#Bean the pirate is my favourite | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

darkwitchingflower · 2 months

Text

I've lost count but here's another "Sht my friends say as pjo characters" pt like 7???: Also side note sorry if I'm repeating these idr the last one i did lol:

Jason: I opened my glasses case and started panicking because I couldn't find my glasses... I'm literally wearing them

Leo: if I ever have a son ill take every chance to laugh at him

Reyna: Thalia the love magnet. She got b*tches (romantic) when all she wanted was b*tches (platonic) (Gojolover69, see last quotes post by @wraith--2)

Leo: so you're a ho*n't (same person above)

Piper: Stole scientific equipment and everything and we found out the smallest thing in the galaxy is the size of our patience because we gave up the search and stole a gazillion dollar dildo ( @wraith--2 )

Leo:....calculator

Reyna: You're a calculator

Leo: are you calling me smart?

Reyna: no I'm calling you a tool

(I'm Leo and @thatonelazyghost is Reyna here)

Piper: Coach keeps going on about ppl who aren't in and he's like and then there's Annabeth who's broken her ankle ( @wraith--2 )

Will: I'm gay, I have the spidey sense for rainbow things ( @indecisivenb)

Nico: it's not gay if it's from behind

Nico: I'm ready to leave now

Nico: like I'm done

Nico: too peopley

Nico: nvm coach gave me a maulteaser

(Me on my last day of college)

Annabeth: You absolute bean of a human

Piper: Hi its me, Percy, a twink! ( @thatonelazyghost)

Leo: I put Frank down because he's lactose intolerant (me)

Leo: dismember my body and stick me in a lightning McQueen coffin ( @wraith--2 )

Nico: what's your sexuality

Ghost swings it back and forth*

Nico writing down bi: Ah you swing both ways ( @wraith--2 )

Reyna about Leo: DAM bros balls didn't drop

Leo: ...and the tip was empty

Mr D about Connor and Travis: ITS THE F*CKING TWINS!!! WANNA KNOW HOW I KNOW THAT?! THAT GUY HAD THE F*CKING ZOOMIES HE HAD PLACES TO GO AND PEOPLE TO SEE

Nico: is anyone gonna pay attention to the fact Leo's dead?

Leo: THANK YOU!

Nico: You're dead shut up

(Nico is @thatonelazyghost and I'm Leo here)

Luke: I'm no p*ssy ill skin my victims infront of the lifeguard ( @wraith--2 )

Leo: like do you moan daddy, mammy or parental???

Playing stardew valley*

Nico: I love Willy

Everyone dies*

Percy: I love cream in my mouth! (Ider the context for this I just know the sake friend said the quote above this one too so it may be smth to do with that idr)

Leo: I don't need a psychiatrist I- ( @duckbakery)

Piper: you need God (Gojolover69)

Playing DnD*

Leo: I also successfully charmed a woman at the bar, then Nico ( @duckbakery ) goes

"The woman leads you away"

Everyone else: "ohh wait hold on ooo whats going on, dayum"

Nico: "you come back 2 minutes later"

Everyone dying laughing

Nico: "you went into a private room but couldn't stop talking about pirate ships so she gave up"

Alex Fiero (I think that's their name? I haven't read Magnus yet): Oh so YOU'RE the gender goblin ( @thatonelazyghost )

Mr D: I'm literally the god of gender identity, furries and monsters

Piper: I want someone to yippee on my body ( @thatonelazyghost )

Leo: Leo you should know better its because of your feminism you f*cking freak

Annabeth: Freaky feminists have got to be my favourite breed of gender (she was totally talking about Thalia here) ( @wraith--2 )

Calypso: Leo always finishes early

Leo: ye I do- WAIT WHAT?! ? ( @duckbakery )

Playing stardew*

Piper: LEOS A WOMAN

Piper: OMG HIS NAMES EMO-LY

(Me about another friend)

(Pic of character at end of post)

Nico: do you have any food?

Hades: Nope ( @duckbakery )

Nico: guess I'll die then

Thalia: I have a dead cat in my shed

Hazel: OMG PICS

Thalia: Read that again

Hazel: OH OH NO OH NO OH NOOOOOOOO I DIDNT SEE THE WORD DEAD

(I was Hazel here)

Rachel: I do other stuff than being ginger ( @duckbakery )

Percy: If you don't sleep rn im gonna call you tickle tipsin

Annabeth: ... what ( @duckbakery )

Nico: call me what now (me)

Percy: it's from the "it's been a year daddy" video you freaky f*cks

Nico: it's a beautiful day outside... f*ck- (GojoLover69)

Playing stardew valley*

Piper: annabeth ya know he likes pickles right?

Me: ya

Hazel: who like pickles?

Piper: Harvey

Hazel: divorse him!

Piper: ye he clearly likes men

(I'm annabeth and @duckbakery is piper here)

(The text was sent too early)

Percy: sorry I'm late I got blown

Percy: into smithereens

( @duckbakery )

Percy: This is more zesty than Piper and that's saying something ( @wraith--2 )

Leo to Jason: F*cking senile b*tch

Jason: I'm older and wiser except I'm not smart ( @duckbakery)

Piper: forget the fact I split a gay man in half in the gc ( @wraith--2 )

Coach Hedge to frank: why did you feel the need to @everyone about percy and annabeth getting 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 ( @thatonelazyghost )

Annabeth: oooh eloquent 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 ( @wraith--2 )

Reyna: Perchance you can suck my d*ck ( @wraith--2 )

Leo: Perchance you can commit tax fraud with me (Gojolover69)

Piper: Perchance we can stab ppl together ( @wraith--2 )

Percy: Perchance. Get on the f*cking boat and let's hunt 😈 (Gojolover69)

Rachel: perchance 7 half bloods shall answer the call to storm or fire the world perchance must fall with an oath to keep with a final breath perchance as foes bear arms to the doors of death perchnace (me)

Nico to will: Perchance you and me should fall into tartarus ( @wraith--2 )

Thalia: perchance we should all hug and kiss in a platonic way ( @thatonelazyghost )

Reyna: Perchance that is an excellent suggestion (Gojolover69)

Reyna: Perchance I shall kiss Thalia completely platonically ( @wraith--2 )

Percy: perchance that platonically is bs (me)

Reyna: Lies I'm off at sea and don't see Thalia every morning ( @wraith--2 )

Percy: i know for sure you've found a way regardless ( @thatonelazyghost )

Reyna: I feel like this is bullying ( @wraith--2 )

Leo: guys we need to do among us in real life ( @duckbakery )

Annabeth: That's already a game Leo, it's called mafia ( @thatonelazyghost )

Percy: I see you've grown a brain can you share (friend from work)

Thalia: the need to refer to eachother as "love", "dear" and "pookie" is strong but the aro is stronger ( @thatonelazyghost )

Piper: this whole group is secretly but not very secretly a big polyamorous relationship ( @thatonelazyghost )

Reyna: So glad the sex aversion in me is strong cause imagine the stds going round this place my God ( @wraith--2 )

Annabeth: i'm iconic i'm quotable and i'm autistic ( @thatonelazyghost )

Leo: Are you a heinz baked beans, extra rich tomato sauce-sexual? (Gojolover69)

Percy: So my mam booked me and my sister a swimming lane for tmr morning, and I'm like oh dear God mother, u do know I'm currently blasting liquid magma from my a*s, which travels at super sonic speeds, do you reckon this is safe for public health? (Gojolover69)

#omg theres so many quotes fcking hell #percy jackson #sht my freinds say #my friends as #pjo incorrect quotes #pjo #hoo #heroes of olympus #annabeth chase #nico di angelo #rick riordan #riordanverse #will solace #leo valdez

31 notes · View notes

allmentalyart · 6 days

Text

♥️Red!♥️

Weeheee! Next themed headshots! This time with the colour red! Purple is also nearly done, tho next post won't be the purple beans yet (aka I wanna have lots of variety in my feed). Anyways, the red fellas here were super fun to draw, so let's start with a little introduction for them all :3

🔥Blaze, the Firedragon! - OG designer: ilionzae_draws from Instagram

This fiery beast has been all around Draja before he appears in the main story. Mainly he belonged to a certain group of pirates - the first pirates of Draja - lead by a very famous Waterdragon princess. Blaze was all-over known as a blazing terror to the victims of this crew. His atrocities didn't stop when the crew disbanded and eventually lead him to meet Storm - the most sadistic character that will appear in Allmentaly - and marry her! (🦆No, I don't support the actions of my villains. They are evil!)

♦️ Rominion, the Fire Magewing (semi-open fantribe by morvae_draws on Instagram) - OG designer: dawgonartistx from Instagram

This lovely and goofy fella here is quite the friendly and wholesome character! Rominion is always up to help others, despite him being absolutely lost with whatever you can throw at him. To be fair, that makes him even more cute. He is really try this best! He is most notably known for his skills in crocheting! You might be wondering why a fire mage might be working with wool, but that's actually not the case! He uses his fire magic to heat up metal or glass and uses these materials to crochet unique home decore!

👑Queen Pyrope of the Skywings - OG designer: DeathhDreamerArt on TH

Finally I can show you a "face" for my Skywing Queen in my WOF AU! Pyrope was planned for a while now, but I never got time to actually design her. I am super happy I found this lovely design here! It fits her super well, so I had to get it :3 Pyrope is not only the Queen of the Skywings, but also a good friend of Queen Milky Way (Nightwing). She and Pyrope are the same age and both knew each other due to the diplomatic meetings their parents had. It's also Pyrope who later let's Moondust (cough cough the main character cough cough) live in the Skywing kingdom under a fake name after the Nightwing kingdom gets attacked. Later on however, Pyrope actually betrayed Moondust, due to the high risk for her kingdom and therefore is quite literally the reason for the plot of my AU

💣 Zeedrian, the Hellfiredragon - OG 🦆 design

Here he is, my beloved nightmare to draw! 😂 There is a reason I haven't designed his fullbody yet and why I barely draw him! It's quite the work to make all those scales. Tho, despite that, he definitely has one of my favourite designs amongst my Allmentaly cast! Zeedrian is Lumina's best friend in the A.f.K. and joins her in the arena challenge. Zee is a skilled and ruthless fighter, so everyone was sure he would get elected for the arena challenge. Well, Shadow had other plans when he picked Lumina! Lucky Zee still got his chance thanks to his best friend. I have quite a lot of story for him planned! Ironic, because he originally was planned as a side-side-side character, who would have appeared 2 or 3 times in the main story, but now is more like a main character. So lots of lore to come and to draw of this bean :D

✅Likes, shares, saves and comments are highly appreciated ❌I own the copyright to these artworks! Any usage of it without my consent is prohibited! I don't consent to the usage of my art for AI or NFTs! Stealing and tracing is obviously also prohibited!

20 notes · View notes

swoodthis · 2 months

Note

Hello, hello!

Do you have favourite versions of Ganondorf, Link, and Zelda? :)

Wind Waker Link is so TINY and FLUFFY, I want to just pick him up and hold him! But TP Link has DOG MODE. Also BotW/TotK Link is so expressive and dorky and his wholesome food excitement AUGH!

Zeldas… Tetra is a pirate and Sheik is a ninja and I find that INCREDIBLY awesome. Minish Cap Zelda is a gremlin, which I REALLY appreciate. BotW/TotK Zelda is such a wholesome science bean, her lab with the pictures of her the Hateno kids drew in TotK melted me into a puddle of goooooo!!! But I gotta say, I think my FAVORITE is Spirit Tracks Zelda. Friggin. Casper the Friendly Ghost baby. She is SO WHOLESOME.

I cling desperately to Wind Waker Ganondorf’s possible hint at implications that things aren’t as “light good dark bad, it’s all predestined, no thinking allowed” as they seem… and seeing Hyrule Warriors’ Fluffydorf excitedly kicking open a chest is weirdly heartwarming to me because this guy literally exists to get dogpiled on by divine wrath, and he finally gets SOMETHING. But HOW could I not talk about Cadence of Hyrule’s little Tinydorf!! He’s BABY! And the ending implies that he’s SAVED FROM TURNING INTO GANON?! YES!?!?!!! Also the Gerudo in that game sound like they’re from Texas and I headcanon he sounds like Bobby Hill.

#asks #answered asks #legend of zelda #loz #loz link #link loz #princess zelda #ganondorf

20 notes · View notes

spotsandsocks · 4 months

Text

“I see you” tag game

Some fandom positivity for our hiatus thought up by the ever lovely and positive @steadfastsaturnsrings

Disclaimer: The purpose of this is to not make writers stressed out or feel obligated to finish their WIPs but rather show them that we see them and we love them and their writing so much that we still think about their works even if they may have not published in awhile.

Rules: list at least one (ideally a wip, fic idea but a finished fic will work too if you can’t think of a wip or fic idea) that someone has written/come up with that you are obsessed with. Tag the writer and link the work (if applicable) and give a sentence (or more :) ) about what you love about the work/idea!

@tizniz your Cupid!Buck was on my mind only a few days ago. I love your writing and this is such an interesting au idea 🩷🩷🩷

@hippolotamus your Bridgerton au is always so much fun. Always love a regency au

@jesuisici33 @steadfastsaturnsrings reminded me of the snippets of the fic where when you’re in love you heart goes to them. I remember the description of Eddie’s battered heart (think it was his not Buck’s)

@hoodie-buck all I have to say here is quack quack quackity quack 🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥

@diazsdimples you posted some snippets about Buck and Eddie as doctors paediatric/gynocology which was captivating

@the-likesofus I recall a few snippets of a pirate au that made me very happy

My darling talented writer pals thank you for being you, I send this with no expectations of anything just to send my thanks for your gifts into the universe, and let you know that whenever the beans cooperate and you share your gifts with us you brighten my Tuesday Wednesday and Sundays with your wip snippets .

I hope you’re having a wonderful day.

And if anyone wants a to join in please do. Send your favourite writers some love ❤️

#fandom positivity #tag game #Buddie #buddie wip #writing games

20 notes · View notes

casual-violinist-fangirl · 5 months

Text

Saving Stardust - 5,174 Words

Set in a world where Omega has been rescued following her second capturing and no one dies! The Bad Batch takes on one final mission and are tasked with delivering the Erso family to safety. Omega, being the traumatised bean that she is, doesn't take too kindly to Imperial scientists being on the ship.

Or:

How Jyn Erso ended up with her Trooper Doll.

I love Rogue One and this was a lot of fun to write! In this, Jyn is about three years old and the Bad Batch are flying their new ship, the Firebird (named after one of my favourite pieces of music ever). I hope you enjoy!

. Link to my AO3 page and Tumblr Masterlist

Thank you for reading!

————

Initially, Hunter had refused to take the job, no matter how well it paid. Their days as delivery boys were over and they had no interest in ferrying anyone about, not even if it was to help them hide from the Empire. That had gotten Phee frustrated with him.

“You’re not too different from this family, Hunter,” she tried to reason as they walked to the Archium. Hunter shook his head, adjusting his jacket as he did.

“We don’t pull jobs like that anymore, Phee,” he replied. He tried to keep his voice even, but he knew he just sounded annoyed. “Especially not since our last run-in with the Empire. We stay where we’re safe.”

The pirate sighed, exasperated. She was definitely beginning to see what Tech had always meant about Hunter being stubborn.

“This couple have a daughter,” she pulled as a last result. Hunter stopped in his tacks at that.

Bingo.

Phee knew it was cruel pulling the ‘they have a child and they’re on the run from the Empire’ card on Hunter, especially seeing as he had shifted the universe to find Omega on Tantiss, but this family deserved to be safe and deserved to be together.

“Ughhhh,” Hunter groaned as he ran his hands over his face in defeat. Phee felt herself beginning to smile. “I’ll talk to the others,” he agreed. “But if any of them say no, we’re not doing it!”

He rounded the corner of the street and made his way back to the home he shared with his brothers and Omega, disappearing from sight.

Of course, Phee had neglected to mention that this family had history as Imperial scientists… not exactly the squad’s favourite type of people. Hopefully the team would be able to see past that, the pirate mused to herself as she reached for her comm and prepared to contact the family.

——

Two hours later, the squad were waiting for Phee to return from collecting the family. Wrecker impatiently tapped his foot and complained every five minutes that this was taking too long only for Crosshair to tell him to stow it each time.

Hunter could feel himself getting more twitchy as time passed. They had been waiting for nearly thirty minutes now, and Phee was usually more punctual than that. He did his best not to let his concern show though, as he was painfully aware of Omega stood next to him, not wanting to let him out of her sight.

This was her first mission since her return from Tantiss for the second time; Hunter had tried to persuade her to stay on Pabu with Lyana and Shep, but she had shot him down quickly.

“I’m not leaving you!” she had practically yelled at him, fear in her eyes and her voice. Crosshair had taken over then, reassuring her that she wasn’t going anywhere and that of course she could go with them. Hunter had only been trying to look out for her.

It was times like these that he caught himself trying to remember how he’d coped with Omega’s outbursts before Crosshair had gotten back.

Out of the shadows, the telltale figure of Phee emerged. She was wearing a cloak with a large hood, and was being followed by three figures. As they appeared and realised that they were safe now, they removed their hoods and relaxed a little; Hunter had been about to introduce himself when he felt Omega go rigid next to him. He glanced at her, trying to figure out what was wrong when he realised she was staring at the man… Galen Erso? Hunter followed his daughter’s gaze only to scowl at what he saw.

Phee hadn’t mentioned anything about the Erso family being Imperial scientists.

He had been about to turn and give the pirate a piece of his mind, but wasn’t able to take the opportunity as she had disappeared back into the shadows as quickly as she had arrived. Hunter growled and made a mental note to talk to her when they got back. How could she be so senseless?

“Thank you for rescuing our family,” the woman, Lyra, spoke first. She had kind eyes and a soft smile on her face as she spotted Omega clinging to Hunter. “I’m sure you understand more than most how important it is to keep your family safe.”

Crosshair, who had also clocked the uniform now, rolled his eyes and stalked back onto the ship He clearly wanted nothing to do with this mission then. Wrecker followed him, but took a seat in the cockpit to help get ready for takeoff. That left Hunter, Omega and the Erso family stood next to the Firebird. The little girl, Jyn was her name, skipped onto the ship, seemingly unaware of the situation unfolding around her.

Omega started trembling, something she hadn’t done out of the blue in a long time. Hunter gently slung his arm around her and held her tight. He pulled a face and sniffed dismissively in the direction of Galen before turning and heading towards the ramp of the ship. The couple followed him in silence, their confusion clear. Hunter, quite frankly couldn’t bring himself to care. They had a job to do and he would be glad when it was over and they could go back to their safe haven.

He sat in the pilot’s chair before glancing over at Omega; she was sat stock still in the co-pilot’s seat, re-living something that he didn’t know about. Hunter sighed quietly before turning his attention back to the controls.

He was definitely going to have words with Phee when this was over.

——

The sleep cycle came around, but Omega protested against sleep. “What if you need me?” she asked, her eyes full of worry. Hunter sighed, not for the first time that day, but this time it was full of affection for the girl he’d come to call his daughter. She had been sat in silence up until this point in their trip, just staring blankly out of the port window or eyeing up Galen Erso warily.

“We’ll be fine, ad’ika,” he soothed as he opened her arms. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She squeezed him tight before retreating to her room - unlike the Marauder, the Firebird had two bunk rooms, each with four beds. He and the boys shared one, and Omega by default had her own room. This was a little different today as she was sharing with the Erso child and her mother. The three year old had found Omega’s string of lights fascinating and had giggled as they twinkled. She had also taken up an obsession with Omega’s new trooper doll; the young clone hadn’t gotten around to decorating this one.

Hunter was a hypocrite; he had already decided that until the Erso family were dropped off at their destination, he wasn’t going to sleep. They were Imperials, even if they were ex-Imperials, and the panic on Omega’s face as she saw the scientists’ uniform had been the final nail in the coffin. Hunter needed to be on lookout so that his kid felt like she could have a full night’s sleep without having to watch her back. The look of fear had gone unnoticed by Jyn, who had tried to surgically attach herself to Omega, had not been missed by Galen and his wife.

Once Hunter heard the door to his little girl’s room close, he sighed quietly and turned to the nav-computer.

Slowly, everyone began to settle down for the night. Wrecker had been the one to crash first, mumbling a “g’night” to Hunter and Crosshair and nodding at Galen and Lyra. Lyra had been second, saying that she didn’t want to disturb the girls any later than she had to. She had thanked Hunter and Crosshair one final time and bid her husband goodnight before creeping into the room currently being shared by Omega and Jyn.

Hunter had listened intently as the door opened, but noticed no change in the steady heartbeats and heavy breathing coming from the two children within. Good, he thought as he carried on his work.

Crosshair had retired an hour or so later; he had spent a minute having a silent conversation with Hunter.

Want me to stay?

No, sleep.

You sure?

Go, Crosshair.

The sniper had grumbled about getting a stiff back as he stood from his chair and moved towards the bunk room. As the door opened he glanced at Hunter one last time. His look said it all.

If he gives you shit, you come and get me.

That left Hunter and the scientist. Galen Erso. Hunter knew enough to know that the man wasn’t in cahoots with Hemlock, and he hadn’t had his hands on Project Necromancer… but that still didn’t being him comfort.

It had been six months since Omega’s second rescue and it was safe to say that she had been nothing short of traumatised. It had taken weeks of sleepless and tearful nights, screaming episodes and panic attacks before she began to show her true colours again. He was worried that something as small as Galen’s uniform would send her all the way back to square one, and he wasn’t sure if he was prepared to deal with that.

“I noticed your little girl has an aversion to scientists.” It was as though Erso could read his mind. Hunter scowled, trying to look busy for a minute or two before realising that it was going to be no good. He swivelled in his chair to face the other man; for some reason Hunter had been expecting to see some kind go smugness in his eyes, but he saw nothing but curiosity and… sadness?

“You've had dealings with the Empire before?”

Hunter snorted before he could help himself. Had they had dealings with the Empire? Of course they had. They were clones for crying out loud. They had been there when the Empire was born. Instead of saying anything, he simply nodded. He wasn’t sure how much he could trust this man, regardless of his departure from the Empire. The squad had learned the hard way that sometimes giving up information was a dangerous game. Information was priceless, and deadly if left in the wrong hands.

“I don’t expect you to trust me, sergeant,” Erso continued speaking when he realised that Hunter wasn’t going to say anything. “However I can try to express just how far removed I am from the Empire. I have no desire to go back to them, not after the chaos and destruction they have caused.”

There was a pause as Hunter eyed the man, leaning back in his chair as he tried not to see the similarities between them. In reality, Galen was a man trying to protect his family as they went on the run from the Empire. He was trying to forge a life for Jyn and Lyra that didn’t involve looking over their shoulders… Hunter could see a little bit of himself in the man, especially in the way he doted on his child.

“Omega has been experimented on since she was a toddler,” he conceded, his throat tightening at the thought. “She… she was kidnapped by Hemlock about a year ago and held captive whilst…” He couldn’t carry on. The thought of Omega being trapped on Tantiss made him want to be sick. Galen nodded, a look of horrified recognition in his eyes at the mention of Royce Hemlock. It occurred to Hunter then that Erso must have had some contact with Hemlock, even if it was only in passing… even if it was only at conferences when all of the scientists updated the Empire on their progress.

“I’m sorry,” he replied eventually and even though Hunter would have scoffed at that normally, he could feel the weight behind those words. He nodded at the scientist once more; Galen Erso couldn’t undo the past, but him leaving the Empire was a step in the right direction. A movement that would damage the vile dictatorship that sought to destroy all that was sacred.

“We’re recovering…” he trailed off with a small huff. “She’s recovering, but it’s been a long journey.”

And it wasn’t over yet, it the Bad Batch knew this to be true. Whilst Omega didn’t wake up screaming as often, didn’t shy away from going outside, she wasn’t the cheerful little girl she had been before. She was more withdrawn and still favoured being glued to Hunter’s side on missions. He had heard her pacing her room at night more times than he could count, but didn’t intervene; if she needed him, she would go to him. He knew that.

As if their conversation had triggered it all, he suddenly heard a change in Omega’s heartbeat. Her breathing picked up, only loud enough for him to hear with his capabilities, but before he could stand and move towards her room, she let out a sharp cry.

Galen’s head snapped towards the door of the room, his guard immediately raised but Hunter waved him down. “It’s Omega,” he whispered before a light patter of feet could be heard and the door to her room hissed open.

Omega appeared in between the two rooms, her breathing still rapid as she trembled; Hunter put her out of her misery by leaving his chair and crossing the room to greet her. He crouched down so that he was in her line of sight.

“B-buir,” she started, shaking as she reached for him. He grasped her hands, running his thumbs over her knuckles in a gentle, soothing motion.

“I’m here, ‘Mega,” he soothed, plastering a small (albeit fake) smile on his face. The little girl’s breaths came out in short, sharp huffs as she tried to gain control of herself. “Just breathe with me, ad’ika,” Hunter placed one of her small hands over his chest so that she could feel the rise and fall as he modelled the way she should try to breathe.

“I-I was…” Omega glanced at Galen, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her breathing was beginning to even out again, but she was clearly distraught. More distraught than Hunter had seen her in a while. Hunter hushed her, instead encouraging her to just focus on him. On her breathing. On staying calm.

When eventually her breathing had slowed to a sensible rate, Hunter opened his arms. Omega collapsed into them, trembling and sniffling. The sergeant carted his hand through her hair; it was brushing her shoulders now and hung loose on this particular evening. They said nothing as he scooped her up and carried her to one of the chairs in the cockpit, ignoring Galen (who had the presence of mind to take interest in his holo pad).

Omega was wearing her pyjamas, a short sleeved top and shorts that came to just above her knee. Hunter remembered when he’d found her on Tantiss, how her arms had been mottled with bruises and marks from when needles had pierced her skin. Now her arms were clear of bruises (save ones she’d obtained from being clumsy) but the scars she bore from her time as an experiment remained. She had been hooked up to more machines, tested on over and over again more times that she could count and the abuse showed on her skin. She still bore a scar hidden under her hair from an attempt at implanting a chip to monitor her brain activity. Hunter had seen red when he’d first discovered it there.

Hunter rocked the child as he cradled her, swivelling the chair back and forth in slow, calculated movements. He remembered a time when he had done this for nights at a time, switching between rocking her and swivelling the chair to try and lull her into a slumber. When she had been much younger, he had paced back and forth with her in his arms on board the Marauder. He had been exhausted, falling asleep in the middle of the day a lot of the time, but he had never said no to her when she sought his comfort.

——

(Six Months Ago, Just After Omega’s Rescue)

It was relatively quiet on the Firebird, Hunter mused to himself… except for the crying child in his arms; he knew Crosshair and Wrecker had opted to go to the bunk room this time. They had all learned quite quickly that Omega didn’t enjoy an audience when she was struggling.

This was the third night in a row that the girl in question had dissolved into tears at the mention of going to bed. They had tried everything, including setting up Hunter’s pillow and blanket in the bunk room with her. It hadn’t worked.

Hunter knew that if Tech was there, or Echo to be fair, they would recommend sedating Omega. A light dose that would ease her into a dreamless sleep and allow Hunter to get some rest as well.

The sergeant was determined not to resort to that - Omega had spent enough time being prodded and poked by needles. The damage done whilst she was on Tantiss was there for all to see. Her arms were wrapped in gauze and plastered with bacta. She whimpered in his embrace, clinging to his shirt like it was a lifeline.

“I’m not going anywhere, ad’ika,” he soothed in a hushed tone, noting how the little girl nodded but still clung to him.

“You’re safe now,” he continued. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Omega didn’t respond verbally, she simply stared absently into the void, blinking slowly. She must have been exhausted but Hunter knew that she was plagued with horrible sights every time she closed her eyes. He didn’t think she’d actually slept since leaving Tantiss, which had been three days ago… she needed to rest.

“I can hear you thinking,” she croaked. Her voice sounded void of emotion, not like her at all. Hunter swore that if Hemlock hadn’t been killed by Crosshair, he would have taken joy in doing ti himself. The psychotic doctor had broken his kid. His little girl, who used to have the galaxy in her eyes.

“Sorry,” he looked down at the child in his arms. “I’ll try to think more quietly.” This got a small snort out of Omega, and Hunter’s heart skipped a beat. For a split second it was like she was back with him before she drifted away again, distant and remorseful.

“You’re forgiven,” she replied, a ghost of a smile on her face as she glanced up at her Buir. “I know you think I need sleep,” she carried on, snuggling further into Hunter’s embrace.

The sergeant hummed in response, not committing to a verbal answer. There was a slight pause, neither of them breaking the restful silence.

“I just don’t want to wake up and all of this be gone. That happened enough times when I was… there.”

Hunter nodded, still looking down at the little girl. There were dark circles under her eyes and she was pale; telltale signs that she was running on empty.

“I know you’re worried, ad’ika,” he replied. “Want to run through it again?” A small nod and he smiled genuinely this time.

“What can you see, kid?”

“The stars.”

“What can you hear?”

“Wrecker. He’s snoring.”

Hunter snorted at that. “What can you feel?”

This exercise went on for a while; it was one they had rehearsed and whilst it had never been successful in easing Omega to sleep, it had definitely soothed her and reassured her that this was reality to start with.

This time, however, Hunter could feel her head slowly growing heavier on his chest. He could hear her heartbeat slowing down and her breathing beginning to even out. Had the exhaustion finally caught up with her? He wouldn’t be surprised.

“Don’t leave me,” came a tired whisper, Omega taking one final, feeble grasp at his shirt. He nodded, gently kissing her forehead.

“Never, ad’ika. I promise I’ll be here when you wake up.”

The little girl nodded the tiniest amount before she was no longer awake, falling into a deep (hopefully dreamless) sleep. Hunter could have cried in that moment; he had hoped that him refusing to sedate Omega would have paid off in the end, and here she was. Sleeping… it may not have been a completely sound sleep, and she might wake up screaming for him in an hour but for now she was safe. She was resting, asleep in his arms.

As slowly as he could, Hunter reclined his seat slightly and rested his head against the headrest. Knowing that she was resting meant that he felt as though he could do the same and before long, he too was was in a deep sleep.

When Wrecker and Crosshair found them later, they had slowly retreated back into the bunk room. They had, of course, taken a photo of them before they went.

——

(Present Day)

Luckily, it hadn’t taken long for Omega to be soothed into a light sleep this time; Hunter had whispered a quiet “I love you,” to her as she’d dozed off again, tear tracks clear on her face and her breathing still a little stuttered from her crying. Resting his chin on top of her head, the sergeant glanced over at Galen. The scientist had a hard-set frown on his features as he watched the pair, his eyes glancing over the scars that littered Omega’s arms.

“The Empire did this?” he asked, his voice full of trepidation.

Hunter simply nodded, not needing to verbalise his response. He could see Erso mulling over this fact, clearly thinking of his own daughter.

Out of habit, Hunter tuned into the sounds coming from the bunk rooms - Crosshair and Wrecker both slept soundly, and he could hear two gentle heartbeats coming from Omega’s room. Everyone was safe. He whispered as much to Galen, who nodded in thanks.

“She’s been so brave,” Hunter said quietly, looking down at the child in his arms. “I don’t know half of what they did to her, she doesn’t like to talk about it, but I won’t let anyone lay a finger on her again.”

Another nod from Galen, whose eyes were still fixed on Omega’s scars. Had she been awake, she would have glared at him and grabbed her jacket. She would be marked by the Empire for the rest of her life, and Hunter had to live with knowing that he hadn’t been able to help his little girl.

“Please,” he started after a long silence. “If you’re found…” he trailed off, not wanting to think about Jyn being snatched by Imperials. “Don’t tell them about us.”

It came out as more of a desperate plea than a stern request from a soldier. He didn’t think Omega would cope if the Empire caught wind of her again. He certainly wouldn’t cope if he had to search half of the galaxy for her. She was his kid and in the time they’d been separated, he’d felt as though he couldn’t breathe properly. He looked up at Galen Erso, his eyes tired and desperate. The scientist regarded the clone before nodding.

“You have my word, they’ll never know of your involvement in this,” he stated. Hunter believed him.

Galen had stood and bid Hunter goodnight not long after that, suggesting that the sergeant should get sleep as well.

“I know what it is to love your child so much it hurts, Hunter,” Erso had said. “But you need to be functioning to be able to look after her.” With that final statement, he headed into the bunk room that held Crosshair and Wrecker. Hunter was left alone with Omega, still swinging his chair gently. He supposed resting his eyes for a little while wouldn’t hurt. Resting his head against the back of the chair, Hunter closed his eyes and allowed himself to join his daughter in sleep.

The following morning they were halfway through their time in hyperspace… and Jyn was bored. The little girl had never been on a long-haul flight before and it was safe to say that the novelty of it all had well and truly worn off. Galen and Lyra had tried their best, and in fairness they had come prepared for a long trip with a small child. Jyn had played with some small figures in her backpack, drawn multiple pictures of the Bad Batch and her family, and had tried playing a game with her father. She was now out of new things to do, and was making it the problem of everyone on board.

Crosshair had scarpered first, claiming that his rifle needed cleaning; this had made Hunter laugh. He had forgotten that even though his brother adored Omega, he was uncomfortable with smaller children. Especially excitable ones. Jyn had steered clear of Wrecker, slightly intimidated by the clone’s height. Hunter had expected Wrecker to be more upset by that then he was, but he had busied himself elsewhere in the hold of the ship. Hunter was sat in the pilot’s seat, his feet propped up on the dashboard when he felt a small tug at his arm.

“Are you Omega’s daddy?” A small, curious voice asked and Hunter turned to the tiny child with a small smile on his face. “I saw you cuddling her this morning. She looked happy.”

Slightly unsure of what to do, Hunter tried to recall what he had done when interacting with Cut and Suu’s children when they had been little. He clambered out of his chair and crouched down to make himself as close to Jyn’s height as possible.

“I guess I am, yeah,” he replied with a nervous chuckle. Usually people just assumed that he was Omega’s father. He wasn’t used to inquisitive children asking him that question. Hunter glanced up at his kid; Omega was tapping at a data pad, pretending that she wasn’t listening to the conversation. It made him smirk; the kid thought she was so sneaky.

Jyn nodded, taking this information on board. Hunter could practically feel her gearing up to ask more questions.

“Omega’s daddy?” she started. “Is it okay if I play with Omega?” The question stumped him a little. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Omega glancing up from the data pad.

“Well that’s not up to me, kid,” he started, his eyes flickering over to his daughter. She looked a little uncomfortable, but plastered a convincing smile on her face as Jyn approached her.

“Omega, can we play?” There must have been something about her pleading tone or the look on her face, because Omega crumbled and nodded. She allowed herself to be pulled by the hand to her room.

In the back of his mind, Hunter held a small, nagging worry but he squashed it. They were on a ship in hyperspace for kriff’s sake! There was no way that anyone could get to Omega here. He really needed to relax.

Trying not to think about it too much, he busied himself checking the nav computer and the ship’s vitals…

… he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard something he hadn’t heard in a long, long time.

Omega had laughed.

Not just a snort of laughter or a small chuckle, she had full on laughed. Laughed like she was the carefree child she should be. Hunter’s head shot up at the noise, and tears sprung to his eyes unbidden as he heard it again.

Galen and Lyra had been sat talking quietly to one another but stopped their conversation to glance at the sergeant.

“Are you okay?” Lyra asked, a small look of concern on her features. Galen, however, only had a look of understanding on his face.

“I’m okay,” Hunter managed after a few seconds. “I just… I just haven’t heard her laughing like that in a long time.” He smiled, making it clear that he actually was okay. The couple nodded, Galen sharing Hunter’s knowing smile before going back to the conversation they had been having previously. Hunter allowed himself to tune into Jyn and Omega’s game, smiling every time he heard his little girl laughing and playing along with whatever stories Jyn was making up as she went along.

————

One day later, when the Firebird finally reached it’s destination, everyone had disembarked. Wrecker had been first, stretching and declaring loudly that he was happy to be back on solid ground; it was no secret that out of all of Hunter’s brothers, Wrecker was the one who liked flying the least. Jyn had been quick to follow him, her fear of the gentle giant no longer present.

Hunter stood on the ramp of the ship, watching as Lyra and Galen spoke to a local tradesperson… something to do with transport to a nearby farm. Wrecker was playing with Jyn and Crosshair was sat watching, teasing Wrecker as Jyn managed to evade his capture.

Light footsteps approached behind him and he turned to face Omega. She looked more relaxed than he’d seen in a while and it warmed him to see her smile at him. She came and stood next to him before fidgeting and wriggling so that his arm was wrapped around her.

“You good, kid?” he asked softly and she nodded. Her hair was loose again and it bobbed as she nodded.

“Just… taking it all in,” she breathed. “I’m looking forward to going home.”

Home. For a long time, Hunter was convinced that his family would never had a home, but Pabu had proven to be the sanctuary that they needed.

“I’ve got a present for Jyn,” she carried on a moment later, fiddling with a small bundle in her arms. Hunter recognised one of Omega’s card games and something else.

“You’re giving away Trooper?” he asked, surprised. Admittedly, this trooper wasn’t the same as her previous one, and it still hadn’t been painted in Bad Batch colours. Omega nodded again, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

“I have Lula,” she started. “And besides, sometimes it’s the small things that comfort you when you’re living the life that she’s gonna be living.”

Hunter had to blink away proud tears. Omega knew what sort of life the Erso family were in for and in typical Omega fashion, she wanted to help where she could. The child padded down the ramp and headed over to Jyn. She crouched down to the girl’s level and spoke to her softly; once she had presented the presents, Jyn had squealed and thrown her arms around Omega. She wobbled under the attack but recovered quickly and held her back. Galen and Lyra glanced over at the scene, warm smiles on their faces before they called Jyn to them.

It was time to go.

The squad had stayed, waving the family off as they travelled into the distance towards their new life. Then, one by one they had made their way back onto the Firebird.

It was time to go home.

14 notes · View notes

thehappyfeminist-22 · 7 months

Text

15 QUESTIONS FOR 15 FRIENDS

I was tagged by @ofmd-ann five days ago. Sorry it's taken me this long to get around to responding.

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?: First name, no. But my middle name is after one of my great-grandmothers.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: A few weeks ago, some creep was not-so-subtlely following me in the park and actually chased me as I fled in my car. I reported him to the police and cried when I got home. That was one of the most terrifying things I've ever been through.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?: No, but I would like one or two. My boyfriend has to finish grad school first.

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?: I've never played any sports, and I have no interest in any.

DO YOU USE SARCASM?: It's my second language.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?: As an introvert, I'm quick to pick up on whether people are draining to be around.

WHAT’S YOUR EYE COLOUR?: Gray-blue.

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?: Why not both?

ANY TALENTS?: I'm good at needlework and storing this huge mental repository of the most random facts that I'll probably never need. I'm also a pretty good writer, if I do say so myself.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?: Alabama

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?: Needlework, video games, writing fanfiction, reading (mostly young adult novels and fanfiction), photography, obsessing over my fandoms, and collecting various things (knick-knacks, gaming dice, Magic and Pokemon cards, comic books, stickers, a few vintage cookbooks, crystals, plushies, and a jar of random tiny trinkets because I'm a goblin).

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?: Between the two of us, my boyfriend and I have four cats.

HOW TALL ARE YOU?: I'm five feet tall. I'm a smol bean.

FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?: Lunch

DREAM JOB?: I've always loved to write, and I would love to be a successful published author someday. I dream of my books amassing their own fandoms that people obsess over and ask me questions about and make fanart and write fanfiction for.

no pressure tags: Everyone I can think of has probably already been tagged more than once, so if you have, feel free to ignore this. @piratecaptainscaptainpirates @gentlebeardsbarngrill @celluloidbroomcloset @spirker @bizarrelittlemew @saltpepperbeard @blakbonnet @sherlockig @pumpkinspicepirates @merryfinches @the-pirate-duck @edscuntyeyeshadow @huffle-ego @forpiratereasons @hang-on-lil-tomato

#ask me stuff #questionaire #about me #tag friends

11 notes · View notes

evocationwriter · 3 months

Text

[I can't really access my pics of Clover atm, and if I keep putting this off until I do I swear I'll never post it! I added a description below in lieu of pics lol (although, I think it would be fun to see how everyone describes their Tavs themselves, too!)]

This "meet my Tav" is brought to you by the wonderful @galeorderbride, who tagged me! I tag @thecurlyginger and @silent-words :)

This is my first Tav, so there will forever be a special place in my heart for her. Where it all began! Description: Imagine a constantly dirty lil wood-elf with olive skin, brown hair that glitters green when it catches the light, cut functionally to the scalp with a hunting knife. Her lips are naturally tinted green, and a customary tattoo of pale green vines snakes up her neck and frames her face - an empty space at center of her throat for when she earns the symbol of her ranger conclave. She has big, dopey forest-green eyes. Smol. Doesn't really sit down - just sort of perches herself precariously. A very serious-looking raven is always either on her shoulder or perched nearby (though, if you have "speak with animals", his voice is SUPER goofy and it's clear that he's just a silly little friend). Catch this shy bean in the shadows drawing all the cool plants and creatures she's encountered during their travels - after she's hunted and hung a wild boar to drain to keep everyone fed, of course. I have, as you can see, thought about this a normal amount.

Name: Clover

Age: 170-200ish, she doesn't know for sure, exactly.

Race: Wood elf

Class: Gloomstalker Ranger

Alignment: Started neutral good, but this whole mess ground her down to true neutral.

Deity: Simply, the land of whatever Plane she's on. But will send an occasional prayer to Sehanine Moonbow.

Favourite spells: Find familiar! (always the raven - naturally lol - his name is Eugene)

Armour act 1: Oak Father's Embrace, then hide armor +2

Armour act 2: Yuan Ti scale mail

Armour act 3: Helldusk armor (plus the helmet. Dyed it all green. She looked like a cute little swamp creature - I WILL update this with pics!)

Favourite dye: sage green

Weapons act 1: Gandrel's Aspiration (rip Gandrel, it all happened so fast)

Weapons act 2: the Joltshooter

Weapons act 3: The Dead Shot

Buffs: Longstrider. All day every day

Love interest: Lae'zel (her primal, aggressive flirting had Clover swooning in an instant), Gale as her bff

Favourite NPC: Malta, that prophetic cat in a random alley in Act 3 (I hc that they reunite again in a few centuries, as was prophesized)

Favourite enemy: Raphael. She marked him as prey since Act 1, so the kill was *so satisfying*

Favourite battle: Orin. Smoke powder arrows were the MVP of that fight.

Favourite dialogue: "Will you stay with me, for good?" from Lae'zel, which was said with the biggest puppy dog eyes known to man.

Decision about the Absolute: Chose Orpheus (what kind of gf woud she be otherwise!?), ended the brain and killed the tadpoles, let Lae'zel go off to fight a revolution - Clover hatched and started raising their child while she awaited Lae'zel's return. HC the three of them stay on Toril until Xan is of age, roaming about the wilds of Faerun and visiting their friends at random and without notice, and now they bounce between the Astral Sea, Toril, and all kinds of new planets and places like a cute lil happy space pirate family.

#FINALLY posted it omg!#Enough was enough #my tav #bg3 oc #bg3 tav #wood elf #gloomstalker ranger #Clover #Lae'zel x tav #bg3 spoilers #bg3 spoiler warning

3 notes · View notes

llydiadeetz · 11 months

Text

i was tagged by @sirtadcooper thank you! 🦋

Tag someone you want to know AND/OR some of your besties.

Favourite colour: it depends on the day, honestly. but it's always either blue, purple, green, and pink.

Last song: night moves — bob seger

Last movie: totally killer (2023)

Currently watching: our flag means death, ghost files, loki, the great british bake off, hell's kitchen, the irrational, lego masters

Other stuff I watched this year: good omens, the fall of the house of usher, the last of us, the walking dead: daryl dixon, sex education, ted lasso, what we do in the shadows, puppet history, the mandalorian, only murders in the building, twisted metal, heartstopper, secret invasion, platonic, the bear, lockwood & co., animal control, unstable, shadow and bone, you, leverage: redemption

Shows I dropped this year/didn't finish: ahsoka and vikings: valhalla

Currently reading: percy jackson and the olympians: the chalice of the gods by rick riordan

Currently listening to: random playlists on my phone. mostly a mix of current and '80s music.

Currently working on: nothing really at the moment, just a few random gifsets.

Current obsession: good omens and our flag means death. my brain is full of angels, demon, and pirates.

I'm tagging: @jddryder @stars-bean @thyla @userstede @nerdalmighty @crowleydiaz @crowley-anthony @davinaclare @fabines

#tag game #they way i had to look at tv time and letterboxd

10 notes · View notes

faux-fires · 1 year

Text

Snapshot meme

@mikkeneko tagged me for this two weeks ago but i operate on more of a geological timescale these days so here i am

FavoUrite coloUr: generally blue, with a touch of silver - particularly that lovely bruise-grey colour of a thundercloud. you know? this sort of colour:

Last song: still listening to choreomania by florence & the machine A LOT. YES i belt the chorus out loud, NO i will not be stopped

Currently reading: theoretically Golden Terrace vol 1 (by Cang Wu Bin Bai, translated by E Danglars), but despite repeated nudging from @ranilla-bean I haven’t actually started. I WILL TODAY I PROMISE PLEASE STOP SHOVING ME IN VIRTUAL LOCKERS

Last Movie: the handmaiden, because it came up on my dash and i’m weak to external influences. rip 2 u mikke hope you’ve moved on from transformers

Sweet/spicy/savoury: savoury!!! like a mountain goat i crave that mineral (salt).

Currently working on: [mumble mumble a pirate zukka au mumble]. the OUTLINE is over 10,000 words and i’m still not happy with it. this could be my magnum opus or i could have read like, six books about sailing for NOTHING. i wish i could be one of those authors who is just confidently wrong about everything, ya know...?

tagging: @ranilla-bean (as a distraction tactic to keep from being throttled over golden terrace), @hollyand-writes, @hoochieblues, @carabas and @sulkybender, but anyone who wants to should feel 100% entitled to do just meme it and tag me back, por favor!

#memes

10 notes · View notes

xoteajays · 9 months

Note

Share 5-10 facts about the OC most on your mind right now

time to talk more about my babygirl koi! tagging @daughter-of-melpomene too ♡.

like most mermaids, koi is vegetarian. that means sanji has to adapt meals for her, which she feels kinda bad about and says she can make her own meals, but he still insists. though she doesn’t say anything about it, watching anyone breakdown fish for food makes her uncomfortable. it reminds her of losing her tail.

koi is not the best fighter in the beginning and it’s a long road to her eventually figuring out what weapons she can use well. before her signature weapons, she can usually be found chucking whatever she can get her hands on at enemies. her signature weapons are a trident (collapsible and hung from her waist when not in use) and a stiletto dagger.

she hates heights. she even refuses to go up in the going merry’s crow’s nest.

despite growing up mostly on a pirate ship, she is surprisingly girly. this can mainly be traced back to how her father and his crew treated her like a ‘princess’, similar to how one would play pretend with a child. she was also shielded from a lot of her father’s actual piracy.

like other mermaids, when she’s serious/angry, she can create maelstroms - but she has to be in - or at least partially in - the water for it to work.

in listing her favourites: she loves pearls in any form, and any foods with red bean paste/anko. she’s also a big fan of sweets.

since she grew up in the ocean and on a pirate ship, she gets very excited about going on land and seeing things she’s never experienced before. though, she does find it difficult to sleep on land and, if somewhere with water isn’t available, she prefers to sleep under moonlight.

koi has a habit of emotionally/mentally throwing zoro off-balance with her genuineness, especially when it comes to her complimenting him.

she knows some sea shanties taught to her by her father’s crew, but knows more merfolk songs and prefers them. she can often be found humming a lullaby her mother used to sing because it comforts her.

despite having her tail stolen, she still retained some physical mermaid traits, most notably, her slightly webbed hands and fanged canines. she also still has the scent of a mermaid that can be recognised by fish-men and other merfolk.

#arrthurpendragon #tj answers #oc: koi rikaine #i have a lot to say about her!!

4 notes · View notes

sleekervae · 2 years

Text

A Pirate's Life | Pirate Radio [1]

So... I fell down a Sandman rabbit hole... and then I fell down the Tom Sturridge rabbit hole. And then through him I found my new favourite movie, Pirate Radio (aka The Boat that Rocked) and I seriously recommend ya'll go check it out! Anyway, I fell in love with Carl -- he's just the softest little bean 🥺 -- and I was compelled to write something just to get it out of my system. I might write for the sandman in the future too but for now... please enjoy this baby pirate being the sweetest thing since cherry pie.

If you haven't watched the movie, I suggest watching it before reading this. And if you haven't, I tried to give as much context as possible for everything. But you should still watch the movie because it's fucking amazing!

Thank you for coming to my ted talk...

Pairing: Carl x OC Fem Reader

Summary: Young Carl forges a profound friendship with the bitter tart of the Radio Rock tanker.

Summer 1966

Sharp shivers raced down Carl's spine, his heaviest coat had provided him little to no protection against the sloshing, violent waters that splattered across his ferry ride. And yet, being inside the rickety old tanker was little relief. What more could he expect from a tanker ship, though? He only prayed that Quentin, his god father, was good enough to maybe provide him with a hot meal or a cup of tea.

The heavy metal door swung open with a vile squeal and Quentin led his god son down the metal stairs, minding him to watch his step should he slip in his soaked wellies. He was introduced to the entire team, or just barely so, as they all continued to go about their tasks while giving the lad fleeting glances.

The star of their enterprise, The Count, held his own charismatic charm that Carl found himself envious of, while his new roomie, Thick Kevin, was as delightfully daft as a door nail. Dave was a partier, if not unorthodox in some of the things he did for sheer amusement. Felicity seemed sweet, if not a little overwhelmed from the excess of male energy in her constance presence.

And then there was Sally. Carl didn't even spot her at first; she was curled up in the back of the sitting room with a wool blanket thrown over her legs, her nose buried in a book, and a cigarette balanced between her lips.

"Sitting in the corner and being delightfully antisocial is our vinyl librarian, Sally," She hardly looked up when Quentin called her up to introduce her. She didn't see much to be impressed by anyway; the boy was lankier than a toothpick, slouched and jittery with his fringe practically curtaining over his eyes.

Despite her aloofness, young Carl couldn't help but take a second -- well, fourth -- glance at Sally. She had a face that he could liken to a pixie, and it was difficult to pick off whether or not she was older or younger than him. Regardless, she exuded a confidence and maturity that was way beyond years for most girls her age. She was easily the most strikingly beautiful thing he had laid eyes on -- though considering his lack of experience with women, that wasn't saying much.

Carl glanced aimlessly around the ship, quite taken with the extensive radio booths for the boys' segments as Kevin led him down the deck to the room they would be sharing.

"And this room belongs to Nick," Kevin pointed out, "And Felicity has the room next to us. I like it because she's the quietest when the girls come to visit. You get more sleep that way with quiet neighbours,"

Carl's lip quivered a little as he spoke up, "W-What about Sally?" he asked.

"She stays with Felicity, but she's not a lez, if that's what you're thinking," Kevin shook his head, "Dave made that assumption once and he still has the scar to prove it,"

"Scar?" Carl cocked an eyebrow as Simon came to pass them in the hall.

"She clocked him," he pointed to his own chin, "Right there,"

"Not that he didn't have it coming," The older Irishmen chuckled heartily at the mention of their resident book worm, "Lemme' put it to ya this way, boy-o; don't get any ideas about Sally. She's off limits to all of us,"

"How come?" Carl asked.

Kevin leaned in close, as though to whisper a secret the walls themselves couldn't hear, "She sleeps with a screwdriver under her pillow,"

"She's not all sour lemons, though," Simon assured the startled boy, "Once you get to know her, she's a right good time. Pulled a hell of a prank on Angus a while back,"

"He didn't get any scars," Kevin informed sadly.

Regardless of warnings from all the lads, Carl found himself having quieter moments with Sally. He was taken aback when she greeted him on his first morning when they passed each other in the hall, and try as he might his voice was caught in his throat for too long to utter anything more than a simple 'hi'. More over they'd run into each other in the galley to fetch some tea. She's ask him how he was doing and he's reply with a jovial 'fine', as would she when he asked her the same. It seemed though that their conversation never spanned more than those few exchanged in the first weeks of Carl's stay.

Within the first two weeks of Carl's stay, the boys had invited a ferry of girls to come and visit for the weekend. The ever so young and innocent boy stood out like a sore thumb in the sea of his overly horny shipmates.

That was when he ran into his first real spot of trouble with Sally. Somehow, Dave had convinced him it would be good for him to pop his cherry quickly, and the older lad had devised a scheme to make the boy a man by tricking his own date into make believing that Carl was actually Dave making love to her. It was a long and arduous story, but Dave was convinced that just keeping the lights off would be enough to get them by.

Needless to say, Carl was shaking; the poor boy was so nervous! And Dave's pep talk in the loo did very little to calm him as he stripped off his pants and hurried down the hall, praying he wouldn't run into anybody.

Carl peeked into the room, finding it pitch black indeed. He slipped inside, assured that this was indeed Dave's room. However, his blood ran cold when he heard a familiar, feminine voice.

"Felicity?" and before he could register what he'd done, the lights flipped on, and he found himself stark bollock naked in front of a mortified Sally.

Needless to say, she screamed bloody fucking murder at the sight of him and Carl followed suit. Of course he had to get the wrong fucking door!

"What the fuck are you doing!?" her thick South Shields accent hollered at him, though she kept her eyes averted to the wall covered in various film and music posters.

Carl wished more than anything to have the ground open up and swallow him whole, put him out of his fucking misery. He tried to cover his modesty as best as he could with his hands, "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Sally! Wrong room!" he babbled on with his apologies, trying to explain but tripping over his words more than a drunk at three in the morning

Sally, angered and embarrassed beyond anything, grabbed the first thing she could -- which happened to be a towel -- and tossed it at him so he could cover up, pointing sharply to her door, "Get the fuck out, Carl!"

"I'm sorry!" Carl begged as he backed out for the door, his eyes then training to the pillow on her bunk, "Please -- please don't stab me!"

Sally's hand flew to her mouth when he finally exited her room, her skin crawling and lungs gasping to catch a breath. She slapped at the rod to her bunk bed, in the back of her mind suspecting that Dave had something to do with this, "Fuck me!"

Only seconds later did the door open again, but much to Sally's relief it was only Felicity. She looked just as gobsmacked as Sally, "Did I hear screams? What happened?"

Sally simply shook her head, "Nothing, nothing. There was just an seventh grader in hear trying to find his willy,"

The next morning was humiliating, needless to say. Carl kept his head down best his could, steeping his tea and rolling his eyes as Dave went on and on about last night's sexual escapade. And though nobody spoke of it, he could tell from the glances and sniggers the boys were exchanging that they'd heard about what had happened with Sally. Carl wasn't sure what was worse; the fact that he'd gotten the wrong room or that he was about to dupe another hapless woman in the same span. He made a memo to himself, though: never ever again would he listen to Dave.

The chatter in the dining area came to a stall when Sally entered; bundled up in a turtle neck, plaid jacket and her grey slacks. Her dark long hair was tied messily atop her head and her latest read clenched tightly in her hand. Despite her clear irritation, she continued to be so effortlessly beautiful.

She inhaled sharply as she paused in front of the boys, glaring briefly at the portly Dave with a look that could've murdered him on the spot.

Kevin, ever so daft, proceeded to ask, "Sleep well, Sally?" Mark sniggered next to him, while Sally rolled her eyes and rushed to the kitchen to make herself some tea. She stopped momentarily when she saw Carl was already there, and the look on the poor boy's face was a grimace that begged for death -- or to be literally anywhere else in the world but here.

She was silent as she grabbed her usual mug and waited for the kettle. Carl seemed to be frozen on the spot, staring down into his tea mug and praying that the kettle would hurry and heat the water. He could feel her eyes on him, piercing, judging, probably calling him every name in the book in her mind. When she opened her mouth, he fully expected her to to lambast him again for last night, though instead, the words that flew from her mouth were sympathetic.

"Simon told me what happened," she said quietly, "So last night wasn't entirely your fault,"

Carl glanced at her from the corner of his eye, unsure whether or not she was putting him on. Though she didn't strike him as the type to laud him on for a laugh, her eyes were genuine and the corners of her lips were almost -- almost upturned in a tiny, sympathetic grin.

"So... so you're not angry, then?" he asked cautiously.

"No, I'm traumatized," she assured in short, "You're a git for having listened to Dave in the first place. But -- the blame isn't entirely on you,"

Carl nodded slowly, "Oh. Well... thanks for understanding, I guess,"

Sally then leaned over on the counter top, resting her elbows on the wood as she glanced ups t him curiously, "Can I ask you a question, though?"

"Sure," Carl shrugged, glancing at the tea pot once again. What the hell was it taking so long for?

"Did you... why did you think I was gonna stab you?" she asked, her voice just a key above a whisper.

Despite his pale complexion, Carl felt his face go red -- for maybe the tenth time in twelve hours, "Well... K-Kev told me about the screwdriver you keep... under your pillow,"

Much to his surprise, Sally began to chuckle, "Kevin told you that?" she was flabbergasted at the notion.

He tried to get himself to relax; she was smiling after all, the tension within her had de-escalated, "You don't have one?"

"I made that quip to Mark so he'd stop hounding at me. Not like it worked but... I have the door locked and a bunk mate," she explained, "Besides, Quentin made it very clear; any twat makes us girls uncomfortable then they walk the plank -- so to speak,"

"Fair," Carl agreed, "I'm really, really sorry, though. It won't ever happen again,"

"Damn right it won't," as she spoke, the kettle finally began to whistle. She reached to take it off the stove top and poured herself a cup, "Because I do like you. It'd be a shame to throw you overboard,"

In his heart he knew it was only a joke, but he couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine as she took her mug and book and went for the table. Despite his fear, he called out for her again, and she turned on her heel swiftly.

"What're you reading?" he asked.

Sally paused momentarily, glancing at the cover of her new novel. No one on this boat -- not even Felicity -- had ever asked her about her books.

"Dune," she replied, "It's a science fiction thriller in a futuristic desert. It's got giant worms and shit,"

"Is it good?" Carl inquired.

"So far, yeah," she replied, "If you want, um, you can borrow it when I finish,"

Carl felt himself begin to smile, and his frigid exterior began to relax, "Sure. Yeah, I'd like that,"

"Cool," Sally nodded, sporting her own small grin, "Enjoy your tea, Carl,"

She went to take her seat at the table between Simon and Kevin, and Mark being Mark, he smirked with giddy at her.

"So Sally, I have to ask -- what were you doing with your lights off last night anyhow?" he asked.

The boys all turned in her directions, including Carl as he still kept stationing with the kettle. Sally sipped her tea idly before replying with the most fitting response.

"I was tryna get to sleep early so I wouldn't have to listen to you twats measure your cocks between the walls,"

A couple of weeks had passed, and Carl and Sally were getting more and more comfortable around each other. Sally found that Carl was more enjoyable to talk to out of the other lads, and more often than not she'd find herself seeking him out between takes in the broadcast. They chatted about everything; how they grew up to the things they hated most in school.

And Carl had learned quite a lot about Sally, more than the boys on the ship had learned. She had just turned the ripe ol' age of eighteen, grew up in Newcastle, and she was invited to come work on the tanker so she could escape her morally oppressive and abusive father who had more of a taste for mulled wine than a steady job. Neither of them were ultimately sure if they were being paid or not, but regardless they found life on Radio Rock to be all the more swell compared to their lives on the mainland.

Just as she'd promised, when Sally was done reading Dune, she passed it off to Carl to peak his interest. So he would take his torch beneath his blanket and read, becoming truly engrossed in the vast landscapes and vivid scenes of war, destruction, and love. And when morning came he would sit with Sally at the end of the long dining table, and they'd chat on and on about the story, and Sally was happy to answer any questions he had.

This didn't mean however that she herself had become an open book to Carl. Despite their blooming friendship she still kept him at an arms' length, and Carl was perplexed as to why when he had practically told her everything about him.

It was a gloomy autumn night when Quentin had called Carl up to come see him in his quarters -- because of course he had the nicest living quarters out of everyone. With Carl's eighteenth birthday coming up, Quentin had decided to gift him the gift of a good time -- with his niece. And of course, the shy but excitable lad jumped at the opportunity.

When he told Sally about it, she feigned her happiness because it was his birthday and she could tell that he was beaming like a kid on Christmas. However, the notion of it all turned her off -- after all it seemed like a bargain deal for a girl to come aboard a ship with her rich uncle, and all she'd have to do is have dinner with a stranger. There really was no promise of anything for Carl here. Nevertheless, Sally chose to keep her opinions to herself and wished him well as he dashed off to find something to wear.

Sally meanwhile continued to go through the boxes of older records, organizing the older pieces from the newer ones for The Count's segment. John approached her from behind, tapping her gently on the shoulder whilst he tried to untangle his headphones from around his neck.

"What's the crack with him?" he asked.

"Oh, the boy's becoming a man -- for real this time,"

Carl had put on his nicest shirt and a sweater over top, and his heart raced so quickly he feared it would leap out of his heart. His mind was racing, wondering what this girl, Marianne, would be like. Was she pretty? Would she like him? What if she thought him laughable, small or not even worth her time?

Regardless of his worries, he exited out of his room and made his way up to Quentin's living quarters. He passed Sally on his way up, she was on her way down with a box of old records clutched in her arms.

"You look nice," she commented quickly.

"Thanks. I'm just going up to dinner," he replied, trying to play it off as casually as possible.

Sally refrained from biting her tongue, "Oh, with Quentin's niece? Was that tonight?"

"Yeah," he glanced down at the hastily kept together box, "what's all this?"

"Off season shite," she nodded swiftly, continuing to trot down the stairs, "Good luck with your date, yeah?"

Carl, being ever the young gentleman he was, tried to chase after her, "Hey, you need a hand?"

"No! No I'm good," she assured, stopping momentarily, "Compliment her shoes,"

"Excuse me?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Compliment her shoes. We like when boys notice our effort," she explained.

His eyes then averted to Sally's shoes. She was wearing a simple pair of converse, dark blue, worn down in the sole and laces. And yet they still complimented her dark slacks and jumper quite well. Her smile was kind, yet blunt, as she trotted down the well and Carl leaned over the rail, watching her disappear into the hull of the ship.

The night was going splendidly well, and from the moment Carl first laid eyes on Marianne, he was a sworn believer in the trope of love at first sight. And despite their being chaperoned by Quentin, the older gent was shockingly lenient when it came to giving Carl some alone time with his niece.

However, things inevitably took a turn when Dave became involved. From openly flirting with Marianne, to gobbing off about the condom Carl had sneaked away in his pocket, Carl was sure that he would strike out yet again. And then he was sure he was safe again when he tossed the condom out of the porthole, assuring his date that he was attracted her regardless of whether she would put out with him.

But the final blow came when Carl left her alone for not even ten minutes in search of another condom -- only to come back and find that Dave had swooped in and knicked Marianne out from under his nose. Regardless to say, he was crushed.

Sally wandered back into the studio at some point during the evening, exhausted but relieved to have finished moving the show's older inventory. She wasn't surprised to find Harold or John, John after all was setting up his late night news segment. However, she paused when she spotted Carl sitting alone in the sound booth, staring into space glumly.

She turned to the boys awaiting an answer, and all Harold had to say was 'Dave' before she could get the hint. She shook her head, seething to wonder just what it was that pompous pig had done now. Regardless, she didn't want to leave the poor kid alone like this. So she went into the kitchen to grab a tin of Bourbon biscuits and some chocolate milk. Regardless of whether it was a tempestuous break up or a bad day in general, chocolate always had a knack for making Sally feel better.

Music from Mark's current segment continued to play in the background. Sally approached Carl slowly, placing the plate of biscuits down before him and the glass of milk next to it. She sat down beside him, not that he bothered to glance her way. They sat in silence together, Carl was unsure whether he should spill his guts to Sally and Sally was unsure of what to say to him. She didn't ask him if he was okay, she knew fully well he wasn't, and she also knew she was going to tear a strip off of Dave in the morning for being such a twat.

And so she took a biscuit, dunked it in the milk, and took a bite; glancing his way momentarily before she opened her book and began to read -- or, pretended to read, anyway.

The cycle continued for a minute or two. Sally ate her biscuit, skimmed a few lines, and looked up at Carl now and again to gauge him. He glanced at the plate now and again, his resolve coming to a break as he swiftly reached over and took a biscuit. It was hard for Sally to contain her smile as she watched him eat. He gladly accepted the milk she offered him, laughing quietly when the end of the sopping biscuit she dipped nearly fell into her lap.

Mark watched them from his booth, the cigarette sizzling between his lips as he watched the pair smile together. Not that he would ever admit it, but he found them kind of sweet together. A coy smile dwindled at his lips as he switched his vinyl to the next track.

Eating biscuits like little children, Carl was surprised when Sally slung an arm around his shoulders to give him a hug, and she promised him that everything was going to be okay. He didn't feel alright, but he felt better just being with Sally. And she couldn't complain either, despite his demure and naive attitude, the lad was alright company. A breath of fresh air, one could say, from the booming testosterone-filled shenanigans of the other boys.

#tom sturridge #young carl #pirate radio #the boat that rocked #the sandman #the sandman netflix #original content #original character #original female character #film blog #00s film

28 notes · View notes