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inscrutable-shadow · 5 months

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only then i am human (only then i am clean) - part one

contains: mild horniness, homoerotic blood drinking, minor nausea (no vomiting), swearing, gore, a disgusting amount of gay pining, whumptober 2023 days 11, 20, and 30 (animal trap, "you will regret touching them," bridal carry)

summary: The Culling War is over, and Thanatos is not the same.

Mariano doesn't have a same to go back to.

Bastian just hopes that he won't have to kill Thanatos when the vampire's ravenous hunger finally takes over.

It's been far too long since Thanatos has had a good meal, after all, and he loves getting himself in hot water.

beginning notes: whoo-wee! i started this as a whumptober fill, and it still is that, but it’s also so, so much more than that now. four times the size and now part of a series i hope to continue in the coming months. so many thanks to @crash-bump-bring-the-whump for letting me borrow his characters, fill his dms with screaming and gay shenanigans at all hours, and for betaing! i have so much more planned for our boys after this so stay tuned :)

also available on ao3! even though i've broken the fic into two, this section is 7.3k words so you might enjoy it more there. (plus you get the ending a day early)

Thanatos was rather surprised at how much fun he was having. When Madame Nocta had initially shown him his redistricting papers, he’d had to step out of the room to stop the choking panic from clawing at his insides. The image of his old life, of returning to his job and his apartment and his lover after so long away, had been the only thing keeping him going for so long that the idea of changing that image made him sick. “It’ll be quiet,” she’d assured him. “No one will know what you are. You can relax, recover. It will be good for you.” Thanatos hadn’t believed her, but now, as the damp wind ruffled his hair and sent ripples over the nearby lake, he was forced to admit this world was rather quaint.

He could almost convince himself it was just like home, at least, before the “engine of progress” had compressed every ounce of magic from the land. The countryside was littered with small villages of wood and stone instead of towering metropoles of metal and glass. The air held none of the heavy odour of burning oil; if anything, it crackled and pulsed with magic in the way the ancient forests had when the fae still inhabited them. If it weren’t for the various ruins that evoked to those in the know the aura of an advanced society, he would have believed it was the ninth century again. Wandering from place to place, offering his eyes, his voice, and his stories to anyone who could use him in exchange for a few coins, and flirting with people in taverns, it was quite akin to the way he’d lived before he’d met the Archfey. One could almost call it idyllic.

“Hey, Thanatos! There you are,” a voice called from behind him, and he turned to see Bastian pushing through the market crowd toward him. “Thought I’d lost you for a bit. Crowd too much for you?”

There was one major difference between this world and his own, and here was a prime example of it: one could tell just by looking that Bastian was a dragon. If the prismatic hair and the horns weren’t a dead giveaway, the shimmering scales certainly were. He wasn’t the only one, either. A vampire blended right in among the varying peoples of this world, and Thanatos didn’t even bother to wear the glasses that obscured his eye color and slitted pupils anymore. He still became rather on edge in the market crowds, but even that he was doing much better with than he had a month ago. He’d been able to drift from stall to stall with the crowd for almost an hour before he’d felt claustrophobic.

Thanatos nodded acknowledgement of Bastian’s presence and alighted from the fencepost. “I just needed some air. Find everything you wanted?” If he recalled correctly, they were supposed to be replenishing supplies after an unfortunate encounter with a river (that had not at all been Thanatos’s fault).

Bastian only shrugged. “He’s the one shopping. Weather’s turning. Ought to get back together with Mariano and head out before it gets too bright for you.”

The sun here burned much brighter than Thanatos was used to, and even cloudy days pricked uncomfortably at his skin. The locals had been kind to him, though, and no one had hesitated to offer him shelter or clothing or food that he inevitably had to refuse. The hat that he was wearing and had reinforced with a layer of Shadow had been forced upon him by a kindly old woman who had noticed his discomfort while he was carrying her shopping for her on a not-so-cloudy afternoon. She couldn’t have known that his refusal to put a square millimetre of exposed skin in direct sunlight was an aversion to screaming immolation and subsequent death, but she’d pushed her hat onto his head anyway, and called him a sweet young man who needed to take better care of himself. That sort of behaviour had by far been the norm, and for that, he was grateful.

“That little basket all you’re getting?” Bastian asked, edging a hand under the fabric cover, but pulling it back when Thanatos swatted at it.

“The two of you have been very kind. I thought that perhaps I could repay the favour by taking care of dinner for tonight.” It had been a long while since he’d had to cook anything, but he still remembered some of the things his mother had taught him, oh so long ago, and he felt the need to provide something other than diverting conversation for once.

Bastian walked ahead of him in the crowd, forging a less constricted path for Thanatos to follow as the pair threaded their way back to the meeting point. “You don’t even eat. How’re you gonna know if it’s any good?”

“I’ll just have to have you taste for me.”

“Sure thing.” The dragon grinned in that toothy way of his, and Thanatos allowed himself a small one in return.

He’d come out to the two of them during the second week. Not about his taste for men: the reality of that oozed from his pores and was apparent in every movement. The wistful stares he threw at every young man who looked even a bit like the Archfey left little room for doubt. About his taste for blood. Thanatos had violated Clandestine Accord and clued two mortals in on the fact that he was a vampire. It hadn’t phased them at all. There were very few things that could rattle Mariano, and Bastian was a dragon. A vampire wasn’t a threat, and so he didn’t care. Thanatos had felt silly for even being slightly anxious about it. The way they looked at each other, talked to each other, to him, he just knew. They’d felt safe. Thanatos hadn’t felt safe in decades. Not since the Culling War.

Twenty-five years of paranoia had turned an easygoing, charismatic Thanatos into a nervous wreck of a man who jumped at every shadow. He’d heard Tenebrus and the Council talking about him: the psychological effects of his job had made him nearly useless at it, and they were planning to replace him. The war had ended before they had the chance, but still. He knew he wasn’t the same man his Archfey had fallen in love with. That thought alone made him want to shatter into a thousand porcelain fragments, but living here had started to fill in the jagged gouges the war had left on his soul. The people were kinder, didn’t treat him like a monster even when they couldn’t know he was one. (Not like home. On Earth Four, even the slightest deviation from the norm had put him at risk of discovery.) He wasn’t constantly on the defensive anymore.

The crowd opened up a bit, and he could now see slightly further ahead. Ah, there was Mariano. His dark hair rose up above most of the bobbing heads of the market-goers, and the soft lines of his face were broken slightly by a brow furrowed in concentration. Comparing products, perhaps? He’s rather particular about the supplies. He was still deep in discussion with a shopkeeper, though from the amount he was carrying, it seemed as if he must be nearly done with his shopping. “I’ll be right back, found something I want to pick up,” Bastian leaned down to whisper in his ear, melting into the crowd again before Thanatos could even respond. He felt a bit nervous in the crowd by himself, but he could see Mariano, at least, and the hat would probably make him easy enough to find again. He found a quiet spot between two stalls, where he was offered a seat and an apple by an old woman selling fruit. With a smile, he accepted the former, but of course not the latter.

The market had been set up in the hollow shell of some ancient building, and most of the shops on this side of the square were peddling foodstuffs of some kind, set up on the raised ground on either side of the makeshift thoroughfare created by the terrain. This particular ruin gave Thanatos the nagging sensation that he was late to catch a train. He supposed it’d be a long time before he saw another train, given his reassignment. It would have been strange to go back to his Earth after a quarter-century of war, anyhow, let alone live in the cottage without the Archfey. He wasn’t even sure he knew how to fit himself back into a fast-paced mortal society now that he’d had the fear of other people forcibly drilled into him. There hadn’t been a moment in the last decade or so when he hadn’t been acutely wary of other vampires out to give him a glowing recommendation to the nearest Reaper. Relax, Than. There aren’t any other vampires in this area, he reminded himself. He had a hundred miles of clearance before he encroached on anyone else’s hunting grounds. Anyone who wanted to mess with him would have Mariano to contend with, anyhow. No one had got through him yet.

“Do you like it?”

“Hm?”

The laugh was like birdsong, and it came from a girl, about nineteen, behind the fruit stand, helping the old woman set out more goods. “You were staring, mister. Do you like the hairpin? My mother made it for me.” Like most of the denizens here, her skin was a deep ochre, with matching eyes that held a mischievous smile and an effortless charm.

He had been staring; he realised. The pin was an array of jasmine-like blooms on a fastening of ebony and amethyst. It looked like something the Archfey would have worn, not in the early days of their relationship when they’d been doing the courtship dance of fey prince and vampire, no, this was something ae would have worn to a coffeehouse date or to the cinema, a coy reminder of the power that lurked behind the mortal disguise. Thanatos summoned up a smile and gave a wry chuckle, hoping his expression didn’t seem tortured. “You remind me of someone, that’s all.” Oh. It was easier than he’d expected to become the charming vampire once again. Maybe he really was getting better.

The girl returned his smile. “Someone you like?” She turned away a little, then met his eyes again.

“Someone I love.”

The grief must have shown through in his eyes for a moment, because the girl’s smile turned sad. “What happened to them?”

He hesitated, deciding how much of his pain was worth pouring out to a stranger. “Gone. Said they would return, but, well. I’ve had to move, and I fear we may never be reunited.” His gaze drifted away toward the shifting clouds. Bastian was right. The weather would clear up soon.

“Take it then,” she said, and his brow furrowed as his eyes returned to look at her. She took his hand in hers and pressed the pin into it. “My mother made it as a good-luck charm. Maybe it will bring the two of you back together.”

Why would she give something like that to a stranger? Part of him wondered if it might be some sort of trap, but he pushed the thought away. Humans weren’t like vampires. Every gesture of goodwill wasn’t a secret power play with them. Sometimes they did these things on a whim, or even out of kindness. It was a foolish thing for her to do, though, so he demurred. “Oh, miss, I couldn’t possibly take such a precious heirloom—”

“Surely you won’t refuse a gift,” she countered, and the expression of mischief on her face melted the last of the ice in his heart. Maybe things truly were looking up.

Thanatos bowed. “Then I shall graciously accept. However,” he added, setting his basket down for a moment, “allow me to return the favour. A charm for a charm. My partner gave this to me a long time ago. It, too, is good luck. May it bring you winds of fortune.” He removed the earring from his right ear, a dangle shaped vaguely like a wreath. In truth, it was a ritual sigil, one of the Archfey’s smallest and subtlest protection blessings. Woven directly from aer magic into metal, he’d worn it for almost two hundred years, and he credited his continued existence a significant amount to the Archfey’s protection rather than any qualities he himself possessed. For a moment, he questioned why he would give away something so precious on a whim, but the girl’s gift had struck a chord with him, made him feel as if the dark days might be over. That was worth the loss of the charm.

The young woman accepted the earring and worked into her own ear, and the two of them shared a smile, and a laugh, and a blush. One couldn’t fault Thanatos for finding comfort in the sweet moment, but of course, the universe saw fit to punish him for allowing himself to relax. “The fuck you think you’re doing, dipshit?” a gruff voice called from behind him. And here we go.

He went for his usual disarming smile. “Ah, you must be the boyfriend.”

“Fiancé,” the young lady corrected mildly. Of course he was.

The fiancé in question wasted no time in invading Thanatos’s personal space. “You gotta be stupid to chat up another man’s girl like that.” He folded his arms, probably trying to look intimidating. It was sort of working.

Thanatos’s eyebrows raised. “If that’s what you think flirting looks like, my condolences to your lady-love. I was nothing more than cordial. Aren’t you just the strapping young man though,” he purred. “I cannot fault the lady’s taste.” Now that was flirting. The tried-and-true Thanatos method of getting out of this sort of tight spot was to play up his flamboyance until their discomfort outweighed their indignation. “Baffle them with his bullshit,” as it were. It usually worked long enough for him to work out some method of escape.

“Leave it, Javier. He’s not bothering me. We were just talking,” the girl said, annoyed.

Javier was not dissuaded. “I don’t want random guys feeling like they can talk to you, Violetta. And that didn’t look like talking.”

Thanatos saw this as a chance to cut back in. “I assure you, I have no interest in absconding with your sweetheart. My intentions with her were purely platonic, for my tastes lie elsewhere, if you take my meaning.”

From the way Javier picked him up by his collar, Thanatos got the idea that he might not have understood some of those words. “Are you saying you don’t think she’s pretty? Take it back right now!”

Oh, by the celestial river… Annoyance ignited in Thanatos’s chest, and he was firing back before he could think about it. “I didn’t say she wasn’t pretty, you oaf. I said I was fucking gay! By the Divines, humans grow ever more stupid. I’m married too, if it matters—”

“Is there a problem here?” Oh, thank fuck. Mariano, his knight in shining armour once again. Part of him orchestrated these scenarios intentionally just to have a chance to see the mage work. Bastian was hanging back, presumably to watch the show. He gave Thanatos a little wave and a grin and appeared to have found himself some sort of drink. Typical Bastian.

Javier looked Mariano up and down. Tall and broad, the dark-skinned mage certainly carried his share of scars, from the clearly deliberate burns on his arms to the blade-mark under his jawline. Thanatos thought it added charm to the soft lines of Mariano’s face, especially when he smiled, which was often if Thanatos had anything to do with it. He was not smiling now. Mariano’s default expression was blank, unreadable, which combined with the silver-white pact rings around his dark irises and his subtle but not-insignificant musculature lent him quite the imposing air. Even behind the dark-rimmed glasses, it was clear that Mariano was not a man to be trifled with.

Undeterred, likely due to a lack of basic survival instinct, Javier pressed on. “Sure is. Your friend here’s about to eat shit for fucking with my girl. Unless you’d like to eat it for him?” Now, that was borderline suicidal. If he hadn’t known Mariano as well as he did, Thanatos would have expected a bloodbath.

Mariano looked up at Thanatos, still dangling in the air with an expression that read “I’m sorry, please save me again.” He didn’t speak, just removed his casting dagger from his belt, held it up, and ignited the blade, his war mage’s magic shooting up through the hilt and heating the metal until it glowed. A single eyebrow shifted, challenging Javier to try him.

“You really don’t want to fight him,” Thanatos supplied, helpfully.

Javier looked as if he might try it anyway, but Violetta read the situation correctly. Smart girl. “Let’s just go, Javier. I’m fine, it’s not worth it!” she implored, pulling on his arm.

A moment’s hesitation, then the brute relented. “Whatever,” he spat, and threw Thanatos down. The vampire sat down hard in the dirt, hat askew, but that was better than having his neck wrung on what had otherwise been a fairly pleasant afternoon. His basket was down here too, fortunately undamaged. “Let’s go, Violetta.” Javier stalked off, pushing through the crowd.

Thanatos let out a heavy sigh of relief. He took the hand Mariano stretched down toward him and allowed himself to be helped to his feet. “You okay?” Mariano asked, observing his slanted hat and open collar. Thanatos felt the heat rising in his face.

He cleared his throat. “Quite all right, thanks to you, once again. Just in time, too.” He had to stop doing this. As entertaining as it was to be rescued time and time again, the risk to his person was too high. Mariano might save him, but not necessarily before he was seriously damaged.

“You have to stop doing this, I’m not always going to show up right when you need me, you know.” Mariano picked up the basket from the ground and handed it to Thanatos, who suddenly thought he might repeat the whole procedure again tomorrow.

“Oh, but you do it so well! The spectacle, the cinema! You play quite the dashing hero,” he enthused, attempting to distract from how hot he suddenly felt under his silk shirt.

Mariano looked away, probably looking for his dragon in the crowd. It was difficult to tell with Mariano, but Thanatos got the idea he might have said something wrong. Fortunately for him, Bastian returned, amused as usual. “Thought you were going to teach him a lesson. Too bad you let him get away.”

“Wasn’t worth it.” Mariano shrugged. “He was just a blowhard, and I’m sure Than started it, anyway.” He accepted his bag back from Bastian and instinctively sorted through it, as was his habit.

“I’m sure I resent that remark!” Thanatos spluttered, but before he could really get going with his retort, Violetta pushed her way back through the crowd toward them.

“I’m sorry about him. You didn’t deserve that. I should go, but here, take this. For your friend with the pretty eyes.” She pressed a meat bun into his hand and vanished again.

Thanatos blinked in momentary confusion, then held the pastry out to Mariano, who also seemed confused. “Me?”

“I think it’s relatively clear she didn’t mean Bastian. No offense meant, of course.”

Bastian grinned. “None taken. Eat it, Mariano, looks good. If you won’t, I will.”

“But your eyes-” Mariano began, meaning Thanatos’s crimson ones rather than Bastian’s white-silver.

“Oh? Taken your fancy, have they?” It came out more flirtatious than he’d intended, he was having trouble shaking off the performance. “Alluring as they may be, I already have a gift from the lady, and I can’t eat it anyhow. Take the bread and the compliment, mortal mage.” One would have to be blind to fail to acknowledge that Mariano was attractive, in Thanatos’s opinion, but Mariano didn’t seem to process it the same way.

“I- okay.” He didn’t seem convinced, but he always looked like that.

Better to just distract him, then. “Good show, Mariano. Another innocent man rescued, another reward earned. Let’s move on before I am reduced to ash, eh?” That was something he was actually worried about, not just a diversionary tactic. The clouds were moving uncomfortably quickly, hurried on by the wind.

“Wouldn’t want to have to scoop him up off of the ground. That’d take ages,” Bastian joked. Mariano laughed, and all was right with the world again.

As Bastian had predicted, the sky was nearly clear when the sun finally slipped below the horizon. The particular corner of the glade where they had built the fire was sufficiently shaded for Thanatos not to have to focus on protecting himself from the light. Not that he had much else to do than leaf through his well-worn copy of Theogonia, which had managed to survive the war tucked into a corner of his briefcase. He didn’t need to read the pages anymore, so many times had he been over these same words in the two thousand years since this particular edition had been published, but turning the leaves and skimming the familiar passages was of comfort to him, a habit he’d developed to unwind after a long day. The woods were quiet except for the soft chirping of insects and the scrape of Mariano’s knife against the whetstone.

“Is it done yet?” This was the fourth time Bastian had asked in the last hour. Thanatos didn’t blame him. The tantalising aroma of slow-cooked meat rising from the stew pot filled the air and stimulated the appetite. His sense of smell had shifted since becoming a vampire, but if one thing had remained the same, the scent still took him back to his childhood, helping his mother by the stove.

“Not quite.” Thanatos gave the pot a stir and tested the meat with the spoon. “About ten more minutes.”

Bastian groaned. “That’s what you said ten minutes ago.”

“No, ten minutes ago I said twenty minutes.”

“Fifteen,” said Mariano, inspecting the blade’s edge in the firelight.

“Hm?” It was the first time Mariano had spoken in an hour or so. Thanatos hadn’t even known he was listening.

The scraping resumed. “You said fifteen minutes. Ten minutes ago.”

“Did I?” Thanatos couldn’t recall, but if Mariano thought so, it must be true.

“Yeah.” There was a beat of silence, and then the rustle of a page and the scrape of the whetstone.

The pot simmered happily despite Bastian’s impatient scrutiny. “Can’t we just eat it now?”

Mariano laughed. “I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait, Bastian. We can’t all eat raw meat, you know. Though maybe next time pick something that doesn’t take as long, Than.”

Thanatos gave a snort of mock-indignation. “Genius cannot be rushed, mortal mage. This is an heirloom recipe passed down to me by my mother.” They’d had servants to cook for them, of course. A magistrate’s wife would never have been expected to do that sort of thing, but Thanatos’s mother had loved every part of the process from selecting ingredients to serving. She’d taught him to cut vegetables and to know when meat was tender. It was incredibly rare for him to need to use those skills, but his hands knew what to do. In a way, it was as if his mother was still alive.

True to his estimate, the stew was ready in about ten minutes. Bastian would have been happy to eat the meat before it was cooked, and if Thanatos was careful, he could sip at the tomato base without making himself ill, but it was Mariano’s opinion that mattered.

Fortunately, the mage’s first spoonful earned a smile. “It’s good!”

Thanatos sighed with relief. “I’m glad you find it so. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve had the occasion to cook, you understand.”

“It doesn’t show. It’s just too bad you can’t taste it,” Mariano said, attacking another spoonful. That dispelled the last of Thanatos’s worries that he was just saying it to be nice. Even if that would have been out of character for someone so straightforward, the apprehension was habitual.

“Oh, I remember it well enough. Enjoy it in my stead.”

“Doesn’t it make you hungry, watching other people eat?” Bastian mused, though most of his attention was caught up in finding more bits of tender meat to fish out of the stew, which Thanatos took as a victory.

He shrugged. “Mortal food is, at best, unappetizing to me at this point. My senses of taste and smell are so altered that it doesn’t register to my mind as consumable.” He was hungry, though, he realised. It had been three days since he’d eaten last: though he’d gone out yesterday and the day before, he’d been unlucky and had found no one else wandering the wilds.

House Iuventae contracts rarely came with non-sapient sustenance clauses. The Shadow could tell the difference, and if Thanatos tried to cheat, it would punish him for it with days of nausea and cramps. It was for that reason that he preferred to eat every other day if he could. A human could survive a litre of blood loss much more easily than two or three. It looked as if he’d actually have to kill today if he didn’t want to lose control of himself later, though. He’d made peace with the concept millennia ago — or so he told himself, but drinking only prepared blood during the war had brought back a vague discomfort. Prudence told him to avoid specific details when discussing it with the others, regardless. He didn’t want to know what they’d truly think of him.

Oblivious to Thanatos’s introspection, Bastian had come up with a theory of his own. “But if you dried it out or whatever, made it into flour, couldn’t you make, say, blood bread or some shit like that?”

“Well, yes, actually. House Nocta does extensive research on alternative ways to prepare blood. Whether it’s edible depends on one’s specific contract. I have a special provision that allows me to consume most liquids, but anything solid makes me ill, blood-based or otherwise.” He didn’t regret it. He was happy to never taste cake again in exchange for still being able to drink wine. The stew he was sipping at was still rather flavourless, though.

“It’s so interesting that your people have found different ways to work with your condition,” said Mariano.

Was it? Thanatos had never thought so. “Necessity is the mother of invention. But enough about vampires. Shall I read you out a story tonight?”

This got Bastian’s attention. “Do the one with the king and the wild man. I like that one.”

“Ah, yes, the epic of Gilgamesh.” He didn’t have a copy of that one in his carpetbag, but he could do the first hour or so from memory, and pick up the book from the Archfey’s later if he needed it. (If he could bear it. The sight of the empty house had made him feel hollow the last time he’d been.) He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and when next he opened them, his voice had changed to that of the orator. “This is one of the oldest stories in the world, about two thousand years older than me, even. Translated from the tablets of an ancient civilization, large segments of the story are missing, but what we do have tells the story of a mighty king and his quest to discover the secret of immortality. Let me tell you of a man who had seen everything, whom the god Anu had granted all knowledge, who had seen secrets and hidden things, even from the time before the Flood.”

As usual, his audience was rapt, caught up by his words and taken to a time five millennia in the past, when giants walked the earth. He’d go hunting later in the evening, once the magic of ancient fable faded to that of the sandman’s sleep.

Thanatos leaned against a tree and tied his hair up into a low ponytail. He’d left his travelling jacket back at the camp as well, leaving him in just his silk shirt, tie, and trousers. The less restricted his movement was, the better, and it had the benefit of making him look younger and less careworn. He hated this, really. When he talked and laughed with Mariano and Bastian, he could pretend that he was perfectly ordinary, still fully human, but when he hunted, it was clear that he was anything but. He wasn’t even an ambush predator like Tenebrus or most other hunting vampires, the sharpening of his senses and the way his night vision flattened everything into shades of grey save for outlines of delicious scarlet around everything with a heartbeat was of little use to him. All it did was remind him how little humanity was left in him.

In his element, Thanatos was a honey trap, an attractive, confident, charismatic man whom others would gladly follow into a dark alley for a tryst — with perhaps a little hypnotic encouragement. It fit his personality quite well, and he’d been able to carve a niche out for himself in both vampiric society and back on Earth Four. He was the very picture of a Iuventus, a man of words taken with alcohol and sex and other pleasures of the flesh. Or at least he had been. Before everything. He wanted very badly to return to feeling like that man. (If he thought about it too hard, he’d realise that luring people into the night to be devoured was also rather monstrous, so he didn’t.)

Right now, his priority was to return to the village and civilization. He was still getting back into the rhythm of pursuing prey, hunting instead of being hunted. It felt good to be out at night instead of having to worry about the sun surprising him. He decided to just try to enjoy the sense of freedom. Moving at a vampire’s speed, the wind singing through his hair, the moonlight lightly caressing his skin. All the horrors of the war: the daily grind of waking up, infiltrating a location, and running away that made him feel as if the dust and grime of the road soaked into his soul. That was all behind him now. He was an ordinary vampire now, without obligations or debts, free to eat and sleep and do whatever else his heart desired.

He really should have learned his lesson from earlier in the day. Stay on your toes, don’t stop to enjoy things. Don’t dare believe you’re out of the woods. You developed that paranoia for a reason. It was his own fault he was now lying on his back on the forest floor, his ankle held fast by a metal cord. One moment, he’d been darting through the trees trying to cover distance, and the next his head had hit a tree root and sent stars exploding behind his eyes. How long had he been unconscious? Ten seconds or ten minutes?

The impact alone might have killed a mortal, but Thanatos was merely concussed. Confusedly, he tried to pull his ankle free, and only succeeded in tightening the cable around the unfortunate limb. He would leave this part out whenever he told the story afterward, but in truth, he panicked. The idea of being trapped again, being captured again, was too much for him. His nails scrabbled for purchase in the soft loam, fighting to take him somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t here. His vision tinted red, his own too-loud heartbeat overwhelming his heightened senses. It felt as if it were another person who was thrashing and kicking, desperately trying to get away and only tightening the wire until it cut down to the bone.

He flinched at the snap of a branch, close, too close. “Well, well. Look what I got here. You ain’t a cougar, are you, buddy?” The voice was rough and belonged to a banjo-string sort of man now crouching three metres away.

This should have been his salvation. If Thanatos had been in his right mind, he would have turned on the charm and begged this man for help. But no. He’d been hungry too long; his Shadow was too close to the surface, converting his stress response from fawn to flight. He didn’t even know what small indication he must have picked up on, or perhaps he truly was the animal for which the trap had been originally purposed — but before he knew it, he’d drawn back toward the tree, hissing and baring his fangs.

The man only grinned. “Who-wee, ain’t you a feisty one? Hold on, red eyes, dark hair… You’re the fucker Javier was tellin’ us about, tryin’ to muscle up on his girl. Oh, he’s gonna love this. What kind of freak are you, anyway, with teeth like that?” Oh, fucking fantastic. They’d set him up on a world where people didn’t believe in vampires, and here he was screwing it up. “Eh, doesn’t matter. Wait ’til I get Javier and the guys. It’s gonna be a riot! Not like you have much of a choice but to sit, though, huh?” The man laughed cruelly and wandered off.

Alone again. Thanatos was used to how this sort of thing went by now. The hunter would come back with a group of men, and they would kick Thanatos around until they were tired of him, and then they would probably “kill” him and dump his body somewhere. He’d wait until they left and drag himself off to lick his wounds. It would be tolerable. He would just have to endure.

Mariano was pacing again. Bastian watched him for a few minutes, hoping he would come back to bed, but eventually gave up. “Something on your mind?”

“Than’s not back yet.” Bastian had to admit that was strange. Thanatos had never been gone for over four hours before. He’d usually slip away an hour or two after dusk and return just after midnight, blood-drunk and stifling hiccups. He should have been back three hours ago.

“You want to go after him?” Mariano nodded. Bastian had already got to his feet. He knew Mariano well enough by now to know he couldn’t just stand by. “It’s a lot of ground to cover. What if we don’t find him?”

“He probably went back to the village. We can start that way and fan out if we need to. It’s all well and good if he comes back on his own, but if he’s in trouble…” Mariano trailed off, his pensive gaze wandering toward the forest and taking his feet with it.

Bastian doused the fire and moved to catch up. “I’m sure he just fell asleep somewhere,” he commented, but knew as soon as the words were spoken that they were false. Than didn’t sleep anywhere he didn’t feel safe, and definitely not by accident. When they’d first met, the two of them had spent three days in a stalemate waiting for the other to fall asleep first. It had become clear by then that Thanatos wasn’t even slightly a threat, but Bastian had had to be the one to give up on the whole thing. Than hadn’t seemed like he could, even if he’d wanted to. Even utter exhaustion couldn’t convince his body to rest if it wasn’t safe.

No, it was much more likely that he’d managed to get himself into a situation he couldn’t get himself out of. At this point, it happened so often that Bastian wondered if Thanatos did it on purpose just to enjoy the privilege of having Mariano rescue him. Not that he could blame him. Mariano took on the “knight in shining armour” role quite handsomely, all shining blade and “put him down” and “let him go.” If the mage didn’t have such a tendency to hurt himself while taking care of others, it might have been worth trying himself, but he’d seen what lengths Mariano would push himself to in order to save him. If the idiot got himself killed, it’d be much less fun.

Tracking Thanatos wasn’t difficult. The vampire didn’t have any particular abilities that lent themselves to obscure a trail. He’d been moving quickly, but not particularly quietly. They heard the commotion up ahead before they saw it: a group of about ten people, talking and yelling and throwing spears, rocks, and crossbow bolts, all centred on a tree at the edge of the clearing. The place looked like a war zone. Broken branches littered the forest floor, some splashed with dark red. Black liquid pooled in some places and flowed in others, streaming down from holes in the surrounding trees that looked like they’d been punctured with incredible force. A mass of dark hair and torn fabric, stained with blood, lay at the foot of the central tree. The same black liquid guttered weakly into a half-dome in an attempt to stop more projectiles, but couldn’t hold its shape and joined the rest of the dark splatters on the ground. Surely that wasn’t…?

Another rock bounced off of the figure’s shoulder, leaving behind a line of red that spilled down the pale skin exposed by his ruined sleeve. He shifted and some of the hair fell to the side, revealing a single scarlet eye, darting from side to side, searching for an escape. The leader of the pack, recognizable as the brute from earlier in the day, hurled another stone that struck the wounded creature across the temple. A yelp of pain rang out, but then the shape was silent.

“I think I finally got him!” Javier exclaimed. “How much do you think they’ll pay for his head?”

Mariano had already come to his conclusion. “Leave him.” Despite the lack of exclamation point, his voice was clear and cold and had an impressive volume that carried it well enough to make the rabble stop what they were doing.

Javier turned to see who had spoken. “You again? Seems like you really want trouble. Why do you care so much about this monster, anyway? All it wanted was the steal our people away in the night. I did this town a favour by exterminating it.”

“You’ll regret laying hands on him.” A statement of fact, not a threat. Mariano never threatened.

Javier snorted. “I don’t think so. Maybe I should take care of you, too, for protecting that thing. Boys!” At his command, the scattered hunters left off taking potshots at Thanatos and aimed their weapons at the new threat.

Bastian loved watching this part. Mariano fought like a wild thing, with a magic that was hungry, ruthlessly efficient and utterly without mercy. In some ways, one could say he fought like a dragon. Bastian couldn’t afford to be distracted watching his mage work, though. Rescuing Thanatos was more important, and so he refocused, his new objective heavily discouraging any of Javier’s goons from running to his aid.

Mariano let out a deep breath and put his magic away. The smell of charred flesh rose over the scent of the forest at night — more of which was Bastian’s work than his, if he was honest. “We’re all clear now, Than. Are you all right?” The figure by the tree made no sound, and Bastian threw Mariano an inquisitive glance. He elected to approach, wanting to see if that last rock had knocked the vampire unconscious.

Unconscious he was not, and the speed at which he withdrew toward the perceived safety of the tree surprised even Mariano. The curtain of his hair obscured his face, and it was a bit unsettling the way the glowing red eyes watched Mariano through the tangle, pupils narrowed into slits with none of the good humour or charm he was used to seeing in them. If the vampire weren’t wearing Thanatos’s clothes — or, rather, what was left of them — he’d almost believe it wasn’t Than he was watching at all. Thanatos’s eyes showed no recognition, only wary apprehension, as if he were waiting for Mariano to reveal threatening intent. Was he too far gone to realize who they were?

Mariano continued to approach, slowly, giving Thanatos time to track his movements. “You’re safe now,” he murmured. “It’s just me. It’s Mariano, you know me. Bastian’s here too. Let him see you, Bastian.” Bastian approached as he was told, but Thanatos backed away, which pulled taut a thin wire around his ankle. The metal had cut into his flesh to the point that white bone was visible amidst the mess of pink and red. “That hurts a lot, doesn’t it? Let us help you. We’ll get that off of you and get you somewhere we can treat it, okay?” He could only hope that their potions would work on a vampire. It didn’t look at all treatable otherwise.

Thanatos remained silent. That was the weirdest thing about it. The Thanatos Mariano knew rarely stopped talking: his presence was a constant stream of words about everything and nothing, almost as if he were afraid to stop. Right about now, he would usually apologise profusely for needing to be rescued at all and be on the verge of composing an epic ballad about their combat prowess, maybe a little worse for wear but trying hard not to show it. As Mariano approached, all he could hear were the harsh exhales forcing themselves through the vampire’s nose. That it wasn’t broken was a miracle, considering the state of the rest of his face. Thanatos did a good job of not looking like a corpse most days, but the bruising mottling his cheeks and over his eyes appeared distinctly post-mortem. Tear tracks, long dried, were visible under the blood and dirt. And yet, through it all, he looked not fearful exactly, but… vigilant. Distrustful. He hadn’t given up at all. He was just waiting to see what else he would have to endure.

Mariano tried again. “Thanatos? Bastian’s gonna get that cord off of you, okay? And then you can just come to me. We’ll take you somewhere safe.” Thanatos still didn’t seem to hear, but Bastian’s approach certainly got his attention, eliciting a growl from deep within the vampire’s chest.

“Doesn’t seem like he wants our help,” Bastian murmured, slowing, but not stopping.

“He’s just afraid.” This was a sound like a cornered animal, not like a predator, ready to fight if he had to, but wanting to avoid it. “We can’t just leave him like this. He’ll understand once the wire’s gone.” At least, he probably would. “It’s okay, Than. Come to me, you’ll be safe. You trust me, right?” Mariano could only hope Thanatos did. It certainly seemed like it, given how quickly he’d started to account for the mage in his plans. Would that trust be able to cut through whatever was going on with him?

The growl became louder as the distance between Bastian and Thanatos closed, and escalated into a hiss when he got close enough to touch the wire. It was Mariano’s turn to fill the air with words, anything to distract Thanatos long enough for Bastian to do his thing. If Than tried to run again, he’d probably make everything worse. “Eyes on me, Than, that’s it. I know you’re scared. He won’t hurt you. We’re friends. You know that. You remember us. We’re going to get you out of here, and then we’ll make your leg stop hurting.” Mariano extended a hand toward his injured friend, proving that he held no weapon and no ill intent. It was up to Thanatos to believe him, if he even could right now.

Everything happened at once. A rush of dragon fire, the twang of metal parting from metal. Thanatos lunged toward Mariano at lightning speed, covering the distance between them before Bastian could even shout a warning. White-hot pain, a burst of warm blood, wet, lips, tongue, breath, a dull thud, blackness.

part 2 up tomorrow!

taglist: @athenswrites, @albatris, @thethistlegirlwrites

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commander-gloryforge · 8 months

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a collection of people that are alive (but really shouldnt be)

because i realized that i have a suspicious amount of characters that either have been alive for a little too long or have been alive for a couple too many times. heres a collection.

haoyu who has been alive since long before the jade winds, has seen his home be ruined, built up, ruined again, countless times and still manages to find joy in the beauty of tyria

ayzeelia who came to the desert to feel free, just to be ripped from freedom and enslaved under joko, now wandering elona once more in an attempt to undo what joko had inflicted on the lands she loves

baldyr who couldnt be held down by death, who is too curious about the world to already leave it, who used his death to learn, and would die again many times for the sake of knowlege

alastor who is too loyal to his kind to be killed in a war against traitors and lunatics too hungry for power, who was the first to die and the last to survive

elisa who has spent her long long life training to become what she is today, who had to give up her humanity to be of use, who rediscovers that humanity in the worst moment possible, when she is needed the most

carry who was ready to sacrifice herself to raise the desert from the dead, "survived" because of her sheer power, a dead body walking tyria, and though her heart is no longer beating, it is still filled with kindness and love for all living and dead

lucien who was brought back by his own god he loved so much, just for him to come back not quite as intended, who has no memories, no purpose, who was discarded, who is lost forever without divinity to guide him, but who still feels that call in the back of his head to be what he was awakened to be

#i love them all. dearly. i love them so much #dios ocs #liang haoyu #ayzeelia #baldyr grimmismal #alastor kingslayer #rifthunter elisa #carry deathclaw #lucien the lost #gw2 #gw2 oc #guild wars 2

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mayasaura · 2 months

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You know that story with like, Evil Chancellor Traytor, who carried a poisoned dagger called Kingslayer, and went around cackling and being the textbook evil advisor? And in the end, it turned out the dagger had been entrusted to him as a failsafe against corruption, and all his muttering and scheming had been about expanding handicap accessibile low-income housing or whatever?

That's Kabru. Manipulative, controlling, with the training of an assassin, ruthlessly persuing his own agenda, which turns out to be .... to save as many lives as possible from the coming catastrophe. He spends half the story sounding like a power-hungry narcissist with good spin, but no. Turns out his "for the public good" bit was entirely sincere. It's a fucking delight. Top ten plot twists straight from a children's action figure political drama

#so glad he ends up exactly where he was born to be:#standing behind the throne in the prime whispering zone #you know what we do with politicians in these parts??#we put them into POLITICS #dungeon meshi #dm spoilers #dunmeshi spoilers #dungeon meshi spoilers #kabru #kabru of utaya #manga spoilers #dunmeshi manga spoilers

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eternalvoidseeker · 5 months

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-Something in Robb’s tone troubled her. She smoothed out the paper and read. Concern gave way to disbelief, then to anger, and lastly to fear.

“This is Cersei’s letter, not your sister’s,” she said when she was done. “The real message is in what Sansa does not say. All this about how kindly and gently the Lannisters are treating her… I know the sound of a threat, even whispered.

They have Sansa hostage, and they mean to keep her.”

-Lady Mormont took her hand and said, “My lady, if Cersei Lannister held two of my daughters, I would have done the same.” The Greatjon, no respecter of proprieties, lifted her off her feet and squeezed her arms with his huge hairy hands. “Your wolf pup mauled the Kingslayer once, he’ll do it again if need be.”

-Robb's fingers brushed the pommel of his sword. "If I could I'd take his ugly head off. Sansa would be a widow then, and free. There's no other way that I can see. They made her speak the vows before a septon and don a crimson cloak."

Catelyn remembered the twisted little man she had seized at the crossroads inn and carried all the way to the Eyrie. "I should have let Lysa push him out her Moon Door."

Like what the hell are they even talking about anymore. Hopefully Sansa antis wake up one day and realise that nobody but them, will think that a 13 year old willingly married into the family that killed hers. If northern lords believed that women should totally attach themselves to their captors they wouldn't be marching against the Bolton's and trying to save "Arya". None of them are talking how "Arya" probably willingly married Ramsey. They wouldn't hold any judgment for Ramsey forcefully marrying lady Hornwood.

-And do you imagine the Hornwood men have forgotten the Bastard's last marriage, and how his lady wife was left to starve, chewing her own fingers? What do you think passes through their heads when they hear the new bride weeping?

Remember how they think that 15 year old Lyanna willingly ran away with 23 year old Rhegar. Oh wait they don't. But no they definitely will think that 13 year old Sansa willingly married to 26 year old Tyrion+ all the bad things they believe about him.

#sansa stark #anti sansa antis #asoiaf #and I love how they tagged the post anti Sansa like that's supposed to be her fault

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rohanneofcoldmoat · 11 months

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I've always found it interesting that Brienne calls Jaime 'my lord' when she approaches him at Pennytree, which is something we've never seen her call him before. It especially sticks out considering the weight names carry in their story (You will call me Brienne, not wench / Jaime, he thought, my name is Jaime). Brienne, knowing that she's about to betray Jaime, can't bring herself to compound the betrayal with the intimacy of using his name, but she's well past calling him Kingslayer, so she settles on My Lord, which is formal and respectful yet impersonal, and perhaps allows her to keep some level of emotional distance from what she's doing.

#jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #valyrianscrolls #asoiaf #*

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lovelyladyabsinthewrites · 1 year

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A Lion's Vow

Pairing: Jaime Lannister x Stark!Reader

Warnings: canon character death

Words: 7251

Summary: This game the both of you played was your only real entertainment in the mess that was the Red Keep. Knowing it’s true nature, your father attempted to keep you close to his side. Reminding you not to trust anyone easily, especially those that belonged to the House of the Lion.

“What are you up to today, Lady Stark?”

You whip around, long dark hair swishing from the movement and instantly plaster a cheesy smile once you see it’s Jaime Lannister himself. “Whatever are you talking about Ser Jaime?” This game the both of you played was your only real entertainment in the mess that was the Red Keep. Knowing it’s true nature, your father attempted to keep you close to his side. Reminding you not to trust anyone easily, especially those that belonged to the House of the Lion.

He would not approve if he knew of the interaction between you and the Kingslayer.

Humoring you, Jaime cocks an eyebrow suspiciously. “Looks like you’re up to something.��

Posing a hand to your chest, you gasp and feign hurt. “Me? I am the good Lord Eddard Stark’s daughter. There is no mischievous. bone in my body, Ser.”

Jaime’s lips curl fiendishly. “Oh we both know how false that is. Your father would be disappointed if he discovered you tried to lie to someone in the Kingsguard.”

Ned did instill a strong sense of truth and justice in all of his children. Often he would drone on to how powerful the truth was and to live an honest life.

This was harmless lying though. Jaime knew it to be all part of your fun.

With a roll of your eyes, you cluck your tongue. “What we should really be talking about is why you aren’t doing your job. Shouldn’t you be guarding the king and his imperious family?”

Unconsciously you walk next to him, resuming your gentle stroll with Jaime. His armor makes clattering noises as he moves. White coat billowing in the breeze that lazily rolled through King’s Landing; an overall lovely day made better by the Lannister knight by your side.

“There are six others protecting them. Doubt they’ll miss me for an hour or two.” Jaime’s voice grew distant when his duties were brought up, l;Ike he didn’t want to think about it. Not when he was with you.

“Aren’t you the best swordsmen in all of the Seven Kingdoms?” Teasingly, you boost his ego just a little bit and earn a broad smile from his handsome face.

“Won’t argue that.” He comments with a roll of his shoulders causing you to laugh at his outlandish display. “Even someone as amazing as me needs a break though.”

That’s how you really got to know him. Not that much after first arriving did you stumble upon Jaime during one of his breaks. He’d been relaxing on the grass, back pressed against the trunk of a tree, with his sword laying upon his lap. You and Arya had escaped your septa and were running around the keep gleefully. There were many hidden doors and stairs that you and your youngest sister enjoyed exploring.

You felt after that interaction, Jaime purposefully planted himself there since it was near the tower of the Hand of the King.

If anyone was with you, he would merely offer you a nod and a small smile. When alone, he spoke to you. Small conversations here and there until you both started to linger together for longer periods of time. While most times he carried himself like an arrogant bastard, you got to know the other side of this infamous man. He loved to tease and be playful.

You enjoyed your sister’s company but it was a breath of fresh air to have finally made a local connection in the Red Keep and not feel so isolated. How wild life was to make that connection in Jaime Lannister. Brother to the queen and the slayer of the Mad King. He was a legend walking on two legs.

Your fatrher’s worries were never too far from your mind though. After a few days as Hand of the King, Ned warned you of the green eyed lions and how they could not be trusted. Jaime may have liberated the Seven Kingdoms, but now he is condemned for the act of killing Aerys.

Shaking off the echo of Ned’s words, you gaze up at the tall trees that lined both sides of the cobbled walkway. Small white flowers flutter in the breeze like specks of snow. Home sickness prods at you not for the first time.

“My sister Arya is learning how to use a sword. By some Braavosi.” You lightly tell him, waiting for his reaction. Uncommon was it for a woman to learn how to fight, you knew your father wasn’t happen that Arya was interested but found her an excellent instructor nonetheless. Even your septa and Sansa regarded Arya with disdain after that.

Jaime wasn’t phased by this information. He continues to smile and hums. “She is a feral child. It’s not surprising. Just one look at her and you can see the Stark direwolf. You didn’t want to join her?”

Instantly you remember Robb, Jon and Theon teaching you the basics of how to use a sword once it was decided that Ned would be leaving to the Crownlands. They were understandably worried about your safety and took it upon themselves to sneak you out of your chambers late in the night to show you. You protested in the beginning. Robb begged you though so you caved in.

“Because not all men will act like chivalrous knights.” Robb had told you. This wasn’t just for you, it was so you’d be able to better protect Sansa and Arya.

“No. . . No, I’m not one for violence.” Images of bloody direwolves flash in your mind. A lump develops in your throat as you try to banish them. Your own wolf, Storm, had escaped with Nymeria. Lady was their sacrifice. Feeling like it was your duty, you bore witness to your father executing poor Lady under the whim of that damned Joffrey. It had truly pained him to do so. You would never forgive Joffrey or Cersei for forcing this brutal act upon your father. “I never want to wield a blade.”

Jaime stops, addressing you with a soft and understanding expression. “Hopefully you’ll never have to, Lady Stark.”

"What a surprise, Ser Jaime and the Lady Stark." came the chilling voice of the queen, Cersei Lannister.

Dread made you put a distance between yourself and Jaime. "Your Grace." You detested Cersei. Still, you were the daughter of a warden of the Seven Kingdoms. You still maintained court etiquette and gave her a low curtsy.

Her bright green, cat-like eyes regard you with reservation. Regal chin tilted up, her attention moves to her brother who also gives her a perfectly acted bow. "Pray tell what the two of you were doing alone?" Behind her are two ladies-in-waiting hiding behind their hands as they whisper conspiratorially. No doubt there would be a bit of gossip to be produced from this interaction. Flanked behind them are three guards. All wore the insignia of the Lannisters.

That's the last thing you or your family needed was speculation involving the Starks.

"I bumped into the Lady Stark all by her lonesome. Figured I should escort her back to her father's keep. I'm sure Ned will be missing her." Jaime comes up with the lie just as easily as he would breathe.

"Is that so." Cersei's voice was flat in reply. She didn't buy any of what her twin told her but would not reprimand him in public. You hope you didn't get Jaime into too much trouble but second guessed yourself as to why he would get in trouble. There was no rule or vow that forbade him from speaking to you. In the eyes of others, he was doing the chivalrous thing that everyone expects from a knight.

Expelling your own trepidation, you force a pleasant smile to the golden queen. Sweet syrup laced your tone. "It is, Your Grace. Apologies if I unexpectedly detained Ser Jaime."

Eyes flick from you to her brother before she clasps her ringed hands in front of her. "Of course. Well, Ser, finish escorting the Lord Stark's daughter and get back to your main priority, protecting the king."

Jaime's smile is full of charm as he nods. "Yes, Your Grace."

Once Cersei and her squadron went around the corner, you and Jaime started a fit of giggling.

"She is not happy." Jaime chuckles with a shake of his head. "My sister has always been a temperamental thing. She hasn't changed one bit since childhood."

"I can't imagine Cersei as a child." You comment dryly as you and Jaime change your course to the Tower of the Hand. To you, Cersei may as well have sprung from her mother a full grown woman. Childhood was reserved for innocence which you doubt Cersei ever was.

Jaime smiles. "Even she was small and defenseless once upon a time. But she was always regal and knew her value. That has never changed."

The way his tone was so tender when he spoke fondly of Cersei made something ugly in you take wing. It hissed and spat venom making your insides twist and contort with bitterness.

Of course he loved his sister. It was natural to love your sibling, but to love one that was so foul like Cersei. . . This was unthinkable to you.

He was quick to catch your sudden silence and the subtle furrow of your brow. His smile falls. The tension between your two families started when Jaime was found sitting on the Iron Throne after killing Aerys. Your father found him there once his forces had finally stormed King's Landing. From there, Ned knew the Lannisters should never be trusted.

"I'm truly sorry for what she did to your sister's direwolf." He whispers and you can detect the genuine regret. "A mother's love is blind and irrational at times. Still. . . the wolf shouldn't have been killed. I can't tell her the truth, that she's spoiled Joffrey rotten. Not like she would listen to me anyway."

You toe a rather large pebble that was in your path off to the side. Anything so you wouldn't have to look at Jaime. The backs of your eyes burn, a warning that if he spoke anymore about Lady, tears would fall. "I'm just happy Nymeria and Storm were able to get away. Even if I can't have her by my side anymore, at least she's still alive."

Danger permeated the atmosphere in the Red Keep. This unnerved Jaime even more than the skittish attitude of (y/n). Since the death of King Robert Baratheon, the Starks had begun to act differently. This included the eldest daughter (y/n). Jaime barely saw her anymore and when he did, she was personally escorted by a few of her father’s bannermen. A solemn expression drawn on her face as she hadn’t even noticed Jaime off on the sidelines.

The death of his close friend took it’s toll on Ned Stark and caused much friction between the Hand of the King and the capitol. And according to Cersei, he’d started poking around things he shouldn’t be. The implication being that he might find them out soon. This in particular caused Jaime worry. Did Ned divulge his findings to (y/n)? She seemed to be his confidant in King's Landing and he revered his eldest daughter. That could explain why she'd been avoiding him for weeks on end.

On top of it all, Tyrion was recently captured by Catelyn Tully on the accusation that he had some part in the attempted murder on not just Bran, but herself as well. Great strife was the result causing quite the headache for Lord Tywin and Lord Ned. The new King Joffrey was definitely using this to his advantage as he drank in the chaos and animosity of the two great houses.

Each day, Jaime's concern rooted deeper into him for (y/n). A premonition perhaps had been a dream he'd have of a direwolf being beheaded.

Then came the arrest.

Those who swore their loyalty to Joffrey and House Lannister hunted down bannermen of the northern lord. Cersei, acting quickly within the hour, had already obtained Sansa Stark as a hostage. The auburn haired young lady was locked up in her rooms where she had been accosted.

"You can't let Joffrey do this." Jaime hissed to his sister who was leisurely drinking an elegant glass of blood red wine. "You need to release Ned and Sansa. . . Wait, where are (y/n) and Arya?"

She arched a golden brow. Why was he so concerned about them? Slowly Cersei sets down her glass. "Men have been sent out to retrieve them. They will be locked with the other sister."

He felt something tighten in his chest at the thought of (y/n) in chains like her father. Had they not suffered enough?

"Sit, Jaime." Patting the chair next to her, Cersei couldn't fathom why her twin was acting so riled up. He paced back and forth like he was the caged animal. Did he not realize that they were relatively free now? Their son was finally king and she, the queen mother. All the Seven Kingdoms were in the control of the Lannisters now.

Jaime couldn't though. Couldn't sit down and wait to hear of the other two sisters.

When was the last time he experienced true panic? If this was it, well, he didn't miss it. The fate of (y/n) made him feel panic. Gods, he had grown so attached to her in a short amount of time.

"Jaime."

Impatiently he looked at his sister. His beautiful, cruel sister. His first and only lover.

"I have to go."

She called after him as he fled. From windows he caught glimpses of soldiers and knights alike dashing all over the place. The search for the last two Stark sisters seemed to prove to be a difficult one.

He began his own frantic pursuit of them. Hoping that he could find both of them in time. Then what? Helping them to escaping would be in direct betrayal of not just the throne but Cersei as well. He would be an oath breaker. A crime like this would be cause for his execution.

Death did little to scare him.

Convicted with his decision, Jaime perhaps for the first time prayed to anyone who would listen to him that he would find (y/n) before anyone else did.

You didn't see where Arya had dashed off to. While you were worried for your sister, it was the least of your concerns at the moment. You were running for you life. Complete confusion drove your flight instincts.

Yesterday, Ned had told you and your sisters that he planned to ship all three of you back to Winterfell. Sansa had been bereft, not wanting to leave her betrothed. This sudden news was alarming to you. Fear had begun to control your father since Robert's death. You saw it in the way he gazed at you and your sisters.

Wanting to take such a burden off his shoulders, you'd gone to Ned in his private quarters to find out what was going on. He was more inclined to tell you the truth than the younger ones.

He didn't tell you though. Ned was determined to keep whatever worries to himself.

Maybe if he had told you, you wouldn't be running around the Red Keep like a frantic idiot. Where was there for you to hide? You were in enemy territory. There was nowhere safe for you. The bannermen who normally guard you had been slaughtered right before your eyes. Their blood still stained your face and gown. Such had been the bloodshed that caused you to freeze and watch the whole thing. Until Lannister guards started advancing toward you.

Blindly running for your life, you try to conjure up all of the hidden doorways you and Arya had discovered. One was in the bedchambers of the Hand. But that area was most likely surrounded. You couldn't risk it. That's where you had seen Arya being accosted alongside her Braavosi mentor.

Unconciously your feet were running toward the godswood of the Keep. You didn't realize it until you saw the all too detectable face on the trunk of a large oak tree. It may not have been a weirwood, but you knew from that solemn face that you were in the godswood.

Between thick, white tree trunks, you sought refuge in something familiar. You hid under foliage and attempt to calm your mind enough to think of a plan. The godswood looks out onto Blackwater River. A river that stretched through the near entirety of Westeros as well as leading to Blackwater Bay.

Debating which way was more optimal, the fast crunching of leaves and grass alert your ears to someone else entering the godswood.

You further hid into the shrubs, heart racing.

The intruder stops just a few feet away from your hiding spot. Leather clad feet idle, a blonde head swiveling this way and that. There was no armor but you'd recognize Jaime even when he was in civilian clothes. His sword swayed on his hip.

"(y/n)?"

Nearly sobbing out your relief, you topple over and out of the brush; startling Jaime. He slides onto his knees and gathers you in his arms. Spotting the blood on your face and clothes, you see a coldness overcome his face.

"I-It's not mine." You quickly tell him and that severe expression dissipates into worry. "What's going on?! I don't understand!"

"Your father has been arrested on charges of treason." He hastily explains while helping you get to your feet. "We need to get you out of here."

You shake your head. "My sisters-"

"Cersei already has Sansa detained. There's no news of Arya. We don't have a lot of time to get you out of the city." Jaime tells you, pleading in his voice. Still you kept shaking your head, insisting that you had to help your sisters.

Maybe it was the trauma from what you had witnessed that made you so adamant. Jaime was right, you were aware of that and how you should heed his words. Abandoning them to Cersei and Joffrey though?

Reading your mind, Jaime holds your hands. Striking green eyes crinkle and tell you of his own unease. Vocally he would not beg you to leave with him. You read it on his face. Even if you wanted to, it was not feasible to save your sisters.

You let Jaime lead you out of the godswood. He had you cover your head and yourself with his white cloak that he had torn off his armor before going to look for you. You tuck away your thick sections of dark hair under the white cloth.

The Old Gate, despite it being quite the walk from Aegon's High Hill, was the best way out. "There are secret tunnels all through the capitol."

"I know." You say and his brow raises. "Arya and I did some snooping around the Keep and found a few of them. It's difficult to navigate the tunnels themselves though."

"Ah, so that's what you were really up to." Jaime grins your way.

You return his grin with a beaming one that could be considered prideful.

Jaime said he knew a few of the tunnels but not all. One, if he could follow it correctly, led out to an opening in Flea Bottom.

Traversing the labyrinth of tunnels, Jaime kept you close to his side. The two of you spoke softly. The sound of your echoing voices still bounce around you. He tells you what exactly was happening. Ned being accosted by Lannister bannermen. The charge was treason for attempting to usurp King Joffrey and take his birthright away from him. Obviously it was a load of hog shit.

An itch in the back of your brain kept going back to that last conversation you had with him. You’d caught him flipping through page upon page in a rather large book. Grave lines shadow his features. It hadn’t been the first time you had spotted him in such a state. What had he been reading?

Like wildfire though the news of Ned’s arrest had already spread through half of King’s Landing. By the time you and Jaime had resurfaced in a dirty alley, there were scores of City Watch soldiers patrolling the streets.

Both of you kept your heads down on the off chance anyone might recognize you. Venturing onto the streets, Jaime makes sure to have a secure grip on your arm so neither of you are separated.

The amount of soldiers congregating toward the direction of the Old Gate didn’t bode well to either of you.

“What do we do if we can’t get through the Old Gate?” You whisper. You felt sick to your stomach with anxiety.

Jaime keeps his eyes ahead. “One way or another, I’m getting you out of the city and taking you to your mother and brother. I may have to use some unsavory methods though.”

“But-“

He pulls you aside and stares at you. “Do you trust me, (y/n) Stark?”

You let your apprehension seep onto your face. Why was he doing this? He had nothing to gain but everything to lose.

Then in the middle of broad daylight, he gets down on one knew and bows his head low. “I, Ser Jaime Lannister, make this oath to you, (y/n) Stark, that I will get you back to your family safely. I will honor this oath and defend you with my life.”

Getting selfconcious with the attention you might draw, you urge him to get back up. “Okay okay!!” You hiss. “Get up! I trust you!”

His crooked grin lightens the severity of the situation. When he gets back up, Jaime holds out a hand to you. Gingerly you lace your fingers with his; relishing in the roughness of his callused hands. You did trust him, well, you wanted to trust him. No matter what your father claimed about the Lannisters, you at least wanted to trust this one.

Thinking back to Ned's warning, you feel a lump in your throat as Jaime leads you through the dirty streets of Flea Bottom. "They're going to kill him, aren't they."

Jaime's hand tightens on your's. "A trial will be held for him. There is a proposition to be made for him most likely."

Joffrey was in power now. A trial under Joffrey's jurisdiction could hold no justice for your father. You felt it. Whatever Jaime may have been told could go right out the window when the trial actually happens.

You look back to the red structure of the Keep. Jaime could give you no other words of comfort. Maybe he was thinking the same thing you were. He's acknowledged the depravity of Joffrey many times before. He had to know that much like with Lady, he would order the death of Ned Stark for even posing a threat to his reign.

The Old Gate was indeed riddled with heavy patrol. No one was permitted to leave the city unless they had written consent from the crown. Many having been turned away skulked back to wherever their living quarters were.

Jaime analyzed the situation while keeping you under his arm.

"Ser Jaime?" A gold cloak squints his eyes when he spots you and Jaime lurking around the gatehouse. You feel Jaime's body tense and he subtly pulls your hood over your face a little more. "What a surprise to see you out here." The man eyes you suspiciously but looks back to Jaime. He was timid in front of the Kingslayer which served a good purpose.

Squaring his shoulders, Jaime puts on an air of self-importance. "Yes, considering the arrest of the Lord Stark, I have been sent out by the king himself to check the security of the gates. They're worried that a Stark loyalist may try to escape." He explained his clothes as attempting to blend in and not cause more of a stir in the city.

"Y-Yes. Of course."

They pass by a few others as Jaime sits you down inside of the gatehouse. A warm fire crackled in a hearth. The men who had been occupying the inside were promptly forced out by Jaime and the gold cloak that was attending him.

Jaime leans down to whisper in your ear. "Stay here until I come back. Don't speak to anyone and keep your hood drawn down. I'll be back in a few minutes." he promised.

You nod and anxiously watch him leave. The entirety of your time by yourself in the guards' room, the pounding of your blood filled your ears and your hands shake. Jaime said that he might have to use some unsavory methods in order to smuggle the both of you out. Somehow you knew that meant killing anyone who opposed him.

Suspicions were confirmed when you hear a few close by screams, Jaime came back in to retrieve you after fifteen minutes. He was holding his sword in one hand and motioning for you with the other. Blood glints off his blade.

The old rusty gate was lifted up a few inches from the ground. A dead sentry sat propped up against the wall. You promptly avert your gaze when you caught sight of bright red across his throat.

Crawling underneath the opening, both you and Jaime book it into the open fields outside of the city. Both of you kept low to the ground until the city walls were but speck behind you.

From his pack that Jaime brought with him, he pulls out an expertly drawn map. "Alright, it will take us several days to reach Riverrun. Here's the thing though, the north will not be taking too kindly to the arrest of their warden. I'm guessing once the news reaches them, your brother will call upon his bannermen to march to King's Landing. Your mother is possibly still in the Eyrie with Tyrion. The track to the Eyrie is too far and dangerous. Your grandsire should be able to house you until either your brother or mother come."

There was so much to take in that you were quiet for a while.

Frowning while examining the map, your eyes trail from where Jaime had pointed to your position. You eye the territory of the Riverlands, remembering that Tywin Lannister had planted a small army near your grandsire's home. "What about your father?"

His lips purse. "I'll deal with that if it comes to it." Jaime rolls the map back up and puts it away. "We'll use the rest of the evening and night to travel to the God's Eye and recoup there. I hope you're ready for the trek."

You bend over to tighten the laces of your boots in affirmation.

By the time they reached the shores of the great lake, (y/n) collapsed on the ground. She'd laid out the white cloak Jaime had given her and passed out soon after.

Late at night, God's Eye lake appeared to be filled with black ink. Across the water Jaime barely made out the outline of the Isle of Faces that was right in the middle of the lake.

Jaime took his place right next to the sleeping (y/n) and drew the edge of the cloak over her body. Her lips were parted as she slept.

He'd forsaken his own family for her.

If forced to do it again, he would. Jaime was her sworn sword now. His loyalty lay with her.

By himself though, he allowed his mind to think of Cersei. For most of his life, he had clung to her. She was the very reason he was in the Kings guard so he wouldn't have to marry anyone.

From childhood he revered his older sister who he often compared to the Maiden. After getting to really know (y/n) though, that image was morphed into the true reality of Cersei's character. Much like with their own brother Tyrion, Cersei had been tactfully cruel to the Stark sisters. She followed the whims of Joffrey blindly, as only a mother could. Jaime did feel sorry for (y/n)'s two younger sisters. There had been no time to even think of rescuing them too. He'd been too focused on (y/n). She was his priority.

Deciding to keep watch for the night, Jaime kept his ears trained to his surroundings and his eyes fixed on the stillness of the lake.

The sun crept up into the sky not too long after. With the rise of the sun, (y/n) stirred and opened her gray eyes. They flutter so prettily that Jaime is forced to avert his gaze. He'd once heard Robert mention how (y/n) was like a prettier version of Lyanna. She had the structure of lovely Catelyn Tully's face with alluring pale gray-blue eyes and the darkest lashes he'd ever seen.

Dried blood was still on her face from when she witnessed her father's bannermen being slain. He worried if she had nightmares about it while she slept but she didn't mention any when she sat up and rubbed sleepily at her face.

Nodding toward the lake, Jaime suggests she wash up. Before leaving, he'd gathered a few extra clothes with him. They were men's clothes but that was probably better for (y/n) while they were traveling.

A bashful blush livens her pale cheeks as she nods. Jaime, to give her some privacy, turns his back to the lake and keeps an eye out toward the trees.

He's hyper aware though of the rustling of her clothes as she removes them. His own ears reddened with warmth when he heard movement in the water. Not for the first time, he wondered what she looked like naked. What did the slopes and contours of her body feel like? Was the rest of her body soft like her hands?

(y/n) didn't spend too much time in the water. Just enough to scrub her face and wash the rest of her body from the grime and sweat that had accumulated during her flight from the capitol.

She nervously cleared her throat once she was fully dressed. Jaime turned around. (y/n) in his clothes didn't something carnal to Jaime. His large tunic did little to hide her figure as he could still make out the shapeliness of her breasts. Trousers had been cinched tightly at her waist and accentuated her wide hips.

Her long, black hair was still wet as she was in the process of tying it up into a ponytail.

She didn't need gowns and jewels to look exquisite.

"Cat got your tongue, Ser Jaime?" (y/n) grinned when she saw his outward gawking.

"I've never seen a woman wear my clothes with such finesse before." He smirked.

Laughing, (y/n) picks up the white cloak that was still sprawled out on the grass and wraps it once more around her shoulders. "If I could, I would wear men's clothes more often than dresses. You can imagine how uncomfortable it is being laced into a bodice for hours on end."

He startles both of them when Jaime tucks away a stray, soggy lock behind (y/n)'s ear. It had been bouncing around her face, begging for attention. Jaime apologizes in a halfhearted manner. At least it was an excuse to touch her. "Lets get going. We have a long way till our next stop."

Looking once again at the map, it was decided to take the longer way along the river in order to avoid populated areas.

During their walk, they shared a piece of bread between one another and spoke more about their childhoods. Maybe it was a way to soothe the aching wound of (y/n)'s heart after having to force her to leave her family defenseless in King's Landing.

There was great love in the Stark household, evident from the tenderness of her voice. Something that hadn't been present in Casterly Rock since the death of his own lady mother Joanna.

He liked imagining (y/n) as a spunky little girl playing with the boys and struggling to thread her needle for embroidery, braiding Sansa's rich auburn hair and reading under the grand weirwood tree in her family's personal godswood.

She painted a beautiful picture.

Jaime didn't really have such stories. His childhood had been filled with his endless need to be the best swordsmen out there. He trained from dusk till dawn and kept his mind focused on his goals. For him, there was no time for childish whimsy.

They stop to rest for a bit. (y/n) took off her boots to rub at her sore feet and Jaime knelt by the river to fill up their canteen that had been bone dry for hours. There wasn't much food he had packed since there was urgency to get out. Plenty of bread was still available in his pack but not much else.

Bare foot, (y/n) went about searching for wild berries and mushrooms. Jaime couldn't resist watching her through her wanderings. Ned had taught her and her siblings many things about wild berries back in Winterfell. She used this knowledge to gather an armload. While it wasn't meat it still filled their bellies along with chugging mouthfuls of water.

After that little respite, they were up and at it again until the sun dipped back down behind the mountains, replaced by a sliver of the moon and a multitude of stars. Starry skies always reminded (y/n) of her mother’s gown, she told Jaime as they walked. The Lady Catelyn possessed a gown of the deepest blue. Woven intricately onto the fabric were small crystals. They dazzled in thee light and as she moved about.

Joanna passed so long ago that Jaime could barely recall her. Something that he was able to share with (y/n) was his mother’s laugh.

She was a snorter.

For all her grace and beauty, when Joanna Lannister laughed, she really laughed. So much so that it resulted in her snorting during such throes.

Odd how that was the sole thing Jaime could think about when trying to remember her.

He must have sounded sad to (y/n) for sure grabbed his hand with warmth. Strong radiance flowed from her to Jaime. His insides flutter. Around her, he felt like such a young and naive boy. He was a man grown. She was the only woman to make him feel like this; not even Cersei made his heart thump vulnerably. With his sister, it was all about lust and satisfaction. There was no coyness to her seduction. Cersei always was straight forward.

If Jaime didn’t know any better, he would say he was falling in love with the Stark girl. That couldn’t be it though, right?”

For the following nights, Jaime insisted that he stay up to keep watch. A ridiculous thing considering that even the great Jaime Lannister needed sleep. No human could go so long without slumber.

He compromises. When the two of you take a break from your walking, he would take that opportunity to nap.

“You still know how to use this?” Jaime holds out his sword to you making you widen your eyes.

You stare at the hilt. The same sword he used to kill many people. Fingers twitch forward and brush up against it. “Yes.”

He nods when you finally take hold and put it off to the side of you on the grass. Situating himself onto hiss makeshift blanket and pillow, Jaime closes his eyes and is asleep in minutes.

This was an opportunity for you to outwardly admire him. He really was quite handsome. A perfect aquiline nose paired with cheek bones to die for. His upper lip was a perfect bow arch and absolutely kissable. You wonder what he dreams about.

While he rests, you go over the map. There’s bits of Jaime’s handwriting on the parchment too. Sloppy letters smashed together. You grin reminiscing that that was the way Robb wrote as well. Was that a habit of all men? No, your father wrote properly enough.

Naturally, Jaime would start to wake after an hour’s worth of sleep then back to the road it was.

All together, it took near a week to reach the Red Fork of the Trident. The river where Rhaegar Targaryen was slain by Robert Baratheon. The Red Fork lead all the way to Riverrun.

You were almost there. Considering why you were traveling in the first place, you would admit there was fun had while with Jaime. Away from the city, Jaime was freer. Boyish sides of him that he wasn’t able to display while in the Kingsguard. His smile, oh. . . This new smile of his was breathtaking. A bright beam that almost blinds you.

Certainly he was still arrogant, but a little less now.

“What will you do once you deliver me safely to my grandfather?” You ask him as you refill the canteen for one last time.

“Well, that’s if your family even allows me to leave.” Jaime chuckles. “Can’t imagine I’ll be welcomed back in King’s Landing or Casterly Rock. Don’t suppose you will employ a knight such as myself?”

The muscles on your face automatically make you smile at his confession of wanting to stay with you. You tamper it down and cough into your hand. “I can try to work something out.”

A light moment like this was bound to be ruined soon after.

Men on horseback and on foot surround you and Jaime. Swords aimed at the both of you.

Jaime holds up his hands to show that he was harmless and you immediately shout “I’m (y/n) Stark! Daughter of Catelyn Tully. Granddaughter of Hoster Tully!” Their red and blue livery reveal their allegiance.

Slowly, they lower their weapons; those on the ground get closer to see you better.

Then they register the man beside you. Their weapons went back up until Jaime forfeit his sword and allowed them to tie him up. One of the men helps you onto a horse while you beg lenience for Jaime the entire time. Proclaiming that he was actually helping you and bore no ill will.

All fell on deaf ears as they drag Jaime all the way back to the Riverrun fortress.

Spotting you from Hoster Tully’s chamber balcony, your mother met you at the front gate. She was indeed a sight for sore eyes.

As you’re assisted to the ground by helpful hands, Catelyn is already pushing aside men to get to you. She throws her arms around you and pulls your body tightly to her chest.

“Thank the gods!” Her fingers tangling them in your thick hair and buried her face in your neck. “(Y/n)-“

You encircle your arms around her. In her arms was the smell of home.

“Lady Catelyn,” came one of the soldiers. “Jaime Lannister was found with her.”

She sharply inhales and in one swift move she has you behind her as she steps forward for the rest of the men to present her Jaime.

They force him onto his knees in front of her.

“Mother please, Jaime helped me escape the Keep.”

Her eyes turn to you sharply. “(Y/n), the Lannisters are the reason for all that has befallen our family.”

Not Jaime though. He had done everything to help you. You grab Catelyn’s arm. “Without him I would have been like Sansa.”

“I swore myself to your daughter, Lady Tully. I am her sworn sword.” Jaime passionately declares. “Made an oath to protect her from this day to my last.”

“I recall you made that same oath to Aerys.” Scrutinized Catelyn.

His eyes are hard and unrelenting. Jaime doesn’t cower or back down. “It’s different with (y/n). She is worthy of protecting. I want to dedicate my life to her.”

Gods.

His words made you soar.

Narrowing her gaze, your mother folds her arms in front of her chest. “Well, Ser Jaime, it sounds like you have certain. . . Affections for her.”

Jaime turns to you with a hint of a smile. “I would say so.”

“(Y/n), go inside.” She snaps at you and with a wave of her hand, her father’s men take ahold of Jaime and bring him to the prisons of Riverrun.

Desperately you watch as Jaime meekly follows them. He doesn’t put up a fight, not once.

“He’s trying to make you a fool, (y/n).” Catelyn accosts you once inside the secure walls of the castle. “Please. . . Please tell me you don’t share these feelings he’s pretending to have?”

You were still stunned at what Jaime had admitted.

“(Y/n)?”

He swore his sword to you twice now in the presence of others. Catelyn made a point about Aerys, but what else was Jaime supposed to have done in that moment? Aerys was about to blow up King’s Landing with enough wildfire to wipe it off of the map.

Turning your spine to steel, you straighten your back and address your mother. “He’s not pretending. And if you must know, yes I do.”

You hate the pain that flashes across her face. “No. . .”

Before she could pull away from you, you grab her hands firmly and keep her there.

“I would not be here had it not been for Jaime.” You tell her sternly. “I am holding your hands now because of him. He kept his word to me that he would safely return me to you and even wanted to stay my sworn sword after the fact he had accomplished his goal.”

Squeezing her hand tighter, you add “He had everything to lose and nothing to gain.”

She was conflicted but you were adamant that she have Jaime released.

“Give him a chance.”

You were fierce, reminding Catelyn of Ned. Unwilling to back down to what you believed to be the right thing.

“I honestly can’t believe I was let out so soon.” Jaime muses.

Not without conditions of course as you glance at the Tully guards that watch him like a hawk. He wasn’t allowed his sword back. Not yet.

“Did you mean what you said? Before they took you away.”

He pauses to watch a low flying birds swoop down to the running water of the river. It pulls out a small silver fish and carries it away.

“I’ve thought about it a lot.” He admits. “What I feel for you. It’s confusing but it makes me feel alive. I’m not going to pretend that I’m even worthy of you. (Y/n), I’m not a good person. No one in the Kingsguard is except maybe Barristan Selmy. I’ve done some things that would horrify you. I didn’t like who I was in King’s Landing. But I like who I am when I’m with you.”

Your first instinct is to kiss him. You’re sure that the guards wouldn’t be too happy about it. Might even report it to Catelyn who was already uneasy with letting Jaime walk free. She’d given him the option to even leave the Riverlands but he refused.

“Bet you wanted to kiss me just then.” His grin is stretched from ear to ear.

You laugh and shove his arm lightly.

Like the first day following your exodus from King’s Landing, Jaime tucks a stray strand of hair that had escaped it’s confines. “I really meant what I said. My life is your’s, my lady. If war is to come, I will gladly protect you from my own house. This I vow.”

#jaime lannister x reader #jaime lannister #jaime lannister fanfic #game of thrones reader insert #game of thrones fanfic #game of thrones fanfiction #got fandom #got fanfic #got fanfiction #a song of ice and fire fanfic #a song of ice and fire fanfiction #asoiaf reader insert #asoiaf fic #asoiaf fanfic #asoiaf fanfiction #asoiaf fandom #reader insert fanfiction #reader insert

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jaimexbrienne-fic-finder · 1 month

Text

Wedding

May is Wedding month, so here are stories about weddings! Some are only about a wedding, some just have a bigger part about a wedding. There are lots more I can't remember right now, if I think of many more there will be a part 2!

Found Wanting by dreadwulf

Brienne is still convinced that the entire affair is a joke on her. Surely there is a real bride somewhere in the castle, who will be brought out once the crowd has had a good laugh at the cow in a satin gown. When she said as much to her intended, he said it was surely a joke on them both. Let them laugh, he said. What’s funnier is that Queen Daenerys made the match in the first place – she must have thought them intolerable to one another. The Beauty and the Kingslayer. Surely Brienne could see the humor in it?

Something Drastic by bearsofair

Brienne ducks out of a wedding reception early. Her "date" comes looking for her.

the battlefield between us (isn't here tonight) by robotsdance

“I missed you, ” Brienne says like she’s admitting something else, and Jaime wants to say it back to her in exactly the same way: loaded with all of the things they’re not saying. Let that truth settle between them, unsaid but at least somewhat spoken. That could be enough. To share that quiet understanding with Brienne, here, alone together in the middle of the woods, in the middle of a war, in which one of them will be on the losing side. That could be enough. I missed you too.

Brienne would understand.

What Jaime says instead is “Marry me.”

The Lion, the Wench, and the Wardrobe Trailer by GilShalos1

Jaime Lannister’s entire acting career has been built on playing reckless cads and heartless villains – ever since a scandalous death on his first film, Kingslayer, was quickly hushed up at his father’s behest. Nearly fifteen years later, acclaimed director Olenna Tyrell has announced her retirement: after one last film, Oathkeeper, inspired by the mythic story of the Long Night. She wants Jaime to do what he does so well, play into his on-screen persona and off-screen reputation, and be a villain for the ages in her final film. But to make sure his infamous ways don’t interfere with production, she requires his personal assistant to keep him on the straight, narrow and sober. Brienne Tarth, in her first job on a film set, finds herself tasked with keeping the impossible Jaime Lannister under control …

Something Blue by Aviss

Jaime Lannister was a wedding planner, though he sometimes missed his old job where he was actually allowed to kill people. Ten minutes with his latest clients and he was already convinced they should not get married. He wasn't a marriage counsellor though, he wasn't invested in this Hunt and Tarth wedding beyond the planning of the ceremony.

Never A Bride by CourtingDisaster

(Modern AU) Wedding bells are ringing in Westeros. After an unpleasant first meeting, Brienne and Jaime find themselves being thrown together over and over as their friends and family marry off. After all, as Tyrion likes to point out, there really aren't any other groomsmen tall enough to escort everyone's favorite bridesmaid...

Over the course of several weddings and receptions, Brienne and Jaime form a sort of truce, perhaps they even become friends. But Brienne isn't going to let the atmosphere of romance carry her away, no matter how handsome Jaime is...is she?

Vows by theworldunseen

Jaime Lannister profiles the most interesting and romantic weddings in the country for his super popular blog, The only problem? His own heart has been stomped on, and it might have ruined weddings for him forever. When he finds out about a woman who’s going to be in her twenty-seventh wedding party, he thinks writing about her might be his way back to loving weddings. But Brienne Tarth isn’t anything he ever expected.

What happens in Sunspear (doesn't) stay in Sunspear Series by Luthien

Brienne wakes up the morning after a night on the town in Vegas Sunspear, with unexpected company in her bed - and that's just the first surprising discovery she makes.

My Best Friend's Wedding by wildlingoftarth

A desperate Brienne hires a “professional party date” to accompany her to Renly’s wedding on Tarth. It’s just a weekend – what could go wrong?

so keep me close. by SeeThemFlying

Brienne pines for her husband, Jaime, who she is convinced is not madly in love with her.

#jaime x brienne #braime

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betelgrouse · 1 year

Note

Your Jaime Lannister smut is pure perfection. Please write more like this. Preferably with him dominant (but the reader is as sarcastic as him), but anything else will do too. Seriously, good smutty writing.

Oh my gosh, this is the kindest comment, I can't tell you how much it means!!! You seriously just made my whole week, thank you. <3

Here's a soft and smutty little piece written especially for you with a romantic dom jaime :) I have a few other drafts in the works, so stay tuned ;)

Morning Air (Jaime Lannister x reader)

Rating: Explicit

Words: 1k

Summary: A glimpse into a soft (but smutty) morning with your husband, the Lord of Casterly Rock.

(Soft dom!jaime and soft sub!reader; oneshot; tried to make the reader gender neutral, but feedback much appreciated!)

Warnings: language, unprotected penetrative sex, romance (read at your own emotional risk!), nikolaj coster-waldau's problematically good looks

Note: two handed jaime (but he's perfect with any number of hands!)

The sun was streaming through the open balcony doors, and a cool ocean breeze gently lifted the long, translucent curtains as it entered the room, carrying the scent of saltwater and sunshine with it. You could hear ocean waves rhythmically splashing on the rocks below as you woke, a sound just slightly slower paced than your husband's breathing next to you. The view from Casterly Rock was lovely in the morning, but you'd rather look at the man sleeping next to you. The Seven must have sculpted him with their own hands, you thought. Closed eyes beneath a crown of golden hair, and a strong, lean body beneath the sand-coloured bedsheets. Your eyes roamed down to his chest and arms, marked with the occasional faded scar; no one had landed a blow on the Kingslayer in a long time, thank the Gods.

His body shifted, and you looked back up to meet Jaime's warm gaze. He reached out, gently cupping your face, and kissed you slowly. He pulled back, hovering over you, blonde hair just brushing your forehead.

"You looked like you wanted something from me," Jaime murmured, tracing your lips with his thumb. Still holding your face, Jaime ran his other hand up your leg, drawing circles on your inner thigh. "Tell me what you want, love."

You smiled up at him softly. "I want you to be on time for your morning briefings with your council. For once this week," you teased.

"If you don't want me to fuck you in the morning," Jaime whispered against your lips, "you shouldn't wake up looking so lovely." His fingers slid higher, and he started rubbing small circles on your clitoris [or tip]. You felt your legs start to spread open.

You reached down to reciprocate, but he lifted his hand from your face and stopped you. He lifted your hand to his lips before pinning it to the bed, all while drawing those circles that were already starting to make you come undone.

"Besides, I don't think you really want me to leave so soon, do you?" Jaime mused, smirking at the face you make as he slips a finger inside you, adding to the rhythm. "Do I really leave you so unsatisfied?"

You both knew the answer to his question, but he just loved to tease you. He added another finger, pumping in and out of you a bit harder now. You started moving your hips with the rhythm involuntarily. Gods, it felt good. He always felt so good.

He planted a kiss beside your ear. "Well?" he inquired, increasing his pace.

"Well what?" you asked back, somewhat more breathlessly than you had intended.

"Do you want me to stop?" His eyes glittered mischievously.

"No," you gasped out. His fingers were good, but you wanted him inside you. He really was going to make you beg him for it, wasn't he?

"What do you want, my darling?" He's so cocky, you thought. Well, when he looks like that, I guess he can be.

"I want you to..." You still blushed saying such vulgar words, which is exactly why Jaime loved to get you to say them. "I want you to fuck me."

Jaime grinned. "What was that, love? I didn't hear you."

Oh, his arrogant, annoying, perfect face, you thought. "I want you to fuck me, Jaime, and I want you to fuck me right now."

"If you insist." He grinned even wider, evidently quite pleased with himself. Holding your thigh, he sank himself into you, groaning deliciously in your ear. He rocked in and out of you, hitting that spot inside you over and over again. The fucking felt amazing, of course, but you also loved how his chest moved against yours like the tide meeting the beach, and how you saw that same pleasure you were feeling echoed back at you in Jaime's eyes with every thrust.

You two were tangled up together, legs crossed, faces touching. He gently tugged your hair, tilting your head back so he could plant sloppy, open-mouthed kisses along your neck. You met his lips and savoured the taste of him, his warmth, his softness.

You felt your climax coming and let it crash through you in waves, like the ocean below. Jaime felt your muscles tighten and he fucked you through your orgasm before his own climax hit him. He came deep inside you, his body weight pressing down on you and his breathing ragged in your ear. You took a deep breath, taking in the fresh ocean air and the smell of him, and thought there really couldn't be anything better.

After a moment, Jaime sat up and poured a cup of water, offering it to you before pouring one for himself. You expected him to rise and get dressed for the day, but he just sipped his water and looked at you with an enigmatic expression, as if deciding something.

"What is it?" You raise your eyebrows at him and smile. You can't help but smile when you look at him.

Jaime silently returns both cups to the table beside him before rolling back on top of you, head buried in the crook of your neck. You laugh and slide your hand into his hair, gently playing with it. His hair gleams like real gold in the sunlight, you muse.

"You're going to miss your briefings again," you press, but you're holding him and you don't want to let him go.

"Shhhh," he responds, nuzzling closer into you.

You match your breathing with his, and your chests rise and fall together, like the rhythm of the sea below.

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acourtofthought · 10 months

Text

"the Cauldron’s blast hit the Illyrian forces. / And where a thousand soldiers had been a heartbeat before …

Ashes rained down upon our foot soldiers.

Seconds after that.......

But the Cauldron did not hit the same spot twice. And Hybern was willing to incinerate part of his own army if it meant wiping out a strength of ours.

An unearthly, female shriek broke from deep in the Hybern forces. A sister’s warning—and pain. Just as that white light slammed into the Bone Carver.

But the Carver … I could have sworn he looked toward me as the Cauldron’s power crashed into him. Could have sworn he smiled—and it was not a hideous thing at all.

There—and gone.

The Cauldron wiped him away without any sign of effort.

And a moment after that:

Nesta wasn’t going anywhere. She could barely stay sitting. And Elain … Amren was holding Elain upright as she vomited in the grass. Not from the Cauldron. But pure terror.

(Previously in the series, Nesta vomited when the Cauldron was used to take down the wall. It's power / vibration is what caused her to be sick: Nesta moaned, body tensing as if she’d vomit again. But then we felt it. A shuddering through the earth. Through air and stone and green, growing things. As if some great god blew a breath across the land. Then the impact came. Rhys threw himself over me so fast I didn’t register wholly that the mountain itself shook, that the building swayed. We hit the stones as debris rained, and I felt him readying to winnow— Then it stopped. Screaming rose up from the valley below. But silence reigned in the palace. Amongst us. Nesta vomited again, and Mor let her sag to the floor this time.

With Elain, it seems to be the deaths that caused her sickness, not the power surge.

A few chapters earlier:

Elain at last slid into the chair near Mor’s, her dawn-pink dress—finer than the ones she usually wore—crinkling beneath her. “Will—will many of these soldiers die?”

Whereas the other characters are bothered by the loss of their soldiers, they seem to accept it as unavoidable.

Nesta is matter of fact when she tells Elain that yes, many soldiers will die.

And while Feyre sends up a prayer for the warriors decimated by the Cauldron and the others begin to discuss what their next move will be, Elain is the only one to have an extremely physical reaction to the deaths that just occurred.

There are some who celebrate "Elain the Kingslayer" but I think we're going to find she's struggling with what she did, taking a life. That she would shun that moniker.

She loves Nesta and would obviously do what was needed to save her but I don't think she's glad to have gotten revenge on the King.

The other characters don't usually blink at taking out someone who harmed their family but I think Elain will always carry an immense amount of guilt for any life she takes, deserved or not. In her mind I don't think it's something she can justify.

Elain begged Feyre not to harm Graysen, no matter what (meaning even if it was deserved).

When Lucien acknowledged her part in killing the King, she immediately turned the attention towards Nesta.

It was very pointed how SJM said Elain returned Truth-Teller and "didn't look back". (Think about what TT is used for, what Elain used it for. It is a tool for death, something Elain walked away from without looking back not to mention possible foreshadowing for Elain walking away from the one who represents death).

The cruelty of the Hewn City specifically bothers Elain. The other characters think it's residents are trash but they embrace the roles they step into while there. They enjoy seeing Kier put in his place. Elain tries to prove she too can belong but it's clearly not something she's comfortable doing.

If Elain vomited from the terror she felt over the lost lives during war (which is pretty much a certainty in battle), then how can anyone honestly think she'll support what Azriel does and the way he thinks?

“If Lucien kills Graysen, then good riddance.”

"I'll defeat him with little effort"

What we did to the Attor wasn’t pretty.”

the quiet voice that had broken countless enemies.

People often made the mistake of assuming Cassian was the wilder one; the one who couldn’t be tamed. But Cassian was all hot temper—temper that could be used to forge and weld. There was an icy rage in Azriel I had never been able to thaw.

“Break its legs, shred its wings, and dump it off the coast of Hybern. See if it survives.” / The Attor was already screaming beneath Truth-Teller’s honed edge when I left the cell.

I held his gaze, though. Held that ice-cold stare that still sometimes scared the shit out of me. I’d seen what he’d done to his half brothers centuries ago. Still dreamed of it. The act itself wasn’t what lingered. Every bit of it had been deserved. Every damn bit. But it was the frozen precipice that Az had plummeted into that sometimes rose from the pit of my memory. The beginnings of that frost cracked over his eyes now.

The way he hesitated before he said learned said enough: he’d tortured it out of someone. Many people.

Azriel leaned against the wall by the lone door, Truth-Teller bloody in his hand

the male bleeding from places Azriel knew would hurt but not kill. Az knew where to slice up a male without letting him bleed out. Knew how to make this last for days.

But Feyre, Cassian knew, had been aware of what she’d see before entering. And well aware that these ten minutes had only been the opening movements in a symphony of pain that Azriel could conduct with brutal efficiency.

Feyre struggled watching Azriel torture. Knowing Elain, does anyone truly think she'd be better at witnessing it than Feyre? She has an inner strength, yes, but she is canonically more gentle and sensitive. Inner strength does not necessarily translate to being fine hurting others.

And the second Azriel sensed that Elain was uncomfortable with what he does, what would be the result?

Azriel leaned against the carved wood footboard at the end of his bed. “Little to add to what you already know.” Smooth, easy liar. Far better than me.

The only character in this series who has been entirely in their right to inflict violence on someone but chose a different route is Lucien.

He would not be wrong in going after Eris (especially early on in the series) or in going after Beron and I don't even think anyone would blame him for putting Ianthe in her place. He could have suggested Rhys take Tamlin out for the way Tamlin has treated Lucien rather than encouraging Rhys to have mercy on him. He could have also easily gone after Graysen.

Yet he has made the choice time and again to avoid violence, only using it in defense.

Elain has not gotten to know Lucien because of the bond, she's using that as her shield and refusing to let her guard down.

But honestly, based on personality and personality alone (and not who wants who at this point because we know that can change), how can anyone think Elucien would not well matched?

#elucien #pro elucien #elain archeron #anti e/riel #antie/riel #elucien supremacy #lucien vanserra

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artedimichelangelo · 1 year

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Hi! if your taking requests I’d like to request something! Could you please write a Jaime Lannister x fem!reader in which she’s his friend and has always had feelings for him, and she’s one of the few people who has never called him kingslayer because she couldn’t believe he was a bad person even if she didn’t know the whole story. And maybe after he loses his hand he comes back to king’s landing and he feels worthless (cause he can’t fight anymore and everyone even cersei is treating him badly) but reader stays by his side and reassures him. So he notices that she’s the only one who’s always been there for him and in a moment of vulnerability he tells her the whole mad king story. And she feels really bad for what happened to him also because she sees how it’s something that still haunts him so she hugs him and he has someone to comfort him for the first time. He’s been though so much and I just want him to have someone who’s there for him because they genuinely care 🥲.

I hope what I said made sense because english is not my first language. Anyway feel free to ignore this if it doesn’t inspire you! :)

For the first time - Jaime Lannister x Fem!Reader.

Author's Note: Hii! Thanks for your request, I hope this fic is to your liking and if maybe you wanted something different, please feel free to tell me.

Also, I think I got carried away with this one, let me know what you think.

Plus, if there is something in the warnings or in general that I forgot to mention, you can tell me without problems.

Oh I also recommend the song For the first time by Mac DeMarco for this one.

Pairings: Jaime Lannister x Fem!Reader, mentions of Cersei Lannister and Bronn.

Warnings: English is NOT my first language; possible grammatical errors; not very much proofread; a tiny bit of angst; mentions of blood; fluff.

Word Count: 3710.

As the sun set, the Red Keep was under surveillance of the royal guards, even more so than in the morning.

When the servants lit the lanterns, Y/n knew that her watch had begun and she would have to keep an eye on the corridors of the king's residence.

By now she knew her shifts by heart and had got used to them, as she had been serving the royal family as a knight for years.

Her father was an old acquaintance of the king, so it was not difficult to obtain this role in the fortress.

Y/n was the only woman among all the other knights; she had to protect others but also herself, as many of the men she worked with were uncouth and often disrespected her.

However, she unfortunately had gotten used to it and had her reflexes ready for any hypothetical attack.

Whilst wandering through the corridors faintly lit by the flames of the torches, she could only hear subtle whispers, precisely of two voices overlapping, one interrupting the other and not even giving each other time to breathe.

As she proceeded, Y/n had to take great care not to make noise with her armour, which barely scraped the walls against which she had flattened herself so as not to be seen.

By doing so, she was able to see who the voices corresponded to: one belonged to Cersei Lannister and the other to Jaime, her twin brother and a close friend of Y/n's.

"You're ridiculous, it's as if you're betraying me." Said the queen with venom, lowering her clipped voice even more after hearing a footstep around the corner of the hall. "Know that if I fall into the void, you come down with me."

With such words, or rather threats, she left the golden-haired knight on the spot, his gaze lost in the darkness..

Jaime was so absorbed in his thoughts that he did not even notice the presence of his dear companion, at least not until he heard her voice muffled in his ears.

"Is something troubling you?" Y/n repeated for the umpteenth time.

She had only eavesdropped on a minimal part of the conversation between the two siblings, but from the expression on the man's face before her, Y/n could deduce that it was not particularly pleasant.

"To tell you the truth, yes.'" The young Lannister replied, his arms crossed against the thick metal of his golden breastplate. "Our days are so hectic that we haven't even had time to exchange a few words today, I have truly missed your suave voice."

"I see that flattery never lacks, what an honour." Y/n said snarkily, a hand on her chest as noble women do when they receive compliments from high-ranking lords. "Don't make me blush with your beaming smile, I don't think my heart can handle that."

Actually, Y/n really liked her friend's compliments, they made her feel important and her princely smile always gave her goosebumps. But she would never confess that to him, she had no intention of inflating the man's ego.

"Seriously though, I know when something's wrong, Jaime, I can see it in your sad eyes."

At that point his gaze lowered to the stone tiles on the floor. No matter how hard he tried, his friend was capable of reading a person as if they were a young lads' book.

"Nothing relevant, simple bickering between Lannisters, you know how it is by now." He laughed it off, but Y/n could swear she saw the man's eyes glaze over, as if he was exhausted and wanted to cry cascades.

Instinctively, she embraced him, and the clash of metal protecting them could be distinctly heard in the cool night.

The so-called Kingslayer was taken by surprise, but he did not budge; on the contrary, he reciprocated this action that was almost foreign to him, as it was full of affection.

He had not received such intense and warm hugs since he was a toddler.

"It is not fair of me to insist on this subject, however, know that you are not alone and that you are loved." She breathed into his ear, her voice like a sweet melody he wished he could hear every morning.

Y/n loved the man and would have given her own life to make him realise how remarkable he was.

Jaime's hand covered by his thick leather gloves moved to the woman's shoulders, as if to attract her attention. The golden knight almost wished he could caress her scarred face from the past, yet he considered it might be an inappropriate move.

"You know, from a distance you definitely look shorter." He received a hearty chuckle from the brave woman in front of him. "Glad to amuse you so much."

"Let's say you can be hilarious at times, if you don't wake up in a bad mood." She sneered, the muscles in her face almost hurt from how much they tightened, but she couldn't stop laughing.

And it was in that pleasant moment, that Jaime had the desire to capture Y/n in a painting, for in her simplicity and modesty, with her hair dishevelled and a few wisps surrounding her face, the blond lion saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. As he had thought the first time he saw her.

"Do I have something on my face?" Once again she roused him from his thoughts, Jaime's eyes constantly lit up with every interaction with the well-known cunning knight. "This is not the time to be distracted, Ser Jaime Lannister, the long night awaits us and we must remain alert for the coming of morrow!"

"You're the one who talks in circles and makes me lose focus, don't talk bollocks!" He replied, patting her on the shoulder, thus beginning a brief fight of playful shoving, their thin laughter heard only by the stars in the dark blue.

Gathered in the courtyard of the Red Keep were the royal knights, led by Jaime Lannister, ready to move on the new enemy, Robb Stark of Winterfell.

"If we follow the plans, we will be able to trample that brat and prevail over his soldiers." The golden knight's voice boomed against the walls, making it impossible to miss. "And if all goes as planned, we will be able to return to King's Landing with victory in our grasp."

As he concluded his speech, his gaze crossed Y/n's confused one on the other side of the yard.

"I didn't think there was a gathering, nor that we had to leave." Said the woman as soon as the young Lannister reached her.

"That is because I did not actually mention it to you."

"It doesn't matter, it happens to anyone to make a mistake, so around what time of day is the departure?"

Jaime looked at her as if in sorrow and in order to speak to her privately, he gently took Y/n's wrist and led her to a hidden corridor, away from prying eyes.

"I did not mention it because you are not coming with us." He grimaced, feeling guilty and expecting a strong disappointment from his friend.

"But I cannot stay here and do nothing while you fight, it is not fair for you to lose your blood out there while I am safe in here." The brave young knight felt the world falling on her, she could not just stand there while the others left, only to perhaps not return.

The woman’s glazed eyes met Jaime's again, her lip quivering to prevent her from shedding any tears, and that heartbroken expression made the blonde-haired knight's heart ache.

"I want to come with you."

"No, no, no, no, Y/n, I implore you." Instinctively, the young Lannister captured the lady’s face in his hands, holding her firmly by the cheeks. The warmth of her skin made his palms tingle almost in a pleasant way. "I have not made this decision to make you grieve and distress, not even to invalidate your abilities. I did it for you, Y/n, for you are as dear to me as the Moon is to the Stars."

Was it strange on the lion's part to find the doe's face extremely bewitching during her cry?

The usual strands of hair escaping from her ponytail were now as if glued to her cheeks, tears and sweat had held them against her rosy, freshly sun-kissed skin.

And Jaime had never felt his stomach in a knot, as if thousands of butterflies were flapping their wings inside it. Often blinded by the presence of his twin sister, he had never paid attention to how much Y/n truly cared for him and loved him, perhaps even more than Cersei.

"Listen to me carefully, hm?" The knight before him nodded, so that he could proceed. "I will return to you, I promise and I mean it. You know well that we Lannisters always keep our promises."

Without debating Y/n moved closer to the crook of Jaime's neck, so that she could feel his scent and the warmth of his body a little closer, as if her mind had to remember those minor details so that she would not be feeling lonely in the days when the blond knight was absent.

Oh, how she longed to confess all her love and adoration to him, and how she wanted to hurt those who called him terrible names without even knowing the truth about his past.

"Know that I will wait patiently for your return, and I swear by the seven kingdoms that if you do not make it back, I will come directly to get you from the depths of hell where you will end up."

They both smiled sadly, as if to relieve the tension of the moment.

"Make a safe return, Ser Jaime Lannister, and know that, even from afar, I protect you." Y/n recomposed herself and the two shook hands for the last time, him putting more pressure as if he did not want to leave her there, but duty awaited the man.

That was the last time Y/n saw Jaime Lannister in King's Landing, still intact and with every piece of his shining armour on his shoulders, his golden hair only barely concealed by his helmet, and his friendly voice overpowering that of all the other men as he made the way to their destination.

On a particularly heated day in the blazing sun, Y/n had obtained a free morning off of duty, so she took the opportunity to read some old letters sent by her father.

Sometimes she missed her hometown, the smell of freshly baked bread wafting up to her chamber window and the voice of her father commanding everyone around him with his booming voice.

Immersed in the words of ink on the thin parchment, the knight had not noticed a presence under the archway at the entrance to her chamber.

She was so quiet and beautiful, as if he had seen her for the first time.

"Y/n." Faintly from the man's cracked lips came the name of the woman, who turned around, stunned, as if she had seen a ghost.

As she rose from her bed, she dropped all the letters on the ground, but it mattered little as seeing Jaime Lannister again after so long made her fling herself at him.

"Are you real? Who did this to you? I convinced myself you were never coming back, I thought... I thought you were dead." She asked frantically, but received no reply. "Does Cersei know of your return?" She questioned again, helping him reach the masters so they could tend to his wounds.

"No, you’re the first person I wanted to see." He managed to say, and if it hadn’t been for Y/n, his face would have collided with the red rock tiles of the castle, as his legs were giving out and he was about to fall.

After the proper care, Y/n offered to help Jaime take a hot and relieving bath.

It would not have been an uncomfortable situation, since they had known each other all their lives and she was there especially to protect him in that vulnerable state.

"You should not be here to assist me, I have never deserved any kind of attention from you." He murmured in a grimace, as his friend poured warm water on his head. "This water is boiling, do you perhaps wish to see me bald?"

"Nonsense."

And Jaime did not understand if that reply referred to what he said first, or to his complaints.

"I promised you I would come back and here I am in the flash, or at least most of it."

"Also thanks to Brienne, because your tongue could have stopped you from returning to King’s Landing." Y/n responded seriously, her calloused hands massaging oils through his now dirty blond hair.

He bent his head back to glance into the woman's sweet eyes.You should have seen the look on her face. The look I've seen for 17 years on face after face." He bent his head back to glance into the woman's sweet eyes. "You are the only exception and this makes me feel less of a human shit… but everyone else? No, they all despise me. Kingslayer. Oath breaker. Man without honour. Ever heard of wildfire?"

"Of course."

"The mad king was obsessed with it. He loved to watch people burn--the way their skin blackened, blistered, melted off their bones. He burned lords he didn't like; he burned Hands that disobeyed him; he burned anyone that was against him." The weak lion shook his head as his past resurfaced before his eyes, he remembered it all as if it had occurred the day before. "Before long, half the country was against him. Aerys saw traitors everywhere, so he had his pyromancer place caches of wildfire all over the city: beneath the Sept of Baelor, the slums of flea bottom, under houses, stables, taverns, even beneath the Red Keep itself. Finally, the day of reckoning came."

Y/n was somewhat shaken, but this did not prevent her naive curiosity from knowing more about the story.

"What happened afterwards?" She asked timidly, moving in front of the man, as if to show she was all ears.

"Robert Baratheon marched upon the capitol after his victory at the Trident. But my father arrived first with the whole Lannister army at his back, promising to defend the city against the rebels. I knew my father better than that. He's never been one to pick the losing side. I told the mad king as much. I urged him to surrender peacefully. But the king didn't listen to me, didn't listen to Varys, who tried to warn him. But he did listen to Grand Maester Pycelle, that grey sunken cunt."

The woman shuddered at the name of the Grandmaster. She never liked him, and he was merely a court rodent who should have been eliminated a long time before.

"He told him that he could trust the Lannisters, since they have always been loyal friends of the crown. So, we opened the gates and my father sacked the city. Fucking imbecile." He laughed bitterly. "Once again I came to the king begging him to surrender. He told me to bring him my father's head. Then he turned to his pyromancer and told him to burn them all. "Burn them in their homes, burn them in their beds." He ordered him… tell me, if your king commanded you to kill your own father and stand by while thousands of men, women and children were burned alive, would you have done it? Would you have kept your oath then?"

Jaime looked straight into her eyes, but he did not really need an answer, for he already knew it. Y/n would never have let that happen and would have made the same decision as the young Lannister.

"So what did I decide to do? First, I killed the pyromancer, and then when the king turned to flee I drove my sword into his back. "Burn them all," he kept saying. "Burn them all." I don't think he expected to die. He meant to burn with the rest of us and rise again reborn as a dragon and turn his enemies to ash. I slit his throat to make sure that didn't happen."

"And that's where Ned Stark found you." It was not difficult for the clever woman to put the pieces of the puzzle together, thus revealing why the lord of Winterfell loathed and despised Jaime so much.

"Exactly. That's where Ned Stark found me."

"If this is true, why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell Lord Stark?"

"Stark. You think the honourable Ned Stark wanted to hear my side? He judged me guilty the moment he set eyes on me. By what right does the wolf judge the lion? By what right?" The man suddenly stood up, ravaged by fury and anger.

By then, the bubbles in the tub had vanished and the water had turned cold, like a winter's night.

In order not to disrespect her superior, the woman turned away, subsequently handing him a bathrobe to cover himself.

"I believe you and I guarantee that I have always been on your side, and always will be, for better or for worse. I know there is little I can do, for the damage has now been done, but I have no intention of ever leaving you alone." She promised Jaime, slowly ushering him towards his chamber.

Y/n's hands gently held the figure at her side, as if she had become accustomed to its fragility.

She was used to holding her sword firmly and tightly to unsheathe it against her enemies; but with the man she loved, her hands were tender and cautious, as if he were the feather of a dove.

Settled in his bed and wrapped in the soft sheets, Jaime could finally rest, or at least recover before getting back into the swing of things.

"Get some proper sleep, you and I will have a lot to do together over the next few days." Y/n gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and bid him a good night.

"See you in the morrow." Whispered the knight, more to himself, touching the spot on his forehead that was graced by the most exquisite lips he had ever seen.

"You are very clever Bronn, but not clever enough!" Y/n exclaimed in amusement, and between laughs continued to smack her friend's backside as spite.

Joining the two on the shore of the beach was Jaime, and every time he saw her, he could swear it was like seeing her for the first time, in which he was completely dumbfounded by her persona.

"Look who's here, finally the princess has joined us."

"Funny Bronn, really, I didn't think you could be so funny." Replied the blond sarcastically, already having his sword drawn in his left hand.

"I'll leave you two alone, be sure to knock her ass out, avenge me my friend."

And so it was that the two companions were left alone, the waves of the sea the only audible sound other than the clashing metal of their swords.

Jaime Lannister was visibly tired, although training had only just begun, but he wasn’t used to sparring with his left hand after losing his dominant one.

"I believe in you and I know you can do it, just a little more effort and we’re done." Y/n encouraged her friend, not to annoy him or rush him, on the contrary, she wanted to help him believe again in his strengths and abilities.

With one blow forward and too many steps back, the lion tripped and fell on the sand, too exhausted and out of breath to get up.

"I am not as strong as before, Y/n, I am no good to this world."

He gave up all too soon and she couldn’t accept it, not when aware of his immense potential.

"Listen to me carefully, your attitude won’t help. I know how you really are and I will help you recover, even if I have to wait a lifetime to see you getting your ass off the ground. Have I made myself clear enough?"

Initially Jaime was stunned and taken aback by her words, but his astonishment turned into a smug, satisfied grin.

He was completely enamoured with the wonderful woman before him.

"I love you," Those two words slipped from his lips very clearly. "But not like I love my family or my dear twin sister. No. I truly love you, Y/n, and I was a fool for not admitting it sooner. Or I have my vulnerable state to thank for prompting me to confess my feelings for you."

"Apparently I should push you more often into situations like this, if they allow you to talk and allow me to find out what is always running through your mind." Y/n smiled sweetly and slowly kneeled before him, to reach his eye level, as he was still sitting on the grainy sand. "But I love you too, silly man."

Y/n gently caressed Jaime’s chin and then his cheek, the newly grown beard tickling her hand, but that did not bother her at all.

The blond, with some of the courage he had left in his body, took the sweet woman’s hand into his and left a short trail of kisses across her palm.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to taste your lips that night under the stars."

"What’s keeping you from doing it now before the sunset?"

"Always so clever, are we?"

And so their lips finally met. It was as if they were destined to touch sooner or later.

It was an intense and extremely passionate kiss, they had lusted after each other for so long that they couldn’t even get enough of it.

At that very moment, Jaime Lannister said to himself that, perhaps, despite all the misfortunes, he deserved a happy ending.

#artedimichelangelo #game of thrones #game of thrones x reader #game of thrones one shot #game of thrones fanfiction #game of thrones jaime lannister #got x reader #got fanfiction #got jaime lannister #jaime lannister #jaime lannister x reader #jaime lannister fanfiction #cersei lannister #cersei lannister x jaime lannister #robb stark #house of the dragon #fanfiction #house of the dragon x reader #hotd fanfiction

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pan-fried-autism · 2 years

Text

Happy ace awareness week! I made a drawing of my ace-spec OCs! I have them each listed below

Ok so, from the top of the right top corner, clockwise:

Carrie (she/her), aroace

Chamberlain (or just Lain) (he/him), ace

Merell (she/her), grey-omni + ace

M0u5e (he/she/it), pan ace

Spire (they/them), bi ace

Mr. Bland (he/him), polyro + demi

Minus!Koko (they/them), aroace

Hanna (she/her), aro + quoi

Tommy (he/she), aroace

Ryōshi (he/him), pan ace

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ego-osbourne · 3 months

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Oblivion Group

Something I planned on finishing for a ref but I did that that where I put too much effort into the sketch layer and now have zero motivation to do the lineart layer

Ignoring that, though! I drew this not long after I’d finished my first playthrough of Oblivion! God a little story idea going on, maybe I’ll write it — it’s not super high priority though as I’ve already got TDI to focus on.

Still, though, in the main trio we have Glarthir (yes I’ve latched onto him that hard, his quest makes me so fuckin sad), Sweetheart (my HoK who misses his girlfriend), and ofc Martin (yes that is Mehrunes’ Razor. I thought it’d be funny).

Glarthir and Sweetheart are most often seen traveling together while Martin hangs back in Cloud Ruler Temple, but there are many missions where Martin is able to sneak away and come along with them. Glarthir, despite his build, insists on being a heavy fighter. His “battleaxe” is really just a waraxe made for orc warriors much bigger than him. He at first got it for home protection, but now carries it around as his weapon of choice on travels. He can cast magic, but just. Really. Likes the axe. He’s also supposed to have antlers, but I had drawn this before I made that headcanon for him.

Sweetheart is the speediest of the three, and prefers a type of “gun and run” tactic. He holds a powerful shock spell that he lovingly named “Heart Attack” that damages on touch. His nimbleness allows him to slip away before the enemy can get a counter hit on him. He’s also a thief, though much prefers to steal in plain sight than try and sleuth around (he was the distraction while his girlfriend was the sneak, before the Crisis separated them). He wears glass armor stylized like actual glass pane artwork. Bc that’s cool.

Martin is much less of a fighter compared to the other two, but does do his best to play defense. He and Sweetheart shake hands about always getting asked “are you alright?” due to their Resting Wet Cat Faces, and they’d much rather talk their way out of a situation than fight through it. Sweetheart, with the best of intentions, raided a Mythic Dawn encampment for the Razor specifically to bring it back to Cloud Ruler to gift it to Martin. Jauffre and Baurus were… less than stoked. The very weapon that killed Uriel Septim and many emperors beforehand—quite literally dubbed the “Kingslayer”—was not a very good gift to give to the last remaining emperor. Martin thought otherwise, and uses it for defense against Daedra (due to it’s unique ability to instantly banish Daedra with one cut). He has is wielding arm completely armored to protect against any accidental nicks, for it’s other unique ability involves producing a wound tenfold the damage of the actual cut.

#Glarthir #sweetheart #martin septim #tes #tesblr #tes art #tesiv #tesiv oblivion #oblivion #Bosmer #altmer #imperial #mehrunes razor #mortal intentions #my art #hok #hero of kvatch

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commander-gloryforge · 2 years

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hi welcome to the cat cafe :)

VITA IS ADORABLE she looks great in that dress and i think she'd genuinely enjoy wearing it so much :) thes the nicest waiter and she will always give you two cookies with your tea

Narcissa will not be put into the dress. I value being alive actually so I won't put it on her. At the cat cafe she serves headshots.

Alastor doesnt know how to make coffee and he'll mess it up and might accidentally poison you. sorry h didnt meant to !!!

Brum will drop the tray in front of you and you might be covered in hot drinks and you're not really sure if it was on purpose or not. H e does not apologiye but later he'll cry in the break room.

Rhea wears both because she's just built like that. she puts on the suit if there are pretty girls in the room :) sometimes there are ghosts in the old teapots so please let her take care of those!

Carry :) there is sand in the tea :)

#vita lineguard #narcissa vaecors #alastor kingslayer #brum flausch #rhea hauntingvoice #carry deathclaw #dios ocs #guild wars 2 #gw2 oc #gw2 #charr #gw2 charr

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anxiousnerdwritings · 1 year

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Okay but Himbo!Baratheon!Reader being the only one who knows the real reason why Jaime killed the Mad King (besides Joanna!lookalike!Reader and Brienne). Whether it’s yan!Jaime who told the Reader himself, probably in a drunken stupor, or Baratheon!Reader came to the conclusion on his own and Jaime just totally sobbing in front of the Reader, feeling like he’s finally relieved himself of such a heavy burden he’s been carrying for years. Not only that but also just him finally getting to unleash all the pent up emotions he’s had to keep bottled up in regards to how everyone else viewed him and being called an oathbreaker and especially ‘Kingslayer’.

I also feel like that’s something else that Jaime would have internally and secretly liked about the Reader before he actually allowed himself to see Baratheon!Reader as more than what he had perceived him as in his envious and resentful haze. Himbo!Baratheon!Reader being the only one to not look at him with disgust or disdain, to not refer to him as ‘Kingslayer’, and especially to not have held anything he did regarding that situation over him. Maybe Jaime was too blind to have noticed it before but after having his eyes opened to the Reader he realizes just how good Baratheon!Reader really is.

#yandere jaime lannister #yandere game of thrones concept #yandere concept

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revnah1406 · 1 year

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Operation Kingslayer: 2/?

Warning!: This chapter contains specific violence, and a detailed description of torture methods.

(All locations and places that appear in this Fic are fictitious and based on the Ghost Recon Wildlands video game)

OCs:

Hannah "Sparrow" Clayton - @revnah1406

Alyssa "Aly" M. - @alypink

Captain Arjun - @welldonekhushi

Mandy Macfie - @alidravana

Charlotte "Jade" le Jardin - @sleepyconfusedpotato

(I'll bring more OCs soon!)

- Operation Kingslayer's playlist here! 👀✨

<- Previous chapter Next CHapter ->

___________________

Ch: 2/?

The sound of the helicopter's blades was the only thing that could be heard in the dark Bolivian sky. Inside the chopper, Jade observed the landscape that was presented below her feet, several meters below. Dark mountains full of forest and jungle, deep valleys, and huge swamps.

"Bolivia is a country with a great diversity of landscapes. Surely we will have to visit many of them during our stay here" Aly's voice was heard through Jade's headphones.

She looked at her partner who was sitting next to her and nodded. "I have a feeling we won't just have to fight the cartel" Jade commented looking into the deep forests of huge trees.

"Wolves, jaguars, piranhas, giant snakes and a huge number of alligators…" Sparrow who was sitting in front of Jade sighed also looking in the same direction as her. "Let's just say it's not going to be a walk in the park"

"Have you been to the Bolivian Andes, Sparrow?" Aly asked.

"No... I don't know this region of the Andes... But I was in Chile with my older brother and in Argentina by myself, where I climbed Aconcagua a few years ago..." answered Hannah.

"We're getting closer, the meeting point is a few clicks away" Mandy's voice came over the radio. She was flying the helicopter at a low altitude, avoiding the skyward glances of hostile onlookers.

"Copy that, Macfie," Arjun replied.

As everyone left that bar ready to take down a second drug cartel, Laswell made one last call to Canada. They were going to need a reliable pilot, Nikolai and Isobel Williams were too busy working with Farah and 141. So their only option was Mandy Macfie. They had worked with her on many occasions. Mandy had saved the team's lives on more than one occasion, always arriving at the most opportune moment to perform an emergency extraction.

"Prepare your belongings. Bowman will be waiting for us at the indicated safe house, but we better not trust ourselves, we don't know what we'll find, so keep your weapons up and the trigger ready. We will enter through different points, Sparrow and I will enter through the main entrance announcing our arrival. Jade and Aly, you'll be in the back in case the situation becomes compromised."

Everyone nodded to Captain Arjun's instructions. They began to organize and load all the belongings. They were going to be alone in Bolivia against an entire cartel. The only thing they could take was what would fit in their backpacks and tactical vests. Ammunition, provisions, first-aid kit, weapons... Everyone carried at least two long weapons that they carried on both sides of the backpack, a sniper rifle and an assault rifle. In addition to their pistols and the knives of preference for each one.

What would define their life, their home and their survival would be carried on their back or in their vests. Unlike the Las Almas Cartel whose headquarters were in Las Almas city, the Santa Blanca Cartel was spread throughout Bolivia. Having bases and headquarters in various regions and provinces of the country. They didn’t have external support for the moment either, it was the five of them against an empire. So they would have to move fast and carry light luggage.

"I have visual on the landing zone," Mandy announced.

"Copy! We'll get off the chopper in two" said Arjun.

Jade nodded as she finished packing her Karambits into the small of her back, Sparrow screwed the silencer onto the barrel of her sniper rifle, and Aly finished checking that the mini surveillance drone's hardware was in good order.

"We're ready," Hannah said determinedly.

Arjun nodded "Okay, get ready to act. Keep your radios on at all times."

Mandy landed the chopper in a clearing on top of a hill a few hundred yards from the safe house, everyone waiting for the chopper's engine to go silent, watching outside for any possible threats. The forest was quiet, the night was dark, only the silhouettes and shadows of the trees could be seen.

"Come on." Arjun ordered getting out of the helicopter followed by Aly.

Before leaving, Sparrow stuck her head in through the cockpit door.

"Thanks for the ride." Sparrow bumped fists with Mandy.

Macfie smiled and nodded again. "Always a pleasure, Sergeant."

Jade also appeared who offered Mandy a pistol.

"Stand by until we make sure everything is calm. If you hear shots, prepare the engines"

Mandy nodded and accepted the gun. She checked the bullet cabin, making sure it was loaded.

"You have to be alert, for the moment the entire territory of Bolivia is considered hostile. If you hear something or see something that we haven't reported, shoot" Jade advised.

"Copy that, be careful out there."

They both went outside, Arjun and Aly standing guard, pointing their rifles at the tree line and the house.

"Ready to board," Sparrow announced, grabbing her weapon as well and touching her captain's shoulder indicating that she was right behind him.

The moment Jade's boots came down from the helicopter and touched the ground, they all started moving towards the safe house. It looked like a hunting cabin in the middle of the woods. It was made of logs and stone, had a front porch, and small windows. There seemed to be a dim light inside.

They all moved in formation, muffling their footsteps on the ground. When they got to a close distance Arjun waved for Aly and Jade to part ways. Both women surrounded the house, avoiding the windows and watching the corners, always with their weapons raised. They reached the back door and waited for the other two members of the team.

Arjun and Sparrow approached the porch. Hannah peeked out of one of the windows, looking inside. It looked like a hunting cabin inside too, everything had a very rustic feel to it. It was in the dark, the only source of light was a lamp on the table, it seemed to illuminate some documents and plans.

"There's no one… but I have visuals of possible useful intel" she said through the radio attached to her vest.

"Get ready, on my signal we board" Arjun ordered, moving to the side of the door. "Sparrow, do the honors."

Hannah returned to her captain, stood in front of the door, waiting for the order.

Arjun pushed the button of his radio. “now”

Hannah kicked the door hard, Arjun came in raising his rifle pointing in all directions.

By the second team. Jade slowly opened the door, signaling for Aly to wait and watch her back. Aly nodded and stood in the doorway, eyeing potential blind spots in the cabin's interior layout.

Arjun was the first to enter, pointing in all directions, watching his steps. Sparrow followed, gun raised. They found no one in the room.

"Hall clear" Arjun reported

"Captain." Sparrow called to him.

Arjun turned to the sergeant. Sparrow was looking at a huge proofing board on the wall just above the fireplace. There were photographs, maps with marked places, transcripts of telephone conversations, coordinates, newspaper clippings…

"Looks like Bowman has been doing her job…" Sparrow muttered.

"This will make things easier." He answered.

Arjun walked over to the table where a study lamp illuminated some plans for unfamiliar installations. He was going to comment something else but a slight sound was heard, perhaps it would have gone unnoticed by someone normal. But as soon as he heard it, he raised his rifle in that direction.

Sparrow was quick to react when she saw her captain raise his weapon.

A woman was at the door leading to the corridor. She appeared to be in her forties, with blue eyes and blond hair. She was pointing a pistol at both soldiers.

"I suggest you get out of here or the consequences will be fatal." The woman threatened.

"You are in no position to make demands, ma’am. Put the gun down." Hannah ordered.

Arjun aimed between the woman's eyes, he discovered the small detonator that she was hiding in the other hand.

"You underestimate me" The woman smiled confidently.

A karambit poked out from behind the woman and rested its curved point on her throat.

"You underestimate us" Arjun replied as Jade slowly pushed the knife towards the woman's throat, without saying a single word.

There was the sound of a loaded rifle, behind Jade and the Woman. Aly was taking aim from a distance, in the darkness of the hallway.

The woman smiled wryly and raised her hands slowly in surrender.

"Alright, you got me. We don't have to figure out how this situation will be resolved."

"Are you Karen Bowman?" Arjun asked without lowering the gun.

The woman looked at him, studied his stoic expression, and finished by nodding slowly.

"You must be the ones Kate sent me."

Arjun gave a slight nod, ordering Sparrow to lower her weapon. Hannah compiled but the guard kept her up. Jade put the knife away and Aly stopped aiming, moving closer until she was next to her partner.

"I didn't expect you so early." Bowman commented, putting the gun in the waistband of her jeans.

Arjun bowed his head "We go where we are called"

Bowman nodded "is it just you four?"

"For now...we have a pilot too." Arjun mentioned.

Aly switched on her comlink "Mandy, it's all clear, we've found Bowman."

"Roger, I'm on my way." Mandy replied.

"So…" Bowman paced the room, examining each of the members. "Laswell believes that you can take down the Santa Blanca cartel…"

"That's why we're here, right?" Sparrow raised her chin but kept a serious expression.

Karen raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly. "It remains to be seen what you are capable of"

Jade started flipping through the evidence board.

"This is from the previous task force?" She asked, looking at all the information.

"That's right. Months of research." Bowman sighed "I'd better bring you guys up to speed. The sooner we start, the sooner we can take down these sons of bitches."

"Entering the house" Mandy's voice came over the comms.

"Copy, Macfie. You may proceed inside" Arjun replied.

The pilot entered the safehouse. Sparrow gave her a slight nod in greeting. Mandy moved closer to her, scanning Bowman and the situation with her eyes.

"I have a feeling it wasn't the best welcome." she whispered.

"You have a good feeling" Hannah replied.

They both returned their concentration to the CIA agent. The team surrounded the table while Bowman went to the proofing board and tore off a few photos.

"The Santa Blanca empire is supported by four main pillars."

Bowman posted a photo of a man who looked like a Christian bishop, with a huge golden Cross hanging from his neck and a serious expression, then a second photo of a somewhat ostentatious-looking young man smirking into the camera.

"The First Pillar: Influence." Bowman began to explain "Santa Blanca’s trying to win the love of the Bolivian people, they fill their brains with false promises and lies." She pointed to the man dressed as a bishop promising the locals the entrance to paradise and the eternal and divine forgiveness of God if they collaborated with the Cartel. The drug traffickers are great devout Christians, but above all they have a special fondness reserved for "La Niña Blanca."

"La Santa Muerte…" Aly murmured.

Bowman agreed.

"This is one of the first ways they have to win over their followers. The other is by following in the footsteps of Pablo Escobar, building houses for the poorest neighborhoods, giving aid to families... in short... creating a good image of the cartel. Everything to sweep the shit under the rug and avoid prying eyes."

The CIA agent put another photo on the table. It showed El Sueño shaking hands with a man who was dressed as a military general.

"The second pillar is Security. El Sueño has been in charge of reducing the military and police forces of all Bolivia based on bribery. So do not expect support from the government or the army."

"What about the rebels?" Arjun asked.

"The rebels are a large group of Bolivian guerrillas who have been fighting the cartel for years. Pac Katari is their leader, I know him well, but you will need a good victory if you want to earn his respect and trust. He will not welcome you with open arms at first. I advise you to make yourselves heard, that the voice spread among the Bolivian people, and that your deeds reach their ears. Only then may you get rebel support."

"So…if we do their job, we will get their attention?" Sparrow rested both hands on the straps of her vest.

"The rebels are also in charge of helping those most in need in Bolivia. If you locate stores of supplies, weapons, ammunition, fuel... mark them with location beacons. So that the rebels can find them, it is also a good way to announce that you are their allies." Bowman replied.

"And the other two pillars?" Jade asked.

Karen nodded and placed another photo on the table, this one showing a very beautiful woman with a little girl by her side. The photo appeared to be taken from inside a car. The woman and the girl were walking through a wealthy neighborhood surrounded by bodyguards.

"The third pillar: Smuggling. This woman is the mastermind of all smuggling operations. You could not imagine what she is capable of inventing to be able to get cocaine across the borders. She manages to send and export to more than sixty percent of the entire globe. They didn't earn the title of one of the biggest cartels in the world just like that."

Bowman took two more photos. It showed a very old man, wrinkled, graying hair, brown skin, and sun-spotted. And in the other, a young man in his early thirties with features similar to those of the older man.

"And finally, the fourth pillar and the base of the entire Cartel: Production. Bolivia has been a great producer of the coca plant, for cultural and medicinal uses, but it was illegal. Although with the arrival of Santa Blanca it has become massive The cultivated fields are full of forced laborers."

"Labor slaves." Mandy gritted her teeth.

Bowman nodded again.

"The trafficking and kidnapping of people is an open secret. Santa Blanca claims to ensure jobs for all Bolivians but they only force them to work until they die. The cartel blames the rebels for the Bolivian deaths, trying to give them a bad name."

Bowman put her fists on the table.

"If we can knock down one of these pillars, we can shake the cartel and make Santa Blanca weaker."

Arjun looked at his team for a few seconds, then looked back at the CIA agent.

"Where do we start?" Arjun asked decisively.

Bowman dragged two photos to the center of the table with her fingers.

"We'll start with Production." Bowman began to explain.

Aly took the photograph of the older man and looked at it carefully.

"He is Rodolfo Yana. But everyone knows him as "El Yayo", unlike the rest, he is Bolivian, he is about seventy-three years old, but don't let his age confuse you. He is the main cocaine producer for Santa Blanca. Before El Yayo was a coca union leader but his ambition brought him to work with Santa Blanca. He is willing to work with the Cartel in order to protect his people and their customs. Thanks to Santa Blanca, Coca crops are legal and they are protected. Many say that he is a traitor, others define him as a true survivor."

Aly passed the photo to Jade, who stared at it for a while.

"This is our first objective?" Jade seemed somewhat confused, she didn't expect to have to go after someone so old.

Bowman agreed.

"El Yayo is a great defender of culture and traditions. At first, El Yayo got stable and well-paid work for many cocaleros in Bolivia. People treated him as a savior for giving work to so many people. But the demand for Cocaine for part of Santa Blanca just grew and grew. Good paying jobs turned into forced labor." Bowman sighed "El Yayo is a man who prefers to make agreements than use violence. So maybe we can negotiate with him…"

"How did we get to him?" Arjun asked.

Bowman put the second photograph next to the one of El Yayo.

"This is his grandson, Gonzalo Yana, he is about 25 years old, they call him El Emissario. He is the manager and head of production of cocaine. His grandfather knows how to grow coca, and he knows how to process it. He is actually a spoiled child. He is arrogant, carefree and does whatever he wants, hoping that his grandfather or other underbosses will bail him out. Don't be distracted by his behavior, Gonzalo is a genius when it comes to processing coke. With the knowledge inherited from El Yayo and his master's degree in chemistry is capable of processing the purest cocaine on the entire market."

"How did we find him?" Jade crossed her arms.

"To get to El Yayo, you first have to find his grandson. It will be our trick to find him." Karen explained, "We had Gonzalo caught by the balls a few months ago, but he fled the country like the coward that he is. Luckily we know that he returned to Bolivia a few days ago, knowing that the old task force has been taken off the game board." and taking into account that he cannot leave the production of Cocaine unattended. El Emisario or The Emissary believes that he is now safe and that he can return to business without problem." Bowman paused. "Now we just have to find it. We know it's in Ocoro, but going door to door into every cocaine lab in the region would be a waste of time. The cat would never catch the mouse."

"I can check all the radio and phone stations and channels in the area. Maybe I can intercept something." Aly suggested.

"That's why I love you, Aly." Sparrow joked.

"Might be a good start. Let's get to work then" Arjun said, beginning Operation Kingslayer.

"Let's go for that bastard"

___________

The helicopter was flying over the Ocoro region. The night was moonless, it was the perfect time to act. Sparrow loaded her assault rifle. Arjun was at her side readying his gun as well.

"Okay, let's go over the plan. Aly, you're going to overwatch from a high point with the help of the surveillance drone. Keep the sniper rifle ready, I'm sure we'll need it. You'll be the one preparing our entrance."

"Got it" Aly was sitting in the cockpit together with Mandy. She had the exact coordinates on her laptop. Thanks to hacking and intercepting the radio channels in the Ocoro area, she was able to listen to a conversation with Gonzalo Yana and was able to triangulate his exact location.

"Sparrow and I will board through the first floor, while Jade will enter through the roof. We will take Gonzalo Yana out through the roof"

"Roger." Jade responded by assuring that the blade of her knives was properly sharpened.

"Okay, we'll look for Gonzalo Yana, remember that we need him alive. If the rest show resistance, you have full permission to shoot."

"We are arriving." Mandy's voice blared over everyone's comms.

"Understood! Everyone get ready"

When they reached the agreed point, they all prepared to slide down the rope. Sparrow leaned back into the cockpit.

"We are ready."

Mandy nodded. "Go carefully."

Sparrow gave Mandy a fist bump and patted Aly on the shoulder.

"Be our eyes, Aly." Sparrow smiled confidently.

Aly smiled and nodded.

"I'll watch your back"

"Sparrow let's go!" Arjun was ready to go down the rope.

"Copy, Captain!" She turned to her two companions "take care of yourselves, my ladies." the sergeant said goodbye.

Jade, Arjun and Sparrow slid down the rope.

When they all reached the ground Mandy piloted the helicopter to get Aly into the most suitable position to observe the facility from a distance but also to be close enough for her to connect to the main network and work her magic.

The team wasted no time, and began moving in formation. Taking care not to make noise.

The Ocoro region was a rural area. Mountainous, with small forests and numerous cultivated fields. The team walked a little further until there was an old industrial warehouse between the trees. There were huge outdoor spotlights illuminating the darkness of the night and a wall enclosing the restricted area.

They reached a high position to be able to observe the facilities well. The darkness covered them and prevented them from being seen.

"What do we have here…" Sparrow muttered, taking out the binoculars. "There are few entrances. Four floors, I suspect they will have a few more floors in the basement." The sergeant began to explain "Small windows and concrete walls… it's like a fucking fortress."

"Containment measures? Guards?" Jade asked. Who began to enlist her gear to be able to make her entrance. Putting the silencer on her pistol and securing her bulletproof vest.

"There are a couple of machine guns stationed at the main entrance, snipers on the roof and in the watchtowers. Heavy armored guards at each corner, they wear ballistic helmets, we won't be able to take them out with one shot."

"leave them to me"

"Alyssa what is your status?" Arjun spoke into the comm.

There were a few seconds of silence.

"In position and waiting."

Aly was about 300m away, in an elevated position and perfect for providing overwatch. She was lying on the grass with the sniper rifle slung over her shoulder, peering through the rifle's telescopic sight. Next to her was the drone ready to be sent and the laptop that showed on the screen the synchronization with the central electrical system had been completed.

"Do you have visual on the target?" Arjun asked.

Aly looked through the windows of the building. Until she finally found a lighted window on the top floor.

"I have visual on Gonzalo Yana. Fourth floor, last room on the right."

Sparrow pointed the binoculars in the same direction.

"Affirmative. I see that bastard." Sparrow confirmed.

"Alright. Whenever you want Alyssa." The captain spoke.

Aly looked away from the scope for a moment and focused on her laptop, typing for a couple of minutes.

"Starting attack in three, two, one…" Aly hit the button "Lights off. All security systems disabled"

And suddenly, all the lights that illuminated the facilities went out. Everything was left in complete darkness. The guards outside were confused and kept alert for a long time. Until one of them mentioned that it was a simple blackout, and that it was normal in this region.

The team waited until the guards calmed down and went about their business, waiting for someone to fix the electrical system.

"Jade." Arjun whispered.

The named one nodded, clutching her pistol with the silencer attached in one hand and a karambit in the other.

"Good luck" Sparrow spoke "We'll be waiting"

Jade smiled and patted Hannah's shoulder before walking off down the hill. Stealthily approaching the entrance of the facility.

When she reached it, she put her back to the wall and waited silently for the guard to get close enough. She adjusted her grip on the handle of the knife, and when the guard was at appropriate distance, Jade clamped a hand over his mouth and buried the knife in his neck, between his shoulder pads and helmet. Carefully she dragged the body to a safe place so they wouldn't find it. But as soon as she put the body on the ground, another guard appeared walking casually without noticing what was happening around him. But he would end up noticing if he kept advancing in the direction of Jade. She wasted no time, grabbing one of the knives from the dead guard's tactical vest and throwing it with such precision at the guard that the knife sliced through the air to slam into the second guard's face. The man fell backwards like a sack full of stones.

Jade sighed quietly in relief. Wasting no more time, she hid the second body next to the other and continued advancing. Jade melted into the shadows, using only her knife.

She would stab a guard in the neck and with two silent shots finish off the second. The bullets were always perfectly accurate, one in the bulletproof vest and one in the face. It ended with the vast majority of narcos who were standing guard abroad. She took care of those who were positioned behind the fixed machine guns and those who guarded all the entrances. And nobody noticed what was happening.

Jade was cleaning the blade of her knife on the clothes of the corpse of one of the guards, when she spoke through the comms.

"Aly, the sniper on the watchtower could compromise my position. To the east."

It didn't take long for Aly to aim the sniper rifle where Jade indicated.

"Got him"

As soon as he was in her sights, she held her breath, made some final calculations, and pulled the trigger. The enemy sniper disappeared into the darkness after being shot in the chest.

"Enemy sniper is down." Aly reported on the radio

Jade was able to continue creeping through the darkness around that drug lab until she found an emergency ladder that led to the roof. She climbed them carefully so that her boots did not make noise against the metal of theladder, she knew perfectly well that company would be waiting for her up on the roof.

When she got to the top, she saw two snipers walking around on the roof. Light-footed and keeping low, she took down the first sniper without a problem, but the second one apparently turned around ahead of schedule. Jade had to react quickly, with the pistol pointed at his chest and fired a couple of times. The sniper's bulletproof vest retained both bullets even though both shots nearly sent him to the ground.

The MI6 agent pounced on him when she saw that he was trying to communicate by threadbare. Jade wasted no time in pulling out her knife and making two quick slashes, the guard was able to defend himself by covering his face with both arms. Jade took the opportunity to kick his stomach hard, making him lose his balance and make him drop the sniper rifle to the ground.

The angry guard lunged at her, but Jade was faster and dodged without a problem. They kept up close combat for a while, the sniper throwing hard, heavy blows, while Jade moved nimbly, brandishing her knife, slashing across his arms. She would shift the knife from one hand to the other, changing the position of the curved blade, and every time she found a gap to get through his guard, she would not miss the opportunity to try and stab in the neck. In the end she managed to slip over the side and quickly rolled across the ground and made a quick, deep gash behind the knee. The man fell to his knees because the tendons could no longer support his leg.

Jade wasted no more time, she was tired of playing. With her other hand she drew a second karambit and using all her strength stabbed just below his jaw. The curved blade of the knife pierced the roof of the mouth while the first knife slashed across the throat.

When Jade pulled out the knife the soldier fell to the ground bleeding to death. She wiped at the blood splattered on her face, then hit the button on her communicator.

"I'm in position." He announced looking at the corpse of the guard.

"Roger that, I'll let Macfie know so she can have the helicopter ready for extraction" Aly replied.

While Jade dealt with the guards outside, Sparrow and Arjun moved through the compound, ready to enter through a back door that led to the facility's warehouse.

Arjun cleaned the blade of his knife on the dead guard's clothing while Sparrow stood guard, making sure no one approached them unnoticed. The captain managed to pick the lock on the door and opened it carefully.

"Come on, Sergeant." Arjun whispered.

Sparrow followed him into the facility.

The building was dark as expected. Both soldiers moved through the corridors in silence, Arjun taking the lead while Sparrow brought up the rear. Thanks to the silencers they eliminated any hostile people they encountered.

"Shoot carefully, there are civilians in the laboratories" Arjun said.

"Roger"

They found the stairs and went up to the second and then the third floor, leaving not a single living guard behind. They entered a room that appeared to be a communications room. There were computers, shelves full of documents, and radios with different comms channels. Some guards could be heard talking on the radio.

"First and second floors are the laboratories… The third is the offices?" asked Sparrow, puzzled. "This is not a normal cocaine lab…"

Arjun returned to her when he was sure the room was clear.

"This is a gold mine, we could get information from here." Arjun commented. "Sparrow, make a Backup copy of all the files on the mainframe. Alyssa can process the data later."

"Ok."

"Arjun, Sparrow! The guards have found one of the corpses." Aly announced agitated. "They're starting to go up the stairs!"

"Bloody hell… we should have hidden the corpses better." Sparrow cursed.

"We didn't have time for that, our priority is Gonzalo Yana…" Arjun leaned his back against the wall right next to the window and leaned out slightly to see what was happening outside. The guards seemed to be flustered, looking out the windows of the building and running all in one direction.

"Jade, what's the situation outside?" Arjun asked.

"Everyone is very nervous, they are entering the building." Charlotte replied.

"Understood. Aly, how much time do we have?"

"A minute at most." she answered.

"Fuck…"

"Sir, Gonzalo Yana will escape if we don't hurry." Sparrow nervously said, shifting her weight from her leg.

"I know." Arjun closed his eyes and pondered for a few seconds what to do. They couldn't leave without the information from the central computer, and neither could they leave without Gonzalo Yana. So he only had one option left. Trust his teammate. Arjun knew full well what Sparrow was capable of. It was not their first mission together, he was aware of the skills of the sergeant and that he could entrust the fate of the mission to her.

"Captain." Sparrow eagerly awaited further orders.

Arjun took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

"Focus on the computer and make sure you extract all the useful data. Client lists, contraband, locations of other labs…everything." Arjun walked towards the door. "Make sure they don't kill you, sergeant."

"And what are you going to do, sir?" Sparrow asked.

"Jade, get ready." Arjun ordered over the comms and then looked at his sergeant "I'm going to get that rat out of his hole." Arjun left the room and without wasting any time ran towards the stairs leading to the top floor.

Sparrow wasted no time too, pulling out an external battery to power the computer and a flash drive from one of her vest pockets, and began backing up all the files.

Gunshots could be heard inside the building, surely Arjun had engaged in combat with the remaining guards on the upper floor. Sparrow ignored her desire to go help her captain and watched as little by little the percentage bar on the computer screen filled up.

"Sparrow on your six!" Aly's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Hannah spun around as she saw a huge soldier lunge at her with a knife. Sparrow had to drop her weapon to use both hands to prevent the knife from plunging into her face.

Sparrow was between the table and the attacker. She used all her strength to get that guy off her. She pushed him away from her and punched him in the nose. The guard swayed slightly, holding the bridge of his now bleeding nose.

"Puta zorra…"

Sparrow wasted no time, as the man lunged at her again, Sparrow raised her fists, punching him again in the face and then in the ribs. She moved swiftly across the room, dodging the knife that the man swung dangerously from side to side. Sparrow had to admit that this man was tough to beat, no matter how hard she hit him, it seemed as if he wasn't affected. Even though his face was covered in blood.

Sparrow took a quick look at the computer, five percent left for the backup to finish. She had to hurry, she had to finish this jerk and get back to Arjun as soon as possible.

"Come on… I can last all day." Sparrow waved a hand, signaling for him to come closer to continue the fight and further anger the guard.

She was walking slowly back towards the window. As the guard ran towards her to punch her in the face, Sparrow dodged quickly, managing to get behind him. As the guard turned back to her, Hannah kicked him in the chest. Causing him to stagger a couple of meters away from her.

The man was ready to attack again, but suddenly, a sniper bullet broke the window glass and went through the guard's head. The man collapsed on the ground lifeless and staining the ground with his own blood.

Sparrow smiled at the corpse at her feet, then looked at the hole in the window.

"What would I be if it wasn't for you Aly?"

Aly watched through the scope of her sniper rifle as Sparrow waved to her from across the room. She smiled, happy to see her friend safe.

"You know it's always a pleasure to watch your back, hermosa"

Sparrow looked away from the window when she heard the notification that the backup had finished. She rushed to grab the flash drive and the battery, then grabbed her weapon and ran to the top floor.

Along the way, she encountered several enemies and didn’t hesitate to shoot. She finished with any obstacle that was found along the way. When it came to dealing with firefights, there was no better soldier than her. She eliminated all the guards until she went up to the fourth floor.

Suddenly Sparrow, between the shots, saw Gonzalo Yana being thrown into the air, out of a room. Arjun came out soon after, his expression completely serious. For a moment Hannah felt sorry for that Narco, when Captain Arjun was angry, he was a scary man.

Gonzalo Yana began to flee in the direction of the stairs that led to the roof. But it seemed like Arjun didn't care, in fact he cared more about taking down the remaining guards in the corridor. Using only his pistol, a knife and a perfect aim, he finished off all the guards. When silence finally reigned in the place again, Sparrow was finally able to get out from behind the wall that she used as cover.

"Are you okay sergeant?" Arjun asked, although he didn't physically show it, he was worried about Sparrow.

"Affirmative sir." Hannah hurried over to him. "What's with that asshole?"

Sparrow was still confused, Arjun had let Gonzalo Yana run away.

"The Rat is cornered. Let's go for him"

Arjun walked up the stairs leading to the roof in no hurry. While they watched the Narco run up them so fast that he almost tripped more than once. Arjun didn't need to chase him, he knew exactly how this was going to end. It was like when a murderer knows that he doesn't have to waste energy running, he knows perfectly well that he will find you, no matter where you hide.

Gonzalo Yana banged open the door leading to the roof, but as soon as he stepped outside. The point of a karambit landed on his neck, so stealthily that the man seemed to him that he had been cornered by a ghost. He was petrified with fear.

Jade held the knife to the target's throat when Arjun and Sparrow appeared on the rooftop shortly after.

"We have the target." Arjun announced through the comms.

"Roger, Macfie is on her way." Aly replied.

"Who are you?!"

"You're not the one asking the questions here, kid" Arjun replied with a sinister tone.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into! Do you have any idea who I am?!" Gonzalo Yana seemed to be on the verge of hysteria.

"Oh, we know that very well… Sparrow, knock him out."

"It will be a pleasure"

___________

When Gonzalo Yana woke up. He found himself tied to a chair in a small room with no windows, just a light bulb hanging from the ceiling above him.

There was a red-haired woman sitting in a chair similar to his. But she wasn't tied down, in fact, she had a grim look on her face, kept silent, deep in her own thoughts.

"We don't have to make this any more complicated than it already is." Arjun's voice was heard behind Gonzalo.

The captain had his back against the wall and his arms folded.

"Don't waste time lying or hiding information from us. It will only make it worse."

"I would rather die than tell you!" Gonzalo Yana seemed to want to hide his fear behind his anger "You are naive! You don't know what you are getting into…"

Arjun ignored the Narco's words, kept calm and kept talking.

"Rodolfo Yana." Arjun mentioned the name of El Yayo. "Where is he?"

It took Gonzalo a few seconds to understand what they were asking of him.

"The old?" He laughed "No, you'll never find him. Listen amigo…you're not aware of how deep this shit hole is. You're just foreigners who think you can come here and remove all the shit and get out of it unscathed. The simple fact: If you touch a single hair on my head, you’ll mark a cross on your back. La Santa Muerte will come for you and will hunt you until the end of your days."

Suddenly Arjun grabbed Gonzalo Yana's hair and pulled his head back, forcing him to look into his eyes. The light from the ceiling made Gonzalo only see a dark silhouette of a man.

"I think you already disappointed me. You already were, not to me but for everybody. Because of your "pathetic" self.. decided to choose this path with your family who had nothing to do but to cause suffering." Said Arjun, in a tone capable of making anyone's skin crawl "we are not what you see... we are not what you think. I could snap your neck right now and end your poor, pathetic life. But no, you have a much bigger purpose.." Arjun brought his face close to Gonzalo's "when we're done with you… you'll wish I'd snapped your neck."

Gonzalo Yana had not realized that he was sweating and trembling the moment Arjun let go of his head.

Arjun walked towards the door, but before leaving, he patted Jade on the shoulder.

"It's all yours" and left the room.

When he stepped outside the safe house, he found Sparrow, Aly, and Mandy waiting outside. Crickets could be heard in the bushes and a cool breeze blew gently.

"There is no turning back." Arjun mentioned. "Jade will get us the information we want."

Aly sighed in concern. "Jade is good at what she does, she's an MI6 agent after all but…this will affect her."

Sparrow nodded, agreeing with her.

"If we hurt Gonzalo Yana…" Mandy had a serious expression like everyone else. "We will send a clear message to El Sueño."

"Sir…I understand this is a covert mission. But we really don't know where we're going. We don't know what El Sueño is capable of." Sparrow spoke. "You saw how many guards there were in just a cocaine lab in the middle of nowhere."

Arjun nodded understandingly. "I'm aware, Sergeant. I'll talk to Laswell, maybe he can pull more strings. But for now, we're the only ones who can stop this madness."

"And what about the Rebel forces?" Aly asked.

"They will be considered hostile until proven otherwise. Although Bowman is an old friend of Laswell's, I don't trust her." Arjun crossed his arms and looked at his boots "We'll figure something out. But for now, we're dealing with this jerk."

Meanwhile, inside the Safe house, Jade and Gonzalo Yana were left alone in the room.

Jade was silent, she was terrifyingly calm. There was no emotion on her face.

"We can do this by hook or by crook." She began to explain. "I just need you to tell me a place and a time."

"If you think I'm going to tell you where my grandfather is. You're so wrong, puta."

Jade spent some time studying the man's body language. He was scared, but he hid it well. His hands were restless despite being tied. He kept his head up and still but his eyes were unable to maintain eye contact with Jade.

"We know that you recently returned to Bolivia, and we know that you have conversations with your grandfather. He is always the one who has to save you, right? You always end up in trouble and make El Sueño angry. But Rodolfo Yana is always there to protect you." Jade explained.

"That doesn't matter…you're not going to get me to talk. It doesn't matter what you do." Gonzalo Yana smiled sideways.

Jade nodded a few times and sighed. She got up from her chair and walked over to him.

"I see you made up your mind."

She rested her hand on Gonzalo's temple and looked at him for a few seconds.

"I will ask you a question. And you must answer honestly." Jade spoke again "Where is Rodolfo Yana?"

"Fuck you, pendeja."

"Wrong answer"

Jade pressed into the space between the eyebrow and the eyeball.

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

Jade closed her eyes and continued pressing on one of the most painful points in the body, there are many nerves in that area and it causes great pain and discomfort when pressing on it.

The screams echoed through the room, so loud that surely the people outside could hear them.

"Let's try one more time." Jade eased the pressure but didn't pull her hand away. "Where is Rodolfo Yana?"

Gonzalo was breathing heavily, he looked like an animal. But still he said nothing. He kept silent.

Jade, getting no response, pressed again. The screams resounded throughout the place.

The interrogation began to be a game of tug of war, Jade asked questions, and Gonzalo did not answer what she wanted. It seemed a bit like a game of cat and mouse. But this time the Cat played with the mouse until he died from exhaustion.

"Please! I don't know! I don't know!"

"No I don't know's. Just answer my question. It's easy, come on."

The game continued, gradually escalating until Jade decided to use more effective methods. She didn't want to come to this, but he gave her no choice. It was time to pull out nails, Jade started with the toes. She wrapped the toe with a rubber band to reduce the flow of blood, neither too tight nor too loose, she wanted Gonzalo Yana to see the blood but not bleed to death. Then with a toothpick she inserted it between the nail and the finger.

Gonzalo Yana screamed in pain. The nail was separated from the toe. Jade looked at the Narco once more waiting for an answer but he just whimpered. So she ended up ripping it off.

Gonzalo was dying, tossing and turning in his chair. He seemed like an animal dominated by hysteria and fear.

"Please, please! I already told you I don't know!"

"If you so much as breathe another 'I don't know’, I will rip another one of your nails. Think. Remember. We could do this all night." Jade stayed calm.

The hours passed, until finally the cat caught the mouse. The screams stopped instantly.

Everyone waited outside. Sparrow paced back and forth like a caged lion. Arjun was thoughtful with his arms folded. Aly was trying to clear her mind and ignore what she had been hearing for hours trying to decipher the information Sparrow got from the lab's central computer. And Mandy going through the topographic maps of the area.

The door to the Safe House opened. Jade came out wiping her hands on a bloody rag. She approached Arjun without saying a single word and handed him a piece of paper with the exact location and time where Rodolfo Yana could be.

Then she left, without saying a single word. She entered the forest and disappeared into the darkness and the undergrowth.

"Jade…!" Aly tried to follow her but Mandy stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Sparrow walked over and shook her head. She knew that Jade needed to be alone. She had to collect her thoughts and deal with her internal struggle.

An internal struggle that the whole team had.

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #call of duty modern warfare 2 #Operation Kingslayer #ocs' crossover #friend's ocs #alyssa m #charlotte jade le jardin #Mandy Mcfie #Captain Arjun #hannah sparrow clayton #ghost recon wildlands #game crossover #my fic <3 #I hope you like it!#💕✨

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