#and little brother— even if his reasons are connected to his concern for the moon tribe—- refuses to allow him that | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

strong-with-the-sarcasm · 1 year ago

Text

part 11- a thousand candles burn into the night

"When the ashes start to rise and the moon falls from the sky and a thousand candles burn into the night. When the angels softly cry on the flames below the sky, would a thousand souls still pray for you and I?" -Day of the Dead by Hollywood Undead

Masterlist Part 10

Just like the summer air began to cool into autumn winds, Jasmine and Jason began with a heated tension between them that dwindled into a slow simmer of what neither of them wanted to jinx by calling it love.

Both were aware of how unnatural their connection was, how quick one was able to trust the other with simple thoughts that roll off the tongue- Jazz’s favorite tea, Jason’s favorite book, her younger siblings, his many brothers. It was obvious that Jason held some lingering anger towards those he called family, but it was an old wound, infected yet healing. When it came to more in-depth questions about Jazz’s siblings, Danny and Ellie, there was a sad tinge to the affection. Jazz missed Ellie with every fiber of her being, but her little sister was free as her heart desired.

Jason spoke at length about his own, eventually admitting his anger issues that had led him to attempted murder on one of the younger boys, Tim, that he deeply regretted.

Jazz had only to listen, because who else could understand the deeply rooted rage that came with betrayal?

One slash, two, three

Blood is on your hands already.

Fourth, fifth slash

Ask the ghosts if honor matters, buried amongst the ash.

Slash six, seven

Sharpen your love into a weapon

They went out on several dates, each one special and lovely, but Jazz’s favorite was being wrapped in familiar arms as they watched Pride and Prejudice on Jason’s couch. It was a comfortable warmth that lulled the redhead into a deep sleep, the best she had gotten in a long time.

Jazz was the first to wake, lying on Jason’s firm chest and ear pressed firmly to where she could hear a faint purr from his Proto-Core, she felt no compulsion to move even though there were things she had to do as Regent and as Jasmine.

She had to talk to Frostbite, because she needed to understand why she was so connected to Jason. It frightened Jazz, to have her emotions so sharpened towards someone she hadn’t known for very long.

(She was in love.)

Her own Proto-core purred in tandem with Jason’s, happiness bubbling up in her chest. This was a peace she never wanted to let go, regardless of the reason why the two of them were brought and bound together.

Jason was in love.

There was zero doubt in his head or heart that he was fully committed to his darling Jazz, the beautiful woman who understood him in ways no one ever had. With her, the pit remnants were calm and he was happy.

Happy.

Sheer happiness was in his grasp, in his arms and resting on his chest as she slept. Her long hair smelled like strawberries and he never wanted to leave.

Yet, bat-trained paranoia reared its ugly head in moments like these.

Jasmine Nightingale was, by all accounts, a civilian with a trust fund who cared for her younger brother. No other records were found that could tie either Jazz or Danny to crime, but Jason didn’t want to see them if they existed anyway. He hadn’t even met Danny yet and the kid, despite being prime adoption bait, was already one of Jason’s favorite people. He made Jazz proud with his intelligence and good-natured attitude, so Jason would do his best to form a good relationship with the kid.

He guessed he should be more concerned with how quickly he fell for his darling, but he wasn’t. It felt right. It felt safe. Like he could trust Jazz with every thought, every dream, every hope, every nightmare and she wouldn’t run away. He wanted her, plain and simple.

Thankfully Jazz was more or less on the same page as him.

She never had to say a word about how she felt for him, it was obvious in the way she would gravitate towards him, want to be around him, talk to him, simply be with Jason. How honored he felt to be gifted such attention by Jazz.

He didn’t know how to tell her about Red Hood though.

The Nightingales lived outside Crime Alley’s borders, in a shitty neighborhood of Gotham recently claimed by two new vigilantes- Phantom and Regent.

Jason tried to shove back the horrifying images of a vivisectied Phantom, screaming, sobbing and whimpering, but he would ever be able to forget.

The video of Regent killing the Fentons was glitched, but cross referenced with the Ghost Files, it was obvious the Regent of Now and Then were the same woman…entity that saved Phantom, no, avenged the ghost kid.

The fact that the Fentons death prevented a war was karmic justice, in his humble opinion.

Yet, there was something familiar about the Regent. Something that called to him on a baser level… as if he knew the entity behind the helmet.

But that was ridiculous…right?

Right?

Jazz was going to kill him all the way this time, Danny bemoaned while in flight. He really stuck his foot in it this time and yikes, he really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut.

He just had to go behind Jazz’s back and give the Ghost Files to Batman instead of Superman or Constantine. Big and blue wasn’t available when Danny found an opportunity and for shame if he wasted it! Sad trench coat man being there was really just a bonus, honestly.

With the Acts getting the League’s attention, it was time for a desperate move on the part of the GIW.

They infiltrated Gotham.

Danny had no idea how they had found a way past the border Lady Gotham kept a tight leash on, but the agents were able to pick up his trail with a lucky break on their end. He had a haunt in Gotham, which meant his ecto-signature was strong in that area and weak in others. A glaring neon sign of where the Phantom often could be found.

But Danny would never give up his haunt again, not without a fight.

This haunt didn’t just belong to him, not like Amity had. This had become the home of the Nightingales, the Phantom and the Regent. They had shed blood to claim it and would shed more to keep it.

If it meant admitting to his mistake, then so be it, that’s where he would start.

“Bold of you to assume I thought that far ahead.” Was probably not the best response to Jazz’s irate question of ‘Did you even consider what Batman, Mr. Contingencies-out-the-ass and minion-acquisition-instead-of-therapy, would do with the files?’

Needless to say, Jazz wasn’t impressed.

She had been rather happier lately, with her boyfriend Jason constantly in her orbit, but responsibility still weighed on her.

(Danny’s fault, he was aware, but he still had so much growing up to do before he was ready for the crown.)

Getting the AEA demolished was sure to take some weight from her, even if it would be only the beginning of resolving the repercussions of the United States’ crimes against the Infinite Realms.

It would be years before it would be considered repaid, the blood shed and existences snuffed out. The deaths of the Dr. Fentons were only a consequence of their actions, not truly recompense for the torture they inflicted on the people of the Realms.

(Danny never told Jazz, but he knew they didn’t die when the portal was destroyed.)

(He knew his sister had killed their parents to save him.)

(He still didn’t know how to feel about that.)

Lady Gotham offered a sad croon as Phantom curled his form under a gargoyle’s wings, the heavy rain an ironic ambiance for his mood.

There was nothing he could do about the GIW in Gotham until they showed themselves and they were doing an unusually good job of keeping on the down low. If it hadn’t been for the frantic screeches of the friendly shades and a few blob ghosts cuddling him for comfort, he would have been caught off-guard by an attack. As long as he stayed out of his haunt for a while, let his signature be caught somewhere else, then Jazz would be able to defend their home until he could deal with the bastards.

He just needed to wait.

Jazz had been livid with him admitting his fuck up with the files and deeming the GIW’s presence his fault for claiming a Haunt. With a threat to hug him and make him talk about his feelings until he no longer believed such a lie, Jazz agreed to remain in their Haunt until he could draw some of their forces away. Lady Gotham’s ecto-siganture would be enough to scramble their trackers once further into her city and she would subtly lead her Knights to the agents when able.

It wasn’t much, but it would have to be enough.

Phantom curled his tail around his laid back form, mimicking a cat as he texted Sam and Tucker with updates. They had sworn to visit him during Summer Break, but the Halfa wasn’t holding his breath. Gotham wasn’t safe for them. It wasn’t safe for anyone and that’s coming from a kid who can punt a building into the sun at a moment’s notice.

Amity was (laughably) the best place for them.

Phantom wasn’t really paying attention, absentmindly petting a blob ghost that was cuddled into his side, when he was joined by none other than the Red Hood.

Badass armor and weapons aside, the Hood was an Antihero he admired. The avenged dead sung his praises for all who’d listen.

And… he was very familiar.

Red Hood possessed a Proto-core, one he’d sensed before in his own home….with Jazz.

It couldn’t be. There was no way the Fenton luck could be that wonky that his big sister was dating Red Hood of all people, Jason Todd when unmasked. She had to know right? There was no way Jazz could miss the Proto-core signature of the Once-Revenant they’d housed for a while. Was Jazz okay with Jason’s past? Sure, Red Hood didn’t kill much anymore, but he was still a crime lord who thought severed heads in a duffel bag was a great gift to leave on someone’s doorstep, like a particularly picky cat.

“Uh, hi?”

Hood crouched down, rain blocked by his huge body, water droplets dripping off his red helmet. The white lenses gave nothing away as the Anti-hero spoke, “Hey kid. You ok?”

(Danny was well aware of how gentle and caring Red Hood was towards kids.)

(He couldn’t wait to be an uncle.)

“I’m fine, dude. Just chilling.”

“Under a gargoyle in Gotham?” The disbeliving tone made Phantom snort in laughter, because wow not the scariest concept to a halfa.

“Hey, it was either this or the sewers. I wouldn’t be caught dead,” Phantom chuckled a bit at his joke. “Down there without hazmat gear and the Anti-Creep stick.”

Hood snorted, the sound stackity through the modulator, “Fair enough. Don’t get caught by the big bat, ok? He doesn’t like Metas in his city.”

“Oi, being dead is a meta-cal condition.”

“Ugh,” Hood groaned, “a punster. You’re not dead, kid.”

“‘Fraid I am, my good dude. Fourteen and fried alive, zero outta ten, would not recommend.”

“...You’re a ghost?”

“Right in one! Name’s Phantom.” the Halfa offered, seeing no point in correcting the Anti-hero.

“Red Hood.”

“Dude, I know. The shades sing your praises given half a chance.”

“Shades?”

Phantom shrugged, “The restless dead, unable to pass over without a lot of ectoplasm.”

Hood didn’t ask what ectoplasm was, which surprised the Halfa. Did Batman share the Ghost Files with Red Hood?

“You’re from Amity Park, right?”

Phantom cringed at the name of his former haunt, anger bubbling in his gut, “I died there. I haunt Gotham now.”

“....I’m sorry.” Even with the modulator, Hood sounded genuinely sad for Phantom.

(Batman definitely shared the Ghost Files with the Anti-Hero.)

“Are you alright here? Do you need help?”

Phantom shook his head, “The GIW invaded Gotham tracking my Ecto-signature, so I’m leading them away from my Haunt.” He raised an eyebrow, “You should be careful too. You’re a pretty strong liminal, but they’ll still try to capture you.”

“No, they won’t get me. Phantom, where’s your haunt?”

If Hood was anyone else, Phantom would keep his mouth shut. A Haunt is sacred, a home for a Fraid, it was not some measly address freely given. Yet, Red Hood was also Jason Todd, Once-Revenant Death-claimed Champion turned Proto-core Liminal dating his older sister. If Jazz trusted him enough to date him, then it was good enough for Phantom to offer him a place in his Fraid. (He really couldn’t wait to be an uncle.)

A/N: This was beta-read by @meditating-cat, thanks!

The little bit at the end there... foreshadowing, perhaps? Ooh... all those baby names I could give a Hardcover kid.

Perhaps, perhaps not. Who knows. I have the end of this series mostly planned out, but it could likely change.

Thanks for reading!

#dc x dp crossover #dp x dc #dp x dc au #dpxdc #jazz fenton #regent!jazz #jason todd #anger management ship #hardcover ship #I made myself squeal #They're just so CUTE #they're in love your honor #two dorks #two vigilantes #and only one knows the other is one #spoiler: not the one you'd think #In which Jason is kinda a sweetheart #He's in love with Jazz #she fell first he fell harder

179 notes · View notes

danceswithsporks · 7 months ago

Text

Awake-Part 4

Crosshair x f! Innkeeper

*Not canon to Season 3*

Parts 1 2 3

Chapter Summary: Crosshair begins to try and settle into life on Pabu while dealing with his feelings.

Authors Notes: It’s another long one folk! This one was tough for me to write for whatever reason. I think I hit a wall and I’m slowly getting over it. Think of it as a 60ft wall and I’m using two little daggers to climb over it because I can’t find a ladder. Does that make sense? Idfk. All I know is this took me longer than intended and I’m so sorry for that! I still hope you’ll enjoy this chapter! ♥️

Spotify Playlist has been updated with the new song!

Awake, he was fucking awake again. The entire inn was asleep and yet here he fucking was. Wide awake and lost in thought. Ever since he’d arrived on this island he’d barely slept. When he did sleep she wasn’t there anymore. Instead, she was replaced by those he’d lost like Mayday and Tech. They haunted his sleep. They berated him and reminded him of their deaths. Tortured him with the knowledge that they’d both died and he was in some way connected.

It had been a week since they’d returned to Pabu and Crosshair had scarcely left his room. In the last seven days, he’d left twice. Once, on their first day there to try and interact with the others, and then on day four to go with Hunter and Echo to check on Wrecker and the kid. He couldn’t even make it to their home before he turned back. He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t face the kid right now.

During his walk back to his room, he ran into you. You smiled at him and it made his heart beat fast. He still didn’t understand how you could be real. You used to run rampant in his dreams and then suddenly you’d stopped. Your voice, your laugh, and your eyes, it was all the same. How could this be possible? He still hadn’t mentioned to the others about his dream in fear they’d write him off as crazy. Deep down he knew they never would do that. But his mind kept telling him they could.

“Good evening, Crosshair.” You said sweetly to him as he walked by. The flowing sundress you wore blew in the breeze of your opened patio doors. “Will you join us for dinner tonight?” You looked hopefully at him.

He shook his head no as he neared the stairs. He felt horrible for not speaking to you. He’d dreamed about you so much before meeting you and now he couldn’t even face you. What would you think of him if you knew everything he’d done and what he’d gone through? Would you continue to be this nice?

You watched in silence. The way he was acting reminded you of how Stitches had acted after losing her parents. It had been months before she was back to normal. From what you’d heard from Stitches, Crosshair had made the call to the boys to warn them. Could he possibly blame himself for them leaving the safety of Pabu and the avoidable death of his brother? You sincerely hoped that wasn’t the case. That was a dark deep pit to be stuck in. It took you and many others months to get Stitches back to normal. Maybe you should reach out to him? Talk to him? The sound of the door opening drew your attention away from the clone and back to your business.

-*-

The second week came and went in a haze for Crosshair. He barely left his room and barely ate the food you brought up. He could hear his brothers in the hall talking to you on different occasions and the concern you felt for him was clear. It was only when he was sure everyone was out of the hall did he ever open his door for food. He wanted to leave his room, he did, but it was like there was a weight on him preventing him from doing so. It chained him to his room and anchored him to that space alone. Every time he attempted to leave his chest would get heavy.

One night at the beginning of the third week, when the moon was full and illuminated the island in a gentle glow, he found himself compelled to leave his room. He wasn’t sure why he was compelled to leave, he just was. He crept down the stairs quietly in hopes of not waking his slumbering brothers or you. To his surprise, you were already awake and sitting on the patio in one of the chairs overlooking your garden with the door wide open. A gentle breeze blew through the room carrying the scent of lavender and roses in the air. Crosshair inhaled slowly and let out a quiet sigh. He’d been stuck in his room for so long that he’d forgotten the smell of fresh sea air. It reminded him of Kamino. He, surprisingly, missed the water planet.

He stepped towards the patio door and the floor creaked beneath his feet. You turned in your seat and smiled softly at him.

“Crosshair, I was wondering when I’d see you again.” Your voice was gentle like the ocean air. You didn’t stand from your seat but simply looked over your shoulder at the mysterious clone. You’d briefly seen his hands poke out from his room to grab a tray of food before the door would shut again. You could hear him moving around from the first floor and you’d heard him cry out a few nights prior.

He didn’t say anything to you as he stepped out onto the patio. A cup of tea sat on the table in front of you with steam swirling from it. You motioned to a chair near you and after a moment of hesitation, he sat down.

“Here.” You whispered. “I’ll go make another cup. Don’t worry, I haven’t drunk from it.” Carefully the cup was passed to him before you stood and went back inside.

Crosshair hadn’t expected you to give him your drink. He hadn’t expected anything from you, he didn’t deserve anything from you. Not after the things he’d done. His hand wrapped around the cup and the warmth from the drink spread across his body making goose flesh scatter his skin. Behind him, the sound of you in the kitchen could be heard. The clink of another mug being placed on the counter, a cabinet opening, the clang of the kettle on the stove, and the sound of a metal spoon stirring in the mug. It all rang out in the silent night air to his ears. After a few minutes, you returned with a happy hum and sat back in your chair.

A silence hung in the air between the two of you as you both stared at the night sky. Every few moments Crosshair would shift in his seat or take a drink of the tea. A cool night breeze danced through the air and against your skin making you shiver. “Should have brought my sweater.” You joked lightly before moving to go inside and grab a blanket. Instead, Crosshair stood and motioned for you to stay in your seat. He moved inside quickly and after a minute returned with a blanket. “Oh, thank you, Crosshair.” You spoke gently as he laid the blanket around your shoulders. You watched as he returned to his seat and the two of you fell back into your silence.

An hour later you finally let out a long sigh and broke the silence. “I should get inside and get some sleep before I have to make breakfast.”

Oh, you were leaving already? He was kind of enjoying this quiet time. He watched as you stood from the table with the blanket still around your shoulders. Words seemed to fail him as you stood in the glow of the moonlight in your pajama shorts and tank top.

Grabbing your empty mug of tea, you began to head inside before stopping in the doorway. “You should take a walk down to the docks. There’s a sea wall you can sit on and just breathe in the crisp sea air. It might help you clear your mind.”

“How do you know I need to clear my mind?” Crosshair stood from his chair.

“My apartment is below your room.” You pointed over your shoulder. “I hear you moving around at night. You have trouble sleeping, don’t you?” Reaching up, you pulled the blanket tighter around your shoulders as you tried to fight off the chill of the night air.

“I” he hesitated. You were right, he was having trouble sleeping.

“Take the walk, Crosshair. When you get back you can take a long shower and I’ll have breakfast ready for you.” You passed him a sweet smile before turning and heading inside, not giving him the chance to argue. A plan was forming in your head.

He watched you place the blanket on the back of the couch in the living area before disappearing into the apartment behind the door marked ‘Private’. A shower and breakfast? Did he smell that bad? He gave himself a sniff and frowned, it had been a few days since he’d last showered.

Crosshair looked out at the vast star-filled sky and chewed his lip. Perhaps you were right, a long walk in fresh air might do him some good. No doubt the shower later would help as well. Grabbing the same blanket you had used, he wrapped it around his shoulders and headed out the front door.

You stood watching from your balcony as the quiet clone began the descent down the island. It would take him some time to reach the docks at the speed he was walking. But perhaps that was a good thing. You’d never gone through a big tragedy like they had. Your life on Pabu had been perfect. Two parents who loved you fiercely, grandparents who adored you, and an inn that, before the empire had taken over, had been doing great.

Your mother had passed from sickness a few years prior and your father soon after from, what the doctor had called a broken heart. It was sad and you’d cried your eyes out for nearly a month. But you knew people like Stitches had had it harder. Your grandparents took over raising you but then they passed the year before, your grandmother in spring and your grandfather in winter, and thus you were on your own. It wasn’t some tragic tale of loss and heartbreak. You hadn’t been traumatized from any of it. In short, your life had indeed been close to perfect as perfect could be. The only bad times you could think of where you truly were upset would have to be the bad breakups you’d had over the years. That was to be expected when you dated customers.

With a sigh, you thought about your family. You’d been sad when your parents passed, that much was true. But your grandmother had always told you to take walks and let the sea air calm you. It worked too. Perhaps it was one of those old wives' tales mixed with a placebo effect. But you believed in it and hopefully so would Crosshair. If your grandmother was still alive she would have dragged him from his room on the third day and forced him to eat a big bowl of her homemade lentil soup. He probably would have outwardly hated it, but it would have warmed his soul and no doubt it would have helped him. You’d once tried to make the soup in hopes of honoring your grandmother, but it didn’t taste anything close to hers. You hadn’t tried to make it since then. Maybe you should, perhaps the boys would like it.

They were still your only customers, more like tenants at this point. You’d had conversations with both Echo and Hunter since they’d first arrived and you’d seen Stitches, Wrecker, and Omega just a few days ago when you went to pick up the clothes the seamstress had made for the boys. One night, a few days ago, Hunter and Echo explained what happened. Your heart hurt for them. To lose a brother in such a terrible way was one of the worst things imaginable. You’d offered your condolences to them and they’d taken it. Now you understood why Omega and Wrecker were having nightmares and why Stitches was so worried. You’d asked if anyone had told Chai what had happened and both men shook their heads.

“I offered to explain it all to her. But she said she wasn’t ready.” Hunter had told you solemnly.

You wondered if the girl would ever be ready. With a long hum, you pushed off the balcony wall and stepped back into your room. The worry for your friends ran through your head as you laid back into your much too-large bed. Perhaps you’d visit Chai in the morning? Check on her before checking on Stitches and her little family. Whatever you’d do, Crosshair would come first. You fell back to sleep thinking about your plan.

-*-

The walk down Pabu was surprisingly nice. The cool night air mixed with the sea air and blew through his skin in a way that had him closing his eyes and sighing. Memories of Kamino danced through his mind. Sure they were ignored and on the receiving end of insults from the regs but outside of that, it was his home. The place he grew up with his vod at.the place where he’d made the stupid decision to wait for the empire instead of going with the batch. Whether the memories were good or bad, that ocean scent would always transport him home.

He followed the cobblestone path to the base of the hill where a waist-high seawall sat. A figure shifted on the wall making him realize he wasn’t alone. Instinctually, he moved to grab his blaster but realized he didn’t have it. He moved to turn and head away from the potential danger when he kicked a loose pebble across the cobblestones. The sound seemed to echo in the quiet night air. The figure shifted and turned to face him. It was her, Techs girl.

“Oh. I thought I was the only one up this late.” Chai tried to force a smile but found herself still unable to. She’d last smiled before they returned. Back when she felt like everything would be okay and Tech would come back to her. Now it felt like she’d never smile again. She looked at his brother with tired eyes and found the same exhaustion looking back at her. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“No” What was he supposed to say to her at this moment? It was clear she wanted to be alone. He’d heard Hunter talking to Doll and Echo about how the woman didn’t want to know about what happened to Tech. Seeing as he was the cause of his death, Crosshair was the last person who should be talking to her. “I’ll leave.”

“No!” Chai nearly jumped off the sea wall. Perhaps having the company of one of his brothers would help calm her. “Please. Join me?” She patted the space next to her.

Crosshair swallowed as your words rang out to him. The sea air would help, hopefully you were right. He nodded to Chai before moving to the wall and boosting himself onto the stone wall. His feet dangled next to hers and he wished he hadn’t worn shoes so he could feel the spray on his ankles. How they were sitting reminded him once more of Kamino and how he and his brothers would sit and watch the Aiwha fly around.

“We haven’t been introduced. I’m Chai.” She released the datapad in her lap with one hand and offered it to the clone before her. A burn scar could be seen on the right side of his head and she wondered how he got it. Tech had never mentioned a burn scar.

“Crosshair.” He shook her hand gently before looking down at the familiar datapad. “You look yet?” The question left him before he could stop it.

She shook her head solemnly. “I tried a few days ago. But it’s locked and I don’t know the code. I tried his clone number but it didn’t work.” Talking to him was almost refreshing in a way. This was the most she’d spoken in days.

“Check his goggles. He wrote the code in one of the rims.” Just in case he forgot it for whatever reason. Crosshair was the only one to know of its location. It was his job as Tech's twin to know these things. Twin, he wasn’t a twin anymore. Now it was just him. Tech understood him deeper than anyone else had and now he was on his own.

“Oh.” She looked down at the device in her lap and sighed softly. She’d look for the code when she went home. Maybe today would be the day she’d look through it. “Thanks”

Crosshair nodded before looking back out over the ocean. It was nice here, just the sound of the ocean waves hitting the rocks below and their breathing. Maybe a sigh here or there but that was it.

Chai had to admit, she appreciated the silence that fell. For the past two weeks, people had been offering their condolences and sympathy for her loss. Her brothers and father had tried to talk her through the grief and both Hunter and Echo had tried to explain what had happened. But so far Crosshair was keen to not say anything about the topic. She liked that. For these last two weeks, she’d felt so alone. But having someone just sit by her who wasn’t trying to talk about anything seemed to be just what she needed.

After an hour, Chai turned and hopped off the wall. “I should go back and get ready to open the shop.” A shop owner's job didn’t stop, not even for the death of one they cared for. Crosshair nodded to her, not moving to stand. “I come down most nights. Feel free to join me.”

He looked over his shoulder at the girl before nodding once more. He had barely any words to say to her. His mind hadn’t stopped running over what to say to her or discuss with her. But according to Shaak Ti, sometimes saying nothing was just as important as saying something. She offered for him to join her another night. Would she hold that offer once she learned what he’d done? That he was why Tech was gone? “Thanks.” Was all he could think to say to her.

-*-

You woke up to the sound of Crosshair's door shutting and his feet crossing the room. Perfect. You checked your clock and found it had been three hours since he’d left. Hopefully that time away did him some good. Humming softly, you pulled yourself from the warmth of your bed and back into the cool air blowing in off the ocean. You’d left your balcony doors open and that cool crisp air had filled your room. Pulling on your long robe, you stepped out of your room and over to the main kitchen. Stitches would be dropping off breakfast and lunch for them soon enough, but you wanted to do something more traditional and hearty for him. Something to truly welcome him to the island.

While two eggs were boiling in salted water, you pulled fresh yogurt from the conservator that had been delivered the day before from one of Pabu’s sister islands. A merchant fleet of ships traveled to all the islands on your planet, even Pabu had two ships that were part of the fleet.

You poured the yogurt into a small dish and added a drizzle of honey over the top of it with a few figs on the side before moving over to start the gliko caf. Maybe he wouldn’t like it so sweet but you loved it that way and so he’d have to at least try it. You poured the sugar and cream into the cups and waited for the delicious dark liquid to pour from the brewer. Now you just needed the kalathaki, prozimi, and the amygdalota. You had the feta, gruyere, and nuts already.

As if on cue, there was a knock on your front door. After a moment the door opened and Chai’s older brother, Vino, came in with your daily order of sweets and bread. He was always kind enough to swing by the bakers and pick up your bread order. Chai had let it slip that he had a crush on you and while you found it sweet, you didn’t feel the same way back. He was your best friend's brother after all.

“Thank you, Vino.” You stepped around the island in your kitchen and over to the basket in his hands.

“Anytime, Doll.” He smiled at you the same way he always did. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile that reached his bright blues. “Your orders have been bigger since the clones arrived.”

You took the basket from him and shrugged. “They eat a lot. Well, two of them do. Plus I split with Stitches.” The smell of the prozimi wafted through the air and made you sigh. The sourdough always smelled amazing. “How is she?” You hadn’t heard from your dear friend in a few days and you worried.

Vino shrugged. “Some days are better than others. She’s been going out at night when she thinks we’re all asleep. Goes to the seawall and just stares.”

“They had a lot of moments there.” The seawall, huh? You wondered if Crosshair had run into her a few hours ago. “I’ll swing by and talk to her later today. That okay?”

“You know you’re always welcome at our place, Doll.” You were like family after all. He reached out and placed a hand on your shoulder gently. “Maybe talking to you will pull her out of her funk. I haven’t seen her this bad, ever. Not even when mom passed.”

You nodded to him while patting his hand. “She’ll be okay. Just give her some time. We all grieve in our own way.”

Vino stepped closer to you and looked down into your eyes. “Are you grieving as well?” He raised his hand to stroke your chin but heard someone clear their throat behind him. Damn. One of these days he’d get the courage to ask you out.

“Stitches!” Thank the stars she was here. Things were getting awkward with Vino.

“Hey, Good morning.” She winked at you as you stepped around Vino and back to your island. She walked across the room and elbowed her friend's brother. “Vino. Don’t you have a shop to open?”

“Right.” He nodded to you sweetly. “See ya later? I’ll let Chai know you’re coming over.”

“Sounds good. Thanks again, Vino.” You watched as the man waved bye to Stirches before leaving. You shook your head as you stepped around the counter and back to the slowly forming tray of food. Already you could tell that Stitches was going to tease you. The basket of goodies was placed on the counter while you checked on the caf. It was almost ready. Just five more minutes. You could see into the small crate that Stitches carried. Six containers of food sat neatly within. “Hope this wasn’t too early for ya.” You tried to avoid the teasing that was no doubt coming.

“I was heading to the school to get Omega enrolled so I’ve got some time.” She walked over and placed the crate down while smirking. “So you and Vino, huh?”

“Don’t start.” You hated how awkward things were between you two now that you knew he liked you. “Wish Chai had never said anything.” The goodies of your basket were pulled out and placed on the counter. The kalathaki looked amazing with its golden crispy crust. You pulled out a knife and cut two pieces from the cheese-based pie. A few more slices were cut and placed into your fridge before you packaged the rest up for Stitches.

“I think it’s cute.” She watched as you sliced a few pieces of the sourdough bread and placed it on the tray. Now who were you making all of this for? “He’s like a little puppy with the way he does things for you.” She reached over and plucked an amygdalota from the basket. The almond cookie danced on her tongue as she took a bite. “Ugh, Chai definitely made these.” They tasted just right. Nice and firm on the outside but chewy on the inside with just the right balance of salt and sugar.

She moved over to your conservator and pulled out a few pieces of mixed fruit as well as some olives. “Wow, good haul from the merchant ships. Was Dion working?” Out of all the merchants, Dion liked you the most, and thus he always gave you a great deal. She placed the items on the counter next to you.

“Yeah.” Once again there was another man who crushed on you. None of them fit that fairytale romance you wanted though. You wanted someone who would listen to what you had to say and understand it. Someone who looked at you like you were everything to them. Someone who you could care for but would care for you as well. That perfect relationship like yours, and so many others, parents had.

“So which one of them is it? Who's the lucky clone getting this amazing-looking tray of food.” She watched as you placed a few of the almond cookies onto the tray before turning and grabbing the eggs from the water. Stitches was quick to help you by grabbing a bowl and filling it with ice and water.

You deposited the eggs into the water to quickly cool as you finished filling the tray. All you needed was the eggs and then the caf. Already your inn was smelling amazing and no doubt the other clones would be up soon. You tried to ignore her question but as usual, your friend wouldn’t let up.

“Can’t be Hunter, he’s too rugged for your taste. Remember Ienzo? You hated his ruggedness.” She grabbed an olive and popped it into her mouth. The salty brine burst in her mouth. She hadn't eaten before she left and it was catching up to her.

“Ienzo’s beard was too long and had stuff stuck in it. Not to mention his hair was too greasy. I don’t think I’d call that rugged. I’d just call that gross. From what I’ve seen, Hunter is far from that.” But still far from your type. You grabbed the caf from the brewer and poured it into the two cups. It took a lot of willpower not to down your cup right away.

Stitches shook her head as you rolled your eyes. “Ok, well it can’t be Echo. He’s far too pale for you. Remember Ansem?”

You placed a few pieces of cutlery on the tray before looking around for some napkins. “Ansem couldn’t even step outside without burning. I can’t be with someone like that while living on a sunny island. From what I understand, Echo is recovering from some serious shit and hasn’t regained his color. Just as Crosshair is.”

As soon as you said his name she knew she’d got you. “So it is Crosshair.” She giggled excitedly. “You and Crosshair. I can’t believe it!” Wrecker had folded her very little about Crosshair. Just that he was Tech’s twin and had been the one to make the call that sent them on their rescue mission.

“Will you keep your voice down? Honestly.” You shooed her with one of the cloth napkins you’d found. “It’s not like that. He’s struggling with something. I just want to try and help him through whatever it is.” Having someone moping around your inn wouldn’t look good for you. Plus he was too cute to be sad.

Oh. Oh no. You found him cute.

No, you couldn’t fall for yet another customer. Not after the last one. You’d made a deal with yourself that you wouldn’t date another customer. You were just helping him because you felt bad for him. Yeah. That was all. Not because he had soft eyes filled with emotion or a cute butt. No, it was just because he was sad and you were trying to be nice.

“Doll? Doooollll.” Stitches waved her hand in your face to draw your attention once more.

“Huh? What?” You hadn’t realized you’d zoned out. You waved her hand away from your face before walking over to the bowl of ice and pulling out the two eggs.

“I asked if you’d be making him this special meal every day?” If you were then she could cut back on one of the meals she made every day.

Sighing, you shook your head. “Just today. I’m trying to make him feel comfortable here. It can be hard going from one planet to another, especially when dealing with the death of a brother.” Or so you’d heard from passing customers. Back before the Empire took over you had all manner of customers come through your inn. Families, vendors, bounty hunters, and lone wolves. You’d seen it all and heard it all. You may not have experienced hardship like those around you, but you understood it enough.

“Right.” She clapped her hands together and hugged you quickly. “Well I expect to be the first to know when that fails and you end up married to him.”

“Oh, my gods. Why are you this way?” You hugged her before shooing her once more. “I can guarantee it won’t come to that.”

“Whatever you say, Doll. Whatever you say.” She gathered her portion of the baked goods and bread into the basket. She took a moment to think about something before speaking in a more serious tone. “Don’t force him, or Chai, to talk about what’s wrong. You know as much as I do that’ll just push them deeper into themselves.”

Your lips formed a thin line as you nodded. “I know.” There was a moment of hesitation between you two before you continued. “How are they? Wrecker and Omega?”

She hummed in thought for a moment. “It’s day by day. They both still have nightmares and Omega barely eats right now. But I think getting her enrolled in school and back around other kids will help.” Stitches checked the basket for everything to distract herself from worrying too much about her little family. “Give Chai my love?”

“I will.” You nodded while resting your hands on the cool countertop. “I’ll stop by after I talk to her. ‘Kay?” Your friend nodded before turning and leaving your inn. Only once the door was shut did you move around the counter and begin to pull the containers of food from the crate. You’d quickly get these sorted before going up to Crosshair’s room. Hopefully, he was done showering by now.

-*-

Crosshair sat on the edge of his bed in the darkness of his room. He’d showered after his walk and reluctantly put a fresh pair of pajama pants on instead of simply laying on his bed in a towel. He wasn’t back to normal, it would take a lot longer for that to happen, but he did feel a little bit better.

A soft knock on his door drew his attention. Standing, he walked over to the door and pressed his ear against the cool metal.

“Crosshair? I brought you a little something to eat.” You spoke just barely loud enough for him to hear. Not wanting to wake his brothers up or draw attention to you two.

He paused for a moment before opening the door with the intent of taking the tray of food from you and then going back into his room alone. It seemed you had other plans though. With a sweet smile at him that shook his entire body, you stepped past him and into the room he’d holed himself up in for two weeks. He barely caught sight of the tray but it was far from ‘a little’. From what he’d seen it was a lot, the tray was full. “Umm,” What was he supposed to say? Get out? What are you doing? You look nice in that dress.

Wait.

You’d worn a sundress countless times before, it seemed to be your preferred outfit, so why did he think you looked nice this time? He stood in the doorway watching you closely as you moved to the desk and placed down the tray. You stepped over to the window and in one swift movement the curtains were pulled back and the morning light flooded his room. The dress you wore was light blue with white stripes running down it multiple times. You had a pair of heeled strap sandals on and your hair was down. You looked just like you did nearly every time he’d caught a glimpse of you. So what was it about this time that made him feel this way?

“Don’t worry, I won’t be charging you extra for the meal.” You smirked at him before turning around and staring at his window. It was a little musky in here. With a cute humph, you unlatched the window and pushed it open happily. The crisp morning air blew into the room instantly and fluttered your dress making you laugh lightly.

Crosshair practically swooned at your smirk. When the wind blew your dress around his knees nearly gave out. You were the most stunning creature he’d ever seen. “Huh?” Wow, he was not great at speaking to you.

You fought the little chuckle that bubbled its way into your throat. “How was your walk? Did you make it to the seawall?” You’d been fussing with the tray of food until you heard the door shut. Good, he wasn’t running for the hills. Smiling, you looked up at him and watched as he walked across the room to you. It was only then that you noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Your cheeks flushed at the sight of his surprisingly toned body. Hunter had told you that he’d been a prisoner for a while but that didn’t seem to have affected him too much.

The morning sun enveloped you like a halo of orange and yellow as he stepped across the room. Seeing you like this, looking so beautiful, it seemed to loosen his tongue. “I did. It was nice.” He looked down at the tray of food and felt his mouth water. Everything looked so good, even the eggs.

Picking up one of the mugs of caf, you passed it to him. “Did you see Chai? Her brother told me this morning that she’s been going out at night.”

“I did.” Her brother? He didn’t realize she had a brother. There wasn’t much he knew about the girl, only that Tech was interested in her. This morning? It had only been a few hours since he’d seen the girl. Was it normal for men to come to your inn so early in the morning? Why did that make his heart twinge? “Didn’t say much.” He took the caf from you and waited for you to pick up the one intended for you.

“Did she seem okay?” Your hand hesitated over your cup.

You really cared for the girl, didn’t you? “She was quiet. Told her the code for the datapad.”

Picking up the caf, you chewed your lip. “So she still hasn’t looked at it?” Echo had explained that there was something on the device that Tech had wanted her to see. What it was no one seemed to know. It was all just part of the contingency the clone seemed to have had.

“Suppose not.” If she couldn’t even unlock the device then there was no way that she’d seen what was inside.

You couldn’t let this get you down, not when you’d come in here with a plan. The cup in your hands was held out to him in cheers that he seemed reluctant to return. Never dropping the smile that you forced back onto your face, you took a sip of your caf and hummed happily. It was just the perfect level of sweetness with a small bite of bitterness on the tail end. “I’ll check on her later.” You watched Crosshair carefully as he downed the entire cup of caf. He made a face that let you know that he didn’t care for the sweetness of the drink. It made you chuckle. “Sorry, wasn’t sure how you liked your caf.”

You were so happy and peppy. Usually, that would annoy him but on you, it looked great. It almost made him want to smile and forget about everything. Almost. “It’s fine.”

Well, it was the thought that counted. “Well, I think you should try the kalathaki next. It’s from the baker, they’re the best on the island when it comes to the pies.” You picked up the plate holding a slice of the cheese pie, it smelled delicious.

Crosshair looked down at the tray of food and felt his stomach ache. He’d barely been eating these last couple of days. It all looked good too, you truly knew how to make a meal. But his mind and body pulled away from the food. He couldn’t bring himself to eat. Shaking his head, he lived to step away but heard you clear your throat suddenly.

You watched the way he turned from you. Oh, he thought he’d get out of eating? Clearing your throat, you picked up a fork and cut a small piece of the pie. “Try a bite?” You gave him the best puppy dog eyes that you could muster.

“I” he let out a long sigh. How could he say no when you looked at him like that? You’d gone through all the work of making the food for him and bringing it up to his room. The least he could do was try a small bite. Crosshair allowed you to slide a small piece into his mouth, the smile on your face pure as he did so.

It tasted amazing. Better than anything he’d had before. The flavor burst in his mouth making his tongue sing. His stomach practically growled at the introduction of delicious food. He’d only been snacking on small pieces of bread or the rolls that came with the meals she dropped off. This was on an entirely different level. Before he could process the first bite you were already cutting another piece. He should step in and say he was able to feed himself but you seemed so pleased with yourself and honestly? He was tired.

You let him chew the piece in his mouth while you set the plate down. Moving behind him, you grabbed the chair and placed it behind him. Without a word, he sat down and stared at you. You could see how tired he was, but that was okay. You’d take care of him.

-*-

Thirty minutes later he took his final bite of the food. It had been a slow process for you to feed him, he didn’t seem too excited to eat. It wasn’t a lot that he’d eaten, small amounts here and there from the different items on the tray, but he’d at least eaten something.

You stood from the spot on the floor that you’d slid into. It had been silent in the room since you’d started feeding him. You didn’t mind too much. Yes, it was odd at first but you didn’t want to press him too much. You were lucky that he’d let you in and do this much for him, pressing your luck could prove futile. He could easily lock back up and not let you in again.

“Come on.” You whispered while extending your hand to him.

The last thirty minutes had flown by in a blur as you fed him. He’d felt like a child at first but slowly he’d felt something else. Gratefulness? Lust? Desire? Someone as beautiful as you had been hand-feeding him. He didn’t deserve it. He didn’t deserve someone like you taking care of someone like him. Every moment and bite was savored as you worked around the tray. All of it had been delicious, but the pie had by far been his favorite.

You stood and offered your hand to him and without hesitation he took it. He was easily pulled onto his feet and into your body. “S-sorry.” Came from him as he realized how close to you he was, you smelled amazing.

Oh. He was warm. Your hand rested against his muscular chest for a moment as you repositioned him. You intended to lead him to his bed so he could get some sleep but you realized it was messy and deeply slept in. No doubt it smelled as bad as it looked. “Follow me?”

Follow you? Follow you where? He’d trusted you so far. He continued to hold your hand as you led him from his room. “Where are we go-“

“We’re going on an adventure.” You squeezed his hand gently while leading him down the hall and the stairs.

In the dining area at the table sat Hunter and Echo. Both men were distracted in a discussion over information Rex had found on some Republic medical staff prisoners. The stairs creaked under the dual weight of you and Crosshair as the two of you walked down them. Hunter looked over to say good morning to you and was surprised to see your hand wrapped around his vods. You paid them both little mind as you rounded the stairs and stepped through the door marked private. Hunter tried to wave down Crosshair and ask what the hell was going on but the man seemed just as lost as he was. The door shut with a gentle swoosh leaving Hunter and Echo to ponder what the hell they’d just seen.

Crosshair looked around your small apartment in surprise. He was in your private space right now. The space that no one was supposed to see besides your friends. What did that make him? He’d only known you for two weeks and you’d barely spoken to each other. You walked into a side room and pulled him in behind you. The bed made it clear that this was your bedroom. It smelled of flowers and fresh linen while your bed looked incredibly comfortable and inviting.

Finally, you stopped and motioned to your bed. “Please, get comfortable.”

“But it-“ you raised your hand to him quickly and shook your head.

“Your bedding needs to be washed. None of the other rooms are set up for guests right now. So the obvious choice was for you to use mine.” Stepping over to the bed, you pulled down the white floral print duvet and matching sheet before motioning for him to get in. “Don’t worry, I won’t watch you sleep.”

“I didn’t think you would.” Maybe he did a little but you’d never know that. He walked over to your bed and carefully sat down on it. It was so soft and comfortable.

“Oh, he’s snappy.” You winked at him while walking back around the bed and towards the door. “I like that.” You stood in the doorway and watched as he laid down and got comfortable. “Refresher is over to the left and there’s a pitcher of fresh water on the bedside table. Get some rest and I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Why are you doing all of this?” He asked as he rested his head against your soft pillow. Now this was a nice bed.

“Because we all need a little help sometimes.” Whether it was getting out of a rut or seeing the bad that others already could see. “Sweet dreams, Crosshair.”

He turned his head and watched as you stepped out of the room. “Thanks” came as a whisper that only he could hear.

Crosshair lay in the bed for what felt like an eternity, sleep eluding him for the time being. His mind raced over the events of the morning so far. First, he’d sat with you outside, then he’d met Chai and sat with her, you’d actually fed him and now he was lying in your very large bed. How had he gone from the sad darkness of his room to the light happiness of yours? He looked around from the warmth of the bed and picked up on a few things. You kept a datapad that was designed for reading next to your bed as well as a box of tissues. Your balcony led to the garden where the smell of flowers was coming from and your closet could be seen from the bed. There was, in fact, a large amount of sundresses within. There were also a few trophies on your wall surrounding a vanity with a large mirror that was directly across from the bed. It was a nice room. The scent of your perfume hung on the pillow pulling him from his thoughts and finally, after countless sleepless nights and an hour of laying in your bed, he fell into a deep sleep.

Taglist:

@rndmpeep @sarahskywalker-amadala @queenariesofnarnia @idoubleswearimawriter @bambambunny @ravenclawbitch426 @jupitersaturnapollo @mzjakao @heylosers06 @dangraccoon @impala1967666 @andrakass2 @ducks118 @motte-the-goblin @rintheemolion @merkitty49 @jediknightjana @onyxtides @moon-wrecked @mssbridgerton @griffedeloup

Want to be added to the Taglist? Let me know!

#fanfic update #bad batch crosshair #the bad batch fic #crosshairs bad batch #tbb crosshair x you #tbb crosshair x reader #tbb crosshair #the bad batch crosshair #crosshair x reader #Spotify #SoundCloud

26 notes · View notes

catboyklug · 2 months ago

Text

Characters: Miles "Tails" Prower [ they / them ] ; Knuckles the Echidna [ he / they ] ; Gadget the Wolf [ they / them ]

Warnings: vague mentions of disordered eating; mentions of overworking

Notes:

Word count: 1.1k

The Resistance Tunnels have fallen near-silent, the only sound coming from the trains far above.

Howling whistles.

As if the tunnels themselves mourn the loss.

Though some have not yet given up hope, the calibre of Sonic's injuries have left most to believe he is gone.

In defiance of this theory, one of the few hopeful works in his room, alone, attempting to find any proof their brother may be safe...

"Tails."

The voice breaks the near-silence, but recieves nothing but the gentle clack of an old keyboard in response.

"You can't work on an empty stomach."

The final third of Team Sonic, the echidna known as Knuckles, stands in the doorway of Tails's 'lab' (which, in truth, is just his room, so full of junk it's impossible to sleep or rest comfortably).

"You gotta eat, bud. Just-"

Before Knuckles can think of another excuse, however, Tails yips excitedly.

"Wait, I think I got it-!"

The sudden excitement nearly breaks the tension, but just as soon as the feeling arrives, they lose grip of it.

Connection lost.

"...Never mind..."

In those few moments, Tail's eyes had regained some of their lost spark, shining in the din.

Knuckles can't help but feel that, with it gone, the entire room feels far darker.

"C'mon, Tails," Knuckles says, his voice soft, "Sonic's only been gone for a day. He's probably getting his energy back up so he can do some crazy stunt and escape the Death Egg."

"...I hope you're right," they sigh, "But I'm worried. The Death Egg just... disappeared after entering orbit. And Eggman's been so quiet about the whole thing..."

"It's probably hiding behind the moon, or something," he reasons, "...I'm serious about the food, Tails."

Their ears flatten on their head, and their stomach growls, betraying their hunger.

"Fine," they huff, "But I'm eating in here."

"Fine by me," Knuckles huffs in response, leaning against the doorway so that Tails can get out.

The walk to the cafeteria is short, but Tails practically shuffles the entire way there, extending the time it takes to get there massively.

They don't want to leave their post. In all honesty, they shouldn't if they want to find their brother any time soon.

Considering Knuckles's... close relationship with their brother, they can't believe he's not more concerned.

But here he is, insisting Tails take a break after only two days of searching...

Knuckles wants them to take it easy? To go slow?

Them, the second-fastest Mobian probably ever?

Oh, sure, they'll be slow.

It's this tiny protest, this rebellion in the Resistance, that keeps them from turning tail and locking themself in their room, refusing to come out for anyone.

Even their percieved punishment is exclusively on their own terms.

In their bottle of rage, they hardly notice that the two of them have arrived at the food court, only being made aware due to Knuckles giving them a little push with his elbow.

They grumble for a sec, but he gestures ahead, and they reluctantly follow his gaze...

And feel their mouth drop open a little as they do.

Potato pancakes, hashbrowns, french fries,

Scrambled eggs, hard-boiled, devilled, fried...

Several different kinds of milkshakes and smoothies,

And huge pots of soups and stew in a dozen varieties.

Thanks to the close ties with the many heavily-protected farms on the surface, food was never a problem for the Resistance. Which was great, given that it was growing massively every day.

But even so, this is ridiculous...

Yet with that ridiculousness comes a sense of deep comfort. They can still afford to be a little frivolous sometimes, spending too much energy on things that matter or putting tons of ingredients into meals that take hours to cook... and taste absolutely delicious.

Before either of the two can begin filling their plates and making use of the food they have while it's available to them, however, Knuckles spots someone.

A somewhat scrawny red wolf with almost cartoonishly thick glasses, busy attempting to put at least five servings of every food on their plate.

With an encouraging smile, Knuckles waves at them, gesturing for Tails to follow.

"Hey, rookie!" he booms, and it's only to their credit that they don't drop the plate they're carrying with how loud Knuckles is, "Got someone I want you to meet!"

Surprised that, out of everyone, it's Knuckles who's forcing them into an awkward social interaction, Tails can barely even get out a "nice to meet you-!" in the (relatively mild) confusion.

"I'm Tails, what's your name?" he offers, giving a slightly crooked smile.

"...Gadget." The wolf says, voice not betraying even the slightest hint of emotion, "Charmed."

"Likewise!" Tails widens his smile, continuing their attempt at being polite...unaware of the fact they're starting to look a little creepy.

"So, you're a Wispon user, like the rest of Knuckles's squad, right?"

"Yes. Currently maintaining bonds with three Wisps. Red, blue, and purple," Gadget explains, "No names given. Close companions nonetheless."

"Amazing...!" They whisper, quickly putting themself back in Small-Talk Mode, "So, uh... What're you getting to eat? There's a lot of choices, I don't think I can decide..."

Though he says this, it's obvious what they're eating - practically everything. Noticing this fact is obvious, the rookie tries to hide some of their stacked plate with their huge bowl, but fails miserably.

"Not very much. Eating light. Heading out soon," They nod gravely, looking to Knuckles - and raising their brow when he laughs.

"I told you, rookie, we're not moving out until later this afternoon," he clarifies, looking a bit awkward as Tails gives him a Look, "We switched out with Silver's gang. You can eat as much as you need."

"Oh," Gadget hums, "...Good."

With the indirect encouragement, they shove even more food onto their plate, and pocket a plastic-wrapped protein bar for later.

"Glad to see you're eating well, soldier!" Tails smiles, "Uh... Keep up the good work!"

Gadget gives them an amused smile - the most emotion they've shown to anyone since they've arrived, considering Knuckles's awe-struck face - and leaves to go eat with the rest of their squad.

Thankfully, despite how awkward the whole thing was, Tails's spirits seem to have been lifted by the interaction, too. As they pile food onto their own plate, Knuckles spots their somewhat crooked smile's morphed into a genuinely cheerful one,

Thank goodness...

Truth be told, Knuckles hasn't actually grown a newfound appreciation for social interactions lately.

But he knows both the kit and the wolf need more social interaction than they've been getting, and he was hoping they'd hit it off.

And they did. In their own way.

So... score.

#knuckles the echidna #tails the fox #miles tails prower #gadget the wolf #sonic forces #sonic forces rewrite #sonic the hedgehog #sth #fanfic #fanfiction #klug's writing #cherrypickers au #light angst #comfort #fluff

12 notes · View notes

https-eonsadrift-com · 2 years ago

Text

SAGAU! concept of mine

[This is made bc i have an older brother, and i've connected the dots before i fell asleep so i don't know if this would turn out good or nah.. ]

Once you falls into the world full of fantasies or what so called- Teyvat, you have found people that admit or just went disbelief concerning your existence

Well everything just make sense, but one problem is, the only clue you understand about yourself as a people rehorn in Teyvat, is,

"Welcome the Creator : Moon"

What is that even mean? If you're moon, then could it be there is a 'creator : Sun' out there or something? Or 'the creator : Earth'? You don't even know...

In the first place, you want to know who you are as now you exist on Teyvat, but in order to know who you are, you must gain the privilege of not being hunted by people who don't like or believe your existence on Teyvat

Some archons just don't accepting you living on Teyvat, just count Barbatos, Morax, Baal, Focalors..

But Buer and Tsaritsa is welcoming you well, as far as you know

Before starting with knowing archons opinion and decides who's allies and who's not, you have a little connections around Teyvat, count it Albedo, Eula from Mondstadt

Kazuha, Beidou, Shenhe from Liyue

Itto and the gank, and kamisato's from Inazuma

Wanderer, Dehya and Candace from Sumeru..

And the rest of People on Snezhnaya, of course (lol)

And after Buer accepting your presence, all people of Sumeru also welcoming you since the Dendro Archon are sure have reasons on what is wrong and what is right.

And after you done with the beginning of getting used with the nature of Teyvat, a big news coming around

Another creator calling themself as the sun just arrived and being kept and Liyue

Of course, this catch your eyes, will this people's arrival will explain what the hell is happening? So you, Buer and The Tsaritsa trying the best to contact the so called 'The Creator : Sun'

It does take long for all of you, but all of that hard works makes something..!

With the approval of all the seven Archons, you with the rest of Archons can have a meeting with the new Creator

You are scared, you are curious, you are excited.

There's a thousand possibilities that'll happen on the meeting on Liyue, you could be threatened, you could have safety, you could have answers, you could have problems.

Everything is possible.

Once you arrived, you feel a rage burning when you saw the Creator for the first time..

Without any other thought crossing your mind, you slapped the Creators face, his face grows red quickly after.

As tears rolling down your cheeks... His face widened to see the tears and grab your shoulder tightly

"Sis, is that.. You? By the way, ouch. "

Hearing that voice, your eyes widened, is that him? Is that really him? Cause its just no way. No way, anything could happen but him appearing in front of you.

"Yeah, so what? You're going to throw sandals at me like you used to? "

You answered with a shaking voice, your body couldn't hold the pressure of your own emotions anymore, everything feels so unreal for you

"Wish i could have one in my hand right now, stupid. "

"Hah, go make one, brother. "

You are the moon, and your brother is the sun

That'll explains thing, many things to be exact..

Now with the explanation shows up, all the people of Teyvat could finally relaxed after the big conflict that has been going for quite some time back then

Now, with you both known as the creator, what would your daily activities will be?

[Im sorry if its poorly made, i'm on the dentist right now *lazyly sobs]

[Oh yeah, and i'll explain what is you and your brother role and both of your jobs, so we can keep up with the plot]

#genshin fanfic #genshin impact #genshin scenario #genshin imagines #genshin headcanons #genshin angst #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact headcanons #genshin cult #genshin sagau #sagau #genshin x reader #genshin x you #Sei's page

114 notes · View notes

northwest-cryptid · 1 year ago

Note

Alright let me try my hand at this is that's alright. Sorry if this isn't what you're looking for. Not 100% sure on how much info is too much or too little yknow? Anyway, this is Hong Lu.

We know he's uber-rich, as in his family is potentially a Wing/Wing-adjacent rich. We can say this for a few reasons. First there's his general accidental flaunting of his wealth (a random handkerchief of his being work 7 million, him receiving extravagant gifts like ponies for his birthday, I could go on and on.)

Second is his family's clear connections with several wings. Examples include how the shareholders of H Corp personally visited his home because his brother wanted a red passport and how in his W & K Corp ids its stated he got those jobs because of his grandparents.

As you might have also noticed Hong Lu is pretty aloof (for example during a comedic cooking competition between the sinners he says he's always wanted to try dog food) and this hasn't changed much though it has gotten a few layers at least. Such as him teasing Heathcliff by saying potatoes grow on trees or, during Yi Sang's Chapter, getting compared to Brother Young-ji, a kind and guiding figure in Yi Sang's life.

There's also a lot of very suspicious stuff going on with Hong Lu. Firstly there's his clear connections with the Wings, which should immediately raise some alarms if you know how these guys operate. There's also something going on with his blue glowing eye, likely something to do with M Corps Moon Rocks given the amount of Sanity healing effects he has and how he'salso unaffectedby anesthetics. Which raises the question of why he would need something like this at all times?

There's also a scene where Faust is explaining how Distortions work using Hong Lu as an example and He responds by saying "he could see that happening" only to be unable to explain why.

Lastly, it’s also heavily implied that his family is abusive. In his K Corp ID, it's implied he was given the job more-so to get rid of him or something akin to that affect. Plus its also mentioned at one point that there were a ton of rules he was supposed to follow. Little stuff like that that paints a concerning picture.

And that's what we currently know about Hong Lu. Again sorry if this is too much or skips out on too much.

This is literally 100% the sort of thing I'm asking for and I cannot thank you enough. It's all very easy to follow, it gives me enough genuine information about the character to understand what current speculations might be going around about them; and you actually include important information (even if I'm not familiar with it just yet) such as the connection to different Corps and potential connections to a Wing which as you explained is kind of sketchy considering you know, how the Wings work.

See this is a great description of this character, I walk away from this feeling like I could have a somewhat competent conversation about him even though I've not played the game. If someone approached me and mentioned Hong Lu I feel like I could easily bring up things like the Corp IDs but also still have small details about him like 7 million dollar (well, probably not dollar but you know) handkerchief. He also just seems like a likable dude with some hidden horrors that we're hopefully going to get to see in the future because man he is suspicious but what a chill guy. Not to mention this is all stuff I couldn't figure out from the website alone. This is what I was hoping for and I really do mean it when I say thank you for explaining it this way.

2 notes · View notes

drottni · 2 years ago

Text

LBFAD rewatch observations part 2

1. Man XLH is so brave. From day 1. She is terrified of the soldiers searching for the escaped plant spirit in Haishi but she not only saves the spirit, she also takes the time to look for the destiny book. Like imagine being that scared but doing the right thing anyway. When DFQC said she is the bravest in the 3 realms 🤌

2. "My younger brother is still as stupid and incompetent as ever". OUCH 🤣 Pre emotion DFQC is a savage. Poor Xunfeng. 😅

3. The first time he goes to rescue her because of her being in danger is also the first time he is trying to figure out how to release his soldiers. I'm just thinking about the manyyyy times he will be pulled away from doing this task because of her. "🎶Every decision made because of you🎶" ❤

4. That scene of the moon un-eclipsing to reveal DFQC > im dead. Him saying "How dare a dying person ask my name" in the most casual but also deadly way with his little head tilt > I am resurrected to die again. Dead dead dead. He is so powerful here.

5. "Is it an earthquake? Why did everyone run away scared?" My girl XLH did you not see the big handsome devil uneclipse the moon and stare daggers at everyone? She so clueless I love her 😆

6. I too immediately think any boy showing me any concern must be in love with me. And that there must be some far fetched reason for it.

7. Oh oh OH I missed this the first time but she sees the Xilan seal on him. She knows some curse/spell is on him. But she never connects the dots 😅😅 I had always thought she had no clue of it.

8. I loooooove his claws. 😍😍😍😍

9. "Little flower spirit. Do you think I can't do anything about you?" No sir, you cannot and you never will 😆

10. Wait another thing I missed. The destiny book was fine before. Their bickering and fighting broke it, just like they mess up in the mortal realm with their fighting and bickering 😆

11. XLH's flower friend: Lord Chanheng it would be rreaaaaallllyyyy good if you came in and looked for XLH *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

Changheng: "Nah thanks fam."

12. XLH slamming the door in his face while he gives another "you belong to me" speech 🤣

13. How can 2 people look so adorable while absolutely seething and fuming at each other. Babies.

14. In XLH's nightmare DFQC is cowering and terrified of Changheng and even though it seems so out of place on him, Dylan Wang's acting is so good that it doesn't look like how he would be all meek and scared when acting as XLH. It's his own kind of scared and cowering. Idk if that makes sense 😅

15. My mans experiences fear, takes a big inhale of it and says "ahhh this delicacy, I haven't tasted in a while" *smirk* 💀😶 Sir.

16. Imagine the annoyance (maybe even panic) when he realized he HAS to count ALL the darn flowers 😅

17. The comfort with which XLH invades his personal space while teaching him to make pastries 😆 Like Maam. He will eat you.

18. I think he flashed his eyes red on purpose because she drew him in red ink as big bad Dongfang Qincang.

#love between fairy and devil #cang lan jue #dongfang qingcang #xiao lanhua #cdrama #lbfad rewatch

112 notes · View notes

husbandohunter · 4 years ago

Text

Moments of Despair #1 [Genshin Impact/Diluc x Reader]

Synopsis: “The man who was on fire and realized it too late.”

(A series of works where the boys deal with the passing of their beloved).

Albedo's despair

Warnings: angst, tragedy, major character death, graphic depictions of violence perhaps

(A/n): Had these ideas for a while after reading @/serensama To Mourn series of another fandom. So much sorrow and feeling I just was inspired to write 😫

_______________________________________________

The moment you fell lifeless in Diluc's arms, he wanted to disappear.

It was raining again, he had always despised the rain. How it trickles down the slope of your cheek, like tears falling from the heavens. The sight of it mixing with your blood creating a thin stream of red rivers flowing beside him. They patter down obnoxiously because time didn't care, the gods don't care, the world didn't care. You were just a small fragile person to their eyes but to him you were his light. A candle that used to shine in his dark world was now dissipitated by the waters of reality.

Many droplets have passed and he was still holding you. Diluc could do nothing but stare. He hadn't shed any tears nor could he make a coherent sound. Perhaps it was because his tears have long run out when his father was held in the very same way. Or it was because he was heartless. He's usually told for being cold and indifferent. But the pain clenching in his chest was proof that he still had one (proof that it was still beating), much to his dismay. It would be better if he didn't.

So why can't he just look away? Your wounds, your bruised features, everything now etched so deep into the back of his conciousness that is was starting to awaken his worst nightmares. They were the source of the bile growing in his stomach. The irony stench filling up his nostrils felt so sickening. He couldn't turn away. You're dead. You're dead. You're dead. As if reality had yet to register, or maybe he refused to accept it, Diluc helplessly gazed down your body with blank and empty eyes.

"Master Diluc..."

Jean's voice called out to him pitifully. He rises up with his back turned, ignoring the stares given to him, "Leave. The knights of favonius are not needed here."

"But she's a Mondstadt citizen," The anemo user retorts, slightly taken aback by his impassive reaction, "It's my responsibility to ensure this case doesn't go unnoticed."

Unnoticed. Diluc scoffs in his mind, what a tasteless joke.

"It seems you weren't listening," he announces as his head was turned ajar so they could see the deep hatred glowing red in his eyes, "Leave. Now."

Jean's lips trembled before barely being able to say, "Alright" and retreating her knights back to the city. Kaeya narrows his gaze at his bother, the sorrow was evident through his pupils. He steps forward until he was arms length away from his brother. Too little too late, another failure was added to the belt.

Kaeya was a man of many words but for once he was at loss of what to say. No underhanded suggestions, no ideas taunting him to spill his thoughts, he simply asks Diluc, "What are you planning to do now?"

Silence. Kaeya couldn't predict what sort of expression his brother was making as he looks at your corpse. It brought a heavy weight of unsettlement upon him and here he thought he had already grown used to his brother's quietness.

Slowly, he turns around while letting the water pour down his face. Kaeya tightens his jaw as Diluc drags his feet towards him, stopping when their shoulders were parallel, "It's none of your concern."

"You're just going to leave her here?"

There was a slight pause which was enough of an answer. The Cavalry Captain sighs when he watched him walk away, what was the point of asking when Kaeya knew Diluc so well? He glances at your form before swiftly shutting his eyes.

It was his concern.

-------

A week later, the staff of the Ragnvindr household could hardly recognize their Master's appearance. They knew not to bother him when he decides to lock himself in his chambers. Diluc drowns himself with work from hours to no end as he connects the findings of the person that took your life. As expected, it was one of his enemies- a fatui member. The question was, which one?

"Master Diluc, I beg of you, please take care of yourself," Elzer pleads.

The pyro user didn't bother to spare him a glance or look at the tray of food he carried.

Food...you always brought them whenever he had to work overtime.

"I do not remember specifiying anyone to be allowed in my office," he voices aloud, "If it's related to business affairs simply leave that with Adelinde and I'll take a look at it tomorrow."

"I understand. But you've been working all day and night yet refusing to take any breaks in between. At this rate, you'll harm your health."

The feather pen in his grip kept dragging it's course, "This is beyond the duties assigned to you Elzer."

"That's because it was a request sent by your father," he adds, knowing that stepping over his boundaries may cost him, "If Master Crepus was still here, I'm sure he would have said the same thing."

Taking a deep breath, Elzer lays out his last card, "And also your wife."

The pen slows into a halt.

No one had brought you up until now. Elzer anxiously watches his Master shifting in his seat, his red bangs covering half of his face but he could still see the frown pressing firmly on his lips. It wouldn't be a surprise if Diluc suddenly bursted at him for mentioning such a sensitive topic, all that matters was his master's well being and Elzer was willing to risk everything for it. But nothing. Diluc turns his attention ever so slightly at the tray he carried.

"Fine, but I'm not eating that."

"What? Wasn't this was her favourite-"

"Do I need to repeat myself?"

Elzer furrows his brows before sighing, "...No, Master Diluc."

He exits the room while carrying the fresh dish of Once Upon A Mondstadt that you loved so much. The door closes with a soft click and he was alone again.

People found it strange how Diluc seemed so vacant to your passing. He didn't even show up at your funeral. Instead, he continues his duties as a Mondstadt nobleman like usual while taking care of business matters associated with the winery. Except those who were close to him could see the difference in his actions. Apathy, he was so mechanical in every task he did. Like a marionette attatched on strings, a doll without a soul. After all, his soul died the moment when yours did too. What remains was a shadow of Diluc and a being existing solely for revenge and duty. He was nothing but a remnant.

Fatigue begins to wash over him and he fights to stay awake. Because once he gives in it will all be over. Once he closes his eyes, he would see your face with a multitude of images from the past. He would hear your voice calling out his name from a distant space as it echoes off the walls of his mind. He would fall into a dream where you were still with him and as always, waking up to see that it was never real.

I should have pushed you away.

Because what hurt Diluc the most wasn't that you were gone, rather, it was how you were still here.

Then you'd still be-

Something breaks and it turned out to be the pen he was holding so tightly. Only now Diluc realized how fast his heart was thrumming as beads of sweat began rolling down his forehead. Focus. Don't waste time. He won't grant himself the liberty of anything when your murderer was still on the run. Every wound they inflicted on you was going to be returned in tenfold. He'll make sure of it. That's why, he refuses to think about you at all. Diluc occupies his mind with other matters since at this point, work was the only efficient method of keeping his sanity in tact.

She needs you to focus.

The door opens and Kaeya enters the room while holding a document, "We found the guy."

His reaction was immediate, "Where?"

"Hm, now that we meet, it's actually quite debateable," The captain notes wryly, "When was the last time you've gotten proper rest?"

"I don't have time for this, either you tell me or I'll do it by force."

Kaeya couldn't help but sigh, "Apologies but you don't seem to be in any state for a fight. I'm sure you know how it would end up if you were to face your enemy right now."

"..."

"Diluc, this isn't healthy," Kaeya asserts, it's been a while since he sounded so sincere, "I'm not here to prevent you from doing what's necessary however, perhaps it would be better if I finished it in your stead."

"No," Diluc stubbornly answers, "Hand that over."

"...Heh, then there's really nothing I can do to stop you it seems," he whispers with a sad smile, "At the very least, be careful."

"I intend to," The pyro user snatches the paper parchment out of Kaeya's hands before opening the window, "Also, if Elzer returns, tell him there's a few errands I have to take care of."

The night was a full moon and the sky was empty, Diluc leaps off the edge and disappears into the darkness. There was no telling of what could happen next. Since you weren't here, it was up to Kaeya to watch over him.

-------

The claymore dropped to the ground with a clang as it soaks up the blood of the fatui he just killed.

Diluc was tired, so tired.

He slumps down against the wall from pure exhaustion, all that adrenaline and hatred went up in fumes, leaving behind whatever was left in his heart: nothing. Two hours, not even that far from Mondstadt, the fatui hid in an abandoned building as he cowarded for his life. When Diluc arrived, he never expected this monster to be so weak. This was the person who murdered you? A pathetic nobody that was simply following orders? This was the reason why he lost you forever?

In the end, the only one to blame was himself, for being weak and unable to protect you. He was supposed to be your hero ("Darknight hero," you'd always tease), the rock that shields you just as you had been the warmth he longed for many years, did he give you enough? Was this enough? He thought avenging your death would grant him a peace of mind and the justice you deserved but deep down, he knew it will never be enough when it comes to his love for you.

"Diluc."

He closes his eyes, he hears your voice. He was so tired, it wouldn't be a surprise if he started hallucinating.

"Diluc."

"I'm sorry..."

The man lets out a trembled breath as he apologized to the image of you in his mind. I'm sorry I failed you. They were repeated like a mantra in hopes to reach you somehow. Of course that was impossible, his feelings, his emotions, love and sorrow altogether will never reach you again. And your arms that once comforted him and brushed his hair with a soothing voice, saying everything will be okay, where are they now?

"Diluc."

"Stop," he didn't want to hear your voice.

"Diluc, I'm here."

"Stop..."

"Diluc..."

He jolts his eyes open and lets out a yell, what was he saying? He doesn't know. All he needed now was to drown out the fake voices mocking in his head. Diluc grabs the nearest object and shatters it against the floor, the dam was broken and it flooded uncontrollably, breaking everything in it's way. The abandoned house was filled with loud cries of a man sobbing with agony like a broken-hearted child. He crumbles to his knees and falls to his side, lifting his forearms while clutching his face.

And screamed.

Archons, what did he do to deserve this? Why do the people he cherish get taken away from him? Diluc never wanted to be the Darknight hero if it meant having his father perish in his arms. He didn't want the feeling of stabs against his chest with every breath he took. He didn't want to feel cold while knowing it was because you weren't here to hold him. He didn't want your voice, your pictures or your memory.

He wanted you.

"(Y/n)..." he chokes. Rolling to his back, Diluc moves his arms to cover his eyes, letting the tears run down to his ears, "(Y/n)..."

For who knows how long, he lays there in the abandoned building and mourns. Diluc doesn't have the strength to move from his position, he found himself staring mindlessly through the cracks of the roof when his voice had gone hoarse. The corners of his eyes still burned and his head was throbbing with so much pain. Maybe he should just stay here but the thought of being in the same room as your murderer was unfathomable.

Picking up his claymore once again, Diluc drags himself out of the door. Where would he go? It's not like he had a home to return to because home was when he was with you. A doll without a soul, the marionette moves as if the strings have commanded him to do so. Where ever it takes him, he didn't care. He just knew he had to go.

1K notes · View notes

ckjbun · 4 years ago

Text

What kind of ability would Higuchi have and its potential name?

Hi to whoever is reading this! This is my first self-written post so I’m still figuring out how all this works and I’m sorry, if it gets a bit chaotic. Anyways, recently, I came across a question regarding Higuchi from Bungou Stray Dogs. It was about what Higuchi’s ability would be called and what type it would be. So I won’t go into details whether she has an ability or not. I believe she has since she is named after an author (and Asagiri himself kinda confirmed it via Twitter). Thus, I just want to write my thoughts on the potential names and kind of ability.

Since abilities in the BSD world are always named after rather well-known works of the authors, I compared some of the famous works of Higuchi Ichiyo. Now mind you, I haven’t read her works myself. I mostly relied on comparing summaries and analyses of them. Since there are not a lot of summaries, I read two lesser-known stories myself. I will add the links of the summaries/analyses of the works down below. However, while comparing I found two works that would fit Higuchi. Now, first what do I mean by “fit”? Well, it might be best to start explaining what I think about the type of Higuchi’s ability.

I believe Higuchi has not an offensive type of ability. Nothing like Atsushi’s, Akutagawa’s, Kyouka’s etc. If she had, I’m sure she would have used it already, since she’s fighting a lot with her guns, why wouldn’t she use her ability as an addition, why would she hide it? There are two possibilities why we haven’t seen her ability yet. First possibility would be that her ability is not visible like Odasaku’s or Ango’s, maybe it’s even an ability that she hasn’t even discovered, just like Fukuzawa hasn’t realized he has one before the ADA. Second would be that she can use her ability only under stringent conditions. And I believe it’s the latter, hear me out.

Remember this scene from Chapter 14? Higuchi reaches out to hold Akutagawa’s hand but then pulls back because she remembered him saying that he doesn’t need her help. Now, you could argue that holding the hands of injured loved ones is a gesture of closeness, a way to show them your support, a way to tell them that you’re staying by their side. And Aku doesn’t want this support, so that’s why she retracted her hand. But something bothers me here. In this scene it looks like Aku slapped Higuchi’s hand away, doesn’t it? And then he says, he doesn’t need her help, instead of support. I know, you could say support and help are almost the same. But to me, help is something that you do more “actively”, while support can be something passive. What if Higuchi’s hand represents this “active” help? And what would actively help Akutagawa in this very moment? A healing ability for example. Coincidentally, in the panel before, Hirotsu asks Higuchi what power she posses to make them [the black lizard] obey. Is this a hint that there is a hint about Higuchi’s ability in the next panel? Maybe. But let’s look at the next panel. It’s the title page of this chapter.

As you can see, Higuchi has a bandage wrapped around her leg and they seem connected to Akutagawa. In this chapter, it is revealed that Higuchi contemplated about leaving the Port Mafia but her reason for staying is implied to be Akutagawa. This is perfectly symbolized by the bandages in this title page. The bandages coming from Akutagawa are holding her leg back, stopping her from walking away from the PM. But maybe there is a second interpretation? If you’re looking at Akutagawa’s left hand, the bandages are starting to come off. What if this means Akutagawa is healing and doesn’t need the bandages anymore? Instead it wraps around Higuchi’s leg, restricting her movement. What if Higuchi’s ability allows her to help someone else (doesn’t have to be necessarily a healing ability) but in exchange she needs to sacrifice something? Anyways, I think she has an ability which allows her to help other people in a non-combat way. With this in mind, I was looking through several works of Higuchi Ichiyo, searching for something that “fits”. Meaning that I was looking for parallels and themes in irl Higuchi’s stories that could be “converted” into an ability. Just like the coat that the protagonist of Rashomon stole in order to now die of hunger was used as Akutagawa’s ability which seems to be able to eat everything, or like the wish that one’s brother does not die in war in Thou Shalt Not Die became Yosano’s ability and serving as a basis of her background story. Anyways, I’d like to present the works that could be used for Higuchi’s ability and draw some parallels.

1. The Thirteen’s Night

The story revolves around a poor woman, called Oseki. Thanks to her marriage to a rich man, her family was able to live a better life and her brother found a job. But on the thirteenth night of the ninth month of the lunar calendar (one of two special nights for moon viewing), Oseki visited her parents with the intention on asking her parents for approval for divorcing her husband. Before entering, she overhears her parents talking about how lucky they are that they have such good children who don’t cause trouble and that they are very thankful for this marriage. Hesitating at first, she finally goes in and admits that she wants to divorce her husband because he abuses her mentally. He insults her constantly and tells her that she's worthless, stupid, and uneducated. Her mother is outraged. But her father, even though he acknowledges her suffering, reminds her what her husband has done for this family and that she would lose her son since women couldn’t get custody of their children after a divorce at that time. Agreeing with her father, Oseki decides to go back to her husband:

“It was selfish of me to think of a divorce. You're right. If I couldn't see Tarō, there'd be no point in living. I might flee my present sorrows, but what kind of future would I have? If I could think of myself as already dead, that would solve everything… Then Tarō would have both his parents with him. It was a foolish idea I had, and I've troubled you with the whole unpleasant business. From tonight I will consider myself dead — a spirit who watches over Tarō. That way I can bear Isamu's cruelty for a hundred years to come.”

– In The Shade of Spring Leaves, translated by Robert Lyons Danly

Just like BSD Higuchi contemplates leaving the PM, the protagonist here wants to leave her husband. The PM is like the husband. It allows her to support herself and probably her family (at least we saw that she has a sister). But there is constant abuse. Akutagawa is clearly the biggest source of abuse that we can see. But it’s not only him. In Chapter 14, Mori asks her if she is really suited for this job. Telling her indirectly that she is useless or that she is too weak for the PM. Later, you can see the Black Lizard doubting her capabilities, even threatening her. But just like Oseki she stays because of a loved one. What really concerns me is Oseki saying that she will consider herself as a dead spirit watching over Tarō. What if Higuchi, in order to use her ability, has to sacrifice part of her lifespan? Or maybe she loses a feeling? Like e.g. she loses the ability to feel happiness, making her a bit more dead inside? If you draw this parallel, you could also say that when ‘consider myself dead’ is the condition of the ability, then ‘watching over Tarō’ is a hint to Higuchi’s ability. An ability that allows her to watch over and protect her loved ones? This theme fits Higuchi perfectly, since a big topic in Higuchi’s story line is how she wants to help and protect Akutagawa. So it makes sense that her ability might be something that would help him (**intensely squinting at the recent events in the manga, especially chapter 88**). Moving on to the second possibility before the pain starts to set in.

2. Takekurabe (literally: "Comparing heights", "Child's Play" in the Robert Lyons Danly translation, "Growing Up" in the Edward Seidensticker translation)

Now this is considered as Higuchi Ichiyo’s masterpiece. So the chances are high that the ability is based on this story. The story accompanies a group of children who live next to the Yoshiwara quarter. There are two rival gangs: the main street gang (’omote-machi’), lead by Shōtarō, a cultivated young boy who is the grandson of the owner of a pawnshop, and the back street gang (’yoko-chō’), lead by Chōkichi, the impulsive firefighter’s son. (Maybe a parallel to the ADA with (cultivated) Fukuzawa and the PM with Mori who’s a doctor which belongs into the same category of occupation as firefighters?). Among the main street gang, there was Midori, popular and pretty, who lives in the brothel where her sister works. Shōtarō probably has a crush on her. But Midori probably has feelings for the other main character, Nobu, the son of a Buddhist priest. Even though he returns her feelings, he distances himself from her out of his self-consciousness. Later he joins the rival gang after repeated request by Chōkichi. Anyways, they spend their days very care-free, attending school, playing with each other after school. One day, some conflict arises between the gangs and Midori, while protecting someone else, gets slapped by Chōkichi with a sandal. He then proceeds to tell her that their gang is backed by no other than Nobu. Midori feels humiliated and stops going to school. Soon she also stops playing with the other children. After some time passed, Midori is seen with her hair all done up. She has become a distant, lady-like young woman. This probably means that she got her first period and is old enough to become a prostitute or that she just had her first client as a courtesan. Little by little, the children grow up. Nobu is sent off to be trained as a priest and Shōtarō has come to accept the responsibilities of his family’s shop.

There are several themes in this story that I’d like to point out, namely unrequited love, Midori’s transformation and underlying unchangeable fates. The first one is obviously a big theme in Higuchi’s story. Midori and Nobu are unable to express their love for each other because of their positions in life. Just like Higuchi is unable to express her feelings for Akutagawa. If you want some hope, AkuHigu shippers, maybe Aku has also feelings for Higuchi but is still very confused and self-conscious about it just like Nobu. Anyways, because of their positions in the PM, it would make everything very complicated if Higuchi confessed. Additionally, Midori feels like she was humiliated by her love when she got slapped by that sandal. I’m sure that Higuchi gets humiliated by Akutagawa a lot. The next theme is Midori’s transformation from a tomboyish to a lady-like, distant woman. We all know Higuchi looks really badass in her suits. But again, look at the title page of chapter 14. Higuchi is dressed up all prettily and lady-like in a dress, and her hair is done all up. Just like Midori after her transformation. Midori’s transformation stands for Midori accepting her occupation as a prostitute even though she doesn’t want to. In this chapter, we see that Higuchi has accepted her job in the PM, even though she doesn’t want to do this job. At the end Shōtarō sings the following:

"Growing up,

she plays among the butterflies

and flowers.

But she turns sixteen,

and all she knows

is work and sorrow."

– In The Shade of Spring Leaves, translated by Robert Lyons Danly

I don’t know about you guys, but to me that necklace that Higuchi is wearing in that title page looks like a butterfly to me. This is really farfetched but maybe this could be a hint about when Higuchi joined the Port Mafia? However, the biggest theme in Takekurabe is the underlying unchangeable fate of the children. Shōtarō was destined to become the next owner of the pawnshop, Nabu was destined to become a Buddhist monk and Midori would become a prostitute. Maybe this gives us some insight into why Higuchi joined the PM? Maybe one of her parents was a PM member? I also like to think that since Aku is in the PM, since she wants to be with him, she can’t but stay in the PM, and this is her fate. Nevertheless, fate is a central theme in Takekurabe. This is the reason why I think, if the ability is based on this story, Higuchi’s ability would be something like changing fates. Changing fate of someone else but in return she must sacrifice something.

Okay, so this post has become quite long. But I still wanted to mention two other stories Yamizakura (Flowers at Dusk) and The Sound of the Koto where I saw a lot of parallels. I just want to briefly tell you the story of The Sound of the Koto. In this story a woman abandons her son in order to leave her husband who has a bad reputation. The husband then turns into an alcoholic and dies later at a party because of alcohol intoxication. The boy becomes hardened to the world, despises his mother for leaving them, and even contemplates suicide. The story shifts then to a woman playing the koto. I want to give you an excerpt for the end of this story:

“On this night the sound of the woman’s playing helped another to be reborn. Through fourteen springs and fourteen autumns, the boy had been buffeted by the rains. His heart had gradually toughened until it had become as hard as stone. No arrow could penetrate it. He seemed destined to follow the example of his father, to die among the fields or in the mountains, where his remains would be bleached by the elements. Some were convinced the boy’s life would end in prison chains, while his bad name spread to every roadside.

But now, at once, the tenderness buried in his heart was freed by the midnight strains of the koto. For the first time in many years, he felt tears come to his eyes. Or were they jewelled drops of dew? He would not exchange them for anything.

He, who had known neither love nor compassion, and who had no idea what the player of these refrains could even look like, felt a moment of happiness as the music drifted over the garden wall. […]

[…] How could a stormy wind blow now? The clouds in his heart had disappeared. Once more the woman began to play. The sound of the koto would be his friend for a hundred years, the seed for a hundred years of yearning. He had entered a world where a hundred different flowers wer in bloom.

– In The Shade of Spring Leaves, translated by Robert Lyons Danly

This boy somehow just reminds me so much of Akutagawa. Just like this boy, without any parents and home, wandering around in this world, Akutagawa has become hardened to the world. I’d like to think that Higuchi’s ability could free Akutagawa from his pain, just like the sound of koto does for this boy.

So, now I said everything I wanted to say, I guess. If there is really anyone reading this and reading this until here, thank you so much! I appreciate it very much that you kept reading even though my thoughts are probably quite chaotic. I’m sorry if there are any grammar mistakes or weird sentence structures or anything like this. English is not my first language. I’m very happy, if you could point out any mistakes or have any suggestion for improvement. Lastly, I just want to remind you that these are my thoughts, I love discussing so feel free to comment your thoughts but I’d like you to keep in mind that there is not necessarily a wrong or right, theories are theories, interpretations are interpretations. Everyone has another interpretation. They can only be proven wrong by Asagiri sensei himself. Until then just keep the discussions friendly and tolerant towards other people’s thoughts and opinions.

Sources:

All manga panels used in this post are from easygoingscans

Higuchi Ichiyo (樋口一葉)

Higuchi Ichiyo: "In the Shade of Spring Leaves"

In The Shade Of Spring Leaves: The Life Of Higuchi Ichiyo, With Nine Of Her Best Stories, translated by Robert Lyons Danly

In the Shade of Spring Leaves – Ichiyō Higuchi, Part 1

“Flowers at Dusk” and Other Notes – Ichiyō Higuchi, Part 2

“Encounters on a Dark Night” and Other Notes – Ichiyō Higuchi, Part 3

“Child’s Play” and Other Notes – Ichiyō Higuchi, Part 4

HIGUCHI ICHIYŌ: BADASS WOMEN IN JAPANESE HISTORY

The Thirteenth Night (Wikipedia)

Female Subject, Interrupted in Higuchi Ichiyō's "The Thirteenth Night"

GAME OF TRADITIONS: TRADITION IN THE THIRTEENTH NIGHT AND DIARY OF A MAD MAN

HIGUCHI ICHIYŌ IN MODERN JAPANESE AND EUROPEAN DRESS: Modern Japanese versions (gendaigoyaku) of Higuchi Ichiyō’s Takekurabe and their Relationship with English, Castilian Spanish and Catalan Translations

Separate Ways Summary

Literary Analysis of “Separate Ways”

Flowers at Dusk

Nigorie (Wikipedia)

From the Margins of Meiji Society: Space and Gender in Higuchi Ichiyō's "Troubled Waters"

449 notes · View notes

raayllum · 4 years ago

Text

initial spoiler theories:

note: i don’t have ideas for every spoiler, but here’s a few theories that would group some together, or some for a partial idea.

theory #1: ezran’s birthday

I think early season four may include an episode that touches upon Ezran’s birthday. This would be an easy way to catch us up timeskip wise and includes the Opeli, Barius, and 2 cakes card.

It would be a sweet way to show how Ezran’s support system has changed and grown, possibly solidifying season three. Beyond a big influx of jelly tarts, I can’t think of what else could be mysterious other than some sort of birthday treat. Ezran is the most obvious to me, but I could see it being Callum - maybe because Rayla was supposed to be there if it’s a sort of flashback? But I am currently leaning towards Ezran because the idea of his council secretly throwing him a birthday party is too sweet to pass up.

Could also have:

be Soren and Ava together, if Ellis (and Ava) are invited to Ezran’s party.

theory #2: Xadian & Pentarchy politics

The Gathering of the Six Horns is likely a gathering of elves or dragons from each of the Six Primal Sources / main Xadian groupings. Could refer to the decision to exile humans, lock Aaravos away, or even a post-s3 gathering to discuss the logistics of peace with humans and the Pentarchy.

Janai and Karim, who’s almost certainly her brother, to have juxtaposed ideals concerning who and how Lux Aurea is ruled. Janai likely being for peace, and Karim being against humans due to the death of their sister, Khessa. Possibly each of them rallying their armies or respective factions?

I’m placing this tentatively as a s6 or s7 spoiler, rather than a s4 one like the previous theories, since I think it’ll be a little longer past arc 2 (s4-s5) before Zym starts speaking. That being said, Zym and Zubeia having a heart to heart sounds super sweet, possibly about Zym taking his mother’s place on the throne, and the giant hat (?) being about the logistics of Zym having some kind of crown to wear? (Taking a human tradition, I see?)

Bonus: No idea how or where this fits in, but presumably with the Janai&Karim arc. And if Corvus is there, Amaya (and Ezran) are likely there too!

theory #3: flashbacks and worldbuilding

The crystal / gem lecture to me, makes sense to go to Callum, whether as him just learning about Earth magic while roaming Xadia in s4 or him starting to learn the Earth arcanum itself in a later season. It could also possibly refer to a Moon crystal (trying to track Rayla, maybe?) since we know that moon opals and the like can have special properties.

For the Guardians of the Great Gates, I assume this is the Star Nexus and possibly some other Startouch elves at long last. I could also see the Gates being metaphorical, and the Great Ones (which we already know Aaravos is a part of, thanks to Ziard in 3x01 and the Book One: Moon novelization) - who are the First Elves - knowing how elves first connected to Primal sources. One thing that makes me lean this way is that Pyrda, a Skywing elf from Tales of Xadia, studies more than her own primal, so we know it’s not taboo, and she hopes to retire some day as a Guardian of (magical) Knowledge.

theory #4: where are claudia and rayla?

I think this card could be in regards to Claudia in s4 in terms of digging up Moonshadow elf graves for spell parts while in Xadia. Meanwhile, for Rayla, I would love to see the card featuring “Nyx: I’m back” to refer to her. Nyx could only have that sort of vibe with Callum or Rayla adjacently because she’s met them, and I think Rayla running into Nyx while on her own could be surprisingly funny, emotional, and sweet.

theory #5: coin theory

That the Ezran card is from season five and relates to the coin theory plotline. I think this card may be a reference to a ritual relating to getting Runaan, Lain, and Tiadrin out of the coins. The reason I say this is because the “Take my hand” card from Ezran - and others, which implies a group - is similar to two key instances of ritual and forgiveness with Moonshadow elves.

The first is with Ethari saying to Rayla “Take my hand” in 3x03 for forgiveness and reconciliation with Rayla, which would match a similar scene with Ezran working to bring back someone who would’ve killed him / did kill his father, as far as he knows. It would also parallel the rebirth ritual that Lujanne conducted for Phoe-Phoe at the Moon Nexus in “Through the Moon.”

bonus: soren and zubeia

I was super confused when first seeing a scene with Zubeia and Soren were on one of the cards, given that I’d never expected them to seriously interact. However on a bit of further reflection, I realized that the two have quite a lot in common. Soren couldn’t protect his king, Harrow, and failed Ezran at first by agreeing to his father’s plans; Zubeia was absent from the Spire the day her king, her mate, was felled and her child was killed / stolen. Now with Ezran as the new king and Zym having returned to her, both of these two have a second chance to protect their royal families and loved ones - especially given that Ez and Zym’s efforts towards peace are unlikely to be popular with everyone, and some people would love to take them out. So that’s my two cents for this card / scene theory, for now.

Conclusion

I have some brief other theories, like the scary ice hand relating to Rayla and her binding, and Soren’s “super rich” sketchy crimes being him joking around with Ezran about the things they can do now that Ez is king, but these are the big ones I wanted to get out now.

#tdp theory #tdp spoilers #tdp #the dragon prince #sdcc 2021 #mine #speculation #predictions #s4 #s5 #analysis #parallels #ezran #queen zubeia #nycc 2021

123 notes · View notes

ohnopoe · 3 years ago

Text

no goodbyes | remus lupin

Ship: Remus Lupin x Reader Summary: Leaving Hogwarts and his position as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was hard enough, but leaving you was another thing all together Word Count: 1.7k+ Warnings: Self deprecation, a shitty world, and a surprisingly light amount of angst Author’s Note: Gender not specified/gender neutral. This turned out cuter than I expected tbh... This is for the wonderful wednesday writing challenge that @autumnleaves1991-blog and @clydesducktape organise! The prompt is linked here because spoilers!

There was something bittersweet about returning home for Remus Lupin.

His family home was small and cramped, but soft and warm, filled with reminders of those who were no longer there. Family, friends, it seemed nothing truly lasted in his life, and that only felt more true as he returned now, before the end of term, before he had intended.

Another job lost to his condition.

Somehow the sting of it didn't cut as deep anymore, but then he'd been dealing with the same prejudice for over twenty-five years now, perhaps he was just getting used to it, he thought with a somewhat amused scoff.

He could understand the letters that had swarmed the school the morning the truth had been revealed, he could understand the fear the student's parents had at the thought of him teaching their children. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

And yet, that wasn't anywhere near the most painful part of leaving.

Harry had been disappointed, hell, he looked near heartbroken to see his favourite professor was packing up after all they had gone through in the past few days. And he understood the pain, he really did. The boy had no connection to his parents, and just as he had found two, both were stripped from him.

He would have to try and stay in contact with him, just as soon as he was able to track down Sirius, that is.

Sirius...

The man he had believed capable of betrayal for so many years.

The man he had once called brother, and now- what was he now? Could they go back to the friendship they once had after so much distrust? He could only hope so.

Perhaps there was some good to come from this year after all.

But the moment that thought filled his mind, another face filled his mind.

He had never expected to meet a kindred spirit when he took on the job. He had been determined to keep somewhat to himself, to do his job and make no waves. He hadn't expected you.

The laughter and joy, the late nights that had started out with marking homework together and soon dissolved into simply enjoying one another's company. There was an ease with you that he could not remember ever feeling before.

Even when there was no time, there was still something.

It had started so simply. A book was lent, a note slipped into it. Thoughts shared on a scrap of paper as it was returned.

It soon turned into a pattern.

Books were found with the purpose of being for the other, as you each excitedly awaited the day they would find it back to their gifter's desk, with a simple note which would hint at a long conversation that would come whenever they found the chance.

It was such a soft and gentle thing, and it was yours.

And then there was the moment, only hours earlier, when you had walked into his office, with his book in hand. Your smile refused to meet your eyes, eyes that seemed to hint at a torrent of emotions that were pulled back. There was so much to say, so much he wished he could say, but how could he?

The truth was out, and it didn't matter that you had been there at his side regardless of the fact you had known from the moment he started working by your side. It didn't matter that you had been there the day after every moon, chocolate and pain potions in your bag as you simply sat with him, reading to him when he wanted company, or working silently at his desk when he needed to rest.

It wasn't just about your beliefs now.

Even if, by some miracle, you felt the same way he did, the world would never allow it. You would receive all the hell and prejudice that he needed to protect you from. His love could never be enough to make up for a world of hate. Could it?

He had held back, trying to appear as though his heart wasn't breaking as he realised this was the end.

There would be no more soft conversations or raucous laughter, no more working together as you each complained about the illegible handwriting of student's work.

This would be the last time you entered his office, as this would be the last time it would be his office.

And the book in your hands, his book, would be the last one passed between you.

There was a sadness in your gaze as you looked him up and down, taking in each new mark with the same concern you showed every month, and it stole any words from his mind. How could he find something to say when someone as wonderful as you stood before him?

Your mouth had barely opened before a noise startled you both from behind. His classroom room was pushed open in a hurry, and he glanced down at the open map before him to confirm his suspicions. Harry was not about to let him leave that easily either.

Another broken smile filled your features as you turned away from the doorway to face him once more, and then you were walking forwards.

He felt as though he had been hit with the strongest of stunning spells as he simply watched, unable to convince his legs to move, or his arms to wrap you up and hold you against him as he longed to do. No, he simply watched silently as you placed the book down on his desk with a tenderness that seemed to cut through him.

And when your eyes met his, there was so much there, so much hidden in silence, that he never got a chance to explore.

Harry was at the door, and you were retreating already.

He wanted to follow, trapped in your aura, desperate to never leave you. But Harry needed this too, and as you turned to give him a single nod, he did his best to reconcile that this was the only goodbye he would get from the one he loved in secret.

Funny how he hadn't thought to look at the book after that.

It had gone into his bag almost automatically as he spoke with the desperate boy, but even his subconscious had him holding it carefully, as if somehow he could retain your touch through the book itself.

Now, as he stood with bags in hand in the small cottage of his childhood, it was as though nothing were more important than finding that book and clinging to it.

Clothing and nick nacks were pushed aside as he searched the bag for the precious item, and he sighed with relief as the feel of familiar worn leather touched his skin.

A book on herbology, of all things.

He hadn't even realised he had it before you had found it upon his shelves, and raised it with a tilted head, silently asking if you could borrow it.

Herbology was never a strength of his, and it turned out you were similarly lacking in talent in that department, yet you had taken it with a smile, soft and gentle. A smile that had him realising he would do anything to ensure that smile existed all the more often.

Now, the odd book seemed to be more important than any other, even if it still made little sense to him.

He couldn't help but treasure it as he ran a hand over the cover, staring at it in wonder.

Had you enjoyed it? Had you found it just as confusing as he had?

Now he would never get the chance to discuss it with you, your meetings abruptly ending with the sudden termination of his position.

He couldn't help but wonder, had you left a note in this book? Perhaps something small, a jest about the author's name fitting the topic suspiciously well.

It was with a certain trepidation that he opened the front cover.

What if there was nothing to be found? What if you had decided that after everything that had happened, you didn't even want to do this? What if that was why you had not said goodbye?

No. He was placed in Gryffindor for a reason, and opening a book was not going to be the thing that stopped him in his tracks.

The cover fell open, and he held his breath as he took in the small post-it note that sat right there, with your familiar script staring back at him.

It was a short note, shorter than most, but even the sight of that had him smiling to himself.

If you want to know my thoughts, you're going to have to meet me at The Leaky Cauldron for lunch the day after school lets out.

I'll understand if you don't want to

The huff of laughter that escaped him almost surprised him. But then, he should have known better than to doubt you. You had made it clear from the start that his condition wasn't something that would ever scare you off, going so far as to threaten him with a hex should he ever imply it again.

He should have known better, should have had faith in you.

Perhaps losing his job wasn't the end of everything, perhaps this was just another chapter in his life, and you would remain a steady character, if he would be lucky enough to keep you as a friend.

The note would be treasured, he knew that even now as he unstuck it from the front page, careful not to crease the proof of your unyielding loyalty.

But as he lifted it he noticed something else.

Light shone through the thin paper from the warmth of the fireplace, hinting at more dark ink on the other side.

There, in a slightly more shaky handwriting, but one that was undeniably still yours, held another message.

P.S. I never told you, but I was falling in love.

For the first time in a long time, Remus Lupin felt excited for the school holidays. The end of term could not come fast enough. After all, he had to discuss some notes shared in a book.

#remus lupin #remus lupin x reader #reader insert #professor lupin #harry potter #my fic #remus lupin x you #remus lupin reader insert #remus lupin fanficion #remus lupin fanfic #writer wednesday

83 notes · View notes

wild-karrde · 3 years ago

Text

Reunion - Part 16

Master List | Previous Part | Next Part

A/N: As always, thank you to the fantastic @teletraan-meets-jarvis for beta-reading this chapter for me! :)

Hunter scrubbed his hands over his face once more as he rested his elbows on the table in front of him, trying to absorb the information Senna and Tech had just imparted to him. “Alright, run that by me again, but slower. Because I’m certain I can’t have heard you correctly.”

Senna chewed her lip, risking a look at Echo. His brows were furrowed, and she could see him making the connections she already had with Tech, his lips moving silently as he studied his clasped hands that were resting on the table. Wrecker was glancing back and forth between her and Tech, still refusing to believe what they’d just told them. Rex stood off to the side, arms crossed as his shoulders rested against one of the columns in the small room.

Rex had been the one to recommend they speak with Hunter, Echo, and Wrecker privately before they divulge the information to anyone else, including Omega. They were her brothers and her guardians, and he had wanted them to know what they were stepping into before anyone else found out. Senna had agreed, although she had wished Crosshair had been here as well. That can’t be helped, and this discussion cannot wait. Omega’s life is about to change significantly. And become more dangerous.

She nervously tapped her fingers on the table. “Hunter, I know it seems outlandish and unlikely, but I’ve heard you try and speculate as to the reason why Omega was created before. It seems that this is it.” Her words did little to smooth the crease between his brows.

“I just don’t…wouldn’t we have seen something? Something to reveal her as Force sensitive?”

Senna laughed gently. “I know you’re used to being around Jedi like Anakin and myself who are more well-trained and admittedly flashy in our use of the Force, but none of us start that way.” She chewed her lip. “Can you recall Omega displaying any unusual talents? Anything that she picked up on quickly that caught your attention?”

Wrecker piped up. “The first time she picked up a blaster was on Kamino while we were runnin’ from Crosshair. Was a hell of a shot, and she said she’d never fired a weapon before. She knocked his Firepuncher out of his hands from at least ten meters.”

“And the Dejarik at Cid’s,” Echo said quietly. “She picked up on that after watching only a game or two.”

Tech glanced at Hunter. “When you and Omega went after that Ordo Moon Dragon on that moon we crashed on, you said she tracked it herself once you were rendered unconscious. You even had difficulty picking up her trail. It would suggest that she observed your tracking skills and then was able to apply them herself.”

Hunter waved his hands dismissively. “All of that could be beginner’s luck,” he muttered.

“Hunter, what about the bow? Or how fast she learned to fly the ship?” Echo said softly. “The evidence is staring us in the face, and honestly, a Force sensitivity explains a lot of our questions about her.”

“She’s a smart kid,” Hunter snapped. “She picks up on things quickly.”

Senna reached across the table to grip his hands in hers. “For some of that, sure, it may be that Omega is just a smarter than average kid. But Hunter, you’re a soldier. You know how long it takes to learn to fire a weapon like Omega’s bow. And from the story I heard, she couldn’t really do it until it was demonstrated for her. It took Tech years to train as a pilot, and Omega learned in a few months on a modified ship.” She could feel his concern and confusion whirling like a cyclone within him, and her heart ached as she sensed its source: fear. Fear for Omega’s future and what would become of her, what her next steps would be. She squeezed his hands, and his amber eyes focused on her finally. “I have a theory,” she continued. “Every Force user’s connection to the Force manifests in different ways. For me, it was a mental connection to those around me, an empathetic sense that allowed me to feel the emotions of people and the ability to communicate with others like I’ve done with you. I think for Omega, hers is making itself known in the form of mimicry. I think her attunement to the Force helps her pick up on certain skill sets quickly, like piloting, shooting, and tracking.” She could feel the pieces falling into place for Hunter as his emotions slowly shifted towards acceptance, the whirlwind within him slowing to a steady thrum of concern.

He nodded, his eyes dropping to the table, and she released his hands, sitting back. Echo, Tech, and Wrecker were watching him, gauging his reaction. He cleared his throat, his shoulders rolling back. He’s shifting into his thought process as a military leader. Assessing threats, making calls based on logic rather than his emotions. It’ll help him remain objective, and he knows it, she thought. Hunter’s face was impassive as he finally met Senna’s eyes again.

“What does this mean for her then? What are the next steps?”

Senna glanced over at Rex, who gave her a subtle nod of encouragement. She took a deep breath and wet her lips. “I think we have to tell her. She’s going to notice it herself eventually, and the sooner she knows the sooner she can start controlling it.”

“Will you help her with that?” Hunter asked, and Senna’s heart stuttered in her chest. “Will you train her?”

The Jedi hesitated. I never thought I’d take a padawan. And yet, here we are. She thought of Anakin’s teasing. If only he could see me now.

“If that’s what she wants,” she said quietly. “I’m not sure I’ll be very good at it, but if it’s what Omega wants, I’d be willing to try. For her.” Her heart was still a little broken that the Force user they’d evacuated from Naboo had opted to not pursue any additional training, but she understood the reasoning, and she wondered if Omega would feel the same. “When we talk to her, I want to ensure she understands all of the risks of strengthening her connection to the Force. Other Force users will be able to sense her if they’re nearby and-“

“Like Inquisitors,” Hunter said stonily, and Senna paused again.

“Like Inquisitors,” she confirmed.

He huffed out a breath, crossing his arms across his chest. He wasn’t necessarily angry, but he certainly wasn’t happy. Senna felt herself grasping at anything that would comfort him.

“If you’d want, I’d like you to be involved in her training,” she said quietly. “I think having you all involved would be good for her. At the temple, she’d have been surrounded by peers and masters that she would come to know as family. In this instance, you all are the ones she shares those connections with. You are her family.”

“What good could we do?” Wrecker asked.

Senna smiled at him. “Encourage her. Learn the right things to say when she’s struggling. You’ll be able to see how I coach her in certain areas, so if you’re out with her when I’m not around, you’ll be able to guide her in my stead. This would by no means be a standard master/apprentice relationship. I don’t want her to be isolated from you all, and there will certainly be times where I may not be around.”

She turned back to Hunter. “I know this is a lot to take in right now, and there’s not necessarily a rush to do anything right away, but as I said, Omega will start to notice things. If she hasn’t already.”

Hunter stood abruptly. “I need some air.” Without so much as a glance at any of them, he turned on his heel and marched quickly out of the room. Wrecker stood, tossing an apologetic look at the rest of them.

“I’ll go make sure he’s alright.” With that, the giant clone disappeared.

Senna leaned back in her chair, releasing a deep sigh and scrubbing her hands over her face. “That went about as well as expected I suppose,” she muttered.

Echo hadn’t moved yet. “I’m sorry for the way Hunter reacted,” he said quietly.

Senna sat up, dropping her hands to her lap as she looked at Echo. His shoulders were slumped, and she could feel the same fear Hunter had rolling off of him in waves.

“Echo,” she said softly, and he turned and met her gaze. “If she decides to train, I promise I’ll do right by her,” Senna offered gently.

He huffed a dry laugh. “I’m not worried about that. There are few I’d rather have train her than you, if I’m honest. I just…” he paused, the words seeming to elude him.

“You’re scared for her,” Senna finished softly, and he confirmed it with a slight nod.

“I am.” He rubbed the thumb of his flesh hand over the knuckles of his cybernetic before flexing his fingers nervously. “I know what happened to you, Senna. How could I not be?”

“I think I was wrong, Echo. I don’t think the Inquisitors can track Force users from a distance.”

“Right, only if they’re nearby,” he said, his voice still low and eerily calm. “And what if they enter this system? Is that near enough? Then she risks compromising this entire base just by being here.”

The realization hit Senna like a speeder. “You’re afraid she’ll leave,” she said quietly.

Echo met her eyes once more, his eyes glistening. “She might want to. And what right do we have to keep her here when she endangers everyone?” His hands were trembling. He’s afraid she’ll want to go alone, like I did. Senna’s heart shattered, her vision blurring from unbidden tears as her eyes fell to her lap.

Rex straightened off of the column, coming to stand at the end of the table near Echo. “I don’t think we should start worrying that many steps ahead yet. We need to take this one thing at a time, and I think the first thing is figuring out how you all would like to discuss this with Omega.”

Echo nodded quietly in agreement, but Senna sensed Rex’s words brought him little relief. Tech had been uncharacteristically silent since Hunter left, and Senna turned to him.

“What do you think, Tech?”

He sighed. “I agree with Rex, although things such as these are not my forte.”

Senna laughed dryly. “You mean things that don’t involve a wrench?”

“Precisely,” he replied, although there was little mirth in his tone.

Echo stood slowly, resting his palms on the table before rapping on the smooth surface twice with the knuckles of his organic hand. “Right. Well, one step at a time then. It’s late, and Omega’s already asleep. Hunter won’t want to wake her for this. We should go find the others, Tech, and start talking through things.” Tech nodded and Echo’s eyes met Senna’s. “Would you like to be involved in those discussions?” he asked.

She shook her head. “You all are her brothers. If you want me there, I’ll be there, but I’m following your lead on this.”

He glanced down once more before straightening and glancing at Tech, who bobbed his head in understanding. “Goodnight,” Echo said quietly before he and Tech exited the room.

Senna still hadn’t moved from her seat, her eyes burning as she picked at some dirt under her fingernails on her right hand. She felt Rex come to sit in the chair next to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze until he took her right hand in his, gently rubbing his thumbs over the back of her hand.

“You are doing the right thing for her,” he said softly.

“I know,” she replied, a lump lodging itself in her throat. “I’m just as scared for her as they are though. They’re right about all of it.”

Rex sighed, searching for the words. “Maybe not all. There’s still a lot of unknowns when it comes to the Inquisitors.”

Senna huffed a dry laugh. “There’s as much danger in that as comfort.”

Rex grunted, shrugging his shoulders slightly in agreement. They sat in silence for a few more moments before he stood, gently tugging her to her feet. “I think perhaps it’s time we turn in as well. Like Echo said, there’s not a whole lot more that can be done tonight.” He cupped her cheeks, his thumbs grazing her cheekbones until she met his eyes. “One step at a time,” he said quietly, giving her a small smile, and she covered his hands with hers, returning the expression, although she knew the expression didn’t carry all the way to her eyes. He noted it, but didn’t say anything as he slipped his hand into hers and led her out of the room and back to his ship.

---

Senna stood on the bridge of the Venator, the expanse of space stretching out in front of her through the viewport. A dark figure stood at the end of the walkway, their back to her as they looked out at the starfield stretched out before them. Her fingers drifted to her hip, grazing the cool metal of her lightsaber’s hilt, bringing her some comfort.

At least that much is the same.

Her steps were slow as she approached the figure. Her eyes darted back and forth, looking for Rex, certain he’d appear at any moment, beaten and bloodied.

“Do you know what I’ve become?”

The voice was deep, modulated, unfamiliar. The statement was bracketed by the sound of air filling and escaping false lungs. As she approached, Senna could see the figure wore a gleaming black helmet that flawlessly reflected the lighting of the bridge.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“A friend long dead. The enemy who hunts you even now. You may have escaped my Inquisitors, Master Aven, but you will not escape me.”

A shock of cold shot through Senna’s body, blades of ice slicing into her veins. She’d felt the cold of a dark presence before, but never like this. She fell to her knees, her lightsaber clattering from her grasp as she gasped for air. Despite the shiver that ran through her body, there was a haunting familiarity, another warning sounding at the back of her mind. She couldn’t pinpoint it, couldn’t decipher it.

The figure turned, facing her now. She could see the mask covered the Sith lord’s face entirely, sinister and emotionless as he stepped forward. He was tall, imposing as his cape billowed out behind him, his large boots thudding against the durasteel deck.

She felt a squeeze of her throat, slowly building until she was clawing at her neck, sobbing for air. The Sith flicked his wrist, and she was pulled into the air, shooting towards him. As she approached, the mask began to grow blurry as if it was out of focus.

A shout echoed to her left and Senna whipped her head around as a gloved hand wrapped around her throat, dangling her feet off of the ground. She squinted into the darkness as her fingers wrapped around the arm that held her.

“SENNA!”

A flash of blonde hair and amber eyes.

“OMEGA, RUN!” Senna screamed as the young girl stepped into the light.

Omega stood motionless, her head tilting slightly as she looked at Senna.

“DO AS I SAY! RUN!” Senna croaked, the grip around her neck tightening.

Blue and white armor appeared behind the young girl. A helmet adorned with the scratches and scrapes of a hundred battles. And the Jaig eyes.

“Omega!” Rex shouted, gripping the young girl’s arms.

“REX! TAKE HER AND GO!” Senna gasped, struggling to find the air. The helmet snapped up to look at her, and Rex froze where he stood, his visor trained on the Sith lord. Senna slowly turned her head back to face her assailant.

He was no longer wearing the helmet. His face was covered in scars, eyes that were once a soft blue glowing yellow and red with hatred as he snarled at her, his grip tightening. The handsome Jedi knight that she’d known was long gone, replaced by this monster wearing his face.

“Do you know what I’ve become?” he asked again.

The voice. Unmodulated. Pained. But undeniably his.

“Anakin,” she gasped.

His brows furrowed as he stared at her. “Anakin’s dead, Sen.”

The nickname ripped another sob from her, and she reached for his cheek. “Anakin, please.”

He brought her closer to him, his breath hot against her ear as he whispered to her. “I know you’re alive. And I will find you.” Reaching out, he hovered his other hand over her face. A searing pain shot through Senna’s head, more intense than what she’d experienced with the Inquisitor years ago. She screamed as tears poured from her eyes.

“I’ll find you, Sen.”

“SENNA, WAKE UP!”

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, scrambling backwards in the bunk until her shoulder blades slammed against the hull. The cold metal combined with the jolt broke the dream’s hold on her, and her eyes darted around wildly. Her hands flew to her throat, the feeling of the cool leather still ghosting over her flesh.

“Senna.” Rex was kneeling in front of her, his hands resting on her knees as he searched her eyes. She was drenched in sweat and trembling. Rex took her hands, trying to calm her, but a sob ripped from her throat, tears leaking from her eyes.

Rex moved quickly, enveloping her in his arms as he stroked her hair. She sobbed against his chest, holding him tightly.

“I’m right here,” he mumbled against the crown of her head. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

“Anakin,” she gasped. “O-Omega.”

Rex paused his rocking, freezing at the mention of his former general. “What about them?”

“They…they were there. He…he was…it can’t be.” She took a deep stuttering breath and held it for a few beats before releasing it. “The Sith lord was there, the one there are rumors about. He said he was going to find me. It…he had Anakin’s face, Rex.”

She met his eyes, and found them distant. “That…that can’t be Senna. Anakin was killed when the order was given.” His voice broke and Senna leaned forward to rest her forehead against his.

“I know that,” she whispered. “He’s just been on my mind a lot lately. Ever since you asked me about him. I…I watch you and your brothers, and I miss…I miss him. He was the closest thing I had to family before I met all of you.” She felt her voice crack, and Rex placed a kiss to her forehead. She could feel the dampness on his cheeks as he gathered her in his arms again, before laying back down. She draped her leg across his hip, snuggling into the divot in his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist. He turned, resting his lips against her forehead as his fingers gently combed through her hair.

“I miss him too. Every day,” he said softly. “He wasn’t a clone, but he was my brother in arms. I trusted him implicitly, and I know he trusted me as well.”

Senna squeezed Rex gently. “He did. I know he told you about him and the senator.”

Rex pulled back to glance down at her in surprise, and she smiled. “I tried to discourage him from marrying her, not because I didn’t like Senator Amidala. If I’m honest, I can’t believe she fell for him.” She chuckled and felt the rumble of a laugh in Rex’s chest. “I just knew the toll it would take on him to have to hide that part of himself. Anakin was so proud of her and the family they were starting.” She swallowed the lump in her throat at the thought of them all, now gone. “He would have been an incredible father,” she whispered.

“That or you and I would have been on permanent babysitting duty,” Rex said, his voice still sad, but with a hint of laughter sprinkled in. Something in the way that he said it made Senna believe Rex had thought of this often, what it would have been like to be around Anakin’s children and what role he might have played. She squeezed him tighter and felt him return the gesture.

They were quiet for a few moments before Rex asked, “Do you think he would have left the Order once they were born?”

Senna had often contemplated the question as she had watched the Senator near the end of her pregnancy. The war had been clearly drifting towards its conclusion, and with it, she assumed some sort of change in the galaxy. She didn’t imagine there would be any drastic changes to the Jedi Order, but she knew Anakin would have tried to press the Council to see a different side of things. “I think he would have tried very hard to stay. The Council was stubborn, but Anakin gave them a run for their credits in that department.” She laughed gently before stilling, growing more serious. “I think he would never have given up what he had with Padmé, even if that meant giving up the Order and walking away. Watching Ahsoka leave changed him, made him realize that perhaps the Jedi weren’t right in all things. The cracks in the foundation of his beliefs were already forming, and she accelerated their growth substantially.”

“I guess we’ll never know,” he rumbled.

“Yeah. I guess not.”

---

Rex’s snoring eventually resumed, but Senna’s mind wouldn’t stop racing as she laid next to him in the bunk.

It’s just because I was thinking about him. That’s all. And Omega was there because I’m worried about her. Just my mind tormenting me with my incessant worrying.

After a few hours, she finally gave up. Carefully, she slipped out of the bunk, closing the sliding door to let Rex sleep a little longer as she pulled on her clothes. The first rays of morning were shining in through the viewport of the ship, flooding the walls and floor with orange and pink light. Senna lowered the ramp and opened the hatch, stepping out in the dewy morning air. As she reached the bottom of the ramp, she noted a figure sitting at the end of the tarmac, facing towards the sunrise.

Quietly, she approached, coming to sit next to the young woman. Omega had her knees pulled up under her chin, her arms wrapped around her legs. Senna reached out gently with the Force and could feel the unrest radiating off of the girl. Without a word, Senna plopped down next to her, leaning back on her palms.

“I know,” Omega said after a few moments, and Senna turned to her in surprise.

“When did they talk to you?” she asked.

“Last night. I heard Hunter and Tech arguing and woke up. I stood outside the door listening for a while, and when they calmed down, Hunter realized I was out there.” She laughed softly. “It clearly wasn’t how they’d planned on doing it, but they did their best.”

Senna nodded slowly. “How do you feel?”

Omega sighed, crossing her arms on top of her knees and burying her face in them. “Overwhelmed,” she said, her voice muffled. “Scared.”

“That’s understandable,” Senna replied. “It’s a lot to take in, even if your brothers had been able to plan it out. Not a blow that can be softened very well.”

“They said you might train me,” Omega said, turning her face so that one eye peered out from below her mop of blonde hair.

Senna watched her carefully. “If that’s what you’d want,” she replied evenly. “There’s no obligation here.”

Omega nodded, mulling that over. “And if I say ‘no’?”

“Then the most I’ll do is teach you to control your Force sensitivity. I’m sure you may have noticed certain things that seemed unusual. I’d help you learn how to keep things in check, so you don’t accidentally do anything that could hurt yourself or others. Or give you away.”

“And I wouldn’t get stronger?” the young clone asked. “I’d stay the same?”

“As much as possible. The focus wouldn’t be on strengthening your connection. Just keeping yourself in control.”

“Have you ever…lost control?” she asked carefully.

Senna wet her lips. “A few times when I was younger. My Force sensitivity manifested as me being able to feel the emotions of others, and before I got a handle on that, I wouldn’t be able to control myself in the presence of strong emotions. I’d be inconsolable if someone around me was grieving. I threw something once when I was first at the temple because someone down the hall got very angry, and I shared in their rage.”

“Was it only when you were younger?”

“No,” Senna said softly. “I…I almost hurt Rex a few years ago. It was before I knew him very well. I got very angry at him one night and…threw him against a wall. My emotions got the best of me, and I’d let my connection to the Force fade, but in that moment, I acted out of anger. I wasn’t in control.” She could see Omega’s eyes widen, and floundered, worried she was scaring the girl. “These are all things I can help you avoid, Omega. Even if you don’t want to become a Force wielder, I can just teach you how to be in control.”

The young girl rested her chin on her arms, staring out at the sunrise. “And if I say ‘yes’? If I ask you to train me?”

Senna felt an unexpected soaring sensation in her chest. She hadn’t realized it until just this instance, but she was hoping Omega would allow her to train her. Desperately. She did her best to keep her voice even and her emotions in check. “Then I will take you as a padawan and will pass on everything I learned to you. It’s an important bond between two people, a sacred relationship in the eyes of the Jedi. You would be my charge.”

“Would I have to leave and go with you?” Senna wasn’t certain if this question was stemming from Omega’s knowledge of how the Jedi did things or the fear Echo had voiced, so she treaded carefully, trying to select a neutral approach.

“I wouldn’t take you away from your brothers. I’d want them involved in your training so that if I’m not around, they know how to help you. I won’t take you anywhere you don’t want to go.”

Omega nodded silently, staring out over the trees again. Senna scooted closer to her, turning so that she was facing her completely. She gripped the young girl’s ankles, rotating her so that they faced each other. “Omega, whatever you decide, I want you to understand that there is danger for people like us. You have no obligation to me or anyone in terms of what you choose, but I need you to know that if you choose to strengthen your connection to the Force, life will become more dangerous for you. And even if you don’t, there still will be those that wish to do you harm.”

“Because of the Empire.”

“Yes. They want to find people like us. We are powerful weapons in their eyes.”

Omega’s brow furrowed as she picked at her fingernails. “But I could be a powerful weapon for the rebellion instead.”

Senna felt herself searching for the right words once more. I kriffing knew I wasn’t cut out for this. Anakin is somewhere laughing at me right now, I’m certain. “No. You won’t be a weapon. That’s not what this gift is for,” she said firmly. “You are a person with special abilities that allow you to connect to the living things around you. Life is sacred, and should be treated as such. Your gifts are only to be used in defense of life.”

The young clone’s eyes narrowed. “But wouldn’t I be helping protect life if I fight for the rebellion?”

Senna gave an exasperated sigh as she ran her hands through her hair. “I didn’t anticipate a philosophy lesson before I’d had any caf,” she joked, and Omega gave her a small smile. Senna gathered her thoughts. “You can fight for what you believe in certainly, but I don’t want you to feel that you’re some weapon to be wielded. You are a person with agency, and you should always think of yourself as such. Our choices are what define us, and this decision you have before you is one that will set you on one of two paths for the rest of your life. There’s no right or wrong, but only you can make that call. Do you understand?”

Omega nodded, grinning a little more. “You’re not as bad at this as you think.”

Senna sat back on her heels, puffing her cheeks up and blowing out a deep breath. “Not sure I’m good at it either.”

“Not yet, but maybe we’ll get better together.”

Senna chewed her lip hard to try and keep herself grounded. “You’re talking as though you’ve made a decision already.”

Omega glanced back towards the base, her lips pursed as she thought. “I think I have. I didn’t really go back to sleep after they told me the truth, so I had a lot of time to weigh my options.”

Senna nodded. “If you need more time, that’s perfectly fine.”

Omega turned back to her, her eyes burning intently. “No. I don’t think I do. I’d like you to take me on. As a padawan.”

Senna felt as if she’d been plugged into a power converter, her nerves singing with electricity. “If you’re sure. We’ll get started right away.”

She stood, offering a hand down to the young clone and pulling her to her feet. Her padawan looked up at her, eyes sparkling in the golden light of the morning, and she smiled. “I’d like that very much, Master Atiniir.”

22 notes · View notes

zodiyack · 4 years ago

Text

Voice

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Female!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, PTSD mention, I think that’s it

Words: 1,797

Summary: Tommy wants to spend the rest of his life with Y/n. A peculiar little thing about life is that you never stop learning, and Tommy learns a thing or two, letting Y/n learn more about him in return...or is it him who learns from her?

Note: I suck at words, Tommy Shelby edition. And I couldn’t come up with a summary or title for this so know that if they don’t make sense together (or the story at all)...I know.

Taglist: @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @fandom-puff, @darling-i-read-it, @simonsbluee, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow, @captivatedbycillianmurphy, @jenepleurepasbaby, @stydia-4-ever, @stuckysslag, @marquelapage, @i-love-superhero, @psychkunox, @tommyxshelby

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist | Cillian Murphy Masterlist

The morning he met her was the first morning of many that his genuinely eyes opened since the war. Trauma had changed his life for what he thought was a permanent turn for the worst, but upon meeting her, it seemed that heaven was within his grasp once more. Impossible, he thought at first. Yet, later, when he put more thought into it, perhaps his redemption was actually there.

So the next time he saw her, he took a deep breath, reminded himself that he was no longer a boy, and went for it. Alas, his confidence joined him under the definition of cowardice in the very least second; she titled her head, innocent eyes sparkling with curiosity as she awaited whatever he had to say. But no words left his lips. She snatched them away with something even Thomas didn’t know of.

“Are you alright?” She asked, the concern in her voice lifting his spirits high as a warm feeling entered his body. It was the first time in what felt like centuries that a feeling as happy as that coursed through him.

It was also the first time that he was left without words. He tried, opening his mouth as if it were as easy as that to get the things he needed to say out, but he was still without anything but air.

“Sir?” Her brows furrowed. He couldn’t tell whether she was getting annoyed, scared, or just overly frightened for him, but he closed his mouth and reminded himself to breathe. Do not forget to breathe.

Was he sure he was a man? Or was he a boy once again? The same boy before the war who would blush and flirt teasingly, who held so much joy that his cheeks hurt.

And then it happened.

A smile grew upon his lips and he nodded.

A chuckle of relief left her mouth and she lifted her hand to her chest, resting it over her heart. “Oh thank fucking god- I admit, I was rather worried there. For both you and I!” She averted her eyes for a split second before redirecting them to his. “If you aren’t in any trouble... Is there anything I can help you with?”

The words were still lodged in his throat. So he did the only thing he could think of and sheepishly shook his head, turned, and left.

More interactions occurred between the two until one day, when she showed up at his office in search of a job. Lizzie knocked at his door, announcing that he had an appointment.

“Send ‘em in.” He replied lightly, not even lifting his eyes from the paper in front of him. Lizzie took a second, waiting for the moment that would never come- the one where he took a second away from work to actually look people in the face, but gave in with a sigh and closed the door.

“Go on in, hon.” She nodded her head to the door, returning to the typewriter and resuming her work.

It was silent aside from Lizzie’s typing. The click clacking of the keys, letters stamping the ink onto the paper, the quickness of her fingers at work. Y/n got lost in it momentarily before the noise suddenly ceased. Lizzie lifted her head, a brow quirked as she stared and waited for Y/n to enter Thomas’ office.

“Finally. Ahem, I suppose you’re here for...” Tommy started when the door squeaked open again but trailed off when he finally lifted his head. He couldn’t blink away the surprise, not this time. She truly caught him off guard.

And, apparently, him her.

“So he speaks? ...Ah- my apologies! Yes, Mr. Shelby, I’m here for a job...and, not on the topic of occupation, I would like to mention that you have a lovely voice. I think I’d enjoy hearing it more often.”

She definitely heard more of it.

Tommy gave her the job, and with it, a relationship. At first they were strictly boss and employee, but soon, it sparked into something more. Friendship. Good friendship. Close Friendship.

Then ...Romance.

The day came where Tommy learned a lesson or two about love from someone he deeply admired and respected. Someone close, someone he loved but not in the way he did Y/n. Polly Gray payed her nephew a visit and taught him the thing he dreaded but knew he’d have to face eventually.

“If you want her to some day be your wife, then you have to let her in!” She’d taken a liking to Y/n as well. After all, she was technically Y/n’s boss as well, so she met the woman and didn’t hesitate in accepting their relationship. “She knows what you let her about this business, but one day she’ll either want to know more or find out on her own accord.”

Pol wasn’t just talking about business. She meant honesty in every way he could describe it. The depressive sides he hid from even his family, his brothers whom suffered the same aside, and so much more the world had yet to see. He could either hide it or show her, but one day it would come into the light.

It was true, and unpleasantly so. The downside to being part of the Peaky Blinders was one that came with life in general; Love wasn’t easy. If he wanted, he could just force Y/n out of the country, forget about her, and move on. She’d be safe and he’d be happy knowing she was, but deep down, he was too much of a coward to do something like that. Too afraid of what could happen to her, to her feelings, to his own...

So Tommy listened and grew a metaphorical pair. The night he planned on opening up to her, an uneasy feeling nagged at his gut. This was his one shot. His shot at being with the love of his life, creating a family and knowing what it feels like to be loved by someone, and not in a platonic way. He held onto the feeling she gave him and used it to power his courage.

“Are you alright, Tommy?” Her gentle hand that previously combed through his hair came into contact with his jaw. Not harsh, but gentle. Softly guiding his head, she forced his bright blue orbs to meet hers. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Her hand moved up slightly to caress his cheek. Thomas leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and reveling in the moment. He truly felt youth envelope him whenever he was with her. His demons faded as if they never existed in the first place every time her presence was with his.

Then, he lifted his hand to meet her wrist. He took the other with the same grip and opened his eyes, looking into her with the same admiration she had only mere minutes ago. “I know.”

“Then tell me...what’s bothering you?”

Tommy thought for a second, but just as the first time he tried to form words, his cowardliness came a ’nocking on his door. “It’s nothing, love. How ‘bout we sleep, yeah?”

Y/n hesitated but nodded, curling into his side and drifting off slowly. It took him a bit longer, but by midnight, the two were out cold. Of course, he never stayed asleep long. She didn’t know that, however. Tommy never let her stay the night until tonight, afraid of what she would think of his softer, more fearful side when he was too overwhelmed to hide it.

He awoke with a start, chest heaving heavily and breath so terribly uneven, one would think he were on the brink of death. That’s what he felt like. As though he were on the smallest ledge, seconds away from cracking down the part of which connected him too the land full of life and dropping him into the deepest pits of hell itself. Tommy’s nightmare woke Y/n too.

She was drowning in concern the second her eyes snapped open. “Tommy- Tommy!” He couldn’t help but panic, the PTSD too much for him, “Hey- hey, I’m here. Okay? It’s me.” she didn’t blame him. Instead, she gripped his wrists like he did hers and softly ushered him back into his calm state. Her whispers were reassuring and brought him back to reality, soothing his mind with powers similar to a siren’s.

“Y/n- I’m sorry-” He spoke hurriedly after she lit a candle- it provided them with enough light to see one another, not that the moon didn’t already do that enough.

“Don’t be. From the looks of it, this isn’t the first time this has happened.” She didn’t sound tired, not even a blink of sleep left in her eyes nor voice. “Tommy... Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tommy was a little taken aback by her lack of fear or other emotions like disgust, although he couldn’t quite think of a single reason as to why she’d feel that of all things, but answered her as honestly as he could. Just like Polly told him too. “I’m not sure... I was...cowardly. Though you’d be ashamed or something.”

She squinted at him, “Why on earth would I feel ashamed?”

A few seconds went by of his eyes darting around as he mentally searched for a possible answer and he came up blank. Thomas shrugged, “Fuck... I don’t even fucking know.”

They shared a chuckle, hushed but still very much real. Y/n caressed his cheeks again, tracing his beautifully sculpted features with gentle fingers.

“I love,” her eyes scanned his face lovingly, “every part of you. Whether you like a detail about you or not, I will love it with every fiber of my being. The good, the bad...the mildly confusing,” he chuckled with her, “I love it.”

Y/n pulled away from him and leaned him. She blew out the candle then readjusted her position under the sheets, squirming into Tommy’s side and resting her head atop his chest. It rose and fell with each breath he took, his torso lifting her head and dropping it as carefully as one would rock a baby.

“I’m here now, and I’m here to stay. We can either stay awake or, you can lie down with me and get through this shit together. Either way, I’m not letting you face anything else alone.”

“Y/n-” He was going to tell her that it was fine, shove another lie to hide his worries despite inevitable discovery.

“I mean it, Thomas. For as long as I live, you will never have to carry your struggles by your lonesome. So, in the morning, you can tell me what I’m gonna be helping you with.” She paused before cracking a smile. “After all, you know how much I love your voice.”

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby x reader #cillian murphy #cillian murphy x reader #thomas shelby #peaky blinders x reader #x reader #zodiyack #reader insert #imagine #tommy shelby imagine #all readers #cillian murphy imagine #this is so confusing so i can't blame you if you think that as well #writing at midnight after taking meds may not have great outcomes #but i haven't posted in five does so i say fuck it

289 notes · View notes

otterskin · 4 years ago

Text

Dumb Details From the Loki Trailer I noticed but then got too serious about

First - apparently it’s not a trailer, so I guess we’ll get ‘Trailer 1′ later? ‘Exclusive Clip’ hardly seems accurate, but hey, I’m not Disney’s marketing division. I wouldn’t live in a shoebox if I was.

Dumb detail no. 1:

Owen Wilson’s jacket is...weird. Look closely.

And another shot:

Yeah...his jacket has a ‘reversed collar’. It’s a cut-out rather than cloth folding on top. Huh. What a strange design choice. What could it mean?

I’ve no idea, but that I watched the trailer enough times to notice this should concern you.

Detail No. 2

In this scene, we see what we can presume to be President Loki’s ‘Throne’. Notice the candy-canes. This is a Santa Claus throne, presumably from some mall Santa. This whole place might be in a mall, judging by the stuff in it.

But the Loki in this shot is not President Loki. Notice that he’s wearing brown pants, a thin brown tie, and the beige shirt he’s seen wearing in other parts of the trailer after he's apparently joined the TVA. President Loki wears black pants, a green vest and a wide green tie with a golden clip that resembles Loki’s little chevron he always has (more on that later).

So it would seem that Loki might meet President Loki here. President Loki might even be addressing him at the end of the trailer. It’s possible that his minions turn on him because there’s two Lokis and they don’t know which is the ‘imposter’.

Speaking of, there’s a minion with bicycle handlebars grafted to a football helmet here, likely meant to resemble Loki. I dig it. There’s also cans of food scattered among the rubbish here. Makes sense that food production is non-existent since everyone has resorted to wearing license plates and spoons. Love how tattered the whole aesthetic is.

This reminds me of the opening Michael Waldron’s script ‘Worst Guy of All Time’, which featured a similar post-apocalyptic setting after the ‘worst guy’ ruins everything and makes himself king of the ashes. That’s likely what’s happened here, but I hope that Loki isn’t anything like Logan Paul, who was the inspiration for that title character.

Ah, the mysterious female character watching a meteor shower WAY TOO CLOSE UP. But my eyes are drawn to one thing...

What is that oblong object with a shiny handle? Could it be...

A sword? I do love swords. Did you know there’s a bunch of pictures of me in the stock photos for ‘Fencing?’ That’s my cred for loving swords.

I suspect that this female character will be an amalgamation of Amora (shudder) and Sylvie and an alternate Loki of some kind. This sword is currently in her possession, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it or another timeline version of it becomes the Loki Show’s Loki′s weapon.

Loki has lacked a ‘weapon of his own’ in the MCU for quite some time. I mean, yes, he has his little knives, but they are many and disposable and something he chose for himself, rather than the two legendary weapons wielded by Odin and Thor, Gungnir and Mjolnir. In fact, throughout his appearances, Loki has seemed to want such a thing of his own - he briefly had Gungnir, and then the Gungnir-like scepter, and even tried to lift Mjolnir.

One might ask why Odin would’ve overlooked such an obvious show of favouritism. Why give Thor a storied weapon and leave Loki empty-handed? Heck, even Hela had the Necroblade.

In Thor 1, we might’ve assumed that the Casket of Ancient Winters was perhaps intended one day to be given to Loki, as it is shown with Mjolnir in the Vault and thus connected to it and the children who would inherit it. But in the comics, Odin did have another weapon of storied history put away for his second son: Gram the Sword.

It was locked for eons by Odin in a special vault which required five keys to be opened, and it was meant to be for Loki if he be worthy.[2] The five keys were infused by Odin with the powers of "journeys", "endurance", "secrets", "new beginnings", and "brotherhood", respectively.[3]

The sword, like everything else in comics, has a complicated history full of take-backs and twists, but let’s just leave it at ‘it’s a representation of Loki’s worthiness and belonging in the trifecta with Odin and Thor as a King of Asgard’. It gives him ‘equality’.

In the original mythology, it’s wielded by Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir, and the only relation it has to Loki is that Loki is partially responsible for Fafnir existing in the first place (my username is nod to this myth by the by. Sorry Ottär.) But hey, maybe that means we’re getting a dragon? The Fafnir would be very cool.

Or it could just be a bit of rebar in this mining quarry.

Then again...it appears somewhere else...

It’s easier to see in motion, but that’s a sword swinging on this person’s back.

So the hooded figure is this lady...shall we call her Amylkie? Does that mean she’s the antagonist of this show? Well...maybe, but I suspect the true antagonist is foreshadowed here -

So, what’s going on here? A young girl (Young Amylkie? Some other TVA prisoner that the guard is watching over? An oracle, A Norn, or a kid who wandered off from the tour group in a basilica somewhere?) She’s giving Mobius M. Mobius a...piece of chocolate. Maybe he saw a Dementor, I dunno. I suspect it’ll be a MacGuffin of some kind later. He looks pretty concerned here, which contrasts with his ‘another day at the office’ blaséness when dealing with Loki. But of course this is the eye-catcher:

So, Norse Mythology. It’s been Christiannized. You can thank Snorri Sturluson for that, but you can google all about him later. Let’s just say that he made many Norse figures into equivalents for Christian ones. Baldur is Jesus, pure and a sacrificial lamb who dies for a greater good. And the devil is...Loki. Something the Marvel comics and the MCU have continued.

Here we have a devil, dressed in green and with a distinct shape on his chest:

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

Ah. I’d say that cinches it. This is meant to be Loki. If you look at the devil’s hair, it also resembles Loki’s, being shoulder-length and black.

So, what’s devil-Loki doing? Laying an egg? Trying out a foot massager? For a second I thought it was a moon, but we see the moon over his left shoulder, amongst the stars. Which means this is - probably the Earth.

...Dammit; I live there.

So Earth is barren and being devoured by flames, likely caused by this Loki sitting atop of it (in a throne, no less). Aw gee, things look pretty bad, don’t they?

But wait - what’s that? Under the Earth (and, possibly, under the earth)?

It’s a plant. A shoot, to be exact.

Back to Ragnarok for a second. Ragnarok isn’t the apocalypse (something we see a lot of in this trailer - all of it seems to be exploring the end of days). Ragnarok is the fire meant to wipe out the old and fertilize the ground for the new. And after the gods have died, what happens? Well, Baldur emerges from Hel, one of the only surviving gods (hmm, seems him dying worked out, didn’t it?). He’s joined by Líf and Lífþrasir, who are the new first man and woman, who’s names mean ‘Life’ and who are pictured, usually, with plants and new life. It is they who are tasked who growing a new Yggdrasil after the destruction of the old. The previous first man and woman are Ask and Embla, meaning Ash Tree and Vine/Elm tree, so there’s a theme there.

So a new sprout, possibly a tree, growing out of the destruction of the old.

This fits with Loki’s role as understood in mythology. He checks the arrogance of the gods, including when they tried to achieve immortality (sorry, Baldur, nothing personal), and that keeps the gods at their best. After Loki is imprisoned, the gods become weak, unhelpful and foolish, and Yggdrasil starts to rot. Eventually Loki escapes and returns along with Surtur (who also resembles this figure) to burn it all to the ground. This is also referenced in Thor:Ragnarok, with Loki releasing Surtur in the Vault, a place of thematic importance to Loki and one that represents the hidden secrets and sins of Asgard). You could say Ragnarok continued into Infinity War, where Loki played an important part in aiding Thanos’ destruction, giving up the stone to protect his brother and essentially dooming the rest of the universe - but also ultimately leading to its salvation, even if, like Myth Loki, he wasn’t around to see it.

So, we see Amylkie literally start a fire in the trailer -

- in fact, this whole trailer is awash in flame -

It’s fire, fire everywhere and she’s setting them!

It’s possible Amylkie’s our big bad, but I think there’s a chance she’s either a red herring, or, much like how Loki ‘worked’ with Thanos in The Avengers, she is the pawn of a greater foe -

- a Loki bent on destruction, for some reason or other. The TVA is obviously aware that this is the case, and it seems like they might be trying to ‘fight fire with fire’ by enlisting one Loki to combat another. The villain could be President Loki, since there's evidence of 2 Lokis in that scene - or maybe that's one of many Lokis, and the Big Bad Loki is being played by Hugh Grant as Old Loki. In any case, it would appear that Loki will be coming face-to-face with the worst versions of himself, and many of them. And, if I’m right about this scene:

...Loki will likely eventually discover that even his ‘good’ timeline ended in the destruction of his people and home, plus his own gruesome and torturous death. Although I think the TVA will keep that from him, and just show him the happy parts in an effort to inspire ‘good behaviour’. Until Loki inevitably discovers the rest of how that timeline played out and realize he’s been lied to. I don’t imagine he’ll take that very well...

Damn, even our ‘hero’ Loki is burning stuff down! Does this mean that Loki is doomed, always meant to be an avatar of death and toasty destruction?

Well...let’s go back to that stained glass.

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

And there’s something else...the bottom of the Earth is being lit up, and not by fire. Light appears to be coming off this little plant.

What colour is this plant again? That’s right, green. Green is the colour of new life and growth and change and...hang on, I’ve heard that before, too...

Hang on hang on HANG ON... let me have a look at the shape again.

That’s...a letter. An L? For Loki? Like in the title sequence?

Wait...no, a different letter. An older letter. After all, Loki is old Norse. How do you spell his name in that again?

ᛚᛟᚲ ᛁ -

And ENHANCE on that third letter!

This, my friends, is a Kenaz/Kaunaz, or what would become 'K' in our alphabet. It is also known as the 'Loki Rune' (and the Ulcer Rune, for some reason. I suspect Odin understands why). It’s used to spell his name, but is also used on his own to represent him. Heck, it's even his Superman 'S' in the comics:

Runes are more than letters - they are symbols for concepts. So what else does it mean?

Primarly, it means ‘torch’.

And also ‘knowledge’ (ken). As well as ‘growth, change, the search for truth, decay, arrogance, elitism, feminine, kinship and creativity.’

...Okay, that’s a lot, but you have to admit it fits.

More specifically, it means ‘Mastery of the Fire’. As in, someone who has learned to tame fire so that it is helpful, not harmful. To bring light and, symbolically, knowledge.

There’s another way Loki’s been associated with fire - in the Wagner Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, the opera that inspired much the Thor films’ aesthetic and certainly their helmets, Loki is called ‘Loge’, which means ‘Fire’. He’s usually dressed to match, too -

Many trickster figures are associated with fire. They are usually called ‘Fire-bringers’ - See: Raven, Lucifer, Prometheus, etc. They are often complex figures with a foot in different worlds, but who nonetheless help mankind with the gift of ‘fire’ - although they usually pay for it, and tend to be self-destructive.

(Side note. Lucifer means light-bringer, which is what luciferase is named after. Because it glows. Which is helpful in labs. In case someone needed to know that.)

Moving from a destructive fire-starter to a fire-bringer seems like a great character arc for Loki to take, especially given his rehabilitation in pop culture, the comics, and even wider culture. Loki has gone from being seen as an evil, deviant, destructive character to one who’s seen as a patron of the arts and creativity, of stories rather than lies. Heck, some scholars of Norse Mythology even posit that he’s the closet thing to a protagonist Norse Mythology has, so I guess that backfired, Snorri!). Being dressed in green and with the sprout clearly also being stylized after his Kaunaz, there’s foreshadowing that he’ll be capable of growing good things even out of ashes.

So, to sum up: Being ‘Satan’ sounds pretty bad, but with a little letter re-arranging like we see in the title sequence, you can be...

...practically a saint. Maybe even a saviour.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

#loki #trailer #details #meta #theories #theory #explanation #thor #tva #santa #devil #snorri sturluson whinging #christmas #fire #kaunaz #loki trailer

264 notes · View notes