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dukeoftheblackstar · 1 year ago

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@wild-karrde I just want to give my heart to you. That is all. I'm incoherently plastered on the ground. I will read this. Not once, not twice, not ten times, but probably a hundred times over. This is bookmarked to my heart and that special folder on my bookmark tabs marked 'read in case of duchii depresso' ;//////;

Thank you for this wonderful, wonderful thing ;////;

Now please excuse me while I cry-hug my bubble-head Plo Koon and thank him for being such a beautiful being ♥

“Enter,” came the familiar baritone of Plo Koon from within.

To your heart, General? To your soul? To the gates of heaven? To teh depths of hell? To a cavernous outpost to welcome my death and demise? Plo will enter anything for your. I will enter YOU if you want. Like babe, just say the word ;/////////////////////;

Must not be as concerned with security since damn near everyone here wields a lightsaber.

I love this! I love the little voices in their heads that won't come out. They be so cute ♥

Plo Koon pushed himself to his feet, crossing the room and reaching out his hands for Wolffe’s helmet. “I find I’m more effective in my leadership when I have a good understanding of those I’m leading. Even more so if they are my friends. So I would like to be your friend, Wolffe. I understand that we have a power dynamic that makes this difficult, but I would like to try anyway. Is that alright?”

My wholesome husband being exceptionally wholesome again?

"but they were brothers, and a brother was different."

Only brothers understood what a brother went through, but maybe that was Plo’s point, his goal: to figure out what it was like to be Wolffe, to be a clone.

Wolffe being an absolute soft buttercupcake is a mood. Like, child, babylove, perfect, grumpy, delicious man, little one, perfect boy, you and your brothers are so loved ike, ILYSMBBY ;/////;

Plo nodded. “Very well. How do you take your tea?”

SIR. !!!!!

The Kel Dor chuckled again. “I’ll keep that in mind for any future meetings. For now, let’s just see if you enjoy it the same way Master Kenobi does. He was the one that I first had this sort of tea with. I’ve been assured it’s not too abrasive to the human palette.” He sprinkled a little bit of sugar into the cup closest to Wolffe before reaching out and sliding a box that had been sitting on the table towards the clone commander. “I’ve also noted you have a bit of a sweet tooth. I hope these are to your liking.”

I'm just gonna cry okay? ;///////////////////////////////////////;

if you spent more than five minutes with Plo Koon, you likely would trust him with just about anything.

I trust him my life. You don't understand. I would let him end me both under the need and sheer boredome. Plothirsberealforthisbitch I apologize ;/////; I am but a ....:

“I sense you have other questions, Commander. Ones that aren’t about my anatomy.”

I'm sorry, but I love this. I love you for this! I am obsessed with Kel Dor anatomy and world building. I love the whole 'as long as it doesn't overdo the threshold' and I just wanna say I am gonna cry about this for the next 100 minutes, exactly, because I have constantly thought of my mans eating and welfare 24/7.

Like where is Plo Koon? Has he eaten? Has he relaxed his tired, old knees? Has he meditated? Did he fall asleep during the meeting again? Has he had some tea?

I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS MAN ;///////////////////;

“After what happened with the Malevolence, there was one particular moment I couldn’t get out of my mind. The violence and death disconcerted me of course, but it was a moment with your brothers while we were outside the pod. They told me they didn’t think anyone was coming because clones are meant to be expendable. And that is…unacceptable to me.”

I DID NOT EXPECT THIS PULL OF THE PAST LIKE SIR. SIR. SIR. HOLD UP. LET ME JUST READY A NEW UNBROKEN HEART BECAUSE I AM NOT OVER IT ;///////////;

Plo continued, “I want to ensure you never feel like that. I never want you to feel that I don’t care about your well-being, or that I see you as a weapon rather than a being worthy of empathy and compassion. So, I thought it was best that we come to understand each other, not just as general and commander, but as friends.”

Just. sigh. Take it. Take my heart, break it, fix, it, yeet it, idgaf. THIS IS TOO BEAUTIFUL.

“With all due respect, sir, if you keep providing me with this quality of pastry, I don’t think I’ll have any choice but to be your friend.”

If Kel Dors could smile, he was certain Plo’s would have damn near swallowed his face. “Noted for our future teas together then, Commander.”

Hi Karrde! Congrats on the milestone! Quote ficlet: “Wait. What do you want me to do?!” & Wolffe 🤭

Thanks so much Kira! This one took a bit of a turn that was unexpected for me, but I kind of like how it turned out (and I really hope you do too!) Thanks again for the ask!

Rating: T

Warnings: language, mention of death/canon-typical violence

Word Count: 1.9k words

Wolffe lengthened his strides, trying to pick up his pace without looking rushed. His meetings with his general had normally taken place at the Coruscant base near the barracks, but for whatever reason, Plo Koon had insisted Wolffe meet him at the Jedi temple this time. And after getting turned around in the unfamiliar corridors and having to double back at least twice, Wolffe was running late.

Wolffe hated being late.

He rounded a final corner and fought the urge to sigh audibly with relief when he caught sight of the door the general had indicated in his directions. Wiping a little bit of sweat from his brow, he straightened his spine to attention and pressed the buzzer on the door panel.

“Enter,” came the familiar baritone of Plo Koon from within.

Wolffe was surprised to find the door unlocked. He couldn’t think of a single door on base that wasn’t secured with the exception of maybe the refreshers, but even those were attached to the individual barracks, which required an access code.

Must not be as concerned with security since damn near everyone here wields a lightsaber.

Stepping inside, he found the Kel Dor Jedi master kneeling in front of a low table. To Wolffe, it felt as though he had intruded on some private moment, and it made him sweat harder under his armor.

“General, I apologize for my tardiness. If now is a bad time, I can come back later and –”

“Wolffe, you can set your helmet by the door. Please come sit down and have some tea with me.”

The clone commander stumbled in his apology as the general’s words settled into his brain, and he uncharacteristically stuttered. “W-wait. What do you want me to do?”

The Kel Dor chuckled to himself, gesturing at a cushion next to him. “I’d like you to sit down and have some tea with me.”

Wolffe stood still by the door awkwardly. “I still don’t understand, sir.”

Wolffe nodded slowly, his brain rushing to process what was happening. The general wanted to be his friend. He thought very highly of the general, but he’d never have thought to cross the line into ‘friendship’. Come to think of it, Wolffe wasn’t sure if he’d ever really had someone he called a friend. He had Cody and Rex and Fox and Bly and the others, but they were brothers, and a brother was different. They were of course friends, but it almost felt like the default, and very different from a friendship he would share with any other being. Only brothers understood what a brother went through, but maybe that was Plo’s point, his goal: to figure out what it was like to be Wolffe, to be a clone. To become his friend so as to better understand him. Wolffe did agree with the tactic; he found he was more effective as a commander when he understood the mental states and personalities of his men. As much as it felt like a violation of some sort of unwritten protocol, he relented, handing his helmet to his general and striding over to the cushion on the floor.

Plo set his helmet on a table by the door, coming to sit across from him. He watched as Wolffe attempted to lower himself onto the cushion, trying to emulate the Jedi Master’s cross-legged seated position, but finding it difficult with his armor on. The Kel Dor chuckled again. “We are not currently under threat of attack, Commander. If it would be easier and more comfortable, you are welcome to take off some of your armor.”

That felt too casual for Wolffe. “If it’s all the same to you, sir, I think I’d rather keep it on in case I get called away suddenly.”

Plo nodded. “Very well. How do you take your tea?”

Wolffe stared at him. “I’m not much of a tea drinker if I’m honest, sir. Normally all we have around is caf, and even then, it’s the type of stuff that would peel paint off a star cruiser.”

Wolffe popped the box open hesitantly, and was immediately hit with the smell of warm butter and cinnamon. His mouth watered involuntarily as he stared down at the glazed sweet buns inside.

“They smell amazing, sir. Where did you get them?”

“I’d heard it rumored that the 28th Combat Wing frequents a certain shop on one of the lower levels, so I made a point to stop by there. Getting their captain to disclose the location required me to promise not to reveal the location, not even under threat of torture.” Because of his mask and eye coverings, Kel Dors were somewhat limited in their expressions, but Wolffe suspected if Plo could have winked at him, he would. That particular shop was indeed a well-kept secret, one that Wolffe had damn near promised his left kidney for, but he wasn’t surprised that the Jedi Master had gotten the secret out of Crater. The captain of the 28th had always been a good judge of character, and if you spent more than five minutes with Plo Koon, you likely would trust him with just about anything.

A thought struck Wolffe. “Sir, are you even able to eat these?”

The Kel Dor was carefully adding dried, purplish leaves into a teapot. “I could, but it wouldn’t necessarily be a pleasant sight for you. Due to my inability to breathe this atmosphere without my mask, eating for my species is a somewhat involved task, one that I’d rather not subject you to.”

Wolffe nodded, trying not to let his mind wander towards any insensitive questions. He noted that there were two tea cups out, and he was debating whether to ask his next question, but the Jedi seemed to read his mind. “Luckily, when it comes to liquids, I do have an apparatus in my mask that allows me to ingest those with some ease.”

“But won’t that still poison you? Sir?” Wolffe added hastily. “The oxygen in the water that is.”

Plo chuckled again. “It’s actually not usually a problem if I ingest something containing oxygen as long as the concentration isn’t above a certain threshold. The main issue is with my respiratory system, but my mask does contain a filtration system to keep me safe while drinking as well.” He pressed at a small place on the side of his mask, and a thin apparatus only a few centimeters in length protruded, seemingly some sort of straw. Wolffe nodded.

“I suppose that makes sense.”

Plo pulled the strainer containing the tea leaves from the tea pot, setting it aside and pouring the steaming magenta liquid into the two cups, sliding the one containing sugar towards Wolffe.

“I sense you have other questions, Commander. Ones that aren’t about my anatomy.”

Wolffe felt heat creep across his face. “Sorry,” he mumbled, hurriedly taking a sip of the tea. It was light and floral with just a hint of sweetness from the sugar. He deemed it pleasant, even if it did scald his tongue.

“No need to apologize. I’m not necessarily a species one comes across outside of my homeworld,” the Jedi reassured him.

Wolffe nodded, setting the tea down on the saucer and running his burned tongue across the roof of his mouth as he considered how to ask his next question. The Kel Dor watched him patiently. Finally, Wolffe gave up trying to beat around the bush. Subtlety and flowery language had never been his favored approach.

“Alright. Why do you suddenly want to be my friend, sir? Don’t get me wrong, I agree with your reasoning. It just seems that something spurred this on, and I’d like to know what changed in case I need to adjust accordingly.”

He had a sneaking suspicion he knew what event had caused this sudden shift. The way his Jedi general stared out the window for a moment with a seemingly distant gaze all but confirmed it.

Wolffe nodded slowly, trying to keep his face neutral. His brothers had relayed the other side of the conversation to him, and quite frankly, the general’s emphatic response that they were not expendable in his mind was a moment that would live on in the Wolfpack’s minds forever. It had been the moment where Wolffe knew they’d gotten lucky, that their general cared about them, and that at the end of the day, they’d follow him anywhere because of that.

The two of them sat quietly for a moment, both sipping their tea. Finally, Plo spoke again. “I understand this is unorthodox. I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable. If so, I sincerely apologize.”

Wolffe bit into one of the buns, chewing contemplatively as he studied the Jedi Master before him. There was something about Plo Koon that always seemed to instantly disarm him, something that made him want to confide in the Jedi. He’d always been slow to trust anyone that wasn’t a brother, but the Kel Dor had never given him a reason to doubt his motives or question his intentions. He’d always been honest with Wolffe, even if he sensed he disagreed. In fact, he had welcomed any opposition to his line of thinking, occasionally changing course if Wolffe could provide reasoning to make him see things differently. And above all, he liked the Jedi, no matter how much he tried to keep the barrier between their roles a very clearly drawn line in the sand. He took another bite of the bun, and the buttery warmth soothed his scalded tongue. He smiled to himself.

If Crater trusts him with the sweet shop, then you can trust him too. And you’ve always known that.

“With all due respect, sir, if you keep providing me with this quality of pastry, I don’t think I’ll have any choice but to be your friend.”

If Kel Dors could smile, he was certain Plo’s would have damn near swallowed his face. “Noted for our future teas together then, Commander.”

Thanks for participating in my 800 Follower Celebration!

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#plo koon #wolffe #friendship #omg #must read if you're depresso

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starsfic · 2 years ago

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Can I request you continue the monkie kid sleeping beauty trope into a prompt? For example, Macaque arriving in place of maleficient at MK’s 100th day?

The banquet was in full swing.

Most of Sun Wukong's former sworn brothers had decided to come with their families. This included Wukong's current brothers, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and Ao Lie. The latter had brought his young daughter, Long Xiaojiao, and she and the baby of the hour, carefully held in Zhu Bajie's arms, had spent a few hours happily cooing back and forth. Red Boy hovered in between, looking displeased, as Princess Iron Fan considered all three.

The bang of a gong made everyone look up, whether feasting or talking or dancing. Cheers rolled through the grand manor as Sun Wukong hopped up onto the dais, followed by Zhu Bajie and the baby. "Hello, everyone!" he called, happily nuzzling his baby when they were handed over. "Thank you so much for being here! It has been an honor to have so many come to celebrate my precious sunshine!"

Said precious sunshine sneezed. An immediate "Awww." rolled through the room. Wukong chuckled. "As you can see. Now, Prince Nezha?"

Wukong's personal guest and representative of the Court of Heaven stepped out of the crowd. The protector of children, his eyes were steady on the small dark monkey. Wukong adjusted his grip so the baby could see Nezha. A slight grin formed across his face as he knelt, so they were eye to eye. Whatever was said was too quiet for the crowd to hear, except for the "I give you my blessings, Qi Xiaotian."

The crowd cheered at the given name, and Wukong's smile grew.

A small hand stuck up from the crowd. "I have a gift too!" a young voice called out. The crowd parted, revealing a small dark-haired girl dressed in light blue. Behind her, a grey-haired man smiled serenely.

The girl was Bai He, the new lady of the Bone Court. She had taken the throne when her predecessor, the Baigujing, had been defeated by Sun Wukong himself. So far, things had been peaceful. And, based on her hopeful little smile, things would continue that way.

"Come on up here!" Wukong called.

Bai He gasped and eagerly hurried through the crowd, followed by her manservant. She nearly tripped up the stairs, but he grabbed her collar, gently setting her back up. Soon enough, she was in front of Qi Xiaotian. She took a deep breath, and her eyes lit up in blue. "Qi Xiaotian," she said very seriously. "My gift to you is the ability to never lose your perception."

Some might've questioned this, considering the baby had most likely inherited the gold vision that allowed him to see through most illusions, but nobody there did. Nobody wanted to speak about how Bai He had become the heir to the Baigujing. She finished her gift with a soft pet to Xiaotian's head, beaming as they cooed.

And finally...

The doors opened, and a golden light appeared. Wukong gasped, looking pleased. A slight man strolled through, dressed in monk finery. "Am I late?" Tang Sanzang said, smiling as his favorite disciple sprinted over to meet him at the bottom of the dais, gripping Xiaotian tight.

"Not at all," Wukong said, taking the small present box, marked from Guanyin, that Tripitaka offered. "Meet Qi Xiaotian."

The monk offered his finger and a small hand wrapped around it. "Ah," Tripitaka said, his smile growing wider at the happy little coo he was given. "Hello, my precious one. I have a gift for you," He looked up. "If that is alright?"

Wukong smiled. "Of course-"

A throat cleared. Heads turned.

"Hey, Peaches."

The Six-Eared Macaque grinned from the doorway.

Gasps rolled through the room. Bai He squeaked, ice crackling under her feet. Wukong growled, passing Xiaotian to Tripitaka, before pulling out his staff. Macaque ducked into the shadows before the king could slam into him.

Shadows loomed, the room rolling with his chuckles.

"Aw, come on Wukong. I don't get to meet the baby?"

Wukong growled. Before he could attempt another strike, dozens of shadow clones lunged and pinned him down. "Brother!" Wujing called, grabbing Bajie and Ao Lie and sprinting over to Wukong. Several others were already trying to help Wukong, but more and more clones were coming.

Then they disappeared.

Tripitaka screamed as ribbons of purple magic shot out of his shadow, wrapping him up. Bai He and Nezha both yelled as they received the same treatment. Wukong launched forward but froze. Macaque held his child tight, smiling smugly at the frightened little whimpers the baby was letting out.

"I even have a gift of my own!" Macaque said this cheerfully before his tone darkened. "To the world, to make sure it never has to suffer anyone else like you." Even when his debt to the Baigujing was gone, he had refused to let that grudge go, hadn't he?

Purple magic wrapped around Qi Xiaotian.

"On your twenty-first birthday, you shall pass into the Underworld." And it was done. The magic exploded harmlessly but still made the baby scream.

Wukong screamed too.

Macaque burst into laughter, dropping Xiaotian before disappearing into the shadows.

The bonds around Tripitaka disappeared. The monk launched forward and managed to catch Xiaotian before they hit the floor. "Hush, hush, hush little one," he cooed, trying to calm the baby down. "It's alright. It seems I have to change my gift."

Wukong made a wounded noise but nodded.

Tripitaka took a deep breath.

"You shall not die when your twenty-first birthday comes to pass," Tripitaka announced. "You shall fall into a death-like sleep instead." The magic settled over Xiaotian.

Wukong settled with a sigh, trying to smile as Tripitaka passed Xiaotian over.

That was better. That could be figured out.

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be-gay-do-heists · 3 years ago

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hardison/parker || masc day for parker, potentially while on date with hardison

i think it ended up a little more the dysphoria route with this one but i hope this at least touches on what u were looking for!! had a spark of an idea and had to write it :V

---

If it was just the dress, maybe Parker could stand it.

Hardison had won choosing date night this time around, and he had suggested a new restaurant that recently opened up on the other side of town. A nicer restaurant. Which meant fancier clothes and Hardison had said the dress code recommended dresses so. The dress. It had been fine, leaving the brewpub in it to go meet Hardison at the restaurant. It was comfy enough, the fabric had a nice texture, and it was the same kind of green that you could see if you looked sideways at a professionally cut emerald, which was one of their favorite colors.

It was only upon arriving at the restaurant that they realized they really, really, really did not want to be wearing it.

And if it was just the dress, maybe it would be fine. But they were out in public, and Parker had come to understand over the years that if people in public thought they had your gender clocked, you had to act, walk, and talk a certain way if you didn’t want weird stares, unwelcome attention. A performance that they didn’t particularly have the energy for if there wasn’t a con and the promise of a payout at the end of it. The first “miss” they got from the hostess made them twitch, but they made sure to keep their mask up as they saw Hardison, already at the table, who smiled sunnily as they approached and stood to help with their chair. He was wearing his purple suit, the deep plum colored one that reminded them of a bottle full of red wine.

“Wow. You look amazing, I can’t believe you’ve been hiding that dress for so long,” he said as they both sat down. “It’s not one of Sophie’s?” There was a trace of playfulness in his voice.

“No, it’s mine, I didn’t steal it,” Parker replied, latching onto his good mood for stability. They fidgeted, hyperaware of their bare shoulders and the cut of the dress around their torso. “Well, not from her anyways.”

Hardison snorted in that fond way of his. “Hey, it’s not stealing if it looks that good on you. That’s just proper re-appropriation. Anyways, you’re gonna love this place, the whole idea is normal fancy food, boring boring et cetera, but! They change the colors around so it messes with your senses and makes you experience it differently, you get me? I’m talking like green steaks, purple mashed potatoes. Cool, right?”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Parker agreed absently, discreetly hunching a little and hoping Hardison wouldn’t notice. They fiddled with the utensils on the table, which had little chameleons etched on them. That was fun. This was supposed to be fun, they reminded themselves.

“Hey, you ok?” Hardison asked, brows furrowed.

A waiter came up before he could say more. “Welcome, folks, pleasure to have you with us this evening. Can I start you with drinks?” After Hardison, concern still showing in his face ordered a fruity-sounding cocktail, the waiter turned to Parker. “And for the lady?”

They couldn’t help their flinch, knowing that Hardison saw it, and pulled out their most flawless grifting voice to respond. They deflated a little again once the waiter left.

“Shit. I shouldn’t have said dress. I should have specified that you could have worn anything you wanted, who even cares about restaurant dress codes,” the hacker said, rubbing his hands over his face. Parker had to give it to him, sometimes his brain worked faster than his computers, and he was always twice as perceptive. “Is it a they night? A he night?”

Parker shrugged a little apologetically. “I’m not sure. It’s just really, really not a she night.”

“I’m really sorry Parker, I should have checked in before we came,” Hardison sighed, and having him in the loop did actually make Parker feel a little better. “Do you wanna get out of here? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable for any longer than you have to.”

Parker immediately felt bad again. “No, you won date night, you were so excited about this place.”

“Man, don’t even sweat it,” Hardison reassured them, waving a hand. “We can come back some other time when we’re actually feeling it. Or if it’s never the date vibes, I can ask Sophie if she wants to try it sometime. You know she gets a kick out of dressing up and I’m sure she would call this place ‘an exercise in creative expression and reaction’ or something.” He smiled at Parker’s bark of laughter following his terrible impression of Sophie, which made a couple other patrons startle in their seats.

“I don’t really want to be in this dress anymore,” Parker admitted. “Maybe we could go back to the brewpub and do something there?”

“Hey, if I ever refuse a quiet night in, know that I’ve been replaced with a clone or maybe a mind-eating fungus,” Hardison beamed at them, and flagged down the waiter to pay for their drinks with a tip that made the man’s jaw drop, letting Parker lead the way out.

On the ride home, Hardison gave Parker his suit jacket, pretending he was too hot even though it was damp and cold out. It was far too big for the thief and they thought it was kind of ridiculous how it came down to almost their knees, but the broad shoulders on it made them feel good. And the wine color purple was fantastic, even though they thought it looked far better on Hardison. They said as much, and took a silent satisfaction in the way Hardison ducked his chin to hide his face.

Entering back into the safety of the brewpub and the upstairs apartment took a weight off Parker, and they sighed, kicking off their shoes and slipping off Hardison’s jacket to cast onto the back of the couch. Hardison picked up to carefully keep it from creasing with a “heaven help me” kind of look. “You got everything you wanna wear here? Need anything of mine?”

“Mostly, but…” Parker thought aloud. “Could I borrow one of your shirts? The soft ones?”

Hardison nodded fondly. “Sure thing, lemme grab one.” While he was in the bedroom, Parker stripped off their dress like it was burning them, shaking the feeling of it away once it was off. They spotted their good jeans on the chair by the hallway that Hardison liked to call “Parker’s wardrobe,” where all the clothes they had left while over lived, and rushed to put them on. They were comfy and boxy and had a button-up fly. More buttons felt good.

“Incoming,” Hardison’s voice called, and he entered with his eyes covered, tossing a shirt in their direction. Parker jumped to catch it, and quietly approved of his selection, a wooly flannel type. They wiggled it on, tucking it in slightly, and exhaled in relief on how delightfully big it was, draping off the prominent muscles in their shoulders, leaving enough room on their torso so that the fabric wouldn’t cling to them. They rolled up the sleeves to expose their strong forearms, looked down at their broad hands. Yeah, this was much better, they thought, tying up their hair high.

“I’ve still got those canvases from last time, and the same paints, if you wanna do that. Ooh, I just got some good charcoal too if you’d rather sketch,” Hardison was saying, sifting through his art supplies. Parker bounded over and pressed up against his side. He jumped slightly but turned to look at them. “Feeling better?”

“Lots,” Parker hummed.

The hacker took in their outfit change. “And looking damn handsome too. Real suave, James Dean kinda look.” When Parker wryly grinned and crossed their arms, squaring their shoulders and standing tall, he mimed a swoon (Parker could see the slight, genuine flush that rose to his face). “So what do you wanna do tonight?”

“Dunno, it’s still your date night,” Parker replied, putting a little more husk in their voice and enjoying the way they could see Hardison’s thoughts stutter slightly.

He recovered quickly. “Well, all I want is a nice night in with my fella, whatever we do is gonna be more than alright with me.”

Parker felt another glow of joy at the endearment, and moved to wrap their arms tightly around him, one hand coming up to grip the back of the hacker’s neck. “Thanks Hardison. I really mean it.”

Hardison softened a little against their firm embrace. “Of course, I never want you to be uncomfortable. I love you.”

“I know,” Parker responded, and smiled mischievously into Hardison’s shoulder as he sputtered.

“Oh no you did not—“

#i will die before i stop loving characters talking w and affirming each other #thank u so much for all ur prompts!!! i def hope to get to a couple more of them when i next get some writing energy #i really hope this is somewhat what u were looking for #leverage #miko speaks #my fic #parker x hardison #gender dysphoria #ask #havent had the bad gender feelings in a while so hope this works

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strange-lace · 4 years ago

Text

Macaque

I was in the mood to make more content for Inverted AU, so here’s a short-ish fic of how episode 9 would go in this AU with Macaque, Wukong, and MK! Enjoy the shadowpeach!

Another demon defeated but still no sign of Sun Wukong. Macaque let out a sigh before rolling his shoulders to bring relief to tense muscles. Oh well, he'll just have to keep looking, not like he hasn't been at it for years now. At least this city he wandered to was quite nice with pleasant people, nothing too out there aside from demon attacks.

"Hey! Hey you! Shadow monkey man!" Macaque wouldn't deny that the sudden voice made him jump, considering he was on top of a pretty tall building. Apparently not tall enough to stop the young man from climbing up the side, somewhat out of breath yet that didn't deter from the determined look on his face. He simply brushed his messy hair out of his eyes and adjusted his teal backpack, which looked surprisingly heavy. Macaque couldn’t help but be somewhat curious as to what was in that thing.

Wait was that the Monkey King's staff in his hands?

Indeed it was, he'd recognize that weapon anywhere.

“Ah, you must be the Monkie Kid I’ve been hearing so much about, am I right?” That got him a look of suspicion before the young man also seemed to remember the staff in his hands, causing him to let out an amused huff at his own paranoia.

“Yeah, the staff kind of gives it away, don’t it? Name’s MK though. Now whomst is you? Most of the time, demons who ask me who I am are five seconds away from trying to kill me.” Macaque couldn’t help but chuckle at that, already finding that he was starting to like this little guy and his attitude. Perhaps if a person like MK was chosen to wield Wukong’s staff, then perhaps that meant his love had finally started turning things around for the better. Maybe it meant he finally stopped being someone he wasn’t all for the sake of keeping a memory alive.

“The name’s Macaque, though, the Six-Eared Macaque is actually my full name. But what brings you up here exactly bud? I doubt you’d climb up this high just for anybody.” MK’s face showed that he wanted to argue that point out of principle before remembering his purpose for coming up here.

“Simple, teach me.”

Wait what?

“What what?” MK scoffed at the question.

“I want you to teach me to fight, like how you fought that demon back there. I don’t intend on leaving you alone until you do and that is a threat!” Macaque didn’t doubt that he meant it that way and could very easily follow through on that. Sensing he wasn’t going to get out of this, he let out a sigh before giving MK a smile.

“You sure your mentor won’t have a problem with me teaching you?”

“Bold of you to assume Wukong’s disapproval will stop me.”

“Well alright then, I think we’re gonna get along just fine, bud.”

---

“I see what you’re trying to do, you’re afraid of holding back and giving your enemy the opportunity to win. But the first strike isn’t the most important one. Every strike counts. Other people may tell you that patience and focus don’t matter but a fool allows himself to rush without restraint. While you have power inside you, you have to use it carefully. Take the power to defend others, not just destroy those who stand in your way. You’re not a weapon kid, you wield the weapon above all else.”

---

It started with a fairly innocent question from MK after one of their training sessions, him slowly going through a water bottle given to him by Macaque while the monkey made them something to eat. He needed a distraction to stop himself from taking over the cooking, years of feeding others making him feel guilt the moment someone else took over.

“So Mac, how exactly do you know the Monkey King?” To his credit, Macaque only fumbled the slightest bit at that sudden question and was able to save the plate before it crashed to the floor.

“Oh um well… funny thing about that is, well… we used to be together actually. Like y’know… together-together,” he explained while he plated their food, wincing internally at how awkward he sounded. With his back towards MK, Macaque didn’t notice him go tense and grip the couch arm so tightly that the wood underneath cracked at the pressure.

“Used to be together, huh? What happened?” Macaque couldn’t help but shiver at the chill which traveled down his spine. MK’s voice was perfectly even and calm yet he was filled with an overwhelming fear that warned him to not turn around and remain perfectly still until the danger passed.

His ears twitched at the sound of sparks behind him, magic power permeating through the air.

“I… I messed up honestly. We had an argument about something, I don’t even remember what it was so long ago. But I had to leave to just get some space and air before I said something I’d regret, something I couldn’t take back. It was only meant to be a couple hours but some stuff out of my control happened and by the time I got back… Wukong was gone. I had been looking for him for centuries after that and then… well then you found me.”

“What, you hoped getting on my good side would mean that you’d win the Monkey King back?” His tone promised nothing good if Macaque kept digging himself a deeper hole.

“No! No, nothing like that at all. I don’t expect Pe-...Wukong to take me back or anything like that. I just… wanted the chance to apologize to him is all. If he wants anything to do with me afterwards, then I want that to be his choice. Nothing more, I swear.”

MK remained silent behind him before the sudden tension in the air dissipated as quickly as it appeared. Macaque let out a sigh of relief, slowly turning around to see MK still sitting on his couch, placing the staff back in his ear nonchalantly.

“Fair enough, sounds like you both were just idiots who don’t know how to communicate. If you actually intended on using me to get to the Monkey King, you’d have actually mentioned him during our training and yet you haven’t. And you can’t lie to save your life anyway. Just don’t be an idiot again alright? Monkey King… Wukong, he’s a mess and I don’t think he could handle thinking he’s been abandoned again.”

Macaque could feel his heart break at the idea that his Peaches, his love, thought that he had left permanently. He wanted nothing more than to run to him now and make things right. But that was Wukong’s decision to make, nobody else’s.

The two ate their food in silence after that.

---

Sun Wukong may have supposedly “lost his edge” but he was by no means dense or oblivious.

And while he was certainly happy about his successor’s vast improvement over the past couple weeks, a part of him sensed something was off. Like his successor was hiding something from him. And those moves he watched MK use to absolutely demolish the old mural, the Monkey King swore he had seen them before.

But it couldn’t possibly be. He hadn’t seen him in centuries. Not since he… left, like everyone else.

“I’m impressed, my boy! Tell me, how did you do that? Have you been seeing another mentor perhaps?” Wukong asked, his typically serene smile straining the slightest bit at the idea of his son student learning from someone who wasn’t him. The sensible part of his brain was gently poking at him, reminding him that it seemed silly to get upset about such a thing as, if anything, MK had appeared significantly calmer during their training compared to when they started. This could be a good thing, it told him.

Yet it was silenced by the majority of his brain which ran on fatherly protectiveness and had immediately been plagued by images of the worst case scenario. A demon had approached MK, promising him to make him stronger while also poisoning his student as a bid to turn him against the Monkey King before stealing his powers or, Heavens forbid, harming him.

No, Wukong refused to even allow a chance of that happening, logic and reasoning be damned.

“Hey, you’re the one always going on about ‘patience and focus’, I’m just finally putting what you said into practice,” MK answered, the picture of being casual which only set off further alarm bells within Wukong’s head. But before he could question him further, MK’s phone dinged to tell him of a new text message which he quickly read over, his eyes widening slightly at the message.

“Welp, looks like I gotta cut things short for now Wukong, something came up and I gotta head out. See ya later! Don’t forget to eat something tonight and sleep, I will know if you don’t.” And with that, MK was off through the hole he had created in the wall where the mural was before the Monkey King could get a word in edgewise.

Wukong waited long enough to allow MK to get a reasonable distance away before transforming into a bird, flying after his successor.

Something fishy was going on and the Monkey King was determined to find out what it was.

---

“Why exactly are we climbing up to this giant mountain again Mac?” MK wheezed, hating to admit it but this hike had genuinely winded him despite all his training. He had immediately gone to Macaque’s place the moment he got his text only to be told to follow the six-eared demon, leading them to where they were now.

“Well, consider this your ‘final exam’ bud! I want you to use everything I’ve taught you to fight against me, no holding back. Think you can do that?” MK couldn’t help the twitch at the corners of his mouth at the sight of Macaque’s genuine excitement as he explained, all six ears twitching while his tail was wagging like a dog. A demon who was centuries old and had fought countless powerful demons had no right looking that endearing, but here MK was looking with his own two eyes.

MK gave a chuckle before straightening himself out, wordlessly pulling the staff out his ear.

“You sure you’re comfortable getting your ass kicked by me, Mac?” With a smirk, Macaque summoned his own weapon in a flash of purple with the beginning of two shadow clones pooling at his feet. They shyly peeked from the ground from behind their master.

“Oho, a couple training sessions with me for a month and you think you have what it takes to defeat me, bud? Well then, bring it Monkie Kid!” MK didn’t hesitate to charge forward with Macaque mirroring him, weapons at the ready and adrenaline already running through their veins.

“Enough!”

A sudden force landed in between them with enough force to send them both flying backwards.

MK and Macaque recovered in time to see who decided to interrupt their duel.

Both of their hearts nearly stopped at the sight of the enraged Monkey King but for vastly different reasons.

“You have 5 seconds to explain yourself for trying to harm my-” Wukong’s rage quickly deflated as the dust cleared enough for him to truly see who it was he had thought was attacking MK. “Mango Flower?”

“Um… hello again, Peach Blossom. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Macaque joked, voice weak as he restrained himself from acting out of bounds even if he wanted nothing more than to gather the other into his arms. It had been so long, far too long.

He nearly broke at the sight of tears beginning to form in Wukong’s eyes.

His resolve finally shattered as the Monkey King ran towards him, arms outstretched, and before Macaque knew it his legs were moving on their own. The wind was knocked out of him at how tight Wukong squeezed him yet he returned the embrace back with gusto, ignoring the groaning of his ribs. He simply buried his face into the other’s fur, the smell of peaches still there even after all these years. Faintly, Macaque realized he was also crying once he felt a wetness on his cheeks.

Macaque let out a squeak in surprise as Wukong picked him up in the hug and spun him around, the sound of his laughter echoing throughout the mountain. The sight of such unabashed joy on his face was enough to make the six-eared demon to start laughing too, joy contagious in the best of ways.

MK would deny it unless under the threat of death but he couldn’t help but smile as he watched the two monkeys get lost in their own little world. It made the guilt which nagged at his chest at having to manipulate the two to make this meeting happen ease up, seeing how happy the two were.

“It’s been so long…” Wukong whispered as he placed Macaque back on his feet, gently cradling his face as if afraid that if he stopped touching the other, that he’d disappear again. “But, why are you here? I had thought that you hated me, isn’t that why you…” Macaque went stiff in shock before taking the Monkey King’s hands into his own.

“What? No! If anything, I thought you hated me for leaving instead of talking things out and that’s why you were gone when I came back. I always intended on coming back to you Peaches, I swear on it.” Wukong’s eyes went wide at that, extremely close to crying again a second time that day. “I had been looking for you for centuries now to apologize.”

And now the warm feeling was gone, leaving MK to bite down on his staff to stop himself from screaming at how much those two had failed at the simple of communication.

“We’ve both been absolutely foolish, haven’t we?” Wukong couldn’t help but laugh at it all, which only worsened as he noticed all six of Macaque’s ears turn red in embarrassment.

“Yeah, I guess we have been-” His words were cut off as the Monkey King grabbed his scarf, pulling him into a sudden kiss that made Macaque jolt in surprise before he practically melted into the other’s arms. A purr rumbled in his chest and neither noticed their tails wind around each other.

The sound of MK clearing his throat, loudly, was enough to get them to break apart in embarrassment.

“If you two are done being romantic idiots, I have to beat the shit out of Macaque to prove that I’m better than him. I mean ace my ‘final exam’.” The grin on his face showed that he was lying through his teeth.

“Don’t think I forgot about all your trash talking, young man. How about it Peach Blossom? You willing to go all out with me and the kid?”

Wukong’s face was the epitome of ‘Every part of my body wants to say yes but I shouldn’t.’ He was already terrible at saying no to MK and now with Macaque’s endearingly earnest face, he knew he was done for, at least with these two working together now.

“...Oh alright.”

The two mutual cheers at his agreement made Wukong feel slightly less guilty in letting his lessons go for a brief moment. But not completely.

But that was okay, Wukong was used to living with constant guilt.

#lego monkie kid #monkie kid #inverted au #shadowpeach #mk #macaque #sun wukong #my writing #fanfiction

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hyperray · 10 months ago

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-I heard that Adam would be either A Blitzo clone, Mammon clone, or inbetween, and while it is more inbetween, I think he has his own qualities that makes him alright and his own character. I like it. -...I like Vaggies legs. -Charlie being annoyed at Adam calling himself "Dick Master" hints that in-verse Adam isn't that funny, and I think those lines he makes aren't suppose to be funny but are portraying him as self absorbent, which will help make his bad moments feel more satisfying. -Niffty: (Stares into the camera blankly) HAHAHAHA!! Okay, THAT was the funniest bit of the episode, I actually laughed at it. But also her being in emotionless shock in front of a recording camera implis some deep and dark stuff, Dark Web level kind of stuff, and I hope that gets explored more, she might needs some serious emotional help. -I LOVE how Alastor has the passive ability to corrupting cameras trying to record him, which makes sense for him to do since he hates TV. -Though yet not as menacing and charming as the pilot one, I think Alastor still remains some significant charm. Also, isn't it kinda funny how when he says "Your choice" he sounds like a woman? -I really like his rubberhose cartoon demon servants, it fits him from the time he lived in. -Everyone looks awesome in the new/old suits, I like Niffty's windy shirt pose reference, and how Husk barely changes while not moving. -I REALLY like Lute. She is stoic, cold, and doesn't swear, she is also being menacing towards Charlie by how deeply she insults her. -Okay, not to sound religious and problematic, but I think Charlie is right here. I read someone's post about how Adam and Lute are right about those people having their chances in life, but here's the thing, does eternal (supposed eternal) torture equal to a finite life? -So Charlie does have magic abilities, very neat! -I really like Adam's song, and how he makes reasonable points on why demons shouldn't be redeemed. Especially at the "When its said and done" part how he makes himself look more angelic, going down from clouds, shining brighter, and making holy symbolism poses, he might be a jackass, but he does embrace his holy position. -I also like that the halos aren't ordinary rings and got more to them, and if we see more designs of them, we may get a hierarchy system told through these halo designs without the characters having to always explain their position. -Its nice to see them all together happy and angry like a sort of family on the couch. -We get a glimpse of Heaven's technology, which gives open the possibility to how advanced Heaven might actually be -So the demons managed to take out an angel, which gives a good reason why the extermination comes sooner than just Adam being spiteful to Charlie, and it seems like he did that on purpose for people not to get suspicious for their real reason, he is smarter than I think any of us have let on. -I really like how angels can bleed gold, that stuff is also called Ichor in greek mythology and it's what the gods have instead of blood, which significes just how holy angels generally are. -That's a really nice ending theme and Spindlehorse logo animation they got

Hazbin Hotel episode 1 Review

Now that the first two episodes have been released, I intend to make a review post pointing out what I find negative and positive about them. Now, truth be told, I'm kinda expecting the show to flip because of how Viv is mismaneging the whole thing with the prodution to her socials, but I don't want to be biased and have my perspective completely be compromised by my dissapointment and rage, so I hope this review will shine a new perspective on the episodes for critics like me to enjoy them more, and by the time of this writing I haven't watched episode two yet so to not base my judgement of future context, but I'll bring up context from past episodes to future ones, let's begin. Negatives: -Sooo, does God exist, or are there just these Elders who I'm assuming are the equivalent of archangels? Even if this is a book with left out parts Charlie might be reading, I don't see why discluding God from the story would change anything, though I have a theory on that later. -In the shot where the sad Lucifer looks at the angels surrounding Earth only Sera has her own stand out design. I think this implies that we won't be given focus on any other angels of her level besides Emily, so that's a bummer. -"Equals as the first of mankind, but despite this, Adam demanded control and Lilith refused to submit to his will" Okay so I'm getting this; If Lilith is fabricating a lot through this book, or maybe written by someone else who isn't including the 'whole' story, then Lilith might have been the victim of this situation and Adam is a typical male bigot and the female the hero against the male's tyranny and she did nothing wrong, which is tiring to accept. -If Lucifer did give Eve the apple of knowlege purely out of good will, then he and Lilith are dumb. Surely he must've forseen the consequences of what Heaven might do to him and Lilith for this rebellion as well the dangerous road humanity would take from that point, right? -Also, Lucifer isn't an angel the level of Michael here, he is just some random middling angel? Well that makes it all really dissapointing. He is supposed to be the peak of Hell's might, and if he is that weak by default then he and Hell shouldn't be that of a threat, logically, but also they'll likely be a threat which doesn't make much sense. He is much weaker than the higher up angels yet somehow accumilated power to rival them, through what? Aren't Heaven's and Hell's magic basically the only source of power anyone can siphon from in this universe, or is there another power system to draw from? -"Never allowed to see the good from humanity" okay that's highly unbelievable. Lower demons can access the human realm, so wouldn't he at least hear or see some recordings about what humanity has achieved? And it's extremely hypocritical since Hell and it's demons largely contribute to the human's pain and suffering, which fuels my willingness to believe this story isn't entirely written truthful.

#hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel critique #hazbin hotel criticism #hazbin hotel #vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism #vivziepop critique #spindlehorse critical #spindlehorse criticism #spindlehorse critique

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rowansparrow · 3 years ago

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Juke Box Hero: A Rose Story

This is SO STUPID LMAO But I hope you guys like it anyway. I’m back on my bullshit and I am here to provide you with a little story based off THIS POST. Anon, thank you for your service, because this was very, very fun.

This snippet takes place during Chapter Seven of BAON, during the flashback when Reader is meeting Rex for the first time and Rose and Co. are stuck cleaning up the barracks. You don’t necessarily have to have read it for this to make sense, but the right context might be neat.

Also, for timeline purposes/in BAON, Tup and Dogma technically never met Rose, as they weren’t part of the 501st before he died, but I’m including them in this because I make the rules and I wanted to.

Also Denal’s here because I think he’s a funky dude and deserves more content.

The clones deserve to dance and have fun and who’s gonna write them doing that if it ain’t me?

Rating: Mature-ish? There are some dirty jokes and swearing but mostly it’s Just fun shenanigans with Rose and Bros.

(Also I spent a TON of time picking everyone’s songs so pls tell me what you think of my selections lmao).

I’m tagging everyone from the BAON tag list in case you’re interested. Enjoy!

In retrospect, perhaps Rose should have put a stop to the loth cat situation – or as Hardcase called it, Operation: P.U.S.S.Y. He claimed it was an abbreviation for “Petting Unusually Sweet Strays, Yeah!”

“You have to call it something else.” Rose had said at the time, staring at the loth cat cradled protectively in Hardcase’s arms.

“But you’re not saying no?” Hardcase prompted eagerly, already bouncing lightly on his heels.

“Just…” Rose pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just… clean up after it? And if it breaks anything, it’s on you, and for the love of Force, don’t get caught.”

Now, as the Lieutenant surveyed the disarray that had befallen the barracks, and the company of very disgruntled subordinates, he was reconsidering his earlier leniency.

“I feel as the acting SIC, you’re the one who should be taking the flak for this, not the entire company.” Jesse grumbled, glaring at Lieutenant Rose over his shoulder as he scrubbed at the floor of the barracks.

“Don’t look at me. I’m not the one who brought a pregnant loth-cat into the barracks in the first place.” Rose replied, straightening up for a moment where he’d been hunched over, his back cracking as he moved.

“Well, you didn’t fight me very hard on it!” Hardcase protested. “And I didn’t know Beans was pregnant at the time! I didn’t even know she was a girl!”

His explanation only earned him several slugs to the arm from nearby vode.

“And just because I’m second-in-command does not make me exempt from the Captain’s wrath.” Rose added. “You didn’t get the dressing-down, you just have to carry out the punishment with me.”

“Hang on, I thought we agreed the cat’s name was going to be Road Rash?” Coric asked.

“That’s unladylike.” Said Denal. “And rude. She can’t help her scars.”

“And Beans is ladylike?” Jesse raised an eyebrow.

“She likes it! And her kits looked like beans when they came out too!”

Rose shook his head fondly at his men as they bickered. At least they weren’t complaining anymore.

In truth, he was surprised the situation had been managed as long as it had been. They’d lasted almost a full three weeks without anyone figuring out they were hiding a cat in the barracks. Of course, the kittens made it much harder, and they could only hide them in overturned helmets during inspections for so many days before the helmets started to mewl.

And once Beans threw a tantrum over not having her kits with her, it was game over. She’d knocked over an entire can of armor paint in her wrath, and blue pawprints and large paint puddles coated the durasteel of the barracks, and a few of the bunks had claw and bite marks in the fabric.

“It’ll take us an hour, maybe more, to clean this whole mess up.” Fives complained, looking around the barracks forlornly. He had a nasty scratch just under his eye from finally snatching Beans up in her rampage. “Kriff. I was excited to go out tonight.”

“Not to mention after we finish here the Captain said we had to go take over latrine and canteen detail from other battalions.”

“Then I guess you better get scrubbing.” Kix said absently, thumbing through medical requisition forms on his datapad and sitting cross-legged on one of the few bunks that didn’t have blue paw prints streaked across it.

“Why aren’t you helping? You’re part of the company too.” Echo said. “Fives and I are ARC troopers, if anyone here should be exempt from company-wide punishments, it’s us.”

“I’m not helping because I didn’t participate.” Kix replied, not looking up from his ‘pad.

“The kark you didn’t, you delivered the kits!” Fives snapped.

“Well, Captain Rex didn’t catch me, so.”

“That’s because you went and hid in the medbay and didn’t warn the rest of us he was coming.” Tup muttered under his breath.

“Not true. I sent Jesse a comm.” Kix said, finally looking up only to shrug and return to his work. “Which he didn’t check, and that’s not my fault.”

“It doesn’t matter who was involved and who wasn’t involved.” Dogma piped up. “Clearly, because if it did, I wouldn’t be here either.”

“We know.” Said Jesse and Fives in unison.

Rose sighed, his eyes drifting forlornly to his bunk. He spotted his footlocker sticking halfway out from underneath the durasteel, and he lit up. He opened it quickly, pulling out a beat-up radio he’d gotten at a market stall during one of his first deployments. He’d had to trade a droid popper and half his rations for it – Rex had not been pleased about it when he found out – but it was worth the two-day latrine rotation he’d gotten as punishment.

He’d already downloaded several songs off the HoloNet, along with a few channel recordings of past BoloBall games. Even if he knew who won them, it was still something to listen to on long stints on cruisers.

“What’cha doing, Lieutenant?” Tup asked, peeking around the corner as Rose straightened back up, fumbling with the little radio for a moment and propping it up on one of the bunks so the music could fill the whole room.

“No. NO! No.” Jesse jabbed a finger at the Lieutenant as he saw him set up the radio. “No. Absolutely not. I have had enough of your osik-brained, Force-forsaken, whack-ass music to last me a lifetime.”

Kix chuckled, rolling his eyes at the other trooper. “You listen exclusively to electronic dance music. Even when we aren’t at 79s. You have no room to talk.”

“This is better than that.” Rose promised, dialing up the volume. “This is the kind of stuff you’d find on the jukebox at Dex’s Diner.” He grinned. Dex was personal friends with General Kenobi, and was one of the few Coruscant establishments that was friendly to clones, as long as they behaved themselves. Rose had gone there with his brothers a handful of times, and even Anakin had dragged his Padawan Ahsoka, Rose, and Rex along once.

“You have a radio?” Dogma frowned. “Isn’t that contraband, sir?”

“Relax, it’s an old prewar-era radio, it’s not hurting anything.” Fives drawled, knocking Dogma lightly on the shoulder. “What’re you gonna play, sir?”

“Let’s see…” Rose filtered through his downloads, and grinned wider, pressing play.

Immediately, soft music rang through the barracks, and Jesse smacked his head against the bunk, groaning loudly.

“I’m begging you, Lieutenant.” Jesse said. “I’m begging.”

Rose was already swaying his hips, bending over to grab Jesse by the chin.

“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair, warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air.” Rose serenaded him.

Jesse swatted Rose’s hand away, and Rose turned, swinging around on the side of the bunk and pointing to Fives this time. “Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light. My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night.”

Fives grinned, joining in even as he stumbled slightly over the words.

“There she stood in the doorway. I heard the mission bell and I was thinking to myself, this could be Heaven or this could be Hell.”

Kix was drumming his fingers on his datapad, nodding along and singing under his breath.

“Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way. There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say…”

“This is too slow.” Echo griped, rising to his feet and stepping over Dogma, who was still stubbornly scrubbing away at the barrack floors and refusing to engage even as the rest of the clones began quietly singing along with the chorus.

The ARC Trooper fiddled with the dial for a moment, scrolling through Rose’s music and selecting another song, already grinning as the chanting started through the speakers and eventually rippled through the ranks of the 501st.

“STOP.” Jesse barked, trying to kick Fives as the other ARC trooper hopped to his feet, stomping his feet and chanting along. “STOP, I HATE THIS ONE!”

Rose and Hardcase were chanting too, and Coric had started clapping his hands on an overturned bucket, a few shinies clapping their hands together as Echo shook his ass, kama swaying as he climbed up onto a nearby table. He scooped up a mop, pulling the handle to his mouth.

“I can’t stop this feeling, deep inside of me.” He pointed to Kix, grinding against the handle. “Girl, you just don’t realize what you do to me.”

Kix gave him the finger, and Echo pointed to Fives, who was still chanting with the others but was now holding up his helmet, recording the whole thing. Echo amped up his performance.

“When you hold me in your arms so tight, you let me know everything’s alright. I’m hooked on a feeling!”

Tup whooped from where he’d moved to sit on one of the bunks. Dogma shot him a nasty look, which he ignored in favor of watching Echo strut on the table.

“I’m high on believing that you’re in love with me. Lips as sweet as candy, its taste is on my mind. Girl you got me thirsty for another cup of wine.”

“Wait, wait, wait, I have a good one.” Fives shoved his helmet at Hardcase, letting him take over recording as he scrambled to the radio, quickly turning the dial once again and elbowing Echo off the table as fast, loud, angry guitars shredded through the barracks.

Jesse seemed to perk up just slightly, and any of the 501st troopers who were still trying to actually clean – save for Dogma – had abandoned their supplies and had elected to dance instead, crowding the table and forming a makeshift mosh pit.

Fives was nothing if not a showman, and when he snatched the mop from Echo, he performed.

“When I get high, I get high on speed. Top fuel funny car’s a drug for me, my heart! My heart! Kickstart my heart!”

He stomped his foot hard on the table, flipping his head back and running one hand messily through his hair.

“Always got the cops coming after me, custom-built bike doing 103, my heart! My heart! Kickstart my heart!”

Rose laughed, watching as Fives looked at the helmet Hardcase was hoisting up over the crowd, singing into the camera and rolling his shoulders back.

“Ooh, are ya ready, girls? Ooh, are you ready now? Woah, yeah! Kickstart my heart, baby give it a start. Woah, yeah! Baby! Kickstart my heart, hope it never stops. Woah, yeah, baby yeah!”

The clones joined him for the chorus, and then Fives dropped to his knees like he’d seen rockers do on the HoloNet, high fiving the nearest vode. Dogma was still stubbornly trying to clean up the barracks, but had moved on to one of the far corners, only giving the rest of his battalion the occasional side-eye.

“Skydive naked from an aeroplane, or a lady with a body from outer space, my heart. My heart! Kickstart my heart.” He wiggled his hips as he straightened back up, biting his lip through a grin and dropping his hand to his hips and shaking his fist obscenely, as though he was jerking himself off.

“Say I got trouble, trouble in my eyes, I’m just looking for another good time, my heart. My heart! Kickstart my heart!”

Before Fives could do something else profane – or possibly attempt to crowd-surf and give Rose a handful of incident reports to fill out, the music suddenly shifted, and all heads turned to the radio.

Kix was smirking. He’d divested himself of the top half of his armor, instead electing to shimmy his way up onto the table in just the upper half of his blacks and lower armor plates. Fives exited, rejoining the crowd as Kix leveled a sultry look at the camera for just a moment before turning his back on the crowd.

“Clean shirt, new shoes, and I don’t know where I am goin’ to. Silk suit, black tie, I don’t need a reason why.”

He spun quickly, switching his grip on the mop handle as though he was holding a woman in his arms, dipping it low towards the crowd as he sang.

“They come a runnin’ just as fast as they can, ‘cos every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.”

Fives and Echo were howling with laughter, and Hardcase wolf-whistled loud enough that Rose’s ears rang. Even Jesse had finally joined in, nodding his head along to the music and trying to bite back a grin. Tup had left the crowd to instead attempt to pull Dogma in, and Denal had rounded up a few newer members and was trying to push them closer to the front.

Kix unzipped the top half of his blacks, doing a slow strip-tease in time with the music.

“Gold watch, diamond ring, I ain’t missin’, not a single thing. And cufflinks, stickpin, when I step out I’mma do you in.” Kix shrugged out of his blacks and rolled his hips along the mop handle, dropping his ass low and slowly dragging himself back up, grinding against the handle.

“They come a runnin’ just as fast as they can, ‘cos every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.”

Fives actually pretended to faint, falling backwards into Echo, who was laughing so hard that he fell over with him.

“ALRIGHT!” Dogma shouted over the music, elbowing his way through the crowd with Tup following anxiously behind him. Dogma firmly stopped the music, hands on his hips as he turned to face the rest of his brothers, who’d begun to boo.

“We have orders,” Dogma reminded them. “This is a punishment, not a party. When we finish here, we’re supposed to clean the shower block, and then we’re supposed to report to the mess hall and take over the canteen cleanup shifts.”

“We know the orders, Dogma.” Rose said, putting a hand on the younger trooper’s shoulder. “There’s no harm in having fun while you work.”

“I’m the only one still working.” Dogma grumbled.

“Alright, alright, we’ll turn it low for now, and we’ll finish up in here, then we can bring the radio with us when we move to the refreshers and canteen. Fair?” He asked, turning to the rest of the men. There were a few muttered responses, and Rose raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, I couldn’t quite make that out.” He said. “We are cleaning this mess up, correct gentlemen?”

“Sir yes sir!” They all answered quickly, hurrying back to work.

Rose chuckled, shifting the music to something a little calmer, the gentle piano wafting through the barracks as they continued to clean up.

Denal’s head perked up as soon as he heard the piano start, and while he didn’t climb up onto the table like his brothers had, he smiled to himself, turning back towards the spot he was scrubbing and singing to the durasteel floor.

“I'm sailing away. Set an open course for the Virgin Sea.”

Echo hummed, closing his eyes and rocking back on his heels for a moment, listening to his older vod croon.

“'Cause I've got to be free. Free to face the life that's ahead of me.” Denal continued, his voice soft but steady. “On board I'm the captain, so climb aboard. We'll search for tomorrow on every shore and I'll try, oh Lord I'll try… to carry on.”

Somebody whistled, a few scattered claps ringing through the barracks. Coric picked up where Denal left off.

“I look to the sea, reflections in the waves spark my memory. Some happy some sad.” He sang. “I think of childhood friends, and the dreams we had.”

Tup glanced to Dogma, who was practically seething as he scrubbed at the same spot on the floor that he’d been working on for the past several minutes. “You like this song, don’t you, Dogma?”

“No I don’t. Shut up.”

“Join in. They won’t mind.” Tup encouraged.

“No.”

“We live happily forever, so the story goes. But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold.” Sang Coric. “But we'll try best that we can to carry on!”

The music picked up, and Jesse shot Rose a look.

“This is a deceptively fast song.” He said.

“It sneaks up on ya.” Rose chuckled.

The barracks devolved into chaos once again, the clones all screaming along to the lyrics, even the ones who didn’t know the words picked it up quickly, encouraged by their brothers.

Despite the distractions, they finally finished cleaning the barracks, and Rose plucked the radio from where he’d stashed it, leading the way down the hallway towards the refreshers. The 501st were especially rowdy in the quiet halls – most of the barracks were empty, the clones who weren’t being punished for loth-cat related shenanigans were taking advantage of the shore leave.

When they opened the door to the shower block, they encountered a few members of the 212th already in there, cleaning up.

“Pack it in, lads.” Rose announced. “We’re taking over for you.”

“What? Why?” Boil asked, leaning on a mop and raising an eyebrow. “Did you get in trouble?”

“Yes.” Hardcase replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“All of you?” Waxer poked his head out from inside one of the refresher stalls, Crys and Wooley pausing from where they were wiping down countertops.

“Yeah, it’s Hardcase’s fault. As usual.” Jesse said, strolling over to Boil and plucking the mop from his hands. “We’re supposed to take over your shifts.”

“Good, I was hoping to get to 79’s tonight before last call. I hear they’ve got purple spotchka.” Boil said excitedly, glancing at Waxer over his shoulder.

“We can help you finish.” Waxer said, immediately raining on his brother’s parade. “There isn’t much left to do anyway.”

“You sure?” Rose asked. “It’s technically a punishment -.”

“Nah, it’s fine, there really isn’t much left, aside from the toilets.” He grinned. “But you boys can handle those.”

“Fair enough.” Rose chuckled, nodding over his shoulder to his men. Fives, Echo, Jesse, and Hardcase were in a heated four-way battle of rock, flimsi, cutters in order to determine who had to clean the toilets first.

“What’s that?” One trooper Rose didn’t recognize asked, pointing to his hand.

“It’s a radio!” Rose said cheerfully. “I’m err… technically not supposed to have it. But we’ve been listening to music while we worked.” He set it up on the countertop. “Do you have a favorite song…?”

“Spitter.” The 212th trooper supplied helpfully.

“Spitter.” Rose repeated, chuckling to himself and wondering how the hell he’d earned that name. “Do you have a favorite song?”

“I don’t know the name of it.” The trooper admitted shyly. “But – but it’s the one they play on the hits channel all the time. I hear it playing in the admiral’s quarters on the Negotiator all the time.”

“I know that one!” Waxer said excitedly, nodding to Rose. “It’s the one Commander Cody likes. You were playing it in the hangar a few weeks ago when our flight detail overlapped.”

“I remember.” Rose smiled, and turned the song on.

Immediately, every head, including Dogma’s, perked up at the familiar tune. Fives clapped his hands together, getting them started.

“When I wake up, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you.”

The younger trooper, Spitter, lit up and followed it up.

“When I go out, yeah I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you.”

Waxer elbowed Boil, trying to get him to join in, but the other trooper shook his head and crossed his arms, rolling his eyes even as Waxer sang.

“If I get drunk, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you.”

Their voices carried through the refresher’s tiled walls, and Jesse picked up where Waxer left off.

“And if I haver, yeah I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who’s havering to you.”

When the chorus rolled around, everyone joined in, their voices bouncing off the walls around them.

“But I would walk five hundred miles, and I would walk five hundred more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door.”

“When I’m working,” Kix began, offering a hand to Wooley and giving him a playful spin. “Yes I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who’s working hard for you.”

“And when the money comes in for the work I do, I’ll pass almost every penny on to you.” Wooley laughed, shoving Kix away with a grin.

“When I come home,” Tup piped up quickly, before someone else could. “Oh, I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who comes back home to you.”

“And if I grow old,” Crys smirked, shaking his shoulders at Fives, who punched him playfully in the arms and joined in, singing the line in unison. “Well, I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who’s growing old with you.”

The chorus returned, and they sang with even more feeling than before, dancing and tossing their heads back, shouting along to the words and nearly drowning out the music itself as they sang.

As the final verse approached, Waxer sidled up next to Boil, giving him a hopeful look. His brother sighed, scrubbing a hand bitterly over his face and reluctantly joined in.

“When I’m lonely, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who’s lonely without you.” He sang.

“And when I’m dreaming,” Echo called. “Well I know I’m gonna dream, I’m gonna dream about the time when I’m with you.”

“And when I go out, well I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you.” Fives followed.

“And when I come home, yes I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who comes back home with you.” Denal said.

Tup took a deep breath, preparing to finish off the verse, but he was cut off.

“I’m gonna be the man who’s coming home,” Dogma’s voice was shaky as all eyes turned to him, and he finished in a squeak. “With you.”

The room erupted in cheers, Fives catching Dogma under his arm and giving him a noogie as the chorus rang out once again, everyone shouting along to the lyrics together.

When the song ended, and the cleanup was done, the 212th parted ways with the 501st, the brothers patting one another on the back and jeering affectionately at one another now that the song and dance was done.

“If you finish with everything before final call, catch up with us at 79’s.” Boil called over his shoulder. “We can give the vode there a run for their money with our rendition of that song.”

“Count on it.” Rose chuckled, giving the other company a little salute before leading his men on towards the canteen.

The canteen, blessedly, was empty, and most of it was already clean. All they really had to do was wipe everything down, mop, and then make sure the kitchen was well-prepped for the next day.

“I didn’t know you had it in ya, Dogma.” Echo said affectionately, knocking his younger vod playfully in the shoulder as they walked.

“Let’s just get this over with.” Dogma muttered, his ears burning as he pushed into the canteen, grabbing the cleaning supplies from the nearby supply closet.

“Who’s turn was it for a solo?” Fives asked, watching as Rose started to set up the radio above one of the food windows so it could project into the entire cafeteria.

“I think Dogma should go.” Kix grinned. “Now that we know he’s got some pipes.”

“Absolutely not.” Dogma said immediately, not looking up from where he was wiping down tables.

“I can go first?” Tup offered, raising his hand sheepishly. Dogma shot him another stern look, but Tup was already wandering over to the radio, moving the dial and tentatively pressing play.

Upbeat music filled the canteen, and the other troopers cheered as Fives ushered Tup over to the nearest table, boosting him up on top of it and then thrusting a mop into his hands. Hardcase was already fumbling with the helmet again, trying to get a recording as Tup tapped his foot along with the beat, nodding his head as he found his rhythm.

“I get up in the evening, and I ain’t got nothing to say. I come home in the morning, I go to bed feeling the same way.”

Fives was leading other troopers in pounding the surrounding tables in time with the drumbeats while Echo was leading another group to clap in time.

“I ain’t nothing but tired! Man, I’m just tired and bored with myself.” Tup flashed the camera a grin, reaching up and pulling his hair tie out, shaking his wild curls loose around his head. “Hey there baby, I could use just a little help.”

Jesse whistled, and Dogma had stopped cleaning and was watching his brother, the slightest smile pulling at his lips.

“You can’t start a fire, can’t start a fire without a spark. This gun’s for hire, even if we’re just dancing in the dark.”

Tup shook his hair out of his eyes, tossing his head back and jerking his hips.

“Messages keep getting clearer, radio’s on and I’m moving ‘round my place. I check my look in the mirror, wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face!”

He swayed his hips again, and Hardcase shoved the camera at Kix instead so he could join in the clapping.

“Man, I ain’t getting nowhere, I’m just living in a dump like this. There’s something happening somewhere, baby I just know that there is.”

He hopped off the table, instead taking Dogma’s hand and dragging him towards the makeshift stage.

“You can’t start a fire, you can’t start a fire without a spark. This gun’s for hire, even if we’re just dancing in the dark.”

He pushed the mop into Dogma’s hands instead, beaming at him as he scurried off the table, sprinting over to the radio and quickly changing the song.

Immediately, slow guitar started but quickly escalated into heavy drums and fast riffs. Dogma’s cheeks turned a darker shade, and he looked frantically to Tup, trying to climb back down off the stage.

“No, no, come on!” Fives shouted, trying to body block Dogma from getting down. “Come on, you got this!”

The lyrics began, and Dogma sang along, his mouth barely moving, voice almost imperceptible.

“Another head hangs lowly, child is slowly taken… and the violence caused such silence, who are we mistaken?”

“Come on!” Tup called to him. “You LOVE this song! Let ‘em hear it!”

Dogma grit his teeth, his voice gaining strength. “But you see, it’s not me, it’s not my family, in your head, in your head they are fighting.”

He stomped his foot on the table, practically snarling out the words. “With their tanks, and their bombs, and their bombs, and their guns, in your head, in your head they are crying.”

He threw his head back, and for not the first time that night, the radio was drowned out by cheers.

“In your head! In your head! Zombie, Zombie, Zombie. What’s in your head? In your head? Zombie, Zombie, Zombie!”

Dogma climbed off the table quickly, his ears and cheeks burning but a small smile was on his face, even as he was smothered by Hardcase, Fives, Tup, and Echo swarming him with hugs and rubbing his head affectionately.

Jesse climbed up onto the table next, picking up the discarded mop and clearing his throat.

“I would just like to dedicate this song to the gorgeous woman I picked up at 79s last week.” He drawled, nodding once to Kix, who was hovering knowingly by the radio. He nodded once to the helmet, which was now stationed on a nearby table, still recording. “Darling, you had the best pair of tits I have ever seen in my entire life, and you had the mouth of an angel and the coochie of a devil.”

Fives whistled, and Coric snickered. Rose rolled his eyes.

“So, babygirl, this one is for you.”

Kix turned on the radio, and Jesse grinned.

“Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame. Darling, you give love a bad name.”

Guitar rang out through the mess hall, and Jesse bit his lip, rolling his hips as he leaned slightly off the edge of the table.

“An angel’s smile is what you sell, you promised me heaven then put me through hell. Chains of love got a hold on me, when passion’s a prison, you can’t break free.”

He dropped into a crouch, singing directly into the camera.

“Whoa, you’re a loaded gun, whoa, there’s nowhere to run, no one can save me, the damage is done!”

He jumped to his feet, the table shaking under him as he landed.

“Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame. You give love a bad name. I play my part and you play your game, you give love a bad name!” He turned his back on the crowd, dropping low again and slowly rising, shaking his ass. “Yeah you give love…”

He looked over his shoulder, tossing the camera a wink. “…a bad name.”

The music changed abruptly, and for a moment Jesse looked pissed. “What the hell, ‘Case?”

But his expression shifted as Hardcase rushed to the table, pushing his brother out of the way and taking the mop from him. The crowd cheered all over again as Jesse climbed down, brothers slapping him on the shoulders as Hardcase’s song started up.

“We finish strong, right vode?” He asked cheekily.

“We still have to finish cleaning!” Dogma called back.

Hardcase only smirked in response, and sang quickly to keep up with the lightning fast lyrics.

“Backstroking lover always hiding ‘neath the cover, can I talk to you, my daddy say. He said, you ain’t seen nothing ‘til you’re down on a muff and then you’re sure to be a-changin’ your ways.”

He cupped his codpiece, bucking his hips forward into his own hand.

“I met a cheerleader, was a real young bleeder, all the times I can reminisce. ‘Cos the best things of lovin’ with her sister and her cousin only started with a little kiss, like this!”

He swung his arms wide, shaking his ass in time with the music and stuck his tongue out, having the time of his life.

“See-saw swingin’ with the boys in the school and your feet flyin’ up in the air. Singin’ hey diddle diddle with your kitty in the middle of the swing like you didn’t care.”

He walked backwards along the table, rolling his shoulders back as he moved.

“So I took a big chance at the high school dance with a missy who was ready to play. Wasn’t me she was foolin’ ‘cos she knew what she was doin’, and I know love is here to stay when she told me to walk this way!”

The rest of the 501st joined in with him, repeating the chorus of “Walk this way! Walk this way! Walk this way!” over and over again, Hardcase taking over again as the next verse began.

“School girl sweetie was the sassy kinda classy, little skirt’s climbing way up her knees. There was three young ladies in the school gym locker when I noticed they was lookin’ at me.”

He ran his hands along his thigh, mimicking raising a skirt.

“I was a high school loser, never made it with a lady ‘til the boys told me something I missed. Then my next-door neighbor with a daughter had a favor so I gave her just a little kiss, like this!”

“Do you think he has any idea what he’s singing about?” Kix asked Rose, leaning back against the counter and chuckling.

He watched as Hardcase went back to grabbing his own crotch, dry-humping the air and hummed.

“I’d say most likely.”

“See-saw swingin’ with the boys in the school and your feet flyin’ up in the air. Singin’ hey diddle diddle with your kitty in the middle of the swing like you didn’t care.”

Hardcase grinned, and to both Kix and Rose’s utter chagrin, Hardcase actually did dive off the makeshift stage and attempt to crowd surf.

“I’m not patching you up!” Kix shouted over the roar of the music. Rose chuckled, turning the volume nod down as the rest of the 501st shouted in protest.

“Alright, that’s enough for now.” The Lieutenant said, taking control once more. “We can listen to it quietly in the background, but we really do need to wrap up cleaning.”

“Why? Got a date tonight?” Jesse asked with a raised eyebrow. Rose punched him lightly in the arm, and they got back to work once again.

They worked in relative silence, the occasional voice humming or singing along to the music, but they remained productive right up until one of the final songs Rose had downloaded cut through the speaker. The piano wasn’t as rich-sounding as it was through a regular speaker, but even through the tinny cadence of the beat-up radio, every single trooper in the canteen bolted upright, eyebrows raised. Rose smiled knowingly, and turned up the volume once again.

Fives beamed, sitting down on top of one of the tables and laying back, one leg bent and the other stretched flat, a hand behind his head as he sang up at the ceiling.

“Just a small-town girl, living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere.”

Jesse leaned back against the wall on the other side of the canteen, closing his eyes as he joined in.

“Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit. He took the midnight train going anywhere.”

Echo kept mopping, but was grinning as he picked up the next line. “A singer in a smoky room, the smell of wine and cheap perfume.”

Kix grinned. “For a smile, they can share the night, it goes on, and on, and on, and on.”

The rest of the 501st joined in together, their voices carrying in perfect harmony.

“Strangers, waiting. Up and down the boulevard, their shadows searching in the night. Streetlight people, living just to find emotion, hiding somewhere in the -.”

“Night!” Hardcase shouted, straining every muscle in his chest and neck as he struggled to reach the high note.

Tup picked up the next verse, climbing onto one of the tables and dragging Dogma up with him once again.

“Working hard to get my fill, everybody wants the thrill. Paying anything to roll the dice just one more time.”

Dogma smiled, nodding his head along to the music. “Some will win, some will lose.”

Tup threw his arm around his brother, and the two of them sang together. “Some were born to sing the blues!”

Rose’s voice carried from over by the radio. “Oh the movie never ends, it goes on and on, and on and on!”

“Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard, their shadows searching in the night. Streetlight people, living just to find emotion, hiding somewhere in the -.”

“NIGHT!” This time, it was Dogma, of all people, who rang out with the high note, and the explosion of shouts and cheers was deafening. They were screaming along to the lyrics, dancing and jumping and shouting and swaying in time with the song.

“Don’t stop believin’! Hold on to that feeling. Streetlight people! Don’t stop believin’, hold on-”

“WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!”

The booming voice was so powerful, it could be heard even over the shouts of all the clones. Echo was closest to the radio, and quickly shut it off as the song and dance stopped immediately, every clone scrambling to stand at attention.

The Jedi that filled the doorway was massive, an imposing shadow in the entrance to the canteen. He zeroed in on Tup and Dogma, who had been standing closest to the entrance, and stormed towards them.

“Who is your commanding officer?!”

“Me, sir.”

The Besalisk Jedi turned, spinning on Rose immediately. He stalked over to the Lieutenant, jabbing a meaty finger into his chest, hard enough to send him stumbling backwards.

“What is the meaning of this?” He snarled.

“Sir, we were assigned cleaning detail.” He explained. “We were just finishing up.”

The Jedi bared his teeth. “Doesn’t look like much cleaning was taking place to me.”

He surveyed the rest of the troopers, but turned his head back to Rose.

“What is your designation?”

“CT-7673.” Rose recited immediately, keeping his back ramrod straight at attention, even though the Jedi was deep in his personal space. He knew this man. General Krell had quite the reputation through the GAR, and Rose had no clue what he was doing outside of the Jedi Temple this late at night.

“Who is your commanding officer?”

“Captain Rex, sir.”

“Not a clone! Is there a malfunction in your design?!” The Jedi bellowed. A few feet behind him, Hardcase flinched at the sudden loud sound, but Rose held still. “Your general, CT-7673! Who is your Commanding Officer!?”

“General Skywalker, sir.” Rose said instead. The canteen was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

He turned his head, noticing the little radio on the table and picked it up, the device small in his massive hands, raising an eyebrow at Rose. “Contraband, disturbance of the peace, behavior unbecoming of an officer, insubordination.” He hissed. “That’s plenty of grounds for a court martial, Lieutenant.”

“Sir.” Fives spoke up, taking a step towards them. “Proper chain of command designates General Skywalker as the one to hand down a court martial order, sir.”

He narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with contempt. “With all due respect, sir, you do not command this battalion, and cannot order a court martial on the Lieutenant.”

“Fives.” Rose snapped, whipping his head around to face Fives. “Stand down. Now.”

The ARC Trooper shrank back, his hands curled into fists at his sides, and the General turned back to Rose.

“Be that as it may,” he began icily. “You can rest assured this breach of conduct will not go unreported.”

“Yes sir.” Rose replied stiffly.

General Krell pulled back at last, surveying the battalion. “I want this canteen spotless, and not a word out of you in the meantime!” He ordered. “And I don’t think you’ll be needing this anymore.”

With one quick motion, he smashed the radio in his hands. Rose heard a soft, hurt sound somewhere behind him, but ignored it. He didn’t look away from the General.

“Dismissed.” Krell growled, turning and stalking towards the doors. “And as for you,” He turned, jabbing one large finger at Fives. “I’ll be mentioning you in my report as well. Pray our paths do not cross again, clone.”

And with those words, he left the canteen.

Rose relaxed, but only minimally so. The silence hung heavy over the 501st, and everyone quietly shuffled back to work.

Rose gripped the mop handle tightly as he worked, his knuckles turning white. His chest burned, a tight, constricting feeling wrapped around his insides. It was a feeling he’d never felt before – anger, sadness, humiliation, resignation – all rolled into one hateful ball, coiled in his gut.

“Finished with the kitchen, sir.” Came Tup’s small voice. He’d put his hair back up, the tight bun back to regulation standards. Dogma was standing stiff beside him, still not entirely relaxed yet. “And the um – the canteen area’s just about wrapped up as well.”

“Very good.” Rose said with a small nod. “I’ll report back to Captain Rex, let him know we’ve finished for the night.”

“Sorry about your radio, sir.” Hardcase murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s alright, ‘Case.” Rose smiled, but his eyes were sad. “It was – it was old, anyway. Just a silly thing.”

Fives bristled, his jaw setting as he tossed the bucket he’d been holding back into the supply closet with far more force than necessary.

“We aren’t supposed to leave base for the rest of the night, right?” Denal asked, arms folded across his chest as they finished the last of the cleanup. “Guess we could play Sabacc or something back in the barracks?”

There were a few murmured agreements, and the 501st shuffled back towards the barracks. Rose was still thinking about the General, and had a bitter taste in his mouth. They hadn’t been doing anything wrong, really.

Was it such a crime to enjoy oneself? To simply exist?

Fives and Echo fell into step on either side of Rose, the ARC Troopers bracketing their Lieutenant. “I bet Echo and I could rebuild the radio.” Fives offered. “Might take a little bit, but even if we can’t, Kix is real good at bartering stuff down in the markets. Remember when he got us those HoloDisc movies for just a tube of bacta?”

“We could find another radio for you?” Echo suggested hopefully. “Or maybe,” he lowered his voice slightly. “Maybe Y/N could find you one?”

“Let it go.” Rose said, picking up the pace and pulling away from the ARC Troopers. They reentered the now far tidier barracks, and Rose gravitated back to his footlocker, starting to close it up and push it back under his bed. The metal clacked slightly against the edge of the bunk, and he paused, the tinny sound echoing in his ears.

He knocked the footlocker against the bunk again, listening to the little noise again.

Kark it. He was more than just a mindless flesh-droid. He was a person. A human being. And he liked music.

And he wasn’t about to let anybody take that away from him.

“I never got to do a song.” He announced, straightening up and putting his hands on his hips.

“You can’t be serious, sir.” Dogma said, shaking his head at him. “Haven’t we gotten in enough trouble?”

“I’m sure the General’s slithered back to the Temple by now, where he belongs.” Jesse replied, turning back to the Lieutenant. “We don’t have a radio anymore, sir.”

“We don’t need one.” Rose said, pulling his footlocker back out and propping up one leg on it. He tapped his foot against the metal, the rhythm settling, nodding his head along. He took a deep breath.

“Standing in the rain, with his head hung low. Couldn't get a ticket, it was a sold out show.”

Fives recognized the song, and started tapping his foot along, drumming his hands on an overturned weapons crate.

“Heard the roar of the crowd, he could picture the scene. Put his ear to the wall, then like a distant scream.” Rose climbed up onto the table. “He heard one guitar!”

Jesse slammed a bucket from earlier down against the supports of a bunk, the loud clang mimicking the strum of a guitar.

“Just blew him away. He saw stars in his eyes, and the very next day, bought a beat up six string in a secondhand store. Didn’t know how to play it, but he knew for sure, that one guitar!”

Another clang, this time from Kix repeating Jesse’s motion, and Echo, Denal, Coric and Fives were all drumming on overturned buckets and crates.

“Felt good in his hands! Didn’t take long to understand, just one guitar, slung way down low, was a one way ticket, only one way to go.”

Tup and Hardcase had picked up a brush – typically used for scrubbing their blasters and armor down – and were knocking it against the durasteel wall. Dogma had rounded up the others, a look of sheer determination on his face as they clamored around the bunks and tables, smacking their fists in rhythm with anything they could get their hands on.

“So he started rockin', ain't never gonna stop. Gotta keep on rockin', someday gonna make it to the top!”

Rose stomped his feet, and the rest of the 501st joined him for the chorus.

“And be a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes. He's a juke box hero!”

“He took one guitar,” Rose sang, while the rest of the battalion echoed “juke box hero, stars in his eyes” around him. “Juke box hero, he’ll come alive tonight.”

The singing quieted down, listening for a moment to see if anyone was coming, and Rose grinned, starting again and pitching his voice low.

“In a town without a name, in a heavy downpour, thought he passed his own shadow, by the backstage door.”

The clones took position, preparing to resume their makeshift instruments as Rose picked up in volume.

“Like a trip through the past, to that day in the rain. And that one guitar, made his whole life change! Now he needs to keep on rockin', he just can't stop! Gotta keep on rockin', that boy has got to stay on top!”

Once again, shouts rang out as his brothers joined him for the chorus, their voices louder and more determined than ever, refusing to be silenced.

“And be a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes. He's a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes. Yeah, juke box hero, stars in his eyes. With that one guitar, he'll come alive, come alive tonight.”

As they finished the song, Rose panted softly, glancing down at his commlink again. He decided he was going to go off base after all. He wanted to see you, and nobody, not his Captain’s orders, and definitely not some karking General like Krell, was going to stop him.

“Dismissed.” He said curtly, and took off out the door without another word.

SONGS USED (because they’re all bangers and you should listen to them):

The 501st (introduction): Hotel California Echo: Hooked on a Feeling Fives: Kickstart My Heart Kix: Sharp Dressed Man Jesse: You Give Love a Bad Name Coric and Denal: Come Sail Away Dogma: Zombie Tup: Dancing in the Dark Hardcase: Walk This Way The 212th and 501st: I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) The 501st (Canteen finale): Don’t Stop Believin’ Rose and the 501st: Juke Box Hero

TAG LIST (Aka everyone on the tag list for BAON): @fat-zygerrian @ladydiomede @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @threevie @cheesemachine44 @bubblyacey @fivedicksinatrenchcoat @loverofclones @starwarsgarbage @hockeyjedi13 @crazygirlwithasword @dar-manda-rjct @gotomarvelgal @baba-fett @whore4rex @bubblegumcat229 @generalcannoli @hellothere501stlover @in-the-crosshairs @vaderthepotater @for-the-love-of-clones @babyhowzer @imrealatedtothe501st @chewychewyque @bobafettuccini @baba-fett-writes @chromia7567 @coffeeandtodd @thedomesticatednerd @kirinpl @djarrex @a-c-lee @embarrassedauthornerd @kaorikoizumi @the-girl-of-rain-and-shadows @sammi9498 @theroguesully @salaminus

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imagineyourworld · 3 years ago

Note

Omg request for tbb echo with 4 and c from the prompt list??

Hey,

Since I said in my original post that the requests should be either a letter or a number, I'm gonna go ahead and just do 4, I hope that's alright with you.

Love, Charlie

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Echo x Genderneutral!Reader

Warnings: Mention of death, sickness (nothing serious)

4. Mutual pining

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You still couldn't wrap your head around the fact that the man next to you was Echo. The very same Echo who had first come into the diner you worked at almost two years ago with his brother and had come back whenever he could ever since. Until one day he didn't. That day it was just Fives, an unusual sight without his twin, who sat in the corner occasionally sipping his caf and clearly wishing it were something stronger. During your break you had sat down in his booth and he had told you the news that broke your heart. It wasn't until that moment that you realized you had fallen in love with Echo, and now it was too late. Only it wasn't too late, because exactly one month ago the man you thought you had lost forever walked into the diner, missing a few limbs but still with the same gentle smile on his face. Echo had been nervous to tell you who he really was and what had happened, but he should have known that there was no need. You were as accepting and loving as always and when you wrapped your arms around him and pulled him tight Echo could have sworn he really died and had gone to heaven. Heaven, however, wasn't where he was right now, rather his own special hell. Here he was, in his usual booth with his usual drink and usual meal in front of him, but there was one thing missing: you. Someone else had served him, someone who didn't know his order by heart and didn't smile at him the way you did. It took him a while to muster up the courage to ask your colleague where you were, after all he wasn't your boyfriend, he wasn't even really your friend, there had never been any indication that you wanted to continue your relationship outside of work, a thought Echo continued to push deep down and ignore. "They're sick", the other waitress told him. The news hit Echo deep. Of course the rational part of him knew that you might just have a common cold or a headache, but for clones being sick more often than not meant dying. He called out a quick "Thanks" to the waitress before throwing a handful of credits on the table and hurrying out of the diner. He considered himself lucky because he knew where you lived from the few times he had convinced you to let him walk you home after work, so know he was running towards your flat, ignoring the pain where his prosthetics met his body. You were the only thought on his mind.

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You hated being sick. Hated it more than anything. Well, almost anything. The one thing you hated more than being sick in general was being sick today. You knew that this was the day Echo would visit the diner before leaving Coruscant again and you wanted to be there more than anything. After losing him once you simply couldn't risk not saying goodbye. Your doorbell interrupted your anxious thoughts. Hesitantly you walked over to the door and pressed the speaker button. "Who's there?", you asked. "It's me, Echo", a familiar voice replied. "Can I come up?" The sound of his voice alone managed to make you feel better, and when you saw him walking up the last couple of stairs from your spot in the doorway you could have sworn your cold was almost gone. "Hi", you said. Even your voice suddenly sounded less scratchy. Echo took a step towards you. He lifted his arm as if to touch you, only to realize that it was his cybernetic one. Quickly he lowered it again. He kept forgetting about his new limbs, especially in your presence, but he refused to touch you with anything other than his real hand, refused to miss the chance to feel your skin against his. "I heard you were sick and I... Maybe this is stupid, but I just had to see you, cyare." There it was, that nickname he had begun calling you shortly before the mission to the Citadel. You were dying to know what it meant, but too afraid to ask, maybe it was something cute and romantic, as you hoped, but maybe it was something like "buddy" or "pal", which you really couldn't take, it would ruin the last bit of hope you had of Echo reciprocation your feelings. "That's so sweet of you, but I really don't want you to get sick as well", you said, even though the thought of him leaving made you feel ten times worse again. Echo just shook his head as he gently pushed past you into the flat, as if to show you that he didn't plan on leaving any time soon. "I won't get sick, trust me. And if I do anyways I guess I'll just have to stay here with you", Echo told you with a slight smile. You laugh at his words, a laugh that quickly turned into a series of coughs. You really liked this new side of Echo, the more confident and bolder side, though of course you were also fond of his sweet and caring side. "I'd really like that", you said, heat risking to your cheeks at your words. Echo looked at you in surprise. Surely you couldn't mean that, it had to be the sickness talking. But he couldn't ignore the little spark of hope that ignited at your words. "How about I make you a cup of tea and you sit down with a blanket?", he suggested. With another cough you moved over to your couch and began to wrap yourself in your comfiest blanket while Echo made his way to what he assumed to be the kitchen. "Or maybe two blanket", he called once he heard you sneezing from the other room.

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Just a few minutes later the two of you were sitting beside each other on the couch, you wrapped up in three blankets and Echo without a single one. "Aren't you cold?", you asked him, both because you were concerned and because you sensed what might be your one chance to get close to him. Echo looked at you, a fond expression on his face as he smooth your hair down. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." You looked at him from beneath your slowly closing eyelids. "I always worry about you, I always have. When you're gone I can't sleep because I keep wondering whether you're alright. I can't help but worry that something might happen, that you'll get captured again or die, really die." His expression changed from loving to shocked. You worried about him? Really worried to the point where you couldn't sleep? Was that a friendship thing or did it mean...? "Echo, I'm still cold", you said with a yawn that quickly turned into another cough. That short sentence quickly pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts. He jumped up from the couch and started to look around the room, keeping his eyes out for any more blankets. "Are there more blankets somewhere?" You shook your head as best as you could with shivers now taking over your body. "Cuddle with me", you managed to say. "Body heat helps." Echo tried to ignore the blood he felt rushing into his cheeks and his thoughts telling him that he should just do it, when would he ever get this chance again? "Are you sure? I don't think I make a good cuddling partner with my new limbs and-" "I don't care, just get in here", you interrupted him, your sickness making you moodier than usual. For a moment Echo just stared at you, then the desire to finally be close to you after all these years of longing for exactly that took over. He sat back down on the couch, closer this time, and moved underneath the blankets. You were hot, literally. Echo was sure you had a fever, and he told you as much. But when he tried to get up again to look for a thermometer you put your arm around his waist and laid your head on his shoulder. Gently he rested his arm, the prosthetic one, on the back of the couch, so the cold metal wouldn’t be in the way, and then he was finally able to relax and enjoy your touch. Enjoy the warmth of your body, the feeling of your breath hitting his throat and the smell of your shampoo, that made its way into his nose. “We should have done this earlier”, you sighed as you snuggled even closer. You really didn’t know what Echo had been so worried about, he was more than comfortable and so, so warm. His warmth alone made you more relaxed and sleepy than you already were, though his comforting presence and the soft circles he was stroking along your legs, which had found their way into his lap, helped as well. “All you had to do was ask, I would have been ready any time”, Echo confessed. He was sure you could hear his heart beating from how close you were, maybe feel it as well, but at least you couldn’t see the colour rising to his cheeks. “Really?” You lifted your head from its place on Echo’s shoulder to look at him. He was even more beautiful from up close. With how the light was hitting his eyes just right and the slight colour on his cheeks he looked like a painting, a masterpiece you might see in a museum. “Really.” Echo couldn’t help but stare at you. Your eyes were bright, though that may be partly due to the fever, your lips shining and your breath smelled of the tea he had made earlier. He moved his arm from the back of the couch to your shoulder and went to cup your cheek in his hand, only to realize that he had once again used his prosthetic. “Stars, I’m still not used to that thing. I’m so sorry”, he apologized when he saw you flinch. Your gaze left Echo’s eyes and focused on his arm instead. There was no fear or disgust in your expression, no pity either, just plain curiosity. “It’s fine, I was just surprised by how cold it is. But I love it. I love it because it’s part of you and I love every part of you.” Did you really just say that? Surely Echo had to be dreaming. Any second now he’d wake up to hear his brother’s cursing or complaining about something. Or he’d be back in that hellhole on Skako Minor and realize that not only was this a dream, his rescue had been one as well. But even though he was sure this couldn’t be real, he had to ask. “You love me?” Now it was your turn to be shocked. You looked back at Echo’s face, moving your head so fast it made you dizzy. The reaction you had feared was nowhere to be found, instead love and longing were written all over his face. “Did I just say that out loud?” Echo nodded, there was nothing else he could do in that moment. “Damn, this cold must be hitting me harder than I thought”, you mumbled, hoping to get out of this situation by reminding Echo that you were sick. But no such luck. His hand, the flesh one this time, moved from your thigh up to your waist to pull you even closer. He leaned down to rest his forehead against yours before he whispered the next words. “(Y/N), please be honest; do you love me?” How could you ever lie to him? But any words seemed to have left you, so instead you leaned up to close the last few centimeters between your lips. The kiss was everything you had hoped it would be, everything you had dreamed of these last two years. Sweet and loving and longing, with just a hint of something more, something rougher and more urgent. To your dismay Echo parted from you sooner than you would have liked. “You didn’t answer my question.” You sighed. There was no escaping, not this time. “Yes, I love you. I only realized it when it was too late, or when I thought it was too late, and then you came back, but I didn’t want to burden you with this, not after everything you’ve been through, so I-” Before you could say anything else Echo interrupted you by pressing his lips against yours again. His hand was stroking along your waist while his scomp was pulling you closer by your neck. Your own hands found their way to his shoulders, and you clung to them to keep you upright. Now it wasn’t just the fever that was making you dizzy. “I love you too”, Echo told you between two kisses. He attached his mouth to yours again before he began trailing kisses all over your face and down your neck. “I think I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you.” Your eyes widened in surprise. How could he have known all this time and never tell you? Before you could even ask that question out loud he already gave you an answer. “I was so scared to tell you. I’m just a clone and you’re... you’re perfect. Fives kept telling me to ask you out, but I just couldn’t. On the way to the CItadel he finally convinced me to give it a shot, but you know how that went.” His words made your stomach turn. You had been so close, so incredibly close, to a happy ending. “And then I came back and you were still there and still as perfect as ever. If I couldn’t tell you how I felt before, it was even more impossible now. I wasn’t even just a clone anymore, I was less, not even really human.” Those last words broke your heart. Did Echo really think that’s how you saw him? As some machine? Is that how he saw himself? “Echo, my love, my darling, I would never think that, and you shouldn’t either. You’ve never been just a clone, you’ve always been Echo. And you’re still Echo, my Echo who I love so very much. It doesn’t matter that your body has changed, your mind and your heart are still the same, that’s what makes you you, that’s why I love you.” Echo could have sworn that he never loved you more than he did in that moment, not even that one time when you told someone off because they said something mean about clones. “I... Thank you”, he said and ended his sentences with the sweetest kiss to you cheek. You wanted to tell him that there was no need to thank you, but all of the sudden the cold took over your body again and your eyes felt heavier than ever before. Echo seemed to notice, because he loosened his grip on you and guided your head back to his shoulder. “Sleep now, we have all the time in the world tomorrow.” And sleep you did, in Echo’s arms, snuggled up under a blanket, hoping to wake up next to him after all this wasted time.

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I hope you liked this fic and are alright with the prompt choice I made. I kinda feel like this was more of a friends to lovers/mutual pining story, but it’s just a narrow line between the two that I have trouble writing one without the other...

#echo x reader #tbb echo x you #tbb echo x reader #tbb echo imagine #echo imagine #echo x you #arc trooper echo imagine #arc trooper echo x you #arc trooper echo x reader

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jenstar1992-2 · 4 years ago

Text

Heaven

Pairing: Echo X Reader

Warnings: Some language, insinuations of sexual activities (I don’t know if that’s the right wording necessarily, but there it is), mentions of nightmares, loss, and grieving.

Word Count: 3,836

A/N: So, I'm not sure what all devices in the Star Wars universe are called, and in order to not sound completely inept, I decided to just describe the devices' functions instead of naming them and seeing as I've never come across some of these types of devices in Star Wars, I figured this was the best way to go. I hope that makes sense. Also, I have added a lyric video below for reference. I was initially going to just link an already existing lyric video for the song, but then I just decided to make one instead, using some visuals that better fit the content. Which then meant I had to create a Youtube channel just to upload the thing and link it here, because it wouldn’t let me upload directly from my laptop. 🤷🏼‍♀️ So that's there if anyone wants it, and I now have a Youtube channel for my longer edits.

It was one of those nice, quiet evenings, the kind you didn't get very often ever since you started working with The Bad Batch. They weren't necessarily the rowdiest bunch of clones you'd met, but they did seem to always find a way to interrupt you and your boyfriend's alone time.

It seemed like every time you and Echo found a quiet moment where it was just the two of you, one, if not the whole lot, of them would come barging in out of nowhere, needing something or another. Although, you were pretty sure Wrecker just did it because he thought it was funny to annoy you, and knowing that fact only annoyed you more, but you'd let it slide, always reassuring yourself that there would be a next time, one that wouldn't be intruded upon. It seemed that tonight was one of those times, seeing as the four commandos were off gathering supplies at the nearby village of the planet you were temporarily taking residence on, and you were planning on making the most of it while you could.

It didn't take you long to locate your boyfriend, despite your first impressions the Havoc Marauder was not that big of a craft, so there were only so many places he could be. You found him in the communal sleeping quarters, sitting on the bunk you two shared, datapad in hand reading something or another, as usual. You had been given your own bunk, but after your first week with the group, you realized that you preferred to just sleep together. You both had a little trouble sleeping and found that sleeping in one another's embrace seemed to keep the nightmares at bay and gave you both a much more restful sleep.

You walked over and sat beside him, sliding your arms around his middle and holding him as you rested your head on his shoulder. He chuckled and wrapped the nearest arm around you, keeping you close as he continued to read.

You smiled and let out a contented sigh. Moments like this were rare alright, which is what made you appreciate them more when they did occur. It was just nice to be able to have a sweet moment with your love without a joke being made, or the always popular, "Get a room" comment.

"Would love to", you'd say, "Only problem is, it just so happens to be everyone's room."

"Damn, doesn't that bite the big one", would come Crosshair's snide remark, as he shook his head, mocking you like the snarky ass he was.

It was a good thing that deep down you really did like these guys, or you would've kicked some asses long ago.

You reveled in this quiet moment for a while longer before peeking at the datapad in his hand and asking, "So, what are you reading this time, anything interesting, or just more boring rule books?"

He laughed and shook his head. "You know, I don't just read reg manuals", he responded, turning his head to give you a smirk.

You shrugged. "I know, but you definitely read them a lot more than anyone else I know. I'm not even sure if some of the boys have ever read them actually."

He laughed again and you smiled at the sound. "Well, I'd like to think I've been branching out more lately with my literary escapades. I'm at least trying to be more fun, wouldn't want your book worm of a boyfriend boring you to death", he said, leaning into you with a light shove before straightening up again.

You chuckled and held him a bit tighter. "Yeah, you're a book worm alright, but you’re my book worm, and you’re not boring love, far from it", you said as you pulled your head from his shoulder to meet his gaze.

His eyes softened as he looked into yours, silently thanking you for the praise. He leaned his face to yours and kissed you lovingly, and with so much softness it almost hurt when he pulled away.

You just gazed into each other's eyes for a minute before you remembered why you'd come to find him in the first place.

You unwrapped your arms from around him. "Speaking of trying to be more fun, I have something fun we could do", you said with a bright smile.

He eyed you curiously. "Oh yeah, what did you have in mind?"

You rose from the bunk to stand in front of him, grabbing the datapad from his flesh hand and tossing it on the pillow beside him, taking the now empty hand and his cybernetic one in yours and pulling him to his feet.

"You are going to indulge your girlfriend, who's been waiting all day for this mind you, with a dance", you replied, smile still taking over your features.

He cocked an eyebrow, as if your response surprised him. "Huh, definitely not what I thought you were going to say", he said.

"And what did you think I was going to say", you asked with a smirk as you went to your original bunk above your shared one and pulled out a small electronic device, typing away on it, searching for something.

"Well, I, um... I thought, uh...", Echo stammered, as he rubbed the back of his neck, still searching for the right words. He cleared his throat before saying, "Uh, nothing, nothing, so a dance, huh?"

You shook your head and chuckled at his nervous behavior, you knew exactly what he thought you'd meant, but you weren't going to embarrass him any further.

"Yes, a dance", you replied, finding the audio file you'd been searching for and pulling it up. You then connected the device to the small amplifying device on the table across the room.

"That sounds nice cyare, but I don't know how to dance", he confessed shyly.

You smiled and looked to him. "Then I'll teach you", you told him, pressing on the file to play it and setting the device back on the bed.

As the soft music filled the room, you walked to your now flustered looking boyfriend, taking him by the hand and then slowly guiding him to take your hips. He didn't hesitate to do so, and as he rested his hands on you, and you placed yours around his neck, a light blush rose on his cheeks. He always got like this when you two did anything even remotely intimate. It baffled you that after this long of being together, and after doing much more than this, that he'd be this worked up over, what you saw as, a simple act. But maybe it wasn't so simple to him, maybe the years of touch deprivation had him craving it more than you realized, and add the emotion behind the action, the love you felt transferring between the two of you in something as small as a glance, and you could understand his reaction. This realization had you thanking whatever powers at be for bringing you two together, allowing you to be that person for him, because it was truly a gift, one you wouldn't take for granted.

You began to slowly sway your body from side to side, coaxing him to follow your movements. As you both found the right pace and swayed in time to the song's slow rhythm, you listened to the words being sung and let your mind wander, the words bringing memories to the surface of your consciousness.

Oh, thinkin' about our younger years,

There was only you and me,

We were young and wild and free.

You remembered when you'd first met Echo, back when he was a new addition to the 501st. A young trooper, who's dream was to one day receive ARC statues. You had become fast friends, and after only a few months it was clear that your friendship had grown into something more. It was obvious you two had feelings for each other, the only people who were blind to this were you and Echo. A problem that was soon remedied by his brother, Fives, who had all but forced Echo to admit how he felt to you, which he did, albeit, with quite a bit of struggle on his part, the poor guy could barely get his words out. Luckily, you had caught on to what he was trying to say, and took pity on him, deciding to take this opportunity to tell him that you felt the same.

You still remember the look of surprise on his face at your confession, he hadn't believed it at first, but when you plucked up the courage to grab him by the chest plate and pull him into a tender kiss, he knew you weren't lying, and this had his heart soaring.

Now nothing can take you away from me.

We've been down that road before,

But that's over now.

You keep me comin' back for more.

After the battle to defend Kamino, Echo had finally gotten what he'd been working so hard to achieve, he had been promoted to ARC Trooper, and you couldn't have been happier for him. You remember him coming into your station of the hangar to tell you the good news.

You'd been working on fixing up some loose wiring on a transport ship when you were suddenly lifted from the ground and the world spun around you. After a moment of disorientation, you found your bearings and stared up at the culprit, only to find your boyfriend beaming down at you.

"Woah, where's the fire", you asked in jest.

"No fire, just have some good news", he responded, still smiling wide.

"Oh, ok then, spill."

"We did it", he said simply.

"Umm, ok, who did what exactly", you asked, furrowing your brows in confusion.

"Fives and I, we're being made ARC Troopers", he said, his chest puffing out a bit with pride.

"What, that's great", you practically shouted, and pulled him into a tight embrace. "I knew you could do it; you've worked so hard, you deserve this. I'm so happy for you, you're finally getting your dream."

He squeezed you tighter. "Thank you, and thank you for always believing in me, even when I didn't", he said quietly.

You pulled back to look at him before speaking. "I'll always believe in you Echo. Always and forever."

That was your thing, the mantra of your relationship, if you will, "I'll love you always and forever". This was because you both believed it to be true. Neither one of you could see yourselves falling for anyone else or loving another the way you did each other.

“Always and forever cyare”, he said, smiling softly at you, “And now I can focus on my other dream.”

You gave him confused look. “Other dream, what’s your other dream”, you asked.

His smile grew as he leaned in to speak low in your ear. “You”, he said, making your stomach do a somersault.

You knew it would be difficult, but you two wanted to plan a future together, and spend whatever time you had left together making a family and living a quiet, happy life. Once this miserable war was over, that's exactly what you were going to do.

Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way we want them to, and your dreams of a peaceful life with your beloved were shattered when the day came that the 501st returned from their mission on Lola Sayu, minus an ARC Trooper.

Oh, once in your life you'll find someone,

Who will turn your world around,

Pick you up when you're feelin' down.

Now nothing can change what you mean to me.

There's a lot that I could say,

But just hold me now.

Fives had been the one to give you the dreadful news and had stayed to help you through the initial shock and pain of it all. He had been ready for the inevitable tears he knew would come and did they ever. You couldn't remember a time before that, where you had cried with as much vigor or to the extent that you had, when shedding tears for your lost love.

I've been waiting for so long,

For somethin' to arrive,

For love to come along.

Time seemed to pass by agonizingly slow, as you tried to regain some semblance of normalcy in your life. Having both lost the person you held dear, you and Fives had found a new understanding for one another, and subsequently formed a close bond. He was the friend you desperately needed, just as you were for him. So, when you eventually lost him as well, you were beside yourself with grief.

Instead of wallowing in your sorrow, like you wanted to, you decided to throw yourself into your work, trying desperately to keep yourself busy, so as to not give yourself time to think of what you had lost. This worked most of the time, but there were always those times when something would remind you of them, a laugh that was just too close to the one you remembered, or a smile from a kind trooper that hit too close to home. Then there were those nights where you would wake from a nightmare and reach out beside you for a comforting hand, only to find empty space, those times were the hardest. It took everything you had inside you to just keep on going, because you knew that they wouldn't have wanted you to give up, so you carried on, even when it hurt.

Now our dreams are comin' true,

Through the good times and the bad,

I'll be standin' there by you.

It had been a year since the mission on Lola Sayu, a year of you trying to get on with your life, and forget the past, because remembering only caused you more pain. But life has a funny, if not sadistic, way of turning on its head and changing your course when you least expect it, because soon after that year mark, you received the news you never thought you'd get.

"He's alive", Rex said, eyes boring into yours, trying to get you to believe what he was telling you, but you weren't about to give in that easily.

"What you're saying is impossible, both you and Fives told me you saw him die at the citadel, and now you're telling me he miraculously survived. I'm not buying it, and I don't appreciate you trying to get my hopes up, just so they can be ripped back down once you're proven wrong", you said, with more venom in your voice than you had intended.

"I know I'm right on this one, (Y/N). I heard him, it was Echo's voice on that transmission, I'm sure of it", he reiterated, desperate for you to listen, or to at least consider it to be true.

"I'm sorry Rex, but I just can't believe what you're saying. I can't take another blow, I just can't, because if I do, I fear I won't make it out the other side this time" you said as tears began to fill your eyes.

Rex placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. "I understand, but I promise you, I'm telling the truth, Echo is alive, and I'm going to bring him home, I'm going to bring him back to you", he said, with so much conviction that you almost believed him, almost.

"Don't make promises you can't keep", you told him despondently.

He looked you in the eye, a determined expression on his face. "I intend to keep this one", he said, and he did.

No more than two days later, the team sent on the rescue mission to Skako Minor returned, with Echo.

You couldn't believe your eyes when Rex took you to see him in the med bay. He was different, that was for sure, but he was still Echo, he was still the man you loved, and you were just glad he was home.

And Baby you're all that I want,

When you're lying here in my arms,

I'm finding it hard to believe,

We're in heaven.

During his first mission, after being back, he had proven to still be the loyal soldier he had always been and had unofficially been dubbed the "Hero of Anaxes" for his brave actions.

After this mission he had also been extended the invitation to join The Bad Batch by their sergeant, which he wanted to accept, but not if it meant leaving you behind. So, Echo convinced the commandos that having a mechanic around wouldn't be such a bad idea, and they agreed.

That's how you ended up here, the mechanic onboard the Havoc Marauder, who was currently being held in the arms of the person she loved most in this galaxy, swaying to the soft music filling the air around them, in total bliss.

Love is all that I need,

And I found it there in your heart.

It isn't too hard to see,

We're in heaven.

Your head had been resting against Echo's chest, as you listened to the steady heartbeat beneath it. You never wanted this moment to end, and by the way he was holding you, without any indication of ever letting go, you were pretty sure he felt the same.

You lifted your head to look up at him, while keeping yourself flush against him, needing the contact to silently remind yourself that he was still here, he was with you. Something you still had a hard time believing from time to time, but it was real, he was here, and you were never letting go.

It had been some time since Anaxes, not a tremendous amount, but enough time where you could see a noticeable change in your boyfriend's appearance. He had filled out more and looked a lot less gaunt than he had initially upon his return. His color had improved as well, not fully, but with enough time, you were sure, he'd regain his copper glow. His hair was the other noticeable change, it had started to grow out again, and while it hadn't gotten to the length it was, there was enough where you could easily run your fingers through it, as you often did, absentmindedly.

This thought caused your hand to move of its own accord and slot itself amongst the short curls adorning his head. He gave a contented sigh as you started mindlessly running your fingers over his scalp, scratching lightly, and he leaned into your touch as his eyes closed, this always relaxed him.

After a moment, he opened his eyes to look at you, a soft smile taking shape over his features, before lowering his head to rest it against yours, both of you shutting your eyes to revel in the moment.

We're in heaven.

The music faded and soon the room fell silent. You both ceased your swaying but continued to stay in the embrace.

After what felt like an eternity, but had only been a few seconds, you broke the silence and said, "I love you Echo."

He smiled and replied, "I love you (Y/N). Always and forever."

You gave a smile of your own, the words bringing you back to those early days of your relationship, when anything was possible, and your future was bright. It could be that way again, now that you were together again, nothing was impossible.

"Always and forever", you echoed back.

With that, he closed the small gap between you and brought you into a passionate kiss.

Everything that had gone unspoken was expressed in this kiss; all the love and adoration that had built between you two over the years, all the pain that you both endured during your separation, all the missed time, and the promise that you would never be parted again, and that you would continue to strive for the future you two had planned so long ago. You were happier than you'd ever been and nothing could ruin this moment.

Suddenly, as if the universe itself wanted to prove you wrong, the door slid open and in walked all four commandos, with Wrecker in the lead.

"See, I told ya we'd find them doin' some sappy stuff", Wrecker said in his booming voice, effectively breaking your quiet moment, and your kiss, which in turn, pissed you off.

You both gave an annoyed sigh before turning to face the men. You crossed your arms over your chest and gave your best scowl in their direction, which only caused Wrecker to laugh. He'd so be getting an ass kicking later.

"Let's just be glad we didn't walk in on something... more intimate", Crosshair said, eyeing the both of you while giving a sly grin.

You let out an annoyed huff. "Yeah, you wish", you retorted, which only earned you a chuckle from the sniper. Okay, add another one to the "people who need an ass kicking" list. "I think you're both just jealous", you said, trying to make it sound snarky.

"Of this guy", Wrecker asked as he walked over, clapping his hand down on Echo's shoulder. "Damn straight, I mean, he’s got a bombshell for a girlfriend, how could we not be, he's one lucky bastard", he said, although you couldn't quite tell if he was being sarcastic or not. Either way it ticked you off, but before you could throw the punch you had geared up for, Echo pulled you to him, holding you securely against him and effectively blocking your way to the giant commando.

"Easy cyare, no need for bloodshed, and besides, he has a point", he said, leaning in and lowering his voice, "I am a very lucky man."

You shook your head at him but couldn't help the grin that formed at his words.

"Okay, that's enough boys, let's give the happy couple some privacy shall we. Besides, Wrecker, it's your turn to make dinner", Hunter interrupted, giving his brother a stern look.

"Oh man, again, I thought I just did that", Wrecker grumbled.

"You did, when it was your turn last week", Tech told him matter-of-factly.

Wrecker made a noise of aggravation before leaving the room, mumbling incoherently in displeasure. The other two followed him out, as you gave Hunter a thankful smile before he nodded and made his exit, letting the door slide shut behind him.

You turned back to Echo, who still had you in his embrace.

"So, where were we", you inquired, a soft smile back on your face.

He feigned ponderment. "Hmm, I believe we were right about...", he began, and suddenly pulled you close enough that your noses were touching, "Here", he finished, his smile widening before bringing you in for another heated kiss. You melted into it and fell into another state of bliss.

You stayed like that for another long moment, as the world faded around you. Wrapped in a loving embrace, engaged in an impassioned kiss, and lost in your own personal heaven.

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#echo x reader #echo x fem reader #echo x y/n #song fic #arc trooper echo #corporal echo #heaven #dj sammy #clone troopers #star wars x reader #clone wars x reader #star wars #star wars the clone wars #fanfiction #fluff

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imagine-loki · 4 years ago

Text

Hiding In Plain Sight

TITLE: Hiding in Plain Sight CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 9

AUTHOR: wolfpawn ORIGINAL IMAGINE:Imagine coming from a line of nobility or royalty and being in an arranged marriage with Loki in an attempt to strengthen your kingdom / alliance with Asgard. You’re not entirely on board with the idea but figured that the best you could do was to get to know your fiancé. You form an agreement with Frigga for you to pose as Loki’s personal servant for a few months so you can get to know who Loki really is – beyond the veil of his responsibility to the Asgardian throne, behind all the masks he wears when facing the public, to really know who Loki is behind closed doors as you slowly fall for each other.How long will you keep up the ruse with the God of Lies? RATING: General Audience

NOTE - I finally got my ass in gear and finished something, thank Loki.

Raven paced worriedly. Her family were to arrive today, meaning she would be required to reveal herself to Loki, and all that entailed. She prepared herself for whatever was to come. Her most likely scenarios, she surmised, was being ignored and given the silent treatment or being met with anger and confrontation until he said his piece, then being given the silent treatment. Neither were something she was looking forward to but she fully expected one of those to occur.

She prepared her belongings again so to stop herself from fidgeting too much in stress. Sadly, it did nothing to assist her but she needed to do something as she felt she would go insane waiting otherwise. She toyed with her fingers a lot, pinching the skin in her hands, something she was prone to doing when stressed.

When she heard a loud roaring noise, she jumped, having gotten herself so highly strung that she had not expected the loud noise and had caused a dramatic reaction as a result. She rushed to her window to see what had occurred and gulped when she saw the banner of the Light Elf royal family making their way from the Bifrost site across the bridge and towards Asgard. With a deep breath, she readied for what was to come.

Loki ignored the pageantry he knew was heading to the city. He heard the Bifrost and, like Raven, went to his window to see who was coming, unlike her, his room had a balcony but he did not use it, especially when he did not want anyone to see him. He knew his mother and father would call for him soon so he made his room impervious to their seidr and locked himself in while they met the Ljósáfar royals. It was petulant and juvenile but he simply was not in the mood. He would need to build up the effort to deal with the whole situation.

He felt when his parents attempted to make their way through his defences, their momentary pushes on his seidr but over eleven hundred years of knowing their son, they knew that he was not going to be reached through such means. They did not even bother to try and open his doors physically, he had learnt to lock them manually by the time he was three hundred and not in the mood for others, so instead, Frigga placed a note under the door simply telling her son that he was to be to the main hall in half an hour in some capacity or another before he embarrassed himself and Asgard.

Scowling, he tossed the note aside. He knew this would not be when it mattered but the dinner declaring their imminent marriage. He wanted to conjure a clone to do it but he would have to kiss Raven’s hand at the very least and they would not be able to do such. Gritting his teeth, he prepared for what was to come.

* Raven tidied her clothes and looked over herself in the mirror. She looked as well as she could, considering she was inwardly panicking more than she thought was healthy. She had not slept properly for some time thinking of how Loki would react and the guilt that she felt as a result of deceiving him which conflicted terribly with the feelings of anger and resentment she had for him saying the things he had said about her, unknowingly to her face. She felt terrible for being deceitful, she genuinely did but it conflicted so greatly with her own feelings from how he spoke of her. She didn’t know how to deal with it, but when the knock came on her door to inform her that her family had arrived, she was forced to no longer fret about what was going to happen and instead, have to live through it. Inhaling deeply, she straightened her dress and began her way to the main hallway to meet them.

Seeing her family speaking with the Aesir royals, Raven smiled slightly as she walked forward. Her brothers noted her and nodded politely as they were always trained to do. It was not commonplace for Light Elf royals to openly show affection so she was not upset with a lack of reaction to her. When Frigga noticed her, she smiled encouragingly at her, though there was clearly a slight worry in her face too. It was only when Raven stood beside them did her parents notice her. She waited patiently until they finished speaking to the Aesir royals with a polite smile she had been trained to do since before she could even remember.

Thor, who had been speaking with her brothers, watched diligently, noting how the male offspring of the Light Elves spoke freely whilst Raven remained silent. He had known that she had been very vocal and strong-minded when she chastised Loki for his wrongdoings, so he wondered how she was both so timid and meek in appearance with her family, yet so able for his Silvertongued and formidable brother simultaneously.

“Raven.” Her mother acknowledged her first. “I hope you have settled alright.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Thor could only frown. With no others bar the two families there, he could not fathom why she spoke so formally with her own parents but he could say nothing as it was not his place to do so.

“And your betrothed is currently under the weather, we hear?”

Raven had not been told of any such excuses and she had actually seen Loki the day before from her window, pacing on a lower floor clearly discussing something with his brother and he had not seemed unwell. “I am afraid so. But he will undoubtedly be joining us all soon again.” She looked to Thor who shrugged ever so slightly, telling her that he too had not been aware of such excuses.

“It was my doing,” He confessed. “I may have been less than careful with our sparring yesterday and struck him to the side of the head too hard, he is feeling dizzy and such as a result.”

“Good Heavens.” Raven’s father shuddered. “I could only imagine the damage such a strike would inflict from a lad such as yourself.”

With nods of agreement, a motion to one of the smaller rooms was made so that everyone could converse more intimately.

For three hours, Raven eyed the door carefully whenever the opportunity arose, wondering when Loki would finally join them and in turn, cause issues but there was no sign of him. Her parents and brothers seemed to not take any notice and spoke at length with the Aesir royals, all while Raven merely nodded politely and smiled, only injecting herself into the conversation when forced to by Thor or Frigga. Odin, she had come to notice from her time in Asgard, was a lot like her own father, more focused on his more direct heir than his other child/children. In many respects, it taught her a little more about Loki. He referenced his son but not as he did Thor and by Norns, did it show. She felt that was ironic. They had more in common that Loki could know about since he had not bothered to even attempt to find out.

All through the time they spoke, she wondered why Loki had not turned up. Part of her suspected that he had realised who she really was and wanted nothing to do with the whole charade, which she would not be able to argue in many ways, but then again, she did not know that he had, he also struck her as the type to very much make it clear he did not like being tricked in any manner. Over and over, she played out different reasons for him not being there in her head, but all that she was able to conclude was that he was nothing more than a petulant child, having a tantrum in his room rather than actually facing the situation. He was not the only one forced into the situation yet he had not the manner nor the courage to actually face it.

When her parents and brothers went to settle into their rooms and prepare for the feast that would come that evening, she walked with them to their rooms quietly. Her focus was entirely on finding Loki and having the argument that she knew needed to come. She hated conflict but there was no manner in which she could avoid this one and it needed to happen soon. All she could conclude is that Loki, a smart and naturally mischievous being himself had arrived at the correct conclusion as to who she really was and was not happy with being tricked. Saying nothing and bowing as her parents and brothers entered their rooms, she walked back to the royal wing with Thor by her side.

“So, what is the truth?” She asked him.

“I have to say, I do not know. I have not seen my idiot brother since yesterday. He was ranting that I am not yet betrothed and he has to be and how unjust such is. Of course, if he got his head out of his rear end for a few moments, he would see what is happening around him, but that would mean he had taken more than a moment to focus on something that is not him and that will not be occurring.” Thor sighed. “He usually has the sense to not embarrass himself in front of foreign dignitaries in such a manner, I have no idea why he decided to start today.” “I guess I better find out,” Raven stated, looking forward, readying herself for what was to come.

“Do you require assistance?” Thor offered. “No, thank you. You are at risk of a blade.”

Thor nodded slightly. Loki was prone to attempting to stab him when he got angry with him.

“He is no risk to me. His words cannot hurt me. After all, I have heard everything he had to say and at worst, he will spit similar again and then go silent.” “Most likely. I am close by if you want my assistance,” He offered.

“Thank you but I will be fine.”

Thor walked on to his own rooms when she confirmed that she felt she would be fine. Though he was slightly concerned, he knew behind the peculiarly quiet manner in which she interacted with her family, Raven had the ability to take care of herself verbally.

* Raven readied herself to confront Loki. She changed out of the clothes she had met her parents in to something more comfortable but even more beautiful. She took a moment to look over the dress. She had taught herself how to make it while she waited for her parents’ arrival and for the wedding in her days of boredom. Bored and wanting to learn new skills, she had a maid get her some material and she sewed. Some of the seams were not entirely perfect but she thought it was beautiful and making it herself made her feel all the more proud of it. With a ribbon in her hair that matched it perfectly, she twirled once more and walked out of the room, inhaling deeply as she readied for what was to come.

She walked to Loki’s door with purpose, looking at it apprehensively for a moment before inhaling deeply again and knocked, making a mental note to herself to not keep inhaling so deeply, as she would make herself light-headed if she continued to do so. When Loki’s maid that she temporarily replaced opened the door, she cocked her head slightly, not recognising the elf on the other side. “Hello, can I assist you?” “I must speak with His Highness.” Raven smiled kindly.

“Regarding?” “His betrothed.”

The maid’s eyes widened. “Of course.” She seemed to be readying to open the door for a moment before she paused. “I am not sure if Prince Loki will accept such a request. He…”

“Is scowling in his room, refusing to open the door and growling incoherently on occasion?” Raven wagered.

“I...How could you…?” The maid was bewildered at how she could ever know that. “Know that? I just do.” Raven remembered when of the days that Loki arrived back to his rooms when she was disguised as his maid and did such after Thor and his friends had caused him to be dragged into a situation he had not been involved in and for some reason, he seemed to have been forced to have to shoulder more of the blame than they had when they had been the ones that did the deed and he had not. He stormed into his rooms and would not come out for a few days. “I still must speak with him. I know he is in no want of company but I still must speak with him urgently.” The maid moved to the side and opened the door fully with a facial expression that read as ‘good luck’.

“Thank you.” Raven walked over to the bedroom door and prepared herself for what was to come before knocking on the door the same way she had when she had been pretending to be his maid.

She had not known if Loki would actually acknowledge her knocking. She half expected that he would ignore her.

“I do not think…” His maid began.

Her words silenced when the door glowed green before opening. “Tatianna, be so kind as to retrieve my books from the library master, please.” Loki requested politely.

“Of course, Your Highness.” She curtseyed slightly with a large smile and rushed out of the room.

Raven’s brow rose at the kind manner in which Loki spoke to Tatianna and her relaxed demeanour in return.

With the door closed, there was a moment of silence between the pair. Loki looked over Raven’s dress and being in an analytical manner while Raven looked at Loki waiting for him to begin his tirade at her fooling him.

“I always suspected there was something off with you.” Loki declared.

“You are a warrior, you would be terrible or dead if you did not have a sense of when something is off.” “I hate liars.” “And I hate those that are two-faced.”

“Same difference in this case,” Loki growled eyeing her suspiciously. “I think it farcical for a maid to call me two-faced when I am sure you broke multiple records with the speed you rushed to your mistress with my words.”

Raven paused for a moment replaying his words in her head, realising after a moment that he had not actually realised what was happening. “I actually never ran to anyone at all or even said anything to anyone about your words outside of Prince Thor.”

Loki froze to the spot. “Thor?” “Your brother, future King of Asgard, Thor.”

“Why Thor?” He demanded.

“What concern is it of yours?”

Loki walked over, towering over her. “Did she honestly decide to speak to my brother about me? Have her little spy go to him with all the dirty details?” Raven was used to Loki’s moods so he did not concern her too greatly, but had she not been so used to him, she could easily have been intimidated. “It’s Raven, not ‘she’.”

“I’m sure she cares so greatly about that.” “I do, that is why I am correcting you, yet again. I have told you time and again to use my name and stop calling me ‘she’ or ‘her’, yet you still insist on not saying it.”

Loki’s brow furrowed at her words before the realisation came to him. His mother’s insistence in speaking with her when she saw her looking upset in the garden, Thor’s peculiar reaction on seeing her. “You’re not her maid.”

“I told you I was not.”

His eyes widened at the confirmation. “You’re actually her.”

#Loki #others #submission #submitted fic #wolfpawn #Hiding in Plain Sight #Chapter 9

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