#might have space cadet on repeat now

[chaotic-on-main]

Dandelions | CanonAU One-Shot

☾ Pairings ➼ Levi Ackerman x gn!Reader

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ friends to lovers, first date, love confessions, just pure unadulterated FLUFF

☾ A/N ➼ I'm gonna have to start a separate thing for my song fics I s2g. The amount of songs I have written down to write fics about is insane. Anyways, this is actually a little fic I wrote for @humanitys-strongest-bamf because she said she really wanted a flower date written for her. I kinda took that idea as well as the inspiration from Ruth B's song Dandelions (attached below) AND I forgot Kat had also sent me a prompt request awhile back so this also fulfills that lmao. I hope y'all enjoy!! I've listened to this song for days on repeat so I hope I have captured it well.

☾ Word Count ➼ ~2k

It had only taken a couple months for the pure titans to be disposed of, thanks to the efforts of the scouts. This eradication is the reason why you find yourself sneaking off for another lone ride before dusk falls. The hard part wasn’t getting your horse or permission to go outside the walls, it was trying to get out without too many questions from your fellow cadets. You didn’t know how to tell them this was your way of escaping from them and everything else that came crashing since the battle of Shiganshina.

“Oi oi oi! Where do you think you’re going?” A deep voice rings out behind you as you’re saddling up. You feel your heart jump with your body. You take a deep breath to steady yourself before turning around to face a stern Captain Levi.

“Just a little ride before dinner tonight, Levi. I already got the okay.” He eyes you wearily.

“By yourself?” He crosses his arms.

“Yes, by myself. It’s not like we have any threats out there anymore.” You roll your eyes, smile now fading, before turning back around to tighten straps.

“People can be just as dangerous.” He gripes back. You feel his eyes burning holes in your head.

“Sounds like someone is worried about me.”

“Of course, I’m worried. Who knows what trouble you’ll get yourself into.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“Tch, I trust you.” His words make you grin, but you quickly wipe it off your face before turning back around once you’re satisfied with your gear. You stare at him for a moment, his eyes meeting yours a second later.

“I’ll be back. I promise.” You say softly as you grip your reins tightly ready to lead your horse out of the stables.

“Just be careful.” He mutters, stepping aside to give you space to leave. His words make your heart jump again. Your eyes linger on each other as you walk past, a quick nod shared between the two of you as a goodbye.

On today's ride, you decide to aim for a bundle of trees sitting at the base of a small mountain to the west of the southern gate that you had noticed a while back. A couple hours pass before your destination comes into view. By your estimate, you had about an hour before being forced to head back lest you be surrounded by darkness.

You stare into the thick trees as you hand feed a treat to your tied off horse, an abrupt nip at your fingers alerting you to your now treat-less palm. A small laugh escapes your lips as you pat her nose reassuringly.

"I'll be back, okay? Don't go anywhere." You whisper up at her wide eyes. She bids you goodbye with another nip.

As you make your way through the overgrown shrubbery and gangly trees, you can't help but feel excitement for what might be on the other side. Looking up, you use a hand to half cover your eyes from the late afternoon sun filtering in between the leafy branches. Bird song weaves through the now thickening trees and into your ears. You softly whistle the song back as your fingers fumble with the latches on your waist. After a moment, the sketchbook you currently use as a guidebook is free from its confines. As always with every expedition you've ever been on, you are ready to document anything you see and hear.

It takes several more minutes before you finally stumble into a clearing. Whatever you had expected to find, it was leagues under from your current display. A meadow, far grander than anything you've ever seen, expands in an oval in front of you. Trees surround the whole area tall and strong, like knights in a line of defense. A small stream cuts through diagonally, telling stories with its gentle babble. You step deeper into it all with your eyes as wide as can be, soaking in this picture-perfect moment.

Looking down as you walk, your eyes become overwhelmed with the multitude of colors peppering your vision. Flowers of various sizes and lengths shift in the breeze as you walk by and something in you warms. Your eyes catch something that makes you stop abruptly.

“Oh wow.” You whisper as you slide down to your hands and knees so that you are eye level with a particular looking plant that didn’t very much look like a flower at all. The stem is brown, an odd color, you think, but it looked like a normal stem at least. The top however, where the petals would be, was soft and… furry? You reach out and lightly touch it. Much to your surprise, some of the fuzzy bits detach and fly off into the wind. A burst of laughter escapes from your chest and a memory stirs within you at the sight.

Armin had talked to you about these plants - dandelions. According to him, if you blow on the white bits to make them scatter and make a wish at the same time, it will come true. It was so silly, you think, but really what could it hurt? People wish on shooting stars all the time - this would be no different.

It takes you a moment, but you find a dandelion perfect for the wish you had in mind. You decide to plop yourself into the plush grass next to the creek, flower in hand. You feel a rush of heat sear your cheeks at not only what you were about to do but also what you were about to wish for. After making sure you were alone with a quick survey around, you sit forward and stare hard at the white fuzz. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath.

“I wish for Levi to be mine.” Then blow.

.

Levi calls your name from behind, snapping you out of your anxious thoughts for a moment. You pull back on your reins until Levi can fall into step with you. When you glance over, he arches an eyebrow at you with a silent question of, "Where are we going?" He must have noticed your change in course, now heading west instead of straight south. To be honest, you wouldn’t have even noticed that you had shifted directions if Levi hadn’t said anything. This ride has become second nature to you. After your initial discovery, the meadow quickly became your fortress of solitude and you found yourself coming back again and again without thinking about it.

After weeks of patiently waiting, an opportunity to team up with Levi to check out the port construction progression finally came. Whether that came from luck or your constant pestering to Commander Hange, you didn't know. Regardless, you were both nervous and excited to finally share your most prized secret with Levi no less. All you give him in return for his silent question is a simple, "Trust me." before squeezing your thighs together then galloping off, leaving your captain in the dust.

The sun bares straight down by the time you and Levi make it to your makeshift hitching post just outside your favored path. On the ground next to it sits a half bucket of water and you give yourself a mental reminder to fill it the next time you’re here. Levi doesn't say anything as he ties off his horse, mirroring your movements with deft fingers. Nor does he say anything as you pull off the basket you had tied onto your saddle so long ago hidden with goodies you packed the night before. He still doesn't say anything as he follows you on the beaten path you’ve made from your many visits. Levi's silence was normal, and yet…

"Aren't you going to ask where I'm taking you? I could be leading you to your death, you know." You glance back at Levi, eyes locking on each other. His expression might be unreadable to most, but to you there was a subtle bliss written all over his face. You shoot him a smile while you wait for his answer.

"You asked me to trust you. So I'm trusting you. Besides, you can't take me on your own. You got a death wish?" He grumbles back to you.

"Who said I was alone?" You quip as you twist back around to watch where you were going, swinging the basket in your hands as you walk. Levi scoffs behind you. A comfortable silence blankets the both of you yet again.

It takes a bit but finally the clearing comes into view and those anxious thoughts start clouding your mind again. What if he thinks this is a waste of time? What if he thinks you're ridiculous for this? What if he doesn't share the same feelings for you as you do for him? Levi calls your name again to get your attention. God, you loved how he said your name.

Your eyes focus just as you step through with Levi in tandem. There's a gentle wind today; it blows through the multi-colored meadow in a way that makes the flowers look like they're dancing. The breeze is even soft enough that your favored dandelions stay intact, not a single seed threatens to blow away.

"Is this where you’ve been escaping to?"

"You notice?" You glance his way nervously. As usual, he has no significant emotion on his face, but to say he was emotionless would be a lie. His eyes shift from the babbling creek to the colorful field and then onto your face, eyes soft. The way he looks at you, it makes a part of you feel so alive and free.

"Sometimes." His comment makes you look away, a flush of heat already nipping at your cheeks.

"I-uh, I wanna show you something." You set off deeper into the meadow without checking to see if he’s following.

A moment later, you come upon the spot you had surveyed a couple days in advance, perfect for what you had in mind. In a swift motion, you pull out a blanket from the basket hanging from your arm and splay it on the ground. Once settled, you plop yourself down on the cloth to keep it from flying away. When you look up, Levi’s staring at you incredulously.

“Is this a date?” he asks dryly.

“Do you want it to be?” You ask, patting the empty spot next to you as you do. He hesitantly sits down next to you, unsure of what to do with his body but eventually settles on sitting crisscross like you. He stares over at you, a little bit of shock cracking through his still features. “Levi, I’m kidding. It doesn’t have to be. I just wanted to show you my favorite spot.” You mutter over to him, rolling your eyes. You swallow down your nerves. Maybe he isn’t as interested in you as you had hoped. As you start to unpack the basket of the lunch rations you had stowed away, he speaks up softly.

“I wouldn’t mind. It being a date, I mean.” His voice stays monotone, but his words make you double-take at him. Levi is flushed pink, starting from his neck then ending at the tips of his ears. A wide grin breaks out on your face as you finally comprehend what he just said.

“Really? Because this would have been so embarrassing if you didn’t feel the same way. I mean, I would have had to run away and start a new life somewhere else. When I talked to Mikasa about this, she was all ‘love like this only happens once in a lifetime.’ and it made me think that you might actually be the love of mi-“ You’re cut off by Levi’s nimble fingers pulling your chin in his direction, his face a lot closer than you remembered it being. He whispers your name again.

“Shut up.” And then his lips are on yours, soft and tender. You don’t remember much after that, but you do know that whatever they said about wishing on dandelions had to be true. And you couldn’t wait to wish upon many more in the meadow now shared between you and Levi.

taglist: @humanitys-strongest-bamf @averysmolbear @youre-ackermine @notgoodforlife @roseofdarknessblog @missamity @levis-squishy-cheeks @icansmellsouls @Dkbktk420 (idk why it won't let me tag you properly) If you'd like to join my taglist, please go here! Your information will never be shared. <3

[ravensilversea]

Victory Comes Late

Summary: Victory came too late for Ponds and for so many other brothers. Three years of war plus some months of hashing out a peace treaty written in the blood, sweat, and tears of his brothers but makes no mention of them at all. It’s a Senate proclaimed accomplishment, like they hadn’t refused to even consider peace for three years.

Tags: Canon Divergence, Palpatine Dies AU, Post-War, Light Angst, Grief/Mourning, Reunions, Bittersweet Ending

The largest exhibition hall in the Jedi Temple is almost too small for the sheer number of clone troopers in it now. Really, it is actually too small, but none of them are too concerned with the concept of personal space when this is the first time they’ve all been together for three years.

And yet, Fox pulls his helmet off and tucks it beneath his arm. His guard brushes past him, calling out into the space that’s already echoing with brothers trying to find each other. And yet, they aren’t all here.

Rancor Battalion is still on Kamino and participating in negotiations alongside General Ti to hopefully place the cadets and tubies into the custody of their brothers. The thought alone is almost inconceivable: entire batches of clones who never have to serve on a battlefield, who can stay together and stay alive for years longer than their elder brothers could.

“You joining the party, Fox?” Stone asks, coming to stand beside him.

“You really think Salvo would let us miss it?” Fox walks into the exhibition hall instead of just hovering in the doorway. “Besides, someone has to tell them all how the chancellor really died.”

Ao3

Stone coughs into his hand. “Would that be the actual story or another one of your tales this time?”

Fox refuses to learn about any of the details of Chancellor Palpatine’s, unfortunate, accident. It would ruin the fun of coming up with stupider and stupider ways the late chancellor died and sharing them around the caf brewer. Call it his own personal revenge against the man who insisted on calling each and every one of his brothers by CC or CT number and number alone, the way the Guard all but tiptoed around him, how many of his brother assigned to the chancellor’s guard when traveling off planet simply disappeared without a trace, and every single shiny who the chancellor sent down into the lower levels who came back in a body bag, if at all.

“I have a list of stupid ways for asshole politicians to die, and this might be my only chance to share any of them,” Fox says primly. “Allow me my fun.”

Stone shakes his head. “If you say so.”

They weave through a particularly thick crowd of brothers, and someone flags them down. “Hey commanders, I think your squads are meeting over on the stands!”

“That’ll be Cody’s idea,” Fox mutters as Stone thanks the brother for the directions. “Always did need to be on top of things.”

“Not sure the stands top Tipoca City’s comm tower.”

Fox looks up at the ceiling that rises so high above their heads it can barely be seen and then gives Stone a look.

“Okay, so maybe they could.”

The commander squads are gathered in a clump in the middle of the stands, and sure enough, Cody’s yellow-orange paint is higher than anybody else, shining like a beacon. Fox and Stone pass Alpha Squad on their way up the stands where Wolffe and Thire look about two seconds from murdering a squadmate or two.

“I’m sorry,” Gregor says just as they pass by, “but do you think you could repeat that? Or maybe replay it? I’m not sure I heard you correct-ly!” His voice rises sharply as he falls back under the weight of two brothers, and Fox hops up a handful of rows. Stone jumps back with a curse.

Poet looks up from their padd with a distinct ‘can you believe I’m stuck with them?’ expression of their face. Fox bites his lip and shakes his head, mentally wishing them good luck. 

Force, Alpha’s only missing Blitz whose stuck on Kamino. They all made it, the lucky bastards.

“Fox! Stone!” Salvo slams into Fox with a broad grin and pulls Stone up the remaining steps to wrap his arm around him too. For a moment, the three of them just breathe. “It’s good to see you again,” Salvo whispers.

“Yeah,” Fox pulls away and meets Gree’s eyes over Salvo’s head. “Wait until you hear what happened to the chancellor.”

“The old one, right? Cause the one we have now is an upgrade.” Gree throws a thumb back over his shoulder. “C’mon, we grabbed a spot by Chimaera.”

Fox starts laying out the first ‘So this is what I heard from somebody who heard it from somebody’ as they walk lengthwise along the stands until Gree and Salvo pull them down onto the benches. Just above them sits Chimaera Squad with it’s three near-silent members. As he tells his story, Fox watches Neyo try to get Keller and Faie to say more than a few words strung together, and it suddenly hits him that both Lock and Colt were dead.

The story ends, and his brothers make noises of disbelief. “Oh really?” Fox says. “Well, how about this one that I heard from a janitor who heard it from his sister’s husband’s brother’s friend.” Stone buries his head in his hands with a groan.

Ponds would have told Fox to stop by the second story, but he’s not around to hear them. The lack of protest from that quarter sits heavy in Fox’s chest. He barrels through the story anyway, almost even more spitefully. 

Victory came too late for Ponds and for so many other brothers. Three years of war plus some months of hashing out a peace treaty written in the blood, sweat, and tears of his brothers but makes no mention of them at all. It’s a Senate proclaimed accomplishment, like they hadn’t refused to even consider peace for three years.

Almost four years of war because of one man who strung them all along like dew drops on a tent-line.

Fox’s eyes land on a small empty space in a sea of brothers, and his next words die in his throat. There’s a brother standing in the middle of the empty space. He’s thin with shaved hair and implant scars. What’s left of one arm is in a sling across his body, and Fox knows who he is even without the blue of the 501st edging his almost shiny-white, probably borrowed armor.

Come get your Dominoes, Rex had messaged three years ago.

Unless they’re commanders, I don’t claim them, and even that’s debatable, he had messaged back.

Within days, Rex had informed him that due to the sudden death of their commanding officers and the subsequent lack of collection by Fox (Fox had rolled his eyes at this), he was personally taking them under his wing. Rex then spent every other message to Fox bragging about ‘his Dominoes’ like there wasn’t hundreds of Domino training squads spread throughout the army.

For a moment, Fox selfishly wishes that Echo truly had died on the infamous Citadel mission. Seeing him standing alone in a sea of reuniting brothers when Fox is the one who killed his last squadmate…

Victory really did come too late for Rex's Domino squad. 

The reunions and conversations continue on around Fox, blurring into the background. A sea of noise and color turning into a drone as a time seems to slow, but Echo never blurs. He continues to stand alone, seemingly in the middle of a swirling galaxy of brothers without a single person to welcome him home.

Fox finds his feet moving without any input from him. He's halfway down the stairs before Salvo asks him where he's going. “To get another Domino,” he says, almost under his breath, but his squad hears him just the same. 

The floor of the exhibition hall seems to echo with his footsteps. Which is impossible. First of all, the sheer number of clones in the room alone would drown out any noise Fox could possibly make even if they weren't talking at loud volumes. Second of all, there was no way in hell that the Jedi didn't sound proof this room within an inch of its life given the number of lightsaber duels- duels between children at that!- this room must have been used for.

Maybe his footsteps are echoing through him, Fox muses. He takes another step and feels it in his chest.

Time and sound suddenly crash into Fox. Conversations burst into a roar, suddenly Fox can hear so many squadname jokes all at once. It no longer feels like he's stepping through taffy, and all he can do is stand there. Like an idiot. Just in front of Echo.

Force, all he has to do is lift his arm and he could touch this orphaned shell of a brother.

Well, maybe not a shell, he reconsiders as Echo straightens, jutting his chin out a bit and brown eyes flashing with a challenge. There's still quite a bit of fight left in his one, which is more than Fox can say for the Chimaera commanders back on the stairs. 

“Echo,” Fox says, figuring that's as good a start as any.

“What do you want, commander?”

Fox falters. Opening and closing his mouth, he glances back at his squad who have ceased any and all conversations to stare at him trying and failing to talk to a CT.

“If you're here to apologize, don't. There's nothing you can say,” Echo continues, and Fox winces. If it was his squadmate shot and killed by another's hand, he doesn't think he would have said those words so mournfully acceptingly. No. Every trooper in this hall would likely have to hold him back from trying to beat the shit out of the one who killed his squadmate.

He flexes his hands, tries not to imagine how Aurra Singh's neck would feel wrapped in them as he squeezes the life out of her for what she did to Ponds. 

“It's not something that can be forgiven, no matter how much I regret it,” Fox says. “But that isn't why I'm here, trooper... Echo.”

“Then why, sir?”

For a moment, Fox hesitates, unsure of whether his invitation, his touch would be welcome, but he decides to do it anyway. He reaches out and gently grabs Echo's remaining wrist and lightly tugs it in the direction of the stadium. “Come on. No Domino gets left behind.”

He waits for Echo to take the first step, watching his brother's eyes blink, widen, and then sharpen. Echo looks past Fox towards the Domino commanders, and whatever he sees there, convinces him.

Fox settles Echo down in the empty spot where Ponds should be, and the way Echo looks around with brighter eyes and a harsh swallow tells him everything about how Rex's little dominoes must have gathered too.

Setting that aside, Fox turns back to his brothers. “Now, where were we? Oh yes, so the Chancellor had ordered breakfast and for some reason, this involved fish. And you know how fish have these tiny little bones they don't always manage to get out when preparing them?”

Gree sighs loudly as he realizes where Fox is going with this latest story about Palpatine's death, and Salvo begins slapping Fox's knee like that's going to stop him. Behind him, Echo muffles a snort, and Fox grins.

Victory came late, but not too late. There are still brothers here who were saved after all.

[that0nebird]

Part Two of my OL×ACNH headcanons

I actually had a lot of fun and a lot of trouble making this.

So first off I'll explain his lazy boys I chose Zucker and Stitches. First not only is Zucker a giant piece of food but he's also one of the few sea creature villagers (Octopi) in the game. Truly a villager designed for cove. (Besides Sasha who literally Cove if he was a villager imo.)

Now stitches may seem like a bit of a wild ard BUT her me out. Stitches is one of few animals that is based off an object and not really an animal. He's a stuffed bear and he's like the animal crossing embodiment of childhood. His room is filled with gifts from "mom" and because his hobby is play he's constantly running around like a little kid playing with toys and playground equipment you place. If anything stitches would fit most of the our life love interests in my opinion. I feel like it would remind them of Jamie/Franky. HIS FAVORITE SONG IS I LOVE YOU!!! Like he's perfect.

Next up is his Peppy Audie. She was an obvious choice as her house is literally a mini beach vacation and she was made for new horizons so she's a very tropical girl. She looks like she'd be right at home in sunset bird.

Next up his Cranky. Octavian would have been chosen purely because 1. He's an octopus and 2. He's the only cranky design cove liked that fit with his beach/space theme.

Next is his snooty Diana. Diana might also seem like a bit of a wildcard but I chose her mostly for her interior as it's a beach/flowery themed bathroom.

N e x t we have his smug Cephalobot. Cove would love him no doubt about it. He's once again a sea creature, his name is a pun about octopi. hIS HOUSE IS ALSO SPACE THEMED! Another perfect fit he and Cove would be besties.

Now up for his sisterly Faith! Faith is an adorable little koala with flowers and her house is beach themed as well! He'd have no choice but to take her.

Next up is Frobert, he's the closest cove could get to an aquatic like villager that was also a jock. Grew on him like moss to a brick wall.

Finally for his normal gals we have Marina and Ione. Marina is once again a little octopus so he had to choose her to complete the collection. Ione is a star/space/alien themed squirrel once again another obvious choice for our Space Cadet!

It's the B-Man's turn! This is the one I'm most proud of.

First we'll go with obvious choice, His smug Zell. Zell is literally step 3 Baxter I he were an animal. He's a smug, monochrome gazelle what more is there to say?

Next are his Sisterly villagers Muffy and Agnes. I decided to give him two because he's an only child so I feel like he'd really like them. I chose Muffy specifically because she's an alternative queen which is right up Baxter's alley let's be real. I also chose Agnes because she was the only other monochrome sisterly and she's a very sophisticated girl.

Now for his lazy I chose Antonio because he's the only black and white one I could find. He's just a little guy <3.

Next for his peppy girls Piper and Bella . I must repeat myself and say LOOK AT THEM, young Baxter and those two would be besties. Piper and Bella are so bitchy looking (compliment) I love 'em. Also Bella is another alternative queen.

Now up for his lazy Wade! He's a cute penguin with all around good vibes and a solid design.

Up next to bat is his snooty Portia. Portia is not only monochrome by much like Muffy wears a lot of purples! Her design request in the Happy Home DLC is place where she can listen to classical music! All of the snooty's give off mom vibes so I feel like her personality mixed with design would definitely make her a favorite of his.

Now it's Marlo time! His smug villager is a fancy looking hamster who may also be a mafia boss secretly (???) Peak Baxter vibes once again.

Aurora is our final Baxter-brand villager his resident normal. Aurora needs zero explanation I feel, her catchphrase is b-b-baby and the quote on her photo says "Always keep your cool." She's perfect.

[theflagscene]

Okay so I have a few messages in my inbox as well as comments on AO3 (which I will get to over there since I know not everyone has Tumblr or followers fic writers) and I didn’t want to reply to one or two anon messages explaining things and make that/those person/people feel like I’m like info dumping directly at them because they just happened to ask, that’s not fair. Also I didn’t want to reply to the non anon messages in private for the same reason, cause like, it’s a lot and a couple y’all just asked a simple question, it’s not your fault that the answer isn’t simple.

As for wether I am working on more chapters for Do I Ever Cross Your Mind, or is it abandoned? It is absolutely not abandoned, none of my fics are ever officially abandoned, even if I don’t update it for like months or even years (side eying a unfinished SPN fic I have from 3 years ago)

I am working on the fifth chapter of DIECYM, as well as all of my very late prompt fics and continuations and one shots, etc. Chapter five does take precedence obviously, so that’s the one I try to get the most done on as often as I can, I know waiting for a fic to update sucks, especially if you really enjoy it and I love hearing about people rereading it while they wait, it truly warms my cold lil heart. Also asking about updates never makes me feel pressured, I’ve mentioned this before, so please, never apologize for poking at me about possible updates or sneak peeks, etc.

Now to the info dumping, I’ll be frank and as blunt as possibly. A while ago I suffered a mental breakdown, some shit happened, it sucked and I couldn’t take it. I managed to power through a lot of it, I still wrote a ton, I actually wrote the first four chapters of DIECYM mid breakdown. Things have gotten worse recently, I am under psychiatric care and my support system is, I’d say pretty damn decent. Right now we’re just working on keeping me at home and out of the hospital, which is proving to be a difficult thing because to be completely honest, I’m not always this cognizant. I have a history of dangerous behaviour that we’re not looking for a repeat performance of tbh. And while all this is going on, I’m also looking for new housing as well as dealing with an chronically ill dog that needs to see a new veterinarian because her last one moved and I do not have the means to pay for that. It’s gonna cost me 100 dollars for the visit, 400 for the bloodwork and 180 for her medication. So nearly 700 dollars is needed for me to keep my dog well and that is basically my entire monthly income, I already use the food banks near me every couple of weeks to try and supplement the lack of groceries I’m able to obtain, but being a vegan, they don’t exactly have much that I can use. Which I know isn’t their fault, they help how they can with what they can and I’m grateful for their help every single day.

So between my dwindling mental health, heavy medication, housing stress, food shortage, money issues and an sick dog, I’ve been writing at a snail’s pace. I spend most of my days barely able to interact with people, online or irl. I mostly just sit, staring, my mother has more than once checked on me and thought I had just gone fully catatonic. I hadn’t, I can just focus very very deeply, like not even on the same plane of existence kind of deeply lol. Space cadet, that’s me! Point is, I physically can’t make myself write. Like the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Oh, and I also might have fractured my left arm, so that also doesn’t make typing any easier. Just trying to get this all written out on my phone has been hell. I need to go to the doctor to get my arm scanned but I haven’t left the house in nearly 3 months at this point, so it’s like, yeah, just, ugh, not going great.

But to reiterate, none of my fics are abandoned, they are all going to get finished and are all currently being worked on. It’s just going to be way way slower than you’re used too, someone once commented to me that “the devil works fast but you work faster” lol. Well not anymore, the devil may win this time, my slow and steady tortoise progress will have to do for now 🐢🐢

I hope you can understand 🥰

[hero-dwelling]

But yeah, in the end it is weird Hori focused souch on the "society" part in his story, when he didnt want to show any real change and keep the status qou.

Especially when he could just have it be a personal story of Izukus individual struggles (and a few of his classmates too) and then there wouldnt be this whiplash when there is no big change in how it all works at the end, just a feel good story of a kid archieving his dream

Not even saying I would find that really compelling just that it would atleast work, not like what we got.

But I think the real culprit of it all where some behind the scenes reasons that are hard to gauge - like was it the editors, was it the negative reaction of japanese fans to many events that demotivated Hori, was it his health and general fatigue that made him apathetic? We'll never know - well atleast if nobody spills the tea

The manga had a hard enough time focusing on the school part. I appreciate criticism that the manga would have become boring if each year repeated the same events--school orientation, sports festival, exams, school festival, graduation--and just add more and more characters that the story then can’t focus on. But also, I’m a greedy academic who wants my school story to be about teaching and learning. 

I’m not sure how much I have addressed this already, but, yeah, a significant problem for My Hero Academia is that there was too much to tackle. It has to explain the setting, which means that, when little changes in that setting, it feels like a missed opportunity. There are so many characters in just Class 1-A that it doesn’t even feel like a Pixar film (I know I’ve brought up that comparison before) where each supporting character has an arc, however small, and gets one moment in the spotlight to help bring about the resolution of the story: the shoe-horning of Sero, Sato, and Ojiro against All For One felt like too little, too late. 

And, spoilers for the fourth film, it doesn’t get better: is this really all we can show for each character’s desires? I appreciate giving Tokoyami a moment to shine, but it is so random that has to be him--and, in my cynicism, it is done just to prop up Hawks yet again when he doesn’t need it. Can we please have one film where the stars are not Izuku, Todoroki, and the angry explosion guy--there are other student heroes who could handle their own film. 

So, yeah, maybe if more of Izuku’s storyline had a clearer narrative focus. Like I said above, the fourth film doesn’t really do much to state what his goals are beyond “be a hero like All Might”--he’s done that, over and over again--what is the next step for him? I don’t want to go back to the debate about whether Izuku becoming a teacher and supposedly single were good or bad for him--but it would have helped to have telegraphed this stuff earlier. Even Treasure Planet made sure to have Amelia mention quickly in passing she’ll recommend Jim for the naval academy so that we aren’t shocked why Jim returns home now as a naval cadet--we couldn’t have used that recent one-shot tie-in manga to the fourth film to have someone tell Izuku, “You should be a teacher” so that his post-Pro Hero life isn’t such a swerve? 

As for focusing on just a handful of the supporting characters: I honestly wouldn’t mind if every last single character got their own arc--but Horikoshi didn’t have the time in one manga to do it, and unfortunately the spinoffs haven’t helped. Present Mic gets pushed to the side despite how integral he is to Aizawa and Kurogiri and Midnight’s stories. I’d even take something equivalent to the finale of Deep Space Nine, a montage that suggests we had meaningful arcs to the characters, even if we didn’t really: “Oh, yeah, I remember that one chapter of Team-Up Missions--huh, I guess that was a good encapsulation of this character’s entire arc, so, yeah, I got closure for them.” 

We agree that Horikoshi did not show the kind of change to the status quo that we would want the story to show. 

I guess I’m still confused why the status quo stays the same. 

I wonder how much of this is, as I have argued before, because, as with numerous superhero stories, the status quo has to be maintained so that you keep having the same familiar characters who don’t get older, don’t get married, don’t have kids, and you can keep them in the same stage of life with the same adventures to sell the same merchandise. 

Or, I wonder how much of this is because this is Horikoshi’s habit. 

Granted, Barrage never had a decent conclusion, but from how My Hero Academia turned out, I would not be surprised if the monarchy persisted as it did since the beginning, rather than the story confronting that maybe the King and his soldiers like Tiamat were refusing to confront the need for change. 

But then again, Oumagadoki Zoo seemed like a story about change. I mean, sure, the “deaths” of the animals (they sacrifice their ability to transform to re-empower Shiina so he can win the fight) were overturned almost immediately (Shiina just had to give the magic back--there, done). But the zoo went through changes, the animals from the other locations (the aquarium and the circus) showed the capacity for change, emphasized in the last pages when Hana sees Shikuma start to resume his human appearance despite his villainous nature. 

And as you said, we have only conjecture as to what factors influenced Horikoshi and his editors to wrap up the manga as they did. I really hope it was not criticism against focusing on the Villains--which, if that was a factor, I can’t see it on the page, because even the final arc is so focused on wrapping up the stories for Shigaraki, Spinner, Toga, and Dabi that, at best, it’s giving me what I want to wrap up their stories (even if I don’t like how they wrapped up) and, at worst, a big middle finger for those readers who (wrongly) criticized focusing on the villains. 

[kmsjustasecret]

So my depression song for this week was thèrèse by Maya Hawke

And now I'm obsessed shocker lol

So I'm legit dived as deep as I can down this rabit hole because my obsessions lead to this, especially when I'm going through a depressive state and want to feel social without being social because then I become a burden or whatever my darkest thoughts say ain't that cool that's why I'm on a dying obsession and a dying website just sharing thoughts but anyway Thèrèse by Maya Hawke

I don't think it's post to be a depressing song but it what I'm crying to so whatever it's my depression song rn and 2 songs of noah Kahan maybe 3 but we will get there in a different post or maybe not idk yet lol

It's about this painting u can see at the met in NYC the painting is very pedo honestly it's called "Thèrèse Dreaming"

It's a girl who is legit probably like a 11 or twelve sitting weird and it show her underwear and people justification of it is legit this is how little girls sit which I'm sorry it looks uncomfortable but whatever

The painting is described through this song and anyway

I just love how the artist compares herself Thèrèse through this song

It happens alot through out song in the first verse Thèrèse might be dreaming of getting out of this town and since of times Horse were common and while she might of dreaming of the same thing but with Shelby Cobra

"Dreamin’ of an Appaloosa

Saddled up, ridin’ out of town

Dreamin’ of a Shelby Cobra

Diggin’ her tires in the ground"

In the second verse at the dreaming of boy obviously probably named changed or whatever and there in another town or place but still a universal feeling of being in love with someone maybe not boy who knows just going off to new places the lyrics lol

"She dreams of Marlon in Austin

Their bodies tangled in a net

She thinks of him every so often

When she feels like a space cadet"

Then this pre chorus *chef kiss*

"She empathizes with your feelings

She's more interested in the ceilings"

I think what she trying to say is both sides on this controversy like some people don't see the beauty in Thèrèse's Dreams but other people do

The third verse is legit confirming this that she sees herself as thèrèse and is my favorite verse

^She reminds me of memories

Sleeping off the growing pains

We were see anemones

Spelling out each others names

Whispering inside our red house

While the adults were a-sleeping

I guess Thérèse is just for me

A quiet I keep on keeping"

But then favorite part of the song pre chorus before we get the final chorus is

"Thérèse does not belong to you

The horses, cars, and cowboys do"

Which in a strange way I think saying even though it is controversial the painting she still finds some comfort in it and see it's beauty and mystery of Thèrèse's Dreams and what it meant to be dreaming in that way as teenager or preadultence way where anything is/was possible and how we will never get that back and Thèrèse might not belong to some people who can't see that since of wonder or understanding but they can have everything else

And sorry, but honestly, I just wanted to mentally talk and think about it in a way out loud cause I keep thinking about it, and it's what's preoccupied my mine

So, if u see this post, go get some fresh air and drink some water and ig go put this song repeat or don't go live ur best life or take nap whatever floats ur boat

[rebelwith0utacause]

well our lil chat got me thinking about qotsa and kyuss soo try them for the big music ask game :D

Queens of the Stone Age

Ooooooh, a little bit more my style but not really. I know OF them, but never really dived into their music. I guess the best explanation is I’m more into the metal-ish version of stoner rock, and QOTSA were more hard rock, if that makes sense. So I’m gonna treat them as if I don’t know them.

First song Youtube took me to: No One Knows

First Impression: This one I’ve known for a while, it’s been replayed a million times, but I like the happy melodies and the somber tone.

Do I like it?: Yup, although I think I like Sick, Sick, Sick better (that’s all I know rly)

Would I listen to more from them?: Maybe if the mood strikes, but! I’m guessing I wouldn’t actively look for their songs because I haven’t done that in the past 10+ years I’ve known of them.

Rate (from what I heard): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Kyuss

I’ve literally listened to Welcome to Sky Valley one night on repeat and I don’t remember anything except that it was really vibey, so again, treating it like I don’t know them. Also, fun fact, my prog friends loved Kyuss but I never got into them because at the time I was too busy listening to death metal, and the only prog I valued was something really technical and metal (like Dream Theater/Queensryche/Opeth/Nevermore). But they feel like a mellow version of Alice In Chains so that’s really comforting.

First song youtube took me to: Space Cadet

First Impression: Vibey af, very Wild Wild West, kinda getting the Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi vibes, but it’s cooler and less cringe-y

Do I like it?: Fuck yes, any song that reminds me of Sludge Factory by Alice In Chains is a plus in my book.

Would I listen to more from them?: When the mood strikes and if I don’t forget to, yup.

Rate (from what I heard): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

[aphrodite-would-be-proud]

Enemies to Lover with Erwin maybe? During their cadet days they were always trying to one up eachother.

So imma make this a slow burn mini series with 5 chapters max, I'll also merge it with another request that fits perfectly with the narrative, hope you don't mind anon. There will also be Erwin pinning after Marie at the beginning but it will turn into x reader eventually.

Rivals with Erwin smith pt.1

{pt.1 | pt.2 | pt.3 | pt.4 | pt.5}

{ Erwin x Marie, Erwin x Reader (eventually) | tw: Enemies to lovers, tw: cursing, tw: aot spoilers | fluff, teasing | canonverse }

{"Street in Tétouan" by Eduardo Flórez Ibáñez Spanish, active 1871-1889}

You need to hurry.

Repeated the voice inside your head, as you lead the last horse back to the stables to join the other training horses, Its hooves heavy and stomping in protestion, as you attempted to lead it towards the empty hay stall.

"Please just cooperate this once" you argued as you cursed the fact you've been assigned one of the most dramatic animals to grace the inside of the walls.

And just when it seemed like it was going to stop having a tug of war with you, it lunged forward making you fall back against the ground. 

With an offended huff, it strotes inside its stall with the grace of a noble inside wall sina, the complete opposite of the wild boar that possessed it a second ago.

Not wasting another second on the petty animal, you get up to dust your white cadet uniform off, picking whatever remains of hay and carrots from your jacket. Locking the stall door, you send a death glare towards the horse that looked like it couldn't care less.

Although while you had enough common sense not to beef with an animal, you did have enough brain cells to figure out who's the one responsible for getting you assigned this dramatic prince of a horse.

The Erwin " i once helped get the stable owner's cat from a tree so now he listens to my suggestions" fucking Smitth.

But oh, you're gonna show that prick today, which reminded you again of the fact it's almost sunset and you have to hurry up.

And so you ran and ran, jumping over any pointless fences that only served to make the routes to the main square of the training corps longer.

More specifically the big board in the middle of the square, the one that all cadets pretend not to see when they walk by it.

You might have also been one of them when you first joined, to be completely transparent with yourself you really didn't think you'd ever look forward to seeing that grim too white to be normal look of the papers stamped on the board.

But things change, priorities too.

And now it just happened that yours is putting arrogant always ready to please people into their place.

Which luckily only happened to fit the description of a single local in your area.

Evading all the cadets that were hurrying to finish their end of the day tasks so they could enjoy their limited free time before it's night call, you expertly move in between each group of people without decency to not block the common walk road.

And then you see it, a noticeable empty space around it where none dares to even get close to the cursed board.

Your steps hitting the gravel become heavier as you slow down, your knees would've protested too weren't it for the early morning hikes you've been doing. 

Step by step, your eyes focus as they search the vast board for that small unimportant piece of paper that gets posted here every month.

The end of the month report card, which to reduce production costs only gets a single medium sized paper.

You find the paper by the signature of your instructor, right at the bottom of the page.

A cold breeze makes itself known, swaying the back of your jacket and drying the drops of sweat on your forehead.

Your eyes slowly trail up the paper, reading the names of your classmates, your fingers curl and uncurl themselves.

Reaching the third place, you stare at Nile's name for a bit too long, your eyeballs don't dare move an inch.

Swallowing down the lump in your throat, you decide to rip the bandage off and not prolong this anymore.

Second place, in clear yet hurried written letters it reads.

Erwin Smith.

Your eyes shot to first place, landing on your own name.

…

You did it.

You actually did it, all the hard work, all the bruises from facing people twice your size in one on one training and all the late night studies paid off.

Oh thank fuck.

Glancing back to Erwin's name, you think the second place suits him way more than the first.

That's where he belongs, below you.

"A half point higher." The ever so familiar voice comes from behind, barely a whisper.

Masking your urge to jump from that scare, you sharply turn behind to make it clear that his creepy sneaking behind people strategy won't work on you. 

Your eyes meet his steel blue ones, you shrug. "Yeah and?"

Let's see which one of you out-creeps the other, because you're not backing off despite being able to smell the still fresh soap scent from him, probably had a shower not long ago.

…Did he run here from the cadet chambers? Man that's pathetic.

Erwin stares back, his natural cold expression slipping between the charming facade for a second before a big fake smile replaces it.

"And it's still progress, considering your past rankings." He says, reminding you of just how punch appealing his face looks. "You must have been working hard, so i thought you'd enjoy the first spot, for this month at least."

Is he trying to imply what you think he's trying to imply?

Oh no. Oh no no no, he doesn't get to fucking imply that he gave you that spot willingly, not when you managed to flip him on his back twice in the last physical training class.

"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night Smith." Two can play this game, "but remember not to cry publicly next month when it's still my name above yours."

He didn't even try to hide his snort. "You really think so?"

"Oh I really really think so."

"Hmm…well that's the spirit soldier" he adds just when you thought his smile couldn't get any more fake.

In your attempt at one upping each other, both of you failed to notice the approaching footsteps.

"You think the corps square is a hangout spot now do you?" The booming voice of the current survey corps commander, Keith Shadis is loud enough to grab the attention of anyone passing by.

Which just happened to be none, with the sun setting on the horizon and the cold wind beginning to welcome the night, you realised just how empty this place got in comparison to when you arrived.

Both of you and Erwin look at each other, look back at the commander and then nonchalantly step away from each other before doing the salute.

With the rare occurrence when the survey commander happened to be visiting the training corps, you began to understand to never try and test his patience. 

Plus He already looks annoyed, better not irritate him further. 

"Our sincere apologies sir, it won't happen again" Erwin, suck up to commanders, Smith is the first to speak.

"This isn't the place to have your stupid young dates, god none of you would have hope to survive outside the walls." You listen to him finish his speech before it hits you.

"It's not a date." Both you and Erwin say at the same time with voices laced with disgust.

"Do NOT interrupt me" and you've already broken your own rule to not irritate him further, " both of you out of my face right now before i-"

"Sir yes Sir." Not letting him finish his speech, both of you just bow before hurrying off towards the closest corner turn to avoid getting into more trouble. 

You made sure to step on Erwin's foot and play it off as an accident, he winced and gripped your arm tightly in return.

"You're acting like a child, stop it." He tugged you along just to make sure the commander wasn't following behind.

Pulling your arm back, you replied " maybe if you didn't interrupt him back there, he wouldn't have been as quick to yell at us."

Quirking his eyebrow at you and your hypocrisy, he decided to just not indulge this argument anymore.

Coming to think of it, why would the commander assume it's a date? You took a good look at Erwin, which is when you actually realised he was…more neat and groomed than he usually is.

"Huh, you're all dressed up." You eyed his carefully styled hair, his neat trousers and ironed shirt. "Were you…actually going on a date? God so you are the one at fault for him yelling at us back there."

From the way he looked at you for a second before turning his face away without saying anything, you knew you hit the spot.

"So you actually had a date and yet you ran here, god that's actually…" your smug smile and amused eyes finished the sentence before you did.

Pathetic.

At least now you're 100% sure he was just as worried about you outranking him this month and didn't just give it to you like he bluffed.

"Shush it." Was all he said, eyebrows knitted with a glare to his eyes. " I wasted enough time here, I should go" 

He looked genuinely surprised at the fact he lost track of time for something so important to him.

"I see," you said with the same smug impression, "Well i don't think Marie would settle for someone who's always late but what do i know."

And that was all it took for his cheeks to flush, he opened his mouth to reply but closed it right after before stomping off.

Getting to see the collected and gentleman Erwin Smith, all frustrated and easy to read like an open book, almost gave you a higher thrill than ranking above him.

Almost, you had a victory to celebrate with your friends.

[jedipoodoo]

Lucky (Sergeant Hunter x OC)

WARNINGS, PLEASE READ: mentions of child abuse and death of children, needles and shots, this one is pretty dark

Summary: The Bad Batch runs into a tiny cadet taken from Kamino by the Empire. Hunter tries to get to know him better, with Saachi's help, and come to an understanding regarding their future together.

The child had been clinging to him since the moment Saachi placed him in Hunter's arms. The tiny body shivered beneath his hands as Tech approached with a needle snatched from the base they'd just escaped.

"You need to relax, ad'ika," Tech said, softly massaging the boy's shoulder while holding the needle out of sight.

Still, it was like this cadet knew what was coming, whimpering and burying his face in Hunter's shoulder the way Omega always did. Was that a Fett trait?

This boy had been through a lot in the last two hours alone. He and his squadron had been deemed too young to be of any use to the Empire; they wanted their soldiers now, not eventually, and they couldn't bring themselves to be patient with the children that they had paid to bring into this cruel galaxy.

This boy was the only one to survive the gas chamber his batch had been tossed into, and only because Saachi had burst into the chamber relying on Hunter's mask and grabbing the child closest to the door. Saachi was taking care of her own symptoms, or so she insisted, but the ad had just barely stopped throwing up as his own system tried to purge the noxious chemicals.

Hunter was glad Omega hadn't seen what happened to the young cadets. It too easily could have been her if she was left on Kamino. But Omega was blissfully unaware in the cockpit, safe with Echo and Wrecker beside her. The boy was their priority now, and with the way Saachi kept looking at him and the way he clung to them, he wasn't going anywhere.

Hunter placed his hand on the boys back, gently drawing patterns in his soft blue shirt. Hunter hummed to find the tune of an old song, and pulled the sleeve back so Tech could clean the spot on his shoulder.

"One little bantha went out to play, on an irling's web one day. When he saw he didn't fall, he called another bantha cub to come have fun. Two little banthas went out to play..."

The boy melted into his arms as Hunter repeated the tune again and again, he didn't even start when the needle pierced skin. Hunter wondered if the needle might go right through his arm, but Tech was too careful for that, and made sure all of the antidote was administered before replacing the needle with a bandage.

Hunter continued to rub the boy's back as his breathing steadied. He sat in the bottom bunk that was usually Wrecker's, and Saachi sat next to him.

"Did he mention his name?" She asked, running a hand through the boy's stubby curls.

Hunter shook his head, "Too young to have one. He might be old enough to have his number memorized though."

"He can't be older than six, physically, at least," Tech said. He placed the vial and needle in a disposal packet so it wouldn't stab anyone in the foot later.

Saachi rested her head on Hunter's shoulder, but the boy's eyes were already closed.

"I think he likes you," she teased.

"Well, feeling's mutual," Hunter smiled, still rubbing his back.

Tech handed Saachi a blanket, "Given his condition, and that we are in space, I would recommend holding him while he sleeps. His body won't be able to produce the heat that he needs on his own."

Hunter glanced over at Saachi, "Naptime?"

Saachi rolled her eyes, "You think you're so slick."

"If I'm not, then explain why you keep falling for me?"

Saachi snickered behind her hand as Hunter pulled both of them onto the cot to rest. Saachi spread the blanket over all of them, sending a gust of air that blew Hunter's bangs from his face. Saachi placed her hand over his and leaned her head against his shoulder. Neither of them said anything, neither did they sleep, keeping a diligent eye on the boy that the universe threw into their arms shouting "here, catch!"

"If he doesn't have a name, what should we call him?"

"Well, the typical process is getting to know the cadet a little bit better. Usually, kids around his age don't know much about names, and the trainers are always hovering and calling them by a number, so there isn't much chance to come up with one."

"But with all of you being so much older, you can help him pick out one sooner?"

"Hopefully. If he let's us."

"What would you name him? Based on what we know so far?"

Hunter shrugged, "Probably Whisper, because he's so small, or Lucky, because we found him."

"You can't name him Lucky just because he's lucky to be alive!"

"Why not?"

"It's morbid! It'll hang over him for the rest of his life and will give him survivors guilt!"

"How do you know that?"

"Well, how did you feel after we left Crosshair?"

In his sleep, the cadet whimpered. Hunter and Saachi went silent, shoulders tense until the cadet sighed in his sleep.

Saachi relaxed, knocking her head against Hunter's shoulder in a silent request for forgiveness. "Remind me to never let you name any of our kids." She whispered.

She wasn't expecting Hunter to go quiet as he processed what she said. She thought he might have fallen asleep, but then he whispered;

"You want to have kids with me?"

The implications of what Saachi had been joking about suddenly felt much too real.

"Yes." She whispered, "At least, if you want to have kids with me too."

"Yes," Hunter said, without hesitation.

Saachi nodded, shifting closer to Hunter. "Okay."

She wrapped one arm around Hunter's, and kept the other hand on the boy's back.

"We don't have to talk about this now, especially not with a new little one, but-"

Hunter kissed her forehead, "Later. When we get back on our feet."

"Yes," Saachi laughed softly. She ran her free hand through the boy's curls.

A little boy. A child that looked just like Hunter.

With that thought in her mind, she closed her eyes, and dreamed of a family.

[tiesthatbind-tf]

A lad finally gets some of that coveted spotlight!

Benjamin Bane (just Ben or Benji, thanks) may be the youngest of the active Autobot team as their sprightly scout who’s got a chip on his shoulder he wants to hurl into the next Functionist or Decepticon picking on him for his size, and who’s been through quite a bit despite his age, if the burn on his left arm, the slide bite on his right hand  and the multitude of old cigarette burns he’s reluctant to explain are anything to go by.

When not on the field, he’s an avid dancer (with a love for ballet, something he could only pursue in secret until recently, and something which forms the core of his offensive style) and a good enough artist that he, alongside Mirage, are the two assigned to decorate armor for the team.

His smiley, chirpy facade hides quite a couple of issues, including PSTD and self-esteem issues, anxiety attacks, and an urge to please those he trusts even if it comes at his detriment.

More to his story below. (TW for child abuse)

Benjamin Bane (Bumblebee) would be hard-pressed to come up with a single good memory concerning his biological family during his childhood, and not for the lack of trying.

Born to an upper middle-class family in New York comprising a bullish, hot-tempered police sergeant father and a housewife mother, he grew up in the shadow of the son his father, who came from a family of law enforcers, wanted him to be in order to carry on the family legacy.

That he was a gentle, bubbly, sensitive child who loved following his mother around in the kitchen and spending his free time drawing did not bode well for the image his father wished to portray, and it didn’t take long for the discipline intended to mold him into a ‘man’ to become horrifically physical when he was barely five.

His mother, already used to his old man’s temper and quick hand, would often step in to take the punishment meant for him whenever he did something undesirable, though she couldn’t save Ben from the man’s wrath completely, and by the time he was nine, he was never seen without a hoodie in school and had perfected every excuse he’d been told to repeat when asked why he could not take it off or why he would come in on some days with a split lip.

He was small for his size, quiet, and took great pains not to be noticed, which had the opposite effect of making him the target of every other larger child looking to blow off steam, and he became good at running.

Really good.

There was no running from home however, home where the walls were insulated so neighbours wouldn’t hear what was happening within, and while some days would be better than others, there wasn’t a moment that he didn’t break into a cold sweat whenever he heard his father’s footsteps approaching his room.

With his mother unable to bear more children due to an illness, his father furiously continued with the campaign (sometimes the carrot was used  though mostly it was the stick) to mold him into the son the man wanted, so he could make the cut during the streaming process prior to high school where students would be sorted into their future occupational classes.

What support he might have had from his mother in his young years also evaporated, as she pushed him to be the son his father needed him to be to keep the peace, putting the weight of the household’s sanctity on his slight  shoulders.

He was forced into marksmanship lessons (where his first attempt to fire a gun went awry and left him with a deep slide bite wound), multiple self-defence classes to toughen him up (helpful for bullies whenever they didn’t come in packs), and a series of workouts to encourage a growth spurt so he could catch up to other potential cadet  candidates.

The little sliver of hope that he would be good enough to make the junior police  cadets went up in smoke when he was assigned to the manual class instead, owing to his size and his visceral aversion to handling firearms.

Branded as worthless and only good for paying off the ‘debt’ accumulated from the classes his father had earlier forced him into, Ben entered high school with his self-esteem scrapping at topsoil and digging deeper, and had it not been for a chance encounter with another boy who was evading a group of military-classed students intending to instil a lesson about talking back to those higher in the hierarchy, it might have dug itself into a grave.

The boy, who introduced himself as Guillermo ‘Memo’ Gutierrez after Ben dutifully sent the bullies scattering, was also assigned to the manual class and both of them  decided to stick together for safety in numbers.

Ben had ruefully accepted his lot in life after years of being broken and beaten down. Memo, however, had a loving and supportive family; this kept the spark of his defiance to the system alive and he kindled it in Ben’s by giving his friend a safe space to escape to whenever the situation at Ben’s home became too intense.

Among Memo and Memo’s family was the first time where Ben opened up about his interests, could speak freely and found acceptance for what he liked and who he was.

The desire to reclaim the things he loved pushed him to seek out part-time work, which he eventually found after befriending a girl, Charlie Watson, who had helped put an end to the harassment he and Memo endured at school by playing the hierarchy to their favour and wielding her Navy ‘prime-pick’ status.

That she actually wanted nothing to do with the class she was pushed into (Navy) and wished to pursue a career in automotives despite parental objections was something that she and Ben bonded over, and she brought him to the scrapyard her uncle ran where he found work sorting out car parts and helping perform repairs.

He began to pursue art and dance in secret with part of his pay (keeping his sketchbooks and supplies at Memo’s place and taking dance lessons under the guise of after-class study sessions), while saving up the rest and planning for the day he would eventually break free of his father, ‘debt’ or no ‘debt’.

During this time, he subtly packed away important items and was careful not to anger his old man more than his mere presence already did on a good day——something which would become increasingly hard when the Clampdown began.

He would hear his father rant over the dinner table about how ungrateful the protesters who were made up mostly of the Manual Class were, how they weren’t worth the safety net they were demanding for the job they were doing, how they needed to know their place.

He would hear, as time went by, about how his father would beat the ones who were arrested, and more than once, how he would be killed if he, as the man’s son, ever did something as stupid and insolent as that.

He bit his tongue through all this and reluctantly refused Memo’s offer to join a peaceful protest for better wages and workplace compensation.

The protest turned violent after police assaulted those taking part however, and as he watched the news hoping to see if Memo was alright, he saw his friend among those who were tossed into the dreaded black vans to be brought over to stations for interrogation.

His father, fielding a call from a colleague about the batch of protesters being brought in, told them to separate the adults from the teenagers, who would be easier to break, and it was at this point Ben’s spark turned into a bonfire.

As his father got dressed for work, he crept into the man’s study and managed to figure out the combination to the safe where the man’s gun was kept, retrieving it and aiming it at the police sergeant who came in and demanded for him to stand down.

Ben, in turn, demanded for his father to call the station and have Memo released, and when his father laughed at his audacity, mocked the way his hands shook while he was holding the gun and threatened to beat him senseless once this was all over, he shot the man close enough to the head to clip an ear to prove a point, before repeating his demand again.

This time, his father complied and called the station to order for Memo’s release; Ben’s relief however was all the momentary lapse of guard that his father needed to rush in and attempt to wrest the gun back, and in the struggle, he accidentally shot his father in the knee.

Under the hail of threats on how he was going to die once his father got hands on him, Ben flung the gun where the man could not reach, grabbed one of the bags he had secretly packed and ran out of the house to the screams of his mother.

He called Charlie and explained the situation to her, as both of them made their way to the station where his father worked to pick up Memo, who was confused about the state of affairs.

At 18 years, Ben was now a fugitive who could no longer go home; Memo brought him to the manual class district where Ben could hide among allies, and it was here that he spent a few months in hiding, disguised as a manual worker.

However, still fully terrified at the thought of his father eventually hunting him down within the confines of the city, he made plans to leave and head to the West Coast, far away from any chance that he would meet his old man by accident on the streets.

To his surprise,  Charlie and Memo elected to join him in the move, and the three of them left together on a  Greyhound bus; Him to escape his father, Charlie to escape her future with a military complex which her father died for and Memo to protect his family after he was named a person of interest in the protest.

However, they were forced to stop in Texas when police were inspecting passing buses for runaway Cold Constructs. Here, they met Ian Hart (Ironhide), a rancher secretly helping Cold  Constructs escape ownership by crossing over into Mexico to start new lives.

Ian, seeing how they ran from the bus, assumed they were young Cold Constructs and immediately took them in and offered them shelter; when they explained their situation, he kept his offer, letting them stay until they had their plans sorted out and paying them for work done on his ranch in the meantime.

All three of them grew fond of him and spent a month working on his ranch, helping out equally between his longhorn cattle and the Cold Constructs who would come in scared, starving, and seeking refuge from bounty hunters looking to bring them back to the establishments they were assigned to.

Someone however, had gotten wind of Ian’s clandestine operation, and the man was arrested during a midnight raid, though not before he flung Ben, Charlie and Memo into a secret basement with three Cold Constructs who he told them to help cross the border the next day.

They did as they were told, but decided to return to the ranch to figure out how to help Ian, and when they came back there, it was to come face to face with two strangers who were also seeking Ian after seeing him on the news.

These strangers introduced themselves as Omar Parvez (Optimus Prime), Jace Zayden (Jazz) and Preston Wan (Prowl), members of a rebellion that had sprung up in the UK, and upon hearing that they had been with Ian for the past month, requested for their help in tracking the man down to save him from a terrible fate at the hands of government interrogators.

Realising that they were now caught up in something bigger than they ever imagined, Ben nonetheless accepted the request, unwilling to stand back and do nothing while a good man suffered.

Youth, size and a lifetime of abuse would not be an obstacle to him helping someone else, especially with his best friends  by his side.

[wanderinginksplot]

Riye (A Favor) - Alpha-17/f!Reader fic

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Third installment of my Alpha-17/fem!reader fic!

Word-Count: 3,100

Warnings: aggressive flirtation, Alpha is rude.

---

You carefully straightened the neckline of your shirt, eyes on the refresher mirror. It might be silly, but today marked a full month since you had come to Kamino, and you wanted to look your best.

Your outfit had survived the morning, despite a meeting with several Kaminoans who wanted updates on your progress. You had been able to deliver good news - that you were right on schedule - but a sense of doubt overshadowed any triumph you might have felt. The first deadline had been met, but the next one promised to step up the workload, and you were already feeling overwhelmed at the idea.

Still, you were determined to push the negativity out of your mind. You would figure out a better schedule to complete the work later. Today was a celebration.

The bad thing about taking more care with your appearance was that it attracted more attention than usual from the cadets. You had politely turned away two different groups of young men by the time Alpha was due to arrive in the cafeteria. Another cadet - alone, this time - was doing his best to keep from being dismissed as well.

"Was it raining when you came in, ma’am?" he asked, leaning over you. "I have flight drills after this and it gets even more dangerous in the rain."

You did your best not to smile at the obvious way he was hinting about being a pilot. "You know, I think it was raining the last time I was near a window," you told him, voice grave.

"Then I'm going to need some luck to survive," he said dramatically, flashing you a smile he clearly hoped would be charming. "I've heard a kiss from a beautiful woman is a good start. What do you think? It might help me survive the afternoon."

"I wouldn't count on it," a dark voice warned.

The cadet stood as straight as possible as Alpha approached. The captain brushed your new pilot friend aside with a twist of his armored shoulders and sat down. He proceeded to start eating, ignoring the cadet completely.

Any other cadet would have backed away, thankful that Alpha hadn't decided to throw them directly into the oceans of Kamino, but this one was more determined than most.

He winked at you from behind Alpha's head. "By the way, my name is-"

"She doesn't want to know your name," Alpha told him. "Get out of here before I decide that I want to know it."

"Very flattering, Captain," the cadet said cheekily. "But Jango's face isn't the one I want to wake up to, yeah?"

Alpha swallowed his mouthful of food and deliberately set his fork aside, standing slowly from the table. He drew up to his full height before turning around. He was taller than the cadet, forcing the younger man to look up.

"Now I'm extremely interested," Alpha said slowly, his slow and methodical voice dripping with menace. "What's your designation?"

Behind him, you winced. You hated how glaringly obvious it was that the Kaminoans considered these men products. Also, this cadet might die in front of you and that would almost certainly ruin your ability to eat in the cafeteria anymore.

"CT-7115," the cadet said with a grin.

"Ah, part of Zackra Trem's group." Alpha raised his comlink. "Trem."

"Alpha," a female voice returned immediately.

"I've got one of your pilot cadets here in the cafeteria. 7115."

"Broadside," Trem said, clearly recognizing the number. "He's one of my best, Alpha. Don't break him too badly."

"No promises," Alpha replied, turning slightly back toward Broadside. Since you were seated directly behind Alpha, you couldn't see his expression yourself, but it was enough to make Broadside's grin slip for the first time.

"I'll make you a deal," Trem offered. "I'll give him hell here and then send him back to you tonight. I'm sure he could help you demonstrate something unpleasant to your ARCs."

Alpha considered that for a long moment while Broadside shifted uncomfortably. Eventually, he conceded, "That works."

Trem laughed. "Do I even wanna know what he did to you?"

"Harassed an uninterested female."

The laughter emanating from the comlink's speakers cut off abruptly. "In that case, I think we should coordinate punishments. I'll be in touch, Captain."

The transmission cut off suddenly and Alpha looked at Broadside once more. "You had best get to your training, son."

Broadside, looking suddenly concerned, nodded and hurried away. “What was that?” you asked quietly when Alpha had sat down across from you once more.

“I told his superior officer about his behavior.”

“What more than that?” you pressed.

Alpha grinned suddenly, and it was half a snarl. “It just so happens that his superior officer is Zackra Trem. It’s not my story to tell, but she’s got more reason than most to hate that kind of osik behavior.”

You could very well guess the rest of that story. Your heart twisted for Trem, though you had never met her. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Nice, but she wouldn’t appreciate the sentiment,” Alpha told you, not unkindly. “Feel sorry for your little pilot. She’s a Weequay who ran with Mandalorians for the past few decades. Whatever she makes him do, it won’t be pleasant.”

You chuckled at that, trying not to actually feel sorry for Broadside. In the time you had been hanging around Alpha, most of the cadets had eased up a bit on flirting, but every now and then, someone crossed the line.

Alpha picked his fork up again and shot you an intense look. “Why are you dressed like that?”

Though your immediate instinct was to be embarrassed about being overdressed, even mildly, you rolled your eyes at him. “Anything looks like too much when everyone else wears uniforms all of the time. Remember that day I wore a necklace?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Alpha said, snorting. “A necklace. What are you, a Senator?”

“Your ideas of fancy clothing are extremely skewed, I hope you know that,” you told him, adjusting your collar again.

“Hazards of the job,” Alpha replied with a casual shrug as he returned his focus to his food. “Looks okay, though.”

You paused, staring openly at him. Had Alpha just complimented you? Surely not… The universe wouldn’t survive such unexpected behavior, not without signs that space was collapsing in on itself.

Alpha noticed you watching him and lifted an eyebrow in question while he chewed. You just shook your head and applied yourself to your own lunch, avoiding his curious eyes. Explaining your thought process there would be an intensive effort, especially if your goal was to keep him from being uncomfortable.

Fortunately, avoiding Alpha’s eyes let you notice the approaching cadet sooner than your companion did, and you had time to brace yourself before the young man - even younger than you were used to seeing - opened his mouth.

“Excuse me-”

“Kriff,” Alpha said loudly, dark brows crashing down over his eyes. “Go away, kid. I’ve already ruined one cadet’s day and I have no problem adding to the list. She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“N-no, sir, of course not,” the cadet told him, nodding respectfully at you as he went on. “I wanted to talk to you. Is it true you served with General Kenobi?”

"What?" Alpha asked, sounding uncertain for the first time since you had met him. You quirked your brows, unsure of whether to be amused or concerned.

"General Kenobi," the cadet repeated. "And General Skywalker, too! I heard you went on a mission with both of them. What was it like?"

"Look, kid, I don't have time to answer all your questions about Jedi-"

"That's fine!" the cadet told him. "I already know everything there is to know about the Jedi. I want to know more about your experience, specifically."

The muscles in Alpha's jaw flexed and you quickly interrupted. "What's your name?"

"Dogma, ma'am," the cadet told you, making an apologetic face. "I know names are against regulations, but my batchers won't stop calling me that. My designation is CT-4287."

“Nice to meet you, Dogma,” you said politely.

Dogma's cheeks darkened and he gave a tight nod. "You too, ma'am."

"Stop flirting with the poor boy," Alpha chided and you gaped at the captain. So much for trying to help him.

"Dogma, I'm sure Captain Alpha would love to answer any question you have," you told the young cadet, grinning triumphantly at Alpha.

"Wait," Alpha ordered, catching at your wrist before you could stand up. His hand was ridiculously huge and you found yourself shackled by his gentle grip. "You haven't finished eating."

You grinned wider at him, slipping your wrist out from between his fingers. "I'll take it with me. Have fun, you two!"

Dogma gave a half-hearted wave while Alpha glared.

---

The rest of the afternoon was spent locked away in your office, working on the second major project you had to complete. Your concerns about the deadline were unfortunately proving correct. The icy grip of stress and fear were squeezing your heart, and you were honestly relieved when someone knocked on the door of your office.

“One moment!” you called to the unseen visitor, but they didn’t seem to hear you. Instead, they continued to pound on the door until you opened it. You were unsurprised to see Alpha on the other side, glowering down at you.

“You’re mean for a nat-born,” he grumbled, brushing you aside as he pushed into the office.

After letting the door slide closed once more, you followed him over to your desk and plopped down in your chair. Rather than sit in one of the chairs opposite you, Alpha leaned his hip against the side of your desk, much closer than you were comfortable with.

In a show of belligerence, you crossed your arms and lifted your chin as you replied, “Serves you right for being rude about my outfit.”

“I didn’t say anything bad about your clothes!” Alpha denied, befuddled.

“Yeah, well, you didn’t say anything nice about them, either,” you argued childishly, conveniently forgetting his half-compliment at lunch.

Alpha frowned. “You want me to… talk about clothing with you?”

Well. Put that way, it did sound a little silly. Of all of the things you were sure Alpha did well, deep discussions about fashion might be beyond him. Honestly, they might be beyond you, too. You sighed. “No, I don’t want you to talk about clothing with me, but I was trying to look nice today. I put a lot of effort into this.”

“I don’t understand why,” Alpha said. “You look… fine… every other day.”

“Fine,” you repeated dryly. “Thanks, I was going for fine.”

“I don’t understand what I did wrong.” You were able to hear the growing frustration in his voice. “What do you want me to do?”

“Maybe don’t act like I’m wearing a ballgown to work if I show up wearing a necklace!”

“What is a ballgown?”

You stared at Alpha, the simple question making your brain screech to a halt. It was like a chasm had opened between you, and it made you reconsider a few things. Since you had arrived on Kamino, you had treated the clone troopers as if they were people you might meet out in the galaxy, but that wasn’t exactly true. You still believed that they were people - of course you did - but you were only just coming to realize how different they were from anyone you had ever met. While the troopers shared their own experiences on Kamino and had been trained to be perfect soldiers by the time they shipped out, they were startlingly young by the standards of the rest of the galaxy.

“You know what? It doesn’t matter.” You fiddled with one of the many datapads littering your desk rather than meet Alpha’s intense gaze. “I am sorry for siccing Dogma on you, though.”

“You should be,” he growled. “He asked ten questions before I could shake him off. Ten!”

“Wow, that’s what? Five days worth of questions?” you teased.

“Five days for you,” Alpha told you seriously. “For anyone else, that’s more than I would ever answer.”

You were unreasonably touched by the reminder that Alpha let you learn things about him that no one else would ever know. Moved by a sudden surge of warmth for the ARC captain, you repeated your prior sentiment, but more fervently. “In that case, I honestly apologize for unleashing Dogma. If there’s anything I can do to make him back off, please let me know.”

Alpha’s stare was level and unwavering. “Yeah?”

“Of course,” you agreed immediately, not understanding what a wildly stupid idea that was. That was fine - you would learn… and it didn’t take long.

That night at dinner, Alpha came in and sat across from you, but instead of starting the meal in silence, he leaned across the table slightly to get your attention. Lowly, he asked, “Are you still willing to help me with Dogma?”

“Yes,” you agreed simply. “Do you have a plan?”

“Yeah. Flirt with me.”

You fought not to react visibly to that. Carefully keeping your face blank and your voice flat, you replied, “What.”

He leaned even closer, eyes lit with excitement. “I’ve been threatening and trying to alienate Dogma all day, but the only time he was uncomfortable was when you flirted with him.”

“I didn’t flirt with him!” you reminded him. “I just said it was nice to meet him.”

“Fine,” Alpha conceded. “We’ll just have to do better than that if we’re going to convince him to leave me alone.”

Abruptly feeling like this was the worst idea anyone had ever had, you tried to speak in your own defense. “Alpha, I don’t think this is a good idea-”

“You said you would help me,” he reminded firmly. “He’ll be here in a minute. I need your answer.”

Your heart was pounding, one of many warnings that this was a bad idea, but you nodded anyway. Alpha smiled - he actually smiled - and the expression looked menacing on his face. “Good.”

In a moment, he had circled the table to sit beside you, his huge frame making you feel ridiculously tiny in comparison. He wasn't wearing any armor at all now, and you could feel the heat of his skin through what little space there was between you.

You tried not to obviously tense as he spoke next to your ear. "There he is, get ready."

Impossibly, Alpha managed to get closer to you, tugging behind your knee slightly so that you were angled toward him. When he had finished posing you, Alpha’s large hand lifted to cradle your face. His fingers brushed over your cheekbone before trailing down to your jaw.

"My little neverd," he murmured to you, face filled with affection.

You didn't have to feign embarrassment at the warmth in his tone matched with the intense eye contact he was giving you. When you replied, you tried not to sound squeaky but only managed to sound shaky instead. "You know Mando'a is my weakness."

He laughed, a low chuckle that sent delicious chills running over your skin. “Why do you think I use it?”

“Alpha…” you chided, managing to sound mildly flirtatious.

“Come on, little one,” he urged you, voice velvet in a way you hadn’t known it could be. “Let’s go back to your- Ah, one moment, neverd. Dogma, sit down.”

You looked over to see Dogma standing at the other side of the table. You had never even noticed, your entire focus narrowed down to Alpha. Dogma looked as embarrassed as you felt. While you were focused on Dogma, Alpha’s arm snaked around you, pressing against your waist to pull you flush against his side. Your face flamed and Dogma glanced away.

“Sir, I- I’m sorry, I forgot I’m on duty tonight,” Dogma muttered, speaking so quickly it was difficult to understand him.

“Sorry to hear that, cadet,” Alpha replied gravely, flexing his fingers against your side. It made you push a little closer to him in reflex, the tip of your nose brushing the space under his jaw as you tried to look up at him. Alpha shivered, and you weren’t sure how much of the motion was acting. “Maybe later.”

Dogma gave an awkward nod and hurried off.

Alpha started laughing even before he let you go, his muscular chest shaking against your shoulder. After a moment that felt like it had stretched an hour, he pulled his arm back and slid away a bit. You immediately felt the loss of his closeness and suddenly you were horribly uncertain of what expression you were wearing. Just in case it said more than you wanted it to, you looked back at the entrance of the cafeteria.

“I feel bad,” you admitted.

"Don't," Alpha advised, looking toward the door as well. “He’ll be fine. He’s a good soldier, just a little…”

He trailed off, apparently content to let his thought stay incomplete. You glanced over to him with an eyebrow raised, but his eyes were fixed on the door. “You can see every access point in the room from here.”

“That is why I chose this spot,” you agreed.

“Switch with me tomorrow.”

“Not a chance,” you refused. “This is my spot.”

“Then I hope you like sitting next to me,” Alpha told you. Surprised, you laughed up at him and he met your eyes. “You know, I’ve never seen anyone blush on cue.”

“Hidden talent,” you explained vaguely. Alpha didn’t seem convinced, so you changed the subject. “What does neverd mean?”

“Civilian.”

You laughed before you could stop yourself. “Civilian? That’s what you used as a term of endearment?”

Alpha blinked blankly at you. “What’s wrong with it? You are a civilian.”

“Yes, but,” you thought over it for a second, “-it’s not very romantic. Usually, people say things like ‘dear’ or ‘sweetheart’.”

“How should I have known that?” Alpha asked.

It was the ballgown situation all over again, and more than you were willing to tackle that day. “Well, some warning before you want me to go undercover would be helpful.”

Alpha snorted. “How much warning do you need?”

You pretended to consider that for a moment. “Two business days, minimum.”

He frowned fiercely. “If you get two full days of warning, I expect more. I need you to show up in a disguise with three different accents ready.”

“Harsh terms,” you told him with a smile. “With those negotiation skills, you’d make a great senator."

Alpha gave you the darkest scowl you had ever seen him muster. “Watch it, neverd.”

Idly, you wondered if Alpha would protect you from himself, but the amused glimmer in his dark eyes told you it would be unnecessary.

---

A/N - Pretty sure Broadside is wildly OOC, my bad. Also, sorry for the weird image for this chapter. I didn't really want the text bubbles in there, but I needed to keep Alpha's sassy hip lean.

Taglist - @imabeautifulbutterfly @cagrame @mysticalturtleenthusiast @marvel-starwars-nerd @lackofhonor

[biggest-stupidhead]

Heyy!!

I dont think there's such think as semen donors in aot cannon?

BUT WHAT IF Captain Levi agrees to be the donor to squad leader (or just cadet) reader in a platonic relationship/eventual romance?

Just cute ackerbabies!

Lmao you’re probably right, no semen donors in canonverse. But I honestly love this idea so much, I feel like it would be hard for Levi to make that romantic connection so I could see him making that choice, and maybe it developing into something more!

Summary: Levi can’t wait any longer to start a family, and you are willing to take that step with him.

Word Count: 1.7K

__

You choked on the small sip of tea that you had taken. Catching the small drops of liquid that had escaped your lips.

“Come again now?” You managed to form words after a moment, Levi seemed uninterested as always, those charcoal grey eyes dull and apathetic.

“You heard me just fine, you know that I hate repeating myself.” He scoffed as he shifted so that his leg was crossed over his opposite knee,

“Yes I heard you but....marriage?” You were shocked to say the least. Levi had never shown any prior interest in any long term relationship with anyone, although the two of you had hooked up a handful of times.

“I don’t see why not. We already share a room, not to mention that we-”

“Okay I get it, just...it’s a big commitment and I’m not sure that I’m-”

“Oh please, what else do we have to look forward to anymore? No more fighting, no more political issues to deal with might as well settle down and...” He trailed off, his gaze cast downwards into his cup of tea, which was probably cold by now. You sighed deeply, placing your cup down gently and leaning back into the sofa that the two of you were seated on. His arm was slung casually across the back of the sofa, his finger tips ghosting over your shoulder.

“I know but Levi...marriage?” you were a bit disappointed. He had said it so casually, as if he was asking you if you wanted to run to the market to grab apples.

“If you don’t want to then just say no.” He snapped, clearly getting frustrated, he rose to his feet and began to march towards his desk. You chased after him, catching his wrist. You knew it was difficult for him to express himself, to put things lightly or being considerate to your feelings.

“It’s not that...I’m just a little caught off guard.” You admitted as you held his wrist gently. He let out a breath that he had seemed to have been holding in, he turned and laced his fingers through yours, his other hand diving into his pant pocket. You waited patiently for him to say something, but he only pulled out a small black box. Your heart skipped a beat, this was more how you had pictured being proposed to. He fell onto his knee and opened the box slowly, revealing a modest silver ring with a small diamond embedded in the ring.

“Oh Levi...” Your fingers were still laced with his as he knelt down, you squeezed his hand affectionately.

“I already bought the damn ring, just say yes.” He grunted, averting his gaze as his thumb glided over your knuckle.

“You have a point there.” You chuckled as you gave him a small nod, which was enough of a yes for him.

__

You were married by the end of the month, a simple court house wedding with Armin and Mikasa as your witnesses. Afterwards you had gone home and eaten dinner as usual. Just another week, except now the sex that you and Levi occasionally had, became a hell of a lot more regular. You had no complaints, or at least that was until you were hunched over the kitchen sink puking your guts out. You had missed your period as well, and it didn’t take a genius to know what that meant. You decided to wait until you were certain to tell anyone this however, seeing how difficult pregnancy could be, and the unlikeliness of carrying to full term seemed high.

So you made sure to go to the doctor twice before telling Levi that you were pregnant. He’d had a very similar reaction that you’d had when he had asked to marry you.

He choked on his tea, his hand flying to his chin to catch the liquid.

“Pregnant?” He repeated, and you nodded, leaning against the table where he was sitting.

“H-How long until...”

“Give or take seven months.” You shrugged, trying to put on a brave face, after seeing how frazzled he was you wanted to make this as casual as the rest of your relationship.

“So...we should probably start cleaning out that spare room and-” You cut him off by kneeling down and placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

“We’ve got plenty of time for that, for now let’s just...enjoy not being responsible for a helpless shitty baby.” You said softly as you slowly sank onto his lap. He hummed his approval, but still seemed rightfully on edge.

“We can start cleaning the room in few weeks, there’s no rush.” You assured him as you scattered kisses across his sour face.

“I’ll start tomorrow.” Levi hummed as he tilted his head to the side.

__

Turned out that you were both in way over your head. Around 12 weeks into your pregnancy Hange was pressing her stethoscope to your rapidly swelling belly when she froze. Levi tensed when he noticed this, and you frowned.

“What is it?” Levi asked as he gripped the back of the exam table.

“Nothing’s wrong...just-”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing.” Levi scowled as he watched Hange continue to feel around your stomach.

“That’s cause it isn’t nothing, I’m hearing two heart beats.” Hange told you as she stood to her full height.

“Two heart beats?” You felt feint at the news, you had known that twins ran in your family but you had never expected to have them yourself.  

“Yes, it appears that you are having twins” Hange said with a wide smile as she folded up the stethoscope. Your vision blurred, the worry that you had been experiencing prior to the appointment had doubled along with the number of children you were having. 

“No shit.” Levi replied breathily as he held your shoulder firmly. 

“If I were you guys I’d go clean out that room now.” Hange advised as she cleaned up the space that you had been using as a makeshift exam room in her office. 

“I’ll get right on that.” Levi said, shooting you a concerned look as he helped you up onto your feet. 

__

The twins were born premature, the labor itself wasn’t nearly as bad as you had expected. But you realized that it wasn’t that bad because of how small they were. The only reason that they both survived was thanks to the Marleyan medical equipment that had been shipped over courtesy of Zeke and Yelena. You and Levi spent countless hours in the hospital as you awaited for the twins to be discharged. In that window of time you decided on names, it was difficult but you decided on Harrison and Harper. You weren’t surprised to find that they both took after their father, dark bluish grey eyes with a full head of black hair. The one thing they seemed to have gotten from you was your facial structure and your complexion. 

It was a massive relief to bring them home, now instead of staying up until the wee hours in the hospital you could do it in the comfort of your own home. 

One particular evening you were walking laps with Harrison, gently patting his back as you bounced off of your heels as he cried. On your third lap around the entire cottage, you peeked into the nursery to see Levi reclined on the rocker with Harper fast asleep. His eyes were closed, his naked chest rising and falling evenly as he slept. You envied him as you rubbed circles on Harrison’s back once more. His cries slowly died out and you managed to drag yourself to your bed and place Harrison down gently. Using the extra pillows, you managed to make a small barrier between him and yourself as well as the edge of the bed. It wasn’t often that you got to do this, seeing as you usually slept with Levi. But Harrison seemed content with laying in his dad’s spot for the night. His big blue eyes were watching your hair sway over his face as you adjusted the pillows. He cooed and babbled for a few minutes before falling silent, his tiny breaths putting you at ease. 

It couldn’t have been but an hour later when the sound of Harper crying woke you once more. Levi was pacing around the same way that you had been earlier before he finally managed to put her at ease. He returned to your room to see you sitting up, Harrison fast asleep at your side. 

“Care to join us?” You asked, voice gruff with sleep, or rather the lack there of. 

“Would I ever.” Levi groaned as he placed Harper in the pillow barrier with Harrison who was still fast asleep. He managed to squeeze onto the bed, laying on his side like you were as the two of you watched Harper sooth herself into sleep. His gaze left the small baby in favor of studying your features. 

“What would you have done if I had never asked you to marry me?” The question caught you off guard, your fingers were tracing the soft features of your babies. You hummed in thought but the answer was already on the tip of your tongue. 

“I’d have asked you to marry me.” You said with a wry smile and Levi rolled his eyes at your cheesy reply. 

“That’s not what I meant...well not really.” Levi grumbled, you paused again in thought. What would you have done? Certainly no more military work, that chapter was over for you. 

“Maybe I’d open a bakery. My grandmother left me all of her recipes. What would you do?” You asked, finger running along the soft dark locks of hair that were growing from Harrison’s head. 

“I’d open a tea shop.” Levi answered quickly, his own gaze back on the babies, his hand resting on Harper’s stomach, rising and falling with her breathing. 

“Why don’t we just say fuck it and do it?” You asked, not sure if you were serious or if it was the lack of sleep talking. 

“There was that space for lease last time we went into town...” Levi offered thoughtfully. 

“Yeah, we could fix it up and open a cafe.” You said excitedly as you leaned over the sleeping babies in hopes of coaxing a kiss from Levi. He nodded in agreement before leaning over and planting a kiss to your lips. 

“We’ll talk about it in the morning. Go to sleep.” Levi sighed as he stretched out on his side, and closing his eyes. You smiled and mirrored him, your hand resting on Harrison’s stomach now as well, your fingertips brushing his. 

You knew that you’d made the right choice. Marrying Levi was the best decision that you’d made in a long time. It may not look like the typical love story, but you knew that it was real, realer than most relationships. And you wouldn’t want to have it with anyone else. 

[thinking-outside-the-giftbox18]

*Comes back to see the last post about SunDrop and MoonDrop got 16 notes*

[Patrick Star voice, because Tumblr won’t give me the GIF] WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE!??!

I’m here with another idea but it’s my own headcanon that isn’t irrelevant to the plot of the FNAF Lore.

Idea #2 - 

It might be me looking into this too much, but I think the DayCare Attendant was based on the Candy Cadet from FNAF: Pizzeria Simulator.

They both give candies, space themed, and are to be made for children, but the difference is that 

Candy Cadet 

Was more of a candy dispenser with a pre-recorded audio track to “interact” with children, unless the part where it starts to tell some gruesome sad stories is not canon.

Played a passive role aside from telling micro-lore.

Candies are just flavored-sugar sweets.

Doesn’t have much of a personality or a side (hero, villain, neutral)

SunDrop and MoonDrop

Is literally a daycare attendant who is incharge of taking care of the children.

Played an active role in the game, helping Vanny as MoonDrop [because of the Afton Virus]

...Energizing candy and Sleepytime candy. And they made posters about these.

Expressive and depends on SunDrop and MoonDrop, as SunDrop was trying to stop Gregory from turning off the lights to bring out MoonDrop (refer to Point #2 of SunDrop and MoonDrop)

But what has been on my mind is though Pizzeria Simulator shows some new and odd animatronics who we’ll never see again after FNAF Ultimate Custom Nights, we can BARELY see some recurring characters in Security Breach:

There’s Balloon Boy, and then there’s Music Man, now called DJ Music Man. 

I was...confused, then I started thinking. I repeat my point:

SunDrop and MoonDrop were new animatronics created to take care of kids and whoever designed them decided that they also should give candies and be space themed, just like the odd brightly-colored UFO-shaped candy dispenser who tells odd stories about putting something into one. 

So, Not BASED on Candy Cadet, but there was an idea that they should be similar.

[[Totally not my shipping butt making this out of nowhere ^^;]]

[nh20tensin]

Telling the AoT boys you love them for the first time.

⚠️There should be little too no spoilers⚠️

Mostly fluff

Gn reader

None of this is has been proof read

Ft. Levi Ackerman,Connie springer,Armin arlert

Levi Ackerman

We all know that this man is touch-starved so it was hard enough for him to let you even Remotely close in anyway

He would probably deny the fact that he care for you

He wouldn’t know that he loved you till  you said something about it

It was a cleaning day you decided to help Levi and his squad clean (this man forced you to clean)

You didn’t mind I mean as long as you were with him

You knew you loved him for some time,you just didn’t know how to tell him or in fear that he would hate you(who knows why he would) but you only thought about worst case scenarios

“Oí “

“.....”

“Oí”

“....”

“BRAT”

“Huh?”

“What the hell are you doing”

You gave him a confused look

He points down to your feet

You were sweeping with the dust collector facing the opposite way so that no dust is going into the pan

“Oh shit sorry”

“Just pick it up “Levi spoke

The rest of the day went by

It was dinner time you Decided to sit with eren,Armin,jean,and Connie

(The girls where training)

“Yo is she even listen to us “ a buzz-cut boy said

“ probably not” said Jean

Eren threw a small carrot at you

“😐”

“You were zoning out” a blonde boy said

“I’m not really myself right now....I’m going to go to bed”

They all nodded and told you goodnight and bye

On your way to your room you bumped into hange

“AHHH SORRY IM IN A RUSH” they said

“It’s alright are you ok?”

“I’m fin-“

They stoped talking you gave them a confused look

“Why’d you sto-“

They put a finger on over your mouth

5 mins pass the finger hasn’t left

“Sorry i thought I heard something ”

The finger moved

“Thought you where in a rush “you said as you walked hange followed

“Never mind that what’s up with you?”

“Nothing.............How do I tell someone I love them”

(Ofc you would eventually regret asking hange but desperate times call for desperate measures😪)

“oh”

“Oh” 

“OOHHH”

“YOU LOVE LEV-“

You cover their mouth

“Shut up or I will Carve ur eyes out”

Hange nodded

“Will if you really Want my opinion....just don’t make it a big deal”

“Why Not”

“You shouldn’t have to make it special ,anyway if you really do love him and just tell him “

Knowing Levi he would hate it if you made it a big deal so you took the advice and made up your mind

One week passed and you finally thought of the perfect way to tell him

You would make him his favorite tea(you aren’t allowed to make his tea considering you suck at it)

” what did you do” he said in a stern voice

You walk over to his desk and sigh

“ I have something to tell you and besides my tea skills aren’t that bad”

“ last time I drank it I ended up in bed for a week”

“I promise it’s better just trust me” 

He reluctantly put the cup to his mouth and drank

“I love you “you said

He almost sit out his tea he didn’t know what to say or do

How could someone so perfect love someone so....him

“What did you say” he said

You repeated yourself

You climbed in his lap

“I love you Levi Ackerman “

God he loved the way you said his name

He didn’t know what to say but what he did say broke your heart

“Why” he said in a voice below a whisper

“What do you mean why?”

His hand found his way to your waist his face hidden in the crook of your neck

“Why me ?”

You knew he could get insecure but it still hurt

“ Levi I knew from the minute I saw you that I would love you for the rest of my life and I don’t wanna rush you to say back to me because quite frankly I know how hard it is for you but I’m telling you now because this is how I feel you are the one for me no one else do you understand me please say you do”

All memories he thought he forgotten about his mother came flooding back in

And you could’ve sworn you felt a tear but when you looked there was nothing

He looked dead in your eyes and said

“I love you too” in a very soft voices he gave you a rare smile

You brought him in for a very long and meaningful kiss

“Hange Made the tea by the way “

“I know”

Connie springer

 A relationship with this man can be one of two things very fun and chaotic or more serious and loving

Which ever version you happen to be in it won’t matter because it will always be happy

“Hey Connie have you told y/n you love them yet”

He froze up and realized that he never actually told you though he was in love with you he just never thought about telling you because he thought you knew

“What’s it you you horse face”

“Nothing....it’s just The two of you have been dating for six months I’d start to feel a little self-conscious if you asked me”

“Well I didn’t so stop “

Jean and Sasha stay laughing

“CADETS IN LINE” Levi yelled

The next day

“Hey Armin if I hypothetically possibly maybe was in love with someone how would I tell them?”you said while looking at the ground

“ well it really just depends on the person and how far along in the relationship you are with them I can’t really help you how to tell them but I sure can encourage you”

You roll your eyes and sigh

“Thank anyways”

You walk back inside considering you were training outside with Armin(obviously beat him because you’re a bad ass)

You ran into Connie right now I’m going inside you both fell to the ground stared at each other and started laughing like you’ve never laughed before you were mainly laughing because you were nervous as hell to tell him you loved him he was laughing because he loves the smile that was on your face

you both helped each other get back up Connie looked at you and ask

“were you training”

“ depends what answer do you want to hear”

“....”

“....”

“Fine I was “you admit

“ it’s 11 at night”

“ and your point is”

” at the rate you’re going you’re going to end up dead by the time you’re 25”you said sarcastically

“ as if you’d be able to live without me though”

You froze didn’t know what to say or do you just nervously laughed it off and walked away

 he looked at a very confused but I thought you needed space considering you just got done training it was dark out you’re probably tired he thought

It’s around two in the morning you wake up something inside you just burst so you get up out of your room and find your way to Connie‘s room you knock fiercely

“ Open the door Baldy”you say sternly but in the soft voice

“ what are you doing it’s like two in the morning you should go to sleep “he said while opening the door

you force yourself into his room and sit down on his bed

He followed you confused on why you were here but he just stared at you not wanting to say anything basking in your beauty

“ Connie I’m about to say something that I might regret well not regret but do you know where I’m going with us”

“Huh”

“I love you “

his eyes shoot open he thought this has to be a dream right there’s no way that this is real

You pinch his arm so he knows he’s not dreaming

“ say it again”

He couldn’t help but smile so much that he felt like his face was gonna melt

At first he thought he was looking at you in disgusted minutes later it was a face of happiness and he was proud in his own kind away

“I L/N F/N AM IN LOVE WITH YOU CONNIE SPRINGER”

“ I love you too but you know I was supposed to tell you first”

“Oh?”

“ this whole thing with Jean and Sash and our relationship”

“It’s.a long story” 

He brought you in for a tight hug that ended up in a very intense make out session

The both of you woke up in his bed in the morning he looked at him and he woke up

“I love you”

“I love you”

You both said in unison and you ended up laughing you both really did love each other and it was a funny love story . 

Armin arlert

As smart as Armin is he has no idea what to do when it comes to a relationship

True he wants to give you all the love in the world but he’s clueless when it comes to things like that but he will know when he’s in love with you

He will go to Mikasa, Eren,hell even Levi if he will listen

“ listen kid I don’t know what to tell you all right do you love them just tell them I don’t see what’s wrong with it”Levi said while drinking tea

“ but sir it’s not that easy what if they doesn’t feel the same way”Armin spoke

Levi sighs not really knowing what to do

“ The two of you are dating right so of course they feel the same way”

“Damn kids and their commitment issues”he muttered under his breath

Armin saluted him before exiting the room

His mind was in 1000 different places having no idea what to say to you so we did the next best thing any person would

He ignored you

(Asshole)

He didn’t want to ignore you or make you feel bad he’s just caught up in his own brain to actually think about anything

It’s been a week since you guys last talk

“ i’m sure he doesn’t hate you he’s been ignoring us to” eren said

Mikasa nodded

“ it’s been a week did I do something wrong is he mad at me?”

“ even if he was he wouldn’t take it out on all of us at the same time” Mikasa stated

you take a deep breath and sigh

“ The both of us will try and figure out what’s happening OK can’t promise you like the answer though” eren said

“Ok...”

The both of them left the room

Little did you know Armin was listening in the whole conversation he wanted to make it up to you just didn’t know how

” I don’t hate them” armin said

Eren then said “ then why are you ignoring them and us they don’t deserve this”

Eren was pissed off because he knew how much you were hurting

“ seriously Armin there’s no need to lie you’re mad at her just tell them I’m sure they will understand besides you’re also ignoring us did we do anything?” The tall girl spoke

“I love them”

“😮” Mikasa and eren

They spent the rest of the day talking about his feelings and how he should make it up to you or more importantly tell you

“ just follow us it’s not a trap or anything”eren said (this bitch it was FYI)

Mikasa used her scarf to cover up her giggles

“ can I just sleep in peace”

“NO!”

You couldn’t really tell who said it as you saw Armin standing right in front of you

You turn around to see no one‘s behind you those bastards left the room before you could even check

“ look if you’re mad at me I don’t know what I did but I don’t really feel like talking anymore I just want to go to bed please”

“Wait now please I’m sorry i’ve had a lot on my mind I just needed time on my own”

“ and you couldn’t tell me or let me know not even Eren or Mikasa you’ve noticed all week do you know how bad I felt thinking that I did something wrong ”

There was a moment of silence you saw that look in his eyes the one that made you fall madly in love with him you couldn’t be mad at him you loved him and everything you were pissed about steered clear

“ I love you more than I probably should if you were anybody else I’d probably kill you right now”

He looked up from the ground he was staring at

“What “

it didn’t take him long to understand the situation

“I love you too in fact I love you more that’s what I’ve been thinking about all week and how to tell you”

You both ran to each other in a hug tears falling down his eyes making you want to cry as well you really did love each other

The next day

“ i’m guessing you finally told them” Levi said

“ yes Captain thank you for your advice” as he saluted him

“ don’t thank me you’re the one who grew a pair and finally told them”



[hrtiu]

Written for a prompt from @flybynite19. It’s not as fluffy as I initially intended, but I hope you like it!

“So she ran out this way?” Riyo asked, pointing down the imposing entrance to the RCMO.

Commander Fox nodded. “Yes, ma’am. She climbed onto that statue, then ran along the top of the monument.”

“The monument?”

Commander Fox pointed to the long slab of bronze-colored stone running the length of the promenade. “The First Battle Memorial, commemorating the soldiers lost during the Battle of Geonosis.”

“Ah,” Riyo said. She vaguely recalled when the monument had been constructed. It had been mostly intended to increase morale among the soldiers, and very few senators had found the time to attend the dedication ceremony. Riyo herself had been busy in a budget meeting that day, if she recalled correctly.

She paced down the long walkway, looking the scene of the crime up and down. She took notes on her datapad, not sure exactly what Chancellor Palpatine was looking for but determined to present a thorough report.

“And security along this walkway, what was it like that night?” Riyo asked.

“There’s a 24-hour watch along the main entrance, but we sent out extra forces as soon as Tano’s escape was discovered,” Fox said.

“I see.”

Riyo continued on down the promenade, her eyes lingering on the blaster marks that marred the brand-new memorial. She reached the pillars that marked the end of the walkway and jotted down a few notes on the large canons flanking the exit. Palpatine wanted to know how their security forces had failed to contain their Jedi prisoner and what measures might be taken to prevent this sort of thing happening again. It was a difficult problem, considering how invincible the Jedi seemed at times. What was the Republic to do if they ever found themselves at odds with their Generals?

She turned back to the Commander. “And these canons, are they-” She cut herself off, seeing that he was all the way back at the monument. He stood, hands behind his back, helmet tilted up at the imposing slab of rock.

Riyo jogged her way back to him. “...Commander?”

Fox started, the first time she’d seen him anything but composed and immovable. “Senator Chuchi, my apologies. How can I help you?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Would you mind telling me some more about this memorial?”

“It’s Geonosian stone, installed only a month ago. It gave the convict more cover to make her escape-”

“No, I mean, what does the memorial mean to you?” Riyo asked.

“Oh! Well…” he hesitated, then took a step towards the monument, resting his hand against the smooth stone. “It lists the designations of the fallen.”

“Designations?” Riyo moved a few steps closer to the Commander.

“Yes. My designation is CC-1010. We receive our designations before our names.” His finger glided along one of the names—designations, she mentally corrected—carved into the ruddy stone.

CC-1011, it read.

“Was he a friend of yours?” Riyo asked, her voice going soft.

“He was my twin.”

Riyo allowed herself a small chuckle. “Aren’t you all twins, in a way?”

She couldn’t see his expression behind his helmet, but she imagined a modest smile creeping up his face. “In a way, but 1011 was my tubemate. Like identical twins, we started out as one, then became two.”

“Oh, I see,” she said, though of course she couldn’t. Not really. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“That’s war, ma’am. Better that we be sacrificed than an innocent civilian.”

Riyo resisted the urge to grimace, an acrid taste filling her mouth. “Don’t say that,” she said, though wasn’t that exactly what the Senate believed?

“It’s a soldier’s job to live by the truth, even if it is difficult to accept.”

“Can’t it be our job to change things, if the truth is… isn’t right?”

Fox turned his head to her, his helmet tilted slightly to the side. “That might be a senator’s job, ma’am, but it’s not mine.”

A strained silence filled the space between them, and the weight of her office sat heavy on Riyo’s shoulders. He was right. Not everyone was in a position to change things, but she was. She needed to make the most of that.

Her chin dipped towards her chest, and she twisted with the gold bangle that hung around her wrist. “I swear I will do my best to make things right, Commander.”

“And I will do my best to protect the Republic, ma’am.” He nodded sharply to her and turned from the monument, apparently ready to move on. Riyo’s hand blocked his path, stopping him before he could pass her by.

“Forgive me, Commander, but would you mind telling me more about your twin? CC-1011?” she said. She worried that she was crossing some boundary of politeness, but the columns of nondescript numbers lining the stone monument in front of her begged for recognition, cried out for some kind of illumination.

Fox hesitated a moment, then turned slowly back towards the slab. “Certainly, ma’am.” His helmet tilted down towards his feet, and his hands met behind his back. He often rested with his hands behind his back in a loose parade rest, but Riyo noticed that this time his gloved fingers fidgeted with a nervous energy.

“CC-1011’s name was Fox,” the Commander said at length.

“But… isn’t that your name?” Riyo asked, wondering if there was some quirk of clone culture she was missing.

“It is now, but when I was a cadet I went by Jackal. 

Riyo wrinkled her nose. Jackal sounded like the name of a brash, boundary-pushing firebrand, not someone with the poise and control of Fox.

“I know what you’re thinking, but back then the name fit. Then after Geonosis, I lost him. I took his name, in his honor, and tried to… Tried to be more like him. Tried to get over myself and my di’kut attitude.”

Fox looked back up at the monument, his hands falling to his sides. His helmet tipped far back, revealing a narrow sliver of skin just above the black bodysuit that covered most of his body. Riyo thought about CC-1011, the first Fox, and wondered where his body was now. Probably abandoned somewhere on that wretched planet. And yet here Fox stood, genetically identical and determined to carry on his brother’s legacy. If he took off his helmet, she’d see the departed Fox’s face.

It was a stupid idea, but Riyo had built her career on doing what she felt was right, prudence be damned. She took a step towards him and reached a delicate hand out, her fingers clasping loosely around his gloved hand.

He flinched. “Senator Chuchi-”

“Please allow me this small gesture of comfort, Commander. It is the duty of all sentient life to care for each other in our grief.”

He didn’t answer for a moment, just looked down at their joined hands. “Yes, ma’am.”

His fingers slowly tightened around hers, and she smiled, squeezing lightly back.

“I never had the pleasure of meeting CC-1011, but from what I know of you, there is no doubt in my mind he would be proud that you carry his name,” she said.

“Thank you, ma’am,” he said, his voice barely loud enough for his helmet to pick up.

They stood there for several minutes, the silence solemn but accompanied by a deep sense of peace. Riyo took the time to read each designation, noting the ones in sequential order and wondering if they’d been friends—wondering if they’d died together. She made sure to repeat each designation in her mind, to send a prayer of gratitude and mourning up to the heavens in their honor.

“Commander?” The faint sound of radio chatter coming from Fox’s helmet interrupted their vigil.

“Fox here,” Fox said, his fingers sliding from Riyo’s as he stepped back from the monument.

Riyo turned towards the end of the promenade, her hand feeling oddly light and bereft. A warm flush rose to her cheeks, though she didn’t understand why. It wasn’t as if whoever had commed the Commander had even seen them together.

Fox walked back to Riyo. “Apologies, Senator. The Chancellor needs me for a briefing. If you’d like to continue your inspection Commander Stone can relieve-”

“There’s no need,” Riyo said. “I’ve seen quite enough, thank you.”

“Very well. I’ll accompany you back to your transport.”

“Thank you.”

They walked together back to the docking bay where her driver waited for her, and Riyo felt strangely awkward walking alongside the Commander, unsure of what to say.

“I’m grateful for your help today, Commander Fox,” she settled on eventually, though the words felt thick and strange on her tongue.

“I’m not sure I did much to assist, but you’re welcome, ma’am.”

“No it was… illuminating.”

He nodded in response.

Riyo twisted the bangle around her wrist again. She opened her mouth, then shut it, then gave the bangle another good rotation. “I should have come here earlier.”

“I made the earliest time available to you, senator, but if there’s anything else I could have done-”

“No, I mean, I should have gone to the monument’s dedication. I should have seen this earlier.”

“Oh.” Fox said, silent for a long moment as they walked. “Well, you’re here now, ma’am. That means a lot.”

They arrived at the docking bay, and Riyo’s driver hopped out of the speeder to open the door for her. Fox held a hand out to her to help her into her seat, the gesture unnecessary but appreciated. She sat down in the speeder and looked up at him, imagining for a moment that she could see his piercing eyes through the opaque black of his visor. “I won’t make that mistake again, Commander. I promise.”

He nodded to her, and she knew his eyes were locked on hers. “I know, ma’am.”

[applejuizz]

laughter of youth.

the scout regiment has managed to rescue eren and recover annie’s crystal from their enemies, yet at the cost of many soldiers’ lives. levi learns a valuable lesson of trust. characters: levi ackerman x gn! reader (platonic!), historia reiss, sasha braus, jean kirstein, mikasa ackerman, eren jaeger, connie springer warnings: canon violence (vague descriptions), mentions of blood/wounds word count: 1.764 inspired by attack on titan 2: final battle and the story of “our man”, the customizable in-game character.

Paperwork after paperwork after all the paperwork...

Levi had come to dread the sound of hasty footsteps pacing up to his wooden office door and its prolonged creak as Miss Four Eyes allowed themselves in carrying yet another pile of experiment reports, barely containing their unreasonable excitement. While they fervently sought the tiniest free space to fit the monstrosity held in their arms, their flow of Titan anatomy ramblings never ceased.

Levi, you won’t believe what Eren managed to do today...!

Victor - who the hell is Victor? - stood awake the whole night and was as energetic as ever in the morning! This new breed of Titans is quite interesting!

I keep naming these Titans and I won’t shut up already and I should slap myself before you kick me across the fields, Levi! - he couldn’t possibly describe the joy these words would bring him coming out of Hange’s mouth. Too good to be true, unfortunately.

He shifted into his chair, straightening his back and shaking off the annoyance that had been constantly pulling on his nerves for three days already.

Thankfully, his office was quiet and the hallway was blissfully empty. Hange had taken a day off from experiments to let Eren rest. On that note, Jean and Eren had stopped arguing for once, Sasha had ceased her relentless search of meat and he could finally relish in the silence surrounding him. It wasn’t often that he got to have such quiet moments to himself.

And because they were so rare, only when he got the chance to savor them did he realize how much he actually hated them.

It wasn’t that he disliked being alone - on the contrary, he loved solitude a little too much for his own good. Instead, he found that whenever he allowed his mind to rest, he was assaulted by intrusive thoughts and memories that he’d rather bury deep in the back of his consciousness. Perks of being a soldier.

His eyes took in rows and columns of observations on the papers in front of him. His hand signed each and every one of them away promptly, yet his mind was drifting, conjuring up crimson fields, disgusting Titan flesh sliced in half, the blood-curdling screams of soldiers trampled off their horses or chewed to their demise. Nothing he wasn’t used to. However, that didn’t mean it didn’t make his skin crawl sometimes.

He thought back to commander Erwin, weak and thinning, laying in a hospital bed with only an arm left. Levi knew his superior was a strong man; he didn’t worry much about his recovery. What did plant the seed of doubt in his heart was the fact that somehow, the man he’d thought nearly invincible had been so badly wounded, and that alone was a strong indicator of the deep shit they all were in.

And of course, the one member in his squad that had never returned from the battlefield hung dark and heavy over his consciousness, a shadow of guilt, the same damn story repeating itself over and over again. No matter how much he tried to avoid it, it came crawling back like an awful nightmare, looming over him along with the deaths of all the other people he has trusted and cared for. Isabel and Farlan, Petra, Eld, Günther, Oruo… and now them too.

I won’t die on you, sir!

Like hell you won’t.

Their promise rang in his ears as if trying to mock him. The shadows of his consciousness sneered at him: look what happens when you decide to trust people, you twerp. Should’ve known better. Haven’t you learned your lesson?

“Tsk.” He set the cup he’d mindlessly lifted back on his desk. The tea had gone cold. He’d have to ask someone to brew him another. Not exactly pleasant, but enough to distract him from the dark path his thoughts had gone onto.

Before he could even stand up from his chair, though, loud voices boomed from downstairs through the whole hideout and caused the floor beneath his feet to vibrate. They were followed by clattering of pots and Jaeger’s unmistakable yelling, obnoxious and over dramatic as always.

So much for his quiet moment.

With an exasperated sigh, Levi picked up his cup again and left his desk and the piles of papers behind, shaking off the last of his melancholy. These damn brats can’t get anything done without wrecking havoc first…

The kitchen was right beneath his office, so all he had to do was climb down the short flight of stairs, put the cadets back in their place, ask horseface to brew him some more tea and go back upstairs. Simple enough.

He came to the sight of Eren, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, Sasha and Connie all hunched around in a compact group, chattering loudly and all over each other. Historia’s dulcet tone surprisingly prevailed amongst deeper voices, although she was nowhere to be seen.

“Wait! You need bandages before anything else! The gash in your side isn’t looking good…”

“Yeah! You’ve literally been through hell and back!” Jean marvelled.

“No, guys! They need food!” Sasha exclaimed as if she'd made a grand discovery, grabbing a half-boiled potato straight out of the pot.

“Sasha, no! The potatoes aren’t done yet-”

“Oi, what the hell is going on here?!”

“C-Captain Levi!” Jaeger stumbled back on his feet, broom in his hands, his headscarf sitting askew on his head. The huddle immediately dispersed, everyone had gone dead silent. Levi scanned the room quickly, not paying much attention to the soldiers’ faces and rolled his eyes.

“I thought I told you to clean up the kitchen, not turn it into a pigsty!” He passed a critical hand over the table, gathering up the dust in his palm and making a grimace. Cleaning supplies, pots and cups were scattered all over the floor and the table, as if the cadets had all come to a mutual agreement of dropping everything at once just to see how many white hairs Levi would gain in his hair.

“B-but-”

“Get back to work and stop yelping, you’re turning my brain into mush.”

But before he could open his mouth to bark another order at Jean, his eyes finally landed on who was once the centre of the huddle: Historia Reiss holding on to a hunched figure’s arm, obviously attempting to provide support, but ending up resembling more of a lost puppy clinging to someone’s sleeve.

“Captain Levi!” the petite girl exclaimed, a hint of relief present in her voice, “I-I went to get water from the fountain and I found them there! They seem stable, but I think they might need a doctor-”

His thoughts were running at light’s speed, yet he couldn’t get his body to wake up from its frozen state at the bottom of the stairs. What must’ve only been seconds felt like hours. As if time had decided to finally slow down, to finally stop the nonsensical blurry of days, months, years passing by only to give him a chance to breathe. A chance to understand. Was it just too good to be true?

“Captain…?” Springer trailed off, eyes bulging out of his little bald head, and quickly recoiled as Jean subtly elbowed him in the stomach. Only then did Levi notice that he had been standing among the shattered porcelain of what used to be his teacup, his hand still hanging in the air as if clinging to the ghost of the object.

The cadet finally raised their eyes from the floor, face bloodied and battered, yet still brightened by youth and devotion.

“Captain Levi… sir.” They saluted in a weak voice, raising two fingers to their temple.

Their last name rolled off Levi’s lips in a stronger tone than he thought he’d manage, yet still trailed off a bit in disbelief. Clearing his throat, he stepped over the broken porcelain.

“So. You came back, huh?” Out of all the words piled up on the tip of his tongue, begging to spill out, the best he could come up with was a rhetorical question. But the soldier still let out a dry chuckle, straightening their back as much as their wounds allowed them to. Their legs wobbled and the Ackerman girl, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, immediately jumped in to offer extra support. Seeing the usually stone-faced Mikasa’s facial expression filled with a flurry of emotions similar to those churning in his heart allowed him to relax a bit.

“Of course.” The wounded cadet answered. “I made a promise, didn’t I?”

Levi gave a slight nod, features stoic, yet he felt his heart grow with pride in his chest. The same glint of determination glowed in their eyes as it did back then, during their rookie days, when they had placed their fist over their heart and had sworn to stay alive. He had heard the same promise come out of so many of his dead comrades’ mouths that realistically, he shouldn’t have expected this particular soldier to honor it. Yet for some reason, unknown even to himself, he had chosen to place his fragile trust in them. Maybe it had been their thirst for revenge, or their sheer willpower which, dare he say, could surpass Eren’s; whatever it had been, he did not regret it.

He drew closer, steps light as feathers on the wooden floor and took advantage of their hunched position to card his fingers through their hair, ruffling it affectionately. These damn kids keep getting taller… he thought bitterly to himself. The gesture managed to transform their wince of pain into a look of total and innocent wonder. The look in the eyes of a kid who's just got the utmost gesture of validation from a parent.

“You’re a good kid,” he conceded, patting their scalp twice before letting his hand fall back to his side. He could barely recognize the gentle tone of his own voice. “Although were you not wounded, I’d have roundhouse kicked your ass for scaring everyone like this.”

The phrase hadn’t even been that funny, in his opinion, but they let out a joyous, loud laugh, contagious to the people around them. It even pulled a chuckle out of Mikasa.

And as he stood there in the kitchen, surrounded by the laughter of youth, he finally understood. Placing his trust in these kids, fighting alongside them, protecting them with the price of his life were worth all the risks because they were humanity’s last hope. And he would do anything to one day see their joyful faces wiped clean of crimson wounds and dirt and death. Anything.