#I love how. no matter what you think of her. none of the princesses outrights *lie* to you
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Original Chapter 2 concept:
When you enter the cabin, you keep Narrator's words about the princess lying and cheating in mind and make sure to interrogate and prod at her every statement in the basement.
The princess gets visibly distressed and irritated at this, feeling even more trapped under your interrogation and getting more angry the more you doubt her words ("I don't know! I just don't know! What else do you want me to say?"). Hero suggests that maybe you should lay off a bit, and Narrator shows irritation at the fact that you keep questioning instead of slaying.
If you keep up the interrogation, getting closer so that now the princess is also physically cornered, the princess will snap at you and use her chains to trap and strangle you, screaming like a trapped animal.
Everything goes dark and you die.
Chapter II: The Weaver
You're accompanied by Voice of the Interrogator, and go to the cabin to find a moist stone building with walls covered in a silky thread. In the basement, there's a regular-looking princess waiting for you, tho you can't quite make out her face from this distance. She screams at you to help her, that there's a monster nearby and to please save her soon.
If you do, you'll find yourself getting dangled in webs, and that the 'princess' was just a decoy set up by the real princess, who was waiting for you on the ceiling.
#I love how. no matter what you think of her. none of the princesses outrights *lie* to you#and the only one who does is comically bad at it#so what happens when you truly believe the princess is a mastermind that can trap you in a web of lies?#she becomes a spider that can trap you in her literal webs. of course!!#slay the princess#stp princess#original princess#The Weaver#fan route#sal draws#sketches#tw spiders
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A Champion's Love: Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Dress to Impress Word Count: 4677 CW: None
Want all the chapters? -> Masterlist
~~~ <> ~~~
With a few hours left until dinner, both you and Zelda decide to get fitted for proper Gerudo Vai clothing. The seamstress at the local clothing shop was more than happy to take measurements and quickly adjust the outfits she already had so that both you and the princess had something to wear for when you met with Riju again. Currently youâre standing on a stool as the seamstress, Saula, skirts around you with a piece of measuring tape.
âDid you need to wear Gerudo clothing when you had meetings with Urbosa?â you ask Zelda, whoâs sat on a couch behind you.
âNo, Urbosa was a bit more lax when it came to that sort of thing,â she answers, âbut I have a feeling that it would make a better impression with Buliara if we presented ourselves in more⌠traditional garb.â
You hum, raising your arms so that Saula can get measurements of your bust and waist, âI see. Though I donât think it matters what I wear, I donât think Iâm ever going to get Buliara to like me. Sheâs so stubbornâŚâ
You hear the seamstress stifle a giggle.
âShe just wants whatâs best for Riju and the Gerudo, I donât blame her,â the princess retorts, âbesides, you can be awfully stubborn as well, you know.â
You roll your eyes as Saula has you and Zelda swap places to continue taking measurements. Taking your place on the couch you pick up the Sheikah Slate that the princess had set down and begin to swipe through it. In the album were various photos, one of which was a discrete picture youâd taken of the Zora prince (who was none the wiser to the imageâs existence).
You smile as you gaze upon the photo. If your memory serves you right youâd taken this when he was regaling the young Zora children with a story of one of his heroic feats. He was posed in the photograph, pantomiming launching a spear at his foes. On his face he bears his signature toothy-grin.
Your smile falters as you shut off the slate and think. What those Yiga soldiers had said was still weighing on your mind. If they had been spying, was it solely on you? Were they watching the princess? The prince? How could you be sure that they werenât keeping tabs on all of your allies, all of the future champions?
When Zelda turns so that the seamstress can measure her height she sees your frown.
âWhatâs the matter?â she asks politely.
You know better than to say it outright. So far only Riju and the Gerudo guard are aware of the security threat that the Yiga posed. The fact that one of their foot soldiers had been able to disguise themself as a Gerudo soldier at the gate was incredibly worrying. The last thing you needed was for word to get out and cause mass panic. So you opted not to speak about it in front of Saula.
âLater,â you mumbled, crossing your arms.
She nods in understanding.
âAlright, young vai. With your measurements I think I have two outfits that will fit, with minor alterations. Do you have color preferences?â Saula asks, wrapping her measuring tape into a small coil.
âSomething in blue would be quite nice,â Zelda says with a smile.
Meanwhile you shrug, âIâm fine with anything you have to offer. Thank you, by the way.â
The seamstress gives a quick nod before turning on her heels and walking into the back of the store. You can hear the faint sound of rummaging as she puts together some clothing for both you and the princess.
Zelda leans over to you and whispers, âcan you say now?â
Your gaze flicks around the room. Your paranoia was only growing by the minute.
âItâs the⌠the Y issue,â you say vaguely in a quiet voice.Â
âY issue,â she repeats, confused for just a second before her eyes go wide, âohhh. That issue.â
You shift on the couch, still keeping you voice low, âyes. I want a way to warn Sidon, he doesnât know. But⌠what if the letter gets intercepted? I canât send Archimedo back with sensitive information.â
She purses her lips, âthat is true⌠we will have to be much more cautious until we learn more about the situation at hand. Perhaps we can ask Riju about-â
The both of you are interrupted by Saula walking back into the room with a grin on her face. You practically jump out of your seat, on edge and startled by her entrance.
âI have the perfect outfits for you, little vai! Yes, I think you will both like them very much,â she cheers, oblivious to your panic.
You throw Zelda a sideways glance, heart pounding from the momentary scare. You have no idea how youâre going to survive dinner tonight.
âŚ
Sidon is sitting on the steps outside of the throne room, gazing down at his hand. Between his fingers he twirls his ring, the one youâd given him. Perhaps Bazz was right when he called the prince âclingyâ. He still couldnât get you off of his mind.
âSon,â Dorephan calls out from within the room.
The prince turns his head to look back at the king, before standing up and walking inside. âYes, father?â he says.
âWhat troubles you?â the king asks, âit is not often that I see you so preoccupied in your thoughts.â
The red Zora slips the ring back onto his finger before placing his hands on his waist and sighing, âfather⌠could you tell me about how you and mother met?â
King Dorephan chuckled heartily before responding, âI see. This has to do with affairs of the heart. I met your mother long before I took the throne. She had the ability to manipulate water and would use these powers for acts of healing. When I first saw her I was captivated. Her scales were bright red, like yoursâ and Miphaâs, but her eyes were a gentle blue like the ocean waves.â
âObviously I was captivated by her, and did what any Zora my age would do,â he continued.
âWhat was that?â Sidon replied.
âInjure myself so that she would visit me and heal me,â the king chortled.
The prince looked up at his father and laughed in shock at the answer, âin Hyliaâs name, father! Why not just go and speak with her?â
âBecause you do ridiculous things when youâre young and in love,â Dorephan replied, settling back into his throne, âeventually after it happened enough times I believe she caught onto my ruse. In fact, she broke the courting tradition, by inviting me to go hunting with her rather than myself offering the invitation.â
âAnd did you go?â Sidon asked curiously.
âOf course I did! And she was a brilliant swimmer, might I add. But it didnât take very long for word to spread that the two of us were courting one another. As you know, it is a tradition that the Zora be wed before taking the throne, so that every King will have his Queen and vice versa. My father and his council happily supported our wedding. After I ascended the throne Mipha was born, and some years after that you came along⌠and thenâŚâ
â... then?â the prince repeated.
âWell, she was lost to us. It was a terrible disease that had taken her in the end. You were too young to remember the details now, but the domain mourned for a very long time.â
Sidon nodded his head solemnly, âyes⌠and that was why Mipha worked so hard to perfect her healing powers.â
âIndeed,â Dorephan replied, âbut donât think I forgot my original query. You asked for the story of your mother and I. This wouldnât have anything to do with that Hylian Champion, now would it?â
The prince blushed and ducked his head down, âis it that obvious, father?â
The king laughed once more, âmy boy, it is all anyone in the palace can talk about! You know how us Zora are when thereâs rumor mongering and gossip, it takes weeks for the fin-flapping to cease.â
Sidonâs cheeks darkened even further.
âDo not be embarrassed, son,â King Dorephan smiled, âit is good to see you like this. I am happy youâve found such joy, and you know that I will support you no matter the endeavor⌠howeverâŚâ
The fin of the princeâs head swayed as he spoke up, âhowever?â
The king sighed deeply, âthe council have their concerns. I wouldnât be surprised if in the next meeting they voiced this to you.â
âConcerns? What concerns? If this is about them thinking less than of the Hylians, I swear Iâll-â Sidon begins passionately, but his father raises a hand and silences him.
âNo, son. Their concerns are about whether or not you will be able to produce an heir to the throne,â Dorephan explains with a frown.
âH-heir?â the prince repeats with a stammer, âwhatever for? Iâm not to ascend to the throne anytime soon- and itâll be another hundred or so years before we need to worry about me giving up the throne-â
King Dorephan nods his head, âIâm aware. But our royal family tree has never seen a relationship such as this before. A Zora and a Hylian. To the council it is unprecedented.â
Sidon turns away and gazes out to the entrance of the throne room.
âDo you know when youâll be seeing her next?â the king asks, âit may not be an easy conversation to have, but I think it would be good to warn her that these concerns hang in the air.â
The prince shakes his head, âitâll most likely be weeks before we meet again. I sent a letter on Archimedo, but the Gerudo Desert is so far away, and Iâve received no correspondence in return.â
âI see,â Dorephan murmurs, âyou miss her greatly, do you not?â
Sidon turns to look back at his father shyly.
âIt is easy to see it on your face, my son⌠would you like a suggestion? Letâs call it an old manâs advice,â the king says.
âAdvice?â the prince asks.
âThere was a time when I was still a prince where I had disappeared for a few days. It sent the guards and the council into a panic. I had slipped away to meet with your mother, before we were married. We spent days traversing the wetlands together. Hunting, learning, exploring. When I returned my father was furious, but it was all worth it for her.â
Sidon pieced together what his father was suggesting. âYouâre not saying that I⌠that I leave, do you? That I go find her and travel with her?â
King Dorephan smiles but gives an innocent shrug of his shoulders, âwell I didnât say that exactly. But letâs say that if you were absent from the next few council meetings, I wouldnât kick up a fuss.â
Sidon couldnât hide the grin on his face even if he tried.
âŚ
The person who looks back at you in the mirror is not someone you recognize.
Youâre adorned in golden bands and luxurious fabrics. A crimson top with a white floral is wrapped around your chest, held up by a golden collar that wraps around your neck. On your biceps are golden bands that have the same crimson fabric flowing from them like separate loose sleeves. The sleeves end at your wrist with a thin cuff. On your fingers are shiny rings that are connected to the wrist cuffs with small chains.
At your waist is a skirt which is held up by an intricate golden belt thatâs been embedded with gems, jewels that you presume are rubies and sapphires if theyâre genuine (which you do, everything in Gerudo town is genuine). The skirt is long, made of the same fabric as the top, and flows all the way down to your ankles. However, on your right side thereâs a cut that reveals your leg.Â
Your heeled shoes are short (thank the goddesses for that) and delicately wrap around your ankles. Greta, who works with Saula at the clothing shop, had helped style you, and picked out a dainty ruby circlet that sat comfortably on your temple. Theyâd given you the option of wearing a matching veil, but you politely declined, thinking it wouldnât make much sense to cover your mouth if youâre about to attend dinner.
Slowly you turned around, gazing at your reflection. You were stunned. Youâd never worn anything where your abdomen was freely showing. You couldnât recall the last time youâd even worn a skirt. Without realizing it you stumbled- heels werenât exactly your forte either.Â
At the very least, you assumed you looked good enough to meet with the chief. Greta had seemed quite pleased with her styling work.
As you gather your belongings, you lift the silver armband Sidon gifted you all those weeks ago. You never traveled without it. Fiddling with the cuffs of your sleeves, you slip on the silver band so that itâs hidden beneath the fabric. You then pick up the Master Sword, tucked away safely in its sheath, and carry it in hand as you step out into the front of the shop once more.
Zelda is already standing outside and you canât help but admire her. The outfit she wears is similar to your own, but in a blue color instead, and with pants-
âWhy do you get to wear pants?â you practically hiss, keeping your voice quiet so as to not sound ungrateful to the shop owners.
She gives a good natured laugh, tucking the Sheikah Slate under her arm, âitâs not as if I plotted this. I think you look quite nice in a skirt, actually.â
âItâs not that I donât like the skirt⌠it's just weird. I havenât worn a dress nor a skirt since before I became a royal soldier. When I was a child,â you murmur.
âI suppose youâre right,â the princess replies, tilting her head to the side, âI donât believe Iâve ever seen you so dressed up, skirt or otherwise. Itâs a nice change of pace. In fact-â
She pulls up the slate and goes to stand beside you. As she lifts the screen you can see that sheâs opened the camera rune.
âWhat are you doing?â you ask, giving her a confused look.
Her excitement, however, is palpable. âTaking a picture, of course, we need to save this memory. Besides, Iâm sure Sidon would like to see how you look.â
Your cheeks burn at the mention of the prince. âWhat makes you say that?â you retort, blush creeping onto your face.
She gives you a look with a raised brow, causing you to flush even harder.
âYou know what. Now smile for the photo!â
âŚ
Dinner begins as the sun sets in the horizon. Youâre sitting on a cushion with a low to the ground clay table in front of you. A cloth is draped over the table and atop this is an array of food. Bowls of grains and rice, plates stacked high with seared and glazed meats, a bowl of freshly stewed creamy soup, roasted palm fruit and hydromelon, various breads, and a plate of small frosted pastries topped with jellied wildberries.
Your mouth is watering at the sight. But before dinner Zelda had specifically mentioned it was customary not to take food until Chief Riju had, so you have to restrain yourself from feasting just yet.
The princess is sitting beside you, her legs crossed and hands in her lap as she patiently awaits the chiefâs arrival. Two soldiers stand guard at the doorway, so youâre too anxious to freely converse with her just yet.
Luckily you need not wait long. Riju finally walks through the door with Buliara at her side. She gracefully walks around the table before taking her seat across from Zelda. Buliara taps her claymore on the adobe ground before saying something you couldnât quite understand in Gerudo. You assume itâs an order, however, when the two soldiers whoâd been at the door nod their heads and exit the room.
âCome now, Buliara, sit beside me,â Riju says warmly, waving her head guard over.
Buliara sets her claymore down on a rack attached to the wall before sitting down cross-legged beside the chief, across the table from you. Without having to look at her you can feel her gaze boring into you.
âI hope the accommodations we prepared are to your liking,â the chief says as she gets comfortable, removing her intricate crown and setting it down beside her.
Zelda quickly nods, âvery much so, yes. I do hope it wasnât any trouble to prepare on such short notice.â
âNonsense,â Riju says with a shake of her head, âwe are always happy to house guests here. Especially when itâs the Princess of Hyrule herself. Now then, as Iâm sure was mentioned to you I have made a decision on piloting Naboris. However, I would like to get to know the two of you more before we discuss that. So please, eat, and we can talk as well.â
Youâre more than happy to comply. You grab an empty plate and fill it with food from the table: a bread roll, a seared bird thigh, a heaping scoop of rice, slices of roasted hydromelon, and a cup of the creamy soup. As you happily fill your stomach, Zelda and Riju talk.
The princess gives more details on her plans to train new pilots. How she wants to hire architects from all corners in the land to aid in the process of rebuilding the castle and restoring it to its former glory. She explains a recent idea of hers, how the once dangerous guardians could be used in the restoration efforts as their various limbs are quite useful for hauling material and building structures. And that once the center of the castle is rebuilt sheâd like to hold a ceremony where each champion is officially given their title so that the news can spread throughout Hyrule.
In return Riju discusses the recent developments occurring in Gerudo Town. Now that the threat of the Divine Beast has been subdued she and her advisors have formulated plans on ways to expand their civilization. Apparently there was an exciting new development wherein the stable inside of the canyon was willing to be a middleman of trade so that the Gerudo could receive new goods in exchange for the many jewels and gems obtained from the desert.
The chief also has many questions for Zelda about the calamity, given that the princess can give her a first hand account.
âThere is actually much we do not know about the events that unfolded a hundred years ago. Urbosa was a secretive vai. She never married, and she never bore an heir to the throne. We were lucky that my great-vaba was able to ascend to the throne to continue the royal bloodline. Is there perhaps anything you could tell me about it?â Riju asked. The bright curiosity in her eyes reminded you of just how young she was.
âWell, thereâs quite a lot, but Iâll do my best to summarize,â Zelda began, taking a sip of water from her glass, âthere was a prophecy carried through the royal family. Ten thousand years ago Hyrule faced a great threat, but this threat was defeated by a princess and her knight, along with the aid of ancient technology. As you could assume this technology was the Divine Beasts and the guardians.â
âHowever,â she continued, âthis prophecy was said to repeat. We thought that with planning and time we could defeat this great evil once more. So we worked with the Sheikah or Kakariko village to unearth the Divine Beasts and guardians. We trained our soldiers to work with them and hired pilots to become the champions. Urbosa was the pilot for Naboris, but there was also Mipha of the Zora, Revali of the Rito, and Daruk of the Goron.â
You interject, âthen there was me. I was made the Hylian Champion. If the prophecy was to be believed, the princessâ sworn knight would be the one to wield the sword that seals the darkness and be at her side when Ganon was slain.â
Zelda nodded, âand my job was to unlock my sacred power. It is said that the royal family of Hyrule contains incarnations of Hylia. Women who can unlock a power of light to ward off darkness and evil. Eventually, after much practice, I was able to.â
âButâŚâ Riju trailed off, âit didnât work. Why not?â
The princessâ gaze darkened momentarily, âwell, if we thought that we were prepared⌠so was Ganon. He used his powers to overtake the Divine Beasts and the guardians, turning them against us. In the beasts he put powerful enemies, each specifically made to counter the abilities of the champions.â
âWe were outplayed,â you say sourly.
âI was able to use my powers to contain him in the castle,â Zelda continued, but you interrupted.
âBut I had fallen in combat. I was severely wounded. It was decided that I be taken to a place called the Shrine of Resurrection, and it took one hundred years for my wounds to heal.â
âYes, but once you awoke you fought valiantly. All four Divine Beasts were reclaimed, and when the final battle between you and Calamity Ganon happened in Hyrule Field, I was able to seal him away for good,â the princess concluded.
âWow,â Riju gasped, âwe never knew all of that. It was said that the Hylians abused ancient technology⌠and that you then faced the consequences.â
You stifle a laugh, âthat sounds like something the elder Zora would say. Funnily enough, the council over there doesnât like me all that much.â
âSurprising,â Buliara mutters, the first time sheâd spoken the entire conversation.
You quickly glare at her before turning your attention back to the young chief.
âI have heard those rumors too,â Zelda murmured, âbut itâs my hope that now that the calamity has ended, peopleâs opinions can be altered.â
âChange can be difficult,â Riju replies, lifting her glass and swirling it around, âbut not impossible. My mother believed that everyone was capable of change, no matter how hard they tried to fight against it.â
The princess leans forward, âyes⌠forgive me if I overstep, but⌠may I ask what happened to the previous chief? Youâre awfully youngâŚâ
Rijuâs shoulders stiffen and she looks to the side, gazing out the window. The sun had set long ago, and the sky was now darkened over the desert.
âMy motherâŚâ she whispers.
You go tense, and the princess starts to panic, âmy apologies, Riju, if that was too personal- I didnât mean to-â
The chief shakes her head, locks of her red hair falling over her eyes, âno no, itâs alright. I understand the curiosity. And I assume⌠both of you know the pain of being young and losing family, yes?â
You cast your gaze to the ground. By the time youâd become a soldier, both of your parents were long gone. All you knew was your family had a legacy of producing talented knights, and you simply decided to follow in their footsteps.
Zelda raises a hand to her chest and nods, âyes. My mother passed when I was quite young, and my father King Rhoam passed during the calamity. And I think, Riju, that I can also understand having responsibility thrust upon you when youâre not ready for it.â
The chief shifts, her expression changed. She looks upon both you and the princess with an air of respect and admiration.
âYes,â Riju says.
âPardon?â replies the princess.
âYes, Iâll pilot the Divine Beast.â
Your head shoots up and you look at the young chief with wide eyes.
âReally?â both you and Zelda say in unison.
Riju nods with a smile on her face, âyes, really, although I will still need to do more training with my guard, of course. And I will need your assistance along the way. To become a champion after Lady Urbosa proved what it takes is quite a daunting task. But I think Iâm quite capable.â
Zelda grins, âI agree.â
You glance over to Buliara. The expression on her face isnât easily readable. If she has anything sheâd like to say, sheâs holding herself back from doing so.
You set down your now empty plate and raise your hand, âthere is one more thing Iâd like to discuss, if thatâs alright.â
The chief nods her head, granting you permission.
âItâs about the Yiga Clan,â you begin, âthey already attempted to breach your security by ambushing us, and I have a theory that during the duration of our stay in Zoraâs Domain that we were being spied upon by them.â
âSpying? What gives you that inclination?â Buliara asks with a raised brow.
âWhen I defeated the Yiga outside of town one of them made a comment, but it was knowledge that is not public. It only could have been known if weâd been spied upon,â you answer, âI fear that not only will the spying continue, but that if they know of our plans to hire new pilots they will attempt to interfere.â
Riju nods and holds her hand to her chin, âI see, that would be dire indeed.â
âWe were thinking,â Zelda interjects, âthat with the Yiga hideout being so close, you would be more privy to their actions than anyone else. Master Kohga, their leader, is long gone but they seemingly persist.â
Buliara huffs, âthe Yiga are like roaches. If you attempt to squash them, they come right back.â
The chief sighs, âindeed. But, I can pass this information along to the rest of the guard. Perhaps they can formulate a mission to gather information. Weâve breached the Yiga hideout before, Iâm sure we could do it again.â
You nod your head but your nerves are not eased. You could still be spied upon as soon as you step foot outside of town. Hylia forbid they already infiltrated Gerudo Town, or else nowhere is safe from their espionage. You fear for yourself.
Most of all you fear for Sidon.
âLetâs hold another meeting tomorrow,â Riju decided, picking up her crown, âwe can plan how to tackle this pilot training. After that meal, however, I think we could all get some rest.â
âAgreed,â Zelda smiles, seemingly more at ease than yourself.
You bid Riju and Buliara goodnight and after they leave the room a soldier walks in to escort you back to your lodging for the night. Gerudo Town is quite peaceful at night with the moon bringing a chill to the air. In the daytime the market is full of bustling people but it is quiet once the sun goes down. All the young children who are normally running about are in their homes peacefully asleep.
Once back in your room youâre greeted by Archimedo, who had decided to roost in a pile of cushions in your absence. âHey buddy,â you say to him as you pet his feathers, âI still donât have a letter for you just yet. But look, I stole some food for you.â
From your sleeve you pull out a bread roll that youâd sneakily hidden away during dinner.
You take a seat in the window sill and gaze out at the desert. Thereâs unease in the pit of your stomach. You feel as though your mind canât stop developing various scenarios where something goes wrong. Zelda exits the spare room, having changed out of her Gerduo outfit into something more comfortable for bed.
âDonât stay up all night,â she says as she blows out the oil candles that had been lighting the room, âweâll have to rise early for that meeting tomorrow.â
âI wonât,â you murmur, your eyes looking up at the stars in the sky.
The princess gets comfortable beneath her covers and dozes off quickly. You lose track of how much time passes as you sit at the window.
~~~ <> ~~~
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#botw#breath of the wild#totk#tears of the kingdom#loz#fanfic#x reader#reader insert#female reader#prince sidon#prince sidon x reader#sidon x reader
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Auntie âSoka and Little Leia (and Rex)
The counterpart to Uncle Ben and Little Luke (Original Post, Chrono)
Listen. You all knew this was coming.
This got... very long and detailed and Iâm going to have to clean it up and post to AO3. As in, this was supposed to be 2-3k and is literally ten times that long. It crossed 25k. And the initial section actually glosses over a bunch, actual fic-style writing starts at âThat, of course, is when things get interesting.â
Warnings: discussion of various canon traumas (most relating to being child soldiers), general PTSD, several scenes featuring dissociation or panic attacks upon being triggered, and canon-typical violence.
Rated T, gen.
I still want there to be de-aging nonsense involved so Ahsoka is physically a late teenager despite having a solid two decades of field experience behind her (weâre pulling her from Malachor).
Leia, much like Luke, is now six. She just came from being a rebellion general. She is not happy about being a child. She was already short, this is just mean. Sheâs a human espresso.
UNLIKE BEN, Ahsoka is not happy about this turn of events. Being seventeen-ish is not helpful in the outer rim. Sheâs a female togruta, young and healthy, and in the Outer Rim, caring for a small human child. Sure, she has her lightsabers and plenty of combat experience, and she can keep them safe, but sheâs just one person, and a major target for those looking to make some quick cash. It doesnât matter how good she is; she needs sleep at some point.
It makes my heart happy to treat Ahsoka and Rex as two halves of the same black ops specialist so you know what, heâs there too! Heâs physically like... 10-12 in natborn, maybe. Theyâre not sure, because clones age weird. Heâs moderately more useful than Leia (who is very competent but also physically six, and short for that age), but heâs still... very small.
Reminder that none of them have been born yet.
Ahsoka has a harder time explaining WHY she has children with her, since she's barely more than a kid herself, and clearly unrelated by species. She sometimes just says âOh, my adoptive brotherâs kidsâ since itâs kind of the truth for Leia and sheâs not touching the actual truth about Rex with a ten foot pole.
Ahsoka definitely knows about Leia being a Skywalker, or at least has suspicions that Bail never outright confirmed but was conspicuously quiet about. She does tell Leia about it, but itâs not like that means anything, right? Just, you know, your dad was my teacher! I donât have to tell you he became Va--oh shit, you already knew that part. Well, fuck. What do you mean he had a son? OH SHIT, PADME HAD TWINS.
Alt take for explaining why sheâs got kids:Â Sheâs my foundling, I know her name as my child (Leia shut up!!!)
(Ahsoka can fake Mandalore. Sometimes.)
That said, there is... significantly less gambling and significantly more theft to get to Coruscant.
As previously stated, Ahsoka is a black ops kinda gal, and more importantly, she looks like a fairly attractive young woman in the Outer Rim, with two children in good health. Sheâs a target, and also not the kind of person one generally gambles with. If she does gamble, people get upset when she doesnât lose, in ways they donât get upset about Ben doing the same, because sheâs, again, a cute teenage girl. Itâs exhausting.
As things go, she largely ends up stealing from people who deserve it and/or smuggling herself and her charges into someone elseâs ship. Theyâre small, they can hide. Sometimes she can get them all passage by working as a mechanic, sheâs good at that.
Once theyâve got a handle on when they are, they have to decide on Names. None of them have been born yet, so technically they could use their own names without anyone Knowing. Rex and Leia might not even be born, depending on how successful they are at, you know, stopping the war and everything. Ahsoka, though, sheâs going be born in two years, and thereâs no reason to prevent it, so... she doesnât want to steal baby-herâs name. That would be mean.
Leia is already calling her âAuntie âSokaâ when she can for reasons like âselling the bitâ and âmanipulating adultsâ and âmaking us both feel better after we had a mutual breakdown about Anakin being Vader.â Ergo, she decides that whatever new name she picks better include that in some way, and decides on âSokariâ because it sounds pretty.
Overall, they donât... they donât actually make it very far before thereâs an Incident. Again, teenager with small children. They spend a lot of time hiding out in space ports looking for an opportunity.
That, of course, is when things get interesting.
Specifically, Ahsoka spots a Mandalorian.
She doesnât recognize the armor. She does recognize the sigil, and thinks âwell, theyâre more likely to help than some,â because from what sheâs heard, the Haat Mandoâade are Decent People Overall. Her view is a little biased, mostly on account of the sheer level of grudge she has against Kyrâtsad. Itâs fine! The True Mandalorians have the same grudge, right? And Mandalorians like kids and Ahsoka hasnât slept in five days and itâs fine. Itâs fine! ITâS FINE.
âOh shit,â Rex whispers, before she can suggest anything. âOh fuck.â
âStop cursing,â Leia hisses, elbowing him. âPeople are going to notice.â
âThatâs the Prime,â Rex panics, mostly quiet. Ahsokaâs heart drops, because fuck is right. âThatâs Fett.â
Leia isnât impressed. Ahsoka just angles herself between Fett and Rex and hopes that he doesnât see them. Thatâs just asking for trouble.
Unfortunately, Ahsoka is in fact running on none sleep with left trauma, and doesnât notice Fett walking up and dropping into a seat across from them until heâs actually done so, removing his helmet to glare a little more efficiently.
âWanna explain why your kid has my face?â
Ahsoka later tells herself that heâs killed Jedi and thatâs why he can sneak up on her, and that she can be forgiven some slip-ups with the exhaustion being what it is, and that sheâs obviously going to be dealing with some emotional instability in light of the sudden return of teenage hormones and new forms of anxiety that are markedly different from those she was dealing with a few weeks ago.
What Ahsoka wants to say is âthatâs kind of a long story,â or âmaybe heâs a cousin,â or âkriff off, I donât know you,â or maybe even âheâs a clone.â
What Ahsoka actually does is burst into tears, which is embarrassing for her, for Fett, for the kids, and for the entire rest of the bar.
It really is the straw that broke the eopieâs back. Even when she was actually this age, she didnât exactly cry much. Objectively, Fett quasi-aggressively asking a valid question shouldnât send her into a panic. Sheâs been through torture and worse. She shouldnât be crying.
But she is, sobbing her eyes out with no control, and heâs just sitting across from her and looking uncomfortable while Rex wraps his little arms--oh Force heâs so small--around her, and both âchildrenâ glare at Fett.
âSo, Iâm going to take it she didnât kidnap you from a loving family or do something illicit with a blood sample,â Fett says, after it becomes obvious that Ahsokaâs not going to be ready to talk any time soon.
âShe didnât,â Rex says stiffly, with just the right emphasis for Fett to catch whatâs implied. Ahsoka just keeps her head down, eyes pressed against the heels of her palms, trying to get her body to stop rebelling against her.
Fettâs eyes dart to Leia, who folds her arms and draws herself up, every bit the unimpressed princess. âMy father claimed her as a sister, so sheâs my Auntie âSoka.â
The man dithers a bit, the conversation clearly not going where heâd expected. âRight,â he says. âYou--youâre all kids. I thought she was a little older, at least, but I didnât have a good look at her face before.â
She is older, but actually admitting that is only going to make this worse, both for her pride and for her chances of making it out alive.
âWhere are you staying?â
âWhat?â Leia bites out.
âYouâre kids, youâre alone, and youâre clearly not okay if you were trying to hide the one with my face as blatantly as you did, and then... whatever this is, when I confronted you,â Fett explains. Ahsoka lifts her head to glare at him, but itâs probably not doing much with the way her eyes are rimmed with red and still wet. âDonât give me that look, adâika, your kids looked as confused and horrified by that as the bartender did. They obviously didnât think it was normal either.â
Well, kriff you too, Ahsoka thinks.
âAnd what do you mean by âblatantly,â here?â Leia challenges. Itâs adorable, but Ahsoka watched this tiny girl shoot a man last week, and wonders when people are going to start taking that seriously.
âThereâs a lot of people in this galaxy, and I donât exactly have the clearest memory of what I looked like at that age,â Fett says, slow and careful like he thinks theyâre dumb. Ahsoka decides to chalk it up as being because Leiaâs visibly six. âI would have thought it was just a coincidence if you hadnât put in effort to hide him.â
Leia huffs, and Rex glares harder. Fett just sighs, like theyâre all going to give him grey hairs.
âYou can explain whatever the hellâs going on,â Fett says. âIâll let you stay on my ship, thereâs a spare bunk and youâre small.â
âFor free?â Rex demands.
âA night on a bunk in exchange for information,â Fett clarifies. âWe can negotiate from there.â
Ahsoka takes a few moments, notes that both of the others are waiting on her for the decision, and cringes. She doesnât feel steady enough to carry that. She has to anyway.
âRex?â she asks, voice rasping after the breakdown of the past few minutes.
âYeah?â
âHow much?â
He looks up at her, eyes calculating, and grimaces. âWe donât want Order 66. A warning is better, even if we... share information.â
She nods, and turns to Leia. âAny premonitions, princess?â
Leia glowers, cute and furious. âNo.â
âNo, donât tell, or no, you arenât getting any vibes about sharing info one way or the other?â
âThe latter,â Leia clarifies, huffy to the last.
âRight,â Ahsoka says, and then just... hesitates. âFett...â
âYouâve got conditions,â he guesses.
She bares her teeth in what could have, through a squint and perhaps a few drinks, been called an apologetic smile. âJust one, really.â
âYeah?â
âNo hurting, killing, or turning us in for bounties,â she says. âAny of us.â
âYouâre children, I wouldnât.â
She blinks at him, slow and careful. She hesitates. She reaches down, out of sight, sees him stiffen.
She unclips her sabers from her belt and puts them on the table.
His eyes are fixed on the weapons the second they enter his line of sight, and donât move as he clearly realizes why she made the condition she did.
âI left years ago, because I couldnât stay without it ruining me,â she says. Still slow. Still careful. Sheâs so tired. âBut if I want to keep Leia safe, I have to get back to Coruscant.â
His eyes finally lift from the sabers, expression blank. âJust her?â
âRex doesnât have the same monsters coming after him,â she says. âIf it were just me and him, Iâd worry less. Leiaâs a different kind of target.â
âYouâre putting a lot of faith on the table by telling me that,â Fett says, voice flat and toneless. âConsidering my occupation.â
âSheâs a child,â Ahsoka says, feeling heavy and boneless. âEven with what I was and will be, even with what money you would get from the right buyer, you wouldnât.â
âThere are other risks.â
âThere are.â
They stare at each other for too long, probably, and then Fett jerks as Rex kicks him under the table. The boys glare for a moment, and then Rex says, âIf she werenât good, Iâd still be a slave to those who grew me.â
Fett blinks, and then nearly growls the word, âWhat?â
âShe freed me,â Rex reiterates. âWhile I was trying to shoot her.â
Ahsoka lifts a hand and puts it on his far shoulder, pulling him into her side. She doesnât meet Fettâs eyes again, because part of her is back on Mandalore, dodging her own soldiers and crying out as her family dies across the galaxy.
Fett breathes in. Breathes out. He puts a hand to his head, visibly frustrated. âFine. A good Jedi kid, and two smaller kids, one of which is apparently in some way mine.â
Rex makes a face, which is fair, but also not helping.
âTo the ship,â Ahsoka says, putting her sabers back on her belt and sliding out of the seat. âIâm... Iâm Sokari.â
âYou already know my name.â
âI do.â
---------------------------
Fett watches her like sheâs a predator, which has the benefit of being accurate and slightly flattering. She lets other two take care of most of talking, and then Fett tells her to sleep first, and talk in the morning.
âYouâre dead on your feet, jetii,â he snorts. âAnd that crying jag didnât do you any favors. Sleep.â
So she does, and Fett doesnât even wake her. He just lets her sleep. He watches her in the way of a guard. She sees him when she gets up to use the âfresher in the middle of the night, but he doesnât even comment when she collapses right back into the mediocre cot sheâs borrowed for the cycle.
Rex and Leia are safe, her hindbrain tells her, even in the depths of sleep. Her mind curls around theirs in the Force, and she trusts that they are here. They are not happy, but they are alive and unharmed, and that has to be enough.
When she stumbles her way to true wakefulness, groggy and loose-limbed, Fett greets her with caf.
âThe kids wouldnât let me near you,â he tells her.
âTheyâre good,â she says, cupping her hands around the mug. She feels wobbly, in every sense. Her body, her mind, her emotions, her connection to the Force. Nothing is on-kilter right now. âDid they tell you anything?â
âThey waited for you,â he says. âBut the little miss needed a nap of her own. Theyâre down in the other bunk.â
âI didnât notice,â she admits. She should have. Sheâs Fulcrum. Sheâs a veteran of the Clone Wars. Sheâs... sheâs supposed to be better than this.
âHow long?â he asks, and then when she squints up at him, he clarifies. âHow long did you fight?â
âMy last fight--â
âNo, whatever war you came out of,â he says. Her chest twists cold. âI donât know if the Jedi sent you into it or if you waded in yourself once you left, but you move like a soldier.â
âI was,â she confirms. âBut... but I donât want to talk about the details. Not until the other two are here.â
He frowns at her. âIs there anything you can talk about?â
She shrugs and looks away, trying to take solace in the warmth of the caff she holds above the table, as if it can hide her, guard her, from the disgraced Mandâalor across the table.
âJedi?â
âIâm not officially a Jedi,â she says, voice quiet. âNot anymore.â
âThen what do I call you?â he asks. âWeâre not exactly close enough for names.â
âTorrent,â she says. âItâs not--I canât claim my family name anymore. But I can claim Torrent, so I will. And if you want a title, I was a commander.â
âBit young for that.â
âI got the rank when I was fourteen,â she says, and watches his face do something complicated and unpleasant. âDonât. I know your own culture puts children on the field that young.â
âNot in command.â
She shrugs. âYeah, well... the soldiers were technically younger. Adults, but...â
Ahsoka can see the way he casts about to figure out what species grows at that rate. He guesses a few, and she shoots all of it down.
She wonât tell him. Not until Rex is awake.
This part of the story is his.
--------------------------
When Leia tries to sit alone, a foot away on the bench like a proper adult, Ahsoka refuses to let it happen. She pulls the younger girl to her side and quells protests with a glance. Itâs a decent skill, but sheâs not sure how long itâs going to work on her niece-in-spirit.
âYour body needs the chemical release of skinship,â she says, and Leia glares at her. âI spent way too much time with the boys to not know about this. Deal.â
Rex sits close enough to knock their knees together under the table, and his warmth is the old comfort she needs.
âDo you want the story youâll believe, or the truth?â Ahsoka asks.
âWhatâs the difference?â
âOne of them involves something so impossible that even most Jedi wouldnât believe it,â she tells him.
Fett folds his arms and leans forward to rest them on the table, challenging but oddly open. âTry me.â
âTime travel.â
He blinks, just once, fully controlled. âThatâs a tough one.â
âThere were only three Jedi left alive when I died,â she says. âOr... whatever it is that happened to me. I think I died. All I know is that one moment, I was thirty-two and dying, and the next, I was... seventeen again, and had these two with me. All of us younger than we were. None of us have even been born yet.â
She refuses to look him in the eye. âThey both outlived me by... six years, maybe. Got caught up while traveling instead of dying. Leia was twenty-two. Rex was thirty-five. Iâm not technically the oldest anymore. I mean, physically I am, but that doesnât mean anything, and itâs not exactly doing us any good, and--â
Rex bumps his shoulder to her arm. âI dunno, Commander. Iâve spent a long time looking older than I should. Nice to look younger for once.â
She shoots him a small, pained grin. âCould be worse, yeah.â
âLetâs say I believe you.â
Her attention snaps back to Fett, whoâs looking damnably blank, and is showing even less in the Force.
He waits a second for her to relax back into her seat.
âLetâs say I believe you,â he repeats. âHowâs âRexâ connected to me? Whatâs so special about Leia there? And what war did you fight in that has you acting like a veteran?â
âThree years in the clone wars,â she whispers, glancing to Rex and forcing herself to not go for her sabers to defend against an attack that her paranoia says is coming and the Force says is not. âThen almost all the Jedi were wiped out at once, and I spent a year... drifting. Then black ops for the next fifteen.â
âBlack ops,â he repeats, still damnably flat.
âThere was a Sith Empire,â she says, and she can hear her own tone growing somehow emptier. âGlassing planets. Enslaving entire species. Committing genocides all over. Of course, there was a rebellion, and of course I joined it. I was one of the only people left with Jedi training. For all that Iâd left the Order, I still had a duty to the universe.â
His eyes flit to Leia, who shrugs and tries to look prim. âI was adopted and raised by one of the founders of the rebellion, a movement built on the desire to instate freedom and democracy in a galaxy that had lost even the pretense.â
âThat why youâre special?â
Leia smiles, thin and patronizing. It doesnât fit on her little face. âIâm special because my biological father was one of the most powerful Force users in history, and his Fall to the dark side and choice to become a Sith is why the Emperorâs rise was nearly uncontested. I do not like power, but itâs in my veins and I canât change that. Force users are... a lucrative trade, and Iâm still the size of a child, so I canât fight back. Iâll be safer in the Jedi Temple, even if I donât want to be a Jedi.â
Fett looks to Ahsoka, makes to ask a question, and then shakes his head. Not the time, maybe.
âSo, thatâs all... very complicated and I donât know how much of it I believe, but it doesnât explain...â he trails off, and sighs. âMy kid, or whatever you are. I heard you mention clones.â
Rex grins. It is not a kind expression.
âLet me tell you about Kamino.â
---------------------------
Ahsoka has no idea if Fett believes them. Either he thinks theyâre telling the truth, or he thinks their delusional kids. Whatever the case, he offers to take them closer to the Core. Ahsoka quietly offers to take a look at his engine in return, and then pretends not to notice when Fett awkwardly drifts to and away from Rex.
âThey put chips in our brains to make us kill the Jedi we respected, cared for, even loved. I tried to shoot âSoka, Fett. She was seventeen and risked her life to get that chip out of my head while I was trying to kill her. I have never hated myself more than when I woke up and realized what Iâd almost done, and I was one of the few that were able to fight it. I heard the stories of dozens of brothers who woke with their chips having degraded and chose to eat their blaster rather than live with the guilt of the orders theyâd followed without question because of a thrice-damned Sith slave chip in their head.â
âSo no, I wonât call you father or acknowledge you as clan until you do something to prove youâre worth it, shared blood or not.â
What Ahsoka does get out of the arrangement, for all that Fettâs route mostly takes them on a meandering path that isnât faster than their previous system, is sleep. She gets to rest. She gets to trust that Fett wonât kill Rex, out of guilt for something he hasnât done, that he wonât kill Leia out of a worry that sheâs just a delusional child, a real child, that he wonât kill âSokariâ because it would ruin any chance of gaining Rexâs favor, ever.
Sheâs not safe, wonât believe she can be until sheâs in the Temple and Sidious is dead dead dead, but sheâs safer than sheâs been in a long time.
Every night, Ahsoka wakes up and stumbles to the little galley, deaths and torture sparkling behind her eyes with the energy of a thousand lost Jedi, ten thousand mourned brothers and sisters.
She is not the only one of their little group to be a survivor of a near-total genocide, but Rex could not feel his brothers die in the Force, even if his nightmares featured what they heard of suicide missions by the emperorâs favored shock troopers, and Leia had... Alderaan had more off-world survivors than there had been Jedi at all.
Itâs not worth comparing their pain. Itâs stupid to even think it. Part of her canât help but do it anyway.
âCaf?â
She feels a lek twitch in response to the voice of the only other person on board who can reach the top shelf. âI probably shouldnât.â
âWhiskey?â
âThatâs a definitely shouldnât.â
âHoth chocolate?â
â...please.â
She doesnât lift her head from her arms until the mug clicks down in front of her, ceramic on plastisteel.
âDo I ask what it was this time?â
She shrugs. âItâs hard to explain to non-sensitives.â
âTry me anyway.â
Ahsoka twists the Hoth chocolate in her hands, takes a sip as she thinks. âThe Force isnât just one thing. Itâs... energy and philosophy and spirit, a sense of being that ties the entire universe together. Sentient and inanimate and living and dead, empty space and lush forests and stifled cities. For those of us who are sensitive to it, itâs possible to feel the life of everyone around you, theoretically possible to feel entire systems. If you have a Force bond, like a master and padawan, that can stretch across planets, even systems if one or both are particularly powerful.
âSo just... just imagine, for a moment, what itâs like to feel the screaming of all those Jedi in the Force as their trusted men shot them down.
âSome of them were close enough that I could feel them die,â she manages. âI... itâs horrible. Itâs horrific. Itâs not something I can ever forget, and I want to. I want to forget what that moment was like. Not that it happened, but...â
She can feel the tears. Fuck..
âYou want to dull the edges.â
âDonât we all?â she asks, scrubbing the back of her hand across her eyes. âLeia lost her entire planet, billions of people, and she was forced to watch. Rex... Force, I can barely imagine, and I was there for most of it.â
Fett watches her, measuring. âFrom what he said, they were as much your brothers as his, by the end.â
âNo,â she immediately denies. âThey could have been, maybe, but the ones I was closest to died earlier, and then I left, and by the time the Empire rose, all but a handful were... no. Rex, I will claim as a brother in all the ways that matter, but I donât get to do that with the rest. I donât have the right.â
âYouâre hard on yourself.â
âFate of the galaxy, my good bitch. Guess whoâs got it on her shoulders.â
He snorts at her, and nods at the mug. âDrink your Hoth chocolate. Weâre landing in eight hours, and youâve got kids to look out for.â
---------------------------
Thereâs a twitch in the Force when they land, something pulling at her in a way she barely feels. Sheâs had her shields up so fully for so long that itâs natural to hide away what she is to the point where she can hardly tell what anyone else is, either. It takes more than a moment to remember how to let herself spread out across the world.
âAuntie âSoka? Whyâd you stop?â
She doesnât have an answer to Leiaâs prodding question. âI donât know.â
Itâs almost familiar. Old and half-forgotten, not the same as what she remembers, but--
âThis way,â she says, and wanders off into the crowd. Leia and Rex follow without question. Fett curses and rushes through the rest of his transaction with the docking attendant. The sound of him jogging after them is almost funny, with the armor, but she canât focus on that.
Ahsoka slips between people with the ease of a career built on such a habit, children trailing like ducklings. She knows this feeling, she knows this person, what is she missi--
âOh,â she breathes, going stock still. She knows that face. She knows those braids. She even knows the presence.
Younger than Ahsoka had ever seen her, but unmistakably Master Billaba.
âTorrent, what the hell?â Fett demands, finally catching up. âYou canât just run off like that!â
âItâs Depa,â she says, eyes still fixed on the woman parsing through a datapad with an irritated vendor. She has a padawan braid. It doesnât feel like Master Windu is on-planet, so this might be a solo mission, a... oh. Senior Padawan, Knight Elect. This is the kind of mission taken to test if sheâs ready to be promoted.
Ahsoka feels light-headed.
Fett waits for her to elaborate, but she canât. This was Kananâs master. This was a member of the High Council. This was a woman who died and--
âYou need to sit down,â Fett says, not a touch gruff. He puts a hand on her shoulder and guides her off the main walkway. âIâm... going to talk to the woman in the Jedi robes. You three just stay there and donât get kidnapped.â
Ahsoka nods, feeling like sheâs not quite inhabiting her own body.
Itâs Depa.
Her eyes track Fett without conscious control, and her montrals pick up the sound.
Depa looks up when the armor comes close enough, free hand tensed in a way that says sheâs preventing herself from reaching for a saber in reaction to the heavily-armored individual standing several feet away.
âMando,â the woman says. âMay I help you?â
âAre you Depa?â
Depa doesnât do anything so dramatic as gape or step back, but she does blink rapidly for a moment. She then folds her hands down in front of her, drawing her spine up ramrod straight. âI am Jedi Padawan Depa Billaba, yes. May I ask why it is that you need to know?â
Ahsoka imagines Fett grimacing, or rolling his eyes, or maybe dithering. She canât tell from this angle, and he has a helmet on besides. It turns his awkward silences into judgmental ones.
âIâve had some Jedi kids on my ship, hitching a ride,â he says at length. âOne of them recognized you and then just... froze.â
âYou have our younglings in your care,â Depa says, carefully not accusatory, but close enough to be a warning.
âNot quite,â he says. âThe one that actually came from the temple is seventeen. One of âem isnât Force Sensitive, and the last one is but hasnât been to Coruscant before. Theyâre trying to get the little one to the Temple for her own safety.â
Depa considers that, and then passes the datapad to the vendor. âLead on.â
Itâs surprisingly simple, really. Fett did all the talking.
And then Depa is standing right in front of her.
âLike I said,â Fett sighs. âShe froze up.â
âHello,â Depa says, hands laced together inside her sleeves. âI donât believe weâve met.â
Ahsoka shakes her head. âI know of you. Iâve seen you spar. Youâve never spoken to me.â
All true. A little misleading, but itâs fine, itâs all fine.
Depa waits a moment, and then says, âYou seem to have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I donât know yours.â
âSokari T-Torrent,â she manages. The words feel clunky in her mouth, the sound abrasive for all that itâs just her own voice, no different from usual. A little shaky, maybe. She can feel a cool breeze on her upper arms. Shouldnât she have armor? She should have armor. âIt... itâs been a long time since Iâve seen another Jedi. Iâm having a hard time believing youâre real.â
âI see,â Depa says. âPerhaps we should take this somewhere more private? You seem a little unsteady.â
Ahsoka lets herself be led back to the ship, in the company of Mandâalor Jango Fett, Jedi Padawan Depa Billaba, Princess-General Leia Organa, and good old Captain Rex.
Itâs like the start of a sick joke.
---------------------------
Fett and Depa talk where she can hear, but they rarely address her directly. Both seem to realize that sheâs not particularly useful right now. Leia and Rex are pressing up against her at the little table in the galley, and Ahsoka lets them.
This is real. She can feel Depa in the Force, recognizes her energy even if itâs not quite what it will-was-could-have-been. This is happening.
Itâs a textbook Traumatic Stress Response case, one of them says.
Fett has his helmet off. Ahsokaâs sure thatâs wrong for some reason. She thinks he might already be on wanted lists. Should she worry about Depa trying to arrest him?
Depa asks about Rex at one point. Fett tells her that someone cloned him without his knowing, but the kid is more comfortable with Ahsoka so theyâre still working on what that means for him.
Itâs more or less true. Rex squeezes her hand the one time someone suggests separating them. Sheâs not letting that happen unless Rex wants to leave for whatever reason. Theyâve worked apart before. They can do it again.
âAuntie Soka? Youâre shivering.â
Is she?
Leia cuddles in closer, and Ahsoka runs a hand over her hair. Itâs an absentminded motion, and for all that she knows Leiaâs hair is fine as silk, it feels like plastic in the moment.
âI donât think Iâm okay,â Ahsoka announces. The words hang in the air like lead balloons, and she can feel Depa staring at her. âI havenât been for a very long time.â
âYeah, we noticed,â Fett says. âDo you need to lay down, Torrent?â
Does she?
âNo,â she says. âI... I donât know what I need.â
âThe spicy drink,â Rex tells them. âItâs grounding.â
Right. That.
Fett goes to grab it, and Depa continues to watch.
âHow long ago did you leave your master?â Depa asks. âOr... did he die?â
Ahsoka closes her eyes and shakes her head. She can feel the shivers now, tremors in her biceps and a shudder she canât control in the height of her ribcage. Her teeth grind together, jaw like stone.
âYou donât have to answer that,â Depa assures her. âIâm... going to recommend you see a mind healer on Coruscant.â
That was a forgone conclusion.
A cup clinks onto the table. Fettâs back. âDrink.â
She does.
Depa and Fett continue discussing it as âthe adultsâ at the table. Sheâs older than both of them. Rex is older than all of them. Ahsoka follows about half of what they say. She agrees with most of it. Rex bullies his way into speaking when she doesnât, without her even asking, because he knows her mind as well as she does. Fett rolls with it. Depa lets him.
Sheâs going to reach out to the Temple and see about getting them a ride back to Imperial Center Coruscant.
Fett makes Soka go to bed, taking Leia with her.
---------------------------
She feels more like a person come morning.
Depaâs sitting at the table, datapad in her hands and caff on the table in front of her.
âGood morning,â Ahsoka says, rough and croaking, and Depaâs eyes flick up to meet hers. She nods a shallow hello.
âFeeling better?â
âMuch,â Ahsoka says, and goes about gathering a breakfast. Thereâs definitely some dried meat in here. She can get something fresh when they stop by the market later.
âI was hoping to speak with you about your options,â Depa tells her, once sheâs sat at the table. âFett and your friend Rex took care of most of the negotiation, and I feel like I have an idea of what would work best for you.â
Ahsoka nods slowly. âOkay.â
âThere is a Master-Padawan pair a few planets away,â Depa says. âThe Council informed me when I spoke with them about you and your wards. Theyâd be headed back to the Temple in a few days anyway, and the Council has agreed to extend an offer to Fett to handle the transportation. The presence of a Jedi Master on board will allow for him to get in and out of the Core unmolested, and weâd like for you and yours to have a Jedi escort, given what happened yesterday afternoon.â
Her complete spiral into nonbeing?
âI understand,â she says instead. âI suppose Fett agreed because heâs still trying to get Rex to like him?â
Depa shrugs. âThat part isnât my business.â
Of course it isnât.
âRex can stay with me for a while, right?â Ahsoka finally asks. âI know itâs not exactly protocol, but Iâm...â
âIn need of a support system until youâve seen a mind healer, and against all odds, the child is part of it,â Depa summarizes. âYes, I recognized as much. I think the Council will be able to allow some leeway there. I donât know if heâll enjoy it, given that all the others his age are Initiates, but we can adjust as necessary. On that note... Do you know Leiaâs midichlorian count?â
âNo,â Ahsoka says, and hesitantly adds, âBut her biological father was my Jedi Master, and Iâm told his count broke records even as a child. Given what Leiaâs shown so far... itâs why Iâve been in a hurry to get her to the Temple.â
Depa frowns at her, clearly working through the implications of a Jedi having a daughter and still teaching... and then visibly dismisses the situation, eyes closing to breathe in the steam of her caff.
Biological father certainly implies a child that was raised by her mother or adopted out so the Jedi father could remain in their chosen career without a conflict of interest or duty.
Sheâll tell the council the truth, or... at least Master Koon. Master Kenobi is still a padawan, but she can tell Master Koon.
She already told Jango Fett, of all people.
âPadawan Torrent?â
Her head snaps up. She hasnât been a padawan in over fifteen years. Itâs weird to hear. âIâm sorry, what?â
âI asked if you wanted some time to think it over before I presented the offer to Fett,â Depa says.
Ahsoka gets the distinct feeling that Depa is planning a report to the Council that has âneeds a mind healerâ underlined at least three times.
âNo, Iâm--Iâm fine. That sounds like a good plan.â
âIâll speak with him, then. Would you like to come with?â
"No, thank you.â
---------------------------
Fett agrees. Ahsokaâs pretty sure itâs all to do with Rex and maybe Leia. Itâs probably nothing to do with âSokari.â Sheâs a Jedi, an adult in mind and in body, or at least close enough to count. Sheâs a damn sight more âenemyâ to Fett than the other two are. Not as much as Depa, maybe, but Fettâs been playing nice with her for Leiaâs sake.
He plays nice with Ahsoka for Rexâs. Thatâs all.
Theyâre only a few planets over from the meeting point, and they have a few days to hang around before the escort meets them. Depa hadnât given them a name--apparently it could have compromised the opsec for the Jedi team--but Ahsokaâs pretty sure sheâll be able to identify almost anyone. She gets the feeling that the Force is going to send her a familiar face, just as it did Master Padawan Billaba.
Ahsoka lets herself feel the world around her. Itâs dark and dreary, in the sense that the beaten-down port is full of petty crimes and less petty horrors, but itâs still lighter than most of the Empire had been. She sneaks away from the ship at night, ignoring Fett at her back, and performs a bit of vigilante justice while she can. Sheâll be banned from doing so as soon as sheâs reinstated as a Jedi, probably, but for now... for now, she can look at the drug cartels and âtheyâre not slaves, reallyâ workers and do something to help.
She doesnât use her sabers. She doesnât need to. Itâs been a long time since she has, for small fry like these.
âWhat are you doing?â Fett asks her, landing heavily behind her back.
âChip removal,â she says, hand pressed to the slaveâs leg. Her eyes are closed, but she can hear him shifting. âLet me concentrate, I donât have a meddroid for this.â
Heâs silent until she finishes, and waits until the people sheâs helped are on their way to the planetâs freedom routes. He doesnât ask what she did with the owners.
âYouâve done this before.â
âRegularly,â she confirms. âYou?â
He doesnât answer that, just ambles over to the the chains and stares down at them.
âFett?â
âYou go through this like itâs as easy as breathing,â he says. âItâs... impressive.â
âI guess?â she hesitates to continue. âIâm... I donât think of it that way. This is the easy stuff. A time-waster that helps people. If I wanted to help for real, Iâd been going after Jabba or Sidious or--â
âHow old were you?â he asks, turning on his heel to face her dead-on. The vocoder of his helmet pulls the emotion from his voice. âWhen did this... these missions, the slavery battles, when did that start for you?â
âFourteen,â she says. Sheâs not entirely sure, really, what counted as a mission for ending slavery and what counted as just a part of war, but she can round down. âMaybe fifteen. Itâs a bit of a blur.â
âAnd you just kept doing it.â
âOf course,â she says. âIf I have the time and the energy, if I need to do something and thereâs nothing official on my hands, why not?â
He doesnât answer her.
---------------------------
Rex greets them before she does.
Ahsoka, in her defense, is asleep at the time. Itâs a restless sleep, but itâs enough that she doesnât sense the nearing Force signatures until theyâre almost at the ship.
She recognizes one of them.
âAuntie âSoka?â Leia questions, when she lurches to her feet and starts pulling on her boots with all the energy of a zombie. âWhere are you going?â
âJedi,â Ahsoka grunts. âHere.â
âI see.â
Leia dresses to follow her, in a little coat thatâll withstand the chill of the outside air, and Ahsoka makes it to the cargo hold just in time to hear Rex saying, âIâm not shaking your hand until you put your gloves on, Vos.â
She laughs to herself, breathless with the knowledge of what sheâs about to find. She jumps the railing of the upper walkway, drops down just in front of the Master-Padawan team, and keeps her back to Fett and Rex. âHello, there.â
One human, one Kiffar. She knows the latter.
âWould you be Sokari Torrent?â the Master asks.
âI am,â she says, with a slight bow. She can tell thereâs a bit of judgement for how sheâs dressed, but theyâre covering it well. A Shadow and his trainee know the value of armor better than most Jedi bother with. âIâm afraid Padawan Billaba didnât inform me of your names before we met.â
âAnd yet your friend knew my padawan,â the Master says.
âBy reputation,â she says, as smoothly as she can. âIâve encountered Quinlan Vos before, though I doubt he remembers--â
âIâd remember someone like you,â Quinlan interrupts, with a grin sheâs sure is meant to be charming and rogueish.
Heâs... very young for her, and not her type. Mostly, she wants to pat him on the head, but that probably wouldnât go over very well. She still looks like sheâs younger than him.
âAnyway,â she says, turning back to the master, âIâm afraid I still donât know who you are, Master.â
âI am Tholme,â he says, with the bow that a Master gives a Padawan. She feels a little slighted, but itâs fine. She looks the right age, itâs fine.
Itâs not like they know.
âItâs nice to meet you, Master Tholme,â she says. âMy charges are Rex Torrent, the young man behind me, and currently coming down the ladder is Leia Antilles. Iâm sure youâre aware of Jango Fett.â
âThe Mandâalor,â Quinlan volunteers, and Ahsoka can almost hear Fettâs teeth grinding.
âDonât call me that,â he says. Sheâs sure heâs got a hand drifting for his blaster.
âThere isnât a whole lot of room on the ship,â she says before the men can get into whatever weird contest sheâs sure someone might start. Her betâs on Fett. âBut Leia and Rex are small enough to share with me, so Iâm sure we can make it work.â
âThereâs spare rolls for anyone comfortable with sleeping in the hold,â Fett grunts. âOr on the floor in the passenger room.â
âWell, I guess I could ask for a little help fi--â
âVos,â Ahsoka snaps, letting her voice take on the kind of âobey me or get fresher dutyâ irritation that sheâd perfected back when the rebellion still had her managing people, before theyâd realized she was more use in the field. âDo not.â
Thereâs a momentâs pause, and Tholme looks unimpressed with that raised eyebrow, but the kind of unimpressed thatâs split between his own padawan and the stranger before him.
âUm,â Quinlan says. âI just--â
âNo,â she cuts him off. âNo flirting.â
Itâs weird and uncomfortable and sheâd have maybe been okay with it if she was actually the seventeen-or-eighteen-ish(?) that she looked, but sheâs not. Sheâs in her thirties and Vos is... what, twenty? Twenty-one? No.
He stares at her, and she wonders momentarily if sheâd gone too far in the direction of judging his intentions in the Force and preempted actual flirtations.
âIâm sorry?â He offers, looking confused, but ashamed. âI, uh, Iâll keep that in mind.â
She definitely preempted the actual flirtation.
Fuck.
Ahsoka closes her eyes and breathes in. Breathes out. Opens her eyes. âRight. That was... Iâm not sure how much Padawan Billaba told you about me.â
âEnough,â Tholme says. He moves forward and puts a hand on Quinlanâs shoulder. Ahsoka has no idea if itâs to comfort him or hold him back. âI didnât share most of it with my padawan, but I have a general understanding of whatâs going on.â
Quinlan darts a look at his teacher, but Ahsoka doesnât acknowledge it. Itâs fine. Everything is fine.
âThank you for your understanding,â she says, and bows, and stiffly turns away to walk to the galley.
---------------------------
Leia squirms into the bench seat, shoving her way under Ahsokaâs arm like a particularly wriggly tooka.
âWhat was that?â Leia demands, the authority of a rebellion general rather useless in the squeaky voice of a child.
âWhat was what?â
âThe whole thing with Padawan Vos,â Leia says. âYou blew up at him before he even did anything.â
Thatâs pretty true.
âI felt the flirtation coming before it happened and reacted inappropriately because I panicked. Iâm significantly older than him, but I canât tell him that, so itâs just awkward and uncomfortable and... Iâm not okay, Princess. I havenât been for a long time.â
âYeah, we can tell.â
âLeia.â
âWhat? I need therapy too! Captain Rex needs therapy! Iâm pretty sure Fett needs therapy! You, Fulcrum, you really need therapy. None of us are okay.â She huffs, wiggling impossibly closer. âI donât like it, but itâs true.â
âI know,â Ahsoka groans. âI just... I just need to hold out until the Temple.â
âWill you be able to hold it together if you see someone you actually care about?â Leia demands. âWhat are you going to do when you see Kenobi?â
âStop.â
âIâm serious, you--â
âLeia, thatâs enough,â she snaps. âI was fighting that war before you were even born, and Iâve dealt with the consequences since. I know the risks and Iâll thank you to remember who taught you to control your own mind.â
Leia stiffens, sucking in a sharp breath. âThat was uncalled for.â
âYouâre not the child you appear to be,â Ahsoka reminds her, not a little sharply. âYou want to dish it out, be ready to take it. What will you do when we see Bail Organa? When we see the toddler that is Anakin Skywalker?â
âI get it.â
âIâm not sure you do,â Ahsoka mutters. She isnât surprised when Leia ducks out of the embrace and leaves the galley. She lets the girl go, guilt warring with the memory of how Master Kenobi had more than once spoken that way to Anakin at the height of the war. The fact that sheâs an adult in the body of a child isnât an excuse for poking at Ahsokaâs open wounds. It was cruel and unnecessary, and unbecoming of a... not a Jedi. A princess. A politician.
She rests her head on her arms and zones out. She should meditate, but that seems like... too much effort.
She can feel Vos and Tholme setting up in the room theyâve been assigned. Neither seems particularly angry. Most likely, Tholmeâs given the absolute shortest explanation of âchild soldier, dead master, highly traumatized and emotionally unstableâ to Vos to smooth over the incident in the cargo hold. Rex is with Leia; heâs agitated, but less so than Leia herself. Fettâs annoyed, in the cockpit, but he seems annoyed as often as not. Thereâs a shudder at lift-off, and a few minutes later, theyâre in hyperspace, headed for the Core.
Fett finds her, falls into the other bench in full armor, and drops his elbows onto the table. The helmet clunks down a moment later.
She doesnât lift her head. âWhat do you want?â
âDo I need to keep Vos away from you?â
âWhat?â
âVos. He made you uncomfortable. Was that him being someone that hurt you in the future, or just the interaction being awkward?â
She lifts her head. She stares at him. âWhat?â
He leans back and crosses his arms. âDo you need me to tell Vos to stay the hell away from you?â
Sheâs gaping. âYou realize Iâm thirty-two, right? I can handle my own battles.â
âYouâre also traumatized as hell and everyone can see it,â Fett argues back. âIf Vos himself is a trigger, I can handle it.â
âHeâs not,â she tells him. This is strange. Fettâs being strange. âHe was actually a friend of my grandmasterâs. Iâm just uncomfortable with the flirting because Iâm a lot older than he realizes, and I canât tell him that.â
He nods sharply, and then looks away. The silence sits.
âThanks for asking?â Ahsoka says, well aware of how her confusion over the offer turns it into a question. âI mean, thank you for... caring.â
I guess, she finishes in the privacy of her own head. Or at least pretending to.
Fett makes a face, still not facing her. He eyes the galley instead. She can guess where his thoughts are going. The galley is... not very big, especially with six people on board instead of one, but sheâs sure theyâve stocked up enough. On the off chance they do go through more than expected, because of how many growing bodies are in residence, they can stop off and buy more. They have those resources now.
Jango never does ask what she did with the slavers.
âWhoâs going to cry if I spice things properly?â he asks.
âProbably Leia,â she says immediately. âVos will try to power through it even though heâs going to be overwhelmed. No idea about Tholme, but I think heâll keep a straight face whether he likes it or not. Rex and I are fine, âhotâ was pretty much the only flavor of seasoning the GAR had.â
âGAR?â
âGrand Army of the Republic.â
He finally looks at her.
âYou already knew I was a child soldier, Fett; donât act surprised.â
âThat doesnât mean I like hearing about it.â
âI was fourteen. Thatâs old enough by Mando standards, Fett. Just think back, when did you get on the battlefield?â
âI take your point,â he says, lip curling unpleasantly. âIt just hits different now that Iâm old enough to look back and think of how damned young fourteen really is.â
Ahsoka shrugs. âYeah, well--â
âYou said the clones were ten.â
Thereâs the rub, isnât it?
Of course it was about the clones.
â...closer to seven, by the end. Kamino was just making speedies at that point. Triple growth on the average instead of double, but averages in that case meant theyâd been growing at double rates for six years and then got forced through four growth cycles in a single year to beef up the army when we kept losing men.â She looks down at the table, picking at a scratch in the plastipaint with her nail. âRex and the rest of the ones from the beginning were basically twenty in mind and body, even if theyâd only been decanted ten years earlier. The speedies... I always wondered. Theyâd gone from functionally twelve to functionally twenty in a year. Thatâs not... even in Kamino, that canât have been normal. They didnât act like adults, not the way the originals did.â
Fett rubs at his face, groaning. He swears under his breath in three different languages.
She pities him, if only because he hasnât actually done any of this yet. Heâs paying for the crimes of a man he likely wonât ever become.
She kicks him under the table. âWanna make tiingilar and see how long it takes Vos to start crying while he insists itâs fine?â
---------------------------
Dinner is when the questions start. Some are relatively easy. Others, not so much.
âMy Master was Leiaâs biological father,â is an easy truth to share. âShe inherited his power, so I need to get her to the temple for her own safety, because home no longer is.â
âYes, her adoptive parents were unfortunately killed rather recently. Weâd prefer not to talk about it.â
âRex is with me. Where he goes, I go, and vice versa.â
That one gets her an odd look.
âI thought...â Quinlan trails off, gesturing between Rex and Fett.
Fett keeps his face impassive, but his discomfort and guilt leak into the Force. âI didnât know Rex existed until I ran into these three in a spaceport cantina a few weeks ago.â
Quinlan blinks at him, looks at Rex again, and then turns back to Fett with a grin that might have been described as âsaucyâ if he were less smug about it. âWild oats, huh?â
âAre you shitting me right now,â Leia whispers, and Ahsoka elbows her.
âThat was inappropriate, padawan.â
Quinlanâs grin fades as Fett just continues to eye him.
âUm, so--â
âHow old is the kid?â Fett interrupts.
Darting eyes answer him, as Quinlan tries to gauge Rex. âTen? Maybe twelve?â
âAnd how old am I?â
â...early thirties?â
âIâm twenty-seven.â
Quinlanâs grin fades further as he does the math.
âIâd have been between fifteen and seventeen when he was born,â Fett says, tone flat. âBetween fourteen and sixteen at conception. I know damn well I wasnât doing anything that could have resulted in a kid at that age.â
Quinlan rallies. âSo, brothers?â
Tholme sighs loudly, hand over his eyes.
âIâm a clone,â Rex says, and Ahsoka can feel the amusement he gets out of Quinlanâs confused shock. Theyâd both had plenty of respect for Master Vos, but Padawan Vos was nothing but trouble. âHarvested genetic material, grown in a tube, inconsistent aging meaning I donât even know how old I am for sure.â
âI broke him out,â Ahsoka adds, which is half true.
âThere was a chip in my head,â Rex adds, with a bright smile. Quinlanâs discomfort grows. âShe got it out. Also, lots of brothers. None of them are... around anymore. The creators were trying to make an army.â
Vos and Tholme have no response. Fett looks like heâs been carved out of stone. Leiaâs just ignoring them and picking at her food.
Ahsoka lifts a hand and, without looking, Rex high-fives her.
---------------------------
âDrop your elbow.â
Ahsoka tries to cover her smile at the dirty look that Leia shoots Fett. Fett remains unimpressed by the glare of royalty, just gestures for the girl to do as he said.
âI know how to fight,â Leia grumbles. âI took lessons. I was good at them.â
âAnd Iâm better,â Fett says, leaving no room for argument. âYou want the Torrents to take over?â
The Torrents. Rex and Soka. She likes being referred to that way. Like theyâre a team that never got split up.
Force, she wished theyâd never gotten split up.
âAgain,â Fett orders, and Leia moves through the Mandalorian kata with ill grace in her emotions and all grace in her sweeping limbs.
Well, as much grace as an undersized six-year-old can, at any rate.
âThink heâll ask me to spar her again?â Rex asks, dropping down into the seat next to Ahsoka and passing her a drink.
âMaybe,â she acknowledges. âI think heâs wondering if itâs worth asking Vos to spar with her, so she gets more experience with size differences.â
âHm?â
âShe flinched at his face again,â she tells him. âThe whole... thing with Boba, I guess. She still wonât tell me why Fett triggers her sometimes, but heâs not pressing her to spar with him, and thereâs only so much she can get out of fighting me. Asking Tholme would be presumptuous, but Vos is just a padawan. I think itâd work out.â
âAnd you?â
She looks at him, already feeling a cresting wave of bullshit she doesnât want to deal with. âWhat about me?â
âAre you going to spar with the Jedi?â
She should. She hasnât sparred with a saber since she got tossed back into a body only half-familiar to her. Sheâs let Leia borrow the shorter one to learn some basic blocking moves, Shii-Cho and then, with hesitance, the first Soresu form. Another time, she loaned it to Rex to practice some attacks; they both know that the next time he picks up her saber in battle, having lost his weapons or she her grip, it will be neither the first or last time he wields a sword of light. None of that, however, is... sparring.
None of that is against someone who knows what theyâre doing.
How long has it been since she sparred with anyone other than Kanan and Ezra?
How long has it been since she sparred without the looming specter of Darth Vader in the back of her mind, without fear of the Inquisitors, without the knowledge that any saber held by someone other than her two friends would be red as blood and twice as drenched.
Would she be able to hold back as she fought?
âI should,â she acknowledges, eyes on where Fett is nudging Leiaâs feet into position for some kind of leveraging flip. Sheâs so small. âIt would probably be a good idea to spar against a master at some point.â
âDo you think you can?â Rex asks.
âI never knew him,â she says. âAnd he isnât Dark. It should be fine.â
Rex nods, taking her word for it. They watch as Leia stumbles on a final move, and Fett gestures for her to sit down and get a drink.
âThat man is a terror,â she informs them.
(Sheâd once described him as a slave-driver. She had not made that mistake twice.)
âLeast itâs not Kamino!â Rex tells her cheerfully. When Leia refuses to look impressed, he laughs at her.
Ahsoka has a half-secondâs warning before heavy boots thud to the ground next to her. âWhatâs Kamino?â
âHello, Vos, itâs nice to see you too,â she drawls. âIâm good, thanks for asking, and yourself?â
The boy-not-quite-man rolls his eyes. âHi, Torrents; hi, tiny one.â
Leia glares at him next.
âSo, Kamino?â
âPlanet by Rishi,â Rex says.
âWhy were you there?â
âThey specialize in cloning.â
Ahsoka covers her mouth as the conversation drops into the same awkward gap that always happens when Quinlan stumbles into a subject he didnât know to avoid.
âLike... you were made there, or you were researching how it works for your own--â
Ahsoka slaps a hand over his mouth. âNowâs a great time to stop talking.â
He licks her palm.
She bares her teeth and arches her fingers just enough to press nails into his cheek.
He bites at her palm, and she yanks her hand away.
âYouâre all children,â Leia accuses, conveniently forgetting that Ahsoka and Rex are both over a decade older than her.
âI can throw you the length of a swimming pool,â Ahsoka tells her. âOne of the fancy competition-ready ones that would make a Tatooinian cry. You are absolutely the child here.â
âUsing the Force is cheating, sir,â Rex informs her.
âOnly if thereâs a competition,â Ahsoka shoots back. âAnd proving that a certain princess is a small child is not a competition. Itâs a declarative fact.â
âIâm going to rip open the seams on all your tops except the ugliest one,â Leia decides.
âTry me,â Ahsoka challenges. âAdiâka.â
A low, rough cough interrupts them. âAre you done?â
Fett has his arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised. He knows theyâre all adults here, and is entirely unamused. As the silence drags, the eyebrow climbs a little higher.
âDone with what?â Quinlan finally asks, thereby volunteering himself to spar in hand-to-hand with Jango Fett, as one does.
âPoor, poor Vos,â Rex laughs, watching as Fett barks out orders at Quinlan every five seconds to fix his footwork, to stop dropping his guard, to stop wasting energy on flips instead of just dodging the easy way.
âThrow him!â Ahsoka calls. To her delight, Fett obliges.
The thing is, Quinlan isnât bad at brawling. Heâs got training, endurance, skill. The man knows what heâs doing, objectively. Heâs just not a match for Fett, and is used enough to relying on his saber that his hand-to-hand skills are rusty. They are perhaps less rusty than those Jedi who donât take questionable jobs in the Mid-Outer Rim, and Ahsokaâs got a suspicion that Vos regularly gets into bar fights in his downtime, but none of that is enough for him to actually do more than survive against Fett without his saber.
Even the saber wouldnât help, if Fett had his armor.
âWhose idea was this?â
Ahsoka cranes her head back and smiles. âHello, Master Tholme. Vos... volunteered.â
âDid he know he was volunteering?â
âNo comment.â
Tholme snorts, crossing his arms and eyeing the spar in front of him. âI thought Fett hated Jedi. Giving us a ride for the sake of you three is one thing, but why is he teaching my padawan?â
Ahsoka shrugs. âConstructive bullying?â
Thereâs a small twitch of a smile, quickly gone. âHe said something wrong, Iâm guessing?â
âThere was no way he could have known,â she dismisses. âWeâre just, like, ninety-percent tragic backstories.â
âYouâd think the Force would warn him,â Rex notes.
âThatâs not how the Force works,â Leia chides.
âNo, no, heâs right,â Ahsoka corrects. âThe Force does sometimes step in to stop a person from saying something stupid. However, Padawan Vos is at an age where people think they are very rational while being more irrational than they likely ever will be again.â
âDo I want to ask what you were doing at that age?â Tholme asks.
âRunning bla...â she trails off, then whips around to gape at him.
He smiles, bland and unassuming. âDoes Fett know?â
âKnow... what?â Ahsoka asks.
âThat youâre significantly older than you look,â he says, voice just low enough that the sparring duo canât hear him. âAll three of you.â
Ahsoka turns back to the spar, only catching Tholme out of the corner of her eye. âHe knows.â
âMm. Were you planning on telling the Council?â
âYes.â That part was never in question. âHow did you figure it out?â
âI am a good investigator,â he says. âAnd you rely a little too heavily on your physical forms to obfuscate. Were it just one of you, that wouldnât be a problem, but the pattern repeated across three is a little easier to discern.â
âI hoped the whole âchild soldiersâ thing would be a bigger distraction,â Ahsoka mutters. She glances at Leia and Rex. Both of them are used to being in charge to some degree, giving orders and making contingency plans, but in this... in this, Ahsoka is in charge. Theyâd decided that at the very start. It didnât matter that Rex had lived longer and had more experience, or that Leia had held the highest Rebellion rank of the three of them. Ahsoka had been agreed as leader, and they were relying on her.
Theyâre waiting on her orders. Stiff and unhappy, in Leiaâs case, but they trust her.
âWill you be telling Vos?â She asks.
âNo,â Tholme says. âYour secrets remain your own unless they endanger us, and Iâve a feeling they wonât be.â
âDonât be so sure,â Rex jokes, smile not reaching his eyes. âIâve been working with this family for too long to trust that trouble wonât find them around the next corner.â
âThis family?â Tholme repeats.
âSokari was telling the truth about her master being Leiaâs biological father,â Rex says. He shrugs. âI worked with him, with his wife, with both of his kids, with his master and his padawan. All of them, to a one, are trouble magnets.â
âAh, but thatâs not the secret thatâs putting us in danger,â Tholme points out. âSimply existence as a Jedi.â
Rex shrugs. âFair enough. Donât say I didnât warn you, though.â
Ahsoka lurches to her feet, turning with a smile and dancing backward into the the stretch of empty cargo hold they used for such things. âA spar, Master Tholme?â
He looks past her, to Quinlan, and raises a brow. âWould you not prefer to spar with someone a little closer to your level first?â
She barks out a laugh. âMaster Tholme, Iâm afraid Iâve spent more of my life fighting to survive than having normal friendly spars. My style is more lethal than the average, and youâve already seen what warâs done to my mind. I ask to spar with you because, if I lose control, if I slip in time or react on an instinct that isnât appropriate, I trust that youâll be more able to stop me than a senior padawan.â
He smiles. âYes, I gathered as much. Still, better to ask. Shall we wait for them to finish up?â
Ahsoka shrugs, turns, and yells. âClear the deck!â
Rex snorts behind her, and lowly mutters, âSir, yes, sir.â
She smirks at him over her shoulder. âAt ease, Captain.â
âThatâs âCommanderâ to you, I got promoted,â he sniffs, chin held high.
Heavy steps herald Fettâs arrival at their little group. âThe hells are you doing?â
âIâm going to have a spar with a Jedi Master, and I want you and Vos to not get stabbed.â
âIâm not that easy to injure in an actual fight, let alone by accident,â Fett grouses. He looks up and over at Vos, who is already significantly taller, if a fair shot less built. âThis one, on the other hand...â
âHey!â
Ahsoka laughs and backs into the center of the cargo hold, drawing her sabers. âDonât worry, Vos, I wonât play dirty. Youâll probably get your master back in one piece.â
He wrinkles his nose at her. âGetting a bit ahead of yourself there, arenât you? Heâs a Jedi Master and former Watchman. Youâre... what, eighteen?â
Ahsoka raises a brow and activates her sabers, tapping the blades together and watching as more than one person winces. âWanna bet on how long I last?â
âNo,â he says immediately, stepping back to join Rex on the bench. âYouâve already blindsided me enough. Iâm not dumb enough to fall for whatever youâve got up your sleeve.â
âI donât have sleeves.â
âArmwarmers-slash-greaves, then.â
âGreaves go on the legs, these are vambraces.â
He throws his hands up in the air. âIâm just going to stop talking now!â
âGood plan,â Leia snarks, and then literally hisses when Rex ruffles her hair.
Tholme lights his saber and sinks into an opening stance.
Ahsoka mirrors him.
---------------------------
She wins, but barely. She's had a few weeks to practice her forms, has sparred hands-only with Rex and Fett, but this is her first real try at using her sabers against a person, instead of a blaster or thin air, since she arrived in the past. Sheâs only mostly adjusted to her body.
But Tholme is a healer and a watchman, not a duelist. Ahsoka held her own against Ventress, against Grievous, against Maul when she was this age. Still adjusting to her body or not, her lineage is one of battle, and it bled true.
âYouâre terrifying,â Quinlan tells her after theyâre done, smiling like the sun as he hands her a towel. âPlease never turn that on me.â
She laughs at him. âWould you believe that Iâm out of practice?â
âOut of practice with what?â he asks, horrified and fascinated. âFighting Sith Lords?â
âAmong other things,â she says, and smirks when he chokes on his drink. âMultiple darkside users who claimed to be Sith, at least. One being a full Lord, one that was disowned by his master, and one that was apprenticed to a Banite apprentice, so she wasnât technically allowed to be a Darth because of the rule of two.â
Tholme meets her eyes past Quinlanâs shoulder, head tilted and eyes half-shut in consideration. Heâs taking her seriously. He knows what sheâs not saying.
âHow...â Quinlan trails off and shakes his head. âYou know what, no. Asking you people questions never ends well.â
âGood plan,â Ahsoka says, clapping a hand down on his shoulder. âAlso, you need to spar with Fett more. Your footwork is shit.â
âIt is not,â Quinlan gripes. âYouâre all just scary good at this stuff.â
âYou mean surviving?â Leia pipes up, and smiles innocently when Quinlan turns to pout at her.
âYouâre getting bullied by a six-year-old,â Rex informs him.
âYeah,â Quinlan sighs. âI know.â
Ahsoka laughs, and itâs fine. Itâs all fine. For a week, everything is honestly great. She trains, she laughs, she works through the nightmares.
Then fucking Denon happens.
---------------------------
Denon is a city-planet on the intersection of two major hyperlanes. Itâs the kind of place where they stop for two things:
Fuel.
Paperwork.
Technically, thereâs a whole mess of paperwork they have to fill out to continue along this specific hyperlane, since they arenât official Republic ships, and donât have the licenses to just pass along like ships that are pre-registered to the Trade Federation or the like. They could sneak past--literally all of them know smugglerâs routes--but itâs honestly less of a pain to do things legally. They have a Jedi Master. They have cash. Some of that cash wasnât quite legally acquired, but nobody needs to know that.
Itâs supposed to be a pit stop. Thatâs all.
Itâs just a pit stop.
But no, the galaxy isnât that kind and Ahsokaâs luck is currently being compounded with a Skywalker, two Fetts, and Vos, which means that of course they run into trouble. Of course they do. There was never any other option, was there?
âMotherfucker,â Ahsoka snaps, lifting her head up and slamming her drink on the table.
The glass is empty. Thatâs good. Theyâre in a restaurant right now, a little splurging after weeks with only each othersâ company, and spilling the sugary child-friendly juice with that move would have drawn way too much attention from the servers.
âLanguage,â Tholme says, voice idly unconcerned.
âSir?â Rex asks, kicking Ahsoka under the table. âWhatâs wrong?â
âWhatâs wr--that jackass,â she hisses, getting to her feet. âRex, grab a blaster, Iâve got shebs to kick.â
âOkay,â Rex says, grabbing one out of Fettâs holster and scooting out of the booth before anyone can tell him not to. âWhose?â
âI didnât even know that he was... osik, I donât have jurisdiction,â she realizes. âI donât have any record of wrongdoing. I canât arrest him since we donât have evidence of criminal wrongdoing...â
âAre you two going to explain whatâs going on?â Vos asks. âOr sit down, maybe?â
Ahsoka makes her decision. She eyes the window--the restaurant in question is a little dingy, but itâs also several dozen stories in the air. âRex, remember the thing we did on Geonosis that you hated?â
He pauses, and then sighs heavily. âYes, sir. I remember the... yeeting.â
Hah. That slang doesnât even exist yet.
âGreat. With me!â
Itâs a good thing the windows are forcefields instead of transparisteel. A bit of a twist to the energy and theyâre gone.
She only hears a little screaming before the wind tears all noises away while they plummet.
They land lightly--of course--and Ahsoka wraps them both in a donât notice me aura. Nobody even notices that theyâve just come from above. Itâs great that she can just Do These Things again, and get brushed off as Weird Jedi Shit, instead of worrying about the Empire. Sheâs missed being able to jump out of windows without fear.
Rex follows her as she starts running through the city. They donât have comms, and heâs still so small, which means he canât keep up with her even if she runs at normal speeds without Force enhancement.
âShould you carry me?â he asks, before she can figure out if itâs worth suggesting. She did it a few times before they joined up with Jango.
âItâs not... urgent, I think,â she says. She hesitates to speak, even as she keeps jogging with Rex at her heels. âHonestly, Iâm trying to figure out if thereâs anything I can ding him for so we can attack him. Itâs all well and good that I can beat him right now, but all the crimes I know about havenât happened yet, so it wouldnât be legal...â
âCommander?â
âHm?â
âI have no idea who youâre talking about.â
She scrolls the conversation back mentally, considers, and says, âOh.â
âWhoâs getting steamrolled?â
âUh, Maulâs here,â Ahsoka admits.
âAh,â Rex says. He makes a face. âI understand the desire to jump out a window, now. I donât agree with it, but I understand.â
Ahsoka laughs. âI mean, I just... every time Iâve seen him for almost twenty years, itâs been like... on sight, you know? Weâve never not attacked each other, except when I needed him to cause problems on Mandalore. But I always knew I was in the right, then.â
âSo... what do we arrest him for?â Rex prompts.
âUm... carrying a lightsaber without a license?â she hazards. âWeâll need Tholme there. Hopefully I can just shout at him and heâll attack me, but I think he only went full nutjob after Master Kenobi cut his legs off. He might be too controlled to try to kill me just for yelling at him.â
â...do we have to stalk him?â Rex asks, sounding like heâd most likely sigh if he werenât mid-run.
She scoops him up and swings him around onto her back before she answers. âI think we have to stalk him, Rexâika.â
âDonât call me that.â
---------------------------
Maul is... exceptionally sneaky, actually. Either that, or he hasnât done anything wrong yet. Ahsokaâs betting on the former, because sheâs seen this particular skocha kung take over a planet before anyone realized he was the most dangerous person around.
Or maybe heâs just not committing crimes, and is in fact just here to buy groceries.
Heâs examining a papaya.
She fantasizes about jumping across the market and greeting him with a heel to the cheekbone.
âAre you imagining a flying kick, Sir?â
âYeah...â
âHeâs examining a papaya, Sir.â
âI know...â
âDoes he know weâre here?â
âI donât know. Maybe? Do you think I should go hit him?â
âNo.â
âShould I hit on him?â
âNo, Sir. I would not advise that.â
âHeâs looking at the neloms.â
âI can see that.â
âWhy does he have to be so bo--did he just fucking bite a nelom?â
âIt appears so, Sir.â
âLike... like rind and all. Just bit the little fucker.â
âSeems it.â
A scuff of metal. âWhat the fuck are you two doing?â
Ahsoka tips her head around to peer through the grate. âWeâre spying, Fett, what does it look like weâre doing?â
Rex cranes his head. âWeâre hanging upside-down from a fire escape to get a look at a suspected Sith Apprentice that is currently shopping for various fruits, Mandâalor.â
Ahsoka waves. âHi, Master Tholme.â
âSokari,â the master greets. âThis seems a very conspicuous way to spy.â
She shrugs as well as she can from this angle. âYes, but you see, this wayâs more fun.â
âIs it now.â
Rex shifted. âHeâs on the move!â
âTo kill someone?!â
âNo, to the deli meats.â
âKriff.â
---------------------------
Apparently, Tholme and Fett had told Quinlan to take care of Leia, as Leia had wanted to finish her juice and refused to get involved in the Torrentsâ nonsense. According to her, if they couldnât be bothered to explain the nonsense, they didnât need her.
This was true and accurate.
Quinlan shows up while theyâre still stalking Maul, having moved to a low rooftop for a decent vantage point with less likelihood of being spotted. Heâs giving Leia an eopie-back ride, and the pout on her face at needing it is adorable. She pouts harder when she sees them.
âAre you even trying to hide?â Leia scoffs.
âNot really,â Ahsoka admits. Sheâs got Fettâs binoculars out. âIâm not sure heâs caught wind of the fact that weâre here yet.â
âOr he has and heâs just biding his time to escape while weâre distracted,â Tholme points out.
âMeh,â Ahsoka says, avidly devouring the visual that is a teenage Maul glaring at leafy vegetables. âI just want him to do something so I have an excuse to beat his ass.â
âDo I get to know who?â Quinlan asks, setting Leia down on the roof. âOr are we going to keep being completely unwilling to share information?â
âBaby Sith Lord,â Ahsoka says. âHeâs fifteen. A child.â
âA baby,â Rex agrees.
âYouâre... thatâs... ugh,â Quinlan groans as loudly and as dramatically as he dares, flopping down to the rooftop. âMaster Tholme, please tell me this isnât a real Sith.â
âHeâs Dark,â Tholme confirms. âSith is... up for debate until we have evidence.â
âHeâs a bitch is what he is,â Ahsoka mutters. She observes the teenager in question stop to poke at some pink tomatoes. âE chu ta, break the law, already!â
âDoes he have a lightsaber?â Quinlan asks. âIf he has a lightsaber and no Jedi ID or specialty license, we can probably arrest him.â
âAuntie Soka doesnât have a license or ID,â Leia points out.
âSheâs got a Jedi escort,â Tholme says. âAnd if our supposed Sith is polite and plays nice, we can probably escort him to the Temple as well.â
Rex snorts derisively.
âDo you know why heâs on Denon?â Fett asks.
âNo clue,â Ahsoka admits. âEvil reasons, probably.â
âYouâre useless,â Leia tells her.
âThanks, princess, howâs that attempt to open the jam jar by yourself coming?â
Leia says something very inappropriate for a princess, for a child, and for a lady. Itâs fairly appropriate for a soldier, which is admittedly what sheâs been for a few years now. Ahsoka sticks her tongue out at the girl like the mature operative she is.
âI wish we could still get him to lose his osik by just showing up and insulting him,â Rex mutters, low enough that Quinlan probably canât hear.
âI wanna punch him in the face,â Ahsoka confesses. âI want him to try to punch me in the face, and fail.â
âDonât bully the baby Sith,â Rex admonishes.
âHeâs a Sith.â
âHeâs fifteen, itâs tacky.â
âBut itâs Maul.â
âI know, but youâre tw--significantly older than him.â
âBut... but itâs the motherfucker himself.â
â...you can bully him a little, but only because heâs a Sith.â
Fett steals the binoculars. âYou can borrow them again when you stop acting like children.â
âI donât know what you mean,â Rex says, dry as Ryloth. âIâm ten.â
âPretty tall for your age,â Ahsoka mutters, and then giggles.
âDonât steal my jokes,â Rex says. He elbows her, hard.
âYou know,â Quinlan says, slow and tired. âMaster Tholme and I are trained investigators.â
Ahsoka and Rex look at each other, and then up at him.
âOkay?â
â...do you want me to find actual evidence of this guy doing something criminal?â
âOh, yes please.â
---------------------------
Quinlan, as it turns out, is not overselling his skills. He does catch Maul doing something illegal later that day. Itâs a little more âstealing corporate secrets in the dead of nightâ and less âtorturing people for kicks,â but itâs still enough to legally arrest him. Quinlan attempts to do so.
Quinlan does not succeed, and is forced to jump out a window to avoid getting cut in half. Maul follows, steals a passing speeder by throwing out the driver, and takes off. Someone--looks like Tholme--drops back to save the driver, but the rest of them give chase. Ahsoka gleefully takes point on that, of course. Sheâs the best pilot.
(Rex looks bored, but someone is likely to puke by the end of the night. She hopes itâs not Leia, who insisted on coming for some fucking reason.)
âHow the kriff is a teenager that good?!â Quinlan yells, clinging to the edge of the speeder to avoid getting tipped out as Ahsoka swerves around a corner with a wild laugh.
âHeâs a Sith!â Leia shouts over the wind. âWhat do you think?â
Quinlan is not impressed by the claim of Sith.
Ahsoka screeches as she drifts across four lanes of traffic and into an alleyway to pursue Maul. Heâs pretty good at dodging cross-building walkways, but sheâs better. She bares her teeth, hissing, and tries to pick a plan.
âVos, howâs your aim with Force throws?â She calls to the backseat.
âUh, decent?â
âGreat! Fettâs the projectile!â
Vos takes a second longer to process that than Jango does.
âIâm wh--â
He cuts off, screaming, and is flung forward by Quinlan to crash headfirst into a teenage Sith.
âTake the wheel!â Ahsoka commands, not waiting to see who follows the order, because Fett and Maul are both getting to their feet, the other speeder is about to crash, and sheâs not sure whoâs going to win that fight.
She jumps from the speeder theyâve been violently dragging around Denon, and lands feet-first on Maulâs... shoulder.
Hm.
That definitely dislocated something.
âYou should wear armor!â she chirps at him, drawing both sabers and grinning as he whirls to face her, eyes wide with hate.
Heâs utterly silent.
Thatâs disturbing. Expected, but disturbing.
âDid you just throw me?â Fett demands, higher pitched than sheâd normally expect.
âNo, Vos threw you.â
âBecause you told him to!â
âYeah, itâs a good strategy!â
âIt is not!â
âWhy not? Throwing people was standard practice in the GAR.â
She canât see his face, but sheâs pretty sure heâs about ready to strangle her.
Ahsoka cannot, at that point, continue snarking with the father of her best friend, because thereâs a red lightsaber coming for her throat, and she should probably worry about that. Maulâs very good at killing people and sheâd like to avoid becoming part of that statistic.
As she is quickly reminded, he is... fifteen. And shorter than sheâs used to. And already injured.
Itâs really, really easy to take him out, actually.
At some point, the other speeder was safely recovered before it caused property damage, and their own is landing a few meters away with Vos and the kids.
âYou have Force-negating cuffs, right?â Ahsoka asks.
âNo, Master Tholme has them.â
âOh,â she says, and grimaces. âI guess Iâll just... keep sitting on him then.â
Maul snarls, and she raps him on the skull. âStop that, itâs uncivilized.â
Rex snorts.
Jango makes a noise that is incredibly frustrated with the lot of them, and turns on Rex. âWas she telling the truth?â
âAbout?â
âThrowing people being standard practice for the GAR.â
Rexâs face goes pained. âIt was in the five-oh-first. And a few others.â
âWhatâs the GAR?â Quinlan asks.
âNone of your damn business,â Fett snaps.
Quinlan throws his hands up in the air again. âCome on! I just proved I know what Iâm doing!â
âAnd their tragic backstory is none of your business, prudii!â
Quinlan blinks at him, and then glances at Ahsoka. âUm.â
âHe called you a shadow since your training, um, seems to be pointing in that direction,â she says as carefully as she can. âWe were theorizing.â
âWh... you actually paid attention?â Quinlan asks, looking horribly confused. âI thought I was just annoying you.â
Ahsoka laughs at him. âOh, Vos... Iâve been running black ops for... much longer than most would guess. Trust me, I know another spy when I see them.â
She smiles as kindly as she can, because she hadnât actually meant to make him feel left out or unwanted or... well, sheâd been pretty patronizing, especially for someone seemingly younger than him. The smile does not work. Quinlan just looks kind of horrified about how young she just implied she started spy work.
Granted, sheâd been sixteen for Zygerria...
Deciding to ignore him for a bit, she shifts on Maulâs back and pats him on the cheek. âDonât worry, Baby Sith. Weâre going to get you lots of nice therapy. Mind healers, no Sith tortures, all that fun stuff. Maybe some plushies.â
âYouâre also getting therapy, right?â Quinlan asks. âPlease say you are. Iâm required for the specifics of my training and if anything youâve said is true, I feel like you really need it and Iâm scared of whatâll happen if you donât.â
Ahsoka laughs, knowing exactly how empty it sounds. âOh hell, if I didnât get therapy, I imagine Kix would rise from the grave to force me into it.â
The name means nothing to anyone except Rex, and... ah, yeah, she told Fett about Kix a few weeks ago.
âNo more throwing me without warning,â Fett grumbles, dropping to sit on the ground next to her. âEspecially not at baby Sith Lords.â
âI am not a child!â Maul spits.
âHe speaks!â Ahsoka cheers. âAw, I knew you could do it.â
ââSoka, I told you not to bully him,â Rex complains. âItâs tacky. Youâre being tacky.â
âIâm allowed to be tacky,â Ahsoka declares. âIâve died twice, thatâs, like, permission from the universe.â
âYouâve died twice?â Quinlan asks, back in âfascinated horrorâ territory. âWait, no, I shouldnât ask--â
âToo late! The first time was on a planet that doesnât exist and my Master lost his mind, killed a god, and used the good favor of another god to have me brought back to life at her expense. Not in that order.â
âI--what? No, thatâs--what?â
Ahsoka smiles brightly. âYou asked.â
Tholme finally shows up with the cuffs.
---------------------------
âYou should eat something.â
He glares at her.
âBaby Sith Lords need to eat.â
He keeps glaring at her.
âMaul, youâll never get big and strong and ready to kill if you donât eat your vegetables.â
He bares his teeth.
âNo, I donât eat my veggies, but Iâm a Togruta, so if I eat too many vegetables I throw up.â
Rex kicks her thigh, right on the faulds. âWhat did I say about bullying the Sith Lord?â
âNot to.â
âAnd what are you doing?â
âMaking him eat his vegetables.â
âSoka.â
âRexâika.â
He kicks at her again. âGet up, weâre swapping out the watch.â
âBut I wanted to hang out with my favorite little criminal mastermind.â
Rex drops to the floor and presses his forehead to her shoulder. âHow the hell is being around this guy the first thing to make you cheer up in weeks?â
âIâm allowed to be mean to him.â
âHeâs going to bite you.â
âIâll bite back.â
Rex jabs a finger into her ribs, and she squeaks. âGo get something to eat, Commander.â
âFine,â she huffs, rolling to her feet and moseying along to the galley. She walks in on Tholme and Fett having an argument about the ways in which Jedi and Mandalorians differ. Quinlanâs on the side, watching with wide eyes, and little Leiaâs drinking a juice box at his side, tucked up under his arm and occasionally saying things to fan the flames. Ahsoka assumes sheâs enjoying herself.
She opens the cooling unit, looks over the contents, and pulls out a raw leg of eopie mutton. She leans against the counter, bites into the chilled-but-not-frozen meat, and uses the back of one hand to wipe the blood off her chin. The âreal adultsâ donât notice.
âIâm like ninety percent sure youâre doing this to mess with me but also...â Quinlan trails off, staring at her with horror. âWhy?â
âA girlâs gotta eat.â
âYeah, but all the obligate carnivores I know are like... generally holding to basic rules of courtesy when it comes to not grossing people out,â Quinlan says. âLike, I donât chew with my mouth open. You donât... eat in the most intimidating--did you just crack the bone with your teeth?!â
Ahsoka smirks at him, using her free hand to take away the shard of bone so she can suck out the marrow without eating the bones themselves. âI donât know if youâve noticed, but this isnât polite society. Weâre in a galley on a bounty hunterâs ship, and Iâve been living on the run or in an army for most of my life. Table manners are optional.â
âNo, theyâre not,â Leia orders. âFett, itâs your ship, tell her to--â
â--and another thing!â Fett snaps at Tholme, clearly paying less than no attention to the food argument.
Ahsoka keeps on eating, trying to catch wind of where the discussionâs at. Mostly, it seems to be at âtalking past each other.â Neither of them seems to have fully grasped more than the absolute most basic parts of the other culture, and thatâs only enough to insult each other, not actually have a constructive conversation. Sheâd have expected more out of Tholme, at least. Heâs not exactly young.
âHey, quick question,â she says, in a moment where both of them have paused for breath and the opportunity to seethe. âFett, whenâs the last time you worked with a Jedi, or any member of a Force-based religion, before I popped into your life?â
His nose scrunches up as he makes a face.
âAnd Tholme, whenâs the last time you worked with anyone from the Mandalorian system?â
Tholmeâs reaction isnât any more gracious than Fettâs.
âYeah, thatâs what I thought,â she says. âVos, were either of them actually interested in that conversation, or just looking for an excuse to yell?â
âNow listen here, jetiika--â
âFett,â she snaps. âI am not a child.â
âAnd neither am I,â he growls right back. âThis is my ship, and I damn well donât need you treating me like a misbehaving youngling. Youâve got a problem, you bring it to my face, not get all smug about peopleâs tempers blowing over.â
Well, then.
She smiles thinly. âOf course.â
He stands with his arms crossed, in full armor save for the helmet. She puts aside the eopie meat and wipes her hands, smiling until she can put her hands on her hips and let it drop to a challenge.
âYou know, Iâm just--Iâm just gonna go,â Quinlan mutters, pulling Leia out with him, the girl hanging from under one of his arms. âThis, uh, this looks like a problem for... you folks. Um. Yeah.â
He sidles out.
Tholme doesnât.
Fett rubs at the bridge of his nose, and then gestures at the table. âSit.â
âIâd prefer not to.â
He drops his hand and glares at her. âWe have another week on this ship together. We are going to have this conversation. Sit.â
She sits, right on the warm spot left behind by Quinlan and Leia. She crosses her arms, lifts a brow, and waits.
Fett takes the seat across from her. Tholme leans against the counter.
âWe all know youâre older than you look,â Fett says. âI heard Tholme mention it, I know that much has been shared. Youâre acting like an actual teenager, and Iâve... Iâve put up with a lot. I am trying to keep things civil, particularly with you. Iâve tried to be friendly. Youâve been fucked up since we met, fine, everyoneâs got trauma. The thing where youâve started talking shit to our faces for what seems like your own amusement? That has to stop. Youâre older than me, Torrent. Fucking act like it.â
She blinks at him, slow and not exactly happy, and turns to Tholme.
The man shrugs. âI was planning to put up with it until we arrived to the temple and handed you over to some mind healers. Fett doesnât have that kind of time.â
Thereâs a curdle in her stomach, defensive and angry and guilty.
âYouâve been... a bitch,â Fett finally says. âYou know that. Iâm not going to mince words. Youâve been holier-than-thou and rude and condescending, and aiming that at Antilles is one thing, when youâve apparently known her since she was a toddler and taught her things. Aiming at the rest of us isnât going to fly. Weâre all adults trying to share a space. Stop acting like... just like you have been.â
There is no defense to be made that they arenât both already aware of.
She closes her eyes and tries to strangle the burst of irrational rage.
Their accusations arenât unfounded.
They deserve an apology.
She is in the wrong.
Sheâs felt freer than she had in years, and in that freedom allowed herself too much rein, let herself lace her words with barbed wires and poison instead of sparks and spices, comments that were cruel instead of just joking. Too familiar. Too comfortable.
âMy behaviorâs been inappropriate,â she finally says, the words clumsy and too big in her mouth. âYouâre right about that. Iâm sorry, and Iâll endeavor to keep a tighter rein on my less pleasant behaviors in the future.â
At least she only lashes out with words. It could be worse.
She opens her eyes, fixes her gaze on the wall behind Fett, wrestles her expression into stiff neutrality. âAm I dismissed?â
â...uh, no, not after that,â Fett says, sounding just a little horrified. âWhat the hell was that?â
Tholme hisses out a breath. âLet her go.â
âNo, this needs to be discussed, thatâs not a healthy rea--â
âFett, let her go,â Tholme insists, low and heavy.
Fett looks between the two for a moment, seems to come to a realization he doesnât like, and then gestures almost violently towards the door. âFine. Go.â
She walks out, doesnât sprint. Sheâs stiff. Sheâs controlled. Sheâs the one that fucked up, so itâs fine if she doesnât feel great right now. Getting called out on oneâs own failings as a person isnât something to get upset about if the failings are real. The feelings are real and normal, but this was her fault, and so itâs up to her to fix it, and she canât let them know it hurt her, because this was her mistake.
She goes to the cargo hold.
---------------------------
Ahsoka works out her frustrations on Fettâs punching bag. She does not augment herself with the Force, just uses raw strength and technique, ignoring the tears that press at her eyes.
Sheâs fine.
Itâs not weird. Itâs not odd. Itâs not strange to not notice sheâs been kind of a bitch since her mood came up with the whole Depa thing, and then Maul. Sheâs been mean, mostly to Vos and Fett, and nobodyâs confronted her about it until now. They let her have room for her trauma, and she hadnât reined it in. Sheâs just gotten worse.
âSnippyâ sheâd always been, but age apparently hadnât fucking tempered it.
âUm.â
She catches the punching bag, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. She hasnât worked out all the twitchy, nervous energy yet.
âVos,â she greets, once sheâs caught herself enough that her voice wonât waver. Heâs on the other side of the bag, but she knows his voice. âDo you need something?â
âYouâre kind of... projecting,â he tells her, drifting to where she can actually see him. âNot self-loathing, but, um, recrimination? You just donât feel very good and I was hoping to helpâ
Why in all the Sith hells does he have to be nice.
âI got called out on my behavior and wasnât ready to face the fact that Iâd kriffed up,â she tells him. âIâll be fine. And Iâm... sorry. I havenât been fair to you and was using you as an easy target for some of my ruder comments.â
âI mean, I kind of figured,â he admits, coming closer. âIâve been tutored by Shadows before, and a lot of them act like you. I just assumed it was more of that.â
âI still shouldnât have let myself run loose like that,â she says. âIâm... it wasnât appropriate. I shouldnât have let it happen.â
He shrugs, not meeting her eyes. âDo you want to talk about it?â
âNo,â she says. âNot with... not with you. Or anyone other than Rex and a mind healer, really. Most of it is...â
She trails off, distantly noticing that her eyes are tearing up enough to blur her vision, and her nails are digging into the bag in a way Fett wonât appreciate.
Thereâs so much that beat her down, never quite breaking her, that she doesnât even know what made her act the way she does.
âWant to spar?â
She looks over at him, wonders what he sees that makes him want to fight her when sheâs visibly unstable.
He smiles, kind and easy, and it doesnât quite reach his eyes. Itâs genuine in intent, if not in energy. He wants to help. âYou all keep saying I could work on my hand-to-hand. Just take off the armor so I donât break a finger, maybe.â
âYouâre serious.â
âNo, Iâm Quinlan.â
Sheâs going to wipe the floor with this boy. âYou sure you wanna fight me?â
âYou wonât be able to meditate until you do,â he says. Heâs right, damn him. âThe other option is that I go get your... vod, I think? I go get Rex and you two can talk it out since you trust him with more. I donât want to do that, though, heâs still a kid.â
She eyes him, lips pressed together and mind awhirl with emotions and thoughts sheâd tried to beat out of her head and into the bag. âEver fought someone without the Force?â
â...yes?â
âWas it cuffs?â
âOh, you meant me not having the Force,â he realizes. âEr, no. Is... is that something youâve done a lot?â
She smiles at him. âYouâre planning on Shadow work. That means getting captured and stripped of everything you are at some point, Force included. Unfortunately, the cuffs are in use on a very annoying Dathomirian right now, so weâll have to make do with you shielding like your mindâs a Kessel Spice Mine.â
â...do I want to know how often youâve been captured?â
âNo, you donât.â
When he comes at her, itâs easy to dodge. Itâs easy to tap him on target points, little pokes that show she could take him out, but isnât going to until heâs learned something. He stays grinning throughout, letting her take the lead, and he treats her like... like a knight. Like a teacher. Heâs stepped back and gone from trying to impress her as a fellow padawan, to proving himself to a full knight.
Sheâs not sure when that change happened, or why or how, but it makes things much smoother. She wants to think that it would have even if she hadnât gotten a wakeup call from Fett.
So she treats him the way she treated Ezra, for the year sheâd spent traveling with Kanan. She treats him as a student thatâs willing to learn, good but not yet great, competent but not yet ready to survive. She draws him into the kind of chest-heaving exhaustion that tells a fighter just how much energy they waste.
(Ahsoka may have had her own style, but her grandmaster had been the pinnacle of a Soresu user. Sheâd spent years on the frontlines of a war. She knew the worth of conserving energy, and sheâd teach it to any who stepped in to challenge her.)
âWho taught you to fight like this?â He asks, when theyâve taken a handful of moments to circle each other. His steps are heavy, sure, planted. Her own are light and ready.
âSoldiers,â she says. Itâs true enough.
âNot your Master?â he asks, just as he tries to kick for her upper arm. Itâs a safe question. For anyone else, it would be a safe question.
But for Ahsoka, itâs another chink in the armor, after a maelstrom of emotion, a storm of self-loathing, a dervish of instability.
She doesnât break right away.
She spirals. She fights Quinlan, but doesnât quite see him. Her strikes get sloppy, her feet stumble. She canât make herself meet Quinlanâs eyes, not when the scrape of his heel against the metal sounds like the rasp of a breathing machine. Her shields get fuzzy, she knows, and she leaks what she feels into the air, making it sour and thick. She doesnât notice, because all she can see, all she can--all she can hear and feel and--
She drops to her knees and grabs at her head, trying to stop it.
âSokari?â
She breathes. In and out, harsh and jagged but natural in a way that the damned respirator wasnât.
Her master her teacher her brother the traitor the hound the executioner
Her face is hot. Something prickles. It might be tears.
She tries to say something, tries to say a name or a request, tries to make anything come out of her mouth that isnât the broken wail of a woman who hasnât let herself think about how she died.
She feels herself pulled into someoneâs arms, and she canât quite tell who, but theyâre bigger than she is, and feel warm and worried. They care. They donât understand, theyâre scared, but they care.
Her hands shake, clutched to her chest and she canât breathe she canât make herself take in enough air to do a Force-damned thing the empire is going to feel her her shields are down and broken and her emotions are spilling and the empire is going to find HER ANAKIN IS GOING TO FIND HER AND--
âCOMMANDER!â
Rex.
Rex is here.
Her breath is coming so fast that sheâs hiccupping more than sheâs actually inhaling. She feels small hands in gloves on either side of her face, and then her forehead presses to something warm.
Rex. A Keldabe kiss. Her brother, her partner, her other half. Heâs here. Heâs calm. If heâs calm, then things are fine.
âWhat happened?â Light voice, high voice, small and distant. Leia. Little Leia little princess Leia sheâs in danger sheâs in trouble Anakin will--
âCommander.â
No. Here and now. She needs to focus on here and now. Her throat feels cold. She breathes too fast, still. She canât stop it.
âI donât know.â Thatâs Vos. He was... they were doing something. He was here. Talking to her. âWe were sparring, and she just--â
Right, sparring.
âI donât know if I said something?â He offers, voice pitching up, unsure and worried. Is he the one holding her? Heâs the one holding her. Thatâs embarrassing.
âCommander?â Rex prompts. âCommander, can you open your eyes?â
She tries. She canât. She shakes her head.
âSoka?â he asks, voice quiet. âWhere are you?â
âF-F-Fett,â she manages. Itâs enough.
âAnd where were you?â
His voice is so soft. So worried. She held him the same way after Mandalore, after Order 66, after all his brothers, all her friends...
âSoka.â
Her mind is spinning, and suddenly all she can hear is Anakin Skywalker is dead. I destroyed him.
Her breath hitches, and she wails.
âCommander,â Rex tries again, but her head is a vortex of Then you will die and Perhaps this child and not the Jedi way.
Our long awaited meeting.
I destroyed him.
Then you will die.
She canât breathe she canât breathe she can only see that yellow eye thatâs too familiar but belongs to a stranger can only hear a voice that shouldnât exist can only mourn and break and--
âSoka?â
âMalachor,â she manages. âI--h-he--I died.â
âWhat did you say?â someone asks. A vod. Itâs the right voice, almost, rough and business-like, not accusing anyone yet, and... and... no. No. Not one of her boys. Itâs Fett.
âUm, right at the end? I asked her who taught her to fight like this,â Quinlan says, nervous. âAnd she said it was soldiers. And I joked, I asked that it wasnât her Master, and she didnât answer that. A couple minutes later, she just started...â
âOh, Soka,â Rex whispers, pulling her closer. âCommander, just breathe with me.â
âH-h-he, he just--R-Rex, he j-just--and I c-c-couldnât--â
âI know,â her captain whispers. âI know, just breathe with me.â
âHe k-k-k-killed me,â she sobs, falling out of the Keldabe and into too-small arms. âI l-loved--he was my broth-ther and--and he just--he killed me, he didnât even stop.â
âI know,â Rex whispers. âSoka, I know.â
Of course he does.
---------------------------
âIt was just bad timing,â Rex says, once theyâre in the room sheâs been sharing with her little family, curled up under a blanket and watching the floor like it has all the secrets to how she lost her world three times over.
âIs there anything we need to keep in mind?â Fett asks, gruff and uncomfortable. She wonders if heâs angry that she took his necessary confrontation and turned it into this mess.
âDonât bring up her Jedi Master,â Rex says, and pulls her in when she shivers. Her eyes squeeze shut before she can stop them, tears beading up again. âJust... donât. Itâs too soon.â
âHeâs--â
âHe Fell,â Ahsoka interrupts. âI thought he died, but he became a Sith. And fifteen years later, we ran into each other, and I refused to join him in the Dark, so he tried to kill me.â
Fett swears, low and muffled. She thinks he has a hand over his mouth.
Quin and Leia arenât there. She thinks theyâre keeping an eye on their Baby Sith prisoner. Thatâs good.
âSoka,â Rex whispers, and she buries her face in his shoulder. Sheâs too old to be this kind of mess. Sheâs thirty-two. Sheâs Fulcrum. Sheâs...
Sheâs in need of a lot of therapy.
âWe can avoid the subject unless you bring it up,â Tholme promises. âDefinitely until the Temple. Is there anything else we shouldnât talk about?â
Ahsoka can practically feel Rexâs deadpan look. âSir, weâre a trio of child soldiers ripped from everything we know. Every other sentence is a risk. Weâre just... working our way through.â
Thereâs a knock at the door. Oh. Quin and Leia.
âJust figured weâd drop this off before we went down to visit Mr. Grumpy-Face,â Quinlan whispers. He still thinks Leiaâs a child. Heâs trying to make things less terrible for her. Thatâs nice. âWe decided heâll be less angry if he tries Hoth chocolate, and made some for everyone.â
They definitely made it for Ahsoka herself, and Maul was an afterthought. Still. Itâs sweet.
âCommander?â Rex prompts, jostling her a little to try and get her to sit up.
âGimme a sec,â she manages. It takes longer than it should to push herself away from him, to accept the mug that Leia gives her, too-serious worry in the furrow of her brow and the twist of her soul.
She doesnât look six. She doesnât even look twenty-two. This girl was always too old for her skin, forced to grow up in the hostile fear of the Empire.
âThank you, Princess.â
She sips.
She can barely taste it beyond the ashes she imagines coating her tongue.
I destroyed him, her memory echoes. His slightest hesitation before he made the final move, it haunts her. She almost reached him. If only sheâd tried harder, yelled louder, been better...
She shivers.
âDo you need help falling asleep?â Tholme asks. âIâm a regular healer, not a mind healer, but...â
She probably should.
She takes another sip of her drink, willing herself to taste it. Itâs good. She likes it. She knows she does.
âCan you make it dreamless?â she whispers.
âIt doesnât always work, but I can try,â he tells her.
She nods. âWhen I finish the chocolate.â
âOf course.â
---------------------------
Everyoneâs careful around her for days. The whole decision to be nicer doesnât mean anything when sheâs walking about in a daze of too few emotions, drained of everything she could feel in favor of a grey cloud of fluff in everything she does.
She does forms. Single saber and Jarâkai. Ataru and Djem so and Soresu. Reverse grip, regular grip, partial reverse on either side.
Again. Again. Again.
She loses herself in the motions, not meditating so much as just empty.
Rex worries. Fett worries. Vos worries.
Leia and Tholme keep their shields locked up tight, and she doesnât know how they feel. She thinks Leia might be judging her. She think Tholme might be pitying.
Maul simply hates. Itâs an old and familiar sensation to walk into, and she takes unthinking comfort in his rage. Sheâs silent instead of snippy, when she plays the role of guard, and they stare at each other in silence. His eyes burn, and she wonders how much heâs heard of her nightmares.
âYou need to talk,â Rex tells her, when he finds her with a cold cup of caff, eyes fixed somewhere beyond it all. She lifts her head. âSoka.â
She just stares at him.
He sighs and pulls her into a hug. âCommander, please.â
She canât.
Ahsoka stares at the wall behind him, resting her chin on his head. Her neck itches under the lek at the back of her head, a little tingle of a feeling that she canât bring herself to do anything about. The pale light of the galley is sharp against the chipped paint of the metal that surrounds them. It hurts her eyes to look, but itâs not the deep and dark lit only by red--
Then you will die, her memory growls.
She flinches.
âBreathe,â Rex tells her, too-small hands clinging at her back. âJust breathe, âSoka.â
She curls in tighter and tries to just breathe.
---------------------------
âTell me something good.â
Ahsoka blinks. She looks at Leia. She doesnât have the energy to parse that.
Leia chances a look at Rex, who isnât leaving Ahsokaâs side any more than he has to, and Fett on the other side. Tholmeâs asleep and Quinâs on Baby Sith duty. Itâs just people who know, right now.
The little girl across the table, the child senator, the spy, purses her lips and huffs in irritation. âYou knew my biological father before he became one of the worst people in the galaxy. Both of you did. Tell me something good about him.â
Good things.
About Anakin.
âYou fought a war as a Jedi,â Leia prompts. âSurely you must have done some good things with him, or at least thought you were.â
Did they?
Every mission ended in tragedy or was just a ploy of Palpatineâs. Every saved life was just...
Wait.
âHe built Threepio,â she finally says. âYour father wi--I mean, Bail wiped Threepioâs memory after the Empire rose, for your safety, but Anakin was the one who built him.â
Leia sits up, eyes brighter. âI didnât know that. I... was Artoo involved? Did he build R2D2, or...â
âNo,â Rex says, âBut Artoo was his favorite astromech, and they always pushed each other into stupid stunts. We risked a hell of a lot to save that droid, more than once, and I didnât find out until you started working with the Rebellion full-time, but Artoo and Threepio were the witnesses for your bio-parentsâ wedding.â
Leia gapes at him. So does Ahsoka. (Fett doesnât know enough to care.)
Rex grins, and if it looks a little forced, thatâs fine. âHe had a holo recording. I was one of the few people left that knew about the marriage that might have wanted to see, so Artoo offered. It was... sweet.â
He waits, probably for Ahsoka to add something herself, but she has nothing.
âI think thatâs when they swapped droids, since Threepio was more useful to a politician and Artoo did his best work when we set him loose on the enemy.â
âHe never changed,â Leia muses. âDid he always swear that much?â
âYes,â Ahsoka answers, as Rex laughs. âAlways. All the binary I learned started with the best swears.â
She tries to think of another good memory, something else that Leia might appreciate. Her mind ticks back to saving Stinky, which is just a terrible option, because that mission started with Hutts and ended with the Battle of Teth. That massive loss of life, all for the son of the creature that had put Leia in chains.
She wonders if she has anything in her memory that doesnât end in blood and graves.
âSoka.â Rex.
âHm?â
âRemember that time Fives and Echo got lost in the undercity their first time on leave, and we had to get the General to help us find them?â
She does.
Heâs right, thatâs a good story.
âOkay, so what you have to understand,â Ahsoka says, already digging the faint details out and dusting them off, âis that these boys were ARC troopers, top-notch, terrifyingly competent once they got through specialty training, and loyal as hell. Echo had memorized the reg manuals front to back, and Fives was... well, Fives ended up being the only person to figure out the chips before they went into action. Point is, the Domino twins were good... eventually. Just like everyone else, though, they started out shiny.â
---------------------------
âTholmeâs hiding something.â
Ahsoka wonders if Leia will just leave if she ignores her enough. Probably not. This was the girl that got kicked out of boarding school for leading a sit-in at age seven. Sheâs got patience.
âHis job requires him to hide a lot of things,â Ahsoka says instead. âNot as many as Vos will have to, eventually, but a lot.â
âHeâs hiding something from us,â Leia insists, visibly frustrated that Ahsoka isnât as upset about this as she is. âSomething important.â
The way she says âimportantâ is clumsy and impacted by the missing baby tooth. She canât say the r. It comes out as âim-poh-ten,â which is adorable, and if Ahsoka comments on it, sheâs probably going to get punched by a six-year-old.
âThe Force doesnât care,â Ahsoka says. âI trust his intentions, if not him as a person.â
âIf you donât trust him, then why trust his intentions?â
âLeia, I donât know if youâve noticed, but I trust one and a half people in the galaxy,â Ahsoka points out. âMe not trusting a person isnât a sign of anything except my paranoia. The only person I trust fully and without reservation is Rex. Even you, I only mostly trust, because my brain starts screaming if I think too hard. Thatâs why youâre the half.â
âOkay, whatever, paranoia aside,â Leia barrels on, âHe should tell us. Whatever it is that heâs hiding, we deserve to know. Weâre not children that he can just hide things from for our own good.â
Ahsoka presses her lips together. âLeia. Princess. I know youâre used to holding all the cards--â
âThis isnât about me being a control freak!â
âIt is, though,â Ahsoka soothes, and smiles. âYour mother--the bio one--was the same way. You spent years as one of the leaders of the Rebellion, so obviously youâre used to having all the information, and people reporting to you... but Tholme is a Jedi Master. He reports to the Council and the Republic. Do you know how many people I kept secrets from while I was a padawan? Weâre an unknown, Leia. They have no proof that weâre on their side, especially since weâre traveling with Fett.â
Leia crosses her arms and glares as hard as she can.
âIâm not going to bother him,â Ahsoka says. âIâve already had, like, five unrelated mental breakdowns. Iâm putting this on hold until we get to the Temple and I can trust that thereâs a healer on hand to sedate me or something.â
âYou... want to be sedated?â
âLeia, this... really should be obvious, but a Force-Sensitive losing their osik the way I have been isnât actually safe. I know I broke a weapons rack last week.â Ahsoka gestures vaguely. âIf the Jedi Master isnât telling me something for reasons that might relate to my clear and obvious mental instability, Iâm going to assume heâs got a point.â
âSo he should tell me or Rex.â
âWeâll be on Coruscant in four days,â Ahsoka soothes. âJust... let it be. They wonât hurt us.â
âYou donât know that.â
Ahsoka shrugs. âI donât have to. The Force leads me in all things, including this.â
Leia isnât impressed by that, but Leia isnât impressed by much in the first place.
She strides off in a fit that is, perhaps, more influenced by her six-year-old emotional control than sheâd like to admit. Ahsoka lets her. Itâs not worth the argument.
Itâs only a few minutes later that Fett strides in, takes the seat Leia was just in, and asks, âWhat would it take for you to teach me how to use a jetiiâkad?â
She blinks at him. âYou want to learn how to use a lightsaber?â
âYes.â
â...why?â
âViszla.â
âI see.â
She does.
Ahsoka taps her fingers against the table, eyeing him with the kind of interest she copied from Master Kenobi, years ago. Fett doesnât fidget, but she thinks he might want to. He just looks back, waiting for her judgement.
âYouâll need to justify it,â she finally says. âItâs a significant difference from what you actually did, so I need to know your reasoning for doing it, and your plans for once itâs done.â
âThatâs all?â
âThatâs step one,â she corrects. She tilts her head, considering. âMy standards for you arenât built in a vacuum, and you know that. Explain to me what you plan to do and how you plan to do it, and if I approve...â
âYouâll help me achieve it.â
âMaybe,â she allows. âA lot of that depends on Rex.â
âI expected as much,â Fett says. âHe is... an admittedly large part of the reason.â
âHe would be,â she says. She gives the silence a few more seconds to sit awkwardly between them, and then stands up. âIâd guess youâve been brainstorming already. Do you have it written down or is it mostly just in your head so far?â
âIâm still... debating options, so to speak.â
She grins, and the shape of the predatorâs smile, the baring of teeth... that almost makes him step back. She can see it in the twitch of his muscles. Smart man.
âFollow me,â she says, and doesnât wait for him to stand. She strides out with tooka-light steps, hears the heavy beskar tread behind her, and goes to the cargo hold. Fettâs confusion grows tangibly behind her, especially when she tosses him a wooden quarterstaff. She picks up the other and spins it in one hand.
âYouâre going to fight me,â she tells him, stretching and letting the staff help with the process. âAnd while we fight, youâre going to tell me what your plans for Mandalore are.â
He mimics her, but thereâs a frown on his face. âAnd why staffs?â
âYou and I, weâve only sparred bare-handed,â she says. âI need a feel for how you fight with a weapon anyway. These are a good start.â
âNot the beskad?â
She grins, and the twitch is back. âNo. That can wait. We start with the staffs.â
He takes a stance, and she mirrors him. She lets him strike first with a weapon, but sheâs the one that asks all the questions.
(He is the only one on the ship that can fight her one-on-one right now, and he can win. Still, she makes him work for every inch, and what she doesnât win in bruises, she wins in words.)
(Fett might yet be a proper Mandâalor, but Ahsoka learned war from her brothers, negotiation at the knee of a general and in the shadow of a prince, and government at the side of duchesses and queens.)
(If he wants her help uniting his people, he needs to prove that he can hold them together once sheâs gone.)
---------------------------
Ahsokaâs interrogation of Jangoâs plans is thorough, and sheâs not the only one involved. She brings Leia in, and has her join in on the grilling. She maybe laughs as the twenty-seven-year-old survivor of Galidraan, the Mandâalor, a man who has killed Master Jedi with his bare hands, gets lectured on various government structures by a tiny girl that's missing several teeth and needs to sit on books to see the table properly.
Still, Leia knows this better than any of the rest of them do. The girl might have grown up heir to a monarchy, but she got a classical education and was drilled on democracy and all associated forms of government. Where Ahsoka knows military protocol and law enforcement, intersystem relations and defensive measures, Leia knows agricultural subsidies and welfare programs, infrastructure and education.
Ahsoka may know how to find out if someoneâs breaking a zoning law, but Leia knows why it exists in the first place.
âAnd I grew up in a cult,â Rex says, when an argument on that topic breaks out. Everyone that hasnât heard the joke-that-isnât-a-joke stares at him. âThe Jedi grew up in a religious meritocracy; Leia grew up in a monarchy; and I grew up in a cult.â
Ahsoka elbows him. Heâs not wrong, but still.
Unfortunately, Ahsoka is about forty-seven percent sure that Leia will put her foot in her mouth when it comes to Mandalorian culture, blunt as the girl is. That prefrontal cortex isnât anywhere near as developed as it should be, either, so impulse control for the princess isnât great. Ahsoka refuses to let Leia and Fett talk about ways to mend the breaks between tradition and the pacifism of the New Mandalorians without either Rex or Ahsoka herself as a mediating presence. Tholme sits in a few times, but while he knows that Leia isnât really six--though not about the time-travel, yet--Quinlan doesnât.
They admittedly end up doing this while heâs on Maul-sitting duty.
âItâs like he doesnât even care about making nice with the people that, at this point, make up the majority of his people!â Leia grumbles one night, as Ahsoka kicks over a step stool so the girl can brush her teeth. âHe may not like the New Mandalorians, but from what I understand, itâs still early enough to prevent the majority of the cultural bleaching you brought up. If he stays this stubborn--â
âLeia,â Ahsoka says, and the girlâs mouth snaps shut. âIâm aware of your reasons for not trusting his intentions. But if I may say? Chill.â
âHeâs not even trying!â
âHeâs trying a hell of a lot harder than he did in the original timeline,â Ahsoka reminds her. âBrush your teeth.â
âIâm not a--â
âTeeth.â
Itâs a little worrying, how the childâs brain affects Leia, but... well. Thatâll pass in time, hopefully. Until then, Ahsoka gets to be the aunt she should have been. This includes tucking Leia in, which the girl grumbles about despite the fond waves of comfort that enter the Force around her. Ahsoka doesnât call her out on it, just brushes back wisps of hair to plant a kiss on Leiaâs forehead, and then does the same once Rex stumbles in, grumbling about the limitations of a cadetâs body, but far more ready to follow the protocol that is bedtime.
Rex doesnât pretend to not like getting tucked in, for all that heâs sharing with a grumbly, already-asleep princess. He smiles up at Ahsoka, lets her hug him, and pretends they can be a normal family for five seconds.
Quinlanâs making a late night snack for himself in the galley. Tholme is guarding the Baby Sith. Fett...
Ahsoka goes to the cockpit, takes the copilotâs seat, and watches hyperspace pass them by.
It takes long minutes before either of them say anything.
âDo Jedi believe in souls?â
His shields are up, locked up tighter than the innermost chambers of the Imperial Palace. She has no idea where heâs taking this question. She has to cast about for an answer.
âThat depends on how you define a soul,â she finally says. âLeia told me about Force Ghosts. A Jedi Master who underwent the right meditations and training could pass into the Force upon their death without losing their sense of self. They could remain themselves, to an extent, and interact with force-sensitive individuals. I donât know if they could last that way indefinitely, but depending on your definition, I could argue those ghosts were evidence of a form of soul.â
âSo you believe that the dead pass into the Force, but that what passes could be a soul. Something must exist for a sense of self to disappear at death in a way that impacts the Force as you understand it, and many would use the word âsoulâ for that something.â
âMm,â Ahsoka considers it. âIâd say thatâs pretty accurate. Youâve put a lot of thought into this.â
âWhat about those not yet born?â
Her fingers feel cold, and she finds herself no longer able to watch the passage of hyperspace as passively as she had, and her eyes catch on streaks and motes of what is not dust, her vision unable to keep any more still than her heart.
âOh,â she hears herself say. âThe clones.â
Itâs a long time before he answers, but the walls come down. He carries a confused sort of grief with him, guilty and a mite resentful. His questions have been building for longer than sheâd thought. His voice is rough. âIâve taken plenty of lives, but Iâve never known the name of someone I erased from existence before they were even born.â
âThe stories we told Leia about the brothers.â
Thereâs a grunt of agreement from Fett, so those dots at least connect.
âI take it my answer wasnât helpful,â she manages to say.
âWill they still exist?â Fett asks. âWill they be born elsewhere? Or is... is a soul something that only comes into existence after the body does?â
âI have no idea,â Ahsoka admits. âI want... I want to think that Iâd be able to find them eventually, to recognize them, if their souls are still born into this world elsewhere.â
âAnd if your Sith finds someone else to build his army out of?â
Ahsoka looks at him, sharp and pointed. âYou wouldnât.â
âTheyâll be doing it anyway, if their plans are as ironclad as you say.â
âYouâre already associating with Jedi,â Ahsoka says, fighting the urge to break his nose. âThey wouldnât approach you, not now. They canât leverage your anger against you. They wonât know everything, but theyâll know that you have friends among the Jedi.â
âYou think they canât come up with better lies?â
He has a point. He has more than one point and she hate hate hates it.
A Jedi does not hate.
I am no Jedi.
âYouâre going to have to convince me,â she says. âEspecially if you want to somehow balance this with the darksaber thing. I wonât teach you how to fight with it if youâre not planning to retake Mandalore.â
âThatâs how theyâd sell it,â he says. âRetaking Mandalore. An army ostensibly for the Jedi, and ultimately...â
âYouâd build an army of slaves.â
âNo, Iâd be the inside man for when they build that army anyway.â
She holds his gaze. She looks away first.
âTorrent?â
âIâm thinking.â
He lets her.
âIâll need to talk to Rex. Probably Leia.â
âUnderstandable.â
âI donât like this.â
âIâm only just considering it. Itâs an idea, not a plan.â
âThatâs the only reason I havenât ripped your throat out with my teeth.â
âHyperbole doesnât suit you.â
She glares at him, and leaves, her mind chopping up and laying out every possible angle on Fett volunteering to do the exact same thing as last time, but somehow worse.
Great. Just what she needed.
---------------------------
Ahsoka isnât there for the shouting match between Rex and Fett, but she doesnât have to be. She can hear it form clear across the ship, and Rex comes to her afterwars. Heâs been crying, which isnât as surprising as it could be. These bodies are still prone to such things, and will be for years. She doesnât comment.
âDo you want to talk about it?â she asks.
âWe need to take out Sidious before he starts anything on Kamino.â
âAgreed,â she says. âItâll be hard, though.â
âI donât care.â
âWhat did Fett say?â
âThat if it wasnât going to be my brothers, it would be someone elseâs. Either we stopped the cloning from happening at all, or we mitigated damage by being there.â
âI donât think Sidious is going to tap him for it,â Ahsoka admits. âNot unless youâre willing to stage that kind of fight publicly enough for Fett to claim the Jedi poisoned you, family, against him. It could work, but itâs a gamble.â
He knows all of this.
âI miss them,â he says, and she cards her fingers though the curls heâs managed to grow in the past weeks. âI just... even at the end, I had Wolffe. I knew Boba was out there; I wouldnât be surprised if the beskar let him survive a Sarlacc. I had brothers. Not as many as I used to, but there was always someone. I miss them all, so much it hurts.â
âIt wouldnât be them,â she reminds him. She pulls him closer, puts her cheek to his head. âIt would be the same process, the same faces, the same training, even, but the boys themselves...â
He clings to her and shudders.
âRex?â
âI canât force them to grow up the way I did. I want them back. Sidious is going to make the army no matter what. Someoneâs going to suffer, and I donât want it to be my brothers, but they wonât exist otherwise, and...â
âAnd itâs an impossible choice,â she summarizes. âAnd it sucks.â
âItâs sucks Gungan balls, âSoka.â
She laughs, and feels him smile against her shoulder. Good. He needs to smile more.
âHeâs still trying to get me to like him,â Rex says. "Heâs still making an effort, and he never did that for anyone except Boba, and itâs weird. I donât know what to do with any of that.â
âGain a brother,â Ahsoka whispers, and she feels him jerk against her. âIf thatâs what you want.â
âHeâs not vod.â
âSame blood as all the rest, and youâre older than him, so heâs not really in a position to be a parent to you like he was to Boba,â she says carefully. âYou donât have to do anything, if you donât want to, but... I think heâs trying. I think this means a lot to him, and that he isnât any more sure of what to do than you are. You donât have to forgive him for what he did in the future, you donât have to accept when he reaches out, you donât have to ever talk to him again after we reach Coruscant if you donât want, but I think... I think itâs worth at least considering what you have to gain. I think itâs worth looking at what heâs trying to give you.â
Rex huffs. âWhy couldnât he just be the shabuir I knew in training?â
âSomething happened between now and then?â she offers. âI donât know. I never met him in the original timeline. I just know the guy that keeps trying to get on my good side so youâll like him.â
He outright scoffs. âSoka, thatâs not the only reason heâs trying to get on your good side.â
â...Iâm a former Jedi who talks trash to his face,â she says slowly. âAnd I cried on him. There is no reason for him to be nice to me, other than you.â
âHe thinks youâre cool and a good person and wants you to be his friend.â
âBantha poodoo.â
Rex grins in a way that goes straight to smirking. âSoka, Iâm not joking. Jango Fett wants you to be his friend.â
âKriffing why?â she asks, more than a little horrified. âIâm a mess, look like Iâm ten years younger than him, have gleefully kicked his ass in front of an audience; I even told Vos to throw him at a baby Sith Lord. Putting up with me is one thing, but Iâm... Iâm only barely not a Jedi. Iâm a historical enemy of Mandalore, and part of the community he hates more than anything, and--â
âAnd his reaction to you kicking his ass was pure Mando,â Rex says. âIn that he now thinks youâre a badass, and thus worth being friends with.â
âI canât believe that. I physically cannot.â
âSoka, just accept it. The Mandâalor wants to be friends with you.â He scratches at his scalp. âI mean, he met you while you were protecting what appeared to be children, and itâs apparently still early enough for him to care about that.â
She leans back in her seat, eyes on the wall ahead of her and back against the cool metal of the other side. Rex falls back with her. She wonders if Rex changed the subject so they didnât have to talk about deciding how many of his brothers get to exist, and whether or not he can swallow the bitterness of his history to have a connection with at least one member of his blood. She doesnât ask. If he wants to change the subject, thatâs his right.
âI donât... no.â She denies it as well as she can, and then the implications dig a little deeper. âIs this me accidentally signing up to be the Jedi Orderâs official liaison to the Mandâalor?â
âI mean, this point in time... theyâve got Kenobi for the Duchess, yeah?â Rex shrugs. âGood relations with the system are probably a good thing, and youâve got a stronger connection than Tholme and Vos.â
âUgh,â she says. She rubs a hand against her head, and then lurches to her feet. âFine! Fine. If itâll get him to retake Mandalore before the Sith decide to bribe him with an army he doesnât get to keep, Iâll teach him how to fight for the kriffinâ Darksaber.â
âThatâs what makes the decision for you?â
âWell something had to!â
They only get one lesson in before Coruscant, but the lesson lasts a full day, and Ahsokaâs got his comm number. Fettâs a quick learner anyway, and Tholme was there to give pointers where Ahsoka couldnât.
He wonât measure up to a Jedi in saber-to-saber combat, but he doesnât need to. He just needs to learn enough to turn all those skills with a beskad to something that works with a jetiiâkad.
(The balance of a saber is wrong to those used to a physical weapon. The inertia doesnât work the way anyone expects. Thereâs no need to worry about damaging the blade.)
(Fett is good. Ahsoka is better. And, bless his heart, he knows it.)
(She will mold him into the shape of someone who not only can, but should rule a system with a history like that, and he damn well knows that too.)
---------------------------
âDropping out of hyperspace in T-minus twenty seconds.â
The Slave I is not, in fact, a Venator-class starship, or anything else near the size and smoothness of the ships that Ahsoka grew up on. This is a bounty hunterâs vessel, and the drop to real space jolts like nothing else. Ahsokaâs in the copilot seat for the return, but Tholmeâs going to swap with her as soon as theyâve got confirmation that there were no problems with exiting hyperspace, and nobodyâs shooting at them.
âWeâre not going to get shot at,â Tholme had assured her.
âI always get shot at,â sheâd told him.
âI have our clearance,â he reminded her, seeming more amused than frustrated. âThereâs no need to worry about getting shot at.â
âI also always get shot at,â Jango had thrown in.
âOkay,â Tholme had allowed, after several minutes of his trust in the Temple warring against Ahsoka and Jangoâs learned paranoia. The looks Quinlan had darted around the room when Leia and Rex also claimed âchronic getting-shot-at diseaseâ had been a treat. The paranoia of a Watchman and a future Shadow was great, but the paranoia of three revolutionaries and a galaxy-wide criminal was greater. âYou can take us in close enough to get in radio contact, but the second we have to ask for clearance and a vector, Iâm in the seat.â
Sheâd agreed, of course. She was paranoid, not inexperienced.
âWeâre much less likely to get shot down by ground control if you tell them weâre with you,â sheâd said, to his hilariously apparent metaphysical exhaustion. âObviously.â
âGood enough,â heâd sighed.
What that means is mostly just that Ahsoka gets to watch the distant star at the center of Coruscantâs system grow rapidly brighter. She can pick out the constellations sheâd grown up with, the stars the creche had projected on the ceiling every night, the ones that she may not have seen from the surface, but had greeted her and then sent her on her way every time she left on yet another campaign that lost her men their lives for a Sith Lord's wretched plans. These were the shapes and stories sheâd never seen again as Fulcrum, a woman so hunted that to come within a dozen subsectors of the planet was to court her death.
For sixteen years, she hadnât ventured closer than Alderaan, save for a single trip to Chandrila.
And now, maybe twenty minutes away at this speed, was the Temple. It was home.
A home that didnât know her, that had sentenced her to death, that had hosted the rampage of her former master... but home nonetheless.
âStable?â Fett grunts.
âThrusters are good,â she confirms.
âI meant you.â
Ah. âIâm... fine. As good as I could be, anyway.â
She hesitates, but manages to speak before he does. âYou?â
âIâm not the one walking into an entire building of triggers.â
âOnly because youâre not entering it,â she says. âItâs the home of your ancestral enemies who, bad info or no, killed off a whole lot of your friends.â
âI get to leave,â he says. âYou donât.â
She plans to needle him a bit more, maybe on something a little less based in both their traumas. She needs to talk, if only to fill up the silence and keep herself from reaching out to all the lights in the Force. Itâll be too much, she knows.
Tholme enters the cockpit. âChange of plans.â
âBetter be a good reason,â Jango says, voice flat.
âLeiaâs crying.â
Ahsokaâs unbuckling herself before she can process the words fully. âWhat?â
Leia doesnât cry for no reason. Her emotional control is as difficult as the body makes it, but she doesnât just cry. Thereâs always a cause.
âI donât know. Rex said to get you,â Tholme explains. âShe was saying a name. He seemed to recognize it.â
Not good not good not good. If Leia was feeling the Emper--No. She cuts the thought off there. No catastrophizing. Information first.
âWhat name.â
âLuke. Mean anything to--and sheâs gone.â
Ahsoka ignores him, just sprints to where she knows the âyoung onesâ are. Theyâre all in Maulâs room, because nobody wants to be alone with him now, but itâs the worst time to leave him without supervision. Itâs not the worst option; he mostly refuses to talk, still.
This holds true, because he definitely isnât talking when she bursts in. Heâs sitting on the bench, in a corner, hugging his knees and watching Quinlan try to calm Leia down.
âCaptain, sitrep.â
âVos and Tholme attempted to show Leia how to reach out to feel the Temple from a distance. They felt that it would be a good use of the time, and an interesting exercise at this distance. She attempted to do so, struggled for several minutes, and then reacted with shock. She has repeated the name âLukeâ several times since then, and weâve been unable to fully calm her down. I asked Tholme to get you, as you are the only Force-Sensitive on board that understands the situation in full.â
âUnderstood.â She nods to him, and then goes to nudge at Quinlan. âVos, move.â
âTorre--â
âYou can sit behind her, hold her in your lap like you did when we had lunch the other day, but I need to get in her face.â She waits for him to comply, and then drops to her knees and takes Leiaâs hands in her own. She radiates calm and assurance, even though she knows Quinlanâs probably been doing the same since this started. She dips her head enough to get in the girlâs line of sight, waits for her to meet eyes.
âPrincess,â she says, and meets Leiaâs eyes. âWhat did you feel?â
âLuke.â
From this distance... theyâve got half the system to go, at least, and Leiaâs training shouldnât reach that far for anything more than the fact that the Temple is there. Ahsoka could feel unshielded individuals from here, if she focused, but sheâs also been doing this much, much longer. The twins theory holds more water than ever.
âCan you show me?â Ahsoka asks, instead of asking for more clarification. She squeezes Leiaâs hands and smiles. âIn the Force?â
Leia nods, and closes her eyes. Itâs not the first time theyâve done this, but itâs the first time in a while that Leiaâs needed Ahsoka to guide her through.
Lukeâs light, for all that itâs unfamiliar to Ahsoka, is brilliant among the rest of the signatures in Coruscant. Like Anakin and Leia, heâs a star in his own right, but heâs brighter. He doesnât have Anakinâs bitterness or Leiaâs righteous anger, just... light. Ahsoka had asked Leia to show her instead of looking for herself because sheâd expected to not recognize the boy, but she neednât have. Heâs unmistakable.
Heâs so bright that she almost misses the other signature that she does recognize. She shies away, knowing that it would be there, but... but itâs almost twinned with another nearby. Not identical, but different in a way that comes with age, with trauma, with... death.
Leia hadnât arrived alone, after all.
Why would Luke?
Her eyes snap open, her hand coming up not-quite-fast enough to clap over her mouth as she gasps. She feels a shudder, one that starts in her shoulders and reaches deep into her ribcage, finds a home in her chest and doesnât stop.
âOh fuck,â Quinlan whispers. âTorrent? Um, Sokari?â
Rex steps closer. âCommander?â
âThat shabuir faked his death again,â she manages. âThree times, Rex!â
He blinks at her. â...I know way too many people who fit that description, Soka.â
âMaster Ke--â she cuts herself off. He might have changed his name, just like she had. Thereâs already an Obi-Wan here. Rex seems to be figuring it out, but she needs to give him another hint.
âHe pulled a Hardeen,â she stresses, and Rexâs eyes snap shut with a tired groan.
âWho?â Leia asks, her own tumult of emotion paused in the wake of Ahsokaâs shock. Thereâs a hope and relief to her, and Ahsoka belatedly realizes that her main worry had been that sheâd misidentified what was going on, that sheâd given herself a false hope. Ahsokaâs internal reaction, her approval and awe at Lukeâs presence, had trickled over enough to give Leia the reassurance sheâd needed.
Unintentional as it was, Ahsoka was glad that sheâd succeeded in helping her charge.
âEr...â she trails off. âI donât know what name heâs going by, right now. Weâve spent so long in hiding...â
âThe man Luke knew as Crazy Old Ben,â Rex says, and Leiaâs eyes light up.
âOh,â she breathes. âGeneral O--no, names. The High General, then.â
âYeah,â Ahsoka says, not a little soft. âYeah, I guess death didnât stop him any more than it stopped me.â
âI could have told you that,â Leia says, smiling far too widely. She squirms where she still sits on Quinlanâs lap. âHe was... he taught you, right?â
âAs much my master as the official one,â Ahsoka says. She glances as Quinlan, feels Maulâs gaze on the back of her head. âYour f... my official master was very young when I was assigned to him. He wasnât ready to teach, wasnât even ready to be a knight, entirely, so my training was split between him and his master.â
Quinlan pops in at that moment, âYour grandmaster was military, too?â
We all were, she thinks. Even you, in your own way.
âI landed in their care mid-battle,â she says carefully. âIt was a complicated situation.â
He nods, and she vaguely notes that heâs got his arms wrapped around Leia, and his chin tucked on top of her head. She isnât sure if Leiaâs noticed, but Quinlanâs picked up âbabyâ-sitting duty so often recently that sheâs fairly certain heâs all but declared her âlittle-sister shaped.â It doesnât matter that Leiaâs older--sheâs still taking the juice boxes and gummy snacks that Quinlan shoves at her every single snacktime.
âDo you think...â Rex trails off, something uncomfortable twisting in the Force, even though his face keeps it mostly hidden. âMy brothers. If the General survived and... and made it back...â
âI didnât feel any,â Ahsoka says, because she knows sheâd have noticed if it was anyone sheâd met, and likely any clone at all. They all felt different in the Force, but they all held a spark that made her know it was one of them. âIâm sorry, Rexâika.â
âA long shot,â he says, that dash of hope shriveling up. He must see something in her face, because thereâs a curl of warmth in him, even if his smile is brittle. âItâs fine, really. I have you, âSoka.â
Rex and Ahsoka. Two halves of one whole.
She canât wait to hear the lectures on attachment, the way people who havenât seen her wars try to criticize her for clinging to any chance at still having a will to live. She canât wait to see them justify telling her that itâs selfish to hold her sanity in her hands and refuse to let the grief take it away. She canât wait to stare someone down for asking her to âlearn to let goâ after sheâs lost her family, her life, her universe three times over.
Most of the Jedi are more sensible than that, are reasonable enough to see those shades of grey and how to approach rules in the spirit they are meant instead of the rigid letter, but there will be some.
There will be more than enough telling her she is wrong to hold her oldest, closest, best friend as dear as she can.
Attachment, theyâll say.
What theyâll mean is âcodepedence.â
They wonât be entirely wrong.
She reaches out for him, lets him fall into her side and stay there, closes her eyes and reaches out for the man sheâd long called father, when theyâd still been in each otherâs lives.
This time, past the deafening flare of surprise-love-hope of the little star next to him, she can feel him reach back.
---------------------------
The second the ship has landed, even before Tholme and Fett are done with the checks, Ahsokaâs waiting at the exit. She strains her hearing so sheâll know the second the system will let her open the massive door of the cargo hold.
Leia clings to her side, and the boys stand to her back.
Quinlanâs stressed enough that she can feel it like a cloud. She is very much not trying to feel that stress. Quinlanâs stress levels, back where heâs got Maul so he can keep an eye on Ahsoka and the Baby Sith at the same time, are so low on her priorities list that itâs a a little sad.
It doesnât take long for her to be able to punch the button and open the damn door.
It opens slowly. She bounces on her toes, because thereâs a beacon of light and a steady, familiar glow on the other side, and sheâs so, so close. She canât see through the crack yet, because itâs day in this part of Coruscant, and the sunlight is blinding against the dark of the hold. So close. Sheâs so close.
âThe hellâs wrong with you?â
Fett? Fett. Heâs already here to get off? This doorâs slow.
She doesnât answer him, because the door is finally open enough to let her out, and she leaps through the gap.
She lands on a pourstone floor, feels pebbles and grit compress under her boots, frantically looks around as her eyes adjust to light and--
The High General, the Negotiator, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, looking just as he did when she first met him, if a little less armored and a little more fed. The hair, the beard, the crinkle in the corner of his eyes. His spirit is a little older, his smile a little more strained, his posture a little more tired, but itâs him.
He spreads his arms, low enough that she could have dismissed it if sheâd cared less for hugs, except sheâs almost as small as she was when they met.
And every other hug sheâd given back then had been, functionally, her being a living missile aiming her montrals for someoneâs organs.
Sheâs a little more aware of how to avoid stabbing her friends in the intestine now.
âMaster!â
She sprints for him, collides and sobs, feels him stumble back and then sink to his knees on the too-hard floor, and can feel the tears pouring out of her already. Her breath hitches, and she wails like a child, and that last part of her that couldnât even grasp at safety shreds itself. His arms are tight around her, warm and strong and Master Kenobi donât you dare leave again.
It doesnât matter that Sidious is out there, that the Republicâs been building towards war for a century, that even now someoneâs kicking up the Trade Federation. Her dad is here.
âIâve missed you too, my dear,â he says, pressing a kiss to the side of her head, the bristles of his beard scratching along the skin of her forehead. Off to the side, the binary suns that are Luke and Leia grow brighter in proximity, so bright she can barely bear it.
(âFett, why the kriff are you reaching for your blaster?!â)
(âTorrent said her master tried to kill her.â)
(âDifferent guy, that was a different guy, put the blaster away.â)
(âYou could have just warned me.â)
(âI didnât expect you to go for a shot on sight!â)
(âCalm down, Jetiika, if I was going to shoot on sight, weâd already be in a firefight.â)
She ignores everything.
âIf you fake your death one more time, I swear Iâm going to kill you myself.â
He tries to pull away to talk to her more directly. She does not let him. He apparently resigns himself to this, because he just adjusts how heâs sitting and pulls her in closer.
âIn my defense, I was far from the only one presumed dead that took advantage of that status, by the end,â he says, letting her slump into his lap and cry herself dry. âIâm proud of you. You know that, I hope.â
She nods against his chest, smearing tears and snot across the linen and wool. She doesnât care that theyâll need a thorough washing. She can have her public breakdown and itâs fine because Master Kenobi is here.
He doesnât even know what sheâs spent the past fifteen years doing. Luke wouldnât have known. He doesnât know sheâs thirty-two and broken, beyond a shadow and cut down by her own master. Thereâs so much he doesnât know but the Force rings with the truth of it: heâs proud of her anyway.
âIâm going by Ben, now,â he mutters against her montral. âThereâs already an Obi-Wan here, after all. Still, I remain a Kenobi.â
She canât make the words come out of her mouth. Sheâs overwhelmed, so much so that speech is a mite bit beyond her.
Sokari Torrent, she presses along the frayed bond thatâs knitting itself back to life with every breath they take. Leia was already calling me Auntie Soka, and Rex and I both took Torrent, for...
âFor the men you lost,â he mutters. âYes, thatâs fitting.â
He smells like sapir tea and a spiced beard oil.
Thereâs a whirl of activity about her, greetings and âa Sith apprentice?â and introductions. She distantly notes when Fett almost shoots Dooku before Rex shuts that down and advises the Master to leave the area before things spiral out of control. She feels Ben stand, and she stands with him, clings to his side like a child and trusts that whatever happens, whatever needs to happen, heâll take care of it until she can stand on her own two feet without swaying.
Rex grabs her free hand, and she feels herself settle back into her skin, bit by bit.
Sheâs back at the Temple. The twins are safe. Her grandmaster is here. She has her other half.
They can save the galaxy this time.
Sheâs alive sheâs home sheâs okay.
Sheâs okay.
Everythingâs going to be okay.
#Ahsoka Tano#Captain Rex#Leia Organa#Jango Fett#rex and ahsoka#Quinlan Vos#Tholme#Depa Billaba#Obi Wan Kenobi#Ben Kenobi#Maul#Darth Maul#time travel#de aging#ptsd#trauma#child soldiers#Phoenix Files#Uncle Ben and Little Luke#Auntie Soka and Little Leia#disaster lineage
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How to Exploit Kindness [A New Kind of Lila Salt Prompt]
[ Ive seen Lila and Class salt that goes a lot of different ways. In some Lilas a sad lonely girl who will do anything for friends and the class fall for her lies through a mixture of manipulation and Lilaâs genuine sad lonely but real persona. In others Lila is insane and the class get basically sucked into her cult. And in others still, Lila slowly breaks the class down by preying on there insecurities, hidden jealousies ect. There are the versions where Lila just bribes the class with connections and the versions where Lila frames Marinette until no one believes her. But I wanted to write a new idea for people to use, one that I feel is a bit more realistic. One where Marinetteâs classmates are more their more authentic kind selves but still get slowly pulled into Lilaâs web and where Lila is just a bit more intelligent. ]
[ As usual with all my prompts feel free to borrow the idea to write for your own thing salt, sugar, cuteness angst ect just be sure to credit me for the idea so I can read it. ]
Lila was furious! This wasnât how it was supposed to go! She was supposed to be everyone's friend! She was supposed to finally get a cute perfect boyfriend who would cherish her like she deserved! She was supposed to be HAPPY! But no, the pathetic beetle Ladybug and that goody two shoes Marinette kept ruining everything!
No⌠No that wasnât quite true. As much as she wanted to blame her problems on those two it wasnât entirely their faults. Honestly Lila wasnât quite sure what had happened. Her lies had been working at first, they had gotten her praise and compliments and adoration and friendship! But now? Now they were all ignoring her, unimpressed by her celeb lies! She could not understand it! At first sheâd been sure it was Marinette or Ladybug maybe even Adrien had turned on her! But when sheâd probed for information sheâd learned that none of them had blown the whistle. So what was it! Tomorrow⌠Tomorrow she will find out one way or another. She needed to get them back under her thumb somehow.
 It was Chloe who gave Lila her answers. Chloe was the reason none of her classmates cared about her stories! Chloe was the idiot mayor's brat. And what a brat she was constantly wiggling her way into her mothers fashion shoots or had celebrities over at the hotel. Of course Lilaâs classmates didnât care about Lilaâs celebrity connections because Chloe was always name dropping just as many people as herself. The only difference was Lila used fake modesty and shyness that made her âfriendsâ view her lies in less of a gloating light than Chloeâs haughty claims of celebrity meetings.
It was a damn shame, celebrity lies were her bread and butter, they were exciting got people to think you were important and they were hard to prove or disprove allowing Lila to easily get around the messy little detail of âproofâ if someone asked for pictures all she could say was that her mom didn't let her take any because she didn't want her precious daughter being targeted by crazy fans. And if someone asked her to use her celebrity connections? Well she could just turn on the water works and cry about them just being her friend for her connections. Thus her prey would be forced to be her âfriendâ , always listening to her and doing things for her, unable to ask for anything in return. Then when her mother announced their next move Lila would tearfully say goodbye and leave all her suckers behind. But without the sway of her celebrity lies her system broke down. That was the problem with picking the school full of rich talented idiots she supposed.
Well with Chloe ruining her system sheâd need a new one. Scrolling through her classmates' social media for a clue she sneered at their overly cheerful and cutesy posts. Always encouraging one another and posting encouraging puff pieces about this or that. Always acting like they were so nice. As Lila scrolled over a charity fundraiser event that Alya had retweeted from Milene a sudden thought crossed her mind. Her classmates were very âniceâ and annoyingly so. They were always butting into each other's business, always being SO concerned, always organizing events to help each other and appreciate each other and going to charity events.
In fact now that she thought about it the stories that had intrigued her âfriendsâ always had some sort of charity garbage attached. Saving Jaggedâs kitten or raising money for some cause or other that always got her heaps of praise. Sure saying Clara whatshername stole her dance moves got attention but not in the same way saying she raised money for some green project. Was it really that simple? Sure her classmates all loved Marinette for her extreme generosity and kindness but was it REALLY that simple? She needed to check.
 It was actually that easy. One simple little lie about how she pulled a blind old man out of danger when he was nearly run over and suddenly the class was bathing her in praise. And the âfactâ that the whole very real thing made her miss first period and sprain her ankle? Well that was just the cherry on top. Suddenly Max was offering her a copy of his notes and everyone was back to caring for her like she was a princess. The fact that Marinette looked like she was seething only for sweet naive Adrien to keep her mouth shut was just so perfect. Sheâd found her golden ticket. Her classmates were truly âgood kind peopleâ and nothing could be exploited quite like kindness.
With this knowledge Lila would easily be able to destroy Marinette, sure she wouldnât be able to do it quickly but slowly she would replace her, with every good deed she made up with every act of false modesty she would build a reputation greater than Marinetteâs she would replace her and become there new âeveryday ladybugâ and the best part was she wouldnât have to say ANYTHING against Marinette. Not. A. Thing. No sweet righteous Marinette would eventually snap, sadly for her it would probably be too late with how much control Adrien had over her, so when it happened Marinette would look like the jealous crazy girl going after the girl that was kinder, sweeter, and better than herself. As for Adrien⌠Well she had a hard time believing it at first but he really was an idiot with a pretty face as long as she was careful as she built her new reputation he would genuinely believe that she was changing for the better and then he'd fall for her.
The best part was, her classmates were genuine. As she built her new good girl heart of gold persona they would genuinely come to love her, all the loyalty Marinette got to enjoy all the perks of being friends with such talented, kind, sweet people would become hers. Slowly no matter how Marinette struggled she would lose, eventually sheâd have nothing left. Of course sheâd need to be careful with her lies but that was easy. Bring the class to a charity here and there and tell them that she was the one who gave the idea for the charity to the actual organizer but didn't want any credit because she was just that kind and humble. If they tried to make her do actual work then sheâd have a sudden accident that would require she sit down.
And then once sheâd done more photoshoots with Adrien for Gabriel sheâd âconvinceâ the man that a charity would make him look good and boost sales. Sheâd MAKE her lies true all while winning over her future father in law, and heck maybe sheâd even pocket a little of the money, she could use a better wardrobe and the extra would be perfect to buy her âfriendsâ the occasional ice cream or presents. In between that sheâd just lie about saving people or volunteering on weekends. Maybe even let it âslipâ how she was a temp hero for Ladybug . One of the sweetest parts was that between volunteering with Lila, there own activities and hanging out with Lila so she could âthank them for their hard workâ no one would be spending a second hanging out with sweet pink little Marinette, they'd abandon her without even realizing it because theyâd be SO busy. Sadly this plan of hers would take a little more work then her others, but it would be worth it to become the queen bee of the class- NO the school! And when Marinette eventually slipped up and looked like the biggest jealous bully in the school. Well sheâd have no choice but to leave the school with her tail in between her legs.
Victory was looking sweet and satisfying.
 [ And where it goes from here is up to you. Lila can win, she can slowly convince the class and school that she's a model citizen and an everyday hero. She can sneakily maneuver the class to not spend time with Marinette slowly separating the girl from her friends. In this way Alya and the rest of them don't become evil salty versions of themselves who overnight hate Marinette and love Lila, but rather they are good naive people who got slowly separated and tricked by someone who wants to use their genuine talents and skills to make herself look better. Adrien who is already shown to be naive and wants to believe the best in people, can fall into Lilaâs trap and become genuinely convinced that his high road method really worked and âreformedâ Lila into a better person. OR Lila can fail, she can claim to be the wrong temporary hero for ladybug, or she can pick the wrong charity to lie about, or get exposed any number of ways and the class can realize with horror that because they are kind but flawed people who are perhaps too trusting and gullible that they got pulled away from Marinette through subtle manipulation and so they can be redeemed because instead of turning into outright bullies they stayed the same kind people they always were but just got genuinely tricked which is something that can actually happen in real life. You can go heavy salt where Marinette does eventually leave the school or class heartbroken that her kind friends have fallen prey to a bad person Marinette cant find a way to expose. Or you can go clever salt where Marinette figures out Lilaâs plan and fights her from the inside slowly exposing the cracks in her facade. Or you can go sugar and redemption where maybe just maybe Lila actually LIKES being nice to people and having real friends who dont care about her fake celeb connections, maybe she honestly redeems herself and even makes amends with Marinette. You can do genuinely anything with this idea and I hope to see this generate some new less *and suddenly everyone is evil* content for those that like salt and angst. ]
#my writing#ml salt#lila salt#lila salt prompt#now technically there isnt any actual class salt or adrien salt in here because its more of a prompt but to be safe il tag it anyway#adrien salt#class salt#ml salt prompt
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i was thinking...do ruby and blake have any songs besides red like roses pt 2 and from shadows? bc weiss has 5 whole songs (mirror mirror, mirror mirror pt 2, its my turn, this life is mine & path to isolation) and yang has i burn, armed and ready & ignite. i literally cant think of another ruby song, and now that i think about it touch the sky is maybe a blake song, but still, she doesnt have any more before vol 7. and from shadows is more of a blake+adam/faunus song anyway
Ruby has Red Like Roses II, Indomitable, Until The End.
Blake has From Shadows, Wings, Like Morning Follows Night, This Time, Nevermore, Touch The Sky(?)
Red Like Roses I is literally just a RWBY song and offers nothing about Ruby as a character, so it can't really be counted as a Ruby-specific song the way Mirror Mirror, From Shadows, and I Burn counts towards the other RWBY girls.
Red Like Roses II is meant to be about Ruby and Summer, but the problem is a common one in RWBY. The song and the show don't match up. RLR2 tells us that Ruby is actually really scarred by Summer disappearing and almost resents her mother for leaving her, especially since she feels like she's thrown into a war that Summer put her in.
But the show shows none of that. Until V7, Ruby only talks about Summer Rose in passing, and none of what we see even hints that Ruby is either traumatised or resentful that Summer died because she chose a mission over staying with her family. You know who that song fits far better?
Yang. Yang has been shown all throughout that she loves Summer but struggles with the abandonment she feels after Summer disappeared. The V5 talk between her and Weiss, for all that I deride for being weird around Yang's relationships with Tai, Summer and Raven, at least showed that Yang inherently sees any form of people leaving as abandonment.
Summer might not have chosen to leave Yang behind, and she most definitely didn't choose to leave her daughter willingly, but that doesn't matter to Yang because emotionally? It hurts all the same.
That fits the tone of resentment and loneliness that's said in Ruby's lines of RLR2. If it wasn't for the obvious rose connections to Ruby, I would've assumed this was a Yang song towards Summer.
Indomitable is really just a Monty song. That's it, it's like Cold but done worse because at least Cold played into the actual show and was meant to be another send off to Monty right after his death. Indomitable didn't do that same way Ruby's forced callout to his famous quote didn't do it in V5.
Until The End was an alright song for Ruby, but after playing in the Volume where she endangered everyone because she refuses to accept losses, it highlights her worst trait; that she refuses to retreat when it's best to do so. To Ruby, it's all or nothing, and the writers had to bend over backwards to make sure their perfect protagonist didn't get everyone killed by making the main villain incompetent and lazy, and outright cheating with their inworld magic.
For Blake, most of her songs are straight up duets.
From Shadows is for her and Adam, and I like that it does delve into how something like the White Fang could be a thing. It made Remnant seem like an unfair place to the Faunus, where both Adam and Blake struggled and were lured into a more violent path because they weren't being treated as equals.
Until the show actively ruined them by making one an obnoxious princess and the other an edgy incel.
Wings is pretty much a Monochrome song, but it's more Weiss singing with Blake as the subject, rather than being an equal in the song and opening up to Weiss. It pretty much foreshadows the unfortunate fate where Blake pretty much is just a prop to show off Weiss' development from being a racist lil' gremlin to the perfect white knight.
I'm not counting Not Falling in Love with You or Bumblb because those are noncanon love songs that are Sun/Yang again singing to Blake, who doesn't have a say in how she feels.
Like Morning Follows Night is another duet, this time with Sun, and I actually liked it. I don't like that Blake assumes Sun doesn't know how she feels because he's not acting like a mopey cunt about it, but I do like that Blake is trying to say that she's terrified of people getting hurt because of her, harbors guilt over all her past mistakes, and Sun simply tells her that she can keep running, but she has to let go of the past and look to the future, while simply being there for her.
He doesn't force her to get over her trauma. He doesn't tell her she's being dumb or overemotional, because he knows how traumatic the FoB was and seeing someone you care about being hurt. He's simply being there for a friend while she sorts herself out. Get yourself a friend like Sun.
This Time is another duet between Blake and Ghira, as confirmed by Jeff. I hate it.
Nevermore is another duet (I'm sensing a theme) where Blake and Yang are singing to Adam. I actually like the sound, it's triumphant and catchy, but I hate the lyrics. I hate that Yang thinks it's her place to tell Adam what he's fighting for and even make a comment about hiding his eyes, when he's doing that to hide his brand you racist bitch.
And Blake's just Blake. Whinging about equality from her McMansion and putting more emphasis on how Adam was abusive towards her, because that's what ended up mattering more to Blake's story and character. The personal abuse she suffered rather than her fight for the equality of her people.
The only song that is actually Blake on her own is Touch The Sky, and I'm gonna be honest. I didn't even know if this was meant to be a Blake song, a Weiss song, or even a Qrow song, and I wasn't the only one.
It sounds so generic with the rest of the V7 soundtrack. The only thing that suggests its specifically a Blake song is the piano common to her songs, and the fact it brings up wings which is specifically a thing for Weiss and Blake.
Until the V8 soundtrack comes out, these are all the important songs that were specifically for Ruby and Blake. As you can see, not very good for our main protagonist, and Blake's just gets worse and worse the longer the show goes on; much like Blake herself.
#rwby#rwde#ruby rose#blake belladonna#yang xiao long#sun wukong#adam taurus#summer rose#answered#luke.txt
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some of the best fantasy au fics for bnha that i've read
i decided to make a fic rec list of one of my favourite aus/fusions. mostly midoriya-centric, there are some crossovers (with hp), and a lot of different ways in which the authors have taken them - so it could be Quirks, ghosts, outright fantasy aus, spirits, witches etc etc. there isn't a specific order and there aren't a tonne (these are the ones i could find buried in my bookmarks lol), but the ones on the list are all really well written i love them.
i've tried adding relevant information, the summary (shortened if it's pretty long) and just. adding some random tags that may be important. not all of them though. obviously this is not a complete list and there will most definitely be more fics out there, if there are some really good fics that you know that aren't on this list, feel free to tell me, i'd love to read them!!!
i hope someone enjoys these!
Faith Becomes You by SugaSuga
oneshot | gen dfo, quirkless midoriya summary 'There's a tiny shrine in Musutafu that's overgrown with kudzu vines between Izuku's apartment and his middle-school. There may very well still be a god inside it. There may be nothing but the myth of a man from when Quirks were first emerging. Izuku hides in its walls for a while and ends up tending to the forgotten shrine. All good deeds have their impact, don't they?'
Of Mythos and Men by Oceanbreeze7
oneshot | gen spirit animal au, kinda summary (shortened) 'When he was young, Midoriya always wondered what his mythos would be. The matching half to his quirk, the ancestry of its power. Mythos were strange things, not linked genetically like quirks seemed to be. [...] Midoriya hadn't met his mythos. Even in UA. (In his dreams, something called to him, 'Chase me!')'
what a lion cannot manage by LadyLiterature
multichapter | ongoing | f/m, m/m kitsune au, female izuku, future bakudeku summary (shortened) 'She wants to be a hero. Wants to save everyone she meets and even the people she hasnât. [...] A smart fox avoids fights. A smart fox does not seek them out. A smart fox does not fight for everyone. A smart fox, when they absolutely must, only fights for themselves and what is theirs and nothing else. Izumi, for all that she tries to be, is not a good fox.'
My Magic Academia by Kiterou
series | oneshots and multichapter | ongoing | gen HP crossover, wizard midoriya, platonic bkdk, some ocs summary (shortened) ' [...] In which Midoriya Inko is a witch and Izuku a wizard and even after 150 years of quirks taking over the world, Izuku still couldn't tell Kacchan that he isn't worthless and that he still could become a hero all on his own.'
A Lonely Windchime Makes No Sound by Musecookie
multichapter | ongoing | multi reader/shinso, total fantasy au, very wholesome summary (shortened) ' [...] You enjoy visiting your slightly creepy local library. When you accidentally befriend the elusive owner's familiar, he begins to appear more and more when you visit. You don't really mind, and he doesn't seem to hate you, even when the two of you become tied up in each other's fate as you pursue the secret to reviving a magical species of flower. Soft Strangers to Friends to Lovers type beat with lots of fluff and naps! Sleepy cuddles included.'
The grapes of friendship by Gentrychild
oneshot | gen crack, dfo, vampire izuku summary 'Izuku, a dhampir hiding his real identity as he goes to UA, the best wizard school in the country, spends the day with his friends. None of them are aware of it.'
Yesterday Upon the Stair by PitViperofDoom
multichapter | complete | gen less supernatural, izu's quirk lets him see ghosts, he still has ofa summary (shortened) 'Midoriya Izuku has always been written off as weird. As if it's not bad enough to be the quirkless weakling, he has to be the weird quirkless weakling on top of it. But truthfully, the "weird" part is the only part that's accurate. He's determined not to be a weakling, and in spite of what it says on paper, he's not actually quirkless [...] Not that anyone would believe it if he told them.'
sum of all (and by them driven) by Elemental
series | multichapter | ongoing | gen dadzawa, spirits give quirks, izu sees these spirits series summary 'Quirks aren't what you think they are.' first part summary (shortened) 'Midoriya Izuku is medically quirkless, not technically homeless, perpetually exhausted and doing his damned best despite it all. He also sees spirits, which might be cool if not for the fact that a) no one else does, b) they really don't like him very much, and c) he's pretty sure the heroes now think he's a villain working for the League [...]'
The Struggles of a Modern-Day Vampire by miraculousemily47
oneshot | gen crack, 1-a shenanigans, vampire midoriya summary 'After Midoriya Izuku is turned into a vampire towards the end of his first year at U.A., he decides he wants to tell his classmates about his condition. The only problem is that he can't physically say the words, and his classmates are fucking idiots.'
Lights in the Dark by FrostKitten
series | oneshots | ongoing | gen supernatural au, izuku can see demons etc, quirkless/magic au summary (of first part) 'Midoriya Izuku, like most young kids, knows there are monsters. They live in closets, under beds, and occasionally in the park. As he grows older, his friends stop seeing them...but he still does.'
Hand in Unlovable Hand by jumbletea
series | oneshots | ongoing | gen vampire midoriya (and aizawa), dadzawa, toga n dabi n mido being siblings summary 'A collection of stories surrounding a not-quite-human Izuku and everyone he meets along the way.'
Simply Superstitious by CryCaladrius
multichapter | ongoing | gen lots of folklore and yokai and stuff, 'quirkless' magic user izuku, decent dad hisashi too summary (shortened) 'Izuku Midoriyaâs father is a Hou-ou â a Japanese phoenix. For some reason, this means yokai have a standing invitation to pester Izuku with their existence. Birds assemble choirs for his birthday. If thereâs no cedar leaf under the welcome mat, the amazake babaa that lives two apartments over will be knocking on their door by evening. His yokai-purifying excursions get mistaken for vigilantism far too often. [...]'
Cuckoo Bird (anonymous author)
multichapter | ongoing/maybe discontinued | gen it may be discontinued but theres lots of fae folklore, deku is a changeling, deals etc, plus some platonic shindeku building up?? summary 'There's something off about Midoriya Izuku. (change¡ling /ËCHÄnjliNG/ noun a child believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies for the parents' real child in infancy.)'
tread softly as you go by IceEckos12
oneshot | gen if you read any fae au please let it be this! has faeries but mido is not one summary 'Humans used to be good at the old ways. They used to know how to bait the trap, to spin a web of words and lies that would ensnare even the most wily. Humans used to be able to twist deceptions around knots of iron and turn them into weapons of power. They forgot a long, long time ago. A boy unwittingly makes a deal with one of the fae, severing his ties to humanity. However, he finds that the fae world is far more strange and complex than he ever could have imagined.'
Hell is just a shoujo manga by supercrunch
multichapter | complete | f/m fantasy au, bakudeku, fem!izuku, isekai, dekusquad stuff, also some iidachako summary (shortened) 'Izuku wakes up crushed under a statue, trapped in the body of a princess who doesn't exist. Turns out she's a demon, which is weird. What's even weirder is the dĂŠjĂ vu that surrounds Kamino palace, reminding her of the events of this one manga she used to love. [...] But that's probably just a coincidence. [...] The problem here, obviously, is that Izuku's the demon princess. Ergo, she's a villain. And that means she's going to die at the end of this manga. Again.'
hold your breath as you cross by cassiopeia721
oneshot | gen dadzawa, another 'quirks are from spirits au' (expect more of those actually), mido is sad :( summary 'As the bridge between the world of guardian spirits and the quirk users who are blessed by them, Izuku's duty is to clean up the mess his predecessor left. It's taken what feels like an eternity worth of work, but Izuku's finally finished, and he's ready to rest at last. Unfortunately, the pro heroes who just watched him take down the Scourge of Kamino have no intention of letting him just wander off, and he finds himself stuck in an interrogation room with a bunch of humans who he's sure will never believe a word he says.'
To See with Eyes Unclouded by CrazySatan
series | oneshots | ongoing | gen witch au, witch midoriya, quirkless mido, bkg is not a good friend series summary 'Midoriya Izuku is a witch. A powerful witch. And even though he doesn't have a quirk, and magic doesn't Work Like That, Izuku ends up a hero. Somehow.'
Demons and Darkness by wolfsrainrules
series | oneshots | ongoing | gen dadzawa, shinso and mido and bkg are becoming friends, they can see monsters/spirits/bad things summary of first part 'Izuku has believed in the things that go bump in the night since he was small. That means he can see them, and almost everyone he knows....can't. So he decides he's going to be the shield humanity needs, no matter what. Eventually, he finds others that See too.'
know what i've made by the marks on my hands by simkjrs
multichapter | ongoing/maybe discontinued | gen dadzawa, quirk spirit au (this inspired most of the others on this list), also eri summary (shortened) 'Midoriya Izuku just wants to lead a quiet, peaceful life. This is foiled by the fact that a) he can see spirits, b) his good nature demands that he help anyone he sees in trouble, and c) he, by all rights, should not exist. [...]'
Izuku haunts class 1-A by Artistic-Gamer
series or multichapter whichever floats your boat | incomplete (hiatus) | other there are some triggering themes! such as suicide, blood, body disfigurement! please take care of yourself and avoid reading if this will hurt you! in other news: so much dadzawa, so much friendship, hurt mido summary (of first part) 'Class 1-A is rumored to be haunted, only the residents are aware itâs more than just a rumor..'
U.A's Resident Ghost by BeyondTheClouds777
multichapter | ongoing/maybe discontinued | gen ghost midoriya, dadzawa, friendships!!!! summary 'There is a ghost at U.A. Not haunting U.A. Not even hanging out at U.A. There is a ghost. Enrolled. As a student of U.A. And it's just Shouta's luck that he has everything to do with it.'
and now, the weather by xylophones
oneshot | gen CRACK, paranormal/ghost hunters au, dekusquad stuff summary 'Izuku runs a fictional horror radio show. Because ghosts arenât real. Right? (âHoly shit, ghosts are real,â Izuku whispers. Then, with the smugness of a sixteen-year-old who just won a decade long bet, âI knew it! Kacchan owes me five hundred yen!â âMidoriya,â Todoroki sighs, âthis ghost is trying to kill us.â)'
U.A Unsolved by handcrusher(ameliafromafairytale)
oneshot | gen (it's a fic of a fic, so if you've read yesterday upon the stair then you'll understand better) izuku can see ghosts thats his quirk summary ' "Hey there, ghosts," Midoriya says, "it's me, ya boy." The dorms are haunted. Shenanigans ensue.'
The Haunting of Class 1-A by BritishRobutt
multichapter | ongoing/maybe discontinued | n/a ghost midoriya, vigilante au, crack, the ghost bit is izu's quirk summary 'Everyone always told Izuku he couldn't be a hero, so when he dies and discovers his quirk, he becomes a vigilante out of spite. Whoops. After becoming Spectre, Japan's most wanted vigilante, Izuku realizes he can just fulfill his dreams of going to the top heroic school- after all, who can physically stop him from attending UA when he's a literal ghost?'
Caged by SternStunde
oneshot | gen tododeku, fantasy au (todo is a dragon, mido is a princess), genderbent deku (fem deku) summary 'Then she held up one of the books and smiled. "Want to learn an ancient language with me?" She was kind of a nerd, and she really hoped the dragon was too.'
Magic Runs Deep by draconicschinx
multichapter | ongoing/probably discontinued | gen mido has a quirk and he can see mythical creatures. summary '"Midoriya Izuku has always been good at making friends. Not human ones, really, but they are good friends nonetheless. " Izuku can see and talk to and interact with mythical creatures. It's not exactly the quirk he was hoping for, but he's going to use it to help humans and his non-human friends all the same.'
#bnha#mha#fic recs#fantasy au#ghost au#vampire au#witch au#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#spirit fanfics#i have gone to an unnecessary amount of effort for a list that no one asked for#hmm#mythical beasts#myths and legends#i hope my tagging is okay lol#fic rec list#midoriya izuku#midoriya izumi#genderbending#shinsou hitoshi#dadzawa#quirkless au#lots of aus#magic
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Can you write how Wakkoâs birth and the fact that he even exists effects this AU
âJust one more push, your highness, then thisâll all be over,â the doctor instructed the exhausted princess.Â
âWhy did we ever agree to have a second child,â Lena panted and lamented her husband.Â
âCâmon Lena, youâre almost done. Youâre doing wonderfully,â William kissed her head.Â
âEasy for you to say, youâre just the observer,â Lena rolled her eyes, but as she felt another contraction crash over her, she did as she was told, and gave one more final push, instantly collapsing back onto her pillows once she was done.Â
âGood job, my love,â William smiled and kissed her again, but a deathly silence filled the room.Â
âWh-whatâs the matter? Wh-why arenât they crying? A-are they even breathing?â Lena asked as she saw the doctor rush the baby away. âW-william, whatâs happening?â She looked up at him, but he looked just as frightened as she was. He cautiously wrapped an arm around her.Â
âA-are they alright? A-answer me, dammit,â she demanded, tears falling down her face. She heard the doctor and nurses whisper a few things as they attempted to fix whatever issue it was (as they clearly werenât willing to clarify).
This couldnât be happening.Â
âPlease...â she whispered aloud.Â
There was another long stretch of silence, and then-
The baby cried.Â
Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief, and in a few moments, the new royal baby was in the arms of the princess, now sobbing tears of joy instead.Â
âCongratulations, your highnesses. Itâs a boy,â the doctor said with a smile, but William and Lena were too happy and crying to really notice what he had said.Â
âHeâs okay,â Lena said, and William squeezed her a little, and touched the new babyâs face softly.Â
âHeâs perfect, Lena,â He smiled. Â
âIâm never, ever going to let go of him,â She declared. âIâm simply going to hold him for forever and ever and ever and ever.â Nobody argued.Â
âIâll never let anything bad happen to him... heâll be safe, and with me,â she swore. William nodded, silently taking the vow himself.Â
âDo you have a name for the prince?â One of the nurses asked. Lena and William looked at each other.Â
âWakkorotti, like the performer- but weâd call him Wakko for short,â Lena said.Â
âWith the middle name Alan, like my father,â William added.Â
âA perfect name for a perfect prince,â She smiled, and kissed her babyâs forehead.Â
However, Lena and William didnât have too long to themselves, before none other than Angelina and Yakko entered the room, with Yakko immediately running onto the bed.Â
âIs that my baby brother?â He asked cheerfully. Lena giggled and nodded.Â
âDo be quiet though, he is a baby,â She reminded the four-and-a-half-year-old.Â
âHeâs a rather tiny thing, isnât he?â The queen observed.Â
âWhy are you here, mother?â Lena didnât have the patience for her motherâs games.Â
âWhy do you act like my grandchildren arenât important to me?â she said, placing a hand on Yakkoâs shoulder. Yakko didnât mind, utterly entranced at the sight of his new sibling. William rolled his eyes.Â
âWell, it was nice of you to come by,â He wiped his eyes. âYou can go now, though.â
âI will do as I please, thank you very much,â Angelina glared at him. Â
âHe seems weak,â she remarked once more.Â
âIf all youâre going to do is criticize a newborn, I suggest you leave,â Lena growled.Â
âYou know Iâve always said itâs good to have backups, but Iâm not quite sure this one would even be adequate enough to qualify,â Angelina didnât stop.Â
âThatâs enough, mother,â Lena said.Â
âIâm just-â
âI said enough,â She snapped. Angelina paused.Â
âYouâre lucky I feel pity for you and the weakling,â She said, before turning and exiting.Â
âIs he okay, mommy?â Yakko asked.Â
âHeâs perfect,â Lena smiled once more, and looked back at Wakko.Â
âWhy is he so tiny?â He asked again.Â
âAll babies are tiny, Yakko. You were once that small too,â William explained. Yakko âoohâed in fascination.Â
âThatâs cool,â he gave his dad a toothy grin. He continued to stare at him for a moment, before pausing and frowning.Â
âAre you gonna forget about me?â he asked softly.Â
âOf course not honey,â Lena reassured. âWe would never forget about you just because we have a baby now.â
âWe love you very much Yakko,â William placed a hand on his elder sonâs shoulder. Yakko nuzzled his face on it.Â
âAnd itâll be part of your responsibilities to watch and care for him too, you know,â Lena said with a soft smile.Â
âReally?â Yakko gasped.Â
âYep! As big brother, you have to make sure to always have his back and keep him safe when we arenât around,â William explained.Â
âCool,â Yakko accepted the new responsibility.Â
âHeâs not a weakling, right?â He asked.Â
âOf course not, honey. Your grandmother is wrong about that,â Lena quickly said. That was not something she was going to let her plant into his brain.Â
âOkay,â He happily agreed, but Lena and William shared a look, knowing it wouldnât be too long before he started his lessons and well- if ideas were already starting to take root...
No. Yakko would be fine. He was better than that. He was very sweet, heâd never be outright cruel or mean like his grandmother likely wanted him to be. When the time came, heâd make the right decisions.Â
And so the family carried on, and Yakko did eventually start up his lessons with his grandmother, and Lena and William did their best to counteract them as they could, but it wasnât easy. Angelina was tricky like that.Â
And in the meantime, Wakkorotti (or just Wakko) was growing up into quite the wild child. He loved to run around- sometimes on all fours. He loved to chew on things, make mud pies, many other âimproper behaviorsâ according to his grandmother. However, for the most part, Lena and William were good at keeping him away from her, being more protective over him than they were with Yakko.Â
Still. That never stopped the little prince from getting into trouble anyway.Â
âWakko, what are you chewing on?â Lena looked up from her book, her maternal instincts kicking in. Wakko didnât respond.Â
âWakko...â She said in a warning tone, looking at him, before gasping and realizing he was chewing on a book from her motherâs study she had given to Yakko for her or William to read to him.Â
âWakko, drop that now.â she ordered, panicked. Confused at her urgency, he dropped it immediately, and Lena quickly bent over and took the papers from him.Â
âRemember what I said? We donât chew on books. You can chew on your toys instead,â Lena reminded him softly.Â
âSorry mummy,â he apologized. Lena sighed tiredly.Â
âItâll be alright, letâs just get it fixed before-â
A knock on the nursery door interrupted her sentence, and before she knew it, her mother entered the room.Â
âAngelina, it turns out I need-â The queen stopped midthought when she noticed Lena was holding the book, which was covered in teeth marks and slobber.Â
âYou let him get to it?â She gave a look of disgust at her grandson.Â
âWakko, get behind me,â Lena stood from her rocking chair, and Wakko obeyed, scurrying behind the safety of his mother.Â
âThat âsonâ of yours is no better than a goat in a barn,â Angelina shook her head. âThough even a lowly goat is more intelligent than him.â
âHeâs four, mother, have some mercy,â Lena responded.Â
âMercy is for those who deserve it, not for stupid, filthy animals,â Angelina rolled her eyes.Â
âThat book was supposed to be for Yakkoâs lessons.â she looked at Wakko. âHeâs going to be important one day, unlike you. Your job is to simply sit on the sidelines and be civilized, but you canât even do that, can you?â she glared.Â
âThatâs enough, mother,â Lena warned, stepping in front of Wakko to block his vision.Â
âDonât act like youâre so tough, Angelina,â she warned. âI know your weaknesses too. The Tower is still plenty functional.âÂ
Lena didnât break.Â
âWell now... seeing as youâve ruined a perfectly good book of mine, I suppose Iâll just be leaving this here then,â Angelina rolled her eyes and pulled out a toy bunny from her dress pocket. âI think one of them left it in my study, and I canât fathom as to why.â
âThatâs- thatâs Yakkoâs bunny. I havenât seen that in years... why did you have it? He missed it so,â Lena took the toy from her.Â
âToys are for fools, of which Yakko is not,â She remarked.Â
âToys are for children, of which Yakko is,â Lena replied coldly.Â
âOf course youâd think that,â The queen sighed.Â
âWell... seeing as I have no more use of the two of you, Iâll be taking my leave now,â She nodded and left. Lena rolled her eyes before turning around.Â
âAre you alright dear?â Lena asked Wakko. Wakko sniffled, holding back tears.Â
âMâfine,â he said. Lena wrapped him in a quick hug.Â
âIâm going to give this to Yakko- his sword lesson with his father should be done soon,â Lena looked at the clock in the room. âWill you be okay waiting in here a moment?â
Wakko nodded.Â
âGood,â she kissed his forehead. âYakko will be right here in a moment. Iâm afraid I have to go- Iâm not feeling well. Youâll stay right in here though, right?â She asked with a soft smile.Â
Wakko nodded once more.
âGood,â she gave him another hug.Â
âI love you,â She said, and left the playroom in a rush. Wakko didnât have the slightest clue as to why, but he was fine with waiting in the playroom. It was his favorite place to be.Â
However, his grandmotherâs words played on repeat in his head, and for some reason, he couldnât get it out.Â
She said he was a wild and filthy animal. That wasnât true. He took baths, though he did have a tendency to get dirty at times... but that was because it was fun. Fun things arenât bad... right?
Wakko wasnât any more an animal than his grandmother was, thatâs what Daddo would say.Â
Still... Grandmum was scary. She was mean and old and wrinkly and her stares were mean. He didnât like how it felt when she looked at him.Â
Thinking about it made his eyes fill with tears, and before he knew it, he crawled under the playroom table and began to cry.Â
He wasnât stupid... was he?
He had been told several times not to chew on books or things that werenât his, especially if they were his grandmotherâs. He shouldâve paid more attention. Stupid people donât pay attention...
âWakko? Where are you?â Without Wakko realizing, Yakko had entered the room. Still, Wakko was in the middle of crying and wasnât going to stop now.Â
âWakko? Are you crying?â Yakko asked, looking around for him, until he eventually found him under the table.Â
âHey... itâs okay,â Yakko said, crawling under the table and joining him, giving him a tight hug.Â
âI-Iâm not stupid, r-right?â Wakko sniffled.Â
âOf course not, Wak,â Yakko reassured. âYouâre smart.â
âB-but I donât read o-or talk like you,â he pouted.Â
âDad said being slow isnât stupid, so you arenât stupid,â Yakko let go and pointed out.Â
âDid Grandma tell you that?â He asked. Wakko nodded sadly.Â
âGrandma is wrong about you,â He said. âShe doesnât like you for no reason, but she should like you. Youâre really fun.â
âI am?â Wakko perked up a little. Yakko nodded.Â
âYou make up the best games and stories,â He grinned. âPlus, youâre pretty cute too. I donât know many people who can refuse those puppy dog eyes.â
âThanks Yakko!â Wakko beamed and gave his brother a hug. âYouâre a good older sib.â
âNo problem, Wak,â he chuckled. âLetâs play now, I have to go to my lesson in a half-hour.â
âBut thatâs so sooooooooon. Iâll die of boredommmmmm,â He pouted.
âI know, but you know you canât sit in. I donât need to remind you of last time...â Yakko said, and Wakko looked at the floor.Â
âOkay...â he sighed. Yakko bit his lip.Â
âOh! I have an idea!â He snapped his fingers. Quickly, he crawled out under the table and grabbed his toy bunny and crawled back under.Â
âWhile Iâm at my lessons you can have this,â he said, handing it to him.Â
âBut mum said itâs yours,â Wakko frowned.Â
âI donât mind parting with Bugs if itâll make you feel better,â Yakko smiled.
âYou mean it?â Wakkoâs face lit up.Â
âOf course. Bugs has brought me a lot of comfort, Iâm sure he can do the same for you,â Yakko said. âPlus, Grandma doesnât like him much, so heâll need someone to watch over him too. Are you up to the challenge?âÂ
âYeah!â Wakko agreed enthusiastically, and Yakko handed him the stuffed bunny.Â
âIâll protect him with my life,â he promised. Yakko snorted.Â
âI know you will,â he elbowed him lightly.Â
âNow... can we crawl out of here and get to playing? Iâm a lot taller than you and it is cramped under here,â he joked.Â
Wakko nodded, and together the brothers crawled out from under the table, and began to properly play their silly little games to the fullest they could, and when their thirty minutes was over, Wakko was happy waiting and watching over Yakkoâs bunny, Bugs, promising to make sure the bunny didnât feel lonely and that he always had someone to watch over and protect him, like how he had Yakko.Â
Wakko was the luckiest little brother in the world.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
#animaniacs#my fics#angelina 1 lives au#wakko warner#yakko warner#queen angelina i#queen angelina ii#sir william the good#william warner#fluff#angst#feels#tw pregnancy#tw labor#tw birth
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PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 34
đ first time reader click here đ
A little bit of plot, but mostly ironstrange x reader filthy porn. Bukkake stuff. Stephen finally opening up a lil bit, I mean... I've slept through a 1/3 of a hospital and lemme tell you, doctors are kinky bastards. On the same note, there's definitely going to be a chapter where all three men are involved after the plot shit is resolved.
There was something big brewing. I had a hunch... which was more like a strong sense of doom... hanging over me and the rest of the world. Peter also had noticed the sudden spike in anxiety, quoting the sudden disappearance of many low-tier mutants from the streets. Usually, Peter dealt with at least a few enhanced enemies during his patrols but the closer it got to Christmas, the less enhanced bothered with small-time crimes, the more intense the buzzing of his Spidey sense became.
Now that my immediate lack of income wasn't a problem anymore, I set business onto that damn mercenary. I was no spy, I was no SHIELD operative but... I could be very clever.
First things first, I had to make sure I would stay alive no matter what. A subdermal tracker was a good guarantee of security and I spent many hours making one - having to keep it a secret was incredibly hard, I hated lying to my loves and I hated avoiding Wanda even more - I was constantly on the edge around the telepath, hyperfocused on keeping up the pretense of normalcy.
I wouldn't be me if I couldn't successfully pull off a whole ass façade. Unfortunately, the continued failures of the people searching left and right for the mercenary only fueled my strength for the inevitable fuck-fest that I would have to create in order to make sure my people get the peace they fucking deserve. The web of lies grew in size every damn day.
Subdermal tracker, an implant that reports directly to Friday upon activation. It hurt like a bitch - I had cut myself open, an inch wide gash on the inside of my forearm - and put it in without any anesthesia in my own bathroom, not even thinking twice before making up a lie that I had been careless in the lab and hurt myself.
An antidote to common tranquilizers, creating it gave me a headache the size of Moscow but I'd been successful; Tony assembled the whole team when he found it out, offering me a ridiculous amount of money for the formula. It was weird. SHIELD was interested, too, and I had to witness Tony and Coulson argue. Apparently, the agency wanted to recruit me and Tony was adamantly against it, totally forgetting the promise Natasha had given me. In the end, the spy and Coulson shared a quiet conversation and the man left, respectfully complimenting my skills.
I sold the formula to Stark Industries, unable to get rid of the weirdness of the situation. I had to shake hands with my own boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend... In a business setting. What. Just what. Bucky and Stephen couldn't stop laughing at the face I made all throughout that day - and Clint even went as far as to bake me a gag cake, a cartooney handshake drawn in frosting on top of it. I hit him with a spatula, Loki smiled in his direction for the first time in, like, ever. It was a trip and Tony had way too much fun with the incident.
Perhaps, turning myself into a cyborg stew wasn't the best plan that was possible to think up in a few weeks' time but I've never claimed to be exceptionally intelligent; if anything, I've always considered myself to be a moderately educated idiot. It is common knowledge that there are two halves of a whole idiot: my second half was on his way from California, having had received my very detailed e-mail about the whole cursed box fiasco and the consequences that followed. I could barely contain my excitement at the prospect of seeing uncle Eddie and his symbiote again.
Tony wasn't even half as excited; if anything, he bordered on outright hostile, bickering, and sassing everybody left and right. It could have been the situation at hand finally getting on his last nerves. It could have been his jealousy, the same that appeared every time I paid extra attention to someone that wasn't him, Bruce or Stephen. Either way, Bruce was sighing all the time now and Stephen's remarks began to fill with poison once again.
Just like the good old times, I guess. I was forced to pull a Me over and over, interrupting their petty arguments with increasingly absurd remarks. I felt like everybody was laughing at me these days, which ended in only one way it could have...
"Brat," Stephen's patience was paper-thin and, being forcefully distracted from yelling at Tony, he directed his angst at the nearest person - me. "I oughta put you over my knee. I swear to Cosmos..."
"Blah, blah, blah. Don't you ever get tired of listening to yourself talk?" I raised my eyebrows, tone deceptively calm. "You're talking too much for someone who can't even..." I didn't get to finish my sentence, suddenly finding my mouth firmly glued shut. It was magic - the sensation was pulling, but not unpleasant. Reminded me of a ball gag Tony had used on me in the early days of our relationship.
"Now, Dumbledore, hold your horses..." Tony interjected looking none-too-happy. The engineer placed a warning arm on the sorcerer's bicep, their little spat seemingly forgotten.
"What, Tony? She's been nothing but a mouthy urchin the past few days, I can't stand it anymore," They shared a meaningful look; no matter how much Tony wanted to argue, he knew Stephen was right. What he didn't know was that there probably have been a magic versus science altercation... Or worse. Humiliation was a small price to pay for some (relative) peace.
I did what I do best. I annoyed them further, throwing up a juicy middle finger to the two men and turned around with a huff, mind set on finding Loki to undo the mute ban Stephen gave me. Needless to say, I didn't make it very far.
In mere seconds, I was sandwiched between the two men, Stephen's finger delicately holding my chin to force me to look into his eyes. Tony was holding onto my shoulders from behind me - I could feel the tension, my engineer was almost buzzing with it. I was pretty sure my eyes were laughing anyway because Stephen's frown slowly transformed into a coy smirk once his stormy blues focused on my face.
"Brat," He repeated once again. "She's doing this on purpose."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Tony's breath tickled the nape of my neck. "That does sound like our little Princess," Apparently, it took all of a 0.1 second for Tony to switch from annoyed to horny. Men, they were so easy to play. "Baby, if you wanted our attention you could have just said so," He chastised me, hands sliding down to my waist.
I hummed, and then aggressively hummed some more until Stephen removed the magical gag. "Not like you'd notice it, being occupied with tearing each other's hair out," I pouted.
The sorcerer briefly averted his eyes, leaning down to softly kiss my pout. It was very unlikely I'd get an actual apology but a kiss I won't be complaining about either. "So, your best tactic was to annoy us even more? How does that work out for you?"
I pulled on the tied fabric around his waist, bringing him closer to me. "Pretty good, if I'm being honest. You're exactly where I wanted you to be," Carelessly, I began untying the layers of silks and cotton I had become intimately familiar with over the course of the past few weeks. Most of the time Steph wore his wizard garbs and while figuring out how to undo them was a trip at first, I had gotten him desperate enough a few times, for him to show me a few tips and tricks for easier access.
Tony snorted somewhere behind me. "You just want us for our bodies," His hands wormed their way under my shirt, brushing the underside of my breasts. Bra? Hardly know her. "Our beautiful, sexy bodies." Yes Tony, very humble.
"When will you learn, people?" I asked rhetorically, simultaneously leaning into both Tony's and Stephen's touch. "Why fight each other when you could be fucking me into oblivion instead?"
Stephen snorted, still not completely used to the at times crude things that left my (and occasionally Tony's) mouth. I had a hunch the sorcerer was holding back somewhat - for whatever reason - and I was eagerly waiting for him to get comfortable enough to reveal that special part of himself. Whatever it was, I just knew it was delicious and sinful and-
"Do you really think I will be giving you what you want after your little... Stunt?" Steph went balls out; his voice dropped and the intensity of his stare left me breathless. The hand that was stroking my face wrapped around my throat as he had some sort of a silent conversation with Tony.
"Yeah," I emphasized the word with an inaudible 'duh' behind it but obediently trotted along as Stephen backed up towards the couch, leading me by the throat like a pet on a leash. I was steadily going into 'no thoughts, head empty' territory.
"I like it when you get all bossy," Tony remarked casually but he was close enough for me to hear the strain in his voice. Every time we fucked, Tony eagerly gave up the control to Stephen. I definitely saw the appeal. Stephen Strange demanded authority effortlessly, his stern but fair attitude simply demanded to kneel.
That's just what I did. As soon as Stephen made himself comfortable on the Italian leather couch, I dropped to my knees, looking up at the man with big round eyes. Just like Tony and Bruce, Stephen had his own weaknesses when it came to moi and I wasn't ashamed to exploit them. Steph's stroked my hair, carding careful fingers through it, slowly unbuttoning his pants with his other hand.
"If you insist on being mouthy, I have a better task for you," He husked, pulling me closer towards him. I called it his doctor voice. Honestly, I don't have a clue how his surgical team could be around him with their pants on back in the day... The man was a snack on a silver platter.
Steph's erection sprang free. I didn't hesitate to wrap my hand around it, stroking the underside of his glans just like he liked it, looking to the side where Tony landed on the couch next to Stephen, a curious look on his face. Yeah, Tony liked to watch. Me and Stephen or me and Bruce... Me and Stephen and Bruce? That's an idea for later.
"Don't mind little old me," Tony smirked his trademark Stark mischief, getting comfortable, ditching his oil-stained shirt and unbuttoning his pants to lazily palm himself through his boxers. "Carry on," The smirk only grew when Tony noticed both me and Steph eyeing him with amusement.
I hid my grin, nodding my head, before wrapping my lips around the tip of Stephen's cock, relaxing my throat to prepare for the intrusion. Sweet and salty, the slit on his cockhead was mercilessly teased by the tip of my tongue.
Stephen murmured encouragements under his breath as I began to bob up and down, him controlling the pace with a hand in my hair, just the right balance between cruel and gentle. The sorcerer was always too good to me, bringing me to the point of overstimulation and instantly soothing the ache afterward; "Fuck, darling, your mouth feels like heaven," He groaned as I snuck a look upwards to see his lips parted and a steady flush crawling up his neck.
"She knows how to work a man, doesn't she?" Tony's lust had him panting, hips moving into his own hand. He leaned closer to Stephen, brushing my hair behind my ear with a tender hand. "Merlin needs to share," Tony began pulling me in his direction. I reluctantly let go of Stephen's cock, keeping up the pace with my hand as I scooted closer to Tony to be able to mouth at his stiff erection.
Watching me suck cock always got Tony hard enough to pound nails with. I couldn't blame him, I knew what I could do and did well; by the time I made my way down his thick flesh, drool was dripping down my chin and the make-up around my eyes was surely smeared by tears. My engineer was much less gentle than Steph, pounding my face without reservations.
"I know you can take it, baby girl, fuck," My face was held in his strong grip, thumbs digging into my jaw. "Such a good girl," The two words went straight down to my pussy and I had to squirm and clench my thighs together, whining at the lack of friction.
The air was pierced by a low moan - Stephen was fisting his erection almost desperately now, almost as desperately as I was humping the air, whining like a bitch in heat at the taste of Tony's cock in my mouth. I knew neither of the men would last long, not with all that pent up tension running through their minds and bodies.
"Fuck, come here, baby girl," The engineer yanked me off his cock, gripping the base of it so forcefully his knuckles turned white. I was all but dragged into the space between them; still kneeling, barely seeing with snot and tears smeared all over my face, I couldn't hold in the broken moan as the realization set in.
"Keep your eyes open!" Steph instructed furiously, scooting to tower over me. Tony followed in his steps as I obediently lifted my eyes to their cocks and then their faces; nearly identical furrowed brow expressions stared back at me, lips moist and eyes wide. Both men stroked themselves with renewed vigor.
I hummed softly before sticking out my tongue; their reaction didn't let me wait long. Strings of pearly white cum landed in my hair, on my face; I felt the warmth on my skin and tasted their salt and musk on the tip of my tongue, reflexively swallowing each and every drop that landed in my mouth, savoring it just like I savored the sinful groans that left their mouths.
"Fuck, you're so good to us," Tony panted, gracelessly falling backward onto the couch.
Stephen, however, didn't hurry to catch his breath, giving me a thoughtful look. His fingers shook more than ever but he paid no mind to the discomfort, gathering the cum dripping down my face with two fingers and offering it to me, holding them up to my lips as I gently cleaned them off. And he did it again, and again, until Tony gave a weak moan of recognition, throwing an arm under his head.
"Be polite, Princess," Stephen's voice hadn't lost the lust in it just yet.
"Thank you, sir," I mumbled, utterly captivated by the way he was looking at me. Stormy blues radiated a strong sense of intensity, devotion perhaps, that I wasn't ready for.
Stephen smiled at me, almost coyly, before kneeling right next to me and bringing me over the edge with a few sharp, clever movements of his hand. I held onto his shoulders for dear life, barely noticing Tony's reaction - if there was one - my other lover seemed to be as surprised as I was, choosing to hang back and observe the unusual situation.
I had a feeling that whatever it was, it would make another appearance during our playtime. It wasn't just sex, it wasn't making love - it was... Something. I loved every second of it.
@another-stark-sub â @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit â @littlegasps â @pilloclock â @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife â @individualistfem â @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95 @gladiosamicitias @toomanyrobins @i-cant-hangout-im-drumming
#bun writes#party favours#tony stark x reader x stephen strange#Tony Stark x reader#bruce banner x reader#stephen strange x reader#tony stark x you#bruce banner x you#stephen strange x you#tony stark x y/n#bruce banner x y/n#stephen strange x y/n#tony stark smut#stephen strange smut
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Do you think there's any way that Elia was okay with Rhaegar and Lyanna running off together?
No. I really donât. And actually, if GRRM ends up writing the story in a way that makes it seem like Elia was okay with it, then itâs honestly going to make me sick.
First of all, we have the reaction of everyone at the tourney at Harrenhal:Â
Ned remembered the moment when all the smiles died, when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen urged his horse past his own wife, the Dornish princess Elia Martell, to lay the queen of beauty's laurel in Lyanna's lap.Â
If âall the smiles diedâ, that includes Eliaâs, and who could blame her? This was a humiliating moment for her. She was his wife and the princess, and he spurned her in what was a clearly unexpected way. If she knew about this in advance, then one would assume that sheâd be clapping or still smiling to show her support, but she did not. On top of that, Lyanna was a child. She was only 14 when Rhaegar crowned her the queen of beauty, and I highly doubt that Elia was okay with any part of this situation.
Then, we get to the fact that any children Lyanna had would be a threat to Eliaâs trueborn children, especially given the fact that there was still a large part of the population racist against the Dornish, and Lyanna is a Stark and has the blood of the first men running through her veins. Thatâs just another Blackfyre Rebellion waiting to happen. And thatâs if Rhaegar doesnât just outright skip over Eliaâs children to name Lyannaâs children his heirs, because he loves her more. Sure, Elia may hope that doesnât happen, but she doesnât truly know for sure that it wouldnât. And it would be a difficult political move, but we already know that Aerys was considering doing that with Rhaegar and Viserys, so itâs obviously possible.
Iâve seen some people claim that Elia would be okay with it because she couldnât give Rhaegar any more children, but the thing is, Rhaegar didnât need any more children. If Elia had given him 0 children, then I could see this argument more, but Elia gave him a son and a daughter. While Rhaegar may have wanted three heads to the dragon, I donât think Elia would have found it important enough for him to take a mistress to have a third child.
Another argument Iâve seen is that Elia and Rhaegar were a political match and not in love, so it was okay for Rhaegar to run off with Lyanna, because he truly loved her. This is ridiculous. Most high-born marriages in Westeros are political matches. It doesnât make it okay to abandon your wife and children to "follow your heart.â Especially since Elia doesnât have the option to âfollow her heartâ and take another lover, because I seriously doubt that Rhaegar was generous enough to give her the option. Most men - especially those raised to believe theyâre better than everyone else, as Rhaegar would have been with the Targaryen exceptionalism - would not be okay with their wife sleeping with another man, no matter how noble they are. And Elia definitely would not have had the option of having children by another man, because she could have been charged with treason for being unfaithful to the King. Thereâs a definite power imbalance in this situation.
Last, Rhaegar left Elia with his father (who he knows is deranged and losing touch with his sanity) with only Jaime - a young, new knight - to protect her. Even if you claim that Rhaegar had no idea how dangerous Aerys was, it was still ridiculous to leave his wife and two children alone with one young knight to defend them while Lyanna had three of the best knights in the realm guarding her.
None of this is to say that this is Lyannaâs fault, because again, she was a child. I simply see no way that Elia was okay with this.
Sorry for the long response, but thanks for the ask!
#ask me#elia martell#Rhaegar Targaryen#valyrianscrolls#ASoIaF#A Song of Ice and Fire#elia x rhaegar#Lyanna Stark
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Hot and Bothered, CH. 2
Contents: Bondage, cock warming, slight choking, edging, orgasm denial, slight degradation, cream pie, dirty talk, dom/sub relationship, poly
Ch. 1 / Ch. 2
                             ---080---
Five minutes after Dabi was out of sight, you tried to ease the tension in your lower belly. Squirming made matters worse without outright disobeying Dabiâs orders. The shower in the next room turned on. Behind you, Hawks barely made a peep. You could feel him inside, twitching like he ached to move. He was buried so deep inside that if you moved just a little, you swore youâd come only from that. It was a snug fit made all the more unbearable when you considered how horny you were.
The sound of the shower going was the only thing to distract you. Keigo, who was usually a loudmouth and pervert, was oddly silent. Your hand reaches up to your breasts and tweaks your nipples in search of some relief. Dabi never said you couldnât touch yourself, just couldnât move from your position.
âWhat do you think youâre doing?â Asked Keigo.
âWhat do you think? Iâm trying to find some relief.â
You touched anywhere that wasnât your sensitive clit, though the temptation was there.
âYouâre asking him to see you like this and punishing you again,â said Keigo.
âItâs your fault. ItâItâs your fault that Iâm like this.â
The shower still ran. Dabi must have left the door open. If you werenât careful, youâd be in a world of trouble.
âYouâŚitâs all your fault, you know. And you can do something about it. Youâre strong enough to break those damn ropes. You could break out and fuck me. You already broke house rules once today!â
âNo need to lose your venom on me, babe.â
After all, touching yourself stopped providing any sort of relief or distraction. You had to contend with sitting on Keigoâs cock without moving until Dabi decided to be merciful. He showed up once youâd become delirious. Seeing him stepping out of the shower with nothing but a towel around his hips had you drooling.
âHad enough yet?â Dabi chuckled at the sight of you, ogling him and trying not to move too much.
âPlease, please, please. I canât take it anymore. Please let me fuck Keigo. I need it so bad.â You hated how you sounded when you whined like that, but it was a surefire way to turn Dabiâs sadist mode on.
His dark brow shot up like you said something weird. Dabi wore a feral grin as he sauntered towards the bed, letting his footsteps linger. The anticipation was killing you. He sat at the end of the bed, grinning the Cheshire Cat.
âOh, youâre not fucking Keigo tonight. Not until I say so.â Dabi chucked the towel off and threw it across the room, not caring where it landed. âNow, come here, little girl.â
You tried not to look at Dabiâs erection that he somehow managed to hide under the towel. Pulling Keigo out wasnât painful, per se. As you crawled away from him, you had to go slow or end up hurting yourself from his cock being inside for so long and without friction. The man was still hard as a rock and was most likely sporting the bluest of balls youâd seen on him or any man. You couldnât help but moan as you pulled him out, crying out at the absence of him. With shaky arms, you crawled over to the end of the bed where Dabi sat.
He cupped your chin in his hand as he examined your face. You hated and loved how his turquoise eyes stared at you. It was like being a butterfly, and your wings are pinned with needles. Dabi had a way of making sure you knew your place without laying a hand on you or saying a word. Something about his gaze was domineering did something to you that turned you into a pile of submissive goo.
Staring into his eyes, you felt his thumb brush against your lower lip. Without breaking eye contact, you took his thumb into your mouth. Without prompt, you started sucking. Dabi added more fingers to pump into your mouth until you drooled all over your chin. With his other hand, he fisted your hair and pulled your face towards him. His tongue swiped across your lips, and you moaned as he entered. He did the same process with his tongue as he did with his fingers, pulling in an out, simulating the act you most desperately wanted to happen to your cunt.
âPlease,â you whined once he gave you enough breathing space. âI need it.â Dabi gave you a wet kiss against the side of your neck. Your arms shook. How much longer was he going to let kneel like that?
âYou know what I want to hear next then. So, say it.â
Your lips quivered as the words tumbled out. âP-please, Sir. I need you to fuck me.â
Dabi gave you a smack on your ass. âGood girl. Turn around so I can see that pretty cunt of yours.â
Maneuvering around Keigoâs legs, you turned around so that you faced away from Dabi. Your arms gave out as soon as he stuck a finger inside you.
âFucking wet. Are you sure you didnât fuck him without my permission?â He swatted your ass again. This time he left a red handprint.
âY-yes, Sir. I swear I didnâtâŚâ
âSuch a good girl.â Dabi drilled you with his fingers, adding one for every swat.
You had four fingers stuffed inside before you were on the verge of coming. Dabi pulled them out roughly and nearly sent you spiraling downwards. You gripped the sheets when you felt something more significant than Dabiâs fingers poking your entrance. You felt Dabiâs thick head brushing your clit back and forth as he lathered himself with your gushing juices. With the help of that natural lubrication, he slid inside your cuntâs velvet walls. Dabi pumped once, twice before he was fully sheathed and bottomed out.
âKeep your eyes on him while I fuck you, princess,â Dabi growled as he started thrusting.
You lifted your head to see Keigo staring back at you. His yellow eyes never left yours even as Dabi pushed and pulled on you. Dabiâs hands bruised your hips as he dragged you against him over and over again. The piercings on his cock rubbed the wet inner walls of your cunt. Your (e/c) eyes should have rolled into the back of your skull had it not been for the fact that he told you to keep looking at Keigo while he fucked you. Obedience was crucial for getting thoroughly fucked by this man, and you sure as hell werenât about to pass it up.
âSo wetâŚso tight,â Dabiâs hand smacked your cheek. âAinât that right, Keigo? You just couldnât resist this perfect, tight cunt, could you?â
Without blinking, Keigo stared you directly in the eyes. Sweat dribbled down the side of his face. His teeth bullied his bottom lip that was already red. âYeah,âŚsheâs fucking perfect.â
Hearing Keigo say that while Dabi fucked you from behind, set it off. You groaned with your hands fisting the sheets. You felt hot liquid seep down your legs. You convulsed around Dabi, who was moaning yet didnât come.
Instead, you were picked off the bed and made to lean your back against Dabiâs chest. His scars and staples rubbed vicious marks across your skin as he bounced you on his cock. One hand still gripped your hip while the other journeyed to your breast. His hands had long, slender fingers made perfect for groping your tits and bruising your nipples. Dabi suckled on your neck a few times on either side to make sure you were covered in his marks.
âDonât stop looking at him. I didnât say you could stop even after you come.â
Poor Keigo. His cock was almost purple. He looked like he was going to burst. He shifted on the bed as he continued to watch your cunt being pummeled by someone other than him. Dabi forced you down again on his cock, never letting you take a break.
âFilthy slut,â Dabi drove into you harder than before. He was chasing that high, only being rough with you gave him. âYou like being watched, huh? Like him watching getting pounded into?â
His hand pinched your breasts until they nearly matched your neck in purplish marks. Dabi tweaked your nipple to the same rhythm of his cock pounding your insides. You felt his hands move around again when his thrusting became erratic. You could feel him twitch inside of you, which marked the beginning of the end. You were getting close too. His nails scratched your leg while Dabi had the crook of his elbow shoved against your throat. He moved faster as he pressed you as close to him as possible.
The combination of his nails, the choking, and the wild drilling had you spiraling again. Your screams of pleasure were sure to displease your neighbors. Again. Dabi finished not long after you. You shuddered violently as his cum filled you to the brim and slipped out of you. Your eyes rolled into the back of your head this time. Dabi quickly pulled out and untied Keigo.
You were exhausted by the time you realized that you were back in Dabiâs arms. Your arms were pulled behind your back, and he held your legs open with his. Keigo crawled over to you. He got between your legs. You shuddered and tried to get away, but Dabi held you tight. Keigoâs tongue lapped at the fluids, yours and Dabiâs, on your inner thighs. You screamed for mercy, but none would be given to you. Keigo looked up from his spot between your legs, tongue lulling out towards your sensitive bud. You shook your head, which served no purpose other than egging him on.
Keigo licked your overworked clit. He sucked on it and gave kisses to your thighs.
âCan I please?â He begged Dabi. âI canât take it anymore.â
You knew Keigo could beg, but never knew he could sound pathetic. His cock dripped with pre-cum and was about to explode if he didnât get any.
âGive me a kiss first,â Dabi demanded.
Keigo reached past your head and kissed Dabi full on the mouth. Their tongues brushed and battled against each other even as Keigoâs hands wander to your chest. His fingers were nowhere near as long as Dabiâs, but they were thick. He rolled your nipples in his palms while he had his tongue stuck down Dabiâs throat. Dabi suddenly pulled back, leaving Keigo gasping for air.
âWell?â Said Dabi. âYou want to fuck her or not?â
Keigo didnât answer with words. He responded to the question by starting to plow you instead. Keigo wrapped your legs around his waist while Dabi kept your arms pinned at your back.
âWhat do you say, princess, for letting Keigo fuck you silly?â
âT-Thank you, Sir!â
Keigo didnât last long. All of his pent up desires allowed him to last half as long as Dabi. When he did come, he pulled out at the last second to finish on your chest and stomach. He had enough energy left to stuff you with his fingers and play with your clit. You were so sensitive and throbbing that you couldnât hold back either. Keigo sensed your impending you climax and kissed you, muffling your cries. Dots danced in front of your vision. Keigo pulled out entirely.
The boys stretched you out with your head pillowed under their arms. You were a panting, shivering, dizzy mess between them.
âYouâre so beautiful, Y/N,â Keigo whispered in your ear.
âI should let you two break the rules more often," said Dabi in your other ear.
                             ---080---
#my hero academia#mha fanfiction#mha smut#smut#reader fic#dabi#dabi x reader#hawks#keigo takami#keigo#hawks x reader#dabi x reader x hawks#hotwings#poly#minors begone
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Tongue Tied
Summary: for someone who usually had such a way with words, it was a rare occurrence for Gundham to find himself at a loss for them.
A/N: I have a total of three brain cells remaining, and all of them have been starving for some âlee Gundham content.
Sonia glanced up from her book when she felt the mattress dip beside her, and a warm smile graced her lips once she recognized it was none other than her boyfriend. âGundham!â she chirped as she marked her place and set the book aside on her nightstand. Reading could wait until later - spending time with her lover was much more important. âHow can I help you?â
Surprisingly enough, Gundham was rather quiet. He wasnât usually one to actively seek out physical affection, so this situation was already strange enough as it is. He rubbed his forearm rhythmically, multicolored eyes taking up a striking interest in the wrinkled bed sheets beneath them, and his typically pale skin almost looked like it had been airbrushed with a baby pink hue. âU-um,â he muttered under his breath, already quiet words muffled even further by the large scarf covering his mouth.
Soniaâs previously cheerful expression melted into one of careful concern, and she scooted her body closer to the otherâs after a momentâs hesitation. âGundham? Is something the matter?â she inquired softly before resting a palm atop his bandaged hand. âIf thereâs something bothering you, you can always tell meâŚâ
âN-no!â Gundham exclaimed with a sudden ferocity as he snatched his hand away. Immediately realizing that he had raised his voice a little too much, he recoiled back into himself like a wounded puppy. âItâs nothing like that,â he elaborated in a much gentler tone than before. âItâs just...I...I justâŚâ
Sonia found herself at a loss for words for a moment as well - she had never seen the ordinarily prideful man in such a state. She knew that it was impolite to pry, but she couldnât bear the thought of leaving the other like this. âJust what?â she echoed softly, raising a hand to cup one of those flushed cheeks.
Gundham flinched ever so slightly at the unannounced physical contact, but he made no move to stop his loverâs advancements. âW-would youâŚâ It wasnât that he had wanted to pause - rather, it was as if his very voice had been abruptly ripped away from him. Damn it...he was feared by countless beings, both mortal and supernatural alike! He shouldnât be so easily overcome by such a harmless request! â...Would you perform that mortal ac-activity with me again?â he finally managed to choke out.
Sonia blinked obliviously, taking a minute to recall the events the two had participated in during the past week. âDo...do you mean ticklingâŚ?â
Judging by how red the otherâs face grew at the mere mention of the word, it appeared that her shot in the dark had landed. âIf...if thatâs what you call it, yes,â Gundham murmured, seemingly trying to bury his head in the protective cocoon his scarf provided.
It was safe to say that Soniaâs heart melted at this downright adorable reaction, and a tender grin spread across her mouth. âAw, of course I can!â she gushed without truly meaning to - seeing her boyfriend like this was just too cute for her to handle. âThereâs no need for you to be so embarrassed over something like that.â
âF-foolish girl! An Overlord such as myself does not fall prey to such trivial enchantments!â Gundham insisted in an attempt to recover some of his lost ego, but it wasnât very convincing when he still couldnât bring himself to make eye contact with the other.
Clearly, Sonia didnât buy the act (if her bubbly giggle was anything to go off of, that is). âAlright then! Lie down so we can do this properly!â she instructed merrily as she gave his chest a delicate prod.
Gundham did as he was told, face practically turning into a radiator with how much heat was pouring off it, laying on his back with his arms crossed like a little beetle stuck on its shell. His legs began fidgeting ever so slightly, feet toying with the top sheet beneath them anxiously. It was clear he was nervous, but not in the typical manner one might expect; this was a giddy sort of nervousness, one a child might experience when playing tag with their friends.
Sonia definitely wasnât going to take this opportunity for granted, and she took some time to relish in the sight presented before her. The Forbidden One was as red as a tomato, his gaze focusing anywhere but on her own, and his normally carefully guarded body was being offered to her like the greatest gift she ever could have imagined. It made a sense of immense humility blossom within her heart; she felt absolutely honored to be trusted by the other to this extent. Finally, figuring she had kept him waiting long enough, she slipped her hands underneath his shirt and began skittering her well kept nails along the seldom touched flesh.
It didnât take long at all for Gundham to burst into a flurry of tiny titters, his hands instinctively lowering themselves to push at those of his lover. âNnnnnh! G-guhuhuhahahaaa!â His smile was much softer than his ordinary sneer, closed eyelids wrinkling at the corners with forced mirth, and his laugh sounded much lighter as well.
âYou have such a wonderful laugh, Gundham,â Sonia gushed without really realizing it. âIâm so happy youâll let me see you like this...all giggly and flustered!â A few giggles of her own mingled with those of her loverâs as she watched his plethora of reactions, her fingers continuing their devious dance along the expanse of quivering flesh.
Gundham didnât think it was possible for his face to grow any redder than it already was, but this line of complimenting proved him sorely mistaken. He turned to bury his head into one of the many pillows beneath him, hoping that this would succeed in hiding his atypical demeanor, but all this did was result in the earlier scratches turning to gentle kneading. He barked out a laugh as he instinctually brought his knees to his chest, or, rather, into his belovedâs lower back.
Sonia clicked her tongue in mock chastise at this, shaking her head solemnly as if the other was nothing more than a particularly naughty pet. âTrying to hide yourself away from my claws?â she hummed as her formerly adoring smile morphed into one of a much more devious nature. She couldnât help herself - she took a great fondness in teasing her brooding boyfriend to smithereens. âSilly dear...you know theyâll just find a way to keep on tickling~â
Gundham couldnât hold back his yelp of surprise when he felt one of those dangerously long nails twirl inside his navel, and he fell into a bundle of chest shaking chortles. Words certainly seemed to hold an immense amount of power over him, what with his frantic clambering to hide his face behind his forearms, so it was no wonder that these sultry laden quips were making him feel weak in the knees. Still, he had to keep his composure. He wouldnât dare surrender to something so light hearted!
âThatâs right, love. Giggle all day!â Sonia cooed as she gradually let up on the area, her fingers idly tapping against the still quaking abdomen. âMy goodness, youâre all aflush! I suppose not even the Supreme Overlord of Ice is a match for the Tickle MonsterâŚâ
...On second thought, he was surely going to die here. Swallowing down the antsy lump in his throat, Gundham affixed the best glare he could manage given the circumstances against those icy blue eyes. âYou...you truly are a wicked enchantressâŚâ
An unusually dark titter slipped from Soniaâs lips as she batted her lashes down at her captive innocently. âBut of course~! And now that Iâve got you in my clutches, I have to wonder just what Iâll do with youâŚâ She raised her hands so they were now at her sides, fingers wiggling in anticipation, looking the other up and down like he was the tastiest meal sheâd ever laid eyes upon. âI could keep playing with this ticklish tummy for a whileâŚâ
More deep chuckles escaped from Gundham as the scribbling on his stomach resumed.
âMaybe I could play piano on your ribsâŚâ
Delicate tapping soon followed, earning the princess a trifle of squirming.
âMaybe I could burrow under your armsâŚâ
Said action won an outright snort.
âI could even play This Little Piggy with your toes~!â
Though she made no actual followthrough to these words, Gundham couldnât help but bury his feet into the mattress protectively.
âOr maybeâŚâ
The Dark Lordâs heart skipped a beat at the sudden silence that overpowered the room, his gaze trained on the surely rising claws of his demise. He felt so utterly meek in this position, so inconsequential and powerless, and it made an unfamiliar feeling brew in the pit of his stomach. Perhaps this was what humans meant when they referred to another as being bashfulâŚ?
âIâll get at that cute little neck of yours!â
Gundham was rudely tugged away from his inner thoughts by the horrid sensation of...well, he didnât quite know exactly what it was, but it was enough to make him explode with powerful belly laughter. âAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!â His lower half thrashed to and fro violently as if his very existence itself was determined to escape this predicament. âWH-WHAHAT IS THAHAHAHAHAT?!â
âWhat, youâve never had a raspberry before?â Sonia asked dumbfoundedly, momentarily dropping her sadistic creature act. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at things), she recovered just as quickly. âWell then, Iâll guess weâll just have to make up for it now~!â Preparing herself with a dramatically loud inhalation of breath, she blew against the otherâs typically concealed neck once again.
To say that Gundham was hysterical wouldâve been a major understatement; his throaty cackles were reverberating off the walls with the intensity of a clap of thunder. âNOHOHOHOHOHOOO!â he wailed desperately as yet another raspberry was delivered, creeping up to the edge of his sanity, clutching the otherâs long strands of hair weakly. âIHI YIEHEHEHEHELD!â he cried out at last. âM-MEHEERCEEEHEHEHEE!â
With this dire call for reprieve, Sonia ceased her consensual torment immediately. Her smile melted back into the warm one others were more accustomed to seeing, and she delicately rubbed her thumb underneath the edge of his jawline. âOh, love...Iâm sorry, I got a bit carried away,â she mumbled sheepishly. âI do hope I didnât go too far...did I?â
Taking some time to steady his breathing to a level he was satisfied with, Gundham gently shook his head. âI...I found that to be quite...entertaining,â he admitted in a hushed whisper, as though he was uttering a forgotten secret, his eyes shifting around the room awkwardly. âTh-thank you, my bunnyâŚâ
Sonia felt her own face grow hot at the sound of the beloved nickname, not hesitating to plant a kiss of appreciation on the tip of the otherâs nose. âOf course!â
Gundham sighed as he wrapped his arms around her slender frame. She was a devious little minx, that much was for certain, and heâd managed to get tightly coiled around her little finger...
#writing#fanfiction#danganronpa#gundham tanaka#sonia nevermind#sondam#tickle#tickling#tickles#tickled#ticklish#my stuff#lmao this is the most self indulgent shit ive ever made
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AnY Chapter 204 Review
It was a good chapter, although politically, it disappointed me.
There have been debates among readers about whether or not Su-Won was in character. The way he compartmentalized everything (but now slowly failing to do so) was, but I don't know about how hastily he jumped to kill Mei-nyan. Honestly a very Su-Won thing to do would rather be to pretend to accept her offer, use her knowledge to win the war, then kill her after. Did the thought of taking her hostage NOT occur to him? What happened to the king who seeks to minimize sacrifices? Who strategizes the most efficient path?
This time, it seems he had no patience for that because she went into a tirade about Hiryuu being great. As Soo-Won believes that blood-relation doesn't just entitle you to anything (as expected, he killed his own uncle), the fact that this applied to Mei may have played into Soo-Won's resentment to think it was better if she was killed, as she seemed no different from Il.
Evil Twins mistranslated this, but Su-Won does NOT say that he got ill after ascending the throne - Mei-Nyan tells him he âshould be aware of the existence of King Hiryuuâ which triggers the headache and flashback of Il that weâve seen 5 times now. Phew, does this traumatize him.Â
Now we have actually seen such a similar expression before! On his mother!Â
âThe beautiful hair caused Yon-Hi to remember the existence of King Hiryuuâ
Does the pain get stronger the more aware the descendants are of King Hiryuu? A legitimate question of what causes the illness to sprout.Â
Su-Wonâs response in return, âIâm so fed up with it (the pain)â shows he is at his wits end now because this woman triggered yet another headache because she made him think of King Hiryuu. Â
He says his thoughts aloud, clearly for the first time, âI wonder why the reincarnation of King Hiryuu and the dragons were born.â
Hearing the outright rejection of King Hiryuu, Yona is petrified.Â
And itâs interesting, because she has never heard this direct attack on who she is until this point. We as readers have seen Su-Won reject God, so, SO many times to count. This is the first time Yona sees it in the present. This is the first time she also sees it directed straight at her.Â
Because itâs pretty much Su-Won wishing Yona was never born, right?Â
Until the betrayal, they had a genuine friendship, and even then Su-Won clearly still cared about her, so surely Yona had never imagined that Su-Won would ever say something like this, that it would be nice if she were never born. It is quite jarring. Were the years they spent all a lie, then?Â
Moving on, we then see Mei-nyan understanding that negotiations have collapsed. She begins to freak out, and when Hyoo-ri appears, she bolts.Â
I must say, for supposedly a strategist, Mei-nyan was pretty naive and reckless. It appears that the others were prepared to kill her prior to this meeting, but she comes thinking her talk would succeed. She doesn't even think of a back-up plan in the case the king doesn't agree.
She doesn't even tell Su-Won that she was previously a general. We all know, being a general is 100x more valuable to him then being a descendant or a concubine with false intel, any day.
I can argue that the negotiations might have not failed if she'd not talked about Hiryuu and instead about being a general or how shitty Kai treated her and how she actually is loyal to Kouka. She is reckless, that one! How did she ever become a general with such a personality?!?! People like her certainly donât live long.Â
Luckily, Jae-ha appears to save the day. And I actually really like this scene, because... Mei-Nyan is clearly affected by how the same dragon who vowed to protect Yona and did not let Mei-Nyan hit her, is NOW protecting her.Â
This is what she always wanted, and she is shooooook. Look at her pained eyebrows. I feel for Mei-nyan here. Also Jae-ha, ouch.Â
Yona runs to save the day with her merciful nature, as she always seems to do. Kye-Sook, who finds it a âquaintâ quality like her late father, asks her to stand down. (most hilarious line)Â
Then Yona asks Su-Won for his opinion, but Su-Won, who was already in annoyed mode, is now directing it towards Yona, who has come running to interfere. He is fed up thinking about it and does not want to deal with her.Â
Yona still does not back down. âTurn over here! Even if you donât need me, even if youâre fed up, look me in the eye and talk!âÂ
Very strong words. Until this I have never seen Yona be so direct with Su-Won, even if she harbored hatred, even if she was very calm. And this probably is because she felt rather hurt by Su-Wonâs words. Understandable.
Next we see Su-Won explode: âI already said, this doesnât concern you!âÂ
OKAY we get it Su-Won, calm the F down.Â
Yeeeeeesh, this rude spitting viper is the same guy who was only gentle and kind with his younger cousin??????Â
letâs be honest if Hak saw Su-Won shouting at Yona he would wreck him 100x harder than he already wanted to
.....Perhaps we should just accept that familial ties donât matter to this dude, especially if youâre a King Hiryuu reincarnation telepathically blowing his brains out because he doesnât pay you enough attention. Can you blame him?
His line is rather ambiguous though. Does he mean it like, âstop being a fucking nuisance, Iâm the king right now, this concerns me not youâÂ
OR is it like, âthis conflict I have with King Hiryuu doesnât concern you, you are Yona!â Maybe he doesnât want Yona to feel bad about being born like his mother did?Â
Maybe he is struggling with both meanings. Who knows. Â
Now, after that Yona attempts to make him see past the entire conflict with Mei-nyanâs interest in Hiryuu and the dragons AND the fact that she has knowledge of the secret.Â
And IÂ can see Yona's point. Yon-Hi's existential crisis, seeing a red haired girl "steal" what belonged to her clan, is similar to Mei-nyan's.Â
It makes sense. Why should he be so quick to kill her? She has clearly suffered herself.Â
It seems like Su-Won wasn't thinking straight and realized later that he isn't just his father's son, but also his mother's, because now, he lightens her fate to imprisonment. Yes, imprisonment. Letting this woman go is obviously not the right idea either, especially after they acted so hostile to her, no guarantee that she still wants to negotiate.Â
The big mistake though, is that everyone from Kouka, even Yona, underestimated Mei. None of them know that she could easily break out of jail if she wished. Even while in pain from the Crimson illness, sheâs able to wound (possibly kill!) these soldiers.Â
....Except our favorite MC Hak, doing 6000+ sit-ups like itâs nothing, is about to know!!!!!!Â
I think Hak will the one to learn this first, and I actually think they could form some alliance based on being ex-generals. This girl will fill Hak in on wtf the Crimson illness is, and we might finally see Hakâs reaction -- OH SHIT, Su-Won actually hates something??? Maybe Hakâs beloved Princess is more involved with that than heâd like.Â
I don't think they will go a love triangle of Hak-Mei-Yona route, at least I really hope not, because Hak is loyal af and that does not need to change one bit. At most it'd be funny to see Yona get slightly jealous but honestly I'm not sure if that's necessary either.Â
Anyway! I would have preferred Mei-nyan stayed an antagonist rather than yet another talk-no-jutsu ally of Yonaâs. But okay. Weâll see where this goes, along with the reasons Hiryuu even came down to Earth to start with.Â
(On a side note, Zeno was great this chapter, wasnât he? I missed hearing his words of wisdom)
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So As Yet Unsent did a number on me and got me to love Judith. It also left me wanting to write something for the research she did before going to proposition Marta. And so here is that something! A series of three narrative poems about Judith gradually working up the nerve to ask Marta:
The first time you read one You had been walking through the halls To find and spy an excited gaggle Gathered around and whispering On just how hard it had been for Them to sneak this into the shipments. Those composed there heard you step, One shooting upright with a salute While another swore and asked Just what was up only to look right And see you standing there Spine erect, face grim and firm. He blanched at the sight seen And lost the words in his throat And all his years of training too Until you reminded him of them. Each head there rose one by one, Hands folded behind their back neatly, And you did not even interrogate them But instead demanded outright and bald For whatever contraband theyâd snuck in To be handed over to you now Before more serious measures be taken. One made a comment, an argument, Saying there was none to be found And that he was quite confused as to why Youâd even think to ask them of that. You asked him if he thought you stupid, To which he answered âNo, sirâ, smartly, To which you said you thought him stupid. Very. A smart one meanwhile pushed out her hands To reveal a book with a silly title And an even sillier cover, A truly stupid prize to sneak through customs. You frowned and thought to yourself How a kinder officer would let it slide, But you were the image of the Second House And with it the image of the Cohort, There could be no quarter given, So you snatched the book from those hands Barely giving it or her a glance. Then you ordered them off on a run With a note that youâd be going up And informing their superiors in due time. Later that night, such as theyâre counted Up in the dead expanse of the stars, You looked down at the book Which sat with a stack of flimsies on your desk Ready to be sent off and be disposed of. It wasnât the first romance youâd seen Of this very specific subject matter, But it was the first youâd held admittedly. You looked over its cover again With its handsome, strapping cavalier Whose coat was not to code, collar open, And in whose arms lay a shrinking adept, Eyes closed serenely, lips lightly parted. You sneered at the thing and thought Of how it and the flimises would be off soon, Heading further down the bureaucratic chain. But instead of grabbing them each and all To be carried off and away as needed, You picked up the book with a scoff And you opened it to a random page To give it a slight read before it burned. The dialogue was atrocious, first off, And the narration lingered too long, Being overly fond of outfits and lamps and more. It was a horrible book in truth, But you turned to its first page feeling bored And set to reading it right through that night. There hadnât been a new book in weeks, And you were just growing so tired Of the stack of ones already read. This is what you told yourself that night As you read through the whole tome Until eventually you were through it all And its whole sordid tale Of a cavalier and their necromancer. It was the first youâd read.
--
The second time you read one You actually read a set of three together. They were from three authors And from three subgenres, Sharing only one thing in common: A love between a cav and their adept. These books youâd gathered for yourself Based off the writings youâd seen In book magazines on your off days And based off the talk youâd heard Among others in the cafeteria. It was something of a pain, it was, Paying off person after person again In search of these three particular books While leaving behind you a trail Too confounding to be traced to you. For should you be found out about Youâd be called a hypocrite by your men, And soon the word would spread around About Judith Deuterosâ unseemly interests. Thankfully your years of tearing apart smuggling rings Had taught you well how to travel and talk, So you felt yourself quite safe As you gathered up your secret finds. Yet safety had or no, you hid them carefully And you moved through each slowly, Fearing every last noise you heard reading Was someone noticing your newfound habit. These books werenât much better than the first, Is what you told yourself those days After having read through them each. As the dialogue was still off in all three, And the one loved adverbs far, far too much, And you only needed see one love triangle To know you never wanted to see another. And of the whole lot you felt the worst Was the one about the Cohort pair, For nothing was accurate in the least, And everyone would be court martialed At least nine times over, God willing. That was assuming the pair ever left training, Which you thought was very doubtful. Yet in the nights after reading it When you had disposed of them each and all, It was that Cohort book you thought of And neither of the other two, Though they were slightly less awful. The cavalier was nothing like Marta. They were overbold and cared not for order. At the best youâd called them a fool, But for all your unkind words to the cav You had far colder ones for the adept, In whom you saw none of yourself. Yet as you lay in bed one night You thought of one moment halfway in the book Where the adept had cornered their cav, Pressing them to a wall before a mission That was sure to kill them both at last. Youâd thought of how the cav rebuffed them And how you thought that very proper, But the adept had pressed on And refused to back away or let up As they asked one very important question: They ask you and expect you to die for me, But they tell me I canât feel a thing for you? Why is that the case? How is that fair? There was an argument after those words, Which was smoothed over by a kiss, Sudden and fierce, which saved The cav from having to answer that âWhy?â You told yourself this was stupid. You told yourself you hated it. Yet you thought to yourself at night On those missions now past Where youâd seen Marta glorious And youâd seen her vulnerable too. You thought of all the talks you had Just the two of your together And the ease at which they flowed, As with no other person you knew. You thought of esprit de corps and how, Though you felt connected to your fellows More than with any civilian you had ever known, That there was a connection unique to her. There was a bond between the two of you Tighter than any other you held, And they asked her to die for you While demanding you feel nothing on that. Why?
--
The third time you read oneIt wasnât a novel you read, really,As the book was one part essay, one part storyAnd most of all it was a treatise and memoire.This one youâd found while perusing throughThe Sixth Houseâs vast libraries duringA very rare Sixth House ballWhich you found even more dull thanAll the other balls youâd gone to,Be they of the Third or of the Fifth.So as the Sixth took to the their booksOver the drinking and the dancing,So did you set to your own researches.Normally at one of these events,You would stand with Marta together,Back erect, face grim and firm,Rebuffing the attempts of those about youTo get you to dance or to laugh or whatever else,And the Thirdâs princess was always the hardestFor you to shake off, for private reasons.But Coronabeth was not here, thank God,And this was no Third House ball but a Sixth one,Which left you with this one and only chanceTo search through their vast storesOf knowledge you thought unworthy of preservation.Your search was a secretive oneOf which you didnât even tell Marta,Having left her side saying onlyThat you were going to the bathroom,And adding that she was free to enjoy the festivities.To which she laughed a bit,Because what festivities were there here?You smiled and told her to seek outAnother who loved those same books thatThe two of you had first bonded over.So you had left her to go and lookFor books on the subject of thatMost great and mighty of taboos,Of which you dared not say word to Marta of.The search was seemingly fruitless.At first because certain libraries hereWere off limits to the party guests,Then next because the one youâd found hadOnly an endless treasure troveOf mystery novels spanning centuries on,Till at last you had to admit to yourselfThat the Sixthâs knowledge hoards hadA scheme that not even you could navigate alone.So, nervously, you stepped up to a SixthWith her nose buried in a bookAnd you asked her outright, bald,Trying your best to seem nonchalant,If the Sixth held any books at allOn the matter of necros and cavs joined together,Not just by tradition, but by romance.She raised a brow at you standing there,The proper daughter of the fleet admiral,Asking for books on a most improper topic,But when she saw you budge not one bitShe shrugged her shoulders and led you offTo a part of the library youâd passed six times before.As you waited and watched, heart pounding,She pulled forth a book with a cover, nondescript.She handed it to you saying lazilyTo leave it on one of the carts when you finished.You thanked her formally and hoped thatNeither your face nor your step saidAnything about your mood or your intent.You were scared, to be truthful.More scared than you ever had beenIn the bustle of open combat,Because at least battle you understoodAnd because however it was you died on the fieldYour father would stand up and would sayOf you, his daughter, that never hadThere been a more proper Second toHave ever graced these Nine Houses.That you were a Second House heir so properThat a woman with a career so promisingAs the most esteemed Marta Dyas Had put aside those far off starsTo take her cavalier vows for life,Binding you as necro and cav.Between freedom and glory afar,She had picked you above them bothWhen you had only girlish hopesThat even your father told youWere far too high and likely to fail.So as you read that book thereHidden in a Sixth House nookYou were more scared than ever before,Because you were looking for an answerTo an argument you had with yourselfOver whether there was any chance at allFor you and your girlish hopes.What you found was not what you wanted,As the author went on and on about thingsThat were tangential at best to what you sought.You read about her overbearing father andYou read about her merciless DI andYou read about a friend you thought the cavUntil said friend died without one whisperOf those four words that haunted youBecause they held you back from a more wanted three.It took you a good hour to get to it,And that came with some skimmingThrough page after page about things you cared not for,But you finally found it tucked awayIn the middle of that book: an essay on necros and cavs.The essay spanned only four pages longAnd it did not go into much detailAbout the relationship between the twoIn a personal and intimate sense.Instead she spoke primarily of herselfAnd of her ever growing shameAnd of her ever expanding list of questionsOn whether the arguments in praise of that shameHeld any weight to them at all.She spoke too of how setting love aside,Trying to pretend she felt none of it,Had done her no good at all.It had led to an argument, in fact,Between her and her cavalierWho could not understand whyShe had been so cagey all the timeWhen before sheâd been so open, so free.This was the most you ever got to seeOf the cavalier herself beyondThat she too was a Cohort woman.You read and you read and you readBefore rereading the whole thing againTrying to tell yourself it was stupidAnd that the author was stupid too.You shut the book in disgust, sneering,And you dropped it off in a cart sayingHow you couldnât see how the SixthCould think this thing worth preserving.Then you went back to find MartaWho asked you where youâd beenTo which you said youâd been accostedBy the Sixth House bookworms askingWhat you had most recently read,At which she laughed and said âVicious arenât they?âYou smiled and agreed and said nothing more.And six weeks later you lay in bedThinking to yourself on that essayAnd the arguments held within it.Six weeks later you told yourselfThat perhaps it might be okay, after all,And that the very next day youâd sayTo Marta that you felt something more.
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I don't want to start fights, but don't you think you may be going way too far with the salt? It's one thing to not be happy with the way a show ended(and so many people think S5 was great, so you are in a huge minority already), but to insult the showrunner because *one* ship didn't become canon is going too far, mate. Catradora was there from the start, and Catra had an amazing redemption arc. Then again, I am just one person, so idk. Anyway, thanks. -Callum.
I actually respect Noelle Stevenson a lot: bringing a show like She-Ra all the way to its conclusion, producing seasons 1-4 (which are in fact really good), working hard for BLM, all while being out and proud in an industry that still has plenty of bigots around - these are legitimate achievements that are worthy of respect.
However.
1) I donât give a shit how many people liked S5. I am allowed my own opinions on my own blog. If you donât like my opinions the block button is right there. Telling me that a lot of fans like the season is an irrelevant data point because my opinions are not subject to majority vote.
2) Catradora was part of the disappointment that was S5, but it was far from the only thing. The strong ensemble cast, one of the best things about the show, is underused; every redemption arc is utterly weightless (Catraâs isnât the worst but itâs still badly undercooked, of which more later), Glimmer and Bow are barely relevant despite the BFS being the showâs actual beating heart (I know Noelle says Catradora was supposed to be the heart but itâs never felt like that to me), everything related to Catra and Adoraâs relationship feels forced, out-of-character and clumsy, the resolution is tied to a bullshit save-the-world button with unclear results, long-running elements like Adoraâs family or the Catra/Shadow Weaver parallels are ditched in favour of coming up with dumb answers about what Greyskull means, and the writing is just kind of bad.
It has good elements - I loved the Star Siblings, I liked having Entrapta actually deal with the consequences of her actions, Melog and Wrong Hordak were good additions, and âPeril of Peekablueâ was excellent, on par with something like âMer-Mysteriesâ - but the season was considerably worse than all the others.
Like, I actually went into S5 going âThe most likely outcome here is Catradora canon, but hey, maybe this will be the season that sells me on itâ and it wasnât. It really, really wasnât.
3) Catradora was there from the start, but it was also badly done from the start and S5 did not meaningfully improve it. Itâs actually my go-to on how not to tell an enemies-to-lovers arc because the âenemiesâ part is really prolonged, heavily emphasised, toxic, unpleasant, emotionally wearing and vicious and the âtoâ is super rushed and clumsy (of which more in the next bullet point). From "The Promiseâ to the end of season 4, there are no moments where Catra and Adoraâs emotional connection does anything to soften the hostility; if anything, it makes Catra worse because it adds a really cruel and personal note to the whole thing.
Then S5 executes on it badly because it relies heavily on papering over inconvenient events and character development instead of trying to build organically on what has happened before. Catra telling Adora, âYou never gave up on anything, not even me,â is my go-to example of this, because she did. It was the S3 climax and a huge moment for Adoraâs personal arc! And then the show even reinforced it by having Adora throw a robot directly at Catraâs face with pretty unambiguous intent to kill, or at least severely wound, in "Flutterinaâ. But itâs not dealt with; instead, we get one questionable line of dialogue about pretending it never happened. Having Adora admit she was wrong to give up on Catra and swearing never to do so again could have been a really powerful moment, but instead of trying to do anything with the thing we saw happen onscreen, itâs just shoved under the rug. Itâs bad writing and a huge waste of interesting potential. (Itâs also bad planting and payoff; we get the setup in S3, the reminder in S4, and then itâs outright retconned away.)
4) Catraâs redemption arc is actually kind of bad. Itâs not as bad as Hordakâs, which I only barely consider a redemption arc because itâs super truncated and he never admits to even doing anything wrong, but itâs bad.
First, itâs super fucking rushed. Literal years of seething, constantly building resentment disappear offscreen; thereâs never a point where she meaningfully grapples with it or comes to realise that being âShadow Weaverâs favouriteâ was also a hellish experience just in different ways. She does her one big redemptive act, gets forgiven instantly by everyone (including Adora, for whom it feels badly out of character given the aforementioned giving-up, her suspicion in âPrincess Promâ before Catra had even tried to ruin her life once let alone six times, etc.), and her resentment just...vanishes in one hand-hold. It was her defining personality trait and the underlying cause for most of her time as an antagonist; it really should have been, you know, dealt with, instead of just forgotten. It does try to deal with her anger issues and problems expressing vulnerability, but thatâs like saying that now that Azula has agreed not to torture small animals everything is fine; itâs far from the deepest issue here and pretending otherwise does the character and the show a disservice.
Worse than that, nothing she actually did feels like it means anything because the show just shoves it all under the rug. Iâm not asking that she spend an episode personally making it up to each person sheâs harmed a la Zuko, not least because after her participation in the sack of Salineas thatâs more episodes than a long-running daytime soap opera, but at the very least using her actions in seasons 1-4 for something could have led to some really interesting scenes and good character moments and all that potential is instead just wasted. Angellaâs death is just plum forgotten despite how important it was last season; the parallels between Catraâs actions in âWhite Outâ and Horde Primeâs chips are never explored; the Shadow Weaver parallels the showâs been building for four seasons and explicitly stated in the graphic novel tie-in are just ditched and nothing ever comes of them; everyone who might not forgive Catra in under five minutes is mind-controlled until the season is almost over, contributing to the sidelining of the strong ensemble cast. It just feels like they didnât know how to square Catraâs actions in seasons 2-4 with how they wanted her arc to end, so they just opted to pretend those actions never happened, and as a direct result the whole mess lacks texture and weight and doesnât feel like a satisfying development for her story. It never feels like sheâs dealing with the consequences for her actions, because her actions donât have consequences.
Noelle once said that the driving question for Catra was âwhat happens when youâre the toxic friendâ, and now we have the answer: nothing. Catra faces no long-term consequences for being the toxic friend. Perfumaâs one minute of being angry is the longest gap between Catra seeming sad and Catra getting forgiven. Nothing she did matters in the long run except in the sense that sheâs kind of sad about them in aggregate. None of her bridges are burned so badly they canât be fixed. And thatâs a bad answer, because in real life when youâre the toxic friend people do refuse to forgive you instantly when you say sorry. Relationships do get trashed so badly they never recover. The pain you cause matters, and the traits that made you the toxic friend take work to overcome...unless youâre Catra, in which case the pain you cause suddenly stops mattering and your issues can be dealt with in under an hour offscreen.
Or at least, thatâs my attitude. Like, if you liked the season, Iâm not saying youâre an idiot or have bad taste. But I hated it. It could maybe have been good if it had been two seasons, actually allow Catraâs arc to breathe instead of speedrunning the whole thing, done more with the ensemble cast etc., but what we got was a rushed mess and telling me that âlots of people liked the rushed mess actuallyâ is not relevant to that assessment.
(Just as a side note, if you really donât want to start a fight, Iâm not sure sending passive-aggressive asks to the tune of âhave you considered that your opinions are Wrong actually and mine are Rightâ is the best way to go about it.)
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Askplosion #11:
(note that I know I mentioned a âVoiced Askplosionâ last time in the tags for anyone who put a đ¤ in their ask, meaning they wanted to hear me respond verbally to it, but I only got one and it wasnât anything serious - just a tease from someone I know - so I either wonât be doing it at all or will be holding off)
Asks responding to previous posts:
ALYA NO!!!
(the idea of Sabrina avoiding not only Ms. Mendeleiev, but also Alya, is very amusing to me)
The fact that the special focuses on the love square instead of Sabrina and Delmar is a crime.
(also note that âNeed some help?â is rhetorical in this context; Alya doesnât care)
Highly recommended, honestly, otherwise it just turns into a big shame because there are shows I really like but with some content that I donât like, and why torture myself with it when I can cut it out instead?
Just to give a rough idea, hereâs my cut of âDesperadaâ; mind you, this is just my quick cut of it (basically a âbetaâ version where I just removed everything I disliked without much care for transitioning/having everything make sense; some of Marinetteâs friends talking, the guitar scene, Aspik, etcetera), as Iâm not comfortable handing over my âperfectâ cut of it since itâs like my personal copy.
Yeah, thatâs a super awkward scene. As much as Iâd like to imagine that Adrien just doesnât understand the âguy timeâ thing (which I still hate), the fact that they use the word âguyâ specifically is--ugh.
I wasnât aware of what he said in the French dub, so thanks! Itâs really painful to see her throw so much love his way, openly and publicly and obviously, then be so humiliated for it, only for Adrien to feel nothing for her.
Say whatever you want about Chat Noirâs advances and how sAAAAAAD he is when she rejects him, but her rejections are just that; in private. There arenât other heroes who are around and Chat is never really humiliated. Even in âPrime Queen,â Chat wasnât the target - Ladybug was, and then Ladybug shifted it to Nadja - so Marinette is the one taking all the heat in love while Chat gets to sit on the sidelines (plus, then âOblivioâ happened and now people probably all thing theyâre a thing).
Yeah! Thatâs the group I was thinking of!
Thank you!
Iâm so sorry that happened. ;â;
Iâm not aro but I am ace and Iâve gotten the whole, âoh itâs just because--â stuff before, so I know what it feels like to have people put on the pressure/invalidate you.
YES.
ITâS GORGEOUS.
Iâm not really familiar with how holidays are celebrated outside of the bare basics of Christmas/New Year (which I am trying my hardest to forget lol), so I couldnât say.
Sorry!
New Asks:
10/10 thought, would fantasize again.
Though would also accept MC Audrey just doing some âspring cleaningâ of the whole staff in general. I have no idea how sheâd replace Jeremy since heâs the companyâs poster boy but most of the writers have to go at the very least and Jeremy should be given less power.
I think MC Audrey would appreciate how Kagami carries herself, though potential bonus if - while Tom and Sabine just openly trust whatever Marinette wants - Audrey does a bunch of digging to make sure Kagami is âworthyâ of being with Marinette (she takes this all very seriously).
Double potential bonus if Kagami takes it just as seriously, so hereâs Audrey and Kagami acting as if Kagami dating Marinette is like some sort of job interview.
Kagami handing over a âresumeâ of her accomplishments to Audrey. Audrey has already looked all of it up herself but appreciates the effort put in.
If the question in Miraculous is, âDo we really need a--â and the thing being introduced is something the staff came up with then the answer is usually âno.â
The movie will look pretty and thatâs all Iâll expect. Itâs just Jeremyâs take on Miraculous. Luka and Kagami probably wonât even be around so Iâm not even interested.
Iâll watch it, but Iâm also not interested lol.
Honestly, Iâd rather turn into bubble froth.
oddly specific but... I mean, damn
I have no idea, and I try not to throw around words like âspite shipâ because I know people could genuinely like the ship, though I will say that I went on AO3 and - unless I read from - the first Maribat fanfiction on there was posted after the airdate of âChameleon.â I think it mightâve started with inspiration from âMarinette moves schoolsâ ideas at the very least.
Non-Miraculous Asks responding to previous posts:
Oh, I understood, no worries! It was just funny for the split second it took me to figure it out.
My bad, thatâs not how I meant to come off (especially since âmagical girl showsâ is a little broad; I mean, obviously I donât think something like Cardcaptor Sakura is aiming for fanservice when Sakuraâs--like... ten). I answered all those asks in the last askplosion in the same day so my brain was a little fried by the time I got to that ask.
Iâm not even talking about Sailor Moon either; itâs just that I knew there are shows with fanservice and there are certain magical girl outfits where I kind of give the side-eye.
Absolutely zero problem with girls fighting in pretty outfits though. I fully admit that Iâm a bit of a prude so sometimes I see fanservice where there might not be any. Super short skirts without shorts, for example, inherently throw me off (shout-out to Saint Tail - which I discovered while looking up âpretty magical girl outfitsâ - because the main character does have a skirt in âmagical girlâ form but also tights/boots and a cute hat, which is one of the more unique ones Iâve seen).
Non-Miraculous Asks:
Do you mean Sailor Moon Crystal? Yeah, the only reason I hesitate on Sailor Moon in general is because Iâm not crazy about the transformed designs. Itâs not really a matter of animation but more a design choice that takes me out of the experience.
I have seen all of Cardcaptor Sakura anime though, and then all of the Clear Card arc. I like the former, despise the latter, and I tried to keep up with the manga but once one of the big plot details were revealed, I officially dropped it.
As for Revolutionary Girl Utena, I looked it up a while ago and donât remember what exactly turned me away. It mightâve been the darker tone though if what you say is accurate that itâs a darker take on a magical girl show.
Also, I may or may not have looked up the ending of at least Princess Tutu and Iâm sorry, Iâm sure itâs a great anime, but if there isnât a happy ending then I give whatever anime a hard pass.
(note: yes, I realize the hilarity of saying that when I continue watching Miraculous)
-
(More Madoka Magica talk/salt below!)
Ohhh, it started a trend? I had no idea since I donât actively keep up with every anime out there; descriptions need to really pull me in (the only current anime Iâm keeping up with is Hanyou no Yashahime, Otherside Picnic, and Cells at Work (Season 2)).
The focus on specific--uh--body parts in magical girl transformations also reminds me that I think thatâs usually what kills it for me, not because of the sexualization but because I expect transformations (especially ones that get repeated over and over) to be really dynamic with changing angles and such, which is harder to do when the camera is trying to draw focus to specific places.
Obviously you have to do it for some moments (Iâve always imagined Miraculous transformations like a potential sheep or another one for rabbit, then rabbit!Jean from Leave for Mendeleiev and fox!Juleka from LadyBugOut) because things will be weird if you focus on nothing, but I think there are ways to draw the eye without trying to sexualize.
Not having Ladybug-esque bodysuits is a good start. It reminds me too much of the Catwoman with just a bodysuit so it leaves nothing to the imagination.
How did I forget about that Sayaka scene? omg (though I dunno if the Bechdel Test is hard to pass if there arenât really any endgame male love interests? are there rules about that? not saying a pass isnât a pass but it feels like cheating)
It is nice when fans can respect the opinions of others without having to outright attack. I have had a few people come to me with, âI see your point/respect it even if I disagree,â instead of accusing me/others of--well, you get it.
Fandoms can be really messy, particularly as they get larger. I think thereâs a certain balance between small fandoms that all know each other and a big fandom thatâs out of control. Then there are things like âloud minorityâ and itâs just uggggh.
Anyway, back to the asks themselves, yeah, Iâm not crazy about taking things that are just meant to be positive/cute/whatever and being like, âOKAY BUT WHAT IF IT WAS EDGY AND SAD.â
n o , p l z
Oh, Iâve never heard of that one!
Sayaka dying didnât really do anything for me either. Itâs hard to explain when I saw it so long ago, but it was just Sayakaâs attitude about the whole thing and it made it feel underwhelming. It was a shame too because I liked her and she had potential.
She was Madokaâs friend so I was just like, âYeah, sheâll die soon.â Probably didnât help since I knew what I knew about the show being âdark.â
Madoka/Sayaka is probably what Iâd support the most out of all the potential shoujo ai ships. To my knowledge, none of them are really canon, though I remember a special song after the death Sayaka and Kyoko which I guess makes them the most canon and that did basically nothing for me since their relationship didnât interest me (nor did I care for Kyoko as a character). The PSP game might have more intimate potential between the girls, but I never played them so I canât make those claims (I only remember something about everyone potentially living and then a bad ending for Sayaka where part of her body was decayed when they didnât get her soul gem back in time).
The tomboy argument makes me think back to a conversation with a friend of mine where we were discussing tomboys in anime and... we couldnât really think of any? At least any that really qualify as âtomboyâ for me.
Like, Misty from Pokemon, for example. I knoooooow everyone really likes Misty, but regardless of my opinion on her, itâs hard to see her as a tomboy.
I feel like they try to lean that way by making her super aggressive and violent (because... m E N) and I think Ash makes a comment once about her not being âlike a girl,â but... I feel like thatâs just how general âaggressiveâ female characters are written?
I mean, thatâs tsundere female characters Iâve seen in general. Really loud (and not in a âgIrlS aRe sO lOuD aND ScReEcHYâ way but like... the way anime gives them big heads while they scream at whatever male character theyâre mad at), angry a lot, short fuse, etcetera.
But Misty is still crazy about clothes and dolls, she still gushes about cute things and romance, and both of those things seem pretty indicative of what âstandard girl characterâ would be defined by, since theyâre all âstereotypically girl thingâ (I say stereotypically for obvious reasons since boys can like blah and girls can like blah and gender exclusivity is blah--). I get that she dresses differently, but thatâs about it, and it comes off like, âshe dresses differently and sheâs ANGRY and VIOLENT, so sheâs a tomboy,â which... yeah. They even gave her three beauty queen sisters with CURVES and BUSTS as if to say, âSee?? These are GIRLS, not TOMBOYS.â (busty females can exist who are also tomboys, thank you have a nice day).
This becomes more complicated in magical girl anime since girly clothes are usually part of that so âtomboyâ means that frills and skirts probably wouldnât be a factor.
I mean, if you gave those sorts of outfits to me, Iâd be like, âSCREW IT, IâM NOT A MAGICAL GIRL ANYMORE. IF LOOKING PRETTY IS REDUCED TO SKIRTS AND FRILLS, SOMEONE ELSE CAN SAVE THE WORLD.â
Iâd also like to see some mixes between personalites and âtomboyâ things. Like, non-stereotypical tomboy personalities doing tomboy things. Mix and match, yâknow?
This was really rambly, but to answer the question... no, I wouldnât count Sayaka as a tomboy.
All of this.
I think it also exemplifies the whole âdark and edgy magical girl showâ thing because... ugh, how do I put this...
The âgirls are overly emotionalâ thing is already bad, but then you realize that there not being any magical boys is also because that doesnât hit the âshock valueâ threshold as much.
Yâknow, because boys equal dark and edgy shows, so if there was even one magical boy it wouldnât be as shocking when Mami gets her head chomped. They couldâve done, âemotional teenagers are the target because theyâre in that vulnerable stage; smarter and more physically capable than children, but not as mature/stable as adults,â but having some boys in there for balance (it makes me feel weird saying that when Iâm all for girl power shows with an all female cast, but in this showâs logic, itâs a different ball game) would make the show seem less bright and âgirlyâ and thus lessen the shock value.
Does that make sense?
#((Aspies who also deal with Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder))#((how do you do iiiiiit))#((my usual methods aren't working and I'm constantly sluggiiiish))#category: trash#special: Miraculous New York#MC's Art#art: single picture#relationship: alya cesaire & sabrina raincomprix#category: salt#episode: Party Crasher#relationship: love square#relationship: adrien agreste & marinette dupain cheng#MC: Audrey Bourgeois#relationship: kagami tsurugi & marinette dupain cheng#character: marinette dupain cheng#other: non ml talk
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Something Worth Celebrating
Summary: Deanâs tired of Cas not understanding his not-so-subtle hints that heâs in love with him, so panics his way through using a movie to make his point clear, as if that makes any more sense.
Words: ~3.8k
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Dean never really celebrated his birthday, not in any way that mattered. It was a date that marked him maybe surviving another year, and he figured it couldnât be all that accurate a marker anymore given that heâd died so many times. Was he supposed to subtract the four months in Hell? Was his birthday now after Samâs? None of it mattered much, and he was not about to accidentally jinx himself or something by celebrating an arbitrary day. Instead, he grumbled all the way home about the snow and salted roads being bad for Baby, then immediately went to his room and started flipping through his movie collection with the hope a new case wouldnât come in for at least a few hours.
âDean?â Cas knocked once and swung the door halfway open. âWhat are you doing?â
âTrying to find something to watch. I figure I deserve a bit of R&R after the week weâve had.â
âOf course. Ghouls are never particularly pleasant, although the hunt went well, all things considered.â
âHell of a lot better than the last one. You stickinâ around for a while?â
âI have no plans to leave.â
Dean looked back down at the drawer full of DVDs and smiled softly. âGood. Itâs nice to have you here.â
âDean? Can I⌠watch the movie with you?â
âUh, yeah, as you wish.â
Deanâs hands shook slightly as he picked up a DVD case. It was dumbâso recklessly stupidâand if it didnât work out, heâd have to live with that, but Cas hadnât said a word about the mixtape. Not a damn thing about something heâd spent hours anxiously perfecting. Odds were good this would go over his head as well, but hey, at least they were spending time together. And not even Cas would leave during a movie unless there was an emergency, right?
âWhat are we watching?â Cas timidly sat on the edge of Deanâs bed, the usual comfort level gone as this was Deanâs space, and Cas had become nothing if not respectful of that boundary.
âA classic from my childhood.â
âItâs designed for children?â Cas narrowed his eyes and frowned.
âNo, itâsâitâs about⌠pirates and thieves, sacrifice, rewriting destinyââ The words slipped out of their own volition, as they werenât quite true, but then again, Dean wasnât solely focused on the plot of the film. âUm, itâs about overcoming evil forces, fighting for those you care about, and outsmarting the enemy.â
âNo cowboys?â
âNo cowboys,â Dean chuckled as he put The Princess Bride into the DVD player. He plopped down onto the bed and kicked his feet up, instinctively patting the place next to him so Cas wouldnât stay perched on the edge. âSettle in, I think youâre gonna like this one.â
Cas inched closer, far too conscious of Deanâs repeated complaints about lack of personal space to get close, but he let himself relax slightly as the movie started.
âThis time period is inconsistent with most pirate-centric media. Dean, what does this ill child have to do with the plot you described?â
âShh, just watch.â
Cas begrudgingly obliged, although biting his tongue was never his strong suit. Heâd joined Dean for enough movie nights to know his questions would not be answered, and silence was the preferred initial viewing stateâaside from laughter, that is; the uproarious joy that bellowed from his best friend never failed to elicit a smile from the angel.
The first few times he heard Westley say âAs you wishâ seemed inconsequential, as Dean had been incessantly quoting movies at him for years, and it wasnât difficult to see why he would relate to this roguish character. He was vaguely aware of Dean glancing back and forth between him and the screen, no doubt to make sure he was paying attention, a task that would be much easier if he didnât feel Deanâs eyes on him quite so often.
For the most part, Cas did well at keeping quiet, though certain absurdities in the movie had him itching to ask questions.
âWhat is the point of her throwing herself down this hill? I understand that itâs too steep for comfortable walking, but there has to be a more convenient way to reach the bottom.â
âI guess itâs supposed to be sort of romantic?â Dean shrugged. âSheâs just been reunited with Westley after believing heâd died; she doesnât want to waste time getting to him.â
âHmm.â Cas looked pensively at Dean for a moment, then turned back to the tv with a hint of a smile.
âDeath cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while,â Westley declared.
âDo you believe in the existence of true love, Dean?â Cas asked innocently.
âIâuhâumâIâm gonna go grab a drink,â Dean stammered. He did his best to nonchalantly leave the room, an action made far more difficult by his pounding heart. Once safely in the hallway, his pace quickened dramatically. If he was going to have a panic attack, itâd be away from prying eyes. Jack may have been at Jody and Donnaâs, but Sam was homeâhe couldnât see him like this. Diverting his path, he headed for the Dean Cave instead and sunk into one of the recliners.
He knew it was stupid to be panicking over something so small, but this was the closest heâd ever come to outright stating how he felt, and it was scary, goddammit. Growing up, he wouldâve been beaten for even entertaining the ideaâJohn didnât raise no goddamn fruitâand that intense unease had settled itself into his very being, become a core tenet of his identity. Undoing several decades of damage was more difficult than heâd ever imagined, but fucking hell, he wanted to try.
It took longer than heâd hoped for his breathing to return to normal, which amped up the fear that Cas would come looking for him, and he realized on his way to the kitchen that heâd probably need an excuse. He grabbed a couple beers out of the fridgeâmaybe Cas would drink one, maybe Dean would end up chugging bothâand turned to go back before thinking better of it. He pulled some popcorn out of the pantry and tossed it in the microwave, hoping Cas wouldnât know how quickly it cooked. Once it was done, Dean took a few deep breaths to steady himself, dumped the popcorn into a bowl, and walked as calmly as possible back to his room.
Coming back with a snack seemed to somewhat assuage Casâs concern for Dean having been gone so long, but Dean could tell he would be asked about it later.
âYou missed the Fire Swamp and something called the Pit of Despair? I canât find much validity in the mechanics of the machine, although the concept is interesting. Taking time off the end of life, which is by its very nature uncertain, rather than reducing to a set number of years.â
âTry not to think about it too hard.â Dean smirked, holding out the second beer as he settled in. Cas habitually accepted the offer, even though everything tasted like molecules. He didnât mind too much; partaking always seemed to make Dean happy, a sight Cas didnât see nearly enough.
âI agree with the pestering child on this one, killing off the hero of the story this early makes no sense. Unless, of course, they live in a world like ours? Is there someone who can return his soul to his physical form, as I did with you?â
Dean choked on the handful of popcorn heâd just stuffed in his mouth. Cas looked on, worried, as Dean coughed and took a swig of his beer.
âUh, no, nothing like that⌠Theyâll, uh, theyâll explain it.â
âHmm. Are you alright, Dean? You seem⌠preoccupied.â
âWhat? Iâm fine.â He picked up the bowl and held it out. âPopcorn?â
âDean.â Cas took it from him and set it further down the bed as he pivoted to face Dean, sliding a bent leg across the blanket between them.
Dean made a show of rolling his eyes. âI said Iâm fine, Cas. Youâre missing Billy Crystal.â
âWe could pause the movie, if youâd like. Ordinarily I wouldnât pushââ
Dean snorted. âYeah, sure. Can we just⌠not do this right now?â He raised his hands in resignation and let them drop without looking, one landing on the outside of his left thigh, the other on Casâs knee.
Dean immediately felt heat rush to his cheeks as they stared at each other, unmoving, for an undetermined amount of time. He was vaguely aware of the Miracle Max scene happening in the background, containing yet another discussion of true love, and he prayed Cas wasnât paying attention. This had to happen now?
âDean?â Cas asked softly, finally breaking the silence enveloping them despite the continuing movie, which was obviously oblivious to the quiet scene of bi panic unfolding in front of the screen. âYou seem uncomfortable and in distress. Can Iââ
âIâm fine!â Dean responded a little too loudly, too quickly. He jerked his hand back, unconsciously clenching and unclenching his fist, his thumb rubbing over his fingertips, as if trying to force the feeling of touching Casâs knee into his memory.
Cas continued to fix him with that concerned gaze he was all too familiar with, so he downed the rest of his beer as a distraction. Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he saw Cas run his own fingers over his leg exactly where Deanâs hand had been, but surely it was out of discomfort, right? Friendly pats on the back and occasionally the knee were common enough, but accidental lingering touches? Not so much.
âI need a refill. You?â Dean asked, although he didnât wait for an answer, once again quickly making his way down the hall.
âDude, are you okay?â
Dean just about dropped his empty bottle, having not noticed Sam seated at the kitchen table with some sort of preposterously healthy grain bowl in front of him.
âWill everyone stop asking me that?â he huffed, his free hand on his chest. âIâm fine.â He set the bottle on the island and pulled the fridge open. They were down to their last few beers, and, simultaneously thinking too much and not enough, Dean turned around to search for something stronger instead.
âDonât bullshit me.â Sam gave Dean his best bitch faceâprobably the best heâd seen in yearsâand stood, crossing his arms. âIs this about what happened with the ghoul? Because thereâs no way we couldâveââ
âYep, thatâs it. Congrats, Dr. Phil, youâve done whatever psych crap and managed to cure me. How on earth do you do it?â
âDean.â Sam followed him out of the kitchen and back toward the library, where theyâd most recently stashed their rolling booze cartâyet another feature of the bunker Dean still couldnât quite wrap his head around, although he had to admit it was rather nice.
âDonât âDeanâ me, Iâm fine. Itâs been a long week, cut me some slack.â He unscrewed the top of the whiskey bottle and poured a generous amount into a glass. Sam shot him another exasperated look. Dean sarcastically saluted as he backed out of the library.
He stopped just outside his door and took a quiet breath, releasing slowly, urging the tension in his chest out with it. He glanced in and couldnât help but soften at the view in front of him: Cas was engrossed in the wedding scene, albeit a bit confused by the clergyman. Dean watched him take a drink of his beer and wince, an instinct he almost always suppressed around others.
Once Inigo, Fezzik, and Westley were back on screen, Dean sauntered back in. Cas immediately turned and smiled at him, but his brow furrowed at the sight of the whiskey glass. Dean shrugged and took a sip, savoring the slight burn and the slow spreading warmth. He flashed Cas a reassuring grin as he sat down on his side of the bed.
Everything was fine, it had to be. Besides, Cas had definitely missed some important dialogue, so all Dean had to do was get through the end of the movie and shrug all his anxious behavior off as lingering effects of the hunt; there was a good chance Cas wouldnât believe him, but if he got adamant enough, heâd be left alone. Not that alone was what he really wanted, but it was better than rejected or ridiculed, and he was far too accustomed to being by himselfâyet another thing to thank his father for.
They got through the rest of the movie without another incident, even if the silence was a tad tense. As the credits rolled, Dean glanced over and noticed Cas was frowning.
âSo⌠uh, did you⌠did you like the movie?â
âI still have many questions that have gone unanswered. Or, rather, we were otherwise occupied while they were explained, I suppose.â
âWe did, uh, miss a few things.â
âAlso, Iâm no expert on the matter, but Iâm old enough to know with relative certainty that there have been kisses more âpassionate and pureâ than that one. I assume this particular kiss isnât leading to the consummation of their relationship, as carnal desire would prevent it from being pure, I suppose, but Iâm afraid I cannot agree with the storyâs assessment.â
âThe slow-burn romance wasnât drawn out enough for you, huh?â Dean laughed.
âShe only believed him dead twice, Dean. I think our own experiences have reduced the impact of that. Besides, their relationship required more exposition. With what we were given, you canât expect me to be truly invested.â
âMaybe she shouldâve died at least once, just to shake it up a bit.â
âMy sentiments exactly. Westley cannot understand the same levels of grief without experiencing it firsthand, and itâs always more interesting to allow characters beyond just the hero the chance to die. Imagine how monotonous our lives would be if we only consistently lost one of us.â
Dean closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, a goofy smile plastered on his face. His shoulders shook as he laughed, the bed eventually shuddering along with the movement.
âI donât understand whatâs so funny, Dean.â
âItâs just⌠Our lives are so ridiculous. No one else watches this and thinks itâs not realistic enough because only Westley dies and gets resurrected.â
âIâm aware itâs outside of the usual human experience, of course, but I also canât help butââ He paused, eyes widening slightly. âNever mind.â
âCâmon, Cas, you know you canât do that! Say it.â
âIâd really prefer keeping it to myself, thank you.â
âCas, dude, just say it.â
âYou wonât let this go, will you?â
âYou know I wonât.â Dean smirked.
âFine,â Cas sighed. âI canât help but see similarities between the characters and, well, our family.â
âOh, of course, I project us onto characters all the time! Iâm Westley, right?â
âButtercup, actually.â
âIââ The smile slipped from Deanâs face. âYou see me as the princess? Why?â
âYouâre both stubborn and remarkably willing to sacrifice yourself for those you love.â
âYou know, I did not show you this movie just so you could turn around and attack me,â Dean grumbled, but he flashed Cas a small smile so he wouldnât take the complaint too seriously.
âI feel itâs a proper evaluation of your character.â Cas shrugged and grinned back.
âDoes that make you Westley, then?â
It took Dean approximately two seconds after the words left his mouth to process what heâd said, fear twisting his stomach into knots as he realized the implications of it. Cas, on the other hand, chuckled quietly and looked down at his beer bottle.
âI suppose Westley saving Buttercup from the quicksand does mirror me pulling you out of Hell, at least a bit.â
âLightning sand. Way cooler than quicksand,â Dean corrected, latching on to anything that would distract from his question.
âAh, yes. Lightning sand. Itâs no match for Hell, but I donât need to tell you that.â
âYeah⌠Hey, I donât think Iâm ready to turn in for the night yet, would you want to watch something else? You can pick, if youâd like.â
âAs you wish.â
Dean froze, his hand halfway to his whiskey glass, the gears in his head screaming into motion. It wasnât every day that Cas made a movie reference, especially one with such a blatantly romantic connotation. He was well aware of his own intention in saying it before the movie, but was Cas just emulating him? Picking up on yet another of his habits? Orâ No, no. Dean had to remind himself that Cas wasnât human, that he couldnât experience affection the same way, that everything else had completely escaped his understanding.
He figured heâd put his foot in his mouth enough times that evening, he should just change his mind about stretching this out any longer, just go to bed. But the thought gnawed at him, the silence had continued to the point of becoming awkward, he needed to say something.
Dean turned to face Cas and swallowed down his pride and insecurities, hope and fear clashing across his features. Cas was waiting patiently with a soft smile, his bright eyes crinkling beautifully.
âDid you justââ Dean whispered, his voice getting caught in his throat.
âI believe so. Did I use the line incorrectly?â
âNoâI⌠I just never thoughtââ
âThatâs fine, too,â Cas quickly cut him off, his shoulders sagging slightly.
âCas.â Dean reached out and tentatively brushed his fingers lightly across the angelâs stubbled cheek before settling on his shoulder, thumb resting softy on the side of his neck. âWhy do you think I said it?â
It was as if someone had just powered Cas back up, he so nearly glowed with joy, and Dean thought to himself that this was the most angelic heâd ever looked. Messy hair, glassy-eyed, and all, he was stunning.
Dean felt the knots in his stomach unravel, the weight heâd been carrying for so long lessened. The hesitation of entering unknown territory faded as it started to sink in that Cas wanted this, too, and he stopped thinking, painfully aware that if he thought about it too much, heâd never do it. And he so desperately needed to do this.
He leaned forward, making his intent clear while also looking for consent, and Cas eagerly met him in the middle. It wasnât the most graceful kiss, as they were both a little out of practice and had yet to learn each otherâs rhythms, but Dean was looking forward to learning.
Cas rested his forehead against Deanâs and sighed contentedly.
âWith a little more practice, I think we could top Buttercup and Westleyâs kiss.â
âIâd like that,â Cas laughed, his warm breath tickling Deanâs nose.
âTheir slow-burn seems almost boring next to ours.â
âOh, speaking ofâŚâ Cas straightened up suddenly, causing Dean to have to catch himself before he fell face-first into the angelâs shoulder.
âSpeaking of?â
âI missed how they brought Westley back,â Cas said sheepishly. âWould you mind explaining?â
âA little distracted, were you?â Dean smiled cheekily and leaned in for another kiss, something he could never imagine getting tired of doing.
âMore than a little.â
Dean launched into a detailed explanation of the Miracle Max scene, the chocolate-coated miracle pill, and the plan to break into the castle before the wedding, going so far as to include all the dialogue he could remember off the top of his head. Cas tilted his head to rest on Deanâs shoulder and laughed at the exaggerated voices, each distinct and absurd in their own way. When the story was over, they slipped into a comfortable silence, Deanâs arm snaked around Casâs waist, personal space no longer a concern.
After some time, Cas glanced at the clock on the nightstand and was startled to find it was nearly midnight.
âOh, before it gets too lateâŚâ He lifted his head and placed a hand gently on Deanâs cheek. âHappy birthday, Dean. I wouldâve gotten you a giftââ
âThereâs nothing I want more than this.â
âŚ
The following morning, Dean woke up early and decided to make breakfast, tossing some slabs of bacon on a baking sheet to crisp up in the oven. Sam stumbled in a few minutes later, drawn in by the aroma. He gave Dean a questioning look and was met with a broad grin.
âRise and shine, Sammy! Are you going to eat like a normal person, or do I have to separate your eggs for you?â
âI⌠uh, just the whites would be great, thanks.â
âNormal person breakfast, it is!â
Sam rolled his eyes as he turned on the coffeemaker, but he smiled quietly to himself, glad to see Dean had gotten over whatever had been bothering him the night before.
Cas wandered in as Dean pulled the bacon out of the oven, and Sam just about choked on his coffee; instead of his usual trench coat and suit, Cas was wearing a soft purple and blue flannel heâd most definitely pulled from Deanâs closet, and heâd neglected to button nearly the entire top half.
âMorninâ, sunshine!â Dean slapped his hand away from the hot tray and passed him a mug of coffee instead. âYou lookinâ to burn yourself?â
âIâm an angel, you ass,â Cas chuckled, stepping around him to reach the bacon. âI can do what I want.â
âYou canât even taste it properly.â
âDean, too much grease is bad for your health,â Cas deadpanned as he took a bite of the still steaming rasher. It was hotter than heâd anticipated, but nothing a little grace couldnât fix.
Sam cleared his throat loudly and gestured at the stovetop, where the eggs were burning.
âFuck!â
âGood morning, Sam.â Cas took a sip of his coffee as he walked toward the table. âHow was your night?â
âEvidently not as good as yours.â Sam looked up at him in stunned disbelief. âYou two finally figure your shit out?â
âHell of a way to phrase it, but yeah.â Dean beamed as he set the plate of bacon on the table, his other arm slung around Casâs shoulder. âThis idiotâs in love with me. Who knew?â
âPractically everyone else,â Sam laughed. âBut Iâm really happy for you guys, I donât know anyone more deserving of this. One request, though, seeing as Jack and I live here, too.â
âShoot.â
âMinimal PDA in communal spaces?â
âNo deal.â Dean grinned and promptly pulled Cas in for a kiss.
#dean winchester#castiel#destiel#supernatural#spn#fanfic#destiel fanfic#happy birthday Dean Winchester#sam winchester#domestic destiel#love confession#fluff with some angst#I'm so sorry I had to send Jack to Jody and Donna's so he wouldn't interrupt the date#and also I might've forgotten the layout of Dean's room so pretend I didn't massively fuck that up <3#we're ignoring dean's internalized shame so he can just be HAPPY about this#I got tired of deathbed confessions and needed something happy for Dean's birthday#dean has panic attacks#canon adjacent#the princess bride references#movie night#mild language#charlie writes#my fic
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