#because one moment he's just wandering through the jungle

[spork-supremacy]

Animal symbols

So I started deeply thinking about the meaning of each animal everyone gets as a representation and came up with all this.

Octopus: Amazing at adaptation due to its camouflage ability, suits Jay’s ability to blend into any environment and find a way to gain companions as he adapts, (for reference see: the one time he gained a cult-like fanclub, the ninja reserve team, joining the administration and somehow becoming middle management.) It also demonstrates how his true potential lied in understanding that he didn’t need to change himself because he was okay the way he was. While he is good at adaptation, at his core he is always going to be himself, like how even though an octopus can change colour and patterns, they can never change their shape.

For funsies we can also have the fact that octopi have eight limbs and take it as a representation for how Jay also has probably the most extensive list of hobbies and weapon mastery out of the entire team from what we have been shown. Jack of all trades, master of none. 

Bird: The original phoenix design represented the rebirth and the continuous change of identity that Nya goes through as a character as she tries to be able to define herself, first just being Kai’s sister, to Samurai X, and then finally the water ninja. The change to water in the bird was obviously because of the element she gained, but it could also display her freedom and discovery of new identity, shedding the fire that came from her brother and becoming her own person. Like the phoenix the original bird died and reincarnated into something new as her true potential was reached through embracing of her power and new role.

Lion: fierce, often treated as a leader and protector, lions are often posed as a main character or authority figure in a story, as well as a creature with a considerable temper, and dubbed ‘The king of the jungle’ (despite mostly living in the savannah but I digress). This can refer the Kai’s need to be the protector/big brother figure of the group by wanting to take the mantel of the green ninja, the best of the best, the leader, until his eventual realisation that his true potential lies in being the guard to the green ninja and teach Lloyd as he grows and learns.

Wolf: pack animals loyal to their family, this is the first association when thinking about the behaviour of a wolf, their loyalty and dedication. This can be heavily reflected in Zane once, alone as he wandered around Ninjago aimlessly, dare I say as a lone wolf, before finding his family with the ninja. His true potential was reached once he was able to find his purpose, that he was built to protect those who could not protect themselves, but most importantly that came when he needed to protect his family. Like a wolf Zane is loyal to those he cares about and will do anything to ensure their safety, even if that means dying at least three times.

Gorilla: strong, protective, and courageous, these are the most prominent traits we can find in this animal. Of course Cole has all these traits, he possesses a super strength like no other, he is heavily protective of his friends, and he is one to never backdown from a fight. Most importantly his true potential was reached through gaining his courage and the ability to confront his problems, having the courage to tell his father he’s a ninja and wants to forge his own future not the one forced onto him. While it does take him until at least Master of the Mountain to be able to stop running away completely, in that moment he had all the courage he needed. Like the gorilla he is sturdy and courageous, able to get through anything.

Snake: The snake in the original green ninja gi calls back to how Lloyd was originally aligned with the serpentine, what we can also see it that the snake was an ouroboros. An ouroboros represents the completion of a cycle, or the concept of infinity, which can relate to Lloyd eventually gaining the golden power and fulfilling the prophecy of the green ninja. It can also represent the completion of the mission to restore and maintain balance throughout Ninjago through the defeat of the Overlord, as just another part of an infinite cycle of duty held by all members of the FSM’s family at some point in their lives. That fulfilment of his part of the cycle was what unlocked his true potential as he was able to achieve the ultimate power. Other than that Lloyd isn’t anything much like a snake which might be partially why his symbol was changed to that of a dragon.

Dragon: Often seen as the mightiest of mythical beings, in the context of Ninjago it also represents some of the oldest beings in the existence of the 16 realms. The dragon can also refer to his heritage as he is at least a quarter dragon. The dragon also best displays how mythical the power of green can be perceived as, it’s not a straightforward thing, either energy, power, personally I think it’s about general life force energy. Like a dragon compared to regular animals, Lloyd is powerful and a being above regular creatures, not completely something different but definitely not a normal human or elemental master for that matter. 

Conclusion: Half the team is just about protection and I’m definitely over thinking everything as this was supposed to be just a few lines, not 900 words.

[swan2swan]

On Isla Nublar, you never know what lies ahead...

[ageingfangirl2]

Just Like That! Sanji (OPLA)

LIGHT SMUT! You and Sanji share a rare intimate moment alone while the rest of the crew explore an island, and you realise just how loyal sanji is to you after you have some doubts. Sanji x Reader (Female) LIGHT SMUT!

It was an insufferably hot day and you'd refused to go exploring on the island you'd docked at because you didn't want to trudge through a jungle, instead choosing to stay on the ship with Sanji while everyone else left. You'd put on the pastel pink bikini Nami had made you buy and were lounging on a deckchair sunning yourself on the main deck. You knew why Sanji chose to stay behind, you just weren't sure who was going to confront the other first.

Sanji was a lady's man, always flirting with any girl who crossed his path. You thought it was annoying until he turned on the charm, and unlike Nami and Robin you actually enjoyed it, and after a couple months of flirting he asked you on a date and you agreed. Four months you'd be official and you were happy. You had some insecurities and despite paying attention to you, Sanji's eyes had wandered on the last island and it made you feel like crap. Was he bored of you? You'd chosen to avoid him instead of sitting down and talking.

You get up from the chair and stretch, rearranging your bikini which had ridden up a little. Not hearing the door behind you open as your boyfriend walks onto the deck from the kitchen.

'A man could get used to such a beautiful sight,' Sanji whistles behind you.

You spin around and see him holding a tray with two glasses of lemonade on eyeing you up and down with his greedy eyes, 'you say that to all the girls,' you spit out and pout, looks like you were the one doing the confronting.

Sanji hums and sits down on the edge of your vacated chair, putting the tray down on a small table and rolling up his shirt sleeves, 'Nami mentioned it. I'm sorry beautiful, my attention should be only for you. Let me make it up to you,' he says sincerely while patting his knee.

Sanji was the best lover you'd ever had, he was gentle and rough, knowing how to tease but then compliment you, and right now you were putty in his hands because you'd missed his touch. You straddle his lap and put your arms on his shoulders, 'then make it up to me.'

'With pleasure my lady,' he coos, and you gasp as he moves aside one half of your bikini top exposing your breast, 'let Sanji make you feel good.'

He gropes your breast before leaning down to kiss your nipple which sends a jolt through your body. You didn't realise how sensitive your nipples were because most guys you'd been with ignored them, 'shit--' you moan, and you feel Sanji smirk around your nipple.

Next thing you know he's removed your whole bikini top with a simple tug of the string around your neck, and starts playing with both your breasts, and you can't help but feel your cheeks blush as you slowly start to grind on him.

You bite your lip, 'fuck, why are you...mmh...why are you doing this to me? Feels good.'

Sanji wastes no time continuing his exploration of your chest by kissing, licking and flicking to his heart's content. He wasn't being rough, after all this was his apology.

You continue to grind, feeling Sanji's bulge, 'when I first met you Sanji, I didn't know you were like this, I thought you were a player,' you mumble as you dig your fingers into his thighs.

Sanji laughs, 'and I thought you were shy when we first met, but look at you now,' he grins, hands moving to grip your own thighs keeping you in place.

You unzip his trousers and he helps you pull them down along with this underwear, freeing his dick that already leaked precum matching your own wetness in your bottoms. You pull your bikini bottoms down and position yourself over him, Sanji watching and letting you take control.

'We can take things slow beautiful, as long as you're happy I'm happy,' he says sincerely, making it hard for you to not take him all at once.

You wrap your arms around his shoulders and slowly sink onto him, pulling your two bodies closer until your head is on his shoulder.

'So beautiful,' Sanji moans, hands coming up behind you to cup your ass, 'why would I want anyone else, you're the only one for me.'

You smile against his shoulder as you position yourself comfortably, 'I love your Sanji, I'm sorry for doubting you.'

You gasp loudly as his fingers dig into your cheeks, 'and I love you, punishment comes later, right now I'm content like this.'

Despite the heat you shiver at his playful tone, knowing what he could do behind locked doors, and you loved it. But right now you were also content relaxing and cockwarming, stealing a very intimate moment with your lover before the rest of the crew came back.

[neochan]

RULE BREAKER (M)

PAIRING: rockstar!mark lee & fem!reader

GENRE: rockstar au! band au! pwop

SUMMARY: another city, another girl, another broken rule.

WC: 3.3k

WARNINGS: mentions of alcohol & drugs, cursing, explicit sexual content, fingering, pretty tame smut ngl, spanking, choking, hair pulling

NOTE: this was just to get me back in the groove of smut writing since it's been a couple months. this is also a submission for @nctpromptmeme . this is prompt 1 of this list!

mark lee knows it’s against the rules to take a fan backstage.

it’s not the venues rules. staff members barely spare a glance when he tangles his fingers in yours and pulls you down the nearly abandoned hallways just left of the stage. he doesn’t get a second look from a wandering sound engineer when he escorts you through the jungle of metal rails supporting the stage from beneath. and no one bats an eye when he slips past security to an empty green room nearing the back of the building.

it’s not his own personal rule either. mark has done this plenty of times; choosing someone within the first few rows at his concert, playing up the eye contact, having a security guard slip them a note telling them to wait up after the concert — and it almost never fails. after the band bids goodnight, and fans filter out on the street, mark hops back on stage to greet his lucky winner.

and they’re always there, eyes aglow with excitement and shock when they realize that yes, this was real. mark lee wants them for the night. leader of pop punk band parasocial wants to meet…y/n.

the taste of your name rolls off his tongue so beautifully, so intoxicatingly, he has to repeat it a few more times once the green room door is locked and the curtains are drawn — not too loudly though.

because while it might not be the venues rules, and it certainly isn’t his own, he promised his band mates this couldn’t happen. he swore up and down they wouldn’t become those kinds of rockstars. everyone knows the type — scandal starters, excessive partiers, seen with a bottle of alcohol or tightly wrapped blunt in hand, escorting fans backstage at every show to....well, to do exactly what he was doing right now.

but mark isn't stupid, so he hides it from his bandmates; despite them breaking the rules so brazenly. jaemin stacks up scandals like spare drum sticks, jeno gets off on the attention & fame, renjun self medicates with alcohol, and haechan couldn't be labeled as anything other than a junkie. but he can't be like that, because mark is the leader. the one that has to walk a straight line — at least in public.

so when he's finally locked away in private with his lucky hit, he let's go. there's no need to be an upstanding, careful leader — he can shake off the tension, relax his shoulders, and focus on what's right in front of him.

which, at the moment, just so happened to be you.

"you're gorgeous, you know that?" a tender hand tucks stray strands of hair behind your ear, "couldn't keep my eyes off you tonight."

you can't believe mark lee is right in front of you, touching you, praising you. it's every fantasy you've had of him rolled into one. so when his hands wash over your top, fitting themselves so perfectly on your waist, you giggle and take a little step forward. his body is warm, and he smells smoky with a tinge of bourbon, but what's catching you off guard is how much prettier he is up close. eyeliner is smudged underneath his lashes, and there's blue hair dye running down the side of his neck, on par with rivulets of sweat. the metal bar through his eyebrow is real, and when he flicks his tongue out to lick at his lips, you find a matching tongue piercing.

he loves this.

the wide eyes, taking him all in. the giddiness. the oh my god mark lee is touching me; and while he might not get off on it as much as jeno, he can't help the feeling rushing straight to his cock.

after a few beats of becoming completely starstruck by him, you respond, clasping tightly onto the front of his shirt, "i mean i'm not all that special, but you...." a blush warms your cheeks, "you're out of this world."

it's a reference to one of the songs he sang tonight, so he let's out a forced chuckle and mumbles the rest of the line, "if galileo could see you, he would fall to his knees." he catches himself by surprise when he slowly sinks down onto the floor, the cold tile seeping through the rips in his jeans. his fist curls around the waistband of your skirt, eyes raking your figure. hunger clouds his eyes, but you don't care.

you want this.

he almost thinks you're backing out when you clamp a hand around his arm, but then you say something that makes his head spin on it's shoulders, "you don't have to be gentle...."

it's the desire in your eye, the same glint that matches his own, that permisses him to yank the flimsy skirt down around your ankles, nearly throwing you off balance in the process. "pretty girl wants it rough, huh?" mark pulls himself back up to his feet, one hand winding through your hair, the other knocking your thighs apart, "don't worry, i'll make you scream." his fingers open you up, just the tips of them pushing into you. already you're stretched on your tip toes, trying to run from the warming sensation below your navel. but mark catches this and gives a harsh tug on the roots of your hair, "feet down."

you're basically sinking down on his fingers when you settle on the balls of your feet, the stretch welcoming yet too intense for your body, "f-fuck." you curse.

"baby," he coos, "if you're drooling over two fingers, i don't think you'll be able to take my cock."

"i can, i promise." you mumble, face burning with embarrassment. not because you were under the rough hand of your favorite singer, not because he was teasing you about how tight you were, but because he was peering so fucking deep into your eyes, like he was searching for your soul.

"oh she promises," he mocks, pushing his fingers deeper. he can feel your walls fluttering around his digits; pulsing when they curl and brush the sweet spot he knows all too well.

you're out of breath, eyelids drooping with the weight of having to keep them open, "s-stop toying with me." you plead, nails raking the arm that's holding your body against the cinder block walls.

theres no snarky comment that follows. instead, he leans forward and captures your trembling lips with his own, and you see stars. it's exactly like you imagined it be — feverish, rough and demanding, exhausting every bit of willpower from you. his tongue swipes at your bottom lip, and his piercing clacks against your teeth, forcing a shiver down your spine. he smirks, that much you register, before bullying his tongue into your mouth, the hand between your legs matching.

too many sensations cloud your head — his hot tongue swirling around your own, forcing you to open up and taste each other, the metal ball on his tongue sticking against your teeth, and his fingers culling you into a head high. your eyes drift shut and you push your hips into his hands, all but grinding down.

mark lee might not have been a guitarist, but he sure did know how to use those hands of his. he sets back and licks his lips, letting out a shaky breath. the wet heat of you was drawing him in; he eases two fingers back inside until his knuckles pressed against your folds, and you sighed his name again. he was hard and aching now; listening to the soft pants that fell heavy as he thrust his fingers in and out. the hand that was threaded through your hair finds home on the sides of your throat, squeezing just enough to get your eyes fluttering open.

"whaddya doing sweetheart? sleeping?" he teases, his voice a drawn out purr in the quiet room, "i can't be that boring now, can i?"

when you try to shake your head no, this was far from boring, you find yourself stuck in his grip.

"maybe you want my cock instead?" marks eyes go soft, melting with the way you try to squeak out a response, "what was that?"

"p-please," you cry out hoarsely, his fingers finding that sweet spot again — but, only for the last time. just as fast as he was in you, he was pulling out.

"look at how wet you were for me," he groans, showing off your arousal that dripped from his fingers. he doesn't hesitate when he sticks them both between his lips, the most vulgar sound emanating from his throat, "you taste good as fuck."

warmth returns to your face at his remark, and it's only then that you realize your state. he was still covered head to toe in his stage outfit; metal chains and dark black alt pieces of clothing hung off his body, but you....you only had your top on. from the waist down, you were completely exposed.

mark seems to realize this too. "take this off for me?" he asks, fingering the strap of your top. "don't worry, i'll do the same." the grin you'd seen splashed across magazines and album covers lights up his face when you do as he asked. and true to his word, his shirt was on the ground in a matter of seconds - right next to yours. dark spills of ink swirl up and around his torso, nearly becoming a second shirt, but you see the muscles. the abs everyone goes crazy for, and with a tentative hand, you reach out to touch them.

"aw, don't be shy baby, i won't bite." he grabs your wrist and makes contact for you. another wave of arousal rushes down your spine when the hard lines of his stomach flex in response to your graze. "you like that, huh?" furiously nodding your head, he chuckles,

"alright, let me give you what you want," he says it like his cock wasn't nearly bursting from his pants, swiftly aching at the mere thought of sinking into you. his gaze darts from yours to the couch to the wall to the table shoved in the corner of the room. where did he want to fuck tonight... "come here," his hand tugs you away from the cinder block walls, over to the soft looking leather couch, "let me see you bend that pretty body over...." he purrs, a wide sweeping gesture to indicate that he knew exactly how he wanted you.

face down, ass up...wasn't that the saying?

and you don't mind, gleefully shimmying across the arm of the couch, cold leather nipping at your skin.

"fuck, man...look at you," you can't see him, but you bet his gaze is hungry again, soft, but visibly desperate, "you really are out of this world."

a chuckle passes your lips at the joke, and for a fleeting second you wonder if you weren't the first girl to hear the phrase. but the thought is swept clean from your mind once you hear his pants slipping on the ground, his metal pocket chains scraping the linoleum.

"stop taking your time and fuck me."

he cocks his head to the side...did he just hear that right? a harsh smack lands on your ass cheek, the throbbing, searing pain causing you to lurch forward and cry out. marks hand rubs over the spot immediately, trying to soothe the sting.

"now come on baby, i just need you to be patient with me." you mewl out an incoherent acknowledgment. "here," he grins, "is this what you want?"

a gasp is pulled from your chest at the feeling of him dragging the head of his cock between your folds. "mark please, fuck." slowly, he pushes into you. one hand guides himself, the other is lazily wrapped around your hip. but you can't even think of that right now, because he was filling you to the brim. you've never felt this type of stretch before. it was mind-numbingly delicious,"you're so big."

both of you share a shuddered breath of air when he pulls out and pushes back into you, "damn." he swats at your ass again, this time not bothering to rub his hand over the sting, "you just keep getting tighter...."

his eyes flutter close for a second, lost in the wet heat of you. he's never felt this before — the mutuality of getting off. every other time it's felt forced from the other end; the overdramatic moans were always a turn off but you... you take it like it's real. like it's truly the best cock you'd ever sat on.

mark loves that the most.

"feel good?" the question is drawn out, too focused on keeping his pace even and sharp so that you wouldn't go face first into the couch cushions. you babble out some sort of response that mark can't quiet understand, "words baby..use your words."

"so f-fucking good," you choke on a gasp, "oh god, please don't stop." each word feels like it's ripped from your throat as mark works behind you, thrusting so deep you're left on your tiptoes again.

mark lets out a dark chuckle, fingers digging into your side so he can keep leverage, "be careful what you pray for baby, the devil might hear." it's another musical reference, one that you catch immediately, but you're too cock drunk to form a coherent thought much less a sentence. he feels the way your pussy clenches at his words though, "you liked that, hm?"

you shake your head, arms stretching out in front of you to keep yourself from slipping further down the arm of the couch before a squeal is wrenched from your throat. "you're so deep!"

before he can tease you about going deeper, a loud buzzing sound goes off on the coffee table next to you. it's his phone, lit up with someones caller ID. your eyes are glazed over and blurry, too unfocused to see who the hell was interrupting this. but it didn't matter, because mark ignores it and keeps fucking into you — a little more enthusiastic than before. his fingers still dig into your waist, yet this time, they pull you back to meet his cock. essentially you were bouncing on him without having to do most of the work, "look at that ass bounce."

the buzzing finally stops, replaced with another harsh smack to your ass. you cry out in pain, quickly drowned out by a moan as mark swivels his hips so that he was hitting your sweet spot. white hot pleasure courses through your entire body, and you all but thrash against the leather. "almost there, fuck, keep going. gonna c-cum."

the words are like music to his ears. "just a little longer," mark typically had great stamina, but after the performance tonight, and the way your pussy was sucking him in right now, his willpower was melting away. he was edging himself within your walls at this very second. he needed release. "you're so fucking wet, i can't... oh fuck." his phone starts buzzing again, and this time he glances at the name flashing across the screen and groans, "be quiet okay baby? i need to take this."

furiously, mark jabs the green button on the screen of his phone, "what do you want." through gritted teeth, he keeps his pace, thrusting into your warm cunt. it's difficult, but you manage to stuff your fist in your mouth and bite down, stifling any sound that threatened to come out. hot electricity was still running through every nerve in your body, but as mark mindlessly slows to concentrate on not moaning into the phones receiver, it slowly dwindles.

"i'm..." he glances down at the way your waist curved in, the jiggle of your ass when his hips met yours, "i'm outside. why."

you can't hear who's on the other end of the line. maybe it was his manager, or another member of the band. the only thing you knew for certain was they wanted to know where the fuck he was at.

"don't you dare talk sideways to me." the warning in his voice nearly makes you moan out loud. this side of mark lee was something to marvel at. but you don't. you just push your hips backwards onto him.

a breath of air rushes past his lips, "shit." he mumbles.

"i wasn't-" he grits his teeth, "i wasn't cursing at you......because i dropped my cig on the ground, i don't know jaemin."

ah so it was na jaemin - drummer of parasocial. hot head. scandal starter. covered in more ink than you thought possible.

"okay..." mark sighs, his pace slowing, "okay, i'm coming....yeah whatever." he presses the end call button on the screen and tosses the phone on to the couch in front of you.

"baby..." he warns, now lazily fucking you, "i gotta go..."

"why?" you whine, hips pushing back against him in an attempt to get his pace started again. you so desperately wanted him to keep bullying his cock into you.

"they said the vans packed up... if i don't go now, they're gonna leave me behind." he pulls out and helps you flip over to face him, hands instinctively come up to cover your chest, "i'm sorry," he breathes.

"it's okay."

maybe you didn't get to orgasm, but mark lee between your thighs was enough of a treat. as long as he felt good, it didn't matter. so it doesn't irk you when he says, "i'm sorry this couldn't be more..i'm worn out from the show, and...." his voice trails off into a sheepish shrug, his wrist flicking towards his phone.

"i know." it wasn't your job to reassure him, but you knew what this was. what his life entailed, even if it was from an outsiders perspective.

mark sighs, settling back against the couch while he watches you hurriedly throw your clothes on. there's something different about you.

"i can walk you to your car if you want," he offered, his voice tinged with a mix of earnestness and hesitation. he knew he couldn't, not really. the risk of being seen outside the venue with a fan was far too great — jaemin learned that the hard way. but still, there was something about your presence, something that made him want to break the rules just a bit more.

you responded with a wry smile, "nah, i'm good. appreciate it though."

he returned the smile, though a hint of disappointment flickered across his features, swiftly masked by indifference. "alright then, take care."

as you turned to walk away, his gaze lingered, a mixture of longing and apprehension in his eyes. the echo of the performance still reverberated in the air, and the cacophony of the crowd faded into the background. the isolation that often accompanied the applause and adoration settled around him—a sense of detachment despite the proximity to his admirers; to you.

"hey, wait up!" his voice rings out, more desperate than he intends. you stop and turn back to him, a questioning look on your face. "here." he thrusts a piece of paper into your hand, his fingers brushing yours for a moment. in messy scrawl, a ten-digit number is scratched across the paper. he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, the stage persona melting away to reveal the vulnerability underneath. "call me when you get where you're headed."

you take the paper, feeling surprise and curiosity bloom in your chest. "sure, i will." a smirk tugs at the corners of your lips as you tuck the slip of paper into the pocket of your skirt, a secret kept close to your heart. "have a good night, rockstar."

his eyes meet yours, a silent exchange that speaks volumes. in that moment, no other words are needed to understand that this is a fleeting connection, a chapter in a story that will continue for him in different cities, with different faces. another show, another night, another girl.

another fake number.

A. NOTE: this can be read as a standalone, but it is also part of a bigger series i've yet to release. so if you like this one shot, please let me know! you can send in an ask, or comment, reblog, or like <3

TAGLIST: @peachjaem00 @mrkis @downtonbabyah @vangoes @cutiepeas @yujuvly @nuttie-nv-blog @seuomo @mrkleelvr @kazuhateez @chardonnayyyy @hyuckiegirlfriend @jwijii @meowniee @leep0ems @hibye02 @girlwholoveslpreppyattire

[inzenial]

quarter quell pt. 1 - finnick odair

☆⋆｡🌳𖦹°‧🌿⋆.ೃ

You are a tribute in the Quarter Quell, and you are currently alone in the jungle. You hear a tense movement nearby, and you grab your spear. You hear footsteps and notice another tribute approaching, hands up and a smirk on his face. It's Finnick Odair, District 4's tribute.

You and Finnick go way back, when he helped you win your Hunger Games four years after he had won his, aged 14. On your last night before the Games, you thought there was something between you two that went beyond friendship, as you had shared a kiss. However, since then, you haven't had a chance to see him or talk about those feelings since Finnick got sent to the Capitol.

When Annie got chosen in the Quarter Quell, you couldn't help but volunteer because she had been a close friend to you after your games and you had helped each other during rough times. You avoided Finnick during your stay at the Capitol, only talking to him when necessary, and even then, your voice was very monotone-like.

You had planned to be allies with Katniss and Peeta, but they were gone before you could even approach them in the cornucopia. So, since then, you have been wandering aimlessly in the jungle, trying to find Katniss, as well as avoiding the Career Pack.

He chuckles and comes to a stop at a short distance.

"Honey, put down the spear. I won’t hurt you.”

Finnick says it with an arrogant smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. He has a trident on his back, but he isn’t going to attack.

"And for all I know, you just might." You knew he wouldn't, but you just didn't want to take any chances.

Finnick raises an eyebrow and steps closer. He’s being very casual and relaxed, which is a bit unnerving. He doesn’t seem on edge about the fact that you have a spear and could possibly stab him.

“Are you going to jab me with that, or are you going to put it down?”

"Depends, are you going to kill me if I put it down?" you say, still holding up your spear.

“Oh, darling, don’t be so paranoid. I’m just looking for an ally in the Quarter Quell. And I know you are too.”

He’s being very smug. He’s looking at you with a smirk, unbothered by your weapon. He tilts his head and walks even closer. He raises an eyebrow, wanting to see what you would do.

You think for a while, knowing it's better to make allies rather than go off by yourself, and Finnick is somewhat of a good ally. You lower down your spear.

He doesn’t flinch as you lower your weapon.

"Do you know where Katniss and Peeta are? I saw you with them earlier in the cornucopia, and they left before I could talk to them," you ask, trying to hide the hopelessness in your voice.

Finnick's smirk fades slightly as he considers your question. He leans in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "I might know where they went. But what's in it for me if I tell you?"

"I don't know. What do you want?" You replied, slightly annoyed.

Finnick raises an eyebrow, considering your question. "How about a favour?" A small one, nothing too demanding," he suggests, a mischievous glint in his eyes. You hesitate for a moment, weighing your options. Giving in to his request might be the only way to find the people you're looking for.

"Alright," you finally agree, hoping it won't be something too troublesome. "Now, would you tell me where they are?"

Finnick nods, a smirk still on his face. "They're heading towards the beach, going through the jungle to get there."

"Alright, thank you," you say, starting to find your way into the jungle.

"Woah, you think you can just go off on your own? It's dangerous out there," Finnick warns, his mischievous glint replaced with genuine concern.

"I'm sure I can handle it," you reply, rolling your eyes. "I've been through worse,"

"Well, I think I should come along with you, just in case," Finnick suggests, his voice indicating that he won't take no for an answer.

"You can't come with me, Finnick," you insist, your voice edged with frustration. "I work better alone, and I don't need the distraction."

Finnick's expression hardens, and he retorts, "This isn't the time to be stubborn. We both know the dangers that lurk in the arena. I'm not letting you wander off on your own."

"I don't need your protection," you argue, the memories of past victories and losses in the arena fueling your defiance.

"Protection has nothing to do with it," Finnick counters, his tone firm. "I can't risk losing you out here."

"That's a new one," you murmur under your breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Finnick asks, his voice laced with frustration.

"It means that I don't need you to hold my hand and guide me like I'm a child," you snap back, your own frustration boiling over.

"I've survived this long without you; during my games and afterwards, which let me remind you, you promised you would be there to help me through the nightmares," you say, your voice dripping with bitterness.

"But where the hell were you? Nowhere to be found. So thank you, but I handled it then, and I can most certainly handle it now."

You turn away from Finnick as you attempt to collect yourself and push down the overwhelming emotions threatening to consume you.

Finnick's expression softens, and he takes a step closer to you. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice filled with regret. "I should have been there for you. I can't change the past, but I can promise you that I'll never leave your side again."

"Whatever, follow me if you want, or don't; I don't really care anymore," you affirm as you start heading deeper into the jungle, hearing Finnick's footsteps behind you. The air hangs heavy with unresolved emotions and the unspoken truth of your intertwined past.

quarter quell pt.2

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Security Detail 

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~5.1k

Summary: Little Nat goes to a birthday party

A/N: More inspired by ideas from @rianncreates

Warnings: fluff, slight angst, creeps, and cuteness

This was your nightmare. Honestly the idea of having near 2 dozen kids running around makes you more anxious than you ever would have imagined. Between keeping them from leaving your sight, and making sure no one fell off the jungle gym you didn’t get a moment to relax as you supervised your daughter’s friend’s birthday party.

This is one of the first events you’ve gone to like this and you are realizing quickly that you definitely don't give Wanda enough credit. She loved these types of things, and watching her now was truly an experience. She was somehow the social butterfly between the two of you. She wandered from table to table and talked to parents, kids, and their friends with a smile on her face and an energy that you couldn’t even attempt to muster at this point.

You’re out of your element and it feels painfully obvious as you sit off by yourself. Well, you have your dogs with you. You’d brought them because you had no idea how long this would last, and you hadn’t wanted to worry about them. They loved to get out anyway and after exploring the playground and getting their fill of scratches from the kids, they’d come to sit beside you. You’re considering getting up and making the rounds with Wanda when someone sits beside you with a loud sigh.

“Hanging in there?”

You turn to see Pietro shooting you a knowing look that you just laugh at. He doesn't like these things either, but he can wander off without getting judged. If you did that you'd be a neglectful mother, so you're sitting nearby-ish as you take a breather.

“This is exhausting. I don't know how Wanda does it.”

Pietro glances toward his sister who's smiling as she talks to one of the dads that has at least three kids of his own here. He’s not sure how his sister went from mobster to stay at home mom so seamlessly but it was never something he imagined for her. He was glad that she seemed happy, and he honestly could use some of her energy. He reaches down to scratch Boone’s head with a smile. The dogs have been very good during this whole thing. He’d been afraid that they’d be overwhelmed by the near thirty children here, but they were actually pretty chill. They mostly looked around and kept an eye on Natalya, but she was having fun with her friends and was being watched by more than enough people.

“She’s an impressive one, my sister.”

You smile at the thought and you hum in agreement as your gaze falls to your wife again. She really is spectacular and as you watch her laugh at something the birthday kid’s dad says you feel yourself sigh wistfully.

“She’s amazing, for sure.”

Pietro turns to you with a pinched expression when he realizes you’re practically drooling over his sister. He rolls his eyes before slapping you on the back to startle you out of your daydreaming. You flinch and turn to glare at him as he pretends to be annoyed.

“Hey, that’s my sister you’re drooling over.”

You roll your eyes before slapping your brother-in-law’s hand away. You shake your head before meeting your wife’s gaze briefly before she returns her attention to the host. You briefly wonder how much they spent on this party for their son who’s 4 and won’t remember it. They even hired caterers that are still milling about to make sure that there’s enough food to go around. At this point it’s mostly the parents eating as the kids run around and play on the playground or in the large field that hosts various games.

You hope that Natalya won’t want a party like this. Despite having the money to throw one, logistically it sounds like a nightmare, and you aren’t sure how many more of these you can sit through.

“I’m not drooling. She does look beautiful in that dress though; don’t you think Piet?”

You’re teasing him now because despite agreeing that his sister is pretty, he finds it a little awkward to talk with you about her looks. You know this and you’re just giving him a hard time because it’s what you two do. You take his lack of response as answer enough and you sigh before checking on your daughter again. She’s strayed away from her friend group to play with one of the other dogs roaming around here. You turn back to Pietro to see that he’s spaced out, and you sigh before getting to your feet.

“I’m going to make the rounds. Want to come?”

Pietro unsurprisingly shakes his head and you just leave him to sit and mull as you wave your dogs along. You’re not going to walk around alone, and you’re grateful that they both stand and follow after you obediently.

“Good boys.”

“Thank you.”

You roll your eyes and don’t even bother to respond to Pietro as you decide to get your wife something to eat. She’s been milling around for so long, and you’re not sure if she even ate, so you take a detour to the ridiculously large buffet with a smile. You make her a plate and grab her something to drink before you glance around for your daughter again. She’s wandering farther away and you frown and decide you don’t like this. You turn to Boone before pointing toward Natalya and waving your dog off.

“Go get her, Boone.”

You should do it yourself, but you’re lazy and you’ll check on her as soon as you stop by Wanda to make sure she’s not going to pass out. It’s way too hot for an outdoor party, in your opinion at least, but you’ll worry about that later. You walk up behind your wife and smile as you hear her laughing as she continues to chat. You check behind you and frown when you realize your other dog abandoned you, but since he’s going after his brother, you’re going to let it go.

“Hey there, Wands.”

Wanda’s exhausted. She underestimated how tiring such a large birthday party would be. She’s playing the part of a host despite not being one, but she’d wanted to get to know the parents of her daughter’s classmates in a setting that wasn’t run by the school. She’d learned a lot, but mostly she’s exhausted herself after nearly an hour of chitchatting. She’s beyond grateful to hear your voice behind her, and as soon as she realizes you’ve brought her food, she could just kiss you.

“Hi detka. Come sit.”

You set the plate and cup in front of your wife, and you’re about to sit down but you remember that you were going to check on Natalya. She would do anything to pet a dog and you have to make sure she doesn’t go too far. She was still in sight when you sent Boone after her, but you had to go make sure she didn’t stray any further. You kiss your wife’s cheek before you point over your shoulder and explain why you’re not taking her up on her very appealing offer.

“I will in a minute, I have to go wrangle Little Nat first. She’s over there.”

Wanda turns to where you’re pointing, but she doesn’t see her daughter anywhere. She’s frowning by the time she looks back to you and your smile turns down too when Wanda shakes her head.

“Where is she? I don’t see her.”

Natalya was getting tired of playing and she could use a second serving of cake. She had planned on doing this immediately after leaving her friends, but she spotted a new dog that she hadn’t pet yet and she couldn’t resist the urge to follow it. It was a small scruffy dog with a purple collar, and she followed him closely as he headed away from the party and toward the parking lot.

“Come here, doggy.”

Natalya reaches out and is just short of the dog so she starts to walk faster. She doesn’t even realize she’s getting too far away from everyone else until she follows the dog behind some trees. She stops short and turns around only to realize she can’t see her parents or uncle anymore. Her moms had told her before coming here that she needed to stay in sight at all times. She could only talk to the other kids at the party and their parents, but no one else at the park. She’s reminded of this last rule as she sees a man dressed in black and white waiting for his dog with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He holds out his arms and Natalya just stands where she is as she debates heading back.

“Hello there. Do you want to say hi?”

Natalya is conflicted. She’s not supposed to talk to strangers, but her moms never said anything about petting their dogs. She nods meekly before she steps forward so she’s in the shade and closer to the cute dog who’s panting from his run over here.

“Yes please.”

The man smiles before he drops the still smoking cigarette and stomps it out before pointing at his dog. He watches the brunette take a couple of tentative steps forward.

“Go ahead, he’s very sweet.”

Natalya reaches out a hand to pet the dog’s head, and she smiles as he licks her in return. She’s about to ask what his name is, but his owner catches her off guard as he grabs her around her waist and picks her up. She doesn’t get a chance to protest before he’s covering her mouth and hurrying off toward the parking lot.

You’re speed walking toward where you’d last seen your daughter with Wanda and Pietro on your heels. You are only a little worried when you walk past the field and toward the parking lot without seeing her. You don’t even see your dogs as you mutter under your breath anxiously.

“She was just here, I swear.”

Wanda’s response is cut off as she hears shouting nearby from beyond the trees near the path that leads back to their car. She frowns when she realizes that they’re screaming in pain and only a second later she notices that it’s nearly drowning out the sound of growling. You and Pietro run toward the sounds and as you get closer you recognize your dogs and run faster.

“Hey!”

The sight that greets you is a lot to process, but you don’t hesitate to run forward to stop Pietro from committing murder. Your two dogs have latched onto the legs of a man in a caterer’s uniform who’s holding something under his arm. It takes a second for you to realize it’s a person, and then only a millisecond longer to realize it’s your daughter. You ignore the small barking terrier as you call off your dogs as the man finally drops Natalya. She falls hard on the ground and you rush to grab her just as Pietro tackles her attempted kidnapper.

“You fucker!”

“Pietro!”

Wanda’s shocked to see someone with her daughter in their arms, and it takes her a second to realize that they’d been trying to run off with her. She had feared something like this would happen for only the first few years of Natalya’s life. However, every scenario that she’d imagined hadn’t included a birthday party. She supposes that was shortsighted on her part. She watches for only a second before she’s running forward to check on her daughter that you’re helping off the ground. She’s got dirt on her face, but otherwise she looks unharmed.

“Natalya!”

“Little Nat, are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

You’re frantic as you check over your daughter to make sure she’s not injured. Luckily you only notice a small scrape on her knee from the fall, but otherwise she appears unharmed. You ignore your brother-in-law as he beats up the man who had snuck into the party and lured your daughter away. Your anger makes you want to kick the man while he’s down and already bloodied by the older Maximoff, but you decide to focus on your daughter.

“Pietro, stop!”

Wanda gathers Natalya in her arms while you try to calm down your dogs. They’re still barking and snarling at the brunette that they’d intercepted, and they’re too on edge to listen to you. You see that Wanda has her phone out and she’s hopefully calling the police so you focus on Pietro. He’s understandably pissed, but you can’t let him kill the guy before you find out what he was doing. Rather if he was doing it of his own volition. You hadn’t heard anything about your wife’s work for years. Since she’s been retired, you’d never had problems, and you hope as horrible as it sounds, that this is just a run of the mill creep instead of a mobster creep.

“Who the hell are you?! What did you want with my niece?”

Pietro’s breathing heavily as he stares down at brunette who’s barely fighting back. He realizes quickly that this person probably isn’t anyone’s hired help. He’s too soft and the thought that he’s working alone is as comforting as it is disgusting. Pietro grabs the collar of his bloodied shirt, and he’s about to slam him on the ground again when he hears new voices.

Apparently, the dogs had attracted the attention of some of the other parents and they’d wanted to make sure that no one was hurt. Wanda noticed them first, but you’re the one who talked to them about the confusing, disturbing scene in front of them. Pietro reluctantly let the brunette up and he just held him tightly as he waited for the sirens to get closer.

Once he was in custody and everyone involved had been questioned, you decided it was time to leave. You look to your daughter who’s sleeping in her uncle’s arms, before turning toward your dogs. They were still a little wired, but they’d calmed down as soon as the cops showed up. You were grateful that you’d sent Boone after Nat and that they’d both protected their sister, but you’re feeling guilty about not going to get your daughter yourself. She would never have gotten that far if you had just gone after her, and you’re kicking yourself for what almost happened.

“Stop it.”

You turn in confusion at the sound of your wife’s voice, but when you see her knowing look you just turn away with a scowl. She’s not mad at you because there’s no way you could have known what was going to happen. Nat was still in sight when you saw her, and you sent Boone after her with the intention of finding her right after. She’s sure she would have done the same thing. She’s just lucky that the dogs had saved Natalya, and that her brother had beaten him up for all of them. She reaches out for your arm as you shake your head.

“I shouldn’t have left her alone. I’m so stupid.”

Wanda grabs your chin to turn you towards her, and you’re met with a stern look that you know isn’t something you should argue with.

“Stop it, Y/n. This isn’t your fault. You were going to check on her, and in the meantime, you made sure she was taken care of.”

Wanda takes a moment to look at the two dogs that might still have blood on their faces. She didn’t worry about that now as she knelt down to pet the duo with a wide smile. They had been loyal companions for years, and Wanda had always hoped that if a day like this came around, they would step up and protect their own. She couldn’t be prouder of them and she kisses both of their furry heads in thanks.

“Such good boys. You’re getting steak tonight.”

You guess that Wanda’s right. You hadn’t predicted that you’d face this threat today, but you’re glad that you were more prepared than you thought. Well, it was less you and more your dogs and your brother-in-law being able to thwart the low life who tried to steal your daughter. With any luck, something like this won’t happen ever again, but you can at least take comfort in the fact that your daughter has her own guard dogs.

“They definitely are.”

When the trio got home after the party everything seemed normal. They had dinner after spending some time on the couch watching one of Natalya’s favorite shows. Nat nearly fell asleep at the table after the tiring and stressful time at the party, so you picked her up to take her upstairs to bed. You’re distracted by tiny hands pulling on your hair as you walk through your daughter’s bedroom door. You frown when she whines quietly before speaking barely loudly enough for you to hear.

“I want to sleep with you and Mama.”

You aren’t really surprised to hear this, but you and Wanda still need to talk and figure out what you’re going to do about what happened this afternoon. The police had their own investigation going of course, but you knew your wife well, and you would be foolish to think that she wasn’t going to look into it herself. You decide to try and compromise and you figure you can stay here with Nat until she falls asleep and then go catch up with your wife.

“How about I stay with you instead?”

Natalya frowns but she nods and lets you get her ready for bed. After she brushes her teeth and changes clothes, you tuck her in and grab a book from her shelf beside the bed. You smile as you ask your daughter if she wants you to read this tonight, and after grabbing Winston and holding him tight, she nods wordlessly.

Wanda’s still downstairs trying to talk her brother down when you finish reading to Natalya. You leave her once you realize she’s fast asleep, and you head back downstairs to find your wife growing frustrated as she finishes her drink. She’d had a glass of wine at dinner, so this must be her second but you don’t pay much attention to that right now.

“I know Pietro, and I appreciate it, but we’ll figure something else out. I’m not going to blow our cover on this. He was probably just a lone creep.”

You had come to the same conclusion, but you just sigh in defeat as you go straight for the fridge for another drink too. You choose to grab a beer and are almost half done with it by the time Wanda hangs up with her brother. She takes a deep breath before turning toward you with a small smile. She’s tired and stressed, but she’s sure you are too so she takes a minute to check in with you.

“Natalya’s asleep?”

You nod in confirmation before setting down your beer as Wanda reaches out for you with a tired look. You hold her close before glancing over her shoulder at your two dogs that are resting in their giant dog bed in the corner. All of the kids seem to be down for the night, so you decide that you’ll go to sleep soon too. This had been a stressful experience and you could feel yourself crashing at the very thought of your pillow.

“She is. How’s Pietro?”

Wanda shrugs before muttering something into your hair about how he’s being an overprotective uncle, but he should calm down soon. You listen to Wanda’s plan before you lead her toward the stairs once you both finish your drinks and set them in the sink. Wanda squeezes your hand as she shuts the door behind her and keeps you from collapsing immediately.

“How are you feeling, detka?”

You sigh before you shake your head and admit that you’re still a little upset. This is understandable and Wanda’s certainly not happy either. She’s terrified and still shocked that you both could have lost your daughter today. If you’d been even 30 seconds later, or you hadn’t sent Boone after Natalya, she could have been taken. Wanda shivers at the thought but she focuses back on you when you finally respond as you lead her to the bed. You feel like you’re going to collapse if you don’t sit down right now.

“Still reeling. I can’t believe this happened.”

Wanda nods in agreement as she leans against you as soon as you’re both sitting on the edge of the bed. She wraps an arm around your waist before she hums in contemplation. She had thought that something like this would happen a lot earlier in Natalya’s life, but she wasn’t going to mention that now. Instead, she focuses on you and the fact that your daughter is sleeping safely in her bedroom.

“Me neither, but we’ll figure out what happened, and the important thing is that she’s safe.”

You can’t argue with this or the fact that you’re relieved to have your daughter safe and sound back at home. You offer your wife a small smile before kissing her cheek and taking a deep breath.

“You’re right, Wands. As usual.”

Her response is an amused smile and you just follow her wordlessly as she leads you to the bathroom.

You’re asleep almost before your head hits the pillow, but you unfortunately don’t stay asleep. You manage a few hours before something wakes you up with a start. You frown in confusion and wait to see if whatever woke you up happens again, but no luck. It’s quiet and you turn to your left to see that Wanda’s sleeping soundly. You sigh before you close your eyes and try to go back to sleep. You don’t know what woke you, but now that you’re up, you’re tense and finding it hard to fall back asleep.

Your mind wanders to the events of yesterday’s party, and you know despite how everything worked out that you won’t be letting your daughter out of your sight for a while. Whenever she leaves the house, she’ll either have you or Wanda within arm’s reach. This thought makes you want to check on Natalya, and you sneak out of bed only a couple of minutes later to see your daughter is still sleeping peacefully.

You quietly walk down the hall before pushing the door to Natalya’s room open slowly. You see Winston is on the ground and you’re about to grab him and put him back in bed with your daughter when you realize she isn’t there. The sheets are in disarray and her pillow’s almost on the floor, but Natalya’s not anywhere in sight. You try not to panic, but you’re already looking around the room before you get on your knees to look under the bed.

“Natalya? Little Nat, where are you?”

Once you start tearing through the closet you truly start to panic. You stand up and nearly trip over the various shoes and clothes you’ve thrown around on your way to the door. You stop in the doorway when you run into a confused and slightly miffed Wanda. She’d just woken up to sounds coming from her daughter’s room, and how on edge she was she didn’t hesitate to get up and investigate. When she realized you weren’t in bed, she quickly ran down the hall only for you to almost barrel her over.

“Y/n? What’s wrong? What’s-?”

You shake your head as you grab your wife’s shoulders to steady both of you. You’re starting to walk past her as you speak up in a jumble of words that you hope make sense. You plan on looking around in the other bedrooms before running back to your room to call the police.

“Nat’s not in her bed, Wands.”

Wanda’s eyes widen in surprise before she glances in her daughter’s room to confirm this. She curses under her breath before she runs back to the bedroom to grab her phone. She’s not sure if you even hear her since you’ve run to the next room to check for Natalya.

“I’ll call Piet.”

You see quickly that both of the bedrooms are untouched and after checking the closets, you’re sweating you’re so anxious. You don’t bother to shut the doors as you run back down the hall and look for your wife. She’s still on the phone with her brother and you hear her speaking frantically in her native language. You don’t know what she’s saying, but you hear Pietro’s equally frantic voice as you check to make sure that the security system is still armed. There’s nothing amiss and you start to tremble from the lack of leads and the idea of someone sneaking in here. You force yourself to take a deep breath as you look around frantically, and the sound of Wanda’s increasingly anxious voice fades into the background as you lay eyes on your dogs. They’re still lying in their bed, but they’re awake as they watch you and Wanda panic. You find this odd because usually they’d be all over you and any activity that’s happening. Instead, they’re curled up next to each other in bed with-

“Wanda, she’s here.”

You miss your wife looking over to you and then promptly hanging up after she spots her daughter. She’s sleeping beside her dogs in their oversized bed, and they’re both curled around her protectively with Boone using the brunette’s shoulder as a pillow. You breathe a sigh of relief and almost start crying as you hurry forward to check on your daughter. Rogue’s tail starts to wag and Boone tries to lick you, but you focus on Natalya who’s sleeping soundly despite being covered in dog hair and being squished between the heavy dogs.

“Hey, Little Nat. Wake up.”

You are still trying to calm your breathing when Wanda comes up next to you and kneels by your side. She reaches out for Rogue to scratch him as she waits for Nat to sit up. She grumbles slightly but she sits up and rubs at her eyes with a frown at the sight of her worried parents.

“Is it morning yet, Mama?”

Wanda shakes her head as you hold your arms out for Natalya, and you smile when she starts to crawl toward you.

“No, milaya. Mom went to go check on you, but you weren’t in bed. What are you doing down here?”

Natalya climbs into your lap before wrapping her tiny arms around your waist with a frown. She tries to hide her face in your stomach, but Wanda reaches out for her because this is important. She wants her daughter to look at her.

“I didn’t want to sleep a-alone, and you said no dogs on the bed.”

Both you and Wanda frown at this but seem to realize what Little Nat’s saying. You hate that this happened, and maybe it’s just yesterday’s events that made you freak out, but you’d let the dogs sleep in Nat’s bed if she wanted them to. It was much better than having a heart attack.

Wanda seems to be on the same page, and she smiles softly at her daughter who’s looking at her shyly. She thinks she’s in trouble, but you hold her tightly and kiss the top of her head which makes her look up curiously.

“Okay, next time if you want company come to us first, okay? I was really worried when I didn’t see you in bed.”

Nat’s lower lip juts out in a pout and she shoots you a guilty look before holding you tighter. You watch Wanda run her fingers through your daughter’s tangled hair before shaking her head. She surprises you by what she says next when Nat apologizes.

“Sorry Mommy.”

Wanda’s just grateful that her heart’s started to beat normally again and she didn’t call anyone but her brother. She’ll apologize for waking him up so early tomorrow.

“It’s okay, but from now on the dogs can sleep on your bed. On top of a blanket though. How does that sound?”

Natalya smiles widely and nods in excitement which makes you feel lighter. You let Natalya go and she hugs Wanda quickly before she starts to bounce excitedly in her lap while looking between her redhead mom and her dogs.

“Okay! Can they sleep there now?”

You can’t help but laugh as you see Wanda regret her decision almost immediately, but you nod quickly as you watch Natalya clumsily get to her feet and near tackle her dogs. Wanda sighs but you can tell from her smile that she’s happy as she watches her daughter throw her arms around Rogue’s neck. The shepherd had been watching lazily and he just lets out a surprised huff when Natalya falls on him. You just stand up before reaching out to help your wife to her feet as Natalya tries to coax her dog out of his bed.

“Rogue! Come on let’s go!”

The shepherd considers ignoring her, you can tell, but eventually he sneezes in her face before climbing to his feet. Natalya leads him upstairs after hugging Boone goodnight. You squeeze Wanda’s hand as you lead her upstairs following in your adorable daughter’s footsteps.

“She’s so cute, Wands.”

Wanda sighs in defeat but she can’t argue with you. As she watches Natalya lead Rogue by the collar to her bedroom while talking to him animatedly, she can’t help but be grateful for her daughter’s excitement at something so simple. She’d give a lot to see her daughter smile, and cleaning up a little extra dog fur didn’t seem like a big deal. You two tuck your daughter and Rogue into bed before leaving her to go back to sleep. You release another heavy sigh as you and Wanda arrive back to your bedroom. She wraps an arm around your shoulders before pressing a kiss to the side of your head with a smile.

“She really is, detka, but she’s going to be the death of us.”

You laugh in response but only nod in agreement as you sink back into the bed with a groan. Wanda smiles at you before cuddling up into your side with a yawn. She closes her eyes and hears you switch off the lights before settling beside her with a tired hum. As you both fall back to sleep for the second time that night, you hope that tomorrow will be calmer.

Little Nat Adventures

[miscfandomgifimagines]

Random Lyle HCs

These are purely selfish sfw headcanons of my favorite blue boy. I’m not personally really familiar with the Avatar lore so I’m just going off my own imagination on some stuff. Also not sure how I want to go about my smut hc/fic for him so I’m stalling by writing this lol. I’m hoping to have some free time later this week to sit down and write some more, but I can’t make any promises. I’m really torn because all of my writing so far is done with my human oc as the base of my headcanons and I’m not sure if people would read my stuff if I used my oc and not reader inserts. Let me know if you have a preference one way or the other, maybe it’ll help me figure out what to do.

* Lyle is the type of person who would carry around a picture of someone close to him wherever he goes. The specific picture of you that he carries around? It’s a mirror selfie where you and Lyle are standing in front of the mirror flexing your biceps with a huge grin on both of your faces. Every time he looks at the picture he feels comforted. I don’t feel like the other recoms would make fun of pictures like this because everyone has someone special in their life that they would want by their side during rough moments.

* I feel like Lyle would be the type of person who wouldn’t mind reading, maybe not college textbooks or romance novels. But magazines about cars, fitness, guns, or anything similar? Loves them and reading them is one of his favorite low-energy hobbies.

* Lyle actually thinks most of Pandora’s wildlife is pretty cool. Back on Earth a lot of animals had died out so there really wasn’t anything aside from the occasional house pets. (*Not super familiar with the lore of Avatar’s Earth so idk if this is even accurate but just roll with it*) Obviously has a very healthy fear of most of the things crawling around in the jungle but every time he sees a cool lizard or even those monkeys he always stares for a bit. His favorite animal on Pandora? Ikran, his specifically. He thinks they are dope as hell and loves how vibrant the patterns are. Flying is just an added bonus.

* Still dedicated to his mission but finds his mind wandering about other possibilities such as what would happen if they fail again. He’s weirded out by being in an Avatar body the way it is now and the idea that all his memories are on a data stick in someone’s lab somewhere makes him uneasy. He doesn’t want to die but has the sinking feeling that the RDA would keep bringing everyone back as many times as it would take to finish business so to speak.

* Not one to believe in happy endings, especially after everything he’s been through but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a nice change. Your presence through the readjustment period was a godsend and he’s crossing his fingers that you’ll get to keep in touch even as the mission progresses. Sometimes in the morning, he’ll just stare at you in the kitchen while you make yourself breakfast almost like if he moved his eyes from your frame you would disappear. When you catch him staring you make fun of him a little bit. “I’m not going to share if you keep staring like that.” Or “Why don’t you make yourself useful and start washing some of the dishes if you’re just going to sit there ogling.”

* Doesn’t like sharing even with the other recoms, but he makes an exception for Z-Dog simply because she’s the only one he trusts not to break his stuff. Quaritch is usually a no too surprisingly unless it’s necessary for the mission or to maintain a decent relationship. Gets kind of possessive over his stuff just because he hates when people take his stuff and don’t put it back.

* Lyle likes to listen to music when he’s at home base during his downtime. Whether that’s just by himself in his room, out in the common quarters with the gang, or in the science loft with you while you play your own music. I feel like he’d be the type to like mainly rock music personally, but he doesn’t make too much of a fuss about what other people are playing as long as it’s disrupting the quiet. I could totally see him branching out to metal music when he’s in the gym cuz it hypes him up.

* He’s surprisingly decent at braiding his own hair but insists that you do it when he gets out of the shower. He’ll sit on the floor crisscrossed in front of the couch and nestles between your legs, enjoying the warmth that comes from your skin. Sometimes after a stressful day, you spend a little bit of time massaging the back of his neck and the area around his queue gently and he just about melts every time. Also loves it when you sing to him while you comb and braid his hair.

* Sometimes if he doesn’t want your bonding session to end he’ll purposely make it harder for you by moving or swiveling his head around (to your annoyance). “Seriously, sit still! You are such a toddler. You want your shit fixed or what?” You smack him on the side of his head and he lets out a snort. “I thought we agreed to no hitting outside of the bedroom?” You let out a huff and tug his queue a bit. “I never agreed to that, especially not with how annoying you can be.”

* Hates going up into the science loft since the ceilings are shorter than the main level and he smacks his head into the lights and stuff but does it anyway to spend time with you. He’s a pretty selfish person and prefers to have his time with you be just the two of you. He’ll sit on the floor next to your desk and make small talk with you while you work on your projects. When he thinks you’ve been sitting for too long he makes you get up and go down to the kitchen where he’ll make you a snack and have you do some stretching.

* After a long day of you at your desk he loves to go into your room and stretch out (as best he can) on your bed. You like to complain that he messes up your pillows but you really don’t mind it. Lyle likes to pull you onto the bed with him and squishes you against his chest. When it’s just the two of you he doesn’t bother holding back his purrs because he knows you like them, but in front of the group he does his best to quiet it. You’ll usually stay cuddled up together until it’s dinner time or someone calls for him.

* I also think Avatars have scent glands just like normal kitties so when he rubs up against your belongings like your bed or your clothes he’s literally marking you as yours. As a “scientist,” you already knew about this, but you were a bit surprised to catch Lyle marking up the stuff in your room. He was a bit embarrassed when you caught him the first time, but continues to do it to the annoyance of the other recoms.

* I feel like Lyle wouldn’t mind cooking because it’s a necessary life skill to have and he’s pretty good at it. Hunting on Pandora would be a breeze for him. The fresh meat coupled with the veggies growing from your aquaponics would make a damn good meal. I feel like there are also a lot of weird recipes he follows, kinda like what broke college kids/ prison inmates would do (Ramen noodle burritos anybody?). Loves being able to “provide” for you which sounds silly but is always happy to cook for you, especially when you’re busy doing other things.

* Keeps his belongings and room pretty tidy. He’s not one to leave his stuff lying out which makes rooming with him preferable to the others, as you tend to trip on their stuff when they drop it all over the shack. Lyle catches wind of your annoyance and starts shoving stuff into the recom’s rooms so you have a clean living space to walk through.

* Likes helping you out in the gardens, whether it’s the native Pandoran patch outside the shack or the Earth one inside the outbuilding. You and your friend grow a variety of food found on Earth since you were still learning how to adapt to the foods on this planet. You head out each afternoon to check the crops and scribble notes down about the progress and Lyle likes to sneak strawberries when he thinks you aren’t looking.

* Lyle likes to make himself useful however he can whether that’s doing the heavy lifting, reaching for high objects, or fixing stuff around the shack. Does chores without being told to which was a pleasant surprise when you caught him outside fixing the rainwater basin. Loves helping out even more when you reward him with kisses and praise afterward even if he gets teased for kissing ass from the others.

* Hates when he has to leave for extended periods of time as he’s always worried about your safety out in the wilds. He knows he can’t get out of it so he does what he can to prepare you. “Okay so don’t go outside after dark, if you have to you both leave. One of you needs a gun and keep your-“ “Head on a swivel for any hostiles.” You give a small smile and grab his hand. “I know you’re worried, but we’re gonna be okay. You on the other hand need to promise me you’re going to come back. In one piece.” He squeezes your small hand and does his best to look sincere. “I’m always going to come back to you, no matter what happens.”

[ravenloop]

Hidden Away [Part 3]

Pairing: Heimdall X Female!Reader

Summary: You find the man you were looking for and have a very unexpected and unwelcomed encounter. Heimdall also realises you could be more useful to him then he thought.

Warnings: Threatening, violence, blood and guts (not very detailed), swearing, insulting.

[Picture not mine]

AN: LONGER CHAPTER - expect them to either get even longer or shorter in the future. Waited a long time to get this chapter out so hope y'all enjoy!

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It wasn't suppose to go this way.

Well - from what your forest had told you, it wasn't. Though, their spirits could be quite... Ambiguous at times.

So here you were. Making your way through endless vines, plants, trees and creatures other than the ones that lived in your forest. You did your best to avoid conflict - you weren't here to fight nor did you want to make enemies, you just needed to find a certain Aesir god. Hopefully said god was still alive.

"He couldn't have gotten far..." Vanaheim was known to be confusing, for foreigners at least. You remember the tales of the Long War - the war between Aesir and Vanir, how Asgard's soldiers would easily get lost in the jungles of your home realm. An outsider wandering through the realm would either end up somewhere entirely new, or be back in the same place they were before.

The spirits here whispered the name of a god - one that was not welcomed much. And so far you only know of one god here that didn't belong: Heimdall.

Suddenly you heard the snap of a branch. Immediately you put your hand on your sword handle, ready to pull it from the scabbard on your waist if you needed to.

A deer appeared.

"Oh..." You whispered, taking your hand off your sword hilt. Well, that was embarrassing. The deer huffed, almost as if it sensed your embarrassment - you had no doubt that it actually did.

Its large horns glowed lightly, its eyes staring you down. You licked your teeth before taking a small step forward, "I'm looking for a god - Heimdall. Have you seen him? He's wandering through the realm."

Being able to communicate with the very soul of living things had its advantages. Though to really understand them, you needed to have a deep emotional bond with them, you needed to earn the spirit's trust. And this deer's soul obviously did not trust you.

It gave a loud bellow before sprinting off further into the forest. You sighed, so much for that...

The more you walked, the more your hopes of finding the god shrunk. You swear you've already checked half the realm at this point - a little bit of an exaggeration.

You walked alongside a narrow river, for once actually slowing down to enjoy the beauty of Vanheim - a beauty you haven't seen in years. As you walked, you noticed Something shining on the ground. You bent down and picked the object up, it looked like a piece of gold, from armour? But who would-

"Following me, are you?"

Fuck.

The tip of a sword pressed against your spine, and you didn't dare to move. "Heimdall..." The man hummed, slowly walking to be in front of you, delicately dragging his sword from your spine to your throat as he moved.

"You should have stayed in that forest." Once again he moved the sword, this time to your chin, making you tilt your head upwards. Both of you made eye contact now, and you could see the look of anger on Heimdall's face mixed with amusement - likely because of the position he currently had you in.

Taking a deep breath, you spoke, "I needed to find you." "Oh?" He tilted his head, the tip of his sword pressing harder into your skin. You slowly stood from your crouched position, Heimdall didn't seem to mind.

"Do tell me why you needed to do that. To use your powers on me again, perhaps? Try and steal my soul?" Your eyes widened, "No! Listen - I didn't mean to do that! My powers..." You paused for a moment as he pressed the sword harder, forcing you to take a step back.

"Yes? Continue. I cannot wait to hear your excuses." Oh, why did he have to be such a jerk. You heard him chuckle, "It's just who I am, sunshine. You should have known that by now." Of course, he read your mind.

"I don't have control of my powers that well. What I did back in my home was not on purpose - believe my words, please." What you said wasn't a lie, your initial intent was never to harm Heimdall, his foresight helped him see that.

And he hated it.

You could see his brows furrow, as if he considered your words. You were about to say something else, but you paused. There was a sound, and you could feel an overpowering emotion - it was aggression. Anger.

Heimdall must have heard something too, because his head immediately turned towards the water. The few quiet seconds he stared at it were tense. And then it happened.

A dreki lunged at you two from the river.

"MOVE!" Heimdall pushed you out of the way and stepped back himself, the dreki skidded passed you two. It released an angry sound, turning back around and charging at Heimdall.

Heimdall moved aside as it ran at him. He used his sword to slice one of its legs, causing blood to pour from the cut. The dreki screeched and turned. It's jaw widening, ready to snap. Heimdall dodged it. The dreki's mouth clamping down on nothing.

"I've had enough of this realm's creatures." He sneered, opening his arms, "Slow down." Immediately, time seemed to stop - it went slower.

Even the Dreki slowed down. Allowing Heimdall to dash forward and stick his sword into it's skull. Time returned to normal and Heimdall slowly pulled his sword out of the Dreki's head and dashed backwards - it was still alive?!

It shook its head, blood flying and splattering on the rocks, soil and some also landed on you and Heimdall's clothes. Then, it turned to you.

Rage-filled eyes met yours. You slowly moved backwards. "You do not need to do this..." Your breath was a whisper, but you knew it could hear you. That didn't seem to stop it from charging.

Don't use your powers, you had to remind yourself. Don't go against your words again.

The dreki opened it's jaw one more time, teeth ready to sink into flesh. And you just stood there - like a damn idiot.

It was right it front of you, and then it stopped with a groan. Your eyes widened in both surprise and shock, then you turned your gaze and saw Heimdall with his sword in the beast's side. He had dragged a line from its face to its stomach. Guts and blood spilled out from the Dreki's side. You could see the light in its eyes disappear.

You felt the Dreki's very soul escape it's body, now on its way to the Light of Alfheim most likely. For some reason, it made you sorrowful. Gods - how long has it been since you've seen a creature be killed that it made you sad? It wanted to kill you both, you had to remind yourself that.

You breathed heavily. Heimdall's eyes were on you, you could feel them. He pulled his sword from the dead beast's side and approached you. For a moment, you thought he'd degrade you for staying still while the Dreki ran at you. Instead he put his arm out, waiting for you to grab it.

Happily, you grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull you up.

"Thank-" "Congratulations! I didn't think it was possible for you to get even dumber, but you managed to prove me wrong," He gave a slow clap, "Good on you."

Ah, there's the demotivating words you were expecting.

"Did no one ever tell you that maybe, maybe when you are facing danger, you should fight back? Or at least run?" Irritation was visible in both his eyes and his tone - as always.

I didn't ask you to save me, you wanted to tell him, but he already beat you to it by reading your mind. "Oh, so you wanted me to just watch as you got torn apart so very violently by that beast? I would have taken great pleasure in seeing that actually." "Then why did you save me?" You blurted.

For a moment you saw him think about it. Think about why exactly he saved you, it's not like you were an important asset to him. "I wasn't in the mood to hear you screaming in misery." Filthy liar.

By the way he huffed, you guessed he read your mind once more. "Now... Do both of us a favour and get lost. You're useless and a coward. I don't need extra weight." He turned, walking off.

Your eyes narrowed, "You haven't gone back to Asgard yet... You're prolonging your return. You're worried." You scoffed, "And you say I'm the coward."

In an instant his sword was at your throat.

Seems you struck a nerve.

"I don't know what makes you think that you can just speak to me however you want and not face consequences, but you can't." You tried to push him away but he just pressed his sword harder to your throat, making you stop.

Heimdall sneered, his golden teeth peaking through his lips, "So learn what's good for you, and don't try to piss me off, it won't end well for you." The sword was now barely grazing the skin of your neck.

"Do you understand what I just said?"

You glared at him, but being arrogant wouldn't get you far in this situation. So you nodded. Heimdall snickered.

"Use your words, sunshine. You were so keen to use them not long ago."

Asshole.

"Yes, I understand you."

For a few, very tense seconds, you both just stared at one another in silence. It would have been better for you to just stay silent until he moved his sword - you both knew that - but you didn't. Instead you said, "But I have... A request."

Sunlight streamed from between the tree leaves above you both. It shined down on Heimdall, making him look ethereal. It felt like, if Valhalla was a person, it would be him in this moment. Elegant and Glorious.

"And that would be?" He asked, tilting his head like a cat would when it saw something that caught it's interest. And that thing that caught his interest was currently you - for no matter how much Heimdall screamed and insulted your very existence, you kept following him. You kept wanting to find him.

It would be your demise, why couldn't you see that?

"Let me come with you." Yet again, you wanted to be with him, proving his point.

"Why?"

"You're not going back to Asgard... So you're obviously looking for something. I can help."

He let out a short laugh, "What could you possibly do to help me? And what makes you think I want your help?"

"My powers. I can use them to gather information from souls, you can use that information to track whatever you're looking for down." That seemed to get him thinking. After a moment he asked, "Why do you want to help me? No one does anything without reason. Without wanting something in return."

Shaking your head, you spoke, "I don't want anything in return. You have my word on that. Just let me help you, please. Think of it as my way of showing gratitude for you saving my life."

There was something you weren't telling him. But when he read your thoughts, he found nothing. You kept a lot from him - you were powerful, too... What if, he kept you close, and slowly learned about your powers? Who you were? What you were worth? If he did that and killed Kratos, then he could take you back to Asgard, exploit your powers - The Allfather would use you for Asgard's benefit.

Heimdall could then be known for what he did for Asgard - and not as the man who was almost beaten by a false god.

"Fine." He removed his sword from your neck. A glint in his eyes that you couldn't quite make out, like he just saw the world burn and remade anew.

Like he was the one that did it.

"But if you get injured, don't say I didn't protect you. If you die, don't say I didn't warn you. Because you're doing this all on your own account, I'm responsible for nothing that happens to you." That was his last warning before he sheathed his sword, turning to walk off and expecting you to follow.

You watched him leave before chasing after. What did you get yourself into?

More than you could have possibly imagined.

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[tabbyxcatt]

DEMON SLAYER CHARACTERS + KAI SONGS

♫₊˚.🎧 ✩｡

This a bit of a drabble, the idea just kinda spawned after listening to EXO and Kai while reading Demon Slayer fanfics lol. It is a bit random so read it if you're interested, or don't, that's okay too! But I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless and lemme know if I should do anything similar for other characters, or not! Though it might take sometime for those to come out if you guys do want to read for other characters.

Characters: Sanemi Shinazugawa, Giyuu Tomioka, Kyojuro Rengoku x GN!Reader (I don't think there's anything that would hint otherwise besides the song lyrics lol, so I'll say that reader could be read as gender neutral <;3)

Genre: Fluff

Content Warning: None... Characters might be a little OOC..

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SANEMI

NOW PLAYING :  PEACHES

The very first time Sanemi laid his eyes on you he thought you were the most beautiful person he had ever seen. This man was one hundred percent convinced you weren’t human and that kind of put him on edge, not gonna lie. But if you were a demon, you’d never have made it as far as you have in the Demon Slayer Corps and you certainly wouldn’t be holding that small arrangement in your hands, a bouquet of wisteria and wildflowers. No, maybe not a demon, but for sure you weren't human. The sun reflected off of your beautiful golden skin, an ethereal glow emitting from your body like a halo, not a demon but maybe an angel, he concludes. 

Pretty girl, you're like peaches

it's a soft embrace

A sweetness that spreads in my mouth

Feels good to be the bad guy 

He knows he shouldn’t get close to you, that he shouldn’t fall in love, you were both demon slayers for crying out loud, tomorrow wasn’t promised. But he just can’t say no to you, can’t stop himself from talking to you, looking for you, aching for you. He’s a goner and he knows it. And you don’t want to stay away from him either -or so you’ve told him- only spurring Sanemi to become an even better demon hunter. What's higher than a Hashira? Is there even such a thing? He knows for sure there isn't, but it doesn't matter anyways, because he’ll become it.. because now he has you to protect. And he’d rather watch the world burn than have anything happen to you. 

I am your bad hobby

I'm getting more out of breath

It makes me smile

It makes me want to embrace you more 

Sanemi knows he should not be pursuing you, but it feels right, it feels comfortable and why would he ever deny anything you have to offer him? He can't bring himself to say 'no' to you so he will gladly accept your love, wholeheartedly and with no regrets. Any moment spent with you is one he cherishes, strolling through the garden with you, listening as you happily tell him about the flowers and the trees surrounding the estate, a stupid, love struck grin permanently glued to his face whenever you're near. Both of you with excitement coursing through your veins as you'd steal glances at each other, hands softly brushing against each other. You make Sanemi feel like he's found heaven on earth, you're a paradise he never wants to leave. A jungle where we wander together

It feels so sweet

Baby close your eyes

Just feel it

Sanemi has been on cloud nine from the moment he met you. You make everything better just by being near him, the fact that he gets to call you his is something he can’t fully grasp yet. You are the opposite of him and that brings out a different side to Sanemi, a sweeter, gentler side he forgot he even had after so many years of burying. He can’t picture a life without you, not anymore. Before, he often daydreamed of what it would be like to hold you in his arms, all the things he’d say and do to you. After snapping out of his trance, Sanemi often turned into a bashful boy in those moments, embarrassed by his own thoughts, which more often than not were wholesomely pure. But now that he can make it a reality, now that he knows what it feels like to hold you in his arms, the soft brush of your skin and the smell of your hair, he never misses the opportunities to tell you, and do, all the things he dreamed about. He feels like he’s floating whenever you do the same to him.

At the very moment, we drink up each other

Our fantasies become more infinite

Whisper in my ears so it's sweeter than a dream

I'm already addicted

0:48 ───|────── 3:18

            ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

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GIYUU 

NOW PLAYING : MMMH 

You’re one of the very few people that constantly make an effort to reach out to him. And in the beginning he doesn’t understand why, why you even like him and why you go through the trouble of contacting him. But he finds himself growing attached to his new pen-pal, looking forward to the days your crow flies out over to his estate to drop off your letter. Staying until he’s finished writing his response, placing it inside the little bag he had previously taken your letter out from, tying it hurriedly before beckoning your crow closer. Swooping down to snatch it so that it could deliver it to you, your crow makes the trip to your estate, having the route memorized  by heart after doing it for a little over a year. You understood his crow was older and oftentimes forgetful, so in order not to stress the senior courier, your crow enthusiastically took on the job. Your attentiveness to his crow and your persistence of staying in contact with him causes a weird feeling to bloom in his chest whenever he receives a letter from you. 

‘Cause I'm too wicked

I want to take all of your heart,

Don’t you worry

Maybe you’ll have this whole world 

It doesn’t take long for Giyuu to accept he’s in love with you because it sends him into a full blown panic when he first gets the inkling. The more he thinks about the way you make him feel, recalling the conversations you guys often hold, that tightening in his chest as he realizes he’s craving to be in your presence.. Yeah.. He definitely has feelings for you. He’s got no idea what to do now, now that he’s not questioning every interaction he’s ever had with you (to see if you’ve dropped any hints about liking him back) now that he knows in absolute fact that, even if you hadn’t, (you definitely have, he’s just a bit slow) he wants you. Giyuu feels a bit guilty about liking you, but he can’t help it, and he’s debating with himself whether he should even pursue you, he’s scared to ruin your friendship. Until one day you ask to meet with him and holy shit he almost forgot how pretty you are in person. He’s so overwhelmed with what he’s feeling that he almost doesn’t register what he just asked you, his entire interaction with you was so incredibly stiff - far less romantic than he was hoping- in an awkwardly endearing way only Giyuu can pull off. And he damn near almost forgets how to breathe as he stares at you, blinking owlishly, as it takes him a moment for the weight of your words to sink in. You just accepted his confession. 

Their jealousy makes you shiver

Take my jacket and put it on

My shawty, that's not your fault

Just come into my arms, Destroy me if you want 

Once he actually starts dating you, you find out he adores letting everybody know that you’re his, even if he’s not necessarily shouting it from rooftops. He prefers doing so in ‘subtle’ ways. Like actually communicating with you, another human being, for longer than 2 minutes. He's not a man of many words, but it's the first time anyone has ever seen so much life in Giyuu’s eyes- is that? Is he smiling?! He’s particularly fond of giving you his haori to wear, especially in moments where he knows some of the Hashira’s (or all) will be present, just so he can "subtly" show you off. Everyone ogles at the sight of you two, gossiping loudly amongst each other about the pair, it’s something they can't quite wrap their minds around. Because since when? And how?? Giyuu is so completely enamored with you that the rest of the world just fades into fuzzy white noise around you two. You were so honey-like, your large golden brown orbs dripping with a sweetness just for him, an endless pool of amber he found himself getting lost in. He knew they talked about you two, especially him, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not when you reassure him that you want him too and that he is worthy of love, not when you make the words sound so absolute, so incapable of lying to him.  

Even if I'm already fascinated and stagger

Girl, I just want more

What have you done to me?

I only miss you

Giyuu realizes he’s acting a bit out of character, but he just can’t bring himself to worry about it. Especially when you’re the reason for his actions. He’s completely bewitched by you, by what you make him feel. Something that isn’t just his grief and damn near crippling anxiety, you make him feel like he belongs, you make him feel happy. And he has no problems accepting it either, because he has no problem believing you. The words are escaping him but it’s okay, because you gaze into his eyes, cradling his head in your hands and there’s a mutual unspoken trust in them. You’re both drunk off each other, an intoxicating, addictive feeling Giyuu never wants to let go of. He never thought he’d get to experience this, to have someone that actually wanted him, that stood by his side, listened to him, cared for him. Sometimes it’s too much for him, too overwhelming, but he greedily takes everything you have to offer. 

(Mm-mhm)

Breathe out and exhale like like (Mm-mhm)

Beyond the boundary like like (Mm-mhm)

Hold you in my arms like like (Mm-mhm)

Don’t even think about other things

0:48 ───|────── 3:13

           ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

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KYOJURO

NOW PLAYING : SAY YOU LOVE ME

Kyojuro knows he likes you from the first time he met you simply because no one has ever made him feel like you have. He’s completely infatuated with you, but so unsure on how to approach it, so he remains by your side as your loyal friend. He only has space for you in his heart, eyes only for you. Which he doesn’t mind, he wouldn’t have it any other way, because the reward for being so patient was absolutely worth it. You both have a dynamic he has never experienced before. Knowing and loving someone wholeheartedly, becoming each other’s other-half, that naturally the next step is to become official. Truth be told, you both knew your friendship was destined to go to the next level, it was just a matter of who would crack first (it was Kyojuro). He goes all in the minute you two decide to date. 

It's okay to show your deeply hidden heart

Wake up from your sleeping night

During the darkest moment

Sensitive to your fingertips (Tips)

There aren't many drastic changes after you both make it official. He still takes you out to sightsee the beautiful locations he stumbled upon when he was out on missions, visiting the delicious restaurants he stopped by in different towns. The gifts and flowers never cease, in fact it increases, the only difference is he now gets to hold your hand and give you kisses whenever he can. He was a very attentive friend, he knows you like the back of his hand, something that only strengthens the foundation of your relationship. Kyojuro wants to do everything with you, since he knows you are the only person he is going to spend the rest of his days with. Communication is key for him. He’s an open book and lives his life earnestly and honestly, something that only intensifies after he gets with you. It’s something he encourages from you, he wants to break you out from your shy and hesitant personality, at least only with him. He knows it’s a bit difficult for you, you’re hesitant about voicing your thoughts worried that you might come off as selfish (even though he’s always reassured you otherwise), but he doesn’t care, he wants to be the only person you confide in this way. 

There's no need to hesitate (Yeah, yeah)

In this moment

Don't be cautious (Yeah, yeah)

You know about my еndless urgency (Yeah, yeah)

Kyojuro is a passionate man and that will never change, it’s one of the reasons why you love him, it’s only normal that he exerts that same passion in anything related to you. Kyojuro will never push you to do something you don’t want, but that doesn’t calm his impatient heart. Before dating you, Kyojuro wanted to profess his love to you nearly anytime you both met (he did it a few times in his head or to himself, sometimes he would shout it after a successful mission since even then you were always on his mind) so now that you both are dating, his heart yearns for you to tell him. Although you have yet to utter the words, he knows by your actions, everyone one of them dripping with affection for him that causes his heart to swell. (You hesitate to tell him because what if it's too soon? What if after hearing it he changes his mind? like relax cutie this is kyojuro we're talking about.)

Unlock your protected heart only for me

It's so fun, the tension is rising (Tension)

Don't stop this night that's getting shorter

I still haven't heard those words that will satisfy me

So when you do finally murmur those words in his ear, the ones he longed to hear, he cries. His heart grows, blood rushes in his ears almost violently as the words echo in his mind, he can’t stop the swelling of tears, much less stop them from falling. He basks in the moment, holding you in his arms, a long and slow kiss pressed hotly onto your lips before he pulls back with a satisfied grin. Then he’s asking you to repeat it to him. Again and again, over and over again. And everytime you do, he feels himself reaching an even higher state of nirvana. He’s addicted to the feeling and the sound. There’s nothing in this world that could tear him from you, he spends the rest of his retired life with you by his side. And no matter how many times he hears it, those words still have the same effect on him. Yes, the wait was one hundred percent worth it. And he’d go through everything once more if the end result was this, the beautiful life he has with you. 

Tell me how you feel right now (Ooh-ooh-ooh)

I don't need anything else (Ooh-ooh-ooh)

It's okay, no matter how many times you say it (Ooh-ooh-ooh)

Just say you love me one more

0:47 ───|────── 3:22

            ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮▯▯▯

I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS, IMAGES/GIFS OR MUSIC

Hi cuties! This is officially my first work here on my page, I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! If you did, or didn't, please let me know. Constructive criticism and feedback is deeply appreciated.

KYOJURO WILL LIVE ON FOREVER, THIS IS THE ONLY CORRECT CANON

p.s i've got something ready to come out that could be read as a part 2, though it's not completely inspired by this drabble, they're headcannons!

/) /) ( ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ) / づ づ ~ ♡

[ridiasfangirlings]

NagaShiro Fantasy AU where:

You’ve always heard that dark elves are cruel and emotionless creatures, who view everyone else beneath them, and thrive off the pain of others. However, viewing the tall attractive armoured dark elf before you, and watching them stammer apologies and cover their flustered face, after having accidentally come across you skinny dipping, you cant help but think its all a huge pile of bullshit.

Reference: https://www.tumblr.com/write-it-motherfuckers/175763415158/youve-always-heard-that-dark-elves-are-cruel-and?source=share

Imagine Hisui wearing dark elf armor that has like magic robotic legs or some kind of restraining mechanism because normally his magical power is too strong for him to keep it in check, like he normally can’t take the armor off unless he’s fighting. The dark elves of jungle are waging a war against these other mountain elves who possess a great magical artifact known as the Slate, which they use to control all the mana in the area. Hisui and his elves believe they should release the Slate and let all the mana flow to wherever it wishes, even if this will make a bunch of super strong mages who could oppress everyone else and cause endless war. One day after a battle Hisui is wandering through the woods enjoying a moment of peace when he spots this small pool and waterfall in the distance. Something silver is moving in it and he assumes a silver deer has come to bathe in the pool. Silver deer are rare so he goes to look at it, and promptly steps through the bushes to find an elf with smooth pale skin and long silver hair bathing there instead.

Hisui normally isn’t the type to show a lot of emotions but he was not expecting this and he’s actually not very well versed in seeing anyone else naked (his dad is super overprotective okay) so he steps back and quickly apologizes. He’s already taken off his normal helmet because it was such a nice day, so the elf in the pool gets to see him blushing. The long-haired elf laughs, apologizing for surprising him, and Hisui says in this case Hisui is certainly the interloper. The silver elf isn’t so sure about that, this is probably someone else’s territory right. He does find it interesting though, because he always heard dark elves were emotionless and terrifying but Hisui doesn’t seem so frightening. Hisui finds this interesting, that even with those rumors this elf isn’t afraid. He asks the elf’s name and the elf considers for a moment before asking to be called Shiro.

Shiro seems interested in chatting more and Hisui wonders if perhaps he could put on some clothes first. Shiro laughs all sheepishly like whoops forgot, Hisui keeps his head properly turned while Shiro puts on the white robe he left hanging from a tree limb. Shiro looks up at the sun and says he has to go, Hisui offers to escort him home and Shiro says no, he’ll be fine on his own. Hisui nods and lets him go and Shiro just gives him a thoughtful look, saying quietly that dark elves aren’t so different after all, are they. Hisui returns to his encampment while Shiro himself uses some flight magic to return to the mountains, where elder elf Kokujouji greets ‘General Weismann’ with some exasperation, where did you run off to this time. Weismann says he was simply taking a bath and observing the dark elves. Kokujouji asks if he learned anything interesting and Weismann gives a soft smile and a laugh as he says perhaps.

[arakhnesreiyr]

Bloodspill

Time always seems to become lost when in battle. The sun could rise and set in the heat of action, but it would never be noticed. To a samurai especially, battle is not just the means of survival in conflict; it is also the means of fighting for the peace that existed before that conflict. To grasp it, pull it back, and shut out the darkness in one fell swoop. In one battle. In one moment.

The incredible array of illegality of our battle was not lost to me. Disturbing the civilian peace in Kugane was beyond horrific, and this was a disturbance of the utmost kind. As the sun glinted on our weapons, Ando and I pushed each other in different directions: he sought to steer me back into the depths of the city, where our duel could cause harm to others; in contrast, I tried to steer him away from the city, towards the path into the jungle, near which our fight had begun.

Ehira took it upon herself to usher away civilians and protect the city, but she kept watch, making sure I could handle the duel. I hollered at her to not worry about me, and to go find military help, but she hollered right back that she was not going to leave me.

And for a moment, it seemed like I was gaining the upper hand. Ando was far taller than me, and far stronger, but I was quick and agile. I used his pursuant nature to lure him into the jungle, and he followed.

Outside of the city there was a scattering of hills, but all in all, it was almost entirely a hot, humid jungle. Vines hung from trees, ferns covered the ground, and the sun struggled to shine through the foliage. It was dark, but I liked it that way.

"I'll run and get help!" Ehira then shouted to me as the battle continued away from civilians and the city, and she was off, obviously seeking the military.

But it was at this moment that my upper hand dissipated as if it was made of fog. Ando let out a cry of fury, leaping at Ehira and, before I could so much as blink, sinking his katana into her heart.

"NO!" I screamed, the cry ripping from my throat so loudly that I could feel my vocal cords shred.

Ehira slumped to the ground, her eyes full of shock as she stared up at Ando, and her skin turned a deathly shade of pale. "Ara," she stammered to me, but could not say more.

I wanted to run to her, to comfort her, to apologize to her. The tears stung my eyes, feeling hotter than fire, and blurred my vision as I tried to focus on Ando, who retrieved his weapon by violently yanking it from Ehira's chest and then spun and strode towards me.

"No," I whispered in terror, frozen. "Please, Ando..."

"Now?!" he sneered. "NOW is when you want to plead for mercy? Look at your friend, Arakhne. She'll die because of you - because you took the law into your own hands. Because you thought you could control me."

I felt myself shaking, my eyes wandering to Ehira, who was even paler now and staring at me.

"Do it, Ara," she whispered, gasping for air. "Fuck him up." And as the words escaped her lips, she fell limp, dead.

Fuck him up. FUCK HIM UP. Fury shot through my body, more fury than I had ever felt in my bloodstream, ever. Swallowing back tears of rage, I stared first at Ehira's body, and then at Ando as he got closer, his eyes filled with jubilation.

Fuck him UP.

My grip on my katana tightened, and my body was no longer frozen. As Ando's blade pierced the air in front of me, I parried it, and then again, and then again, driving him viciously away from the city and further into the jungle.

Ando seemed surprised at the strength I had summoned in my anger, and stumbled back a few times, not anticipating my blinding rage. He found it difficult to continue parrying as I entered the offensive, battering his blade with mine again and again, and the smell of smoke entered my nostrils as we approached the flaming school, which sat opposite of us on a perpendicular hillside.

After a moment, I heard an uproar nearby. The military had seen us, and they were brandishing their weapons, threatening violent action if we did not cease our duel.

And at that moment, time seemed to slow. Several of the squadron began to rush at us as we approached a cliffside that overlooked the sea. Ando's eyes met mine, and I saw something that I didn't anticipate: clarity.

Clarity in a villain's eyes is something you never want to see.

I was surprised by it. That millisecond could cost me everything, for Ando would use my surprise to trip me up, making me fall to the ground, and his katana dug into my lower abdomen.

The pain was excruciating. With what was left of my vocal cords, I screamed, my katana falling out of my hands as I clutched the wound, sobbing.

Ando did not have time to seal the deal; the military had arrived, cornering the both of us on the cliffside. One of them bent down to inspect me: black eyes that swam into my blurring vision.

"I apologize," Ando said to me, his eyes burning with evil, "that you did not get to, in your friend's words, fuck me up." And with that, he turned and jumped off the cliff, landing in the water.

Shock rippled through the military squadron that stood above me. Several of them shot their rifles into the water, but to no avail - either Ando was killed on impact and sunk to the bottom, or he escaped. Either way, no body was seen.

And as the blood poured from my own wound, the last words I heard before passing out rang in my ears, "Gentlemen, let me take her."

And then there was darkness.

[questforgalas]

March on the Temple pt 2.

Summary: While reflecting on memories of the 501st, Echo receives some disturbing news

Word Count: 4.6K

On AO3

Notes: WOOOO BABY DID THIS ONE GET AWAY FROM ME. This made me cry while writing it multiple times, so strap in for a lot of fond brotherly feels as well as post order 66 angst. Echo needs 8000 hugs, and Hunter is a good brother. Italics indicate flashbacks, all from Echo's POV. This chapter is all Echo's POV. I'm wicked proud of this one and feeling more comfortable in my writing, so I hope you all enjoy too!

Warnings: we be angsty babes. angst with a happy ending, post order 66, fond memories of the 501st, Rex is dogpiled by younglings, Ahsoka, Kix, Fives, Jesse, Hardcase, Appo, and Denal all make appearances, Hunter is there for his big brother

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3

Tay's Masterlist

Read on AO3

“Echo, what does the reg manual say about loth wolves?”

Letting loose his sixth exasperated sigh since this conversation started, Echo closed his eyes with the false hope that he could block out Fives’ increasingly worrying questions.

“No animals of any kind are allowed in the barracks, Fives. Not tookas. Not loth wolves. Not eeopie. And definitely not rancor, before you even ask.”

“But hear me out,” Hardcase starts. “What if we get the general to ‘sign off’ on them? You know he barely looks at the reports before he signs them, always racing off once we land on Coruscant. No way he’d notice a petition for permission to bring a tooka on board.”

“Rex would love a tooka. He just doesn’t know it yet,” Jesse added.

The thing about the 501st, especially Hardcase, Fives, and Jesse, is that their boredom-induced plans were usually harmless. Echo could say that with 87% certainty. But that other 13% … well, the idea of bringing on a “mascot of the 501st” was being discussed longer than Echo was comfortable with.

“Fives, we’ve only been in hyperspace for a rotation. It’s too soon for you to give Rex a headache.”

“Oh come on Echo. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t ….”

The other thing about the 501st is that no matter how many times they made Echo groan, they made him smile twice as often. 

Staring into the bright jungle of Saleucami, Echo found his mind wandering to his brothers and thinking of the trouble they would get into here. Hardcase alone would run Kix out of bandages no doubt thanks to the brightly colored fauna. Echo loosed a sigh and leaned his head back against the side of Su and Cut’s house. Since they fled Kamino, he’s caught himself thinking of his old squad more often than usual.Maybe it was the memories of familiarity while now in a galaxy of uncertainty that brought him comfort. Or maybe because any memories of his newest squad involved one missing member, and the betrayal Echo felt ran deeper than he wanted to acknowledge at the moment.

Fighting hard to not let his mind conjure up images of clones shooting at a Jedi padawan or, worse, a black chamber with the sounds of machines beeping out of sight, Echo reached for memories painted blue.

“Do you think they’ll let us eat in their mess hall? I heard the temple food is some of the best on Coruscant,” Kix hadn’t stopped rambling since they got the orders to meet Commander Tano at the Jedi Temple. Echo didn’t blame him. It wasn’t often non-command clones were summoned to the temple, and even though Fives and Echo walked the halls a few times before, this was Kix’s first visit. So, his energy was nothing but amusing to the other two.

“Is it even called a mess hall here? That doesn’t sound very Jedi. It’s probably called something like ‘The Nourishing Hall’ or ‘Meals of Enlightenment’,” Fives joked. “Yeah, that sounds right. ‘The Nourishing Hall – double your midi-chlorians with every meal’,” he emphasized the title with a streak of his hand through the air like he was displaying a holoboard.

“Sorry Fives, no midi-chlorian doubling meals here. And hate to break it to ya, but it’s just the cafeteria.” Commander Tano’s voice sounding next to them made all three troopers jump at the same time. They looked to their left to find the young Togruta chuckling to herself, clearly amused with her stealthy stunt. Echo whipped his head around wondering where in the Maker she came from. “Jedi stealth must be a nice trick to have,” he muttered to himself.

Once they made it to the top of the stairs, the three troopers stopped to face Ahsoka, awaiting an explanation as to why they were here, but first, she waved over a blue skinned Twi’lek waiting by the entrance. The Jedi, or Echo assumed they were a Jedi, had kind eyes and an even kinder smile – not uncommon amongst the force wielders.

“Echo and Fives, you’ll follow me as I bring you to the briefing room. But first, Kix, I’d like you to meet Jedi Master Vokara Che. She’s the head healer here at the temple,” Ahsoka explained.

Echo looked over and used every moment of his ARC training to refrain from bursting out laughing once he saw the look on Kix’s face. The 501st medic stood there with eyes wide and mouth agape, processing the presence coming toward them. Echo wasn’t familiar with the Jedi Master, but based on Kix’s reaction, he certainly was.

“Hello medic Kix. I’ve heard about the remarkable work you do on the field for your battalion, and, if you’ll allow, I’d like for you to spend time in the healing halls here over the next few rotations. I think we can learn a great deal from each other,” Jedi Master Che spoke with a sing-song voice.

Hands clasped together, the Jedi healer stood patiently as she waited to hear Kix’s response, which, to everyone’s amusement, never came as he was stuck with the same wide eyes and open mouth that formed when the healer joined them. Master Che’s smile quirked up at the corners in amusement. Not able to let their brother make a fool of himself any longer, Fives softly punched Kix’s shoulder to jolt him out of his stupor.

“Don’t mind him, ma’am. We’re still adjusting back to Coruscant time from our most recent mission, but I can speak for Kix when I say he’d be honored to learn from you,” Echo supplied for the medic.

With a bashful smile, Kix finally spoke up, “Echo’s right. It would be an honor, ma’am. Please, show me the way.”

As he was walking away, Kix gave one quick glance back at Echo and Fives with a face that only said “Can you kriffing believe this?” Echo and Fives finally let loose their amused chuckles, and with two casual salutes, the ARCs bid their brother farewell and turned to their Jedi.

“So, Commander, what do the generals have for us this time?” Fives asked.

“Rex hand picked you two for this one. It’s as big as it gets boys. You’re breaking into the Citadel,” Ahsoka informed them with a gleam in her eyes.

Echo jolted off the side of the house, breath coming in pants, needing to put his head in his hand. That was one of his favorite memories, but Echo forgot what it led up to. The gleam in Ahsoka’s eyes. Echo’s excited gasp. Fives confident smirk. Maker, if only they knew what 12 hours later was going to bring them. Was going to bring him.

Recalling the breathing exercises Tech taught him, Echo focused on bringing his heartbeat down and making the ringing in his ears stop. As he gradually recovered, he heard the footsteps of someone approaching from around the house. Based on the soft footfall, Echo knew it was Hunter. He was the softest footed of his brothers next to Crosshair, and sure enough, the sergeant rounded the corner to find Echo slumped at the waist with his elbows on his knees.

“Panic attack?” Hunter simply asked.

“Flashback. Nothing direct. I’m almost back.” Echo rattled off like it was a mission report.

“Mind some company?” Echo looked up and gave his permission with a curt nod. Hunter slotted himself in between the ARC and some feed crates which Echo assumed was to try and give him space as he brought himself back to here and now. Yet, even through the haze of his flashback, Echo didn’t could pick up on the nervous energy coming off of his sergeant. Sure, Omega was almost eaten by a nexu not an hour ago, but he didn’t think it would still contribute to Hunter being this on edge.

“Memories of your old squad usually help, don’t they?” Hunter’s gruff voice broke through Echo’s thoughts, and he looked up with a confused look that had the sergeant chuckling, subtly tapping his ear as if to say, “Enhanced senses, remember?”

“I’d hear you sometimes during your recovery sessions with Tech. Especially during the tougher ones. You’d resort to telling stories of the 501st. I think Tech realized this too. He started to prompt you when he noticed you having a tough time,” Hunter explained. Echo wanted to be surprised, but all Hunter’s observation did was wash a calm wave over his frayed nerves. Typical of his brothers to distract him from the horrors of war even when they weren’t on the same planet – or alive.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as his heart beat finally calmed to a steady beat. Soft rays from the late afternoon sun started creeping around the corner of the house and draped the two in a warm haze. Echo was starting to relax from his episode, but he noticed that Hunter was as stiff as if they were standing at attention on Kamino. Unable to handle the anxiety any longer, Echo spoke up, “Something on your mind, Hunter?”

Echo was expecting Hunter to blink out of his stupor. Maybe jolt his head in Echo’s direction as if he had been lost in thought and forgot the trooper was next to him. What he didn’t expect was for Hunter to let out a deep sigh and close his eyes as if he was struggling to find his next words. Quiet settled over them as Echo waited for him to choose when he was ready to speak. With one more drawn out breath, Hunter finally spoke.

“Have you seen any of the reports coming out of Coruscant?”

Echo’s eyebrows furrowed at the random nature of Hunter’s question.

“We haven’t exactly had a lot of time to take a Holonews break, Hunter.”

“Humor me.”

“No, I haven’t sought out any reports. If I’m being honest, I figured Tech would take on that responsibility and report anything of note,” Echo answered. Seeing Hunter continue to be wound tight caused Echo himself to stiffen. He’d never seen Hunter like this, even with everything that just occurred.

“What’s going on Hunter? Why should I care about imperial reports?”

At last, Hunter’s eyes met his. “Tech was scanning through records and reports during the trip here when he stumbled across something.” Hunter reached across his body, and that’s when Echo noticed a datapad dangling from his belt. Unclipping it, Hunter brought it in front of him and activated it. “It’s an imperial article detailing the attack on the Jedi temple. Would uh, would you like to read it?” He grimaced when he asked. If this exchange wasn’t clouded with nervous energy, Echo probably would have laughed at the sergeant’s attempts to be casual about something that was clearly the opposite.

“Hunter.” The sergeant grimaced again. “Just tell me what’s going on before you make yourself implode.” That earned Echo an amused huff.

“Turns out, the clones didn’t just turn on the Jedi in the field. A clone battalion marched on the temple in Coruscant and wiped the place clean. Tech theorizes that the number of Jedi scattered across fronts at the time was deliberate so the temple was vulnerable. According to Tech, the majority of those in the temple at the time were…”

“Younglings,” Echo finished for him. As he was taking in Hunter’s words, he cast his eyes to the ground finding the Saleucami dirt comforting.

“Yeah, younglings,” Hunter confirmed. Echo felt him angle his body against the house facing him now.

“Why are you telling me this? You’ve sought me out, made sure we’re alone and out of earshot. Why isn’t this something the squad is being briefed on? And why are you grimacing more and more with each of my questions? Hunter, what the kriff are you trying to tell me?”

Echo’s voice started low and puzzled, but it rose with each statement. He managed to keep it to a harsh whisper since clearly Hunter wanted to make sure they had privacy, but his chest was rising and falling rapidly as he tried to puzzle together what could possibly warrant this serious of a conversation. Thankfully, Hunter didn’t make him wait long.

“Echo, I’m sorry to have to tell you this. The clone battalion that marched on the temple? It was the 501st.”

Echo went still. He saw Hunter keep talking, but his ears were static as he processed the last sentence. “It was the 501st.”

When Echo watched the clones shoot down General Billaba, he’d accepted right then and there that he was going to have to process a lot of things that didn’t make sense to him in the coming future. He was proven right as he listened to the new emperor’s speech, as he saw Tarkin oversee clone evaluations, and as he saw Crosshair wearing all black armor. All of that he saw, he processed, and he adapted. It’s what ARC troopers did. But this? “It was the 501st”.

That one statement kept ringing in his head, refusing to be processed.

“Echo? Echo! Talk to me here,” Hunter’s worried voice broke through the static. Looking around him, Echo realized he’d gone from leaning against Cut and Su’s house to sitting on the ground with his knees in his chest, head held in his one hand. He didn’t remember sliding down nor Hunter coming down with him, putting an arm around his shoulder and giving it soft pats attempting to ground him.

Still feeling like he didn’t have complete control back in his limbs, Echo turned his head to look at Hunter. “That’s not possible, Hunter. Of all the battalions, no. It’s not possible.”

Hunter’s face softened as he took in Echo’s desperate eyes. He knew the look well – it was the same look he wore when he watched Crosshair walk into the hangar on Kamino. Desperate that what his eyes were seeing was a sick trick his exhausted mind was playing on him. He saw Echo struggling the same way as he let the news sink in.

“I know Echo, I know. I’m sorry.” It was all Hunter could come up with for now.

“They – they were there for the rescue. When the Chancellor was taken by Dooku. I spoke with Rex on the way to Kaller. He explained he, Jesse, and half the 501st were going to Mandalore while the other half stayed with Skywalker to go to Coruscant. I remember being envious he was getting to go fight with real mandalorians.” An amused huff passed Echo’s lips.

“The other battalions – they – there were on the fronts. It would’ve left just the Corrie Guard and the 501st.” His head thumped against the side of the house again. “But Hunter, Rex and Jesse were both on Mandalore. Who led the attack on the temple?” There was no one else left to lead. Everyone who would’ve been in command were sent with Rex. Even Commander Tano’s short return sent her to the warrior planet, and Echo admittedly wasn’t entirely up to date on the latest command structure of the 501st, but he was sure no one was left on Coruscant to…

Echo’s head snapped up, and he fought with everything he had to not hurl his lunch right there between his legs. “Hunter. Who led the attack? Who led the battalion into the temple?” Echo asked the questions so quietly that Hunter had to rely on his enhanced hearing to hear them.

“I think you know, Echo.”

“Say it.”

Echo felt more than heard the deep sigh Hunter let loose. “The article says the troops were led by General Skywalker,” Hunter finally admitted.

In war, you go through a lot of breaking points. They can be random, patterned, frequent, or rare. But every trooper has at least one story of when they finally felt it all cave in – the taxing missions, the losses, the anti-clone idealists, the deaths. The clones’ engineered adaptability could usually keep these episodes short, but that didn’t erase the mental scarring each one left. As an ARC trooper, Echo received additional mental simulations since it was assumed they’d see more gruesome realities. But right now, all of the mental simulations and breathing exercises in the galaxy couldn’t keep Echo upright.

It happened in slow motion. Hunter watched as Echo processed this last piece. First, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion like Hunter just spoke Huttese. Then, his eyes widened in shock when the words took meaning. Next, his pupils flared with anger like this was a tasteless prank Hunter was trying to pull. But when Hunter didn’t flinch and kept his face passive, Echo’s eyes showed a half second of acceptance before pooling with tears. In one last attempt to keep his emotions in check, Echo closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breaths. And then he crumbled.

The mental and physical exhaustion of the last 48 hours settled in, and Echo let this final hit tip him over the mental brink he’d been teetering over. The tears sprang quickly, and it didn’t take long for his body to be wracked with heavy sobs. As the world turned blurry, Echo found himself thinking one thing, “Thank the Maker Rex wasn’t there. Thank the Maker he doesn’t have to live with that nightmare on his conscience.”

The hangar of the Resolute was bustling as troopers loaded the last of the supplies. This was going to be one of their quicker relief missions, and the offload should only take an hour, tops. As the last troopers were loading into the LAAT/is ready to head down to the surface, Echo hopped up next to Rex.

“Fives make it on?” Rex asked him.

“And miss the opportunity to be revered like a hero? You know better than that, Rex,” Echo smirked at the captain as he gave an eye roll before putting his helmet on. Rex tried, but he was terrible at hiding his soft spot for the rambunctious ARC trooper.

“Listen up troopers, this is a simple offload and base rebuild. We’ll set the survivors up with basic medical, food, and communication capabilities. If time allows, we’ll assist with rebuilds of the school and main housing sector. Denal, you’ll take R2 and make sure their mainframe is online. Kix, you’ll head the medical setup. I’ll dole out the rest of duties on the ground. Understood?”

“Sir, yes sir,” answered in unison. Instead of relaxing though, all of the troopers on their ship, including Echo, remained at attention. Rex smirked to himself knowing what they were waiting for.

“Once your duties are complete, you have permission to free time,” he informed them. Soft whoops filled the LAAT/i. These types of relief missions were Echo’s favorites. Most of the time, they would unload the supplies, set up the required facilities, and then have to ship off to the next battle or war-torn zone. Occasionally though, they had a sliver of time where they could forget they were soldiers and just be.

2 hours later, Echo and Jesse had the common kitchen fully functioning, and they were now helping a group of clones and locals build shelter structures. The locals of this settlement on Haruun Kal were enthusiastic to receive the supplies and help from the clones. Pausing his hammering for a breather, Echo heard a commotion rise up behind him. Glancing in the direction of the noise, he found the source with ease.

Fives, Hardcase, and Appo were surrounded by a group of 12 younglings who were shouting questions at the clones. It didn’t take long for Echo to spot the holoball in Hardcase’s hand, and that answered nearly all of Echo’s questions. Gently, he nudges Jesse next to him.

“Looks like the boys are trying to get a holoball game going with the younglings. Wager on how quickly Fives gets knocked on his sheb?”

“Oh Maker no! They don’t think they’re playing without me!” Jesse exclaims before putting his hammer down and running over. Echo looked around and saw that the structure was complete, so he put his hammer back in the toolbox and wandered over to the group.

“What’s a holoball?”

“Do we have to run with it?”

“Does your armor give you super strength?”

“You’re twice as big as us! That’s not fair!”

“Can I hold your blaster?”

“Are you actually brothers?”

“Have you ever held a lightsaber?”

“Why do you have a tattoo on your face?”

“Ok ok! One question at a time. My brother here is going to explain the rules. Then, if you have any other questions about holoball, and holoball only, we’ll answer them before getting the game started!” Fives attempted to focus the younglings.

When more than 5 seconds of silence passed, Appo got started on explaining the game. Leaning against some crates off to the side, Echo felt a smile crossing his lips observing the younglings listening as if Appo was explaining how to obtain unlimited sweets. A moment later, he felt a presence come up beside him and settle on the crate next to him. Turning his head, Echo noticed Rex observing the scene.

“Holoball, huh? Nice touch. Hopefully, they know what they’re getting into,” Rex hummed. Echo noted Rex’s jaig eyes looking at him from his knee, and he appreciated that this is the most relaxed he thinks he’s ever seen his captain.

“Jesse and I think the younglings are going to run circles around Fives.”

Rex chuckled, “I don’t doubt that for a second. Fives is a skilled trooper, but he’s not the most athletic.”

“Hey Echo, we’re down a player! Wanna hop in?” Hardcase interrupted them from the makeshift field.

"I'm good Hardcase, just want to watch.” Then Echo tilted his head to the side. “What about you Captain? Wanna show them how it’s done?”

Echo was sure the look Rex gave him would skewer a rancor.

“Oh please please please Mr. Captain sir! You can be on our team!” A little girl with curly brown hair and big brown eyes looked up at Rex begging him to join. Echo had to keep his laugh in as he witnessed the stoic captain of the 501st melt directly under the youngling’s gaze. It was a similar tactic Echo saw Commander Tano use against the captain, and it appeared Rex was defenseless against it no matter the being.

“Yeah, Captain! Do it for the younglings!” Fives added with a cheeky grin. Rex shot him a quick glare, but he immediately softened again when he looked back down at the little girl.

“Ok cyar’ika, I’ll play.” The younglings erupted as Rex walked over.

To Echo’s glee, and Fives, Hardcase, and Appo’s horror, Rex turned out to be one heck of a holoball player. His team of younglings stood with rapt attention every time Rex kneeled down to draw up their next play. It was clear Rex’s leadership skills weren’t only for the battlefield because every play the younglings executed flawlessly, and soon they were leaving the other team in the dust.

Eventually, Fives gave the order to take down Rex with any means possible. Next thing they knew, Rex has carrying the holoball down the field along with 3 younglings hanging onto his arms and legs trying to take him down. At the last second, Rex was able to pass off to a young girl, but he wasn’t quick enough to stop himself from being tackled to the ground. Instead of stopping the little girl, the rest of the younglings decided this was the perfect time to take the 501st captain out.

Echo couldn’t believe his eyes. 4 younglings were piled on top of Rex tickling him, and Rex was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. Seeing the effective strategy, the other younglings turned on Appo, Fives, and Hardcase and managed to take 2 of the 3 down. So there in front of him was the captain of the 501st, an ARC trooper, and Hardcase on the ground being tickled by younglings. Echo looked over at Appo and Jesse, and after a couple shocked seconds, the three of them were doubled over in laughter. They soon found this to be a grave mistake though, because Rex had managed to gain control of the situation again and rallied the younglings to take down the remaining troopers.

Hours later, back in the mess hall of the Resolute, many were gathered around to hear the story of the great holoball tournament of Haruun Kal. Many parts of the story were going to go down in 501st history if Fives had anything to do with it, but the legend of Captain Rex crying from laughter under a pile of younglings was already Echo’s favorite.

A gentle arm circled around Echo’s shoulders, bringing him back to the present. He felt Hunter give him a gentle nudge in his direction. A simple gesture saying, “I’m here. You’re not going through this alone. Use me if you need to.” If Echo had the energy, he’d take Hunter up on his offer, but his body was exhausted and all he could manage was occasionally wiping the tears from his eyes as he huddled over his knees. Always the leader, Hunter remained at his side allowing Echo whatever space he needed to work through the news.

“Do the others know?” Echo managed to ask when his sobs started to quiet down.

“Only Tech. He came directly to me, but it’s your play going forward.”

After what felt like an hour but was more likely a few minutes, Echo was able to even his breathing and lift his head up from his hand. Tilting his head up to the late evening sun, he let the final tendrils of shock and sorrow work their way out of his system. At last, he felt like he could take a full breath again.

“Thanks Hunter. I imagine that wasn’t an easy one.”

“Certainly wasn’t one of our training simulations, that’s for sure,” Hunter chuckled under his breath. Even Echo found it in himself to crack a small smile.

“Well, thanks for telling me. And for staying with me. That w-that was a hard one to process. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to remain here a little longer while I finish collecting myself.”

“Of course, Echo. I know you’ve only been with us a couple months, and everything’s kind of flipped upside down right now, but you’re one of us and whatever you need, we’ll be right here to help you.” Hunter placed a gentle hand on Echo’s shoulder as he spoke, and when he was done, he gave him a soft squeeze before standing up and heading back inside the house.

The sun was making its final descent behind the horizon giving Echo a sense of relief that this day was done. With a slight wobble in his knees, he stood himself up using the side paneling as support. Process and adapt – that’s all he could do. Taking each day one at a time. Feeling his body relax as he accepted this new galaxy, Echo gave a final glance at the sky. A deep, familiar blue blanketed the quiet farm as if it was trying to reach and wrap around him. A thought from earlier popped into his mind – even when gone, the 501st were there to help him see the next day.

Sensing that the peace and quiet had lasted long enough, the galaxy jolted Echo back into reality when he heard the front door slam and Hunter’s voice following. “Tech! Getting our ship impounded is not my idea of a solution!”

Gifting himself one final moment of quiet, Echo readied himself for the next unforgettable memory his newest brothers have no doubt gotten themselves into.  

[wizardofrozz]

Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, brief mentions of Captain Rex and Commander Cody

Word Count: ~1k

Warnings: mention of war

The gunship shuttered as they broke Kashyyyk’s atmosphere, jostling its passengers, and luckily, Rex grabbed the back of Ahsoka’s tunic before she tumbled to the floor. Obi-Wan turned his head to hide his smile, unlike Anakin who was laughing without reservation. Ahsoka just glared at him, flashing her sharp canines, and shuffling behind Rex to cover her embarrassment. 

         “Stop picking on your padawan,” Obi-Wan sighed, lightly elbowing Anakin who stood at his side. 

         “Because you didn’t do the same thing to me,” Anakin scoffed, arching a brow. 

         “I never said that,” Obi-Wan said, lifting his chin, “I was just more reserved about it.” Anakin shook his head with a quiet laugh, a few locks of hair falling in his face. Obi-Wan smiled to himself, glancing at Ahsoka again, and watched her talk with Rex and Cody. He could feel the gunship slowing, indicating they were approaching the surface and Obi-Wan smiled when Cody’s hand hovered behind Ahsoka as the ship touched down. 

         “Alright, boys,” Anakin yelled right into Obi-Wan’s ear, “we leave again tomorrow morning. Don’t be late, don’t get arrested, and don’t piss off a Wookie.” Laughter rumbled through the small group of troopers and Obi-Wan watched some of the usual tension dissolve, a few men slumping against a nearby brother. “Get some rest and have a drink for me.” Anakin smiled and pulled the side door open, flooding the gunship with the thick, muggy jungle air. No one mentioned when a few troopers groaned at the humidity; Obi-Wan silently agreed as sweat started to bead on the back of his neck. 

         “You’re dismissed, gentlemen,” Obi-Wan announced, stepping onto the landing platform. As soon as he said it, troopers were pouring out in a wave of intermingling orange and blue armor. Cody had an arm around Rex’s shoulders, manhandling his little brother off the ship while Ahsoka trailed behind, giggling. Anakin appeared at his side with his arms crossed and watched their men wander into the festive city with a smirk. 

         “Masters!” Ahsoka called, jogging to a stop with a wide smile. “Please tell me we’re going to see all the decorations.”

         “Come on, Snips, it’s just a bunch of lights hanging from trees,” Anakin huffed and Obi-Wan wanted to smack him when Ahsoka deflated. 

         “I’ll join you, my dear,” Obi-Wan spoke up, resting a hand on her shoulder. It was like staring into the sun when she smiled, her eyes shining and he was suddenly reminded that she was barely 15. Ahsoka was a skilled padawan and a brilliant commander but she deserved to be a youngling instead of a soldier sometimes too. 

         “You’re just going to leave me behind?” Anakin grumbled, his brows pulling together.

         “You’re welcome to come along, Anakin,” Obi-Wan started, moving to stand beside Ahsoka with a coy grin, “if lights hanging from trees aren’t too boring for you, that is.” Ahsoka covered her mouth to hide her laughter which only made his smile grow. Anakin shot him a pouty glare that Obi-Wan took as his agreement and grinned at his former apprentice. 

         “Come on, it’s already getting dark,” Ahsoka urged, lightly tugging on Obi-Wan’s arm. She looped her arm through his, leading him through the wroshyr tree platforms with a sulking Anakin in tow. The Republic base on the forest floor was teeming with clones and Wookies celebrating, flooding the Force with joy. For a moment, Obi-Wan felt the grip of the darkness clouding the Force let up and he relished in it. Ahsoka gasped, pulling Obi-Wan to a stop, her mouth hanging open as lights twinkled in her eyes. 

Anakin stood on her other side and despite his best efforts, Obi-Wan could feel the hint of awe slipping through his shields. The lights were breathtaking, hanging from every branch like a web connecting the entire forest. Red robes flashed in the windows of the houses overhead and loud festive music drifted through open doors. Kashyyyk was brimming with festive spirit and for a beautiful moment, Obi-Wan forgot the galaxy was at war. Ahsoka grabbed Anakin’s arm, dragging him toward a wroshyr tree a few feet away, pointing at one of the decorations above their heads. 

         “Look, Skyguy, it’s you,” Ahsoka laughed, pointing at something out of Obi-Wan’s line of sight. Although based on Anakin’s pinched expression, he could assume it was unpleasant looking; Obi-Wan smiled at the implication.

         “Hilarious,” Anakin huffed with an eye roll, shouldering past her. Obi-Wan continued to follow the pair through the cheerful crowd with a fond expression, savoring their unhindered laughter. It was moments like this that Obi-Wan cherished the most. They were fleeting as of late but witnessing the blinding joy radiating off his padawan and grandpadawan while they acted like true siblings, warmed his heart. This was what kept Obi-Wan fighting this war. The knowledge that one day, Anakin and Ahsoka would get more time to enjoy their young years together. He was content to watch from the background.

         “Master Obi-Wan!” Ahsoka called, yanking him back to reality. Obi-Wan found her at a small food stand, her radiant smile making her look so achingly young that it almost brought tears to his eyes. “We have to try the jelly orbs!”

         “What? Are your old joints bothering you again?” Anakin teased with a smirk. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes but even Anakin’s old-man jokes couldn’t smother his high spirits. Ahsoka waited impatiently with her arms crossed and Obi-Wan beamed, resting his hands on her shoulders. She leaned into him, shocking him at first but knowing that she felt comfortable enough to do so made him step a little closer.

          “Keep an eye on Anakin, he has an unbelievable sweet tooth,” Obi-Wan whispered, watching his former padawan pay for the treats.

         “Here,” Anakin hummed, passing out orbs with an excited glint in his eyes. Obi-Wan watched with a soft smile as Anakin and Ahsoka chattered happily about the dessert. Ahsoka squawked when Anakin tried to steal the remaining half of her jelly orb and Obi-Wan laughed freely as the pair took off running into the crowd.

Obi-Wan followed at a subdued pace and nibbled on his sugary treat with a smile.

25 days of Life Day Masterlist

Taglist: @sleepingsun501​ 

[raaorqtpbpdy]

In the Zone (4)

Based on the Phic Phight prompts: Danny and co. go sight seeing in the zone and get lost. Maybe they have to navigate weird ghost logic/physics/laws to make their way home (from @ventisettestars). And Sam and Tucker maybe getting Pharaoh + plant powers? ecto contamination for the win ig (from @corvidspectre).

Chapter 4: The Ancient Jungle Realm

AO3 Link

[Warning for jumping off cliffs, I guess? Nobody gets hurt, though, but it might squick some people out.]

Staying at the Metropolitan building was pretty nice, all things considered, but it would've been nicer if they weren't doing it because their only means of transportation through the Zone had been stolen. They shared a suite, but they each had their own beds, and the amenities were very posh. The following morning, they returned to the scene of the crime.

After an hour of useless searching, with no evidence and no witnesses, they were forced to give up, and sat down on the curb to rest and mope.

"I hate to say it, but we may just have to find some other way home," Tucker said.

"Man, when my parents realize the Specter Speeder's gone they're gonna have a cow!"

"Well," Sam patted her thighs as she stood up, "If we have to find our way back on foot, we should stock up on supplies. Who knows when we'll be able to get food again?"

Sam still had he backpack, since she'd taken in with her for their city excursion, but the boy's had just stuffed a few things in their pockets. Tucker's tech was limited to one PDA and his watch at the moment, and he didn't have a charger for the former. They wandered around the city until they found the appropriate stores and bought the supplies they'd need, then they took the monorail to the city limits.

Standing on the edge of the craggy cliffs that surrounded the city, they overlooked the swirling green skies of the Zone.

"I'm goin' ghost!" Danny declared, and his transformation swept over him. He held out his hands to either side of them and Sam and Tucker took them, holding on tightly. "You guys ready?"

"I guess," Tucker said.

"Ready as we'll ever be," Sam agreed.

It's said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That day, the trio's journey would begin with the most terrifying step of their lives. As one, they but one foot in front of the other, and as one, they stepped right off the island, and into the ectoplasmic sea. Since he was the only one who could fly, Danny took the lead.

"If we can get to the Far Frozen, we can asked Frostbite to borrow the Infi-Map," Danny said. "We can use it to get back home."

"Or, we could use it to get back to the Specter Speeder," Tucker pointed out.

"Even better!"

"But we have no idea where we are, and everything in the Ghost Zone is constantly moving," Sam said. "We have as good a chance of accidentally stumbling into the portal as we do of getting to the Far Frozen, or of landing in one of your enemies' lairs, or some other hostile realm."

"That's... a good point."

"Maybe if we tried some of these doors," Tucker suggested. "One of 'em could be a shortcut." He grabbed a doorknob and twisted it open. It instantly slammed closed again, the door sucked back by the thing behind it. They'd only had an instant to see it, but that was all they needed.

"That was a black hole," Danny said, his eyes wide in awe and horror. "Like, in outer space. That door leads to a black hole in the far reaches of space. That is so cool! But also if we'd gotten sucked through before the door got sucked closed we'd be super dead right now."

"Noted," Tucker said breathlessly.

"Let's not risk anymore doors," Sam proposed, and the boys nodded in agreement.

The three of them continued on in silence for a few minutes, all of them on the look out for someplace familiar.

"Wait, do you guys hear that?" Sam asked finally. "I hear... singing." The boys shook their heads. "Danny, take us that way!" She pointed in the direction of the noise and Danny obliged, allowing her to navigate for the time being, since they didn't exactly have any other plans at the moment. Soon enough, something came into view, and Danny flew them down toward the huge, jungle that had drawn Sam's attention.

"I still don't hear any singing," Danny whispered, but whatever music Sam was hearing, she had begun to sing along. Vines reached out to her, but not to attack, rather they caressed her skin, greeting her as if she was a distant relative they hadn't seen in a while.

"Is she... talking to the plants?" Tucker whispered.

"Looks like it," Danny whispered back. Sam looked... happy. She was dancing with the vines, swaying with the trees, twirling around the blooming tropical flowers. After a few minutes, Sam stopped singing and laughed. Her friends froze in fear at the sound. Sam almost never laughed.

"My friends and I are trying to find our way home," Sam said to apparently the plants. "Can you help us?" Whatever the plants responded confused Sam. "Your queen, I'm not your... oh... I see."

"Wait, what?" Danny asked. "What's going on?"

"This is Undergrowth's realm," Sam told him. "And technically, I'm still his queen since that time he tried to take over Amity Park, which makes this my realm too."

"You mean...." Tucker trailed off and gulped. "We have to get out of here!"

"No!" Sam refused. "Undergrowth is one of the most powerful ghosts around. He might know how to navigate the Ghost Zone enough to get us home. Besides. Nothing here is gonna hurt me, I'm their queen. And they won't hurt you because you're my personal guests. Just... don't provoke the plants and treat them with respect and everything will be okay."

The boys looked around nervously, but she made some good points. As long as they stuck close to her and didn't stir up any trouble, they'd be okay. Still, Danny remained in his ghost form, just in case. Tucker jumped at every rustling of leaves and shifting of branches, and Danny struggled not to do the same.

"Uh, I just want to point out, Miss queen-of-this-realm, that you're talking to plants that respond to your commands," Danny said. "Tuck and I don't hear anything when you talk to them, and we definitely can't control them, so...."

"What are you getting at?" Sam sneered.

"I was working my way up to an 'I told you so'," Danny admitted. "I mean, you can't keep denying at this point that you have ghost powers, and they're pretty obviously related to that time with Undergrowth."

"Shut up, Danny."

"Fine, but let the record show, I was totally right."

The plants led them to a sort of clearing, filled with ruins of some kind, cracked, green stones littered the ground, covered in moss and overgrown with vines. Reclining against a crumbling pillar was Undergrowth. He smiled when he caught sight of Sam.

"We meet again, my queen," Undergrowth said. His smile turned briefly into a scowl when he saw Danny, but he sighed and let the scowl fade into a neutral expression. "I must say I'm not fond in your choice of guests, but I suppose you're free to befriend whomever you please. So long as he doesn't plunge our realm into winter, I have no cause to object."

"Let's get one thing straight, Undergrowth," Sam said firmly. "I don't know what kind of weird ghost ceremony or whatever it was you did to make me queen, but we're not married, and I'm sure as hell not giving you heirs or whatever other bull you think you're gonna get from me."

"Samantha, I'm a plant," Undergrowth said, looking a little confused. "If I required an heir, which I don't, as I am also a ghost, I could create one myself, as I have grown many offspring. What we have is a mutual partnership for the benefit of this realm. You can care for my people in ways that I cannot, in places I cannot reach, and vice versa. You are the branches fanning out in the sun, and I the roots, burrowing deep into the soil. This realm's roots are just as important as it's branches."

"Can I be the roots?" Sam asked. "Goth's bloom better without sunlight."

"I suppose it doesn't really matter who is the roots and who is the branches in this metaphor," Undergrowth allowed. "What brings you home, Samantha? I was under the impression that you rather hated me."

"Not really." Sam shrugged. "I mean, being mind-controlled kinda sucked, but I've dealt with worse. Actually, my friends and I are lost, and we were hoping you might be able to help us."

"Ideally, we would like to get to the Far Frozen, to borrow the Infi-Map from Frostbite and find our vehicle." Danny tacked on, and Undergrowth sneered at the mention of that name.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you with that," he said. "The Infinite Realms are unnavigable by traditional methods, and I will not lead my queen into the hands of our enemy. The cold would be detrimental to her health, and she still lives, at least for now, so I cannot allow her to come to harm."

"A little cold won't kill me," Sam said.

"The Far Frozen is not 'a little cold'," Undergrowth said darkly. "To anyone without an ice attribute in their core, it is completely uninhabitable. An ordinary human, fully prepared, might last a few minutes. You, my queen, possess a flora attribute in your fledgling core. It would wither the moment you even came close to a realm that cold, severing your connection to your realm and causing you to wither yourself. It's far too dangerous for you. I'm afraid you and your friends must formulate another plan."

"Yeah," Danny agreed, his eyes wide. "I'm definitely in favor of not letting Sam instantaneously freeze to death or whatever 'withering' means."

"Hold on," Tucker said. "You said the Ghost Zone is unnavigable by traditional methods," he recalled. "Are their any untraditional methods we might use?"

"Well... it's less reliable when you're traveling as a group, but there is one way," Undergrowth told them. "The Infinite Realms are somewhat sentient, and can intuit the needs of their inhabitants. If you simply fly through, focus on your goal, the ectoplasmic currents may lead you to your destination." 

The trio brightened, and looked at each other hopefully. That sounded promising.

"However," Undergrowth continued darkly, before they could get too excited. "The current may lead you down unexpected paths fraught with peril, so if you use this method, you must stay sharp, and be constantly aware of your surroundings, especially since the three of you are still alive... mostly."

"We understand, Undergrowth," Sam said. "But it sounds like we don't really have any other options if we want to get home." She bowed to him. "Thank you for your help."

"Raise your head, Samantha," Undergrowth told her. "A queen does not need to bow to others in her own realm. You're friends, on the other hand, could stand to show some respect." Danny and Tucker quickly bowed, not wanting to offend Undergrowth, especially not on his own turf. "You're very welcome."

One of his arms extended to take Sam's hand, and he kissed the back of it. "The trees and vines will lead you back to the edge, whenever you wish," he said. "But please, eat before you go." He gestured behind them, where a pile of fruits and berries, and vegetables had been laid out on a mossy stone for them.

Tucker gagged, but Sam and Danny both elbowed him, reminding him not to offend the host that had already mind-controlled him once. He shoved down his disgust and ate what he could, since he didn't know when they'd be able to find food again. To his surprise, he did actually find a few things he could stomach.

It was weird, being around Undergrowth without fighting him. Danny was on edge the whole time, but he didn't want to start anything and risk endangering his friends, especially with sings going so, suspiciously well. He ate as quickly as he could, scarfing down the faintly glowing fruits and veggies and subtly trying to get his friends to do the same.

When they'd eaten their fill and packed a few things away in their backpacks for later consumption, they said their goodbyes to Undergrowth and he wished them luck as they surrounding forest led them to the edge of the realm.

For the second time that day, the trio found themselves standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast, green expanse. And for the second time that day, they stepped off.

First | Previous | Next

[myfanfictiongarden]

Strange is the Jungle- Tarzan (1999)

Loneliness. It's a feeling he knows all too well. It is not like he was constantly alone, the troop was always nearby, his mother, his cousins, even when he wandered a bit off, the jungle was full of all sorts of creatures, all sort of life. When he wandered off to be alone, he never was, yet lonely he was often. He knew he was different, always knew, no other gorilla looked like him, no other creature in the jungle did. His mother had, over all this time, looked after him, comforting and encouraging to find his own way, to adapt to the handicaps that he had as not-quite a gorilla. It seemed odd that he wasn’t a gorilla when there were so many similarities between them, yet like an elephant he had no fur and like a hippo he could move with ease through the water, his agile limbs allowing him to swing and glide through the tree tops without restrain. Yes, he was different, but he had found peace with it. This was just as things were.

Suddenly though, his whole world seems to be different from what he used to know, because it turns out he is not the only one, the only not-quite ape. There are others like him. He couldn’t believe his eyes when out of the bamboo grove a male appeared, and then another older one, and then a female, all of them without fur, covered and wrapped in garments far more expanse than his. They couldn’t speak any form of ape he knew, the sounds that were coming out of their mouths strange and loud. He couldn’t fantom why they seemed so exited to find old nests, surely they had seen countless of them before. Curiosity had kept his attention wandering from one to the other, unsure which one to follow until the young female had upset an angry group of baboons and seemed clueless how to escape them. He swung after her. Thinking now back to that encounter his chess tightens and his heart aches, loneliness gripping with it claws onto him like a jaguar at prey. 

Kerchak wants them to avoid the strangers, to never get too close or be seen. To act like they are incredibly dangerous or worse, don’t exist. But they do exist and he cannot let go of that fact. They are just as real as he is. Jane is just as real as he is. And for a fleeting moment anger returns to his mind, anger at his mother for never telling him others are somewhere, for surely she must have known, his mother knew everything. But his anger is short and soon again replaced by sadness, behind him the family making their nests ready for the night and life going on like usual.

In that moment realisation grips him that his life simply can’t go on as before. He can’t listen to his mother's advice nor follow Kerchak´s heartless demand. 

Tomorrow he is going to see these strangers, he is going to see Jane.

-

That evening she excuses herself rather early, there is mention of some slight headache from the daylong heat and too much excitement, her father sends her instantly to rest so they can continue their studies tomorrow while their guide Clayton doesn’t even spare her a glance rather focusing on lighting his smoking pipe. It seems clear that he thinks her a silly girl fantasising nonsense after getting too much sun, not made for the hardships of this expedition, and while it bothers her anyone doubting her intellectual capacity, she must admit that the climate is far from welcoming to someone who has known only cold winds and drizzling rain for most of her life. Beautiful English summers aside, Africa does offer its own challenges when it comes to heat and humidity. Right now she is more than happy for some early quiet, even at the expanse of being considered silly, for upon recalling this days events she can’t help but question herself if not everything was only part of her imagination. But no, her missing boot and sock and parasol indicate otherwise, as does her missing notebook. As does Tarzan.

Sitting down on her iron wrung bed, now dressed in a light nightgown and enjoying the soft breeze of evening air, she looks around her small tent. Planing on what to take with her on the expedition to the jungle took nearly longer than the sailing did. In the end there were two trunks with clothes, a traveling secretary table, a bookshelf with a collection on the most important publications when it comes to travel on the Dark Continent, as well as the children's book her mother had taught her reading from and a beautiful edition of Around the World in Eighty Days. There was also the massive bed. To her it seemed normal to take the comfort of England to Africa. While their camp was well equipped for living as well as her fathers experiments, it was far from what their house in London had to offer. And yet, somewhere out there was someone who lived without any of it. 

She shivers as she thinks about being in the open at night in the jungle, all kinds of beasts lurking in the shadows, no protection near, every sound waking you out of your sleep. Is it really the way he had to grow up in? How is it even possible for a human being to survive among such dangers, especially if it happens to be since childhood? It must have been since childhood, he seemed absolutely oblivious to any humans existing until now. Surely, there were many similarities between primates and humans, but this, this was something completely different! Yet, he seemed so gentle, so kind, so curious, so…

Her head begins to spin and she lies down in defeat, too many questions swirling like a horde of bees in he head, and no answer nor explanation nearby. Tomorrow, tomorrow she’ll order her thoughts and experiences scientifically, explain everything to daddy once more, he will know where to start from there to solve this mystery. 

But for now, the days excitement is finally turning into exchausion and the pillow seems welcoming soft as she falls asleep dreaming of flying through jungle treetops and eyes so deep with wonder that no words for communication are needed.

[passimtemere]

A Dog, A Lion, and a Monkey...

It was a challenging day for Young Bennie. They had grappled with panic attacks all day, tears flowing almost constantly. The young darkling found it all too overwhelming. Alphonse had made sincere efforts to comfort Bennie, but when you're being hunted and tormented by a wretched demon, causing you to question your place in life, very little can offer solace. Alphonse had just left Bennie's bedroom after ensuring the bed was comfortable and making sure they had dinner. He then asked Cadmus to watch over his younger siblings for a while.

"But... Dad, I don't know how to care for them when they're like this," Cadmus whispered, glancing at Bennie, who was currently wrapped up in blankets, clutching a flashlight in a room that was already well lit.

"Cadmus, it will only be a moment. I need to fetch their medicine. Just stay in the room with them; it's all I ask of you," Alphonse replied as he headed down the hall. Cadmus sighed and entered the room, finding a seat at a reasonable distance from his anxious sibling. It felt like a strange kind of déjà vu, as Cadmus remembered being in a similar situation when dealing with his lich father's attempts to take over his body on occasion. However, Mrs. Scatch presented a whole different problem.

"I hate to see you like this, buddy... I can't imagine what kinda He...what you're uh going through," Cadmus corrected himself, avoiding a potentially triggering word. Bennie gave an exhausted look to their older brother, too tired and dehydrated to respond. They had never really gotten along well, mainly because Cadmus had lived on his own at boarding school and now college. When Bennie came into the picture, they didn't even realize they shared the same blood due to carefully maintained deception, all for their safety.

"So... umm... I think you need some water, right? After all, you've been crying all day, which is perfectly valid," Cadmus said, getting up and fetching a glass of water for Bennie. He offered it to them, but Bennie looked at it with disdain.

"...Okay, I'm not gonna force you, but I am going to give you a silly straw," he said, conjuring one for them, but it still resulted in a lack of interest from Bennie.

"Okay, Ben, you have to drink some water. What can I do to make that happen?" Cadmus proposed, willing to make a deal. Bennie looked at Cadmus, pondering for a moment before croaking out a hoarse, one-word answer, "Story." It was a simple request, one that Cadmus was willing to fulfill, but he realized that he didn't know many stories suitable for kids Bennie's age.

"Okay... a story. It'll be short, but if I manage to get you to chuckle, you have to drink. Deal?" Cadmus asked. Bennie nodded curtly, giving Cadmus their full attention.

"Alright... Once upon a time in a jungle, there lived a dog... let's call him Cujo. Cujo was a newcomer to the jungle and was wandering around this new domain. At the same time, a lion saw him from a distance and thought to himself, 'That guy looks edible and like easy prey. I've never seen his kind before.' So, the lion starts rushing toward the dog, menace in his eyes. Cujo notices and begins to panic. As he starts running, he sees a pile of bones next to him and gets an idea. He says loudly, 'Yum! That was some good hearty lion meat!' The lion hears this, stops, and thinks, 'Wow! This guy seems far tougher than he looks. I better leave while I can.' So, he turns back to head deeper into the jungle.

But high in the treetops, a monkey witnessed everything, right? And evidently, he thinks he can benefit from this situation and get something in return. So, the monkey tells the lion what really happened. The lion, furious for being tricked, orders the monkey, 'Get on my back. We're going to get that stupid dog!' They start rushing back to Cujo, and he sees them, realizing what happened. He begins to panic even more but gets another idea and barks, 'Where the hell is that monkey! I told him to bring me another lion an hour ago!'" Cadmus finished the story, hoping to elicit a chuckle from Bennie.

Seeing Bennie crack a smile and take a drink of water, Cadmus grinned in return. "There we go, buddy! A deal's a deal. Now, stay hydrated." He was relieved to see Bennie showing some improvement.

----------------- @fashionablyenigmatic