#he is a good friend and a gentle and courageous leader

[everyryuujisuguro]

[mysterywriter2187]

Transformers: One - What's In A Kneel?

!!!!!MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

With the responsibility of leadership and the dangers of pedestals and hero worship being such major themes, it only makes sense that all three of the film's leaders would show their true characters, and in doing so seal their fates, in moments where they have to kneel/bow.

Sentinel Prime essentially sets the entire second half of the film in motion when both the heroes and we as the viewer see him kneel to the Quintessons. It confirms everything that Alpha Trion was just telling them/us about him, and it's also the very thing that ends up getting broadcast to Iacon in order to finally expose Sentinel and turn the public against their False Prime.

For all his superficial charisma and his talk of looking out for the little guys, Sentinel himself is truly nothing more than a self-centred, spineless coward, who couldn't care less for the needs of the many and gladly bends to the will of bigger bullies/oppressors in order to keep himself in power.

After learning of Sentinel's betrayal and being subsequently captured with the High Guard, D-16 makes a point to stand while in custody and adamantly refuses to kneel. Even when Sentinel begins beating and torturing him, D-16 makes it abundantly clear that he has no intention of bowing to him or anyone else ever again.

In better circumstances this could be a heroic trait, a courageous defiance and the willingness to stand up in the face of injustice. But it just as becomes a negative one, and it's one of the last warning signs to the kind of leader that Megatron is going to be.

He may have started out with good and heroic intentions, but because of this Megatron sees himself as superior, and whether by choice or by force, he expects his fellow Cybetronians to rally behind him just as they did with Sentinel. While he sees himself as a revolutionary, in the end he's just going to become another tyrant.

And then we have Orion Pax. For much of the film, he's a far cry from the noble, legendary leader that we know and love from other iterations, but he starts to grow into it as he devises the rescue mission, and is tasked with rallying his fellow miners to help.

Having gotten a major upgrade since the last time he saw them, Orion now towers over his former peers and they're utterly awed by the sight of him. Rather than trying to take advantage of their admiration or even intimidate them with his new size and strength, Orion almost seems frustrated by the new height difference, and before beginning his speech he kneels down to literally speak to them on their level.

Orion doesn't make a point to do this, no one has to ask or prompt him to, in fact he himself doesn't even give that much thought to it, it's just his first instinct for how to best communicate. He may look larger and stronger now, but he still values the miners as his friends and his equals, and nothing is ever going to change that.

Gaining the Matrix later on may have gotten him the name, but it's this moment when Orion truly begins to embody the true core and heart of Optimus Prime. Powerful and inspiring, yet humble and caring. Or perhaps, as the legendary Peter Cullen himself has always said:

"Strong enough to be gentle."

[hugmekenobi]

A Series of Firsts

A Bad Batch S1 Prequel Oneshot: 'First Fight'

Gif by @imalovernotahater

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Summary: A mission to Ryloth sees some underlying tensions getting expressed in the wrong way

Warnings: No use of (Y/N), canon-typical violence, awkward Hunter and reader, slightly angry Hunter/he doesn't quite act like himself, my limited battle strategy knowledge, minor lies/deceit, swearing, very light angst, scheming brothers

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers

<Previous Prequel Oneshot

Series Masterlist

Word Count: 3.9K (I forgot how writing everything on one doc worked so ignore my previous idea of this being much longer... had a dumb moment lol)

Rating: 18+ (a catch all for all my works)

Author's Note: Yes, this is a reasonable length. No, I clearly don't know how word docs work anymore haha but I hope you all enjoy and it's still long enough!

Ryloth

You were a couple months into your membership with your newfound squad and things with the Batch had settled surprisingly well. Each of their personalities and ways had made it easy for you to feel comfortable and at ease with them. They were all likeable in their own way: Echo was a kind, solid voice of reason that kept you- and you guessed Hunter- sane, Tech had some funny quirks that kept things light and his intelligence made him both fascinating to watch and converse with, Crosshair’s natural sarcastic and cool disposition was something you had no trouble matching, and Wrecker, well there wasn’t much to not like about the gentle giant of the group who rarely had a negative thing to say about anything or anyone. Plus, you had no issue getting behind their atypical strategic plans and blatant disregard for regulation. So, to look at, everything should’ve been great so far, but it wasn’t.

Even with all this goodness, what had not settled for you were your complicated feelings for the certain clone sergeant who was determined to make your life a living nightmare– and that was saying something given your already tricky personal predicament that you still hadn’t worked up the courage to inform the squad of- but keeping that hidden was proving to be the easier task. You could keep up the pretence of being normal about that but for some reason, you had to channel all your focus into being normal around the clone with enhanced senses. You’d really hoped Devaron had been nothing more than you adjusting to the shock of seeing a clone as- well- as attractive as he was. You’d almost hoped it was only as shallow a thought as that.

But no, of course that wasn’t the case. Not only was Hunter a patient, understanding and caring person but he was also a highly skilled and capable squad leader which meant now you were just constantly feeling confused. You didn’t know what this feeling was, but you needed to get a handle on it because you couldn’t afford nor allow it to grow into that territory that you’d been warned of all your life, especially because he acted perfectly normal around you now. You knew you could do it; it was just proving to be something that was easier said than done.

“Hey, you with us?” Hunter asked as he rested a hand on your shoulder.

You remembered where you currently were and snapped back into the current moment as you gestured to the holomap and avoided the questioning looks of the others. “Wrecker and I enter through the back of the base as the rest of you create a distraction out front before joining us inside to provide back up as Wrecker brings the base down.” You confirmed hurriedly as you focused on not noticing the fact that his touch was setting off that warm tingling in your veins.

Hunter nodded and realised his hand was still on you, so he quickly removed it and cleared his throat as he spoke more professionally to the whole group, “Let’s move out.” He ordered before he put on his helmet and led the way out the ship.

You pulled your hood and mask up and did the same.  

The others watched the two of you head out first and shared knowing glances. They had noticed the lingering looks, the brief but meaningful touches and building tension between the two of you but it seemed you both were determined to ignore it and act like complete morons about it. However, the opportunities for action were few and far between given the busy mission schedule but they knew something had to be done to speed this along.

--

“Where the hell are you guys?” You shouted into your comm as you and Wrecker mowed down line after line of droids. It was simple task but back up wouldn’t go amiss and they were late which you knew wasn’t a strategic change. Something had gone wrong.

“The intel we got before taking this mission was wrong! They had more numbers and sent more out front that we thought!” Echo’s voice informed you both over the sounds of blaster fire.

“I should point out that this has been a growing concern.” Tech’s voice inputted, “We have rarely had a mission where the intel we received beforehand was accurate.”

“Okay, well, can you make it, or should we just do it ourselves?” You asked as you worked on opening the control room door whilst Wrecker stood guard.

“Negative. You need to pull out! Leave and we’ll regroup!”

“Hunter, we’ve already made it to the control room! We can still-” You started to protest as the door opened.

“There’s a large wave of droids heading directly your way! You’ll be boxed in! The two of you need to get out of there right now!” Hunter interrupted sharply.

“Oh come on! I haven’t blown something up in weeks!” Wrecker complained into the comm channel, but he was readying himself to leave.

You placed a hand on his forearm to stop him. “Keep setting the charges.” You ordered as you scanned the room and caught sight of a familiar panel in the wall.

Wrecker propped his helmet up on his head and looked at you in confusion. “But Hunter said-”

“I know but we’ve come this far, we can finish the mission and get out of here, I promise.”

“How?” Wrecker asked before he fired off a round of shots down the corridor to down the approaching line of droids and took up position by the door to cover you as you searched for whatever it was you were seeking out.

You pulled on the handle and when you were sure he wasn’t looking, you summoned your gift and widened the manipulated the metal walls so it would accommodate both of you. “Garbage chute exit?” You offered with a mischievous lilt to your voice.

“Oh hell yeah!” Wrecker boomed as he turned away from the door got to work on setting the explosives.

Your comm chirped again and you heard Hunter’s insistent shouts of your name and Wrecker’s. Hunter spoke with a type of authority that on any other day might’ve convinced you to stand down your or it might’ve evoked a far more inappropriate bodily response, but you were determined to leave Ryloth with a win and you were already too far gone in the plan, you wouldn’t turn back down so you turned yours off before the order could finish.

“You sure about this, Wrecker?” You double checked. You knew you’d instructed him to keep going but if he wasn’t comfortable disobeying both his brother and squad leader, you wouldn’t make him.

“I’m all in.” Wrecker confirmed as he silenced his own comm and got to work on finishing up the layout of the charges.

You tossed your dagger into the control panel of the door to keep the oncoming wave of droids out and to keep you both in.

--

At the sound of static, Hunter ground out a deep and aggravated sigh as he stared up at the console room.

He knew you and Wrecker were still in there and coming up with a dangerous, ill-conceived plan and he was racking his brain for a way back in to stop it and get you both outta there. They’d finally taken care of the droids that had been sent out to meet them but the ones inside were the problem now.

“Let them figure it out.” Echo advised calmly.

“I believe the two of them are capable enough to find their escape route.” Tech agreed but he still began working on pulling up schematics of the building to see if there was a better way in for them to go should they need to.

Hunter clenched his jaw, “She’s trapped in there with no clear way out. We don’t know that she’ll be fine.”

“They’re going to be fine.” Crosshair corrected him bluntly.

Hunter swallowed thickly, “Right. That’s what I meant.” He said, shifting on his feet nervously as he could only wait and hope you made it out of there in one piece.

--

“All set?” You asked as you hovered by your exit.

Wrecker nodded firmly and activated the bombs just as the two of you entered the chute.

--

The four of them watched on from the safety of the ground and they heard the low booming and telltale sparks of explosions, but they saw two figures tumble out of a chute just as the base started to collapse.

“See? They had covered.” Crosshair said with an amused lilt to his voice.

But Hunter wasn’t amused in the slightest. He holstered his blaster and dagger and led the way towards the two of you.

--

“That. Was. Awesome!” Wrecker whooped as the two of you finished sliding down the landfill pill and pulled you to your feet. “We should have plans like that more often!”

You wiped some of the trash off your body and tugged your mask down to grin at the clone, “Nice work on the bombs.” You said with an impressed nod back to the wreckage.

Wrecker smiled proudly and went to say something else, but Hunter’s voice interrupted him.

“What the hell was that?” Hunter asked angrily as he removed his helmet.

You met Hunter’s stern stare but placed a hand on Wrecker’s chest to stop him from taking the heat as you sensed him getting ready to speak. “Totally my idea, Sarge. Wrecker had nothing to do with it.”

“Oh, I know, and I want to know why you felt it appropriate to go against my order?” Hunter interrogated tightly.

“We needed to complete the mission.” You disputed.

“And deliberately risking the life of a teammate was the only way to do that?” Hunter challenged.

You furrowed your brow. “I’d never deliberately endanger anyone or-”

“But by making that call you did! You can’t ignore a direct order like that!”

“Crosshair and Echo pulled something similar two weeks ago!” You argued as you gestured to the two clones watching on.

“She has a point, Hunter.” Echo said tentatively with Tech nodding in agreement and Crosshair giving an affirming but mostly unbothered shrug.

But Hunter ignored him and only spoke to you. “That’s different! They’ve been in this squad long enough. They’ve earned the right to behave that way, you haven’t!” Hunter said before he could really think the words through.

The words stunned you. “Haven’t earned the right.” You repeated under your breath but the hurt you felt was written across your face. You knew you’d only been with them for a relatively short period of time given the circumstances, but you’d thought you’d bonded with them in some way. Clearly, you’d thought wrong.

Hunter had never regretted a choice of words more. He’d let his fear drive him and now he wished he had the power to turn back time to do this all again. “Wait, I didn’t-” But he was too late. You turned your back on him and walked away in the direction of the ship before he could finish.

--

There was a brief moment of silence as they all watched you storm off before Wrecker broke it.

“Come on, Sarge, you have to admit that was a pretty great plan!”

“Wrecker-”

“She let me use all the bombs I wanted and even getting to that control room was easy!”

“Wrecker, that’s en-”

“You can’t have meant what you said cause she’s one of us for sure!”

“Wrecker, enough.” Hunter snapped bitterly but he immediately regretted his tone. He knew his reaction wasn’t fair. He wasn’t angry, not really, and if he was being honest, it wasn’t the fact that orders had been disobeyed, it was seeing how Wrecker had reacted to you and the fact that his brother sounded so fond of and completely captivated by you that was really bothering him right now. And none of that should have bothered him, but it did though he couldn’t fathom why it-

Oh.

Dammit.

This was jealously.

He was fucking jealous. He was jealous of his own brother, and he had no valid reason to be.

“Was waiting for you to figure that out.” Crosshair remarked knowingly as he saw the expression on Hunter’s face even though his brother masked it quickly.

Hunter gathered himself and got his emotions under control. You weren’t his in any way and that was fine. Plus, you clearly didn’t think of him or any of them like that, so he had to get himself together. Echo’s voice pulled him out his thoughts.

“You were a bit harsh, Hunter. We’ve all acted out one way or another.” Echo pointed out.

Hunter sighed as he said, “She disobeyed a direct order-”

“Uh yeah… that’s kinda what we do.” Wrecker countered in bewilderment, “And it was brilliant! I got to blow things up and we completed the mission.”

“She put you in unnecessary danger.” Hunter disputed.

“I wanted to, Hunter. She made sure I was okay with it.” Wrecker told him.

Of course you did. He should’ve known that you would’ve. You clearly cared for the safety of the team, and you had a sense of duty and responsibility that he admired… and it was one of the many reasons why it was so hard for him to simply shove every annoying flicker of unprofessional emotion away. You kept giving him reasons to fall for you. This was foreign territory that he was clearly terrible at navigating right now. He’d really fucked up here and he could only hope there was a way to fix this.

“I believe his reaction has more to do with the immediate danger she placed herself in over the disobeying of the order.” Tech hypothesised.

“No shit.” Crosshair said with a roll of his eyes.

Hunter glanced between his brothers who all had variations of the same expression that gave the impression that they knew something he didn’t. “What are you talking about?” He asked, his voice wary because, aside from today, he thought he’d been good about acting completely normal towards you since Devaron but the looks he was receiving suddenly made him think otherwise. The caution was also because he knew Tech was correct- the idea of you being caught in a collapsing building with no way out had made him more frightened than he cared for and that was what had been driving him when he’d spoken to you in that way.

“You feel a different kind of affection for her that surpasses the usual friend or familial kind.” Tech explained but with a lilt to his voice that suggested he didn’t understand why his brother had even asked the question.  

“I- no, I don’t.” Hunter barely managed to sound convincing.

“Please,” Crosshair said with a dismissive snicker, “We all see it.”

“There’s nothing to see.” Hunter insisted, doing his best to keep the frantic edge to his voice at bay. This was the last conversation he wanted to be having.

“It’s okay if you do-”

“I don’t.” Hunter interrupted Echo through gritted teeth. He couldn’t allow their words to give him any sense of false hope. You didn’t think of him in any way other than a friend and right now, probably not even that. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by hypotheticals that he knew would go unanswered or give him the answers he didn’t want. There was a war going, that was the priority, whatever feelings he could feel growing for you could and should be ignored.

“But she also does. We’ve noticed-” Wrecker started to say.

“I’m not listening to this.” Hunter said defensively before he turned his back to head back to the ship and to signal the end of the conversation. He may have disagreed with the core substance of what they were saying but he knew they were right about how he’d unfairly reacted to you and that was something he needed to rectify.

--

“Can I come in?” Hunter asked cautiously from the doorway to the cockpit.

“It’s your ship, you’ve earned the right to go wherever you want. I’m just a visitor.” You said coldly without glancing up to look at him as you continued to sharpen your weapon.

Hunter winced at your tone, and he took a deep breath as he sat across from you. “I’m sorry. I really am. I shouldn’t have reacted like that.”

“I never would’ve carelessly risked Wrecker’s life, Hunter. You have to know me better than that by now.” You put your weapon into the strap on your back as you finally looked at him.

Hunter ran a hand down his face in complete shame over how poorly he’d acted. “I know that. I didn’t mean- I was just-”

“I know I’m not one of you so if you want me to leave-”

“No, no I definitely don’t.” Hunter admitted hastily because the thought of that was a bit too unbearable.

You tilted your head in exasperated confusion. “Then why did you say-”

“I was scared, okay.” Hunter interrupted through an abrupt breath.

Any argument or fight evaporated your body as you heard him say those words and while part of you wondered if the deeper fear you sensed from him was rooted in anything more than the concern he showed as a good leader, the other part of you knew those words wouldn’t have been easy to say. “Hunter…”

“You never told me what your plan was.” Hunter pointed out gently, “You just turned off your comm and left it at that. I had no idea what you were doing or how you were getting out of there. All I knew was that building was getting swarmed by droids and there were charges that could go off any minute and that you and my brother were trapped inside.”

You reached across and squeezed his hand before you could stop yourself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think,” You apologised, utterly mortified by your carelessness, “I guess I’d been on my own for so long, I’d forgotten what being part of a squad means.”

Hunter nodded his acceptance of your apology before he said, “Well, you have one now and we have to tell each other things- especially when those things involve risk. So, when you didn’t, I was left thinking of all the worst-case scenarios.” Hunter felt himself growing more awkward as he said next, “And- I- I like having you around and out there it really did feel like for a moment that wasn’t going to happen anymore.” He took a moment to gather himself before he carried on more professionally, “But regardless, my reaction wasn’t fair. You’re a part of this squad, I shouldn’t have implied anything different.”

“Yeah, that stunt made it official! You won’t be rid of us that easily!”

You half turned to smile at Wrecker and that was when you noticed the faces of the others who all had a mix of proud and impressed expressions on their faces. “Glad to hear it.” You said with a smile but that was more to mask your rising guilt. The idea of being was one of them was something that you really did want but you were living a lie. Until they knew they true you, how could they fully accept you? You pushed that to the side for now. There would be an appropriate time to tell them, there had to be. “So, how about if I’m going to disobey an order, we agree that I tell you what I’m doing instead? That way we can avoid any and all worries?” You said light-heartedly instead.

“Sounds good.” Hunter agreed with a quiet chuckle as he looked at you.

Your gaze locked with his and for a moment, you found yourself getting lost in the warmth of his dark brown eyes.

A pointed cough from someone- probably Crosshair- reminded you both that they were all still here.

You both swiftly looked away from each other at the same time.

“Wrecker, you okay if I grab the shower first? As great as that was, I don’t know how much longer I can stand the smell.” Plus, internally you knew it had to be bothering Hunter in some way, and you didn’t want that at all.

Wrecker nodded.

“I was trying so hard not to say anything…” Hunter teased.

You scowled playfully and lightly punched his shoulder. “Don’t forget, this is the stench of success.” You said with a warm smile in his direction before you hopped up and left the cockpit.

Hunter watched you go and shook his head to remove the hopeful thoughts that entered his brain before he followed you down to tidy his stuff away.

--

“We’re all in agreement, right?” Echo said in a hushed tone from the cockpit as he watched the two of you dance around each other in the tight space.

“Definitely.” Wrecker concurred enthusiastically.

“Yes. I’m already tired of watching this,” Crosshair said grouchily, “For a while it was funny but now it’s just fucking annoying. He could certainly do a lot worse. And if she wants him, then that’s her problem.”

“Supportive.” Echo remarked sarcastically.

Crosshair shrugged, “I’m on board, aren’t I?”

Echo conceded the point with a dip of his head, and it was only because he knew Crosshair well that he could tell that he did have a vested interest in both you and Hunter’s wellbeing. “Tech?” He asked as he realised that he was the only one who hadn’t spoken yet.

“Hmm?” Tech asked distantly as he focused on uploading the latest recordings and report on his datapad.

Crosshair shoved his datapad down and simply pointed.

“Oh, yes. That. I thought it was so obvious we didn’t even need to comment on it.” Tech stated frankly as he looked ahead to you both.

“Well, how are we going to show them it’s obvious?” Wrecker asked.

“I have a long list of ideas.” Crosshair said with a scheming smirk.

“Any of them not based around the idea of deliberately putting either of them in immediate danger?”

Crosshair gave Echo a hard stare- he thought the danger route was obviously the most effective one, but he relented. He huffed out a short breath. “I’ve got a couple of ideas.” He corrected himself reluctantly.

Echo shook his head and ran a hand down his face, “I’m sure we can think of some together.”

“When do we start?” Wrecker asked excitedly.

“No time like the present.” Tech suggested as he nodded down the hallway.

The four of them shared in an exasperated group sigh as they stared at the scene ahead of them. You had come out of the refresher clearly having forgotten to grab something. You were still dressed, the only thing missing was your hooded layer, so you were simply in your tank top, but their brother’s reaction upon seeing you in minimally less clothing was anything but subtle.

You two may have been in denial about what was going on with your feelings, but it was clear as day to the rest of them and they weren’t going to stop until you and Hunter finally admitted it to yourself and to each other.

Next Prequel Oneshot (to be posted)>

Tagging: @andreaaxy, @noeasyisnoisy, @arctrooper69, @moonychicky, @notgonnaedit, @dreamsight73, @dizzy-9906, @thegreymarveljedi, @nightmonkeysstuff, @allthingsimagines, @jellybeanstacey0519, @callsign-denmark, @superbookishhufflepuff, @qvnthesia, @justsomerandompersonintheworld, @ooostarwarsfandom501st, @youreababboon, @livin-life-to-the-coolest

[soberpluto]

Explaining Dignities: Exaltation

The reason why I want to talk about them is because I've actually seen dignities play a big role in readings, as they do describe how well or adverse certain matters can play out for the querent...so here's a little analogy to understand them better!

Context: In Hellenistic (traditional) astrology, exalted planets are said to be like the favorite guests of a given sign (host), so the resources they have at their disposal are equal or even greater than the host's. In other words, imagine a queen or king being invited to a neighboring kingdom, they will be treated with the greatest of honors and commodities! In a practical aspect, this means that the qualities of that planet (the guest) will be able to shine at their maximum, making that particular area of life (house) easier or more fortunate for the owner of the birth chart.

*Mind that below I’m speaking metaphorically of “house” as the SIGN the planet is exalted, and not the astrological house as such (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). *

Sun in Aries: Sun is a friend of Mars, as both rule fire signs and are leaders by nature. Mars is delighted to receive his royal friend, as he’s anxious to show him how noble, honorable, brave, and pioneer he is, and just how much he has achieved on his own. His job is to win wars for the kingdom after all! He’s thrilled to share his best tactics and borrow his friend his most treasured weaponry. The Sun feels comfortable because he has all he needs to command freely in this household, as his creativity, charisma, leadership and authenticity are praised by his friend. Together, they come up with solutions and strategies to conquer whatever they want! They are not afraid of competition or enemies, as both are equally ambitious and powerful in their own ways. Mars trusts the Sun, as he believes nobody is as visionary and talented enough to lead as he does. The Sun, in return, feels even more driven and powerful to accomplish his goals, as he has access to an incredible arsenal and his mission is thoroughly supported by his friend’s energy and fiery ability to execute his plans.  

Personality keywords: high self-esteem, passionate, entrepreneurial, courageous, independent, self-reliant, proactive, resourceful, inspiring, competent, combative, non-stoppable.

Moon in Taurus: The Moon feels really welcomed in one of Venus’ places, as both value beauty, security, domestic life and emotional closeness. They speak the same language, as both love to connect and celebrate relationships. They allure through tact and sweetness instead of brute force as their counterparts (the Sun and Mars) do. The Moon loves Taurus’ palace since she’s fascinated by beautiful art, exquisite food, overgrowing nature, dreamy romance, and abundant wealth… she’s just so inspired and fulfilled with this kind of luxury and magnificence! In here she has firm and solid grounds to step on, so her moods and emotional needs are stable as well. The Moon is able to relax and enjoy life effortlessly as she becomes more in tune with her physical senses and the things that bring her genuine pleasure. With Taurus’ gentle and grounded approach, the Moon lets her love flow naturally in all directions without the fear of being judged, ridiculed, or getting hurt. Like her friend, she is moved to become the glue between the people she’s fond of and attracts what she desires through her feminine and gentle nature. The Moon is so pampered and taken good care of that she’s able to channel her emotional depth and excellent organizational skills towards the growth and embellishment of her relationships and surroundings in a lasting way.  

Personality keywords: soothing, calming, relaxed, adorable, loyal, possessive, down-to-earth, practical, trustworthy, maternal, cozy, warm, gentle, nourishing, wealthy.

Mercury in Virgo: Mercury is always eager to pay a visit to Virgo´s realm, as he feels productive and useful here. As the guest, Mercury has all the mental and practical resources to give his thoughts structure and build all the great things he imagines into reality. Virgo gladly grants her friend access inside her huge library so he can explore his wide range of interests and gives him the key into her laboratory and workshop, places where he can experiment and practice all his learnings and become an expert on what he chooses to. She knows how anxious and critical he can get when he doesn’t rest or when things don’t go his way, so she also allows him to use her gym and provides him the best doctors and nutritionists to ease his stress. Virgo is pleased to see that Mercury quickly understands the importance of wellness and health, as she knows he cannot get his job done without proper self-care. Once relaxed and restored, he feels inspired to be of service, as he believes his quick wit and knowledge are put to good use. Mercury, thus, is motivated to grow, upgrade himself, achieve mastery and share his gifts with the world to make it a better place thanks to the wisdom, tools and care her friend borrows.

Personality traits: methodical, skilled, expert, wise, smart, discerning, perfectionist, high-standards, inventive, detail-oriented, practical, productive, industrious, quick wit, self-made.

Mars in Capricorn: In this sober and ancient residence, Mars is forced to cool down a bit and think before he acts. He understands that there is no one to conquer or outdo but himself. As guest in other households, Mars, as explosive, impatient and ambitious as he is, sometimes can get lost in the way, initiating projects and strategies that he later on drops because he gets bored quickly or doesn’t get the immediate results he wants; he also throws tantrums and whims when this happens, and his anger makes him do reckless and foolish things at times, something other hosts find puzzling or repulsive, where they either encage him or make him submissive, something that irritates and demotivates him even more. Capricorn, his patient and wise host, on the other hand, knows just how impulsive and enthusiastic his friend gets, so he kindly but firmly teaches him the art of discipline to achieve his goals, explaining him that violence is of no use here, but instead, self-control and resilience. After many trials and tests, Mars sees how his dedication pays off, and finds out that with constancy and practicality, his immense passion and drive can get him to unimaginable heights! Capricorn teaches him the required organizational and leadership skills to leave a renowned legacy well beyond his years. With his inborn initiative and fiery spirit channeled into the material realm, Mars is ready to raise an empire if he wanted to!    

Personality traits: ambitious, self-made, responsible, go-getter, director, powerful, resilient, pragmatic, dedicated, strategist, organized, efficient, problem-solver, relentless, strong.

Venus in Pisces: When Venus enters the sacred and watery temple of Pisces, she is mesmerized by the enthralling type of beauty she finds in here. His generous and candid host takes her for a walk throughout the entire temple and reveals to her the mysteries of the universe. He grants her access to his secret chamber, where he teaches her the art of magic and spiritual healing, and lectures her about ancient and mystical knowledge, long forgotten to humankind, but very present and real nonetheless … these are wonders she didn’t knew existed before! Pisces knows how to inspire her soul in the most delicate and virtuous ways by reminding her of her true nature, that of divine precedence. Venus cannot help to spill what’s in her heat, so she asks her friend the tools to create beautiful music, paintings, and poems so she can share them with the world. Magnanimous and wise as he is, Pisces grants all her wishes, but also shows her the secret suffering that people are burdened with, and how cold the hearts of men have become before this pain. Awed and deeply touched, Venus’ empathy and understanding grows, and she starts to see the veil between the material and spiritual realms dissolve before her. She’s never felt such calling before! She knows her mission is to spread beauty, compassion and kindness, and she does this with unconditional love and devotion.    

Personality keywords: romantic, good-natured, fair, balanced, connected, spiritual, creative, artistic, imaginative, warm, gentle, generous, understanding, devotional, forgiving, tolerant.  

Jupiter in Cancer: When Jupiter enters the sanctuary of Cancer, he becomes even more lucky and faithful in life. He radiates joy and candor! This is because Cancer teaches him that without love, good-will alone is not enough to make himself and others truly happy. Jupiter is aware of this, but he sometimes can lose himself in fantasies and utopic scenarios, where he wishes things could be different instead of trying to build them into reality. He dreams and preaches, but he can sacrifice practicality in the process. When Cancer has him over, she shows him how to extend the bridge between good intentions and actions, as she’s amazing at ordering her surroundings and making a heart-felt home wherever she goes because of her innate gift for nurturing. She also helps his friend to tap into his intuition and use his common sense to tame his emotions, which can be boundless at times. She does this by treating him with praise, understanding and acceptance, so he can practice them with himself and others. Jupiter finally feels a sense of belonging, as his good intentions are not abused, misunderstood, or minimized... they are used to make good things happen. Through accessing his more feminine side, Jupiter is compelled to give selflessly more of himself to others, and since he’s in a house that governs creation and karma, what goes around comes around multiplied. By practicing morality, ethics, charity and unconditional love without expecting nothing in return, as Cancer does, he finds out that he attracts the best of fortunes.

Personality traits: kind, compassionate, loving, caring, sympathetic, cheerful, charisma, altruistic, supported, rooted, lucky, fortunate, cozy, happy, benevolent, comprehensive, soft, guided, protective.

Saturn in Libra: When Saturn is in Libra, his sobriety and coldness start to wash off and trade for diplomacy, elegance and a profound pursuit of justice and fairness. In the friendly home of Libra, Saturn feels the need to connect, as her host reminds him the importance of friends, allies, and partnerships. After all, he cannot get ahead in life alone! Saturn’s industriousness and wisdom are channeled into building loyal and lasting relationships, where all parties get what they need equally. Libra knows his reputation well, and although she recognizes that his friend can be a bit stubborn, stern and gloomy at times, she loves to lighten him up and remind him of his noble character, and how it can create enduring and strong bonds. She gives him the mission of justice and impartiality, as she knows nobody is better suited than him for his seriousness and sense of responsibility. Saturn protects and respects Libra and feels empowered because she realigns him with balance and high ideals. He does not feel rejected or lonely anymore. Libra teaches him to relax a bit and to seek pleasure from the warmth of social interactions, and in consequence, Saturn learns to apply his maturity and discipline to persuade others into creating a kinder, fairer and wiser world.   

Personality traits: noble, just, dignified, committed, loyal, elegant, eloquent, responsible, diplomatic, mature, moral, impartial.

That's all! Thanks everyone for reading!😘

Book personal readings here: https://starintuitivehealing.etsy.com

Written by @soberpluto

[todorokis-girl]

That's really not what I meant - Kuroo Tetsurō (pt 1)

Hey 🌸

Summary: Our protagonist struggles with unrequited love for her childhood friend and team captain, Kuroo Tetsuro. With the support of her twin brother Kenma and their teammates, she faces the challenge of moving on and finding happiness beyond her crush. This story is filled with high school drama, emotional moments, and the strong bonds of friendship and team spirit. 💖🏐

(part 2)

masterlist

"You're drooling," my brother remarked, his eyes glued to the screen, the distinctive music of his game continuing uninterrupted.

“I am not,” I retorted, though my voice lacked conviction. 

“You are,” came a voice from the opposite side of me, the familiar tone of the libero, Yaku, unmistakable.

“Yaku!” I exclaimed, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. To add insult to injury, they were probably right. I had the most annoying crush on the team captain, Kuroo Tetsurou, a childhood friend who had grown from an awkward boy into an undeniably attractive and charismatic leader. Watching him command the court with such confidence and skill was mesmerizing.

I sighed deeply, resigning myself to the teasing. "Fine, maybe I was," I admitted, rolling my eyes as I stood up. I grabbed a water bottle and a towel to hand to the captain as he walked back from the court for the break. My heart thudded in my chest as I approached him, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance.

“Good job, captain,” I said, trying to keep my composure as I handed him the bottle and the towel.

Kuroo’s eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. “Thanks, miss manager,” he replied, taking the items from me. His fingers brushed mine ever so slightly, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. I rummaged in my waist bag and pulled out a band-aid, noticing a small scrape on his finger.

“You scraped your finger earlier,” I pointed out, trying to sound as professional as possible. “If you don’t put a band-aid on it, it’ll be bad. We can’t have our middle blocker out of commission.”

Kuroo chuckled softly, a sound that made my heart flutter. “Thanks for looking out for me,” he said, his eyes twinkling with appreciation.

I watched as he carefully applied the band-aid, my mind wandering back to the countless memories we had shared. Growing up, Kuroo had always been there for me, whether it was to bandage a scraped knee or offer a comforting hug when things got tough. Now, seeing him in his element, leading the team with such passion, only made my feelings for him grow stronger.

As the break ended and the players returned to the court, I found myself lost in thought, my eyes trailing after Kuroo. The way he moved, the way he commanded the court, it was all so captivating. I shook my head, trying to focus on my duties as the team manager, but my mind kept drifting back to him.

Yaku’s voice broke through my reverie. “You know, you’re not very subtle,” he teased, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

I groaned inwardly, knowing he was right. “I know, I know,” I admitted, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

“Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?” Yaku suggested, his tone surprisingly gentle.

I looked at him, wide-eyed. “Are you crazy? What if it ruins everything? It’s a lifetime of friendship! Not to mention that if I ruin it with Tetsu, Ken will definitely kill me and then forget I exist.”

Yaku shrugged. “Or it could make everything better. You won’t know unless you try. I just can’t see Kuroo not being your friend at the end of it, no matter what his response is. At the very least, I know he loves you—friend or girlfriend, I don’t know.”

I mulled over his words, my gaze drifting back to Kuroo. Maybe Yaku was right. Maybe it was time to take a chance. But for now, I’d continue to support Kuroo from the sidelines, hoping that one day, I’d find the courage to tell him how I truly felt.

When the last whistle of the day rang, signaling the end of practice, I started packing up the team’s equipment, handing items to Fukunaga, who was assigned to place them in storage. The atmosphere in the gym was winding down, players joking and chatting as they headed to the locker rooms.

“Ken, you have 20 minutes to get ready. I want to get started on dinner early,” I called out to my brother. He waved me off without turning around, his focus already shifting back to his game. It seemed video games provided all the sustenance he needed these days.

As I gathered the remaining items, I couldn't help but steal glances at Kuroo. He was talking to Kai and Yamamoto, his face animated as he recounted some play from the practice. His presence was magnetic, drawing me in despite my best efforts to stay composed. I sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

Yaku's words echoed in my mind. Maybe it was time to take a chance, to risk everything for the possibility of something more. The thought terrified me, but the idea of never knowing was even worse. I finished packing up and handed the last of the equipment to Fukunaga, my mind still racing. I could feel Fukunaga’s eyes on me, and I ignored him. I REALLY needed to get better at hiding how I feel.

Walking over to the edge of the court, I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall, watching as Kuroo and the others made their way to the locker rooms. Kuroo glanced back and caught my eye, offering a smile that made my heart skip a beat. I returned the smile, my resolve strengthening.

Later, as the team dispersed and the gym quieted down, I found myself lingering, my thoughts still in turmoil. The familiar routine of managing the team's needs provided some comfort, but it also underscored how intertwined my life had become with Kuroo. I couldn't imagine a day without seeing him, without feeling his presence nearby.

“I’m done, let’s go,” Kenma said, startling me out of my thoughts. He stood there with his gym and school bag over his shoulders.

I nodded and looked past him to see Kuroo still hanging out. “He’s staying past practice today. Says he has a date.”

“Oh,” I swallowed thickly and nodded, opening the gym doors to allow Kenma to head out first.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice unusually gentle.

“I’m perfectly fine, Ken,” I replied, forcing a smile. My heart felt heavy, and I could feel the sting of tears threatening to spill over, but I kept them at bay.

The walk home was quiet, the silence filled only by the sound of our footsteps. Kenma was lost in his thoughts, probably planning his next gaming strategy, while I struggled to keep my emotions in check. The idea of Kuroo on a date with someone else gnawed at me, a painful reminder of the feelings I had kept hidden for so long.

As we reached our house, Kenma headed straight to his room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I started preparing dinner, the repetitive motions of chopping vegetables and stirring pots providing a small measure of comfort. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the image of Kuroo with someone else, laughing and smiling the way he did with me.

By the time dinner was ready, I had managed to push my emotions to the back of my mind, focusing instead on the task at hand. Kenma joined me at the table, and he seemed to sense something was wrong with my mood “You’re not ok” 

“I’m fine, Ken.”

“Y/N, we’ve known each other our entire lives, we’re twins for a reason. Don’t gaslight me into thinking I don’t know you.” He stared at me, almost reading my soul, forcing me to speak.

“Were you teasing me, or was he actually going on a date?” Kenma rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, taking a second to play around with it. Then, he showed me the screen on his smartphone.

It was a picture of Kuroo at some flowery local café shop, wearing one of his button-ups. Next to him was a familiar face. She sits next to us in class. How did I not notice… “Is that…”

“Yes, it is.” I let out a sigh and turned back to my food, deciding to finish the conversation, the weight of Kenma’s eyes on me trying to convince me to waver. “She asked him out during lunch break last week. She was very smart in timing it just as you left to the bathroom.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“It wasn’t for me to tell.” I sniffled and cleared my throat, looking back up at him. I didn’t think my heart could’ve broken any louder.

“I think… maybe it’s time to move on. I can’t stay in this space forever. All I’m doing is breaking my own heart.”

Kenma reached across the table, placing a hand on mine. “You deserve to be happy, Y/N. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end. It just means there’s something else out there for you.”

I nodded, appreciating his words even though they couldn’t fully mend the ache in my chest. “Thanks, Ken. I just need some time.”

“Take all the time you need,” he said softly. “Just remember, I’m here for you.”

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. I went through the motions of cleaning up and getting ready for bed, my mind a storm of emotions. As I lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but think about what Kenma had said, almost competing with what Yaku had said earlier that day. Maybe it was time to let go of my feelings for Kuroo, to stop torturing myself with what-ifs and maybes, IF all I had to do what tell him how I felt, I was too late anyway. 

But moving on was easier said than done. Kuroo had been a part of my life for so long, and the thought of not feeling this way about him was almost unfathomable. Yet, I knew that holding onto these unspoken feelings was only hurting me more.

As I drifted off to sleep, I made a promise to myself. Tomorrow, I would start the process of moving on. I would focus on myself, my friends, and the things that made me happy outside of Kuroo. It was time to heal and to find a new path forward, even if it meant letting go of the dream I’d held onto for so long.

(part 2)

[rywritess]

So, what are the Hogwarts houses of the dps boys? (And my case for them)

Neil Perry (Gryiffindor) - Gryiffindor, duh doy. Not afraid to bend the rules and examples are: he defies his father's expectations by going against his wishes to be in the play (literally forges a letter of acceptance) and the one to suggest to start the dps club and sneak out late at night. Also a natural born leader, the group follows him and hes almost like an anchor for the group, which makes it even more heartbreaking after his death. Sorry it's short, not much to say.

Note: He's arguably Hufflepuff coded too

Todd Anderson (Gryiffindor) - Neville Longbottom situation. At first glance, he might be timid, shy, (hey don't stereotype hufflepuffs!) and even lacks gryiffindors defining trait (bravery) at first.. But he grows his character overtime as we watch and progress through the movie.

• Loyalty: His loyalty lies with Neil (the only time he really spoke out about something is saying what neil truly wanted to become; an actor)

•Courage: Being the first one to stand on his desk as keating leaves for good at Welton.

• Chivalrous: The way he acts, treats everyone with respect and genuine appreciation.

Knox Overstreet (Hufflepuff) - Hufflepuffs traits: hard work, patience, and loyalty. This can be shown by him courting Chris to be his girlfriend. He was persistent, writing her a poem, convincing her out in the cold to watch neils play with him, and loyal to her with her being the only girl in his eyes. Im not enthusiastic about writing for him or his character because of what he does in the books, so this is a bit short sorry knox fans :’)

Charlie Dalton (Gryffindor) - This man is like.. if you combined the Weasley twins together = a headache for teachers and students alike. His defining trait is definitely bravery, especially with his stunt on gale nolan with the telephone. Not much to defend about this stance, other than the fact this would be a house he would want to be in. And canonically, the sorting hat does take in your preferences.

Richard Cameron (Slytherin) - This one is definitely very agreeable in the fandom. Slytherin.. to whose surprise? Ambition, resourcefulness, and cunning are the values of the snake's house. Aside from that, also insanely misunderstood and overhated imo!! We can see how his ambition shines to be one of the best or at least top in grades with his studious nature, resourceful (im sure he had found several ways to deal with Charlie being his roomate otherwise he would've went insane), and cunning by achieving an escape out of expulsion to snitch on keating.

Note: This also fits relationship wise with the otherpoets, slytherin having beef with every house

Gerard Pitts (Hufflepuff) - A gentle giant!! (Pitts lolm i love his smile) He can be socially awkward at times if hes not close with someone with his introverted nature, but he is loyal and kind (even with his sarcastic comments, it his love language promise) loyal to his friends and keating, being one of the people to stand on their desk to pay respect.

Note: | want meeks and pitts to be in the same house ok dont judge me

Steven Meeks (Hufflepuff) - Warm hearted, dedicated to studies, and showcases hard work.. (mostly from doing charlies assignments). We can see he uses his coat for the other members to put their food on the ground in one of their meetings and hes always ready to help others out academically or not. He is a sweetheart and incredibly underrated i love him <3

Note: While he could be ravenclaw, l believe hed value kindness more.

Probably controversial:

Mr. Keating (Gryffindor) - Yes, not ravenclaw.. Just- hear me out. I believe he would've had a hat-stall, just like mcgonagall where it couldn't choose between ravenclaw and gryiffindor. However, ultimately getting the house of the lion!! I think he is incredibly wise and smart (a great fit for ravenclaw), but he also has defining griffindor traits such as bravery, loyalty, and chivalry. He does talk back to gale nolan quite a bit when defending his teachings, i can argue he showcases loyalty to the boys in his class by giving constant support, and he knows how to conduct himself in certain situations (when gently scolding charlie of his stunt). But I can definitely see him in Ravenclaw too and its totally fine if you hc that!!

This is referencing my defense off two characters who are incredibly witty (mcgonagall and hermione), however still sorted into gryiffindor.

NOTE: !!! This took me an hour to write and i still love ravenclaws sorry theres no rep here:") but these are just my hcs for these characters

[uselesssomebody]

could you maybe do poe comforting an overwhelmed reader by giving them his jacket to wear 🥺

𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕜𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕒𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕟 - poe dameron x reader

complete masterlist | poe dameron masterlist

words || 𝟠.𝟟𝕜

summary || in which poe kinda makes the reader's life hell

a/n || 8,7k??? what is wrong with me

➵ nonnie you're gonna have to sift through like 8k words to get to the request but star wars fics need good world building

➵ yo send me moon knight requests or any oscar/pedro characters i'm banging them out right now

➵ not edited (yet)

➵ send me requests if you have ‘em. enjoy!

warnings || fluff/angst

her tools fall out of her hand with a distinct clatter, as she rises from her haunches for the first time in about an hour. she runs a gentle finger over the the edge of the removed metal plate, examining her handiwork at re-configuring, and then bettering the main control center.

it’d looked like hell when she'd first seen it, just 10 minutes after the black squadron had returned to d'qar - after a particularly nasty run in with some tie-fighters after attempting to survey a first order base. though all the members had bore a part of the violence and destruction, he who bore the brunt of it was their oh so brave leader - poe dameron.

of course, his extreme courage, and never-ending headstrong-edness did enough to serve his position as the resistance's golden boy. on the other hand, though, that same bravery owed to her consecutive long nights.

see, no one thought about the little guy - dameron was probably basking in the praise he was receiving at the moment, while no one ever remembered that the only reason his shots were so good was because she'd tinkered with the weapons system until perfection. the only reason he could ever complete any of his complicated maneuvers was because she ensured his controls ran smoothly - never jamming - and that the wings of his starfighter weren't falling off. though that may seem like a base requirement of her job, she knew that wasn't an occasional fix; no, it was much closer to weekly.

it was dark on the surface of the base, and she was beside a measly lamp to finish her work. she lightly tapped against the metal on the outside of the x-wing, satisfied with the adjustments, and, when she finally stretches out her body, standing fully upright, she feels the quirk in her shoulder from the hunching, and the cramp of her forearms and palms at her meticulous but firm grip on her tools. she sighed deeply as her bleary eyes made her see spots.

she hears footsteps approach her, and she collects her items as her close friend and fellow mechanic rose comes up behind her.

"how's it going?" she hums discontentedly in response.

"i'm done, at least." it's not a great answer, but rose understands, a soft smile gracing her lips as she grabs the lamp, holding onto it to allow her friend to place her tools away.

rose's own x-wing was one of the new recruits, given a lesser brunt during missions and scouting. thus, she'd finished ensuring it was in the best shape ages ago. she'd decided to finish up some other things in the meanwhile, before doubling back to see her eternally overworked friend's progress.

"you wanna head back to the bunks?" she rubs her nose as she thinks about rose's question. as they begin leaving the flight deck, she can hear the light echo of people from afar.

"if you want to, don't wait up for me. i need a drink, though." she finally decides, not wanting to deprive her friend of sleep, but also knowing that she needed something to help her unwind from the busy day. rose simply shrugs, gesturing to the both of them making their way to the cantina.

as they enter, a decent amount of people are still milling about, though many look ready to begin wrapping up their nights. there's a empty table a ways away from the bar so, upon taking rose's request, she urges her friend to sit down as she heads to the bar.

the bartender's a lovely guy: a weequay called aid-zarg, that everyone just refers to as 'ay' or, if they're close, 'zarg'. he'd been a bit against the nicknames, but had eventually caved to them.

"ay - how're ya?" she slides into a stool in front of him, attempting conversation tentatively. he shrugs - his expression seems cold, though she knows that's just how his face is.

"alright. long night?" she smiles, but it's almost a grimace.

"something like that." she orders for her and rose, and patiently taps against the wood counter as he prepares them. when he finally slides them over, she gives him a nod of appreciation, and he returns it with a nod of acknowledgement, before she turns back to join rose.

rose glances at her as she slumps into her seat, looking half-ready to pass out.

"maybe you should talk to the general about your schedule. you're half-asleep all the time; that can't be good for a resistance member." rose takes a sip of her drink as she presents a solution to her friend's never-ending dilemma.

"i - i would, but it's not fair to assign extra work to anyone - everyone's got a specific part of the base to tend to, or a specific ship, or fighter, or whatever." she thought about her hesitance as she watched the slosh of her drink, "everyone else's already working, and i don't want to make it anyone else's baggage just 'cause my pilot has an ego the size of a death star." rose purses her lips to keep herself from laughing - not wanting to encourage her friend's catty commentary.

"how'd you end up getting assigned his, anyway?" rose mumbled. her friend laughed into her drink, slowly recanting the reason:

even before she'd come to d'qar, it was common knowledge amongst the mechanics that being assigned to fix up dameron's x-wing meant you'd lose out on a weeknight or two, if it was temporary, and your entire night life - if it was permanent.

so, when she'd arrived, and presented her previous qualifications as a mechanic on tatooine, many knew that she was at least experienced and, at most, very efficient.

so, almost as a rite of passage amongst the mechanics, she'd been assigned the dreaded ship. and she'd fixed it up in record time. at first, it was an achievement she wore like a medal, the surprised faces of the resident mechanics enough to make her beam at her skill, and her knowledge of its contribution to the resistance's efforts.

then, though, it became a permanent assignment. and, for a while, it was manageable. but then, the fights got tougher; the first orders weapons more destructive.

"and suddenly, i'm up at 1 on a work night." she finally concludes. rose, having known her since she arrived, was privy to her friend's sometimes tired, always slightly pent-up rants on any topic that aggravated her, so she waited patiently for tonight's, "it's just-" there it is, "he's so fucking - ugh - would it kill him to just follow the plan? to listen to his instructions, to not be so reckless and not go out of his way to get himself killed - no, fuck that actually - his plane destroyed? i don't know - i get it's important to be versatile, and brave, and whatever bullshit, but c'mon - every time? keeping me up every night?"

rose was sure she hadn't even stopped to breathe in that entire time, but she definitely paused her rant to take sips of her drink, which then spurred on the vent further. she contemplated maybe removing the drink from her hand, but figured that after her long evening, she deserved it, along with a listening ear.

she sighs deeply into her drink as she finishes her story, not exactly expecting an answer from rose, but happy that she could at least get it off her chest.

suddenly, she feels a firm hand on her shoulder, making her and rose squeak and whip their heads to the person. what they hadn't realized was the volume with which they were speaking, causing her eyes to widen as she realizes that the object of her annoyance stood behind her, a goading smile plastered over his - unfortunately - gorgeous face.

“yeah - that guy’s a pain in the ass!” he hisses sarcastically, as though in his group of friends, gossiping, “what’d you say he was again?” he hunches down, so his face is in line with hers. she tries to glance desperately at rose, but all she can make out is her brown overalls behind poe’s jaw. she swallows, but looks him in the eyes, an unwavering look on her face.

“i was saying that he’s reckless. and he’s the reason i’m having a drink - as opposed to, y’know, sleeping. what anyone should be doing this late.” her voice is clear, and she watches the confidence in his face falter for a moment. then, as quickly as it hesitated, his smile returned, rising back up to his full height. he pokes his tongue into his inner cheek, looking between the both of them.

“enjoy your drinks, ladies.” he says it with a shockingly non-confrontational tone, accompanied with a shrug. she feels her cheeks heat in embarrassment as he gives her a slight nod to her, before turning and heading in the direction of one of the newer recruits - frank? flynn? - as she turns back to her drink, eyes closed in humiliation.

finally, she glances up at rose, and sees the uncomfortable grimace mirrored on her face.

“please, please, can you not shout when you complain about someone?” she chastises and begs her friend in the same tone, telling her off for her borderline rude behavior, and for the subsequent awkwardness it caused her. it makes her laugh, as she nods, assuring her that she won't. as rose bemoans she situation, she smiles into the rim of her drink, trying not to think about the warmth that she felt.

she wasn't quite sure if it was still embarrassment, or something else.

as she and rose had finally decided they'd taken enough from the night, and were ready to pass out into the longest sleep they had time to muster, rose heads towards the exit while she rushes to the bar to bid adieu to aid, and to front over the cost of their drinks. the quiet bartender thought her to be funny, so prices were usually discounted, but what did confuse her was the shake of his head and the shrug he passed when she asked to be reminded of the prices.

"already paid for." her eyebrows quirk at the non-descriptive explanation, and she wonders who'd paid for them in the short time they'd sat in the cantina.

"huh? by who?" aid was never great at names, but even he couldn't forget her infamous donor.

"dameron."

the revelation muffled in her mind over the night, as she wondered what exactly had possessed the cocky pilot to pay for their drinks, especially after hearing her bad-mouth him.

perhaps, she figured, it was a gesture of good-will, to imply that her snarky comments did little to actually affect him. and, for a moment she thought it was sweet.

until she passed by him in that same cantina, surrounded by both the members of his squadron, as well as some others, recounting the story of how he'd narrowly ducked in and between the cliffs of some outer rim territory in order to avoid a gang of small-time pirates. he spoke animatedly of how he narrowly made it out from a 20 meter gap in the cliffs, though how, tragically, one of his wings had taken a brunt of impact.

she grimaced at the casualness of his words, and of the enraptured expressions of everyone else, only speaking in order to reiterate how truly amazing they thought he was.

of course she remembered that mission, as she'd spent a grueling 3 days fashioning a new wing tip to add to his starfighter before his next mission - pulling maybe a collective 3 hours of sleep over the 3 nights.

and, suddenly, his gesture seemed almost more of a mockery.

though she knew that he continued to leave her blood boiling, and thus attempted to avoid him as much as possible, he seemed to have a remarkably different idea, deciding that his prevalence as a topic of conversation of her yielded him permission to become the one she spoke to.

he'd greet her as he hopped off of his ship, whenever he passed the flight deck as she worked, and somehow always managed to walk past her just as she knew he was clocking out for the night, leaving her to work an additional few hours - at least - to rescue his overworked vehicle.

poe didn't believe that he was being malicious - not at all. after all, she had no idea how difficult his job was either, so what gave her the right to complain? she didn't know that the only reason he pulled off complicated maneuvers was to divert attention from less experienced recruits, or that the days of planning missions - just for many of them to fail - also left him exhausted, and owed to many of his own contemplative, long nights.

thus, a strange, very aggravating dance occurred between the both of them. she was stubborn - as stubborn as him - but, of course, she - rather stubbornly - would never believe it, owing neither to want to secede and create a more comfortable environment by discussing their issues or - and this was completely off the table - apologizing.

though, due to this, both of their friends were subject to suffer through their passing remarks, or the strange tension that seemed to follow the pair. as the days continued, rose found herself seeking out the amused eyes of finn - poe's good friend - as he took in the scene, smiling or laughing alongside him at the absurdity of their situation.

it was this growing familiarity between their friends, in fact, that had owed to her current lonely late night. the black and green squadrons were responsible for the destruction of a medium, but connected first order base in the mid rim. it was an unlikely victory - outnumbered by tie-fighters at least 2 or 3 to one, but the meticulous plan crafted by finn, poe and a few of the others, and green-lit by the general, had created it.

there was much celebration when they'd headed back - and that spirit soared through the entirety of the base, with everyone coming together to remember their primary goal: weakening the authoritative role of the first order. it had gone on late into the night, as she can still hear the loud, carrying voices from the cantina. she's headed in the opposite direction, though, as she usually does. she'd seen dameron's ship when it'd come in, and - though it didn't look all that rough, she could tell it could do with a tune up.

she hadn't asked rose to stay alongside her, seeing the twinkle in her eyes as she'd spoken to finn in the aftermath of the mission, smiling widely in a way her friend didn't see all that often. so, instead, she’s left in company of just her tools and the occasional creak of the old, overworked machines.

there's quiet squeaks as she's unscrewing the control panel of the starfighter, but the noises are dwarfed by the sounds of steps approaching her general direction. she wonders if someone's forgotten something, or if it's rose stopping by the check on her, but she decides to ignore it, unable to pinpoint how close the other person is. that is, until she sees them round the nose of the x-wing.

it makes her start violently, dropping her tools with a clatter as she jumps. her heart's beating so fast that she can't even see all that clearly, and, when she finally realizes who it is, frustration clouds over her confusion.

"what the hell are you doing here?" it's harsher than she usually is, but it'd been a really long day, and she wasn't excited at the notion of dealing with him.

immediately, poe's defensive.

"kriff, calm down! i just wanted to check in on her." he lightly pats on the nose of his x-wing, as if it were a pet, and she suddenly wonders where his actual pet-droid - the orange one - is, "wanted to make sure nothing happened to it." he continues, not looking at her.

she opens her mouth, wanting to say how dumb of an explanation it was, but she truly can't find the energy to start a back-and-forth with him, so she simply goes back to work, shrugging. seeing that he still doesn’t leave, she drops her head, sighing deeply.

“what - what exactly do you need to know about it - her - dameron? do you need to watch the circuits as i reconnect them, or maybe eyeball every screw i twist in?” he seems shocked by the outburst, mouth hanging open for just a moment, before his hands raise up in a faux-surrender.

“if you want me to leave - i’ll go.” he pauses for a second, but she can still feel that more words are soon to leave his tongue, so she doesn’t say anything, eyes falling down to the circuits she'd just spoken about, “but i’m not exactly excited by the idea of you - someone - down here all by themselves.” she purses her lips.

“well, i’m sorry to inconvenience you - but you are flying again tomorrow morning, and your ship isn’t exactly tip-top.” she’s ready to turn back, hoping it’s enough of an argument to suffice him, but’s he’s adamant.

“at least take a break? everyone else’s at the cantina - it’s not like a drink’d hurt-” she rolls her shoulders, sighing deeply.

“if i agree, will you stop talking?” his voice stops, but a smile grows in its stead. he shrugged.

“you want me to stop? i thought you adored the sound of my voice-” she rolls her eyes, the hint of a smile ghosting over her own lips at the sarcastic joke. muttering a small shut up, she raises to her feet, dusting off her outfit, before stepping away from her work. he gestures to the large doors leading out the flight bay, and she nods, walking to meet his stride.

they reach the cantina in a moment, the silence between them filled instead with the increasing sounds from everyone else. as she enters, she notices the large overflow of people around the bar, evidently still celebrating. she takes a deep breath as she looks around desperately for where exactly she's supposed to do.

poe, keeping a close eye on her so as to not lose her to the crowd, points towards the table where their friends are sitting. she nods, flitting right behind him to benefit as he pushes his way through the crowds. when they finally reach the table, he can see a calm rest on her face, especially in the presence of rose. he follows her gaze to the close proximity between rose and finn, and, when she averts her gaze, she meets his, making him smile with a shrug, as if saying i know, right?

as poe grabs a drink for the both of them, and she's finally able to actually meet finn and speak with rose, she finds herself loosening up, grinning at rose's excited expression, or finn's somewhat deadpan humor, or the sweetness of her drink. sometimes, poe's own jokes forced an unwarranted laugh from her as well - which he definitely took notice of.

for a while, he'd also noticed the apprehension of not being able to finish her work, but he reminds her subtly that his ship hadn't been too beat up: it wouldn't disintegrate if he tried to exit the atmosphere tomorrow, and she'd have time to fix it up before it got to that point. it allows her to really mellow down, and she settles - alongside rose -with a few other members of the black squadron as they discuss the day, their missions, and the base.

poe's more decent, she realizes, than she gave him credit for, as when he's reintroducing her to the other pilots, the first words out of his mouth is acknowledgement for her hard work. it almost makes her giddy, especially after it's followed by miscellaneous praise from the others. she feels a smile creep up on her countenance, and it's only bolstered by the many small, sweet glances he'd shoot in her direction.

though, like all good things, it doesn't exactly last.

as the night drags - and maybe it's also her exhaustion, or the fact that poe's a few more drinks in - she can feel that respect that grew for him begin to chip away again.

his mouth just works too fast for his brain to catch up - she supposes - as she feels annoyance creep over her as she hears him gloat about his many stories as a pilot. though many of the stories have less to do with him giving her more hardship, when she sees the more egoistic parts of his personality reveal themselves throughout the night, she feels that same aggravation that led to that one night of late drinking with rose.

at some point, she feels that hearing him boast over and over and over was just too much to bear, so she knocks the rest of her drink back, waves rose and finn off, and slips out as she came in, deciding a night of good sleep may soothe her turbulent mind.

only a moment after she left, does poe return with a drunken smile, just about to introduce her to one of the many recruits he'd mentored - in order to remind said recruit about the importance of respecting your mechanic.

the smile fell as finn - almost sadly - mentioned that she'd left.

it's been a few weeks since then, and poe's reeled in his antics - much to her pleasure. though, she couldn't help the twang of something she'd begun to feel when he walked past her station, not acknowledging her in the slightest.

she wondered why; after all, that was what she'd initially wanted.

neither could continue ignoring each other, though, when they were called into the communications center of the base by the leader of the division, and the general herself.

she made her way up there quickly and, meeting poe at the door, hoped her confusion wasn't apparent on her face. if it was, he did little to quell it, as he instead focused on opening the large doors.

now, she'd only met the general a few times - and the other she knew only by rank. he, on the other hand, seemed very buddy-buddy with the pair, forcing her isolation for a moment as the three greeted each other. when, finally, they turned to outline the reason for the meeting, she was directed to sit down, and listen carefully.

she was told of how the resistance had recently learned from a rebel spy on an important first order ship that said ship had been collecting significant amounts of data on the resistance, and were soon hoping to transmit that data to a more central base.

the spy had gone on, stating that if there was a way to shut down the servers in the main control room of the ship, the data would be corrupted and would be useless.

there's a pregnant pause after the delivery of this information, and she swallows before speaking.

"what - um, what exactly do you want me - us - to do?" poe's role may seem somewhat self-evident - as in, flying a passenger onto the ship or jetting them out - but her own contribution was a bit more dubious.

after all, this seemed a mission best suited for the few technical analysts on the base, as opposed to the mechanic that she was, if it included corrupting intel and shutting down servers. truly, she didn't know what the first thing about that.

the general, ever so observant, smiles lightly as she understands her question. the comms leader responds for her.

"the spy has mentioned that the core system and servers are held in an old compartment - a remnant of the original empire - and, thus, much of the system is reliant on old, though complex, circuitry." she inhales deeply, better realizing her stake in this. the other person continues, "as one of our best mechanics and - obviously - our best pilot-" okay, that stung a little bit, and the smug little grin on his face definitely didn't help, "myself and the general believe it best we run a covert operation: you will sneak onto the ship, make it to the servers, destroy them, and then come back. it's a bit technically challenging, but the likes of the two of you should ensure a smooth operation."

as they finish speaking, she can feel her heart going a mile a minute - unable to believe that she - she! - was going to try and play super-spy and sneak onto a massive first order ship. she was sure poe now realized her shock, as he gave her a small reassuring nod.

it wasn't particularly reassuring, though.

they were then told that time was of the essence, and that it would be best that they leave as soon as possible. they were told to recruit another pilot and mechanic, in the case of a back-up that may exist on the ship, before being given stolen first order uniforms, correct to their assignments.

as she headed back to the flight bay, poe and the comms leader in front of her, she felt a strange, nervous churn in her stomach. she mulled over who she'd choose as the secondary mechanic, but realized the answer was - quite literally - staring her in the face.

rose joins her at the entrance of the flight bay, curious as to why she'd been called in, and, as she recounts the meeting, she posits the position to her friend. as one of the most competent mechanics she knew, but also someone who knew how to think quick on her feet, she knew that she'd be a great fit.

rose agrees in a heartbeat - her loyalty to both her friend and the resistance unwavering against the fearful mission.

she walks further up the flight bay and, upon seeing dameron similarly speaking to finn - likely to convince him as well - she joins him, now intent on how exactly they would find a ship that would go undetected by the first order.

the general - having planned ahead - had an answer for that as well, taking the four out into a forest clearing behind the main base. two large tie/sf-fighters stood, just slightly battered, on the lush greens of the ground. they're in decent condition, she supposes, for what she knew were likely captured or shot down ships by d'qar's defense system.

they're each handed earpieces, going to guide them as they entered the first order ship, and they are waved off as she and poe enter one of them, while rose and finn enter the other.

"everyone ready?" the crackling of the comms for the mission - led by a lovely ex-bounty hunter called pala - came through, as she adjusted into the gunner's seat, and poe into the pilot's. rose answers first, a chipper 'yes' coming through between the other 4 devices. she nods to no one, as though she were really just trying to convince herself.

"as we'll ever be," she mumbles, owing to a grunt of agreement from finn. taking the answers into consideration, pala transmits the coordinates of the ship to poe and finn.

both vehicles rumble as they lift up off the ground, and she feels herself white-knuckling her seat as she anticipates the flight.

as they reach the range of the ship, poe flies ahead, surveying the entrance and - by extension - the exit points. she hears a deep voice crackle through poe's earpiece, but she can hear it echo along the narrow walkway separating her and the pilot as well. it lists off - what she presumes - is the plane's serial number, and she holds her breath as she waits for poe's response to the question, "what business do you have here?"

"the admiral sent us in for reintegration - i've got a deserter on board." she lets out a gasp at the answer he'd chosen, blatantly throwing her on the bus, but the approving echo left her annoyance to a minimum as, at least, he seemed to have bought it.

they begin lowering down into the ship's flight bay, and, before she can even stand up all the way after it becomes stationary, poe's behind her, helping her up. she doesn't know if she should thank him, but decides that she should definitely not, when she finds him grabbing both her wrists and pinning them - though gently - behind her back.

"the hell? what're you doing?" her words come out more shaky than she maybe intended, but he'd really taken her by surprise.

"you're a deserter, remember. can't exactly take you in like we're the best of friends." his tone is sarcastic and she scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"they only think that because that's what you said." he doesn't dignify her with a response, honestly making her more agitated. he opens the door of the sf-fighter and tightens his grip for a moment, as the two of them are greeted by what looked to be a colonel. it's confirmed as they near him, his nameplate engraved with the title, and poe nods at him - a little too comfortable.

"they caught this one trying to flee three days ago." he gestures to her, and the unrelated sour expression on her face was definitely helping his case. the colonel nodded, looking at her with the utmost disgust.

"and she will be reprimanded accordingly. bring her to the cell bay." poe nods, pushing her lightly as he continues forward.

"you're a good actor." she can feel his goading smirk, and she shakes her head.

"i hate you."

as they enter further into the ship, he finally releases her, their clothes helping them blend in as crew members. her fingers find her earpiece, ensuring it was on, as she spoke into it.

"rose, finn? you guys get in alright?" there's a beat of silence, and her worry grows strikingly, but it quells just as quickly when she hears the familiar tone of finn's voice in her ear.

"we're fine - heading down to the storage to find those back-ups." she glances at poe, who nods at her, before speaking.

"alright - we'll meet near the flight bay after." finn and rose both agree.

pala begins speaking a few minutes later, guiding them through the base as they reach the server room. poe keeps look-out as she crouches beside the large, cylindrical structure. circuits surround it in an orderly manner, but she can tell the ancientness of it - dust floating around, pooling around every crevice.

she reaches into her deep pockets, procuring a small screw before closely eyeing the intricacies, and getting to work.

poe's eyes flit between her frame and the hallway right outside, keenly watching for stormtroopers, and praying that none would come. he feels himself blank for a moment, not used to feeling so helpless - or, at least, not the one taking charge of a solution for a situation. he resigns himself, though, to simply waiting, gripping his blaster tightly as he waits for her to finish.

finally, she stands back up, watching the lights on the server begin flicking on and off rapidly and sporadically, owing her to believe that she'd done something right, and that the information contained was - at least - corrupted due to the circuitry she'd just purposefully fucked up.

she's by his side in a moment, peering out as well to see if they had any company. for a beat, there's nothing, and they think they have the all clear, until she hears rose's voice.

"shit!" her eyes widen at the exclamation, and they both immediately leave the room, heading back in the direction of the flight bay.

"rose? what happened, are you guys alright?" there's an eerie silence, as rose nor finn reach to communicate back through their earpieces.

"-over here! poe, we gotta head back, they're right on us!" finn's voice comes though, finally, but it does nothing to quell the pair's heightened worry.

"wait - finn, they'll chase after you - wait till we-" poe begins.

"we don't have time!" rose's voice is frantic, and the sound of blasters surround it. her eyes squeeze shut as she breathes deeply.

"rose - okay, get out of here. we're right behind you." there's no confirmation from the other end, but she tries not to let that deter her as she and poe continue towards the flight bay.

there's a smattering of patrolling stormtroopers, but her sharp ears and his sharper reflexes keep them from being caught as they slink along the shadows, tattooed to the walls of each hallway.

the large hangar finally comes into view, and they can see the familiar sf-fighter exiting it, evidently being chased by single-manned tie-fighters.

knowing they were unlikely not to be caught in this last stretch, they flee the short distance between the secluded entryway and their awaiting ship, with her rapidly beating against the button to open the door as poe covered her, keeping those whose attention they'd drawn at ever-decreasing bay with his calculated shots.

finally, the panel lowered, and they swapped positions, her shoddy shots managing to continue slowing them down as poe seats himself in the pilot's seat.

no sooner than had the panel closed upon itself are they up in the air, and she desperately straps herself into the gunner's seat, knowing she had to put her limited knowledge of the position to any use. the entrance to the hangar is rapidly closing as the colonel from earlier can be heard through the ship's comms, desperately trying to keep the pair trapped within the base.

she can feel her back imprint against her seat as poe speeds the vehicle up, just narrowly exiting the snapping jaws of the base's exit. as she takes the smallest breath of relief, does it disappear once more.

"'re you guys out? we could do with some help!" finn's voice evidenced that he was trying to keep his cool, but the fear in it was also obvious. poe's responding in a heartbeat.

"we're there in a second!" she can feel the ship begin climbing as poe checked the scanner for any other vehicles. finally, they see the sf-fighter, being narrowly tailed by two tie-fighters. poe - true to his word - comes between the forces in a heartbeat, almost dancing with the tie-fighters as he weaves between the both of them. she feels dizzy at the quick movements, but suppresses the urge to pass out and grips harder at the armrests.

"finn - get outta here, i have them!" poe's speaking through the comms once more and, as he finishes his sentence, the ship's horizontal, peeling away from finn and rose - the tie-fighters hot on his trails, evidently disgruntled by the flashy flying. finn doesn't wait a second, activating the hyperdrive and inputting the coordinates of d'qar.

on the other side of the galaxy, poe's still leading the two tie-fighter's away, but the shitty ship is impeding his ability to duck and weave like he could in his x-wing.

"'m gonna need your help here!" she jolts awake at the request, realizing that she needs to man her station. her eyes desperately flit over the various buttons, before she grips the aim stick. her eyes are trained against the tie-fighter directly tailing them, and she centers it in her view, before aggressively hitting the button to shoot.

and, it's a narrow miss. she curses, trying to refocus, but a dread begins creeping up her gut.

"i don't know what i'm doing, dameron - get us out of here!" it's an order, but, really who was she to order him around.

"we've got this - we can take 'em out." she's used to his confidence and belief in himself, but she knew they truly couldn't.

"will you just-" seeing another clear shot, she takes it. it goes a bit better, with it hitting the end of one of the fighter's wings, causing the ship to dip to one side. her worry is soothed as she celebrates the small victory to herself.

then, as though a higher power was absolutely fucking with her, it all goes to shit.

she feels the ship rumble and heave sharply as she hears a loud crash, and she whips her head around, trying to find the source of it. she desperately grips at the aim stick, trying to keep it steady and ready to fire again, but she doesn't have a moment to use it when another loud blast and creak is heard.

"shit!" her eyes widened at poe's exclamation.

"what the hell just happened - whad'ya mean-?" her words are cut off due to the wind being knocked out of her as she's slammed against one of her armrests.

"we're going - fuck - the engine's been hit - hold on-" his words are breathless against the comms, and she can hear the exertion of effort by the grunts that carry through the hallway. she grips the armrests for dear life as she waits to see what would happen. she can feel the ship make a sharp turn and, behind them, the tie-fighters trail behind a little, as if they were playing with their prey.

"what're we doing?" her fear is evident in her tone, and her voice is a bit croaky in her heightened confusion.

"i'm trying to set us down on that planet over there." she can't see it, looking out from the back of the ship, but she knows that can't be the best idea in their current state. though, seeing the creeping tie-fighters makes it seem like there's no other choice.

she can see as they enter the atmosphere, hearing the shrill whistle of wings singeing on impact. then, she closes her eyes, bracing for impact as the both of them sit in anticipating silence. she's thinking we're going too fast, the ship's gonna blow up with me in it - god fucking dammit-

and that's the last thing she remembers.

he wakes up to a mouthful of dirt, bent very awkwardly over the semi-buried dashboard of the sf-fighter. his window's broken open, and the sun - or suns? - is blinding through it. he blinks aggressively, his vision swimming a spotty as he spits the gunk out of his mouth, wiping his lips against his fucked jacket sleeve. there's enough of a space between the ground and the glass of his window pane for him to just about crawl through, feeling the heavy impact on his legs from the crash. he looks around, desperately wondering where the hell he was.

it's a grassy planet, filled with lush vegetation and small ponds and lakes. the ship was half-sticking out of one, and his pants legs are soaking wet, the skin of his fingertips pruned. he can feel a sharp sting of pane every time he moves his foot and, peeling back the end of the sopping cloth, sees the discolored swelling of his ankle - having been sprained or twisted in the crash. he lets his head fall back - could have been worse, a lot worse.

he looks up at the looming, though destroyed figure of the sf-fighter, and, seeing the other end balanced precariously above the ground. for a moment, he doesn't pay it much attention - until he remembers.

his shoddy ankle sings in agony as he makes large, limping steps towards the other end of the ship, realizing that he didn't yet know the fate of his other passenger - his mechanic.

of course, in the recess of his mind, he had a guess. but he couldn't entertain it.

finally getting to the end. he peers in to see if she was okay. he's panting heavily, desperately trying to ignore the pain as he focused on using the little light on this side to look through the broken glass. he could see her legs, bent a little awkwardly - but not broken - and he traces them up to her head and torso - which was tightly strapped against the seat. it was the only thing keeping her from falling onto the floor, and her heads hanging. she's definitely not conscious, and he can't help but feel his heart sink as he steps closer - ankle be damned - reaching through the broken glass to unstrap her. when he does, her body flops forward - as he believed it would - a bit like a ragdoll and, though the angle definitely didn't help, he did his best to pull her out. when he could finally observe her in the sunlight, he could feel his chest swell in relief at the movement of her chest up and down. pulling her towards him, he could feel her breath against his neck.

so relieved, he doesn't realize, for a moment, the shallowness of those breaths, and the dampness of the cloth around her shoulder. when he does, though, he desperately removes the fabric. he winces at the sight, having to look away for a moment, before looking back down to observe the extent of her injury.

her upper arm got a long, deep gash, and the blood from it had soaked through her sleeve. not wasting a moment, he slides the sleeves of his own jacket off, tearing a thick, long strap from the t-shirt he wore under it. he wraps it as tightly as he can manager around her arm to staunch any further bleeding, hoping it wasn't too late, and trying desperately to ignore the small whimpers or stuttered breaths that she let out at the action.

he rises to his feet, a difficult task, in his condition, and notices a small shade of trees just a bit away from the pair. breathing deeply - almost in an effort to will away his pain - he grabs her good arm and pulls it over his shoulder, hoping his good leg wouldn't give out, as he makes his way there.

she wakes up in a cold sweat, looking up to see the large leaves of a tree under the backdrop of an orange sky. she scrambles to sit up in a moment, unable to fully comprehend her surroundings. her heart's going a mile a minute, her body entering fight or flight mode, before she hears his voice.

"you're alright - you're good. m'here." she recognizes his voice more quickly than she'd maybe be willing to admit and, when she goes to turn to the source of it, she feels a scream of agony in her arm. her sharp grunt of pain is louder than she maybe had hoped, but fuck - did her arm hurt, "yeah - uh, you've got a bad cut." his voice is soft, as if he were trying to lull her into a sense of calm.

it worked. for a moment.

until she remembered what happened. the tie-fighters, her pleads to go the hyperspace, the engine failing, the jolt of the impact of the straps holding her body in place, the blood in her hair from the open wound on her arm, her head going blank and her passing out from the pain.

she remembered all of it. including what he'd said.

'we've got this'

there's a lump in her throat, and she desperately tries to swallow it down as she stares vehemently at the dirt under her. she refuses to look up at him, and hopes he realizes why.

"do - does anyone know we're here?" her voice is more broken than she'd hoped it was but - fuck, she was scared. she can see him shrug in her peripheral.

"i'm sure they'll find us." she sighs deeply, turning away to the extent that she can. there's a calm, though cold, silence between them, before she can hear him sharply inhale.

"helluva trip, huh?" there's a jokey cadence to his voice, and it takes her a moment to actually process what he's said, his casual tongue actually igniting a rageful fire in her.

"what?" it's a whisper - backed by such an anger that she worries if she speaks louder, she'll scream.

"i'm just saying - pretty, uh, pretty crazy thing, right?" she shuts her eyes, and a small part of her brain knows that, at best, this is his way of making the best of a bad situation and, at worst, this is just some shit attempt at small talk. but - be it his words in the past, or the pain of her arm, or maybe even just the fact that all she could hear was his confident words like a low buzz in her ears since she remembered what he'd said - she was furious.

"yeah - it's fucking insane how i'm lightheaded because of all the blood i lost, and how i can't move a centimeter without wanting to cut my arm off, and how i can feel the bruises forming where the straps kept me from splitting my skull open on my broken window. it's a helluva experience." her words are softer than she'd thought they would be, but she knew if she was any louder, she may have screamed at him until her lungs collapsed or her throat gave out - whichever came later.

she doesn't have to turn back to see the expression on his face, and, truly she feels a bit shit for lashing out at him.

but she was on a random fucking planet with a mangled fucking arm and her only company was a pilot with no fucking plane.

so, excuse her for the outburst.

"i-" poe's stammering behind her, but she can't hear it, as her vision swims when she tries to get on her feet. she can see the ship in the distance, and knowing that it was her best bet at company right now, she trudges towards it, "where're you going?"

she doesn't dignify him with an answer.

when she finally reaches the large structure, she situates herself against the pilot's dashboard, gently kicking away the broken glass as she tentatively crouches down. she looks over the panel, hoping that at least one of the comms was still working. she procures her screwdriver with her good arm - well, technically not, but at least it didn't hurt all that much to move - before lightly tapping the back of it against any and all of the buttons, seeing if anything worked.

her arm now had a dull, thrumming pain, and she desperately tried to ignore it as she focuses on identifying what the comms were. she traces over a panel that seems to be promising, pulling the screwdriver towards it to see if she could meddle with any of the circuitry under it to get it to work - however briefly.

pulling it up, she realizes both the awkwardness of her position, and of her grip on the tool, unused to using this hand for it. her muscles ached, her arm ached, her temples ached as she desperately tried to slot the head of the tool into the screw, failing once, twice, thrice, before dropping the tool with a groan of anguish.

she's heaving - no, sobbing, feeling the liquid of her tears roll down her cheeks. she slumps against the glass, palming her cheeks as she desperately tried to muffle her exhausted weeping, only the sound of her small hiccups escaping.

she hated getting like this - crying out in the open, and she only reserved the ordeal for true upsets. though, this was one of them. she was so tired, and in so much pain, and she'd just been so horrible to poe as well - when he'd just tried to lighten her mood.

through the blood rushing in her ears and the motion of her hiccups, she doesn't realize the heavy thuds of poe's limping steps. she only realizes when he's in front of her, blocking the dimming sunlight from her eyes, and she covers her face entirely, not wanting to see her in this state.

he doesn't comment, though, only falling to his own haunches before sitting beside her, granting a respectful silence and, more importantly, friendly contact.

she swallows harshly as she forces her hiccups down. she doesn't look at him, worried it'd make her start up again, but he knows she's not uncomfortable with him there.

taking her good hand, he gently drops an opened bag of nuts. she looks at it, a bit confused.

"always keep 'em on me. emergency snack." he says it so casually and, it being contrasted with the slight childishness of the information, makes her crack the hint of a smile.

maybe she was hysterical.

"- hope they'll make you feel better." he continues, and she nods, popping one in her mouth and absorbing the mild, sweet taste.

"thanks - thanks." she mumbles, and they're quiet for another moment.

she hands them back to her, and, in that moment of contact, he notices her cold skin. he glances over her, realizing her thin top without a sleeve, and he shrugs off his jacket. it's a bit mucked up from the crash, but it's better than nothing.

tentatively, he moves a bit closer to her, gently placing the material around her, careful of her arm. still she winces - but only for a moment. really, she's more confused.

"what're you doing?" she whispers, and he's close enough to hear her now.

"you're cold." he's not wrong, but she still protests.

"and you?" he smiles.

"well, i'm pretty hot-headed. i'll be fine." it's a joke, and she really wants to laugh at it, but she can't help but feel bad once again for her words. taking it differently, poe continues solemnly. “i’m sorry.”

it’s a quiet mumble into the still air. it sounds foreign, coming from his mouth, as he tries to fit the extent of how apologetic and shitty he feels into the fleeting, overused phrase. she stays quiet, the only noise being her soft exhales.

“i - i know.” she mumbles back, unsure of what more to say. of course he was - he’d never intended for this. nonetheless, he’d been subject to her own emotions, to an unjustifiable degree, “i am, too.”

his contemplative expression returns a smile instead, now, and she finally turns to look at him.

"i'll buy us a drink when we get back, okay?" he offers, making her scoff.

"you're so great at apologies." he shrugs, as though it's obvious fact, and not a light jab.

"then what about dinner?" her eyes widen a little at the proposition, and she's speechless for a moment. then, she snorts, pushing her good hand across his face and playfully pushing him.

"get us out of here; then, we can talk about dinner." he smiles widely under her palm, and laughs as she takes her hand off. he leans back just that bit further against the metal, and the readjustment causes the dashboard to shift just slightly.

a small item comes rolling down, and falls right in his lap. he grasps at it and, realizing what it is, his eyes widen. he brandishes it in between the both of them, and she also realizes: it's his earpiece.

he gently presses the input button, and immediately starts calling out for finn, rose or pala. they wait a moment, with baited breath.

"poe - kriff, we thought you were dead!" finn's voice is unmistakable, and the revelation makes the pair's spirits soar.

in no less than a couple minutes were the told that a ship was coming by to collect them, and, as the earpiece's output stops for the moment, she rests more peacefully against the destroyed ship, and he mirrored her movements.

"so, about that dinner?"

[dyns33]

All fine

I'm still not done with Shane.

I did a little Reader!Rick x Shane, even if I already wrote something a bit similar.

"I know. It's fine."

It had taken a long time for Shane to come to Y/N, his eyes indicating that he was finally ready to tell her the truth.

Before, they had been very happy.

They had met at work, at the Atlanta police station, first forced to work together despite their differences, then becoming friends, lovers, then married.

When Y/N had taken a bullet, Shane's face was the last thing she saw before losing consciousness.

"No. Baby, no. Shh. Shh, shh, shh. You stay with me, okay ? It's okay, you stay with me. You're not leaving me. I love you, baby. Stay with me. No, stay with me ! Y/N !”

What happened next, Y/N still didn't fully understand today. She had been taken to the hospital, and Shane had come to see her every day while she was in a coma, and then the dead started walking.

The first thing her husband had wanted to do was go get her, not caring about the chaos and danger. But Y/N hadn't woken up, and moving her would mean killing her, so Shane had barricaded the door so she wouldn't be eaten in her sleep and left, crying.

According to him, he had been a coward. An asshole. He should have stayed in the room with her, until the end, so they could die together, or he should have been there when she finally opened her eyes.

But he was afraid. He didn't want to die.

He had found a group of survivors, including his best friend Rick's wife and son, who had not survived.

Shane had never looked at Lori before. He had always seen Rick's wife, nothing else, and he didn't look at other women since he was married anyway. He wasn’t really looking at her now, even though he thought Y/N was dead. He just felt alone and hopeless.

When Y/N had arrived at camp, it had been over a month since the apocalypse had started, and two weeks since he had been secretly sleeping with Lori.

She didn't want others to know, especially her son, because they would ask too many questions. He didn't want the others to know because he was ashamed. He felt like he was abandoning Y/N again. The fact that she was alive didn't help.

Oh, he was happy she came back. He had kissed her again and again without being able to stop, crying like a baby, refusing to let go and apologizing.

"Everything is fine." she told him, without knowing what he was really talking about.

Nothing more happened with Lori after her return. It wasn't a problem, she wasn't jealous, her son was her priority, and Shane continued to do everything to protect them.

Strangely, it was Andrea who was less accepting of the situation. Not only had she guessed what their leader was doing in secret, waiting to be able to taste him when Lori had finally thrown him away, but she found him too nice, too gentle, since his wife had returned.

"You seemed to have more balls before, but I guess she's the one calling the shots in the couple."

"You know what ? Yeah, exactly." Shane muttered, standing very close to her. "She's the one who decides. She's always been the brains of our duo, and I the muscles. She says, I do."

“And you don’t mind being a good doggie ?”

"Don't think I'm a good doggie. I bite when necessary, and take care of problems without her needing to know."

The threat was clear enough, and Andrea seemed to calm down for a time. Her remarks hadn't managed to disturb Shane, but it was true that the dynamic of their relationship had always been complicated, at work and at home.

Very dependent, very possessive, very jealous, Shane always needed to receive Y/N's approval, to know that she was proud, to feel her eyes on him.

He had done some bad things since the end of the world, but one was worse than the others, and he didn't dare admit it to her, too afraid of losing her.

When he finally found the courage, it had been almost four months, they had found refuge on a farm, and Lori was pregnant.

“I made a huge mistake…” he began, sitting down next to her during her shift. "I thought you were dead. I really thought you were dead."

"I know."

"No, listen. I really need to tell you…"

"Shane. I know. It's okay."

One of the reasons he fell in love with Y/N was because of her intelligence. Her ability to deduce things, which helped her a lot to understand him when he wasn't able to speak.

She had noticed his behavior, Lori's behavior. She had seen the signs. And on top of that, Andrea had spoken to her.

Y/N had known for weeks, saying nothing, waiting for him to come to her. And now that it was done, she promised him that everything was okay, touching his back and smiling.

"… No."

"What no ?"

"No !" he repeated, jumping out of his chair, suddenly furious. "Everything's not okay ! You should yell at me ! Hit me ! You can't act like you don't care ! I cheated on you, dammit !"

“Calm down, please.”

"Hit me ! Insult me ! Do something !"

“Shane…” Y/N sighed as she tried to touch his cheek, continuing to respond with gentleness instead of the violence he expected, that he demanded.

If she had done that to him, he would have gone crazy. He would have killed the guy, and he would have wanted to hurt her, and since he loved her too much for that, Shane would have hurt others, himself, before doing something really stupid.

He had thought she would react the same way, and like when she returned, he was not relieved that he had been wrong.

"You don't fucking care !"

"I do care ! I understand."

"You understand ?! You were rotting in a hospital room for a few days and I was already taking off her panties !"

"You were desperate ! You were alone ! It doesn't feel good, I wish it didn't happen, that we were together, that you didn't touch her, but it happened, I understand why, I love you and I don't want you to torture yourself about it anymore !'

Yes, Y/N had always been the brains of their relationship, and the heart, and everything in between. Shane just felt like an idiot who was lucky to have her, completely clueless as to why she was with him.

Before, she had forgiven him for a lot of things, the outings in bars, the fights, the fits of jealousy. He wasn't perfect, but she accepted him.

Nothing forced her to stay with him, now that society was in pieces, their rings no longer meant anything, and he had clearly proven himself to be nothing but a cowardly bastard.

Despite this, she had chosen him. He had been her first thought, her goal, and she had returned to him without the slightest hesitation, not suspecting what he had done.

“I abandoned you…” he sobbed, falling to his knees. “I let you get shot, I left you in that hospital, I cheated on you…”

"None of this is your fault. Nothing. You were there to help me, you closed the hospital door. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't done that. You held on because she comforted you, otherwise I would have found a group that would have told me you were dead.”

"I'm too cowardly to die."

"Stop it. Please stop. You've been upset for weeks, I see the look in your eyes. Sometimes… Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been easier if you'd left the door open."

"Don't say that !" he yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I love you ! I love you so much…I don't want to lose you…"

"I'm here. I love you too. Shane, I love you more than anything. It's okay." Y/N said, kissing him tenderly, pulling him into her arms, like she did after every pointless argument.

"She is pregnant."

"I know. It's okay. We're together, everything's okay."

The world was still shit, and it didn't seem like a quick fix could be found, but Shane decided that as always, he just had to listen to his wife and she would know what to do.

And if that wasn't the case, he would fix the problem without her knowing, and it would be all fine.

[artstar1997]

The main characters of my fairy AU, which is the adaptation of the Hidden AU and its collaboration story, Journey to Harmony are made by me and @georgi-girl. Each of the seven fairy tribes and subtribes has wings and antennae based on different insects or the wings are based on their elements (the country tribe as earth fairies have leaf or flower petal or fruit slice-shaped wings, the techno tribe as water fairies have fin-like wings, etc.) and the pop trolls as fairies are more of butterfly fairies while Cooper is a moth fairy, just like his parents and his tribe and Queen Rose and her tribe, the platinum trolls are dragonfly fairies. Their outfits are based on the fashion from the Middle Ages, though the fairies' clothes are made out of natural materials, such as leaves and flower petals.

The new Platinum leader and the fairy queen of the fairy kingdom, Queen Rosetta a.k.a Rose has dragonfly wings and antennae just like the members of her court, which is known for the use of light magic. She wears roses and rose petals in her outfits because the flowers match her personality and the rose symbolizes royalty, romance, love, beauty, and courage.

Queen Poppy, the older twin of King Peppy's twin daughters and one of Queen Celestia's wards has the antennae that she, Queen Celestia, and the members of the Snack Pack share because they came from the same court. During the group's search for the Pop court, Poppy acts as a trusted best friend for Queen Rose to rely on in lending a helping hand or wing because they have been inseparable at most times, especially during lessons. She shares with her boyfriend, Branch. Her wings are based on the king swallowtail and her outfits have camellias and their petals as skirts because the flower symbolizes beauty, grace, elegance, love, longevity, happiness, and good fortune,

Branch, on the other hand, is still the cautious and protective but talented butterfly. His skills in survival and protectiveness towards his friends allowed him to join the knights and earn his title as a sir. He and his brothers have the same monarch butterfly wings and his outfits were made of Mexican sage petals and leaves. The sage plant symbolizes bravery, esteem, domestic virtue, longevity, thoughtfulness, good health, and wisdom.

DJ Suki is a music-savvy fairy herself since fairies are known to be musically inclined and she was trained to be a troubadour ever since Queen Celestia took in the Snack Pack after they were separated from the pop fairies during their escape from the giants (the bergens). Sporting red lacewing butterfly wings and wearing clothes with lotus petals, I kinda match her with lotus flowers because they symbolize transcendence, purity, rebirth, and strength.

Cooper is the only moth fairy in the group and is known to work in the castle bakery with Legsly. He was aware that he had a different antennae shape and that his wings were based on a rosy maple moth but what he didn't know was that he was born a fairy prince. His outfits are made of morning glories, which match him perfectly because the flowers symbolize eternal love, rebirth, resilience, life, and unyielding love.

Smidge is a skilled flyer and fighter in her group and she is one of the transgender members. She is the strongest because she trained with the knights alongside Branch but, she tends to be more of a berserker. Her wings are based on an orange sulphur butterfly and her outfits are made out of red dahlias, which symbolize strength, power, perseverance, and prosperity.

Biggie is a big butterfly with a heart of gold. As an animal tamer and the caretaker of the Snack Pack, he takes care of them and keeps them safe with his bow and arrows but he owns a pet fox, whom he names Mr. Dinkles. He has blue morpho butterfly wings and his outfit is made out of pansy flower petals and leaves because it matches his gentle personality and the pansy symbolizes love, loyalty, honesty, devotion, sympathy, and care.

Guy Diamond is a transgender male but he is considered the most beautiful fairy. Sporting glitter on his pink-tipped satyr butterfly wings, he can emit fairy dust from his wake when flying. Queen Rose uses it for potions while Fuzzbert uses the dust for healing. As a new dad to the newborn baby Tiny Diamond, he tries his best to be a good example to his son. His outfits are made out of amaryllis lily petals, which match him because the flower symbolizes pride, strength, determination, beauty, and love.

Satin and Chenille, the fashion twins still love fashion designing and making clothes but their outfits are known among the younger generation of the nobility, the elite, and the wealthy class. They have matching purple emperor wings, cherry blossom outfits, and ponytails that face each other like a mirror, but the sleeves, personalities, and colors set them apart. Cherry blossoms match them because of their traits and the flower symbolizes beauty, passion, love, courage, rebirth, renewal, new beginnings, and the start of spring.

Fuzzbert, though mute, is a skilled healer among his teammates, which comes in handy because of the difficulty of their quest. Using his knowledge of potions and spells to cure his fellow fairies and help anyone in need. His wings are based on a species of a swallowtail butterfly and his outfits are made of sweet pea leaves, which symbolize blissful pleasure, good wishes, kindness, gratitude, and friendship.

Legsly works at the castle bakery with Cooper but she is mainly the most outgoing among the teammates. As a baker, she has a "happy-go-lucky" attitude with a liking for any "good things" and her cooking talent impresses both her friends and guests alike. Her dress is made out of the leaves and the flower of the daffodil, which symbolizes rebirth, new beginnings, hope, joy, and good luck.

[juniperss]

Band of brothers medieval au ,that's just a thought...

anon, your mind….lets take this a step further if you don’t mind me doing so:

knights of the round table au. Now I’ll be honest and admit that my knowledge on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is entirely sourced from BBC’s Merlin so you’ll have to bear with me BUTTTTTTTTTT

“We would fight a thousand armies with our bare hands for you. We are never alone. We stand together." -Elyan to Arthur

In this AU I clearly picture Richard as Arthur. Just as in Band of Brothers, we see how quickly Easy Company (led by Lipton and so on) admit they would rather be transferred (or even killed) than to have to serve under Sobel. It’s clear from the beginning who the loyalty of the Company belongs to and that is Winters.

Now there aren't enough Knights of the Round Table to have each member of Easy Company, so I'm going to divide Easy into the Archetypes of each Knight that they most reflect in either all or most aspects (in my opinion!) -Sir Gwaine Archetype: "I think we have no chance. But I wouldn't miss it for the world." Bold, seeing the best in others, flirtatious, confident, fiercely loyal, humorous, throw hands first and ask questions later, and believed that people should be defined by what they did rather than who they were [Guarnere, Toye, Speirs, Talbert] - Sir Lancelot Archetype: "It is not just his deeds that we'll never forget. It is his courage. It is his compassion. His unselfish heart." Kindhearted, compassionate, courageous, humble, loyal and self sacrificing. [Lipton, Roe, Malarkey] -The Sir Elyan Archetype: "He's [Elyan] just one of those types of people, never settles down, never thinks about the future. Just follows his heart wherever it takes him." Affectionate, adventurous, loyal, brave, kind to others, cunning and quick on their feet, giving. [Muck, Skip, Nixon, Liebgott, Luz] -The Sir Leon (THATS MY MAN!) Archetype: "I have fought alongside you [Arthur] so many times, there is no one else I would rather die for." Steadfast, loyal, sensible, knew the difference between courage and foolishness, outspoken, humorous, good natured, self sacrificing for the greater good [Martin, Buck, also Lipton] -The Sir Percival Archetype: "Your enemies are my enemies" Quiet, man of few words, skilled, brave, gentle and softhearted, decisive, mischievous in the right company. [Shifty, Bull, Babe, Skinny]

Prince Richard presents his plan to stop an evil that has grown so powerful and destructive that he isn't sure he can actually succeed but he vows that he will try anyway. He doesn't ask his friends for help, but one by one they pledge their aid to him.

The Knights that Richard chooses aren’t all nobility nor are they approved by the King. They are simply men who have shown unwavering loyalty and love to him, they are men he trusts. And they are there when he has no one else, and they commit themselves to his cause knowing full well that they might not survive. Their numbers aren't many (only 5 Knights with any skill in battle and 3 honorary members) but they are steadfast and skilled.

After Richard establishes the Knights of the Round table, he would later abolish The First Code of Camelot that states that only men of noble blood can be Knights. After all, blood does not make the man. It's his actions and loyalty that do.

I do absolutely adore the idea of the Knights (Easy) wearing red cloaks and armor like the Knights do in Merlin. It's so dramatic and I think it should be allowed *bangs gavel*

Something something the Knights were so deeply loyal to one another that it bordered on something more than platonic something something the dedication to one another that after the death of their leader there was too much grief to continue on something something.....

While the Knights are meant to be a symbol of the realm and its power, I also see them as representative of the common people, especially in the BBC Merlin version after the Round Table is established. These are men who have come from varied backgrounds and experiences and there's not a way that they wouldn't be seen as what could be for the future.

watch this video and tell me i'm wrong (pls don't tell me i'm wrong)

[anime-x-readers]

PART TWO

Anime: Attack on Titan

Pairings: Levi Ackerman X Reader (Your name is Yuna)

Genre: Fluff, Tension

Summary: After you've been attacked, you'll get back on with some body exercises, having an unexpected "date" at night

A numbing morning. Before getting out of bed, you made sure to stretch all your muscles and check that your left leg and broken rib were okay and ready to start the day as well. You? You weren't. Not after what happened yesterday.

You had no idea how to interpret the actions of the dark-haired guy. Full of concern for you? No, definitely not. Who would do that just full of concern for someone? Not even Eren treats Mikasa that way. You were sure Levi wanted to convey something to you. To show you more, but it was up to you to understand what.

You hoped it was what you thought because you liked him. You liked Levi. For many months, and you hid it, thinking it was in vain. He's a fierce fighter, not a corner lover. Maybe... maybe you're wrong? In what way did you exist in his world, in his eyes?

You were in love with him. The way he knows how to be a leader, the way he moves in battle, it was threateningly attractive. He was a tough guy who had the courage to face Titans with his bare hands. And you? You admired him immensely. You wanted to be as good as him, but he was inhumanly good at what he did.

And that drew your attention to him. He probably didn't even intend that. But he motivated you to get stronger from the beggining.

You were given a week off for recovery. Now, you were in the training yard, dressed in a very loose white shirt and a pair of dark shorts. The sun was scorching your skin.

You were waiting for your best friend. The first day of recovery had fallen on his shoulders since the superiors were either outside the walls or in offices with paperwork.

"Armin!" You shouted after him, and his blond hair fell over his eyes when he turned to see you. A small, scatterbrained boy, but he made you smile everytime.

"Oh! The captain informed us that you were awake since yesterday. He told me to help you with recovery." He said, but you already guessed how today would go.

"I know. I figured it would be like this." You smile again.

The recovery went well. Since Armin had grown and matured, he had become more rigid. He helped you with a few exercises for your sprained leg and some light stretches for your abdomen. It went well, but you could still feel pain.

You remember Historia's expression when you had the courage to reveal to her the guy you thought of more than a friend. She was a little shocked, given the circumstances. You always got along with Historia, thus becoming your best friend and advisor, but she didn't expect Levi to catch your eye.

"But you are so different, Yuna. His physical features are amazing, but his personality doesn't suggest he could have feelings for a girl." That's what she said. But you didn't agree. "Are you saying he's a monster?" You asked her. But she shook her head negatively. Anyway, she supported you but didn't want you to have a broken heart or anything, so she made you promise to take care of yourself, and that's what you do.

After a few hours of recovery with Armin's help, in the evening, you decided to go down to the dining hall. You were starving, especially because the heat had tired you more than the physical exercises.

"Have some salad, you need to recover." Then Mikasa placed two green leaves on your plate. You thanked her with a smile.

And suddenly, you remembered it was evening, which should have meant that the troops had returned home. You hoped everyone returned safely, including him. But then you saw him. He had taken a seat at a table with the other superiors, and his posture with crossed arms, stoic aura, and expressionless face conveyed that he had an exhausting day.

You wanted to talk to him, but the hall was full of people. Until you met his blue gaze. He was serious, as usual, but something was different. You could feel a certain gentleness, but you didn't know if the rest had noticed.

"Hmm, tell me, Yuna. Why is Levi looking at you like that?" Hange sneaks with her curious nose under your chin, making you jump and feel your cheeks burning. You felt very embarrassed at this moment, and everyone at the table was staring at you. Mikasa, Armin, Jean, and Eren.

"At least we know Captain Levi has good taste in girls." Jean states, munching on a piece of boar meat.

"I'm right here! Stop gossiping about me to my face!" You glare at them, but they all chuckle, including Mikasa and Armin. You expected a little seriousness from them. You didn't even want to know how Levi viewed everything happening at your table.

But, one thing you knew. When you reached your room, you found a small note left on your bedside table. Someone had dared to break into your room.

"22:00. Waiting outside."

[shima-draws]

Hi all thanks for letting me infodump about my new kids <3 Anyway here’s their general info and personalities. They don’t have names yet so suggestions are welcome. Also elemental power suggestions are welcome (remember, this is within the ATS verse so it’ll have to be 1 of the 15 elements). Some of them are already set but not all of them so ;)

Protag boy: THE boy of all time. He’s lovable. He’s stupid. He’s absurdly powerful. He’s really chill UNLESS you mess with his friends then he goes apeshit. He’s got a boyish charm that every single member of the group is attracted to. He’s the official leader of the group and they would do ANYTHING for him. His childhood friend passed away due to an incurable illness so whenever someone gets sick he mother hens to the EXTREME. He rarely ever cries so when he does the entire group flips their shit trying to comfort him or trying to beat the hell out of whatever made him cry. And most importantly. He is BABY

(Yes I got inspired bc I’ve been watching too much shounen lately. I NEEDED to make the boy ever)

Mute girl: Originally she was a VERY famous singer but she “vanished” five years ago. She’s kept this a secret from the group. Due to trauma she has chosen to go mute and has not sung in a long, long time. She communicates solely through sign language and eventually the rest of the group picks it up. Is generally closed off, but opens up to the group as time passes. When she does finally get the courage to use her voice and sing again, everyone absolutely loses their shit at how beautiful her voice is and they all cry and it’s very emotional.

Rabid feral girl: Little feral child that is just a gremlin and was taken in by the group bc she had no family. She thinks of protag boy as her big brother and absolutely adores him. She’s also a BEAST in battle, one of the strongest members of the group. She has no memories of who she was before she met the group, and has a mysterious past that will soon catch up with her. She’s probably the most blunt out of everyone and can sometimes say rude things without meaning to. You want to get roasted by a 10 year old? Yeah she’ll roast you alright

Edgy boy: He’s stoic and strong willed and stupidly powerful. Has more of a physical fighting style rather than using magic. Was the first member of the group to fall in behind protag boy. Would do ANYTHING for protag boy, even betray the other members. Is surprisingly a really good dancer, but will only dance in public if it’s with mute girl (who’s also had dance training). Everyone is jealous of this. Is one of the few people to have known sign language from the get go, so he translates for mute girl a lot at the beginning. Might also secretly come from high society.

Standoffish mechanic: He’s a jerk, but he’s so lovable. Would die for protag boy. Protag boy gushes over his inventions and it boosts his ego way too much. He comes off as arrogant and cocky but he’s a real softie deep down :’) He butts heads with edgy boy a LOT. There’s some weird sexual tension going on there that nobody else wants to bring up. The “everyone is so not worth my time except for the people I love and care about” kind of guy. He will be brutally honest with you.

Non-binary parental figure: The oldest one in the group who watches over all the others. Very gentle and kind hearted, but willing to be strict if necessary. Acts as a sort of mentor figure to protag boy (and p much everyone else tbh). Is arguably the most powerful member of the group, but rarely ever uses their magic. They’re the kind of person that lets their kids learn their lessons the hard way. Is the first one to figure out mute girl’s story and acts as her confidant.

Violin boy: Has a history with mute girl and went through a similar trauma as her. Due to a misunderstanding he holds a serious grudge against mute girl which is eventually solved. He probably ends up joining the group. Or just runs into them once in a while. He’s socially awkward and can’t hold a good conversation to save his life…unless it’s with mute girl. Is actually very attractive but hides his looks due to low self esteem. Thanks trauma.

Himbo: I’m holding out for a himbo til the end of the night

(Dumb and strong and respects women and ride or die. Also gremlin girl’s best buddy and unofficial guardian. I really don’t have much else to say about him I honestly haven’t given him a lot of thought yet.)

Healer girl: Soft spoken and kind, she takes care of the group’s injuries and provides support in battle. Everyone’s a little intimidated by her bc she’s scary when they don’t immediately come to her for medical treatment after battle, or brush off their injuries. Grows close with mute girl. Is the calming presence of the group, and everyone comes to her when they are stressed. (This causes her to have a complex about being the calm one, the cheerful one, the one who always has their shit together. This is unhealthy. Lmao)

Smart girl: “I’m surrounded by idiots but they’re MY idiots” kind of person. Brilliantly clever and quick witted and has a sharp tongue. Thinks protag boy is SO dumb but she loves him anyway and has absolute faith in him. Has a loving family back home and gets embarrassed when her softer family side is brought up since she’s kinda arrogant and cold. Regularly spars with edgy boy. Gets easily flustered and then gets angry about it.

Cute baker: His pastries are SCRUMPTIOUS. He wears glasses. And has freckles. And he’s nerdy and kinda shy and awkward and he’s perfect. He’s more of a behind the scenes kind of strategist. He works with mechanic boy a lot to improve on their gadgets and gizmos and also on food related things. Is also wickedly smart but more in the book smart kind of way (while smart girl is street smart. Life experience smart.)

Now that you’ve met the squad…

(Also pssst tell me who you voted for in the tags/comments if you wanna!! I’m curious 👀)

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Hi! I’ve been a long time fan of your works and love how you do platonic yanderes. So I have an ask (finally have the courage to do so lol). So I know one of the requests/asks you got mentioned Mommy Fortuna from the last unicorn and it got me thinking.

What if the X-Men stumble upon a side show type attraction with various different mutants forced to show off for crowds (like in the last unicorn) and Reader is there too but their mutation is they can turn into different mythical creatures and take on some of their abilities (like breathing fire if a dragon or magic/healing if a unicorn). And they’re the star attraction (of course with a mutation like that) and the X-Men first see Reader in their unicorn form (which the leader prefers Reader to be in cause it garners more crowds). I also imagine the leader of this to be some random person and not really a known villain but if you have one in mind I’d love to hear it!

I don’t know if this is too specific for an ask, sorry it’s my first ever request for anything like this. But I thought this idea was cool and I love your writing. Feel free to ignore it!

Also if I could be referred to as unicorn anon if it’s not taken and you’d like me to keep sending ideas?

That sounds so awesome! Welcome to the platonic yandere X-Men club, Unicorn Anon! (You can ask some questions!)

I imagine Reader in this AU used to be free, maybe not in a good situation, but at least not chained up amd put on display for others to ogle at. They enjoyed being different creatures, enjoyed having their features sometimes in human form, they even loved the adrenaline rush that came with flying or running or using their powers. Yet it all ended when this Lady Fortunata caught them.

She was a crazy old bat, someone who caught actual living breathing people, mutants, amd put them on display! And she even used some form of charm or power over those who put up too much of a fight. Reader knew they'd never leave if they showed their true anger, their deep sadness and fear, so they hid it, simply ignoring those they could and only putting on a show when truly needed. They knew that wicked woman had them chained up, the key hidden and where they couldn't reach... Yet one day, a new being is brought in, something fuzzy and blue with a little tail, and Reader can't help but try to warn him, being as aoft-spoken as possible, even if he's confused...

Reader had many forms, but the one that others preferred, the one that kept them safe and kept away crueller hands, was that of a unicorn. One with long, graceful legs, a flowing, whispy tail, a long mane that swayed when they walked, and the crowning jewel, a long, shining horn, able to heal others and gifting them magical abilities. It always drew in crowds, and it certainly never disappointed. Reader resented others for seeing them as just a trophy, a beast and no more. Yet their new friend was rather gentle, telling fantastic stories of his other friends and all they'd done together. It all seemed rather nice, but sadly, no one was there to rescue any of them...

Then one day, wandering through the mists and into their encampment and faire, was a group of strangers. Most of them were young, about Reader's age, one with red glasses and one with orange hair and one wearing pink and one in black and even one with cream hair; there were even a few adults, one who smelled of metal and something earthy, one who seemed regal as any unicorn, and a man in wheelchair... What Reader didn't expect was for Lady Fortunata to come by, quickly telling Reader to keep an eye out, and to not cause a ruckus...

Ha! If she said they were bad, then they must be good. Of course, Reader would have to be rather crafty with their warnings to the others...

The moment they approached, Reader could hear gasps and whispers. Yet poking at their mind, gentle as a cloud, was a voice. Barely a whisper, yet asking if they were in need of help... Reader answered, and flicked their head slightly over to their new friend, hidden in the shadows of their cage... Asking if they'd help him, too...

Except... they all let out gasps, and soon Reader saw blades pop from the other man's hands, and could smell the burnt scent of lightning... Their friend, a blue teenager named Kurt, was quick quick greet them, introducing all of them and speaking quietly of the horrors of this place... The anger of the others only grew with each word, so much so that Reader feared Lady Fortunata would sense it...

Yet she never showed up.

The orange-haired girl was quick to find the key, and the others fanned out, a few running off to cause a scene elsewhere while the rest freed Reader and their friend and the other mutants caught in this evil place. The moment Reader was on the ground, feeling dirt and grass ebanth their hooves, they let out a peal of laughter-

And there, standing where the once were, was a human with a horn and a thin tail, hugging their blue friend. Yet that was when a fight broke out, as it seemed Lady Fortunata and her workers found them, and they tried to overpower these newer mutants. Reader was quick to help, freeing another mutant who they'd seen captured awhile ago, one who was beastly and large, who had sworn vengeance on the old woman and to end her...

Was it wrong? Reader didn't think so. And it would be crueller still to leave it there, at the mercy of the witch who held them as her prisoners...

Reader told the others to run, pushing them deeper into the woods and urging them to stay hidden, shushing them not to say a word as they fled... Even when screams arose, or the sounds of fire, the pop of breaking glass and smell of blood and burning wood, Reader told them not to look back or cry out... And luckily, no one argued...

Ending up on their hidden jet, heading back to civilization, going going a place that was safe for them, Reader couldn't help bit sigh lightly, tired and soft. Perhaps these people would be better... maybe they'd be worth sticking around for...

[mariposakitten]

Whenever I see fanon about Wen Ning, it always seems to propose a dichotomy: Wen Ning was a gentle, timid, peaceful soul until Wei Wuxian turned him into a fierce corpse and made him into a weapon. If that had never happened he would have remained timid and gentle and ever so slightly befuddled all the days of his life.

I will say upfront, I am only working with CQL chronology. I understand there are drastic differences between the book and the show; those who know the book better are free to add onto this, either to agree or disagree. But from the perspective of the show: I call bullshit.

This is the man who disobeyed both his sect leader and his sister, putting himself at risk, to save Wei Wuxian from the dungeon-wolf and smuggle medicine to him. Who went against his entire sect again, risked his own life AND faced social ridicule (and it’s anyone’s guess which was scarier), to save Jiang Cheng – not because he particularly cared about Jiang Cheng, but because his friend did. Who risked his life again, and his sister’s life, AND risked his sister’s anger, asking her to shelter and care for the Yunmeng trio. Who died, in the labor camp at Qiongqi Path, because he was trying to protect his fellow prisoners.

Before he was ever a fierce corpse, this man lived and died a hero. The fact that he was by nature gentle and timid just makes his courage more noteworthy – he was scared, genuinely scared, for most of his heroics. He did what needed doing anyway.

And everything, everything he did was to protect others.

Do not let the wide eyes and the babyface fool you. Wen Ning was a badass long before he was reanimated by resentful energy; he was just a quiet, self-effacing badass.

Wen Ning might, in a quiet moment, regret that his natural death was interrupted, that he may have been taken out of the cycle of reincarnation. He might be upset that someone with enough power could control him against his will. He might be saddened that people instinctively fear him or see him as a threat. But I can’t believe that he resents being “made into a weapon" or “corrupted by resentment.”

The resentment  was always there. It is a testament to who he is as a person that he stayed as sweet as he was despite it, but it was no accident that he had enough resentment to revive his own body. A good man surrounded by bad men will always be resentful, and for good reason.

As for being “made" into a weapon? At every opportunity, he put himself between the people he wanted to protect and those who would hurt them. No matter how he felt about the rest of his transformation, I can’t imagine he would be anything less than thrilled about finally having the physical ability to make that protection stick.

Being a weapon that can be wielded by someone he didn’t choose is a problem. Being a weapon, in and of itself, is not.

Wen Ning is not and never was the guileless innocent some make him out to be. He is gentle, yes; he would rather heal and nurture than hurt. He is timid, yes; words hurt him and he fears confrontation. He is good, always and to his core. But he was always strong and brave enough to overcome his fears and stand up for what he thought was right, always determined enough to fight for his people even when he thought he’d lose, and it is a disservice to his character to claim otherwise.

[mikyx-daily]

⚔ g2 lol 2024 as lord of the rings characters ⚔

originally from twitter (link) but this feels like it belongs on tumblr so here we go!

caps - frodo baggins

- brave, loyal and kind

- has a pure and incorruptible heart

- i'm 99% sure his keyboard also makes him hear voices

yike - aragorn

- promised myself i would not make a joke about ents

- makes people respect him not by words but by actions

- gentle and caring, yet strong and resilient

brokenblade - gimli

- this was not a height motivated pick i swear

- energetic, friendly, spontaneous and vocal

- would trust him with an axe

hans sama - legolas

- reserved, perceptive, adventurous and competitive

- would look good with elf ears

- not entirely sure if i would trust him with a bow

mikyx - samwise gamgee

- the defender or the protector

- willing to sacrifice eveything to save his friends

- tenderhearted

- though i'm pretty sure he would have thrown gollum off the mountain

dylan - gandalf

- this one was obvious

- invaluable wisdow and guidance

- powerful leader and strategist

- “i fear i am beyond your comprehension.” (gandalf the white, the two towers)

duffman - faramir

- i adore duff so i gave him my favorite character and i will not accept any criticism

- "personally courageous and decisive, but also modest, fair-minded and scrupulously just, and very merciful” (Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, 323)

rodrigo - saruman

- i just had to

- powerful and logical thinker

- time has corrupted him and i'm pretty sure that's the reason why we will be witnessing camille sup soon

isma - elrond

- great wisdow and foresight

- master of healing

- overall underrated powerful character

romain - éomer

- assertive, direct and self-confident

- strong and posessed with great passion

- a true warrior

click - imrahil

- have never seen this man in my life

- lives in my imagination only (imrahil was not in the movies)

[unattainablesillygoose]

My take on what the Pevensies' patronus/houses would be if they went to Hogwarts:

Peter: Gryffindor, Lion

I know this one seems obvious, but seriously. Peter was given a lot of responsibility from a young age, but he never once complained, instead taking to it graciously. He's a natural born leader, and his siblings and his subjects look up to him. He's fiercely protective of his siblings and will stop at nothing to keep them safe, including going up against a wolf to keep his little sisters safe despite his lack of training. He's brave, bold, often brash and impulsive, proud and stubborn, strong-willed and noble. He's also definitely got a soft side for his siblings, but them only, unless you're a close and dear friend like Tumnus and the Beavers. Lions are often called the "king of beasts," and Peter wasn't called "High King Peter the Magnificent" for nothing. Lions are brave, strong, noble, and leaders of their pride. They're also gentle with their cubs and teach and lead them just as lioness' do.

Susan: Ravenclaw/Slytherin, Doe

I could see Susan being either. Susan isn't any less brave than her siblings, but she's clearly less impulsive and brash, instead preferring to strategize and think through her plan of attack as seen when she tells Peter not to charge the wolf on the river. She's intelligent and quick-witted and more grounded, as seen when she tells Peter that they should stop and think their actions through before crossing a potentially dangerous river. She's also ambitious and resourceful. You see this when she, when it becomes apparent that they're to remain in Narnia for the remainder of the war, immediately goes to practice with her bow. She, while a gentle and maternal queen, was quite influential and powerful in her own right.She never let anything stand in her way. The Doe patronus represents gentleness yet strong determination. Fiercely protective of her loved ones, as displayed through her caring and nurturing nature. With her high level of intuition and sensitivity, she battles life's challenges with the utmost grace and vigilance.

Edmund: Gryffindor/Slytherin, Tiger

we all know his character was based off of Judas, and the tiger patronus represents a unique sense of courage and willpower, able to rise above conflicts and pass through all forms of adversity with grace and skill. They're highly protective and territorial, going to great lengths to defend their loved ones and home. Edmund, while certainly cunning and ambitious, is also brave and bold. He's often seen by Peter's side as they charge into battle, leading the troops alongside his brother. He helps others, and like Peter, is chivalrous as well. Like a Gryffindor, he's impulsive and brash, as seen when he jumps into a fight in the train station to help his brother, as well as when he confronts the white witch and breaks her staff in half leading to his stab wound. Like Slytherin, however, he's cunning, as seen when he manipulates Miraz into dueling Peter by toiling with his emotions and poking at his pride. He's misunderstood like a lot of Slytherins are, as well. I think he could be either.

Lucy: Gryffindor, Otter

Lucy is 100% a Gryffindor, no doubt. I've seen a lot of people putting her in Hufflepuff, and while she is incredibly loyal and patient, she's incredibly brave and bold in her approach. She always puts others before herself and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty for a good cause. She's very skilled in sword fighting as well as archery, but she's also very kind and fair. As seen on the bridge where she stood off an entire army with only a dagger, she isn't afraid to tackle big challenges and has a need to prove herself, likely from being the youngest of four siblings. She's bold, as seen when she tells Peter that they're being too quick to fight. She speaks loud and proud about what she believes is right and will stand by her opinions. I think the Otter patronus suits her despite Aslan himself saying, "If she were any braver, she'd be a lioness," (which is also a clear indication of her Gryffindor spirit) because she's playful and curious. The Otter patronus represents life and purification, and we all know Lucy is pure and full of life. Otters are fearless and will pursue their curiosities as such. They're also associated with friendship, which I attribute to Lucy. She sees Narnians as her equals and has no trouble befriending new people/animals.