#i guess it can be a bit shocking if you aren't yet aware of that mannerism

[but-a-humble-selfshipper]

I think one thing worth pointing out about L.L. is that... They, they are kind of rough around the edges alright? If you want to think of it metaphorically use their teeth as an example. No matter if they hide em, down there there's the jaws of a predator, built to tear apart.

This is to say they are a blunt motherfucker without meaning it, and they are kind of defensive too at times!! Sometimes they fail to think before speaking and come out kinda mean, but they don't mean to bark at people like that ...

[cherricola-star]

Pizza delivery boy Bangchan

Oh no it seems like you're a couple dollars short how are you going to pay for it?

One-shot, not proofread, reupload because I'm dumb and fucked up the polls, no tags yet

It's been a long day, a long grueling day which means cooking is off the table and honestly out of thought. It's also Saturday which means you don't have anything to do the next day so you can do whatever you want and not have to worry about the consequences of whatever you did the night prior.

There's choices on the delivery app that you're using but you really aren't feeling any of them as you scroll through the app. Chinese, Sushi, Indian, burgers they're all so boring. You continue to scroll until you see a new pizza delivery place DOMINO, not Dominos but DOMINO and you're a bit confused. How do they work out copyright laws? Regardless, you decide to check out the new store and scroll through their menu. It's a Korean pizza place with pizza toppings you've never thought to try before and other foods that interest you. You decide to play it safe and order a pizza that's somewhat similar to the ones you've had in the past with new add-ons.

You select the delivery option too lazy to actually go out and get it yourself and pay your fee. A wait time of 10-15 minutes is given so in the meantime you decide to get your stuff together to watch a series while you wait.

While you wait you decide to change into something more comfortable since you honestly were going to just pass out after eating so might as well just prepare for the inevitable.

As the minutes go by you've already changed and got a new show playing while you wait on your food.

*DING*

You get up from your space on your couch once you hear the sound of your doorbell assuming it's your pizza. You unlock the door ready to receive your pizza, not ready for the absolute beauty in front of you.

“Hey…Pizza delivery for uhh…,” he checks the top of the box for your name”Y/N?”

“Yeah that's me.” You awkwardly respond. You most definitely were not prepared for this man at all and if you had the slightest idea he would be coming you would have put on nicer nightwear.

You take the pizza from his hands and check to see if it's what you'd ordered and it's not, not at all actually in fact, it looks like someone else's order.

“Hey umm this isn't my order.” You look up at him. He flushes and checks his delivery tablet that you just noticed was strapped to his arm.

“Oh my God I'm so sorry. There's like 3 orders that I have with the same first name that's definitely my fault. I can go run down and get you yours.”

You nod your head in agreement and give him back the pizza and watch him rush to go and get the correct order.

He comes back to your door handing you the correct pizza, you checked that it was, and hummed in satisfaction.

“How much do I owe you?” You question him

“You can call me Chan and the pizza is gonna be $52.76,”

You're jaw drops, $52 for a fucking pizza?!? That's like not even bigger than 7 inches wide?!?

You have to ask him out of genuine disbelief if this is true.

“Are you being for real?” You hawk at him and he nods before responding “I know the delivery app doesn't show it but if you look it up it's a Michelin star restaurant. We just started doing deliveries so the app hasn't really uhh…updated I guess? Our marketing team is still working on it.”

You're actually shocked. Had you known it was a Michelin star restaurant you would have immediately rescinded that order and got regular pizza. Regardless you only had $38 including tip and that means you were short. $14.76 short to be specific.

“I'm well I wasn't aware that your restaurant was so important and I'm so sorry to say that I only have $38…” You look at him through your lashes genuinely not sure what to do. “You can take the $38 and the pizza back. I really can't make it up unless you want me to run down the street to the closest ATM.”

He gives you a good look and lets out a breath of laughter. “I mean there is one way you could make up for it.” You look at him in surprise, ”Seriously?”

He nods his head “I just need one thing from you and don't feel pressured from it alright?”

You agree and he responds positively. “Give me a kiss?” A kiss? He wants a kiss? Well it's not like you're uncomfortable with the idea he is extremely cute and if it gets you a $14 discount who are you to deny it. “I'll give you a kiss.”

He steps into your home and moves his hands to take the pizza from you and put it on a bear by table. He then holds the back of your head and pulls you in for a quick kiss which then turns into multiple kisses and then evolved into longer desperate wet kisses. You both pull away to catch your breaths. “You know.. you're the first client I've ever wanted to do this with,” he says between breaths. You reconnect for a quick kiss before he moves to your ear to whisper “I can make this pizza worth everything and more if you trust me.”

You look in his eyes and give him the okay to do whatever he wants.

“Show me your bedroom.”

.

.

.

.

So so sorry babes I fucked up the poll so I had to reset it so here it is again.

[midnight-mourning]

DCA Promptober Day 17: Found

I suggest reading Day 15 prior to reading this one, as they're connected. Do as you please though ^-^

Content warning: small injury mention

Word count: 1290

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The staff hallways are darker and more difficult to navigate than you remember. Course, when you're trying to move as quickly and silently as possible, it doesn't make things easier that's for sure. Last you checked the time it was around midnight, right when your shift should have started. Maybe if you'd chosen to come in now instead of earlier, you wouldn't be stuck in your current situation. 

A loud screeching sound echoing down the hall makes you flinch, but you ignore it. You already know it's Moon in the vents, trying to scare you. And succeeding. 

He's too big to fit through the grates however. That much you're mostly sure of. So you keep moving so that he at least can track where you are and find the opportunity to corner you. 

You try to rack your brain for where Connor and Garcia might be. El Chip had been a lucky guess for Rhoades, and if either of them are injured like he is, was, chances are they aren't thinking straight. Which means you need to move faster. 

You're still processing all of this, you don't understand why this is happening, why Moon's doing this to you all. Last you checked, none of the guards had a grudge against any of the animatronics. You know you didn't. Especially not the Daycare Attendant. They were harmless! Or at least, you'd thought they were. 

But still, they might've been a bit unnerving, especially the yellow one, but you'd thought Moon was sweet despite his outward appearance. You'd chat every now and then on your shift. Briefly, sure, but you'd enjoyed it. And what he said back there, about tricks. You haven't done anything to trick him, not that you're aware of.

You don't know whether it's a blessing or a curse when your radio crackles to life.

A whispering voice is on the line, "H-hey. Anyone there? Anyone, still, a-alive?" 

Connor. 

"Yeah, yeah I'm here, Tom," You answer, quiet as you can be. 

There's a pause, then a groaned chuckle, "Damn, we'd all thought you'd slept in late. Could've been, fuck, spared the trouble."

You try to huddle into a doorway to help muffle your voice, "Don't tell me he got you too, Tommy. Thought you were a track star?"

You aren't sure if the joke lands at first, but you're desperate to try and soothe the kid in some way. 

"Ah, just barely. He got lucky; I wasn't warmed up yet. But wait, did you also manage to skate by?"

"I-" You bite your lip, and shake your head, "Yeah, yeah I did." There was no point in bogging him down about Rhoades, would just make things worse. 

Tommy says a quiet 'Fuck yeah!' before speaking to you directly again, "You somewhere safe? I think if we can make it to morning it'll be okay. But if we can find the others before then I think we'll be better off."

Your heart twists at that, but again, it's better he doesn't know. You'd rather not send the 19-year-old into a panic attack. 

"Not exactly, but-"

A loud, very close screech interrupts you. That was right above your head. You stay motionless, too afraid to turn around. 

He can't get to you, he can't get to you, he can't get to you-

Another screech, and then a ripping sound. 

Just twisting slightly, you're shocked to see a blue claw poking out from the vent along a large slash line. The claw disappears then reappears to cut a parallel gash to the other one. 

He's making an opening. 

You need to run. 

You bolt down the corridor, booking it to where you think there's an opening back out into the atrium. Connor says something over the radio you're pretty sure, but you can hardly think over the sound of your breathing. 

There's a clattering crash somewhere behind you, followed by the jingling of several bells. It makes you move that much faster.

You make turn after turn, struggling to not lose your way in the dark and not lose yourself to fear as you come to the horrifying realization that Moon is gaining on you.

You'd have thought his height would be deliberating in this enclosed space, but you thought wrong it seemed. 

You don't realize how close he is until a hand grazes your shoulder. 

You shriek, turning while running to defend yourself. At the same time, you miss that you were about to turn the corner and slam into the wall. Shaking your head, you quickly back into a nearby doorway, whipping out your taser and pointing at the bot looming over you. 

He stares down at you, unmoving save for the rotating of his faceplate. 

Is he buffering? What's he waiting on? What does he want?

"Hey, you cut out. Maybe it's the signal, hard to tell in this stupid place." Your eyes and Moon's snap to your walkie that lays abandoned on the floor beside you. 

Tommy speaks up again, "If you do hear this, I'm gonna try and make my way back to the security office. See if I can't get eyes on the others. Worth a shot at least."

You flick your eyes up to Moon as he starts to chuckle.

You snatch up the radio, "Tom stay where you are, it's not safe-" 

Suddenly you're no longer holding the black box. A blue hand now wraps around it as the naptime attendant glares down at you. 

He wags his finger, "Naughty, naughty. That's cheating."

You hope that Tom heard you. You hope to god he stays put. 

"What'd you say? Couldn't make it out."

Your heart drops. 

He says your name a few times before you can only watch with dread as Moon crushes the radio in his hand. It falls to the ground in several pieces.

You back further into the door behind you, shaking your head, "No. No, no, no. Please. Do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt the kid. Please, I'm begging you."

A curious twist of his faceplate. Then suddenly, he lurches down toward you, coming eye to eye. You whimper and close your eyes, waiting for the worse. 

Moon snickers.

There's a poke to your face and you make another noise, flinching as your squeeze your eyes shut tighter.

"Found you~" He giggles, "You're not very good at hiding, Little Star."

He's toying with you now. You dare to crack open an eye. 

Moon's gaze is thin crescents as he pokes you again, then pinches your lips between his fingers. With him being this close, you can see there's a purple static over his optics. 

You swallow, "I, I guess not."

"Tell you what," He tilts his head, "One more chance, hm?"

He releases you, standing tall.

"What, what about, Tom?"

Moon growls, then chuckles, "Twenty minutes this time. Make them count."

Then he's gone, and you're left alone in the dark.

Again.

You sit up, running a hand through your hair. He's giving you an out, a chance. But you refuse to take it, you're not leaving Connor to die. Not like you did with Rhoades. 

As you stand, you go to feel your shoulder for the injury that's surely there and your adrenaline just hasn't let you register yet.

Imagine your surprise when your hand makes contact with warm cotton. 

Huh. But you could've sworn-another head shake. You need to find Connor, the two of you need to find Garcia, and all three of you need to survive.

Moon can play his games; you have other plans.

And somewhere, rapidly moving through the Plex in search of an unsuspecting security guard, a bot's internal timer clicks down from twenty to nineteen.

Tick tock.

Make it count.

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so ummmm, it's gonna be a three-parter guys. I'm sorryyy, I'm just having a lot of fun with this storyline and have it like, all planned out and keep thinking i'll get to my stopping point sooner than I actually am. Not to worry, it'll be one of the next couple of days of the prompts. Speaking of prompts, here's my responses to the others if you haven't seen them, thanks for reading!

[itsclydebitches]

So any thoughts on the news from Rooster Teeth regarding The stuff they're putting on the rooster teeth site?

I've only heard about this all second-hand, but the anthology series in particular has me going "Meh" at best and "Not again" at worst. The latter because (as we're all well aware) RWBY has a long history of dividing up information across its (flexible) canon, rather than consolidating it within the story proper, which makes that story... a mess. So I can perfectly picture a version of Volume 10 where important questions/revelations/world building are glossed over—or outright ignored—and when fans rightly want to know why the main characters aren't getting info about what occurred while they were gone, the answer is, "Oh we heard about that in passing in the side show developed during the hiatus." Emphasis on "we"—the viewers. RWBY tends to assume that if the viewer has certain information then they don't need to repeat that for the characters, despite this being a series where secrets and half-truths abound. And while that's a logistical issue all on its own, it also robs us of the chance to see the characters reacting. I don't want to watch a side installment to figure out what was happening in Remnant during Volume 9, then watch a Volume 10 where I have to assume via twitter announcements that the girls maybe learned about an undetermined amount of that stuff off screen. I want to SEE them learning with us in real time and once we have that framework, yeah, then you can flesh it out with an anthology series. It's far more satisfying to learn alongside Ruby that—as a random example—Sun and Neptune had all these cool adventures as a way of forwarding their friendship, then see those adventures animated down the line. As opposed to seeing it and then going, "I guess Ruby heard about that too? Maybe?? They haven't actually interacted on screen yet though, so...."

Of course, this is likely being done not only to fill the RWBY void, but to get our some of that Volume 10 info (epilogue included) in case the real deal is never green-lit. But again, I'd rather have confirmation. If Volume 10 is never going to arrive then fine, I get it, you publish what you can. But if there is still a chance of it happening then RT is shooting itself in the narrative foot by rushing and telling bits of the story too early. The hook of Volume 9's ending is the shock of seeing everyone semi-united in Vacuo, but still dealing with a myriad of problems. What happened immediately after evacuation? How did people rebuild? When (and why tf) did Ruby become this god-like martyr? Have they already spoken to Theodore? What new plans have been made to combat Salem? There are a lot of questions that arise from a time skip, questions the characters share, but if the audience gets many of those answers before they do AND the show doesn't lean into repeating that information for us to indulge in the characters' emotional reactions to it instead... what little that's currently interesting about Volume 10 goes down the drain.

[shavynel]

Writing comments for fanfic

tl;dr -- Write one thing you liked about the fic (a phrase or moment) and how you reacted or made you feel! Also, keep it fun! Make no demands of fic authors who write out of love and Owe Us Nothing.

It took me a while to figure out how to write comments. I went through an evolution. There's lots of stuff on how to write stories, probably even giving crit and feedback, but commenting? Not nearly as much. So here's my not so short ramble on writing comments for fic. Includes my Ways of commenting and Tenets of commenting.

Examples here will be T-rated (by AO3 standards) and most are taken from or newly written with specific fics in mind. They are, ahem, almost all Genshin Impact.

Commenting is, I believe, a personal thing. I've been told I have a bit of an enthusiastic presence, so what feels true to you may vary. I also like to write words (can you tell?). And smash keyboards.

Leaving comments is, in fact, effort! But it's also a skill that can be learned and honed. And honestly, I think my fic experience is improved by it. I don't always leave a comment. But, I don't know... that random internet person authored a Whole Thing. For Free (likely). And I just get to read it?? Yeah, I'm going to leave a little appreciation. Just a little snack in return for this fulfilling meal you have fed me.

I also find writing a comment is also a way for me to just bask in a fic a little bit longer, linger in that feeling of oh, wow, this was so good, and I don't want to leave yet. (And then sometimes there's a response, and then I get a bonus dose of nostalgia!)

Ways of commenting

These are roughly ordered by amount of effort required. I would say the comments I leave are a mash up of these, really. There aren't actual hard lines between them.

1. An extra kudos.

Kudos are nice. Knowing the kudos button isn't enough is one layer deeper! Comments like

"Thanks for writing!" "<3" "i mash kudos button but no more kudos come out what's wronnnnggg????" "yay an update!" "this is so good"

Level of effort: slightly more than a kudos.

Honestly, copy-pasteable. Personally, I would always write these out. Somehow, to me, as a commenter, feels more real if I tippy tappy the letters myself even if Author can't tell. It's a nice way to let an author know you're coming back chapter after chapter when we can only kudos once on a fic. I like to leave a little something more, but I still often start or end with this.

2. Fic reaction.

Sometimes a fic just leaves me a certain way. Invoked a particular mood or visceral reaction. So, I let the author know!

"Awww, my heart is warm!" "Jaw on ground. WTF!" "Literal chills." "My eyes are wet. How did that happen?" "This fic is pure comfort." "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" "Heart on floor, smashed." "WHOLESOME!" "This has left me completely feral and ready to punch something."

Level of effort: you need some emotional intelligence or other awareness of you reactions.

As a starting point, was the fic -- wholesome, sweet, chaotic (in a good way), funny, heartwrenching, sad, delightful, shocking, calm, peaceful, I just want a hug now, terrifying, creepy, comedic?

How do you then turn this into a comment? "This was so ___!!"

Honestly, my crutch here is to just keyboard smash. What does it mean? Your guess as good as mine. I'm speechless, and I cannot words properly, but please participate in these Feels I'm having.

3. One detail I like. (My default comment style)

This one covers a lot of scope. If I read to the end of the fic, there's probably something I liked. Maybe

a turn of phrase. "Diluc drinking grape juice like a man chained to an interrogation table. sfjfskkdz" "Bedsheets twisted up like cooked spinach is SO accurate." "Itto-to is such a cute mashup name!" "We have years ahead of us. That was just one day in the past. The feeeeeelllssss" ":) as punctuation" "Barbatos and Nobles as a bookstore. Sdjjsfjdw I love it"

a particular character moment, action, interaction, or dialogue. quote or paraphrase it! "Diluc kicking Childe into the water was hilarious." "Childe is such an adrenaline junkie. I can't believe he would lean out the window while he was driving." "I'm so proud of Zhongli for actually admitting his feelings!"

some specific moment you emotionally reacted to. I've only recently trained myself out of stoic facing through fic. I mean, it's a useful skill, don't get me wrong (especially in public), but it's less useful when it's just me by myself. I now laugh at 3am reading fic, and my life is brighter for it. Comedy fic writers, you are my fave. "Can't get over when Diluc walks in on Kaeya and Childe. AHHHHH!" "Qiqi drying Childe's hair was so sweet!"

Level of effort: you have to actually remember something you liked or reacted to.

The number of movies I watch and number of times someone asks how's my week, and I just stare blankly because I know it was good but don't know anything else? High. So yeah, this isn't trivial.

I've gotten to the point where usually while reading I notice a moment of "wow I love this!" I don't go looking for them (because I want to stay in fic headspace not comment material hunting headspace), and I don't spend much effort trying to remember. If I forget, that's fine. Not like I'm not writing a book review for a grade or anything.

Just, what's a moment you just got to call out? (And bonus, what's your reaction?) Authors out there seem to like to make us feel things. Show them we're just dangling from their puppet strings!

I usually leave comments like this. Just popcorn style, as many things as I remember, whatever comes up as I recall it. I'm aware that sometimes I end up basically quoting a fic back to its author completely out of order interspersed with commentary or keyboard smashes. I'm occasionally embarrassed by how much I'm smashing into their comments, but the reception seems overall positive.

4. Between the lines and spin off thoughts.

Sometimes fic make me think. I mean, canon makes me think, and then people go and make fanworks off of that, so of course I'm bound to run into fic that makes me think. Sometimes the things I notice or think about aren't directly in the text, but implied or spin out thoughts. An interpretation, a mini analysis, or a reflection. Like,

a new thought or take on a character. "Aro-ace Venti! I like this take!" "Please don't break Klee. She's just trying her best to hold all the adults together. Oh no. You've already broken Klee. T_T" "I bet Jean is the only person who could have kicked Diluc's ass, and he really needed it." "Kaeya what are you doooinggg?? Why is he like this???" (An extra note, it's cool to disagree with a character, but not the author. Character did that makes you want to scream? Go for it. Author wrote the character in a way you disagree with? Don't comment. Leave the fic if it bothers you that much.)

noticing foreshadowing or a detail that isn't fully explained / only alluded to. "Is that Scara working at Scarabucks???" "Wait, something about what Venti said makes me think this isn't just a modern day AU ..." "Did that count as a geo construct for the purposes of the contract?"

some sentence or moment somewhere that just hits you in the brain. This one I don't actually know if author's like. On the one hand, I can imagine it being flattering. On the other, maybe it's too personal? I'll usually center these on the characters, kind of like character analysis. "Diluc sharing his anxiety with Kaeya, and that being what made Kaeya look at his own anxiety... really hits. Like, I don't even think Diluc could have said something sooner without Kaeya running, which says so much about how Diluc loves Kaeya. And the fact Kaeya can see this as a mirror of what he's doing and learns something from it. Just. Oof. Wow." "The conversation between Zhongli and Childe is just so real. Like Zhongli is trying so hard but his ass just can't understand Childe just wants him to tell them things and his not telling things is Not Helping even though he just wants to protect the boy!"

Level of effort: some amount of analytical thinking, reflection, or willingness to share when you get sucker punched by words.

This one I absolutely never go looking for, so I don't leave many such comments. When it does come up, it usually smacks me in the face, and I let it (roll with the hit and into the comments). On occasion I am wailing in the comment box when the revelation (like having broken Klee) just dawns on me. Am I Feelings Processing in comment boxes? Uuuhhhhhh, no comment. (Don't mind the lack of delivery on the pun.)

I'd like to think authors appreciate when we reflect back to them we get their interpretation, but I can also imagine it might be a little too much for authors if we get too personal. In which case, sorry. Your work is great! Please take it as my intention to flatter you since you've touched my heart or brain or soul with your words.

5. Craft appreciation.

This one, *head scratches* yeah, I don't often end up here. But sometimes it's not one moment, but something about all the moments, something underlying, or something in the way it was all put together. If I do end up here and write a general statement, I like to point to specific bits that made me think that (which is where I lean back on One Detail I Like). Actually, yeah, usually I use this as flavor to One Detail I Like, but I think it's sufficiently different to pull out separately. It's a writerly meta layer. What falls here?

dialogue. "Your dialogue is so good. I can hear it in in the VA's voice." "I love the contrast between how Zhongli talks and Childe talks."

imagery. "Can't get over the imagery of Childe releasing dandelion scenes. Such a kid!" "Childe sleeping with Tranquil Statlight is just so peaceful."

characterization. "The little nuggets you give characters like Rosaria doing community service at the church for Crimes just gives me life." "I love the way you write Childe. He's so aggressive!"

setting, world building (more for AUs but wow there are some authors good at expanding on canon lore). "Your world building is so cool. Like the abyssal graffiti on the walls?? HNNG!"

writing style. "Your style is very dreamy. <3" "This is genuinely so heartwarming, and yet at the same time what is this underlying feeling of something is wrong????" "I feel like people appreciate the art of comedic one liners but you've got angst one liners. AND THEY SLAY."

pacing, timing. "This fic reads like a high speed express train. It just never stops or slows down!!" "What is this cRaFT! Like. Para 1, comedic. Para 2, thoughtful. Para 3, WHY DO MY HEARTSTRINGS HURT."

use of language. "Using he for POV character and they for the other is LINGUISTICALLY MIND BLOWING." (Please, I want this to catch on more. I do absolutely respect people's pronouns. These fictional characters (and people who have pronoun flexibility)? She and they instead of she and she?? THE CLARITY WE COULD HAVE??!? I'm incredibly greedy for it.)

premise. "Pierro Dad gives me so much life." "The Bachelor but it's Diluc?? Let's go!!"

plot twist, or cliff hanger. "The reveal!!! *screaming*" "I can't believe you would do me like this." (No, I can't in good conscience leave a specific example and give a fic away. Yes, I am thinking of specific fics still.)

Level of effort: be able to map details you like to writer's craft.

Let's not pretend we're here to do crit. Even if we're using writerly words, we are not here to do crit. Well, I am not because I don't believe the comments box is the right time or place for it, but I am happy to lay on the praise and point out the things that worked for me.

Usually, I think it's harder to look across a fic and be like, yeah, the dialogue hit, or this writing style or pacing really does it for me. It's more nebulous. And sometimes it kicks you out of fic reading headspace and into a writerly meta land to notice, so I don't, and I just let the fic wash over me. And if something here strikes me, I will offer my praises. Again, I think it helps to think of this more as an additional kind of One Detail I Like.

Tenets of commenting (and a little of reading)

Okay, so those were some do's, but I also have don't's. These are my boundaries that I keep. Maybe yours are different. I suspect most of these stem from the place, Author did this for free and Owes Me Nothing, so that's the one real tenet. I keep these in mind so that I can keep fic a nice, fun, safe place for me (and hopefully the authors too).

1. I will never ask for updates. I never expect a next chapter.

I've seen enough content creators stressed out and burnt out about putting something out over and over again. I feel for them. That sucks. They probably just started doing it for fun, and now ... The demand and expectation they continue to perform for free? Yeah, it's not going to come from me.

Once upon a time, because of this and a desire to have complete stories, I wouldn't read incomplete fics. I now am The Biggest Fan of incomplete fics. Yes, hang me off the side of a cliff. I will scream at you. And if you don't haul me back up? Well, fine. I'll live. Some other author's got my back. Probably. There's still so much to love between world building, characterization, good moments, jokes -- and you sometimes get the experience of seeing familiar faces screaming at the fic with you update after update. It's precious. It's fleeting. I could go on, but maybe a different day. Back to commenting!

Flip side, as an author, I will say the desire for more is, in one case, why I plan to continue a fic from years ago. I was very firm at the time I would not be extending the one shot, but I guess time changes things, and the fact people were like, I would read more story contributes to that.

So this one is very much a personal tenet. There's some line between I love this so much I want it to continue, and expecting there to be more. Where is it? I don't know. So I just stay away. Surely Author will get I want more if I just say how much I love everything and have commented on their latest chapter. Rather than leave snacks that taste like burn out to some authors, I will focus on other flavors of comments!

2. I will not say what I dislike.

Not my ship? I probably won't read. Not my preferred ship dynamic? Tropes I don't like? Characterization not hitting it for me? Paragraph formatting not doing it for me? I just x out of there, find something I do like. People be writing things for free! Let them have their fun!

If I did read it, snd I stayed, something else must have grabbed my attention. I'll focus on that. Writing style not quite doing it for me but I love the details added to the world? "Wow, the world you flesh out is so complex." No mention about how much of a drag it is to read, because hey, I still read it, and I had reason to not put it down!

3. I will not give corrections.

Authors (and maybe a beta) have put in tremendous effort and time, and to be like, "you missed a typo" or "actually, the canon lore says X" often detracts from the beauty of the shared fic experience. I interpret random grammar and misspeaks and typos in daily conversation and texts all the time. Surely I know enough to employ this skill. And if I figured it out, other readers probably will figure it out too. If I can't, I usually assume the author was too big brain for me and skip merrily along to the next sentence. (And if it's too much for me to handle, I click out.)

Yeah I get it! I get the urge to want to be helpful and contribute to other people's experience! I know that feel! Because, well, I learned this one from experience. I tried once. Watched an author wilt a little when what I wanted was to be helpful. Yeeeaaah, not doing that again.

So, I suspect this often comes off as a little entitled that just by that bit of you say something and kinda underlyingly expect the author to do something about it, and again, Author Owes Me Nothing! Even if the author is asking for a beta, I'd reach out first and make sure they are now in a headspace to be expecting beta thoughts from me.

Wrapping it up

I love fic, the world is rich with it, and I am full of love for authors and their craft. It fills my heart with joy to know I can return a little smile to someone who has let me hop on their ride for free.

It does take effort. Writing comments, turns out, is writing. Writing is a skill, therefore writing comments is a skill. And writing takes practice to improve, so, guess what, writing comments takes practice to improve. Who would've thunk. (Not me, I assure you.)

I've wanted to write this for me for a while, capture what I've learned because I noticed my ability to write comments change over time. Then recently, I was rec'd a fic and told to definitely leave a comment because the author deserves it and I write good comments. Dispatched because I write good comments! Now my commenter feathers are fluffed up, and so I have actually written this. But I definitely didn't start out the comment writer I am today, so I wanted to share that, surprisingly there is a progression path! (Maybe this is only surprising to me.)

I do find commenting adds to my fic reading experience. And I love reading other people's comments. Sometimes other people notice things I didn't or have very cool interpretations, and that is an extra wow right there. (And look at all these other people who like the thing I like!)

And if I leave a comment, sometimes I get a reply! Author noticed my little comment! Extra dose of happy for everyone!

And sometimes, sometimes, (and again I would never expect it, but it is a gift much like fic itself is) an author will write back full of their notes and what they were thinking about writing those moments, and I treasure that so, so much. It's both a delight because of the usual Author saw my effort commenting and I get an extra behind the scenes! The craft behind the craft! (Now how do authors leave good replies? That is still a mystery to me.)

Sometimes I write a lot and then it goes into a black hole, and that's sad. Hmm. I'm pretty sure this is what authors feel when we don't leave comments. Hmm. Guess it's time to write more comments! (Sometimes, like fic updates, replies show up months later, and that's honestly <3)

So, let's go leave some comments and show those authors love and tell them how much they delighted us! Or ... how they smashed our hearts into the ground with angst/no comfort because sometimes that's just what one wants to read.

[shut-up-rabert]

Strawberry

"Enjoying the party?"

His lost eyes wander into her gleaming ones. He looks away, facing his front with tad more awareness.

"Yeah......"

The light grunt forces his gaze unto her yet again. She now sits next to him, her legs dangling off the railing the same way as his, her right hand just shy of merging with his left one. It tempts him, but that fantasy can only come true if his hand were to not tremble as much.

"No point brooding alone then, is their?"

Her smile is a few bits faded, the hasty lip balm strokes shining less. Is it apple? He hopes its strawberry.

For all it is worth, the jittery pursing of his lips is giving way to a shy smile. The kind that she always seems to allure.

"I wanted some alone time."

The part of his brain that told him that this is a bad idea is all but throbbing now, yelling at him to abort the idea. And the thing is, he would have listened if he had not been as tired of this cruel game between him and her. The game to see who caves first.

“Oh.” Her reaction is dramatised. “I Should leave I Guess?”

That is merely her courtesy. They both know he would never tell her to leave. Which is exactly why she is not even pretending to attempt leaving her seat.

“No.” He rejoins. “I just want a break from the kids.”

Between these two phrases, the lump in his throat feels as if it has fattened.

“Oh. Okay.”

His nimble gaze falls on her, and he finds her looking behind her, into the house infested with thirteen year olds. Most probably looking for her sister. Making sure she isn’t anywhere near his brother, perhaps.

To tear away from her face seems uncomfortable for him, even unnatural a bit, but the dress she has chosen is of a curious taste, he must admit.

The green sequin catch his eyes, yes. Just like they do everytime. He loves this dress, simply because of how she seems to glow while having it on. Yet, too fancy to be wasted on your thirteen year old neighbour’s birthday party, if he is to say so himself.

A chuckle startles him.

“You love this dress, don’t you?”

He has been caught staring, like he is every time she has this damned thing on.

“I was just thinking something.” He softly mumbles.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow at the tease lacing her voice, but continues.

“Why wear something fancy to that idiot’s birthday? Just to make me look like bad?”

Thankfully enough, the excuse sails, because sure enough a look between him in his fading home clothes and her would confuse the onlooker, and embarrass him as the one from the host house.

She laughs a little yet again, and he feels his heart soar.

“Arrey nahi re. Nothing like that. I thought everyone would be wearing something party wear-ish, so I just went along with it.”

So seeing your own sister hop along in a jeans and T-shirt wasn’t telling? He feels compelled to query, but she would just stall it further so no point he supposes.

The next few moments sail slower, with her simply staring at the darkening skies with a primal interest, and him sneaking glances at her while pretending to be mindlessly looking around. She knows, of course.

"You do look nice."

Her eyes lay rest on his slightly unsure face.

"Thank you."

The sinking darkness has blinded him to colour, and his botched glasses are no help either, but he likes to think that she is turning red aswell. She usually does.

"Meenu?"

"Hmmm?"

"Aren't you bored?"

A silence , probably spent contemplating the question.

"Naah."

He side eyes her.

"How come?"

"I like being with you better than whats inside."

Quite a few extra words in that sentence for his liking.

"Tell me about it. Those two would have been smearing the cake all over each other if not for you." A touch of amusement lingers in his voice.

"Why are they like this?" She huffs. "Its like God decided to make them our polar opposites."

He chuckles.

"True that. They hate each other to the core while we–"

He leaves it hanging. Partially due to the shock of what he almost uttered and majorly due to not having the brevity to complete it.

Her head all but spins to his direction, eyeing him with widened eyes and slightly agape lips.

The patio light flickers on, as if on cue.

She is staggered, yes, but as he dares to peep on, he sees what he can only pinpoint as fascination make her eyes shine. Or is it the lighting?

"While..." For the first time, he hears her fumble. "......we?"

This is not a mere question. She is daring him.

His sight fluctuates between her enlarged pupils and shabby lip balm. He gulps.

He had always envisioned the moment to come slow, but the nervous jitters and adrenaline rush all but force his lips onto hers. The little 'mph-' she mumbles before giving in is stuck in his head for time to come. The frame of his glasses digs into his nose but God damn if he cares.

As his lips are tightly pressed againsts hers, he smiles.

It is Strawberry.

––––––

So this is a practice piece for my writing skills. I know this is long as fuck but my natural style includes lots of detailing and this was going to be longer T_T

So these are two side characters from my accidental marriage story, the elder Sibs *jazz hands*

Pls read and review, all types of feedback is appreciated (and requested)

Tagging @shanti-ashant-hai because you wanted childhood crushes and these two are 16 and pining since they were younger, does this work?

[gascon-en-exil]

It is because in Nel and Nil's universe Alear is not a fell dragon, but a divine one. They are Lumera's bilogical child in this universe as implied by Alear support with the Four Winds, Nel and Nil. Nel in her support with Veyle explain that her Sombron is not Veyl's father therfore they are not siblings and that her Sombron is a different person. Their Sombron had children by pair of twins while our Sombron had kids without this peculiarity. In short, they want to make it crystal clear that Alear is not related to the twins because they don't have the same father albeit being both Sombron.

I am pretty sure that in their universe, Alear is not Sombron's child while both the twins were not OUR sombron's kids because they were not born or simply did not exist. either way, this is giving me a headache but the idea is that their are fell child but not related ?? like they are just part of the same species or some shit ?

That must be why somehow in their universe Alear is a divine dragon and not a fell one. But by the time you can S support them, you apparently got rid of all your fell blood by becoming an emblem and in both universe you are not related even if their are the kid of Alt!Sombron... wow this is really a headscratchers....

"but you could absolutely play it that way if you were so inclined." what do you mean ?

Wow, four anons about this already.

My point is not that there isn't a non-incestuous explanation, because regardless of any ambiguity that would be covered by the playable Alear and Nel being from different dimensions. My point is that if you need such a complicated explanation to justify why Alear/Nel isn't technically incest, it's probably worth stepping back and thinking about why the writers would construct such a scenario in the first place. It's quite similar to Rhealeth in that regard; Rhea is not, biologically speaking, related to Byleth - but you could also squint a bit at the convoluted circumstances of Byleth's birth and call Rhea their mother, father, grandmother, and daughter simultaneously. What's the point of coming up with something like that? It doesn't even work as shock value like the Lachesis archetype because the game never actually says it out loud. I can only conclude that it's meant to appeal to players with a fetish for that kind of thing. Engage already has a number of Pact Ring options with racy implications regardless of how much the localization may have tried to obscure them, but even though I haven't seen any of Nel or Rafal's supports yet I'm confident in guessing that their Alear supports lean more in that direction than Alear/Veyle does. The game as such has three separate flavors of sibling romance - provided you want to read it that way.

I do however have to include the disclaimer here that I'm not attempting to shame anyone who ships their Avatars with the Fates Royals, Rhea, or the other Engage dragons. I'm aware that purity culture types can sometimes make the same point: that if you justify shipping something "nasty" with a technicality, like that two characters aren't biologically related or that age of consent is not universally 18, then you're just as much of a degenerate pervert and deserve to be shamed for it. I'm just pointing out that IS has done this before, and it continues to be amusing. I think that after Fates went really in on the pseudo-incest angle they didn't really have any way to top themselves without getting into absurd, dragon-blood-and-alternate-dimensions territory. With the partial exception of Tellius, nothing in FE has ever come close to tickling any of my personal kinks. I thus have no personal stakes here - but in my professional life I've learned that it's better to be non-judgmental about kinks, even the uncommon ones.

[sacred-stanning]

Chapter 14 Part 13: Something is rotten in Grado

After Lyon disappears from in front of Ephraim, this soldier comes along and announces that they've found someone who was being held in a jail cell in the castle.

Ephraim goes to meet the prisoner, and it's some hapless guy named Knoll.

"Perhaps...has my execution date been moved up?"

Once Ephraim has made it clear that he's not with Grado, and he's not here to carry out Knoll's execution, Knoll tells them about what he knows of the changes in Grado.

He starts by saying that the story starts one year ago, with the death of the emperor. (Japanese language note: He uses this word "hougyo" which is a very formal word specifically referring to the passing of an emperor or some other royalty.)

After he says that, Ephraim interrupts and says, "But one year ago would be before the whole invasion of Renais even began!" His confusion is understandable given that he also, you know, just saw the emperor in the throne room.

Knoll assures Ephraim that he's aware that the timeline doesn't sound right, but that he'll explain.

He talks about how shocked Lyon was by his father's death, and how he was determined to bring his father back.

Knoll reminds Ephraim about how Grado's sacred stone was the one that was used to trap the demon king long ago.

He continues with how Lyon dove into his work, practically without food or sleep, and eventually succeeded in creating a second stone from Grado's sacred stone...

The scene then flashes back to Lyon meeting Knoll and telling him that he has good news: he has revived his father!

Knoll is shocked, and asks how it's possible, and Lyon explains that the Demon Stone that he has has even more power than the Sacred Stone.

After the flashback, Knoll continues to talk and explains how the emperor invaded Renais according to Lyon's wishes.

He also tells how anyone who opposed what was happening got in trouble, and that Lyon even killed father McGregor (his and Ephraim's former teacher, who has been mentioned in other cutscenes) with his own hand.

Lyon then reveals that there are 2 sacred weapon that are still in the castle. One is Gleipnir (which he refers to as a "maden", which I guess could be interpreted as "demon text", or "dark text", or something like that), and the other is the "black axe" Garm.

Ephraim sadly remembers how he learned about these sacred weapons from Lyon back in the day...

And we get them! Like the other sacred weapons that will come later, both are S rank weapons. I don't have anyone with S rank in either dark tomes or axes right now, so I can't actually use these yet.

Gleipnir is a very heavy (20 weight!) tome with 23 might. It also adds +5 skill to whoever is wielding it.

Garm is a 20 might axe that adds +5 speed to whoever wields it.

I don't remember Gleipnir being very useful. It's super heavy, and most magic users don't have much con, so it's guaranteed to slow the user down. There also just aren't that many units who can use dark magic, and the dark magic class line includes the summoner class. Given how useful the summoner "summon" ability is, I rarely even have dark magic users attack in this game once I've promoted them to summoner.

Garm is a bit better. It's only 13 weight, which is less than some basic axes like hammers for instance. And there are plenty of axe users with decent con. And the +5 speed is actually pretty useful too.

After getting the sacred weapons, a Frelian messenger arrives.

Eirika and Innes are both in Jehana now, and they are being attacked by two of Grado's generals, "tiger eye stone" (which is called that in English too) and "moon long stone" (which appears to be just "moon stone" in English). These are the nicknames for Caellach and Valter.

Seth worries that they won't make it in time, and Ephraim declares that they will make it, because as Eirika's brother, he won't allow her to die!

And we're off to Jehana!

Next time: Eirika's back!

[pjsk-writin]

Hi! Can I request Kanade, Mafuyu, Rui and Tsukasa with a reader who is happy and energetic most of the time, especially around them, but when the reader is alone they sometimes have break downs and feel numb, empty, and don’t see their worth? And one time the Character catches the reader in one of these break downs and tries to comfort them? Sorry if this request is depressing and you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. Also can I be 🌈 anon?

oh its ok, hope you like this!! and sure, hello 🌈 anon! <3

♡ BREAKDOWN - Kanade Yoisaki, Mafuyu Asahina, Rui Kamishiro and Tsukasa Tenma x Reader

Kanade:

Kanade appreciates your happiness, she doesn't know too many people who constantly carry around that energy to them

...Of course, she did feel like there was something wrong, and the last time she felt that with someone, it led to her learning her secret-

So, she can't say she was too surprised when she finds you curled up on the floor, in the middle of a breakdown

She was still panicked though, and was quick to fall to her knees and take your hands in her, taking deep breaths to try and help you ground yourself

When you were calm enough, she gently asked you what was wrong, but also added that she wouldn't pry. Whether or not you do decide to tell her, she'll be there, a quiet and calm presence amidst your storm

Her resolve to write music that saves people grows even more, and while she assures you that you're more than enough, she starts writing a new song dedicated to you <3

Mafuyu:

Mafuyu is very aware that people who are that happy and energetic are either genuinely like that, pure and naive to the world, or are just like her, hiding secrets that they hoped nobody would ever find.

A gut feeling tells her that the two of you weren't different at all, so she waited patiently for the day she would be proven right

It didn't take too long for her to find you in the midst of a breakdown, your eyes looking scarily similar to hers

She didn't move much, if at all, simply staring at you through your breakdown. Whether you noticed her or not didn't really matter to her at the moment

When you had seemed to calm down, that was when she moved, sitting across from you but not moving to touch you. She just gives you a look, a blank look, one that said, "I guess we aren't different after all."

Instead of saying that out loud, her words are a quiet whisper, you almost couldn't hear her. But the words were there, the simple reassurance that you were enough, more than enough for her <3

Rui:

Rui doesn't mind how energetic you are, I mean one of his closest friends is Emu after all-

He thinks that it's sweeter coming from you, almost a bit too sweet if he was being honest with himself

When he finds you breaking down, he doesn't know what to do at first. He's just...Shocked

He sat down at your side, wrapping an arm around you and gently guiding you into a hug, rocking you in an attempt to help you stay calm.

He doesn't push or pry for you to talk, just wanting to make sure that you would be okay, that you were safe and sound in his arms.

After a while, he tells you in a hushed voice that you didn't need to pretend in front of him. If you were having one of those breakdowns, he wanted you to come to him. He promised (he hoped) that he could make everything better for you <3

Tsukasa:

Much like Rui, Tsukasa doesn't mind how energetic you are at all! 

He thinks it's nice that he has someone who matches his energy but isn't as outlandish as Emu-

This does mean that he's the most caught off guard when he finds you breaking down. You were always so happy, and yet...

His movements are uncertain as he considers whether or not a hug will help you at all. He decides to sit in front of you, shuffling around 

He asks what's wrong, but whether you tell him or not, he doesn't mind. He's more focused on helping you get out of the breakdown anyway

It's rare to see him so uncertain, so unsure of what he should do. If it were for any other reason, you'd probably tease him for it

However, he ends up steeling himself, looking at you with determination. He lists off all of the things that he loves about you, and states that nobody else could ever be as perfect of a co-star for him than you <3

[beels-burger-babe]

Familial Attachments

***Awwwww, I'm so happy that you're enjoying my blog! This request warms my heart and I am WEAK for soft big brother Lucifer. I hope you enjoy @lorkai! - B*** Summary: MC keeps favouring Lucifer. It baffles the other brothers. Lucifer is intrigued by the behaviour and slowly begins to open up to them.

No one really noticed it when you first arrived. You were new to the Devildom, and so much was foreign and scary around you. So you following orders without question and lingering near Lucifer, the strongest of the demons living with you, could've been passed off as a survival technique. But after a few months of you staying in the House of Lamentation, Lucifer thought the initial fear would wear off, and yet you still continued to follow him around like a little duckling. Still, Lucifer hadn't really clued in that there was perhaps sentiment behind your behaviour until he had walked in on a discussion between you, Mammon, Beelzebub and Leviathan. He had approached your bedroom door and raised his fist to knock when he heard Mammon's annoyingly loud voice. "I'm just sayin'! There ain't no reason for you go followin' mean old Lucifer around like that! He's old. He complains a lot. He never has any fun. You should be spendin' time with me! I'm supposed to be your protector ya know!" Lucifer huffed in annoyance and was about to barge in when he heard your giggle. "I'm hanging out with you now, aren't I?" "I don't know MC. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Mammon has a point." Levi pipped in. At this point, Lucifer cracked open the door and peeked inside. You were sitting in Beel's lap as he munched away on a bowl of popcorn. Mammon was standing, punching harshly onto the buttons of the remote he was holding, while Levi sat playing with the ease and skill of the pro-gamer that he was. He didn't even look away from the screen as he spoke to you. Lucifer made a mental note to talk to him about conversation manners. Leviathan continued. "You're always hanging around Lucifer. You only spend time with us if we specifically ask you to, or if we arrange it ahead of time," Levi shifted uncomfortably as he pressed a button on his remote; Mammon cursed as a result. "I-I-Is he your favourite or something?" Lucifer couldn't help but perk at the question. He wasn't aware that you were spending particularly more time with him than the others. Sure, he noticed that you would listen to him much better than any of his brothers ever did (and that alone made him warm up to you), and you always seemed to smile when he was around. But he thought that was just the kind of person you were; happy and compliant. Much to his, and everyone in the room's, surprise, you nodded. "I guess he is." Chaos erupted inside the room.

Beel dropped his popcorn. Levi sputtered and actually looked away from the game to gape at you. Mammon threw his remote and whipped around to face you. "WHAT?!?! You mean you prefer that old bat to the GREAT MAMMON?!?!" to Mammon's defence, he looked genuinely hurt by the confession. "But I'm your first! I thought we were pals, MC?!" Levi tensed and sniffed before turning back at the game. "I'm not that surprised really. Makes sense that you wouldn't l-like a slimy gross otaku like me." Beel remained frozen and quiet. A frown etched on his face as his hands tightened around you. Your eyes widened at everyone's reactions. "Woah, woah, woah! Who said anything about not liking you guys? I love hanging out with you three, and I do see you as my friends," you looked directly at Levi. "Otaku or not. I treasure my time with you." Levi pouted and refused to look at you. "Then what does Lucifer have that we don't? Why does he get the title of your favourite?" Lucifer was shocked to see your expression soften as you smiled gently at just the thought. "He reminds me of my big brother in the human realm," everyone went quiet and looked at you. "I-It was hard being ripped away from everything I knew and be forced to live in a world that I didn't even know existed. When I saw Lucifer and got to know him a bit, I noticed how much he acted like my brother. It was comforting to have just that little bit of familiarity amongst all the chaos of the Devildom, you know?" The eldest brother's heart warmed at the statement. It stroked his pride in the best way possible. He loved his brothers, but none of them were very affectionate with one another with the exception of the twins. To hear that someone cared about him and saw him as an older brother was...touching. His younger brothers seemed to agree as, with a little irritation, they settled back down into their game. Forgetting what he came for, Lucifer smiled and went back to his office. Since that day, he was notably kinder and more vulnerable with you. If you saw him as an older brother then he was determined to be the best older brother you could ask for. He gave you a pat on the shoulder or ruffled your hair every time he saw you. He always made sure to congratulate or acknowledge your accomplishments, no matter how small they were. He asked you how your day was and allowed you to come to him with any troubles (which he would promptly take care of the moment you left the room). Every night he would invite you into his office for some tea and a round of chess before bed. It felt like in no time, he had begun to see you as a little sibling just as much as you saw him as an older brother. Lucifer did his best not to let his brothers catch on to how soft he was around you. He tried to compensate by teasing you a little more whenever they were around. Or pretend that he was taking you into his office to scold you when he really was going to look you over and make sure you weren't hurt in the most recent incident. The result was an endless amount of taunts and ridicule from his brothers on how he was a better sibling to you than he was them (which was mostly true), that you had thawed his ancient icy heart (which he would never admit), and that he couldn't say no to you (which he tried to prove wrong but inevitably failed, much to his embarrassment). Still, the bond between you two was one that was strong and pure. When it was finally time for you to go back to the human realm, you were in tears and refused to let go of Lucifer. Lucifer held onto you tightly. It was obvious to everyone there that he was just as reluctant to let you leave. "You have to go know MC. Your real big brother is up there worried about you, I'm sure," his voice was steady and firm. He refused to cry; no matter how badly his heart ached at that moment. You sniffled and buried your face deeper into his chest. "I know. But you've become just as much a brother to me as him, a-a-and I don't want to leave you. What if I never get to see you again?" Lucifer inhaled sharply at the thought.

He looked over at Diavolo. Something in his eyes must have given away the hurt and inner turmoil he was feeling, for Diavolo's eyes widened in shock before he smiled softly at his friend. "You may take your D.D.D. with you, MC, to stay in contact with the brothers. Perhaps, on occasion, we can also organize visits. This will not be goodbye forever." Lucifer chuckled as you held him tighter and ran a hand through your hair. "See? You'll see me and everyone else again. But for now, it's time for you to return home." You shakily nodded and reluctantly pulled away from his arms; Lucifer felt his chest tighten as coldness filled the warmth where you once stood. Still, he refused to cry or show vulnerability. He would not become a blubbering mess like Mammon. He was better than that. He clenched his fists as you went around giving everyone final hugs goodbye. He held his breath as you picked up the bag the two of you had put together full of keepsakes from the Devildom. You took a step towards the portal. "MC, wait!" Lucifer rushed towards you, damning his own pride and reputation to hell, as he pulled you into one final tight hug and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. He held you there; closing his eyes and allowing himself to pretend for just a moment that he didn't have to let you go. He felt a tear roll down his cheek. "I love you, MC. I will miss having you here." Suddenly you were sobbing again. The two of you held each other for several minutes, as Diavolo had Barbartos escort the others out to give the two of you some privacy. Finally, he let you go, and within a second you were gone and back to your true family. Lucifer went home, and sat in his office, wondering what you were doing with your real big brother and if you were as happy up there as you were with him. ***HOW THE FUCK DID I MAKE THIS ANGST AND END UP CRYING WELL WRITING I AM SO SORRY I SERIOUSLY MEANT FOR THIS BE FLUFF GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! *Wipes tears* Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this no matter how accidentally painful it was. Thank you for the lovely request @lorkai! I was touched by how personal it was!***

[vannybarber]

Let Me Teach You

Summary: Jake hasn't had any sexual experiences before, so you decide to take the next step in your relationship and start him off.

Virgin¡Jake Jensen x Reader

Warnings: SMUT, virgin Mary Jake, oral (m to f & f to m), cum play, cursing, MAJOR fluff, Jake being so innocent 🥺, you corrupting him 😏.

"If it gets too much or overwhelming, just tell me and we'll stop okay?" You turn to Jake, closing the bedroom door.

He looks at you and nods his head nervously.

It was obvious as soon as the subject was brought up the first time, he was uncomfortable about it until he finally told you he was a virgin.

You thought it was sweet and you even got a little cocky knowing you're the farthest he's gone in a relationship and would be his first. You constantly let him know that your relationship was based off of love and he didn't have to do this yet, but he insisted, also adding on that he didn't know how he resisted you this long anyway.

And here you guys were, about to do something so life changing for him. It was an honor that he trusted you with his body and you were gonna take care of him.

You walk to the bed and sit on it, him following your movements. His face is red and he's smiling so nervously. You giggle at his state and rub his ram tatted arm.

"You don't need to be nervous, honey. I'm gonna make this the best experience for you. I won't hurt you, I promise," you calm him, giggling at the last sentence.

"I know, it's just so weird that this is literally happening. I didn't think it would come honestly."

And he had a point. When he first asked you out, it was a complete mess. You were searching for a new keyboard for your PC and he was trying with much difficulty to get your number. He ended up knocking an entire row of keyboards on the floor. It was the most adorable thing ever. He ended up coming over and setting up your tech.

"Well you trust me, don't you?" You wiggle a little closer till your thighs are touching.

"Yes, I do." He wraps his arm around your waist and smiles at you. You cup his face and kiss the side of his mouth.

"Well then you don't have to worry." You plant your lips on his and move in sync with his. You pull him back to the headboard, mouths still connected.

You lie back on the bed and Jake climbs over on you. One thing he was really good at was kissing, which you also taught him as well. He almost enjoys it more than computers.

Your hands slide up his shirt and he disconnects to get it off. You admire his toned torso. He goes red again when he sees you staring.

"You're so perfect, sweetheart," you tell him, then continuing to kiss him again. He takes his own lead and trails his lips down your neck, concluding a soft moan from you.

"Can I take your shirt off, babe?" He looks at you for approval. Your heart jumps at his need for consent, although you've made it aware that he could do whatever he feels with you when he was ready. But he's such a gentleman and you loved it.

"Of course, baby", you get out, before he scrambles to remove your top. You sit up on your hands, completely bare on top and it legitimately took his breath away.

"Jake, breathe." You laugh, but cautiously wait for him to get himself together. He shakes his head before looking at you again.

"You wanna touch them? You can. Their just for you." You're getting really aroused by his shyness to seeing you in such a vulnerable state. He reaches his hands out and starts squeezing your boobs and playing with your nipples.

You bite your lip and give him a smirk with your eyes.

"Taste them if you want. Do whatever you like," you challenge him. He surprisingly, but quickly latched his mouth on them and starts flicking his tongue on the buds. You lean your head to the side and exhale. He switches over and does the same to the other one, biting it a tiny bit.

You squeal in shock and he pulls back fast.

"Did I hurt you? Was that too much? I'm sorry, I just got a little carried away! I didn't mean to-"

"Jake!" You cut him rambling, something he tends to do often. He stops and looks up at you hesitantly.

"It's alright, honey. It just caught me by suprise. I liked it, don't worry." You caress his cheek and kiss the corner of his mouth. He lets out a deep breathe.

"You wanna try something else?" you suggest.

"Yeah there is something- I well...I wanted to try. I...um saw it in a -a video?" He struggles to form a sentence.

"Jake, look at me. Just relax okay? This is safe place. Tell me whatever you need okay? Don't be nervous."

"Okay..well I wanted to try uh...or-al." He scrunched up his face, scared at your reaction. But you're overjoyed. You haven't received oral in you don't know how long. You grin at him, making his expression soften.

"You really want to?" He nods his head. "Well alright then!" You unbutton your pants and Jake yanks them down and off your feet. Heat is radiating off his body as he grabs the waistband of your panties.

"Go ahead, love." He drags them down effortlessly, with your help of lifting your lower half up. He chucks them behind him and runs his hands up and down his jean covered thighs.

You slowly open your legs and allow him to bathe in the glory that lies between your hips. He made a very audible gasp, which worried you for a second, but passed when you remembered the circumstances; he's never seen a pussy in real life.

"Its..so beautiful, oh gosh." You laugh and he chuckles with you.

"Thank you, but it would look so much better with your mouth on it." He meets your eyes, taken aback and you just wink at him. "Do you know how to do it?"

He gets all shy and looks down. "No, not exactly." You lift his chin up.

"Its super easy, Jakey. All you have to do it lick on my clit for a while and then I'll have my orgasm."

"Okay but where's the...um...clit?" You grab his right hand and hover it over your sopping pussy.

"You feel that little bud right there?" You take his index finger and plant it right on your clit. He nods his head.

"That's the clit, okay? Just keep licking there and don't stop."

"So right here?" He rubs a tiny bit on it and you throw your head back with a low "shit".

"Yes baby, exactly right there." He wastes no time laying on his stomach, face directly above your heat. You look at him once more.

"Whenever you're ready," you say, giving him the okay. He give you a smooth wink and licks a long strip to the top of your pussy. You suck in massive breath, completely thrown off. But he doesn't stop.

He maneuvers his tongue to find the bud that you helped him locate, which was now quicker to find. He flicks it 3 times and sucks on it, making a wet noise and a popping sound.

"Jake, what the actual FUUUCK!" You moan out, the top of your head literally in the mattress and he lifts his head in confusion. You jerk your head back up, with wide eyes.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Nonononono! Baby, you're doing so good for me, just keep going. I love it. It's perfect."

He grins at your desperation before diving his head back in. This time his flicks his tongue faster and raisies his eyes up to you, just like he learned in the video.

You catch his eyes and arch your back in response. Out of nowhere, he sticks two of his fingers inside you, throwing you off once again. You sit up on your forearms trying to process everything.

He raises his head and bites his lips.

"Does that feel good, baby?" You nod your head and groan, words not coming so easily to you.

"Jake, oh my goodness, I'm gonna cum all over your face! Please don't stop baby, fuck!"

This motivates him ten times harder knowing he's going to make a girl come for the first time in his life. He picks up the speed of his tongue and moans, pumping his thick fingers quicker and even deeper.

Your abdomen heats up and prepares for the huge wave of an orgasm. You grip the sheets as it consumes your entire body, all the way to your toes.

"Jake, I'm cumming! I'm fucking cumming !" Your body slowly dies down from the intensity and your lower half starts feeling the sensitivity. Jake stops his movements and proceeds to lick up the mess he caused. You grab his face and force your lips on his, wanting to taste yourself, but mostly express how he just made you feel.

You moan in his mouth, chasing his tongue then pulling back after a few seconds.

"So I'm guessing I did pretty good, huh?" His face is absolutely tomato red and he's cheesing so hard.

"Pretty good ?! You did fucking amazing baby! And the fingers? I didn't expect that at all." You breathlessly laughed. "That was the best oral I've ever gotten. I am so damn serious. That was amazing for it to be your first time."

He can't even form words to express himself, but you can certainly feel it.

"You deserve something for that. Can I suck you, honey?" As you ask, you grab him through his shorts, palming him. He makes a tiny groan before nodding his head. You move from your position and he lies in your place.

Unbuttoning his khakis, you watch him and he watches you. Giving him a reassuring smile, you remove his shorts and rubs both hands on his hard on over his briefs. He balls his fists up and moans slightly.

You finally pull down his briefs to a suprise. His length hits his lower abdomen and you just freeze. One thing he also knew was that he was big. Especially in width.

You try to speak, but nothing comes out.

"Like the angle of the dangle?" You look up at him and he wiggles his eyebrows. You just shake your head laughing. For someone who has a small presence, he has an big present.

"I'm just hoping I can take all of it." And you were being completely straight up. He was really big. Not that you were complaining though.

"I guess we're gonna find out, aren't we?" He was getting really bold after his little performance on you and you were living for it.

"We sure are. Get comfy, baby." He wiggles his back and places his hands behind his head, waiting for your move.

You take the head of him and suck on it with a pop. It was your favorite part. Just swirling your tongue on it's surface got you off. You look up at him and he's already gone.

"Geez, Y/N." His head is thrown back and his toes are curled. You move down on him till his shaft is three quarters in your mouth. You gag on him, which makes you moan. This causes him to jerk his hips up, pushing himself further in you. You quickly bob your head and twist it around all while keeping eye contact.

"Baby, that feels wicked!" You almost laugh at his choice of words, even with tears forming in the bed of your eyelids. He grabs your hair and thrusts himself up in your mouth.

"I think I'm gonna come! Y/N, I'm gonna come! HELP ME!" You pull away from him and pump him while trying to calm him down.

"Jake, baby, it's okay. Just let go for me. Just let it happen. It'll feel so good, I promise." You go back down on him and move your head faster. Not a minture later, do you feel him twitch in your mouth. He let's out a long strain of what sounds like a groan/moan/scream. You feel his warm cum hit the back of your throat and slide down.

You release him from your mouth and get a good look at him, licking your fingers. He's completely disheveled and is clearly not in reality at the moment. You give him a second to come back down and straddle him.

"Oh my fucking goodness." You smile at his adorable reaction. "That," he jerks his head up at you, "was absolutely amazing! Did you swallow it?" He genuinely wonders and its so funny.

"Every last drop," you say, licking the palm of your hand.

"That is just so hot. What the actual shit." You lean down and devour him, desperate to have him inside you now. He grabs your ass and squeezes it, kissing you back.

"Want me to ride you, honey? I can ride you so good. You don't have to do anything. Just lay there and show me you like it, okay?" Again, he just nods, probably still shocked this all is even happening to him.

You rub your pussy, getting it wet all over and grab him, lining it up with your entrance. You slide down, wincing a bit as it stretches your pussy to adjust to his size. Once you're good you set your hands on his broad chest and start moving on him.

"Fuck, Y/N. You're literally squeezing me right now."

"You're so big, baby. I'm trying to take it as best as I can," you moan out, looking back and watch your ass jiggle on his pelvis. He grips your hips and slaps your right cheek, which encourages you to move faster.

"Oh my gosh, you're stretching me so good, Jake. Damn."

"I know that tight little pussy can take me. C'mon babe." You have no idea where he got this talk from, but he's doing it very well. You move so you're bouncing on his lap, skin slapping against his, making large echoes in the room.

"Shit, you're gonna make me cum, Daddy." You were so into it, you didn't realize you let it slip. But he didn't mind not one bit.

"Keep riding Daddy just like that. Want me to fill you up? Want Daddy to cum inside with pretty little pussy?" All you can do it let out a lengthy whine. You bounce harder at his words.

"Daddy, I'm gonna cumm" You let bliss take over you for a moment as you cum all over him. Just as you come down from your climax, Jake starts thrusting in you, chasing his own. You bend down and capture his lips, helping him out. You move down next to his ear, breathing into it.

"Cum for me, honey. I wanna feel you cum inside me. Take what you want." Holding on to his shoulders, Jake adds a few more hard thrusts at your 'encouraging' words.

"That's it, Daddy. Do it just like that for me. Fill my pussy up." And that does it for him. He squeezes your ass one more time before he shoots his load deep inside you. You moan at the feeling of his warm load filling you up. He goes limp, attempting to catch his breath.

You sit up and look at him, smiling proudly.

"Jakey, you did so amazing for me." You kiss his swollen cherry lips. He just sheepishly smiles. You can tell he's impressed with himself.

"I always knew you had it in you. Now it's inside me."

Let's just give a round of applause for Jakey. He learned so fast and so good. 🥺 I love him so much.

masterlist

[iustitians]

Neuvillette eyes the man before him carefully as he speaks, all while aptly aware that he is being watched and perhaps, in a way, evaluated as well. Still, from neither side comes suspicion or hostility; one can examine and wonder about another merely with a sense of curiosity born of a new and not necessarily awaited encounter, without any negative expectations attached to it. For Neuvillette, who usually has no choice but to approach others with caution regardless of his intent to be ever impartial, and who in turn also often has his boundaries tested, it is quite the refreshing feeling.

But also, what Welt says piques his interest. He wonders if the man is aware that, by sheer lucky coincidence, he has run into one of the few residents of Teyvat who is not only not shocked to hear of interstellar travelers, but even so much as willing to accept the idea at all.

So, the firmament is now possible to breach. But, while he knows there will be outworlders who mean it harm, the one before him obviously does not - and naturally, the Usurper's unwillingness to accept any guests is of no concern to him.

It is for these reasons that the Iudex allows his posture to relax, and readily returns the gesture of friendship offered to him.

"Glad to meet you, Mr. Yang. Whether you've come here alone or together with the other Nameless, I hope you have a good time here." Given the nature of the other, he finds himself inclined to share some information. "Indeed, I believe this world is located considerable distance from the others - but in addition, it is surrounded by a barrier that, for a long time, was completely impossible to breach. Only recently has it weakened enough to allow some travelers through."

His gaze wanders upwards, to the blue sky above them, a few soft white clouds hovering over their heads. When he next returns his attention to Welt and speaks again, his voice has lowered just a hint, to conceal his words from undesirable ears.

"I believe it best for you to know - Teyvat has been in seclusion for such a long time that most of its residents have all but forgotten the existence of other worlds, and some aren't even willing to entertain the concept. In addition, this planet has been attacked by forces from beyond in the past, and as such many people fear the unknown. There is no harm in introducing yourselves as foreigners, but the status of outworlders is best not mentioned to just anyone."

After a brief pause, he suddenly chuckles lightly - something he very rarely does. "... If you haven't guessed yet, I tend to worry too much for those around me. Suffice to say... I've been around for a long time, and have seen much, hence why I know... a bit more than most others. I'm happy to share more information if you're interested... I'd also be curious to hear some of yours."

As Curtains Rise

[neko-naruto]

What did you just say?

Summary: One of the four Strider brothers accidently says something he assumes he'll regret during dinner.

Warnings: Swearing, dead parent, long distance children, check tags for further warnings.

Authors note: Alpha Dave is referred to as Delta in this fic so I could differ easier while writing it and Dave kind of stims? I guess, I don't really know though, so, let me know in the tags I guess.

He didn't mean to mutter it at dinner, he really didn't, but such words past his lips.

And his three brothers all shared stares in his direction.

"W... What did you just say?" Bro asked, he was the oldest, seventeen, and by far, going through some shit, but despite that he was still trying to be the best oldest brother he could with their father never around and mom dead, he felt like Ness from Earthbound.

"Nothing." Delta responded swiftly, he was the middle child, fifteen, he was hitting a bit of a rough patch with his friends and other relationships in his life, he was still trying to be a good impression on his other siblings despite proper guidance and managing.

"Yeah Delta." Dave started smugly, he was one of the youngest two, thirteen, he was by far in the best condition out of all his family even though he had nothing, no privacy, no life and no friends but the smiling logo on the old dutch ketchup chip bag.

"What did you say?" Dirk added on, he was Daves twin, also thirteen, he was doing ok despite the ever growing burden of an unrequited and a yet to be confessed crush on his good friend Jake, he still managed to keep it cool in front of his friends though, barely.

"I said was going to peg Jesus." Delta answered quietly, his face started to heat up, he was totally grounded for that, he was gonna be thrown out, disowned even!

But none of that.

He heard quaint laughter, those staggering short chuckles he hadn't heard in years. He managed to make Bro laugh, when was the last time that happened?

He didn't have time to dwell on that as both Dave and Dirk where caught in laughter as well, he promptly joined.

It was a short burst of joy between the Striders, their lives full of so much chaos already, it felt so nice. Even though it was so short, it was still amazing, it almost had Bro banging his fist on the table, it had Dirk doing that, Dave thumped his foot a few times. Delta was shocked he could get away with saying that and make his brothers laugh, honestly, double slay.

"Ok, so, Delta, I hope on moms grave you aren't saying that sorta shit at school." Bro said before taking a long relieved breath, his entire form relaxed as well, like months of tension unbound in an instant.

"I promise I'm not, it just kind of, fell out of my mouth, you know, eating Olive Garden, talking BS, couldn't control it." Delta explained, although his explanation wasn't the best, everyone at the table got his point.

"Feel you on that Delta, I end up typing stuff like that all the time to John and Karkat." Dave said, he had to refrain from letting his foot thump again as the moment of laughter had passed.

"Same here, although Gamzees spouting that sort of shit nonstop anyways, so it sorta rubbed off." Dirk stated with a nod.

"Looking over the fact you would peg jesus, lets try and get back to the conversation at hand," Bro said, cracking a small grin when he stated what Delta had proclaimed. "Are any of you failing in any subjects?

"Math." All three younger Striders stated in synchronization, Bro released a long groan as he placed his head in his hands.

"Why couldn't you suck at science or language arts instead?" Bro muttered under his breath.

"I'm just not really getting geometry stuff, whatever that spatial awareness type thing is called, same with Dirk." Dave said, Dirk nodded in agreement.

"Ok, that I can help you with." Bro said before giving a questioning gaze to Delta who tensed.

"Promise you won't ground me, or tell dad?" Delta questioned, reaching for the hem of his hoodie, pinching it between his fingers, stitching was starting to come undone due to years of use.

"I won't." Bro said, his voice sounded lax and he was sincere, everyone could tell by the slight intonation.

"I played hooky throughout all of grade nine with my good friend Rosanne, Rose, whatever you wanna call her, so I learned absolute shit." Delta said, he was speaking swiftly, almost to fast for his brothers to understand, but Bro did, as he had become accustomed to Deltas nervous habits.

"Oh boy, it sure is gonna be fun teaching you grade ten math, and you two, Dirk, Dave, best be prepared to get some facts lodged way up in your pan." Bro said, he internally cringed at calling their heads pans, but, he supposed thats what happens when you spend to much time with trolls.

What a lovely family.

They should get their act together before Bro has to teach Delta how to drive.

[mercurymusing]

Dracula Daily has made me very aware how amusing non-linear narratives can be when unrolled, and I think it'd be a hilarious way to adapt The Locked Tomb. Or at least the parts we've seen so far.

The first film/season is just a straight retelling of pre-Resurrection John. Start with kiwi nerd, end on a cliffhanger after the end of everything, no foreshadowing on anything.

Second installment opens "In the myriadic year of our Lord — the ten thousandth year of the King Undying, the kindly Prince of Death! —"

[Spoilers for Nona The Ninth under break]

Given the Tamsyn endorsed casting of Taika Waititi, you could easily start at comedy and match the way John tries to frame it in his retellings. Goofy workplace comedy, through to all the body jokes, with a whole ridiculous bit about the cult.

Start at What We Do In The Shadows with the Necro shenanigans. Bodies wandering around as gags, treat the cow wall as a gross joke. Keep the bad line about beef.

Crack the facade when he pulls his "No Guns" moment, but keep it lighthearted as long as possible.

Play C- onward completely straight faced.

No bad-ass action sequence or goofy pop song accompaniment. Just John's realization. His dissociated journey through the fight gathering souls, until he decides to drop G-.

The end of the world, Alecto. Gigadeaths in quiet collapses and nuclear fire.

Fade to final scene on the beach. Abrupt return to the comedy, with desert island post apocalypse vibes and a gorgeous nuclear sunset, thanergy tinted sun and skeletons. John giving a blank faced Alecto his resurrection pitch, closing with a line about who won't be brought back.

After all this, the biggest question in Gideon becomes "how the fuck did we get here?"

John doesn't show until the very end, so seeing him in sloppy kiwi nerd mode will be a shock after all the emperor talk. Alecto remains a mystery, as we never really find out who she is or what she's like, but we do have plenty of reasons for her to turn against John.

We never meet Teacher or Cytherea in any way, so they mean nothing to us. We can probably figure out how sketchy the Lyctor process is a bit early, but we don't know who any of them are yet. The 2nd House Chambers get some extra spook from the hints about P- and G-, but the name Gideon doesn't mean anything except Nav yet.

The end of Gideon primes us to expect some massive threat. When we start to hear about BoE, we draw the immediate conclusion about the escaped FTL ships. "A-ha, the trillionaire assholes have returned!"

With the Ninth and Canaan house as our primary references, obviously The Houses are the underdogs. BoE must be greedy jerks come to take and evangelize, probably some christofash capitalist oligarchy.

That narrative will crack as we hear about flipping planets and will really crumble when we see Camilla on the other side. We have even more reasons to think John is sus as fuck, and we trust the Sixth.

And meeting Augustine, Mercymorn, and ORTUS! What a shock. They're still here, but they aren't who they were. Some things echo, but it's clear they're more different than can be explained by all that crushing time.

----

Then we'll get the slow name drops of the other Lyctors and cavaliers (Ulysses?!) and maybe some non-Third portraits, and the extent of John's deceptions will become obvious. What a relief to see him finished, the ancient evil vanquished, for a brief quiet moment of grief, until the fucker squeaks out again.

G(ideon) dies for duty again, but what a chance to subtly hint P(yrrha) with tells we'd recognize!

I need to muse a bit on Nona before I can really organize my thoughts on how all of those beats play out. It's the straightest conversion, exceptsofar as you've got to tweak the dream sequences. With the story told in the first installment, you'd have more room to focus on the aftermath shots, I guess.

I do have some quiet theories about Cassiopeia and the Angel that I think might fit here for big reveal moments, but I'm not sure they're textually supported yet.

Given how structured Harrow and Nona are, you could probably get clever with individual episodes too, if you really wanted to serialize the whole thing.

[shadowworks]

Look Inside

Pairing: Overhaul X Reader

Warnings: Dubcon-noncon, medical kink, drugged sex, mention of needles, mentions of blood, bondage, fingering, this is dark! 

Word Count: 3.8k 

A/N: I decided to try some creepy themes and give second person a try. So we’ll see how it goes. This piece is dark so please mind the warnings!

Huge shoutout to @present-mel for making the beautiful banner and reading over my fic you precious gem! Also thank you @thisisthehardestthing and @hisoknen for your feedback it’s so greatly appreciated! 💜

Someone had shut off the lights in the morgue. 

You happen to notice this when your eyes toil lazily between security cameras at the right time. You freeze on the spot, and quirk a brow toward the shadow. You expect it’ll brighten any second like it usually does, but after those few seconds tick by without change, a weight of dread sinks in your stomach.

Kai Chisaki put orders in place that if experiments are up and running the basement levels are to remain lit. Chisaki and his men are already down below, and the winding pale halls near the morgue are empty.

 You haven’t been called to notify cleaners about another bloody corpse still peeling off the wall, and you can’t find motion on the surveillance camera when you rewind the recordings. It’s in the lower right corner of the camera, and you note the light flicks off without warning. No one enters, no one leaves. 

You study the harsh glow of the screen for another moment, still in denial, still waiting for the lights to flicker on, and stand up from the chair in the office. When not a soul appears by the threshold, all you can do is lean forward with your hands pressed on the desk, dropping your head in defeat. “Seriously? Fuck you.” 

You don’t know who “you” was exactly, but it felt right to say. 

It takes a bit of time after departing the small office, but you find the proper hall in Chisaki’s deeply looping maze...It’s just you don’t want to step out from the elevator. You were ready before, but when the doors split open and the cool air ghosts against your cheeks, you pause. There’s a stillness lingering in the hallway; it’s far too quiet- except for the creaks in the elevator floor from your shifting weight...But, something seems off. 

  Your steps are tentative when you do slip out, peering down the drab hallway. You clearly see which of the rooms is buried in shadow, and frankly you want to whirl back around before the doors close. But you can’t, well, not yet at least. The tap of your shoes hits off the walls, while you tread along on stiff legs. Eventually you come to a stop having reached the doorway. It’s partly open, a slice of darkness hiding what’s deep inside. 

Hold on, this can't be right. The camera— A shudder trails up your spine. It tingles coldly.

You inhale a deep breath. Okay, just do it; just switch the lights back on, it’s fine. It’s fine. Besides, if it were you (which it is) you wouldn’t want to deal with Chisaki’s ill temper over something so minor as a light. 

He’s punished his men for incompetence before, and those who didn’t listen have smeared the walls with their blood, drenching vein red across white. Black-looking goops of muscle plopped on the floor...the consequences ranged based on severity of failure or how stressed he is, really. In fact, one man had the skin of his face torn off for talking back—wait, relax. Focus

It won’t happen. Kai Chisaki is somewhere else in the maze. He’s not aware of what happened.

There’s a member with a quirk which lets him melt through walls; the tiny one with a bone white mask. He probably slipped between the rooms and grabbed something then turned the lights off. But that didn’t explain the door...

It doesn’t matter.

You stretch an arm out, gently pushing the door further open, and light spills onto the tile floor. 

It’s a cold, vacant room. There’s a pungent scent of bleach still lingering from a cleanup, but it hits your nose almost like it happened recently. You can’t see much nor do you want to. And your hand reaches around the door frame, trailing gentle fingers along the smooth surface for a switch—

Only, there’s nothing on the wall. 

“Are you serious? Really?” you huff to yourself, stepping round to search for the light. Sure enough, your fears are realized with one look. 

You let out an annoyed groan, and a, ‘stupid switch’ under your breath. Who the hell designs a room and doesn’t put a switch by the door? 

Your eyes haven’t adjusted to the dark, so you can’t see the precise details on the walls. So this leaves you no choice but to step further in, allowing the brightness from the hall to guide you along.

It’s a moderate room with a vaulted wall filled with metal drawers, all large enough to fit an icy corpse in ‘til the yakuza dispose of them. Then there’s the silver surgical table in the middle of the room. It's empty, but the thing’s embellished. There’s protruding belts attached, and a tray on wheels is parked on the side. On top of the tray is a clean towel and a neat row of surgical tools lay flat across. 

Your brows scrunch together, studying the sharp gleam of knives and the sizes of needles. Why are these out? Kai’s an obsessive clean freak, every little thing needs to be put back and organized. All his masked cronies know this rule, so who the hell did this? That is, unless someone’s using them?

Your back is turned to the glow seeping in from the hall, so you don’t see a gloved hand press on the metal door. There’s a push, and the door slams shut. 

You let out a startled yelp, cupping your hands to your mouth. What the hell…! Your heart’s pounding wildly in your chest; for some reason the room feels colder, you feel colder. 

“I must say this is disappointing.”

Light floods the room from the panels above, flickering with a buzzing noise before they settle. You take a moment. A deep breath, a slow exhale. When the initial shock stops tingling in your muscles, you slowly drop your palms. The voice is male, his tone’s calm, ominous and it carries like chill over your shoulder. You know this voice; you know you have to turn around. But fuck, you can’t stop trembling. When you do, you see a tall figure looming near the wall, a gloved hand still on the switch.

Kai Chisaki. 

“I told Setsuno I needed him in the security room. Do you think it’s hard for him to follow directions?”

You stare at him, anxiously. He isn’t wearing his green coat with the violet plumage trimming on the collar. He’s in his iron pressed, black suit and grey tie; the trademark plague mask covering half his face. 

“Setsuno asked me to fill in. He said he wasn’t feeling well...I guess,” you manage to say it as steady as you can. 

The lanky blond hadn’t given you a clear reason when he staggered towards you near dawn. But if you’re being honest, you didn’t really care.You barely looked his way at breakfast, choosing to stare into your dark coffee cup than at the katana resting on his shoulder. The sword was still wet with blood, and you knew he’d been out all night. Though right now, you sorta wish you pressed him more for details.

Kai mutters something slightly bitter, words that are muffled against the material of his mask. But you hear him sigh, then his tone turns crisper. “No matter. It’s inconvenient, but I can work around these...changes.”

His arm drops to his side, walking from the wall. And unexpectedly- those peculiar eyes you see leering at his enemies, have now fallen on you. 

You seize up in mild panic, the pupils in your eyes shrinking; not knowing what to do. You take a scuffling step or two back on reflex—and knock your hip against the table corner. 

Oww—ow, fuck. Hold on, what’s he doing? Why—Your voice bubbles in your throat as you watch him draw near. Though it’s strange, for Kai doesn’t pull at the rim of his latex glove like expected, rather, the Shie Hassaikai boss happens to steer past you instead. 

...Huh?

Your neck cranes, loose hair spilling over your shoulder. He stops a couple feet away and tilts his head downward in front of the tray, no longer regarding your presence and focusing on his work. 

You stand there awkwardly, just listening to the clinks of metal fitting together in Kai’s grip. You’re not fully understanding though, should you leave? It looks like your job’s finished now that your boss is here. Besides, you’re pretty confident Kai doesn't want you here if he’s occupying the room. 

In the long pause between you two, your mind’s made up which prompts you to retreat back and aim towards the door. They’re slow, careful moving steps. 

“Well, you seem busy...I should probably hurry back and watch the cameras,'' you say dismissing yourself. You’re partial toward the comfort of the smaller office, and any chance you have of leaving the macabre storage space you will eagerly take it. 

You don’t make it to the gleaming doorknob—because Kai’s voice holds you still. It isn’t loud, but it grips the room. “No stay. There’s no need for you to leave so soon.”

A mix of fear and confusion read across your features. Kai has never spent a moment alone with you. In fact, you aren’t actually part of the yakuza. The only reason you’re associated with the fallen crime syndicate, is because the former boss offered you odd jobs as a favor. You needed some work to keep from struggling and he had taken a liking to you, sort of how he did with Kai. But then, the leader collapsed. 

Now you aren't sure where you stand. Chisaki is in charge.

“I believe there’s something you can do for me. Will you have a seat on the table?” 

You aren’t sure if you heard him right, or fully grasp what he means. He says it so casually-  but you know better; it’s a demand. You’re just not sure why.

“I’m fine. Really. I should be going-“

“Are you defying my order?” Again, he says it so nonchalantly. This time Kai turns his head over his shoulder; the look he gives is almost impassive, yet there’s a menacing gleam in the yellow of his eyes.

“What? No, I was…! Right.”

You don’t exactly drag your feet, but you do stand hesitant before the edge of the table where countless bodies have been dissected. So much blood, so many organs harvested on this very table.

“I won’t ask you again.” 

You turn around robotically, eyes pointed downward as you hoist your hips onto the metal. The table’s surface is icy, it numbs your fingers the longer you lean on it, which only makes you fold them against your thighs. 

“Roll up your sleeve.” Kai says by your right, holding up a purple band. Your gaze flicks up immediately, nervously, a silent plea for mercy. As if somehow your glossy and delicate eyes will make a difference. But it does nothing toward Kai’s stoic stance. He simply waits, and his own steely eyes narrow back.

You drop your head with a wince; just do as he says. 

You comply, pushing up your long sleeve. Though you make a point not to help much more than that, leaving your arm limp at your side. 

Kai doesn’t seem to notice or care and proceeds to wrap the rubber around your arm. You grimace, unpleased as his fingers skim your arm, and again when he brushes you with a wet cotton swab. 

“You need my blood?” You ask evenly. 

His eyes don’t leave your skin, “Not necessarily.”

“A lot of effort for, ‘not necessarily.’” You say, not too dryly. 

“You’ve seen my work before, you should know by now I take great care in everything I do.”

Kai rotates between you and the now rolled over stand, dismissing your light jab. He sets up the port for blood to flow; all in a well practiced motion. It certainly makes you wonder how many times he’s done this before. 

“I’m curious, when was your last doctor's appointment?” He asks suddenly, hands already prepping the next instrument. The other needle probably, but you don’t want to play as his patient. He isn’t your doctor, for fucks sake.

“A while.” You answer. 

“A while,” he repeats with a subtle chuckle under his covered breath,“Has anyone told you before you’re a feisty one?”

You bite your tongue and refuse to meet his side glance. When you don’t reply back, he carries on with a sigh. 

“I’ve had quite a long day you see, so I’m afraid I’ve exhausted my tolerance for stubborn little girls.”

Suddenly, his hand is squeezing your shoulder, and all too quickly you find yourself thumping against the cold metal, your horrified eyes staring up at the bright ceiling. The next thing you feel is buckles fastening, pinning you against the table by your waist and elbows. 

You're flooded with tingling panic, voice cracking from strain, “Hol—Hold on one second. Please, just one more—”

“—You know they say you should never let the lamb see the knife? Their fear tampers the meat, and ruins the flavor,” Kai gives a sharp tug on the last belt. “But I find yours all the more intoxicating, my dear.”

You stammer, words of protest mingle together as you attempt to be heard, “I don’t understand, why are you…Just stop. You need to let me go!”

Your teeth clench together in a rage that fills your chest. You’re not thinking rationally, your nerves are unhinged. And in your adrenaline high your leg curls up, thrashing a viciously blunt strike toward the point of his beak.

 Before it can connect and batter the bridge of his nose and mark his cheekbones, Kai’s arm flexes quickly. Your foot stops mid air as he catches your ankle with constricting force. 

“Do I?” He asks with a title of his head, there're subtle creases in the corner of eyes, you can imagine his mouth settles in a cold smile beneath. 

In that moment you freeze up. Your lash lines burn, stinging with fresh tears glossing your doe eyes. You don’t breathe, you don’t dare to expand your lungs. Your only thought is begging him not to burst open your calf. 

“You shouldn’t be giving commands. You work under me now,” his nails dig in your flesh, and you know those indents will marr your flesh.“Meaning you’ll have to bear with me while I continue.”

Kai doesn’t loosen his hold, briefly watching your pained expression. But he favors dropping his gaze below to study the stretch of your thigh, your exposed and parted groin. It’s then his nimble fingers reach to unclasp the button of your jeans and he gently pulls down the zipper. You cry out, jerking against the belts, but he isn’t fazed. 

“One of our new drugs is supposed to relax its victims...recently it’s been ineffective if the heartbeat’s racing too quickly, though we’ve made modifications to counter this. My plan was to stage a fight with Setsuno, until...you graciously took his place.”

Kai lowers your leg, both hands roaming across to the edge of your jeans. He still studies you, and decides to push up your ribbed sweater, letting the cold bite of the morgue chill your hips. His latex fingers trace lightly across your pebbled skin, skimming down the dips to your thighs. 

“Yes, this will do just fine. You’re pretty enough,” he muses, softly.

He then tucks his hands into your waistband, yanking them down your legs, before they fall to the floor with a plop. The seamless panties slip off easily, as well. This sends a small prickle through you, and, no, this can’t keep going! The fight in you surges, pushing your knees together to shield your groin. Only Kai doesn’t like that. 

There’s something cold and dangerous in his glare, a threat that twists at your stomach. He’s warning you; don’t make this worse for yourself or you’ll make him snap. And you didn’t want that...You watch both his hands clutch your knees, he doesn’t waste time and he yanks your legs apart, taking in your pretty cunt.

Angry tears trickle down your cheeks in response. Your throat burns from holding back a sob, “Chisaki, please. If you would—“

 Without a moment of hesitation, Kai knowingly finds where to touch you first. A little too skillfully for a false doctor, the pad of his thumb presses against your soft, sensitive nub, stroking tight circles with focus. Your breath catches, falling heavier while he sinks his pad deeper in the forming slick, building steady pressure.

“Still so stubborn, what good will that bring you?”

A broken moan spills on your shaky breath, all against your better decisions. His other hand settles between your legs, and a finger plunges inside your heat, curling upward and massaging the rougher layer of flesh. A sharp gasp inhales into your lungs. He isn’t stopping, no, Kai’s gloved finger moves with vigor the more your pleasurably laced cries pour out from your lips, how desperate they become.

He pushes in a second finger, and then a third thrusting in, stretching you and soaking your walls with your arousal. This causes you to push your hips further against his latex hand. 

“Kai, you fucking bastard!” you sob out, formalities be damned as your back arches. You can feel the building pulses in your cunt tense up, losing yourself to your superior on an icy slab in a fucking morgue. 

“You curse my name as though you’re not enjoying this,” Kai mocks.

 His fingers pump deeper, tightening your abs and your lips fall open. His matching rhythm on the bundle of nerves surges in a crash, sending a hard orgasm that shivers through your body. For a moment, just a little moment, your cares fade away. 

You're left breathing deeply, staring up at the ceiling as your chest rises and falls. The euphoria lasts a moment longer, but only for so long. Reality sets in as you lay there, and much too soon, the warmths gone. 

Kai takes advantage of this.

With your chin tipped up toward cabinets lining the ceiling, Kai unfastens his thinner belt. It’s only when you feel him hook under your knees and pull at your thighs that you snap your head up in startlement.

Kai’s venomous eyes stare you down, “I suggest laying back down little girl, we’re not finished yet.”

“Like hell!”

A second flare of rage strickens across your features, a hard glare that doesn’t unyield, especially as he unzips and withdraws himself from formal slacks. You know he’s relishing in your disdain for him, and this makes you thrash on the belts, hoping to force them apart. Of course, Kai did a good job of fastening these fuckers and simply chuckles at your attempt. 

“You’re still not understanding the position that you’re in,” He slips a hand in his pocket, and pulls out the wrapping of a condom. Taking his time, tearing it open, rolling the rubber down his thick length with precision.

 When Kai’s satisfied, his arms reach for you and grab at your hips, giving them a sharp yank forward. He leans in with a darkly low voice, “You can’t escape me. You’re mine to do with as I please.”

“...You lean any closer and I’ll spit in your face.” There isn’t any bite to it. It’s a calm, empty threat and loses all its appeal as a single tear spills down your cheekbone.

A huffing noise emits from his mask, with his lids narrowing in mild disgust. You catch the words “filthy woman,” rasped low and nasally before he does lean back, wrenching at the skin around your hips. 

When he’s all settled Kai lines himself to your heat, in a slow motion he draws himself inside. You almost don't hear it, but from the mask you note a soft hitch in his breath. He gives shallow pushes and pulls on your hips, an experimental dip that splits you in a painful stretch before he pumps fully into you. They’re slow, long strokes, filling you to the brim.

Another strained gasp rips from your wet lips, and your hands impulsively spring out, clenching the black cloth of Kai’s sleeves. His hips snap quicker, and your breath picks up with him. Heart pounding to his thrust; you can feel the beats in your neck. 

And all of a sudden you hear the sound of plastic clasping together, the squeeze of an injection clip the shell of your ear. Your eyes snap open in horror. What—?

Kai locks on your facial features, his deep pumps lessen though the slapping of skin doesn’t stop. “You’ve been too tense. Why don’t you relax for awhile?”

When did he..? 

He prepped it. The syringe must’ve been tucked away. He did have this all planned. You were just the unlucky one who walked to the table and sealed your fate. 

The serum he injected into your bloodstream has fast results it seems. The tension in your muscles slack against his thrusts, allowing him to carry your body closer and take more of his length. You feel the tension in your wide eyes soften, slowly falling half lidded and weak. 

“That’s a good girl, you're taking to the drug faster than I thought,” he muses a little breathless. Right after he sets the syringe back down, a gloved hand reaches for the strap fastened around his head and pulls. The mask slips off.

It’s at this point he hikes his knees up onto the table and pounds in deeper, letting your walls suck him in. Your body’s folded, and Kai treats your body in any way he desires.

You manage to pull your head from his sharp eyes, your cheek bouncing slightly against the icy metal to Kai’s rhythm. The drawers for the deceased are taken in.

You stare intently. 

“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

“No.” He manages between breathes, his voice is heavy and laced with lusting growls, “This is merely a precaution. In the event...ah, in the event you overdose...well. You’re in the right place.”

Your head lolls back to Kai meeting his delicate face which is now flushed. You realize this is the first time you’ve seen him behind the mask. He’s beautiful. Soft featues that compliment him so well. If only he wasn’t so cruel...

“In fact, hah, if you survive...I think this will be the start of something new in my work.” He manages the last bit with a shaky chuckle. 

You see him smirk wickedly, and all you can do is watch, because it doesn’t stop. The only sound in the room is the liquid squish of sex, your mixed heavy breaths. And you hope, god do you hope in your hazy state, feeling a numbness taking hold of your body, that you leave this room alive.

[wanderinginksplot]

Rex + Engineer!Reader

This is the prequel to the Rex + Blanket Fort + Kisses one-shot found here on my masterlist. As this is a prequel to that story, you don't need to have read it for this to make sense. And as you could probably tell from the picture, this takes place during the Onderon arc.

Rex x gn!reader: intended to be early romance, but could be read as platonic.

Word Count: a bit more than 3,400

Warnings: canon-typical violence, including spoilers for the Onderon arc (S 5, E 2-5) of Star Wars: The Clone Wars

---

"And Captain Rex will train everyone in the encampment on basic combat skills and maneuvers," General Skywalker announced.

You didn't pay overly much attention to that. The general was younger than you had anticipated, but he was clearly used to combat and had the kind of authority usually honed through commanding large groups of soldiers. Still, you knew his order didn't apply to you and moved to slip away from the area. Your schematics needed a lot more work before the rebels could attack without bringing buildings down.

"And where are you running off to?" a muscular man with light hair asked, stepping into your path.

You gave a tight smile. "Classified, sorry."

The man nodded toward the general. "General Skywalker says everyone needs combat training."

"Oh, not me," you reassured him. "I'm a contracted engineer, not one of the Rebels. I'm just here to make sure they destroy as little of the infrastructure as possible while they take back control."

"And do you live in the encampment?" he asked.

You narrowed your eyes at him, feeling sure this was a trap. Eventually, you gave a short nod.

"Then you'll be training with me," he said firmly. "Captain Rex, 501st Legion."

You reluctantly shook the hand he offered and introduced yourself, finishing with, "-but I'm strictly an engineer."

"We're worried that this isn't likely to end without one or several attacks on this encampment," the captain told you. "A few hours of training could save your life."

"And a few hours of work on the city's schematics could save the lives of countless civilians," you argued. Sending that he would continue trying to convince you, you shook your head. "The Gerrera siblings are the ones who hired me. I'll let them make the final choice."

"And I'll leave it to the Generals," Captain Rex agreed.

Clearly not taking chances, he marched off toward where Steela Gerrera and Lux Bonteri were talking with Generals Skywalker and Kenobi, as well as a Togrutan female you vaguely remembered as being a commander.

"Generals, Commander," Captain Rex greeted with a crisp salute. You rolled your eyes. Soldiers. "We were hoping you could settle a difference of opinion."

"A difference of opinion?" General Kenobi repeated with a frown.

"What opinion would that be, Rex?" General Skywalker asked.

The captain explained the situation while you stood in silence. Steela met your gaze at several points during the conversation, looking concerned each time.

"We're only here to train the rebels," General Skywalker said after Captain Rex had finished talking. "Not anyone else."

"All of us are rebels," Steela argued, ignoring your signals that you didn't want training at all. "Just by being here in opposition to the Separatist forces, we are all considered a threat to their power."

"A contracted employee is different than someone who joined your cause because they believe in it," the commander countered, wrinkling her nose. "We aren't offering training to mercenaries."

"We're talking about an engineer, not someone hired to perform assassinations," Lux contributed. "What could it hurt?"

"Generals, Commander," Rex said, his quiet voice somehow drawing their attention. "I think every member of the rebel group needs to be trained. I think it's important."

"Rex…" General Kenobi sighed, but Skywalker interrupted before he could expand on his thoughts.

"I trust Rex's instincts," he told the older general. "If he thinks everyone needs to be trained, we'll make it happen."

You made a frustrated noise before you could stop yourself. "I don't need training. I'm an engineer. I don't work in combat situations."

"That's the thing about combat," Skywalker said with a shrug. "You don't always have to look for it. Sometimes, it comes to you. Especially in wartime."

The group split up immediately afterward, seemingly having come to an agreement. You followed Steela, determined to make your case and get back to your schematics.

"Steela, you know I'm not here for fighting," you said, jogging to catch up to the young woman who had hired you. "It isn't part of my contract."

"It isn't, you're right," she agreed. "But I would think carefully before I turned down a chance to learn such a valuable skill considering how dangerous the galaxy is right now. Surely this could be helpful as a freelancer traveling the universe alone?"

You didn't have an immediate answer to that. Steela clearly noticed, nodding solemnly at you before turning away. "The choice is yours to make."

You gritted your teeth, but your feet refused to move from the spot. To your left was the strategic tent and your unfinished set of schematics. To the right, the Jedi were helping the rebels set up some kind of training ring.

"Well?" a voice prompted. You already recognized it as belonging to Rex.

You stood still for a beat longer before giving a loud and heartfelt groan as you turned toward the freshly constructed training ring.

---

You were bad at fighting.

It wasn't really a shock to you. You had never been particularly graceful or good on your feet. That was why engineering had been such a draw - all mental work, almost no physical.

Rex, to his credit, turned out to be a surprisingly good teacher. He had kept everyone basically together as they learned new skills and practiced as a group. Still, he was determined that you would learn to defend yourself and here you were, fighting to shoot targets in the dying light, long after everyone else had scattered.

"I'm sorry," you apologized yet again as you missed. You were half an hour into intensive shooting lessons with Rex and you had yet to hit a single target.

"You don't need to apologize," he assured. "We'll just keep working until you get it down."

"I don't know if I can," you admitted, lowering the heavily modified blaster pistol until it was resting on the table in front of you. "We're losing the light and it's a bad idea to illuminate any more of the jungle than we have to."

"That's true," Rex agreed, rubbing at his neck while he studied the unharmed target. After a moment, he took the blaster pistol from your hands and holstered it at his side, then removed the holster belt as well.

You nodded sympathetically, hoping you could call it a night and put in a few hours of work on your schematics so the day wouldn't be a total waste.

Rex sighed, removing the subtly armored jacket he had been wearing during that day's training. "I guess we'll… we'll just have to switch to something less impacted by visibility."

"Wait, what?" you had time to ask before the stoic captain flat-out tackled you.

You were aware enough to know that Captain Rex had twisted to take part of the impact himself, but you still hit the ground hard enough to knock the breath from your lungs. In that moment of hollow gasping, Rex had pushed you onto your stomach and pinned your hands behind your back.

"The first rule of unarmed conflict is that you can't let anyone surprise you." Rex paused for a moment. "Actually, that's the first rule of any kind of conflict."

"Is the second rule that you shouldn't suffocate your sparring partner?" you croaked out, turning your head slightly so your face wasn't actively being pressed into the dirt anymore.

Rex laughed. It was the first time you had heard anything other than firm orders from him and you paused. It was a nice laugh. You were forced to gather your thoughts a moment later as he released you and helped you to your feet.

"You probably won't see a lot of hand-to-hand fighting with droids, but the armies aren't capable of anything beyond following orders. The armies are commanded by sentients, and those sentients are often closer to the armies than you would think."

"I have no intention of going after Grievous without a weapon," you joked. "Preferably more than one."

"You should stay away from Grievous no matter how many weapons you have," Rex advised. "But this is good to know, anyway."

"Actually, I agree with that," you said, surprising you both. "I'm a freelancer. Anything that helps me defend myself in a potentially hostile situation is a good thing."

"Okay, let's work on your hits, then," Rex suggested.

What followed was two full hours of unarmed combat practice. Rex was always the target, letting you throw punches and kicks against his open palms. When he realized that you were pulling your strikes because you were afraid to hurt him, he found a padded guard among the assortment of equipment the Republic had sent along.

Eventually, though, you were panting and bone-tired. Rex seemed to realize that without you saying anything.

"One last set of strikes and you're done for the night," Rex told you. It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to you.

But as you punched, Rex moved the guard you had been aiming for. You shot him a look, but he only held the guard up, wiggling it slightly. You set up again, but Rex pulled away at the last second, dodging your fist to bop you on the shoulder with the guard.

"What are you doing?" you asked, exasperated. "You said this was the last set."

"It is. Or, it will be as soon as you actually manage to make contact."

You grimaced at him. This time, when he twisted the guard away, you turned with it. You were focused on keeping your footwork correct and your hit strong. You never even saw him move his foot between your ankles, but with a light tug, you were on the ground again.

"Seriously?" you asked from your spot in the dirt.

Rex laughed again, and this time, you didn't enjoy the sound at all. "Do you think your opponents are going to stand there and let you hit them? They're going to fight dirty - they always do. You just need to-"

As it happens, you never did learn what you needed to do. Rex had stepped too close, and your engineering experience told you that his ankles were at an angle that made him vulnerable to a hit. You kicked his ankle lightly, barely making contact, but it was enough to send one of his feet careening against the other. Rex stumbled, failed to regain his balance, and fell.

All of this was done on instinct and you felt as surprised as Rex looked when he landed on his butt in the dirt next to you.

"Good job," he said, breathless but sincere.

"Thanks," you accepted with a grin. "Does that mean I surprised you?"

"Not a bit," he denied, deflating your ego a bit. "I knew you were capable of it. You're an engineer. Engineers like angles and math. That's all combat is, adjusted for whatever you think the other side is going to do."

"Wait, that's… that's a really good point," you mused slowly. "Can I see your pistol again?"

Rex didn't move. "If you shoot me, you'll surprise me in the wrong way."

You snorted. "I'm not planning on shooting you, Captain. I just want to test how the application of math might help me."

After eyeing you for a moment, Rex stood in an enviably graceful motion and hauled you to your feet as well. Wordlessly, he handed you one of his blaster pistols. He had warned you before you began shooting that he had made numerous alterations to them, but you were still surprised by the weight of the weapon in your hand.

This time, instead of relying on instinct - point, aim, shoot - you worked to apply some logic. When you were sure about your angle, you squeezed the hyper-sensitive trigger and watched the resulting beam of weaponized light hit the target.

It wasn't a perfect shot, of course. Math couldn't fix everything. Still, you had hit the target and you cheered aloud, echoed by Rex's congratulations behind you. You had the presence of mind to set the pistol down before you turned, then Rex was grasping your forearm in the odd way warriors shook hands.

"Great job!" he told you warmly. "You're getting better."

"Thanks," you accepted, trying to vocalize your gratitude. You probably could have been offended by the tone of surprise in his voice, but you chose to overlook it.

"Now we just have to dial in your aim and get you comfortable with firing at moving targets, especially during chaotic situations."

Despite your best efforts, you felt your expression fall at that. Rex laughed again. When had he gotten so cheerful? "I'm kidding. That can be done tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" you repeated doubtfully.

Rex folded his arms across his chest and stared at you steadily. "In one session, you've gone from unable to shoot a gun or throw a punch to knocking me down and hitting a target. If you can keep that pace of improvement, you'll be a force to be reckoned with."

"Or at least be able to stop clients who try to cop a feel," you added.

Despite his darkening expression, Rex's tone was unconcerned. "I'm sure you could break the hand of any di'kut dumb enough to try it now. With some training, you'd be able to tear that hand off completely."

And so you continued to train with Rex after everyone else had finished learning to disable tanks and other intense activities. During the day, you finalized schematics, studying holoimages of Onderon’s capital city of Iziz. Your goal was to record your best guesses for the most and least structurally-sound sections of the city.

The dedication the rebels showed for the safety of the Onderonian people was a big reason you had agreed to take this job. Despite what the Jedi seemed to think, you weren't actually a mercenary. You chose your jobs very carefully, and if something didn't match your morals, you would respectfully decline.

Between schematic work in the day and training at night, your time with the rebels flew past. Captain Rex continued to be patient and helpful as you worked to master the combat moves he taught you - ones decidedly more focused on self-defense than the moves he taught the rebels. The first day you had beaten him in a grappling situation, he had beamed up at you with dirt on his face and told you how far you had progressed. The squeezing of your heart at the praise warned that it was probably good that the captain and both Jedi generals were withdrawing from Onderon shortly, leaving Commander Tano to assist with the remaining rebel efforts.

Despite your determination to stay out of the conflict, you had eventually been forced into it when the Separatist armies had attacked the rebel base. One of the rebels you had known by appearance if not by name had been hit by blaster fire before he could use the rocket launcher held in his hands. He had held it up to you, begging with his eyes that you take out the ship that had fired on him before it could do more damage.

You had accepted, and the ship was a roiling ball of flame before you could make yourself nervous about shooting anything other than Rex’s now-familiar blasters. You tossed aside the rocket launcher and found a discarded blaster. From that point until the combat had ended, thoughts of schematics or building solidity were gone from your head. You were as much a part of the rebel group as anyone else, and you watched with the same horror as Steela Gerrera fell to her death, despite the best efforts of Commander Tano.

The funeral was lovely. Onderonians didn’t believe in mourning for their dead. Instead, they truly celebrated all that the departed had done to create a better society… and Steela had done a great deal.

When things had ended, you were sitting on a raised set of stairs overlooking the ceremonial area. The dais holding Steela’s cloth-draped casket was filled with people far too important for you to bother. You were glad to see Saw speaking with King Dendup. After he had handed you the agreed-upon payment for your services - despite your many attempts to refuse the credits - Saw had left, ignoring the sympathy you tried to offer. He needed to speak with someone, and if that someone was the man he and Steela had worked so hard to save, so much the better.

“Nice ceremony, huh?” someone asked from behind you, and you twisted a bit to find General Skywalker standing there with Captain Rex beside him.

You nodded, but you could feel that it was a half-hearted motion. “Steela was so young. She had a lot of promise.”

“She died fulfilling the mission she set out to finish,” Captain Rex countered. “She knew the risks and thought Dendup was worth it. Her choices were her own. All we can do is respect them.”

With a joyless smile, you said, “Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“It never does,” General Skywalker admitted, sitting next to you. Rex’s comlink chimed and he stepped a respectful distance away before answering it.

Skywalker sat beside you in silence for a while. Normally, you would speak first just for sake of politeness, but you weren’t feeling that generous. You let the silence linger while you watched the activity on the dais.

“Have you ever thought about using your talents for the Republic?” the general asked eventually.

“I thought I was a soulless mercenary?” you asked before you could think better of it.

“And I thought you didn’t work in combat situations,” Skywalker countered. “But I’ve seen the battlefield recordings. You handled yourself well.”

You glanced over at him in surprise. “Are you trying to contract me on as a soldier?”

“Force, no,” he denied quickly. “As an engineer. I sent samples of your work to a friend of mine who works as an engineer in the private sector and they were impressed. The GAR is struggling to find good engineers comfortable working in combat. The pay is a bit lower than you’re used to, but it’s steady work.”

Ah, he had cut straight to the heart of your problem with freelancing. The fight to survive between jobs meant that anything extra you were making was eaten up by the time you were hired on again. And your morals meant that jobs weren’t nearly as frequent as you would like them to be. But being in constant combat… Yes, you had survived this time, but that didn’t mean you were rushing to repeat the experience.

You grimaced. “I appreciate the offer, really, but I don’t know if it’s for me. Combat engineering isn’t really my specialty.”

“I think you’re selling yourself short,” General Skywalker told you seriously. “I’ve seen samples of your past work, and a lot of it is on worlds that have a lot of fighting. I’m sure you know that none of your structures have sustained extreme damage, no matter how much combat was happening around them. That’s an impressive record.”

“You researched me?” you asked, feeling a little stunned.

“Well, the Republic likes to know who they’re hiring. But honestly, I’m not the one who did the research,” Skywalker said, looking past you. You followed his gaze to Rex, who was suddenly very intently looking at his comlink. With a mischievous grin, the general added, “I think my captain has taken a liking to you.”

You fought back a grin, turning away from the captain, and your eyes fell on Steela’s casket once more. Suddenly, keeping a straight face wasn’t as much of a struggle. “If I said yes, what would my official job duties be?”

“You would oversee a group of construction experts - both civilian and enlisted - using maps and satellite footage to find the best possible choices for locations to build bases, bridges, or other structures to help us complete campaigns,” he answered easily. “Preferably, to win campaigns, but that’s more on us than you.”

“And would I work with your group?”

“The 501st?” Skywalker asked, sounding surprised. “I’m not sure, but probably. We’re a planetary landing battalion, so we always need someone who has the knowledge of places to build. You might have to stay behind on some planets to supervise base construction, but you could always catch back up with us. Is that something you would want?”

“Yes,” you said firmly. “If I did agree to that-”

“I’m no good at negotiations,” he interrupted with a self-deprecating smile. “You speak clearly about what you want and I’ll do what I can.”

“I’ll work for the Republic,” you said, feeling the nerves twist in your belly. “If you can make sure I’m permanently attached to the 501st.”

“Deal,” General Skywalker accepted immediately, holding his hand out for you to shake. “Welcome to the 501st.”

---

A/N - I assure you that there is no timeline of any sort happening in my writing, so don't think too hard about where this should fit into the narrative. It won't end well.

Thanks for reading!

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