#the ultimate lightning daughter
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
softnangstt · 4 months ago
Text
happy ??th birthday to lightning mcqueen
192 notes · View notes
lightasthesun · 1 year ago
Text
Imagine surviving the war only to lose most of the people closest to you.
The Woman that once upon a time held your heart in her hands.
The Girl that you loved like a daughter and whose death would ultimately lead to you losing your only brother.
In this universe, the river of time flows differently. Each step, each choice, and each poignant moment in its stream drift slightly off course.
It starts like this:
When Ahsoka and Bo-Katan ask the Jedi Order for aid in freeing Mandalore from Darth Maul's grasp and finally putting an end to the former Sith's reign, Obi-Wan does not ignore their call for help. Satine's ghost still haunts his nightmares, and it's the look on her sister's face, along with the redheads snarling accusations and Ahsoka's distant demeanor, that cause his typically composed exterior to splinter.
Through the cracks in his shields, a presence slips in – wild and tumultuous, yet practically radiant in its brilliance.
Days, months, weeks and even years later Obi-Wan will wish he'd taken a little longer to cradle her presence close.
It ends like this:
Anakin with Windu on the Invisible Hand. A incapacitated Sith in custody and another, more vile, more cunning, more sinister, choosing the wrong moment to reveal himself. A twist of fate. A long lost friend showing signs of old loyalty. Lightning. Screams. Hurt and Betrayal. The Chosen One as he was meant to be without terrors of the night influencing his most damning decision. Red clashing with purple, with blue. Red, blue, purple, blue, red, purple— A head rolls. The cackling stops.
For a moment, Peace.
A bond, frail at the edges but oh so resilient, crafted amidst blaster fire and silly nicknames and bets made on the battlefield, breaks—
Anakin screams.
On Mandalore the last chess piece falls with a Padawans last sacrifice.
First, Maul taunts. Maul laughs. Maul feeds on rage, on grief and hurt and terror, terror, terror. He's stronger here. Less controlled too, but while his greed costs him his head, his strength costs Obi-Wan the centerpiece of his lineage.
Obi-Wan holds his daughter as she bleeds out in his arms. His shoulders shake but he does not cry. His eyes burn but he does not weep. His lips twitch but he does not sob. He holds Ahsoka much the same way he held Satine only months before.
“No, not you too.”
Something flickers inside his mind, once, twice. It grows ever dimmer and Ahsoka's grip on his shoulder, ever weaker. A feeble voice inside his mind, It's okay. It doesn't hurt. I'll be okay, Master.
But this time no reassurance, no hand to his cheek, no last confession, nothing, will temper the anger slowly rising in tandem with his grief. He needs a medic. He needs a medic, now. Where's —
Cody!
Obi-Wan doesn't like the expression on the face of his slowly approaching Commander. The furrow of his brow, the emotion in his eyes. He doesn't like that Cody has taken off his helmet and reaches out to hold Obi-Wan by his shoulder as if he knows Obi-Wan needs the physical support, as if Ahsoka is going to —
“Master—”
Obi-Wan turns his eyes back on his Grandpadawan. Hers are barely open, her lips smeared with blood. Obi-Wans eyes catch on the red trailing down her chin and the length of her throat.
Ahsoka catches his eyes and smiles. She tugs on their bond the way she had always done before a battle, up until her last assignment on Caito Neimodia.
She tugs once, twice, three times. His heart squeezes painfully in his chest. He tugs back three times.
He does cry then. For the life she will never have. For the peace she will never experience. For the war she fought and whose final victory she will never reap. For the girl he learned to love as his own.
And even in her last moment, even in pain, even after Hurt and Miscommunication, and Betrayal born out of insecurity and misjudgment, she still worries for others first. For him.
You're safe. You're all sa—
He shushes her. Tired amusement tingles across their bond.
Then,
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.
You are forgiven, Obi-Wan.
Exhale. The light winks out and as their bond shatters his last remaining one pulls tight with white hot agony.
Cody is all that keeps Obi-Wan upright right then and there.
The war is over. They won. So many dead. His lineage torn asunder.
Ahsoka is dead. Anakin won't speak to him. Qui-Gon is dead. Dooku is imprisoned.
Here the river of time finds a stream parallel to the one we know.
Obi-Wan and Yoda at the end of things.
185 notes · View notes
depressedhatakekakashi · 6 months ago
Note
what are your favourite kakashi moments that made you love him as a character?
Ohhh I have so many.
From Og Naruto.
When Naruto whinned about doing another 'boring mission' and asked if they were going to chase cats again, and Kakashi just responded with a 'purrhaps'.
His whole talk about the importance of teamwork and protecting your teammates. His beliefs are made clear from day one and it's very friend oriented which i love.
How he showed respect to Zabuza, the man he'd been fighting just minutes before.
When he talks to Naruto about rivals and looks at Gai. after playing the 'cool guy' and continuing to bother Gai by asking him what he'd said it was really cool to see that he clearly felt the same way about their rivalry as Gai did.
Saving Sakura in the Konoha Crush. no hesitation, man cut two shinobi down in an instant to protect his daughter student
Walking away from Tsunade while she was trying to give him a new mission and heading out to find his students instead.
Fighting back to back with Gai in the konoha crush arc. Up to this point Kakashi has been a protector. the one guarding his students and fighting alone. To see him fighting back to back with someone, thus protecting them while allowing them to protect him, was really cool and showed how deep their bond is.
when he told Iruka that Naruto was working to be a shinobi like him. He was being so sweet and cheerful, and i love how he reminds Iruka just how much Naruto looks up to him.
Knowing how to open the first gate. It's pretty clear Kakashi has rather negative feelings about the gates when he finds out Gai taught them to Lee, but here he is using the first gate because he can at least appreciate its use (but still sticks to using only the gate that doesn't cause any significant negative effects to his body)
Shippuden
How he just talks to Lady Chiyo when they're on their way to locate Sasori and Deidara. Dude has no reason really to be nice to her considering the welcome he got from her, but when she asked about Naruto's drive to save Gaara Kakashi did not hold back on telling her about his student. (In general just how he treats everyone around him with kindness, even his enemies)
Getting frustrated with Naruto not listening to him and physiclly having to grab him and pull him back in their fight against Deidara because he needs Naruto to work WITH him, not against him because he's allowing his anger to get to him. big mood my dude.
How he spent his time stuck in the hospital thinking about how to improve the team, and ultimately accepted that the only person he could really help improve at the ridiculous rate they needed was Naruto. If he could have found a way to improve his own skills at that incredable pace i have no doubt he would have gone with that idea, but he accepted that it was time for him to help Naruto surpass him.
How he stepped in without hesitation to save Team Gai when Deidra decided to blow himself up in hopes of taking them down with him
how he does the same thing for Iruka, putting himself into a battle against Pein he has next to no chance of winning so he can give others an opportuity to escape to safety.
His cute challenges with Gai. I just love how he actually lets himself relax and goes full dork mode around Gai <3
how he smiles at Sai and tells him that he belives in him
"Sensei is sorry" it's so stupid but cute and I love how he obviously recognizes he needs to explain things a bit slower for Naruto.
Bullying tenzo. One is not a true friend if you cannot bully each other XD
Stopping lightning with his hands to protect Team Seven from Kakuzu's attack
Being such a sneaky shit that he's able to take out Kakuzu's first heart before his presence is even known.
the entire hidan and Kakuzu vs Kakashi fight tbh. I love how he's just jumping around dodging Hidan like it's not big deal XD
his background! The loss of his father, Obito's death, Rin's death, Minato's death. This man really watched as people around him dropped like flies and still refused to stop believing in other people.
And so so so much more. I love a lot of what he does and who he is. He's a facinating character
55 notes · View notes
lewmagoo · 2 years ago
Text
i smile at the moon | rhett abbott
Tumblr media
description: in which two wild souls become knit together as one
warnings: 18+ only, werewolves, violence, animals fighting, perry abbott slander, mentions of death, family drama, mentions of blood, smut, breeding kink, unprotected sex (basically a mating ritual lol), possessiveness, creampie, biting, scratching, all around animalistic themes
pairing: werewolf!rhett abott x f!werewolf!reader
notes: yeah so this started out as me wanting to write naughty werewolf smut and then it turned into a 10k+ word story complete with my own werewolf lore. thanks to @lovinglyeternal bc they basically created this monster by sending me a werewolf rhett concept. you are responsible for my insanity ;-)
He could smell you. 
Each inhale of your scent was intoxicating. Stronger and sweeter than anything he’d ever smelled before. Citrusy, in a way. Warm and spicy like a hot cider. 
All his life he’d been told that the scent of one’s mate was unique and indescribable. The most wonderful, appealing, all-consuming scent. Before he found you, he’d tried to imagine what it would smell like. His mama’s brown butter chocolate cookies, fresh out of the oven? Cotton candy, from the county fair? The comforting sweetness that hung in the air of his favorite childhood ice cream shop?
However, all of those scents paled in comparison to you. It hit him like a freight train the first time he met you. His knees went weak, his spine tingled as if he’d been struck by a bolt of white-hot lightning. It hit you just as hard, overwhelming your every sense. At that very moment, both of you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you were made for each other. The Fates had brought you together and your bond would never be severed. 
You would never forget that first meeting in the woods. You were part of a neighboring pack. New to the region, having recently migrated from your old home because tensions between your pack and a rival one had grown to concerning levels. 
To avoid a full-blown war, your pack had moved out west, hoping to start fresh. And a fresh start was exactly what you found. But little did you know that it would also lead you to find the one you were destined for. 
You met him the day his pack came to make a formal introduction and welcome you to the region. The Northeast Wyoming pack was comprised of the Abbott family descendants. 
However, the pack was not as great as it had once been. What used to dominate the entire northeastern region of Wyoming had been reduced to a very small family of wolves. Royal, the alpha. His wife Cecelia. Their son, Perry; the eldest and next in line for alpha status, and their younger son, Rhett. Finally, there was Amy, Perry’s young daughter. 
Rumor had it Perry once had a wife, but she’d ultimately left the pack and chosen to become an omega. Or, so you’d heard. 
When you heard the pack was coming to welcome you to the area, you had no idea what to expect. These were potential allies, but if something went wrong, they could very quickly become your enemy. You hoped it wouldn’t come to that. You were tired of fighting and wanted nothing more than to finally enjoy a season of peace. 
Little did you know that you were about to meet the one you would mate with for life. 
They came at sunset, bearing gifts. Food for your table. Good bottles of wine. They even brought a few toys for some of the small children in your pack.
Cecelia did most of the talking. She was warm and friendly and gave you a hearty welcome, informing you that she was so happy to have new neighbors in the region, and was looking forward to rebuilding the community they’d lost over the years. 
Silently, you wondered why their pack was so small. Yours had nearly twenty members. Theirs had five. Perry had a child, an heir, already. Which left Rhett, the only one who hadn’t furthered the bloodline yet.
Of the whole family, he was the last one to arrive that night. Royal made an offhanded comment about him always being late, and how he was just being lazy. The comment rubbed you the wrong way. Especially since Rhett wasn’t even there to defend himself. You didn’t even know the man, but you already felt a strange sense of protectiveness toward him. 
Odd, you thought. But instead of dwelling on it, you simply turned and joined the rest of your pack, ready for the evening’s festivities to begin. 
Rhett arrived a little while later. A rickety old GMC Sierra pulled into the gravel driveway, and it caught your attention. You glanced over to see a young man climbing out of the driver’s side. You couldn’t quite see his face yet, but you could tell he was handsome. 
That’s when you caught it. The breeze blew in your direction, and a scent unlike anything you’d ever smelled before filled your entire being. Deep and musky, like pine and woodsmoke, yet sharp and fresh, like the air after a rainfall. 
It pulled the deepest of gasps from you, and you dropped the stack of plates you’d been carrying out of the house for the outdoor supper. You vaguely heard your mother calling your name, asking what was wrong, but you hardly registered it. Without another thought, your legs were moving of their own accord, carrying you straight for the brunette-haired man walking up the lane. 
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a figure quickly approaching. But that wasn’t what caught his attention. It was the scent. Sweet and spicy and delicious. He tensed, his eyes widening as his nostrils flared slightly. He’d never been hit with something so strong and irresistible. Suddenly his world was spinning off its axis as he realized what this meant. 
His heart began to pound in his chest. His palms grew clammy. His knees went weak. And then, suddenly, you were in front of him, eyes glowing yellow, bright as the sun, and he thought he was going to suffocate right then and there as the breath left his lungs. 
You weren’t sure who moved forward first. But all at once you were in each other’s space, like two lovers reunited after years apart. 
Rhett leaned in and pressed his nose to the side of your neck, breathing in deeply. You buried your face against his chest and inhaled sharply. This was customary for wolves. Especially ones mated to each other, to greet one another by taking in the other’s scent.
When you parted, you realized that his eyes were glowing, too. 
“It’s you,” he whispered, awestruck. His chest heaved. He could hardly take in oxygen. 
You barely knew what to do with yourself. You were so overwhelmed that all you could do was stare at him, drinking him in. The one you had dreamed of since you were small. Your hands lifted of their own accord, and you ran them over his face. Down his neck. Across his chest. Feeling that he was in fact real and that this wasn’t a dream. 
Then, when you found your voice, you breathlessly spoke. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for you.” 
Rhett finally found the breath he needed, and a disbelieving laugh brushed past his parted lips. He could hardly believe his eyes. Here you were, standing before him. The one he thought he’d never meet. He’d been certain that he was cursed to go through life without a mate. Yet here you were, standing in front of him, and an all-consuming sense of elation buzzed through him, like fizzy champagne in his veins.
You watched as he took a step back, his boots crunching against gravel as he threw his head back, face turned to the sky. He took a deep breath and let out a deep wolf howl, sounding through the wilderness. It echoed off the trees and it shook you to your core.
You couldn’t help the laughter that began to pour from your mouth. Laughter of disbelief. Laughter of joy. Laughter of love. “It’s you!” You repeated his own words from moments prior, still laughing, so happy you could barely contain it. 
He looked back at you, his eyes, back to a thrilling and human blue, framed by smile lines as he grinned at you. His howl had alerted the rest of your pack, and his own, and moments later, they were all gathering in the clearing to see what was going on.
You grabbed Rhett’s hand, holding it up high as your fingers intertwined. “I’ve found him!” You cried. “I’ve found my mate!”
That night, what had started as a friendly dinner between new neighbors turned into a celebration that lasted well into the night. It was a joyous occasion, to find one’s mate, deserving of an extravagant celebration. 
You swore you didn’t stop smiling for the entire night. The realization that in a moment of divine fate, you had met the man you were going to spend the rest of your life with. Your soulmate. The half to your whole. Suddenly, all the strife that you’d gone to just to get to this point seemed all worth it. Because now, here was this beautiful man beside you, rugged but gentle, with kind eyes and a shy smile. And he was everything you’d dreamed he would be. 
Your families gave you time alone that night, and you walked beneath the light of the half moon, side by side, straying away from all the activity to find a quiet spot. 
You sat in a clearing in the woods and you talked for hours. You told Rhett all about your pack, and the unrest that had forced you to move all the way out here to Wyoming. You spoke of each pack member with such reverence and respect, and it sent a pang of envy through him. 
He revealed to you that he did not have the most positive relationship with his family. 
“We’ve, uh, we’ve been through some shit, the last few years. It’s put a strain on the pack. ‘specially my relationship with my brother.” He gazed out across the expanse of the woods, and in the silver light of the moon, you saw a sadness in his eyes. “His wife Rebecca left him and Amy. He didn’t take it very well.”
“That’s sad,” you whispered sympathetically. “Do you know why she left?”
Rhett’s eyes remained trained toward the distance, and you didn’t miss the way his jaw tensed. “Don’t tell my folks I said this, but he ran ‘er off. I saw it comin’ from a mile away, but everybody else seemed blindsided when she wound up running for the hills.”
“Were they mates?” You questioned. 
“Nah. Perry said they were, but they weren’t. He didn’t want to wait to find his mate. Went against pack customs just so he could have Rebecca for his own. She went along with it at first. Even had a baby with him. But when I tell you I ain’t never seen a more unhappy woman in my life. She was a nice gal but she was fuckin’ miserable with my brother. Eventually it got so bad that she up and left. Didn’t even take Amy with her, that’s how bad things were,” he explained. 
Your eyes widened at the thought. You’d always been told that the bond between mama wolves and their pups was unmatched, running deeper than even the lowest depth of the sea. For one to just up and leave her baby was unheard of. It made you shudder to think just how terrible things must have been to push Rebecca away like that. 
You shook your head. “Poor Amy.”
Rhett hummed in agreement. “Her mama’s been gone a year now. She’s adapted okay, but she seems kinda lonely. Kids at school can’t relate to her because they ain’t wolves like she is.”
“I guess it really was fate that brought us here then, huh? All my little cousins will befriend her, she won’t have to worry about feeling as alone anymore.”
He smiled softly, glancing at you. “Sure am thankful to that Fate fella. I’ll have to thank him if I ever meet him face to face. Thank him for bringin’ you to me.”
It was your turn to smile, and you turned your face away, hiding the shy glimmer that lit up your eyes. But Rhett reached out, hooking his fingers under your chin and turning your face back toward him. “I know we’ve got some more formalities to go through before we’re joined together, but I want you to know that right here, right now, I’m pledgin’ myself to you and only you for the rest of my life.”
You closed your eyes, breathing in deeply again, letting his intoxicating scent wash over you once more. “And I pledge myself to you,” you replied. 
Your gaze remained fixed on his own, and his hand shifted, moving to cup your cheek. His eyes flickered to your lips, then back up to your own eyes, as if asking permission. You gave the tiniest of nods, and he leaned in, so close you could almost taste him. 
Until, suddenly, a sharp whistle sounded through the woods. You broke apart abruptly, and Rhett sighed, rising to his feet. “That would be my mama.”
You couldn’t help but giggle. “Guess we should head back then.”
And so you did, walking hand in hand back to the house. You knew from that moment on that everything was about the change. You would soon begin the ritual of preparing for your wedding, a formality in which your packs would be joined together through your matrimony. Everything you had been dreaming of for your entire life was finally coming true, and it all felt so close, yet so far. 
That night, after you bid goodnight to Rhett, you went to bed with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart. You fell asleep dreaming of the life you would lead together. A future that held many unspoken promises. A home of your own. A growing family that would carry on your bloodline, one of the greatest honors that could be bestowed upon a wolf. 
In the following weeks, much preparation was made. You began the process of getting to know Rhett, spending many nights going on walks, learning the inner workings of one another. And then came the week just before your wedding. A night on which the moon hung low and full-bellied in the sky. The night you shifted beneath the glow of that very moon, sharing the very special and intimate moment of transforming into your wolves.
Rhett’s wolf was deep brown, almost black, with the softest fur you’d ever felt. He was breathtaking, and as you shifted into your own wolf, you found yourself nuzzling into him, letting him know you were there, that you were with him until death did you part. 
And then, finally, your wedding day arrived. It was a beautifully warm day. The sun filtered through the trees and cast dapples of light all over, like rays of magic falling from the sky. You’d kept things simple, as wolf weddings normally were. A crown of flowers placed delicately upon your head. A simple, flowing dress. Bare feet so you could feel the forest floor beneath you.
You stood before Rhett, underneath the swaying leaves of a century-old weeping willow, where you spoke your vows to one another, and joined yourselves, and your packs, as one. 
As you pledged yourself to your mate, you wept tears of joy, and when he kissed you, so tenderly and reverently, you held onto him tightly, as if he might disappear if you let go. Now that you’d found him, you never wanted to let him go. 
“I’m yours,” he whispered against your mouth. 
“Forever,” you echoed. 
The celebration that followed was grand. Music and dancing, old folk tales told around a bonfire whose flames seemed to touch the very sky. It was the most wonderful night of your life, and nothing could steal your immense joy away. 
And so, your life together began. Your union brought your families together, and gave the Abbotts a sense of community that they had not previously had. Just as you’d hoped, Amy made friends with the young ones in your pack. Your parents developed a strong connection with Royal and Cecelia. The rest of your family was warm and welcoming. 
As you became integrated with the Abbotts, you made the decision to live on their property. Before you’d even met, Rhett had been in the process of converting the old barn loft into an apartment. It soon became a project that you worked to complete together. A home built with love, filled with love. 
Through that process, while you waited for the apartment to become livable, you took up residence in Rhett’s childhood bedroom. It was small, but it was comfortable, and it smelled like him, your favorite scent in the whole wide world, so you were content. 
Living in the house allowed you to grow closer to his mother, and especially to his niece Amy. Your heart ached for the little girl and all that she had been through. You longed to be a comfort to her if she needed it. And much to your utter joy, she took well to you. 
“I’m happy you’re mated to Uncle Rhett,” she told you in earnest. “I’ve never seen him smile so much before. I can tell he really loves you.”
Her words made your heart warm in your chest. “I’m happy, too,” you replied. 
The girl’s face fell a little as she looked down at the napkins she was folding for the dinner table. “I wish my mama and daddy had looked at each other like that.”
And in an instant, your heart was breaking in your chest. 
The absence of Rebecca Abbott weighed heavily on the entire family. Cecelia still held out hope that she would return. Royal liked to claim that she’d gone and “shacked up with a good-for-nothin’ lowlife.” Perry liked to insist she was going to come back any day and beg for his forgiveness. 
Rhett believed otherwise. “I don’t think she’d ever come back here in a million years. Either she found another pack, or she’s out there still runnin’ around as an omega,” he told you. 
Rhett’s belief that she wasn’t coming back, and Perry’s insistence that she was, often caused tension between the brothers. They both tried to remain civil for Amy’s sake, but it seemed that Perry was only growing more restless as time went on. 
He would get especially agitated just before the full moon. Which was natural for any wolf, but with him, it seemed to increase tenfold. And when his anger and bitterness reached its breaking point, he would take it out on whoever was in his path. Usually, it was Rhett. 
You would never forget the first time you witnessed him blow up at your husband in front of you. There was one thing you were certain of in that very moment: it was going to be the last time he ever did it. 
A perfectly quiet family dinner in the Abbott kitchen was disrupted when the conversation turned to Rebecca. It was Perry who brought her up, claiming that he was certain she would return soon, that he could feel it. 
It was very common for wolves to be able to feel when their mate was near. You always felt Rhett’s presence when you were apart, and it was that much stronger when you were together. 
However, you and Rhett both knew what utter bullshit it was for Perry to claim he could feel her when they weren’t even mates to begin with. And his comment pushed Rhett to react. 
“Quit sayin’ she’s gonna come back. You and I both know she won’t ever come back here again, Per.” The moment he said it, Rhett wished he could take the words back. Not because of his brother, but because of Amy. 
Her wide eyes flickered up from the plate that she’d been staring at. But instead of looking at Rhett, she looked at her father. 
“Is that true, Dad?” She asked, her voice small. 
Perry clenched his jaw as he glared at his brother. “Now look what you did. Got my daughter all upset.”
Rhett sighed. The child needed to hear the truth. “Look, Ames. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. Your mama isn’t coming back.”
Without so much as a warning, Perry shoved his plate away, which bumped his glass of water and sent it spilling across the table. You tensed beside Rhett, afraid of what was coming. 
“Perry!” Cecelia exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at her son’s outburst. 
He stood up from his chair, its wooden legs scraping against the linoleum. “What’d I fuckin’ tell you, Rhett? You’re really gonna upset a little girl like that and rip away the last shred of hope she had left?”
Rhett sighed deeply, shaking his head. “It’s better than you lyin’ to her about it.”
“Fuck you!” He shouted. “Ever since you brought this bitch into our home you’ve been subscribing to her fuckin’ ideals.” He motioned toward you. “She probably put you up to this, didn’t she? Told you to destroy what hope my daughter had left.”
At the derogatory comment directed at you, Rhett shot out of his seat, quick as lightning, his eyes glowing. You followed suit, immediately on the defensive. 
“Alright, enough!” Royal barked. But even his authoritative tone didn’t get the attention of his boys. 
“Don’t you dare talk about her like that!”
“It’s true! She’s fuckin’ changed you, man. Turned you into someone I don’t even recognize.”
“Yeah, she changed me! Into a better man! Which is more than I can say Rebecca ever did for you! Oh wait, that’s because she wasn’t even your mate to begin with!”
“Stop!” Amy cried, already in tears. “Just stop!”
But it was too late. Perry had been pushed over the edge, and before anyone could even register what was happening, he was lunging. Cecelia tried to grab him, but he was too quick, and in seconds, he was crowding Rhett’s space.
But he didn’t get very far. Much to your own surprise, you moved faster than you ever had in your life, placing yourself in front of your husband. Your body burned with the overwhelming desire to protect. Your eyes flashed yellow, and you bared your fangs, growling lowly. 
“Touch him and I’ll drop you right where you stand,” you snarled. 
Perry growled right back at you, his eyes going bright yellow to match your own. You knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if he made another move toward Rhett, you would go for his throat. 
“Dad, stop,” Amy spoke up. She got up from the table and ran to stand between you both. She let out a little growl of her own, entirely non-threatening, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t want to see her family fighting. “Please. Everyone just stop! I don’t want you to fight!”
“Listen to your daughter, Perry,” you spoke out. You could feel Rhett against your back, ready to act if need be. 
A beat passed. You held Perry’s gaze, unwilling to back down. Another beat. Then, finally, he surrendered, stepping back. He knew it wasn’t worth it. It was suicide to go up against another wolf’s mate. When it came to protecting what was yours you would fight to the death. Perry seemed to know he wouldn’t stand a chance. 
He had no idea what it was like. He’d never experienced that deep, primal, territorial need to protect. Not with Rebecca. He had it with Amy, but that was different. She was his child, it was natural to protect her. But he had no idea how deep the bonds of two truly mated wolves went. He couldn’t bond with Rebecca in that way because she’d never been his to begin with. 
Rather than fight a losing fight, Perry stalked away that night, leaving the rest of you in the kitchen to process what had just happened. And Amy, who remained in front of you until her father disappeared from the room, finally turned, and rushed into your arms. 
Your heart broke as she began to cry. “I’m sorry!” She whimpered, apologizing for her father’s behavior. 
It only made you angry, because it wasn’t fair that this 9-year-old little one had to apologize for him. You hated all she had been subjected to in her young age. And that was the moment you pledged to always look out for her. If her mama wasn’t going to do it, then you would. And you would do a damn good job of it, too. 
After that night, Perry steered clear of you. He seemed to realize that if he were to ever challenge you, you would kill him. No hesitation. He didn’t stand a chance. Rhett knew that you had his back, and you would always stand by him, even when faced with adversity brought upon him by his own family. 
That protectiveness was a two-way street. Rhett looked out for you just as fiercely as you did him. And while you were busy defending him against his brother, he was going to bat for you against other things. You would never forget the first time you saw him physically defend you. It was seared into your mind like a brand.
You were out on a hike with Amy. It was blackberry season, and she was desperate to pick them while they were perfectly ripe. Her grandmother was too busy with other gardening endeavors to go out into the woods to help her pick wild ones, so you offered to go instead. 
Before the heat of the day grew too overwhelming, the two of you set off, with you leaving a kiss against Rhett’s lips and a promise that you’d be back in time to join him for lunch later that day. Amy was so excited, babbling excitedly the entire hike up into the woods. 
She was fascinated by all things nature, and she knew the area like the back of her hand, so she was well aware of where the very best berries grew. She led you deeper and deeper into the woods until you came upon an entire gathering of sprawling blackberry bushes, ripe for the picking.
“See? I told ya!” She excitedly said, running on ahead of you, her tin bucket swinging in her hands. 
You couldn’t help but smile at her eagerness, quickening your steps so you could catch up with her. What followed was an hour-long blackberry picking process, and after the fact, that bucket was full to the brim with ripe, juicy berries. 
“Grandma’s gonna be so happy! She can make her blackberry preserves! And blackberry pie! And blackberry syrup for pancakes!” She spoke a mile a minute, informing you of all the ways the berries could be used, and how she couldn’t wait for you to try them all. 
However, you found yourself growing distracted when the wind carried a strange scent in your direction. You paused, lifting your head and breathing in deep. Something didn’t feel right. Amy noticed this, and she eyed you curiously. 
“What’s wrong?”
“I smell something,” you replied. The hair on the back of your neck stood on end. 
Amy turned, sniffing at the air. Then, suddenly, she gasped. “Cougar,” she said. 
You glanced around. You couldn’t see it, but you could tell the animal was close. You’d never had an encounter with a cougar. While you knew you could hold your own against an animal like that, having Amy in tow only made you nervous that the cougar would try to harm her. Surely it would be able to sense that you were wolves and not normal human beings. But maybe that would only make things worse. 
You wrapped your arm around Amy’s shoulders. “Let’s just go. Maybe it’ll leave us alone.”
But no sooner had you spoken than you heard a bone-chilling growl, and you turned, catching sight of a large cat just ahead of you. Your blood turned to ice in your veins, and on instinct, you pushed Amy behind you, keeping a hand on her as you slowly backed away.
You locked eyes with the cougar, flashing your golden irises, hoping that would be a deterrent. However, the cat only bared its fangs and crouched back on its haunches. Your heart began to hammer in your chest. There was no time to hesitate. 
“The second he jumps, I want you to run,” you told Amy.
“But I don’t wanna leave you!” She exclaimed, trembling with fear. 
“You can’t shift yet. You’re safer running than you are staying here with me,” you emphasized. Amy was just a baby, her wolf hadn’t even made its appearance yet, and even if it had, it would only be a pup. Not strong enough to fight a fully grown cougar. 
“But-” she never had a chance to finish the sentence, because in a flash, the cat was lunging at you. Amy let out a shrill scream that carried through the trees. 
On the Abbott ranch, Rhett’s head snapped up when he heard the scream. He had been hard at work trying to finish up the project of converting the old barn, but at the sound of his niece’s shriek, he dropped the tools he was holding. 
A shock of what felt like electricity rippled through him, and he grunted, realizing that you were in danger. Without a moment’s hesitation, he was running, hyper-focused on the area that the sound had come from. As he ran, his body shifted and transformed, until, moments later, he was no longer a man, but a sleek, black wolf, running fast as the wind. 
In the woods, you were preparing to fight for your life. You physically tossed Amy out of the way so that when the cat landed, it would hit you instead of her. You didn’t even have time to shift into your wolf. Or, rather, white-hot terror blossomed within you when you realized you couldn’t shift. 
Your fangs had elongated and your claws had come out, but your body remained in its human form. And when you realized this, it was too late. 200 pounds of muscle crashed into your chest, sending you back toward the forest floor.
You screamed, growling as threateningly as possible, but it didn’t seem to do much to scare the animal. You thought for certain that this was it, that you were going to die right then and there. But then, in a flash of black fur glinting in the sunlight, an earth-rattling roar ripped through the air, and in a split second, the cat was no longer on top of you.
Gasping sharply, you sat up, eyes wild as you took in the sight before you. There was Rhett in his wolf form, and he had the cougar by the neck. Beside you, Amy let out a sob as she scrambled toward you. You grabbed her, wrapping your arms protectively around her, turning her face away so she wouldn’t have to watch. 
The cat snarled and hissed, clawing at Rhett’s wolf, and it caught him on the side, at which he let out an agonized yelp that made you flinch. But he quickly regained dominance and in seconds, the cat let out an inhuman screech and quickly scrambled away from the wolf, turning to hiss once more before running off, wounded, into the woods, clearly realizing it was not going to win this fight.
Rhett followed after it to make sure it was long gone. In the meantime, Amy was crying against your chest. “Is it gone?!” She whimpered. 
You ran your fingers through her honey-colored hair, soothing her softly, even as your own body still trembled with fear. “Yes, baby. It’s gone.”
She sat upright, glancing around. “Where’s Uncle Rhett?!” Her voice was panicked, terrified.
But you didn’t have to reassure her, for seconds later, the wolf returned. Amy scrambled to her feet and ran to him, falling to her knees as she threw her arms around his neck. The wolf whined lowly as he nuzzled against the girl, sniffing at her to make sure she was unharmed. 
As you approached, he locked eyes with you, and you knelt beside Amy, reaching out to run your hand over his fur. You could tell he was hurt. The slash in his side from the cougar’s claws was bleeding crimson. But he wouldn’t rest until he saw you both to safety.
“Thank you,” you whispered, and he rested his head upon your shoulder before he finally pulled away. He pointed his head toward the trail home, wanting you to follow, and so you did. Amy gathered up her half-spilled bucket of berries, grabbed onto your hand, and followed Rhett’s wolf out of the woods and back toward the house. 
It was only after he made sure that you and Amy were safely returned home that he allowed himself to shift back to his human form. As Cecelia fussed over Amy, Rhett trotted after you into his bedroom upstairs, and as soon as the door was shut, his fur faded away, giving way to pale, smooth skin. Within moments, there was your husband kneeling bare before you, all signs of his animal form gone. 
“Baby,” you breathed, falling to your knees in front of him, reaching your hands up to hold his face. “You’re hurt.” The claw marks along his ribs looked even worse in his human form. 
He shook his head. “I’m fine. I’ll heal,” he replied. Then it was his turn to check you over for any harm. “Did that son’bitch hurt you?”
“I…I don’t think so. Just scared me, is all. I couldn’t shift, and by the time I realized that, it was on top of me.”
Rhett’s brow furrowed as he frowned, large hands coming up to rest against either side of your neck. “It’s ‘cause you were scared,” he whispered. “It’s happened to me before. I froze up, got so fuckin’ into my head that my wolf didn’t wanna come out.”
“Really?” You asked, a little relieved that you weren’t alone.
“Yeah. She’ll come out again, don’t you worry.”
You hummed in understanding, happy that Rhett knew exactly what you were dealing with, and that it was nothing to worry about. Then, the time for realization kicked in. The realization that it all could have been so much worse, and you were lucky that Rhett stepped in when he did. 
“Thank you,” you whispered, after you’d both finally stood, allowing Rhett to gather a clean set of clothes. “I feel so fucking useless, not being able to protect Amy the way I needed to. I hate that I froze up. I’m just so relieved you heard us and got to us in time.”
Rhett shook his head, stepping toward you as he finished pulling on his jeans. String fingers tilted your chin up. “You did your best in a fuckin’ scary situation. Hell, you were ready to sacrifice yourself so Amy would be safe. That’s not you bein’ useless. You protected her just like any mama wolf would protect her pup.”
His words brought unexpected tears to your eyes. When he saw them glimmering along your lash line, he smiled softly, thumb stroking over your cheek. “You did good, little wolf.”
The nickname, which he’d dubbed you after the first few weeks of knowing you, made you smile, despite the tears running down your cheeks. 
After that encounter, it seemed that your bond only deepened. You grew even closer than before, your hearts knit together by an unbreakable invisible force. And as your love blossomed and flourished, you crossed the threshold of new milestones together. 
One of those milestones was finally moving into the old barn that you’d been renovating together. It had gone from a barebones wooden shell to a cozy home with room for your family to grow. It allowed you to still remain near the rest of your combined pack, but also gave you a haven of privacy. Gone were the days of sharing his childhood bedroom and trying to stay quiet while in a house full of wolves with keen hearing. Now you had your own space to do whatever you pleased together. 
Although moving into your own space was a very big milestone for you, it was nothing compared to what was coming your way. 
There was a very special and celebrated time that took place between werewolf couples. Much like regular wolves, werewolves had a mating season. The first season shared between mates was pivotal in their relationship. 
You and Rhett had yet to experience that season yet. On your own, you had endured heats before. It was only a natural occurrence. But you had heard that the heat you experienced on your own was nothing compared to that first one you would experience with your mate. 
Secretly, in your own mind, you had fantasized about what it might be like. You were already insatiable enough as it was during heat. The thought of it being increased tenfold was unimaginable for you. 
You knew the pattern of your cycle. It was easy to follow. You would enter into heat twice a year. Once in the springtime, and once in autumn. Each time it would last around 7 to 14 days. 
Your marriage to Rhett took place in early summertime. Which meant, along with the changing of leaves and the cooling of the air, you would soon be entering into that heat stage. You knew it was coming. It was marked in red on your calendar. 
You were nervous, to say the least. While you were eager to experience it with him, it was all so new. Sex was not a foreign concept between the two of you. You’d had it plenty of times since your marriage. But this was different. This was a primal, instinctual ritual. One that could potentially result in your bloodline being continued. 
You were entirely unprepared for just how intense it would be. As the season turned, your body prepared itself for another cycle. It started subtly at first, but soon grew into so much more. 
Possessiveness and protectiveness over your mate was the first thing you noticed, increased even more so than usual. That possessive streak reared its ugly head when an unsuspecting human girl tried to flirt with Rhett. You found yourself pulling him against your side and quite literally growling at her. It was not your proudest moment, but you could not control the wolf inside you. She did what she wanted. 
The protectiveness came when anyone disrespected him. It didn’t matter who. Although Perry generally tried to steer clear of running his mouth at Rhett in your presence, there were times when he slipped up. And this time around, you found yourself with your claws at his throat when he made a comment under his breath. 
“Say it again,” you hissed, baring your sharp canines. “Go on, say it!”
It took both Rhett and Royal to pull you off of him. That instance, however, you were not sorry for. You would never be ashamed of defending your husband. 
Soon, the irritability and possessiveness melted away into something else. Your every sense was heightened. Your already keen wolf senses were increased to the point where you could hardly even bear it. 
And then came the desire. 
Nothing in the world could have prepared you for how all-consuming it would be. It hit you like a freight train, slamming into your body and sending you into orbit. It started as a dull ache that very quickly began to spread throughout your body. 
The first day you woke up with it, you were animalistic. It drove you out of your slumber and sent you shooting upright in bed, growling as you pressed your hands against your lower abdomen, where the ache had settled. 
Much to your utter dismay, Rhett was not in bed beside you. He was more than aware about your approaching heat, and he tried to spend as much time with you as he could. But that morning, his father had called him out of bed at an ungodly hour to handle an issue with an injured calf. That took him away from you, and when you discovered he was gone, you let out a pained yowl, curling into a ball. 
“Rhett!” You desperately cried out, hoping he was still nearby. But you were met with no answer. 
Groaning, you dragged yourself out of bed, and you gasped sharply, placing a hand over your mouth when you realized that your need had soaked straight through the panties you’d worn to bed. They weren’t just damp. They were drenched. 
When you stood, your knees almost buckled, and your hand shot out to steady yourself against the bedpost. “Holy fuck,” you whimpered. You had never in your life felt such a sensation. 
It was an ache so strong that there were no words to describe it. An agony that was not quite painful, but maddening nonetheless. And there was only one way to soothe it. Rhett was the only one capable of easing the burning fire. The only one who could act as a soothing salve. But he was nowhere to be found. 
How could he just leave? In your agitated state it only served to upset you all the more. He knew you were coming up on your heat. He knew you needed him. How could he leave you all alone to deal with it?
Of course, he hadn’t done it on purpose. That morning when he’d woken before the sun, he could smell you. Your scent had increased, its spicy sweetness making his head spin. But he knew how Royal would get if he refused to help his father with the issue at hand, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with the man’s contrariness. 
Leaving you in bed that morning had been incredibly difficult. But he left with the hope that this project wouldn’t take long, and he’d be back with you before you ever woke up. 
But that was four hours ago, and he was still dealing with an injured calf, a distressed mama cow, and one irritated Royal Abbott. The situation had given Rhett a distraction, but back at home, you had none. 
You swiped your phone off of your nightstand with the intent of calling him to see where he was. However, when you dialed, you were alerted to the sound of ringing coming from his own nightstand. He’d left his phone at home. 
You growled in frustration, tossing your phone onto the bed, just as another surge of molten need vibrated through you, sending you to your knees. Your body trembled, and the intensity was so great that you could feel yourself beginning to shift. 
Your claws lengthened from your fingers, ripping shreds into the side of the duvet as you held onto the mattress for support. You felt out of control, and it was a scary feeling. You hadn’t felt this way since your first full moon, and even that wasn’t comparable to how intense it was now. 
The full moon didn’t leave an agonizing ache in your cunt like this. No, this was solely the result of your body’s natural drive to mate. But how on earth were you meant to do that if the one you were mated to wasn’t even here?
Tears welled in your eyes, and you forced yourself to rage deep, ragged breaths. Maybe if you could just get to the bathroom, you could put yourself under a cold shower and hopefully snap yourself out of this feverish state. 
You stood on unsteady legs and stumbled toward the steps, which you rushed down until you made it to the main floor area below the loft. You burst into the bathroom and immediately turned on the shower to a cold spray, stripping out of your shirt and panties and jumping in. 
You hissed as the chilly water enveloped you, cascading down your heated skin. It provided a small amount of relief, but it didn’t take the discomfort away completely. 
You knew that you couldn’t relieve the ache yourself, but that didn’t stop you from trying. You reached a trembling hand between your thighs, running your fingers over your center, your legs nearly giving out as you brushed against your swollen, thrumming clit. 
You let out a sharp whimper and jolted forward. You tried to soothe your need to be filled by using your fingers, but they were nothing compared to Rhett. His fingers, his cock. They didn’t reach that spot inside you that made you see stars. You were left feeling unsatisfied and even needier than before. 
In frustration, you leaned back against the shower walls squeezing your eyes shut and trying to steady your breathing. You imagined this was how wolves felt in the wild. You hardly felt like you could exercise your human control anymore. You’d heard of werewolves shifting permanently into their wolf bodies and giving in to their wild nature. It didn’t seem that far-fetched that it could happen to you. 
In the midst of your plight, Rhett had just looked at the sky and realized that the sun’s placement must mean it was nearly 10 o’clock in the morning. His eyes widened. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed since he’d left early that morning, but it had been almost five hours. He knew you were awake by now, and probably desperate as all get out. 
He patted his jeans for his phone, but found his pockets empty. And then he remembered, he’d accidentally left it behind that morning. “Shit,” he cursed. He snatched up his Carhartt jacket that he had draped over one of the stall doors. “Dad, I gotta go,” he called out to his father.
“Hang on,” Royal replied, but Rhett shook his head, already halfway out the barn door.
“M’ wife needs me, I gotta get back. Ask Per for help if you need it.” And then he was gone, scrambling out into the cool October morning. His mind was spinning as he pictured you home alone. You were likely at your wit's end. 
Sure enough, when he finally made it to the house, it was your scent that nearly knocked him flat on his ass as he walked through the door. He grunted as if he’d been kicked in the gut, stumbling back against the wooden door. 
His every sense was overwhelmed by you. Deep, spicy, sweet. Irresistible and divine, all at once. His heart rate began to quicken in his chest, and he gasped as he straightened, hastily kicking his boots off by the door. “Little wolf?!” He called out.
At the sound of his voice, a sob of relief tore from you. You had just climbed out of your cold shower, towel wrapped around your body. “Rhett!” You wailed, your voice coming out as a desperate, animalistic yowl. 
He knew exactly where you were, he could hear the pounding of your heart, the shallowness of your breath. He was drawn straight to you like a moth to flame, and within seconds, he was at the bathroom door, just as you flung it open.
“Rhett!” You wailed again, throwing yourself into his arms as sobs wracked your body. “Wh-where were yo-you?! I needed you and you were gone! Why did you leave me?” 
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry baby. Dad needed help and I didn’t think I’d be gone that long, but that was five fuckin’ hours ago. I’m sorry.”
You clutched at his shirt, and he gasped when he heard a rip, only to find that your claws had torn through the fabric of his flannel. “Shit, okay, hold on,” he told you, pulling you back to look fully into your face. Your skin was damp, but it wasn’t from the shower you’d just taken. You were sweaty but also hot to the touch, as if you had a high fever. 
Your eyes were glowing gold, and through your parted lips he could see your fangs. And oh, how you trembled. So much so that he had to hold you steady so you didn’t fall. “Please,” you whimpered, “it hurts so bad, please, I-I can’t take it anymore! I feel like I’m on fucking fire!”
Rhett was overwhelmed. You smelled so good, like the natural scent that had drawn him to you when you first became mates. But there was something else, something that could only be described as sex. It felt like it was altering his very brain chemistry.
Then he growled, deep and low in his throat, and pressed his nose to your neck, breathing in deep before he began trailing lower, in search of the source. He ripped your towel away from your body and nuzzled at you until he finally stopped between your thighs, pressing his nose against your cunt and inhaling. 
You gazed down at him, and his own eyes flashed yellow to match yours. Possessively, he nipped at your inner thigh. “I’m here now, little wolf,” he assured you, “I’ll take care of you.”
“Please,” you sobbed, “I can’t…I don’t know if I can…” but the words died in your throat. 
He straightened back up, leaning in to kiss you deeply as he quickly shrugged out of his shirt, tossing it aside before you reached for his belt, trying to unbuckle it, but quickly growing tearful and frustrated. He shushed you with another kiss and unbuckled the belt himself, shoving his jeans and underwear down his legs all at once, freeing his already hardening cock. 
As soon as you saw it, you mewled, dropping to your knees and rubbing your face against the velvety skin. Rhett grunted, his head spinning at the sight of you nuzzling your cheek against his dick. You were so far gone, and it was dizzying to him. 
“Need it so bad,” you whined, kitten licking the tip as the shaft hardened. “Need it so deep inside me.”
“I’m gonna give it to you, promise,” he rasped. Then he hauled you to your feet, with the intention of pulling you up to your bedroom in the loft, but you never made it. You couldn’t wait another second, and in a flurry of desperation, you grabbed onto him, tugging him hard and sending you both to the floor. 
He landed on his back as you climbed on top of him, but in true wolf fashion, he snarled, wrestling you until you were the one lying on your back on the floor. In this way, he showed his dominance over you, securing his right to be your mate.
“Gettin’ big for your britches, little wolf,” he muttered as he ran his nose over your flesh, inhaling you. You had very quickly turned to putty in his hands, especially when you felt his cock against your inner thigh.
“Need it! I need it, please! Please, please, please!” You wept, entirely forgetting your little fight for dominance that had taken place moments earlier. The ache between your legs had increased all the more. A throbbing, burning, crushing ache that made you feel like you were suffocating, as if you’d die if you didn’t become one with him in the next few seconds. 
Rhett looked down and he saw why you were so desperate. Your cunt was puffy, and with the sunlight that was streaming in through the windows, he could see how wet it was. You’d only been on the floor for a few moments but your arousal had already dripped down onto the hardwood. “Oh my god,” he whispered in amazement. 
He couldn’t contain himself if he tried. He placed his hands on the floor, at either side of your head, and nudged his hips forward. When you felt the blunt head of his cock against you, you whimpered. It burned, it burned, it burned. Until, suddenly…
“Oh!” He was inside you in one fluid motion. Every last inch of him, filling you to the brim, fitting inside you like he was created to. Because he was. You were two unique souls made perfectly for each other. 
“I’ve got ya, sweet baby. I’ve got ya,” he assured you as you whimpered and whined at the fullness. 
And suddenly, all at once, that terrible, gnawing ache began to fade. It felt like a healing salve to a grave wound. You gasped, your eyes widening as you gazed up at your husband. “Rhett,” you squeaked.
“I know.”
Tears filled your eyes as you finally felt relief for the first time that day. Those same tears began to track down the sides of your face, and you couldn’t help but let out a breathless sob. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and clung to him as he began to slowly move. 
With each push and pull of his cock within you, your body reacted accordingly, providing you with even more lubricant until he was moaning, gasping at the feeling. “Shit, darlin’, you’re dribblin’ all over me.”
“S-sorry,” you peeped, squeezing your eyes shut. “Ca-can’t help it. Feels too good. Feels…oh, feels so fucking…good…”
You threw your head back as he built a rhythm, slow at first, but the pace soon quickened. Back and forth, faster and faster, until it could only be described as rutting. You felt so fucking full, and he kept you that way, barely pulling his hips back, instead fucking you in a pulsing motion. It was too much and not enough. You started to grow desperate again. The ache was gone, but it had been replaced with molten heat, as if your insides were melting. 
“Harder, harder, harder!” You cried out.
He obliged, grunting laboriously as he drove into you harder. You wrapped your legs around his waist, keeping him close as he plunged his cock into you repeatedly. The sounds escaping both of you were animalistic. Growls and snarls and hisses, the wild animals caged within you trying to claw their way to the surface. 
He was so deep inside you, every ridge and vein of his cock creating such divine friction within you that it felt like you were being burned alive in the most wonderful, indescribable way. 
Your claws dug into the tender flesh of his back, and he gnarled, snapping his teeth at you, but not in a threatening way. He nuzzled into your neck, the sharp tips of those fangs pressing against your pulse point, and you whined, leaning into the pleasurable pain. 
His teeth drew blood, and as soon as the crimson blossomed against your skin, he used his tongue to soothe over it, licking up your lifeblood. The bite mark healed quickly, as injuries normally did, but you could still feel the sting even after it was gone. 
And then, something else happened. It was common for werewolves to shift partially, where their eyes, fangs, and claws became visible. But it was also common for them to grow a little in stature, too. 
You could feel it. His muscles rippled beneath your touch, expanding. His shoulders grew broader. And something else, grew, too. When you felt it, you let out a wolfish yip, jolting against him as his cock swelled within your cunt.
“R-Rhett,” you squeaked, and he shushed you, kissing you languidly.
“You’re okay, little wolf. Feels good, don’t it?”
You managed to nod despite yourself. Your tears kept falling and they wouldn’t stop. But they weren’t tears of pain. Quite the contrary. It didn’t matter that he was growing inside you. Your body was designed to accommodate it. The feeling was incredibly pleasurable, and it sent an intense shudder through your body.
You screwed your eyes shut and mewled as he kept rutting into you, stretching you, filling you, completing you. This felt right. This felt good. This felt like the most natural thing in the world. And it was. Your bodies were joined as one. One force, one soul, one heart. 
“You feel so good,” you repeated yourself, unashamed of the tears still streaming down your cheeks. “So good, so good, so good.”
His hips quickened within you. His hands remained at either side of your head, and you could hear his claws gouging into the hardwood. He’d be pissed about that mark later, but right now, he couldn’t be bothered to care. Nothing else mattered but this. Fulfilling this natural, primal, raw desire to claim, and be claimed. 
The intensity mounted, like a kettle beginning to boil. You held onto him so tightly, encouraging him to go deeper, faster, harder. And he did, until it felt like he was fucking you into the floor. 
He leaned back to watch you, admiring the way your eyes rolled back in your head, the way you shuddered so powerfully, as if you’d just been struck with a bolt of lightning. It felt like you had, because each nudge of his cock in your slick walls sent sparks surging through your core. 
His eyes flickered further down, to the place where your bodies met. Where your cunt clasped him in a vice grip. “Takin’ me so well,” he gruffed, at which you whimpered. Then, you felt his big, warm hand splaying against your lower abdomen. “Gon’ fill you up, little wolf.”
“Please,” you squeaked. 
“Yeah?” He leaned in close, and you opened your eyes, finding golden irises gazing back at you. “Yeah? Want me to get you full of me? Take all my seed like you were made to?”
You cried out, jolting against you when he thrust forward particularly hard, sending your body vibrating with ecstasy. “Need it so bad!” You practically shrieked.
“I’ll give it all to you. Get this pretty tummy nice an’ round. Full of my pups.”
At his words, your entire world tilted on its axis. Your brain went blank with white-hot pleasure. All you knew was “yes, yes, yes!” That was what you wanted. That was what your body was begging for. To mate. To be bred. 
Rhett kissed you again, swallowing your babbled pleas. You felt as if you were not of your body. Like you were floating over yourself, watching your husband fuck you. It was unlike anything you’d ever felt before.
Your body shook and shivered. Your eyes rolled back in your skull. You couldn’t speak. You could hardly breathe. It was immeasurable. Indescribable. You were certain you were going to pass out from the ecstasy. It surged through you from head to toe, sizzling and sparking, illuminating the very edges of your soul, sending you into orbit.
You swore you did black out for a moment. How was it possible that something could feel this good? You had experienced all-consuming pleasure before, multiple times. Rhett was a generous lover who always made you see stars when he fucked you. But this was different. This was mind-bending, soul-shattering, earth-shaking.
You didn’t realize you were repeatedly chanting his name. It left your lips like a prayer, breathlessly whispered up to the heavens. He spoke to you, but you couldn’t hear him. You were deafened by searing pleasure, ringing in your ears, rattling your very bones to their marrow. 
You barely registered his mouth at your neck again, teeth nipping into tender flesh. All you knew was that you were existing on an otherworldly plane. And then you felt it. That flame that had been burning inside you was growing. Hotter, bigger, more intense.
Rhett could feel it. You were trembling uncontrollably, body convulsing as if you’d been struck by raw electricity. Your cunt kept pulsing around him, tightening so intensely that he almost struggled to move within you. 
“Let go,” he rasped, knowing that he, too, was nearing his end. He could feel it, crackling to life at the base of his spine, thrumming within his heavy, aching balls. He was driven by his need to fill you with his very essence. 
“I-I’m c-co-” but you couldn’t speak. The words wouldn’t come. They were impossible. So you simply cried and wailed beneath him, so certain you were about to burst into flames, reduced to nothing but ash.
But you didn’t burst into a fiery inferno. Instead, every nerve, every neuron, every atom of your body was consumed with something you could never, ever describe with mere mortal words. 
Your eyes went wide as you locked your gaze with Rhett’s. Mouth open, chest pressing into his as you jerked forward. And then it hit you. Hard, deep, stretching over every inch of your body. You let out a carnal howl, which surely echoed for miles outside of your home. 
You fell apart around your husband’s cock, keening, sobbing, consumed by blazing euphoria. You felt as if you were part of the universe, an explosion of blazing stars, scattered brilliantly across the universe in a blinding, breathtaking array.
You thought it would end, but it didn’t. Your eyes flew open when you realized you were still coming. “Rhett!” You shrieked. “I-I c-ca-can’t stop!”
His mouth fell open as he gasped sharply, grunting as your body continued to undulate beneath him. But he couldn’t reply, for suddenly, he was overcome. His own release rushed through him in an overwhelming surge, and his grunt turned into a yowl. The heat of his release flooded the very core of your being, filling you until it spilled out around the edges of his cock, dripping down to the floor beneath you.
It took what felt like an eternity for you both to come back to yourselves. You weren’t sure how much time had passed, but once Rhett regained feeling in his extremities, he gingerly lifted himself from where his body had fallen against your own.
His eyes were back to their familiar human blue, so brilliant and comforting all at once. His face was soft with concern, and he lifted his hand to gently stroke your tear-dampened cheek. “Y’ okay, little wolf?” He asked. 
You couldn’t find your voice, so you simply nodded, sniffling softly. He soothed you, leaning in close to kiss you deeply. “That was…fuck, that was a lot,” he continued on. 
“I-I know,” you whispered, barely audible. 
Gently, he eased his cock out of you, and you let out a heartbreaking cry at the emptiness. One that he soothed with another kiss. He brought his hand down between your legs, cupping your dripping cunt, soothing any pain he might’ve caused. But you weren’t in pain. Far from it. 
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here. Got a call from Dad this mornin’ about a calf that got hurt, had to go deal with that and it took all fuckin’ mornin’, and by the time I realized what time it was, it was too late. I know I shouldn't ‘ve left you all alone like that, and I’m sorry.”
You shook your head, reaching up to cup his cheek. “It’s okay. When I was crying at you about it I…I don’t think I was in my right mind. I’ve never felt like that in my entire life. Felt like I could crawl out of my own skin. Hurt so bad, I needed you somethin’ fierce. I’ve had heats before but nothing could ever compare to this.”
Rhett hummed, lifting his own hand to place over the one you’d rested on his cheek. “From now on, I ain’t leavin’ you. Don’t want you goin’ through that alone again. I’ll stay with you until it’s over.”
You nodded. “I’d like that.”
You spent a few more moments on the floor, catching your breath and processing what had just taken place. Rhett glanced at the claw marks he’d left in the hardwood and groaned in annoyance. “Next time you wanna fuck like animals, let’s do it in bed, where I can’t mess up the woodwork I broke my back tryin’ to get perfect,” he grumbled.
You couldn’t help but giggle. “Noted,” you said. 
You allowed him to help you up off the floor, and he pulled you to him, naked bodies pressed together. His gaze grew serious. “I love you, little wolf. I’m gonna take good care of you while you go through this, alright? Don’t want my darlin’ sufferin’ on my watch.”
You beamed at him and bumped your nose against his. “I know you will. You always do.”
Again, he kissed you, and then he guided you back to the bathroom from whence you’d come. There, you showered together, cleansing yourselves of your previous activities. For the time being, you were sated, and that terrible, gnawing ache was gone. What followed was this strange sort of floating feeling. Your bodies were producing special pheromones which intensified the bonding process immediately following sex. 
You felt so connected to Rhett, even more so than you ever had before. It was a little overwhelming. After your shower, you refused to part from one another. You stayed close, curling up in bed for a little rest after such an exhausting morning. Rhett lovingly wrapped you in his embrace, your still bare bodies intertwined. 
He traced patterns on your skin with his fingertips and told you all the things he loved about you. He confessed how grateful he was that you were his mate, and how he’d been lost before he met you. You spoke of your future together and what it might entail. Including the little ones you might add to your family if the Fates smiled down upon you.
You connected on an entirely new level, and it only served to knit your hearts closer together. And then, you drifted off into a peaceful slumber, cuddled in each other’s embrace.
But your body would soon wake you again, and you would be reacquainted with that all too familiar ache. This time, however, Rhett was with you. You found yourself whimpering, crying for him as you shook him awake. 
He remained perfectly calm as he soothed you, kissing you so lovingly as he arranged your body into position. Slowly, steadily, he eased himself into you again, joining your bodies as one. 
“You’re okay, little wolf. I’m right here. I’ll always be right here.”
And you knew he would.
-
tagging (a mix of those already on my taglist/those who might be interested):
@cdauni @gothamrots @happyrebelruins @bobfloydsbabe @myfandomchangesalot @mikpieboo @petersunderoos96 @eighthwvnder @yanna-banana @bradshawsbaby @bradshawsbitch @sebsxphia @basiccortez @thesluttyarchivist @rhettabbotts @milesmillergf @briseisgone @laluneveillesureux @gohnspants @bobfloyds @wkndwlff @damrlova @withahappyrefrain @michaego
499 notes · View notes
capybonara · 3 months ago
Text
I want to follow the idea done by others of explaining their zora kingdoms, but since the zorca technically have no kingdom I've hit my own obstacle on how to share this info. So I figured I'll just post here and there and then figure out how to compile it all together (maybe do a directory similar to werewolfsisters comic one!) but yeah!! Basically I just wanna share this stuff and it won't get done if I don't do it so HERE WE GO! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!
Tumblr media
The Zorca (Zora Orca)
🐋 The Basics The average zorca is larger than a hylian zora, ranging from 15 to 20 ft in height. They're bulkier and wider, carrying more fat/blubber which protects them from harsh elements, being completely immune to ice and lightning specifically. Because of their size they don't go inland very often.
Unlike the zora in Hyrule, the zorca have more mammalian traits. They have blowholes in order to breathe in oxygen, they give live birth and nourish their young with milk, they have fat and blubber instead of scales, and they use echolocation to hunt and detect things (a fantastic visual comparison can be found here!)
The zorca are nomadic by nature and are highly adaptable. They can thrive in artic/subarctic, tropical and subtropical areas. They are apex predators meaning they are at the top of the food chain. Their diet consists of fish, and other marine life such as seals, sharks, whales, and monsters. Zorca don't stay in one place too long to avoid over hunting (other races gotta eat too!) They don't prey upon other Hylian races, but there have been some startling encounters between them and their smaller zora cousins at times!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
🐋 Their Hierarchy Zorca families are matriarchal. A female zorca, usually the progenitor of the pod, leads her family. And she passes all her knowledge down to her daughters, from hunting techniques, migration routes, to child rearing. 
The Grandmother Matriarch, her sisters, and eldest daughters all form a council and make decisions for the pod. Daughters of each generation are taught the lessons of their foremothers and become a potential candidate as a future leader. 
Choosing a matriarch of a pod is a once in a lifetime event since zorca are a long lived race. While each woman is raised to become a candidate for matriarch, in the end, the role is bestowed through a vote from the entire pod. Creating a new pod is surprisingly not as common either. Daughters are allowed to strike out on their own to establish their own, but they find it difficult to maintain without the support of their family. Many end up returning to their original pod with a child or two in tow! 🐋 Social Behaviors
🫧 A pod is led by a Grandmother Matriarch. Decisions are made between her, her sisters (if any) and her eldest daughters. Said decisions include things like where to travel, when to hunt, and on the rarest occasion – who to exile.
🫧 Both male and female zorca have privileges and restrictions among the family.
🫧 All adults save for the very elderly, pregnant or nursing are expected to help in a hunt. 
🫧 Mother’s with young children or who are expecting get first pick of each hunt. If asked, men will give up their share to help them keep their strength up.
🫧 Male zorca are allowed more freedom than their sisters. They are slightly spoiled; with mothers hunting for them more than their daughters. The goal is to see their sons reach adulthood so they can sire healthy babies.
🫧 The men are allowed to leave the pod whenever they want without being questioned. And they can be absent for as long as they wish. Most of the time they visit other pods to court zorca. Ultimately, many return to their matrilineal pods.
🫧 Women zorca stay with their mothers and grandmother to learn about the responsibilities of leadership. There are other roles they can choose from ranging from lead hunter, bard/historian, teacher, midwife, scouting, diplomat/envoy and many more.
💖 Courtship 💖
🫧 Turning the Wheel - A large courtship event where many zorca pods come together and participate in a “race” that begins in the Lanayru Sea and ends at the center of Rist Peninsula. During the journey, individuals may find a partner to race with, and may choose to pursue a relationship if they reach the end together. All are welcome to join; new faces, experienced runners, those with non-zorca partners. The event itself does not have to be finished, there’s no prize for anyone who arrives first. It’s about the camaraderie and celebration of life! Zorca don't have to wait for the courting event to seek partnerships either. It's just easier when all the pods are together in one space.
🫧 Male zorca employ various methods to attract partners. From feats of strength, athletic displays and singing. They can form bonds with partners of any gender which can last a lifetime. 
🫧 Fights can break out between competing individuals, but the injuries are never too serious.
🫧 Teeth Raking can be a form of affection during courtship. A zorca runs their teeth along the skin of the one they're courting. It can often leave light marks, and possibly more permanent scars depending on how rough they are.
🫧 Zorca are polygamous but men and women can develop a preference towards a partner if their bond is strong enough. Example, two zorca may meet repeatedly over the years to produce children.
🤝 Bonds with other Hylian Races 🤝
🫧 While it's not taboo for a zorca to seek the company of someone from another race, it's preferred their trysts help increase their population.
🫧 Even so, some prefer to love freely without the heavy responsibility hanging over their heads. As well as not having to deal with the difficulty of finding another zorca somewhere in the vast ocean!
🫧 More often than not, these particular relationships rarely form lasting bonds due to the zorca’s nomadic nature.
39 notes · View notes
illuminatedquill · 2 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Story Summary: Sabine and Ezra do their best to enjoy a rare day off at home as their daughter, Mira, begins her days in the Academy. But, as it always is with these two, things are never that simple for this star-crossed pair . . .
Day 1, SabezraWeek2024 Prompt: Slice of Life - Domestic Sabezra
@sabezraweek
I used to be a morning person.
In the early days, back when I was still on the Ghost with Kanan, Hera, Zeb, Chopper, and Ezra, I relished being the first person awake during our long travels around the galaxy. Walking into the communal area, brewing up a fresh mug of caf, and then sitting in the Phantom alone, watching the stars pass by in silence. It was such a brief respite from the general chaos of our everyday existence, fighting a war against an implacable foe than never seemed to falter in its cruelty.
(Well, technically, I was the first person awake. Hera never really seemed to sleep, always tinkering with her ship at odd hours.)
Even back then, being involved in a war for our survival, I couldn't resist against the sense of optimism that flowed into me, looking out at the vastness of space. I felt young and invincible, able to shape the future as I saw fit.
There was no challenge that Sabine Wren, Mandalorian, could overcome.
But now . . .
A sharp series of pokes at my cheek, accompanied by giggling.
"Papa, I don't think she's going to wake up." My daughter, Mira, attempting to rouse me from my slumber.
My husband's voice, intimately familiar and filled with easy-going humor, replied in an amused tone. "Try the other cheek, maybe?"
Deciding to be playful, I let out a noise that some would unwisely call a snore. This was shortly joined by more giggling from my daughter.
I felt some pressure on my other cheek - and then, with lightning quick reflexes, snatched my daughter into a bear hug. "Aaaahhhhhh!" I growled. "Who dares disturb my precious sleep?"
The giggling erupted into squeals of laughter, bright and lively. "Mama!" Mira said, as I rolled around with her on my bed. "You're finally awake."
I peppered her face with kisses. "All thanks to you, little one. As punishment, I give you death by a thousand kisses."
"Gross! Papa, help me out here," complained Mira.
My husband, Ezra, stood at the side of our bed, dressed in casual sleepwear. His hair was still a little floofy from sleep, along with rumpled clothes. In the early morning hours, it was undeniably an extremely attractive look - well, at least it was to me, which is all that mattered. He stroked his beard, recently trimmed, looking thoughtful.
"Actions have consequences, cyare," he said sadly. "I'm afraid that's a fact of life."
Mira wriggled out of my embrace to glare at her father. "This was your idea, Papa," she retorted.
"Was it? I can't recall. Must be my old age."
I snorted and sat up in bed. "Is it time?" I asked.
My daughter looked at me, annoyance momentarily dropped. "Yes. Leaving for the Academy today."
"Soon, I might add," Ezra stated. He looked at his chrono. "Head over to the refresher, Mira. Let's get you ready now."
I stroked her hair, suddenly overcome with emotion. It seemed only yesterday that a medical droid had handed her to me, so tiny and fierce with life, swaddled in a blanket. The labor had been long and arduous, full of unexpected complications, but holding her in my arms afterwards - the ultimate manifestation of the love shared between myself and Ezra - was one of the happiest moments in my entire life.
She was our heart in physical form, stepping outside our chests into the big, wide galaxy. I knew we couldn't protect her forever, much as I wished sometimes to just lock her inside the comm-tower - she needed to spread her wings at some time.
I just wished it hadn't come so quickly. If only I had more time . . .
My thoughts wandered towards my late mother and father. Did they feel this way when Tristan and I started making our own way through life? Making choices that caused our paths to diverge far, far from home?
"Mama?" asked Mira, her voice worried. She stared curiously at me, her features a mix of Ezra and mine; I saw his smile at times, bright and guileless, but her eyes flashed briefly with a fire that reminded me all too well of my own - and my late mother's.
"Are you okay? You look sad."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a smile. "It's a happy kind of sad, cyare. You grew up on us so fast, little one."
Mira smiled. "I'm a kid. That's what I'm supposed to do."
I laughed and pulled her into a big hug. "And you're doing such a great job of it."
Ezra seemed more composed than I did, but I felt through our bond in the Force that he was going through the same emotional turbulence I was. His tone was gentle as he said, "Mira, it's time. Say good-bye to your mother now."
My daughter gave me a farewell kiss on the cheek and sprinted out the door. Ezra looked at me. "Are you going to be alright?"
I sniffed. Allergies, I told myself.
Sure, Sabine.
"No," I admitted. "I just thought . . ."
"That today would take longer to get here?" Ezra said, finishing my train of thought. "I feel the same way, Sabine."
I reached out to grasp his hand. He squeezed it affectionately. "You get it."
"She's with us for only a little time," Ezra said quietly. "Let's just enjoy it while we can."
I couldn't say anything to that. I heard someone say once that children are a gift that are loaned to us for only a little while. At some point, we had to let them go find their own way.
Why is the last act of love always letting go, I wondered.
He leaned forward to kiss me on the forehead before leaving to attend to our daughter. "Get some more sleep," he said. "I'll see you after I drop her off."
_ _ _ _ _
I awoke an hour later to the rich aroma of freshly brewed caf. Shuffling out of the bedroom, I found Ezra in the kitchen with a mug of my favorite beverage.
I accepted it gratefully and collapsed onto the couch. Murley sauntered by, brushing his face against my legs - a regular routine for him, since the act resulted in his daily allowance of petting. With fond annoyance, I reached down to do so.
Once he was satisfied, the mangy loth-cat let out a purr as thanks and stepped away to find a warm spot to doze in.
"You live such a charmed life," I noted.
Ezra joined me on the couch, a bowl of freshly sliced golden plait-fruit, berries, and meilooruns on his lap. My stomach growled at the sight.
"Hungry?" he asked.
I held back from snatching the bowl from his lap. "You have to ask?" I said, trying not to sound like a hungry loth-wolf.
My husband grinned. "No. But it's fun to do so."
He picked at a slice of fruit and popped it into my open mouth. I chewed slowly, savoring the fresh fruit. In between bites, I finished my caf, and leaned my head onto Ezra's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck.
"What's on the agenda for today?" I asked. My voice was still slurred slightly, a result of not fully being awake yet - the caf had yet to take effect.
I felt Ezra shift uncomfortably on the couch. "Well . . ."
I groaned. "Is that today?" I asked. "I thought it wasn't for another week, at least."
"Hey," Ezra retorted. "It was your idea. You said we shouldn't put off cleaning and maintenance any longer. This was the day we both agreed upon."
I grimaced. He was right. Ezra was a Jedi Knight, which came with enormous responsibilities, and Bo-Katan - the current leader of Mandalore - always needed my help corralling the clans into focusing on rebuilding our home world instead of warring against each other.
Add all that with the time-consuming demands of being a parent, meant that the comm-tower we called home had fallen into disrepair. We made it work; it wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but that meant some things fell through the cracks.
"I've changed my mind," I said promptly. "Let's wait another week."
"Sabine," he said patiently. "We have a pile of dirty laundry that is literally taller than our daughter. It needs to be done."
I really did not want to clean the comm-tower. Ezra and I had been so busy over the past few months and with Mira finally out of the house starting Academy, we finally had some alone time.
I had needs that had to be addressed.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, I thought.
With a firm hand, I turned his face gently towards me. His expression was curious, a question presumably about to be asked but I had already pressed my lips hungrily against his.
There was a moment of surprised silence before he melted into it, his need rising to meet mine. I pushed gently against his frame, and we fell gently onto the couch, still kissing passionately.
"Sabine," he groaned. "We have so much to do today."
"We do," I agreed, tracing a line of smooches down his cheek, his neck, aiming to make my way further down into more enticing territory. "So, it would be best if we finish this first so that our focus can be fully on the chores."
His voice dropped into a husky growl, signaling that I had won this particular battle. "You are incorrigible," he huffed out.
I was in the middle of pulling his shirt off as he spoke. "Oh?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "Should I stop?"
He glared at me. "Come here."
I lowered my face to his, holding back laughter.
Ezra grinned and he pulled me into a warm embrace, kissing and making me breathless; making me feel alive.
_ _ _ _ _
True to my word, I was locked in on the chores after we finished.
Ezra puttered around the house, cleaning up the various debris littering the floors first before putting in the hard work of sweeping, dusting, and mopping to make sure our home was habitable again.
Meanwhile, I focused on the maintenance: checking the electrical systems, the power generators, and communications array.
Early on in our relationship, we had figured out a good system to handling the daily mundane tasks of everyday life. Ezra had clocked immediately that I hated cleaning; something that shouldn't have surprised him, given our prior co-habitation on the Ghost.
When I had poked him about it, since he had visited my room countless times, he pointed out that we were at war with the Empire during that period.
"I assumed that was the reason," he muttered, after seeing my incredulous expression. "I didn't know that was your default state, Sabine."
"It would have been," I admitted. "If Hera and Kanan hadn't kept being annoyingly persistent about cleaning up after myself."
Meanwhile, I had realized that Ezra lacked the mechanical knowledge and expertise that had been ingrained into me since birth - which, if we lived in a normal state-of-the-art apartment complex in Capital City, wouldn't be necessary.
But we had decided to stay in the old comm-tower instead. During long years of isolation and loneliness, the aging structure had served as home for both of us. It was an easy choice, one of the first we made together as a couple.
But that meant someone had to look after and maintain it. Which meant me.
Parts for upkeep were increasingly rare since the comm-tower was already past its prime during the Empire's reign, as the last of its line of communications towers before being phased out of service. When the Empire came to power, this proved to be a boon to the Bridgers, since the outdated machinery meant that it was overlooked during the initial Imperial survey of Lothal's resources - and continued to be so when their son claimed it as refuge after they were taken.
Because of the rarity of parts for use, that meant I had to regularly scavenge in junkyards across the galaxy to find components that could be used. My husband was competent in quite a few forms of mechanical repair, but the tower was a long-term care project and required the kind of ingenuity and complexity that he simply wasn't equipped with.
And I really, really did not like to clean.
So, the bargain was struck - I handled maintenance, he handled cleaning. It was a good deal which enabled us to avoid arguments and turn our attention and energy to more pressing matters (like what we had just done on the couch.)
I was on my back, dressed in an old flight suit borrowed from Hera, covered in old grease and spatters of oil, halfway inserted into an open vent that led to a circuit board that controlled the flow of our air conditioning. It sparked erratically mere inches from my eyes, which were safely shielded behind a pair of mechanic's goggles (also from Hera, but she didn't know that I had them).
I frowned, holding back a curse. This circuit board had been a problem since I had procured it from a shady Quarren vendor on Kijimi. But the discount he had offered was too good to pass up.
I see now why it was so cheap, I thought grimly. Should have known better, di'kut.
There was a nudge at my foot. I peered out to see the face of my husband, looking concerned, holding a large trash bag full of -
"Is that hair?" I asked, shocked. "That can't be all hair, Ezra."
He gave a faint look of disgust and shook the bag's contents. "Afraid so. I can't tell if this all Murley's or if Mira's been letting in some of his feral friends while we haven't been paying attention."
I craned my neck to find the accused in question and found Murley, our resident loth-cat and menace, taking up his usual place on my personal tool bench. He was watching us with curious eyes.
I pointed my electric torch at him. "Stop loafing around and help out. I don't let you squat here just to be cute and keep us company, you know."
Murley mewled in what I construed to be polite disagreement.
I wagged the torch aggressively to emphasize my next statement. "I'll kick you out," I promised. "For real this time."
The loth-cat blinked - and then proceeded to cough up a disgusting hair ball.
Ezra sighed. "Great. I have to clean up that now."
"He has his charms," I said, grinning.
He folded his arms, annoyed. "Which are . . .?"
"Well," I said. "For one, he does remind me of a certain handsome Jedi."
Ezra squatted down to me, a slight smile breaking through his annoyance. "Oh, does he?"
I reached up to stroke my husband's face affectionately. "Why do you think I kept him around so long?"
"Figured it was the other way around. He was hard to get rid of."
"So were you," I pointed out. "Seems like I have a penchant for being liked by strays."
He leaned into my touch - and then laughed when my stomach growled hideously.
Feeling my face flush, I went scooted back into the open maintenance shaft.
"Guess it's feeding time," Ezra chuckled. "What are you in the mood for?"
Trying - and failing - to sound nonchalant about the egregious announcement of my bodily functions, I answered, "Two Bantha burgers, large fries, and a meiloorun smoothie."
"I'm assuming both of those are for - "
"Me, yeah," I grunted, stifling the mild spike of annoyance. My hunger was finally making itself known after an hour of toiling away in the mechanical guts of our home and I felt it begin to poison my jovial mood.
"So, that will be three bantha burgers, large fries, and two smoothies, then. From Paldo's?"
Paldo's. My favorite local fast-food diner in Capital City run by an elderly Twi'lek named, you guessed it, Paldo. I was considered royalty by the manager there, much to my husband's amusement. There was even a framed picture of me on the wall, first thing you saw when walking inside. Mira always laughed with delight whenever she accompanied me for a meal.
"Yup," I said.
He eyed me. "I don't understand where you put all that food."
I gestured proudly at myself. Years of hard work, battle, and a stressful childbirth and yet my figure was still in top form for my age. "It's all in the genes, cyar'ika."
"Is that so," Ezra said dryly. "And are those same genes the reason why you eat like a newborn rancor, my cyar'ika?"
"No. That was the result of being raised with a brother, as you know."
"Oh, I do know," Ezra replied. "I met him, remember? Poor Tristan was all skin and bones, if I recall."
I swatted at him. He let out a bark of laughter and pivoted to the side, avoiding my hit. "Go get my food, husband mine. Or you'll see how a baby rancor reacts when deprived of sustenance."
With a teasing grin, he gave a mock salute and headed for the elevator. A minute later, I heard the tell-tale grumble of a speeder engine starting and then the familiar swoop sound as it sped off into the distance towards Capital City.
Sighing, I returned to my repairs -
A chime came from the communications console, indicating a visitor.
I frowned. Had Ezra returned already? I didn't hear the speeder.
I got up and walked towards the console to press the intercom. "Did you forget your credit chip, di'kut?"
The response was laced with sardonic amusement. "Hello, Wren. It's been a while."
I froze at the voice, familiar but not in a way that invoked pleasant feelings; it was familiar in the way that a warrior knew the sound of a knife escaping its sheath or the sound of a blaster powering on.
"What do you want?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. Already my mind was racing, racing with horrible thoughts of Ezra and Mira.
"There's something I need to show you. May I come up?"
"No," I said firmly. "I'll come down to you."
"Sure," she replied. "It will be like old times."
I grab my lightsaber off a nearby work bench before heading down to see why Shin Hati had come to visit.
_ _ _ _ _
I have nightmares about this sometimes.
In my nightmares, she and I are dueling again. That cold night, years ago, after I had just unlocked the map to Ezra.
I beat the assassin droids and give chase to her, like always. She is wrapped in a cloak, blacker than the night surrounding us.
Her lightsaber blazes scarlet in the dark courtyard. I activate my own - and strike, my emerald meeting her scarlet in a blaze of sparks.
And then, in the nightmare, I stumble. My blade swings wide and I am left defenseless for a critical second.
Shin's blade comes down in a vicious arc, right through my exposed neck.
And I wake up, in a cold sweat. Ezra doesn't ask, he doesn't need to. He just wraps me in his arms and gently lulls me back to sleep.
This isn't my nightmare, however. But a part of me still feels the hot blaze of a blade made from pure plasma erupting in my gut.
Shin Hati stands across me in the tower's courtyard in broad daylight. Next to her is a speeder, sleek and shiny with fresh chrome. She's dressed in gray combat fatigues with a black bolero jacket worn over it. Her platinum blonde hair is longer now, tied into a short ponytail.
I probably don't look all that intimidating to her, now that I think about it, covered in an old flight uniform that's seen better days. But I hope the lightsaber hilt gripped in my hand is enough to make her cautious, at the very least.
Her eyes pierce mine with a wolfish stare. Finally, she shakes her head. "Well, you didn't have to dress up for me," she said.
"You should have called ahead," I replied. I made sure that my thumb was right over the activation switch on the lightsaber hilt. "I would have freshened up."
Shin cocked her head. "Thinking about it now, you didn't look that good last time we met like this."
She smirked. "Remember?"
An old searing pain ached in my abdomen. The scar.
"What do you want?" I demanded.
She slowly pulls from her jacket a holo-puck. "You need to see this."
"Toss it to me."
Shin complied. I caught it deftly, my eyes never leaving her face. She didn't move immediately for a weapon. I felt some of the tension drain from me - but not much.
"Play it," she urged.
I did so. The holo-puck emitted a recording, the blue static focusing into something sharper -
Something in my chest tightened and I felt myself inhale sharply. The recording was of Ezra and Mira.
From this morning. I watched the miniature holographic forms of my husband and child play out for a few more seconds - Ezra giving our daughter a hug before waving her off to the Academy - before the recording fizzled out in a shower of sparks.
I winced, dropping it. I realized a second later, seeing the warped and twisted metal, that I had squeezed it so hard that it broke.
I looked back at Shin. Something in my face must have spooked her because the former mercenary took a step back with her hands up, palms facing outward, in a placating gesture. "Wren, I promise. This was not me."
"Who?" I asked. The voice that came out was cold, colder than a winter on Krownest.
"Bothan private investigator. Their name - "
"I don't care for a name," I hissed. "Where are they right now?"
"I took care of them. They won't be following your family anymore," Shin said quickly. "But, more importantly, their employer is someone you know."
My teeth ground against each other in frustration. "Say it."
"Senator Xiono. He hasn't given up his personal crusade against you and your husband."
My stomach dropped at the name. Xiono.
He had already been a paranoid, suspicious politician before Thrawn had returned. The Imperial warlord's campaign against the New Republic had brought his planet's people nearly to ruin - and his wife had suffered grievously during the Grand Admiral's bombardment. Beset with grief and rage, the senator had railed against the Security Council for their failings - and had taken up a special fixation on myself and Ezra, who were caught in the middle of that mess.
There were only a handful of people who were aware of my involvement in Thrawn's return: Ezra, Hera, Leia, Zeb, Kallus, Ahsoka, and Chopper (no one actually told the astromech, he just figured it out all by himself). All had sworn to keep it secret, to protect me - despite my insistence against doing so.
But Xiono never gave up his line of inquiry, I knew. Chancellor Mothma had strong armed him to stay in line, but I always suspected that he continued to probe whenever he could.
The senator blamed Ezra and myself for what had happened to his home planet - to his family.
And he wasn't entirely wrong, a dark voice whispered in my mind.
But this was a new low.
My anger threatened to erupt from my chest, bellowing and screaming to the Lothal sky with all my pent-up rage.
Shaking, I asked Shin, "Why are you helping me?'
"I'm not helping you," she said, watching me carefully. "Your daughter deserves to have a family. I would not see her lose either of you, if it was within my power to prevent it."
I blinked, my rage momentarily forgotten. "I . . . I really don't know what to say."
Shin shrugged. "My job here is done, then." She took out her comm-link and proceeded to input a series of commands.
My own comm-link, hanging off my belt, chirped with an alert that a message had been received. I checked it quickly.
"What is this?"
"A place and a time," she responded. "The senator is expecting to meet his private investigator there. I thought you might like to meet him instead."
I considered briefly what Ezra would think. But he wasn't here.
"Thank you," I said. The rage came swarming up again, hot and eager. "I think I will."
_ _ _ _ _
The establishment was on the seedier side of Capital City. A dive, made from the wreckage of several TIE fighters clumped together, that served pirates, drunkards, and other sentient beings of dubious repute.
It was the perfect place for an incognito meeting, considering all the noise and ruckus.
A cloaked figure made his way hurriedly through the crowd, heading for a stone table enclosed in a dimly lit booth on the opposite side of the room. Another figure, slender and hooded, waved him over.
With the utmost discretion, Senator Xiono slid into the booth, huffing slightly. "This update had better have something good," he snarled to the booth's other occupant. "My contacts said you were one of the best, and I have yet to see anything of interest other than what color shoes Wren and Bridger's daughter wears to school!"
I lowered my hood. "I'm sorry you find my family so boring, Senator," I said.
To his credit, Xiono did not scream. His face went bloodless and pale, his lip trembled, his eyes widened - but the man was otherwise quite still.
Somewhere, amidst the storm of rage swirling inside me, I felt mildly impressed.
"Wren," he whispered. "Why are you - "
I placed my hands on the table with a gentle thump. Finally, he flinched.
I smiled, showing my teeth. "Do you read Mandalorian literature, Senator?"
He stared at me - and then, the faintest of sneers appeared on his face. "I wasn't aware your people had literature."
The sneer told me that he had been emboldened by my empty hands. But there were other ways to make someone afraid, I knew.
I nodded. "That's a fair point. Most of it was lost in the Purge. But the best stories always survive through word of mouth. Have you heard of the great Mandalorian warrior of legend named Akilles?"
"I have not." The disdain dripped off his tone, so thick I could almost see it congealing on his lips.
"Shame. You see, Akilles had a friend - another great warrior. One day, he found out that his friend had a mortal enemy, who swore to vanquish them. Akilles, upon finding out, proclaimed that there is no greater enemy than the enemy of his friend."
The ghost of a smile twitched on the senator's face. "Well, it seems that this Akilles and I agree on that."
I let my smile widen, showing more teeth. "Akilles went to confront the mortal enemy of his friend. And he gave him one warning."
I leaned forward; Xiono leaned back, as far as the booth would allow him. It wasn't much.
"There is no weapon; no army that can protect this enemy from the sheer hell that is Akilles rage."
"And," Xiono whispered carefully, "what happened to this enemy?"
"Akilles ran his sword through his gut. And then dragged his dead body throughout the streets of Sundari."
A chill silence fell between us in the booth, only interrupted by the occasional burst of laughter and conversation from the other diners.
The senator swallowed hard, his eye twitching. "What . . . might this enemy have done differently to avoid such a fate?"
I seized the front of his cloak and pulled him half across the table. He yelped, his hands scrambling, clawing for freedom but I ignored his feeble attempts at defense.
I stared into his wide eyes, unblinking. The fury within me seethed and poured molten fire into my next words.
"He could have left the planet. When he still had the chance." At the last word, I threw him back into his seat. He sagged, whimpering something incomprehensible.
I swept from the booth and went home.
_ _ _ _ _
"Mama!" yelled Mira, as I stepped from the turbolift. My daughter jumped into my arms.
"Hello, cyare," I said, squeezing her close. "How was the Academy?"
"It was a lot more fun than I thought. Made lots of friends - and a couple enemies, too," she added, almost as an afterthought.
I looked to Ezra. He shrugged. "I've already gotten some reports from the principal. She was standing up to some bullies."
I sighed and ruffled her hair. "It's a Wren specialty to have some archenemies wherever we go," I noted to him.
He snorted. "Don't I know it."
Mira squinted at me. "What's an 'arch-nemony'?"
I poked her in the forehead. "What, they didn't teach you that in linguistics class? Or, let me guess, you were too busy doodling in your sketchbook to pay attention?"
My daughter scrambled from my embrace. "I just remembered that I have to do homework. Gotta go now!"
I shook my head, amazed at her speed. "Never seen her so excited to do homework. She's hiding something."
"Yup," Ezra said. He glanced at me. "She's not the only one."
I kept my face still, turning to hang my cloak on a nearby coat hook. "What do you mean?"
"Sabine," said Ezra patiently. "Don't hide things from me. It doesn't work."
I scowled at him. "You know, sometimes it sucks being married to a Jedi."
"It's not the Jedi part that's telling me you're hiding something. It's the husband part."
He folded his arms. "Out with it. You were acting weird after lunch and then you vanished with barely a word."
I looked at the door leading to my daughter's room, biting my lip. "Can we talk about this outside? I don't want Mira to hear this."
I felt Ezra's worry rise considerably at my request, but his expression remained calm. "Of course."
Once we stepped outside, I spilled everything to Ezra. All of it.
When I finished, he let out a hiss of air and leaned against the balcony railing.
I went next to him, looking out over the view of Lothal's plains of grass and the glowing lights of Capital City in the distance.
"Bad, I know," I said quietly.
He reached out to take my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We can handle it. But next time, let's do it together, okay?"
As always, my husband's simple enduring faith in a better tomorrow continued to surprise me. "You're not mad?"
He snorted. "Mad at what, Sabine? You being yourself?"
I looked at him, smiling slightly. "You agree with what I did?"
He grimaced. "No . . . but I get why you did it."
My husband gave me a knowing look. "It won't keep him quiet for long. This will just fuel him to dig harder."
I nodded. "I know."
My voice hardened. "But he needed to know, Ezra. What it means to cross my family. Maybe, at least, he'll aim his fury at me next time - and not at you and Mira."
Ezra stood to look me directly in the eye. "Our family, Sabine. Promise me you won't go after him again. Not by yourself."
"I can't - I can't lose you. Either of you," I pleaded. "I can't bear it."
"It won't happen. If he comes after us again, we will face it together. I want your word, Sabine. Swear to me."
I let out a shuddering breath, feeling all the negative emotions escape with it. Then, quietly, I reached out for his hand and brought it to my heart. "I swear on my word and my honor as a Mandalorian," I said.
His blue eyes searched mine - and he nodded once, satisfied. "Okay."
"I'm sorry," I said. "What I did, all those years ago - it won't ever stop haunting us, will it."
"Don't be sorry," he replied softly. “You are worth it. Always. We will find a way."
I didn't know what else to say. I just hugged him close.
We stayed that way for a while, swaying gently with the evening breeze.
Then: "Ewwwwww."
I rolled my eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be doing homework?"
"It's finished," Mira said, sounding bored. "I want to play now."
Ezra smiled, shaking his head. "Too smart for her own good," he muttered to me.
"No such thing," I said, mildly offended. "Too smart for her own peace of mind, well, that's a more factual statement."
"And our own," he added.
I grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"
"Nope." His smile lessened for a moment. "We had such a busy day. I'm sorry you didn't get a quiet night, like you wanted."
I gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Ah, this is much better. There will be other nights."
"Promise?" he asked.
"Promise," I said. And we went inside, together.
_ _ _ _ _
I used to be a morning person.
I used to relish being awake in the early morning, watching the galaxy stream by in lines of stars, feeling invincible and young.
I watch my husband and young daughter sleep on the couch, her body sprawled across his lap in the boneless way that only youth can manage.
I don't feel young anymore. Or invincible.
I've traded that away for this. And, yes, it brings fear, and heartache, and the seeds of future joy.
That's life, as I've come to learn. Today was an odd day, full of challenging events, both big and small.
And it was not yet over. I snuggle close to my family - my two hearts, beating in quiet rhythm with one another - and prepare to fall asleep.
Tomorrow is another day. And I will meet it with both of them.
48 notes · View notes
confident-love-princess · 2 months ago
Text
Why Karui could be an Uzumaki in Naruto, explored:
Tumblr media
Modified Jul 14, 2024 02:30 GMT by Umer
Naruto: Exploring Karui as a potential member of the Uzumaki clan
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.
Tumblr media
Karui from Naruto is the wife of Choji Akimichi and a character to whom fans tend to not pay much attention. This could be due to her origins from the Hidden Cloud Village and not having that much of a significant jutsu technique which could intrigue fans about her.
But there is one characteristic about her that could be more than just intriguing and could tie her to one of the most powerful clans of the Hidden Leaf Village, her crimson red hair.This makes sense considering how her origins haven't been revealed yet and this could make her one of the descendants of the Uzumaki clan who are known for their crimson hair.
Tumblr media
Karui was a kunoichi of Team Samui of the Hidden Cloud Village that worked directly under the Fourth Raikage. Omoi and Samui were part of her team. During the Five Kage Summit, the kunoichi assaulted Naruto in hopes of getting some information out of him regarding Sasuke Uchiha and his hideout.
However, the protagonist remained steadfast and wanted to solve everything through negotiation. Later on, she took part in the Fourth Great Ninja War and was caught in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. After the protagonist and Sasuke defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, the kunoichi was released alongside the other people who were trapped inside the ultimate genjutsu.
After the war, there was a Blank Period before the Boruto series started which was explored through the light novels, Sasuke Shinden and Sakura Hiden. This revealed that Choji was interested in the kunoichi from their very first meeting and visited her in the Hidden Cloud Village frequently.
Tumblr media
As the new era started, Karui emigrated to the Hidden Leaf Village, joined the Akimichi clan, and married Choji. She also had a daughter, Chocho Akimichi, who was a part of the new generation of InoShikaCho. The only thing about the kunoichi that intrigued fans is her crimson red hair, which is the trademark of the Uzumaki clan members.
Her origins are unknown as she was just introduced as a part of the Hidden Cloud Village. Moreover, the Hidden Cloud Village is known for stealing bloodline abilities, just like how they tried to steal the Byakugan.
So, one of Karui's parents could be a Uzumaki member whom the Hidden Cloud Village stole from the Hidden Leaf Village. This could make her a member of the same lineage as the protagonist.
This theory is a mere piece of speculation as it was constructed from a plothole that was left behind by the author, Masashi Kishimoto. Yes, crimson red hair is the characteristic of the Uzumaki clan but they have some more prominent characteristics.
The Uzumaki clan members, like Kushina Uzumaki and Mito Uzumaki, had exceptional sealing jutsu capabilities and immense reserves of chakra. Karui, on the other hand, didn't do any such thing as she used lightning chakra. But there could still be a chance of her not showcasing such abilities in the anime/manga so take this article with a huge grain of salt.
Leave a comment below about this wild theory.
30 notes · View notes
daydreaming-in-hyrule · 8 months ago
Text
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 (prologue)
Tumblr media
synopsis: tales of old will always regale the listener with praises and recognition of the feats of esteemed gerudo champion urbosa. but time wears thin on the stories of pivotal companions, and most of them will ultimately leave out one vai, arguably just as important — a warrior, an advisor, a personal guard. most of all… a friend, and yet so much more; the chief’s light in the approaching darkness.
pairing: urbosa x f!gerudo!reader [reader is her personal guard & advisor]
word count: 544
warnings: use of Y/N, urbosa’s mother’s name is azrah, and reader’s mom’s name is isir. also a little bit of my idea of how urbosa’s lightning abilities were first discovered :)
a/n: not yet onto the main storyline! originally I was gonna just dive right in and start with the cutscene of her entrance in age of calamity, but I thought it’d fit together better if there’s a prologue and a little bit of introduction first. and I adore the idea of urbosa’s hair just sticking up all the time as a child bc she hasn’t learnt to fully control her lightning, I think it’d be so cute 💕
anyways, enjoy! <3
Tumblr media
After a whole week of steadily rising temperatures that made even the desert-adapted citizens of Gerudo Town suffer, the scorching sun seemed to have taken mercy on the town. Children played in the streets, and vendors’ loud sales pitches rang through the air.
The Gerudo chieftain stood underneath the minimal shade of a palm tree, her personal guard standing to attention beside her. Their eyes followed the movements of two children, playing together with loud giggles and shouts that could probably be heard even from across town.
“They grow up so fast, don’t they? It feels like only yesterday when they drew their first breaths.” The chief’s tone carried a hint of nostalgia, as if memories from her own childhood were stealing their way into her thoughts.
“It truly does, my lady.”
“I am sure it’ll be no time at all till they’re grown… and then my daughter will take the throne.” The chief paused, shifting her gaze to her daughter’s playmate. “And what of your little one, Isir? You plan on beginning her training when she is of age, and inducting her into the guard?”
“Yes, Lady Azrah. I come from a long line of chiefly guards; it is only natural that I give her the training she needs to prepare her, should she be chosen as the next chief’s personal escort.”
A flash of yellow light caught Azrah’s eye and she looked at the children in surprise. “Isir… did you see that light? What was—”
The guard turned to the girls and alarm flared in her eyes. “Hey! Y/N! Put that down!”
Isir rushed forward to gently pull the small dagger out of her daughter’s hands, the blade glinting in the sunlight as she took it away from the children. Her child pouted, and Azrah’s daughter gave a little whine of protest.
“But Isir! We were playing Guards and Thieves!”
“Urbosa, you can do that without the knife,” Azrah crouched to place her hand on the little vai’s shoulder, unable to stop a smile from forming as she brushed a lock of unruly red hair from her daughter’s forehead. “Now, run along. I’m sure Hefza will give you a voltfruit — but only if you ask nicely.”
Urbosa’s eyes lit up again and she grinned, grabbing Y/N’s hand and turning to rush off into the streets to find the vendor. Azrah watched the children run off, a small frown creasing the space between her eyebrows. She could’ve sworn that she saw… something crackling, wreathing around Urbosa’s fingers. Something that charged the air around the girl and put a metallic taste in Azrah’s mouth. Perhaps there was a reason Urbosa’s hair refused to lay flat for more than five minutes at a time.
The Sage’s gift… could it be? But that would mean—
“My chief, with all due respect, I think those two will drive poor Hefza up the wall. As it is, she’s one of the few vendors who humour them in their little games.”
Azrah laughed at Isir’s wry words, turning to her guard. “We’ll pull them out if — no, when — she tires of being the Thief in their game. Until then… let them play, Isir. Let them be children. These carefree times will desert them sooner than you think.”
Tumblr media
divider credits: @/saradika-graphics
52 notes · View notes
six-eyed-samurai · 8 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Short (okay, not very short) yaps on Demon Slayer characters as actors in modern day.
KAMABOKO SQUAD
TANJIRO is a child actor thanks to his father's fame in his role in Hinokami Kagura III who mostly just played cameos until he landed his role in the series Demon Slayer. Same like canon Tanjiro he's quite the sunshine boy, the sort who'd buy Starbucks for everyone on set and donate at least 60% of his income to charity. His social media is usually more of photos with his siblings or friends on set than actual movie advertising. After the series ended of course he chose to take the iconic green and black checkered haori.
NEZUKO too is a child actor alongside her brother but received a few more important roles due to her cuteness factor, like the mob boss's daughter or the orphaned girl. Has joined a few musicals before with her amazingly sweet singing but ultimately decided she preferred just acting. However Demon Slayer was her first major role; Nezuko likes to take off the bamboo muzzle and pretend to snap at the camera in the bloopers. Tabloids have been gossiping about her and Agatsuma after being spotted at a park together.
INOSUKE was originally just a prodigy break dancer at the studio his single mom Kotoha and grandmother worked at, thanks to his extraordinary flexibility. His first roles were just dancers in musicals but never actually spoke or sang - he was a little self conscious about how deep and scratchy his voice sounded and how oddly feminine his face was, until Ubuyashiki Movies scouted him out formerly to be a demon, but after watching his audition decided he was perfect for the role of the Beast Breathing Slayer. Off screen Inosuke is still a messy eater but surprisingly his language is pretty refined and not so blunt and brutish.
ZENITSU first auditioned for the remake of Lightning, the movie his grandfather Jigoro played a side role in, hoping to impress a girl, but unluckily and luckily he shockingly scored the role and lost the girl. Kaigaku, his already famous foster brother, wasn't too happy about it, especially when they ended up Lightning's sequel, Thunder. Later on he joined the Demon Slayer series - Zenitsu was a little put off at having to bleach his hair but after Nezuko said he looked cool he became a little too eager about it. Real life Zenitsu is still obsessed with girls, something the magazines make a headline of every time.
KANAO played minor roles unlike her sisters, due to her shyness and fear she wouldn't be as expressive. When the other two Kocho girls joined Demon Slayer she decided to audition for a background slayer, but when the director Kagaya saw her ability to play the super silent swordswoman to perfection she was cast at once. Not as obsessed with coins as she is on screen, Kanao still did have to have Tanjiro make the first move. The only pictures she has online are usually blurry back ones or with her face scribbled out.
GENYA is no stranger to the screen as he often plays a small role in his elder brother's gangster shows. His first show was Windbreaker and when they needed someone to play Sanemi's left hand man his brother immediately pushed him to sign up; with his deep voice and build he was quickly cast. Genya liked the Mohawk he has to get from that show so much he made it his trademark style, although some directors decided to not fast him after he refused to grow it out. Off screen of Demon Slayer, he apologizes a lot for the yelling and is still really shy around girls.
HASHIRA
RENGOKU is a very renowned actor, his father being a notable name in the movie world, but not really for his movie - more for the numerous bloopers of the directors having to retake a scene because he couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud. He's the sort who would personally respond to fans and boisterously gets along with everyone on set with a slap on the back and yelled encouragement. Just like his character he's very vocal about his thoughts, although after he picked up the habit of yelling 'UMAI!' everybody started sitting a little further away during meals. Was very excited to have the signature red and yellow hair and was slightly disappointed to find out he would be wearing a wig instead. Could not take the fight scene with Akaza seriously at all and to this day Tengen and him still act out his death scene in front of reporters.
GIYUU started learning to act under the famed but retired drama teacher Urokondaki. He is rather quiet compared to the other actors on set but he's definitely surprisingly more sociable and alive; his complete 180 in personality always startles everyone else. Because he usually gets a smaller role compared to Sabito and Makomo, everyone including him was shocked when he landed the role of the Water Pillar. More than once has stolen the director's megaphone to bark orders like "Hit it like you mean it! Call yourself a slayer?!" at the actors. In the water effects of his scenes, you can be sure he and Sabito are running around using the hoses and sprays to squirt at everyone - Shinobu really gets into character when she gets hit.
TENGEN is so famous for so many things it's hard to start: his flamboyance, his good looks and three wives. Not surprisingly he always gets the main roles in movies like Nine Shinobi. However underneath his flashy exterior Tengen has been cut off from his wealthy father's fortune who opted to give it to his younger brother due to their disapproval of him pursuing a career in the silver screens. Tengen being "angry" in the Demon Slayer scenes was honestly just realistic because he was dying from laughter - yelling and turning red is surprisingly easy like that. Sometimes in public Suma, Makio and Hinatsuru will yell "Tengen-sama!" and cling to him in order to embarrass him but to their annoyance he plays along.
MITSURI is definitely a fan favorite amongst all and every gender for her bubbly, exuberant personality and pretty looks. Real life Mitsuri isn't as giggly as the characters in every love drama series she plays, but definitely her pursuit in romance was inspired by those on screen. She's very supportive in her siblings career in acting too, even if they're just playing supporting child roles for now. Mitsuri hasn't found Mr. Right yet though, due to many people simply wanting to date her for her fame or money - although rumours are going around of chemistry between her and one fellow Pillar actor on the set of Demon Slayer.
SHINOBU started acting background roles in Kanae's movies, until Ubuyashiki Movies realized her snarky personality fit the Insect Pillar a little too well - especially with her rather intimidating smile reserved for the press. Off screen Shinobu is more playful than actual cutting, sarcastic remarks, but boy do you not want to get on her bad side - once an obsessive fan started stalking Kanae and Shinobu publicly cussed him out so bad in an interview the whole thing had to be censored. On the set of Demon Slayer she enjoys whacking people who forgot their lines with the flat of her blade.
OBANAI is one of the most mysterious celebrities as off screen literally no one can identify him anywhere, even if his only disguise is wearing a black face mask. He's pretty famous for his roles in crime or mystery films, so Demon Slayer was a surprise for everyone. His makeup is pretty excessive even compared to those like the demons, and often times they had to redo zoom in shots because he's blinking too much. Ironically Obanai was previously mildly afraid of snakes but after acting with Kaburamaru he decided to adopt the lil' fella and take him back home along with the haori. His acting with Mitsuri was not faked: he really is whipped for the actress from the start.
GYOMEI is the most unserious of the lot off screen, and it got worse when he got the blind Pillar's part, frequently walking up to people and saying really bad jokes like "how do I look? I can't see for myself". One of the oldest actors on set, a lot of people look up to Gyomei for acting tips and support due to his long experience in all sorts of genres and movies. People who hadn't seen his previous films and only know him as the blind character will be taken advantage of - he simply stares in the wrong direction and acts like he can't see the nosy reporter attempting to stick the mic up his immense height.
MUICHIRO was actually cast because of how popular he was as a child actor; together with his twin Yuichiro they played all sorts of roles from the identical ghosts in horror movies to the child hero with a power of splitting himself in two. Many fans sent letter after letter or voted on social media that he should play the foggy headed Mist Pillar. It took a while since he had to grow out his hair and dye it, but when he finally made his appearance everyone went feral. Muichiro has photobombed so many scenes and photos blowing raspberries to the point it's everywhere in the bloopers. He actually cried when Yuichiro "died" because no one told him it would be shot that gruesomely - his reaction was a 100% genuinely real.
SANEMI had done a lot of makeup and sacrificed a lot of things for his roles in every mafia movie where he'd always be cast as the mad dog: bleach his hair white, paint on scars, go on a diet and crazy workout plan to get those muscles, but having to shave his eyebrows took the cake. The first video of Demon Slayer wasn't the trailer - it was the video of him recording it. Off screen Sanemi isn't that screamy or hot tempered; that's just for show in interviews or reporters. His social media is spammed with photos of him and Genya or other actors on set. An excellent (albeit pestering) wingman, he even carried Obanai on his shoulders so that he could be tall enough to kabedon Mitsuri in a viral video.
DEMONS
KOKUSHIBO was a star from the start, usually taking the same roles as his twin Yoriichi. But in the end he got tired of being in his brother's shadow and have everyone confuse them for only one Tsugikuni so he joined Samurai of the Moon alone and that was how he made his name on screen. Contrary to his parts Kokushibo is pretty verbal and sarcastic. The few times he appreciates having a twin is when he can let Yoriichi deal with the fans who think there's only one of them and slip away unnoticed with just sunglasses as his disguise. Was very supportive when Muichiro and Yuichiro began acting but secretly worried they would encounter the same problem as him.
DOUMA was famous from the moment he was born because of his actor parents' infamous divorce. He only really rose to fame after his acting in Eternal Paradise, a movie about a cannibal pretending to be a cultist. Douma is pretty flirty even off screen (causing Kibutsuji Productions to threaten to fire him several times if he made another scandal, especially around Shinobu Kocho) but if his lines require him to say anything inappropriate about women on screen he actually is pretty apologetic about it afterwards...in a carefree manner, of course. His favourite part of his costume is the rainbow irises and wears it even in interviews - some people actually believe those ARE his eyes.
AKAZA was just an ordinary martial arts student until Kibutsuji Productions came looking for someone able to act and attack in their mobster movie Three. Many of his photos include him with his signature tattoos, but they're actually fake; only his reddish pink hair is not. Starred alongside Rengoku in a sitcom Donuts about two rival chefs and Basketball Flame about a wannabe player. Both were delighted to work together in Demon Slayer but he hasn't stopped harassing Rengoku about becoming a demon yet. Akaza refuses to do any intimate scenes with other women that aren't his fiancée Koyuki so they had to hire her.
HANTENGU is an actor famous for his role in The Old Tell No Lies and his skill to cry and sob on demand until his untimely end from a concussion at a failed stunt. Thankfully his grandsons the quadruplets and Zohakuten are still continuing his legacy, moving quickly from the greatly watched Clones to the up and coming Demon Slayer. No one's figured out their secret to acting is simply because they're really bickering amongst themselves. Not acting.
GYOKKO is someone not so much famous for his roles than his flashiness in fashion at every year's Kizuki Gala with eye popping makeup and designer clothes. He enjoys pottery in his free time and some of the pieces you see on set are actually his own works. Since he isn't a fish in real life, in Demon Slayer he's mainly voice acting while the body is CGI. He actually gets along pretty well with the Tokito twins, taking them out for meals sometimes but honestly, they couldn't have possibly taken his eyeshadow, right?
GYUTARO in his humble beginnings was just a stunt double in heavy makeup for action movies, because of his skill and complete fearlessness and was too afraid of auditioning independently due to his insecurities about his birthmarks and face. He started as a double for the main character in Poison Sickle, but when Kibutsuji Productions heard his voice and saw his attitude they decided to completely just cast him as the main character, a hardened apocalypse survivor of coarse language attempting to kill all who gets in his way with his sickle. He played it so realistically although Daki encouraged him at first even she was honestly a little freaked.
DAKI was like Nezuko although scoring bigger roles. Her prettiness managed to land her in many movies, although nothing major until her playing in the princess-assassin movie Warabihime secured a role for her in Demon Slayer. Off screen, Daki isn't as insulting or biased on beauty, getting along with the other girls on set pretty well and insisting Gyutaro pay for whatever crazy shopping spree they had gone on. She loves to do her own makeup, so good they don't even need to hire an artist for her. Daki won't join a movie if Gyutaro isn't in it too or acting at the same time.
ENMU isn't as delusional and obsessive as the characters he enjoys playing on screen, but he does often like to mess with others on set by proclaiming he'd love to die by their hand or offering his blood. Newspapers enjoy speculating why he has always refused to take any other method of transportation save trains but the real reason is that he's really filming another movie alongside Demon Slayer, the thriller Subway. Nonetheless Enmu's social media, despite his publicist's frustrations, is spammed with pictures of trains. He's mentioned in an interview he likes his character's haircut in Demon Slayer so much he's considering keeping it.
RUI too is a child actor, but he mostly plays the sickly child in advertisements or hospitals due to his weirdly pale skin. Rui's odd fascination with arachnids (something his fans are crazy over) began after he landed a main role in Spider Family, which was why with his parents' encouragement he auditioned to play of the minor demons on Mt. Natagumo but much to their delight he instead go the lead. He likes to play around with the other actors and more than once anyone caught napping will wake to Rui's makeup scheme plastered on their faces.
56 notes · View notes
naisaspalace · 10 months ago
Text
Personal Nakshatras observation series:
ARDRA NAKSHATRA Part 1:
obs: this series will have multiple sources from random websites to authors/professors that contributed to the creation of this "Article". my opinions are not the ultimate truth and everyone has a different understanding of the same topic. my purpose is to spread my interpretations to help people. contact info will be available at the end of the post.
Tumblr media
Nakshatra Characteristics:
6.40 –20 degrees in Gemini.
Meaning: the star of sorrows.
Translation:  "The Moist One", "Fresh", "Green"
Deity: Rudra. (one of Shiva's manifestations)
this nakshatra story starts on the Rohini where Brahma (the creator) wanted to have an intimate relationship with his daughter, Rohini, so in the following constellation, mrigashira, Rohini turned herself into a deer to run from Brahma and he also became a deer to chase her and shiva became so furious that he opened his third eye in anger and from that a powerful spark emerged and transformed into Rudra and he cut off brahmas head to save Rohini.
this action shows the empathy and protective nature of Ardra.
ruler: Rahu. (north node)
element: water
guna: tamasic
dosha: vata
tree: Long Pepper or Krishna Kamal Flower (karimaram)
symbols: teardrop, diamond, and a human head.
yoni: female dog.
star: Belteguese
mode: balanced.
goal: kama (pleasure, desires, fulfillment)
Body parts: Top and Back of Head & Eyes.
Sex/Gender: Female.
Upward Facing.
Direction: West (or southeast). Color: Green. (mercury gemini)
Disposition:  Sharp and Forceful (Tikshna)
Chakra:vishuddha (throat chakra)
Tumblr media
story interpretation:
Ardra nakshatra is the first rahu-ruled nakshatra of three and it comes after mrigashira, ruled by Mars, the previous constellation talked about a mind that was constantly chasing something that most of the time ended up being things that would bring a sense of temporal satisfaction. Those people are those who usually are lost trying to search for something to satisfy themselves and after they are satisfied they simply go out searching for the next thing.
But things change when they arrive at Ardra, here is the first time the mind starts to wonder about what the mind storms and turbulences mean, and this time they actually are focused on getting to the end of the search that usually started at mrigashira, by dissecting the problem and arriving at the end goal fiercely like Rudra.
Tumblr media
The star of sorrows
The nature balances the universe with its constructive and destructive abilities. water creates lives and also ends lives by hydrating and drowning and by striking lightning to end the bad and damaged environment that can eventually become powerfully strong as a diamond or cause mass destruction. This is how Ardra's energy manifests itself they bring a storm that transforms us either for good or bad, you are the one who decides who you face this.
Tumblr media
pop culture manifestation
effy stonem (drug abuse, destruction, illusion)
Kaya Scodelario has moon-ketu (conjunction) at Ardra and she played Effy a troubled teen who started to drink and use drugs to cope with her emotions and ended up bringing destruction to herself and the people around her.
she was often seen as this sexy attractive woman and she used a lot of her seduction to cause chaos among the men
the illusion of drugs that make you feel like the mind is now pacified
she loved chaos so much that she chased it constantly or at least thought she loved it.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
a beautiful young woman having fun you might wonder what is wrong with that? effy grew up around an unstable family and this led her to idealize the use of substances to escape herself to a point where she would constantly run away and record vlogs asking her mom to find her and nurture her.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
ardra is the first rahu constellation, also called as the “birth of rahu” or his “infant state” alongside rahu it comes with the birth of the intellectual mind ardra is also called the star of sorrows and the symbol is a teardrop
effy represents a state of disorganized destruction and the consequences of self-neglect created by Maya, illusions, where one fails to find the strength to leave their storms and continues to feed their infinite hunger for emotional satisfaction and the inability to face reality as it is
the storms come to us but they don't come to destroy us they are here for us to thrive above to raise the heavens, just like Rudra throwing his arrow to the sky.
Tumblr media
"Rudra is known as the divine archer, who shoots arrows of death and disease and who has to be implored not to slay or injure in his wrath"
Effy ended up with a psychotic depression. She attempts suicide but Freddie (her boyfriend), foreseeing this, saves her and she is taken to the hospital and later, institutionalized. Eventually, she lost her memory because the doctor used strong medication and he also manipulated effy into breaking up with her boyfriend and attempted to make her fall in love with him and murder her boyfriend.
Tumblr media
to me, this is where the actress ketu comes into play, as you know ketu represents detachment and liberation and she finally achieved her freedom by losing her memory even if it was momentarily she finds a few moments of peace.
three years after this whole situation she moves to another place but we find her, she seems to be better but she ends up being arrested at the end of the series for being framed by her boss, he frames his fraud crimes into her. Eventually, she told his superiors and he got arrested as well
refusing to heal her past traumas, ketu, she ends up being followed by outside storms that mirrored her mental state; The star of sorrow indeed.
Tumblr media
Taylor Swift (profit, high goals and achievement, superation, philosophy, and fame).
taylor is a pop singer and writer who started her career at young age when she was discovered by a executive of a record label and became a famous celebrity later on.
revenge, pain, mental disturbance.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(The snake is one of the rahu's symbols, hes the head of the snake represents the mental part)
she became successful due to her telling her heartbreak stories on her music, specifically her ex-relationships, her sorrows became her brand and she is often described as a revengeful person because if you mess with her she will just write a song and win millions with all of this chaotic mess.
Taylor has ardra moon-jupiter and her birth time is not confirmed some will say she is a sideral scorpio rising and others will say she is a Sagittarius, I personally agree with both but for the sake of this interpretation, I will ignore the house where this conjunction falls and give a general interpretation.
moon grants taylor the emotional unbalancing experience and jupiter grants her the wisdom to work with multiple music genres and the writing ability. We all know that jupiter amplifies whatever he touches and this granted taylor her huge popularity and success and guaranteed that she would be able to rise above all of the chaos she faced during her career. Taylor also knows how to play some musical instruments and when she began her career she also had some acting jobs.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
“Patience in the times of conflict, Humbleness in the time of success, Cleverness of tongue in company, Attack in battle, Wish during fame, Addiction in weaponry – These 6 virtues are in-built and can only be seen in the brave man. Whoever houses these virtues becomes a great soul. Thus, the one who wants to succeed and become greater than he is shall house all 6 of these virtues.)” ― HEM RAJ JAT, RUDRA: The Name of Destroyer
taylor symbolizes the high ambition and dreams of the ardra native, the amount of chaos she passed not only made her strong but she managed to won again and again jupiter guaranteed her success and the ardra moon gave her the ambition drive to achieve it all.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
rahu is highly ambitious and material-obsessed/attached and taylor shows this attribute by never stopping working on her career, she is one of the few artists who did not have a pause during her musical career and during the pandemic she not only announced two new upcoming albums with new and expensive merchandise
the world was in a pandemic state yet Ms. Taylor didn't lose the opportunity to make millions she broke records and became even stronger. rahu is also the significator of social media and taylor is highly influential there.
her gigantic success overshadows her character flaws and she also managed to create this persona, illusion, of ultimate good and moralistic character. this is once again due to rahu being a good manipulator and liar.
don't be mistaken I was once a huge fan of hers but this is an analysis and I cannot act blind towards her motives and actions, she is talented and manages to earn her success and she has good and bad actions just like all of us but we shouldn't be blind towards Rahu, right?
Tumblr media Tumblr media
overall she behaves like a good agent of maya making fame seem delicious, fun, and worth having. to me, her story is of superation, hard work, and good writing with philosophical intellectual exploration on her folklore and evermore albums and just like effy sorrows seem to follow her around.
Daenerys Targaryen ( illusions, transformation, strength, fantasy and victory)
Emilia Clarke is a famous actress most known by her role as Daenerys Targaryen and she have a possible ardra moon
Tumblr media Tumblr media
daenerys had a hard life and she was dependent on her abusive older brother, Viserys, and was forced to marry Dothraki horselord Khal Drogo in exchange for Viserys' army to reclaim the Iron Throne in Westeros. she becomes the khaleesi and with this new title, she also gained three petrified dragons as a wedding gift.
a little time has passed and pregnant Daenerys loses her husband and child, but blood magic allows Daenerys to hatch three of her dragon eggs. The dragons provide her with a tactical advantage and prestige.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Oftentimes serpents were described as dragons and magic is also another significator of rahu.
she managed to conquer the seven kingdoms and became the queen after many years of pain and trial she won with fierce and ultimately strength
Daenerys finds her inner strength and courage and emerges as a natural leader adored by her people. She is often described as honorable and compassionate, if somewhat naive, although she can be harsh and vengeful against those who seek to harm her or her followers.
here ardra manifests as a warrior whos strength and ambition led her to the ultimate goal the throne that she had lost and was willing to fight until she won.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Don't forget that also took revenge and created destruction all around yet shes a manifestation of a fearless warrior determined to eliminate the opposition without hesitation, just like rudra.
however she had a sad ending, she was betrayed and killed by her lover Jon who was also another candidate for the throne, she found out near the end of the show, after she became mad like her ancestors
the mad queen was dead but her legacy and story lived on to show how great one can become by using the right methods and having a good character one is also capable of greatness but just like all of the ladies before the sorrows followed her into her death.
okay being serious the last season was awful and neither her nor Jon had a proper ending we didn't get the chance to see her becoming mad like her father and her character was destroyed yet her story was awesome i dreamed of jon having the throne and i hated the forced sibling rushed romance and I've loved jon i am a sucker for the forced to become a hero trope fight me ... she was doomed to fall because of the prophecy and she did but she didn't enjoy the throne and deserved better.
Tumblr media
End of the first part of ardra analyses.
this was my first post analysis so please be kind and i did my best to be impartial because i do enjoy taylor's work and the other two characters are good! i did not intended to throw hate at any these women i just did my personal observation using the constellation behaviour i hope i was able to spread some knowledge and also to help those who desire to learn.
please share your thoughts and if you want to recommend a theme for me to talk about feel free to do so.
and my reading services are open.
contact info.
118 notes · View notes
quitealotofsodapop · 2 months ago
Note
I can imagine Lionsword!Jing and Monkey Infant(or any of them really) Jing meeting and Lionsword just fucking decks the other man.
(Love your works by the way! Never really considered Lionsword to be a possibility, yet here we are)
True...
But recently since Season 5 finally showed Li Jing, and is steering his characterisation to be more grey-filtered (plus some delicious character exploration by @weaverpop); I have been considering a possible worse person to exile Nezha...
The Jade Emperor himself.
Think about it. Li Jing is an impulsive dad, but I doubt he'd just kick his youngest kiddo out for a mission he has no context for. The Pagoda King might not be a "perfect" parent, but I imagine that he ultimately treats Nezha like he's still a kid. Also if either of the royal couple opposed his decision, he'd answer to them.
But this guy (JE) canonically (in both mythos and lmk canon) knows when he's going to die. The Harbinger is a sign of his incoming death.
Celestials and Gods are terrified of death. It's why they drink "Extending-Life"-Booze like it's lemonade and pay Lao Tzu to make them "Make Me Immortal"-Pills
The Jade Emperor knows that once his sister's Comet lands, bringing all the dao required to forge five brand-new Heavenly Stones, his immortal life is on a timer.
So he figures; send a stone monkey to destroy this one! But also send his nephew along just in case the monkey has second thoughts (he does).
Suddenly he learns that his trouble-making grandson actively tried to save this thing!? No! Bad! Bad grandson! Go stay on earth till you learn from what you did! Why what you did was so bad? Uhh... I'll tell you when you get older.
Ironically it's the exact same punishment he gave Nezha's mother Yin eons before - she had been back-talking him and the Queen Mother so they sent her down to learn the hardships of mortal life. It... did not pan out like they hoped.
Nezha's hair is cut by the Emperor's sword - marking him as "cut off" from the imperial family. Li Jing clutches his son's cut hair like he's reliving a terrible memory.
Even the Queen Mother makes a gasp in shock. Her husband had not dared do such a thing to even their daughters! What was so dire about Sun Wukong and Erlang's mission that warranted such treatment? But she cannot defy his ruling.
Li Jing in this case would think the punishment to be extremely harsh for some childish misbehavior. But he dare not oppose the Jade Emperor or the Queen Mother. He's their only in-law within screaming, lightning bolt, or primordial fire distance. He's but a mortal man made-celestial, he cannot overrule them.
Nezha still finds found-family with the monkeys and the noodle shop gang.
But his dad still sends him letters. Li Jing thinks his odd snake-lotus son is growing up into a fine young man. But he's sad that it is only now.
30 notes · View notes
docgold13 · 3 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Heroes & Villains The DC Animated Universe - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles
Elseworlds Addendum - Black Lightning
Jefferson Pierce grew up in the impoverished neighborhood of Metropolis colloquially known as ‘Suicide Slum.’  After his father was killed by criminals, Jefferson’s mother did her best to raise him into an honorable and dedicated young man.  A gifted athlete, Jefferson excelled at track and field and ended up winning a medal in the decathlon at the Olympic Games.  He later went to college and earned a degree in education, returning home he became a teacher at his local high school, ultimately becoming the school’s principle.  
Sadly the violence in the neighborhood continued on and one of Jefferson’s students was murdered by men working for the mob boss known as Tobias Whale.  With the police unable or unwilling to do anything about it, Jefferson decided to take matters into his own hands.  Jefferson was a metahuman possessing eletrokinesis (the ability to manifest and control powerful surges in electrical energy).  He had kept this gift a secret fearing use of his powers might accidentally hurt someone.  Yet now he felt compelled to use his abilities to bring about justice.  
He fashioned a costume to hide his identity and ventured out as ‘Black Lightning.’  After numerous adventures, Black Lightning encountered Batman and the two became allies.  Shortly thereafter, Batman recruited Black Lightning into his covert team of heroes, The Outsiders.  Some time later, Black Lightning joined the Justice League, proving an invaluable member of the team.  Jefferson was briefly married to Lynn Stewart in his younger adulthood.  Although the marriage did not last especially long, the couple had two daughters, Anissa and Jennifer.  Both daughters inherited their father’s meta-gene, endowing the sisters super powers of their own.
Although a pivotal character in the DC Comics pantheon, intellectual property rights and cost-cutting so to avoid paying royalty fees resulted in Black Lightning being left out the original DCAU.  Although the character did finally feature in the second season of the Young Justice animated series, becoming a central character in the series moving forward; voiced by actor Khary Payton.  
The hero first appeared in the pages of Black Lightning #1 (1977)    
24 notes · View notes
mosquito-queen · 10 months ago
Text
“what’s your favorite season?”
“i thought you knew everything about me.”
yelena does know most of everything: kate hates the smell of mint, she broke her wrist and collarbone from horseback riding, the sun always shines brighter when she is around. yelena also knows that she will always be hungry to learn more.
it stings when kate snarks at her. because yelena is attempting to dismantle a fortress she has painstakingly built from her own bones, cemented with her blood. each question claws at the walls, unbinds memories she so carefully imprisoned. each question is a decision to bring the possibility of loss back into her life. so it stings when kate teases, even though yelena does the same.
yelena rolls her eyes. she’s shutting down quicker than kate anticipated. kate blurts: “it’s spring, when everything turns green again. what about you?”
she doesn’t expect a response. everything kate knows about yelena she has carefully observed and deduced. she knows: yelena is afraid of halloween even though she won’t admit it, that she’s probably allergic to peanut butter (not proven, but yelena avoids it like the plague), and that the scrunch of yelena’s nose will be kate’s ultimate downfall. she especially knows that yelena does not like to answer personal questions.
except, a fond, nostalgic smile smoothes yelena’s usual frown lines. her favorite season is ohio in winter. she can hear it now: natasha’s rumbling laughter as she drags yelena towards the ice.
“slow down! my shoes aren’t tied!”
“the sun will set before we even get there!”
the backside of natasha’s head is a blue beacon bobbing against the late afternoon’s pillowed sky. two pairs of bright white skates are slung over her shoulder, bouncing with each stride, sunlight glinting on the blades. the sisters race through the shin-high snow towards a small pond nestled just behind their neighborhood. the ice gleams, beckons them closer.
natasha missed yelena’s recital from the previous evening. so had mama. but papa was there, a bear stuffed between smiling grandmas. he had smelled like their perfume afterwards. he had thrown the biggest bouquet of roses on the rink when she was finished, a toothy smile and two thumbs up gleaming in the crowd. yelena could find her papa anywhere. he was always there for her skating. right next to her sister and mother. but they had missed it.
natasha settles on a stone bench near the pond bank. she turns her head to check on her younger sister (she’s still trudging through the last bit of snow) before chucking off her shoes and stuffing on the larger pair of skates. after a few moments, yelena drops onto the bench. she is much more tame in changing her shoes and making sure the ice skates are laced properly. she pauses, steals a glance at natasha.
the older girl is sporting a new welt just below her eye. it is the color of a summer thunderhead, a sinister purple blotting the sky. yelena knows her sister only flares like lightning, never bears rain. yelena is the crier. she could make a new ocean with the crocodile tears that so easily spring to her eyes. she wants to be like her sister. natasha is always so poised and decisive. a calculated perfection. yelena is her shadow, an understudy. except on the ice. on the ice, she is her own spotlight. she is always costumed in cobalt blue during competition and recitals, tiny sparkling beads sewn meticulously into snowflakes. her mother has spent so much time on this outfit. pricking her fingers raw.
yelena wins every competition in this dress made with love and hurt. she practices until she’s perfect, lands every trick, wins every competition. she says thank you to her mother with each carefully executed leap, and spin, and flourish. her mother says i love you by webbing back together the wear and tear, by gently hand washing the costume and keeping it hung on the outside of yelena’s closet door. she sews a new snowflake for each medal her daughter brings home.
natasha is growing impatient, gives yelena an encouraging smile, “ok snegurochka, show me what i missed.”
and yelena does. she wobbles towards the ice, and at first contact slips into her stage persona. on the ice, she closes her eyes, imagines the music reaching across time and space to curl around her, turning her clothes into her usual costume. she imagines the frosted face paint edging the corners of her face, the deep purple eye shadow and white lashes, she imagines herself as the snow maiden. it is her favorite routine. it is her best routine. it is about a girl made of snow and ice, who longs to be amongst the humans. she is lonely, but with a frozen heart she is unable to know love, until her mother takes pity. she grants her this ability, but as soon as she falls in love, she melts from the warmth of her newfound heart.
the routine ends with yelena curled on the ice, natasha clapping and cheering with the ferocity of their father. yelena lays on the ice for a moment longer, lets the cold seep into her bones. she thinks if she really was the snow maiden, she would only want to know what it felt like to love skating. she wouldn’t melt for a dumb boy.
natasha skates out to her, reaches out a hand and brings her back up. they spin and race until the sun dips down towards the rooftops. it’s a perfect day during an ohio winter.
the memory is a blanket that settles around yelena’s shoulders, makes her sleepy and vulnerable. she answers truthfully: “winter.”
a surprised smile crosses kate’s face, quirks the corner of her mouth. it’s yelena’s favorite smile. and it isn’t lost on her that she met kate during the same season. yelena’s gaze is caught too long on kate’s, her pulse thudding in the hallow of her throat. truthfully, her heart had been thawing since the first time they met. she was melting for a dumb girl.
it’s the snow mush in her brain that makes yelena ask, “do you want to go ice skate, kate bishop?”
63 notes · View notes
hoenoredone · 1 year ago
Text
MISHAPS – gojo satoru
Tumblr media
contents: satoru comes home after a gruelling day at work to his house looking like it was traversed by a hurricane. tags: sfw, fluff, enstablished relationship, parenting is hard, gojoxfem!reader, non sorcerer au, married au, megumi and tsumiki are gojo's biological children - i don't make the rules, very domestic, sort of traditional gender roles?
no way in hell gojo was going back to work tomorow, not after the absolute mess of a calendar his secretary had left him with. meetings and conferences back to back, he had barely had any time to take a single bite out of the lunch you had prepared for him the day before. gojo had made it through the day by only relying on pure spite against his secretary – yes, he was still seething – and the thought of coming home to his wife and kids.
as he exited his car he could already hear tsumiki's laughter through the open kitchen window and your gentle redirection for what he could only assume was an attempt at teaching the kids some independence by having them make dinner with you. if he had to be honest, gojo did think it was a little early for them to hold a knife – even if it was barely able to be considered one, seeing how it was completely blunt ceramic – tsumiki being six and megumi being almost three, but ultimately you knew best considering all of the parenting books you had devoured in the last seven years. not that he hadn't put in any effort at all – he had actually spent several nights studying to prepare –, he simply did not want to see his kids grow up so soon.
"no, tsumiki, that's sugar!" gojo hears you hurriedly yell at your daughter, and he can't help but chuckle at the horror in our voice. you must be too busy trying to fix your little one's mishap to hear him enter your home, because once he crosses the threshold and removes his coat, the only one to greet him is a tired looking megumi.
"hi, daddy," the boy says between a yawn and a clumsy stumble towards his father, and gojo's heart couldn't be fuller than in that moment.
"hey there, little man," he whispers to his son as he picks him up and lays him on his shoulder, "how's mommy doing?"
gojo only receives a mumble and a nuzzle as a response. he tries to make his way to the kitchen holding megumi with a hand rubbing soothing circles on his back, however he has to skip and hop every couple of steps over some forgotten toys and books scattered on the living room floor.
once he reaches the kitchen he can't help but stand back and observe the barely controlled chaos of the stove. sink full of utensils, table stacked with bowls he can only assume had been taken out of the dishwasher when it hadn't finished yet, givien the water droplets falling on the wood, and his two favorite ladies hunched over the stove.
"okay, no- that's okay, actually! tomato sauce always calls for a pinch of sugar," you say as you lift tsumiki off of the stepping stool in front of the stove and step in to add some freshly picked basil – you had insisted on having some potted herbs on the windowsill – and a generous amount of salt.
"wait, why, mommy?" your daughter asks jumping up to try and see the pot.
"why what, baby? the sugar?" you ask before tasting the sauce and barely holding back the look of surprise that paints your face. it must have turned out fairly decent, in the end.
tsumiki nods enthusiastically.
"ah," you step aside and let her climb back on the stepping stool, "it's to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. you could use some milk too, but we don't because we don't want daddy's tummy to feel upset."
"we all have our flaws," gojo says while repositioning megumi on his shoulder, and he swears he sees all of the cogs in your brain work at lightning speed to make the split second decision to hide tsumiki behind you and grab the nearest knife on your counter before you realize it's just your husband talking.
his arms ache from his son's weight, his back is in knots from sitting at his desk all day, and his heart is so, so full of love.
147 notes · View notes
now-you-sound-like-a-jedi · 6 months ago
Text
Star Wars x Classical Mythology
2: Bo-Katan Kryze as Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons
Tumblr media
"Dressed in this fashion in her intricate armor, she seemed like a bolt of lightning sent earthwards by the might of resistless Zeus to show men that a mighty thunderstorm is coming, or ceaseless blasts of whistling wind.
[...] No spear she directed went astray: she would hit either the back of a fugitive or the chest of an attacker. Drenched all over in warm blood, her limbs active and vigorous, her fearless heart unwearied, strong as steel."
- Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica
Bo-Katan and Penthesilea were both the daughters of warriors (indeed, Penthesilea's father was Ares, god of war) and, as ruler of Mandalore and queen of the Amazons, respectively, both eventually became the leaders of a warrior society.
Furthermore, both of them took the throne following the tragic and untimely death of their elder sister. Interestingly, Penthesilea's degree of responsibility for her sister Hippolyta's death varies between sources: some say she had nothing to do with it, that Hippolyta was murdered by an outsider but, according to Smyrnaeus, Penthesilea accidentally killed her.
Either way, Penthesilea was devastated by her sister's death, and sources cannot agree whether her reckless actions on the battlefield during the seige of Troy were due to a desire to atone for her sins by saving the Trojans or simply because her grief and guilt were so great that she wished only to die honourably in battle and then join her sister in the afterlife.
This part came into my mind when I was watching the Siege of Mandalore arc of The Clone Wars, specifically the part where Bo-Katan tries to attack Maul, because it reminded me of Penthesilea fighting Achilles and the ambiguity of her motivation for it. Did she try to fight because she was arrogant enough to believe she would win, or had she simply lost so much that she no longer cared?
The Amazons were ultimately decimated by the Greeks just as the Mandalorians were by the Empire. The difference is that, unlike Penthesilea, Bo-Katan survived to rebuild.
Satine
37 notes · View notes
intertexts · 3 months ago
Note
OKAY BECAUSE I HAVE STILL NOT WRITTEN DOWN ALL OF MY THOUGHTS AND THEYRE JUST KIND OF FLOATING AROUND VAGUELY IN MY BRAIN SOUP.... holds out my hands like a starving victorian child. tell me about your william first death thoughts <3 what the hell sent that boy over a cliff edge. how long did he stay at the bottom. what was his first glimpse of the spirit world like. etc etc etc !!!!!!
GOD. WIWI TIME. you KNOW this is going to be an indecipherable soup of thoughts. if i was saying this all in person u know i would have like. pages of notes with a billion little paragraphs going a billion directions & arrows pointing all over the place. but. let's see what we've got. i love being normal about william wisp!!!
you know my thoughts on those damn wisps. first off. like before i even get started i cannot overstate how "something alien that loves you and wants you but doesn't have any conception of how humans work or how their affection hurts the thing they want " they are to me. they are a little kid who's trying to catch a lightning bug and crushing it in their hands, except they want to crush it and they don't get how killing a lightning bug is bad. they are going oh we like this kid he's nosy and curious (and he also wants to be dead? hey, we're dead! awesome! i see no problem with this!) we want him dead :)
the thing that i guess has slowly solidified in my head as to how the hell that boy went over a cliff......... god this is going to be so incoherent. you're in for it.
i do really love the folklore of will-o-the-wisps-- hypnotically leading you astray and off paths and down places you'll never return from. i think also that the wisps actively tugging him in that direction in some form resonates in a really painful way with the "haha! william wisp everybody wants to manipulate and use you for their own goals and you keep falling victim to wanting to trust people and getting fucking hurt by it (said in the haha jonathan you are banging my daughter cadence)" thing. how many of the pivotal choices in will's life were made because *he* wanted them. how much of what's happened to him is him getting tossed around from person to person!!
simultaneously: god you know he fucking killed himself man. you know he did. i'm not even-- staring at u with a hopeless expression and my hands in my hair. like. obviously he did. william wisp boy scout. william wisp always prepared with 1 million useful tools. william wisp grew up running around in the woods. william wisp who loved hiking and was always outside. you don't do that accidentally, unless you're an absolute idiot in a very precarious situation, neither of which i think apply to him. he still... chose to follow the wisps. i think. like, that decision Was His. he wasn't hypnotized out of his gourd or something. in my mind maybe it was a bit less of a "this time i'm really gonna do it" and more of a "this is interesting and beautiful and compelling and i honestly don't really give a shit if i die? maybe that's what this means. maybe that's what the woods are telling me that i'm right and i shouldn't be here after all." actually yeah no i just arrived at this conclusion myself and im fucking. yeah. kemuri voice if you weren't a coward you'd have killed yourself already. wisps voice yeah you know how you think about bleeding out sometimes? yeah you should do that. that would be good. that's all you've good for. it would be the best thing you possibly could do right now (to them it IS. they want him dead so they can have him!!!!). yeah c'mere come this way yeah keep following me. look at that drop. look at how pretty it is.
so. i guess. there's your answer to what i think happened there!!!!! regardless of being influenced the choice was his, ultimately. i think it takes away frm his whole narrative if it was not an intentional decision. to do that. & also i think his parents & the people around him Know That. stares at his dynamic with his parents. staring at it. (also just. william wisp clinical depression. he's just fucked up that way even with good parents even outside the deadwood horrors. he's just like that. important to me. passively suicidal long b4 he fell in the deeply miserable high schooler way. god he must have been like.. fourteen fifteen? sophmore when it happened? but GOD the deadwood horrors also. growing up being absolutely alienated from everyone around u except a handful of people.....)
I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY LIKE. thought about how long he was there for very much. but i think it was quick for him and long, like, objectively. in my head i have been thinking that it just. happened while he was alone and he came back alone but i don't know if he would tell his parents. would he tell his parents? i don't know if he'd danny phantom it or if he'd come back limping and pale and brown with dried blood and go hey mom? in a choked wobbly trying to hold back tears voice & accidentally phase through her arms when she tried to hug him.
either that or i think he should come back while the cops are crouched over his body. early morning freezing cold his parents crying a couple yards away no paramedics because they couldn't make it through the forest and there's no nearby safe helicopter landing space. just open his eyes laura palmer style. the like,,,, finality of it to everyone around him. they Knew He Was Dead. not that laura palmer did that but i'm picturing that opening scene of them finding her washed up body u know.
regardless: i don't think he saw the spirit world until... god. when's the first time he did in canon. his second death? i don't think he knew Anything. i don't think the wisps gave him shit!!!! he just woke up no heartbeat no breath falling through floors and phasing through people nobody to ask about it. his parents didn't know anything he didn't either!! anyway. leaving you with this.
Tumblr media
17 notes · View notes