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judediangelo75 · 3 years

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Starting Now - Chapter 1

Hi 😁💛

So my creative mind has been going haywire lately ever since I got some level back (hopefully a bit more long-lasting). I recently heard a new song by Brandy that features Disney princesses called “Starting Now”.

Here’s a the link, give it a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ms-Y99bAi0

And the story started forming in my mind. A mix of modern day Hogwarts mixed with a regular high school setting, a bit of Cinderella, mixed with Kendrick Lives AU. This is purely fictional, I can only try to make this make sense so bare with me.

And of course it’s gonna be a Talbott Winger x MC story.

No clue how long it’s gonna be. There will be some MC friends thrown in here mainly from @that-scouse-wizard , @kc-needs-coffee, @lifeofkaze, and @catohphm . This could change and I’ll add more but that what I can say.

Alright enough rambling, on with the story!

Warning: Mentions of child abuse and self harm

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“Papa, what are we doing here,” a 7-year-old girl asked, pale gold eyes looking up at her father’s sharp features. Her and her towering father were approaching a house. They’ve just moved from Barbados to London and the girl already didn’t like it there.

The winters were cold and so were the people there. She already been picked on for her hair and her heavy accent. Because of her thin and small frame, she was an easy target for the boys in her neighborhood.

Even her mother looked down at her with disapproval.

The only person who she could trust was her father and big brother, Jamal.

The same colored eyes looked down at the little girl. The man, who goes by Kendrick, squeezed his little girl’s small hand.

“We’re gonna meet some people I knew from when I was young boy, Judith. You’ll love them, baby girl. I promise,” he said, whispering the last part with another hand squeeze.

Judith gave a small nod as they stood in front of the door. Kendrick gave a solid knock onto the wood and waited. The tell tale sound of the door unlocking filled the silence before the door opened, revealing a woman around Kendrick’s age poked her head out.

Amber eyes brighten at the sight of the older man.

“Kendrick! Oh my stars, it’s been so long, old friend,” the woman exclaimed, fully opening the door and hugging the tall man. A chuckle rumbled from the man’s broad chest, hugging the short woman. Judith silently observed the scene, curious and bit wary.

The woman was beautiful. She has Ombre colored hair, starting off with a dark brown and ending in a chestnut brown color. Her amber colored eyes were bright and expressive. Her skin was a flawless caramel brown. Her features were delicate and sharp. A simple white sun dress hugged her body.

The thing that caught Judith’s interest the most was the pretty white feather that was attached to a braid in her hair.

“Is this who I think this is?” A melodious voice teased. Judith snapped out of her musing to find the woman looking at her with a smile. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she rushed to hug her dad’s pant leg. The woman giggled at her shy behavior.

“Yes, Ava. This is Judith. Baby girl, I would you to meet Ava Winger. She and her husband are my best friends. Say hi,” Kendrick gently encouraged with a smile. Judith bit her lip, looking a up at her dad and then at Ava.

‘She seems nice... much nicer than mother...’

“H-Hi, Mrs. W-Winger. It’s a-a pleasure to m-met y-you,” Judith spoke softly. Her blush grew worse at the sound of her stuttering.

Her mother chided her about that habit of stuttering in front of adults, she just embarrassed herself. She just knows it-

“The pleasure is all mine, Judith. Please, call me Ava.” Gold eyes blinked at out mute surprise before the girl bit her lip. Judith glanced at her dad, looking up to him for direction.

She never had an adult insist on calling them by their first name. Her mother said it was rude to ever consider doing so. But she didn’t want to ignore Ava’s request.

Kendrick withheld a sigh, already knowing that his wife’s “teachings” was brewing in Judith’s head. He raised their daughter in his homeland with her mother, Mercy, for majority of her life.

She was much more carefree.

Yes, she was still shy but nothing like this. It was like she was scared of being the radiant ray of sunshine he knows she is.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” he whispered softly. With that confirmation, Judith turned to Ava with a small smile.

“Okay, Ava...” Ava beamed at the two and ushered them inside.

“Is Trent around,” Kendrick asked as the entered deeper into the house.

“No, sadly. Some writer botched an article and they called him in to fix it. But Talbott is around,” Ava answered. Judith cocked her head to the side, curious to know who Talbott was.

This didn’t escape Ava’s attention.

“Would you like to meet Talbott, Judith,” Ava asked. Judith blushed out of embarrassment, musing silently over the question.

“S-Sure...” Kendrick and Ava shared a small smirk before Ava called for her son.

“Talbott! Come here, please. There are some people I would like for you to meet!” Out of what seemed to be the kitchen was a boy around Judith’s age. He had the same hair and skin tone as Ava but that’s where the resemblance stopped. The thing at stood out to the Judith was his piercing red eyes.

The girl stiffened, shuffling closer to Kendrick.

Ava placed the young boy in front of her, squeezing on his shoulders gently.

“Talbott, I would like you to meet my oldest friend, Kendrick Harris and his daughter, Judith.” Red eyes silently studied the towering man. If it wasn’t for the kind smirk on the man’s face and the glimmer of amusement in his sharp pale gold eyes, Talbott would’ve felt a little scared of the man.

“Hello, Mr. Harris. It’s very nice to meet you,” Talbott greeted. Judith blushed and silently bristled at the cool confidence Talbott had in greeting her father.

‘Why can’t I have that?’ she thought as her father chuckled.

“Please, call me Kendrick. I’m not that old, son. And it’s great to see you again, Talbott. I remember when you were just a toddler,” the man teased good naturedly. Talbott blushed a bit before clearing his throat.

“Alright Kendrick,” Talbott replied. A soft giggle caught the 8-year-old boy’s attention. He noticed a girl standing behind the man.

Judith was her name, if he heard his mother correctly.

Judith stopped laughing once she noticed Talbott’s attention was focused on her. While everything in her was telling her to duck behind her dad, something felt familiar about the red eyed boy.

Unknown to her, Talbott was having similar thoughts about her too.

The two were jostled out of their trains of thought when their respective parent pushed the two in front of each other. Red and gold eyes studied the other.

The girl looked like her father but with feminine features. Her brown black locs were down, the sides were pulled back to reveal her face. A simple black sleeveless dress clothed the shorter girl, hugging her torso but flowing out around her hips. The skirt brushed just above her knees. Black gladiator sandals were on her feet. A necklace that consisted of a thick black chain and black and silver ring hung around her neck.

The boy was dressed in simple white tank top and khaki shorts. Brown sandals can be found on his feet. His hair was tied back in a short ponytail with a few strands falling in his face.

The two had yet to say a word to the other. The two adults looked on waiting for something to happen.

“You’re really pretty...” Pale gold eyes widen at the admission.

“R-Really,” Judith asked softly. Despite the softness of her voice, Talbott was still able to pick up the Caribbean accent in the girl’s voice. It was foreign but it suited the girl well...

“Y-Yeah,” Talbott said, slightly breathless. Something about the girl was very... adorable? He couldn’t figure out why.

Judith blushed, hiding her cheeks in her hands.

Only her grandmother, father, and older brother have told her that...

“T-Thank you...” Talbott nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

‘Think of something to say to her! Wait, I know!’

“Would you like to come outside and play with me,” the boy asked. Talbott felt an odd sense of pride when he saw those pale gold eyes light up like two suns. Judith looked to her smiling father, silently asking for his permission.

“Go on, baby girl. Have fun,” Kendrick said with a nod. Talbott took the girl’s hand and lead her outside.

“Well that answers th- Ava, what are you doing,” Kendrick asked as he turned to his friend.

“Planning their wedding, what does it look like,” the woman said, not even looking up from her notepad. Kendrick stared at her with an unimpressed glare.

“Talbott is only 8 and Judith just a few months younger than him,” he said.

“Your point, Kendrick?”

“My point is, Judith is still my baby girl damn it! No wedding planning!”

---------------

“You have a nice home, Talbott,” Judith said as the pair walked out into the back yard. If it wasn’t for Talbott’s Animagus abilities, he probably would’ve missed what she said.

“Thank you... are you always this soft spoken,” Talbott asked as he turned to face her. A blush colored the girl’s cheeks as she ducked her head.

“U-Um... I-I guess? I haven’t been super sure of myself ever since I moved here. Other kids don’t like me...” Talbott used his thumb and index finger to lift the girl’s chin so her gaze to meet his own.

“Well, I like you. You can be yourself around me. Okay,” he said gently. Judith swallowed a lump in her throat before whispering a soft ‘yes’.

“S-so, what do you wanna do,” she said, her voice coming out a bit louder. Talbott dropped his hand, looking thoughtful for a few moments.

“How about a game of tag,” he asked. Judith smiled, nodding.

“But, I wanna make it more... interesting. Can you keep a secret, Judith,” the boy questioned. Judith cocked her head at the boy before slowly nodding.

“Yes, I can,” she replied.

“I’m serious. You can’t tell anyone.” Gold eyes widen a fraction before turning serious. Judith held out a hand, pinky extended. Talbott rose a brow.

“What are you doing,” he asked.

“It’s called a pinky promise. It’s like the Muggle version of the Unbreakable Oath. This is my way of showing that I’m serious,” Judith replied. The boy remained silent for a few moments before smiling, hooking his pinky with hers.

“I promise to keep your secret,” she whispered softly. Talbott released their intertwined fingers, feeling his face heat up a bit.

“Thanks... ready for my secret,” he asked. He got a smile and an eager nod as answer. Stepping back, he transformed into his Animagus form. Judith stared up starry eyed as the Golden Eagle flew over her head.

“Wow, Talbott! That’s amazing,” she said. The bird lowered to tap her shoulder before flying off.

“Hey! You never said we started! Get back here!”

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Hours flew by and the two children didn’t realize it. They’ve played, read books, shared stories, ate, napped, and even danced together.

Kendrick and Ava would occasionally check up on the kids before walking away with a smile. Kendrick knew seeing the Wingers was a good decision. His little girl hasn’t smiled this much ever since his mother passed away.

The two were currently sitting in a tree, watching the sunset together.

“This view is beautiful,” Judith said, playing with the braid Talbott did for her.

“It is... too bad it means the day is almost over,” Talbott sighed. He spared a glance at the girl next to him.

‘She’s so pretty...’ Judith glanced at Talbott, blushing under his intense gaze.

“W-What,” she asked. Talbott blinked, as if he was waking up from a daze.

“Ah... sorry, little bird. You just look really pretty,” Talbott confessed. Judith’s blush grew worse.

“T-thank you, Talbott... and little bird,” Judith said softly. Talbott rubbed the back of neck sheepishly.

“Y-Yeah... like a nickname. You have a free spirit like a bird and you are smaller than me. Maybe one day I could help you become an Animagus...”

“R-Really? You promise,” Judith asked, hope shining in her irises. Talbott smiled and held out his pinky finger. The young girl giggled and hooked her pinky with his.

“I promise, little bird...” The two gazed into each other’s eyes, a matching soft smile can be found on both their faces.

Overcome with something she couldn’t explain, Judith leaned in and pressed her lips against Talbott’s cheek. She lingered there for a few seconds before pulling away.

Talbott raised a hand to his now flushed cheek.

“W-what was that f-for?” Judith let out another giggle. This was the first time she heard the boy stutter all day.

“Because I like you, bird boy. Thank you for today, I’ll never forget it.” Talbott grinned at her confession, wrapping his arms around the girl tightly. Judith nuzzled his neck, feeling at peace in his embrace.

Soon Kendrick called out the two, letting his daughter know it was time to head back. The pair were reluctant to leave the warm bubble they created but scaled down the tree.

Before the father and daughter could leave, Talbott handed Judith a white clover.

“Think of me, little bird...”

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And Judith did.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Soon it’s been more than two years since they met.

Her papa had told her it would be difficult to plan another day for the both of them because of her mother’s controlling behavior.

But they did exchange letters. The parents created a plan to make it seem like they were corresponding to each other but in reality, it was their kids. This way Sade didn’t going poking her nose where it didn’t belong. It disheartened the girl that she couldn’t see her friend, but she kept the flower that Talbott given her. It was hidden away in a Muggle fairytale book. With each day and letter, she would hope that maybe there was a chance where she and Talbott see each other again.

Until the fateful day that forced her to hide her ray of sunshine from the world.

It was the year that she turned 9 years old. Not too long after her 9th birthday, her older brother was expelled and sent to another wizarding school in America to live with their mother’s family. It broke the little girl’s heart to have her brother leave.

“It wouldn’t be for forever, Pip. I’ll be back before you know it. I love you, little sister...”

The two wrote frequently, Jamal telling about his classes and what he’s been learning.

It was one of his lessons that lead to Judith’s fatal mistake.

It was a bitterly cold winter day in London and Judith woke up to an empty, freezing house. She knew her Papa was working at St. Mungos but her mother never told her where she went.

She got backhanded across the face the one time she asked...

Staring at the barren fireplace with a frown, Judith came up with an idea. Quickly running to her parents’ room, she found her mother’s wand on the dresser.

Returning to the fireplace, Judith focused on her memory on one of her brother’s letters about a fire spell.

After a few tries, she able to cast the spell correctly. Judith smiled, taking in the warmth that came from the flames.

It was at that moment Sade walked in.

It didn’t take the woman long to piece the puzzle together and for her anger to rained down on the unsuspecting girl.

With quick strides, she slapped the fear stricken little girl.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing little girl,” she growled, snatching her wand from off the ground where Judith dropped it.

“I-I’m s-sorry, Mother! I-I-I was just c-cold,” Judith whimpered, tears prickling her eyes. She could already feel the bruise forming on her cheek.

“Cold, huh? Let’s fix that, shall we,” Sade laughed hollowly. She aimed the tip of her wand right at her daughter’s face.

“Mother, p-please, no-!”

“Incendio!”

The pain scream of the girl echoed throughout the house...

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Pale eyes opened up blearily at sound her owl’s insistent hoots, telling her it was the dreaded morning.

“Okay, okay, you little menace. I’m up,” the girl groaned. She felt a feather face nuzzle her left cheek.

Where her burn scar resided.

The girl sighed and petted her loyal avian friend before rolling out of bed to get ready for the school day.

Judith was now 18, in her final year at Hogwarts. It’s been 9 years since her mother scarred her for life, both physically and mentally.

While she had to live this scar, with slightly blurry vision in her left eye, it was a needed change.

Turns out her mother had an ongoing affair three years after she was born. Which explained where she would go at random times and why she was so defensive about her whereabouts.

Her father was quick to divorce her mother and gain custody of her. Not like Sade put up a fight for her in the first place.

“Why would I? I don’t love her, hell I never wanted her. You can keep her, Kendrick!”

Judith was never meant to hear their part of their argument but she did.

Her burn scar was like a cruel reminder for the female Harris.

That she wasn’t as loved as she thought she was.

After the incident, Judith would lock herself in her room for hours, most times just laying in bed. She would either cry herself to sleep or stare numbly up at the ceiling. She stopped sending letters to Jamal and Talbott. Her mental health got so bad to the point her father had to take sick days to make sure she took care of herself.

She knew she would send her dear father to an early grave after he found out about her cutting situation two years ago. She’s been doing so ever since she got to Hogwarts. Without the comfort her Papa constantly being there and no promise of friends, the slide of a blade against her skin helped ease the tension she constantly felt.

She just wasn’t quick enough to put on a long sleeve shirt when he noticed the horizontal scars on her left arm.

Judith saw the heartbreak and fear in her father’s pale gold eyes. As much she didn’t love herself, she knew her father would always love her.

So she tried. Tried to be better.

Her first order of business was concealing her scars. Permanently.

With her father’s permission, Judith got her left arm tatted. She sketched all of her tattoos and got them done by an old friend from the past. Her best friend from when she lived in Barbados, Malik Coleman. He was older than her by two years and had a passion for body art. Judith was willing to be his first customer. And she loved the work he did for her.

Of course this didn’t increase her social standing at school.

While she was seen as delinquent and a reject, she did receive love and warmth in some people since arriving to Hogwarts.

The first person to ever show her kindness and her birthday twin, Professor Flitwick.

Her first friend she made at school, David Willows.

Her older “siblings”: Bill Weasley, Orion Amari, Erika Rath, and Phoenix Lang.

Few Quidditch mates like Andre Egwu, Katriona Cassiopeia, Lizzie Jameson, and Cato Reese.

Her irritating but loveable dance partner and dueling partner (at least magic based), Diego Caplan.

Sweetheart and fellow Healer assistant, Chiara Lobosca.

Loveable giant and creature buddy, Barnaby Lee.

Bully turned friend and singing buddy, Merula Synde.

Artist buddy, Badeea Ali.

Her sweet half-brother, Nuri Lockheart.

Her adoptive sister from a different family, Amelia Booth.

Judith has felt bouts of happiness when she’s around her friends. Doing things she remembering she loved doing from when she little.

But there was one person who could truly revive that side of her. And he did when she first saw him.

Talbott Winger.

Her first friend since she moved to Europe. And her biggest crush.

But it looks like he forgot all about her.

Even after spending time with him when she and David wanted to become Animagi.

Even finding his beloved white feather necklace, gifted to him by his mother.

He doesn’t seem to recognize her. Judith partially blamed herself since she basically hides out in corners of the school or keep her face as covered as possibly. Even though everyone knew about her scar after a bullying incident from first year, Judith still felt incredibly self-conscious.

But she would’ve thought maybe Talbott would’ve instantly felt their connection like she did. Stuff that she read about in fairytales.

But she was wrong.

And Judith never feel confident enough to openly approach him and tell him who she was, so she’s been pining after the Ravenclaw wizard for years...

She thought it was probably for the best. She was never meant for a happy ending...

“Good morning, baby girl! How’s my little princess doing,” Kendrick greeted as the girl stepped into the kitchen. Judith gave a faint smirk.

“Papa, I’m 18,” Judith reminded as she walked up to her dad. Kendrick rose a brow.

“What’s your point,” he asked, leaning down to kiss her forehead. The girl giggled and shook her head.

She would always be her father’s little princess and nobody can tell him otherwise. Not even her.

“Nevermind, Papa. What’s for breakfast,” she asked, peeking around her giant father.

“Fruit salad, pancakes, bacon, and fresh glass passion juice,” Kendrick answered, handing his daughter a plate and cup. Judith thanked her father and proceed to eat her breakfast.

“So... you spoke to Talbott recently,” Kendrick asked as he washed the dishes. Judith choked on her juice.

“Papa!” Kendrick rolled his eyes at her scandalized tone.

“Oh c’mon now, baby girl. I saw you kiss the boy with you were 7. He’s the only one I really approved of anyways,” he said, mumbling the last part to himself. But thanks to Judith’s Animagus abilities, she heard him.

“You are nowhere near subtle about it. You terrified Andre half to death after I told you he had a small crush on me,” Judith said with an eye roll of her own.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady. And I was only kidding...”

“You threaten to break his bones in way where it would never heal properly so he wouldn’t be able to play Quidditch if he broke my heart.”

“What’s your point?” Judith tried to fight a fond smile that threatened to break out on her face. A lot of girls would find this type of behavior to be overbearing but she knew that her father just deeply cared for her.

He wanted her happy.

Happy with someone who would he knew he could trust to cherish her.

“You’re impossible, Papa,” the girl laughed, picking up her empty plate and glass to give to her dad to wash. She got on her toes to give the man a brief kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you for breakfast, Papa. I’m off to school and will be at Quidditch practice afterwards, so I’ll be out for awhile. Bye Papa, I love you,” Judith said, giving the Ravenclaw alumni a quick hug before running out the kitchen.

“Have a good day, baby girl! And I love you too,” Kendrick called after her.

Judith ran into her room to grab her broomstick and went outside. Settling on her broom, Judith took off into sky, which was slowly brightening as the sun began to peak over the horizon. She quickly switched to broom surfing, laughing as she flew.

Judith was an early riser, always up before the sun. She liked the tranquility of the morning, especially at the castle.

She liked to hang around a professor or hang out with her creatures before class started. Or possibly enjoy doing her hobbies before anyone could really bother her.

She looked to smash some practice dummies with Bludgers so she could get out any pent up aggression from her system.

Little did she know that it lead to her first run-in with her Prince Charming...

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“Andre, when I asked for you teach me about Quidditch so Madam Hooch doesn’t catch me off guard with her questions, I expected you just to tell me different facts. Not drag me all the way out here to the Quidditch Pitch,” Talbott deadpanned as his best mate pulled him along.

“Visuals can be just as good as me just telling you, Tal. If you visited a Quidditch match a day in your life, this wouldn’t be an issue for you,” the style wizard retorted. The pair were just about to going into the changing rooms when they heard the sound of metal smashing against metal.

Intrigued, the two Ravenclaw wizards went to investigate.

They spotted the figure of a short girl effortlessly swinging her bat to beat the giant flying metal spheres heading towards her into the dummies in front of her.

Andre smiled.

“Ah, perfect! Prime example. One of the Quidditch positions there are is a Beater. There are two Beaters per team and they’re the only ones who hold a bat. Beaters are both offensive and defense players, beating Bludgers, formerly known as Blooders...” Talbott slowly toned Andre out as he stared the girl, who apparently plays Beater.

Her long hair was pulled back into a high ponytail to keep her hair out her face. Her short, curvy stature was covered with a form fitting black and yellow jersey with some short gym shorts to match. When she swung a certain way, Talbott can spy some ink on her left arm.

“Who is she,” Talbott asked, interrupting Andre’s lesson. The Ravenclaw Seeker looked a bit peeved when he realized that Talbott wasn’t even paying him any real attention but turned to study the girl to figure out her identity.

“Oh, that’s Tigress. One of Hufflepuff’s Beaters,” Andre said with a fond smile. Talbott glanced at him, slightly annoyed.

“Tigress? I meant her real name, Egwu,” he said.

“Why are you so pressed on knowing her real name, mate? What? You like what you see,” Andre asked, wagging his eyebrows at the now flustered wizard.

“W-Wha- Andre! Be serious, will you,” Talbott hissed, not willing to admit that he did like what he sees. A lot.

Andre chuckled.

“Hey, if you do, I don’t blame you. I even crushed on her for a short while. Judith is very beautiful, despite what people say about her,” Andre said.

“Why did you stop liking her,” Talbott asked, curious to hear this. Andre shuddered.

“Her father is definitely not one to be trifled with. As much as I admired her and respected her dad, he terrifies me a little,” Andre supplied. Talbott made a curious noise.

“But aren’t all fathers like that? Especially when it comes to their daughters,” Talbott asked. Andre gave him a funny look.

“Talbott, mate. Do you not who Judith is,” Andre asked instead.

“I felt like I heard her name somewhere before, but it’s not ringing any bells,” Talbott shrugged. Andre shook his head.

“The Cursed Child? Scarface? The Hufflepuff Reject? Any of those ringing any bells at all,” Andre pressed. Red eyes widen slightly.

“Yeah... now it does,” Talbott mumbled, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

Supposedly a group of older Slytherins and Gryffindors were bullying her back in their first year. A Slytherin boy pulled her hair loose which was hiding a burn scar the covered the left side of her face. The skinny Hufflepuff witch proved to be quite viscous as she attacked her bullies after humiliatingly her.

She was the same girl who sought him out to help her and her friend, David, to become Animagi. The same one found and returned his mum’s feather necklace with a simply note as the only evidence that it was her who done the act.

“And her father,” Talbott asked.

“He visits on occasion, mainly during Quidditch season. It would be impossible to miss him. They’re basically twins. And he’s fiercely protective of her. While no one really knows the true origin of her scar, it affected him just as much it did her. He’s not afraid to come to his daughter’s defense if anyone were to make her uncomfortable about it. Even though he is a Healer, he can quite dangerous himself. From what I understand, whatever Judith knows about fighting, whether magic or Muggle-based, came from him,” Andre supplied.

“She’s... an enigma for lack of a better word,” Talbott finally said.

“A beautiful one, at that,” Andre added. He got a raised brow for his comment.

“It’s rare to see her face. I’m surprised she doesn’t have her hoodie right now. But when I tell you she has the most unique pair of eyes I’ve ever seen, believe me. Such a bright color but muddled with sadness,” Andre sighed, wistfully.

The red eye boy cocked his head before walking forward.

“Talbott, where are you-”

“What does it look like? I’m going to talk to her,” Talbott called over his shoulder.

“Talbott, wait, you-”

Judith knew it was about time for her to change and head to first class. Freezing her Bludgers, her ears picked up the sound of someone approaching from behind. Her heart seized in her chest at the thought someone seeing her scar.

“Hey, Judith right,” Talbott called out to her as he got closer.

‘Oh crap, why does it have to be him?! I gotta leave before he sees my face!’ With that in mind, Judith grabbed her bag and took off for the nearest exit. She can hear Talbott calling out to her but she didn’t dare stop until she was out of the Quidditch Pitch.

“Damn,” Talbott cursed under his breath. He was only a few feet away from her when she took off as if a bunch of devils were behind her.

“I tried to warn you, you blokehead. Judith is incredibly skittish when it comes to people she doesn’t interact with regularly. I can only imagine how she could be when her entire face is exposed,” Andre chided. Talbott rolled his eyes and sighed.

“It’s not like I haven’t spoken to her before. She returned something of mine a few years ago and I never got the chance to properly thank her,” Talbott grumbled, kicking the grass. Andre’s gaze soften at his admission.

“If you didn’t get the chance, then she probably wasn’t looking for you to thank her. She may be an outcast in this school but she’s definitely the school’s hidden sweetheart,” Andre said, squeezing his fellow house mate’s shoulder. A frown worked it’s way on Talbott’s face.

‘Just who are you? And why do you feel so familiar to me...’

“Time to go, class starts in a few minutes,” Andre coaxed. The wizard gave his friend a nod, turning to follow him until something on the ground caught his eye.

“What is it, mate,” Andre asked as he watch Talbott bend down to pick something up.

It was twin set of thick gold cuff bracelets. The outside had twin arrows engraved on it and each had a unique message on the inside.

To my baby girl: If I could give you one thing in life, it would be to give you the ability to yourself in my eyes. Then would you realize how special you are to me.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed... Remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown.

“Talbott?” Red eyes meant brown ones with a small smile.

“I think I found a way to talk to her...”

12 notes · View notes

ennui-gt · 3 years

Text

Here it is. A Piece Of Borrower Content Written Entirely In Stream Of Consciousness:

AN: so this is incomplete and very…needs revisions to the timeline to incorporate some things I added later! It’s the original universe that Mira’s from! I edited it like Slightly to just change Ross’s name to Ross (if u see Max anywhere that’s his old one I just felt like changing it so that’s just him but different. Anyway) Everything's under the readmore tab, cheers!

The Library Fairy:

Basic Plot (Chrono, comic starts from human perspective abt the ‘legend of the library fairy’ ig maybe. Nothing here is permanent cept the characterization)

Part A

1- Mira is borrower currently chillin in a college library

2- She lives off of the cafe on the second floor nd reads lots and lots of stuff about everything when the upper floors close (lower floor open 24/7 but upper floors r vacant p much after 12:00 AM)

3- she starts getting increasingly curious about human stuff cos she’s literate nd books r pry neat

4- it starts one night when she spots an unattended notebook and a half eaten blueberry muffin, nd it’s 12:30 so nobody’s coming back in atm (it’s the 80s so no laptops for the plebians quite yet)

5- so she goes ‘welp’ nd takes part of the muffin, then sees the work on the page and goes ‘hmmmm this is incorrect’ so she helps our and leaves notes here n there to point the kid in the right direction and puts down some book refs for further study bcos at this point she’s been there for 2 years and she knows where most things are

6- she stays behind to see if the human comes back for it, hidden in a hidey hole near the desk

7- human comes in, sees notebook, practically melts w relief nd stuffs it in his bag

8- next day human comes back nd leaves nother notebook and a cookie, along w a hidden camera

9- Mira goes ‘o boy, this a trap, innit’

10- Mira then decides ‘eh whatever I haven’t had contact w anyone in years now so I might as well’

11- she steals the camera film nd leaves a lil scrap of paper saying ‘nice try ;)’ on it

12- student comes back, sees paper, goes ‘dammit’, then leaves note addressed to the ‘library fairy’ and another cookie, as well as more of their work for her to help with

13- bout a decade goes by and now the “Library Fairy” is an urban myth, it’s currently 2003 so she’s also wound up on the school’s unofficial Wikipedia page under ‘local cryptids’

14- most library employees know of her but they don’t go looking out of fear stemming from superstitions bout her, somehow the legend grew from ‘can’t be photographed’ to ‘a student once saw her and died that day’

15- there’s now a small shrine devoted to her where ppl bring offerings hoping to get good grades in return, sometimes they will leave papers for her to proofread nd stuff

16- new prof (named Alexei) finds online article thinks he Knows What’s Up bcos he had a borrower friend as a kid, but they left when borrower’s fam found out about them knowing each other

17- he leaves note wedged in one of her secret entrances behind outlet, asking if she can meet w him at some point

18- Mira, already In it, goes ‘Okay. Alright. This has gone on for long enough. Time to go and never return’ but ofc she’s curious as all hell and like she decides she will at least honor the guy’s request for a convo b4 she goes, but on her terms and w/o speaking face 2 face

19- they Talk in the library after hours, bcos he paid off the janitor to let him stay after hours nd most of the student employees recognize him as a prof nd leave him alone

20- they talk again for every subsequent night

21- she uhhhh finally decides to reveal herself nd prays that her hunch was right nd he won’t try to grab her or anything

22- he doesn’t but she’s nervous so she winds up gettin caught in her own climbing rope like idiot, is now dangling from ceiling in tangled mess

23- he stifles chuckle nd she says smthn sarcastic

24- he moves closer and offers to untangle her

25- she’s like ‘please’

26- so he do, but her grip on the rope slips nd he has to catch her

26- so now she’s in his hand and he just sets her down and now he’s a bumbling embarrassed mess bcos he said he wasn’t going to hold her and he just did and o dear pls forgib him

28- nd she’s like ‘dude u just saved my life it’s fine ur fine chill’

29- internally she’s going HOLY FUCK AAAAAAA but externally, her human’s already worked up enough as it is so she’s gotta b the level headed one

29.5- after a while they both kinda get used to each other more, he gets tenure, they celebrate, some more stuff happens, Aleksei got married (not to Mira, Mira hasn’t actually rly thought about being in a relationship w anyone cos she’s laser focused on gaining as much knowledge as possible)

30- eventually Alexei’s like ‘hey so I’m dean of faculty for the biotech branch now uhhhh would u like actual job teaching students? Cos, uh, you can do it remotely thru online lectures n stuff, no in person interaction, and I uh was just kinda wondering—‘

31- she’s like ‘yes. Yes!!! LET ME HELP PEOPLE OFFICIALLY KINDA’

32- so now she’s a professor, and has revealed her Secret a few times here n there to a number of the faculty, nd she has recorded her own findings in a personal journal

33- ‘humans will treat u like a human if they think ur human first. The kids call it ‘catfishing’’

34- enter Ross, an mall goth who accidentally tripped headfirst into a premed program

35- Mira’s favorite field of study is bio so naturally she’s his prof for a majority of his classes

36- being the good boy that he is, he now knows Mira’s secret. There is an Entire Chapter on him finding out and legit just continuing their conversation as if everything was normal bcos he thought that was how he was supposed to handle the situation

37- then she says ‘u can ask questions, u know’ he’s like OH THANK FUCK CAUSE I HAVE SEVEN HUNDRED OF THOSE

38- and now he kinda knows what to look for in terms of ‘do borrowers live here check yes or no’

39-in his apartment, the answer is yes and he mistakenly kinda stumbles upon the mom one night when he wakes up in the middle of the night for Snack and opts to pretend like its not happening. Unfortunately the thing she was trying 2 borrow (piece of crumb cake for Son Boy’s birthday) is the thing he wants 2 eat so he’s like “uh. ‘Scuse me, ma’am.” and he peels back the saran wrap on the other side of the plate, takes piece, nd then leaves some there for her

40-so now the woman is like ‘welp guess it time 2 Leave’

.1- she and husband Talk

.2-they decide it best 2 go

.3-theyre Packing

.4-lil bab Ellie confused

.5-hawk attacke

.6-cut to Ross

41- Ross also happens to work at a bar and he goes outside for a break

43- he finds smal child—smol smal—on the sidewalk and said child is missing an arm, nd has lost a lot of blood, so he’s uhhhhh Losing It highkey

43.5-parents r nowhere 2 b seen, but the hawk is nearby and circling. Ross gets an idea of what just happened

44- he up and leaves work, thankfully his apartment is above the shop so he jumps up the fire escape w the child and

45- he make tourniquet

46- he calls Mira nd asks her 2 come over to ASAP. he’s A Mess at this point

47- it is Very touch and go, kid needs blood, Mira is the only viable donor so she’s just gotta pray that the blood type is fine and won’t kill him

48- and then eventually they manage 2 stave infection thru antibiotics properly dosed to his size, Mira does Math and Prays basically

49- ‘bout a month in, kid wakes up

50- kid doesn’t rember much since he’s only 3

51- hes v scared of Ross at first but over time he gets used 2 the human

52- kid (elliot) starts 2 call Ross ‘dad’ after a while

53- Ross: *internal screaming but in a good way*

54- the end kinda for now

Part 2

A- New Borrowers In The Building

—three of em. paranoid dad, mom, nd daughter that’s Elliot’s age so he’s pumped

B- Elliot offers them a place 2 stay briefly

C- he knows by now bout like, how borrowers don’t typically interact w humans and Auntie Mira’s a bit of a weird case so he just doesn’t tell em bout his dad being the human

D- the kid finds out first nd doesn’t tell the parents, but they figure it out later kinda and think that it’s a ‘o god he’s being kept as a pet’ sitch so they’re >:| abt it

E- they move out and try to take Elliot w them (by force bcos they think he’s brainwashed) but he escapes and makes it to Ross, who’s like “uhhhhhh”

F- and the mom come out the hole near the counter n starts yelling at Ross, who is…kinda used to it since Mira brings in ppl who need help from time 2 time and they typically don’t react well when they’re lucid enough to understand what’s going on. He’s just not used to being questioned about his own kid

G- so they’re like “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING WITH HIM”

H- and he’s like “r…raising him???”

I- and Ellie steps up and he’s like “this is my dad. I decided he was my dad when I was three. He’s being a good parent”

J- and Ross is like “yeah what he said. I’m a good parent.”

K- Ross is riding that high til the end of fucking time but like back to the story at hand

L- this is when the husband comes out nd is like “lissen. wifey. ily but that is a very big human and he hasn’t grabbed us yet so let’s count our blessings and gtfo”

M- but she’s like “uh no we stay until I’m sure Elliot is Safe and fucking Sound”

N- so they stay for dinner nd stick around a little longer.

O- Val (the kid) gets closer 2 Elliot and also Ross a bit

P- Mira shows once or twice, first time she shows up they’re like “oh god it’s the crazy doctor lady this all makes sense now” (bcos Mira does check up on as many borrower families as possible in her free time so word has got around by now Of her, and the number by which to contact her in case her services r needed)

Q- After a month or so, then they decide to leave bcos they’re like “look we get that ur son is ur son and he only has one arm and in our profession that is kind of a death sentence but we can’t have our kid getting used to dealing w humans who know about our existence” so they go and leave on a kind of sour note bcos Ellie can do anything he wants to do just as well as any other borrower Thank You Very Much and Ross is ready to fite anyone who thinks otherwise

R- Elliot starts trying 2 b more independent, basically from now on he’s like ‘I can do everything my Damn Self Thanks’

S- but uh he does it to a point where he’s going out of the way to endanger himself

T- so they get into a fite about it and ross Yells and Elliot is like ‘kthxbye’

U- and the boi just. Fuckin bolts. Runs Away. Ross is a Mess, he starts smoking again (he quit cold turkey the day he took Elliot in) to curb the depression, he’s jus. Not doin good, worried that his son is dead and the last time they talked it’d ended badly

V- FREEDOM!!!1! Except Ellie doesn’t kno how to take care of himself so it’s a rough month or so and then he runs into some other borrowers livin in their own town in the wild ig, chillin, being hella independent, and he’s like “uh yes ofc I will join u, I was w my dad for a while but.........” he neither confirms nor denies that his dad’s dead but everyone kinda just assumes.

Part 3

W-anyway a year goes by and then the borrower group gets hit hard w some kind of sickness ig. Elliot gets it too he’s basically incapacitated n drifting in and out of lucidity. So. They contact the weird crazy doctor lady who hangs around humans, a.k.a. Mira, and she’s like “oh. fuck. I know this kid.” bcos she does, u kno, and she jus treats em all for their ailment and shows them how to make antibiotic poultice thing in case smthn like it happens again. Mold. Penicillin is basically what it is

X-she and Elliot hav a Chat (Mira basically yells at him a lot) once he’s fixed up and he decides he’s gonna visit his dad but he makes it very clear that he is a Grown Up (he’s not, he’s literally sixteen), and he is living on his own now

Y- he agrees to stay for a week tho since he misses his home a lot tbh and Ross is just. Over the fucking moon to know he’s ALIVE, he’s not gonna fuck up their relationship by insisting that he stay. Or like, by keeping him ofc he would never

Z- unfortunately the borrower community put two and two together and figured out his dad’s human so they have his stuff packed up when he gets back w mira, who’s ready to go the fuck off on them

End 1:

-Ellie is living at Ross’s place atm and hopeful about the future basically. He eventually will go off on his own but he’ll keep in contact w his dad and stuff

Part C.5

55- few yrs later

56- elliot is Adult now he does adult borrower stuff

57- he moves out

58- finds nice borrower gf (her name’s Tess)

59- doesn’t tell her about his dad being human but talks about his dad a LOT

60- so when she asks to meet said father he’s just like “uh. Maybe we don’t do that actually”

61- and she’s like “y tho”

62- and he’s like “bcos”

63- anyway she decides to look into it cos she knows he goes to see his dad nd keep in touch but his dad is allegedly “a recluse who lives in the big scary human’s walls to avoid other ppl”

64- which is. Not true in the slightest tbqh he’s def not an introvert he’s just a workaholic and he Is the big scary human

65- anywho they run into Val and her wife and she’s like “how’s Ross been?” And Elliot is acting Very Suspish so she, being Smart, calls it immediately and is like “oh shit u haven’t told her yet have u”

66- Tess: “told me what”

67- Val: “El’s dad is a human, bro.”

68- Tess: “I’m sorry?”

69- this results in a Big Fight and they separate for like, a month. Elliot blames Val bcos he’s being irrational and doesn’t wanna admit to the fact that lying to his girlfriend for over a year was Real Bad Actually, but over time he’s like ‘yeah it’s my fault sry for snapping at u’ cos he works thru his emotions n stuff

70- Eventually gf comes back cos she’s like “ok so. I understand why you lied to me about your dad. It was a dick move but I do get it and I still care about you a lot. I would like. To meet him.”

80- this is a lie she does not want to meet him she is doing this bcos she does not want to lose Elliot and that outweighs the fear of his dad

81- so they go to meet him but she’s just kinda. Behind the wall at first like “that’s a crazy big human this is crazy ur crazy it’s time to gO”

82- Val is also there bcos she hasn’t seen Ross in a while

83- they eventually coax her out of hiding

84- and by that I mean Val picks her up and drags her out into the open by force bcos she basically freezes up the second she catches sight of Ross and Val’s like “u didn’t come all this way for nothing, bich”

85- they have a Painfully Awkward First Meeting, Tess is trying her best but oh god he’s just too fucking. Larg. Ellie ur dad too big

86- tbh tho the ice kinda breaks after Ellie and Ross get into a fight over smthn stupid (im thinking Elliot grumbles bout Ross’s hair being unruly and he’s worried that mira’s using it like a personal storage system again and Ross is like “I’ve been keeping better track of that actually” and then like a little line of paper clips and a few hand-bound notebooks tied together w some string fall out of his fucking mane and he’s like “I can explain”

87- “dad you can’t keep letting her use your hair like a fucking NEST”

88- Tess is laughing now cos god damn this was not what she was expecting

89- that’s it the end it ends w Tess laughing at them being idiots good times r had by all

Uhhhh that’s it so far. I have More but it’s kinda jumbled rn and I need to fit stuff in places. Anyway.

#was gonna make this into a comic lawl #if I like actually manage to get off my ass over the coming weeks I probably will be able to do that! but yeah #also this was once posted b4 and I deleted it but it’s back now say hellow #Library Fairy #oc: Mira #oc: Ross #oc: Elliot #oc: Tess #oc: Val #oc: Alexei #anyway yeah here it is behold #the uhhhhh most slice of life thing I have ever created

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everythingoesnk · 4 years

Text

Better Late Than Never

summary; john plays cupid (sorta?)

word count; 1 711

request by anon; “heehee i never knew u took requests!! ur writing is so lovely u rlly are talented❤️❤️ i was wondering if u could do smthg ab being georgies neighbour and like him n the quarrymen r rehearsing and they invite u to watch and they flirt w u and he gets jealous”

disclaimers; this sat in my drafts for ages but i finally finished it. glad that i can post it for once and for all. don’t be too hard on me cause i haven’t written shit in so long and i’m super sceptical about my work ty

warnings;

********

A few weeks earlier, Paul and John made the decision that Eric Griffiths had to go. They wanted George to be part of the group, and with Eric on board there were just too many guitars. The Quarrymen, along with Lowe on the piano and Hanton on the drums, had a demo recording scheduled in Kensington in a couple of days, so whenever they had the time, they would invest it in practising and sprucing up their performance.

You were coming back home after babysitting a three-year-old boy when you saw Paul and John’s distinctive jaunty silhouettes down the street.

They were carrying their instruments.

”Reunion of bitches?” you teased, bumping your shoulders with theirs to open a spot for you in between.

They were so used to you being a nosy little bird that they didn’t even flinch when you appeared.

“If what you mean by that is if we’re heading to a rehearsal, yes we are” Paul confirmed looking down at you with a warm smile. He slid his arm around your neck and patted your cheek persistently just to annoy you. “It’s the three of us this time, the others are busy”

You tried to smack his hand away while he spoke, but he had it strongly clamped over your mouth now, playfully sticking to his cat-and-mouse game. John was used to Paul behaving like this around you, you being like a little sister to him even though you shared the same age, so he didn’t move an inch when you began asking for help through the muffled laughter.

What came out of his mouth instead earned puzzled looks from you and Paul, who slowly let his arm drop.

“You can’t come” he had stated, because he knew you and it was only a matter of seconds before you started badgering them to let you stay and watch them play.

“Why not?” you snapped back, forehead puckered up.

John threw his head back to stare at Paul and raised an inquisitive knowing eyebrow at him.

After witnessing the looks they were giving each other, you huffed loudly, tired of the melodramatic secrecy. “Not again with the silent conversations”

“You can’t expect to know everything, (Y/N)” John stated.

“But what is there to know?�� you questioned, beyond confused.

You were missing something and it was stressing you out that they knew what it was but wouldn’t tell you because they didn’t feel like it.

Paul felt empathy for you after seeing you so lost.

“We don’t progress much when you’re around because you distract Geo too much” he explained.

“Bravo, Macca” John sighed as the three of you continued to walk towards George’s house.

With their ‘silent conversation’ they agreed not to rat out George, but Paul’s mouth was faster than his brain could ever be.

John should have taken into account his mate’s overspoken nature.

“I do?” you said, lines forming between your brows, not understanding. “How so?”

John snorted. “Sit and observe”

You turned to Paul. He was staring at John the same way one does when you recognize your friend is about to put on a show and you aren’t very sure if it’s the right time or place, but you know that anything you say will fly into their ear and out of the other.

He fixed his eyes tenderly on you after and shrugged his shoulders with a peculiar cheekiness.

George looked every bit the unconcerned man as he sat back and watched John plop down on the couch next to you, splaying his arms along the top of the seat as he asked you how much you get paid for the babysitting.

They were in a break after been playing for two hours.

“Not much” you noted.

“Quit” he interrupted, smirking friskily and brushing a strand of hair behind your ear cautiously. “I’ll double your wage if you join the band. We are missing the attractive factor”

You wheezed. “I’m positive with your talent it’ll be sufficient” you said, laughing still.

You looked over at George. He wasn’t looking in your direction but John’s, mouth compressed and something you couldn’t fathom flitting across his eyes.

“Besides,” you added, “I don’t know how to play any instrument to save my life”

“The piano a little bit” George chimed in, after deliberating whether to speak or not.

You blushed settling your gaze on him one more time, marvelled that he remembered. “It’s been years since I last practised”

“If the piano is too much I’ll give you my harmonica. I’m fucking tired of blowing into that shit” John offered, resting his left hand on your thigh and giving it a firm squeeze.

Everyone laughed except George. He didn’t even smile.

He dipped his eyes and ran a finger over his brow back and forth for a couple of seconds before grabbing his guitar again.

Something was off with him, and it upset you that he was feeling under the weather when Paul, John and you were vibing and having such a wonderful time.

John kissed your cheek and cuddled you after wrapping his leather jacket around you even though you didn’t ask for it. George saw and shook his head gently, forcing himself to continue working on his part so he would nail it in the upcoming session. His mind was elsewhere and the chords didn’t sound as good as he wanted them to be. He brought his brows together and you stifled an affable grin, observing silently while he mumbled under his breath, probably putting himself down for not getting them right.

John smiled seeing you stare at George, but Paul knew what that smile meant, what was really behind it, and he started gesturing at him as subtle as he could not to push his luck with George. He’d keep his conscience clean regardless of what happened from now on.

John’s smile enlarged when he saw his best mate from the corner of his eye trying to catch his attention, but he had it all mapped out in his head.

He leaned forward, elbows on the knees and fingers interlocked.

“(Y/N), is it true that you’ve been seeing Sam?”

You looked over at John, perplexed.

George also raised his gaze, disconcertion lurking in it.

Paul slapped a hand to his forehead.

Clueless as to why he would ask that, you turned pink. “Where have you heard that?”

George interpreted your blush as you being embarrassed because you got caught, and your question as wanting to know who spillt the news. The suave yet pained expression tinted on his face was replaced by a rather sad and fragile one.

Instinctively, you pinned your eyes to George’s when John didn’t answer you. You weren’t dating anyone named Sam and you didn’t want him to believe that you did.

He remained there staring what felt like a lifetime into your eyes, only for his to fall to the floor seconds after. He stood up and paced to the door.

Envy overloaded him, making his jealously evolve into what a romantic would describe as passional delirium.

Hastily, he turned, came up to you and closed his fingers over your arm. John watched with a wry grin.

“Can we talk?” George asked, his tone filled with forced politeness.

You nodded and let him guide you towards his kitchen.

He looked over his shoulder first to confirm that neither of his bandmates had followed you there.

Then, for a few seconds, he froze. You noticed he was agitated and internally saturated with mixed feelings.

Out of the blue, he straightened his spine, a different kind of thickness filling his throat. Determined to overcome his shyness and insecurity, he gave a long exhale. Throwing you off guard, he grabbed your face, fingers gripping tightly your cheeks, and pressed his mouth to yours so enthusiastically that you subtly felt his front teeth.

Excitement and love rushed into your veins.

You kissed him back and wrapped your arms around his waist, knowing from the get go that this wasn’t going to be the last time that you would taste his lips. George couldn’t open his eyes at first after having departed from the kiss, which turned out to be the best and most pleasant, pure and precious kiss he had ever shared.

When he flicked them open, he couldn’t resist the drive to glide his thumb over the soft skin of your sweet fleshy lips.

John suddenly burst into the kitchen pretending to pull off that the obtrusion was casual. The real and obvious reason was that he wanted to see what was going on behind curtains.

George quickly pulled back.

That reaction and the swollen lips from both of you was enough for John.

“Don’t mind me. Just came here for something to drink” he said, but the clownery in his voice was oh so present and solid.

Cheeks burning, George didn’t move.

John, with the glass in his hand, turned to him before leaving.

“I mean, maybe it’s you who needs some water. You look feverish, my friend”

You quickly pushed him out of the kitchen.

George slowly looked up again when he wasn’t around. “There’s no Sam, is there?”

You shook your head no. “John is a crackhead, a good bloke but a crackhead. Never listen to him, listen to me” you smiled. He drew you into his arms, missing your warmth already. “I’m not dating Sam, Geo. He’s blond and I’m not into blondes”

George chuckled. “What are you into, then?” he asked, needing to hear from you that you only wanted him.

“I’m into this guy from The Quarrymen. Not the one who plays the bass, and clearly not the blind one, he’s too much of a ponce sometimes” you smirked. “Into the bushy unibrow guy”

He laughed harder and tightened his embrace.

“Lucky you he’s had his eye and unibrow on you for some time”

“Sweet, cause I’ve been in love with him ever since I met him”

George stared dearly down at you with the brightest smile and captured your lips again.

He didn’t know if John was a genius or a foolish cretin for causing him to feel so enraged before, making him believe you had a boyfriend.

The perfect mix, he conceded.

#george harrison x reader #john lennon #paul mccartney #ringo starr #the beatles #george harrison imagine #george harrison fanfic #george harrison fanfiction #tayloredstarr

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madraleen · 2 years

Text

Death Note - Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata Part 2 ALL THE STARS/5

Jot-it-down-as-it happens commentary wherein I mention L way too much.

Commentary:

-Aaah, my Wammy children, my heart settles a little.

-Straight off, the contrast of Mello being outside with people and Near preferring to stay indoors alone, poetry, art, majestic.

-Omfg, characters like these are why I have trust issues.

-Oh! Near is standing upright! I don’t know why I’m surprised!

-Man, the post-L DN world would have been unbearable if I didn’t love Near so much.

-Isn’t it ironic that Light dies at around the same age as L, and Near beats him at around the same age as when he got L.

-Honestly, it’s kind of cathartic seeing someone having that genuine, deeply emotional reaction to L’s death like Mello does.

-I’m seeing the pattern that I like in fiction of “If this hadn’t happened, then that wouldn’t happen, and then that other thing wouldn't happen” that makes every single action matter. It’s pretty obvious in the first part, but it carries through to the second. Even with Near starting his own investigation independent of L, if L hadn’t narrowed down the suspects and if Light hadn’t thrown us into the Yotsuba arc and if Higutchi hadn’t been caught, the police officer wouldn’t have had the lead that would tip off Near etc. Everything is connected and Near wouldn’t have won if L hadn’t himself solved the case first.

-Seriously low-key high-key bitter that we haven’t seen a manga accurate live action attempt at Near.

-Near’s face is so done with Light from the moment he calls and he hasn’t even talked to him yet, I love my child.

-The world might burn and my beloved child Near will still go, “This is very interesting…”

-Light is s u f f e r i n g, and I love seeing his caring side.

-Yes, boys, Mello has a missile, as you do.

-Near has intense, determined, sharp eyes, he has hard eyes, discerning eyes, he sees into your soul and doesn’t like it.

-Aw, Light admires his father so much.

-Low-key loving that Light’s fall was partially not at all about him. Like, Mello really went, “I don’t give a shit for this guy, I just want to beat Near and he’s a fair target.”

-You’re always fighting against L, babe, the first pages said so.

-Mello casually chatting with the US President, as you do.

-I understand L was the world’s greatest detective and commanded police forces, but my God, the US President is calling him, wow.

-You know what. I know it’s a truth universally acknowledged that we were robbed of a day in the life of L and Light in handcuffs and I agree, it’s one of the greatest crimes in creative content, but I’d also want to see a day in the life of Misa and Ryuk bc I can’t get over the panel of Misa telling him to help her clean up.

-Is there a more compellingly complicated dynamic than L and Light’s, I don’t think so, I don’t think so.

-Sidoh with his little cheat sheet of rules, I can’t.

-Oh, Light thought Matsuda would get the eyes, not Soichiro. Now I feel bad for him. If it was all too many unknown variables for L in the first part, it’s all too many unknown variables for Light now.

-I randomly did a little cry at the name “L.” This is going great. Everything’s great.

-Honest to God, Mello looks like a satisfied mean cat.

-Oh, Light, bb, you’re terrible, but I feel for you seeing you having a meltdown like this.

-I wasn’t sure in the anime, but in the manga I really do think that Light genuinely mourns his father.

-”Whoopie” - omg Sidoh you fluffball <3.

-Near is the personification of “srsly?”

-My boy Near has sinister eyes, I love him.

-There’s a gentleness from the SPK to Near.

-Oh, Near inherited L’s funds! Good to know.

-He’s at war with governments! Near! N E A R !

-The enemies to lovers ships in DN basically write themselves, eh?

-Yeah, guys, listen to Near, why are you pointing a gun at a criminal with actual kills, that’s like sooooo rude. /sarcasm

-I love Mello and Near’s interactions.

-Mello has a gun and Near has a robot with a gun, I cry.

-Honest to God, I think Near understands Mello so deeply.

-”Dear Mello.” Fucking Near, man.

-All I’m saying is, Near has a question mark bubble when Mello gives him information in return, so he wasn’t expecting it, so this whole-ass boy allowed Mello to get in just to get the picture.

-Look at Near's delighted smile, I cannot.

-But Near cornered Light so smoothly.

-Near has no time for Light’s bullshit, my child ain’t fucking around.

-You can practically hear Near’s mind going ‘eheheheheheeee.’

-Light really be like “Just let me kill a Wammy boy, any Wammy boy!”

-My two boys worked together to get Mogi?!?! Look at them, they’re such a little team, ugh, I hate them (affectionate).

-Near emotes very much.

-We can safely assume that L’s fortune is just infinite at this point. He could have vacationed in space. Maybe he did vacation in space.

-”Near is a formidable foe,” YES LIGHT, FINALLY!

-I really do feel bad for the Task Force, they’ve been through so much with Light vs Kira just to discover that Light is Kira…

-It’s funny, I see L as lying and Near as bluffing when Near is very clearly lying as well, idk.

-The second arc of the anime is like… the Sparknotes of the manga. Affectionately speaking.

-Oh, Matsuda, you’re so ride or die for Light. Oh, Matsuda.

-Aw, L was Near and Mello’s idol? I figured it was so for Mello, but it’s sweet to see Near saying so.

-I’m sorry, but this draws an even straighter line between the L arc and the Near/Mello arc. Like, yes, Near wants to catch the mass murderer and Mello wants to beat Near, but on a personal level Kira dared to defeat and off their idol and BITCH IS GOING DOWN. I’ve always contemplated to what extent L acts as the indirect orchestrator of the second arc and whether the successors were even remotely part of his plans, a worst case scenario, whether in the end it’s still L that Light’s fighting against, through Near.

-Say what you want about the Wammy boys, none of them ever forget their please, sorrys and thank yous.

-Look at how out of hand things have gotten for Kira tho. His ideal world is bigger than him now, and difficult or impossible to control. It’s not entirely his anymore.

-Do you ever think of how L partially built up Kira and then Near destroyed him.

-My son is ALONE in New York?!

-”L will not be happy if we do that”?? “It would be an insult to L, who entrusted those who came after him with this case”?? Oh bb. I know past-manga it became canon that Near never even saw L, but it really doesn’t come off like that in the manga.

-It’s like L is threaded through it all. At first I was like, why did the anime end with a vision of L, the manga doesn’t seem to be that, but the more I read, the more it makes sense.

-Hahahaha, “first we must rub their faces in evidence and make them taste the misery of their defeat,” oh my God, Near.

-It’s missing L times on both sides I see, eh, Light?

-That’s such a cool panel with Near ~commanding the screens.

-My bb is decorating a Christmas tree, oh my heart, I cry.

-The fact that Commander Rester is on his knees and watches as Near expresses himself through the Lego thingies is, ugh, I love them. It’s like L created a safe space for the Task Force, and the SPK creates a safe space for Near.

-Hideki Ryuga, haha, what a throwback.

-I’m sorry, but Light Yagami will always be a multitasking king.

-The Wammy kids sure do love their handcuffs.

-”Forgive me,” Mello tells Matt, oh bless your heart.

-Oh, Mello.

-The building tension as we inch closer to the scheduled meeting is awesome.

-I love how Light doesn’t bat an eyelash at anyone’s appearance or mannerisms, like, ‘cool, yeah, idgaf unless I can use it.’

-”You have no right to be wearing L’s mask” - Light, your fanboying is showing.

-Oh Light, I don’t want to see your demise.

-Another reason I love Near’s win is that it isn’t bc Light was outwitted. Someone else made a mistake and Light again didn’t take into account that humans have wills outside of his own. Whether you call this luck or chance, it’s still perfectly in theme. It was by chance that Light got the notebook, by chance that he met Naomi, that Rem came to love Misa and did Kira’s bidding etc. It’s been chance all along, sprinkled among the machinations and calculations of perfectly prepared geniuses.

-”You are far below L” - Light, lad, even in your moment of perceived ultimate victory you’re fanboying, what is this.

-Cocky, self-assured Light sure is pretty tho.

-I’d have doubted Gevanni’s skills to copy the death note overnight had I not been convinced that such a feat is possible by Neal Caffrey.

-”Mr. Shinigami, nice to meet you. I’m Near.” ASJFDSDFADSG.

-Despite Near being Near, I don’t doubt for a second that he feels sorry for Mello’s death.

-”Too bad,” lol, Near, that’s one step away from saying “Shucks for you, Light.”

-Yes, Mello was the MVP, he saved all of your asses.

-”Let’s see you talk your way out of this one” - Lmfao, Near, the sass!

-Tbf, it was Near, Mello AND L that defeated Kira, not just Near and Mello.

-”To pursue your happiness without getting in the way of others, while respecting the rights of others, that is the way humans should lead their lives.” I mean. Yes, Light.

-Matsuda is crying :(.

-Oh, this is so ugly. It’s always ugly, in all iterations. Oh, Light.

-Shut uppp, Near eating chocolate, I cry.

-I also think it’s wishful thinking, Matsuda. It doesn’t track that Near would use the notebook to control Mikami. It goes against everything he’s stood for, he didn’t even know the pages work when ripped, and he has the notebook out there where anyone can inspect it if they wish to do so. Plus, as per the rules, apparently a person with the Shinigami eyes *can’t* be killed by a death note.

-Obha said, “Misa and Sayu WHO?”

-It is with a heavy heart that I conclude this manga, but I do like that it ended on a positive note for Near and the Task Force - cooperating again, Near surrounded by more toys than ever and still with the SPK.

#death note #death note spoilers #death note manga #book commentary #manga commentary #spoilers #manga #two posts down two to go

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isabeladraws · 4 years

Photo

harrington fam doodles 🌿🌟🌻 big headcanon dump below | ko-fi

jett phoenix harrington, air & metal att

thief player and very good at it (becomes captain eventually)

not so academic but get's good enough grades (beckett still pushes him a lot)

loves to travel (one year he suddenly hates it)

him and selene are T R O U B L E M A K E R S

mischevious and playful

knows the deans office like the palm of his hand

popular at school

takes every opportunity to show off like his mom

sunday's clumsy twin

cry baby

runs hot and biggest cuddler

loves animals. he would always bring an injured animal home to nurse them back to health

sporty and energetic, can't sit still for very long

kind and open minded

has sunday’s chaoticness with none of becketts caution lol

wears his heart on his sleave

beckett was the only one that could calm him as a baby

he starts to thrive academically at penderghast after picking his major (there was a lot of comotion surrounding this because beckett wanted him to choose the right path and be involved but the friction in their relationship made it seem beckett was disappointed and frustrated with jett instead)

selene maeve harrington, air & wood att

daddy's girl tm

can do no wrong in becketts eyes

very good at school with not much effort

teachers love her. sunday taught her all the tricks

her favorite subject is natural studies, anything with herbology and potions

butterflies are her motif

veeeery michisvious and is never caught. atlas taught her a few tricks to get past professors/beckett (she cant fool sunday though)

appears to be unapproachable but is very loving

atlas is her favorite person

loves to garden & animals (bugs especially)

bff with shreya's daughter (shreya and atlas may or may not be married in my headcanon)

she likes to travel and meet new people/species

keeps a journal that is spelled to leave you smelling like farts for 48h if you (jett) try to read it

has sunday's chaoticness with becketts caution/awareness

morning person, loves to watch the sunrise

loveees to dance and beckett is more than eager to be her teacher and dance partner

has beckett's snobby/expensive taste

pro at skiing

she hates how often dad pulls out his philosophy major card to scold them for using their powers on each other (they all do tbh)

she names her plants

very curious bub

marlow archie harrington, water & metal att

the baby tm

a bit of a wallflower compared to his siblings

beckett sees a lot of himself in marlow

loovees water related books

enjoys being near the water a lot

has very specific interests, like we'll just spit out random facts at the dinner table and beck and sunday look at each other like ??

he takes long ass baths (very particular with his bath bombs too)

he can be a bit blunt and rude if he's flustered and with strangers

atlas taught him how to breathe underwater and he spends a lot of time exploring

the merpeople love him, he brings them snacks

mister know it all, the smarty pants

beckett doesn't seem to be as hard on him as he is with jett

lowkey hates to travel

he enjoys routine and being in familiar places

observant and forgetful

big video game fan

he's better at metal than jett but jett has a better grasp of other attunements than he does

loves to sleep with his parents and it was a habit hard to kill

asked for a fish tank for xmas but felt bad for the fish so he released them in the middle of the night

he's the one that figures out the triplets together can make sun magick

sunday & beckett's grocery shopping buddy

loves to cook

vegetarian

he doesn’t have freckles like his siblings, just a bunch of moles

sunday & beckett as parents

not sure what their jobs would be (i would love to hear your thoughts on magickal jobs?) beckett maybe would have a job that he could do anywhere since his major is magick philosophy? sunday i think could go on to do thief professionally for a while but quits after getting pregnant. i don't think she'd want to go back afterwards. i wish we had more info what could be done post uni or an idea of the majors we could take. i could see both of them teaching later in life though.

in my mind, they travel aaaaa lottt. like maybe twice a year would be least they travel. sunday wants to see the attunned world and beckett is more than happy to give her that. they both love exploring and gives them opportunity to be espontaneous and nerdy at the same time. beckett loves teaching sunday about things he always knew growing up but she's only now discovering. it started when sunday was asked to join a pro thief team and beckett was studying away for his masters. they'd take mini trips almost every 2 months to escape their lives and have these unforgetable memories. they got the bug and never stopped since.

sunday after getting pregnant - which i think they were parents quite young at 25 - she wants to stay with her kids, beckett too, and they both find this need to be home all the time. they want to be there 24/7 and not leave the kids with nannies or babysitters. do not get me wrong, they ask the pend pals and the family to watch them frequently for sanity and date nights. beckett officially went back to work after 1 year of staying home, he started working properly after 8 months of the triplets being born though. sunday didn't mind being at home with them. she found motherhood to be the greatest code she could ever crack.

around 6 months of the babies being born, beckett and sunday tried to travel for a few days to a nearby lake town. there, they discovered marlow's affinity to water. they had a hunch, the kid loved bath time but being in untamed water sparked something in him. after that, they decided to keep travelling, to take their kids exploring. they went on a trip almost every 2 months after that. beckett went back to work and it was time to adjust a little and slow down.

sunday became an avid photographer. they had filled out 3 albums in a year. "they grow so fast!!" she would say when beckett made fun of her after pulling out the camera.

as you can tell, they travel a lot. after the kids get a big bigger, they try to stay places a bit longer, so they can really explore. they do settle when the kids reach school-age, but keep travelling during weekends, school breaks, etc. i think they'd make big moves every 3 years, until officially settling in in their forever home, before the kids join penderghast. (this could change, depending on their jobs. but yeah u get the gist)

sunday cant cook for shit when she becomes a mom. beckett is much better at that. she becomes better bc she cant lose to her husband, of course. the kids will say they prefer her food now over his.

WHEN DO THEY GET MARRIED? who knows folks jdsngk (secretly eloping after graduating penderghast?)

surprisingly, sunday is the one with an iron fist. she sets rules like cleaning up, curfew, no using their powers to hit or fight each other, etc and she’s the one the kids don't want to defy the most. beckett gets annoyed easily but settles down fast and lets them go do everything in the end. sunday doesn't disapprove of them exploring and doing kid stuff but she has a bit of fear given what atlas has been through.

sunday is the ultimate soccer mom. the kid's biggest cheerleader

beckett teaches the kids yoga super early, marlow and selene find it very relaxing

beckett makes the triplets wear penderghast's uniform

sunday packs them regular clothes so they can wear wtv they want when they aren’t visiting (beckett made a surprise visit once so now they have a backup uniform in their bags at all times)

every sunday of the month is tuneless food day. (get it) they usually also make trips to tuneless cities during weekends to get even more in the mood.

sunday and beckett collect postcards from wherever they go. they have a big wall full of mementos and family photos.

(i haven't decided on familiars for the kids and i kinda want a new type for selene *coughs* butterfly *coughs*)

sunday starts some homeschooling with the kids. being attuned to every element has its perks and she enjoys teaching them spells. they’re quite advanced for kids their age, magick wise

#grab a cup of tea u guys lmao #beckett x mc #the elementalists #beckett harrington #sunday olsen #te fanart #the elementalists fanart #te mc #harrington triplets #selene harrington #jett harrington #marlow harrington #fanart #my draws #choices #choices fanart #IGNORE TYPOS PLEASE

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intoanothermind · 4 years

Text

The Glue - Part One

T H E G L U E

Word Count: 2.4k words

Synopsis: Glue or Variable? This is the big question about Frankie's existence. Assigned to the same role as Newt in WCKD's Lethal Experiments, Frankie suddenly realizes that she will become just a variable to activate brain reactions in her former Group A friends. Without memories and being the only girl among several boys, she has the feeling of already knowing some of them. The new question that matters to WCKD is: will Frankie play her role as a variable correctly?

- Newt x OC (Frankie)

Masterlist

Part 2>

(This will be a miniseries of Newt from Maze Runner. It will consist of 7 parts and a spin-off. I won’t do a reader insert as usual, but you will soon understand why.)

---

P A R T O N E

The first thing I felt when I woke up was a void.

Not a void around me. But the emptiness I felt was in my mind. I tried to pull something, some memory or something else. Any answer or reminder of how I end up there. But nothing came. After a second, I realized I was in a moving metal elevator and was surrounded by boxes. Waking up suddenly with a bump in some sort of elevator was scary. Maybe nothing coming to mind when trying to pull a memory was more frightening. I had the basic notion that I was in a vertically moving elevator, that I was surrounded by boxes and that I was alone, but I didn't know how to get that prior knowledge. No memory came to my mind and that terrified me. Nothing that answered the basics when, with whom, why and how.

A name came to my mind.

Frankie.

Somehow I knew that was my name.

But nothing else came to mind. My last name? My age? My parents’ names? Anything.

A bump in the elevator brought me back to reality and my body was thrown forward. I hit some boxes, but somehow my face hit one of the walls of the elevator. An agonizing pain arose in my cheek and I felt a metallic taste of blood in my mouth. I leaned against the wall where I fell, feeling the metal wire in my fingers. I looked around, trying to see more than I could. Darkness prevented me. The noise of chains filled my ears and irritated me. The constant movement made me uneasy and not knowing where I was made me disconcerted. I looked up, seeing endless darkness above me. The end was still far away.

I wanted to scream for help, but I knew it was no use. I looked at the boxes; an idea forming in my mind. I watched them from the outside and realized that all, without exception, came with the acronyms WICKED on the side. I set that aside and opened them, finding mostly supplies. I had no idea why there were supplies in a box in an elevator, but I wouldn't mind that for now. I searched a few more and found a machete in one of them. I smiled mischievously, picking it up and closing the box again. I sat on the floor, placing the machete between two boxes, but still within my grasp. I didn't know who or what awaited me at the end of the elevator ride, and I didn't want to find out. I was already confused enough.

I sighed, cringing between the boxes, and waited.

I waited.

I don't know how long - whether it was hours or just minutes - but it seemed like forever. In addition to the bruised left cheek, I also got a superficial cut on the forearm. Suddenly something in that scenario changed. A squeak startled me and a sudden jolt knocked me to the floor. I landed on my shoulder, which sent a pained electricity through my arm and torso. The elevator swayed less and less until it stopped, and I managed to get back to the starting position with my hand next to the machete. The elevator stopped and the silence became uncomfortable after so long with the clang of metal against metal.

I counted mentally. Five minutes and no one had yet appeared. I didn't know why I was waiting for someone, but I just waited. I was curious to know why I had a feeling someone was waiting for me too. Fear invaded me and I wanted to scream for help, but I knew it would do no good, I didn't need my throat to scratch until I lost my voice. A high-pitched squeak from above caught my attention and my body tensed, waiting for any threat. My fingers brushed the handle of the machete as the creak revealed to have come from double sliding doors being forced open. The light flooded my eyes and I closed them quickly as I shrank closer between the boxes. I had the advantage of being small.

And then, voices.

“Where's the newbie?”

“There, the shank is hiding!”

“No return ticket, Greenbean!”

“It’s small! Company to Chuck?”

Some words were unfamiliar to me and some voices seemed familiar. They were all together and mingled, and I could barely identify a few sentences. I parted my fingers and saw between them, without uncapping my face. At first I saw only shapes, but then they began to come into focus and I noticed that above the open elevator doors were boys. Several of them and more than a dozen. They looked at me with curious eyes and pointed with disdain. I didn't know how many they were, and they looked as different from each other as I was from them, but they all had one thing in common: dirty, wrinkled clothes, as if they'd taken some hard work to greet me.

Varied feelings flooded me all at once, especially as I realized that there were no girls around. I didn't know what they were capable of, and I didn't trust those boys. The fear grow in me and I felt my body shuddering as I cringed even more behind one of the larger boxes. A few more buzzes from the boys, and the elevator floor next to me shuddered with a thud. I widened my eyes, a little scared. Over the crate, I watched a boy approaching. Slim, incredibly tall and I must say, handsome. Dirty blond hair and deep dark brown eyes. My heart skipped a beat when I looked straight into his eyes. I crouched behind the box, trying to look invisible. The moment the boy pushed the box away, the machete in my hand was pointing at his chest.

“It's a girl!” He exclaimed in a strange accent, his eyes wide looking more surprised that I was a girl than having a machete pointed at his chest.

And then the murmurs grew louder and more annoying.

“Girl?!”

“How is this possible?”

“Hot?”

“Little. And pretty.”

I frowned, annoyed .

“Who are you?!” I asked, and though my hand shook slightly, my voice was steady. It was a little strange to hear it, but I thanked for the hours or minutes of silence. They prevented my throat from hurting when I used my vocal cords.

“We’re the ones to who ask!” Exclaimed the boy in front of me.

“Answer already!” I insisted, finally holding the machete without shaking.

“Oh, the Greenie is feisty!” I heard the comment coming from one of the boys above us and my expression closed as I cast a fierce look toward them.

“Don’t. Call me. Like this.” I growled at them.

“Calm calm.” the cute blond boy said, not moving an inch from where he was. " We won't hurt you, shank, I promise."

I squinted at him suspiciously, but something in his calm expression made me believe him. The glint in his dark eyes gave me an assurance that I haven’t had so far, and I believed he wouldn’t do anything to me.

I really believed it.

But I didn't believe in the others.

I squinted at the others, still suspicious of them. I didn't like the comments they made about me at all, and I didn't care about throwing the machete into my hand toward them. The blond boy seemed to realize that.

“Hey, you shanks!” He shouted at the boys. “Get the hell out of here!”

I realized immediately that he had enough authority with the boys when the crowd was slipping away little by little. Until remained only a dark skinned boy, looking at us with a serene air of superiority. In a way, I didn't have a good first impression, although it didn't come to me the familiar feeling when I saw the blonde. I didn't trust the dark one as I trusted the blonde.

“Alby, please.” Asked the blonde.

The boy, however, didn’t move away. "I don't trust her, Newt."

"And neither does she in you, if you didn't notice, you shucking slinthead!" Replied the blonde, Newt.

"If Greenie runs off like the others, you'll have to throw her at The Slammer." Said Alby, before leaving us too.

I looked back at Newt, who was now looking straight at me. I didn't lower the machete and he didn't seem to mention it. He sighed, and I could almost see the gears swirling in his mind as he watched me closely. I watched him as well. He had a tall lean body, but not without muscles. There was some weaponry attached to his back and I wondered if it was a machete like the one in my hand. Newt sat across from me, leaning against the side wall. I didn't lower my machete and was curious. Wouldn't he ask me to take it down?

He was silent and so was I.

I don't know how long we stayed like this, just staring at each other. Maybe the same amount of time I'd been stuck in the elevator on the way here, I couldn't tell. But then, when I thought eternity had passed, Newt spoke up.

“What do you remember?” He asked, his voice sounding reassuring.

A lump formed in my throat and I felt like crying.

“Just my name.” I whispered back.

Newt swallowed and looked around, and I thought maybe he wasn't used to crying girls in front of him. I did my best not to be.

“Can I?” He asked cautiously, approaching me. He was referring to the machete. I wrinkled my nose but didn't give it to him. Instead, I just lowered it down and kept it close to me. “I'm Newt.” He said, sitting just in front of me, but at a safe distance.

“Frankie.” I answered softly.

“That's a beautiful name, Greenie.” Newt said, smiling.

I frowned. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

“That's what we call the Newbies.” He shrugged.

A few more minutes without a word, until I finally decided to clear up my doubts.

“Where are we? Why are we here? Why don't I remember anything?”

“Hey, calm down, Newbie, that's a lot of questions.” Newt commented, laughing, and I felt my heart beating faster, as if I should know that laugh.

I blushed slightly and shook my head, making my hair fall around my face like curtains.

“I'll answer tomorrow, all right?” he suggested. “You must be tired and might be better leave the tour with Alby to tomorrow.”

I sighed, but from his tone I realized that it would be no use to retort.

“Ready to go up? The Box cannot be here forever.” Newt asked, and I eyed the elevator opening warily. Newt laughed at the realization. "Relax, Frankie/ Y/N, I promised I wouldn't let them attack you, didn't I?"

I took a deep breath, trying to gather as much courage as possible. Finally, I nodded. Newt smiled at the answer and stood up. He went to one end of the elevator and started shouting for someone. Minho, from what I understand from his words. Then came a dark and Asian boy. Handsome as well, but not as much as Newt. I blushed at my thoughts, but recovered when a rope was thrown in front of me with the end tied by a knot. I looked confused at Newt.

“To go up.” He answered simply.

I shrugged, putting the machete on the belt that held my pants, and tucked my foot in the noose. Not long after the Asian's hands grabbed me around the waist and pulled me up. I moaned as the bruise on my forearm rubbed against the elevator wall.

“Are you alright?” Asked the Asian, frowning and I just nodded.

I was not afraid of him as much as I was of the others. Something in my mind sparked at the sight of his eyes, but when I tried to sneak the memory out, it escaped. Soon he sent the rope back to the elevator and soon after Newt appeared. I helped who I assumed to be Minho pull him up. And as he gathered himself, I took the opportunity to look around. A big courtyard as far as I could see, or as far as the four gray stone walls covered with thick ivy in uneven patches. They were tall, incredibly high walls, and I would guess they would average 100 meters. They formed a perfect square around the courtyard and were just split in half by openings as high as the walls and, in my view, led to walls.

I widened my eyes and looked more closely at the details.

Huge blocks of stone, some cracked with grass and weeds on one side. A strange construction of wood, with apparent three - or four - floors, surrounded by trees, seemed about to fall. In another corner, plantations of various kinds. I could see pens with animals like sheep, pigs, and cows in another corner, and in the last of them a wide grove occupied the space. The sky was cloudless, and yet, even without the clear sign of the sun, the light was clear.

I turned to Newt and the Asian boy.

“What the hell is this place? And what the hell am I doing here?!” I asked.

The Asian laughed. “Calm down, girl, it's too many hells for a few shanks.”

I rolled my eyes, just like Newt.

“Quiet, Asian boy.” I muttered.

Newt laughed as the boy scowled.

“I liked your new nickname, Minho.”

“Can you answer me?!” asked again.

Newt sighed. “Rest first, questions later. We'll get you a hammock.”

I widened my eyes at the thought of sleeping next to those boys.

“We'll find you a farther place, Newbie.” Minho assured.

I took a deep breath before following them.

I knew I could trust them.

#newt #newt imagine #newt one shot #newt x reader #newt fanfic #newt fanfiction #newt maze runner #the maze runner #maze runner imagine #maze runner x reader #maze runner #maze runner fanfic #thomas #thomas imagine #thomas x reader #minho #minho imagine #minho x reader

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sugoi-writes · 4 years

Text

ilomilo- Midoriya X Reader (BNHA)- Part 1

S-So, my usual content overs around fluff or n/sfw, but I came up with a loose concept that has a little bit of everything, including some angst! All characters are aged up to 20, and you have a quirk! I hope you enjoy part one of whatever musing this is! (I’ll think of a name later!) ~2.2k Words

Summary: You’re on the run with some stolen goods, and you’re injured mid pursuit. You don’t know if you should be relieved or terrified that a familiar hero intervenes. You aren’t willing to go down without a fight.

Quirk- Empath: An extreme mental/psychic link, that can force a person to experience forged (or the person’s) emotions/feelings. This can range from emotional distress to extreme phantom pains. This can hinder or cripple a user, but never physically hurt them. The quirk is initiated through eye contact instantaneously, and can last up to 5 minutes. The affects may dwindle due to outside interference (distractions or injuries to either party), or an incredible mental resistance.

The blaring sirens and the harsh licks of rain beating on your exposed skin were more than enough to keep you running. You desperately clutch your side, bleeding profusely as you try your best to shake off your pursuers.

Your satchel bounces haphazardly as you continue to bound down a particularly cold and damp alleyway. You grimace as you hear the dreaded phrase, “STOP RESISTING! FREEZE!” Like you had a choice to right now!

Bobbing and weaving between debris, shouting and gunfire, you manage to duck behind a dumpster. You sigh shallowly, shakily looking at your hand to find a thick masking of scarlet. You wouldn’t be able to keep running like this�� you knew that. You fumble for your pistol, detaching the clip momentarily to find… you’re almost out of bullets. And this would definitely become another shoot out if you weren’t careful.

You take a hefty breath, your hand trembling as you grit your teeth. At the rate of your decline, you think that it may be for the best. If you were going down anyway, you needed to go down with a fight. Dying in an alleyway before getting back home wasn’t ideal, but you would rather go down in a blaze… versus bleeding out pathetically behind this dumpster.

Your prior fear for your life was over shrouded by pure adrenaline (you’d later blame your wound for that). You hear more shouting, egging you to come out with your hands up. You furrowed your brow, nodding as you psych yourself up.

When you hear a police officer warn you once more, you leap from behind the dumpster, readying yourself. But before you or anyone else could dare shoot a single bullet, a brilliant flash of green light invades your senses. You reel from shock as an astounding force repels in all directions backwards, forcing you to brace yourself. As the light dims, and you recover, you pale to a sickly shade. You had thought things were already bad, but you find out to your horror what had caused that impact.

Deku. Number One Hero, Deku.

You grimace in pain from your worsening wound, as green, soul-piercing eyes meet yours. But, instead of heated anger, or even hatred, you find… concern. Worry. This man, this hero… was concerned for you. Your ears ring as you watch Deku’s mouth move, barking something to the police force behind him. Dammit… you can already feel yourself weakening with each tremble.

As the tension seemed to thicken, it suddenly lessened. The officers lower their weapons (whether in fear of what Deku said, or to stop him from getting caught up in the crossfire, you don’t know).

Your gun fumbles out of your hands, clattering to the ground as you struggle to stand. Deku looks back to you as you cry out, his hands instinctively going to the defensive. He slowly advances towards you, and you know that he’s speaking to you, but you aren’t able to make out his words.

You fall backward, landing hard on your rear, clutching yourself as you try to slink further away from the green-clad hero. In a last ditch effort, you lock eyes with him once more, letting out a blood curdling shriek.

“ STAY AWAY, YOU BASTARD!!!”

Deku winces and bows, reflecting your instinct to stop the bleeding on his right side. Your quirk was working, and he should be feeling the shredded flesh and hot blood running from your gunshot wounds. Though he is clearly in pain, he manages a sincere smile, slowly advancing towards you. As you focus on him, sending waves of panic and intense pain through his core, you manage to catch some of his words.

“ Trust me… th-this… doesn’t have to end... l-like this. Nggh-- N...Not in this alley, not with...m-more bloodshed! I w-want to help you... But I can only help you… i-if you let me!”

You shake your head desperately, able to see that he’s reeling, but not hindered beyond that. You hear commotion from behind the emerald hero, but he barks at them again. There’s no flashes, no shooting… he’s holding the force back, with the intent to actually save you.

“ Surely, even you know… my dream is to save--ghh… e-everyone. Everyone that I possibly can. Even those... who feel they are h-hopele-- fuck…!... U-Useless and abandoned... Even down-trotten people... l-like you…”

You hear the hero rasp, wincing with each inhale as he speaks to you. You know that the pain is only doubling, as you’re focusing what little energy you had left to really make the man HURT. But… here he is, smiling… SPARING you.

You tremble, tears streaming down your face as you instinctively shield yourself, unable to move any further.

” St...Stay back… pl-please, I…. y-you can’t...”

You cry out again, falling onto your left side, your face meeting cool asphalt, “...you...can’t save… people like…. M-me. I’m… already--”

You feel warmth enveloping you where you previously felt your blood run cold. You manage to look up as you are lifted off of the ground to a weak but sincere smile. Your cheek rests on something firm, yet warm. As your vision swims, you notice the color green enveloping you, and scarred, strong hands supporting you. Deku lifts you as if you were delicate chinaware, keeping you close as your quirk begins to dwindle.

“ It’s alright, Y/N. I know you’re scared, but you’re going to be safe. I promise.”

Your eyes widen, as a sense of calmness rushes over you. You haven’t been able to feel your hands or legs for a while, and yet you feel a warmth budding in your chest. You know that Deku must feel it too, as a full, strong inhale makes his chest rise confidently. He sighs, turning around as your eyes are blinded by the blaring lights of an ambulance.

Deku softly cooes to you as the other voices and noises surrounding you bustle and violate your ears chaotically. You can hardly hear or see a thing as you’re laid out on a stretcher, and lifted into the brightly-lit vehicle.

“--sir! You can’t leave yet, we still need to file a--”

“Please. I’ll only be a little bit. I want to be sure she makes it safely. Besides… She’s gravely injured. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn't make sure she made it. Until then, Squad A- secure the perimeter. Make sure Squads B and C are taking testimonies and…--”

Your eyes flutter shut as the swarming voices and sounds of machinery fall onto deafening ears.

Slowly but surely, your senses dull and everything fades to black.

When you wake up next, you feel a dull pain radiating from your core, but not much past that. A bright, peaceful light fills the tiny room you’re in, and you blink a few times, unfamiliar with your surroundings. It is then you realize that you’re connected with an IV, your saline bag dangling above you.

When you try to sit up, a nurse with blonde locks walks by your cot, urging you to not make too much of a fuss. Using the bed’s control panel, she manages to help you sit up, the headboard and top part of the bed tilting up to support you. You glance around the small room, then to the nurse.

“Am I… at the (X) District… Hospital?” you groaned, your voice a bit dry as you struggle to speak. The nurse nods softly, smiling.

“Yes… but everything is already taken care of. The gentleman who brought you hear also visited and--”

You blink in confusion, narrowing your brow,” What…’gentleman’?” you questioned, dreading the answer that may follow.

“ I… to be honest, he was pretty reserved and covered up, but-- he came to visit while you were unconscious. You’ve been asleep for at least a day and a half. And looking at you, you probably needed the sleep!”

The nurse chuckles, and you reflexively probe at your dark circles, noticing that your bags weren’t as swollen as usual,” R...Right… but-- what happens… when I’m better?”

The nurse straightens her posture, as she picks up her clipboard, noting your vitals displayed on your monitor (you hadn’t even noticed the clamp on your index finger, checking your pulse).

“ Well, you’re… being transferred to a rehabilitation center, as recommended by the gentleman and your physician. You’ll be there for a while for treatment-- ahh, the flowers!”

You noted that the nurse seemed a little… spacey, for your liking, as you look to your bedpost, finding a small vase of yellow daffodils. Your brow raises, and your cheeks flushing at the realization you indeed had a visitor.

“T...Treatment… right,” your head hung slightly at this, before you stiffen,” W-Wait a sec, I have a friend at home actually-- th-they need at home care and-- please, you have to let me go home when I’m better--!”

You fumble around, looking for your satchel, before the nurse pats your knee,” Didn’t I tell you? Everything is taken care of. We have a nurse stationed at your house right now, and we put your friend on a plan to have her cared for everyday while you’re gone. With their condition, though, it wasn’t as life threatening as yours, so… they were able to stay home. We can assure you we’re working very hard to be sure they’re comfortable while you’re recovering.”

Your shoulders slump at this, and while you should be at ease that your friend is okay, something is nagging at you.

“I… I don’t have a lot of money, and sub-par health insurance. Between the rehab and a stay-at-home nurse, I… there’s no way I can pay for all of this… w-with all due respect,” you admit quietly, your chest feeling tight. That’s why… the satchel... It was full of medication to keep your friend stable, you… you would have rather risked your life than let your bank account or insurance hold you back.

The nurse sighed heavily, crossing her arms,” The gent that brought you? He has you covered. He paid for everything in full, up front. Your claims will still be noted on your insurance, but you’re already fully paid for. You don’t have to worry about anything. The bill, your friend, yourself… For this next while, it’s better to focus on recovery. Alright?”

You feel your chest clench again, knowing damn well that only a hero had that kind of money to cover those expenses. Midoriya…

You relax, letting your head rest on the pillow as the nurse finishes her vitals check, before she offers you another smile,” I know, right now… things seem confusing, and… really scary right now. But for now, just try and take things as they are, day by day. We will take care of your every need. And if there is anything you need, please reach out. Recovery is… difficult, but very humbling. And I think you’ll find that it’s very worthwhile in the end.”

You muse to yourself that the words seem to come from someone with experience to back up the claim. And in all honesty, you’re too tired to fight back or argue against it. You blink as the nurse smiles sweetly, showing you a toothy grin. You are a little shocked to see two sharpened canines smiling back at you, before the blonde hair nurse nods to herself.

“Well! For the moment, you’ve made some remarkable progress. With the amount of blood you lost… it’s astonishing you’re already feeling able to sit up.” She pulls something from her pocket, setting it by your gift and a full glass of water: medicine, thank goodness.

“Be sure to take this; you’ll probably need it to dull the pain. And if you need anything, just hit this button right here on your control panel.”

The nurse clutches her board to her chest after showing you your bed side controls, waving to you,” I have a few more patients to check on. But… I hope this was able to help clear your mind up a bit. Try to rest, if you can.”

Finally, the nurse turns on a small TV that’s mounted on your wall, handing you the remote. You nod and thank her quietly as she leaves you, alone. Your hand falls limp to your side, as you sigh deeply. This was… all such a relief and shock to you at the same time. This was so much to process, but like the nurse said, you figured it’s better to just take this one step at a time.

As you force yourself not to overthink, your eyes drift over to the flowers, glistening in the vase by your bed. You smile slightly to yourself, eyes fluttering to your window as the sun glimmers above a busy, bustling city. Daffodils… What was this guy thinking?

“You… must be in over your head huh, hero?” you muse to yourself, flashes of emerald and warm smiles flooding your thoughts as you zone out.

#tw: blood #tw: gun violence #tw: rehab #tw: hospital #this is basically a prologue just to see if you guys kinda like my flow #I promise I have some cute and maybe not so cute stuff planned for later!#can you guess who the nurse is?#bnha x reader #bnha fanfic #midoriya x reader #izuku x reader #x reader #no one asked for this but you're getting it anyway gdudhiuhs #sorry if this is a little too long or short;;;;#izuku midoriya x reader

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purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1149

What is your age? 22, but there’s less than a month to go before I turn 23.

What annoys you? Literally every single person who still supports the government at this point. For context, we are back to square one and we’re under the exact same quarantine imposed in March 2020 because of the surge in cases. Nothing has changed and nothing has been done in the last 365 days while people are getting hungrier and poorer. I’m done feeling hopeful for this country and I cannot wait to abandon it forever.

Do you have any allergies? Apparently, grass. Can’t be exposed to it for too long otherwise the skin on my thighs turn red and occasionally even get rashes.

Do you know anyone named Billy? Kind of, but they’re girls with their name spelled as Billie.

When is your birthday? April 21st and spending it in quarantine once again this year...

Who is your best friend(s)? Angela and Andi.

What's your favorite candy? I like gummy bears and worms. As for sweets, I really like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfinger, Twix, and the Hershey’s Cookies and Creme bar.

When was the last time you cried? Maybe a day or two ago while watching a snippet from Caught in Providence.

Have you been out of the country? Yes.

Do you daydream? Not so much these days. I’ve been better at keeping my focus at work.

What's your favorite kind of dog? I love alllllll dogs, but I’d usually be wary of smaller dogs because 87% of the times I’ve met some, they’re aggressive or a bit moody. I don’t like stereotyping dogs as much as possible but because I’ve had direct experiences to back it up anyway, *shrug*

What day of the week is it? It’s a Sunday.

How do you like your eggs? Scrambled, poached, or an omelette with lots of fillings. Balut is also great.

Have you ever been in the emergency room? Only when I was born, I’m guessing.

What's the easiest thing ever to do? Idk, what comes easy to me might not be the same for others. But my answer would be to smile, regardless if it were genuine or otherwise.

Have you ever flown in a plane? Yeah, many times. The child-like excitement I get whenever I get on one will probably never go away, either.

Do you use fly swatters? No, my mom usually uses old shoebox covers or rolled-up scratch papers we have lying around to swat them.

Have you ever used a foghorn?: Only in video games lol, never in real life.

Have you pet a goat? I don’t think I have. I’ve pet lots of animals before but I don’t think a goat has been one of them yet.

Are you a giver or a taker? Giver, but I’ve been allowing myself to take more these days.

Do you like gummy candies? Love them.

How are you? We’ve entered summer weather now, so I feel hot and miserable. It’s also Sunday and I am stuck at home, which doesn’t make me the happiest camper.

What's your height? 5′1″ or a tiny tiny tiny bit taller than that.

What color is your hair? It’s black but on extremely rare occasions I’ll catch a single light brown strand when I play with my hair.

What's your favorite ice cream? Cookies and cream and chocolate chip cookie dough. My friend Leigh actually started her own ice cream shop recently and I bought her coffee crumble ice cream, and it is sooooooooo fuckinggggggggg good??????? It’s so rare to find coffee ice cream where I live period, so I’m fucking stoked to have a close friend who makes literally the best one and in generous servings too.

Have you ever ice skated? Many times as a kid. I was never formally trained, but it was something I wanted to try from watching other kids play in mall ice skating rinks; and when I did give it a shot, I ended up enjoying it. Luckily my mom was encouraging and actually frequently dropped me off at a rink so I can practice gliding and all for a few hours while she ran errands.

Have you cheated the IRS? That’s like an American tax thingy, right? We don’t have that here and my employer handles my TIN.

What's your favorite jelly bean? Not a big fan but if I had to have Jelly Belly, I obviously would want to get the pleasant-tasting ones.

Do you tell jokes? Yes.

Do you wear nice jewelry? Only on special occasions.

Do you want to kill anybody? I don’t want to kill anybody but I certainly wish a good number of public officials would finally die.

Do you want to have kids? Yes. I really wish I could still have a future with them. Thanks for the trauma, my real asshole of an ex.

Where did you have kindergarten? Somewhere.

Are you laidback? I doubt my friends would use this to describe me. I for sure lean more towards the uptight side of the spectrum.

Do you lie? Eh, occasionally.

When is the last time you sent a hand-written letter? I have no idea. Christmas 2019 maybe?

Ever talked in a microphone? Sure. Many times.

Do you still watch Disney Movies? I very rarely get in the mood for them if I’m by myself, but yes, I’d gladly sit down and watch should an opportunity come.

Do you like mangoes? No.

Do you have a nickname? 99% of people call me Robyn while my family calls me Byn, but there are a select few friends who’ve stayed long enough with me to catch other names I’ve gotten over the years, which have since become inside jokes/nicknames. There’s Reben and Rolayn, and literally just yesterday ‘Roby’ happened when I ordered food for lunch so that will probably catch on as well.

What’s your favorite number? 4.

Do you prefer night over day? Absolutely.

Are you an only child? No, I’m two siblings away from that status.

Do you wish this was over? I haven’t felt that way, no.

What is the closet orange object near you? An orange tumbler my Kuya gave me as a Christmas gift in 2019. There is also orange tape wrapped around the charger adaptor of my company laptop.

What one fear are you most paranoid about? Waking up in the middle of surgery and being unable to speak nor move.

Do you play any instruments? Nope.

Do you think you are pretty? Some days.

Are you quick to judge people? No, unless they are already blatantly showing their character like being rude towards service staff, tossing their trash to the ground, or cutting in queues. Whenever those things happen I give myself the space and freedom to guiltlessly judge.

What do you keep quiet about? How dysfunctional my family really is, and the things I really want to say about Gabie.

Do you have any quirks? Food-wise, I like peeling off the breading from fried chicken and placing them on the side of my plate so I can eat them last, because they’re my favorite part.

What’s a good reason to cry? Frustration. Crying can be really helpful in lessening stress.

Do you think you're always right? No.

Do you watch reality TV? Not religiously, but I love watching snippets of reality shows on Facebook because they’re all so embarrassing and it’s hilarious to watch hahahahah. Literally last night I was watching clips of Big Ed on 90 Day Fiance.

Are you a social person? More so now than I was years ago.

What states have you lived in? I lived in Manila briefly but it didn’t take long till we transferred to another city for a more peaceful life in the suburbs.

What is your favorite season? I wanna say winter because of what I’ve seen from it in movies and shows, but I’ve never actually experienced it before.

When did you last sleep in a tent? Sometime in March or April last year.

Do you like tomatoes? Mostly in diced form. Tomato sauce is fine but I don’t really like it in my pasta. Bloody Mary also tastes rather awful.

What time did you wake up? 8:30 AM.

Do you have an umbrella in your car? I think so, yeah. I finally placed one in there lmao.

Do listen to Usher? Eh, not really. 2000s R&B isn’t my thing, save for Beyoncé.

Describe the underwear your wearing? It’s light blue.

What’s the worst veggie? I never learned to like pechay. I’d still eat it, but only because I like cleaning up my entire plate.

Do you like movies with violence? Some. Like I hate action movies but I enjoyed A Clockwork Orange and Scream lol.

Where do you want to go on vacation? I recently bookmarked an Airbnb in Zambales and the accommodation is basically this super cute line of tipi-styled huts by the beach. I'd love to have a solo trip push through once this Covid mess subsides.

Ever been on a wave runner? No.

Where do you work? I work in a PR company.

Do you wish on stars? Just sometimes.

Have you ever had an x-ray? Only for mandatory medical exams.

Do you own a xylophone? I think I had a toy one as a kid, but it’s not with me anymore.

Have you watched the x-games? No, not interested.

What did you do yesterday? I stayed at home; ordered food for Angela as a surprise; debated if I should buy a pair of Air Maxes – and ultimately decided I’ve already spent too much this month to deserve a new pair of shows lol; and just settled to buy a new night lamp for my bedroom. I also watched the newest episode of 2 Days 1 Night and ate more of Leigh’s ice cream while doing work.

Do you like the color yellow? Only in mustard yellow. I also like the song Yellow, heh.

What year were you born?: 1998.

Do you believe in the zodiac? No.

Has your bank account been at zero? No. I remember when I was first opening my own account at the bank and the clerk told me to make sure I don’t go below P2,000, and my intensely by-the-book ass has been following the rule ever since, even though my dad has told me it’s absolutely fine to go below it so long as I have P2,000 back in the account after a month hahaha.

Ever been to the zoo? A few.

#survey #surveys

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andorwhore · 4 years

Text

Saudade - I of VII

Chapter I of VII: Disdain

summary: A year in the life of a rebel with a cause and a rebel in search of one… chapter one: Of all the days for a slicer to break into the wrong ship, today was by far the worst.

author’s note: Here we go, chapter one! This story has been my baby the past few weeks as I’ve worked on it, and I can’t wait to share the finished product with everyone! I’ll mention it again here since I’m sure most readers haven’t seen my preview post -- the name Jai that’s featured in the fic is pronounced Ji (like pi), rather than as Jay.

pairing: Cassian Andor x OC word count: 10,610 (i would say i’m sorry but i’m not) rating: T, eventual R warnings: none (yet)

chapter one || chapter two || chapter three || chapter four

[ff.net] [ao3]

Setting foot on the Ring of Kafrene always posed a risk for Cassian Andor. The Ring, being an Empire territory, was always crawling with stormtroopers just waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey, whether that prey be a rebel or a petty street thief. The trading post was home to Maker knows how many people and races, dense with the traffic of travelers and traders alike no matter the time or day. Cassian was lucky, having not yet encountered any problems with the resentful soldiers, but, then again, he was well-versed in how to keep a low profile, how to evade the Empire forces on each street and lingering outside every shop, how to simply blend into the crowd as if he were any other visiting trader; many of the other rebels he knew through the years weren't quite so lucky.

Cassian had arrived at the Ring of Kafrene not but an hour ago to meet with Tivik, the Rebellion's informant stationed in the colony who, although endlessly trepidatious, was almost always reliable. For months now Cassian had been making routine visits to the Ring to collect intel, each visit bringing the Rebellion small steps closer to being able to take on the Galactic Empire. Many times, Tivik had information that really served little use to Cassian, however, he could never know when a meeting would be a hit or miss.

This particular visit was a miss; all Tivik could provide was information the Rebellion had already known, and though he made no show of chiding Tivik for wasting his time, Cassian was nevertheless miffed about the wasted trip.

Cassian maneuvered through the crowded streets focused and in silence, avoiding any of the usual Kafrene distractions he'd grown accustomed to encountering. The colony was disgustingly overpopulated and became temporary residence for far too many travelers on any given day, drawing the attentions of thieves from every walk of life, whether they be petty pickpockets just looking to grab a few tradables or accomplished slicers intent on draining someone's account of all their credits. Whatever the case, Cassian was careful to avoid everyone on the Ring, both merchants, pedestrians, and thieves alike.

Cassian was so focused on returning to his U-Wing that he hadn't taken immediate notice of the KX security droid walking down the intersecting street ahead of him, though it didn't take the captain very long to spot the robotic eyesore amongst the crowd. It could have been any other KX droid, which there were a small number of in Kafrene, but the slight alteration to it's gait would clue to anyone in the know that this particular model was in fact the reprogrammed K-2SO.

Cassian's brow furrowed as his jaw set, approaching the droid - he was supposed to be waiting back at the ship, but, in true fashion, the droid elected to ignore that particular direction. Trips to Kafrene were always easier when the captain went on his own, but on occasion the droid insisted on tagging along despite Cassian telling him each and every time to just stay on the ship.

K-2SO had already noticed Cassian's approach, and once the man was close and readying to scold the droid as if he were a disobedient child, Kay spoke up first, "There seems to be a particularly high count of stormtroopers today, Cassian."

The captain hadn't made the same observation as the droid, but he didn't allow the statement to distract him from his intent, "I told you not to leave the ship."

"Yes, well, I have a bad feeling about this increased Empire presence, you're better off with me nearby if conflict were to arise." Cassian stared hard up into the eyes of the droid for a few long moments before peeling away his gaze, looking around to assess the number of stormtroopers currently in their proximity. At the moment, he could only spot a pair far down the street that he'd just walked up - he figured that wherever Kay may have noticed the excess stormtroopers had to be nearer to the colony's starport.

"Do you not think your presence might draw their attention to me?" Cassian questioned while turning back to Kay. If a droid could make an expression, Cassian was sure K-2SO was looking down at him with something akin to ridicule. Even the way the droid raised his arm, hand pointed in the direction they'd have to walk to return to their ship, seemed somehow mocking.

"Go, walk ahead, I'll keep my distance." Kay spoke with attitude, to which Cassian side-eyed as he passed by the droid to lead them back to the ship.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The starport on the Ring of Kafrene was every thief's dream. Ships of traders, merchants, and everything in between were left relatively unattended, any security could be bought off if one had the right connections, and, if one was smart, they could make off with thousands of credits worth of goods. As ships improved and as droid security began to take over, it became more and more challenging for the average thief to get out of the port without being caught, but that meant less competition for the slicers amongst the Ring's residents.

Slicers weren't all that easy to come by on the trading colony. Actually, good ones weren't easy to come by - any amateur that somehow managed to get their hands on scramble keys suddenly started calling themselves slicers. And those were the same amateurs that got themselves thrown into a cell within hours of proclaiming, with severe overconfidence, that they had the skill to hack anyone's computer. No, the thieves drawn to the Ring of Kafrene very rarely had the aptitude for hacking, but then again, the colony wasn't exactly a prime destination for codebreakers to begin with. Slicers were far better suited for the Outer Rim Territories, on planets like Cantonica or Nevarro, where their skills could be put toward big jobs, where they were less likely to be harassed by any kind of authority. To be a slicer in the Expansion Territory was practically asking for trouble, asking for stormtroopers and the Empire to toss one behind bars without mercy.

However, there were a rare few slicers that could get by particularly well on the Ring of Kafrene. One of those infamous slicers, who managed to somehow be renowned in the slums of the colony and yet never encounter any trouble from the Empire, was named Tillian.

Tillian was a man known only by that one name, and very few had the pleasure of learning anything about him beyond that. As far as slicers went, he was arguably one of the best throughout the entirety of the Expansion Territory; and despite his criminal activity, Tillian had the consideration to share his skills with a select few that he saw potential in through the years. And one of those few was Jai'ren Tillian.

Jai was a young woman of unknown origin, but of well-known talent among the underbelly residents of the Ring of Kafrene. She may not have been a strong thief in comparison to all the competition that loitered around the colony, but where she lacked in pickpocketing, she excelled in hacking. Of the half dozen or so that Tillian had trained through the years, Jai proved to be the most apt for the talent of slicing, even from an early age.

Currently, Jai was taking the risk of breaking into multiple ships crammed into Kafrene's overcrowded starport. This wasn't her first, nor did she intend for it to be her last, visit to the port, slicing her way onto ships of all classes and sizes; Jai found that, for her, it was far easier to focus and get a job done when she wasn't distracted by the hustle and bustle of the cramped trading streets, and the risk of sneaking into the parking port was well worth the quiet she needed to get her task done.

Jai had just unlocked a third ship, stuffing her scramble key into the inner pocket of her coat while pushing a stray strand of ashy brown hair back up into her cap, careful to avoid shifting the goggles situated atop it. She threw a cautious glance back over her shoulder, bird-like eyes searching and ears listening to ensure no one had taken notice of her. With a satisfied expression she quickly ducked into the U-Wing and closed the door behind her to avoid any unwanted attention.

Jai stood in the hull, realizing that, despite the appearance from the outside that the ship was large, it's interior was actually a rather cramped space. Nibbling the inside of her lip, she eyed the hull left then right; she realized within a few moments that it didn't look like there was all that much lying around that would be worth anything to her. There were hardly any compartments or cubbies for storing goods, and it looked like the only serious computer aboard the ship wasn't used for much more than tracking whereabouts and sending messages. She let out a derided sigh while sliding her hands into the pockets of her worn pants, fingers toying with a small box she'd grabbed from the last ship she broke into just minutes prior.

'What a waste,' she thought, her eyes scanning the ship again in slow consideration. It looks as if she put in a lot of effort for a whole lot of nothing. But she might as well search for something, anything, to at least deem said effort reasonable - maybe, despite appearances, she could get her hands on something good.

"Right," Jai spoke aloud to herself, extracting her hands and lazily cracking her fingers down in front of her hips. She climbed up the couple of steps into the cockpit, eyeing the equipment briefly before checking every crack and crevice for some kind of valuables. After a minute, she stepped back down into the main hull of the U-Wing, eyes scanning more astutely to make sure she hadn't missed anything obvious. This ship's interior was so small, there was hardly space for much of anything; Jai noted that it would probably have felt cramped if there were any more than four or five people aboard.

As Jai considered the size of the ship, she looked down at her feet, studying the metal floor for a few long moments before her lower lip pushed out appraisingly - unless her eyes were deceiving her, it looked as if some of the floor panels lifted. Jai dropped to one knee to test her theory, finding that there was, in fact, a handle that she twisted to unlock. But she was all too quickly disappointed, finding that what was hidden under the floor was nothing more than a row of collapsible seats. With another frustrated huff, Jai pushed back down and locked the handle back in its place.

And at that same moment, the door to the U-Wing suddenly slid open.

Jai's head shot up so quickly that her cap and goggles nearly fell from her head, her coal eyes wide as they locked onto a man a few years her senior. He was frazzled as his harsh stare burned into her, panting deeply to catch his breath as if he'd been running at top speed. The surprise in his expression upon seeing the unexpected intruder quickly gave way to a look of vexation, brow knotting as he quickly stepped up into the ship, causing Jai to jump to her feet in panic. Her eyes briefly darted past the young man with alarm as she heard the sound of blasters, spotting a KX security droid not far behind. Blindly, Jai's hands fumbled along the wall behind her in hopes that she could somehow find the button to open the second hull door.

With surprising speed, the man jumped forward, slamming Jai against the wall and knocking the wind out of her, one hand putting pressure on the base of her neck and the other roughly gripping her at the elbow of one arm. His voice came out in a loud, rough growl, "Who the hell are you!?"

Jai's hands flew up, one gripping at the hand on her neck, the other to his chest, roughly trying to shove him away. Her black eyes shined with the same intensity as his own as she glared.

"Get off me." She hissed as she heard the droid clamber into the ship, heard the sound of blasters multiplying and growing closer. Tightening his grip on Jai, the man spun them around and shoved her back, Jai stumbling on her heels a few steps until she bumped into the KX droid, expecting it to immediately apprehend them both.

"We have to get out of here." The man spoke urgently to the droid, ignoring Jai as he took a defensive stance up against the wall and out of the line of fire, which had come to a momentary pause, "Get her the hell off my ship!"

Confusion pulled at Jai's expression - this man, who certainly wasn't with the Empire, just gave an Imperial droid orders? The droid interrupted her train of thought as it's large hand dropped onto Jai's shoulder, fingers roughly digging into her skin and causing her to let out a nearly feral hiss. Once more, she was momentarily disoriented as the droid spun her around on her heel, Jai tripping forward from the motion. Her wide eyes stared ahead of her with dread, eyeing the wall of rapidly approaching stormtroopers as they started taking aim once more, assuming her to be a part of whatever kind of trouble this man had stirred up. Jai sharply inhaled as she realized just how deeply she was in over her head.

Panicked instinct took over as Jai attempted to rip away from the KX droid, managing to roughly yank herself away from it's one-handed hold; but she wasn't fast enough to avoid the blast from one of the more trigger-happy troopers, who had misread her quick movement and assumed she was preparing to take action against them.

Jai's abdomen was suddenly searing with pain, as if someone had doused her insides with gasoline and set them on fire. A ragged scream ripped from her throat as Jai collapsed backwards from the impact into the droid before falling to her knees, grasping desperately at her stomach as she dropped.

Though the moment had only lasted a second, to Cassian it was as if it all moved in slow motion. He saw how rapidly this woman's eyes went from anger to panic to pain, how roughly she was shoved back from the power of the shot, and heard how heavily her knees collided with the floor. In that split second he had to make a decision. Did he shove her out onto the port to be left to the stormtroopers' mercy, or did he close the ship door with her still inside? She could have been just a small-time thief… but what if she was a spy? She needed medical attention - maybe he should help her. But if she was a spy… he could always bring her back to Yavin 4 and throw her in a cell for a little while.

In that second of thought, which weighed on Cassian as if it had lasted minutes, he thrust his hand onto the button to close the door before clambering up to the cockpit at top speed. Just as quickly as the door hand closed, the stormtroopers outside started to take fire, their shots ringing out against the U-Wing's metal exterior.

"We need to get out of here now, Kay!" He called authoritatively to the droid that still lingered over the woman, "We'll deal with her later."

Jai cursed under her breath as K-2SO moved to join Cassian in the cockpit. From where she knelt on the floor, curled into herself as she tried to ignore her pain, Jai turned her tear-stricken eyes up in the direction of the pair, her anger bubbling - she got shot because these two assholes did something to piss off the troopers. The fact that they were flying out of the Ring of Kafrene wasn't even a thought in her head as Jai tried to push herself up off the floor, resulting in another agonized shout to leap from between her lips. The sound called Cassian's attention, and he turned in his seat to stare sharply at the woman as she tried to fight against the pain racing through her. He met her eyes, momentarily perturbed by just how pitch black they appeared; the darkness of her eyes made the intensity of her glare all the more fiery and challenging.

Once the ship was a safe distance from the Ring of Kafrene and Cassian was certain Kay could handle the flight back to Yavin 4, he grabbed the medical pack from behind his seat and jumped down to assist the woman, particularly uninterested in having her bleed out on the floor of his U-Wing. Jai had managed to get herself propped up against the wall, slouched with the pained glare never wavering from her features as she watched Cassian approach. He held eye contact sternly, unphased by the harshness being sent his way. For a long moment, he simply stood above her, assessing Jai with a careful eye.

"Who are you?" He finally questioned, remaining firmly where he stood as Jai's gaze briefly flicked down to the medical kit in his hand.

"None of your business." She answered through clenched teeth as she tried to hold back another groan of discomfort.

"If you'd like me to help you, it is my business." He saw the woman peer at the medical bag again, obviously battling with herself over whether or not she should answer his question, "Why the hell were you on my ship?"

Jai clenched her lips tightly together as she studied the man before her - who the hell was this guy and what sort of trouble did she unintentionally get wrapped into? He had to be someone far worse than her if he had attracted the attention of every damn stormtrooper on Kafrene, which eliminated him from being any old thief or cheat. Jai assumed his ship was another obvious clue as to his affiliations, however, she knew very little about ships aside from how to break in and out of them so she could deduce nothing from it. Chances were he was a murderer or a rebel or some kind of conspirator against the Empire. Maybe even all three.

Jai gave a sudden, sharp inhale as her pain seemed to peak yet again, clenching her arms tighter around herself as she clamped her eyes shut. Cassian gauged her reaction with apathy, having decided that, until proven otherwise, he had to assume her an affiliate of the Empire to err on the side of caution. What other explanation was there for her presence aboard the U-Wing at the same moment that the stormtroopers attempted to apprehend him?

"Unless you start talking, I'll let you bleed until you pass out, and then we're dumping you on the nearest moon whether it's breathable or not." He spoke assertively, jaw tense and eyes authoritative. Jai's eyes opened a little weaker than before, agony beginning to wash away her defiant expression, "Did the Empire send you to my ship?"

Despite her discomfort, Jai gave a mocking and surprised huff, the corner of her mouth tugging into an offended grin, "The Empire? You think they'd hire some street rat to break into your ship?"

"Maybe you're just undercover." Cassian crossed his arms as he studied the way Jai's body began to react to her injury, how her breathing came out in shudders, how her skin began to pale, how her forehead glistened with sweat - she probably wasn't going to remain conscious all that much longer, "Look, you're not likely to make it either way, so you may as well admit the truth."

"What?" Genuine concern took Jai's expression at the prospect of possibly dying from this injury; she jolted from the fear, causing pain to course through her abdomen again. Cassian's brow quirked at the reaction - maybe she was just a run-of-the-mill Kafrene thief.

Jai's hand started fumbling in her coat for a moment, to which Cassian cautiously stiffened, loosening his crossed arms just enough for his free hand to linger a little closer to his blaster. She extracted what appeared to be some kind of small electronic chip, holding it in his direction a moment before dropping it into her lap, going back to pull a jewelry box from another pocket.

"I promise you, I'm just a thief," Her voice had begun to sound a little rough as she let her head drop back against the cool metal wall, "Just a thief who was looking to get some good steals; I'm not with the Empire."

Cassian stared into her worried face for a few moments longer, his brow furrowed as he watched for any nervous ticks or odd behaviors. But he spotted none, simply recognizing the desperate plea in her eyes, "… Okay."

He unfolded his arms and crossed the last few feet between them, taking a knee while opening the medical kit. A relieved inhale slipped past Jai's lips as she closed her eyes, attempting to even out her rocky breathing. After a few moments of rummaging, Cassian gave a curse under his breath - they were out of bacta spray. They must have forgotten to restock the kit after their last mission, and now he couldn't properly assist this woman.

His eyes swung back up to stare at Jai, resting his hands atop his knees as he thought - he had no choice but to bring her back to headquarters medical, because he surely couldn't turn around and try to drop her off with some doctor back on Kafrene. If he didn't bring her back with them to Yavin 4, there was no guarantee she'd get the proper help she needed, and Cassian wasn't interested in letting an innocent woman die because of him, even if she is a thief.

Jai realized Cassian had come to a pause and she opened her eyes, tiredly looking over at him expectantly, "… I don't have the supplies I need to fix this. I might have enough to hold you over until I can get you medical attention, though."

"Might?" Her voice was weaker, but her fear was no less obvious.

Cassian nodded, "I think I have painkillers and antiseptic, but that's not enough to fix this."

"You're saying I might fucking die because your med kit is inadequate?" Jai's voice was breathy, but her words still managed to carry some bite to them as her eyes darkened again.

"If we make it back to base on time, no." Cassian answered simply while reaching into the pack for what little supplies he did have to offer. He turned his head toward the cockpit slightly while calling out, "Kay, get us back as fast as you can."

"Is it really wise to bring her to headquarters?" The droid questioned as Cassian moved closer to Jai, holding the painkillers out to her.

"Where and what the hell is headquarters?" She questioned while taking the medication; her expression looked as if it were stuck in one of twisted discomfort.

Another hiss from Cassian as he dug around in the bag - no disinfectant either. This wasn't looking good. Despite that, he still dug out the bandages, though he knew they wouldn't do as much good as they could if he had antiseptic.

"Headquarters is none of your business." Cassian echoed Jai's earlier words back to her; though her energy was progressively growing weaker and weaker, Jai still managed to narrow her eyes suspiciously at the man. She prayed that she wasn't about to be dragged off somewhere awful and alarming by this stranger and his damned droid.

"Hm, that's not very reassuring…" Jai's voice came out far quieter than she had intended. Cassian watched Jai closely as her head started to loll a little, and instinctively he reached for her, knowing that, although her falling asleep could be no problem, it could more likely lead to her body caving to the injury. He rested a hand firmly on the back of Jai's head and lifted it, meeting her lidded eyes.

"You stay awake as long as you can, you hear me?" Jai gave him a tired nod, "Tell me your name."

Silence lingered between them for a few long moments as they stared at one another, "… Jai."

Cassian gave a single, slight nod, "Jai, we're going to Yavin 4."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Jai wasn't sure if she had passed out or if she had simply become too delirious with pain, because she came to realize she was lying in a hospital bed without any recollection as to how she got there. She awoke groggy and confused, though nonetheless she felt well and without pain despite knowing she had been shot in the stomach. For a long while, she simply lied on the cot, eyeing the room around here, listening to others moving around and chattering softly. She was in a hall that was obviously converted to be some kind of medical wing, with cots lining the wall on both her left and her right. The only other people in the room were, what Jai assumed to be, a medic and a patient at the far end of the room, the patient sitting on the furthest cot while in discussion with the medic.

After spending a few minutes observing the room and recalling the events that led her here, Jai sat up slowly, groaning slightly, though for the time being she was in far less pain than she had anticipated. The supposed doctor spotted her right away, and excused herself from the patient after a moment, approaching Jai who was rotating her head left and right to work out her neck muscles, hearing a chorus of satisfied pops go up her bones. Her eyes watched the medic's approach casually as the patient rose from his seat and slowly left the room.

"It's Jai, isn't it?" The second woman started once she came to a pause at the foot of the cot, the corner of her mouth pulling into a practiced, cordial smile, receiving a nod from Jai, who was now carefully stretching her body to test out the feeling in her abdomen, "I'm Miona. You remember why you're here?"

The question was asked as if Miona already knew the answer, as if she could tell Jai had a relatively clear memory of everything that went down on Cassian's ship. Despite that knowing tone, Jai gave a second nod anyway.

"Some guy and a robot got me shot, and they brought me back here." Jai's voice was scratchy from disuse. Miona accepted the response, hearing the attitude in Jai's tone and knowing it meant the other woman could remember a lot despite saying very little, "So, where I am, and what the hell is this place?"

Miona was, however, surprised by Jai's bluntness, not expecting the woman to jump into questions so quickly. Miona could still see in Jai's dark eyes and hear in her tone that she was tired, but she had enough sense about her to get to the important matters.

"Are you sure you don't want another few minutes?" the medic asked, though she already anticipated the response she was going to get - after working as the head medic for the Rebellion, she had become accustomed to patients waking, rising, and questioning quickly without regard for their condition. The pilots and spies Miona had dealt with through the years quite often sprang back quickly from treatment and didn't like to waste time. It looked as if this woman was going to do the same.

Another shake of Jai's head, "I don't need another few minutes."

Miona gave an accepting nod, taking a seat on the cot next to Jai's, "You bounce back like someone who's been in this position before."

"Well, I've never been shot," Jai turned to face Miona, moving her legs so they could hang over the edge of the bed. She felt the first noticeable jilt of pain in her abdomen, but it was nothing compared to what she felt aboard the U-Wing, "but a couple broken bones through the years toughen you up a little. How long was I out?"

"Nearly two days," Miona began to explain, "Captain Andor got you here as fast as he could. You're lucky, if it had been much longer the injury might have gotten too severe."

Captain Andor. So, now Jai had a name for the face, though the face in her memory was already a touch fuzzy.

"Lucky me." Jai muttered as her eyes scanned the room again curiously, "And where is here?"

Miona paused and considered - she spoke with Cassian when he dropped off the injured woman, and he hadn't given her any warnings about what she should or shouldn't say to Jai. All he asked was that the woman be supervised once she awoke, and that they return her to the Ring of Kafrene as soon as possible. He also mentioned that she was a thief and that they should be watchful of that habit, but he said nothing to suggest that Miona keep their whereabouts a secret from her.

"Yavin's fourth moon." Jai shook her head with raised brows, obviously unfamiliar with the planet, "You're in the Outer Rim."

Jai mouthed the word 'oh' in understanding, eyes becoming a little lighter with both interest and concern - she'd never been this far from home. In fact, she could count the number of times she'd left the Ring of Kafrene on one hand. To say she felt nervous was an understatement. The realization that Jai was on some far off moon surrounded by strangers that she didn't know if she could trust suddenly hit her full force, and her heartbeat picked up an unevenly anxious pace.

Jai's eyes widened with her worry, and her fingers clenched into nervous fists. Miona quickly spoke up, trying to ease the anxiety, "Jai, you're with the Rebellion."

Miona hoped that was the right thing to say. Neither she nor Cassian knew anything about this woman, and for all she knew her statement could potentially worry her patient even more.

Jai's brows knit together curiously, and lucky for them both her unease calmed a little. So, this Andor guy was a rebel - that was certainly better than some of the other ideas Jai had been speculating.

The Rebellion wasn't something Jai had ever paid much mind to, not when she was a kid and not much now. Growing up on the Ring of Kafrene, one became used to the presence of the Empire monitoring the trading post and it's connecting routes, and Jai was raised to worry about herself before worrying about the concerns and needs of a whole. Sure, she knew to be there for her siblings should they ever need, and she knew to help others if she saw that they deserved it, but Jai never thought about the concerns of the entire galaxy. The rest of the galaxy just wasn't on the minds of those from Kafrene, who had learned life wasn't so black and white, had learned to coexist with both the Empire presence and with the rebels that crossed their paths.

Jai was certainly not for the Empire, though she wasn't necessarily sided with the Rebellion either. Being someone that grew up learning the ways of crime made her relatively impartial to the conflict - either way, whether under Empire control or Rebellion restoration, she would still be a criminal.

However, she could appreciate the sentiment of the Rebellion. To Jai, though it sounded as if their cause was rather idealistic, it was something good nonetheless. Sometimes she had caught herself wondering what her life could have been if the Ring of Kafrene wasn't Empire controlled, if the Alliance had knocked them down years ago and rebuilt the galaxy. Would Jai still be a criminal today, perhaps locked behind bars? Or would her life have taken a different route? Jai liked to think that she was supposed to become a slicer no matter who was running the galaxy, but she did believe life wouldn't have been so damn hard on her if the Empire weren't around.

So maybe she was a little more partial to the Rebel Alliance after all.

Jai let out a low sigh, realizing she had a string of questions she wanted to ask, but knew she couldn't bombard Miona with them all at once, "I assume someone's gonna drag me back to Kafrene as soon as you give them the go-ahead?"

Miona nodded, "Captain Andor asked that we get you back as soon as possible."

Jai's lower lip jutted out as she slightly nodded, having expected the answer she was given. Her eyes drifted away from the medic and looked about the room thoughtfully, feeling some kind of tug-of-war going on in her mind. She was far from home and amidst something she couldn't have prepared herself for and yet… she didn't want to leave too soon. Perhaps she could blame it on her curiosity, that irrepressible desire to pull apart and understand every new thing that was presented to her, just as she always did with computers and scramble keys and every other electronic she'd encountered through the years. Here she was with an opportunity to see a rebel base, she couldn't just leave and go back to Kafrene without anything new in her slicing arsenal.

Jai licked her dry lips while turning her keen eyes back to Miona, "Can I look around before I have to go?"

The hesitation was immediately obvious in Miona's expression, "I don't think that's wise…"

"Because you don't know me and can't trust me." Jai said knowingly; after all, if she were a part of a resistance movement, she'd hesitate to let a thief snoop around as well. She gave another sigh through her nose, staring at Miona as she thought for a couple moments, "… My name's Jai'ren Tillian, I was raised in Kafrene for the last eighteen years, and I don't know where I came from before that. I'm one of the only good slicers from the colony… And I like a good glass of Merenzane Gold when I can afford it."

Her attempted humor seemed to work - Jai could see the way the corners of Miona's eyes crinkled in amusement, but she refrained from smiling any larger than a small, cordial smirk.

Jai briefly felt naked with how closely Miona was staring into her eyes, and she could tell that this medic was well-versed in studying people to determine their credibility. Jai stared back, being the type that didn't like to waver her attention whenever she was being watched so closely.

"I thought you were a thief?" Miona finally said, tilting her head curiously. Jai wasn't surprised by the question, though she hadn't expected it to be the first thing brought up.

The corner of her mouth pulled into a lazy grin, "Slicers are just glorified thieves - I've never had the knack for pickpocketing or stealing from shops, but I can transfer credits from anyone's accounts or get into their ships without them ever knowing."

Perhaps that wasn't something to brag about. Jai could see the uncertainty in Miona's eyes, and realized quickly that her statement could lead to a train of thought that involved speculation of what she could do if she got her hands on rebel information.

"Don't assume the worst of me." Jai defended, "I'm not concerned with your information or data, it doesn't serve me any good."

Miona crossed her arms, though not in some kind of authoritative or reprimanding way - unless Jai was mistaken, it looked as if there was almost something chaff and curious to the look the medic was giving her, "So, why slicer? Aren't there other kinds of job opportunities on Kafrene that aren't all criminal?"

Jai smiled, cocking her head while mirroring Miona's posture - she liked this woman. And it looked as if Miona maybe was beginning to like her, as well, "Why the Rebellion? That's technically criminal, too, last time I checked."

Miona could see that there was nothing accusatory in Jai's statement, that Jai wasn't actually expecting her to answer or defend herself. This slicer was sharp.

Jai's eyes continued to shine with levity as she uncrossed her arms and curled her hands around the edge of her cot, leaning forward slightly, "If you want any more of this life story, you'll have to buy me a drink first."

The slight smile pulled at Miona's lips again. Though she most certainly couldn't say she trusted Jai, given that she knew the woman a whole of ten minutes, she could at the very least say she saw the good in her. In all her years of serving the Rebellion and, prior to that, treating medical patients on her home planet, Miona learned how to hone her ability to read people's energy. And Jai's energy in this moment was genuine and without ill-intent.

"Look, Jai, I can't let you go wandering around this place," She started while rising to her feet, "But if I call someone up here to escort you, I need you to promise you won't touch a thing and you won't cause any problems."

"You'd trust the promise of a stranger?" Jai quipped, and after Miona stared at her for another moment the medic turned to begin walking toward her desk.

"I like to give people the benefit of the doubt." Miona answered simply, retrieving a commlink from her desk while shooting Jai another kind look. She then opened a cabinet behind her, revealing Jai's belongings that had been taken off of her upon her arrival, "So?"

Jai continued in good humor, "I don't tend to make promises, but for you I'll be on my best behavior."

Miona nearly laughed as she pulled out Jai's things, "I guess that's the best I'll get."

Jai slowly rose, assessing each movement carefully to ensure she'd be good on her feet - aside from some cramping pain in her abdomen, she felt relatively unharmed. Though, she did realize in that moment that she was a little hungry, but she suspected they'd given her some kind of nourishment while she was out cold - if she had been asleep for nearly two days, Jai knew her body would have demanded food immediately if they had simply left her without nourishment that entire time.

Miona and Jai met each other halfway, the medic watching Jai's movements carefully. She knew the other woman would be fine, after all she received proper attention from the medical team, but Miona's doctoral instinct and worry could never be completely turned off. Many people, after even a day of rest following bacta treatment, were up on their feet again quickly; Jai was fortunate to be one of those types and not someone that awoke feeling groggy or drained from the medical treatment. In all her years, Miona still could never predict who would wake up feeling spry and who would wake up feelings worse.

In one hand, Miona carried Jai's folded coat and all the odds-and-ends that had been stuffed in her pockets, which she held out for Jai to grab, and in the other she had the slicer's old clunky boots, which she set atop the nearest cot. Jai noticed her cap and goggles were missing, but she reckoned they had been forgotten back on Captain Andor's U-Wing.

As Jai went through her belongings carefully to ensure nothing was missing (she let out a nearly pathetically pleased sigh when she saw neither Andor nor Miona had confiscated her scramble key), Miona started speaking to someone over the commlink.

Within minutes, the women were joined by a young Twi'lek male who looked rather confused to have been called down to the medical wing. He introduced himself and told Jai to simply call him 'Abe,' receiving an agreeing nod from the woman, who replied by telling him to simply call her 'Jai.' When Miona explained that she wanted Abe to escort Jai around the base, his expression was questioning and unprepared - he wasn't exactly a babysitter, after all. But, he nonetheless agreed, always happy to do Miona a favor and thankful for the reprieve from sitting at a computer for hours on end.

As Jai and Abe stepped out of the medical wing, he began to explain where it was in relation to everything else on the level - just next door was the briefing room, and down at the opposite end of the hall was access to the barracks and the mess hall. None of that was of any particular interest to Jai, though she didn't immediately say so out loud. No, if she was going to get a tour of a rebel base, she wanted to see their ships and flight deck, wanted to see what kind of technology they had in their command room. But she let Abe take his time showing her around - he had a nearly unsure quality to the way he spoke, as if he wasn't used to talking as much as he was doing. Or maybe it was just odd for him to be giving a stranger a tour of Yavin 4. Whatever the case, Jai refrained from pressing about the things she really wanted to see, at least for now.

"So, Abe, what brought you to the Rebellion?" Jai decided to attempt some conversation as they exited the turbolift after spending about twenty minutes or so on another level; her eyes widened eagerly at the sight of computers and tech stations spread out in front of her.

Abe looked hesitant to answer as Jai turned her excited eyes toward him, and for a short while they were both silent as he considered his answer.

"I was raised in it," he started carefully, his gaze trailing over toward Jai, "My parents were both rebels; they died for the cause a couple years ago. I've stuck around to finish their fight."

'That's noble.' Jai thought. She wondered if she would have done the same if she lost her guardian to a cause like this.

"What do you do here?" She asked and Abe finally started leading her through the crowd of computers, the other rebels giving them nothing more than mere glances as they passed. Abe looked down at her with curiosity in his eyes, wondering if she actually cared or if she was simply filling the silence; he couldn't tell.

Abe came to a pause at an empty workstation, lifting his arm toward it, "I'm a technician, I help manage our communications."

Jai gave a slight smile - briefly, she suspected that maybe Miona had called up Abe because he had a similar skill to Jai and hoped that would be something they could connect over.

"Must be demanding - you do encryption and data recovery?" Jai suspected those were areas he had to be skilled in if he was taking care of rebel communications - she was sure their channels were heavily protected and monitored at all hours of the day.

Abe nodded, "Some Imperial decryption as well when it's brought to me." Though he was still unsure of Jai, he liked the opportunity to talk to someone else about what he did. Abe wasn't usually the guy that got much attention, no one in Signal Intelligence did. Despite the appreciation all the departments and organizations in the Rebellion got, sometimes he felt as if his particular area of expertise was occasionally overlooked. Or maybe it was just everyone overlooking Abe specifically.

"I do decryption, too, among other things." Jai shared with another grin, "Bet I could give some of you a run for your money."

The corners of Abe's eyes wrinkled, though not necessarily in amusement, but rather in curiosity - did he not recognize the humor in Jai's delivery? Just as she began to wonder if she should elaborate and explain herself, Abe spoke inquisitively.

"You think so?"

Was that challenge in his tone that Jai heard? As she gave a rascally smile, Abe allowed some amusement to cross his expression.

"Miona said you were a slicer." His tone suggested that he was suspicious of the woman, which was a fair judgment. Jai was used to codebreakers having a bad reputation, though she'd done nothing with her line of work to counter said prejudice.

"And a damn good one." She replied confidently, seeing the way Abe's eyes narrowed with intrigue and perhaps even eagerness, and the expression made Jai realize just how young he was. If she had to guess, he was even younger than her twenty-three years, barely an adult and already an accomplished technician. For a brief moment, Jai recognized her own brother's curiosity in this young twi'lek's eyes.

"Do you think you're better with computers than some of us?" Abe sounded mildly challenging, to which Jai continued to grin.

"I don't want to assume, but…" Did Abe just smile back at her? He was too quick to straighten out his expression for Jai to say for sure, but his eyes still looked on with intrigue.

Abe looked away as a thought struck him, his stare washing over the room full of rebels in consideration of whatever just crossed his mind. Jai watched him patiently until he finally looked back down at her.

"Why exactly are you here?" His question wasn't what Jai expected.

"It's a little… complicated, but I was shot, and brought here for medical attention." Abe studied Jai's face while digesting the answer.

"But why did you want to see the base? Miona didn't mention you were a part of the Rebellion."

"I'm not."

"Then why so curious?" Jai would hand it to Abe, he was intelligent, though she should have expected no less of a rebel technician.

"I'm not trying to collect information, if that's what you're assuming." Jai defended, though there was no malice in her tone.

Abe shook his head, "I didn't assume that."

Without any further elaboration, he walked around the workstation and rested his palms atop the back of it's chair, eyes looking down at the computer before turning back up to Jai, something mildly akin to mischief flashing in his eyes.

"Show me what you can do." Though some of his seriousness lingered, Abe's expression once again showed that youthful curiosity, the youthful desire for friendly rivalry.

Jai's brows rose, "Really? You think you can handle being beat by some slicer from a shitty colony?"

Again, Jai saw Abe nearly smile, though this time it was more obvious, "It's not a competition, I just want to see what this slicer can do."

Jai hummed curiously, but nonetheless rounded the desk, Abe pulling out the chair before stepping back. As Jai took a seat, she dug her scramble key out of one of her pockets.

This scramble key was her baby. Jai had slaved over perfecting it, customizing the device with various parts and equipment that she'd acquired through the years. The key had started out as a rather standard scrambler, but as Jai learned more and more about the art of slicing and the equipment involved, she was able to build up her key to not only open door locks, but to bypass alarms, unlock computers, and decipher encrypted data. Jai would willingly give up everything else she owned (which wasn't all that much) so long as it meant her scramble key was always safely tucked into her pocket.

Abe gave an appraising look to the scramble key, not immediately recognizing what it was, though once Jai slid the screen to the side away from the handle portion of the tool, giving the device the vague silhouette of a gun, he realized it was slicer equipment.

"I'm not trying to get into any trouble here," Jai started, spinning the chair around to look up at Abe, "so gimme something that won't turn the entire Rebellion against me."

Abe paused and considered - he didn't want to give her any basic tasks to test her skills, he wanted to see her struggle. He settled on telling Jai to find a classified file. He only gave her one bit of information to use at a starting point - the file had his name somewhere in it. He hadn't told Jai his full name, nor did he give any important dates or other information to go off of. He wasn't just testing her slicer abilities, he wanted to see how she would rationalize which file was the one he was looking for.

Jai managed that task with impressive speed. So, Abe gave her another one.

And then another.

And one more. Each increasing in difficulty. By the last two tasks Abe could see how Jai was struggling, yet she nonetheless eventually managed to complete what was asked of her.

Abe was impressed - she was certainly on par with many of the other techs here, and undeniably better than some as well. So, the Ring of Kafrene didn't only produce underwhelming and laughable criminals after all.

Despite the fact that Abe hadn't given Jai another task, she started tapping on her scramble key again, and yet, Abe had begun to let his guard down, not evening thinking to question what she was doing now. During the challenges he had given her, Abe had pulled over a second chair, sitting back in it comfortably as he watched her work.

"So, who's that Endor guy? Or was it Anders?" Jai questioned, not looking up from her key.

"Captain Andor, the one that brought you here?" Jai smirked mischievously at the reply.

"Yeah, that one." She replied, though it was noncommittal, as if she were already disengaging from the topic of the captain, continuing to work on her scramble key.

Abe paused at her expression, suspicious of it. And as he opened his mouth to question her, Jai glanced over with a satisfied look, tapping one last time on her scramble key before something changing on the screen of Abe's computer caught his eye.

They both looked at the screen, Jai pulling her seat closer and leaning in to look at the computer studiously, meanwhile Abe's eyes widened with worry. She pulled up files about Cassian Andor. Abe looked between Jai and the screen, momentarily too flabbergasted to say anything.

Cassian. Jai mulled over the name for a moment before she continued reading the profile and records the Rebellion had on him. He'd been one of the fastest to rise through the ranks, the youngest captain in the Alliance's Intelligence branch. Jai's expression furrowed in shock upon reading that he became a child soldier at six-years-old, engaging in his first combat during the Clone Wars. As she recalled what years the Clone Wars happened, she realized he had to be younger than he looked when they met aboard his U-Wing - Jai easily mistook him for a man in his thirties, but as she did the math now, she realized he was only about twenty-five. It must have been the way he carried himself or the knowing, mature sharpness of his eyes that made the man seem older beyond his years - who knew what he'd done and what he'd seen in his youth to age him so. He had the mind of someone who had to learn things the hard way, the attitude of a man that knew what he wanted and knew what he believed in. And Jai wasn't too proud to admit his rap sheet was impressive.

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Since his return to Yavin 4 nearly two days ago, Cassian had been far too preoccupied to even think about the woman he brought back with him; in fact, he had quickly forgotten about her as he got caught up in other tasks and duties. Aside from himself, another intelligence captain had returned from a mission about the same time that Cassian had, and they were both a part of a meeting with the various higher-ups to go over all the new intel that had been recently acquired. Another officer had questioned Cassian regarding his unexpected cargo, but once he gave everyone a brief explanation of what happened, the subject was dropped and forgotten.

Cassian and the other captain had gone to work trying to plan the next mission based off of new intel regarding a potential Empire database complex in the Mid Rim - they wanted to assemble a team to go check it out as soon as possible. The mission was to be headed by the second captain, Cassian already having another assignment lined up for himself that he had to prioritize. The team for the Mid Rim investigation had left on the second day of Cassian being back from his trip to the Ring of Kafrene.

Cassian hadn't thought to go to the medical wing to discuss Jai with Miona, hadn't thought to check in and see if she was still hanging around or if someone had already brought her back to the Ring. He was too caught up in his work to even spare a thought for the unplanned passenger from aboard his U-Wing.

Cassian was on his way from the hangar, where he had been checking up on repairs to his ship, to the command room in search of General Draven to go over some last minute data. He stepped out of the turbolift among the various control center technicians, inattentively excusing himself from an unimportant conversation with one of the techs as he started heading for the command room. Just as they usually did, the technicians scattered about barely spared Cassian a glance, too caught up in their own work. That was one thing Cassian always appreciated about the techs - they had laser focus that couldn't be rivaled. Where pilots and spies liked to strike up conversation and allowed their attention to be diverted far more easily when they weren't away on missions, those in Signal Intelligence and the other high-tech jobs rarely became distracted while they were at their desks.

Typically, Cassian was just as focused as the technicians once he was on this floor, as being up here in Command and Control meant business, and yet today Cassian allowed his gaze to roam the room as he walked through it. Maybe it was the noise, as everyone seemed to be louder than usual, or maybe it was some instinctive feeling, as if there was something to be seen that was out of place. Whatever the case, Cassian's gait slowed a little to allow his eyes to search the room, observing the various techs for seconds longer than he normally would.

Cassian suddenly felt as if a weight had dropped in his stomach when his eyes fell on a pair a few rows away from where he walked, the two hunched over a computer screen. He was shocked he had cared enough to even recognize the woman's face, but it was a good thing he did, because Jai had no business wandering the headquarters control room.

Cassian's eyes darkened as his brow furrowed, turning to begin marching in their direction. Jai had a mischievous smile on her face, one he wanted to wipe right off; beside her, the Twi'lek tech, whose name was escaping Cassian at this moment, looked at her with caution, saying something that appeared to be ignored by Jai. Cassian couldn't believe Miona had let down her guard and allowed Jai to leave the medical wing - he'd have to discuss this with the doctor later.

As Cassian approached, Abe finally took notice of him, inhaling sharply and jumping up from his seat quickly upon spotting the irate look on the captain's face. Jai sensed the distress in Abe's reaction, finally peeling her gaze away from the computer and up to her new company, before following his line of sight. She, too, inhaled through her nose as her eyes widened, feeling her posture stiffen, but she tried as best she could to hide her anxious surprise at seeing Cassian.

"What is she doing here?" Cassian's voice was sharp as he halted on the opposite side of the desk, clenched fist pressing down on it as he leaned forward. Despite Abe being the tallest of the three, somehow Cassian seemed like the largest person in the room, "Do you know that she is a thief and she was supposed to be brought back to her colony? What the hell is she doing on your computer?"

"Captain Andor, Doctor Tif asked me to show her around," Abe quickly defended under the intensity of Cassian's stare.

"Why?" his eyes rotated over to Jai, whose jaw was clenched tightly, doing her best to mask the concern in her black eyes.

"I couldn't leave without getting a tour." Jai quipped with defensive humor, also standing. Though Cassian still had a number of inches of height on her, Jai felt better to be facing him on her feet. Cassian dipped his head to inspect the computer, causing another wave of vexation to wash through him upon seeing his own named repeated multiple times on the display. His dark eyes met Jai's again.

"Are you trying to spy on me?" He spoke lowly, to which the corner of Jai's mouth pulled up despite the hostility between them.

"I just wanted to know more about my savior." Her tone was jeering, an obvious defense against stress and confrontation.

"Or you're a spy collecting intel." Cassian countered, sharply turning his head back to Abe, "And you're just sitting here letting her go through classified files like this? What kind of a fool are you?"

As Abe opened his mouth nervously to reply, Jai took a step in front of him, resting her fists atop the desk in a stance that mirrored the captain's, "Watch your tone."

Cassian was taken aback by her audacity to confront him that way and by her willingly to defend this rebel that she barely knew. His anger grew even hotter from her counter.

"I'd watch yours if I were you." He replied slowly.

"Captain Andor," Abe's tone was nervous, but he gulped loudly and pushed through it, "she's a slicer, I just wanted to see what she could do, I didn't mean for her to pull up any information on you. It was just in fun."

A slicer. Jai had neglected to mention that when she claimed herself to be a thief. Cassian's glare locked onto Abe with appalled shock.

"You let a slicer onto one of our computers?" His voice rose an octave, and by now a couple of the other technicians had taken notice of the confrontation going on, trying to slyly eavesdrop on it.

"Captain, she's talented." Abe seemed to grow a little braver, upset by the aggression aimed his way, "She's even better than some of us."

"That means nothing." Cassian hissed, whipping his harsh eyes back over to Jai. She met the glare head on, though Cassian could see that there was still a stressed uncertainty in her eyes; if he were someone else, he very well could have been fooled by this bluff, by this show of aggression and authority. But he wasn't someone else, and he could see right through her, could see that she had to muster up so much strength just to be glaring back into his eyes.

As Abe looked between the two, his nerves spiked high, he wasn't sure what came over him - maybe he was trying to diffuse the situation, maybe he had come to like Jai, maybe he was just desperate. Whatever the case, none of them were prepared for what he said next.

"I think she could be a good asset to us." Cassian and Jai's heads turned toward him at nearly the exact same time, Cassian prepared to argue while Jai looked with surprised curiosity, "Captain, we could use another slicer on the team, they bring a different skill set than the rest of the techs."

"Absolutely not." Cassian bit back.

"That's not up to you, though, is it?" Jai questioned harshly, eyeing the man again, drawing his attention back to her. Cassian inhaled deeply through his nose as his jaw tightened, his glare unblinking.

"You don't just join the Rebellion as some kind of cop out, we don't need people that don't care about the cause." He huffed with unamused mockery, "If this cause was important to you, you would have already said so. You don't get to use it as some means of surviving another day."

"And how do you know it's not important to me?" Jai questioned, though even she was asking herself that exact question. She didn't care about the Rebellion, did she? She had been content, albeit a little bored, back on the Ring of Kafrene, barely spared more than a thought to either the Empire or the rebels. Why now did she suddenly feel the need to argue, why now did she seem to convince herself that suddenly she cared about the matters of the galaxy at large?

Jai didn't like being challenged. Despite the fact that confrontations such as this one made her anxious, and she did her best to avoid them, a stubborn part of her couldn't help but try to stand her ground. Whether or not Cassian was right in his judgment of her didn't matter - what mattered was that he doubted her worth. And in this moment she wasn't going to simply back down and tolerate it.

"I do what I have to to survive, that's what you learn living on Kafrene. Just because I'm a slicer doesn't mean I lack morality. If anything, I value it more than the average person because of how I grew up. Don't think yourself better than me, Cassian Andor."

Cassian couldn't help but pause despite his instinct to keep arguing with her. He wouldn't say she made any valid point, nor would he admit she was right in any way, yet he nonetheless had a brief, brief moment of consideration toward her argument.

A part of Cassian knew he was being unreasonable. Perhaps it was his exhaustion or his pride or his stubbornness. The Rebellion had accepted people from all walks of life so long as they were willing to fight for the cause; Cassian had no reason to think Jai was any different from so many of the others among him.

It must have been personal, given that he had found her aboard his ship and attempting to steal; finding her here in the control room rifling through information on him didn't help her case either. Cassian was latched onto his upset from their first meeting, and that frustration combined with his current state of stress, giving way to an unnecessary level of anger in him.

Abe suggested that the discussion be brought before the council, before the Chancellor and the other heads of the Alliance. And Cassian knew Abe was right, knew that it was pointless to argue with this woman in the middle of the control center, knew that he just needed to step back and relax. He had far more important things to worry about than this woman.

As the trio came down from the high of their dispute, Cassian vowed that he wouldn't let himself trust the thieving slicer.

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Disdain [dis-deyn, dih-steyn]

verb

to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn

to think unworthy of notice, response, etc.; consider beneath oneself

noun

a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn

#cassian andor #cassian andor x original character #cassian andor x oc #cassian andor x reader #diego luna #rogue one #star wars #star wars fic #rogue one fic #rogue one fanfiction #pls let the tags work this time tumblr or i stg #ca #fics #fics*#saudade

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theholycovenantrpg · 3 years

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CONGRATULATIONS, MIMZ! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF RAPHAEL.

Admin Rosey: I never really thought that Raphael’s application would be so f u n to read. Macabre? Absolutely. Impassioned? Of course. But hilarious to the point where I was giggling? Definitely unexpected but that is what made this so enjoyable and it is ultimately why this application received a r e s o u n d i n g yes from each of us. There was a perspective that I always envisioned for Raphael but was never able to articulate it myself until you laid it out, word by word, with this application, Mimz. Raphael is such a multi-faceted and character that holds so much potential, and the way that you wove it into every aspect of the application made this so fun to read. Thank you so much for taking the time to produce such a wonderful application! Your faceclaim change to Kendrick Sampson has been approved. Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias

mimz

Age

Personal Pronouns

she/her

Activity Level

i’ll typically check the dash every day, and i try not to keep replies stewing for longer than a couple of days! that said i can be a little slow, especially around exam seasons.

Timezone

pst

Triggers

REMOVED

How did you find the group?

miss minnie bleubeard’s blog

IN CHARACTER

Character

raphael, with a fc change to kendrick sampson

What drew you to this character?

short answer: divine amorality sexy HAHAHAHA

long answer: there was something i read a little while ago about some of the best surgeons being able to dehumanize their patients to a rather frightening degree. there’s a level of abstraction that you need in order to not let your empathy get in the way of the practice of medicine; ultimately, a body is a body is a body, right? and then there’s the moral quandary of healing - it is a doctor’s duty to heal, but what does that actually mean? to what extent is a doctor’s duty to relieve suffering? to obstinately prolong life? if the body heals but the mind still ails, is a person healed? what i’m getting at, here, is that in some ways the healer is the most dangerous character of all.

when i read raphael’s bio, there was a quote in that article from a surgeon named david cheever that came to mind: “as a result of anaesthetics, the surgeon ‘need not hurry; he need not sympathise; he need not worry; he can calmly dissect, as on a dead body.’” to me, raphael is an explosion and expansion of this concept. raphael is, quite literally, a medical ethicist’s worst nightmare, and to me, that’s absolutely fascinating. without sympathy, what separates a healer from an educated control freak with a god complex? with raphael, we can extend this concept to its furthest extreme. raphael isn’t even human - how could he even begin to sympathize with an experience so foreign to him? why would he worry about something trivial as human suffering when it essentially exists as a theoretical concept to him? divine beings have no reason to play by human rules, and as a creature raised by god’s side raphael was so far removed from the concept of human suffering that it’s sort of a no-brainer that he developed a sick fascination with it, like a child who managed to con their parent into buying a grand theft auto game and is obsessed with running over pedestrians because the stakes never quite feel real. it’s a perspective i’d absolutely love to explore in a group rp setting because the nature of rp means that it’s kind of...completely unsustainable? like as writers we’re shoving these characters together, which means that raphael will have to be exposed to mortals. there’s room for a lot of character development there, and it seems like something extremely interesting to explore.

BUT HERE’S THE THING⁠—and this is where the character gets really fun, in my opinion. i’ve talked a fair bit about god complexes already, but when applied to raphael an interesting question is raised: how much is a complex, and how much of it is actually being divine? what really made me want to get my grubby little hands on the reins of raphael’s story was seeing the disconnect between the way his connections are written from raphael’s perspective versus the other character’s perspective. it’s a fun little hubristic shade that makes him an unreliable narrator and infinitely more interesting than a simple morality thought experiment. i think it’s easy to see raphael as this super cool, all-powerful master manipulator (i think that’s a pretty accurate take on his self-image, in fact), but he’s not the only player in this game. for every pawn he’s trying to move, there is someone else trying to use him in a similar way, and i don’t know that he truly understands the ramifications of that. see, i think it’s easy to reduce raphael to the points i discuss in the previous paragraphs because that’s what he wants you to think of him. but this is a world of gods and superpowers and magical political intrigue and game of thrones doesn’t exist so nobody can tell him that he’s on the path to becoming a cersei lannister (admittedly i haven’t watched got so this reference might not be right but i feel like it’s right so uh. yeah!). maybe i just like to see arrogant men getting knocked down a peg? this might be a projection of that. i dunno. i just know that there are quite a few mind games and mental gymnastics to untangle with raphael and that’s fun. he’s fun.

also. i would like to once again reiterate: divine amorality sexy. it’s not good, to be clear, and i don’t condone it, but i’m just saying.

What future plots do you have in mind for the character?

WHEN THE CITY CRUMBLES AROUND YOU AND YOU HOLD ITS VESTIGES IN YOUR HANDS, WHOM DO YOU BLAME?

i think Raphael’s big character arc revolves around a simple question: how far are you willing to go to achieve what you want?

ostensibly, it’s an easy answer: very far. but when your desire is antithetical to your very purpose, when chasing it puts you at odds with the thing you’ve worked to build, do the goalposts move?

(the correct answer is that raphael did not build caelum. he simply destroyed god.)

let’s say, hypothetically, that raphael gets what he wants. the world is thrown into war and chaos and destruction, yadda yadda, raphael gets his blood and his suffering, great. he’s lived through this before (a couple times, actually), so you think he’d realize by now—eventually, the dust will settle. people will tire of suffering. and where will that leave raphael? how many times will you remake the world to watch it burn? can you ever be fulfilled chasing a temporary high?

(the correct answer is no, but raphael is an immortal being. more importantly, he is a patient one. he will wait a million days for rome to be built, if only to witness the single day in which it will burn.)

i think raphael needs to reckon with these questions. i think he’s lived far too long with his mentality unquestioned and that has made him both insufferable and a major threat to society. this is a long and pretentious way to say that raphael honestly kind of needs a hobby whatever the thc-verse equivalent of therapy is, but i think any sort of positive character development is contingent upon a recontextualization of suffering and chaos and raphael’s masks.

of course, this isn’t to say that introspection will only lead to positive character development. perhaps a raphael who looks deeper into his psyche will come to understand that his desires outweigh his role; perhaps such thoughts will push raphael over the edge of propriety and into something more outwardly despicable. no matter what, though, i think that the direction of raphael’s character development will be largely shaped on how he decides to prioritize his⁠ roles and goals.

FOR WHOM DO THESE HANDS HEAL?

let’s discuss the archangels, shall we? despite it all, raphael genuinely loves his brothers. i would argue, even, that raphael believes that his scheming is in service to the other archangels; he’s not blind to the way complacency has softened the angels. at this point, the only true threat to the angels is themselves—if michael wants to to unlock a state of sanctifying grace, it will happen at the hand of one of his kin.

i spoke earlier about raphael’s goals ultimately being futile. this is largely because they are diametrically opposed to michael and gabriel’s goals, and while raphael knows this intellectually, i don’t think he’s quite thought about what the long-term implications of that conflict entails. he’s so caught up in the conflict between michael and gabriel that he’s neglected to consider how he factors into the dynamic. could he be the common ground that brings michael and gabriel together? could he be the final straw that breaks them apart? he is excited for the fighting, the fallout; but has he stopped to consider what the long-reaching effects of such a rift may be?

raphael is breaking his family apart because he loves them. will that be enough, when he is sent to pick up the pieces? whose side will he fall on, if he is to pick a side at all?

DID PYGMALION FALL IN LOVE WITH THE BEAUTY OF HIS CREATION, OR THE BEAUTY HE CREATED?

i said this in the previous section but i’d like to reiterate it: i think a big reason raphael is Like That is because the stakes have never quite felt real to him. raphael’s a pot stirrer, but he’s not a creature of action. to this, i say give him real stakes. to be honest, i don’t know exactly what that entails, because i could see a number of ways in which tangible pressure manifests itself for raphael. perhaps his meddling with michael and gabriel steps too far, and his brothers perhaps the angels become suspicious of his maneuvering, in which the spider is drawn into his own web of intrigue. maybe we apply positive pressure, where the ails of the world require a healer and raphael is tapped to higher purpose⁠—and higher power. maybe raphael will find himself tempted by the very demons he holds in contempt.

the point is that raphael has largely been a character who acts through others. even now, we see this through his grooming of romilda, with his subtle manipulation of michael and gabriel. i want him to become a more active character, either by his own volition or by his hand being forced.

similarly, i’m extremely interested in seeing how raphael navigates the political elements of this verse. i expect it stings a bit to be the only archangel not given a position of leadership; perhaps he holds lingering resentment toward zadkiel for being given a role raphael had expected to receive. does he subtly undermine zadkiel’s leadership? i want to watch him play up tensions with the vices, to hide a vicious war-hawk perspective under the guise of a concerned healer. i want him to smile in abaddon and samael’s faces and plot their suffering in his mind. i want to see the snake slither in the grass, to return to his original form as a spider spinning a web of intrigue across his court. yes, i want a more active raphael, but i think the political drama is ripe for development, as well.

WHEN I SPIT UP MY SINS AND BEG FOR REPENTANCE, WHAT WILL COME UP?

this one’s a long shot, but i could maybe...see...raphael……..falling. i can guarantee you that the idea has never even crossed raphael’s mind, and that he would literally rather be smited than be cast out of caelum, but i can see it. i think he might be happier, actually; if he fell, he could really lean into the chaos and suffering thing without any compunction.

of course, this is something infinitely easier said than done. were raphael to be cast out of caelum, he would have nowhere to go. infernum would never take him⁠—he’s made far too many enemies among their ranks. he could wander the holy land, but he’s far too proud to bind himself to its existing social systems. (he wouldn’t be able to look gabriel in the eye.)

raphael would have absolutely nothing.

but he would also be free.

that’s right, i think that a horsemen-style liberation arc would be an absolute banger for raphael. again, i don’t think it’s feasible unless a very specific set of circumstances happen, but just imagine a raphael with nothing to lose, free to go absolutely apeshit. his only prerogative is to make sure you have a bad day. he is free to sow whatever chaos, whatever suffering he so wishes across the land. WHEW.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character?

yes, but i don’t see him going down easily.

IN DEPTH

Driving Character Motivation

entomological curiosity, in short. consider: why did god leave the apple in the garden of eden? why do humans keep animals in glass cases? why do children burn ants with magnifying glasses?

raphael wants to observe the world. a good healer must understand his patients at a fundamental level, and such truths are only revealed when the subject is broken down to its basest parts. you see, raphael was weaned on temperance and virtue; there is a lush decadence to emotional extremes that he finds most fascinating. they are debased. they are crass. they are wantonly sentimental, in a garishly beautiful way.

but this is not all. he wants to stave off boredom, and these are the tools he has to play with. for all of his machinations, raphael is a simple being. raphael has no grand ambitions, no lofty ideals, and that is what makes him so dangerous. he wants to be amused. he wants to be stimulated. he wants to observe a world in which things happen.

ostensibly, this is not as selfish a motivation as it may seem. as a healer, raphael knows something that many do not: serenity cannot exist in perpetuity. it is impossible for the world to remain unchanged⁠—even if the change is not evident, it is happening. an eternal peace is all but a stagnation of the kingdom; the only thing stagnation breeds is degradation. the angels are weakening because they are not being challenged. michael and the virtues may be doing extensive research to find an alternate explanation, but raphael knows this to be the truth.

of course, the irony underlying the selfless explanation of raphael’s motivations reveals the truth of the matter: it is a farce. perhaps it is a lie that raphael has even convinced himself he believes, but it is farcical nonetheless. raphael claims he wants to invoke change because stagnation is dangerous, but riddle me this⁠—if this is true, why has raphael never changed? centuries upon centuries have passed, and the world has changed around him, but raphael himself has remained largely unchanged. he is the orchestrator of change, not its agent nor its subject, and that is just the way he would like things to stay.

Character Traits

CHARISMATIC - there’s a reason very few have cottoned on to raphael’s true nature, and it’s not (just) his pretty face and magical girl-esque aura. there’s something effortlessly captivating about raphael, a pace to his cadence that has you hanging on to his every word, a lightness to his smile that makes you want to coax it out whenever and however you can. everything about raphael puts people at ease, except for his eyes, which tend to put people on edge if he’s not careful. he’s not gregarious or the outgoing sort of charismatic by any means, but he does manage to exude an overwhelming charisma.

PATIENT - it’s important to remember that before raphael turned on god, he waited for him. raphael performed healings for centuries and never raised a hand against his father in that time. think of all the angels that fell, that rebelled; raphael was not among them. no, raphael played the dutiful son, allowing his resentment to fester and boil deep underneath his skin, but never to surface. for centuries he served loyally, biding his time. remember: lucifer fell. raphael did not. which one killed god? as i mentioned in the plot section, raphael will wait a million days for rome to be built to witness the single day it burns. prolonged suffering is perhaps the most beautiful of all. fortitude goes hand-and-hand with patience.

INTELLIGENT - in a few ways. raphael is well-studied, with extensive knowledge of biology and chemistry and history and politics. raphael is emotionally intelligent; he hides his true nature behind a veneer constructed to meet expectations. he may not be as talented as gabriel in this regard, but it is a skillful construction nonetheless.

MANIPULATIVE - i mean. yeah.

ARROGANT - he thinks he’s smarter than god???????????????? tbf god was a bit of a headass in this universe but we’ve all read enough tragedies to know where this kind of hubris ends up going.

CRUEL - there’s a bit to unpack here. i’d argue that there are two types of cruelty: malicious cruelty and callous cruelty. raphael is certainly capable of both, but i think he embodies the latter. with certain notable exceptions, raphael’s cruelty is rarely personal; it is a thoughtless sort of cruelty, the type inflicted upon beings considered expendable. raphael is selfish and petty and powerful, and these traits coalesce into a casual cruelty.

In-Character Para Sample cw: light gore

Look at how they look at him. God’s good little lambs, lined up all in a row, passive and pliant and patiently awaiting benediction. Patiently waiting for Raphael.

Raphael hates them.

No. This is false. It is difficult for Raphael to muster up stronger feelings toward mortals than a vague sort of amusement, the sort of affinity one might have for a particularly stupid kit when it does something surprisingly clever. In this regard, he understands that he differs from his kin. Gabriel, in particular, has developed a particular fondness for the mortals. Why anyone would wish to strip mortals of their most fascinating behavior⁠—to the point of openly defying their Father⁠—is beyond Raphael. He has given up on trying to reason with his brother on the matter.

The first supplicant is beckoned forward. They pray to the Lord and Raphael touches their forehead with one palm, cups their chin with the other. His fingers splay carelessly around a throat all but bared to him and the ceremony is so mechanical Raphael allows his thoughts to wander⁠.

How easy it would be to tighten his grip. How beautiful it would be, to watch the lamb’s naive adoration flash into fear, to watch fear darken into betrayal and resentment and the most beautiful emotion of all: despair. He can feel the pulse at his fingertips. It would quicken in a stress response, he knows. It would quicken, then it would pound, and then maybe it would stop. It all falls to Raphael’s whim. In this moment, Raphael holds their life in his hands. They have all but laid on his sword for the promise of absolution and when they look up at Raphael with their dumb, trusting eyes he can see the sparkling tracks where tears once fell, down the hollow of a cheek into the pool of a collarbone. He finds himself overcome with the desire to trace the fall with his tongue. “Give me your pain,” he murmurs. Let me taste it. Let me understand.

He takes it. He does not taste it. He does not understand.

He releases the mortal. Those beautiful tear tracks are already fading. “The Lord be with you,” he says, and perhaps he even means it. His Father’s gaze burns into his back, even from a world away. He’d laugh at the irony, were he free to. Is this the weight you so desire? he wants to ask the devotee. No, Raphael knows the truth: God’s love is a shackle. God’s love is a leash and it is holding Raphael back from his fullest potential.

“And also with you,” the lamb responds. Their head is bowed obediently in prayer and they shuffle away, appropriately awed. The next supplicant is beckoned forward.

The light of Raphael’s presence obfuscates the darkness in his eyes.

—

Later, much later, Raphael finds himself studying his hands. He flexes them, balls them into fists, stretches his fingers as far as they will spread.

How easy it would be to tighten his grip.

The hand is at once an individual unit and a summation of individual parts. The hand contains twenty-seven bones and thirty-four muscles connected by over a hundred ligaments and tendons. Wrists connect to metacarpals, which connect to carpals, which taper off into delicate phalanges. Individually, each of these parts are largely useless; were Raphael to take a scalpel and drag it through a tendon, across the joints, the strings would be cut and the puppetry would cease to dance. You would be left with a small pile of carpals and metacarpals and phalanges, loose strings of muscle and tendon. At times, it is difficult to fathom how such mundane component parts are the instruments of extraordinary acts.

Raphael flexes his hand, watches bone shift under skin. If he remembers correctly, mortals have an idiom about knowing your hands, or something along those lines. He will not pretend to be familiar with mortal culture. Did you know that, wings aside, mortals and angels all have the same bone structure?

Of course you did. It is common knowledge that God made all beings in His image, or so the story goes.

This is an easy answer, but one with interesting implications. Let us extrapolate. If mortals and angels are essentially biological mirrors, and each are made in the image of God, does that mean that God will bleed like His creations? Slide a scalpel across God’s knuckles—will His puppets cease to dance?

Raphael could find out. It would take only a single blade, sliced through a single tendon.

Now, Raphael is not so arrogant to believe himself the blade. He would not even consider himself the hand. Such a role requires a particular kind of conviction—

( —and that sort of conviction is made manifest in bitter disillusionment⁠—the sort inflicted upon Michael. How easy it would be to find himself in his brother’s ear, whispering of their Father’s capriciousness and the unnecessary cruelty that resulted for the poor, poor humans— )

( —and that sort of conviction is made manifest in righteous anger⁠—the sort inflicted upon Gabriel. How easy it would be to find himself in his brother’s ear, whispering of their Father’s neglect and the unnecessary cruelty that resulted for the poor, poor humans— )

( —and that sort of conviction is made manifest in a whetted hunger⁠—the sort God gifted to each of His angels. Hunger breeds hunters and heaven is full— )

—that Raphael simply cannot embody. Rage has never been his forte.

Consider, however, that the hand is controlled by nerve impulses. A spark is all the hand needs to transform from a collection of bone to an agent of action. Yes. He clenches his fists. Here are the bones, the veins, the tendons, the muscle. Angels and mortals all share the same bone structure.

Does God?

Extras

pinterest.

raphael has classically beautiful wings. i’m talking TEXTBOOK cherubic angel wings, with the sweeping white feathers and all. raphael kind of hates them, though he takes a great deal of pride in them.

raphael doesn’t have a signature weapon. he’s proficient with blades, yes, and fights with a surgeon’s precision, not the strongest nor the fastest but eerily efficient in his blows. but he is a healer—at the end of the day, his empty hands are all he needs. (his empty hands are what you should fear.)

raphael hates the heretics pro forma but. but. he cannot deny a certain...fondness for them. the heretics exhibited such dedication to a futile cause; they believed their suffering to be something noble. it’s a laughable notion, certainly, but a sentiment so distinctly human it’s almost charming. should they wish to return, to throw themselves on the knife over and over and over, well. raphael shall not complain. he shall smile beatifically, perhaps abate their suffering, even⁠—and watch them do it again.

in a modern au, raphael is a reality tv producer. ok actually he’s probably a surgeon but i think he’d make a very good reality tv producer. alternately, there is a universe out there where raph fixated on like...baking, or k-pop, instead of suffering. those are good timelines, i think. maybe not the k-pop stan timeline.

raphael is the living embodiment of that dwight schrute “we need a new plague” meme.

#accepted #accepted: raphael

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