#nat’s nav ✩

[sunsturns]

MY #’s !!

each tag will direct you to a page full of whatever you would like to see on my account! whether that be my own posts, reblogs, or anything else, they’re all tagged below :)

[beguilingcorpse]

gideon nav was too busy going ass over tits for femmes to realize that the perfect woman (camilla hect) was already in front of her

[triaelf9]

For whatever overlap there is with The Locked Tomb and D&D, we played a one-shot battle royale tonight for halloween where I closet cosplayed Gideon, made her an aasimar barbarian (path of the zealot) no armor, big sword, and got out alive with a returned box of her stolen mags in hand on a beach XD

[hua-fei-hua]

i feel like an insane person (am starting to develop skill in js)

[buggybambi]

Ooo hiii! Can I please request a Carmy x fem!reader where he proposes to her on Valentine’s Day? Ooo and maybe this is the au where she’s his assistant, and has been for years, and the staff is heavily involved in the proposal hehe

Also Richie making some joke about how this is some promotion she’s getting lmao

hope this is okay my love! i honestly had no idea i had an au where she's an assistant lmao! i also changed it a little bit, hope that's okay ♡ - wc: 1.02k | nav post - request guidelines | cw: fem!reader, mention of reader wearing a dress

"You're not seriously proposing, are you?" Richie asks Carmen as the two prepare the Beef for it's opening. Carmen lets out a sigh as he ties his apron behind his back. "And who the hell told you?" Carmen questions in return.

"Sugar did. You proposin' or what?" Richie repeats, as Carmen rolls his eyes. "Cousin, you are not to say a word about this to anyone, okay?" He lets out a long exhale. "I am. Tonight." Carmen confirms as Richie stares at him. "Oh my gosh, you're gonna marry your assistant. If only we had an HR that could have a field day with you."

"I'm basically HR, cousin." Carmy reminds as he walks over to Marcus. "Chef, how's it going?" He asks as he rubs his hands together. "I have got our Valentine's day treats prepped, and I even have a cake prepared for when you propose to your girl." Marcus grins as Carmen rolls his eyes. "Maybe Sugar is the one I should tell to shut up." He mumbles before he walks over to his station.

"So, any big plans for tonight?" He overhears Syd ask you as you and her handle cleaning one of the other stations. "None at all. Why is everyone asking me that today?" You laugh, a sound that he can't help but smile at, as you walk over to Marcus with the clipboard he assigned to you three years ago when you began working as his assistant.

It was Sugar really who gave him the idea of getting an assistant. She told him, "you're busy. You can't handle your own schedule or meetings, so hire someone to do it for you." She was the one to pick you out from a list of candidates, and from the moment he met you, he was in love with you.

But, in usual Carmen fashion, he took forever to get with you. Convincing himself you wouldn't feel the same way, that you wouldn't even want to be with him. Until you told him first that you loved him and had been in love with him. From there you two were kind of like the Jim and Pam of the Beef, at least that's what Sydney referred to you too as.

"Hi Marcus. Oh, cute treats." You greet with a smile as you lean against the wall by his station, clipboard resting face-up against your front. "What's with that cake?" You ask, looking at the clipboard for any orders that may have been placed.

"Uh, I asked him to make it. Pete and I's anniversary is coming up and we didn't save any of our wedding cake so I asked Marcus to recreate it." Nat swoops in, smiling at you. You nod slowly. "Right.. well, congrats on your anniversary, Sug." You say before you turn and walk over to Carmen.

"Hey you. Clear your calendar because I am setting up a date night for us." Carmen says as he leans on the counter, standing in front of you. "Mm. Can I ask what we're doing on this date night or is it a total surprise?" You ask.

"Total surprise. I'll pick you up at your place." He kisses you on the cheek before walking off. You laugh before going back to your clipboard filled with Carmen's list of activites and meetings for the day. ────

You sat on your sofa, the dress you first met Carmen in on you. You figured with it being Valentine's Day, the nostalgia of the first time you met him would be nice for the date night Carmy had planned.

A small knock from the front door, and you stood from your spot and walked over to answer it. Fixing your hair as you stood in front of the door for a second, you opened it, expecting to meet Carmen's eyes. Instead, you found him on one knee in front of you, one hand behind his back.

"I was going to do this at a restaraunt. Or on the sidewalk, or literally any-fucking-where else." He admits with a breathy laugh following. "But, I couldn't wait. I couldn't imagine myself doing this anywhere else and of course it's like me to do this at your front door on your welcome mat."

"I love you. I've loved you since I met you, and each day that passes I find myself falling more and more in love with you. You're my everything, you're my moon and stars- no, you're my fucking universe." He shakes his head, tears in his eyes. "And I can't imagine a world or my life without you there. I want you and I to build a life together. To have a family with you if that's what we find ourselves wanting." He smiles. "Will you make me the happiest man, even though you already have, make me an even happier man and marry me?"

As soon as he pulls the ring out you're already saying yes, practically dragging him up off the ground so you can kiss him. He slides the ring onto your finger before kissing you again. You pull away, laughing as you place a hand on his cheek. "Carm, I love you so much- was everyone else in on this!?" You ask through a laugh.

"They were. Sugar kept telling everyone, I'm shocked no one spilled." He laughs as well, wrapping his arms around you to hug you, burying his face in your neck. "Okay, seriously no Valentine's day will ever top this." You say.

────

It doesn't shock anyone when you show up to work the next day with the ring on your finger, and the story of him proposing on your doorstep doesn't shock anyone either. "Is this her getting a promotion?" Richie asks with a grin as you roll your eyes. "If we had an HR department I swear I'd file a report against you."

"You're technically marrying the HR department." Carmen says softly as you grin. "Hell yes I am." You place a kiss on his cheek. "Hey, now as your assistant I get to schedule your wedding." You note as he smiles, pressing his forehead against yours.

"Can't wait for it."

˙ ✩°˖🌸 ⋆｡˚꩜

thank you for reading! please feel free to engage with this post by reblogging, commenting or sliding into my inbox to leave feedback! i appreciate all of you! check out my nav post here for more fanfics!

- mae:)

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

mae’s loves:

@wabi-sabi1090

@harrysmatcha

@kpopgirlbtssvt

@urdreamgirl12

@readingwithsass

@angelicflower2020

@wadupppp

to join my taglist please reply to this post asking to be added!

[garbinge]

The Original Swiftie Of Chicagoland

Richie Jerimovich x F!Reader 30 Day Fic Challenge

Word Count: 2.6k words A/N: Back at it with everyone's favorite <3 This is a little more cutesy-cringe kick your feet and giggle than I usually write but I hope you all still enjoy!! Also please be kind, I have not attended the eras tour so there might be inconsistencies there!

Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content.

The Bear Taglist: @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics @quixscentsposts @dadbodfanatic-x @adorable-punk-superheroes @lodeddiperrodrick @isalver @captainweasleybarnes @musicwithteeth @fancyvoidtragedy @shinebright2000 @knight4xmas @gills-lounge @navs-bhat @cosmicak (have been a bit inactive on tumblr so this might not be up to date, if you'd like to be added to my The Bear taglist please shoot me a message!) Other fics from this universe

Richie’s voice was like a morning alarm to you as he spoke up in the car. You had began to doze off a few minutes ago, as you came to it you recalled the last thing you remember talking about. 

“What’s your favorite Taylor Swift song?” You had asked Eva as you all waited in the drop off line. 

“Enchanted.” Her answer was quick but not as quick as her follow up. “Taylor’s Version.” 

“Always TV.” You leaned back in your seat when she answered, your hand extending out to turn the radio up slightly since there was a Taylor mix currently going. 

“My Dad’s taking me to go see her, at the Era’s tour. I’m making friendship bracelets at school, too.” 

“That’s going to be so much fun.” You meant what you said but you felt the sleep starting to fade over your eyes. It had been a late one the night before, you were up searching for those cards for your dad and one thing turned into another and suddenly your entire apartment looked like it threw up boxes and memories. 

When Richie texted to see if you were up and wanted a ride to the restaurant, it felt silly to say no despite the complete lack of sleep you were running on. 

It was now that Richie’s voice was alerting you awake. “Sorry I think I fell asleep.” 

“You did, I brought you back home.” He was pointing over to your apartment building. “You’re shot, ain’t no way you’re gonna help tear down walls today.” 

“Tear down walls?” You questioned, when you offered to help today you thought it’d be painting or planning, not demolition. 

“Yea there was a raccoon, and then the pipe with the thing, so it’s all gotta come down.” 

“You miss one day and you miss everything.” Your hands were rubbing your eyes until they waved him off. “I’m fine, I can help Nat with something.” 

“Humor me.” Richie’s eyes closed in a tad bit of frustration. “How bout I come pick you up later in the afternoon.” 

“Only if you bring me whatever Syd’s making for lunch.” You were starting to grab your things when Richie stopped you. 

“Um, real quick.” You could tell he was feeling weird about something, he was stumbling a little bit on the few words that he was speaking which wasn’t like him with you. 

“What’s up?” You fell back against the passenger seat, your head leaning to the left to stare at him.

“Sorry, I should just ask you later.” He shook his head, and turned to put his car back on so he could leave. 

“Ask me now.” You smiled. 

“Nah it’s fine.” He couldn’t make eye contact with you. 

“Richie, I won’t be able to sleep if you don’t tell me.” The fake seriousness washed over you and that made Richie look over at you and sigh in defeat. 

“You know how Eva mentioned that Errors Tour.” 

“Eras.” You corrected him with a smirk. “Yes, I do.” 

“Yea, well, Cicero he got me 3 tickets, and I was wondering, I mean, if you wanted to come with me–us.” Watching Richie stumble on his words was humorous to you, the smile grew large on your face. 

“Are you asking me out, Richie?” 

It had been a while of whatever this was with Richie, and the two of you skipped over the going out on dates phase and went straight to the sex and sleepovers at each other’s places. It made it understandable why he was nervous in asking right now. 

“Yea, I mean– Eva also asked if you could come.”

“Well then I can’t say no.” 

He looked at you, and the Richie you knew came out for a minute, “but if it was just me asking you would’ve?” 

“I would’ve thought more about it.” You teased him, not being able to keep your face neutral as you said it. “I don’t want to interrupt though.” 

“Trust me, I think I need you there, I don’t know shit about this.” 

“Oh, you realize this is going to consume you over the next few weeks, the Era Tour isn’t just a concert, it’s a lifestyle, we have to plan–prep, there’s going to be jewels, glue, tulle, and glitter, lots of glitter.” 

Richie looked at you with a bit of a crazy look. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle the outfits, all I’m gonna need from you is Taylor on repeat, everytime you’re in the car.” 

“I already feel like I do that.” He chuckled and turned to you thinking you’d be laughing too but your face was serious. “Alright, yea, I’ll listen.” He lifted his hands up. 

“Great, I’ll get started on everything else.” You started to gather your things, despite the conversation between you two, the exhaustion was still front of mind for you. 

As you moved to step out of the car, and close the door, you bent down to look at Richie. “You know you’re not getting me out of bed until I have a full 12 hours of sleep, right?” 

He turned the gear of his car into drive and nodded. “Yea I know, I wasn’t gonna come in the afternoon, just knew it’d be the one thing that’d get you out of the car.” 

________

You were currently painting the 13 on Eva’s hand to match your own, she chose purple glitter to match her dress, a child’s version of the enchanted dress. You had on a custom denim jacket that called out all the different eras of Taylors paired with a “I <3 T.S.” t-shirt. 

“Do you think we’ll match?” Eva looked down at her dress and began to twirl. 

“Totally, but honestly?” You faked looking around to make sure no one was around before whispering. “I think you’ll have her beat.” 

This made the girl giggle until Richie walked into the room. “We got like 15 minutes before we should head out, the traffic is going to be awful, I hate driving to the Soldier Field, it's a nightmare.” His stress completely paused as he looked up and saw his daughter. “Wow you look beautiful, kiddo.” He squatted down to be at eye level with her and smiled as she twirled around again. 

“You need to get ready.” She stopped twirling and took a look at Richie. 

He looked down and frowned, “I am ready, babe.” 

“No you need an outfit.” Those last two words were emphasized so deeply that even though Richie had no context or understanding of The Era’s tour aesthetic, he fully understood what his daughter was talking about. 

“Oh no, I was just gonna go like this, I–” 

You cut him off, “I got you a little something” You moved to take something out of the bag you packed. “And I think we can convince your dad to have a 13 on his hand, right?” 

“Yes!” She gripped her fist and chugged her arm down as she said it. 

“Here.” You handed the t-shirt to Richie. He practically did everything but roll his eyes as he grabbed it and unfolded it. It was a blue t-shirt and in the upper left corner was The Beef’s logo but in place of the typical large “BEEF” writing was the word “SWIFTIE” in all caps so the whole thing read “The original SWIFTIE of Chicagoland.” 

“I knew it’d be like pulling teeth to get you in anything else.” He turned the shirt around so now Eva could see it. 

“It’s kind of perfect.” She nodded in acceptance. 

“Yea it is.” His head raised to look at you and nod in gratitude. 

“But you’re not getting out of the 13, let’s go, if I just do the outline we can be on the road in 5 minutes and we’ll make it with plenty of time.” 

_____

The seats were phenomenal, although you couldn’t put it past Cicero to know someone who knew someone to get seats like this. Your seats were on the floor and you hadn’t been to a concert in the pit like this in years, and you’d never been to one where they had seats set up in the pit. This was next level. 

“Are you overwhelmed.” It was a question spoken more as a statement as Eva guided both of you to your seats. 

“Very.” He said looking around at everything. 

Once the show started, the overwhelmingness of the concert itself disappeared and the insanity of the show took over. It was truly a production and a work of art combined. The crowd was electric, the lights from the wristbands, the screams, the costumes, on stage and in the crowd, it was incredible. 

As the entire stage turned purple, everyone’s bands flashed a purple tone, and the screens on the stage rose up, you could see a large purple dress appear and instantly you felt the tug at your jacket and Eva was grabbing you to stand up on the chair. Her face lit up in a smile as she saw Taylor practically matching her. 

As she began singing Enchanted, you turned to Eva and began singing with her, you knew this was her favorite song and this was a moment she had been waiting for all night. You were dancing with her, twirling her around, she’d twirl you around, a real core moment for the both of you honestly. Richie was on the other side of the young girl, making sure she didn’t fall but you’d catch his gaze falling on you occasionally and just act like you didn’t. Each time you’d immediately turn back to Eva and then the stage. Funny how in the midst of a crowd of thousands of people, you could feel like the only people there. Your face felt hot, not in embarrassment but just high off the vibes of everything. The atmosphere, the song. All of this running through your mind as you swayed back and forth mumbling “enchanting to meet you” right before the first chorus outbreak.

Quickly your mind had little to no thoughts in it as Eva screamed in your ear as the chorus began, and similarly she did as the bridge started but this time with every beat she was stomping her feet causing you and Richie to both move to the girl so she didn’t fall off the seat but she had balanced herself with no help needed. 

It was a moment later that you felt Richie’s hand on yours, you realized he had gone to grab fingers and intertwine them in his own There was no purpose behind it, there was no guiding you through the crowd, he was just holding your hand as one of the most, well, most enchanting songs played in the background. 

You looked over at him, and his eyes on you felt hot in passion, the nerves were like static in your gut, similar to an anxiety but for the very opposite reason. It was crazy, you had spent nights unclothed, tangled in sheets with this man, he saw you break down and cry in some of your most vulnerable moments and yet this felt like the first time you were admitting feelings for eachother, because in some way it was. Till this moment everything was very unspoken, and with everything happening around you it felt like the spotlight was on the both you, like the crowd around you was there waiting for you two to announce your love. Obviously that was not the case, no one was looking at you, no one could have given two shits what you two were doing, including Eva. 

It was then that the song ended, her voice as she cheered and screamed snapped both you and Richie out of it and back to the stage, your hands unclasping like someone had come and ripped them apart. 

“I said remember this moment, in the back of my mind, the time we stood with our shaking hands, the crowds in stands went wild.” 

Your eyes couldn’t help but dart over at Richie as you took in the lyrics and while he didn’t look directly at you, he did look down, a little embarrassed and smiled with a chuckle. 

______________

You were stuck in standstill traffic just trying to get out of the stadium’s parking lot. Richie was visibly annoyed, Eva was in the back seat, knocked out, at one point her mile a minute breakdown of the concert just went silent. 

“I think her brain powered down.” You laughed as you peaked back at her sound asleep, purple dress still on but an oversized concert t-shirt was over it now. 

“She’s going to talk about this night for the next month, easily.” He laughed. 

“It was a good night.” You turned back around and settled in the seat, your eyes fell on Richie, “one to remember.” 

The car got silent, Richie was nodding, the snores from the backseat hummed lightly and the honks from the cars around you made you look around at the crowds of people and just utter chaos occurring around you. And yet, you felt none of it sitting in this car right now. 

“You know, I uh–do you remember when you brought those pictures to the restaurant?” The tapping of his fingers against the steering wheel were getting quicker. 

“Yea, when you guys had just started remodeling.” You nodded looking over at him. 

With a nod and a deep swallow he kept talking. “There was one, it was taken right before you left and it just reminded me how I feel like I’ve always been on the sidelines of it all, you know?”

You didn’t want to disappoint him or make him feel like what he was feeling wasn’t valid, but truthfully you were a little confused. “No, I don’t.” It was immediate that his face fell and you knew you only had seconds to recover. “But tell me.” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever belonged anywhere. Mikey brought me in as family but like I was never a Berzatto.” 

“Now that I get.” Your hands were fidgeting as you admitted to it, Carmy brought you in, but there was always that lingering feeling. 

He was searching in his pocket for his phone, and quickly brought the picture up to show you. 

“The picnic.” You nodded and remembered it so well.

 “Look where we are.” He pointed in the background. You were both off to the side, cup in hand, not in the craziness of it all but also not standing next to each other either. 

Suddenly you smiled. “Richie?” You asked him looking up as your nostrils flared and eyebrows raised. “Did Miss Taylor Swift’s Long Live make you reminisce a little bit?” 

He stuttered a little bit, laughed and then shook his head as he put his phone away. “No, alright, I just, the whole sidelines thing sparked the thought is all.” He was adjusting the gear shift like the massive line of traffic wasn’t still in front of you. 

“Taylor Swift, Richie Jerimovich’s muse.” The singsong voice you had was enough for him not to get annoyed with you and act more amused by it all. 

“Yea yea, laugh it up, I just, being on the sideline now isn’t all that bad.” 

That was when you stopped joking and looked at him, a soft smile on your face and you nodded and moved to squeeze his hand. 

“No, it’s not.” 

[natolesims]

hi nat! i hope you're ok with wcifs - do you remember where you got naveen's hair and tiana's dad's hair from? :)

Hiii! Of course, there's no problem! Nav's hair is here and Henri's over there.

[griddlebait]

i was backreading your page and saw you mention that you were once considering a tlt yellowjackets AU and assigned some characters to different roles. as a TLT and YJs fan i was wondering if you could maybe share what roles you assigned who?

oooh fun! thank you so much for asking this. i’ll put it below the read more because i will definitely get carried away and this is pretty niche lol. also spoilers for yellowjackets!!

i mostly assigned the roles based on necro/cav pairings so that’s how i’ll format this. also i’m basing this on the teen/wilderness versions of the characters.

taissa - necromancer / van - cavalier

i think that their dynamic in the show (especially as of s2) can easily lend itself to the necro/cav dynamic and i think it would be interesting to examine their relationship through that lens. also tangential but van palmer would love gideon nav as a character someone give her a copy of GtN

lottie - necromancer / nat - cavalier

i KNOW most people’s go-to here would be mistynat because of misty’s protectiveness over and devotion to natalie, however i just can’t see nat as a necromancer and i think there’s more room for juicy drama that could also play off their canon dynamic if nat is (begrudgingly) lottie’s cavalier. admittedly i am also a lottienatter so i might be biased here.

shauna - necromancer / jackie - cavalier

this one was a bit difficult for me because it can also be the other way around and still make sense, it really just depends on which parts of YJ canon you want to take into account. on all levels except for how their story canonically concludes, shauna should be the cavalier. i definitely see the merit of switching the roles, especially if you consider jackieshauna’s interpersonal conflict (particularly shauna’s feelings/resentment towards jackie) and the positioning of necromancers vs cavaliers in tlt - there’s plenty to work with there. but their storyline just kinda lends itself to this interpretation, at least in my opinion. and also when coming up with this (spoilers) i was thinking about shauna in the meat shed with jackie’s corpse and just the idea of reanimation/puppeting and the Seventh’s practices/expertise … it made sense to me for her to be the necromancer. (i did in fact think about placing them in the seventh house for that reason specifically lol)

misty - necromancer / crystal - cavalier

my thought process here is that i see misty as being the type of character to attain lyctorhood due to there being a convenient ‘whoopsie’ and being like well what else was i going to do? she was already dead! and with what happened to crystal … i mean. yeah. (although i did contemplate the idea of necro misty / cav nat and i think misty’s potential ascension/reaction to the cost of lyctorhood would change drastically if nat were to be her cavalier)

those are the only pairings i came up with but i definitely see laura lee as a Cristabel type of cavalier - if i moved nat to a different pairing or role i would have laura lee be lottie’s cav (potential for absolute devastation here).

thank you for asking this, it was really fun to think about again! i hope one day someone actually writes this au as i do not have the skill, talent, nor patience for such a thing. any other yellowjackers here please feel free to give me your thoughts

[film-in-my-soul]

Hi Alex,

Could I request Professional Cuddler for Hangster? - bradleybonkbradshaw

~

Cuddle Bug in Training

~

Fandom: Top Gun

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw/Jake “Hangman” Seresin

Rating: T

Word Count: 6650

Summary: "I'm not dating any psychopaths this time, Nat, promise," Bradley says, trying for lightness but only managing something so tired he's surprised he hadn't yawned the whole way through.

Natasha snorts, her arms unfolding, but the look on her face remains painfully unimpressed.

~

Masterlist Nav · INBOX · AU Prompts

@bradleybonkbradshaw <3

[odetolocksmith]

welcome (nav.)

⟿ hi there! i'm nat, 23 and welcome to my new account :) i have been around for a while, but i felt the desire to start all over again, hence why this account is new lol

i'm obsessed with music, tv-shows and my dog named ozzy

my dm's and asks are always open if you want to talk!

▹masterlist ▹rules (& characters i write for) ▹request a fic here

[sunsturns]

MASTERLIST / RULES !!

🥭 — fluff 🍊 — angst ⭐️ — “smut”

001. matt sturniolo

✷ why’d you only call me when you’re high? (cs)

✷ crybaby (cs)

002. chris sturniolo

✷ i wanna be yours (cs)

003. nick sturniolo

. . . none !

requesting rules! (what i will/won’t write…)

will: fluff, angst, suggestive sexual content, non-happy endings, anything in the list on my welcome page.

won’t: anything that clashes with someone’s sexuality, descriptive smut (may change idk? 🤷‍♀️), anything nonconsensual, abuse, etc…

[beguilingcorpse]

i know we talk a lot about the pool scene but remember when harrow told gideon that she was two hundred corpses of the children of the ninth. remember when harrow said that gideon too was meant to die. remember when harrow said that she herself was meant to die and couldn’t bring herself to do it. remember when gideon heard all of this and then apologized to harrow. remember when harrow said that she was undone without gideon. and do you remember when gideon hugged her? do you remember that harrow let gideon bring her underneath the water when she thought gideon was drowning her? do you remember that she only started fighting back once she realized she was being hugged? and then do you remember how it was then and only then that they pledged themselves to each other fully, as necromancer and cavalier? do you remember? do you remember

[the-solver-system]

nav or nat! i think that gonna be my last suggestion i have to go to bed, ive got class at 8 tomorrow :3c

Oh alrightie!! Get some good rest!!

[norabrice1701]

Twist My Heart - Ch. 2

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Jake “Hangman” Seresin

- A TG:M Twister AU -

Series Main List

Also on AO3

Ch. 2 Warnings: Language; discussion of canon character death; tornado chasing drama

Even with guaranteed nationwide wi-fi service, the rural counties still prove a constant challenge. Squinting against hazy sunlight that shafts through the windshield, Bradley stares at the progress bar on his laptop, willing the radar image to update. The supercell to the south has finally started to display favorable indications for a hook echo… but then his internet connection blipped.

He sighs, resting back against the passenger seat headrest as the image continues to load. His eyes drift closed but the release of a semitruck’s air brakes jar his attention. The midday beehive activity of gas stations make them Bradley’s least favorite place to wait out oncoming storms, but their SUV did need refueling. 

Another disappointing glance at his computer screen confirms the ongoing wi-fi struggle, and he looks out the windshield instead. His gaze lands immediately on Hangman’s swaggering form, impossible to miss as he exits the convenience store. A plastic bag swings next to his legs clad in casually well-fitting jeans and his Dagger Labs polo shirt highlights the strong build of his chest. Sunglasses shield his eyes and complement all the attractive angles of his face beneath his stylish blonde hair. He passes a woman who offers him a bashful smile, and he dials his answering grin up to full brilliance. It brings out the dimples that never fail to lend him an air of boyish charm, and… fuck.

“Where the fuck are we?” Fanboy’s voice sounded over the CB radio with distinct displeasure. “Come on, Bob.” 

“You’re on County Road 31 - or should be, at least. Half a mile out, Dagger 3.” Bob responded with calm ease. 

“Tornado is on the ground!” Payback hollered, his excitement palpable through the radio static. “It’s going about 35 mph. North-northeast.” 

Bradley’s heart jumped in his chest as he pressed harder on the gas pedal. Just over the low hill ahead, he watched the black, angry funnel taking violent shape, and the sight made his blood rush. 

Hangman popped the lens cover off his camera in the passenger seat. “Don’t get too close, now. You’ll ruin the shot.” 

“Heaven forbid I come between you and your art.” 

“Damn straight.” 

Bradley turned to cast a passing glance out the passenger window, just able to make out the flashing yellow lights of Dagger 2 approaching from the west. His smile widened as the Dagger Labs team continued to move into position, each fulfilling their field assignments, and Bradley turned his gaze back out out the front windshield. Over the roar of wind and the blaring team radio calls, he heeded the sat nav directions and cranked the wheel on the next road towards Bob’s tracking coordinates. 

“Oh, man,” Fanboy chuckled with raw wonder. “We have an EF2, possibly EF3 with a very large rope on the ground!”

“Shear is 90 knots. Rotation increasing.” Nat reported, all business and calm coolness. “50 outbound, 40 inbound.” 

Bradley’s smile grew as the digital shutter on Hangman’s camera started clicking away. It was an artform that Bradley never understood, but Hangman always found a way to capture breathtaking images no matter how fast Bradley drove. 

“Axis has gone vertical!” Fanboy whooped with joy. “This sucker’s really gaining strength and we’re getting into prime position!”

The promise of victory - of good data capture - rushed a thrill through Bradley as he made the next turn onto a dirt road, tracking the twister’s visual progress relative to the target coordinates. He lived for these moments - with his hair on fire and adrenaline electrifying his senses as the power of mother nature reigned supreme, ripe for scientific exploration. 

The SUV bounced over the uneven, rutted road jarring them both in their seats. Hangman glared over, bracing one hand against the dashboard and trying to steady his camera with the other. “Where the fuck did you turn?” 

“Where’s Bob’s directions said…” 

Hangman turned his gaze out the window suspiciously, staring down at the ground as they jounced. “Are you sure this even qualifies as a road?” 

“It’s got to be.” Bradley answered as he fought the wheel to keep the SUV moving forward in a steady, straight line. “It's probably called something like… ‘Bob’s Road’.”

Hangman barked a sharp laugh that carried a genuine note of amusement as he looked over at Bradley. His cheeks held the flush of excitement and his eyes shone with bright energy as he shot Bradley a smile. “I’ll be sure to tell him that.” 

Bradley glanced over, blood singing in his veins as the perfect beauty of the moment took his breath away.

Bradley sighs again, pushing the memory aside and hoping to expel more than one type of frustration as he looks back at his computer. The driver door opens, ushering in a gust of gasoline fumes and dust as Hangman retakes his seat. Bradley stays content to ignore him, focusing instead on the progress bar of his radar update. At least until a bag of sour gummy worms lands on his laptop keys.

He’s long stopped being flattered when his coworkers - especially Hangman - remember his snack preferences. It comes with the territory after so many years on the road together.

“I keep thinking that one day you’ll outgrow those, you know.” Hangman’s words deform around the corner of a plastic wrapper clenched between his teeth as he tears it open. “Or do you actually like getting cavities? Or diabetes much?”

Bradley rips the bag open as he glances over at Hangman. The blonde gnaws a bite of beef jerky, and Bradly just arches an incredulous brow before speaking. “And what about you? Hypertension much? Colon cancer?”

The corner of Hangman’s mouth lifts as he waves the snack for emphasis. “At least this has protein in it. Something redeeming.”

There’s plenty redeeming in the gummy candy's sweet and sour flavors that burst on Bradley's tongue, but they're none of Hangman’s business. He doesn’t need to know how they were Goose’s favorite. How Bradley could always find a bag stashed in his desk – sometimes half-eaten, sometimes stale, sometimes unopened – and his dad would always let him have some, even if it was before dinner. He offers a shrug as he pulls more gummy worms out of the bag. “Vice of choice.” 

Hangman chuckles. “And you’re how old? 10?” 

“Beer’s a close second.” 

“Really livin’ on the edge there, Roo.” Hangman deadpans, words distorted as he chews another bite of jerky.

Bradley blinks down at the radar image that’s nearly uploaded before turning back towards Hangman. His elbow rests on the window ledge and the visible swell of muscle has no right to be so appealing. Bradley’s no slouch in the gym, either - the job demands a certain physicality - but something about Hangman’s has always made Bradley’s heart race. “What’s yours, then?” He asks, licking stray sugar from his lips. “What vice makes you so high and mighty?” 

A shit-eating grin grows on Hangman’s face. “Now what’s the fun in just telling you?” 

Bradley shakes his head, swallowing a wave of irritation. “You don’t have to tell me - I can only assume there’s a reason Coyote has lots of tequila stories about you.” And they absolutely, resolutely don’t make Bradley jealous. Not the stories themselves, but Coyote and Hangman’s relationship going back so many years before working together at Dagger Labs. He still doesn't know how or why Mav hired them both - or if they came as a package deal - but they’ve only helped add to Dagger Labs’ prestigious reputation. 

“Stories are just that,” Hangman answers, clearly unimpressed. “Easy to fabricate and easy to exaggerate.” 

He can’t resist arching a teasing brow. “Oh, I’m sure Coyote has photos, though. No self-respecting friend wouldn’t want that sort of embarrassing fodder for a 40th birthday or wedding rehearsal dinner show’n tell.” 

Disgusted disbelief wrinkles Hangman’s face. “If that’s your idea of what being a friend means, Bradshaw, then count me out.”  

“Well, then," he says, hoping his voice isn't suddenly too tight. "Good thing we’re just coworkers.” 

A silence falls in the SUV, broken only by their quiet chewing and the muffled sounds of the gas station around them. The plastic wrapper of the jerky stick crinkles as Hangman polishes off the last bite. “How’s Doppler looking?” 

At least the weather forecast information has finally refreshed. Bradley swipes his finger over the touchscreen. “Looks like that cell south of us has dropped in intensity. Not likely to spawn anything now.” 

“I never hung my hat on that system, anyway.” Hangman says, almost bored. “Not enough stability for the upper wind rotations to form.” 

Bradley doesn’t quite roll his eyes. “You never even saw the data, man.” 

“Didn’t need to.” He shoots an adoring look at Bradley over the top of his shades. “Not when you use your words so well, saying such pretty things.” 

Bradley just shakes his head, refusing to look over and hoping that Hangman doesn’t see the tightening muscles of his jaw. In these moments, he hates that he doesn’t have the same instincts. That he’s more data dependent, more prone to think than to act. While it hasn’t failed him yet - in fact, it’s saved his ass on more than one occasion - even Mav has told him that he needs to not think quite so much. 

Maybe he just comes by it too honestly. 

He takes a last mouthful of gummy worms and rolls up the bag, stuffing it into the glove box. With another scan of the forecast data, he glances down at the notebook resting next to the center console and picks it up. If there’s one surefire way to get Hangman to shut up, this is it. 

Nibbling his bottom lip, he starts inking out representative lines for each letter of the word that he's chosen. No matter how many times he’s played Hangman with… well, Hangman, it never fails to transport him back to his grade school days despite the mobile lab equipment around him. 

Hangman chuckles softly as he watches Bradley sketch out a scaffold. “You didn’t even ask me if I wanted to play.” 

“Well, I’m done listening to you talk, and you can do what you do best.” 

“Impress you?”

“Win.” Bradley states it like the fact that it is. It’s long stopped being a competition, but Bradley refuses to admit that Hangman’s mastery of the game does impress him. He glances up at Hangman and holds the notebook out for him to study. 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

A toothpick materializes in the corner of Hangman’s mouth, another of his many talents. “You’re missing the category hint.” 

Bradley mentally kicks himself. He should have remembered that but like hell will he admit it. “That’s not a firm rule, is it?” 

Hangman cuts him with a sly gaze over his sunglasses. “Of course it is. Stop trying to cheat.” 

The corner of his mouth lifts without permission. “Alright - category is ‘thing’.” 

Hangman’s eyes fix on the notebook. “‘T’.” 

Bradley scratches the pen on the page, filling in the blank. 

__ __ __ __ T __ __ __

Hangman’s tongue darts out to tease the toothpick as he cocks his head. “A risk, but one I think’ll pay off – ‘C’.”

Bradley tries to hide his disappointment as he writes out the letter.

__ __ C __ T __ __ __

A triumphant smile brightens Hangman’s face. “You really picked ‘vacation’ as the word? Come on, at least make it a challenge!”

Bradley’s mouth gapes open before he can stop it, staring at the page. “How in the hell? There’s nothing obvious about that!”

“A master never reveals his secrets.” Hangman plucks the toothpick and points it towards the notebook. “Come on, write it out – prove me right.”

With gentle scoff, Bradley shakes his head and moves the pen over the paper.

V A C A T I O N

Despite the fact that Hangman is called Hangman for this exact reason, despite the fact that Bradley has seen Hangman do this countless times, and despite the fact that he’ll never stump Hangman at his own game, it still stirs the competitive part of him. Bradley stares at the blank page for the space of a breath as he tries to summon something clever. Something unusual, something harder - something with two words. 

Carrier pigeon. 

Liking his odds, he inks out lines for the thirteen letters. “Two words, this time,” he clarifies, glancing back at Hangman and holding out the notebook. “Still category ‘thing’.”

Hangman huffs a breathy laugh, scanning around the gas station parking lot before turning his attention back down to the page. “Okay, let’s start with ‘R’.”

Bradley writes out the three R’s on the page and holds his face neutral. Hangman brings the toothpick back to his mouth, rolling the wooden stick between his lips. A grin of recognition starts creeping across his face. “Let’s see if I got it – N.”

With sinking dread and absolute bafflement, Bradley writes the offending letter in the last blank.

Hangman smiles in victory with that damnably obnoxious toothpick pinched between too many teeth. “Carrier pigeon.”

“There’s no… no fucking way.” Bradley shakes his head in disbelief, motioning at the notebook. “There’s just… there’s nothing there…”

“Just because you don’t know the strategy doesn’t mean that there isn’t one.”

Bradley writes out the solution just because he can with another incredulous shake of his head. “Were you a spelling bee whiz kid in school? You must have been, to be so good at this now.”

Hangman’s nose wrinkles in disgust. “God, no. That’s a whole other level of teacher’s pet brown-nosing, do-gooding.”

Truthfully, Bradley can’t ever imagine a young Jake Seresin standing on some stage with a first-place spelling bee ribbon, but it’s something he’s always wondered about. How did the man get so freakishly good at this game? 

Hangman’s eyes meet his even behind the sunglasses, and he misses none of the contemplation happening behind Bradley’s eyes. His brows pinch together with piqued interest. “Wait…” Hangman says slowly, plucking the toothpick from his lips. “Does that mean that you… oh, god, you’re one of them, aren’t you?” 

“What?” Bradley’s face screws with disbelief. “No - I don’t even remember ever participating in a spelling bee.” Quickly, he tries to think of something else to hide the trajectory of his thoughts. “No, I… I was just thinking about the origin of the name ‘spelling bee’.”

“You mean it’s not named after some bee who’s good at spelling?” Hangman’s trademark teasing grin sounds in his voice.

Bradley ignores his stupidly obvious joke. “’Bee’ used to be the common term for a communal gathering – like a quilting bee or an apple bee.”

Silence falls for a beat before Hangman cocks his head in curious thought. “So, then… by that logic, is that seriously how the restaurant chain got its name?”

The image of Applebee’s Bar & Grill logo flashes in Bradley’s mind. His brows furrow as he shakes his head. “Well, it… you know, I have no idea.”

“Dagger 1, come in.” Nat’s voice sounds over the SUV speakers and anticipation bursts in Bradley’s chest. He reaches to unmute the team voice chat. 

“Copy that, Dagger 2.” A smile lifts the corner of his mouth. “Good to hear from you, Phoenix.” 

“Figured someone might need to give you two a break by now.” 

Hangman scoffs indignantly. “Ye of little faith, Phoenix. Things were just starting to get good.” 

“A twenty says you’re wrong.” 

Bradley knows better than to take that bet against Natasha Trace. “Whatcha got?” 

“Major action,” Bob’s voice comes over the speakers. “The cap is breaking. Tower’s going up 30 miles up the dry line.” 

Bradley’s heart leaps in his chest. Nothing else has even come close today. “Where are you?” 

“Near Burns Flat.” 

He reaches for his seatbelt on instinct, hearing Hangman’s also click into place. “And that’s where? North? South?” 

Nat’s voice sounds again. “Bob’s already sent you GPS coordinates.” 

Hangman’s smile widens as the SUV engine roars to life. “That shit gets me hard, Bob.” 

Bradley stares up at the speakers in the ceiling as if seeking forgiveness. “What he means is thank you and we’re on our way. We’ll catch you on CB when we get within range.” 

“Copy that.” 

The chat line mutes as Hangman shifts the SUV into gear, not quite peeling out of the parking space but coming pretty damn close. Bradley jostles in his seat, pulling up the vehicle's sat nav and Bob's coordinates. He arches a disapproving brow over at Hangman as they leave the gas station behind. “No call to be so crude.” 

Hangman doesn’t glance over, focused on the road ahead. “And no call for you to be such a prude.” 

“Not a prude.” Bradley corrects as he pulls up the latest data. “Just not rude. Especially when you know it makes Bob uncomfortable.” 

“He’ll never grow if he’s not pushed outside of his comfort zone, dear.” Hangman sing-songs with a mocking edge. “Though that sounds like someone else we both know, doesn’t it?” 

The barb digs under Bradley’s skin but he pushes it aside. Glancing at the sat nav directions to confirm distance to target, he glances up at the darkening sky. “Just drive or we’ll miss it entirely.” 

Series Main List

Tag List: @redfurrycat

[vodika-vibes]

Post Order 66 part 9

It’s finally time for the crew of the Starsinger to move on, but they’re kind of at a loss as to where to go from where they are. Wolffe and Dusk have a conversation. Marral has a vision.

tagging: @starrrgazingbunny and @thestarwarslesbian

Dusk leaned back in the pilot’s seat, his gaze locked on the stars outside his view port. It had been less than a week since they left the Outpost, leaving it in the very capable hands of Rex, Gregor, Fives, and Ahsoka. He didn’t doubt that the next time that they came by, the outpost would be a thriving community of Clones and Jedi.

Cody had been disappointed that Rex elected not to join them. But they all had their places in this Rebellion, and Rex’s place wasn’t on the Starsinger.

He had added Wolffe to the crew. Well. Less added, and more Wolffe got on the Starsinger and refused to leave. Still, if he was able to work alongside Fox to force Kanna to rest then he was more than welcome.

He winced when he thought about Kanna. True to her word, she had come up with a gene therapy that reversed the enhanced aging. It took her less than a week, which was two weeks less than she predicted. Dusk had been impressed. He knew that she was talented, but had been unaware just how talented she was until that moment. 

Dusk being impressed lasted as long as it took Fox and Wolffe to corner him and inform him that, in order to come up with the therapy as quickly as she did, she only slept about 3 hours a night, and was surviving on a diet of rations bars and caf. And they were not impressed.

Which. Fair. But he wasn’t sure why they decided to yell at him about it.

But, that had been over a week ago.

And now he and his brothers were going to age like nat-borns. And he was going to be able to watch his kids become adults. 

...Fuck. He owed Kanna, like, an entire planet didn’t he? Maybe he’d just buy her some nice new bedding the next time they were on Alderaan. Or a bigger bed. His gaze slid to the side, where Wolffe was playing navigator. Maybe both, he conceded to himself.

“What?” Wolffe asked, flicking his gaze over to Dusk, and then back to the computer.

“Just thinking, I should probably buy Kanna a bigger bed.” Dusk said lightly.

Wolffe tensed, but he relaxed a moment later, “She needs more pillows,” He grumbled, “She generally ends up losing hers.”

“I’ll make a note of it,” Dusk replied dryly. He lightly tapped the steering column, trying to gather his thoughts, “So...I know why Fox is sharing Kanna’s room. He’s always had a soft spot for her. But why are you-”

Wolffe turned fully to glare at Dusk. It was, honestly, intimidating. “Are you really asking that?” he asked.

“...yeah, I am.” Okay, maybe Dusk needed to check his self-preservation instincts, because that sounded very accusatory, and he was pretty sure that Wolffe was going to kill him, but. Well. In for a credit, or so they say. “I’ve known Kanna for years now. She’ll give and give and give until there’s nothing left. Someone has to look out for her.”

And the people who used to look out for her aren’t here. Thire is gone. Thorn is gone. Stone and Hound, gone. And Fox was here but he wasn’t in a good place to stand up for Kanna if she needed it. But he was-

Dusk exhaled slowly, “So yes, Wolffe. I need to know.”

Wolffe’s glare lessened slightly, and he regarded Dusk thoughtfully, “Huh.” He leaned back, and the glare had completely faded, “You know, I volunteered for this,” he gestured to the navigation system, “Because I was going to accuse you of taking advantage of Kanna’s kindness.”

Dusk jerked, “I would never-”

“I believe you. Well. Now I do.” Wolffe shifted and focused his attention back to the nav system, honestly they weren’t even going anywhere, but Dusk looked so offended, he needed to look elsewhere or he was going to laugh. “If you really want to know, she was more than happy to give me a place in her room. We had a whole conversation about it.”

Dusk shot him a doubtful look.

“We did. Fox insisted on it. He would have kicked me out himself if he thought that I was overstepping. He’s pretty good at reading her.”

“Yeah, well. She was ours.” Dusk admitted, “You and Cody had your generals...and we had Kanna.”

Wolffe let out a hum of understanding. He knew that, naturally, but it was good to hear it anyway. “Where are we going, anyway?” He finally asked. “There’s no locations flagged in the computer.”

“...um...”

“You’re shitting me. You have no idea, do you?”

Dusk blushed, “Normally, when I don’t know what to do, I take a bounty.” He said under his breath.

“So take a fucking bounty.” Wolffe replied in a tone that suggested that he thought that Dusk had cotton for brains. 

“Fine! I’ll try to find a bounty that isn’t for a jedi!” Dusk said, throwing his hands up dramatically, before he snatched his datapad from where it was sitting in a pocket attached to his chair. “Oh, look. There’s a bounty for Obi-Wan Kenobi! And here’s another one for another Jedi!”

“No wonder you got along so well with Fox, you’re just as irritating as he is,” Wolffe said with a roll of his eyes. “And twice as dramatic.”

Dusk scowled at him. He wasn’t dramatic!

He opened his mouth to say something, when the door to the cockpit slid open, “Buir?” Marral poked his head in, looking troubled.

“What’s up, ad?” Dusk asked, immediately dropping the conversation with Wolffe to focus on his child, “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“No. Um, yes? I was meditating because I couldn’t sleep and-” Marral hesitated, “I think we’re needed somewhere.”

“Okay. Do you know where?” Dusk asked.

“Not...really? I can tell you what I saw?”

“Alright, go ahead.”

“I saw ships. Lots and lots of ships, all different sorts.” Marral said quickly.

“Like a port?” Wolffe asked, frowning slightly, “Or a space station?”

Marral shook his head, “Uh...some of the ships were broken? Or were being broken?”

“It could be a salvage yard,” Wolffe hazarded, “Plenty of those popped up after the war.”

Dusk slowly nodded, “Can you work with Cody and Obi-Wan about the specific place you’re looking for?”

Marral nodded, and then he hesitated, “Can I ask Kanna?”

Dusk and Wolffe didn’t even look at each other as they answered in unison, “No.”

********

“So,” Cody squinted at the miserable looking planet, “What, exactly, are we looking for?”

“No idea,” Obi-Wan, recently shaved and wearing glasses to semi hide his identity, replied. “Marral insists that this is the right planet, and that we’re needed here, immediately. So-”

“And what does the force tell you?”

Obi-wan was silent for a moment, “That we need to be here. That someone needs our help.”

Cody made a face, but he looked back out at the planet. Bracca was a shit planet. But it had been a Republic planet once upon a time. Actually-

“Obi-Wan, wasn’t there a cruiser stationed over Bracca for a time?” Cody asked, frowning thoughtfully. “The 13th Battalion, I think.”

“...yes. So far as I understand, after the order was given, the entire battalion was killed when the ship crashed. Alongside Master Tapal and his padawan.” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully.

“...You survived an attack that should have killed you. As did Kanna.” Cody pointed out.

“You are correct, of course. It’s possible that Master Tapal survived. Or perhaps the padawan.” Obi-Wan thought a moment, “Hm...if I recall correctly, Jaro’s padawan would be the same age as Marral,” He said thoughtfully.

“Right. So we’re looking for a kid. Definitely traumatized. Maybe injured.” Cody summarized. “A kid who was almost killed by clones,”

“Possibly. Possibly looking for a traumatized kid,” Obi-Wan corrected. 

Cody shot him a disbelieving look, “You’re being difficult for the sake of being difficult.” He shook his head as Obi-Wan grinned at him, unrepentantly. “Come on, Dusk managed to get permission to dock by claiming technical issues. So we only have a few hours.”

****

At 14 years old, Marral Cadera was old enough to go on missions. He was clever, and he knew how to use his lightsaber and a pistol. And Cody had been teaching him some hand to hand combat.

But still his Buir wasn’t allowing him to go on missions!

It wasn’t fair!

And, okay, maybe he couldn’t have gone on the mission with Kanna and Obi-Wan and Soka, but that didn’t count because that was Kanna’s mission, and he would have gotten in the way.

And he couldn’t have gone on Tatooing because Yin would have thrown a fit, and she would have gotten sick on the desert planet.

But this! This was his mission! The Force vision came to him! Not Obi-Wan! And still his buir said not yet!

He...understood. He did. Kanna had been very careful to explain trauma responses and why Dusk acted the way he did when it came to his safety, and the safety of his siblings. He understood. But he wasn’t a child anymore. 

So...so-

With that thought in mind. And knowing that the only other jedi on board was Kanna, and that she was probably still recovering from helping the Clones, so she wouldn’t be paying attention...he snuck off the ship. Trailing a safe distance after Obi-Wan and Cody.

They would notice him eventually. Because they were both very good. But maybe they wouldn’t send him back to the ship immediately. Especially since Master Kenobi seems to think that the person calling for help was Cal.

Marral thought that Cal was dead. Really and truly. When he thought of the sunny redhead he used to be in the creche with, he thought about a boy prone to tears, and unable to control his psychometry. But he also thought about late nights telling scary stories, and sneaking out of the creche to watch the lightning bugs in the gardens.

If Cal was alive. He could have that again.

He really wanted it to be true. He missed Cal.

He yelped when a strong hand grabbed his collar, “Busted.” He looked up into the disappointed face of Cody and his shoulders slumped. He hadn’t even managed 30 minutes without getting caught.

“You have to let me help!” Marral said, reaching up and lightly gripping Cody’s wrist, “Please? Cal is my friend!”

“Does Dusk know you left the ship?” Obi-Wan asked, as he approached.

“Um...he doesn’t not know?” Marral said sheepishly.

“So that’s a no, then.” Cody said dryly, knowing Marral well enough at this point to know exactly what he meant by that. “We should take him back to the ship-”

“Wait.” Obi-Wan was staring hard at Marral, “I was younger than him the first time I was left alone on a mission.” He said slowly.

“You’re not seriously suggesting-”

“I’m not saying we let him run off, half-cocked, on his own.” Obi-Wan said, “But you said yourself, we’re on a time crunch.” He crouched so that he was eye level with Marral, “You will stay within eye range at all times. And you will listen if either one of us gives you direction. Or this will be the only mission you’re allowed on until until you reach the age of majority. Am I clear?”

“Yes! Yes. I understand. Thank you! Thank you so much!” Marral said immediately. 

“Good.” Obi-Wan stood again, “Now, the force is suggesting that we go up. Shall we?”

True to his word, Marral was careful to stay close to Cody. The last thing he wanted to do was get himself forbidden from taking missions every again. Plus, it meant that he got to see Cody and Obi-Wan in action! Which was awesome!

The near constant flirting was less so, but he was getting pretty good at ignoring adult flirting. Though it was still gross. Old people shouldn’t flirt in his professional opinion, on account of the fact that they’re old.

He made a face as Obi-Wan shot Cody an adoring look, after Cody made a comment that Marral didn’t hear. Didn’t want to hear, honestly. 

They were so Gross.

He paused when he heard a strange noise. He thought...well, it sounded like Rhawl when he was at his most upset but wasn’t trying to draw attention to it. Like a whimper. Marral looked around, rapidly. 

But when he didn’t see anything, he went to trail after Obi-Wan and Cody again, the two men having paused their walking to see why Marral wasn’t following them anymore. But then he heard the noise again. This time he spun on his heel, and really examined the surrounding area.

He inched towards a small opening in the ship, too small for an adult, but the perfect size for a small child. And he heard the noise a third time. And this time it was clearly recognizable as a whimper.

“Hello?”

There was a quiet gasp, and the nearly silent sound of cloth being pressed over a mouth, “I know you’re in there.” Marral said to the opening, “Are you hurt? Or-or stuck?”

There was silence, and for a moment Marral worried that he had imagined the whole thing, and then, quietly, “S-stuck. Can’t move my leg. S-so maybe hurt too.”

Cody lightly nudged Marral to the side and pulled a flashlight out of one of his many pockets, and shone the light down the small opening. Reveling a pale faced redhead, with stark bruises on his face. He flinched when the light hit him, and tried to shrink back.

Marral leaned over Cody’s shoulder, leaning all of his weight on the man he trusted as much as his own buir, “Cal?”

Frightened green eyes snapped up towards Marral, and a look of astonishment crossed his bruised, and half starved face, “Mar?” Cal twisted, trying even harder to break free from his prison, but he only managed to let out a cry of pain.

“Easy there, ad.” Cody said, “We’ll get you out, and then get you off this planet. You don’t belong here.” He glanced over his shoulder, “You have any ideas, riddur?” He asked.

Obi-Wan shot him a sardonic look, and then moved next to him, peering down the cramped space thoughtfully, “Hello Cal. I don’t know if you remember me-”

Cal stared at him, wide eyed, “Master Kenobi,” His voice was barely a whisper, could barely be heard over the sound of the ships around them. He sounded so hopeful, and slowly, carefully, he slumped into a much more relaxed position. 

“There we go, Cal. No need to panic. You’re going to be just fine.” Obi-Wan reassured, and then he touched Cody’s shoulder, “We need to be careful, he’s really wedged in there.”

“Understood.”

*********

Whatever plans Cal Kestis ever had for his life, died the day his Master did. He was convinced that he would work on Bracca for the rest of his life, and would die on Bracca. From falling off a ship, or getting killed by one of the men he worked with.

This was his life now.

He had accepted it.

He had.

If he still cried himself to sleep some nights...well, he was only 14. And he was far from the only person who cried themselves to sleep.

He hadn’t actually meant to get stuck. His rations for the day had been stolen by an absolute brute of a twi’lek, and when Cal tried to take them back, the man threatened to break his legs.

It wasn’t an empty threat, either. This particular man had killed two other people on the crew in the last three months. So Cal did the only thing he could. He ran. And he ran to the one place that no one could follow him. 

Hence his current predicament. 

Dying inside a ship hadn’t been part of his new life plans. But, well, plans changed. But it was starting to hurt. Really bad.

The last thing he expected was for Marral to suddenly be there.

Well. That wasn’t true. The very last thing he expected to see would be his Master returned from the grave. But Mar was a close second. Mar’s eyes were wide, and he looked worried...but he looked healthy. 

Which was great, since Cal had been convinced that his friend had died violently somewhere in the galaxy.

And he was somehow with Master Kenobi?

Okay, yes. The Force provided, but Cal was beginning to think that this was just a hallucination. Brought on by hunger, maybe? Or lack of sleep? Or maybe he had a fever! All of those things were more likely than there being two other Jedi on Bracca.

“Cal?” Mar was starting to sound very far away. That made sense, he was a hallucination, “Cal, can you say something?” No. No he really couldn’t, that sounded hard. “Ma-uh...Ben! Something’s wrong!”

Cal opened his mouth to say that he didn’t know a Ben, but there was nothing to say, as the world around him went gray...and then there was nothing.

******

Cal woke to the sensation of a little hand on his face.

And then a deep male voice, “I’m fairly certain you’re not supposed to be in here, Luke.”

Cal opened his eyes, and blinked into the face of a blonde haired two year old, who beamed at him. “Uh...hi?” The baby was removed from his chest, and carefully settled on the hip of a man who was-

Cal’s brain went blank with sheer panic. A Clone. There was a Clone. 

The man looked calm, and completely at ease with the child on his hip. Cal wondered if he should try to save the kid. Wondered if he could save the kid.

He turned his head slightly, “You’re patient’s awake, Kanna.”

“Yes, yes. I could feel his panic all the way from the sitting room,” A red headed woman rushed into the room, and Cal couldn’t help but blink. He knew her. “Thank you for watching him, now shoo please. You’re panicking him.”

The man, Fox, made a face, but left the room with the child on his hip. 

“Hello Cal, how are you feeling?” Cal’s gaze snapped to Kanna’s, and, to his horror, he felt a lump in his throat and tears started burning behind his eyes. He immediately snapped his gaze to the ceiling, to try and stem the tears, but he failed when he felt a gentle hand against his cheek, "Oh, little one. You’ve had such a hard time, haven’t you?”

There was so much care, so much compassion in her gentle touch, that Cal just shattered with one sob. She wrapped her arms around him, and Cal just buried himself against her. “It’s been so, so hard,” He sobbed. “I want to go home!”

Her arms tightened around him, “I know, baby. I know. I wish I could take you there. But you’re not alone. Not anymore. We’re going to take care of you. I promise.”

“Thought you were dead, Kan.” He choked out, “Thought-”

“Shhh. No more of that now. I’m here, and we’re safe. Safe from the Empire. Safe from Palpatine.”

“C-Clones...”

“I give you my word, Cal. There is no one on this ship who will harm you. I swear to you.”

Kanna had never lied to him before. So slowly, he relaxed his grip, and he allowed her gentle force suggestion to lull him to sleep.

****

Kanna gently untangled his fingers from her shirt, and she stepped into the hallway, quirking a single brow at Marral, who was nervously wringing his hands. 

“Can I sit with him? Please?” He flushed as Kanna examined him, though he released a deep breath when she nodded, just once. “Thank you.”

“If you wake him,” her voice was soft, “I will have you doing inventory of all of my medication and equipment, Marral Cadera.”

“Yes ma’am!” Marral blurted, before he silently rushed into the med-bay. Kanna watched as Marral carefully took one of Cal’s heavily bandaged hands in his own, and laid his head on the bed next to Cal.

What was one more traumatized child to her already heavy workload? Not that she was suggesting that they toss Cal out to the wolves, of course not. But she did need more help than Beesix could offer. Perhaps Dusk could be persuaded into asking the Organa’s for additional help.

Hm. Yes, and if that meant he had to have a conversation with the couple who was trying, so hard, to court him. All the better.

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

hi!!!! I hope you’re having a great day 🤩 May I request 4, 14, and 24 for Nav, Creed, Drifter, and Static? 👀 I can’t wait to learn more about them!

Sev!! ty bb, having an okay day but this ask has made it loads better! <3 I am so excited to talk about these peeps, so strap in (perhaps "strap on"?)

i feel i should clarify that Nav is the only nat-born OC here

spicy content below the cut - minors be gone

4. Are they more of a dom, sub, or switch? If applicable, are they a top, bottom, or vers?

Nav

Oh Nav is a switch through-and-through. Though they prefer to be taken care of, they also have been falling into a caretaker role more and more of late. They do need discrete roles within a scene, though; they struggle with switching partway through. Either way, they are concerned first and foremost with their partner's pleasure. That said, they are a bottom.

Creed

Dom. Dom, dom, dom, dom. He needs to feel in control—and only in a very steady, established relationship will he ever consider letting his partner take the reins. He also just really likes how his partner trusts him enough to give up their own control; he finds it both emotionally soothing and physically arousing. And he's a top.

Drifter

Honestly? Drifter doesn't care much for D/s dynamics. While he enjoys elements of BDSM (spanking, light choking, etc.), he doesn't quite like the idea of one partner dominating the other. He's all about equity and equality in his relationships, whether it's quick, one-night stands, or longer, more loving partnerships. (Obviously there is equality in D/s dynamics too but it just doesn't sit right with Drifter.) In line with that, he's a vers.

Static

Sub, but bratty about it. Doesn't want to admit that he's a sub, but gets flustered when his partner lets him try to dominate them. Bottom, 100%. If his partner is female-bodied, he 100% will beg for the strap.

14. If they send nudes, are they tasteful or just quick pics?

Nav

The only person they're sending nudes to is Hunter and Nav can generally tell when Hunter needs a quick and dirty romp in the cockpit or a more focused, sensual session of love-making in their home. So, their nudes vary from hastily taken, slightly blurry but hot because it's rushed; to artful poses with immaculate lighting.

Creed

He's not about nudes. Too private for that. He will send selfies that just happen to show a bit of his chest hair peeking from below his blacks, though. (Nor will he ever complain about receiving nudes.)

Drifter

When he does send nudes, it's of a middling quality—but what he lacks in shot composition, he makes up for by sending videos with sound. ("Ngh, fuck, cyare, gonna make a mess just thinkin' 'bout that pretty face.")

Static

Depends on the situation! If he's feeling particularly worked up and wants his partner to be similarly horny, he'll spend the time setting up the perfect shot. But he's not above just sending a quick photo of his half-hard length with a winky face.

24. A song they would fuck/get fucked to.

okay these were surprisingly difficult for me to think of! such a good question though. these were all chosen based on vibe, not lyrics.

Nav

Closer - Nine Inch Nails. Um, because yeah, have you listened to this song? Mostly they would want to be railed to this song, but wouldn't object to a good ride guided by this song's beat.

Creed

Earned It - The Weeknd (slowed+reverb). Man is secretly soft, so even though he's a hard dom, he knows how to romance and entrance his partner. And he just thinks the vibe of this song is sexy: slow and bassy and intoxicating, just how he's going to fuck.

Drifter

The Red - Chevelle. It's a gritty, grungy rock song with a solid tempo that lends itself more to a slower, harder, deeper kind of fucking that leaves both him and his partner shaking.

Static

cbat no in seriousness: Babydoll by Ari Abdul. Because it's just... so heady, and smooth, and has a great beat. Bonus points if he gets called babydoll while he's taken apart at the seams and sewn back together in the same stroke. He'll stop being bratty and start being sweet.