One of them will always be haunted by the memories of everyone they lost, driving them to endless aggression towards anyone perceived as anything even close to a threat and comfort only in addiction, unaware that this anger will only cause them to lose more and more until there is nothing but the ashes of ashes of a life they once treasured and could never seem to reclaim because they would never let go of the past, only to be pulled from this anger by the few remaining bastions of their past, dragging them forward into a brighter more hopeful future than they ever could have imagined.
One of them’s gotta be tormented by the inevitability of death and the scars left behind by their existence, driving them eternally to try and push away everyone closest to them, in turn only damaging themself further and setting them on a path that will only guarantee their death because they have severed all things they could ever dream of living for because the prophecy was self fulfilling and always was, until they are pulled from it by their closest friends, setting them on a listless journey where they must relearn their own ability to live outside of war, slowly healing from scars they did not know they had.
And one of them will be perpetually aware of the everything. Of the story, of their place in it, if the cost of every action they take. And they will never care because they love this world and it’s story too much to let anything keep them from living it, even if they have to sacrifice everything to keep it this way, or make it better, because hell, what’s life without a little tragedy? They will live every second to the fullest, exist in a perpetual maelstrom of action and emotion and never slow down because there’s so much to do and see and I would love to stop and smell the roses so maybe just this once I will. For you, maybe I will. And one day they will leave the others behind because adventure is out there, and I wanna chase it.
There was tension in their steps as the pair entered Spider’s lair.
Faolan had never liked this place.
“It’s done,” Ripley growled.
“So it is. So it is! Alright Guardians,” Spider hissed, sitting up. Faolan grimaced at the way he spoke. Venom laced every word. “As promised, you can have a prized bauble from my lair,” he motioned around, haphazard. “As compensation for your… heroics.”
Ripley’s eyes were hard, her jaw set. Faolan sighed, ducking a bit behind the taller Guardian, hand twitching to the dagger at her hip. If things got messy she wouldn’t have time to grab her bow. A knife would be faster. Cleaner.
Ripley took a half step forward, eyes defiant.
Faolan eyed the Fallen about the room. Two guards. Long spears. If one managed to hit either of them, the one left standing would pull double duty fighting AND protecting whoever went down’s Ghost. Not to mention making sure Crow wasn’t caught in the scuffle. That would make this whole thing all for naught.
Feign left, stab right. That’s the trick. Sweep low and dodge in close so the spear’s length becomes a hinderance, hit in the leg so they can’t move. Toss a knife at the other one’s shoulder.
She probably wouldn’t be smart to kill anyone… but she would be ready if it came to that.
“I want him,” Ripley nodded to Crow.
He looked a bit startled, looking between the two Guardians and Spider.
Faolan’s hand grabbed at her knife.
“Cute, real funny,” Spider half chuckled, half spat.
“You said anything in the room,” Ripley reminded him. Faolan could see her reaching for a knife too.
She felt to ensure she had a snare bomb ready as the two guards readied their spears, arc energy crackling along the spearheads.
Distract, disorientate, disengage. Rules of a non-lethal combatant. Her hand closed around it as the guards took steps forward.
Spider laughed. A vile sound. Faolan shuddered. She offered a glance between Ripley and Crow. Crow looked worried. Ripley looked determined. She could see the old rage from hunting the Barons flaring up beneath the surface.
So… she’d have to keep a cool head if the other two panic. Crow’s the priority. Grab him, get him moving out the door first. But Glint’s shell’s rigged… take out Spider.
His death could cause problems but she’d deal with those later.
“You really want… my little bird?” he growled. “Fine. You can have him.
Then get Ripley moving so she doesn’t cause a diplomatic incident. Get them outside, wait a few hours. Take out Spider in the night. Real quiet like. Make it impossible to track. Use a spear. Frame one of his guards. Make it look like a coup. Easy.
Her hand tightens on the snare.
“Fine.” Spider spat. “Have him,” he looked over at Crow. “Fly away,” he hissed, dismissively.
Crow nodded, and stepped behind Ripley.
“And you?” Spider asked, looking towards Faolan.
She scanned the room. “I want one of their spears,” she requested, voice light. She could feel Ripley’s questioning eyes. She’d explain later. Maybe.
Spider rolled his eyes, but motioned the guard on the right to surrender the weapon. She took it, inspecting it. She’d have to be careful if she needed to use it. Practice to make the blow look like it was made by someone experienced.
Spider glared at the three Guardians. “Now get the hell out of my lair,” he spat.
Faolan cast a look back as they left, eyes glinting through her helmet’s visor. She’d be back. Of that she was sure.
BEFORE YOU ASK
"Hey what is this?"
Idk. I was talkin'. Had an idea. wrote it.
"What is Rule of Wolves?"
I have a Destiny AU where there two Young Wolves. Faolan Ashford and Ripley Hayel. My Guardian and my friend Jupiter's.
Rule of Wolves is that.
"What is Wolf On High, Fox Far Below?"
Ripley's the Young Wolf. Faolan is the Young Fox. Cause Ripley's incredibly loyal and fierce. And Faolan. Is Faolan.
"Does Fao kill Spider???"
No. But she's ready if she has to!
Faolan nearly jumps out of her skin at Fatima's voice, slamming the door closed in shock. She whips around, clutching her heart, to stare at the warlock perched on her bed.
"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?!" She screeches, pressing herself against the door in fear.
Fatima cocks her head. "I have keys to everyone in the clan's house-"
"That's creepy as fuck," Faolan hisses, peeling herself from the door slowly, creeping towards the exo with animal hesitation.
Fatima narrows her optics, annoyance clipping her voice. "Don't interrupt me," she growls. "Anyways," she says, her voice and expression brightening instantly. "Are you busy?"
Faolan scrunches her nose up in bewildered annoyance, blinking to try and clear her head. "...YES. I'm meeting up with some of my old buddies for dinner in like three hours and I've got a scouts meeting in like twenty minut-"
"Oh good, nothing important!” Fatima cheers, rocketing off Faolan’s bed and straight out the door.
“Wha- no, very important things! Fatima I can’t just drop everythi-“
“Oh please!” Fatima jeered, leaving the apartment. Faolan followed. “What I am doing is far more important!”
Faolan huffed, jogging to keep pace. “And that is?”
“Getting some cheaters some cheaters banned the Crucible. And your help would be invaluable!”
“…I’m banned from the Crucible.”
“Precisely,” Fatima cheers, spinning on her heel. “If you’re in it, they’ll be forced to watch! Flawless plan.”
“Except I get in trouble with Zavala-“ Faolan hissed.
Because my silly girl deserves some badass tech, here's some stuff about my girl Fao's unique exotics, The Parallax Principle and Fox Teeth.
THE PARALLAX PRINCIPLE - Gauntlets
The principle of the matter is that if you leave them seeing double, they won't notice if you shoot once.
Double Blind
When you go invisible leave behind a decoy lasting up to ten seconds that distracts enemies and draws their fire.
If the decoy is destroyed by enemy fire before leaving invisibility, replenish health and ability energy.
FOX TEETH - Bow, Void
“The way I see it, an arrow's just a really far knife."
Bite Through Bone
Precision kills grant Bite Force stacks, which increase damage on the next shot. This stacks up to five times for triple damage on the fifth shot. This effect resets after the sixth shot or the weapon is stowed.
She’s your Young Wolf, and I don’t remember if you’ve stated otherwise but she went through the D1 stuff right? If so, did she get fucked up at all by the Black Heart?
Yes! Faolan is my canon Young Wolf. She’s the only Guardian I play.
And no! She tanked that a boss. Because of the timeline of my experience in real life all of D1 happened in a year for her 💀 and she didn’t get any real “OH WAIT PEOPLE DIE” trauma until the events of Red War.
She was just silly and goofy. Black Heart was a fun little fight for her.
Not for me tho. I- hated that fight. I had to get Reid to do it for me cause I couldn’t kill the big robots
1. What's the lie they tell most often?
"I'm not hurt. I can keep going."
Faolan will light herself on fire to keep her friends warm. She ignores the burns, the bullets, the pain. Because she has to keep going.
7. What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?
If Faolan's lost in a crowd, good luck finding her. She's got a real vanishing talent. You're lucky if she's still in the area. Faolan takes "get lost" seriously.
If she is, just screaming her name will have her running. back
17. What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?
Faolan is almost never seen without her helmet. But on the rare occasion she catches a glimpse of herself without it, it's her smile.
Crooked, scheming, and full of mischief. She only notices because Diomedes told her she "grins like a fox".
For everyone else, it's her eyes. Bright steely blue, alight with a clever look. Flecks of irridesent purple twinning itself around the iris like vines, the Void seeping into her very sight.
18. Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?
Among the living, Ulysses Ashford, Orestes Verlax, Aeneas-12.
Among the dead, Patrocales Rowler.
Among the missing, Ajax-2, Apollo-12, Achilles Rowler.
also cayde cause he was the closest she had to a father figure but yknow
Archivist Ulysses Ashford, The Wingbreaker
1. What's the lie they tell most often?
"I won't."
Ulysses doesn't lie. Not anymore. Not after he held Agamemnon's hand as his old friend died.
"I won't leave. I'm still here. I've got you," he whispered, clutching the dying man's hands in his, desperately thinking of any way to ease the pain.
There was none.
All he could do was be there for him, hold his hands and offer some desperate comfort. He swore not to leave. Cradle a dying man like a father holds his child, stay by him until the pain passed and his eyes closed.
"Don't carry guilt over me, Ulysses," Agamemnon whispered, looking up at his friend. He clasped a hand over his, his eyes, even with the light within fading burned as he spoke. "Not over me, or Clytemnestra, or Menelaus. Not over Orestes," he looked at the shattered Ghost's shell. "Please, don't let me haunt you."
"I won't." Ulysses promised, gripping his friend's hand. "I won't."
Agamemnon closed his eyes with a smile, even if he knew Ulysses had lied.
7. What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?
He wouldn't leave anyone in a crowd.
17. What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?
He will always notice his scars. He refuses to let Minerva heal them, he needs the reminders of his failures. So they don't happen again.
Everyone else notices the fact he dresses like a depressed 32 year old PhD student teaching at a high school for the third year in a row, even though he swore he'd do something with his life by now.
18. Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?
Faolan Ashford and his clan. To hell with the dead, he won't carry the guilt or the heart piercing love. Not anymore.
58. How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?
Faolan has only one hobby. Unless you want to count the Crucible as a hobby. Or doing anything she can to help out around the Tower. She hates having idle hands.
She's a Sparrow racer. Banned permanently from the SRL by Zavala himself because she kept getting people killed. Turns out you're not supposed to bring guns in there!
But this does not stop her from challenging everyone she can to questionably legal drag races around patrol areas.
She's far from unbeaten, but she's infamous for her competitive drive.
49. Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?
Faolan forgets to eat on a semi-regularly basis. Friends have had to chase her down and drag her to a street food stand just to make sure she doesn't starve herself.
44. What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?
If I'm being honest, she barely speaks her City Common. She's... not exactly the most linguistically gifted.
But, as far as every other language goes, Eido is doing her absolute best to teach her the Elisnki language. It's... a slow process.
Archivist Ulysses Ashford, The Wingbreaker
38. What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?
To the frustration of literally everyone, Ulysses struggles at nothing. Bastard's just naturally good at everything.
29. How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?
According to Ulysses, "a smart man knows himself. and a wise man believes himself." He doesn't much need the approval of others. But when Faolan doubts something he says... it's... a bit disheartening.
Your own apprentice doubting you hurts the ego a bit.
22. What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?
Ulysses is absolutely TERRIFIED of heights. And despite repeated insistence from everyone he knows that Tower Jumping is fun and harmless, he stays well behind the railing, thank you!
