WIP whenever: Tender and Dark (Star Wars - Obi-Wan & Anakin) (Witcher AU)
[ID: a banner image reading “Work in progress Wednesday.” Wednesday is crossed out and replaced with Whenever.]
thanks for the tag @koumine!
It's faded somewhat, but I'm still like 32% feral about this edit that ioorveth made of Witcher!Anakin & Mage!Obi-Wan. I'm a fan of antagonists working together and so spun out from a little ficlet about them to this longer thing (currently 4.6k).
Obi-Wan and Anakin only know each other in passing, but when Anakin gets himself into trouble, Obi-Wan can't help but give him aid.
I'm tagging @girlwithakiwi, @quiet--menace, @twinsunstwink, @raeality, @whimsicalmeerkat, @alondradina, @bad-at-names-and-faces, @lavvytaffy ... if you see this and want to play, you're it! Tag me when you post!
(550~ words, rated teen)
Anakin started toward the stairs, bare feet a mere whisper on cold flagstones. Obi-Wan slipped alongside him, catching sight of the glimmering twilight through narrow windows.
“May I ask why you are slipping from the Queen’s chamber just as the sun is rising?” Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin stopped short on the landing, freezing at the sight of the first golden rays. When he turned to Obi-Wan, he seemed pale. “I need to get out of here.” He licked his lips. “Now.”
At first Obi-Wan thought Anakin was worried about being caught so close to Queen Amidala, that his jab had struck well. But despite the distance between their people, the ruthless monster hunters and those who lifted themselves above monsters, they still understood something intrinsic that common folk seldom did. There was little that could shake a witcher the way Anakin seemed to be affected. And the look on Anakin’s face then had nothing to do with politics or gossip, it was the fear of being hunted.
For all his joking earlier, Obi-Wan did know the castle well, even with all the renovations over the last half century or so. “This way,” he said, hurrying them down one flight of stairs and into a gallery.
They ran along it to a narrow stair behind a tapestry, one girl holding a basket scolding them under her breath as they rushed past, then breaking off with: “Beg your pardon, lord—” but they were gone and the rest her words were lost.
Too soon, all too soon, Obi-Wan could see the candles were no longer holding against the daylight. He brought them into the old front hall, where muddy boot tracks showed that the grooms had already come from tending to the horses, and Anakin’s sword clattered out of his hands on the stone floor. Obi-Wan went to his knees beside the witcher. “We have to keep going,” he hissed, unsure but fearful of what they were running from all the same.
“I’ll try,” Anakin said, voice low, wracked with pain. He did not move.
“Whatever’s wrong with you, we need to get out now.”
“I know,” Anakin growled. “I can’t.”
Anakin had yellow eyes, had always had yellow cat-like eyes as long as Obi-Wan had known him. All witchers had them. Now however, on his hands and knees, back arching in pain — food poisoning? — Obi-Wan watched as the color bled from his irises and his canines grew. Not food poisoning.
“Help me.” Those might have been the words, but they were lost in the gnashing of teeth, the groan of pain which sounded more like a low growl, and suddenly Obi-Wan had a lean bronze wolf on his hands, covered in the shreds of clothing Anakin had just been wearing.
His stomach dropped. He picked up Anakin’s sword and boots, speaking the spell which would open a portal for them and take them to safety. The wolf was sluggish, cowering in the pain of transformation, and Obi-Wan had to pull at the rough, curling coat to get the creature to move. Anakin, Obi-Wan reminded himself. The wolf is Anakin.
Beyond the swirling magic, there was a green forest clearing, a place Obi-Wan knew would be empty of people. The wolf stumbled alongside him, falling to the ground as soon as they were beyond the portal, panting heavily, spasms running along his spine, contorting his eyes. Anakin. The wolf is Anakin.
Hi, this is torrefaction-of-silver! I'd love to know more about "Tender and Dark" please! <3
Thank you for asking! I just shared a snippet from it, but I definitely can say more. XD
It's the second part of my Witcher AU with Anakin Skywalker as a witcher. It's a fusion though, no characters from the Witcher series appear.
The premise is that Obi-Wan is a court mage whom Anakin doesn't trust but when he gets into trouble, Obi-Wan helps him. Namely, Anakin transforms into a wolf every morning, and Obi-Wan tries to help him figure out why.
I'm currently stalled on it because the next part is basically the bloody climax of the story. I'm definitely psyching myself up because gore is not my strong suit, but I'm enjoying this. In case you know canon, it's kind of sort of modelled on the Child Surprise story.
