#the cloud is called hera..... of course...

[hauntingblue]

Kiku I will avenge you. There will be not a stone unturned. Not a man unharmed. I do not care if kanjuro is dead this is something else. What the fuck.

[heartsforvin]

Can you write a story about vinnie reacting to y/n changing her hair color? :)

CHANGE

thank you for the request !!! <33

pairing: vinnie hacker x fem!reader

warnings: cussing, use of pet names, overall fluff

summary: vinnie reacts to you changing your hair color for the first time

over the course of a few weeks, you’ve been debating on changing up your hair color. you’ve never dyed your hair before, so it would be your first time for the change.

your boyfriend, vinnie, had dyed his hair twice, at least what you’ve seen and what he’s told you.

once a brown-ish black hair color and once red. he had shown you pictures, both being before you two got together.

when you saw the first one he showed you, you smiled and told him he looks really good with the color.

that’s when he asked you if you’d ever dyed your hair, or even thought about it. you shrugged and told him it would be nice for a change.

“i think if you did like a maroon type of color it would look gorgeous on you, baby.” he told you as he caressed your cheek.

you leaned into his touch and kissed his palm. you weren’t sure if you were going to fully commit to the process yet, but you knew your boyfriend wouldn’t mind either way.

◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡

the minute you woke up the next day, you had your mind made your mind and decided to surprise vinnie.

he had a pretty busy day and you had never given him a full response as to if you were actually going to dye your hair or not.

so the minute vinnie had kissed you goodbye and left, you were on your way to get everything you needed.

once you had gotten everything you needed, you quickly made your way back to your shared apartment with vinnie.

the minute you stepped in the door and took your shoes off, you immediately made your way to your room.

you had changed into an old shirt of vinnie’s, along with shorts, just in case things got a bit messy.

grabbing your speaker, you finally made it to the bathroom to begin the process, hera following behind you.

the cat meowed and you smiled at her. “gonna surprise your dad when he gets home,” you say to the cat as if she can reply. “i hope he likes it.”

you play your music and started to dye your hair the maroon color you and vinnie had talked about.

as you colored strand after strand, your mind kept racing, wondering what vinnie would think once he actually saw it.

he was the one that told you the color would look good on you, but that still didn’t stop the thought of him not liking it from clouding your mind.

after about an hour, you had finally gotten every strand of hair colored. you double checked to make sure you got everything, smiling when you saw the color.

wasn’t too bright, but wasn’t too dark either. vinnie would love it, now you’re sure of it.

you cleaned up the bathroom, luckily it was a pretty easy cleanup. there was very minimal dye on the counter so it was easy to wipe it down.

once having everything cleaned up, you laid down to watch movies with hera as you waited for vinnie.

◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡

“baby,” vinnie says softly as he strokes your cheek gently. “i’m home, pretty girl. wake up.”

you stir awake, smiling when you see your boyfriend in front of you. “hi, baby.”

vinnie smiles as he kisses your cheek. he moves so you can sit up on the bed. you don’t remember falling asleep, but vinnie did say he’d be gone most of the day and to not wait up.

hera climbed up onto your lap too, she nuzzled her head into vinnie’s hand, making him smile.

“oh i’m sorry, princess,” vinnie said sarcastically to hera. “i’m home.” he says, kissing her head.

you laugh at the way vinnie talked to the cat. “what are you laughin’ at?” he asks with a teasing smile.

you shook your head, not responding. instead, you reached over and turned the lamp on. vinnie hadn’t noticed the dimly lit room, too busy petting hera.

“baby,” you call out, fixing your hair so it looked less sleep-like. “look.”

vinnie turned his head and gasped when he saw the change of color in your hair. “holy shit. you did it.”

you giggle with a nod to your head. “i did, hera even watched.” you smiled.

vinnie threaded his fingers through your hair. “it looks amazing, sweetheart.” he compliments.

you smile and grab his hand in yours. “thank you, vin. i was afraid you wouldn’t like it, even if you did say this color would look good on me.”

“don’t like it?” he asks in shock. “you look so fucking good with it, i love it.”

you laugh and hug the boy in front of you, so happy he loves the new change in your appearance.

he kisses you softly and you squeezed his hand in yours. once the two of you pulled away, you smiled at each other as vinnie caressed your cheek.

“you look so good, baby,” he tells you as he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. “i love you, no matter the color of your hair, the way you do your makeup, the way you dress, i. love. you.” he tells you, punctuating each word before kissing you again.

you can’t help but smile immensely at the boy in front of you. “i love you, vinnie. thank you for loving me the way you do.”

he shakes his head. “don’t thank me, sweet girl. i’ll always love you, no matter what.”

i’m tryna get caught up w my requests , i’m sorry it’s taking so long 🙁

i hope you all liked this tho, and thank you for the request again !! <3

tags: @cosmicanakin , @anqeliclust , @42internetgirl , @visualbutterflysworld , @lovelysturnioloos , @leqonsluv3r , @bernelflo , @nottsbabydoll , @defnotayonna , @supabhad , @kriissy4gov , @kayleighh , @violet0182 , @jpg3 , @0strawberrysorbet0 , @lovingsturniolo , @thesebitcheslovesosadotcom , @hallecarey1 , @laylasbunbunny

[jgracie]

ELECTRIC TOUCH . . . cabin one headcannons

masterlist | rules

warnings zeus (sorry)

an im gonna be doing these for all the cabins cz i have a lot of ideas in my head LOL but in order of numbers so sorry hecate kids

on the radio electric touch (taylor swift), thunder (imagine dragons), she’s thunderstorms (arctic monkeys), skyfall (adele)

In my head, there are two types of Zeus demigods: lightning and thunder 

‘Lightning’ are the ones with (literally LOL) electrifying personalities, representing the Zeus a lot of their parents probably fell for. They’re fun loving party animals and are down for almost anything. Not to the extent of a Hermes or Dionysus kid, but definitely up there 

‘Thunder’ are quiet and level-headed, showing more of the ‘ruler of the Gods’ side of their father. They have a royal-esque aura to them and carry themselves with confidence and pride. Despite not doing too much to frighten others and mostly keeping to themselves, people still know to stay respectful and that they’re a force to be reckoned with 

The two seem like polar opposites most of the time and have people questioning how the same God could create such different kids, but they actually have a lot in common

The main trait all Zeus kids share is an extreme calling to leadership. Just like how their father saved all his elder siblings from their father’s stomach and became their king, they feel the need to be in charge and make sure everyone’s okay

They are also incredibly good at it. Zeus kids are always the people to go to when you need a pep talk or some words of motivation. Even the ones who perceive themselves as more pessimistic have it in them

A lot of people believe Zeus kids have a minor form of charmspeak because of how good it is, but they don’t

When they’re leading a cause they’re excited about, or if they just have a lot of energy in general, their energy tends to rub off on others like static. Once one person gets it, it's passed along and all of a sudden everyone’s hyped

While their leadership is a good trait to have, it can become obsessive and unhealthy, turning into perfectionism as they want to control every aspect of their life. A severe need for control in all aspects of life is a common fatal flaw for Zeus kids

All of Zeus’ kids could have the ability to fly, but they have to actively try in order for it to happen. If they’re afraid of heights (like Thalia), it just won’t

They can also jump really high. They say it comes naturally, but in reality they just use the air to propel themselves up LOL

The main power associated with Zeus kids is, of course, electrokinesis. They all have it, but it takes them a while to be able to fully control it and harness it to its full potential. They can usually summon lightning no matter the weather conditions, but it tends to be more powerful the more clouds there are in the sky 

Multiple Zeus kids could also create a chain-reaction of sorts with their lightning powers (kind of like that one Pikachu scene in the og Pokemon)

Since metal is a good conductor of electricity, I’m gonna make an assumption and say so are celestial bronze and imperial gold (I know gold is really low on the reactivity series but shh), which means Zeus kids could just wield a weapon of pure lightning if they were in the mood

Some of them have control over clouds/can create clouds. Obviously not to the extent of their father’s powers (like how he made a whole fake Hera out of clouds), but they could use clouds to obstruct people’s vision and make fun shapes for little kids 

Zeus’ children also have an EXTREMELY ACCURATE gut feeling. Extremely accurate in caps because it's that good. Theirs is the only one that could rival Apollo’s kids. Somehow they just know everything

If you asked a child of Zeus what it’s like, they’ll say something along the lines of some random voice randomly appearing in their head and telling them something

It sounds kind of creepy, but it's not. They could just be staring at two people they’ve never met and immediately think, “she’s gonna confess this afternoon,” or something. This ability is especially powerful with the weather. They always know deep down what the weather will be like as soon as they wake up

The sky could be dark grey with thunder rumbling in the background and, as long as a Zeus kid says it won't rain that day, you wouldn’t need an umbrella. This is an ability that becomes pretty handy during quests

Very scary when they’re mad. Ares kids are scared of them when they’re mad. They go quiet and grunt a, “I’m fine,” if you ask them if they’re okay but you can tell they’re angry from the way their eyes seem to get darker and people’s hairs stand on end when they pass by them

#1 grudge holders and believers in payback. Especially if someone hurts the people they love. A lot of their lives were negatively affected by their father’s carelessness towards people he claimed he loved, so they vow to never do the same

If you genuinely believe a Zeus kid has let you off the hook after you did something to upset them, you’re so wrong and I’m scared for you

Anyways love you Zeuserinas please take care and remember you don’t have to be perfect all the time & its okay to rest every once in a while

[anniflamma]

Can i ask why hera is so covered? 🤧

I have different themes for why Hera is covered. It mostly represents her marriage with Zeus. Her design is heavily influenced by the tradition that ancient Greek married women veiled themselves. They wore something called a himation. Although the himation was unisex clothing, women wore it more tightly. Sometimes it covered the hair, but usually, it was the mouth they covered. It was a kind of status symbol. Of course, in real life, the himation they wore was much looser than I depict on Hera!

Zeus and Hera’s designs are the opposite of each other. Zeus is practically naked and moves around freely in the clouds, expanding into different shapes. Meanwhile, Hera is confined. She, of course, takes up space with her heavy veil, but only those below her, smaller. She can never take up space from Zeus.

[photogirl894]

@clonexreaderbingo

Square: "I love you"

Yay, my second bingo one-shot! This time, for Captain Howzer! This is my first time writing for him, so I hope I do the good Captain justice! 😊😊 Enjoy!!

“Hera? Hera! Hera! Where are you, child?” 

You cried out for the young Twi’lek girl in your charge as you wandered outside on the top balcony of the Syndulla household, wondering where she had wandered off to. The child was always getting into mischief along with her C1 unit Droid, who you swear had more sass and attitude than the girl herself. You’d done your daily lessons with her and then let her be so you could prepare dinner for her as well as Cham and Eleni, the girl’s parents, who would be expected to return soon. Of course, of all the times for Hera to disappear, it had to be just before her parents came home. Though, they most likely wouldn’t be surprised, but even still, it was embarrassing for you to appear as though you’d lost their daughter. The sun was just beginning to set, coloring the sky a deep gold and orange, and you hoped you’d find Hera before it got too dark.

Looking around to the courtyard and beyond the wall of the estate, you called out again, “Hera! Chopper!” When no response came, your hands came up to your hips as a groan of frustration escaped you. “Where has that girl and her Droid gone to now?” you asked aloud. You had checked all through the house and there was no sign of her. She’d better be outside somewhere.

At the start of the Clone Wars, you were hired by the Syndulla’s to be the governess for their daughter since one or both of her parents were constantly away, especially with Cham Syndulla’s involvement in the war as well as the liberation of Ryloth. You were a simple woman who had come to Ryloth for a new start after you had lost your family to a famine on your home planet. The Syndulla’s seemed like a good family who had nothing but their people’s best interests at heart and you found there was never a dull moment with them, especially with the fiery-spirited Hera, who was on the verge of her young teenage years. They paid you and treated you well and gave you your own room in the house to stay in; you really felt like you were part of their family some days.

Then off in the distance, you managed to spot a small cloud of dust and heard the faint revving of an engine. Your eyes narrowed, trying to make out the shape coming in your direction. It was a speederbike. After a few seconds, you spotted a familiar shade of teal against the gold of the sunset sky behind him which brought a smile to your face.

It was him…Captain Howzer.

He was a Clone captain over a squadron of troops that had been sent months ago to help the citizens of Ryloth after they were liberated from the Separatists. He had also personally been assigned to serve with Cham Syndulla and his family. He had been to the Syndulla home many times. Sometimes to retrieve Cham when he was needed for a battle of some kind, to check on the wellbeing of the family or to bring Hera back after she’d scampered off somewhere…which you could tell was the reason for his unexpected visit this time as you then spotted a smaller figure peek out from behind him, her green skin and lekku illuminated by the sun. 

Seeing them approaching the outer wall, you ducked out from the upper balcony, made your way through the house and went outside to meet them. Howzer drove in through the gate and brought the speederbike to a stop in the courtyard. You saw Hera slide off the back of the bike and Chopper, who had been magnetized to the very back, jumped off using his thrusters, chirping in greeting to you and waving his little mechanical arm like nothing was wrong.

“Oh, don’t act all innocent with me, Chopper,” you chided him as you walked towards them. Then you looked to Hera. “Hera Syndulla, where have you been? Your parents will be home anytime now.”

Before Hera could answer you, you all heard the sound of a shuttle approaching and saw it come zooming in overhead. It was Cham’s personal shuttle. You had a feeling he and his wife were going to question why you all were out there and possibly why Howzer was there unannounced. The shuttle came in for a landing inside the courtyard and you shielded your face from the exhaust. Within seconds, the Syndulla couple disembarked their ship.

“Well…we have quite the welcoming party, my dear,” Eleni remarked to her husband as they came your way.

“So it would seem,” replied Cham. “What are you all doing out here…and what brings you by, Howzer?”

You opened your mouth to explain what had happened, but Howzer answered first, saying, “Hera needed help replacing a part for her Droid, sir, so I offered to take her to find what she needed while (Y/N) got things prepared for dinner. We only just got back. My apologies if I overstepped.”

“Not at all. That is perfectly fine,” said Cham.

Your eyes widened slightly at Howzer and you grinned a little to yourself. He had covered for you as well as Hera…for probably the twentieth time, at this point. He was far too kind and noble…and that was why you loved him.

It hadn’t taken long after Howzer had come to Ryloth for him to catch your attention and for you to catch his. He was incredibly handsome, even with the scars on his chin and his cheek, and he thought you were beautiful beyond compare. There were many stolen glances when any of the Syndulla’s weren’t looking, secret meetings when Hera was in bed and her parents were still out and a couple lingering touches of your hands when you stood by each other. After a couple months of getting to know each other, growing closer and subtly flirting, you had finally kissed Howzer during a night alone and you both decided you wanted to be together. You weren’t sure if Cham and Eleni would approve of your relationship, so you tried your best to keep it a secret and act cordial around each other when they were present. However, you’d caught some knowing looks from Eleni a couple of times. Either you and Howzer weren’t being as discreet as you thought or Eleni was much more observant than you gave her credit for, which was already a lot. Eleni Syndulla was a sharp and witty woman that you admired a great deal. She most likely knew of your relationship with Howzer, but she’d never said anything, which gave you the idea that she didn’t mind or she approved. 

To quickly move the conversation along, you spoke up, saying, "Supper is ready for you all in the dining room."

Eleni then looked to the Clone Captain and said to him, a grin on her face, "You will join us for dinner, won't you, Howzer?"

"Thank you, ma'am, but I wouldn't want to impose, especially since I'm here unexpectedly," he replied.

"Nonsense, you would never be an imposition to us," she said back. Then she smiled even more. "Besides, I'm sure our lovely governess made plenty of food for everyone."

Of course, Eleni made it a point to say you were lovely…but you simply said politely, "I did, yes. There will be enough for you, as well, Captain."

"Please stay and eat with us, Howzer!" cried Hera excitedly. 

Seeing all the women were staring at him, Howzer stole a look at Cham. The Twi'lek leader just shrugged and said, "The ladies have spoken, Captain."

"I guess they have, sir," he said. Then he agreed, saying, "Very well."

Pleased with his response, Cham and Eleni went into the house with Chopper following behind them. However, you stopped Hera as she tried to go after them.

"Now, where were you really, young lady?" you questioned her in a low voice, your eyebrows raised and your hands on your hips. 

Hera laughed sheepishly and told you, "Uh…I went to go find Uncle Gobi…because he told me if I could get away, he'd take me flying. Howzer found me instead and brought me back."

You let out an exasperated sigh. "Gobi really is a bad influence on you. You're both gonna get me in trouble someday," you commented. You gave her a pat on the head. "Go on, troublemaker, go wash up for dinner."

Hera ran off up the stairs and into the house, leaving you and Howzer alone.

"I honestly think Eleni knows about us," you commented to him. 

He chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised. She's an intelligent woman."

"Though, she hasn't said anything to me, so...I'm assuming she's okay with it?" 

"She'd better be…because I would fight for you and for us if she didn't." He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to your lips, giving you butterflies in your stomach and what he had said. "Let's go, I'm dying to have some of your cooking."

Dinner went well with the Syndulla’s and Howzer complimented what you had prepared…multiple times, even. Howzer was never really around for mealtimes, so this was a very rare occasion to have him there. He too fit in well with the family dynamic. 

As you were clearing the table, the Captain stood up, took up his helmet underneath his arm and stated to the room, "Thank you for the meal. It was very appreciated. I'll go ahead and leave you now for the evening." 

"As you wish, Howzer," Cham responded. Then he said to you as you took his plate, "And (Y/N), you may have the rest of the evening off. Eleni and I will handle getting Hera to bed."

"Oh! Are you sure, sir?" you asked, surprised. 

"I'm sure. You've worked hard today, especially after preparing this meal for all of us," he said. "Go, have some time for yourself tonight."

When he turned away, you snuck a look at Howzer, who had stopped in the front doorway when he heard Cham tell you to take the night off. He grinned at you and quickly motioned with his head outside, signaling to you that he'd wait for you, and then closed the door.

"I appreciate that very much, sir," you said gladly to Cham. "I'll go on a walk after I get the dishes."

You took the dishes into the kitchen to clean them, but found yourself intercepted by Eleni, who took the dishes from you. 

"I will handle dishes, dear. No more work for you tonight," she told you. "Go enjoy your walk." Then she leaned in and whispered, "Enjoy your time with the Captain."

When she came back, she winked knowingly at you. It was certainly now safe to say that she definitely knew about you and Howzer.

Gratefully, you smiled back and replied, "I will, ma'am. Thank you."

You grabbed your jacket from your room and retreated back downstairs. You bade Hera goodnight and gave her a kiss on the forehead before heading out the door. The sun had gotten lower in the sky to where it just a soft light, the sky covered in pale pink and purple. Howzer was standing by his speederbike in the middle of the courtyard and a pleased grin crossed his face at seeing you. You broke into a run down the steps and leapt into his arms, throwing your arms around his neck. He caught you with ease and spun you around, chuckling in your ear. 

"Let's get out of here," he suggested. 

"Yes, please," you replied, already halfway on the back of his bike. 

He got onto the bike and started it up. You wrapped your arms around his waist and the two sped off into the endless deserts of Ryloth. You rode on for a while until you came to a cluster of rocks in the middle of the desert; a spot where you and Howzer had escaped to many a time.

He helped you off the speederbike and you immediately found yourself in his arms, his lips connecting with yours passionately. 

"I'd hoped I'd get you to myself tonight. I've missed you," he said, referencing that it had been a couple of days since he'd been able to see you. 

"I've missed you, too," you replied. 

You kissed him once again before he pulled out a blanket from the back of the speederbike. Then he laid it out on the ground for you and you sat down upon it. Then he took the time to remove his armor, stripping down to his undersuit, before joining you where you snuggled up close to him in his arms. The two of you laid back on the blanket and looked up to the sky, seeing that the pinks and purples were growing deeper in color and you could see a sea of stars beginning to appear as night was approaching. The two of you gazed up at the stars without saying a word, the beating of his heart drumming in your ear.

Finally, after a long while, you heard him ask, "What do you think will happen when the war is over? What will happen…with us?"

"I don't know," you said. "I don't know if the Syndulla’s will still need me when Cham no longer needs to fight for Ryloth…and you'll probably be shipped offworld because the Clones won't be needed either." You nestled up closer to him, your arms snaking around his waist. "What are we going to do? I don't…I don't want to lose you, Howzer."

Howzer sat up, pulling you up with him, and looked steadfastly into your eyes. "You won't lose me, babe," he promised, laying his hand on your cheek. "I don't know what our future holds for us when the war is done, but I do know this: when that time comes, wherever you choose to go in the galaxy, I will always be at your side."

You reached up and grasped his hand on your cheek, leaning into his gentle touch. "Do you really mean it?"

"Of course, I do," he said, kissing you long and slowly. His forehead tenderly touched yours when he pulled away. "I love you."

This was the first time those three words had been spoken between the two of you and a quiet gasp escaped you at hearing them. When you pulled back to gaze into his eyes, you found there wasn't a hint of any lie or uncertainty in them at all. He meant what he said truly and irrevocably. Though, you knew you shouldn't question him. Howzer would never lie to you. He was always honest in everything when it came to you. There was no reason for it to end here. 

"I love you, too," you told him back with a smile. "Even when you're no longer a Captain and I'm no longer a governess, I will always love you and we'll always be together."

There, under the starry desert sky of Ryloth, you and your beloved Clone Captain promised that no matter what happened in the future, you would always have each other and that was all you would ever need to be happy. 

Clone x Reader Bingo 2023

[heliads]

Can you write Jason x Daughter of Hecate? Both of them are on the Argo 2 btw. Jason is dating Piper but he starts to fall in love with the reader who already likes him? She also has a bestie who is a daughter of Hermes. Reader is a recrenation of Helen of Troy, who is put into an endless cycle of heartbreak but when she meets Jason the cycle gets broken. But she is really afraid of falling in love. Sorry if I am being to specific 😭😭

there is no such thing as too specific!! in fact the more details i see in a request the more excited i get.

masterlist

You wouldn’t expect a massive celestial bronze trireme to feel quite as cramped as it does. That’s no insult to Leo Valdez, chief engineer and designer extraordinaire, of course— this would happen to any ship, any vessel, that happened to be host to eight demigods on a constant blend of nerves and adrenaline.

 Leo did his best to make the Argo II roomy, but when you’re cruising at cloud level, even a floating mansion would seem like cramped quarters. Were it not for the fact that most of you are best friends with at least one other person on the ship, you’re certain fights would break out more often. That, and the fact that the fate of the world literally depends on all of you staying alive. 

So the stakes are high, what of it? They’ve been high before. You, daughter of Hecate, have been around your fair share of fights. You bled in the Battle of Manhattan. You held off a line of Titans and monsters so Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase could kill Kronos. This is not your first life-or-death scenario, nor will it be the last.

It just happens to be different, that’s all. At least the danger is obvious on a battlefield, all you have to do is look for who’s trying to kill you and go from there. Up in the air, though, everything is a tense battle of waiting for something to go wrong, for the destination to come, for your journey to end.

Waiting is hard, especially for a bunch of demigods who were all hardwired to never sit still. This forces the lot of you to get some better hobbies than punching the occasional wall or talking each other senseless. For some of you, that involves sparring practice, attempts at reading books, or fixing the ship.

For others, attempts to pass the time end up more complex than you’d originally hoped. There is someone on this ship who might mean the world to you if you’d only let him, someone who you think might even have feelings for you. That person is also currently in a relationship with one Piper McLean, and that person is Jason Grace.

Jason is somewhat of an enigma to you. He has no past that makes sense, no future he can understand. Jason grew up in the Roman camp, then was dragged away from it by Hera. Unlike Percy, though, Jason doesn’t seem to be as immediately called back to his homeland upon regaining his memories.

Jason also has a girlfriend who believed they were dating due to false memories given to her by that same meddlesome goddess of marriage. Piper is a good friend of hers, you hold no resentment with her, but you do have to wonder if she’s ever thought about how little of the start of her relationship was real. To Piper, she was dating Jason for weeks before the incident at the Grand Canyon that brought both of them to Camp Half-Blood. To Jason, none of that existed at all.

It would confuse anyone, to say the least. All appeared to be well, though, and Jason and Piper got together again for real not long after that. You’d believe that was a sign they were meant to be were it not for one thing and one thing only:  Jason does not appear to be in love with her.

This, of course, is a horrible thing to say, but it’s true. Jason likes Piper. You all do. She’s a wonderful person to be around. That being said, you’ve seen what love looks like in many other demigods and many other friends, and whatever is racing through Jason’s heart is not that. He has more chemistry with– well, with you, and that’s something else entirely.

It started happening a few weeks before the Argo II set sail. You were at Camp Half-Blood a couple of years before Jason, Piper, and Leo arrived, one of the dozens of unclaimed kids stuffed in the Hermes cabin. Once Percy extracted his promise from the gods, you were claimed by Hecate, and the numbers in your godly mother’s cabin are now growing by the day. You met Jason when he first showed up, but you only got to talking once he came back from his quest to save Hera. Those few months during the construction of the Argo II were some of the best in your life, and not just because you were finally in a cabin of your true godly half-siblings.

No, that was because of Jason. At first, you had brushed him off as a typical blond boy in search of rules to follow, but you were quickly proven wrong. Jason is funny, making jokes you wouldn’t expect from someone of his leadership prowess. He’s quick to defend anyone in need of assistance, but more than willing to stand back and watch people grow by themselves. He’s kind of sort of perfect, actually, and you can understand why Piper would fall in love with him.

This makes it sound as if you were in love with Jason yourself, and no matter what he might feel about you, this will not be the case. If it were not enough for you to be the daughter of the witch goddess, you’re also on the receiving end of a rather nasty curse. Reincarnation, to be precise. The reincarnation of Helen of Troy. What a wonderful fate to receive.

Helen, as it may be obvious, did not exactly have the best fate regarding love. The prize of Paris’ decision of a contest between three goddesses, Helen was carted from Sparta to Troy, thus causing the Trojan War. As a result, you were condemned to face an endless cycle of heartbreak after heartbreak. Your mother even told you about that the one time you met her. She appeared to you in a vision, told you about your status as someone destined for ruin in love, then left just as quickly. Hecate is not exactly kind, but neither is magic. It is merely a tool to help or hurt when the time is right.

Still, it was enough information to let you know that nothing could ever happen with Jason. Even if he stayed loving you the way he does know, even if you allowed yourself to fall in love with him, heartbreak would follow just as surely as the Achaeans followed the Trojans to win back Helen. There is no path here that results in anything but devastation for you.

Jason knows of your reincarnation. Everyone at camp does. That hasn’t stopped him from developing feelings, however. You’ve seen the way he looks at you, how his eyes soften every time you smile, how you’re always the first one he searches for in a crowd when he wins a sword fight in the training yard. It’s you then Piper, and surely there must be a reason for that.

There was a night, once, when you thought he might finally confess. Two days after he came back from his quest, Jason found you after the sun set and sat with you on the beach. No one was around, no one dared come close. The night breeze made you shiver, and he gave you his jacket without a single second of hesitation. 

The two of you had been complacent in pleasant quiet for a while before Jason dared to speak. He told you something important, something about how he had thought of you every day he was gone from camp. He said that even though he had no memories left, he knew what it was to want someone when they were gone. He paused, waited for you to say something, and was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming your way.

You both had to head to your cabins after that; it was after curfew, after all, and Jason Grace would never bode well with breaking a rule. It was good that you hurried, then, as there was nobody around for miles. You had summoned up the sound of approaching people, it’s an easy spell to do. So easy that Jason might have guessed at your intent. Maybe that was why he sighed the way he did when you parted ways that night.

The jacket is still in your trunk somewhere back at camp. You were always too afraid of facing him again to give it back. Jason might have considered that a sign of something you couldn’t say. You might, too.

It’s getting to you, you can admit that freely. Trying to run from Jason isn’t a fate you can pursue forever, especially not when the two of you are both on the same ship in the same sky. There are too many chances for hands to brush, gazes to meet, words to be whispered.

When you feel like you might give in, you turn to the only resource you’ve ever needed:  your best friend. Stella Rodriguez is a daughter of Hermes, someone you’ve grown to consider a sister. You met her when you were first placed in the Hermes cabin before your claiming, and the two of you have stayed thick as thieves even after you moved out.

Finding an empty room on the Argo II can be difficult, so you make do with a broom closet of an armory. Sliding down to the floor, you lean your back up against the wall and grab a spray bottle of water you’d brought for just this purpose. You’ve become a pro at summoning up Iris messages, and you do so now with a flourish.

Stella answers almost immediately. “Is that my favorite demigod?”

You grin. “You’re not supposed to have favorites, you know. You have too many half-siblings for that to work out.”

Stella rolls her eyes. “We’re best friends, we get to be favorites. How’s the quest going? Saved any lives yet?”

“Oh, always,” you laugh, “but that’s not what I’m here to discuss.”

Stella arches a brow. “What’s gone wrong?”

You frown. “I don’t like that tone, but you’re right to have your doubts.”

You open your mouth to tell her about the situation with Jason, but you recognize footsteps at the door. “Actually, scratch that, I’m going to have to tell you later. Someone’s coming.”

Stella starts to complain about you gatekeeping obvious demigod drama from her, but you wave your hand through the mist and her arguments are cut off halfway through. Sure enough, your suspicions are correct:  mere moments after Stella’s face disappears from in front of you, Jason opens the door and peers inside.

“I thought I heard voices,” he says, “I’ve been looking for Leo, is he in here?”

You shake your head. “Just an Iris message, sorry. You might want to try the engine room.”

Jason’s brow furrows at the thought. “Actually, I think I’m good. He wanted me for some kind of ship-fixing chore, maybe it’s for the best that I hide up here for a while. Do you mind if I stay a little longer?”

You shake your head, gesturing at the empty space next to you. “No problem.”

Jason slumps to the floor, head back against the wall. “Who were you talking to, if you don’t mind me asking? Someone special back at camp?”

He tries to play it off as joking, but something deep in his tone makes you think otherwise. “My best friend,” you clarify, “you remember Stella from Hermes, right?”

Jason does his best not to seem impossibly relieved, but he doesn’t do a perfect job of it. “I do. No special someones, then?”

“No one,” you say, “It just doesn’t work out well for me, I’ve learned that the hard way. The love thing is– complicated.” That’s putting it lightly. The last time a version of you was caught in between two men, she caused the fall of Troy and the deaths of hundreds of warriors. It’s not great, to say the least.

Jason exhales in a hiss through his teeth. “Yeah, I can see that. I get complicated, though. Something about waking up with no memories and finding out not one but two different girls think they have the right to date me gets pretty confusing.”

You laugh. “Not the worst problem in the world.”

Jason grimaces, shaking his head slightly as he tries to clarify. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just weird, you know? Piper had all these memories of us being in a relationship that ended up being fake. And Reyna–”

His voice trails off slightly, but he manages to regain his rhythm a moment or two later. “Reyna knew a version of me I don’t think exists anymore. Same thing with the one Piper was dating. I don’t think either of them know who I am.”

“Do you know?” You ask gently.

Jason shrugs, staring out into space. “Some days I know more than others. It’s just frustrating because I have these memories of being at the Roman camp, and I have these expectations of who I should be, I don’t think they’re me anymore. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be at all.”

You reach over to put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to know. We’ve got our whole lives ahead of us to decide. Try to stay alive long enough to figure that out, huh?”

Jason chokes out a surprised laugh. “What, you think I’ll manage to sort out my whole personality in the limited lifespan of a demigod?”

You crack a grin. “Hey, we’re already past sixteen, I’d consider that beating the odds fairly well. Maybe we’ll live to die of old age.”

Jason whistles under his breath. “Wouldn’t that be something? I feel like I wouldn’t know what to do with myself, though. You spend all that time running around, trying not to die, and when you finally get a quiet life, you feel useless.”

“Quiet’s not so bad,” you muse, “it doesn’t mean you have to be alone, just that you’re not in grave danger anymore.”

“Being with someone wouldn’t be the worst,” Jason agrees.

He looks over at you out of the corner of his eye, a quiet, unguarded look that makes your stomach tie itself in knots. You realize your hand is still on his shoulder; Jason must have known it too, but he clearly hasn’t moved a muscle lest he remind you of it. All of a sudden, the walls of the armory feel far too close, the ceiling curving down to trap you inside a bronze cage. This is getting too similar a situation to what you’ve been afraid of all along. Your heart has been broken many, many times before, so you’re used to the sensation, but you get the feeling that this rough closure with Jason will cut deeper than any other if you let it develop any further.

You all but snatch your hand from him. Jason’s face falls, but he manages to cover up the slip in his expression with true neutral in a flash. That’s the sign of the praetor in him, you suppose, but it doesn’t stop either of you from hurting for it.

Jason stands up abruptly, a shoot of legs and quick steps. “I think I hear someone calling me,” he says awkwardly, “I’d better go.”

It’s a lie, but it gets both of you out of a terrible situation, so you let it be. You raise one hand in a halfhearted farewell and pretend like you can’t see the fact that Jason wants to stay. The armory is far more cold and quiet when Jason is gone, and you wonder what it is about the son of Zeus that makes you want to learn your reincarnation’s lesson one more treacherous time.

Stella has a lot to say on the matter when you finally get around to calling her back. Most of her tirade has to do with the fact that you need to stop worrying about stupid curses and just see what happens. Even if you get your heart broken, dragging this out even longer is just going to make this worse. So she claims, at least.

You were going to ignore that and go on suffering through the reincarnation versus the appeal of Jason nonsense when something happened to make you feel otherwise. You’re talking late with Annabeth one night when she casually mentions that Piper and Jason broke up. A few weeks ago, actually. Mutual agreement, no hearts broken. They both agreed that they were basically just friends anyway.

You did your best to seem casual about asking more, but you’re certain that Annabeth saw through it anyway. No matter; this is important news, and sometimes that has to be reacted to appropriately. There’s nothing you can do about it right now, though, not until later. Not until you’re certain that what you hope could happen will happen.

You find Jason a couple of days later. Maybe he finds you. The method doesn’t really matter, only the end result. 

He says:  Would you love me? If I swore to never break your heart?

You say:  You can’t make that promise. 

He says:  I can try. 

Every time your Helen of Troy-ordained cycle of heartbreak starts, you can physically feel something in your heart change. It’s a snapping sensation, like a broken bone or tripped wire. When Jason kisses you, you wait for the gods-awful mechanism to be engaged. It never happens. 

requested by @sakuraazharuno, i hope you enjoy!!

pjo tag list: @w1shes43, @fadedver, @anxiety-werewolf

[jessicas-pi]

medieval au incorrect quotes: the threequel

Barriss, tending to Ahsoka's wounds: How would you rate your pain? Ahsoka: Zero stars. Would NOT recommend.

---

Sabine (age 7): I wish I had more enemies. Ursa: I’m sure you will someday, honey.

---

Makheta: My lady, why are you on the floor?! Ahsoka: I'm depressed. Ahsoka: Also I was stabbed, can you get Rex, please.

---

Caleb: Where's Ezra, Sabine, and Jacen? Hera: They're playing hide and seek. Caleb: Where? Hera: I don't think you get how this game works, love.

---

Ahsoka: I’m sick and tired of being called 'mortal' like, you don’t know that. Neither do I. I have never died even ONCE. Nothing has been proven yet. Stop making assumptions. It’s rude.

---

Sabine: There there, Ezra. Ezra, upset: Thanks, but how did you get into my room? Sabine: Great question—

---

Barriss: Ahsoka, remember when you said you weren’t going to interfere with my love life? Ahsoka: No, that doesn’t sound like me at all.

---

Caleb: *pretending to joke* So when are you going to go out with me? Hera: I don't know. When are you going to ask me to? *later* Zeb: And you just ran away?! Caleb: I didn't expect her to flirt back!

---

Ai-kel: If I'm extra sarcastic with you it probably means I'm flirting with you or you really annoy me and I can't handle your crap... have fun figuring out which one.

---

Sabine: WE'RE GETTING MARRIED, DI'KUTS! Ezra: AND WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE IT EVERYBODY ELSE'S PROBLEM!

---

Ahsoka: You know, it's at times like this that I really wish I had listened to what Rex told me. Korkie: Why? What did he tell you? Ahsoka: I don't know. I didn't listen.

---

Ahsoka: What's it like, having a kid? Caleb: He's the reason Hera and I wake up every morning. Ahsoka: Aww. You're gonna be great parents. Ezra, earlier that morning, barging into Caleb and Hera′s room and jumping up and down on the bed: WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!!!

---

Sabine: Remember when you didn't try to solve all your problems with attempted murder? Ketsu: Stop romanticizing the past.

---

Merrin: This is bothering me. Cal: Well, we are digging up a corpse. Merrin: No, not that. That is... fairly par for the course, actually.

---

Rex: I'm going to remind you to be respectful. Ahsoka: I will politely decline.

---

Ursa: What do you have there, Sabine? Sabine: THE DARKSABER! Ursa: the wHAT—

---

Ai-kel: People are always asking me if I'm a morning person or a night person. Ai-kel: And I'm just like, 'Buddy! I'm barely even a PERSON!'

---

Cal, lifting up an ancient tome written in Old Sith: Oh, gods. Do you know what this is? Omega: It’s a book. There’s a lot of those in here, this is the archives.

---

Adenn: Look, I know you think my judgement's clouded because I like Lady Offee a little bit. Skira, holding Adenn's sketchbook: You doodled your wedding invitation, vod. Adenn: No, that's our joint tombstone. Skira: My mistake.

---

Sabine, age 7: I'm only civil because I don't know any swear words.

---

Caleb: We might have gotten into a bar room brawl back in the city. Depa: Well, that was entirely predictable. Caleb: One of us punched a gang member. Depa: Garazeb? Caleb: Hera, actually. Depa: Oh, that was going to be my second guess.

---

Makheta: Do you guys ever have a civilized conversation that doesn't require insulting each other every time you get a chance? Ahsoka: No. Ai-Kel: No. Makheta: Didn't think so.

[fandoomrants]

Okay, so it's time for some ep 7 thoughts.

Just finished it so it's still settling in my mind so if you decide to read this, please excuse my possible misunderstanding of some of the events.

So, warning, might be kinda random at places, a bit weird, and of course, spoiler-y. Might add to it later as well but this is what I have to say for now.

-First of all, I'm so happy the episode opened with Hera and what happened with her! And I just loved how a certain (droid-)someone came to the rescue more or less, and Leia was mentioned once again. I also love her last exchange with Mon Mothma and how she totally didn't buy the whole thing about the approved mission but still kinda took her side and didn't call it out in front of the rest. But also this question about Thrawn. I really hope they're going to finally listen to Hera and see the potential danger of Thrawn's return.

-Speaking of that, I'm wondering what's going to happen in the last episode because we're kinda nowhere near the end of the story. But I think that Thrawn is going to return for sure, and maybe they won't confront him in this last episode bit he's going to play bigger role in future productions, maybe a next season of Ahsoka (which I sorta think might not happen, I sorta see it as a stand alone like some other shows) or maybe the Mandalorian. I think in the last episode, it's gonna be some confrontation between Ahsoka, Sabine and Ezra, and Baylan and Shin. Especially between them and Baylan as Shin seems to be a bit confused herself. I think there are still many things that are yet to be explained about Baylan though, and his actions and plans and I'm worried there's not enough time. However, I also somehow see some parallel between him and Ahsoka fighting, and Sabine and Shin. Like some master-apprentice against master-apprentice thing. So, I hope that in the end there's going to be some epic scene with that involved. But more about this later.

-Mentioning the Mandalorian, there was a line in the beginning by Teva which sort of made the time period of when the series are taking place a bit clearer. Mandalore and Moff Gideon were mentioned, which sets these series after season 3 of the Mandalorian. But it sounds like it's quite close to where we are now. Like, maybe a few weeks or months. That's the vibe I got at least. And Thrawn was also mentioned in the Mandalorian too so it means the two shows are happening close to one another time-wise. Which confronts some of the theories about how Sabine wasn't present there because she was busy with finding Ezra. But also sorta presents the new question - why wasn't Sabine involved? But I have my small theory of how she doesn't fully see herself as a Mandalorian anymore. Nor a Jedi. I think in the beginning of the series, she was really kinda lost as to what she is because in the second episode, she took both the lightsaber and the helmet and she cut her hair and we kinda know Mandalorians keep their hair shorter because of the helmet (or I think it's established? I still liked her longer hair, tho). So who knows. Also, who knows what caused her to turn her back on her roots. I believe her possibly dead family might have something to do with that.

-Some small details I also noticed and liked from the episode were: Zeb's mention! I still haven't checked the tags and other people's thoughts on the episode because I wanted to first share my own thoughts without them being clouded by anything else I read but I'm sure the hype is gonna be as big as when Kanan and Leia were mentioned in episode 5. And there's a good reason! As I mentioned in a previous rant, I hoped they'll mention him at least. And they finally did! That's honestly all I hoped for because he was part of the crew. However, Ezra still doesn't know Hera has a son from Kanan? Or at least this wasn't mentioned as one of the things he learned from Sabine. Which makes his eventual reunion with Hera even more exciting!

-Also, for a moment I was worried Sabine had just left her Howler (I might have misspelled this or simply not remember how these were called but I mean the big animal she was riding in the previous episode, lol) but then I saw it's with them and for whatever reason this made me so happy, lol.

-Another thing is how Ezra is so... well, Ezra! Again, great casting! Such a positive and hilarious ray of sunshine even after 10 years of isolation. His playful exchanges with Sabine and also the "Wait! Wait, you can take us as... prisoners?" now I think it's a shame that everyone knows who he is so he can't introduce himself as Jabba the Hutt (does he know he's dead? And that this princess he met once killed him? And that her planet was destroyed and she's a Senator now? And that her father was Darth Vader? Probably not...) also loved how he fought only using the Force! There were some theories he might have turned to the dark side or something but the way I see it, he spent these years connecting with nature through the Force, thus making his bond with it and the light side even stronger than before. He's so much more like his early-Rebels self, before Maul and his temptations to the Dark Side.

-Another thing about Ezra is how I find it a tiny bit hilarious how he just... asks a question, doesn't get an answer, and just decides to change the topic without pressing too much. Honestly, a bit naive in a cute way but also maybe it's him sensing there's something huge going on and he just doesn't want to have his reunion with Sabine ruined by bad news. Still, I think it's about time they finally tell him what actually happened. I want to see his reaction and he also deserves to hear of all the possible threats. But he also has a lot of sharing to do! He said these creatures helped him when he needed it the most but nothing about what happened when he and Thrawn initially got to the planet. Or what was he actually up to in these years. I still think he might have had some deal with Thrawn or something because we saw how if he wants to, Thrawn can quickly find somebody's location on that planet. Why not look for Ezra? Thought he's not a threat? After the guy literally called a small army of space whales that took them through hyperspace to another galaxy? Somehow I'm not convinced. Even if he doesn't see him as a threat, he could have tried to get rid of him out of spite because of it... (Yeah, don't ever let me direct something, lol).

-About Ezra and his "eventual" reunion with Hera and everyone else. So, I had my worries about how it might turn out Ezra is dead before the previous episode. But now I have another worry which has been fed by a friend of mine who's also watching the series. We've been talking about how someone from the "good guys" might possibly die and she's really convinced it's gonna be Ezra (I just know she doesn't like him even though she insists she does after this episode, ok? Hasn't seen Rebels and doesn't know how amazing he is). I wasn't too convinced at first and constantly said they can't kill him just when they finally brought him back but tbh, for his not too much of a screen time these two episodes, he already mentioned how he can't wait to go home/thinks he'll finally come home/generally home-related stuff three whole times. And especially his last line... it really makes me think about it and how this is some dark foreshadowing and that it's not gonna happen. And I really hope I'm wrong. I don't see Ahsoka (obviously) or Sabine dying.

-And speaking of possible deaths, Baylan and Shin and their parallels between them and Ahsoka and Sabine come to the picture. So, correct me if I'm wrong but Thrawn just noticed that Baylan's not where the rest are and decided to withdraw his troopers because he just hoped to get rid of all Jedi/Force users at the same time, right? I mean, he wants Sabine and Ezra dead, he wanted Ahsoka dead too but he also sent these two squads to make sure Baylan and Shin are gonna be dealt with too, right? Or did I misinterpreted his words in both last and this episode too? I think Thrawn's main priority is to just get away from this place and leave all of them behind, hoping they'll be too busy fighting each other until it's too late to notice his departure. Which I can see happening. But I'm pretty sure Ahsoka's gonna find a way to return them back with the help of the Force or something. I don't think all of them are dying. I think Baylan might possibly die in a duel against Ahsoka as they've already had a few one-to-one fights, and same goes for Sabine and Shin, with Shin eventually being defeated by Sabine after a few previous encounters where Shin managed to defeat her. These parallels I mentioned seem to me like they're each other's mirrors and main... not sure what to call it, responsibilities? I think that if Baylan dies, it's going to be Ahsoka killing him, or vice versa (but I'm not seeing Ahsoka dying so he's more likely to), as well as Sabine killing Shin (here I have this really awful theory of how Ezra might eventually die, maybe Shin is going to kill him, thus making Sabine kill her. But again, let's hope Ezra is not going to die. Also, it'll really pull Sabine's dark side out. She's not strong with the Force so it won't be really like her turning to *the* Dark side but it's still not gonna be pretty and maybe won't be approved by Ahsoka. Might be an interesting plot line to be further developed, tho. Anyway, hopes and prayers we don't get to see any of this). Master against master and apprentice against apprentice. Honestly, I'll be kinda disappointed if something else happens, if we go with the route of these two dying.

-Now, there's something else, though. As I said, we're not fully aware of what Baylan is up to, and we're going to finally find out. We saw he's interested in the planet and has some plans to do something there. Also, we saw a few occasions in the last two episodes where Shin was a bit confused and unsure of him and his words towards her + Ahsoka offering to help her. So I think there might be a slight chance of Shin deciding to turn sides and join the others, thus surviving (or still getting killed but by her previous master or something else). And I think there might be a chance Baylan doesn't die as well but just... do something. Not sure what but he might do something... Which might be the reason Ezra doesn't, after all, go home. I'm still thinking of how often he mentioned home and how it might be a foreshadowing he doesn't get to do that. So, if it's not because he dies, I think it might be because he chooses to stay behind. But there must be a good reason for that as he really wants to. So maybe he willingly decides to stay back, maybe prevent something bad from happening and also to protect his new friends from whatever.

...

Andd that's it for now. Might add some other things later. If you read this, first of all, thank you! Second of all, sorry if it wasn't coherent at times or there were typos.

[kanerallels]

My first and quite possibly only submission for @sabezraweek! I hope y'all like this, it's my first time writing this couple so here goes nothing!

Rated G (mentions of past injuries)

Read on AO3!!

The night air on Yavin 4 was cool, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Ezra took a deep breath, staring up from his position on top of the Ghost at the stars above. He’d heard people say that looking up at so many stars made them feel alone, like they were a tiny speck in a massive galaxy.

But Ezra had never felt that way. Especially not after he started traveling with the Spectres. Now, when he looked up at the stars, he would think of Kanan’s teachings, about how through the Force, he wasn’t alone— he was connected to everything, even the faraway stars. He would think about Hera, how she was more at home up with the stars than on the ground. He would remember the time Zeb had helped them make their way through the nebula, and all the other times he’d fought alongside Ezra.

“The stars are amazing tonight,” he said aloud.

Next to him, Sabine Wren made a dismissive noise. “The stars were better on Atollon.”

Ezra couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter. “That’s ridiculous— these are the exact same stars.”

“First of all, we’re on an entirely different planet,” Sabine pointed out. “Therefore they’re definitely not. Second of all, you didn’t think it was ridiculous when you said the same thing about Lothal.”

“Well, that’s different,” Ezra said. “Lothal’s home.”

“Fair enough.”

They were both silent for a moment, and Ezra’s thoughts drifted. He associated Sabine with the stars almost more so than any of the others. They’d been star-gazing together since some of their first days on Atollon, shortly after Malachor. One night, he’d been ripped out of his sleep by yet another nightmare— watching Ahsoka fall to the Sith Lord’s blade, Maul’s cruel laughter in the background as Kanan shouted for him to do something, to help. To not just stand there and watch.

He was a Jedi. He was supposed to save people. On Malachor, he’d barely been able to save himself, and he definitely hadn’t saved Kanan.

These days, Ezra knew better. He knew it wasn’t his fault. But at the time, the memory that he had caused Kanan’s blindness and Ahsoka’s death had torn at him, both waking and sleeping. Nightmares that were too often more like memories woke him up most nights, and he often couldn’t stand laying in his room, terrified at the idea of drifting back to sleep.

So he’d wandered outside, walking in circles around the camp, chatting with any sentries he happened to bump into. But one night when he’d gotten up, Sabine had been up, too.

She hadn’t asked him why he was up, just slid him a mug of caf that had been waiting next to her, like she’d known he was getting up. As Ezra sipped at it cautiously— he didn’t have much of a taste for caf then, and he still didn’t now— she’d said, “When I can’t sleep, I like to sneak out and watch the stars.” She paused, seeming to waver, then asked, “Do you want to come with me?”

Ezra had been shocked that she’d asked him, but immediately accepted. And that had been the beginning of… Ezra didn’t really know what to call it. All he knew was that it had started then and grown into a friendship that was more than just that.

They’d already been friends, of course. But before that, he’d been the kid. That much had always been pretty clear, despite his earliest fumbling attempts to flirt with her. After he’d dropped that, they’d become friends. And after Malachor… he’d felt more alone than he’d ever felt, even on Lothal. Kanan had withdrawn, still recovering from his wounds, and Ezra couldn’t bring himself to talk to his master anyways. Hera had been busy trying to run half the Rebellion on her own and make sure Kanan was alright, and Zeb had been busy helping and making sure she didn’t pass out from exhaustion. So somehow, he and Sabine had ended up spending a lot more time together.

First it was just missions, then it was spending the odd bit of free time together, and then suddenly one day Ezra realized he trusted her more than anyone in the galaxy. That if he could choose one person to fight side by side with, it would always be her.

“Are you still awake over there?” 

“Yeah, I’m here,” Ezra said, snapping out of his thoughts. “Hey— do you ever think about which planets those stars have near them? Like that one.” He pointed at a particularly bright star off to their left. “That could be… Ryloth, maybe.”

“Why Ryloth?” 

“Well, Cham’s not gonna settle for some normal star,” Ezra pointed out. “He’s gonna want something real flashy, that everyone can see. Just so everyone can watch while he blows the Empire sky high.”

Sabine laughed, and Ezra felt himself grin in response. There was no feeling better than making someone laugh, and making her laugh— that was the best. “That checks out for Cham. Where’s Lothal, then?”

“Um…” Ezra studied the sky until he found a smaller, out of the way star. “That one. It looks smaller than its friends, but it’s still there. It’s still shining.”

“Hmm, smaller? Reminds me of someone I used to know,” Sabine said slyly.

“Hey— I’m almost taller than you now,” Ezra protested. He couldn’t hold onto his indignation at her laugh, however, finding himself laughing, too. 

Spotting another star, he pointed. “Oh! There’s Krownest.”

“How is that Krownest?” Sabine asked, sounding amused.

“Krownest is your home planet— kind of,” Ezra said. “And that star is kinda purple-y looking, if you look close.” Grinning, he said, “There’s no way you could have just a normal colored star, huh?”

For a long, long moment, she was silent, and Ezra was worried that he’d said something wrong. I shouldn’t have mentioned Krownest, he decided, and was opening his mouth to apologize when she spoke. Quick and simple, like she wanted to get the words out before she could really regret it.

“I miss you.”

Ezra blinked, surprised. He sent her a quick glance, unable to read her expression in the dark. “I’m right here,” he pointed out, and the sigh she released was so sad that Ezra felt his own throat tighten with sorrow.

“No, you’re not.”

And there it is, Ezra thought. “No, I’m not,” he agreed. Because there was no way he could really be sitting on top of the Ghost with her, watching Yavin 4’s stars in peace. Yavin 4 was billions of miles away— just how many, he didn’t really know. And so was Sabine.

For the first time, he looked over at her, really looked. She was staring up at the stars, like she didn’t want to meet his eyes. She looked different than the last time he’d seen her, in those last moments in the Imperial complex on Lothal. Older, with her hair chopped short and dyed a deep purple. Her armor looked different, too, and Ezra spotted a purrgil painted on one shoulder pauldron.

She was still as beautiful as she had always been. But Ezra couldn’t really be surprised by that. Sabine being beautiful was just a fact of life, like the sun rising and Kanan being stupidly in love with Hera and the Force being all around them. He wondered if he could tell her without getting smacked, but decided not to risk it.

“I wish you really were here with me,” Sabine said quietly, her voice cracking just the littlest bit. Ezra felt a pang in his chest.

“I’m here,” he told her, reaching out and touching her hand before he could think better of it. “For a little while longer, anyways.”

Her fingers laced around his, and he couldn’t help but think that was where they were meant to be, hand in hand. “You could have made it a little easier to find you,” she said, her voice strengthening.

“You’re right,” Ezra told her. “Next time I shoot myself into hyperspace with the help of space whales that I can’t control, I’ll be more specific about where I end up.”

“I thought you could control these things,” Sabine pointed out. “How did you get them to do all that in the first place?”

“Influence, not control,” Ezra corrected. “Otherwise I would have dumped Thrawn and come home.” He thought of Lothal, hopefully flourishing like he always dreamed it was, and of the Ghost and its crew. The two places that had always been home for him.

“You Jedi and your nuances,” Sabine drawled.

“You Mandalorians and your stubbornness,” Ezra teased back, and they both laughed, the tension between them easing slightly for a moment. He glanced back at her, and found her looking at him for the first time.

Their eyes met, and Ezra felt an unreasonable shiver go down his spine. And then he felt a slight tug in the back of his mind. He was being pulled out of the dream.

“I think I’m about to go,” he said, and felt Sabine’s fingers tighten around his.

“It’ll be okay,” she said, her voice rushed. “We’ll find you, I promise. I didn’t give up, I swear.”

“I know,” Ezra said, summoning up a grin. “You never quit. I remember.”

A matching smile crossed Sabine’s face, and she opened her mouth to respond— 

Ezra jerked upright, nearly falling out of his perch in a tree far, far above the jungle floor. Grabbing a branch, he sucked in a shaky breath. Whoa.

The dream had felt so real— and it wasn’t the first of its kind. I wonder which would be worse— seeing her and knowing she’s not real, or not seeing her at all. But Ezra knew he wouldn’t trade it, even if he had to wake up every time to reality. A reality that was, unfortunately, far away from her.

Sighing, he resettled himself in a position between two tree branches and closed his eyes, trying to get back to sleep. His last thought before he dropped off, as it often was, was of her.

Billions of miles away, a Mandalorian girl was doing much the same thing as she tried not to think too much about what her dream had meant. It was just wishful thinking, she told herself. How could he even reach me through a dream? That’s impossible, isn’t it?

But maybe it isn’t, her mind whispered as she curled up in her bunk, hand automatically slipping around the lightsaber she kept with her at all times. And if it isn’t, that means he’s alive. He’s out there, somewhere.

We both just have to hang on a little longer, Ezra. I’ll find you. I know I will.

[awrldalone]

27th October 2023, 8.51pm

On a plane to Venice. The two seats next to me are empty: I have space for my long black coat, for my bag, and for my legs. As soon as the light for the safety belt will be turned off I will move to the window seat, to look at the dark earth, the clouds, the sky. The city looked like molten magma while departing, golden and black in the night. No matter how many flights I take, I always marvel at the physics behind it all; at times it feels as simple and mundane as taking a bus, but once I feel the wheels of the plane jumping off the asphalt I am filled of childish wonder.

On Wednesday I had my first Art History test, on Ancient Art. The course has been fairly disappointing so far, and I often have to remind myself it is just the beginning, just a first look at that part of history – but it bothers me, it always has, when things are not done well. What is the point of studying Greek ceramics for a few hours and then moving on? What is the point of barely scratching the surface on sculpture, on architecture, on iconography? I want to dive my fingers into every topic, I want to know everything, about everything.

The test was easy. We even corrected it afterwards, and I only made a few mistakes. One was calling a canthar a kylix. I knew it was not a kylix but my brain could not find the correct word, and so I went with the closest thing in terms of use. A goblet to drink is a goblet to drink. It was the last thing I wrote down before leaving and waiting outside of the class. The other was about the temples in Olympia: while I had understood that Zeus's temple had been built on top of Hera's old temple, formally replacing the cult of the goddess of marriage and family, in reality the two deities were worshipped simultaneously. 

Ca. and I went to the library to work on our presentation on Caravaggio's the Cardsharps. It was too warm in there, so I took off my sweater while flipping through the pages of multiple monographies on the artist. There's not much literature surrounding the Cardsharps, because the original was discovered very recently, and because there is not much to say about it. Its material history is just as interesting as the painting itself, but it is longer and more obscure, and therefore scholars have often opted to gloss over what the eyes can see in favor of figuring out how the painting got in the hands of its last owner. What I find particularly interesting is the amount of copies of it that exist, a bit over twenty, all extremely accurate and all old. 

I found the first known description of the painting by checking the bibliography of a book I was reading. It dates a couple of decades after the death of Caravaggio, when the painting was no longer in the hands of its first owner. I translated it in French, slowly. 

The library was packed, so I ended up having to stand next to a window, my laptop on the sill to be able to charge it. Ca. was sitting behind me, our backs facing each other's. 

We were supposed to have another course afterwards, but once we got to the lecture hall someone told us the professor would not be coming. A., T., L., and I decided we would go thrifting, but we ended up going to 59 Rivoli because it was open. I always see its bright door when walking past it, but I did not know what it was until my friends decided we should go in. It's a squatted building where, cyclically, artists set up their atelier and work on their paintings or sculptures in public. You're allowed to quietly walk and observe, to support the artist or just watch respectfully. The walls are covered in modern-day frescos, and each floor looks different. My favorites were the works of Cynthia Pedrosa, squared, cubic, bedlams of saturated but dark colors. The size of some of the paintings covered half of the wall. 

We ended up having dinner at a crêperie near our university, fifteen minutes or so from the Pantheon. It's small, with a tiny room up some narrow stairs with the walls covered in pictures, portraits and magazines. There's only a few tables, and we took up the last one, in the corner. I got a galette ratatouille gruyere, with some cider; T. got ham and gruyere; L. went for spinach and gruyere. We also had dessert – a simple crêpe with sugar and cinnamon – all for five euros fifty. 

For some reason we ended up talking about love. T. had confessed to L. and me that thing are not going great with his boyfriend. The long distance thing is not working as well as it used to for them, and as he was talking I understood what he was saying. We were on the metro, the only ones talking in front of the sliding doors. 

Last year I would have not understood T. and his problems. I would have said that a few seconds with M. justified a week, a month, two months apart. Now I am not so sure about it, I am doubting everything, but the only moment when I release my tension and let my muscles relax is when I'm in his arms, and the only place where I sleep peacefully is his bed, with him next to me. Yesterday I wrote down, in order not to forget it, "stiffening love". We asked ourselves if love lasts. I don't think so anymore. It transforms in different things. It can turn sour, or it can acquire a better, richer taste. I doubt my grandparents feel anything similar to the way they did when they first met: love starts as a bud, it blooms in a flower and matures into fruit. You either make jam out of it or you let it fall to the ground, like my parents. 

I'm not sure where M. and I stand. I don't know where T. and his boyfriend stand. Perhaps it is not that simple.

After paying, we took the metro again and we went to A.'s place. It's a big apartment, with wooden floors, a metal fireplace, crown moulding. A. lives there with her sister, they each have their own room, a separate kitchen and a proper living room. It was the second time I went there, and this time it was clean, in order. There were no boxes lying around, no clothes piled up or shoes thrown around. They bought a beautiful round table, a silver lamp, they organize their books. 

Le. and H. joined us a few minutes after we arrived. I'm still on the fence about them, I still cannot make up my mind about them, H. especially. I do not like the people he hangs out with. Le. on the other hand is always so bitter when we are in a group, but every time we talk alone we always have such good conversations. The first time we went home together I ended up talking about my parents for half of the bus ride, and he ended up talking about his for the rest of it.

Le. and I ended up leaving at around two, and I got home at around three. I told myself there would be no use sleeping if I had to wake up at six, and so I started packing my suitcase, folding clothes, cleaning. I made myself some toast and a coffee. And then I fell asleep at five, on top of my comforter, still wearing my clothes. I woke up at ten with the sun in my eyes. I missed class.

Last night I went to a Black Country New Road concert. It was insanely amazing; they're the only ones capable of finding rhythm in cacophonies, the only ones able to make such a mess sound good. 

I made a friend. I was there alone, and I saw a guy looking around, avoiding everyone's eyes. I asked myself if he was alone or waiting for someone, and I walked near him. I stopped myself at first, but then I told him - I know it's weird, but are you alone here too? - and he said yes and I felt the knot in my chest dissolve. I am not scared of being alone, but I was scared of his reaction. We ended up exchanging instagram handles, singing and jumping together at times, and watching quietly at others. The band played a new song, they said it was a work in progress and asked us not to sing.

After the concert he had a friend waiting for him. I only had the rain and L.'s address. 

I spent the night with my friends again. We wanted to go clubbing but there was nothing near, and the only bar that looked promising was boring. We went bak to L.'s place and played a French card game, mixing vodka with violet syrup. I find it too sweet, but the color is gorgeous, like an amethyst.

This time I got home alone. I misse day stop and got off at the one afterwards, but it was not that big of a deal because I had to walk anyway.

And now the plane is about to land, and I am back in Venice, and it's already been almost two months since I left. 

-c.

[deathlessathanasia]

“In contrast to the version of the story we find in Hesiod, in which Hera is the very last wife (of Zeus), in the Iliad Homer alludes to the fact that they have formed a couple since their adolescence, when they came together without their parents’ knowledge. This tradition about the youthful liaison between Zeus and Hera was already known in the archaic period, and it was developed locally in a series of variants referring to the places where Hera was supposed to have been raised and/or the places where she and Zeus were supposed to have made love for the first time together. These traditions take up the image of Hera as a desirable parthenos or a nymphē, which is also present in some of the ancient sources, but which has not always been sufficiently emphasised. Hera is not, or is not only, the austere matron, inflexible guardian of legitimate marriage who emerges from the canonical portrait of the goddess. A fragment of Callimachus would have it that Zeus desired and courted his future spouse for three hundred years, and we are led to believe that the strength of his desire was proportional to the beauty of the goddess who was its object.

The author of the Homeric hymn in honour of Hera states explicitly that Hera is the ‘radiant’ (kydrē) immortal queen of ‘supreme beauty’ (eidos hypeirochon). In other places in the collection of Homeric hymns, we find Hera described as the ‘most radiant’ (kydistē) daughter of Kronos, who is by far the most beautiful (eidos aristē) among the immortal goddesses. In Pindar, the cloud fashioned by Zeus in the image of Hera to deceive Ixion is, like the Pandora of Hesiod, a ‘beautiful nuisance’ (kalon pēma), which reproduces the lovely appearance (eidos) of the most excellent (hyperochōtatē) among the descendants of Ouranos, the daughter of Kronos. To be sure, Hera is beautiful with that beauty which is inherent in all divinities and which is an expression of their eternal vitality and their power. Her appearance (eidos) is so overwhelmingly lovely that Pindar coins a new previously unknown superlative (hyperochōtatē) to describe it, a new superlative which is thought to be warranted perhaps because it is being applied to a goddess who has sovereign rank as daughter of Kronos and wife of Zeus. Hera’s supreme beauty is majestic and worthy of a queen, but it would be incorrect to think that it could be reduced to something matronly, as if her beauty had something severe about it and stood in contrast to the sensual and eroticised beauty of Aphrodite. The connotations of eidos, which is the preferred term used in the examples cited, do not in any way warrant this conclusion, because in other cases the linguistic register of beauty (kalos) is used. In addition, the formulaic epithets used of Hera make specific reference, as we have seen, to her beauty, when they dwell on the striking whiteness of her skin (leukōlenos) or her large eyes (boōpis). Nothing indicates that her status as legitimate spouse of Zeus and queen is thought to be incompatible with a desirable physical appearance.

Before returning to the strength of the desire that Zeus feels for Hera, one should mention that he is not the only one to succumb to the charms of the beautiful goddess. First of all there was Eurymedon, one of the Giants, whom Homer even calls their king. According to a tradition preserved in the scholia to the Iliad and attributed to the Hellenistic poet Euphorion of Chalcis, Eurymedon raped Hera when she was still a parthenos. This is the reason Zeus felt such hatred for Eurymedon that he threw him down into Tartaros and took revenge on the child Hera had borne Eurymedon: Prometheus. The desire for Hera even becomes a weapon of war which Zeus uses in the battle against the Giants: Porphyrion, it is said, another king of Giants was distracted during the battle by the desire he felt for the wife of Zeus and this is why he was subdued by the joint efforts of Zeus and Herakles. There is, of course, also the story of Ixion, who endured an exemplary punishment for having tried to commit an offence against the conjugal bed of his divine hosts: he is said to have been overcome first by his desire for Hera, then because he fell into the trap which Zeus laid for him, when he tried to embrace a cloud fashioned in her image. These stories show the erotic power which the Greek tradition ascribed to Hera. One should, however, also note that most of Hera’s other suitors are sworn enemies of the Olympians and of their king. This is the case for the two Giants just mentioned, but also for Ephialtes, one of the two terrible Aloades, a race close to the Giants. At the very end of antiquity, Nonnus develops this narrative theme, pushing it to its very limits when he claims that even Typhon, the last and most formidable of the adversaries of Zeus, was overcome by eros for the sovereign goddess Hera. It is, therefore, clear, that where Hera is concerned, there is always a subtle play between eros and sovereignty.”

 - The Hera of Zeus: Intimate Enemy, Ultimate Spouse - Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge and Gabriella Pironti

[the-firebird69]

And it really a payback is fun he's going to go and dig a hole for the clones and he's going to dig a hole out at the stashes and caches and the Everglades and he's going to be the one block with them when he has stage 5 cancer a level 5

Zues Hera

He has stage 5 level 5 cancer and you can walk around with it function with it and it really means that 20% of your organs have been taken over by cancer and eating and all your organs and it means it's systemic in your system and there's certain different levels and he went up to the top which means it's in each system and really is 20% of your body it's not 40 or 50% like people think and it's not necessarily hardened but his are starting to which means they'll start to grow more and they'll be tumors and they'll be growth meaning they'll start to colonize and the reason is he's not treating it all and he's not eating right and he's not working correctly or even trying to oxygenate which is very hard here and people have trouble it is a lot of trouble. Right now he's talking to the girls telling them they did a good job and they did and he's saying things like we don't have a great season so far then I'll probably keep it open I mean he's a terrible boss that guy is a mealy piece of s*** is really only a couple things that are wrong with it when is that the signage is terrible and they'll take it the way they should it's him and his ass and I clan killing you to your money and stuff and it's this uranium cloud and he's trying to use that and is telling people and they all can read it and he wants to go in and fall over Dead from the smell in his own people from the VLC and he's getting sick from it right now and it's going to kick his cancer in and he'll probably go up 5% and we think in a few days he'll be at around 40% and he will start to die 10 20 times a day most people would be gone a couple weeks ago even if they're treating it he's using power and he's going to be gross and he's got a cart in his brain around and rip himself to shreds now the empire is having him do it and people hate him and they said we hate him

Thor Freya

You told me we hate him and he can't figure it out so I am going to remove my name from his family and I don't want anything to do with him and I'm going to go to court and say that it was forced on me and I did figure out a lot about him but I don't want anything to do with it and I'm going to sue because of why he was doing it and he is the traitor and he's helping and stuff and the creamery helps because he's going to get nailed and he wants to look like the good guy and he looks very bad

Hera

This place is in government arrears meaning that he should not have done anything like that store renovation he's doing it to put it in their face and they send people down to inspect it and it's not going to pass

Thor Freya

I did say part of the rest of the above too. I'll tell you what though this guy is getting my husband angry on purpose and things that he'll get sick or something so don't know exactly what he's driving at because level 5 stage 5 is as bad as it can get before you simply leave the people saying there's other levels and I know but there should be meeting usually when you're at stage 5 level 5 you are not going to recover and that's why they put it there

Hera

There's a couple other things this level of cancer once you're at stage 5 level 5 and we are talking the piece of s*** of course. You only have a couple of opportunities and if you fail to take those properly and time them properly you're going to end up cooked but it does mean that you have reached a certain point where you are completely infected and with one cancer with three cancers it's different although the treatments might be similar and have a pretty good effect they do call it something else and when it starts to grow and they do call it something other than what the last designation for the onset of chronic cancer there are other designations yes.

Since he is moving on and it's growing right now people say they can actually see it we expected to be 30 to 35% tonight no it's going to be that probably tomorrow it's going real fast and it's three different Cancers and they're keeping up with each other and competing and it is called stage 5 level 5 with a complications of growth and those would be level one two three four and five level one is 0 to 20% and level two is 20 to 35% and so on right now he is stage 5 level 5 with complications of level 2. He is beyond 20% and when he reaches level 3 he will be called a terminal victim of cancer including his brain and recovery even inside a demon is not expected and a son and daughter say you're not them they can recover and your genetically different and you get attacked along with the cancer and you're not compatible and most people only last an hour and start getting eaten alive and it can cause cancer once you leave because of the toxins. But he is mentally deteriorating and as the cancer grows he loses parts of his brain pretty much across the board so when he is a level three his brain will be operating at about 60% of whatever his capacity is now

Thor Freya

Olympus we all think he is heading towards that level and he is going to be there very soon we calculate two or three days that he will have terminal cancer and he will be a goner.

We don't care about him we don't want to survive but what he's like is ridiculous. We have information that says that he lasts for around a month which is not long his brain becomes destroyed cancerous try to be removed and they think that's why he becomes a borg but that part of his brain is missing and he is sick as hell and he undergoes treatment but it's a failure at that point he's probably a level four which is really a month from now and it slows because he leaves he doesn't leave it will continue to grow and he'll be overwhelmed in a week or two. Yeah he's gross

[tarisilmarwen]

If you are still taking in the bthb requests; then here is my bthb request for Star Wars Rebles.

Anger Born Of Worry of Sabine for Ezra and then Sabine apologizing later.

Sabezra/Ezrabine would be greatly appreciated 😊.

@badthingshappenbingo

Title: “Afterdust”

Prompt: Anger Born Of Worry

Fandom: Star Wars Rebels

Character(s): Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger

Warnings: Mentioned presumed death of canon character

AO3, FFNet, Request a prompt/character

Oh hey! One of my favorite tropes to write for them! A pleasure, anon. ---

The Atollon dust was beginning to settle after their semi-disastrous retrieval mission of the half-dozen Y-wings that now lined the landing pad, being meticulously checked over by technicians and mechanics before they were sent off to join General Dodonna's Massasi group. Sabine watched them with something prickling in her heart, something unpleasant and festering.

She was inexplicably, irrationally, angry.

By the base metric at least the op had been a success—they had gotten the Y-wings, as she had none-too-hastily pointed out to Hera—but Sabine's mind was playing back all of the stupid setbacks and obstacles that had very nearly resulted in not just failure but capture and death.

Setbacks almost universally caused by a series of bad calls.

Sabine didn't understand why it was bothering her now. Ezra had already been scolded and reprimanded, demoted by Hera with official agreement from Sato, once they'd been debriefed. He had been quiet and scarce all night, wandering in and out and through the base in an aimless fashion, sufficiently chastened by Hera's words. Sabine had even defended him—sort of—in front of Hera when he was first being chewed out.

So where was this anger and upset and hurt coming from?

She kicked a loose rock by her feet, watching it skitter off into the pre-dawn darkness, out of view.

All she could think of that had changed was that she hadn't known the details of how, exactly, Ezra had lost the Phantom and wound up needing to be retrieved by the Ghost until just a few moments ago.

She hadn't meant to eavesdrop. She had just been checking through her cans of paint. Her door was open and she'd heard Kanan and Hera's raised voices from the cockpit. Hera was ranting—of course she was, it had been her ship that Ezra had gotten destroyed—and Kanan had been gently trying to calm her down. Sabine had only caught every other word but it had painted the vivid picture in her mind of Ezra, clinging terrified to the outer structure of the station as it fell into the gas cloud, wind blasting past him, eyes wide and hopeless.

Her throat had clenched up, quiet notes of horror dropping into her heart. She'd listened to Kanan describe Ezra's suffocating guilt and despair leaking through the Force to him and almost cursed herself for not being there, for being out in orbit making off with the prize instead of making sure Ezra was safely off the station.

The fact that their comms had been jammed was a logical point that she could not, in her wild musings, appreciate.

So here she was. Standing with her arms crossed and letting the miserable prickle travel from end to end inside her chest. Furious thoughts chased each other around her head.

Idiot. Moron. Dumbass. Why hadn't he beelined for the Phantom as soon as he'd cut the power? Why had he wasted time fighting his way up to the control room in the first place instead of cutting the locks off the Y-wings with his saber? Even making out with Hondo would have been better than what had happened, with it ending with her stranded up in space being pulled towards a Star Destroyer while he plummeted into oblivion somewhere sight unseen below her.

She had taken it for granted at the time. Assumed that of course Ezra would have gotten out, would have been on the Phantom on his way up to meet them. It was Ezra, he had always come through okay, always managed to get himself out of trouble.

But he hadn't. He had been dropping dozens of meters per second into an ionized gas cloud without a prayer of escape, without anyone even knowing he was in trouble.

Her fingers tightened on her arms.

Stupid! she thought furiously.

The agitated energy within her finally propelled her feet into action. She uncrossed her arms and stalked, stiff-legged, through the base, glancing around sharply with her eyes, searching. Her fists clenched tightly by her sides and the pulsing heat inside her throbbed hotter and hotter, growing steadily into a simmering blaze.

She found him near the makeshift mess hall, talking to one of the junior officers, laughing a little without an apparent care in the world. She stormed up to him, and he must have sensed her anger because he startled a little at her approach, turning to look right at her with wide, bewildered eyes.

"Ezra," she said, sharply, coming to a stop in front of him. "We need to talk," she told him, in a tone of voice that said she wouldn't take no for an answer.

The junior officer grimaced, wincing with sympathy, and hastily made himself scarce. Ezra inhaled slowly through his nose and then let it out again in a long sigh, also cringing with anticipation.

"Okay," he said.

Sabine grabbed his wrist harshly and pulled him behind her. He offered no protest as she dragged him along, out to a relatively secluded area by the south perimeter fence. Very few Rebels milled about on this section, so they could speak freely without having to worry about anyone overhearing and spreading the gossip. Sabine's heart was still flaming with pulsing indignation inside her chest.

She let go of his wrist and whirled on him, brows furrowed harshly over her eyes and jabbing a finger into his collar.

"Look, I don't know what's been going on with you lately," she began, withering displeasure in every line of her face. "But this recklessness, this impulsive, cocky, self-assured bullish attitude of yours? It needs to stop," she told him. "You need to slow down and seriously think about how your actions and orders affect other people!"

His eyes pinched closed and lowered immediately, his shoulders shrinking as her scolding washed over him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Do you know how lucky we were that everyone got out okay and that we actually accomplished the objective?!" she ranted at him, almost unhinged now that she could let everything out. "Do you even appreciate how many bad calls you made on that mission?!"

He flinched, his eyes squeezing tighter, shame pulling his chin down. "I know," he said softly, miserable. "I gave bad orders. I almost got everyone killed."

"No you idiot, you could have died!"Sabine cried in outrage, and something in her mind broke with horrible clarity. She suddenly understood what was bothering her most, why she was so angry.

She stood there and panted, hands trembling, the realization ringing around her head like a tinny bell.

"You... you could have died and I wouldn't have even known until an Imperial interrogator was holding it over me, crowing about it," she said, tremulously, her voice shaking with unexpected emotion. Sabine felt a burning heat beneath her eyes and furiously blinked at it. "We could have lost you," she said. "I could have lost—"

Her voice locked up, stalling, seizing as she realized with a mortified flush rushing to her cheeks what it sounded like she was implying.

She swallowed thickly, breaking eye contact with him and turning her head aside, heat in her face and eyes and heart, thumping with steady pressure, halting, stuttering.

"We—we just lost—" She couldn't say the Togruta's name, couldn't force her mouth to form the syllables of their lost friend. "—we can't afford to lose another Jedi. Not now," she finished, a desperate, almost whiny squeal to her voice as it choked and faded.

Ezra's expression was heartbreaking, guilt and shame and despondency all clashing on his face.

He turned away, unable to even look at her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled again, his shoulders curling in, shrinking him further. "I messed up. I know. I'm..." He drew in a shaky breath, trembling. "It—it won't happen again," he whispered thinly.

Sabine felt immediately ashamed of her harsh tone. Ezra had been beating himself up about the disastrous Reklam mission for hours now, she'd watched him mope and shuffle around the base like a dead man herself. What good was her scolding him, except to make him feel even worse?

She struggled to speak for several minutes. Ezra had turned away from her, shoulders slumped, and she wrestled words to her mouth as she reached out for him, softly.

"Ezra..." she said. She never wanted him to feel like he was only good for the things he could do for the Rebellion. Like it didn't hurt her, personally, the idea of losing him. "I... I didn't mean it like—"

He shrugged off her touch, rejecting it with clinical detachment.

"I need a moment," he told her shortly, walking away before she could say anything else, call him back, let him know her true feelings.

Sabine watched him go, saw the stiff lines across his shoulders, and knew her anger hadn't helped, hadn't put things right between them.

But she let him walk away.

***

Two hours later, with the red sun beginning to creep over the sandy horizon, Sabine found him again, curled up into a self-loathing, miserable ball against a stack of supply crates. AP-5 had ratted him out to her, complaining that the young man's brooding presence was interfering with his ability to inventory properly.

Sabine had just sincerely thanked the inventory droid and made her way into the maze of crates, holding her arms softly as she approached him.

"Hey," she called, then stalled on what she wanted to say. "Um..." she trailed off.

Ezra paid her a brief glance before staring morosely forward again.

Sabine felt a sour taste in the back of her throat. She swallowed it down, forcing words out.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. She paused, then inhaled slowly. "I shouldn't have yelled at you, I just..."

There was heat stinging under her eyes again and she had to intake a gasping breath to keep her composure.

"I'm... I'm really glad you're okay," she told him.

At the way he looked up at her she found herself babbling.

"I'm—I'm glad we got the Y-wings and that—and that you didn't—" She gulped down a thick lump of emotion. "—that nothing bad... happened to you, I mean—" Her words felt rushed and frantic as she spoke them. "—I know we lost the Phantom but I'm still—I—I mean—"

She swallowed again, and a knot of emotion strained her throat.

"I don't know what I would've done if you—if something had—"

Force, why was she so bad at this?

She regained her composure.

"You're my friend, Ezra," she said, though the warbling note in her voice implied more. "I couldn't bear it if you..."

He turned up a smile at her, so genuine and warm it made firecrackers go off inside her heart.

"I know," he whispered. "Thank you."

She flung arms around him with trembling emotion, feeling him safe and there and alive and almost sobbing with relief.

Ezra's hands came up behind her back, holding her close as she cherished this moment, this reassurance that he guessed what he meant to her and would change his actions accordingly, wouldn't throw himself against an impossible peril with the smug assurance he could master all circumstances, could defy and cheat death itself.

She felt it like a soft dampening, his apology and his desire to do better, be better, for everyone.

And she let him express it freely, holding him to herself in tender affection.

---

Ow I think I caught feels a little.

[rainydaydream-gal18]

Bad Batch x Jedi!Reader: Ghosts

(Author’s Note: I’m baaaacccck!  I’ve had a rough few weeks and found almost no inspiration or motivation to write here, but I woke up this morning and felt like a new person.  Thank you for waiting and for continuing to read, like, comment, and reblog!

Anyway, this was a request I received moons ago, and I just wanted to say to the Anon who requested that I did not forget about it and I’m so sorry for the wait.  For real, thank you for the request, and I hope you like it.

OG Request: Can I request a bad batch and reader who was their sister, they were also a Jedi. But then order 66 happens and the bad batch tries to kill her but she escaped after being shot by crosshair. She ends up working with the ghost crew and meets up with them during rebels, she's almost scared of them. She also tears up seeing how much older the are

Warnings: blaster wound, some angst, fluff ending)

   Got your back,” you growled, using your lightsaber to block some incoming shots. Hunter fired his blasters at the group of oncoming droids that headed toward you.

   Wrecker was plowing through the enemy squads like it was nothing, giving an enthusiastic yell here and there.  He paused to give you a thumbs-up with a gloved hand, and you grinned back.  Crosshair was picking them off from his position off the immediate battlefield. He blasted one right in front of you.

   “Nice shot!”

   Tech was handling things just fine on his side.  You moved past him to cut through a few droids nonetheless and exchanged nods of appreciation.

   Just another day with the Bad Batch, the rogue squad that had come to be your family over the course of the war.  You had adjusted to living life on the wild side- dangerous missions and poor odds.  The group managed to get through each one, and you grew stronger.

   This mission, to invade and destroy the Separatist base from the inside out, was a particularly risky one.  But like the others, this one was going rather well.

   Or it had been.  Until Tech alerted Hunter of an incoming comm that was rather urgent.

   You didn’t see who the transmission was from.  You caught a glimpse of the blue form displaying on Tech’s comm before having to deal with an oncoming droid.  You planted a thermal detonator and somersaulted away so it could blast the last of the droids, and you’d be ready to check in with your squad about the comm.

   As the battlefield went dead silent after the fall of the final droid, there was a shift.  That was the best way to describe the feeling.  Something just wasn’t right.  You glanced over to see Hunter and Tech standing perfectly still as they received the message.  That’s when it hit you.  Whatever it was, it was deadly, and you knew you needed to get your squad out of there.

   You turned fully toward them, lips parting in the beginnings of a warning about the shift in your feelings.  You could only hope they’d listen to you and get out in time without an argument.  Your voice was cut off at the sight of three visors facing you with blasters aimed your way.

   “Guys?” you called, eyes flickering to each of them.  “Hunter?  What’s going on?”

   Two more visors, Crosshair’s and Echo’s, joined them. Cross kept his rifle ready at his shoulder, aimed at you as well.  That’s when you realized they weren’t in danger.  They were the danger.

   “The jedi are traitors to the Republic,” Hunter’s voice echoed in the space between you.  “By order of Sidious, they are to be executed for their crimes, and that includes you.”

   “W-what?”  You grasped your lightsaber tightly, not wanting to raise it and alarm them further.  “I haven’t done anything.  We’ve been fighting for the Republic.  See those droids?”  You nodded in that direction.  “I cut them up myself with my lightsaber to protect the galaxy.  We did it together.”

   “Stop trying to reason with us,” Crosshair hissed.  “You’re...a...traitor.”  He hesitated, body quivering for a moment as his visor looked to the ground.  Whatever cloud of confusion had settled on him, it was like he tried to fight it.

   “It’s me,” you said.  “It’s __________.”

   Hunter’s body shook again before he aimed the blaster at you with resolve.  “You heard Sidious, boys.  Order 66 must be carried out.”

   Searing pain traveled through your shoulder as you made a run for it, causing you to stumble.  You spared a glance behind you to see the Bad Batch giving chase.  Crosshair had actually shot you.  A different kind of pain exploded in your chest at the betrayal.  Even though you knew this Sidious was behind it all.  Even though you knew it wasn’t the real Crosshair.  It still hurt.

   Despite the physical and emotional agony, you kept running.  You deflected more blaster shots with your lightsaber, using your abilities to leap into the nearest ship.  The presence of your closest allies began to fade as you took off, leaving to shoot at the vehicle to no avail.

   Fortunately, you and the squad handled dangerous missions on your own without too much Republic assistance, so you were able to get into space without encountering any other soldiers.  When things quieted down and you were faced with the blur of stars and planets outside the viewport, you shrank back in your seat from the weight of grief.  For the first time, you allowed yourself to grieve.  The life of a jedi was by no means easy, but you were trained for years to not give into such strong attachments to avoid the dark side’s pull.  

   This time, you let the tears fall for your squad.  You let the sob rip through the lonely ship.  It was a relief to cry, but not enough to dull the pain.  It was like a fresh wound, raw and stinging.

   “Crosshair, Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, Tech…” you cried their names, demanding an answer from no one in particular.  Just then, a beep sounded amongst the ship controls that alerted you of an incoming message.  You sniffled and answered, eyes widening at the sight of Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi.

   “...I regret to inform you…”

- - - - - - - - - 

   “__________?  What are you doing?” Ezra called.  “We’ve got to go!” 

   You glanced his way from several feet away, holding up a hand as a signal for him to wait.  Something felt off about this place.  It was a feeling you hadn’t felt in a long time.  A long time.

   “Is this a jedi thing?” he asked, walking over.  Despite being quite skilled and talented for one so young, he was still very early in his training with Kanan.  Nothing could quell his curiosity, though.

   You nodded.  “There’s something...someone...here.  I think I know them.”

  “It’s just an old ship,” he shrugged.  “It is a scrapyard, after all.”

   It was a good point.  The place looked rather abandoned to the naked eye, but you could see beyond appearances.  There was more to this ship than just a heap of metal.  Something felt oddly alive about it.

   “I’m going to check it out,” you said.

   “But Hera said-”

   “Ezra,” you interrupted with as patient of a tone as you could muster.  “I need to do this.  I’ll be right back.”  You took a few cautious steps forward only to hear him walking behind you.  You peeked at him over your shoulder to see a determined expression on his face.

   “If something really is going on, I’m not letting you go in there alone.”

   “Ugh, fine,”  You pretended to be annoyed, though deep down you were glad he was coming along.  Something stirred inside you.  You sensed a presence that you hadn’t in years.  Could it be…?  No, it couldn’t.

   “__________?” The all-too-familiar voice called.  A face popped out from the old ship.  Even among the wrinkles and white hair, you recognized a piercing set of brown eyes.  Your own eyes widened as your instincts took over, and you turned to bolt.  “No, wait!”

   “Stay back!” Ezra warned, hands raised to the figure that emerged from the ship quickly.  A much taller figure stepped out, and this fellow threw his head back and laughed.

   You froze in place, taking in the aged faces before you.  None of them held the same conflict in their gaze as they had the last time you were with them.  They held their hands up as a gesture that they carried no weapons.

   “_________, it’s alright,” Echo called.  “We mean you no harm.”

   “Please, don’t go.”  Hunter’s tone sounded so pleading; it made you want to cry.  You did not sense any evil intent on their part.  It was a good sign that they were no longer under Emperor Palpatine’s control.  Over the years, you discovered what exactly had happened to your squad.  Old Republic files you’d hacked revealed that something known as Order 66 had occurred, and you had pieced together the horrible plot to overthrow the jedi.  Like the others, you had to stay hidden- even from the Bad Batch.

   “How do I know this isn’t a trick?” you asked hesitantly.

   Tech took a step forward, and you gripped the handle of your lightsaber as a warning not to approach.  His eyes flickered to the weapon before he took a step back.  “After Order 66, the new Empire retired us.  I had quite a bit of free time, and while doing some research, I stumbled upon a report: it told me all about these biological chips.”

   “And we removed them!” Wrecker said.  He turned his head to the side, his pointer finger tapping on a scar on the bald skin.  By then, you started walking towards them.  You couldn’t believe how they had aged so much.  You were in front of Crosshair first, reaching a hand up to touch his weathered face.  He didn’t tense like he used to every time you accidentally brushed against him.  As a matter of fact, he even smiled a little.  Age had worn down his tough-guy act.

   “It’s...good to see you,” he said.

   Then, all at once, the tears started flowing.  It was like you picked up right where you left off all those years ago.  You threw your arms around him, and after a few moments of crying into his shoulder, you felt his arms come up to hold you comfortingly.  “Cross...I missed you so much!”

   “I missed you too.”

   “Hey,” Wrecker grunted.  “I missed you!  Don’t I get a hug?”

   You laughed through the tears and turned to give him a hug only to be lifted off the ground in a familiar, enveloping embrace- the kind only Wrecker could give.  He set you down laughing with you, and you pulled Echo and Tech into a little group hug.  They both smiled widely, Echo chuckling, as you pulled them tighter.  Then, you were faced with an aged Hunter who looked conflicted. You could feel his warmth and happiness to see you, but he also carried guilt.  You quickly wrapped your arms around him, and he hugged back.

   “__________,” he murmured.  “I’m...sorry-”

   “Not another word,” you interrupted.  “It wasn’t your fault.  None of you are to blame.”

   “But-”

   “Not another word,” you insisted, flashing him a smile.  He returned with a handsome grin that showed the old Hunter even through his aged appearance.  It brought more tears to your eyes.  “I’m so glad we all found our way back together.”

   “Um, __________?” Ezra spoke up.  He gave a shrug, confused about the interaction.

   “I’ll explain,” you told him.  “Bad Batch, this is my friend, Ezra.  Him and I are members of a crew that does what it can to mess with the Empire.”

   “Oh yeah?” Wrecker asked.  “As soon as our chips were removed, that’s what we started doing.”

   “Really?”

   “Indeed, we’ve made significant progress,” Tech said.

   “Well,” you sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder plate.  “What do you say we regroup and mess with the Empire together?”

   “I think…” Hunter stroked his chin in thought.  “I think that sounds like a great idea.”

[pretchatta]

prompt: holiday

dave said it's my turn to write a moons of rion fic

rating: teen; kanan jarrus/hera syndulla; 2.4k words

---

The Outer Rim planet of Rion was a tropical paradise. Beaches, bars and breathtaking views covered its surface, and the sight of the planet in the forward viewport made Kanan sigh with longing. So close, and yet so far.

It felt like he and Hera had been working non-stop for the past year. Between keeping the Ghost in fuel, the galley stocked, and working other (less well-paid, but Hera would argue more important) jobs, Kanan would like nothing more than to spend a few hours relaxing somewhere – anywhere – with Hera. They were something now; more than simply captain and crew, but exactly what that was Kanan hadn’t had time to find out.

He wouldn’t any time soon, either. This mission wasn’t even taking them to Rion itself, but to one of its moons. A quick pickup and then they’d fly straight back to Lothal to deliver it, get paid, and then move onto the next job.

Kanan sighed. “Remind me what the cargo is for this one?”

“I don’t know,” Hera replied absently as she steered the Ghost in an orbital path around Rion. Their destination appeared from behind the planet, the oceanic moon a deep blue colour dotted with small green-and-white islands. Just beyond it, its populated twin was also visible. “Vizago paid extra for discretion, but he didn’t offer me the dangerous goods fee, so I assume it’s at least safe.”

Kanan grimaced. “We’re relying on the integrity of a smuggler. I feel so reassured.”

“We need the credits, love. We’ve barely got enough fuel to make this delivery.” Hera gave the fuel gauge a worried look as the Ghost entered the moon’s atmosphere and they began their descent. Below them, taking up most of one of the smaller islands, Kanan could see a landing platform growing larger.

Hera touched the Ghost down with barely a bump. Had Kanan not realised months ago that his days of drifting were behind him, he knew he would find it very difficult to return to his old lifestyle. There were several comforts that came from crewing on the Ghost, the smooth landings being just one.

“Alright, let’s load up and get going.” Hera hit the ramp controls and led the way out of the cockpit.

Spaceport was a generous term for what greeted them outside. The battered landing platform was barely large enough for two ships, even though it took up most of the solid ground on the island, and the only permanent structure was a dilapidated single-storey hut. It looked like it was cobbled together from scrap, with the exception of the shiny solar panels stretched over the roof and the comm dish mounted haphazardly on one wall.

There were no windows, but the front door stuttered open as Kanan and Hera emerged from the Ghost. An ancient-looking prototype droid emerged, hobbling out towards them with slow, fitful steps.

“Welcome to landing site R-M2-S04,” it called out to them. Its mechanical voice was decidedly tinny. “I am C0-R4, the overseer droid for this location. Thank you for leaving your transponder on. Your ship has been identified as the Ghost.”

Droid-supervised transactions weren’t uncommon in their line of work. The handoffs were usually in remote locations like this one, and it was much cheaper to leave a droid to wait around than an organic being.

“We’re here to pick up Vizago’s shipment,” Hera told the droid.

“That is correct.” C0-R4 gave a jerky nod. “Your cargo will arrive in two days.”

“What?” Hera exclaimed. “Two days! We were told to come today, and that this job was time-critical!”

“Cikatro Vizago apologises for the unavoidable delay, but he understands that you have a fast ship.”

Hera glared at the droid, though Kanan knew her ire was in fact directed at their unreliable employer. “And what exactly are we supposed to do for the next two days?”

“I am not programmed for leisure itinerary planning,” it replied in its monotone. “I will be in low power mode until the shipment arrives. Good day.”

With that, the protocol droid turned and hobbled back into its hut. Hera stared after it in disbelief. Kanan, meanwhile, felt hope blooming in his chest.

“I know you’d rather get on with the job,” he said slowly, trying to keep his voice neutral, “but given our fuel situation, it looks like we’re staying in this system for the next two days. And since Rion’s right there…”

She turned to him with one eyebrow raised. His face must have shown more than he realised, because her eyes softened with sympathy.

“Kanan, I’d love to spend a few days on Rion with you, but we don’t have enough fuel to get there,” she said apologetically. “We barely have enough to take off and make it back to Lothal.”

Kanan was not deterred. “Okay, what about the Phantom? It has a separate fuel tank – we could take it to one of the resorts, stay for a few days and be back in time for the pickup.”

Hera shook her head. “I should probably siphon the Phantom’s fuel into the Ghost. We’re going to need it if we want the extra speed to make Vizago’s deadline.”

Kanan sighed. The captain's decision was final. “Fine. I guess we’re sitting here for two days eating stale rations. Hopefully the Ghost’s water purifier can handle the seawater.”

“Wait, rations? Don’t we have enough food?”

“We might have a couple dehydrated meal packs, but I was going to stock up when we got back to Lothal.”

Hera frowned. “I guess this is going to be a long two days.”

“It doesn’t have to be…” Kanan’s mind was racing as a new idea formed in his head. “Could you leave just enough fuel in the Phantom to make one trip to the other moon? It’s populated, and it’ll take less fuel to take off from because of the lower gravity. And right now it’s closer than Rion itself. I still have a few credits – not enough for fuel, but we could pick up some supplies, and then spend the next two days just relaxing here. It’s not exactly a luxury resort getaway, but it’s better than nothing.”

Hera looked unconvinced. “I don’t know…”

“Come on, Hera, we’ll still be able to make the delivery,” he pleaded. “And this way we can enjoy a few days of downtime! We’ve got nothing else to do, and it’s not like we’re going to get any trouble from the Empire out here.”

He could see her resolve wavering, and then–

“Okay, fine.”

Kanan resisted the urge to punch the air as she turned to walk back up the Ghost’s ramp.

“Chopper,” she called up to the cockpit, “work out the best course to the other moon, and be nice to the navicomputer this time! Then I want you to initiate a fuel transfer from the Phantom to the Ghost. Leave enough to make the trip to the other moon, Kanan and I will be going on a supply run when we get back.”

The old astromech blatted a question back at her from somewhere above them. Hera looked back at Kanan.

“We’re going for a walk,” she replied. “You’d hate it, you’d just get sand in your joints.”

Chopper made a rude noise, which Hera ignored.

“A romantic stroll along the beach, huh?” Kanan said, putting an arm around her waist.

“If we’re doing this, I should at least try to relax, and it seems like a good start.” Her arms snaked over his shoulders and around his neck, allowing him to pull her closer. Their noses brushed, lips an inch apart, but Kanan turned his head at the last moment to kiss her cheek instead.

“In that case…” he murmured against her earcone, and then dropped to his knees in front of her and gently lifted one of her knees. Hera complied, allowing him to raise her foot and slip her boot off it.

“You’re overdressed,” he continued. “Unlike Chopper, we can enjoy the feeling of sand between our toes.”

He finished removing her other boot, and looked up to see her smiling fondly down at him. He quickly shed his own boots, leaving both pairs just inside the cargo hold, and as an afterthought added his gloves. Hera did the same, allowing Kanan to take her bare hand and lead them back outside.

The beach was only a few steps away, and they strolled leisurely over the sun-warmed sand towards the brilliant blue water. Above, the odd fluffy white cloud floated in the teal-blue sky as the late afternoon sun shone down on the island. A faint breeze blew in from the sea, cooling the air and bringing with it the smell of salt.

Kanan ran his thumb over the back of Hera’s hand as a sense of calmness washed through him. Hera was right; the walk was a great idea. The sand was soft under his feet and with every step he could feel his body relaxing.

They stopped at the water’s edge, letting the waves lap at their toes. The water wasn’t exactly warm, but neither was it cold. They stood there for a few moments in comfortable silence, enjoying the tranquility.

Hera bumped her shoulder against Kanan’s. “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t think I would have let myself have a break if I’d been on my own, but… I needed this.”

He raised his eyebrows in mock astonishment. “Are you saying what I think you're saying?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You were right, dear.”

He smirked, and then leaned down to kiss her. She rose onto her toes to meet him. As with every time their lips met, Kanan felt a jolt of electricity through his stomach; he didn’t think he’d ever get used to kissing Hera Syndulla.

They resumed their walk, following the coastline. Doing a full circuit of the island wouldn’t take long. As far as Kanan could tell, there was no wildlife on this moon, but the lapping of the waves and the slide of their feet over the sand made for a perfect soundtrack.

“So, do you have anything in particular you want to pick up on this supply run?” Hera asked him.

“I thought we could get some fancy caf,” he replied, “y’know, since we're on holiday. And then something simple to eat that we could have on the beach.”

“That sounds good to me.”

He turned to give her a look. “We may be on a budget, but I like to eat out.”

She only managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds before laughing.

They were distracted from further conversation by a wide rock formation on the far side of the landing platform. Several meters tall at its highest point, it looked like it was made up of numerous pillars of dark stone, jutting upwards out of the ground and ending in flat, irregular shapes. The lower ones around the edge held small pools of water from the last high tide, but they were taller towards the middle and beyond a certain point the tops were smooth and dry. The beach continued around the edge, the sand stretching between the rocks and the sea, but the Ghost and the overseer droid’s hut were hidden from view.

They approached the rocks with interest. Kanan was only half-aware of Hera’s hand slipping out of his as he went to examine one of the rockpools and so didn't notice the mischievous look that had come over her face. By the time he realised she was no longer beside him, she had already removed the outer layer of her flight suit and folded neatly atop one of the dry pillars. He could only watch, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, as she quickly and methodically worked on the rest of her clothing.

Hera carefully added her cap and goggles to the pile she had formed and then looked up at him. His heart beat faster at the sight of so much bare green skin. With a coy smile, she held his gaze as she slipped her underwear off and let it join the rest of her clothes.

“Fancy a swim?”

She didn’t wait for an answer; Kanan wasn’t sure he was capable of giving one. She turned and ran over the beach, lekku streaming behind her, splashing into the water until it was up to her neck.

She turned back to him and yelled “Well? Are you coming?”

It was enough to jolt him out of his shock. He’d left his armour behind today, so his shirt came off easily. The rest of his clothes followed in a somewhat messier pile than Hera’s, but creases weren’t on the forefront of his mind at that moment.

Kanan took off at a sprint towards the sea. When he was about halfway to the water he leapt, giving himself an extra push that made it higher and further than a leap any ordinary human should have been able to make. Tucking his knees into his chest in mid-air, he hit the surface with a splash, sending a wall of water over Hera. The cool water enveloped his body with swirls of white and blue. He kicked at the sandy sea bed to surface next to Hera, who was sputtering in protest.

Kanan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

“You did invite me in,” he reminded her. His sodden hair was slicked back against his head and water dripped from the end of his nose. Further droplets ran over Hera's bare head and down her lekku, adding to the patterns already there.

“I didn’t ask for a tsu–”

He cut off her complaints with a wet kiss. She relaxed in his arms a second later, though he knew he had’t gotten away with it; she’d be planning her payback for later. He smiled against her lips and felt her mouth curve upwards in response. It really had been too long since they’d been able to just let go like this, to enjoy their time together and not have any pressing worries or responsibilities.

The kiss deepened, and Hera’s legs wound around his waist. Whoever's idea this had been, he thought to himself, it was definitely a good one.

[calebdumes]

mornings are for coffee, contemplation, and making yourself sad over fictional characters

fandom: star wars rebels

relationship: kanan jarrus/hera syndulla || ghost family feels

rating: n/r

word count: 1.6k

~

Kanan could feel it. The Force. It swelled around him, hardening his bones, warming the blood in his frozen veins, unclouding his sleeping eyes. It was alive and moving in him like never before. The galaxy was at a tipping point, the battle between the Light and the Dark reaching it’s apex as it had millions of years before and just as it will millions of years into the future. But now it called him.

Be with me.

He could feel the others rising to the call. They were coming awake after years of slumber, of passive watching as the galaxy continued to grow and evolve. Each one of them burned like a flame in his mind, the Force shaping their bodies and breathing life into their lungs. 

It called to them, like a mother to a child, and they followed. Stars flew past like glittering gems, clusters of gas and dust swirled in a kaleidoscope of colors as the Force pulled them, until the cold black of the Dark washed away all traces of the Light. They were here. 

Be with me.

She was fading. Her strength, her will. The oppressive evil that sat before her was growing, a deep chill that Kanan had felt taking hold in the galaxy during his youth. He had been naïve to what it meant then but he was all too aware of it’s sinister nature now. If she could not rise to this task, if she could not stomp out this darkness, there would be no hope - there would be no Light.

The others began speaking, familiar voices he hadn’t heard in what felt like centuries. With each word he could feel the Force building, the Light cutting away at the Dark. She could feel it too, she could hear their words, her soul sparking. She pushed to her feet, her pain coursing through them.

Kanan reached out, his voice thundering around her like lightning. 

In the heart of a Jedi lies her strength.

Memories flooded Kanan’s vision, whiting out the slick black walls of the dark chamber. Emotions swelled in his heart as he remembered his family. They were his core, his source of reason and being. She had a family too, up there fighting in the stars. They would be her strength. They were her source of reason and being. For them, she would rise. 

Just as Kanan did. 

He could feel the others pouring themselves into her, he could feel the Dark slipping. It’s grip on the galaxy was weak, it wouldn’t be able to withstand the power of the Light much longer. She stood, lightsabers crossed before her, and faced the Sith. 

The others began to pull away, once the Dark had been defeated, retreating back into the restful sleep of the Cosmic Force, waiting patiently until they were called upon again. But Kanan lingered. He could sense them. 

The cold stone of the Sith temple evaporated, replaced by rolling clouds thick with moisture. He could feel the water droplets on his skin, taste the heavy bite of electricity on his tongue. Up here there were millions of ships of all different sizes and shapes. But it took him little time to find the one he was looking for. 

As he zeroed in on it, it's familiar shape snapped into hyperspace. 

Kanan followed. 

He should go back with the others. He could feel them calling to him but Kanan pushed them aside. He would return but he had to see them first. He had gone so long without them. Just this once, just a few moments in time, he had to see them. 

The planet they landed on was bright and lush and brimming with life. Joy and relief sang from the tree tops, the galaxy rejoicing in the comfort of the Light. Bodies danced and embraced, some wept, their joy sliced by grief. Kanan flew above it all until he felt them. 

He saw Sabine first, standing outside of the Ghost, cheering with the rest of the rebels. She was older, her armor a little duller, her shoulders worn from the weight of the planet she led. Her hair was orange and pink - like an Atollon sunset, her amber eyes burning in the aftermath of their victory. As he stepped towards her, his feet soundless on the jungle floor, he saw her pause. Kanan knew that she couldn’t see him, but he felt her gaze. A gentle smile pulled at her lips before Ketsu crashed into her back and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. 

Zeb was next, a faded image that was worn from countless touches from those who passed by. His striking figure painted onto the hull of their home in a loving memorial to his life. He had passed on into the Cosmic Force years ago but he was still alive in his family's heart. Fighting alongside them every step of the way. Kanan walked past the painting, the memory of Zeb’s gruff laughter ringing in his ears. 

Inside the Ghost, Kanan paused at the foot of the ladder. He knew who waited for him up in the cockpit. He could feel them, their life so bright in the Force. They pulled at him and Kanan let them, unable to deny them now just as he had been unable to in life. 

Jacen was standing in between the pilot’s chair and Kanan’s seat, his tall body wrapped in an embrace. His mother’s arms wrapped around him tightly. Ezra’s hand rested lightly on his shoulder, tears shining in his brilliant blue eyes. They both froze as Kanan inched forward, desperate and filled with longing. He didn’t have long, he knew that. He would have to return to the others soon but standing before them, Kanan wanted time to stretch out forever, if only to see them for just a little while longer.

Hera, his beautiful Hera, pulled away from their son and looked at her boys with worry. “What is it?” she asked, her voice every bit as sweet as it had been on Gorse. Kanan could have wept at the sight of her. Her lekku were longer, having grown as she aged and the familiar green of her skin seemed to have deepened. She was still the most beautiful thing Kanan had ever seen. 

Even after all these years, she was still fighting, still standing up for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. Not even old age could slow her down. Kanan could sense that she still had many more years left of life in her and he knew she would use every single one of them to help those in need. 

Kanan wanted to fling himself at them, he wanted to feel her skin, feel her weight in his arms once more. But he held back. As much as it pained him, he held back. He had his time with them, however short it was. And he knew that he would be with them again. For now he had to be satisfied with this, watching from a distance.

 “Boys, what’s wrong?” Hera asked again when Ezra and Jacen didn’t answer. 

“It’s Kanan.” Ezra said, his padawan’s sharp eyes boring into his. He could feel Ezra brush against his mind. He was strong with the Force, much stronger than he had been as a child. Kanan could sense the impressions of what his padawan had accomplished in his life and what he still had left to do. His chest grew tight with pride. 

“What do you mean it’s Kanan?” Hera questioned, her grip tightening on Jacen’s arms. 

Jacen smiled at him. The boy looked so much like him, it hurt. The same flat cheek bones and heavy brows. But Kanan could still see Hera, lurking in his features, in the graceful slope of his nose and in the point of his chin. The Force was with him, as Kanan suspected it would be. He was flourishing under Ezra’s teaching, his life as a Jedi just beginning. “He’s here.”

The Force flickered around him, humming with intensity that Kanan almost missed Hera’s gasp. It buzzed across his skin and down his spine until he could feel the metal at his feet, the cold recycled air of the ship filling his lungs as if he was living again. Hera took a step towards him, those startling green eyes lined with age but still as fierce and kind as they had always been. 

“I- I see him.” she breathed, a shaking hand reaching out to touch. 

Kanan raised his own hand in response, wrapping gentle fingers around her wrist, her heartbeat strong against his skin. For the first time in a long time, Kanan felt himself smile. 

He brushed his fingertips reverently against her cheek before pulling her in and kissing her, years worth of history and love flowing between them, unbroken and unending. Even in death Hera ruled his heart. She would forever be a part of him as he would always be a part of her. And one day she would pass from this life on to the next and Kanan would be waiting for her. They would be together again. 

Kanan pulled back, whipping away her tears with the pad of his thumb. He had to go now, the others wouldn’t let him stay any longer. He wasn’t part of the Living Force anymore, he had to return. He kissed Hera again, light and sweet before taking a step back, already feeling his presence starting to slip away. 

“You could always see me.” He said as the Cosmic Force wrapped itself around him and he fell into his slumber once more, Hera’s joy still burning deep in his heart. 

He would see them all again soon. They would be together again. 

Kanan could wait.