#series: the handmaiden's fox

[deejadabbles]

The Handmaiden's Fox (Fox x Fem!Reader) Chapter One

Summary: You have been by Amidala’s side since she was the queen of Naboo and no one will shake you from your duty. Not even a handsome, red-clad commander who seems quite taken with the friendship you’ve forged. Commander Fox x fem handmaiden reader. Slow burn, friends to lovers. Rating: Mature A.N: So for those of you who don't know: all of Padmé's handmaidens take new names ending with " é " as a sign of loyalty to her. I never mentioned the reader's é name as I want that to be personal, but I wanted to mention it since it comes into play in the story <3

I've also made a playlist for this series, in case you want to set the mood with tunes. Word Count: 6,284 Warnings: just some blaster fire and canon typical danger Masterlist /// Tag List Sign Up  /// AO3

Prologue /// Part One /// Part Two /// [part three coming soon]

Chapter one

The roaring of the senate chamber was deafening. You had thought that years of exposure to it would harden your hearing, but no petty debate between dozens of senators could have prepared you for the screaming of the last two weeks. Two weeks. Not even fourteen rotations had passed since the battle of Geonosis. Since the start of the Clone War. Every day more and more planets were leaving to join the Separatists, and the destruction of chaos was spreading fast. So, you supposed it was little surprise that every single debate in the Senate was automatically a vibrant verbal brawl now.

And here you had hoped that fewer senators in the hall would lessen the noise.

As always, you stood sentry behind your lady, your Amidala, who had fought in the first battle of the war. Who had been thrown into a pit for execution, and blasted her way out like a warrior. Now, she was in a whole new type of pit, instead of fighting starved beasts, she was now fighting numerous senators who seemed content to throw out any shred of decency in favor of war.

You watched as the senator from Corellia made their argument, that they needed to cut off relief aid funding in favor of the cloning facilities. Just two weeks in, and the need for more clones was already apparent. In the seat in front of you, you watched Padmé stiffen at the way the other senator implied that ‘lesser’ worlds needed to help themselves before asking the Republic for aid. She was raring for a fight, and fight she did.

You never got tired of watching Padmé put someone in place with a few carefully chosen words. Never tired of the way she fought for others…even if it didn’t always work in the end.

“Motion passed,” came Chancellor Palpatine’s voice. 

You closed your eyes with the smallest sigh, knowing that even more suffering would come to pass now. At least this was only a motion to start talking about cutting funding. Padmé would do everything she could to make sure the next bill was as fair as she could manage.

When the sound that indicated the end of the day’s session rang through the chamber, you almost slumped with relief. You didn’t of course, no handmaiden ever lost her composure under the watchful eye of the senate. But you were glad that it was finally time to return to your lady’s office. A headache was coming on strong.

Padmé had more grace than to storm out of the chamber like a woman on a war path, but your trained eye could see she was exactly that as she walked calmly out into the hall. She didn’t try to hide her expressions nearly as much now, her queen persona having faded quite a lot in the passing years, but she still knew the value of looking calm to her colleagues.

The hallways were a buzz with activity, aids and senators alike calling for associates and running here and there for their next task. That, and it was filled with the sounds of armored boots. 

As you and the Naboo guards followed Padmé, several groups of the new clone trooper units passed by. All of it was still a little disconcerting, having such heavily armed men tramping around. It brought back memories, wounds a decade old still felt fresh as the sound of marching feet reminded you of droids taking over Theed. 

You were proud that you had fought for your home world all those years ago, fought the Trade Federation (who now were now ironically a head of the Separatists) and took back your planet and your people. But that didn’t mean the battle was easy. 

And these men, these soldiers bred for war, would see far worse in the coming days. 

It might be easy, to look at their identical armor and expressionless helmets, and see them as something akin to droids, but they weren’t. They were flesh and blood under all that plastoid and, while their new and overbearing presence may be unsettling for now, you refused to dehumanize them in your mind like that.

A call of your name drew your attention back to the present, just as Padmé reached the door to her office.

“I have that meeting with Bail and Mon in about an hour, but there’s still so much work to do,” she sighed as the door closed behind her, “I hate to ask, but-”

“I will stay here and file anything you need, my lady.” You had anticipated this, things were still adjusting to the new war-time normal, and Padmé’s workload was more overwhelming than ever, and that was saying something. To ensure she got any rest at all right now, you had to do much of the paperwork she would see to personally while the committees and meeting ate up her time.

She sighed with relief and gave you that small smile that always held her deepest affection. “Thank you, I’ll get a head start on it for you at least, since I still need you to research the Chabrill and Cordia incidences.”

And so the two of you got to work. Your first tasks were easy enough, you’d lost count of the number of info packs you’d written for her on import events over the years, and they were done by the time she and the guards left for that meeting. You stayed behind in the office, her atmosphere controlls set to play your favorite soothing sounds for white noise as you worked.

Padmé trusted you to answer most of her mail and requests the way she would and save the dire ones for her personal attention. You polished up and filed her pending motions, and a dozen other mundane things that made you want to pull your hair out despite your never waving composure. God, you hated politics sometimes. More or less than paperwork, you couldn’t say, but it was always a close running between the two.

You were just answering a far too flirtatious message from Senator Dobo and almost, almost, missed the way the sound of armored feet got louder just outside the door.

Eyes flashed up to the entrance, just as it was slid open without so much as a knock.

Three clone troopers came charging in as you jumped to your feet behind the desk.

“What is the meaning of this?” you demanded in a cool tone, hands slipping into the sleeves of your tunic in a neutral dignified posture. “Troopers are not permitted in here without permission.”

“Are you Senator Amidala?” The one in front asked, tone clipped, not the monotone you had heard a few clones use over the past weeks.

“I am her aid, and I demand you answer my question, trooper.” 

You saw it, the barely-there way his shoulders stiffen, before he clasped his hands behind his back, and feel the eyes behind the visor bore into you.

“We need to see the senator immediately, we’ve received intelligence that there’s been a threat made on her life.”

…Oh, was that all? You almost laughed. Though you did appreciate the man’s obvious dedication to his job.

Your eyes took in the freshly painted red on the white armor, having heard that the higher ranks of clones had adopted the marking to indicate their legions and ranks. This one had the vaguely sword-like symbol of Coruscant emblazoned boldly on his chest, while the two at attention behind him had simpler red markings.

“You must be the new Commander of the Coruscant Guard,” you said.

“I am.”

“Then, Commander, you will soon learn that there is always a threat made on Senator Amidala’s life. It comes hand in hand with her tendency to put dangerous people in their place.”

Again your keen eyes picked up on the tightening of his arms, so subtle under the armor even you almost missed it. One talent you’d learned in the Naboo royal court, was reading body language, especially the body language of those who always hid theirs. It was an even more useful skill in your new position, though you’d never thought to use it on these men. The clone was either shocked at the candor in which you spoke about the danger, or annoyed with how you were talking to him. Maybe both.

“All the same,” his tone was measured now, but you heard the hint of gritted teeth behind the polite words, “I must speak with Amidala about the threat. Personally.”

Had you not been schooling your expression like you always did here, you would have raised your eyebrows at him. You weren’t annoyed, not really, in fact, you found the way he stood his ground almost admirable. He cared about his job but…maybe it was more than that. Maybe he cared about the safety of others on a more personal level. You weren’t sure yet, but, the commander had made his way onto your list of potential allies, one you may pursue in the future.

If he was annoyed with you, there was no need to vex him further. You gave a small, respectful incline of your head. “Very well, Commander. I will escort you to her.” 

He did not thank you as you made your way around the desk and walked past them through the door, but he fell in step behind you without protest. You sent a quick message from your small wrist unit, using a code phrase that would warn Padmé to be alert.

You could practically feel the tension in the troopers behind you and normally, you would ignore it, but, if you were being honest, you liked the opportunity this gave you. To learn more about the men who were now protecting the senate.

“I did not catch your name, Commander,” you said, keeping your eyes forward.

“CC-1010.”

You actually faltered a little at that, “Excuse me?” This time you actually looked over your shoulder at him, and let your brow lift up in question. You didn’t miss the way his body shifted under your gaze.

“It’s the only name they gave me, ma’am.” His tone was just a notch lower now, another thing of note.

A number. A number, like a droid. 

That didn’t sit well with you, not one bit, but, you supposed it was none of your business, for now. “I see,” you said after a moment, then turned your eyes back in front of you. “Well, Commander, if you ever decide to take another name, please do let me know.”

“I didn’t get your name either.”

You almost smiled at that, and gave him the name you had taken when you took on the role of handmaiden all those years ago. Very few people here on Coruscant knew your birth name, and none used it. The commander would have to become an extremely close friend to ever earn that honor.

A few minutes of silent walking passed before you finally reached Bail Organa’s office. To his credit, CC-10- ugh, no, you were not calling him that, even in your head, unless he asked you to. To his credit, the Commander listened to your advice when you asked him to ring the doorbell before barging in on a private meeting.

You graciously gave an apology for the interruption when the four of you entered, then swept out of the way as the clones gave their report to Amidala. Admittedly, the threat was not quite as laughable as you had first thought it was, but it was hardly the worst one Padmé had faced, even just in the last year. Apparently a small-time thug in the mid-rim thought he might ingratiate himself to the Trade Federation by ‘taking out’ their most hated senator. He couldn’t afford the prices of the Bounty Hunter Guild and  so, had posted smaller sums of money for anyone to take should they manage the job.

Considering Padmé had survived actual guild level assassin’s for a few years now, you weren’t that concerned.

Still, you admired the troops doing their jobs to the letter, and your lady accepted the Commander’s advice of a personal Corrie Guard escort as a precaution for the coming days. It was hardly needed. You, Dormé, and Captain Typho had always been more than enough security, but, it made the clone Commander feel better, than it couldn’t hurt.

All in all the conversation was somewhat short, and soon enough the man took his leave, ordering the other two clones to stay behind with Amidala. After that, Bail, who was amused at Padmé collecting yet another enemy, said that the rest of their meeting could wait until next time. The senators bade each other a good night and you followed your lady out of the office along with the new red painted guards.

Neither of them had said a word this whole time, but you supposed that was their right. That didn’t stop Typho from giving the clones a run down of how his guard details worked, and how he wanted the clones to integrate into that routine. 

As they talked, Padmé fell back to meet your steps. “So, you’ve met the Commander of the new Coruscant Guard,” she started, tone quiet so no one would overhear you. “Did you talk to him at all while escorting him?”

“A little, he wasn’t much of a conversationalist.”

“And? What’s your opinion of him so far? Besides his lack of extroverted tendencies, that is.”

You felt the urge to bite your lip. Overall, you hadn’t spent enough time to get a decent read on him yet, but it was still odd how much of a blank slate you were drawing when thinking up your opinion. Maybe it was his armor and helmet, how not seeing his face made it harder to gauge his reactions and thoughts. Or maybe, he was almost as good as the handmaidens when it came to hiding himself through stoicism. 

The fact that you couldn’t decide which was more likely annoyed you a little.

“Honestly? I’m…not sure what I think of him yet.”

That sentiment continued over the following week. You hadn’t expected to see the man in red quite so soon, after scheduling shifts for his men to rotate in and out of Padmé’s service, you had assumed he would move on to other tasks and concerns. 

So, imagine your surprise when you found yourself once again in the Commander’s company without Padmé. 

Once again you were in her office, working on her latest project while she and Dormé attended a charity dinner, when there was a chime indicating someone at the door. Your eyes needed a break in any case, so you pulled yourself out of your favorite armchair and rubbed your eyes as you walked to the door. Then, you felt your interest piqued when you checked the security cam and saw that red and white helmet staring expectantly at the lens. Well, at least he knocked this time. He should be glad of that for his own sake, as you were in no mood for rudeness tonight.

After straightening your back and putting on that stoic mask, you opened the door. “Good evening, Commander, what may I help you with?”

“May I speak with the Senator?”

“I’m afraid she’s out for the evening, but I should be able to help with whatever you need.”

“Very well,” He reached behind him and slid a datapad from a pouch on his belt. “I’ve reviewed the Senator’s security details based on reports my men have given me. I have some changes I’d like to make.”

A sarcastic, ‘oh you do, do you?’ almost left your mouth, but you held it in, you really must be well past tired now. He held the data pad out to you and you began reading it before you even took it in hand.

“Please, come in,” you offered with a wave, “take a seat if you’d like.” You had a feeling this was going to be a long back and forth.

He said a polite “Thank you, ma’am,” as he stepped in, but did not even glance at the various chairs in the room, opting instead to stand at attention in the center of it all.

“She won’t agree to this,” you concluded after a moment, not having even scrolled halfway through the document. “She would be appalled by the mere idea of you searching her staff’s rooms without probable cause.” Another tap on the screen. “She’d also deny the proposal to lengthen guard shifts, she tries to keep them down to 7 hours to avoid stress and,” you almost laughed at this one, “and she has never allowed guards to stay in her room at night.”

“My men would never do anything inappropriate-”

“I did not say they would,” you assured with a raise of your hand, “Amidala doesn’t even let handmaidens such as myself stay in her room anymore, it’s nothing personal.” The last thing anyone needed was a corrie guard to shoot Skywalker the next time he thought he was sneaking into her room unnoticed.

The clone was silent for just a moment, his unreadable visor trained on you as you stared back. “Are there any of my suggestions that meet your approval?”

You didn’t know if he meant to say ‘her’ and mentioned you by mistake, or if he thought that you were making it your personal mission to thwart him at every turn. He meant well, you knew that, but you could picture exactly how the conversation would go if you gave this over for her to review, and you respected his time too much to waste it.

“How about this, Commander, would you allow me to tweak these suggestions into ones my lady will consider? I will try my best to keep the heart of them intact for you.”

He shifted on his feet a little, before clasping his hands behind his back. A faint crackle of his vocator said that he might have been holding in a sigh. “I suppose that’s an agreeable compromise.”

A part of you had hoped for a thank you, after all, you were taking time out of your already heavy workload to help, but you supposed the polite nod of his helmet would do. You knew you wouldn’t be able to get comfortable in your oversized chair with him standing there like a tall armored gargoyle, so instead you sat at Padmé’s desk and began typing.

Looking back, you probably should have read the whole proposal through the first time, if you had, the last bit of it wouldn't have come as such a shock.

“I’m a subject of one of your new plans?” you asked, looking up at him and allowing just a sprinkle of incredulity onto your expression.

“Yes.”

“Care to explain why I need a clone guard of my own?”

A slight roll of his shoulders, arms still behind his back. “I researched you. You’ve been in the Senator’s employ since before she came here.”

“I have.”

“And you don’t live in the senatorial apartments like the other staff. You live alone.”

“I do.”

He was silent, which only made your annoyance flare.

“And?” it came out far more snapping than you’d meant it to, and immediately you reeled the annoyance back in. Then, much more kindly, you added, “Please, Commander, speak your mind with me.”

At that, you noticed his shoulders actually lower just a bit, a controlled version of relaxing. “Isn’t it obvious? Your close relationship with the Senator makes you a target. If any of these thugs realized how close you are to her, they’d use you to get to her. I’ll have one of my troops escort you home every night and stand guard at your apartment to ensure your safety.”

Well, wasn’t that sweet. 

In truth, his suggestion actually took you by surprise. You hadn’t thought much about what living alone for the first time in a decade might mean. The condo was a new gift from Padmé, a token of her ‘thanks’ for all your years of service, a chance to have something of your own since you had lived with her since the day you stepped foot in her palace. In truth, you knew it was a peace offering, she had to change so much of her life to accommodate that tempestuous young Jedi of hers now. 

It didn’t matter that you knew the basics of their relationship, Padmé still couldn’t hold her handmaidens as close as she once did, or the secret of her marriage might be jeopardized. So she offered you your own space, your own home while she had to push you away. It had hurt, it still hurt a little, but you understood, and loved her too much to complain. She loved that Jedi and, if putting space between you and her was what she needed, then you would give it to her without question.

You hadn’t even had time to think about what living away from her might mean regarding safety.

“I’m very impressed with your work, Commander,” you admitted eventually. “You obviously take your role to heart and Amidala herself would appreciate your thoroughness. But, I promise you, there isn’t any need to waste one of your men on me. I can take care of myself.”

“I disagree.”

The annoyance came back with a vengeance- how dare he assume that-!

“Disagree about there not being a need, ma’am,” he quickly amended, and you realized your anger must have flashed across your face. “I don’t know what your personal training has been like, but all the same, my men are trained to protect and serve. Let them do their jobs.”

You allowed yourself a calming sigh. For all his stiffness, he really was trying to be polite and you supposed you could tap into your inner politician for him. 

“Please take a seat, Commander, I see no reason for you not to be comfortable while we hash this out.”

It had been nearly a month since he, the head of the Coruscant Guard, warned that senator about the threat on her life, and the way she made no changes to her daily routine was, frankly, starting to piss him off.

“What do you mean she’s still going to attend that rally!?” He hadn’t meant to yell, especially at the brother who had just gotten off a twelve hour watch shift outside Amidala’s residence. But damn it, was he annoyed.

At least the trooper didn’t seem shaken, “Sir, I expressed my concern, but she just reiterated that-”

“That ‘no one is going to scare me into hiding’ right right, so she’s said,” the Commander finished, having heard that same line several times from the woman- and her bossy little handmaiden, over the last month. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, mind wandering over the dozens of security weaknesses this rally was sure to have. Why was it so damn important that she make some speech at a gathering for- kriff, he didn’t even remember what the topic was. Not that it mattered in the end. He was quickly realizing that this willful senator was going to give him endless migraines.

“Perhaps, assigning more troops to her will help, sir?” the shinny offered, obviously trying his best to help.

“No, we’re already stretched thin, even if I hadn’t made up the schedules for the week.” At least he managed to sound less grumpy that time, it wasn’t the kid’s fault that his new job wasn’t what he’d expected. He thought he’d be out putting blaster holes in droids right now, freeing innocent civies from seppie control in a blaze of glory. Instead, he was bowing to the simpering pleas of the chancellor and corralling feral senators like cadets in their first shooting lesson.

Alright, maybe ‘feral’ was a little harsh for Amidala, and her bossy aid. Truthfully, despite their tendencies to brush off his concerns, they at least showed some respect to him and his men, more than a lot of the politicians in the building. Not that it was his place to care about said things in the first place, he had to follow orders no matter who treated him in whatever way.

He let out a sigh. “I’ll escort her personally,” he eventually concluded. 

It was the best answer, he could put off reports or the couple of hours the rally took, and his skills were more finely honed than a majority of his men, meaning he’d more than enough. 

“Dismissed, trooper, you’re off duty.”

An attentive ‘yes, sir!’ followed that, with the familiar sound of armored feet marching out his office door. The Commander rolled his shoulders and picked up his personal data pad to double check Amidala’s schedule. He’d have to let Thorn know he wasn’t going to be in during that time slot, and ask him to take on any in-house emergencies, but, other than that, it shouldn’t be an issue.

This was going to be an interesting day.

About two hours later, his shuttle was landing on the platform outside Amidala’s residence. Always vigilant, he was greeted by her personal guard dressed in traditional Naboo attire- how nat-borns felt safe wearing nothing but cloth, he’d never know.

“Commander,” Typho, the captain of her guard, greeted, “what brings you here this time?”

“I was informed of the Senator’s plans to attend that rally,” despite my warnings and advice, “I’m here as extra security,” since, apparently, I care more about her safety than she does!

Typho smirked, the skin near his roguish eye patch crinkling, “If you insist, though, if you have more important duties to tend to, I assure you, we have everything under control.”

“If my other duties were an issue, I wouldn't be here.” The words came out more flatly than he’d intended, but Typho didn’t seem bothered as he led him through the transparisteel doors into the apartment proper.

As always there were aids and household staff running about, along with that gold protocol droid who seemed to find something to fret and cry about at all hours, according to his men. This wasn’t the first time he’d been in the residence himself in the last month and, just when a particular handmaiden came striding out of the bedroom chamber with that cool collected expression, the memory of the previous time came flooding back. 

Not many people stood their ground against a man like him, but you seemed to do it as if it were nothing. He had been demanding to see Amidala, to update her on his latest information regarding the mercenaries, but you had planted yourself between him and her door like a statue. He still remembered that blank stare you gave him, that told him everything and nothing at the same time- that somehow said a rude ‘take a hike, boy’ and a polite ‘the senator will answer your concerns at a later date’ simultaneously. It was only when he had made to shove past you a third time that you told him why he couldn’t go inside yet. Honestly, if you had just said that Amidala was undressed in the first place, he would have understood! He wasn’t that unfamiliar with nat-borns and their boundaries.

Standing in the same room again now, he felt his face get a little warm at the memory, especially when you approached him.

“Good evening, Commander,” you greeted in that smooth, even tone of yours. “Senator Amidala is getting ready for the evening’s events, and wants me to thank you for your offer of extra security.”

How did she- how would you- how could either of you possibly know why he was here already? He recovered quickly enough, clasping his hands behind his back. “Just, doing my job, ma’am.”

“Would you like anything while you wait? Something to drink perhaps? Or…a lengthy report on the event hall and its security weaknesses?”

He blinked behind his helmet, unable to tell if you were joking. Ever since that late night of debating security in Amidala’s office, you seemed a little less careful with your words when talking to him. Even if he still couldn’t always discern their actual meaning.

That was another thing about you that he noticed, his own inability to puzzle you out sometimes. One moment you were all bossy, demanding answers and actions out of him in a cooler tone than most of his COs, the next you were rather pleasant, all respectful nods and considerate questions. Like asking about his name. His name, you were the first nat-born to ever ask him if he even had one.

Even after these little encounters, he still couldn’t quite figure you out, and it was honestly starting to annoy him a little.

“I already did thorough research on the venue, so there’s no need for that,” was the answer he finally settled on.

There was that polite bow of your head again, “Of course, Commander.”

“Fox.”

He almost saw your face twitch in confusion as you looked back up at him. “Pardon?”

“You said that if I ever chose another name, to tell you. I’m Commander Fox now.”

There was the smallest little lift at the corner of your mouth. “Then, I am pleased to reacquaint myself with your name, Commander Fox.”

Fox wasn’t sure if that was some particular Naboo saying or not, but he didn’t have time to wonder as Amidala came striding out of the bedchamber. Fox snapped back to attention fast, and put everything except for protocol out of his thoughts as the evening went on.

All in all, the rally had gone… well. 

Fox stood on the sidelines, scanning the perimeter, repeatedly checking the entry points, and when Amidala gave her speech he made sure no one got even an arm’s length from the podium. You and the other handmaidens were at the woman’s side the whole time, never wavering, always at attention, always watching. Seeing all four women together for the first time, and noting how they positioned themselves around the Senator, made him realize something. 

When the handmaidens moved together, they used a formation that he and his men often did. A military formation. He’d recognize it anywhere, even if the bodies were swathed in velvety cloth instead of hard armor and the hands were tucked into sleeves instead of gripping blasters. Maybe he had more to learn about the training nat-borns went through on various planets.

Oh and…had he said the rally went well? There was an amendment to that: it went well until it all went to shit.

The meeting was over and Fox waved for the senator’s group to follow him through the back room of the venue, to where the transport was waiting outside. His eyes were keen, as always, watching, searching, but even when he didn’t spot anything, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.

His fingers were just about to open the door to the outside landing pad, when your voice called out behind him. He turned and saw your brows pinched together as you pressed your finger to your ear.

“I’m not getting a response from our driver,” you said, “I think somethi-” 

He saw your eyes go wide in shock before he registered the door sliding open behind him. Fox’s body was turning on instinct, but he thought he saw a flash of silver being pulled from the velvet of your sleeve before he came face to face with a thug lifting a rifle.

Hands went to his pistols a second before the goon fired, but it was still too slow- until the thug got hit square in the chest from shot fired somewhere behind Fox. That left the Commander free to fire at the two others who where closing in on the door. The second they fell he slammed his elbow on the control panel, eyes darting across the platform to assess, even as the door slid shut.

Another punch with his hand and the door resealed itself, but it wouldn’t hold them for long. 

“I counted five,” there was your voice again, as you crouched opposite him of the entrance, holding a elegant silver blaster at the ready, “five, besides the ones we already stunned.”

“Obviously they thought they could overwhelm us with numbers instead of skill,” he heard Amidala say, completely surrounded by her guards and other handmaidens, all with blasters in hand. 

“This door won’t hold them for long,” Fox could already hear shouts and feet closing in.

That’s when he saw a mischievous kind of determination glimmer in your eyes. “Commander, if they want to trap themselves on that small platform while we hold a choke point, I say: let them.”

Despite himself, Fox smirked behind his helmet. He liked the way you thought.

“We’ll watch your back,” Typho offered, signaling his own guards to cover the only other door in the room.

“I take the left, you right?” you asked, face set, ready.

Fox gave you a second’s long look, and nodded, before he opened the door. 

The moment it hissed open there was chaos. Thankfully, the idiots on the other side couldn’t aim worth a shit. Fox had to trust that you could cover the left, which was, admittedly, not easy for him, but you had been quick enough to shoot the first gunman over his shoulder, and that gave him a little confidence.

Instead, Fox made himself focus on the two who had been trying to get the door open, their closeness making them easy pickings. Later, he might actually laugh at the sheer lack of skill and coordination the group had. He couldn't laugh, though, idiots with guns were their own kind of dangerous and he shouldn't underestimate that.

“Fox, straight ahead!” he heard you shout over the blasterfire, just as his second target fell. 

He looked up and saw a mountain sized lassat, charging at the door with a riot shield in hand, taking all their blaster shot. With barely enough time to dive out of the way, Fox didn’t even see that you had jumped up to grab a shelving unit beside the door.

Your timing was perfect.

The lassat had just barely cleared the door as you pulled on the shelf and sent it slamming into his side, the shield falling useless from his grasp. It wasn’t quite enough to fell the large man, though, and Fox- as well as the other handmaidens in the room, opened fire as the enemy rounded on you with a shout. You ducked under his large fist as the first volley of stun bolts hit him.

By Fox’s count, it took 17 shots to bring him down, and when he fell it was with a resounding thud.

Everyone held their breath for a moment, heart beat thudding in his ears. Not another shot sounded, even as you moved to sweep the doorway one last time. When you confirmed that all was clear, the room breathed again.

Fox was just about to clamber to his feet, when you walked up and extended your hand. “Are you alright, Commander?”

He grunted in reply, taking your offered hand, and felt a jolt of surprise when you hauled him up with almost no effort. A quick scan of your body assured him that you hadn’t been hit, so he turned to the room at large.

“Is everyone else alright?” Fox asked, just as he heard sirens closing in.

“We’re fine,” Amidala announced with pride, “it takes far more than a few would-be bandits to shake us, Fox.” 

“Our driver was finally able to reach us,” Typho interjected, “she managed to escape their ambush and call for back up.”

That explained the sirens. Fox pulled out the wrist binders from his belt pouch and knelt to cuff the lassat. He would have to give his report to the others when they landed, but, before they did, he had one other duty to tend to.

He straightened up, standing practically chest to chest with you as you finally relaxed and lowered your blaster. Fox liked your fire, and hadn’t misplaced his trust when he let you help him. Honestly, if today was any indicator, he’d be proud to fight beside you any day. But, rules were rules.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” his hand shot out to snatch your blaster before you could react, “but you’re in violation of code 187-24.”

“E-excuse me?!”

Fox had never seen a strong emotion on your face to date, so the look of completely anger and incredulity that crossed your face almost made him laugh.

He pushed the thought away as he waved his hands at the other handmaidens, “Neither you, or any of them are registered as personal guards in our records. Under the new Coruscant Guard Regulations, aids are not permitted to carry firearms. Now, given the newness of the codes, I can let all of you off with a warning, but this is a serious violation and further investigation may be needed.”

“Now wait just a moment, Commander!” Amidala said through her teeth as she rushed forward.

Quite a bit of squabbling now mixed with the sounds of sirens, all of it giving Fox a headache. He sighed through he helmet, honestly, he was just doing his job.

And, it was only because he was nice that he wasn’t forcing you into cuffs right there. But no one thought of that while he cleaned up this mess- the mess that also could have been avoid, had everyone just listened to him in the first place!

No one ever listened to Fox.

You should definitely be thanking him for not arresting you.

.

Tag list: @blueink-bluesoul @anxiouspineapple99 @starrylothcat @lightwise

[uwingdispatch]

Look what’s here, y’all! New hair claws!

This time around we’ve got Thrawn, Ahsoka, Padmé/The Amidalans, and The High republic!

I also finally got these Fox claws in that were supposed to come out this spring but were delayed due to a printing issue. But they’re here now!

These are all in the shop now. The Ahsoka ones are very limited stock because a bunch of them came in misprinted and have to be replaced. So if you want an Ahsoka one, get on it!

Shop is here. Love y’all.

[sithfox]

Today's snippet is from Setting Fires to Keep You Warm, part 2 (current outline has it at nine parts total). It's a few months after Fox first arrives on Coruscant.

It would be great, Fox thinks tiredly, if these damn assassins would just get the hint. He pops up from his hiding spot behind Amidala's secretary's desk and nails three goons in a row before dropping back down behind the sturdy furniture. At least he had been here checking in with the Senator's team about her upcoming travel plans when they decided to attack: preventing a kidnapping is much easier than rescuing someone.

The woman beside him is fiddling with something electronic, teeth bared as she twists two wires together and whips it at the crowd at the door. One of Amidala's handmaidens, her hood has fallen and exposed her blonde hair in disarray from Fox tackling her down behind the desk. There's a loud bang and several shrieks of pain and she smirks, pleased with herself. Fox risks a glance past their shelter and is impressed despite himself—only two of the ten mercenaries are left standing, both much more heavily armored than their colleagues. Probably the ringleaders, then. He takes a split second to run through his options and decides to trust his instincts. "Cover me," he tells the handmaiden, then rolls out from behind their shelter and throws himself towards his remaining foes.

[serpentandlily]

Sly Fox, Dumb Bunny Part VI Teaser

Sly Fox, Dumb Bunny Part VI Teaser

Eris x Archeron!Reader

a/n: here's a lil sneak peek at the next part of this series ^^

· · ─────── ·♡· ─────── · ·

To your disappointment, when you woke up the next morning, Eris was already gone—the sheets cold on his side. You let out a sigh and got up, blinking the sleep from your eyes. It was only then you realized Willow and Ivy were fretting around the bedroom, the wardrobe doors thrown open and piles of dresses on the floor.

“What on earth are you two doing?”

Your handmaidens jumped in shock at the sound of your voice before Ivy turned to face you. “Oh, Lady, you are awake! Lord Eris requested we pack an overnight bag for you.” 

Your brows furrowed in confusion. “For what?” 

They both shared a glance before shrugging but they couldn’t hide the smiles on their faces. “We can only guess, my Lady, but he did not tell us anything.” 

“Did he at least tell you where he’s taking me?” You sighed but they both shake their heads.

“No,” Willow grumbled, “Which is why we’re struggling to pack. We have no idea what you’ll need.”

But Ivy just smiled brightly. “We’ll just pack a bit of everything. That way you’ll be ready for whatever it is he wants.” 

The look in her eyes told you she knew exactly what Eris wanted and your cheeks turned red. You let out a huff of air before falling back down on your pillows. 

“Oh no, Lady, you mustn’t fall asleep again. We are to escort you to the stables in an hour's time. Willow will run you a bath.” 

You let Willow help you get ready, your mind on Eris and what he had in store for you. Willow dressed you in a long burgundy gown that had a corset styled bodice that clung to your frame and a flowy chiffon skirt. Tiny roses were embroidered along the lighter side panels of the skirt. 

Luckily, it wasn’t long before your handmaidens were presenting you to your mate who was waiting for you at the stables. 

Eris was staring at you with an intensity that had your face full of color. It wasn’t until the two of you were left alone that his infamous fox-like grin spread on his face. He was dressed finely in dark brown breeches with riding boots and a tunic embroidered with small leaves along the seams. 

“Would you like your own horse this time, bunny?”

Right, you did technically know how to ride a horse now. But you shook your head. “May I ride with you?”

“Who am I to deny a lady her request?” Eris purred, extending a hand out to you. Butterflies danced in your stomach as you took it, letting him pull you close so he could lift you onto Marigold, the horse. 

He strapped the overnight bag to the horse before he lifted himself up behind you, wrapping his arms around your body to take the reins in one hand and pulling you back against his chest with his other. Your cheeks turned pink and you let out a content sigh as the warmth from his body combatted the crisp morning air. 

Marigold started her trot into the woods and it was silent for a moment before you spoke. 

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise," Eris teased.

"I don't like surprises," you pouted.

"No?" Eris's breath tickled the tip of your ear. He moved your hair to one shoulder, granting him access to your throat. He pressed a kiss against the sensitive skin there causing a shiver to run down your spine. "Well, that's too bad, bunny. You're getting one." 

You were smiling without realizing it, so honed into the places Eris's body met yours. The morning birds were chirping, the leaves rustling in the chill autumn wind. It was enchanting. The Autumn woods were quickly becoming a sanctuary for you and your mate. You hadn't felt this happy in a long time. 

You asked Eris an endless amount of questions about the Autumn Court, his brothers and family, and his life during the horse ride to wherever he was taking you. The sun began to set, sending streaks of golden light through the openings in the leaves. It wasn’t until you saw smoke curling around the tops of the tree, that you realized you were nearing your destination. 

Soon, a small cottage nestled between the tall trees appeared. Moss and ivy clung to the outer walls, blending it into the earthy flora surrounding it. A path made of fallen leaves led towards the front door, flanked by wildflowers in various colors. The babbling of a creek met your ears as you squinting to see through the sunlight filtering in through the canopy of trees above. 

“What is this place?” You twisted your head to look up at Eris. 

“One of my personal residences,” Eris answered, staring wistfully ahead. “One few know about.” 

As you drew closer to the cottage, Eris guided Marigold to a stop. He slid off the back, keeping one hand lingering on your waist.

“And you're sharing it with me?” Another secret Eris was willingly divulging to you. He had no idea how much it meant to you. He gave you a charming grin as he helped you down. 

“There is nothing I wouldn’t share with you, bunny. What is mine is yours,” he said. He kissed the top of your head before guiding you into the cottage with a hand on your back. 

As you stepped over the threshold of the hidden cottage, the scent of aged timber and a faint hint of herbs and spices greeted you. A snap of Eris’s fingers had the wood in the fireplace coming to life. Furniture made from weathered oak and mahogany filled the room, now illuminated by the warm glow of a crackling fire in the stone hearth. A plush armchair was nestled beside the hearth, a stack of books on top of it.

In a corner of the room, a spiral staircase wound its way upwards, disappearing into the shadows above. An opening straight ahead showed a peek of a kitchen. You spun as you walked forward, taking it all in before turning back to find Eris staring at you with a small smile. 

“I come here when I need a break from my father and duties,” Eris said, surprising you once again with his candidness. “And I needed to come here today so I didn’t murder my brother for slipping that breeding tonic into your drink last night.” 

Your eyes widened. “Reid?” 

Eris nodded, his jaw clenching. “He claims he did it only to embarrass you a bit at dinner but then my mother sent you away. He says he had no idea that you’d run into those guards.” 

You rubbed your arm, looking down at the floor as the memories of last night flooded your mind. “And you believe him?” 

“I unfortunately do. That doesn’t mean he didn’t face any…consequences for his little prank,” Eris said as he walked towards you. He slipped two fingers under your chin and made you look at him. “But I want you to know, bunny, that nothing like that will ever happen to you again. Do you hear me? I will not let anything happen to you. I don’t care who I have to kill to ensure that.”

“But Eris—”

He placed a finger against your lips, silencing you. “No. No buts. I was blessed with the gift of fire and I will burn down this whole world with no remorse if that's what it takes to keep you safe. Do you understand?” You opened your mouth to rebuke his words but Eris shook his head. “I don’t want to hear any objections. They will change nothing. Just a simple yes or no, bunny. Do you understand?” 

You searched his amber eyes for something, not even knowing what you were looking for. But you knew what you found. A heavy resolve, a promise, a need to protect. And you realized in that moment that you felt all those things as well. You swallowed, audibly. 

“Yes,” you whispered. “I understand.” 

Eris grinned. “Good.”

· · ─────── ·♡· ─────── · ·

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

Behold, a bracket!

Text form below the cut because trying to copy all the 256 into the alt text sounded.... horrifying. Warning for 128 matchups, seriously, this list is long, and so I've avoided adding the artists until the polls.

a note: the pinned post has started misbehaving, so only open polls will be directly linked. closed polls instead have the results page linked in the set header, all the polls are linked from there

Set 1

The Lament for Icarus (Miao He) vs The Lament for Icarus (Herbert Draper)

The angel came to me in a fever hallucination, perched upon my bed as I returned from the bathroom. vs Sweet Brown Snail

Figures vs A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery

Happy Shoppers vs Hubble Deep Field

Lovers Painting vs Bath Curtain

Dr. Helen Taussig vs Une Martyre

Orangoutang étranglant un sauvage de Bornéo (Orangutan strangling a Borneo savage) vs Can’t Help Myself

Rape vs Technicolor Hiroshima

Set 2

A Walk at Dusk vs Based on “Autoportrait with the Model” by Maria-Rayevska Ivanova

Diary Page vs Les Jours Gigantesques (The Titanic Days)

Dead of Night vs You Won't

Christina's World vs Bobby

Untitled (I’m Turning Into A Specter Before Your Very Eyes And I’m Going To Haunt You) vs Two Sisters (On the Terrace)

Sharecropper vs Lustmord

The Parca and the Angel of Death vs Untitled (Zdzisław Beksiński)

Stress vs The Fallen Angel

Set 3

Device to Root Out Evil vs Travelling Light

Diana vs Fifty Days at Iliam: The Fire that Consumes All before It

The Plains, from Memory vs Exotic Bodies

Doubting Thomas vs Self-Portrait in the Bathroom Mirror

Empty Nest vs Somebody Fell From Aloft

Anguish vs If I Died

Cat in Obsolete Bath vs You're Not Boring Anymore

Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World) vs Untitled (billboard of an empty unmade bed)

Set 4

There Will Be No Miracles Here vs Symphony of the Sixth Blast Furnace

Fox Hunt vs Tarpaulin

Khajuraho Group of Monuments vs Ranakpur Jain Temple

ปราสาทสัจธรรม (The Sanctuary of Truth) vs Grande Panorama de Lisboa

Heroic Head of Pierre de Wissant, One of the Burghers of Calais vs The Weather

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit vs If this is art

Statue of Vincent and Theo van Gogh vs Jeanne d’Arc écoutant les voix (Joan of Arc listening to the Voices)

Fountain vs Judith Slaying Holofernes

Set 5

Cueva de las Manos (Cave of Hands) vs Cave of El Castillo

Chauvet Cave Bear vs Uffington White Horse

Laocoön and His Sons vs Winged Victory of Samothrace

Crouching Aphrodite vs Statue of Taweret

Guardian Figure vs Kūya-Shonin (Saint Kuya)

Ancient Greek doll vs Arena #7 (Bears)

Enbu (炎舞) (Dancing in the Flames) vs Yearning Shadows

Belfast to Byzantium vs Freedom

Set 6

The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayan vs Portraits

The Blood Mirror vs Nighthawks

Electric Fan (Feel it Motherfuckers): Only Unclaimed Item from the Stephen Earabino Estate vs "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)

Lady Agnew of Lochnaw vs Forgotten Dreams

Saint Bride vs Pixeles (a group of 9 works)

War Pieta vs The Sunset

The Handmaidens of Sivawara Preparing the Sacred Bull at Tanjore for a Festival vs Ajax and Cassandra

Nāve (Death) vs Abstraction

Set 7

Yes vs Meeting on the Turret Stair

Hacked to Death II vs Stańczyk

Closeness Lines Over Time vs Voice of Fire

The Maple Trees at Mama, the Tekona Shrine and Tsugihashi Bridge vs Portrait of Sir Thomas More

Survival Series: In a Dream You Saw a Way vs Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre

Death blowing bubbles vs The Kitchen Table Series

Painting 1946 vs In the Grip of Winter

Untitled (Black and Gray) vs NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

Set 8

Blue Plate Special vs Red Cedar

Palace of Fine Arts vs Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

Le Château des Pyrénées (The Castle of the Pyrenees) vs Susanna and the Elders, Restored - X-Ray

Moby Dick vs Viva la Vida, Watermelons

Venus Envy Chapter One (Of the First Holy Communion Moments Before the End) vs how to look at art

St. Sebastian vs Untitled #12

Carroña vs The invincible one

Untitled (Two Dogs) vs The Dog

SECOND HALF

Set 9

David (Donatello) vs David (Michelangelo)

The Other Side vs The Temptation of St. Jerome

Seated Woman with Bent Knees vs Starry Night

Headdress - Shadae vs Untitled for the Image Flow's Queer Conscience exhibit

Woman with Dead Child (Frau mit totem Kind) vs Les Amants (The Lovers)

Siroče na majčinom grobu (Orphan on Mother's Grave) vs You Make My World a Better Place to Find

Fighting Against SARS Memorial Architectural Scene (弘揚抗疫精神建築景觀) vs Fallingwater

Resting vs The Hull

Set 10

Olive Trees vs Worship

Glow vs Wheatfield with Crows

Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X vs Untitled (He Plays Very Badly)

D.I.Y. by John Wiswell vs The Tragedy

Judith and the Head of Holofernes vs Beethovenfries (Beethoven Frieze)

The Memory of Me (How Could I Forget) vs oh god i had a really big epiphany about love and personhood but i’m too drunk for words

I am happy because everyone loves me vs 瀕危形態 (Endangered Forms)

Three Scaffolders vs Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan

Set 11

San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk vs Water-Lilies, Reflection of a Weeping Willow

The Grief of the Pasha vs Monolith in Vigeland Sculpture Park

Passion vs Space Diner

Hamlet and Ophelia vs Two Earthlings

Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth vs Seer Bonnets

Photograph from "SNAP OSAKA" Collection vs Clytemnestra after the Murder

“Untitled” (Perfect Lovers) vs The Lovers (TIE)

Kedai Ubat Jenun vs Orange Store Front

Set 12

The Apotheosis of War vs Portrait of the Dancer Aleksandr Sakharov

Julie Manet vs Mouth

The Icebergs vs Kaleidoscope Cats III

Maman vs Caza Nocturna (Night Hunt)

The Book of Kells Folio 188r: Luke carpet page vs Ardagh Chalice

Yusuf and Zulaikha vs Dome of the Rock mosaics

Rowan Leaves and Hole vs Untitled (prisonhannibal)

Le Désespéré (The Desperate Man) vs The Dedication

Set 13

Deimos vs Dog and Bridge

The Mocking of Christ vs Prudence

The Broken Column vs Siberian Ice Maiden shoulder tattoo

Transi de René de Chalon (Cadaver Tomb of René of Chalon) vs Head of Christ

The Day vs Spirit of Haida Gwaii

Eleanor Boathouse at Park 571 vs Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban জাতীয় সংসদ ভবন (National Parliament House)

Juventud de Baco (Bacchus Youth) vs Barges on the Seine

Oath of the Horattii closeup vs Visit hos Excentrisk Dam (Visit to an eccentric lady)

Set 14

Christ Crucified (With Donor) vs St. Francis

Thunder Raining Poison vs Piazza d'Italia

The Grove vs Among the Waves

Pintura Mural de Alarcón vs Sagrada Família stained-glass windows

Noonday Heat vs La Dame à la licorne (The Lady and The Unicorn)

Matroser i Gröna Lund (Sailors in Gröna Lund) vs Gielda Plakatu

Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks vs The Garden of Earthly Delights

Kuoleman puutarha (The Garden of Death) vs Haavoittunut enkeli (The Wounded Angel)

Set 15

i've wasted a lifetime pretending to be me vs da oracle

minus #37 vs Panel from Fun Home

Excerpt from illustrated edition of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner vs La Mort de Marat (The Death of Marat)

The Veil vs Düsseldorf 4 (Museum Kunst Palast)

Capriccio vs Zodiac calendar for La Plume

The official imperial portrait of empress dowager Cixi vs José y Maria

Blooming Lilacs vs Lágrimas De Sangre (Tears of Blood)

An Interlude vs Boy Staring at an Apparition

Set 16

Mermer Waiskeder: Stories of the Moving Tide vs The Gran Hotel Ciudad de México Art Nouveau interior

Unfinished Painting vs To Arms!

Memorial to a Marriage vs The Island

Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn vs A Few Small Nips

Saturn Devouring His Son vs Guernica

Fairy Princesses vs Lamentation over the Dead Christ

Mummy with An Inserted Panel Portrait of a Youth vs Little Girl Looking Downstairs at Christmas Party

Agnus vs The Cup Of His Murders Is Flowing Over And In His Coat Shall Be Many Curses

[wangxianficfinder]

Interesting / Good Worldbuilding pt.2 (AU's only)

~*~

In Imitation of Life by travelingneuritis (E, 70k, wangxian, modern cultivation, scifi au, android WWX, tone: neon seedy, rich people are bored and terrible, post-apocalyptoc landscape, happy ending, smut, severe major characger injury, time loss)

medium blues by darkterrible (E, 193k, WangXian, Modern AU, Horror, Spooky, Opposites Attract, Fluff and Angst, Gore, Ghosts, Necromancy, Mojo’s post)

Howling by MimiSpearmint (E, 40k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Mortal Instruments Fusion, Horror, Eldritch, Domestic Fluff, Single Parent WWX, Witchcraft, Getting Together, shifter!lwj, yllz!wwx, Intercrural Sex, Hand Jobs, Angst with a Happy Ending, Switch WangXian, a bit of a degradation kink, anti-STI sex talismans, Anal Sex, Oral Sex)

Castle in the Wastes by ailuridae (abigailnicole) (T, 41k, wangxian, Howl’s Moving Castle fusion, personified Chenqing, canon typical violence)

💖 symmetry by bleuett (M, 44k, WangXian, Space, Science Fiction, Happy Ending, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Holding Hands, Blow Jobs, Hand Feeding, Cultivation in Space, Yearning, Reunions, Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Canon-Typical  Violence, Minor Injuries, Grief/Mourning, Unconventional Time Travel,  Burial Mounds)

mountains, we met by fruitys (E, 79k, wangxian, historical au, the handmaiden (2016) fusion, enemies to lovers, misunderstandings, secret identity, touch starved, sharing a bed, pining, getting together, angst w happy ending, implied/referenced suicide, suicide attempt, mental health issues, emotional manipulation, rimming, blowjobs)

Hear a song this deeply by so_shhy (T, 87k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, modern cultivation au, Kind of academia AU, Music, Kid Fic, Action/Adventure, To An Extent, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending)

My Boy Builds Coffins by enbysaurus_rex (Not rated, 48k, wangxian, canon divergence, coffin maker au, YLLZ WWX, autistic LWJ, falling in love, hurt WWX, pining, deathscapes, farmer LWJ, burial mounds settlement days, tenderness)

Wrong Turn, Right Place by diamondbruise (E, 71k, WangXian, Time Travel, kind of, modern wwx, cultivator lwj, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jealousy, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Misunderstandings, Cultural Differences, Miscommunication, LWJ Has a Big Dick, Anal Sex)

of buried things by Sanguis (M, 31k, wangxian, modern w magic, case fic, witches, magical realism, haunted house, mild gore, pining, getting together, smut, accidental baby acquisation, fluff, tentacle sex)

other earths and skies by binghecarer (T, 54k, wangxian, modern w magic, slow burn, hurt/comfort, canon-typical scars & injuries, curses, East of the Sun, West of the Moon fairy tale au, Mojo’s bookmark)

take me back to a time by DizziDreams (T, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Modern with Magic, Time Travel, Sharing a Bed, Angst with a Happy Ending, Student!WWX, Time-Traveling Wizard!LWJ, Slow Burn, Character Death, Angstreference to abuse, Canonical Character Death, Canonical Abuse, Canon!LWJ, Canon-Typical Violence, Mutual Pining, Chronic Illness, Not A Fix-It, Case Fic, implied 3zun, Transmigration, America, [Podfic of] take me back to a time by dreamhazer)

I will be chasing a starlight by feyburner, sundiscus (E, 71k, WangXian, Star Trek Fusion, Vulcan LWJ, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Eventual Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Pon Farr, Mind Meld, Fuck Or Die, Anal Sex, Hurt/Comfort)

you’re a bird in the water / i’m a fish on the ground by plonk (Not Rated, 8k, WangXian, Merpeople, Canon Era)

The Beast of Gusu series by Netrixie (T&M, 212k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Wolf WWX, Slow Burn, Fluff and Angst, Eventual Happy Ending)

A Fox Demon Fathered My Children by bonbonsbunnies (Not Rated, 26k, WangXian, Fox Demon WWX, Dragon LWJ,  Eggpreg, Mpreg, Some angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced  Fertility Issues, Implied/Referenced Unsafe Pregnancy, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Mildly Dubious Consent, Outdoor sex (almost) but Wangxian get cockblocked by the Wens, Anal Fingering, brief thigh fucking, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, Implied/Referenced Cheating (not real), unrealistic depiction of having kids, Eventual Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Fear of Abandonment)

see you yesterday by glyphic (M, 138k, WIP, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Ghost Hunters, Time Loop, Case Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn) I adore the fic see you yesterday. It could be a good fit for your world-building list. The setting starts a little lower-key, but then gets wilder and wilder.

Duel of the Twins by Theladyofravenclaw (T, 71k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, graphic depictions of violence, major character death, star wars au, scifi, each chapter is intended to be a whole movie within a trilogy, Canon-Typical Violence, Mild Gore, mild body horror, Mentions of Suicide, please take that major character death warning seriously, Angst with a Happy Ending, Yúnmèng Siblings Feels, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Angst, Dismemberment, WIP)

Ten miles of Lotus Flowers by Yukirin_Snow (M, 273k, wangxian, JC/LXC, ABO, Romance, Slow Burn, Pain, Hurt/Comfort, True Love, Pregnancy, Humor, No one dies that doesn't deserve to die, Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Angst, Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending)

~*~

[lajulie24]

Year-End Fic Recs 2022 - part 1

Every year, my fellow fanfic writers blow me away with their talent, their creativity, and their heart. I’m compiling a list to share a few of the fics I read (or reread) this year and would recommend -- by no means an exhaustive list of the many talented writers and wonderful stories, and not exclusively stories that came out or updated this year, but a place to start. Because I have a lot to say, I’ll be sharing these in multiple posts.

Fic Recs Part I: Leia Organa Has Become Unstuck in Time

One of my favorite tropes, I’m learning, is “Leia travels to the past -- either on purpose or by accident -- and tries her damnedest to fix things, while the people she meets inevitably fall in love with her and try to get her to let others take care of her for a change / make her take care of herself for at least ten minutes. With varying amounts of success.”

Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns by @chancecraz: TFA-era Leia Organa goes to sleep the night of Han’s death and wakes up in her 19-year-old body, just as 19-year-old Leia is being transported to the Death Star from the Tantive IV. *Stefon voice* This fic has everything: time travel, angst, humor, romance, Force shenanigans, unlikely friendships and surprising allies, scary parents, political intrigue, BAMF Leia Organa, ride-or-die Han Solo falling in love with Leia all over again, Bail and Breha Organa being awesome (and alive!), Luke educating others on Tatooine culture, Leia and Obi-Wan getting drunk together, dreamscape discussions between Leia and Vader, discussions of the clones and the Jedi, considerations of the fall of the Republic and the neglect of the Outer Rim, droids that make me cry, and just beautiful, complex writing throughout. It is a bit of a commitment (each chapter is often novella length or longer), has a fair amount of angst, and does include a timeline in which at least the TFA part of the sequels happened, but it’s well worth it.

The Don’t Look Back series (Like Fire in Our Bones, Blood of Our Father, and Duty Bound are the primary stories) by @this-acuteneurosis: Not long after ROTJ, Leia is grieving, having just lost Han, Luke, Chewie, and the droids while they were on a mission for the New Republic. Anakin Skywalker’s Force Ghost offers Leia a chance to go back in time to the person who could help her fix it all: a pre-AOTC Shmi Skywalker. When Leia and Shmi reconnect with Padmé on their way to Coruscant, they become part of refugee resettlement, political intrigue, Jedi business, clone rights, and much more. Includes some wonderful relationship-building with Obi-Wan and Anakin, Leia learning to deal with her power in the Force, Leia dealing with grief (or refusing to deal with grief, as the case may be), Leia trying to wend her way past Palpatine’s machinations, Threepio being important to the plot, some surprise help from Force Ghosts, Anakin getting some much-needed support, and Leia sassing a Sith Lord. Oh, and at some point you may find yourself shipping Leia and Obi-Wan (the OWK series is not canon in this story, just FYI). If you love Shmi or Padmé and the handmaidens, you will especially enjoy this series. The most recent fic, Duty Bound, is currently updating on a regular basis, but you should start from the beginning.

Shifting Sands by @chancecraz: TFA-era Leia is exploring a Force cave with Luke and ends up thrown back into TPM-era Mos Espa, where she meets Anakin and Shmi Skywalker prior to Padmé and Qui-Gon’s arrival. Told from different characters’ points of view, we see how Leia’s intervention with the two people she calls Old Man and Grandmother alters the prequel timeline and begins to change the Jedi’s approach to Anakin, their approach to the reemergence of the Sith, and Leia’s relationship with her own Force powers. Features wonderful characterization and perspectives from Mace Windu, Padmé Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and (coming up in the next chapter) Shmi Skywalker herself.

Fox and Leia’s Holiday Special by @yellowocaballero: This is a Tumblr-only fic that plays off another time-travel story by this author, Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge (which involves Clone Commander Fox and Leia connecting across time as Leia tries to avert her future and appears as a ghost in Fox’s present; also, Fox keeps waking up in the fountains in the Jedi Temple). In the Holiday Special, Leia is in prequel times and has managed to free Fox’s mind from Palpatine’s Dark Side programming and enlist him in her plot to assassinate his boss and prevent the rise of the Empire and the slaughter of the Jedi. But the recent changes in Fox -- including the fact that he is regularly seen willingly and happily interacting with a natborn Senator -- have not gone unnoticed by his clone brothers, who jump to some conclusions about his and Leia’s relationship. I love this little fic; it’s funny, tender, and has some wonderful things to say about how important a deep, platonic relationship can be, and how it can transform someone’s life. Also the power of office gossip to really throw things off.

[aylinaliens]

what historical bl aus can you recommend to read 👀 and why you never published yours 😩

historical bl aus you say *cracks knuckles* you got it. here is a list of the ones i can remember off the top of my head but i know there are a ton more i’m just not remembering right now.

and as to why i haven’t published mine: i don’t even know 😩 i currently have an aepete historical au sitting in my drafts where prince pete runs away from his bethroment and into the arms of a notorious outlaw. it was a big crossover with a bunch of other thai bl characters…maybe i should pick this back up djsjdjs but i also have like 5 more half-finished ones too not to mention all the modern royalty x body guard au’s in my drafts…

Off On A Hero’s Journey (SeanWhite — Complete, 32k): medieval au where sean is a knight and white is a prince 🥰

Thinking in Figure 8 (TeamWin — Complete, 15k): tangled au!! TANGLED AU!!!

Of Serpents and Swords (WinTeam — Complete, 20k): knight team has to slay a dragon but he ends up falling in love with him instead. lowkey a shrek au but it’s *chefs kiss*

When The Storm Comes (InKorn, WinTeam, DeanPharm — Complete, 24k): historical mermaid au?? yeah 🥺

Merely Dreams (Kuroadachi — Complete, 26k): historical/reincarnation au. the amount of research and work that went into this fic is a outstanding, but r was so good

Love Me Through the Centuries (AePete, TinCan — Incomplete, 64k): this absolute time travel arranged marriage banger has not been updated since 2020 😭 i still highly rec it though!

Heavy is the Head (AePete, WinTeam, DeanPharm — Incomplete, 12k): prince pete meets a knight in training but hides his identity. uwma + lbc au. this was last updated in may of 2022 so

Lost in Diplomacy (Wangxian + a handful of minor pairings — Complete, 90k): arranged marriage, angst w/ a happy ending, and slowburn. this monster of a fic made me go through every emotion out there.

The early bird gets the worm, the early fox gets the bird. But the dragon wakes the earliest of them all (Wangxian — Complete, 52k): let’s see we got dragonji, foxxian, omegaverse, mistaken identity and slowburn 👀

Mountains We Met (Wangxian — Complete, 79k): handmaiden wangxian au. go read it !!!!

Storms & Tempests (SaifahZon — Complete, 21k): regency saifahzon is exactly what you would expect it to be

Half Agony, Half Hope (Wangxian — Complete, 105k): persuasion!au 🥹 there are two additional one shots included in this series it was a m a z i n g

and there you have it! that is just a fraction of fics that i can recommend, i have a whole spreadsheet arranged by pairing/genre/trope so if anyone ever need recs let me know. or i can just share the spreadsheet if that’s easier. maybe i’m just the weird one for doing that instead of just bookmarking them 😅

[sugaredoleander]

looking for very specific friends

a list of media ranging from being incredibly niche to not incredibly niche but that i'm deeply obsessed with and would like to talk to someone about

the search for signs of intelligent life

subnormality (webcomic)

people watching (webseries)

legends of tomorrow

smoke gets in your eyes, from here to eternity, will my cat eat my eyeballs, the death positive movement in general, even just caitlin doughty's youtube channel

alice isn't dead

the magnus archives

i'm thinking of ending things (book & movie)

tuca and bertie

the mad ones (the musical)

compatibility is based off specifity, so i will now list some of my favourite things that haven't already been listed

movies

everything everywhere all at once

mamma mia!

promising young woman

the handmaiden

pride

fear street

the half of it

saving face

but i'm a cheerleader

kajillionaire

tv shows

killing eve

the haunting of hill house

the haunting of bly manor

midnight mass

russian doll

sense8

crazy ex-girlfriend

wynonna earp

a series of unfortunate events (also grew up with the books, which is Very evident in my writing)

derry girls

one day at a time

books

less

the secret history

this is how you lose the time war

war of the foxes

crush

music

the mountain goats

mitski

indigo girls

zolita

ABBA

some of my all-time most played songs on spotify

i guess - mitski

ghost - indigo girls

working for the knife - mitski

JUDAS - the reverent marigold

this is a life - son lux

putting the dog to sleep - the antlers

amy aka spent gladiator 1 - the mountain goats

a better son/daughter - rilo kiley

misc.

interior design & architecture

country & folk music but especially specifically lesbian country & folk music

hannah gadsby

mary oliver

lefttube

museums

dark academia

stabat mater by vivaldi but specifically the version on the talented mr. ripley soundtrack

tove jansson

dykes to watch out for

queer horror & narrative podcasts

oh. the very concept of hobbies. the artistic, the culinary, the physical, if you bounce from interest to interest & have an incessant curiosity for the world

add ten points if you are a

medstudent

lesbian

leftist

writer

ADHD-er

live in italy bc i'm (hopefully, assuming i do well enough on the IMAT*) moving there this fall & don't have any local friends *if you're also studying for the IMAT, add 20 points, i need a study buddy

do NOT reach out if you

are under 18

don't support lgbtq rights, terfs do not interact

don't support BLM

are anti-choice

in any way do not support the liberation of marginalised people

if you went through this whole list, add ten points because i talk a lot & type very fast so expect a lot of reading. and if, going through the list, you found yourself thinking, hey, i do that! repeatedly, the inbox is open, come chat!

[jaigeye]

My name is Remington, I'm a lesbian and I use they/them pronouns. I'm a writer and an artist. Find my work on AO3! Feel free to share, and check out my writing tag!

single chapter works:

nostalgia is a well intentioned wound. - leia organa & ahsoka tano. / on dagobah, ahsoka trains the grieving leia in the ways of the jedi. (reblog here.)

how to disappear completely. - jango fett & mace windu. / jango rubs a hand over his throat where his head was severed from his body. some pain lasts beyond a thousand deaths. jango is stuck in a loop that just won't stop.

things you people wouldn't believe. - vader attempts to resurrect padmé amidala. it fails. her body remains cold and dead. upstairs, a KX-series security droid stirs from its slumber. / (reblog here.)

politicians in my eyes. - fox & palpatine. / fox looks down at his armor, awash with blood. there are no identifying marks on him anymore. he's as red as Coruscant.

in loving memory. - garsa fwip was once a dancer in jabbas palace. she does not trust the new daimyo of tatooine to be any different.

heavyweight champion. - luke skywalker & anakin skywalker. / the burden of his father is the heaviest weight luke has ever carried.

blame. - commander thorn, commander fox. / thorn is dead. fox isn't-- at least not yet. a character study of commander fox. (reblog here.)

signs for people who understand. - finn & boba fett. / the story would begin as it did the last time; with a little boy in a sea of blank white plastoid. (reblog here.)

what is and what should never be. AU. - din djarin vs the xenomorph. / din djarin has been offered a lucrative job opportunity that he can't turn down. the xenomorph he's meant to exterminate proves to be a lot more than he signed up for. (reblog here.)

my hands are yours. - padmé amidala/sabé. / padmé and sabé behead anakin skywalker. (reblog here.)

the wild hunt. - the ewoks hunt the stormtroopers down on endor. horror. (reblog here.)

shadowbox. AU. - boba fett/din djarin. / (his dark materials au.) boba fett claims that he has no daemon. he's always been a good liar. (reblog here.)

been waiting so long. - beru whitesun/peli motto. / the recently widowed beru whitesun has been having issues with her moisture vaporators. peli doesn't repair farm equipment- but she might be able to make an exception just this once. (reblog here.)

the waves have come. - qi'ra & darth maul. / darth maul teaches his apprentice how to kill a sith, the same way she killed her first master. (reblog here.)

the butcher. - padmé amidala/anakin skywalker. / padmé comes to mustafar with a knife up her sleeve. she cannot let anakin live, but she can let him die. (reblog here.)

forsaking all the rest. - padmé amidala/aayla secura. / at a senate gala, padmé disguises herself as a handmaiden to eavesdrop. she spends the evening with the handsome jedi aayla secura. (reblog here.)

last night i dreamt i was dead. - padmé amidala/aayla secura. / padmé was disguised as a handmaiden when she met aayla secura. she thought her secret was safe- until the jedi was assigned as amidala's bodyguard. (reblog here.)

how to decay gracefully. - padmé amidala. / hear the grand tale of amidala, across the stars. (reblog here.)

for all who were not forgiven. - cere junda & finn. / finn seeks council with the world-weary ex-jedi cere junda who insists, despite the breadth of her knowledge, that she is not suited for taking on another padawan.

bird's eye view. - the armorer & grogu. / the mandalorian did not survive; his foundling was returned to the covert along with his memory, passed on to the last survivor to watch over him.

an instrument of memory. - din djarin & grogu. / din seeks council with the ghosts of the darksaber.

like a sibling in my arms. - fives & echo, fives & rex, fives & ahsoka tano. / fives is gone but not forgotten. (reblog here)

the gang kidnaps lando calrissian. - boba fett & lando calrissian, part of the odd times at the krayt's spa round robin series. (reblog here.)

nostalgia. - saw gerrera/ct-7567 - rex. / lost in a hostile universe, rex is hungry and alone, nameless. saw gerrera remembers him.

calm on the valley. - chirrut imwe/baze malbus. / baze is becoming one of the monks of the whills. to become one with the many, he must cut his hair. there is only one he trusts to ask for help. (reblog here.)

i will come in fast & low. - leia organa/amilyn holdo. / throughout the years of dutiful, thankless work, leia grapples with the choices she made in life. amilyn holdo stays by her side through all of it.

piece by little piece. - fennec shand & boba fett. / fennec was given a second chance at life. second chances hurt. healing isn't linear, and her wounds were grave. boba fett remained by her side throughout her recovery. (reblog here.)

the hands of a working man. - boba fett x din djarin. / Boba looks at the slopes of the Mandalorians helmet, silver and shiny as a knife, and asks him; "How many people have you killed?" (reblog here.)

multi-chapter works:

while there is still time. - boba fett/din djarin. 12/12 chapters, 83k words. / (reblog here.)

stuck in the system. - boba fett & fennec shand. 5/5 chapters, 20k words. / how boba fett survived the sarlacc pit, and the friend who saved his life thereafter. (reblog here.)

before the otherness came. AU. - obi-wan kenobi/CC-2224 - cody. 5/13? chapters, 30k words. / cody and obi-wan are knights of coruscant's round table, and it is their duty to hunt werewolves. one day the danger comes too close for comfort. (reblog here.)

just the two of us - boba fett/lando calrissian. 3/3 chapters, 15k words. / a gambler, a bounty hunter, and a heist. what could go wrong? (reblog here.)

a song for a lover of long time ago. - boba fett/lando calrissian. 4/6 chapters, 18k words. / boba and lando reconnect years after their disastrous falling out during the events of ESB. as king of tatooine, boba fett needs allies. (reblog here.)

the dark end of the street. - captain rex/original togruta character. 3/3 chapters. / when rex is given shore leave on coruscant in the aftermath of his injury, he must find his place in the world when off the battlefield. the handsome chef at 79's is happy to help. (reblog here.)

the rubicon. - fennec shand/enfys nest. 6/6 chapters, 20k words. / enfys nest swore an oath to hunt the five syndicates to extinction. fennec shand has worked for every last one of them. (reblog here.)

[deejadabbles]

The Handmaiden's Fox (Commander Fox x Reader) Chapter Two

Summary: You have been by Amidala’s side since she was the queen of Naboo and no one will shake you from your duty. Not even a handsome, red-clad commander who seems quite taken with the friendship you’ve forged. Commander Fox x fem handmaiden reader. Slow burn, friends to lovers. Rating: Mature A.N: This chapter is mostly focused on building the "foundations" of everything, setting things into motion for you and the dear commander, but I hope it's still an entertaining chapter. Jacen and Tiio are OCs that I made for this series and I have...plans for them in later chapters, so I'd keep an eye on them if I were you 💗 Word Count: 6,814 Chapter Warnings: None

Prologue /// Part One /// Part Two /// [part three coming soon]

“I’m losing my touch,” your tone was quite petulant as you threw yourself on the settee, which caused Dormé to flash you a smile.

“And what makes you say that, my dear?” she asked, not taking her attention off the sewing in her hands.

You closed your eyes, remembering just how vibrant your reaction had been during the… incident yesterday. Fox had seemed like such a good ally one moment- then the next was treating you like some common criminal, like the ones you had just felled! You weren’t sure if anyone blamed you, or even took note of your pure anger in that moment, but you had.

So, sitting here in the comfort of the sewing room in Padmé’s apartment with your friend, you could hardly bare the memory.

“I used to be so good at hiding myself, and my emotions whenever I was on the job, no matter what was thrown at me. I could stare down the angriest politician or bulking battle droid without so much as a crease in my brow. Now look at me? Shouting at that Commander like some banshee.” Another dramatic sigh, comforted by the fact that this home was one of the only places you could truly be yourself, “What’s wrong with me, Dormé?” You opened your eyes and turned your head to look at her, hands folding over your chest.

You did not miss the way she was smirking, eyes darting up to you for just a moment even as she continued sewing. “If you want my opinion as your colleague, I’d say you’re simply getting fed up with the stoicism of your position. You have been at this for over a decade, that’s a long time to keep up such an unyielding, specific standard.”

That made a little sense. Things were not nearly as restrictive as a senator’s handmaiden as they had been when you were a queen’s handmaiden, but, that hadn’t stopped you from performing the same level of care and stoicism whenever you were beside Padmé or working on her behalf. No one, not even Padmé herself would blame you for taking it easy on that front. 

Still, a part of you felt like there was something more to your recent slip ups. Something, a more recent development that was pushing the limits of your professional mask.

“And, if I were to ask your opinion as my friend instead?” You asked.

“Oh, that’s easy. Commander Fox has gotten under your skin and you don’t like it.”

You scoffed, “What? Gotten under my skin how?”

Again she did not look away from her stitches, “Think about it: you’ve met someone who’s as hard to read as you, who takes even less none-sense than you, expects just as much excellence as you, and every bit as unyielding as you. You’ve finally met a man who can keep up with you, and it’s thrown you off balance. And that has gotten under your skin, my friend. That is a large part of why you’ve found it harder to keep that emotionless facade in check.”

Your mouth opened, intending to debate the analysis, but no words came to mind. Dormé was rarely wrong, something you had always admired about her, so perhaps… In truth, you almost never met someone outside of Padmé’s staff that impressed you. Truly, impressed you, that is. You admired others, certainly, saw their strength or kindness, their wisdom or passion, admired individuals for how they made up the unique galaxy. You valued others for who they were. But, impressed you? That was usually reserved for the high standards of those you worked with.

It was a fault of yours, to be sure, your own Naboo-based pride being something of a work in progress ever since you came to Coruscant all those years ago. So, a clone commander who had no ties to your people meeting your standards unexpectedly? You saw her point.

“I think my colleague and my friend are both right,” you conceded eventually.

Dormé hummed in approval. “So, since he meets our impossible standards, we’ll have to find a way to gain him as an ally, like you mentioned before. He would be a powerful contact to add to your collection.”

She was right again. Weeks ago, after your first encounter with Fox, you had mentioned wanting to gain his trust, seeing the value in having someone of his position and loyalty on your list of allies. 

However, now, the thought of treating him as just another contact made you a little uneasy. 

You had heard the way so many others in the senate talked about the clones, as if they were…sub-human, no more feeling than their birth numbers. The last thing you wanted was to treat him like a tool to be used, no matter how useful his position could be to your inner spy.

“I’m not against having him as a potential contact, but… I think that I would like to become his friend first.”

Dormé actually looked up at you then, eyebrows raised. “My, he truly must have impressed you if that’s the case. We both know ‘friends’ are a luxury here on Coruscant, especially now.”

Another long sigh, you wanted to reply, but were too lost in pondering the weight of your own words as she finished her sewing. 

“Alright, enough talk about the Commander,” Dormé said in a mock of a business tone, “Up up, let’s see how this looks.” She rose from her chair shaking out the cape she had been mending.

You did as asked, jumping up and walking towards one of the full length mirrors in the room as she came up behind you. She draped the elegant cloth around your shoulders, smoothing it out as you fastened the elegant silver clasp at the throat.

“As always, my friend, you have done exquisite work,” you praised, turning this way and that in the mirror, “not even I can tell where the vibro blade tore through.”

“Hm, just do me a favor? Next time you want to practice combat in full handmaiden attire, wear one of the tecklon weave capes? At least those are blade resistant.”

“But that was the point, I wore this one to incentivize me not to get stabbed.”

In the mirror, Dormé raised her eyebrow at you, “I would think not getting stabbed should be its own incentive.”

“It should be, but it’s not nearly as fun.”

She laughed at that when you waggled your eyebrows back at her in the glass, but if she was going to say anything further, it was cut off when both your comlinks went off at the same time.

At this time of day, that probably meant one thing, and that was an ‘over dinner meeting’ being called. Those had become fewer and fewer over the years, as Padmé tried her best to give everyone their evenings to themselves, but it was hardly a rare occurrence. A part of you welcomed it tonight, though, the ‘meetings’ were always very casual, full of good food and playful banter between everyone who had worked together for so long. It was a camaraderie that you were missing more and more.

Since you and Dormé were already in the apartment, you took it upon yourselves to order the food and arrange the main room for everyone. Cushions and throw blankets were plentiful and opening a few choice windows allowed for a pleasant breeze to creep in. The buzz of city life filtered through just enough for some distant white noise, but not enough to be overwhelming.

As expected, Padmé and the others arrived soon enough, and all your lady had to do was give that weary look the moment she stepped in the door. You and Dormé were ushering her into her dressing room in an instant, deftly working together to get her out of the regal gown and into something light and flowing. 

While you worked at getting the elaborate array of pins out of her hair, and Dormé removed her makeup, Padmé finally spoke.

“Do you think there’s enough food to invite Jacen and Tiio to join us?” she asked, referring to the two Corrie Guards who were on “Amidala duty” this time of day.

You and Dormé shared a brief look before you said, “There should be, but the real question is whether they’ll allow themselves to eat with us. Commander Fox has them adhere to protocol rather strictly from what I can tell.”

Neither of you had to ask why she brought it up, if it was in her interest to tell you, she would. Thankfully, she was interested.

“I think we should ask them anyway. There are several things I want us to talk about, but, at the top of the list is dealing with that 187-24 debacle. I had hoped they would give us some insight on how to make amends with Commander Fox.”

“Not to mention they deserve some good food after chasing you around at senator Kreen’s event all afternoon,” Dormé grinned. Kreen was a decent man, but, was always moving, and liked to sweep Padmé along with him wherever he went during his events. The clone guards had definitely gotten their work out today.

By then, Padmé was far more comfortable and ready to settle down in the main room. The timing couldn’t have been better, just as the three of you were coming out of the dressing room, some of the household staff were bringing in the feast.

While the other two took grateful seats on the sofas, you continued through the room, to the large doors where the troopers were standing guard just on the other side.

As always the men in red were standing at attention, their posture so straight, and arms so firm as they held their rifles, they could have been statues. They didn’t dare acknowledge you entering for fear of breaking their perfect stature, not until you addressed them.

“Senator Amidala would be very pleased if you joined us for our meal,” you said in a pleasant tone, having loosened your own posture quite a bit.

The helmeted heads turned very slightly towards one another.

“That would be against protocol, ma’am,” the one on the right, Tiio, answered. 

You let yourself smile, “As I understand it, you’ve already secured the perimeter, swept the interior for breaches, and scanned the staff upon your return. With all of that taken care of, you two are free to guard any room you believe best protects the senator. I see no reason why the best place isn’t in the same room as her, especially at her request.”

There was a single beat of silence, then Jacen actually shrugged. “She’s got a point.”

You saw the way Tiio hesitated for just a moment, the way his back straightened up again the second it started to slack. “We wouldn’t be able to for long…”

“Just a quick bite, then you two can come right back to your posts if you wish.”

Tiio gave one glance at his brother, then finally nodded. “I think a quick break should be okay.”

You only gave a satisfied smile as you swept back into the main room, leaving the two men to follow in your wake. Everyone gave a companionable greeting to them, Typho even jumping up from his seat and waving for them to sit near him and Dormé. They declined, of course, but at least took off their helmets when Padmé herself handed them plates to fill.

You had seen a couple of troopers without their helmets by now, though it was very rare. The few you had seen hadn’t had any difference in their hair styles or any other feature, Tiio was no different. Standard, perfectly kempt haircut and nothing else that might stand out. Jacen on the other hand, while his hair seemed in order, there, peeking up from the collar of his undershirt, was the symbol of the Coruscant Guard. News from the front said that the clones were gaining their individuality fast now that they weren’t under the constant supervision of the Kaminoans, and you supposed tattoos were a good means of expressing that.

By the time you took your own seat, Jacen had already taken some samples of the dishes spread out on the table, leaving Tiio to look hesitant again. In way of an encouraging nudge, you told him that the nerf-fry dish was an especially good dish.

“So, are you going to tell us the real reason we’re in here,” Jacen said rather suddenly, causing his brother to gape at him.

As the rest of you gave each other glances, Typho actually laughed. “Always observant, aren’t you?”

Jacen shrugged, “It’s pretty obvious you have something you want to talk about, or else you would have just had her bring us food, like she did on our first night here. So go on, what is it?”

“Jacen,” Tiio hissed, obviously appalled by his brother’s rudeness.

Then, Padme smiled, “It’s alright, Tiio, I always encourage those around me to speak their mind. And, he’s not wrong. We want your opinions on something.”

Tiio straightened up, even as Jacen piled some food on his plate, “What can we help with, ma’am.”

“Well, I’m sure you heard about our run in with your Commander.”

“You mean when he found out your aides carry un-permitted blasters?” Jacen said around a mouth full of food.

Padmé did not miss a beat, “Yes. You see, we’ve already taken official steps to rectify the mistake, all of my handmaidens have submitted forms to be registered as personal guards. But, there’s more to it than that. We’ve caused problems for Commander Fox, and want to make a greater show of our cooperation.”

Jacen cut in yet again, “Basically, you want to get back on his good side.”

“That’s a…simple way to put it, but, yes, among other things.”

“For what it’s worth,” Tiio finally spoke up, “I don’t think Commander Fox is that angry. It just means more paperwork for him. And he has to show some sort of follow up to the incident, which has to go through official channels for warrants and all that, so, even more paperwork.”

“We may be able to help with that,” you said, an idea coming to mind. “You say he has to get warrants for his follow up, what kind of warrants?”

“Search and seizure, probably. You know, he’ll come search your residence, make sure there’s nothing else unsanctioned going on. It’s all just a show to make sure he’s doing his due diligence, I doubt he thinks he’ll actually find anything.”

You met eyes with Padmé and Dormé, a silent understanding passing between you. “And what if we offered to let him do that search without the warrant?”

Tiio smiled a little, “That would definitely cut down on the paperwork.”

“Which would help his grump levels,” Jacen added.

Padmé smirked at that, “Well, hopefully we can ease those 'grump levels'. Thank you, both of you, you’ve been a great help. And please, stay, eat with us for as long as you like.”

‘As long as they liked’ turned out to be about three more minutes, before Tiio anxiously said that they needed to get back to their post. You assured both of them that their secret snack session was safe with everyone, Fox would never know. 

When they were back beyond the door, Dormé finally gave her thoughts. “We should check with everyone, make sure all the staff are comfortable with the search, and if they are, we’ll go to the Commander with our offer.”

“If they are, I’ll meet with Fox,” you offered, “I've dealt with him one on one a few times now, he may be more amiable with me.”

Dormé gave you a knowing look, but said nothing, especially since Padmé said a final, “It’s settled then, we’ll get everyone’s consent tonight, then you can go to him tomorrow if it's all set.”

There were a lot of other things to discuss that night, and so the topic moved on. However, even as you gave your advice and solutions on the other issues, your mind would sometimes drift back to the commander. Hopefully, this show of good faith would result in Fox trusting you, or at least, getting back in his good graces. You hoped.

Fox’s cup of caf was paused half way to his lips. He had intended on enjoying his morning caf in peace, but instead, he was interrupted by something making horrendous, guttural snorts.

“What, the kriff, is that thing.”

Hound was on the ground with it, helmet off, scratching at the thing’s chin, and cooing at it like it was a baby. 

“This,” Hound hefted the creature up into his arms then shoved it towards Fox, “is Grizzer! The newest member of the Coruscant Guard,” he announced with pride. “Isn’t she adorable?”

The thing in question was still making those disgusting snorting sounds as it lashed it’s gigantic tongue out at Fox. He narrowed his eyes at the massiff and took in the creature’s scaly skin, jagged teeth, and stubby feet. If he looked really (really) hard...Fox could suppose that the thing could be in the ‘so ugly it’s cute’ category-

Then it promptly snorted and blew snot on his chest plate.

Nope, it was definitely just regular ugly.

“Why is it here?” Fox lifted his mug high into the air as it- Grizzer, tried to stick her snout in it. The guard’s break room was one of the few places he could find peace, the last thing Fox needed was a massiff tearing the place apart and shedding it’s scales everywhere.

Hound gave Fox the smallest of glares as he held the beast a little tighter, “She’s here because I want her to meet the gang! After all, she’s part of the family now, isn’t that right my good girl?”

Fox gave the pair a look of utter disgust as Hound placed a kiss on the massiff’s forehead like a doting mother. Thankfully, Hound set the creature down then, and straightened up to grin back at Fox.

“Don’t worry, she’ll melt your heart soon too, sir.”

“I highly doubt that,” he deadpanned, and was about to tell Hound to find somewhere else to bond with the beast- when the creature in question stiffened suddenly.

Grizzer’s head turned toward the little hall that led to the break room door, narrowed her eyes, then shot off towards the door with a bark.

Hound and Fox gave each other a short look before taking off after the massiff. Just before he rounded the corner, Fox’s ears prickled at the sound of a small laugh and the words, “Well, hello there,” in a voice he was starting to get familiar with.

The moment they entered the hall, Fox laid eyes on Grizzer, wagging the whole bottom half of her body with delight while you, bent to one knee, gave her little scratches under the chin.

“My my, aren’t you a handsome creature?” you cooed, face more soft than Fox had yet to see. “Are you here to protect our loyal troops from bad guys? I bet you are.”

Hound nudged Fox’s arm with a stupid grin, “See? Grizzer can melt anyone’s heart.”

You finally tore your eyes away from the massiff (who looked like she was falling in love with you right there) and nodded at the two of them, “Grizzer, is it? What a perfect name. And yours, trooper?”

“Hound, ma’am,” the Sergeant replied with delight, and Fox narrowed his eyes at his brother’s suddenly low, intimate tone. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” you said, and finally rose back to a standing position, much to Grizzer’s dismay, though she obediently came to Hound’s side with a whistle. You nodded at Fox, “Commander, I apologize for intruding, but, when I expressed my need to see you, Commander Thorn escorted me back here.” 

You waved a hand over your shoulder, and it was only then that he realized Thorn was leaning against the door frame. The other man might have had his helmet on, but something told Fox there was a shit eating grin behind it. Thorn had listened to many of Fox’s rants regarding the Amidala situation, and a majority of the rants included you. Thorn must be loving that he delivered a headache right into his break room.

He had not had enough caf to deal with all this.

It was then that Fox noticed the way your eyes were taking in his face. This would be the first time you’d seen him with his helmet, though he wasn’t sure why he cared, considering his face was the same as all clones. Under your gaze though, he felt oddly…exposed. As if you were taking apart every inch of him for inspection, as if you could read everything about him like a page from a book. He had a sudden urge to run back to his office if only to get his bucket back on his head.

“What brings you here, ma’am?” He asked suddenly, ignoring the strange awkwardness he felt.

“A peace offering,” you answered, polite as always. “Considering the…trouble we caused you with the 187-24 violation, Senator Amidala wants to show her cooperation. We invite you to search her apartments and staff quarters for anything else that might be against these new regulations. We have no intention of causing you anymore trouble, Commander, and hope that this will be a gesture of good faith.”

‘No intentions of causing trouble’ sure, Fox would believe that when he saw it. Still, he supposed it was a good offer on your end. He didn’t honestly believe that you or the others meant anything ill-intentioned, you were all just stuck in the old ways and were adjusting to the new rules. And here you were, offering to make his job easier. He supposed he could appreciate the, what had you called it? Peace offering?

“That’s very considerate of you- er, Senator Amidala, I mean. When would you be available for the search?”

“Tomorrow, 1700 hours?”

He thought for a moment, his week’s schedule flipping through his mind like a card wheel. He usually just spent that time catching up on paperwork in his office and…he had a sneaking suspicion that you knew that, and was exactly why you suggested it.

“That should work,” was all he offered in reply.

“Excellent,” you bowed your head again, “I won’t take up anymore of your time, Fox, please have a pleasant evening, we will see you tomorrow.”

A nod towards Hound, a short wave of fingers at a smiling Grizzer, and a bow to Thorn, without another word, you were gone in a sweep of your elegant cape.

“Kriff, she’s pretty,” Hound whistled.

“What?” Fox snapped, finally taking another sip of caf from his mug.

“He Said,” Thorn started in a much too loud voice, “She’s Pretty! You never mentioned that all the times you bitched about her.”

“Will you shut up?” Fox hissed, “She can probably still hear you.” With the way you always seemed to know everything, Fox thought you must have had ears like a bothan bat. “Besides, Hound thinks anything with a pulse is pretty,” he took another drink, “hence why he likes that thing,” he waved the mug at Grizzer, who tilted her head and let out a little whine.

“Don’t feel bad, Grizzy,” Thorn comforted in a simpering tone, “Foxy is just mad because that pretty little natborn is giving him more than he can chew.”

Fox let out a long, suffering sigh and turned on his heel, “I’m going back to my office, don’t bother me unless you want a face full of hot caf.”

The next day went by at a crawl, and Fox couldn’t tell if it was because of trepidation or anticipation.

Trepidation because he still wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when he got to the Amidala residence that evening. This wasn’t exactly the typical raid he performed on common criminals, after all. Then there was anticipation because at least the event would break the energy-draining tedium of the day’s duties. He was starting to dislike the middle of the week, it was always the most boring.

So, after his patrol was done, tomorrow’s schedule was posted, and he threw in a surprise bunk inspection just for fun, Fox found it hard to concentrate on paperwork while the chrono ticked by.

He would shuffle through a list of senatorial requests, then realize he was replaying yesterday’s conversation with you over in his head for the twentieth time that day. Then he’d manage to file several incident reports, only to find his mind wandering to thoughts of what he might find during the odd search. 

Finally, when he couldn’t even finish one sentence of Stone’s prisoner transfer report without thinking of how unruly Amidala’s staff might get with him, he stood from his desk abruptly.

It was still twenty minutes before he even had to think about leaving for the apartment, but, maybe showing up a little early would work in his favor.

Fox shoved his helmet back on his head as he strode out of his office and turned down the hallway to the break room. Just as expected, because Fox demanded nothing less from his men, Jacen and Tiio were already there in anticipation for their watch shift. He had told them yesterday that they would help him conduct the search in addition to their normal guard detail.

The brothers were at ease, sitting at one of the few tables in the room and sipping the sludge that Thorn thought passed for caf in order to wake up after resting from their last shift. Of course, the moment Fox stepped in they were snapping to attention, caf mugs forgotten on the table as they stood straight before their CO.

“We’re leaving for Senator Amidala’s apartment now.”

“Yes, sir!” was all they said before grabbing their buckets and falling in step behind him.

The commander briefly thought about comming ahead, to warn the staff that he was already on his way, but in the end, he told himself the surprise was a good strategy on his part. Just like the last few times he had visited, Captain Typho met him on the landing platform.

“Commander Fox, you’re earlier than we expected.”

“Is that a problem, Captain?” he asked as he and his men hopped down from the transport.

To his surprise, Typho smiled. “Not at all,” he waved a gracious arm to invite them inside, “the entire staff are already waiting in the main room, ready for the inspection.”

That made him grumble a little under his breath, here he had been hoping to see them scramble a little. He should have expected this from the tight-worked, well-oiled machine that was Amidala’s staff. 

He also should have known better than to worry about them being difficult for him. Her staff had always shown him the utmost respect and courtesy, even the stern opinionated ones like you and Dormé. Everyone, including the senator herself, was waiting calmly, standing as straight as any of his troopers would as he marched through the room.

“Commander, thank you for coming,” Amidala greeted, “we appreciate you taking time out of your schedule and allowing us to set your mind at ease.”

“Of course, Senator, I would like to get started immediately, if that’s alright,” so this whole thing can finally be off my mind, he added privately.

“Everything is all set for you and your men, please, proceed however you see fit.”

Fox wasn’t stupid, he knew it was all for show. This entire gesture was for show, really, but he was a man of protocol, and conducted the search (mostly) as he would any other. He made notes as his men went about, checking drawers and cabinets in every room, thoroughly detailing the process so his report would be as clean and cut as possible. 

Amidala didn’t even flinch when they moved to her personal bed chamber, not even when they found a few pairs of men’s clothing in a spare closet. Maybe she assumed clones weren’t the type to care about politicians and their affairs, or maybe she didn’t care about rumors in the first place. Her having some clandestine boy toy would hardly be the most scandalous thing in the senate, after all.

Lucky for her, Fox wasn’t the type to care, and if he didn’t, neither did his men, or at least, not enough to stir trouble.

Next were the staff quarters, and he had to admit, he admired their dedication to their senator, none of them even batted an eye as he asked the owner of each room to step forward while they searched. The few times he had a question to ask they were as polite and useful as always. Nothing was amiss.

When they wrapped everything up in the kitchen, Fox was satisfied. No outlandish happenings, but enough information to show that he did his due diligence following the touchy incident from the other day. 

“Please, let us know if there is anything else we can do for you, Commander,” Amidala said as they were being led back up to the main floor.

Fox would admit, he smiled a little as he said, “Oh, I’m not quite done yet, Senator.” 

They had all just reached the top floor landing by then, and he wanted to smile again as he watched her and her handmaidens turn to look at him. 

In turn, Fox singled you out with his gaze. “I still need to search your apartment, ma’am.” Alright, he would admit it, he took just a little satisfaction in watching the shock flash across your face, even if it was quickly wiped away. Finally, he had taken you by surprise for once.

He saw Amidala give you a brief look, perhaps to back you up if this unexpected turn upset you, but you seemed to never back down from any challenge.

“Of course, Commander,” you said, “would it be alright if I alone escorted you? The Senator and the rest of the staff have duties to get back to, and I would hate to keep them since it’s only my residence that remains.”

It was a brief victory, you seemed able to adjust to anything at a moment's notice, and as much as he wanted to hold it over you a bit longer, he had to admire that quality. “That will be fine. In fact, I’ll allow Jacen and Tiio to get to their regular guard duty, I’m sure I can handle the search by myself.”

You weren’t phased by that, either, you might have actually liked the idea of only one man traipsing through your apartment rather than a whole trio. Another thing he admired was that you didn’t waste his time. After a goodbye nod to Amidala and after he gave his orders to the troopers, you were both on your way immediately. 

Not far from the senatorial residents, were a few towers of nice, well kept apartments where many senate aides lived. It was close enough that travel to the official senate buildings only took a few minutes, but it had minimal security, the main reason Fox still insisted that one of his men escorted you home every night.

You didn’t say a word to him on the way there, which was fine by him, and he remained silent even as you let him inside. Compared to the senate residence, the home was quite small, though if Fox was honest, he could still hardly believe that some people had whole rooms to themselves at all. Anything that wasn’t six or more men crammed into one room seemed a little lavish to him.

The door opened into a small living space, with a sofa and holo screen. To the right was an open kitchen space, to the left, a door that led to the refresher. He gave all those areas a cursory inspection, since there weren’t many places you could hide anything noteworthy. You were his silent shadow the whole time, never impeding or interrupting, just there if he needed you. 

If he remembered his research right, you hadn’t lived here long and it showed. While Amidala’s home was covered in fine decor, you had yet to make the space your own save for a couple of paintings. That was another thing Fox found odd about natborns, the ability to make one’s space their own, to collect objects of personal taste and use them to fill space that was theirs alone. Fox didn’t have an apartment or even quarters to decorate, though he supposed he could make his office his own. He had seen many offices that belonged to senators, and they all seemed to make the spaces unique, personal. He didn’t know if that was a skill he could hone, but, maybe in the future, he would try.

“Are you an admirer of art, Commander?”

Your gentle call was what finally brought Fox out of his musings- wait, he had been musing? Fox never mused while on the job. What you had actually said finally registered with him and it was then that he realized he had stared at one of the few pictures in the home a moment too long. It wasn’t anything noteworthy that he could tell, simple paint and canvas depicting a charming looking house near a river.

“It’s a painting of my family home, back on Naboo,” you continued, before he had a chance to respond. Usually, your voice was even-toned, smooth and collected, it was still that way but Fox noted a current of warmth in it now. “I had it commissioned not long after we came here. It’s nice to have with me, for when I get homesick.”

“Homesick?” he wasn’t sure why he asked. Talking about paintings and personal feelings wasn’t why he was there, but Fox couldn’t seem to ignore his curiosity.

You pulled your gaze away from the picture to look back at him, “Yes, you know: missing home, where you came from.”

He found himself looking away, not liking that he couldn’t read what was in your eyes. What ever it was, it was an emotion totally alien to him. “I…don’t think I’ve been away from Kamino long enough to feel that way. Not that Kamino’s much of home.”

“I’ve heard…things about Kamino,” there was a hint of distaste in those words, but it faded when you said, “but home isn’t always just where you were born. It can also be your family, your loved ones. You still have many brothers on Kamino, right? I say that could make it home for you.”

You were the first natborn he had ever heard talk like that about clones. About him. Fox almost said the words that were burning on his tongue, almost agreed and started to talk about his brothers- but this was stupid. He shouldn’t be talking about home and art and family, he had a job to do, that was why he was here.

So, instead, he squared his shoulders and said, “Is your bed chamber the only other room in the apartment?”

If you were phased at all by his sudden change in topic, you didn’t bother him with it. “Yes- well, that and the closet in the bedroom.” You waved to the door between the kitchen and ‘fresher, an invitation to wrap up the investigation.

Much like the rest of the residence, the bedroom was still sparse, save for the impressive vanity and lavish looking bed. Your closet, however…Fox wasn’t sure he should be surprised, Amidala and her handmaidens were always bedecked in impressive apparel, and the closets in the main house had been stuffed full of clothing as well. He wasn’t about to go digging through the vast collection of dresses and tunics and pants, but the quick pat-down did bring a burning question back to the forefront of his mind. A question that had bugged him periodically since he saw you pull that blaster seemingly out of thin air.

“Does this conclude your search, Commander?” You asked when he stepped out of the vast wardrobe.

For a moment, he didn’t speak, instead he let his eyes look over your current outfit, looking for holsters or suspicious bulges, desperately trying to puzzle out the question himself. He hadn’t been able to before, and even with you right in front of him, he still couldn’t.

“Alright, how did you hide it?” he said, eventually.

Your brows furrowed at that. “Hide…what?”

Fox, in a very unprofessional way, jabbed a finger at your sleeve. “How did you hide that blaster? You pulled it out of your sleeve, but I never saw any sign of a holster, it would have bulged, or pulled at your sleeve, or something. I want to know how you hid it from me.”

Slowly, and very annoyingly he may add, a smile lifted your lips. It was a little smug, a little amused, and made him fold his arms over his chest as you took a step forward.

“Naboo prides itself on its craftsmanship, Commander, and our clothing is no different.” You walked past him, back into the wardrobe, “Queens and her royal handmaidens have high standards, so we only accept clothing that serves multiple purposes.” You pulled out a purple dress, holding the fabric out to him. “This, for example, is woven with treated fibers, fibers that, when crafted correctly, can help disperse the impact of blunt force.” You hung the dress back up, and switched it for a shawl the color of a sunset, “This can hold up to the slashes of any vibroblade in current production.” Then you pulled out the red number you had worn that day. “And this can reduce the damage of blaster fire. However, even with all that, the last line of defense is always a good weapon. But blasters draw a lot of attention, too much attention to a handmaiden, so we find ways to fix that too.” You rolled the sleeve back revealing a network of straps and stretching bands with a very small holster at its center. “The wide sleeve lets me hang it there, and all of this distributes the weight of the blaster, and keeps it suspended so there isn’t any pulling on the fabric.” You smoothed it back out again, the straps and holster disappearing from sight. “Completely undetectable with the human eye- which, I’ll remind you, is now within my rights as a registered guard.”

Fox almost, almost huffed a laugh at that. “Don’t worry, I won't arrest you again. I also take that to mean you have other outfits with hidden holsters?”

This time, your smirk was a little mischievous, “Oh, Commander, I have hidden holsters in all my clothing. Just like all my shoes can hide a vibroblade.”

That actually did make Fox chuckle. “Knives too? Well, you’re just a walking armory, aren’t you?”

“You’re one to talk,” your eyes darted down to the pistols at his hips, and the pouches that had various munitions tucked in them.

“At least being an arsenal is part of my job.”

“It’s part of my job too, officially now, I may remind you.”

A soft huff of a laugh that time. “Yeah yeah, don’t worry. You’re clear to carry weapons again,” he took some steps back then, and you caught his intentions, quickly moving to escort him to the door, “and with this official search to report, there shouldn’t be any other issues for you or the senator.”

“Excellent,” you let out a small breath, probably out of relief, as you walked him through your living room. “Thank you again for your time, Commander, and please, if there is anything else we can do to help you, let us know.” 

He let himself meet your gaze as you both stopped by your front door. If your eyes were any indicator, you meant every word you said.

“I don’t know if there will be anything, but, if there is, I will.”

“Good," you hesitated for a moment, but when you spoke again, your tone was a little softer, more, personal, and this time he knew you were speaking for yourself, not Amidala. "I want to be a good ally to you and your troops, Commander, please don’t forget that.” 

He didn’t know what to say to that, especially not with the tone you used. He shifted on his feet a little and you must have noticed his awkwardness, because you were quick to move the moment along.

“I hope you have a pleasant evening, Fox.”

He managed a nod as he opened the door, and before it could shut behind him he said a genuine, “Good night, ma’am.”

Tag List: @blueink-bluesoul @anxiouspineapple99 @starrylothcat @goblininawig @fanfic-addict-98 @actuallybarb

[dapurinthos]

be the serpent spoilers

:) i reread the series this last week :) rereading an artificial night this close was a bad idea :)

i did not like being right about stacy. all those fucking children, over and over again.

i am going to punch the three in the face because even though we have not yet met maeve (though i am staring hard at you, ms marcia, first sworn to an undine and now to a former undersea noble with a knowe on the seashore), i am pretty sure she’s done something to deserve it like the other two.

fuck titania. also, fuck titania. the reveals of the broken ride keep coming and, again, fuck titania. can really see why eira was her favourite.

that cliffhanger. is giving me very rapunzel vibes??? with the way toby is pregnant and essentially confined to the tower as august’s handmaiden (ugh, ugh, ugh, the language, thanks seanan, of amandine ‘doing her duty’ is really gross, 20 000 points for that) and the ‘that awful cat was lurking around the garden again’.

i’m assuming the ysengrimus are faerie’s version of werewolves, because that is the title of the epic involving the wolf, isengrim, and reynaud the fox.

but also: ‘the creation of myself and my ladies was not without consequence. the force which made us was lessened in the making, wounded, in a way, and it bled into the void without healing.’ ‘this is what i was born from, when the Heart broke.’ and the prophecies surrounding amandine’s line. is toby going to undo that crack? not faerie itself, but somehow fix the heart in a way that is a ‘betrayal of faerie’? or is she going to completely shatter it, sundering the fey from faerie and the summerlands, and leaving everyone in the mortal world?

[rivulet027]

Chapters: 4/15 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox/Quinlan Vos, CC-5869 I Stone/Feemor, CC-4477 I Thire/Dormé, CC-1010 | Fox & CC-5869 | Stone Characters: Quinlan Vos, CC-1010 | Fox, CC-5869 | Stone, Dormé (Star Wars), CC-4477 | Thire, Feemor (Star Wars), Alexsandr Kallus, Clone Commander Thorn (Star Wars) Additional Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fix-It, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, Amnesia, Survivor Guilt, Quinlan Vos Needs A Hug, Protective Quinlan Vos, Good Partner Quinlan Vos, Quinlan Vos is a Little Shit, CC-1010 | Fox is a Little Shit, CC-1010 | Fox Whump, CC-1010 | Fox is So Done, Stressed CC-1010 | Fox, Force-Sensitive CC-5869 I Stone, Force-Sensitive Clone Troopers (Star Wars), Naboo Royal Handmaidens (Star Wars), Background Relationships, Minor CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sharing a Bed, Pregnancy, Tags May Change, Past CC-1010 I Fox/Keeli Series: Part 1 of Substance and Hue Summary:

Quinlan Vos is tasked with finding the Sith that's hiding in the Senate. Fox agrees to pretend to date him to get Quinlan access to the Senate building.

[pan-fangirl-345]

Angels, Demons, and Wings Pt.1

Summary: You’re the Crown Princess of a modest, but well loved kingdom. When you’re summoned to a neighboring kingdom to meet the youngest prince, things start to happen, odd things. The prince himself is odd, but he, surprisingly, is not the cause.

TW: Swearing, there is a shit ton of politics, small mentions of death but no one dies in this, at least, no one important, and murder will be a big part of this series so if that makes you uncomfortable then you might want to leave now. There are some sexist comments made and horrible views on women in this, so be forewarned. I think that’s it. As always, if you feel that I missed anything, please let me know!

A/N: This has been floating around my head for a few months and I thought I would get it out by posting it here, so welcome to hell fools. Also, I feel the need to explain the reader’s quirk

She has wings like a dove, along with the eyesight, and she is able to fly, she also has healing abilities. She also has prophetic dreams, but she doesn’t know what they are yet, that comes later.

She was known as the Angel of Battlefields, the Queen of Foxes, and the White Dove. She known for flying over her people, healing them, known for warning her allies of coming wars and battles that had not yet transpired. She was loved by her people for raining hell upon their enemies.

He, on the other hand, was called the King of Crows, the Twin Headsman, and the Demon of War. He was known for his ruthless heart, the demon that followed him like a shadow, the way he executed his own flesh and blood. Yet his people loved him, despite it all. He was loved for the way he protected the kingdom he ruled over.

They were opposites, an angel and a demon, a headsman and a martyr, but they loved each other with everything they were. They loved each other more than their kingdoms, more than their riches, and in the end, it didn’t matter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Your Highness, the Queen has summoned you to the throne room at once.”

The handmaiden that had spoke was one of your mother’s favorites, meaning this was either going to be very very good, or exceedingly terrible.

“Alright, I’ll be right there,” you told her, laying your papers down on your desk as you fought with the gauzy skirts of the dress you had been stuffed into that morning.

Your shoes clacked as you bustled down the marble corridors of the castle, the sound resonating off the white stone.

Your kingdom wasn’t terribly wealthy, but it was rich enough to keep everyone happy.

The giant oak doors of the throne room were thrown open, and your mother was giggling with some of the courtiers on her silver throne.

“Your Majesty, you summoned me?” you inquired, kneeling in front of her.

“Ah, my darling daughter,” the Queen said, clapping her hands together, sending the courtiers scurrying from the throne room. “The King of Parindon would like to request your presence at their summer estate. His youngest son as just turned sixteen, and they’re starting to look into suitors.”

“Forgive me, but why me? Why our kingdom?”

“Because they have long standing alliances and relations with many of the kingdoms around them.”

“Except for us,” you finished.

“Precisely. Oh, get up off the floor, you’re the Crown Princess after all,” your mother huffed.

“I apologize, Majesty, but you hadn’t given me permission,” you said, curtsying to her.

“Regardless,” your mother waved her hand dismissively, “you are to be on the road by the end of the week, I have already sent ahead a letter informing them that your presence will indeed be there.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fumikage was training in the courtyard with the members of the Royal Guard when his father strode in, a letter in hand.

“Fumikage, this is for you,” his father said, ignoring as everyone in courtyard kneeled in the presence of their current King.

“What is it?” he inquired, opening it slowly.

It was clearly royal business, there was another royal seal on the front of the letter, and there was a faint scent, roses possibly, coming from the paper itself.

“A response from the Kingdom of Lomad,” his father informed him, then eyes his citizens. “You may all rise.”

“Father, is this what I think it is?” Fumikage asked as he scanned through the response.

“She’ll be here by the end of the week, so be prepared.” His father’s steely gaze landed on him as he hobbled back inside the castle. “There is a reason their sigil is a fox, my son.”

Fumikage frowned.

While it was true that he had just turned sixteen, he wasn’t sure he was ready to have a wife. He had quite a lot to learn about running a kingdom, about negotiations and wording. Most of the time, he only wanted to mull around with Dark Shadow, or be swinging a sword with the Royal Guard. And while his kingdom loved him, he wasn’t Crown Prince. He had two brothers ahead of him for the position. He wasn’t sure why he needed one now.

Most people, upon first impression, found him odd and reclusive. How would the Crown Princess of a kingdom take to him at first? Not that it matter much, if he father had anything to say about it, they would be married before she left to return to her own kingdom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You gave a small grunt as you hit another bump on the uneven cobblestone road that led to the heart of the Parindon kingdom.

You had been here a few times as a child with your father. He had been good friends with the previous King before his son had taken over. Since then, ties had become tenuous at best, and you were one wrong move away from war.

You didn’t remember much about it, you had been five at the time, and a decade later, things had changed.

You hated carriages, there were so many weak spots, and it made you feel confined. You were used to ride bareback on a warhorse or soaring through clear skies, not sitting daintily on a velvet bench in a frilly lump of dress.

“I hate this,” you muttered, trying -in vain- to un-fluff the dress you were stuck in.

“Your Highness, I apologize for the delays,” a servant said, sticking his head in the window, head bowed.

He had clearly been riding up front with the man at the reins, his face was tinted pink as he looked at you.

“It’s alright, sometimes these things happen,” you assured him, giving him a small smile.

“We’ll be there in an hour or so, Highness,” he told you.

“Alright, thank you for the update.”

Another hour stuck in this might just kill you, you decided, your wings ruffling behind your back as you tried to get comfortable again.

You reached for a book, trying to resist the urge to climb out of the carriage and fly yourself to the castle, though you had a feeling you would be shot down like a dragon from the old fairytales you had adored as a child.

“Your Highness, if you don’t mind my asking,” a courtier said, “why are you always so forgiving of such things?”

“Because it’s not their fault the weather is rather terrible. They’re simply following my mother’s orders. Besides, it’s not their fault who they were born to. None of us get a say in that. They are looked down on simply because of how they were born. It doesn’t seem fair to me,” you admitted, flipping the page lazily as you skimmed the pages of the book.

“And,” you added, “it makes me think of how I would be treated should the kingdom ever be overthrown or attacked. If I were to rule the way my grandmother and grandfather did, well, I can goodbye to my head.” You gave a small chuckle. “Kindness isn’t weakness, and neither is mercy. A kind word and some understanding can go a long way with people.”

“You truly are just, Your Highness,” the courtier said, bowed at the waist.

“Some may see it that way,” you admitted, “but others see it as a radical way of thinking. It simply depends on the person and how they were raised.”

“Are you looking forward to meeting the prince?” the courtier asked, changing subjects.

“Right now I’m focused on getting through this carriage ride with my patience intact,” you muttered. “Blasted things, I could get there on my own in half the time it took to get there by carriage.”

“But this was the safest way, Highness, to get you here without you being injured. Being uncomfortable for a few hours is much more favorable than being dead, wouldn’t you say?” the courtier asked, their fan hiding the bottom half of their face as they spoke.

“Depends,” you confessed. “There are certain times when being permanently uncomfortable seems less favorable than death.”

The courtier gave a small tinkling bell of a laugh, one that was clearly fake as you bounced along.

“Hopefully we get there soon,” you muttered to yourself, turning the page again as you glanced out the window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sire, they’re approaching the city gates,” one of the knights called. “They’re a mile out.”

“Ride out with the knights,” Fumikage’s father ordered, sitting atop his massive golden throne. “Meet her at the gates.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Fumikage replied, striding from his spot by his father’s side to the castle stables.

Fumikage, despite all of his training, was quiet nervous about meeting this girl. He had heard rumors over the past few days, some of them good, some of them bad.

He thought about them as he saddled up his favorite stallion, swinging on with practiced ease.

Some said she was ordinary, others said she was a goddess in human skin, people had even called her an angel given to her parents. They all varied, but one thing was for sure; her people adored her.

She had fought for them, soared over battlefields and protected them from people that had wanted them harmed.

She seemed like a wonderful person, but people put up fronts, they lied, and they covered things up. He wasn’t sure what she was going to be like, but, despite the odds, Fumikage had hopes that she would be somewhat decent.

This was the woman he was probably going to be married to after all.

Fukikage was brought out of his thoughts as they approached the city gates, which were groaning open to reveal a carriage.

Fumikage’s horse, White Shadow, clomped his hooves anxiously as the door to the carriage opened and a girl stepped out.

Her hair flowed in front of her face for a moment as her wings spread out behind her, blindingly white before they tucked back in against her back, making her hair settle.

This was the first look, the first of many, that Fumikage Tokoyami was getting of the girl that would steal his heart and keep it until they day they died.

A/N: Let me know what you think, but please, give me constructive criticism. 

[princelymlm]

Gotta Be LGBT+

This is a list of just some of the LGBT+ content out there. Anything on this list was contains LGBT+ characters or was made by LGBT+ creators. All entries on this list were sent in by followers and have not been confirmed by the mod. (Entries with ‘rep not given’ next to them mean that the suggestion did not include what kind of representation is in the content)

Put everything under the cut since this list started getting really long

Books/Comics

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire-Saénz (mlm)

Symptoms of Being Human (genderfluid)

Lily and Dunkin - Donna Gephart (trans/trans woman)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw/bi)

The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice and Virtue - Mackenzie Lee (mlm/gay/bi)

Been Here All Along - Sandy Hall (gay/bi)

History Is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera (mlm/gay)

Blue Is The Warmest Color - Julie Maroh (wlw/bi/lesbian)

Mask of Shadows - Linsey Miller (bi/genderfluid)

Once and Future - Cori McCarthy (wlw/mlm/gay/bi/nonbinary)

Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda - Beck Albertalli (mlm/gay)

Leah on the Offbeat - Becky Albertalli (wlw/bi)

Grasshopper Jungle - Andrew Smith (questioning/mlm)

The Rest of Us Just Live Here - Patrick Ness (mlm/gay)

Flying Tips For Flightless Birds - Kelly McCaughrain (mlm/gay)

I’ll Give You The Sun - Jandy Nelson (mlm)

Point Pleasant - Jen Archer Wood (mlm) 

True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - Gerard Way (mlm/wlw)

The Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers (wlw/aro/trans man/nonbinary/genderfluid)

Vesuvius Club - Mark Gatiss (bi)

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller (mlm)

Radio Silence - Alice Oseman (bi/mlm/demi/gay/pan/wlw/lesbian)

Of Fire and Stars - Audrey Coulthurst (wlw/lesbian)

Magnus Chase Series - Rick Riordan (genderfluid)

Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan (gay)

This Is Kind of An Epic Love Story - Kheyrn Callender (mlm/wlw)

Gracefully Grayson - Ami Polonsky (trans woman)

If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russon (trans woman)

Call Me By Your Name - Andre Aciman (mlm)

Red, White, and Royal Blue - Casey McQuinston (mlm)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nonbinary)

Dreadnaught + Sovereign - April Daniels (wlw/trans woman)

The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson (trans)

The Gone Series - Michael Grant (mlm/wlw)

One Of Us Is Lying - Karen McManus (mlm)

Six Of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (mlm)

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo (rep not given)

The Last Sun - Author Not Provided (rep not given)

Romeo and/or Juliet - Ryan North (rep not given)

American Gods - Neil Gaiman (mlm/gay/bi) 

The Mage Wars Series - Mercedes Lackey (gay)

Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Bryan Lee O’Malley (mlm/gay/wlw)

Boyfriends With Girlfriends - Alex Sánchez (mlm/wlw/bi/gay)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson - David Levithan & John Green (mlm)

This Is Where It Ends -Marieke Nijkamp (lesbian/wlw)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (mlm/trans man/gay)

The Reader Trilogy (The Reader, The Speaker, The Storyteller) - Traci Chee (mlm/wlw/nonbinary)

I Was Born For This - Alice Oseman (trans)

Heartstopper - Alice Oseman (mlm)

The Broken Earth Trilogy - MK Jemisin (trans woman/poly/pan/mlm

A Boy Worth Knowing - Jennifer Cosgrove (mlm/bi/gay)

The Rifter - Author Not Provided (mlm)

Snapdragon - Author Not Provided (wlw/ trans woman)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw/lesbian/mlm/gay)

Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters (wlw/lesbian)

Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (wlw/lesbian)

The Paying Guests - Sarah Waters (wlw/lesbian)

I Am J - Cris Beam (trans man)

Little And Lion - Brandy Colbert (bi)

Autoboyography - Christina Lauren (bi)

Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender (trans)

Birthday - Meredith Russo (trans)

Stay Gold - Tobly McSmith (trans)

You Should See Me In A Crown - Leah Johnson (lesbian)

Girls of Paper and Fire - Natasha Ngan (lesbian)

The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar (lesbian)

Let's Talk About Love - Claire Kann (ace)

The Lady's Guide To Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (ace/aro)

The Vanishers' Place - Aliette De Bodard (wlw)

Ash - Malinda Lo (wlw/bi)

The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist - S. L. Huang (wlw)

Everfair - Nisi Shawl (wlw)

Dread Nation: Risse Up - Justina Ireland (wlw/bi/ace)

The Gilda Stories - Jewelle Gomez (wlw/lesbian)

The True Queen - Zen Cho (wlw)

The Devourers - Indra Das (genderfluid/bi)

We Set The Dark On Fire - Tehlor Kay Mejia (wlw)

Smoketown - Tenea D. Johnson (wlw/lesbian)

Falling In Love With Hominids - Nalo Hopkinson (wlw)

The Fox’s Tower and Other Tales - Yoon Ha Lee (nonbinary)

Her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado (wlw)

Beneath the Citadel - Destiny Soria (mlm/gay/bi/ace)

Witchmark - C.L Polk (mlm/gay)

The Prey of Gods - Nicky Drayden (trans/bi)

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon (wlw/trans/nonbinary/intersex)

The Root - Na’amen Gobert Tilahun (mlm/gay)

Gods & Monsters: Snake Eyes - Hillary Monohan (wlw)

Labyrinth Lost - Zoraida Cordova (wlw/bi)

The Winged Histories - Sofia Samatar (wlw)

The Weight of Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw)

Huntress - Malinda Lo (wlw)

Will Do Magic For Small Change - Andrea Hairston (bi/pan/nonbinary)

The Last Chronomancer - Reilyn J Hardy (aro/ace/genderfluid/lesbian)

A Taste of Honey - Kai Ashante Wilson (mlm/bi)

Deadline - Stephanie Ahn (wlw/lesbian)

The Read Threads of Fortune - JY Yang (wlw/bi)

Not Your Sidekick - C.B. Lee (wlw/bi)

Timekeeper - Tara Sim (mlm)

Ascension - Jacqueline Koyangi (wlw)

When The Moon Was Ours - Anna-Marie McLemore (trans)

Amberlough - Lara Elena Donnelly (mlm/gay)

The Perfect Assassin - K.A Doore (gay/ace/mlm)

Afterparty - Daryl Gregory (wlw/lesbian)

Borderline - Mishell Baker (wlw/bi)

The Cloud Roads - Martha Wells (bi)

An Accident of Stars - Foz Meadows (wlw/bi/aro/trans)

The Last 8 - Laura Pohl (aro/bi)

Failure to Communicate - Kaia Sonderby (wlw/bi)

The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling (wlw)

The Wrong Stars - Tim Pratt (wlw)

Full Fathom Five - Max Gladstone (trans)

A Memory Called Empire - Arkady Martine (wlw)

Silver In the Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm)

The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie (mlm/bi/trans)

Ariah - B.R. Sanders (mlm/bi/nonbinary)

The Raven and the Reindeer - T. Kingfisher (wlw)

Planetfall - Emma Newman (bi)

Black Wings Beating - Alex London (ace/gay/mlm)

The Scorpion Rule - Erin Bow (bi)

Inkmistress - Audrey Coulthurst (bi)

Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant (wlw/bi/lesbian)

Vengeful - V.E Schwab (ace)

Blackfish City - Sam J Miller (nonbinary)

Daughter of Mystery - Heather Rose Jones (wlw/lesbian)

Stranger Grace - Tessa Gratton (bi/pan)

The Brilliant Death - Amy Rose Capetta (nonbinary)

Chameleon Moon - RoAnna Sylver (wlw/trans/ace)

19 Love Stories - David Levithan (trans/queer)

It’s Not Like It’s A Secret - Author Not Given (wlw)

Picture Us In The Light - Author Not Given (mlm)

Two Can Keep A Secret - Author Not Given (mlm/bi)

Death Sets Sail - Author Not Given (wlw)

Becoming Dinah - Author Not Given (rep not provided)

Witch Wolf series - Winter Pennington (wlw, lesbian, bisexual)

Underrealm series - Garrett Robinson (wlw, mlm, nonbinary, trans man trans woman, trans, pansexual, bisexual)

A Cloak of Red - Brenna Gawain (wlw, lesbian)

 Blood Canticles - Naomi Clark (wlw)

Podcasts

Welcome to Night Vale (mlm/gay/wlw/nonbinary)

Dreamboy (mlm/gay)

Alice Isn’t Dead (wlw/lesbian)

The Penumbra Podcast (mlm/bi/genderfluid/nonbinary)

My Favorite Podcast (trans men)

Within the Wires (wlw)

The Adventure Zone (mlm/wlw/trans/gnc/nonbinary)

Limetown (wlw/lesbian)

Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness (nblm/nonbinary)

Friends at the Table (mlm/wlw/nonbinary)

LezHangOut (wlw)

Bright Sessions (mlm/demi/ace)

Queer As Fact (historical lgbt)

History Is Gay (historical lgbt)

Always Here (historical lgbt)

And That’s Why We Drink (nonbinary)

Magnus Archives (mlm/ace)

The Two Princes (mlm/gay/bi)

Girl-ish (trans women)

The Bright Sessions (gay/ace)

TV Shows/Movies/ETC

One Day At A Time (Remake) (wlw/lesbian/nonbinary)

Love, Simon (mlm/gay)

A Single Man (mlm/gay)

Brokeback Mountain (mlm/gay)

In The Flesh (mlm/gay)

Weekend (mlm)

RWBY (wlw/trans)

Jessica Jones (wlw/lesbian)

Critical Role (mlm/gay/bi/wlw/lesbian/nonbinary/genderfluid)

Pose (trans women/gay)

Schitt’s Creek (pan/mlm)

White Collar (wlw)

Lucifer (bi)

Umbrella Academy (mlm/wlw)

Call Me By Your Name (mlm)

Brooklyn Nine Nine (mlm/gay/bi)

Steven Universe (nonbinary)

Sailor Moon (wlw)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (wlw)

Sense8 (mlm/gay/wlw/lesbian/trans woman)

Doom Patrol (?/rep not given)

Good Omens (nonbinary)

Gentleman Jack (wlw)

American Gods (mlm/gay/bi/two-spirit)

Orange Is The New Black (wlw/trans)

Blue Is The Warmest Color (wlw)

Shameless (mlm/trans)

Euphoria (wlw/trans woman)

Modern Family (mlm/gay)

Daisy Brown ARG (wlw/lesbian)

Deadpool (pan)

Deadpool 2 (pan/wlw)

Alex Strangelove (mlm/gay)

Wynonna Earp (lesbian/gay/wlw)

She-Ra (wlw/mlm/gay/bi/lesbian/nonbinary/trans man)

SKAM (rep not provided)

Gotham (bi)

The Haunting of Hill House (wlw)

The Haunting of Bly Manor (wlw)

Kipo and the Wonderbeasts (mlm/gay/nonbinary)

Billie and Emma (wlw)

Carmen & Lola (wlw)

Carol (wlw)

Disobedience (wlw)

Elisa & Marcela (wlw)

Good Manners (wlw)

The Handmaiden (wlw)

Heart Beat Loud (wlw)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (wlw)

Rafiki (wlw)

Stranger Things (wlw)

Handsome Devil (mlm)

Pride (wlw/mlm)

Musicals

The Prom (wlw/lesbian)

Be More Chill (mlm/bi)

Fun Home (wlw)

Spring Awakening (mlm)

A New Brain (mlm)

Falsettos (mlm/wlw)

Rent (mlm/wlw)

Firebringer (wlw/bi)

A Very Potter Musical (mlm/gay)

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals (wlw)

Bare: A Pop Opera (mlm)

Everybody’s Talking About Jaime (mlm/gay)

Yank! The Musical (mlm)

Octet (wlw)

Ghost Quartet (wlw)

Spies Are Forever (mlm/gay)

Willow: A New Musical (wlw)

Over And Out: A New Musical (nblw/nonbinary)

Video Games

Fallout: New Vegas (mlm/gay/wlw/lesbian)

When The Night Comes (mlm/nonbinary)

The Arcana (nonbinary)

Dream Daddy (mlm/gay/bi/pan/trans)

Dragon Age (mlm/wlw/gay/lesbian/trans/pan/bi)

Smile For Me (wlw)

Undertale (trans/nonbinary/wlw/mlm)

Monster Prom (nonbinary)

Cookie Run (nonbinary/mlm/wlw/bi/pan)

The Missing (wlw/trans woman)

Fable 2 & 3 (wlw/mlm)

Borderlands 2 (mlm/wlw/bi/gay/lesbian)

Gone Home (wlw)

Prey (wlw)

Dishonored 2 (nonbinary/wlw)

Deus Ex Mankind Divided System Rift (rep not given)

Assassins Creed Series (mlm/wlw/gay/lesbian/trans)

The Last of Us (wlw/lesbian) 

Mass Effect Series (mlm/wlw/gay/lesbian/bi)

Life Is Strange (wlw)

Overwatch (mlm/gay/wlw/lesbian)

Animal Crossing (pan)

Night In The Woods (pan/mlm/trans woman)

The Elder Scrolls (trans/wlw/lesbian)

Dreamfall Chapters (mlm/gay)

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (wlw)

In the Outer Worlds (wlw/ace)

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim (mlm/wlw)

Fallout 4 (wlw/mlm)

Hades (mlm/bi)

Obviously this list is far from complete so feel free to add to it or let me know of anything else and I’ll edit the post to add it as long as you include the category it belongs to! Be sure to include what representation it has though otherwise I can’t add it!

[tsubaki3192]

3. Maidens

[Luck Series, part 3]

[Kitsune! MC x Ikesen Various]

Part 1 | Part 2 |

-----------------

Notes: This is so overdue oh god- Forgive me? xD For those who don’t know, this is my long Ikesen fic xD

Other notes: this is a repost, bc the other link is broken... 

Tagging: @tsuki-no-usagiii @zavannahmj @nuttytani @choi-jiyu

Please let me know if you want to be (Un)tagged!

----------------------------------------

Nobunaga didn’t know what to make of you. Literally. You were strange, open, and yet somehow reserved in your own way.

(But this ‘different’.... He couldn’t say he disliked it.)

He had watched you (from above) interact almost stubbornly with his vassals and chuckled at your responses. You had spoken just loud enough for him to hear, though he did wonder what you had uttered to Masamune. His eye-patched vassal had, after all, guffawed loudly, flushing an impossibly bright red.

(Nope, this was not jealousy. Not at all. You were his, after all...)

And that spectacle you had created in the Audience hall…. He knew well that you were able to speak- He had all his higher-ranked vassal’s to prove him correct after all. Your eyes had been cold, but as he observed you trail Hideyoshi (form still frazzled), your eyes were full of mischief and life.

(But seriously, was there something wrong with him? He was a genius, that was a given, but you made him second-guess himself-)

But as you disappeared into the bathhouse, his eyes wandered away from the sight and to the town of Azuchi below.

My lucky charm, he thought, chuckling to himself, I wonder what kind of luck you’ll bring me….

------------------------

The bathhouse was quiet. Very much so, and you appreciated it. Openly stalking Hideyoshi wasn’t ideal, but he had led you to the bathhouse nonetheless, albeit taking what you thought was an hour to arrive there. And though the silence was welcoming, there remained the lingering sense of loneliness you couldn’t shake off.

(Admittedly however, you were insecure. Though of what exactly, you did not know.)

And before you had even adequately undressed yourself, there was a sharp knock on the wooden beam.

“Lady (Y/N)? May I enter?”

You didn’t reply immediately- or rather, you couldn’t reply immediately, for your inner robe had been partially removed in the preparation for entering the already-warm water. But your hesitation didn’t last long (you didn’t allow it so after all), and you returned the robe to your shoulders hastily, calling out a quiet “Come in,” to the young female outside.

The sliding door opened equally silently, and you watched as the girl (she was quite obviously physically younger than you were) placed the tray she held to the ground and kneel in front of you. With a heave of your breath, you removed the single ornamental chopstick from your hair and allowed the (H/C) colour strands to flow delicately over your shoulders. And exactly like that, you slipped into the warmth of the water.

“Milady,” the girl began, several seconds later, “if you don’t mind me asking, why are still in your undergarments?”

Your eyes, previously shut, flickered opened and revealed their stunning (E/C) colour. The girl, however, gasped and bowed her head, uttering rapid-fire words of apology. Your lips curled upwards into a small smile, before raising your hand and waving her words off.

(Humans never could satisfy their curiousity, and you thought you might as well provide an answer. It was amusing, to say the very least.)

“Please, do not concern yourself: It is merely the idea of privacy I enjoy, that is all.” You paused, blinking slowly, “Though if you do not mind, I would like to know your name?”

The girl appeared surprised for a short moment before raising her head and smiling widely at you.

“Of course! My name is Himiko. I’ve been assigned to be your handmaiden by Lord Nobunaga and Lord Hideyoshi. It’s a pleasure to be in your service, Lady (Y/N).”

You returned the smile kindly (How could you not, when she was so innocent; when her smile was so pretty?), and thanked her; the girl taking the gesture as a sign to approach you. You scanned the tray of goods, eyeing the contents curiously. It was an elaborate gesture of goods, including a single flask of saké, a single sakazuki and a comb. Block soaps of various scents and colours littered the black and red tray, wafting gently to her sensitive nose.

Himiko’s hands were kind on your knotted hair, gently shrugging away the knots that tangled your hair. And the soap that was subsequently slathered through the same damp locks smelt wonderful: Citrus and Jasmine… Or something along those lines anyway.

Minutes passed in silence, save for the slight clinking of the alcohol against the wooden floorboards or the flask. Several minuscule bubbles had found their way into your flask, but you ignored the bitter taste of the soap (...If it could even be called that? The bubbles were flat…) for the burning sensation of the alcohol. Nihonshu, you knew, was neither beer, wine, nor spirit, though it contained nearly just as much alcoholic content as the latter (18% for Nihonshu, you remembered, compared to 20% in spirits).

“Lady (Y/N)-”

“Please,” You began, furrowing your eyebrows through your small smile, “Could you address me by name? It feels almost… strange to be addressed in that manner.”

But words of denial fell from her lips rapidly, uttering something along the lines of “I couldn’t possibly do that!” and “But you’re a guest of Nobunaga-sama’s!”.

And you just sighed. Why does hierarchy exist again?

Your sakazuki had dropped from your fingertips and now lay overturned in the bathwater, it’s colourless components mixing freely with the warm water. Your hand gripped the handmaiden’s wrist loosely, the latter gasping in shock.

“I’m so sorr-”

“Please. Just address me by name, even if it is solely in private. I understand, yet disregard the issues of the hierarchy, so I would truly appreciate it if you would address me by my name.”

Your expression once again softened as she agreed hesitantly. And you released her hand, relaxing once again into the water as she rinsed your hair of the soap suds.

“Lad- Ah, (Y/N)-san, shall I leave you to your bath? Be assured that I will wait outside for you. Just call for me if you need any help.”

Your reply was a quiet nod, fingers freely wading through the water. The gesture of privacy was something you had to thank- Your fur was just as filthy as your hair had been, and maintaining the illusion of an unmarred body was just as annoying. (And to be fair, you suspected it was something you would have to keep up for as long as you remained in this era.)

And as soon as she exited, you willed yourself to your full kitsune form, though your form had been shrunken enough to comfortably fit into the bath (that was to say, the size of a small Arctic fox, given the lengths of your tails…), and began rinsing your fur from the dirt of your last mission back in your true time.

I wonder what will happen in this ‘future’ of mine?

----------

Elsewhere, Hideyoshi collapsed rather ungracefully against the cushion provided by Nobunaga in his tenshu. The said daimyo had called upon his most loyal vassals to accompany him in the tenshu. And despite the said ‘casualness’ Nobunaga had mentioned, the warlords sat in the identical layout to the Audience Chamber. Stiff and formal.

“Is something the matter, Hideyoshi-sama?”

It had been Mitsunari who had questioned his rather unusual behaviour- One the warlords was sure he would never display in front of their Lord, and perhaps themselves. Ieyasu grumbled, expression falling into one of dislike, and something told Masamune he would more than likely be refused treatment.

(Something along the lines of “You need to look after yourself better. Caring for you as a result is a pain.”)

“Perhaps he’s become frail? I’d hate to-”

And only chuckles could leave Mitsuhide’s lips when Nobunaga’s right-hand man gave him a glare as a response. (He had reacted in the exact way the Kitsune-like man had predicted.) But Hideyoshi had sighed immediately afterwards, recognising the statement for what it was- Teasing.

“I’m suddenly exhausted…”

(Secretly, you had been siphoning his physical energy as you had trailed behind him. And it was only his physical energy. You were well aware you could consume his life force if you wanted to, but you didn’t- An indication of your interest to the man, to say the very least.)

Again, a chuckle vibrated through the air, though this time the sound had aroused from their raven-haired lord.

“I would suspect that is the result of my lucky charm?”

Hideyoshi’s eyes landed on his Lord’s lazed form and sighed, nodding his head in agreement.

“It is so.”

Beside him, Ieyasu huffed in response, silently wondering just what she had done to exhaust a warlord whose stamina was much larger than her own. (Silently though, he was slightly amused by the information.) And yet his own green eyes refused to meet Hideyoshi’s own when they turned to him.

“So what are we doing with this Lass?”

If Ieyasu was one for hidden amusement, then Masamune would be the one who expressed it openly. He, too, had chuckled, though his one eye remained fixed outside and at a sakura tree. And when the others followed his line of sight, they found you seated beneath the drifting flower petals eagerly patting-

“Is that Shogetsu?”

“Wasabi?”

Masamune’s pet tiger had seemingly approached you, quickly followed by Wasabi (Ieyasu had suspected his ‘emergency food supply’ was keeping watch over the said tiger). The deer’s head had been laid in your lap as your right hand slid down the fur over her head gently. But the baby tiger swatted at your other hand playfully, nibbling against your finger every once so often when he caught them.

And you- You had a quiet smile over your face. The edges of the deep red kimono had been rolled up to your elbows as you toyed with the tiger in amusement. And you knew, without a doubt, he belonged to Masamune: they were rather similar, after all. (Though just where exactly he had received the tiger was something you simply couldn’t fathom.)

But the warlords just watched your interaction with the maid seated beside you, the latter quietly shying away from the leaping cat in what could only be classified as fear.

---------------

The days passed quietly.

True to your word, you spent the daylight shifting through a cycle of napping, ingesting food (snacks or otherwise) and amusing yourself with the maids and servants the frequented your room for (rather unnecessary) services. Games of Go and various card games lay over the short table in the room, in preparation for the next round- Whatever that new game would be. Rarely did you exit the room; and when you did, it was never to anywhere else than the bathhouse and the toilets (which were almost nothing more than holes in the ground, but whatever works, right?).

Your early evening and nights were spent by the doors facing the garden; your only company being Kitty, Mitsunari’s beloved cat, brought to you by Masamune’s own ‘kitten’. Her fur was soft- Much softer than you imagined, considering Mitsunari’s innate ability to not even look after himself (something you had discovered when you were searching for the castle library the same day you arrived... And to be fair, you suspected it was the work of a maid or the like). The same pile of books (if they could be called that) now lay in a small pile by the door.

(You were itching to return them, but your curiousity on how much longer they would permit your unhealthy behaviour overpowered that will.)

“(Y/N)?”

The gentle voice belonging to Himiko resonated through the door after a sharp knock. But your head had already been turned towards the door expectantly: Days of a single repetitive cycle had proven Pavlov’s theory to be correct, it seemed. (The sun had just appeared over the verandah and an indication for lunch-)

“Himiko? You may enter.”

And truth to be told, there was another scent you had detected. More than likely belonging to Hideyoshi again. The said warlord had hounded you the previous day as well, claiming he was highly concerned for your lack of physical movement and social activity. (And though it was quite the task to remain at a standstill for hours on end, the mere concern he had for you was endearing.)

“Hideyoshi,” you greeted, not bothering to turn back to face him. Your handmaiden gasped, though the warlord only furrowed his eyebrows before quietly shaking his head. You had always been like that whenever he visited and as such, this was nothing new.

“It’s unhealthy to remain cooped up in a room for this many days! Especially for a young lady like you!”

(If only he knew of your true age…)

The mother-like warlord was near furious now (you had quickly learnt of his somewhat short temper-), despite his only few-minutes presence. But you only sighed, gratefully receiving the tea from Himiko with both hands.

“It’s a little different today…”

“Of course! I had Masamune specially make this for you!”

… For the sake of ‘my’ health, is what she heard at the end, though it was not stated by the male in question. His expression had told her all. That was, the intense, watchful eye as she carefully ate, savouring both taste and texture. It was nothing more than salted, grilled salmon alongside a bowl of miso soup, steamed rice and some steamed Sengoku-period vegetables. (Simple, but it did it’s job, you supposed.)

“Hm… Masamune, huh? It’s pretty good.”

And Hideyoshi just sighed, knowing that your stubbornness would not permit his exasperation to affect you (though what he didn’t know was how difficult it was for you to not react… Stubborn or not, you were that sort of person after all…). And he took several deep breaths (you had to be proud of that: You had awoken several nights from the call of “Not again!”, followed by Nobunaga’s deep chuckle) to calm himself down.

“It’s really unhealthy for you to remain cooped up in this room. I hope you’re aware of that.”

He had repeated himself, knowing of the terrible reputation you had built yourself over the past week. And you just frowned. (To be fair, you could honestly care less, but reputation seemed to be everything in this era….)

“I am, though all I have done is follow Nobunaga’s”- Hideyoshi frowned at the lack of respect- “orders. He requested that I be his ‘Lucky Charm’: one that would remain on display… Or so to say.”

Your shoulders raised itself in a slight shrug. It really didn’t matter to you, so long as the drama kept you amused for some time (which, you wished, was long- You always had a knack of boring yourself after some length of time). Hideyoshi could only frown with a million things to say. But before he could even begin, there was a sudden knock on the door following your statement, followed by a call of her nickname.

“Lass?”

Much to your amusement and prediction, the tiger-loving warlord had been waiting patiently outside, alongside the scent of gunpowder- the kitsune-eyed Mitsuhide.

“Oh?” Masamune’s voice began, “Subjected to Hideyoshi’s motherly instincts, are you, princess?”

Deadpanning, you turned towards the voice and narrowed your eyes at him.

(Oh look. A snake.)

“Unfortunately. And hello to you too, Mitsuhide.”

Your handmaiden had turned to bow towards Masamune, but stiffened at the sight of citrine eyes gazing upon yourself. Naturally, the warlords ignored her (quite rude, if you thought about it) and made their way over to your side without the slightest acknowledgement of her presence. Your eyes rolled as you suppressed a light growl, irritated at the sudden accumulation of bodies in your allocated room.

(It wasn’t that the room wasn’t big but both warlords had sat so near, a sudden sense of claustrophobia had overcome you.)

Minutes of silence passed as you quietly consumed the meal. And though Mitsuhide had kept his trained eye upon you, Masamune and Hideyoshi had

“What is it, Mitsuhide? Watching someone eat must be utterly interesting- You keep watching me… Unless you wanted some?”

You snickered to yourself, sarcasm dripping past your lips easily, as Masamune shook his head sadly. He must’ve had known something about the pale warlord-

“We don’t talk about how Mitsuhide eats.”

It was Hideyoshi who had spoken, a sigh dripping from his lips. Your eyes flitted over to meet the fox’s gaze, before rolling them and continuing your meal.

“I’m not sure I’d like to know.”

“Oh how you wound me!”

And you just huffed, rolling your eyes at the mysterious- and dramatic- man. (What a tease he was, and it wasn’t as if you hated it- It was the opposite, really.)

“I’m sure it’s a truly interesting story, but I’m currently eating, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish before the chaos from your description begins.”

Your expression formed to one resembling a deadpan as you continued to eat otherwise expressionlessly. And the warlords just stared at you, eyes slightly wider than usual. You could sense their gaze, but you ignored them as you gratefully savoured Masamune’s cooking.

(Like usual though, Mitsuhide had been the first to relax, a chuckle leaving his throat and snapping the others from their stupor. It was highly amusing- or entertaining, for your case.)

----------

“You know,” you began loudly, sometime later, “there are too many people entering and exiting my room… Sometimes even for the strangest reasons: Like straightening that vase, for example.”

Your words had been spoken sharply, mercilessly and pointed towards the vassal who had been shifting vase’s position without much care. Yes, he was a vassal- the callouses on the interior of his hand and the various scars that littered the backside was enough to inform me of his duties. (Blade scars they were. Had they been blacksmith scars, there would be lesser thin cuts in place of the misshapen splotches from heat.)

And the vassal froze, awkwardly chuckling as he slid out from your room. Your eyes, however, had landed upon a very much surprised Hideyoshi before trailing off to a chuckling Masamune and Mitsuhide.

“It’s pretty transparent you don’t trust me.”

Your lips parted and gave way to a quiet sigh, as you quietly finished the bowl of miso soup Masamune had provided you.

“But I don’t really care about that, Hideyoshi, because I know that even if I say that the truth is I have no ill intentions towards anyone in the castle or the town below, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

Shaking your head lightly, you returned the bamboo soup spoon to the wooden tray and closed your eyes. Hideyoshi had been watching your behaviour with that same silence as Masamune questioned your thoughts on his food. Truly, you had him stumped. He hadn’t expected that level of carelessness to be combined with that level of observation.

(Well, he knew it was obvious, but he hadn’t expected you to pick up on his orders that quickly…)

“I did warn you of the possibility she would notice, Hideyoshi.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you!” Hideyoshi spat, pointing an accusing finger in Mitsuhide’s direction, “The kitsune who didn’t even provide any suggestions!”

Snickering slightly, your gaze turned to Masamune who had been pouring you tea from the pot on the tray. Gratefully accepting the gesture, you took a sip and savoured the taste before parting your lips to speak. Your eyes shone in amusement.

“You know, the fact that they’re arguing over this just further proves my point? I’m aware it’s a one-sided argument considering Mitsuhide’s currently being wordless, but it proves my point just the same.”

Your tone held a combination of that lingering mischievous grin, playfulness and was that… irritation? Masamune’s blue eyes were drawn towards your lips, suddenly overcome with the intense desire to kiss the expression from your face. You had noticed this of course, and your lips curled into a displeased frown as you reached up and flicked him on the forehead with your thumb and middle finger.

“Please don’t…”

Your statement had been muttered beneath your breath but it had been clear by the expression of dislike and discomfort written across your face. It wasn’t the notion of kissing you disliked, it was simply the thought of… well, romance in general. Romance was something you would never come to like, no matter how much you felt for that person; no matter how much they felt for you.

And as always, there were reasons for that.

And as always, the reasonings weren’t pleasant in the slightest.

Quietly sighing, you stood, lifting the tray as you did so. Hideyoshi was right. It was time for you to leave the discomfort of your provided room and to discover the whereabouts of the castle’s kitchens… Just in the case you wanted to make your own snacks.

Just in case.

Anyhow, you had exited your room silently with Masamune tagging along curiously, leaving the bickering couple behind in your room. He trailed behind you like a lost puppy, dodging past maids and footmen alike. It was amusing to watch, whenever you could see through the passing shine of the nearby vases. Your destination was the kitchens, though you were certain you had no clue as to the location. And so you wandered down the hallways, up and down the stairs; left and right, passing many - perhaps hundreds - of castle staff in your seemingly fruitless search.

It took you twenty, utterly confusing minutes to arrive at the kitchen.

There were far too many people in the castle for you to keep up with, let alone the number of food-related scents that wafted through the air. In addition to that, Masamune had unrelentingly trailed behind you, laughing- loudly, at that- making you instinctively growl in irritance.

(You were wrong, it seemed. Mitsuhide wasn’t the one who would come under your skin- It’d be Masamune-)

And you sighed anyway, walking over to the assumed ‘sink’ and instinctively begin hand washing the dishes left by the sink with the cloth and Sengoku-era soap. Standing by the door, Masamune just smiled at the sight of your domestic instincts (much similar to his) and just watched your cute, concentrating expression.

… that was, until he was disrupted by a sudden maid.

(You were also absolutely certain, given the strange looks she gave you, that she wondered what on Earth you were doing in the castle kitchens as an individual ranked higher than she was-)

The unnamed maid had been responsible for the midday snacks to be provided to both the warlords and the princess- You. Sensing the newfound figure in the room, you turn to glance at the individual before shrugging to yourself and continue on, hoping the silence would remain at least until you finished.

But atlas! Nothing ever goes your way, does it?

It hadn’t even been 10 minutes since she had entered the room that there was a grunt of pain… Well, it wasn’t so much of a grunt as a rather loud “Ow!”. Turning around, your eyebrows furrowed themselves, and you approached her cautiously. (You could smell the blood, but-) Without a second thought, Masamune had disappeared down the corridor in search of Ieyasu’s medicine room.

You rolled your eyes in response.

“Um,” you began timidly, mentally kicking yourself in the face, “Do you mind if I have a look at that?”

“Ah. Uh- Milady! I’m f-fine-”

“Nonsense!” You exclaimed before faltering, “It’s better to have immediate treatment than none.

“Nonsense,” you uttered a little louder; a little less unconfident-sounding, “Getting an injury treated earlier is much better than later.”

Glancing to the right and at the table beside you, your eyes spied the blade she wielded and sighed. She was carelessly slicing meat, too. (You could’ve sworn she was making snacks-?) And without much of a warning, your fingers found their way to her non-dominant hand and grasped it, lifting the wound up to your eyes.

“Is there any saké in here that I can use?”

The maid grimaced, obviously biting her lip through the pain, and nodded to the shelf just behind you.

“I do believe there is some on that shelf second from the bottom-”

But you had popped off to retrieve the jar, a bowl and a clean knife, sniffing the air quietly as you went. Setting the items down on a cleared section of the table, you proceeded to tear the sleeve of your kimono from it’s rightful location with the knife, swearing to repair the damage at a later date… If you remembered, that was. Slicing the piece of fabric in half, you soaked the fabric in a bowl of saké and began cleaning the wound intricately, recalling the numerous times you had repaired your own body with the same techniques as the maid whimpered at the sting.

“Hey,” you began suddenly; softly breaking the silence, “can you do me a favour, and close your eyes?”

The maid nodded, though perhaps more in fear of your report to other warlords than in fear of your actions. And once you were certain her eyes were shut tight, you allowed your eyes to return to their golden colour and your forefinger-tip to glow a pale, blue light. Tracing the finger along the wound line, you watched as the wound glowed slightly before stitching itself together and fading into nothing but smooth skin.

Another wound healed…

(The truth was, it wasn’t as much of ‘healing’, as much as it was reconstructing instead…)

And before you could allow her to walk free, your previously-glowing hand disappeared up your sleeve and created a short stick from thin air. Binding the stick to the ‘injured’ thumb, you wound the remains of the fabric strip around the stick before tucking and tying the fabric in a cute bow.

“Alright. You can open your eyes again. Just… Make sure you leave it dressed for a week. Don’t worry about replacing the dressing or anything. It’ll be fine.”

The maid nodded, racing off to report to whoever was necessary.