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cowgurrrl · 2 years ago

Text

What Sarah Said

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Author’s note: Listen, I don’t normally write babies into a happy ending but I needed this (PS I love this picture of Nico and Pedro)

Summary: “And when I turned to face grief, I saw that it was just love in a heavy coat.” - Shannon Berry aka you and Joel talk about having more kids (kind of a part two to Sweet Jane) [1.7k]

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, talks of child loss (reader has lost a child), talks of pregnancy, grief, lmk if I missed anything!

You blame Maria. Of course, her well-meaning questions and Camille, ever the adorable toddler, got in your head. It started when Maria told you about her son and, in return, you told her about Jane. She started asking if you and Joel ever talked about having kids or even if you had a plan for if you did get pregnant within the QZ. You always had a plan in mind, even before you started with Joel, but you never talked about it as a couple. Then, she told you about how great her labor and delivery team was when she gave birth to Camille and how they have the equipment to care for anything wrong.

That's when she really started pushing it by talking about schools, work schedules, and even play dates. "I know Camille would love to have a little cousin around," she said. It felt foreign and wrong to be talking about having another kid. You think it would feel that way even if Jane were alive, but her absence doesn't make this any easier. She backed off when you asked her to, but she still got into your head. A million different thoughts have been floating around since you saw her earlier. Maybe that's why you ambush Joel with the question before he can even take his boots off.

"Do you think you'd ever want to have another kid?" You ask as he sits next to you on the couch. Ellie went to bed an hour ago, and you figured now was as good a time as any. You could've approached it gentler, especially since he was on patrol all day. Joel immediately sits straight up and gives you a worried look.

"You're not pregnant, are you?"

"No," you think for a moment, doing mental math to ensure. He waits, the anxiety rolling off of him. "No. No, I'm not. Maria just said something when I was over there that made me think." He sighs and buries his head in his hands. You laugh a little at his reaction and put a soothing hand on his back, the muscles relaxing under your touch. He takes a couple of deep breaths before taking his head out of his hands to look at you.

"Yeah, Tommy said something, too."

"What did Tommy say?" You ask.

"He said something about Maria's doctors and then asked if we had talked about having kids," he says, and you scoff. "What did Maria say?"

"Pretty much the same thing. Even brought up how great the schools here are."

"Sounds like we got set up," He says, and you hum in agreement. "What do you think?"

"I don't know. I mean, this was never a possibility for us before. We never talked about it, even before we left Boston. What do you think?"

"I'm not the one who'd be carryin' a baby for nine months, so I don't think it should be my decision."

"Your feminist thought is always appreciated, but that doesn't help." You say, and he falls quiet. You know to wait him out, to let him sort through his thoughts in silence before he speaks. He glances at his broken watch, searching for pieces of her in the shattered glass, before looking at you again.

"Sarah always talked about how much she wanted a little brother or sister, but… I don't know. I was always happy with just her."

"Jane used to say the same thing. But, my pregnancy with her was so brutal, and it may have been because I was so young when I had her, or something went wrong. I never thought I'd do it again," you say. "There's also Ellie to think about. It'd be a big adjustment for her. She already gets anxious if one of us has a cold, let alone growing a human. There's a lot that could go wrong."

After that, you go back and forth, listing all the ways having a baby would alter your life. You wouldn't be able to go on patrol with him anymore. You'd need medicine and vitamins. All the attention would go to the new baby, and Ellie could start feeling left behind. She just got into a normal routine where she goes to a normal school and does what kids her age should do. You can't fuck that up for her. It'd be scary, emotional, and painful, and that's just the pregnancy. Having a toddler was terrifying enough before the world went to shit. How do you keep a kid that small safe in a world so big? It's obviously possible. Camille and the other kids around the commune are evidence enough.

Even as you go through everything that could go wrong, the idea of Joel being a dad again makes something deep within you soften. He's always been so gentle and natural with Camille, even though it's been decades since he's dealt with a kid that small. He sits at the kitchen table every night to help Ellie with her homework, walking her through math problems like it's second nature, even though you can tell he doesn't understand either. He packs her lunch, walks her to school, and doesn't even blink when she walks down wearing one of his shirts. Domesticity looks good on Joel Miller. He's all relaxed shoulders and big smiles. The nightmares still linger in the shadows of both of your minds, but they're manageable.

That's what so much of your lives have been—manageable. "It sucks, but we'll manage" was your motto for much of your life before Ellie and Joel. You said it to Jane more often than not as a reminder that things could be better, but you were also trying really hard to make life easy for her. You said it to Joel when you started doing drops together. Then, you said it to Ellie when trying to get across the country with her. But now, possibly for the first time ever, it feels like you're doing much more than managing. The thought wiggles through your brain until it sits front and center, a bright, shining "Maybe."

"What?" He asks, breaking you out of your reverie. You shake your head, but he nudges you with his leg.

"It's stupid."

"Humor me."

"I just imagined a little you running around. That's all." You say, and he smiles. It's giddy and touches the corners of his eyes. You have to look away before you get sucked in.

"I thought we were just talking about all the reasons not to have a baby."

"We were. It was just… quick. Something fun to think about."

"Tell me about it," He urges, moving closer to you. You sigh as you reach out and push the hair out of his eyes. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl. We both had girls, so I think it'd be a long shot if we had a boy."

"What were you imaginin’?"

"I imagined a little girl with big curls and your nose running around with Ellie. Playing in the snow and learning how to ride horses and driving us fucking crazy. She'd be a troublemaker, and Ellie would love her for it," you say, his smile only getting brighter as you talk. "I'd go out on patrol, and you'd stay home with our girls because even though you're big and scary, you secretly love playing stupid games with them. You'd sing songs to the baby because she couldn't sleep without them, and you'd spoil her half to death. Ellie'd read the baby books about space, and when I come home, we’d cook dinner together and eat as a family, and we’d live an ordinary, unremarkable life in Jackson."

"Ordinary is good. I could live with ordinary."

"It's a nice thought."

"Yeah," Joel says, nodding. You feel like crying, but you're not sure why. How could you cry over something that's not even real?

"Is it bad that I want all that again?" You ask quietly, like you're afraid if you say it too loud, the universe will take everything away from you. Joel's jaw works as he thinks before he grabs your hand.

"No, it's not because I want it, too." He says. You take a deep breath and nod, looking down at your joined hands.

"What do you think our girls would have to say about all this?"

"I think they'd be jumping up and down and screaming about how excited they'd be," he says. "I think they're doing that wherever they are."

"Me too," you say. Something heavy and dark and familiar weighs down that golden ball of hope still sitting in your chest. It aches as nothing else does, pulling the breath from you swiftly and mercilessly. Like a bomb leveling an entire block and everyone there. Like a stray gunshot hitting the wrong person. Like celebrating a birthday every year but never watching your child grow. "I wish they were here." You admit. Joel brings your hand to his lips and kisses it. His watery eyes match yours.

"Me too." He says. There's an unspoken addition to his sentence. Something about how they are still here because they were a part of each of you, perhaps your best parts, and they live on in you. You keep living because of that and because they loved you and wanted you to live even if they couldn't be around to see it. That might be the only solace when you lose a child.

"Are we crazy?"

"Maybe."

"Are we gonna try to have a baby?" You ask, and a smile overtakes his features.

"I thought that's what our whole conversation was just about." He says, and you roll your eyes before climbing onto his lap. It's a position you've been in far too many times, and you justify it by getting to be close to him, but really he's just pretty to look at sometimes. His hands rest on your waist as you settle, both of you still smiling like idiots.

"I want to hear you say it."

"Mrs. Miller," he starts. "I want to have a baby with you because I love you, and I want a million little yous running around our house." He punctuates his sentence by leaning into you and kissing your neck.

"A million?" You ask, tangling your hands in his hair. He hums against your skin.

"A million."

"Can we compromise for one?"

"I can be persuaded."

🍓

taglist: @evyiione @nyotamalfoy @abbyhaslongshorts

#the last of us #joel and ellie #joel miller #joel miller fic #joel miller x reader #the last of us x reader #joel tlou #joel miller the last of us #joel miller x female reader #joel miller fluff #he’s so girldad your honor #domestic joel miller #he’s so soft #look for the light

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whizzing-fizzbee · 22 days ago

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Hi I found your blog the other day and I fell in love with your writing. I was wondering if I could request something if they are open of course.

Sebastian x MC

The idea that I had was to the song Oscar winning tears by raye

His lips parted, another excuse or apology forming, but she didn’t give him the chance. Instead, she stepped back, her gaze unwavering. “And baby, baby, baby,” she said, her voice laced with quiet, cutting finality, “would you really go ahead? Would you go ahead and just cry, cry, cry?” She tilted her head, her tone almost mocking now. “Cry those Oscar-winning tears, baby.”

Something like this but you can rewrite it however you like, but I feel like the song Oscar winning tears is such a good song for Sebastian and MC because it’s about the man being manipulative to get his way and as much as I love Sebastian, he was very manipulative.

@iloveyou420 Hi, thanks for the request! (My first one!) I do love this song, so I hope I captured what you were envisioning. ❤️ Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any suggestions, I'm all for feedback. (PS: If you like manipulative Seb, keep an eye out for a chapter story I'll be dropping soon. All kinds of manipulation to come.) Thank you so much for reading my work, btw!

Oscar-Winning Tears

Sebastian Sallow x MC (Female named Veronica Greengrass)

Rating: T (language) Word count: 2,503 Themes: Breakup, couple's fight, angst, manipulation, MC is so done Notes: Inspired by "Oscar Winning Tears" by RAYE

It was meant to be, but it wasn’t meant to last.

That much had become clear to Veronica Greengrass as she stood, teary-eyed in that empty Feldcroft cottage.

It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. There had been too many highs, too many sweet moments worth savoring, for it to end this way. They’d become too close, too simpatico, to reach such a cruel conclusion.

But as she watched Sebastian Sallow toss the final stack of books from his collection into a crate, the reality was clear. He was packing up his life and she wasn’t among the belongings.

The pair were in Feldcroft for the first time since the fateful day Sebastian killed his uncle. It felt like they’d lived a hundred lifetimes since then, though it’d only been weeks.

Anne was gone. She packed her things and left for London, claiming she’d rather be in St. Mungo’s than look at her twin brother again.

Ominis was gone, too. He agreed to keep Sebastian’s secret but made it clear their friendship wouldn’t recover.

The wounds were still fresh, still trying to seal themselves over with scars that would never look unblemished. Veronica was the only one still standing in Sebastian’s life, the only one who had tried to see the light beneath the boy’s misguided darkness, but her own light had become dangerously dim.

She was losing herself in the lies Sebastian had created. The entire falsehood of their relationship shifted into focus when it became clear she was another expendable character in the timeline of his life. She couldn’t carry on this way, not when he made it so clear that he’d be perfectly content to carry on without her.

The fight started simple enough, the same way most did. Veronica questioned why Sebastian was so insistent on selling the Feldcroft cottage. It had been his home for years. It had been Anne’s home – what if she came around, decided to forgive him? What if she wanted to come home?

“I’ll stay here,” Veronica offered. “I’ll take care of the place.” It’s not like she had a home of her own. She was going to spend the summer drifting between her friends’ homes, which she looked forward to, but to have an actual, real place to call home outside of Hogwarts was what she needed most.

But Sebastian merely scoffed at her suggestion.

“I have no use for this place anymore,” he said. “If Anne’s not here, I’m not going to choose to remain in the place that reminds me of her… of what happened.”

Instead, Sebastian had plans to travel to continue his search for a cure for Anne. He said he had discovered more leads – everything from more mysterious relics to complex potions brewed with elusive ingredients. Anne had begged and pleaded with him to stop his pursuit, but Sebastian was too stubborn to relent. To be fair, he had promised her no more dark magic, but insisted there were more options to explore.

“So then what am I supposed to do?” Veronica asked. “Just sit around and wait for you to return?”

Sebastian blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what about us?”

“We’ll be fine,” Sebastian said with a shrug. “I’ll try to see you as much as you can. Or you could always come with me. The offer still stands.”

Veronica was exhausted. Not just from talking in circles with Sebastian, who kept nudging her to accompany him on his travels, but from the weight of everything that had happened in mere weeks – and from Sebastian’s refusal to discuss any of it.

First, she had battled and defeated Ranrok in the repository, then she lost Professor Fig, her beloved mentor. The trauma and physical injuries landed her in the hospital wing for a week, but she didn’t get a chance to process any of it before Sebastian made the stupid decision to return to the Feldcroft catacomb. Veronica witnessed death twice in mere weeks, and no one took a moment to ask her if she was okay.

“It’s just that… I just feel like I need a break from it all,” she said. Simply standing in Solomon’s empty cottage seemed to be draining her energy as it reminded her of what happened. The candles and trinkets were gone. Stacks of letters had been burned. The beds were empty, their cozy plaid blankets collecting dust.

“I’m tired too,” Sebastian said. He wasn’t even looking at Veronica as he continued to toss his belongings in a bag. “But I can’t stop now. I’m more certain than ever that there’s a cure for Anne.”

“On what grounds?” Veronica demanded. “Sebastian, you were so sure about the relic, too.”

“The relic may have been the answer,” Sebastian shot back. “It might have helped if Solomon hadn’t destroyed it.”

“So without the relic, why are you certain there’s another answer out there? What proof do you have?”

“I don’t know,” Sebastian snapped. He straightened up, his gaze flickering with annoyance. “I read about some elixirs that have healed people with grave illnesses. I figure maybe if I can collect the ingredients, I can find a potioneer to help me brew them.”

“Sebastian, that’s dangerous,” Veronica said. “Those ingredients could be anywhere and you don’t know what’ll happen if you combine them. Anne could get sicker-”

“Well she’s not getting any better, is she?” Sebastian retorted.

Veronica bit her lip to halt a response she’d regret. No, Anne wasn’t getting any better. That was the entire point of Rookwood’s curse on her. And there didn’t seem to be any answers, especially with Rookwood dead.

“Everyone else has moved on,” Veronica said carefully. “Perhaps you should, too.”

“I’m not giving up on Anne!” Sebastian’s shout echoed through the empty home. “If you want to give up, that’s fine, but don’t pretend to care about her then.”

“I do care!” Veronica cried, tears stinging her eyes. “You know I do. If there was something I thought could help her, you know I would.”

“Then why don’t you trust me?” Sebastian demanded. “I’m telling you I have a lead on a cure and you don’t believe me. Or are you giving up now because this little adventure no longer suits you?”

“That’s not fucking fair,” Veronica hissed. “I’ve been through a lot, yet here I am, standing here with you, trying to help you.”

“A lot of help you are, nagging me instead of planning with me,” Sebastian muttered.

The air inside the cottage seemed to shift. It was early June, meaning the breeze outside was warm and pleasant as it drifted across the flowers in bloom, but the interior of the Sallow cottage felt heavy and stale. Like the dust that coated the cottage’s surfaces and the creaks in the wood floorboards, Veronica felt tired and worn, ready to be cleansed of the past.

Her chest tightened as she grappled with fight or flight mode. She wasn’t one to back down from anything, but right now, she was so damn tired of fighting.

“Fine,” she finally said, coaxing her tone to remain steady and poised. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out and don’t need my help. I’ll see you around, Sebastian.”

She didn’t dare look him in the eye as she strode toward the door, her shoes tapping softly with her steps. If she looked at him, she knew she’d lose her composure and her nerve.

She was about five paces from the door when Sebastian said, “So that’s it? You’re just going to leave me when I need you the most?”

So much for composure. So much for flight mode. So much for trying to leave with dignity and grace. So much for trying to preserve her final memories with Sebastian Sallow with fondness.

Veronica whipped around, her dark hair swaying as she steadied herself to face Sebastian. Months of repressed rage, frustration and wounds threatened to spill from her, despite the way her eyes continued to shimmer with tears.

“You’re fucking joking,” she spat as she glared at him in disgust. Sebastian seemed taken aback by her shift in mood. Sure, they argued and bickered through the course of their relationship, but even in those bitter moments, Veronica had always looked at him with empathy.

Now, her kind eyes had been replaced with a cold detachment Sebastian had never seen from her.

“What about when I needed you?” Veronica continued. “Where were you during everything that happened with Ranrok?”

“You had Professor Fig, you didn’t need me!”

“Professor Fig died, Sebastian. Where were you then? Where were you the day of his funeral? Why did Ominis have to be the one to console me rather than my boyfriend, who was too preoccupied with a stupid relic?”

“I-”

“Where were you when I was in the hospital wing, Sebastian? You visited me once, for about twenty minutes, before you gave some senseless excuse about needing to get to the library before it closed. And the next thing I knew, Ominis was summoning me to the catacomb to stop you from making a mess before I could even fully heal. Where were you?”

“I’m sorry-”

“Don’t,” Veronica spat. “Don’t apologize for things you don’t mean.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, which had become red and puffy from the sting of them. She couldn’t suppress a sob as she confronted every source of anguish that had plagued her since the start of her fifth year, since the day she met Sebastian Sallow.

She didn’t know how she managed to let him sink beneath her skin. One moment, they were “kindred spirits” wielding wands in the Undercroft. The next, he was holding her, telling her how happy he was to have met her, how he couldn’t help but fall in love with her.

And she believed him.

Veronica began to question Sebastian’s intentions after they explored the Overlook Mine. She told him about Lodgok and he chided her, calling her ignorant for trusting a goblin. Then she tried to reason with him about the relic and he accused her of not caring about him or Anne.

But despite every ounce of Veronica’s better judgment that begged her brain to be reasonable, she buried her hesitations in the back of her mind. She told herself that Sebastian was merely a boy driven by optimism and the belief that his sister deserved someone to fight for her. He deserved to be loved and appreciated, especially after life had been so cruel during his upbringing.

So instead of shying away from him, Veronica had foolishly decided the challenge that was Sebastian Sallow would be worth the effort. When she should have dug in her heels, she instead stumbled for the freckled boy and all of his chaos and charm, the endearing and the alarming.

She thought she was fixing Sebastian Sallow. In truth, he was breaking her with his manipulation.

“What do you want me to say, Veronica?” Sebastian asked, his gaze shifting to frustration.

“I want you to tell me the truth. I want you to admit that you’ve been using me all along.”

“What?” Sebastian’s eyes sharpened at the accusation. “How can you even say that?”

“Because we’ve both known it all along,” Veronica said flatly.

She knew she wasn’t going to back down or give in to whatever excuses or apologies Sebastian was going to offer. There was a sense of finality she refused to shed, even when he said he needed her.

“Veronica, I never- I love you,” Sebastian stammered.

“No, you don’t. You loved what you thought I could do for you. And Anne.”

“That’s not fair-”

“Isn’t it?” Veronica steeled herself and willed her nerves to say the words she’d banished for so long. “Sebastian, you’ve used me from the start. The moment you found out about my magic, you manipulated me. Then you used me to get us out of that scriptorium and to reason with Ominis so that he wouldn’t put an end to any of your antics. And let’s not forget about Anne. I know you paraded me in front of her to make her think having a girlfriend would keep you grounded and serve as a distraction from dark magic.”

“I didn’t think-”

“No, you didn’t, did you? Sebastian, you have not thought of anyone but yourself since the day we met,” Veronica continued. “You weren’t thinking of me when I was fighting for my life against Ranrok and Rookwood. You weren’t thinking of me when you trapped me in your web of dark magic. You weren’t thinking of me when you let me fall in love with you. You weren’t even thinking of me when you decided to sell this cottage, even though you know I have nowhere to call home.”

If Veronica hadn’t been so determined to win this battle for herself, she would have been startled by the tears that were now forming in Sebastian’s eyes.

“None of that’s true!” he insisted. “I only wanted to get to know you. And when I did, I fell in love with you. I need you.”

“Liar.” Veronica swallowed, her mind screaming at her to leave, to ensure she wouldn’t give Sebastian the slimmest chance at talking her into staying. He’d already duped her so many times and his tears were making it difficult to look at him. She had to be as strong as she knew she could be. She had to feel something other than someone else’s pain for once.

“I’m not lying,” Sebastian sputtered, his hands flailing and his palms opening for emphasis. He reached up to swipe away his tears on his shirt sleeve, but what was once a sympathetic sight now felt pathetic in Veronica’s eyes.

Sebastian’s lips parted, another excuse or apology forming, but she didn’t give him the chance. Instead, she stepped back, her gaze unwavering.

“Would you really go ahead?” she said, her voice laced with quiet, cutting finality. “Would you really go ahead? Would you go ahead and just cry?” She tilted her head, her tone almost mocking now. “Cry those tears.”

“Why are you being like this?” Sebastian begged.

Veronica barked a laugh. “I wish I could say now you’ll know how it feels. But we both know that isn’t the case,” she said. “For you to know how it feels to be hurt and used, you have to genuinely feel that way. Most days, I’m not sure you feel much of anything.”

The sound of Sebastian’s sniffling replaced their voices as a solemn silence settled over the cottage. Veronica eyed Sebastian with anguish – half aching as she grieved the end of their relationship and half of it in anger over his final attempt at manipulation.

She turned again to approach the door, pausing as her hand rested on the handle to look at him one final time, for the last time.

“Keep crying, Sebastian,” she breathed. “I hope someday, you’ll realize that your actions have left you with no one to wipe your tears, real or fake.”

#hogwarts legacy fanfiction #hogwarts legacy fanfic #sebastian sallow fanfiction #sebastian sallow fanfic #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow x oc #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy sebastian #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy fandom #whizzing fizzbee fanfic #whizzing fizzbee requests

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ragnarokhound · 3 months ago

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hey sweetie how are you. I made banana bread for breakfast tomorrow but DON’T touch it till then, it won’t be as good

there’s a post going around about the dynamic of a guard dog character, a lamb, and a wolf (one wants to possess and protect the lamb, one wants to devour it). How do you think jaytimkon fits in this?

ps… 10 things i hate about you? thoughts?

hey sweetie, i'm pretty good uwu had a nice day yesterday walking around my neighborhood with a friend! <3 And ough herrghh mrregghh gragghhhh (<- actively holding myself back from tearing into the banana bread immediately, i'll be strong for you bb but know that you are testing my limits in new and exciting ways)

Putting my responses to both (!! >:0) the jaytimkon and 10 Things ideas under a cut because *deep sigh* it got long lol

BRUH. BRUHHHHHHH. You cannot simply say this to me. You Cannot. Simply. SAY THIS TO ME, YOU'RE NOT SLICK

Once again testing my limits in new and exciting ways because I have a different WIP deadline fast approaching so I simply cannot write more for my actively inspired by guard dog x lamb x wolf jaytimkon WIP to SHOW YOU, in DETAIL, EXACTLY how i think jaytimkon fits into this, BUT

My feelings on this are many, and partially answered in these asks already. But I'll reiterate that they are all three facets simultaneously, baby. Depending on who's talking, they think of themselves as this, that, or the other; the loving, vigilant protector - the helpless, vulnerable bleeding heart - the hungry, slinking interloper. The story I have been brooding over for almost a year now (egads) WILL feature a somewhat slowburn where each of them takes turns realizing which one they are and slowly changing their minds as the narrative progresses and their relationship heats up 🔥w🔥BUT BE PATIENT BECAUSE I SURE HAVE TO BE (*whining and whimpering i crave this banana bread)

P.S. I love the taming of the shrew, and it's absolutely perfect jaytim material are you KIDDING. Cramming two different concepts into one ask. Evil. Diabolical. I love my wife.

10 Things I Hate About You is such a fun movie, and I could honestly see the role of Kate being played equally well by either Tim or Jason lol, and in a somewhat reverse robins style, Dick taking on the role of Bianca. Wally or Kori or [Your Choice Here] in the role of Cameron, wanting to date him. In fact, ohhhh OHHHH okay. Okay bear with me while i cook--

Consider Oldest Child Dick Grayson-Wayne who is super popular, super well loved, everyone wants to date him - but he always begs off because he doesn't want his younger brother, Jason, to be left in the lurch. Standoffish, bookish, i-heard-he-did-time, 'whats it to you' Jason, who has maybe two friends but they go to a different school so he doesn't have anyone to sit with at lunch besides his charming older brother. Dick's party line is, "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my bro. Good luck! :)" (Something something, Dick and Jason are both adopted, something something Dick doesn't actually wanna date anyone, send tweet)

NOW. Fast forward to when Dick meets someone he might actually want to date. But to keep the ravenous hordes away from him, he still, regretfully, must stick to his guns. Jason needs to be dating/friends with/hanging out with/etc someone else before he and this person (again, Your Dickship of Choice Here) can boogie down.

Cue Dick nudging Jason out of the blue to strike out on his own and Jason getting squinty-eyed suspicious (and secretly a little hurt) that Dick apparently sees him as some kind of burden to be offloaded or whatever. Thanks bro. :(

Thus, Dick and his prospective SO hatch a Scheme. A Scheme to see Jason Woo'd in such a way to keep the heat off Dick from both the collective horny student body AND his sensitive younger brother. Enter Tim Drake.

Tim transferred this year and people have been speculating like crazy about him. His grades are insane so people think he'll be a nerd, but he skateboards to school so people think he'll be a stoner, but he's crazy athletic so people think he'll be trying out for the swim team or something - but mostly? People don't know shit. He's friendly enough, but stays apart. An enigma. Cuts school at least twice a week, hasn't seemed to pick any one crowd with which to integrate, is unaffiliated with any one piece of the greater student body. The most anyone can really tell is that he's just a little unhinged and strapped for cash. He'll pull some crazy stunts - if you've got the money.

Which makes him perfect.

Cue Shakespearean shenanigans leading to Some Asshole (your choice of Dick notp here) offering to pay Tim if he dates Jason Todd-Wayne. Tim thinks it's kinda stupid and an asshole move at first, but apparently the money is too good for him to pass up. So he bites.

Tim stalkers his way into interacting with Jason (something something Jason shoving Tim against the wall outside a 7-11 after school and snarling in his face, "i know you're following me. the fuck do you want" and Tim smirking at him, "to ask you out." Jason blinking, then dropping him like he's been burned. "Bullshit." Tim shrugging and running to catch up, falling into step beside him. "It's the truth." Huge Jason side-eye.) and events spiral from there.

(Vulnerable conversations. Jason: People look at me like I'm trash. Like I'm one bad day away from snapping and proving that they were right not to trust me all along. Like I don't have feelings that matter. I like that you're not scared of me. I like that you seem to fuckin'... like me. Or whatever. But I don't know how to trust it. Tim: People only want me around when they think they can get something out of me. They don't like me just what I can do for them. You've never made me feel like that. You don't give a shit about what I can do. It makes me want to-- it makes me want to give you things. To do things for you. I dunno. I guess I'm just waiting for you to tell me to fuck off and finally mean it.)

The reveals go badly. Hurt and betrayal on every side. (Turns out Tim needed the money because his mom's dead, dad's in a coma, and the family company that was supposed to keep Tim afloat has gone belly up. All of his parents' money is tied up in trusts and behind red tape. He's on his own.) Jason is pissed at Tim, but pissed at Dick especially.

The brothers fight. It's a doozy. Dick apologizes for going over Jason's head and manipulating things. Jason apologizes for being an asshole and making Dick feel like he has to be the responsible golden child 24/7, and also for punching Dick in the face. They promise to do better. Then Jason tracks Tim down to his shitty apartment (Tim had seemed super nervous the one time Jason had tried to come home with him, and now he thinks he knows why) and bangs on his door. He hasn't been to school in over a week.

They fight. It's great.

("What you did was shitty." "Yeah." "I don't forgive you for it." "...yeah." "So you better start thinking about how you're gonna fuckin' make it up to me." "Y-yeah?" "Yeah. Like fuck I'm missing prom this year when I finally have a fuckin' boyfriend.") (Now kiss)

[don't ask me how old they are/what grades they're in. i simply do not want to contemplate it. i'd call this a college au for my own sanity, but the very premise and interest in social hierarchies is just so inherently high school that it would fall apart lmfao]

#there is a whooole 'nother sequence of events in my brain for how the 10 things au might play out differently if the roles are switched lol #but i like jason todd having the cantankerous rep of katerina too much lol tim is too much of a popular jock in my mind #that being said reverse robins could be really fun lol older sibling tim with younger sibling dick and transfer student jason #much to consider #jaytim #jaytimkon #you knew exactly what you were doing babe lmao #🍷💥anon #asked and answered #my writing #not!fic #god this got long. whoops

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oceansssblue · 4 days ago

Note

Can i get a rex x male reader life day fic where Rex is having seasonal depression regarding his brothers, and reader comforts him over a mug of hot chocolate?

(I just rewatched the umbara arc and am craving hurt/comfort)

Of COURSE you can!! Umbara made unspeakable things to us... 🥹 Let's give our dear cap some comfort! 💖

PS. Remember I'm still taking any free xmas clone requests or any of the xmas prompts (reminder at the end of this oneshot).

Btw, I think this is my first time ever writing as a male reader. Hope you like it dear!

Xx, Blue.

"C FOR CHOCOLATE COMFORT" – REX/MALE READER 💔💖

WARNINGS: references to depression&burn out, lost family, and war. Established relationship, fleeting sex reference but no scene at all, kisses, comfort.

They should have been here too.

It's all Rex can think about, lounging on the sofa of his boyfriends's apartment in Corusscant; that his brave, loyal brothers should have had the right to enjoy Life Day too. All those little things nats like to do; decorate, bake, ice skate and build snowmans on one of the multiple artificial platforms in the Capital. They deserved to be cherished, loved; and not end like another lost number to this seemingly endless war.

Though Rex would never give up on this fight –his sense of loyalty and his need to protect others too strong for that– he can't help but feel some sort of tired numbness after Umbara. The good thing about having so many brothers is that he'd never feel really alone; the bad, that he's constantly losing people he has grown to love. Some deaths hit deeper than others; but all of them make a little tug at his heart, and Rex doesn't know how much longer he can soldier through them before the cord finally breaks.

The guilt is a problem on it's own. Why is he allowed to relax in a warm, cozy apartment, why can he have a beautiful relationship and enjoy this years Life Day, while other vods don't?

The sound of the door opening interrupts his spiraling thoughts; and Rex glances towards it right in time to see his partner locking the door and shooting him a shivering smile.

"Hey!" You grin at your favorite trooper, taking your scarf and gloves off and blowing some air on your cold fingertips. "Kark, I couldn't wait to get home!"

You abandon your jacket and winter accesories in the rack by the door –next to Rex's armour–; carelessly shrug your boots off, and pad towards the living room. The heating system is on, and the floor is pleasantly warm. It's a welcoming feeling; you had felt yourself freezing, though you know you'll return to normal in just a few minutes.

You drop down next to Rex and press your body against his side; sitting sideways so that you can put your legs over his lap. Your hands inmediately climb up to the neck of his –yours– jumper; fondly playing with it while you smile up at this god of a man.

"Hi" you whisper sweetly, eyes flickering over every inch of his handsome face. "Miss me?"

You have a habit of doing this; asking this silly questions in an unconscious attempt to help Rex express his feelings. He's a fantastic lover; but more often than not it's easier for him to show his love for you with his hands and lips –and cock– than to actually talk.

He doesn't find it annoying though –quite the opposite, it's endearing the way you sound so innocent and hopefull–; and gives in inmediately.

"Yeah" he whispers back, letting out a long sigh and closing his eyes. "You know I did, cyare".

You hum and stay quiet; observing your boyfriends reaction closely. You've been with him long enough to know there's something else going on.

"You' okay?" You ask, gently cupping his face between your hands, softly pushing up so that you can search for an answer in his eyes.

Rex flinches almost imperceptively; and you somehow doubt it's just because of your cold fingers. You give him a gentle look and caress his cheek with your thumbs.

"Want to talk about it?" You carefully ask.

The man sighs. All of his muscles relax like a deflated balloon; perhaps innerly glad you've caught onto his worries without him needing to point them out.

He catches your hands with his and squeezes them softly.

"Just the usual" he answers, voice low and vulnerable in the silence of the room. "Thinking on how lucky I am to be here, to have you, while others..."

Rex's throat bobs, the sentence unfinished, but you can guess his line of thought. You've talked about this before.

"It's not your fault" you tenderly say to him, a recurrent reminder in your relationship. "You can't control everything, love".

Rex sighs and dejectedly nods. He turns a bit around so that he can burry his face on your neck. Seek solace there. You caress his strong back up and down and kiss the crown of his blond head.

"I know" the captain mumbles against your skin, sending a little shiver through your body inevitably. "I just wish they were here too".

You nod, still hugging him, and cuddle his body further into you.

"And that's perfectly understandable, love" you validate, and both of you stay in silence for a few minutes, calming each other down.

When Rex stirs –a subtle sign that he's had enough of this sort of comfort and that he's a bit unsure about keeping showing this vulnerability– you let him pull back and shoot a grin at him.

"You know what you need?" You try to gain back a bit of that cheery holiday feeling, and pat his thigh while springing up to a stand. "A big C for Chocolate Comfort".

You peck his lips –perhaps deepening the kiss and delaying your departure a bit too much to be considered quick and innocent– and give him a last smile before you dissapear towards the kitchen.

Unknown to you, Rex smiles softly and patiently waits for you to come back; the small clattering of potts and mugs familiar and comforting. He has called you "love" before; but he hasn't actually told you he loves you yet. He will, soon. Your presence is like a warm blanket; a beacon of light in a world full of darkness.

You return ten minutes later; two mugs of hot, sweet chocolate in your hands. You carefully place them in the small living room table; signaling the darker one in colour to Rex.

"This one's yours. I used dark chocolate from Kashyyyk" you explain, attentively observing the man's reaction after his first temptative sip.

Rex groans; the sound so similar to what you usually hear in bed that it sends a faint blush all the way from your cheeks to your neck.

"It's great" he hums in aproval, glancing at your own mug still on the small coffee table. A little teasing smile perches on his lips. "And I assume you used the sweetest sugariest chocolate you could find for yours?"

You laugh, nodding in happy deafeat.

"You know me" you joke, taking a sip of your own hot chocolate and humming at how good it tastes.

Rex cups your face and turns it towards his; slowly dipping down to steal a soft, slow kiss.

"And I love every bit" he whispers softly, making you melt against him.

It's the closest Rex has come to admitting you he loves you; and you can't wait until he's finally confident to say it out loud. He's your man. He's it for you.

You smile and kiss him back; then rest your forehead against his.

"I love you, Rex. Happy Life Day".

Your boyfriend answers with a happy sigh and tenderly caress your cheeks with his thumbs.

"Happy Life Day, ner Karta (my heart)".

THE END.

Wasn't it sweet? I love Rex, aww

PS. Reminder of the prompts you can ask a request of (besides one of your own):

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visceral-reject · 2 years ago

Text

How I Think The Boys Love Pt.2

Paul:

Paul’s love is greedy and uncouth; he doesn’t care about people’s opinions or thoughts about his style and personality, why would he give a flying fuck about his relationships?

He loves to love, but his version of ‘love’ isn’t considered quite normal. He’s playful, his romantic relationships almost never leave the honeymoon phase. He loves the feeling of anticipation he gets whenever you do something unexpected or say something he finds cute.

He’s rather attentive, someone bothering you? He’s dealing with it as you speak! Want something outside of your price range? Don’t worry that pretty little head of your’s! He’s stealing it while you play some rigged carnie game! Paul loves to shower you with gifts, it’s his way of marking you and bragging to other people that you’re his

He’s possessive, he wants his things to not be shared, but with three other brothers and being the ‘middle child’, that means he doesn’t get much exclusivity with his possessions So the few things that he’s been able to hide away he’s deathly protective over. He’s fought tooth and nail (probably literally) over you! Why would he be willing to share whats his?

Paul’s love language is physical touch and gift-giving. He tends to love bomb without meaning to he just wanted to know that his Sugar knows he loves them.

He bites, not to draw blood necessarily, which he does on occasion, but to let you know he’s still there. He likes to nibble on the tips of your fingers, drag his teeth across your neck.

All and all he just doesn’t give a fuck, he’ll show everyone in Santa Carla that you’re his and his alone.

Marko:

Marko’s love is certainly…something. His affections are brash and rushed. Hardly anything is taken slow, so if you aren’t a slow lover he’s your best pick of a partner.

He wants everyone to know you’re his and only his. He’ll throw a shirt and a worn jacket at you and expect you to wear it, his scent heavy and a pleading look in his eyes. ( no babe, that tee totally goes with your pants! Ps, it didn’t)

He’s Italian, so you have many nicknames that roll of his silvery tongue; Cuore mia, gioia mia, cerbiatto, topolino. So many nicknames..

He loves giving you love bites, but he’s a prick and leaves them in obvious places. Thighs, neck, wrists, anywhere that can be easily forgotten about and noticed by a surf n*zi.

Marko can takes things slow some days, even an erratic shark-toothed bloodsucker like him has his days where he just needs to be grounded by the safety of your arms.

Marko doesn’t crave to control your every movement like his older brothers, he wants you to have as much freedom as you possibly can before he turns you eventually; because none of them had that option when they were changed.

He does try and get your body used to their schedule while it’s still mortal. Baby bats require training, he’ll gladly provide!

Nests in the higher parts of the cave, but only lets his brothers up there once in a blue moon, so feel free to hide up there when they get on your nerves, and trust me, they will.

You’re his muse! There’s so many pictures, paintings, sketches, etc of you laying around the cave. He wants you to remember what you look like after you turn.

Love language is word of affirmation and quality time! Sometimes Marko doesn’t like the feeling of his own skin, so you just sitting there with him and letting him vent/cry makes him fall harder for you.

He likes to hold you and smell you, he just likes your shampoo+conditioner combo.

Marko has non-verbal days, he just copes differently than some and nobody questions it, just spend some time with him and leave him alone when he needs self-care time.

A/N: So sorry for the inconsistencies in my writing schedule, I’ve been dealing with a lot family wise, nothing bad just some changes! I’ll probably end this series with Michael and Star since there’s barely any content for her outside of sisterly and platonic stuff (no hate, but she needs to reject me so i can move on)

Pt.1

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thatone-brightstar · 2 years ago

Note

Heyyyy, been loving your stuff recently! After binging season 2 of ‘the bear’ I’ve noticed I absolutely NEED some platonic fluff with the Reader/OC(fox) and Richie where they just comfort him and tell him he’s worth being alive and he amounts to something because episode one was absolutely heartbreaking😭 and I need something to make me feel better for him, especially after all his great character development this seasonnn!!

Hi! I'm glad you like it!

I also only watched ep1 especially to write this because you are so right- not even five minutes in and they had me in tears with the analogy.

So here you go, for you, for me and anyone else that wanted to hug sad Richie through the screen.

PS. I haven't finished S2 yet so don't fret if it's a bit inaccurate.

**********

Purpose (Richie Jerimovich X Platonic Fem!Reader)

Words: 1.4k

(Part of -but not exclusive to- TB&TF universe)

‘Richie emergency. Need help’

Carmy’s text was pretty ambiguous yet sort of straight forward nonetheless. You expected a second one with a bit more context, but you knew with the whole renovation conundrum it was a miracle he even had the head to write the simple sentences in the first place. Plus, knowing the two for almost close to a year didn’t grant you any solace, because a Richie emergency could be either something small like a disagreement or more serious like having to bail someone out of jail.

The memory doesn’t settle too well in your stomach and your strides grow quicker over the snow covered gravel that invades the space beside the restaurant.

The warmth engulfs you fully once you cross the back, scarf and beanie now unnecessary in the comfortable building. As you make your way to the office, you greet Manny and Angel with a soft pat on the back- so as to not distract them from their tasks- and unwrap the wool fabric from your neck, dropping it over the small bench by the lockers on your way in.

You can hear a soft conversation emanating from the small room, voices matching those of Carmy and Natalie once you’re close enough to the entrance to see them, and they you.

“Hey-” You greet with short breath, stepping into the room and planting a quick kiss on your boyfriend’s cheek, then leaning down to hug Natalie, who’s sitting on the squeaky old chair that just doesn’t seem to break yet. “I brought my mom’s first aid, what’s the emergency?”

“Why?” Carmy asks, confused.

“Well, you just said ‘emergency’ and I thought someone got stabbed again.” You respond confidently, raising the plastic case into view and shaking it lightly.

Carmy huffs out a small laugh while Nat’s expression is one of concern, mumbling a confused ‘again?’ under her breath.

“What? No- everyone’s limbs are good- I think-” He takes the kit from your hands and places it on the desk behind him. “Listen- Richie’s kinda not his usual self right now.”

“And that’s… bad.” You squint your eyes and tilt your head as you try to process his line of thought.

“I’m still debating it-” Nat kicks his foot softly at his answer, shooting him a look that you’d very much use with your younger brother too. “Okay- no but kinda. D’you think you can, like talk to him, maybe-please?”

A heavy sigh escapes as you cross your arms and lean back against the door frame, eyes flicking between the Berzattos. “What d’you even want me to say to him, it's Richie- he’s not the most open book here…”

“No, but you are pretty convincing-” Nat adds. “Something about the face…”

You scoff and shake your head.

“C’mon, babe please? He likes you… and you’re better at this sort of thing than us.”

You bite the inside of your lip in scrutiny for a few seconds, then uncross your arms and push yourself off. “Where is he?” In sync, their arms raise with a pointed finger in direction to the front of house and the slight smile playing over Nat’s face has you rolling your eyes. “There’s a hole on your wall- by the way.” You tell them, pointing loosely to your left, before disappearing again down the corridor.

Richie’s exactly where they said, behind the now empty counter, with small pieces of tape hanging from the tips of his fingers and eyes deeply concentrated on something on the bar. He looks up for a second when your shadow obscures his view and gives you a single nod. You place your forearms over the slightly dusty counter and rest your chin above your hands, trying to be as quiet as possible while he struggles to tape down the hole in the center of an old poster.

“It’s easier if you tape it from the back-”

“I know how to fix a fuckin’ poster, alright?”

“-Okay” You say defensively.

“I know how to do things- I’m not some fuckin’ useless moron…” He says under his breath and the wounded expression that slips from the veil furrows your brows.

“No one said you were, Rich.”

“Good, cause I’m not.” His eyes flicker up again, expecting a taunting look on your face that didn’t correlate to your words, but found nothing more than your undivided attention. “What’re you doing here anyway? Kindergarten let you out early?”

You’re shoulders shake with a short laugh and a thin smile pulls at his lip at your reaction.

“Just wanted to say hi, see how everyone’s doing…” You shrug, looking around the half packed room and to the newspaper covered windows that give the place a somber feel. “The place looks shitty...er.”

“Yeah- but your boyfriend’s got it all under control-” His tone is slightly irritated as he angrily pulls at the tape that’s beginning to stick to his skin. “Syd and Nat got it all under control- I don’t even know why I’m still here.”

“Cause we all need you here.” Richie’s eyes turn to you with a sheer hope that he tries to hide with a humorless scoff.

“For what? To be the butt of the joke?” He clears his throat and shakes his head, looking back down and picking mindlessly at the tape. “Nah, they don’t need me here. This is Carmy’s thing- like painting’s yours and all the gay- sorry, fruity- desserts are Marcus’ thing… I ain’t got a thing.”

“Course you do.” You answer like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “You know more about this place than any of us- Carmy included. Plus, who else is gonna keep him in check when he goes off on a tangent?”

“You.” He shrugs.

“But I’m not always gonna be here-”

“You’re breakin’ up again?”

“What? No-” You sigh and reach a hand to your hair, before remembering all the dust over your palm and putting it back down instead. “I meant… that these guys need someone to look out for them. Yeah, this-” You move your hand around the space. “is Carmy’s and Syd’s and Nat’s thing but, it’s also yours too.”

He keeps his gaze focused on his hands, but you can slightly see the tint starting to cover the edge of his baggy eyes. He’s quiet for a while, soaking up your words and letting them settle in his head beside the dark thoughts that you know a bit too well.

“Then what? What're they gonna do with me when they don’t need me anymore?” He speaks again with a hoarse voice, harshly sniffing back and raising his head to the ceiling. “They're the only family I got. Mickey’s gone- you took Carmy.” He points loosely to you and an amused blow leaves your nose. “This place… shithole n’ all, it’s all I got. And now it’s gonna be gone too. Where am I gonna fit in the new place?”

“It’s not gonna be gone if… you keep the memory with you.” You smile warmly up at the man and slowly reach out to press the tiny pieces of sticky plastic already popping off the poster. “And the guys are gonna be the talent, but the new place is still gonna need a soul.”

Richie nods slowly, brows creased as if not fully convinced. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out, doubting whether to ask.

“...I’m the soul, right?”

“You’re the soul.” You respond between laughs, with a shake of your head and Richie joins in timidly.

Your brows rise as your eyes land on the messy scribbling over an empty pizza box discarded beside you. You pull it closer in hopes that the writing will make more sense, but all you can make out is a few words and sums that are definitely not being added correctly.

“30k plus 50k equals 70k…who made these?” You ask Richie.

He leans down, eyes squinted and trying to read through. “I think those are Carmy’s chicken scratchings…”

You copy his stance and squint your own eyes in hopes to make out the words, then bite your lip to stop the small giggle when you read through the operations. Two or three sums are crossed out with another sitting beside it, underlined twice to confirm that it’s the correct one, though it’s just as wrong as the other two.

“Oh, my poor man…” You sigh in amusement and turn to his cousin. “See? Tangent.”

**********

#the bear & the fox #the bear fx #richie needs a hug #richie jerimovich #the bear tv #the bear hulu #the bear headcanon #carmy the bear #ask #carmy x reader #richie x platonic reader

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stardusthuntress · 5 months ago

Text

Five for Fives

FivesLivesAU!

Fives x female!reader (pronouns only)

Word Count: 3.6k

Summary and A/N: Read a fic the other day, and I wanted to read more similar stories, but there weren’t really any more like it… so I wrote my own! Inspired by this fic by @deewithani who kindly was totally fine with letting me add the inspo link here! I felt like we all needed something happy to read and Fives has been on my mind lately… so hope at least one person enjoys this too! Just sorta cranked it out because I was inspired and wanted to see Fives get a chance to have a life after war filled with love, with Echo, and with Rex, and I wanted a future for the little clones we know exist but who never fought in war because they hadn’t been out of their grown tubes very long… so have some cuteness and cuddles!

PS this is a different Fives Lives AU than my other fic from a few weeks ago

TW: not much? Uh, Fives lives, has a long-term partner, and this is set as though he and Rex and Echo are leading the clone resistance we see beginning in the Bad Batch. Added in a few references to characters I couldn’t fit in the fic too! Could be read as though it’s just Fives and the Reader and Rex and Echo are the best friends of the family, or it could be read as though it’s poly, totally up to you as the reader to interpret it however feels right to you! I just wanted to make sure the 501st trio wasn’t cruelly separated anymore, so have a cute little family fic! Just cuddles and cuteness and fluff! Though it is still a bit suggestive (it's Fives, that's totally unavoidable), so still NSFW, tho I surprised myself by actually avoiding writing smut in a Fives fic... but still enjoy the snuggles and cuteness and suggestive fluff!!!

blue dividers by @/djarrex! banners are my own!

“How are we gonna tell Echo?” Fives asked, gazing happily at the 5 small, peacefully sleeping faces scattered across the room like spilled tookas.

You, the woman in his arms grinned, “Leave that to me!” You kissed his cheek with a grin.

Fives nuzzled into your shoulder. He loved the way you balanced him out and always remembered to consider Echo in your plans as well, especially now that the war was over and the operation to rescue all their brothers was underway.

“He’s gonna tell us 2 is more than we can reasonably handle.” Fives comments.

“He was also a cadet with a squad of 5 once, remember? He knows the bond you boys have. He might protest, but we will make him understand. Besides, they’re too little to separate them, that would have only traumatized them for life, and I couldn’t do that. You saw their eyes when they looked up at us and asked if they could stay together. You couldn’t say no either,” you poked him comedically.

Fives chuckled, and hugged you tighter to his chest. “Yeah, and I wouldn’t change it for the whole galaxy!”

They stand there, just watching the small sleepers for a few minutes.

“How old do you think they are?” Fives asked, excitedly.

“They can’t be much older than 4, in normal years. They have well developed language skills, but they’re still working on hand-eye coordination. So… probably about 2? Likely decanted not long after the war started… maybe around the time you and Echo shipped out for the first time?” You reasoned.

“Not long before we met you,” Fives kissed your cheek playfully and you giggled quietly, squeezing the strong hands wrapped around your middle.

“We’re gonna have to get beds for them tomorrow,” you whispered, eyes glazed over as you worked through the logistics of having 5 new additions to the family.

“Mmmmm, sounds like a tomorrow problem then,” Fives whispered, whisking you off your feet, “They look comfortable where they are, they’ll be fine for tonight.”

“They’re on the floor, Fives,” you chuckled lightly, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“They’re used to it, we all slept anywhere anytime. At least they’re all sleeping at the same time.” He told you, closing the door to your bedroom behind him as he carried you to the bed. “And you were so good with them, Cyar’ika. I could barely resist you all day.” He breathed into your chest as his lips trailed across your skin, sighing hungrily. “My turn!”

As Echo strolled across the base on this beautiful evening, a noise in the hanger bay caught his attention. Odd, no one should be in the hangar bay at this hour. There were no surprise missions that he was aware of, though they had just rescued a large quantity of clone cadets from an Imperial facility the day before. The little ones were supposed to have all been shipped off to Alderaan and Pandora, but perhaps they miscounted? He’d have to comm Fives and let him know if he found one still here. Fives and his girlfriend had been so excited to get to rescue young clones.

He followed the continuation of the noise, and discovered it changed from the drumming of what was presumably small running feet, into the sound of larger stomping strides accompanied by a lot of giggling.

The noise led him to the ship Fives and his partner had claimed as their own.

Echo called to them from the open ramp, “Everything alright in there?”

“Oh, Echo! Is that you?” A woman’s voice answered him over the laughter, “Come in! We could use a hand right now, actually,” she giggled.

Echo hurried into the ship, worried. You never asked for help, but then again it sounded like you had been laughing at the time? He rounded the corner and froze.

Well, that was the last thing he’d been expecting to see, but in hindsight he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t been expecting it. Fives always had been good with kids, and so were you.

The room was filled with commotion, mostly in the form of Fives, in full gear, stomping around and growling like he was pretending to be a big, scary monster, while trying his hardest not to burst into laughter. He was happier than Echo had ever seen him.

Fives had 3 small cadets clambering on him. One on his back, giggling wildly, and one wrapped tight around each of Fives’ legs, both squealing with joy.

Fives was laughing hard, especially as he made eye contact with Echo across the room, but it only lasted for a moment as one of the cadets lost their grip on his knee and tumbled to the floor, still giggling.

“Oops!” Fives chuckled, swooping the small puddle of giggling child off the floor and up into the air. “Aaaaaand UP we go!”

Echo could barely process what was going on, as you turned to him from the table behind where Fives and the 3 little ones now played.

There was another one in your arms, Echo noticed.

You beckoned Echo to you, and he obediently trotted over, though he was vaguely aware that it was an autopilot response from working so closely with you for so long.

The delightedly confused look on Echo’s face as he approached made you laugh too.

“Here, hold this one for me,” you instructed, depositing the one that had been on your hip into Echo’s arms.

Echo took the proffered child. It stared up at him with wide, familiar eyes. This was definitely one of the clone children you had all rescued in the days prior. The child nibbled on a large cookie as it stared calmly up at him. Echo blinked at it for a moment, content to just watch the child, unsure what it would do, knowing it could see that he was so different.

He and Fives had been this small once. He didn’t remember it, but knew it was deep in his past somewhere. He felt like he could see his own memories reflected in the wide, curious eyes of the child he held. But he wondered how he looked to a kid now, so many metal parts adorning his body, but without those parts, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to rescue and now hold this child today. Echo could feel the conflict within him flickering in his eyes as he watched the smol bundle in his arms.

After a moment, the child seemed to decide he was an acceptable pillow too, and it nestled into his shoulder and went back to watching their brothers goof around the room.

Echo looked up, for you, vaguely aware that if you needed him to hold this one that meant there was something else you were up to.

He spotted you standing on the counter, fetching yet another child from atop the conservator, where it seemed, it had been breaking into a box of cookies.

“Hey Echo, Fives, I need you to—“ Rex rounded the corner, and reacted much the same as Echo. He froze, eyebrows raised, as he watched Fives tumble into a big cushy chair in the corner while being careful not to smoosh any of the kiddos clinging to him as they all laughed joyously.

Rex’s gaze continued around the room to Echo, standing behind Fives with a child in his arms, scomp securely tucked under its small bottom, hand rubbing up and down the kids back as it drifted to sleep on his shoulder, half-eaten cookie dropping from its hand onto the table Echo had strategically positioned himself next to. And then Rex spotted you, in the galley of the ship, another child draped over your arm in a dramatic pout, its conquest - a box of cookies - clutched tightly in its little hands as you clambered off the counter.

Rex shook himself to his senses and scrambled to protect you and the kid on your way down.

“Thanks, Rex,” you smiled up at him, patting his cheek, a happy grin like he’d never seen before on your face.

Your attention quickly turned to the child in your arms, as you put your other hand on your hip and gave it a playfully, scornful look. “You gonna eat the whole box yourself, little one?”

It paused for a moment, seemingly thinking through the situation for the first time.

Rex laughed, he remembered a similar lesson in his past. He knelt down to look at the kid when he spoke, “Always make sure you think things through before just running with it, kid. That way you know exactly what you want before you get there.” He chuckled.

You, Fives, and Echo all laughed hard at that.

“Oh, look who the mischievous uncle turned out to be!” You chided, laughter still ringing from your lips as you shifted the kid in your arms into a more comfortable position on your hip, facing outwards, but gripped in both arms.

The kid’s eyes lit up and he shoved a hand back into the cookie box and produced yet another cookie, but this time he held it out to Rex.

“Awwwww! That was very sweet of you, Moxy! There ya go, pay off Uncle Rex for his mischievous advice! Already learning how bribes work! You’re definitely related to Fives, that’s for sure!” You laughed.

Rex laughed too, taking the cookie with a small thanks as heat rushed to his face. He hadn’t meant to be that Uncle, but then again, after working with Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano, and the entirety of the 501st for so many years, maybe their bad habits had worn off on him a bit.

Fives appeared at your elbow, one child under his arm, one still clinging to his leg, and one perched on his shoulders with its hands on his cheeks and hair, braced by his other hand at its back.

“See, they could totally pass for being our kids!” He grinned playfully, humming seductively as he pressed a long kiss to your cheek and then one to your neck.

“EWWWWW!” The kiddos chorused.

Echo and Rex laughed as you stole a kiss from Fives’ lips as he grinned, wildly.

“Well that’s good, because they are our kids, now!” You winked back at him.

“That’s my girl!” Fives cheered.

“How are you gonna care for…” Echo paused to doublecheck his headcount, “five cadets?”

“Children, Echo, they are not cadets anymore, they’re kids! And I’d say it’s a darn good thing we generally have at least 4 adults in here to handle it, don’t you think?” You returned, pointedly, but still smiling and laughing.

Echo just hugged the child in his arms tighter. Resting his cheek on its little head as he turned bashful. He knew Fives had chosen the right woman, she always remembered the things that were important to Fives, including Echo. And she wasn’t afraid to put her children in the arms of a man with 3 out of 4 metal limbs. Echo was grateful for her trust, for it made him trust himself more too.

The little one on Fives shoulder let out a big, long yawn, unaware that its hand had made its way to cover one of Fives’ eyes. But Fives had no intention of protesting, he was too delighted to find himself surrounded by kids of his own.

Rex chuckled, and reached up to lift the child off Fives’ shoulders.

As soon as it was in Rex’s arms, it immediately snuggled into his shoulder, trusting him instantly after seeing him interact with the other adults in the room so easily. Rex melted.

You and Fives exchanged a glance. Fives was glad he’d let you handle this part and that you’d let it just happen naturally. And you were right that the Fett line did seem to have a soft spot for children.

You and Fives exchanged a glance as he scooped up the child wrapped around his ankle, the two of you moved instinctively towards the comfy chair he’d dropped into with the kids earlier, collecting pillows and blankets from around the room on the way to it. Echo and Rex imitated you, recognizing the all too familiar nesting pile habits of their battalion.

Instinctively, all 3 men gathered to nestle around you, creating a circle for you and the little ones to snuggle into.

To your surprise, Fives found a way to nuzzle into your shoulder, despite the two small ones he had in his arms.

“They are darn cute, I’ll give ‘em that,” Echo muttered, watching the one that was still clinging to him.

“That’s Zed, we call him that because he’s always sleepy,” a tiny voice mumbled from Rex’s chest.

You all laughed again.

“And what’s your name, kid?” Rex asked, quietly.

But the only answer he received was a soft snore.

“Mmmm, now I’m hungry from all that playing around,” Fives lifted his head, and peered into the box Moxy was still clutching where he lay on your chest. “Anything left in there?”

You lifted your head to look in the box too, “Might actually be half a box still! I thought he’d eaten them all. Grab me one too, while you’re at it?”

Fives reached into the box and held up a cookie for you so you didn’t have to take your hands off the kids splayed on your chest and snuggled between you both.

You took a bite, and he shoved the rest of it into his own mouth.

“Thanks, Love.” You giggled and pecked his cheek, before returning your attention to Echo and Rex. “How are you gents doing? Content to snuggle there for a while? I’d rather not wake them if we don’t have to, or they’ll be running up the walls for another few hours just because they want to stay awake.”

Rex and Echo exchanged delighted glances and hummed their answers, nestling in for the night.

You turned back to Fives, “See? Easy!” You told him, kissing his forehead.

He laughed. “Which part? Telling Rex and Echo, or handling 5 kids?”

“Well, now that we have Rex and Echo here, both!” You told him, victoriously.

Fives stole another kiss from your lips.

A rustling noise and a shifting of the box in the small clone’s arms as Fives smiled against your lips told of his real plan: hiding a cookie theft with a kiss.

He broke away from your lips only to triumphantly stuff the entire cookie in his mouth.

You scoffed at him, playfully.

The box rustled again, and you raised a brow holding eyecontact with Fives.

He returned the look, puzzled, half a cookie still sticking out of his mouth as he tried desperately not to sprinkle cookie crumbs into the hair of the small brothers in his arms.

You both looked down to find Echo’s hand in the box.

He looked up at you sheepishly, eyes wide at getting caught, blinking owlishly at you. And then he broke into the same mischevious grin Fives had worn not five minutes before and retreated with a cookie of his own.

You were trying desperately not to laugh, else you’d jostle the numerous small heads and three adult ones currently leaning on or near you.

“Would you like a cookie too, Rex?” You offered, producing another one from the box.

“Well, I’m not gonna say no,” Rex teased.

“Good, as long as you boys all get the extra large quantities you need, we’ll be in good shape.” You giggled, handing over the tasty treat, and fetching another one for yourself too.

The three men exchanged sheepish looks.

“I know, you boys all eat more than the average person. And I’m glad of it. Food rarely goes bad around here. But we might need to find a steady supply of large quantities of food so we don’t have to go shopping every single day.” You could already imagine it, not only would you enjoy the view of each of the handsome men crouched in front of the conservator day in and day out just like you had since you joined them, but more than likely, they’d always share the space with a smaller version of themselves each time now too. The thought put a smile on your face as you stared deep into Fives’ eyes, more than happy with your joint, spur of the moment decision to keep a whole squad of cadets.

Echo hummed next to you, “I’ve got a few ideas already,” he yawned. “Never fear, Uncle Echo is here! Hmm, I like the sound of that. Uncle Echo. And Omega is gonna adore these little guys…” Echo leans over and kisses your cheek too.

Fives laughs at that.

“Hmm, then maybe I should try to be less mischievous, you lot already have that covered,” Rex also uses the opportunity to kiss your hand, and you bite your lip.

Fives steals another passionate kiss from you, grinning into it. “Maybe Omega can babysit when we need a night that’s just the two of us on occasion,” Fives nudges your cheek with his nose.

Echo laughs into your side. “I think Wrecker and Hunter would be delighted to help her wrangle the whole little squad. I’ll bring you to Pabu in the morning so they can meet them.”

“We haven’t even had the kids for 2 full days yet, Echo,” You chuckle.

“We have a big family, we can’t help it,” Fives answers. ”I want all the guys to meet them. We’ll do Pabu in the afternoon. Let them take around this base in the morning. It’ll be fun,” he mumbles, sleep starting to take hold of him too. ”Howzer promised to give me some tips he learned from the Twilek family he worked with for so long tomorrow. Pabu can be a dinner thing.”

“I’ll tell Hunter we’re bringing dinner tomorrow then,” Rex yawned.

Suddenly Echo held out a datapad, over the bundle of sleepy faces. “Smile you three, we need a holo of this.”

But you and Fives could only look at each other, with the biggest grins as you pressed your foreheads together in a keldable kiss, proud of your little family.

“Could you two get any cuter?” Echo nudged you playfully.

Zed, nestled between you and Echo, stirred in his sleep.

“Shhh, sleep time now, gents, we can finish planning in the morning,” you instructed, secretly admiring that you had just surrounded yourself with identical faces of men and boys you very much adored. You hummed contentedly.

“Just one more kiss,” Fives whispered mischievously, sneaking a peck at your lips before snuggling in for the night.

Omega gasped loudly, bouncing on the balls of her feet when she saw Echo, Rex, Fives, and Fives’ partner exiting the ship together, wrangling a whole miniature squad of their own at their knees and bundled in their arms, and boxes of what appeared to be take out in various bags and hands.

“Baby brothers!” Omega gushed, scooping up the nearest one.

Wrecker scooped her and the little one up into a big hug, and carried them over to the tree in the middle of the square, then picking up the small ones clinging to his belt to put them up on the grass beside her.

Echo decided to take a page from your book, and just straight up handed one of the kids to Hunter without saying anything.

Hunter took the kid and just watched it in awe for a moment.

“Are you a brother too?” The kid asked.

“Hmm?… yeah… yeah I am, kid,” Hunter beamed.

The kid smiled and tucked himself into Hunter’s chest.

Hunter visibly melted, closing his eyes and cradling the child gently in his arms.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at a smug Echo.

“Told you, you had a soft spot for kids.” Echo patted him on the back and walked away to join Wrecker and Omega as they taught the kids how to climb a tree.

“That’s Zed, he likes snuggles,” You told Hunter from somewhere behind him.

Hunter turned to face you, and found you standing there with Fives wrapped around you from behind.

“And… they’re your kids now?” Hunter asked, incredulous. Looking like he would never be ready to give Zed back to you.

“Yeah, we’ve been tracking down where the young clones were taken when Kamino was decommissioned. First rescue was a few night ago. Two ships full of little ones ready for homes of their own went to Pantora and Alderaan the day before yesterday.”

“We couldn’t help but keep this lot when their little voices asked us to be their parents,” Fives chimed in.

“They asked you to be their parents?” Hunter seemed almost jealous, if you were reading him correctly.

“Do you want us to bring a batch here?” You asked.

Hunter just looked at the little one in his arms, content to be held as it watched people move around the square.

“That’s a yes,” Fives answered for him.

Hunter gave Fives a look. “I see why Echo calls you the mischievous one,” he comments, a brow raised.

Rex laughs loudly, “Oh. No. Echo is just as mischievous.”

“Like that?” A snide voice joins the conversation as Crosshair approaches, making sure to keep some distance from the kid in Hunter’s arms, as he jabs a toothpick towards the tree before returning it to his lips.

You all look over to discover Echo in the tree with the young ones, while Wrecker and Omega protect them from below.

“Exactly like that,” Rex agrees, shaking his head at his trooper's antics.

“Anyways, would you like to babysit them sometime?” Fives asks Hunter and Crosshair with a sly grin.

“No.”

“Yes!”

Hunter and Crosshair answer at the same time, Crosshair glares at Hunter.

“Come on, Cross. You’ll warm up to them eventually.” Hunter prods, pointedly watching the kid in his arms instead of Crosshair.

“Omega was different,” Crosshair protests. “Like us.” He states as though he’s trying to convince himself not to get attached to the small face clinging to Hunter’s collar.

“Uh huh,” Hunter is not convinced, he knows his brother too well for that.

…Later you swear you spot one of the kids gifting Crosshair a flower he picked from the tree, and you’re pretty sure Crosshair wears it in his shirt pocket all evening.

But it’s hard to say for certain, especially when Fives sweeps you off your feet and carries you into your ship, heading straight for the bedroom…

Please don’t steal my work! I pour my heart into these so if you like it please reblog to share instead of reposting it! And NO dropping it into an AI to finish it for me! That’s stealing my work and feeding it to an AI without my consent. It is not okay to give an AI something you didn’t write yourself!

taglist: @cw80831 @deewithani

#fives x reader #arc fives x reader #zenith writes #fives lives #fives lives au #tcw fives x reader

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kix-mm · 1 year ago

Text

Dusty’s letters

Previous - Next

A letter from two

Dear neighbor, it's Dusty!

How are you doing? I hope Branch was abel able to fix your house. Aparentlie Apparently, you covinsed convinced him to write to you too! He calls you his therpist therapist now, and I thought you were a jornalist journalist? You are full of surprises!

I'm doing okay, but things have changed, and I don't like it that much. I'm still scared, I get nigtmares nightmares about my brother, is that bad? It's bad dreams that show him hurting people, hurting our family... but they are all gone. That's the only reason I know when I'm dreeming dreaming. They feel so real that sometimes I hide from him.

Branch has become more and more warie wary about himself. Sometimes, I see him looking in the mirir mirror like he's scared of his own riflection reflection. He has also stared covering his eyes again. He smiles differently now too. It doesn't feel real. I want my old brother back... it's not nice seeing him so unhappy. It makes me sad.

Another thing I don't like is that he isn't allowed to come pick me up at school anymore... Because he makes people scared, especially other kids. Maybe they aren't used to seeing someone so big? I heard one of the teachers say they still think he's risponseble responsible for Mama and Papa dieng dying. It's not his fault! He saved me! Mama and Papa died because of the fire... He misses mama so much, Branch says I look a lot like her. I think he's starting to look more and more like our big brothers!

Maybe you're an investigater investigator, too? Can you help?

Lots of love, Dusty

Ps: Branch hasn't written a letter since Jacob left, it's a sensitive subgekt subject. Please be nice :)

Hello

Greetings??

Dear neighbor, fuck it good enough.

As you demanded requested, I'm now writing a letter to you. I do not know what you expect me to write nor how to write it, so forgive me if it's brief.

Dusty is recovering well, though due to my reckless behavior from the incident she still feels uneasy around me, her injuries have sparked another horrid rumor that alienates me further from the village.

I'm not welcome in the village at all and certainly nowhere near the schools. Ive lived my whole life surrounded by that hellhole and yet im still seen as nothing more as a monster. As a young child that really does something to you. You will never be welcome if you have an unflattering appearance or are anything less than human.

This is in no way meant to target you. You've been nothing but helpful and kind even after my terrible attitude and almost killing you. I'm still forever grateful for you taking Dusty to school and doing the small amount of groceries that Dusty needs. You mean the world to her.

If it weren't for you I'd be rather lost, I do not understand why you have such a kind soul and so much patience, though your kindness might not be targeted towards me, but rather Dusty, I'm still grateful either way.

Please don't make me write another letter, I'd rather not talk about any of this, or rather, write. Which in my opinion seems worse as the words stick to a surface and can be read by anyone.

Many thanks for all your kindness.

Andy Branch.

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jerzwriter · 10 months ago

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Why don't you write more diverse characters?

And also:

Also might get hate for this but your Casey and Jessica pairing gives me "when straight girls say they wish they are gay so they don't have to deal with boys". I'm aware you're queer yourself and there's no one way to be queer but just wanting to let you know, from the perspective of a gay person myself.

You're welcome to disagree, delete this or so on but I just want to offer my two cents if that's still something I can do.

Nonny,

Let's see: Wake the Dead: My MC is Latina. I have a whole HC on how she tries to connect to her culture despite most of it being stolen from her due to their circumstances. It has been addressed in asks, etc., but I have not written it completely because of time. I wrote an extensive backstory on Eli's family; his parents are canonically black/white, and his brother (like him) is biracial. Crimes of Passion: My MC is Latina and demiro. I haven't addressed the latter as much as I want to, partially because I don't relish the inevitable feedback. You know, where the fandom that demands diversity then tears down any creator who attempts to write them? So, 99% of creators have decided to only want to write what they know? Yeah, that.

Open Heart: Casey is white because that's the sprite I used in canon, and you know what? There's nothing wrong with that. Her husband is bi-racial. Their 3 children are biracial. His mother (an OC) is black, his brother (an OC) is biracial and bisexual, oh, Casey's bisexual too, and I HC that their youngest daughter is queer, but I have not written much about their adult daughters.

So, yeah, while I don't owe you an explanation, I needed to point out how wrong you are. Saying there is no diversity among my characters is a bit of a stretch unless you want to say that Latino, black, biracial, and queer people aren't diverse. I hope that's not what you're saying.

As to Casey and Jess, you're entitled to your opinion, of course, but the typically straight girls who wish they were gay so they don't have to deal with boys don't date or fall in love with girls. At least not the ones I have known. They certainly don't fuck them. So, there's that. Have I written smut for J/C? No. But I haven't written much smut at all recently. I just have not been interested in doing so.

So I am bi, and my bi character isn't bi enough for you - BUT why do I suspect that you're one of the people who bitch about the lack of queer characters in the fandom, then sit perched and ready to attack when someone tries and doesn't do it "right." I can see how that really encourages people to branch out and write more diversity. Oh, that's sarcasm.

If my stuff isn't your cup of tea - that's fine. It's allowed. Don't follow/read and find another creator who can provide you with what you desire. That's sort of how it's supposed to work.

PS... are you the same anon who said I don't support queer creators? If so, babe, you're going to have to try harder. Don't accuse me of things that are so easily verifiably wrong.

#asks answered

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languajix · 7 months ago

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Regarding Hold every memory au!

Since Ghost in this au is shown to have mystic powers and can actively harness it (ie: the geometric shapes on his arms in the first fic and the threads of his bros) what else can he do aside from threads? Can he do smth similar to Donnie’s Ninpo if he pushed himself ? And how did he get that mystic stuff? Did he always have it but never manifested as strongly due to the nature of the 2003 verse (like the dragon thing ) or is this current mystic power a result of his long term exposure in the 2018 verse? Also how do you think his bros will react to their bro’s Mystic powers that he definitely didn’t have before?

Ps: I love your AU so much. Your fics are so well written and characterisation is so good. Ghost in the shell is such a well written story but it’s so, so very sad 😭 its makes me so happy to see a world where is Ghost happier out there. Also sorry for the long ask I’m just extra curious, Ghost being actively aware and sorta using the mystic energy inside him is so interesting and has so much potential hehe. Like imagine a scenario where Ghost/Don in a fit of protective rage either cuz of the tots or his bros or both does a boom of mystic and everyone goes HUH??

Hello!!

I want to start by saying the usual disclaimer that anything I'm about to say applies solely to Hold Every Memory, because the more this AU grows, the more of my own ideas and wishes and things get fed into it.

Also, very little is set into absolute stone until it appears in a HEM story for sure - a lot of the time, as I'm writing, things will spin a little differently than I expect because they need to for character or plot reasons, or words will randomly appear on the screen and I'll learn how things work directly from my subconscious, which is exciting. But still! I have been thinking about this stuff, so I'm really happy to have the opportunity to ramble :D

And don't apologize for the long ask! I loved it! I just hope you don't mind a looooong reply. Lots of stuff in here that some might consider spoilery, as a heads up!

I think Don had a groundwork of some different type of mystic potential from his own universe, but environmental exposure to empyrean/mystics over the years, maybe more direct exposure courtesy of Big Mama?, brought it from a latent capability to something much closer to the surface, significantly strengthened it, and shaped it a little to fit his new universe. Connecting to his brothers in the Battle Nexus, that rush of soul energy and powerful love, unlocked it! Battle Nexus went boom.

I think at a base level, he's capable of doing standard mystic stuff - activating and using mystic weapons and devices, like how Splinter could use the ōdachi in "Battle Nexus New York," for example. Casting some spells, too, and using common mystic techniques. If he were to practice or be trained specifically in the use of mystics in battle, he could use it to boost his speed and strength. He'll never be as powerful as a Hamato, though, with that well of ninpō power at their disposal.

Creating the threads wasn't any sort of innate, specialized ability at the time. It was an act of desperation. Don's burst of incredible willpower in that moment shaped his soul and his suddenly active mystic powers in ways they weren't originally made to be used. Over time, though, like stretching a muscle, the threads become central to his mystic 'specialization,' as it were. So if Leo = portals, Raph = energy projections of himself, Don =… connection? Possibly?

(In SAINW, there's a moment where Michelangelo mentions that "without you, it just didn't work," framing Donny as the lynchpin keeping his family together. (I do think it could have happened if any of them had disappeared, but let's focus on Donny for the angst and the parallels here.) And in HEM, Don is the one tying together his old family and his new family. Always at the center.)

If he wasn't constantly stretched between realities and everyone was in the same universe, he'd always know where they were, instinctively. They could be across town or half a world away, but if Don thought about them, his head would turn unerringly in that precise direction. It might include some amount of empathy/telepathy too.

One thing I'm solid on is that he has to come into contact, spiritually or physically, to someone to develop a connection, a thread. It might happen quite quickly and almost thoughtlessly with the counterparts of all his old family and friends upon meeting them, and for any new friends he meets it might happen once he truly considers them family.

(Which makes me think of how funny it would be if he met Foot Recruit and found himself with a spontaneous thread to her, too - who the heck is she supposed to be??? Too late now, though, she's family, whether anybody including her wants her to be or not. Assigned Splinterson-Hamato At First Contact.)

Can he use powers similar to Donnie? He might be a teeny tiny bit of a technopath! I'd like to think that was one of the potential directions his mystic powers could have headed before the threads threw them out of wack. Infusing portals with mystic energy, a little boost when hacking the EPF's bank accounts, etc. Very little things, but enough that he and Donnie can have a little similarity to bond over as a treat.

As for surprising his brothers with his mystic powers, finding out that he had landed in a universe with witches and yokai and superpowers blew their minds, but it was all wrapped up in the overwhelming difficulty of processing that he was alive at all. They know he's been using mystics in the development of his more recent portal attempts, vaguely, but they for sure don't realize/understand the extent of what he can do. There's really no reason for him to use mystic powers in the astral plane, nothing for him to do with them and the real risk of unbalancing the delicate threads, so he just doesn't. I think seeing him use mystic powers for real would delight Mike to no end, all surface-level envy and deep excitement, Raph would think them awesome and possibly want to spar while Don is mystic boosted to see what he can do, and Leo might be proud and fascinated and maybe a little quietly jealous. If - and this is really just something I'm tossing around for fun - if Don could actually pool and distribute mystic energy through his threads, those soul-to-soul connections, then they could all benefit and get a level-up, so no jealousy for long. Honestly I think all the brothers would be super cool with Rise style mystic powers but Mike would make me a little nervous, haha

---

When I was originally starting to bounce this whole thing around in my head, I ended up with a little example snippet of what his powers could look like in practice. The telepathy/empathy bits, at least.

P.S. Thank you so much!!! It sends me over the moon, like full on walking on air for days, to hear when people like my writing style and characterization. I'm still new to putting myself out there in this way, so I stress out over it all way more than I should, and getting this kind of message makes it all worth it :D

I love GitS to death and this AU is born out of the most incredible affection for it. I wouldn't change a single thing about any of it even if I could, all those aching bruises and all, but writing an alternate universe branch where Everything's Beautiful and Very Little Hurts is just cathartic as heck. I'm just glad reading this AU is scratching the same itch for some people that writing it has been!! Because it really is a joy to write.

#hold every memory au #hold every memory unpublished #<-for anyone new here that's the tag I'm using for anything discussing future/unpublished HEM stuff.#(I don't call it 'spoilers' because there is basically no plan or plot to spoil but I do want to give people that option to filter it out)#jix stuff #asks

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