#and if you’re curious and want to throw your ocs my way…

[fistfuloflightning]

Yoo-hoo! I have time on my hands!! And you know what that means 😉

Tolkien, MXTX, Hakuouki, Planes etc. I’m not picky :)

(and even if I don’t get them done today, I still take prompts at any time)

[seijorhi]

invidia ii

a (very belated) christmas present for my beloved wife @iwaasfairy who has, for two years straight, begged me for more shinnosuke content. i hope you like it bby! kuroo tetsurou x female reader, kuroo shinnosuke (oc) x female reader part i w.c 3.1k tw: noncon/dubcon, slight daddy kink, (forced) infidelity, yandere themes, nsfw, smut, age gap, i guess hints of breeding kink, dilf kuroo

“Why did your parents split up?”

Mid-way through pulling on a pair of old, grey sweatpants, mopping at beads of water from his shower still rolling down his bare chest, Shinnosuke throws you a curious look, but shrugs easily enough.

“They weren’t ever really ‘together’ to begin with. They tried the whole co-parenting thing to start with but mom… they never loved each other. Hell, I don’t even think they liked each other most of the time beyond–” he breaks off, his nose wrinkling in distaste. It almost makes you laugh. “Anyway, dad always said she had one foot out the door from the start. Dad was the one who stuck around to raise me.” There’s no animosity in his tone, he says it like it’s the simple truth. You’ve never met the woman, never having shown up to any of the Nekoma games, his graduation, any of it. You’ve seen a picture or two, overheard the odd phone call, but for as long as you’ve known him, the only real parent in Shin’s life has always been his dad.

If there’s anyone he idolises, it’s his father.

 Which is why the words that he says next – casting aside the damp towel in the general direction of the laundry basket (boys) and sauntering on over to join you in bed – take you entirely by surprise. “We’ll go visit her in Golden Week. I want her to meet you.”

And again, the words are just that; words. Shin kisses you, a sweet peck on your lips, and wastes no time in scooping you back into his arms and settling back with a contented sigh. They’re just words, but there’s this look in his eyes when he says it that makes you think he means something more. 

Your stomach flutters.

—

‘You really wanna break his heart like that, kitten?’

—

“Still not feeling any better?” Shin asks, brushing your hair back to feel your forehead. The beginnings of a frown start to take shape, teeth gently burrowing into his bottom lip, but he straightens and sighs, and that hint of discontent smoothes over like it had never existed in the first place. He strokes your hair again and offers a small, sympathetic smile. “No temperature, that’s gotta be a good sign, right?”

You’re a coward.

“It’s not my head, I just…” don’t have any visible, plausible symptoms for the fake illness that’s currently keeping you curled up in Shin’s bed. Away from the creep who’d smiled and fucking winked at you Christmas morning. “I just feel off.”

“Poor baby,” he coos, laughing when your face screws up and you swat at him.

Right now, swaddled in his hoodie, his fingers carding through your hair and that stupid, impish, almost believable grin beaming down at you, you want to forget. To pretend. 

Because there’s a pit in your stomach. A bitter, gnarled, seething mass. This moment right now, in Shin’s bed, it’s like glass, paper thin and already cracked, it can’t possibly last, and yet you’re clinging to it so desperately, head buried in the sand, willing yourself to pretend, from one heartbeat to the next, that what’s happened won’t break the two of you. 

That your stomach doesn’t threaten to upend when you catch sight of those hazel eyes peering down at you – the same shape and shade as his father’s.

You shudder out a breath, and what little levity there was between you two gets sucked out with it. Shin’s expression gutters.

Yeah. 

His fingers don’t leave your hair, though. Playing idly with the strands as though the suffocating tension in the room doesn’t exist at all. “Dad’s taking us out to dinner tonight,” he tells you. Reminds you, because you knew all of this beforehand. Everything but the party. “Do you want me to run by the pharmacy to get you something?”

Another tap at the fractured glass. 

That’s Shinnosuke all over, isn’t it? You might’ve been the manager back in the day, but it was always Shin who kept an eye on his team, on you, to make sure everyone was good. 

“No,” you shake your head. “I’ll–” the words get stuck in your throat. “I’ll see how I feel in an hour or so. ‘m still a little tired.” 

“You want some tea, sweetheart?”

‘Shh, sweetheart, you gotta keep it down.’

A cold sweat breaks out on the nape of your neck. No. No, no, no, no–

“Baby?”

You flinch like he’s slapped you, jerking away from the hand he’s wound in your hair. The startled look he shoots you borders on wounded, but you’re already squirming towards the edge of the bed, stumbling to your feet like a newborn foal. “Bathroom,” you manage to eke out, your voice sounding far too strangled and hoarse to pass as anywhere near the realm of fine. 

Shin doesn’t follow, doesn’t so much as utter a word – all kicked puppy confused – as you throw the door closed behind you and collapse back against it, a sweaty, ashen mess. 

He usually calls you love. Baby. Princess when he’s being a little shit. 

Sweetheart’s a rare one. 

Your heart races, a runaway train pounding in your chest. His eyes, his touch, sweetheart, sweetheart, sweetheart.

Another shuddering breath in. Out. 

Fuck. 

There’s a knock – not at the ensuite door, the sound’s too muffled for that, and you didn’t hear Shin’s footsteps (though you’re not sure you would, over the pounding in your ribs) meaning that the knocking’s at his door. 

There’s only one other occupant in the house. Though you try your damndest to fight it, there’s no stopping the wave of panic that stabs through you. Shin’s door creaks open, soft voices barely creeping through the gap in the door, and your fingers go rigid, nails clawing at the black and white flooring as though you can ground yourself by breaking through it instead. 

You don’t realise you’re crying.

Not until the droplets splatter on the tiles by your feet.

—

You should’ve left days ago.

After Christmas, when you’d ducked out from under Shin’s arm and lurched for the nearest bathroom, when it’d finally clicked for him that you violently hurling your guts up wasn’t the result of a simple hangover, you’d tried. Short of admitting the truth – and swinging a bat at the bees’ nest – convincing Shin to leave his dad’s place goes about as well as drawing blood from a stone. 

He’s even less thrilled about the prospect of you going back by yourself, leaving him to spend what’s left of the week with his dad like they’d planned.

There’s only so far you can push without breaking something. You, probably. You and Shin, almost definitely. 

Even so, you might’ve had more of a backbone if he hadn’t been so… Shin. All coaxing and concerned. Logical to a damn fault. 

‘You don’t wanna be stuck in a car driving for hours when you’re feeling shitty, love, and besides, dad’s place is bigger than ours. Comfier. You’ll probably be on the mend by tomorrow anyway, so there’s no point in us heading back.’

If you weren’t trying to salvage what’s left, or maybe clinging to the idea that you can – and want to – then it would’ve been easier just to go.

You wouldn’t still be here, stuck in the house of the man who’d– who’d raped you.

You wouldn’t be avoiding your boyfriend’s eye.

You would’ve screamed the whole house down before Kuroo Tetsurou ever bent you over the kitchen counter.

But the gentle extrication in the early hours of the morning, Shinnosuke’s lips brushing against your cheek, the sleepy rasp of his voice as he mumbles a quiet, “Love you,” before slipping away – you barely stir, cozy and safe and content.

He loves you. Shin loves you. 

A while later – minutes, maybe, or hours, it’s hard to tell when you’re still in the grips of sleep – the mattress dips under Shin’s weight, and those strong, sculpted arms seek your warmth again, you only sigh and lean back against him. 

“I love you,” you whisper, not yet willing to open your eyes and face another day of lying to him. 

The arm slung over your waist curls tighter, his face nuzzling into your neck. The kisses he leaves there aren’t affectionate, exactly, they’re not gentle, when teeth catch, nipping sharply at your skin, only to be soothed by a lave of his tongue.

And the laugh that rumbles at your back – a shade off your boyfriend’s – is anything but nice. 

“Yeah? Fuck, you’re sweet in the morning.”

This time, you don’t hold back. You shriek, kicking out like a wild thing – or you would have, if Kuroo’s hand hadn’t clamped down on your mouth, if his weight hadn’t shifted so that rather than lying curled up behind you, he’s half on top of you, pinning you down to the mattress with a thigh lodged between yours. 

“Uh-uh-uh, we were doing so good, kitten. Don’t you wanna be daddy’s good girl?”

Your only answer is a ragged noise, torn from somewhere deep inside of you. He chuckles again, grinds against you, his cock a thick, unignorable presence pressed at your ass. There’s nothing but the thin cotton of your sleep shorts separating it from you, and from past experience, that barrier won’t do much to deter him for long.

Kuroo rolls you onto your back and slots himself nicely between your legs. Naked, you realise with a fresh stab of fear.

You scream the moment his palm leaves your lips to capture your wrists, scream for Shinnosuke – for anyone – so loudly that it feels like you’ll bleed for it. Let him come running, find you pinned and squirming, terrified beneath the man who raised him.

Let it be the final crack that obliterates everything. 

If Shin sees you like this, utterly petrified, on the verge of being raped again and still thinks it some kind of a betrayal, let him choke on it. You don’t care anymore, you just want someone to stop this. 

(Shin wouldn’t, would he?)

But Kuroo only snickers. Leans over to lick along the edge of your lashes, where hot, glistening tears are already spilling over, trickling down to disappear in your hairline. “Your boy’s not here, but we don’t have long ‘til he gets back. You’ll forgive me if we bypass the foreplay this morning, right, sweetheart?” You shudder, goosebumps prickling where his breath washes over you, and you squeeze your eyes shut and violently – pointlessly – shake your head. “We’ll have to save eating your pretty little cunt for next time.”

All too eager, he hungrily captures your lips again and yanks down your shorts, taking your panties along with them.

Christmas morning, you’d been shoved face down over the kitchen counter while he’d fucked you from behind. You’d give anything for that distance right now. At least then you hadn’t had to endure his suffocating warmth, having him squeeze and grope at your tits over your old, threadbare tee.

You wouldn’t have to writhe away from his mouth while he rucks your bare thighs up either side of his hips, dragging you closer.

Even with your eyes screwed tightly shut, you can’t pretend that this isn’t happening as Kuroo spits and a heartbeat later the thick head of his cock slowly – agonisingly slowly – splits you apart.

You forget how to breathe. 

Eyes popping open and back arching up into his chest, your fists clutch desperately at the sheets of Shin’s bed, trying to squirm away, only the grip he has on you makes sure there’s nowhere for you to escape to. He’s big, long, mostly, and you’re too tight to take him easily, especially without any prep. The spit doesn’t help any, and Kuroo doesn’t care, groaning out in pleasure as inch by inch he pushes himself deeper, until at last he’s seated firmly inside of you. “Good fucking giiiirl,” he purrs, a kiss pressed to the tip of your nose.

A tiny, drawn out whine is all you can manage when your lower half radiates pain. 

“Gonna fuck this perfect pussy nice ‘n full,” he tells you. “Give you everything you need, sweet girl. You can take it. I know you can, you just gotta breathe for me.”

But unlike last time, he doesn’t allow you the luxury of a minute to adjust. His hips draw back and punch forward, jolting another mewling gasp from your lips. And again. And again. The pace isn’t violent so much as intense, like each thrust ignites something inside of him that burns for more.

He clasps your wrists in one hand, pants into your open mouth between frenetic kisses, groans out your name in that shuddering gasp.

“Mine,” he pants, beads of sweat dripping from his chest, his chin, rolling down onto you. “You’re daddy’s girl– fuck!”

Your cunt reacts accordingly, flexing around his cock, easing its passage so that the wet, lurid sounds of him fucking you quickly fill the air. A betrayal that has your cheeks flaming. 

The muscles in your thighs burn, Kuroo all but forcing them back towards the bed, his weight driving into you with fervour. A quick adjustment to the angle of your hip and his cock hits a spot deep inside of you that has you choking on a moan of your own, a burst of bright, sizzling pleasure bleeding through the pain.

Kuroo grins ferally at the sound of it. Drops his weight on an elbow and bucks into you, hitting it again. Your inner walls twitch, squeezing and slick, dragging noises from you that make you wanna burn with shame – that, or cut yourself loose entirely. You can’t muster resistance when he swallows them down, sucking on your tongue, moaning into your mouth. His momentum turns rabid, his hand no longer encircling your wrists, but entangled with them, pressing them down to the mattress. “Almost… there…” he grunts, gasping as he curls over you, abs flexing.

A shudder rolls through him, his hips faltering just as something vital shatters inside of you, toes curling, white hot pleasure exploding from your core, rippling through your whole body like the aftershocks of an earthquake. With your pussy spasming around his cock, your body taut and locked with pleasure, Kuroo hurtles off that cliff right alongside you, a strangled noise somewhere between a moan and a growl escaping him as he pumps your cunt full of his seed, all but collapsing atop of you afterwards.

It takes a minute before he peels himself off of you; pushing himself up, braced on elbow so that he’s not crushing you entirely, Kuroo waits, buried inside your warmth, for you to stop trembling with the after effects of your orgasm, for his cock to soften and both of your breathing to even out. 

Waits for those glazed over eyes to focus back on him and once again fill with tears, stroking a hand through your sweat-dampened hair as he does so.

“You should go take a shower before Shin gets home,” he says after a minute or two, his voice a low purr. “He can’t be far off.”

But aside from rolling off you to allow you up, Kuroo makes no moves to follow you, or so much as get up off the bed. Naked, his cock soft and glistening with your juices, one knee propped up, he watches you stumble like a newborn foal into the bathroom (only half managing to close the door behind you) with damn near predatory intent, a smirk teasing at his lips.

It’s where Shin finds you a short while later, curled up on the floor of the shower, shaking through silent sobs. 

—

Shin doesn’t let go of your hand the entire trip home.

Uncharacteristically sober, he says little aside from the occasional murmur to check in with you – always unanswered – and keeps you tucked close, as though a fraction of distance between you might pry you from his side entirely. 

The hours pass in a haze of… nothing. Your tears dry. Numbness takes over. You move like a robot, Shin guiding you every step of the way until you cross the threshold of your apartment.

He never asks what happened. You suppose the smell of sex in his bedroom and the bruises and love bites scattered over your body tell the tale well enough. Shinnosuke’s never been stupid. He’s not dense. 

He’s not heartless, either.

In the sanctity of your tiny, shitty bathroom, you shower again. A proper shower this time, with the water turned up full blast, scrubbing viciously at your skin– or at least, you do until he steps in and takes over. You’ve never thought of your boyfriend as particularly gentle, but he pries the loofah from your hand with a delicacy you didn’t know him capable of and takes care of you, cleaning you up with a tenderness that borders on reverence.

You pretend not to notice how his eyes (so like his, sharp and hazel) narrow into a scowl every time he spots another bruise, another mark left by his father. Once or twice his fingers begin to ghost over them, burgundy fingerprints on your thigh, a love bite sucked into the delicate skin above your collarbone, only to catch himself, swallowing tightly and resuming his task like he’d never faltered in the first place. 

When you’re done, he dries you both off and helps you into fresh clothes – a pair of comfy sweatpants and an old hoodie of his and guides you back to the living room, setting you down into his lap on the couch.

“I–” his voice is hoarse. Quiet, especially in the stillness of the apartment, and when you glance his way, he awkwardly clears his throat and takes a deep breath. “I went to the pharmacy. I thought– I thought…” he trails off again, dropping his gaze. “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

Your heart twists, and it’s your turn to comfort him. Or maybe you’re comforting each other, shifting slightly in his lap so that you can wrap your arms around him and draw him in close, burying your face in the crook of his neck and breathing in the fresh, clean scent of him. “No. I– it wasn’t…” but the words don’t come. You flounder. 

What are you supposed to say? It wasn’t his fault? Wasn’t yours?

You should’ve said something earlier? Should’ve fought back harder – against both of them, should’ve grown a spine?

A beat passes in the tense, thick silence, and when it becomes clear that you’ve got nothing for him, he makes an odd sort of huff that sounds almost irritated. You frown a little, but you don’t fight it when his arms pull tighter around you, when his cheek comes to a rest against your hair and his hands seek yours, curling around your wrists and stroking at the skin there. 

“We’ll get through this,” he vows. “I love you, this doesn’t change anything. It won’t change anything.” His lips meet the crown of your head in a soft kiss. “You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”

[matchamiko]

₊˚⊹ ᰔ Warnings: fox quirk!reader, muzzling, injuries (scratched knees). Touya is around 9 and reader is about 10.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ note: I got some inspo for my oc nd decided to turn it into an insert, it’s very self-indulgent nd actually part of something a little bigger I wanna do T-T

It was a little bit rude of you to interrupt his outside playing, his scooter time in the street outside his house. It was his time to be silly and race the shadows of the pigeons flying above him, his time to scuff his knees and stick his tongue out at the kids walking home from after school club. But you ruined it with your whimpering and pitiful crying, somewhere behind the across-the-street-neighbour’s bins. 

Touya crunches to a halt beside the boxes and cans, hearing shuffling and whining the closer he rolls towards them. He intents to tell you off, that this is his street and not yours, that kids play hide n seek down at the park or in their gardens, and he also intends to chase you away on his scooter, showing you how fast and how crazy he is,

“You’re not allowed back here, it’s dirty and not yours,” he begins, lisp pronounced with the absence of one of his front teeth, “You need to go away,” Touya squats and pushes a bin bag out of the way, socked feet and a plush tail appearing before him. You’re cowering, eyes glistening with tears and nose running, short pointed fangs glinting in the amber light of the afternoon sun. Instead of letting his scooter drop to the floor, Touya gently lowers it to rest against a box of recycling, icicle eyes never leaving yours. You start to cry again when he doesn’t say anything, silent with a wobbling chin. 

There’s a heavy wire muzzle over the lower half of your face. Leather straps cut into your cheeks and stretch over your head between two powdery orange ears tipped in black, flattened to your hair and quivering all over. 

Touya doesn’t say anything, shuffling forwards slowly, grit scratching under his trainers and you, at first, flinch as if about to flee. But there’s something in the way he holds out his sticky fingers and prods the grazes on your knees, face soft and curious and boyish. 

“Did a bully do that?” he’s referring to the muzzle, voice soft and you shrink in on yourself, hiding in the shadows of the bins, “I can help take it off, I bet it hurts alot,”

Your eyes are sharp and calculating, afraid and still flooded with tears, 

“M-my tea-cher,” you stutter through sobs, “I accident-tally scratched -,” you gulp in several heaving hiccups, “I hurt-ed someone, accidentally!” 

Touya spots the short, almost blunt claws at the ends of your fingers, looking more like the long nails his mom would get painted at the salon sometimes. He sits lower in his squat, chin leaning on his folded arms over his knees, watching you and your tail that twitches and flicks to and fro. He knows from watching cats that at least you seem less agitated, allowing him to come closer on his knees and reach for the muzzle, 

“I’m Touya, and my house is just that one there,” he offers just like his mom did when she was dressing a cut knee, talking over the pain and shame just as he knows you must feel, “Do you like banana milk? Mom’s got some in the fridge, you want some? It’ll make you feel better I think,” you allow him to touch you, nine year old hands fumbling with the heavy metal clasps behind your head, “makes me feel better when I get a bad grade at school, or if stupid Natsu’ is being stupid,”

The muzzle comes free and he throws it to the floor, the two of you staring at it with fear and repulsion. After a moment, Touya picks it up again and takes it over to the general waste bin, dumping it unceremoniously into the filthy depths. 

“D’you want that milk then?” you’re crawling out from behind the rubbish, ears up and twitching when he picks up his scooter, “I would get you some plasters for your knees but - wait,” Touya thrusts his toy at you, ignoring your yelp as you catch it clumsily, the handle jutting into your cheek, “I can go get some! Mom left the box on the table!” 

He trips as he rushes through the gate, a little oof! making you giggle into your hand and sending a rosy flush to his cheeks, “Don’t play on my scooter! It’s special!” he doesn’t see you nod, disappearing into his house with a shout of his brother’s name. 

It takes him a little while to return, the sun beginning its descent and the streetlights flickering on while you wait patiently with his scooter. You’ve seen kids at school playing with them, riding them to school far ahead of their parents or older siblings and it makes you a little resentful towards the sleek black car that drops you off every morning and picks you up every afternoon. Except for today. You ran away today, not even taking your school bag, ignoring the shouts of the driver and his panicked phone calls. Tears threaten again and you scrub them away, feeling the welts of the muzzle still present on your cheeks, and it’s Touya’s return that shakes you out of your misery. 

“I got a lot of stuff, but I gotta be quick cause it’s getting dark and dad’ll be so mad,” he shudders at the thought, careful not to trip over the step this time and you catch the carton of banana milk that falls from his arms. Touya drops everything to the floor away; several plasters with aliens on them, a damp dish cloth that has grit on it now, a chocolate bar and a second carton of milk, this one mango flavoured. He squats down to brush off the rag, flicking your skirt out of the open wounds on your knees, cleaning them roughly and a little terribly, sending tears spurting out of your eyes again, 

“Oh m’sorry,” he says quietly, looking up at you and frowning at you rubbing wetly at your cheeks, but you nod through it, encouraging him, “I’ll put the plasters on now, they’re my actual favourite, and you can drink the milk by the way, I got it for you,”

You juggle his scooter and the straw for the milk, successfully piercing the cardboard and sipping with a sniffly nose, giggling when Touya points out his favourite alien and then his least favourite one, blobby and red (“looks like Natsu’ when he was born”). Then, after criss crossing your knees with plasters, he tells you all about his recent birthday and how his scooter was his absolute best present ever, how he’s ridden it every day after school and also on the weekends,

“If you wanna ride it, you can! You don’t cry all loud and gross like the little kids so you’re not that annoying,” Touya stands and opens up the chocolate bar, halving it very badly and handing the larger piece to you, “You could come round tomorrow after school, unless you have a club or study or something but if you don’t come inside, then dad won’t mind,”

“I don’t do clubs after school,” you say with a scratchy voice, “m’not allowed,”

“Oh,” his mouth is full of chocolate and he swallows loudly, goo stuck to his upper lip, “well, that’s okay, that means you can come and play whenever you want, I think I like you alot so I don’t mind if you wanna use it but you are not allowed to go faster than me, I’m the fastest,” Touya’s threat is empty and followed by a big gummy grin, teeth brown and sugary. You nudge him and laugh with your belly, chomping on your own snack and drinking your milk with crinkled eyes, 

“You’re funny Touya, and you're really nice, I think I like you too,”

all rights reserved © matchamiko. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[skyfallscotland]

Hi! I hope you’re feeling better. 💜

When I’ve heard writers talk about their process, some outline a character before they start writing and outline everything- the charcater’s history, personality, etc. While other writers say the character “talks” to them as they write and they don’t plot a lot out before hand. I’m curious- how much of Remi’s personality did you determine before you started writing? For example, did you know she was wonderfully snarky before you started writing? Did you always know she struggled with depression?

I know you’ve written other OC’s too. Has your process changed since writing Tessa and co?

Hi!

I...am incapable of lying lol. I'm not really, but I appreciate the sentiment 💗 Not looking for sympathy, just keeping it real 💀 The depression be doing some depressing. But hey, *sobs as I smash at my keyboard* it makes for great content!

I don’t hear it. I can’t hear anything but the pounding of my own heart and one memory on repeat. You can love someone and hate them a little at the same time. My mind is stuck on that. I know he loves me, but—he hates me, he hates me, he hates me—I fucked things up.

I never outline an entire character before I start writing. I have an idea in my head, but not a whole profile. I don't even name them until I'm part way through a story, they're "Name" usually until like chapter five-ish and then I hate their names until like chapter ten.

The case of Remi is a little different, honestly I've kind of done things backwards. When I created Tessa I had an idea of what her personality would be, based on what she'd been through living in Illyria and there were small parts of myself I incorporated into her, like her struggle with social settings and relationships. With Stella I was more just having fun, but keeping in mind the (broad overview) history I had planned for her. They do kind of just write themselves, if I'm honest. It's why I like to write ahead, because I only ever have a broad plan in mind.

I don't know that I ever really planned to publish BRV outside of like a little wattpad adventure. It was entirely self-indulgent. I tried very hard with Tessa and Stella to have them be...measured? I guess you'd say. To not pour too much of myself into them.

Remi was cathartic. There's so much of me in her. She was my 'whatever, it's not serious' character and story. I just threw whatever I wanted at the page without worrying about whether things were realistic or too self-indulgent and I guess that worked for a lot of people.

I knew she'd be snarky and a realist and that she wouldn't be as settled as Violet with her chronic illness. I knew she'd be depressed and quick to anger because that's me and my experience and it was a therapeutic process pouring all that out onto the page. So I guess I didn't really need to determine anything, I just wrote from the heart. She's almost self-insert. It's made it really comforting that people relate to her so well, because it feels like they relate to me, when no one else does outside of the internet.

It's funny because I'm trying (and never making time) to plot out the original novel I plan on writing and there's this voice in my head like saying I have to be measured and I have to plot out these characters first and their whole histories and personalities because it's a Serious Thing, but then I'm reminded that the character I wrote who resonated the most with people was just me throwing my unhinged feelings into the void, so???

Also, I had intended my first original fantasy novel (featuring a chronically ill fmc and dragons) to have two main characters—Remi and Caden. Then Fourth Wing came out and I screeched in fury. I used the name for BRV anyway, but... 🙃

And the MMC for my sports romance is named Liam and I wanted to give the FMC a nice tough girl name like Sloane 😭 but I guess the universe said fuck you, again, so that's a nope, so if anyone has suggestions here I am.

[decafdoodlez]

What’s the current art project you’re working on? I’m just curious and your art’s beautiful you don’t have to share unless you want to, remember to eat a snack and stay hydrated 🥹

Hi there, sweet anon! 🫶✨ (thank you btw, I hope you are treating yourself well today!)

Currently, I’m actually away from home visiting my family for their spring break, so I haven’t actually been really been working on anything this week outside of my freelance work (which is the boring stuff anyway, haha). 😭

But I did draw this for my friend the other day! It’s our TPoF OCs, Marina and Felix, haha. It’s a continuation of a Valentine’s Day post I did last month with Fox and another moot’s OC. :)

He drew my header image the other day when I was feeling a bit sad, so I kind wanted to return the favor, haha. ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

But if you’re wondering about anything upcoming for unserious projects, I’ll throw some things out there about what I want to draw:

TPoF OC Marina and Fox full render drawing (thinking a nice beautiful skin-to-skin embrace, we’ll see)

Some Ren/Fox shitpost drawings (like them in a buc-ee’s tshirt or holding a what-a-burger cup, idk, hahaha)

Ren animated lip sync video (there’s a certain audio with a certain Genshin character that’ll work VERY well with him, hehe)

Ren/Fox animatic (something a bit angsty)

TPoF OC x Canon multi panel comics

Strade x Rika (YKMET OC) drawings

Rory drawings (just to get into a rhythm with him)

NSFW drawings of Rory bc I need him in ways that are unholy.

General NSFW drawings with my TPoF OC Marina and Fox bc I love them.

For my more serious stuff:

Ref sheet for Rory (OC from the unnamed VN I want to develop)

Concepts and backstory/profile for Penn and Izzy (OCs from the unnamed VN I want to develop)

Ref sheet for Rika (BTD/YKMET OC)

Scripting for the VN

Make a commission sheet

Work on making plushies (I’ve started drafting out a Fox plushie, but I’m going through a few iterations before I settle on a design.)

I’ll probably get more into a rhythm with my art when I’m home next week! I’ve kind of been a little busy this week with work and visiting family. :)

But yeah, so far that’s what I’ve got! I’m always open for suggestions though! I would love to hear what people would want to see! 🤍✨

[elizabethblake]

That’s for me to know and for you to figure out - pt.11

Panic Imagine -- Dodge Mason x OC (Reese Silvers) -- pt.11

A girl from a wealthy family wants to get out of Carp just as much as everyone else. With the new guy in town, she seems to be a bit more distracted than she had hoped. And those who once were her friends just may be the ones who will throw her into the deep end. Will panic be what she hopes, or will she fall into the depths of deceit and lies?

“Luke Hall is taking bets on Panic. That’s why he’s back in town.” Heather said as she sat on my bed.

“To track the game?” I asked. 

“Or to fix it.” She said.

“Fix it?” I asked. 

“Reese think about it, he was at the jump last year. He graduated years ago, isn’t it a little bit weird that he comes back the same summer that two of the leading players die in like freak accidents? That really seems like one hell of a coincidence.” She said. 

“Yeah, both Jimmy and Abby’s deaths are connected to the game, but if Luke is taking bets. Then maybe he’s connected to them too.” I said. 

“Look, I gotta get home but I’ll call you later okay.” She said before leaving.

After Heather left I headed over to Dodge’s place. I walked up and knocked on the door.

“Hey can we talk?” I asked as he answered it.

“Sure, come in.” He said and we made our way to his room. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

“Heather says people are gambling on Panic.” I said.

“Some of them are putting $10,000, $20,000 on each challenge. They think Luke might be in charge.” I added.

“Hmm.” Dodge hummed.

“You’re not surprised.” I said. 

“Because you knew didn’t you?” I asked. 

“Yeah.” He said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Cortez suspected ever since he found out about Panic, but he didn’t know enough about the game or how it worked in order to build a case so um he needed a way in.” He said and I scoffed.

“So you’ve been helping him?” I asked. 

“He wants Luke in jail. This is the only way.” He said. 

“Oh okay, so what you’ve been like spying on us this whole time?” I asked. 

“No, I’ve been trying to win.” He said. 

“How does that help Cortez?” I asked.

“It’s not illegal to gamble in Texas okay. But it is a felony to be the house that’s how we’re going to catch him. If I win, we can prove that Luke is getting a kickback as the bookie. That’s what Cortez needs.” He said. 

“So you’re doing this for revenge?” I asked. 

“Cause Heather told me about your sister. I’m not mad that you lied to me, I’m just curious as to why you thought you couldn’t tell me. I told you everything about what happened and you still kept it from me. But it’s really none of my business I guess.” I said. 

“I’m playing for Dayna.” He said. 

“Yeah. I get that. But you lied Dodge, repeatedly. And I just. I can’t trust someone who lies.” I said as I turned around to leave. 

“Reese.” He said. 

“No. I’m out of Panic. I’m done, our alliance is over there’s nothing else to it.” I said. 

“Really? Was sleeping with me just part of the alliance too?” He asked. 

“No. And you know that. But this mess with Cortez, I don’t want any part of it. I’m trying to burn my broken bridges and go down with them and if any of this gets caught up with me it’s going to be a shit show. So I am sorry Dodge but I can’t have anything to do with Panic anymore.” I said before I left. 

When I got home I noticed my brother’s car and made my way inside.

“Hey, didn’t think you’d be home.” I said. 

“Yeah, haven’t been out much lately.” He said and there was a silent pause.

“Rhett, I’m out of Panic. I got eliminated.” I said, and his eyes shot up to meet mine. 

“I swear to you, I’m gonna get the money. I will help you find a way.” I said and he only sighed.

“Reese, this isn’t your fight you need to quit trying so hard. I got us into this, you weren’t even supposed to be involved in this.” He said. 

“But I am. And if you don’t find the money Rhett. He is gonna kill you.” I said. 

“Maybe not.” He said.

“Maybe we could go to the cops see if Cortez can help.” He said. 

“Thats a bad idea, the cops won’t help if they know why you were there and Cortez is dirty Rhett.” I said. 

“What do you mean?” He asked. 

“Cortez is trying to pin something on Luke, something big. But I know Luke didn’t do it.” I said. 

“What?” He asked. 

“On Halloween 3 years, Dodge’s sister was in a hit and run and it left her paralyzed. Cortez has Dodge convinced it was Luke who hit her but I know it wasn’t.” I said. 

“I was with Ray on Halloween that year. It was freshman year, Ray wouldn’t shut up about how his brother was sitting in jail for some stupid thing that he did. But he was in jail, he wasn’t out roaming the streets and hitting people and driving off.” I said. 

“So what? Maybe Cortez got it wrong.” Rhett said.

“Cortez would know Luke was in jail that night, he would’ve already looked into where he was. That would be the first thing, which means I think Cortez is dirty.” I said. 

“Just stay out of it. Don’t get yourself caught Reese.” He said before leaving, but then stopped. 

“Oh this letter was on the porch when I got home.” He said, picking up an envelope with my name written in bold and handed it to me. 

“Thanks” I said, and he left the room. I opened the envelope and a paper was inside. 

TUMBLEWEED MAZE 10PM. ASSIST DODGE IN HIS TASK RULES DOWN BELOW

“Shit.” I muttered. 

I pulled up to the place around 9:45 pm and after about 10 minutes I saw Dodge’s car pull up. 

“What the hell?” He asked as he got out of his car. 

“You’re the welcome committee?” He asked. 

“I guess so.” I said. 

“At least you don’t have to pay for admission.” I added and began walking. 

“Tumbleweed maze? I’m almost offended.” Dodge said. 

“Judges...they’re looking for a specific key. Find it and you’re in. You have one hour. And keep it moving, because every minute you spend looking, well that’s just another point you won’t get.” I said. 

“In three, two, one.” I counted down and he walked towards the barn. 

The next morning we were told to meet at the motor lodge, when I pulled up I went inside and saw that most everyone was already there, I walked over and sat at the table with Heather. 

“Hey.” I said. 

“Hey.” She said. 

“I’m sorry you got out.” She said. 

“It’s all good, Sorry about you too.” I said. 

“Friends, players, former contestants, the results of the individual challenges have been tallied. All the points have been scored. Shawna quit, so she’s out of the game. Dodge is in first place and will be heading to the Joust. The player competing against him is as yet undetermined.” Diggins said. 

“What?! Why?” Ray asked. 

“I mean I stayed long enough in that shithole cooler, didn’t I?” Ray asked. 

“Not long enough to beat Dodge’s time” Summer said.

“The individual challenges aren’t done yet Ray. By order of the judges, Natalie Williams is disqualified for reasons of false representation and failure to complete the required challenges. As punishment the player’s points have been retroactively invalidated.” Diggins said. 

“English please?” Drew asked. 

“The judges wiped Natalies score because she cheated.” Diggins added and Ray laughed.

“She was never in Spurlock’s house. Shouldn’t have even made it to Graybill let alone the final four.” Diggins said. 

“That’s, that’s bullshit. All right that’s hearsay” Nat said.  

“True. We heard you say it.” Summer said.

“That’s a good one Summer.” Nat clapped back.

“No you admitted it in your video that you trapped me underground. That’s nowhere near the house, right?” Heather said.

“Plus someone ratted you out to the judges.” Diggins said. 

“All right, fuck you guys.” Nat said before getting up and leaving.

“You were outside watching the house, Dodge covered for you.” Diggins said, and I turned to look at Dodge. 

“What?” I whispered to Heather and she shrugged her shoulders.

“Wait hold on hold on hold on, wait a second. If Dodge helped Natalie get through the last challenge then why is he still playing?” Ray asked.

“Well he was stealing for two, lucky he didn’t get double the points.” Summer said and people started talking over each other.

“All right settle down, settle down. At the time of the judge’s selection of the Final Three, excluding Natalie, the players in order were Dodge, Ray, and Heather.” Diggins said, and I turned to look at heather with a open smile on my face.

“But Heather missed a challenge.” Drew said. 

“Well she still has her immunity.” Summer said. 

“Given that and Natalie’s disqualification, an exception has been made. Congratulations Heather, the judges ruled you may move on to your individual challenge. Good Luck.” Diggins said. 

As we were leaving I walked out with Heather. 

“Holy fucking shit. This is amazing.” I said to her. 

“I’m so nervous.” She said. 

“Heather this is your chance to win. You have to do everything you can.” I said. 

“And I’m sorry about Nat. She’s a bitch.” I said which made her laugh a little. 

“Looks like it’s down to you and me for joust.” Ray shouted, and I rolled my eyes. 

“I’ll leave you to it.” I said to her as I walked away and headed home.

Later once I was home the doorbell rang and I went downstairs to get it.

“Dodge.” I said as I opened the door. 

“What can I do for you?” I asked. 

“Can I come in?” He asked. 

“Sure.” I said. 

“I’m sorry about before. I’m sorry we argued.” He said. 

“It’s fine. Honestly don’t worry about it.” I said. 

“I’m sorry Natalie screwed you over. I could’ve warned you on that part.” I said. 

“Look I know you’re all set on trying to help Cortez take down Luke Hall but I think you’re exhausting your efforts.” I said. 

“I didn’t come to talk about that.” He said as he walked closer to me as I leaned against the counter in the kitchen.

“Looking back on it, we never really had an alliance did we?” I asked. 

“What do you mean?” He asked. 

“You were always working with Natalie. Trying to get ahead, but I didn’t know. So we never really had an alliance because I couldn’t really trust you even if I didn’t know it.” I said. 

“Did you ever really like me? Or was it a ploy?” I asked. 

“Reese I never would have planned out to get close to you and sleep with you to get an advantage over you in Panic.” He said, sounding a bit hurt that I would suggest that. 

“You suggested it at one point.” I said. 

“I didn’t mean it.” He said.

“I know.” I said. 

“You know, I really did like you Dodge. A lot.” I said.

“Did? As in you don’t anymore.” He said, twisting his lips to the side. 

“So much has happened in so little time, this summer has been crazy but the one thing i’ve managed to keep constant is you.” I said. 

“So no Dodge I didn’t sleep with you because of our alliance, I didn’t just magically erase the feelings I have for you, but things are crazy and if we aren’t on the same page. We cannot do this.” I said. 

“How do we get on the same page Reese? I’m trying.” He said. 

“Cortez is dirty. Plain and simple, you cannot trust him.” I said. 

“I’ll keep my eye out I promise.” He said. 

“And from now on, I’ll tell you everything going on, no more secrets.” He said. 

“Good.” I said, I then leaned in and kissed him, running my hand to the back of his neck. His hand snaked around my waist as he pulled me into him. I broke the kiss only a moment to speak. 

“My brother is home just so you know to keep the volume down to a minimum.” I said, lacing my fingers with his I lead him upstairs and into my room. 

I slipped on my shirt and pants as Dodge put his on. 

“You know Joust is like a big thing in Panic.” I said, sitting back down on the bed and facing him.

“I know.” He said. 

“I’m worried.” I said.

“I am too.” He stated, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand.

“I’ve gotta go, but I’ll meet up with you later okay?” He asked. 

“Okay.” I said with a smile and he leaned down to kiss me before heading out the door and downstairs to leave. 

After a little while, I heard arguing through the floor and I went out to see what was going on. 

“Do you know how dangerous this is Rhett? You could be killed, you could get your sister killed for god’s sake.” I heard my dad shout.

“Dad?” I asked as I made my way downstairs.

“Reese, why didn’t you tell me about any of this? This is crazy you know better, you both know better.” He snapped.

“Dad I can explain.” I said softly.

“So you do know how bad this is.” He said.

“George.” My mom said.

“No Lemon, you were right in your motion to try and send her off to boarding school. It would have been for her own good, because now she decided to help her dumb ass of a brother get out of situation he ain’t ever shoulda been in to begin with.” He yelled.

“Daddy it’s not as bad as you think.” I tried to reason.

“I always told you that Hall boy was no good for you darlin’“ He said.

“I’m takin this to the cops.” He said.

“No dad you can’t.” I said as I ran to the door. 

“Why Reese.” He asked.

“There is so much that you don’t know okay, but you can’t trust them.” I said.

“At least not Cortez.” I added.

“You’re not makin any sense honey.” My mom said.

“Cortez is dirty okay. He is caught up in bets that are bein made on Panic. I don’t know if he is in on them but if he is it means he’s got his eyes glued on me and everyone else in this stupid game so we cannot trust him. He is trying to take Luke Hall out, and if we aren’t careful he is going to find out what happened and we are all gonna go sinking down with that ship.” I said.

“You’re going to tell us everything.” He said.

[tcwmatchmakingau]

One Call Away - Pt. 1

Summary: Thorn wants Fox to find love, and he’s counting on Daria to make it happen. An unstoppable force is about to meet an immovable object.

Pairing: Commander Fox x Daria Trace (OC)

Rating: G (later chapters will get spicy 👀)

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 2886

Written to: The Archer by Taylor Swift

Massive shoutout to @deejadabbles not only for taking the first/last look but also encouraging me so much. Wouldn’t have made it without her 🥰

Matchmaking for the clones was nothing like matchmaking for the smarmy elites of Coruscant. The most noticeable difference was the way they showed their gratitude after a successful match. Daria had received expensive bottles of whiskey, opera tickets and even furs from clients. The gifts were accompanied by generic messages clearly written by their aides, and while Daria wouldn’t say no to good whiskey or a fun night at the theatre, the gifts were perfunctory in nature.

The clones, however, showed their appreciation with their hearts. Daria had received flowers clearly stolen from someone’s greenhouse that perfectly matched her lavender hair, gift cards for iced coffee, all manner of fidgets to keep her occupied, and her favorite, new photos of them with their new partners.

Commander Thorn in particular was immensely grateful for his new girlfriend, but when he’d come by bearing a gift he’d also had a request.

“I’m always happy to see you Thorn, but I’m curious as to why you have a knife in my office,” Daria said, eyeing the blade Thorn was twirling around.

“You like to keep your hands busy, right? So you can learn to spin this, and eventually how to throw it,” he replied with a mischievous grin. “Your hands will never be bored again.”

“A bold claim,” she said, following the knife’s movements. There was something alluring about such a dangerous plaything in motion, and she found her fingers twitching in anticipation. “Ok, I’ll try it.”

“That’s my girl!” He brought the knife to an abrupt stop offering it to her handle first.

Daria took the knife and began slowly moving it through her fingers. Thorn watched her work out the best way, as her hand was much smaller than his, and bare. After one minute, the knife was flipping through her fingers quickly and smoothly.

“Kriff, this is really fun,” she confessed quietly. She couldn’t play with it around other people, unless she was hoping to intimidate them, but when she was alone it would definitely be in heavy rotation amongst her other toys. “Thank you, Thorn.”

“You’re welcome, and now for the part where I beg for assistance.”

Daria stopped the knife, placing it on her desk with a decisive click.

“She does not wish to receive heart-shaped jewelry, so go back to the drawing board on that one,” Daria said after a moment of scrutiny.

“Wha-, how did you-?” Thorn stammered. Daria’s uncanny ability to snatch up threads of thought still left him speechless every time. But he was a man on a mission, and recovered quickly. “Consider the jewelry scrapped. I need to bring someone to you. He needs your help.”

Daria’s dark brown eyes lit up instantly. A smile played around her full lips, as she grabbed her datapad.

“You’ve got my attention,” she said with a raised brow.

“Excellent. It’s my ori’vod, Fox,” Thorn said, his face growing serious.

“Marshal Commander ‘Fall in line or fuck off’ Fox?” Daria asked.

Thorn nodded, “That’s the one. He practically lives in his office still, and he needs someone to get him out. Someone that makes him want to take his days off. Someone who he can’t intimidate. Who won’t take his shit.”

“You want me to find someone who’s not intimidated by the most intimidating authority figure on the planet? Possibly in the quadrant?”

“You’re Daria Trace. You found someone that made Wolffe smile. Not a ‘last thing you see before you die’ smile, but an ‘I’m so in love’ smile,” Thorn said, his bright eyes soft and hopeful.

“While everything you just said is true,” Daria conceded. “Commander Wolffe wanted my help. I feel like Commander Fox will toss me in a holding cell, if I so much as suggest he needs my assistance finding a date.”

“But he does,” Thorn insisted. “Just meet him. If he’s hopeless, he’s hopeless. If he’s not, promise me you’ll find someone for him.”

Daria adored the clones, but the way they wielded those big brown eyes was brutal. It was nearly impossible to deny them anything in one’s power.

“Bring him in,” she said finally, caving to Thorn’s masterful tooka eyes.

“Wizard! I knew you’d be up for it,” He cheered. “This means the world to me, Daria. He deserves to live his life.”

“You all do,” she assured him. “I promise I’ll do all I can. Now put on your helmet and get out of my office.”

Thorn shot her a winning smile, and left with a pep in his step. The door had barely closed behind him before Daria was researching Fox on the holonet while she twirled her new vibroblade.

***

Fox never thought he would miss the rules that led all of his vode to keep their relationships under wraps, but then Right to Love set up shop. He now had a battalion of love struck shock troopers, who couldn’t stop going on and on about their new partners, and their matchmakers.

Everywhere he went it was:

“Tarsi changed my life.”

“I owe Yen everything.”

“Daria is a miracle worker.”

Daria Fucking Trace. She was Thorn’s favorite, and he’d been bugging Fox to come and meet her ever since his first date with his now girlfriend. Every three to five business days, he’d be back at it again. Fox loved seeing his brothers happy, and thriving. Especially Thorn, even though he was testing Fox’s patience.

Fox had made the mistake of saying Thorn’s lunch looked tasty, and he’d eagerly explained his girlfriend made it for him, and Fox could have homemade lunches with love notes too, if he would just meet Daria.

“Look, Fox, I know you’re very attached to your nocturnal, work is my life persona, but we’re free men now,” Thorn said before biting into his lunch, humming with joy at the taste. “We deserve to be happy. Especially you, vod.”

“Free or not, we still have a job to do. One of us has to stay focused, so the rest can go off with pretty nat borns,” Fox countered, sipping on an iced caf.

“You should be out with pretty nat borns too. Why are you punishing yourself?”

“I’m not punishing myself. I’m just too busy for a relationship. Someone has to keep this place in order. As Marshal Commander,” Fox began.

“As Marshal Commander,” Thorn mocked with an exaggerated voice. “Just go with me to meet her. If it doesn’t work, I’ll kriff off. But if she can find you a nice young woman or man to get the stick out of your ass…”

“Will you leave me the kriff alone if I say yes?” Fox demanded.

“Yes! For a time.”

“And I won’t have to hear about Daria Trace for the next 30 rotations minimum?”

“Sure thing…but you’ll go?” Thorn looked so excited, even Fox felt himself melting a little. His soft spot for Thorn would never harden it seemed.

“Fine. Set it up.”

“YES!” Thorn cheered before taking a victorious bite of his lunch, grinning as he chewed.

***

Daria waltzed to the lobby promptly at 1259 hours, and found Blizzard obsessively straightening his desk.

“What are you doing, Blizz?” She asked with barely concealed amusement.

“The Commander Fox is coming here. I just want everything to be perfect.” He leaned closer and offered in a conspiratorial whisper, “He’s so kriffing cool. Total badass. I’m equally terrified and in awe.”

“Is that so?” Daria asked with a grin.

Blizzard nodded, and opened his mouth to say more, but at 1300 hours on the dot the door was opening to admit Commander Thorn with Commander Fox in tow.

Thorn always brought wonderful energy into any space, and Daria found his presence comforting if a bit wild.

Fox’s energy was an entirely different story. Contained, but utterly commanding with the fiercest protective intent. She couldn’t focus on anything else no matter how she tried, but the part that surprised her was the blissful feeling of being utterly secure. Safe. Relaxed.

Her constant desire to fidget was quelled. Her fingers rested in her pockets. Her weight held in place rather than shifting. Her heart was steady, calm.

Is this what other people feel like all of the time? Daria thought, offering a dazzling smile to the pair of commanders.

Thorn, never being one for ceremony, scooped Daria up into a bear hug, squishing her against his armored chest until she wheezed in protest.

“I’m happy to see you too,” she coughed out, as he placed her back on her feet.

“I forget how tiny and soft you are,” Thorn said as though he was amused.

“Scientists and therapists under 5’7” aren’t known for breeding kids of the blaster-toting, knife-gifting variety,” Daria said, lifting one expertly arched brow.

“It’s ok, Daria, we can’t all be perfect,” Thorn said, pulling his helmet off, and shaking his curls free. “This is Commander Fox. Fox, this is Daria Trace. The miracle matchmaker.”

“Is that what you’ve been telling people about me?” Daria asked, her face warming up instantly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I’m sure my exploits were greatly exaggerated. Especially coming from my dear little brother,” Fox said, his tone bored, and drier than Tatooine.

Oh this will be fun. Daria thought.

“Well, I’ll let you do your thing, and find Fox a wife or a husband. He’s not picky,” Thorn said with a smirk. “He can’t be with that face.”

The modulator did nothing to hide the sigh of sheer exhaustion from Fox.

“You have the same…clone humor. I should have expected nothing less from you,” Daria said with a soft laugh.

“Don’t indulge him,” Fox said tilting his head at her disapprovingly.

“Sorry. Follow me,” Daria said, with a laugh.

Fox followed the matchmaker down the hall. Everything about her said she’d never followed a rule in her life. From her mismatched earrings to the way she walked like there was music playing only she could hear. The mischievous sparkle in her eyes, the way her rich voice wrapped around the word Commander like the concept of authority amused her. It was completely unsurprising that Thorn was fond of her.

Reaching her office, Fox scanned the room quickly. A wall devoted to her successful matches no doubt, as he saw several of his brothers’ faces, including Thorn and Wolffe. There were a number of small toys scattered across Daria’s desk. Fox counted 10. Some brightly colored, some durasteel, and before she could stash it in a drawer…

“Is that a vibroblade?” he asked, folding his arms, as he took a seat at her desk.

“Gift from Thorn,” she said, closing the drawer where she kept the weapon turned fidget toy.

“Don’t cut yourself with it,” Fox said. “It’ll be a mountain of paperwork when you have to explain to a doctor how a matchmaker got stabbed with a vibroblade.”

“Don’t lose sleep over it, Commander,” Daria said, whipping the knife out of the drawer and spinning it quickly through her fingers while keeping her eyes on his visor.

“How long have you been practicing that?”

“Every free moment for 3 rotations,” she confessed.

Fox shook his head. That tracked.

“You didn’t come all the way here to discuss my knife skills. You need a date.”

“I’m only doing this to get Thorn off of my ass,” Fox said, folding his arms, and sitting back in the chair across from Daria.

“Ah so you’d like to hang out in my office, kill an hour, and then go back and pretend I’m a fake?” Daria asked, with a raised brow.

“Something like that.”

Daria laughed, and Fox noted the sound was pleasant, infectious. “Nope. My professional reputation is as sparkling as your service record, Commander.”

“Please. This is guess work at best,” He argued.

“Oh yeah? Try me.”

“How?” He asked.

“Talk to me.”

“That’s what I’m doing now.”

Daria released a sigh, and fixed him with a look. “I mean about something real like why Thorn is so invested in your love life.”

“Because he’s a nosy little brother. As an only child, you wouldn’t know about that,” He said, relaxing his arms, as he made himself comfortable. He was disappointed when his revelation was met with a satisfied little grin instead of surprise.

“I hope you found something more interesting than that in my background check,” She said, placing her elbows on the desk, and resting her chin on her crossed fingers.

“Perhaps. I’d never show all of my cards right away, Trace,” He said with a light shrug. “And neither would you.”

You wanna play hardball, let’s play. She thought.

“Ok, you think I'm a fraud; I think you’re afraid.”

The lightest shift in energy in the room told Daria she’d struck a nerve.

“What makes you think that?” He asked, keeping his voice professional and even.

“A very long list of things that I couldn’t get through with 2 full rotations devoted to you, so let’s split my lunch, Thorn’ll think we did the whole thing, and you can go back to pretending you’re happy.” Reaching into her bottom desk drawer, Daria pulled out her lunch, and set about portioning out half for Fox.

“Here,” She said, passing him half of her pasta, and half of a large pastry.

He’d been on the verge of declining and walking out, but he was absolutely starving, and it looked so delicious. Especially the pastry. His sweet tooth wouldn’t let him say no. He accepted the food, and watched as Daria got comfortable in her chair, one leg tucked beneath her, as she started eating.

There was a light hiss, as Fox unsealed and removed his helmet. He was acutely aware of the matchmaker’s gaze, as she took in his features. He could hear her mentally noting the differences between him and his brothers. The scar on his nose, his curls held back by a red headband, the dark circles under his eyes.

He shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth, and resisted humming in pleasure. Of course it’s delicious. Perfect. He thought, annoyed.

“Good?” She asked, swallowing her current bite, and looking hopeful.

“Yeah,” He confessed. “I don’t really make time to cook.”

“I’d be more surprised if you did.”

They continued to eat in a surprisingly companionable silence until Fox bit into the pastry. Fuck, ok. He thought.

“I’m not pretending I’m happy,” he blurted out before taking another bite of the fluffy treat.

“I didn’t peg you for a liar, Commander.”

“I’m not lying,” He shot back, brow furrowed.

“You were bred for war, told you’d see the stars, and got stuck in this corrupt skughole,” Daria said, twirling noodles onto her fork. “Your life is your own now, but you insist on clinging to what you know because it’s safe, simple, comforting.”

“You don’t have a sense of duty, clearly,” Fox said with a roll of his eyes.

“No, I do. I just also believe that my life is mine, and feeling fulfilled is important. That can look different for different people,” she replied. “Do you feel fulfilled?”

He stared down at his food for a moment. “You’re irritating, did you know that?”

“I’ve heard it a few times.”

After another long moment, Fox confessed, “Maybe coming home to someone wouldn’t be terrible, but they’d have to understand the job comes first. My hours aren’t normal, and I don’t dance.”

“Now, we’re getting somewhere,” Daria said, scooping up her datapad and making some notes while she munched on half of the pastry. “Do you like animals?”

“No.”

“This is going to take forever, if you keep lying to me,” she said without missing a beat as she marked yes.

“How do you do that? It’s exhausting,” Fox snapped, shoving the last bite of pastry into his mouth.

“It’s always been like that,” Daria looked up then, and fixed him in her gaze. “You have a sweet tooth. It’s bad.”

“So find me a baker.”

“It’s not that easy.”

After another hour of getting raked over the coals by the matchmaker, Daria escorted Fox back to the lobby.

“I’ll call you,” she said with a mysterious little smile. “Bye, Thorn.”

“Bye, Daria. Thank you,” Thorn called as she made her way back down the hallway.

Fox watched her go before slipping out of the front door and taking a deep breath once it had closed behind him.

“She’s amazing, right?” Thorn asked, joining him.

Fox pulled on his helmet. “She’s as obnoxious as you without the shared DNA to make it tolerable.”

“Whatever, you love me,” Thorn said, as he donned his own helmet. “Let’s go get food. I’m starving.”

“I already ate. Go take your girlfriend to a food stand, and I’ll see you in a little while,” Fox ordered.

“Sir, yes, sir,” Thorn replied, taking off towards the train.

Alone with his thoughts, Fox wandered back towards the barracks.

Daria Fucking Trace was an absolute menace. There was no doubt about it.

***

No less than 15 minutes after Fox’s departure, Daria was twirling her blade, and flipping through profiles. No one currently in the system would suit the salty Commander, but she was determined to find someone who could make that man smile. He might have been hard on the outside, but those soft insides deserved someone who would cherish him.

[itsbeeble]

Merry Bad Ending

Summary: He'd been sent to protect you, to guide you, and keep you on the path the fates had set for you. He knew he couldn't get involved with you, it went against everything he was taught. But he can't help it, can't help but love you no matter the consequences.

Genre: Angst, fluff, Guardian Angel!au, Soulmate!au

Pairing: Lee Hyunjae x fem!reader (feat. oc, Eric, Sunwoo, Sangyeon, and I think that's it)

WC: 8.5k (I'm sorry)

WARNINGS UNDER THE CUT

Warnings: mentions of religion (mainly Christianity); hurt and kinda comfort; age gap (I'm sorry. Reader will be 24 and Hyunjae will appear 25 but is actually a couple thousand years old); major character death; illness; honestly there isn’t a ton of romance it’s just kinda sad (there will still be some); mentions of death; violence; minor injuries; threats of death (Hyunjae gets violent); illness (LOTS OF IT); alcohol mentions and consumption; Idk let me know if I missed something; brief mentions of kind of bad home life; rude friends; swearing; MINORS DNI 18+

Listen to Merry Bad Ending by The Boyz if you want idk

A/N: yall i'm sorry this took so long and I'm sorry if it isn't my best work. I didn't really wanna do anything too romantic for this one, so there's no spice this time bjghsugs. I hope you enjoy it either way!

~

Hyunjae remembered when he was first assigned to you. You were both young—  at least, you were. You’d been seven at the time, young, curious, and ready to learn about all the cruel things the world could throw at you. He’d appeared to you in the form of a 25-year-old man. Tall, fluffy brown hair, and a pretty face. He looked so young, and he enjoyed the attention that was drawn to him. He enjoyed seeing the human population watch this young man walk by in black clothes, soaked by the rain as if he hadn’t a care in the world. They weren’t aware of who he was. They didn’t know that he couldn’t feel the cold, couldn’t get sick from the rain that was slowly falling from the clouds above them. It always rained when a Guardian began their assignment. Some religions take the rain as a sign that God is angry with them, but only a few know the truth. 

This storm is a goodbye, as the angels will not see their Father or their brethren for a long time. Not until their assignment is fulfilled. Nobody knows where they will be until they are finished. No one except for their Father. Hyunjae hadn’t seen his brother, Sangyeon, in over 600 years. He has no idea where he is, and no idea if he is alive. All he knows is that he is assigned to a bloodline and that he has to care for them all until there is no one left. That can take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years. 

A crack of thunder overhead. 

Children run to their yelling parents as rain begins to pour down. 

He walks slowly, watching you in your little violet jacket and black rain boots. You sit on the mulch, playing with trucks and ignoring the way your little body is shaking from the cold. Hyunjae sniffs, pushing his sopping wet hair behind his ear as he opens the umbrella in his hand and holds it over you. You don’t notice at first, so focused on that old, yellow toy truck that was covered in stains and rain and all sorts of things that would have your parents yelling for you to put the toy down and play on the swings. 

Parents. That’s right. Your parents. They should be here with you, why aren’t they here with you?

“Who are you?” You’re looking at him now, big eyes full of curiosity and caution. Good. Your parents at least taught you not to trust strangers you meet on the street. 

Hyunjae takes a moment to think. Should he introduce himself yet? Should he tell you his human name or the name his Father gave him?

“My name is Hyunjae,” he flashes a smile at you. Angelic, stunning, everything an angel should be. Your mouth parts in awe. That dopey little lip part that children get when they’re stunned by something. “What are you doing out here all on your own, little bug?”

“I’m waiting for my mommy. She said she would be here soon!” You smile brightly and continue playing with the truck. Hyunjae frowns. 

“When was that?” You shrug.

“I dunno. Before school.”

“And…when was school?” You scowl at him.

“You sure ask a lot of questions, Mister Hyunjae.” Your lack of trust is amusing. Hyunjae crouches down, making sure that the umbrella stays over your head.

“You don’t ask enough, little bug.”

“Why are you calling me a bug?” You turn towards him finally, crossing your legs and folding your hands neatly on your lap. “Bugs are gross, Mister.” He laughs and you crack a smile. 

“Bugs aren’t gross, silly.” He lifts his arms, his hand palm-side down. When he flips his hand over, there’s a butterfly on his fingers, fluttering its wings and waiting to fly. “At least, not all of them. This butterfly is fairly beautiful, don’t you think?” 

Your eyes are wide with amazement, and he watches you try to do what he did. 

“How did you do that!?” You cry. “That’s so cool!”

“Maybe one day I’ll teach you, little bug.” He pats your head, and you beam at him. The butterfly drifts from his finger, and Hyunjae shifts so you can’t see the small, beautiful creature struggle to reach the large oak tree behind you. 

~

You’re nine now. Two years, and yet somehow he’s never seen your parents. He’s watched every day as you leave your house and trudge down the busy sidewalk to get to your school two miles away. He walks where no one can see him except you, and he watches you look at him out of the corner of your eyes. Hyunjae sees the curiosity and the annoyance whenever you see him, and it couldn’t make him more amused. 

“Why are you always following me?” You ask him one day. He’s standing beside you while you swing, giving you a little push here and there. People can see him now, and the mothers are cooing about what a nice young man, playing with his niece. He rolls his eyes at them. 

“I’m not following you. You just happen to be going everywhere I need to be.”

“Are you sure? And why haven’t you changed at all?” You ask him. He just smiles. “And also, why couldn’t anybody see you when we were at school? I was talking to you and Eric and he thought I was crazy for some reason.” You stop your swing and kick the dirt with a pout. Hyunjae crouches beside you and puts his finger under your chin to lift your head. There are tears in your eyes, and he frowns at that.

“Why are you crying, little bug?” You don’t speak at first, your lip trembling and your eyes shining. Hyunjae lifts his hand, and when he flips it over there’s a butterfly. A monarch, just like the last time. He holds his hand out for you to hold the small insect, but you just start sobbing. The butterfly, now startled, flutters off toward the road. He watches as a car zips by the poor creature, and he doesn’t see it fly away. When he looks back at you, you’re trying to wipe your tears. 

They don’t stop, and he wraps a hand around your shoulders, pulling you in for a tight hug that you find yourself returning. He feels you shaking against him, feels the tears starting to soak into his crisp black button-down shirt.

“Y/N,” he says your name in a quiet yet stern voice. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” You sniffle against his chest and he sighs.

“I don’t wanna die like mommy.” His body goes rigid and you pull away from him. 

“What did you say?” He breathes out. 

“I don’t wa-wanna d-die like m-mommy.” You hiccup and Hyunjae’s eyes become dark with an emotion you haven’t seen before, and he can only pray to his Father that you never have to. 

“You aren’t going to, little bug.” He promises. “Not if I can help it.”

~

That night he speaks to his Father. He finds himself alone in the park, sitting on the same swing you had when you spoke to him. 

I don’t wanna die like mommy. 

You’d been so afraid when you said that, and he couldn’t help the twinge in his heart. Sometimes it was hard to be a Guardian. You weren’t allowed to stop the fate of your assignment. You weren’t allowed to change details. You could only sit and watch and turn your eyes away when things got bad. Most angels turned their emotions off like a switch, only acting as if they cared for their assignments until it was done. 

Hyunjae couldn’t do that. He had promised Sangyeon that, no matter the cost, he wouldn’t turn them off. He intended to keep that promise. 

“You asked to see me.” 

A voice around him. Not in front, or behind, or on either side. It surrounds him as if it was the water in a lake he’d submerged himself in. He flinches at the sound but doesn’t raise his eyes.

“It’s good to see you, Father.” No response, so Hyunjae continues. “Why didn’t you tell me anything about my assignment?”

“You knew everything you needed to know about the girl. Nothing else matters.”

“She’s only a child, and she’s terrified of dying like her mother. How can that be what the fates have intended for her?” Hyunjae keeps his voice level, but his hands are beginning to shake with anger. 

“Are you questioning your abilities to continue this assignment?”

“No, Father.” Hyunjae shakes his head and sighs. “I’m just…I want to understand why you did this.” There’s a warm feeling across his shoulders, and he feels his body beginning to relax. There’s a comfort in his Father’s shadowy embrace, one that he cherishes no matter what he feels for Him. 

“You will understand when you are both ready. For now, proceed as you were. There is still time.” Hyunjae’s eyebrows knit together and he raises his head at last. The warm embrace has vanished, along with the overwhelming presence that had accompanied it. 

“The hell do you mean there’s still time?” He mutters, rising to his feet and taking a few steps forward. “Time for what?”

~

Hyunjae watches as you celebrate your sixteenth birthday with a few of your close friends. There’s a smile on your face while you cut the cake and open presents, but he can see something weighing on you. He can see the emotions rolling off of you in waves, even when you smile brightly at him. 

A storm rages outside your house, and Hyunjae can only imagine what is happening in the heavens above him.

“Are you two dating?” He hears one of your friends ask, but you vehemently deny it. You claim that he’s far too old for you, that he’s just a family friend that’s in town for a while. One of your friends side-eyes him and he raises an eyebrow. He does admit that, in his black attire, he does look mildly intimidating. He understands where she’s coming from and why she’d be suspicious of him. 

Hyunjae doesn’t acknowledge her otherwise, keeping his narrowed eyes on you for the rest of the night. As a Guardian, he should be able to gauge some idea of what you’re thinking and feeling. He should be able to gauge your health status, whether you’re sick or not. He senses nothing from you. 

He senses nothing and that’s terrifying.

“You okay, man?” Eric is beside him, gazing curiously at the older man that he’s almost positive hasn’t aged a day in seven years. He’s the same height, has the same broad shoulders and chiseled jaw, and his eyes haven’t formed the wrinkled lines many 30-something-year-olds have. He still has that smooth, unblemished skin that looks perfect always.

“I’m fine,” Hyunjae tilts his head to the side, gazing at the younger boy. He eyes the little acne scars on the young boy's face, the dried strands of his bleached hair, and the lankiness of his limbs. He knows the boy will grow into himself. He knows the fate of nearly everyone in this room, save for you. Guardians can’t know their assignment’s fate. They can only guide them down the path they deem correct. Everyone else, though? Their fates are open for practically everyone to see. 

Eric, for example, falls into a downward spiral when he’s twenty-five. Mental health is his downfall, and he never recovers. 

The girl that gave him a dirty look won’t make it past her second year of college. Poor child.

“What’s your skincare routine?” Eric blurts out suddenly, and Hyunjae raises an eyebrow. “I just— your skin is really smooth and I really just want to know what your routine is. I have a lot of, uh, blemishes?” The more Hyunjae looks at the young boy, the more nervous Eric seems to get. Hyunjae smiles at this, smiles knowing that he is, in fact, superior to the human race in more ways than deemed important. 

“Just basic cleansers, some moisturizer. Face mask here and there.” Eric nods quickly, foolheartedly believing the lie, and Hyunjae can practically see him making a list of things he needs. 

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Eric claps Hyunjae on the shoulder, grimacing at the solid impact and the pain that shot up his wrist. “Maybe I should get your gym routine, too. Shit, you’re built like a goddamn brick wall.”

“You shouldn’t swear too much,” Hyunjae sniffs and kicks himself off the wall. “Never know who might be watching over you.”

~

When your friends leave, you finally allow yourself to sit, and Hyunjae watches as you put your head in your hand and just sit at the small dining room table. The small waves of emotion are becoming tsunamis, and though he can’t tell exactly what you’re feeling, he knows that you’re upset by something. He knows that there’s something wrong, something that he can’t figure out. 

“Little bug,” he sits down next to you, his large frame practically dwarfing yours. “Can I tell you a story?”

You look at him, your eyes heavy with emotion. You try to smile, but he can see how difficult it is and places a hand on your shoulder. 

“You heard of God, and of Adam and Eve, and Lucifer, and all of them. You’ve heard the Bible stories and learned of the angels that fought against the demons.” You nod and he proceeds. “Have you heard of the angels that stood alongside them? Not the ones that were deemed threats, or ones that everyone could see. Ones that protected them, and guided them along their fated paths.”

“What, guardian angels?” Your eyes are curious again and he smiles. “I mean, I’ve heard people talk about them but I’ve never seen them in Bible stories or anything like that.”

“That’s because they aren’t in the Bible,” Hyunjae explains. “God made it clear from the start that these Guardians weren’t to inform their…people of their existence. Guardians were to play alongside the children, befriend the adults, and take the form of whatever they found their people needed.”

“If they weren’t supposed to be common knowledge, why do you know so much about them?” You ask, and Hyunjae shrugs. “And why are you telling me this?”

“Such a curious little bug,” he nudges you and you crack a smile. A real, beautiful smile that warms every inch of his body. “I’m telling you this because I want you to know that even if it doesn’t feel like it, there is somebody watching over you. Someone is here to protect you, keep you safe, and ensure that you’re happy, even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes. I want you to know that maybe your guardian angel is closer than you think, lingering out of the corner of your eye. Just out of sight when you turn your head.” 

From his pocket, he pulls out a little box wrapped in violet paper. There’s a bow on the top, black and satiny. Your eyes widen when he places the box in your palm and squeezes your shoulder. 

“Open it.”

“You didn’t have to, Hyunjae…” He just shrugs. 

“No, I didn’t. But I did.” You smile and gently do your best not to rip the delicate wrapping paper while opening your gift. Despite your efforts, Hyunjae watches you wince at the small tear in the paper. 

“You don’t have to be so careful,” he tells you, “it’s just paper.” You shake your head.

“Purple is my favorite color, you should know this by now Jae.” He just sits back against the couch cushion and lets you open the jewelry box he’d gotten you. You look back at him with a confused pout and he just gestures for you to open it. 

A necklace. Thin silver chain, and a pendant attached. 

A butterfly made of delicately crafted wings. There are jewels attached to the butterfly, creating the wings and the eyes. 

“Diamonds?” Your eyes narrow and he feels his heart sink a bit. Did you hate it? “Jae, how did you afford this?”

“Call it a family heirloom,” he lies. “My mother’s.”

“Your mother had a brand new diamond necklace just hanging around the house, and you gave it to me instead of giving it to your girlfriend?” You turn fully toward him and scowl. “Lee Hyunjae you shouldn’t have gotten me a gift so expensive.”

“Why not?” He challenges.

“I’m not worth this much!” It’s his turn to scowl.

“You know that’s not true, little bug. You’re worth far more than you know.”

~

Hyunjae hovers over your shoulder, watching you bite at your nails while you write your essay.

“I still don’t understand why colleges make you write these things.” His fingers wrap around the back of your chair and you roll your neck. Your head brushes against his abdomen and you flinch away. 

“They want to know about us, what makes us good candidates. Now can you read this and make sure it sounds like a sob story?” He rolls his eyes when you push him into the chair and take his position. 

You’d written about your mom. About how she got sick when you were little, and about how your dad was basically never there. You wrote about how you would walk yourself to school every day, and walk yourself to the nearby park until your sick mother could get you. Often, you would be at the park until the sun went down and the street lights would come on. 

“This is sad,” Hyunjae takes a pause and your eyes shoot to him nervously.

“Good sad or bad sad?”

“Good. Let me finish reading.” You nod and he turns back to the computer screen. 

Halfway through the essay, he sees something familiar. 

You’d written about him. About how he helped you stay alive through those hard times. How he, this mysterious man that claimed to be a family friend, was the only consistent person in your life. How he helped you grow into the woman that he’d convinced you was real, and that you didn’t have to struggle through life on your own.

“You called me your guardian angel?” His lips twitch into a smile and you laugh nervously. 

“I— I just meant that— that you were always there for me, y’know?” You spit out quickly. “You kept me on the right path, even when I started going astray.” Hyunjae’s smile grows and he lifts himself out of the chair. 

“Little bug, I didn’t do anything. Every choice you made, every path you chose, that was you. I was just a bit of moral support,” he denies, even though he knows you’re right. Although, you don’t need to know that he’s literally your guardian angel. You don’t need to know that yes, he was guiding you through the motions. He kept your boat from capsizing from even the most dangerous waves. 

He can’t take all the credit for your success, even when it was due. 

Still, you squeeze his shoulder and place your chin on his shoulder while he reads. His hands are beginning to shake, and he isn’t quite sure why. 

“What do you think?” You ask, and he feels your breath brushing against his ear. His skin grows warm. 

“I think it’s very well done.” He starts to rise from the chair and you take a few steps back, sitting on the mattress of your bed. He crosses his arms, steeling his body so you can’t see the shaking of his hands, the sweat on his neck. “I think these colleges would be foolish to not accept you.”

“You think so?” You’re hopeful, and he smiles, walking toward you until he’s hardly a foot away from you.

“I know so, little bug.” Your body goes rigid when you feel his lips against your forehead. Your cheeks go ablaze, the heat spreading down your neck. It’s the first time he’d shown this kind of true affection toward you, and you aren’t quite sure what to do with it. 

He’s still smiling when he pulls back, laughing to himself when he sees your stunned expression.

“You keep working, I’ll go make some food.”

~

You were twenty-one when Hyunjae finally gave up on stopping you from going to parties. For years he’d forced you to stay home, to “not waste your time getting shit-faced with a bunch of nobodies who couldn’t give less of a shit about you”. He’d caught you a number of times when you tried to sneak out the window of your dorm room, sitting in the tree you were going to climb down in a flimsy skirt and some heels. He’d stopped you from sneaking out the main doors by waking your RA. Anything you could think of trying, he somehow already knew and was prepared to stop you.

“I’m just keeping you safe,” he’d say with a smirk and a shrug. “Besides, you won’t have to sneak out in a couple of years. Just hold off a little longer, focus on your studies, and hang out with your friends at a cafe or something.”

“What am I supposed to say when they ask me why I keep ditching them?” You stomp your foot, and Hyunjae raises an eyebrow. 

“Tell them your guardian angel said no.” You think he’s kidding, that he isn’t taking you seriously, and that he’s mocking you. He isn’t, and he wishes he could tell you that but he could be killed.

When he finally does let you go, he comes with you and Eric, playing along as your chauffeur and as a guest. You’re a bit too excited, and Eric has to calm you down before Hyunjae puts the car in park. He can see you looking at him out of the corner of your eye, eyeing him up and down. He’s smirking. It isn’t as if he’s dressed up, at least no more than he usually is. A white tee shirt, a leather jacket that’s been left unzipped, some black pants, and black boots. No change from his usual colors, just a bit more style to fit in more with the college kids. 

Nobody would question a 25-year-old at a college party. Half the men in the frat were nearing that age anyway, and Hyunjae’s lip curled in disgust when he saw one chatting up a freshman, just barely out of high school. 

He feels your arm looping through his, and his gaze turns back to you. You’re talking with Eric, and he sees your arm also looped through his. You want to keep them both close, at least for a while. Hyunjae’s eyes narrowed at the young boy. Since high school, he’s put on some muscle and cleaned up the acne he’d been so worried about. He’d have no problem finding someone to settle down with, and he knows the Guardian watching over Eric is pleased with this.

“…don’t you think, Jae?” You look up at him expectantly, your eyes glittering with excitement. You don’t know he has no idea what you said, and he doesn’t plan on you finding out so he smiles and nods.

“Sure thing, little bug.” 

The music is overwhelmingly loud. Not nearly the loudest party he’d had to attend, but nonetheless he hated every second he was in the disgusting house. You and Eric had peeled off in another direction, somewhere across the room and he was on the landing, leaning on the banister with a half-empty red cup in one of his hands. Every time he takes a sip from the plastic cup, he grimaces at the disgusting taste. Human alcohol had become more and more disgusting as the years dragged on. Every time he was dragged to an event, such as this one, he prayed to his father that the drinks wouldn’t get any worse. And, every time, his prayers went unanswered. 

“Hey,” a girl appears at his side and he doesn’t even spare her a glance. “What’s a handsome man like yourself doing at a party like this?” She’s too close for comfort, her clothing too revealing for his taste. He scoffs, ignoring her. She keeps talking. “You seem a bit too old to be going to lame frat parties. Shouldn’t you be at a bar or at a club?” Now he looks at her, his eyebrow raised. She smiles, her lips colored ruby red and her eyes flashing with mischief. 

“I go to the university.”

“My point still stands.” He sighs, returning to leaning over the banister. You’re talking with a man now, and he picks up bits of your conversation. 

My name’s Sunwoo.

Y/N.

What’s a pretty girl like yourself doing at a party like this?

Humans, similarly to their drinks, get less and less creative with time. Recycling the same useless tactics over and over again until someone is desperate enough to fall for it. 

Sunwoo twirls a piece of your hair around your finger, and Hyunjae’s teeth grind together at the way you swoon. Of course, you would be one to fall for the stupid comments and greetings. Of course.

“You seem awfully close to that girl.” Hyunjae rolls his eyes.

“What’s it to you?”

“You should be careful.” Her finger is trailing down his arm now. “You never know what sort of evil will catch up with the two of you.” His body goes rigid and his head snaps to the side. 

Her eyes are boring into his, red meeting gold. She’s still smiling, her hand still trailing up and down his arm. Hyunjae bites down on his tongue, rising to stand straight. 

“What are you doing here?” He hisses. The demon beside him just continues to smile. 

“I’m a warning. Someone sent me to warn you, Guardian.”

“Who sent you?” He yanks his arm out of her grasp, and she sighs. 

“I can’t tell you that, Guardian. But you should be careful. They’re watching, waiting. Soon enough, they will take one of you. They don’t care which.” The demon begins to back up, and Hyunjae follows. To anyone around, it may look like she’s seducing him. Bringing him to one of the bedrooms upstairs. 

“Why should I believe you?” 

“Your brother did.” She shrugs and Hyunjae’s breath hitches. “In fact, he sends his regards from his assignment. The man he was assigned to recently got married and his wife is now pregnant. You should be proud of them.”

“Why do you know Sangyeon?” 

“I told you, I’m just here to warn you.” 

She’s gone before he can respond, disappearing into the crowd and no matter how he strains his neck, he can’t spot her anymore. But he sees you. You’re alone now, and Sunwoo seems to have found a new interest in a pretty girl by the “bar”. He walks over to you, shoving through the crowd and ignoring those who snap at him. 

When your eyes lock on his, that warm feeling returns to his chest. All thoughts of the demon have disappeared, and now his mind is consumed by you. Protecting you, caring for you, being with you, having you. 

“Jae?” Your voice is soft, barely audible even with his superior hearing. Your eyes are wide, staring up at him. Your hand is wrapped around his jacket, holding tightly. “Is everything okay?” He isn’t sure what comes over him. Maybe it’s the thought of someone hurting you. The thought of losing you. Maybe he’s scared of failing his assignment. Maybe he’s scared of failing you. He isn’t sure, but whatever it is has him drawing to him, his hand tilting your head up. He can hear and feel your heart beginning to pound. Hyunjae feels your grip on his jacket tighten, feels you beginning to stand on your toes. 

You’re inches away from him, the two of you tucked into a darker corner of the party with not a soul watching the two of you. His hand is still loosely gripping your chin, the other holding your waist. Your skin is warm to the touch, almost too warm. He watches your eyes, the way they begin to flutter shut and the way you almost seem to lean into him. 

His lips brush against your forehead, and you flinch against his touch. He goes to pull back but you keep him close, holding him against you. The two of you don’t move for a while. You just stand in that corner, holding each other as if you’re afraid the other will let go too soon.

~

You were just barely starting your third year of college when it happened. Just barely starting to live when your life was ripped out of your hands. 

See, the thing about illnesses is that sometimes they take time. Sometimes they are slow acting, and you don’t see them until late in the victim’s life. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you don’t get symptoms at all and are able to pass away peacefully. Sometimes those slow-acting illnesses begin to show, but treatments work quickly and they’re able to be stopped. 

But sometimes, on certain occasions, that isn’t the case. Sometimes illness strikes out of nowhere, sinking its teeth into the nearest unsuspecting victim. It latches on, feating until there is nothing left but a shell of the person that once was. 

You were linked up to monitors, needles sticking in your arms, and a number of nurses and doctors standing around your bedside. 

Unconscious.

That’s how Hyunjae found you. You were unconscious, and your skin was pale. Your eyes were sunken in. A doctor tries to make him leave, but there was something in the Guardian’s eyes that had the older man stumbling over his words and averting his eyes. 

It was a look of unfathomable rage. Like he had more power inside him, and such contempt for the world that he could cause more damage than the wrath of God. 

Hyunjae walked forward, pushing past the nurses trying to protest. In the reflection of one of the monitors, he could see his eyes. They were gold. Not just little flecks, not a shade of yellow that televisions tried to excuse as gold, but pure, vibrant gold. The anger in them darkened them, but anyone who looked into this man’s eyes was struck with awe. With amazement, confusion, and horror when they, past the screaming voices in their mind that told them death was imminent, realized how much danger they were in.

“What happened to her?” The doctor behind Hyunjae stuttered over his words again, and Hyunjae turns around. When he spoke again, it was as if there were millions of voices speaking all at once, overwhelming the medical professionals. “What. Happened. To. Her.”

“We…we aren’t sure yet,” the doctor breathed out, lowering his gaze to the floor. “It— she was brought here by a young man. He said that she collapsed in the middle of a presentation. It could be nothing, we just want to make sure.”

“If it was nothing,” Hyunjae hissed out and there was a swell of triumph when he sees the fear in the doctor’s eyes, “she would not be here, would she?”

“N-No, sir, I suppose not.” The doctor whimpered. 

“Fix her.” The order was clear, and the doctor knew without saying that his next phrase was not a threat, but a promise. “Fix her, or I swear on thy God that I will kill each and every last one of you. I will kill you, and I will kill your families, and I will kill anyone that you have even passed on the street if that’s what it takes for you to comprehend the importance of this.”

“Calm yourself, Hyunjae.” A hand on his shoulder, and he feels something inside of him jolt. His heart, maybe. He can feel it beginning to pound, can feel his lungs empty of air. “We don’t need any accidents today.”

For a moment, he just stands there frozen. He doesn’t know if he should turn around. Doesn’t know if he should react positively or negatively. Hyunjae’s heart is pounding, and for that moment he stands frozen, the fear and the anger begin to kick in.

“Sangyeon,” Hyunjae breathes out. His brother is smiling when he turns around. He’s smiling, and healthy, and he’s alive. “You’re…you’re here? But— but how did you— how are you—”

The doctors have left the room, and he can hear them whispering amongst each other. They’re debating calling the police, or just leaving him be. Someone picks up a phone, and Sangyeon pulls Hyunjae to the side, ducking into an empty hospital room and shutting the door. 

“How are you here?” Hyunjae hisses, pushing his brother back against the wall. There’s pain in his voice. Fear, even. There’s no possible way that Sangyeon could have found him. Guardians can’t track each other. They have no way of finding each other when on assignments. 

“You have to know the truth.” Sangyeon doesn’t push his younger brother away, just lets himself be shoved against the wall with a strong hand digging into his chest. Something warm is beginning to burn against his skin, and he bites down on his tongue to numb the pain. “Someone had to tell you, and it wasn’t going to be our Father.”

“What are you talking about?” Hyunjae pulls his hand away when smoke begins to rise from under his palm, tightening his hand into a fist to cool himself off. “What truth?”

“About this assignment. Didn’t she warn you?” The door behind them opens and closes, and Hyunjae whips around. His hands are glowing, radiating with heat that begins the catch on the fabric of the bed next to him. The woman— the demon he’d met just a year prior stands with her body leaning against the wall. She’s dressed in a nurse’s garb, his lips curled into that same smirk that he’d dreaded. 

“I tried, but your father must be a very convincing man.” Sangyeon smiles sadly, beckoning for her to join him. She tucks herself under his arm, practically wrapping her body around him. A lump is forming in Hyunjae’s throat, and his vision beginning to swim. 

“What the hell is going on?” Sangyeon frowns, taking a step toward his younger brother. Hyunjae takes a step back. “Why are you…brother, why are you with this creature?” The demon scoffs. 

“Creature? I would hardly call myself a creature, you stupid Guardian—”

“Hye-Ri,” Sangyeon interrupts, “that’s enough. Let me talk.” Hye-Ri’s lips purse and she takes a small step back. The older angel sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Jae, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Everything Father has told you up until now has been a lie.” Hyunjae bites his tongue, fighting the urge to argue with his brother. He might not believe Sangyeon, but he will not disrespect his brother. “He’s told you that this is just an assignment, that you need to guide her down the right path until she passes, is that correct?”

“Yes.” He keeps his response short and Sangyeon nods.

“He lied. This isn’t an assignment. This is a slaughter.”

“What are you talking about?” Hyunjae asks. “A slaughter?”

“Her mother wasn’t supposed to die,” Hye-Ri informs him, and his eyes narrow on her. “Sangyeon here was the woman’s guardian. She was supposed to live a long, fruitful life, but your Father fed her a disease. An angelic disease.”

“The same one Y/N has now.” Sangyeon nods and Hyunjae exhales heavily. “You said this was a slaughter?”

“Y/N is…different from what you’re used to. I’m sure you’ve noticed that you can’t get a reading on her. That you can’t quite understand her like you can other people.” Hyunjae just nods, and Sangyeon continues. “That’s because she’s a Link.”

“A what?” 

“Think of Links as soulmates,” Hye-Ri explains. “Links basically latch onto an angel, guardian or not, and link them to the human realm. Not a very creative name, but it does the trick.”

“Stay on track, Hye-Ri.”

“Right,” the demon nods, “your Father isn’t sure where it started, or with whom, but he intends to wipe out any and all links he can find.”

“But…but why does he need to do that? I mean…it can’t be dangerous to have a— a soulmate, as you called them.” Hyunjae gnaws on his lip, folding his arms over his chest.

“Father has never truly loved the human race as he claimed he did,” Sangyeon says. “He despises how we, the Guardians, grow close to them. How we grow attached to them. He fears another rebellion, should one grow too close to an assignment. He fears that the Links will be the very root of his angels betraying him. That his angels and these Links will produce heirs that are powerful enough to take down even himself.”

“So Y/N…” Hyunjae’s voice is trembling more than he’d like to admit. “She’s my…she’s my Link? My soulmate?” He receives a sad nod from his brother and tilts his head back to look at the ceiling. 

“Father saw you growing attached. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before you began to break the rules he’d set in stone.”

“But I haven’t…I haven’t done anything. I’ve kept myself under control, nothing has happened!” Hyunjae protests. “It isn’t fair to me, and it isn’t fair to her.”

“I know.” Sangyeon wraps his arms around his younger brother, feeling Hyunjae’s body shake with rage and fear, and pain. “I know, little brother.”

~

A crack of thunder shakes the building, and the pounding of rain fills the awful silence of the hospital. It’s surprisingly quiet for this time of day, but nobody would ever say that out loud. 

Hyunjae is in your hospital room again, his head lowered and his foot tapping against the ground. A nurse enters the room, flinching when she sees him. Her body remains tense the entire time she takes your vitals. 

“Is she getting better?” He asks before the nurse leaves. There’s a moment of silence before he looks up at her. She looks afraid, but there’s sadness in her eyes.

“No. She’s not.”

The door shuts again and Hyunjae lowers his head back down. The beeping of machines begins to overwhelm him. It’s constant, and he begins to wonder if you can hear it too. If you can hear what’s going on around if you’re screaming for someone to hear you and see you and listen to you. 

When the door opens again, he knows who it is.

“Have you been here the whole time?” Eric is breathless, his voice hoarse and strained. 

“I have,” comes Hyunjae’s monotone response. 

“Has she woken at all?”

“No.” Hyunjae looks up again, resting his face against his laced fingers. “No, she’s comatose right now.” Eric’s face twists with pain, and Hyunjae barely flinches when the young boy’s hand collides with the concrete wall. There’s an ugly crunch, and he watches Eric bite back a scream. His knuckles are now bleeding, and his hand already going from red to purple. 

“Fuck.” The boy hisses quietly, cradling his fist to his chest. Hyunjae scoffs out a laugh.

“That was idiotic.”

“I know.” Eric sits beside the Guardian, squeezing his eyes shut and willing away the pain. Hyunjae eyes the bloodied and bruised fingers and rolls his eyes. 

“Give me your hand.” Hyunjae holds out his own hand, palm facing up, and Eric shoots him a look.

“No offense, you’re hot and all, but I’m not into you.” Hyunjae bites his tongue again and continues to hold out his hand.

“I’m not into you either. Glad we’re on the same page. Give. Me. Your. Hand.” Eric slowly stretches his arm out, placing his fist into Hyunjae’s outstretched palm. There’s a soft glow and a few cracking sounds. Eric’s face goes pale, watching his fingers snap into place as if they had never broken. The blood remains on his fingers, and he wipes them with a tissue.

“How the fuck did you do that?” Eric asks, gazing at his fixed hand in amazement.

“I have a number of tricks up my sleeve, kid.”

“Is this the same thing that keeps you from aging?” Hyunjae hesitates before he responds. “And don’t try lying to me. I’m not dumb. At first I just thought your skincare was hella good, but after twelve years of you not aging past twenty-five it kinda gets obvious that there’s something up.”

“You’re not afraid?” Hyunjae asks curiously. Eric shrugs.

“Unless you think I should be, not really. You’ve protected Y/N our whole lives, you’ve done nothing to make me think I shouldn’t trust you. I don’t know who or what you are, but I trust you.”

“Interesting.” Hyunjae sits back in his chair, leaning his head against the wall. “So if I told you I was her guardian angel, you’d believe me?”

“I mean…I guess?” Eric shrugs. “Unless, for some reason, that’s a lie?”

“No, it isn’t. And this isn’t a human disease.”

“What do you mean it isn’t a human disease? Like…this is from Heaven?”

“Mhm. Given to her directly by Father dearest to spite me.” Eric’s jaw drops open a bit.

“God wants to kill my best friend?”

“You pick up on things fast.” His head snaps to the side and he hears Eric hiss in pain. When Hyunjae turns his head back, Eric is sitting quietly, eyes trained on his best friend. “Are you glad you did that? Did that make you feel better?”

“Yeah, a little bit. Keep talking.”

“She’s what we call a Link. She is, essentially, my soulmate.”

“Ew, age gap much?” Hyunjae snorts, his lips curling into a smile. He’d expected Eric to be less accepting of all of this, but apparently, he’d underestimated the boy. 

“My Father, God as you call him, doesn’t necessarily approve of Links. He wants to eradicate them all. He gives them diseases, angelic diseases that have no cure in any world. Not in Heaven, not in Hell, and certainly not here. Any medications given are just prolonging the inevitable.”

“So…She’s just…gonna die?” Eric asks, and Hyunjae gives him a pitiful look. “Is there anything that you can do? You’re her soulmate, there’s gotta be something. True love’s kiss?” The Guardian shakes his head and Eric lets out a shaky sigh. 

“My brother is…trying to find something. Anything that can help her. We just have to be patient.”

He isn’t entirely sure who he’s trying to convince, himself or Eric or both. He knows that these attempts are futile. He knows that he can’t save you like he’d promised you so long ago. 

I don’t want to die like my mommy.

I won’t let that happen.

~

“We need to consider that she might not wake up.” Hyunjae stares down at the doctor, his hands shaking and his eyes narrowed. “It’s…it’s been two years, sir.”

“I don’t give a damn how long it’s been,” Hyunjae snarls, standing over your comatose form. Protecting you. “We aren’t pulling this plug. Not now, not ever. Do you understand me, Doctor?”

“Sir,” the older gentleman tries to plead, “I understand your frustration but… you need to face that she would be better off just…going on her own terms. Keeping her alive, in this state where she has no control over her bodily functions, where she can’t communicate with us or feel the things that we can, it isn’t good for her or for you.”

He knows the doctor is right. He knows he’s just prolonging the inevitable, he always has. But he can’t let go of you yet. It’s too soon. He hasn’t had enough time with you. Hasn’t had enough time to talk to you, to take care of you, to love you, cherish you, adore you. He hasn’t had time to show you the world, as he’d wanted to for so long. He hadn’t had time to tell you the truth. 

Although, at this point, the truth is…unfortunate. His wings had been stripped from his body, his and his brother’s. His rights as a Guardian have been removed. Anything he could’ve used to save you…there’s nothing left. He has Fallen, but he couldn’t be more proud of it. He doesn’t have to hide himself anymore, doesn’t have to fear the man he once called Father. 

“Hyunjae,” Hye-Ri stands at his side, her eyes tired. “You know the doctor is right.”

“Shut up, Hye-Ri.” The young demon snarls. Hye-Ri doesn’t snap at him this time. She looks sad, almost pitying him. Sangyeon stands at the door, his arms crossed over his chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. None of you do.”

“Lee Hyunjae,” Sangyeon says sternly, “use reason. I understand you’re upset, but you need to understand that your soulmate is suffering and that you are being selfish.”

“Am I not allowed to be selfish?” Hyunjae cries. “Even now that I am finally free from God’s hands, am I not allowed to be selfish for once?” Hye-Ri leaves the room, her eyes lowered to the ground. Sangyeon steps forward. Hyunjae moves even closer to you. 

“You are allowed to want things, little brother,” Sangyeon speaks softly, so as not to anger Hyunjae further. “You are allowed to want her. You are allowed to crave more time with her, but you cannot have her like this. You know that.” For a brief moment, Hyunjae wants to scream. He wants to throw the vase of flowers that sits beside your hospital bed, he wants to tear this building down until there’s nothing left but a pile of bricks. 

But he doesn’t. He stands there, gazing down at you and brushing his thumb across your cheek. Your body is cold, and when he touches you, you don’t so much as twitch. His hand drops to his side. 

“Get Eric. Get the doctor.”

~

The first thing you notice when you wake up is the beach in front of you. You’re laying in the sand, water washing up to your ankles. The sun is warm on your skin, but you aren’t sweating. In fact, nothing about your situation is uncomfortable. You’re at peace, more comfortable than you think you’ve ever been.

The second thing you notice is that you’re in nothing but a bathing suit and a beach cover. You don’t remember changing into this. In fact, you can’t seem to remember anything after the party.

“You’re awake,” you turn your head and you begin to smile. Hyunjae is dressed in a simple tee shirt and shorts, two classes and a bottle of champagne clutched in his hands. He’s grinning at you, and you rise to your feet.

“You’re wearing something other than black, I see.” You tease him. He lets out a laugh, and you think it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard. 

“Hilarious, little bug.” He nudges your side, guiding you to a nearby table with two long beach chairs sitting side-by-side. “Come have a drink with me.” You follow him, the beach cover blowing behind you a bit. Your hair isn’t quite tussled by the wind around you, just brushed over your shoulders. Everything is perfect.

Too perfect.

Hyunjae takes a seat on one of the chairs, gritting his teeth when he removes the top of the champagne bottle. 

“I always get nervous opening these things. Far too dangerous for their own good if you ask me.” You sit beside him, and he side-eyes you. “I got you your own chair.”

“What if I want to sit next to you?” You challenge. He pauses, and for a moment you think he looks…sad. That moment passes quickly, and he’s smiling again and laughing to himself. 

“I won’t stop you then.” He takes one of the glasses and slowly fills it with the bubbling alcohol before passing it to you. You thank him quietly and briefly turn your gaze to the ocean. 

“Have you ever seen water so clear?” You ask, half rhetorical and half curious. He hums.

“Once or twice.”

“I didn’t think Heaven would have beaches this nice.” Silence behind you, and you turn back to Hyunjae, still smiling. He’s staring at you, his body completely frozen. You can see his body shaking, the liquid in his glass sloshing up the sides. You take the glass and the bottle from his hands, setting both on the table beside him. Tears are beginning to wet his cheeks, and you reach forward to wipe them away. 

“I didn’t…I’m so, so sorry little bug.” His voice cracks and the tears keep falling. 

“Jae, you knew it would happen eventually. I did too. That’s just…I just got the shit end of the stick in this life.” You slide closer to him and he lets his eyes close. “Besides, did you really think that I believed you had really good skincare? For almost twenty years?” 

Hyunjae wraps his arms around you tightly, pulling you as close as he possibly could. You let him hold you, you let him whisper his apologies, and his regrets, and his whispers of I love you, I adore you, I’m sorry this happened before I got to show you the world. You just smile, running your fingers through his hair and rubbing his shoulders. 

When he pulls away from you at last, his cheeks are red and stained with tears. You’re still smiling, assuring him that everything is okay. 

“So,” you raise the two glasses of champagne and hand him one, “what are we toasting?” Hyunjae shakes his head, his smile returning.

“Whatever you want, little bug. Anything you want, I will give you.” You hum, kicking your legs a bit and digging your toes into the sand. 

“Anything, you say?” You wiggle your eyebrows and while he laughs, you know that he means every word. You know what he doesn’t have the strength to say yet. I am yours. You are mine. I will cherish you, adore you, and love you how I should have when you were alive. “Fine then.”

“Have you decided?” He turns toward the beach and you do the same, leaning your head on his shoulder briefly. You feel him flinch when you press your lips to his shoulder blade, where you can feel his wings once were. 

“I have.”

“So?”

“To merry bad endings, and to you for going against what you’d been raised to do, for believing in me and in your brother.” Hyunjae smiles, tipping his glass to yours. A small clink echoes across the beach.

“To merry bad endings.”

~

TAGLIST: @hyunjaespresent-deobi @just-here-to-read-01

[goodboyaudios]

i’m evil like that muahaha~ also!!!!! congratulations on 40k!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m sure you’ll be getting way more recognition in the future:D

since you gave permission:

you said you’re finishing off uni, did you always know what you wanted to study? i’m at the (depressing) stage in life where i’m fully realizing how many curve balls life throws at you:) the path to success usually isn’t linear, so i’m curious about your journey!

it seems like you’re always asking for feedback or addressing issues, etc. do you have any feedback for us (as in, the community)? most people i’ve interacted with are pretty chill, but idk maybe there’s we could improve on?

this one might be a bit personal, so feel free to ignore! do your friends or family know about your channel/work? i’d imagine it’d be nice to have someone you could bounce ideas off of before publishing stuff! if not, how do you manage to hide all that stuff hahah~. you’ve built an entirely different universe, so i refuse to believe a sane man can keep all of that in his head and live a normal life simultaneously:p

if you could befriend any oc of yours, who would it be and why?

i’m not sure how to word this question properly, but are there any endings/plot points that you had initially envisioned differently? like, did you think a story was going one way and changed your mind half ways through?

you don’t have to answer all of these! you did ask for it, but i hope i’m not overwhelming you haha~

Absolutely not. School didn't do anything to prepare me for the world. My college has done less than nothing in preparing me to get a job in my field, YOUTUBE HAS DONE MORE FOR ME THAN COLLEGE AT THIS POINT and if I'm completely honest with you? That's fuckin sad. No, I had no idea what I wanted to do and I wish I was that kind of person who knew right out the gate. (lucky bastards) Okay, I'm done with my rant lol

I didn't know what field I wanted to study in, so I took a chance and jumped into something I knew I had some knowledge in and hoped for the best. Really that's all you can do. I have learned that, when you get out of highschool and you don't know what to do, do everything until something sticks. Trial and error. It's not the most efficient, but it works!

Any feedback to GIVE to the community? Let me think. Honestly, the community has been very wonderful to me. Occasionally something pops up, but it's usually squashed. The discord server is full of wonderful and creative and talented people who have always had my back and support the work I do. I hear all the time about drama in fellow creator servers and toxic behavior in the communities, etc...but my end of things has always been super nice! (that might have something to do with my lack of NSFW content) But yeah! No notes really! Everything good in our little neighborhood!

My family is aware AND so is my extended family lol! They are supportive, but they don't really give me ideas to bounce off. I have other fellow writers and creatives or that! And I do write everything down and go back to it in case I forget something. But typically speaking its all in my head, yep! I just...don't know how to do other things! Like...dress fashionably or...function in a normal society...you know useless stuff like that!

Zed. He needs a friend lol

Only with Bastard Warrior actually! Every story, I envision how I want it to end first, but with Bastard Warrior, I had thoughts of changing it because it was supposed to be enemies to lovers, yet the canon ending isn't Albus getting with Faith. So, I made 3 endings to appease everyone lol

Hope I got all of the them lol!

[papercorgiworld]

Thank you!

1000+ followers!

As I post this I have exactly 1003 followers and they’re amazing!

I was planning on doing something for 100, 200, 500 followers, but I was always so busy writing or didn’t know what to do or just scared of looking like a fool… sorry! But now it’s time to celebrate!

I love you! Dear tumblr people, I truly love you. Whether you’re creating, supporting or both… you mean the world to me.

Now let’s get down to business. I have three things planned for you lovelys… I hope you’ll like it

Scare an introvert

Me, I’m the introvert. Scare me and talk to me. Honestly, I like communicating from time to time, but let’s just say small talk is not my most developed skill.

If you’re a social butterfly or a curious kitten and you want to get to know the writer behind the fics, this is your moment!

🥰 📚 📖 😍 🤗 🫦 👁️ 😶 🧑‍🍳 👩‍🎓 💃🏻 🤷‍♀️ 🤦 💆🏽‍♀️🐶 🐍 🦩 🍀 🫐 🫖 🧩 🏄‍♂️ ☎️ 🪫 🎉 ☺️ 🤯 😎

Pick any emoji you can find on your phone and I’ll answer a question related to the emoji. Or be very random.

BUT if you would be so kind as to also tell me a little something about yourself, it can be as random as you want… Or share your thoughts on my blog. This way I can get to know you a little as well.

Requests are officially open

Requests were always unofficially open to the bold and the brave, but now they’re open to everyone!

Also big thank you to the ones who’ve already sent in requests, encouraging me to write and now even to open up to more requests. Kiss!

Throw in any guy you can think of, but preferably a Slytherin dude.

Combine it with any subject or even a random word if you want something short.

And I’ll try to write something and hopefully not disappoint you.

Rules? Don’t traumatise me but also don’t be shy. Worst case scenario I change your request until I can live with it. I’ve been scrolling tumblr for a decade now, I don’t judge.

Get a cameo!!

I’m looking for people to date one of the Slytherins in my next fics. So you or your OC can get a little cameo!

How it works? While the reader is still the main character, I need characters in the background dating Theodore, Mattheo, Blaise, Enzo, Draco or Pansy. Depending on the story, you’ll be mentioned a lot or just a few times. You’ll be dating your favoriete Slytherin either recently or you’ve been in a long term relationship.

Interested? Okay, I need a name. I’m not good at coming up with names and this is what inspired me to do this cameo stuff. Also sent me your house and yes you can be an exchange student if you don’t want to attend Hogwarts. Pronouns! Very important, don’t leave me guessing. Skin, eye and hair colour is not a must, but why not. Just for the fun of it, you can add what kind of student, friend or partner you’ll be. If you insist you can be a crazy ex as well. But most importantly, who do you want to date.

I might not need this much information, but it’s fun to get to know you. If you’re not an anon and don’t want to be mentioned when I post the fic then be sure to let me know so I don’t tag you.

Aaaaand a little bonus news:

Didn’t see this one coming at all…

25 000 ? That’s a lot of love! Thank you! Thank you so much!

When I’m writing and I feel like I’m stuck, my eyes wonder and usually land on my phone which is thanks to you always lighting up with tumblr notifications… encouraging me to continue writing!

Have a lovely day!

Sending you all lots of love!

[mj-102009]

Queen of Chaos (Gojo x oc Part Four)

Masterlist for previous parts

dw this hasn't been abandoned lol Enjoy---

Megara had no regrets.

Gojo was an egotistical ass that needed to be humbled; and his buddy Geto was getting close to the same point. Shoko just had pretty privilege.

She will say however, that the way he called her a curse and spat out the term– stung a little. Geto was morbidly curious about the feeling of her going through his arm; this was just flat concerning. But Yaga’s pride and faint grin made up for it all.

Much later in the safety of her quarters, Ren thumbed over the rim of her phone and stared at the empty wall.

‘-a rare opportunity for the Ren family; you should be grateful.”

‘Play your cards as I’ve taught you Megara.’

‘Don’t acknowledge that bitch.’

“You’re a fool for thinking those dimwits could keep me down for long.”

Megara refused to move her stare from the wall, Yasha’s figure stood in the corner of her vision. The curse’s voice was smooth and drew every word out with a melodic lit.

The curse was attractive for her kind; She was tall with a full chest and a slim waist, but could throw a man with a flick of her wrist.

Meg opened her phone and checked the time, ‘12:43.’

“It’s late,” The curse mused looking around the room. “Dingy…anyway– how long did the other Ren say we’d be here?”

She didn’t answer, just stared at the wall.

“Gods Megara,” Yasha growled, kicking the bed. “Answer me!”

She blinked sleepily and rolled onto her back.

“Don’t you fuckin-”

“My mind,” Megara whispered, her eyes turning their natural green as she fell into the colorless depths of her own mind.

“I don’t want you to use your cursed techniques if you can handle it without,” Yaga said.

Gojo frowned and crossed his arms, a whine already on his lips. “But-”

The teacher barely turned his head to look at the white haired boy. “Shut it Satoru– you’re not going.”

“But whyyyyyy-”

Geto sighed and turned to the blind girl, Ren was listening to the whole interaction with an amused smirk. “I’ll take the lead on this, you just-”

“You’ll both be equals on this,” Yaga interrupts with a stern look.

Ren gave him an appreciative smile but Geto rubbed his face and nodded.

“What if it’s a special grade?” Geto asks. “Can I…?”

Yaga nodded. “One exception.”

The blind girl’s shoulder slumped and she turned on her heel. “C’mon I don’t want to miss dinner.”

Gojo huffed and mumbled something about “Old farts”. 

The pair frowned at the old post office. 

“I thought it was just a second grade,” Ren huffed softly, tilting her head to look at the bricks.

Geto nodded before flushing and stuttering. “Y-yes.”

She chuckled before walking into the building. She paused when she didn’t hear footsteps. “Coming?”

“Should you wait out here?” He asked, making her frown. “If it really is a special grade…?”

“I can hold my own,” She told him, a hint of offense in her tone. “Only thing I can’t do is drive back to the school if we miss our ride; now hurry.”

The pair walked inside slowly, Megara had her head cocked and pale eyes shifting around. Geto followed her movements with rapt attention, her mannerisms and body language, and the way she distributed her energy to flow. Her hand gently caressed the walls as they walked down the halls, following the trail of cursed energy.

“Do you have a plan?” He whispered.

She stifled a laugh. “You were the one that wanted to walk in without me, I thought you would have a plan.”

He would never admit to the shamed flush that crawled up his neck. “I thought it would only be me.”

“Well, tell me what you had.”

The pause spread on for a while. “I got nothing.”

She chuckled under her breath. “I figured,” With a sharp turn she waved her hand. “We’re two of the most powerful sorcerers in the world; we’ve got this.”

This time he was following her lead as she followed her senses to a hallway with a door at the very end. She tilted her head and frowned. “There’s a door right?”

He hummed in confirmation and she confidently strode towards it. “Hey– shouldn’t we come up with something?”

Megara turned to him. “I suppose…what do you think?”

“When you fought us,” Geto began analyzing her reactions. “You used our eyes.”

Her ears turned red. “...yeah.”

“If you can use my eyes, to get to it and freeze it so I can use my technique,” He was extending the olive branch– slowly albeit but still.

Megara nodded. “You're okay with me…?” She trailed off slowly vaguely gesturing to her eyes.

With a steady breath in, he answered: “Yes.”

“Alright,” She agreed, shutting her eyes and exhaling. “His eyes.”

This time when he was paying attention he felt a calming buzz just behind his eyes, like a series of rapid taps. She opened her eyes and his own irises met him.

“Ready?” She asked, standing up and offering him a hand.

He blinked once then took it.

The door opened with a creak that Megara didn't feel comforted by.

“Hey!” She called into the open room, walking in with full awareness from Geto’s bird eye view from the top floor. “I’m here!” She cupped her hands together and shouted. “I know you can feel me, come out ugly!”

A hiss came from the farthest corner of the room, she faced in with searing intensity. 

“I see you,” She said lowly, widening her stance to be steadier. “Come on out.”

Its head slowly came out from its veil of shadows, rows upon rows of teeth snapped at her as she provoked it. Gray tentacles made themselves known to her as she shifted her balance.

Geto watched in fascination as she held herself with confidence.

“Gonna fight?” She growled curling her hands into fists. “I know you want to,” Her eyes narrowed. “You feel my energy,” She pulsed waves of cursed energy into its awareness. “Come at me.”

As one long limb shot at her side she shifted left and pivoted to face the side of it; in one swift and powerful swipe charged with energy the tentacle was sent sprawling.

She flexed her hand and frowned. “It’s tentacles,” the curse froze and she studied it. “You can come down now.”

Geto leaped down and approached her. “What’s wrong?”

“I think there’s something in it,” Her eyes were pale again with the shift in control. “It is a second grade but…there’s some sort of cursed object.”

He approached it. “I feel it but I can’t see it.”

She kicked the limp tentacle and swept her foot to find it. “Here,” She searched over it and pressed her hand on a thin vein looking lump. “Do you have a knife? Or-”

“I got it,” He brushed her hand aside and jabbed into it.

“Fuck,” Megara whispered feeling her side.

Geto had his hand in the curse already, but looked over his shoulder in concern. “What?”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

Her hand came away dry but the feeling of a knife going through her stomach was briefly sickening.

“Found something,” He told her, grunting at the unappealing feeling of the curse’s bodily fluids.

She pulled off her hoodie and held it out to him leaving her in a white long sleeve and shorts. “Put it in here.”

It was a finger. Long and dark, with two inches worth in nail black as pitch.

Geto cringed and the curse bubbled into nothing with its power gone. “God this thing has to be decades old.”

Megara wrinkled her nose as well. “It feels like centuries at the least.”

“C’mon we’ll bring it back to Yaga,” He said, wrapping it up.

With a sigh, her shoulders slumped the slightest inch. “Don’t want to keep Ijichi waiting.”

After a moment he finds the words to ask: “Enjoying the school?”

She chuckles. “It’s a blast,” Sarcasm was apparent in her tone.

Geto rubbed the back of his neck. “I do owe you an apology.”

“For what?” Her tone was genuinely confused.

“For judging you based on your…” He trails off.

“Curse?” She finishes with a shrug. “Don’t worry I’m used to it.”

He winces internally. “Then let me apologize for Satoru.”

She laughed, a high peel of laughter like bells in the wind. “That’s something he needs to do himself,” She smiled at him. “Thank you though.”

And while she couldn’t see it– he found himself smiling back.

The silence as Yaga studied the finger stretched along the room. Megara and Geto stood stalk straight as he twisted it slowly.

“Well done you two,” He tucked it away and gave them a tight smile. “You’re dismissed.”

Geto walked to the door and turned his head to Megara. “Coming?”

“Just a moment,” She said with a kind smile. “I’ll be out in a minute or two.”

He left the room and closed the door. 

“Ren,” Yaga said politely. “How can I help you?”

She nodded to the artifact. “What is that thing?” Her tone was riddled with disdain.

He should have known nothing gets by her. “It’s one of the 20 fingers of Ryomen Sukuna.”

Her eyes fluttered. “You sent us to get that thing?”

“I knew you would have been fine,” He argues.

“Me? Yes. But not that boy,” She told him, breaking her rigid posture. “The bloody god of curses– are you mad?!”

He shushed her quickly. “He’s not helpless.”

She sighed and clenched her fists. “I didn’t say that.”

“I knew you’d protect him, Ren,” He told her calmly. “I had no doubt in your abilities.”

She shook her head and turned to leave. “I will not be your beck and call, Yaga,” Yasha made herself known in the corners of her mind, feeding off her frustration. “I am here to learn and train– not collect your missing fingers.”

And she missed dinner…great.

Yasha pulled herself into Megara’s vision with a stretch. “Gods it’s so fuckin’ hot out here.”

She frowned and didn’t regard the curse, flipping open her phone and used voice typing to make sure a local ramen shop was still good for pick up.

“You can’t ignore me forever out here,” Yasha sang, poking her cheek. “I already apologized.”

She batted away her hand and started to find her way to the gates. 

“This is stupid,” Yasha mused. “Do you need help?”

“Leave me alone,” She said miserably.

“Ren!”

She turned over her shoulder and said. “Geto?”

A quick tap of feet and a hand was on her shoulder. “Where are you going?”

“Oh wow he’s cute,” Yasha said, studying him closely.

“Dinner,” Megara answered. “We missed it.”

He shuffled. “You seem like you need help.”

She bristled as Yasha started to laugh. “I’m fine.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” He sighed as she shrugged off his hand. “I know you're capable but Tokyo isn’t as easy to get around as a curse.”

“Tell him I’ll help you if you’re that desperate not to go,” Yasha offered walking circles around them.

Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. “Yeah, some help would be great.”

Megara found the difference between Gojo and Geto to be simple. The first time Gojo had spoken (if you could even call it that) with her– he hadn’t even tried to look through her cursed energy levels; thinking with his ego and not his head. Whereas Geto tried to understand her and how she worked with her curse, the ways that affected her. He got to know her.

Perhaps that would be her downfall.

Tell me if you enjoyed! I'll keep going with this I swear-

Taglist:

@witchbybirth 

@enchantingkitty

@aish777

[ellekhen]

Hand, Hearth, and Home

Chapter 39 - To Be Born Anew

Chapter Summary: A harrowing situation leads to another complicated revelation for Church. The scouting party makes their way back to camp… and Church finds someone waiting for him.

Pairing(s): Astarion x Male Tav (Main); Past OC x Male Tav Rating: Explicit Length: 177K+ words; Chapters 39/54

Excerpt below:

“What did you all get up to while we were gone?” Church asks conversationally, working out some blood matted in his hair with a grimace. 

“Oh, you know,” Astarion drawls, reaching over to help him with a disapproving hum. “Wyll got eaten by a dragon, Karlach went to finishing school, Shadowheart converted to a Selûnite, and I got betrothed to an Amnian merchant prince.”

“Knew I’d be missing all the fun,” Church grins at him, wading over to rinse underneath the waterfall. “…think that prince could use a concubine?”

Astarion throws his head back in a laugh, and when he looks at Church again it’s with an odd expression — something fond, soft…

…and curious. 

“Hang on,” Astarion frowns as the tiefling returns. “You’ve got a little something on your…” 

He reaches over to brush his thumb against the stinging skin of the tiefling’s forehead, and Church flinches away abruptly, self-consciously shielding his face. 

“What’s wrong?” Astarion asks, taken aback. 

Well, it wasn’t like he was going to be able to hide it, Church reminds himself. He lowers his hands sheepishly.

“Sorry, it’s just… I’m still getting used to it,” he laughs nervously. “Come take a closer look?”

He beckons Astarion towards him, his heart fluttering as the elf leans quite close to his face, scrutinizing him as those cool hands gently tilt his head to catch the burgeoning sunlight. 

“Scales?” Astarion utters in surprise. “Those are new.” 

“Yes, they are. So things got… dicey on the road,” Church wheedles. 

This moment is so nice — the last thing he wants to do is trouble Astarion with the dramatic details. He doesn’t know how much he should share anyway with the rest of the crew. After all, there are things he hasn’t even disclosed to the companions that witnessed most of it to begin with. 

And so, he lies. 

“I had to call upon my mo — my patron. And, through a series of, er, events, I guess my body decided to go through second puberty and let the latent draconic bloodline awaken? That’s how she described it, anyway.”

Astarion looks at him, intrigued. “Draconic? Really?”

“I mean, you don’t see the family resemblance?” Church says dryly, gesturing at his horns. “But yes, here I am, a distant descendant of both a devil and a dragon.”

“Sounds like your ancestors had one hell of a night,” the elf smirks.

“Most likely,” Church grins at that. “Anyway, I was born with magic. My patron just taught me how to use it — hone it into something to help me survive pitchforks and diabolists. So it seems I’m somewhat of a latent sorcerer.” 

He demonstrates with a little cantrip of dancing lights around his fingers. 

“I feel more in tune with my magic than ever before,” he continues to reassure his companion with a half-lie. “I never realized that my head had been so… foggy before now.”

That part, at least, is true. 

“The scales were an unfortunate side effect. They itch like hell, and…” he stammers, still feeling the elf’s hypnotic gaze penetrating into him. “They’re a little odd. I’m not sure how I feel—”

Astarion cradles Church’s jaw, pressing a lingering kiss to his sensitive temple. 

“You’re beautiful,” the elf murmurs, pulling away. 

Church feels his face heat as he looks slowly, fully up at the elf. 

That felt different from Astarion’s typical indulgent flattery. This close, his eyes seem earnest. His breath catches a little — as if in quiet awe. They both wade close, naked, and vulnerable together in the spring — no airs of anything left between them. 

No, you’re the beautiful one, Church thinks dully. Maybe he can blame the parasites for apparently turning his brain to sludge… 

“You’re different, somehow,” he mutters instead after a moment. “What changed?”

He watches in amazement as Astarion slowly places his hand fully over the tiefling’s racing heart, long-lashed eyes closing for just a moment. 

“I missed you,” Astarion confesses, voice breaking. 

Read from the beginning!

[morvantmortuary]

sweetweirds -

so in our little gc we have a channel where we ask each other questions about our OCs, and my friend @bigtiddythanos recently asked us about weird quirks they adopt with their S/Os when no one else is around. so I wanted to share what I thought the Morvants would pick up once the two of you (or more, I don’t judge) had been dating for a while, just bc I had a lot of fun writing them 🖤

not long, but still putting it under a cut so not to clog things!

Maxi -

Will walk up behind his s/o and set his chin on the top of their head or shoulder, depending, and let out this little huff through his nose like Maggie used to do when she had a nose when he’s curious about what they’re doing/bored/misses them. He won’t hug them if they’re doing something, and he’ll back off if they can’t be distracted, but it’s just how he says hello.

When the two of you are just sitting around, if he’s within range, he might well lean over and just gently grab your arm or your shoulder in his teeth with a muffled “Delicious!”

if you two are cuddling and you try to get up before he wants to, he goes “oh no, rigor mortis!” and hugs you with his arms and legs so you can’t get away, followed by “Oh no, death tickles!” which is self explanatory lmao.

If he’s feeling especially weird and the two of you are definitely not in public (and if he doesn’t run the risk of ruining your makeup, which he views as art), he will totally randomly lick your cheek and say “just re-upping my claim” before walking off like nothing happened.

He also totally bows exaggeratedly whenever he fucks up and drops something or bumps into something or whatever and goes “For my next trick, I will flee into the swamp!”

Hector -

he has sweater paws constantly in his hoodie when the two of you have been going out for a while. he’ll walk up behind you and gently flap you with the ends of his sleeves when he’s bored.

When he wants attention he’ll go “Quiero besitooos~ ;A;” in a sad muppet voice, wandering the house mournfully until he finds you

If the two of you are playfighting (or you say something mushy and it catches him offguard), he does the thing where he pulls his hoodie up and pulls the drawstrings until it scrunches around his face and curls up in a ball.

He’s prone to walking up behind you and dancing as quietly but wildly as he can until you turn around and notice him, and then he’ll ask you whatever he actually came to ask you about.

He’ll also walk up to you sometimes with snacks like chips or something and go “sssh, just trust me” and put it in your mouth before you can see it (but only ever with things he already knows you really like)

Rora -

(Has the hardest time making it to full weird, but when she does, she’s Weird.)

If you’re sitting around reading or on your phone and she walks in, she’ll go “Gasp! A beautiful flower! In the house!” and make a show of sniffing your hair.

Whenever you do something a little bit clumsy, she’ll go “And I must swoon.” in an exaggerated version of her accent, but never in a mean way.

When she’s clumsy, she’s like “And that’s why I was Miss Louisiana.”

She also does the thing where she’ll walk up and lick your face when you two are totally alone/not wearing makeup. “It’s how we used to lay claim to sweets when we were little,” she’d drawl when you finally asked why, which. Explains a lot about the family, you suppose.

When you’re sitting on the couch together doing your own thing (but not something where she could throw you off, like a video game), she’ll go “I wilt!” in a dramatic voice and put her hand to her forehead and fall on top of you, where you must revive her with kisses.

If your hair’s long enough and you’re busy but she just wants to be near you, she’ll stand there and braid tiny strands of it together if it wouldn’t distract you too much.

just a little something I wanted to take the time to share, because I’m enchanted by the idea of those odd little in-jokes/habits that emerge out of a shared language of intimacy 🖤 no I’m not touch-starved I don’t know what you mean

I hope everyone’s having a good saturday so far! (or sunday, depending!)

[silvergoldraeven]

Okokokok so (assuming) you’re an avid heimes shipper, I’m rlly curious, so like, how do you think (in your resurrection au) kratos would feel if Hermes came back to life out of nowhere and started dating Heimdall??? LMAOO

OR EVEN, WOULD, your au Heimdall even ever be into Hermes at all????? Due to his redemption and all??? KSJDKDJ I can’t stop thinking abt it😭

oh ive thought about this A LOT. like an ungodly amount. i actually at first made a character for Heimdall as a love interest but scrapped it cuz i didnt want it to be a Heimdall x oc thing ya know. then my dear friend (@medievildead) got me Hermespilled- and now i have. better ideas. they wouldnt work with what im actually going for with res!AU cuz itd add sooooo many things and its just. ough. but!

There's so many ways this could go. So Many. (x0k if youre reading this im encouraging you to make a version with your Hermes AU c:)

But i'd like to imagine that Atreus one day just comes home wearing the like ancient Greek travelling outfit and Kratos looks him up and down, goes silent for a few minutes before asking where the fuck and who the fuck he got that from. Atreus just happily going "from this really nice man, had flaming hair, weird little voice but he was cool and- oh there he is-" and just points over to Hermes crawling out of the bushes and yelling "where are my fucking shoes Kratos?!"

i think thats funny, i think that should be canon. Hermes existing and following Atreus home to Midgard opens up so much place for angst with Kratos and Atreus but im not here for that, im here to make 2 people worse. mostly Heimdall, reverse therapy now that Hermes is here /hj

Hermes joining the gang is just like like the Thor scene but Loud and hes like "i brought olives :]" and Kratos lets him in just for that trade tbh.

Kratos asking how tf hes even alive and Hermes replies with "im bugs" without elaborating, we never find out how he's alive.

Uncle Hermes is definitely my fav trope so him bonding with Atreus over atheletics and mischief, mostly bullying Heimdall. Hermes locked eyes with Heimdall and immediately decided that he was a worthy opponent. so their relationship starts with Hermes and Atreus bullying the shit out of Heimdall, who's self growth is really being tested on a daily basis. when Atreus leaves again Heimdall is left with just 1 shithead insisting on making his life harder (but oh so affectionately).

i think Heimdall would actually be more likely to fall for Hermes cuz he finally got that giant stick out of his ass, would probably find his japes and overall mischief endearing, after he warms up to the Greek god.

Hermes is canonically really good at cooking too if im correct so him helping Heimdall with cooking,,, cute. so cute. Hermes teaches Heimdall Greek dishes and Heimdall teaches him Nordic dishes but Hermes usually just goes "this has no flavour" which in return makes Heimdall call him a slur of some kind in offense.

Heimdall showing off Gulltoppr being like "this is my great and loyal beast, he has never left my side for anyone, neither in life or death. he will never be loyal to anyone els-" camera turns to Hermes giving a purring Gully tummy rubs :3

unrelated (sorta) but i think Angrboda and Hermes would actually get along really well.

Hermes being the god of travel drags Heimdall around the 8 realms c o n s t a n t l y. Heimdall hates it, especially since Vanaheim would probably be Hermes' fav realm. but he usually plans a 'surprise' picnic so Heimdall isn't too upset about it :3

Hermes constantly throwing apples at Heimdall. infront of everyone. its funny. most people dont get why Heimdall turns completely red every single time.

if Kratos still has Hermes' boots like he did in the gow 2018 trailer and actually gives them back, Hermes would probs lend them to Atreus occasionally for travelling like the good uncle he is. or as i like to say, buncle. Atreus' bug uncle c:

Hermes would definitely flirt with Heimdall constantly before they start dating just to annoy the living shit out of him which Atreus would find extremely entertaining but once these 2 fuckers start dating they turn their attention back to bullying Atreus. rip my man

Heimdall giving his bf bifrost legs. Hermes deserves bifrost legs. he'd look So Gay. not sure how that'd work but its canon now.

overall i just have many unhinged (normal) thoughts about these 2, too many to put into words but this hopefully gets the point across c:

[pricemarshfield]

15 lines tag!

i was tagged by @gwynbleidd !! late because i Forgot so sorry jackie 😭 losing the fight against adhd lately

RULES: share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture their character/personality/vibe. Bonus points for just using dialogue without other details about the scene, but you’re free to include those as well.

i tag anyone who’d like to talk about their ocs, but also @wretcheddthing (🫵 excuse to write venali GO!!!) @atrueneutral (i love your tav and am so curious what lines you think would sum her up, if you wanna share) and @pouralaura (would love to see more from eris, if you like!)

as always, no pressure if you don’t want to, and under the cut to avoid spam :) this is a long post bc i write dialogue more in paragraphs than in lines sorry. chose tav, helena (personal problem bea), aphrodite (all things end bea), and leta for this! if the format is bad I Tried tumblr post editor was fighting me every step of the way

tav khoury (bg3, tempest cleric of talos/college of lore bard) because she’s my darling. tried to use mostly lines from upcoming wips but a fair portion from talk because that whole fic is just yapping (and also smut but like. they don't shut up)

"Trust me." "No, not at all. But perhaps I would be open to negotiating. Though I’m sure that option is closed, now, and I’m rather disinclined to part with my soul. I’m already fighting to keep my mind intact, if you recall." "Perhaps I’m less generous than you." "To your credit, you were a real challenge." "And you are far more committed to the pretty words than I’d have liked." "And with a devil, trust is far less useful than clearly defined terms." "I won’t squander an advantage for vengeance alone." "You misunderstand me. Something like this suits me far better than abject submission." "I won't beg, but I'll otherwise be the perfect damsel for you for the rest of the night. You can have my simpering submission, my perfect, obsequious obedience, knowing you'll have earned none of it." "Any use I could make of the thing would force me into a precarious situation, and I’d rather utilize the reputation of a savior than a tyrant. Also, Lae’zel may kill me if I don’t find a way to get that hammer in her hands, and as I’ve said, I’m not stupid enough to steal from you." "Don't flatter me. It won't work." "If you're going to try to manipulate me, at least do a better job than the fucking Emperor. Honestly, I expect more from you." "My goodness, are you sure? And here I thought making a bet with a devil in his own boudoir was the pinnacle of good behavior. Really, Haarlep, I..." "The limit of what I can bear? I can take anything you throw at me." "Tempestuous, really."

helena hughes (these are all from personal problem and p much all from the early chapters because i am lazyyy and because that fic is 200k. also hi if you cared enough to read under the cut i am actually working on the next chapter it's like 15k rn)

"Oh, what snacks do you want? I'll make sure Lexi doesn't melt into the seat like the Wicked Witch of Applied Anthropology." "I mean, you're not my professor." "Knew you wanted a piece of me." "Maybe a fantasy or two." "Please kiss me back." "No, I know, thinking back it's really dumb and honestly, kind of mean? No, not kind of. It's mean. But it seemed like a good idea? And it was really hot." "She feels...real, you know? Like, completely outside of all this drama with the rankings and The T and Poppy." "—that was mostly to mess with Poppy—" "Were you jealous?" "I get that we have to keep things secret, I get that it's risky, but I want this and you want this, so what's the issue?" "Hey, how about you let me tell you what I want? I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions." "No. Just letting you know that, uh, I win. So sorry, but you were barely even competition." "I'm sure you'd have me doing far more hands-on work." "Are we gonna actually have sex, or are you guys gonna just talk about my underwear all night?" "You're the one who's obsessed with me."

aphrodite hughes (a couple of these lines are tweaked versions of the in-game ones but i didn't include anything i didn't think was changed enough to justify putting in here and calling at least kind of mine. the first one only the zinger at the end but it's SOOO aphrodite i had to include it)

"Who died, your dignity? Or is this some sort of repentance outfit Mommy and Daddy are making you wear for humiliating them at the Year End Gala? Sorry. Not Daddy." "I get that everyone on this campus is thirsty for gossip, but she's not my type, even if I was dumb enough to get involved with a professor. But nope, y'all are just making something out of nothing! If Belvoire loves anything, it's rumors, right?" "Poptart, just 'cause you're obsessed with me doesn't mean I want anything to do with you. Like I told you last year, you're not my type." "As for...what did you call Selene here? A walking, talking Billabong ad? Look at how cute she is. I think you're just jealous." "I didn't mean to, like, pressure you. You're just so fucking pretty, I'm..." "Hey, she's my girlfriend, back off." "But I wasn't seeing her, and I was able to convince her when i explained how limiting my ability to take classes when Belvoire has so few professors related to my major. Only had to mention lawyers once, and voila!" "Everyone else in the class can be boring or dumb as hell, and I know you're neither." "Wow, suuuuuch a good line." "Your stepdad's, you mean, your dad is a preschool teacher. Funny you forgot to mention it! Plus, isn't Piers' studio the one recasting Tinsley in the F is for Friends sequel?" "To be honest, I mostly just thought you were hot and I love how much of a shit-stirrer you are." "Are you being rude? Wait, forget I asked, that's as pointless a question as are you breathing or are your roots still showing." "You know, I was thinking of you the whole time." "You realize that the only shot you have is to embarrass yourself more than you already have, bitch. I can't believe you're getting a new job just to chase after someone who doesn't even want you." "—this isn't a catfight, but I am happy to oblige—"

leta brereton (SHAKING with the effort of not providing context for these ones honestly, since i haven't actually posted much about her yet but i do love her so much)

"Look, I get that we're not in the best place we could be, but if you ever get mad at me for keeping a child from being murdered again, I'll kill you before the tadpole can. Understood?" "I'm not bluffing, I am being dead fucking serious" "I really can't think of a single world in which I say no to that. Or, uh, to anything you ask, wow." "Ugh. Your god's justice seems lacking. Or devil's wrath, whichever." "Wyll, does your contract say anything about if someone who isn't you kills her? Because I would be really fucking happy to." "Would you get off my case? Just 'cause I don't approve of child murder doesn't mean I'll turn down gold." "I keep you around because you're fucking good at what you do, dickhead. And you make me laugh, sometimes. Shouldn't have said that, you're gonna be so fucking annoying about it." "Oh, fuck yes, yeah, I'm down. Shadowheart can heal me if it goes bad. Uh, or Withers if it goes really bad." "Trust you? Trust you?! You're lucky I don't end you right now!" "Shut up, jackass, I don't have to like you to keep you safe. You're one of ours, I'm one of yours. Long as that's true, you've got my axe." "What's the use of a wizard if he can't figure out a spell for me to be able to kiss you? No, stop, Gale, I'm joking—" "Uh. Sorry? Are you hitting on me? Wow. I mean, it's fine, I'm flattered, but, uh...why?" "Don't tell anyone. I'll be fine in a minute. I just want some quiet." "Hey. Are you actually alright with this? I can tell her I chickened out if you're not." "I...fine, but only because you've been way nicer than I'd—oh."

[photogirl894]

"Sun and Rain Part 2: Age of the Empire"

Chapter 14

"Trust Issues"

A "Bad Batch" fanfic!

Pairing: Hunter x fem OC, Echo (more best friend pairing)

A/N: So this is where things with the story are gonna deviate just a little. First of all, I'm skipping episode 6 for reasons that do coincide with the story, but also I can't stand the Martez sisters and I just know my strong dislike would manifest itself into the story lol plus I couldn't think of anything involving Kimber that would change things enough, so I'm just bypassing it. Plus, after that, there's gonna be original mission shenanigans soon to ensue, so that's gonna be fun! 😁

Until then, enjoy this chapter! 💜

Taglist: @the-sad-batch , @nimata-beroya , @intrepidmare , @cole-kenxbi , @tech-aficionado , @ladykatakuri , @d1n0-dan , @sammi9498 , @darthzero22 , @scarlettrose9901 , @tech-deck , @thebadbatchscyare , @chxpsi , @ilikemymendarkandfictional , @4pplecider , @locitapurplepink , @l-lend , @nekotaetae , @eternalwaffle , @merkitty49 , @avathebestx

《 Chapter 13

》 Chapter 15

All chapters (Part 2) (Part 1)

Explanation: The Bad Batch get their promised info from Cid and call upon old friends to help them out.

Together, Hunter and Kimber made their way around to where they could hear Muchi roaring, Hunter holding tightly onto Kimber’s hand to help ease her discomfort and offer her a sense of security after what she’d just endured. They came around a corner to find Tech standing off to the side, watching Wrecker going at with Muchi and throwing punches.

“Kimber, you are all right,” said Tech upon seeing them, a touch of relief in his voice. After she nodded in reply, he stated, “That was a foolhardy and bold decision you made…yet I cannot discount the mettle you displayed in the face of the situation. That was indeed admirable.”

“Thanks, Tech,” Kimber replied.

Right then, they heard the sound of an engine approaching and saw Echo pulling up next to them on a speederbike with Omega sitting behind him, a Zygerrian energy bow on her arm. Omega jumped off first, wandering closer to where Wrecker and Muchi were brawling and getting curious about the fight.

As Echo dismounted the bike, Hunter called to him, gesturing to the slave collar still on Kimber’s neck, “Echo, get her out of this thing.”

Right away, Echo came over and started drilling into the back of the collar with his scomp. “Kim, what were you thinking back there? Have you forgotten the promise you made me about not making such reckless decisions with your life anymore?” he chided her as he worked the collar.

“Apparently, I about broke two promises,” she thought to herself. Then she said back, “I was more concerned with you boys getting freed. Omega needs her brothers and you can’t help her when you’re prisoners.”

“She needs you, too, and so do we,” he countered just as the collar came undone and he removed it from her neck, prompting her to face him as he did so. “Your intentions were good, but you promised you wouldn’t take unnecessary risks with your life like that again. I never want to see you willingly put yourself back into slavery, okay? We didn’t save you from captivity just for you to go back for any reason.”

She lowered her eyes guiltily.

Then he added, "Besides, did you really think he would've honored his word after he was done torturing you? He's a slaver and they don't give up what they deem their property for anything. Despite what you intended to happen, there's no way he would've given us up. Not even for you."

Kimber's eyes squeezed tightly shut and she inhaled sharply. Echo was right. How could she have overlooked that and thought her plan would work? It would've only made things worse, especially for Omega if all of them had been taken. Then she definitely would've never forgiven herself for what she'd done.

“I hadn't thought of that…I’m so sorry. Can you guys forgive me?” she asked, looking to Echo, Hunter and Tech.

“Of course, we can,” answered Echo, laying his hand on her shoulder.

“I thought that was obvious,” Tech added.

That brought a smile of relief to Kimber’s face.

Echo then looked at Wrecker, who was starting to falter and get slower in his punches with the Rancor, who was also getting tired. “How long’s he been at this?” Echo asked, turning back to Tech.

Tech simply answered, “Too long. He’s losing his touch.”

They all continued to watch as Wrecker and Muchi kept swinging and missing each other, both of them getting fatigued and tired from the fight. Finally, Muchi caved in first and collapsed to the ground shortly before Wrecker, who fell on top of the Rancor.

“Go to sleep…there we go,” Wrecker groaned, patting the Rancor who was drifting off to sleep.

“Aw, she’s kind of cute up close,” Omega pointed out.

Kimber chuckled. “If you say so,” she commented.

"Nicely handled, Wrecker," Hunter praised him, who just gave the Sergeant a tired thumbs up in return.

"All right, the real question now is: how are we going to get a sleeping Rancor back to Cid's?” Kimber then asked.

Tapping things out on his datapad, Tech suggested, “We could get her back into her cage and then secure it magnetically to the underside of our ship.”

“She’s asleep. How are we supposed to put her back into her cage?” asked Echo.

“We shall carry her, with Wrecker bearing the brunt of the weight,” answered Tech.

Wrecker groaned as he stood back up, “Oh goody….”

The task of getting Muchi into her cage and then secured to the Marauder was no easy task by any means, but the Bad Batch managed to do it nonetheless. Once the cargo was ready, they returned to Cid’s bar, where a male Twi’lek was waiting outside with some Gammorean guards to collect Muchi. He seemed pleased to see the Rancor, gave Cid a case with the payment and wasted no time in leaving with Muchi.

Once they were gone, Cid commented to the group, “Gotta say, fellas: I wasn’t sure you could pull this job off.”

“You could have told us we were going after a Rancor,” Echo chided her.

“Hmm…must’ve slipped my mind,” she casually answered. Then she pointed at Hunter. “You, dark and broody. My office.” Then she turned around and made her way towards the stairs to her parlor.

Hunter, while perplexed at what Cid had called him, gave a nod to the others.

Then they heard Cid call over her shoulder, “And bring the Missus with you!”

Kimber immediately felt all eyes on her. “Excuse me?” she thought.

“I think she means you,” Echo said to her, grinning from ear to ear and lightly elbowing her in the arm.

Now she felt even more conflicted at being nicknamed “the Missus”, especially since she and Hunter weren’t married yet. Cid must’ve assumed they were, for some reason. Nevertheless, she took Hunter’s hand and the two of them followed behind Cid to the parlor and then to her office in the back.

Cid pulled up on her holotable a hologram once again of the bounty hunter from Pantora and informed Hunter and Kimber, “Your bounty hunter is Fennec Shand. She's new to the scene but has already proven herself to be cunning and ruthless.”

“Who hired her?” Hunter asked, his eyes narrowing at the image.

“Unknown,” said Cid.

“Wasn’t that the entire point of this?” Kimber questioned her, irritated. “We did a job for you and you find out who hired the bounty hunter.”

Cid leered at her and snapped back, “Hey, if this information was easy to get, you wouldn’t need me in the first place, Dollface.”

Kimber just glared at the Trandoshan and Hunter gave Kimber a look that warned her to be careful.

Then Cid went on, “Now, before I was so rudely interrupted, my sources in the Guild say she's working on a direct commission. With someone like her nipping at your heels, you're going to need two things: friends and money. Mostly money.”

“Well, we're not swimming in either at the moment,” Hunter responded.

“I guess it's a good thing ya met me then, isn't it?” said Cid.

When Cid turned her back to pick up the case she’d gotten from the Twi’lek, Kimber whispered to Hunter, “We have the Koriena Force. Maybe they can help us.”

“We’ll comm them when we get back to the ship,” he said quietly back.

Cid put the case up onto her desk and opened it, revealing it to be full of credits. “Here's your cut. There's more where that came from... if you're looking for work,” she offered them.

Hunter stole a look at Kimber first and then simply replied, “I'll think about it.”

The two of them turned to leave the room, but then stopped when they heard Cid speak cunningly behind them, “It's interesting…a bounty hunter of Fennec's caliber being after you. You fellas must be pretty valuable.”

They exchanged apprehensive looks. Cid’s statement sounded on the verge of threatening and they both flipped back around, their eyes narrowing at Cid suspiciously.

However, Cid just gave them a conniving grin and said, “Don't worry. I'm good with secrets.”

Kimber, however, wasn’t convinced and she didn’t trust Cid at all, especially after her comment on how “valuable” they must be. With her eyes still carefully trained on Cid, she fired back, “You had better be…or else your parlor’s going to need a new proprietor.”

“No need to get your blacks in a twist. As long as you guys help bring in some good money, your secret’s safe with me,” Cid said.

“And what if we don’t?” inquired Kimber.

“Well…better hope we don’t find out, then,” Cid replied, sitting down at her desk. “Now get out, I’ve got things to do.”

Without hesitating, Kimber whipped around, her braid almost hitting Hunter, and stormed from the room, Hunter right on her heels. Once the door was shut and they were back out in the empty parlor, she stopped, turned to Hunter and stated in a hushed voice, “I do not trust her, Hunter. We got what we needed, let’s just leave and go elsewhere before she has the chance to sell us out. We can meet up with the Koriena Force somewhere and figure things out on our own, but we don’t need her.”

“I told her I would think about it,” Hunter said.

“What’s there to think about?” she asked back. “She basically insinuated she’d sell us out for money without outright saying it and she’s going to hold our secret over our heads to get what she wants from us. People like that can’t be trusted.”

“We don’t have much of a choice right now, love,” he replied.

She stepped closer to him. “Yes, we do. We can find someone else. The girls may even have connections.”

“Their connections would be just as questionable,” he refuted. He brought his hands up to her arms and softly caressed them. “I understand your suspicion, I do…but we’re in a bind right now and we’re going to have to make hard choices.”

“But at what cost? Our own safety? Omega’s safety?”

“Kimber, listen to me.” Hunter gripped her shoulders a little tighter. “You know I would never endanger my squad like that. I want to run this option by the boys first before making a final decision. If they feel it’s what we should do, then that’ll be it.”

Kimber’s expression hardened. “What about me? What about what I think?” she questioned.

“You’ve made it pretty clear what you think,” he said, “but I still want input from the others and we’ll see what the majority rules.”

She wanted to say more, but just felt too fatigued and defeated to find the right words, so instead she just exhaled loudly and put a hand up to her forehead.

Then she felt Hunter’s hand smooth her hair on her head and he said to her, “We don’t have to worry about this now. You went through a lot today. Let’s get back to the ship so you can rest and I’ll reach out to the girls to see if they can come help us.”

In reply, she just tiredly nodded.

He pulled her into his arms and her head fell into the crook of his neck, her body slumping against him. “I’m not discounting your opinion, you know,” he said softly. “I care very much what you think, sweetheart. You know that.”

“I know, darling,” she sighed. “I’m just afraid of this drastic of a change and what it might mean for us.”

“Do you remember what I said to you when we left Saleucami?” he went on to ask her. “As long as I’m by your side and you're at mine, we can weather any storm together. I believe that…do you?”

She raised her head to meet his gaze. “You know I do.”

“Then there’s no need to be afraid,” he reassured her, running his hand along her cheek, his loving gaze filling her with the sense of calm she needed before he kissed her sweetly on the lips.

The moment, however, was then broken by the sound of Cid’s voice crying out, “For crying out loud, in the middle of my parlor? Really?”

Hunter and Kimber came apart, flinching slightly in surprise, and Kimber responded, “There’s no one even in here!”

“I’m in here,” Cid retaliated. “Now go smooch somewhere else.”

Kimber groaned with exasperation and Hunter just rolled his eyes as the two of them turned away and made their way out of the parlor and back outside. They first relayed the information Cid had given them about Fennec Shand and then they all walked back to the ship, needing some rest. Hunter stayed with Kimber until she was fast asleep and then asked Echo to keep his eyes and ears open in case she started having nightmares while he went to call the girls, which Echo gladly obliged to. Hunter took the encrypted comm Kimber had, went outside, put in Rina’s frequency and waited for her to answer.

It didn’t take long for Rina’s holographic form to appear. “Hey there, boss la--oh! Well, you weren’t who I was expecting, Sarge,” she greeted him.

“Sorry to disappoint you,” he replied.

“I’d make a comment about seeing your pretty face, but I’m pretty sure Boss Lady would skin me if I did,” she said back, eliciting a snicker from Hunter. “Where is she, by the way? She okay?”

“Kimber’s fine. She’s just resting right now, but she wanted me to reach out to you,” he told her.

“Mmm figured you were calling on her behalf and not just for a friendly chat.” Rina lifted her vape mod up to her mouth for a second and then went on to ask, “Well, to what do I owe the pleasure of a call from you, lover boy?”

Hunter shook his head slightly at hearing her nickname for him again, but then proceeded to inform her about Fennec Shand. “Our contact says, with someone like her after us, we need friends and money,” he explained.

“And for which reason are you calling me?” asked Rina, flourishing her mod.

He half-smirked and responded, “Friends, of course.”

“Hey, for all I know, you could be asking for money. Doesn’t hurt to check,” she said back. “Where did you guys land?”

“Ord Mantell.”

“Yeah, that’s about as seedy as they come. If your contact is telling you ‘friends and money’, I’d imagine she’s in some shady business, especially on Ord Mantell. Sadly, any contacts we’ve got won’t be any better and much less reliable, especially for money. If you’ve got this one offering you a chance to make money, I would suggest you take it. It’s better than nothing, even if it is questionable.”

“I’m going to run the option by everyone. We don’t have very many people we can rely on, but you ladies are the few we can. Anyone else, we don’t know where they are. Will you help us?”

Rina took another inhale of sweetblossom, her arms folded and a contemplative look on her face. “To tell you the truth, Sarge, we’re gonna need some help, too,” she relayed to him, “so maybe we can all help each other.”

That concerned him to hear. “What happened?” he asked.

“Some things went down on Pantora shortly after you guys split,” she said. “We were having to hide from the police after chasing that bounty hunter and then more Empire troops showed up. Things got…pretty ugly.” Her voice sounded on the verge of sad as she said the last sentence and her gaze averted to the ground.

Something about that didn’t sit well with Hunter. Something seemed off about her, he could somehow sense it. Now even more concerned, he inquired of her, “Rina…is everything okay? Did something else happen?”

She blinked, lifted her head and was back in better spirits as she answered, “Well, we’re not dead. That’s the important thing. To sum up, we weren’t safe and didn’t want to stick around, so we’ve just been drifting since then.” She inhaled on her mod one more time. “If you guys are in a bind, then we’ll help you, Sarge. I’m sure the girls won’t have any objections. It’ll take us a day or two to get to Ord Mantell, but we’ll be there. Tell the boss lady her Koriena ladies are coming.”

With a pleased grin, he responded, “I knew we could count on you. I’ll send you our coordinates.”

“Catch you soon, Sarge,” she said back, giving him a salute, before the hologram disappeared.

A couple days had passed and Kimber found that her condition since suffering a slew of shocks and whippings was actually getting worse. The day after, she’d been a bit sore and felt she just needed to relax while the Batch took time to figure things out and discuss working for Cid, but by the second day, her pain hadn’t lessened. If anything, she almost felt worse. Having acclimated to not being whipped and tortured like she used to, the consequences of it felt pretty painful and it seemed to last longer than she thought. It seemed what she’d suffered at the hands of the Zygerrians took more of a toll on her than she thought and she wondered if she’d be able to handle another mission right away. It was times like these that reminded her that her physical endurance and pain tolerance was different than the Clones’ because they all were completely fine.

She woke up that second day, feeling miserable, and found that she was alone. Hunter wasn’t in the room and instead, she found a datapad on the side where he usually slept. Sleepily, she picked it up, rubbed at her eyes so she could see what was on it and saw there was a note typed out on the screen.

I didn’t want to wake you and, after how difficult things were for you yesterday, I thought I’d give you the chance to rest as much as possible. When you wake up, we’re back at Cid’s. Omega wanted to try out her new bow. I’m sure she’d love for you to come watch.

Counting down the seconds until I see you.

H

Kimber smiled to herself, realizing it had been a while since Hunter had said that last phrase to her. He really was such a romantic. Unfortunately, it was a bit painful even getting out of the bed and she had a feeling it was going to be quite a trek for her over to Cid’s. Feeling the way she did, she knew getting her armor on was going to be a chore and it probably wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing it. For the time being, she was just going to put on some civvie clothes that were more comfortable and simpler to wear, so she slipped on the red and dark gray dress Hunter had gotten her on Kuat and the leggings that came with it. Once she was dressed and her hair re-braided, she made her way back to Cid’s.

She walked in just in time to get narrowly missed by an energy arrow in the doorway, which startled her. She saw the wide-eyed looks of Omega and the boys all looking her way just as the arrow made contact with the wall next to the door.

“Sorry!” Omega cried out.

“Goodness, if I wasn’t awake already, I certainly am now,” Kimber commented through a nervous chuckle.

As she made her way into the parlor, she noticed there was a makeshift target on the other side of the room that Omega was shooting at as well as several holes in the wall around it while there were only a couple on the actual target. It seemed like target practice was going…interestingly. Echo was standing behind Omega, instructing her on how to use the bow, while Hunter, Wrecker and Tech watched.

She walked past Wrecker, who was sitting atop a holotable, as well as the Weequay and Ithorian--whose names they’d found out were Bolo and Ketch--who were enjoying watching and taunting Omega. They paid her no mind, but Wrecker gave her a pat on the back and a smile as she walked by him. Then she moved next to Hunter who immediately put his arm around her shoulders.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, giving her a gentle squeeze.

She groaned, “In a lot of pain, actually.”

“Still? Aw, man,” said Wrecker.

Right at that moment, Omega fired her bow and the shot landed just to the right of the bullseye, hitting the target. She was excited and cheered that she’d made the hit.

“Well done, Omega,” said Kimber, putting on a smile for the kid.

That made Omega’s eyes light up even more, but then Echo told her to fire again. “But I’ve already hit the target three times,” she argued.

“Out of twelve,” Echo corrected her. “That’s luck, Omega, not skill. Soldiers need to be consistent.”

She then proceeded to take two more shots, missing widely each time. One of the shots even went so sideways, it hit one of the holotables. Bolo and Ketch were still taunting her and taking bets on whether or not she’d hit the target, which irritated her a lot. Echo tried his best to reassure her, but it wasn’t really working.

“Not exactly a natural, is she?” commented Wrecker to Hunter, who just shrugged indifferently.

Right after that, however, Cid came in and declared she wanted to talk business, shooing Bolo and Ketch out of the parlor in the process. First, she asked if the Clones knew what a tactical Droid was and Tech tried superseding her explanation, despite the fact everyone else indicated they knew what she was talking about. Though, she hushed his explanation, calling him “Goggles” in the process. Then she shoved Wrecker off the holotable he was sitting on and pulled up a hologram first of a tactical Droid and then a decommissioning facility that she said was on the planet, Corellia, saying she wanted them to get one of these Droids for her before they were all destroyed.

“We haven’t decided if we’re gonna work for you or not,” Hunter countered with.

“Allow me to decide for you. You’re in!” Cid declared.

Kimber’s hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides. “That’s not how this works,” she said to Cid, shooting her a glare.

“It is when you’re in my house, Dollface,” Cid shot back. Then she looked to Hunter as well as the others, telling them, “I'm talking a mutually beneficial arrangement. You make money, I make money, and I watch your back. With the heat on you, it's the best option you've got.”

Still suspicious of the Trandoshan, Kimber cast a look to Hunter, silently showing him she didn’t like the idea. The others, however, just appeared indifferent.

Hunter released a sigh and said back, “I guess we’re in.”

Kimber had to grit her teeth together to keep from saying something. She didn’t feel good about their arrangement at all, but it seemed Hunter had made up his mind, despite it really being forced by Cid.

“I know you’re in. I just told you you’re in,” said Cid, only making Kimber even more irritated.

Seeing her getting agitated, Hunter gently pulled her aside away from the others and he said quietly to her, “Look, sweetheart, I know you’re not happy about this.”

“You’re right, I’m not,” she snapped. “This is a bad idea.”

“Cid is right: she’s the best option we’ve got and we might not find anything else this easily,” he argued.

“We won’t know unless we try,” she said.

“Kimber, even Rina told me this is the best move,” he reminded her. “Any contacts she or the girls would have would be less reliable than what we need.” He held her arms gingerly and told her, “I know you don’t trust Cid; believe me, I really don’t either…but trust me, all right? This wasn’t a choice I made lightly.”

She sighed loudly in defeat, knowing him asking her to trust him got her every time. “All right,” she conceded.

He rubbed her arms consolingly. “On that same subject, I think you should sit this mission out,” he stated.

“What?” she asked, taken aback.

All of a sudden, Tech appeared beside them, having heard the last thing Hunter said and declared, “Hunter is right, Kimber. Your physical state is still not at peak condition, given what you suffered at the hands of the slavers. If you go on this mission, you will not regain the strength you need to get better and you run the risk of potentially compromising the mission.”

Kimber wanted to argue, but she also knew immediately that Tech and Hunter were right. She was in too much pain to properly function on any mission right now. Even though she hated the idea of the boys going off without her and being separated from them, she knew it was for the best.

“You’re right. I’ll stay,” she said, not attempting to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Just then, her commlink beeped and she heard a familiar female voice come through, “The Koriena Force is approaching Ord Mantell…and by the way, we got a new ride. You’ll know it when you see it. We’d better see you guys at the spaceport, boss lady.”

Taking out her comm, she replied with a pleased smile, “Well, the boys are heading out on a mission, so you’ll get to see them briefly before they take off. We’ll see you soon.” Then she announced to everyone else, “The girls are almost here!”

“Oh yeah! Let’s go!” exclaimed Wrecker, pumping his fist as he almost skipped over to the door. Of everyone there, he was the most excited for the girls to arrive, to no one’s surprise.

The others followed after him, but Hunter and Kimber lingered behind for a moment. “I’m sorry,” Hunter said.

Kimber shook her head. “No, I understand and you’re both right. I’m in no condition to go with you.”

He laid a hand on her shoulder. “At least the girls are here now. That should help keep you occupied.”

“I’m sure,” she replied.

“Hey, dark and broody! Will you and the Missus get a move on already?” cried out Cid from behind the bar.

They both rolled their eyes in annoyance at Cid’s pushiness and left the bar, jogging to catch up with the rest of the squad.

A few minutes passed after the Batch all made it to the spaceport when they saw a ship entering the atmosphere and they were astonished to see a shiny, platinum-colored starship come flying in towards the spaceport.

“If that’s them…they completely missed the point of ‘lying low’,” Echo commented.

Tech tapped some things out on his datapad and then stated aloud, “That is an H-type Nubian yacht, a leisure transport.”

“Hmm curious,” Hunter muttered.

Sure enough, the Nubian starship landed in a port nearby and when they moved closer, they saw the ramp to the ship open up and Rina was standing inside along with Irys.

Upon seeing Kimber, Rina called out, “Told you you hadn’t seen the last of us, boss lady!”

A smile immediately overtook Kimber’s whole expression as the two ladies descended the ramp. “I never doubted you for a second,” she replied, grasping Rina’s outstretched hand.

Right after that, Rina was suddenly swept up off the ground by Wrecker, making her cry out in surprise, and spun in a circle. “Welcome back, Rina!” he exclaimed.

As he set her back down on the ground, Rina grinned and said in return, “Boy, am I glad to see you, Wrecker.”

Irys gave a nod to the other Clones. “A pleasure seeing you all again,” she said. Then she smirked at Tech and added, knowing it was going to get under his skin, “Especially you, hotshot.”

He grimaced slightly. “I wish I could say the feeling was mutual,” he grumbled.

“Where’s Kida and Lex?” Kimber asked.

“Lex is finishing something,” answered Irys.

Then Rina added, “Kida is getting the smol, so she should be out any moment.”

“Smol?” Hunter repeated, confused.

Before anyone could answer, they heard Kida’s voice cry out from inside the ship, “I heard my name, you better not wear it out!”

Then Kimber saw her coming down with little Kori swaddled up in a wrap that she wore around her torso. The fun contrast about her was the fact that she was wearing a leather combat suit underneath the baby wrap and had blasters holstered on her hips. Clearly, being a mother wasn’t going to stop her from being a fighter.

“That’s quite a look for you, Kida. I like it,” Kimber complimented her.

“You know me: everything I do, I do in style,” she said, flourishing her hand.

“Hence why you have one of the shiniest ships in the galaxy, apparently,” Kimber commented.

Kida looked back at the ship and grinned. “Yeah, my dad bought this ship from some higher-ups on Naboo years ago. We had to steal it so we could escape Pantora, so he’s probably going to be mad, but I don’t care.”

“It’s our ship now,” Irys put in.

“My family called it the Paramount, but we felt that didn’t fit for us,” Kida explained, “so we’ve re-christened it the Aurora.”

Rina chuckled and added a bit sarcastically, “Because we’re such a bright and colorful group.”

“I love it. It’s perfect,” Kimber replied proudly. She then looked down at the little baby nestled up against Kida’s chest, his golden-brown eyes looking up at her with curiosity. “Hello again, little one,” she said, caressing the blonde fuzz on his head as light as a feather.

When she turned to look at the Clones, she had to suppress a laugh at the looks of absolute stunned shock she saw on their faces, their widened eyes looking like they were about to pop from their sockets.

“Um…why does Kida have a baby?” inquired Wrecker.

Nonchalantly, Kida answered with a grin, “This is my son.”

“Your son?” Echo repeated in astonishment.

Omega eagerly ran up right away and to get a peek at the baby and Tech immediately went to typing things out on his datapad.

Rina stepped up and proclaimed, “Don’t worry, guys. Unless you’ve seen Kida naked, the smol’s not yours to worry about.” Then she gestured to the other women and said, “We don’t count either.”

The Clones all furrowed their brows in confusion.

“What? We live together. It happens,” Rina simply said with a shrug. “You’re all brothers. Haven’t you guys seen each other naked?”

Immediately, the others all looked incredibly awkward and refused to look at each other. Kimber once again had to put a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at how timid the boys were at Rina’s question.

“Well…guess Clones do things differently,” Rina commented.

Hunter was the first of the boys to step forward to see the baby and Kimber noticed his eyes subtly light up at seeing him, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “What’s his name?” he asked Kida.

“Kori. From the word ‘Koriena’,” she told him.

His expression softened hearing the meaning behind the child’s name. “A very strong and fitting name,” he said.

Then Tech spoke up, “Kida, if I may inquire: how old is the child?”

She took a second to think before answering, “A few weeks…almost a month old.”

“And you carried him to full term?” he then asked.

“Yes…,” she replied, wondering where he was going with these questions.

He tapped one last thing on his datapad before declaring with certainty, “Just as I suspected. I know who the boy’s father is.”

Everyone’s heads whipped around in his direction, perplexed. Kida simply folded her arms, interested to see if Tech would correctly deduce the answer, and Kimber was just as curious.

“How could you possibly know that, Tech?” Hunter asked.

Returning his attention to his datapad, Tech explained, “If my calculations are correct, with the child being born nearly a month ago and having been carried the full gestation period of nine months, that would place his conception ten months prior…around the time when we were rescued by the Eradicators.” Then his astute eyes returned to Kida. “And during that timeframe, there was only one male who was ever with Kida alone whose phenotypes are already clearly visible in the baby’s appearance.”

Echo was the first to pick up on Tech’s facts and he was almost struck dumb with shock.

“Rex…!” he gasped out, remembering he had asked Kimber after they had been rescued if there was anything between Kida and Rex after observing their behavior with each other. Then he took notice of the baby’s blonde hair and that confirmed everything. One of his closest brothers was the father of Kida’s child!

“Well, I thought it was obvious,” Tech responded, seeing Echo's astonishment.

The others all turned and looked wide-eyed at Kida, waiting for her to confirm or deny Tech's hypothesis.

She smirked deviously, lifting up a hand and placing a fingertip on her chin. “You certainly live up to your reputation as the exceptionally-minded one, Tech. You’re right,” she confirmed.

“It really is Rex?” Hunter questioned.

“Yes,” she said, “and he doesn’t know yet.”

Then Wrecker, after standing there dumbfounded and speechless, finally spoke, “Wait…so Rex has seen you naked?”

Just as everyone began to realize he didn’t quite understand, Omega only made things worse by saying, “But what does that have to do with the baby? Aren’t all babies grown in tubes?”

Everyone all groaned sheepishly, wondering how they were going to get through this awkward situation.

Irys put a hand to her forehead and muttered, “I forgot she grew up on Kamino.”

Rina leaned over and whispered to Kimber, “You wanna take the lead on this one, boss lady?”

“Not really,” Kimber replied nervously, even though she knew someone had to do it. She stepped forward and went on to say, “Omega, Wrecker…regular humanoid children are created differently than Clones are.”

“They’re made by just seeing someone naked?” Omega inquired, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

Then Wrecker asked along with her, “It’s that easy?”

“N--no, it’s uh…more than that,” said Kimber, scrambling to find the words to help them understand, even though she was desperately not wanting to have this conversation at the moment.

Then Hunter stepped in and said, “A woman isn’t going to get pregnant because you see her naked.”

With a slight amused snicker, Echo then folded his arms across his chest and made the comment, “If that were the case, we would’ve needed a bigger ship by now.”

In response to that, knowing exactly what Echo was implying, a strangled cry emitted from Hunter’s throat that he tried to stifle and Kimber pursed her lips and cast Echo a threatening look that said “I’m going to kill you!”

“Wait, what does that mean?” Wrecker questioned.

To speed things along, Kimber just stated, “Hunter will explain it to you on the way to Corellia, won’t you, darling?” As he stuttered in reply, flabbergasted at her throwing the heat on him, she immediately went on, gesturing towards the Marauder, “Speaking of which, you guys should be going right now, so you’d best be on your way before Cid finds out you’re still here.”

As Echo and Tech simply gave waves to the three Koriena Force ladies, Echo happened to look up at the ship and saw Lex was actually standing at the top of the ramp, leaning up against the wall inside and twirling her vibroblade in her hand, much like what Hunter did on occasion. She was in her usual red tank top, leather corset, black trousers and boots, but he noticed that she now had a full arm glove on her left arm. It was a curious fashion choice, but he thought it was intriguing. Her eyes caught his for a moment and she ceased playing with her knife. There was no emotion in her face; it was just a simple stare as if she was trying to read him for some reason. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, wondering if something was wrong. However, a few seconds later, she just raised up two fingers and gave him a salute. Brushing that off as nothing, Echo returned the gesture with a nod and proceeded to follow Tech towards the ship.

Wrecker directed his attention to Rina, waved at her and said, “I’ll see you later, Rina!”

Rina called back, “At least this time, I’ll be here when you get back.”

“I know! I’m excited!” he shouted over his shoulder, making Rina blush.

Hunter sauntered over to Kimber, a faint displeased look on his face mixed with a devious smirk. “You owe me big time for this, sweetheart,” he said, pointing a finger at her.

She chuckled, knowing he was referring to the earlier topic. “Sorry about that,” she said as he approached. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He placed his hands on her arms and she laid her hands on his chestpiece. “Please be careful.”

“We will,” he said.

“I just…I don’t like the thought of you boys going on a mission without me,” she admitted sadly. “What if something happens to you that could’ve been prevented had I been there? What if something happens to Omega?”

He lessened the distance between them, bringing her close to him and touching his forehead to hers comfortingly. “Don’t think like that, love,” he assured her. “We’ll be okay. Worrying won’t make you feel any better.”

“I know,” she replied, leaning into him a little more. “I can’t help but worry over you just as you worry over me. That and it’s been a long time since I sat out on a mission."

"You're gonna be okay. You've got the girls here now." He lightly nuzzled her. "I'll come back to you."

"You always do."

She leaned in and captured his lips in a sweet parting kiss, savoring the feel of his lips to carry with her through his absence.

After which, Hunter gave Kimber one last loving smile before turning away and jogging after the rest of the Bad Batch. Her hand came up to his credit necklace and clutched it tightly against her chest.

"You two are so dramatic," she heard the voice of Lex speak behind her. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Lex coming down the ramp to join her and the other girls, a smirk on her face.

"There you are, Lex!" she cried. Then she took notice of the full arm glove Lex was wearing. "That's new," she pointed out.

Lex side-eyed the glove and just shrugged. "A new fashion statement I'm trying out," she said.

"It looks good," said Kimber.

Rina muttered something under her breath and Kimber saw her turn away, lifting her mod up to her mouth. When Kimber watched her, it seemed like something was bothering Rina. Then she looked back at Lex and Lex, too, seemed off and irritated.

"Is everything okay?" Kimber asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Lex answered. "I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights."

"If that's true, then you should go rest," Kimber said to her. "We'll have plenty of time to catch up."

Lex simply nodded and obliged without any second thoughts, turning on her heel and going back up the ramp to the ship.

After she left, Rina stated, gesturing with her thumb at the ship, "Well, boss lady, come on up and we'll show you our new digs in the Aurora." Without waiting, she too proceeded up the ramp of the ship.

Waiting until Rina was out of earshot, Kimber asked Kida and Irys, "Are those two all right? They seem…different."

Irys answered her, "They've been fighting recently, to put it simply."

"I wouldn't bring it up to them, though," said Kida. "It's a bit of a touchy subject right now, but they'll be okay eventually."

Kimber didn't like that answer and it made her worried and concerned for her friends. She wanted to talk to Rina or Lex about what was going on with them and find a way to help them. Though, if Kida said they'd get things figured out eventually and not to say anything, then she just had to trust that things would all work themselves out.

Just then, Kori started to get a little fussy and squirmed in his wrap. Kida bent her head down and placed a kiss on top of his head.

"I think it's about time for this little guy to eat," Kida observed. "Let's go in and we can all take time to relax."

"I definitely could use that. My whole body is in a lot of pain, hence why I'm still here," said Kimber as they all made their way up into the ship.

Kida's head whipped over to her. "My dear, if you're hurting, I've got some things that can help. You leave your pain relief to me." Then she said to Irys, "Would you mind feeding Kori for me while I tend to our fearless leader?"

"As long as Rina is the one to put him down for his nap," Irys replied.

"I'll be sure to pass along the message," said Kida.

Kimber giggled to herself. It was good to have her Koriena Force back and it was going to be even better now that they were going to be on Ord Mantell for the foreseeable future.