#cody age 10

[trudemaethien]

We Live By This Code

Rated G, Gen, Commander Cody & Original Child Character (Also named Cody) Epistolary, friendship, brotherhood, coming of age fic, war, bg O66 happens, tcw era and imperial era, canonical clone deaths mentioned, massiffs and tookas

Written for @clonebang 2023, with art by kippysaurus!

Excerpts from some of Cody & Cody’s letters:

Your Mom has excellent taste in names, if I do say so myself. I am curious: if you were going to pick your own name, what would it be?

You don't need to answer that if you don’t want to.

…

I told my Mom what you said about her having good taste and she laughed really hard for a long time. I think if I had to pick a name it would be …

—[several lines of scribbled out, completely illegible scratches]—

Wow, this is a really really super hard question! I don’t know any good names unless they are already someone’s name, and I don’t want to be like anyone else. Cody is a good name and I’m glad it’s mine and that it’s yours. How did you choose it? I’m going to ask my Mom how she picked it too. Did you ever name anyone else, like maybe one of your little brothers?

Read on AO3 🔒 https://archiveofourown.org/works/52878097

[ai-em-maes]

🔥🖤 Whispers of a Burning Flame 🖤🔥

~ Chapter 10 ~ Chapter Index

Characters - Self Insert OC x Aemond Targaryen

Summary - After escaping capture by a rival family, Vaemyra Blackwood takes residence at the Red Keep, where she embraces her newfound identity as a dragonrider of Valyrian blood. Her presence catches the eye of Prince Aemond, and the two slowly grow closer amidst the shadows of their shared peculiarities.

Word Count - 4.1k

Content - 18+, Major slow burn, fluff, a smidge of angst, smut in later chapters

A/N - I'M BACK. Sorry this chapter took so long to crank out--I think it may be the longest one yet : ) Also, please note that for the event of Aemond claiming Vhagar, I went with the book canon rather than the show canon, so any “but that’s not how it happened in the show” commentary will be ignored

Likes, comments, & reblogs are appreciated!

The second day of the tourney began with the Bowmen’s Trial. With the archers’ procession serving as an excellent distraction, Vaemyra slipped away from her place by the queen and glided to the second row of the royal box. She stopped before Prince Daeron. Aemond, seated at his brother’s right, watched her curiously.

“My dearest Prince Daeron,” Vaemyra whispered, lashes fluttering. “Might you like to trade spots with me? You’re far more honored a guest than I.”

The young prince tilted his head, his brow in a knit. “I, uh…is that…permitted?”

“Oh, but of course! Wouldn’t you like to have the best view of the tournament, beside Her Grace?” 

Daeron peeked past her at the empty seat between Rhaenyra and Jace and scrunched his nose. He and the Velaryon boys had never quite gotten on. 

“Please, My Prince?” Vaemyra’s eyes were wide as a doe’s, her dark lips just shy of a pout.

Daeron puffed his chest as he rose. “Very well. It would be most ignoble of me, as a prince of House Targaryen, to refuse a lady’s request.” He settled beside the queen and her son, who, upon finally looking to the seat between them, were stunned to find that Vaemyra had somehow transformed into Viserys’ youngest child. Rhaenyra glanced back at the second row and smiled as she realized how much Lady Blackwood reminded her of her younger self.

Vaemyra plopped down next to Aemond. “Good morrow,” she chimed.

The prince’s eye glinted with a mixture of amusement and fascination. “Good morrow to you as well.” He wouldn’t need to spend another day chasing after her. 

“My cousins will be shooting today. I hope they aren’t too wine-sick from last night. Though, it would make for a livelier show.”

Aemond gave a soft chuckle. “What’s a tourney without a few tragic casualties?” 

Vaemyra burst into laughter. 

At the other end of the row, Rhaenys narrowed her eyes at Lady Blackwood and the prince before tugging on her lord husband’s sleeve. “Is Aemond…laughing?” 

Corlys looked over. “It would seem so.”

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him smile, let alone laugh. Except maliciously, of course.” 

The Sea Snake’s voice lowered to a whisper as he leaned into her ear. “About time someone pulled the rod out his arse.” 

Robb, Aly, and twenty-three other archers lined the range, toeing the shooting line in groups of five. At the blast of a horn, the fleet of bowmen unleashed a volley of arrows at hay targets. Each archer received four shots in the qualifying round, scoring points for precision and accuracy. Those who scored poorly, or missed the target entirely, were eliminated by default. By the end of the first round, the competition had thinned from twenty-five to twelve, both Blackwoods included. 

Round two saw the shooting line pushed back several meters, and the bowmen were given three shots each. Squires raised an additional target to accommodate two volleys of six shooters. Another five competitors fell short of advancing. The line was pushed back even further for round three, and a seventh target was added to the range to accommodate all the bowmen in a single volley. Each competitor received only two shots. Four archers failed to accrue enough points to continue, with one of them flinging his bow to the ground with a curse. 

The fourth and final round saw Robb Rivers versus Black Aly versus Billy Burley, whom many regarded as the sharpest longbowman in the North. 

Aemond inclined his head toward Vaemyra. “It should be you up there. Any particular reason you chose not to compete?”

“I don’t fancy myself as fine an archer as my cousins. Besides, I prefer to observe. I’m sure you’ll understand, as the realm’s reigning champion of brooding handsomely from the shadows,” she ribbed.

Aemond’s heart skipped. Handsomely?

They were shushed by Aegon the Elder, already thoroughly drunk on wine. “Quiet, youse two. This’s the good part,” he slurred. 

An expectant quiet blanketed the grounds as the final three bowmen approached the shooting line, the targets now a daunting distance away. Each participant was granted but a single shot. The air lay still as a prayer in a sept as the archers drew their bowstrings and the herald raised the horn to his mouth. Then he blew, and all three bows thwupped simultaneously. In less than an instant, the trial was over.

It would have been impossible to determine the victor from afar, and so the Royal Bowmaster was summoned to evaluate the shots up close. After several long minutes of scrutinizing the arrows—the differences in their points of impact so slight as to be nearly invisible—At last, he seized both Robb and Aly by the wrists and raised their arms, declaring a tie.

The stands rumbled with applause as servants entered the range with the victors’ rewards. Two pages presented the Blackwoods with coinpurses, each heavy with five thousand gold dragons. Several squires carted a lavish selection of longbows, shortbows, and crossbows. Robb claimed an ornately carved Weirwood longbow strung with waxed silk, while Aly reached for a lacquered oak and ivory crossbow fitted with a Valyrian steel prod. The air thrummed with cheers long after the herald announced intermission.

In the pavilions, sword swallowers, harlequins, and trained beasts performed as tourney guests fraternized amongst themselves. Vaemyra waded through the crowd in search of her cousins and found them indulging at a food stall. 

“Splendid work! A well-deserved victory for the both of you,” Vaemyra said, clapping her hands.

“Naturally,” answered Alysanne. “Someone had to put the men to shame.”

Robb took a sip of his mead with a lighthearted scoff. “Luck of the draw, dear cousin!” 

The trio was approached by Prince Jacaerys and Lady Baela, and the Blackwoods hailed them both. Vaemyra’s short time on Dragonstone had allowed her to foster a modest bond with its prince and his betrothed. It gladdened her heart to reunite with them for the first time since departing for the Red Keep. 

“Excellent show,” Baela praised. “I have an affinity for the bow, myself.”

Aly smiled. “Many thanks to you, My Lady. Should you ever find yourself in the Riverlands, I’d be honored to shoot with you.”

As Baela and Alysanne enthused over crossbows, Jace leaned into Vaemyra’s ear. “I couldn’t help but notice a change in seating arrangements at the royal box. Care to explain?” He pursed his pouty lips. 

Vaemyra gave a frivolous shrug. “Aren’t you pleased to be nearer to your little uncle?” 

Jace clasped a hand on her shoulder, pulling her further out of earshot of her cousins and his betrothed. “My Lady, you are very special. I knew this the day Baela and I received you on Dragonstone. We are proud to call you one of our own, and it would sicken me if a certain one-eyed prince were to take advantage of your good nature. I’m not one to meddle, but I urge you to be careful with that one.”

The gaiety had drained from her. “I understand your concern. I had heard…rumors of the prince long before I came here. I’ll admit, he can be a bit off-putting at times…but he has been very kind to me.” 

Jace surveyed the area for prying ears. Robb and Aly were still sipping their drinks and gushing over archery with Baela. Jace’s voice lowered even more. “Do you know how he lost that eye?” 

She furrowed her brow. “I cannot say that I do.”

“When we were young, Luke and Aemond and I…he assailed us. Called us bastards, and beat us bloody. Luke slit his eye while defending me.” 

Vaemyra’s stomach caught in her throat. Children could be cruel, yes, but if Jace’s words held any truth, Aemond harbored a darkness far beyond what she could have imagined. To hear he’d mocked the Velaryon boys’ legitimacy cut her to the core. Could Aemond have secretly felt the same disgust for her? She felt the wounds of every time she’d been nothing more than a fleeting novelty for men she believed had cared for her—each discarded promise a hollow ache in her heart.

Jace pressed on. “And do you know what he’s got hidden under there? Beneath the eyepatch?”

The blare of the herald’s horn cut their discussion—and intermission—to an end. 

Spectators trickled back into their seats, Vaemyra as retook her place beside Aemond in stiff silence. The prince chose to remain at the royal box during intermission, fixing a discerning gaze on a few of the knights as they practiced swordplay on the field. “These fools couldn’t tell pommel from hilt,” he sneered. “Look at them, floundering like tadpoles. Amusing, is it not?”

Vaemyra did not answer, nor did she look at him.

His demeanor softened. “…Is something troubling you?”

She snapped to attention with a forced smile. “Oh, no—not at all.”

“Were you pestered by another of those pompous knights?” Aemond asked, his mouth curling into a smirk. “I’ll frighten them away, if you wish it.”

Vaemyra gulped. “I’m quite alright. Truly. Let us enjoy the tourney.” 

The prince wilted. He rested a gentle hand over hers, and she did not react. 

Quarterfinals commenced with the sixteen knights remaining from the day prior. This joust, however, proved far more gruesome. Multiple unhorsings resulted in nauseating injuries to necks and skulls. Blood spurted from gaping wounds as squires sprinted through the lists, dragging their concussed and lacerated knights to the maesters. The interlude between joust and melee saw far fewer patrons at food stalls. Then the melee, fought by two teams of seven, stirred far more winces and screams than cheer. By day’s end, only ten knights stood to advance to final rounds. Swollen, battered, and bruised, the men stepped forward and removed their helmets for all to see. 

When the first knight removed his helmet, the ladies of the stands sighed and swooned in delight. Vaemyra saw his auburn hair and recognized him as Lucien Tyrell, one of the three knights who had approached her in the pavilion the day before. Next to present himself was a younger man, lean of build, with sharp, inquisitive eyes. Joffrey Arryn grinned and ran a gloved hand through his curly brown hair. The knight that followed Joffrey was even younger, no older than eight-and-ten. But what Alan Beesbury lacked in age, he compensated for with agility and raw ambition.

The next knight strode forth with a presence that demanded attention. Hair as gold as the sun, the man could be none other than Erwin Lannister, the Lion of the Lists. He had also visited Vaemyra in the pavilion on the first day of the tourney. After him came Robin Massey, a modest and approachable youth with russet hair and a kind smile. Robin bowed and stepped back to reveal a knight who was dark of hair and eyes, with copper skin. Courageous and dependable, Denys Harte saluted the crowd with a respectful dip of his head.

Next in line was a hulking Northman with cropped hair and icy blue eyes. Brusque but charming, Torrhen Manderly’s impressive stature made him appear far more mature than his nineteen years. He was followed by a knight called Corwyn Corbray, the eldest of the remaining competitors. Corbray had earned a commanding reputation as a warrior, wielding the Valyrian steel sword of his house, Lady Forlorn. Second-to-last in line was the dignified Byron Swann. A battle scar marked his brow and extended down to his strong cheekbone, obscured only slightly by his exceptionally long hair.

When the last knight stepped forward, Aemond felt an irritable prickling at the back of his neck. Vaemyra recalled the quiet gentleman as her third visitor at the pavilion. Remarkably statuesque, he loomed above the entire procession, jet black hair fanning in the breeze. Handsome, mysterious, and intense, Robert Darklyn was a brooding storm made flesh.

All ten champions were met with thunderous applause as the second day of the tourney drew to a close. Festivities after the tournament were to be a touch more lavish than the night previous. Throughout the day, groundskeepers had labored to illuminate the castle gardens with lanterns, and by evenfall, the Red Keep shimmered in all the colors of the Seven. The night hummed with music and chatter as courtiers made merry through the idyllic castle grounds.

In the Queen’s Ballroom, a massive mahogany dining table had been set to feast the royal family and all ten champions. Rhaenyra presided at the head, with Vaemyra to her right, followed by Corlys and Rhaenys. To the queen’s left were Jace, Baela, Luke, and Rhaena. Facing each other in the center of the table sat the other Blackwoods. Aemond and his siblings occupied the farthest end, with Daemon at the head opposite the queen. The knights’ seats were scattered throughout the arrangement. Off to the side of the chamber was another, much smaller table fit for the children and their maids. Ten-year-old Benjicot was aggrieved to be seated among them.

The feast saw an incredible spread of venison, pheasants, roast pig, meat pies, fruits, breads, cheeses, pottages, and stews, and aromatic wines, meads, and ales poured from crystal flagons. Vaemyra chatted with the queen, her children, and their betrothed during dinner. The Sea Snake and Princess Rhaenys inquired about Corwyn Corbray’s heroic exploits. Sers Arryn and Massey exchanged banter about the tourney, while Robb and Aly attended to their usual bickering. Across from them, Lord Samwell and his lady wife endured Erwin Lannister’s theatrical monologues about knighthood.

Beside them, Vaemyra’s father commended the young Alan Beesbury for his fortitude in the melees. To Beesbury’s left, Ser Tyrell rested his head in his hand and prattled mindlessly to Aemond, whose patience was wearing thin. Aegon guzzled wine with Torrhen Manderly as they made crude jests about the women of court. Helaena sat in silence, nudging garnishes about her plate with a fork, until Denys Harte gently asked if she was well. Though fine, she appreciated the kindness all the same. At the end of the table, Ser Swann expounded on his extensive and intricate knowledge of horsemanship to Prince Daeron and the King Consort—one enthralled, the other visibly bored.

Robert Darklyn fixed his gaze on Vaemyra throughout the feast, smiling softly at her every word. Aemond took immediate notice, and a scowl twisted his lips as he glowered at the knight with mounting fury. Their conversation fell short of his ears, but when Vaemyra chuckled at something Darklyn had said, Aemond’s jaw clenched with burning rage. Not once since the tourney had she spared him a single glance.

It was only when a maid set down a platter of sweets that the prince devised a plan to reclaim Lady Blackwood’s attention. He pulled the servant closer and murmured a command. She left and returned with three small cakes—one lemon, one apple, and one blackberry—and nodded toward the prince as she laid them before Vaemyra. When Lady Blackwood glanced over, she found him grinning at her with pride. She offered a weak smile before quickly turning away, and Aemond looked as if he’d suddenly been doused with freezing water.

The ballroom slowly emptied as the night wore on, but Vaemyra lingered at the table, deep in conversation with Ser Darklyn. Aemond never tore his eye from her for even a moment, until Ser Tyrell rose from his seat, blocking his view. By the time Aemond managed to peer around the bothersome knight, Vaemyra and Darklyn were both missing. The prince sprang to his feet in panic.

Aemond stalked through the candlelit corridors of the Keep, the coil in his chest tightening with each step. Were I to find them together… he dared not finish the thought. Then he heard the baritone echoes of Ser Darklyn’s voice from round a corner and swiftened his pace. 

“That should be a wonderful idea. Tomorrow night—” The towering knight paused at the sight of the dragon prince staring daggers through him.

Ser Tristan lifted a brow. “Your Highness? Is all well?”

Having braced himself to find Vaemyra at Darklyn’s side, and the sight of a different Blackwood brought Aemond a rush of cool relief. The prince straightened. “…Indeed. As you were.” He vanished in the blink of an eye.

Aemond grew more frantic with each passing moment as his search continued. Vaemyra was not in the library, nor the study chambers, nor the tapestry rooms. He crossed paths with her handmaids and asked if the lady had retired for the night. They shook their heads, and the prince pressed on with ragged breath. Rounding a corner far too quickly, he collided with Prince Lucerys, nearly sending the boy tumbling to the ground. Rhaena caught her betrothed by the shoulders, steadying him. She suppressed the urge to chastise Aemond for his recklessness, wary of invoking his wroth.

To speak lightly, Aemond was not fond of Luke. He had long since accepted the loss of his eye, but resentment still burned, stoked by the knowledge that his nephew suffered no true repercussions for taking it. But for perhaps the first time in ten years, those thoughts were far from his mind.

“Have you seen Vaemyra?” Aemond urged, fighting to mask the desperation in his voice.

“Might you apologize first?” Luke bit back. “That hurt.” 

“Have you seen her, or not?”

Then Rhaena chimed in, eager to send the elder prince on his way. “I believe she made mention of the gardens.” 

Aemond muttered a word of thanks and hurried off. 

Luke blinked. “...Did he just…thank us?” 

In the castle gardens, fireflies danced through the night air like living stars. Courtiers strolled about, their faces aglow beneath the light of hundreds of lanterns, while bards strummed on lute and harp. Aemond scoured every column, corner, and archway in search of Vaemyra, each second she remained hidden driving him closer to madness.

And then, at last, there she was. Alone, beside an immaculate marble fountain, her figure veiled by the soft spray of mist. She turned as he drew near, and before he could take another step, she stole into the nearby hedge maze. The prince followed her without hesitation. 

He turned this way and that, endeavoring to navigate the twisting walls of green in the darkness. The maze was dotted with revellers, and Aemond was slowed each time he had to push past them making merry in each other’s arms. Every so often, a lady would titter and sigh as her lover rustled beneath her skirts, the noises further disorienting the prince. Finally, a crown of silver hair, like a shimmer of moonlight, caught his eye.

“Why do you torment me so?” Aemond implored. “First you grow cold on me, for seemingly no reason at all, and now you have me literally chasing you in the night. Have I done something to offend you?” 

Vaemyra’s eyes were fastened to the ground.

“Why won’t you look at me?” His words were raw and strained.

Moments passed before she finally answered. “Did you hurt Jace and Luke?”

A chill pierced Aemond’s stomach. “What?”

Vaemyra looked up, and her gaze hardened on him. “When you were children. Jace told me you attacked him and his brother, beat them bloody, and left them no choice but to defend themselves. He claims that’s how you lost your eye. Is it true?”

The prince swallowed. “It is.”

“Why? How could you do such a thing?” Her voice was tight with both fury and sorrow as she began to tremble.

“You must understand, they were cruel to me. They were—”

“Bastards? Like me? And don’t you dare speak to me about cruelty, My Prince. I’ve suffered it my whole life.” The corners of her eyes pricked with cold tears. 

All the breath was ripped from Aemond’s lungs. He bit his lip so hard it nearly bled. “...I…was but a child,” he began again, voice softer now. “I was angry, and alone. Without even a dragon to call my own. They tormented me for years, Vaemyra. And no one would look at me. Not my mother, not my father, no one. And then one day, I came to Vhagar, and she saw me, truly saw me, like…like no one else in the world ever had. They say I stole her, that she wasn’t meant for me, but how can that be possible when she claimed me as much as I did her?”

Vaemyra’s silence pressed on him, suffocating. 

The prince pressed his mouth into a thin line. “Yes, we fought, Jace and Luke and I. I struck them first. It’s true.”

Knitting her brow, Vaemyra exhaled a long, shivering breath. “I am sorry for you. I truly am. And it would seem that all of you have paid a price for your actions. You, most of all.”

The words cut Aemond like ice, and he stood there, stiff and shuddering. Then, he uttered something neither he nor anyone else could have foreseen in all the years of his anguish and loathing. 

“It was wicked of me,” he confessed, voice cracking with a sincerity as deep as any words he had ever spoken. “It was wicked, and ugly, and there is no excusing any of it. I lost my temper that day, and I am sorry for it. And I do not wish to be that child anymore.”

“Is that so? And how am I to know that I’m any more than just some bastard girl to you? Or that you’re any different from any other man who’s treated me like some exotic pet? That I won’t be cast aside once you’ve grown bored of me?” Her throat clenched and ached.

The prince moved to close the distance between them. “I wish to become a better man, I do. For myself, and for you, Vaemyra.” He took her by the hand. “And you are the brightest star in the cold, dark sky that my life has been. I swear this to you, with every fiber of my very being.”

Vaemyra’s breath hitched, and a warmth bloomed in her chest that melted the ice in her eyes. Unable to bring herself to speak, she only searched his gaze with hers, and for a while the air was silent but for the soft hum of fireflies. 

Aemond squeezed her hand tighter, as if he might lose her if he let go. “Vaemyra? Please, tell me something.” He lifted his other hand to her cheek. “Tell me you’ll have me, or tell me you won’t, but tell me something. Vaemyr—”

And then, as if everything within her finally gave way, she thrust him against the maze wall, her lips crashing into his with a fierce, desperate need. Aemond stiffened at first, his pulse quickening in surprise. But then his hands found her waist, and he pulled Vaemyra closer as he kissed her with a hunger that mirrored her own. She caught his lower lip between her teeth, and Aemond moaned roughly into her mouth as his trousers swelled. Then came the sound of grassy footfalls from a nearby corner. With one hand, Vaemyra seized Aemond by the wrist and jerked him in the opposite direction, holding the hem of her gown in the other. They were both thoroughly short of breath by the time they had found their way out, and when Lady Blackwood was certain no one had seen them, she looked to the prince with a wolfish grin.

“This day has been…eventful, to say the least,” Vaemyra panted. “I think I’m ready to retire for the evening.”

Aemond simpered at her through labored breaths. “You truly are something, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.” She reached up and plucked several leaves from the prince’s silken hair.

“Oh, ah, thank you.” He gulped another breath back into his lungs. “Would you like me to escort you to your chambers?” As a prince, he was respectful of her wish to withdraw for the night, but as a man, he would have been lying if he said he hadn’t hoped for more.

Before she could agree, her handmaids called out, hurrying towards her. They acknowledged the prince with brisk curtsies. 

“Milady, we’ve been searching everywhere for you,” said Lenore, exasperated.

“I’ve drawn your bath. Come, let us return before the water cools,” Elspeth beckoned. 

Vaemyra glanced back at the prince before her maids could whisk her away. “We’ll see each other again on the morrow. Good night, Aemond.” 

The lanterns had begun to flicker out, and the laughter of drunken courtiers grew softer still. Aemond lingered for a moment to bask in the starlight before making way to his own chambers. That night, the prince’s hands wandered with feverish need, and once he found release, he plunged into a sweet, peaceful sleep.

[varpusvaras]

There was something outside.

Fox could feel it, even through the walls of the building and his sleeping pod, his thin blanket doing nothing to keep the knowledge of it away. The knowledge that it was there, in the dark, roaming around the city, looking for something.

Fox had tried to pretend that he couldn't feel it, like some nights there wasn't a whisper pressing against his skin, like the longer the night went, the harder it became to ignore. He had tried, to no avail. Every time he could feel it coming, like there was something casting a shadow over them all, long before it would arrive.

The Long-necks didn't seem to know that it was there. There were no security measures against it, as far as Fox knew, and it had never came up in any of their training modules. But it was there, Fox knew it.

It was there again, right now. Fox listened to the drumming of the rain against the windows, baiting his breath, for any kind of noise coming from it, but there was only silence waiting in the middle of the pouring storm.

But it was there. Fox could feel it. It was roaming around the city, silently and endlessly, and it was looking for something.

Fox slid out of his pod, and quietly made his way through their room, and climbed up to the window.

There were almost no lights on at this hour of the night, only the loneliest signal light in the far end of the bridge, casting a harsh, red gleam at the hard ground. Fox could feel it there, somewhere outside of the reach of the light, coming closer. Slowly, but surely, it was coming.

Fox waited. He pressed the tips of his fingers against the window, and he waited, the pressure of it becoming ever more present against his skin, and there was a long moment there where Fox thought he forgot how to breathe.

Something moved in the room behind his back, and Fox glanced over his shoulder, just for a second, and when he turned back, it was there.

It stood just at the edge of the light, making a hard, black line over the red on the ground. It didn't look human. It looked almost nothing like all. It was a large, hunched dark mass of a being, like a cloack of skin had been draped over a mound of something, hiding whatever was under it.

The only things Fox could make out of it were its huge, long fingered arms, resting againts its sides, and the pair of small, white eyes at the middle of what he thought must've been its head.

Fox couldn't tell where it was looking, but he got the feeling that it was looking almost right at him. Just a moment, and it would see him there, looking at it.

He was cold. Very, very cold.

There was a hand on his shoulder, so warm that it almost scorched him, and Fox barely managed to swallow down the yell that was threatening to burst out of his throat. It pulled him away from the window, down towards the floor, and another hand joined it, grabbing Fox tightly at his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Cody hissed at him, forcefully tugging Fox against himself, locking him pressed at his side. "Don't look at it!"

Fox felt suddenly very, very afraid.

"I'm sorry", he whispered, strangled, as hot tears started to burn the corners of his eyes.

Cody only pulled him closer, pressing his head on top of Fox's and circling his arms behind Fox's back, like he was trying to shield Fox from it and everything else around them.

"Ponds alreadly looked at it", Cody whispered back at him, like Fox didn't already know that. Like Fox didn't know how it never left Ponds alone anymore, how it was always there, at the edge of his brother's dreams. Like Fox didn't know how Ponds was always cold, now. "I can't have you look at it as well."

"I'm sorry", Fox said again, and pressed himself tightly against Cody as he felt it there, felt it standing there, silently, looking. Looking for something.

For a brief, terrifying moment, Fox thought that it was looking for him.

--- ---

(Another version on AO3)

[koushirouizumi]

{When you reread pages of the Adventure manhua (Chinese produced comics) again And certain lines jump Out regardless}

[fingertipsmp3]

I’m getting back into WWE completely by accident and I genuinely hate how attractive I find Dominik Mysterio

[kitcat22]

Okay, okay so I’m thinking of an au mashup in which Obi Wan gets de-aged in the middle of the clone wars, except Obi Wan is now at the age when his prophetic visions and slightly offputting nature were at they’re height.

I tend to follow the belief, in Seer!Obi wan fics, that Yoda took one look at the 8 year old Obi Wan who keeps telling him increasingly creepy little snippets of his future and the looked at Sifo-Dyas rocking back and forth in the corner doodling the same face over and over, with slight variations, muttering insanities as Dooku tries to lure him out with a trail of biscuits and tea, and just went. No. Absolutely not. Not doing this again. And the council at the time just sort of agreed to put a mental block in place to stop Obi Wan from growing up into Sifo-Dyas Junior.

This is was all fine and dandy, until Obi Wan is suddenly 7 again without this block in place and planets away from anyone capable of rebuilding it again. Force forbid they allow Skywalker a go at it.

Now there’s an unsettling redheaded child making very worrying, very creepy comments.

Anakin: awww, aren’t you a cute!!!

Baby!Obi-Wan: Your hands drip with the blood of trillions, Your arrogance veils the sins you wish not to confront, Your decrepit body shall live on long past your own death, in a cage of its own making.

Anakin: : - 0

Baby!Obi-Wan: but thank you : - )

Ahsoka and Rex are very reluctant to be near the baby after he tells them how everyone they love will die and they shall continue on, surrounded but alone all the same.

Cody and the 212th choose to endure the comments on how they will die enslaved, put down by the masters that created them, deprived of personhood and kindness because creepy baby or not, that’s they’re general right there, they can figure all the freakiness out after the they’ve comforted the child. (They are immensely worried over this, though)

It’s not like Obi wan is enjoying this either. He doesn’t want to predict all this, it won’t stop!

Dooku, on the other hand is thrilled. He kind of regrets not keeping his lover Sifo-Dyas around as his own personal fortune cookie machine / Magic 8 ball. Not cause he misses him or anything. Not at all. He just thinks the tactical advantage would be wonderful! (This is slightly ignorant of how unstable and harmful Sifo’s visions were) To have his Grandpadawan back in this impressionable, powerful state would also be wonderful!

He changes his mind after about 10 minutes with said grandpadawan.

He wants the adult one back please. The 7 year old is dissecting his soul and telling him how pointless his life decisions have been :-(

Shit really hits the fan when baby!Obi-Wan accidentally bumps into Sheev.

Obi wan returns to adult form in a galaxy that sort of resembles this

He can’t do much complaining though considering it was him that caused this.

[zealfruity]

I realized I’d never really explained my clone generations system? So when I write down “gen 5” or “gen 9” you guys probably don’t actually know what I’m talking about.

So here’s a quick guide to how I’ve organized clone generations:

Generation 1: Clones sent to fight to First Battle of Geonosis (Rex and Howzer are Gen 1). Completed all 10.5 years of training (20-21 cycles)

Generation 2: Everyone sent out a month after Geonosis 1 had begun. Most of the finalized units we know were freshly Gen 2 (Cody and Fox are Gen 2). Also completed all their training years.

Generation 3: Post Christophsis, near Battle of Ryloth. Corners start getting cut: All cycles are done, but the final year of training is condensed into a few months, and the requirements for the troopers to past are lowered drastically. Clones are sent out right when they “turn 20” by the later half of this generation. (Kix and Jesse are older 3rd gen, Domino Squad are on the younger side.)

Generation 4: Around Geonosis 2, 21BBY. Talks of skipping the final growth cycle and up to 1-1.5 years less of training. (Hardcase and Thorn are 4th gen)

Generation 5: Clones sent out post Battle of Kamino in 21BBY. Dispatched without the final growth cycle or final year of training, aged 18-19(9-9.5). (Appo, Vaughn, Hound)

Generation 6: During/post Felucia 2 until around the Republic victory over Onderon (20BBY). Dispatched without final growth cycle and a year earlier than average, putting them at about 18. (Tup and Dogma are early Gen6, CF99 are at the tail-end)

Generation 7: Sent out by the third year of the clone wars, until around the beginning of the mandalorian civil war/battle of cato neimodia.

Generation 8: Post Scipio (and therefore post Banking Clan’s full allegiance to the Republic, important political event) (mid 19BBY). Physically aged at around 17 (half of the 332nd).

Generation 9: Final clone wars era generation, sent out around the Battle of Coruscant and any main battle afterwards until the official end of the clone wars in 19BBY.

Generation 10: Final generation trained on Kamino before the destruction of Tipoca City and the complete halt to the production of clone troopers. Are sent out at around 16-17.

Generation 11: Remaining clone troopers alive who didn’t start their stack-specific training on Kamino like previous generations. Extremely loyal to the Empire, and were around + younger than 40 by 0BBY. Rare due to treatment by the Empire as well as the destruction of Tipoca leading to the destructions of all embryos and the younger clones still in their growth jars.

There’s no real consistency about how generations start/end or how long they go for. It’s mostly based on how training regulations changed, or major battles that kicked off a larger demand for troopers.

It doesn’t help that we don’t have specific dates for battles other than a vaguely linear timeline and 3 years. I kind of just picked what felt right.

[felassan]

New Dragon Age: The Veilguard Journal entry:

"Journal #9 Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe Co-Composers Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Composers Announcement"

"Hey everyone! Today, we’re so happy to announce that two-time Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer and Grammy-winner Lorne Balfe have co-composed the Official Soundtrack (OST) for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the new single-player fantasy RPG experience coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, EA App, and Epic Games Store on October 31, 2024. The legendary composers have collaborated on dozens of projects throughout their careers and have worked closely with the development team at BioWare to create a score celebrating the world of Thedas and its heroes. Fans will be able to pre-order the Official Soundtrack album beginning October 18th on iTunes and Amazon Music, with the formal release to follow on November 1st via Lakeshore Records. Moreover, in celebration of the announcement, Dragon Age: The Veilguard Main Theme, has been released as the first single from the official soundtrack, and can be downloaded and streamed now on all major music services such as Spotify, iTunes, and more. “One of our goals with the music for Dragon Age: The Veilguard was to provide a strong anchor between the world of Thedas and the diverse characters that inhabit that world,” said Cody Behiel, Audio Director for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. “We wanted to ensure that throughout the game's story, whether at its most epic or its most intimate, players were able to feel their actions connect to the personal relationships they have been fostering. Working with Hans and Lorne took these ideas to greater emotional heights than we thought possible and I am so excited for players to experience it.” Oscar-winner Zimmer, one of the world’s most renowned composers, has won numerous awards and honors for his scores in such films as Dune, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Inception, and many more. With over 100 film scores to his credit, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the first video game soundtrack composed by Zimmer in nearly 10 years. Speaking about his work on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Hans Zimmer said, “Epic stories lend themselves to epic scores, and the narrative tapestry BioWare has woven in The Veilguard never left me wanting for inspiration, be it during the game’s moments of shining heroism or darkest emotional pitfalls. I’m proud to have shared the journey of creating the musical backdrop for the latest Dragon Age adventure with Lorne and the entire design team.” GRAMMY Award-winner Balfe has over 170 composer credits across movies, TV and games, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed III, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Beyond: Two Souls, all of which received nominations for Best Original Music from the BAFTA Games Awards. “The world of Dragon Age is an unprecedented immersive experience, and never more so than in Dragon Age: The Veilguard,” said Lorne Balfe. “Crafting this score alongside Hans Zimmer has allowed us to bring an epic new majesty to the realm of Thedas, bringing these characters and their stories to the next level. I cannot wait for people to play this game.” Players can pre-order Dragon Age: The Veilguard now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. We still have a few more things to talk about before release, and we hope you enjoy our main theme in the meantime!             — The Dragon Age Team"

[source]

(emphasis mine)

[dogs-have-fallen]

hii everyone , this post is a bit unexpected for me but i wanted to announce a change !!

from the ages of 10 to 17 , i identified as a boy and went through a variety of names . at 17 , i detransitioned . it just didn’t fit me anymore . the way i thought of it was i didn’t really detransition , but transitioned again . ftmtf if that makes sense .

today , i am coming to terms with the fact that my gender journey is not complete . from today forward , please call me Cody and use he / it pronouns for me :3 she / her is still okay sometimes , but i prefer he and it .

[sunburstsoldier]

Some modern codywan fics that I just love

I have an EXTREMELY LONG fanfic recs document and I've been meaning to make a bunch of posts for ages so here's the first one!! non-explicit Modern AU Codywans in no particular order:

HOT2GO by Saerus2665 for dontbelasagnax | 32k | Mature |

Nurse Ben & firefighter Cody. Ben is a disaster in this and i love it. also bonus Bant is there!

“Hey,” Ben calls from the back. He holds up the forms, “You missed one.” Cody latches another one of the cabinets closed then turns to him. He doesn’t seem surprised to see him. “My bad,” he says simply. He comes to the back of the wagon and takes a seat, legs hanging over the side. He glances up as Ben hands over the forms and pen. “You’d think running down signatures would be a little below your list of duties” he says, in that annoyingly pointed way of his. That’s fine. Ben’s decided he’s done walking on eggshells around him. “You’d think a Fire Captain would be better at remembering to fill out forms he’s done a hundred times,” he returns, just as pointed. Cody smiles at him, a sharp glint in his eye. Or: Nurse Ben and the bad bitch firefighter he pulls by being a complete disaster

Turn it on to a new kind of bright by rolo_rulu, Saerus2665 |41k |

Cody is a hot surfer & Ben is a biologist and also a banana stand dude. Absolutely hysterically funny.

Someone rolls him over onto his back. “Hnnngh…” Ben blinks his eyes open. There’s a man looking down at him, haloed in the bright light of the sun. He has dark eyes, and handsome features, including an interesting scar on the right side of his face. A stray dark curl hangs down in the middle of his forehead. He’s beautiful, with the sunlight behind him. Ethereal. “Are—are you an angel?” Ben finds himself saying. He doesn't know if it's the heat or his poor instinctive attempt at flirting that makes him say it. The man squints at him, brow furrowing, clearly caught off guard. “Uh—are you a banana?” The mention of it brings him back into the reality of the situation: he’s trapped in a banana suit, 10 feet from the banana stand, with the object of his recent fantasies—because yes, this is indeed Hot-Surfer-Cody— looking down at him.

Charmed On The Wayside by TapeMonkey21 | 39k Teen+ |

Lawyer Cody, farmer Obi-Wan, aka Hallmark AU! So good I read it twice in two days, it is EXACTLY like the hallmark movie I never knew I wanted.

Cody Fett's perfect big-city life falls apart when his boyfriend breaks up with him, leaving him heartbroken. A visit to the small Vermont town where his brother Rex lives has him crossing paths repeatedly with Ben, the strange, charming, handsome, flannel-wearing owner of the local cider mill and orchard. Can Cody find love again amidst the fall leaves? Or, the fall Codywan Hallmark Movie we all deserve. Written for the Codywan Comfort flash event.

*The truth that once was spoken by Jimmytiberius | 40k | Mature  | Les Mis Theater AU.

Now with several sequel mini fics, a gorgeous love letter to theater and to our favorite boys. Really cool then-and-now structure.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a well-known actor in London's West End who's just signed a contract to make his long-awaited Broadway debut as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. There's just one small wrinkle. Broadway star Cody Fett will be playing Inspector Javert. Obi-Wan hasn't seen Cody since the summer he was nineteen, when they were in summer stock together... also in a production of Les Miserables. Their relationship ended badly. What will happen when they see each other again for the first time in nineteen years? Will they ever find a way to tell each other the truth about what happened at the end of that summer?

sourdough: flour, water, and starting over by Shortcuts_make_long_delays |19k | Teen+ | BAKERY AU. This one is very sweet!!

Did Cody need to be up at 3:50am? No, not technically. But he had graciously offered to take Fox’s Sunday morning shifts at their Uncle’s bakery. Donning Fox's red apron as part of a decade long joke, he works at the bakery as he attempts to figure out what he wants from life. The first time Obi-wan shows up to dinner at Anakin's after moving back to Coruscant, he arrives twenty minutes late with the bag of rolls in hand, and unable to stop thinking about the baker in the red apron. Fox, he's pretty sure the name tag said.

bury me beneath the tree i climbed when i was a child by stormwarnings | 33k | Teen + |

Cody is an EMT; Obi-Wan's house keeps catching fire. Absolutely hysterical setting, I love the way they raise the twins communally in this fic so much.

Obi-Wan meets Cody for the first time when his niece and nephew almost light his house on fire.  (Obi-Wan Kenobi and Cody Fett find their way into love slowly but steadily. There's broken bones, too much sooty turnout gear, late hours spent at EMT class, three kids, ten brothers and two adopted siblings, two weddings, and all number of laughs and inside jokes along the way. It's worth it, in the end. Family's always worth it.)

It's Raining, Dear by cafffine |10k | Modern AU 

This one feels like you're just catching pieces of their lives together and i love it. Leia loves rocks. Obi-Wan has anxiety. I love it.

Cody and Obi-Wan fall in love. They live together, Rex calls when he can, Anakin is just out of reach until he isn't, Luke and Leia grow up too fast, Ahsoka lives far away, the back deck needs to be fixed, life happens and it happens and it happens.

More to come !! enjoy!!

[sandrakir31]

Do you have some headcanons about Burns family?👀

Hello! That's all I can remember right now. I can actually think of a whole bunch of things.

1. The Burns family did not live in a firehouse until Kade became a firefighter.

2. Kade and Dani competed with each other in everything throughout their childhood, so now they understand each other without words.

3. As a child, Graham dreamed of being an astronaut, but then his eyesight deteriorated and he found a calling in taking apart and putting back together his toys.

4. Kade is the most like his mother.

5. Kade, Dani, and Graham spent most of their childhood with their grandmother. Before he started working at the communications center, Cody visited his grandmother mostly in the summer.

6. During his school years, Kade was not as popular as he is now.

7. Graham used to try to be like his older brother because he thought he was cool.

8. When Charlie and Woodrow were kids, they managed to sink their boat while fishing with their father. (Woodrow caught the biggest fish in the harbor, though.)

9. Woodrow often helped Charlie babysit. All four of them always enjoyed listening to his stories, even if some of them were fictitious.

10. Graham taught Cody how to play chess. Dani and Kade change the rules every time.

11. Dani and Kade are the ones who love dress-up parties the most. Charlie even bought them matching costumes when they were kids.

12. At age 6, Cody brought home a raccoon. At age 9, a lizard.

[user211201]

Totally Normal

--- Originally posted on 2023-12-08 by dumb-and-jocked. ---

“Welcome back to Totally Normal, the online show where we narrow down the one thing that makes us all meet that standard!”

The host then hit a button on his laptop, releasing an audio for an uproarious round of applause. With his entire audience streaming in live, he had to make due with tracks. He didn’t mind it though; he could always predict what his viewers were thinking. It was like they shared the same mind.

“My name’s DJ, and before you ask, yes I have a side gig in music.” A laugh track obnoxiously inserted itself. “I don’t dabble in the typical jazz; I remix these men back to the tunes they oughta be singing.”

Another fake round of applause. The host smirked before continuing forward with the rules.

“The point of the game is simple: Figure out that one thing that makes someone totally normal. Through a series of questions, I’m going to chisel away at our contestants until we get to the base. For every wrong answer, a vibration will be sent out to their device until they head back on the right track. We want to find out that one thing that solidifies them as an average joe, but we don't exactly know what that thing is."

The host then took a scripted pause. "Well, *I *know what that thing is.”

Another laugh track entered before the host silenced his imaginary audience. “So, let’s get down to it. We have our men here, but ARE THEY NORMAL?”

The last three words were all enunciated with the typical gameshow pazazz. The host even had an accompanying audio that made it seem like there was an audience chanting it with him.

On cue, the livestream booted up a panel of the three contestants. The first was a shy young man, who by his age looked to be in college but by his height possibly younger. The second was the typical corporate homosexual, the breed who was already happily married and wore tight, designer clothing. And last but not least, the third looked just a little older than the first with an office that displayed the inner workings of a minor start-up.

“Help me welcome our first contestant, coming from the cool waves of Cali, here comes Cody!”

Corey opened his mouth to kindly correct the host, but was immediately silenced by the massive track of applause. A small and nervous 20-year-old, Corey was an academically-fine student at a state school. He worked as an IT intern, helping others work through their issues in a manner where he didn’t have to fully engage. Yet he knew he would probably have to work through this introvert problem if he ever truly wanted to make a loyal boyfriend from the crop of surfers across the street.

“Up next is our cowboy-tootin’, bullet-firin’ family man, Norman!”

Nolan made a face of disgust, but he too didn’t stand a chance against the fake cheers. He’d settled down with his husband just about 10 years ago in the suburbs. Working for a Fortune 500 company, he had everything a man of his caliber could want. Great company, great style, great pets instead of real children. Nolan loved his little metropolitan life.

“And finally, the privileged heir to the corporate throne, it’s Asher!”

Aaron rolled his eyes as the artificial eruption burst through his speakers. He assumed that this narcissistic jock host had gotten all of the contestants names wrong. Aaron had built his own business up from the ground, an independent hard-worker with no one tying him down. It wasn’t that Aaron didn’t want a boyfriend, he just needed to focus on himself. That’s why he was keeping it casual, hooking up with boys a little younger and less responsible. He absentmindedly pawed at his crotch a little as the douchebag DJ started the game.

“Now,” the host cracked his knuckles dramatically. “Let’s start off with some easy questions, just to make sure those devices are working after all. Cody, you’re looking comfortable out on that beach!”

Corey looked around the library he was sitting in confusedly, neither comfortable nor on a beach.

“I think you’re mistaking me for the surfers across the street,” Corey tried to joke, but his feeble demeanor spoiled the comeback.

“Men…you all ought to be where all the other guys of your kind are at.”

All three of them put on bewildered faces.

“Cody, what’s holding you back from embracing that Cali life?” the host asked.

“I…I mean there’s the obvious fact that they aren’t keen on ga-”

BZZT

“Ah!” Corey ripped his hand away, the "vibration" more of a literal sting.

“Cody, what’s holding you back?” the host asked again.

“Dude,” Corey uncharacteristically responded. “I don’t know if they will accept me, man.”

“Bro, what’s there NOT to accept?” the host chuckled. “You fit right in!”

Corey looked over his short frame, his pale skin, his shrimpy figure. He appeared better fit for the library than the bea-

BZZT

“You’re right DJ! I'm a gnarly guy like them brahs! They’ll totally accept me!”

Corey looked over his tall frame, his tanned skin, his toned figure. He appeared better fit for the beach than the library–that’s why he was on the beach after all!

“Alright alright,” the host nodded with approval. “Now Norman, let’s talk about your life in the countryside.”

‪‘Country side’?” Nolan interjected. “Do you consider Houston-”

BZZT

Nolan flung his hand back, “HOWARDWICK the countryside? You bet! Population 402, the two being me and my husband.”

“And what massive land you got behind you, I’m assuming you and your male fling built that together.”

“My what?” Nolan peered behind him, noticing his garden he’d built with his hus-

BZZT

-the ranch he’d built with his hustle. Well, not technically–this land had been managed through the traditional good ole ways of his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. He’d just been fixing it up here and there.

Nolan stretched his thickening fingers, hoping to desensitize them from the pain. “W…What in tarnation is goin' on ‘ere?”

The host continued on, mocking the Southern accent he’d implanted onto the second contestant. “A place fittin' for a cowpoke like y’all’s self! Ain’t no city folk allowed; you don’t want nothin’ queer intrudin' your property, right?”

Queer?!” Nolan spat back. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’-“

BZZT

“Darn tootin’ straight! Ain’t nothin’ strange gonna be happenin’ on this ‘ere land.”

With the second contestant’s location rightfully reoriented, the host moved onto the third.

“And onto our Ivy League, let’s discuss ascension…I mean, ‘climbing the corporate ladder’.”

Aaron shot the host a dirty look through the screen. “You don’t think I worked hard to earn this position?”

“Well, you certainly didn’t do it all yourself.”

Aaron held his breath. He was a decently attractive man with his slim figure and responsible will, and even his anger made him appear wiser than his years. But Aaron's best feature was his independence, and he wasn’t going to let anyone taint his name over that.

“What, do you think my current boyfri-”

BZZT

“-my dating his-”

BZZT

“-my friends with benefits were involved?”

Aaron’s fingers tingled with energy. His body tingled with fury.

“Well,” the host snickered. “If by benefits, you mean…”

“What’s all this!” Aaron flipped. “This is simply…p…preposterous!”

“What are you talking about?” the host egged on. “It's simply normal for a man with your caliber to have such an ‘inheritance’.”

The other two contestants watched on with intrigue.

“I…I may have a b…benefactor,” Aaron suddenly revealed, as if something had just been placed upon his chest. But he was still independent, right? “But that has nothing to do with it!”

“Benefactor? Do you mean your DADDY?”

The fake audience suddenly burst into a chorus of shocked “Ooooohhhh”s. Aaron’s usual calm nature was flatlining, being replaced by a more quickly-agitated behavior.

“We may be really closely acquainted!” Aaron backpedaled. “But it’s nothing of that kind of sort!”

The other two contestants smirked as the growingly-pompous bastard was taken down a peg.

“Sounds pretty queer to me, man,” Corey interjected confidently, scratching at his defining abs.

“Yeah, Ah reckon that fellas a little less normal than us folks,” Nolan added, adjusting the large hat that had secured itself upon his head.

“SHUT UP SWINE!” Aaron spat, his face gaining back a little of his baby fat as he absorbed more child-like aggression. “I'm perfectly normal!”

The two men laughed alongside an obnoxious laughter track.

“He’s right folks, we men are on the right side of history.” The host knew he needed to move on, the show only had so much time of course, but he was having fun. “Surely that father-figure is just some kind of…relative?”

“Just a relative, brah?” Corey asked as his trim cut bloomed out into luscious blond waves.

“Seems closer than that, partner.” Nolan quipped as a graying stubble crawled upon his widening jaw.

“A….A relative?” Aaron stammered, a higher youthful pitch lightening his tenor as this benefactor became clearer in his head. “He’s…he’s someone who I f-“

BZZT

“Father! He’s my father: Asher Osvald the Third!” Aaron screamed, his blond locks gelling up into a refined style that didn’t match his own personality. “And you all better remember it when you see our company in the headlines!”

Both Corey and Nolan took their respectful back-offs, but the host could only smirk with pride. After a moment of self-congratulation, he noticed some slight hesitation from the first candidate.

“Dude…” Corey started. “Can’t you just see he’s messin’ with us, man? Don’t you guys feel kinda strange-“

“Aren’t you supposed to chill, dude?” The host immediately cut him off.

Corey’s mouth went flat, his chin taking the opportunity to curve out a little further. “How can I chill with-“

BZZT

“Without the support from my brosettes across the screen, duuuuude!”

The host watched on with glee as the female portion of the livestream burst into a flurry. Lots of hearts and kisses and even some eggplant emojis were flooding the chat. And the comments were getting suggestive too. One chick wanted to know why he was wearing a dorky button-up, and she was soon exposed to his lean bod and treasure trail. Another suggested he should flex for the camera, and Corey was happy to oblige, each of his muscles pumping larger as he did so.

“Now, Cody,” the host coyly asked. “I’m sure the fans would like to know what you do for work.”

“I uh…I work with coding.”

“You are studying IT?” the host replied, incredulous. “Sounds complicated man.”

Corey beamed at the compliment, an excited fever entering his voice. “Yeah, but I sort of have a gift for-“

BZZT

“IT...like as in ‘it’ man...not ‘eye-tee’ or whatever.”

“But it has something to do with a code, right?”

“Well…yeah man…” Corey’s lifeless vocal fry responded. “But it's not that nerdy crap…something more…uhhh…”

The host graciously provided the answer, “Manly?”

“Yeah man….’it’ is the uh…bro-code brah.” Corey fiddled with the cross necklace that had materialized around his neck, trying to structure his thoughts. Corey felt like his head was spinning in a light vertigo, but not out of stress. Rather, a pleasurable confusion. Cali dudes don’t think that much right? They just go with the flow, so why shouldn’t he man? Wasn’t that what was normal?

While Corey processed his internal dilemma, the host reconnected with the second contestant, noticing he too was becoming a little self-aware.

“Hey Norman, you’re really rocking that fit.”

Nolan was honestly surprised at the comment. He knew he looked good in his tight, patterned three-piece, but he didn’t think the ultra-straight host would notice that too.

“Those shoes must be great for the ranch.”

Nolan laughed. “These ole’ things? They’re Prada from last season-“

BZZT

“Uhh…Ah mean these boots are from that one brand-”

BZZT

“Ah’ve had these kickers for years, fella!”

The host observed quietly as the rest of the second contestant’s clothes altered. The suit jacket and vest disappeared completely. The pants grew out into a straight pair of jeans that had been worn continuously for many seasons. The shirt rolled it sleeves and loosened some buttons, darkening to a dusty black that was meant for hauling hay rather than implying gay. But as the outfit masculinized, there was one item that stubbornly fought back, unlike the man who wore it.

“And that belt, how long have you had that?”

Nolan evaluated the expensive snake leather. “Oh yeah, this ‘ere was a gift-“

BZZT

“What in TARNATION was that for?!” Nolan yelled, the vibration noticeably more painful than the previous blasts. The material of his belt quickly grew cheaper, a massive longhorn buckle blooming forth above his blooming pouch.

“S…Sorry y’all,” Nolan collected himself. “Ah don’t know what’s gotten ovah me, or why Ah’m speakin’ so-“

“Enough apologies,” the host gagged. “You are a man, are you not?”

“Yessiree, but that doesn’t mean we men ain’t got to be sens-”

BZZT

“Ah reckon yer right there, partner!” Nolan puffed out his chest, carrying his emerging muscle gut with him. “We men oughta be tough! The MAN of the household.”

The host snickered, his eyes meandering around the second contestant’s body as additional muscle and bulk was piled onto his frame. “And men like you ought to have a body like that, don’t they?”

The cowboy huffed, his torso heavy with Southern pride. Nolan had worked his muscular frame up over all these long years, from sunrise to sundown. At 6’4, his big hearty body was always devouring meat to stretch out everything from his big strong biceps to his huge Size 15 clompers!

With the first and second contestants almost there, it was time for the host to catch his third man up to speed. He had already advanced mighty far, his skin having cleared up a bit and a few arrogant gold trophies having appeared in the office background, but the host had some additional notches yet to secure before the final round.

“Now Asher, let’s get real here.” The host put on his classic douchebag smile for the audience. “Any ladies tickling that fancy lately?”

“What?” Aaron scoffed. “Are you dense? I'm into g-”

BZZT

“Girls…no…wait what?” Aaron felt strange. Why did the host ask if he liked…girls? And why was the thought of girls suddenly something he…liked?

“Listen ere’, partner,” Nolan suddenly interjected. “Yer talkin’ 'bout women like they’re nothin’!”

The host, displeased, fought back. “Aren’t you married to one, partner?”

Nolan couldn’t believe the disrespect. “Me? Married to a woman? Yeah right-”

BZZT

“-Ah am! Ah’ve been married to my lovely wife for darn straight twenty years! Ain’t nothing QUEER happenin' on this ‘ere normal ranch. I got youngins to raise after all!”

As Nolan became bombarded by memories of his new flock of children, the satisfied host switched back to his third contestant.

“Look, I think we should respect women.” Aaron tried his best to sound mature, now finding it extremely difficult to maintain. “In fact, I think we should respect all others appropriately-“

BZZT

“And by appropriately, I am referring to overlooking these swines of colleagues who cannot afford a top notch education adjacent to my own.”

The host queued up a laugh track for his next one-liner. “They weren’t kidding when they said someone with your prestige had everything handed down to you, including bad manners.”

Aaron felt his anger rising once again, it easily filling his shortening body as he squared out to an average 5’9.

“Well excuseeee me! I am my own person with-“

BZZT

“My father is a reputable man who would wish to-”

BZZT

“DADDY!”

Aaron stomped his foot, bewildered at this idiocracy. Why was he continuously interrupted? Why was he not given the required recognition? He was captain of the country club’s golf team, rowing team, youth league, and the youngest member on the executive board for Christ’s sake! He studied at an Ivy League! He was everything!

As Aaron tried to understand why none of these other men appreciated the absolute honors of his merit–which he refused to ever admit weren’t even his own–a small alarm went off from the host’s computer.

“Like what was that, mannnn?” Corey’s face furrowed into an all-too-natural look of dumbfoundment.

“Yeah,” Nolan reared. “What's y'all gonna do next?”

“I demand to know it this instant!” The host was surprised at the third contestant jumping in, but he assumed it was just his way of trying to maintain his (nonexisting) position on top. “Or else I’ll tell my father about this-!”

An insane uproar of artificial laughter echoed throughout their ears, startling and silencing them.

“Alright folks, you know what that sound means!” the host grinned. “It’s almost time to wrap up our show, and because our contestants still haven’t figured out what makes them 'Totally Normal', we’re going to have to speed things up!”

“But can’t there only be one winner?” Aaron whined.

“Technically, no,” the host responded honestly. “All of you can be winners if you find out what makes you totally normal.”

For the first time since the game had started, all three of the contestants fell silent.

“I mean, let’s look at our surfer stud Cody,” the host started. “You are almost there, but you gotta loosen that one thing that’s still pent-up, man.”

“Brah…” Corey complained. “What else is there?”

As if by some subconscious command from the host, Corey began dumbly palming himself, a light drool dripping from the edge of his lips. The constant cycle of tits and feminine bits in his mind bombarding all over thoughts.

“A totally gnarly surfer focuses on working out, banging chicks, and chillin’ dude.”

Corey guffawed with a stupid relaxed expression, casually groping as the host moved on.

“And Norman, you’ve worked hard for your position in life, haven’t you?”

The Texan father nodded in cold agreement.

“So what would pride a totally traditional cowboy more than his ranch, his woman, and his legacy?”

Nolan groaned as he instantly unbuckled the massive lock hiding his mighty steed. Huffing loudly, the Southern Baptist’s lil’ pony was wrangled into a full-fledged stallion, the kind that was built to produce offspring. And the kind that got worked up over anything that could threaten the generational uniformity his family, religion, and nation he swore to protect.

“And you, Asher,” the host swiped over to the final contestant. “What’s stopping you from becoming the total Harvard bastard?”

Asher’s face went red and his cock went hard.

“I’m talking complete corruption, pure privilege, Daddy’s little-”

The host was suddenly cut off by a loud holler, the exclaim like the crashing waves of the ocean. Immediately, the comment section blew up as the host, players, and audience watched the surfer jock release a blast of his sea salt spray.

But before the host could congratulate the first winner, the southern father turned around the corner. With one hand whipping his meat and the other held tightly onto his hat, it was only mere moments until the inevitable:

“YEEHAW!”

Once again, the audience burst into merriment over the propagating blast. It was then that Aaron’s anger truly took the best of him. He couldn’t be beaten by two no-names! He was the top of his class, an heir to a Fortune 500 company, and a totally normal man for Christ’s sake! Gripping his pecker and shining it furiously, Aaron accepted his heterosexual rage and vowed that he would win and please his…please his…!

“F…FAAAAATHERR!”

A loud, pretentious yell echoed out of the Harvard student, an endless splurge of funds dumping out of his mighty account. It was just one of the many things his heritage’s estate had granted him.

The host didn’t try to hide his devious sneer as the viewers erupted once more. He’d loved his job because everyone won every time. And now, seeing all the new stereotypical straights he’d created, the host couldn’t help but feel his own massive sausage chub. But he laughed the feeling off, knowing beating off over these other men wouldn’t have been “totally normal.”

“And it looks like with just a minute left on the clock, all three of our contestants will be going home as winners today!” The host then added his artificial rounds of applause. “So, did you three ever figure out what makes you ‘Totally Normal’?”

“Isn’t it obvious, brah?” Cody replied, the typical airhead more sure of himself now than when he had dropped out of high school. “It’s that we’re straight, mannnn…”

“He’s right, partner!” Norman added, his fatherly conviction always strong and steady. “Ain’t none of us are them faggots. If Ah do say so myself, we are all what the mighty Lord named men.”

“Well, if that is what common plebians such as yourself are called, then you shall address me as ‘I-V’,” Asher Osvald IV’s voice was doused in entitlement and a lack of understanding for anyone but himself. A pair of offscreen hands adjusted his tie just to prove his privilege. “After all, I do attend Harvard. I guess you could say I was destined for greatness since birth.”

“Yes, Asher, everyone here knows you are a prick.” The host immediately followed up his quip with a laugh track. “But that’s all we have for today’s show. Signing off, this is Host DJ!”

“Hang ten and surfs up, dudes!”

“The biggest rodeo’s the family and kids y’all!”

“I’m probably way richer than you vagrants, so don’t bother.”

“And don’t forget to ask yourself,” the host winked before adding in the final audio. “ARE YOU NORMAL?”

[littlewonders7]

Arcane isekai ideas for reader pt.10

_______________________

- do you think zaun would like y/n / our modern way music more than piltover? Like I mean different genres(rock, pop, classical, etc)

- i was thinking how i would love y/n to just for the sake of lols and chaos to play 2000s songs or just songs gen z have had during childhood in piltover just to see a reaction of some sort, especially dance party songs like YMCA, cha cha slide, or Macarena and blast that shit so loud that people are like coming out of their homes and questioning wtf is this?? Even better if it somehow makes people dance to it even though it’s not something you typically hear in piltover! Songs I would kind of think piltover would like(from some artist songs I have listened to) JVKE, Sia, Lindsey stirling, Alan walker, Ariana grande, and Cody fry

- for zaun i know i would play lady Gaga songs cause her songs scream something you would hear in zaun! Maybe artist like Kesha, doja cat, p!nk, Melanie Martinez, Bebe rexha, Billie eilish, Demi lovato, and AJR.

- and these are the “normal” songs, now just think how horrific would arcane cast be listening to genre music like glitch core, weirdcore, phonk, and other more modern day music cause I would feel like you had to grew in this day and age and social media to understand what on earth you’re listening to. The arcane, especially in piltover would be atleast a bit concerning for you well being if you listen to some music tripping songs with non friendly lyrics or even sad music too! For zaun I feel they would like the pop and some chaotic music jams but even glitch core or edit music would throw them a loop as well😅

- I think a nice scenario for the cast to found out about y/n music would be maybe them finding y/n napping with headphones and they unplugged it only to hear cause brain tripping language and rated m tunes :) i wonder depending who hears the music would respond!

I know arcane had its own language and writing so maybe either they can’t understand the language or they do but just not the writing ✍️ but either way it still gets a reaction out of them!

[verpineshatterrifle]

okay so your post abt alpha-17 and the other alpha arcs got me thinking (and im sorry for using you as sw google but in my mind you're Alpha Legends Lore mutual) who ARE the oldest clones? I feel like everything got... really confusing with a bunch of super secret REAL first clones getting shuffled into the order. is boba the oldest? in my mind it goes 1 boba 2 nulls 3 alphas 4 the rest of the initial clones that obi-wan saw in aotc but I have no bloody clue 😭

I AM HONORED TO BE YOUR LEGENDS LORE GOOGLE MUTUAL

ok so. sources probably conflict bc this is star wars, of course they do. what i care about is repcomm so we're just gonna go with that as our primary source with wookieepedia as secondary sources

first we gotta get some dates. unfortunately star wars doesnt really give months for most dates but years is still a starting place. these dates are all pulled from wookieepedia, legends page when applicable/different

also we're using geonosis as our date reference point since the timeline is honestly so hard to work with

order 66 happens 19 bby

1st battle of geonosis, 22 bby, the clone wars are 3 years long

boba fett's birth date is listed as 32 bby, meaning he was 10 at geonosis. cody, rex, ordo, fi, spar, and sull are all also listed with a birth date of 32 bby, so we're down to a difference of months here. essentially they're all the same age though- boba himself, troopers, nulls, commandos, and alphas

I REPEAT. ALPHA IS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER THAN THE CORE OF THE GAR. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. HE ISNT THE ONLY ALPHA EITHER.

but who's actually oldest? and is wookieepedia entirely correct? this is the part where i open repcomm and ignore everything else. i don't even know if anything else contradicts because i'm not checking

chapter 1 of triple zero, kal has just arrived on kamino. it's eight years before geonosis, and 2 years into the cloning program

(ALSO ITS SO FUCKING GREAT THAT THIS IS KAL'S INTRODUCTORY LINE LMAOOO <3)

he does see a lot of clone babies in gestation vats, just like we see in attack of the clones as well as cadets of varying ages- the kaminoans continue producing troopers through the entire ten years of the cloning program, so yes, the 'first generation' (clones deployed at geonosis) ARE older than a lot of later clones. but we dont really have a lot of those later clones as named characters as far as i know

anyways

the nulls appear to kal to be 4 or 5 (also peep jango apparently being legitimately shocked by them)

chronologically the nulls are NEARLY two, which probably means like 1 year and 11 months or something

(pause for me to cry about this entire scene, 'kal was instantly proud of all of them,' 'how would you like to be called ordo, he was a mandalorian warrior,' kal teaching them to embrace their fear as a mechanism their body uses to help protect them, but this is gonna be long enough as it is)

and then we have jango showing up with boba. no real indication of if boba or the nulls are actually older, but it's implied that they're very very close in actual age, if not the same age. we also get mention of the commandos and the alphas.

now, this is now just down to what i think and what makes sense to me. the whole point of the nulls is that they were experimental units- the kaminoans wanted to see if tinkering with the genome would be worth it, and ultimately decided it wasn't. it would actually make sense to me if the nulls were at least a year or two older than the rest of the clones- the kaminoans need time to see if their experiment panned out, don't they? but the nulls are also 10 at geonosis

while the nulls have been flash-trained and put through some trial runs at this point, it's indicated that the alphas and commandos aren't quite ready for training yet. this could be because the alphas and commandos are just a bit too young yet, it could be that the kaminoans put the nulls through training at a younger age than they're doing for non-experimental units. not totally clear

this is another point that is important to me: multiple times the nulls pass for clone troopers. i keep seeing headcanons of them being noticeably taller/bigger than other clones and while it is true that they're canonically slightly heavier, i think the difference is probably like 10-20 pounds, most people cannot easily tell the difference. ordo puts on corr's armor and just notes that it's slightly tighter than he's used to. mereel infiltrated kamino in trooper armor unnoticed, even while directly speaking to a kaminoan

here is my opinion on it: -the nulls and boba are basically the same age -the alphas were created next, but a few months after. by this point the kaminoans had decided (possibly because of the nulls' high mortality rate in gestation) that the alphas would be fully unaltered aside from the accelerated aging. the nulls' behavior 'issues' proved to the kaminoans that this was the right call -the commandos were created at the same time or shortly after the alphas. we're talking within weeks if not days. they have minor genetic changes to work better as a team but that's about it. -the troopers then begin production, now that the kaminoans have lots of practice altering jango's genome. heavy alteration for better social cooperation and obedience. -we're talking a span on like 4 months for all of this

you could say that ordo's gray hairs support the nulls being maybe 4-6 months older than everybody else, but i really think he is just that stressy, and there's also book evidence for clones actually aging at variable rates depending on how much stress they're under

quick note for omega: i think her existence is just insane and she's only here because disney was making a children's show and needed a child character (and girl so they can get inclusivity points), but i could see her being made anywhere from at the same time as boba to up to 3 years later. her wookieepedia page doesn't say, because the bad batch never bothered to give us any concrete information on... anything.

WE ARENT EVEN TOUCHING ON EMERIE. WHAT THE FUCK

[cuddles-with-dragons]

I want Han and Leia in the "10yo Luke timetravels to TCW" AU, so...

Leia is a homeless kid on Coruscant that tries to pickpocket Bail. His immediate reaction is "hey, you want me to get you some McDonald's?"

This leads to Leia getting adopted by the Organas.

She has all her original fire but with the added bonus of street smarts and fighting dirty

She's also immediately adopted by the Corrie Guard, or maybe she adopted them. Hard to tell.

Leia once almost attacked Palpatine but was stopped by Bail. Why did she want to kill him? "HE WAS MEAN TO FOX!!!"

Yeah I know nothing canon about Fox or the Corrie Guard but I'll wing it don't get mad. Tumblr is my main source of info.

She is very protective of her commander. Will not tolerate mean civilians. Made him a fox plushie.

Because Sith can have more than one apprentice, (headcanon) so Han, meet your new sister Asajj. 

Yeah Han's a Sith. We got a Jedi, (Luke) a Sith, (Han) and a relatively normal person. (Leia)

He's a nervous boi. Poor guy was traumatized on Corellia and has PTSD at the age of 10. Very jumpy and Ventress does not help with her witch bitch shit.

Eventually comes across Luke in combat and Luke is immediately like "I can tell you don't want to fight and neither do I, wanna swap sides?"

Han isn't really sure so he and his new friend (+ Obi-Wan & Cody) talk it over.

Cody is on edge the entire time but Obi-Wan's dad instincts kick in and he's awesome. Not everyone deserves a redemption but this kiddo certainly does.

[inkybyl]

It’s 4AM and I’ve just had a bloody idea regarding Crosshair in the Modern Batch AU (Ramble)

(Not the most original but omdhakabajdj I have to write it down and ramble before I fall asleep and forget, yknow what I mean?)

Tagging @sp4wnofch40s & @clonethirstingisreal because y’all have a talent for literally deciphering anything I say whenever I post anything about this 🤣 (that, and I can’t help but tag you both bc it’s so much fun talking about this with you 👉👈🫶)

I might make a dedicated navigation list for this AU, I’m having waaaayy too much fun with this and wanna keep up with what I’m waffling about

In the Modern AU of the bad batch (⚠️this will contain names and roles of characters that may Spoil The Bad Batch!!⚠️) I’ve come up with a few wholesome things and general dynamics that have an easy translation between Star Wars canon, and this alternate universe idea.

However I just thought of another, but before that, quick context I’ve mentioned in other posts:

All the clone boys are raised in a group home run by Shaak Ti & Plo Koon after they wanted to be the sole guardians of all the clones. Keeping in line with CF99’s canon relationship with the Regs, their relationship with the other clone boys led to constant fights - so Hunter took them out of that and left school to start working so they could have a place for themselves. Older brothers like Rex & Cody, etc keep an eye on them and help them in anyway they can.

(In this AU, I kinda want the boys to be different ages, if they do have different ages it would look like this: When Omega arrives, she’s 5. Crosshair & Tech are 13. Wrecker is 17, and Hunter is 19. These are also the ages when Wrecker gets hurt, a few months before Omega arrives. Important to note, after the events of the idea spoken about below 👇 about 5 years would’ve gone past, as that will line up slightly with Omega & Crosshair’s interactions like in the canon. She will be 10 & Crosshair will be 18 or 19)

The new addition of context ideas:

But the agreement with the council/ government states that once a clone leaves the home or turns 18 they lose any and all legal authority over them. So if one of the clone boys got into trouble after they’ve grown up/injured as an adult - Shaak Ti and Plo Koon can’t do anything about it. (Another subtle system put in place to wash out the clone boys as they grow up, essentially casting them to the streets and stuff)

The actual idea I just had but needed to make sure I could connect the dots with the early ideas I already had:

Any clones that are disobedient get sent to military school, funded by Tarkin and run by Hemlock.

Crosshair hasn’t adapted to Omega being dropped on them very well, despite it being 5 years since she’s been a part of their family, and he’s started acting out a lot more, causing more fights, threatening more people while battling a raging superiority and/or inferiority complex.

(This next bit is very much under construction because I’m not sure how I’d like this to work out: Crosshair meets mayday around this time period and they’re the same age, if not then Mayday is probably a year or two older, and he starts spending a lot of time with him instead of at home - Mayday isn’t a trouble maker and he’s quite similar to Hunter where he took his squad and made a house a home for them all - he’s acting as a symbolism of what CF99 might’ve looked like if they weren’t defective - Hunter would’ve stayed in school like mayday, and would’ve been able to help his brothers out with a lot more things if that makes sense? Crosshair hangs out with Mayday, but mayday isn’t a troublemaker.

One day while Crosshair is chilling out with Mayday, Hexx & Veetch, (Lieutenant) Nolan starts harassing and laughing at them with his rich boy posse. ((This next bit is very much in the works)) But because Mayday is employed by Nolan’s father (a government official) and even though he’s in a higher position than the wee shite, he doesn’t say much and just shrugs it off.

Eventually the harassment gets significantly worse and Mayday is jumped by Nolan’s gang and is sent to the hospital. Crosshair then bugs out and beats the whole gang up, including Nolan. He’s caught by police and due to Nolan’s status as an official’s son, Cross is then taken to the military school to get him back in line. )) <— End the ‘under construction idea’

Military School idea

After Crosshair was causing too much chaos with fights + beating up Nolan, Governor Tarkin ordered for him & some other clone boys that had went ‘rogue’, and since they weren’t underage/ under Shaak Ti/Plo Koon’s supervision anymore - there’s nothing they could do to get them back.

(In the eyes of the government, it would just be seen as two strangers trying to claim back an adult if that makes sense?)

At the military school he’s then treated horrendously, like the other clones that are brought there, under the guise of “discipline”, hence the links with the canon trauma. (As this is a modern AU and even though I love me some corrupted experimentation storylines, I think it’s probably better to stick with adults in positions of authority abusing that power. AKA, Hemlock)

Anyways, after some more brainstorming I’ll need to figure out a way to get Omega and Crosshair to meet again cos she’s the one who manages to break his shell like in the show and takes care of him, like she does in the show.

But yeah!

Sorry if this is so scattered, I’ve literally been struggling to sleep and this popped to mind, so I had to write the ideas out as soon as they came! Everything’s still a rough idea, and all an’ all, a very fun concept to play with!!

Hopefully it’s legible 🤣🤣 I’m having so much fun playing with all of these concepts and ideas, I haven’t proofread this so sorry if anything is a bit confusing!! Gonna try n fall asleep listening to some Daz Black now

🫶✨🩵