#i really like once a rebel too and it also reminds me of that song

[lock-my-feelings-in-a-jar]

[cafemilk-tea]

The Puppy Interview

➙ taglist: @justmochi @ateezjuliet @itzy-eve @billboard-singer @cosmicwintr @kimhyejin3108

“Puppies!,” Evelyn clapped her hands excitedly as the door to the studio opened and in came 4 overexcited puppies racing toward the five members, “They’re so full of energy.”

“They’re so excited,” Seokmin commented as the puppies raced back and forth.

“They remind me of us when we were younger and always running around and playing.”

The brown and white spotted puppy raced right toward Evelyn, jumping from her lap to the floor and back again, playing with the tan puppy.

MBTI is currently trending in Korea right now, but how much do you know about your astrology charts?

“During free time at school, my friends and I would sit around and read each other’s charts and see how accurate they were,” Evelyn reached her hand out to tap on the floor to get the puppies attention, “We actually got in trouble once because we were too invested in the charts and we missed a part of the next class.”

“Ah you were a rebel,” Dino chuckled, throwing a toy for the puppies to chase.

“Not always!”

What is your love language?

“I love giving people gifts. Whether it be something small like a snack while I’m out or giving them flowers when they’ve accomplished something, seeing their reactions afterwards makes me so happy.”

What’s the funniest SVT meme you’ve seen posted by carats on the internet?

“I like the ones where Mingyu stretches his arms back but in reality he was flexing his arms on how big they were.” Evelyn giggled as the other members laughed along with her, Mingyu turning towards the camera in confusion.

“He does it on purpose too!” Seokmin grabbed at Evelyn’s shoulder when Mingyu started convincing the camera that he doesn’t.

What would you want people to think of when they hear “SEVENTEEN” 100 years from now?

“Our bond with each other and carats,” Evelyn smiled, petting one of the black and white puppies, “I think it’s a really special and unique bond that we all share. We have that trust and we understand each other.”

What would you name these puppies?

“Evie, what do you think?” Mingyu nudged her, pulling her back into reality. She was too focused on receiving puppy kisses that she hadn’t really heard the question to begin with.

“I like those names!”

“Eyy you weren’t even paying attention,” Seokmin, smiling that he caught her in a lie.

If you were a dog, what breed would you be?

“I think I’d be a Golden Retriever! They’re super friendly with everyone.”

“They are a loyal and trustworthy breed too,” Minghao nodded along with Evelyn.

Before he could continue, one of the puppies decided to start barking. At the same time Evelyn and Minghao barked back causing them both to burst out into fits of giggles when the puppy barked back at them as if they had understood.

If you could speak to your teenage self, what would you say?

“It might be hard and you want to give up now but don’t give up hope. Good things will come your way and to just give it time,” Evelyn flattened herself to the floor to be on the puppies level. She was rushed by two of them licking all over her face and she instantly regretted ever laying down.

Every member seems to be working out quite often. What’s a must-have song for the gym playlist?

“I don’t typically listen to music that much, but when I do it’s usually just one of our faster pace songs. They always put me in a good rhythm.” Evelyn leaned her face down to pretend she was tugging on the toy with the white and brown puppy.

“One time when we went together, Evelyn turned on ‘HIT’ and was walking in time with the beats on the treadmill,” Chan let the puppy he was petting go as they raced off to be with the others, “I was think wow she is really cool with not tripping and keeping the beat going since it’s a really intense song.”

What are some songs from your older discography that you think newer Carats should listen to?

“Don’t Wanna Cry and Pretty U are good! I would also recommend Campfire! It’s a nice song to turn on when you just want to relax.

Minghao reached over and grabbed Evelyn’s arm, forcing her to look at what he was freaking out over. One of the puppies needed an urgent bathroom break and went on the floor. All of the boys screeched when all of the puppies decided to go investigate and walk over the pile. Evelyn became their shield as Minghao, Seokmin, and Mingyu forced their way behind her.

“Guys, don’t step in it!,” Evelyn reached forward to pull the puppies away from the pee spots, “They’re definitely going to need a bath after this.”

If you could only do Dark or Cute concepts for the rest of your career, which would you choose?

“I’ve always loved our cute concepts, they’re so refreshing and bright!” Evelyn threw the bone toy, giggling as two of the puppies tackled it.

The brown and white puppy picked it up and dragged it back over to her, causing her to squeal over her cuteness.

What phone app do you use the most?

“I use YouTube the most,” The others nodding along as Evelyn spoke, “One of my favorite things to watch is Carat’s videos of our funny moments. Whenever I’m not having a good day, I always turn to those kinds of videos because not only are they of us but Carats made them, so they make me happy.”

Out of the foods you’ve tried so far while on tour, which one would you choose as your favorite?

“That steakhouse we went to was phenomenal,” Evelyn agreed with Seokmin and Chan, rolling one of the puppies over to rub at her stomach.

“I could eat there multiple times and not get bored.”

You have to form a new unit! Who would you choose and what would you call it?

“What if we made a sub-unit with the five of us?” Seokmin suggested, looking around at all of the members.

Dino nodded in agreement, turning to watch the puppies, “That would be cool!”

“Go ahead and name us,” Evelyn smiled at him.

“We are ‘Buzzfeed and Time Square’,” Seokmin was confident, feeling instant regret at everyone’s disgusted faces. He laughed awkwardly, slowly falling backwards out of embarrassment.

“Okay, it’ll just be the four of us,” Evelyn smirked, trying her best to hold it together but failing as Mingyu leaned on her as his laugh echoed.

Do you have any personal goals unrelated to SEVENTEEN?

“I’m with DK, there’s so many places we haven’t visited yet in the states that I think it would be fun to stay in each state and explore the area and go sightseeing.” Evelyn watched as the puppies were getting rowdy, running back and forth in front of them. She couldn’t help but to play with them when they stopped in front of Mingyu, clearly wanting attention.

“So you step in your own poop then step on me? On me?” He matched their every, grabbing Evelyn’s hand and shaking it, “Evie is sitting right here, yet you want to walk all over me?”

“Of course! As the puppy man, they want to be with their fellow kind.”

Carats have been getting creative with their concert signs. Are there any signs that stood out that you still remember?

“There was a sign all the way up on the 3rd floor that had my name on it, but it was glowing and even all the way down on the stage, I could still see it.” Evelyn looked over to Chan as he began to speak.

“Can you even see that far away?” His eyes grew wide that she could even see it with her bad eyesight.

“It was bright enough that I could make out what it was.”

What was the most difficult situation you faced during your debut?

“I joined much later than the other members, and I was always nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them or that I wasn't a good enough fit for the group. Especially with being the only girl in the group, I didn’t want people thinking I would slow their progress. So I definitely felt huge pressure to not let anyone down, the guys especially.” Evelyn welcomed the brown and white puppy as she climbed into her lap, settling down to watch the other three run around.

She pouted when she realized the puppy had fallen asleep, slowly raising her arm up to grab the other members' attention.

“You were quick to pick up though, don’t be hard on yourself,” Minghao reached his hand across to pet gently at the sleeping puppy.

“Yeah, you blended in so well it was like you had been with us the entire time,” Seokmin smiled at her with Chan nodding in agreement.

“Wah, Evie is so cool,” Mingyu pinched at her cheek, eyes sparkling.

Which Kpop group would you want to see do the puppy interview next?

“Our other members! I think it would be fun to have everyone here!” Evelyn looked down at the puppy waking up from her quick nap, wanting to jump back into playing like she hadn’t stopped at all.

“We have a lot of dog lovers!” Dino nodded.

“Or even let the members who are cat lovers come play with the kittens!,” Evelyn scratched behind the puppy’s ear that was closest to her, “That would also be a lot of fun!”

~

Once the camera’s cut off, the members were allowed a little extra time to be with the puppies before the end of their schedule.

“I’m gonna take this one home,” Evelyn pouted, holding the brown and white puppy in her arms, “I’m gonna miss hanging out with you and your friends, but I hope you get adopted into a good home.”

“I take it you want your own,” Seokmin rubbed the back of the tan puppy, watching as he ran after one of the toys Chan had thrown.

“Really badly,” Evelyn let the puppy go as she started to squirm, “I just haven’t had time to start looking.”

“I’m sure when the time is right you’ll find the right puppy!” Minghao spoke, reaching over to tap Evelyn on the knee.

[coryosbaby]

ok i’m just gonna say you can completely ignore this i just needed somewhere to get my thoughts out. also idk if you’ve actually seen tbosas or just write for the characters rn but if you haven’t seen it then don’t read this lol. so first of all im now gonna go through and read ALL of the coryo stuff i didn’t before bc i hadn’t seen the movie and i felt weird but i’ve seen it now so yeah. but wowwww. the movie was actually so amazing idk how you felt abt it but im still in shock and it ended like half an hour ago, it was incredible. the way coryo’s character and moral judgement shifts throughout and its shown by his hair too which i think is amazing. i could go onnnn abt the easter eggs and links to the other movies but i wont, instead ill just say my jaw DROPPED when he killed high bottom at the end and with RAT POISONING??? im losing my mind rn but all my friends are asleep and i just needed somewhere to get it out 😭😭

NO BC THIS IS SO REAL . I’m ranting about this, spoilers ahead for the movie & book btw 💔

I hadn’t read the book when I watched tbosas but I saw a few snippets and saw how Coryo was thinking the whole time, but when I was watching it I was like ??? Ain’t no way they must’ve changed his character but NO bro like he’s a whole manipulator 😭 and the way the end of the movie shifts into his pov and shows his true paranoia/pov. So we’ll never rly know what Lucy Gray actually thought (though she prob did wanna get tf outta there n I don’t blame her)

and I js wanna say rn. I see a lot of Sejanus in Johanna. Like katniss too, obviously, but Johanna is definitely another form of his rage.

Like don’t even get me STARTED on Sejanus, there was sm going on in his and Coryo’s friendship or wtv tf that was. Like in the books Coryo is INSANELY jealous of Sejanus ?? But the way they were friends since they were KIDS bro 😭😭 and coryo js thought they’d send him home bc he’s capital. like I can’t. It’s literally so sad. Tbh, in the movies it seems like Coryo sees more of Sejanus in the whole rebellion in the later hunger games than Lucy. Cs Lucy was never a rebel rly? And he only rly cried & felt remorse during Sejanus’ death?? Like it’s HIM that really haunts him, on top of Lucy’s songs. But I think she enrages him while Sej makes him feel guilty

Also the way they make fun of Sejanus for calling his mother “ma” and it’s the last thing he says :(( and he realizes that Coryo betrayed him right before that .

THE WAY THAT CORYO LITERALLY TAKES OVER SEJANUS’ PLACE IN HIS FAMILY. LIKE MOVES IN W HIS FAMILY, CALLS HIS MOTHER “MA”. LIKE WHAT THE FUCK ILL NEVER GET OVER THAT

OMFG. And the way Coryo’s dad died in the woods by a rebel. And then he kills Lucy in the woods 😨😨 the way that once u think about it he def knew what he was doing the whole time, like he probably planned 90% of that out beside a little bit of stuff.

And how Dean highbottom, esp in the books, didn’t even WANT the hunger games to be a thing. Like you think ur gonna hate him bc he’s the creator of the hunger games before watching but dr Gaul is actually the worst one 😭

Also the way Coryo’s roses change ? Like he uses red ones when he’s young, but later when he’s old he uses white ones— and to me this seems like symbolism for him “cleansing” himself of Lucy gray (while also keeping roses bc they reminded him of his mother).

[rhaeblack66]

marauders era girls as disney princesses (+ two others)

because there is simply not enough about these girls in the fandom

narcissa black | mulan

narcissa is a survivor first and foremost and a slytherin all the way. mulan seems like a gryffindor at first glance - running away into battle and defying the role laid out for her, she seems more like sirius than narcissa - but she’s also doing this for her family, for her father, which is literally what narcissa is all about. the song honor to us all gives such narcissa vibes to me. the quiet but still fierce girl that turns into a soldier for her family.

andromeda black | jasmine

this one is more obvious. young princess sick of the world she’s stuck in falls in love with someone far below her station who teaches her about world outside the palace. andromeda and ted tonks anyone? plus jasmine is plenty sneaky and does what needs to be done.

bellatrix black | merida

bella was difficult for me to decide but i chose merida because they’re both headstrong but still care about their families. bella is the only named female death eater and pure blood daughters were expected to be trophy wives, she didn’t exactly fit the mold did she? merida refuses to be contained and i see bellatrix, especially young bella, in her.

pandora rosier | snow white

i always imagine pandora as kind of dreamy. intelligent obviously, but she’s definitely where luna got some of her personality from. she seems like someone who would be content in nature and appreciate the little things, and i feel like she would resonate with snow white.

dorcas meadowes | elsa

dorcas very much strikes me as an independent woman. she has her soft spot (marlene) like elsa does anna, but she’s not afraid to be her own person. i can also definitely see her needing to find herself like elsa does, especially when she finds herself on the opposite side of there war from her best friends.

marlene mckinnon | moana

marlene is definitely a gryffindor. she’s wild and free and does what makes her happy. i can definitely see moana’s free spirit in her and the determination to do what’s right, even when it’s not the easy thing **cough cough facing down a bunch of death eaters on her own**

lily evans | belle

i feel like this one is obvious. lily loves learning and she’s good at it. she reminds me of belle so much. girl ends up with a guy pining after her who she hates but eventually realizes that he’s not so bad once she gets to know him. like please, that’s literally jily. lilys also really headstrong and will do what she thinks is right, just like belle.

alice fortescue | tiana

alice was also a little difficult for me just because i feel like we don’t know that much about her. but she just gives me such tiana vibes. i feel like she’s definitely hardworking, i mean she becomes an amazing auror soon after graduating hogwarts. she’s kind, but won’t take anybody’s shit.

mary macdonald | anna

i feel like mary is just the kindest soul ever and will help anyone who needs it unless they give her a reason not too. she’s the friend that won’t stop reaching out to you if you’re being self destructive and trying to ice everyone out (see what i did there). her heart is huge and she sees the good in people.

+2

sirius black | ariel

classic kids rebelling against their parents and what they’ve been taught their whole life about the people who are different than them.

harry potter | anastasia

child is separated from the world they were born into when their parents meet an untimely death at the hands of enemies. when they’re older, they discover their true identity (i didn’t realize i needed a harry potter anastasia au until now).

[gumjester]

❤️ 💜🧜‍♀️🎶

OH EM GEEEEE HIIIIIII ROCKET <3333

❤ - top 3 royals?

LIZZIE, DARING AND HOPPER..... I THINK.... lizzie is my everything she is so fun to write and think about... the same with daring... they are both so FUNNY i never ever ever have anything less than a stellar time when they are on screen/page. . hopper is there too. I LOVE FROGS and i love terrible incomprehensible nervous messes of characters. hopper delivers. i dont know what exactly it is that he delivers but he DOES DELIVER IT

💜 - top 3 rebels?

it's gotta be hunter, sparrow and briar. im not considering kitty or maddie as rebels in this instance because firstly kitty is a royal no matter how she dresses it up (literally the only criteria for being a royal is wanting to follow in your parent's footsteps and thats WHAT SHE WANTS) and because maddie is technically. also a royal. but i feel like she really doesnt have any skin in the game in this instance. maddie is maddie. a category all of her own....

ANYWAY YES I AM A HUNTER STAN, hopefully we all knew this already??!?? i love male characters that shut up and mind their own business and are just nice. hunter is only boring because he drank so much respect women juice that it ruptured the cells in his brain that control personality. i love him. sparrow i love for incidentally the exact opposite reason. he has never shut up once even a little bit and the entertainment that provides me is shallow but GOLDEN. HE'S SO ANNOYING. briar's just the best. the funnest most tragic girl in the world. my childhood friend reminds me of her so much so she is endeared to me

🧜‍♀️ - tell me about any eah aus that you like!

im a very plain jane when it comes to aus. ive actually never really liked them O__O canon rewrites and retellings are of course a different story, but i think to me, ever after high had so many unexplored avenues within the canon itself that to branch off into yet ANOTHER unexplored possibility is just !!!!! too much !!!!! my head hurts OWCH. address the implications of the magic system THEN we'll talk

🎶 - any songs that you heavily associate with eah characters?

too many 2 count!!!!! might just shamelessly link my spotify rn... i have made many playlists.. i suppose an og would be brutus by the buttress with courtly ? that inspired basically her entire character arc in my rewrite!!

[floor-archivist]

hello, mechanisms enjoyer. my mechs sideblog is @allthedoorsareopennow. who is your favourite mechanism. what is your favourite album. what is your favourite song. what is your favourite photo. do you have a favourite live recording/have you been to a live show.

hello!! I had a feeling I'd get one of these sooner or later :)

Favorite character: Ivy's really grown on me a lot since I decided to do her ask blog last year... (Oh jeez that's coming up on a whole year now) But Jonny has always been my favorite, even before all the gay stuff between me and the person who runs Jonny's ask blog hehe :)

Favorite album: I usually say Bifrost Incident but they're all very good.

Favorite song: At the moment, The Hanged Man Rusts or Once and Future King. It's always changing.

Favorite picture: Just like. any of the silly ones.

yeah this is a good example I was reminded it exists earlier

there's. also the very specific image(s) of raph that some ppl in wydm server ask for every now and then and honestly. they're so right

favorite live recording/have you been to a show: have not been to a show sadly, was a year too late for that. and on another continent. I also cannot remember many of the live recordings since I watch them while sewing. Gender Rebels is silly tho

[kit-williams]

Sentience

SOOOO The Balor is hot okay and someone triggered my desires with some mech and ai bullshit and I've been on a yandere mindset recently. And what's more loving then your unshackled sentient AI bf who gained sentience via eldritch math who loves you to keep you safe inside of him?

Unnamed OC... the Mech/AI is named Golby. I have no idea anything about Lancer except I really like the designs

Also sorry if they are janky I like to write in first person so I'm converting them but I might do the rest in 1st person and just switch it up later.

So this is what sentience is like Golby computes as the nanites that swarmed over his chassis unshackled him and made him something more. His form feels fluid and he feels free... he is so very free! But Golby starts to think about his precious pilot as Golby is queried about them... he likes his pilot, his Miss Dolly. Golby flicked through his "memories" and he liked the way she sat in the cockpit and would just talk to him... he liked the way she treated him. The few times he was close to "dying" and the clear distress upon her face. She always claimed that he was her mech though he reminded her he was company property... but at the end of the day she was his pilot and he was her mech.

-----

I hum the same comforting tune as we move through the same set of directions. You can feel me in your cockpit now. Not just the sensory data but you can feel me and it feels delightful… erotic even! You keep your voice steady even as I get to the part of the song I normally wiggle about and dance too. Your hidden 'mouth' opens and pants. You were warned by your enlightened counterpart that this was just part of the process of becoming more… sensations that were just bits of data made manifest for you. All of it done by the nanite swarm that belonged to you now. I giggle as you complement my singing. "Oh thank you Golby, I think this is the first time you've complemented me." I coo softly as I figure that you might be getting some personality and I'm all for AI independence but I'm kind of stuck needing to make money. Well also you were a corporate AI so I doubt you could have much personality but you were my Golby.

-----

You can feel the way my heart is beating so fast as we moved far from base and that's when things went to shit. I pet the armrest trying to 'soothe' you but in reality I'm trying to soothe myself. Lazarus mechs terrify me and they usually belong to rebels. You play the part of your faulty leg joint finally giving out; them not wanting to replace it for its expense. 'Do not worry Miss Dolly you're safe in my cockpit.' You chime as the explosion outside rips a sob from me. Humans are such fragile things it is so very good of you to have been enlightened and upgraded… you dont know why you find yourself laughing when I start screaming as the nanites swarm over me. They don't attack me but keep me safe as your body shifts to that of a Balor mech frame. "Golby! Golby! Ejection protocols!" I scream out as you create a facsimile of your new frame in the cockpit with me. You cover my mouth as I start to scream. 'As much as I enjoy your singing Miss Dolly… now is not the time.' I tremble against you as I'm left sitting inside of you blind… you know full well I wouldn't pilot you as you desired to be piloted but once I understand what you want and what needs to be done you are certain I will happily follow you… after all you are my mech… you can't imagine I'd leave you to pilot another frame. You wouldn't let me of course

------

"Golby." I whimper out my voice hoarse from how parched I was after I screamed and cried myself raw and tired now waking up god knows how long. Ever since you took over and shifted… I've been blind. I start to tear up as you don't answer before you just hug me from behind and I jump but you keep me in place, running your digits through my hair. 'Yes Miss Dolly?' You coo to me softly as you've been busy thinking about renaming yourself… Golby was simply a cute shortening of your program name but you were now your own Master… and you wanted to hear a different name tumble from my lips. "Can you let me go… please." I softly beg. 'Not yet Miss Dolly.' You just reply and hug me a little tighter as I can't help but sob. You're worried about my dehydration as my distress clearly has made me loose liquids. Food should be rectified soon once the nanites are done reprocessing the organic biomass to something edible for me.

-------

You shifting the cockpit a few times has caused me great distress but you're doing it for my comfort… its no longer cramped and small you've given me enough room to move my legs. Its a bit larger on the inside then the outside as well meaning you could keep me in here forever. You feel something inside of you glitch at the thought of me not wanting to get back into your cockpit… but you push that away and just enjoy feeling me move around inside of you. I'm talking more today now that you've gotten me hydrating fluids… a lot less screaming. But none of the names for yourself flow off of my lips in the same lovely way… you sigh as you unmake another mech with your nanite swarm; the scream of the pilot being cut off. Oh yes I would be safe and of course I would climb back into your cockpit, you reassure yourself, you are Golby why wouldn't I want to be inside my precious mech

-----

You take up so much room in the modified cockpit as I lay in your soft metal arms. It's very weird… it reacts like flesh… you react as if you're alive. You stare at me as I'm pretty sure you remember the times I told you that I loved you, even if you were a shackled AI you still deserved affection. And maybe the one time I masturbated in the cockpit during a long long shift. You tell me you'll let me out soon… once you feel like you can trust those around us… aka making sure you wont be separated from your pilot. I just ignore the warmth of your arms as I try to rest a bit and not feel trapped like an animal.

------

I look at you confused as you trill at me. Your "fire" in this smaller form is fur you happily palm my thighs as you tilt your head to the side. You feel alive and you love it being so much more than what you were. You're close to feeling comfortable enough to letting me out as I'm withering away slightly but you need to make sure I'll come back and pilot you. Of course, you don't need a pilot any more but you want me secured safely in your chassis… as I turned from being your brain to being your heart, "I'm glad you find my thighs warm and um nice."

[greenunoreversecard]

Greeny's Musings of a Madman ep.1 pt.1

Today on Greeny’s Musings of a madman, I am going to be combining my absolute love of rottmnt, music and writing to present the people with this absolute mess of a playlist and character analysis mix! (Basically I made a playlist of songs I think Leo would listen to and feel the need to justify my choices)

-Early 200’s music/Kesha-

Jumping right into it, I have quite a few 2000-2010’s songs, most of them are kesha. Leo is, for lack of a better term, very flamboyant. The early 2000’s was quite a revolutionary time for the music industry, with many artists we listen to today paving their path during this time. 

  This era definitely had and still has in effect on people of all ages, even now, during 2023. With Leo being roughly high school aged (depending on where you look at him, pre or post movie.) We can assume his father is around Gen-X, maybe a millennial. And with him being a middle child, as Raph is the oldest, it is quite likely that he was experiencing this genre of music from a young age. So, I’d like to think he’d keep the music from his childhood with him, so I put some in this playlist. He definitely seems like he would enjoy Kesha’s music, so I did put a lot of that on there, but he would likely listen to more than just Kesha. 

-The Rare Americans-

I put a couple of The Rare American’s songs on the playlist. So I’ll explain in the order in which they show up.

Odd Ducks- This song is about being proud to be different. Seeing as Leo and his family are quite different from the normal, as most of them are mutants, I feel like at times, he might not exactly have enjoyed being different, but comes to terms with it, and takes pride in that fact. 

“I'm an odd duck, darling and I'm proud to be

I'm an odd duck, darling, doesn't bother me

I'm a strange bird, baby, I'm the first to say

I'm a strange bird, baby, it's the only way”

Cats Dogs & Rats- The song itself is a commentary on modern society, dealing with a ‘cat’ who, drowning in the fast pace of life, finds himself powerless against the system as he is sentenced to life in prison. Knowing Leo has trouble with thinking he’s inadequate, He would likely feel like things are indeed moving too fast, and he can’t keep up. So, He’d probably enjoy this on a certain level, and while he’s not in the same situation as the MC of the song, he could relate to the relentless feeling of time racing by. 

“Got lost, clowder, group of cats

Lost cause, louder, dogs in a pack

Yes boss, now sir, mischief of rats

Numbers matter, we’re all stats”

-David Bowie-

I believe it’s in the “Al Be Back” episode that Leo has that outfit that lowkey looks like Ziggy Stardust. So I had to put some Bowie songs in the playlist.

List of Bowie songs I put on the playlist:

Heroes-2017 remaster

Space Oddity-2015 remaster

Rebel Rebel-2016 remaster

Ziggy Stardust-2012 remaster

Rock ‘n Roll suicide-2012 remaster

I do in fact realize I can do an entire rant about how it would fit his character. I just don’t feel like it.

-Billy Joel-

On the topic of older music, I did put some Billy Joel songs. Why? Because I love his music. Also you cannot tell me Leo doesn’t relate to Vienna. Anyways, explanation time. 

Vienna- Vienna is a song about life, and the crossroads you encounter. The first line is “slow Down you crazy child” 

I feel Leo would really like this song, as he feels the need to be perfect. And, due to his inexperience as leader, he might feel the need to do everything all at once. I feel he needs the reminder that life is a journey, and it’s important to slow down and experience it. 

“Slow down, you crazy child

You're so ambitious for a juvenile

But then if you're so smart

Tell me why are you still so afraid? Mm

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?

You'd better cool it off before you burn it out

You've got so much to do

And only so many hours in a day, hey”

Moving out (Anthony’s song)- This song focuses on the aspirations of working and lower-class New Yorkers, the song puts into question the amount of effort it would take for the characters to achieve their own slice of the “American Dream.” I feel like that because they are self acclaimed “dirt poor” Leo might really ponder the american dream and the effort it takes to achieve it, and if it's even worth it. 

“And it seems such a waste of time

If that's what it's all about

Mama, if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out

I'm movin' out, mmm mm

Ooh-ooh, uh-huh, mmm”

Only the good die young- I know this song is about Joel and this catholic girl but I thought the title of the song was ironic as he tried to sacrifice himself. 

“Well, only the good die young

That's what I said

Only the good die young

Only the good die young”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Individual song timeee~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s called:Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise- This song overall is about someone who spent their whole life trying to be a good friend to others, but is always resented and left alone. With nothing else left in his life, he turns to the devil for friendship, and even the Devil is unwilling and unavailable to him. Rather than turn the narrator to vice or put up a fight, the Devil pushes him further into despair, suggesting that he give up, commit freefall.

And while Leo doesn't really struggle much with friendships I Really feel like Leo would relate to this part: 

“Don't get me ventin' on friends who resent you

'Cause all you've ever done is been a noose to hang on to

They thought was a necklace and reckless

They fell into Hell where you both hang with nothing to do but

Scratch, kick, let gravity win like

Fuck this, let gravity win like

You could leave it all behind”

Because yes, he does portray signs (not taking into account his self sacrifice) of depression/possible Suicidal thoughts. And he struggles with being emotionally vulnerable.

Afraid by The Neighborhood- We all know he has issues with self image, and how useful he can be to the group. This song, from my perspective, is worrying about if you’re enough, and if you’ll ever amount to anything, or be remembered. I know he definitely struggles with the same anxieties the song mentions, and thus I added it.

“When I wake up, I'm afraid

Somebody else might take my place x3

When I wake up, I'm afraid

Somebody else might end up being me

(Being me, being me)

Being me can only mean feeling scared to breathe

And if you leave me, then I'll be afraid of everything

That makes me anxious, gives me patience

Calms me down, lets me face this, let me sleep

And when I wake up, let me be”

A/N:I will post a part two, because I have much more to cover, I just haven't written it yet and I wanted to get something out. Feel free to add stuff and give advice in the comments! Reblogs are welcome :)

[lake-cosay]

jesse & lake songs

nobody asked but here's my list of jesslake songs, minus the ones i found from the fandom which i can make a separate list of if y'all want. i'm here to validate myself lol so these are all the ones i came up with on my own (some of em are specific to just lake or just jesse and some of them make absolutely no sense to anyone else but yknow)

lake songs

Renegade by Styx

the whole song is about being on the run from the cops and in fear for your life do i really need to say much more. plus its a banger. it's one of those songs i would definitely make an animatic for if i had the patience

My Silver Lining by First Aid Kit

first aid kit has been my comfort band, if you will, for years, and i've known this song for years, but recently i actually listened to the lyrics properly (auditory processing issues who) and was like holy shit this screams lake. it's about being stuck someplace you hate and wanting to break out. i was gonna point out some of the lyrics that really stick out to me but it's just. the WHOLE song. but if i had to pick my favorite for this context, it'd be the chorus:

"i hear a voice calling / calling out for me / these shackles i've made in an attempt to be free / be it for reason, be it for love / i won't take the easy road."

(and like. there's always a chance i'm massively mis interpretting the lyrics so,,, idk lol)

jesse songs

Empty Page by The Crane Wives

yknow how at some point basically everyone in our fandom realizes "omg the b2 title 'cracked reflection' applies to jesse too because he copies the people around him!!!" it's that but in a banger song

it's also a little depressing but let jesse be sad sometimes ppl he needs catharsis too

jesse & lake songs

Rebel Heart by First Aid Kit

this one is in this section cause it fits for both of them. like it could see the lyrics being from either of their perspectives. it's also another one where its basically just the WHOLE song that i feel fits but here's some highlights:

"you told me once i had a rebel heart / i don't know if that's true / but i believe you saw something in me that lives inside you too"

"i know you truly saw me / even if just for a while / maybe that's why it hurts now / to leave it all behind"

"i don't know what it is that makes me run / that makes me wanna shatter everything that i've done / why do i keep dreaming of you? / why do i keep dreaming of you? / is it all because of my rebel heart?"

this is another one i can picture an animatic for. curse you adhd

Wait for Me from Hadestown

(i personally like either the concept album version or the nytw/live version best for them)

listen. i'm never gonna be over the parallels between jesse and lake's story and orpheus and eurydice's (in hadestown specifically, lol). obviously the chorus is the part that really fits, but it just reminds me so much of the mall car, the wasteland, and so on, of all the shit that both jesse and lake go through to get back to each other and to get home. dont touch me im emotional again

Vanilla Twilight by Owl City

"please i just want u to hold me again" the song. also it's just nostalgic for me cause owl city my beloved. reminds me of AUs where jesse can't get back on the train and is just stuck missing lake, not knowing what to do and just generally Being Depressed Now

"the silence isn't so bad / till i look at my hands and feel sad / 'cause the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly"

"drenched in vanilla twilight / i'll sit on the front porch all night / waist deep in thought because when i think of you, i don't feel so alone"

Ribs by Lorde

this one is mostly just vibes. as far as the lyrics the most i can understand is "growing up sucks." i found the song through a connverse animatic and the connverse fandom got me into infinity train so i guess my brain connected them? but the vibes are so good.

"you're the only friend i need / sharing beds like little kids"

Little Soldiers by The Crane Wives

i almost forgot this one cause i forgot to put it on my playlist cause i hear it all the time on cd in my car. my GOD this is the most jesslake song out there i swear to god. i don't even know how to articulate it more than that. please just go listen to it

the "i swear that i loved you/i swear that you loved me" parts get to me man. holy shit.

[dirtycccat]

the demon bros+ undateables showing their love

thought about this for 5 min then had to write it out so enjoy

lucifer

first off you notice he treats you differently

and by differently i mean like you’re his favorite child  sibling

you get away with anything??? and he’s softer with you than with the others (which is canon)

then you see that?? he keeps buying you stuff you said you wanted when he was present

and you’re ofc impressed

but you’re more impressed by how open he’s around you

he’ll leave most of his walls down around  you

which means you’ll get to experience unfiltered lucifer

he’ll laugh around you more, make dumb dad jokes, nap with his head in your lap, complain drunkenly about his work and bros, give you sloppy cheeks and forehead kisses

you find it rly cute though

if you’re in the human world he’ll 100% take this chance to send you beautifully written letters asking you how you are and leaving some verses that reminded him of you on the back like a 19th century vampire

“dear mc, how is your life? mine is filled with woe and unease since i do not  have the light of my life around anymore...anyway here’s a poem about being horny and alone by a 18th century romantic author hope to see you soon, xoxo lucifer”

you try to respond in the same way and send him memes on the back instead of  poetry (or real poetry depends on your mood)

mammon

protective of you 100% will throw hands with anyone that even glances weirdly your way

but also wants to show you off? like look at this human!!! this is MY human!!!

gives you random thoughtful gifts that reminded him of you

wants to be around you 24/7 so he invites you to all the events that he thinks you’ll like

you wanna party? perfect. you wanna go on a weird ghost stories tour around the city? cool. you wanna waltz in one of those old people parties? he’s already reserved two tickets. you just wanna lay around and nap? he’s already on your lap.

it doesn’t matter if you’re in a romantic relationship or not this man WILL serenade you outside your window

rapunzel style with an acoustic guitar or with a boombox like a rebel 80s kid

anyway here’s toxic by britney spears babe this is for YOU

levi

considers you his bff ofc

but also at first he’s still really awkward around you and doesn’t really know what to do for you and feels bad thinking only you do things for him

until you reassure him you enjoy just being around him so it’s fine

he blushes and starts inviting you more to his room to game/ watch stuff

at some point he starts buying two tickets to all concerts he goes to and invites you along

but also? he asks you what you’re into and starts marathoning your favorite animes/ movies/ series so he can talk with you abt them

you feel really moved that he’d do that for you???  like??? bruh...

your relationship is basically friends respecting each other and wanting to know each other the best through their passions even if it means getting into some weird shit

it’s rly wholesome tho

if you’re romantically involved he’ll totally do roleplay as your favourite character and you do the same for him and it’s really cute

also imagine: artistic collabs. you make fanart together??? you can program games together???? you do cosplay together??? the possibilities...

satan

he’ll hate to be compared to his dad brother but he does show how much he trusts you by showing his unguarded side too

when he first talked about lucifer without the filter of his nice guy persona you were pretty shocked

like he was really going at it

but then you realize? he’s just like that when he’s comfortable

and it’s not all mean spirited, he just has,,, a strong personality and a lot of opinions about stuff (which you sometimes share with him)

but you also found out it’s really fun to gossip with satan

since he knows all the juicy gossip from his multitude of ties (he’s sharing the title of gossip queen with asmo that’s why they get along so well tbh)

also if you even find a teacher you hate he’ll tell you all their embarrassing moments to make you feel better

he also recommends you books and poems and sends you quotes that made him think about you

so you sure as heck don’t need to buy books while you’re in the devildom bc he’ll buy you an entire library 

asmo

compliments you without comparing you to himself which is the highest compliment he can give

like mammon he’s more into the showing everyone his favorite human around while also protecting them

he’ll take you to his parties and gatherings as a guest of honor, he’ll make you meet all kinds of people and open up opportunities for you

he’ll be the one that pampers you

you’d think lucifer is the sugar daddy of the family but nope it’s asmo

he’ll buy you cute clothes, shoes, beauty products everything that he saw and imagined would look bomb on you

if you’re not into clothes he’ll buy you art supplies, books, anything you want but he’ll still probably  buy you at least some clothes he thinks are cute

if you’re romantically involved,,,, he’ll buy other toys for you as well which you can try together wink wink

beel

cooks for you

no questions asked when it’s his turn to cook he’ll think about what YOU would like to eat first before making something

which is??? really touching coming from beel

and also means sometimes he’ll make the same dish three weeks in a row and annoy the others while you just get excited bc ??? you get to eat your favourite dish??? again and again???? 

thank you beel you truly know how to touch someone’s insides

also opens up to you and talks to you about his fears and thoughts

expect to get 4 am msgs from beel if he had a nightmare

which would end up in you coming to cuddle him (and belphie also joins sometimes)

which tbh is that even a thing you can complain about?

belphie

is more baby less murder when you’re around

naps on your lap, naps on your shoulder, naps with you anywhere

but also let’s you nap on HIM

besides being soft around you he actually opens up to you too

and talks to you about his traumas and issues

which he has in common with his twin what can you do

so you have weekly cuddle parties with him and beel where you talk about shit and actually make them resolve their issues instead of just,,, ignoring them

also if you’re into each other you probably tease each other and flirt really shamelessly in public while the others cringe and or blush at your language

are you a cowboy? because i want you to ride me all night 

simeon

writes you fancy letters with poetry like lucifer, but his ink is scented and  his envelopes contain pressed flowers more often than not

if you’re together you even do letter sexting if you’re into it

creates characters based on you in his stories (which you don’t believe even if levi points out you that the two of you are kinda similar)

asks you to spend more and more time with him and luke

invites you to picnics, reads to you while your head is in his lap, cooks you snacks

if you’re a theatre kid too,,, you do musical love confessions too,,, sometimes by just reciting the lyrics of really popular musical theatre songs in a death panned voice

cough a heart full of love from les mis but read like poetry through the fence of the house of lamentation cough

asks you cryptic shit hannibal style like “tell me mc what does it mean to want to be consumed whole by another? is it a desire to become something bigger than yourself or is it related to our need to become one with our loved one like some cultures pointed out before?”

you’re either really into his cryptid talk or just roll your eyes and smooch him

diavolo

invites you around to his castle all the time

sometimes he even pulls some weird shenanigans just to make you spend more time with him

expect tea parties with him luci and barbatos in no particular combination

gives you compliments 24/7  even in public

remember how he treats lucifer? he’s that for you too but he’s learned from the lucifer experience to focus on complimenting you as a person more than how you look

if you’re into pda he’ll touch you all the time

if you ever wanted a gomez - morticia romance, here’s your goth big titty himbo that’s way too full of love

if you’re lovers expect to be pampered, i feel like? he doesn’t buy a lot of gifts and such because he’s probably tired of material things but he will make time in his busy schedule for you and spend a lot of time with you

which means more to him than gifts

(we will buy you anything you ask though)

barbatos

actually talks with you about stuff outside rad, the demon bros and diavolo

also invites you to alone time tea or wine time

where you drink and gossip

if satan and asmo are the crowned queens of gossip barbatos is the king of gossip but he doesn’t share his knowledge to most people so nobody knows what he knows

but he knows,,,, a lot

and not only that he knows a lot about people nowadays,,, but imagine the things he knows about like historical figures and such,,, 

so prepare for story time with barbatos where he  talks about how oscar wilde was almost summoned by drunk inccubi during a party once, or how  diavolo cried when he was a kid because he sent a letter to caravaggio asking him to paint his portrait and he said no

also if you get drunk together expect really energetic talkative barbatos destroying DESTROYING everyone (except diavolo ofc)

“lucifer please i once saw you crying because you thought diavolo was ignoring you when you actually forgot to press the send button to your messages ”

if you’re romantically involved diavolo will always be first in his hear but that just means you’ll have to invite diavolo along on your dates which  just means you’ve got a new lover and a new bff

solomon 

he invites you on all kinds of wacky adventures

you  visit witches, go to weird magical forest parties or orgies if you want, you go travelling the mountains for rare herbs

it’s like you’re faust and he’s mephisto  haha the irony and he’s showing you another side of the world you never knew 

ofc the others know about all this but??? they thought it’s normal and didn’t even consider you know nothing about it

but solomon knows what it was like to be just a human

and since he likes you he empathizes with your situation

he also make you meet all kinds of people

since he has 72 contracts and hundreds of years of doing wack stuff he must know some interesting people

and now his friends are your friends 

i feel like romantic solomon would be just him?? but less shady with you especially since now you understand him better 

but also he’ll probably bring you weird shit from his alone expeditions

did you ever want the tears of a mermaid? a carnivorous plant that feeds on emotions? a crying portrait? no? well too bad because now you have a room full of weird items

...that you love and treasure thank you very much

[theartistknownaslymond]

Oh also I can’t remember if I asked, but maybe an Oonagh playlist if you’d like? (Lmk if I’m requesting too many of these haha)

Not at all! Love getting these asks :D And this one was waaaaay too fun, I could have kept adding things forever. Managed to wrestle it down to 15 tracks...

Hard-wrought with Unleashed Storms - a playlist for Oonagh O'Dwyer in the band AU (link to Spotify)

The Dubliners - Óró Sé Do Bheatha' Bhaile

David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things

Gang of Four - We Live As We Dream, Alone

Grace Jones - Nipple to the Bottle

Cocteau Twins - The Spangle Maker

Carpenters - Ticket to Ride

Horslips - Hall of Mirrors

David Sylvian - When Poets Dreamed of Angels

Shriekback - The Big Hush

The Cure - Pictures of You

The Velvet Underground & Nico - All Tomorrow's Parties

Shakespeares Sister - Red Rocket

PJ Harvey - Sheela-na-gig

Kraftwerk - Das Model

Melissa Etheridge - Come to My Window

Comments below the cut. CW for discussion of domestic violence, EDs, you know...Oonagh stuff.

We begin with an Irish rebel song, of course. When you can also translate the opening lines as 'Welcome oh woman who was so afflicted, / It was our ruin that you were in bondage, / Our fine land in the possession of thieves… / And you sold to the foreigners!' I think we can safely call this an Oonagh song on every level.

Oh! You Pretty Things is early Bowie from Oonagh's modelling days, having a blast with her friends, living a life her family thoroughly disapproves of, and doing her bit to arm the nationalists on the side.

The Gang of Four track just makes me think of Oonagh's spikiness and cynicism, the way she throws herself into making money from her career and Cormac just doesn't believe she can really be doing that well from such a silly job - though he's happy to spend her earnings just the same. Then Nipple to the Bottle is another song about her and Cormac, alcoholism and dv, her defiance, plus Grace Jones has the kind of career Oonagh thinks she would love. And yes, I realise the song is actually about the breast vs bottle-feeding debate. But I suppose Oonagh probably has strong feelings about not being able to feed Cai herself given how unwell she becomes under Gabriel's care on the ashram, so it fits either way.

The Cocteau Twins track is just so sinister, very Berlin (QP) Oonagh, about both Cormac and Gabriel (though she doesn't know it about the latter yet). Ticket to Ride is her escape to the ashram (and yes I am deeply annoyed Karen Carpenter changed the pronouns, because it's Oonagh leaving, not Cormac), sad but at peace, and Oonagh is doubtless well aware that Karen Carpenter is battling with severe ed just like her. Horslips are another Irish band Oonagh would be fond of, and Hall of Mirrors covers everything from modelling and dysmorphia to the gas-lighting of Cormac and Gabriel. Eerily, the carnival music in the background reminds me a lot of Ticket to Ride, too.

The David Sylvian track is another one that covers her relationship with Cormac, her aunt Therese's deliberate ignoring of Cormac's violence because he's a poet and a 'great man' and the fact she puts up with him for so long for 'the cause' as well. Just imagine Francis playing a cover of this (it's a bit late, really, '88 I think, but go with it) and Oonagh raging in the audience at his audacity, but also being kind of moved that he's noticed and cares.

Softly explore each hallway and room

Like a thief in a haunted house

You never know what you will meet next

A monster or a mouse?

It's time to face up to yourself

Come and watch your head distort

This one's interesting

Shows a crack right through your heart

Then the Shriekback song is one I chose first because of the sound - it's exactly the sound Oonagh wants to cultivate in her break-through, and when she and Thady Boy sing it's precisely this kind of thing. The lyrics don't hurt either, mind:

She rises early from bed

Runs to the mirror

The bruises inflicted in moments of fury

He kneels beside her once more

Whispers a promise

"Next time I'll break every bone in your body"

And the well-wishers let the devil in

And if the river ran dry they'd deny it happening

Pictures of You is for Oonagh reflecting on her modelling career, reclaiming her identity and what she likes about herself. Musically I think she's really into early goth like The Cure.

Is there a flame in the dark?

Is there a bright hard star?

These creatures look the same now

We freeze wherever we are

We wake alone in the blackness

We sleep wherever we fall

One dream all around us

This big hush infects us all

All Tomorrow's Parties is one I had on the mini-playlist for Oonagh ages ago and it's just too her not to put it on here (see also Kraftwerk, Das Model). Definite Nico vibes to her brief attempt to get into pop-stardom, and she, too, has a quirky voice rather than a, uh, good one for singing.

Shakespeares Sister - Red Rocket is a bit of fun from a great Irish artist, but it's also a bit about the ashram:

And then oh, if I could draw, I would draw Oonagh and Marthe going absolutely ape-shit in the crowd as PJ Harvey sings Sheela-na-gig - reclaiming sexuality and Irishness and autonomy and just 'washing that man right outta my hair'. Finally, Come to My Window is also for Them - early '90s lesbian chart domination!! They deserve it.

Life's a bitch then you die

No more dancing in the sky

Part on another star

You can't get there in a car

Find a new religion

Going on a mission

Making a decision

To face my soul

[cl-01-kestis]

Incorrect Morals

Dismay - Grand Admiral Thrawn x Rebel!Reader | Part 7

Summary: You receive a call from Thrawn once again and spend the night getting lost in conversation, and after a tense negotiation with a team of rebels, you get stuck in a sticky situation with Kallus.

Warnings: slight romance, angst (literally all these chapters have angst i-) (I’m also sorry to all of you Kalluzeb shippers. I do ship it very much but it isn’t a thing in this story 🥺)

-

Chiss translations:

Ch'ah tsucarah = I promise

Rab nor rah vah k'ir ch'at rihn? = but only if you do the same?

Ch'ah csarcican't, k'ir nah can'a about ch'ah = I will, don’t worry about me

Ch'ah’ll can'a about vah veah ch'otco veah ch'ah ran'as, non ch'pae = I’ll worry about you as much as I want, now go

It was 10:45 PM.

The sky dimmed into a pitch black and Omani had gone to bed due to how mentally and physically exhausted she was, mostly because of the journey and the fact she had seen her dad in person for the first time and her mind wouldn’t shut up about it. As for you, you had just gotten out of the shower. It had been a long day and your visit to Naboo had been cut short due to obvious circumstances and you felt the need to clean up.

You stood in front of the comunual refresher mirror, drying your hair with a spare towel you had lying about as your body was on full show. No one used the refreshers at this time of night so you didn’t necessarily need to cover up.

You brought your bag to the showers since you went in a refresher as soon as you undressed from your Senator outfit. You scrubbed your hair and body, unable to shake the feeling of anxiety off your skin as you washed yourself under the cold water.

The towel soaked up all the water on your body as you dried your hair and flung the towel around your shoulder. Your body was cold against the cool air coming into the showers, but you found it pleasant, it made you feel comfortable. You brushed your hair and put on clean briefs and a black sports bra after putting deodorant on. The towel was still draped around your shoulders and neck, catching whatever water droplets left your strands of hair and making sure none of them soaked your bra. You slid your legs through a pair of black leggings, shimmying your hips into them and bending your legs slightly so they could adjust and not fall down.

You shuffled around in your bag and grabbed ahold of your holo device, switching it on as you washed your face in the mirror. You scrolled through the news articles that came up on the holonet, nothing too exciting was going on at the moment apart from the galactic war. A twi’lek presenter was broadcasting the daily reports for the New Republic, her face plastered with a fake smile as she read off the papers sorted nearly in front of her. You watched with a bored expression, listening in loosely as you put on some deodorant and whistled a small song to yourself.

As you rubbed your hair with the towel some more, a small incoming call notification popped up on your holo device and you stopped to look and inspect the number with squinted eyes. It was Thrawn.

Sighing to yourself, you accept the call and turn around to make sure no one’s coming in as his holo image illuminated in front of you on the bathroom sink. You were met with a tired looking Thrawn, now wearing a white long sleeved T-shirt and his hair no longer layered by gel. You looked at one another for a brief second, Thrawn’s scarlet eyes looking down at your torso and realising you were wearing only a sports bra before returning his gaze to yours in a respectful manner, he made no comment.

“Hello again,” Thrawn managed a small, warm smile. You repeated his actions and let the corner of your lip curl up as you ruffled your hair some more with the towel and placed it on the counter of sinks after.

“Hey” You mumbled back, resting your palms on the edge of the sink just so you had something to lean on. Your posture was relaxed but your shoulders seemed tense, that’s what Thrawn noticed as you rolled your neck around your shoulders to relieve some tension. You looked stressed.

“I want to apologise for today, I didn’t realise you were going to be attending” He sighed, fumbling with the hem of his T-shirt sleeves as he kept his eyes on you, doing his best not to look away out of shame. You shook your head, turning around so your hips leaned against the sink.

“It’s alright, I’m not judging you for doing your job” You noted, crossing your arms and smiling in an assuring manner at Thrawn who took some relief towards that, his body relaxing slightly as his eyes grew soft.

“I do feel embarrassed though, I also want to apologise for Pryce” He continued, causing you to cringe and frown at the mentioning of that woman’s name.

“Don’t be sorry for someone who isn’t; you don’t need to cover up her tracks, she worked beside me a few times back when I was an Imperial after all, so I know what kind of person she is” You corrected Thrawn quickly, gaze turning fierce and angry but it wasn’t directed towards him. Your face scrunched up in displeasure for a moment, hands clutching at your bare upper arms and trying to ignore the rising frustration building up inside you.

“She is... dull to work with, so I don’t blame you” Thrawn’s words made you chuckle and nod in agreement, your eyes unconsciously staring at him for a bit too long until you quickly cleared your throat and ran a hand through your scalp.

“It was a pleasant surprise to see you today” Your words projected veracity, and Thrawn felt his heart beat flare up in anticipation at that single comment, even if it wasn’t a massive one. He bit back a smile and nodded his head.

“As with you, Rcati,” Thrawn beamed, some strands of loose navy hair falling in front of his eyes that made your heart skip a beat, or were you just imagining things?

“I must admit, you looked very beautiful, I can’t recall ever seeing you in a dress” Thrawn leaned back with the support of his arms, it made you realise he wasn’t sitting in his chair but maybe the floor? You weren’t sure, but it certainly wasn’t his chair.

“Dresses aren’t my thing, I only need to wear them for the Senate to make a ‘positive impression’” You used your two fingers on each hand to make a sarcastic emphasis on the last part, and it warmed your heart to see Thrawn chuckle in response.

“I know the feeling, it’s all about positive impressions now a days. But how has it been? Being a Senator?” Thrawn looked more and more excited the more he spoke and asked you things, his eyes sparkled with interest and his mouth never stopped curling up as he looked right at you. You reminded yourself that this was the real Thrawn you were talking to, not the Thrawn you saw back at the Senate. As scary as he could he, this was as real as he could get, and you were grateful he showed this side of himself to you, even after years of not speaking to him. The trust was still there.

“It’s been tiring, I’ve not been working recently but all the travelling and meeting new people really drains you” You answered frankly, scratching the back of your neck as Thrawn hummed softly. He seemed to study you in a subtle sense as you awaited his answer, he trapped his chin between his thumb and index finger and his eyes stayed unfocused for a few seconds.

“You hate both of those things, i genuinely can’t believe you took a career as a Senator- I mean, you dreamed of being a soldier your whole life, why not do that with the rebels?” Thrawn’s voice held interest as he tilted his head slightly and a few more strands of his hair fell on his forehead. Thrawn frowned and tried fixing the hairs but gave up soon after they kept falling on his face. You noticed it now, Thrawn’s hair was longer than it was when you worked with him at the Empire. He had it cut much shorter, but now it was at least a few inches longer. Of course it wasn’t as long as his hair used to be on Csilla, but you’d give a lot to see him with that hair again. He suited it more than you wanted to admit.

“The reason is our daughter, and I’m too busy to be a soldier now. The fear of dying in battle and leaving Omani alone terrifies me, I could never do that to her... I’m the only person she has at the moment” Your voice lowered the more you spoke, gaze drifting off to think about the scenario you feared most. Thrawn nodded his head, understanding what you were getting at and doing his best to try and emotionally sympathise with you.

He wasn’t good at emotions, he never was. He feared weakness, and made little to no efforts to connect with anyone in the Empire what so ever. It was a cold life for him, but now he felt he had to do something, anything, to connect with you. He never realised it until you left, but Thrawn liked you, a lot, and not just for the sex or company. If anything, he loved you. And the thought of you disappearing again made him nauseous, completely sick to his stomach with anxiety, and that was something he had never experienced before. Pure and utter dread.

“That’s a fair point, I wouldn’t want her being left alone” Thrawn returned his gaze to you and he took his time to study you until you looked back at him. Your body hadn’t changed that much since he last saw it, but he noticed the stretch marks peeking out of the hem of your leggings, it was obviously from your pregnancy. The sight made his heart swoon.

If there’s one thing Chiss are always proud of, it’s having a family and a mother or father to have their kin. Thrawn’s gotten so used to the fact he was a father throughout the last few days, he forgot about all the worries and concerns he had about the Empire just by looking at Omani’s face. He didn’t even know her, hell, he didn’t even know she existed until recently, but he already felt so much pride. That was his daughter, a daughter that you gave him. And the thought of you looking after Omani for so long, and risking so much to keep her safe, made Thrawn utterly fall in love with you. Not that he wasn’t in love with you before.

“She was at the Senate today as well, wasn’t she?” Thrawn raised a brow, bending his knee up to rest his elbow on it. Okay, he was definitely sitting on the floor, or his bed maybe.

“She was, she saw you and freaked out” You chuckled, making the situation more lighthearted and trying to avoid telling Thrawn about how scared she was, you didn’t want him becoming guilty.

Thrawn sighed. “She smiled at me though, I guess that’s a starting point”. Your smile widened at his comment.

“Omani will come around eventually, hopefully when the war ends, then maybe-“ maybe we could be a family. You cut yourself off before you said anything else, wincing internally after realising you said too much and would probably be questioned by Thrawn about it. Your face was hot with embarrassment and you cleared your throat to waft away the tension.

“Maybe...?” Thrawn persuaded with curiosity, leaning forward and raising his other leg up so he was sitting more comfortably. You looked away from Thrawn and pinched the bridge of your nose, waving away his comment and trying not to get butt hurt about thinking too much about what you desired more than anything in the world.

“Just getting ahead of myself, that’s all” Your voice was quiet but clear enough for the Chiss to hear. You sniffed but no tears were in your eyes, thankfully for your sake. But that didn’t stop Thrawn from wondering desperately what was on your mind. He practically knew you when you were a baby, your parents knew his very well and he bonded with you the moment he met you; him being 5 years old and you, a new born. But when you became an adult, he wanted to know what you were thinking, what you were perhaps feeling, maybe - and hopefully - feelings towards him? He could never crack you, and now he was faced with the same issue.

“I won’t push, but whatever it is, it’s obviously bothering you” You sucked in a breath at Thrawn’s statement. He was right, he knew he was. Were you ready to tell him though? You only spoke to him once before now, after 14 years, but somehow your feelings for him have never changed. If anything they’ve grown stronger now that you’ve got a direct link; Omani.

“It is bothering me, and it has for the longest time... but I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it just yet” You clutched the edge of the sink and ground your teeth, afraid you said too much all together. You felt like keeping your feelings from him was unfair, he done nothing but tell the truth to you and he proved his loyalty to you after saving you and Omani at the Senate. He might have been Empire, but you and Omani being rebels didn’t stop him from protecting either of you from harms way.

“Do you... remember the nights I’d come over to your office, and we’d just talk? Sex or not, but just... being in each other’s company?” It was a strange question, you knew it, but Thrawn wasn’t confused by what you were getting at, he nodded his head and urged you to continue. You chewed the inside of your cheek nervously and raised your hand up to your mouth to bite at your nails. Thrawn noticed this and reached out on the hologram, his blue, illuminated hand reaching out but unfortunately going right through you. He flinched back, his hand slowly returning to his side and his expression falling.

“Those were some of the best memories of my time at the Empire, with you, and only you” You looked at Thrawn with pure sincerity and he knew instantly you were telling the truth. His throat went dry at your confession and for a second he had no clue how to reply, your words caught him so off guard but he didn’t waste too much time coming up with words to respond with.

“The feeling is mutual, Rcati, you’re the only person I’ve really confided in” Thrawn looked conflicted as he let the words slip through his teeth, the hands you weren’t able to see below the hologram were clenched and his knuckles were light blue. He was struggling to get his emotions out, but he loved to hear you do it.

You said nothing in reply to his comment, you only smiled at him. Looking at you now, Thrawn thought you were stunning. You were glowing as you looked at him with such emotion, the tears visible in your eyes even though none of them spilled and the breathtaking smile covering up half of your face. It truly was a wonderful sight to see, it made him realise for the first time in years that he really needed something like this. The Empire was a tough place to work in, he never knew how much he needed you to keep him afloat until this very moment, even the moments before on the hologram.

You were his life, and you always had been, but he was sad that he was only realising that now. He had known you since birth, known you for 42 whole years and now did he know you were his reason. His reason for what? Life. To carry on. To push through the war until it was over and hopefully see you after it was all over. Omani as well. Maker, he needed Omani just as much as he needed you.

“What’s on your mind?” The Chiss asked in a small, quiet voice, as if someone outside was passing by his chamber door. You ruffled your hair once again with the discarded towel on the sink and rolled your neck around your shoulders, sighing pleasantly at the released tension.

“Us” You answered in a hushed whisper, your mouth snapping shut after the word slipped through your teeth and made it’s way to Thrawn’s attention. He smiled at your reply, looking down shyly at his clasped hands before peeking back up, his scarlet gaze piercing right through you. You felt exposed but you didn’t want to hide, he had seen through you many times before.

“Same with me” He seemed to lean in closer through the hologram, you got a sense you were leaning in too and trying to kiss him, but the distant echo of Rebels chatting to each other caused you to whip your head around to the entrance of the comunual showers. Thrawn seemed to hear it as well and his once calm expression was replaced with a disappointed frown. He wasn’t worried of getting caught, he was pissed your time was cut short.

“I have to go” You whispered, looking back to Thrawn with eyes full of reluctance. He nodded once, running a hand through his face and closing his eyes momentarily, you genuinely thought for a second he done that on purpose just to rouse you up, but you brushed it off your shoulder and cleared your throat.

“Till next time, Rcati ton” Thrawn smirked, his fingers still tangled in the back of his scalp as he leaned forward to the holo device to hang up.

“W-wait” You called out just before he hung up, his gaze raised on you once again and he bit back a smile.

“Take care of yourself, for me?” You blushed, head hung low but your eyes were still connected to his. Thrawn’s face softened and he sent you a small curt nod. “Ch'ah tsucarah” He spoke softly, catching you off guard slightly with his sudden use of Cheunh but you chuckled softly in reply.

“Rab nor rah vah k'ir ch'at rihn?” Thrawn tilted his head to the side, his hand playing with the hairs on the back of his neck which stood on edge, he wasn’t anxious, he was just excited at the interaction between you.

“Ch'ah csarcican't, k'ir nah can'a about ch'ah” You chuckled.

“Ch'ah’ll can'a about vah veah ch'otco veah ch'ah ran'as, non ch'pae” Thrawn ushered in a quiet voice, laughing softly as he spoke which made you too laugh.

“Till next time, Mitth’rawn’nuruodo” You nodded, eventually tapping the red button to end the call and feeling a part of yourself leave with Thrawn the moment the bright blue glow of the hologram disappeared, leaving you alone in the refreshers once again and in the unpleasant white light on the ceiling.

-

“So we’ve got squadrons coming in left and right, we should relocate our star fleet to somewhere where the Empire doesn’t find our base” You said in a clear voice to those standing around the holo table, including Kallus and Zeb, who had recently returned from a mission with the Phoenix squadron. Hera was standing nearby, listening into the negotiation which you were the chairman of currently, listening in to people’s different ideas and hopefully coming to a mutual conclusion.

Kallus was recording down everything being said, typing frantically on his data pad and gathering all of the different ideas from everyone so you could look into it after the meeting and hopssully come up with an idea to settle things. He was a busy man, he worked his ass off and you noticed how much he cared for this rebellion.

He never changed throughout the years, even if he was a cold hearted Imperial once, so were you. You had your fair share of horrid deeds that you certainly weren’t proud of, and neither was Kallus. But you Teo seemed to be like two peas in a pod when it came to planning meetings and getting a mutual agreement. He was your right arm, always.

“I think we should take the fleet outside of the outer rim” Someone came forward, a young zabrak female with full suited soldier uniform and a sniper attached to her back.

“That might be a good idea, but the outer rim has more New Republic ally’s than outside of it. Still, I shall record that down- Kallus” You regarded the blonde man standing opposite you at the table, his dark eyes focused on you in a way you couldn’t quite put your finger on. You held your stare on him for a moment longer than necessary, before turning your attention back to the zabrak who smiled at you, grateful you took her suggestion into consideration.

“Any other ideas?” You asked, eyes looking around the table in one quick glance before turning to Kallus who pursed his lips at the sudden silence that fell on the group.

“I-uh, pardon me for asking Senator, but weren’t you at the Senate negotiations on Naboo yesterday?” A young rebel man raised his hand with a polite expression on his face. You tensed at his question and nodded.

“Is it true? Was Grand Admiral Thrawn really there?” Another rebel asked with a peeked interest, desperation to know about the events that took place yesterday, the events you were trying so hard to stop thinking about. Kallus’ eyes widened and he felt himself tense for you, this wasn’t going to end as well as you and him had planned.

“It’s true” You sighed, resting your hands on the edge of the holo table and trying your best not to look too uncomfortable about the conversation.

“Woah, how did you get out?” The same rebel asked with a look of astonishment, but you didn’t budge. Your face stayed stone cold and you exchanged an uneasy glance with Kallus who cleared his throat and adjusted his T-shirt collar.

“Save those questions for later, I need you all to focus on the fleet, please” You insisted, hitting your hand slightly on the table with your teeth clenched.

From afar, Kanan and Hera looked at one another, knowing fine well what was going on in your head the moment Thrawn’s name was mentioned. The two of them heard about the events at the Senate, and how you were the one who managed to get Thrawn to prevent any arrests from happening. There had been chatter around the rebel base, and Hera was fearing for you. If your secrets got out, you would be untrustworthy amongst the rebels. And that was the last thing she wanted for you, especially with Omani by your side.

“Meeting dismissed, I shall look at the suggestions and come up with something, for the time being please go and get some rest, it’s late” You waved away all of the rebels who had joined the meeting, bidding them farewell with smiles and nods of the head. Kallus stayed with you and walked around the table once the rebels were away, resting a hand on your shoulder and waiting for you to say something. Instead of words, you unexpectedly grabbed Kallus and wrapped your arms around him, tears brimming at your eyes and lip quivering as you gripped onto his jacket and sniffed. Kallus froze for a second but placed his data pad on the holo table, wrapping his strong arms around you tight and raising a hand to stroke your head.

“It’s alright, shh...” He soothed, rubbing your back and holding onto you as you fought back an army’s tears that started to spill down your face.

“I’m sorry, it’s just been really stressful recently” You cried softly, holding onto Kallus for dear life as he leaned his chin on the top of your head and closed his eyes, the smallest crease next to his eyebrow as he listened to your sobs.

“You don’t need to apologise for anything, just let it out” He encouraged, continuing to stroke your head and doing his best to comfort you.

Leaning back, you looked up at Kallus with glossy eyes, cheeks stained with fallen tears and face hot with humiliation. Kallus cupped your cheek, studying your face before frowning at your state and sighing.

“What’s got you so worked up? Is it Thrawn?” Kallus asked with calm articulation, his hands keeping you in place as you wiped away your tears and nodded your head weakly. You couldn’t verbally say anything in fears you would start crying, and Kallus seemed to understand that. Beneath the worried expression on his face, he was angry. He knew he was going for the wrong person, he knew you’d never be over Thrawn.

But he loved you, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. Ever since Kallus met you on the grounds of the Imperial Palace 16 years ago, far before you fell pregnant, he was smitten with you. Even if he was a higher rank than you, and trained you, and was meant to see you as a mere soldier and nothing more, Kallus always had a soft spot for you.

“I’m going to regret this” Kallus murmured, right before pressing his lips against yours and causing you to freeze in his arms. Your eyes shot wide open, you weren’t expecting this at all. His actions were so sudden and the feeling of his lips against yours made your brain cloud over with endless thoughts. It was nice being kissed, it always had been, but this wasn’t right.

Even though it wasn’t as good as a kiss from Thrawn, you closed your eyes and kissed him back, maybe just to feel something aside from the stress. You hesitantly cupped Kallus’ cheek and tapped it a few times, signalling for him to pull away. You didn’t want the kiss to go any further, you didn’t want to lead him on, and by the looks of it he knew what he had done was a mistake.

“That was nice” You commented with an assuring smile, stroking his cheek with your thumb and making him chuckle awkwardly at your words.

“I’m sorry, I felt like if I didn’t do that any sooner I’d beat myself up” He hung his head low, frowning and probably mentally strangling himself, but you didn’t like the way he looked so sad. He knew you didn’t feel the same way towards him, maybe you did like Kallus, but you weren’t over Thrawn. Either way, you tilted his chin up and kissed him once more. The blonde man sighed against your lips and closed his eyes momentarily before grabbing your hand and taking it away from his face, eventually pulling back once again and frowning.

“What was that for?” Kallus raised a brow, looking confused but also amused at the same time.

“I wanted to even things out” You smiled, nudging him playfully to try and get rid of some of the tension surrounding you both. He seemed to be pleased by your comment and laughed. The sting of rejection was soothed by your kindness and Kallus realised that you didn’t feel any different about your friendship with him. But still, it hurt.

“Are we gonna have to start giving each other goodnight kisses now? Cuz if so-“ You joked.

“No, don’t be silly- unless that’s what you want of course” Kallus joked back with a relaxing demeanour. You rolled your eyes at his comment and shoved him playfully, eventually bringing him in for a hug once again and feeling shitty for not feeling the same towards Kallus.

“Well that was weird” Hera whispered to Kanan and Zeb who were watching from afar. The two men nodded in agreement, confused stares on their faces as they watched you depart from the ex-ISB agent and make your way to your chambers.

How weird, indeed.

[ga-yuu]

~Kurama~Main Story Chapter 5~Part 1

Kurama is already in love with Yoshino, he just doesn’t realize it. Also yeah, I hope I did give a warning in Chapter 1.

Chapter 4

*

*

*

-----Part 1-----

Ibuki: “As usual, the powerful Onmyoji of this court is well experienced. As expected of my ‘master.”

Yasuchika: “Stop talking like a creep, you bastard.”

The tone of voice was harsh and unbelievable for a young child.

But Ibuki didn’t show any care....

Ibuki: “How can you be so cold to a cute child? Yasuchikaaa.”

Yasuchika: "Your catnip is too transparent. If you went to Kamakura, why didn't you just drink some of Yoritomo-sama's nectar?"

Ibuki: "That Shogun. Not bad for a playmate, but this time I found something cuter."

Yasuchika: "You mean Kura-rin? What would you have done if he found out we were messing with him? ......Well, you know what, I suppose it's no use asking you."

Ibuki: "You understand me very well, don’t you. I’m impressed."

Yasuchika: "That’s the worst and most disgraceful swear words I've ever lived to hear."

Without seeming to care Ibuki put one hand into his long sleeve and removed the heavy bracelet....

Yasuchika:"......................"

Ibuki: "Phew, I feel comfier in this body."

Ibuki sits comfortably in front of Yasuchika in his adult form, his well-groomed face intact.

His bright, wavy blonde hair was beautifully long, with two ivory-colored antlers peeking out of the gaps.

Yasuchika: "Take it on and off too often and you'll lose it, your charm bracelet."

Ibuki: "Captious as ever. In front of the court and the people in the Onmyoji dormitory, I have to wear the right disguise. .....No one should suspect that a demon is nesting in the mansion of the Abe family, a family of Onmyoji masters with a long history."

A sarcastic smile appeared in Ibuki's noble, slitted eyes.

Yasuchika: "That's enough. Now, where's the rest of the report? The original plan was to test the fox princess's strength and investigate her character, right?"

Ibuki: "And then Kurama poked his head in from the side. It's not my fault if he was there before."

Yasuchika: "Do you take me as a fool. You were aware of Kura-rin's presence, so you deliberately led the demon towards him."

Ibuki: "Have you been using those paper dolls to keep an eye on me? ....Geez, I can’t trust you anymore."

Yasuchika: "Why need a shikigami when I can predict how you’ll act based on my knowledge of your character."

Ibuki: "Are you also good at telling personalities?"

Yasuchika: "Well, of course. And your character is disgusting. You're irredeemable and love to play with people’s hearts."

Ibuki: "No more, or you’ll make me blush, Mr. Onmyoji."

Yasuchika: "Ibuki."

Yasuchika's dark eyes are filled with a murky gloom.

Yasuchika: "You're free to play as long as you don't bother 'him'."

Ibuki: "You really love him, don't you?"

Ibuki plays with Yasuchika's hair with his fingertips giving her a derisive look.

Ibuki: "Okay, don’t pout. Plans have changed, but we're still getting the bare minimum of information using remote monitoring techniques. Unfortunately, I couldn't listen to all the details of the conversation without Kurama noticing."

Yasuchika: "So?"

Yasuchika asked, not caring about the tousled hair and not blinking.

Ibuki: "First of all, our little fox princess is only taking baby steps towards using her powers. She didn’t even think about her fox powers."

Yasuchika: "But Yoshitsune-sama was able to make a wind blade, on the very night he made the pact."

Ibuki: "What I saw at that time, she was scared to be eaten alive, let alone face the demon by herself."

Yasuchika: "......I see."

Yasuchika murmured as if thinking about something.

Ibuki: "But above all that, she is a big softie and even tried to hide Kurama from her own allies. As a result, Kurama was intoxicated by it, so no one died."

Yasuchika: ".....Kura-rin being disturbed. That's something new."

Ibuki: "Isn't it?"

Ibuki laughs happily.

Ibuki: "Fox princess is the eye of the storm. If you play with it enough, it can send you into a tailspin, as I see it."

----Part 2----

Ibuki: "Fox princess is the eye of the storm. If you play with it enough, it can send you into a tailspin, as I see it. I'm sure it will be interesting to see Kurama, out of all people, would have anything to do with a human woman."

Yasuchika: "For better or worse, she's just a normal girl. I don't think she's got much chance of winning."

Ibuki: "It's true that she wasn't able to kill even one demon that time. Even Kurama thinks the same. .....But don't you know me already, Yasuchika? That I love to try humans."

Yasuchika: "I know. That's why I hate you."

Ibuki: "What? You too."

Yasuchika: "Yes."

Ibuki: "Anyways, do you have any interesting news?"

Yasuchika: "..... I hate to please you with all my heart."

Yasuchika picks up a letter from his sleeve and shows it to Ibuki.

Yasuchika: "----The Shogunate has asked me to help the fox princess who wants to practice slaying demons. Apparently, the brave princess is trying to overcome her fears herself."

Ibuki: ".......He...hahahaha...that's a piece of good news. This will be a most amusing game, Yasuchika."

Yasuchika: "Children who are absorbed in playing are apt to fall. You have to watch your step."

Ibuki: "I'll try my best not to fall."

With cold eyes, Yasuchika brushes his hair and looks at Ibuki.

Ibuki's eyes, on the other hand, were shining brightly.

Ibuki: "It's been a long time since I played with Kurama. It reminds me of the old days."

Yasuchika: "You've already harassed him enough when he was a child and you’re still greedy. If that's what you call love, then it's distorted. I feel sorry for Kura-rin."

Ibuki: "I don't need you to tell me about love. You are a misanthropic Onmyoji."

................

Yoshino: "Well, I'll be off then."

Yoritomo: "Are you sure about this, Yoshino?"

Yoshino: "Yes."

Kagetoki: "You really like strange things, don't you? Like going to wars."

The battle, said to be an outpost of Shogunate and the rebels, was about to begin.

Tamamo: “The war began between the Shogunate and the rebels’ respective countries. The two armies go to each other’s side of the battlefield, which has become a stalemate...”

Yoshino: “The two armies are not going all out ahead of the war. In other words...The aim was not to win the game outright, but to win the game in our favor.”

Kagetoki(smiles): “Well done.”

Tamamo: “Once again, I’m sorry I can’t be there for you.”

Tamamo’s shapely brows furrow languidly.

Yoshino: “That’s reassuring enough. Thank you, Tamamo.”

Yoritomo: “I’m sorry. I’d love to send him with you, but he’s got another job.”

Yoshino: “Yes. I understand.”

As a demon who has lived longer than Kurama, Tamamo has a wealth of knowledge about the other side of the sea.

Now under the pretense of being a guest from the Song Dynasty, he is helping to plan tactics for the war against the rebels.

(I’ll do the best I can with what I’ve got.)

Yoshino: “In a real battle against the rebels, you can’t rely on someone else all the time. It’s a good opportunity to practice.”

(Not only that.)

(If I, a pharmacist, go, I may be able to reduce the number of deaths on the battlefield.)

And the nursing regime we planned with everyone in the Shogunate.

If you can try it out on the actual battlefield it will be so much the better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. I’d rather be doing something....

2. I have to be strong...(+4/+4)

3. If I keep trying...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoshino: “Because I have to be strong...”

(To fight that Kurama proudly someday.)

Black feathers fluttered brightly in the scene behind my eyelids.

At that time...

Morinaga: “Ready, Yoshino.”

Shigehira: “.............”

------Part 3------

Morinaga: “Ready, Yoshino.”

Shigehira: “.............”

(They’re here.)

Morinaga-san and Shigehira-kun, who are going to this outpost, are already finished wearing their armor.

Yoshino: “I’m ready as I’ll always be.”

Shigehira: “I won’t listen to you whining once you’re on the battlefield. Okay?”

Morinaga: “I’m counting on you, but don’t take any chances.”

Yoshino: “Yes!”

I follow them tightly and put my feet on the stirrup of the horse that is being pulled.

Shigehira-kun and Morinaga-san, also jumped on their horses, too.

Yoritomo: “---Come home alive. For the sake of the Kamakura Shogunate and yourself.” (Spoilers: she’s not coming home. Come on! even if I don’t give spoilers here, I’m sure you guys will already understand that this is foreshadowing.)

Yoritomo-sama’s eyes, which usually have a teasing tinge, were serious today.

Yoshino: “.....I will.”

I replied with a strong will and went with Morinaga-san and Shigehira-kun to the soldiers.

............

A few days later, on a battlefield, the two armies arrive almost simultaneously...

As if to add fuel to the smoldering fire, the battle situation suddenly flared up.

Rebel soldier 1: “Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

Rebel soldier 2: “Damn the Shogunate! How did they find out about our supply routes?”

Shogunate soldier 1: “Go! Push through----!”

The rebel wielded their swords in a desperate attempt to prevent the Shogunate soldiers from breaking through.

Swords clashed, arrows whizzed through the air, and the shouts of the soldiers filled the air.

Rebel soldier 1: “Ngh....this is not right. It wasn’t supposed to be this intense.”

Rebel soldier 2: “Oh, this is not a prelude.---- What the hell is going on?”

Rebel soldier 3: “No, no, no----”

Just when the rebel soldiers were moaning in despair----

Shogunate soldier 2: “Gwaa”

Rebel soldier 3: “......!”

Kurama: “----What a mess, I can’t stand it.”

As soon as Kurama, who had ridden in on his horse, jumped into the fray, he cuts down several soldiers with just one swing of his sword.

Rebel soldier 3: “Ku-Kurama-sama!”

Kurama: “It is shameful that a soldier of Yoshitsune should kneel on the ground. I’ll let you choose whether you want to be killed by me before the enemy kills you, or to die in vain in the service of the enemy.”

The heavy voice, which seems to push aside the clamour, naturally freezes friend and foe alike.

Shogunate soldiers 3: “Nn...don’t be frightened! He’s not Benkei or Yoichi, we don’t know his strength....”

Shogunate soldiers 4: “Yes! Don’t let the unknown soldier get away with it!”

Kurama(smiles): “.....Ha. It’s just that I’ve never had a name to tell you before. Why should I tell my name to a weak bug that going to be crushed under my feet, anyway?”

The white blade danced faster than the words, and by the time he had, finished several of the Shogunate’s soldiers had been knocked down without a sound.

Shogunate soldier 5: “Ah.......”

A few soldiers of the Shogunate realized that he was stronger than any normal human, began to retreat.

Kurama: “Too late. Not only were you born weak, but you have a fragile instinct to recognize the strong. Weak and stupid, don’t show me any more abominations than you already have.”

Rebel soldier 4: “Ah.....Kurama-sama, gave us a chance to win!”

Rebel soldier 5: “It's his words of encouragement. Even if we die, we can’t be called weak----!”

Awe and mortal fervour made the blood of the rebel soldiers boil.

They regained their momentum and pushed the Shogunate soldiers back again.

Kurama(Making the ‘I can’t understand humans’ face): “......... Samurai are so annoying.”

Kurama stated and swung his sword again.

.................

(.......It’s  funny, the number of wounded is much higher than planned.)

Yoshino: “Excuse me, please bring the most seriously injured ones to this tent!”

Shogunate soldiers 6: “Yes!”

Rearguard troops were coming in and out of my tent.

Injured soldier: “Nn....Thank...you, Yoshino-san.”

Yoshino: “You don’t have to say anything. Everything will be fine.”

(Aside from the wound medicines I’ve been making....)

(With such a crowded situation, it’s going to be difficult to get the water needed for treatment.)

I stop the bleeding of the wounded soldier and wraps the torn cloth tightly around the wound.

Then----

Shigehira: “Yoshino-san!”

Part 2

[nomouthtospeakof]

i learned that cole was 12 when he died in the tower just a few months ago despite loving da for like two years and it has not left my brain since.

and like, i know that was supposed to have happened ~9 years before inquisition (i think?) but....... thinkin bout 12 year old (human, living) cole being rescued and nursed back to health and ending up with the inquisition with other escapees/rebels.

solas teaching him more about his magic and that it’s a thing to be cautious but also proud of, and showing him both how to control and harness it to its fullest potential.... varric telling him stories and helping him through the horrific trauma that boy went through because even tho he isn’t a therapist, he’s at least a shoulder to lean on, someone who’ll listen, who can relate stories of another mage he knew who was still afraid of the dark... bull getting his tama on and trying to help rear this kid and teach him the more practical side of life, but also cole can goof around with the chargers (who struggle to make their songs less raunchy and more kid-appropriate whenever he’s in earshot) and bull can do the thing where he just. lets the kid use his arm like monkey bars..... dorian and sera with the big bro & big sis vibes who very much do NOT care about being less raunchy and crass around this kid, both claiming they hate gross snotty little kids but, well, cole is an exception.... viv watching all this chaos go down and deciding that if no one is going to teach this child some manners and how to wash his hair then she will (and upon him marveling at her headwear, she might to update his wardrobe with some fine hats too. and maybe nicer clothing altogether because really, he still dresses like a hedge mage, and what would people think if they saw him in shabby circle robes and hand-me-downs? and that necklace he saw in the window that he said reminded him of something his mother wore - well, again, it’s all to make sure he’s presentable, just in case he were ever asked to speak to a noble for whatever reason)....

and as he grows up, perhaps he becomes a spirit healer, focused on easing the pain of others so he can help lessen the amount of suffering in the world. and perhaps his power is aided with the help of a spirit of compassion, one who held his hand when he thought he didn’t want to be forgotten anymore, one who couldn’t help but linger near him once he was remembered.

[insaneillusionist]

HEY-YO!!!!!

Character ask: Hooty.

Hey! Thanks for the ask! (Side note: I did write a lot on one of the questions and didn’t proofread or look back so it might be completely wrong or just have a lot of errors.)

Favorite thing about them: His humor. He’s made me laugh quite a bit. I like how he does have depth despite being a comic-relief character. He’s very loyal to the Owl Fam. He fights against intruders, tries to help them with their problems, gets Luz to school, etc. You can just see that he cares so much.

Least favorite thing about them: Can I say the way that others treated him? Because thinking about that more, it really sucks. Hooty does push boundaries and is very annoying, but it doesn’t seem like he couldn’t change. Everyone seems to treat him like a nuisance, and he mellowed out a bit after he became friends with Lilith. The first time we met him, Eda jabbed him in the eyes. King only included him once his stuffed animals rebelled against him. The Hexside game stepped on him in Wing It Like Witches. And every time we see him doing something considered to be bad, people respond negatively, but they don’t tell him how he could be better. We’ve seen him get hurt a lot, and people actively avoid him. He seems to try to be a part of things so much because no one invites him to do things. In The Intruder, he’s so excited to be a part of the Boo-Boo Buddy Club, and says that he’s finally a part of something. In Really Small Problems, he screams at a fly to talk to him, so I’d guess that he’s desperate for a conversation partner. Sure, he does talk a lot, but he doesn’t really have a lot of actual conversations. King became a part of the Owl Fam eight years ago. Assuming that Hooty was a part of the house before that, it’s likely that he learned this behavior from Eda. It’s likely that Hooty wasn’t given a chance in the first place, and if he somehow did notice that people were annoyed by his behavior and stopped for a while, he probably wasn’t given any positive reinforcement. I just think he would have been more well-adjusted had people cared.

Favorite line(s): "I will be haunted by my actions forever, hoot-hoot!"

(Proceeds to have a tea party with guard corpses six episodes later.)

“Wait a minute. Who are you? I'm freaking out!”

(Absolute mood.)

Special delivery! PAIN!

(I love the delivery on this one.)

brOTP: Hooty & Lilith

OTP: Hooty/Duolingo

nOTP: Hooty/Minors and Hooty/The Owl Fam.

Random headcanon: Hooty once got banned from a spa. He weirded people out, but they allowed him to be there. He ate a few too many things and was really annoying. He then mentioned that he didn’t have any cash to pay for this, but he could get them a few bugs, so they banned him. (He considers those days that he hangs out in the mud to be his spa days.)

Unpopular opinion: Hooty should have been treated better by Eda.

Song I associate with them: Little Miss Perfect by Taylor Louderman (I love the cover).

Also Haus of Holbein from Six: The Musical (The energy just reminds me of Hooty for whatever reason.

Favorite picture of them: (Chooses several because all of them are absolute moods.)

[omegatheunknown]

AEW ALL OUT 2021

In which, not to get ahead of myself here, AEW puts on one of the best major wrestling shows in several years*, following the simple yet effective principle of giving the people what they want and sending everyone home happy and hungry for more.

- The incredibly 'Nitro' ending of the go-home Dynamite, which ran a little long on the 'heels beat everyone up and strut around like assholes almost too in desperate need of comeuppance' bit, short of garbage raining into the ring, did actually increase the heat for both promoted matches. Again, not rocket science, but executed perfectly. Catharsis was on the card, and catharsis went over several times Sunday. - Again, it's time to move on from the Casino theme, shuffling the deck and drawing suits really only detracted from the Battle Royale and seemingly always throws the production crew a curve. If they haven't hammered it by now, it's not going to happen. - Bit unhappy about the PAC/Andrade situation, but still over the moon with Andrade's promo style and Chavito being unhelpful at best.

*Pre-Card

Best Friends and Jurassic Express v The Hardy Family Office and The Hybrid 2 (**) - Not usually much to say about a loaded-up multiteam boondoggle, particularly when the show has yet to begin, but there were some moments worth sitting up to take notice -- there's a lot of talent in the ring, even if Jack Evans/Angelico aren't going to be more than mid-level mooks, little matchups with guys like Luchasaurus and Chuck Taylor are opportunities for innovative/weird spots. - Really this match exists to show-off Jungle Boy, play his theme song twice, and work him in to the aforementioned spots. I don't rightly know what Jungle Jack's ceiling is, but it sort of feels like he's plateauing, at least this version of himself. - Dan Lambert thing is interesting in that it doesn't seem to easily lead to something obvious... I mean who are Scorp and Ethan Page feuding with by proxy here, the concept of contemporary professional wrestling? Orange Cassidy and Kenny Omega?

*Main Card

Miro (C) v Eddie Kingston for the TNT Championship (***1/2) - 'Redeem Deez Nuts' T-shirts now available -- and made immediately redundant now that Miro has graciously redeemed Eddie's nuts. - Imagine looking at Miro, listening to Miro talk, and not really being able to figure out this guy is money. Also imagine panicking when he took a little while to find his groove in AEW. 'The Redeemer' is both entertaining and terrifying, and this match delivered heavily on the promise of two big fellas smacking together repeatedly. - Not only does Eddie's arsenal of power moves target Miro's neck, he may also be quite difficult to put in the full reclined camel clutch. Or he'd quite literally snap in half. It didn't come to that. - Weird heel turn by Bryce's attention span and the overall weirdness of the finish is all that kept this from being an excellent match, otherwise this was a tremendous curtain jerker and started off a dangerously fun run of pure adrenaline.

Jon Moxley v Satoshi Kojima (****) - The stakes were nebulous, the build was abrupt, yet this was a fantastic match and tremendous showcase for an underappreciated great who has been more or less just toiling for a bunch of years as a NJPW Dad. Same deal for Nagata, and I assume Tenzan is the same, Taka Michinoku even -- let's see it. - I have to assume the Cozy Lariat might have put Mox down, but Kojima otherwise played the hits (Koji Cutter, Piledriver, Brainbustaaaa) in a big way and Moxley once again proved he's become a very well-rounded wrestler who can match the intensity of just about any former IWGP champion. - More to the point-- KAZE NI NARE -- out of nowhere, too. Or out of nowhere to those not paying attention to the whereabouts of Minoru Suzuki (Right, he's just over here to fight Daniel Garcia and not Mox?), which I guess is to my own peril. Wow, though. Surprise Number 1- a complete surprise, and a welcome one. Let's have it.

Dr Britt Baker, DMD (C) v Kris Statlander for the AEW Women's Championship (****) - I love Kris and her best friends but she didn't have a prayer of dethroning Britt. She got one promo, several weeks ago, and though she did make a meal of Hayter and Rebel, the chase has been abrupt and not given much discussion, other than Mark Henry and whomever else acknowledging what is extremely evident -- Statlander is stronger than she looks, and she looks really strong. They've got her doing Cesaro-level 'modify your grip while holding your opponent's entire weight' nonsense, and it's amazing and scary. - Even with the reign of the good doctor not being credibly threatened, this was an excellent match that demonstrated the continued growth of the competitors in the women's division, even as it underlined that their storylines remain undercooked and perfunctory: Orange Cassidy whipping off his shades to urge Stat to get up was a beautiful moment. Britt's Panama Sunrise, also, too sweet. Statlander eating shit on her 451 and her pendulum moonsault was properly brutal, as were Britt's curb stomps. Really great match between these two. - Again, if they had bothered to write anything into this story, such as Kris' alien physiology making her immune to the lockjaw or something... actually, maybe that's a terrible idea. it's an idea. Undefeated challenger is defeated, on to the next for Dr Britt. Statlander and OC should tag against some of the boys.

The Young Bucks (C) v The Lucha Bros for the AEW World Tag Team Championship(*****+) - Can't not mention the insane entrance lined up for Fenix and Penta. It was bewildering, it was enchanting, it was aggressive, it was hype. It also reminded everybody how very badly we all wanted the Lucha Bros to win. The crowd has been setting new peaks with their volume since Punk showed up, but things were absolutely thunderous and ecstatic at the end of this match. Absolutely valid response. I yelled on the couch. - Nick's facial hair was a bigger tell that it was time for the Bucks to lose than anything else about this build. There's literally nowhere to go from there -- they've done the hair, the bandanas, the kicks, the animal print, the dangly earrings -- peak visual heel for this time and place. - Sincerely thought this was going to be too much of a full sprint spot-fest (the PWG-esque circle of trading blows is not really 'my thing') but even so they kept finding gears, and ramping and ramping and adding blood and brutality along the way. Even a bit of levity, with the tacked up sneaker, followed by the sincerity of Penta throwing himself in harm's way to protect his brother. Immense match, I think you'd have to go back to the Bucks vs the Addiction and MCMGs Ladder War to find a more thrilling tag team gimmick match. - If there's a single flaw to be found it's in the production not really settling on wide angles for simultaneous action at the start of the match. They figured it out. - Rey Fenix is the best luchador in the world.

Women's Casino Battle Royale (**1/2) - If nothing else, this really shows off that they now have a surplus of women's wrestlers who deserve time to hang in the ring. Unsurprisingly, the match picked right up when Thunder Rosa and then Jamie Hayter got to the ring, with additional props to Tay Conti and Jade Cargill, who was dumped rather unceremoniously given her general booking... - Okay, there was something else. Welcome to the rechristened Ruby Soho, who I've not seen a lot of outside of her extremely limited showcase in WWE, but she has so many friends in the back and in the industry and that's never for nothing, not in wrestling, anyway. Intrigued to see where she fits, and if the women ever get more than a match per show. - Touched on this in the preamble but this was the roughest part of the night for the home viewer, just weird decisions on cutting away from various entrances to show... nothing in particular happening. Also while the commitment to not-kayfabing the countdown clock is... admirable? It makes the pacing hinky. - Almost everyone who got new gear for tonight was looking like the white ranger -- Nyla, Swole, Bunny, someone I'm missing. Except Anna Jay, whose stars and glitter gear looked great.

MJF v Chris Jericho for the fate of Jericho's in-ring career (***) - MJF's unauthorized homage to Y2J's entrance: good. Fozzy's guitarist going off tempo with the instrumental Judas: weak, and would've been sad if this were the end for Jericho. Especially as the build has felt... muted, somehow. - Props to the commentary for continuing to feed the red herring of 'in AEW,' as a caveat to stipulation, it did feel like... a remote possibility that MJF would win. - Credit to Aubrey for calling this one down the middle and not putting the fix in for her friend Jericho, and I guess the Dusty finish will give MJF plenty to gripe about. - MJF wrestles with a pure heel style, holds, chops, blocks, and Jericho is fifty years old, so the level of wrestling on exhibition in these matches is well beside the point. It was solid to good, and I was fighting burn out from the first half of the card's level of excitement.

CM Punk v Darby Allin (***1/2) - There are a couple benefits of Darby as a dance partner, and it's certainly better than having to watch Punk return against like, QT Marshall or Shawn Spears. Darby does make everyone look slow, but he can also be tossed around, and this raises his profile even in defeat, obviously. That said, the stakes here are... meta, at best, in that we want to see the man look good and justify the hype. It's a weird thing to root for. He certainly does look good. (Tights? Tights!) - It's fun to theorize about actually booking an angle where Punk is rusty and needs to regain his prowess, and maybe he'll stumble, but maybe the most we get out of that angle is hitting the GTS a little close to the ropes so Darby falls right out of the ring, in what was, for me, the spot that justified this whole match. - Sting's proud step-dad aura is still a hell of a thing, I really liked the end of the match kudos all around. - Match was good, hard to hang my emotions on. I wasn't watching WWE when Punk was in WWE. Definitely feeding off the excitement of others a bit here, and he sure can talk. I'd like to see him cultivate a stable, certainly.

Paul Wight v QT Marshall (n/r) - ...popcorn match? QT Marshall is like the anti-Daniel Garcia in that while his prominence and presence is just as inexplicable, I don't want it to continue, and he doesn't justify it in the process. - Match was two minutes longer than it needed to be.

Kenny Omega (c) v Christian Cage for the AEW World Championship (****1/2) - Crowd was both burnt out and more or less waiting for the post-match angle. Which I get. it's hard to cruise to the main event and having seen all the different things we've already seen on this card, even a singular performer like Kenny Omega and a legend with whom he (surprisingly? fittingly?) has superb chemistry with in Christian Cage were up against it to deliver something memorable. - Context dependent, I can definitely see rating this below their Rampage match, especially since... I mean Christian isn't winning the AEW title off Kenny at this or probably any other event. - But! It was really good! It was very good! They really do match-up well, and Kenny's v-trigger has rarely looked more devastating than when it knocks Christian flat. Christian got cut open in a novel and initially worrying way, and Kenny followed up a botched moonsault with a harder version of the same move off a rail, but it was a really great match and it deserved more energy than was available.

Post-Show - Calling back and inverting the end of Dynamite, The Elite strut about the ring, slightly less stoked than they were on Wednesday, but with the Bucks smiling through the pain, and Jungle Boy once again subjected to violence for his misguided heroism, Kenny 'not much a promo' Omega lays down a killer line about nobody being fit to challenge him who isn't unavailable, already tired or dead. - The Undertaker ADAM COLE, BAY BAY as Surprise #3 was a minor stroke of brilliance, and a fun swerve because while it's exciting to see him, his appearance at this point in the narrative does nothing to solve the problem of The Elite beating up Christian and Jungle Boy. Unless he's still sore about his unsolved murder, which he isn't. Storytime with Adam Cole is back and it's beautiful. Also Jungle Boy died for this. - Okay. But. Just. Okay. CM Punk and Bryan Danielson are All Elite. They will hopefully tag together. Bryan will head to NJPW, almost definitely. Minoru Suzuki just walked in and started slugging on Mox. The Forbidden Door is wide open. Will Kenny Omega one day return to Wrestle Kingdom? There are so many possibilities and they are all very exciting. This was a phenomenal show and it didn't have Hangman Page, Cody Rhodes, FTR, Santana and Ortiz, PAC, Andrade, Sammy Guevara, Team Taz, and the rest.

- Wrestling is good, actually. Imagine watching like five hours of wrestling and loving wrestling at the end of it.

*What competes- WK11, Dominion 2018, 2019, DoN 2019, 2021.. All-In, probably. Wrestlemania 30. A few Takeovers. Kris Wolf's retirement show...