#not using the teardrop tags honestly

[teardroplet-blog]

/ooc

hi ummm

Hi!! Gets pelted by multiple tomatoes/J

uhh its been a while since i checked on this blog.. I have some asks I’ve yet to answer unfortunately BUT I’m working on it I just need to figure out how to respond

In the meantime I decided that I should probably interact with other blogs if I actually want. interactions. Which is common sense, sorry for that!

So what I’m just gonna do is:

interact with this post if you’re a bfdi roleplay blog and want interactions I guess!! might take a while for me to respond to anything and also don’t expect me to be insanely in character, it’s been a while sorry..

[littlemissmentallyunstable]

title: cuddles are better than parties

pairing: grayson hawthorne x (first person) reader

synopsis: you’re getting ready to go out with grayson but really really don’t want to go…

warnings: crying?? (help I’m so bad at warnings)

a/n: thanks for reading… this is honestly one of the most random things I’ve ever written, but I hope you enjoy nevertheless

tag list: @tornqdowarnings @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @peterlcsingwendy @lxvebelle @xoxo-vee @emelia07 @zoyaaaabear @thoughtdaughter3 @benny1989fredd @f4iry-bell

I’m stood in the mirror, putting on a pair of teardrop earrings. My dress is beautiful but I’d rather not be in it right now. Actually I’d rather not be going out at all. Today had really taken it out of me, but Grayson always seemed to be in his element at these gatherings so I choose not to tell him.

“What’s the matter?” Grayson asks, walking in adjusting his tie.

“Nothing,” I reply trying to sound nonchalant so he can’t see through my mask. I turn from the mirror and gaze at him. He carries a suit well, always has. But this tailored one was really quite something.

“What’s the matter?” he repeats, face contorted with concern.

He’s noticed. Of course he’s noticed. He’s Grayson, how was he not going to notice? But I can hide it, I convince myself, I can hide it.

“Nothing,” I say again, offering him a lopsided smile to prove I was okay.

“Tell me,” Grayson says, his tone serious and almost stern, yet I can see the worry line rippling all over his face. Seemingly my smile didn’t work as well as I’d hoped.

“There’s nothing to tell,” I shrug, focussing my attention back onto the earring.

“Tell me,” he says again, his voice more urgent.

“Gray stop it!” I force a laugh.

“Tell me or I will never kiss you ever again,” he threatens.

And I know he means it. Once I had a headache and I didn’t tell him but he noticed something wasn’t quite right, so he refused to kiss me until I did. It lasted three whole days before I finally gave in. I didn’t even have the headache when I told him. Sometimes the two of us are both too stubborn for our own good.

“Will you be able to resist,” I tease, a smirk dancing on my lips.

“For as long as you don’t tell me,” he challenges, arms folded.

“But there’s nothing,” I exhale.

“You’re lying,” he states, “I can tell.”

He can always tell. Sometimes I don’t even know how.

“No I’m not,” I protest. I would not give up this easily.

“Lie number…” he pauses, “hang on I’ve lost count.”

“Gray!” I groan, throwing my head back, “it’s nothing!”

He doesn’t even bother to respond this time, just stares at me and waits. The confession is churning in my brain. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me and he knows it.

“Okay so there’s something,” I mutter, not meeting his eye.

“What is it?” he rushes, coming towards me, “what’s making you upset?”

I hesitate, the words not wanting to come out of my mouth, like it was superglued shut.

“You can tell me anything,” Grayson reassures me, touching my arm gently.

“I know,” I tell him, “I know.”

“Then why do you look scared to,” he murmurs softly, sounding almost hurt.

“Because I don’t want to hurt your feelings,” I explain, “or disappoint you.”

His eyebrows pinch together and he suddenly looks on edge.

“You’re not going to,” he says, his eyes shining.

“I beg to differ,” I scoff, looking away from him quickly.

“What’s wrong? Just tell me,” his voice is so thick with desperation it hurts me to hear, “I need to know.”

“I…” I sigh, “I just…”

I falter, getting a little shaky. I feel tears well up in my eyes and a lump forming in my throat. Why was I so upset? So anxious?

“I’m not going to get mad,” Grayson murmurs, tucking a few strands of loose hair behind my ears.

“I really don’t want to go tonight,” I say, as my bottom lip wobbles. I try and bite it to keep it still. Grayson’s face contorts into care and that’s when the tears flowing down my face, ruining the make up I’d just done, “I’m sorry I just can’t.”

“That’s fine, we’re not going,” he says immediately, putting his arms around me.

“But you wanted to go and I don’t want to ruin it,” I sob, ugly and loud, into him.

“You’re not ruining anything,” he soothes, pulling me closer into his chest.

“But-“

“No buts, it’s you first. Always. I would never make you go somewhere you didn’t want to,” he tells me, taking my hands and taking me gently over to the bed. He sits down and pulls me onto his lap. I curl up into a ball and carry on crying.

“I’m sorry,” I whimper, “I’m so so sorry.”

“Hey,” he mumbles into my hair, “stop with that.”

“But I am sorry,” I blubber, “because you wanted to go and now you’re not going because of me and-“

“I don’t care about it, love,” he tells me, so softly I want to melt into a puddle, “it was just about party that I was asked to attend but I don’t need to. I’d much rather be here with you, okay?”

“Okay,” I reply, the tears still failing to stop falling.

“And I don’t want you to feel like this,” he says gently as he rocks me in his arms, “I hate seeing you like this, it hurts me.”

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“Don’t apologise for your feelings,” he whispers to me, our noses now touching, “never apologise for your feelings. To anyone.”

“I’m sorry,” I reply, automatically. It’s like the word has been scorched into the side of my skull and it flashes up every time I feel like I’ve done something that offends someone.

“Y/N,” Grayson sighs, brushing the hair out of my face.

“Sorr-“ I begin to say, “oh…”

I trail off and fall silent, crying quietly in his arms. He never let’s go of me, never grows tired, never asks me to get off. I’m sure both his legs are numb and his arms ache but he doesn’t say a word.

After a longe while he checks in with me, quietly asking, “you okay?”

“Can we just stay like this for a little bit?” I mumble, a bit too comfortable where I am. I feel too safe and secure to move.

“Of course,” he whispers, “whatever you need.”

He holds me close and tentatively rubs up and down my arms in a soothing rhythm, occasionally kissing the top of my head or whispering something comforting to me. I close my eyes and just breathe. It’s easy to forget that the people who love you can do anything to make you feel better.

“Can I ask you one question?” Grayson asks, after I don’t even know how long we’d been there for.

“Hmm,” I hum in reply.

“Why?” he says, “why didn’t you want to go… was it the people? The venu? The dress? Me?”

“No,” I sniff, sitting up, “I just feel so drained and tired and I just want to cry and sleep and eat and I can’t think of anything worse than standing around in heels and a fancy dress talking to people I don’t even know, only to come back even more exhausted that I started and-“

I sob loudly. I don’t even know why in this emotional. Guilt just wracks me from inside out. I’m still worried I’ve ruined the night for him, that secretly he really wanted to go and now I’ve forced him to stay here. I’m just so conflicted by my feelings and thoughts, everything is an out of control whirlwind that seems to be pouring from my eyes.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he whispers, brushing away my tears with his thumb and pulling me close to him, “it’s okay.”

He strokes my cheek delicately as he cradles me again. I didn’t know it was possible to feel so small and helpless yet so comforted and safe at the same time.

“I’m sorry to make you upset again,” he says gently, “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s not your fault,” I reply, now feeling even worse for making him feel guilty, “it’s just me being stupid.”

“You are not stupid,” Grayson tells me, looking straight into my eyes,

“I feel stupid,” I murmur, playing with the loose thread on his jumper to avoid eye contact.

“Trust me, you’re not stupid,” he says, “I was only asking because next time I thought I’d it was something in particular I would just turn it down before it even happened.”

My eyes snap to meet his and this time the wave of emotion that hits me is full of a euphoric sort of love.

“Oh Gray, you’re so good to me,” I exclaim, “what did I do to deserve you?”

“You deserve a lot more than me, love,” he kisses my temple, “why didn’t you tell me sooner, that you didn’t want to go?”

That had been bugging him, I could tell. He thinks I don’t tell him how I’m feeling because I’m too scared or too worried and that makes him doubt himself. If only he knew…

“I thought I’d be able to manage it, I thought I’d be fine but every second I was getting ready I was feeling worse and worse,” I explain, getting a little worked up again, “god I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, we don’t have to go, you don’t have to be sorry,” he says, “but next time just tell me okay, never be afraid to just tell me.”

“I promise,” I nod, still snivelling.

“Do you want a tissue?” Grayson asks me with a half smile.

“Yes please,” I reply, not having the energy to smile back quite yet.

He leans over and grabs the box and places it in my hands. I take a tissue and wipe my face and blow my nose, making me feeling insanely disgusting.

“I’m gross,” I groan.

“I think you’re adorable,” he counters, putting the box back away.

“Even when I look like this?” I raise my eyebrows.

“Like what?” he questions, “you’re gorgeous.”

My cheeks heat up suddenly, red creeping back into them and I smile slightly.

“I love your smile,” he says, noticing it too, “I missed it for a minute.”

I let out a small giggle before a sniff again. He kisses my forehead, then the tip of my nose and then finally ends on my lips.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” he murmurs, “you’re going to get into some comfy clothes and pick out a movie, whilst I run to the store and grab some snacks. Then we’re going to cuddle until you get bored of me and want to sleep.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

a/n: when I was reading this back Grayson was giving me crazy Aaron Warner vibes I can’t lie… also I have no clue why I wrote this but it’s defos something I would do, idk if anyone else can relate but oh well

credit to @aquazero for the divider 🤍🤍

TIG masterlist

[turbulentscrawl]

Could we get some hc stuff for weeping? He never gets any love. Your work is amazing btw ♡

Thank you!

You know, before this I honestly kept forgetting he exists...but after doing a lore dive and doing these general hcs I'm feeling like he's going to become a favorite.

As a note for tagging, I typically use a character's human name for my blog's tagging system, but since "Joker" is a name used in so many fandoms, his will be "weeping clown x reader"

As always, if you guys like my work consider sending me a request!

Identity(V) Headcanons: Joker

-The acid which scarred him was only mixed with his colored face paints. The white base he uses didn’t harm him, so the scarring he has is mostly around his mouth and down from his eyes, following the shape of the red lips and teardrops he painted on. He still wears face paint most days to try and cover what he can of the scarring, but he’s paranoid about what he uses now. He keeps his paints locked away where others can’t access them, and always tests them on his arm before using them on his face.

-Joker has very little self-worth. It goes beyond basic insecurity, though he has plenty of that as well. His entire reason for living is based on the value he has to other people. At first, that’s restricted to just the way he can bring a bit of joy to the Hullabaloo crowds, and the few shallow friendships he’d made along the way. When Margaretha entered the picture, though, it began to twist into something even more unhealthy.

-He still has some remaining love for Margaretha, but he’s more withdrawn from her. He was disfigured, he did something horrible, and she left. But if it really came down to it, and he had no one else to talk him out of it, he probably would continue going to her whenever she calls, albeit with more inner turmoil. It goes back to that self-worth again; Margaretha makes him feel like he can be a valued protector regardless of not being very physically capable.

-At his core, Joker is a very kind and sympathetic person. He cares about others, their wellbeing and happiness, and even in a world without the above self-worth struggles he would go out of his way to help people…

-But he’s become a bit jaded since the massacre. A bit angry, even. No one did anything when he was the sole victim. No one stood up for him like he stood up for others. No one cared about his disfigured face because now it matches his disfigured body, right? …but he makes himself swallow those feelings when they start to bubble over. He doesn’t want to be that person. He doesn’t want to add more cruelness to the world.

-He’s on the quiet side. I wouldn’t go so far as to call him mute, but he chooses his words very carefully. If ever he’s unsure of what to say he would rather say nothing than ramble aimlessly. When he does speak, it’s with long pauses and shifting, thinking eyes. Conversations with him tend to move at a crawl.

-He likes gentle people. Eccentric people are fun too, but he prefers gentleness if he must choose one over the other. He got along with Mike before the massacre, but events like that have a way of either cementing or shattering bonds and theirs took the latter hit. I think he’d get along well with several people in the manor, including Luca, Emma, Victor, Eli, and Helena. He’s not exceptionally close with any of them, but few people dislike his presence.

-He’s very good at telling all manner of jokes, but he rarely does anymore. That’s a development from before even the massacre; he was required to employ depreciating humor on stage, both of himself and others, and over the years it caused him to grow heavy with guilt. Now, he may shoot off a pun occasionally, but even that is rare. He really doesn’t like to be the one joking around anymore.

-He does still like doing tricks, though! They’re not his specialty, but he didn’t go all that time in the circus without picking up a thing or two. He’s more than happy to show off these skills if they entertain his friends.

-He’s really good at finding things? It’s basically a supernatural power. If you ever lose something in the manor, he’s a good bet to check in with before you tear your room apart. Honestly sometimes he just shows up to return things before someone even knows they’ve lost it.

-Joker is completely touch starved. At first glance it may seem the opposite, as he tends to move away from incoming contact, but this is only because he often doesn’t know what to expect. As far as kind touches go, he’s given more than he’s received, and always with a nervous, shaking hand. When he has some kind of relationship where contact is both safe and common, he’s attached to your hip.

-On that note, Physical Touch is the best love language for Joker. He also appreciates the other four, but touch is his favorite. He’s a very clingy partner who always wants to sit shoulder-to-shoulder or hold hands. If his partner is less than enthused about PDA, he’s okay with more subtle touches as well, such as hooking your ankles together under the dinner table. Rebuffing his desire for contact too many times can and will result in some seriously hurt feelings. A relationship between him and someone averse to touch probably wouldn’t work in the long run.

[kiwichaeng]

Music Monday

thank you for tagging me @lemonlyman-dotcom

Oh, I love making playlists and listening to music so today I'm gonna be breaking out my tarlos playlist for this

Glowing Review by Maisie Peters

Maybe it's perfect, maybe it's incredibly flawed It doesn't matter, I'm happy honey, I'm locking the door This is our shelter, birthdays are nailed to the fridge What did I tell you, or did I tell you?

ahhh I do just think it fits them so well! If I were get a little specific then post getting back together but really this song works ALL THE TIME for them!

Slow Burn by J.Maya

So used to leaving teardrops on the pages, Watching battles rage, and Writing it all off But you're touching me and, suddenly, it's easy, I'm not even bleeding, But I believe it all

I see this from TK's pov! Maybe post getting together in season 1 vibes? I'm bad at setting time frames but I do know it's their vibe

Down Bad by Taylor Swift

I loved your hostile takeovers Encounters closer and closer All your indecent exposures How dare you say that it's— I'll build you a fort on some planet Where they can all understand it How dare you think it's romantic Leaving me safe and stranded 'Cause fuck it, I was in love So fuck you if I can't have us 'Cause fuck it, I was in love

Is it bad to put a breakup song in here? Maybe! The first time I heard this song like the moment it was released my first thought was "tarlos break up song omg". Anyway I see this from Carlos' POV

I can honestly add so many more and write about just how exactly they all fit (trust me my best friend has sat through it) but I think for now this will be all <3

tags under the cut

@fallout-mars @welcomehometk @liminalmemories21 @carlos-tk @carlos-in-glasses

@goodways @whatsintheboxmh +open tag!

[finncomet]

Did they believe in Santa?: Santa isn't really a thing in Ooo, so no. Only people who seem to be familiar with him are like, Marceline and Simon, aka people who were around before the Great Mushroom Wars 1000+ years earlier. Then again, it was never confirmed whether or not that was a part of human culture that stuck around in Founders' Island, but seeing as Finn wasn't raised there, it doesn't make a difference in his case. It is implied that Santa was one of the bearers of the ice crown, since he's shown in the episode "Broke His Crown".

Were they a dinosaur or rock kid?: Definitely rock kid. This guy used to eat rocks. He probably found all kinds of cool ones on his adventures, especially during dungeon crawls (underground). A lot of them likely had magical properties or curses or whatnot. That's not to say Finn wouldn't be interested in dinosaurs, but to him they wouldn't be much different from any other monster roaming Ooo, so not quite as exciting compared to how modern kids see them. Also, there was an episode where Finn and Jake randomly hitched a ride with pterodactyl? Implying that some dinosaurs are actually around somehow. Maybe a Jurassic Park type scenario.

Bugs or slimy critters?: Both? Though he leans towards bugs due to his previous life as a butterfly. Also he has a roommate who's a worm.

Do they fidget? How?: Yes, definitely. This guy has adhd. It's very hard for him to sit still too long, unless he's actively meditating. He jiggles his legs a lot, fidgets with his hands, scratches his head. Makes weird little sounds. The question is how doesn't he fidget? It gets worse when he's feeling nervous or awkward.

What were they frequently in trouble for as a child?: Well... obviously. This is Finn, he's still frequently in trouble. But it's a different kind of trouble lol. Less 'go to your room' and more 'oh my god are you trying to get killed?' Anyone who's watched Adventure Time knows. That said, his parents having died when he was still pretty young, Jake raised him with a very nonchalant 'let Finn do what he wants' attitude. So he was rarely ever disciplined.

What underwear do they like?: Uh. The normal kind??

Designs on clothing or no?: He goes for very plain and simple outfits. They get destroyed pretty quickly so what's the point.

Birthmarks?: In the episode "Crossover" he claims to have a sideways teardrop birthmark "in like a really weird place." This is obviously some kind of comet shape.

Do they have good self control?: It depends. He can, but there are situations where he absolutely does not. Many situations. He's known for being reckless, and he can't stand to be inactive if he thinks someone needs help. And he's an adrenaline addict.

Favorite franchise?: Idk... the only franchise ever really talked abt in Adventure Time are the "Heat Signature" movies, which are portrayed as some kind of ghost-story psychological thriller/horror. So I do headcanon him liking those kind of movies and stories in general.

Do they re-enact scenarios in the shower?: Sometimes, but a lot of times he's so exhausted he just completely spaces out.

Do they tell the waiter that their order is wrong?: He's not a picky eater, so he probably wouldn't care enough to say anything. If he did, he'd be extremely polite about it, try not to make it a big deal.

Stairs or elevator?: Finn's claustrophobic after what happened with Golb, so not a fan of places like elevators. He'll use one if he has to, but would much rather use stairs.

Are they an exaggerator when telling stories?: Honestly, usually the opposite. He'll just blurt out the most insane sounding life-or-death absolutely twisted scenario like he's talking about going grocery shopping.

Tagged by: @chronicparagon

Tagging: everyone!

[vacantgodling]

author tag

thank you mj ( @mjjune ) beloved <3

i’ll do these for paramoiiiiii (which is pronounced para-MWAH bc i’m kissing it)

1) What is the main lesson of your story (e.g. kindness, diversity, anti-war), and why did you choose it?

oof. paramour has a lot of things going on in it, a lot of which are unintentional but evolved as i began to piece together the characters and the narrative. i don’t think paramour can be boiled down to a singular “main lesson” because i don’t think there’s really a lesson to be HAD. you can definitively read paramour for all of the deep thoughts i have about religion, masculinity, sex, gender presentation, and societal expectations, as well as like the horrors and suffering that greed can bring… or you can just read it as two guys who take the most stupid roundabout way to realize maybe the sex does have feelings. maybe the porn in fact has a little plot.

a lot of the messages woven into paramour have been marinating and maturing in me since 2020 tbh when i really started to allow me to be yknow. MYSELF. and so because i love them they got the projection beam as ya do.

2) What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding (like real-life cultures, animals, famous media, websites, etc.)?

paramour is inspired chiefly by steampunk, rococo fashion, and france. lmao. the entire universe that paramour is in (which includes wips like alizath, teardrops, and that one wip that is new and budding but doesn’t have a name yet) is inspired by me bastardizing and colorizing (aka making every mc and all the characters black) europe bc i’m tired of fantasy, mythology, and history and all the things that i enjoy as a person being dictated and delegated to white people. so a lot of it is also “writing the story that i want to see” etc etc.

paramour specifically was also inspired by (but has moved away from QUITE a bit): hamlet, crimson peak, beauty & the beast, gothic literature (that aspect has heavily stayed) and stuff like that. it’s original name was beauty and the crimson hamlet and it was more of a haunted house thing vs what it’s evolved into now lol.

3) What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

hya is honestly trying to achieve being left the fuck alone and he doesn’t succeed LMAO. i’m not really trying to achieve anything with hya particularly (again you can read into all the things that i put into him and the narrative or he can be just some guy and both are correct tbh) — other than extreme wish fulfillment. though it may not seem this way because hya is a raging dick, he’s ideally what type of person i want to be like in Extreme fantasy land. i wish i was joking but i ain’t. and as such, he gets forgiven of a lot of the things that he does by the narrative or gets his own little happy ending and reasonings why he’s like this which i know some or many people will take issue with. him leaving a corpse in the foyer for example—many will describe him as cruel and callous and “problematic” and they’re right! love that for him 💛 i’m not trying to inspire anyone but myself like when i tell you that paramour is a wip written by me and for me i mean it LOOOOOL like idgaf about what anyone thinks of it 💀 (though i am so happy so many people love paramour as much as i do i didn’t think anyone would care about these assholes but many of my dear friends and other followers have proved me wrong and it’s validating tbh lol)

4) How many chapters is your story going to have?

current outline says 27 but i’m thinking it’s gonna lean closer to 30 just because as i write i realize i need to add in a filler chapter or two. so i’ll say it’ll probably end up being 30–at MAX 35 chapters probably.

5) Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

original 💛 and i still don’t particularly know where i want to publish it meaning idk if i want to go for indie which makes more sense or tryyyy to get trad published but. with the content paramour is and the way the publishing industry is i somehow highly doubt i can get it trad pub. so nothing but snippets online (tumblr) for now. maybe if i go indie i’ll make it readable on a website or whatever cuz i’m not really keen on putting it on amazon. but i may just for the reach. idk! i’m just trying to finish it first.

6) When and why did you start writing?

if we’re talking generally speaking i’ve been making stories since i was like 3 years old. paramour in itself however i made juneteenth (6/19) of 2021. i can’t remember WHY i started it so much as i remember just wanting a wip inspired by crimson peak perhaps? and we have gone WAAAAY off from that but yknow. we move lol.

7) Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of Writeblr? What other writers of Tumblr do you follow?

honestly just write for you. take all advice with a grain of salt and don’t worry about what others think of your writing/your ideas/whatever. there’s something for everyone and you’ll find your people.

other writeblrs/artists/creators whatever i follow and would recommend (and tag to do this if ya want no pressure) are: @kudzucataclysm @henrike-does-writing-sometimes @kazenokaori @magic-is-something-we-create @void-botanist @outpost51 @isherwoodj & consider this an open tag if you would also like to do this :)

[bluejaysandblackbats]

A Yellow Ribbon

Fandom: DC Comics, Young Justice, Flashfam, Superfam

Summary: Conner's been best friends with Bart ever since they met at the carnival when they were children. The problem is that Bart can't remember meeting Conner that night. But Thad does...

Chapters: 5/?

Characters: Clark Kent, Conner Kent, Lois Lane, Bart Allen, Thaddeus Thawne, Don Allen, Meloni Allen, Jonathan "Pa" Kent, Martha Kent, Max Crandall

Relationships: KonBart, KonThad, Clois, MelonixDon, Ma/Pa Kent

Additional Tags: No Powers AU, Mistaken Identity, Possibly Unrequited Love, Unrequited Crush, Twins, Lies, Stolen Moments, Unconventional Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Childhood Friends, Complicated Relationships, Family Dynamics, Family Bonding, Best Friends, Secret Crush, Autistic Bart Allen, Autistic Thad Thawne, Thaddeus Thawne Gets a Hug, Conner Kent-centric, Bisexual Conner Kent, Conner Kent Needs a Hug, Third Person POV, Hurt Clark Kent, Boys in Love, Friendship/Love, Farm/Ranch AU, Farmboy Conner Kent, Grandparents and Grandchildren, Unconventional Families, Unconventional Relationship, Romance, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers, Cyrano

Chapter Five: Sparky and Spike

Barry woke up in the middle of the night to Bart choking. “Hey, Sparky,” Barry whispered, careful to conceal the concern in his voice as he turned the light on. Barry sat Bart up, holding a steadying hand on Bart’s chest. He shook Bart’s inhaler with his free hand and held the comfort-sealed mask over Bart’s mouth and nose. “Okay, work with Grandpa… Breathe out for me.” Bart did his best to obey despite his wracked nerves and pained body. “Now in on the count of three. One… Two… Three.” Bart inhaled as Barry gave him a puff from his inhaler. “Hold it. Hold it… One hundred points, Sparky.” Barry’s shoulders relaxed as Bart started to breathe again.

Tears streamed down Bart’s cheeks as he lay beside his grandfather, clutching the fabric of his pajamas. Barry rubbed his back, trying to offer comfort as best he could. They shared a bed in the apartment because Barry would never sleep if they were apart. “We live in a different universe… Us Allens. Did you know that?” Barry asked. Bart heard the story a million times, but it was his favorite.

“That’s why we’re-.” Bart took a breath in between his tears. “We’re so different from everyone else.”

“That’s right, Sparky,” Barry smiled as he pulled Bart into his lap, cradling him in his arms. “But that’s what makes us unique. You’re still new to this planet, but someday you’ll be big and strong, and the air will be easier to breathe.”

Bart closed his eyes as Barry rocked him. “Grandpa, are the doctors gonna fix me this time?” Bart asked.

“We hope so… It seems promising,” Barry answered honestly.

Bart tried to open his eyes, but he was exhausted, and Barry lay awake, holding his grandson in his arms. “It’s okay to go to sleep. I’ll be up if you need me,” Barry reassured. He couldn’t sleep even if he wanted to.

He texted Clark once Bart went to sleep. “P-Q-R… T-U-. Doggonit. T-U…. T-U… P. Send,” Barry whispered as he struggled with the buttons. Iris forced him to get a cell phone when he volunteered to move with Bart to Metropolis temporarily. She promised he’d get used to it, but he hated struggling with the buttons when he texted.

Clark called, and Barry answered in a hurry to avoid waking Bart. “Is everything okay, Barry?”Clark asked.

“Yeah… I guess-. I needed to talk to somebody,” Barry answered, “He’s only six years old, Clark. He shouldn’t be worried about all this… It’s not fair.” Tears streamed down Barry’s cheeks, and he wiped them away to keep from waking Bart with his teardrops.

“Do you need help with anything, Bar’?” Clark asked. Barry tried to set Bart down, but Bart stirred, tightening his grip on Barry’s shirt.

“No… Well-. I don’t know what I need, Clark. I should thank you and Lois for setting up the video call earlier. It did Bart a lot of good for his mood,” Barry replied.

“No problem… It did Conner a lot of good too. He’s so excited to talk with Bart again,” Clark replied.

“It might not be tomorrow… Bart’s going in for a follow-up because I think he might have a bacterial infection, and he’s still gasping for air in the middle of the night-. Clark, I don’t wanna lose my grandson,” Barry mumbled as he gave way to tears. “I’m sorry, Clark-.”

“No, don’t be sorry,” Clark interrupted, “I could cart you over some coffee or a meal-. Barry, I don’t know if this means anything to you, but I’ll keep your grandson in my prayers.”

“Thank you, Clark… It means everything. I don’t know if I could’ve done this without-. Without you and Conner next door,” Barry replied as he attempted to collect himself. Bart’s hand loosened. Barry listened for the soft whistling of Bart’s breath. “I should-. Um-. I should probably go. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“Okay… Call me if you need anything,” Clark replied. Barry hung up and lay back against the headboard.

“Nobody’s gonna split us up… Huh, Sparky?” Barry whispered. “We’ve made it this far… Just gotta keep fighting with me.”

*

Barry didn’t bother to wake Bart in the morning. He dressed him and packed the hospital bag, double-checking its contents. Current medications and supplements. Books and magazines. Bart’s school journal and pencils. The whiteboards and markers. Spray alcohol and hand sanitizer. Two changes of clothes. Two pairs of pajamas for Bart. His cell phone. His charger. His wallet. Wait… Did he put Bart’s insurance card in his wallet? Did he put Bart’s shoes on? Where is Bart? “Grandpa, I brushed my teeth by myself… See,” Bart whispered as he showed Barry his teeth. Barry picked him up and showered him in kisses. “Gosh, Grandpa, I love you too.”

Barry laughed and set him down. “You ready to go to the doctor?”Barry asked. Bart nodded. “We’ll get you some juice once we get there, okay? And let’s call your mommy and daddy before we go… Let them know you’re alright.”

Barry dialed their number and sat with Bart on his lap. “Hello?” Don answered. “Dad, is everything-?”

“Daddy!” Bart exclaimed despite his sore throat.

“How’s my big boy?” Don questioned in a sugar-sweet voice.

“I brushed my teeth already. I only woke up once last night. Are Mommy and Thad there?” Bart asked.

“Sure are, buddy. Mel! Thad! It’s Bart!” Don called.

“Good morning, Sunshine! Can you take three big boy breaths so I can see how you’re doing?” Meloni asked. Bart obeyed, taking three of the deepest breaths he could before coughing. Barry steadied him, rubbing Bart’s back until he was stable. “Good job, baby.” Meloni’s voice sounded sad despite her attempts to remain upbeat.

“Hi, Smelly,” Thad whispered, “I wrote you a letter… Mommy and Daddy helped. Can you call me when the mail comes?” Thad asked.

“Sure! Hey, Stinky? Are you going to first grade today?” Bart asked.

“I wanted to stay in homeschool, so when you come home, we can play together,” Thad replied, “Grandpa, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m alright… I miss you, Spike,” Barry smiled.

“I miss you too, Grandpa… Hope you have a good day. And I hope Bart has a good day,” Thad replied sheepishly. He always wondered if Barry liked him. Little did he know, Thad was the breath of fresh air he needed on that phone call.

The call was short, and Barry slipped a mask on himself and Bart. He carried Bart straight to the elevator, hoping no one would join them. It was one of the risks Barry took moving to the big city. He had to worry about every social interaction being the one that could end his grandson’s life… But that was the price they paid for better doctors.

[cantstoptheimagines]

taylor swift prompts (part 1)

➳  taylor swift ➳  fearless  ➳  speak now (list coming soon) ➳  red (list coming soon) ➳  1989 (list coming soon) ➳  reputation (list coming soon) ➳  lover (list coming soon) ➳  folklore (list coming soon) ➳  evermore (list coming soon) ➳  midnights (list coming soon)

➳  an asterisk indicates my favorite songs from each album! ➳  these obviously came from lyrics of taylor’s songs! you can send requests by using my ask box! tag me if you use this list! i’d love to see what you come up with! 💗

taylor swift

tim mcgraw ➳  “we woke up to find that summer gone.” ➳  “september saw a month of tears.” ➳  “but in a box beneath my bed is a letter that you never read.”

picture to burn ➳  “i realize you love yourself more than you could ever love me.” ➳  “as far as i’m concerned, you’re just another picture to burn.” ➳  “and if you’re missing me, you’d better keep it to yourself ‘cause coming back around here would be bad for your health.”

teardrops on my guitar  ➳  “i fake a smile so he won’t see.” ➳  “i’ll bet she’s beautiful, that girl he talks about.” ➳  “she’s got everything that i have to live without.” ➳  “i can’t even see anyone when he’s with me.” ➳  “i wonder if he knows he’s all i think about at night.” ➳  “i’ll put his picture down and maybe get some sleep tonight.” ➳  “the only one who’s got enough of me to break my heart.”

a place in this world  ➳  “even though i’m not the only one who feels the way i do.” ➳  “i’m alone, on my own, and that’s all i know.” ➳  “i’m wearing my heart on my sleeve.”

cold as you ➳  “you have a way of coming easily to me.” ➳  “when you take, you take the very best of me.” ➳  “i start a fight ‘cause i need to feel something.” ➳  “and you do what you want ‘cause i’m not what you wanted.” ➳  “i’ve never been anywhere cold as you.” ➳  “and you come away with a great little story of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you.” ➳  “but i cried—! cried for you!” ➳  “and i know you wouldn’t have told nobody if i died for you!”

the outside  ➳  “nobody ever lets me in.” ➳  “and i can still see you. this ain’t the best view, on the outside looking in.” ➳  “i’ve been a lot of lonely places.” ➳  “you saw me there, but never knew that i would give it all up to be a part of this. a part of you.” ➳  “no one notices until it’s too late to do anything.”

tied together with a smile ➳  “seems the only one who doesn’t see your beauty is the face in the mirror looking back at you.” ➳  “you walk around here thinking you’re not pretty, but that’s not true.” ➳  “you don’t tell anyone that you might not be the golden one.” ➳  “you’re tied together with a smile, but you’re coming undone.” ➳  “i guess it’s true that love was all you wanted ‘cause you’re giving it away like it’s extra change.” ➳  “it’s not his price to pay.”

stay beautiful ➳  “he whispers songs into my window, in words that nobody knows.” ➳  “there’s pretty girls on every corner! they watch him as he’s walking home!” ➳  “you’re beautiful. every little piece, love.” ➳  “you’re really gonna be someone!” ➳  “when you find everything you’ve looked for, i hope your love leads you back to my door.” ➳  “it’s hard to make a conversation when he’s taking my breath away.” ➳  “if you and i are a story that never gets told...” ➳  “if what you are is a daydream i’ll never get to hold...” ➳  “will you stay beautiful?”

*should’ve said no ➳  “it’s strange to think the songs we used to sing.” ➳  “even now, just looking at you feels wrong.” ➳  “it was a moment of weakness.” ➳  “you should’ve said, ‘no!’, and you might still have me!” ➳  “you should’ve gone home!” ➳  “you should’ve thought twice before you let it all go!” ➳  “you should’ve known that word about what you did with her would get back to me!”  ➳  “i should’ve been there, in the back of your mind!” ➳  “i shouldn’t be asking myself, ‘why?’” ➳  “you shouldn’t be begging for forgiveness at my feet!” ➳  “you know all the right things to say, tut do you honestly expect me to believe we could ever be the same?” ➳  “was it worth it?! was she worth this?!”

mary’s song (oh my my my) ➳  “i looked at you like the stars that shine.” ➳  “our daddies used to joke about the two of us growing up and falling in love.” ➳  “take me back to the house in the backyard tree.” ➳  “take me back to when our world was one block wide.” ➳  “i dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried!” ➳  “just two kids, you and i.” ➳  “our daddies used to joke about the two of us. they never believed we’d really fall in love.” ➳  “take me back to the creek beds we turned up.” ➳  “all i need is you next to me.” ➳  “take me back to the time we had our very first fight, slamming of doors instead of kissing goodnight.” ➳  “you stayed outside till the morning light.” ➳  “we were sitting at our favorite spot in town. and you looked at me, got down on one knee.” ➳  “take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle. you said, ‘i do!’, and i did too.” ➳  “take me home, where we met so many years before. we’ll rock our babies on that very front porch.” ➳  “after all this time, you and i.” ➳  “i’ll be eighty-seven, you’ll be eighty-nine. i’ll still look at you like the stars that shine.”

our song ➳  “he’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel, the other on my heart.” ➳  “i was just thinking about how we don’t have a song.” ➳  “sneaking out late, tapping on your window.” ➳  “when we’re on the phone, you talk real slow ‘cause it’s late and your mama don’t know.” ➳  “our song is the way you laugh!” ➳  “man, i didn’t kiss her, and i should have!” ➳  “i almost didn’t notice all the roses.” ➳  “waited for something to come along.”

*i heart ? ➳  “they said love was complicated, but it’s something i just fell into.” ➳  “i came out alive, but i’m black and blue.” ➳  “before you ask me if i’m alright, think about what i had to do.” ➳  “wake up and smell the break up!” ➳  “i’ll bet you thought you beat me!” ➳  “i got an ‘i heart ?’, written on the back of my hand!” ➳  “i’d be fine if you’d just walked by, but you had to talk about why you were wrong and i was right!” ➳  “i can’t believe you made me sit at home and cry like a baby!” ➳  “and now you ask about you and i! there’s no you and i!” ➳  “realize that we won’t make up!” ➳  “it didn’t go the way you planned!” ➳  “and you’ll know you didn’t beat me!”

i’m only me when i’m with you ➳  “in a field behind your yard, you and i are painting pictures of the sky.” ➳  “sometimes we don’t say a thing, just listen to the crickets sing.” ➳  “everything i need is right here by my side.” ➳  “i don’t wanna live without you.” ➳  “you drive me crazy half the time, the other half i’m only trying to let you know that what i feel is true.” ➳  “i’m only me when i’m with you.” ➳  “and i don’t try to hide my tears, my secrets, or my deepest fears. through it all, nobody gets me like you do.” ➳  “you know everything about me.” ➳  “you say that you can’t live without me.” ➳  “when i’m with anybody else, it’s so hard to be myself, and only you can tell.” ➳  “only you can tell.”

invisible ➳  “she can’t see the way your eyes light up when you smile.” ➳  “she’ll never notice how you stop and stare whenever she walks by.” ➳  “you can’t see me wanting you the way you want her.” ➳  “you are everything to me.” ➳  “she don’t even know you!” ➳  “she’s never gonna love you like i want to!” ➳  “you just see right through me!” ➳  “there’s a fire inside of you.” ➳  “she’s never gonna see the light, no matter what you do.” ➳  “all i think about is how to make you think of me! and everything that we could be!” ➳  “i just wanna open your eyes and make you realize!” ➳  “let me love you! let me want you!”

a perfectly good heart ➳  “why would you wanna take our love and tear it all apart?” ➳  “maybe i should’ve seen the signs.” ➳  “should’ve read the writing on the wall and realized by the distance in your eyes that i would be the one to fall.” ➳  “no matter what you say, i still can’t believe that you would walk away.” ➳  “how do i get it back to the way it was before?” 

[keikokasugawitch-blog]

Ok, so I'm finally home and I can relax and take my time with the big ass url that I carry, I hate myself (not for the first time).

Thank you to @yeahthatswhatimtolkienabout for the tag, I honestly feel very honored (and giddy).

Pleas expect me to "cheat" a little, English is not my first language and I am going to take liberties (such as using Spanish named songs, and Japanese titles of songs, in general, I'll be pulling from different sources).

Let's begin!

Kryptonite (3 Doors Down)

Este Corazón (RBD)

If Our Love Is Wrong (Calum Scott)

Kimi no Uso (VALSHE)

Oh My God ((G)I-DLE)

Kimi no Namida ni Konna ni Koi Shiteru (Natsuiro)

Aléjate de Mí (Camila)

Stand Out Fit In (ONE OK ROCK)

Utsukushii Hire (Splitz)

Gotta Be Somebody (Nickelback)

Ainsi bas la vida (Indila)

WangXian (Wu En & Yu Xia)

In My Room (Thousand Foot Krutch)

The Winner Takes it All (ABBA)

Church Bells (Carry Underwood)

Here Comes Goodbye (Rascal Flatts)

- (What do I even put here? XD)

Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)

Lucy (Skillet)

Only Teardrops (Emmelie de Forest)

Gone Too Soon (Daughtry)

Alright, this was... surprisingly hard to sort out, goes to show how I don't actually remember most names of the songs I know

Soooo, tagging... @darkness0030 (if you're even still on this site XD)

And, since I don't know many people here, I hope @inconveniently-discorporated, @bookdragonlibrary and @veliseraptor don't mind if I tag them here ^^

URL song titles || tagged by @teeveeyou

Rules: spell your url with song titles and tag as many people as there are letters

Don’t || billy currington

Any man of mine || shania twain

Valerie || amy winehouse

Everybody wants to rule the world || lorde

Keep it to yourself || kacey musgraves

At now || anna nalick

Take it back || reba mcentire

Zero to hero || Hercules

Devil in a dress || teddy swims

Everyday || buddy holly

Flowers || chris young

Everything that glitters (is not gold) || dan seals

Never enough || citizen queen

Sin wagon || the chicks

Email my heart || britney spears

Second wind || maren morris

Queens don’t || raelynn

Under the water || the pretty reckless

Anarchy || lilith czar

Desperado || rihanna

tagging: @the-clones-are-my-babies @maddy-hat @xxstarryrosesxx @chevx @jesslunardelli @doing-90mph-in-central-london @shoemakerobstetrician @frowley @yeahthatswhatimtolkienabout @nightgoodomens @rebeccasteventaylor @edhappy-is-you @tokyoterri2 @billiebuchanan @alexsrousseau @freakishfandomfiend @johnthefwee @septumchunks @wiley-treehouse-gardens @taurielofmirkwood77777

[rowansparrow]

What Blooms in Thunder: Chapter Eighteen

Now featuring a super sexy super gorgeous super STUNNING new banner by @galacticgraffiti​ !!!

(Art courtesy of @/space-b33 and @/imrowanartist)

Summary: After safely rescuing the prisoners from the transport ship, Rex surprises you with something he’d been planning for quite some time. 

Chapter Rating: Mature

Warnings: Violence, pregnancy mention, discussions of pregnancy, threatened/implied gore, references to alien anatomy, threatened/implied beheading, executions, implied character death.

Reminder that I use #ro’s protected tag for sensitive content including n*fw and triggers, so please block that tag if you have concerns about content!

Ships: Captain Rex x Female!Reader,  Lieutenant Rose x Female!Reader, Fives x Male!OC.

Word Count: 9k

A/N: I am so sorry in advance.

Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this story. I hope you enjoy!

If I missed anything in the warnings/tags that you feel should be included, please let me know.

Thank you @djarrex for beta-reading! 

Tag List Form. Series Master List

Reblogs are SO appreciated!

“After Umbara, they sent me back to Kamino.” Dogma said quietly. “I thought I was destined for reconditioning – and honestly, I probably was. But Master Ti intervened.”

The clone carefully recounted his journey, staring at the floor instead of into the eyes of his three brothers, who listened intently opposite him while Quill guided their vessel back home.

“She suggested I be retrained, rather than reconditioned.” Dogma explained. “Something away from the battlefield, where I could put my brains to good use.” He chuckled humorlessly. “I think she sold it to the Kaminoans as a ‘cost-saving initiative,’ but I knew she was doing it to look out for me.”

He finally dragged his eyes up off the ground, giving Fives a heartbroken look. “I was there, when you arrived with Tup. Master Ti kept me away. She didn’t want me to – well, she didn’t want me behaving like you were. Or getting infected with whatever it was that got to Tup.”

“But he wasn’t infected with anything.” Fives protested softly. “It was the chips.”

“I know.” Dogma said. “I saw everything you’d found out. The clones who were with Master Ti when you were arrested, the medics who had to wipe the portals you’d researched, practically everyone was talking about it. It was all… whispers, really, all of us trying to convince ourselves that the chip was just to control aggression like Nala Se had said.”

He inhaled. “I managed to get ahold of that AZI unit of yours before he was scrapped. I kept him safe, wiped his memory so he wouldn’t be a target, but I left the knowledge of the chips in his core memory, that way if anything happened to me, someone else would hopefully figure it out.”

He tapped the side of his forehead. “Had the little bugger take my chip out before anybody could figure out what I was up to. I kept waiting to go mad, like Tup, or like they said you went mad, but nothing happened.” He scrubbed a hand tiredly over his face, his thumb catching under his right eye. “Got this tattoo after I heard about Tup.” He said quietly, motioning to the new teardrop under his eye. “And I – I could barely believe what had been done to you too. I couldn’t believe you were still alive, when I heard your name cross the Rebellion channels I -.” He shook his head, catching himself.

“How’d you and Wolffe end up together?” Rex asked.

“Pure dumb luck.” Dogma huffed a short laugh. “He was on Kamino when the order came through. Poor son of a droid had been critically wounded at a campaign just days prior, and it was bad enough to send him back to the motherland for recovery.” Dogma’s half-smile faded. “So… so he wasn’t there, when his men got the order. He only heard about General Plo being shot down after he woke up from the procedure.”

“Procedure?” Fives prompted.

“I panicked.” Dogma explained. “When the Order went through, I knew it was the chips. It had to be. Wolffe – he was closest, he was the first one I could grab and get into a medical bay. So, while everyone else was distracted – some situation with rogue clones escaping with a kid – I took Wolffe’s chip out too.”

He shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself for a moment. “He was pretty out of it when he woke up. Didn’t understand what had happened or what was going on. I had to explain everything to him, had to convince him to flee with me while we had the chance.”

��It must’ve been Clone Force 99.” Rex said, looking to Fives and Gol’Chek. “They were what distracted the other clones.”

“Whatever it was, we got damned lucky.” Dogma continued. “Everyone was so wrapped up in dealing with that mess, and so many clones were being shuttled on and off Kamino at that point anyway, Wolffe and I were able to slip onto a shuttle and escape virtually undetected.” He laughed humorlessly. “I dunno if there’re any gods out there, but if there are, they sure were with us that day.”

“So, how’d you end up running with Mandalorians, then?” Gol’Chek interjected.

“We landed on some Outer Rim shithole with no credits, no chain codes, no nothing.” Dogma said. “We didn’t really have a plan, we were just trying to put as much distance between us and the Empire as possible.” He took a deep breath. “And that’s when they found us.”

Dogma picked at the fabric of his gloves, looking away again. “They offered us food and shelter, but they wouldn’t show their faces. There were a handful of small kids who weren’t wearing helmets, but most of them had hoods up instead. They said they fled Mandalore when Maul took it over, and they’d been living in a secret covert ever since, just trying to survive.”

Dogma lifted his head again, shrugging. “Frankly, they gave me the creeps. Wouldn’t take their helmets off, not even to eat or drink. At least, not in front of us. They had this – this creed they followed, told Wolffe all about it. He was fascinated by it all. I think he just wanted someplace to belong again.”

“So Wolffe joined their covert?” Rex asked.

Dogma nodded. “We split up for a while after that, and that’s when I got my hands on that rebel commlink.” He continued. “I contacted Wolffe, let him know the things I was overhearing, and he shared it with the covert. They were willing to help, so long as it didn’t endanger them or their foundlings, so Wolffe and I became Fulcrum together.”

“What about Ahsoka?” Rex interjected quickly. “You mentioned you’d spoken to her.”

Dogma looked sheepish. “Not – not directly.” He admitted. “A friend of a friend put us in touch with Bail Organa, who has apparently been in contact with Commander Tano. We were given information on the Fulcrum mantle from him.”

“There are others working against the Empire.” Fives realized, looking between Rex and Gol’Chek. “If Senator Organa is still alive and working against them, then surely others are too.”

“Which is why now more than ever we need to organize, create a formal Rebellion and begin fighting back.” Gol’Chek said firmly. “We can begin by establishing bases on other planets, we can’t keep all our eggs in one basket on Dantooine.”

“Gol’s right, we have stronger numbers now.” Fives said. “With the people we’ve freed, we can begin to spread out and relocate. Senator Organa may know of other people willing to rise up and fight too.”

Rex turned to Dogma. “Can we count on you?”

Dogma nodded at once. “Of course sir, for anything.”

Rex grinned. “Then it’s good to have you back, trooper.”

~

You and Ju’Lah waited side by side, watching as Rex’s shuttle landed. You released a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding and turned to Ju’Lah.

“You promise you’ll tell your dad about those dreams?”

Ju’Lah nodded, not taking her eyes off the ship. Just like you, she heaved a soft sigh of relief when the platform dropped and her Buir emerged unharmed.

You hurried over to Rex, throwing your arms tightly around his shoulders while his arms went around your waist, holding you as gently as he could with your belly protruding between the two of you.

“Told you we’d be fine.” Rex said cheekily, pulling back to study your face. “Everything okay here?”

You hesitated. “It will be.” You decided on finally. “I’ll tell you later.”

Rex raised an eyebrow, but kept his questions in check for now, instead turning to watch as Gol’Chek knelt, catching Ju’Lah in his embrace.

Athena, who had landed on Dantooine before Rex and the others caught up, jogged over to the landing platform. Fives beamed at her, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“Can’t believe we pulled it off.” He said eagerly, pulling back to look at her. “Where are they?”

“Getting settled. Most of ‘em were starving and some were injured, so I’m having Soto give each of them a once over and then sending them straight to the village to get some food and rest.” Athena explained, unable to hide her smile. “We did it, we saved every last one of ‘em.”

“Has anyone heard from Clone Force 99?” Rex asked.

“They checked in shortly before arriving on Daro but we haven’t heard from them since.” You said, looking between Rex and Gol’Chek as the warrior straightened back up, holding Ju’Lah’s hand in his own.

“That’s too long.” Gol’Chek said. “Did you try contacting them?”

“Of course we did, but we didn’t get a response.” Ju’Lah replied. “We’re hoping that nothing’s happened, and they’re just still doing exfil.”

Rex and Gol’Chek exchanged a serious look.

“I’ll see what I can find out.” Gol’Chek said before Rex could speak. “You go on home, take care of her. Ju’Lah, with me.”

Rex nodded gratefully to Gol’Chek, turning back to you. “We’ll need to debrief,” he said apologetically. “And we’ll need to get Dogma settled somewhere, he’s a bit jumpy, but -.”

“Dogma?” You cut him off. “He’s alive? He’s here?”

As if on cue, Dogma finally stepped out of the shuttle, his hesitancy painfully obvious as he clung to his helmet in his hands. He met your eyes briefly before quickly averting them, instead electing to shadow Fives, stepping up behind him and squaring his shoulders.  

“You picked up another stray, I see.” Athena commented, looking him over.

“This is Dogma,” Fives introduced. “Otherwise known as Fulcrum. One of them, at least.”

“I was right?” You asked, surprised. “Who was the other one?”

“Wolffe.” Rex reported, keeping his arm around you. “He… has other engagements.”

You turned to Dogma, giving him a small smile. “It’s good to see you again.” You offered.

Dogma only nodded, looking very out of place. Fives shoved him gently on the shoulder.

“It’s alright,” the trooper promised. “You’re among friends here, brother. Let’s find you some civvies, yeah? I’m sure you’re half-starved too.”

“We can take him,” you offered at once. “Come with us, you can stay with us tonight until we find somewhere to put you. And Rex has extra clothes.”

Dogma glanced at Fives, who nodded. “It’s alright.” Fives repeated. “I’ll come get you later if you’d like.”

Dogma seemed to relax a fraction, and trailed after you and Rex instead. “Thank you.” He said quietly, keeping his head down.

“Of course.” You soothed, reaching to touch his arm. “You’ll feel better once you’re out of your armor. You can clean up a bit, get some food in you, and Rex’ll give you some clothes.”

Dogma nodded, a little dazedly, and looked you over. “Er, congratulations ma’am.” He offered, gesturing to your belly. “Don’t think that was there the last time I was at the Lounge.”

You laughed, and even Rex cracked a smile. “No, no he wasn’t.”

Dogma huffed a soft laugh. “The two of you, then?” He asked, nodding his head towards your belly again. “Wow, that’s – congratulations, sir.”

“Thank you.” Rex swelled with pride, one hand wrapping around your hips as the three of you walked home.

Rex directed Dogma upstairs to shower and get changed out of his armor once you’d arrived back at home, and you immediately busied yourself getting food ready for him, certain he was hungry. When Rex returned, he took over cooking for you at once, pulling out a chair for you to sit instead.

“How many people did you end up recovering?” You asked, sighing softly as you settled into the kitchen chair, one hand over your belly.

“Over fifty.” Rex said proudly, glancing at you over his shoulder. “No casualties either. Everyone made it out. There were even some clones among the prisoners. Clones with their chips in who still defected.”

“What?” You asked, shocked. “Is that possible?”

“It appears so. We can learn a lot from them.” Rex said quietly. “It’ll help us figure out how to help the rest of the clones.”

He turned back to you, leaning back slightly against the counter. “What did you want to tell me?”

You hesitated, but only for a moment. “Ju’Lah’s been having visions.” You explained, and you recounted what the Garbak child had told you back in the Command Center after everyone else had left. Rex listened, his eyebrows knitting together in concern as you spoke.

“Does Gol’Chek know?” He asked.

“She promised she’d tell him once he returned.” You said. “Do you have any idea what it means?”

Rex shook his head, scrubbing a hand across his jaw in thought. “No, but if Ju’Lah’s having visions like that then… it can’t be good.” He pushed himself up off the counter, turning back to the stove. “I’ll speak with Gol’Chek about it and see what he thinks. Maybe he’ll have some insight into how seriously we should interpret what she’s been seeing.”

You nodded, wrapping your arms around yourself. Behind you, Dogma padded back down the stairs, dressed in a loose tunic and pants of Rex’s.

“Hey, brother.” Rex motioned for him to sit. “We’ve got food for you.”

Dogma settled himself into the table, his hands shaking slightly as he took the bowl from Rex.

“Everything alright?” You asked.

“Yeah, yeah it’s just -.” Dogma closed his eyes for a moment, a small smile creasing his tired features. “It’s just good to feel safe for once.”

Your heart ached for him, and you put a hand on his knee. “You’re safe now, Dogma. We’re all safe here.”

A soft knock at the door made Dogma jolt, and before any of you could move to open it, Fives pushed open the door on his own, holding Ju’Lah’s hand as he led her inside.

“Hey.” He said grimly. “We’ve got a problem.”

“What is it?” Rex asked, looking between him and Ju’Lah, who was rubbing her eyes and leaning into Fives as much as she could without falling over.

“Clone Force 99 just landed a few minutes ago. Hunter’s been captured.” Fives reported. “They’ve dropped off Gregor and took Gol’Chek with them, they’re going back to Kamino to rescue him.”

“That’s insanity.” Dogma spoke before anyone else could. “Kamino’s a hotbed of Imperials, they’d be going straight into the Gundark’s nest.”

“It’s Hunter.” Fives repeated, looking instead to Rex. “They wouldn’t hear any sort of reason. They asked for help, and Gol’Chek volunteered. With his staff, he’s probably the strongest of us anyway.” Fives sighed. “They’re in good hands with him.”

“That doesn’t mean anything!” You said, raising your voice slightly in a panic. “They’re going to Kamino, Fives. That’s – they’ll be dealing with the Empire face to face, there’s nowhere for them to run, nowhere to hide, what if they -.”

Fives pressed a finger to his lips, shaking his head and inclining his head down towards Ju’Lah, who had hidden her face in Fives’ abdomen even more since the conversation had begun.

“They…” You trailed off, finding your voice and trying again. “They’re very… capable.” You tried. “And with Gol’Chek, they’ll be alright. They’ll get Hunter back, and they’ll come back home. They’ll be fine.”

“I’m keeping an eye on the kid until Gol gets back.” Fives continued, giving you a grateful look at your comment. “I wanted to update you and check in on Dogma. You okay to stay here tonight, brother?”

Dogma nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Good,” Fives sighed softly, glancing back down at Ju’Lah. “How about you, kid? You ready to head home?” He shook her hand gently in his, trying to get her to look up at him. When she didn’t, he crouched down, lifting her into his embrace and holding her in his arms instead, letting her bury her face in his neck.

“I’m gonna get her home.” He murmured. “We’ll talk through the next steps in the morning.”

“What about Gol’Chek?” You asked.

“He’s already left with them.” Rex replied. “There’s nothing for us to do but wait for them to come back.”

Fives agreed, nodding once and rubbing Ju’Lah’s back gently as he stepped back out into the night, carrying the child home with him.

“Is that his kid?” Dogma asked once Fives left, shaking his head. “You’ve joined the rebellion, Fives has a kid, you’ve got yourself a wife now. What all have I missed?”

“A lot.” Rex chuckled. “No, that isn’t his kid. Gol’Chek, the man who was with us… I don’t think you ever met him, but he used to go by the name Rose. The kid is his. Sort of.”

Your heart fluttered. Dogma had called you Rex’s wife, and Rex didn’t correct him. 

“I’ve heard of him.” Dogma said softly. “I guess that’s what he meant when he said he came back to life, huh?”

“I’ll fill you in.” Rex promised, motioning for Dogma to follow him into the living room so they could sit and talk.

You excused yourself, going on to bed to give the boys the time to speak to one another privately.

You pressed your hand over your belly as you settled into your side of the bed to wait for Rex, feeling Calder stir under your hand.

“It’s okay, baby boy.” You promised, thinking about Gol’Chek on Kamino, and Ju’Lah’s harrowing visions. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be alright.”

You took a deep breath. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

~

Gol’Chek returned with the Bad Batch in two days’ time.

It was very early in the morning when they arrived, still dark and well before the rest of the village awoke, and you joined Rex and Athena at the Command Center as they disembarked.

They trudged forth from the Havoc Marauder, Omega in Hunter’s arms and the rest of the batch looking particularly forlorn. Even Gol’Chek barely lifted his head in greeting, eyes tired and bloodshot when you and Rex approached him.

“Gol’Chek -.”

“Kamino’s gone.” He interrupted Rex, and what you had previously assumed was exhaustion you now recognized as grief. “The Empire destroyed it. It’s all gone.”

You turned to Rex, watching as his expression settled into one of similar mourning. “Were there any brothers -.”

“No, far as I could tell, it was abandoned save for us. Though I didn’t get to the growth chambers, so there could’ve been -.” He shook his head, not wanting to think of the possibility of infant clones being slaughtered by the Empire. “We uh, we’ve got an extra passenger too.”

He nodded his head back towards the Marauder, where a familiar trooper stepped down the ramp. He kept his head down, his eyes darting around as though scoping out the area. His wrists were in binders, and Echo held his shoulder, keeping him marching forward.

“Crosshair?” Rex said, impressed. “He came with you?”

“No, he wanted to stay behind.” Gol’Chek replied. “Wanted to sit there and pout on the landing platform until he starved to death I guess, but Hunter and Omega weren’t having that.” He nodded towards Crosshair. “He claims his chip is out, but I don’t buy it. We’re going to have him scanned before we take off the binders.”

“You brought him back here?” Athena asked, lowering her voice. “He was with the Empire, if we let him go, he could contact them and bring them down on all of us.”

“Hunter’s convinced he won’t.” Gol’Chek shrugged. “We couldn’t just leave him there. He saved Omega.” He nodded once over his shoulder to where Echo and Tech were leading Crosshair away. A little droid floated along behind them, seemingly babbling away at Echo and pointing at Crosshair. “We’ll get him checked out and we’ll go from there.”

The warrior sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “Now, where’s my daughter?”

“She’s been staying with Fives and Quill, I’m sure she’s asleep.” You murmured. “Gol’Chek, did she tell you about her visions?”

Gol’Chek turned towards you at once. “Her what?”

“She’s been having dreams, a recurring vision. She said it’s part of her – her power.” You clunkily explained. “She was supposed to tell you about them.”

“No, no she didn’t mention anything to me.” Gol’Chek frowned. “I’ll see what I can find out from her.”

“We need to plan our next move.” Athena said. “I’ll get Ju’Lah and wake up Fives and Quill, they need to be in on this.”

“It can wait until dawn.” Gol’Chek murmured. “One crisis at a time, Athena.”

“But -.”

“One crisis at a time.” Gol’Chek repeated. “I just watched my home planet burn. Let me take a fucking nap.”

Athena backed off, nodding once as she lowered her gaze. “Right. I’m sorry.” She murmured, glancing instead to you and Rex. “I’ll… touch base with everyone sometime after the sun’s risen.”

You thanked her quietly, taking Rex’s hand as Gol’Chek brushed quietly past you, scrubbing a hand down his face as he made his way towards his home.

“Are you alright?”

The Captain nodded, though grief was still written across his expression. “I hadn’t been back to Kamino in a long time.” He said quietly. “I always thought…” He trailed off, shaking his head and squeezing your hand tighter. “Come on.” He murmured, his voice sounding somewhat defeated. “Let’s go home.”

You let your Captain lead you back home, your thoughts still drifting quietly out to Kamino, and wondering what other planets the Empire could be targeting. 

You thought back to Ju’Lah’s visions, and you repressed a shudder, holding your Captain’s hand a little tighter still.

~

The next day was quiet.

You leaned tiredly against your Captain, fighting to keep your eyes open. What little sleep you’d managed to get after you and your Captain returned to bed had been plagued with nightmares, and had been fitful. That, coupled with rising early for the briefing had you dead on your feet.

The others all stood around the holo-table, each of them delivering their own updates and debriefing on what they knew.

“We were able to use AZI to remove the chips in Howzer, Gregor, and the other clones we rescued from the transport ship, but Crosshair’s third scan returned negative.” Hunter murmured, his arms folded across his broad chest. “He can’t have gotten his chip removed. This isn’t my brother.” 

Soteria and Hunter had been working closely with one another, trying to conclusively determine whether Crosshair still had his inhibitor chip in his head, and if so, if it was active. The little droid the Batch had recovered from Kamino – which Fives had very excitedly identified at once by the name AZI – had done three scans thus far, and all three times, had found nothing.

“People change, Hunter.” Fives said quietly, his voice grim. “If Crosshair’s allegiance lies with the Empire, then we -.”

“We aren’t executing him.” Hunter barked.

“I wasn’t going to suggest that.” Fives raised his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying, I’m not sure he’s someone we can trust yet, and I think you need to be aware of that.”

“We can’t keep treating him like a prisoner either, that isn’t how we’ll earn his trust!” Hunter protested. “We have to let him go, let him come to us on his own.”

“You talk about him like he’s a feral loth cat.” Athena drawled. “I won’t risk jeopardizing everything we’ve built here for one man. Get him under control.”

“He wanted to come with us.” Omega piped up softly from her spot around the table. “I could tell. He just… he felt like he couldn’t.” She looked up at Hunter. “He wanted us to want him back.”

“Of course we want him back. But ‘Mega, he betrayed us, he -.”

“No.” Omega shook her head. “We left him. Even if he doesn’t have the chip in anymore, he started with the chip in. He must have.” She murmured. “I imagine he feels every bit as betrayed as you do.”

“Whatever he feels, it’s for your group to sort out.” Athena said. “We’ve got bigger problems. Dogma?”

“I’ve been in touch with Wolffe.” Dogma reported, tapping something into the holo-table and pulling up a map. “The Empire has been moving through former Republic spaces and resuming their conquest. Most old Republic space has fallen, the Empire has near-complete control.”

To Dogma’s left, Gregor chuckled, rubbing the back of his head absently. “Yeah, they’ve been picking their way through any former Republic spaces, one by one. Won’t be long before they start looking to new planets, like this one.”

You hadn’t met Gregor before, and Rex had told you the previous night that he’d suffered serious brain damage during his time with the Republic. He seemed kind enough, if not a little odd, but his cavalier way of discussing the invasion of your home made your stomach turn.

Athena rubbed her jaw, glancing to her left. “Quill?”

“We have the numbers to try and start another rebellion on another planet.” Quill said. “We were thinking Florrum would be a viable option. The Empire isn’t interested in that space.”

“How soon can you get out there?”

“I can leave with a team of people as soon as possible.” Quill said. “We can scout the area, find a good place to settle, and then go from there.”

“Take at least ten with you.” Athena instructed. “Leave as soon as you’re able.”

“I can go.” Howzer offered. “So can my boys. We’d blend in better if there happens to be Empire patrols in any of the cities.”

“Good, take Howzer and any of his men, maybe Gregor too, plus a few of our own.” Athena added. “We need to create a network, a Rebellion. We need to begin fighting back.”

“Once we begin to migrate to other planets, we’ll have a better understanding of what we’re capable of.” Rex continued. “And maybe we’ll be able to keep recruiting others into our cause. We can start to really push back against the Empire, even if it’s just in small ways.”

You tuned them out as they continued to talk, eyes instead drifting over to Gol’Chek and Ju’Lah. Ju’Lah stood close by her Buir, her gaze distant and distracted as Gol’Chek spoke with the others. She caught you looking, and quickly turned her head, avoiding your gaze.

The child had seemed oddly muted ever since your conversation about her visions earlier that week, and you wondered how much they were plaguing her.

You tuned back in as the briefing began to wrap up, and you sighed softly, touching your belly before glancing up at Rex.

“I think I’m going to head back to bed. Do you need anything?”

Rex shook his head. “No, I think I’m alright. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” You promised, and lowered your voice. “Ju’Lah seems tired too.”

“I noticed.” Rex agreed. “I spoke to Gol’Chek about it. He says they’d discussed her visions but she’s been having nightmares. He talked about taking her out in the Cord for a day or two to get her out of the village, just to help her clear her head.”

“That might be a good idea.” You said, glancing over your shoulder at them again. “She’s far too young to be carrying this kind of weight on her shoulders. She wasn’t raised to be a warrior.”

Rex nodded, his expression thoughtful as he glanced down at you. “There’s a part of the Mando’a wedding vows that say, ‘we will raise warriors,’” He began slowly, wrapping his arm around your hip as you walked. “I’m not sure I want our son to be raised as a warrior like I was.”

“He won’t be.” You promised. “Our son, he won’t be bred to fight like you were. We’ll give him a life of peace, Rex. I promise. That’s what we’re fighting for now, is it not?” You squeezed his hands. “We’re fighting for the world we want our son to live in.”

You held his hands in yours, kissing him gently again, then gasped softly.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, he just –.” You chuckled, guiding Rex’s hands to your swollen belly. “He always kicks when you’re nearby. He’s been kicking much harder lately is the only problem.” You sighed, rubbing your belly where your son’s little foot had drilled into you. “It hurts.”

“Be good to your Mama.” Rex scolded gently, pressing another kiss to your cheek. “I’ve got to go, I need to talk with Howzer, Gregor, and Quill about who they’re taking tomorrow to scout out the new base.”

You kissed him one last time, smiling after him as he took off, and you wandered back to your home alone.

~

It was several hours later when you heard a knock on your front door. When you opened it, you were surprised to find Gol’Chek. He was handsome, with his hair swept back and that one stubborn curl dancing on his forehead, dressed in a very elegant grey and silver tunic with black trim around the edges.

“Hi.” He said with a small smile. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” You pulled the door open wider, letting him step inside. “You look very nice, what’re you so dressed up for?”

“Can’t a man dress nicely for a pretty woman?” He teased back, leaning slightly against the counter and watching you with dark eyes. “You want to change?”

“What’s wrong with what I’ve got on?” You said, glancing down at yourself. You were wearing one of Rex’s t-shirts and a pair of baggy coveralls – one of the few clothing items you owned that accommodated how bulky you’d become.

“I thought you might like a walk.” Gol’Chek said, changing the subject rather abruptly. “Care to join me?”

You frowned at him. “You’re a rotten liar. You always have been. So’s Rex. And Fives.” You giggled. “Maybe it’s the genes.”

“I’m sure.” Gol’Chek said, offering you his arm. You looped your own through his, leaning into him as he led you out of the house and down to the street, but instead of turning towards the city’s center, he turned towards the woods, near the edge of the village.

“What are we doing?”

“Walking.” Gol’Chek answered, patting your hand lightly. “How are you feeling? How’s my nephew?” He changed the subject abruptly again, but you indulged him.

“He’s growing, and very, very active. I imagine he’ll be wild when he’s young. He’s got that feel to him.” You mused, putting your other hand on your belly as you walked. “He’s… he’s smart, too. He knows when certain people are around. He moves differently, and I can – it’s silly, but I feel like I know what he’s thinking.”

“Oh?” Gol’Chek raised an eyebrow. “And what does he think of me?”

“He’s fond of you.” You smiled, leaning into him. “He’s been doing somersaults ever since he heard your voice.”

Gol’Chek chuckled, looking back towards the horizon. “I can’t wait to meet him. And any that come after.”

It was your turn to laugh. “One thing at a time.”

You stopped curiously, spotting Omega and Ju’Lah peeking around a corner of one of the nearby houses. Squatting in the dirt next to them was Kiran, and when the girls darted behind the wall to hide, you heard Kiran say “Uh oh” before toddling behind a post, which only hid about a fourth of his body. He peeked his eyes out around it, watching you and Gol’Chek closely.

“What’re the kids doing?” You asked Gol’Chek. The man only shrugged in response.

“Playing? I don’t know what children do.”

“One of them is your child.”

“She’s hardly a child.” Gol’Chek replied. “She’s older than both of us combined.”

“You know what I mean.” You poked his ribs, and he giggled, pulling away from you quickly before you could tickle him again. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing, we’re just walking!” He protested, lifting both his arms in surrender. Behind you, you could hear staggering footsteps, followed by Kiran’s harsh panting in the way that only little children seemed to do, and moments later, he bellowed, “Wait for me!” When you looked over your shoulder to investigate, you saw Omega had turned around, scooped him awkwardly into her small arms, and was carrying him like a sack of meilooruns.

Ju’Lah had evidently run up ahead, because as you and Gol’Chek approached the forest, you found Athena and Fives side by side, with Fives crouching down so Ju’Lah could whisper something in his ear. They were both wearing similar tunics to what Gol’Chek wore, except Fives wore gold trim around the grey of the tunic.

“Okay, you’re definitely up to something now.” You planted your feet firmly, eyeballing them and children as Omega and Kiran caught up. “Somebody tell me what’s going on or I’m not moving.”

“Take it easy.” Gol’Chek chuckled. “Let Fives show you what he’s got.”

Fives beamed, eyes dancing in excitement as he removed his hands from behind his back, showing you a long, rolled-up bunch of fabric.

“Here, put this on.”

It was a long, royal blue cape, with gold trim stitched around the edges and down the sides. On the back of the cape were two crashing waves, one above and one below, centered around the Jaig eyes symbol Rex bore on his helmet.

“The design was all Quill’s idea, and he stitched the whole thing by hand.” Fives added eagerly, showing it off. “Been working on it for weeks between missions. He was sad he couldn’t be here to give it to you himself, but he’s on that scouting mission to Florrum. He sends his best.”

“It’s – It’s beautiful, but what’s it for?” You asked, running your fingers over the material as Fives tossed it over your right shoulder and fastened it into place.

“For before you go.” Fives replied with a grin.

“Go where?”

Gol’Chek smiled, and offered his arm to you. “Towards the rest of your life.”

A sudden realization dawned on you as you realized what the symbol represented. Two waves, crashing together, joining as one. An ocean. Sho’cye.

“Gol’Chek,” Your voice was barely above a whisper. “What is this?”

He only smiled, nodding his head towards the forest. “Why don’t you go meet your groom at the altar and find out?”

Your stomach flipped, and Gol’Chek inclined his head, still holding out his arm to you. You took it slowly, inhaling deeply as he led you deeper into the woods while the others followed.

A short distance into the trees, you stopped, spotting Soteria, Echo, Dogma, and many of the others gathered in a small clearing. At the front of all of them, under a makeshift archway of branches and flowers, stood your Captain.

He wore an elegant grey tunic that matched that of Gol’Chek and Fives, except his was a brilliant gold and grey. His hands were folded neatly in front of him, talking quietly to Dogma, but when he saw you, his expression shifted into one of the brightest smiles you’d ever seen him wear.

Gol’Chek walked you dutifully up to him, pausing in front of Rex and leaning down to your ear. “Welcome to your wedding day, cyar’ika.”

He pulled back, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek before at last letting you go, taking up position slightly behind you while Fives moved behind Rex.

“How long have you been planning this?” You asked Rex, your voice thick with tears.

“A bit.” Rex admitted, a little sheepish. “I figured we should be married before Calder comes into the world, yeah?”

You could only nod, not trusting your voice as you cupped his cheeks, surging forward to quickly kiss him.

“Hey, you aren’t supposed to do that yet.” Fives teased, but you didn’t care. You kept Rex close, kissing him as long as you could before breaking apart, finally letting the tears fall.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Rex whispered back. “And, I have something for you.”

He hesitated, reaching into his pocket. “In tradition, typically warriors would exchange pieces of their armor as part of their vows.” Rex began. “But I thought you were deserving of something more… transformative.”

He withdrew from his pocket a small white and blue disc, with a hole drilled through the center and threaded through a black cord. Carved onto the front was a wave, stretching out towards the ocean. Sho’cye.

“I fashioned it myself from one of my gauntlets.” “Rex murmured, offering it to you. “It’s part of my armor, part of my body, part of me, just as you carry a piece of my heart with you everywhere you go.” He tied the cord carefully around the back of your neck, so the necklace wouldn’t fall off, with the ring Gol’Chek had given you resting proudly on top of it. “You are my life, Cyare, now and forever. And with this necklace, we share our family name.”

You nodded, unable to speak through the tears that kept sneaking down your cheeks. “I don’t -.” You managed weakly. “I don’t have anything for you.”

“Yes you do.” Fives whispered, and motioned to his own shoulder, miming the removal of the cape.

You sniffled, shaky hands unclasping the brilliant cape as you instead wrapped it around Rex, fastening it at his shoulder so it hung elegantly over one side. On Rex, the cape fit him like it would a king. He looked downright regal in the garment.

“Quill made it.” You said, sniffling again. “But – Rex, I love you. I will always love you, and we will raise our son not in war, but in love. He will carry your name with pride, I know he will.” You smiled, putting a hand over Rex’s heart while your other hand hovered against your belly. “He will be his father’s son.”

Rex’s lips turned up, and he dropped his forehead to yours. “Repeat after me.” He whispered. “Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome.”

 “Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome.”

“Mhi me’dinui an…” Rex hesitated. “Mhi ba’juri dral’ore.”

“Mhi me’dinui an, mhi ba’juri dral’ore.”

Rex smiled, pulling back and repeating the vows in Basic. “We are one whether we are together or apart, we will share everything, and we will raise our children to be strong leaders.” He murmured. “Not warriors. Leaders.”

“Leaders.” You repeated, tilting your head up to kiss him. He met you halfway, and Fives whooped, causing the rest of your guests to erupt in shouts of joy as well. Gol’Chek smiled just behind you, clapping quietly along as Rex pulled you as close as your belly would allow, deepening the kiss further still.

“I love you.” Rex whispered against your lips. “Now and forever.”

You echoed the words back to him. “Now and forever.”

~

The festivities that evening once the sun had set were grand. A celebration was held in the town center, honoring both your marriage to Rex and celebrating the safe rescue of the prisoners aboard the transport cruiser. There was a large fire in the center of town, with plenty of food and drink to go around. Many people, most of them strangers, had already approached you and Rex to congratulate you, and your cheeks warmed at the praise every time. The village felt more and more like home with every passing day, and you were glad to see it thrive so well.

Fives found a seat next to you, leaning back and watching as everyone celebrated together. Rex was talking near the fire, his cape catching in the firelight and bringing out the gold stitched into the craftwork.

“Your partner did a lovely job.” You commented, smiling as you watched Rex talk. “That cape is gorgeous.”

“He loves to stitch. He’s very good.” Fives replied with a grin. “He learned from his mother.”

You smiled, then inhaled sharply through your teeth, a hand over your stomach.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” You winced, exhaling slowly. “Yeah, yeah I – it’s just been hurting a lot more lately. Maybe he cracked a rib or something the last time he kicked me.”

“Babies can do that?” Fives asked, bewildered. “Kriff, strong little man, isn’t he?”

You glanced over at Fives as the pain subsided, noting that he was wearing Quill’s jacket.

“Did he give that to you before he left?”

Fives nodded. “Among other things.”

“Ew.” You laughed, covering your ears. “I don’t need to hear that part.”

“No, it’s not what you think.” Fives chuckled. He leaned forward, as though he wanted to share a secret with you, but Ju’Lah ran over in that moment, seizing both his hands and pulling him to his feet.

“Come dance with me!” She said, tugging on his hands.

“Dance?” Fives repeated, following Ju’Lah to the open clearing near the fire.

“You’ll learn quick.” Ju’Lah promised. “It’s easy!”

You laughed, clapping along and watching as Fives fumbled through the steps, quickly getting the hang of it and joining in the festivities. You watched as your husband – husband. Even just thinking the word made you smile – was roped into dancing by Athena, and Wrecker and Echo were dragged in by Omega while Gol’Chek joined in the clapping from the sidelines as well.

Off to the side, you spotted Crosshair slinking along the edges of the celebration, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against a nearby building. He watched as Wrecker spun Omega around with an almost forlorn expression on his face, but when he caught you looking, he scowled at once and turned away.

“What do you think?” Athena asked, panting as she broke away from the dancing with Kiran on her hip. “We throw a damn good party.”

She sat down in the seat beside you, Kiran on her lap, and you giggled. “Yes, you definitely do.”

“You think they’ll do okay, scouting out a new planet?” Athena asked you, adjusting her grip slightly on Kiran as he bit into a fruit the size of his head.

“I know they will.” You said confidently, your heart swelling as you watched Rex dance. The partners had switched, and now he was moving with Ju’Lah. “Once we get new territory colonized, we can really begin to expand the Rebellion.”

Athena smiled, nodding in quiet agreement. “Yeah, I think a lot of good things will come from all this.” She mused. “So, you and Rex going to honeymoon tonight?”

You nudged her playfully, rolling your eyes. “I’m sure we’ll have our own way of celebrating, but not until Calder’s out.” You sighed, putting both your hands on your belly. “He’s sapping all my energy as is.”

Another wave of pain washed over you, and you bit your lip, muscling through it.

“Have you seen Soteria?” You asked tightly, gasping softly.

“She’s around here somewhere, need me to find her?” Athena asked.

“No, no that’s alright. I’ll find her later.” You replied, rubbing your belly.

You watched the dancers as they switched partners again, Fives and Ju’Lah winding up together. You saw the child laughing happily, her big ears flapping behind her as Fives spun her around.

“When’s he due?” Athena asked, nodding to your belly.

“About a month, give or take a week or two.” You sighed happily. “I’m ready to meet him, and I know Rex is too.”

Athena chuckled, kissing the top of Kiran’s head. “It’ll be nice having kids in the village.” She said softly. “Makes it feel less like a war zone and more like a home, you know?”

You nodded your agreement, watching as the song drew to an end, and your husband laughed with the others, clapping his hand on Fives’ shoulder as he passed and moved back to you.

“It’s getting late.” He said with a small smile, offering his arm to you. “Should we call it a night?”

“You can’t bail on your own celebration!” Athena teased, and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Unless, of course, you’re going to have some grownup fun to celebrate your marriage.”

“What fun?” Kiran asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. Athena hushed him gently, patting the top of his head while Rex chuckled.

“We’ll see you in the morning.” Rex said.

Overhead, the drone of an incoming ship rang through the clearing, and you looked up, spotting a familiar shuttle sailing overhead and heading towards the edge of the village.

“Is that Quill’s ship?” You asked, surprised. “They can’t be back already, can they?”

“No, they shouldn’t be.” Athena frowned, bringing her commlink to her lips. “Quill? Is that you?”

There was no response, and you watched as the ship docked not at the landing platform, but in the clearing just slightly beyond the village, not far from where the celebrations were taking place.

Suddenly, out in the clearing where the others were dancing, you heard a shout.

“Somebody help!”

Ju’Lah had collapsed into Fives’ arms, and Fives was kneeling, holding her tightly as she convulsed, her eyes rolling back in her head. Rex had noticed the commotion, and so had Gol’Chek, both men rushing over to her as all the merriment ceased, Gol’Chek elbowing his way to Ju’Lah at once and dropping beside her.

“What happened?” He demanded, pressing his hands to Ju’Lah’s small body as it shook.

“I don’t know, she just suddenly stopped and collapsed!” Fives passed her carefully to Gol’Chek, and Ju’Lah’s mouth began to foam, her entire body convulsing violently in his embrace.

“Ju’Lah? Ju’Lah!” He shook her gently, but her head just lolled back further, until suddenly she gasped, her eyes rolling forwards again as she sat bolt upright in Gol’Chek’s arms. She panted softly, her sharp claws digging into his arms.

“Ju’Lah, what is it, what did you see?” Gol’Chek demanded, turning her to face him.

“We have to go.” She rasped, digging her little hands tighter into his arms. “We have to go now!”

“What happened? What’s wrong?!” Athena demanded. Her commlink suddenly lit up. Ju’Lah locked eyes with you.

“They’re coming.”

“General Brisbane!” A soldier cried into Athena’s commlink. “Commander Cawthon’s ship has just made contact, but – but something’s wrong.”

“What is it?” Athena asked, narrowing her eyes at the commlink.

“We received a transmission from the ship, sending it to you now.”

Athena pressed a few buttons on her commlink, and a raspy voice suddenly flooded through the speakers, echoing through the clearing.

“You think yourselves clever, don’t you? You thought you could hide from me. You thought I’d never find you.”

You knew that voice. At once, you seized Rex’s hand, panic bleeding into your veins as Thresh continued.

“Well, I’ve found you now, haven’t I? And soon enough, the Empire will find you too, but I’m prepared to offer you a deal.”

You looked towards Quill’s ship and saw Quill, Howzer, and Gregor marched out of the ship, their hands bound behind their back. One by one, they were forced to their knees by other Trandoshans as Thresh exited the ship last, graceful as ever, with a commlink to his lips. In his hands a long vibro-sword crackled with electricity.

“I can see you, darling.” He chuckled. “I know you’re watching, little pet. I can feel your eyes on me.”

“That’s – that’s him, that’s Quill.” Fives grabbed your arm tightly, his voice wavering slightly. “He’s got Quill.”

“Who are you?” Athena demanded, her voice calm as she watched the prisoners. “What do you want?”

“My offer is very simple.” Thresh replied. You saw him lift the sword, bringing it to rest just slightly to the left of Howzer’s neck. “You give me the woman and her child, along with the man who slaughtered my brothers, and the Jedi child – yes, I know what you’re harboring, Outlander. I know about the girl.” He hissed.

“What do you want with them?” Athena asked.

“My employer wants the Jedi for his own reasons, and I want the others for mine.” He hissed. “Do this, and I’ll let your friends live.” He growled. “And if you hurry, maybe you can still escape before the Empire arrives.”  

“What do we do?” Fives said, his eyes flicking between Quill, you, and Rex. “He wants the two of you and Ju’Lah.”

“We’re not handing them over.” Athena replied to Fives.

“Obviously not, but we have to do something, Quill’s up there.” Fives snapped, looking back towards the clearing. “He’s going to kill Quill and the others if we don’t act.”

“This does not have to end in bloodshed.” Thresh continued. “As a gesture of my goodwill…”

He turned up on the hillside, and cut the bindings loose on Howzer and Gregor, leaving only Quill bound at his feet. Howzer and Gregor hurried across the plateau, rejoining the village.

“He got the drop on us, had at least thirty men waiting, maybe more, and killed everyone else and captured us three.” Howzer reported breathlessly. “He took the base’s location from the navigation system.”

“I’ve returned two of your friends to you, now it is time for you to give me what I am owed.” Thresh warned. “Give me what I want, or this man will die. Decide quickly, the Empire will be arriving any minute, and they have far less patience than I.”

“He’s bluffing, he has to be.” You whispered, your heart pounding and stomach rolling. “Even if he did tell the Empire, there’s no way they’d send anyone just to scout out a small tip from a man like him, would they?”

Athena shook her head. “We can’t take that chance.” She murmured. “We have underground bunkers and tunnels throughout the village that serve as a shelter in case of an attack. It’s time we put them to use.”

She turned to one of her men. “Start moving everyone into the tunnels. Tell everyone to move as quickly and quietly as possible. Anyone who can hold a weapon needs to arm themselves. Prepare for invasion.”

Your stomach flopped again, a stabbing pain searing up through your gut as panic took hold of you.

“Rex?”

“Go to the tunnels with the others.” Rex instructed you, taking his cape off and instead wrapping it around your shoulders, as though the garment could protect you from what was to come. “Athena, I’ll assemble the fighters.”

“Quickly.” Athena said in a low voice.

“Rex,” you started to say more, but shook your head. “Be careful.”

He nodded, motioning for the others to follow him. Fives stayed rooted in place, with Echo waiting by his side. Behind you, Hunter was urging Omega towards the tunnels while the rest of the Batch armed themselves. You didn’t see Crosshair.

“Stay together, get to the tunnels if the fighting starts.” Gol’Chek instructed Ju’Lah and followed the others to prepare for battle.

You swallowed. “Ju’Lah, let’s – let’s start heading to the tunnels.”

“Wait.” Ju’Lah told you, holding her hand up in pause, looking between Fives and Quill.

“If the Empire comes, they’ll kill you too.” Athena scowled into the comms. “I think you’re bluffing, lizard-boy.”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out.” Thresh purred back. “I’m more than happy to sit back and watch your people be slaughtered. I’ll still get what I want.”

“And what is it that you want?” Athena asked, glancing at Ju’Lah. “Your employer, who is he? What does he want with the girl?”

“My employer’s desires are of no concern to me.” Thresh responded. “And my desires are no concern of yours. I grow tired of our discussion.”

Up on the hilltop, he dragged the sword lazily towards Quill.

“I’ll even sweeten the deal.” Thresh continued. “Just the woman and her baby. In exchange, my men won’t raid your village, slaughtering every last man, woman, and child, leaving only scraps for the Empire to pick through. And you’ll even get your fish friend back.” He nudged Quill with his foot.

“Or, you can keep the bitch, and I’ll come down there myself after I’ve cut every last tendril from the Nauto’s head, one by one, and only after you’ve heard his screams will I cut out his tongue.” He hissed. “The last thing you’ll hear is the sound of your people wailing for your help as we invade.”

Fives made a broken sound next to you, starting forward only for Echo to hold him back.

“Wait, Fives.”

“He’s going to kill Quill if we don’t do something.” Fives snapped, struggling against Echo. “Athena, do something!”

Another wave of pain washed over you, and Ju’Lah suddenly twitched her ears, jerking her head abruptly to the left. You followed her gaze, and spotted something glinting on the rooftop of a nearby building. You squinted, trying to make it out.   

“Let them come.” Ju’Lah said quietly.

“What? What’re you -.” You gasped, pain rocking through you abruptly, nearly bringing you to your knees. Something was wrong.

“Let them come.” Ju’Lah repeated, her eyes flicking to the rooftop again. “Tell them to kill Quill if they must, but we aren’t handing anyone over.”

“No!” Fives shouted, elbowing Echo and making it a few feet before Echo grabbed him again. “No! What’re you doing?!”

Athena scowled, bringing her commlink to her lips again. “If you want them,” She began. “You’ll have to come down here and get them yourself.”

“What are you doing?!” Fives screamed, rushing forward only to be stopped by Echo again. “Stop!”

“Take it easy, brother!” Echo held him back. “Easy! It’s under control!”

“He’s going to kill Quill!”

Thresh tsked. “Tragic that we were unable to come to an agreement. But then again, I hear the tendrils of a Nautolan can be quite the delicacy when cooked properly. Perhaps this isn’t a total loss.” He raised his sword, preparing to bring it down.  

“Farewell.”

“No!” Fives screamed, breaking free of Echo’s grip and sprinting forward. “NO!”

Quill snapped his head upright, and Thresh swung the sword. 

~

Tag List:  @tsundere-cherry-girl​​ @revengeisaconfesionofpain​​ @jesjestraverse​ @theroguesully​​ @clonecyaree​​ @sammi9498​​ @dar-manda-rjct​​ @salaminus​​ @book-of-baba-fett​​ @nyravioppri​​ @starwarsmeninhelmets​​ @boomtowngirl​​ @ladykatakuri​​ @bi-witch-rose​ @cosmic-persephone​​ @djarrex​​ @literallydontlook​​ @galacticgraffiti​​ @bobafettuccini​​ @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life​​ @crosshairscodpiece​​ @a-c-lee​​ @chromia7567​​ @embarrassedauthornerd​​ @itsagrimm​​ @seriowan​​ @gotomarvelgal​​ @space-b33​​ @moonstrider9904​​ @frietiemeloen​​ @writingbylee​​ @manqoz​

[cuntycassandra]

As a Christmas gift to a few of my favourite people, I decided to construct two little collages consisting of name meanings and coloured structures that remind of these incredible people. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, please just take these pretty boards as gifts for being amazing friends towards me over the last eight months.

The first boards consists of my closest online friends, also known as the harem.

- Kit, you never fail to put a smile on my face with your amazing sense of humour and your beautiful heart. Seeing you appear on the group chat every day is genuinely one of the highlights of my mornings. ( @imgaybut )

- Tori, although our past may have taken a turn I will never stop loving you to your very core. You still mean ever so much to me, and I’m thankful to call you my best friend. The way you beautifully construct words so smoothly, the way you find ways to connect with almost everyone. You are ever so special. ( @torivikachu )

- Sevval, a sweetheart through and through, a kind yet sassy person who can hold the most intelligent yet silliest of conversations at the same time. I have so much time for you, Sevvie, and I hope you know that. ( @that-veela-girl )

- Jamie, the kindest person I have ever met. She is always there to lend a hand, a shoulder or a hug. You have the biggest heart, full of love and pure adoration for your friends. Never let that light dim, sweetheart, it’s one of the many things that makes you so unique. ( @treasureofmy-heart )

- and last but certainly not least, my muse, Hannah. Perfection personified, a heavenly teardrop morphed into that of a beautiful human. For us to have grown so close as not just friends, but even more, fills my heart with so much joy it’s honestly hard to contain. Not a moment goes by where you don’t cross my mind, your smile, your words, your voice, your beautiful eyes. You took hold of my brain and never let go, and I couldn’t be happier. ( @floatyteabag )

The second board is for a few of my other really close friends, who I have grown to love ever so dearly.

- Rahul and Ray, the closest things I have to best friends sparing the wives. You both have always been there for me whenever I have needed you, both of your fanfics have comforted me when I was in my worst state of health, you’ve both heard me cry, laugh, stress, and you’ve used every ounce of your kindness just to exist for my comfort. I can not thank either of you enough for just being your wonderful selves, and most of all being my friends ( @quillsink and @binch-i-might-be )

- Rose, the closest thing I’ll ever have to a real little sister. Not only a very beautiful person physically, but somebody who exhibits so much light, joy and innocence from her person it’s hard not to adore her wonder. You know I love you very very much, and I adore every single conversation we have ever had, and the many to come! ( @hopeless-bisexual-queen )

- and finally Pri, Danika and Abi, three people who I have not known very long, but have stepped up to be there for me in times of need. Not only are they all absolutely hilarious, but incredibly talented and stunning with words. Pri has offered me some of the most useful pieces of advice I have ever received, Dan has such a way with comforting words you can’t help but want to hug her, and Abi has such a kindred soul you can’t help but adore her. I love all three of you very very much, and thank you for coming into my life. (And of course Abi and I now share our dog family) ( @gothicsprinkles @echo-stan I don’t think I can tag Dani but I will be sending this to her.)

I’m not really sure what else to say here, except merry Christmas, happy holidays, and enjoy your time off if nothing else 💛 please, all eleven of you remember I’m nearby whenever you may need me or my hands to hold. I love you all so much!

[author-a-holmes]

*Long moment of silence*

I'm trying to decide if I want to answer this honestly, because it may reveal just how much and how often I've thought about this hypothetical situation.

But I can't resist lol.

So, for Fey Touched, if money was no object, I'd want to have Lizzy's Pendant made as a piece of merchandise.

I had the design of Lizzy's pendant drawn by the lovely Miss Vie at Miss Vie Book Designs, so it could be used as the page break in the Fey Touched Trilogy of books...

So each "line" of the art would be solid wrought gold, and the wings would be brought in just enough to touch the droplet in the middle.

The droplet itself would be a teardrop ruby, and the blank/black space inside the wings would be black mother of pearl, carved with veins as added detailing.

The gold chain of the necklace itself would then be connected in two places, where the lines curve up to the left and right of the ruby droplet, framing the centre stone.

Tagging Forward to; @authoralexharvey, @sleepyowlwrites, @kaiusvnoir, @amewinterswriting, @talesofsorrowandofruin, @charlesjosephwrites

The goal of Summerfest is to talk about our works, have fun, interact with other people; so let’s do something in the spirit of that by starting a tag game.

You have free rein over the creation of one piece of merchandise for your story? What is it? Reblog this, answer the question, and then tag someone else to play the game!

[watermelonlipstick]

Dreams, Chapter 13

If you haven’t read this series before, you might want to start on Chapter 1, or check out the Dreams Masterlist! Here’s the series description:

When Dean dies for good leaving Sam and his girlfriend (the reader) behind, they must figure out how to carry on without him. Alone, reeling, and unsure what to do next, trying to honor Dean’s memory and follow their hearts gets even more complicated when their nightmares become dreams that feel a little too real.

Title: Dreams, Chapter 13

Pairing: (past) Dean Winchester x Reader, (eventual) Sam Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 1513

Summary: The reader has another dream with Dean, where he emphasizes how he feels in a variety of ways.

Warnings: angst, fluff, swearing, s l o w  b u r n, this section has a little smut, oblique mention of suicide

           The last lingering kids are leaving the other side of the playground as the golden hour streams through the trees, likely going home to their families for dinner and homework and whatever else normal kids do on fall afternoons like this. Sunlight seeps into your jeans even as the air has a touch of chill to it, and when you pump your legs the balance feels amazing.

           “What’re you, trying to go all the way around?” Dean laughs, looking impossibly overgrown in worn shit kickers on a swing meant for children next to yours. You throw your head back to laugh, feeling the wind through your hair as you soar past him. When the chains start to jump a little you back off, letting your momentum wind all the way down until you’re swaying back and forth lazily together. You reach over and slip your index into a new hole in the knee of Dean’s jeans. He links his fingers into yours loosely, play-coy. “You always did love these, you little minx.”

           “What can I say? I like as much of your skin as I can get.” You give him your best Dean Winchester wink and he bites his lip through a chuckle. For a long minute you sit just like that, feeling the warmth and calm soak into your pores. “What should I do, Dean?” you murmur.

           He swipes his thumb across the back of your hand. “He needs time. It’s going to be okay, I swear. You know Sam he’s just—he’s in his head.”

           You nod to yourself. “It’s that we’re happier, right? Is that how this works, how you can come be my Friendly Neighborhood Freddie Krueger, or whatever?”

           “The way Cas explained it was ‘closer to true serenity and self-realization’ so whatever the hell that means. You are, though, right? Happier?”

           Meeting his eyes made you feel even more relaxed, steady and reassured regardless of how bizarre it was to tell him, “Yeah, I really am. Dean, I—I miss you so bad it still sometimes feels like I’m going to puke. But yeah, I’m happier with Sam. I love him, baby.”

           Dean’s gaze goes fuzzy with affection around the edges. “Well, he’s pretty damn lovable. Runs in the family, what can I say?” He kisses the back of your hand. “Good.”

           “Good?”

           “It’s not a trap, babe. You’re still my girl.”

           “I love you.” It’s all you can say, all you can think, really. You watch his profile for a moment as he squints against the low afternoon sun, casting beautiful sunflower light over his freckles. “What happens if I don’t wake up?”

           “Your subconscious will kick me out and you’ll wake up automatically. I don’t think you can really control it.”

           “No, I mean, like, if I don’t wake up?”

           Dean turns toward you, jaw set hard and nostrils flared. “That’s not fucking funny.”

           He tries to pull his hand out of yours but you tighten your grip. “What’s the point though? If you’re, you know, okay, can’t we just—”

           “No, we ‘can’t just,’” he scowls. “All the bullshit I’ve done over the years to keep you two alive, but fuck it, who cares? Let’s throw in the towel, really make the whole thing worth it.”

           “I’m—Dean, it’s not that. I just don’t understand what we’re waiting for. It’s not like Sam and I are even hunting anymore, there’s no more ‘bigger purpose’ to our lives, why be separated—”

           “The ‘bigger purpose’ is you fucking being alive. That’s the bigger purpose. Forget it, off the fucking table.”

           “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but it’s not really your call.”

           Dean finally yanks hard enough to get his hand out of your grip and braces his elbows on his knees to hold his chin. The serious angles of his anger look out of place as he sways slightly, boots in the playground mulch where he sits on his swing. He looks back at you after taking a deep breath. “Kid, please. Just, please? I’m—that’s all I want, is you guys getting old, really getting out. I can’t have—I can’t have Sam’s whole life be only hunting, he deserves more than that.”

           You scoff, half a derisive laugh. “Making his decisions from beyond the grave, that’s good, even for you.”

           “Is it really that bad? All I’m asking you to do is wait. You’ll get here soon enough.”

           “Yeah, it really is. It really is that fucking bad. And honestly, who are you to ask me that? You’re not here, Dean. How can you ask us to do it without you?”

           “It’s not like you two are fucking here with me! Do you think I’m loving every minute of it, getting grapes fed to me by 1992 Pam Anderson all goddamn day? I’m alone. It’s heaven and I can, whatever, visit Bobby or our folks, get so blasted I can’t see and wake up with no hangover, but you two aren’t there. Do you get that? So I get some glimpses of you guys and I know you’re taking care of each other and I can fucking wait, because that’s the way things are supposed to be.”

           He’s trying hard to keep his voice level but it’s coming out like a growl, and you know him, know from that clench of his jaw that he’s barely keeping it together, on this stupid swing set in this stupid gorgeous park, whose attached memory you can’t even recall.

           “Hey,” you breathe, getting up out of your swing to stand in front of him, taking each of his hands and putting them around your hips as you slot one leg on either side of his waist and settle on his lap. This close you can practically count each of his eyelashes where they graze his cheekbones and you take one hand to tilt his face up to yours, your toes just barely grazing the ground behind him. “Okay. I’m sorry. Okay.” You curl forward into him, catching the plush of his lips and kissing Dean in apology. He snakes a hand into your hair, winding his fingers in it and kissing you back, and you feel the twinge of desperate frustration, meeting him there with everything you have, shifting all your weight onto his center of gravity and working as best you can to weld your body to his. Dean’s other hand slides to your lower back, under your shirt, the callused tips of his fingers digging into the skin and he’s just as hungry for you as you are for him, grabbing at his chest hard enough that you’re at risk of ripping his shirt, pink lines from your nails marking up Dean’s neck.

           The hand in your hair tugs back, firm enough to be rough, and the noise you make is halfway between a moan and a whimper as he bites your neck, the sound hardening Dean through the denim under you and then he’s tearing at your shirt, not bothering with the obstacle of your jacket at all as he tries to shuck both off at once.

           “We’re in a—Dean, we’re in a fucking playground,” you hiss, about two inches away from not caring.

           “Babe, it’s a dream, we’re not really in a park,” he mutters along your jugular, the moist slick of spit turning ice cold in the fall air.

           That’s all the permission you need and you lean back to let him rip, flicking open the metal of his belt buckle and button, unzipping his jeans. “Fuck—kid, careful with the zipper,” Dean grunts, diction poor as you bite his lower lip.

           “I don’t want—to wake—up—before—" you murmur though fevered motion, licking and nipping along Dean’s jaw, and the realization gets Dean with the picture. He stands up fast, picking you up and crushing you into the metal pole of the swing set, practically shredding your jeans as his start to slump around his hips, worn plaid of his boxers covering the fast-thickening length of him and you turn to lean your chest against the pole, ready for him before he spins you hard.

           “Need to see you,” he says, almost quiet and gentle as his hands are moving roughly against your body, and you see the touch of wetness at the base of his eyelashes while you try to stand on one leg and yank the other out of your pants as fast as you can.

           It’s sloppy and goofy and unbelievably, gut-punchingly hot, wrapping your bare thigh around Dean’s hips as he shove-slides inside you, his hand protecting your skull from getting rammed into the metal. “I love you I love you I love you” you’re humming into the crook of his neck and Dean kisses you again, slowing down.

           “I know, baby, I know,” he says, pace no longer frenzied but rhythmic and building.

           You press a palm to his chest and Dean pauses for a beat, stretch of him buried to the hilt so perfect it’s almost distracting but you still have to ask, “When am I going to s—”

           “Hopefully soon.”

           And then he’s gone.

-

Continue to Dreams, Chapter 14

Thanks again for reading! If you liked it, check out my Masterlist or send me a request!

Tags: @sams-sass @vxnderlindes @deanwinchesterswitch @akshi8278 @itsjensenanddean @flannellover67 @weepingwillowphoenix @tj-drinks-tea @whatareyousearchingfordean @winchestergirl2 @winchest09 @samwisethegr8 @nobxdy @nurse-sarahrn​ @every-teardrop-is-a-wat3rfall​ @deanwanddamons​ @stressedoutkitten​ @winchestershiresauce​ @tatted-trina6​ @percico-heronstairs​ @downanddirtydean​ @queenoftheunderdark​ @lyarr24​ @waywardwifey​ @thinkinghardhardlythinking​ @wonder-cole​ @sergeantsea​ @peachyafshawn​ @tjfinnigan​ @that-one-gay-girl​ @calaofnoldor​ @daringvixon​ @fairlyspnfanfic​ @treat-winchesterswith-kindness​ @samfreakingwinchester​ @lovelyrocker​ @mrspeacem1nusone​ @theveridianmoon​ @underc0vercryptid​ @kpwatsonn​

 And as always, if you want to be on my taglist, were on the taglist and changed your handle, or I lost track of it, please let me know!

[thomas-mvller]

Tag games x 3! :D

Hello sunshines! I was tagged to do the following games a while ago and thought on doing them all at once because why not?

Tagging: @miasanmuller​ @minimalloss​ @havertzz​ @torunarigha​ @boyvampr​ @wulcanbiology​ @sherlockisonfire​ @jxrdanhenderson​ and whoever wants to do this! as usual, it’s okay if you’d rather not doing them! in fact you don’t have to do them all, you can choose one of your liking and go with it if you wish or just do none, completely up to you :))

Here we go:

1) I was tagged by @/jxrdanhenderson to spell my url with songs. Thank you nicole! hope you’re doing great :D

Rules: spell out your url using song titles and tag ten people

T.V. Man - The Bolshoi Human fly - The Cramps Orpheus - David Sylvian Mirror to my woman’s mind - Peter Murphy Athol-brose - Cocteau Twins Spring - Kim Jung Mi - Michael who walks by night - Strawberry Switchblade Veteran of the psychic wars - Blue Oyster Cult Life in Tokyo - Japan Love & Pride - King El Satanico Dr. Cadillac - Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Reward - The Teardrop Explodes

This is hands down the weirdest playlist I’ve made but i love it???

///

2) I was tagged by @/miasanmuller and @/wulcanbiology to this this tag. Thank you both <3

- Last song: Pourquoi tu me fous plus des coups ? by An Luu - Last movie: But I’m a Cheerleader (THE POTENTIAL…) - Currently reading: nothing - Currently watching: Shadow and Bone but I’ve fell asleep twice at episode one  - Currently listening: I’m not sure what to answer here but if it’s a podcast question then nothing. If it’s song wise then same as first answer! - What is anti-poetry to you: I have no idea, not a fan of poetry tbh (about to be canceled in 3, 2, 1…) - Currently craving: saw a meme mentioning baklavas and now i want to try one so much!!!

///

3) I was tagged by @/torunarigha to post my top 7 comfort films. Thank you mia <3

NOW i know i’m breaking the rules already by posting eight instead of seven but these are just………… comfort movies to me. I tend to reach to them when i’m under the weather or something. 

No need to read the following but each has its little story: let me start by saying the hoe who made Pulp fiction can choke but i just don’t know why i truly enjoy watching this movie, whenever it’s on tv i leave it on. Shrek… i don’t think i need to explain that one. I remember running into Chicago late at night on tv and I don’t even like musicals but this one got me hooked. Kill Bill it’s just…….. so good, both movies are really good! last year some channel here showed it like crazy and guess who watched them every single time? 🤡 now here’s the thing, I know Sex and the City 2 literally represents all the things i’m against of but this movie came out during a time when my group of friends and i were super close so the idea of traveling somewhere to have fun with them seemed ideal. I’m not a huuuge harry potter fan but i do enjoy watching those movies occasionally, as in if they’re on tv (like right as we speak i’m watching the chamber of secrets) i tend to leave them on and honestly i could choose any of the first five movies but the Prisoner of Azkaban is my pick for now (Order of the Phoenix is a close second). Ghibli movies are the epitome of comfort movies and Kiki’s Delivery Service hit close to home because i watched it around a time where i wanted to gain independence so yeah… and last but not least I can’t really recall how I ran into To Wong Foo but i thought it was fascinating to see wesley snipes being that commited to play a drag character in such a great non mocking way, idk this movie really boosts my mood in fact i’ve watched it twice lately!

Alright! i’m done. If you’ve made it this far then have a nice week! :))

[novantinuum]

Crack the Paragon, Chapter 11

Fandom: Steven Universe

Rating: Teen Audiences (I have upped the rating in consideration of sensitive topics I aim to depict later on.)

Words: 3000~

Summary: In another world, he doesn’t have his mother’s sword or shield to hide behind when Bismuth lands her strike. The bubble pops.

Steven falls apart.

Chapter summary: In which Lapis is a flight risk, and Steven begins to doubt himself.

You can find the AO3 link in the reblogs! (I have to omit them from the original post these days to ensure this will show up in the tags.) If you enjoyed this, I’d greatly appreciate your support through reblogs here, or kudos/comments on AO3 as well.

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Chapter 10: Beta, Part 2

When your life has become a continually evolving string of heart pounding adventures linked together by the odd few days off, you quickly learn to fixate on the fine details no matter what the circumstance, as you never know when one of those details could be used to save everyone’s butts. Sure, it’s not like this outlook did him any favors back in the forge, but his point still stands: a Steven who isn’t constantly paying close attention to his surroundings is a Steven who can’t properly help his friends. If he’s not innately aware of everything around him, he can’t raise his shield in time. He won’t be able to pull the right tool out of his cheeseburger backpack. He can’t give a perfectly worded response to a soul in need. This is a non-negotiable fact, and the reality of what happened with Bismuth merely cements it ever more solid. Which is why— deep beyond the wandering disorientation of his current surface thoughts— he can’t help but wonder why he’s unable to pay attention to the details that actually matter right now. The individual threads of all his friends’ panic, confusion, and attempted explanation overlap and intertwine, weaving an audible tapestry of emotions. Their precise words, however, may as well have died in the wind. Mentally, he is not here. Instead, the fragmented remains of his focus choose to zero in on the wood grain pattern spread across every beam and board of the barn’s rustic infrastructure. Wholly enamored, his eyes trace a path between the dark ridges as if traversing a maze. Tree rings are super pretty, huh. He absolutely doesn’t give them the love and admiration they deserve. But as is evident from the slight musty smell and the dainty mushrooms beginning to sprout by the floor in one of the corners, some of the boards are beginning to rot. His mouth falls slightly ajar, and he stares at these fruiting bodies with such stubborn commitment that for a moment he forgets anything else was ever a priority. Have Peridot and Lapis noticed? Do they even know what wood rot is? Upon that thought, he frowns pensively, balling his fist at his chin. Hmm. Given their relative inexperience with Earth stuff, the most likely answer to that is no. He’ll have to call Dad about fixing the boards before this grows into an even bigger problem. It’d be awful if their home became unsafe to live in because he didn’t do his part to help. But then again... “What do you mean, none of you know why she did it? That just makes it worse!” “Lapis! Lapis, wait! They said she’s—“ “Let go of me!” she says, struggling in Peridot’s grasp, her water wings flaring outwards at the ready. “Don’t you get it? I can’t live here on Earth anymore, it’s not safe! None of us are safe!” Is he already too late?

Lapis’s impassioned cries continue to echo at the edge of his awareness— something paranoid about shapeshifted disguises, about the Diamonds— but his feet are still anchored to the boards below, his body all but stagnant in shock of the current maelstrom of emotions. And yet, it’s strange... while a sum of him dimly recognizes he’s still attached to reality, it’s almost as if he’s watching all of this from above himself, stuck as a passive observer to his failure. Helpless. ( C-cracked, I’m- I’m cracked, I’m split I, I can’t... feel... need... I-I need to —) Slimy tendrils of guilt slither around his heart. He wasn’t paying close enough attention to the mood. He wasn’t careful. He wasn’t convincing. He was scared that everyone would devolve into petty argument, and look what happened! He ran his mouth when he should’ve stayed silent. He caused his own nightmare. His family’s splintering apart once more, and it’s all his fault. “But it’s not like that,” Ruby hastily interjects, “I’m sure it’s not like that!” “Really? You’re seriously jumping to defend Rose, after all the lies she fed us?” Amethyst spits back. “N- no! I’m just saying, why would—“ The constant chirping chorus emanating from the birds of the nearby woods steals his fragmented focus next, and he can’t help the sense of relief that bubbles up from within as he willfully sinks into the distraction. The birds, their songs are beautiful. He wonders what they’re saying to each other... if they’re arguing about territory, warning friends about predators, or simply having a friendly conversation. Maybe his dad might be able to distinguish the difference. When he was still living in the van, they used to lay on that ratty old mattress side-by-side late at night, listening to the crashing tides and the distant squalls of birds picking at trashed food on the boardwalk. Because one of his relatives was big into birding when they were kids, Dad was always able to stake a reasonable guess on the species class based on call alone. And honestly, that’s a pretty amazing power to have. As he related earlier, it’s important to fixate on the fine details. Attention to detail can save lives. It can soften hearts. It can make or break friendships. But as he’s grown to fear, it can’t fix everything. He can’t fix everything. The blue Gem’s features twist with simmering fury. “Peridot, I told you to let me go!” she hollers, and in a single jerk rips herself away from the shorter Gem’s desperate embrace. Her wings swing like a whip behind her as her body follows the motion through. It’s enough of a shock to the system that his sense of awareness comes rushing back. He ducks, the water swishing right over his head. Something behind him snaps and clatters to the ground. Ruby presses a bejeweled hand to her face, muttering something he can’t distinguish. “‘Kay, I’m out,” Amethyst cuts in through the chaos, throwing her hands up. “Y’all are whack, this whole convo is whack, and I can’t deal with any of this right now.” Not wasting a single second, she tucks herself into a ball and super-speeds it out of the barn. Mouth caught in a tiny, helpless ‘o,’ Steven whisks around, only barely catching a glimpse of her retreat before he spots the damage. It’s one of Lapis’s morps, that wooden hanger displaying all the baseball paraphernalia. Now it lies rejected on the floorboards, one of the strings broken and the bat rolling towards Peridot’s feet. He watches, feeling lambasted with regret for his role in sparking this argument, as the green Gem’s face cripples much like the structural integrity of that meep-morp. She blinks away the threat of tears and quickly averts her gaze from the group, bending to pick up the bat before clutching it to her chest in a protective manner. The water Gem huffs and storms out of the barn as well, fists unyielding at her side. Heart pounding amidst all the uncertainty of this fraught situation, Steven scuttles after her. Come on, think! he snaps at himself, chewing pensively at his lip. There has to be a way he can still save this, a way he can stop his family from splintering apart yet again... “Lapis,” Ruby begins, delicately edging towards her. “No, stop,” she holds up a hand. Her expression— as nebulous and hard to ascertain as always— is caught at some weird nexus between blinding anger, terror, and... is that guilt he spies? “Stop talking! I’m not asking any of you to change my mind. I’m leaving, and all of you should be too!” Turning on her heels, she squares her stance and flares her wings to their full width in preparation for her flight. Just before those watery wings can beat downwards, propelling her lithe form away from his world forever, he leaps forward. Dares to grab her wrist. She sharply inhales, briefly tugging against him before she notices who the hand belongs to and falls slack in his hold. Static assails his mind as he assesses every angle of this jerk-moment decision. What on earth is he doing? (He can practically feel Ruby and Peridot’s anxious, curious gaze drilling into him from behind, and they’re not even in his line of sight. No matter what happens, this is all on him. No one else.) “I-I, um,” he stammers at first, desperately scouring his brain for the right words to say. “Please, I’m... You don’t have to be scared like this. I may have her gem, but I’m not her!” Lapis gives a shaky sigh. Her wings droop right along with her shoulders, the persistent burden of thousands of years of captivity evident within her posture. Waiting in the shadow of her silence, his focus falls on the gemstone adoring her back, that smooth, glossy teardrop. Golly, somehow it doesn’t feel that long ago at all that her gem was cracked, and— scared, angered, and confused— she lashed out in much a similar way. “I’ve always known you’re not your mom, Steven,” she says lowly, still not meeting his gaze. “This- this isn’t about that!” “Then... what is it about?” She growls in frustration, clenching her fists as she yanks her wrist away from his grip. “Have none of you been listening to me?” “Have you been listening to us?” Peridot mutters flatly from behind him.

Lapis shoots her a sour look, but continues, pacing across the grass as she speaks. “If one diamond was able to fool an entire empire into thinking she was a quartz for thousands of years,” she says, gesticulating to emphasize her words, “then- then how do we know the other Diamonds aren’t already here doing the same, already watching from a distance, just waiting to shatter us for everything we’ve done??” The sharpened words echo across the fields, familiar bird calls cut short as even nature falls silent in their sway. Steven stands motionless, her paranoia-tinted prophecy sinking in through his flesh despite all efforts otherwise, sowing roots in the darkest corners of his mind that he dare not peep into. When no one responds, the blue Gem exhales, lowering her face to the ground. “I’ve let my guard down too much here, I’ve let myself grow soft. I’m sorry, but I have to go.” He swears he hears a note of disappointment laced between the layers of her uneven breath, or perhaps it’s heartbreak. He can’t tell. Despite his usual aptitude at interpreting others’ feelings, Lapis is consistently hard to read. And it’s this very thought, this subtle dissonance from the expected in her intentions, that encourages him to reach out one last time. Her wings flare out again. Blood and hard light thrum at an almost dizzying pace through his parallel veins. It’s now or never.

“Lapis, wait!” he calls, palm open wide. “Please, please don’t leave! Not now, not like this.” Their world crystallizes into ice as he vies to meet her fears head on. There’s no sunlight, no bird calls, no wind, no Ruby and Peridot behind him. No more untimely distractions. Only Lapis, desperate and hurting amid the heart of the storm she created. She holds her wings taut, ready for flight, hovering at the edge of her metaphoric tower. Breath trembling, she glances behind. The sheer complexity of emotion Steven discovers in those sea blue irises almost makes his eyes water. Cautiously, he steps forward.

“Maybe you’re right,” he begins, fidgeting with his shirt’s bottom hemline. His fingers briefly brush against the edge of his gem as he does so, and he jerks them away in blind rebellion of this reminder. “Maybe this planet never will be completely safe. Maybe nothing ever goes to plan. But the Crystal Gems have survived this long because they stood together instead of breaking apart. A-and... I know you don’t think of yourself as a Crystal Gem,” he cuts in quickly with a placating gesture, noticing the question forming on her lips, “but please-! With everything else that’s happening, I really, really still want you in my life.”

Tightly, she wrings her fingers around her opposite arm, face dipping dolefully towards the soft soil squishing up between her bare toes. “Steven, I...” “I can’t promise you’ll be safe on Earth, but I can promise you won’t have to be alone,” he says, voice thick. “Please.” Stay, he mouths, his body nearly shaking in fear of how she’ll respond, of all the inner thoughts flooding through her mind he’ll never wholly decipher. Their gaze locks, souls laid bare to each other as they engage in a rapid-fire dialogue no other creature of this world will ever be privy to.

If you can't stay for yourself, he cries silently, can’t you stay for me?

The seconds are punctuated only by the reverberant tremor of his heartbeat, as he stands upon a precipice in wait of her pivotal, defining answer.

Eventually, her expression softens. She folds her wings, standing down.

“Fine,” she spits. “I’ll wait and see what happens... for now. But if I ever find out any of the Diamonds are inbound, or worse? I’m out of here.”

A stiff gust of wind rushes past, threading through her hair and causing her dress to undulate like mid-ocean waves. Shadow obscures her face.

“I’m not getting pulled into another war.” Giving no further explanation, she turns tail and storms past the tent, past the rickety fence bordering her and Peridot’s barn, and into the overgrown wildflower field beyond. Once she’s reached a far enough distance, she extends her wings and begins to fly, hastily disappearing beyond the tree-line. Everyone stares at the thick swath of forest she escaped to with dumbfounded shock at first, no one quite sure how to proceed after that bomb of a conversation stopper. Ruby mutters something under her breath, clear frustration coloring her voice. Behind him, he hears Peridot reverently set the bat down on the barn’s floor.

“I’m... gonna go find her, and help her calm down,” she says. Clutching her hands close to her chest, she passes him and Ruby and begins her long, flightless trek into the Beach City woods. Steven himself migrates towards the grassy patch beyond the pool, and falls to his knees amongst the dandelions growing there. Most of them are still flowering, their lithe golden yellow petals fanning out from the head. A few on a separate plant are white and puffy, though, ready to disperse seeds. He’s drawn to one in particular, a seedhead that’s already missing half of its progeny. Biologically, he knows it’s a good thing that those seeds have flown away and might get a chance to germinate elsewhere, but regardless the sight of this lonely, barren dandelion strikes a dour note. Was he wrong, asking Lapis to stay? Could she eventually heal and become happier, leaving the burden of this place? He swallows hard, gripping the balding seedhead between two fingers and decisively plucking it off the stem. A few more seeds blow off with the disturbance, their feathery parachutes falling into the arms of the wind.

Lapis...

What if his selfishness is only holding her back?

And then there’s Amethyst to worry about. There’s no point overextending the sad dandelion metaphor to fit her situation, because hers is something entirely unique. She’s still in his life, just emotionally closed-off. Bitter. Avoidant. Unfairly antagonistic to others. By inviting her out here he hoped she might take the opportunity to kick back and blow off some steam, but now, after watching her abruptly leave the group a few minutes ago, he’s worried this trip only succeeded in further stressing her out.

A gem adorned hand falls upon his shoulder then, pulling him to the present. With a startled yelp, he tosses the dandelion into the grass as he flinches away. His heart drums uncontrollably, so much so that his cheeks burn with embarrassment when it dawns on him who this hand belongs to. He sucks in a shaky breath to calm himself down before allowing himself to sink into her comfort, glancing behind to meet Ruby’s tired, kind eyes. “Hey. Are you okay?” she asks. His tongue suddenly feeling as limp and dry as all the fallen leaves beginning to sprinkle the ground, he nods his head yes. In an overt betrayal of his response, his big, stupid, puffy eyes begin to water. Hurriedly, he wipes the burgeoning tears away with the butt of his palm. Frustration bubbles at his core. Since when was he such a crybaby? He’s cried far too much lately, and he’s sick of it. He rubs harder as the tears begin to fall anyways, his bottom lip quivering as he vies with every last ounce of control he still has to not look entirely pathetic. The skin around his eyes, sensitive and raw, begins to sting from the friction. Wordlessly, Ruby wraps her hands around his wrists and leads them away from his face. His chest tightens. He fails to choke back a sob as she pulls him into her embrace, his own arms trapped between them. She buries her face into the crook of his neck, and it’s then that he realizes with a shock of surprise that she’s crying too. Her quiet tears dampen his collar; her fingers clutch at the back of his shirt. “You don’t have to pretend to be strong for us all the time,” she says softly. “I wanna be here for you too, okay? It’s just like you said... no matter what, we stand together.” “But I- I have to go find her,” he chokes out, the words sticking in his throat in the most pathetic manner. “Who, Lapis? Peridot‘s prolly fine handling her on her own.” “No, I mean Amethyst. I saw her run off, an, and she’s been so upset today, and...” “Steven,” she says, leaning away and gently lifting his chin so he can’t avoid her compassionate gaze. “You’ve been under a lot of stress lately, and honestly? A lot of it’s been our fault. You should take a moment to rest, okay?” Grinning, she ruffles his hair. “Enjoy the breeze! Climb a tree! Kick back for once. I’ll check on Amethyst this time.”

He hoarsely whispers an ‘okay’ as he sits back on his heels in the sun and watches her run off, allowing the wind to whip through his curls. Sighing, he splays his fingers just above the grass, allowing their tips to gently tickle his palm as they brush back and forth, and futilely tries to convince himself he’s cultivated enough good into the world today to deserve this break.

[libellemods]

Pickypikachu’s  Piercings Fav Master Collection

Honestly, I love piercings and I can call some my own. Well, yeah and then I  adore Pickypikachu’s Piercings and let me tell you those are my personal maxis-match Must-Have. Due to the fact, Pickypikachu is currently on hiatus and links are kinda confusing via their Tumblr I decided to create this Master post of my fav’ piercings from them. 

Note  All provided links work via “their” Simsfileshare with NO Adfly as of July 2019!

Download

Five Years Septum Ring

Royal Teardrop Septum Ring

Teardrop Septum Ring

Swirl Septum Ring

Imperial Septum Ring

Smiley Piercing

3D Belly Button Ring

10 K Follower Gift Pack  (plain jane + open-ended + petals + beaded ring)

I grabbed all the cool maxis match gems ;)

May your plumbob shines brighter!

Malia

PS Whenever it fits I do such Master Collection Posts, so more will come! If you like my themed “Fav Master Collection” as much my first successful MasterCollection” by Ayoshi. Feel free to follow my side blog, the below named tags or keep liking and reblog them, =D.

Tags Using always the first two letters  #famaco for Fav Master Collection and #remaco for the Retired Master Collection of mine just in case someone wants to follow those tags!