#oh Rax this is so precious

[divinesolas]

lies and sneaking

summary; requested: you are sick of being stuck inside the stone hedge walls and decide to sneak out. You end up running into the worst man you know but it leads to a lot more.

fancast!benjicot blackwood x bracken!reader

w.c: 1.4k

c.w: fluff, minor angst, twin!aeron bracken, minor smut, benjicot is annoying, not proofread

perm benjicot taglist: @lyssaluvs @yeolsbubbles @lenasvoid @at-a-rax-ia @poppyflower-22 @helpyourself-9 @kiraflowersworld @randomgurl2326 @valdezthg @mysticmusicinkpop @tiredsleepyhead @secretf1lms @hardkiddonut @hydrxxxmrti @stlzking @smh-anon @shootinqstars101 @charvsz @helo1281917

you were giddy that you had even managed to sneak out of the castle at all. despite the late hour the town seemed to be as alive as ever and you could barely believe it.

But you got careless and weren’t paying attention until you bumped into somebody’s back. “oh my gods i am so sorry.” the guy turns around and waves his hands, “no no its,,,” his face drops and you freeze upon seeing him “bracken.” benjicot blackwood. Of course you had to run into him. he was the fucking worst. always tormenting you and your brother, not that you never tormented him back, you all were stuck in this endless hateful loop.

you shush him and look around desperately praying nobody heard him. “please just act like you never saw me.” you try to move away from him but he grips your arm and pulls you into his chest and peers down at you a large grin. “oh i dont think so.” you try to pull away from him but he keeps an arm firmly wrapped around you. “what would your dear old daddy think about his precious little baby sneaking out to town to do gods know what.”

you huff and manage to shake your way out of his arms and hiss at him, “if i am going to get caught i might as well make the most out of it.” you turn away and just pray he truly does not knock on your fathers door and tell him you were here. you thought that would be the last of it and you would not see him again but you hear footsteps trailing behind you and you stop and the footsteps stop too.

you turn around and glare at him while he still has that mischievous grin on his face. “what do you want?” his smirk cant seem to leave his face, “im merely making sure the pretty little pampered princess makes it around okay, wouldn’t want you getting hurt.” you tsk and turn away from him, “fine follow me i dont care.”

you walk for awhile merely looking around the town. “you have no clue where to go huh?” you groan and turn around to him throwing your hands up with annoyance. “yes okay i have no clue where im going i just want to have a little fun but the only place i ever go into town is to the bookstore with aeron but i doubt that would be any fun right now.” you scratch your head in frustration. he takes a step closer to you and you step back, “i can show you somewhere fun.”

You want to say no that he should just go fuck off and leave you alone. but you’re sure he knows a good place to go. is he even trust worthy? no he definitely is not. “fine.” you still cant help but accept his offer and he grabs your forearm and begins to pull you along with him. you almost want to ask him where hes taking you but you dont get the chance before he walks you into a building and you’re immediately hit with the strong smell of alcohol and sweat.

you cough lightly into your fist but he just pulls you against him and continues to walk along. “why are we here?” “where else are we supposed to have fun hmm? you have any ideas?” when you say nothing he hums, “thats what i thought.” when he walks up to the counter and buys the two of you a bottle you take the opportunity to look around the place. It was packed, bodies at every corner and turn, you can see people dancing and turn your head when you see a couple in the corner having way too much fun. suddenly you feel a hand on your ass and turn to look at the guy and he just grins at you.

Benjicot sudden pushes the guy on his chest and glares at him. “get the fuck away from her.” the guy runs away at benjicot’s hard stare and deep voice and you place a hand on your chest to calm your racing heart. you dont know what has your heart racing, the fear or the fact that ben had gotten protective over you.

you shake the feeling from your head you shouldn’t be thinking like that. he is a blackwood for god’s sake. He pulls you to a darker corner of the room and sits you down next to him. pouring you a cup of the ale. The two of you just sit and chat for a while, you hate to admit it but he is good company, hes funny, he pays attention when you talk.

The more and more you drink and the closer and closer you sit next to each other. you don’t know who makes the move first, you think it was him or maybe that was your brain denying it had been you but neither of you reject the action. you grab the collar of his tunic and he grabs your hips, placing you on his lap. his fingers reach down and touch parts of you you never dared to. biting onto the fabric on his neck as your legs quiver from your peak.

Your peak brings a sort of clarity and guilt and dread washes over you as you can feel benjicots hardening cock on your thigh. so you run. you run and run until you can see your home back into view. you cannot believe you had done that and you would never forget it, how could you be so stupid? but as you toss and turn in bed you want to regret it but you cant. you want to see him again. but he’ll probably never want anything to do with you since you ran out on him. this is as it should be you remind yourself you two are supposed to hate each other.

you hope to let yesterday be nothing more than a memory as you tend to the cattle in the afternoon. you hear footsteps approaching and you turn around a smile at the sight of your brother. “brother i…” your words trail off as you see the furious look on his face, “aeron?” “were you in a brothel with benjicot blackwood last night?” you freeze. how could he have found out? “what,, what are you talking about?” you try to laugh it off as a joke but he just glares at you. “answer me.” you shrug as you begin to sweat, “no, that’s ridiculous.” “then why have i been informed you two were seen together last night?”

You feel heat crawling up every inch of your body. you did not want to lie to him but you certainly could not tell him the truth. “i was at the establishment and he let me sit as his table thats all.” “what in the hells were you doing there?” “i am locked here everyday with nothing to do i just wanted to see what it was like brother!”

You can see him having an internal conflict at your words. you want him to believe you. to drop this all in its entirety and move on. but he hardens up and he looks you in the eyes. “did benjicot blackwood touch you?” you straighten up and grab his hands, “no of course he did not aeron.” he turns his head away slight. you can tell he does not believe you and you heart aches, you love your brother but you cannot admit to him the truth.

“Benjicot Blackwood never touched me; I swear this to you, upon the memory of our mother!”

You know its a bad move to bring up your mother, his face completely softens at her mention. he has not been himself since she passed but you know its the one thing to get him to believe you. and he does he nods, “i believe you. im sorry for believing such rumors.” you pull him into a hug and stare out into the distance as he wraps his arms around you. you feel like absolute shit but at least it was over and that was that.

At least until later that day lord blackwood and benjicot show up at your father’s door and you find out benjicot had asked for your hand.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt.63

Lance nearly turned back to Platt twice, and he was pretty sure he would have had Allura not come with him for the day trip home. He was taking Blue home ahead of returning on the weekend. His precious princess curled up in Allura’s lap, after working her way out of her carrier. Filling up at Balmeria, he was relieved to see Rax working rather than Shay. He didn’t want to put Shay in any kind of awkward position with Hunk, nor did he know how to explain his absence to her. Allura was trying her best to keep his spirits up, pointing out various things as they drove, or singing the words wrong to the songs on the radio. Lance nearly felt as nervous as he did the first time he drove out to see the house he’d call home.

Parking in the drive, Matt and Rieva couldn’t help messing with him. He’d barely cut the ignition and climbed out the car before the pair of werewolves were bounding out the house, knocking him down and dragging” him by the hem of his jeans towards the front steps

“Really? Out of every single way you could have greeted me, this was your best idea? You two are lame”

There was more laughter in his tone than he’d intended. Matt and Rieva both letting go of his jeans in favour of body flopping on top of him. The offensive smell of wolf not nearly as offensive when he felt they’d actually missed him

“Oh, no. Lance, I’m afraid I’m going to have to tell Keith your cheating on him. Look at you”

Allura giggled, raising her hand to cover her mouth. Blue taking he opportunity to jump and run away towards the open door. His princess didn’t have time for such “goings on”

“I love how you rush to help”

“Who you end up under is completely up to you”

“You wouldn’t think so. Now, will you two get off? The gravel’s itchy”

Matt and Rieva turned back, Lance covering his eyes

“Guys! Clothes!”

Matt didn’t care

“You know you love it. What’s not to love?”

“Your ugly arse junk forever imprinted in my head?”

“Here how he talks to us?! Blah. Keith can have you if you’re going to be like that”

“He did and he has and he will. Now go get dressed!”

Waiting until Matt and Rieva moved away, Lance uncovered his eyes to find Allura staring down at him

“Need a hand?”

“I wouldn’t say no. Remind me again why I decided coming back was a good idea?”

“I’m still not quite sure myself. They seemed to have missed you”

Allura helped him up, Lance then brushing the loose gravel off his body

“They’re a menace! Matt needs to be neutered! I hope you hear that!”

“Oh dear. I don’t think he’ll take that well”

From inside came a yelled “Fuck you!”

“He didn’t. He’s just lucky I haven’t taken his mangy arse to the vet yet. Then again, he’d probably like a thermometer stuck up his arse”

Looping her arm through his, Allura was still giggly

“I’ve never neutered a werewolf before. Coran may have. Perhaps we should enquire when we return?”

“Yep. And I want tracking collars for the pair of them. I’m surprised they didn’t graffiti the town sign and edit the population to say “plus one vampire”. He’s as bad as Pidge. No. He’s worse. He should know better by now”

“You know, I’m sure we could change that sign if you really wanted?”

“I think I’ve caused the town enough dramas. Let’s head in. I bet my poor house needs therapy. Is that a thing? A house needing therapy?”

“I don’t see why not? Though that would mean discussing what you and Keith have been up to here”

Lance pulled a face

“Why do you do this to me? You know I miss him as it is”

“I do. He really is very fond of you. I’m sure you moving back here will leave him missing you even more”

“You know we talked about it. I’m not hunter material”

“I don’t know. I think you’d make an excellent hunter. You’re very perceptive and very kind”

“If you ask Keith, I’m kind of an idiot”

“Yes, well... You do have your moments”

Lance gaped at Allura, Allura giggling again. Sighing dramatically, he started leading her towards the house. Why did everyone he knew have to be so weird? And why was if after all the years that he finally not keeping his walls so high was giving him everything he ever needed? Maybe because now he had a group of friends that were all weird like him, he was starting to see that maybe... just maybe... he liked himself more than he thought... and maybe he liked company more than he thought too.

*

Inside the house wasn’t the mess he’d expected. It smelt heavily of horny wolf, but everything seemed in order as he flopped down on his sofa. It smelt suspiciously clean... Like Rieva and Matt had cleaned it knowing he’d smell more than he was suppose to. Walking into the room, Matt ignored the perfectly open seats in favour of sitting right next to him. Normally he would have headed straight to the kitchen to make tea for Allura, but he had a finite amount of courage to work with. Shoving Matt away from him, Matt laughed

“I know you missed us. Curtis told me all about the talk you had with him”

“Curtis is cursed. It’s rude to use that against him”

Matt shrugged

“A man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

“Pretty good”

“Oh, so you have a brilliant plan to make Pidge loves us again?”

Matt groaned, flopping sideways on the sofa

“No. She’s totally holed up. Hunk isn’t even talking to me. I think she’s making boards about us”

Lance flopped against Matt, sighing as he did

“That sounds like her. I miss our gremlin”

“I know. I have no one to play video games with anymore. What’s the point of having all these wolf powers if I can’t cheat in video games”

“What’s the point of being immortal if my second family hates me?”

“I don’t hate you, bro”

“I don’t hate you either”

Very awkwardly they fist bumped before both of them sighed.

Allura stood, hands on her hips, staring down the pair of them

“I’m ashamed of the pair of you right now. Have you tried talking to Pidge?”

“She’s ignoring us”

Matt replied, Lance nodded

“Then make it so she can’t”

Geez. Why hadn’t they thought of that?

“This isn’t a movie. We can’t just show up outside her house with a boom box and win her back”

Matt snorted

“Dude, you’re so fucking old”

“Shut up. You’re nearly as old”

“Oh, says Mister ‘70s over here”

He didn’t ask to be this old. He didn’t even know how he got to be this old. One moment he was 20, stumbling through life. Next moment he was 44, stumbling through life and now figuring out dating

“You got the reference! Dude, you’re her biological brother”

“She told mum to tell me we weren’t talking. Mum said she was worried about our influence on her”

Pidge was fierce . Colleen was ruthless

“Your mother scares me”

“Try being her son“

Allura clapped her hands, drawing attention back to her

“Will you two please get over yourselves. Pidge is a human in possession of information she is ill equipped to deal with. Now, Lance, if Keith were to stop talking to you, how would you reconnect?”

“He’s probably turn into a bat then go bury himself”

He didn’t know, but if Keith stopped talking to him, Matt was most likely right about what would come next

“Pretty much”

Allura sighed at the pair of them

“You’re not helping by joking”

“Matt’s right. I get emotional and then I’m a bat. Keith keeps me grounded. I’ve gotten better at not being a bat”

“Dude. You were so much cooler as a bat”

Lance huffed

“Says you. Keith says too, actually”

“Maybe you could turn into a bat and I could post you to Pidge?”

Now Matt was being ridiculous. They were being ridiculous. Keith suggested going to talk to her instead of relying on Matt, Lance was reaping what he sowed

“And have her experiment on me. No thanks. Allura, I know you want to help, buuuuut maybe we can talk about something else?”

“I’m trying to help”

“I know you are, but Pidge needs space. I’ve told her I’m coming back next week. Why don’t we just hang out today? We can practice hairstyles and do face masks?”

Matt made a a high “ooohing” noise, Lance sitting up, before shoving at him

“Shut up. It’s not like that”

“I didn’t say anything”

“You did. I’ll have you know, I’m going on a mission with Allura”

Matt sat up, expression skeptical

“And what mission is that? To find your balls. Wait, nope, Keith’s got you by them”

He’d rather Keith have them... and that didn’t quite make sense. Matt talking about his balls felt awkward. He wasn’t a smell mutt to be neutered

“I’ll chop yours off. I may or may not have been thinking about this, and having Allura here probably means she’s thinking the same thing and I’m only just putting this together, so thanks for that Allura. Rieva, we have a question for you. Have you ever heard of a vampire named Lotor? Or his family?”

*

Lance was barely home an hour before driving the four of them back to Platt. Rieva had indeed heard of Lotor, but she’d heard more about Zarkon and Honerva, telling them enough that Lance now knew coming home had been a bad idea, as wherever Lotor went, his mother was sure to have sent someone to watch his every move. Hastily they’d packed, Rieva insisting they weren’t safe in Garrison for the one being. Lance throwing together all his precious belongings, before rounding up Blue who wasn’t impressed at all. Rieva was shaken that Lotor was here, Lance certain there was a more personal reason that she wasn’t telling them. The only thing he could think of was that it somehow related to the death of her biological parents... And if Zarkon and Honerva were involved, he couldn’t fault her for being overly cautious. Matt had messaged Pidge to tell her to stay indoor and stay away from crowds, Lance’s undead heart frozen in fear for her and Hunk, and their families. He’d never wanted them roped into this, and now the whole issue was getting out of control.

Parking where Allura instructed. They entered the bookshop through a side entrance Lance has barely used. Practically sneaking their way through to the elevator to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Rieva didn’t know much about Lotor, not personally, she’d heard the rumours having grown up in Europe. Lotor was the son of a fae gone mad and a vampire who’d been twisted by his ego. Not a great combination for a child during the years of formations of self. Lotor had to know his mother sent someone. Maybe he’d thought he’d slipped them? Or maybe he’d paid them off? Or maybe Honerva wasn’t actually keeping tabs on him. From what Rieva said, she’d been a gifted and amazing scientist, using both magic and science to test human limits... and amazingly okay about sacrificing human pets for her research.

Reaching the reception area beneath ground, a strong weird scent of something unknown hung in the air. Familiar and not. And not completely unwelcoming. The scent making his teeth and nails ache, as suddenly he was falling onto his hands and knees, body screaming at him something he couldn’t decipher. Opening his mouth, nothing came out. Heat flushing through his body as his arms gave out and the world became so much bigger than it had been. Whatever the fuck was happening now, he didn’t like it...

Matt grabbed him by the collar, Lance finding himself pulled to his feet too fast. Covering his mouth to prevent himself from throwing up, he swallowed hard. That’d never happened. 44 years and he’d never felt like he had right then

“Fucking shitty vampire scents. What the hell, dude?”

That was vampire. Sniffing again, his stomach rolled. Submit. God. That’s what that feeling was. His body wanted to submit to something. Heat beginning to boil in his belly... no... not here... not here and not now...

“Matt, let him go. Lance... you’re okay. Allura, I’ll take him to his room. Lance, is there anything I can get you?”

“Curtis...”

Curtis’s name came out pained and strangled. Curtis could handle his bouts of heat... Rieva might have offered to take him to his room, but he wasn’t safe with her. He wasn’t safe because his body wasn’t listening. He didn’t... Grunting as a heat wave slammed into him with enough forced to make his knees buckle, tears came to his eyes. Keith was the one who made him feel like this. Not some random vampire... and Keith didn’t make him feel like he had to get on his hands knees and stick his fucking arse out to be bred like this... well... he did, but not so viciously like his head was behind held down and a heat shoved in every opening

“Okay. Allura call Curtis, then call Keith. We all need to talk, but right now Lance needs his boyfriend”

“Keith and Shiro are out...”

People really needed to stop saying Keith. Horny Lance had little control over all things Lance and what he wanted done to him

“I’m... okay... just... please get Curtis...”

This was mortifying. He was mortified. A single whiff and this happened. Maybe he was off guard? He had to be after what Rieva had and hadn’t said? Honerva was evil. The Blades knew about her and were yet to stop her. If she came here people would start dying at an alarming rate... Oh... god... shoot him now... he could smell horny Matt and dear god... he wanted something in him...

[nadziejastar]

How would you respond to KH fans who claim that Isa was never a good guy to begin with, because he called Lea a ‘loser, lame, laughable’.

Oh my God. That opinion annoys me sooo much. If you judge Isa on his own, him teasing Lea was hardly a sign of him being evil. That’s just ridiculous. Terra teased Aqua, and it didn't make him evil. To me, it seemed like he had a crush on her. There was nothing in canon to suggest Isa was malicious. Ven was jealous of the way Lea and Isa interacted. The music was innocent and happy. Lea smiled when Isa teased him. They all laughed. It was healthy and normal friendly banter.

IMO, people who claim otherwise are not looking at the story very closely, or they’re too biased to see the story objectively. I talked with several people online who thought that Isa was never good and I also know someone in real life who said the same thing. One online person was a hardcore Akuroku shipper. She messaged me to say that Akuroku would always be more popular than Akusai. And she said that Isa always had a bad personality, it just got exaggerated when he became a Nobody. Roxas was the most important person to Axel. Eh. Make of that what you will.

Another online girl was not a shipper, but she was a HUGE sea-salt trio fan. She's exactly the type of fan that Roxas and Xion were brought back for in KH3. She wanted her favorite trio reunited and couldn’t have cared less about Lea’s friendship with Isa. And, IMO, she's exactly the type of fan who completely misunderstood the story of 358/2 Days. She thought the sea-salt trio was the perfect friend group.

She had a very simplistic and black-and-white view of the story. There was no deeper meaning to Days than Roxas and Xion becoming Axel’s "best friends" and living happily ever after. That was it. The point of Days in her mind was that Saix = evil, Roxas and Xion = good. Axel kicked Saix to the curb and became “good” because of his two precious cinnamon rolls. His past wasn't really all that important. Just Roxas and Xion. That was how a lot of KH fans saw the story, apparently. 

Well, this girl hated Saix. She was disgusted that he was there in the epilogue with his abuse victims and didn't know why he was even redeemed at all. She thought that Axel and Saix’s friendship in Days was just put in to create drama and was otherwise totally pointless. She thought Axel didn't even care about Isa and was only trying to find Roxas in KH3D. She said she had no idea why Lea was even friends with Isa in BBS since he was such a little brat. She was very clearly biased in favor of RAX and tried to delegitimize any feelings Axel ever had for Saix.

She also took everything Axel said in Days at total face value. He didn’t worry much and wasn’t very complicated. On Day 193, Axel cheerfully called Roxas and Xion his best friends, so that meant they were. On Day 75, Axel said he didn’t know what having a best friend was like. And to her, that obviously meant that Lea literally never had a best friend before. To her, Axel was a very simple character. What you see is what you get. She saw him the way Roxas did. I’m sorry. That is just...not the way Nomura intended Axel to be perceived. Roxas did not even come close to understanding Axel. I really hate the general fandom’s view of Axel in Days. 

The real life person was just a casual fan. He wasn’t being disingenuous due to bias. He just didn’t look at the story very deeply and let his impression of Saix (who is supposed to be unlikable) influence his view of Isa. We all got to meet Saix first and he is indeed an asshole. Unlike with Terra and Xemnas, we aren't shown in great detail how Isa was possessed and Norted. Terra got a whole game to SHOW what happened to him and how he was a kindhearted person who was just manipulated. Xemnas is not Terra, he was Xehanort who was influenced by Terra’s memories. I'm sure Isa was supposed to get that same treatment too, but it never happened.

So in canon, there’s no clear dichotomy with Isa’s original self and his Norted self. It’s still heavily implied that Isa was totally different from Saix. But it's very subtle. So, of course many people didn't pick up on it. I think this was intentional. In Days, we weren't supposed to know how close Axel and Saix were as humans. We only know Saix from KH2, then in Days he's really horrible and we're supposed to not like him. Even in BBS I think they had him act like that on purpose. We see Isa and he has a bit of sarcasm, so it's simply confirmation bias at that point. See, he was just as evil as a human! It was meant to be misleading.

The reason for this was because Isa’s real personality was supposed to be a plot twist! And Nomura loves plot twists. We were supposed to be surprised to see what he was really like, which was really sweet. And then, we were supposed to view the story in an entirely different way afterwards. Like when Xemnas called Aqua’s armor “friend”. That was in KH2FM. We didn’t know about Terra yet. We were given a misleading view of Xemnas. Nomura also wanted to subvert our initial expectations of Saix. That's why his Mystery Gear was a cute selfless rabbit. I think the whole thing was an awesome idea for a plot twist.

But in canon, there was no plot twist. There was no time to give Lea and Isa a real backstory to change our perception. So, they just went with most casual fans’ superficial lazy understanding of Saix and called it a day. I guess because KH3 was so concerned with fan service and pandering, they didn’t wanna make the casual fans rethink their interpretation on anything. That includes RAX, too. KH3 was afraid of disappointing certain segments of fans who had very fixed ideas of the story and the trios. 

[thewhiterabbit42]

Impala Sex

Pairing: Mick x reader

Summary:  A hunt almost goes sideways and you and Mick find yourselves giving in to temptation in less than ideal places.  

Written for: @spnkinkbingo and @yeahbecauseimbatman

Kink Bingo Square Filled:  Impala Sex

Word Count: 1492

Tags/Warnings: vaginal sex, unprotected sex

Beta’d by the lovely lady formerly known as @sumara62

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Mick’s whisper becomes swallowed.  By the heady thrill of danger dancing along the air. By your mouth as your lips lay claim to his once more, unable to keep yourself from stealing taste after taste.  Your fingers rake through his hair, and despite his protest, his hands are at your hips, tugging you flush against his body.

He’s right.  It’s neither the time nor place. You’re both splattered in vamp blood that has yet to fully dry, and the Winchesters should be back any minute.  But ideal is as foreign a concept as the luxury that comes from working with the British Men of Letters, and you’re well beyond the point of caring who might catch you with your pants around your ankles, or that you actually have a decent hotel room you can drop them in.

“Wait.”

He grabs your hands, a war raging inside of him, one one that adds an urgency to his tone.  It implores you to listen, but also doesn’t stop you when you reach forward to palm him through his pants.  His resolve fractures, frenetic fingertips tugging your undershirt free from your jeans so that he can drink in the smooth expanse of flesh beneath it.  

You’re tired of waiting, and you know he is too.  You can still see the look of horror on his face that went beyond almost witnessing a colleague being ripped apart.  You can still feel weighted certainty that this is it clinging to your being.  You need this.  Him.  Something to keep you from facing the fact that you almost didn’t come back this time.  

You know you’ve won the battle the moment he allows you to push him into the backseat of the Impala.  

He bounces across the leather, dragging his legs hastily in to make space for you.  You’re thankful for the way your boots simply zip up the side, making it easy to lose them.  Your jeans are a little less cooperative, but, ever eager to lend a helping hand, Mick reaches forward, wrenching them down to your knees. 

Any other time you might have cracked a joke.  He’s been nothing but cordial business and gentlemanly manners around you, and his eagerness is a nice development.  But, there’s no time for humor, no desire other than to quench the the need roiling low in your stomach.  

You only bother with one pant leg, dragging the rest into the car before shutting the door behind you.  Strong hands land at your hips and he hoists you into his lap where your fingers immediately fly to his belt.  You have the front of his pants open and your own underwear pushed aside in mere moments, though it feels like an eternity passes before you can finally free him.  

Again, not ideal.  There's not enough space to fully appreciate him or for him to appreciate you, and you’re certain you’d earn a one-way ticket off Winchester Island if Dean even had an inkling of what was happening inside his car.   

That does little to stop you from enjoying the man beneath you.  

You line him up with your entrance, sinking yourself down upon him.  You groan in satisfaction as your walls give a burning stretch, whereas Mick sucks in air between his teeth as if he might come apart at that moment.  

“Oh god,” he moans when he's fully hilted, fingers digging so tightly into you there's bound to be a few prints left behind.  

He tugs, urging you to move, and you raise up until you're almost completely off him before he's buried in your wet heat again.  You find a comfortable pace to start, one that quickly gains in tempo, until there's nothing but the sounds of your ragged breaths and groans within the vehicle.  

You can tell it’s frustrating that he can’t get to you.  Not fully.  Not in ways he so clearly wants.  He’s everywhere, frantically trying to touch every part of you, as if he may never get another opportunity to again.  Despite his desperation, he’s controlled, grip firm but no longer bruising, drinking you in until you nearly suffocate, but never forgetting to let you come up for air.  

You’ve thought about this many times, but no amount of fantasizing could have prepared you for the way you perfectly fit in his lap, how he knows how to handle you, how you need him fast, hard, without reservation.  

It’s the best post-hunt high you’ve ever chased.  It’s intense, all-encompassing, and as much as you’d love to make the most of the experience, you do everything you can to push him over the edge first.  He doesn’t just trip over it, but goes careening over the finish line, a series of fucks echoing with his erratic, then slowing thrusts.  

He slumps, head dropping back onto the seat.  Both your chests are heaving and it takes a moment for you to catch your breath.  As much as you want to revel in how thoroughly sated he looks, you know you can’t.    

Carefully, you slide off him, your body protesting at the sudden emptiness.  Without a word you get back into your pants, hastily climbing back out of the car to find your boots and escape the stifling silence.

By the time he emerges, you’ve not only put yourself back to rights, but you’ve taken a seat on top of the hood.  Other than the residual glow in your cheeks and the obvious sex hair he’s sporting, there’s no other evidence of what just happened.  None that’s visible, anyway.

“Hey.”  You acknowledge him, unsure of what else to do.  This all feels a little out of your league.  You’ve slept with other hunters before, but never anyone as important as him, and never anyone you’ve had feelings for.  

“I hope you’ll accept my apology,” he begins, and your slowing heart begins racing anew at his stiff, distant tone.   

You swallow.  “For?”  

You don't mean to sound so challenging, but the slick on your thighs hasn't even dried and he's already making excuses, which is fast, even for a bureaucrat.

He releases a breath, hand raking through his hair.  His eyes drop, wandering over the ground as he looks at nothing in particular.  You hope the measured pause he gives is him choosing his next words carefully.  

“Not adhering to proper etiquette.”

Whatever etiquette he’s referring to must be British, because you have no idea what he's talking about.

Your brow arches, but you refrain from saying anything until he explains himself.  

“You know…” He jams his hands into his pockets and clears his throat.  “Ladies first?”

You turn to look at him, really look at him, and you realize what you’ve been picking up on isn’t him being detached so much as embarrassed.  

“Oh.”  That.  “I mean…”  You’ve never had anyone care enough to apologize.  What does one say in this situation?   

Sorry I couldn’t wait another half hour to jump your bones?  

No.  You didn’t need him thinking you’re even more desperate than you already seemed.

No big deal. It happens all the time?  

Yeah, maybe if you want him to think dragging men into the backseat after a hunt is par for the course.  

The pressure to say something overwhelms you, and you decide to throw caution to the wind.  

“...the night’s still young?”  

His eyes snap up and you freeze.  He goes as still as stone, and your heart follows suit, unsure of what it means.  

A roguish smile breaks through the surface, lighting up his eyes.  “I guess it is.”  

He steps in front of you, hand brushing the hair back from your face before taking you by the chin.  “May I?”

You smile, relief flooding your system as you grab the front of his suit.  You get lost in each other again, but this time it’s different.  It’s slow and sweet, filled with electricity and a tenderness that’s sorely been missing from your life.  He takes the time to explore your mouth, your tongue, all the places along your neck that make you sigh.  For a few minutes, there’s nothing but you and him, and the world without monsters he’d pitched to you months back is suddenly a reality.  

Until the Winchesters return and promptly burn it to the ground.  

“Hey, hey, hey!”  Dean yells, emerging from the treeline.  “What are you, fifteen?  Quit necking on my car!”

Sam trails behind him with a snort. “Necking, Dean? Really?”    

“I mean it,” his brother warns. “Off!”

You draw back, putting your hands up in surrender and Mick mutters something that suspiciously sounds like bloody wankers though it could have just been Winchesters.  He steps back giving you room to hop down and while he looks less than thrilled, you can’t keep yourself from smirking at the vein starting to pop on Dean’s forehead.  

If only he knew what you’d really been up to in his precious Baby.

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[politicalmamaduck]

The Last Shot

A Smuggler Ben Solo/Dark Side Rey arranged marriage fic for @the-reylo-void. Many thanks to @lariren-shadow for her inspiration and betaing, @rapturousaurora for betaing, @cosetteskywalker for the above moodboards, @aionimica for her drawing of Rey in her wedding dress, @roselinathart for her drawing of the wedding, @lenuca for her chapter moodboards, and @mrsvioletwrites for this art of Smuggler Ben and Dark Rey!

Read it on AO3 here, and listen to the playlist here!

Chapter Nineteen: Rey’s Dream | Chapter Eighteen: Jakku | Chapter Seventeen: The First Flashback | Chapter Sixteen: The Rendezvous | Chapter Fifteen: Tatooine | Chapter Fourteen: The First Mission | Chapter Thirteen: Goodbye to Naboo | Chapter Twelve: The Wedding Night | Chapter Eleven: The Aftermath | Chapter Ten: The Wedding | Chapter Nine: Naboo | Chapter Eight: The Time in Between | Chapter Seven: The Negotiations | Chapter Six: The Duel | Chapter Five: The Discovery | Chapter Four: The Bargain | Chapter Three: The Bounty | Chapter Two: The Meeting | Chapter One: The Treaty

Jakku, twenty years prior:

“Her name is Remei,” Shieva pronounced, exhausted, sweaty, and not a little bloody.

“Remei Solé Palpatine. She has a proper Nubian name, should she ever want to reclaim her heritage and our House,” she continued, looking fiercely at the few remaining Imperial officers and local attendants they could scrounge to look after Shieva through the birth.

“You’re the future of the Empire,” the new mother said, looking down at her daughter. “Someday, we shall return, and with your Force potential, worlds will fall at your feet, my daughter.”

The only world that Remei knew swam with heat and shimmering light casting shadows.

Jakku, fifteen years prior:

Oh my daughter, how I’ve failed you, Shieva thought.  

Everything had gone so horribly wrong. To leave her precious daughter in the hands of the vile Crolute made her skin crawl, but they couldn’t take such a youngling through uncharted hyperspace lanes to the Unknown Regions. Not with what little they learned from the scrambled and frantic comms.

Not with a lurking Force sensitive predator that frightened even the mighty Chiss.

Only Shieva could handle this.

Remei had to survive.

“Remember who you are, my daughter. Remember your parents. Remember your heritage. Your grandfather was the Emperor of the galaxy. You are heir to one of the Elder Houses, House Palpatine of Naboo. You are the Empire’s light and remedy.”

Rax may have thought he was the last Contingency, but the Emperor always maintained other options. Shieva cursed him even now for thinking in his arrogance that he was her father’s heir, for being willing to destroy so much of what they’d built with his plan, including herself and these few loyal officers by leaving them on Jakku to die; for not thinking them worthy to join him in the Unknown Regions while he rebuilt the Empire in his own image. Shieva shuddered to think Rax came so close to seeing his plan through, and was foiled only by Grand Admiral Sloane and a ragtag band of rebels. Shieva’s father was crafty, and Rax arrogant to think he held the keys to her father’s Empire and his only contingency plan. She was another, and she did not doubt his hands held many other secrets.

It was never supposed to end like this.

Remei was sobbing, screaming as the Crolute grabbed her.

Shieva was never overly given to sentiment, but leaving her daughter on Jakku made her wish she had the power to tear worlds apart the way the Death Star had.

“We’ll come back for you, sweetheart, I promise,” Jordi told their daughter, and she screamed again.

It was the last thing Shieva heard before their ship took atmo.

It echoed in her ears along with Remei’s plaintive cries as Shieva died at Snoke’s feet, her body smoking and covered in Force-inflicted burns, lost in the Unknown Regions’ depths.

The remaining Imperial officers who followed Shieva from Jakku were either killed or bowed before Snoke, subsumed into his First Order.

Rey of Jakku, Master of the Knights of Ren, now known as Rey Palpatine Solo, woke up in bed, screaming.

[permian-tropos]

sob i could only write one today im sorry im a disgrace

9. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

Rax wheezes like a stalling engine and falls flat on his rear end. It’s a shame Sloane hasn’t the time to laugh. She prepares an attack, rocking forward on the tips of her boots, and then a warning thought catches her. She doesn’t drop down, but instead dances around him — he snaps his legs closed and presses an arm between them, rolling onto his side — until she’s behind his head.

Don’t risk anything by getting down on his level. She knows her own weak spot is her gut wound, and the painkillers are leaving her system. Every move she makes could be rearranging her organs, and her side is stiff from swelling.

It seems she made the smart choice, because Rax recovers swiftly. He rolls onto his stomach, glaring up at her.

She’d love to kick him down the ramp, but there isn’t time. Giving him a parting snarl, Sloane stumbles through the bay doors, towards the cockpit.

The rebel pilot has already leapt out of his chair and is pulling a blaster from his hip holster. “Not another step!” he shouts.

Sloane vibrates with an impatience more potent than anger, and stamps her heels on the floor. “Take off! Take off now!”

The man sees the urgency, but he’s open to attack if he sits down completely, so he keeps yelling and waving the blaster until Sloane has backed all the way to the door. 

The ship lurches in an unsteady takeoff while the pilot tries to manage the controls with one hand. They’re rising above the desert plain, aiming for the atmosphere. All is chaos on the ground and in the sky, ships battling in orbit and a web of cracks spreading across the surface of Jakku.

Just as Sloane starts wondering what to do about this unwanted companion, she’s shoved aside.

Rax tosses the shah-tezh pieces with a flick of his wrist, right into the pilot’s face — and closes in without pausing, every motion perfectly casual and deliberate.

It’s such an odd move that the man freezes in bemusement, eyes tracking the pieces as they bounce harmlessly off his brow. While the blaster is yanked from his hands, and then Rax fires a hole through the man’s chest and flings the body off its seat to the floor.

That takes care of that, Sloane thinks blankly. She saw everything, and still can’t believe it wasn’t wizardry, just sleight-of-hand. Surely she saw the Force at work, Rax summoning the blaster to his hand.

Conveniently, she is unburdened by thoughts of prudence and planning, and doesn’t care how he did it.

In the precious few seconds Rax needs to launch the ship into hyperspace, as the black space outside the viewports warps into a tunnel of light, Sloane lunges at his back and cinches her arms around his throat. Pressed flush against him, she realizes her instincts were right — the hardest place for him to shoot her would be here. He’d have to contort his shooting arm around as if to scratch his back with the blaster tip. Risky business.

Her teeth are at the nape of his neck. A mad, beast-like frenzy in her blood has her wondering if it’s possible to bite down and sever the brain stem.

He groans and forces the sound into a stilted laugh. “Oh, don’t. Don’t you dare.”

“Put it down,” she hisses — it’s worth a try.

“No, no.” He heaves another breathless laugh. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Rax is faintly visible as a stretched-out reflection in the transparisteel pane. He’s tightening his free hand into a fist, pressing it to his own solar plexus. Like he’s damming up a breach.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” he says, as his breathing steadies. “Not like this, not alone. But of course you had to.”

“What do you mean?”

His hand, the one holding the blaster, reaches back. Lays the gun against her hip, the barrel stroking the side of her leg. He could injure her, but not kill her. She could snatch the weapon away if she’s willing to temporarily sacrifice a limb.

“Why not stay on Chandrila and spill secrets to the New Republic? Play the innocent. I thought you’d either return to me or throw your lot in with them.”

“I wasn’t going to plead for their mercy.” Perhaps if she constricts his throat slowly, he won’t notice he’s going light-headed.

“Nor for mine.”

“Never.”

[roggling]

S7 E13

Finalmy the last one

Is that a robeast?

WHOA

Can the galra just chill

Why tf do they need earth anyway

Oh my babes not again

Me too allura

The power of friendship

Shiro tf rest calm down

I have never curse more than in these past 9 hours

My babe is a captain yeet

Okay uh haggar please stop

I think its haggar

Is it

PLANCE

NICE DOUBLE SWORD

This soundtrack is absolutely amazing

Holy

What is going

YES PIDGE

THAt WAS AWESOME

The hell os a komar

Veronica babe you so pretty just like your bro

IT IS HAGGAR

ALLURA PLEASE FIGHT AGAINST IT

Oh god Keith'S rough voice is so hot

Did they just LOSE A SWORD

Dude

What

So like

WHAT

I hate this

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

ATLAS IS JUST LIKE A LION OH GOD YESS

Thats so cool

SHIRO YOU BEAUTIFUL JAPANESE AMERICAN BABE

WHAT THE HELL DID HE JUST MAKE ATLAS SOME LEGS

Hahahaa that robot is whack

VOLTRON

WAIT ATLAS IS BIGGER THAN VOLTRON HA

Holy

Haha thiccc

Thats so cute its like a mosquito

What the

Haggar why are you like this

HOLY FNCK NO

Yes plz

Oh crud that explosion was lit

Welp

COULD YOU STOP

Ugh

Give the poor babes a break

CAN YOU NOT KEITH THANK YOU VERY MUCH

I KNOW YALL AINT GONNA DIE SOOOO

Can you not hurt my feels

Omg this music

PLEASE STOP

I CANT

Hahahaha they crashed in their elements

BUT MY HEART

They arent dead tf

Awwwwww Adam!

YAYA MATT

BLADES

AGH THEY SO PRECIOUS

SHAYYYYY

RAX

Agh kances fam

Awww kolivan hahaha

ACXA WHERE TF ARE YOU

Vrepit sal! Wazza my man

THERE YOU ARE YESSSSS

WHAT

ARE YOU TELLING MY AN ALTEAN POWERED THAT SH!T

WHAT

[lordzuuko]

Hello, I've told you before, but I have to tell you again: You're Voltron Family AU is amazing! One of my friends want's to ask you a question but they're too nervous to ask because they think you are so awesome(as do I)! so I hope you don't mind but I'm going to ask in their stead. Anyway, this was their question: What if Pidge came home with a platonic (male or female) friend but the whole family assumed that it was like when Hunk and Lance brought over Shay and Rax?

Thank you! And oh my gosh! Tell them no need to be nervous and just send away the Voltron Fam prompt XD

[The Voltron Family] To say Shiro was nervous was probably the understatement of the century because Shiro was fricking nervous his hands were sweating nonstop and he could hardly tie his fricking tie properly. 

The cause of Shiro’s anxiety was that his baby girl said she was bringing someone home to their monthly formal dinner and that could only mean one thing: Pidge’s special someone. And if Shiro was just being honest, he’d rather be Pidge’s special someone forever—she said so when she was 5 “Daddy Shiro will always be The One for me” and Shiro might have cried at that and now he was crying for a different reason. There was no way someone was going to take her baby girl away from him.

Keith: You’re practically producing your own private pool.Shiro: *blinks repeatedly and stares at Keith* *gapes*Keith: *rolls his eyes* Let me do that for you. *does Shiro’s tie*Shiro: Keith… *looks awfully miserable*Keith: Relax, will you? *gives him a peck on the lips* It’s not going to be the end of the world.Shiro: It’s the end of my world though.Keith: Stop being so dramatic.*snorts*  Sometimes I feel like you should’ve gone to Broadway instead of going to med school.Shiro: Haha. Very funny. *makes a face*Keith: Why, thank you. *smiles* I’ve been told I’m very funny a couple of times. So it’s no surprise really. *shrugs*Shiro: Keith… *frowns*Keith: *cups Shiro’s face* She’s no longer a baby girl, Shiro.Shiro: She’s still my baby girl. *pouts*Keith: *smiles in amusement* *kisses Shiro’s pout away* If you behave, I’ll give you a prize.Shiro: *eyes widens* *blushes* Keith— *gasp*Keith: I’ll bake you whatever you want. *chuckles*Shiro: *deflates* Oh.Keith: *squints suspiciously* What were you even thinking, you pervert?!Shiro: *shock* I.. I was thinking you’d treat me to a… a m-movie!Keith: *rolls eyes* Nice save, champ.

The doorbell rang and it was Keith who opened it. In front of him was a girl in a black cocktail dress. 

Girl: *eyes widens* *flushes* Oh my gosh. *containing herself* *clenches her hands in excitement* Y-you’re Pidge’s Daddy!Keith: Y-yes, I am. Well, one of her daddies anyway.Girl: *beams* You’re very very very handsome tonight, Mister Shirogane.Keith: You look lovely and beautiful tonight…Girl: Alice! Keith: *smiles* Alice. Why don’t you come inside?Alice: Thank you! *enters* *looks at Keith* I’m actually excited for tonight. It’s the first time I’ve heard of formal dinners at home. Usually they’re done outside  in such fancy restaurants but looking at your house now, I can understand why you’d rather have it here. So when Pidge told me her family was having one soon—*gets distracted by a family portrait* Oh my gosh. *coos* Is this them when they were kiddies?Keith: *chuckles* Yeah. They were such cuties, weren’t they?Alice: *looks closely* *giggles* I am so blackmailing Pidge with this. Look at her! How precious is that?!Keith: *smiles at Alice* *loves her energy* You’ll definitely get along with my husband. *chuckles* Which reminds me, I should introduce you to him. C’mon, he’s in the kitchen.Alice: *takes Keith’s arm and let’s him lead her* Lead the way, Sir. *smiles*

Keith was shocked by the gesture of the younger girl but somehow found it endearing how comfy Alice was with him since usually people tend to have a hard time warming up to him. They enter the kitchen and Shiro was there trying to make everything look perfect.

Shiro: *spots them* Oh, hello. *eyes widens*Alice: *beams* Hello! *looks at Shiro then back at Keith* You, sir, have such great taste in men. Keith: *chuckles* Oh gods. *shakes head in amusement*Pidge: Alice? *enters* You’re already here?Alice: *turns around and sees Pidge* Pidge! Look at you looking so cute in that tux! *hugs her tight*Pidge: *giggles* Thanks, man. I should show you my room! Alice: Yes! Let’s go! *turns back to Shiro and Keith* It was so nice to meet you, Pidge’s Daddies! Pidge: *grabs Alice’s hand* If you’ll excuse us, I’ll have to show her my new project. Just call us when dinner’s ready, yeah? See yah! *waves and drags Alice away with her*

Once the two girls were gone…

Shiro: A girl. Pidge’s special someone is a girl. *shock* Oh my god.Keith: *rolls eyes* She’s a lovely girl though.Shiro: I lost to a girl. *looks at Keith* I lost Pidge’s affection to a girl, Keith.Keith: You’ll get over it. *chuckles*

During dinner, something rings…

Alice: Sorry! *looks at her phone from her purse* It’s my boyfriend. *looks apologetic* I’m sorry if you’ll excuse me I have to answer this. He’s calling internationally and they’re rather pricey and if I don’t—-Pidge: Just go, dude. *shakes her head in amusement* The sushi won’t go anywhere. If it makes you feel better, I’ll make sure Hunk doesn’t eat everything and save some for you.Alice: You’re such a gem, Pidge. This is why you’re my best friend. *laughs* Alright. BRB. *waves at the family in the table* *leaves*Shiro: *gapes* Best friend?Pidge: *looks up* Yeah. Alice is my best friend. She’s really nerdy despite being such an extrovert and energetic. *looks at Shiro suspiciously* Why?Lance: *giggles* Daddy Shiro might’ve thought Alice was your girlfriend!Hunk: Oh my god. *laughs along* Pidge: Oh my god. Daddy Shiro! What the hell?Shiro: What? You didn’t tell me you were bringing your friend!Pidge: I did though! I said I’ll bring my friend. She’s really interested in our formal dinners. She likes playing dress up and would like to see me wearing something formal to take pictures of. Which she really did. *rolls eyes*Shiro: How was I supposed to know about that? *defensive*Pidge: I didn’t know we’re not allowed to bring friends. *pouts grumpily*Shiro: No, sweetheart. Of course you are. *smiles apologetically*Hunk: I think this is partially my fault because I brought Shay to meet the family. *looks at Shiro* I’m so so sorry, Dad.Keith: *smiles* Then the Rax thing happened with Lance. I guess you can’t really say you blame your Daddy Shiro on this one, Pidge. 

When Alice came back and she saw the family laughing…

Alice: *smiles* What did I miss? I leave for a few minutes and you’re all having fun without me. *pouts* Shiro: *smiles at her genuinely* Why don’t you sit down Alice and I’ll go get Pidge’s baby pictures.Alice: *eagerly sits back* oh my god. This is gonna be good. I have my camera ready for baby pigeon. *beams at Pidge* Pidge: *groans* *looks at Shiro* Daddy Shiro nooooooo…..

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt.3

Balmeria Roadhouse was as it always was at stupid o’clock in the morning. Two road trains parked up in the back parking space. Another sitting at the diesel pumps, the driver sitting inside the roadhouse taking a much needed break. Pulling up at the bowser, Lance heard the click of the pump release, the roadhouse on the older side where a pin needed to be entered instore before you could use the bowser. Shay was definitely on, her brother Rax also worked there, but he’d seemed to take a real dislike to their group, making one of them go in and ask to use the pumps instead of being a normal civil person. Yeah, he fell into the people that thoroughly annoyed Lance, but Shay... Shay lit up the room. Her smile was bright, hair always dyed shades of blue, huge silver hoop earrings that surely had to hurt her ears, then topped off with an ensemble that threw back to the golden years of “emo”. When she joked about it, a little bit of him died on the inside. It was hard being 44 when his friends were young enough to be his kids.

Pidge climbed out after Hunk, as Lance started fuelling up. The rain was coming again, he could smell it on the air. Maybe making a run for snacks hadn’t been the brightest idea mid-storm, but you never knew what would happen. He didn’t want to pressure Hunk, not after the tour from hell, but seeing Shay might just be thing his friend needed to perk him back up. Leaning back against his car, he closed his eyes and let himself just be. He loved this life. Out of all his “lives” as Lance, this was the most peace he’d ever found... as a near on hermit.

Hearing the slow roll of tires over wet gravel, Lance paid it no mind. The pump handle clicking to indicate the tank was full. Shaking the last few drops out the nozzle, he set the handle back in the cradle with a sigh. It should be illegal that filling a tank cost $90. He could still remember when it was $1 a litre. Back in the good old days and all that. Heck, when he’d been 20 it’d only been 65cents a litre. His precious girl was killing his bank account... but he’d never say that out loud, at least not with Pidge in earshot. And not with his Mami in earshot either. She mistakingly thought he kept his girl around out of some sense of misplaced guilt over his condition, not because no other car made him feel quite the way driving his bronco did. Giving Shay a wave on the security camera, Lance double checked his wallet in his back pocket before shoving his hands in his jacket, then making himself jog over to the roadhouse door as if he was scared of getting wet. As he jogged he noticed that the people who’d pulled up were one of those “people” who park way too close to the front door with the bonnet hanging over the edge, making the walk way smaller than it was supposed to be. From the look of it there were two of them in the black sedan, their car practically screaming for attention. Good luck with that, Lance was more interested in the road train by the diesel than two rich kids taking their car for a joy ride.

Letting himself into the warmth of the road house, Lance headed straight for the drinks at back. Grabbing two bottles of coke, he also snagged a bottle of orange juice for the morning. Carrying the drinks up to Shay, Hunk was spluttering over Shay’s flirting. Neither of them were aggressive enough to make that first move, Shay’s bubbly personality came from being in customer service, the “real” Shay was a shy blushing mess especially in the presence of Hunk

“Hiya, Lance. How’s it going?”

“Any day my glasses decide not to fog up is a win. How’s the night been?”

“Slooow. Seriously slow. Must be the weather, all the smart people are staying home”

Lance laughed as he nodded

“Yeah, it’s the night for it, alright. Hey, we were thinking of having dinner at mine on Saturday night, can you swing it?”

Shay shook her head, her gaze flicking to Hunk, then back to him

“I’m working both nights this weekend”

“It doesn’t have to be Saturday. Friday works too. Or Monday. Actually, any night works. One of the perks that comes with working from home”

“I can do Friday... are you sure you don’t mind?”

Now Shay was sounding like Hunk. They’d be the sweetest couple

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t. It won’t be anything too fancy, maybe dinner than vegging out in front of the TV. I mean, please don’t feel pressured at all to come, I won’t be offended. I was just thinking how nice it’d be to actually hang out outside of this place”

Shay nodded quickly

“That sounds fun. I’ll finally be able to meet Blue”

With her blue hair, Shay had thought Lance was talking about her whenever he mentioned “Blue” to Pidge and, or, Hunk. His cooing over his precious princess making her uncomfortable. Shay remained in the dark until Pidge started teasing him mercilessly over Lance buying his baby girl a bigger and better cat tree to celebrate her first birthday

“She’s a bit of a snob, just so you know. Oh, you totally don’t have to bring anything, but I know what parents are like, so if you drink bring a bottle of that and we’ll pretend it’s for me”

Shay laughed. Lance felt as if the gift giving had slowly slipped from society, a bit like dinner parties

“Sometimes you sound like my dad”

Pidge slammed her palms down on the counter, excited to have someone agree

“I know, right?! You should have heard him earlier, I could have died of shame when he was talking about being “totally radical!”

“Much retro, so lame”

Huffing are the pair, Lance grabbed a pack of gum to toss in with everything else

“Remind me why I associate with all of you?”

“For the laughs. Oh, we better move, they’re coming in”

Spying on the two guys from the flashy car, the group moved aside as the door chimed. Shay swapping tills so she wouldn’t have to start ringing up his purchases from scratch

“You guys got everything you want?”

Pidge nodded happily

“Shay’s rung up my two slushies. I decided I needed one of each instead of two raspberry”

“I really should have only let you get one. You’ll be awake all night from all that sugar”

“Jeez, thanks, dad...”

Pidge made the telephone gesture with her hand, raising it to her ear. She played along with her fake fall, humming and nodding a few times before holding her hand out towards him

“The 1970’s called, they want their idiot back”

Swatting at Pidge’s hand, Lance felt a bump against his back. No apology was forth coming as Shay served the two strangers, the taller answering Shay’s polite attempts at small talk. At least one of them wasn’t a total douche.

When the pair left, the group moved back over. Shay finishing off scanning the last few items

“That’s $143.95 all up. Pidge said you were having a movie marathon when you got home?”

Fishing his wallet out, Lance pulled out his credit card, handing over as he shook his head

“She might be, but I’d hardly call it a movie marathon when she’s watching over what she taped tonight. Hunk and I are about ready to call it night”

“That sounds like a good plan. The weather’s supposed to turn bad again”

Entering his pin, Lance waited for “approved” to show on the reader, before taking his card back and sliding it away

“I heard that too. That’s why I’ve got to get these two home. If you write your number on the receipt, I’ll add you and chuck a text to confirm. You know where my house is, don’t you?”

Shay giggled, printing off the receipt like Lance has suggested

“Seeing it’s the only house on the road, I don’t think I can go wrong”

When the door chimed again, Lance turned out of habit. He hadn’t seen the diesel drier leave yet, so had thought maybe the man was waiting for someone. Walking back in, the taller of two strangers was scratching the back of his head. Greeeeat. The guy wanted a favour. He could tell by the way he was forcing himself to appear casual

“Hey, me again. My brother and I just tried our car but it doesn’t seem to be turning over. You don’t happen to know anyone around here that can help us out?”

That was what google was for. A quick google search would tell the man the towing service was shut for the night, unless he wanted to call someone in Platt.

Shay took the question in her stride, being a roadhouse she’d probably dealt with this kind of thing before

“That depends. If you need to reach Platt tonight, then you’ll want to call a Platt number for a tow. If you can wait until tomorrow, my friend Hunk here is the son of the town’s mechanic”

“We were actually hoping to stay a few days in town, you know, check out the old museum and that. My little brother’s really into photography. We’ve got a hotel room back in Platt, so I guess I need the number for that towing service”

The stranger scratched the back of his head again. Lance knew he was staring, but it was kind of hard not to when the man had a massive scar across the bridge of his nose

“I’ll give them a call, but they might not want to come out with the storm rolling in”

“Yeah, my brother was taking photos of the sky tonight, that’s how we ended up here in the middle of the night. I’d really appreciate it if you could”

“No worries, you’d be surprised how often it happens. Do you and your brother want to sit inside and wait?”

“No, thanks for the offer, but he’s not exactly a people person. I’m Shiro, by the way”

“I’m Shay. Welcome to Garrison”

“Thanks. I’ll just browse while you make that call. Thanks for this and for calling”

“It’s fine. They love me there because I send them so much business. Go ahead and take a look around”

There was no way that Lance was leaving Shay with a creeper. Hot or not, he didn’t know the man. An ordinary person wouldn’t be running around with a scar like that, his mind unhelpfully pointing out it could have been the result of a car crash or some kind of accident where he’d smacked his face hard against a pile or a corner. Whatever it’d been, Shiro had done a really good job of it. He carried himself with an air that Lance couldn’t quite put his finger on. Like he was hiding something, but exposing himself all at the same time. Shaking himself out of those thoughts, he settled on the fact that though he’d never see the man again after this, he’d be unfortunately stuck remembering him and always wondering about that damn scar.

Shay was brisk on the phone, she laughed at lot, Hunk practically melting in pining over the sound. Two quick phone calls later, Shay hung up her phone, swapping back to her customer service face

“Shiro, I’ve got some good news and some bad news”

Replacing the magazine he’d been flicking through, the handsome stranger wandered his way back to the counter. Shiro laughed nervously, something making Lance’s skin prickle

“I’m not sure I like the idea of bad news”

“Well, there’s been an accident in Platt, the storm knocked a set of lights, so they won’t be able to send someone until tomorrow. The good news is that Hunk’s dad runs the local autoshop, he can take a look first thing tomorrow morning. The bad news is you’re either stuck waiting the next 12 hours in here or we can try getting you a room in town... you could probably call a cab out from Platt, but that’s going to cost about as much as getting a room”

Shiro sighed. Lance didn’t blame him. Being stuck sucked arse

“Don’t worry, man. My dad will sort you out tomorrow”

Hunk tried to comfort the stranger, Shiro looking at him properly for the first time

“Uh, thanks for that. I’m Shiro...”

Pidge stepped forward

“I’m Pidge, that’s Hunk and this loser is Lance. We can give you a ride back in town if you need”

Lance stepped on Pidge’s foot. He wasn’t a damn taxi service, for all he knew this guy and his “brother” could be serial killers

“Really? That would be fantastic. You three are locals right, you wouldn’t happen to know of any good places to stay?”

“Sure do. We know everything about Garrison. Hey, why don’t you crash at Lance’s tonight, then he can give you a lift in tomorrow when he drops us off?”

Lance ground his foot down. He didn’t want two strangers in his house. It was his house. Access was limited to people he actually knew and liked... a grand total of five including Shay

“What? They’re stuck. It’s the nice thing to do”

Damn Pidge and her “niceness”. Shiro scratched the back of his head again

“I don’t want to put you out...”

“Nonsense. He’s got enough rooms. And it’s only for the night. What kind of people would we be if we left you stuck?”

“At least let me pay...”

“Already taken care of. The only thing is you’ll have to ride in the back of the rust bucket out there. This one refuses to get a new car”

Lance huffed

“There’s nothing wrong with my car. She’s got four wheels and starts”

“When she wants to. Go let your brother know what’s going on, while we finish up here”

“I will. Thank you so much for this. You three really saved our butts tonight. So, the bronco, right?”

“Yep, that’s the one”

“I guess we’ll get settled then... Are you sure it’s no trouble?”

“It’s fine, go on, we’ll be out shortly”

When Shiro left, Lance rounded Pidge. Tempted to keep his foot on hers, but scared he’d apply too much pressure and accidentally hurt her

“What the fuck was that?”

Pidge fluttered her eyelashes

“What was what?”

“Volunteering my house? We don’t know them”

“Exactly! I saw you staring”

“Because he’s got a big arse scar across his nose...”

“And now we can find out why”

Lance rolled his eyes, trying to keep his panic internal

“And what if they’re both serial killers?”

“You’re just being stupid. It’s a guy and his brother. Oh! Maybe they’re into ghosts, everyone who comes here’s into ghosts”

Hunk groaned

“Pidge... Lance is right. We don’t know them”

“Too bad. It’s only for tonight. Consider it our good deed for the year”

Shay giggled

“I thought that was that tour of yours”

Pidge jumped up and down on the spot excitedly, grabbing Lance by the arm and shaking him

“Oh my god, that means two good deeds in one day! Karma, here we come!”

Karma could fuck off. If there was any kind of karma in the world, he wouldn’t be what he was now. He wanted his cat, his bed, and not to have two strangers in his goddamn house. Packing their shopping neatly into a bag, Shay placed two slushy cups down on the counter with a clatter as the lids slipped off

“Whoopsies. Anyway, I won’t keep you guys any longer. Lance, you’ll text me right?”

“Sure thing, Shay. Pidge, get your damn slushies so we can go”

“Do you think they want slushies? We should get them slushies. That’s the nice thing to do right?”

“If they wanted slushies, they would have got their own”

Blowing a raspberry at him, Lance knew that Shiro and his brother were getting slushies whether they liked it or not

“Shay, two more cups please!”

God, Lance was done. Grabbing the bag off the counter, he shot Shay a tired smile

“Wish me luck”

“Better you than me. Have fun”

Like that was going to happen. With a wave, Lance wandered towards the door. Behind him Hunk had been nominated to help Pidge with her slushies. What kind of idiot just opened their home up to strangers? His Mami would be so disappointed... Actually, she’d tell him it was the right thing to do, which only made him feel worse.

[nadziejastar]

It's sort of amazing the difference between the fan interpretation of RAX and how they interact in canon. In Days they're super dysfunctional, border on being toxic, and their friendship was unsustainable from the start even if they didn't realize it. In fanon they're a picture perfect family who can never be torn apart. And the KH3 went with the fan interpretation instead of acknowledging any of their issues.

I totally agree. I think the reason is that the fandom tends to be very young. It’s a big reason why Akuroku became so popular, IMO. Young teens tend to misinterpret unhealthy obsession (like Axel’s) as romance and true love. And the Sea-Salt Trio’s dysfunction also was also overlooked in a similar manner.

I gotta be honest. I feel pretty uncomfortable with the general interpretation of the Sea-Salt Trio in this fandom. It’s just so bizarre to me how Roxas and Xion’s friendship with Axel was put on such a pedestal and how his relationship with Isa was pretty much ignored by almost everyone. It’s just…amazingly unrealistic if you think about it. I think it’s a testament to how young the fans are, in general.

Axel’s relationships truly aggravate me, because he was written a LOT differently than Sora or other simplistic characters. I know that the target demographic for Kingdom Hearts is pretty young. And in the end, I think Axel’s character was a victim of that. Nomura tried to write him very authentically at first.

But his characterization was dumbed down to fit in with a largely tween/teen audience and their preferences. I don’t say that to be disparaging to younger fans or anything. But, had KH3 not been a Disney property, and had it been targeted to a slightly older audience, I think Axel and his relationships would have been handled a LOT differently.

I definitely think the Sea-Salt Trio was VERY misunderstood by the fandom. Axel has known Saïx for at least 10 years. Probably more. Even before their backstory was explained, you could tell they have been through hell together in the organization, without anyone else to trust besides each other. Axel was willing to do all of his dirty work. 

Then Axel meets Roxas and Xion. Two kids who—let’s be honest—are about on the level of your average fifth grader. Not a bad thing. They’re just very naive and childlike and he obviously can’t be 100% himself around them. Do people really think Axel is gonna replace his best friend so easily with two kids he’s known for less than a year? Apparently, yes. Let’s look how absurd it is.

Day 75

Inseparable

The Genie we met in Agrabah said he and his friend Al are "inseparable." Axel told us best friends can be inseparable even if they're not always together, but it sounded like he wasn't too sure about it himself. I thought Axel knew everything. Oh well...

At this point, Axel spent quite a while at Castle Oblivion. He hasn’t even gotten to know Roxas that well, and he’s only known Xion for a few days. It’s totally realistic that he’d say he doesn’t have a best friend. He sounds like he knows what it’s like to have a best friend, though. He just doesn’t have one anymore.

Day 96

Roxas: I just…want these days to last forever. Hanging out, the ice cream, the sunsets…

Axel: Nothing lasts forever, man. Least of all for a bunch of Nobodies. But you know, we’ll still have each other…even if things change and we can’t do this anymore.

Roxas: Yeah?

Axel: As long as we remember each other, we’ll never be apart. Got it memorized?

Roxas: Ha ha, wow, Axel. That sounded ridiculous.

Axel: What? I thought it was pretty deep.

Not even two weeks later, he’s acting all touchy-feely about the time they spend hanging out together. Roxas and Xion make fun of him because even they know they’re not really that close, lol. They hardly know each other at this point. If you read between the lines, you could tell that he was thinking about Saïx here, too.

Friends

Author: Axel

I feel like I’ve been spending more time talking to Roxas and Xion lately than my old friend, Saïx. This has to have been what it was like, friendship.

But if that wasn’t obvious enough, the report clears up all doubt. He WAS thinking about Saïx. The message I got was: Lea and Isa had a very close relationship as humans. They were the ones who were really inseparable. 

Axel misses that and, the more he remembers it, is desperate to fill the void. Every time he mentions “best friends,” it relates back to this. But this concept went “whoosh” over 90% of the fandom’s head. It baffles me. I really just don’t get it. Again, I have to think it’s due to the fact that this series skews really young. 

Day 118

You Changed, Not Me

Author: Axel

Talking to Roxas and Xion always brings back memories of my human life, back when I was a kid. It’s a weird sensation. I ought to be able to share all this with Saïx, but I just don’t feel like it anymore. It’s strange, but I’m content with just missing what’s gone. I’m not the one who changed. You did.

Anyways. Three weeks later. Axel is very hung up on the past. He sounds like a heartbroken lover (because that’s exactly what he is, if you ask me). The reason Axel spends so much time with Roxas and Xion is because Isa changed.

Day 150

Too Precious to Lose

Axel and I talked for a while about the things we can’t bear to lose. Axel thinks that for Nobodies, it’s our pasts, because that’s all we have to remember the pain of losing something. I don’t remember my past, but the idea of losing the present–Axel or Xion–scares me.

A month later. Axel comes back from Castle Oblivion yet again, and he’s even more nostalgic for the past than last time. I bet Axel’s time at C.O was gonna be featured as a blank period in BBSV2. But whatever. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing his memories of the past.

The reason Axel treasured his memories so much was because it’s all he had left after losing something. OBVIOUSLY it’s because of his relationship with Isa. I mean, duh. It implies a pretty special connection between Axel/Lea and Saïx/Isa for him to feel that way, especially considering how mean Saïx is to him.

I’m not trying to trash Axel’s feelings for Roxas and Xion, either, or make them out to be unimportant. They were important to him, for sure. But they absolutely did not reach Isa’s level of importance to him. No fucking way. Not. Even. Close. Especially not on Day 150. By the end of the story, Axel couldn’t bear to lose Roxas and Xion because they were all he had to fill the void of Isa.

That’s not to say that he didn’t care about them as friends, or that he was just using them. It just means that I don’t think Axel really would want to be “inseparable” with Roxas and Xion once he was mentally and emotionally healthy. He’d want to be friends with them, of course, but not hang out every day like Hayner, Pence, and Olette. He’s not on the same level as Roxas and Xion. And that’s fine.

Terra: Protect the things that matter… Right. My friends matter to me, too. So, I still have things that I have to protect.

To use a comparison, Riku was very important to Terra. I LOVED the connection between them. Other than Lea and Isa, one of the things I was most excited to see in KH3 was Riku and Terra reuniting (yeah…). They had a very special bond. Riku helped comfort Terra when he was down. But. Riku was NOT as important to Terra as Aqua and Ven were. Even if Terra had spent a whole year with Riku, he still wouldn’t be as important to Terra as Aqua and Ven.

Roxas and Xion being portrayed as the most important people to Axel is as ridiculous to me as Riku being portrayed as the most important person to Terra. It would be weird if 99% of the fanart out there depicted Riku as Terra’s best friend and Terra’s reunion with Riku got more spotlight in KH3 than his reunion with Ven and Aqua.

That’s how I feel about the Sea-Salt Trio. I really liked it for what it was in Days. A complex, morally grey friendship between an emotionally damaged adult and two innocent kids. But I really don’t like the overly saccharine, cutesy, cuddly, one-dimensional fandom version of it, where Axel is treated like he’s on the same level as the two teens. It’s a testament to how young the fandom is that people really thought Lea would be “meh” about reuniting with his childhood best friend who’s been possessed for 10 years, and be waaaay more excited about getting to eat ice cream with two teens every day once again. 

Day 172

What’s Love?

On my mission at Beast’s Castle, Xaldin told me about "love” and the special power it has over people. I tried to ask Axel about it, but his explanation didn’t make any sense to me. Every time I ask him about this kind of thing, he tells me I need a heart to understand. It’s like he’s dodging the questions.

Axel tolerates severe emotional abuse from his possessed best friend because he loved him back when he was normal. He copes by with his extremely shitty life by living entirely in the past, through his memories. Hanging out with two kids helps him remember his old life, back when he was happy. God, he was such a fascinating character. Such wasted potential.

Day 193

Best Friends

Xion's awake now. The three of us were gonna go get some ice cream after our mission, but she passed out again, so we had to take her home. I talked with Axel in her room until she woke up. He said the three of us were best friends—inseparable. 

Axel said he had no best friend on Day 75. Now it’s Day 193. That’s only 119 days. That’s less than four months!! He gets in a fight with Saïx, who, once again, says he’s changed. A very sore topic for Axel. Then immediately afterwards, he says these two kids are his best friends.

If I was gonna compare it to real life: Let’s say Lea and Isa were two normal high school kids who were kidnapped and raised in a gang. Axel is a 25/26 year-old former gang member. He’s got blood on his hands. He’s a good person deep down, but he’s seen a lot of shit. Then he meets these two fifth graders. This adult gang member, with tear-drop tats and everything, suddenly starts calling these two fifth graders his best friends. He wants to spend all of his time eatig ice cream and playing Minecraft with them.

If this was real life, would anyone say how cute it is that they are best friends? Two kids who he had to teach the concept of “best friends” to? NO! No, they’d say that’s unhealthy and weird and that the guy needs therapy. Because it IS unhealthy and weird. Perhaps it easier to see that as an adult. Perhaps it’s easier to see it in a romanticized way when you’re young.

The Sea-Salt Trio was, in a way, Axel forcing the label of “best friends” on two kids in an attempt to cope with the heartbreak of his loss of innocence. It did have genuine cuteness and sweetness. Of course it did. Axel was not a predator or anything. Roxas and Xion loved him. Axel loved them. But…it wasn’t as cutesy and wholesome as people make it out to be. At least not from Axel’s end. It wasn’t JUST a cute wholesome trio. 

That’s what made it so good. It was complex and grey. Axel never went against the organization, even though he could have if he really wanted to. It got to the point where he nearly killed both Roxas and Xion, just because he couldn’t bring himself to go against the organization. And the reason he couldn’t go against the organization was because of Saïx. Yes. Axel came thiiiiis close to killing both Roxas and Xion for a sociopath who treated him like shit. Their friendship was very dysfunctional and had a lot of kinks to work out.

Again, I’m not trying to denigrate the bond Axel had with Roxas and Xion. It was still genuine and sweet, in a sad and messed up way. I can still appreciate the cuteness of it.

But I hated the Sea-Salt reunion in KH3. Because it only focused on the most one-dimensional, saccharine and cutesy portrayal of them possible. They didn’t have to talk about anything. It was just instant hugging and ice cream, now they’re best friends forever. Everything played up to the max to manipulate people’s emotions. None of their issues were worked out and they had no better understanding of each other than they did at the end of Days. Honestly, even though Roxas and Xion got the red carpet treatment compared to Isa, the resolution to their trio was just as pathetic as Isa/Lea’s duo. 

[nadziejastar]

Xemnas: You seek answers. I can give you purpose.

Roxas: Roxas.

Xemnas: That is right–the new you.

Axel: Man, I miss the old times. Still got it memorized? The day we met, when you got your new name, you and I sat right here, just like this and watched the sunset.

Oh, I definitely think that KH3 destroyed EVERYTHING that was set up for BOTH Lea and Isa regarding the future games. I’m sure Nomura was heartbroken when he had to write KH3′s awful script. I know he’s capable of FAR better than that. He still tried to hint at what he wanted between them, and they probably will ALWAYS come across like they’re closeted. When Saïx showed up at the clock tower, I still think Axel acted like someone who was seeing an ex who broke their heart that they still had feelings for. But that requires reading between the lines. I don’t think there’s any coming back from it, no.

Xemnas: As your flesh bears the sigil, so your name shall be known as that…of a recusant.

If Lea had at least cared enough to save Isa and restore his REAL personality, then I would be more optimistic about the future of his character. But the dude that was left over in KH3 was not the same Isa that was in BBS. You can’t even blame it on him having no heart or being Norted anymore since they backpedaled on that idea. He had no excuse for his time as a villain. But that was supposed to be what Isa’s whole character was about. He lost his true purpose. Xemnas branded him with the Recusant’s Sigil and brainwashed him to have a new purpose: becoming stronger.

Naminé watched the Replica battle Sora in the crystal ball.

“Does it hurt, Naminé? Watching your two childhood friends fight all because of you? You have my sympathies,” Axel said quietly. “From the heart.”

His words were meant for the Replica. Not for her.

Axel was hinted to have a very dark and tragic past. It was supposed to be the backbone of his entire character. In the novel, you can see that when Axel said this to Naminé, it happened on the same day Roxas officially decided to call Xion his friend and treated her to the icing on the cake. He made her a promise that they would all eat ice cream together when Axel got back. This is just after he found the WINNER stick. Xion said they must be really close.

Xion: We don’t have any place to run.

Roxas: I know. Heh, I was just thinking out loud.

Axel: Well, even if things change, we’ll never be apart–

Xion: As long as we remember each other…right? Don’t worry, Axel–we got your hokey speech memorized.

Axel: Just checking.

Xion: I’ll have these moments memorized for a long time. Forever, I hope.

She also says that on Day 352 ~Sunset~, the last time they all ate ice cream together. Roxas and Xion almost killed each other and Axel’s calm reaction speaks volumes. He was smiling and urged everyone to go get ice cream, like that was the most natural thing in the world to do when someone was about to die. Instead of panicking, he coped by doing fun childish things like eating ice cream and talking about looking for a WINNER stick.

Axel: Hey, Roxas. Bet you don’t know why the sun sets red. You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.

Roxas: Like I asked! Know-it-all. Seriously, where is she?

Axel: Roxas… I’m not sure she’s gonna show today.

It’s because he’d already been though that experience before. Roxas and Xion’s fate from the very beginning was to fight to the death. And there are countless hints in the story that Lea and Isa were in the same situation. One of them was going to die. They knew they didn’t have much time left to be together.  

Roxas: Where did I think I could go? What a joke.

Xion: Roxas…I’m out of time. Even if I’m not ready…I have to make this choice. You have poured so many memories into me…given me so much…that I feel like I’m about to overflow. Look at me, Roxas. Who do you see? If you see somebody else’s face…a boy’s face…then that means I’m almost ready. This puppet will have to play her part. Roxas… This is him. It’s Sora.

The whole point of RAX was that Roxas and Xion’s relationship was playing out exactly like Lea and Isa’s did in the past. They were once inseparable. Roxas and Xion are just like how they used to be. But now one of them will have to kill the other and there’s nothing they can do about it. It was déjà vu the entire year for Axel. I suspect that is probably the true meaning of “358/2 Days”. His actions were always influenced by that prior history, which he kept a secret.

Axel: How did this happen?

Saïx: Xion is no more.

Xemnas: It is probably for the best. Get me back my Keyblade wielder. Fetch me Roxas.

Regarding casual fans, I think they are a big reason why Isa got destroyed. KH3 was written primarily for casual fans. And casual fans never cared about Isa. Most didn’t even knew who he was. Some thought Isa playfully teasing Lea was supposed to show that he was always evil, even as a kid. 🙄 The whole idea that Axel cared very deeply for Isa and that he had changed went right over their heads. So yeah, Isa was simply not a priority and I don’t see that changing in the future.

Day 357: To My Best Friend

Roxas left. It’s so like him to just leave that WINNER ice cream stick behind. Come tomorrow, I’ll probably get the order to hunt him down, but leaving that here makes it feel so permanent. I wish the three of us—three? No. That the two of us could share some ice cream again someday. That’s what it is to be friends.

Not to mention that casual fans are obsessed with Roxas, and that’s why Axel was obsessed with him and forgot about Isa. TBH, I never thought Roxas and Axel’s friendship was very interesting, even in KH2. When I first played Days, I actually found it to be rather dull. A grown man with a troubled past befriends a naive kid. He constantly lies to him to shelter him from the harsh realities of life. He avoids talking about his past or anything too heavy with him at all times. Okay, that’s fine. But I’m supposed to accept that they are inseparable BFF’s who are SOOO close that seeing Roxas is the only thing that gives Axel’s existence meaning? And I’m supposed to find that cute? I’m sorry, it’s not. It’s weird. It wasn’t until I played BBS that I saw their relationship differently. Then I actually liked how it was portrayed and Axel became my favorite character.

Axel: Look who’s finally awake.

Roxas: Axel...

Axel: Or…maybe I have it wrong. Might be time to sleep. Soon we won’t be able to talk like this anymore.

Roxas: Does that mean it’s time for me to go back to where I belong?

Because I realized that Axel’s relationship with Roxas and Xion was an attempt to “fix” his broken relationship with Isa. And that made him a million times more interesting and relatable. I think Lea has been ruined beyond repair just like Isa has. KH3 watered him down so much that I can’t even really say that I like him anymore, or that I am looking forward to his future appearances. He lowkey sucks now. I actually don’t think his character is very interesting without Isa. And I don’t think the direction they took with him will even appeal to casual fans. All the casual fans I know said he sucked in KH3. Not only was he was sidelined during his fight, he lacked that mysterious and edgy quality that made him so popular. His past now revolves around a random girl. 

Axel: Man, I miss the old times. Still got it memorized? The day we met, when you got your new name, you and I sat right here and watched the sunset.

Roxas: Yeah. This place is home. Me… Hayner, Pence, Olette…We’ve shared a lot of adventures.

Axel: You’ll see them again. I know you will.

Roxas: Yeah, you’re right. Well, I should go. Sora’s waiting for me.

Axel: Yeah, I suppose he is.

Why did Saïx show up at the clock tower and know exactly why Axel had three ice creams? When Axel said he would drag Saïx back home, why did Saïx intently stare at his popsicle stick, immediately mention that Axel’s tear marks were gone, then stand up like Xion did when she said she was out of time? Why did Saïx know that the tear marks were because Axel was crying so much? I doubt any of this will be explained, but it’s probably because he remembers Lea crying for him. Isa’s time was almost up. They spent their last day together eating ice cream, watching the sunset, and Isa told Lea why the sunset was red. Lea was heartbroken and crying when they said “See ya”, promising to meet each other again in the next life.

Like we promised to meet again in the next life. We’ll make another promise. “See you, partner,” said Axel. Roxas gave him one last smile and vanished into the air. Moments later, Axel did the same.

Isa’s whole character was created for Lea to awaken his Keyblade. Lea had something important to recover that was lost. He treasured Isa. Axel’s memories of Isa were very precious to him. When Axel was asked what he couldn’t bear to lose, he didn’t say his relationship with Saïx. He said his memories of the past because that’s all he had to remember the pain of losing something. I don’t see how Isa’s character could possibly be salvaged when he wasn’t even saved with the power of waking. When his redemption consisted of bringing back Roxas and Xion instead of revealing that Isa sacrificed himself for Lea. And without showing that Lea loved Isa. When you change the background of a character THAT much, you are pushing the reset button. Lea and Isa might as well be new characters at this point.

Sora, Riku… Please come home. We’re waiting for you here at the blue sea, under the clear sky. If this wish reaches you… If you’re somewhere out there under the same sky… I want you to know. We’re waiting for you. And we’ll keep waiting.

She could hear the soft rushing of the waves. Kairi thought back to that day when she’d written a letter to the boy she couldn’t quite remember. She’d believed that letter would begin something. Why had she thought that? It was someone she’d seen in a dream. It must have been Sora—no, Roxas?

“It starts with an S!”

“Starts with an S…,” Kairi murmured. “Sora.” We made a promise. I know we did.

They changed the wording of Kairi’s letter to emphasize that she had been waiting for Sora and Riku. When Axel said they’d meet again in the next life, Roxas said he’d be waiting. The secret ending of Re:Coded is called “Destiny”. Braig asked Young Xehanort who he should bring with him. It cut off, so the only thing we heard was that the name started with an “S”. KH3D had already been released, so everyone knew Isa was the one Braig had taken with him and that the name he said must have been Saïx. So why make that the secret ending?

A promise… We’ll meet again…in the next life. We did say that. I remember. I remember our promise.

I think that the whole secret ending of KH2.5 was devoted to this promise. Lea began his next life in the lab after also seeing Roxas in a dream and being reminded of a promise he made to someone he couldn’t remember. Then Lea said he’d bring Isa back while looking at “Door to Darkness” written on the wall. If Lea had gone through the Door to Darkness before, then how did he find HIS Door to Light?

[permian-tropos]

Essence

@averyimperialvalentines Day 1: “Your Empire needs you!” aka sexy propaganda i’m a day late but i frittered away so much time with Stress

I'm rather in love with the poster of Rae Sloane that was unveiled for the special edition of Aftermath: Empire’s End. I thought that it was pretty interesting to imagine that poster being canon for the time period of the book it’s representing, too, since with things are the way they are, it wouldn’t be Sloane plastering the galaxy with pictures of herself looking flawless and godlike. Surely someone else would be behind it, someone ever so obsessed with narrative… So, since the first prompt of this event was “sexy propaganda”, I produced this.

When the lights of the council chamber dim to near darkness, she shines brighter, a piercing and violently purifying light. Set against dull grays and reds, the white of her uniform is so blinding that it brings an ache to the inside of his skull. Gallius Rax closes his eyes, and the blurry afterimage floats against his eyelids, shifting colors as it dissipates. He half smiles.

Ferric Obdur, the sycophantic propagandist, unveiled the poster’s design to Rax in private. Ironic how it had been the Grand Admiral who once oversaw the approval process of such posters, but she would be absent for this final work. Because it is indeed final — there will be no need for any of this after the plan is executed.

Strange to admit it now, but there was a touch of apprehension skirting the edges of Rax’s mind when he handed this assignment to Obdur. The man is talented; his imagery striking, forceful, and effective. Artistically, compositionally, it has merit as well.

But what he knows is how to compose a piece that brings together familiar symbols of the Empire. The subject is not the Empire here; it is Rae.

There was always an indescribable quality about her that Rax saw in no other. Something rare, and therefore precious, that needed to be preserved. And then tuned, honed, ripened, intensified. A unique value of power, like the timbre of a newly invented instrument — he could admire that. Perhaps even covet it.

He knows that she saw the same in him. The galaxy is full of disputes over what should be done, what was right, what was true. But even a righteous soul like Rae Sloane, who staunchly believes in dichotomies, is drawn to power. Nothing is intrinsically true or right to the fickle hearts of the galaxy, but an idea imbued with authority becomes both.

Rax did not expect Obdur to create a masterpiece, but at the same time, that had been the implicit demand. Nothing less would suffice. And then this design was presented to him. At first it seemed to be another entry in Obdur’s personal canon, using the same styles and techniques he had relied on in the past. At first, it had seemed disappointing. Yet it demanded attention; Rax could not tear his eyes away. Still cannot.

He sensed her. Indescribably.

Perhaps that quality was finally isolated and realized before his eyes. Extracted like the essential oils of an herb. The calm fortitude of her expression, the level intensity of her gaze. The way her hair falls, the way her chin tilts up, the shape of her shoulders. It is not the same Rae Sloane he had known and worked alongside, but that woman and the woman in the poster could be classified together in an exclusive group, set apart from the rest of existence.

Obdur put something else into the design, something which the untrained eye could never hope to detect. Fear; his own. Fear of her? Intriguing.

A high pitched tone from behind informs Rax that someone is requesting entry — with the press of a button hidden beneath the table, he admits them. Rising halfway from his chair, he sees the white armor and single orange pauldron of a stormtrooper commander.

“The ground forces have been fully deployed on the planet, sir,” the man states crisply, passing him a datapad. “Reconnaissance of the area is complete.”

“Very good,” Rax murmurs, seating himself once more and turning his attention to the screen in his hands. The battle to come must be orchestrated to perfection. There will be a battle; it will begin with the sudden appearance of the New Republic fleet, seeking the advantage of a surprise attack. The Empire’s retaliation will be swift but desperate. And then, the landscape of Jakku will be reshaped.

Before him are maps: topographical, littered with symbols for towns and roving tribes. The native inhabitants have not been cleared out, despite the suggestions of General Borrum. The man could not imagine a strategic use for them, but of course he does not know the purpose of this battle yet. Rax flicks his eyes over the images, overlaying them with the map he has held in his mind for decades. He fits them together — that which is seen on Jakku, and that which is unseen.

For now, everything is in order. “Dismissed,” Rax tells the trooper, waving him away.

Cold, concentrated pressure meets the back of his neck.

“Don’t move… sir.”

Not the trooper’s voice. But a familiar one.

Rax does not move.

“You will remain seated. You will not turn or make any sudden motions. You may speak.” There is a hoarse edge to the voice, and it speaks lowly, not a whisper, but not a barking command. It sounds weary, but it is a dangerous and deceptive weariness. The faintest lilt communicates more threat than a clipped snarl might. Rax feels a wisp of breath skim the same short hairs that the chill of the blaster barrel set on end, and then a hand places the grimacing white helmet to his left on the table. “Understand?”

Slowly, Rax sets the datapad on the table beside the helmet and folds his hands in his lap. He wets his lips to speak — after all, he was given that option. “You are early.”

“You were expecting me?” The blaster adjusts slightly against the nape of his neck, aiming up towards his brain stem.

“Of course.” He shifts his gaze to the periphery of his vision, daring to minutely tilt his chin. The dim edges of a figure behind him, the trooper armor—

“Look. Ahead.” A hand moves in from behind and forcibly adjusts his chin. That, not the press of the blaster or the tone of the voice, sends a wave of crawling uncertainty through him, as he fixes his eyes on the static glowing holoposter.

A two-dimensional Rae Sloane gazes off to the left, arms crossed, proud and distant and professional, as the hand shifts to his shoulder. It is pushing down, pinning him to his seat, and it does not leave. 

“That was your last warning.” And then the voice moves closer to his ear, dropping in volume, each word spoken with flat deliberateness. “You know I am not bluffing.”

That, he knows.

“You deserve… commendation,” he eventually says. “For infiltrating the ship without my knowledge. The stormtrooper’s voice — a recording, perhaps? Most ingenious.”

“Don’t be coy. This was not my success.” The words become thorny, stinging. “This was your failure.”

Rax presses his lips together and swallows. He should not be shaken here. Should not be goaded into anger. He stares at the woman on the wall, but she refuses to return his gaze; she only looks ahead.

“I will have my success soon enough.”

“Oh?”

“You might think I am here to bargain. But I assure you. I will defeat you.”

“But not like this,” Rax says. He inhales slowly, as if he can detect a person’s thoughts by the scent that lingers in the air. “You are very used to eliminating threats, and you have done so with a… shall we say… moral prerogative? And yet, if you killed me here, it would be… dissatisfying.”

“It would be supremely satisfying,” the voice growls, and once again there is uncertainty. Rax searches the Sloane of the picture, searches his memories of her. He always has known, from a logical perspective, that she despised him and considered killing him. She had every reason for this. But he cannot recall a time when she sounded so far removed from… what, exactly? He remembers that once called her an elevated mind. There is nothing left of that.

Once again, he has been staring so long at her profile that the afterimage follows him in the low light when his eyes move away. But this time it feels as if it could permanently brand itself in his retinas. “Then what part of keeping me alive could satisfy you more?”

“Did you order her to kill me?”

Puzzle pieces slot into place. He is surprised by how even her tone is. “I see,” he murmurs.

“… ’I see’ is not an answer,” the woman behind him snaps contemptuously. A flash of intuition tells Rax that her finger has tightened on the trigger.

“The answer is no.”



“You are a liar,” Rae says.

“I am a liar. But that was not a lie.” He waits. There is no evidence he can provide to sway her, and he is sure that the longer he speaks, the more suspicious she will become.

Eventually, she shifts — he can hear the armor plates clacking together faintly. Her hand remains on his shoulder, and he feels heat from it, as if the blood within her is literally at a boil. But her voice? Once more, it is painstakingly level. “I would have preferred otherwise. I cannot fault her for following orders.”

“A—” He doesn’t make it beyond the first syllable of a name before the burning fingers holding him in place clench tighter. “She had faith in the cause.”

Rax expects an eruption of rage. The blaster digs deeper into the back of his neck. Yet there is only the pregnant silence. And then she says, and he can hear aching in her words, “A fool, then. And I could not afford to waste my time with foolishness.”

He doesn’t have to be told what happened. Adea Rite is dead. Perhaps the girl was a fool, as Sloane suggests. She wanted to attain greatness, and for those that fail, there is ignominy. But the same awaits those who attempt nothing. He knows, too, that Sloane was the one who killed her. For all the loathing Sloane must be feeling for him, there must be some portion allotted for herself.

“It was my plan,” he declares, as the corner of his upper lip lifts into a sneer. “Do not doubt that I convinced her of everything. She was indeed foolish—”

“No,” she snarls, horror tinting the rasp of her breath. The blaster slams into the back of his head, knocking him forward, and then she has a fistful of his hair in one hand and is grinding his cheek into the surface of the table. “You will not make this easy for me. You will never make such a mangled, misguided attempt at pity again.”

Rax’s breath stutters as he tries to follow her logic. Pity? He does not pity her. Just as she said, there was no time to waste on foolishness, and there was nothing more foolish than pity. His hands hover beside his head, signaling surrender.

And he waits. The blaster has shifted to his temple, and he can feel the tip shaking.  

When it steadies, when the force pushing his face into the marbled durasteel has lessened, he carefully asks, “Are there any other questions you wanted answers for?”

She releases him entirely, and he peels his skin from the smooth tabletop. Cupping the side of his face, Rax rubs his thumb over the cheekbone. It might be starting to bruise. His hand shifts to cover his mouth, and he sits back in his chair, almost casual with how he lets his spine slouch. He braces his chin up with a fist, elbow resting on the arm of the chair. “Well?” he asks.

“No. I have what I came for.”

Rax sits up straight. That isn’t right; she wouldn’t go to such lengths to ask a single question. “Surely you have more to say.” His eyebrows knit together, the corners of his mouth turning down stormily. But he takes a second to recover, ironing away the stabs of displeasure intruding into his thoughts. “All those months, you held your tongue, burying your contempt, your rage. This could be your only chance to speak your… true feelings.” The challenge rolls off his tongue smoothly, as if an energy bolt was not warming itself up in the core of her blaster for a liaison with his brain matter.

“Ask that woman in the picture. I’m sure she will tell you whatever you want to hear, and only so much.”

Rax lifts his eyes to the holoposter once more. His teeth clamp together; as before, the image is unyielding. He thought it had contained a touch of that distilled essence, but now, with the voice behind him, with hands that took petty vengeance on his body for previous trespasses, he no longer knows what it is that makes her so special.

She is here, she is not here. There are two of her. Neither of them are Rae.

The threat of a burst-open skull seems trivial, all of a sudden. He curls his fists tight, fingernails digging through the fabric of his gloves into his palms. “… Let me see you.”

“No.” She almost sounds darkly amused. “You have her. You can keep her.”

He can hear her stepping back. “Leaving so soon?” She did not come here simply for conversation. If he’s wrong about that that, he knows nothing in all the galaxy.

“Don’t worry,” he hears her say, and her voice has that rough, grim edge that he’d heard at the very beginning. Scornful despair. “This isn’t over.”

But why not? Why wasn’t it over the moment she had a clear line of sight and a weapon? She’s discovered things down on the surface, surely. They would have brought her to questions only he could answer, and yet she steps away.

Rax makes a decision. He cannot meet her boldness with excessive caution. “Why prolong this, then?” he says sharply, and rises from his chair.

The blaster fires as he turns, the beam piercing the air next to his ear. The emitter on the holoposter bursts in a violent spray of sparks, and the room descends into darkness as the proud, still, silent Sloane from the poster vanishes from sight.

Rax isn’t sure what he intends to do in this darkness. Physically, Sloane could best him, whether armed or not. But he lunges into the space she had occupied, grasping where he knows she must now be, where he can feel her presence.

The space is empty; he stumbles, plants his feet. His eyes begin adjusting quickly, but he should not need his sight to sense her. He has miscalculated somehow, but she must still be in the room. The door hasn’t opened. She is here, and yet—

A spot on the back of his neck throbs, and he claps a hand to it. It is pain, and yet it is peculiarly numb, like an electric shock.

“Rae,” he hisses. “What have you…?”

That constant pressure from the blaster barrel. He cannot say for sure but it is a solid theory — if she had somehow slipped an injector needle in beside the barrel, the flesh might have been numb enough not to notice.

With a cautious step backwards, Rax places his free hand on the back of the chair, bracing himself. “I see,” he manages, drawing himself up and stiffening his shoulders. “Was there a reward for keeping me alive? Have you thrown in your lot with the New Republic? Or perhaps you have… some other purpose for me?” He’s still scouring the room for any hint of a figure, but there’s nothing, nobody.

The pulse of dizziness washes over him a second time, and he has to duck his head down for fear of losing consciousness. “Wait—” he croaks.

Rax opens his eyes. He is seated alone at the head of the table in the conference chambers of the Shadow Council, the lights only half-dimmed. Before him is the implacable, serene, indescribably perfect image of Grand Admiral Sloane. The flat hologram is softly glowing. The emitter is undamaged. The wall is pristine, and the table surface clear.

Stripping away his black leather gloves, the man opens his palms, eyeing the dark symbol adorning one, and then tracing his gaze with perverse fascination up his pale fingers, watching them minutely shake.