#poor Cody knows EXACTLY why his general is being late

[milkcioccolato]

LISTEN! Listen!

Daddy-Wan deserves some loving

And Maul will find a few moments to give it to him even during a war!😌

[r-2-peepoo]

22 & 26

Helloooo I am so sorry this reply is so late. Exams are kicking my ass rn.

(Link to OTP Relationship Asks)

22. Who gets more easily embarrassed?

There are two ways I can answer this.

The first answer is Cody. This is because he was raised with very clear rules and regulations. Everything he was meant to do was laid out clearly for him and he was trained to be competent on a battlefield.

With romance, he’s completely out of his depth. He doesn’t know what he’s doing, he just knows what he feels. Obi Wan is so patient and kind and always waits for him to make the first move and that somehow makes Cody actually feel worse because it reminds him exactly why he fell for him in the first place. He's so compassionate and considerate and he makes Cody feel things he's never felt before in his entire life. Then he’s back at square one, having no clue what he’s meant to be doing. 

All he knows is what he’s learned from the holodramas that members of the 501st force him to watch and he isn’t naive enough to believe that that’s how it is in real life but that doesn't prevent it from unconsciously influencing his advances. Obi Wan actually thinks this is very sweet. The romance in the dramas may be exaggerated but exaggerated love may be precisely what they need more of these days.

The second (and more probable answer) is Obi Wan. He seems super smooth and confident on the surface but his charms don’t work on Cody.

Cody is very a straightforward, no bullshit sort of person. It’s the only way he really knows how to be. He’s also remarkably perceptive so he’s long since caught onto the fact that Obi Wan tends to use his shameless flirting as a defense mechanism. If he can just keep talking, it means he doesn’t have to address his feelings.

So when Cody cuts through his shit, Obi Wan sort of flounders. Cody will tell him exactly how he feels in such a simple, direct way that it makes Obi Wan malfunction. He always assumed he was a pretty direct person but that was before he met Cody.

Cody not understanding the conventions of a typical relationship actually makes things so much easier for them in a way because he doesn’t get why he’s meant to hide his feelings, aside from Obi Wan technically being his superior. The clones in general will have a rather strange grasp of social cues because they haven’t grown up with any of the usual pressure people experience when it comes to relationships and dating and love. Cody simply pulls Obi Wan aside one evening after he comes to terms with his feelings and comes out with it and Obi Wan kinda shuts down for a few minutes. He knew they were both aware there was something between them, he just hadn’t expected Cody to tell him like that, like he was passing on information about something that had happened during one of their many battles with the separatists or something. 

So my answer is this: both of them get embarrassed in slightly different ways, but there is a lot Obi Wan gets embarrassed about that Cody just doesn’t because he’s never been exposed to it before and doesn’t carry the strange shame a lot of people feel when it comes to love. To him, it’s just another problem solving exercise and he wouldn’t have been made Commander as fast as he was if he wasn’t skilled at that. Obi Wan is not used to someone being so casual with their feelings, so it makes him incredibly flustered and Cody has started to do it deliberately just to evoke that reaction from him so it’s only getting worse for our poor Jedi. If Cody gets embarrassed, he sees as a challenge and tries to strategise a way around it. Obi Wan just blushes and forgets how to function. 

26. How do they comfort each other?  

To answer this, I will refer back to the very good communication these two have. They’re so good that they become completely nonverbal at times because they just intuitively understand what the other person needs. This is usually in the context of a battle, but if you spend enough time with someone you will inevitably begin to understand the nuances of who they are as a person more and more.

Obi Wan isn’t used to physical affection. It’s not to say he doesn’t enjoy it, but he didn’t grow up with a lot of it. He doesn’t realise just how clingy he is until he meets Cody, who is very used to it. I mentioned it in a previous post, but the idea that the clones are very close with each other makes sense to me because they grew up in very confined spaces with only each other for comfort. Obi Wan usually likes to talk his problems through but sometimes he is so overwhelmed that he can’t gather his thoughts. Cody isn’t the type to push him either. He’s more of a listener than a talker. In those instances, Obi Wan just lets Cody hold him and they sit in silence. Just being near Cody is enough to calm him down because the clones are so bright in the force and are nothing like the Jedi. There’s something so pure about their force signatures and it really helps clear his head, particularly with how murky the force is at the Jedi temple these days.

As for Cody, he isn’t too good at talking about his problems. He may be freer when it comes to physical affection but he wasn’t raised with the understanding that anyone cared about his problems. He did his best to make sure the newer waves of cadets didn’t feel that way but it still doesn’t help him personally. Unfortunately for him, he can never hide when he’s feeling upset from Obi Wan because he just feels it in the force. Obi Wan never pressures him to talk, but he’s very good at getting him to. He always asks the right questions and eventually gets to the bottom of whatever is bothering Cody eventually. He doesn’t force it, but they’ve had some very constructive conversations this way and it slowly teaches Cody that expressing his problems is actually less stressful than he thought.

[tragedy-for-sale]

Captive Heart

There were still few hours left before the Coronet arrives on Coruscant and Cody had a habit of visiting Obi-Wan's quarters, but the man seems occupied this time around. (Codywan for all ya'll)

◈ ━━━━━━ ◆ ━━━━━━ ◈

It was quite common for Cody to stop by General Kenobi's quarters, usually to share a cup of tea and talk strategy. The two would disapear for hours, even falling asleep with several holomaps still on. Rex knew if he awoke and Cody wasn't there, he must've slipped out in the night to make rounds or to converse with his General. If Anakin found the two staring at the glow of the holomaps, he'd simply walk out of the room, for they would be lost in the blue hue, or perhaps, lost in something else, Anakin tried not to assume. But he was bad at not assuming.

The four were exhausted. Anakin and Rex had passed out in the hall after they'd taken a moment to sit and rest their eyes. Obi-Wan had carried Anakin back to his quarters and Cody with Rex. He'd stayed with his little brother, helping him take all his armor off before tucking him in. Cody was sitting next to him, arms crossed as he drifted to sleep. But a chill ran up his spine and he shot awake. So he sat there groggily before glancing to his sleeping brother and very quietly got up.

Cody stepped into the darkened halls of the Coronet, taking a look around before he realized he wasn't on The Negotiatior and there were already guards on rounds. Now, of course Cody could do a check on his men, but he'd walked to Obi-Wan's quarters door by the time he realized he didn't want to work. He simply had just woken up. He stood outside in the hall as he debate whether or not to bug the General, he wanted to, but he shouldn't. Yet, Cody's found himself about to knock but heard his General call out "You may come in Cody"

Cody's mind must've been very loud. Cody opened the door, "Evening, sir, I didn't wake you, did I?" Cody asked as he studied the General, who was in his sleeping attire. Cody felt immediately out of place, "Oh, forgive me sir, I don't know why I'm bugging you at this hour" the Marshal shook his as he headed towards the door, only to be stopped.

"Cody, please, you know you are no bother" Obi-Wan spoke as he grabbed Cody's arm, "Is there something on your mind?" He asked, looking passed Cody's darkened visor to his eyes. The man seemed very on edge, they haven't seen much of each other lately, perhaps that had made the Commander feel distraught, he knew the boys couldn't stand being seperated from each other for too long, so he couldn't dismiss Cody, not that he'd ever do so.

Cody looked down to see Obi-Wan's hand lingering on his forearm, before he looked up, Cody let a soft whine passed his lips, he really wanted to sleep, well, that's what he told himself anyway. He did want to sleep, but he wanted to feel warm and safe while he did. Cody took off his helmet, revealing his slightly rosy cheeks, "I'm terribly sorry, sir," Cody had took note of the way Anakin spoke to Obi-Wan earlier, hinting at something between the Duchess and his fellow Jedi. From the manner in which Obi-Wan responded, Cody knew it wasn't a formal relation.

"Whatever for, Commander?" Obi-Wan asked softly, the man couldn't recall anything that required an apology. As he watched Cody's face turn away, he could tell his Commander was embarrassed. Which meant it was not work related, but a personal matter.

"Well, if I'm honest," Cody mumbled, forcing himself to look up and own up to his emotions, which Cody found a lot harder than owning up to anything work related, "I've been avoiding you, and I shouldn't have," Cody chuckled weakly, rubbing his face. He'd caught a few sentences between Obi-Wan and Anakin, Cody knew not to assume, but what he had heard stuck with the man all day. He couldn't push it out of his mind, "I heard a conversation between you and General Skywalker and I couldn't get it out of my mind, so instead of confronting you about it, I avoided you, I am sorry, sir."

Obi-Wan tilted his head curiously, "avoided?" The Jedi turned away, crossing his arms as he tried to recall all the times he'd talked to Cody today, and now that Obi-Wan thought about it, the Marshal had been avoiding him. He then looked to Cody, "What had you heard?" Obi-Wan asked, he sensed Cody's discomfort grow as the man shifted in his armor, it was clear Cody didn't want to answer but, "Cody, please, what had you heard?"

Cody's posture broke as he crossed his arms and looked up, "It wasn't anything serious sir," Cody was growing ancy, wishing he hadn't said anything. Obi-Wan put his hand on Cody's shoulder and walked closer to him, staring at Cody with eyes that weren't that of a General, but of a friend, if not more, "It..." Cody couldn't, "I can't, it's personal and I shouldn't be nosy in regards to your privacy and feelings"

Obi-Wan's head shot back slightly, feelings? Whether Cody wanted to tell Obi-Wan or not, he was beginning to piece everything together, "Cody, you're allowed to be nosy in regards to my feelings," Obi-Wan warmed the room with his soft smile, "You happen to have quite a big 'role' in my feelings" Obi-Wan chuckled slightly, getting a better feel of the matter.

Cody looked down and smiled softly, 'a big role in his feelings' but the smile didn't last as he remembered the true nature of his avoidance of the General, ".. Well, it's not... about us, per say" another piece of the puzzle was given as Obi-Wan listened carefully and thoughtfully, he didn't want to risk upsetting the poor man more, "I heard you and General Skywalker talk in regards to the Duchess, and, I was probably hearing things, but I heard him say that, you..." Cody stopped, staring at Obi-Wan's blank face of realization. Cody felt his whole body shake as his expression fell to a nervous, terrified one.

"I.. see" Obi-Wan barely managed to get a reply out. Obi-Wan and Cody were not fools. They'd grown quite close, enjoying a sparring session, sharing tea whilst discussing battle tactics, even occasionally falling asleep in a briefing room. For a while they were merely friends through work but countless hours together had grown their friendship. They knew that getting into anything would be messy, but all the same, if one of their hands made their way to the other's, it was not mentioned, and during those late night discussion, they'd grow progressively closer to one another, and if Cody's head found its way to resting on Obi-Wan's chest as they drifted to sleep, it wasn't anything to anyone else, they made sure no questions arised.

"I do believe I understand what you're implying," Obi-Wan finally forced himself to speak, confirming Cody's suspicions. Obi-Wan thought back to seeing Satine's desperate face as she pleaded for him to confess, and he had. He was not ashamed of his feelings for her, nor his feelings for Cody. But he was ashamed of loving them both, and that he loved one slightly more than the other. "I believe, it is not you who owes the apology, it is me" Cody looked up at Obi-Wan, his frown somber. "I'm sorry Cody, I cannot say I do not have feelings for her as I do to you,"

"D-do you love her?" Cody blurted out, not even realizing what exactly he'd asked until Obi-Wan froze. Cody shook his head as he felt his armor way a thousand pounds, "Sir,"

"Obi-Wan-" he corrected, "We're most definitely on a first name basis right now, Cody" Obi-Wan spoke as he thought desperately for something to say, "To answer your question, I would have married her, left the Jedi and loved her more so than I do," Obi-Wan answered and he heard Cody let out a whimpered squeak, turning his hot face away and covering his mouth as he tried to pull himself together. Obi-Wan stopped thinking as he felt Cody plunger into heartbreak, "Cody,"

"Sir, please," Cody turned to face the Jedi with teary eyes, "You don't need to continue," Cody cried out as he grabbed his helmet and neared the door. He wasn't mad at Obi-Wan, he could never be mad at him. If Cody let himself love Obi-Wan as he wanted, he wouldn't be able to live without him, for Cody loved him too much. He loved him, Cody had let himself fall for someone he shouldn't. And the worst part, that only made Cody love him more. But right now, he couldn't listen to the accented voice of the Jedi he'd grown to love, "I need to go," Cody snapped his hand away as Obi-Wan tried to stop him, "Please don't," Cody begged, if Obi-Wan grabbed his hand again, he wouldn't have the strength to pull away from his touch,

"Please just let me go,"

[wondersbeyondcompare]

Some stuff

About Kodi and Majid’s parents that I was thinking about while making lunch the other day!  Really, this is just a poor attempt on expanding on the bois in general, but oh well! Thought it would be easier to put these thoughts in a separate post instead of adding to their profiles since this wasn’t directly relevant to them  (・・;)ゞ I guess?? dshgfjhdsf Honestly, I think this is more for me just so I can get some stuff straightened out. I’m pretty bad w/ consistency after all...

Majid’s Parents

EDIT (06/13/2021): Drew up some new headshots for Majid and Kodi’s parents! Hopefully they look a bit better than before!

Past me writing Majid’s bio: Yeah, keep the part about his parents vague;;; Idek what to do about that

Me on Monday rolling up some embutido for lunch: Hey, y’know what-

- Mother: Lara (won’t reveal her last name; when asked for it by Majid’s father, she jokingly suggested she take his last name instead) - Father: Kadir Ansari - Compared to Kodi’s parents, these 2 have much more info behind them b/c I have to explain both of their disappearances, so (・_・;) get comfy - Kadir---> Simple businessman in the Land of the Hot Sands; Made and sold jewelry for a living; Had a fairly small shop dedicated to his craft - Lara---> Runaway criminal from a land up north (if you ask me to clarify which country it is, I will cry;;; what does the Twst world even look like in the 1st place??)

 Didn’t kill anyone, but rather a string of robberies and prison escapes up her sleeve; had a large family that she had to provide for, unfortunately this landed her in a lot of trouble

- Lara snuck into Kadir’s place late at night by climbing in through his window

She was immediately asked to leave

Kadir eventually relented since she had nowhere to go/he already had a long day at work and didn’t want to argue

- Once Lara explained her situation to Kadir in the morning, she was asked to leave again.

After breakfast ofc

Use the shower if you want to, but don’t use up all the hot water

And he would give her some money and other basic necessities to use on the way, but (￣ヘ￣) that was it 

She really needed to go, tho; Kadir didn’t want to charged w/ harboring a criminal

- Lara begged to stay w/ Kadir, telling him in tears that she would do anything for him so long as he gave her a place to stay for the time being

Well... it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra help in his shop... and it would be heartless to kick a crying woman back on the streets, especially in broad daylight...

Fine. She can stay. But only for a little while, okay?

- When it comes to personality, Kadir is often seen as a serious man. He can become surprisingly raucous and joking w/ his friends and frequent customers, but otherwise, he was all business.

Has a fairly straightforward way of speaking; like Majid, he might come off as a little rude sometimes

His resting face makes him seem unapproachable at first, but he’s a pretty reliable guy

- Compared to Kadir, Lara has a more easygoing demeanor; fairly sly as well

Develops a habit of teasing Kadir once she warms up to him, either through her words or by constantly sticking close to him (this is probably where Majid got some of his clinginess from ngl); she wanted to see what exactly was behind that ever so serious facade

Kadir tries to brush her off most of the time, saying it’s not appropriate, especially in front of the customers; slowly becomes fond of it as time goes on

Tends to beat around the bush when she speaks; she won’t lie, but she won’t give you all the truth either

Oh! Yeah, and she’s pretty good at sleight of hand tricks too! :D These tricks seem to be a little more than just mere illusions at times, tho...

- Both of them are unbelievably stubborn (ah, yes, this trait comes from both sides of the family)

- They tend to butt heads a lot at the beginning; enemies to lovers 30k

- Speaking of tropes, these 2 probably become involved in a fake marriage thing so Kadir’s reputation doesn’t suffer when people see him bringing a strange woman into his house every night after work (*exchanging rings* “This doesn’t mean anything, okay? I just can’t have any more rumors.” “>:3c Okay, Habibi~” “... And don’t ever call me that in public, or I’ll pretend to not know you.”)

- It’s also a bit difficult for Lara to work at the shop at first

Kadir can be really picky when it comes to quality, and he certainly won’t lighten up on any of his wokers, regardless if they’re newbies or not

That and Lara can be heavy handed at times; knocking over display cases as she gestures to them and accidentally breaking parts of jewelry

I would love to say that she eventually gets the hand of everything, but :/ she really doesn’t; she’s entertaining to watch, though lol

- Once Kadir and Lara actually start falling for each other, they try to flirt in subtle ways, trying to get a reaction out of the other; or, at least, they think it’s subtle; oh gosh, their poor, poor coworkers ( ; ω ; )

- Lara might have had to wear some form of head covering/head scarf while working or out in public in general; her blonde hair and pale complexion makes her stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd, and she can’t risk getting recognized and taken back to jail again

- Majid... was an accident.

His parents were excited for his arrival nevertheless; Kadir would’ve bought a bunch of stuff beforehand like the worried father he was; Lara is happily spoiled w/ the amount of food she gets to eat during pregnancy (girl loves her food)

Once Majid was born, you bet he was coddled over; was often called Lara’s “little treasure”; Kadir was tempted to make Majid kind of like a mascot for his business, but decided that wasn’t professional (he really wanted to tho;;; thinks about it everytime he sees his son’s cute pudgy face)

- Lara was eventually caught and arrested; sent back to her home country for trial a few years after Majid had been born

Kadir leaves Majid w/ a trusted friend of his in order to attend Lara’s trial

He... doesn’t come back

The friend couldn’t afford to take care of Majid on his own, so he drops him off at an orphanage, promising to come back for the child once he had enough money to support them both

This man in particular works hard to set up his own appraisal/curio shop in the future and ohoho >:3c things are really coming together now

- Majid spent some time in the orphanage before escaping; he didn’t like how strictly everything was run

escaped enough times that the staff members soon gave up on him and let him roam free

surprisingly, no one (w/ a few exceptions) remembers baby Majid nor his parents; the Ansari jewelry shop was closed down and set up for lease the day Kadir disappeared; what happened in Lara’s trial was essentially a mystery, but perhaps the consequences of it could explain these odd events...

Kodi’s Parents

A bit shorter b/c these 2 literally had one (1) summer to themselves before creating the child, so there’s no slow burn here

- Mother: Colette Sepiama (Maiden name: Roussel; took father’s last name in remembrance of him)

- Father: Dimitri Sepiama 

- Co+Di= Codi (but, like, with a “K”)

- 1st meeting was a bit odd

- Colette was having a beach vacation, chilling as she collected seashells along the shore

And then some naked guy approached her, asking for help while sobbing his heart out

Didn’t want to find out what kind of “help” he needed, so she tried to power walk away, but he ended up tripping while following after her

Stared at the sad scene of a butt naked man crying into the wet sand for a couple of moments before wrapping him into a towel and paying a visit to the nearest souvenir store

He eventually calmed down enough to explain himself once he got the Hawaiian touristy shirt and khakis on (oh, gosh, now I’m getting Crowley flashbacks  (;;;*_*) make it stop-)

- Dimitri was part of a little “experiment” a friend of his was conducting, testing out various potions on him at any opportunity

Yea, they were a pretty messed up friend; at the very least, they made sure none of their potions would kill him outright

One of the potions gave him human legs (since he was a cuttlefish merman beforehand)

The trouble was: How does he turn back?

- They were the kind of couple who shares one braincell, spending the entire summer working together trying to figure out a solution to his predicament

Also, Colette lowkey thought Dimitri was lying about the whole cuttlefish merman thing, but since she thought he was kinda cute, she agreed to help him out

- I mentioned this before in Kodi’s profile, but I guess I’ll mention it again; Kodi’s pre-contract self was basically a male version of his mom

Basically, she was the type to always keep her emotions in check (well, it’s not as if she had a choice; she was awful at trying to show her emotions)

The type of person whose angry face and happy face were exactly the same

But she was kind enough and didn’t discriminate, even if the person she was dealing w/ claimed to be a mermaid from the deep sea

- In contrast to Colette, Dimitri is more like Kodi’s post-contract self

He cries;;; a lot

He’s just in a new and frightening situation, okay??  (╥﹏╥) And his human body was significantly shorter than his merman body, so everything is gigantic to the now smol boi; he often follows behind Colette because, even tho she’s taller than him, he finds her reassuring

Colette finds his personality cute; she likes being relied upon

- ahsghj I can imagine these 2 going on library dates, flipping through books and maybe falling asleep at some point as the setting sun casts an amber glow over them through the dusty windows, and it’s honestly the cutest thing

- Also, neither of them have magical abilities, but Colette’s grandmother did; it basically skipped a generation

This is why Kodi’s magic is weaker than others’, but he works hard to improve himself

- At the end of the summer, Dimitri is turned back

Turns out the potion only lasts for a certain amount of time :/ wow

They probably had some sort of tearful parting at the beach, w/ this time Colette breaking into tears instead of Dimitri

- Couple weeks after the vacation :D Colette finds out she’s pregnant

Realizes her relatives probably wouldn’t believe her if she told them the truth, so she fabricated a story about a simple meeting w/ a cute guy on vacation she hooked up with

I mean, she wasn’t technically lying about that

Bonus! Berenice’s Parents

A perfectly normal, perfectly boring family

- Cassidy is on the left and Argos is on the right!

- Since Berenice was based off the spirits in the whirlpool as well as the river Styx itself/herself, I searched up the parents of the goddess aaanndd

- Kind of?? Based them off Tethys and Oceanus??? Tho they are both of fairy descent; Cassidy is half and so is Argos, so maybe (´･_･`) that would work out? In terms of making a child of their own??? I didn’t want to go against the set fairy lore in stuff like Pixie Hollow, so-

- I always covered the tops of Berenice’s ears to avoid raising any suspicion of her true background, but, yea, they are slightly pointed as well. Much smaller than her parents, maybe abnormally so, but they are there (side note: if you saw me accidentally draw berenice w/ human ears (*⁰▿⁰*) no you didnt)

- They lived with Berenice in an area just outside of the Valley of Thorns called the Land of Lotuses, so there was a large fairy population here too.

- As such, Berenice never thought to question if the life she was living was considered “normal” in the eyes of outsiders. So you’ll often hear her describe her past life as boring and ordinary, both to make a person lose interest and just b/c she truly thought she lived such a life.

- I described Berenice as being an only child, but I never go into detail on what happened with her family after she died 🧐 Did she perhaps unknowingly gain another sibling? Or two? Or three???

- lol wait I just remembered I described them as getting up there in age. Maybe in human standards they were, but they were still considered like??? Middle aged??? When it came to fairies???

- They had no prominent influence in the Valley of Thorns nor in the Land of Lotuses, but they were both considered a respectable people involved in an overseas trade business when living in their old coastal town.

- Both settled down in the Land of Lotuses to raise Berenice and also to hide away from a scandal that ended up bankrupting their company but shshhhh

[gabriel4sam]

Has anyone requested Cody yet for the "I ship Obi-Wan with ______"? If not, can I???

Under the cut, some CodyWan!

The sad thing is, DarthVader didn’t really understand Obi-Wan Kenobi. Oh, he thought he did. He thoughthe caught his treachery, recognized the plot of the Jedi, brought peace to thegalaxy, and all that self-satisfied bantha crap he let Palpatine purred in hisear until his brain had turned into some sort of gelatinous substance capableof everything except independent thoughts.

The sad thing was,everybody who really knew and understood Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead, those whoreally did, like Satine, who knew he would be unhappy at the end, if she askedhim to stay, like Bant, the friend of a lifetime gunned down in the middle ofthe war, like Mace Windu who saw the attachment of his friend and knewSkywalker would one day break his heart.

Even those who knew himalmost enough, like poor Padmé who would have perhaps lived if she had searchedhis help sooner, like Kit Fisto, killed when they were building a friendship asequal, Master to Master.

That’s why nobody thoughtof searching him on Tatooine.

Until the moment wherethe thrice damned chip died a quiet death in CC-2224’s head, one day like every other, where theclone had been thrown against a wall by an explosion, on a world the Empire waspacifying.

It was CC-2224’s trembling fingers who searched forthe release button, but it was Cody who took his helmet off, Cody who breathedfor the first time in years, carefully touched the blood who dripped from hisnose.

Eyes that were so much like Jango Fett’s , like BobaFett’s, less for the shape and the colour, even if they were almost identical, morefor the piercing way they dissected the world, observed the battlefield.

“Kriff that,” he said,very matter-of-fact.

Two months later, BenKenobi opened his door to an irate clone with a bad sunburn on his nose and alot of questions.

“Oh dear,” he said.

“Exactly,” snappedCody.

“Oh dear,” Obi-Wan saidagain.

“Living alone isgetting your silver tongue rusty, General.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Yes, you certainlyaren’t him anymore, because my General wouldn’t let my surviving vode live as puppets, worse thaneverything, worse than slaves.”

His voice has risenuntil he was almost shouting, but the two months necessary to find his oldcommanding officer his anger at the state of the galaxy and the fate of hisbrothers had nicely festered. Something hard passed on Obi-Wan’s face but itcould have been a trick of the light, because he was almost immediately calmagain, and he opened the door wider.

“Come in, if you wantto yell.”

“Yes, that would be awkwardif the lizard population heard me, I suppose. Couldn’t you find somewhere morein the middle of kriffin nowhere? I almost needed more time to find you in thiskriffin desert that to find the planet, and I had to steal another speederbecause mine melted!”

Obi-Wan made a faceagain but didn’t add anything and started to make them tea.

“Don’t you have somethingstronger?” Cody asked, struggling to not yell again. He hadn’t realized howdisappointed he was in the other man before seeing him.

“I confess I indulged alittle too much at my beginning here and thought prudent to not stock liquoranymore.”

Cody said nothing andaccepted the tea, sitting on a low pillow, observing his General.

“When did your chipstopped working?”

“Two months ago.”

“It didn’t take long tofind me.”

“Oh please, I neededless than that. I’m late because I found the Rebellion first. I thought…Ithought you would be there. I thought you would fight for my brothers.”

Once again, there was awhisper of emotion other than that infuriating calm, right at the corners ofthe Jedi’s eyes, but he squashed it again.

“Some people couldthink I wouldn’t want to help them, considering my brethren’s terrible fate andthe role the vode played.”

Cody shrugged.

“I know you better thanthat.”

“Do you?”

“Found you, didn’t I?”

“Yes. Yes, I supposeyou did.”

“And you don’t see merolling at your feet asking for forgiveness for the canyon, do you?”

“You aren’t responsiblefor that day”. And even if Cody refused to feel guilty for being brainwashed,because it was a violation, and the Force should be ashamed to have let all ofthat happen, still, it eased something deep inside him.

“See? I know youbetter.”

Obi-Wan abandoned histea and touched Cody’s hand, after a second of hesitation.

“The fate of the vodeis horrible. But I know what you want of me, and I can’t go with you. I can’t leavethis planet, not yet. No, don’t yell. Let me show you first”

And Cody obeyed, likehe always had. He saw and he understood and it didn’t make anything easierbecause who would fight for the vode, now, if his General was tethered here byyoung Luke.

“You will,” Obi-Wansaid in the quiet of the night, watching the fire instead of Cody.

“You’ll save thesurvivors because you’re you, the highest ranking, the big brother, becausethey are other who will help you, because…” He sighed.

Cody made a face andgroaned something not very polite. He didn’t feel angry anymore, just tired andthe task before him seemed helpless, endless. Kriff, he probably needed a mindhealer, but he doubted they were people trained in helping brainwashed victimsmanage their anger. Or perhaps they were. He couldn’t be the only vod free ofthat damn chip. And he was pretty sure the Alliance would be interested infreeing people who would certainly want to join after, so he knew where hewould start.

Obi-Wan took his hand.

“I have contacts in theRebel Alliance, some who could help you,” a silence during which Cody felt somevindictive pleasure in knowing their ideas could still run the same course, “andbetween missions, you could come back here.”

Cody turned in hisdirection and attacked his mouth, without any prelude. It wasn’t a very goodfirst kiss, it was too desperate to be anything less than sloppy.

But it was perfect,because it had been years coming, because Obi-Wan pushed himself into the kisswith the same hunger, because the bed, even too small as he was, was just a fewfeet away, ready to welcome them. It was perfect even if too quick and fuelled inpart by anger and perhaps a little too much bruising. And when Obi-Wan yieldedunder him, lost in pleasure, Cody swore to himself that he would come back toTatoine again, and again and again…

[alohastatearts]

Congratulations, Em!

Your application for CHASE CLARINGTON (Nick Robinson) has been ACCEPTED! Please check our orientation list and submit your account within 24 hours!

OOC INFORMATION:

Your preferred name: Em. Age: 28. Preferred Pronouns: They/Them. Timezone: CST. Activity Level (1-10): Depends on the dash, but 7/10 on days off. Probably more 4/10 on days I work because I won’t be able to get on until late at night. Triggers: rfp Anything else we should know? I hope I didn’t miss a rules password, as I read through it twice, haha. Let me know if I did!

IN-CHARACTER INFORMATION:

Name: Chase Clarington. Face Claim: Nick Robinson. Age/Birthday: 20, June 8th. Preferred Pronouns: Trans male. He/him. Sexuality: Demisexual/panromantic. Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii. Ships: /Chemistry. Anti-Ships: /No Chemistry.

Three Positive Traits: Loyal, cheerful, generous. Three Negative Traits:  Shy, blunt, insecure.

UNIVERSITY

Field of Study: Fine Arts. Possible secondary subject(s): Digital Arts. Duration at ASSA: Sophomore.

BIOGRAPHY

Please provide a short biography/background of your character (2+ paragraphs) using the following questions as a guide:

Chase was born in Honolulu, Hawaii as Willow Clarington. As a child, he went to an all-girls school, Emma Willard Academy, but never really fit in. The other girls were always running around and giggling, talking about clothes and their barbies and how they wanted to marry a prince when they grew up. Willow, on the other hand, just wanted to play with the boys at the neighboring all-boys school, Damien’s Memorial School, commonly being found trying to get in the middle of their soccer games and, quite frankly, being a lot better at the sport than they were.

When Chase was thirteen, he asked his parents if he could go to the same school as his brother, Hunter. They were not understanding when Chase said that he didn’t feel like a girl and didn’t want to be Willow anymore. They forced Chase to remain as Willow and remain at the Academy. Of course, Chase refused to respond to the name Willow, and refused to allow anyone to use feminine pronouns when referring to him. This caused a lot of bullying, and soon Chase realized it was just in his best interest to try and stay out of the limelight. He was safer from ridicule and bullying when he stayed in the shadows. But still being forced to wear a skirt as part of his uniform, and still attending an all-girls school messed with his mental health. He self harmed in attempt to battle his depression, always in secret and always where no one would notice. This didn’t help much in gym class, however, changing in front of the girls and teachers. Once the school had taken notice of what he was doing to himself, his parents were notified.

Realizing that their “daughter” couldn’t stay at that school – not without ruining their good name – the Claringtons sent Chase to live with his mother’s sister, Linda, and her husband, Robert – or Bob, as Chase referred to him. They were less well off, but more accepting of Chase. For the first time, he was actually happy. His aunt and uncle referred to him with the correct pronouns and name, and the public school they sent him to also had accepting teachers and students. Chase ended up getting himself onto the boys’ soccer team, and was one of their star players.

While soccer was something that helped him feel good about himself, Chase was always a fan of drawing and painting. When he was at the Academy, just being by himself in a dark corner, sketching to his heart’s content was something that brought him great peace. It helped him not feel so alone in a world where he felt like everyone was out to get him. So when deciding on a school, Aloha State School of Arts was his first choice. He no longer had the funding from his parents, who had outright disowned him, but was able to apply for student loans. He wasn’t awarded any grants or allowed to receive financial aid because of his parents’ financial standing, but the debt in the future is worth it all to him. Currently, Chase just want to get his degree and go on to open his own gallery. He’s quite talented with a canvas, and he knows that if he sticks to his dream, it’ll come true one day – with or without help from his parents.

When Chase turned eighteen, with the help of his aunt and uncle, he was able to start testosterone therapy. He’s had top surgery to get his breasts removed, and he’s looking more like a born-male every day. He’s very happy with his appearance so far, but he has opted not to get bottom surgery yet. He believes there isn’t enough advancement and gives out poor results. But because of his choice to keep his bottom half untouched, he’s also a virgin. It’s just not a part of himself that he wishes to share with anyone else yet.

Chase is very close to his older brother, and always has been. He knows that Hunter has made mistakes, but looks up to him more than anyone else. He views Hunter as the cool alpha male, and Chase is awkward and weird in comparison. He wants to be more like his brother, but can’t find it in himself to even attempt to find the self-confidence that he believes Hunter’s personality oozes.

When he heard about his mother sleeping with the father of the Fabray family, Chase couldn’t care less. His parents were always at the back of his mind, and he spares them very little thought anymore. He believes it’s because of them that his self-confidence is so low, and that he’s afraid to tell anyone about being transgender. He does feel a certain pity towards Quinn Fabray, however, but never knows exactly how to bring up the subject with her, or if he even should.

ENTRANCE ESSAYS

Please provide a writing sample (At least two paragraphs in-character, please). In lieu of a writing sample, you may link to any written para of any previous RP blog):

(Previous para starter from basically the same character, from the blog this is submitted from!)

It was becoming quite apparent to the oldest Xavier sibling that he just couldn’t quite stay still. First he was talking to Gavin, and then to Silas, and then he just found himself wandering around the basement for a while. It seemed to ease his anxiety about being around so many people that he had yet to ever meet – strangers made him uncomfortable and made his pulse race from nerves. So being trapped with a bunch of his neighbors that he never interacted with before the hurricane hit? Well, he wasn’t doing so well. He was pretty sure he was kind of doing okay at hiding that fact from everyone else, and talking to his brother for that short while even made him slightly more comfortable with the situation.

However, that comfort didn’t last long, especially when he became more tired but was afraid of falling asleep around people he didn’t know. It just didn’t feel safe to him. Maybe he needed to have a talk with his therapist about that, but for the moment he was stuck feeling like anything could happen. It wasn’t the hurricane that worried him, it was the thought of the unknown things that other people could do instead. What if one of them were secretly a murderer? The rest would be shit out of fucking luck.

Being in his tired state, Cody wasn’t exactly watching where he was going anymore. He was wandering around aimlessly, trying to go through his two published books word for word in his head. For some reason, it was calming for him. That was, until, he tripped over the legs of someone who just seemed to need to sit down for a while. In attempt to catch himself, he ended up swinging his hand out to grasp onto something – which just happened to be the man’s face. It didn’t help any, and Cody fell to the ground anyways… he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Eyes wide and cheeks red, he glanced at the guy – why were there so many gorgeous people living in his apartment building – and swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry. Oh my god, I’m such a klutz. Is your face okay? Your legs? Fuck, I – I wasn’t watching where I was going and it’s a little cramped down here but it was totally my fault, I really should have been paying attention instead of dreaming off into LaLa Land. Are you okay? Is there anything I can do for you?”

[readnowsleeplater]

Bang - Excerpt

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from the publisher.

Hello, hello, everyone! I'm a bit late to the party today, but without further ado, here's an excerpt from BANG by Barry Lyga! Read on for more info about the book, which will be released on April 18, 2017. There's also a list of stores where you can pre-order the book, and a schedule of blog tour stops. Long-time readers will know I love Barry Lyga's Jasper Dent series, and I can't wait to dig into this new pageturner. 

About the book

A chunk of old memory, adrift in a pool of blood.

Sebastian Cody did something horrible, something no one--not even Sebastian himself--can forgive. At the age of four, he accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father's gun.

Now, ten years later, Sebastian has lived with the guilt and horror for his entire life. With his best friend away for the summer, Sebastian has only a new friend--Aneesa--to distract him from his darkest thoughts. But even this relationship cannot blunt the pain of his past. Because Sebastian knows exactly how to rectify his childhood crime and sanctify his past. It took a gun to get him into this.

Now he needs a gun to get out.

Unflinching and honest, Bang is the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed, as true and as relevant as tomorrow's headlines. Readers of This is Where It Ends, The Hate List, and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock will appreciate this extraordinary novel.

''Heartbreaking and brutally compelling.'' --Kirkus Reviews, starred review ''[A] raw exploration of persistent social stigmas, a beautiful study of forgiveness, and an unflinching portrait of a parent's worst nightmare.'' -Publishers Weekly, starred review ''Lyga tackles a number of relevant issues in this heartbreaking novel, including gun control, suicide, and religious and racial prejudice. The pain and anguish Sebastian feels every day are raw and chafing, and the chemistry between Sebastian and Aneesa is tender and realistic.'' -School Library Journal, starred review ''Lyga manages his intensely emotional material well, creating in Sebastian a highly empathetic character....'' -Booklist

Excerpt

Mom says I should bring something to the party, even though there is nothing in the invitation to indicate this. “It’s polite,” she says. “It’s what people do.” And I wonder in which class do people learn this fact about modern life? What if I missed the class, skipped over it to take chemistry or biology? What other important social ingredients does my etiquette larder lack? 

“And what if I don’t bother?” I ask her. “What then? Why is being a little out of step such a major felony?” 

“Just do it. Don’t examine it; don’t dissect it.” 

“You’d think if they wanted me to bring something, they would say so.” 

“They don’t want you to. But you do anyway.” 

“That makes no sense. Doesn’t it make more sense for us to agree on something, together?” 

She sighs, but it’s not her annoyed sigh. It’s her my son is so goofy and so smart sigh, the much rarer variety. But since things are going well right now, I figure maybe this is a good time to broach another topic: “Like back on the last day of school. You wanted to talk and I didn’t and—” 

“What do you mean?” 

“When you brought up Lola and I threw up?” 

Her face goes tight. “Not now.” 

“Look, I just wanted to . . . I’m just thinking that maybe we need a way to talk about it. Her. You know? Isn’t it time?” Past time. I should try, I should make a real effort, before I go. Go away. 

With a grimace, she flaps her hands. “You’re going to be late. Don’t be rude to these people.” 

Typical. She brings it up; I recoil. I bring it up; she recoils. We’re never in sync. 

And there’s no arguing with parental authority. At her insistence, I bring a two-liter bottle of soda, as well as a truly gigantic bag of potato chips. Balancing the two of them while riding my bike would be impossible, so I have no choice but to accede to Aneesa’s snarky wish and walk to her house. 

The cookout is attended by maybe fifteen people, a decent enough total for a backyard barbecue, perhaps, but a poor representation of the neighborhood in general. Easily four hundred people live in this development. How many did the Fahims invite? I’m willing to bet most of them. 

There’s a red, white, and blue paper tablecloth on a picnic table piled high with bags of chips and pretzels, a card table stocked with drinks and cups (to which I add my two-liter bottle, it vanishing like a chameleon among its fellows), and a large plastic tub filled with ice and bottles of water. No beer, I notice. 

The grill billows forth great gusts of fragrant smoke. I take a peek—burgers and dogs, along with delicious-smelling basted barbecue chicken skewers. 

“It’s Alexander the Great!” Aneesa’s dad says, spying me lurking by the grill. 

“I didn’t cut your cords,” I remind him. 

“More like Theseus, then,” he amends. 

“Maybe more like Ariadne.” Theseus navigated the labyrinth, true, but Ariadne was the one who gave him the ball of twine and the idea in the first place, so let’s give her her due. 

He laughs and slaps my shoulder, then wields his barbecue tongs with a flourish, gesturing to the grill. 

“What can I get you?” 

I’m not a big eater, but it smells so good that I want one of each. “I’ll try the chicken.” 

“Good man!” He tongs a juicy skewer onto a paper plate for me and presents it with a little bow. “Enjoy. Aneesa’s around here somewhere. . . .” 

“I’ll find her. Thanks, Mr. Fahim.” 

He pauses just a moment, then says, “Call me Joe. Everyone does.” 

“Okay, Mr. Fahim.”

“Joe,” he admonishes, shaking his tongs in faux outrage. 

“Joe. Right.” 

I step off to the side with my skewer and do what I do best: watch. Mingling has never been my strong suit. My public life began with concentrated doses of overwhelming pity (“You poor boy!”) before transitioning into a bewildered scrutiny (“He’s still around?”) and then finally settling into a resigned acceptance of my continued existence, marked mostly by tight smiles and sharp nods and general avoidance of conversation. 

Most of the people in the neighborhood ought to be able to manage at least that level of politeness. I don’t need people to approach me, just as long as they don’t outright avoid me. Mr. Marchetti and his wife are here, without her son, Don. Too bad. He’s older than I am, but I could have at least made small talk about the comic book he publishes in the school lit journal. He’s probably off somewhere with his girlfriend, a noted psychotic who has spent as much time in a mental ward as at school. 

The chicken is delicious, slightly cumin-y, with a hint of garlic in the sauce. It’s skewered with marinated onions and peppers, and I’m in some sort of chicken heaven, scanning the backyard for Aneesa, thinking how great it is that I can joke around with Mr. Fahim, when it hits me: The Fahims don’t know about me. 

About who I am and what I’ve done.

Excerpted from BANG © Copyright 2017 by Barry Lyga. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Read more excerpts from BANG and find out more about Barry Lyga on the blog tour!

Teenreads (3/30) Novel Novice (3/31) Short & Sweet Reviews (4/3) Young Adult Books Central (4/6) Read Now, Sleep Later (4/10) Sleeps on Tables (4/12) The Cover Contessa (4/14) Mundie Moms (4/27)

Pre-order a copy of BANG

Changing Hands, Tempe, AZ  http://www.changinghands.com/book/9780316315500  Books of Wonder, NYC http://www.booksofwondershop.com/bang.aspx  Addendum Books, St Paul http://addendumbooks.blogspot.com  Blue Willow, Houston http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/barry-lyga-bang-pre-order  BookPeople, Austin http://www.bookpeople.com/book/9780316315500  Little Shop of Stories, Decatur http://littleshopofstories.com 

About the Author

Called a “YA rebel-author” by Kirkus Reviews, Barry Lyga has published seventeen novels in various genres in his eleven-year career, including the New York Times bestselling I Hunt Killers. His books have been or are slated to be published in more than a dozen different languages in North America, Australia, Europe, and Asia. After graduating from Yale with a degree in English, Lyga worked in the comic book industry before quitting to pursue his lifelong love of writing. In 2006, his first young adult novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, was published to rave reviews, including starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal. Publishers Weekly named Lyga a “Flying Start” in December 2006 on the strength of the debut. His second young adult novel, Boy Toy, received starred reviews in SLJ, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus. VOYA gave it its highest critical rating, and the Chicago Tribune called it “…an astounding portrayal of what it is like to be the young male victim.” His third novel, Hero-Type, according to VOYA “proves that there are still fresh ideas and new, interesting story lines to be explored in young adult literature.” Since then, he has also written Goth Girl Rising (the sequel to his first novel), as well as the Archvillain series for middle-grade readers and the graphic novel Mangaman (with art by Colleen Doran). His latest series is I Hunt Killers, called by the LA Times “one of the more daring concepts in recent years by a young-adult author” and an “extreme and utterly alluring narrative about nature versus nurture.” The first book landed on both the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. Lyga lives and podcasts near New York City with his wife, Morgan Baden, and their nigh-omnipotent daughter. His comic book collection is a lot smaller than it used to be, but is still way too big.

I hope you'll all add Bang to your Goodreads TBR shelves and check it out when it debuts in about a week. Better yet, click on one of the pre-order links above and get ready to read!