#but enough that he's picking up ~vibes~ about how obi-wan feels when he wears the armor (regular or mando)

[antianakin]

Headcanon that Cody actually thinks Obi-Wan is ten times more attractive in his Jedi clothing than he ever was in armor. He doesn't think Obi-Wan is UNATTRACTIVE as such when he's wearing more armor earlier in the war, but one day he sees Obi-Wan with either no armor or just the bracers and something just CLICKS and his jaw drops to the floor because YES, that's exactly how Obi-Wan should always look.

And bonus headcanon that he sees Obi-Wan in Mandalorian armor for whatever Reasons and immediately hates it and thinks it's probably the most unattractive Obi-Wan has ever looked. Obi-Wan finds this absolutely hilarious.

[glimmerglanger]

If you're (still) taking prompts for the One Bed Bingo, I feel like 'and they collapsed in it, exhausted' & 'and it was the best sleep of their lives' have intense codywan vibes. Feel free to pick one, both, but someone please let the boys sleep.

THEY DESERVE TO SLEEP. This ended up being a bit more on the gen side, really, though there are some pre-Codywan feelings. Set during the Clone Wars, around one year into the war. I ALSO used “in the middle of a snowstorm” with some adaptations (a three-fer!) Card and fic below:

Bhyilk was a miserable world for a number of reasons. First and foremost was, of course, the cold. It ate right through their armor and the layers they’d piled on beneath. Cody had already been informed by the medics about every possible risk associated with frostbite. 

None of them were to remove their helmets while they were in the open air. They were ordered to stay dry. And to conserve heat as much as possible. While moving and fighting, that wasn’t a difficult order to follow.

But they had to bunk down, eventually. They didn’t get a chance to for almost three days. Before that, it was just fighting and marching and struggling to climb the side of a kriffing glacier, for some logic-forsaken reason.

Cody was moving in a daze, by the time they finally were allowed to stop. He’d passed beyond exhaustion, into some space beyond, where everything felt clear and sharp. 

They ended up setting up a camp on the windswept and barren waste of a glacier. The ice was old; it had almost turned to grey, or perhaps always had been grey, but it gave the entire expanse a rotten look. The fact that the ice groaned under them, sometimes, didn’t help matters. 

But really, the eerie sounds and the bleak locale were secondary concerns. The cold stood alone as the primary worry. Cody ordered troopers to bunk together - they all needed sleep, they couldn’t go any longer without it, not even with the adaptations given to them by the Kaminoans - to seal their shelters as best they could and to let their body heat warm the spaces.

It was the standard cold-weather strategy. They ran hot, by design. Put enough of them in a small enough sealed space, and the temperatures would climb to a level that was, at least, survivable, if not pleasant.

He felt confident that none of his brothers would lose fingers or toes through the night - barring any truly bad decision making from a shiny, which was always a risk - and held onto that thought as he crossed the camp.

Cody knew his brothers would follow orders and stay warm. He wished, with a sigh, that he could say the same about his General.

Obi-Wan had his own tent and it was fair-sized. Too large to warm easily, ostensibly because he needed room to set up holo transmission equipment, needed room to discuss their strategies for the coming day with his officers. Ostensibly, the large size made sense.

Cody ducked through into the tent and found the air inside almost colder than the air outside, impossibly. Obi-Wan was sitting on his cot, still in full cold-weather gear, holding a cup of something in his hands. It might have been tea. It didn’t look hot.

Nothing looked hot at the moment. Cody shook his head. He was so kriffing tired.

“Commander,” Obi-Wan said, voice muffled by the wrap around his face. “Something wrong?”

Cody knew Jedi could survive things his brothers couldn’t. Perhaps Obi-Wan could lay here, in the frigid tent, on his freezing bed, and still have all his extremities in the morning. But Cody didn’t want to find out. He exhaled, “Yes, sir.”

Obi-Wan stiffened, the movement barely noticeable with all the layers he was wearing, but Cody had learned how to read him well, over the last year. He set aside his cup and stood, asking, “What’s the situation?”

“It’s out here,” Cody said, the feel of...not a lie, but something deliberately not the truth odd and disconcerting on his tongue. “You’d better come and see.”

Obi-Wan murmured something under his breath. It could have been a curse, but he followed Cody out of the tent without hesitation, across the ice, and directly into Cody’s tent. It was smaller than Obi-Wan’s, smaller, even, than many of the tents given to his brothers. He, too, was expected to bunk down alone. A privilege of rank, most of the time.

He had a little stove radiating heat in the corner, already. Unlike the stove in Obi-Wan’s tent, it was actually having an effect in the smaller space. Stepping in out of the cold felt like a shock of almost painful warmth, though he knew the air inside was still below freezing. 

“Commander?” Obi-Wan asked, standing there with ice crystals melting off of his clothes, eyes hidden behind his goggles. “What’s going on?”

“One of the men is going to freeze to death, sir,” Cody said, shrugging off his outermost layer. Exhaustion from tramping and fighting and struggling through the ice and snow ate further away at him. He knew sheer weariness was partially to blame for - for all of this. For everything he was doing.

Exhaustion affected the body like alcohol, eventually. Get tired enough and the world got…simple. 

Things felt very simple when Obi-Wan stiffened and said, “Who? Where is he? We should--”

“He’s right here, sir,” Cody cut in, “but don’t worry, we got to him in time. Come here.”

Obi-Wan stood stock still for a moment, and then asked, sounding almost as tired as Cody felt, “What?”

Cody sighed. He arranged his outer coat over the cot. His eyes burned behind his helmet. “You can’t stay by yourself in these temperatures. You’ll be a frozen slab in the morning. We have cold weather procedures for a reason, and--”

“I appreciate your concern,” Obi-Wan started, shaking his head a little, “but I’ll be fine, I assure you, you don’t need to put yourself to any trouble on my account, I am--”

“I’ll also be a frozen slab in the morning,” Cody cut in, because he’d learned a lot of things about his General in the last year, including how to work around his stubborn insistence on sacrificing himself given the barest hint of an opportunity, “if I can’t adhere to cold weather procedures.”

Obi-Wan stared at him, or, at least, Cody thought he did. It was hard to tell much with the goggles in the way. Obi-Wan asked, finally, “What are these cold weather procedures, then?”

Cody exhaled, relief tickling around the heaviness in his head. That was as good as capitulation, and he knew it. “We seal the tent,” he said, and stepped around Obi-Wan to do so, “let the stove warm the air as much as possible, and share such warmth as we can.”

Obi-Wan was quiet for another long beat. He said, as Cody straightened, “Surely it would be more effective for you to carry out these procedures with some of the others.”

“Surely,” Cody agreed, with a snort, “but there’s different regs for the command class.” It was….not exactly a lie. But not exactly the truth. There were plenty of different regs he had to adhere to, but no one was going to care if he went and bunked down with Crys, Waxer, or Boil.

But if he did, Obi-Wan was going to lay in his bunk and freeze all night long, and that was unacceptable.

Obi-Wan sounded like he was trying to work his way through a difficult logic puzzle when he spoke again. The exhaustion must have been getting to him, too. “You’ll be alone, then? If I go back to my tent?”

“You’ve got it, sir,” Cody said, without remorse. With both of them in the tent, the entry sealed, and the stove going, the temps were climbing above freezing, according to his HUD. That was a relief, at least. He dared to reach up and take his helmet off. “So, what do you say? Shall we not freeze to death together?”

Obi-Wan stood for a beat and then nodded, jerkily. He reached up and shoved back the hood he wore, revealing flattened, limp hair and skin tinged red and chapped around the edges of his goggles, which he also lifted away, pulling down the covering over his mouth. “I suppose I can sleep over by the wall, if you have a spare--”

“You sleep in the bunk, sir,” Cody cut in, nudging him towards it. 

“But--”

“We both do,” Cody continued, shedding another coat, putting it over the cot. “Keeps us warmer.”

Obi-Wan blinked at him, dark-circles under his eyes, his lips so chapped it looked painful. Cody swallowed and said, “I’ve seen you bunk down with Skywalker, sir. This is just like that.”

“I don’t want to put you out,” Obi-Wan said, and Cody almost laughed, and knew, then, that he was far too tired to continue the conversation. He unhooked his chest and backplates and set them aside, left on the rest of his armor, and sat down on the bunk.

“You’re going to help me stay alive,” he said, sliding his legs under all the heavy layers on the cot. “I think I can forgive you for the imposition. Take off your outer layers. Pile them on top. And come here.”

Obi-Wan frowned and said, “I know how to survive in the cold,” but agreeably slid off his heavy outer coat and the layer beneath. He wasn’t even shivering, though the temperature in the tent was still far too cold. Compared to outside, it felt like a sauna.

Cody said, “Get in, so I can cover up.”

And in any other situation, he’d have been delighted to have his General crawl into his bunk. But he felt too heavy-limbed to even think about that as Obi-Wan crawled down onto the bunk. They had no choice but to press close, murmuring soft apologies and suggestions as they settled together, their bodies curved together to take up the least amount of space.

Cody pulled the blankets and coats across them both, and felt guilty about pressing his cold nose against the back of Obi-Wan’s neck, but Obi-Wan didn’t complain about it, or even try to squirm away.

He meant to murmur an apology, but they’d been going for days in the brutal, demanding cold, and he was finally laying down, finally starting to feel warm, and between one blink and the next he was just...gone.

Exhaustion always demanded repayment, at some point. Cody gave up trying to resist paying the toll. 

He slept hard and deep and woke only at the sound of someone calling his name. It took a long, disorienting moment to rise to consciousness. He felt...warm, he realized. And exceptionally heavy. He wasn’t sure he’d ever slept so well or woken up and felt so...pleasant, which was a strange thing to realize while on a planet that seemed specifically designed to kill them all.

He cracked an eye open, vaguely aware that someone was still calling for him.

His first view of the world was full of Obi-Wan’s beard.

Cody frowned, thoughtfully, trying to take stock as his mind slowly came up to speed. He’d gone to bed with the General, a decision that seemed incredibly ill-thought-through in the light of dawn. But he’d done it, so he’d just have to deal with the fall-out. 

They’d shifted during the night. He was currently sprawled across Obi-Wan’s chest, laying mostly on top of his General, who was, apparently, still asleep. Which was for the best, since Cody had a leg slotted between Obi-Wan’s and--

Well. It was for the best that he’d kept most of his armor on. There was no way Obi-Wan would have been able to tell the state Cody was in, not with his codpiece in the way. That was...something, he considered, shaking his head and shifting up.

The movement dislodged some of the blankets, letting cooler air slide down around them, and Obi-Wan groaned unhappily, eyes cracking open. “Morning,” Cody said, feeling… almost happy despite himself. He shoved that emotion away, along with the realization that he’d slept hard and so much better than he could recall ever managing to sleep before. 

And then whoever had been shouting at the door finally got impatient, and started jerking the flap open, and Cody swore, and braced for the next emergency. 

[storm-driver]

I started playing Xenoblade cuz of you and can i just say, the story is so amazing? Like i cant its so beautiful and the characters are so wonderful, thank you for introducing me to that wonderful game! I cant stop playing it and even the grinding isnt tedious! Its so much fun! But i really need to know: who are ur top 3 characters?

Aaah!! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for giving it a chance, and just make sure to have fun with the parts of the game that are fun for you!

Favorite characters, though! There'll be very minor spoilers for early-to-mid-game story, but nothing past Chapter 9, don't worry!

First and foremost, I love Shulk. With all my heart.

He's really feeling it!

I'm a simple guy. I see a sweet boy with a tragic start to his story, I immediately attach to him like velcro. Shulk is such a good boy with his wits and stubborn moments. He's been through a lot in his life already, and the catalyst to his story really is a push to his perspective of the world. I sympathize with him constantly throughout the game, being blessed and cursed with visions of his friends dying constantly. That shit's a lot, and I can believe the toll it's taking on him as the game goes on.

Especially because the person who voices him, Adam Howden, does SUCH an incredible job. There's his genuine moments of casual conversation with his party members, and then this sheer power of his screaming during lots of the story cutscenes. Not to mention, battle dialogue loops a LOT when you play the game for a long time. And his incredible performance, along with the rest of the main cast, makes that dialogue so good even after hearing it for the 40th time in an hour.

But I can't get into much more without dumping spoilers, so I'll let you figure out more about him as the game goes on!

My 2nd favorite is BLOSSOM DANCE Dunban.

Where I am in my playthrough of the game, I haven't gotten to him as a part of my party yet. But that is COMPLETELY unnecessary because I KNOW what he does in the late game. This dude is the definitive definition of badass. He isn't even the chosen wielder of the Monado and the dude handled it for YEARS before it finally paralyzed his arm. No special gimmick, no "he might've been something more than us" twist. That is JUST how GOOD Dunban is. What finally did this bastard in was having to fight, nearly to the death, to change the course of one single battle. And he fucking did it, a whole year of peace and rehabilitation to prepare himself for the next front.

And he ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE AGAIN. He fucking used the Monado AGAIN with his OTHER HAND, like a God damn hero!! He's SO FUCKING COOL, I WANNA BE AS COOL AS HIM SOME DAY. And when the camera pans out to show Shulk and Reyn quivering>smiling at his appearance and then it zooms in on Dunban's over-the-shoulder look and he says "Missed me?" WOW MAN, HAVE ALL MY ARTS BOOKS

When he officially joins your party later and starts acting as the Cool Dad of the group, throwing out Obi-Wan oneliners yet still having some of the best judgement calls and dialogue bits of the game. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOURE IN MID-GAME AND SOMETHING WILD HAPPENS, JUST WAIT, IT'S SO GOOD.

It's really hard to pick a third favorite 1) without spoiling mid-to-late-game stuff and 2) because the whole cast is honestly so lovable. But to pick one, I'd say it's Melia.

I adore her character arc. Being what she is, as one of the High Entia and the Emperor's daughter no less, you'd think she would be more stuck-up. But she's genuinely sweet and caring beneath the serious exterior. She does have her moments of royalty, but she's already been humbled by her Homs heritage. She's had to deal with people looking down on her because of her appearance, having to wear a veil and even a mask in public. But as she learns to trust Shulk and the others because they don't actually CARE about that at all, she opens up more. Not quite enough to drop her whole princess vibe, but she becomes so much more of a friend after it all.

I'm also a fan of subverting expectations. When Shulk and the party find her in the forest and she wakes up, I expected Shulk to fall head-over-heels for her, as boys do when pretty girl go brrr. But instead, she SLAPPED him across the face for being NEAR her. And they just became friends after that. No swooning, no excessive compliments. Just a genuine strangers>friends story.

[mandobls]

don’t.

pairs: obi-wan kenobi x mandalorian!reader

genre: fluff, angst, action

warnings: a lot of inaccurate travel times and locations lol, reader’s kinda goofy, but it’s cute. is reader a bouncer for a planet?? idk?? i say “vibe” in here so i guess that’s how low i’ve stooped. some violence? swearing?

word count: 2.1k

description: in which everything about this is forbidden

a/n: idek the demand for this lmao but we’re here anyway right? it’s been such a long time since i’ve rewatched the movies, so this is gonna be,,,, :)

masterlist 

it’s hard. giving away padme’s children. obi-wan can tell they will be strong, but it’ll be a matter of time until they’re ready. 

he’s decided to stay on tatooine, to watch over the boy. the girl will have the life of a princess. he has confidence in organa’s protection. 

but there’s something he has to do first. 

a funeral. for anakin and padme. he knows anakin is alive. he can feel it. but what anakin will become is alive. the little boy he met on tatooine is not. 

he returns to naboo, kneels when prompted, speaks when looked to. it’s all just numb. he is unfeeling, too broken and... angry. in himself, for losing his brother to the dark side’s pull. he pushes it down, though. it is done, he needs to move on, for the anger is consuming.

condolences are barely heard as he storms back to his ship. he has to get away. it’s suffocating there.

his hyperdrive is damaged, so it’ll take him at least two standard months to get back to tatooine, but maybe it’s better this way. he needs some silence.

but of course. of course. he is nearly out of fuel within two days. he groans, quickly searching for a close planet. this is why he hates flying.

the nearest is only a couple hours’ trip away, and he hurriedly sets his course.

he lands without trouble. the mechanic in the shop grunts after inspecting his ship.

“it’ll be a while before i can finish fixing everything. i don’t even know how you flew with this thing.” obi-wan nods with a sigh.

“how long?”

“think a week, if not two.” 

“that’s alright. thank you.” the mechanic grunts again.

“yeah, yeah.” he’s stranded here for a bit. 

he walks into town, spotting a bar. he can sit for a while before he finds a place to stay.

the bar is packed, music booming and people brushing against each other. obi-wan takes a seat at the bar, pointing a finger at a bottle of orange liquid in the background and holding up a finger, the bartender nods and-

“make that two.” he spins in his seat, placing a hand on his blaster on instinct, locking eyes with a t-visored helmet. it turns back towards the bartender. “oh! and-” the ugnaught behind the bar turns, holding two glasses. “could i get a straw with that?” obi-wan cocks an eyebrow, and the mandalorian beside him just shrugs.

“modern solutions, dear jedi.” the glasses clink as they’re set on the bar, straw lolling around one’s rim.

“of course,” he replies, watching the straw disappear under the mandalorian’s helmet.

“so, what business does an ugly planet like this have with a jedi like you?” she asks, modulated voice betraying a smile.

“getting fuel and repairs. going to head back to tatooine and retire.” the mandalorian tilts her head in recognition.

“so soon?” he shrugs. “that’s alright. life is hard here.”

“i’ve experienced much more in the past years than i should have liked to.”

“understandable.”

“what’s your business with this ‘ugly planet’?” obi-wan asks, mimicking her words. she laughs, leaning an elbow on the table and gesturing to the green paint on her armor.

“duty. i keep peace on this planet as best i can.” he tilts his head.

“and you can’t leave?” 

“i was stationed here. this is the way.” she drains the alcohol from her cup, straw sucking nothing but air. he finishes soon after.

“do you know any place i could stay?” he asks, standing and straightening.

“people are hostile here. there’s a reason i’m here. no hostels or anything. stay with me,” she offers, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

“oh no, i couldn’t intru-”

“you’re not intruding, jedi. i get lonely anyway.” she stands. “what’s your name?”

he hesitates for a second, but there’s something that tells him she is trustworthy.

“obi-wan. and yours?” the mandalorian sweeps past him towards the door, cape flowing.

“follow me.”

her home is small, but big enough for the two of them to weave around each other comfortably in the space.

“i have an extra cot in that-” she points- “room over there. this is the kitchen, there’s a ‘fresher over here, and that’s my room.”

“i can’t thank you enough.”

“that thank you is enough. do you need anything? clothes, tools?” the realization hits him, and he nods.

“a spare change would be nice, but i don’t need much.” 

“alright. we can head down to the village tomorrow.”

the mandalorian provides food and bed, not even asking how long he’ll be staying. 

he watches her put together dinner, helmet still firm over her tunic and loose pants.

“i can wait in my room if you’d prefer,” he offers. “i’m sure you’re tired of wearing your helmet.” a hand waves in his general direction.

“i spend most of my life in this helmet, obi-wan.” electricity shocks his spine. “i wouldn’t if it was uncomfortable.” she brings the food over, two dishes of something. “okay, i don’t cook. i’ve never cooked for somebody else. i tried to make something and i don’t really know what became of it.” she pauses. “jedi.” her mock-serious tone makes him look up, staring into her stoic visor with a smile. “this is going to taste horrible.” he laughs as she places the plate in front of him gingerly.

“i’m sure it’ll be fine. anything you’ll give me is good enough.” 

“you say that now, but...” she shrugs, clutching the other plate as she walks over to her room. “i promise i’ll eat breakfast with you! i’ll be back, and we can see how it tastes.”

“i look forward to it,” he calls as she shuts the door.

it’s not a second later when there’s noise again.

“have you eaten it yet?” she asks, voice unmodulated and bright.

“not yet,” he replies, fond smile stuck on his face as he prods the food in front of him with a fork.

“don’t!” the mandalorian says, playfully warning tone shining through so clearly without her modulator.

“i won’t.” obi-wan puts his fork down, inspecting the plate again.

she returns, helmet on once more, holding her barely-touched food.

“that was not worth the trouble i went to,” she announces. he laughs, shifting to lean back in his chair.

“i can hold out till breakfast.”

“you sure?” she asks, hand inches from his plate. 

“of course. you’ve been so hospitable, and i think i can wait a few hours.” she nods, picking up his plate and happily slinging the food into the trash.

“alright. you wanna take the ‘fresher first?”

“no, it’s fine.”

breakfast is blended, strange, spiky fruit blitzed into submission so that they can eat together. 

“i’ve got straws for this exact purpose!” she’d exclaimed.

they go down to the village straight after, just a ten-minute walk that’s easily filled by idle conversation. she’s nothing short of hilarious.

“i’ve heard things about mandalore and its inhabitants,” he says.

“are you surprised with what you found?” she asks, gesturing to herself vaguely.

“mandalorians are fierce warriors. i’ve always been under the impression that-”

“we’re all hardasses?” he blinks, opening his mouth to deny- “nah. i’m the only one that’s not.” he laughs. “but you’re right. not many of us have a sense of humor,” she grunts. “you got lucky with me!”

“i can tell,” he replies, attention focusing on the village that’s just meters away.

“okay, robes should be over there. i’ve got credits, so you can just choose whatever.” obi-wan almost refuses, before realizing that his are on his ship, which is still in repair.

“can... can i ask you something?” her head turns towards him, listening. “why have you been so kind to me?” she nods, facing forward again.

“fair question.” she pauses. “i owe my life to the jedi.” his head bobs as he listens. “i admire your way of life, you know. so selfless and kind. i could never be like that.”

“you are selfless.” he says automatically. why else would she be housing him? 

she remains silent, helmet facing stagnant forward as they approach a booth. 

he keeps it quick, picking something that’ll hold him over. the robes he wears has been through many a-

“fight! over there!” the mandalorian groans, glancing back at him.

“i’ve got to go break it up. follow if you’d like.” 

he does, leaving the robe and keeping a hand on the weapon at his hip.

it’s only a fist fight, but the surrounding villagers swarm the area, egging them on.

the mandalorian shoves her way through the crowd, pulling one away from the other with a firm hand on each villagers’ chest. he follows, staying at the inner edge of the crowd.

one of them swings at her, and he’s about to step in-

but her fist strikes true first, knocking out the villager with one strike. she turns to the other.

“i hope that you can sort this out when he wakes up. civilly.” he nods, head bowed, and the mandalorian walks back to obi-wan.

“let’s go get your robes. and maybe some food for later.” he nods, still shocked as he trails behind her.

it’s only been a week and they’ve fallen into a bit of a routine.

he helps her around the house, walks with her as she makes her rounds. and in turn, she provides him with a home and butterflies for his stomach. lots of butterflies. birds in there.

it’s bad.

and it gets even worse when she almost kicks down the door of her house, brandishing a bottle of mystery liquor like a trophy.

“you don’t need to work tomorrow?” he asks, amused. she just laughs triumphantly, gathering two clean glasses and a straw.

“they can take care of themselves. the way only says i need to stay on this planet. i need a break.” he takes a seat in the chair across from her, holding a glass as she fills it with amber. “and besides, you’re leaving tomorrow. we should celebrate!” right... he’s leaving.

it’s strong. he’s nearly delirious within a few hours.

but not as delirious as her.

the mandalorian periodically bangs her head on the table, laughing at everything and anything.

“...no, but you know! you’ve got a thing going on.”

“a thing?” he asks, almost crying in his laughter.

“like... like...” she whines, head lolling. “i dunno the word in basic,” she slurs, hand gesticulating wildly. “copyc.”

“give me- give me the general gist of it.” she nods, index finger raised as she thinks.

“attractive.” she exclaims, and he almost sobers up.

“you think i’m attractive?” he asks incredulously, scooting closer.

“don’t tease. not like... the face.” she pauses in consideration. “but also the face, i guess. but the word means... your aura.”

“my aura?”

“yeah, obi, your vibe. it's personality. your personality is attractive.” 

“wh-” her helmet makes a loud clunk as it drops onto the table, and he can tell she's unconscious.

hopefully, neither remember that conversation the next day.

he remembers everything.

his head pounds and the light shining through the window is too bright. his neck is craned at an awkward angle. he must have fallen asleep after her last night.

he hopes that at least she doesn’t remember anything.

a bottle is placed in front of him. “for- for your hangover,” she says awkwardly, turning back around.

she remembers everything. 

breakfast is quiet and tense, the sound of the mandalorian sucking her straw the only sound.

she sighs, looking up.

“look, you’re leaving soon. i don’t want this to be the last thing you remember about me.” he nods in agreement. “we can just forget about it.” 

she finishes her drink, standing and taking his empty glass.

he stands with her. “wait.”

she turns, placing the glasses down and looking up at him.

“you called me copyc.” he can see her getting ready to respond and quickly speaks before she can. “and i think you are too.” 

she steps closer hesitantly, and he places his hands on her waist lightly. one of her hands comes up to rest on his cheek, other over his shoulder.

obi-wan’s hands rest on her helmet, almost-

“don’t.” her hands are suddenly on his, a practiced instinct. “it’s forbidden.” he nods, hand on her hips again, hers still on top of his.

“what will you have me do?” it’s a pained whisper. 

the mandalorian’s hands raise to his face again, slowly pulling his head closer so his forehead rests against the cool metal of her helmet.

he doesn’t know the significance, but he can feel it, closing his eyes and pulling her ever-close.

“come with me.” it’s useless.

“i can’t.” he understands.

“i know.” 

“obi.” he opens his eyes. “my name... it’s-”

“you don’t have to,” he says. 

she hesitates. “but i want to.” 

so she tells him, he nods, then they’re silent. it is forbidden.

obi-wan taglist: @panda-luminary, @kat-soudone, @sacredmirrxrs​, @spooky-childd, @chandler-woods​, @procrastination-nations​

complete taglist: @ispilledmyink​, @justlovetoreadfics​

[killswitchwrites]

Take It All Back

Dean x Reader

Summary: Strength can look like a lot of things. Sometimes it’s being strong enough to walk away. Other times it means sticking it out. In Y/n’s case, it means a little of both. Sequel to One Last Moment.

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Canon level violence, blood, angst, and language.

Beta’d by: @pinknerdpanda & @trexrambling

A/N:  This was written for Ang’s “Fierce Females in FanFiction” Challenge. My prompt was, “you made your choice and I made mine. Just because you can’t live with yours doesn’t mean you can shame me for living with mine.” It’s bolded within the fic.  This is a continuation of my fic, One Last Moment.

Sorry it’s so close to the wire @atc74 , my muse has been an elusive bitch.

“Exorcizamus te omnis immu-”

“I’m really going to enjoy taking everything from you,” the demon snarls. The cheerful pastel of her outfit makes her threat seem absurd.

“Lucky for me, I don’t have anything to take. Not anymore.”

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You know, lying to a Sunday School teacher is extra bad,” she giggles.

A knot forms in my gut. She can’t possibly know about him. I’ve covered my tracks. I know I’ve covered them, but a small wisp of doubt creeps into the back of my mind. Maybe. Maybe someone couldn’t keep their mouth shut.

“I can’t wait to wear his skin-” she gargles the blood in her mouth before spitting it at my feet- “so many perfect little freckles,” she finishes with a hiss and a maniacal smile.

When I found this demon, I had high hopes of sparing the possessed woman. His perfect face flashes into my memory. If I save the woman, I risk losing him forever.

I force myself to take an even breath before asking, “Who?”

“A lady never kisses and tells.”

“If you talk, I can make this quick for you.” Moonlight glints on the blade in my hand. “If you don’t…”

The demon squirms. “Where’d you get that?”

“I love thrift stores. You just never know what you’ll find.”

“You found an angel blade-” she shifts in her chair- “at a thrift store?”

“So what’ll it be, quick or slow?”

“I’ve always liked it slow,” she purrs.

___

Three times. That’s how many tries I make at unlocking my phone before I realize there’s too much blood on my hand for it to recognize my fingerprint.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Six years ago I turned my back on the only man I’d ever loved, the only man who had only ever loved me. I was done. I got out.

I finally get my phone unlocked and dial by memory. My heart beats faster with each ring. Just when I’m positive my heart will explode, Siobhan answers.

“Blessed b-”

“Cut the crap, Siobhan, it’s me.”

“Oh. What do you want? I’m a little busy.”

“Someone in your coven has a loose tongue, and I plan on cutting it out.”

“I’m positive you are mistaken. We’ve held up our end of the deal. It’s become apparent that you have not.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Irene is dead. Her daughter made it back to tell us of her untimely demise before succumbing to her own wounds.”

“Did she know the doer?”

“No. She only said that they used witch killing bullets.”

“I’ll find who’s responsible and take care of it. In the meantime, up your warding around the house and keep an eye out.”

I don’t even need a full hand to count the number of hunters that know how to make witch killing bullets. One is me. The other two I had never planned on running into ever again.

___

“I’m telling ya, Sammy, I got her. It’s only a matter of time before she bleeds out.”

“That’s just perfect, Dean. If it weren’t for the fact that we needed her to find the coven.”

“Ok, fine, it’ll take a little longer than we planned. But hey, at least there’s free cable.”

Their bickering carries through the thin wood of the door. I kick back in my chair and prop my feet on the table, trying my best to sell the nonchalant vibe I am most certainly not feeling.

Dean shoulders through the motel door, freezing when he sees me.

Sam curses under his breath as he collides with his brother. “What the hell, Dean?”

A myriad of emotions rapidly shift Dean’s features before he settles on feigned indifference. “Get your dirty boots off the table, Y/n, people eat there.”

“Y/n?” Sam swipes the hair from his eyes and tucks it behind one ear. A face splitting grin amplifies his dimples. His smile quickly falters when I don’t return it.

I stay where I am. Feet propped up in defiance. “You guys need to leave town.”

Dean walks behind me on the way to the mini fridge, pulling on the back of my chair as he goes.

I pinwheel my arms and slam my feet to the floor in order to keep from falling over backward.

Sam nearly smirks, but manages to catch himself in the nick of time when I shoot him a glare. Dean, however, outright barks a laugh.

 “Listen here, you ass.” I feel my cheeks heat. “I’m not here to play games. You’re not welcome here and you need to leave. I’m not going to ask again.”

“Doesn’t really seem like you’re asking, Y/n.” Dean cracks open a beer and throws the cap in the direction of the sink. “Besides, we kind of like it here. Don’t we, Sammy? And leaving is more your sort of thing. If I’m not mistaken,” he adds with an icy glare.

Clenching my fists, I dig my nails into my palms and focus on the sharp sting so that I can keep my voice from wavering. “If you ever loved me, Dean, you’ll leave tonight and never come back.”

All of the color drains from Dean’s face.

“Are you in some sort of trouble, Y/n?” Sam asks, finally finding his voice.

“It’s trouble that I’m trying to avoid, Sam.” I head towards the door, pausing to rest a hand on Sam’s chest. “Please. Get him as far away from here as you can.”

I beeline for the door, hoping to make it back to my car before the tears burning my eyes fall. I make it exactly four steps across the parking lot when I hear the scuff of Dean’s stride behind me.  

“Tell me why.”

I freeze, midstep. “Because,” I weigh my next words carefully mustering as much venom as I’m capable of, “because everything you touch dies.”

I turn to face him, and his pained look is more than I can bear. But I press on, I have to. The stakes are too high for me to give in. I add the final nail to my coffin of lies.

“You’re a curse, Dean Winchester, and I wish I had never met you.”

I don’t stay to witness the fallout, but I imagine it looks the same as my shredded heart feels.

___

“It is done?” Siobhan drawls.

“I took care of the hunters. They’re not going to be a problem anymore. Do we still have a deal?”

“Your child will continue to receive the benefits of our protection. For as long as we have yours.”

I release a sigh. “How is he?”

“He grows in strength and beauty every day.”

“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”

“He remains unaware of his lineage.”

There are so many more questions I want to ask, but the less I know the better, the safer he is.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I answer it without checking the ID.

“Don’t hang up!” Sam blurts.

“Sam? How did you get this number?”

“That’s not really important right now. Have you seen Dean?”

“Not since this morning.”

“He went out to grab a drink, and he’s not picking up his phone. I’ve been to every dive bar in town. I can’t find him.”

“He’s probably just shacked up with some floozy for the night. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Sam. He’ll probably roll in in the morning, no worse for the wear.”

“You don-” he sighs-”he’s not like that anymore. Not since you left. Please, Y/n, just help me find him and I’ll never bother you again.”

My heart twists. “Have you tried tracking his phone?”    

____

“You’re positive this is the place?” I take in the gothic architecture and broken stained glass. It’s not technically a church anymore, but it’s still the last place I’d expect to find Dean on a Saturday night.

“This is the only place near the tower his phone pinged from just before I lost the signal.”

“Maybe his phone just died. You know he forgets to put it on the charger.”

“It was off, and then it was on, and then it was off again. Something else is going on; I know you can sense it too.”

“I think you’ve watched Star Wars one too many times, Obi Wan, because I’m not sensing anything. Other than the extreme dissatisfaction that I haven’t been able to remove my bra for the night.”

Sam snorts a laugh. “One quick sweep of the place.” He checks the clip on his weapon and chambers a round. “And if I’m wrong, you’ll be home in your pajamas in no time.”

I double check my weapon before following after him with a grumble. With my luck, he’s probably right and this night is going to go tits up real fast.

Sam waits for me by the heavy wooden entry doors. All merriment has been stripped from his face and replaced with grim calculation. With a tip of his head he motions to the trail of blood that disappears under the door.  

Stepping over the gruesome trail, I pull open the door and pray it doesn’t creak and give us away. Sam slips through and I follow, nearly colliding with him.

I step around him and follow his line of sight. At the front of the church, behind the pulpit, where usually there’s a sculpture of Christ on the cross- there’s Dean. He’s been stripped of his shirt and suspended upside down. There’s a puddle under him, and fresh blood drips from the wounds on his chest to join it. He doesn’t appear to be conscious. He better not be dead. I’ll kill him for being so reckless.

Sam nudges me, and I split off to the right while he takes the left.

The only place for someone to hide is the confessionals, and I quickly clear them. Whoever did this is in the wind.    

“Dean?” Sam whispers, reaching his brother.

Dean responds with a low groan. The sound sends relief flooding through my system, and I rush forward to help Sam.

“Hold on, man, we’re gonna get you down.” Sam’s voice is tight with worry.

By the time we get him loaded into the car, we’re all covered in his blood.

“I’ll sit in the back with him,” I offer, sliding into the backseat and settling Dean’s head in my lap.   

Like it’s second nature, my fingers stroke through his hair to comfort him. “Just hang in there, Dean, we’ll get you patched up.”

Dean nuzzles into my touch and drifts off. I close my eyes, and I can almost pretend it’s just like old times. His pained grunt when Sam hits a pothole reminds me that it’s not. Everything’s different now. Everything’s wrong.

___

Sam and I get Dean on his bed back at the hotel where we silently work to piece him back together. Most of the cuts are superficial, intended to elicit pain, not death.

“Who would do this, Sam?” I ask while double checking the tape on the dressings.

“It’s not like we have a shortage of enemies-” he pauses- “though we did just take out a couple of witches. This could be retaliation.”

“It’s not them,” I mutter.

“Wait, you know the coven we’re tracking?”

“Huh?” Shit. I exhale. “They’re not bad people. I have a deal with them. I offer them protection and they do the same for me.”

Sam’s look is cold. “I never thought you’d be the type to work with witches, Y/n.”

“Well neither did I, Sam, but a lot of things have changed that I never thought would.”

“What else have you guys been hunting in the area?”

“Nothing. The coven is what brought us here. You?”

“I found a couple of low level demons sniffing around. I handled them.”

“By the looks of Dean it would seem that their buddies are a little pissed.”

Dean groans in his sleep and, instinctively, I reach to comfort him.

“Looks like not everything has changed,” Sam points out.

I withdraw my hand. “Some habits die hard.”

“Dean never told me why you left.”

I shrug. “I couldn’t do it anymore, Sam. The ones we couldn’t save kept piling up.”

“Yet, here you are.”

“Yeah. Here I am.”

Sam stifles a yawn.

“Why don’t you grab some sleep? I’ll sit with Dean.”

“Are you sure you wanna stay?”

“I need to. Just until I know he’s okay.”

“I’ll go grab something to eat. Dean’ll be hungry when he wakes up.”

Once Sam leaves I slip beside Dean, laying close enough to feel his body heat but not close enough to disturb him. The constellations of freckles on his shoulders and chest peek out from the edges of the bandages. I still remember the names I gave them the last time I laid in bed with him.

A tear rolls down the side of my nose and silently lands on the pillow. I scoot a little closer to him and rest my head on his chest, over his heart. I focus on the steady rhythm beneath my ear, and it quiets the chatter in my head. I’d almost forgotten how still my mind could be.

Dean nuzzles into my hair with a sigh and, for one split second, I wish with everything in my soul that I could take it all back. All the hurt. The pain. The fights. The lies.

Even though he remains still, I feel him wake up. “I’m so sorry, Dean,” I whisper.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, I know you didn’t mean it. You’ve always been a crap liar.”

“Have not.” I sit up and discreetly dab my nose with my sleeve.

Dean chuckles and then quickly sucks in a breath with a grimace.

“Serves you right for teasing me.”

An uncomfortable silence fills the space between us. Dean is the one to break it.

“Mind telling me why the demons you pissed off came after me? And why they’d think I’m hiding someone for you.”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“I nearly lost my spleen. I think I deserve to know why, Y/n.”

Panic writhes like snakes in the pit of my stomach. “You’re right.”

I suck in a breath and move a little farther from him. “I need you to know I never meant for any of this to happen, and by the time I found out it was too late. I’d already left and it’s not like I could go back. I couldn’t ask that of you.”

“Spit it out.”

“It’s easier if I show you.” I dig my phone from my front pocket and swipe to the film reel before handing over the phone to Dean.

“His name is Thomas, and he’s almost six.”

Dean’s eyebrow knit together, and then his eyes blow wide. “What is this, Y/n?!” I scramble to move away from him, but he grips my wrist to keep me right where I am. “How could you?”

“I didn’t mean to,” my nose runs freely and I ignore it, “it just happened, and I’ve wanted to tell you so many times. But I just… couldn’t.”

“You had no right,” he growls.

“I had every right, Dean.” I wrench my arm from his grip and stand on wobbly legs. “I may have left, but you let me. You made your choice and I made mine. Just because you can’t live with yours doesn’t mean you can shame me for living with mine.”

“Choice?” he scoffs. “How could I possibly make a choice when I didn’t have all of the information?!”

Dean jumps from the bed, quickly doubling over.

“Just perfect. Now you’ve pulled your stitches! Get back in bed!”

I shove him towards the bed and he slaps away my hands.

“No! I want to see my son.”

I shove again and he collapses with a heavy thud. “You can’t see him. Not now. Not ever.”

“Bullshit. You don’t get to make that choice for me. Not anymore, Y/n.”

“He doesn’t even know you exist!”

Once again, Dean looks like I stabbed him directly in the heart- and twisted. “You didn’t even tell him about me? Where does he think his dad is?”

“You died in a car crash when he was just a baby… and so did I.”

“What?” he whispers, shocked. “You… abandoned him?”

“I didn’t abandon him, Dean. I gave him up to people that could protect him.”

“Where is he, Y/n?”

I suck in a breath and wrap my arms around my stomach. “He’s with the coven you and Sam are here hunting.”

“You gave our child to witches?!”

“I didn’t have a choice! From the moment he was born it was like he was a beacon to everything that went bump in the night! I couldn’t keep him safe. I wasn’t enough.”

“We could’ve kept him safe. Together.”

“Yeah, because you would’ve given up hunting, bought a house in suburbia and, what?  Punched a clock for the rest of your life?”

“I don’t know, okay! I don’t know what I would’ve done!” He runs his hands through his hair. “But I would’ve done something.”

“Well, I did do something. I found people strong enough to protect him. And as long as I protect the coven, they’ve agreed to shield his essence.”

“So we’re supposed to, what, forget about him?”

Hesitantly, I move forward and sit on the edge of the bed. “We do what our parents couldn’t do for us. We keep him as far from this life as we can.”  

“But,” tears spring into his eyes, “it’s not- it shouldn’t be like this.”

I take his hands in mine and twine our fingers. We sit in the painful silence surrounding us, both afraid to speak- afraid of the words we might say.

When I can take it no longer, I slip my hand from his. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Dean.”

He opens his mouth to speak, rethinks, and then closes it.

I jump to my feet and rush out of the door before he can say all the hateful things I know I deserve.

My stupid hands are shaking so badly by the time I get to my car that I can’t get the key in the door lock. “Dammit!” I punch the roof of the car, first in frustration, and then again because the pain it causes momentarily distracts me from the pain in my chest.

Warm arms that I immediately recognize as Dean’s encircle me, and I collapse into them with a sob.

Quickly, he spins me. Before I can register what’s happening his lips are pressed to mine. The salty taste of tears mixes with the taste of Dean, and I melt against his chest.

When he gives a pained grunt, I remember his injuries and pull away.

“Shit,” I gasp, checking his bandages. “Your stitches.”

“Screw my stitches,” he mumbles, pulling my hands back around his neck and pinning me against the car with his hips. “I’m not letting you leave, Y/n. Not again.”

“Bu-” I start to protest, and he silences me with another press of his lips.

Dean swipes his tongue along the seam of my lips and all thoughts of protesting flee my mind. I’m going to kiss him just like I’ve dreamed of kissing him every night since I left.

I don’t know what the future holds for us, perhaps no one does. But for tonight, at least, I’m going to pretend that we found a way to take it all back- and just maybe, if we’re really lucky,  move forward.

Need more Dean? Click HERE 

[crystal-siren]

Diplomacy (Obi-Wan & OC)

Requested by the lovely @kenobi-vibes-only

I really enjoyed writing this one, hence the length :p thank you once again for such a beautiful request.

“I have an idea.”

“Oh no, that’s what you said last time and look what happened!”

“I swear by the Force Obi, it’s a good one this time.”

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi shot his friend, Ash Su-Zan a doubtful look. Both were currently hanging upside down by one leg as a result of a booby trap set by the natives of the planet they were sent to investigate.

“I think I’m going to faint,” Ash’s words were slurred like she’s had too much to drink.

“That’s your idea?” Obi-Wan was confused, how was fainting going to get them out this? And besides, “you’re not going to faint Ash, it’s biologically impossible.”

“Since when were you the medical specialist?” Ash crossed her arms over her chest and attempted to look skeptical.

Obi-Wan suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Despite being one of the brightest Jedi in the order, his friend sometimes forgot to think in situations such as these. “For you to faint, the blood needs to leave your head, not rush towards it.”

Not being able to think of anything to say in reply, Ash turned her attention to their current predicament. “Since you’re the fountain of knowledge, care to enlighten me as to how we might rectify our situation?”

Silence answered her for what seemed like hours before Obi-Wan spoke. “We could always try and see if our lightsabers would cut through these vines?”

“That sounds like a great idea Captain Obvious, but as you may or may not have noticed, we don’t have our lightsabers.”

Choosing to ignore her remark, Obi-Wan crossed his arms, “thank you Sergeant Sarcasm, and would you happen to know where they are?”

“If I knew where they were, I do believe I would have been able to retrieve them don’t you think?”

“Or maybe you could use those renowned diplomacy skills of yours.”

Ash simply stared at him as though he had grown an additional six heads. “You want me to talk to the plants? What do you think I am? Crazy?”

“Well you are the one that thought she was going to faint from hanging upside down.”

Ash opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when her leg was suddenly released and she hit the forest floor with a thud. Only seconds later, Obi-Wan joined her, both were too stunned to do anything other than just lie there.

A little while later, both had managed to stand and brush themselves off but still had not been able to locate their respective weapons.

“Well let’s look on the bright side,” Ash wiped a dirty sleeve across her sweaty forehead, “at least we’re free and able to stand because between you and me Obi, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of hanging upside down.”

“You always look on the bright side Ash,” Obi-wan sent his friend a tired smile.

“One of us has to,” Ash returned the expression. Looking around, she realised that their ship was nowhere in sight. “Obi?”

“Yes?”

“Where exactly did we land again?”

Obi-Wan joined her where she stood and sighed heavily before pointing to her left. “Over there.”

“Right, of course.” Ash coughed to hide her embarrassment and was about to start walking in that direction when a heavily accented voice caused her to freeze mid-step.

“You won’t be going anywhere.”

Both Obi-Wan and Ash looked at each other in surprise before turning to face the speaker.

Before them stood a human male that towered well above both of them. Ash’s green eyes widened when she caught sight of the armour the man was wearing.

Edging closer to Obi-Wan, she leaned in and whispered, “are we on the right planet?” She had read about the Mandalorians and their war-like culture; she herself preferred the diplomatic side to confrontations.

Before Obi-Wan could answer however, the armoured man spoke. “What is your purpose here Jedi?”

Ash opened her mouth to reply but Obi-Wan beat her to it, “we are on a diplomatic mission on behalf of the Republic. We wish to speak with whoever may be in a position of greater authority.”

Ash’s eyes flicked between her friend and the Mandalorian; they had indeed been sent by the Republic for there had been rumours of Mandalore leaving the Republic and the Senate wanted to get to them before the Separatists had a chance to.

After what seemed like hours, the man nodded, “very well, follow me.”

They walked for what felt like forever when finally they crested a hill that overlooked what seemed to be a major city. “Keldabe,” Obi-Wan whispered to Ash who looked at him in confusion. “It’s the Mandalorian capital,” he said by way of explanation.

She did not know how to react to this information. She then scolded herself, there were various reasons as to why Obi-Wan would know the name and appearance of a foreign city, he most likely had been there before on previous missions.

Following their guide into the heart of the city, Ash took in every aspect. From the tall structures of the buildings to the low-lying structures of the tents in what seemed to be a marketplace, her emerald eyes drank it all in.

Finally the trio stopped in front of a pair of very forbidding-looking gates. Their guide approached one of the patrolling guards and spoke to him while gesturing to Obi-Wan and Ash.

“What do you think he’s saying to him?” Ash leaned in close to her friend as though she didn’t want anyone else to hear her question.

“Most likely who we are and why we are here,” he whispered back and immediately straightened when their guide returned.

“Follow me.”

Both Jedi nodded and quickly moved to follow their tall armoured guide who led them into what appeared to be a courtyard of sorts. The man led them up a series of steps and through a large set of durasteel doors before finally showing them into a vast hall with high ceilings.

“Obi-Wan?!”

The excited female voice tore Ash’s awe-filled gaze away from her surroundings and towards an approaching figure.

Ash narrowed her eyes as the woman came closer. Blonde hair was elaborately styled in a headdress that would rival the ones of Queen Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo. The woman’s features were youthful and attractive, her lips curved to form a joyous expression. Her clothes seemed to suggest that she was someone of significant rank and the way she carried herself further confirmed it.

“Duchess,” Obi-Wan bowed respectfully before being enveloped in a formal embrace by the young noble.

“Come now Obi-Wan,” the Duchess pulled back a little, “let us dispense with such formalities. It has been far too long since we last saw one another.”

“Indeed it has....Satine,” the Jedi Master nodded in agreement.

Ash, for her part could do nothing but stare. They knew each other? That much was obvious, and evidently well enough that they were able to bypass any titles that the other may have held.

“Who, may I ask is your beautiful young companion?” The Duchess’s question tore Ash back to the present.

Obi-Wan stepped back so he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ash. “May I present Jedi Master Ash Su-Zan.”

Satine stretched out a hand which Ash hesitantly shook, “it is a pleasure to meet you Master Su-Zan, I am Duchess Satine of Mandalore. Obi-Wan is an old friend of mine, he and his Master Qui-Gon Jinn once came to my rescue a few years ago.”

Throughout the Duchess’s short speech, Ash picked up on the small side glances she was throwing Obi-Wan’s way and she had a nagging feeling that by ‘old friend’ she meant something else entirely.

“It is an honor to meet you Duchess, Obi-Wan speaks very highly of you.” In truth Obi-Wan hardly spoke of her, but Ash felt no need to mention that.

“Does he just?” The Duchess seemed too happy for Ash’s liking. Moving away from her, Satine looped one arm through Obi-Wan’s, “come, I will show to your quarters.” With that she led them, with Ash trailing behind, from the hall.

~ ~ ~

“So that’s Satine huh?” Ash’s tone was anything but friendly, despite her attempt to make it so.

They had just returned from the dining hall where they had dined with the Duchess and explained to her their purpose for being there in the first place.

“Yes,” his answer was brief and he sounded a little confused.

“She’s pretty, don’t you think?” Ash glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she prepared for bed.

“What are you trying to get at Ash?” The directness of the question caused her to stop what she was doing and look at him.

“Nothing,” shrugging, she continued with her previous task, “it’s just a question or am I not allowed to ask them anymore ?”

Obi-Wan stared at her for a split second, what had gotten into her? In the long years her had known her, never had she acted or spoken like this. What had brought this on?

~ ~ ~

Over the course of the next two weeks, their days were filled with meetings with both the Duchess and high government officials.

Ash Su-Zan was someone who liked to keep an open mind about people and cultures she had not yet encountered. Her initial impression of the Duchess had been a pleasant one but as the days wore on, that impression changed and Ash soon found herself annoyed by the young noble. The way she spoke and acted, especially around Obi-Wan, drove Ash to distraction.

At night, she would try to convince herself that the reason for her annoyance was merely because of always seeming to be the third party. But try as she might, she was not convinced. There was another reason, the true reason and  Ash knew it was wrong, yet that did not change the way she felt.

~ ~ ~

Obi-Wan had noticed a change in his friend’s behaviour. It was almost as if she had built an invisible wall between them. Her tone had changed, it now held an edge that Obi-Wan was not familiar with, even the way she held herself had altered and he wasn’t quite sure if he liked it.

Her skills at diplomacy and negotiations luckily did not suffer and for that Obi-Wan was grateful. It was mainly due to this and to her that they succeeded in their mission and had erased any doubts the Mandalorians had had about the Republic.

When the day came for them to depart, he noticed that Ash seemed much too eager to leave.

Satine was part of the group that would see them off. “Goodbye Duchess,” in the presence of her officials, Obi-Wan insisted on keeping things formal, but it seemed she had other ideas.

Breaking ranks, the Duchess pulled Obi-Wan into a tight embrace, a gesture much too intimate for Ash’s liking.

Over Satine’s shoulder, Obi-Wan saw Ash avert her eyes and clench her jaw.

Pulling away, he gave her a small smile. “It has been a pleasure Duchess. I am so very glad that everything worked out for the best and you decided to stay with the Republic.”

“Yes indeed,” Satine nodded and turned slightly to look at Ash, “we are most grateful Master Su-Zan, you have made us see reason.”

Ash looked up at the sound of her name and nodded quickly in acknowledgment of the Duchess’s words.

~ ~ ~

The walk back to where they had left the ship was a silent one.

Neither Obi-Wan or Ash said a word, even as the ship came into view and as they boarded. They had entered hyperspace when Obi-Wan broke the silence.

“What’s going on Ash? Why aren’t you talking?”

“I’ve done enough speaking to last a lifetime. Getting them to ‘see reason’ as the Duchess put it, was not as easy as one might think.” Of all the answers he had been expecting, that was certainly not one of them. Nor had he missed the tone in which she spoke, disdain was rife in every word.

“Look at me Ash, look at me.” His tone was firm enough for her to do as he asked.

When her eyes met his, he smiled. Two emerald orbs stared up at him, as green as the lightsaber that had been returned to her. But there was a coldness to them, a coldness he had not seen before.

Moving to kneel in front of where she sat at the console, Obi-wan took both of her hands in his. “Ash. Talk to me, you’ve been acting unlike yourself ever since we met the Duchess. What happened?”

So many times she had wanted to tell him. So many times had she wanted rant and rave but now, confronted with the very opportunity to do so, Ash froze. She felt the words stick in her throat, she felt them threaten to choke her if she didn’t let them out.

Pulling her hands out his gentle yet firm grasp, she stood and moved to the other side of the viewport. She made sure her back was to him, lest he should see her face and the myriad of emotions painted across it. “You knew Satine before we went there?”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and sighed, so that’s what this was all about. “Yes Ash, I knew her.”

“How well?” Her back still remained turned and her voice was deceptively steady.

“We were good friends Ash, nothing more.” Standing, he slowly moved towards her.

“Don’t lie to me....please, don’t lie.” The words stopped Obi-Wan in his tracks. She sounded so vulnerable. Something he would not associate her with being.

“It was brief and yes, I loved her, I loved her very much.”

“Then why did you never tell me about her?” Ash spun around, her green eyes filled with barely restrained tears, “I thought we were friends Obi, I would never have told anyone! You know I wouldn’t have.” Her voice shook as she spoke those last words.

Obi-Wan did not know how to react or what to say. A situation he was not often found in. When he eventually found his voice, it was a lot quieter than before. “I did not want to burden you with something of that magnitude, it would have been unfair of me to do so.”

“I don’t care! I would gladly have born it for you Obi-Wan, I would have born it a thousand times over.”

Obi-Wan was taken aback by her words and the fervour and emotion with which they were uttered. “Ash? Is there something you are not telling me?”

Her eyes widened for a split second before she once again turned away from him.

“Ash? Is there something else going on here that I should perhaps know about?” He made sure to keep his tone gentle.

No matter how much she wanted to deny it, to shake her head and say ‘no’, she simply couldn’t. For so long she had kept what she felt to herself, not wanting her worst fears to be realised or to burden him with the knowledge of something he may not want know.

“Ash?”

So she nodded. “Ever since we were younglings, raised together in the temple. You were always the one I compared everyone else to. As we grew up together and became friends, I hoped that what I felt would fade away, knowing it would never come to anything. But as we progressed with our studies, it did not go away, it only grew. If Master Tahl knew of what I felt, she said nothing.” Lowering her eyes, Ash turned her attention to her folded hands and waited almost nervously for Obi-Wan to say something.

“What you felt?”

Ash nodded, her worst fears threatening to become reality.

“What did you feel Ash?” His tone was gentle and soft, his warm breath fanned gently over the exposed skin of her neck, causing her to shiver slightly.

“I-” breaking away from him, Ash put a distance between them before turning to face him. Her best friend. The one she loved. The one who had the power to break her. The one that could make her feel invincible and the one that could break her already fragile heart. “I love you.” There, she’d said it, it was out in the open.

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. There she stood, quite possibly the strongest person he knew and by far the most beautiful. There she stood, looking so unsure of herself and of his reaction.

Suddenly everything fell into place, like finding the final piece to a large puzzle. Her change in behaviour the past two weeks, her averted eyes and clenched jaws and above all, the questions about Satine and what she meant to him. Ash believed him to still be in love with the Duchess when reality was quite the opposite.

“That’s why you asked all those questions, that’s why you acted the way you did around her, why everything she said or did seemed to annoy and irritate you.” Realisation hit him like a tonne of durasteel.

Ash nodded, silent.

“You thought I still loved her.”

These words caused her to look up, a question in her emerald eyes.

“That is in the past Ash, she is my past.” Obi-Wan moved closer until he stood less than an arm’s length from her.

“What are you saying?” She spoke hesitantly, as though she wasn’t sure of what she had just heard.

“I have loved you since the first time you bested me in the training salles at the temple. You knocked me flat on my back and from that moment on, my heart was no longer mine..but yours.” His voice trembled with weight of emotion that the words had carried. For so long he had wanted to say something but feared she did not feel the same.

“Obi-Wan...” Ash could barely speak, her heart leapt and stuttered all at the same time. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

“Satine is my past, you are my future. You with your wit and your sarcasm and your optimistic view of the galaxy. You and your big beautiful heart, so ready and willing to help anyone. You with your bubbly and extroverted way of seeing things.” He waited, almost breathless for her to say something.

“Oh Obi, I don’t know what to say,” she was smiling and her eyes were liquid with tears of joy.

“Then don’t say anything,” leaning forward ever so slightly, he gently pressed his lips to hers and was overjoyed when he felt her respond by deepening the kiss.

It was the perfect moment. Then came the small yet significant signal that they had exited hyperspace. Breaking reluctantly away from each other, Obi-Wan and Ash turned their attention to the viewport where Coruscant had blinked into view.

Sliding back into their seats, they navigated their way towards the planet they called home. They knew what they felt was forbidden, so now they knew they would live side by side, everyday as victims of a cruel fate.

[carishio-blog]

Favorite Overall Character

So yesterday, I reblogged a post by @vexpercy​ that included an entire list of favorite things about RWBY. I said I wanted to do it as a chance to talk about one of my favorite pieces of animation and to let my followers (current and new ones to come!) get to know me a little better about the show. So, the first thing on the list was “Favorite Character Overall”, and this was a tough one to limit it down to. There are so many characters that I absolutely love when it comes to RWBY, and picking one was a difficult task. However, when I looked at every option and factor, there was really only one character that came to mind:

Qrow Branwen!

To make things fair, I thought it would be fair to look into the entire process of figuring out my favorite, making a small little list that would help people see why I love him so much. So, with that being said here is the list:

-Voice Acting

-Writing

-Design

-Interaction with other characters

-Importance to the Story

-Personal Beliefs (Head canons, art, fan fics etc.)

1. Voice Acting

Now for those that know RWBY, Qrow’s voice actor is Vic Mignogna. His most notable role was voicing the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric in both the 2003 adaptation and the 2009 version, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

Vic already came into the show with a very impressive resume, so throwing in him playing Qrow is nothing small. According to RWBY Wiki, Rooster Teeth approached him at an Australia convention where they showed him the overall style of the show, which he was really impressed with! He received a follow up email a few weeks later and BAM! You’ve got yourself the VA for Qrow.

As opposed to the adorable, squeaky voiced Ruby or the more professional, whimsical voice of Professor Ozpin, Qrow adds a certain flare in his speech with his deep, drunken drawl (think most voices for any Wolverine i.e. Hugh Jackman or Cal Dodd in the 1992 animated incarnation of the X-Men.)

While it is debatable about how good the impression is, I personally love it. The tone Qrow speaks with is one filled with a level of confidence and cockiness. He carries himself in a way where he knows that he’s better than you and is not afraid to show it. I would delve further into this, but that shall wait until we get to Interactions with Other Characters. But all in all Vic delivers another amazing performance in my book that leaves me wanting more every time I see him on screen.

2. Writing

Writing for characters in RWBY is always a touchy subject. Most of them are very well written, while others sometimes leave a bit to be desired.That being said, I still 100% appreciate the work Miles and Kerry put into the scripts and have not been disappointed in them at any point really. So with that, how do they handle writing Qrow? Referring once again to the RWBY Wiki, both of them have been on record as saying that he is their favorite character to write.

And boy does it show.

A lot of the interactions we get with him are either hilarious or draw you into the story and lore even more. Along with the great voice acting to go along with it, we really get an interesting character to discuss and listen to.

From the first four volumes, we’ve learned very little about his backstory or even relationship with people from his former team. All we get are little bits of dialogue telling us that him and his sister Raven are part of a very deadly clan, little bits of silent interaction and development with Ruby and Yang’s father Tai in the Volume 3 finale and an image of a photo of his old team that can really be depressing to look at once you look closer at it.

It’s very easy for a character to show all of their cards when they’re first introduced, however the CRWBY have done an excellent job at giving us bits and pieces at not only his backstory, but Team STRQ as a whole. They’ve definitely caught my interest and will be keeping me hooked for however long the show runs (which is hopefully a long time <3)

3. Design

RWBY has always been a show about colors. Colors are everywhere you look in the show, from names of character to the names of teams. Each outfit someone wears along with their aura and name basically suit the overall personality of the character. So what do we get from Qrow?

If it wasn’t obvious enough, Qrow is based of a crow, most notably one of Odin’s birds from Norse mythology, Huginn (I’m not 100% sure about this one. If anyone does know, feel free to let me now!). The colors of his outfit and hair show give us that feel of a relation to the bird he’s named after. Along with that,  the messiness of his clothes and how tattered his cape is give us the vibe that this is man who has seen his fair share of skirmishes and most likely a few bar fights along the way. The crooked cross around his neck also gives us some great symbolism that help show Qrow is not exactly the greatest of people either. However it could be a clever nod toward Norse culture once more, as that usually shows that someone is currently in mourning of someone they lost who was close to them (maybe Summer???).

To top it off, Qrow brings one of the coolest weapons to the table in my opinion. His weapon is a combination of a scythe, a sword and a shotgun. While everyone else has two weapons in one, he’s so cool his mom lets him have THREE! Each one is a joy to see in battle, and the idea of him being the master scythe wielder in Remnant was a statement passed around by Ozpin and Ruby. While we haven’t seen him use it a lot, when he has it has produced devastating results to his opponents. The sword was awesome to see him use in his fight vs Tyrian and Winter, and the shotgun is a nifty little weapon for him to use up close against opponents to chip away at their aura. All in all, his weapon is a great part of his design and just adds to one of my favorite character designs in general. Hopefully we’ll see him use that scythe more in the upcoming future.

Finally, he also gets my favorite semblance in the entire show: misfortune. It’s a semblance that cannot be turned on and off, and it affects those around him. Highlighted in the fight with Tyrian and the song “Bad Luck Charm” that gives me feels every time I listen to it, you get the perfect semblance for the perfect guy (even if it does make me wanna hug him and tell him everything will be alright).

4. Interactions with Other Characters

For someone who carries themselves around the way Qrow does, you’re expecting to get some really entertaining moments with other characters. But before we get to that, I want to establish one of my favorite partnerships and duos in the entire show: him and his niece Ruby

While the bond between him and Yang is very strong (as shown when he offers to help her find her mother and his sister Raven), the bond between him and Ruby is where things really shine. It has been mentioned and implied that Qrow is Ruby’s mentor, the Obi Wan to her Luke Skywalker if you will. He was the one that taught her how to use Crescent Rose and helped her design it, and the bond between the two is heart warming. In all of Volume 4 when she is out with RNJR trying to get to Mistral, he is the one watching over her and making sure she’s safe. Ruby jumps in to help him fight Tyrian (even tough she should’ve stayed back), and watching her try her best to get him medical help after he gets poisoned is something heart wrenching to see. The care for each other is amazing, as he truly does represent the cool uncle trope perfectly.

Besides Ruby, we get some amazing interactions with Winter, Glynda, Ironwood, Oz, Tyrian and even Jaune! From those, we get some really great fight scenes that let him show off his best skills and assets, funny moments and lines such as “He’s always drunk”, and some much needed release of anger that ends up getting directed at him. All in all, the entertainment we get from him interacting with others along with some of the more serious ones with Ozpin, Raven and RNJR keep me personally locked in and focused on what he has to say.

5. Importance to the Story

Qrow is by no means a main character in RWBY, however it is fair to say that he is an important side one. He was the one responsible for training Ruby and helping her become the young woman she is growing up to be, someone in Ozpin’s inner circle that has a great understanding of the world around him and the person that will most likely be helping Oscar become the next “Ozpin” (I don’t even know what to call that. Grand Wizard? The next Wiz? Gandalf the Great?). He gives us a lot of world building in the form of his story about the two gods and the fan favorite World of Remnant shorts. Qrow will be around for quite some time in my opinion, so maybe his role will grow even further as the plot progresses. But for now, he is a pretty important character that has brought some great dynamics and information to viewers and fans of RWBY.

6. Personal Beliefs

Last but not least, we have the section where we talk about fan stuff! Qrow was probably the first character that I really started developing head canons for, and along with RPing it became very easy to find me looking for all sorts of art, fan fictions and more pertaining to him. Along with that, we also have everyone’s favorite topic: ships! I found myself having to really think about who would work well with him in a romantic setting, and only two people really keep in mind (DISCLAIMER: This is my opinion. You can have a different one than me without attacking me about mine. I would actually love to hear your’s, but please remember to be respectful)

(Art by @ellelehman​)

(Art by @reikiwie-art​)

My two favorite Qrow ships are Flown North/Hummingbird (Qrow X Summer) and Snowbird/Qrowin (Qrow X Winter). While I much prefer Snowbird, I really love Hummingbird as well, as not only has @ellelehman​ basically given me a small addiction to it (that she feeds by making more awesome art!), the relationship that I can imagine with them is also just oh so adorable. While Qrow has basically made it clear that he is not a family man, I would love to see a relationship involving him in the show at some point. Ships aside, some of my favorite Team STRQ head canons revolve around him as well. The best example I can give you is the picture that I mentioned earlier. 

(For some reason I cannot post the picture without it not letting me post the entire post, so here’s a link to Google images to show you exactly what I’m talking about.)

If ypu look at it very closely, you will notice a coffee mug stain around summer and tear drops near Tai and Raven. Seeing that really breaks my heart, as I cannot even imagine the pain and guilt he must feel, especially when it comes to his semblance. I get really emotional when thinking about it in general and imaging certain scenarios happening in my head, like if Ruby got seriously hurt and he wasn’t there to help, or if he was saving Winter’s life mid fight and getting flashbacks of Summer, pushing himself to his absolute limit to save her so history does not repeat itself. It’s just a blast for me to think of and drabble these ideas down, as it really connects me more to the character and make me enjoy watching him even more.

Anyways, that’s all for today! I hope you all learned a bit more about me and Qrow as a whole, as it was fun to really talk about my favorite character from one of my favorite pieces of animation. I know it was long, so hopefully I can try and shorten it for tomorrow (no promises though ;3). Anyways, tomorrow I’ll be going over my favorite female Beacon student, which most of you might already know. But with that, I thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a great day! (Thanks to @vexpercy​ once more for the awesome list again!)