#it was special to me to take her because i had known her for 17 years at that point and honestly i knew she didn’t care

[vogelmeister]

i wasn’t going to talk about this bc its opening old wounds but now i feel i have to and maybe this might help.

basically everyone here at vogel.com knows im a huge theatre nerd. its part of the reason goud is a play, and why i like ushering. in my time i’ve been in some plays and musicals as well, bc i adore performance and performing. i do the normal theatre kid route of advertising shows im in but never have pushed it hard.

enter my delightful ex friends. theatre was never for them, neither was the arts (one of them was even like “i could never pretend to be someone else” which is? honestly one of the best parts for me but whatever, it can be humbling and can make one vulnerable but its not for everyone) and i didn’t really care. their dad especially would look down upon it but would pretend he didn’t mean me. i would give then links to shows i was in and sometimes they’d come, but as we got older this became less and less. they’d always say they were busy and i never fought it. i do remember them mocking little shop of horrors after a friend’s birthday where we watched the movie, but i kinda brushed it off. i also remember discomfort when we went to see the local co-eds school’s musicals and i remember them being appalled that the friend we were supporting was only doing tech.

i will say a massive red flag was when i was house drama captain in my final year of high school and they still skipped out on the performing arts showcase even though their good friend (me) had written and directed a piece. they gave me flowers and i just accepted that bc they always skipped these events and thats how it was. yea those compulsory events were stupid especially when you weren’t into the Concept but they should have supported me.

anyways a few years ago i did two plays with my drama society. one, parfumerie, was in development hell bc of covid, so when we finally got the slot we were thrilled. i couldn’t believe it and sent my friends (these two girls and another friend) the links to come, as i normally do, and to my delight my friends came and i was so happy. it was a romcom so i thought hey they’ll even LIKE the show despite me being in it. anyways they attended closing and i left it at that.

they didn’t attend r+g. i never fought it but i was sad. my family all got covid so no one saw me in r+g in the end.

fast forward to 2024. i go to the netherlands, the netherlands makes me realise that i don’t like these two friends, i ghost them, we cool. im still friends with the other girl who attended parfumerie. shes cool. i saw her today. we will call my friend… susie. so susie and i were walking to maisie peters and we were talking about how we gatekept maisie from them and how they never listened to what we showed them anyway. this prompted me to go “yea they judged me so bad for liking theatre.” and so then susie was like remember when you were in that play 2 years ago? parfumerie. and i was like ye ofc i do it was literally in development hell. and then susie basically tells me that these two girls basically didn’t want to come, that the one with their license refused to drive the other two, and that susie basically had to beg them to come. not only that they hardly watched the show or even gave it a chance, and spent most of the time talking to each other about how the guy that liked me was sitting in front of them.

now idk why but every time i think about that now i get emotional, but its a mix of hurt and anger and sadness. because if the roles were reversed, i would have been given hell (this was proven actually). and secondly these two were awful people and i have so much hate for them. i already have enough reason to not like them. but this was something i loved, they knew i loved and they couldn’t care less for. like they knew it meant a lot to me and they still mocked it and pushed it to the side. they went into my room they saw my programs of shows i was in along the back wall. they saw me get excited whenever i had drama and they saw me excitedly post my program when i was at the theatre. they saw me exclusively listening to showtunes in 2018 and they met my theatre kid of an ex boyfriend. like would it not kill you to see me doing something i loved?

the worst part was one even asked me why i never showed her hamilton and i was literally like ‘i didn’t think you’d like it.’ she was shocked i thought that.

this is probably why we’re not friends. anyways-

the saddest sight in the world is a married couple at a musical and the wife is super excited and happy and the husband looks like he was dragged along and he’s making a big deal about how much he doesn’t want to be there and the wife gets embarrassed or ashamed. this isn’t a funny post, it’s actually heartbreaking and i see it happen at like every other musical i attend.

[inuyashaluver]

Firstly wanted to say thank you for your fics, they NEVER disappoint 🫶

And I wanted to request something with Grace Clinton, maybe a soft/hard launch with a non-footballer gf?

girlfriend - grace clinton

grace clinton x reader

description: in which your girlfriend is tired of keeping the love of her life a secret, thus, you get a special invitation to her debut with her national team

warnings: nothing really!! not proofread because its me

a/n: STOPPP, thank you so much for the love and support you are so incredibly sweet, please enjoyyyyy, i'm rusty like don't mind me AHHAHAH, clearing out my drafts and requests as we speak!!

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

you and your girlfriend, grace, long story short are soulmates. you have known grace pretty much your entire life and have never felt such a huge amount of love for anyone as much as you did with her. 

grace has always been in love with you, she doesn’t remember a time where she hasn’t been. and that just sums up your entire relationship, completely and utterly in love.

—

you and grace have known each other ever since you were 7. you were both placed in the same class at school, grace known for her class clown personality while you just smiled at her antics while working on your studies.

you two gravitated towards each other quicker than ever expected, being the best of friends until you were both 17 and grace finally asked you to be her girlfriend. an absolute surprise to not only the both of you, but everyone else around you. 

while grace was playing football, you were her biggest cheerleader on the side, her ‘lucky charm’ as she loved to call you. you did absolutely everything together, the best partner for life.

in your adult lives, you moved in together, grace playing football while you were in veterinarian school. it worked so well, it was so effortless, so easy and it was absolutely the best.

—

you had the privilege of being able to travel around the uk as grace joined different clubs, and grace was so incredibly grateful for you. 

something to know about your girlfriend, she was incredibly private. grace hated the thought of you being a secret but she was so protective.

she often had nightmares of you being found by crazy friends and getting harassed, and that was why she kept you private. her work and social life completely separate.

you didn’t mind it, you and grace were secure amongst yoursleves and within your relationship to not find it offensive. you both loved each other and that was all that really mattered.

all her teammates, your friends and family knew about your relationship and knew how much you meant to each other, and that was enough for both of you.

there were subtle hints here and there, people knew grace had a partner, she just didn’t want to give anyone details. both of your instagrams had soft hints towards your relationship, but nothing too obvious or completely out there.

you would come to every match without fail, always waiting for her at the end of the match.

—

she spots you sitting in the stands, clad in her jersey with a proud smile on your face as you watched her sign things and take photos with fans. she felt herself grow shy at the pure look of admiration on your face.

when people began to leave, she smiles over at you, you smile at the girl, nodding your head flirtily as she gave you a cheeky wave with a wink.

she gestures to the tunnel, meaning to follow her to the back later on. you nod, laughing at her cheeky antics, you pucker your lips up jokingly and she rolls her finger in a circle to hint for you to hurry up so she could say hello.

you wait for her in the carpark, perched up against your shared car, she rushes out excitedly, clearly out of breath but she smiles so brightly when she sees you, her most favourite person in the entire world.

you open your arms out to her expectantly and she walks into them with a relieved breath, hugging you around the middle tightly.

“hi, baby” she whispered in your ear, her lips giving you a subtle kiss on the shell of your ear. “hi, gracie girl”, you chuckle, rubbing your hands up and down her back before you pulled apart, puckering your lips up at her teasingly. she smirks, her hand cupping the underside of your jaw to pull you into a loving kiss. 

“i missed you” she breathes out against your lips, you smile, pecking them, “i missed you too, baby, two hours is way too long” you chuckle mockingly, kissing her a little longer this time.

she smiles in the kiss, drawing you in closer with her hands on your waist, “two hours felt like two days” she mocks, giving your hips a gentle squeeze as she walked you to the passenger side of the car, opening the door for you and closing it once you were seated.

“you played so well today, gracie baby” you smile at her when she puts her seatbelt on, she grins so sheepishly, cheeks pink no matter the time or place when it came to you.

“cause you were there” she shakes her head in your face, kissing your lips tenderly before she grabbed your hand to hold as she drove.

—

when grace got transferred to tottenham, things fast tracked. 

“baby, it’s only fair” grace groans, flopped on top of you as you were under the covers in the early hours of the morning. “gracie, i love you, but please, no” you beg, speaking up from under the blanket.

she sighs, smushing her face into your stomach over the blanket, “babe!” she yells, muffled by the blankets, you rip the blankets off your face, giving her your best scowl when she looked up at you from the movement.

“please, no, it’s too early” you exclaim, grace smiles at you, clearly amused by your attempt at anger on your features. “you got to pick dinner, and the movie last night” grace reminds, “i knew you let me pick because you wanted something,” you tutt, shaking your head.

she gasps, her hand clutching her chest, “i would do no such thing!” she moves up to straddle your waist as you hold yourself up by your elbows.

“my ass” you whisper, letting your girlfriend press a sweet kiss to your lips, “please” she pouts. her hands moving the blanket off you to hold your waist, kissing you again. you hum against her, clearly her little plan had worked.

“please come to training” she whispers, her words fluttering over your lips. you roll your eyes fondly, nodding and letting your girlfriend kiss your cheeks repeatedly, pulling you up from the bed excitedly.

the girl had already picked out your clothes, that’s how confident she was that she could get you to come to training with her. her separation anxiety was real.

you laugh when you see the ‘clinton’ hoodie on the top of the pile of clothes, shaking your head but putting it on anyway.

and when you both arrived at training, and you were seen in the training video wearing that hoodie, the questions and speculation were growing tenfold. who was this girl grace brought to training?

you and grace had been chatting after all the bombarding questions reached both of your phones. and you both decided, maybe it was time to put your relationship out in the open. although you both had your worries, you just didn’t want to hide anymore. 

and so after careful deliberation, you and grace would make your relationship official in her debut match for the senior lioness team.

—

grace was so jittery in her hotel room this morning, aggie had to message you that your girlfriend was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. you call her and she picks up a couple seconds after you press the call button.

“baby” she breathes out, clutching onto the phone as she talked to you, “hi, babe, you okay?” you ask her, phone on speaker as you get ready for the game. “i’m okay, just nervous” you hum at her words, “and that’s okay, baby” you remind her and she instantly calms down.

“yeah, i know” she sighs, “i miss you, i can’t wait to see you tonight” she grins, fiddling with the ends of her shorts. you giggle into the phone, “i miss you too baby, i’m very excited to see you” you both chatter back and forth before you hung up.

“i better see clinton on your back, babe, i love you!” she calls out into the phone before she hangs up, getting rushed onto the bus. you laugh, already wearing the england jersey with your girl’s name on the back. like you were a rooke, tsk.

—

you sat with her family in the stands, understanding why grace was so jittery. you watch her train and she looks pale, there’s so much riding on this. she wants to do well, she needs to do well. she needs to impress you.

she waves at you shyly when she spots you, you smile at her brightly, holding your hands up in a heart shape to make her giggle, and it thankfully works. she mimics your gesture, making you giggle as well. you both calmed down after that.

—

the match concludes and she does extremely well, the look of pride on both of your faces was infectious. you cheer loudly when they do a lap of appreciation. and like usual, when she completes her signatures and pictures and walks over to the friends and family section. 

she smiles up at you from the bottom of the pitch, ushering with her hand to come down to where she was.

you smile at her shyly, walking around others to reach her, and when you do, you don't think you’ve ever seen her smile so brightly. “hello, beautiful” she pulls you in by your waste to hug you tenderly, kissing your cheek before she rests her head on your shoulder to feel closer to you. 

“hi, superstar” you hug her tightly, the barrier making it a little difficult but you both didn’t care. she pulls back to look at you, to really look at you. she may have just debut and reached one of biggest goals of her life, but you’re really the best achievement in her life.

“you’re sure about this?” grace questions, eyes flickering between your own in concern, you smile softly, brushing a stray hair from her forehead and tucking it tenderly behind her ear.

“i’m sure, lovey” she smiles at your words, breathing out happily as she took in your appearance before she placed her hand onto your jaw.

she pulls you into a soft kiss, tame for the public but so incredibly meaningful. you hear the distant cheering of everyone, but it's drowned out with feeling grace’s lips move with yours. it lasts for a couple seconds before she pulls away, resting her forehead on yours.

both of you smile, holding each other tightly, slightly in shock that you were both now official to the public. “finally” she teases, pinching your hip, you laugh, hitting her arm softly before leaning in to peck her lips.

you both see people holding up phones, chattering and talking about the two of you but you both really didn’t care. you had each other and that is all that matters.

though, what you both didn’t expect was the overwhelming amount of support you both gained out of this. the worry was honestly for nothing.

⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆ ★ ⋆

you know the drill - pretend it’s you!! ily celin

liked by alessia and 44,232 others

graceclinton_x: she's a big softy

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↳ graceclinton_x: thanks guys.

[xjulixred45x]

Heyyyyyyyyyy! I was wondering if I could request a grounding scenario with Yan!Big Bro Gojo x Reader!Little Sister (probably 14-17 age range for Reader).

The situation:

They live together and he’s raising her seeing as there’s a bit of an age gap between them. She misbehaves and breaks a few of his rules because she’s in a teenage rebellion phase. He gets fed up with trying to be patient with her and gets to a breaking point where a grounding punishment turns into pure isolation and hell for Reader.

If this isn’t your regular type of request, I understand. Love ya so much, homie! Take care of yourself. 🖤🖤🖤🤘🤘🤘

First of all, thank you! I will take care as much as i can :3

And second: YEEEEESSS PLATONIC YANDERE!!! And Gojo again, this is gonna be SCARY!

Platonic Yandere Satoru Gojo x Teenage! Reader: Grounding

Genre: Headcanons

Reader: female

Warnings: PLATONIC YANDERE BEHAVIOR, ISOLATION, UNHEALTY MINDSET, MANIPULATION, GENERAL YANDERE BEHAVIOR, mental consequences of isolation, reader is a teen, i think is all.

a little context.

You and Satoru have a considerable age difference. and a considerable POWER difference. But it's the only thing you've known since you were kids.

You grew accustomed to his antics, his monstrous ego, but also his ridiculous rules.

I mean, you knew that it was normal to live overprotected because the Gojo clan, but especially Satoru, had many enemies, you could tolerate that. Not being okay, but you could accepted it.

But the older you got, the more ridiculous other things your brother made you do became annoy.

For example, never train, never try to improve on your own, his excuse? "You don't need it, I'm the strongest, why should you be strong?" In general being a full of himself asshole.

not being able to go out on your own without him, SPECIFICALLY HIM, which was becoming an uncomfortable thing, how much more did you want to have your own privacy and, well, you know, YOUR OWN LIFE APART FROM HIM. But I would come out with some manipulative shit.

"Why don't you want to be with your brother who loves you so much? Do you hate me?" things like that.

Not to mention he was super clingy. and no respect for personal space or your comfort, always treating you like a damn baby "who's my little baby sis? You're gonna stay with me forever Right? So i can watch over you"

Truth being told, you love your brother, but you HATE the way he always look down to you. You were FED UP of all of his ridiculous rules and stupid games.

So, when you were of the age to enter Jujustu Academy, you saw an opportunity, whether it was to prove to yourself or your brother your independence, it didn't matter, it was something you couldn't miss.

You began to reveal yourself, at first smaller things like talking back to Satoru when he said something too sweet for your taste or when he infantilized you.

Then do something more bolder like snap at him saying you were NOT a baby anymore, that you GROW UP and he NEEDED to see that you are not his "baby little sis" anymore. You give him an ultimátum.

To say that Satoru was surprised was an understatement, he even seemed a little hurt. but obviously I don't take it very seriously. as usual.

He thought you were simply trying to liven things up and he allowed it, he tried to be patient with you since you were in that special stage where teenage girls revealed themselves to their families.

Satoru thought that this was only temporary and even fun.

at first.

because then you started to gain confidence in doing things behind his back like training on your own, which, okay, he could TOLERATE it only because you stopped as soon as he came back and he had your full individual attention again, but he felt the change in your damn energy.

how you were getting stronger and more confident without him.

and he didn't like it at all.

But I didn't think that deserved a reprimand beyond a scolding or, at most, no sweets after dinner.

Satoru simply loved spoiling you.

He wanted to feel that he was still in control of the situation and OF YOU above all. that when he decided, you would stop all this about not wanting him around, that everything would return to normal.

he should have known better.

because then you started with a more risky step. going outside Gojo's property when he was away.

Again, it was the most difficult so far, not only because of your recent rebellion, everyone was watching you like hawks, but also because of your own fear of the consequences you could have from your brother.

He wouldn't do anything to you if he EVER found out, right? TRUE??

There was a way to find out...

and you did, you left the property and didn't return until two days later.

and it was fucking MAGICAL for you.

finally! being able to go out alone! being able to go where you wanted instead of where Satoru dragged you! being able to eat something other than sweets! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!

And to make matters worse, Satoru didn't return from his mission until about 3 days after you returned, the chances of him knowing were low. and I don't act any different.

You felt like you had gotten away with it.

without knowing it was like that because that's how Satoru wanted it.

I'm not going to lie, he was VERY angry when they informed him that you had run away, how fucking dare you? After everything he did and DOES for you? But since you returned shortly after, he calmed down. Maybe.

His patience was already wearing thin with you. and he felt like at this rate, anything, and I mean seriously, ANYTHING would send him into a spiral.

so you can imagine how he reacted when he saw that you had plans to enroll in Jujustu Tech....

His patience snapped like a stretched rope...

And he knew exactly what he NEEDED to do...

The last thing you remembered before being thrown into this place was how scared you were when you saw Satoru.

It wasn't because you knew why he was after you at that moment, but when you saw his eyes-look, you grew up looking into his eyes, they didn't generate the same type of concern in you as they did for the others. you were never able to see DANGER in them (even if you knew damn well you should have)--

You just...hadn't seen your brother as a danger to you. UNTIL THAT MOMENT.

See how angry he was and how he practically dragged you to wherever you were now, completely in the dark, with nothing to do or apparently not even a place to lie down.

You tried to hit the door that Satoru put you through but it was impossible, it was sealed.

Your own brother had sealed you. in a dark room. Just because you wanted to get rid of him.

You tried to break the surrounding walls, it was futile, again. break the floor? also. and there was no opening.

While you were doing this you were yelling at Satoru, what the hell was on his mind? I had to get you out of there. What was I going to do? Lock you up until you gave in? Has he become fucking crazy?!

It was his plan, yes. Making you "miss him" through isolation.

Maybe that would make you reconsider about the good Big brother you had asshole

and well, isolation never did anyone any good. including you.

You practically had no other distraction than your own mind, you tried to stay sane by doing things like math, or exercise, but they burned out your brain and your body very quickly.

Not to mention that every day due to the lack of exits or sunlight you were becoming physically weaker, which made you rely more on your imagination.

but that wasn't such a good idea.

Before you thought about how you were going to get rid of your brother, how you were going to become a sorceress of your own kind, make friends, learn.

but now everything went down the drain.

and for the person who claims to love you more than anyone else.

yes, you felt like you hated him, but at the same time you were SO desperate for any human interaction at this point. No one was allowed to interact with you to lighten the punishment.

The staff left you food, yes, but they didn't interact with you, which made everything more painful.

You felt like every day was worse. that you were more in your head, reliving the good times with your brother and other members of the clan so as not to fall into madness, but you felt increasingly weaker.

It was even difficult for you to eat at this pace. You would have seriously considered harming yourself if it hadn't been for Satoru changing the cutlery for a spoon-fork...

It's like he's teasing you, keeping an eye on you but not taking you out. as if to say "I'm waiting for you to give up"

and then one day...seeing your thin body, how you haven't bathed in what seems like weeks, and with the possibility of going back to normal and just...forget about this...you do it...you give up .

When Satoru FINALLY gets you out of the place and they go back to State, you're surprised to see the staff drastically cut, but at this point? It doesn't matter much anymore.

as long as Satoru doesn't leave you alone again. let it be so.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

Thanks for the Request! I hope You enjoy it❤️

[osaemu]

・𖠗 EMAILS I CAN'T SEND EVENT !

with songs featuring gojo, geto, dazai, chuuya, and childe !

BEFORE YOU LISTEN . . .

careful, there's gonna be some pretty mature themes headin' in . . . sex, cheating, overthinking, y'know, the usual. it's hard being hot !

WHAT'S THE ALBUM ABOUT ?

well, i heard some guys from jujutsu kaisen, bungo stray dogs, and genshin impact are involved in the drama, maybe you know them !

TRACK 9: NONSENSE "baby i'm in too deep, here's a lil' song i wrote, it's about you and me"

꒰ pop star!reader x secret lover!gojo

being a pop star is tough, and maintaining a relationship alongside it is even harder. good thing you have a boyfriend to share the nights with, but what happens when those night-time specials start seeping into your daytime routine?

TRACK 10: FAST TIMES "tiptoeing past so many stages, but what the fuck is patience?"

꒰ coworkers with benefits ft. pm boss!chuuya

being a mafia boss is hard, and the stress that comes with it could kill. so, your boss's solution is to take it out on his pretty little secretary — you. one thing leads to another, and soon it becomes a regular thing. it's okay, it's not like he's gonna fuck you during work hours, right?

TRACK 11: SKINNY DIPPING "if we could take it all off and just exist, and skinny dip in water under the bridge"

꒰ break up –> make up ft. criminal!geto

when you found out he wasn't who he said he was, you dumped him on the spot, and after that you didn't see him for nineteen days. so what happens on the twentieth day when you run into him at your local coffee shop, and how did it end with his dick in your mouth?

TRACK 13: DECODE "you're good at impersonating someone who cares, and you had me for a minute there"

꒰ actor!reader x actor!dazai

your co-star is known for his acting prowess, and maybe he's just a little too good, because even when the lights are down and no cameras in sight, you can never seem to figure out if he means what he says. even when he's drunk in your sheets, every word seems carefully calculated to get something out of you — who knows what he wants?

TRACK 15: FEATHER "your signals are mixed, you act like a bitch, you fit every stereotype, send a pic"

꒰ it girl!reader x fuckboy!gojo

you're everything, and he's just another fuckboy. but even though he's the biggest dickhead you've ever met, you can't deny that he's very, very attractive. so what happens when you have one too many drinks and end up moaning his name all night long?

TRACK 16: LONESOME "did you think about her face with your hands around my waist? did you even give a fuck?"

꒰ exes with benefits ft. fuckboy!childe

you probably shouldn't still sleep with the boy who ruined your life, but hey, he's the only one who knows how to fuck you just right. even if he made you cry for a week straight, you'd rather be crying out his name than wallowing in self-pity at home. and it's not like you're gonna get back together with him, are you?

TRACK 17: THINGS I WISH YOU SAID "i saw you met somebody and i'm jealous as hell, that i can't even stomach loving somebody else"

꒰ cheating ft. ex boyfriend!dazai

maybe it's wrong to cheat on your current boyfriend with your ex, but you never moved on and apparently, neither did he. and shit, he's just as skillful with his words as ever, so just one night wouldn't hurt, right?

SO, WHEN CAN I HEAR THE STORIES ?

well, hannah'll tell you whenever she feels like it, but who knows what order she's whisper them to you in ? it'll be a surprise ~

CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHEN THE STORY'S OUT ?

there's no taglist or anythin', but you can check back here to see if anything's leaked yet ! ++ maybe follow hannah and her tag, 'cause she said she'll post updates there . . . #✧ — emails i can't send

have fun listening! reblogs very appreciated xoxo –> signed, hannah

[waywardxrhea]

Tuna-Tober Day 17 - George Weasley

pairing: George Weasley x gn!reader

prompt: Tickling

word count: 553 ish

content: tooth rotting fluff

tuna-tober masterlist / main masterlist

“Can anyone tell me what made Wendelin the Weird go down in Wizarding history?” asked Professor Binns, which almost made you slip out of your trance-like stupor that his voice never failed to cause.

Wendelin, however, was one of your special interests as a child after getting her on a chocolate frog card, and you knew everything there was to know about her. So, you raised your hand as you blinked hard to refocus your eyes. After Binns called on you using the wrong name, you began to answer, “Wendelin was known for being burned at the stake at least forty-seven times during the medieval period. She used the flame freezing charm which allowed her to feel a pleasant tick-”

You stopped mid-sentence as you suddenly were overwhelmed with a tickling sensation taking over your whole body. Giggles began to burst forth out of your mouth and you tried to finish between them. “Tickling sensation-” Your giggles turned into full on laughs as you clutched your middle. “She- She used- hah! a different dis- Hahahah! Disguise every time. The Muggles-”

By then, Professor Binns had finally begun paying attention to you and sent you a glare as he said sternly, “This is no laughing matter. Whatever has come over you, I advise you to cut it out. This will be on the exam.”

“Finite,” you heard whispered from the desk behind you before the tickling sensation subsided. It was George’s voice followed by a quiet chuckle.

You took a deep breath to calm yourself before saying, “My apologies Professor. The Muggles were terrified of magic at the time, but they were very bad at identifying it. Many witches and wizards would pretend to scream while standing in the flames before simply leaving when the Muggles had gone. There are theories that Wendelin even travelled to America to be burned at the stake there, but because of the disguises and transfiguration she used, it is hard to say if it was really her.”

“I prefer to teach about the facts of the matter. Class, disregard the last bit of information given in that answer,” Binns said before turning toward the blackboard and beginning to drone on again.

When class let out after what felt like forever, everyone began filing out of the classroom. After you latched your bag carrying your books, you felt an arm grab your waist and pull you aside and into their embrace. Your lips were captured in a sweet kiss that you smiled into. After pulling away a few moments later, you lightly slapped George’s chest as you chastised, “George Weasley! What were you thinking casting the tickling charm on me in the middle of me answering Binns?”

“That it had been too long since I heard your sweet laugh,” he replied before sneaking another kiss as he chuckled.

“You had me laughing for five minutes before class over a joke you told!” you countered, joining in on his laughter.

“And I think that every moment not hearing you laugh is a moment wasted,” he said.

“You’re a real charmer, you know that?”

“And you love that about me,” he teased.

“That I do,” you said, a smile settling onto your lips as you separated just enough to grab each other’s hand and walk to the Great Hall for lunch.

[sungiejpg]

WHY ME?; na jaemin [smau]

17. the worst nightmare + written (after each 3 photos!)

𓂃⊹pairing: jaemin x f!reader

𓂃⊹tags: college au, enemies to lovers, smau, humour, reversed trope

𓂃⊹synopsis: he is known as the nicest guy on the faculty who gets along with everyone, well…maybe not everyone

𓂃⊹warnings: suggestive messages/topics

ignore how bad the narration might be 😭 I didn’t have enough time.

“So, Jaemin,” Y/n and Jisung’s mother called him while he was finishing preparing the table with Jisung’s help, he already had a bad feeling regarding the conversation. “Did you see that my big baby finally got a boyfriend?” She said smiling, Jaemin already knew their mother always wanted Y/n to get into a relationship. Bingo.

“Oh, they are not dating,” Jaemin clarified while trying not to sound pissed off about the topic. Although, why would he get pissed off, it’s not like he cares.

“Not yet,” their mother replied, still smiling. Jaemin loved that woman, she always treated him like a son, but this exact day he wasn’t that fond of her.

“Mom! Please don’t say that when Y/n comes,” Jisung jumped in the conversation trying to shush his own mother, something that made Jaemin appreciate him even more.

“I know I know”, she repeated, “but wouldn’t that be cute?” she asked while looking at Jaemin and completely ignoring her own son, who was pretending to vomit.

“Haechan is not cute,” Jaemin replied, trying to maintain his composure. But again, he doesn’t care if they date, does he?

“Aw, our Jaeminnie,” she screamed. “Always taking care of my kids,” their mom said while pinching his cheeks. He just smiled awkwardly.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom then,” Jaemin said, exiting the room as a way to end the conversation and forget about it forever if possible.

No later than 4 mins you came, not without praying internally Jisung wasn’t already dead because of a spider or something, since you took longer than intended.

“Mom?” you asked when you saw your mother smiling standing in your kitchen and a kinda scared Jisung next to her. Well, not more than yourself, you could already tell what the topic of the night was going to be. “What are you doing here?”

“Aw my baby! I missed you so much” she screamed, running to hug you, which you reciprocated. “I came here since it’s been long since I last saw you and I wanted to have dinner with my two babies”.

“And?” You asked, already sensing what she was going to say.

“and I also invited someone special for dinner too,” she finally said after breaking the hug, Jisung smiling awkwardly, or scared, next to her. Kill me now, you thought, knowing it was going to be your biggest nightmare these days.

“Mom, don’t tell my is Jaemin, please.” Although you could already tell it was going to be him.

“He is already here, he went to the bathroom,” Jisung replied instead, still maintaining a nervous smile, which made you even more nervous.

“But I meant someone special for you,” your mom answered. Oh yeah, exactly, why would Jaemin be special to you. Wait, you thought, no way.

“Don’t tell me is…” But you weren’t able to finish your sentence since your doorbell rang, showing your biggest nightmare, fuckass Lee Haechan. Jisung is so dead, you thought.

“Hi family!” Haechan greeted everyone, not without smirking when he saw your face. And if things couldn’t get worse, it was at that moment when Jaemin came back from the bathroom and looked confused at you two. Jisung is so so so so dead.

“Well,” you said while putting your phone down after your mother and jisung left, not without her pinching Jaemin’s cheeks and saying he should go see her soon. You still don’t know how that even happened, since when was he that close?

“It’s been long since we last talked properly, only both of us,” Jaemin said, trying to make the situation less awkward. Who would have told you two months ago that you would be awkward with Jaemin, not because you hated him, but because you wanted him…

“I don’t think this counts,” definitely not awkward at all. Both of you were still in the corridor next to the door.

“So Haechan and you, huh?” he said while getting a bit closer to you, sounding a bit pissed off. Why would he? Maybe because Haechan was his friend?

“Not you too, I would rather light myself on fire than date him” quite literally. You even thought about doing it while your mom was trying to set both of you up during the dinner. Also poor Jisung, who had to listen to all of that.

“Hey, he’s still my friend,” Jaemin joked while smirking and still getting closer to you. If he kept doing that you would jump on him and bite his head off, out of excitement, not hatred. “Is he that bad?”

“Well, he isn’t I guess” you sincerely replied, “but I don’t like him, romantically I mean.” That coming off way more awkward than you intended since Jaemin was way closer than before.

“Romantically? So,” he said still getting closer, he smelled like vanilla, of course he did. “So do you like someone?”

“Maybe?”

One second he is smirking and the next second his tongue is tangled with yours, making your heart rate increase. Maybe this is where you die. After what felt like an eternity, he pulling back from the kiss and looking at you confused, as if he wasn’t the one initiating it. However, both of you heard the sound of keys.

“Well, bye,” he blurted out as soon as he heard Jisung out of the flat, opening the door.

“What do you mean by well bye?” You screamed, but he already left half running, leaving Jisung and you confused. What the fuck just happened.

“What’s going on? He didn’t even take his jacket with him,” Jisung mumbled, but you didn’t listen to that, too busy trying to grasp the situation.

𓂃before | 𓂃next

[odinsblog]

“Yeah, I mean, in 2018 was the first Shakespeare and race festival that I curated at the Globe. And at that time, there was less vitriol, but it was more like, why are we talking about Shakespeare and race? Shakespeare's got nothing to do with race.

So that led me to thinking about writing this book. But it was in 2020, when I launched the anti-racist Shakespeare webinars, that there was a horrible backlash, very racist backlash. And my own ethnic origins were brought into the conversation.

Oh, she's a woman of color. That's why she's talking about race. And actually, I had been at the Globe for 17 years by that point, you know?

And so that backlash is about ownership. It's about people feeling that something is being taken away from them.

And after the Black Lives movement, Black Lives Matter movement went global, and organizations like museums and galleries and theaters started to take it seriously, that's when you started to see a really racist backlash against any kind of progressive movement, whether it's in a theater or a museum. And I certainly had to face that in 2020.

I was a little bit worried about it, probably more so in the UK, because I think in the UK there's a special sense of ownership of Shakespeare in the way that there isn't in the US. So I'm American, but I'm also a Pakistani. And so I think it was really, it's a double whammy for the British.

Whereas in America, I feel like I was less worried because Americans don't mind other Americans talking about Shakespeare. So I was in the UK, concerned about that. But I think it obviously didn't stop me because what I'm trying to do is keep Shakespeare around.

And I'm explicitly not advocating canceling Shakespeare. And I think that's what they all thought I was doing when I was running those webinars.

So Shakespeare sets Othello in 16th century Venice, which was a very multicultural society because Venice was a sort of trading giant in this time period. So it was really financially lucrative for them to have people from all backgrounds working and living in Venice. And so it's about a Black African, known as a Moor in that time period, who was the captain of the Venetian army.

And it starts with another member of the army sort of screaming and shouting outside the door or window of a fellow's now father-in-law saying that, basically shouting a lot of racist epithets about how his daughter, his white daughter, has married a Black man. And she's done so without her father's consent. So it starts with this idea of there's been some sort of violation.

A Black man has married a white woman, and this is a problem.

So it ends up at the court of the Duke who is dealing with other issues because the Turks are now circling around their outpost in Cyprus, and they need Othello to do some work for them and to fight off the Turks. So the Duke says, oh, look, it's okay. It's fine. You know, Othello is a great guy. We've all worked with him. We know him really well.

And that's when the line comes out: He is far more fair than Black.

And what he's saying there is that essentially, look, he doesn't act Black. He acts white. He acts like us. So let's just be okay with this.

And so what you have there is a situation in which somebody who has kind of violated a kind of racial code in Venetian society is given a pass because he's very useful to that society. What happens in the rest of the play is that lago works on him and tries to convince him that his wife is having an affair with his lieutenant.

And unfortunately, Othello believes him, and they plot to murder Desdemona, and they do. He does. And it's a heartbreaking, heart-wrenching play.

And what's difficult about it is that it seems to fulfill stereotypes about Black men and Black masculinity. So it's always been a bit of a problem to stage. So yeah, it's a fantastic play, though.

It's a real sort of exploration of interracial relationships in a white-dominant society.

Yeah, I think it's harder in classrooms. And that's something that I actually been thinking about how to address a colleague of mine, and I've been discussing it. Because a lot of teachers, especially white teachers, aren't necessarily equipped to have a conversation about race that isn't going to make all the students in the room feel objectified or uncomfortable.

And so what I'm trying to, what I also get at the book is about discomfort, being able to lean into the discomfort of having conversations. And Shakespeare, for him, he was an advocate of discomfort. You were not comfortable when you went to see a Shakespearean tragedy.

He didn't want you to be.

And so we should try and be comfortable in the classroom. And there are productions who have tried very hard to lean into the racial tension and angst in the play.

But often it can be unsuccessful, particularly if it's a white director that sees too much optimism in the play. And says, oh, this play really, it's not about race. It's about redemption of characters who've been singled out for some reason.

I'm like, well, the reason is race.

My goal was always to show how it rears its head, even in the moments that are the most unexpected or that seems innocuous.

But what is interesting is that in a lot of his comedies, he's using anti-Black racism as a source of humor. And, you know, that would have made people laugh, some of the comments that you hear in some of his most delightful comedies. And because the racism isn't the undercurrent of the play, that it's easy to miss it.

So you'll just get all of a sudden a comment like Much Ado About Nothing, where the character Benedict is talking with his friend Claudio about a woman that Claudio has a crush on. And he says, oh, she's too brown for a fair praise. And that would have made people laugh.

What he's saying is that she's not attractive enough to praise her, and fair in that time was a very elite form of whiteness. It meant beautiful and virtuous and white with a luster or a shine, and that shine is the virtue of a woman. And no woman of color could ever achieve that, because she's not white enough.

So he's saying that this woman is too brown, even if she's not brown, but he's using brown as a way of denigrating people of color.

But I think Shakespeare is still valuable for us because of the contemporary nature of some of the issues that he raises in his plays.

I mean, there's a great speech in Midsummer Night's Dream where he talks about the destruction of the planet because of the way people are behaving towards each other. And the powerful resonance of that today just is unmissable. So Shakespeare is able to articulate or help you to think about questions that are so urgent in your own moment.

I think other writers need to be brought into dialogue with Shakespeare. If you teach Othello, teach Toni Morrison's Desdemona, right?

It's incredibly lucrative intellectually and emotionally to keep Shakespeare in the curriculum.”

—Farah Karim Cooper: Director of Education at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and author of The Great White Bard, How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race

[badbatchsprincess]

Heated ~ pt.10

Pt.1 ~ Pt.2 ~ Pt.3 ~ Pt.4 ~ Pt.5 ~ Pt.6 ~ Pt.7 ~ Pt.8 ~ Pt.9 ~ Pt.10 ~Pt.11 ~ Pt.12 ~ Pt.13 ~ Pt.14 ~ Pt.15 ~ Pt.16 ~ Pt.17 ~ Pt.18 ~ Pt.19 ~ Pt.20 ~ Pt.21 ~ Pt.22 ~ Pt.23 ~ Pt.24 ~ Pt.25

Masterlist

Summary: This is an ABO Bad batch!Poly x Omega Reader smut with a plot. This takes place as an AU before order 66. Y/N previously served under the 501st before being transferred to Special Forces 99. This is her adventure with these rowdy Alphas in a quickly changing universe.

THIS IS AN ABO AU ABOUT THE BAD BATCH (NO CANON OMEGA!) Due to the unfortunate situation of her name being Omega… Omega the child from the canon series is not going to be apart of this fanfic/porn with a plot. I feel obligated to put this warning in because it makes my skin crawl thinking anyone could make that mistake. 

Warnings: tooth rotting cuteness and domestic bliss... no other warnings. Next chapter will have some drama.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

The glowing candlelight was truly the final touch that set the mood in your small, government-sanctioned living quarters. The holoscreen played the last few episodes of Real Housewives of Upper Coruscant in the background as you pulled out some ingredients for dinner.

A soft knock on the door interrupted your preparations, and you checked the time—it was definitely Layla.

“Come in!” You called from the kitchen.

The door whooshed open, and Layla entered backward, maneuvering a hover cart filled with all the delicious meals Echo and the boys loved so much.

“Ah! Thank you!” You smiled, dropping the kitchen rag to help her settle the items.

“Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy down in the stockroom, but they didn’t give me any trouble luckily,” she said, blowing a loose strand of hair away from her face before taking a seat on one of your barstools.

“Today was interesting,” Layla giggled, grabbing a drink from the stash.

“Tell me about it,” you shook your head. “I literally can’t believe Skywalker sometimes... ever since Ahsoka...”

“He cares. More than a Jedi should, I think, but he has a good heart,” Layla sipped her drink.

You grabbed some Felucian wine and poured yourself a glass. “He needs a pup to fuss over.”

“Is that even allowed?” Layla asked.

“Definitely not,” you sighed.

“Well, you’re the next best thing then, the only omega in his direct vicinity,” Layla replied.

You nodded in agreement, but you knew that wasn’t entirely true. Too many times you had caught the General sneaking off with Rex’s help to go talk to a mystery woman when you were stationed on long tours. You also noticed a few times he had come back smelling like omega when off duty. You never said anything, but Anakin wasn’t like the other Jedi. He felt everything so deeply; you knew it would have been impossible for him to be as pious as the others.

But Anakin was the Chosen One; you trusted him to do the right thing. He was one of the most loyal men you’d ever known, besides Rex and his boys. They were an extremely close group that you were so thankful to have been welcomed into.

You cleared your throat, trying to focus on something else. “I thought he was going to take the speculum himself,” you laughed.

“Nearly did,” Layla chuckled. “Can he really read thoughts?”

“Yup,” you nodded.

“Like... anyone’s thoughts?” She sounded nervous.

“Yes? Why?” You smirked.

She poked her tongue into her cheek. “I may or may not have been thinking about Fox...” she cringed.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m pretty sure he had to witness all the points of view of me in heat from my entire unit during the briefing with the Chancellor,” you sighed.

The two of you looked at each other for a moment of silence before bursting out into hysterical laughter.

“Oh my gods!” She screamed, wiping away tears from laughing so hard. “Nooooo!”

“Ahhh!” You wheezed, setting down your wine glass. “I’m literally horrified.”

“Is that why he almost burst into the exam room?!” She howled. “You were thinking about... them?”

“You asked me about it! Of course, I was thinking about it!” You screeched.

The laughing only got worse. You two got to the point of begging the other to stop laughing from the pain.

“That’s why he was so deranged!” She huffed, getting her hysterics under control.

You sighed, taking in a deep breath to calm yourself too.

“Ugh,” you wiped your eyes. “I thought the worst of it was that I’d show up in this awful dress. I wish you could have seen it, Layla, oh my god, I was fighting for my life on that tarmac... It was even making the Guard act up. Skywalker was so mad,” you leaned against the counter for support.

“Do you think he’s actually mad?” She asked, taking a bigger sip of her wine.

“Gods, I hope not,” you sighed. “I don’t even know what he thinks. Probably thinks they’re taking advantage of me.”

“Are they?” Layla asked cautiously.

“No! Oh no... if anything, I was taking advantage of them.”

She raised a brow.

“That came out wrong,” you scrambled. “It was more of a pre-discussed arrangement. It was getting so bad I didn’t have another option. They wanted me to choose one... but the horny omega in me wanted all of them,” you chewed your lip.

“How did that even work?” She asked, intrigued. This was like the dirt nasty holonovels she had just finished. “They didn’t try to kill each other?”

“Shockingly no,” you replied, wanting to dish. “I think because they’re so used to sharing everything, it didn’t bother them much... except Crosshair.”

“Is that the sniper?” She leaned forward. “He’s hot... in, like, a dark, tortured kind of way.”

“Yeah,” you chewed your lip. “He’s more possessive than the others, but even he shared with a little strong-arming.”

“And the sergeant?”

“Hunter?” You smiled. “He’s so hot, girl. Oh my god,” you fanned yourself. “He seemed really worried about the whole thing, but then he told me he’s been interested for almost a year now, and I didn’t have any clue. He was on Skako Minor, apparently.”

“Are all their...” She made a motion to her crotch. “The same?” She giggled.

You shook your head, and she gasped.

“The demolition expert, Wrecker, has a massive—” Layla cut you off with a scream.

You laughed, watching her react.

“I couldn’t walk straight.”

“And the smart one with the glasses?” She was so curious.

“He’s secretly super dominant,” you confessed. “Him and Crosshair like to double team.”

She screamed again, and you chuckled, taking a sip from your glass. The TV droned in the background as the two of you caught up, totally forgetting about the dinner you were supposed to be cooking.

“Oh shoot, hold on, I forgot our food!” You skipped around the kitchen, grabbing two of the meals from the crate. When you opened the boxes and started getting to work, Layla interrupted you to change the subject.

“I saw something weird come through earlier,” she pulled her data pad from her purse. “It’s a message from Fives.” She slid the tablet towards you.

You took it while the food was warming in the pan. On the screen was a memo from your friend. It read: "There was an accident with Tup. They’re taking him back to Kamino, but I think something is very wrong. He killed a Jedi. I’ll let you know more when I have an update.”

You looked at her, and she shrugged.

“Why did he send this to you?” You were curious.

“We may have gotten a little closer when you were recovering after Crait,” she blushed a bit.

“You and Fives?” You were surprised, then you narrowed your eyes with a devilish smirk. “Echo’s told me about Fives’ adventurous tastes...”

She flushed red. “He’s definitely like no other I’ve ever had... he did this thing with his tongue—”

A knock at the door cut her off.

“It’s open!” You yelled.

In walked just the man you were thinking about. “Speak of the devil.”

“Huh?” Echo looked perplexed walking into the living room. He closed the door behind him and spun around, standing at attention, noticing Layla lounging at your kitchen island, drink in hand.

“Ma’am,” he was acting stiff and nervous.

You smirked.

“You met my friend Layla, right?” You were suddenly getting ideas of revenge.

“Yes,” he nodded. “On General Skywalker’s Venator.”

“Good to see you, Echo,” she smiled.

“You as well,” he looked to you, a little stunned.

“Layla brought the meals you boys like so much,” you gestured to the crate floating in the corner of the room.

“Oh, thank you,” you saw the excitement in his eyes.

“You want some chow?” You pointed to the stove.

“If you have enough...” he could smell how delicious it was from the living room.

“Just don’t tell the others,” you smiled, motioning him to sit down. “They’re going to start to think I have favorites.”

“Do you have favorites?” Layla waggled her eyebrows.

“Oh no, you don’t get to rag on me too,” you pointed the spatula at her.

Echo took a seat, one stool over from Layla. She poured him a glass of wine and angled her body to face him.

“So you’re an ARC trooper?” She eyed him up and down, taking in his armor.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he turned to face her too.

“What’s that like?” She sipped her drink.

“Same as the others, we’ve just got more training,” he replied.

“He’s being modest. It means he’s a badass,” you shook your head, stirring the vegetables.

Echo huffed a laugh, and Layla scooted closer. “Badass, huh?”

“You could say that.”

“Get into all sorts of trouble, huh?” She didn’t shy away from staring. She locked in on his muscly arms and defined jaw.

“You have no idea,” he gave her a charming smile.

“As much as I love watching whatever this is,” you waved between them, “Echo, did you need something?”

“I came to pick up my civvies,” he eyed Layla, making her preen under his attention.

“Down the hall to the right. There’s a coat closet. Yours is on the top shelf over Tech’s,” you waved in the general direction. He smiled and stood up, walking through the living room down the hall. Following your directions, he picked up a black hoodie and his cybernetic arm. He shed his armor and top, making Layla drool.

You just shook your head, turning back to the food before it burned. Grabbing a few plates, you began dividing the portions and setting them down on the island.

Echo came back, adjusting his cybernetic arm, flexing the fingers, getting used to having a hand instead of the scomp again. He pushed up the hoodie sleeves to sit down and dig into his portion.

“Better?” You asked, and he nodded.

“No one cooks like you, Tiny,” he mumbled between bites.

“Glad you like it,” you took a bite yourself, enjoying the warm meal.

The three of you chatted idly while finishing up your plates. Echo helped you clean up while Layla pulled out the ingredients to make fresh cookies.

“Echo? Do you still talk with Fives?” You asked, drying the plate before putting it away.

“On occasion. I prefer to catch up with him in person on leave,” he helped put the wine glasses up on the higher shelves.

“He sent Layla a scary message.”

Layla brought over her data pad, handing it to him. He took it and read through the message, looking worried.

“He killed a Jedi?” Echo was in disbelief. “That’s literally impossible. We’re programmed not to.”

"Thats what I was thinking," you sighed, crossing your arms.

"Something must be seriously wrong then," Echo shook his head. "I can’t imagine what though."

"Do we tell the others?" you asked.

She shook his head. "I don’t think it’s relevant. Probably just a malfunction in his makeup."

You nodded.

Then there was another knock on your door. "Wow, I’m popular tonight."

You walked over to the door, opening the hatch. There stood the bad batch.

"Hi boys," you waved them in. "Just in time to help make cookies."

Hunter stepped in first, helmet in hand. The others filed in close behind.

"Do you have our civvies, Pip?" Wrecker asked eagerly.

"Yeah, honey, they’re down the hall in the closet!"

Wrecker bounded down the hall excitedly to grab his spare clothes.

"Tech, would you mind helping with this?" You scooted over so he could stand over the big bowl. "I trust you to make proper measurements."

He washed his hands and returned to assist.

"How were your exams?" Layla asked, kicking out a barstool for Hunter to sit on.

"Clean bill of health," the sergeant replied.

"Good. Barely recognize you; last time I saw you, you were trying to pounce my friend," Layla winked at him.

He heard your heart accelerate and your scent change, then turned to face you. "You told her?"

"She figured it out," you held the measuring cup as Tech poured the sugar.

"An experienced doctor would be able to detect such activities from a pelvic exam, which we all witnessed her having earlier today," Tech skillfully leveled out the sugar before letting you pour it into the bowl. "Layla is more than qualified to come to such conclusions."

You just nodded and rested your head on Tech’s shoulder, looking to Hunter.

"I won’t tell anyone about the group activities," Layla teased Hunter. "Had to make sure none of you knocked her up."

Hunter choked and paled.

"It came back negative!" You reassured. Hunter visibly relaxed.

"I’m a little disappointed," Layla poured herself another glass of wine. "I wanted to be an auntie."

Tech reached around you to grab the butter, pressing you into the counter with his waist. You stirred the contents diligently, letting Crosshair swipe a finger into the dough for a taste.

Wrecker came bounding back into the living room in his comfies, thrilled to have found one surviving band tee.

"Who’s an auntie?" He asked.

"No one," you shook your head.

"Had Skywalker all bent out of shape," Layla was stirring the pot. Maybe Echo and Layla would be perfect for each other, you realized.

"General Skywalker?" Hunter tried not to sound worried.

"Yeah," Layla giggled. "He reads minds."

The boys suddenly tensed, thinking back to their interactions with the general earlier… they were cooked. They were definitely thinking about the truth while spinning their falsified accounts of the crash.

"Stop worrying them," you grumbled. "Skywalker won’t say anything."

"Is that why he wanted to read your results?" Tech asked, moving your hair out of the way while you mixed everything together.

"Most likely," you sighed, leaning into the pilot.

"Why would the General care?" Crosshair leaned against the kitchen counter, stealing another lick of batter.

Layla pointed to you. "Anakin lost his padawan, treated her like an adopted pup. Y/N became the next best thing for him to worry about."

"Did the padawan die in action?" Wrecker asked.

"No, Ahsoka didn’t die," you poured out the contents of the bowl to start kneading it on the counter. "She left the order after a friend of hers framed her for a murder she didn’t do. Anakin was the only one who believed her; it broke Anakin’s heart when she left."

"He’s not like the other Jedi, is he?" Tech held you from behind.

"No, he’s different," you agreed.

"He’s hot," Layla coughed.

You just shook your head while the others huffed a laugh.

"Ahsoka was my best friend too. I couldn’t bear to be around the others while also grieving her. That’s why I requested the transfer, and Rex sent me to you," you grabbed the rolling pin to start speeding out the cookie dough.

"I’m sorry to hear that, Pip. But I’m not sorry that you ended up with us," Hunter offered you a smile.

You nodded. "Me too."

"What are you watching?" Crosshair pointed his toothpick at the holoscreen.

"Real Housewives of Upper Coruscant," Layla replied. "Maru just found out her husband was having an affair with a Twi’lek stewardess, and she’s losing it."

"Is this non-fiction?" Tech scrutinized the screen.

"It’s called reality TV," Layla nodded.

"This is how people actually live?" Hunter asked, looking at all of the ball gowns and sparkly jewels around their necks.

"Just the one percent," Layla nodded, admiring the emerald dress Maru was wearing.

"This is fascinating," Tech pushed up his glasses to watch the catfight unfolding on screen.

"That was a horrible right hook," Crosshair criticized.

"Ooh!" The whole room exclaimed, watching the Twi’lek cold-cock Maru. The heiress went flying across the screen. Then the husband and security guards started getting involved.

You started cutting out the cookies to place on the baking sheet while everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen.

"This is crazy," Wrecker shook his head, watching the husband and the security guards now going at it after the husband suspects his wife of sleeping with the guard.

"That’s the freedom you boys are fighting for," Layla laughed, finishing off her wine.

"Is this a popular genre of entertainment?" Tech asked, placing the sheets into the oven.

"Oh yeah. This and social media really have the culture in a chokehold," Layla nodded, pulling out her datapad.

"Show them Maru’s ZsaZsa page!" Echo popped a chip into his mouth.

"How do you know about this?" Hunter asked, taking the datapad and scrolling through the promiscuous photos of the TV heiress in her many vacation locations.

"Tiny and I used to download episodes before missions to watch on our downtime," Echo nodded. Of course he would…

"Is that real?" Wrecker pointed to Maru’s massive ass.

"Oh maker no. Cosmetic enhancements," Layla shook her head. "She’s a NovaStar too."

"What’s NovaStar?" Wrecker pondered, looking at the bikini pictures.

"A porn site," you laughed. "She makes content to sell; that’s how she has so much money."

"And she’s married?" Hunter gaped.

"When you got that kind of money, a lot of people are willing to overlook things," Layla tapped another profile, showing him the silliness the influencers of Coruscant are getting up to.

"Well, apparently she’s screwing the security too," Crosshair looked back at the screen, seeing the massive fight unfolding.

"This is like a nature documentary," Tech nodded.

"Civilians are so strange," Hunter shook his head.

"Fives used to have her pictures downloaded to his datapad," Echo laughed.

"Of course he did," you shook your head, checking the baking timer. "Okay, cookies are almost done; go get into your civvies and get comfy on the couch. I want to watch the rest of this."

They scrambled down the hall, looking for their stashed clothes. Everyone came back in their normal clothes, even Tech used the pair of glasses you had specially ordered him last quarterlies so he didn’t have to wear his goggles everywhere. Crosshair came back with a scowl, wearing Tech’s white t-shirt and grey sweats. Not his usual color palette, you stifled a giggle.

Everyone got comfortable on your large L-shaped couch while you pulled the cookies from the oven, letting them cool a bit before spreading some icing on them.

Tech helped you plate up for everyone and handed them out along with some blue milk for Wrecker.

"Okay! Hit play!" You commanded. Echo followed your orders, and you snuggled in between Wrecker and Tech with cookies in hand.

This is how the night continued, all seven of you snuggled up on the couch, sharing blankets and commenting on the latest few episodes. Wrecker polished off a tray of cookies for himself, rumbling with laughter at a joke someone had made on the screen.

Layla was resting her head on Echo’s shoulder as they stalked through the cast’s profiles online, chatting about their latest exploits.

Hunter leaned his head against your leg while he sat on the floor with Crosshair. You mindlessly played with Hunter’s hair when Tech pressed a small kiss to your forehead, making you gleam.

This was nice…

You didn’t dare move from this spot, terrified it would all disappear in a flash. It wasn’t long before the TV switched to something else while all of you had dozed off into peaceful sleep. The only one awake still was Tech, who looked over the whole scene with a sense of accomplishment. He remembered his jealousy at seeing you so comfortable with the 501st. Now he understands the kind of bonding you had needed to feel like this. 

This level of domestic intimacy was what you craved. It intrigued the pilot. He looked down at your slowly rising breasts, holding you close as you slept on his chest. He too was feeling at ease, something he didn’t think he had felt since he was a youngling. Perhaps it was allowing his alpha instincts to actually have what it was designed to.

Tech was so relaxed he didn’t hear Echo’s com ping. The ARC trooper stirred from his slumber, accidentally waking Layla. She just groaned and curled deeper into his side with a sleepy sigh. Echo rubbed his eyes, realizing one of those late-night reruns was playing on the holoscreen. He tapped the incoming message and tried to open his eyes a bit more to read the message clearly.

"What’s wrong?" Layla whispered.

"I think we’re being summoned," Echo yawned, putting his com away. "To Kamino."

"Why?"

"I dunno," he leaned his back onto the pillow, deciding this was a problem for later.

He’d let the others get some much-needed sleep before having to hop back onto a transport to their homeworld.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

Taglist: @substantial-exposure

@rains-on-kamino

@minimissmoo

@z-and-the-batboys

@aynavaano

@9902sgirl

@sideofhorny

[thelazyhermits]

Happy Birthday, Jack!

To celebrate my #1 fav Jack Howl's birthday, I decided to write a little something for him cause I just love him so much 💕💕💕

I can't decide if this is an AU or just something that takes place in the future of my A Twisted Future series after the main story, so I'll just leave that up in the air lol

However, I will say that Jack turns 18 here cause I'm pretty sure everyone's ages in their profiles are their ages at the start of the main story, meaning Jack should be 17 by the end of Book 2, and since my Yuu wasn't close friends with him around the time of his birthday, it just made more sense to skip ahead to the next one.

Also, because this takes place after Yuu has known Jack for a year, he's not really a tsundere here cause of their close relationship and cause he wants to be spoiled on his birthday 🤭💕

Lastly, while my Yuu is female, her gender isn't mentioned here, so Reader is G/N.

“Happy Birthday, Jack!”

As soon as you see Jack approaching your dorm, you take off into a sprint and promptly jump into his arms as soon as he's within reach, unwilling to wait for him to reach your dorm’s front porch since you wanted to hug him as soon as you could.

Just as he has done every other time you’ve done something like this, Jack smoothly catches you and wraps his strong, comforting arms around you, which keep you firmly secure against his broad chest.

While you quickly wrap your arms around his neck and kiss his cheek, Jack chuckles as he gives you a strong squeeze. “Thanks. Considering you’re this energetic, I guess this means I won’t have to worry about you being tired because I made you wake up a lot earlier than usual for today’s run, huh?”

“Of course!” You affectionately nuzzle his cheek. “Regardless of what time I wake up, I’m gonna be full of energy all day ‘cause this is the special day you were born, and I wanna celebrate with you for as long as possible.”

His expression softens as he turns his head, so he can nuzzle your face in return. “And I’m really grateful. Thank you.”

A pleasant warmth envelops your chest when, after he pulls his face away from yours, you see Jack’s noticeably fond expression and the warm, charming grin that’s now resting on his lips.

“Ah~” You release a happy sigh as you affectionately rub your nose against his. “To think, I’d get to start off my day by seeing you looking even more handsome and irresistibly charming than usual. I have zero regrets about waking up extra early.”

He huffs in amusement. “I’m glad you’re so easily satisfied.”

With a grin, you reply, “Oh, I’m not satisfied yet. I won’t be until we give your birthday a proper start-off.”

While Jack raises an amused brow, your grin grows. “In order to ensure you have nothing but good luck on your special day, I gotta give you eighteen kisses since you’re eighteen years old now.”

Rather than make a fuss like he would have in the past, the wolf Beastman just fondly rolls his eyes in response to your words. “Had a feeling that’s where this was going, considering how you are.”

Since that’s all that Jack says, you take that to mean he doesn’t mind your preferred way to start off his birthday, so you immediately get started on peppering his handsome face with all the kisses you promised him.

However, that’s not the only thing that you do.

“I love you so much.”

“You’re so important to me. You’re seriously one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

“You make me feel so safe. I’m always at ease when I have you at my side. I never have to worry about anything when you’re around.”

“Being wrapped up in your arms is, to me, one of the best places in the world to be.”

“I really admire how hardworking, honest, and reliable you are. You’re so amazing.”

“Thank you for being born and making this world a better place as a result, Jack. I’m so glad that I came to this world and met you - so very, very glad.”

With each kiss, you shower Jack with words of adoration and praise and pull out all the stops with your doting, because, on his special day, he especially deserves all the praise and affection you give him.

All the while, Jack remains silent as his grip on you steadily tightens, and he pulls you impossibly closer in order to ensure there’s absolutely no space between the two of you.

It’s only once you finally stop kissing his face that Jack finally breaks his silence.

Gently cupping your cheek with one of his hands, Jack’s passionate eyes, which aren’t the least bit dulled by the half-mast state they’re currently in, look deeply into yours as he dryly points out, “That was way more than eighteen kisses.”

A playful grin rises to your lips. “Oops~ Guess you caught me. I didn’t think you’d actually count them all. Hehe~”

Not that he really needed to count since it was rather obvious that you gave him way more than eighteen kisses, considering how long you spent kissing him and how you made sure to cover every inch of his face with kisses before finally stopping.

While Jack, who doesn’t appear to be the least bit bothered by all the kisses you gave him, just shakes his head at your antics, you say, “Just think of it as me giving you extra good luck on your special day. With as many kisses as I gave you, you’ve got nothing to worry about now, sweetheart.”

Jack gently strokes your cheek with his thumb as he pulls your face closer to his. “Hmm. I don’t know how I should feel about that, considering your usual luck. If you give me all your good luck, then there’s no telling what kinda trouble you’ll get into today, and I’d rather not have to worry about that on my birthday.”

A rascally grin rises to his lips. “Better give some back to you, just to be on the safe side.”

In a blink, Jack presses his warm lips against your cheek and gives you an incredibly tender kiss that instantly makes your heart melt. 

Much to your immense delight, rather than just stop at one kiss, Jack gives you three more, on your other cheek, your forehead, and your nose, consecutively. 

After he finishes kissing your nose, he murmurs, “Hopefully, that’ll give you enough luck so that I won't have to worry about you today.”

“And if that’s not the case?” You playfully ask as you card your fingers through his hair.

Jack chuckles, “I’ll just give you some more later on then.”

Always happy to receive kisses from Jack, your eyes light up. “Is that a promise?”

Looking noticeably fond, Jack grins, “Yeah, it is.”

“Yay~” You kiss his hand, which is still lovingly cupping your cheek. “Today really is gonna be a great day~”

“Although, I gotta be honest, I’m a little worried now about how today will turn out simply ‘cause, rather than go running and attend class, all I wanna do is spend the whole day wrapped up in your arms.” You add, “It’s gonna take a tremendous amount of willpower on my end to actually do the stuff I need to do when I'd much rather just keep kissing you instead.”

Jack’s grin grows, catching you by surprise. “I know. That’s why I had us get up so early in the first place.”

For a moment, you just stare at him in surprise before you start grinning like him. “Jack Howl, are you admitting you started off our day extra early, just so I could dote on you to my heart’s content this morning?”

With a casual shrug, Jack replies, “I didn’t wanna skip my training or risk running late to class, so I did what I thought was best. Besides-”

Looking slightly embarrassed, he admits, “If I wanna spend time alone with you on my birthday, I gotta make the time for that, considering you always have people around you, and what better time than when everyone else is still fast asleep?”

Feeling so happy you could burst, you hug him for all he’s worth as you kiss his cheek. “Oh, Jack, you silly boy. All you needed to say was that you wanted to spend some time alone with me, and I would’ve made time for you, no matter the time of day.”

“But I don’t mind that you went this route instead since I absolutely love the idea of having you all to myself during these early morning hours.” You nuzzle his cheek. “This really is the perfect way to start off a day.”

After giving you a strong squeeze, Jack nuzzles your face in return. “Agreed.”

--------------------------------------------------------

Even though you really don’t want to do anything other than remain wrapped up in his arms, just as you had said earlier, you eventually allow Jack to set you down, so the two of you can go running together like you both do every morning, because the sooner this morning run is over, the sooner you can return to doting on the birthday boy.

Thankfully, today’s morning run ends up going by rather fast since Jack is apparently just as eager to wrap up this run as you are, considering you both end up jogging at a faster than usual pace.

Upon returning to Ramshackle Dorm, you and Jack split up after making a quick trip to the kitchen to get some water to replenish your fluids, with you heading to the room you share with Grim while he heads to the room he typically uses whenever he spends the night, so you both can take showers and change clothes.

Since Grim is still as fast asleep as he was when you left the room earlier this morning, you move as quietly as you can in order to avoid disturbing him. You also refrain from using your hair dryer after you finish taking your shower and instead just towel-dry it.

After you finish drying your hair and change into some loungewear, you quietly but quickly make your way back downstairs, and that’s where you find Jack, who’s now wearing some of the casual wear he keeps at your dorm, waiting for you.

Even though you want nothing more than to jump right into his lap so you can once again be wrapped up in his comforting embrace, you refrain from doing so since you have a special surprise for the birthday boy that you need to retrieve from the kitchen.

That’s why you instead come to a stop right in front of Jack, who’s seated on one of the lounge couches, with the intention of telling him that you want him to close his eyes, so he won’t see his surprise until you’re ready to present it to him.

Before you can do that, however, Jack catches you by surprise when he abruptly pulls you into his arms and hugs you close to his broad chest.

While a content sigh automatically passes your lips after you find yourself back in one of your all-time favorite places to be, Jack buries his face in your hair and deeply inhales. “You smell really good, Yuu.”

“I know~” You giggle, “I made sure to use the pear-scented shampoo you like so much, and after my shower, I used the prickly pear-scented lotion you love. I wanted to surround you with all your favorite scents on your special day.”

He nuzzles and kisses your hair after giving you a strong squeeze. “Thank you. You didn’t need to go through all that trouble, but I really appreciate it.”

“It was no trouble at all.” You assure him before playfully adding, “Especially if this will lead to lots of extra cuddling and kisses.”

With a laugh, Jack pulls his face away from your hair, so he can fondly look into your eyes. “As if you wouldn’t get what you want regardless.”

You release an exaggerated, offended gasp as you rest a hand over your heart. “Jack, are you insinuating that I would make demands of you on YOUR birthday - the day that’s all about me granting all of YOUR heart’s desires?”

His fingers teasingly trail along your side where he knows you're ticklish, making you giggle. All the while, he grins, “You wouldn’t need to.”

After he spends several seconds tickling you, he tenderly kisses your cheek, making you unable to get annoyed with him for going after your ticklish spots, which you know is exactly why the sly boy kissed you in the first place. “Because, more often than not, whatever you want is also what I want.”

“And even during the times when our feelings start off different, they always end up aligning in the end ‘cause whatever makes you happy makes me happy.” Jack quietly adds, his love for you apparent in his voice.

As always, you can’t help but swoon a little upon being on the receiving end of his irresistible charms. This boy is just too dangerous for your heart.

Without hesitation, you wrap your arms around his neck and begin peppering his face with kisses. “You are just too charming for your own good, Jack. I swear, I just keep falling more hopelessly in love with you each day I’m with you.”

“Heh, so you always tell me.” Jack replies, sounding both amused and slightly smug since he’s never able to completely hide how pleased he is about the strong power he has over you.

All the while, the wolf Beastman holds you close, hugging you in a way that always makes you feel like you’re a priceless treasure.

Because, to Jack, you are, and he never wants you to think otherwise.

Completely forgetting about your original plans to share the surprise you prepared for Jack, you proceed to spend the next several minutes giving him all the kisses he deserves, all the while basking in the comforting warmth of his embrace.

It’s only when Jack’s stomach abruptly starts growling that you finally remember the special surprise you prepared for him.

“Oh, that’s right!” You exclaim, “I completely forgot about the edible surprise I prepared for you ‘cause I once again got captivated by your irresistible charms!”

While Jack snorts, you motion for him to release you. “Lemme go get your surprise for you since it’s still a little too early for me to get started on breakfast, especially if we wanna avoid waking Grim who’ll start stirring once he starts smelling food.”

As he releases his grip on you so you can climb out of his lap, Jack dryly comments, “Yeah, let’s put that off for as long as we can.”

Once you’re back on your feet, you briefly cup Jack’s face, so you can kiss his nose. “I have big plans for your extra special birthday breakfast, by the way, so look forward to it. Until then, I hope my special surprise will tide you over.”

The corners of his lips quirk upwards as he watches you with noticeably soft eyes. “I’m sure it will.”

Unable to resist his charms when he looks at you like that, with such obvious adoration and tenderness, you quickly pepper his face with several more kisses before finally pulling away from him. “I’ll be right back. I promise I won’t take long.”

Because the quicker you grab Jack’s surprise, the quicker you can return to his comforting embrace.

That’s why, after you tell him to close his eyes so the surprise won’t be ruined, you hurriedly head into the kitchen and collect the large jar of pear compote you prepared for him yesterday.

Once you grab that and a spoon as well as two bottles of water, just in case you both get thirsty, you quickly head back to the lounge where you find Jack patiently waiting with his eyes closed, just as you had requested.

After setting down the bottles of water on the coffee table, you give Jack a quick smooch on the cheek before reclaiming your coveted spot in his lap, prompting him to immediately wrap his muscular arms around you.

Once you're seated, you open the jar of compote, all the while keeping a close eye on Jack’s face since you know he’ll react as soon as he smells his favorite food.

As expected, immediately after the jar’s lid is removed, Jack’s whole face lights up once he deeply inhales, and his tail starts happily wagging, proving that he’s quite pleased by the fact that his special surprise is his favorite food, much to your delight.

When his now opened eyes meet yours, allowing you to see the obvious delight in his eyes, a pleasant warmth envelops your chest as you coo, “I made sure this was my best batch yet. I went all out to make it as tasty as possible. I hope you enjoy it.”

Quickly, you dip the spoon you grabbed earlier into the jar of pear compote and hold it up to his mouth. “Alright, Jack, say, ‘Ah~’”

Thankfully, rather than get flustered and complain like he normally would, Jack obliges without any hesitation. “Ah~”

Within seconds after he tastes the pear compote, his tail’s wagging dramatically increases in speed, so even without Jack saying anything, you immediately know how he feels about the compote that you had worked so hard on to make it as perfect as possible.

After he swallows his bite of pear compote, Jack grins, “It’s delicious. Definitely some of the best pear compote I've ever had. You really outdid yourself, Yuu. Thank you.”

When he tenderly kisses your forehead to further express his gratitude, your heart melts due to the sheer happiness you feel upon seeing his obvious elation. “You’re welcome. Anything for you, Jack.”

Since one bite of pear compote obviously won’t be enough for a boy with a healthy appetite like Jack’s, you proceed to continue hand-feeding him since, by having him eat this way, he can continue holding you with both of his arms, which is obviously something you both want.

Plus, today is all about spoiling Jack, so you have every intention to do that every chance you get since nothing makes you happier than getting to dote on your sons, especially when you can go all out with your doting.

Normally, this kind of exchange would embarrass Jack, although he has really loosened up since your first year at NRC when it comes to how he reacts to your typical affectionate behavior, but thankfully, it seems the wolf Beastman is really in the mood to be spoiled today since he doesn’t make any complaints about you hand-feeding him.

And you couldn’t be happier about that.

However, that said, Jack doesn’t completely let you do as you please, like you had first assumed he would when he showed no signs of resistance.

Much to your surprise, after you spend several minutes hand-feeding him, Jack swipes the spoon from you, so he can use it to hand-feed you.

“I can’t be the only one who’s hungry after our run, and I don’t want you neglecting yourself on my account either.” Jack explains as he hugs you close with one arm while his other hand offers you a spoonful of pear compote. “So let’s share it.”

With a grin, he adds, “You wouldn’t turn down a request from the birthday boy, right?”

Once you overcome your surprise, you warmly smile as you rest your head against his shoulder. “As if I could ever turn down a request from you regardless of what day it is.”

His grin grows. “Good answer.”

And that’s how you find yourself getting hand-fed by this handsome hunk, who really is a serious danger to your poor heart. He seriously is just too charming for his own good.

You’re further convinced of that fact when, after some pear compote ends up accidentally falling off the spoon onto your hand that’s still holding the jar, Jack immediately sets the spoon down into the jar and gently takes hold of the wrist of your hand that now has pear compote on it, so he can simultaneously lick up the compote and kiss the spot where it landed on your skin.

Much to your amazement, your heart somehow starts frantically pounding and turns into mush simultaneously thanks to Jack’s suave actions, making you think it definitely won’t be able to last until the end of the day if this is how the rest of your morning is going to go.

Looking noticeably smug, Jack teases, “Even without my excellent hearing, I think I could still hear how hard your heart is pounding. Finally getting a taste of your own medicine, huh, Yuu?”

Realization quickly dawns your features as you dramatically gasp, “Jack Howl, was that your intention from the start? Your super indulgent and affectionate mood is ‘cause you wanna fluster me on your birthday? You really are as bad as the rest of my sons!”

Chuckling, Jack gives you a strong squeeze. “Guess the cat’s outta the bag.”

When you start pouting, he tenderly kisses your cheek. “Don’t sulk. All of my actions up until this point weren't strictly ‘cause I wanna fluster you. I really do wanna spend time with you, just as I had said earlier; that wasn’t a lie.”

He rests his forehead against yours, allowing you a clear view of his warm, adoring gaze. “I just wanted to see a new side of you for my birthday, that’s all. Wolf Beastmen always wanna know everything they can about the people they love, so I wanna learn even more about you and see all the sides of you that I’m not familiar with yet.”

With an adorable pout, Jack grumpily adds, “And I don’t like it that only people who are actually capable of seriously flustering you without much trouble, like Leona-senpai, know that side of you.”

In an instant, your mood does a complete one-eighty since there’s no way you can continue moping after hearing Jack say such wonderful, heart-melting things.

Mindful of his sensitive ears, you quietly squeal as you cup his cheek with your hand that’s not holding the jar of pear compote. “Aww, Jack! I love you SO much!”

As his tail happily wags, Jack warmly smiles, “I love you too.”

Feeling so happy you could burst, you immediately begin showering his face with kisses as you repeatedly tell him how much you absolutely adore him.

For a while, time passes like this, because you’ve got a whole lot of energy to burn now thanks to this sweet boy who has made you so incredibly happy.

All the while, Jack just smiles and holds you close, looking as if there’s no other place in the world where he’d rather be.

When you finally come down from cloud nine, you move to rest your forehead against his since you can never get enough of looking into his captivating eyes, which are currently sparkling like jewels. 

“There’s nothing I want more than to become closer to you.” You fondly murmur, “So it makes me really happy that you want to see more sides of me just as much as I want to see more sides of you.”

The corners of your lips quirk upwards. “Normally, I don’t get flustered around you and the rest of my sons, which most of you often complain about ‘cause of how much I fluster you guys, since I’m too busy feeling happy about all the love you boys give me to have any time to feel flustered.”

Your smile grows as you rub your nose against his. “So, if seeing me flustered is really what you want for your birthday, you’re gonna have to keep putting in the effort for that particular present since it’s not really something I can just intentionally give you, but you already know that, don’t you?”

One of his hands cups your cheek and gently strokes your skin with his thumb. “Yeah, I knew I was giving myself a challenge right from the start.”

A playful grin rises to his lips. “But, you know me, I love a good challenge. That’s why it seemed like the perfect goal to strive for today.”

His grin grows. “And I’ll definitely accomplish that goal since I’m going all out, just like how I always do once I’ve set my mind on something.”

Upon seeing such a devilishly handsome expression, you can’t help but swoon a little since Jack really is going all out and making full use of his captivating charms, just as he said he would.

At this rate, Jack really will accomplish his goal of getting you flustered since you really don’t stand a chance against him when he’s willingly trying to charm you, considering just how powerful he is when he does it unintentionally.

A giddy grin rises to your lips. Not that I mind, of course.

[mostthingskenobi]

THE JEDI AND HIS DUCHESS

SUMMARY: Satine Kryze is a pacifist because of the Mandalorian civil war. But the idea first takes root in her mind after watching something terrible happen to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The story of how Obi-Wan and Satine fell in love when they were young, and how their feelings reemerged when they reconnected during the Clone Wars.

Told in dual timelines. Graphic Violence. Takes place pre Phantom Menace/post Clone Wars episode Duchess of Mandalore.

TEASER:

“Calm yourself, young one.” Qui-Gon’s large hands stroked her cheekbones. “Where is Obi-Wan?” She stared at him with wild eyes, tears still running down her face. “They took him.” Qui-Gon’s look changed instantly, his features fell as fear gripped his heart. “Where?” “Down the mountain, by the river.” “Who was it?” “Five bounty hunters. Obi-Wan could sense them coming. He told me to run.” Her chin began to tremble. “But I heard him scream so I went back.”

SPECIAL NOTE 09/01/23: A friend recently told me that Star Wars now says Obi-Wan and Satine were 15 years old when they met. I was shocked to hear this, so I researched it myself. In a recent article on StarWars.com, they do, in fact, claim this. When I started writing this fic many years ago I did extensive research into Obi-Wan's timeline. I wanted to make sure I was getting everything right. By the time he reconnected with Satine during the Clone Wars he was 35. It had been approximately 15 years since they had seen each other. That puts him around 20 years old. I don't know why Star Wars decided to change this particular detail, but I want it known that I would never write a story like this about children. I always intended Obi-Wan and Satine to be 20-ish years old (aka consenting adults) in this fic. So, no matter what canon says, please know Obi-Wan and Satine are 20 years old in the flashbacks of this story.

READ IT ON AO3 - Kudos and Comments Welcome :-)

READ CHAPTER 1

READ CHAPTER 2

READ CHAPTER 3

READ CHAPTER 4

READ CHAPTER 5

READ CHAPTER 6

READ CHAPTER 7

READ CHAPTER 8

READ CHAPTER 9

READ CHAPTER 10

READ CHAPTER 11

READ CHAPTER 12

READ CHAPTER 13

READ CHAPTER 14

READ CHAPTER 15

READ CHAPTER 16

READ CHAPTER 17

READ CHAPTER 18

READ CHAPTER 19

READ CHAPTER 20

READ CHAPTER 21

READ CHAPTER 22

READ CHAPTER 23

READ CHAPTER 24

READ CHAPTER 25

READ CHAPTER 26

READ CHAPTER 27

READ CHAPTER 28

[katsona-the-katsequel]

Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad Activity Report

Part 3

5/16 (Sat) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Uh, this is Takeba.

Actually, Tartarus is closed today, and Kirijo-senpai told me, "School take priority over SEES activities!", but it's tough to stay holed up in my room all day, so I snuck out. That being said, I don't really have anything to report.

Oh, I'm lying, there was one thing. Well, Sanada-senpai is a little scary. Haha. Apparently the doctor told him yesterday that he'll be okay to start boxing in about a week, and he's really happy about that.

Of course, since it's before the exams, he seems to be studying properly in his room, but when I went out to the stairwell, I saw him running up the stairs at a great pace. I was surprised and talked to him, and he said that he had been taking a break and couldn't stay still. Do you even know what a break means? But I'm glad he's doing well. Yes.

Well, I don't want to relax too much, so I'll get back to studying. This is Takeba.

5/17 (Sun) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Well... Good evening, I'm Junpei Iori. I don't really have anything to report, but Kirijo-senpai told me to hold the microphone. I guess she told me to calm down and complain or whatever because my cries from the heart are getting in the way of the wonderful training... but somehow, haven't I lost sight of my original purpose for this activity report?

…Oh, that's right, there's something to report.

No, I don't want to sit at my desk any more this afternoon.

I don't want that to happen! I'm stuck with that feeling.

Wait, I went to Paulownian Mall to change my mood.

Then, I felt some strange tension.

A self-proclaimed "reporter" told me about some strange things happening recently.

She asked me if I had information.

When she said something like "I'll be rewarded if you give me any information," I was tempted for a moment, but then I thought, aren't we just heroes of justice who work in secret? Of course, I said "I don't know," and rejected her. Then the reporter just said, "Oh, okay," and walked away... It's a bit complicated...

5/18 (Mon) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Well, the exam finally starts today. There's no point in rushing now. I'll just do my best.

However... I know this may be unnecessary, and it may not be the right topic to talk about at a time like this, but I am really concerned about the injury that happened to our physical education teacher, Mr. Aoyama. From what I heard, he had been drinking after work and was on his way home in a good mood when, an accident was caused by a falling sign, but the accident happened just as the day changed... around the Dark Hour.

Well, shadows wouldn't have to resort to such a roundabout means to drop a sign and injure someone. It's probably just paranoia born from the frustration of not being able to return. Forget it.

5/19 (Tue) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hi, it's Junpei.

...It's no good anymore!

Ugh, today's modern Japanese test. I messed up... I messed up...

No, it was a chance question.

It was a question I remember doing, and it was the one that was called on me in that class, and I thought, "Yes, I got it," but then... I'd completely forgotten about it, hadn't I?

Damn it... If I had known it would be like this, I would have looked it up properly on my own instead of asking him for the answer!

5/20 (Wed) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Well, it's Takeba.

It's already the third day of the exam. How is everyone doing? Are you doing well? Are you scratching your head? I feel like I shouldn't be reporting here and should just go to bed or study... but let me get away with it.

...I mean, there's no way I can understand physics! What use is it for a girl to learn something like that in the future?

Yes, yes, I know I'm being petty.

5/24 (Sun) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

But I can't help but say it! Who the hell is Einstein! What did Newton do for me!

5/21 (Thu) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

Takeba... This may be unnecessary, but trivia about daily life isn't physics.

Now, it's Kirijo.

There are only two days left until the exams. Everyone seems to be getting tired. Before the exams, I hinted at a reward if they performed well, hoping to encourage them a little, but... I guess it was a bit too childish to lure them with something.

Of the three second-years, the ones who seem to have potential are the field leader and Takeba, but Takeba's complexion is getting worse day by day and he doesn't seem to be riding the wave at the moment, and in his case, it's hard to read his facial expressions...

I've always been bad at people-controlling techniques since I was forced to study something like the art of rulership before, but... putting it into practice is even more difficult. As someone in a position above them, I too must work even harder...

5/22 (Fri) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hey, Junpei here. Only one more day left until the end of exams! Tomorrow is the last day! If I rush around anymore, it won't start, so I'm going to bed after I finish submitting my report!

Hehehe, well, the questions I was trying to answer came up today, so maybe I'm doing pretty well?

Even so, I was really lucky today.

That's great! I forgot the question I was asked the other day, but I remembered it well today. The difference between the Paleolithic and Neolithic is the shape of the stone tools!

Hehehe, that serves you right.

All right, let's do our best tomorrow too!

5/23 (Sat) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

It's been a long time... I wonder how long I've waited for this day.

Today, the doctor finally gave me the seal of approval that I'm completely recovered, and said that it's okay to move around a little more roughly. The midterm exams are over, so I'm even happier.

Well, I can't just be happy.

I haven't been able to move my body properly for a while, so I'll need some rehabilitation before I can move properly in a real fight. I've been working on my recovery menu since I was concentrating on my treatment, so I can start doing it tomorrow. I hope everyone looks forward to it.

Oh, and the report I asked the lab to send during the exam period has arrived. It's a report on Fuuka Yamagishi, the student with potential who was confirmed at the hospital before and has been undergoing detailed investigation since then.

However, I was looking forward to it, but from what Junpei said today, it seems that she is sickly and often misses school. It's a shame, since the report said that not only was she suited to the Dark Hour, but he also had a good chance of using her Persona abilities.

To be honest, I can't really give up, but as long as there's even one cause for concern, I don't want to push it. We must never again cause tragedy by relying on optimism...

Well, it's Takeba.

The first Sunday since my exams!

Well, I guess I was pretty stressed out from the exams, so today I was pretty impulsive... and I did a ton of shopping, hahaha.

I know I should say this after I've already bought things, but mail order is a monster, isn't it!? In hindsight, I don't really need these things, but when I watch the show, I just want them so badly...

Yeah, that's right.

Right now I'm regretting that I bought something I didn't need. A multi-purpose apron... what should I do? Ugh, it was Takeba.

5/25 (Mon) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo. The results of the midterm exams were announced today. Akihiko was amazing! Excellent!

He had a hard time returning to the fight, and he seemed to be quite anxious before the exams, so I was worried he might lose his concentration, but he did a great job.

I told him that, but he turned his back on me, saying that he had to do it because it would set an example for his juniors. He's really not honest...

I'm a bit worried about the others. The leader seems to have been doing his best, but Takeba seems to have been staying in her room every day.

It seems she ended up with average results, and Junpei was... unbelievable.

As expected, they must be tired from going to Tartarus and defeating large shadows one after another. Although they look energetic, we need their help, but we can't let our activities affect their studies... We should be a little careful.

5/26 (Tue) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Seriously... if you're going to make that much of a fuss then you should have just studied properly from the beginning.

Ah, sorry. Just when I came out of my room, I heard some voices coming from Junpei's room saying things like "Pathetic" and "What am I doing?", just pathetic and wondering what he was doing. Well, I guess it's understandable with those terrible test results.

Mitsuru was also quite upset about the grades of her juniors, but this was something that couldn't be helped unless everyone put in an effort. After hearing that shout, Junpei would probably think things through properly next time. Probably.

Plus, we happen to be living in the same dorm.

If push comes to shove, no matter how much he doesn't want to do it, I'll just force my way into his room and make him do some pre-exam practice.

Intensive training...that's a good word. I'm looking forward to the final exams.

By the way, we are still investigating Yamagishi. Let's hope she will become a valuable addition to our team.

5/27 (Wed) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

O-ki-na-wa!

…Oh, no, they were talking about Okinawa's beach opening on the evening news, so I just did it.

I was talking about that, so I just did it.

So, it's Junpei! The sea is really nice. My exams are over, and I want to have some fun, but I don't have any money or time... Ugh, I'm not going to be able to go to the sea for the rest of my life.

I feel like I say this every summer...ugh.

But the sea is nice. Blue sky! Black bikini! White sand! Red bikini! I want to go and play. Oh, by the way, what happened to the new girl? Does she like the sea?

5/28 (Thu) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo. As always, Iori's report seems... stupid.

Well, from the beginning, I started these reports as just a memo for myself, and I don't have any strict reporting obligations. I'm just going to blurt out what I want to say, and if that makes me feel better, then that's fine.

It's good to use even if you're in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, speaking of Iori, I overheard him talking to Takeba in the lounge today, and it seemed like he was worried about his poor grades. It's easy to tell them to study, but I'll think about what I can do to help them more.

However... I noticed while Iori spoke that Magician's Arcana should have high magical power, so why does Iori's Hermes have such low magical power... Maybe next time, I'll get permission from him and study the correlation between abilities and Persona parameters? It's hard to find samples like that...

5/29 (Fri) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Uh, this is Takeba.

The exams are finally over, and there's some good news that we might even be hiring a new female member, so I should be in a good mood, but I'm in a bit of a bad mood today.

I overheard an unpleasant conversation in the school corridor...it was bullying.

I don't know who they were, but the two girls who seemed to be the bullies were talking about how they'd found out someone's weakness and how funny her crying face was, and stuff like that... and they were laughing out loud. Well, it wasn't an unusual story, so I just thought, "They must be bored," but... I ended up feeling annoyed afterwards.

Right now I have the power to call a Persona, right? Regardless of the type of power, the power is there to accomplish something, right? But even seeing that bullying scene and not being able to do anything...it's pathetic.

Sorry for complaining again. This was Takeba!

5/30 (Sat) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Well, it's Takeba for the second day in a row.

I was wondering what to do, but Kirijo-senpai asked me to keep a record of the matter, so I will continue on.

I don't know if it's related to the bullying issue I reported yesterday, but I found one of the girls I'd heard talking yesterday infront of the school gates this morning.

Yesterday, she was saying things like she was hearing voices and things that sounded like radio waves, so I thought something was a little strange...

6/1 (Mon) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

However, I don't know the details. I hope it was a coincidence. This was Takeba.

It's Kirijo... *sigh*. Well, something funny happened today. I couldn't help but laugh at the memory. Today's top news, which makes both Iori and Takeba laugh, is, without a doubt, the Junpei's Believe It Or Don't. I didn't know much about it, but apparently there was a comedian who told ghost stories, and Iori was imitating him. Akihiko says it sounds pretty similar, but even if you don't know the original comedian, it was still enjoyable.

To give a brief background, a rumor has spread around the school that a girl from class E in year 2 was found collapsed in front of the school gates, and that it was the work of a vengeful spirit. Iori told it in the form of a ghost story, but Takeba, who seems to have a hard time with ghosts, rebelled against it, and for some reason, he ended up investigating the truth of the ghost story.

I had originally planned to rely on them to at least conduct an investigation, but, how should I put it, the way Takeba was rushing headlong towards self-destruction... hehehe.

6/2 (Tue) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Um... My name is Takeba.

I can't sleep.

Since yesterday, I've given up Tartarus and I've been gathering information on ghosts... er, rumors, and everything I see, er... look weird.

I'm going to sleep with the TV on all night tonight...This was Takeba.

6/3 (Wed) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Good evening. It's time for Junpei Iori's report.

...Huh, to be honest, I've had enough of ghost stories.

Yuka-tan said that she's going to hold a report meeting and gather all the information she heard on Friday, but it's not that easy to gather information.

Oh, it's not that she can't find any information... it's just that there's too much.

If you walk down the hallway, 9 times out of 10 people are telling ghost stories. The remaining one seems to be about next week's "Phoenix Sentai Featherman R". I think next time, Swan will sing the full solo version of the theme song by herself or something.

Oh, well, leave Featherman aside. Anyway, there's way too much information! Is this what they call the information society's Heigai?

The ghost story I heard today was also a big mess, with one rumor leading to another and mixing with another... Anyway, the ghost story about how if you listen to the mysterious old lady's broadcast, you'll die covered in blood, I think I heard it as a rumor in a public school when I was in middle school. It's just too much to handle. I'm really tired.

6/7 (Sun) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

Come to think of it, the leader seemed to be doing some research. He was talking to someone from another class, which is unusual. He does things quietly. Well, I'll let it go for me now.

6/4 (Thu) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Eh... fuwaaah, it's Takeba. Uh, I was complaining the other day that I couldn't sleep, but today I'm actually really sleepy. Maybe it's because I was thinking about ghost stories so much last night, but I had a really bad dream... I'm a little sleep-deprived. It was bad during class.

I don't remember the details of the dream very well, I was locked in the school at night, and I was wandering around half crying, when suddenly the place changed to Tartarus. I suddenly had a bow and an Evoker, so this time I was charging ahead with all my might, but suddenly a shadow appeared, took off his mask and said, "How jealous of you"... he had Oiwa-san's face.

Ah, but the investigation is progressing smoothly. From the information we gathered yesterday and today, we found a small commonality among the victims. Ah, I forgot to mention this. There are multiple victims. Tomorrow, we will verify it and announce it at the briefing tonight. We will have the results next week, so please look forward to it. This was Takeba.

6/5 (Fri) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Takeba seems a bit enthusiastic. She said she'd go to the site tomorrow, but please don't do anything dangerous.

Well, those guys are no amateurs. They're quite skilled. Even though it's a hangout for delinquents, they won't fall behind that much... I should contact him... No, that's impossible...

6/6 (Sat) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

This is Kirijo.

No, I don't know where I started, but today was a tough day.

I trusted them... No, I still trust them fully, but as second-year high school students, they seem to lack thoughtfulness. Well, if that's what they're saying, we third-years should have guided them with that in mind. Let's be happy about their safe return.

Tonight, they went to a delinquent hangout outside Port Island Station. I'd heard the rumors, but it seems that the lawlessness of the place was terrible. They seemed to have escaped a close call, but I'll tell them to be careful for a while.

However, there was a big gain. According to information obtained at the hangout, Fuuka Yamagishi, a potential member of the team, has been missing for the past week. Also, the girl who collapsed at school is said to be part of the group that was bullying Yamagishi. At worst, Yamagishi may be the mastermind behind this incident...

No, let's stop speculating. First, we need to hear the details from the homeroom teacher who covered up Yamagishi's disappearance - was his name Ekoda?

Now, what should we do...? Come to think of it, it seems that the one who helped Takeba and the others was Aragaki, who just happened to be there. I realized by chance that I had still not lost touch with him.

It's Kirijo. It's been a while since I've been reporting this in a row. Perhaps they're still tired from yesterday's "investigation" or perhaps they played too much on Sunday, but all the second-years are already asleep. I monitored them during the Dark Hour just now, and they seem to be fast asleep without even turning over.

Today, there was something that bothered me a little. Apparently the second-years all stopped by a shrine during the day, and while they were talking about it, I heard the name "Amada."

At first, I just thought it was a name I'd heard somewhere before, but I'm sure the victim of the accident three years ago had the same name...

6/8 (Mon) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

I'm seriously dead today... Oh, crap, report, report. Huh...? No, you see, when you get lost in the Dark Hour, your memories are somehow erased, that's common knowledge for Persona Users, right?

Well, it's a bit late now though.

Ugh, sorry. I'm so tired and just want to go to sleep.

Umm, can I just post them all together?

A girl named Fuuka Yamagishi was locked in the gym because of bullying, and ended up wandering into Tartarus. The reason she was safe after being lost for a week was because, while time here stops during the Dark Hour, time there also stops outside of the Dark Hour... or so I think.

When examining the clock on the bike/backup equipment that Kirijo-senpai brought to Tartarus, it seems that you can tell the difference in the movement of time inside and outside... or so it seems. Hmm, it's complicated and I don't really get it.

So, we sneaked into the school in the middle of the night, took the same route as Yamagishi and entered Tartarus, and a large Shadow appeared, but we defeated it with our efforts, um... was there anything else? Ah, that's right. Yamagishi's Persona was amazing. It seemed to have a radar-like function, and can see all the enemy's weaknesses!

Oh, by the way, Kirijo-senpai has an unexpected lack of humor. If I said she was cute, I'd probably get punched. Well, I thought she was hard to get along with, so I've changed my opinion of her a little. Oh, I forgot something important! The large Shadows appear on the full moon! A customer who comes once a month! This is important information!

6/9 (Tue) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Well, it's Takeba. Today, Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-senpai are away visiting Yamagishi-san and their friend Moriyama-san. So, Tartarus is on a break. I'm still tired from fighting a large Shadow, so I'm not in the mood for Tartarus anyway. Oh, did I mention I was watching over Yamagishi-san? But it's not like I'm being selfish or anything.

On the contrary, she was extremely effective in the battle against the large Shadow, and it feels like she might be the strongest. Now she's collapsed from exhaustion because she used all her powers at once, so she's been hospitalized just to be safe.

If I had that kind of power, I guess I would join in... but this time she learned that SEES' missions are life-threatening. It would be great if she would join, but I don't want to force her. Ah, but the leader was quite welcoming and pulled her in...

Ugh, I'm thinking about a lot of things. Anyway, I'm really glad that Yamagishi-san is safe and that we were able to defeat the Shadow. This was Takeba.

6/10 (Wed) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo. Seriously, if I had taken my eyes off Iori for just a second, he'd have been a complete flop... What a poke. I admit that I do lack common sense in some areas, but... Oh well.

Well, today after I returned from visiting Yamagishi and Moriyama, I did some light sword training.

With Yamagishi joining the team, I will likely be on the front lines as well, so this is training for that.

The fencing club was on a break due to the midterm exams, and I didn't go to club activities as often as I thought because of my Student Council activities. It seems my skills have deteriorated more than I thought. I'm trying to be a little better so as not to be a burden to the hard-working second-year students.

I need to train hard.

Not only the leader and Yamagishi have shown remarkable abilities, but Iori and Takeba also have something special, even though they are still developing. As one of the original members of SEES... I can't lose. Maybe I should follow Akihiko's example and try that "special training" thing once in a while?

6/11 (Thu) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Ah, it's Takeba.

Good news... Yamagishi-san has been accepted into SEES. Kirijo-senpai's invitation seemed a bit pushy, and I was a bit worried she wouldn't accept, but she seemed keen...

For now, Junpei is simply happy. He's a really enviable guy. This was Takeba.

6/12 (Fri) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hi, Junpei here! Today is truly a joyous and memorable day! Ahem... congratulations to our newest member, Miss Fuuka Yamagishi, on moving into the Iwatodai dormitory! Hip, hip, hooray! Yay! Cheers to our new friend, Fuuka!

Gulp gulp gulp... Phew! Oh, it's not alcohol. It's just Yotsuya sake.

Well, today Fuuka moved into the dorm, and I'm always excited to meet new people. Hehehe, it's good to have more members.

Yukari-chan seems a bit indecisive, but since they're both women, they'll quickly become friends. I heard that she was scheduled to move into the dormitory tomorrow, but it seems like she couldn't wait. Yeah, that's not bad!

6/21 (Sun) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Ah, speaking of Fuuka... It seems like her homeroom teacher, Ekoda, has been punished for this incident, but I guess this was the work of the seniors... Well, even us students were getting annoyed with his nasty remarks, so it was like, "Serves him right!" When I asked Senpai the truth, she grinned and said, "Do you want to know, Iori?" No, that smile was probably many times scarier than when Senpai was angry. Ugh, so scary! I have to make sure I don't say anything unnecessary.

6/16 (Tue) - Reporter: Fuuka Yamagishi

H-hello! Oh, no. Good evening... Um, it's Fuuka Yamagishi.

From now on, I'll be in charge of all the backup stuff, so Kirijo-senpai showed me around the operations room... but for some reason, I'm also doing this activity report thing...

…Eh? Is that so? Ah, ah, sorry! You couldn't hear me just now, right? She told me not to worry about it, since it was just a formality, even though it was a report.

So... that's right. Can I just give you my impressions of the operations room's functions? The facilities here are really amazing. I've heard that Kirijo Electronics' technology is the most advanced in the world, but this equipment is even more advanced. Apparently, they're still using prototypes for testing... I never thought I'd be able to touch such amazing machines in a club activity, it's like a dream come true. I'm not sure how much I can help you with, but I'll do my best, so please look after me.

Was it a bit... stiff?

Oh, so I saw an interesting topic on the news today, so I'd like to share it with you... Well, it seems that a new vehicle control system for new urban transit systems is currently under development. After the monorail accident the other day, in order to prevent a similar accident... Wait, what?! That accident was caused by Shadow?!

6/17 (Wed) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

It's going so well that I feel a little guilty for suddenly increasing our fighting power and feeling strangely relieved.

If the hypothesis we discovered this time is correct, there will be about three weeks until the next full moon and the appearance of a large Shadow. We've made a strengthening plan to match this schedule, and thanks to Yamagishi, our new navigator, the exploration of Tartarus is going well, so on the surface there are no problems. Nothing.

But as the saying goes, good things come with many troubles.

It's times like these that we need to be on our toes and do our best. Especially Junpei... Ah, maybe I'm being a bit harsh. Junpei, you're doing well too. Don't worry about it.

6/18 (Thu) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

H-h-hi, it's Junpei.

For some reason, the last thing Sanada-san said yesterday is bothering me... At times like this, I'm usually the first one to be told off, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't worry about it and follow me. But actually, when you're nice to me, it really makes me feel down...

Well, well, please do as usual! Um, nothing special happened today... I guess? Oh, that reminds me, the school was recruiting new cultural clubs. Fuuka has also returned to club activities, so that's great! Um, which club was it? Art club... Photography club? Huh? Well, please ask her.

6/19 (Fri) Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Well, it's Takeba.

You may not have noticed, but I've been thinking about some weird things lately, and I may have been acting awkward around my senpais. I'm sorry if it offended you!

It's fine if you don't understand. I'll do my best as I have been doing.

Changing the subject... but the day before yesterday on TV there was a program called "Approaching the Real Face of the Kirijo Group!" It was a program that made things weirdly scandalous and like a third-rate scoop magazine. It made me feel bad watching it, but if you're just looking from the outside, you can make the other person out to be the bad guy as much as you want. Seriously... if you have a complaint, you should find out the truth before you say anything! I feel like that. I also tend to go ahead with my speculations, so I'm a bit remorseful.

...Ahaha, you don't know what I'm talking about, do you? That's all for today. This was Takeba.

6/20 (Sat) - Reporter: Fuuka Yamagishi

Good evening, this is Yamagishi.

I heard some unbelievable things today. 12 types of Shadow... 8 remaining. I had no idea that research had progressed to the point where we knew such detailed information. I'm a latecomer compared to you all, so I have to learn more and more things. I'll do my best.

By the way, the Chairman was researching the purpose of Shadows, and he said that individual Shadows attack people for "predation", but... I feel that's not quite right.

My persona... Lucia seems to have the power to sense the hearts of people around me. It's not quite telepathy, but I can sense small emotions and instinctive desires. Well, what I'm trying to say is... when I was locked up in Tartarus, I felt the hearts of shadows. It wasn't like an appetite...to put it into words...it was like they were saying "I want to go home"...

Hi, it's Junpei.

Today, Kirijo-senpai and Sanada-san are out, so Tartarus is closed. Kirijo-senpai seems to have gone to her main house, but I wonder what Sanada-san did?

It was dinner time when he went out, so I guess he ate somewhere around Iwatodai Station! Then he got full and sleepy, and didn't feel like going to Tartarus! Also, I guess the dinner menu was Umiushi beef bowl!

Well, I don't really care.

6/24 (Wed) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

By the way, I heard that a dog came in front of the dorm in the evening. They said it was a smart, cute, loyal dog, but I wanted to see it. I quite like dogs.

6/22 (Mon) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Too bad, Junpei lost. Yesterday was pure training. That's right. As a penalty for not winning, I'll have him join me in some early morning training tomorrow.

…I'm not joking, I'm telling you, I'm not kidding.

Well, lately, both Mitsuru and I have been out a lot, so I thought that we might have been neglecting our training at Tartarus. Since this is a good opportunity, I'll make a training menu for Junpei and the others.

The field leader is fine for now, but sometimes he seems a little lacking in spirit. Well, I think he's just quiet, but let's train together sometimes to deepen our friendship.

I'm worried about Takeba. She seems to be out of her mind lately... She seemed to be worried in her report the other day. We're only one year apart in age, so I know it's hard to trust us. But if you want, I'll give you some advice. Keep that in mind.

6/23 (Tue) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo.

Fufu... Akihiko, you're saying things like a senpai would. I can't let myself lose.

Not only Takeba, but also Iori and Yamagishi, if anything happens, please come and talk to us. We may not be as reliable as adults, but we are the same generation and can share the same worries.

That being said, it's not like you can spill everything you're feeling. Everyone has things they can't tell others. But if you trust us, we'll do our best to help you.

Well, I've digressed. Let's get back to today's report. Today is a new moon. With half a month left until the full moon, an increase in the number of people with Apathy Syndrome has been observed again. Today, the news were broadcasting someone suddenly squatting on the road and blocking traffic, and it seems that this person was also apathetic.

Fortunately, so far, the accidents have been limited to just after the Dark Hour, when traffic is light, so there have been no major casualties. ...Well, the fact that some people have become apathetic means that there has been enough damage. In any case, we will be fully prepared for the full moon. That's all.

Oh, that's right. Akihiko, where did you go without saying anything today? I don't mind you going out, but Tartarus is coming up in the evening. If possible, it would be helpful if you could leave a message. And...it seemed to me that you didn't have much energy when you got back. It's fine to be worried about your juniors, but don't neglect your own troubles. Got it?

Hi, it's Junpei.

Hehe... Ukukuku... well, Kirijo-senpai's report the other day was about how worried she was about us and it made me really happy, but... there was one thing that really hit the spot.

Umm, the part at the top that says "Takeba, Yamagishi, and Iori should talk to each other"...oh, the leader has been forgotten.

Hey! Ahahahaha!

Oh man, sorry sorry, that was a bit too funny. Well, as Sanada-san said today, I get the impression that he doesn't worry too much and just gets on with things calmly, right? Sanada-san said he doesn't envy him, but honestly, I do.

No, you see, I'm at an age where I have a lot of worries, right? Bad grades at school, worries about not being able to get a girlfriend, I'm on the verge of going bald from all the worries... but I should point out that I'm not actually bald, I just have street fashion.

...

Now, back to serious matters... I appreciate your concern, Kirijo-senpai. Thank you. But at least I am okay. That doesn't mean I don't have any worries... I have to figure them out and solve them myself.

More importantly, are you okay, Sanada-senpai?

Today you seemed worried in front of the boxing club room. You've been working hard ever since you came back, so maybe you're tired?

6/26 (Fri) - Reporter: Fuuka Yamagishi

I may not be able to be of much help to you, but if there's anything I can help you with, please let me know.

6/25 (Thu) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Hmm, it's Takeba.

Junpei... What do you mean, "an age full of worries"? And your worry is "not being able to get a girlfriend"?

Oh, gross.

Really gross.

It's a bit weird to live under the same roof as this guy, so I'm going to submit a motion to move Junpei's room to the roof.

Now, back to serious matters... I appreciate Kirijo-senpai's consideration. Thank you. But at least I'm okay. That doesn't mean I don't have any worries... I have to check and solve them myself.

More importantly, are you okay, Sanada-senpai?

Junpei said today that you looked worried in front of the boxing club room. You've been working hard since you came back, so maybe you're tired?

We may not be able to rely on you, but if there's anything I can help you with, please let me know. This was Takeba.

Good evening, this is Yamagishi.

I feel like I've gotten used to these activity reports. But when I listen to the records from the past, I think they feel more like a communication notebook than an activity report. Hehe.

But I think it's good. This way, we can communicate our feelings and understand each other.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that were the case?

Until recently, I was always thinking about how my words were not being understood by the people around me. But it's not like that here. Everyone, is considerate of each other. Even today, the Chairman of the board of directors came all the way out of his way to come... Well, there is a limit to what you can say, though. Phew...

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[moowrites]

Summary:

Being the daughter of a cartel leader in hell has never been easy. It has it's perks like infinite money. But that same money just can't buy genuine love.

Warnings: Angsty, a shitty job at writing, cartel and mafia talk, Chaz 💀, reader is a succubus, but only small descriptions of her. Oh and reader uses she/ her 🫶, oh slight Crimson x reader?? Idk take it as you will.

She wasn't supposed to be here. She felt out of place and certainly disrespected.

Her father had instructed her to look her best without question. A maid had come into her room to dress her and prepare her for a meeting she had no information about. She had gone through hours of trying to look good, clinging onto her own bed frame for dear help as the maid kept tightening a corset around her body.

It was overwhelming to say the least.

Her father had knocked on the door, a signal to come out of her room at once. She had fixed the lipgloss on her lips before coming out. Her father was in his suit, checking the time on the watch around his wrist. She eyes the rolex around his wrist, trying to check the time as well. What for? She hadn’t known.

Now, as she sat on the dinner table next to her father, she felt extremely anxious. Crimson had come to visit. Her father was sitting on one end of the rectangular table and Crimson was across. Her little brother sat across from you, to the left side of your father. He was struggling to cut the steak that had been prepared for this special occasion. She takes his plate and cuts it for him before giving it back. Her family hears a small chuckle and all three turn to face Crimson.

“That reminded me of Mox when he was little. He was so useless, his mother had to cut his steak for him.” “Children tend to be weaker, my dear friend.” Her father replies, protective of his child. Crimson didn’t like that. Didn't like the way he talked back. Didn't like the way he said dear friend. Crimson didn't like him. There was a bigger tension now because of this, making her sweat drop as she takes a piece of steak in her mouth. Her face however, was kept emotionless. Her entire face was relaxed, her chin slightly up and back straight as she ate. Her father was the exact opposite, laid back and completely relaxed. The younger sibling ate happily without a worry.

There were more cartel men pointing their guns at Crimson than mafia men pointing their own guns at the (Last Name) family.

After dinner, the dinner table was cleared by staff. Finally, she was going to find out what all this was about. Her father hadn’t told her anything. She was itching to find out why Crimson was here. Crimson had been a close friend of her father’s back when she was a baby. When she was 17 however, her father and Crimson had fought about something and never spoke about it. She had been Crimson’s Son’s friend since childhood. She was two years older than the boy, but best friends regardless. His name is Moxxie. They had broken contact when their parents had their argument and not a single word or letter was ever exchanged between the two. This was the reason the lady was nervous. She was nervous about their parents causing a war between their groups if anything was to happen.

“I’m surprised you remember my policy of talking business after dinner.” Crimson spoke, lighting a cigar and inhaling from it before puffing the smoke out. The little brother coughs, waving a hand in front of his face to get rid of the stench that went his way. “Speak now, old friend.” Her father straightened his back, sighing afterwards as a sign that he no longer wanted small talk. “Our argument shouldn’t have affected Moxxie and (Name).” She perks up at this, looking at Crimson and meeting his eyes. “Matter of fact, she would have been a great..influence on Moxxie.” “So what? Now I just get to talk to him?” She growls, her heel tapping against the floor. Her father squinted his eyes at her attitude and snaps his fingers. “I apologize father.” She clears her throat and Crimson goes on. “No, I would like for you to consider the possibility of marriage.” Her eyes widen and her slit-pupils become enlarged at the idea of marrying Moxxie. She had always had a bit of a thing for him, but never made a move because of their differences. Or different groups that they belonged to. The man of the house shakes his head. “I give Moxxie my daughter’s hand, what do I get in exchange?” Her head turns towards her father, he couldn't have been serious! He was always protective, how come he’s considering it? “Shared turfs. I share my turfs and men. Our groups would..combine if you will. This would mean bigger audience, more money, and more power over this entire city of Greed.”

The girl’s little brother; Junior’s eyes grew wide. “My sister would marry and their wealth would become hers!” She was growing more impatient and anxious by the second. “We have more than enough wealth!” She yells, to which her father snaps his fingers twice. “Second warning, one more and you’re out.” She gulps and stops speaking. He was referring to the many credit cards she owned thanks to her father. Being cut off from her father's wealth was not an option for her. “Crimson..if this marriage was to happen..” Her father begins getting up from the seat which makes Crimson’s bodyguards become stiff and alert. Crimson waves a hand in dismissal. “Moxxie and (Name) would become incredibly wealthy and powerful. But they wouldn’t necessarily be..the ones behind this. That would be me and you, dear friend. We would combine our forces and become invisinsible, I’m sure.” He grins. And just like that, her fate was sealed with Moxxie’s.

“One thing though. Moxxie… he apparently has a wife."

When everything was planned, Crimson had borrowed (Name) for the day when the plan was set. He had called in Moxxie’s work and ensured that Moxxie would come in. Even if that meant the rest of his co-workers would as well. Crimson sat in front of the fireplace that was eliciting green flames. The girl’s pointed tail swished in anxiety as he spoke to the phone. She only paid attention to half of what he said before getting up from the chair next to him and heading to the restroom. What Crimson hadn’t explained to her or her father was that Chaz had been put in the plan as well. Something about Moxxie not being able to choose, as he explained it to her when he had told her last minute. A bi-phobic remark on his part, she guessed. Chaz was an insufferable shark. Moxxie's ex, but the one time he had tried with her, she had shoved a gun between his sharp teeth and explained very calmly that she wasn’t nor would she be interested anytime soon.

She pulls out her phone and texts her father about the last-minute notice. She was told not to worry; he would make sure Crimson knew his baby girl shouldn’t be treated with such disregard. One of her many bodyguards knocked on the door, making her flinch slightly as she was pulled to reality once again. “Ma’am, is everything alright?” She grits her teeth, her eyes slitting once again in distaste before taking a deep breath and her eyes returning to normal. “Yes, do give me a minute to fix up.” “Yes ma’am.” After a while, she came out of the bathroom and headed down to where Crimson was once again. “It seems that our guests have arrived. Stay at the dinner table, will you?"

The girl rolls her eyes, "I believe you do not have authority over me. Mind I remind you..how my family is more powerful than your puny little mafia." Crimson growled at this, baring his sharp teeth at her. She took notice of his gold tooth, her eyes shining as she liked signs of wealth. "I suppose I'll wait. Do not take long." She was escorted to the dining table, being given sliced fruits as a snack as she waited for Crimson's return.

After what seemed like an eternity of her picking on the fruit slices and scrolling through social media, Crimson walked in.

This time with guests.

Moxxie's eyes meet hers in an instant, her eyes shining brightly when he does so. Then her world comes crumbling down when she sees the smaller IMP walking next to him. She stands up, the bodyguards on each of her sides waiting stiffening as she does so. They both recognize her body language; the embodiment of Greed.

She was greedy. Greedy for Moxxie's attention.

"Mox-Mox?" The little nickname came off as a bit cringey. It was the nickname she had given him back when they were learning how to speak as babies. "(Name)?" Moxxie replied, his face showing confusion. "Mox-Mox!" She sped walked to him before being stopped by the woman next to him. She looked as if she was already in a sour mood. "And who are you?" The taller female looked at the smaller one up and down, the imp wasn't..much compared to (Name). But it was personality that mattered anyways. "I'm (Full Name). Moxxie's childhood friend. Who may you be?"

"Millie. His wife." Millie's frown was still present. "Oh, may I hug your husband? I haven't seen him in a long time. Years, actually." Millie stepped aside and the girl bent down to hug Moxxie tightly to which he hugged back. When they pulled away, another imp walked to her. "Hi, my name's Blitz. The O is silent!" She shook his hand, tilting her head in confusion at the introduction. But still greeting him nonetheless. "Why are you here?" Moxxie wonders, wishing to know what was the reason behind this scenario.

"I-"

Crimson interrupted her, "Moxxie. Do I need to remind you that dinner comes before business?" "No sir." He immediately replied, his hands shaking in fear as to what may be brought up.

"Hey! What about me? Where's my hug?" As soon as Chaz approached (Name), her bodyguards were already pointing their guns at him. "I do not believe you have the right to hug me." She flipped her hair and went to sit down on the right side of Crimson while Chaz slumped on the left of his. Moxxie sat across Crimson, Millie on his left and Blitz on his right.

While eating, Blitz broke the silence. "So, this is aggressively uncomfortable." Crimson stopped cutting his steak, raising an eyebrow at his audacity. "I..suppose you want to know why you're here." He went back to cutting his steak without much of a care. "Yeah, so what gives?" Blitz spoke again, (Name) chewing on the steak before swallowing it down with some red wine.

"You know we kill people on Earth, right? We don't normally do contracts for locals, so if you want to do business with us, you got to-"

"I don't want to do business with IMP." With each letter, Crimson pointed at Blitz with his fork. "I want to do business with Moxxie." Moxxie looked up from his plate, bewildered at the information. "Me?" "Yeah kid, I summoned IMP-" Again, he rolled his eyes at the mention of the mediocre company. "-To be sure you'd show." He pointed at Moxxie with his knife, an indication that he did not want to fuck around. He places the knife on the table and takes a hold of his wine cup. "Well, we're bringing Chaz or (Name) in the family."

"What? Since when can just anyone- no offense-"

"None taken." Chaz spoke to which the succubus lady interrupted. "He means me, dickhead." She takes a sip of her wine, letting Moxxie continue.

"Join the family?" Moxxie continued, his father parting the cup from his lips to speak once again. "C'mon Mox, you had responsibilities here that I had to pick up." Crimson pointed at himself this time. The lady on his right side noticed that he liked to talk with his hands, something she tends to do as well from time to time. "Now Chaz is going to lighten the load." The lady glares at the older man speaking, "and?" "The and comes afterwards little lady."

"Wait, I thought you always hated his guts! And (Name) is from a completely different and rival group!"

"Thanks for the discrimination Mox Mox." She chuckles, Moxxie's cheeks tinting a pink color at her teasing. Millie took notice of this, but rolls her eyes. She bites down her tongue, not wanting to comment about "family" matters.

"Well, I don't know if I exactly hated either of them."

"You called him a friendless horse fucker and said he lived a 'sissy' lifestyle. You also said (Name) was bound to live a whore life filled with c-" Moxxie was interrupted once again.

"Yeah well I was wrong. You've been gone a long time, Mox. A man can change. And so has Chaz!"

The forgotten succubus bites down the inside of her cheek, feeling disrespected by..an IMP. As Chaz goes on about how he has changed, she taps her finger nail against the table. She was thinking of just calling her father to come pick her up from this hell hole and take her shopping. All this was so unnecessary and stupid.

"So the horseless friend fucker-"

The succubus decides to correct Blitz "I believe it was friendless horsefucker Mr. Blitz."

"I know what I said. So the horseless friend fucker gets a little mulah and suddenly it's worth wasting our time over?"

"Well, I'm the whole package. If you know what I mean."

The trio of Imps stare at the shark, not exactly caring nor wanting to know. But he goes on anyway.

"I got a big dick."

Millie finally speaks up, making the succubus sigh in relief. "What does any of this have to do with Moxxie?"

Crimson places his fork on the empty plate and wipes his lips with a napkin. "There's going to be a ceremony tomorrow." (Name) does the same, except she takes a long gulp of the wine. "Moxxie here is going to officially release his holdings in the organization." A maid pours more wine on his cup to which Crimson picks up. "Then you can go back to ignoring your family to your heart's content."

Moxxie sulks in his seat, becoming smaller at his father's glare and cruel words. Millie stands up from her seat, slamming her gloved hands against the table. "Maybe he wouldn't have to ignore his family if they didn't force him to rub elbows with these people."

"Watch your tongue before you lose it." (Name) placed her wine glass on the diner table, wiping her lips and fixing her lipgloss. "Speak ill all you may like of Chaz. But you do not know me, pretty lady. So I suggest you zip it." Perhaps her cruel words were fueled with jealousy of wanting to take Millie's spot as Moxxie's bride. Perhaps she was showing off her power, either way it got Millie mad. "Try me." Millie leaped across the table in a second, her blood stained dagger at the succubus' throat. But the succubus had the upper hand as her bodyguards not only pointed their guns at Millie, but at Blitz as well.

The succubus lady?

Her handgun was pressed against Millie's chin, pointed upwards and finger against the trigger.

"Everyone relax. I know tensions have been high tonight. Say, why don't you stay here and get some rest? We'll have the ceremony tomorrow. Then tomorrow, everyone is free to leave. I have your rooms all prepared." Millie was the first one to remove her weapon, so naturally (name) followed suit. She snapped her fingers, the bodyguards lowering their weapons. "Go to bed." Crimson ordered.

"Yes sir." Moxxie replied within an instant, "Mox?" Millie asks in disbelief. Everyone got up from their seats and headed to the door. Everyone but Crimson and (Name). "A moment, Moxxie."

"Just give me a minute, Millie. I'll be there." Chaz tried to "comfort" Millie to which she barked at him.

(Name)'s bodyguards leave the room as well. Leaving Crimson, Moxxie, and herself alone in the room. "So, you think you too good for this family?"

"Huh?" Moxxie shrugs his shoulders in surprise.

"C'mere." He uses his finger to motion Moxxie to get closer. (Name) sighs, "Crimson-" "Shut up." She growls, her hair standing up in pure anger at being told what to do. She does as told, knowing Moxxie would be punished for her wrong-doings. Moxxie walks over to his father, stuttering as he came about with words. Crimson got up from his chair abruptly and smacked Moxxie across the face. She winces at the loud sound that came about from the sound of the impact. "You think you just get to walk away from this family and never come back? You're dead wrong, Mox!"

He walks closer to Moxxie whom was laying on the ground helplessly from the impact, "matter of fact." He picks him up from his shirt. "You only think you're right about is that obnoxious piss-stain can't get in! Not unless he marries in." "B-But who would-"

"Who do you think?" She stands up from her seat at the table and walks over to Crimson, standing next to him. "This shit family..needs our money. Whether it be mine or that fucker's." She takes out a handkerchief and uses it to press a bit against Moxxie's cheeks. Hoping it was cold enough to help. "It's about time your pathetic ass is useful for something!" Crimson shouts and sits back down and Moxxie ignores her attempts to soothe him, going over to his father.

"Sir, I'm already married. I-I can't-"

"You think I give a shit about that stupid thing? C'mon Mox, I even went through the trouble of making the house more to..your kind's liking." He pressed a button hidden on the table and quite a few..arrangements were made. Quite a few..no scratch that. Multiple adult toys were displayed out of the walls and bouncing..God.

She blushes in embarrassment and looks away from the scene. Being a succubus did not mean being shameless.

"Wait- Wha- What do you think I'm into?!"

"What? This the kind of shit guys like, right?"

"Okay, first off Dad, I'm bisexual."

"Yeah, gay."

"No, Crimson. He likes both women and men." She continues to hide her face in her hands, her words coming out Muffled.

"Oh, for fucks sake. Secondly," A toy taps against Moxxie's shoulders, as if to urge him to..use it. He pushes it away, "I don't know a single person of any sexuality who'd enjoy this."

As if on cue, Blitz laughs at the moment. "Ha!! There's dicks in the walls! Oh that's fucking hilarious."

After another moment of Crimson threatening Moxxie, Crimson demands him to choose between Chaz or his friend's daughter by tomorrow morning. "Her dad accepted the offer of you taking her as your bride. Do not disappoint me again, Mox. We need her daddy's money. When he dies, she will completely inherit his money and we will be able to expand the empire." Crimson explains to Moxxie, lighting a cigar as the dicks bounced in the room. "Don't you mean if?" "Do not question my abilities. When he dies, that money will be yours as equally as it is hers." Moxxie walks out of the dining room after some hesitation. The succubus lady finally uncovers her face to speak.

"Crimson..put the dicks away."

That night, as Blitz and Chaz did their..thing, her bodyguards knocked on Moxxie's room and instructed him to go to their lady's room. He had knocked at first, wondering what she could possibly want. Perhaps she would be just as weird as Chaz. When she opened the door, he was greeted with the pleasant smell of vanilla and the perfect view to a tall Succubus whom had just taken a shower. She was in her robe. She steps aside and let's Moxxie in. "You can go ahead and take a seat, you know?" She chuckles and he sits down at the edge of her bed. She lays down on the giant bed, sighing.

"I'm sorry about all this. My dad was going to cut off my credit cards if I didn't go through with this."

"I..I shouldn't be here." Moxxie starts, staring down at his lap.

"Mox-Mox..I..I just want to talk to you. I do not want you here with other intentions." She sits up and looks down at him. "I apologize for this. After such a long time..you're being forced to choose. Your wife seems incredible and I deeply apologize for dinner, I'll apologize to Millie tomorrow as well. You don't have to go through with this. Escape! Tell Millie, Blitz, anyone."

"I can't do that, he would find me again." Moxxie was at the verge of tears. She places her hand on top of his that rested on his lap. "You've always been such a crybaby." She chuckles and he leans his head against her chest, sobbing. She hugs him and rests her chin on top of his head. "I..I shouldn't be comforted by another woman. My wife, Milie, she.." "She's very jealous, I know. But you love her and the fact that you feel guilty even hugging another woman is incredible. The love you feel for her..That's incredible."

She giggles, "Mox-Mox, you're incredible. Don't forget that." "Are..you okay with all this? I mean, killing your father? How are you going to do that? Your cartel is much more powerful than this mafia, but..still." Moxxie wraps his arms around her body. He did it quite tightly, making her cheeks warm up. "It'll be okay. I'll inherit his money and my little brother won't be given any excessive punishments. He'll be safe with me. And the cartel would much rather be under my control than my father's. They're playing favorites I suppose."

Moxxie sighs, "I..I don't want this." "Me neither Mox-Mox." Her heart breaks at his words. He didn't want this.

He didn't want her.

The following morning, the two Imps and succubus headed downstairs to the dining room once again. This time, the taller female was dressed in an elegant red dress rather than the black she usually always wore. Moxxie had gone back to his room last night after telling her about what Chaz had attempted to pull.

"Hey hey, the man of the hour!" Crimson claps his hands in "glee". "You ready to get started?" Millie took notice of Blitz's lack of presence and commented on it. "I think I saw him head outside, he said something about needing some fresh air or something." Chaz chuckles to which (Name) rolls her eyes, sitting on the chair on the right side of Crimson. Chaz had attempted to sit there only for Crimson to glare at him and motion for him to sit somewhere else. "Why don't you grab him so we can get moving?" Crimson asks millie, to which she kisses Moxxie's cheeks and leaves to fetch Blitz.

Moxxie sits to his father's left side and Chaz sits next to the female in the room. "Why you look so blue, moxxie? It's your wedding day. Best day of your life. So? Have you decided? Chaz or (Name)?" Chaz grins at Moxxie and Moxxie looks at his childhood best friend whom smiles at him softly. He then looks down and sighs. Crimson sips on his coffee as Moxxie says the following, " I'm not doing it."

"What was that?" Crimson asks Moxxie to repeat himself, almost as if he heard him wrong. He was simply giving his son a chance to correct his mistake of disobeying his father.

"I couldn't make out what you said over the sound of you being a whiny bitch."

Moxxie slams his hands on the table which startles both Chaz and Crimson. She looks proud of Moxxie, hoping that his confidence of standing up to his father came from the talk they had at night. "I said I'm not doing it. I've spent my whole life being afraid of you, but I' not giving up the only good thing I've ever had just so you can keep your fragile little sad control over everything. Millie is a good woman, a better woman that I deserve. And there's nothing that scares me more than hurting her-"

Crimson looks at his guard and does the slightest nod at him. "-not even you. I'm leaving, Dad. And if you or herpes the clown over here try to stop me, you'll learn firsthand just how good I've gotten at my job." Whilst speaking, Moxxie had gotten so close to his father's face that he had forgotten to not let his guard down. He was grabbed by Crimson's man and tazed heavily on his neck. He hit the table when he fell unconscious.

Moxxie's childhood friend stood up with an urgency to help him, pointing her gun directly at Crimson. "Why did you have to do that? Let him go!" Crimson shook his head. "He disobeyed. It's his punishment. And you do not want to get punished either, do you? Once Moxxie says yes at the altar, your father will be murdered by his own men. Or well, your men. And his wealth will be yours. Then it will be shared with Moxxie..and he will give that to me. Then, you may divorce him if you'd like. Kill him for all I care, but this family needs money."

She starts to laugh, "but I don't need you, Crimson! I get nothing out of this!!" "You get Moxxie. The love of your live."

Chaz gasps at the revelation that was oh so clear, but he couldn't grasp. "What? Wait- where do I come in this picture?!" "If lady (name) refuses, you get to marry Moxxie instead. Now, little lady.. you will get Moxxie out of this. You will finally be happy. You will steal him just as he was stolen from your grasp. Money can't buy love, but fear sure fucking can."

She lowers her gun and her bodyguards follow suit. "I..I don't want it this way. I want him to genuinely..like me." She shakes her head, refusing to show weakness at such a moment. But the way Crimson looks up at her from his seat made her shiver. "Your cartel may be more powerful. But you sure aren't as tough as your daddy. Women sure are emotional." He chuckles and gets up from his seat. "Go put your wedding dress on. We're having a fucking wedding."

A while later, your father had arrived. The entirety of both sides of the family had been invited. The entire patio was filled and it made (Name) all the more anxious. She bit the tip of her thumb as she thought about this once. Twice. Thrice. It just wasn't a good idea. Her father pushes her down the altar a bit before making her hook his arm around hers. The music played as she was walked down the aisle, her veil covering her face that was becoming more and more sweaty as she got to the altar. The white train of the dress following her as she had been put in a ball gown that had the longest train to make the wedding look all the more real.

If it wasn't for Moxxie tied down and Crimson holding him, her brain would have registered it as genuine.

A genuine fucking wedding.

The priest was told to hurry up with the process which he did. Her father stood behind her, a way to pressure her into the wedding. "Do you, (Full Name) take Moxxie Noname to be your husband, to love and cherish him until death do you part?" Moxxie stares into her eyes, his own tearing up as a silent plea. "Can..can you ask him first?" The priest sighs and does it again. "Moxie Noname, do you take (Full name) to love and cherish her until death do you part?" Crimson grabs his hair and forces his head to move as a nod. "Look at him, he looks so fucking happy to be here!"

"Now, Do you (Full name) take Moxxie Noname to be your husband, to love and cherish him until death do you part?"

She starts to tear up underneath the veil, not knowing what to do as this may jeopardize her friendship with Moxxie or her life.

"I..do not." Gasps fill the air from the crowd and she takes off her veil, surprising most people in the altar as she wasn't very emotional. However, the stained cheeks and ruined mascara said otherwise. Her lip trembled as she spoke. "Moxxie..I love you. But I don't want this. You clearly don't love me." Moxxie's eyes widened, looking at her eyes but she was looking away. Suddenly, a black car crashed into the wedding and out came Blitz and Millie.

"You want my husband? You're gonna have to fucking kill me."

Crimson rolls his eyes and ordered to kill Millie. However, Millie was much quicker and skilled. She was able to kill or at least permanently damage anyone that came in her way. (Name) uses her veil to wipe away her tears, not wanting to be seen as ruined. Most wedding guest members ran away as they saw how much chaos one woman could cause. Her father and cartel stood by, not knowing which side to choose. So they chose the successor's side; (Name).

Once Millie's murder spree was done, she had taken her husband from Crimson. Moxxie struggled against her grip and Millie took that as a sign to let her husband down. She unties him and takes off the tape that kept him shut.

"Was that true? When was this?" Moxxie grabbed her hands, "I did. When we were younger. But you never made a move." She whispered, not wanting to enrage his wife. "When we were just stupid teens robbing gas stations." She giggles and holds his hands. "Please take care of Millie, she's such a lovely wife. And a strong one at that. Your love for her is genuine and I've never seen that in hell. It's one of a kind, cherish it. I just wish we could have caught up or been in different instances."

Blitz steps forward, making the both separate. Blitz gives her a card that was for their business; IMP. "We don't charge much for our services. When you want somebody gone and you don't want to wait too long, call IMP. Moxxie's there most of the time. And call me." He almost purrs, making her giggle. She accepts the card and nods. "Thanks Blitz." She squishes his cheek. With that, Millie picks up both men and nods at her. She nods back as a way to say goodbye and Millie leaves. While she jumps away, Blitz yells that Chaz was a fraud all along. Hearing this, Crimson slowly turns to look at Chaz who was still in the audience.

The plan had been successful. Her father was out of the picture and his horns were now in a frame hanging from Crimson's wall next to Chaz's shark teeth. (Name) was sitting down on the sofa.

"Ever witnessed a shittier wedding?" She jokes, her cheeks red as the wine she kept consuming was taking over her mind and body. Her hair was a mess and the dress was long disregarded. She was now wearing a much more comfortable pajama set as it was night time.

"My wedding." He grumbles, throwing a knife at the family photo that was on the wall. It landed on Moxxie's forehead. "Hmm.." She spins the cup a bit, watching the wine move.

"What do you think of younger women?"

[thisismeracing]

some professors are not here today so I'm free (for some hours at least) and I went through your jb22 tag and!! HUSBAND!JENSON IDEAS FILLED MY HEAD!!

and specially im stuck on the him being married to a woman in motorsport... I've thought stuff for her being either a reporter or an engineer🫣

reporter!yn:

they two would be teasy from the start, way before they started dating. when he first came to f1, it was her first year in the reporting world and my my, they instantly clicked!! he would be flirty mid interviews and she'd blush sooo hard, literally wouldn't know how to act

eventually he asks her out, maybe after a win of his because they had made a bet

"if I win today, you owe me a date"

"guess I'm rooting for your teammate now"

NO HOLDING BACK IN TEASINGS!!! and so they date and after some years, when they get married, they are literally one of the most iconic couples. she's grown more into him, is even more comfortable teasing him in front of the camera and he absolutely LOVES it (I just know he has that silly grin of his every time)

ofc he calls her darling nonstop

"Jenson, comments on [x thing]?"

"well, Mrs Button-"

MRS BUTTON ALL THE WAY

and he's such a romantic

and, lastly, when he retires he joins her in interviews and they are really known as Mr and Mrs Button, THE reporting duo

engineer!yn:

oh god, now this one is a match. it's the way they entered f1 together and they learn together, from each other. it's the way they've stayed many, many nights in the garage together, just to make the perfect car with his needs and her brains. and one of those nights, after 5 years of working together, them being alone there makes them kiss and oh, they are really inseparable now

their first time would be the making love type of thing, with so much longing

it's the "she fell first but he fell harder" for sure!! in every race weekend he'd bring her her favourite snacks while he just stays there and admires her working

small crash tw: in case of a crash, she'd be worried sick, but the moment he'd step out of the car, they'd be hugging nonstop

all that ofc behind closed doors, because he doesn't want people to think that she's where she is now because of their relationship

he wants people to see her worth, he wants to give her space to shine

but one day, he wins and she is up there in the podium with him and they can't hold up and they kiss at LAST

when they get married, before every race, he kisses her hand and specifically her wedding band in the most tender manner

when he decides to retire, she stays in f1 still, though wishing she was still his mechanic, as she was all 17 years in the sport

but then she suddenly sees him in the reporting role and she's like !!!! MY HUSBAND !!!!

and honestly they'd be simply unstoppable, with them exchanging knowing looks and smiling and just remembering all those years back, when they were just a rookie and an engineer

all in all, husband!Jenson, whichever case, is an extremely loving and caring man who would do everything for his wife. he'd always try to make her laugh, whenever she'd feel down he'd comfort her nonstop and he'd be her safe place completely

now now we all know that he's surely also a man that craves for his woman's pleasure and would do pretty much everything for it🫣🫣 can totally imagine after race sex to take out all his left stamina AND to celebrate...

-🌻

reporter!yn

jenson would totally ask about her if its ever a different reporter interviewing him. the two meaning jokes would make her forget what even the interview was about because let's be honest how does one stays chill after jenson freaking button hits on them?

"if I win today, you owe me a date"

"guess I'm rooting for your teammate now" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA DKGJSDKJGSKHJDSKJHSDH

I think this line is totally something that they would say on camera, live tv, and all, they crossed a line, but everyone loved their dynamic at this point so it wasn't a problem.

engineer!yn

the whole garage roots for them even when they're oblivious to how in love they are!!

I loved this scenario too oh my oh myyyy

asjfkaj after race sex, but also before race sex (its about getting ready and yk he believes that it can give him some luck hehe)

[cetaitlaverite]

Anything to Anywhere

Masters of the Air - John Egan x OC

masterlist is here <3

PART 2: The Official Secrets Act

16. Dead Reckoning

Stella was a shell of herself after John never returned from his mission to Münster. No one had returned from that mission, in fact, apart from Rosenthal. Stella had been out flying at the time but she’d returned to find only one of the B-17s which had been ferried in the day before sitting on the hardstand, accompanied by one other lone plane belonging to a different regiment.

Neither of the planes were John’s plane, the one she’d ferried in.

No, that plane had gone down somewhere over Germany, Rosenthal and his crew had reported. There were parachutes but not enough for every man who’d been on the plane. Someone hadn’t made it out.

Was it John? That was all Stella could think about in the days which passed by laboriously slowly in his absence. Had he been the one who hadn’t made it out? Had he been so furious about Buck, so heartbroken, that he hadn’t even bothered trying to save his own life? Or had he been hit by accident? It happened sometimes. Flak coming through windows or fire in the cockpit. Pilots were known to die when flying their planes, sometimes.

Stella was allowed to keep flying her chits. She supposed her superiors had no reason to believe there was much wrong with her. She wasn’t screaming and crying and beating her fists on the ground. She was just quiet. Her eyes were hollow and her voice dead, her movements slow and her skin pallid. There was no fight left in her. There was nothing, really, keeping her alive.

Alice and Jessop pleaded with her to come to the pub with them and the others, or to come to the officers’ club, or to take leave - god knew she had weeks’ worth stored up because she never bothered to leave base. They begged her to go birdwatching with them or to read or to do anything except wake up in the morning, follow her routine, and then go back to sleep at night, an empty vessel with nothing going on inside.

In the end, it was Alice and Jessop who told their commanding officer, Commodore Knightswick, that there was a problem. He realised they were right when Stella sat opposite him in his office, her eyes vacant as she stared over his shoulder and out of the window, like she was waiting for John to come in for the landing any second now.

Knightswick watched Stella curiously for a while, wondering how long she’d let him before she spoke. But she didn’t. She just kept staring. So he steepled his hands together, leaning his elbows on his desk, and asked casually, “How do you like Thorpe Abbotts, Finley?”

Stella shrugged. She didn’t look at him. “It’s fine,” she said.

Knightswick nodded. If Stella had looked up at him she would have found something soft in his eyes, something he’d never once had before when he’d looked at her, problem child as she was. But her voice was lifeless and so were her eyes. He’d never seen Stella Finley, always so full of fire, so utterly burnt out.

Once more, he nodded. Then he opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled a file out. “I have a new assignment for you,” he said.

Stella nodded. “A B-17,” she deduced. She was always flying B-17s now. They all were. Fewer and fewer forts were returning from each mission.

“No,” Knightswick replied. “Lysanders.”

Stella sat up straighter. Her eyes found his. “Why would you want me to fly Lysanders?” Westland Lysanders were reconnaissance and liaison planes, not fighters or bombers. They weren’t used in combat. She swallowed hard. “Am I being demoted?”

Softly, Knightswick laughed. “No, Finley, you’re not being demoted.” He smiled at her with something glinting in his eyes. “RAF Special Duties needs pilots to ferry very important and very secret people. I put you forward and they’ve accepted. You reckon you can keep a secret?”

Stella gave a sad, pitiful laugh. “Who would I tell a secret to?”

Knightswick didn’t dignify that with a response. “They’re called S chits,” he simply explained. “The ferry flights you’ll fly for Special Duties, that is. You’ll still fly your normal chits but you’ll fly these ones too. There are a few pilots here who also fly them, alongside their normal ferries. You’ll notice now you know what to look out for, but don’t talk to anyone about them, don’t even acknowledge that you know what they are.” He smiled, tapping the file on the desk before him. “And, if Special Duties likes you - and I have a sneaking suspicion they will - they’re considering you for a transfer to fly for them full time.”

“At a new base?” Stella wondered.

Knightswick smiled. “No one knows where it is other than the pilots who fly from there. But fly your S chits well and I have no doubts that you’ll be among the lucky few soon enough.” Knightswick looked down at her file, at the bright-eyed and fierce girl in the picture who had been ready to conquer the world when she’d first become a ferry pilot. This place had ruined her and it was criminal, because it had never been enough for her in the first place. She’d always been meant for more.

“Not everyone who flies S chits gets transferred to fly for this squadron,” he warned. But then he smiled. “But I think you will.”

Stella nodded. She didn’t bother trying to muster a smile because she knew it wouldn’t work, so instead she just turned her eyes back out of the window. “Thank you,” she said softly, sincerely. “For putting me forward. And for believing in me.”

Kindly, in a fraternal sort of way, Knightswick laughed. “Impossible not to believe in you, Finley,” he told her. “If anyone ever doesn’t you prove them wrong.”

That sentiment was at the forefront of Stella’s mind for the rest of the day. She’d never thought of herself as someone particularly worth investing in before. The first person who ever really had was John, who had insisted on getting to know her even when she’d made herself unlikeable and unapproachable at every turn.

Tears stung in her eyes as she walked across base. She missed him so much she sometimes felt she couldn’t breathe. So much of her days were empty space, now, where before they’d been filled with seeking him out to talk about something unimportant and only mildly amusing. It had happened so gradually Stella hadn’t noticed, but at some point he’d made himself an indispensable part of her life. Now that he was gone she wasn’t sure what to do with herself aside from miss him.

She wanted to hate him, as she’d told him she would if he went down. But she couldn’t. So missing him was all there was to do.

Stella’s first S chit was an entirely unremarkable affair. It appeared on the blackboard the exact same as all the other chits she’d ever flown, just with an S marked next to it. The airfield she was picking up the supposed important person from was familiar to her, the airfield she was delivering them to was unfamiliar.

She received a briefing from Knightswick before she went out, very concise and hush-hush. She wasn’t allowed to talk to the person she was transporting and, if she could help it, she shouldn’t look at them either. So when her precious cargo climbed into the plane behind her, Stella said nothing and didn’t turn to look, and when they got out she didn’t turn to look either.

Her S chits all went like that. After a while she realised she was ferrying people to an airfield used for training, likely spies; they were doing parachute training over there, she’d been able to deduce, simply based on the types of planes on the hardstand and the size of the parachute hanger.

There was something thrilling about being so close to real life spies. People who were dropped off in Nazi-occupied territory and went undercover, collecting information and sabotaging and assassinating. They didn’t seem real and yet they very much were.

After getting her transfer approved, Stella was set to work even closer with them.

There was no sentimentality left in her when she packed up her footlocker, ready to leave Thorpe Abbotts for good. She’d been here a while now, yes, but all the warmth and the fun had left with John and Buck and Curt. No longer did Stella spend nights in the pub or the officers’ club with the other ATA pilots. No longer did this place hold anything precious to her.

As much as she’d tried to make it so, this wasn’t a home.

“I’ll miss you, Fin,” Alice said as she and Jessop stood beside the jeep which would take Stella to the train station. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

Stella’s smile was wobbly because, actually, maybe she would miss a few things about here.

“That’s just a nice way of saying I’m an unapologetic bitch,” Stella accused weakly.

Alice laughed. The sound was wet. “No, it’s a nice way of saying this place is going to be empty without you.”

Stella shared her watery laugh. “It’s already empty,” she said, shrugging one shoulder. “Go find a new adventure, Alice. This place is a shell of what it was when we came here.”

Jessop was barely holding himself together. He’d always been the most sentimental of the three of them. “Fin,” he started when Stella turned to him, his bottom lip wobbling.

Stella laughed. “Don’t start, Jessop.” She gave him a hug, because by all accounts he was her oldest friend. They were assigned together at a different airfield all the way back in 1940. Three years felt so much longer in wartime.

“Send letters,” Jessop pleaded. “I want to hear about your new base.”

Stella smiled ruefully into his shoulder. “I can’t tell you about my new base, remember?”

“Then tell me about all the men you reject.”

Stella sighed. It was going to be so much work trying to make sure everyone knew who she was at this new base. But then again, she had a blank slate. A fresh start. Maybe she could do better this time, make people love her better this time.

The jeep driver was impatient as he sat behind the steering wheel, Stella’s bag already loaded into the back.

Stella pulled out of Jessop’s hug and exchanged an awkward embrace with Alice - they’d never been affectionate friends - before stepping back and smiling at both of them. “It’s been an honour to fly alongside both of you,” she said.

Alice and Jessop nodded back.

“Take care of yourself, Fin,” Jessop said, swiping a thumb under each eye.

“When John Egan writes to you,” Alice said, “write back.”

Stella thought about that for the entirety of the drive to the train station, and for the entirety of the train ride into London, and for the entirety of her journey from the train station in London to her new base. A driver had been sent to pick her up and take her to the secret airfield but he didn’t much want to talk to her. She didn’t much want to talk back.

Alice was so sure that John was alive. Stella couldn’t imagine what he must be enduring if he was. Either captured and a prisoner of war or on the run in occupied territory, Stella wasn’t sure which was worse. She wanted so badly to hear that he was okay but couldn’t stomach knowing the truth of where he was and what had happened to him.

Stella’s new airfield was north of London. RAF Tempsford, she found out it was called, but only after reading the sign outside the gate when she was driven through it. Once he’d parked, the driver wordlessly retrieved her bag from the back of the jeep and gestured for her to follow him. They weaved between huts spread out in much the same way as every airfield Stella had ever been to, the grass damp and soggy beneath her shoes, the sky grey and overcast with the threat of rain, until they entered what she supposed must have been the air exec. The driver led her to an office door, handed her bag to her, and left.

Stella watched him go with furrowed eyebrows and a twist to her lips. If everyone here was like him she was sure to be miserable. But, then again, she wasn’t much disposed to want to make any new friends. No, she was thoroughly finished in that department.

Turning back to the office door, Stella inhaled a deep breath and tried to settle her nerves. She’d done this twice before already, once when she’d first joined the ATA and then again when she’d been transferred to Thorpe Abbotts. So why was she so nervous this time?

The secrecy of it, she supposed. The promise of working with people who were so important they were top secret. And the fact that she had no real idea what she was going to be doing didn’t help; flying domestic S chits was one thing, ferrying spies to and from parachute training, but flying for RAF Special Duties full time? Stella had no real idea what she’d been nominated for.

Her free hand was shaking slightly as she raised it to knock.

The office door was flung open before she got the chance.

“First Officer Stella Finley,” the man on the other side greeted with a grin, holding a file up beside her face. He darted eyes between her face and the file and shrugged. “Old photograph, I suppose. You would have been - what, nineteen? - when you joined the ATA.”

Stella shifted on her feet. “Almost twenty,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The man smiled wider. “Right. So nineteen.” He lowered her file and opened the door further, then stepped aside to allow her to enter, watching her as she went, sizing her up.

Stella forced herself to keep her chin up and her shoulders back. She didn’t feel confident but she didn’t need this man who was likely her new commanding officer knowing that; if she wanted respect she would have to demand it, it wasn’t going to be freely given to her.

“So,” the man began when they were sitting opposite each other on either side of his desk. He was a lot older than Commodore Knightswick was; she was used to answering to someone only a little bit older than her, but this man must have been in his forties at least, with thinning hair on the top of his head and a rising hairline, a wedding ring on his left hand and a thin moustache on his upper lip. His uniform was pristine and high-ranking - an air marshal, as far as Stella could tell - but the most unnerving thing about him was how happy he seemed to see her. The sunlight streaming in from the window made his teeth glint and lit up the pale blue of his eyes until they were almost silver. “First Officer Finley.”

“Sir,” Stella replied, fighting to keep her voice steady. She shifted once in her armchair, the crimson leather creaking and squeaking beneath her.

“You work for the RAF now,” the man declared. His eyes were dancing. “You’re one of only four women in the entire world who fly for the RAF, in fact.”

Stella swallowed hard against the tightness in her throat, pushing her shoulders back further even as she squeezed her hands together in her lap. “Happy to be here, sir.”

“We don’t have first officers in the RAF,” the man went on. “So you’re a flight lieutenant now. Your new uniform is waiting for you in your hut.” He leaned forward over the desk conspiratorially, as though sharing a secret, and added, “Unfortunately, since this operation is covert, we can’t order in any women’s uniforms, so you’ll be in the men’s. It’ll be a bit big but the other women have worked out a few ways to tailor it. They’ll be happy to help you, I’m sure.”

Stella nodded. She had no idea what she was supposed to say.

“You’ll be billeted in Hut 6 with the other women. One of them will be here in a little while to take you there. Now.” He clapped his hands together and laid them over her file, sitting in front of him on his wooden desk. “Would you like to know what you’ll be doing?”

Stella sat up straighter. “Yes,” she blurted, then added, “sir,” as an afterthought. Once more she shifted on the leather armchair, and once more it squeaked its protests.

The man grinned. “Unfortunately, you have to sign some papers before we get you that far.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a key, then promptly unlocked one of the drawers attached to his desk and drew out a large file. “The Official Secrets Act,” he explained as he set it on his desk and pushed it over to Stella. “You have to sign it to work here. I’ll give you some time to read the details but, to put it simply, if you speak about what you do here, the people you meet, or anything at all related to RAF Special Duties, you will be executed.” He slid over a pen. “You can take a moment.”

Stella’s heart was pounding, but not out of fear; out of excitement. The Official Secrets Act. She’d thought it was a rumour. All anyone had ever told her about it was that people who did important jobs, jobs you wanted to brag about, never could because they’d signed it. If a man came over in the pub posturing about how important his job was, Alice had always joked that it couldn’t be that important, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to talk about it.

Stella didn’t spare much time poring over the details; she knew she was going to sign it either way. So, after pretending to take her time for what must have been only five minutes, she picked up the pen and signed and printed her name, then slid her Official Secrets Act across the table to her new CO.

He was smiling warmly at her. “Good,” he approved. “You’re here to serve as a pilot for the Moon Squadron. We’re top secret and we only fly at night.” He winked. “Hence the name.”

Stella nodded. No longer did she feel nervous; all the nerves in her stomach were silenced by the pure adrenaline racing through her veins. She was hanging onto his every word, now, tracking his every move. Whenever she wasn’t looking at him she was darting eyes all over the room, taking in the locked cabinets and wondering what sort of top secret information was inside them.

“Technically, the Moon Squadron is actually made up of two squadrons, Number 138 Squadron and Number 161 Squadron,” Stella’s new commanding officer explained. “To start you off, we’ve put you in 138, but we’re hoping you’ll make your way over to 161 eventually.”

“What’s the difference?” Stella wondered.

“I’m glad you asked,” the man said around his smile. “Your new squadron, 138, flies a modified version of the Handley Page Halifax bomber. You have a lot of experience with bombers, I’m aware.”

“Yes, sir,” Stella hurried to assure him.

He laughed quietly, as though she was amusing him. “Squadron 138 drops spies and supplies into occupied territory through cover of darkness. Sometimes, you’ll fly in the pitch dark, with no moonlight at all. We call these blind drops. You won’t have any until you’ve been here a little while longer. All the same, you do not land in occupied territory; you fly there, you drop your cargo, and you fly back.

“We’re working you up to 161,” he went on. “Currently, none of our female pilots are permitted to fly with them, but we’re hard at work on that. 161 handles the landings behind enemy lines, when equipment or location makes parachute drops impossible. That’s all you need to know about them at the moment.”

“And they fly Lysanders,” Stella added.

The man laughed. “Yes,” he confirmed. “They fly our Lizzies.” He stared at Stella for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips, and she stared back. Then he continued, “You won’t have any maps. Here, navigation is by dead reckoning. You’ll fly a course plotted in detail ahead of time and estimate the position you’ll need to drop from using the compass heading, time flown, and airspeed.” He smiled warmly at her. “Many of our pilots also like to use recognisable features on the ground, usually bodies of water or coastlines, but sometimes towns, forests, or railways.”

“I learned to fly by dead reckoning,” Stella informed her new CO. “Maps have always been a luxury.”

“Oh, we know all about your flying experience, Stella. Don’t worry about that.”

A shock tore through her at hearing her first name. No one had called her that in a long time - other than John, of course, and even then only when he was upset with her.

Her bottom lip wobbled when she realised how much of the excitement which had been racing through her throughout this conversation had been because she wanted to tell him about it. He would have been so excited for her. Proud, too, she was sure. He was her biggest fan in a way no one else ever really had been.

She missed him so much and so suddenly it was hard to breathe.

Her new CO had no idea. He bulldozed on obliviously.

“You’ll get more briefings tomorrow,” he said. “Today, I think I’ve bombarded you with quite enough information.” He smiled warmly at her one final time. “Welcome to the Moon Squadron, Stella.”

[crazyunsexycool]

Is it a crime?

Chapter 8

Pairing: mob boss!bucky Barnes x mob boss!reader

Word count:5.2k

Warnings: angst, some physical violence, physical violence against a pregnant woman, death threats, gun use, teenage pregnancy scare, arguing I think that’s all

A/N: some of you are upset on how the last chapter ended and I’m sorry! I hope some parts of this chapter makes up for it. A LOT is revealed here too. Please let me know what you think. A very special shout out to the very lovely Em ( @writing-for-marvel ) for being such an amazing person an creating dividers for this series I absolutely love them. Em is also a very talented writer so you should check out her writing!!!

Series masterlist

Ch. 7

17 years old

You paced back and forth in your bathroom. Bucky sat at the edge of the bathtub, his leg bouncing as he watched you. The wait was pure agonizing torture. After a few minutes the timer you had set went off. The answer you were waiting for would be the best news or the worst. You pick up the little white stick with a pink lid and read the result, sighing in relief.

“What does it say?” Bucky asked, still unmoving from his spot.

“It’s negative.”

You showed him the pregnancy test and he frowns slightly. His reaction causes you to frown on return. He pulls you closer so that you’re standing in between his legs. His arms wrap around your hips.

“Did you want to have a baby now?” You ask in a whisper. “We’re still in school.”

“Now or in five or ten years or fifteen years, it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re the mother of my children.”

He smiles up at you, that sweet boyish smile you love and you can’t help but run your hand through his unruly hair.

“What if we’re not together by that time? Or we stop loving each other?”

He pulls back and looks you dead in the eye, his expression serious. “The day I stop loving you is the day I die. Even then I’d come back as a ghost to haunt you with my love.”

“You weirdo.” You laugh at the last part.

“I can live with that as long as you promise to love me back, and marry me when the time is right and have my children.”

“Only you Barnes, only you.” You smile brightly down at him before you connect your lips with his.

“You got her pregnant?!” Bucky hears behind him. He turns in his chair to see Becca walking into his living room and right towards him with a scowl on her face.

It was too early for this. To have this talk or fight. His head was still pounding from the horrible hangover he acquired, which takes a lot of alcohol considering he isn’t a lightweight.

“Answer me, James.”

“No.” He says quietly at first. “I don’t think so— maybe.”

When Becca stands in front of her older brother she can see the red rimmed and puffy eyes. There were dark bags under said eyes, his hair was disheveled as if he ran his hand through it multiple times. It’s obvious Bucky hasn’t slept or eaten anything since Dot announced the pregnancy and that had only been a few hours ago. But it was your face that kept showing up anytime he closed his eyes.

“Why would you even sleep with her? I thought you hated her guts.”

“Becca please, I can’t do this now. How did you even find out?”

“She’s been at home for the last hour talk-“

“It’s like 8:00 am.”

“Anyways, I came here because she was talking to dad. Dot is trying to convince him to make you move up the wedding since she doesn’t want to look pregnant in her wedding dress.”

Bucky’s eyes snap up to look at his sister.

“Fuck,” he throws the glass he had in his hand against the window. “Let’s go now. I’m not moving that wedding up.”

“You should shower and change first, you smell like a cheap bar.”

“Fine.” Bucky growls before stomping away toward his room.

****

Once he’s freshly showered and dressed Bucky heads back downstairs. There’s a whispered conversation going on between Steve and Becca. They both turn to look at him once he makes his presence known. Steve’s expression is more grim than Becca’s.

“What did she say?”

Steve opens his mouth but closes it again. He smooths his beard as he tries to think of the easiest way to say what you had told him.

“Will you just spit it out?”

“She told me to tell you to leave her the fuck alone and that you should be focusing on your future wife and child.”

Bucky curses under his breath.

“I’ll deal with dad first, let's go.”

Not much had changed in the old restaurant Pierce had brought you to. It was his usual spot even when you were a kid. The waitstaff still feared him, his men were still posted at every entryway. He still sat at the same table, with his back to the wall leaving you to sit with your back to a huge window. Sometimes you thought of just sending Cougar to take him out from a few rooftops away but that would take the fun out of everything. And if one thing was certain it was that you wanted to watch Pierce realize he’d lost. For now you indulge this little power trip of his.

“You know I gave up on looking for you about three years ago. You were in the clear, you could have kept living your life. So I don’t understand why you would do something so stupid like come back?” He looked at you over his coffee.

“You’re too old to be acting this stupid Pierce. You know why I’m back.”

“Watch your fucking attitude with me, princess.” He slammed his hand on the table, causing all the cutlery and plates to clang against each other.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. My, my someone is testy this morning. What’s wrong Pierce, did your prune juice not work for you?”

“I’m going to give you one day,” he held up one finger as he glared at you. “To pack your shit along with those good for nothing goons you brought with you, and get out of town. After that I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

“Is that supposed to scare me? Come on, you know better than that.” You shifted in your seat and sat up straighter. “I’m only going to tell you this once, I’m here to take back everything you stole from me. There is no negotiating, I will leave you with nothing and when we get to the end and you’re begging me to just end you, I will take pleasure in keeping you on the brink of death until I see fit.”

Pierce laughed and when he stopped he had a smug smile on his lips.

“Was that supposed to scare me?” He mocks. “I’ve taught you everything you know, I’ll always be ahead of you. There’s not a move you can make that I won’t know about and I will make your existence so miserable you’ll be the one begging for your life to end.” He takes another sip of his coffee. “I could have had you killed the minute you stepped into my city but as a courtesy I wanted to have this sit down. I’ll only warn you once. The minute you step out of that door you have 24 hours to leave. If not, get ready for war.”

You smile at him before lifting your hand and signaling for someone or something. The window cracks and splinters, a bullet flies by your and Pierce’s head imbedding itself in the wall behind him. Before he or his bodyguards have time to react you’ve already gotten up from your seat. You grab Pierce by the back of his neck and slam his head against the table. The gun Rosie had given you just that morning is in your hand and pressed against his temple. “Tell them to back off.” You instruct Pierce as his men point their guns at you. “Now!”

“Do it, put your guns down and back off.”

You lean in “I’ve been ready for war for ten years. You should have killed me when you had the chance. If you think you can intimidate me with your old school bullshit, you’ve got another thing coming. That was the only warning shot you get, next time my guy won’t miss.” You push his head against the table once again before standing up straight. The gun you brandished was now pointed at the other men.

“Where did you get that gun?” He asked, sounding a bit panicked and surprised.

“Why do you care?”

“That was your mother’s gun.” He said through heavy breaths. “She was supposed to have it the night she died but it wasn’t in the car.”

The comment confuses you, how would he know if it was or wasn’t in the car.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure this is the gun I use when I kill you.” You snap before walking out of the restaurant.

Jake was waiting in a car just outside for you. You get in and he barely waits for the door to close before pulling away. He’s fuming, you can tell by the way the veins in his neck are about to pop out.

“Can you tell me what the fuck that was about?” Jake says through gritted teeth. He’s gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are white. “What were you fucking thinking? He could have killed you.”

“He wasn’t going to. Pierce likes his little cat and mouse game. He has a strict set of rules he likes to follow, he never deviates from it. You know this.”

“That’s not the damn point.” he practically yells at you.

“Watch your tone with me Jensen. I’m your fucking boss, I make the calls not you.”

“And I’m not some low level pusher. I’m your right hand and I’ll call you out when I have to. Listen I get you’re upset about the Barnes thing, but that’s not an excuse to be so damn reckless.” His voice softens a little.

“Stop the car.”

“What?”

“I said stop the fucking car.” You snap and he does as you ask. “You have more important things to do, get to ‘em.” You say as you get out of the car and slam the door shut.

He drives away while you stand there. You take a deep breath and you wish you could smash someone’s head in.

“Fuck.” You mutter as you walk down the sidewalk.

“Oh my gosh, what happened to the window baby?”

“What the fuck are you doing here Dot?” Pierce glared at the bubbly blonde from his seat at the table.

“Well I wanted to see you and you weren’t at your office. The plan worked, James and Y/N think the baby is his.”

Dot gets closer to the older man and inspects his face. She gasps as she sees the red splotches on his face from where you slammed his head against the table.

“Who did this?” She tried to caress his cheek.

Pierce grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from him.

“Ow, Alex you’re hurting me.”

“Are you fucking stupid? Did the bleach finally seep into your brain and ate away at your common sense? Y/N could have seen you. It could have ruined everything.”

“But I just wanted to see you. I’ve missed you and I know the baby misses his daddy.”

“You missed me?” Pierce’s hand connected with Dot’s face. The sound like thunder in the otherwise quiet room. “If you ever do anything stupid like showing up here I will kill you myself, understood?”

Dot tries to wipe the tears away and nods.

“Oh baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do that but sometimes you just make me so angry. Come here.” Pierce pulls Dot into a hug. “Now do me a favor. Get on your phone and call Rumlow and tell him to meet me here. Can you do that?”

“Brock is already outside. I’ll just tell him to come in.”

“Why don’t you do that and go home. We can’t risk our plan falling apart now can we?”

“No sir.” Dot walks out of the dining area and gets Brock before leaving.

“You wanted to see me?”

“If you ever let your sister near this area again, I will end you.” Pierce glared at the younger man.

“Understood. Anything else?”

“I gave Y/N 24 hours to leave. Burn down one of her warehouses tomorrow.”

“You think she won’t leave?”

“Of course not. I taught her better than that. The offer was just a formality. Now go keep an eye on her place. I want to know what happens.”

“You got it.”

Bucky walked into his family home ready to tear his father apart if he tried to have the wedding moved up. Dot was already gone by the time he arrived which was good because he would have strangled her. He said a quick hello to his mother and walked right into his father’s study. The older man glared at him, George Barnes hated being interrupted in the middle of what seemed like a meeting. This would have earned Bucky a beating but not anymore. Honestly Bucky would like to see his father try and swing at him.

“You know the rules, boy. I’m working and don’t just walk in here when I’m in a meeting.” George growls.

“This meeting is on hold,” Bucky looked down at the man in his father’s office. “Donny take a break.”

Donny looked between the two men and got up to quickly exit the room. He was more afraid of Bucky than he was of George. Bucky had earned a certain reputation over the last ten years that his father could never have.

“If you ever disrespect me-“

Bucky held his hand up to stop his father from going on and on about all the things he would do.

“I don’t have time for this, I know you know about Dot being pregnant. I’m pretty sure that kid isn’t mine so I’m not moving up the wedding. If I find out who the real father is, the wedding and the engagement are off. I’m not going to negotiate any other contract with you. If it turns out that I’m right you’re keeping up the end of our deal.”

“You think you can make demands? This is my business. I say what will and won’t happen. I give the orders and who does what. You’re nothing more than an ungrateful brat. And don’t think that your sister won’t get what’s coming to her for running to you this morning.”

Metal hits wood, a huge indent forms on the dark wooden desk. Cracks shoot out in different directions, effectively breaking the desk.

“You haven’t done shit for this business in years. I’ve been doing all the work, so what I say goes because I’m tired of your fucking bullshit. You don’t even know what’s going on outside these walls, the threats I’ve ended so that we can continue to operate in this city. From now on you will report to me. And if I find out that you put a finger on Becca I will make sure your death is slow and painful. Because trust me I’ve thought of it many, many times already.” Bucky sneered.

“Yeah, if you’re so tough then why haven’t you done anything about it?”

“Because of ma. Maybe you oughta be more grateful I haven’t gotten rid of you yet.” With that Bucky walks out.

He doesn’t care what his father has to say or think anymore. There were more important things in his life and if he really wanted to keep the business going there were more than enough men that were loyal to him. Bucky finds Donny, one of his father’s trusted men. One that had slowly started to gain more respect and fear of Bucky. Bucky instructed him to let the others know he was now in full command of the Barnes family and their businesses. Everyone reported to him and if someone didn’t like it they’d be eliminated.

Now all Bucky had to do was find a way to talk to you.

You got out of the cab you had flagged down after your disagreement with Jake. The familiar brownstone stood in front of you in all its glory. It reminded you of many childhood memories, both good and bad. You only have to wait a minute after knocking. The door flies open to reveal Joseph Rogers.

“Little otter I didn’t know you were coming over today.” He greets you happily. “Come in, Sarah will be so happy to see you.”

You give him a half smile as you walk in and head toward the kitchen where Joseph told you Sarah was. The older woman turned and her face lit up when she saw you walk in. She quickly wrapped you up in a hug. It took everything in you to not break down and cry. You were all raw emotions and doubt. So many questions swimming in your head.

“Well what brings you by today? I heard the club had its grand opening last night. How did that go?”

“It was successful in all the ways that mattered.”

Sarah looked over at her husband with worry as she placed a cup of coffee in front of you.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just that it did what it was supposed to. I have business deals starting up and I’m meeting with some local business owners in the next few days that are on Pierce territory. They want out from under him and I’m willing to provide the protection. Pierce even had the nerve to show up at my parents' graves this morning. He gave me a day to leave or he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.”

“That piece of shit. Your father should have gotten rid of him when he had the chance.” Joseph says.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything otter.”

You pull out your mother’s gun and place it on the table.

“Hey, no guns on the table.”

“Sorry Sarah.” You smile at her before turning to Joseph. “Rosie gave it to me this morning. She said mom gave it to you to fix and you returned it but my parents had already left that night. I pulled this gun on Pierce and he was surprised to see it. He said that it was supposed to be in the car that night but it wasn’t. Do you know why he would care about it?”

Again Sarah and Joseph look at each other. The latter gave his wife a single nod.

“There’s something you need to know, Y/N.” Sarah said as she gently placed a hand over yours. “Before your mother was the head of her family and before your parents even met, your mom and Pierce dated. He was very much in love with her. Maybe he wanted to keep the gun to remember her?”

You stare at Sarah with nothing but pure shock and disbelief on your face. The nervous habit of playing with the locket that belonged to your mother brought you a little bit of comfort.

“Did my father know?”

“He was aware of Pierce’s feelings for her but I don't know if he was aware of their relationship.” Sarah tells you as she eyes the necklace. “You know your mother had a locket just like that.”

“This was her locket.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you had it. She never took it off.”

Something about this didn’t feel right. The new information about your mother’s past relationship with Pierce made you question some things from your past.

“I should go. Thank you for everything.” You say as you stand and place the gun back in its holster.

“You don’t have to thank us. Just make sure you come around when you can little otter.”

You hugged them both and walked out. Cougar was leaning against the car you had used to drive to the cemetery. He tipped his hat in the direction of the Rogers and opened the door for you.

“Where to, boss?” He asks after getting into the driver's side.

“Wherever Jake is.”

Jake was typing furiously. It’s like he was punishing the keyboard for the argument between the two of you. He heard the door to his office open but ignored it, there were more important things to deal with. Until a little plastic T-Rex was placed on his desk. The corner of his lip ticks upward. Little plastic dinosaurs had always been how you apologized. There was no rhyme or reason to it. The tradition started when you were little and it stuck. You both had a small collection and you would trade them back and forth.

“I’m sorry about how I reacted this morning. You had every right to call me out. It’s one of the reasons I trust you so much.” You say quietly.

Cerulean eyes framed in circular glasses meet yours. They hold no real anger in them. It always made you wonder how Jake could be so kind but so cruel when needed.

“I was out of line too. I just freaked out when Cougar called me and told me what was happening. I’ve seen you go through too much for it to be over so quickly. So what did he want?”

“He’s giving us 24 hours to leave New York or he won’t be responsible for his actions.”

“Like he’ll be able to do any real damage.” Jake rolls his eyes and turns back to his computer. “Good job on placing that mic though. It took a few minutes but I have it up and running now. It seems like that’s where he likes to do business. Or at least some of it. They have cameras but no audio. I hacked in so that we have visuals and with our mic we have the audio we need for our back up plan. I also thought that if we could offer better deals people would agree to do deals with us instead.”

“This is why you’re my right hand JJ.” You clear your throat. “I need to ask you something. Do you remember when I asked you to look into my mom?”

He stops his typing and turns to look at you again. “Yeah.”

“What did you find?”

Jake pushes off the ground sending his computer chair gliding through his office at the club. He stops himself in front of a cabinet and rifles through until he finds what he’s looking for. Jake pulls out a thick folder. He then moves back to his desk and sets it down.

“This is all I have. It includes those offshore accounts she had made in your name that I found a few years back.”

“Is there anything in here about her death? Any crime scene photos or anything?”

“No, it seems like the police department is behind on digitizing their cold cases. Why?”

“I just found out some very interesting information and I wanted to see what the police found.”

“I’ll find a way to get my hands on it as soon as possible.” Jake stands and opens his arms offering a hug, which you accept.

“Thanks JJ, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Let’s never find out.”

You massage your temples after rereading the information Jake had given you. The music tonight annoys you and you consider going home for the night. There’s no real need to be here and Clay can look over the club. You sigh as you grab the drink you had poured for yourself and finish it off. Sinking into your office chair you close your eyes and think about what’s happened in the last 24 hours.

How bucky had his way with you on your desk and left you floating on cloud nine only to be pulled back down to reality just minutes later. You still couldn’t understand the whole issue he had with this supposed contract. Now it really didn’t matter, Bucky was going to get married and be a father. Two things you’d thought you’d experience together.

The door opens and you’re surprised to hear the soft click of the handle as it closes again. But you’re not in the mood to deal with anyone so you don’t bother to open your eyes.

“Whatever the issue is, Clay can deal with it. Go bother him and leave me alone. I’m going home anyways.”

“Good, let me take you that way we can talk.”

You sighed as you slowly opened your eyes to find Bucky walking towards your desk. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. There were dark circles under his eyes and he just looked hung over. You tilt your head slightly, taking in his form from head to toe.

“No.”

“Just let me explain, bug.” He said as he stopped in front of your desk. Seeing Bucky standing there brought back the memories from the night before. You suppress the shiver that wants to run down your back.

“You had your chance to tell me the truth and you didn’t. That’s your problem not mine.”

“What? When was I supposed to tell you she was pregnant? I didn’t even know.”

You stand up and put some space between the two of you. This is the last thing you wanted to do right now. It hurt so much, just the thought of Dot having the one person you loved the most.

“I asked you if you loved her and you said you couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with her. You could have told me then. Did you sleep with her?” You look up at him.

He pokes the inside of his cheek with his tongue and drags it down. Bucky did that when he was trying to find a way to say something he didn’t want to.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Get out.”

“No,” Bucky moves and walks towards you. He’s determined to get you to listen to him. Bucky puts an arm around your waist as you try to walk away from him and pulls you back until you're against a wall. He cages you in, his body pressed into yours and you can smell the alcohol he must’ve drowned himself in. “I’m not going to lose you again. So you’re going to listen to me until I’m done.” He says through gritted teeth, he’s so close his breath hits your cheek.

“If you actually fucking cared you’d give me my space. But obviously you don't, so I want you out of my club before I have you removed.”

“Call them in, have all of your people come in here and try to take me away from you. It ain’t gonna happen. Dot was a fucking mistake, I only slept with her once. I was drunk and I don’t even remember finishing. I wouldn’t be surprised if that kid wasn’t even mine. So please, don’t push me away.”

“You don’t fucking get it do you? It’s not just about the baby. I asked you and you didn’t tell me the truth.” You manage to get away from him and put some distance between the two of you. There was that familiar sting in your eyes of tears threatening to spill. You couldn’t allow them to reveal how much the situation hurt you. “I’m not naive, I couldn’t expect you to not move on or not sleep around, I did.”

Bucky’s jaw clenched at the admission. The thought of someone else holding you like he did angered him beyond belief. Even if he had slept around, none of them were you. He would kick them out of his apartment as soon as he was done, he didn’t care if they were satisfied. They were just a means to an end.

“Y/N, It’s not like that. I promise-“

“Instead of making promises to me you should be making them to your fiancée and your unborn baby. And I’d be very grateful if you’d stay on your territory, taking care of your business and not here. I have more important things to worry about.” You say as you turn and stare him down.

He scoffs before crossing the room and once again invading your space. His hand comes up and he places a finger under your chin, forcing you to look up at him.

“This isn’t over. I don’t care if it takes another fucking decade for you to believe me.”

“Bucky…”

The door opens revealing Roque and Cougar, effectively stopping the conversation from continuing. They both look at Bucky and then at you, waiting for your command.

“Make sure he leaves and figure out how he got past security. If someone let him in I want to know who it was.” You say without taking your eyes off of Bucky.

Bucky steps away, a slightly defeated look crosses his features before he walks away. Cougar follows him out but Roque stays behind.

“You ok, princess?”

You look up at him. “No but I will be. Do you know if Nebula and Gamora are set up at the warehouses?”

“Yeah, it’s what I came to tell you. They are ready to go and will keep us informed of anything that happens.”

“Good, now come sit I have to go over a few things.”

*******

Cougar silently walks Bucky out through the back of the club. Neither of them say anything until they’re at the door.

“Listen, I’m not going to stop until she believes me. That kid isn’t mine.” Bucky was just desperate.

“I believe you, Barnes.”

Bucky turns to look at him. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders just by having one of your people know the truth.

“But, maybe you should worry about your fiancée more than you do my boss.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Do you know where your fiancée is when she isn’t with you?” Cougar shrugs. “Maybe you should figure out who she hangs out with before you try to get Boss’ attention again. And you’ll have to do better than just sneak in here because next time I’ll just shoot you, and I never miss.” Cougar just nods towards the door, a clear indication for Bucky to leave.

He pushes the door to find Steve leaning against his car. Arms crossed over his chest, he glared at his best friend once he’s close enough.

“I told you she wanted you to fuck off and you show up here anyways?”

“What did you expect me to do, let her think I have any feelings for Dot?” Bucky snaps as he gets into the car.

“You should have given her the space she wanted, she’s dealt with enough today.”

“What happened?”

Steve sighs. “My parents told me she showed up at their place. She had a sit down with Pierce and he gave her twenty four hours to leave or else.”

“That fucker. We should just take him out.”

“If it were that easy we would have done it a long time ago.” Steve replies. “So what should we do?”

Bucky looks over at his friend for a moment and thinks about everything that has happened.

“Take me to the pub.”

“The pub?”

“Yeah, I’ve taken full control of my family’s business and I need people I can trust.”

“To the pub it is. The guys will be excited.”

“I hope so.” Bucky muttered.

If you really had a sit down with Pierce already, the war that was coming was going to get ugly fast. He should know he had been on the receiving end. It’s how he lost his arm. But even with everything going on between the two of you he needed to be ready to protect you. Because if there is one thing you two have in common is the fact that you would kill or die for each other, no matter what.

Ch 9

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TAZ STEEPLECHASE EP 41 SPOILERS and Possibly What Ifs Discussion

Damn, okay there's a lot to unpack here

So my "Montrose Pretty is Devon Denton" theory is incorrect

BUT with the reveal of Montrose being Eggard Denton (Kenchall's dad), not only does everything click based on information brought to us in previous episodes but it also paints a rather heartbreaking implication of his role in the Denton family and Steeplechase as a whole.

Now it all makes sense that Montrose is a Denton for his knowledge about theme park attractions. From the lore of Ephemera (even his excitement and passion for it) to the existence of Jungle Island. There's also the moment he says "Sorry, Carmine" during the finale of the Gallspire heist when dressed up as Jessie the Infinite Spectre Fairy.

Now here's where things get very interesting.

I don't know if I'd call this entire next section a theory but mostly samples of What Ifs I have in my head. Hear me out:

Let's start with Kenchall. Back in Ep. 17 when he requests Poppy's Angels to steal the Gallspire, he notes that:

"If he (Eggard) had been born— if he had muscled his way up there, I’d be running the company right now. But instead, Carmine’s stupid monarchy passes from first born to first born. So, now next in line after Evelyn is her shithead son, Devon.

Then there's his brief conversation with Orwell and upon being asked what his childhood was like, Montrose responds:

"It was...quite lonely."

Then the theme from The Future is You plays in the background.

In the now debunked theory I made a while ago about Montrose being Devon Denton, someone replied the possibility of Eggard having a rough childhood because of living under Evelyn's shadow due to the fact that she was the next successor of Steeplechase. This neglect is what probably prompted Eggard to run away from home, probably fake his death since Kenchall stated that Eggard died "10 ish years ago" and start a whole new life as Montrose Pretty.

But despite that, it seems like he still yearns for that familial connection, bonding he never got with his real family. So why not try to make some connections with a new family, i.e the family from The Future is You.

There's also Episode 40, in which Montrose faces Carmine with his mask off.

Carmine says "I have to ask…do I know you?" and lights from inside the rocket point at Montrose.

Montrose replies with "Hello Carmine. I have decided to wear my true face for this special occasion."

I'm intrigued with how Episode 42 will play out with Carmine's realization of Eggard, if there will be any at all.

I want to cut back to Kenchall for a bit and preface this theory with a smaller one that may be a FAR stretch but I can explain.

We know Kenchall is far from being a good person. What if he had high expectations from Eggard, wanting the role of future park successor next in line so badly even though he knows that his father can't obtain that and pass that on to his son.

But also, what if Kenchall didn't care.

This is going to sound nuts, but if this is true, I see Kenchall as sort of a Veruca Salt type of person. This idea of Kenchall probably being a spoiled brat and having a father wanting what's best for his son and loving him despite this. Being in the Denton family known for their theme parks and innovative talents within the Dentonic Corporation, seems likely that Kenchall would be the sort of pampered kid that could get whatever he wanted. But all that doesn't matter. He clearly wants to take over the park, as stated in episode 17. Justin stated that Kenchall was seen as the black sheep of the family, but what if that was a lie? What if Kenchall made that up so others could see him as an outcast of the family when in actuality it was his father who was the real outcast.

What if Kenchall has a one sided resentment towards Eggard for something that wasn't even in his control i.e becoming successor to Steeplechase due to him being born mere minutes after Evelyn.

Then we come to today's episode at the end, with Montrose (now with his mask off) going to Kenchall at his APC. He says, "Its been ten years. We have a lot to catch up on."

Kenchall doesn't recognize him, saying "I don't know you."

Montrose retorts that he does, and says this:

"I have a lot of explaining to do, but I know you of all people will understand the great lengths I have gone to try and cease control of this park, this corporation, that I missed out on by mere minutes. I need the time to explain this to you Kenchall. Do you understand?"

In raising him, what if it made Eggard heartbroken to see Kenchall unhappy. In wanting to please him, Eggard decides to find his own way in obtaining control of the park to pass down to his son. And the implication that Montrose/Eggard has done all of these heist jobs for the possibility of pleasing his son makes this sound very sad in the grand scheme of things. He even risked his life multiple times, from eating a pin, to having his hand be fused with two elephant tusks.

But from what Kenchall has done to him, Beef, Emerich, and countless others, this perception may change. Maybe Eggard wants control of the park but doesn't want his biological son involved in it. I mean, he did adopt Todzilla after all...