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Cold Blooded, Warm Hearted - Malia Tate x Self-Insert

Warnings: mentions of child abuse, general violence and gore, crude language, monsters

If you wish to follow this fanfic more closely (as it will be a full on book hopefully) check my Wattpad in the Pinned post! It just makes everything easier~ XOXO

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Chapter 1: Paths Crossed

"Bring him," a voice rings out, fire crackles as chains gently rattle against parallel stone pillars. Echoes of footsteps ring through the halls, coming to a whisper as they enter an open space, the ground lined with sand, crunching under the small boots of he who entered the ceremony room.

"You, child of Connor, Lord of the West Territories; Here you shall evolve. Shed your skin, accept your heritage and become one of us! Take your first kill, and burn away the weakness that plagues you," the voice continues to boom through the vast space, voices whispering and muttering as the small figure makes it's way closer to the rattling chains, "Are you ready, my child?" The voice booms as a man groans, his chains shake and knock together, the heat of the fire laying ontop of his skin like a blanket waiting leap and turn him to ash, "...I am!".

Two cloaked men, jam their spears to the ground next to the younger figure, and take their place next to the chained man, "It's time for you to evolve," says the left man, "Shed your humanity." Says the man on the right. A chant erupts in the observing crowd, 'kill, shed, evolve...kill, shed, evolve...'

The young, small figure slowly walks towards the rattling chains, and the bare man constricted by them. He looks at his hands as ash red claws crawl their way out of his formerly human finger tips, wine red scales peel back up his arm, waist, chest, neck, and face, amber rings brand his once ivy green orbs. "Kill, shed, evolve," the two men echo, gripping the edges of two stone bowls on either side of the chained man, filled to the brim with molten rock, glowing with the licks of flames. The ash red claws glint in the light of the flames, and swing down, sending flicks of blood to the ground, as they melt into the already red scales of the young figure's hands.

The chant continues, over and over again, 'kill, shed, evolve, kill, shed, evolve..', the first stage having been complete. The child winces in fear and nearly stumbles back, but holds himself steady, as the two men release the heated rocks onto the scaled child. A piercing scream erupts into a roar as flames slither their way across the child's body, when he opens his eyes in agony, the burning Amber rings are replaced by a now cold, blue glow.

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[Beacon Hills High-school, Last Period]

"Hey do you guys wanna study after hours?" Stiles asks, standing up from his seat. "I need to, I have a maths test coming up soon," Malia responds, a slight pout growing on her face as she reminds herself of her least favourite class. "Cool, I'll help you out!" A tall, dark boy stands from his seat aswell, Scott, he follows his girlfriend, Malia, and his best friend, Stiles, out of the classroom. They make their way up the stairs, running into their resident Banshee, and Stiles' girlfriend, Lydia, eventually reaching the doors of the library.

They settle down at one of the central desks, each opening their books and beginning to study for their respective classes. "Ya know, we haven't had anything supernatural happen in the past few months, it gives me bad tingles in my feet, like something is gonna happen soon," Stiles squirms in his seat with his his chin resting in his palm, Lydia agrees with Stiles, "Yeh you're right, it does seem weird doesn't it? Maybe The Beast was the last big bad in Beacon Hills. Seems fitting that our last one would be the first Werewolf killed by an Argent." Scott turns to his friend, somewhat rolling his eyes, "C'mon Stiles, you're being paranoid! Not everything is supernatural in this town, we can go one year without finding a body, or having kidnappings, or giant phantom werewolves tearing people apart!" Stiles looks down at his open book, a concentrated frown on his face, "Yeh I guess you're right.."

The conversation moves on, everyone but Stiles focusing on other things. A few minutes pass, before Stiles pipes up about a new face who's entered the library,with long brown and blonde hair, light denim jeans, and a black jacket. "Who's that? I don't recognise them from the new Freshmen, are they a transfer student?" The person wanders over to the Anthropology section, also known as where the stories on Mythological creatures are, "I think so, I've seen them at the Jujitsu hall, I think they were signing up," Malia answers Stiles' characteristically unrelated and random question. She gazes off at the new figure, watching them wander around, their raw fingertips glazing over the spines of each book they pass, until eventually they stop and open one, setting themselves down at a desk behind theirs. Scott turns to his girlfriend, a confused expression stapled to his face, "Why were you near the jujitsu Hall? None of us have a single class near there." Malia directs her attention back to Scott and her friends, her focus on the new teen broken, "Hm? I find it entertaining, why else?" She says as if it's blatantly obvious, which to her friends; it is, almost confused as to why Scott would even bother asking. "They seem like they're around our age, I'm just surprised anyone is even bothering coming to Beacon Hills High anymore, let alone what appears to be a transfer student." Lydia looks up from her notes, also oddly transfixed by the person, who is now deeply involved in their own selected book, "You sure they're our age, Lydia? They're kinda short, maybe puberty is stuck in traffic for them," a chuckle comes from the group's friends Liam, Corey and Mason as they sit down next to the main four, with Scott's Beta, Liam glancing at them each one at a time as a silent greeting. "No, they likely have some form of Dwarfism, a condition that essentially puts a limiter on how tall someone can grow, although there's hundreds of different types so I can't for sure say which one they may have.." Lydia responds almost distantly, still keeping a keen yet seemingly misty eye on the new kid, everyone taking a glance at her, not at all surprised by her scientific knowledge anymore, before they all go back to silently watching the figure.

After a while Stiles stands up, and begins making his way towards the new kid's desk, but not before Scott questions what he's doing, "I'm gonna go talk to them! Every time a mysterious new student shows up something happens, what if we have another Liam? Another time bomb?" Stiles points out, accidentally taking a small dig at their friend with I.E.D, "Hey! That was Scott's fault, I didn't come here as a wolf!" Liam retorts, glaring at Stiles with a frustrated gesture, "Well technically you got yourself tossed off the side of a building, so it was sorta your fault," Mason pipes up, "That was the wendigo's fault! Not mine!" The Beta reminiscences over the time he got bitten by Scott, when he fell off the hospital roof after he was hunted by a hungry Wendigo. "Alright enough! I'm going to talk to this kid and see what their deal is, okay?" Stiles eventually interrupts the debate, settling to try and conversate with this strange new face, "Who's to say they're anything at all? You don't need to be suspicious of every new person ya know," Malia points out to Stiles, shrugging her shoulders, "listen I always trust my gut, they transferred to Beacon Hills High even after everything that's happened here, and oh look! They're reading a book on supernatural creatures! That's not suspicious at all!" The skeptic says sarcastically, before stumbling over to the desk the young figure is sitting at.

He sets himself down clumsily, glancing between the person and their book, "So..a fantasy lover?" Stiles awkwardly asks the stranger sitting before him, he looks up from his reading in an almost panicked state, suddenly closing his book most of the way, "Oh um--..Hi, yeh, just studying for History," They let out a small, awkward chuckle before introducing themselves, "Cael by the way!" They reach out, shaking Stiles' hand as he too introduces himself, "So, you a fan of Mythology too, huh?" Cael attempts to break the Ice a little, worried that his social anxiety was showing, "Yeh," Stiles stares at the back of Cael's chosen book, somewhat zoning out while reading the title; 'The Extensive History and Physiology of Dragons throughout History'. "So, you're a dragon lover aswell then?" Stiles questions the kid's taste in History so Cael explains their history project, "Pff no, I have quite the distaste for them in fact, the history project is to study a part of any culture that we fear, whether it be real, religious, or historical events that took place in a Country's past," he awkwardly shifts in his seat, explained away by his discomfort with the Winged creatures depicted in his selected book, "So, what makes you dislike them so much, just scary? Or a separate reason..?" Stiles lightly stares at the androgynous figure sitting across from him with suspicion he hopes isn't noticeable, "Because they're the most scientifically realistic, in most cases," he responds with a deadpan and almost cold stare. Stiles' mind starts running wild with theories on every word Cael spoke, the way he said them, and other meanings of what he could've meant, his gut giving him more feeling than ever that Cael wasn't who they said they were.

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[Scott's House]

"Scott I'm telling you! This kid is shifty as hell! I checked with some of the people in his class, and they don't have a history homework even close to what he described!" Stiles points out his evidence for Cael's lying, showing his continued distrust for the young lad, "Maybe he just wanted to learn about Dragons, people have interests, Stiles!" Scott argues with his friend, while he watches him rummage through his desk, clearly searching for something, "Why would he lie about something like that? What's the point of lying about an interest in something such as dragons? Why not tell the truth, unless the truth is something you wish to keep hidden?" Stiles finally appears to find what he's looking for, he holds up a hard drive that Scott recognises, the Bestiary that used to belong to the Argents.

Stiles plugs in the Bestiary to his computer, and loads up the index. He scrolls down to the Dragons section and look through it for a while, reading some useful parts out loud; "Much like other shape shifters, dragons appear as human...Dragons have various species among their communities...they have a similar hierarchy system to ancient Kings and Queens of the English Empire..." Scott looks over Stiles' shoulder, silently reading along with him, "Stiles you should head to bed, it's late and we can talk more tomorrow. Listen if something is up with this kid, then we'll eventually find out, but other than a natural interest in fire breathing lizards, he hasn't acted suspicious in the slightest." Stiles turns his spinning chair around to face Scott, "Scott, he said he hates dragons and has a fear of them," Scott's face sinks with confusion, he asks what the skeptic is talking about and Stiles responds, "Whenever I was talking to him, he said that he had a really bad fear of Dragons, when I asked why all they said was because they're the most likely supernatural creature to be exist, is that not in the least bit suspicious?" The Werewolf stands up properly, thinking in silence for a few seconds, "Scott you didn't trust me with Theo, or when I realised I was the one who wrote Kira's name on the chalk board, I just need you to trust my gut this one time!" Stiles begs his friend to go along with his hunch, but Scott seems to be somewhat distant, until he snaps his head up "He could be a hunter! Maybe he's not a supernatural but a hunter!" Stiles claps his hands and points a praising finger towards his best friend, "Yes! Now you're following along! That explains why he was researching dragons, he wasn't studying them for himself, he was trying to figure out ways to defend himself or--"

"Kill them.." Scott quickly interrupts, his gaze sinking to the floor, "That's it, tomorrow we inform the rest of the Pack, and we find him. We'll question him, if my hunch is right and he's a hunter, then he poses a risk to all of us. Including any humans who are involved with protecting the supernatural, aka me! I only have a metal bat to protect myself so it'd be nice to have a heads up on this guy!" Stiles retorts with a snarky undertone, Scott nods his head, agreeing and saying goodnight to his partner in crime before heading home, the last thing he needs is his girlfriend climbing through the window to find his room Scott-less.

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Look who’s here again with endless ramblings about Dune.

🎶 It’s good old me 🙋🏻‍♀️

On our plates today:

BOOK I - DUNE (SPOILERS) 14-15 (and a bit of 16)

(and pr talks that might have hidden themselves in the middle of everything else)

Chapter 14 : I’ve already made a post about the most interesting quote of the chapter but let put it here again. "The people must learn how well I govern them. How would they know if we didn’t tell them?" It’s so absurd and condescending it makes the most perfect and realist quote for a politician. That being said, it is also an interesting quote to consider outside of politics. It could almost be the first rule to any organization in need to communicate something to an audience, especially when it’s something false, debatable or something the audience doesn’t care about in the first place. How would they know if we didn’t tell them?

Chapter 15 : Thanks Lisan-al-Gaib 🙌, finally a long chapter where we have time to introduce and develop scenes without being entirely focus on a conversation between two characters. Feels like we’re finally really entering the story. And what a chapter. There is so much to say I don’t even know where to start.

A difference of leadership between Leto style and Paul style is obviously shown since the beginning of the book. Not really to build an opposition between the two but to step by step infuse that Leto’s leadership is not only obsolete but how Leto as a whole being is unadapted to Arrakis, where Paul seems to belong there. The whole first meeting between Kynes and Leto and Paul told from the point of view of Kynes really shows that. Leto is described as uncomfortable with the clothes when Paul is very at ease. Same thing with their ways of adopting the stillsuits.

This, about Paul, made me think of another theory:

He shall know your ways as though born to them

I thought Jessica’s mysterious origins could have been Harkonnen-related and that would have been why betrayal was expected from her but maybe she’s born Fremen? Could explain why Paul seems to be a natural on Dune. Maybe I need to see more about how Jessica behave on Arrakis to see if the theory could fit.

AND Paul’s being part Fremen works with this other theory I have, based on the trailer. Because according to to what I've learned in this chapter, there is no way to survive this:

Ok, there are some rocks to escape the sand worms but what if Paul-who-could-possibly-be-part-Fremen could also have a way to control them? Eventually teach the way to others to make the prophecy coem true? I don’t know. I’m just making theories. I always do. Anyway, back to the chapter.

I’m pretty sure that at least part of the moment with the missing carryall wing, the crawler and the sand-worm has been set up. They anticipated the presence of the worm (since there’s spice) and sabotaged the wing or something like it. I thought of the Duke himself first but I think Halleck is the better candidate for that maybe without the Duke even being aware of what’s going on. Leto says about Halleck that he’s talented in public relations and this is what good public relations can look like in my book. Over-briefing a client on how to act or how to react or what to say is often counterproductive. The client is awkward and unnatural and the result you wanted is long forgotten. What a good pr can do is to know perfectly their client, so well that they can anticipated their reactions in every circumstances. That being known you can then perfectly set up a situation, put your almost innocent client in it and wait until they react like you've planned and give you the result you wanted. And the goal here is to let the men know their Duke is concerned for their safety as Halleck says it himself, and get the word around. And what better way to do that than to make the Duke sacrifice money and a large amount of Spice to save the lives of all these working people?

It almost looks like it is said here:

"She’s very heavy, Sire," Halleck said.

"Well within the tolerances of this ship," the Duke said. "You didn’t really think I’d risk this cargo, did you, Gumey?"

Halleck grinned, said: "Not a bit of it, Sire."

It sounds... Conspiratorial. Like the Duke understands what has happened here. I don't know.

And it worked! By the end of the chapter, the results are there.

"You be the Duke Leto, I warrant," he said. "It’s to you we give thanks for our lives. We were ready to end it there until you came along."

Kynes' change of behavior after that is even speaking. He starts the chapter being non convinced by the Duke and by the end of it... "A leader such as that would command fanatic loyalty. He would be difficult to defeat."

His behavior seems to keep evolving in this same direction in the next chapter, where he acts very #teamAtreides even if I wondered if he doesn't act to much like a fan to the point to be a bit suspicious. And to (temporarily?) conclude on that was it set up or not question, the resolution on the incident in the next chapter also made me think it was a set up by the Duke side for the Duke side. The resolution happens "off-screen" and is easy. It was an thief and and a Harkonnen but everything has been solved out. Please don't think about it again since we don't want you to think about it again thank you. Which is can also be a sign of PR. Distract your audience with something else so they forgot to think about what you don't want them to think about.

The last interesting thing of the chapter is, if we admit that the thing has been set up to make the Duke look like they wanted him to look, Paul still managed to stand out in the scene. While Leto and Halleck focus on their thing and the immediate problem on their hands, Paul's questions are also about deeper, longer issues makes him catch Kynes' attention. Again, for me it's a clue to their difference of leadership. Maybe (for now) Leto being more of a louder/more "show-off" leader while Paul is very quiet and all about thinking.

And I'm going to stop here. I've already read the next two chapters and I'm probably about to read even more but this post is already way too long as it is so I'll do the rest later 🌔💛