#page 5555

[pesterloglog]

Caliborn, Jane Crocker

Act 6, page 5551-5556

undyingUmbrage [uu] began jeering gutsyGumshoe [GG]

uu: CROCKER.

uu: HEY IT'S ME.

uu: REMEMBER ME?

GG: What the?

uu: TUMUT

uu: OOPS NO.

uu: *HOLDS SHIFT.* *NOSTALGICALLY.*

uu: tumut

uu: YESSSS.

GG: Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me.

GG: You are the absolute last person I want to hear from right now.

GG: And the bottom of that list is pretty competitive territory at the moment!

uu: DON'T BE LIKE THAT. YOU STUPID EARTH COW.

uu: HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE BECOMING FRIENDS. IF YOU RECOIL FROM MY OLIVE BRANCH.

uu: LIKE I'M FLAILING A WITHERED MUMMY'S SEVERED LIMB IN YOUR DIRECTION.

GG: I don't want us to become friends!

GG: We all thought you were gone for good. And we liked it that way!

GG: Please don't tell me you've found a second wind of petty trolling in you.

uu: HEY. I DON'T TROLL.

uu: I *JEER*. GET IT RIGHT.

uu: TROLLING IS FOR LOSERS. LOSERS SPECIFICALLY WHO ARE TROLLS.

GG: Whatever. And what's with the ugly green text?

GG: Reading your malformed sentence fragments was unpleasant enough as it was.

uu: I BORROWED IT FROM MY SISTER.

uu: AND SHUT UP. IT LOOKS GREAT.

uu: AND IS NO UGLIER THAN YOU. WHO I CAN SEE NOW WITH EASE. FOR THE RECORD.

GG: "Whom" you can see, moron.

GG: And no, you can't!

GG: Calliope said you couldn't see us at all in our game session. So I think you're lying!

uu: AM I REALLY.

uu: WHEN RIGHT NOW I AM LOOKING AT A HOMELY FEMALE IN DUMB BLUE PANTS. SULKING IN A GRAY PLACE. TYPING ON A COMPUTER WITH A STRANGE HUMAN FACE?

GG: Oh, dear God.

GG: WHY???

uu: MY POWER HAS GROWN CONSIDERABLY SINCE I LAST JEERED YOU.

uu: I HAVE MADE REMARKABLE STRIDES ON MY SACRED JOURNEY TOWARD IMPORTANT ADULTHOOD.

uu: ON THIS BULLSHIT PLANET. WHICH USED TO BE YOUR HOME.

uu: I HAVE FOUND MANY KEYS. AND UNLOCKED MANY HOLES.

uu: AND NOW I CAN SEE MORE. AND LEARN MORE. THAN YOU COULD EVER FUCKING DREAM!

GG: How wonderful for you.

GG: I don't care how all-seeing and all-powerful you think you are.

GG: If your intent is to waste my time with more of your pitiful bullying, you are out of luck.

GG: Because that is exactly NOT the sort of crap I am in the mood for today.

GG: Toodle-oo!!!

uu: WAIT!

uu: I THINK I GOT OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT.

uu: HOW ABOUT WE. GNAW THAT ONE OFF AND START OVER?

uu: I WAS TRYING TO PAY YOU A COMPLIMENT.

GG: ??

uu: MY PEOPLE AREN'T MEANT TO LIKE ANYBODY. GET IT?

uu: I MEAN, NOT THE WAY HUMANS DO. WE DON'T HAVE THE HUMAN EMOTION CALLED "LOVEKHEKLFSDKF". AND WE SPONTANEOUSLY START MASHING KEYS. WHEN WE ARE FORCED TO EVEN TYPE THE WORD.

uu: ALL OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE DICTATED BY THE MIRACLE OF HATRED. SO WHEN I USE BAD WORDS TOWARD YOU. THAT'S JUST ME SAYING THINGS TO TRY TO KNOW YOU BETTER.

uu: LIKE. "SOCIALLYUOIPY".

uu: AS A.

uu: *SHUDDER*

uu: A... "FRIENDJISJFDJISJSDKFLDJSDKLJF".

uu: SO WHEN I SAY YOU'RE UGLY. WHICH YOU FACTUALLY ARE.

uu: I MEAN THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. OF BEING NORMAL, AND NOT A SHITTY ALIEN. TO SAY THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY ATTRACTIVE IN AN UNPLEASANT WAY. TO MY BRAIN.

GG: Hrm.

GG: Nope. That makes very little sense.

uu: FUCK. TRY USING YOUR SUPPOSEDLY BETTER SMARTNESS THAN MINE.

uu: AND THINK SOMEWHAT LATERALLY. ABOUT LIKE. FUCKING CULTURE. THAT ISN'T *YOURS*.

uu: YOU DUMB BITCH.

GG: Yes, I see it all too clearly now. You're really quite the charmer!

uu: NO. COME ON. "DUMB BITCH" IS ANOTHER GREAT COMPLIMENT.

uu: IN THE SAME VEIN AS THAT WHICH I JUST DESCRIBED.

uu: IT'S A TERM OF "ENDEARMENKSKLJJF" I USE TO TALK ABOUT GIRLS. WHO IN MY VIEW HAVE MANAGED TO AVOID BEING.

uu: UTTERLY BENEATH MY PERSONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. THIS ISN'T COMPLICATED.

GG: Uh huh.

GG: So you're actually trying to claim that you find me attractive, from the alleged "bad means good" point of view of your hate-driven species?

uu: DEFINITELY.

uu: I'M NOT JOKING AROUND, CROCKER.

uu: I'VE UNLOCKED A BUNCH OF YOUR SCREENS. AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME WATCHING YOU.

uu: WHILE THINKING. JUST.

uu: THE *DIIIIRTIEST* THOUGHTS.

uu: HEE HEE. HAA.

GG: Eww.

GG: You pig.

uu: THE OTHER FEMALE TOO. LET'S NOT FORGET YOUR SQUAD'S BACKUP BITCH.

uu: HOW NASTY IS SHE?? JUST SO FOUL. AND THE THINGS YOU GET UP TO WITH ONE ANOTHER. OH MY.

uu: NEED I EVEN CITE THE ALTERCATION WITH YOUR PUFFY SLUMBER LOAVES?

GG: Excuse me??

uu: MY COMPLIMENTS IN PARTICULAR. ON YOUR COLORFUL UNDERGARMENTS.

uu: WHILE BOUNCING UP AND DOWN ON THE SOFT HUMAN SARSWAPAGUS.

GG: Oh, that's just great.

GG: The ONE TIME we had a generic girly pillow fight, and it turns out some pervert was watching us.

GG: I think I need a shower.

GG: Assuming I can ever take one again in peace!

uu: DON'T WORRY. YOU CAN'T.

uu: BUT SERIOUSLY. JANE. CAN I CALL YOU JANE? BITCH, LISTEN.

uu: YOU ARE ONE GRODY HARLOT. WHICH MEANS GOOD (BAD) THINGS TO ME, LET'S REMEMBER.

uu: WHEN I UNLOCKED YOU. I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE I'VE CHANGED? OR MAYBE JUST YOU. SINCE YOU TURNED OLDER. BUT YOU'VE REALLY.

uu: FILLED OUT.

uu: SINCE I LAST SAW YOU BEFORE.

GG: What?

GG: ...

GG: Really?

uu: HELL YES.

uu: I DO ENJOY A MEATY BITCH. WITH A LITTLE CLOUT.

GG: What do you mean, exactly...

GG: By "clout?"

uu: OH. I THINK YOU KNOW.

uu: WHEN PHYSICAL PORTIONS OF THE BITCH. KIND OF JUT OUT. EXUBERANTLY.

GG: Do you mean...

GG: My...

GG: Why am I even having this conversation!

uu: I JUST HAVE A WEAK SPOT. FOR THE ABOVE AVERAGE HEFT OF YOUR PARTS. WHICH WOBBLE THE MOST.

uu: NOW DO SOMETHING NAUSEATING FOR ME TO WATCH.

uu: I WANT TO SEE A TAWDRY ACT OF HARD CORE SCHMALTZ.

uu: SEE THAT ROCK OVER THERE. PRETEND IT IS THE OTHER INSOLENT BITCH.

uu: ACT A LITTLE NERVOUS. WITH YOUR IDLE HAND, GRAZE ONE OF YOUR MORE BULBOUS LOCATIONS "INCIDENTALLY".

uu: THEN ASK THE ROCK IF IT WANTS TO FALL IN LOVE!!! OOOOOOOH.

GG: What? No!

GG: Are you insane?

GG: I don't care where you are, or whatever the hell it is you "unlocked" to spy on me.

GG: You aren't allowed to sit there all day leering at my boobs!!!

uu: YOUR WHAT.

GG: My... what?

GG: Wait, what were YOU talking about?

uu: NO. TELL ME WHAT THOSE THINGS YOU SAID ARE. I'M SO ENTICED!

GG: Screw you!

GG: Tell me what you were getting at with all that!!

GG: The stuff about "clout," and my "bulbous locations."

uu: I WAS JUST SAYING. MY TASTE PREFERS.

uu: WHEN THE BUXOM SHREW'S PHYSIQUE PUTS A HEALTHY DENT IN SPACETIME.

GG: Spacetime??

uu: I LIKE HOW SALTY IT IS. WHEN A BITCH GROWS OUT OF HER SKELETAL PHASE.

uu: AND HER FRAME REALLY BEGINS TO CHALLENGE THE HORIZONTAL DIMENSIONS.

GG: WHAT!

uu: WHEN THE FEMALE RUMP STARTS GETTING MORE MILEAGE OUT OF ITS WIDENESS ATTRIBUTE. MORE BANG FOR ITS BOONBUCK!

uu: IT EXCITES ME BETTER. WHEN BITCHES PUNISH THE GROUND. WITH EACH MEGALITHIC FOOTSTEP.

GG: SHUT UP!

GG: I'M NOT FAT!!!

uu: JANE BITCH. I HAVE NEW ORDERS.

uu: YOU WILL STRIP TO THE SCANTY PAIR OF PARTY PANTS AND THE CLOTH CHEST PIECE WHICH YOU WEAR UNDER THOSE PLAIN RAGS.

uu: THEN FIND A NAUGHTY PATCH OF MUD.

uu: AND ROLL AROUND IN THE MUD. LIKE AN EARTH PIG.

uu: FLAUNTING FOR ME. YOUR SLIPPERY AND SWOLLEN PORCINE PHYSICALITY.

uu: AND MAYBE GRUNT SOME DECADENT POEMS THROUGH YOUR SNOUT. ABOUT SOME SHITFACE YOU "ADOREFJSDKLJJF".

uu: OOOOH YES.

uu: THAT WOULD BE.

uu: *WRRRRETCHED!*

GG: GO FUCK YOURSELF!

uu: WAIT! DON'T SHUT ME OUT.

uu: REMEMBER WHAT I SAID. ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT CULTURES OR WHATEVER.

uu: HAVE A FUCKING OPEN MIND, JANE.

uu: I MADE YOU A PRESENT. FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY. WHATEVER THAT ACTUALLY IS.

uu: SEE HOW I'M MAKING AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMS?

uu: MEET ME HALF OF THE GODDAMN WAY.

GG: Oh cripes.

GG: What is it?

uu: A SUBLIME ARTISTIC PORTRAIT.

uu: REMEMBER HOW I SAID MY POWER WAS GROWING WITH EACH DAY.

uu: THIS APPLIES AS WELL TO MY PROWESS AS A DRAFTSMAN.

GG: Oh goodness, no. You poor delusional thing.

GG: I don't care what progress you think you've made. You will never be a good artist, dear.

uu: HORSESHIT.

uu: MY ILLUSTRATION IS STUNNING. IT IS NEARLY A PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF YOUR ODIOUS MILKSHAKE.

uu: NOW PARK THE INDUSTRIAL LOAD OF FREIGHT YOU DECLARE A BOTTOM. AND FEAST YOUR EYES ON MY FUCKING EXCELLENCE!

uu: http://tinyurl.com/JANETHISISYOU

GG: Groan.

uu: I BELIEVE I HAVE CHOSEN THE PERFECT SHAPE FOR YOU.

uu: IT IS DESCRIBED IN CERTAIN CIRCLES KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE ARTS. AS. "A CIRCLE".

uu: I AM VERY PLEASED WITH HOW FAITHFULLY IT HAS CAPTURED THE OBSCENE ROTUNDITY. OF YOUR MAGNIFICENT CARRIAGE.

uu: TRULY A SPITTING IMAGE OF THE CROCKER BITCH.

uu: NOW LISTEN CAREFULLY. YOU MAY LEARN SOMETHING.

uu: THE MASTERPIECE AFICIONADO WILL NOTICE. HOW I ACHIEVED THIS HIGHLY ADVANCED AND DIFFICULT SHAPE.

uu: WHAT MOST GIFTED ARTISANS WILL TELL YOU. IS THAT. CIRCLES ARE BASICALLY FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE TO DRAW.

uu: TRUST ME.

uu: IT'S LIKE A PARADOX. A SHAPE WITHOUT ANGLES. WHAT??

uu: SO I FUCKING CHEATED.

uu: I NAVIGATED THE IRRATIONAL PERIMETER BY MAKING A LOT OF EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE, TOTALLY LOGICAL MARKS. FORMING A WHOLE BUNCH OF LITTLE RIGHT ANGLES.

uu: THE CHEATING PART HAPPENS WHEN I DO THIS A LOT. SO IT GOES IN A ROUND DIRECTION.

uu: THIS ONE CAME OUT WELL I THINK. BUT THERE'S ROOM TO IMPROVE.

uu: I HAVE THEORIZED THAT IF I KEEP MAKING BOGUS CIRCLES LIKE THIS.

uu: WHILE DRAWING MORE AND MORE ANGLES. BUT SMALLER. SO SMALL THAT YOU START CAN'T SEEING THEM.

uu: THAT THE ILLUSION OF THE CIRCLE WILL BE COMPLETE! AND PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE IN THE FAKE CIRCLE. LIKE A BUNCH OF SUCKERS.

uu: I BET NOBODY HAS THOUGHT OF THAT CIRCLE STRATEGY. I THINK I'M THE FIRST AT THIS IDEA. AND BEST AT IT ALREADY.

uu: PEOPLE THINK I'M DUMB. ESPECIALLY THE VOICE IN MY HEAD.

uu: AND THEY MAY BE RIGHT ABOUT ME BEING DUMB.

uu: BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPECIAL WAY I DO THINGS. WHICH IS ALWAYS ACTUALLY. THE PERFECT WAY.

uu: I AM.

uu: A GENIUS!

GG: That is the most pointless and incomprehensible load of drivel I have ever read.

GG: Your "portrait" is every bit as abysmal as I was expecting. And for the last time. I AM NOT FAT.

GG: I think your claims of attraction to heavyset women, which you present as "flattery," is an obvious ruse to get me to feel insecure about my appearance, and it isn't going to work!

uu: OINK.

GG: SHUT YOUR STUPID FACE!!!

GG: UGH, THIS BIRTHDAY IS SO AWFUL! I CAN'T STAND IT!

GG: WHY IS EVERYONE TREATING ME LIKE SHIT TODAY?

GG: WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!

uu: YOU WERE. WAIT. WHAT'S THE CONJUGATION ASSOCIATED WITH "HUMAN BIRTH"?

uu: IS IT. HUMAN BORTH?

uu: YOU WERE HUMAN BORTH.

GG: SHUT UP!

GG: I'M DONE HUMORING YOUR PERVERTED ADOLESCENT MIND GAMES!

GG: TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO CALLIOPE!

GG: CALLIOPE!!!

GG: WE WANT YOU BACK! PLEASE COME BACK AND SPARE US FROM THIS LECHEROUS NINCOMPOOP!

GG: CALLIOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GG: WHY DOESN'T THIS WORK?!

uu: SAYING HER NAME ONLY WAKES HER UP. IF SHE'S ALIVE.

uu: SO YOUR HOG FACE CAN SNORT THE DIRTY SYLLABLES ALL IT WANTS. HELL, I WILL EVEN GIVE YOU A HAND!

uu: CALLIOPE! WAKE UP SIS!

uu: HAA HAA, WHOOPS. SHE CAN'T.

uu: THE BITCH IS DEAD!

GG: I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!

uu: NO IT'S TRUE. I GOT SOMEBODY TO STAB HER A LOT.

uu: THEN I STOLE HER BLOOD FOR MY LETTERS.

GG: NO!!! THAT CAN'T BE TRUE! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE EVEN YOU WOULD DO SOMETHING SO TERRIBLE!

uu: JANE BITCH. YOUR PREPOSTEROUS FEMALE EMOTIONS ARE GOING EARTH BANANAS AGAIN.

uu: SETTLE DOWN AND LISTEN TO BOY REASON. DO NOT MAKE ME DEMONSTRATE THE VERACITY OF MY FACTS. YET AGAIN.

uu: THAT SACCHARINE TRAMP IS SUCH A GONER. SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK.

uu: JUST LIKE YOUR DAPPER HUMAN GUARDIAN.

GG: WHAT?? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY FATHER!

GG: WHERE IS HE?

uu: HE'S FUCKING DEAD IS WHERE.

GG: YOU'RE LYING AGAIN!!!

GG: TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!

uu: GOD. I'M TRYING TO.

uu: MY FACTS ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY PENETRATING YOUR HYSTERICAL ATTITUDE. LISTEN TO ME VERY CLOSE.

uu: HE WAS CAPTURED BY AN AGENT SOON AFTER YOU BEGAN YOUR QUEST. HE WAS THEN PUT IN JAIL ON DERSE.

GG: Ok...

GG: So he's on Derse, then?

uu: BITCH, YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PRISON SYSTEM ON DERSE?

uu: IT ISN'T LIKE THE SOFT TIME YOU DO ON PROSPIT. I BET YOU NEVER SPENT ANY TIME IN THE JOKE THEY CALL A SLAMMER THERE. LET ALONE ON DERSE.

GG: And I suppose you have??

uu: I WAS NOT VERY WELL BEHAVED. I DID MORE THAN MY SHARE OF TIME. CHAINED TO THE WALL OF A CELL.

uu: HEE HEE! LIKE I WASN'T SO USED TO THAT. I WAS LIKE. DO YOUR WORST.

uu: AND THEN THEY DID. DERSITES DO NOT TREAT THEIR PRISONERS GOOD. TO SAY THE LEAST!

uu: I WAS ONLY ABLE TO SURVIVE THE BRUTALITY. DUE TO MY EXCEPTIONAL CONSTITUTION. AND EVEN TO SOME EXTENT. MY ABILITY TO ENJOY ANGUISH.

uu: BUT YOUR PATHETIC, FRAIL HUMAN "DAD" IS A DIFFERENT STORY. THERE IS NO DOUBT AT ALL. THAT HE IS DEAD BY NOW!

GG: No. Don't say that. Shut up!

uu: YOU REALLY SHOULD BELIEVE ME. I HAVE UNLOCKED MANY OF HIS SCREENS, JUST LIKE YOURS.

uu: YOU SHOULD SEE HOW THEY TREATED HIM! THE HORROR HE EXPERIENCED MUST BE DIFFICULT FOR A HUMAN GIRL TO IMAGINE.

uu: PERHAPS I SHOULD CAPTURE ONE OF THE VISUALS. AND SHOW YOU FIRST HAND?

GG: YOU BASTARD! I SAID SHUT UP!!!

uu: HIS AGONY WAS MAGNIFICENT. AND VERY LONG LASTING. YOU SEE. HE WAS A VIP.

uu: A VERY IMPORTANT PRISONER. SO THEY GAVE HIM SPECIAL TREATMENT.

uu: UNDER SUCH CRUEL CIRCUMSTANCES. I BELIEVE HE WOULD HAVE TRADED HIS FAVORITE HAT. FOR A SWIFT END TO HIS HILARIOUS SUFFERING!

GG: STOP IT

uu: BUT IT WAS SO WONDERFUL AND GREAT TO WATCH!

uu: BETWEEN YOUR FATHER'S DEMISE. AND HIS DAUGHTER'S EPIC POSTERIOR. LOOMING LARGE ON MY VIDEO DISPLAYS.

uu: I REALLY MUST THANK YOUR ENTIRE "FAMILY". FOR HOURS OF SCANDALOUS ENJOYMENT!

GG: SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!!!

GG: FUCK YOU! HE'S NOT DEAD!

GG: MY DAD'S FINE, I'M NOT FAT, AND I HATE YOU! I'M NEVER TALKING TO YOU AGAIN!!!!!!

GG: AND STOP WATCHING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[u5an5]

Theory: The Clone X was not Cody like some people think or even Fives (I know he's been dead for a very long time but so was Boba Fett and look where we are. Plus, Echo was supposed to be certainly dead too; making him Winter Soldier-esque storyline wouldn't be that surprising) or not even Slick.

((Also, now that we've seen his face devoid of any tattoos or scars I think first two takes are definitely not applicable anymore; they wouldn't put that much effort to make him unrecognizable))

Back to the point: In my opinion, The Clone X was none other than...

Fox.

Now let me explain.

Who else, other than X, was loyal to the law and justice dictated by it over any moral or ethic code?

Fox.

Who else was portrayed with such single-minded focus on hunting down traitors of the government he served, regardless of what it was?

Fox.

Who else could know not only Coruscant so well but also identify Rex like they knew each other?

He already was a remarkably successful tracker of traitors, why not make him more efficient by pointing them out for him?

Good soldiers follow orders, after all.

[scoops-aboy86]

Just Keeping Life & Soul Together (Secret Admirer pt 4)

Steddie Week 2024, July 4: Trade / body swap / Wouldn't It Be Good by Nik Kershaw

wc: 1812 / rated: T / set between seasons 2 and 3 / also on ao3

By the time Steve recovers enough to drive home, it’s time to clock out anyway. Robin hangs back, not taking off on her bike until she sees him get in the car, and he’s had more time to think about it now. 

Robin’s outfit that she’d changed into in the employee bathroom after clocking out is an eclectic mishmash of different colors and patterns; Secret Admirer said they wear mostly dark colors. That’s not the only reason it isn’t her, but Steve can’t quite put a finger on anything else. It’s just… she has a very different vibe. 

He’s exhausted and still not feeling great, so that’s as far as he thinks about it. 

But the next morning he wakes up, still with some of that post-headache grogginess but better, and realizes that if she was telling the truth about someone in the ice cream parlor sending him that cone, Secret Admirer was there. Probably saw how out of it he was and felt bad, but not bad enough to overcome their reservations about revealing themselves. 

God, Steve wishes he could remember who had been in Scoops when his efforts to ‘man up’ and push through the pain had crumbled. He doesn’t, but that’s okay. Robin knows. 

~

Dear Secret Admirer,

Yes keep writing. Please keep writing. My head’s been killing me these past couple days and wanting to write back to you is the only thing that’s kept me going. I’m sorry I got Bilbo’s name wrong. 

So I guess you already knew I had a headache the other day since you sent me that ice cream. That was you, right? Strawberry with rainbow sprinkles? I wish you would’ve stayed. I know you’re shy or scared of me not wanting you once I know who you are, but it really kind of sucked that you didn’t. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything but I missed you so much even though I don’t know you. But I feel like I do know you, because you keep telling me things about yourself, like bread crumbs in that fairy tale from the book my mom used to read to me when I was a little kid but she stopped a long time ago because my dad didn’t want me to be a sissy momma’s boy. But fuck that, sometimes everyone needs to be read a story so they have something good in their head while they go to sleep, okay? I have nightmares a lot. I can’t tell you about them because I signed an NDA, but they’re horrible. I wake up screaming sometimes, only I can’t when my parents are home because my dad gets pissed and my mom gets disappointed, just like they did about how hurt I got last year. And the year before. It’s all connected and it’s all bullshit and none of it was my fault, I just happened to be there and I got sucked in and I keep getting sucked in and some nights I can’t even sleep anymore. 

You said you smoke, right? Cigarettes and other stuff. Cigarettes don’t help, drinking makes me feel like shit, so maybe I should try the other stuff. Does it help with sleeping? Do you think it would help my headaches or make me not dream so much? I’m so tired and I keep thinking that if I got some the smell would be like you’re there, since you smoke it too. I want to feel like you’re here with me so I’m not alone. Maybe if you were here the nightmares wouldn’t be as bad and I could get some sleep and then the headaches wouldn’t happen as often because you were right, they get worse if I don’t get enough sleep or if I’m stressed out. 

What if you called me sometime? 555-5555. You wouldn’t have to say anything, maybe just play some of the music that you think I’d hate and I can tell you if I do or not? Just let me talk to you? The hard thing about writing is I have to fill a whole page without any way to know what you think about any of it for at least a few days, and I guess a one-sided phone conversation isn’t that different but it would be something, right? I might like your music after all and then we’ll have something in common. Or maybe I can listen and then you can write to me about why you like it and if it’s something I didn’t think of (there are a lot of things I don’t think about on the first try, perspectives and stuff) maybe it’ll grow on me. Sorry if I’m pushing too hard but you said you wanted to give me something with all this and it was just an idea I had. You could give me new things to find out about, like with the Hobbit in his hole eating his hobbit breakfast. (I really liked the part with the glowing sword, that was awesome, I wish my bat would glow when )

Anyway. Robin knows about my headaches now too I guess, which is embarrassing. She was nice about it though and let me hide in the back until I could go home, but she probably still hates me for being King Steve. I’d write about something else but there’s not a lot going on in my life besides you.

— Steve

PS My parents are gone all this week, so if you do call it’s just me here. And you can call whenever, but maybe Friday at 10:30? You don’t have to though. Just keep writing.

~

The next time Steve goes to work, head no longer in danger of splitting open, Robin still calls him a dingus. It doesn’t feel as mean as it used to though. So that’s something. 

It’s easier now to take her jabs in stride. Before he’d just tried to let it roll off him like water off a duck, but he cautiously tries out responding in kind. 

“Your hat’s on backwards,” she calls across the parlor, smirking when it makes him reach up to check. “Made you look!”

Five minutes later, he gets her back with, “Your shoe’s untied.” When she glances down, he grins and adds, “Yeah that’s right, Buckley, two can play at this game.”

“Oh, it is on, Harrington.”

They start racing during the slow times when there are only a couple of people in line at a time, one sticking to scooping and the other ringing up while the former tries to move the second customer along before the latter finishes the first transaction. It’s a much better use of the You Rule / You Suck board, though she does still add tallies for whatever she considers Steve’s failed flirting attempts. (He’s not even trying anymore, not with Secret Admirer always on his mind these days.) Makes the ache of pining a little easier to bear; makes the day almost fun. 

“Hey, so,” Steve ventures while they’re cleaning up after close. “I have a question.”

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Robin tense up. “What?”

He feels wrong-footed already, if just that was enough to put her on edge, but he can’t stop now that he’s pulled the trigger. “Who, uh. Who sent me the ice cream the other day?”

She blinks, and once she’s processed the question the stiffness in her posture goes away as quickly as it had come. “Oooh. You think someone’s sweet on you, is that it? Admit it.”

“No,” Steve sputters back. Even he had to admit, though, that the way his face heats up immediately really undercuts the claim. 

“Tell you what.” She crosses her arms and leans back against the counter, eyeing him smugly. “I’ll trade you for it.”

“You’ll.” Now it’s his turn to blink. “Trade me?”

“Yeah. I have information that’s valuable to you, apparently, so you give me something that’s valuable to me in exchange.”

Steve scratches the back of his neck, trying to think. “I could… give you dating advice?”

Robin snorts. “Absolutely not.”

Flustered, he throws up his hands. “Well what do you want, then?”

She’s full on grinning at him now, and while it’s not necessarily malicious (which he appreciates) it’s still at his expense (which he does not). “Uh-uh, you’ve got to put your thinking cap on and come up with something on your own, Mr. Hair. It’s more genuine that way.”

“What? Nooo,” Steve groans, but he supposes he’s grateful that she didn’t whip out the ol’ it builds character that his dad threw at him when ordering him to get a menial summer job. “And I don’t have a thinking cap.”

That makes her actually laugh. “Well duh, who’s dorky enough to own an actual thinking cap?”

Dustin does, Steve thinks fondly. The little squirt is only off at camp for another week, and he really has missed the little shithead. It’ll be nice to get along with his coworker and have a friend around… as pathetic as that does make him feel. 

But whatever, first he has to figure out what Robin might want in exchange for what could very likely turn out to be his Secret Admirer’s identity.

~

Every time Eddie has seen Steve since that Tuesday at Scoops, he’s with his coworker Robin. Apparently he’s started giving her rides so she doesn’t have to bike everywhere all the time. They talk animatedly, like little kids racing from thought to thought as they gleefully mock and annoy each other. 

And it’s probably his fault somehow. Maybe knowing that Steve was actually suffering instead of suffering his own consequences had softened her up, allowed her to pause and notice the soft and genuine person underneath what remained of the King Steve veneer. Maybe it’s impossible not to fall in love with Steve Harrington. 

Whatever it was, the results make Eddie yearn to swap lives with some girl he doesn’t even know. Someone who gets to touch Steve on the arm without reproach—even if it’s more of a punch than a touch, jeez. The only relief he gets from the green monster of jealousy twisting around his heart is Steve’s letter asking him to call, so even if Robin is interested now then it seems she’s out of luck. 

Call. And not even talk, but just listen to Steve’s voice and maybe play selections from a few of his favorite albums, then spend his next letter talking about why they’re his favorites. This perfect man has managed to pluck three of his favorite things to do out of thin air and present the offer as a favor to Steve rather than, uh, only the closest Eddie has ever been to going on an actual date in his entire life. 

… If only he felt in any way prepared.

Tag list: @hotluncheddie @lawrencebshoggoth @sofadofax @tangerinesteve @steviewashere

@cryingglightningg @theresebelivett @sleepy-steve @rozzieroos @lunaraindrop

@just-my-latest-hyperfixation @wheneverfeasible @swimmingbirdrunningrock @yesdangerpls

@matchingbatbites @ihavekidneys @p0lybl4nkk @grtwdsmwhr @cheesedoctor

@whalesharksart @thetinymm @envyadams-vs-me @practicallybegging @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme

@dauntlessdiva @nerdyglassescheeseychick @fuzzyduxk @chaosgremlinmunson @greatwerewolfbeliever

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 10/29/2024

new boot goofin. also a great book for the cowboyblogger crew and TWO cat photos

listening

afterimage by JUSTICE and Rimon was on a spotify autogenerated dance playlist and it is So soothing to my brain. sometimes described as heavy metal disco, it itches the same brain scratch as daft punk's interstella 5555. comforting and familiar road trip music where the road trips are in spaceships with a sort of clunky engine thrumming away in the background. you know that extremely early ass o clock in the morning road trip feel where it's very pale and a little misty out and you're only sort of awake? i feel like this is a very different kind of road trip music animal than than late-night road trip music. it's pulling you out the door. it's for beginnings, not for very tired almost-ends.

-

reading

thank you mackie. very reading heavy week. im tryign to redirect myself into library books instead of election doomscrolling and im trying to read more physical books bc i have a tremendous pile of shit i genuinely do want to read and almost none of it is on my phone. first we'll talk about Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard, from randomly perusing the library stacks. really really really fucking loved this one.

Award-winning author of The Red Scholar’s Wake Aliette de Bodard comes for your heart with a compelling tale of love, duty, and found-family in an exciting new space opera that brings xianxia-style martial arts to the stars. Jockeying navigator clans guide spaceships through the Hollows: an area of space populated by the mysterious but deadly creatures known as Tanglers. When a Tangler escapes the Hollows for the first time in living memory, each clan must send a representative to help capture it—but the mission may be doomed and the hearts of two clan juniors may be in danger too.

first off: this isn't fucking found family. this is a group of coworkers. tor dot com loves to slap found family on anything gay.

politics is about control and inter-group dynamic politics are also about control. and grappling for control in your life when you grow up in a Young Leadership program. i really liked this, one of the least annoying examples of someone getting overstimulated and needing to lie down in a dark quiet room and how hanging out with some people does not impair rest and hanging out with some people is extremely extremely draining. the love interest is what if lee van cleef was a young vietnamese woman in the far future who can navigate faster than light travel.

very snappy little 160-pg novella that does not overstay its welcome. packs a genuinely surprising amount of worldbuilding and character work into its pages: i have a lot of trouble with ensemble casts post-Covid and keeping everyone straight (especially in hard copy form where I can’t easily search a book) but everyone is a fully formed person here and i had no trouble keeping everyone straight in my head. i will be asking my siblings to acquire a physical copy for me for christmas. i love a fucked up political mystery with spacewalks and space monsters.

the lead, nhi, reminded me a lot of friends at the table's brnine, a self-sacrificing perfectionist fish. hope that's useful information to all three of you i have bullied into listening to fatt

The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz. this finally came off my holds, hat tip to i think someone else's tuesdaypost? cannot immediately locate it. holler if it was you.

Can you flimflam a ghost? It’s 1934. Former medium Dashiel Quicke travels the country debunking spiritualism and false mediums while struggling to stay ahead of his ex-business partner and lover who wants him back at any cost. During a demonstration at a college campus, Dashiel meets Hermann Goschalk, an Egyptologist who’s convinced that he has a genuine haunted artifact on his hands. Certain there is a rational explanation for whatever is going on with Hermann’s relics, Dashiel would rather skip town, but soon finds himself falling for Hermann. He agrees to take a look after all and learns that something is haunting Hermann’s office indeed. Faced with a real ghost Dashiel is terrified, but when the haunting takes a dangerous turn, he must use the tools of the shady trade he left behind to communicate with this otherworldly spirit before his past closes in.

this keeps getting reviewed as cozy horror, which i do not agree with bc i hate the term and believe it oxymoronic. it is a fairly straightforward romance with paranormal shit happening in the foreground. a period piece not particularly for the folx end of the fag/folx gay book spectrum-- they happen to be gay but there's a lot of other shit happening. not a spicy romance as the tiktok girlies say. it is a period book that sort of elides over the worst parts of the 30s? eg there is no on-page or overt racism or antisemitism that the characters have to Confront. one of the lead's neighbors is a black nurse trying to start a NAACP chapter, but she's so fully fleshed out and such an enjoyable character it doesn't feel like the book is looking for moral points from modern readers. i also liked the general slow-build of the book and their relationship — i have no complaints about the intensity or pace of their relationship.

the one ding i have is that it is perhaps a touch too enthusiastic about period slang. it's fine when the two leads are talking to each other, especially bc their word choice is a large way they show their personality, but when there are more than two people in a scene it can grate a little for me. i do think the dialogue is generally the strong suit here, and the author particularly excels at two-person back and forths, so it’s not a frequent complaint.

i liked the contrast of the scam medium with the academic egyptologist, since many egyptologists were also scams. the scenes with the spirit are genuinely eerie, which is a very good contrast with the fairly straightforward, often sparse narration.

grudging respect for keeping a joke simmering on the back burner for four hundred pages before deploying it. this was a well-paced read i have no major complaints about.

i have to spin this book around in my brain and get a physical copy and flip back and forth and lot and make notes to myself in a separate notebook before i talk about this one here i think. same brain itch as a canticle for leibowitz.

i also read a bunch of comics but this section is already long enough goodbye

-

watching

the first episode of the currently airing penguin tv show! at my bestie's house bc she has an hbo max subscription from something, unfortunately it is an emotionally fraught very tense show and we're kind of full up on those so i will have to finish this on my own. at no point did i say to myself "whoa that's colin farrell". both the prosthetic and accent work are off the charts.

i do Not like a piece of media about the mob. i will stomach it for batman. it's really wild how the accents they've chosen for gotham and her suburbs make me so so so weirdly homesick. one of the locations is an early McMansion and my bestie and i said almost simultaneously "are we in fucking Cherry Hill???" a jersey noveau riche town infested with notable McMansions.

i am constantly chasing the high of s1 black sails where everyone is frantically scheming and falling all over them fucking selves. this gets pretty close! it's big budget prestige tv with the storytelling chops to match so far. one of my favorite comic runs is The Long Halloween, partially about the fortunes of the Maroni and Falcone crime families of Gotham. this is loosely following that, but deviates enough to surprise me, which i enjoy. there have been enough faithful adaptations of that comic run imo.

optimistic about the rest of the season! i have such low expectations for batman media that it's refreshing to get like a genuinely good pilot episode out of the franchise.

-

playing

i have Got to find a new game to play that i already own. genshin is such a good podcast game but i need Something New. surely the 576047357649857689 games across five libraries will save me.

-

making

so many things happened this week. cat neuter and constipation episode. helped take apart and put back together a children's' room. lot of running around.

crunchy! i almost left these docs at goodwill bc i don't have a super high opinion of the company or the quality of the boots. i have heard my ENTIRE life about how long-lasting they are and how people have had the same boots for years but i completely shredded a pair during eight months in 2019. like the soles were worn almost completely smooth to the point they were a slipping hazard, half the eyelets were broken, and the leather was genuinely disintegrating. that was one of the busiest and most active periods of my life (classes at other campuses both semesters, a summer in new hampshire, the beginning of the makerspace) but i did expect them to hold up a little better or a little longer. they only got to experience about a month and a half of salt at the beginning and were regularly cleaned. yes i did buy them straight from the company.

anyway. these extremely ugly docs industrials had almost all their tread and magically fit me. like the rest of me, my feet are large and wide and difficult to fit. they are by Far the ugliest shoes i have ever owned. however. they will be the boots i will wear for when i need to be okay about potentially destroying my footwear.

hit em with some saddle soap and polished the toes, i seem to be flat out of leather conditioner so i was only able to hit the heels and one tongue. the laces are in the warsh.

they're real leather and were twelve dollars and miraculously fit me. you know that quote about americans being temporarily embarrassed millionaires? i still, in many ways, think of myself as a temporarily embarrassed abled person. i am slowly giving up on the idea of another remote job, bc they seem to all be fake, and going harder on city and county jobs. while i would rather wear my beloved CAT steel toes with the nice padded cuffs any day of the week, maybe these will be good for tromping around somewhere inspecting something. would Love a weights and measures inspection job if their office would return my polite messages.

also ruby goes home tonight! goodbye ruby!

[flameeliwoodart]

Empty Canvas - Page 14

The classic phone number, 555-555-5555

[lonewolflupe]

aLoF ch9 | Troubling Tension

Yesss here's another Lone Wolf Squad chapter for you! There's action, fun, shenanigans, some innocent bantering and - tension. Let's see how that affects the squad.. I hope you enjoy this chapter (:

Summary: words spoken - and unspoken - cause a tension that affects the squad during their mission Rating: Teen and up Tags: canon-typical violence, swearing (usage of slang; kriff/kriffing = fuck/fucking, kark = shit), miscommunication Words: 9.434k Characters: Lupe (OC), Trooper Ragnar (OC), Trooper Claw (OC), Trooper Fang (OC), Trooper Twist (OC), Mace Windu, CC-1010 Commander Fox, Commander Thorn, Gra Neb (OC), unidentified Commerce Guild members, ARC-5555 Fives (cameo) aLoF masterlist | AO3 ch8 < | ↓ | > ch10

20 BBY, Coruscant | Jedi Temple, High Council Chamber

(Within a few rotations after the events of chapter 8)

“A civvie pick-up? In neutral territories?”

Lupe's words weren't intended to undermine the Jedi Council; she was merely surprised by the mission's objective. Her arms already crossed, she raised a brow. Master Windu shot her an unamused smile. “And we trust you to complete this mission delicately,” he added to the briefing.

“Understood. But I can tell you, a squad of clones accompanied by a Jedi will stand out,” she replied, a smirk on her face as she found amusement in the necessity to state the obvious. The seasoned Jedi Master sighed before picking up the datapad at his side. “Then it's of the highest importance to make yourselves not stand out. We're sure you'll think of a solution,” he concluded, before handing her the device with the mission’s details.

Lupe nodded towards Master Windu as she accepted the datapad, before positioning herself in the middle of the room again. “Thank you, Masters,” she said, whilst respectfully bowing before them. When dismissed, she turned around and walked out of the Chamber, finding her way towards the GAR barracks. Well, this was going to get interesting.

---

Coruscant | GAR Barracks

“A civvie pick-up? In neutral territories?” Fang shot at her after she finished summarising her briefing in front of the squad. Lupe snorted in response; those had been her exact same words. “Yeah, and we're supposed to handle this delicately; since it's a neutral planet, no one can find out the Republic is interfering,” she explained, adding some heaviness to her words, hoping they would pick up on the importance of it.

“And sending a Jedi with a clone squad is supposed to be discreet?” Claw added with a raised brow. Lupe smiled and shook her head; she loved how these clones were on the same page as her. “Yeah, they trust me to be creative enough to figure something out.”

Ragnar had been standing at the back of the squad during Lupe's recap, silently taking in both her words and those of his brothers as he gently stroked the little beard on his chin. He looked up at Lupe's last remark, and finally moved himself forward to claim her attention. “And have you figured something out?” he asked her, his usual seriousness to his voice.

Her lips slid into a confident smirk when she faced the sergeant. “My dear Sergeant, of course I have. Haven't we been on enough missions together by now for you to trust me with this?” She gestured to them to follow her when she walked away. “Now follow me; we're going shopping.”

---

Coruscant | Republic Centre for Military Operations

“And you have direct orders?” Commander Fox, standing stiff as a statue, was facing her through his visor from the other side of the transparisteel window that separated them. His arms crossed in front of his chest, he seemed unimpressed by her request.

“Do indirect orders work for you?” Lupe asked, a sheepish grin on her face. Maker, this guy is unyielding. She thought it had been his attitude towards her when she was brought in drunk, after evoking a fist fight among the GAR’s troops; but apparently, he was always like this. “C’mon, we'll return the gear once we've finished the mission. I'll bring you a caf too,” she tried charming him, accompanied by an innocent smile.

Fox leaned forward, his helmet just centimetres away from the window. His voice was low and almost threatening when he spoke. “Is that bribery?” Lupe’s eyes widened in shock and she showed her hands in a gesture of innocence. “What? No, I- Kriff, I just thought you could use some,” she replied, starting to get slightly annoyed.

She thought he might budge by now, but the only thing that ensued was an intimidating silence. Lupe sighed at last, before moving closer to the window. Her voice was low and soft, making sure these words were between her and Fox only. She subtly gestured towards her squad, located at the back of the room as they patiently awaited their General's negotiating.

“Look, it's a delicate mission and our orders are that they can't stand out as clones, but I'm NOT dragging them into any mission without them wearing some proper armour. I need them to be safe.”

Another moment of silence. She couldn't see the Commander's expression through his visor, and she was totally lost on whatever went on in his head. Fox was definitely a hard one to read. It seemed like he was chronically done with everything and everyone, and that vibe made it hard for her to feel any other emotions. Maybe she would bring him that caf after all.

She could hear the deep sigh through his built-in voice regulator, before his posture relaxed - but only slightly. There was only so much room for Commander Fox to relax. “Alright, but I'm gonna have to report this,” he said at last, slowly shaking his head. “Fine by me,” Lupe bit back in a whisper, as the Commander turned around to fetch them a chaperone from the guard station.

The red laser barrier got disabled, granting them entrance into the facility. Fox was followed by another Coruscant Guard, meeting Lupe at the entrance. “Thorn will accompany you. Don't make me regret this,” Fox sighed, before heading back into the guard post. Lupe shot him a quick ‘yessir'; Fox strongly reminded her of Wolffe, but it seemed this Commander was even more tired and done than the Wolfpack's leader.

After nodding a quick greeting towards Thorn, Lupe started following him, her squad quickly following them behind. When they gained some comfortable distance from the guard post, Lupe cleared her throat. “Is, er- is he always like that?” she asked cautiously, her curiosity taking the better of her.

Thorn chuckled softly. “Commander Fox? Ah, he's just tired. We get to see a lot of kark on a daily basis. And the paperwork pushes you over the edge sometimes.” Lupe, walking at his side by now, shot him a wry smile. “Sorry for adding to your pile,” she said softly, starting to feel slightly bad about it. Thorn granted her a quick nod before replying: “Don't worry sir, we're used to it.”

After rounding a few corners, they found themselves in front of a solid door. Thorn entered a security code on the appurtenant control panel, and the door slid open. The room behind it was filled to the brim with confiscated and abandoned goods. “Alright, there we are. Remember, you can't take any GAR equipment; it's against military protocol. But I'm sure we have something useful in that corner,” Thorn elaborated, whilst pointing towards a spot less blinding from white plastoid armour pieces.

Lupe and the boys slowly walked into the room, in awe of everything they laid their eyes on. This was like walking into a candy store. Fang reached for a BT X-42 heavy flamethrower, laying on a rack at eye level, but Claw whacked his brother's hands away before he could touch it, shooting a stern look at his twin. Thorn followed them from a little distance, an amused smile below his helmet.

When they reached the spot, Lupe started shuffling through the gear. It clearly wasn't anything the GAR was using, so she wondered what it was doing at the military facility. But she wasn't going to complain; this was perfectly usable to execute her plan. After she approved the goods, she turned towards her squad, a content look on her face. “Dig in, boys,” she said, before they started rummaging through the gear.

It didn't take them too long to compile their outfits, pleased by what they encountered. Armoured pieces were ornate with leathery parts and wrapped in rags. Some colours adorned their new looks, something different from all the white and flint grey they were used to. Lupe had joined them in disguising herself; she couldn't look like a Jedi as much as the boys couldn't look like clones.

“Well, at least you achieved the mercenary look,” Thorn remarked with an amused chuckle, as soon as they had finished dressing themselves. “I'm nailing this look,” Fang gasped, admiring his new outfit. Ragnar looked at him, his lips pressed into a serious, thin line. “Well, don't get used to it,” he said at last, before putting on a customised bounty hunter helmet.

When they exited the hallway and walked past the guard post, Fox shot them a disapproving look from under his helmet, before shaking his head. “Don't forget to put that away,” he shot at Lupe, pointing towards the lightsaber's hilt, still dangling from her belt. “Will do. Thanks for your compliance, Commander,” she said with a grin, before turning towards Thorn and giving him a quick, thankful nod. She and her squad left the facility.

As soon as the door slid shut behind them, Thorn started laughing, placing a comforting hand on Fox’s shoulder. “She was a Padawan with the 104th? She must have been a pain in Wolffe's ass,” he snickered. Fox sighed and took off his helmet, stroking his hand through his greying hair. “She's changed since the start of the war; grown too feral, if you'd ask me. Rex’s ARC trooper has a bad influence on her,” he replied, only increasing Thorn's amusement. “Well, you can't make me believe this was all Fives’ doing,” he chuckled, before walking off to pour them a fresh mug of caf.

---

Coruscant | GAR Barracks' Hangar

The Lone Wolves’ new looks granted them some glances, filled with mixed feelings. Lupe was quite amused by it, as she felt the staring clones’ reactions shift between awe, bewilderment and disapproval. She didn't care about it, as long as they would successfully complete this mission - and as long as the temporary outfits’ armour would keep her troops safe.

When they reached their shuttle, the boys made it to their usual spots at once; Claw in the pilot seat with Fang at his side, Twist at the ship's control panel and Ragnar and Lupe just behind them, to overlook the whole operation. “Alright, boys, let’s go. Claw, get this ship in the air. Fang, set out coordinates to the Kessel System. Twist, we need some codes scrambled,” Lupe shot at them, before sharing a look with her sergeant. As Claw piloted the ship out of the hangar, Lupe's gaze returned to their view, and she added in a mutter: “We're heading for uncharted territories.”

---

Outer Rim | Kessel System | Space

Technically, the Kessel System in the Outer Rim was far from uncharted. It contained the troublous planets of Kessel and Oba Diah, both very well known to the Republic - mostly for alarming reasons. But since both planets remained neutral during the war, the Republic wasn't particularly welcome to check in on their situations.

Their current mission led them to Kepler, located within the same system. Kepler was an ecumenopolis; like Coruscant, although not comparable in size, the planet's complete surface was covered in one, big city. With slightly less interference from Kessel’s spice mining and Oba Diah’s Pyke Syndicate, it was the perfect spot for shifty businesses and shady deal making. That didn't make the planet less dangerous than the much bigger ones accompanying it in this system.

When the shuttle reverted into realspace and Claw started piloting it towards Kepler’s spaceport nearest to their objective, Lupe sat down at the back of the ship, patiently awaiting their arrival. Her mind wandered off as she recalled memories from the last few rotations, when she had been on Naboo with Fives. She had dragged him along in hopes she could ease his mind after losing Echo, but so much more had happened during those rotations. Her lips slipped into a smile when she thought about their moments at the lake, how their relationship had changed since then, how their bond had strengthened.

But her smile disappeared when her worries took over. She wasn’t supposed to be in such a relationship, especially not with a clone, a soldier of the Republic. But she couldn’t deny those feelings; she couldn’t push them aside. They made her feel more alive, they made her senses sharper, they made her feel more connected to the Force. But it also made place for new feelings, such as concern over Fives’ well-being and even dread, as she knew so many clones did not return from the battlefield.

When she noticed Ragnar walking over towards her, she tried to swallow those feelings of anguish away; there was no need to bother him with them. He sat down opposite her; it reminded her of their moment during their first mission together, where she had let down her emotional walls. She had to keep them up, but it was becoming harder now that she had started to bond with her sergeant. They had gotten to know each other better, and that meant he was getting better at reading her.

“You’re upset. Did something happen when you were away? Did he- Did he hurt you?” Ragnar asked her in a low, quiet voice, making sure the boys wouldn’t pick up on the conversation. “No, he didn’t,” she replied immediately, offering him a comforting smile to help him ease his mind, before continuing: “I’m just worrying about him.” Ragnar’s eyes darted around, not meeting hers, as he searched for words. Lupe was aware of Ragnar’s mistrust in Fives, and thus trying to shift the subject away from the ARC trooper, she added: “I worry about all you guys.” Ragnar’s gaze shot to hers instantly, his eyes steady now.

His eyes were always so serious, but also full of concern, especially when they were sharing a private conversation. And he always seemed to find the time and space to check in on her, when the boys were occupied with something else. He seemed to care for her so much. Yes, of course she deeply cared for the clones in her squad as well, and with every mission, their bond strengthened. But it almost seemed like Ragnar had granted her his everlasting loyalty from the very first moment they had met.

“You’re better at hiding that,” he softly replied to her remark about worrying over them. Lupe couldn’t help but chuckle as she leaned forward in her seat, getting closer to Ragnar. “I know you and I share a lot, but there are still things I keep to myself,” she told him, an amused tone to her voice and a flicker in her eyes. But his eyes were as serious as ever. “Some thoughts and feelings transcend shared words,” he stated cryptically.

She wasn’t sure what he meant with that, but she just assumed it had to do with her current taste in men. “Ragnar, look, I know you’re not very fond of Fives, but he’s- he’s good to me. He cares about me,” she said cautiously. She didn’t feel the need to deny her relationship with Fives anymore; not towards her squad. They knew her so well by now; they wouldn’t believe her if she denied it, anyway.

Although they still showed concern, Ragnar’s eyes softened at her words. She started to reach for him with her hand, but simultaneously, he slid back into his seat, leaning backwards and thus unintentionally avoiding her touch. A shiver ran through him when he realised it, but it was too late; Lupe had withdrawn her hand by now, afraid she had scared him off. She turned into herself again, putting her arms around her stomach. Ragnar knew she always did this when she felt the need to protect herself, even if she didn’t realise it herself. He knew their moment was gone, and after taking a deep breath, he got to his feet to return to the boys in the cockpit. “I’m just- I’m just not sure about his intentions. Be careful around him,” he said at last, before walking off.

He cursed himself. Those weren’t the words he wanted to tell her; he had wanted to tell her the squad cared about her too - he cared about her. But the only thing he could muster, was a warning for some outsider clone he didn’t trust, whose intentions were unclear to him, afraid he would hurt her over time. Because Ragnar himself cared so much.

---

Outer Rim | Kessel System | Kepler

Lupe was snapped from her thoughts when the shuttle hit the surface. She scolded herself for letting this get to her the way it did, when she clearly needed to focus on the mission ahead. With a sigh, she pulled herself together, adjusting her outfit when she got to her feet. The boys were already wearing their helmets. She expected Ragnar to check in on her a last time before they headed out, but he didn’t; not this time. Get your kark together, she thought as she put on her own helmet before getting off the shuttle.

It felt strange; she didn’t like it. She was used to wearing as little as possible, to move around freely and unbothered. As a Padawan, she had quickly gotten rid of her Jedi cloak, and as the war had started and progressed, she only wore minimum armour. But never a helmet. Instantly, she had trouble with reading her surroundings, with using her senses. It felt like the helmet blocked them. Her skin couldn’t feel the air, her mouth wasn’t able to taste the atmosphere and her eyes didn’t have a clear vision. Or wasn’t it the helmet?

“Kriff,” she sighed out loud, her voice subdued within the helmet. Immediately, a static sound erupted, before she heard Fang’s voice: “Problem, sir?” Kark. She had forgotten they had aligned the built-in comm devices of their helmets, so they could communicate with each other at all times, as long as they were wearing them. The clones were used to this, of course, but Lupe definitely wasn’t. At least due to the helmet, they couldn’t see her blushing right now.

“I, er- I’m not really used to wearing this much.. Equipment,” she regained herself, and she wasn’t lying. She heard several of them chuckling over the comm device, feeling a heavy hand from Claw on her shoulder. Before any of them could shoot her some witty remark, she added herself: “Yeah yeah, I know, you know.” She briefly glanced over towards Twist, who replied to her with a quick shrug.

They found their way through Kepler’s streets on foot, taking in their surroundings as they advanced towards their objective’s location. It looked nothing like Coruscant; at least not like the higher levels. Here in the Outer Rim, everything seemed seedy. At least they didn’t stand out with their adjusted outfits.

“Alright, remember,” Lupe started to remind the squad over their built-in comm devices, “We have the coordinates to the objective’s residence, but he’s probably being watched by the Seppies - or the Commerce Guild - or the Pykes - or anyone else, for what I care. We have to do some recon ourselves, and we have to find an opportunity to meet up with him - without any involvement from any of those parties.” Some affirmative sounds from the boys, before Ragnar’s voice spoke out.

“Are we sure about this objective’s intentions? Does he really want this Republic pick-up?” Lupe was used to Ragnar’s seriousness, and she knew he always held the squad’s best interests at heart; this time he meant it no differently. But because of their earlier conversation, she couldn’t help but take his words the wrong way. “Are we ever sure about anyone’s intentions,” Lupe muttered, slightly irritated, forgetting they could all hear her.

None of the clones replied, but because of the uncomfortable silence, she felt something was off. And then she realised. KRIFF. She was never going to wear a helmet again after this mission. “I don’t know, I only have the intel the Council provided us. We’ll have to see and do what we’re good at; improvise.” Exactly what she was doing right now to divert the attention from her unsubtle remark. She heard some more sounds of affirmation, but none were as clear and confident as before.

The remainder of their walk was rather uncomfortable. None of them spoke another word, as it was clear there was some tension surrounding them. Lupe sighed in relief - but not too loud - when Twist informed them they were getting close to the objective. Time to skip into her General-mode again. “Gotta wait until dark, then we’ll find ourselves a spot on one of the nearby roofs,” she said somewhat cautiously, afraid she would share too much of her thoughts with them again. “We’ll draw too much attention as a group if we keep lingering around together, so I propose we scatter and meet back here at sunset.” It was a good strategy considering their situation, but being alone after her screw up was an additional benefit to this plan.

Fang was the first one to speak up. “Can’t we sit in a bar and get ourselves some drinks while we wait?” he suggested, partly because he thought some booze would lift the tension between them. Which was a considerate thought of him, but he didn’t think his plan through. Claw crossed his arms and tilted his helmeted head sideways as he addressed his brother. “You want to drink from a kriffing straw? We’re not supposed to take our helmets off,” he shot at his twin, resulting in a huff from Fang. “That goes for food as well?” he retried, resulting in a whack on his helmet this time, as Claw shot out: “How are you gonna eat with your helmet on?”

Normally, Lupe would be amused by the twins’ bickering, but she couldn’t get herself to even smile this time. “Remember, this place at sunset,” she reminded them in all seriousness, before she intended to walk off. But again, it was Fang’s voice that stopped her from doing so. “How are we going to remember this place as our rendezvous point? All these streets and intersections look the same to me,” he shot out worriedly. Lupe gave their surroundings a quick look, and spotted a signboard on one of the nearby buildings. The board depicted a very underdressed Twi’lek female, her scanty underwear revealing much of her orange skin and lush curves. Perfect. Lupe pointed towards the signboard, and said flatly: “I’m sure you’ll remember her. See you at sunset. Keep your emergency channels open.” With those words, she turned around and walked away.

Fang received another whack on his helmet as his gaze wandered over the signboard for a bit too long, before Claw dragged him away from the place, to find some distraction until sunset. Twist was ready to walk into a different direction, but remained at the spot when he noticed Ragnar was frozen to the ground. The sergeant just stood there, looking at their general as she disappeared into the distance. “S-Sarge, are you a-alright?” Twist cautiously asked, after changing to a more private comm channel.

Ragnar snapped out of his thoughts and turned towards Twist. He wanted to say he was, but when he looked at his brother, he let out a deep sigh. He couldn’t see Twist’s face, but he could feel his concern. “I, er- might have said something to the General that- that I shouldn’t have said,” he finally admitted, double checking that he was on a private comm channel with Twist. “A-about the objective?” Twist inquired, resulting in Ragnar shaking his head immediately. “No, earlier. I, er- we had a conversation concerning Fives,” he let out with another sigh.

Twist put his hand on the sergeant’s shoulder, before easing his mind: “S-Sarge, just talk to her. S-she’ll come around. You know s-she’s very understanding.” Ragnar sighed again, as he started scratching the narrow bit of bare skin between his helmet and his blacks, which he was still wearing below his temporary outfit. “Yeah, guess you’re right, as always,” he said at last, letting go of some of his tension. A modest smile below his helmet. “I’ll just.. I’ll wait until tonight. Need some time to figure out what to say. Find the right words this time,” he said slowly, not sure yet how he could get a moment with her alone. Twist nodded, before reassuring: “S-she’ll understand.”

---

Sunset. It was almost time for their rendezvous, and although Lupe was looking forward to continue the mission without any more altercations, she was reluctant about getting back to their rendezvous point. As she rounded the last corner, she froze at the spot when she noticed Ragnar there, and Ragnar only. She didn’t want to be childish about it, but she couldn’t handle this conversation right now; not when the mission’s success was at stake. So without looking, she stepped backwards, back into the alley she came from, hoping he hadn't spotted her yet.

Almost immediately, she bumped into someone, and her heart dropped. The last thing she could use right now, was getting into a fight with some spice addict, a swindler, or even worse, a Pyke envoy. Her mind was racing, already searching for possible solutions to get the least bad outcome to this situation, when she turned around and noticed a familiar outfit. “Twist,” she sighed out of relief, briefly hanging her head as she caught her breath, letting go of some of the tension.

Twist gently tapped her on the helmet to get her attention, and she looked up at him again. “T-turn to comm ch-channel 2407.8,” he said as quickly as he possibly could. She shot into focus immediately, concern washing over her, afraid something had happened. She turned to the channel, nodding towards Twist when she was in. “You don’t s-seem yourself, s-sir,” Twist said carefully, not wanting to push her in any way, but trying to help her out nonetheless. Lupe was lost for words for a moment; she wasn’t expecting Twist to check in on her.

“Yeah, well.. This last rotation has been.. Interesting,” she managed, not sure if she should bring any of it up. She looked away, but she knew Twist’s eyes were prying at her through his visor. “Stop it,” she whispered, more to herself than to Twist, but she noticed Twist turning his gaze away immediately, as he started to shift on his feet and got all nervous again. Now she had done it; now she had managed to get half her squad into uncomfortable positions. “No no no, Twist, I-,” she started, but she interrupted herself as she was struggling to get her helmet off.

Twist tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t let him. She wasn’t a clone, so there would be no consequences if she took it off. “Kriff this,” she said as soon as she had managed, tossing the helmet to the ground. “I’m never gonna wear a helmet again after this mission.” Her hair was a cluttered mess, as it had gotten all tangled up under her helmet. Irritated, she tried wiping it out of her face before she turned to Twist again. “Twist, I’m sorry, I meant that to myself. Today’s been-”

She interrupted herself again, as tufts of hair in front of her face were still hindering her, pricking her eyes and tickling her skin. She groaned and closed her eyes, letting her head tilt backwards in frustration. A very gentle touch to her face brought her back to reality, and when she opened her eyes, she noticed Twist was tenderly fixing the strands of hair, getting them out of her face. Dearest Twist, she thought, whilst an affectionate smile appeared on her face.

She was finally able to balance her emotions again. “Thank you, Twist,” she whispered, and he nodded at her before picking up her helmet and handing it back to her. She accepted it and put it on again, allowing them to continue the conversation over the private comm channel. “As I was saying. I’ve been a shu'shuk* today and I think I’ve pushed Ragnar away. And now I’m afraid my actions might affect the mission,” she finally poured her heart out, before adding with a whisper: “And might affect the squad.”

*shu’shuk = disaster, big screw-up, etc.

Twist smiled below his helmet, even though she couldn't see it. “S-sir, we're not t-that easily p-pushed away. And you're p-part of the s-squad now; you're p-part of us.” He paused for a moment, before continuing: “T-talk to Ragnar, he'll u-understand.” She swallowed away the emotions that were trying to erupt at his words, which were exactly what she needed to hear. For a brief moment, she placed her hand on the side of Twist's helmet. “Thank you. And I will,” she said to him, now extremely thankful that she had bumped into him after all.

But the sun was setting, and they had to continue their mission. Lupe shot a quick look around the corner, and noticed Claw and Fang had joined up with Ragnar by now. “Seems we're late to the party,” she joked to Twist, and he was just glad to hear a tone of amusement in her voice again, after today's tensions.

“Heh, got lost, sir?” Fang shot at them when they finally reached the rendezvous point. Ragnar shot him a stern look, although it was lost under his helmet. After all the tensions, he just couldn't understand why Fang would say things like this, with the probability of making things even worse. Was he ever serious about anything? He groaned softly.

But Lupe's spirits seemed to have been lifted. “Luckily Twist found me and put me back on the right track,” she said casually, before turning towards Twist and granting him a quick, subtle nod. Ragnar wondered what that meant, but kept his mouth shut. He had said enough this last rotation to sour the mood.

“Alright, I did some recon and found the perfect spot,” Lupe continued, gesturing to them to follow her. “There's an abandoned building nearby; we can use the roof without potential residents getting suspicious.” As soon as they reached the building, she added: “Go make yourselves comfortable, I have to take care of one last thing first.”

As a few ‘yessirs’ echoed through their helmets, Ragnar watched the General walk off again. He wondered if this was his cue, if he should follow her to talk things out, but when he made the slightest indication he was going to follow her, Twist put a hand on his arm to stop him. “Wait,” he said quietly, looking at his sergeant through his visor, before following behind Claw and Fang to ascend the roof. Ragnar sighed, but followed Twist's advice anyway. His brother seemed to always be right, after all.

It didn't take long for Lupe to join them on the rooftop, and when she did, she was carrying food and drinks. “I come bearing gifts,” she said with an amused tone to her voice. She put everything down and Fang came jolting forward immediately, ready to still his hunger. Claw followed behind a bit more restrained. “We, er- thought it was gonna be another meal of ration bars,” he said carefully, as the scent of the food slowly made it inside his helmet and his mouth started to water.

Lupe chuckled, as she sat down and removed her helmet. Her hair was less of a mess than before. “Well, we don't know how long we'll be stuck here, so gotta keep things fun,” she said with a smile. She made sure the boys helped themselves to some food and drinks before taking any herself.

When the food was gone and their bellies were satisfied, the darkness had gathered around them. The mood had been good, and even as Lupe would have liked to continue their comradery, they had a mission to complete. “Alright boys, time to get on with the mission. Since we'll be here for a while, let's take shifts to observe the objective’s residence.” They nodded to her in agreement.

“Alright, I'll take the first shift, along with Tw-” Lupe interrupted herself when she noticed Twist shaking his head vigorously, before he subtly nodded into Ragnar's direction. Ah, right. “Ragnar, you're with me,” she said at last. “The three of you, get some rest.” Claw and Fang nodded, before finding a place to lay down and get some sleep. As Ragnar got up and found his way to the edge of the building, Twist shot Lupe an encouraging nod before he made himself scarce.

Lupe took a deep breath before positioning herself at Ragnar’s side. They laid down, peeking over the edge, their visual on the residence. Some quick to-the-point remarks concerning the mission, but nothing more.

It was only a while later, when he was sure they wouldn't get interrupted by any of his brothers, Ragnar found the courage to address their earlier friction. “Lupe..,” he started, after clearing his throat. Apparently, she had been ready for this conversation, as she replied in an instant: “Ragnar, you've made it pretty clear you don't like him, but I do.” Her voice had lost its earlier edge to it, but it was still serious. He couldn't help but notice some hurt in it, which put him off guard. “Lup- Sir, it's just that.. Nevermind.”

The air was heavy with suspense and Ragnar could hear Lupe swallow at his side. “Speak up. That’s an order,” she said at last. He noticed a slight tremble to her voice, and although she gave him an order, he wondered if she was really in her role as a General right now. He took a moment to carefully formulate his words, as making things worse was the last thing he wanted. This had already affected the squad enough, and it had only been one rotation. Besides, he hated seeing his General like this, and he detested himself for being the cause of it.

“I.. I don't trust him. He's got a reputation. Please, just- Just be careful around him,” he sighed, his voice low and quiet, but she could hear him alright. She was getting riled up again; why was it so hard for Ragnar to understand he was wrong about Fives, to notice he made her happy and feel loved? “Duly noted, thank you sergeant, but I can take care of myself,” she replied flatly, not taking her gaze away from the objective's residence. “General, sir, I-I-,” he stammered, clearly lost for words. Why was it so hard for Lupe to understand he said all this because he cared for her, because she was part of the squad; because she was family?

Lupe shot him a haunting look; it was a mixture of bitterness, incomprehension and hurt. He had to set this right, for the sake of the squad’s dynamics - and for his own peace of mind. “Lupe.. I’m only saying this because we care- Because I care about you,” he said at last, a softness to it she wasn't used to, not coming from her sergeant. “I’m afraid he’s going to hurt you. Break your heart. I don't want to see you get hurt.”

Silence. Lupe had averted her gaze again, but it clearly wasn't directed towards their target this time. Only when his words had dawned on her, she let out a relieved chuckle, as she bumped her fist into his shoulder. “Maker, why didn't you just say so?” Ragnar let all his tension go with a deep sigh. “I-I thought it was obvious,” he elaborated, before Lupe let out a short, cynical laugh. “Yeah, well, welcome to the female brain,” she blurted out.

This time it was Ragnar who chuckled. “You're the first female I shared a real conversation with,” he admitted, resulting in the most genuine smile he'd seen on Lupe's face since they started this mission. “I guess things don't get as complicated with your brothers,” she said softly, as she briefly put her head on his shoulder in a way to comfort him, to show her compassion; it made his heart skip a beat.

He swallowed before continuing the conversation. “You're my vod too,” he finally said. Since they had talked things out and he was already getting soft with her, there was no need to keep this from her any longer. She withdrew her head, and for a moment, he thought he screwed up again. “You.. You alright?” he shot at her with concern.

Just for a second, he thought she was wiping away a tear. But when she looked back at him, there was nothing to be seen, except for the most heartwarming smile on her beautiful face. “Yeah, I just- Have never heard someone call me that before,” she whispered, and he returned the smile, although much more restrained than he would have liked to share with her.

When the time came for the next shift, Lupe and Ragnar got to their feet. Before waking up Claw and Fang, they lingered at their recon spot for a little longer. “Thanks for the rollercoaster of emotions today,” Lupe said to Ragnar jokingly, a smirk adorning her face. Ragnar, finally comfortable again with a bit of bantering, replied: “I thought the Jedi were good at putting those away.” Another cynical laugh from Lupe, as she shook her head. “Yeah, well, in that case, I suck at being both a General and a Jedi.” Ragnar put a comforting hand on her shoulder, before easing her mind. “We couldn't have asked for a better option for either of them.”

---

It took them a few rotations to figure out their objective's patterns. They had spotted some scout parties from different origins, and knew they had to be careful not to reveal themselves and thus the Republic's involvement. They had to come up with a plan to get in contact with the objective, to ensure a discreet pick-up.

“Our best chance is early evening, when he takes his daily stroll through the streets. It's relatively quiet at that hour, so least chance of any unwanted attention,” Lupe concurred with her squad. “I have something in mind to notify the objective in a subtle way. Who of you is best at acting?”

Without a word or any debate, all the boys turned towards Fang, shooting him almost accusative glances. It took him a moment to realise, but when he did, he shrugged. “What? It helps handle things a bit less seriously,” he elaborated, resulting in a chuckle from Lupe; she should have known. “Great, keep that thought,” she told him, before continuing: “Listen up Fang, this is what we're gonna do..”

---

When the streets got quieter that evening, the squad was in position. Twist was still on their rooftop, overlooking their surroundings to keep an eye out on everyone, ready to alert them if they would attract any unwanted attention. Ragnar and Claw lingered at different corners of the street to move in if any assistance was needed. Lupe and Fang were waiting at different spots, ready to start the next phase of their plan once the objective would make it outside.

The door slid open, and their objective, a Sullustan male, appeared. He was wearing typical native headgear on his wide head, a pair of large ears protruding it. Underneath his dark and gleaming eyes were two flaps of jowls adorning his cheeks. His small posture didn’t make for a very intimidating appearance. “Go,” Lupe shot at Fang through their built-in comm devices, as soon as the objective had made it outside his residence. The Sullustan strolled away from his porch, and just when he rounded a corner, Fang came walking up from the opposite direction. His stride was grand and somewhat exaggerated; his shoulders widened to make them look broader than they really were.

Fang threw his whole body in when he hit the unknowing Sullustan, making him crash to the ground in an instant. He could have done with a little less effort, since the objective didn't even reach a cadet's size. When the Sullustan realised what had happened, Fang loomed over him, whilst slowly growling: “Di’kut*..” Twist had done such a great job at modifying Fang’s voice regulator, making it sound low and threatening.

*Di’kut = idiot, useless individual, waste of space

The Sullustan cowered behind one arm, trying to apologise but too intimidated to utter any intelligible words. At that very moment, Lupe came marching towards the spectacle. In her best Mando’a - no one here besides the clones would notice her pronunciation was less smooth than the boys’ - she started shouting at Fang. She made sure to add some swear words and phrases, since those were the first ones she had remembered correctly when she started learning Mando’a. She couldn't wait to tell Sinker and Boost she was finally able to use it to assist a mission.

She hit Fang in the chest plate, making him step backwards in defeat, like a massiff being scolded by its owner. The Sullustan seemed to relax a little. Lupe spun around to face him, kneeling down to his level, trying to make herself less intimidating. “Please excuse my coworker; he can't help it, he was born rude,” Lupe told the male, using the most comforting tone she could muster towards a stranger. “Here, let me help you,” she continued, reaching her hand towards him. He accepted it, somewhat confused, and she assisted him back to his feet.

When he was standing in front of her, Lupe started apologising again. “I'm very sorry; I promise you this isn't the last he'll be hearing about this,” she said, whilst crossing her arms and turning her helmeted head towards Fang ominously. With a small voice, since he still hadn't fully regained himself from this intimidating encounter, he tried telling her it was alright. She nodded a silent goodbye, before grabbing Fang by the arm and dragging him away, tossing in some more Mando’a scolding. They left the Sullustan behind, newly confused as he fidgeted with something in his hand.

When they reached a safe distance, Fang returned their conversation to their comm devices. “Sir, with all due respect; that was duse*. I counted at least seven mispronunciations.” Claw added from a distance: “Don't forget the incorrect usage of some of those words.” Lupe snickered at them. “Well, you two are very welcome to criticise my Mando’a - as soon as you best me in a lightsaber duel,” she shot back at them. “That's not fair, lightsaber practice wasn't part of our basic training,” Fang yammered in return. Lupe bumped her fist into his upper arm. “And Mando'a wasn't in mine; see how this goes both ways?” Fang could only groan in return, as he rubbed the spot where she had just hit him.

*duse = rubbish, waste (garbage)

As the sun was setting, they regrouped back on the rooftop. Lupe took her helmet off, glad to feel some fresh air on her skin again. “Were you able to hand him the note?” Ragnar asked her as soon as he made it to her side. She nodded affirmatively, before turning her head towards Fang. “Hopefully Fang didn't scare him off too much, with his convincing acting skills,” she said with a grin. “What can I say? I'm a natural,” Fang said with a shrug, resulting in laughter from the squad.

---

Early in the evening during the next rotation, the squad had found its way towards a new rendezvous spot. Lupe had deemed it best to meet up one rotation after their little theatre play, so the Sullustan could incorporate it into his next day’s stroll. Hopefully this way, the objective leaving his home would draw as little attention from other scouting parties as possible.

They had picked a rendezvous point at an old, abandoned square. The ruinous buildings surrounding it gave off an ominous atmosphere. A monumental statue at the centre was a memory to a bygone era. Lupe and Twist found themselves facing the monument, whilst the others were scouting the area from rooftops of nearby constructions.

“You th-think there will be m-m-monuments of the w-war, once it's o-over?” Twist asked her, his voice distant whilst he was looking up at the forgotten statue, as it stood broken in front of them, not withstanding the test of time. Lupe put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I'm personally gonna raise hell if there won't be any; it's the least they can do to remember all of you, after all the clones’ sacrifices,” she said softly. She knew a smile would be lost on him, hidden below her helmet; but she smiled anyway.

As the darkness crept over the square and the time of their proposed meeting lapsed, they all got restless, an uneasiness taking a hold on them. “You all realise there's a chance he doesn't show up?” Claw finally spoke out everyone's fears. “Yeah, maybe your note wasn't too clear, sir. What did you write down again?” Fang continued his twin's suspicions. Lupe sighed out of frustration; they had already gone over this before delivering the message to the objective. “‘Return the Queen's Jewels’, including time and location,” she replied. She had chosen these specific words as a nod towards Coruscant’s nicknames, Queen or Jewel of the Core Worlds. The part of return should have been obvious.

But all Fang could muster was: “Sounds pretty cryptic to me.” Another sigh from Lupe, this time more annoyed. “Well, none of you came up with a better option. Besides, I couldn't just scribble down: ‘Here’s your ride to Coruscant, nice to have you on our side! Kind regards, the Republic’, could I?” She heard some static chuckling over her comm. In all its seriousness, Ragnar's voice broke through the subdued laughter. “He used to work for SoroSuub Corporation; he's a smart guy, he'll figure it out.”

“Or s-something happened on h-his way h-here,” Twist added, resulting in a moment of silence as everyone took in those menacing words. “Kriff, one of us should have stayed behind, keeping an eye on the objective,” Lupe blurted out, breaking the silence. The word ‘shu'shuk’ entered her mind again; she thought everything within the squad had finally been back to normal.

Just when she started to question herself again, especially her capability as a Jedi General, the redeeming words came in over their comm devices. “Objective inbound,” Ragnar's voice sounded, abruptly ending the discussion. Relief washed over Lupe, but there was no time to relax; she and Twist shot into focus, getting ready to face the Sullustan. “Let me know if you spot anything out of the ordinary,” she told the boys, before she headed for the objective.

“You must be Gra Neb. Thanks for meeting us; I'm glad we didn't scare you off,” Lupe spoke with a kind voice as soon as she reached him. Neb, the Sullustan, halted some steps away, not fully trusting the situation. He narrowed his big, mouse-like eyes before addressing Lupe. “How do I know you're on the right side?”

It was a fair question, and Lupe understood the Sullustan's restraint. She gently nudged Twist forward. “Will a squad of clones suffice?” she asked, nodding approvingly towards Twist to show his face for a brief moment; which he did. Neb’s eyes seemed to narrow even further. “Could be a defected one,” he shot out, and Twist's eyebrows wrinkled in hurt when he put the helmet over his face again. Lupe pressed her lips into a thin line before she discreetly showed her lightsaber, hidden at her belt below some rags.

Neb’s eyes widened, and for a moment, Lupe thought he finally believed them. But he crossed his short arms and almost accusingly, he shot at her: “Those can be bought on the black market.” Lupe let out a long, deep sigh. “Tough crowd,” she whispered, but loud enough for the squad to hear over their comms. “I guess you'll have to trust us. Doesn't seem like you have a lot of options left,” she said at last, quickly adding: “No offence.”

Just as the Sullustan started to protest again, Lupe's comm channel whirred up. “Uninvited guests at the south exit,” Claw warned the squad, moments before Lupe laid eyes on the newcomers. Instinctively, she positioned herself between their objective and the incoming threat, but she realised she couldn't use her lightsaber - not unless in dire need -, because it would give them away. It would tell them she was most likely a Jedi, and thus betraying the Republic's interference.

But since the arriving party didn't engage in a stand-off immediately, Lupe thought sharing a conversation wouldn't hurt. Her gaze slid over the colourful attendees, and since the party consisted of mostly Gossams with a few additional Sullustans, Lupe was quick to figure out their background. “Let me guess, Commerce Guild?” she shot out, as casually as possible, when they finally halted within hearing range. They wouldn't have been slightly intimidating if not for the array of battle droids that accompanied the group.

A female Gossam with wrinkled, blue skin addressed her, faking an amused attitude; she didn't seem very intimidated by these mere adversaries they were now facing. “Very perspective of you. Now please hand over our asset,” she spoke out, granting Lupe a slightly annoyed look, as if the situation just bored her. At least Lupe had been right about one thing: the Kessel System was proving interesting.

Lupe crossed her arms and started shaking her head in disagreement. “Afraid not. He's coming with us,” she said confidently. The Gossam was doing no effort to hide her irritation by now. “And who exactly is us?” she asked with a cold tone to her voice. Lupe shot a quick glance at Twist, trying to come up with a plausible answer. “The Pyke Syndicate sends its regards,” she replied at last, since pretending to be involved with the SoroSuub Corporation would be very unbelievable; it was a subsidiary of the Commerce Guild itself.

Probably not the best answer after all. Not trusting how this choice of words might escalate the situation, Lupe quickly turned to their internal comm channel. “Claw, how, er- how quickly can you get the ship here?” she asked cautiously, keeping her eyes on the party in front of her. “Just keep ‘em busy as long as you can, sir,” came Claw's response. Lupe swallowed: “Yeah, well, please hurry.”

The Gossam narrowed her eyes as the whole situation became more suspicious with every sentence exchanged. “The Pykes do not hire mercenaries to do their filthy work. They clean up their own messes.” Yeah, as expected. Lupe put her hands on her hips when she replied. “Yeah, and we don't ask questions when hired. That's why we clean up, er-.. Messes.”

She could slap herself in the face right now; she wasn't very proud of the remark, as it had been far from her usual wit. “Nice comeback, sir,” she heard Claw panting over the comm as he was running towards the shuttle, and she knew the audible chuckle came from Fang. She shushed them before returning her focus on the Gossam. As expected, she didn't buy any of it.

“You know, it doesn't matter who you are once we're done with you. So I'll give you one last chance; hand over the asset,” the Gossam made clear, all signs of charm and forced niceness gone by now. Lupe and Twist tensed, fully aware of what would happen next. Without thinking, their hands hovered over their blasters, ready to get them out in an instant. Without looking, Lupe nudged Neb right behind her, shielding him from what was to come. “Not. A. Chance,” she slowly growled towards the Gossam.

The Commerce Guild spokesperson sighed, before shrugging her scrawny shoulders. “Have it your way,” she answered, before snapping her fingers. The battle droids started advancing and aiming their weapons at them. “Nothing more warming than a get-together with clankers, eh?” Lupe shot out over their comm channel, as she quickly looked around her surroundings to find cover. She couldn't use her lightsaber, so she had to do this the regular way.

Dirt and dust erupted from the surface when the droids’ laser bolts hit it. Both Lupe and Twist had drawn their blasters by now and were returning the fire. Ragnar and Fang joined in from the rooftops, resulting in some surprised looks from the Guild members.

“Grab Neb!” Fang called, and he couldn't help but howl a quick laughter at his own wordplay. “Is everything a kriffing joke to you?” Ragnar shot at him over the comm channel. Fang chuckled in return. “Like the General says; gotta keep things fun!” he elaborated. A pause when Ragnar found an opportunity to hit multiple droids at fatal spots, before adding: “You and I have a different definition to the word fun.” “That’s why you’re the sergeant, and I’m not!” Fang replied with a chuckle.

Lupe and Twist had found some cover behind the statue's pedestal, dragging Neb with them on their way. Blaster fire was shot back and forth during an intense stand-off, and Lupe scolded about not being able to use her lightsaber or being able to improve their situation with some Force induced aid.

Just when the droids started to close in on their current position, and Lupe felt the dire need of using her lightsaber was near now, they all heard the familiar sound of their shuttle approaching. A surge of relief washed over Lupe. Claw piloted the ship between them and the Guild members, crushing some droids in the process, before Lupe dragged Neb to his feet. “Go, go, go!” she shouted, as they ran towards the ship's boarding walk. She notified Claw as soon as they had made it inside, and with a smooth movement, he turned the ship around and ascended it simultaneously, making sure the extended boarding walk was facing the rooftops.

Lupe and Twist positioned themselves at the ship's entrance, reaching out to catch them when Ragnar and Fang made the jump. “Get us the kriff out of here!” Lupe shot at Claw as soon as they were all inside, and he didn't wait a moment longer to guide them away from the scene, as blaster fire left scorch marks on the shuttle's hull. The clones all positioned themselves at their usual spots, aiding in their retreat, whilst Lupe guided the startled Sullustan towards a bench.

“Sorry about that, but I told you you didn't have a lot of options left,” she told him with a smirk, making sure to wipe it from her face before she took her helmet off. Neb looked up at her face, lost for words as he was still taking in everything that had happened on the surface. “Let's get you to Coruscant,” she said to him kindly, patting him on the shoulder before making her way to the cockpit.

“That was close,” she sighed as soon as she was in her squad's company, as they all seemed to be catching their breaths. “Thanks for the quick pick-up,” she added, putting a hand on Claw's shoulder as he was flying the ship into space, away from Kepler, and hopefully out of the Kessel System soon.

…

Epilogue

The Sullustan had been delivered to Coruscant, and his well-being was now out of their hands; they weren't responsible for him anymore. It was up to Gra Neb himself now, to share his experiences and knowledge from his time with SoroSuub Corporation to aid the Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The squad was ready to return their temporary outfits to the Republic military base, anticipating to get into their usual attire again. Lupe was mostly looking forward to getting rid of her helmet.

In a spare moment, when she claimed some brief minutes alone, she found the opportunity to comm Fives. “You said what?” he laughed over the comm transmission, after she had given him a summary of their mission. “The Pykes were the first ones to come to mind. What would you have said?” she shot back at him, an amused tone to her voice. “When in doubt, always use the Hutts,” he chuckled at her, and the sound of it made her heart both melt and ache.

A deep sigh from Lupe told Fives about her longing feelings. “I, er- could use some time alone. With you. Gotta come up with a plan,” she admitted, adding to Fives’ suspicions. “Already got one,” he replied in an almost sing-song voice. “Wait for my signal,” he added mysteriously, before they said their quick goodbyes and went on with their businesses.

So I guess getting vodzoned is now a thing. Also I wrote most of this chapter by accident (I hope it all makes sense).

[strangedisciple]

“that's how it's meant to be, and how it's always been...”

icon by @leftforthestars!!

hip-albatross -> runway-houses-city-clouds -> introductionpresence -> strangedisciple

have i reached post limit? no :D

hi i'm julian/hyperdrama/crydamoure/qyurryus/electricityscape! i'm a transmasc voidzgender genderhoarder and like. a robot-cross-spaceshipthing. i'm also gay, autosexual & autoromantic! i also have adhd & autism.

my main pronoun sets are: he/him/his, void/void/voidz and it/its. i also use any technology or computer themed emoji or neopronouns but go check out my pronouns page for more because i'm pronounfluid. don't use they/them for me.

also, go check out @artsyaech , xaer so cool!

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links & sideblogs:

my don't look tag (please look at this if we're mutuals)

my pronouns.page

my last.fm

my ao3

my spotify

my pinterest (this is mainly me being completely normal about musicians i like so uh. yeag

im not gonna openly give it out, but if we're mutuals feel free to ask for my discord! also. if we're not mutuals please don't dm me it makes me nervous so i probably won't reply 👍

@hd-writes - my writing sideblog

@ramblings-of-an-autosexual - my autosexuality focused sideblog

@julians-gender-hoard - the rest of my genders

@sugar-and-vice-mogai - my coining sideblog

@record-kisser - objectum blog

@r0b0t-after-all - my kin sideblog

@is-this-a-strokes-reference & @is-this-a-justice-reference - exactly what it sounds like 👍

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things i like

currently hyperfixated on: the strokes, and all of their side projects (but especially machinegum) and solo work, justice (the band) & nation of language (please talk to me about them please i am begging)

i like music! my favourite artists at the moment are: The Voidz, The Strokes, Tame Impala, Justice, SebastiAn, Daft Punk, TWRP, machinegum, Blur (8/7/23), CRX, The Cure (6/12/22), Albert Hammond Jr., Gorillaz, Simian, Elbow (12/5/24), Nation of Language, The Chemical Brothers, Little Joy, Shed Seven and The Prodigy!

other things i like are:

interstella 5555, daft punk's electroma, star trek, disco elysium, the matrix films (not in a weird way i just like watching keanu reeves doing cool stuff lmao), neon genesis evangelion & the end of evangelion, the hitchhikers guide book series, terry pratchett's discworld, good omens (the book and the series), and old tech and computery stuff!

(this user misses daft punk userbox & this user likes justice by @/songuserbox, robot userbox by @/colibrichorus, machinegum one by @/burntoutuserboxes)

DNI:

terfs, racists,transphobes/homophobes, anti neopronouns/xenogenders, anti-otherkin/therians/alterhumans, radqueers, transid/transx, maps/nomaps, zionist/anti-palestine

[lamaenthel]

Tivaevae | Chapter Fifteen: Epilogue

Still struggling to emotionally recover from Master Obi-Wan's deception, Ahsoka discovers in the aftermath that twelve-year-old Boba Fett has been locked up among adults in the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. After convincing Chancellor Palpatine to grant him a pardon, she manages to secure his release on the condition that she serve as his legal guardian. Now, with the help of Master Plo and the Wolfpack, she vows to help him track down what family he has left.

| AO3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |

Fandom: Star Wars Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Kanan Jarrus, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CC-1119 | Appo, Dexter Jettster, FLO | WA-7 (Star Wars), Shaak Ti, ARC Commander Blitz (Star Wars), CT-6922 | Dogma, Original Clone Trooper Character(s) (Star Wars), CC-3636 | Wolffe, Clone Trooper Sinker (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Comet (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody, CT-5597 | Jesse, CT-4860 | Boost, Aurra Sing, Tobias Beckett, Null-11 | Ordo Skirata, Kal Skirata, Original Mandalorian Characters (Star Wars), Original Droid Characters (Star Wars), Original Jedi Character(s) (Star Wars) Total Word Count: 123,000 Chapter Word Count: 2,938 Chapter Summary: Ahsoka finally meets Taarak.

The crèche still smelled the same as it had as far back as Ahsoka could remember; chalky aquarelle paint and sweet craft paste, sharp calligraphy ink and sun-warmed tatami mats, all overlaid with the minty dalas wood incense that Crèchemaster Vereixem always claimed was calming to a child's disposition. He'd lit a stick ten minutes ago, probably sensing her irritation.

Kento—the ancient dras lizard that Ahsoka had once liberated from the Halls of Learning and hid under her bed for a week—lay sleeping on a java wood branch in his transparasteel enclosure in the quiet corner. The bone masks that her Kaleesh Crèchemaster wore were displayed high on the bamboo wall, out of reach of his curious wards and magnetized to avoid being pulled down with the Force. Each youngling he helped raise decorated a mask for him. They were made from mumuu bones that he harvested himself then carved to resemble the faces of various animals across the galaxy.

Hers hung three spots over from the floor-to-ceiling window that looked east; she still remembered painting the mask with careful fingers, sure that she would make the best mask ever for the nicest Crèchemaster in the galaxy. She had chosen the one that resembled a borgle bat and covered it with green, pink, and purple splotches–attempting a sort of patchwork look that she had really thought that she'd nailed at the time—and glued an obnoxious spray of white feathers in the center.

At the time she'd thought it a masterpiece, but now that she looked at it with fresh eyes the best she could say was that it wasn't quite as ugly as some of the others. The patchwork effect she had been going for made the skull look diseased and the feather crest was doing the same thing Anakin's hair did when he fell asleep flat on his face. Not that Vereixem cared, of course; as far as he was concerned, every single mask that one of his younglings made was perfect, no matter how ugly it was.

Taarak made a happy chirp that was muffled by Anakin's thumb. She glanced up from her coloring page just long enough to see that the little usurper was still dreamily munching away on her Master's ruined glove instead of coloring, distracted by the taste and feel of leather in his mouth and the toys levitating in front of him.

She knew she was being irrational. There was nothing to be mad or jealous or territorial over. Taarak was a kriffing toddler, he wasn't about to steal her Master out from under her. His constant scent marking was done from instinct, not as a challenge to her.

"Ndi mtundu wanji?" Anakin asked Taarak, bouncing him on his knee. His aura was a radiant cloud of coppery-blue pride-affection that made Ahsoka fight down the possessive urge to lean across the craft table and scent mark him into oblivion. "Pano, look. Ndi mtundu wanji, do you know?"

Taarak cooed and reached for the yellow block Anakin was pointing to. "Dzuwa," he sang softly.

"Inde, inde, very good." Vereixem had put out a bowl of raw bantha meat cut into cubes for them to share. Anakin popped one into his mouth, chewed it, then fed it to the toddler as a reward. "In Basic it's yellow, can you say yellow? Nena yellow?"

"El-low," Taarak said, blinking up at him.

"Yellow, inde, good boy." Anakin fed him another cube of chewed bantha meat, practically glowing with blue pride.

"Are you treat training him?" Ahsoka asked, trying not to scowl.

Anakin smirked and shrugged. "Worked for you, didn't it?" he asked, his aura going deep, brassy gold with affection-humor. He popped another cube in his mouth.

"You didn't—" Ahsoka began heatedly. A familiar tutting noise cut her off.

"Big feelings, my little kit, what do we do with our big feelings?" Crèchemaster Vereixem cooed at her over her shoulder. The mask he wore today was a ronto, decorated with rainbow-colored Sriluurian butterflies. Hundreds of small yarn chains the color of ruddy turu grass clicking with glass beads hung down his back.

"I don't have big feelings, Master," she grumbled.

"Really?" Vereixem chuckled. "How odd. My Empathy may not be visual like yours, but I could have sworn I sensed some very big feelings coming from this table."

"Perhaps they were Taarak's," she replied, coloring in her bantha forcefully.

Vereixem squeezed her shoulders. "Shall we sing the big feelings song together?" he asked.

"Master, I don't think that's necessary," she said faintly, cringing. She felt her stripes heat to black.

"I do," Anakin said in a serious voice, his aura gone molten gold with hilarity. "In fact, I'd like to learn it so that I can help you with your big feelings out in the field, Padawan."

"Oh, what a good idea!" Vereixem beamed at Ahsoka. "Ready, dear? We'll sing it together."

Ahsoka glared at her Master, who smiled back like a tooka with a mithoo in its mouth. "Go on," Anakin encouraged her.

Ahsoka took a deep breath. "I have big feelings, very big feelings. They make me yell and, they make me cry. But I'm bigger than, all my big feelings, so to the Force, all my big feelings fly."

Anakin helped Taarak clap his little red-orange hands with a face-splitting grin.

"Force, Force–" Vereixem paused with his hands above his head. "Come now, Ahsoka, don't forget the next part."

Ahsoka sighed and raised her hands. "Force, Force, like the rain, wash my big feelings away." They trailed their fingers down in tandem. "Force, Force, like the breeze, blow away my big feelings." They made their hands swim through the air. "Force, Force, like the sky, help make my big feelings fly." They painted a rainbow above their heads in an arc.

Vereixem clapped cheerily. "Well done, Ahsoka. See, don't you feel better?"

"Yes, Master," she said tonelessly, wishing she was dead.

"Can you do that again?" Anakin asked innocently, opening up the holocam on his wrist-mounted commlink.

Ahsoka growled at him. Taarak's eyes went wide, round, and nearly black, and his yellow aura brightened with milky fear and teal protection. He bared his little baby fangs at her and let out a returning high-pitched growl. Across the room, Kento's rainbow-colored frill popped up around his neck and he made a high shriek that Ahsoka had never heard before. He threw himself at the transparasteel wall of his enclosure and slid down, leaving a wet trail of venomous drool behind.

"Ayi, Taarak, ayi," Vereixem said sternly, striding over to the enclosure with his hand out. His pink aura reached out to Kento with minty serenity and calmed the creature, who sulkily crawled into his hide. "We do not use animals to hurt people. Knight Skywalker, translate for me please."

"Calm down, you two, there's plenty of me to go around," Anakin said, his aura gone a very smug shade of red. "Palibe nyama, Taarak."

"Inde," Taarak sang sweetly, pulling Anakin's head down so he could rub his lek all over his cheek again. He made steady eye contact with Ahsoka as he did, his aura glowing bright metallic green with victory-possession.

Ahsoka closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and centered herself. She was sixteen. Taarak was two. She was not going to snap at a baby. She focused on empathizing with the toddler instead of dreaming about biting him. Coming to the Temple was scary. He was possessive of Anakin because he was lonely and he was the one who had brought him to the Temple. It made her Master feel more familiar to him than he really was, so he was clinging to him like… like a little tick.

She opened her eyes and met Anakin's. He was biting down the urge to laugh and his aura was still bright gold, but he pulled a chewed cube out of his mouth and offered it to her. She accepted it, slightly mollified; she remembered what he'd said about treat training her a second too late.

His wide smirk said that he remembered too. "Good girl," he said with a pat on her head.

Taarak stuck his lip out and turned red with offense-disappointment at seeing her be fed one of his bantha cubes. He sniffed and looked away from them both.

"Why don't the three of you go for a walk?" Vereixem suggested. "Wear out Taarak for me so he's good and ready for a nap when you return."

Anakin seated him on his hip and Ahsoka accepted a farewell kiss on her cheek from Vereixem. "If you run into Parna, please tell her that I need Grogu's updated nutrition plan by tomorrow."

"Grogu?" Ahsoka asked, trying and failing to place the name.

"Have you not met him? He's a youngling assigned to Master Beq. For this decade, at least." Vereixem chuckled. "I believe they're in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, if you're headed that way."

"We're going to the meadow meditation room, but we'll keep an eye out for Parna." Anakin tickled Taarak's deeply clefted chin.

"And don't be afraid to come back and visit me once in a while, my little kit." Vereixem gently stroked her cheek with his dry, reptilian fingers that smelled like red clay. "You are all so precious to me, and this war has taken too many of you." His aura thickened with violet grief.

Ahsoka's heart sank. She took his fingers and kissed them. "I will, Master," she promised guiltily.

"So what did he mean by Grogu was assigned Master Beq for this decade?" Anakin asked once they were back out in the hall.

"He must have a long infancy," Ahsoka said with a shrug. "Some species need longer individual care before they can join a clan." She plucked a cube of meat from the bowl Anakin carried, chewed it, then held it out to Taarak along with a tendril of amber amenability.

Taarak darted narrowed eyes between her face and the offering. Ahsoka watched the little wheels turn in his head as he weighed his options, his aura switching back and forth between yellow suspicion and green trust, before he cautiously took it from her fingers. He held the meat in his mouth, swallowed it with a loud gulp, blinked a few times, then chirped and held his arms out to Ahsoka.

"I knew he'd warm up to you," Anakin said warmly as he handed him over, his aura awash with solid blue happiness.

Taarak nuzzled up against her neck, then pulled the tip of her lek into his mouth and started to suckle. One hand snuck around the back of her neck and started absently stroking along the seam between her rear lek and the base of her skull, sending a warm tingle down her spine. "We should learn to get along now. I have a feeling we'll have a Master in common one day." Ahsoka tried not to let her knees buckle from the endorphin rush.

Fierfek, and to think that she'd been labeled as a master manipulator as a kit. Taarak put her to shame.

"Are you trying to choose my next Padawan for me?" Anakin asked teasingly.

"Pretty sure he chose you, Master," Ahsoka said, then grinned. "But maybe I'll do what you did to Master Kenobi and steal him out from under you once he's old enough to be a Padawan."

"Hey, I didn't steal you, that was all Master Yoda!" Anakin protested, his aura still glowing gentle gold with humor.

Ahsoka purred and rubbed at the crook of Taarak's lekku buds. He purred back and her heart melted a little. "Kriff," she mumbled under her breath.

"So you never actually told me what the big deal was with his clan name," Anakin said, trying not to laugh at them.

Ahsoka caught Taarak's other hand before it weaseled down the front of her robes. If he thought she was going to nurse him just because she had the equipment for it, he was sorely mistaken. "Na'Hane is what we call people who were exiled after…" she tapped on her teeth and raised her brow markings meaningfully.

"They have their own clan?" Anakin asked, surprised.

Ahsoka shrugged. "Some of them end up sticking together for survival's sake. They can't chew, right? But a baby born to the Na'Hane would never be forced to bear that name after they were taken. I can't imagine why his adoptive parents would have kept it."

"Well, they were Toydarian. They must not have known." Anakin looked away and his aura briefly flickered with a purple line of guilt. "They probably thought they were honoring his heritage."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "It would have taken them five minutes on the holonet to find out what it meant, but you're probably right. Is it too late to change it in his records?"

Anakin held the turbo-lift door open for her. "I'll find out. So when you say taken…" He trailed off and looked at her sideways.

Ahsoka shifted Taarak's weight. "A Na'Hane can't be trusted with a child," she said firmly.

"So you just… take them?" Anakin asked, frowning.

"It's not like we go out hunting for them," Ahsoka said. "Usually, they're left on the edge of the village in the middle of the night by the Na'Hane."

"But if you ran into one out… doing whatever your people do, you'd just take them home?"

"A Na'Hane is a Togruta exiled from their clan for doing something horrible, Master," Ahsoka snapped, trying not to get annoyed with him. She pulled Taarak's hand out of her robes again. "It's to protect the child, we don't–"

"Easy, little one, easy." Anakin patted her between her montrals and fed her a bantha cube. "Don't get defensive, I was just curious."

Ahsoka swallowed her treat and tried not to sulk. Taarak's purr sped up and he suckled harder, running a fat little hand up and down her lek comfortingly as he did. She hugged him closer. "Anyway," she said, "I'm not saying that it would be a big deal here at the Temple, but if Taarak ever goes back to Shili it'll be pretty awkward. Imagine having to introduce yourself as Starkiller for the rest of your life because of something your mother did before you were even born."

Anakin's eyes widened and his aura went pale yellow with surprise-amusement. "Wait, Starkiller? His name means Starkiller?"

She didn't like how pleased he looked. "Na'Hane means killer," she said sourly. "Taarak—well, Tara—means star."

Anakin threw his head back and laughed. "Snips, there's no way I'm changing that. That is way too cool of a name to change."

Ahsoka scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Master…"

"Aww, who's my little Starkiller?" Anakin cooed, tickling Taarak's stumpy little rear lek. It twitched happily at the stimulation. "You are, yes, you're my little Starkiller…"

"Master, don't call him that!" Ahsoka said, exasperated. Taarak giggled around her lek.

"I'm absolutely calling him that and you can't stop me." Anakin pulled Taarak off of her lek with a loud pop! and blew a snozzberry into his neck. "Alright, Starkiller–"

Ahsoka groaned. "Master!"

" –Go get tired." Anakin set him down on the grass of the meditation room and released him. The kit squealed and took off for the koi pond, diving into a forward slide on his belly until he was peeking over the edge. His little red feet kicked in the air and he cooed at the fish in broken, babyish Toydarian.

Anakin put an arm around her shoulders. "So, did you and Obi-Wan make up? If I have to listen to him whine about his hurt feelings one more time I'll puke."

Ahsoka felt something go quiet in her chest. "Yeah. We're fine."

Anakin glanced down at her, his aura darkening with dark green unease. "Why do I sense that's not exactly the truth?"

She shrugged. "It's never going to be the same. It can't be. But I've forgiven him and I'm moving on."

Anakin sighed. "Ahsoka–"

"We can't stop change, Master," she reminded him. "I had to let him go. It's the Jedi way."

She rested her head against him and subtly rubbed her lek on his cheek while Taarak was distracted. "We'll have to let each other go one day too, Master," she said softly.

Anakin's aura brightened to staticky white with anxiety. "Yeah," he muttered. "One day." His hand twitched on her shoulder.

Ahsoka watched Taarak's aura lighten to burning orange with anticipation-excitement and his stubby little rear lek wag back and forth. She elbowed Anakin. "Just so you know, you've got about five seconds before Starkiller goes fishing."

"Before he–" Anakin's eyes went wide and he bolted for the toddler. "Ayi, Taarak, ayi! Osasambira!" He missed Taarak's ankle by inches, tumbling ass over elbows into the koi pond after him. He surfaced with a gasp a few seconds later, holding a giggling Taarak above his head while struggling to not let his long brown robe drag him back down. He looked like a sad, wet cat with his hair plastered to his forehead, but Taarak was delighted.

Ahsoka burst into hysterical laughter, falling to one knee and wheezing like she'd gotten the wind knocked out of her. Anakin's aura turned a menacing shade of orange with mischief. "Keep laughing, Snips!"

Ahsoka's laughs morphed into screams as Anakin lifted her up into the air with the Force and dropped her into the pond with them.

Notes:

TOYDARIAN TRANSLATIONS Ndi mtundu wanji?: What color is it? Pano: Here Dzuwa: Yellow Inde: Yes Ayi: No Osasambira: No swimming

Taglist: @starwarsficnetwork, @soliloquy-of-nemo Dividers: @saradika-graphics

[emmajh97-mumaji]

Literally ALL My Blorbos

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💕💗💝🥰

A comprehensive list of my favorite characters from my favorite media! (I keep this because it makes it easier to decide on what to draw lol)

[This post will probably be edited every so often, so make sure to go to the original and not any Reblogs for the most up-to-date version!]

[page break because LONG LIST IS LONG]

Ace Attorney: ○ Apollo Justice ○ Miles Edgeworth ○ Phoenix Wright ○ Simon Blackquill Animal Crossing: ○ Lily (Rainy) ○ Wilbur Avatar - The Legend of Korra: ○ Mako Barbie in The Nutcracker: ○ Captain Candy Ben 10: ○ Ben Tennyson Black★Rock Shooter: ○ Black Rock Shooter Bleach: ○ Ichigo Kurosaki Danganronpa: ○ Hajime Hinata ○ Kaito Momota ○ Kazuichi Soda ○ Kiyotaka Ishimaru Danny Phantom: ○ Danny Fenton DC Comics: ○ Shazam (Captain Marvel) ○ Aquaman Demon Slayer: ○ Kyojuro Rengokou Detroit: Become Human: ○ Connor (RK 800) Digimon: ○ J.P. (Shibayama Junpei) ○ Marcus Damon ○ Takato Matsuki ○ Takuya Kanbara Dragon Ball Z: ○ Trunks Briefs (Mirai Trunks) Frozen (Disney): ○ Elsa Final Fantasy: ○ Cloud Strife ○ Prompto Argentum ○ Black Mage [any generic one] ○ Zack Fair Five Nights at Freddy's: ○ Glamrock Freddy ○ Golden Freddy (Fredbear) ○ Toy Freddie [in huggable Gijinka Form] Generator Rex: ○ Rex Salazar ○ Six Genshin Impact: ○ Arataki Itto ○ Lisa Minci ○ Mona Megistus Hazbin Hotel: ○ Lucifer Morningstar ○ Angel Dust Henry Stickmin: ○ Charles Calvin Hetalia: ○ America (Alfred F. Jones) ICEY_ (X.D.Network): ○ ICEY Interstella 5555: ○ Shep ○ Octave ○ Manager (Music Producer Guy) Jarrett Williams' Comics: ○ Joe Somiano from Super Pro K.O. ○ Sensational Sike from Super Pro K.O. ○ Ace Estrada (Yellow Hype) from Hyper Force Neo ○ Neil Tran (Blue Hype) from Hyper Force Neo Kingdom Hearts: ○ Axel (Lea) ○ Meow Wow Kiznaiver: ○ Hajime Tenga Legend of Zelda (BotW/TotK): ○ Link ○ Sidon Mario (Nintendo): ○ Luigi Marvel: ○ Clea Strange ○ Doctor Strange (Stephen) ○ Spider Man (Peter Parker) Miyuli's Webcomics: ○ Oz from Morgana & Oz ○ The Bogeyman from Lost Nightmare My Hero Academia: ○ Izuku Midoriya (Deku) ○ Kirishima Eijirou (Red Riot) Mystery Skulls Animated: ○ Lewis Pepper the Skeleton Ghost Mystic Messenger: ○ Yoosung Kim No Straight Roads: ○ 1010 [Eloni, Rin, & Purl-Hew are all good] ○ Zuke Persona: ○ Ryuji Sakamoto Pokemon: ○ Ash Ketchum (Satoshi) ○ Cilan ○ Hugh ○ Milo ○ Pearl (Barry /Jun) ○ Deoxys ○ Mismagius Promare: ○ Galo Thymos Rise of the Guardians: ○ Jack Frost RWBY: ○ Neptune Vasilias ○ Qrow Branwen Sanrio: ○ Keroppi ○ TuxedoSam ○ Shunsuke Yoshino Seduce Me (The Otome): ○ Matthew (Zecaeru) SOMA: ○ Simon Jarrett Sonic the Hedgehog: ○ Gold the Tenrec ○ Mighty the Armadillo ○ Shard the Metal Sonic ○ Silver the Hedgehog Soul Eater: ○ Black Star The Book of Life: ○ Manolo Sanchez Tiger & Bunny: ○ Kotetsu T. Kaburagi Vampire Knight: ○ Zero Kiryu Voltron: Legendary Defender: ○ Shiro (Takashi Shirogane) Xenoblade Chronicles: ○ Shulk Yu-Gi-Oh: ○ Soulburner (Takeru Homura) ○ Yami Yugi (Atem) ○ Yusei Fudo ○ Stardust Dragon 2064: Read Only Memories: ○ Lexi Rivers ○ Turing

BONUS: Media I love, but don't have a blorbo from

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar (world of Pandora; James Cameron)

Atlantis (Disney)

Angry Birds

Dekoboko Sugar Days

Disney Princess Movies [i.e. The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty]

D.N.Angel

Epic (Blue Sky movie)

Epithet Erased

Full Metal Alchemist

Ghibli Movies [specifically Castle in the Sky & Kiki's Delivery Service]

Hamtaro

Hindu Mythology [Amar Chitra Katha comics]

How to Train Your Dragon movies

Kal Ho Naa Ho

Kung-Fu Panda movies

Land of the Lustrous

The Lego Movie (and 2)

Lisa Frank

Little Witch Academia

MLP: Friendship is Magic

Megamind

Molly Moon (book series)

Mune Guardian of the Moon

Paleoart (dinosaur documentaries & encyclopedias)

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Penguins of Madagascar

Pretty Cure (HeartCatch)

Pusheen

Sailor Moon

Scooby-Doo [What's New? and Mystery Inc.]

Scott Pilgrim

Starlight Brigade - TWRP

Steven Universe

TRON [1982, Legacy, and Uprising]

Tatsinda by Elizabeth Enright

The Avengers

TokiDoki

Tokyo Mew Mew

Treasure Planet

Undertale & Deltarune

Vocaloid / UTAUloids

[iwantdatcookie]

got tagged by @robboybot on this music meme and while I would love to actually post my own grid i have listened to so little non-videogame music in the last couple years that the picks i could make would not even amount to a third or fourth of the entire grid sorry lol. i can at least post his grid with all the stuff ive listened to here and do a little commentary on what my experience with them was like

Linkin Park, Evanescence and Daft Punk were definitely a bit of an obsession for me as a kid lmao. Admittedly it was only individual songs (Bring me to Life for Evanescence, One More Time, Digital Love, basically all the stuff from Interstella 5555 for Daft Punk, and Numb, In the End, What I’ve Done, Breaking the Habit for Linkin Park) because this was the time before I knew you could Get More Music, but whenever songs from them popped up on MTV or somewhere else i would vibe with those.

Madeon was a more recent discovery (i think my first song i listened to was the pop culture live mix and then i got hooked) and I would have an entire playlist on my mp4 just with that music cause i was on my EDM phase back then. Theres a couple other artists I listened to around the same time like Feint, Maduk, basically anything Drum n Bass related, and basically would check out the Liquicity channel on the weekly for any new stuff but I would also almost never extensively check out any given musician, only what was posted there because im lazy lol

If there is one artist I would actually give a shout out to on a hypothetical grid it would be Jorisma, who is an argentinian composer that makes music for use in youtube videos (i discovered them when one of their songs was on a weekly top kills in competitive tf2 video lmao) and they have such a variety of compositions that have vibes ranging from really cheerful and uplifting like this one:

To somewhat serious but still very funky and dancey like this one:

So yeah, I pretty much recommend this artist as surely there's something for everyone in the discography that they've accumulated over the years. If either of the songs I put in here interest anyone, definitely check out their bandcamp page I linked above!

Finally, Thank you and shoutout again to Rob (@robboybot) for tagging me! I'm sorry I can't really make a grid like yours but hopefully this suffices a little at least.

I tag....anyone who would like to do this really! Feel free to have a go at it I wanna see what ya'll like!

[fddarchive]

Skye (Magimon's partner) enjoying some Japanese fall foliage in a kiriban image celebrating +5555 hits/visits to Tears of Faith - Originally posted on the splash page of Tears of Faith, though this image was not archived online and was found saved on a hard drive.

[voidlingbooks]

This is likely my last post on this blog (I am okay and safe! Don’t worry anxiety!)

I have considered returning here many times, but in the end each time was just to ever say I’m back. I will update my pages with some info I found to be inaccurate, but this blog will be archived unless I actually find my drive to return here.

I love everyone that I’ve been able to meet through the ages, and I’m glad to of had all of you in my life for any amount of time.

An update that I don’t remember if I’ve shared here, but I use She/They pronouns now! I’ve had time to explore and get to know myself more, and I’m truly happy.

If you might want to reach out to me, my discord is FaithfulEclipse#5555

Until the next time, live your life to the fullest, and don’t forget!

Always remember to smile! <3

[mayaduffphleb]

Professional Phlebotomy Resume Sample: Stand Out to Employers with a Professional Edge

Expert Phlebotomy Resume Sample: Stand Out to Employers with a Professional Edge

Introduction

In today’s highly competitive⁣ job market⁢ for healthcare ⁢professionals, having a ‍well-structured and eye-catching resume⁢ is essential, especially ‌in fields like phlebotomy. Whether you’re ⁢an experienced phlebotomist or just ⁣starting your‌ career, your resume can make a significant difference in the eyes of‌ potential employers. This ‍article will provide‍ an expert phlebotomy resume ⁣sample and tips to help you create a resume that stands out with a ⁣professional⁣ edge.

Understanding the Importance of a Phlebotomy Resume

Your resume is often the first impression hiring managers have ‌of you. A strong phlebotomy⁢ resume can:

Showcase your relevant skills and experience.

Highlight your‌ certifications and ‌education.

Demonstrate your professionalism and attention to ⁢detail.

Help you⁣ to⁣ stand out in a crowded job market.

Key Components of a Phlebotomy Resume

When⁤ crafting ‌your phlebotomy resume, ensure that it contains the⁣ following key components:

Contact Information

Professional ‌Summary

Skills Section

Work Experience

Education

Certifications and Licenses

References (optional)

Expert⁤ Phlebotomy Resume ⁢Sample

Section

Sample Content

Contact Information

Jane Doe 123 Main‍ St, Anytown, USA jane.doe@email.com (555) 555-5555

Professional Summary

Detail-oriented and certified phlebotomist with over 3 ​years of experience in blood collection and patient care. Proven track record⁢ in ensuring patient⁢ comfort and safety.

Skills

Venipuncture Techniques

Patient Interaction Skills

Laboratory Testing Knowledge

Health and Safety Compliance

Work Experience

Phlebotomist ABC Healthcare, Anytown, USA Jan 2020 – Present Performed ​over 150 successful blood draws while ensuring patient ‍comfort. ​Collaborated with healthcare professionals to maintain lab integrity.

Education

Phlebotomy Certification Course Anytown Community‍ College, Anytown, USA Graduated: May ⁤2019

Certifications

National Phlebotomy Association (NPA) Certified

CPR and First ⁤Aid Certified

Practical Tips​ for Crafting​ Your Phlebotomy Resume

Here are some⁢ practical‌ tips that can enhance your phlebotomy resume:

Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume for each job application by ‌including keywords from the job description.

Use Action Verbs: Begin bullet points with action verbs (e.g., ⁤”Executed,” “Managed,” “Administered”) to convey impact.

Quantify Achievements: ⁣ Where possible, quantify your achievements⁤ (e.g.,⁣ “Performed⁢ 200+⁤ blood draws without ‍incident”).

Keep ​it Concise: ⁣ Aim for a ⁢one-page resume unless you have extensive experience to justify a longer ‍format.

Proofread: Ensure your resume is free from grammar mistakes or ⁢typos to maintain ⁣professionalism.

Case Studies: Success Stories of Effective Resumes

Let’s look at a couple ​of success stories that demonstrate the impact​ a well-crafted⁢ resume can have:

Case Study⁤ 1: John Smith

John was an entry-level phlebotomist⁣ who struggled to get​ interviews.⁣ After‌ revising his resume to ‌focus on specific skills ⁣like patient ​interaction and laboratory procedures, ⁤he secured ⁣three interviews in a month and landed a job at a respected hospital.

Case Study 2: Sarah​ Brown

With five years of experience as a phlebotomist,⁤ Sarah had a detailed two-page resume. ⁣After condensing​ her resume‌ to one ⁣page and using quantifiable metrics for her achievements,⁤ she received ⁢multiple job ⁣offers within weeks.

First-Hand Experience: Anecdotes from Phlebotomists

Many phlebotomists emphasize the⁣ importance of a good resume:

“I never realized how crucial my ⁣resume was until I started tailoring it for specific jobs. It resulted in more ⁤calls for interviews than I could manage!” – Jessica, Phlebotomist.

Conclusion

Creating an expert phlebotomy resume can significantly affect your career opportunities. By incorporating the tips and the sample provided ​in this article, you can ⁣present a professional ⁣image that resonates with employers. ‍Remember to continually refine and update your resume⁤ as you gain new skills‍ and experiences. With a compelling resume in ⁢hand, you are⁤ one step closer to securing ‍your ‍dream phlebotomy position!

https://phlebotomyclassesonline.net/professional-phlebotomy-resume-sample-stand-out-to-employers-with-a-professional-edge/

[atcentral]

AT services unavailable on Friday night from October 4, 2024 at 10:00 p.m. to October 5, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.

In collaboration with the Chancellor’s Office, Information Technology Services (ITS) will be replacing network equipment in the AT Data Center. This work will temporarily disconnect the AT Data Center from the campus network.

What you can expect

During the maintenance window on October 4, 2024, from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., all Academic Technology-hosted services and applications will be unavailable. This includes the following:

iLearn archives and videos

DIVA

Labspace

SCCM

the Canvas home page (https://canvas.sfsu.edu)*

MathAdvising

WritingAdvising

Network license server (ArcGIS, Geneious, Keyshot, MATLAB, Solidworks, SPSS)

Research computing VMs

*To log in to Canvas during the maintenance, go to https://sfsu.edu/login and select Canvas; alternatively, select Canvas from the launchpad within the SF State Gateway (https://gateway.sfsu.edu).

Externally-hosted services such as Canvas, CourseStream, and Zoom will remain available during this outage.

Support

If you have questions regarding the maintenance, please contact Academic Technology at at@sfsu.edu or 415-405-5555.

[maximuswolf]

Show some love for the KZNWYB!

Show some love for the KZNWYB! 🎶❤️ Hey fellow music lovers,I’m part of the KZN Youth Wind Band (KZNYWB), and we’re reaching out to the music community for a bit of love and support! 🎺🎷🎼We’re a group of passionate young musicians from South Africa, and we’ve been putting in the hard work to perform and share our music with the world. We've got some exciting opportunities coming up, and we'd love for more people to check us out and follow our journey.If you're into wind music, orchestral performances, or just want to support some dedicated youth musicians, we'd appreciate your attention and engagement on our page. Your support means everything to us as we continue to grow and share our love for music.Thanks in advance for any love you can send our way! ❤️We’re @kznywb on TikTok ❤️🫶Stay musical! 🎶🎵 Submitted September 09, 2024 at 01:27AM by Mammoth-Case-5555 https://ift.tt/cMHeJLT via /r/Music

[gigivas]

1K GIGI Prompts Collections 'Gorilla in Gritty, Textured Urban Backdrop' 5555 Free 10 pages out of 1000 pages

Get Free 10 pages MTMEVE00527G_29_0001 – 1K GIGI Prompts Collections – Gorilla in Gritty, Textured Urban Backdrop 5555 10PagesDownload 1K GIGI Prompts Collections ‘Gorilla in Gritty, Textured Urban Backdrop’ 5555 series provides two documents, one document is 10 pages of prompts in 1000 pages, available for free download. One document is the complete 1000 pages of prompts, this is a paid…