "Hey, that was rude. Wha-" you cut off his words by taking his dick into your hand and jacking him off. He twitched. You picked up the pace.

"Hell not so fucking rough." He all but moaned. You let go of him. He whined in protest. "Thought you didn't like it rough." "It hurts so badly. I hate how this bird quirk makes me feel. Please. Please just... just do it. Don't waste any time. I can't wait. I can take it without any lube or anything. Please..." you could see how badly his pride hurt, but his instincts were taking over. "...please just fuck me." He took the rest of his clothes off. You followed suit. "You're sure that's what you want?" "Don't make me beg. I couldn't live with myself." You considered the idea, but by now he had caused quite the bulge in your own pants. "Ok, bird brain."

You gently pressed into him. He made deep gauges in the bed with his talons. "You're so fucking tight. Just relax and it will go smoother." "You're right, you're right." Every time you pressed in deeper, he clenched around you and groaned. His wings puffed out. Finally, you pushed all the way in. Slowly, you moved up and down. "Hawks, you're such a fucking bottom." His moans were very loud. "I knowwwwwwww..." You picked up the pace, and soon were nearing your climax. "Hawks, are you ready?" "I've been ready, just... just waiting for you," he gasped. You rode out your orgasms and for the rest of the night the two of you had a great time.

[sanjuno]

I got this idea from playing lego jurasic world/park: Uchiha with raptors. I can't decide if they would be them, have an understanding with ech other cause kids/babies are precoius and need protection, or work together. I just really like all of them

Eee! Yes! Raptor squad shenanigans!

Freaky Friday Prompt Fill #1/13

Sitting in the Naka Shrine in the centre of the ritual circle used by countless Uchiha who wanted to forge a summoning contract, Madara cut his fingers with deliberate care. Moving his hands through the signs, Madara let the chakra build and flare up as he pressed bloody palms to the ground. “Kuchiyose no jutsu!”

The smoke that signalled a successful first contact billowed up from under his hands, and Madara was left blinking at the large egg he cradled in his palms. Ah, so it was going to be one of those challenges.

/…/

A month later, Madara beamed down at the hissing bundle of feathers and teeth that clung to his fingers with comically oversized claws. “I’m going to call you Aoi.”

The tiny baby raptor just gaped and shrilled a demand for more food.

“Beautiful girl, look at you.” Crooning lovestruck nonsense, Madara dropped the bloody chunk of meat into razor-lined maw. “Such a cute little darling.”

Head in his hands, Taijima wondered if he should be proud or despairing that his son had such a good relationship with his first summons animal. On one hand, succeeding at first making contact and then successfully completing the worthiness challenge meant that Madara would have stalwart allies in the future. Plus, the stronger the bond between summoner and summon was, the more powerful the animals became. On the other hand… Madara had a contract with the raptors. By all the gods, Taijima could only hope that Madara only ever had need for the hawks.

The horror stories from when Taijima’s grandmother had summoned the Boss Raptor still circulated around the Uchiha’s fireside storytellings. They were lucky that the raptors were a summon that exclusively answered the call of the Uchiha, and that the appearance of the Raptor Boss had been passed off as a Bijuu rampage.

Madara was going to be an absolute terror when he grew up.

/…/

Uchiha Izuna hit the ground, blood pouring from the fatal wound running through a significant number of his vital organs. Senju Tobirama had about three seconds to congratulate himself on his victory before he was blindsided by a hurricane of black fire and screaming rage. “I’LL KILL YOU!”

‘This.’ Tobirama realized with something akin to numb horror. ‘Is why Anija always fights Madara one on one.’

The only thing that kept Tobirama’s head attached to his shoulders was the teleportation jutsu that had brought him inside Izuna’s guard in the first place. Now it flashed him out of Madara’s range, and Tobirama scrambled to put more distance between them.

“No!” Hashirama hit Madara at full speed, and as the titans clashed the wider battle was halted in its tracks as each Clan withdrew to their own sides. Wood and flame climbed higher, spectral bones and nurturing earth clashing like a war between the gods of life and death. The pressure of their combined killing intent knocked most of the spectators off their feet, and Tobirama stubbornly locked his knees. It took effort to remain upright, they could not have continued their battle even if they had the will. “I’ll heal him! Madara, let me heal him!”

“How dare you!” Madara howled, done holding back, striking to kill and Hashirama could only match him. Only match him. Heart in his throat, Tobirama wondered if this was the day he watched his last remaining brother die. It would be his fault. It would be Tobirama’s fault because it was obvious that Hashirama and Madara had only been clashing for the sake of duty to their Clans before this. Now, Madara had a personal reason to hate the Senju, more than just the history of battle between their Clans. “You swore an oath to me! You swore!”

“And I meant it! Let me keep my oath!” Hashirama lunged forward, not to harm Madara, but to hold him. Hands over Madara’s hands where they clung to the gunbai, Hashirama begged with his words and his tone and every inch of his face. “Please, Madara! Let me keep my oath. Let me heal Izuna!”

Enraged beyond words, Madara screamed, tossing his hair back and staring into Hashirama’s eyes with a sharingan that spun too fast to see the pattern. The stare held for a heartbeat that lasted a lifetime, then the pressure crushing them all into the dirt eased away. Madara stepped back, Hashirama released his desperate grip, and Tobirama could only watched as his brother walked into the crowd of Uchiha. Weaponless, shedding armour even as he moved, hands glowing green with healing chakra that he pressed to Uchiha Izuna’s bloodied middle.

Once assured that Izuna would live, Hashirama stood up and faced Madara.

“Please.” The leader of the Senju Clan said only loud enough for his old friend to hear. “Please, don’t let this happen again. Make peace with me, Madara. Help me bring our dream to life.”

Ripping his eyes away from his little brother’s too-pale face, Madara turned to look at Hashirama.

“If you betray me, Hashirama, you will not live to see the next sunrise.” That said, Madara held out his hand to his childhood friend. “The official papers will have to wait, Hashirama, but as long as you keep a leash on your little brother, we have an accord.”

Beaming and all but breathless with relief, Hashirama clasped Madara’s hand, and the first step towards peace was taken. 

/…/

“The Kyuubi can’t be killed!” Mito shouted over the roar of the approaching demon. “We need to find what’s driving it this way and get rid of it!”

“Do that!” Madara, slashed a hand through the air. “Izuna, go with them! Tobirama’s with me. Everyone else, fall back!”

“What about back up?” Hashirama hesitated, Mito and Izuna next to him.

“I don’t need backup.” Madara snarled, swiping both hands through the blood leaking from the gash on his arm and slamming them down. “Kuchiyose no Jutsu!”

“Time to go. Nownownow.” Izuna grabbed Mito and Hashirama by the arms and hauled them along as the smoke billowed up. “Try not to get eaten before we get back, Senju!”

One hand on Madara’s shoulder, Tobirama barely held back the curses that wanted to escape as they rose up through the smoke. Giant hawks swept in, plucking shinobi from the ground and winging away back towards the Village. On the ground feathered crests in a multitude of colours were lifting in challenge, hissing chatter escaping fanged muzzles.

“Madara-chan.” Under Tobirama’s feet, a massive white head lifted, and a massive voice rumbled out like the crash of falling mountains. “You have not called on me before, child. What drives you to do so now?”

“Aku o saku-sama, Queen of Raptors.” Madara smiled and Tobirama bit his own tongue to keep silent. Whatever these creatures were, they were as different from Madara’s hawks as a shark was to a goldfish. The Uchiha stood and gestured to the approaching Kyuubi. “My nest and hatchlings are threatened. I would beg your assistance in hunting down my enemy.”

“A hunt worthy of me.” The white feathers rippled, spreading out and turning red in a brazen threat display. “How exciting!”

“It’s a hunt!” Feathers edged in crystal blue, a comparatively smaller raptor cackled from down below. Tobirama stared at the teeth, and the sickle claw that explained a lot about Madara’s fondness for the kusarigama when the gunbai was impractical, and wondered with hysterical calm why Madara had never summoned these demons on the Senju while they were at war. “We get to hunt with Madara-sama!”

“Eyes on me, ladies.” Madara smiled as the attention of every predatory gaze landed on him. Tobirama tried very hard not to look like prey. “You see the big fox over there? Go get it.” 

Shrieking with glee, the smaller raptors lunged forward to disappear into the underbrush. Aku o Saku rumbled in amusement, then she herself began moving and a wall of wind almost smashed Tobirama from his perch.

“Don’t eat anyone I don’t tell you to!” Madara shouted after them, grinning like a madman as he held tight to white feathers. “That’s my kill!”

“Stingy!” A green one shrieked before swerving away to take her place in the vanguard.

/…/

Izuna watched the red eyed white demon that was his elder brother’s Boss Summon clash with the Kyuubi no Youko and winced. “Ah, we’d better hurry before someone gets eaten.”

Mito turned her shocked stare away from the scene and onto Izuna. “Is that a concern?”

“Just…” Izuna hesitated and look warily down at the underbrush. “Just try to stay as high up as possible. Raptors really like ambushes.”

Hashirama blinked and tilted his head to one side. “… do birds usually have teeth?”

Izuna’s face was blank as he stared at Hashirama. “These ones do.”

“Huh. No wonder Madara wins all our bets.” Hashirama mused as they started moving again. “That’s an awful lot of hen’s teeth.”

=/=

… Hashirama, honey, no. That’s not the impression you’re supposed to be taking away from this.

[jen-kellen]

I should have just posted one of these scenes but whatever lmao ur getting all the bullshit  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Gila Monster lunges forward to feign a bite at Přemysl, but she does not move from Geist’s knee. Přemysl flutters his wings at her and chirps.

“Přemek,” the Commander warns lowly. She holds her wrist out for him to hop on to, but he instead flutters onto Bradford’s shoulder and nestles against his neck. He glares at the Gila Monster as though it had managed to nip him.

Verena rests her head on the Commander’s knee to help soothe her instead.

Geist looks down at his daemon and strokes a finger along her back. “I appreciate your effort, Commander, but I don’t believe our alliance will ever work out if you cannot trust me,” he says.

“I trust you,” she replies flatly.

“Clearly not,” Geist retorts, glancing pointedly at the glowering sparrowhawk.

“Just give it time, Geist. Your Templars will be invaluable in fighting off ADVENT,” Bradford says. He lifts a hand to scratch at Přemysl’s chest, trying to get him to relax. “Premek will calm down. He has with Betos and Volk already.”

Přemysl chirps angrily at that, but he can’t deny that it’s true.

Beside him, the Commander sighs and leans back into the sofa. “It’s not just Přemek, Central,” she admits quietly. She pins Geist with her gaze. “But it will get better.”

Bradford looks at her, but Geist speaks up before he can question her hesitance.

“What would it take to earn my trust, Commander?”

“You don’t need need to do anything, Geist. It’s my issue, I’ll get over it.”

Geist considers her for a moment, then lets his gaze wander over to Přemysl, still pressed against Bradford’s neck. “I could help with your… issue,” he offers.

The Commander stands immediately and Přemysl puffs himself up as much as possible, his claws tearing the fabric of Bradford’s shirt. “That won’t be necessary. In fact, I think we’re done here,” she snaps. She whistles and Přemysl leaps to her forearm. She nods at Geist and his daemon. “It was good to meet you.” With that, she marches out the door and disappears into the Avenger.

Bradford watches her go in shock.

Verena flicks her ears back, wanting to follow and comfort her, but entirely unable to. Eventually she settles on pressing against Bradford’s legs and whining softly.

He reaches down and scratches behind her ears. “I’m sorry about that, she’s not usually that short with people,” he says apologetically.

Geist lifts a hand to stop him from saying anything more. “She will come to trust me, of that I’m sure. If you still will it, I will leave one of my own in your care,” he says. His daemon climbs up his shirt and settles himself onto his shoulder so he can stand.

“I’ll speak with the Commander once she’s calmed down a bit, but we’d love to have a Templar aboard,” he assures, standing as well.

He sees Geist off of the Avenger and back to the Templar base, then lets Verena lead him back to the Commander. They find her, unsurprisingly, in the shooting range. She does not put the gun down and take off her ear protection no matter how much they try to distract her.

Eventually, Verena gives in and just lays down, pressed against the back of her legs. Přemysl is at least a bit calmer, and flutters over to land on his shoulder.

“Is she alright?” he asks the sparrowhawk quietly. They linger in the doorway of the shooting range, within range of Verena but where it’s quiet enough to speak.

“She will be,” Přemysl assures, nestling against his neck once more.

He rubs the bird’s head gently. “What the hell happened?”

“Would you ever be comfortable with psionics if you were mind controlled for twenty years?”

Only a few of the Skirmishers have daemons that have settled which only adds more to the pile of reasons most of the resistance does not trust them. Fortunately for the the crew of the Avenger, the Skirmisher leader is one of the few who have settled.

Unfortunately, her daemon happened to settle into a bear, which was enough to make plenty of the crew nervous alone.

Přemysl, for being a fraction of her size, is indifferent to the bear. The Commander, likewise, shows no distrust of Betos or Mox. A salamander crawling out from under Mox’s armor draws some attention, but once it shifts into a badger in his lap no one pays it much mind anymore.

“You surprise me, Commander,” Betos says. “Most have issues trusting my kind when they see our daemons shift.”

She shrugs and scratches Přemysl, settled on her knee. “Nowadays a lot of people find it difficult to trust me, as well. It’d be hypocritical if I judged you for your daemons,” she says quietly.

“That’s not true,” Bradford butts in quickly. “People trust you.” “Central, it’s obvious. I’m not normal. To quote Volk, ‘It’s unnatural.’”

Mox tilts his head. “Your daemon doesn’t shift, like mine.”

The Commander shakes her head. “Přemysl has been settled for ages, but after - after what the Elder did, we’ve been separated. We can be as far from each other as we want, and it doesn’t hurt. It unnerves people if they know,” she explains.

“You will receive no judgement from any of the Skirmishers, Commander,” Betos says, offering her a smile. “You have done more for us in a week than the rest of the resistance has done in years.”

The Commander shoots a questioning look at Bradford, but does not press the issue now. Instead, she returns Betos’s smile with one of her own, though it’s noticably weak. “I do have a request, if you don’t mind. I’d like to speak with your later, privately.”

“I will make myself available for you,” Betos assures.

The Commander ignores the questioning looks that Přemysl, Verena, and Bradford give her.

Přemysl hops around the table, stealing the tiny scraps of chryssalid meat left on everyone’s dishes. For being by far the smallest daemon at the table, he moves as though it is his kingdom, with none of the others daring to stop him. At most, when he gets to Volk’s seat, Nadya flutters her wings to spook him. He flutters his own wings in turn, making her step back closer to Volk.

Nadya grunts something at him that sounds Russian, and he spits back something of his own in Czech.

“Cut it out, Přemek,” the Commander warns lowly.

The sparrowhawk turns to look at her, then takes another step towards the eagle.

“Přemek, skonči!”

Přemysl shoots one last glare at Nadya, then flutters back onto the Commander’s shoulder. He nestles against her neck as though he’d done nothing wrong.

She shoots a smile at Volk while Bradford, Elena, and their daemons muffle laughter. “Sorry about that, I don’t know what’s gotten into him,” she says.

“Don’t worry. They’ve gotten to know each other quite well over the years,” Volk assures. He smiles, but is lacks any warmth at all. Nadya’s expression is just as cold.

She looks at Přemysl to offer an explanation, but he hops off of her shoulder and settles in Verena’s fur instead. The wolfdog shifts slightly to create a comfortable dip in her side for him to nest in.

The Commander sighs and shakes her head, then turns back to Volk. “Honestly, I’m somewhat surprised. There’s more non-bird-of-prey daemons than I would have thought for a faction built entirely with snipers. The felines, I can almost understand, but some of the others? I saw someone with a bear as we came in,” she says, amused.

“Is it really so odd?” Elena asks.

“The army always preferred those of us with birds-of-prey to be snipers. Something about preferences for heights, sharper eyesight, and additional sight lines. How much of that was actually true, I suppose we’ll never know,” she explains with a shrug.

“I’d thought it coincidence that so many eagles and hawks were drawn to our way of life. Maybe there is some truth to it,” Volk muses. “But I’m not one to turn away anyone willing to become a Reaper because of their daemon.”

Elena glances up at the barn owl on her shoulder, then to Nadya, then Přemysl. Finally she lets her gaze fall to Verena. “If our kind are drawn to be reclusive snipers, how does a wolfdog end up in the Navy?” she asks. “Shouldn’t you have a seal, or something?”

“Loyalty,” Bradford says simply. He sends a sidelong glance at the Commander, as if no one else at the table would notice. “Canines aren’t unusual in any branch of the military, so it’s not as though they had to make any special accommodations for me.”

“They probably should have,” the Commander teases, shooting him a smile in return. She reaches between them to scratch under Verena’s chin, causing her to shift and for Přemysl to give an annoyed chirp. “I don’t think any of your superiors counted on her being as wolfish as she is. Not that I’m complaining about that, of course.”

Volk raises an eyebrow and glances down at Přemysl, then back up at the Commander. “I know you said birds-of-prey were common for snipers, but did the army have to make any special accommodations for you?” he asks. “I would have expected XCOM’s legendary Commander to have something a bit more threatening than a little northern sparrowhawk, and I imagine that would have applied through the ranks. Of everyone here, you seem the most suited to a golden eagle.”

Nadya chirps dejectedly in his lap, so he apologetically rubs his fingers over the soft feathers of her head.

The Commander looks down at Přemysl and strokes him as well. There’s a flash of something despondent in her eyes that makes Bradford want to carry her back to the Avenger to avoid the pain. Verena shifts to rest her chin on her lap instead, and it is all either of them can do.

“Sparrowhawks had historically been used in falconry, but had largely fallen out of use. They’re courageous and powerful, but extremely difficult to train, as both the Council and the Elder’s have found,” she explains quietly.

The Commander held herself together so well in public, it was difficult even for him to remember that she had been used as a means to an end by both man and alien alike.

Bradford reaches over and gives Přemysl a few scratches as well, to which he gives an appreciative chirp. It’s not enough to remove the sadness from the Commander’s eyes.

“But surely you were always destined to become top of the food chain, so to speak,” Volk continues, drawing their attention once more. “Surely an eagle of some sort would have made more sense?”

“I’ve never been top of the food chain, and I never will be,” she replies matter-of-factly. “I’ve always had someone looking for me to misstep. Either someone was waiting to blackmail me, or my superiors had a problem with me - not to mention how the Council felt about me of course. And now? There are the Elders and their Chosen quite literally trying to hunt me down.”

No one at the table feels secure in the future enough to ask if she thinks she’ll ever be able to live without fear of being hunted.

He watches the Commander pace along the length of the bridge, entirely ignorant to the bits of tape placed on the floor where she made her about-faces. The sight alone wasn’t entirely unusual, but there was nothing for either of them to be fretting over at the moment.

Přemysl tugs at his ear impatiently. He relents and steps into her path. She reaches the end of her route, turns, and marches up to him before finally stopping.

“There’s nothing to be worried about, Tanya,” he says quietly, low enough for only them to hear. “Our crew will get some rest, the Skirmishers can help get the new generator up and running, and with any luck ADVENT and the Chosen will leave us alone long enough to heal.”

Her shoulder’s slump and he’s once again reminded of the incomprehensible weight that drags her entire being down. “I know. That’s not what I’m nervous about. I just - I want to speak to Betos sooner rather than later,” she replies.

Přemysl hops angrily on Bradford’s shoulder. “Just spit it out! You haven’t even told me about whatever’s on your mind,” he chirps angrily.

He lifts a hand up to pet Přemysl and soothe him. “You know you can trust Verena and I, too,” he adds.

“You wouldn’t understand,” she says, looking away. “Not even Přemek was with me those twenty years.”

One of the crew shouts, informing everyone that everyone was free to disembark. The Commander turns on her heel and exits with the rest of the crew.

“You could both do to give her a bit of space,” Verena says, pressing against his leg.

---

“I can’t just tell them. It’s - I don’t know, a human thing. I’ll be removed from my position, and I don’t know if the resistance can survive that.”

Verena’s ears perk up and she looks at Bradford, but he doesn’t react. They were clearly on the right track to find Tatiana to bring her back to the Avenger, but it was starting to look less like a good idea.

“Your second speaks too highly of you to have you removed, but you could surely use more rest.”

“Resting is the problem, Betos. Without a battle to focus on, everything else gets worse. Ghosts haunt my every step, the Elders’ voices grow stronger, and my dreams are constantly cast into the shadow of an Ethereal.”

Verena leans up to grab John’s sleeve in her jaw, mindful of the sparrowhawk half asleep on her back, forcing him to stop. “Tanya will be fine,” she says quietly. “Let’s just go back to the Avenger.”

Bradford looks down at the wolfdog and continues on down the hallway regardless. “I don’t trust the Skirmishers as much as she does.”

“It’s not about trust, it’s-”

“I thought you said it was supposed to get easier? I can’t live the rest of my life like this. I don’t know if I can even live another week like this.”

From the doorway they can see the silhouettes of Tatiana and Betos, leaned against each other and against Betos’s bear daemon. The women are, fortunately, facing away from them and don’t notice the intrusion.

“You need to tell someone close to you. You are human as well, you can allow yourself to rely on others. Does Premysl even know?”

They see Tatiana shake her head. “We haven’t been as close since the incident.”

“Perhaps start there.”

Finally, John breaks from his stupor and pads silently back down the hallway. They have already heard too much of a conversation not meant for them.

---

There is a marked difference in Mox once his daemon settles into a honey badger in both the crew and in them.

The crew is, of course, relieved that there isn’t an unsettled daemon on board. It wasn’t quite unnatural, but it wasn’t quite right, either.

Mox and his daemon seem calmer after she settles, like the act of finding the right form as strengthened both of their wills.

Bradford glances at the Commander and Přemysl. She’s stuck her feet into one of the pools, and Přemysl is using one foot to perch on as he bathes. It’s no secret that her will had been shattered in the wake of the invasion and he wonders if Přemysl is part of the reason she hasn’t recovered.

Verena announces their presence first, hopping down the steps into the pool and taking a swim. Přemysl flits from the Commander’s foot to cling to the wolfdog’s back, chirping happily.

“Finally trust Geist enough to wander off the Avenger?” he asks, sitting down beside her.

She doesn’t look up at him and shrugs. ‘Přemek needs some time to stretch.”

“You didn’t have to come out for that.”

“I think it’s best if we start acting like we’re normal again,” she says after a moment. She watches their daemons play in the water, but she’s unfocused. “We should get used to that again.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You’re going to let Geist…?”

“It’s worth a shot. If it helps-” She cuts herself off abruptly and shakes her head. “It’s not like there’s much use in us being severed. It’s just caused more pain than anything else.”

“We don’t know for sure if he can do it. Nothing like this has ever been tried before.”

“Far stranger things have been tried and succeeded in the past twenty years. Why couldn’t this one?” She finally looks up at him and offers a sad smile. “I trust Geist. I don’t like psionics, but I can trust him.”

He picks up her hand and squeezes it. “If you’re sure.”

She returns the squeeze, then extracts her feet from the water and shakes them dry. Přemysl lands on Bradford’s shoulder and shakes himself dry as well.

Once they’re both ready, she offers her wrist to him and Přemysl flutters to her. Together they march into the base to find Geist, finally starting to look more like the Commander they once knew.