𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 ✧ 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠

[realists]

who: jyn erso, cassian andor, cullen rutherford, finn, rey, & jim kirk
what: jumanji: welcome to the forest
when: mid-june; prior to kidnappings
where: outside the wall, near the amusement park
warnings: pg-13 level monster fights & swearing

---

The woods don't seem incredibly sinister anymore, what with the Amusement Park of the Old City being nearly fully open next to it now. As night falls however, the faint, tinny noise of rides and games becomes almost eerie in the planet-light of the Capital World. The mission is simple, Jyn wants to find out if the copse of interconnected trees really are sentient and if it would be safe to move them to a different spot so the encroaching Amusement Park won't cause them any damage. It's supposed to be easy. Sure.

Comments

[happiertimes]

[Cullen raises an eyebrow, bracing for some sort of fight. He isn't prepared for the acquiesce to come so easily and narrows his amber eyes.]

Use the shield and avoid being speared like a marshmallow for a bonfire. We can still flank our enemy. Better still with no one being lethally injured because they are crashing through everything.

[Yeah, well, Finn, this is a man who is used to training greenhorns so they live. You might want to listen. Just a bit.]

That is, of course, unless you relish the thought of seeing what your intestines look like outside of your gut.

[bythehand]

[ Teamwork makes the dream work. He was raised for it. Minus the part where it's acceptable to make friends with teammates and care about if they die.

Finn can't say he's jiving with feeling like he's being condescended to, but he's also at least aware by now that he's got hangups with perceived authority that sometimes... leave him looking at things from the wrong angle. It took months to even start relaxing around John, when he's pretty sure he'd have been on board with the guy a day in if he hadn't signed on under him.

And he does care if Cullen lives or dies. And he thinks the implication is that Cullen likewise cares if he lives or dies. So that's honestly not a bad thing, which sort of weighs against some of Finn's personal hangups right off the bat.

And... okay, yeah, he maybe sort of has a rushing-in problem historically. Hm.

The more he thinks about it, the more he ends up having to think about it. ]

You use that kind of talk with everybody, or is this a special occasion?

[happiertimes]

[Cullen's been trained to fight and lead since he joined the Templars at eighteen. And since he's been leading for over a decade, it's hard not to slip back into that role. It is, after all, just who he is.

Being responsible for leagues of men and women and their welfare doesn't just stop because he's here. And, well, Finn might not be Thedosian, but that hasn't stopped Cullen a day in his life either. He is a team mate and someone he feels responsible for.

Which means he's going to call the man on any rash behavior that might get him killed.]

I'm used to leading others before I cam here. It's a period of adjustment still.

[bythehand]

[ That gets a brief grin out of him. It puts a better perspective in place. Some habits and tendencies, Finn can attest, have a way of sticking. As evidenced by his "what's stealth good for" approach. ]

Don't-- don't worry about adjusting too much or anything. You've got a point. About the shield. [ He lifts the shield up a little to indicate it. ] I'm not really used to working with the, uh. Intestines type.

[happiertimes]

[Look, he's trying. It's just difficult. And, honestly, he's not much for stealth either. But he's lived to nearly thirty-one by going about things a bit smarter than just charging in head first.

Finn's comment does get a small, dry chuckle out of Cullen.]

I assure you that without a proper healer, you will want to avoid becoming acquainted with your innards not inside your body.

[bythehand]

Fair enough. [ The First Order didn't... put work into training field medics. Very sink or swim folk. ]

When I think about it, I'm pretty sure I still don't really know any healers. Apart from people who know a few tricks. Got any of those in your back pocket on this mission?

[happiertimes]

[The First Order sounds awful. No retention policy in place then.]

On this mission? No, but I do know a few mages from my world that are in the Quarantine. [Just Hawke and Dorian.] I wouldn't suggest we have a need to rely on them, however.

[bythehand]

[ And no benefits. A true shame. ]

That's-- sort of the plan. I don't know. Pretty much anything big I've managed in the past few months was something I had to improvise. Ended up leaning a little more battlefield tactics than detailed strategy.

[ Run into shit and deal with it on the fly.

Sometimes he's really not surprised that he gets along with Poe as well as he does. ]

[happiertimes]

[You know what that sounds like? The Templar Order. That's why he left that too. And joined the Inquisition. You know, to save the world or something.]

Most of the time, it's the ability to think on your feet that keeps you alive, but planning ahead is never to be scoffed at. Even if it's only to take a shield with you before you charge into battle.

[bythehand]

Well, consider the shield noted.

[ He makes a vague gesture. It's maybe a thanking gesture? Even Finn's not sure. ]

I'll, uh. Hand it back once I'm done not getting gored.

[happiertimes]

[Cullen will choose to accept it as a thanks. There's no reason not to.]

I would very much appreciate that. It is a little bit of an unique item around here.

[Although, he will be looking into getting more crafted for the rank and file if they'll help.]

[bythehand]

[ Yeah, that tracks. ]

Sentimental value?

[happiertimes]

Something like that, yes. There are many copies of it on my world, but it was the first to be made with that particular design.

[Don't fuck it up, Finn. Also, don't die.]

[bythehand]

Right. I'll note that, too. I promise.

[ "Don't fuck up my special shield" is a more effective risk-reducing method than "don't get disemboweled" with Finn. It's an ongoing growth process of self value. ]

Catch you around?

[happiertimes]

I suppose you will, considering we are still out on a mission.