Focus

Diana stormed off, the clang of her heavy footfalls against the metal walkway made it insanely easy for the Drifter to follow along silently behind her. She made it to the room she called the "winter wonderland of hell" just before Drifters sleeping container and screamed.

Pure, unfiltered rage escaped her as her voice bounced off the still walls back to her. A deep inhale before a second war scream that could have rivaled the Hive Witch Omigul filted through the impossible chill.

Drifter resisted a smile. He was glad to see she still held that spark deep inside her. For too long he had pampered her. Spoiled her. She had gotten too complacent. Too good. She needed reminding that she could always do better, things could always go wrong.

He gathered up some snow in his hand, still silent, still watching as the lights from Diana's mouth flared and dimmed with her angry huffs. When he compacted the snow into a sense ball he watched her as she gripped her fists by her head and growled like a beast, the screams doing little to get out the rage inside her.

When he thought she was going to scream again, he hurled the snowball at her teal head and laughed when it shattered against her. She whirled around and reached for her hand cannon on her hip, only to stop when she saw it was him.

"Cool your gears Darlin'." Drifter warned, "You'll start really steaming if you keep this up."

"I lost." She snarled, clenching her fists and glaring at the ground. "So much, how could you sit there and laugh at me."

"Darlin I don't care if you win or loose." Drifter told her with a scoff, "Ya win some, you loose some. It's the way of livin. You can't expect to win Everytime. It's if you manage to bounce back from things that matters." He walked closer and a hint of a grin appeared on his lips. "And you're still drawing breath."

"What if you decide I'm not fit for the crew." Diana spat angrily. "You'll ditch me. I can't protect you if you vanish on me or shut me out." The heat in the exo woman's voice rose again with the accusations.

"Look kid," Drifter sighed and crossed his arms. "If I thought you didn't have what it takes to be in the crew I wouldnta got you in it to begin with. You're a damn fine fighter. Every hole I get myself in to? Whose there with a shovel to get ol Drifter out?" He moved one arm and poked her hard just under her throat, making her look up. "You."

He studied her for a moment, to see if she was going to arguge, but when she lowered her eyes he continued. "You're spreading yourself too thin out there. Trying to hold up bad teams. You can't just decide to go out and do all the jobs yourself. Find out what it is you want and fight for it. Wanna be the bad guy? Adjust your invasion strategy. Wanna rack up the bodies of enemies of humanity? Stay on your side and wreck em. Teammates can't keep the bank clear? Play the sentry." He started walking around her. "You're gonna get stuck with some lousy players sometimes Darlin', it's the way the world works. But as long as you come back breathin' you got another chance to win. That's all that really matters."

"I don't like to lose." Diana growled, but the heat was gone from her now. She was begining to calm. Drifter's chuckle was the only warmth in the room.

"Yeah. I can tell!" He shook his head, not denying the large toothy grin now. "But it's like I always tell ya." He tapped his ear and mouthed as Diana spoke the mantra she would hear him feed her during the match.

"Focus your fire."

*sighs* Damn it

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Pleaase?"

"Don't. Ask. Me. Again."

Later that day....

"You ready for transmat?"

"HEY DRIFTER!"

"What?"

"DAMN IT DIANA!"

*transmat sound*

Lady Luck

https://my.w.tt/0Ei63UGazY

So I posted the first chapter to my Lady Luck fanfic!

It's set in the world of Destiny the game and the MCs are my two guardians and my husband's guardian. It's gonna be a long one, so buckle up!

Mock up cover for my Wattys fanfic entry from Destiny the game Fandom

Open to all comments, critique and suggestions

Time for New Gear

Diana kept her cloak pulled tight around her waist by her hands. She wasn't wearing her helmet today in the tower, so it was easy to see the discomfort on her faceplates.

"What's up darlin?" The drifter asked as she walked into his room, rather than sprint and slide as she usually did. "Something wrong with your cloak?" He glanced at her cloak, it was a Reaper cloak she had gotten from the Reckoning not long ago.

The exo shook her teal head, cyan eyes to the ground. "I don't like these pants." She said with a groan. Drifter raised a brow and looked at their front. Nothing seemed out of place so he twirled a finger for her to turn around. She did so, slowly and pulled her cloak to the side. "Whoever Calus has design these...either didn't think them through," Drifter noticed right away. "Or thought it through a little too well..."

The ass of the pants were designed with black material, in a curving shape, suggestive of underwear. With dark grey material to make up the legs. As if added on as an after thought.

Drifter pursed his lips and tilted his head from side to side, "And uh, where'd you get that?"

"From the Cabal emporer? Callus?"

"The one who you said, says all that weird shit? 'O Guardian Mine', 'Make you a collar from their bones' n' shit?"

Diana nods and griped her cloak back around her to hide her behind. The Drifter sucked his teeth and rubbed his beard, "Y'know? I think it's time for you to get some new gear...Got some Reaper strides with your name on 'em. C'mon. We'll set you up." He waved for her to follow him to an alcove where he kept the gear, "and if he gives you anymore of that, 'o Guardian Mine' crap, you let Ol' Drifter know? Ya hear?"

So this happened

Lol ok

So my hubby and I both play Destiny. He has always been a Hunter main, where I used to main a Warlock through 1, switched to Hunter for 2.

I named both my characters.

Quin is my warlock and she is engaged to my husband's Hunter (who he refuses to give a name, so I just call him Hunter.)

Diana is my Hunter and isn't in a relationship currently.

Well like I said,I've been playing as Diana since 2 dropped so I made up a little au how Quin is having issues getting the Well of Radiance down so she's off mediating and training w/Osiris to get it down.

Leaving Diana to work and keep an eye on Hunter, who is feeling neglected by Quin and starts to find hismelf attracted to Diana (both are exo's btw). That's when he finds out Diana is part of the Drifters "crew".

He starts noticing that Drifter is doting on Di during Gambit matches, dropping exotics and "god roll" weapons at the highest light level (no, really, lmao and he's so salty about this), and sending gifts to the postmaster for her.

So he laments this at the ramen shop at the tower, growling and grumbling about their weird "relationship".

"my side chick has a side dude, this isn't cool!"

The ramen maker looks up and thinks, "if he's giving her stuff and special treatment....wouldn't that make him a sugar daddy?"

"MY SIDE CHICK HAS A SUGAR DADDY!"

Lady Luck

Just wanted to thank everyone for hitting like (and extra special thank you for those who reblog!) On my Lady Luck posts about my Hunter Diana.

I am actually writing a fanfic on Wattpad for the Wattys contest and would really appreciate it if you would read and like the chapters I post!

If it gets enough traction, I might continue it as a Ko-Fi project!

Hunter Dad

Been thinking a lot about how I wanna write Cayde as a dad figure for Diana. I kinda seeing him as this hot mess dad who encourages her to get into a lot of trouble for "experience" but certain kinds of trouble he wants her to avoid like the plauge.

Blow up enemies? He'll sneak you some fireworks to make it aesthetic "that's what you guys say now right?"

Travel the solar system? Just call when you touch ground and if you find any loot.

Pranks? He'll join you.

But one day, when finding old caches of his--Diana comes across a worn book. She's reading it as she approaches.

"Cayde?"

"mmhmm?"

"where'd you get this book?"

"show me the cover."

Diana turns the book, marking her place with her finger to show the cover art. A hunter wrapped in a Cloak of red is clutching a teary eyed human warlock to their chest, golden gun sparkling in the hunters free hand. Cayde almost reboots on the spot.

"DON'T READ THAT!"

He grabs for her but she's already gone. Over his head, off the metal scaffolding and into the network of pipes that is her hidey hole. Cayde shouts at her until she pokes her head into view

"This isn't funny Hunter! Stuff like that ain't made for kids--keep your innocence while you can!" He tells her, waving his hand as a signal to give up the book. Her faceplates shift to resemble a lifted brow and stoic blankface. 'Who said I was innocent' the look said.

Cayde gasped long and deep, his mouth opening as Diana began snickering and slipped back into the dark.

////////////

On Io, Diana has been helping Asher Mir with his experiments. He's made some sort of goober that might help understand the Vex. It's all Cabalish to Diana, but when she sees it sparking she grabs Asher and pulls him away from it just as it explodes, sending them tumbling over the hill Asher had built it on.

When they land, Diana is pressed against a rock with Asher on top of her, having becomed tangled in her cloak and his robes. Just as Cayde asks Sun Dance to patch into Joel's feed.

"Asher!" Diana's voice crackles at first as the connection strengthens.

Incoherent babbling by Asher can be heard as Cayde swaps his coffee cup to the other hand.

"Ash-er!" Diana can be heard grunting, "Get off!"

"what?" The gynsom scribe snaps back

"come--wait, right there just--ugh I'll do it myself."

Cayde drops his cup, and Ikora covers her mouth--not because of what's being said over the coms, but the pure horror on Cayde's face.

"Cayde?" She tries hard but a warm chuckle escapes her as--without changing his expression, Cayde begins to leave, "where are you going?"

"First Io. Then prison!" Cayde snaps as he disappears around a corner.

Nightmares

The Drifter strolled into his room in the annex of the Tower, there waiting was the Hunter. Diana-3, or Di as she sometimes let him get by with calling her. She had her back to her, watching the swirling black and white energy in the bank. Or so it seemed.

“People gonna think you’re getting chummy with me, sister.” Drifter chuckled, crossing his arms as he came to stand behind her. “You cool with that?” He waited for an answer but nothing came, only her ghost coming into sight.  “Oh for the Travelers light...” The ghost sighed, its shell twitching in irritation, “I told her to go home, she was going to fall asleep.” 

“She’s asleep?” Drifter asked, leaning forward. Sure enough, her feet weren’t swinging in her usual idle sit. They hung limply, her head cradled by her arms on the bar that made the guard rail around the raised area. “Huh, done gone and run herself ragged.”  “She wanted to wait for you to come back, wanted to see about bounties for that Gambit you’re running.” Joel, Diana’s ghost, explained as he bumped against her head gently, trying to shake her awake. “Di? Di?” 

A soft whimper escaped her, the two watched as the Exo curled in on herself. Her knees drew together, her arms tightened around her head, her shoulders turning inward. The whimper became a whine, low in her throat and distressed. 

“Uh-oh,” Joel twitched and flew between the bars, nudging against her again, “Di, wake up Di!” 

The whine became murmuring, long and slow, a whisper too soft to make out--even for the Drifter’s keen ears. Her shoulders were covered with her cape, but they visibly shook, her breathing disrupted. The ghost turned its cyan eye on the Drifter and as much the rouge light bearer didn't want to help the little drone, he didn’t like hearing the Hunter make those distressed noises.  They reminded him of animals on the verge of death, when unfathomable fear overtook them.  He leaned down and shook her shoulder, pulling down her hood to reveal her teal head and the small antennas that served in place of ears. He couldn’t tell if her eyes were opened or closed, but the whispers became desperate sobs and it twisted an old wound in the veteran light-bearer.  “Diana!” He shouted, pulling her away from the guardrail and shaking her hard. Her eyes snapped open, the light brightening them to the same cyan color as Joel’s. “You alright darlin’?” He watched her eyes scan his face, the plates on her own face shifting to show conflicting emotions. He’d never seen an Exo try and cry before, but Diana began tearlessly sobbing. 

Her shoulders shook as she covered her eyes with her hands, her breaths coming ragged and the wails returning as the emotions ripped through her. Drifter watcher her for a minute before he pulled her closer, patting her back.  “Easy kid, easy.” He said softly. A tone not unlike he’d used for her before, but kinder...more true. “I got ya.”  “It was the crypt again, wasn’t it Diana?” Joel asked as the hunter wrapped her arms around the drifter, clutching to him as if he were an anchor. A life preserver.  “So many faces,” She whispered in horror, “Everywhere I looked--so many faces...and the whispers, too many!” More sobs racked her as Drifter adjusted himself, putting his back to the guardrail and adjusting Diana so she sat comfortably beside him, holding onto his arm for life. It was a long while before Diana had finished sobbing, taking to small sniffles every now and then and a sigh between them. “I’m sorry.” She tried to disentangle herself from Drifter but he put his free hand on hers and squeezed it.  “S’alright. Whatever it was sure shook you to your core darlin’. Never seen a robot cry before, not sure I want to again.”  “I don’t like doing it.” She pulled her hood back up to hide her metal head and turned her face away from him to hide her expression. “Thank you, for sitting with me through it.” She said softly, “You’re the first human that's seen me like that. Banshee’s seen it, cause of the reboots and Hunter...Cayde was the one who taught me how to get rid of the shakes after.” She held up her hand, it shook unsteadily. “Now that he’s...I guess I’m on my own.”  “What was his remedy?” Drifter asked, leaning forward so he could see inside her hood.  “Stories.”  “Ha, well ain’t you in luck. You’re sittin’ with one of the oldest assholes in the tower. If there's anything I’ve got plenty of, its stories!” He moved his arm so it laid across her shoulder and pulled her so she leaned against him. “I ever tell you about the planet outside our system that had rains made of sapphire dust?”

"So here is what I'm offering you: a chance.

Look at my life. Look at the things I've said, the things I've done. See how the promise of a simpler life and true, pure love--even if it was all just a game--see how it drove me, directed me.

Now go find your own."

---The Man They Called Cayde, Book 13, Bad Beat

This Hunter goes by many names. Ask anyone in the tower and you'll hear them.

Diana-3 , Di-3, D-3, Di, but almost never you'll hear Diana. Unless you know where to look.

This Hunter despises the number after her name, it reminds her of the darkness that threatens to swallow her everytime she reboots. Only those closest to her know to strike off the 3. Yet only three have been allowed to call her by her original chosen name, and get by with it. Now, only 2 call her by it. It leaves a twist in her gut that reminds her of sorrow.

It's how she distinguishes trust. How much it bothers her to be called, and what to be called, by other people. Citizens and guardians alike.

Di meets Thaalra

Di's fae lights up at the mention of her Awoken Titan friend. "I didn't so much meet her as I spotted her while doing some work for Asher on Io. She walked right up to a Cabal Phalnex, said 'salutations!' and punched it in the face, it was amazing."

"You did eventually meet her that day though," Quin chuckled.

"When?"

"Asher?"

"Oh!" Di begins nodding, "Yeah I tried to choke him and she stopped me. I always forget how strong she is, she doesn't look like it."

"Don't let her hear you say that!" Quin hisses in warning, glancing behind her with a critical eye.