#also why did osha leave the order??

[hoapes]

the new acolyte has me thinkinggg

[thevoidstaredback]

How To Balance Your Daytime and Nighttime Activities So That You Don't Burn Yourself Out More Than You Already Have

Dick had to give it to the kid, he'd somehow thought of everything. It was a little concerning, actually, but the kid had brushed off every attempt had probing for answers. Who trained him? If he was trained at all. ...had the kid gone into vigilantism alone? Oh, dear. THat's not good fro Dick's current worries.

Reading the file Danny had handed him, Dick had to wonder how long it had taken him to put together this cover story. Also, where he'd managed to get the equipment to do it. At a glance, the kid didn't seem to have much on him. Not even a phone!

He closed the folder and set it back down on the table. "Really?" he asked, "'Congratulations, it's a boy'?"

Danny's cheeks turned a bit red as his gaze shifted to the folder. "Well, yeah. You're stuck with me now until I can get you into good habits and a healthier schedule."

"That implies that you're planning on leaving."

Danny shrugged, all his confidence now fading away. Is this what he's really like? "Well, I mean, I'm sure you don't want me sticking around at all, let alone for a while."

Dick frowned and looked back at the black folder and the binder sitting on his coffee table. God, his apartment's a mess! He smiled at Danny. "My name's Richard, but everyone calls me 'Dick'. You can stay in the guest room."

Danny lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. "Really?"

"Yep. You went to all this work, it'd be a shame if it all went to waste."

The grin on Danny's face was more than worth the security risk that he now posed. "You won't regret it, Mr. Dick!"

Dick smiled back at him, "Please, drop the formalities. We're cousins, apparently."

Was he attached? No. He wouldn't allow himself to get attached. Sure, maybe he was letting this kid - he really needs to start calling him Danny - stay with him for a while, but he wasn't going to get attached. Getting attached meant losing him. Dick wasn't sure he'd be able to survive if he lost someone again.

...damn it.

***

First order of business, now that Danny was officially Dick's - why would he willingly go by that nickname? - ward/cousin, Danny was going to make sure he got some sleep. Today was Dick's day off, so Danny had sent him to his room to take a much needed nap. The man was basically dead on his feet and Danny would be damned if he let him wander around this mess of an apartment with blurry vision.

The second thing he did, once he was sure Dick was asleep, was start to clean up. The place was a stereotypical bachelor's pad, complete with questionable stains in the carpet, rips in the cushions, dishes piled up in the sink, and old take-out on every table and counter. Gross.

He made quick work of the old take-out by throwing it all away and hitting it with a very small and controlled ectoblast. He was so glad Dick had disposable gloves on hand.

The dishes were the next thing he handed. The water was cleaner than in Gotham, so he didn't worry about washing the dishes by hand when they all didn't fit in the dishwasher. He dried the ones he'd hand washed before putting them away. Dick had no organisation in his cupboards, so Danny fixed that, too.

The fridge and freezer weren't too bad. Sure, the dairy products had all expired and most of the food was freezer bitten, but none of it was moldy yet and the appliance itself was in perfect working order. He'd have to go shopping later.

Danny had never liked cleaning, but he'd had to when his parents refused to follow any OSHA laws or Lab Safety courses. So, when he found the cleaning supplies, he took a deep breath and began scrubbing the bathroom. It wasn't too bad, thank god, and was already fairly clean. It was quick and he was able to move on very quickly.

The counters, tables, walls, and tile and wooden floors were all easy to clean with a wet rag and a broom. He wasn't going to even try saving the rug because it looked well beyond the point of no return. The couch and chair cushions could be sticked up, but he didn't have a sewing needle and thread with him.

The last thing he did before taking his backpack into the room he'd been given was to write down a shopping list and leave it on the counter. It wasn't a lot, just food and some dishes and toiletries. He'd have to figure out with Dick a way to pay rent, too, but that was a later Danny problem. He'd tired himself out and was still running on pretty much empty. So, he allowed himself to fall asleep. He'd check on Dick when he woke up.

Part 4 Part 6

Tag List:

@flame-343 @ghestie93 @anarinette @aglmry @peachtreewriter @evix-syne666 @loudlypanickinginvenezolano @lumosfeather18581

[dg-outlaw]

Acolyte Season 2 AU (or What Could Have Been)

*Season 1 spoilers* and My Thoughts.

So with Season 1 over, instead of reflecting on what was, I want to talk about what could've been. I imagine there's a plan for season 2 and part of my guess is that we'll get more into the Dark Side and the Sith with Osha's training with the Stranger/Qimir and their secret roommate, Darth Plagueis the Creeper. On the Jedi side we'll probably get into political conflict between the Jedi and the Senate, and have a 'What Do We Do With Mae?' subplot. But here's what I think could've been interesting...

From what I've seen online, a lot of fans enjoyed these two characters (Jecki Lon and Yord Fandar, pictured above), especially them together, which I think is a real loss for the show unless they are leaning more towards a Dark Side/Sith focused storyline for Season 2. If anything, that's one of my critiques of the show, even though I enjoyed it. Was the show about Osha and Mae, the Jedi, Sol and what happened on Brendok, or a mix with an ensemble cast? I think had the show been 12-15 episodes it could've successfully been all of the above, but with only 8 episodes I feel like none of those plotlines got enough attention or time to breathe and really hit. Again, I enjoyed the show and look forward to what comes in Season 2, but...

...what if Jecki and Yord had lived?

Season 1 could've still played out as it did and maybe Jecki and Yord were injured rather than killed or presumed dead in Episode 5 to further add to Sol's anguish. Though, with how badass she was, even just keeping Jecki alive could've been interesting for this AU idea. Here's why:

This first season ends with Vernestra basically throwing Sol under the bus. Yes, he made some major mistakes and he and the other 3 Jedi from Brendok covered up their secret for years because Indara thought it was the best course of action, but how would Jecki (and Yord) have taken that news? Their kind, gentle, and wise master a rogue Jedi who orchestrated some elaborate murder plot to cover up his past crimes? It wouldn't make sense to them (based on the Sol they knew) and I think you could have a whole noir-style investigation subplot with them not knowing who to trust in the Jedi Order, arguing about who to trust and whether they should doubt their masters, and wrestling with the realities and truth of Sol's past. Would they go to Senator Rayencourt or work with him to uncover the truth or would they wrestle with the idea that to uncover the truth it could unravel the whole Jedi Order?

Seriously, the buddy cop dry humor mixed with the drama could be so fun.

Then you add in Mae, who Jecki and Yord would be antagonistic toward at first, but then she'd become part of their little investigative team. Either way, Mae will likely want answers to who she is in Season 2, but the Jedi are likely to keep those answers from her and that would add another layer. Jecki and Yord would be forbidden from interacting with her or just not told about her until they saw her randomly in the streets of Coruscant with her Jedi security detail.

This would also setup a very interesting conflicts as you'd have Team Sith (Qimir, Osha, and Cave Roomie Plag), Team Sol (Jecki, Yord, and Mae), and Team Jedi (Vernestra, her Executive Assistant Mog, and other "red shirt" Jedi). I have no idea where Yoda would fit into all this, but maybe he'd secretly guide Jecki and Yord with vague Jedi wisdom because he's seeing some problems in his house that need to be fixed.

Also, Jecki would get a rematch with Qimir, a battle with Osha (similar to hers with Mae), and Yord... well, Yord would do battle and maybe die. Though, he and Mae could develop something as a mirror to Osha and Qimir, even if just a friendship (esp. if a Jecki/Mae thing happens), and that would give Mae conflict if it was Osha who killed him.

In the end, Jecki and maybe Yord (if he lives) would leave the Order, similar to how Ahsoka did in The Clone Wars. No matter what the outcome ended up being, it would shake their faith in the Order. Yoda would be the only one left who knew the truth, but with everyone believed dead or gone, it would be okay in his mind and Ki-Adi-Mundi could just be left in the dark for the sake of his Episode 1 quote about the Sith.

Obviously, Plagueis would somehow survive (unbeknownst to Yoda) and would later use what he learned about Osha and Mae to create Anakin as one of his experiments to achieve immortality, hoping to have a new body to transfer himself into. Sidious would be unaware of this as Plagueis would be aware of Sidious' intention to kill him and would've kept Anakin a secret b/c Sith be shady backstabbers like that. It wouldn't be until meeting young Anakin that Palpy realizes Anakin was that secret project Plagueis was working on but never told him about. Thus, his fascination with Anakin, Luke, and his later (sequel) attempts to use Rey in the same way.

[several-ravens]

i'm rewatching episode 3 of the acolyte and i'm noticing a lot of weird things about the fire at the coven

conspiracy theory under the cut

since episode 1 this show is about appearances and deception

first with osha being arrested for mae's crimes and the twins being mistaken for one another, then with the stranger posing as innocent and awkward qimir before being revealed as mae's master, and more generally with the power of the jedi and the council being built on lies and them not being as good as they seem

and from the beginning, the show has been telling us that mae is the one that started the fire that burned the coven and killed everyone, but also that the four jedi feel extreme guilt (up to the point of comitting suicide for master torbin) for what happened that night

so as i said, i'm rewatching episode 3 and everything is going well up until osha packs her bag to leave with the jedi and mae confronts her in their room. here's what happens:

mae steals osha's notebook

she runs out of the room and locks the door behind her

she sees the drawing of the lightsaber and the logo of the jedi order

she's angry, and she picks up the lamp from the wall and sets the notebook on fire

then we get a shot of osha running to the window to call her mother, and we hear the sound of the lamp breaking

osha turns around, the fire starts to spread

then we get a shot of the empty corridor with no trace of mae

for now this still seems somewhat logical since mae told osha that she wanted to kill her (and has displayed some signs of cruelty before) but bear with me

osha escapes the room though the vent thing and starts looking for mae

we hear them calling out each other's name until they both stand on the opposite ends of the metal walkway and mae says "jump over to me"

that's what makes me think mae didn't mean what she said when she told her sister that she was going to kill her

but who do we see running around the coven? master sol.

what is he doing here? great question.

did he have the time to go through the forest, climb the mountain and find his way into the building since the fire started? absolutely not.

mae "dies"

sol saves osha

they run next to a bunch of witches who are very much dead but are not burned, have not been crushed by rubble and do not seem asphyxiated by smoke of any kind (since osha and sol are breathing perfectly fine)

SO since we have one jedi running around being suspicious, why not have four?

i think mae set fire to the notebook, but one of the jedi smashed the lamp and set fire to the building while the others killed the witches, probably in order to "save" both twins

but mae "died", and they realised they fucked up big time and set their story straight and pin the fire on the dead kid (who can never corroborate their story since, you know, she's dead)

which would explain the guilt they all seem to feel about that night, and why all the witches seemed to have died on the spot, and qimir's little speech about "galactic dominance in the name of peace which is a lie" from episode 2

one last thing: we don't have a clean shot on torbin's face but he appears in the background when they are back at the ship and even though he's blurry, you can clearly see he has a new wound on his face wich will leave the scar he has in episode 2

thank you for coming to my ted talk

[bereft-of-frogs]

since it is the last Sunday of Acolyte theorizing and I don't want to go get ready for the work week, here are my collected remaining questions / mysteries, thoughts, and whether I think they're likely to be solved in the finale, left up to interpretation, or saved for next season:

Is Qimir a Sith? Was he really once a Jedi? How old is he? How did he discover the cortosis mine? Who was the master who 'threw him away'? Likely Resolution: Saved for Season 2. I think most of the Sith stuff will be reserved for a season 2, if they get one. Allegedly his character was really only supposed to appear in season 2 but they moved some things up, so I'm comfortable saying most of the Sith stuff will end up being the 4-5 mysteries left on the table for future exploration.

How did Mae survive the fall? What has she been doing for 16 years, aside from training with Qimir? Likely Resolution: Solved in Finale. Confident this one will at least get a sentence or two explanation. Now that we've seen that Sol really does think Mae is dead, I can't imagine he won't ask how tf she survived.

What happened to Koril? What's she been up to? Likely Resolution: Solved in Finale, related to above. Honestly, I'm pretty convinced at this point that Koril survived, saved and raised Mae, until Mae decided to go make a deal with the Sith for additional training. Not sure we're going to get details but I'm pretty sure she'll at least show up.

Why did Mae think Osha was dead? Likely Resolution: Probably left to interpretation. But also I bet she was told Osha was dead either by Koril in the same way that Obi-Wan told Luke Anakin was dead in the OT (dead to them, beyond help), or to keep her focused on her training and her anti-Jedi mission.

How did Aniseya create the girls, and why was Koril so afraid of the Jedi finding out? Likely Resolution: Possibly left vague or for season 2, if it's Sith related. We know it definitely had something to do with the vergence, it was mostly Aniseya's doing, and Koril was very afraid of the Jedi finding out. My theories on this are either 1) it was a deal with the Sith. The Sith want to create life and they collaborate on an experiment with Aniseya. We know from other media and also confirmed by Indara/the Council's insistence on noninterference, that the Jedi don't actually care about other Force sects in the galaxy...with one big exception. Koril might be afraid they're about to uncover something that takes the vibe from 'live and let live' to a much more serious conflict. The Sith presumably would also be pretty pissed if the coven blew a thousand years of secrecy. And 2) the coven might be possessive of the vergence, if it's giving them power, and not want the Order to discover it so they could keep it for themselves. A bit weaker, but the coven might not realize the Jedi already suspect the vergence exists.

What IS the vergence? Likely Resolution: Maybe mentioned? Maybe not? I don't know I just really liked people speculating that the vergence is BOTH the Bunta tree and the spooky dark hole, would fit into the dyadic themes.

What are the origins of the Brendok coven and what did they do to get themselves exiled? Likely Resolution: Unresolved. There's the slightest chance they'd tie this explanation to what Aniseya did to create the girls but I bet they're not going to want to lock themselves into an explanation and will leave it up to interpretation. I'm not sure I even have theories, I could see it going a whole bunch of ways. People are going to come up with their own headcanons probably.

Why is Vernestra so afraid of a Senatorial audit? Likely Resolution: Left for season 2 / Hinted at. I think they might mention it a little bit, but I wouldn't be surprised if they leave it up in the air. Honestly, I sort of hope they do, personally I think it would be wise, because that would allow the books to wrap up and give us a better picture of Vernestra's position at the end of the Nihil crisis. I have my own book-related theories as to why she's so suspicious of the Senate (given where Temptation of the Force left off, I think the Senate is going to sell the Jedi out to work with Marchion Ro for the cure to the blight. This would also dig into her issues with Elzar, since he's the main liaison to the Senate and they've got a lot of unresolved issues. Feeling decent about it ending well though, he still hasn't given her Stellan's lightsaber and that feels like something that would happen at the resolution of their issues). I also would buy that she's starting to see into the future, maybe this is the new topic of her hyperspace visions, and is reluctant to let them be drawn in politically (all her 'something to turn the tide' stuff suggests she's sensing the growing darkness).

Did Indara know Mae was alive / how did Torbin know Mae was alive? Likely Resolution: Left up to interpretation. *Also technically includes 'Did Kelnacca know Mae was alive?' but we just have so little to go off of with that one, we do at least have Indara and Torbin's reactions to Mae. Up until the second flashback, I would have phrased this 'how did they both know Mae was alive' but I am no longer convinced that Indara did. It's possible Indara had no idea until she saw the mark on Mae's forehead and was just doing some very quick panic processing, which could have contributed to turning the tide of the fight. She's no longer focused, Mae can use the dirty trick with the bartender to catch her out. Obviously Torbin knew before Mae actually showed up (he calls her by the correct name, confirmed via CCs ), but they don't specify how long he's known. His 'I've been waiting for you, Mae' could mean he's known from the start and been waiting for 16 years. It could mean the 10 of the Barash Vow, maybe something happens and he finds out which contributes to his decision to take the Vow. But I've always had on my theory list that he'd seen Indara's death in the Force and that's how he knew Mae was alive and probably coming for him next. I think they'll probably leave this one up to us, considering the 3 murdered Jedi's narratives aren't really front and center, I think that ambiguity was just to add to the mystery around the flashback.

How did Torbin make master so quickly? Likely resolution: this is barely a question. This just keeps coming up on Reddit, especially from people who are still convinced 'to become a master you have to graduate an apprentice to knighthood' is hard canon. (Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't even remember where that comes from, but I'm fairly certain you don't need to have had an apprentice to be elevated to master. Or else Anakin's anger at not being elevated in RotS doesn't really make sense, if he knows he hasn't fulfilled an essential requirement, and Elzar's elevation is a big plot point in the books and he doesn't ever mention an apprentice, nor does Avar.) My personal headcanon is 'overcompensation and burnout.' Becomes an overachiever to try to make up for what happens. Given that they lied, the Order sees nothing but a model Jedi, and keeps rewarding that behavior while he tries to hide the cracks, until it all catches up to him. Alternatively, he's not 'really' a master, and it's just parlance, or there's some sort of ceremonial elevation for special circumstances like the Barash Vow. Nonissue, it's just come up a couple times.

Why did Osha leave the Order? + Why did Indara advocate for her to leave? Likely resolution: might be mentioned, might be left on the 'because I failed' line. I made a longer post about this one, but there are a few possibilities. I don't think they're going to explain it, just allow the audience to believe it was about not being able to let go of her anger at Mae, but if it ends up being my weird 'push-pull, when one twin gains power the other loses it' theory, they might address it.

WHAT AM I MISSING? Any final questions left on the table? Send them to me! I have had so much fun theorizing, I only wish this was longer. I keep joking that in a better timeline there's a 12 episode version of this show but it is not actually that much of a joke lol, it would have really been something if it had been allowed to develop the characters a little deeper and let some things breathe over a longer season.

My final prediction still stands: Sol is going down for training Mae, the deaths of the team of Khofar, and at this point probably the Brendok coven as well, since it's going to look like he took out Indara, Torbin, and Kelnacca to keep them quiet. And sorry, I highly doubt he's going to live out the finale. I think he's going to have a final confrontation with the twins, and Osha is going to kill him in an emotionally charged moment. If he was alive to provide testimony, that's problematic for the Sith, but dead he makes an extremely convenient scapegoat. Bazil has also seen a LOT of things out of context on board the ship leaving Khofar, I think his testimony could be damning. Sol's done a bunch of suspicious things, like when he didn't include himself on the list of targets during the meeting, failing to apprehend Mae, (seemingly to Vernestra) lying about Mae's death, Kelnacca didn't seem to put up a fight suggesting he may have known his attacker, turned off his transponder and disobeyed an order to remain, etc etc.

This is the solution to the riddle 'how to kill a Jedi without a weapon', destroying their legacy. Or, the riddle could have multiple solutions, it could also refer to Osha going full Sith. My only issue with the 'Sol is framed' theory is that there seems from leaks to be a formal funeral, which wouldn't necessarily happen if they thought Sol was a rogue Jedi or Sith. But possibly the Order will keep up Sol's good name for outsiders, and this is just what convinces the Council that there still aren't any real Sith out there. Funeral could also possibly be a collective one for everyone else who died.

I think Qimir and Osha are for sure going to live, I'm slightly on the fence about Mae but I'm leaning toward 'also survive'. I am 100% (ok I'll keep it at 90%) sure Koril is alive and shows up at some point. Leaks say there are a couple significant cameos, I'm guessing Sith pulled from Legends books or long-lived High Council members.

Will add on if anything comes to me in the next couple days but it's been nice theorizing with you all! I don't know what I'm going to do after this, wait for Tears of the Nameless to come out. Or, I guess, think about something else? Crazy.

[juststoriesintheend]

Epilogue

Chapter Pairing(s): Osha Aniseya x f!Reader; Master Sol x f!Reader

Chapter Content: angst, canonical character deaths, grief/grieving

Word Count: 1,403

《 [series masterlist] 》 《 I 》 《 II 》 《 III 》

“Since when are you a medic?” You watch her curiously over the rim of your cup.

Osha barely suppresses rolling her eyes. “I know enough to take your vitals.”

That’s hardly an answer, but you don’t push for more. You’d rather enjoy the silence this task requires anyway. There is much to think about. Feelings you thought would never truly see the light of day have been brought to the surface of your subconscious and forcibly acknowledged. The pain of the past and the uncertainty of the future clouds your mind. It’s awful.

You keep thinking about what bits of the previous night you can remember - skin and tongues wet with spit and come, Osha’s body, her voice, the sound of her orgasm and the taste of it in your mouth… You stop that thought before it can go any farther, but you can’t stop it from affecting your body in the here and now. Osha glances at you from the corner of her eyes and if the way you squirm makes her think anything specific, she doesn’t say it. But you feel so embarrassed you could die.

What have you done? What have you allowed yourself to do? You know logically that this isn’t your fault, nor is it Osha’s. There was no way to know that a tumble down a sand dune would infect you with the blinding need for pleasure at all costs, just like there was no way for Osha to have done anything differently. She saved your life. You just wish you hadn’t enjoyed it so much.

“You okay?” Osha looks small in this light, almost as if her stature has shrunk since last night (when she stood over you with her belt in her hands and-).

“Fine,” you reply with a nod. You can’t bring yourself to smile, not even to ease the tension.

It’s just that you’re about as far from ‘fine’ as you can possibly get. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. No self-respecting Jedi would ever lose themselves to such blind sexual passion, not even if they were more liberally minded and chose not to abstain as part of their practice. No self-respecting Jedi would let a former Padawan five years their junior fuck them into oblivion. And no self-respecting Jedi would then wake from their stupor and feel torn between their duties to the Order and the desires of their heart.

Neither would any self-respecting Jedi feel all those deep and intricate feelings, and still manage to feel the bite of affection for that Padawan’s Master. Sol’s been gone for you don’t even know how long, or where he is, and it hurts to feel his absence when you otherwise feel so emotionally stripped bare.

What is wrong with you?

“Look, I know that what we did was… it wasn’t what you would have wanted. But I couldn’t think of any other way to save you.”

Why does it hurt so much to see how deeply the admission cuts for her? Because you know it’s your own fault?

“Hey.” Your hand finds hers. It’s the first time in six years you’ve been in your right mind and also able to touch her. Like you once did. “I’m not upset. You saved my life.”

Osha smiles, and it’s the same sad smile she gave you when she told you she was leaving the Order. The memory hurts more than a saber to your own throat might. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a very good friend.”

The agonizing realization strikes you then that you want to kiss her sorrow away, to breathe new life into her the way she did for you. That she’s not just pretty, but beautiful, all grown up and brave and so, so strong. She’s not the eighteen year old who left the Order anymore. She’s so much more than that.

“You’re the best friend I could have ever asked for.” Your thumb rubs gently over the back of her hand; it’s the only kiss you trust yourself to give her. “I’m glad it was you.” And it’s terrifying how true that sentiment really is.

Osha knows you, though. She always has. She sees the things you’ve never been able to speak aloud, and she sees them all now, even through the burning sting of her tears. “But it can’t be anything more,” she concludes with all the finality of a true Jedi.

You find yourself crying too as you shake your head. “No. It can’t.”

You never tell her this, not even in the moments after landing on Coruscant or the heartbeats before departing for your quarters because you know it wouldn’t be fair to either of you, but you think you could have loved her if you’d given yourself the chance. Maybe even as much as you love Sol now. It’s for the best that you’ll never know for sure.

The Temple feels empty without him, like it did in the first year after Osha left. You’ve grown so accustomed to sensing his presence through the Force, even if he was far away from you, that to not feel at all is destabilizing. Like how it was with Osha. But it’s more than that.

Master Paan is dead. Yord is dead. So is Jecki. And now Sol…

Master Vernestra has spoken with the Council in your place and asked for a more permanent leave of absence from your usual duties. You would have gone yourself, but the last time you tried you broke down sobbing in the lift.

This is the attachment your Master always warned you about. She tried so hard to teach you how to be a good Jedi, but even in the wake of her death you manage to fail her. Perhaps you’re not the Jedi you thought you were. Perhaps you never were.

You think of Sol. His smile comes to mind, then his eyes. The gentle timbre of his voice, the calm and patient wisdom he always carried with him. You think of Sol, and then you think of the things that Master Vernestra said when she came to tell you why the Khofar team wasn’t coming back, and it feels like a Wookiee’s punching you in the throat. You can’t breathe.

You can’t fucking breathe.

The nerve endings in your legs are ablaze and you reach for the nearest solid, sturdy thing to keep yourself balanced, but you miss. And you fall. And when you lift your head and peer through the gauzy curtain of your tears, you see the overturned chair and the leg of the table and the shattered pieces of the incense pot Sol gave you for your birthday two years ago. And everything feels so hot and tight and wrong inside your head, it’s like you’re back on Savareen and your body’s fighting for its life, but this time there’s no antidote. There’s no Osha to fuck you back to life. There’s no magic potion to stop your heart from giving out. There’s no brilliant, burning sun to light up your life anymore.

Some fucked up part of you feels angry, like there’s someone to blame for all of this. Maybe it was Osha and her cowardice that’s led you here. Or the idiotic blush of love that’s been fogging your mind for the past eight years. Maybe it was Master Paan’s fault for taking you on as her Padawan when she should have known all along you weren’t meant for this life. Maybe it’s Sol’s fault. Maybe it’s yours. Maybe it’s the Force in all its fucked up glory trying to place roadblock after roadblock in your path, frantically trying to reroute you as you barrel into the unknown like a moron.

You don’t realize you’ve been screaming until you find yourself being shaken into the present. There’s a lovely streak of white and green, and a steadying voice that urges you to take a breath, and you try so hard, but fail so spectacularly. How can you breathe when they’re not here? How can you breathe when Sol isn’t waiting in his room to meditate with you? How can you breathe when your Master isn’t here to guide you through her own death? How can you breathe without Osha? Force help you, where is Osha??

“Breathe deeply,” Master Vernestra instructs even as you cling to her desperately. “It will pass.”

But you’re not sure it ever will.

taglist: @wolffegirlsunite @thatlittlered @evyiione @padawancat97

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[sparrowmoss]

aight back on it. the acolyte ep 7 live reaction. this is going to be so bad

ahhh here we go. the full story (i presume). wonder what theyre looking for

SEVEN WEEKS… i’d be throwing a fit too

oh this concept is cool as FUCK!!!! a vergence… yes… i love it. but i think they may be wrong. idk

sol having beef with indara and her saying well thats why i have a padawan and you do not HFHEHFJEHFKDF

need that speeder bike

bro mother koril just teleported

from what little he saw of that interaction i dont blame him for being concerned but maybe also realize u dont have the whole picture

why the fuck did mother aniseya do this to this kid what the hell. what the fuck is happening

i think. both sides are wrong honestly. only at 15 mins in but sol saying that his assumption that osha is not being cared for properly here does not mean that the jedi order or any singular member of it has any right to come in and take this child from her family by force without some sort of clear assessment of her actual treatment beyond a few glimpsed moments and without first consulting the child as to what she needs at all. to me this should have been handled by someone without a bias of wanting osha to come with them to be a jedi through claiming to feel a bond with her/that she is “meant to” join them

ummm this is getting alarming i would have assumed mae meant in the future but no indara knew she meant. like. Now. like Tomorrow. were they. were they all going to sacrifice themselves in mass suicide

NOOOOO I WAS RIGHT NOOOOO WHAT THE HELLLLL

sol why you so twitchy

bro what the hell is with the jedi order in this time period you all are fucked. council says no you cant take the kids also you cant come home/leave the planet where you have created hostility also you have interfered too much. theyre in danger. it doesnt matter. you formed an immediate emotional attachment. yelling that you arent emotional. can you all please get it together

oh shit they found out. ohhhh aniseya used the vergence to create them. WHAT

one consciousness into two bodies what the fuck

TORBIN ITS NOT FUCKING WORTH ITTTTT

i think aniseya was going to let osha go

ABIGAIL!!!!!!! im so glad she got a couple more lines because for real shes the main reason i got interested in this show in the first place KFJDJFJSF

please use the force to get up that damn wall ill cry if i have to see you climb it again

ohhhh this is all so fucked dude im so nervous for whatevers about to happen

oh no mae tried to put it out and couldnt nooooo NOOOOO

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO aniseya u dont know how right u are

um. instead of going to help mae. koril decided to fight the jedi?

HUH????

SOL WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK?

this is so fucked dude everything is SO bad

THATS how they died??????? being forced out of group mind controlling kelnacca????

fuck. fuck fuck fuck

indara beat the shit out of this guy please. “i had to make a choice” sol patrol it is so over

man i was prepared for pain with this episode but i was not prepared for how fucking angry i would feel oh my GODDDD im gnashing my teeth EVERYTHING went wrong my GOD. if these people on both sides could have not jumped to violence as a first resort. not both immediately assumed the worst of the other side. these two little girls never would have had to be put through any of that. it makes me so much angrier that the girls were the source of this fight that didnt need to happen and suffered so immensely from it and the jedi can go on with their lives despite that guilt but osha and mae lost everything. every choice was made for them every option was taken from them everyone they loved was killed and every dream they had was ripped away. im so fucking mad

[oh-three]

The Acolyte S1E4:

How has Mae been finding the Jedi she's after anyway?

Something, something, Osha seeking out Jecki while she's in class to say goodbye.

And also purposely not saying farewell to Sol.

There's something off about Qimir. He's totally playing Mae somehow, he's gotta be.

Is that….Ki Adi Mundi? What is the lifespan of his species?

Heh, Osha's taking her time leaving. Yeah, she wouldn't have run into Sol if she'd done as she planned.

Sol is such a softie 😭

They actually made her wear the civilian robe, that's funny

The Jedi brought a whole war party, neat. Wonder if they'll find Kelnacca in time.

Did not expect to find out that Yord and Osha are childhood youngling friends. Her leaving the Order must have hurt him so much, the way he's being closed-off to her 😭

Damnnn, Jecki's so wise for her age, it's kinda inspiring.

I can't not mention the way Mae looks at Qimir.

Oh, ha, okay. She doesn't trust him either. That's funny shit. What the hell inspired this?

Hey, there's Bazil. Why the fuck did he keep going?

They're gonna think Mae tried to kill Kelnacca, even if that's not her plan anymore.

Holy shit, Kelnacca's already dead. Mae's teacher totally set her up once he figured out she wasn't going through with it.

….More like set up his own reveal.

Damnnn, he's powerful.

Are you fucking kidding me.

[kyberrebel]

Things that went through my mind during The Acolyte episode 2

This new Jedi Temple needs better security. 

This OP floating Jedi dude is just kicking Mae’s ass without even doing anything. I can’t help but stan.

Off topic, but I hope we see Yaddle in this series. There’s no reason why we would, really, I just think it would be fun since she is alive during this time. Like imagine, we see a little green Jedi with big ears, unfocused in the background and we all automatically assume it’s Yoda. But then it focuses on the Jedi and BOOM, it’s Yaddle. I’d die of happiness if that happens, since she’s my favorite glup shitto character.

Yord needs to get the stick out of his ass. They have good evidence now that it’s Mae doing the killing, not Osha. So he can chill now.

Also, does Yord’s Padawan not go on every mission with him? Isn’t that standard for Masters and Padawans?

Hey, it’s Jason from The Good Place!! I forgot he was in this show! And I will proceed to only see him as Jason from The Good Place, and not whoever he is supposed to be.

IT’S CALLED A TATTOO, MASTER, YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND.

I don’t know why, but Sol and Qui-Gon have similar vibes.

Of course Osha just happens to be found next to the dead Jedi’s body. 

Never mind, Yord came through!

I wonder if Mae had an influence on Osha leaving the Order is some way.

I like how Jason from TGP doesn’t actually fall for Osha pretending to be Mae. It’s such a cliche trope thing at this point for twin characters to do that. It also makes me like his character more. Too bad I can’t remember his name.

The chronologically first “I have a bad feeling about this” in Star Wars, at least on screen.

“You attack me without a weapon. Why?” Did her throwing knives not count as a weapon?

Mae’s really physical way of fighting is really cool. I think it’s inspired by martial arts more than other fighting styles in Star Wars. It also for some reason reminds me a lot like how Darth Maul fights in TPM, for some reason.

Kelnacca having an undercut is so funny to me. Like, it’s one thing for humans to have an undercut. But seeing it on someone who is completely covered in hair except for that one strip around his head looks really weird.

Him having a different voice than other Wookies is also nice to see. A lot of times, most Wookies sound like Chewbacca, with maybe a tiny difference. It just shows the effort the show creators are putting into Kelnacca’s character, making him have a deeper and raspier voice.

Already, the show is subverting my expectations. After Episode 1, I was predicting that Osha and Sol wouldn’t confront Mae until later in the season. I also was under the assumption that Mae was killing Jedi, knowing people who think it was Osha. I didn’t expect her not even to know her sister was alive.

It may be recency bias, but I am really loving the show so far, though I do like the first episode slightly more. I can’t wait to see where things go!

[redrikki]

There’s a trend in fandom to write Theon bullying Jon and even other Stark kids on occasion. How accurate is that in terms of book canon? Where does this portrayal come from and what role does it tend to play in stories?

Book Canon

Because Jon leaves for the Wall so soon into the books, there isn’t much in the way of interaction between Jon and Theon, but there’s enough. In GoT Bran 1, Jon calls Theon an ass behind his back after he kicks a severed head. A little while later, the two of them have a perfectly civil exchange about the mother wolf. After the adults insist the wolf pups are likely to die, Theon quips how the albino is likely to die fastest. Jon responds by glaring and insisting it won’t because it belongs to him. In Jon 1, Theon ignores Jon on his bench as he walks by on the way to the high table, something Jon says is nothing new. And that’s it in terms of their on-page interactions.

After they leave Winterfell, they think of each other only occasionally. In SoS Jon 5 when Jon learns about his brother’s deaths and the sack of Winterfell he thinks that he never liked Theon, but he wouldn’t do that. In the next Jon chapter, he draws comfort during the battle for Castle Black from a quip Theon once made and admits that Theon was the better hunter.

Theon, meanwhile, describes Jon as sullen boy, quick to sense a slight, jealous of Theon’s status yet accorded more honor by the household in CoK Theon 1. In Theon 6, he considers joining the Night’s Watch, recalling that it was honorable enough for Jon Snow. In DwD Prince of Winterfell, he reminisces about sparring with Jon and Robb in the yard and soaking in the godswood pools after. In A Ghost in Winterfell, he thinks about how Jon will take his head in a heartbeat in an amused, suicidal ideation sort of way.

All told, Theon and Jon don’t like each other (Jon actually says it out right), and they both express jealousy over what they see is the other’s better treatment. Jon thinks Theon’s an ass (accurate) and Theon thinks Jon’s a sullen, prickly bastard (also accurate), yet they both respect each other and have fond memories. Neither one has any memories of Theon bullying Jon. By contrast, Jeyne bullying Arya is portrayed on the page and recalled later by both parties.

So, if there is no canonical evidence for Theon bullying Jon, where did the idea come from and why does it keep cropping up?

Where Did It Come From

Show-verse Theon is absolutely a bully. The show runners wrote brand new scenes and modified ones from the book to showcase Theon being a bully who is antagonistic to the Starks in general and Jon in particular. Take, for example, the wolf adoption scene which is altered so that Theon snaps at Robb for daring to give him an order and then insists that Jon take the runt of the litter. There’s a later scene where Theon goes out of his way to taunt Osha after she’s been taken prisoner. Show-verse Theon is a far bigger asshole than book-verse Theon and way more comfortable mouthing off to the Starks.

As it stands, book-verse Theon is a complicated and uncomfortable character. He’s an ass, the type of guy to kick a severed head at an execution. His sense of humor is dark and irreverent, even if only a fraction of it actually leaves his mouth. In his memories, he admits to deliberately trying to wind up Benfred Tallhart and Roose Bolton at various points. Where most POV characters are either monogamous or chaste, Theon is a horny as heck and treats women as disposable sex-objects. He tells himself it’s better to be seen as cruel than weak and repeatedly advices Robb towards violence. And all of that is before all the terrible things he does after taking Winterfell. For a certain segment of fans, it makes sense to project this awful behavior backwards so he was always a bad person who did bad things, like bullying.

The fanon echo chamber is also a contributing factor. There is a lot of canon to read through and, if you read enough fic, it’s easy enough to confuse it with other people’s head canons.

Where It Crops Up

Theon is rarely the focus of those stories which feature him as a bully. There are a large number of stories where Theon bullying Jon or, indeed, any of the Stark kids, and otherwise being generally unpleasant is just background radiation in a story about life in Winterfell or the Starks being awesome. Often times, bully Theon will serve as device for making other characters not normally in Winterfell like ward OCs or canon Stark antagonists more likable by contrast. In stories where the Starks are somehow winning at the game of thrones, Theon’s earlier bullying will serve as justification for a rather nasty comeuppance even though the taking of Winterfell never occurred.

In stories where Theon being a bully is the focus, the bullying is usually in the service of Jon’s character. A character being bullied builds automatic sympathy points with readers. Theon bullying Jon thus make Jon a more sympathetic character and justifies his angst. This is especially important in stories where his canonical excuses for angst, namely his bastard underdog status and Catelyn’s emotional abuse, are downplayed or removed entirely. In a modern high school AU or similar, Jon needs a bully like Theon or his character just doesn’t work.

And then there’s the undeniable spice of enemies to lovers tropes. Bully, or at least asshole rival, Theon will crop up quite a bit in Jon/Theon fic. Sometimes the plot will be Theon bullying Jon to get his attention and burn off some sexual tension. In other cases, it will be about Jon learning to see through Theon’s bravado bullshit to his tender heart bellow. Either way, the story must start with Jon hating Theon so the ending emotional payoff is that much better. Then there’s the darker fic where Theon’s bullying is a prelude to either a bdsm thing or an outright abusive romance.

There is nothing inherently wrong about writing Theon as a bully. Fanfiction is all about taking a story and making it your own, actual canon be damned. They way fandom has seemingly collectively chosen to interpret Jon and Theon’s relationship is an interesting trend.

Comment on AO3

[myfanfictiongarden]

Why Qimir is wrong- an essay

First of all I’ll like to say that the following observations are based on the six episodes we’ve seen so far of The Acolyte and I have no idea what will happen in the next two.

Also, Qimir is as hot as Mustafar.

There has been a lot of concern until now (especially if you judge it by the headlines of most YouTube videos) that this show might be all anti-Jedi centred and might praise to much the villains. Like so many speculations, theories and concerns right now floating through the internet I thought them unneeded and haven’t been proven wrong as yet. Most good stories rely on the fact that it is more interesting if you can understand from where both sides are coming from and, if we are going to stick to Star Wars, the prequels were basically nothing more then an attempt to showcase where Darth Vader was coming from. Everybody praised Avengers: Infinity War for having Thanos be a complex character, so why shouldn’t The Acolyte have witches and Sith we are curious to know more about? Does that automatically make the show be anti-Jedi and Light Side? No, no it doesn’t. 

But while I think the show has as yet a rather balanced outlook at characters believes and positions, and understands what is right and what is wrong, I do wonder at those from the audience who might think the show says “Qimir is right”

Well, I say “Qimir is wrong” And here’s why:

The most prevailing argument that he is making of why the Jedi are wrong, and that he (as a Dark Side user) has a right to exist is: Freedom. Everybody should have the freedom to do as he or she pleases, no limitations, follow your emotions because they are always right, power is a mighty weapon, no law should limit myself from expressing my individuality etc. But things aren’t that black and white as he paints them to be, aren’t they? Because “freedom” means responsibility, you CANNOT just do as you pleases, your emotions can blind you, the rules of society keep us united. It isn’t just about using the Force freely. It isn’t just the Jedi who are worried about Dark Side users, it’s the Republic. 

The reason only Jedi are trained to use their powers is to prevent another Galaxy wide conflict like there was 1000 yers ago. Not every child sensitive in the Force is excepted into the Order nor does every family agree to send their child away, and that is okay because if not used the powers do not limit the person in his path later in life, except prevent psychotic mass murderers from wrecking havoc. (Insert tumblr joke).

It is always brought up how Jedi are against attachment and romantic relationships- well I haven’t seen a Sith romance last very long, did you? Does their way of thinking really support a quiet family life? Did Anakin say yes to Padme when she asked him to leave everything behind and be there for her and their child? I see always this argument of “Jedi can’t love” as a fact and exclusively bad thing, when the concept of monastic life is anything but coldhearted and anti-love. All the Jedi we’ve met here so far have been nothing but kind- even Yord. Why couldn’t friendships be based on really deep connections? Why should the personal gratification of oneself be the way to limit oneself in life? Qimir said there is no romantic love, no family life possible as a Jedi- yes but only because (from a Catholic point of view) we know family love and the love between two people is the most noble and worthy thing to strive for, so when you exclude yourself from that equation it isn’t because you don’t value them but because you value them so much that you are making a sacrifice to forgo this path and give yourself up to spiritual servitude to (insert your faith) and society as a whole. This concept may look odd to people from a secular worldview, but to millions of believers (Christian, Hindi, Buddhist or Shinto) it is a very valid concept. 

Where does love have its place in Qimir’s worldview? Survival of the fittest? He tells Osha her feelings for Jecki would have always stayed on sided- so it was ok to kill her? Because my feelings alone are valid, everyone else is wrong? Isn’t that the lonely path?

"When you loose everything you're finally free"- Qimir, ep6 Teach/Corrupt

[norcalbruja]

Continued from this post.

I’ve been asking Haik Number 4 to help me out with my job search, and I got a job at a cupcake shop in late February/early March! The position is at the front of house for filling orders, but my love of baking is definitely a plus, but! Day 3 of my training and the Red Flags have shown up.

As usual, behind the "read more" for length.

--

So I was like “Haik, was that you helping me out with the cupcake shop?”

And Haik Number 4 was like “Of course it was! You keep getting desperate and asking ANYONE for help, and then you keep reeling it back in because you don’t want to BOTHER me. If I don’t at least TRY to help you, I wouldn’t be a very good god.”

So then he asked me if I needed help with something else, and I was like "Sure, but I'd like to wait until the paperwork is done, so I'll ask around next week."

And Haik Number 4 was like "Why?"

I told him it's because I don't want to jinx myself, and he went "WHY?" again, very pointedly, so I said, "I don't know why you want to keep hearing that, but I need to be careful around asking 'spirits who claim to be the anito' about too much. One reader says I DID bother the anito enough for them to just quit on me, so I really don't want that to happen with other Tagalog spirits if I can help it. Hence, making sure I have the paperwork for my job filled out before I start asking about other stuff."

And he's like "We don't have a WAITING PERIOD for however many things you can ask us! Tagalogs used to ask us about all sorts of normal things--getting a wife or a husband, having good harvests, getting lots of money! If you were really bothering me, I'd think asking about non-sailing issues would be enough for me to not answer you!"

Then Lola Buwaya walked in and went "Ay, did you get her the job??? You shouldn't have done that!"

And Haik 4 was like, "Do you want me to leave her like this, Lola? Your son cannot help her, or at least he thinks he can't."

Lola went, "Well, my son has gotten stupid because the years have not been kind to him. I thought you'd be a LITTLE smarter."

And I was like, "Lola, please don't call him that."

And Lola told me, "Anak, I do not tell Tagalog spirits to keep away from you because I'm being smothering. I do it because after the things you've been told, you're going to cling to any Tagalog spirit who isn't a murderer and who shows you a hint of kindness. Like getting you a job."

--

So the spirits cooled down for a bit, and then... uhhhhh. The owner of the shop took her sick daughter in to work.

Like, the kid was sweet and well-behaved, so I thought it was unprofessional but at least tolerable.

AND THEN AROUND CLOSING TIME, as the daughter was talking to one of our last customers, she coughed and went something like "I'm not in school because I'm sick!" And I was thinking "ahhhhhhhhhh!!!! this is why I'm still masking!!! Lady, just because we're all vaccinated against Covid doesn't mean I want to catch whatever your kid has!!!"

And then she CONTINUED to take her kid to work several times. Technically after the shop closed to customers, but I was still closing up, and you're not LEGALLY supposed to take kids to a workplace with ovens and sharp things and all that unsafe stuff!

-

Anyway, I have sent an email to OSHA and then quit a couple weeks ago, by saying I needed to take care of my mom.

Also I forgot to press Post about two weeks ago, soooooo I've technically been unemployed again since around the end of March.

[paperback-rascal]

Hey, so I'm absolutely feral about your "Kix is the bad Batch's honorary medic" idea. Like, I think about it constantly and I want to pick your brain about it. When did he start working with them? During the mission to Anaxis or some point before or after? Is he primarily there for Echo or is it more of an all consuming compulsion to mother hen the Batch because "those boys have never eaten a vegetable in their life and their ship is a flying OSHA violation"? Does he have any particular feelings towards Tech, given Tech's refusal to wear more than the absolute minimum amount of armor?

to be honest... now I’m more curious what’s YOUR take on "Kix is the bad Batch's honorary medic" than writing my side of things! Let’s compare notes later?

(as the text turned out to be longer than I expected, the full answer is under the cut/read more)

Their relationship started after Echo joined Clone Force 99. The Batch didn't know full scope of his issues when the transfer was made. The medics at med-bay were complaining, once again, The Bad Batch don't have a team medic, and their files are a mess but Hunter just shrugged it off - they always been that way so why NOW would it make any difference?

Everything was fine and dandy for a mission or two then, one day, Echo got sick... like... hardcore - started with a stomachache/nausea ended with him loosing consciousness.

Clone Force 99 collectively freaked out - they ALWAYS have problems with getting treatment. Afraid Echo would end up without any assistance, Hunter ordered to hunt Kix down, spec-ops style, as he remember he saw someone from 501st at the cafeteria during breakfast.

Why Kix? well... he was the only medic that the team kind-of, sort-of remembered (not a name, though, just the armor markings and... it’s mostly Crosshair’s memories, as he literally threw hands with the guy few weeks prior). Also Hunter was sure Kix wouldn’t let his old friend die so maybe he would be less aloof when they ask for help. Echo, Hunter reasoned, would be less stressed once he wakes up and sees a familiar color scheme of his alma matter legion.

So after a quite a bit of search, they found their target and basically abducted Kix from under the shower.

Since Echo's issues weren't combat-related and Kix lost access to his files with the transfer to different unit, the medic had to get authorization from Hunter to view them. Since the sergeant barely, if ever, grands access to medical files, he gave the medic blanket access to Clone Force 99 files by accident...

As the medic was waiting for Echo to wake up, he started going through the files out of curiosity. With every page he grew more confused how the kriff they were even approved to go on any mission (SPOILER: it’s Tech’s handiwork):

Except for Echo they all have incomplete/ outdated vaccinations (Wrecker being the worse offender)

the status of their medical supplies was big red PENDING (so Force only knows if they even have a scrap of a bandage on the ship)

except for Echo they were missing health check-ups (however as it turned out they are pretty good condition as they hunt animals and gathered resources/vegetables/fruits when they run out of rations. something they do pretty frequently as often have no time to resupply between missions)

they had incomplete/ outdated trainings (i.e.: mostly those that have to be taken annually like First Aid)

except for Echo pending annual dentist check-ups, ophthalmologist check-ups (Crosshair being the worst offender), missed/ unfinished rehabilitation sessions (mostly Wrecker) and such

except for Echo backlog of unapproved sick leaves

... among other issues and problems

... as it turned out, their issue with med-bay boils down to a vicious cycle - since they lack team medic, they have incomplete paperwork on top of Tech who just hacks into the system and leaves a mess in his wake.

Since they have issues with documents, they encounter problems with getting help as system boots out their requests. At the end of the day they have to beg for help, forcing clone medics to treat them out of circulation which produces more various issues... so the clone medics hate to work with them because of that and ALSO Clone Force 99 are TERRIBLE patients (Crosshair and Tech being the worst offenders - but on a different sides of the spectrum).

So Echo was *this close* from not getting proper help and TBH if they went to any other medic who didn’t know the ARC trooper personally, they could easily be turned away if a guy didn’t feel like jumping through the hoops to help a team of freaks.

Once Kix’s CT-number authorization was plastered all over their files, the system recognized/categorized him as a substitute/temporary medic - it means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but gives Kix easier access in the future as he can evoke the status again much easier (which is more helpful in case... Hunter was unable to consent for the file access in the future)

As for Tech’s armor - he wasn’t scolded for not wearing proper gear.

Kix (with the rest of medics at 501st) learned it hard way with Ahsoka - if someone is desperate enough to make a fashion statement by wearing a tube top to a battle - nothing will change their minds. They have to learn it hard way... and Kix would be ready with bandages and bacta patches when the lesson happens.

Tech, however, did get a slightly more vicious tirade from the rest of the Batch (who also had one, intertwined into a First Aid training they’re missing) for not connecting the dots that the issues they have with every med bay is correlated to mess they have with their files - the framework was a mess because, as it turned out, Tech was trying to circumvent the system to compensate lack of team medic and only made the matter worse!

The utter negligence almost cost Echo his life!

So that’s all I have, I hope it quenches your thirst! or at best... didn’t turn out to be underwhelming!

I hope to read your side of things!

---

Addendum: Since Kix got more involved with The Batch’s medical affairs, they often shared certain medical events/dates with 501st - they took parts in the same trainings courses, had the same dates for annual check-ups, vaccinations, etc. So they ended up waiting in the same lines as 501st. Thus, the Legion and the Squad started to slowly get to know each other better.

Also Anakin, to be honest, the more he saw the spec-ops, the more he considered absorption of Clone Force 99 into 501st structure.

---

@ct-crosshair​ ask was in regards to -> this post

===

STAR WARS: The Clone Wars/The Bad Batch © George Lucas/ Dave Filoni/ LucasFilm/ Disney

[bereft-of-frogs]

considering it's sunday and clearly I've given up on my internet-free weekend (got a lot harder when I was no longer looking at a lake and now have things that I'd like to avoid thinking about - grocery shopping, going back to work tomorrow, etc etc) so I have another theory to post

why did Osha leave the Jedi six years ago?

I'm not sure they're actually going to answer this one (except in one case, if it ends up being that they might address it in the last episode), and it's not necessarily on my list of '4-5 mysteries that they're saving for season 2' (I think those will be mostly focused on Qimir and his history and relationship with the Sith). I think they might just purposefully leave it vague or unexplored. But I think it's a few things blended together:

not being able to let go of her anger, resentment, and grief at what (she thinks) Mae does. Definitely would be an issue with the Jedi, if they're sensing that she's really not letting things go. This definitely I think is the surface level conclusion they're pointing to, from the dialogue in the first interview, about her struggling to let go of her grief and being particularly old when she joined. Did maybe something happen that made clear she wasn't going to get over it and she was in danger of traveling down a bad road? How upset she gets about her sense of 'failure' would point to something happening.

her personality tends towards independence while she craves belonging. I think Osha is desperate to feel a sense of belonging but also bucks against that structure. She struggles with the conformity of the coven and thinks she wants to be a Jedi, but I could see once there, her also struggling with the communal nature of the Order. Aniseya also points out her fickle nature in one of their last conversations ('you think you want to be a Jedi, but what you want will change'). I'm not saying it's true or that Aniseya was right, but I could see a child going over and over some of her last conversations with her mother, that doubt might stick in her mind like 'oh what if my mother was right and this isn't right for me either, I'll just fail at this too.'

her power fades or never fully develops. Osha....doesn't actually seem that powerful in the Force. Aniseya and Qimir both seem to imply she is very powerful/special, but something's not clicking for her. I don't know that we've seen a former/washed out Jedi struggling that hard as we see Osha struggling. (*Correct me if I'm wrong though, the only examples that are coming immediately to mind are Cal in Fallen Order - which might be a medium issue, you need *some* baseline skill to get past the early parts of the game and start collecting others - and Kanan in A New Dawn, both of whom had suppressed their abilities to hide from the Empire, but were able to do pretty big things in emergency situations. Ty Yorrick I'm not sure is a good example because she seems like an outlier in a few ways.) And aside from being unable to move Pip on the crashing ship, she seemed to be struggling even when she was with the coven, both in the first scene with the little butterfly things and in the training scene. It could be that she just never was that strong and 6 years ago it started to fade and that combined with her clear inability to let go of her resentment towards her sister led Indara to recommend her training stop?

this is more like point 3.5 (and this is where, IF they're going this route I think they would address it this season): Osha and Mae are clearly connected and in one interview (argh bad citation practice I don't have the link or the quote) Amandla said that she was trying to always play them in balance, so when one twin started expressing one personality trait, the other would lose it. Would this work with their strength in the Force as well? Is it possible that 6 years ago was when Mae began training under the Sith Master, honing her skills more for her revenge quest, and that caused Osha's abilities to fade? Maybe they're out of balance somehow, maybe Osha not going through with the ascension caused this, or maybe it's possible that Mae was just always stronger, but...I'm considering it.

Like I said, unless they go the 'the twins are connected and out of balance' route, I don't actually think they'll address it. It doesn't seem that compelling to put on the 'mysteries left on the table for season 2' list (which I think are going to be almost entirely about Qimir and the Sith, given other interviews and where I think the ending is going). I think they'll just let the line that gets cut off (the part where either Yord says 'Indara advised you stop training when you were--' and she cuts them off to insist it was her choice) hang, not unlike whatever Indara was about to say about Republic law. I don't think they want to box themselves in, so took the convenient interruption route to avoid committing. But it is something I'm wondering about!

this hath been a theory.

[the-insomniac-emporium]

I love your writing.

if it's not too much trouble may i make a request? I'm thinking the Dimitrescu women meeting and/or courting a fellow immortal.

the circumstances of the immortal's powers and possession of immorality are entirely up to you. I just like the idea of them meeting someone they could literally spend forever with...because they deserve it ❤

I wasn't sure if you wanted a story or headcanons? I went with HCs, here, but if you wanted more of a drabble or whatever just lemme know and I'll write something like that.

Also, I got excited and carried away so this has the whole Dimitrescu family, plus shorter ones for both Mother Miranda and Donna. Admittedly Alcina's is also a little on the shorter side? I tried to write everything that came to mind, but I am kinda tired right now, sorry. Might reblog this and add some more later.

(Under read-more for length)

Cassandra:

Tries (and fails) to hide her excitement. Mortality is one of the bigger things that has made her keep her distance to others, at least in the past. Every Maiden she’s ever been the slightest bit smitten with, up until this point, has been incredibly fragile. Seeing as she’s not exactly the softest person, one can easily imagine why that would be a turn off for her. But now that’s no longer a problem!

On the other had… having an immortal partner gives Cassandra pause. Why? Because what if they breakup? Normally, she can just, ahem, “dispose” of any exes (regardless of how much it hurts) so she doesn’t have to see them/deal with them anymore. If that’s not an option, she’ll definitely take longer than usual to do anything about her feelings. She wants to be sure, 100%, before she gets in over her head. Chances are she won’t hold back for as long as she wants though.

Likely to have a loud, messy confession. She’ll have been avoiding you for a few days, always ducking out of whatever rooms you enter, leaving you both hurt and confused. After enlisting the help of her sisters, you’ll be able to corner her outside. She’ll tell you, under no uncertain circumstances, to leave her alone. But you’ll refuse, demanding an explanation.

“I thought we had something. I thought you cared,” you’ll snap, eyes watering. “If that’s changed… if I was wrong, just tell me. I’ll leave and I’ll never come back.” Cue thunder and raining (because tropes) and Cassandra dramatically pulling you into a kiss, holding you so tightly you think you might bruise. Then she’s demanding that you stay, refusing to apologize but making it clear just how much she does care.

Being immortal, you’re not as defenseless as some of Cassandra’s past interests. Naturally, she doesn’t get quite as protective as she normally would. She’ll still have your back no matter what, ready to fight by your side against any foe, and will probably consider doing so a “fun bonding activity”. Oh, some lycans are encroaching on Dimitrescu territory? Time to go destroy them, as a power couple!

Despite having all the time in the world, Cassandra won’t change much of her actual courting behavior, nor the rate at which things advance. She’s still gonna get handsy fairly early on, still gonna “rah!” at you in the hallways, and still going to struggle with her jealousy.

Immortality Compatibility: I can see Cassandra going for another vampire (or vampire adjacent) creature, or someone demonic. She likes her lovers a bit rough, with some nice bite to their personalities. If you’ve got sharp teeth, or claws, or glowing eyes? Oh boy, she’s gonna be making heart eyes at you all the time.

Bela:

If your immortality isn’t immediately obvious, Bela is over the moon with joy when she finds out. Her eyes will go wide for a moment, before she tries to seem calm (so as to not freak you out), but her heart is pounding. This is what she’s been hoping for. As much as Mother Miranda has done for her family, there’s no guarantee that she’d be willing to give more. Even if Miranda granted Bela’s lover her “gift”, there was no telling what the results would be, or if the lover would survive. Now that there’s no need for such a transformation, it’s far easier for Bela to imagine herself in love (and eventually be in love).

Slow-burn romance over a decade or longer, oops. Doesn’t even necessarily mean to take things so slowly, just doesn’t feel a need to rush things, preferring that they develop organically. With both of you having unlimited time, you’re both used to working on a very large timescale. Maidens watching the two of you probably place bets on how long it’ll take you to hold hands for the first time. Everyone knows it’s coming, but no matter how much Cassandra and Daniela complain, Bela refuses to jump into things. By the time the two of you are officially together, you’re probably madly in love with each other.

More protective than Cassandra, if only because she knows just how rare you are. Immortal or not, you likely still have a weakness, and Bela will do everything in her power to make sure no one else knows what it is. If applicable, she will also ensure she has a countermeasure readily available. For example: If you were weak to fire, she’d make sure that the castle keeps extinguishers handy, just in case. Though they should probably already do that. Not that the Dimitrescu family cares much for OSHA compliance.

Somehow grows more in love with you with every passing year, and makes sure that you know this. Whether you’ve been together for one year or one century (because in this house we ignore canon), she’s always performing little acts of love, giving constant reminders of how strongly she feels. Gifts, special dates, book recommendations, etc.

Immortality Compatibility: Bela seems like the type to go for someone with a calming presence, and perhaps somewhat of a contrast to herself. I can picture her with someone somewhat angelic, or druidic, someone very in tune with nature. She’d love to feed deer with you and relax in the forest! Or lay against a tree by your side, listening to you talk about various microorganisms for hours at a time.

Daniela:

Practically tackles you when she finds out/connects the dots. This is just like one of her romance novels, where a lonely (attractive as fuck) immortal spends years in isolation before finally meeting the love of their life, who they get to spend the rest of eternity with. Absolutely ecstatic about the whole situation. Won’t stop kissing you and pulling you close, rambling about how great it’s gonna be to spend your lives together. Honestly? Kind of overwhelming. You might have to remind her a few times that you don’t have to rush into things, considering you have all the time in the world.

Introduces you to people as her “super cool/rad immortal life partner”. Genuinely cannot bring herself to not brag about you. If her sisters haven’t found someone like you yet, you can bet that Daniela will tease them about it all the time (much to their annoyance). If Momma Alcina doesn’t, though? Dani will keep her thoughts to herself, thank you very much (being grounded at her age does not impress the s/o).

Tries not to show it, but she’s actually very nervous. You’re immortal! You’ve probably seen a lot of shit (she certainly has)! Worries about keeping you interested in her, though she would never admit it. This tends to lead to her performing ridiculous acts to showcase her affection, regardless of the cost or, like, whether or not you’d even enjoy whatever she has planned. In order to counter her anxiety, you’ll want to reassure her whenever you can, and give her plenty of “I love you”s.

Strikes a decent balance between Cassandra’s nonchalant attitude and Bela’s protectiveness. Will defend you if you need it, playing up the romantic aspect, but also entirely willing to hide behind you in a scary situation.

Immortality Compatibility: Having probably read Twilight… Dani would date a werewolf, as long as they weren’t the smelly kind. Also interested in a sort of “magical”/elemental type, especially if their powers are influenced by emotions. In other words, if someone flirts with her in front of you, and your response is to subconsciously light your hands/the other person on fire? She thinks that’s hot, pun intended.

Alcina:

“Oh? Interesting,” she’d say, smiling softly (and trying to ignore the heat rushing to her face). Similarly to Cassandra, she’d try to play it off, not wanting to seem too excited. And, well, she’s not as excited as any of her daughters are. After all, she’s had more time than them to “get used” to the idea of outliving any potential romantic interests. So, she’s not exactly desperate for a relationship, even with someone she could spend an eternity with.

That being said, if she is romantically interested in them, she’s very relieved. Outliving a loved one can be incredibly traumatizing (fuck you c*pcom, you know what you did), and knowing that you’re safe (or at least safer than most) brings her no small amount of comfort.

Also, just glad to have another person close to her age around. Her daughters are somewhat stuck as young adults, and I imagine Alcina would want someone who gained immortality a little later in life, such as herself, as opposed to, ya know, reminding her of her children. That probably goes without saying. Hopefully.

More so than her daughters, Alcina would change her level of protectiveness depending on her s/o’s power level. If you’re a shapeshifter who can also turn into a big ass dragon? Then she’s not going to coddle you. If you’re immortal but still vulnerable, then she’s going to do her best to keep you safe, even going so far as to enlist the assistance of her daughters. “If you see a single Maiden growing mistletoe, or bringing some in from the village, let me know immediately,” or something like that, depending on your weakness.

Immortality Compatibility: Definitely would want someone in a situation similar to herself, having once been truly human, only to be “elevated” by something. Bonus points if you’re another disciple of Miranda, double bonus points if Miranda specifically “made” you to be Alcina’s boo/honey/darling/dear.

Bonus! Mother Miranda:

Oh god finally someone who won’t leave her (can’t leave her). No one can take you away from her, and that’s a relief that she’s been craving for over a century. Even if romance isn’t high on her priority list, she welcomes it with open arms, glad to have someone by her side through all of life’s chaos.

Admittedly slow to trust at first, probably just using you as a tool at first. But prove yourself enough, show that your devotion is more than just misdirected self-interest, and she’ll start to warm up to you. Forming a real relationship would likely take a couple decades, similar to with Bela. Once you are together, however, the two of you are inseparable in all matters.

You’d be her #1 follower, most trusted adviser, and the only person allowed to understand 100% of her thoughts and motives. While Miranda wouldn’t allow you to be seen as the same level as her (sorry), you’d still be a legend among the villagers. To them, you’re Mother Miranda’s champion, the epitome of a devoted follower that they all aspire to emulate. Not that they know the two of you are a couple, though.

Immortality Compatibility: No gimmicks, no cheap tricks, she wants (and respects) a fellow scientist, someone who clawed their way through adversity and forged themselves into something indestructible. Double the interest if you did so for a similar cause to her own, as she would appreciate your ability to relate to her suffering.

Bonus! Donna:

Someone to play with! FOREVER! No more losing people she cares about, no more accidentally breaking people, no more people scrambling to leave. Now that she has you, she can finally spend some quality time with another (living?) person. Honestly her dolls (or at least Angie) are just as excited as she is. Regardless of her relations with the other three Lords, Donna much prefers the company of a lover.

For real though she’s shy as hell and you might not even realize who’s pulling the strings until you’ve been in her house for over a year. She’d probably use her powers to trap you inside, at least at first, though they’d be nice hallucinations. You’d have to treat the dolls nicely, especially Angie, before she’d let you interact with her.

Eventually you’d be allowed to leave, and you’d be given a key to return whenever you wanted to. Assuming that you do, in fact, come back, the two of you would have a very, very slow romance, if only because of Donna’s anxiety. Hand holding makes both of your faces turn beet red, seriously.

Immortality Compatibility: *chanting* GHOST GIRLFRIEND GHOST GIRLFRIEND POLTERGEIST PARTNER POLTERGEIST PARTNER WOOHOO! Something with a flexible, only-sometimes-tangible form, who absolutely could have left at any time but didn’t because they wanted to stay.

[stevesharrlngtons]

just a little downhill.

mickey x reader

summary: after a hard day of work, mickey comes home to a very unwelcome and unexpected guest: his little brother.

word count: 4.5k

a/n: mickey and his brother goodness! as briefly discussed, kevin’s face claim is pete davidson (: and if you’re curious, here is another discussion of mickey’s parents. i hope you enjoy and if you do, i’d love to hear it (:

Although Mickey had been out from under his parents order for years now, he never seemed to shake the responsibilities they had assigned him. 

When Mickey was old enough, with a high school diploma under his belt and not much else, he escaped two towns over to flee his parents and their needs. To, at the time, do his best to escape their overbearing asks and assumptions of him. He took very little when he fled in the night; a few articles of well worn clothing; his box of drugs and corresponding paraphernalia; an envelope of mementos of his relationship with you; and you, as well. You both escaped your grim situations with wild eyes and hearts, between flurried kisses and giggles, you made your way to your new lives. 

Now, all these years later, you both were still shacked up in your cozy ground floor apartment, with it’s warped tiles and shag carpets, and Mickey had never been happier. Sure, he worked a demanding manual labor job and he had few future prospects, but he was on his own and living with the woman he loved. To Mickey, there truly wasn’t anything better than that. He suspected he could be forsaken to any living conditions, demands or labor, but as long as he had you by his side, he would be happy as a clam. 

You were the one who kept him sane. The one who taught him how to float instead of thrashing in the water. The one who taught him the gentle caress of love. The one who was the only salve for any and all problems that were thrown his way. 

And when it came to his chaotic life, he needed your healing touch more often than he would like to admit. 

Because while the distance between him and his turbulent family offered excuses for why he couldn’t invariably swoop in and save the day, the milage didn’t often deter his parents from calling on Mickey whenever they needed something. Their expectations still held true no matter the separation.

Mickey was expected to come over and soothe tensions when their fights reached a volume to where the neighbors got involved. 

Mickey was expected to drop everything, no matter the circumstance, to help wrangle their old mutt whenever he escaped and began to terrorize the neighborhood kids.

Mickey was expected to drive the hour to their trailer whenever there was an appliance that needed fixing. Usually after his father had stormed off in frustration when he couldn’t do it himself. 

Mickey was also expected to fix a litany of other things that his parents refused to call in an expert about, but had no problem pawning it off on their son (even if he was no more qualified to fix things then they were).  

But above all, Mickey was expected to look out for his little brother. To watch out for him, and to take care of him when he couldn’t take care of himself. This had always been his most fervently requested task, and possibly the one he resented the most. 

And when he came home to find his fuck to of a little brother with his back against the brick siding of Mickey’s apartment building, a joint between his lips and his head angled toward the sun, he knew his everlasting duty to care for the kid was about to rear its ugly head once more. 

Today was just an exceptionally bad day for this to happen. 

Because before he even saw Kevin’s face, it had been a day where he had just wanted to come home, lay his head on your lap as you pressed delicate kisses to his skin. He needed to be enveloped in your soothing smell and coaxed into relaxation by your voice. He just needed you, because today had been awful. The last thing he needed was to deal with any member of his fucking family.

The day started off with the buddy he carpooled with burning a hole in his brand new seat cover on the way to work. Then it was announced that OSHA would be monitoring their site they were at for the morning, which meant nothing got done and the crew was way behind schedule. When lunch rolled around, Mickey dropped his sandwich on the ground, which caused his coworkers to start an uproar of teasing and laughter whenever he was around. And, of course, after he was already in their crosshairs, his drill decided to stop working, which only fueled the other mens mocking. 

And to make it all worse, his mother had been calling on a loop since noon. He refused to answer, not wanting to deal with her drunk ramblings or vicious criticisms, which just meant that the calls kept coming. Now that he thought of it, he was sure the sudden vibration in his pocket had been the reason he had dropped his sandwich in the first place.

Thanks mom. Fuck you.

“The fuck are you doing here, Kev?” Mickey grunted from around his cigarette as he approached his front door. 

“Didn't Ma call?” 

“I don’t answer her calls sober,” he shoved his key into the lock and pushed the door open with his shoulder.

As the door opened, Mickey cringed as Kevin quickly sprang to his feet and pushed past him into his home. He had expected it, but it still made his stomach drop as it happened. When Kevin planted himself somewhere, he was often hard to peel back up. Last time Kevin had come over to beg for money, he didn’t leave for four days, leaving a permanent lanky body print in Mickey’s couch. 

“Can’t really blame you for that,” Kevin chuckled as he collapsed onto the living room couch in a huff, “we didn’t invent The Scale for nothin’.” 

The Scale referred to the made up increment system the two invented in middle school on how high they had to be to pleasantly deal with their parents. Their mother was usually a Bill and Ted and their father was always at very least Cheech and Chong. The brothers sometimes would still refer to The Scale when they were going through a spurt of getting along. But this was not one of those times. 

Mickey hadn’t seen Kevin on an unencumbered social call in over two years. Kevin used to visit every weekend; to party, play video games or just spend time with his older brother; but now it was only under the guise of extorting money (that Mickey really didn’t have to give) or in a search of a place to crash while he was on the outs with their parents or whatever girl he was currently seeing. 

Because of his mother’s incessant calls and Kevin’s mention of her, he assumed it was the latter this time. 

“Yeah, well clearly you’ve already started,” Mickey grouched, as he tilted his head to the blunt that was still between his brother’s lips. 

Mickey was anything but a prude, but when his deadbeat brother came swaggering into his home with no humility or shame, smoking pot and bogarting his couch, Mickey suddenly turned into a stuffy Christian mother, sticking his nose up and huffing at the mention of any illicit substance. 

“Oh, I’m sorry man, you wanna hit?” Kevin asked, completely oblivious to his brother’s annoyance. 

“What are you doing here, Kev?” 

Kevin’s eyebrows raised at Mickey’s bluntness and whistled low under his breath, before settling back against the couch. 

“Take the stick out of you ass, Jesus Mick,” 

“I’m serious, Kev. What is it? Spit it out, I had a long fucking day. I don’t have the patience to deal with this.” 

“You sound like dad,” Kevin chuckled, smoke billowed from his mouth as he propped long legs onto the coffee table. 

His tolerance for Kevin running thin already, Mickey marched over to the couch and shoved his legs from the coffee table with haste. Kevin’s eyes grew wide with surprise and slight betrayal when he looked at his brother again. 

“I’m not fucking around, Kevin! (Y/N) is gonna be home any minute and I want you gone when she gets here,” Mickey raked a hand through his tousled locks and went in search of his work coat to find a new cigarette. 

“(Y/N) loves me,” 

“Yeah, because you prey on her kindness. Now tell me what it is or I’m calling dad to pick you up.” 

That seemed to scare him enough to reveal the reason for his visit.

“I need a job.” 

And there it was. Mickey let out an encompassing sigh as he turned his back to his baby brother. This wasn’t the first time Kevin had asked for a job, and Mickey doubted it would be the last. 

Others might applaud his brother’s initiative to better himself and search for personal contacts to find him work, but Mickey knew better. He had tried to help him get a job more times than he could count, and Kevin always did something to fuck it up. 

Whether it be never showing up, being high on the clock, failing drug tests or fighting with customers and coworkers, something always went wrong. Mickey had burned many a bridge to defend his brother from these employers, because no matter how insane Kevin made him, he was still his brother and he would be damned if anyone said a bad word about him. Other than him, of course. 

“Yeah? And what the fuck am I supposed to do about that?” Mickey challenged. 

“Talk to Stephen,” Kevin replied simply. 

“Fuck no!” Mickey almost laughed, “Man, I need this job, I can’t have you fucking it up for me.” 

“I won’t! I won’t fuck it up!” 

“Yeah, ok. Whatever you say, Kev.”

“I’m being serious!” 

“No, no way, dude. No, Kev. I can’t lose this job. I got bills and shit, now! Did you know you have to pay for garbage pick up at a place like this? Because I sure as shit didn’t! We can’t even bury it like dad did,” Mickey lectured, “and y’know what? I got a girl, one I’d really like to fucking keep. Which means actually keeping this stupid construction job to keep paying for fucking garbage. I can’t have you gettin’ us both canned.” 

“I’ve changed, Mick. I have!” Kevin reinforced when his brother rolled his eyes, “I’m twenty four now. I got like, perspective on stuff, and shit.” 

“Kev, -“ Mickey started, but didn’t continue as he heard a key in the front lock. 

Seconds later you appeared, hair piled high on your head and still adorning your work uniform. Even with his brother pissing him off and the weight of an awful day on his shoulders, Mickey couldn’t stop the goofy smile that spread over his face when he saw you. Worn from a hard day and in your boxy hotel maid get up, you were still the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on. 

“Hey, baby,” Mickey said as he crossed the living room quickly to greet you. 

“Hi, baby,” you looked up at him, a similar lovesick smile on your lips as Mickey wrapped you in a crushing embrace. 

You craned your head back to capture his pouted lips in a kiss. They will tinged with more nicotine than usual, and you knew something was off before you pulled apart. Your hands had begun to inch toward Mickey’s nape when you heard movement on the couch. When you pulled away, you saw him

“Oh, hey, Kev. I didn’t see you there, honey,” you offered him a kind smile as you moved to rest your cheek on Mickey’s chest.

Mickey tried to keep the scowl off his face as his brother grinned at you. 

“How ya been, (Y/N/N)? Man, it feels like it’s been ages!” his brother charmed, pushing up from the couch to come meet you for a hug. 

When you pulled away from Mickey to do so, Mickey swore you were taking a part of his resolve with you.

“It has, you don’t come ‘round like you used to,” you said, parting from Kevin to smoothe your hands over his broad, boney shoulders. As you inspected Mickey’s baby brother, you spied something new, “this a new addition?” 

You poked the ridge of black ink peeking out of his t-shirt, just below his collar bone. 

“Awh, yeah. Yeah it is,” Kevin pulled down the collar of his shirt enough for you to see the tattoo that joined the ranks of his many others, “it’s the Brooklyn Bridge.” 

“Oh,” you said, a little surprised by the choice, but admiried it nonetheless, “I like it. It’s nice linework. Can’t say the same for the rest of ‘em, though.”

“Yeah, yeah, very funny!”

You winked up at him before you removed yourself from his orbit to return to Mickey’s. Though, on your way back to your man, you saw the firm look of displeasure on his face, and that face was directed firmly at his brother. You stopped in your tracks and traded glances between the two boys, one angry and one bashful, before you spoke. 

“Alright, what’s goin’ on?” 

“What do you think is goin’ on?” “Nothin’.” the brothers spoke in unison. 

You turned your gaze hard at Mickey. He let silence hang in the air for a long beat before he spoke.

“Kev is lookin’ for a hand out. But what’s new?” Mickey scoffed. He planted a swift kiss to the crown of your head before he walked past the both of you to the kitchen. 

“Hey, fuck you man! All I was asking for was help!” Kevin shot back, he turned quickly on his heel to face his brother. 

“I can’t give you any fuckin’ help, Kev! Look what I got,” Mickey waved widley, “there ain’t shit here to give!”

“You could give me your contacts, I could start sellin’ the shit you have left from -” 

“You aren’t taking my contacts and you’re not touching the shit I got from Georgia. That’s mine to do what I please with,” Mickey bellowed, yelling louder than you’d ever heard before, “I don’t need you fucking up the relationship I have with my clients, either.” 

“Clients,” Kevin said in a mocking, posh accent, “their fucking drug addicts!” 

“Yeah? And what the fuck are you, again?” 

“What the fuck am I? What the fuck are you, man?” 

The two had slowly begun to advance toward each other in their squabble, and now were only a pace apart. You knew if they were to get any closer, fists would be thrown. It wouldn’t be a good fight, neither boy had ever been good in physical altercations. The fight would likely consist of misthrown punches and cheap shot kicks, but that didn’t matter. You didn’t want either to get hurt or take anything too far. 

“That’s enough!” you shouted over their bickering, “Mick, c’mon. Come talk to me in the bedroom, please.” 

Mickey’s angry expression faltered the moment he looked over Kevin’s shoulder at you, “Baby, I can handle this.” 

“Mickey. Bedroom. Now.” you had already started to head that way, and Mickey knew if he wasn’t right behind you, he’d be in deep shit. 

With a petulant sigh, he followed you down the hall to the bedroom and shut the door behind him when he entered. You had sat on the edge of the bed and Mickey found his place to slouch against the opposite wall. 

“I can’t deal with him, baby. I can’t deal with his bullshit anymore,” he said, defeated. 

“He’s your brother, Mick. You love him. And sometimes the people you love need more help than you do.” 

“But that’s the thing, he needs so much more. He takes and he takes and he takes, and somehow, he still needs more. I can’t give him anything else. No one can. He’s more of a fuck up than I am, and that’s saying something,” Mickey puffed. 

“You’re not a fuck up, Mick,” you frowned, your brows peaking with heartache. 

Mickey gave you a pointed look, “I kinda am. You don’t gotta sugar coat it.”

You stood from the bed and crossed the short space between you two. When you reached him, you wrapped your arms around his waist and nestled close to his chest. Mickey accepted your embrace easily and gratefully. 

“You are not a fuck up, baby. You have a good job, you have a good life. You provide for me, for our little two person family. And you make me happier than I ever thought possible... you simply aren’t a fuck up because no man I love could be,” you smiled at the tail end of your sentence. 

You propped your chin on his chest like you had minutes earlier and looked deep into his green eyes, both soft and brimming with adoration. 

“I fucking love you so much, you know that?” he smiled, little crow's feet growing by his eyes as he did. 

“I do. And I love you, too.” 

Mickey sighed, relaxation soothing his muscles at the sound of your confession. He gently pressed your cheek back to his chest and reveled in the feeling of your body against his. 

“But really, baby, what are we gonna do about Kev?” you asked after a moment of calm. 

Mickey’s brows furrowed, the pressure behind them intense and blaring. 

“He’s not our problems, baby. He’s an adult.” 

“He is. But he’s also a sweet kid with a good heart, and he just needs some extra help. And I think we should try to help, at least the best we can.” 

Mickey’s head made a thud as he collapsed to the wall behind him, “baby, we can’t keep doing this. We can’t keep bailing him out. We can’t keep bailing them out.”

The image of his parents popped behind his eyes, both fragile and gray and somehow even crueler than ever. He didn’t want to spend his life being their eternal whipping boy, cleaning up their messes when they couldn’t. And that included the mess they had made in his brother.

“This isn’t about them, alright? Fuck them, you know precisely what I think of your parents,” you frowned, and Mickey felt his heart pick up with pride at your protectiveness, “but you also know what I think about Kevin. He really is a good kid deep down. He’s talented. He just needs a little more support before he’s gonna feel comfortable jumping out on his own.” 

“He still drives me fucking insane…” Mickey retorted.

“He’s your little brother, of course he does.”

“Baby, he really does. You have no idea how much that little shit gets under my skin.”

“Oh, c’mon! You love him! He’s like, sad, high, tattooed Big Bird,” you giggled as you heard a grumble vibrate in Mickey’s chest. 

“Yeah? Well, then what am I?” 

You pulled away from him once more, but only far enough to look him in the eyes. 

“You’re like, strong, sexy, smart Big Bird,” you said, your voice a seductive purr as you placed a few chaste kisses to his jaw, “or Snuffleupagus.” 

Mickey’s face twisted in confusion and slight disgust, “why?” 

“Because he was always my favorite when I was a kid.” 

And his expression instantly extinguished into one of warmth and tenderness. Emerald eyes bathing you in liquid love. 

“You just never stop being cute, do you?” he grinned. 

“Nope,” you said, letting the work pop from your lips. 

He placed a gentle kiss to your forehead and took a deep breath of your pheromones; your sun bathed skin and your sweet smelling hair. And as he let his lips stay perched on your skull, he realized that he would do anything for you, no matter the request. He had had this feeling many times before; of his overwhelming and striking devotion to you; though it never ceased to rattle his swelling heart in his chest, and remind him the exact reason he was put on this earth: to make you happy. 

So, if you wanted him to try and help Kevin, then he would. It was the least he could do for all the happiness and love you brought to him. 

But, if he was being honest with himself, there was always going to be a part of him that wanted to nurture his baby brother in any way he could. 

Somewhere in his mind and his heart, Kevin would always be the small blushing bundle handed off to him in a dingy hospital room. It was one of his first formative memories, his little brother wrapped in a white blanket as his mother’s groggy eyes looked upon both of them. Mickey had never held a baby, let alone a newborn, and the tiny writhing creature looked very strange to him, red and angry and crying.

A month before Mickey’s mother would give birth to Kevin, their father had stormed out of the house, and by the time her water had broken he had still yet to turn. So pained and afraid, his mother had piled Mickey in the car after her and drove them both to the hospital. A cigarette in one hand, while her other gave the steering wheel a death grip. As she groaned with contractions and cursed at the traffic, she said something to him that he never forgot: 

“You are the real man of the house, Mickey-honey,” she said in her graveled voice, “this little boy is always gonna look up to you. You gotta live up to that.” 

And that message had bounced around between his ears as his mother, alone and in extraordinary agony, gave birth to his brother. Who as he had held him in his tiny spindly arms, Mickey knew that he would keep him safe forever. No matter what.

A part of that soul promise to his blood now seemed to be finding Kevin a job to keep him afloat. To keep him out of trouble and away from falling down the path their parents had. He honored past his past self in that moment, continuing on with the pledge to keep his brother safe. 

“Fine,” Mickey muttered to your skin, “we’ll help ‘im.” 

“Really?” 

Mickey simply shrugged. 

You moved your hands from where they had been secured behind his waist to come and cradle his cheeks, “you’re a good man, Mick.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” he played off, eyelids fluttering. 

“The best man I know,” and you kissed him tenderly, the soft feeling of your lips electrifying him.

He hummed when you pulled away, but with more anguish than pleasure. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Mickey said. He quickly untangled himself from you and exited the bedroom before you could even process your post kiss haze. 

“Kev,” Mickey called, finding his brother laying down on the couch now, the television remote in his hand as he flipped channels, “get the fuck up.” 

“Hey, woah, listen Mickey, alright? I’m sorry! I am, I’m sorry,” Kevin began, stammering nervously. 

Mickey could tell that his brother was trying to save face. That he was trying to bargain for his help, and that he believed that Mickey was coming back to tell him to leave and never come back. But he didn’t stop him, Mickey thought Kevin deserved to squirm a bit. 

“I know I’ve fucked up, like really fucked up over and over again. But I got this this time, ok? I’m like, I’m ready for, I don’t know, a fresh start. I’m ready to do better.” 

Mickey simply crossed his arms as his brother stared up at him with heavy set brown eyes. They were flickering around the room, scared to look at his older brother who loomed over him. Mickey was sure he was searching for you, knowing he could always grovel at your feet for sympathy. 

“Fuck! What am I supposed to say, stop being such a-“ but Kevin stopped himself before he finished, knowing it likely wasn’t smart to start name calling the person he was asking a favor of. 

“No, no, continue. What am I being? Hm?” Mickey raised an eyebrow. 

Kevin’s jaw tightened, “.... a really, good guy.” 

His pained voice would have made Mickey laugh if he wasn’t wearing a stoic persona. It reminded him of when Kevin was forced to apologize as a child, their dad’s hand pulling up his ear as he spat out an apology. 

“Imma ask around, alright? Been hearing about some landscape work a buddy of mine has been talking about. I’ll call you tomorrow.” he finally said, putting his anxious brother out of his misery. 

“No shit?” Kevin asked with a suspicious lilt. 

“No shit. And if you get the fuck out of my house in the next five seconds, I might even put in a good word for you.” 

“Fuck,” Kevin exhaled, his body deflated like a balloon against the cushion, “you have no idea-“ 

“Nope, I don’t,” Mickey interjected, “and I don’t want to. Now fuck off, dude. My lady is home and I don’t need you here.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright!” Kevin said as he was shooed off the couch and to the door, “thank you, (Y/N/N), you hear me, babe?” 

You heard the commotion from the bedroom and popped your head out to watch Mickey escorting Kevin out. Stripped down from your uniform and now bundled in a pair of Mickey’s thread bear sweatpants and his favorite Scorpions t-shirt. 

“You look gorgeous, by the way! So good, does Mickey tell you enough?” Kevin had widened his gangly limbs in the door frame to keep his brother, who was shoving him quite hard, to stop him from leaving. 

“He does, Kev. I promise,” you grinned at the brotherly exchange as they threw jabs at each other, “I’ll see you soon, honey.” 

“Bye, (Y/N/N)!” was the last thing Kevin got out before Mickey slammed the door in his face, not worrying about if there were stray fingers left behind. 

“That fucking kid…” Mickey said under his breath, locking the deadbolt with a resound click. 

You pushed away from where you had leant against the wall and walked toward him, “my man… my sweet, strong man who has such a big heart and helps out his family.” 

You plastered yourself to his back, bringing your hands down to fiddle with the hem of his shirt, “my man who provides for me,” you pressed a kiss to his shoulder, “for the people he loves,” one to his trap, “who is the best person I’ve ever known,” one to his neck. 

Mickey whimpered under your ministrations, caught up in the whispered pleasure of your lips and nimble fingers that greedily took inventory of his torso.

“You’re really tryin’ to start something, huh?” he chuckled as you began to suck on his pulse point. 

“And if I was?” 

As soon as the last syllable left your mouth, Mickey had twisted around to take handfuls of your thighs to hitch you up around his waist. 

You couldn’t hold in the excited giggle that bubbled from your chest as he marched you both back toward your room in quick succession. His long strides getting you both back between the sheets in no time. All thoughts of  dropped sandwiches and burn holes and faulty equipment and pesky little brothers, gone. Now, there was only you, and that was just the way Mickey liked it. 

if you follow me you know that i have been going through a major writing block and a creativity dry spell, so while i don’t think this is my best work, it is fun and silly and soft and nice to write (:  if you enjoyed, i would really love it hear it <3 ‘til next time!